Chapter 1793: A False Front (I)

The spirit island of Chunyi Dao Gate, known as Chunyi Island, lay in the Splitreed Sea. Among its mountains was a rather renowned peak called Suohai Peak.

An elderly man in red was strolling through the mountains with his hands clasped behind his back. After waiting for some time, he saw a middle-aged sword cultivator descend from the sky.

"Brother Ji'an!"

The elderly man hurriedly returned the greeting and replied, "Lingjiao..."

The sword cultivator nodded slightly. Elegant in bearing and exceptionally well-built, he was none other than Daoist Master Fuxuan, a sword cultivator of Chunyi Dao Gate who cultivated Supreme Yin.

The elderly man before him was Daoist Master Ji'an, who had relinquished Baier Mountain in Cangzhou of the Northern Sea. The two were clearly well acquainted, and the sword cultivator spoke to him with equal familiarity. "Old Brother, how has your cultivation on Dushan Island been going?"

Daoist Master Ji'an stroked his beard and nodded. "It can certainly be considered a treasured land. Unfortunately, it has been in use for far too long, and later generations exercised no restraint, drawing away too much of its metal, lightning, fire, and baleful energies. It is now far too depleted. Besides... its origins are unknown..."

Fuxuan's expression dimmed slightly as he shook his head. "This island lies on the edge of the Shallow Sea, east of Chunyi Island. It was not very large at first. Back then, one of our forebears allocated it to a junior as a place to achieve his breakthrough, intending for him to settle his clan there. Later, the junior committed some transgression and was expelled from the sect. After taking his clansmen away, the island was ceded to the Ch'ü Family[1]...

"Who would have thought that the Ch'ü Family's Daoist Master would die an untimely death shortly after breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm? The Ch'ü Family had no choice but to become our subordinate. After a century, they finally produced a young master in whom they placed great hopes, only for him to die amid the unrest. The family has fallen further into decline with each passing year...

"That is why we thought to invite you to establish your gate on Dushan Island. In recent years, the earth veins there have continued to rise and spread. It was originally a volcanic island, but metal, stone, and thunder energies have since emerged as well, and it is also close to Chunyi Island..."

Daoist Master Ji'an walked several steps with his hands clasped behind his back. He naturally understood that once he settled on this island, he would almost certainly be bound to Chunyi Dao Gate's cause.

He pondered in silence for a long while before finally saying, "I only hope I might have the chance to behold the [Great Radiant Book]!"

"I understand!"

Fuxuan began leading him down the mountain when he suddenly felt the jade talisman in his sleeve growing faintly warm. Sensing trouble, he hurriedly reassured Ji'an, "Leave this matter to me. I will be sure to ask Tingzhou about it!"

He then hurried out of the mountains and flew over the sea for some time. Following the jade talisman's guidance and the azure patterns rippling across the water, he soon landed among the scattered reefs surrounding a deserted island.

Sure enough, a man in green stood there with his hands clasped behind his back, a smile on his face. "Fellow Xii... it has been a long time!"

Fuxuan looked rather helpless. He stepped forward and sighed. "Chi Buzi... What trouble are you stirring up this time?"

Xii Lingjiao and Chi Buzi could be considered acquaintances, and there had been some grievances between them in their youth. However, Chunyi Dao Gate had strict rules. Even though the matter of their ancestors' legacy had brought them somewhat closer, Xii Lingjiao still should not maintain a close relationship with him.

He said, "You fiend... Since you knew about our old Daoist Master's breakthrough, you could have ridden the wind here, hidden yourself behind some cloud, secretly watched it through to the end, and slipped away when the opportunity arose. Why show yourself and cause more trouble?"

The smile on Chi Buzi's face stiffened when he heard this. "What sort of reasoning is that? Am I, Chi Buzi, the kind of person who hides his face and turns up uninvited?"

Fuxuan merely stared at him with a peculiar expression.

"Haha." Chi Buzi laughed once more before turning solemn as he said, "I did not come specifically to provoke you... I want to meet Li Ximing of Tingzhou, but I have never found a suitable opportunity..."

Fuxuan immediately misunderstood his intentions, and his expression turned stern. "Today is the day my master attempts his breakthrough! You had better think this through carefully, fellow Daoist!"

Chi Buzi shook his head with an amused laugh. "Lingjiao, you misunderstand! Do I look like someone who would avenge a few members of the Chi family? Even if Chi Wei came back to life today, I would stab him twice without hesitation if he obstructed my path. I merely have one or two important matters to discuss with Li Ximing.

"His family has some misunderstandings about me. I am merely afraid he might turn and flee the moment he sees me, causing all manner of needless trouble."

The sword cultivator pursed his lips. "I am afraid you brought that upon yourself..."

Chi Buzi was thick-skinned enough to remain unfazed. He merely stepped forward with a smile and said, "Is that not why I have come to beg you, big brother? I only hope you will let me onto the island and grant me a place there... so I can go and meet him..."

Fuxuan was no inflexible traditionalist and could be considered the most open-minded Daoist Master of Chunyi Dao Gate, yet even he looked deeply troubled as he said, "I do not mean to slight you, but we are in full view of everyone... and my master has personally emerged from seclusion. If he has any objection to your presence, this matter will not end well!"

Chi Buzi merely smiled dismissively. "There is no need to worry. Just go and report my arrival. The old man sees everything as clearly as a polished mirror, so why would he make things difficult for you? Besides, even Changhuai and Yue Cultivating of the Supreme Yang Dao lineage have sent representatives. How could the Azure Pond Sect possibly be absent?"

Fuxuan naturally had to report the matter. He shook his head helplessly and led Chi Buzi back toward the peak, leaving him to wait on a nearby island. Chi Buzi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing toward the distant west.

He had traveled across many lands these past few days, searching all the way from the Northern Sea to the Southern Sea and visiting several ancient Dao lineages.

Although I cannot ask about that great figure directly, making inquiries about the fox kin is hardly difficult!

He had gathered a great deal of information. Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, he began turning it all over in his mind.

The fox tribe... truly is intimately connected to the Origin Mansion. I heard that the fox tribe's founding ancestor, that old demonic creature whose divine ability had already reached perfection many years ago, was enlightened by a cultivator of the Origin Mansion!

Could that so-called cultivator of the Origin Mansion have been the one with the Dao title Xuan'an?

Yet the more sensitive piece of information... concerned Li Jiangqun, that cultivator of the Origin Mansion. If that was the case, why had Xuan'an completely disregarded Li Jiangqun? Chi Buzi knew quite a bit about this matter, and his suspicions only deepened.

If so, there must be something unusual about the source of Li Chejing's Supreme Yin Moonlight. It most likely came from the master of the fox... which would mean Xuan'an is the one behind the Li Family...

Since Xuan'an's various arrangements were concealed by the dragons, the two sides have most likely joined forces in secret...

To him, every word Dingjiao had spoken back then was extraordinarily precious and worthy of careful consideration. Most importantly, Dingjiao had mentioned Moongaze Lake!

"Guidance upon Moongaze Lake... Once you reach Moongaze Lake, you shall roam freely across the outer-sea..."

Those were all Dingjiao's own words! Yet in Chi Buzi's memories, his time at the lake was clearly a complete blank. If he wished to recover that missing part, he would inevitably need the Li Family from back then!

More importantly, he had to relay the dragons' stance, or at least the arrangements between himself and the dragons... There was no possibility that the lord was unaware of them, but Chi Buzi still had to display his loyalty in full. Better yet, he might even reach an unspoken understanding with the Li Family.

He merely stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression inscrutable. I only fear that Li Ximing will not believe me!

The man in green waited for some time before finally seeing the sword cultivator return to receive him. Sure enough, Fuxuan wore a peculiar expression, as though the outcome had taken him by surprise.

He merely said, "Please!"

Chi Buzi immediately stepped onto an emerald cloud and flew toward the island with a beaming smile. Upon reaching Suohai Peak, the island's highest point, he cast a brief glance through the great void and saw multicolored light spread across the land, just as expected.

He remarked, "It has been many years since I last saw such a lively gathering."

Although Fuxuan led him inside, he had little desire to engage with him and pretended not to hear. Once they reached the mountains, he warned Chi Buzi again. "Do not cause any trouble!"

1. Both 屈 and 瞿 are romanized as Qu in pinyin despite being different surnames. To avoid confusion with the previously established Qu Family of Qu Yi and Qu Tan (瞿氏), 屈氏 will be rendered as the Ch'ü family. ☜