Chapter 1602: Upholding Martial Virtue (I)

Drip.

A cold rain had fallen throughout the night. The lamplight on the desk burned dimly, casting a gloomy glow over the handsome young gentleman holding a brush. Unease lingered on his face, while his golden eyes seemed all the brighter in the darkness.

"The cultivators around Simin Prefecture are already gathering. Even without anyone coming down from the mountain, they could still field at least ten Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. This operation is far too risky..."

He raised an eyebrow and turned toward the man beside him. "Registrar Chen, I think Liyuan Circuit would be the gentler choice. It's the height of the spring farming season, and the lands surrounding Liyuan Circuit are the most important fertile fields in all of Lixia Prefecture. If fighting breaks out there, this year's agricultural work will be ruined. The region won't know peace for the entire year."

"Oh?" The dark-skinned man beside him frowned upon hearing this, looking troubled as he replied, "So Lord Li has considered that angle as well... But the timing cannot be delayed. If you ask me, we should simply fight. If things truly become difficult, we can just send people to distribute grain afterward."

"It is not nearly so simple." Li Jiangliang set down his brush. He rubbed the space between his brows as he said, "Who would distribute it, and to whom? The ones who suffer are the common folk working the fields. Do you think the landlords and local gentry would simply stand aside? Ever since the Xiao Family departed, Lixia Prefecture has yet to produce any local power with enough weight to maintain order. Yet the population has grown considerably over the years. If chaos erupts, it will be difficult to control, and we already lack manpower as it is. How can we afford to waste our people on such matters?"

His expression grew serious. "My lord has always said that the people under our rule should be allowed to live in peace and recover their strength. I understand that timing is critical, but these concerns deserve careful consideration as well."

Registrar Chen let out a long sigh and replied, "You'll have to bring this matter to the lord yourself. I've just received orders to help Lord Ruan draft the regulations for Martial Reverence Palace. Besides, establishing subordinate clans is the more urgent matter. If Liyuan Circuit lacks powerful clans to govern it, who knows which passing cultivator might come through and plunder the place? With no one to maintain order, having grain won't matter if people lose their lives before they can eat it."

Li Jiangliang could hear the reluctance in his words and frowned inwardly, Although Chen Wenyao also cares greatly about the people's livelihood, he's unwilling to offend anyone. He's the sort who always seeks a compromise.

Aloud, he said, "Then I'll ask Si Yuanlan to make the trip and seek clarification on the orders. As for the matter of having great clans govern the region, that isn't especially troublesome. If we truly succeed in taking Yue State, we can simply appoint a number of cultivators with clean backgrounds and outstanding character to establish clans there.

"With the Wilderness blocking the north, it isn't an immediate concern. Once we win this war and gather more people under our banner, we'll be able to keep these territories under control for the time being."

Chen Wenyao nodded, then suddenly smiled and looked over at him. "I heard your esteemed family has some happy news?"

"Oh!" Li Jiangliang smiled and replied, "That's right. One of my elder sisters is getting married. Unfortunately, I'm tied up here and can't return."

Chen Wenyao clearly knew who Si Xunhui was. At last, he set down his brush and said with some unease, "Still, I can't help but feel uneasy. The Azure Pond Sect is an immortal sect, after all. Even if they've tacitly accepted what we're doing on Mushroom Forest Plain, surely they won't simply turn a blind eye and allow everyone else to act with impunity around them..."

Li Jiangliang, however, appeared completely confident. He shook his head with a smile. "Registrar Chen is worrying too much. There are people above us carrying that burden. You and I only need to handle the Foundation Establishment Realm matters properly. What's there to fret about?"

Chen Wenyao hesitated for a moment before replying, "I simply have my doubts. My lord speaks of eliminating evil and defending the Dao, but which families are evil, and which uphold the Dao? The Azure Pond Sect's aristocratic clans have countless descendants. It won't be easy to deal with them."

Li Jiangliang considered the matter for a moment. "Which family is evil is not something we should discuss too openly. The Chi Family has already fallen. If such a day truly comes, we'll simply act according to my lord's orders. Naturally, we won't resort to exterminating entire bloodlines."

His eyes shifted slightly as he offered a subtle hint. "Among those talented young people we presented to my lord before, how many truly came from unblemished family backgrounds? Yet my lord never voiced any objections. That alone should tell you where his thoughts lie..."

Chen Wenyao let out a somewhat emotional sigh. Seeing that, Li Jiangliang raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "My lord hasn't come here to establish a Thunder Palace. His cause is Preserve the Truth and Uphold Martial Virtue], not [Suppress Demons and Eradicate Evil]. Otherwise, heads would have been rolling all the way here. Tell me, how many Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators have actually fallen so far? Your esteemed family may rest easy."

Having his concerns laid bare so directly, Chen Wenyao shook his head awkwardly. Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall. A strikingly heroic-looking man strode in with impressive bearing, a command token in hand.

He laughed and said, "A midnight discussion? You two are certainly in fine spirits!"

Li Jiangliang rose to greet him. "Lord Ruan!"

But the man immediately adopted a serious expression. "My lord has issued new orders. No personnel are to be sent to Liyuan Circuit. Remain where you are and await further instructions!"

After acknowledging the order, Chen Wenyao stood and looked at Li Jiangliang with more than a little envy. He said, "As expected, Lord Li judged the situation correctly!"

————

Northern Sea.

The Northern Sea was blanketed in ice and snow. Icebergs and frozen islets stretched across the landscape, leaving only the contrast of deep blue and dazzling white as far as the eye could see. Though smaller in area than the Eastern and Western Seas, its terrain was no less intricate. Beneath its frozen exterior lay lands aligned with Thunder, Pit Water, and Jade True, making it a realm of remarkable wonders.

Farther west, the ice gradually gave way to thawed lands, home to metallic ores, blazing flames, and the radiant light of the Supreme Yang. This region was known as the Plume-Shedding Grounds.

Li Ximing had heard of it before. The Plume-Shedding Grounds were the domain of luan birds, and the home of the [Tongxin Tree]. All five fires were present there, and even Supreme Yang spirit items could be found. Many of the world's rare and extraordinary avian species traced their origins to that land.

The Plume-Shedding Grounds themselves were vast. In fact, one of the main reasons the Northern Sea seemed so small was because so much of its territory was occupied by the Plume-Shedding Grounds and Cangzhou. Many cultivators lived there, but the region was scourged year-round by the Vast Sea Desert Wind. Ordinary people could not survive on that land, unlike in Cangzhou, where mortals could still settle and thrive. As a result, fewer major powers had established themselves there.

After crossing the Unison Sea and entering the Northern Sea, Li Ximing could faintly make out a crimson glow on the western horizon. The sight stirred a longing within him, but he had other matters demanding his attention. Left with no choice, he changed course and headed northeast. Only after traversing endless stretches of ice and snow did he finally arrive at Cangzhou.

The rivers here ran a murky gray-black, while jagged mountains rose steeply across the land. Strange insects and exotic beasts were everywhere, and the mountains teemed with leeches, venomous serpents, and countless other creatures. It only took Li Ximing a single glance to understand.

"So the tales of Pit Water flooding through Cangzhou are true. Though it isn't as inhospitable as the Plume-Shedding Grounds, ordinary people without cultivation or considerable experience would find it difficult to travel outside safely... The people here can't be living easy lives either."

After confirming his bearings, he quickly located Baier Mountain in Kanbei Prefecture. The mountain was not particularly tall. Its slopes were dark and gray, crowned with palace halls of deep blue and black. Across from it stood the relocated Mount Xianyou, one higher and one lower, one to the east and one to the west. The two mountains complemented one another, creating a distinctive and elegant scene.

Li Ximing was suddenly reminded of Mount Xianyou as it had once been. "Back when I cultivated there, I studied the mountain's layout. It too had peaks arranged to the left and right, with a subsidiary peak standing opposite. That mountain still remains in Lixia Prefecture today. If I remember correctly, it's now called Feiyi Mountain..."

A complicated emotion surfaced within him. Unlike his brothers, he had spent much of his childhood living with the Xiao Family, and the memories carried a sentiment difficult to put into words.

Back then, I was still young. I had no companions, only two or three servants. After finishing my lessons, I would secretly throw on a rain cape and a bamboo hat, and wander along the river in the drizzle. Sometimes I'd rent a boat from a ferryman and drift about for the day, warming wine over a little silver stove... Those days... never existed at the lake.

Nor have I experienced them again in all these hundred years of cultivation.

The Xiao Family had always been a leisurely family. Unlike the Li Family, where someone watched over every affair, they lived free of constant scrutiny. The Jade Court and Qingdu were indeed sharp blades that maintained discipline, yet they had also deprived Moongaze Lake of such tranquil comforts. In a family that carried grudges in its heart and spent every day plotting revenge, even the pursuit of simple pleasures felt like a transgression. There could never be such peace there.

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