Chapter 1442: Meeting Again (I)

The sky was dim, and figures hurried across Glacial Cloud Peak. Cultivators in white armor carried weapons in hand. At their head, the black-robed youth wore a dark expression that seemed furious, yet the hand resting on his sword lay there with a faint, almost casual ease.

At last, this day has come...

For years, the Fei Family had remained semi-independent on the northern bank. Chen Yang had petitioned the peak more than once to strip them of that small measure of autonomy.

Five generations of my Chen Family have rendered great merit, yet we have never held land as our descendants run about in service. What even are you, Fei Family? Latecomers who bent the knee, and you dare to be the Son of Diyang?

Still, Chen Yang felt no ill will for Fei Chingyi's desperate gamble. Instead, his impression of the man shifted. Where he had once seemed merely obedient, Chen Yang now found a trace of admiration and shook his head inwardly,

Even a cornered rabbit will bite. With better fortune, he might have even succeeded. A pity, truly. In the end, he was devoured by devil cultivators. If it had been me... I would not have charged in so foolishly...

The Fei Family had always been cautious and had endured. Li Ximing and the Great Xiukui Temple had already agreed to relocate the Fei clansmen. Both sides had even begun handing over personnel. Once they reached the more loosely governed Great Xiukui Temple, with support from above, life as a landed clan would have been far more comfortable. Yet the Fei Family had fallen on the eve of dawn.

Now the mountain was filled with wailing and cries. However, to Chen Yang, it sounded like celestial music. His hand stroked the hilt of his sword as he watched the woman being dragged along like a dead dog, a low chuckle rumbling in his throat, "You are in for it now."

The Fei clansmen on the ground cried out their innocence, but no one paid them any heed. Glacial Cloud Peak was famed for its snowy scenery. Now, the snow shimmered with a dull golden hue under the dusk light. Chen Yang turned away without mercy and stepped outside the courtyard, where two pots of plum blossoms still swayed in the wind and snow.

A young man in crimson robes stood in the snow, a woman in a feathered robe beside him. His gaze rested on the plum blossoms. Chen Yang bowed deeply and said respectfully, "Young Master, all members of the Fei Family have been detained and await your judgment!"

When Li Jiangqian did not respond, he added eagerly, "These plum blossoms have grown well. If moved to the island..."

"No need. They still have some vitality here. If moved, they will not survive." Li Jiangqian withdrew his gaze and said softly, "This courtyard was once the residence of our forebears. Preserve every inch of it. Not a single thing is to be damaged. As for the Fei Family..."

He stopped mid-sentence. Chen Yang froze, lifting his brow slightly, only to see the entire courtyard grow bright. The once dim snow, now touched by radiant light, gleamed as it began to melt into thin streams of water.

Drip!

Only then did he notice a drop of red falling before his eyes, dark as blood. The moment it struck the ground, it turned into a wisp of cold air and drifted away. Everyone nearby looked up as one, staring at the blinding Radiant Light above.

The dark clouds in the sky dispersed as colorful clouds gathered. A figure stood above the lake. The setting sun cast a crimson glow over him, too bright to look at directly, leaving only a silhouette that appeared even darker against the blazing light.

A familiar halberd hung high in the air. A man in white was draped across it like a corpse, stark and unmistakable. Blood flowed down his robes like a stream, dripping off and turning into flakes of white snow.

"Father!"

"Greetings, Daoist Master!"

The courtyard filled with the sound of kneeling. Chen Yang felt thunder crash through his mind, leaving it blank but for a single thought,

Not Daoist Master Zhaojing? He succeeded! The Li Family now has a second Purple Mansion Realm cultivator?!

The thought vanished as quickly as it came. In the next instant, he realized who the man in white was.

Fei Chingyi! He has been brought back!

Thud...

The halberd tilted downward, and the man in white tumbled to the ground. He groaned, dragged his broken body up, and began knocking his head against the ground. No one in the courtyard dared to speak. Only the dull thudding echoed.

Li Jiangqian showed no surprise, clearly having already seen Li Zhouwei. With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and bowed in another direction, saying respectfully, "Congratulations, my lord, on attaining divine ability!"

At once, everyone bowed again in unison. The Daoist Master in the sky had already vanished, leaving behind only a calm instruction.

"Settle matters here, then come to the island to see me."

The Radiant Light receded, and everything returned to the muted red-black of dusk. Before anyone could recover from their shock, Chen Yang lunged forward and shouted, "Fei Chingyi has fallen into demonic ways! The Fei Family colluded with the northern monks, inviting disaster into Jiangnan. Their crimes are unforgivable. The Daoist Master turned the tide, yet Fei Chingyi caused countless deaths on the northern bank. He should be paraded for three days, then executed and his head displayed..."

Li Jiangqian waited until he had spoken loudly enough for all the cultivators and the Fei Family present to hear. Voices rose at once across the courtyard. Only then did he raise a hand and say, "That would be too lenient. Gather the men first and keep everyone under watch."

The crowd reported and withdrew, whispering among themselves. Li Jiangqian frowned slightly and said quietly, "The Fei Family caused heavy casualties among the people of the northern bank. They cannot be spared. But Fei Qingya is still at the Great Xiukui Temple. How should we deal with her?"

Li Quewan understood at once. The joy in her eyes faded, replaced by a cold glint as she replied softly, "It is not difficult. Fei Qingya has little attachment to the Fei Family. A letter will suffice. She is the sort who sees right and wrong in stark terms, and the Great Xiukui Temple will not object. This is a critical time. We cannot be lenient. Wiping out the entire clan may be excessive, but exterminating three generations of Fei Chingyi's line would be justified. Fei Qingyi is beyond our reach. As for the rest, there is no need to leave survivors."

Li Jiangqian nodded, not entirely satisfied. The Fei Family had a large population. Though many of their commoners had died in the recent battle, uprooting them entirely would still mean tens of thousands of deaths. He considered for a moment and said, "Fei Chingyi still holds a post at Mount Tangdao, which is nominally under the Great Xiukui Temple. Bind his three generations and let the Supreme Yang Dao lineage handle it. As for the others, deal with them according to the situation."

Fei Qingyi now belonged to the Si Family. Having defected, she could not interfere. Even if she felt sympathy, she had no right to speak. It was not like she had not warned the Fei Family, but what could she do now?

With the matter settled, they issued their orders and soon departed. The cries of grief gradually faded. Glacial Cloud Peak was left empty, with only falling snow drifting through the night, settling softly upon the sealed halls.

The pavilion high above stood in quiet stillness amid the wind. The white paint on its doors had dulled slightly as snow fell in soft, broken sounds. Two winter plum trees bloomed quietly in the snow, as if nothing had ever changed.