Surging Clouds

Thus, another night passed.

Within Xuzhou City, at Jing'an Temple.

In a meditation courtyard, two people faced one another.

One was clad in white, whiter than snow; the other wore jade-green robes. Beneath the moonlight, both seemed otherworldly, as though they might float away into immortality.

"Xuan'er!"

They had faced each other for who knew how long before the woman in white spoke. "You have been in Xuzhou for over two years now, haven't you?"

The woman in green nodded and calmly replied, "Two years and three months, Master."

"Is that so?"

The woman in white smiled and looked her over from head to toe before asking, "What do you think of it?"

"..."

The woman in green fell silent for a while before answering, "The tillers have their fields, the weavers have their looms, the dwellers have their homes; the old and young have those to rely on. The common folk are not kept ignorant. The people have warmth and full bellies, free from worries over food and clothing. At night, doors are left unbarred; on the roads, lost items go unclaimed. Though the law employs harsh punishments, it is severe without being cruel. Agriculture is the foundation, while industry and commerce advance alongside it..."

"It is truly a spectacle unseen in a thousand ages!"

"Indeed!"

The woman in white nodded. "This man truly is one unseen in a thousand ages!"

The woman in green's gaze tightened. "Then, Master..."

"But those who forge such new paths are bound to be intolerable to the world. Unseen in a thousand ages means intolerable in a thousand ages!"

The woman in white shook her head. "His methods run contrary to the proper order. He has already risked the world's greatest taboo. If this continues, he will be no more than the likes of Wang Mang and Zhang Jiao. Though he may enjoy Blooming Flowers for a time, with peerless momentum, it is Frying Oil with Fierce Fire—eventually, it must burn out. It cannot last."

"Last?"

The woman in green frowned and looked at her master. "Since ancient times, which dynasty has not vanished like smoke after Two to Three Hundred Years? Who has ever lasted forever? Who has not been Frying Oil with Fierce Fire?"

"..."

The woman in white sank into silence. Looking at her disciple, she spoke only after a long while. "If he continues with such backward ways, I fear he will not even last Two to Three Hundred Years."

"What do you mean by backward ways?"

The woman in green met her gaze. "Does this world belong to all the people under heaven, or does it belong to the great clans and noble families?"

"It belongs to all the people under heaven!"

The woman in white remained calm. "But it also belongs to the great families."

As she spoke, she turned her eyes toward the outside of the temple. "Human nature is selfish. Family, state, and world—this is the eternal state of human affairs. He acts against men's hearts and walks against Heaven's will. He will surely be abandoned by the people's hearts and opposed by the world. In the end, he will be crushed to pieces, his Body and Soul Annihilated!"

Having said that, she turned back to her disciple. "Xuan'er, do you think he can resist the great tide of the world with the strength of one man?"

"..."

The woman in green fell silent.

"This man is a hero!"

"But he is not a king!"

The woman in white said calmly, "In martial arts, strategy, scheming, and methods, he is beyond reproach. Only in this one matter is he wrong!"

"His mistake lies in being too extreme. He substituted the plum for the peach among Xuzhou's great families, replacing them all wholesale, leaving every great family in the realm feeling threatened and turning pale at the very mention of his name!"

"Treating the great families this way would have been one thing, but he also stirred up conflicts in the martial world and slaughter in the jianghu. Before his foundation was stable and before his kingly enterprise was complete, he resorted to such ruthless measures, making an enemy of the whole world and incurring the wrath of both men and gods..."

"One wrong step, and every step thereafter is wrong!"

The woman shook her head and sighed. "Having come this far, there is no saving him now!"

"..."

The woman in green was silent for a long time before saying, "So Master already has another candidate in mind?"

"Correct!"

"Who?"

"The Li Clan!"

The woman in white said calmly, "The Li Clan has entered Guanzhong and dominates Chang'an. They already possess the bearing of kings!"

"The Li Clan?"

The woman in green muttered, "If the Li Clan gained the world, would Xuzhou still have the prosperity it has today?"

"..."

These words left the woman in white silent. Only after a long while did she reply, "King Tang governs with benevolence and generosity. He will surely treat the people well."

"He is benevolent, but are the people beneath him equally benevolent?"

The woman in green pressed on relentlessly, meeting her gaze. "Master, when Cihang Jingzhai chooses an emperor on behalf of Heaven, is it truly for the Common People of the World and the ordinary masses, or for the flourishing inheritance of Cihang Jingzhai and the Buddhist Sect?"

"..."

The woman in white was silent. Looking at this disciple of hers, she spoke after a long while. "Xuan'er, you have changed!"

"..."

The woman in green also remained silent.

"You are still young. It is understandable that you are swayed by emotion for a time."

The woman in white shook her head. "But as the Saintess of Cihang Jingzhai, you must understand that reality is reality. You cannot be swayed by feelings. You must be rational, you must be clear-headed, and you must know..."

"He—will unquestionably be defeated!!!"

Her words were like thunder. Fan Qinghui looked at Shi Feixuan and enunciated each word. "This is reality. Do you understand?"

"..."

Shi Feixuan's gaze trembled, and she lowered her head.

"Good!"

Fan Qinghui nodded in satisfaction, then abruptly changed the subject. "Have you met him?"

"..."

The sudden question left Shi Feixuan stunned. Only then did she react, gently shaking her head. "No."

"Is that so?"

Fan Qinghui's eyes held an unreadable light as she asked again, "He is that Little Beggar from back then, isn't he?"

"..."

Shi Feixuan was silent for a while. In the end, she said nothing, only nodded quietly.

"The world is ever-changing; fate toys with men!"

Fan Qinghui sighed softly. "If I had not brought you here back then, would there still be a Xu Qingyang today?"

Then she turned her gaze back to the silent Shi Feixuan. "Perhaps this too is Heaven's will in the unseen. A successor of Cihang Jingzhai must ultimately undergo this trial before she can awaken and bring her Dao to perfect completion!"

"Master..."

Shi Feixuan lifted her head. Rather than responding, she asked, "Did you choose the Li Clan only because they possess the appearance of kings?"

"..."

Fan Qinghui looked at her without speaking.

Shi Feixuan did not mind and continued on her own. "Among the Four Great Clans of the realm, the Yuwen Clan assassinated the emperor and seized the throne. They have lost the hearts of their people and now can barely preserve themselves."

"The Song Clan occupies one corner of the land, and they have Such a figure as Song Que. If they succeed, they will certainly not depend on Cihang Jingzhai."

"The Dugu Clan is weak in Strength, far inferior to the Li and Song Clans. It would be difficult for them to achieve anything!"

"Only the Li Clan has won the hearts of the great families and holds Guanzhong. Though their Strength is formidable and their military might victorious, they have no grandmaster to preside over them. If they wish to unify the realm and restrain the martial world, they must rely on Cihang Jingzhai!"

Shi Feixuan raised her head and calmly stared at Fan Qinghui. "That is why you chose the Li Clan, isn't it, Master?"

"..."

That gaze and that question left Fan Qinghui silent. Yet in the end, she still answered, "Correct!"

"Then is this choosing an emperor on behalf of Heaven for the Common People of the World and the ordinary masses, or for the inheritance of Cihang Jingzhai and the Buddhist Sect?"

Shi Feixuan remained unwilling to let it go. Returning to the old subject, she demanded, "Master, this was not how you taught Xuan'er before. Why...?"

"Because reality is thus!"

Fan Qinghui cut her off. "This is both for Cihang Jingzhai and for the Common People of the World. Private interest may also serve the public good; the two do not conflict. Do you understand?"

"..."

Shi Feixuan said nothing. She merely looked at Fan Qinghui, feeling for the first time that the master who had raised her to adulthood was somewhat... frighteningly unfamiliar.

"You should understand, and you must understand."

Fan Qinghui shook her head. "Xuzhou is now managed by him like an iron barrel. The great families, the gangs, the jianghu, and the martial world are all in his grasp. Except for..."

"This Jing'an Temple!"

Fan Qinghui turned her gaze and stared at Shi Feixuan. "Why has he not acted against Jing'an Temple? Is it because of you, or because he holds some goodwill toward our Buddhist Sect and can tolerate us remaining beyond his control?"

"..."

Shi Feixuan was silent, unable to answer.

"It is neither!"

"It is because the time has not yet come. He does not wish to startle the grass and alert the snake, drawing a counterattack from our Buddhist Sect!"

Fan Qinghui continued regardless. "Once the time is ripe and his strength sufficient, he will plow the courtyards and sweep the nests, destroy the orthodoxy of our Buddhist Sect, and cut off the inheritance of our Buddhist teachings!"

Shi Feixuan: "..."

"He is too overbearing, too tyrannical!"

Fan Qinghui shook her head. "He treats our Buddhist Sect this way, and he treats the Daoist and Confucian schools no differently. He cannot tolerate the people of the world, so how can the people of the world tolerate him?"

Shi Feixuan: "..."

Fan Qinghui's expression was cold as she continued, "If nothing unexpected happens, he will soon act against Jing'an Temple and every Buddhist temple and Daoist shrine within Xuzhou, completely removing all forces beyond his control and ensuring that no hidden danger remains within Xuzhou."

"This..."

Shi Feixuan was startled. "Why?"

"Because he will soon make a major move!"

With his hands behind his back, Fan Qinghui said in a deep voice, "A few days ago, Golden Jade Full Hall held an auction in Yangzhou. At the auction, they sold clues to Duke Yang's Treasury for the price of ten taels. Now the whole realm knows that Duke Yang's Treasury is in Chang'an!"

"Duke Yang's Treasury is in Chang'an?"

Shi Feixuan's gaze tightened, as though she understood but did not fully understand.

"This is his scheme!"

Fan Qinghui said in a deep voice, "Using Duke Yang's Treasury as bait, he is luring all the heroes of the realm to gather in Chang'an. There must be some plot behind it."

"This..."

Shi Feixuan's expression changed, uncertain and alarmed. "What is he plotting?"

"I do not know!"

Fan Qinghui shook her head and said in a deep voice, "But this man has always remained silent until he astonishes the world with a single cry. This time, the location is Chang'an, so his scheme is highly likely Targeting the Li Clan. Therefore..."

Shi Feixuan's gaze tightened as she vaguely understood something. "Master...!"

Fan Qinghui shook her head and calmly said, "The Li Clan has formally requested assistance from Cihang Jingzhai. I have already sent letters to the Tiantai Sect, Sanlun Sect, Huayan Sect, and the Chan Sect. The Four Great Holy Monks will head to Chang'an within days. Whatever this man's plot may be, whatever his schemes, this time we will kill him in Guanzhong!"

Shi Feixuan's pupils contracted. "Master, you...!"

"No more!"

Fan Qinghui waved her hand, cutting off her words. "Xuzhou's current situation is tied entirely to this man. So long as he dies, this iron-barrel Xuzhou will immediately collapse and fall into our hands as easily as turning over a hand."

Shi Feixuan still wanted to argue. "But the people of Xuzhou..."

"It is precisely for the people of Xuzhou that this must be done!"

Fan Qinghui was utterly forceful. "If this man does not die, Xuzhou will surely raise its military edge and contend for the realm. He has won the people's hearts, and the common folk are all willing to give their lives for him. Then, with the strength of one province opposing the tide of the whole world, the blood of Xuzhou's people will surely be drained dry, and the realm too will be ravaged by the flames of war. In the end, both sides will suffer!"

"Therefore, he must die. He must die without fail. Only when he dies can Xuzhou be taken without bloodshed and submit without a battle. Only when he dies can the realm be pacified by a single proclamation and enjoy eternal peace. Only when he dies..."

Fan Qinghui looked at Shi Feixuan and spoke each word distinctly. "Can the great clans and noble families, the jianghu and martial world, and the hearts of all under heaven be settled!"

"..."

Shi Feixuan stood in place, staring blankly at her master, unable to find any rebuttal.

"I know this method is not honorable."

"But Xuan'er, you must understand. Sometimes, for the sake of the world and for the sake of all living people, we can only stop at nothing!"

Fan Qinghui stood with her hands behind her back, her expression cold. "Should there be karmic retribution for this, your master will bear it alone!"

"Master..."

Shi Feixuan wanted to speak but stopped herself. Fan Qinghui paid her no heed. "Enough. We have said enough. Come with me and leave. This Jing'an Temple... will soon cease to exist."

Thus, three days later.

Within Bao'an Hall, in the courtyard.

Xu Yang stood alone with his hands behind his back.

"Master!"

Su Beixuan hurried over and presented an object. It was a snow-white handkerchief.

"Only then, someone unknown struck this object into the hall!"

"Hmm?"

Xu Yang took the handkerchief and looked at it. Four delicate characters were written in its center.

"Chang'an... danger?"

Xu Yang looked at the handkerchief and smiled faintly. "You did not see the person?"

Su Beixuan shook his head, shame on his face. "No."

"Never mind."

Xu Yang did not care. "How are the preparations going?"

Su Beixuan said in a deep voice, "Everything is proceeding in an orderly fashion."

Xu Yang shook his head and gazed into the distance. "Hurry it along. Someone is already too impatient. Do not keep them waiting long."

"Yes!"

The internet at home went out, so the update was a little late. Sorry.