Schemes Behind the Scenes, the Wang Family of Boat Mountain

Inside a thatched cottage in the Path-Seeking Courtyard.

The Daoists gathered and took their seats.

After exchanging greetings, Xuanming looked at Xuanxu and Xuan Su, both brimming with spiritual resonance, and said delightedly, "Congratulations, Junior Brother Void and Junior Sister Xuan Su. You have taken another step toward becoming True Persons."

Neither dared neglect the courtesy, and both immediately returned his greeting.

"It was thanks to your help, Senior Brother. Without the Yin-Yang Foundation Establishment Manual, we could never have gained these insights, raised our cultivation another level, or even glimpsed that threshold."

Their gratitude was heartfelt.

Both Daoists had spent many years consolidating their Essence Refining Perfection. They had reached its pinnacle, with no further room to advance.

They had thought they would remain in this realm like the elders of their sect, whiling away the years until they died of old age.

They had never expected a new path to open beyond the twisting peaks. Senior Brother Xuanming's sudden rise had brought them hope.

After studying the Yin and Yang Foundation Establishment Manual for two years, they had finally achieved something and glimpsed the scenery their founding patriarch had once seen.

"We are fellow disciples. There is no need to stand on ceremony."

Xuanming stroked his beard as he spoke.

He was very glad to see the others making progress in their cultivation.

The higher their cultivation, the less trouble he would have.

They did not dwell on the matter for long. Soon, the Daoists changed the subject and returned to the business at hand.

Xuanxu glanced at Xuan Yin, who took the hint and explained, "Senior Brother, although there was a hidden compartment in Old Master Chen's room, there were no secret letters. Even if such things existed, he would likely have destroyed them after reading them rather than leave evidence behind."

"Still, every deed leaves a trace. We carefully examined the Chen genealogy and clan records, tracing the clan's connections over the past century, and discovered that Old Master Chen once had a younger brother."

"Although he died young, he spent half a year in Fengyang Commandery while traveling to study in his youth, serving as a reading attendant to a collateral descendant of the Wang Family of Boat Mountain. After he returned to his lineage, he seemed to have cut ties with the Wang Family. But when considered alongside another matter, it becomes rather intriguing."

Xuan Yin looked at Xuan Kong, who immediately picked up the thread and explained, "Senior Brother, I went to Fengyang Commandery to gather information during this period and happened to meet an old friend of Senior Brother Xuan Ye.

"From him, I learned that the Divine Official on duty that night was named You Nan Kui. He came from the You Family, a Confucian Aristocratic Clan.

"He has a nickname: the Great Harmony Divine Official. His clan has always prized harmony above all, and Divine Lord Nan Kui certainly took after his roots."

"What happened that night was probably an unintentional mistake."

Hearing this, Xuan Yang could not resist grumbling, "What do you mean, prizing harmony? Isn't that just muddying the waters?"

After drawing several glares, he immediately shut his mouth, straightened his back, and sat solemnly upright, playing dumb.

Xuanming said nothing.

Xuan Kong continued his account.

He had to admit that this junior brother's talent for gossip was indeed well suited to gathering information.

Although Xuan Kong had unearthed little about You Nan Kui after his advancement to the Qi Refining Realm, he had learned plenty about his time in the Essence Refining Realm:

He had possessed extraordinary talent from childhood and grasped the true meaning of harmony. He advanced to Qi Refining at thirty, and the You Family placed great hopes in him.

Once, while trying to reconcile the heirs of the two great Aristocratic Clans, Lin and Yu, he had become their common enemy and received a joint beating. Afterward, the two heirs turned from enemies into friends, while this heir of the You Family was left with a battered face and spent two months recovering. Yet his "successful" mediation also brought him a cultivation breakthrough, and the incident remained a popular local tale.

He was on good terms with a direct-line heir of the Wang Family of Boat Mountain. In their youth, the pair had spent a period behaving outrageously, imitating their elders and visiting brothels together. Prattling about scholarly romantic flair, they made their way through all twelve pleasure houses of Fengyang Commandery.

One painted the courtesans, capturing them so vividly that every delicate detail stood out. His Record of the Jade Maiden still circulated in private despite repeated bans. Countless lechers and seasoned patrons treasured it, and he became an honored guest of the pleasure houses overnight.

The other mediated disputes in the pleasure houses, earnestly lecturing men not to damage their harmony over women, much less squander their family fortunes by throwing away gold. All the pleasure houses banded together to bar him, and he was still forbidden entry.

Xuanming raised a hand.

He stopped Xuan Kong's ceaseless chatter.

That was enough.

The crucial point had emerged: Divine Official Nan Kui and the Wang Family heir of Boat Mountain had known each other since their youth and were on good terms.

With his senior brother having spoken, Xuan Kong had no choice but to obey. He clicked his tongue twice, looking as though he had plenty more to say.

None of the Daoists took it to heart.

He and Xuan Yang were the Truth-Seeking Abbey's two great eccen...trics. They had long since grown accustomed to them.

Xuanming's gaze settled on Xuanxu.

Since Xuan Kong could not uncover any more information, the breakthrough would have to come from this junior brother who headed the abbey.

Taking the hint, Xuanxu spoke.

Unlike Xuan Kong's endless rambling, he went straight to the heart of the matter.

"Senior Brother, half a month ago, I personally visited the Heavenly Seal Sect to call on True Person Yuanji and inquire about this matter."

"The Broad Dharma Bureau has always had twelve Divine Officials take turns on duty, representing the sects, Aristocratic Clans, the hundred schools, and rogue cultivators. A Divine Official appointed by the Imperial Court oversees them all. Each Divine Official serves for one month, corresponding to the twelve double-hours in a day and the twelve months in a year."

"The Divine Official on duty that month was Wang Sheng of the Wang Family of Boat Mountain. He is precisely the man on friendly terms with Divine Official Nan Kui. Something came up unexpectedly that night, so he asked Divine Official Nan Kui to cover his shift."

Xuanming's expression grew solemn.

Viewed separately, these events suggested nothing beyond coincidence. But once linked together, they could not help inviting further thought.

Perhaps, with Old Master Chen's younger brother as the connecting thread, the Chen Family had secretly become a subordinate lineage of the Wang Family of Boat Mountain. The two families had maintained ties ever since, with the Chen Family overseeing Floating Cloud County for them and handling their dirty work and drudgery.

Thus, when the Truth-Seeking Abbey moved to destroy the Chen Family, the Wang Family's Divine Official had borrowed another's blade, having Divine Official Nan Kui persuade Xuan Kong to back down.

Success would have been ideal. Even failure could have delayed matters for a while, giving the Chen Residence a little more time to survive.

Even if that, too, failed, the Truth-Seeking Abbey would only direct its anger at Divine Official Nan Kui once it realized what had happened.

If they were a little cleverer and investigated in secret, learning what Divine Official Nan Kui was like, they might not even be able to blame him. They would merely accept their bad luck and believe the year's fortunes were against them.

The Wang Family could remain safely hidden, outside the affair.

But Divine Official Wang Sheng had not expected the Truth-Seeking Abbey to be more meticulous than he imagined, turning the matter over a few more times in their minds, considering more possibilities, and investigating them one by one.

Better to believe there was something than assume there was nothing.

They had even gone to great lengths to examine a century of Chen clan history, searching every obscure nook and cranny for the faintest clues.

Still less could he have expected the Truth-Seeking Abbey to have an unconventional talent like Xuan Kong, whose gossip-gathering ability was first-rate, as well as ties to the Heavenly Seal Sect. They had uncovered more information, parted the clouds and mist, and found the Wang Family's shadow behind them.

As for why the Wang Family had known beforehand that the Truth-Seeking Abbey intended to request an Execution Warrant, Xuanming was not surprised.

An Aristocratic Clan would always possess a few strange and wondrous arts.

Of course, these were only Xuanming's conjectures, his subjective deductions. The truth could only be investigated and uncovered gradually in the future.

"Whether it is true or not, we must secretly remain on guard against the Wang Family from now on. Some things cannot be believed entirely, yet cannot be dismissed entirely either."

"Guarding against others is not hostility. It is self-preservation."

Xuanming spoke, settling the matter.

"Our Truth-Seeking Abbey has already done all it can."

"The Wang Family is powerful. Investigating further would only beat the grass and startle the snake, attracting their attention. It would defeat our purpose and invite disaster."

"This matter ends here. It is enough that you junior brothers understand it in your hearts. At present, two matters take priority:

"First is your cultivation. Our Truth-Seeking Abbey is a Daoist Tradition lineage, and cultivating the Dao should be our foremost concern. If you junior brothers can become True Persons and establish the abbey's standing, neither the Wang Family's attitude nor the truth of this affair will matter.

"Second, the Dao Origin Assembly is approaching. You junior brothers must properly manage the abbey's affairs, diligently teach and select disciples, and make preparations. Strive to secure a few more places for our Truth-Seeking Abbey."

Understanding dawned on the Daoists. They rose, bowed with clasped hands, and voiced their assent.

"You are entirely right, Senior Brother."

"Let him be strong; the clear breeze brushes the mountain ridge. Let him be overbearing; the Bright Moon shines upon the great river. As long as our Truth-Seeking Abbey keeps growing stronger and commits no overt wrongdoing, we will have the protection of the Divine Dynasty's laws. Even if the Wang Family harbors malice, they will not dare bully us too far."

Xuanxu expressed their position on behalf of the others.

Xuanming was pleased. It was best that they could think it through.

The Wang Family was an Aristocratic Clan with a thousand-year history. Great Confucian scholars at the Qi Refining stage emerged endlessly from its ranks, making it one of Fengyang Commandery's foremost powers.

He had feared that they would be consumed by anxiety.

Daoist Tradition cultivation took the heart as its foundation.

With the heart free of Nonbeing's restraints, obstacles on the Dao could be leveled.

With the heart free of Nonbeing's bonds, even the distant reaches of the Dao could be attained.

This was good.

Only by refusing to be burdened by fear could the Daoists overcome it and press boldly onward. Only then could they find an opportunity to break through amid the faintest hope, and perhaps one day become True Persons with a Fourth-Rank Dao Foundation.

After they left, Xuanming stood in the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, thoughts surging through his mind.

If the Wang Family stood behind the Chen Family, had the Chen Family seized the Truth-Seeking Abbey's place at the Heaven and Earth Academy on its own initiative, under instructions, or both?

If it was either of the latter two, what was the purpose?

Despite his doubts, Xuanming would not take risks merely to satisfy his curiosity. A boat would naturally straighten its course when it reached the bridge. As long as he was strong enough to weather the storms, the waters would eventually recede and reveal the stones beneath.

A Daoist should place cultivation first.

That would never waver.

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