Immortal Clan: The Discussion of Heaven's Investiture

The Cloud Mist Mountain Range was very different from the Xiao Clan's Rosycloud Perch Mountain.

Rosycloud Perch Mountain glittered with golden light and rainbow clouds, while the bustling mortal world hung about it like mist.

The Cloud Mist Mountain Range, on the other hand, was shrouded in swirling clouds and mist, rather mysterious, with a gentle breeze and the Azure Nether spreading out.

The Thirty-Two Peaks of Cloudmist lay hidden in a sea of clouds. Now and then, verdant mountaintops emerged like beasts lying dormant, with cultivators coming and going on every peak.

The Ye Clan's sacred land, the foremost authority on the Dao of wind under heaven,

lay at the very top of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

The solemn, ancient Cloud-Heaven Azure Palace stood there, its halls stretching for tens of thousands of li. Gentle breezes and Gang Qi filled it with formidable majesty, and the Azure Nether swept through its halls and pavilions.

Viewed from below, it was the thirty-six peaks that supported this expanse of palaces.

This was where True Lord Azure Firmament had attained the Dao of [wind], one of the Four Symbols, eight hundred years ago and taken dominion over [Cloud Mist Qingming Heaven].

The illustrious immortal clans had produced Golden Core True Lords through the generations. In the Cangxuan Ancient Realm, whether mortals or cultivators,

all revered them as holders of heavenly stations, each governing the fortune of a Dao.

The Ye Clan ruled eight million li of Yunlan and controlled the winds of the Nine Heavens Azure Nether.

Its mortal subjects and subordinate races numbered in the hundreds of millions, and its Ruin Realms were beyond counting. It was the hegemon of Jiangnan in the Cangxuan Ancient Realm's Great Jin.

[Cloud Mist Qingming Heaven] was much like Great Jin's [Luo River Cosmic Heaven].

As soon as the cloud ship entered Yunlan territory, the sea of clouds ahead suddenly surged.

Seventeen streaks of escaping light burst through the clouds, each radiating the pressure of a cultivator at the Purple Mansion Middle Stage or higher.

At their head was a white-haired, middle-aged man with handsome features and eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

He stopped a hundred zhang ahead of the cloud ship and cupped his hands in salute. "We welcome True Lord Qiuran, who has attained the Golden Core Dao and returned in glory to his ancestral home."

His voice rang out, carrying across the mountains.

Ye Zhanqiu stood at the bow, his blue robes swaying gently in the wind.

He glanced at the middle-aged man and said calmly, "Third Brother, it's been a long time."

Ye Zhanshan, the Ye Clan's Third Master, forced a smile. "Indeed. We've had no word of you for ten years. With your breakthrough, Elder Brother, our Ye Clan now has two Golden Core True Lords holding the fort. Heaven truly watches over our clan!"

"The one from Firmament Heaven stationed in Huainan sent a decree long ago, offering congratulations to our Ye Clan's True Lord on behalf of the Great Jin court. The court has prepared a canopy of fortune and precious gifts for you, as well as a grand ceremony to invest you with heaven."

As soon as he finished, the eleven Purple Mansion elders behind him bowed in unison. "We welcome True Lord Qiuran. Congratulations, True Lord, on ascending to a heavenly station."

Ye Jinyu watched the scene from inside the cloud ship, muttering inwardly.

They haven't come with good intentions.

No, wait. We're the ones who came.

Third Uncle's smiling warmly, but he can't hide the wariness and vigilance in his eyes at all.

But so what? My father is a Golden Core True Lord.

Ye Zhanqiu seemed unconcerned. He merely nodded. "Thank you for the trouble. We're weary from the journey today, so we'll return to Qiuran Palace and settle in first. After so many years, I rather miss it."

"Of course, of course." Ye Zhanshan hurriedly stepped aside to let them pass. "Someone has always been looking after the residence. We've just been waiting for you to come back."

The cloud ship sailed slowly toward the intersection of spaces above Yunlan.

It went straight into the Cloud-Heaven Azure Palace.

Ye Zhanqiu's residence was named "Qiuran Palace" after his Daoist title.

Amid the splendid palaces and pavilions of the Cloud-Heaven Azure Palace stood an ancient, unadorned courtyard with white walls and dark tiles. Green bamboo and peach blossoms filled the yard.

The cloud ship slowly landed. Ye Zhanqiu helped Xiao Qingyao down, with Ye Jinyu following behind.

Xu Feng and the three Foundation Establishment cultivators tactfully concealed themselves and vanished into the shadows.

"Elder Brother..." Ye Zhanshan had followed them over, looking somewhat relieved and ingratiating, as though hoping his elder brother would remember their brotherly bonds.

He rubbed his hands together. "You see... now that you've attained the Golden Core Dao, according to clan rules, the position of clan head was personally decided by Father... I had no choice back then, and as for Sister-in-law and Jinyu, I also..."

Ye Zhanqiu cut him off. "Third Brother, I haven't returned in ten years, and I know nothing of the clan's affairs. We'll discuss this after I've seen Father."

Ye Zhanshan's smile stiffened. "Yes, yes, of course. Rest first, Elder Brother. Father will be waiting for us at the ancestral hall tomorrow, and all the branches will be there. Fourth Brother serves as Great Jin's governor of Yangzhou in Jiangnan (the map is based on an xianxia version of the thirteen provinces of the late Han); Sixth Brother hasn't involved himself in affairs for years; Seventh Brother oversees criminal law; and Ninth Brother has rushed back from the Ruin Realm battlefield too..."

"We're all family... let's have a good talk... After all, your return is a joyous occasion, Elder Brother... What can't brothers talk through?"

When he finished, he bowed deeply, his manner utterly humble.

Having done all this, he left in a hurry with the elders.

Only when they had gone far away did Ye Jinyu ask quietly, "Father, Third Uncle seems to have something on his mind. He doesn't seem very happy to have us back."

Ye Zhanqiu chuckled. "The filth within the clan is nothing more than a matter of interests. Even mortal imperial families fight for succession and scheme against one another, let alone an illustrious immortal clan like ours.

"Third Brother and I have our brotherly bond, but amid the interests of the clan, things are no longer as they were when we roamed as youths."

Xiao Qingyao sighed. "When your father disappeared all those years ago, no one knew whether he was alive or dead. The powerful cultivators guarding the major Ruin Realms that had pledged themselves to us were all in a panic, and so were the elders in the clan...

"Then the ancestor, Azure Nether Heaven, put Third Uncle in charge of the clan. In an instant, the heavens changed."

"Power and profit blind the eyes. Third Uncle even thought of making his own son the young master, to seize more benefits."

"If I hadn't gone far away to the Xiao Clan, there would always have been fools among those below him, willing to be the king's vanguard... Fortunately, though... Third Uncle is capable and clearheaded, and he didn't take things to the extreme. He still remembered our ties."

She said no more, but Ye Jinyu understood.

Struggles within a cultivation clan were always bloody. This was a basic principle by which immortal clans stood in the world.

Only the strong, only a leader, could lead a clan to greater strength.

"That is precisely why I still regard him as Third Brother." Ye Zhanqiu put an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Now that I'm back, I'll settle every account that needs settling, one by one, and take back everything that should be mine.

"Our family still has plenty of good things, such a fine foundation.

"After all, these are all mine, my family inheritance. I'm the eldest son, and I must also shoulder the responsibility of this family."

He looked at Ye Jinyu. "Jinyu, stay in Qiuran Palace for now. I'll take you to the ancestral hall tomorrow. The position of young master of the Ye Clan is yours."

"Remember, you are my son, the legitimate son and grandson of the Ye Clan. Across these eight million li of Yunlan, across the Cangxuan Ancient Realm, your family background alone means you need not watch anyone's face."

"And you will one day be the head of the Ye Clan. It won't hurt to gain some experience. These past ten years, you must have come to understand quite a bit: the filth of this world, interests, people's hearts... It takes skill to govern a clan too."

Ye Jinyu nodded firmly.

Afterward, Ye Jinyu was taken into the palace.

Xu Feng emerged from a corner like a ghost. "Young Master, this old servant has been out gathering information."

"That fast?" Ye Jinyu emerged from his cultivation.

After being cleansed by a True Lord and combining that with the Cultivation Method the system had given him, he had already stepped into the Fetal Breath Middle Stage.

Within two years, he could begin Qi Refinement.

"Go on," Ye Jinyu said.

"Heh heh, this old servant has traveled north and south and roamed the world these past years, earning a bit of a name. I do have some skills." Xu Feng lowered his voice. "The Ye Clan is... a little chaotic right now. Forgive me for saying something so outrageous, but Third Master is like a blind and deaf man, as if he's become a different person."

"Three feet of ice don't form in a single cold day. In the ten years Third Master Ye Zhanshan has been in charge, it's as though things suddenly intensified, though the first thing Third Master did was plant quite a few trusted followers."

"But the clan's fortunes have declined steadily over those ten years. They may have been suppressed, and their sphere of influence has shrunk considerably. Yet Third Master has remained indifferent, busying himself solely with amassing wealth and stripping people bare."

When Xu Feng finished, he studied Ye Jinyu's face. It was exceptionally calm, without a trace of emotion. Then he continued.

"The Ye Clan originally had seven superior Ruin Realms under its command, over thirty middling ones, from early Purple Mansion to Foundation Establishment, and countless inferior ones."

Ye Jinyu smiled. "What those above favor, those below imitate. Besides, with such enormous profits at stake, Third Uncle naturally had to share some of them if he wanted to hold on to power in the clan."

"An astute observation, Young Master," Xu Feng said in agreement, then continued.

"The tribute and taxes are heavy, and the squeezing and exploitation severe. Yet despite that, the resources entering the Cloud Palace's storehouses have fallen short of expectations year after year."

"Over the past ten years, four powerful Purple Mansion cultivators stationed in Ruin Realms have even died in uprisings. The cause was resistance from the Ruin Realms' natives and backlash from the realms' fortunes, which actually gave rise to a few children of destiny who resisted the Ye Clan."

"There are signs that some of the Cangxuan Ancient Realm's other great immortal clans may be involved. But after the main clan's guardians died, the elders below concealed the reports, causing the unrest to intensify further."

"Years of campaigns to suppress the rebellions have left the Ruin Realms battered and broken. Two superior Ruin Realms are already close to falling in rank, their origins grievously damaged. Soon they may no longer deserve to be called superior..."

"When Third Master received the news afterward, he issued strict orders to kill. The Ye Clan Cloud Guards and the elders of the various peaks were mobilized, preferring to kill by mistake rather than let anyone go."

"As a result, large numbers of Ruin Realm cultivators who had originally pledged their loyalty were excluded, even slaughtered... deepening the rift between them and the main clan."

"On top of that, the turmoil in the Southern Frontier a few years ago cost the Ye Clan quite a few cultivators. The younger generation in the clan is also full of grievances, and even many with outstanding talent have been treated harshly."

"Seventh Master oversees the clan's criminal law. His methods are rather brutal, and he places great weight on dignity and strict hierarchies. That would be nothing in itself, but corruption and embezzlement were already rampant in the clan, leaving the disciples in unbearable suffering.

"Seventh Master's conduct is also... Over the past ten years, four genius disciples from the main peaks have been expelled from the Ye Clan." Xu Feng recounted it all at length. The more he spoke, the more he felt that even an immortal clan was full of such scheming and strife. It was truly filthy. Fortunately, he had abandoned his own clan back then and devoted himself wholeheartedly to his Dao Path.

"Were any of them exceptional?" Ye Jinyu was somewhat doubtful, because this template reminded him of certain novels from before his transmigration.

"The most famous was undoubtedly Ye Chen, a Purple Mansion Alchemist who made a great name for himself at the Huainan Alchemy Gathering five years ago. But somehow, he's already dead... He left only one disciple, someone called Feng..." Xu Feng thought for a moment as he spoke.

Ye Jinyu frowned. "Ye Chen... an Alchemist?"

Ye Jinyu smiled.

Could he have been a 'don't bully a young man for being poor' old grandpa?!

"Elder Xu, that will be all for today," Ye Jinyu said suddenly. "I'm going to cultivate. I've suddenly felt something in my heart; I should be about to break through."

Xu Feng froze, then saw Ye Jinyu's long, steady breathing and the Spiritual Qi surging through the residence. He immediately shut his mouth and studied Ye Jinyu closely.

"What kind of talent is this... Worth it, worth it! I never thought I, old Xu, would have such good fortune in this life."

Then he withdrew soundlessly to stand guard outside the door.

Loyalty.

Night had deepened.

Bamboo shadows swayed in the moonlight.

Inside the main hall of Qiu Palace, Ye Zhanqiu and Xiao Qingyao sat facing each other.

"Tomorrow..." Xiao Qingyao hesitated, then said softly, "What do you intend to do?"

Ye Zhanqiu played with the teacup in his hand. His eyes were calm, but anger lay hidden within them. "It wasn't just these ten years, but the past hundred, the hundred years since I began cultivating the [autumn] attribute. How could the Ye Clan's losses be reckoned?"

"If not for Father's wisdom and forbearance, how could I have attained the Dao?"

"The Sima Clan and the Jin Imperial House have never abandoned their ambitions. That one from Firmament Heaven in Huainan was never a broad-minded person, was he? Back then, Huangchu, one of the Wei Imperial House's Greater Yang... didn't he also... Heh."

"Autumn belongs to Lesser Yin, and what I cultivate is Autumn Waters and Boundless Sky. Although that broadens the Dao Path, it also takes a share of their authority and fortune."

"They cultivate the spring attribute, the extreme of yang, and are close to Greater Yang. With the water attribute of the Five Elements as well, they usurped Wei and divided Greater Yang into three, obtaining one share. Would they not seek Greater Yang?

"In a struggle over Daoist inheritance and fortune, they naturally couldn't bear to see me attain the Dao, so they employed some tricks. It's simply that they were afraid too. The Sima Clan was afraid too."

Having spoken of this, Ye Zhanqiu took a sip of tea. Xiao Qingyao remained silent, rising to refill his cup.

Ye Zhanqiu looked at her, walked over, and slowly drew her into his arms with a gentle smile.

After a long while,

Ye Zhanqiu finally sighed. "The Heavenly Dao turns in cycles... Now that I've succeeded, it's time to claim some of it back. The Ye Clan's hundred-year plan and its future all rest on my shoulders..."

"But..." Xiao Qingyao was a little worried. "This plan to invest you with heaven-the one from Firmament Heaven has ill intentions... With two heavens in the Ye Clan, we would be like oil on a blazing fire, flowers gathered in glorious profusion. A Golden Core in a hundred years... Husband, your Dao Path has limitless prospects. They also want to exalt you to your death..."

"Don't worry." Ye Zhanqiu set down his teacup, speaking indistinctly. "[Cloud Mist Qingming Heaven] was there when I was born, even when my father roamed the world, ruling over the wind attribute under heaven..."

Ye Zhanqiu rose and looked out the window, his gaze piercing the night toward the Thirty-Six Peaks of Cloudmist, toward the cave abode hidden in clouds and mist at the highest point of the Cloud-Heaven Azure Palace.

Xiao Qingyao understood.

Countless thoughts passed through Ye Zhanqiu's mind as he murmured,

"After tomorrow, Third Brother should set out. Perhaps he'll be sent to the Southern Frontier to wage war on demons, or perhaps into the Great Void to conquer Ruin Realms for our Ye Clan... This is a trial, and it's also... the old man's decision..."

"Oh, right." Ye Zhanqiu suddenly remembered something. "What do you think of Jinyu?"

Xiao Qingyao smiled. "Very clever. He's even better at putting on an act than you were back then."

"Yes." Ye Zhanqiu smiled too. "He kept up the act in the Xiao Household for ten years. That kind of temperament is rare, and it counts as some experience. Let him try taking charge of the clan and governing it."

He paused, his voice softening. "As for cultivation, once tomorrow's affairs are settled, I'll start teaching him. Seventeen is a little late to start, but with me here, he'll surely catch up."

"It's just... he has wind and fire Spirit Roots. It's fine for him to cultivate the Dao of wind as his main path. The Ye Clan has a long tradition of learning, so a Golden Core is certain... But I still hope..."

After all, the sun and moon were supreme and brilliant...

Xiao Qingyao took Ye Zhanqiu's hand. "Whatever happens, let Jinyu choose for himself. He is our son, and he should have his own path."

"That's true."

They smiled at each other.

Moonlight spilled into the room, quiet and gentle.