The Mirror Legacy

Chapter 1500: Mahayana Dharma (I)

Jiangbei, Mount Tangdao.

Early spring rain and snow fell in rushing sheets, drifting across the golden mountain peaks before sliding from the eaves. A man in a plain kasaya sat in a pavilion, one hand braced against the table as he gazed out into the rain.

Before long, a youth emerged through the rain and snow.

He wore a tall white gauze crown and a white Daoist robe patterned with dark cloud motifs and gold trim. Two purple silk sashes hung at his waist. His features were fine, with red lips and white teeth, yet he carried an open, unrestrained bearing. Reaching the hall, he smiled and said, “My respects, Abbot Fachang!”

The monk in the pavilion was none other than Maha Fachang, dispatched by the Great Mahayana Dharma Realm to guard Jiangbei.

Fachang rose at once and said with a smile, “My respects, Fellow Daoist Qi! Your great void travel is swift indeed. This was no short journey.”

He quickly gathered up his inner robe, revealing tightly bound white trouser legs, then hurried down the steps and stood at the youth’s side, extending his sleeve in welcome. The youth only smiled and said, “Just a minor movement method.”

The youth took his seat after completing the formalities and sat down without ceremony. Maha Fachang instead deferred to him somewhat, sitting beside him and pouring tea, visibly pleased as he said, “In the blink of an eye, it has been years again. How has Daoist Master Qi’s cultivation on the mountain been?”

This Daoist Master seemed to come from a rather prestigious background, and accepted such treatment as though it were only natural. He replied, “There have been some gains. But I should be congratulating your Great Mahayana Dharma Realm. Your senior brother received that exalted seat back on the mountain and quietly aligned with the Dao lineage. If he advances even a little further, I think I may no longer be his match!”

At the mention of this, Maha Fachang looked a little awkward. Though it should have been a joyous matter, he seemed unable to speak of it freely, and said softly, “His cultivation has improved… but in my view… it may not be a good thing. After all, it is the Wei Emperor. Bearing such karma is like a child swinging a great hammer. If one day he can no longer hold it and it slips from his grasp… he may well drag himself down with it!”

The youth gave a faint, knowing smile, though he remained silent. Clearly he agreed to some extent, but the matter touched on too much for him to speak freely. He sighed and said, “For a talent like you to have your cultivation advance in fits and starts, it is not without reason. Some things cannot be spoken of casually!”

Both knew this was not something to dwell on, so they quickly moved past it. The youth said, “I took a glance just now. There was purple rain and falling feathers. Has something risen into the heavens in the south?”

Maha Fachang quickly said, “Exactly so. There is no baleful qi, so it is not a Stable Earth relocation art, but rather the mountain-spirit ascension method of the [Capital Guard]. From what the people below are saying… that mountain is Mount Xianyou, the mountain gate of Xiao Chuting.”

“I know!” The youth lifted one leg, the dark cloud-patterned robe shimmering with spirit light, a look of curiosity on his face as he said, “He went to the Northern Sea and made use of the momentum of Pit Water. Daoist Master Ji’an could no longer remain there and has already handed [Baier Mountain] over to him. But [Baier Mountain] is too small. It can serve for hidden cultivation, but not for building a clan. Naturally, he needed another mountain.”

At this, Maha Fachang immediately frowned, showing confusion as he asked, “From Jiangnan to the Northern Sea is an immense distance. It would likely require a Grand Daoist Master of the Stable Earth Dao to move such a mountain. Xiao Chuting was right not to use [Stable Earth]. Only the ascension art of the [Capital Guard] could accomplish it. However, I do not understand… He cultivates Pit Water…”

Before he could finish, he saw the other wave a hand and shake his head, finishing his tea before smiling and saying, “Bai Ziyu has come to the Pavilion of Profound Order. I have met him as well. He also cultivates the [Capital Guard] Dao. That Capital Immortal Dao next to you is his territory. I specifically asked him about it…

“This Xiao Chuting has a junior named Xiao Yongling, who cultivates the [Eastern Feather Mountain] of the [Capital Guard]. It is the ascension mountain within the imagery of that Dao. The Xiao Family has been fully supporting him in his attempt to break through to Purple Mansion Realm. The plan was there from the beginning.”

“[Mount Xianyou] is a great mountain. Even just a main peak would not be a small mountain in Jiangnan, and over such a distance, borrowing a spirit artifact alone would not suffice. He naturally needed assistance. I would say he had already set up formations on the mountain early on, waiting for this favorable wind!”

Maha Fachang understood everything at once. His earlier suspicions were confirmed, and he nodded. “I understand. If Xiao Yongling succeeds, there will be the ascension phenomenon of Eastern Feather tied to his breakthrough into the Purple Mansion Realm and the completion of his divine ability, which can lift the mountain along with him. And if he fails, there will still be the phenomenon of a failed breakthrough and death under heaven, which can likewise be used.”

“That is indeed the logic, and also their scheme.” The youthful Daoist Master Qi laughed aloud and said, “A clever method indeed! He must have prepared it long ago. I did not expect that Xiao Yongling would have such a deep foundation, enduring battle after battle and still managing to hold on. In his original plan, he likely intended to act during the great war itself!

“But it dragged on until now. He became more entangled along the way, yet in the end, the dust has settled and his scheme has succeeded.”

Maha Fachang shook his head and said, “It is only natural to plan early. Xiao Chuting is a late bloomer. Though opportunities and secret techniques came together and his divine ability progressed rapidly, how much lifespan does he have left? The Xiao Family has no outstanding successors, and even if they did, it would not be convenient for them to remain in Jiangnan.”

Daoist Master Qi laughed softly and steered the conversation onward. “As for Daoist Master Yehui, Bai Ziyu[1], he is quite an interesting figure, with some strategic vision and breadth of mind. My lord spoke with him for a while and found him quite admirable. Who would have thought, first there was Changxiao, and now him. These days even rogue cultivators can frequently produce such talents…”

He quickly turned his head and asked with a smile, “How is Jiangbei?”

Maha Fachang pressed his palms together. His plain robes bore no ornament at all, in sharp contrast to the Daoist Master across from him. A trace of helplessness showed in his eyes as he said softly, “It has already been pacified. There have been no major clashes. I have yet to meet that White Qilin by the river. The prestige of the Undefeated King of Brightness still remains. By all reason… the Undefeated King of Brightness only gained his marvels through the Wei Emperor’s direct bloodline cast into the Buddhist path. He should still be inferior to that one.”

Daoist Master Qi’s expression remained calm as he said quietly, “The Undefeated King of Brightness…”

There was faint disdain hidden in his expression, but since this concerned a Buddhist forebear within their Dao lineage, he could not say much. He merely lowered his head to sip tea and offered no judgment.

Maha Fachang was not blind to the disdain. He lowered his head in silence and moved the topic along. “It is only that Yan State continues to apply pressure, urging us to stir up action… They have sent people over.”

Daoist Master Qi shook his head with a smile and said, “It is Murong Yan and Shilou Yingge.”

This seemed slightly different from what the monk had heard, causing his eyes to widen a little. “The Bolie King has only just left, and now another member of the Gao Family arrives? That Helian Wujiang, to put it plainly, is the Tiefu King. With two royal houses already here… what next, will they summon the Chen King and the Dai King as well?”

Daoist Master Qi remarked, “It is good news, not some act of mediation by a certain house. The Gao Family has produced a genius named Gao Fangjing, who has already reached the Purple Mansion Realm. That is why they have the ability to spare another descent.”

The monk could only nod, though without any joy. Daoist Master Qi seemed to understand his concern and said with a smile, “Over all these years… it is not as though there have been no crossings of the river between north and south. What is there to fear? Southern cultivators have stirred up trouble for so many years, crossing the river again and again, and I have yet to see anyone fear it.

“Are only the southern Supreme Yang Dao lineages allowed to cross the river, while the northern Daos are forbidden to come south? The heart of the matter is not who crosses the river. You are seeing it wrong, monk!”

He leaned forward slightly. “If they truly did not want the north crossing the river, how would things have come this far? So long as no one goes too far, whether it is crossing methods or even fighting a few major wars, none of that is a problem.”

That was what he said, yet it was clear the northern factions still felt uneasy. Maha Fachang’s expression shifted slightly and grew subdued, as though listening to his words, or perhaps as though he had only wanted assurance from his mouth all along. In a low resonant voice, he said, “This humble monk understands… Many thanks to Fellow Daoist for coming down from the north to dispel my doubts. Otherwise, with my dull aptitude, I do not know how many days it would have taken me to understand.”

“Dull?” Daoist Master Qi looked mildly amused and said, “I think it is simply that you do not wish to incur killing karma. At times I am curious. Is it Beigu and Yeren who come from the Liao River… or is it you?”

1. The given name of Daoist Master Yehui. ☜