Chapter 548: Concession

As twilight had just descended, little sparks like beans appeared upon Cuiwei Peak.

Within that manor halfway up the mountain, lanterns were also lit under the eaves and along the corridors of every building.

Suddenly, the door to the room of Young Sect Master Li Ruozhou opened, and a Personal Attendant was seen walking out carrying a food box; he turned the corner of the corridor and headed in the direction of the kitchen.

The Guard stationed there merely glanced at the Personal Attendant once, then looked elsewhere.

Li Ruozhou was quite fond of wine and food; the Personal Attendant in his room would go to the kitchen side every night to bring back some wine and dishes, and those Guards had long since grown accustomed to it.

The Personal Attendant walked along the corridor with his head lowered, his hat brim pulled down...

He hid in the shadows of the corridor, the twilight that had just descended providing him with excellent cover; no one noticed his swollen, black-and-blue pig-like head.

After passing the area of the manor where the Tianyan Sect resided, the Personal Attendant let out a long sigh.

Inside the manor, the patrols and guards in other areas were all people from the Taiyi Sect; no one would bother with him.

He slung the food box over his arm and swaggered toward the kitchen, but he did not enter the kitchen; instead, he passed through it and headed straight for the west gate of the manor.

The west gate of the manor was where sundries were moved in and out, and where maids and Miscellaneous Servants changed shifts. Maids and Miscellaneous Servants entered and exited from time to time, and those guards only checked those coming in; they paid no mind to those going out.

Li Ruozhou was wearing a set of Personal Attendant's clothes that fit him somewhat poorly, but at this hour the twilight was dim, so it was not really noticeable. His Personal Attendant appearance, mixed in with the sparse flow of people, was not at all conspicuous, and he walked straight out of the west gate.

Once Li Ruozhou was out of the west gate, he walked slowly to the edge of a certain platform, glanced around, and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, suddenly darted into the dense forest. He threw away the food box he had been carrying, exerted his movement technique, and vanished into the darkness...

Li Yunjing was in the Elder Council, presiding over the negotiations for the covenant. His version of the proposal had been rejected by Zhu He again. This time, Li Yunjing was very annoyed and simply threw up his hands, refusing to do it anymore, and told Zhu He to come up with a proposal himself.

Zhu He was quite straightforward and quickly produced a proposal. Li Yunjing actually rejected it twice in a row. He said, "Department Head Zhu, you cannot just look at the problem from your own standpoint."

Zhu He said, "Sect Leader Li, regarding this treaty, if I were to loosen my hand even a little, that would be a vast expanse of benefits. I think we had better hash this out clearly."

Li Yunjing sighed. What he feared most was someone like Zhu He, who was clear about every single benefit, big or small, and was also very patient, willing to hash it out with you bit by bit, with a face that suggested he would neither take advantage of you nor let you take advantage of him. This kind of guy was polite with his words, but the hardest to deal with.

The two of them polished several versions before they finally managed to settle this part.

By this time, it was nearly the Hour of the Bo, and outside the Elder Council, it was already pitch black.

Li Yunjing had polished several versions in a row and had spent the day looking at those dense, crowded clauses. At this moment, he suddenly raised his head to look at the lamp beside him and felt a wave of dizziness. He turned his head away, and seeing only the pitch-black night outside, he sighed and said, "Let's stop here for today! Even if we only managed to gnaw off a piece of the toughest bone, there is still progress. As for the rest, we shall discuss it tomorrow."

The group of Elders all stood up with weary expressions and dispersed.

Li Yunjing walked back to his room in the manor, sat down on that grand armchair, and did not want to move. He sipped a few mouthfuls of ginseng tea, and only then did he remember the matter of Li Ruozhou.

"That brat!?"

As soon as he thought of Li Ruozhou, his temples felt a needle-like sting. Although he did not want to move, he still struggled to his feet and walked toward Li Ruozhou's room.

Walking to the door of Li Ruozhou's room, he gave it a light push, and the door opened in response; the door bolt he had kicked off that morning was still lying there at the entrance.

Li Yunjing walked into the room and saw Li Ruozhou sitting with his back to him in front of the desk, with a stack of books in front of him and a square cloth cap on his head.

Li Yunjing knitted his brows and scolded, "When you were in the Sect, when did you ever read a book? At this hour, what kind of act are you putting on now?"

As Li Yunjing was scolding, he suddenly noticed that "Li Ruozhou" was trembling incessantly...

A bad premonition flashed through his heart.

Just at this moment, he saw that "Li Ruozhou" suddenly turn over and crawl to kneel down. The square cloth cap that had been on her head fell off, her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and she sobbed pitifully, "Sect Leader, spare my life! It was the Young Sect Master who forced this slave to sit here!"

Li Yunjing gasped, his expression suddenly turning extremely ugly, and he barked, "Where is he?!"

His loud shout startled the woman so much that she trembled like chaff. She wanted to speak, but her teeth only chattered, and she could not get any words out. She produced an envelope and tremblingly held it up with both hands. "Young Sect Master..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the envelope swayed on its own and shot into Li Yunjing's hand like a sharp arrow.

Li Yunjing took a look and saw that the envelope was sealed with wax and stamped with Li Ruozhou's private seal. He tore open the envelope, pulled out the letter inside, and looked at it intently by the lamplight. It read: Father, I am not going through with this marriage! Your child is unfilial and has left first! Do not look for me with great fanfare; I will not be returning to You Province for the time being! Your child has decided to travel abroad to broaden his horizons. Do not worry! Written by your unfilial son, Ruozhou!

"That rebellious son!?" Li Yunjing's roar was like a thunderclap, and the Qi in his right palm surged, shattering the flower stand by the door, along with the flowerpot on it, into powder with a single strike!

This roar, along with the flower stand turned to powder, immediately frightened Li Ruozhou's mistress so much that her face turned pale and she nearly fainted.

Yang Tianyi also heard the sound and flashed to the corridor at the door. He did not know what had happened and just stood at the door, not daring to enter recklessly!

Li Yunjing's expression was ferocious. He suppressed his anger, looked at the fair, tender woman who had collapsed on the floor like a noodle, and asked sternly, "When did he leave?"

The woman knew he was asking her a question, so she bit her lip hard to steady herself slightly and replied in a trembling voice, "Just at the Hour of the You... he left after dusk..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunjing's expression became even more ferocious. That meant he had been gone for nearly two hours!

He suddenly transformed into a black streak of light and soared into the air.

Li Yunjing stood in the night sky, riding the wind. The whistling night wind blew his sideburns and sleeves. He gazed at the pitch-black Endless Great Mountains, his heart filled with grief, and sighed, "Li Yunjing, you truly have failed to teach your son!"

It had been two hours; Li Ruozhou had long since fled to who knows where. In these pitch-black Endless Great Mountains, where was he supposed to look?

Li Yunjing returned to the manor and landed in the corridor in front of Li Ruozhou's room, where Yang Tianyi had already been waiting.

Li Yunjing glanced at the fair, tender woman in the room, a flash of intense disgust in his eyes, and said coldly, "Tianyi, beat this woman to death for me!"

Li Yunjing's tone was calm and cold.

Upon hearing this, the woman knew her death was imminent and immediately wept and begged for mercy. "Spare my life! Sect..."

Before she could even finish shouting, Yang Tianyi strode over, grabbed her by the throat, and dragged her out.

After only a few breaths, Yang Tianyi returned to the corridor. He knew that since Li Ruozhou had escaped, Li Yunjing would surely have instructions for him.

Sure enough, as soon as he arrived, Li Yunjing said, "Tianyi, take a few men, ride the Cloud-Feather Mad Eagle back to the Sect overnight, and mobilize all the power within the Sect to find that rebellious son and bring him back to me!"

"Focus on areas outside of You Province." As Li Yunjing said this, he handed the letter Li Ruozhou had left behind to Yang Tianyi.

Yang Tianyi took it and looked, his expression immediately turning grave. "Outside of You Province, the Sect's power is limited, I fear..."

"Go! Do your best. Do not delay!"

"Yes! Sect Leader!" After cupping his hands, Yang Tianyi strode away.

After Yang Tianyi left, Li Yunjing stood in the courtyard for only a moment before suddenly transforming into a black streak of light, shooting straight from the manor toward the Elder Council.

At this time, the Elder Council was already dark and pitch black, with only a duty Attendant at the entrance yawning.

Li Yunjing did not go to find this duty Attendant, because this person's status was too low, and passing the message would be too slow.

His figure hovered above the Elder Council, and two powerful Divine Senses crossed as they scanned toward him.

Li Yunjing immediately released his Divine Sense and headed toward one of the powerful Divine Senses.

He knew that the four great Guards within the Elder Council were all experts of the Dongming Realm, directly under the leadership of Sect Master Chu Qiushan, and if there was a matter, he could report directly to Chu Qiushan.

After those two strands of Divine Sense swept across and intersected, they already knew Li Yunjing's identity, so when he flew toward one of them, no one stopped him.

Li Yunjing landed in front of that person, only to see an old man with white hair and a long beard not far away. The old man was sitting on a large rock in the southeast of the Elder Council, and he was holding a cat in his arms.

In the pitch-black night, the cat's two eyes, like two gemstones, flashed with a cold, eerie light.

The old man half-squinted his eyes, seemingly unaware of Li Yunjing's arrival.

Li Yunjing cupped his hands and said, "I have an urgent matter and wish to seek an audience with Sect Master Chu. Could I trouble you to lead the way?"

The old man opened his eyes and glanced at Li Yunjing. During this time, his aged, wrinkled hands continued to stroke the cat in his arms gently and slowly, and he said coldly, "What matter?"

Li Yunjing hesitated for a moment, then said, "Two days from now is the Engagement Ceremony for the marriage between our two Sects. But my son is unruly and has actually run away!"

Upon hearing this, the old man held the cat and stood up from the large rock. He also knew this was a major matter that could not be delayed.

The old man tossed the cat in his hands. The cat, which had been lazily curled up, suddenly flipped in mid-air, landed steadily, and let out a rather dissatisfied meow.

The old man said, "Follow me!" He then transformed into a streak of black light and shot into the high sky.

Li Yunjing also transformed into a streak of black light, following closely behind.

The two streaks of black light whistled through the night sky. Not long after, they suddenly carved out a rather graceful arc and landed on a mountain peak.

The old man looked at a thatched cottage not far away and said, "Sect Master Chu lives over there. Sect Leader Li, you may go yourself. This old man will take his leave!"

After the old man finished speaking, without waiting for Li Yunjing to speak, he transformed into a streak of black light and left.

This old man was a veteran elder within the Taiyi Sect and had always been reclusive in nature. Li Yunjing had specifically sought him out, but he did not mind and walked toward the thatched cottage.

Li Yunjing was quite surprised that Chu Qiushan actually lived alone in such a thatched cottage, and he could not help but think to himself: A thatched cottage on Lone Mountain; it seems this person is indeed single-mindedly devoted to the Dao.

There was no Symbol Array near Chu Qiushan's thatched cottage, but as soon as Li Yunjing approached, a dim yellow light lit up inside the cottage.

Li Yunjing stood at the entrance, cupped his hands, and said, "Sect Master Chu, please forgive me for this late-night visit!"

"Sect Leader Li, please come in!" Chu Qiushan's slightly hoarse voice came from within.

Li Yunjing lifted the animal-skin curtain hanging at the entrance and stepped into the room.

The room was extremely simple, and the two sat down before a dilapidated wooden table.

Chu Qiushan poured a cup of clear water for Li Yunjing and said, "My nature is naturally detached. I built a thatched cottage on this mountain peak to live in, and when I am not acting as Sect Master, I am no different from a wild man. I hope Sect Leader Li will forgive the lack of hospitality!"

"I wouldn't dare!" Li Yunjing said, "Sect Master Chu is single-mindedly devoted to profound cultivation; this is the true character of us cultivators!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Qiushan only smiled lightly and asked, "Sect Leader Li, you are visiting at this hour; something must have happened, right?"

A look of distress flashed across Li Yunjing's face. "My son is unruly and unwilling to marry. Two hours ago, he actually ran away!"

Chu Qiushan's expression shifted. He picked up the Bamboo Tube, took a sip of clear water, and said nothing, but his silent face was as cold and hard as rock.

Li Yunjing said, "This matter is a discourtesy on the part of my Tianyan Sect! It is also my failure in discipline to have raised such a rebellious son. Sect Master Chu, what I mean is, could this Engagement Ceremony be postponed by five days?"

As Li Yunjing spoke, an awkward smile hung on his face. He was merely doing this as a last resort; in truth, he had no faith at all that he could find that boy, Li Ruozhou, within seven days.

Chu Qiushan looked at Li Yunjing and said coldly, "This matter concerns the marriage between the two Sects. I must ask the Ancestor before I can give Sect Leader Li an answer."

Li Yunjing said, "Naturally, naturally, that is how it should be."

The matter of the marriage was originally negotiated by Li Ku and Lv Yinlin. In fact, after discussing the postponement of the Engagement Ceremony, Li Yunjing would also report this matter to Li Ku.

Chu Qiushan stood up and said, "Sect Leader Li may return to the manor first."

Li Yunjing said, "I will just wait here for Sect Master Chu! If I go back now, I will only be restless and uneasy!"

"That is also fine!" Chu Qiushan replied, then transformed into a streak of black light and shot into the night sky.

In the deep valley, inside Lv Yinlin's Cave Abode.

After hearing Chu Qiushan's report, a look of displeasure flashed across Lv Yinlin's face. He pondered for a moment and asked, "Qiushan, what is your view on this matter?"

Seeing Lv Yinlin ask for his opinion, Chu Qiushan cupped his hands and said, "Ancestor, regarding Li Ruozhou's incident yesterday, although Yang Sixuan led people to suppress some of it, there are still many rumors fermenting and spreading within the Sect. Li Ruozhou's escape has only added fuel to the fire; those rumors and speculations must be flying everywhere, right?"

Upon hearing this, Lv Yinlin sighed with a grave expression and said, "Li Yunjing's intention is to postpone the Engagement Ceremony by five days. What do you think?"

Chu Qiushan said, "This proposal must absolutely not be accepted!"

Lv Yinlin looked at him with interest, signaling for him to continue.

Chu Qiushan continued, "The invitations for the Engagement Ceremony in two days have already been sent out. If we change it now, combined with the news of Li Ruozhou's escape, it will make it seem as if our Taiyi Sect is desperate to marry into his Tianyan Sect. It will inevitably lead to gossip throughout the Sect. Moreover, if we really postpone it by five days and Li Ruozhou still cannot be found, it will look even worse—it will be as if we were desperate to offer, and they didn't even want it!"

Lv Yinlin's expression was very gloomy. Li Ruozhou's escape was a discourtesy on the part of the Tianyan Sect in terms of etiquette, but in terms of face, it was a slap to the Taiyi Sect.

Lv Yinlin said coldly, "Tell Li Yunjing that the Engagement Ceremony will be held in two days; the date will not change! If Li Ruozhou cannot be present in two days, then it is his Tianyan Sect that is being discourteous. In that case, they will have to make concessions on the alliance agreement!"

(End of this chapter)