"Place the swords beside him; the sword spirits will awaken the spirit in his body," Li Haimo said to Snow Girl.
Snow Girl watched the scene with curiosity, and Li Haimo explained to them the relationship between Hei Bai Xuan Jian and his swords. Both Snow Girl and Eastern Lord felt that the world was vast and full of wonders—two spirits mutually dependent on each other.
As the swords drew near Hei Bai Xuan Jian, after only a short while, this body that had already died began to breathe again, and the broken swords started to mend themselves.
Li Haimo and the other three observed this miraculous event, unable to feel anything but awe.
At dawn, Hei Bai Xuan Jian suddenly opened his eyes. He first glanced at the two swords, then at the four people, finally fixing his gaze on Li Haimo. Though the appearance had changed, the sword spirits told him this was the same person he had fought before.
"Xuan Jian pays respects to Master!" Hei Bai Xuan Jian suddenly knelt and declared.
Li Haimo was stunned. Could it be that I've achieved some kind of domineering aura, where a mere shake of my body draws allegiance from all directions?
"What's this about?" Li Haimo helped him up and asked.
"Please, Master, save my son. Xuan Jian is willing to guard by your side for life!" Hei Bai Xuan Jian clearly knew he had died, but a lingering spirit remained, driven by the need to see his son escape the Luo Net.
"You're not truly dead yet!"
Li Haimo understood: once he rescued the child, Hei Bai Xuan Jian would fully perish, fusing with the sword spirits to become something like the Ni Lin sword. But Li Haimo hadn't gone through all that effort to save him just to gain another pair of swords. He already had more famous blades than he could handle—who would even use these two Hei Bai Xuan Jian swords?
"This is the Great Dao Ephemeral Flower. Keep it with you to nourish your soul. Once your body has symbiosis with the Great Dao Ephemeral Flower, consume it, and you'll be truly revived." Li Haimo handed over the Great Dao Ephemeral Flower from his own Dao fusion.
This was a resurrection technique recorded in the Daoist Scripture. However, the conditions were extremely stringent: first, the spirit and body must originally be one; second, one must obtain a Dao fusion item from someone who has achieved harmony with the Dao; and finally, the spirit and body must have reached the realm of unity between heaven and man.
Hei Bai Xuan Jian was somewhat astonished. Could he really live again? Was this not a joke? But Daoist methods were endlessly varied—perhaps it was truly possible.
"Alright, take your time with it. To the outside world, we've already announced your death, which aligns with our Daoist tradition of severing ties with the secular world. So from now on, you're one of us in the Daoist school. Choose your own Daoist name." Li Haimo yawned as he spoke.
"Then what about my son?" Hei Bai Xuan Jian asked, still deeply concerned.
"Rest assured, now that you've joined our Daoist school, we'll certainly look after him for you. He's not in danger right now, and someone is raising him—just not as an assassin." Li Haimo replied.
"Where is he? I want to find him," Hei Bai Xuan Jian pressed.
"What could you do if you went? Tell him you're dead? So focus on reviving yourself first before we discuss this." Li Haimo looked at Hei Bai Xuan Jian and said.
"Besides, without you alive, we can't help you reforge these two swords." Li Haimo added.
"Fine." Hei Bai Xuan Jian nodded as he looked at the black and white twin swords, cradling the Great Dao Ephemeral Flower in his arms and sensing the fragrance it emitted.
"So what do we do now?" Snow Girl asked.
"Go to sleep—what else? Aren't you all tired?" Li Haimo looked at her incredulously.
"Oh..." Snow Girl led Eastern Lord back to their room.
"What do you plan to do with Eastern Lord?" In their room, Xiaomeng asked, pretending to be nonchalant.
"You captured her, so handle it yourself. Just toss her into Taiyi Mountain and make sure she doesn't escape. Taiyi Mountain won't miss feeding one more mouth." Li Haimo said.
Killing her was out of the question—the Daoist school had no such rule. But letting her go was also impossible; she'd never be released in this lifetime. Might as well treat her like a kept pig.
"You really have no ideas about her? That's the Yin-Yang school's Eastern Lord, the renowned beauty of the world—Yuan Fei." Xiaomeng looked at him curiously.
Li Haimo rolled his eyes at her. So this is what she's been waiting for, thinking I'd fall for it. Even Lord Longyang couldn't bend me—Eastern Lord is far from it! He said, "What are you thinking? I haven't even finished what's in my bowl—how could I covet what's outside?"
"But I think if you married her, you could collapse the entire Yin-Yang school!" Xiaomeng continued.
Eastern Lord's status in the Yin-Yang school was extraordinary: below Eastern Emperor Taiyi came Eastern Lord, then the two great protectors Moon God and Star Soul, followed by the five elders, and then the Five Spirits Xuan Tong. So Eastern Lord's position was unique—she was also Eastern Emperor Taiyi's heir.
"I don't fancy being hunted down by those two undying old monsters, Eastern Emperor Taiyi and Chu Nangong." Li Haimo said. Why court trouble? Marrying Eastern Lord would be like begging for a long life—those two at the pinnacle of heaven-man unity wouldn't stop until they chased him to the ends of the earth.
"By the way, who is Hei Bai Xuan Jian's son? Has the Heavenly Sect heard anything?" Xiaomeng asked.
"The Human Sect hasn't either, but Ying Zheng has information, and so does the Confucian school. Lu Buwei had the Farmer school take him in and named him Ci—as in 'bestowal'." Li Haimo said.
"The son of the Farmer school's Six Halls' Tian Meng—Tian Ci?" Xiaomeng was somewhat surprised, but it made sense. Those who wielded dual swords so masterfully were rare—besides Hei Bai Xuan Jian, there was Bai Yifei. So Tian Ci being Hei Bai Xuan Jian's son tracked.
"This generation's Jing Ni might very well be Tian Meng. The Confucians suspect it, and Ying Zheng truly believes it." Li Haimo said.
"So you're planning to go to Qi State and bring him back?" Xiaomeng asked.
"Bring him back, and we couldn't train him anyway. Our Daoist school lacks expertise in dual-sword techniques—better to leave him with the Farmers to raise." Li Haimo said.
That was the truth: the Daoist school excelled in formations and Dao seals, not swordsmanship. Daoist formations and Dao seals, Yin-Yang curses, Military school's long weapons and killing aura, Legalist's mouth, Confucian pens, Mohist swords and mechanisms—all were unparalleled under heaven.
"Aren't you afraid the Luo Net will turn him into an assassin?" Xiaomeng asked curiously.
"When Tian Ci was still in his mother's womb, she was injured, so his intellect was affected and remains at a child's level. He can't be trained as an assassin." Li Haimo said.
"Then are we heading back to the mountain?" Xiaomeng asked again.
"Yes, but I still need to meet Lu Buwei first." Li Haimo thought for a moment and said.
This assassination didn't seem like Lu Buwei's style—he was the type to either do nothing or strike a fatal blow. As a merchant, he wouldn't engage in something where the risks outweighed the gains.
From King Zhuangxiang of Qin to Ying Zheng, Lu Buwei had always controlled Qin's court, ensuring steady development. He was the great synthesizer of the Miscellaneous school, though it hadn't yet been formalized. He revered Daoism but excised parts unsuitable for governance, blending the strengths of Confucianism, Mohism, Legalism, Military, Yin-Yang, and Vertical-Horizontal schools. This culminated in the Spring and Autumn Annals of Mister Lu, his treatise on governance. If Qin had adhered to it, they might have avoided Ying Zheng's later excesses of grand constructions and harsh taxation.
But ultimately, his success and downfall were tied to himself—his status was too high. He even had the Qin king call him "Zhong Fu," so he had to die. Thus, his governance strategies were never dared mentioned before Ying Zheng, nor would they appeal to him.
"You're not thinking of saving Lu Buwei, are you?" Xiaomeng asked worriedly.
Others, Ying Zheng might spare for his sake, but Lao Ai and Lu Buwei? Absolutely not. One had defiled the royal bloodline; the other claimed "Zhong Fu." Historically, only one had been called Zhong Fu: Guan Zhong, who helped Duke Huan of Qi achieve hegemony. Lu Buwei clearly fell short. His influence in Qin was too vast—for Ying Zheng to control Qin, Lu Buwei was an insurmountable obstacle.
"I can't save him! I just want to meet him, and also pass on what he left for Qin to Ying Zheng. He's probably waiting for me." Li Haimo said.
"You're so sure he's waiting for you?" Xiaomeng said.
"Because of Li Si! I pushed Li Si toward him and Ying Zheng, and though he knew Li Si was Ying Zheng's man, he still reused him heavily. It shows he separates public and private matters. Though he clings to power, he wants Qin strong even more." Li Haimo said.
Lu Buwei was a contradictory figure: unwilling to relinquish power, yet unable to bring himself to kill Ying Zheng. That's why histories speculated Ying Zheng was his son, explaining his hesitation.
"Alright, time to sleep!" Li Haimo said.
Xiaomeng said no more, and the two lay quietly.
On the other side, Eastern Lord and Snow Girl stared at each other wide-eyed, neither knowing what to say. Sharing a bed seemed awkward given their lack of closeness, so they just sat facing one another. Eastern Lord hadn't considered escaping—with three heaven-man unity experts here, even conversation could be overheard, let alone fleeing.
"Is Wuchen Zi your master?" Eastern Lord couldn't help asking.
She was eager to know how Wuchen Zi taught disciples. If he couldn't teach, how had Snow Girl defeated the half-step heaven-man Blood-Clad Marquis? If he could, why didn't she know even the basic Dao seals? And forgetting that, why not the Heaven-Earth Discoloration that any inner Daoist disciple could learn?
"I've only been with Master for less than three years—it's normal not to know those complex Dao seals and techniques. And I'm from the Human Sect; not knowing the Heavenly Sect's Heaven-Earth Discoloration is also normal, right?" Snow Girl knew what she was thinking.
"Don't you know the Daoist school's strongest aspects are formations and Dao techniques? I was captured by Sect Leader Xiaomeng because of a formation and Heaven-Earth Discoloration." Eastern Lord felt the need to impart some basic knowledge.
"I didn't know. Master and Uncle-Master never demonstrated them in front of me—they always used swords. I thought the Daoist school's strength was in swordsmanship." Snow Girl said, genuinely unaware.
Eastern Lord facepalmed, at a loss for words. Who would casually deploy formations and Dao techniques? They drained mental energy and cultivation—that's why swords were used instead.
"The Daoist school is most famous for Dao techniques, with the Nine-Character True Word Seals and the Heaven-Earth-Man Three Seals being the strongest. Formations are also the Daoist school's pinnacle, including the Two仪 Sword Formation for two people, the Heaven-Earth-Man Three Talents Sword Formation for three, and the All-Heaven Twenty-Eight Constellations Grand Formation." Eastern Lord explained.
"I've never heard of or seen any of them." Snow Girl said awkwardly.
Eastern Lord suspected she might have encountered a fake Daoist. These were common knowledge in the jianghu, just like how the Ghost Valley was famous for Vertical-Horizontal swordsmanship, but truly renowned for statecraft.
"Then do you know the strongest ultimate arts of the Hundred Schools?" Eastern Lord asked.
"Ghost Valley's sword arts: Hundred-Pace Flying Sword and Horizontal Pierce Eight Directions, and their combined Vertical-Horizontal Opening-Closing. The Mohist Mozi Sword Art, acclaimed as the world's strongest defensive swordsmanship. Yin-Yang school's Soul Wandering Dragon, Yin-Yang Combined Qi Great Hand Seal, and Gather Qi into Blade. Confucian Saint Sword Art." Snow Girl replied.
Eastern Lord felt like Wuchen Zi was sabotaging his disciple—teaching her this way seemed designed to get her killed.
"I think I need to tell you about the Hundred Schools' true ultimate arts." Eastern Lord said.
"First, for my Yin-Yang school, the strongest aren't what you mentioned—it's curses. Six Souls Terror Curse and Seal Sleep Curse are among the best. In the future, if you encounter Yin-Yang practitioners, don't give them a chance to cast curses. Then the Mohists: Mozi Sword Art isn't just the strongest defense; it has the strongest attack too—Ten Steps One Kill. And Mohists' true strength is mechanisms, with the Four Spirit Beasts being supreme: Mechanism Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. Below heaven-man realm, if you meet the slaughter-focused Mechanism White Tiger, run as far as you can. Ghost Valley swordsmanship is famous because of Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang, but they're truly renowned for statecraft. And Confucians' strongest isn't the Saint Sword Art—it's their pens. The Confucians have a supreme treasure called the Mount Tai Brush: for those with talent and virtue, it's light as a feather; for the talentless and virtueless, it's heavy as Mount Tai." Eastern Lord elaborated.
"Those are all things I won't encounter—what's the point of knowing?" Snow Girl said.
Eastern Lord found her logic impeccable and was left speechless. So it wasn't that Wuchen Zi wouldn't teach—it was that he figured she'd never face them, so why bother.
_
If you want to support me and read advanced 70+ chapters and also other stories: patreon.com/Caluem