"Li Genmiao's birth was a tragedy. He had an irresponsible father and a mad mother. In adulthood, he became Yan Chou's shadow, unseen, friendless. He was scarred, weary, yet held infinite potential… In fact, I sought his consent before possessing him."
"I told him all my plans and ideals. Li Genmiao was moved by the world I described, just like the others from the Xin Xuan Mountain Sect. They willingly sacrificed everything for me, and only then did I possess his body."
Li Genmiao seemed to be cleansing himself of blemishes, a common trick of his that even misled Yan Shouyi several times.
However, Jiang Qingxue, who knew Li Genmiao's true nature, remained unmoved.
She said softly, "No matter how you try to adorn yourself, it doesn't change the fact that you are an executioner, except you never soil your own hands when you kill."
"Change always requires bloodshed and sacrifice. Instead of letting them die in meek humiliation, wouldn't it be better to die fighting for one's ideals?"
"This is no longer the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. There is no war now, and every life is precious. No one can casually give up their life."
"But the rules of the world never change: the strong prey on the weak, and the powerful are respected. The Qing Jiang Kingdom swallowed the Yu Shu Kingdom, and the great northern powers swallowed the Qing Jiang Kingdom… If the common sects do not rise up and resist, they will forever be trampled underfoot by the prestigious sects. Those truly innocent will continue to endure hardships, face misfortune, and be threatened by the specter of death."
"The world has always been changing, becoming more progressive. Everyone lives with more dignity and value. It's just that you are unwilling to seek reconciliation. You remain trapped in the past, trying to measure the world of today with the thoughts of a thousand years ago."
The viewpoints from a millennium ago and the present clashed fiercely, but neither side seemed able to convince the other.
Finally, Li Genmiao scoffed, "I have experienced wars between nations and witnessed a thousand years. Everything I know comes from experience. Your ideas are too idealistic. Disciple, you must know that being too idealistic comes at a bloody price."
"But people are often misled by experience. What if you have lived for a thousand years? If experience were useful, dynasties would not have fallen, and the world would have gotten better! Yet people always make mistakes based on experience. You remain trapped in your world, repeating the same cycles!" Jiang Qingxue's aura was no less formidable than Li Genmiao's.
Unexpectedly, Li Genmiao was the first to back down.
He chuckled wryly, "As expected of my good disciple. Yan Shouyi's sharp tongue must have inherited your personality as well."
When the other party suddenly mentioned his son, Jiang Qingxue was at a loss for words.
"I have always been cautious, so I made preparations for both eventualities. Even Yan Chou is unaware of this," Li Genmiao confessed. "I have already announced to everyone in the Xin Xuan Mountain Sect that Yan Shouyi is my successor. Should my endeavor fail, all members are to defect to Yan Shouyi, recognize him as their master, and solve problems using his methods."
Jiang Qingxue was quite surprised. She suddenly recalled the time her master taught her and softened her tone slightly, "Shouyi will accomplish it."
"I hope you can prove it to me," Li Genmiao said.
He had also studied the latter volume of the Lu Ban Book but had not managed to complete it. He knew he could not wait any longer, hence his choice of another method.
If Yan Shouyi could not complete the latter volume of the Lu Ban Book, he intended to use his own method: seizing the status of a prestigious sect through sheer power!
The old Heavenly Master Zhang Yin of Longhu Mountain and the abbot Yan Song of Hanshan Temple, the older generation had all passed away. Li Genmiao no longer had any lingering concerns. Now was the perfect time for him to declare war!
Therefore, Li Genmiao had come to the Heavenly Pond.
He intended to reclaim his body and obtain his complete power. Once successful, no one in the entire Daoist sect would be his match!
Jiang Qingxue gave Li Genmiao a deep look and then, employing her previous tactic, once again retrieved the latter volume of the Lu Ban Book from the Heavenly Pond, which she had painstakingly refined for twenty years.
When these thousands of words, penned with meticulous effort, appeared before Li Genmiao, he couldn't help but his eyes lit up.
His reaction was similar to Yan Shouyi's, perhaps even more so. Li Genmiao had to lament that experience alone was not enough; talent was what determined one's upper limit.
He had spent nearly a thousand years without being able to perfect the latter volume of the Lu Ban Book, yet Jiang Qingxue had accomplished it to such an extent in just twenty years.
The more Li Genmiao read, the more excited he became.
If the latter volume of the Lu Ban Book could be fully written, perhaps it could truly prevent the conflict between the two factions, and Li Genmiao himself could avoid becoming a martyr.
However, when Li Genmiao reached the end, he was stunned to find that four sentences were missing.
"Why are four sentences missing? Why are they missing?!"
Li Genmiao stared at Jiang Qingxue, "Are you afraid I will remember these contents and abandon everyone?"
Jiang Qingxue shook her head, "I cannot write these last four sentences."
"Why can't you write them!"
"What I have achieved, you could not do even with a lifetime, could you? What I cannot achieve in a lifetime, someone else will eventually do," Jiang Qingxue said calmly. "And that person is Shouyi."
"Where is Yan Shouyi? Are you sure he can write the last four sentences?" Li Genmiao asked anxiously.
Jiang Qingxue shook her head again. She didn't want to answer, but Li Genmiao could guess that Yan Shouyi was likely in Jiang Qingxue's small wooden house.
Having calmed down, Li Genmiao made another decision for backup: "The latter volume of the Lu Ban Book is not yet completed, but the conflict between the two factions cannot wait. I have returned this time to reclaim my true body and descend the mountain to confront the prestigious sects. My good disciple, quickly hand over my body."
He finally revealed his true intention.
Jiang Qingxue coldly shook her head, "I will not hand it over."
Her stance was firm. Even though the conflict between the two factions was intensifying daily, with people dying in skirmishes, she knew something else: once Li Genmiao entered the fray, the casualties would be far greater.
"Good disciple, I am not requesting you," Li Genmiao sighed, his tone turning sinister. "I am commanding you!"
A sharp aura suddenly erupted from within Li Genmiao!
Jiang Qingxue's eyes turned cold. Instead of retreating, she moved forward. Although the two had not truly engaged, the collision of their auras agitated the Heavenly Pond water beside them, causing waves to surge.
If the two truly fought, they could likely stir the Heavenly Pond into chaos!
But just as they were locked in a tense standoff, about to draw their swords, the door of the wooden house was suddenly kicked open by Yan Shouyi!
Yan Shouyi, filled with excitement, rushed out of the wooden house and shouted towards the contents of the latter volume of the Lu Ban Book above the Heavenly Pond:
"I've got it… I've got it! The last four sentences, I've thought of them!!"