Chapter 669: Closed Case
Qi Xuansu said, “It means that the Qingping Society must also have someone who possesses a Longevity Stone Heart and is gathering Xuan Jades.”
“You’re absolutely right, Daoist Qi.” Li Changge nodded in agreement. “Back then, traitors within the Huasheng Hall stole and distributed the Xuan Jade out of the Daoist Order. Coupled with the efforts of certain ill-intentioned figures, the Xuan Jade eventually scattered across the world. Over the years, the Li family has spent considerable effort searching for the Xuan Jade, only to discover that others are also hunting for it, mainly the secret societies and our fellow Daoists.
“Since the Xuan Jade is closely linked to divine power, and secret societies specialize in using such powers, the jade naturally becomes a medium or vessel for the descent of the Ancient Immortals. For instance, when the Cult of Fates performed a divine descent ritual in Jinling Prefecture, they used a Xuan Jade as the medium, which, through a twist of fate, ended up in your hands, propelling you into the Heavenly Being stage.
“Moreover, these secret societies might possess a Longevity Stone Heart, either through their own refinements or from relics taken from the Daoist Order. The Lingshan Witch Cult’s close ties to Ancient Wuism suggest they might hold the ancient Longevity Stone. The Eight Tribes splintered off from the old creation projects, so they might have a Longevity Stone Heart. Thus, it’s not inconceivable that the Qingping Society has a Longevity Stone Heart.”
Qi Xuansu nodded. “What you said makes sense, Daoist Li.”
However, inwardly, Qi Xuansu grew even more puzzled. Li Changge seemed to be exonerating him rather than forcing a connection between him and the Qingping Society. Could it be that Li Changge had taken a liking to his talent and sought to recruit him?
After all, the Holy Xuan had famously turned foes into friends back when he unified the Daoist sects, earning the reputation of the amiable one. Was this what they meant by Li Changge carrying the Holy Xuan’s legacy?
Yet Qi Xuansu knew this was unlikely. After all, the circumstances were different then and now. Back then, the Daoist sects had been fractured for ages, making reunification a popular trend that the Holy Xuan merely rode. Now, with the three sects growing increasingly hostile, such soft tactics were unlikely to succeed.
Qi Xuansu felt a strong bond with the Daoist community at large, but not particularly with any one sect. After all, it took time to build one’s sense of belonging. Qi Xuansu had just left the Wanxiang Daoist Lower Palace before he roamed Jianghu, and it had only been a year since his return to the Daoist Order. To him, none of the three sects was wholly good or evil; they were all mixtures of both.
If he had encountered the Li family instead of his master, Madam Qi, and Zhang Yuelu after leaving the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, and if they had treated him as their own, then he would have stood with the Taiping Sect.
Although Qi Xuansu had gradually been influenced by Zhang Yuelu after meeting her, that merely reflected his recognition of Zhang Yuelu herself, not a positive view toward the Zhengyi Sect. Setting everything else aside, even the structure of the Zhang family’s main lineage could not compare to the Li family. No matter how selfish the Li family might be or how unseemly their methods, at least they harbored ambitions to unify the three Daoist sects and the world, whereas the Zhang family was only content with guarding their ancestral heritage. The difference in vision was obvious. Since the time of the First Emperor, grand unification had always been the people’s aspiration.