Chapter 399: Forced to come forward

“In early spring with lingering snow, there are winter plum blossoms and lingxiao flowers. They emerge from the mountain ridges, each pursuing their own aspirations. The plum blossom, closer to the water, first captures my heart. No other reason, but that neither is attached, and both are famous. Now, I am an old woman, no longer competing with the young for the spring breeze.”

“Alas! How many years did it take for this tree to grow large enough to embrace? Why did this grass suddenly become known as lingxiao overnight?”

“The lingxiao relies only on tall trees to rise. One day, if the tall tree is cut for firewood, will this plant not wither with it?”

“Relying on a precarious tree to flourish, does it not know that old trees often wither and high winds will surely break them? At that time, it will likely be reduced to rotten roots, unable to sprout again. How can it be listed among the hundred flowers?”

Li Qi frowned upon hearing these lines.

This article generally states that the author saw plum blossoms blooming alone in winter, while the lingxiao flower clung to a tree, waiting to bloom.

Although winter was about to end and the plum blossoms would soon wither, that was merely a refusal to compete for the limelight with the young.

On the other hand, the lingxiao flower beside it seemed arrogant, but the author specifically disliked it.

“Look at that lingxiao, climbing a hundred feet high by clinging to a withered, ancient branch. But that withered tree took who knows how many years to grow that tall, yet now the lingxiao treads on it, easily reaching the top, and then dares to name itself ‘Lingxiao’? Do you deserve it?”

By parasitizing its body on a precarious, towering dead tree, does she not know that one day, if it falls, she will be “reduced to rotten roots, unable to sprout again”?

Does such a thing even deserve to be listed among the hundred flowers?

Comparing the lingxiao flower to the winter plum, it advises others to be self-pure and fragrant like the latter, like them, “neither is attached, and both are famous.”

Instead of learning from the lingxiao flower, which “relies on a precarious tree to flourish”—a precarious tree being one that is about to fall, embodying a petty person’s demeanor—it also mocks, saying, “One day, if the withered tree is cut for firewood, this plant will undoubtedly wither with it.”

This series of attacks was clearly written in direct response to Liu Donghe’s article.

Although it lacked sufficient allusions and its phrasing was somewhat shallow, with its foundation far inferior to Liu Donghe’s, the article’s intention and word choice were clearly discernible.

This was beyond decency; it was a direct slap in the face.

Writing such an article at a literary gathering would clearly cause trouble.

Liu Canzhi said, “As soon as this article came out, the Aura was like swords drawn and bows bent. The Lingxiao Flower Goddess, changing from her previous smile, couldn’t help but retort. But at this moment, the matter I had done earlier was brought up by those Hanlin scholars.”

“They pushed me out, not discussing speculation, but merely saying things like, ‘Even Liu Donghe’s own son has come to the literary gathering; the tall tree the Flower Goddess is clinging to is not a withered tree at all, but rather very flourishing.’ They really tried to solidify the accusation of clinging onto her.”

“Now the Lingxiao Flower Goddess and that Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar have already begun a spiritual battle, and the situation is almost out of control! Li Qi, quickly think of a solution,” Liu Canzhi said anxiously.

After hearing all this, Li Qi had only one feeling…

Exhausted.

He couldn't help but say, “Why bother? You and I have already helped her anyway. This time, she is in the wrong. If we help her resolve this matter, she will surely owe us a great favor. In the future, under the protection of Uncle Liu, it will be a matter of course to control her…”

“Why do you have to play mind games with these people? They are Fifth-Rank, do you know what Fifth-Rank means…? These people have more schemes than ten of you combined.” Li Qi felt a headache coming on.

If it really came to playing dirty, Li Qi, though he felt he was quite clever, certainly wasn’t a match for these old geezers. For example, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s trick, Li Qi saw through it, but he couldn’t really do anything, only compensate afterward.

“I’ve also realized… Compared to these people, I am indeed a bit foolish. I even suspect now whether those Hanlin scholars around me from the beginning were purposefully guiding me to speak out about this matter, making me their pawn,” Liu Canzhi said with a bitter smile, pressing his temples.

“However, since things have come to this, self-reflection can wait. Li Qi, you still need to work with me to find a way to resolve this matter. If the literary gathering is ruined, then the matter of the Shamanic Silkworm Artifact will probably be covered up. It won’t be damaged, but no one will care, and our trip will have been in vain.”

That was true; Liu Canzhi saw it very clearly. If the Lingxiao Flower Goddess was truly humiliated and sent back to Baiyue, then there would be no room for the Shamanic Silkworm Artifact in the news.

As things stood, it was no longer possible to remain neutral and watch from the sidelines, nor to promote the Shamanic Silkworm Artifact regardless of the Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s fate.

Because they were already bound together, success and failure were intertwined.

To promote the Shamanic Silkworm Artifact, the high profile of the Lingxiao Flower Goddess was essential. No one wanted to see what the loser wore, but people loved to scrutinize every inch of the winner, even what water she usually drank could be researched.

“Alright, don’t overthink it from now on. It’s not about knowing or not knowing, but the worst is knowing and not knowing, which is most likely to cause trouble. You’ve already caused trouble twice; it’s time to stop,” Li Qi rubbed his temples.

Liu Canzhi was not stupid, but sometimes smart people were more prone to suffering losses, especially when they were not as smart as others; they would fall even harder.

Liu Canzhi looked embarrassed, rubbing his hands with a chuckle.

“However, this matter, in the final analysis, was something we both stirred up. If I hadn’t introduced you, you wouldn’t have come into contact with the Lingxiao Flower Goddess… Let’s go, let’s go back and take a good look.” Li Qi patted his face, preparing to clean up the mess.

As he walked, he said to Liu Canzhi, “We’ll clean up as much as possible. If we can’t, then… let’s just abandon it.”

“Abandon it? Then where will the subsequent funds come from? How will you sell your Sacred Flame?” Liu Canzhi asked, puzzled.

“I’ve already sold them. The Eclectic School bought the first batch of Shamanic Silkworm Artifacts. With the Eclectic School in front, others will surely follow. Basic sales are already secured; it’s just a matter of earning a little less,” Li Qi said.

“Already sold?!” Liu Canzhi’s eyes widened.

Li Qi moved so fast?

“How much did you sell? What price did the Eclectic School offer?” he quickly pressed.

“Two seventh-rank worlds, one of which has a special product, a Cultivator individual-type specialty, which is quite valuable. Plus some Yu Zao generation technology, including the Formation for consciousness transfer between different bodies, in exchange for twelve sets of seventh-rank Shamanic Silkworm Artifacts, and also the Shamanic Silkworm Artifact’s Shaman Dao rune compilation technology,” Li Qi said.

“You even sold the technology? Weren’t you most concerned about that?” Liu Canzhi was somewhat surprised.

“What if I was? I also value the Eclectic School’s technology very much. I think if we get this technology from the Eclectic School, our Shamanic Silkworm Artifacts might even be able to transfer simulated intelligence. The Shamanic Silkworm Artifact is a brand new thing, and I think we can try everything with it. What if it turns out to be useful?” Li Qi said.

“You have a point, but compatibility issues might still be a lot of work. Sigh… To resolve compatibility issues, it will cost another large sum of money. Debugging might waste at least thirty batches. Thirty batches, are your two seventh-rank worlds enough?”

“The world’s foundation is still very abundant. Draining the Origin of a seventh-rank world until it drops in rank, the materials obtained… thirty batches of Shamanic Silkworm Artifacts, it should be enough, right?” Li Qi calculated, stroking his chin.

A seventh-rank world can produce a dozen or twenty seventh-rank Spiritual Artifacts and support a dozen seventh-rank Cultivators. While these individuals are top-tier Divine Artifacts and powerhouses in those worlds, for the center of the myriad worlds, they are truly nothing.

“Draining a world… that carries heavy Karma. Don’t you Shamanes hate such things the most?” Liu Canzhi was somewhat surprised; Li Qi’s choice didn’t seem like something a Shaman would do.

“It’s not killing people. Suppressing a world’s rank won’t even be felt by ordinary people. If I had to describe it, it’s just like mining until the mine is empty. Why should I hate it?” Li Qi retorted.

“But you’re making it so that people who might have been able to Breakthrough to seventh-rank in that world will likely never have the chance again. That Karma will fall on you,” Liu Canzhi pointed out the danger.

“Huh? I’ll just bring them out, won’t I? Just find a random place in the world, and a casual breath from the world’s great Spiritual Qi source is enough for them to Breakthrough dozens of times,” Li Qi said, confused.

Did Liu Canzhi’s intelligence decline after two failures?

Liu Canzhi, however, was filled with astonishment.

“No, you want to bring those people to the world?” Liu Canzhi seemed somewhat incredulous.

“Is there a problem?” Li Qi countered.

“No… Actually, there’s no problem. With your status, bringing a few people to the world is quite common. However, no one would do that, after all, those—” Liu Canzhi wanted to say something.

But before he finished, Li Qi interrupted him.

Li Qi continued his thought, saying, “After all, those outsiders are merely uncivilized barbarians, inferior even to Spirit Beasts. How can they be worthy of stepping on the land of the world? Unless they pay a huge price, completely sever ties with their homeland, show sufficient loyalty, or even directly convert to the Human Dao, otherwise they absolutely cannot be allowed to set foot in the world?”

Liu Canzhi stammered, but nodded.

This was likely the general sentiment of most people in Tang Nation.

“See, this is why Brother Liu, you are of the Human Dao, and I am of the Shaman Dao. In my opinion, they are no different from us,” Li Qi patted Liu Canzhi’s shoulder.

The differences in Dao are not just about cultivation methods.

From life views, values, worldviews, and even all aspects, there are huge differences.

Different Dao are difficult to get along with.

As they spoke, Li Qi and the others finally entered the literary gathering.

The atmosphere at the scene was… very cold.

The young people and those who didn’t know what was happening were silent, not daring to speak, fearing to offend the adults who were confronting each other.

They saw a group of supporters around the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, and also a group of people around that Fifth-Rank Hanlin.

When Li Qi entered, he heard the Lingxiao Flower Goddess had just finished a sentence.

He arrived too late to hear the whole thing, but it seemed to be: “Your Excellency’s article is entirely aimed at Master Donghe’s article. Do you perhaps think you are qualified to write an article refuting him?”

This was indeed quite sharp.

Liu Donghe wrote about the lingxiao climbing a withered tree, transforming into the branches and flowers on the withered tree, making it seem as if the dead tree had been reborn.

Then the Hanlin in front of him wrote, “Relying on a precarious tree to flourish, does it not know that old trees often wither and high winds will surely break them? At that time, it will likely be reduced to rotten roots, unable to sprout again. How can it be listed among the hundred flowers?”

So, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess directly invoked Liu Donghe to pressure him.

If this accusation was confirmed, the title of ‘disrespectful’ would likely be unavoidable.

However…

It seemed that the debate had reached the point of attacking each other’s motives, with no regard for reason, only the desire to win remaining.

But… Li Qi shook his head. This was a foolish move.

As expected, no sooner had Li Qi stood firm than he heard the Fifth-Rank Hanlin say, “Heh, I thought the Flower Goddess had some profound insight, but it turns out she only knows how to use a title to suppress others.”

“My article is well-structured and clearly stated. If you don’t approve, then present your arguments to refute it. Yet, you keep mentioning Master Donghe, making a fool of yourself. Truly befitting of one who clings to others, you presume that with someone backing you, others dare not point out your flaws, or else it would be disrespectful, wouldn’t it?”

He spoke with righteous indignation, his voice not loud, but exceptionally clear and distinct; everyone could hear him.

“It seems that expelling the Flower Goddess from Chang’an back then was indeed the right thing to do. The Flower Goddess should take a look at her own face. In the past, when she had no one to support her, she fled Chang’an in fear and went to Baiyue to lord it over others. Now that she has found a backer, she returns here arrogantly, even speaking of ‘returning.’ Is this the return the Flower Goddess desires?”

“Shouldn’t the Flower Goddess’s return be about diligently cultivating outside, making herself worthy of this Lingxiao Cave Heaven? Or do you think being worthy actually means having enough people to support you? If that’s truly the case, then whose is the Lingxiao posture that the Flower Goddess prides herself on—yours, or the great tree beneath you?”

As expected of a Confucian Cultivator, his words caused the Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s face to continuously change from red to white. For a moment, she didn’t know how to retaliate, only standing stiffly in place, as if she had swallowed a fly.

Many people unrelated to this matter,

Even the Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s former supporters, were speechless for a moment.

Li Qi watched all of this from the side.

That famous scholar who criticized the Lingxiao Flower Goddess back then wasn’t just speaking carelessly. That scholar, like Liu Donghe, wasn’t someone who spoke without thinking.

When he said those words, he naturally had his reasons; he wouldn’t have wronged the lingxiao flower for no reason.

So… who was right between the two sides?

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess was denounced in a single sentence, losing everything for no reason.

Although that famous scholar wasn’t wrong, his casual remark ruined the Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s life. Can that be called ‘good’?

As for this Fifth-Rank Hanlin, did he truly despise the lingxiao flower? He probably saw the Lingxiao Flower Goddess for the first time today, and before that, he had only read the poems of that famous scholar, so he stood up to accuse her.

Right and wrong, who can say for sure?

Everyone was not wrong, but many conflicts have no right or wrong.

Just then, Li Qi suddenly stepped forward and said to the crowd:

“The lingxiao flower climbs a tree, but doesn’t this tree also need to stand on the earth? Is the tree then clinging to the earth? And what does the earth cling to? Is it only the foundation of all things that isn’t considered clinging? Which one of you here isn’t cultivating on the shoulders of your predecessors? Are all of you clinging?”