Volume One: Two Boys Meet in Their Youth, Chapter Ninety-Two: Li Yu’s Calculations, Part One

The people of Heavenly Gate Town had all begun to bustle about without even noticing it. Those who had been chosen were making feverish preparations for their journey out into the wider world to cultivate. The outsiders were also secretly arranging the sacrificial rite to be held before the opening of the Heavenly Gate. To avoid arousing suspicion, they even gave it a noble-sounding name, saying that they wished to perform a blessing ceremony for Heavenly Gate Town before they departed.

Once those words were spoken, they only won even more goodwill from the residents of Heavenly Gate Town, who were filled with gratitude.

Li Yu and Xu Kaijiang watched their every move with cold eyes, their hearts utterly indifferent.

During those two days, neither Li Yu nor Xu Kaijiang left the secluded chamber of the watchtower even once. The two of them simply waited for that day to arrive.

At last, when the news came, Li Yu understood clearly in his heart that both he and Li Xiqing, Xu Kaijiang and the Beast Taming Sect, were about to reach their end.

Xu Kaijiang asked him, “Are you truly that certain they’ll make their move tonight?”

Li Yu said, “This is their best chance. Aside from that, I can’t think of any time more convenient for them to act than tonight.”

“Why?” Xu Kaijiang asked, puzzled.

Not only Xu Kaijiang, but everyone else was curious as well.

Li Ximing asked, “Brother Qing, why choose tonight? Isn’t there supposed to be some kind of sacrificial assembly tonight? I was even thinking of going to join the fun!”

Li Xiqing looked at him as if he were a fool and explained, “If it isn’t tonight, will we still have a chance to strike at him?”

Li Ximing asked back, “Why wouldn’t we?”

Li Xiqing said helplessly, “Why don’t you use your head? If we just pick any random time, there’s no guarantee he won’t have helpers or elders protecting him. But if it’s tonight, then all the great figures of Heavenly Gate Town must keep the sacrificial formation running. In that case, those important people won’t interfere with what we’re going to do.”

After saying that, he glanced toward the void and went on, “Besides, only tonight will the Heavenly Gate decree be weakened to the greatest extent. If we move against him then, we won’t be constrained by it.”

“How do you know all that?” Li Ximing asked blankly.

Li Xiqing truly could not stand his habit of never thinking, and snapped, “Is your brain full of filth? Why can’t you use it for once? Think about it: since they’ve decided to use the lives of the people of Heavenly Gate Town as sacrifices, and the decree is meant to protect the town’s residents, then when they chose the time, didn’t they have to take the decree into account? Only then could they successfully make use of the lives of the townspeople!”

After being scolded, Li Ximing’s face reddened a little as he muttered, “I just didn’t think of it for a moment!”

Knowing full well that Li Ximing had always been too lazy to think, Li Xiqing did not bother to berate him further. Instead, he instructed him, “Go and do something for me.”

Li Ximing nodded and went out at once.

A cruel, sinister smile spread across Li Xiqing’s face. “Li Xiyu, I refuse to believe you can escape this time.”

On the other side, Li Yu said to Xu Kaijiang, “I need your help. If they want to lure us out, then for now they can only make their move against Shen Tang.”

Xu Kaijiang asked seriously, “What do you want me to do?”

Li Yu said, “I need you to be the bait and let them capture you, so that Shen Tang can be taken out of this. After all, this is between the two of us. We can’t drag her into it.”

Xu Kaijiang did not refuse. He agreed at once.

After the two of them discussed everything in detail and settled every last point, Li Yu went to the quiet chamber where Daoist Lin was in seclusion and said, “Master, I know that nothing I do can be hidden from you. Please rest assured, I will take good care of myself and will not let myself be drawn into danger.”

After speaking, he waited a little. When Daoist Lin still did not reply, he continued, “Master, I also hope that no matter what you intend to do, you will protect yourself. Don’t let me worry.”

Only after saying that final sentence did he leave the watchtower with Xu Kaijiang. After he had gone, Daoist Lin sighed within the quiet chamber and said, “Little Yu, I fear our bond is nearly at an end.”

What Li Yu did not see was that by then, Daoist Lin’s once-dark hair had turned white, yet his life force had never been more vigorous. His bearing too had become like a sword hidden away from view, finally attaining the state of returning to simplicity and concealing all radiance within. He opened the door, and with a shift of form, vanished to nowhere.

Of course, Li Yu knew nothing of this. Ever since Daoist Lin entered seclusion, he had long been preparing for this day, waiting only for it to arrive so that he could adjust his condition to its peak and face everything to come.

From beginning to end, the Daoist had never told anyone what he was planning. It was not that he did not trust Li Yu, but that for Li Yu, knowing too much would hinder his spiritual heart. He placed greater hopes on Li Yu than on anyone else. The path arranged for him was no ordinary one. All the Daoist could do was preserve Li Yu’s spiritual heart as whole and unobstructed as possible, so that he might walk smoothly on the road of cultivation ahead.

When Xu Kaijiang hurried to Shen Tang’s home, Li Ximing had already arrived long before. However, it was not yet the time to make a move against Shen Tang, so he could only hide in the shadows and watch secretly.

When he saw Xu Kaijiang arrive, he was first startled, but soon grew delighted. “All the better. If we can capture Xu Kaijiang, that’s even better. These past few days they’ve all been together, so his relationship with Li Xiyu must be even closer.”

Shen Tang naturally found it odd that Xu Kaijiang had suddenly come by, but Xu Kaijiang brushed it off with a few simple words.

At the moment, Shen Tang’s thoughts were entirely occupied by the matter of her parents soon going to attend that sacrificial assembly. She spent what may well have been their last moments together with them, making final arrangements and saying her last words.

Xu Kaijiang listened from the side, and the more he heard, the worse he felt. He could not help thinking of the letter his mother had left him when she passed away, every word written in blood and tears, every line and sentence filled with her care for him.

In the end, he could not bear to keep watching a scene that felt so much like settling one’s final affairs, and simply withdrew.

Shen Tang’s parents had only just sent their son away two days earlier, and now they themselves were about to go to their deaths, leaving their daughter behind to live in Heavenly Gate Town. It was utterly impossible for them to feel at ease.

Yet circumstances forced them to do exactly that.

Fortunately, on that night, Daoist Lin had promised them that he would arrange Shen Tang’s future properly and that they need not worry.

In truth, Daoist Lin had long understood that the so-called sacrificial formation required a pair of yin and yang offerings. If it was not Shen Tang’s parents, then it would be Shen Xun and Shen Tang.

The night Shen Tang’s father learned of it, he made his decision: he would die in place of his children, send Shen Xun away, and entrust Shen Tang’s future to Daoist Lin.

But no matter how meticulously everything was arranged, they still could not truly bring themselves to feel completely reassured.

Xu Kaijiang had come to see Shen Tang under the pretext of bringing something over. He stayed only briefly before leaving again. To Li Ximing, that was all it looked like.

Then Xu Kaijiang headed toward the river. Seeing this, Li Ximing did not think twice before following after him, smiling to himself in secret. What a heaven-sent opportunity this was.

He did not know that all of it was part of Li Yu and Xu Kaijiang’s plan.

Li Yu’s ability to read people had been forged through years of experience.

Added to that was his understanding of Li Ximing and Li Xiqing. Li Yu knew they dared not make too much of a scene, nor could they let more members of the Li family know. The only people they could use were probably the few from that day.

Given Li Xiqing’s consideration of clan ties, the only person he could ultimately rely on was Li Ximing.

And Li Ximing himself was the sort of man whose brain never turned in the right direction. He would only see the immediate gain before his eyes and overlook how to do things perfectly.

In practical terms, when forced to choose between Xu Kaijiang and Shen Tang, he would choose Xu Kaijiang and abandon Shen Tang.

Of course, these were all judgments Li Yu made based on his assessment of the two of them.

But what if Li Ximing changed his nature, or what if Li Xiqing had really sent someone else? Would that not place Shen Tang in danger?

Li Yu naturally considered this as well. So after he finished handling his own affairs, he went straight to Shen Tang’s house.

Their target from beginning to end had been Li Yu. As long as Li Yu appeared, Shen Tang would be safe.

Though this would disrupt Li Yu’s arrangements somewhat and increase his risk a little, for him, so long as Shen Tang was unharmed, it was worth it.

Fortunately, when Li Yu arrived at Shen Tang’s home and carefully sensed his surroundings, he found no one from the Li family nearby. His heart settled at once. It seemed Xu Kaijiang had successfully led Li Ximing away. Everything was proceeding according to plan.

When Shen Tang saw Li Yu arrive, she did not think much of it at first, but the more she thought about it, the more something felt off. Seizing a moment when Shen’s parents were out, she hurriedly asked, “Little brother, tell me, are you hiding something from me?”

Li Yu’s original plan had been that if something unexpected happened, he could switch the bait from Shen Tang to himself. But now everything was unfolding exactly as he intended. Then the only reason for his presence here was to send Shen’s parents off on their final journey.

Once he actually came to blows with the Li family, he would likely not have time to attend that so-called sacrificial assembly.

What he had not expected was for Shen Tang to be so sensitive. In an instant, Li Yu found himself unable to speak.

Shen Tang kept her eyes fixed on him and continued, “Little brother, what is there that I can’t know? I’ve already had to accept that my parents are about to go to their deaths. What else is there that I cannot bear?”

Yes, what indeed could Shen Tang not accept?

When Li Yu heard those words, he felt a brief moment of dazed emptiness, as though something had struck his heart. It was only then that he deeply realized that, not long from now, Shen Tang too would become an orphan, just like him.

“It’s really nothing. I just wanted to come see you. Sister, don’t worry. From now on, with me here, we’ll surely live well.”

Shen Tang had not expected such a sudden promise from Li Yu, and she could no longer hold back. She threw her arms around him and cried, “Little brother, I’m truly afraid. I’m afraid of how I’ll live alone in the future.”

Li Yu understood that feeling. When his grandmother left him at the beginning, he too had been filled with confusion and helplessness about the future. If not for later meeting his master, who brought him to Heavenly Gate Town, and then encountering Shen Tang’s family, it would likely have taken him much longer to recover.

He comforted her, saying, “Sister, when my grandmother passed away, I was very sad too. But later, Master helped me see her one last time, and I understood that for those who love us, the only true comfort we can give them is to live strongly. Only then can we let them go without worry in their hearts. Otherwise, do you want Uncle Shen and Aunt Shen to leave without peace?”

Li Yu’s words were a little too direct, like a gleaming knife stabbing into Shen Tang’s heart. But he also knew that only in this way could she break free from the grief that bound her. Since the future was already set, those of them who remained alive could only carry their unfinished hopes and keep walking forward with strength.