Volume 5, Chapter 58 – The Match (Two-in-One)

“Liren-shi?”

In the main hall on the first floor of the Listening-to-Rain Tower in Zhennan, Maozhou, Bai Xiang raised a brow as she stared at the board in front of her. “What an archaic naming style.”

Sitting across from her, Xiang Xian smiled. “There are even more archaic ones… Besides names like Liren-shi and Huangren-shi, among the Illusory Realm refugees we’ve taken in over the years, there are also plenty called things like Youchao-shi and Youyu-shi. It’s extremely common.”

“Mhm.” Bai Xiang nodded. “After all, they were trapped in Illusory Realm planes before this and lived in long-term isolation from the world… Have they been integrating smoothly?”

“No real problems.” Xiang Xian placed another stone on the board. “They may be refugees, but they’ve spent years fighting demon beasts out in the wilderness. They also were never incorporated into the Dao-Void system, so they don’t count as subjects under the Demon Court. Their backgrounds are very clean.”

“Clean…” Bai Xiang glanced at Xiang Xian, said nothing, and placed another stone of her own.

“Your style of play has changed since you came back.” Xiang Xian’s brows knit slightly. After making her move, she continued, “Of course, there are probably hidden dangers buried among them. Secret agents from Pilgrimage Mountain, perhaps, or maybe they simply have ill intentions themselves.”

“But at this point, trouble on that level hardly counts as trouble anymore. Even if you hadn’t returned, we would still have had to take these people in despite knowing the hidden risks.”

Bai Xiang nodded. She knew exactly why Xiang Xian said that.

The reason was simple: population.

Great Xia’s population had previously been far too small. Four hundred million sounded like a lot, but placed in the boundlessly vast New World, it was far too little.

In Zhengyuan Year One, the people of Xia drove Northern Yu into the northern lands. But by Zhengyuan Year Ten, when she herself returned, Northern Yu, a nation not even ten years old, already had a larger population than Great Xia.

That was why Northern Yu, despite appearing weaker, still dared to launch direct attacks on Great Xia. They had Pilgrimage Mountain backing them, and with the Dao-Void Methods as their “orthodoxy,” they could continuously absorb immortal dynasties and tribes returning from the Illusory Realms.

The common people in those immortal dynasties and tribes had never possessed any decision-making power to begin with. Whether they wanted to join Northern Yu did not matter. If their leaders decided it, that was enough.

With this advantage of legal and doctrinal legitimacy, Northern Yu had the confidence to wear Great Xia down. Great Xia, by contrast, intercepted very few returning populations out of the void. If it even pushed away these “wild tribes,” then its population problem would only grow worse.

When weighing two harms, one chose the lesser. Compared with a threat like that, the hidden risks brought by those “wild tribes” were hardly worth mentioning.

“What about bacteria and viruses?” Bai Xiang asked as she placed another stone.

“Qi cultivators don’t fear such things,” Xiang Xian replied at once. “As for ordinary people, matters like that are handled by the universities.”

The universities.

Bai Xiang rolled that simple phrase over in her mind again.

It sounded simple, but in truth, the social and political standing of the universities had reached a historical peak.

When she had been looking things up online before, she had already seen introductions explaining it. Back when Great Xia had just been founded, there had simply been too many problems to deal with. The Bai family had no experience in that area, external enemies were pressing in on all sides, and powerful foes surrounded them. For the sake of efficiency, they had chosen the most convenient method: take several peaks of the Shenming Sword Dao together with the remaining forces of the Nine Prefectures, spread them out, abolish the name of “dojo,” and have them either fully merge into, or directly establish, a university.

Take Yuming Peak, for example. Peaks like Yuming Peak still existed, but most of their teachers and disciples were now in the Xia Capital. They formed the backbone of Xia Capital University, and Bai Xiang’s senior brother Guo Rongzhi was currently serving concurrently as the university’s president.

And then there was Luezhou, mentioned earlier, and the Tao family there. The Hantian Sword Dao had now also been merged into Luezhou University, with Old Master Tao serving as president and no longer personally involving himself in too many affairs.

The advantages of doing this were obvious. A school was naturally a political collective, and relationships between teachers and students were often more stable than ordinary social relationships. At the same time, a school was naturally suited to closed management. Gather the country’s most gifted young people together and manage them that way, use ties between teachers and students to bind them into a network, guide them through the corresponding education and training, and the moment they graduated, they could immediately go work in companies controlled by the school or enter military districts controlled by the school.

Otherwise, why would Bai Xiang previously have said it was a bit like a “big corporation”?

This was the natural embryonic form of superior-subordinate politics. The advantage was that the network built this way was convenient, solid, low-cost, and efficient. But there were drawbacks too. An overly closed environment could easily produce ideological decay.

Over the past two days, Bai Xiang had gradually heard quite a lot of news. Among the people who had been arrested, the ones who had stubbornly insisted on speaking for the Tao family, nearly half had been teachers and professors from these universities.

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Schools really were not suited to taking on too much political character.

Bai Xiang pondered.

The current model, where a university served as the core of a base city and continuously filled the companies and military under its jurisdiction with its own students, needed to change. At the very least, it could not be allowed to form a monopoly.

If this continued, it would become too frightening… Just think about it. Professors could even influence a base city’s talent selection plan. Around a single university swirled dozens or even hundreds of companies. They formed most of the gears that kept society running, and even the smaller gears within them were school graduates.

The amount of authority was simply too great.

In terms of influence, the “core university” of a base city, and its president, would not be any less significant than the local Watchman of the Roads Directorate or the Overseer of the State Chancery.

Bai Xiang did not think this model had been wrong in the past. It had been an inevitability shaped by the times.

Every era had its own questions and its own solutions. You might think one solution was better, but if you dropped it into a certain era and it did not fit, if it failed to adapt, then its results would be worse than a flawed solution that actually worked.

She simply felt that the risks those earlier “changes” had been meant to resolve would be greatly reduced now that she had returned.

Bai Zhuqing would never dare do something like arrest teachers or professors.

The implications were too broad.

Students were the biggest hotheads of all. Ideological influence cut deeper than direct control, and they did not listen to reason. If Bai Zhuqing dared go into schools and arrest people like that, they would dare take to the streets in protest.

But I can.

As one stone came down, Bai Xiang narrowed her eyes slightly.

No matter how overbearing or foolish a student body might be, they probably still could not bring themselves to say something idiotic like she had no right to do it… And on top of that, she had been hearing over the past few days that “old monsters of the Origin Realm” were going to State Chanceries and Roads Directorates across the provinces to offer their allegiance. She would be able to quickly strengthen the various provincial offices and Demon-Suppression Directorates, building them up to balance the universities.

“…”

Xiang Xian lowered her head and stared at the board, her brows drawn tightly together, somewhat speechless.

In the past, little Xiang would take her master’s dignity into account, deliberately hold back, and steer the game into a draw.

But the current board… Bai Xiang’s game was even sharper than her swordsmanship. It charged straight ahead, stabbing here, cutting there. Xiang Xian was completely thrown into disarray, unable to respond, and it was obvious the situation was already on the verge of collapse.

“Speaking of universities, you were actually the first president of Zhennan University.”

Xiang Xian tried to use conversation to break Bai Xiang’s concentration. “That title of first president was originally supposed to go to either me or Old Master Bai. But we both felt we had no right to stand before you, so even though you weren’t there at the time, the title still ended up being given to you.”

“Nowadays, the large dojos out in the countryside have already vanished. Only medium and small dojos like Huanxi Sword Dao remain, filling that gap in society.”

“As for those Origin Realm people who’ve come to join us, are you planning to fold them all into the schools?”

“That would just be nurturing bacteria.” Bai Xiang shook her head. “‘Old monsters of the Origin Realm’ should be assigned to the Demon-Suppression Directorates first.”

“In the future, the universities’ power needs to be gradually pared back. Leave commerce alone for now. Start by severing their military authority.”

Old monsters of the Origin Realm?

Hearing Bai Xiang use the term so casually, Xiang Xian’s expression turned a little strange instead.

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How should she put it?

She herself was in the Origin Realm.

Though she did not mind a teasing label like “old monster,” since it was not really derogatory. She was no longer young, after all, and had long passed the age of caring about such things.

But just look at the person sitting across from her now.

Even counting those ten years, Bai Xiang was only twenty-eight, and her cultivation was already above the Origin Realm.

If Origin Realm people counted as old monsters, then what did that make the person across from her?

An old demon monster?

The label was so absurdly funny that Xiang Xian herself got distracted by it. The next several moves she played were a complete mess, and the game was no longer salvageable.

Oh…

Only then did Bai Xiang realize she had played a little too hard.

In the end, her mindset really had changed.

She was no longer like before, when she had needed to endure and hold back. Her resolve and her killing intent could now be seen plainly even in her game.

“Doesn’t matter.”

Xiang Xian tossed down a stone in resignation.

“It’s not as if I could ever beat you anyway.”

“Yip~”

Her sleeve suddenly twitched, and a fluffy little white fox popped out from inside. Without so much as a greeting, it darted onto the board and squatted there, staring at Bai Xiang.

“This is…”

For a moment, Bai Xiang was dazed.

Today, she happened to be playing Black, while Xiang Xian was playing White.

She had been too immersed in thought. When the little thing jumped up, she actually found herself wondering whether this counted as her master cheating.

“Awoo, awoo~”

The little white fox more or less recognized Bai Xiang. It cried twice, then leaped onto her lap and nuzzled at her stomach.

“This is the one from ten years ago?”

Bai Xiang lifted the little white fox and hugged it in her arms for a careful look. “Why is it still this tiny?”

Pang Tiandao’s memories contained relevant information on the White-Ginseng Spirit Fox clan. Normally speaking, after ten years, it should have grown at least a little larger.

“One of life’s mysteries.” Xiang Xian indicated that she had no idea either. “Maybe she’s special too, just like Zhu Qingluo?”

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“It was originally your gift to Qing’er. Later, when Qing’er went to the Xia Capital, she was afraid I’d be lonely staying here by myself, so she left the little thing with me.”

Bai Xiang nodded and stroked the little white fox’s sleek fur. She did not mind its attempts to bite her fingers as she said, “Then… Zhu Qingluo…”

“She didn’t come back.”

Xiang Xian shook her head and let out a sigh.

“My guess is that she still has some old scores to settle with the Demon Court.”

Then she’ll suffer badly.

Bai Xiang lowered her eyes halfway.

If Zhu Qingluo had been infiltrating and operating there since Zhengyuan Year One, then that was fine. The fact that Bai Xiang had heard no news of her would only mean that she and Li Huiran and the others were safe and sound.

But if, like Bai Xiang herself, they had only managed to leave the Sky Sea near Zhengyuan Year Ten, then the first thing waiting for them after returning to the Demon Court would be Fang Yang, that Saint who appeared merciful, yet was in truth even more cold-blooded, ruthless, and stubborn than Pang Tiandao.

Pang Tiandao could still feel guilt. He could still feel that he had wronged others. That was how the old beggar had split off from him.

But Fang Yang would not.

He was the same inside and out.

His kindness was not even a disguise. He genuinely believed from the bottom of his heart that “this is what’s best for you.”

“Master.”

Only then did Bai Xiang finally move to the real point of today’s visit.

“The ten years I was gone, you’ve worked hard.”

After saying that, she remained in her kneeling posture, set the little white fox aside, and bowed her head to Xiang Xian.

“If outsiders saw that, it wouldn’t look too good. They’d probably accuse me of defying my sovereign…” Xiang Xian said with a laugh she could not quite suppress.

“Some things require leading by example.” Bai Xiang looked up.

“You’re just like your grandfather. Deep down, neither of you really care much for ritual.” Xiang Xian reached out and tapped her. “…But both of you are very good at using ritual to achieve your goals.”

“Just say it. What is it that you want my help with this time?”

“As expected of Master.” Bai Xiang’s tone lightened at once. “Tomorrow, I’ll be giving a lecture within the circuit. About three days after that, I plan to make a trip into the wilderness.”

“The wilderness?” Xiang Xian frowned.

“Yes.” Bai Xiang nodded. “I’ve already met Jing’er and Yong’er.”

“You mean that Wolf Demon King. You’re planning to get rid of that thing for them.”

Xiang Xian sank into thought.

That was indeed a legitimate reason.

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For anyone else, it would be a mad plan. The trip would require going deep into the desert, and they would most likely encounter two armies of voidfiends.

But ever since returning from the northern campaign, the Xia Emperor’s name had become known to everyone. Those demons always kept an eye on movements here. They certainly knew they were no match for Bai Xiang, and would most likely choose to abandon the Wolf Demon King to calm her anger.

There was no problem with safety. At a time like this, no one would have the suicidal courage to invade Zhennan either. There was no need for me on those fronts.

So the reason she’s asking me must be…

“Yes.”

A faint, pleased curve rose at the corner of Bai Xiang’s lips.

“While I’m away, those officials, professors, and presidents who’ve been arriving from all directions…”

“I may have to trouble Master to receive them for me.”

…

Meanwhile, far away in the distant northern lands, two figures suddenly shot out through the gale sweeping across the plateau.

One wore a green gauze dress and cradled a white-furred fox in her arms. The other wore black robes and carried a broad-bladed longsword across his back.

“I can only escort you this far.”

The young man in black spoke stiffly.

“If you insist on going to find him, then you’ll have to walk the rest of the way yourself.”

“You really don’t plan on coming back to the Sacred Court with me?” Zhu Qingluo looked at the young man for a long while. “Once, you were called the youngest Patrol Warden… Li Huiran, surely you haven’t sunk to this little ambition.”

“…Empress Xiang is someone fit to become our Mother.”

After a moment of silence, Li Huiran spat out a statement shocking enough to shake the heavens.

“I once misjudged her path.”

“But she has proven with facts that only this path offers longevity, only this path offers a future.”

“To be honest, I’m hesitating too,” Zhu Qingluo admitted. “I don’t even know where I should go now.”

“I can only offer one piece of advice.” Li Huiran looked at her. “Don’t rush to Pilgrimage Mountain yet.”

“The person you’re looking for most likely isn’t there.”

“We’ll see,” Zhu Qingluo sighed. “If I can’t find him, I’ll come back for you.”

“Take care.”

“You too.”

The two parted ways, and one of the figures vanished in an instant.