A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 529 Hostage of the Sect
As Li Ku spoke, he grabbed a handful of black chess pieces and scattered them on the chessboard. With a clatter, the chessboard was already in disarray. He said, "In this way, who can see that I have lost?"

Lu Yinlin smiled faintly and said, "Old fool, aren't you just cheating?"

Li Ku said, "You can cheat at chess. But you can't cheat at forming an alliance!"

Upon hearing this, Lü Yinlin simply sat there with his eyelids drooping, without saying a word.

Li Ku continued, "If you're not going to renege, you need some kind of bargaining chip and gesture. Don't you think so?"

Lu Yinlin raised his head, looked at Li Ku, and asked, "What do you have to say?"

Li Ku said, "Did you see the boy who came with me?"

Lu Yinlin nodded slightly and said, "He looks quite well-behaved."

Li Ku said, "His name is Li Ruojian, and he is the second son of Li Yunjing, the sect leader of Tianyan Sect."

"Oh." Lü Yinlin's eyebrows twitched slightly.

The Tianyan Sect is different from the Taiyi Sect. All the sect leaders of the Tianyan Sect have been descendants of the Li family, and the Li family lineage is very prosperous, with hundreds of people still living in the world.

With such a flourishing bloodline, to prevent internal strife, there must naturally be a strict system of succession.

The position of sect leader is determined by the eldest son and the legitimate heir.

The current sect leader of Tianyan Sect, Li Yunjing, has two legitimate sons: the eldest son, Li Ruozhou, and the second son, Li Ruojian.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, a hundred years from now, Li Yunjing's eldest son, Li Ruozhou, will inherit the position of sect leader. Therefore, Li Ruozhou is also known as the young sect leader within the Tianyan Sect.

However, if there are any unforeseen circumstances, such as Li Ruozhou's sudden death, then according to the succession system, the second son, Li Ruojian, will inherit the position of sect leader.

Therefore, Li Ruojian's identity is also special within the Tianyan Sect.

Li Ku said, "He will stay with you from now on. I hope Brother Lü will take good care of him."

Lu Yinlin glanced at Li Ruojian, who was standing in front of the cliff with a "keep away" expression, and said indifferently, "Since she is your direct descendant, I will take care of her."

Lu Yinlin naturally understood that Li Ku had placed Li Ruojian with him as a hostage for the alliance between the two sects.

This is what he meant by "signature" and "bargaining chips"!
When Li Ruojian was mentioned, Li Ku's expression seemed somewhat solemn.

Over the years, he hadn't seen these little ones much. This time, he brought Li Ruojian all the way from Youzhou, and on the way, he discovered that Li Ruojian was not only quite well-behaved, but also very talented. In addition, she was his blood relative, so he couldn't help but feel a pang of reluctance.

Once you become a proton, you become a bargaining chip in this world's upheavals. If the situation changes, your fate is uncertain.

Li Ku picked up the bamboo tube, took a sip of water, and said, "Li Yunjing will be setting off soon with his team for alliance negotiations."

"Hmm." Lü Yinlin nodded. Over the years, Taiyi Sect and Tianyan Sect have actually had many entanglements of interests. It's easy to agree to form an alliance, but to actually put it into writing is probably a painstaking and troublesome matter. However, that's Chu Qiushan and the Elder Council's business.

“There’s one more thing,” Li Ku said, looking at Lü Yinlin.

"What's the matter?"

Li Ku said, "Li Yunjing's eldest son, Li Ruozhou, will be coming with the negotiation team. I think that if we become in-laws, the alliance will be even stronger!"

Lu Yinlin chuckled and said, "Old man, you've got a good plan!"

Li Ku said, "I've entrusted the sect's second eldest son to you. What, you think you're losing out by marrying a girl like you?"

Lu Yinlin wore a faint smile, neither confirming nor denying.

He knew that Li Ku had placed a hostage in the Taiyi Sect, and the Taiyi Sect needed to reciprocate in kind. Alliances are transactions, and all transactions involve give and take; only through fairness and reason can peace be maintained.

Li Ku's intention was clearly to have Li Ruozhou marry Lü Qingzhu, using the marriage as a way to endorse the alliance between the two families.

From the perspective of forming an alliance, Li Ku's suggestion is excellent. It's just that... Lü Yinlin is a little reluctant to part with Lü Qingzhu.

He was by nature indifferent to human feelings, and now that he was over a thousand years old, he no longer cared much about matters of bloodline. However, when Lü Qingzhu was three years old, she came to the deep valley to pay her respects to him for the first time.

He then realized that this little girl looked exactly like his youngest daughter who had passed away a thousand years ago, as if she had been reborn.

From that time on, he took great care of Lü Qingzhu.

From the moment Lü Qingzhu began her cultivation, Lü Yinlin personally guided her, sparing no effort and even going so far as to infuse her with his divine soul to help her cultivate the Fetal Treasury Scripture.

Lu Yinlin was really reluctant to marry her off to a distant place through a political marriage formed by sect alliances, especially since it was said that Li Ruozhou, the young sect leader of Tianyan Sect, had a very bad reputation among the common people.

Seemingly noticing the hesitation on Lü Yinlin's face, Li Ku said, "Keep Li Ruojian by your side. That girl will marry into my Tianyan Sect. Brother Lü, you wouldn't disagree, would you?"

Lü Yinlin did not immediately utter a word.

Li Ku gave him a strange look and said, "Could it be that the young sect master of my Tianyan Sect has insulted your girl?!"

Lu Yinlin took a sip of water and said, "Of course not..."

"That's good!" Li Ku said, "That kid Li Ruozhou will come with the negotiation team. We've chosen the auspicious days for their engagement and wedding. There will be a grand wedding procession with lanterns and decorations to bring the girl to our Tianyan Sect."

"Moreover, I will hold a grand wedding for the two of them, and invite the elders and leaders of the eight sects of the Nine Provinces to attend the ceremony and banquet."

"Lu Yinlin, you should be able to understand the deeper meaning behind their marriage!"

Lu Yinlin glanced at Li Ku, his expression grave.

Li Ku said, "Their marriage is a union between our two families and a reflection of the alliance between our two sects! On the wedding day, people from all eight sects were witnesses!"

"The grander the wedding, the stronger the alliance between our two sects. This is not only a signal to the eight sects of Kyushu, but also a signal to the Divine Will Sect. It will make the people of the Divine Will Sect more cautious when preparing for an attack."

Lü Yinlin already had these considerations in mind, but his feelings for Lü Qingzhu made it difficult for him to make a decision. However, under Li Ku's relentless and persuasive presentation, the scales in his heart finally tipped completely.

Lu Yinlin gave a wry smile and said, "Brother Li has a far-sighted view! This matter will be handled as Brother Li suggests!"

Seeing that Lü Yinlin had finally spoken, Li Ku smiled with relief and said, "That's more like it! Li Ruozhou and your girl are happily married; they're a perfect match. It's a good thing for them, a good thing for you and me, a good thing for the Taiyi Sect, a good thing for the Tianyan Sect, and a good thing for the world's situation. It's a great achievement! It's so obvious, why were you being so indecisive just now?"

Lu Yinlin said, "I've heard that Li Ruozhou doesn't have a good reputation. Go back and tell him that if my Qingzhu suffers any injustice at his hands, I will personally go to the Tianyan Sect and chop him in half!"

Lu Yinlin's last few words were uttered with the force of thunder.

Upon hearing this, Li Ku looked somewhat embarrassed and said, "Young people are bound to have moments of indiscretion. I will personally supervise him from now on. Don't worry, I will definitely not let that girl suffer!"

When Lü Yinlin heard Li Ku say this, his expression softened slightly.

Although he cherished Lü Qingzhu, how could he let personal feelings interfere with matters of great importance to the sect?

Seeing that the two had almost finished their discussion, Li Ku suddenly turned his head and waved to Li Ruojian, who was standing in front of the cliff.

The two played chess and talked under the ancient pine tree. Li Ruojian stood in front of the cliff, motionless, for nearly two hours.

At this moment, he saw Li Ku beckoning to him and was about to go over when he stumbled and realized that his legs were already a little stiff.

Li Ruojian circulated his vital energy, and the blood and qi in his legs, which had been stiff from standing for a long time, immediately returned to normal. He straightened his back and walked to the ancient pine tree.

Li Ku looked at him and said, "Ruojian, this is the patriarch of the Taiyi Sect, Senior Lü." Li Ruojian clasped his hands and nodded, saying, "Junior Li Ruojian greets Senior Lü!"

Lu Yinlin looked Li Ruojian up and down and nodded, saying, "Not bad, she's a good prospect!"

Li Ku said, "From now on, you will cultivate under Senior Lü's guidance. I hope you will cultivate diligently and not disgrace the reputation of my Tianyan Sect."

"Yes, Ancestor!" Li Ruojian clasped her hands and nodded, saying, "Ruojian will follow your teachings!"

Li Ku felt somewhat displeased. He turned his face away, looked at Lü Yinlin, and said, "Lü Yinlin, everything is settled! I'm leaving!"

After Li Ku finished speaking, he suddenly took off!

Li Ruojian's eyes widened in surprise, then she knelt down with a thud before Li Ku, who had flown into the void, and kowtowed, shouting, "Ruojian respectfully sees off the Ancestor!"

Lu Yinlin watched Li Ku's figure suddenly ascend into the air, shook his head and smiled bitterly, "That old bastard, he just left like that!"

The array within this deep valley had no restrictions extending outwards. Unless Lü Yinlin used magic to cause trouble. However, since everything was settled, he didn't want to embarrass Li Ku any further. So he let Li Ku fly out of the valley.

Li Ku only breathed a sigh of relief after leaping into the clouds high above the deep valley. The talisman array inside the valley by Lü Yinlin was quite exquisite.

Having not seen each other for over a hundred years, he naturally wanted to test Lü Yinlin's abilities upon his arrival.

But he was there to discuss an alliance, so it wouldn't be appropriate for him to fight with Lü Yinlin. Therefore, he went straight into the talisman array in the deep valley.

Upon entering the valley, the mere presence of this rune array forced out his seed syllable. The array's many ingenious features greatly astonished him!
Fortunately, Lü Yinlin did not make things difficult for him when he left the valley!
Li Ku flew into the clouds and disappeared from sight.

Deep in the valley, beneath an ancient pine tree, after a while, Li Ruojian finally raised her head, staring blankly at the empty space in front of the cliff, where Li Ku's shadow was long gone.

Looking at the empty void, he didn't realize that two lines of tears had already flowed down his cheeks.

As a hostage, living alone in the Changliu Mountains, with Li Ku gone, he doesn't know when he will see his relatives from the Tianyan Sect again.

Lu Yinlin looked at him and said, "Li Ruojian, please get up!"

"Yes!" Li Ruojian wiped away her tears and stood up.

Lu Yinlin said, "I will personally guide you in your cultivation from now on. You don't need to worry about resources either; they will be no less than what you had in the Tianyan Sect. Although you are a hostage and are subject to others, as long as you cultivate diligently, if you achieve the Nascent Soul Realm one day, you will be able to roam freely across the Nine Provinces!"

Li Ruojian said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior! But I am of dull talent and I am afraid I do not have the ability."

Li Ruojian knew very well that as a hostage, how could he possibly achieve the Nascent Soul Realm?

No one would sit idly by and watch their own pieces turn against them, and Lü Yinlin would be even less likely to do so.

Lü Yinlin said, "Don't worry about it! You must be tired from your journey, go and rest first."

"Yes!" Li Ruojian clasped her hands in a salute, and at that moment a figure walked over beside her.

Duan Rong walked over to the ancient pine tree, glanced at Li Ruojian beside him, and then clasped his hands in greeting to Lü Yinlin, saying, "Ancestor!"

He was cultivating in his cave when he suddenly heard Lü Yinlin's voice, asking him to come over!
Lu Yinlin said, "His name is Li Ruojian. He will be living in the valley from now on. Take him to choose a cave dwelling. If he lacks anything, please take care of it."

"Yes, Ancestor!" Duan Rong said, then turned to Li Ruojian and said, "Brother Li, come with me!"

Li Ruojian then followed Duan Rong for a few steps and asked, "How should I address you, brother?"

Duan Rong smiled and said, "My name is Duan Rong! Brother Li, are you from the Tianyan Sect?"

Li Ruojian nodded and said, "Yes."

Duan Rong stood there and pointed to a few places for Li Ruojian, saying, "This cave is mine, this one belongs to Lü Qingzhu, and that one belongs to the Ancestor. The rest are all empty; you can choose any one you like."

Li Ruojian stood there, glanced around, and said, "There!"

Duan Rong glanced at the place Li Ruojian pointed to. The cave he had chosen was in a corner of a deep valley, quite secluded, and far away from the rest of them.

Li Ruojian's personality can be seen from her choice of this cave dwelling.

Although he speaks in a gentle and approachable manner, he is actually quite withdrawn at heart.

Duan Rong laughed and said, "That's fine. There's a spring right next to that cave, so it's convenient to get water. We usually get our water from the spring."

Duan Rong seemed to be praising Li Ruojian's choice, but he was actually reminding him that although the place seemed remote, they often went there to fetch water.

"Ah!" Upon hearing this, a hint of panic flashed across Li Ruojian's face. "Brother Duan, how about I choose that cave over there?"

Duan Rong glanced at it, smiled slightly, and said, "Of course!"

Li Ruojian chose a cave dwelling that was far from Lü Qingzhu and the ancestor, and also far from the spring, but relatively close to him.

After all, their cave dwellings were originally arranged in a triangular formation, and since Li Ruojian wanted to avoid the spring, he had to choose a place to be close to no matter what.

Therefore, he chose Duan Rong.

Duan Rong led Li Ruojian into the cave. The cave had been uninhabited for a long time and was covered in dust.

Duan Rong said, "The valley is simple and unrefined; please forgive any shortcomings, Brother Li."

Li Ruojian said, "This is the secluded residence of your esteemed family's patriarch, so naturally it is free from worldly disturbances. With a little cleaning, it will be a very nice place to live."

Duan Rong said, "Peace of mind is the true home. It's excellent that Brother Li thinks this way!"

When Li Ruojian heard that peace of mind is home, her eyes flickered slightly.

Duan Rong said, "Brother Li, if you need anything, you can make a list for me and I will get it for you."

Li Ruojian clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Duan."

"You're welcome!" Duan Rong said with a smile. "Brother Li, please forgive my intrusion! The Ancestor said that you intend to stay in this valley for a long time. May I ask how long this long stay will be?"

Duan Rong knew that Li Ruojian was a member of the Tianyan Sect, and that he had been brought into the valley by the sect's patriarch, Li Ku. However, he was puzzled as to why Li Ku had left him alone in this deep valley after leaving. Therefore, he subtly inquired about the question that had been on his mind.

Li Ruojian gave a wry smile and said, "Brother Duan, I don't know how long you mean by 'staying long-term'!"

"You don't know either?"

Li Ruojian said, "To be honest, Brother Duan, I am the second son of the sect leader of the Tianyan Sect. I am here as a hostage."

"A hostage!?" Duan Rong looked at Li Ruojian with astonishment.

Li Ruojian said bitterly, "How can meat on a chopping board know when it will be served? It's at the mercy of others."

Li Ruojian knew that Duan Rong looked young, but he was no ordinary person to live in this deep valley and follow the Taiyi Sect's patriarch! Therefore, he wanted to befriend Duan Rong from the first time he met him.

The first principle of making friends is to be sincere with each other. Besides, the fact that he was a hostage is hardly a secret.

(End of this chapter)