The severed hand with deep red skin lay quietly on the bed, its surface marked by bulging dark blue veins.
Xu Qi An felt as if he had just finished watching a horror movie in the living room. Frightened, he returned to his bedroom to sleep, only to open the door and find Chu Renmei standing by the bed, staring at him with ghostly white eyes.
Fear exploded in his heart, every nerve urging him: Run away, run away quickly…
At that moment, Xu Qi An saw the index finger of the severed hand twitch slightly, tapping the bed.
In the next instant, the air seemed to thicken. Xu Qi An felt like an old ox stuck in a quagmire, his strong physique useless as he struggled to move a single step.
The five fingers of the severed hand wiggled, and then it began to crawl down from the bed using its fingers as legs, creeping across the floor towards Xu Qi An.
This scene was far too terrifying, like witnessing a moment from a horror film. Xu Qi An’s body was frozen in place, his eyes rolling desperately as he watched it crawl to his feet and start climbing up his trouser leg…
It wants to parasitize me, just like it did to Monk Henghui… Why? Why has it targeted me? I’m just an ordinary Bronze Gong… As these terrified thoughts flashed through Xu Qi An’s mind, the severed hand climbed to his chest and kept moving upward. Then, its thumb and index finger pried open Xu Qi An’s mouth.
Xu Qi An couldn’t resist. His eyes widened instantly, his expression filled with terror.
Next, his oral cavity was forcibly stretched open as the severed hand violently invaded, its fingers and palm pushing inch by inch deep into his throat.
The corners of Xu Qi An’s mouth split, blood streaming down. How could a human mouth possibly fit an entire hand? Let alone the throat. But the severed hand seemed determined to do just that.
Soon, the hand entered his throat. Xu Qi An’s neck visibly bulged and stretched, clearly outlining the shape of fingers.
This process was swift, as the severed hand showed no regard for Xu Qi An’s tolerance. Like an alien, it brutally and simply passed through his mouth and throat.
The instant the hand entered his body, Xu Qi An let out an agonized wail. His consciousness seemed to shatter into countless fragments. In the haze, after an unknown time, he saw a temple. Instead of a Buddha statue, a young monk sat cross-legged on a prayer mat.
Xu Qi An strained to see the monk’s face clearly, but it seemed shrouded in mist, impossible to discern.
Why am I here… Am I dead? Have I entered the Western Paradise? Impossible, Buddha would slam the door on someone like me who doesn’t worship him, then kick me out of paradise… Xu Qi An thought self-mockingly. Then he heard the young monk’s gentle voice:
“This humble monk wishes to borrow the benefactor’s body to nurture my severed arm. I hope the benefactor will be accommodating.”
…So he is the demonic severed hand? Xu Qi An wondered uncertainly, probing, “What if I’m not accommodating?”
The young monk sat quietly, ignoring him.
…Xu Qi An asked in a deep voice, “Who are you? Why were you sealed in Sangbo?”
“This humble monk’s Dharma name is Shenshu.” The young monk paused here, his tone becoming hesitant:
“Why was I in Sangbo… I can’t remember clearly… Why was I sealed there… Where did I come from?”
“I am Shenshu, but why was I in Sangbo? Where did I come from?”
He started calmly, but gradually, with each self-questioning, his emotions began to spiral out of control. His peaceful and serene demeanor vanished. The entire space began to shake, and an indescribable, terrifying aura emanated from the monk’s body.
It was an aura akin to hell, making Xu Qi An’s hair stand on end and his heart race violently.
This familiar aura… At this moment, Xu Qi An finally confirmed that the young monk was indeed the severed hand.
“This humble monk was overly attached…” The young monk regained his composure, reining in the fear-inducing aura. He spoke gently:
“My primordial spirit is incomplete, so I cannot recall past events. I only know my Dharma name, but I can’t remember where I’m from or what happened before.”
As he said this, the young monk’s tone conveyed helplessness and pain, as if he desperately wanted to know what had happened in the past, but to no avail.
An incomplete primordial spirit? Is it because of having only a severed arm? Yes, if the body is incomplete, the primordial spirit would be incomplete too. That makes sense… Monk, you’re in quite a pitiful state… Xu Qi An probed:
“Master, I might know some information. I’m not sure if it will be useful to you.”
The young monk’s aura immediately fluctuated slightly. Within the mist, those eyes seemed to be staring intently at Xu Qi An.
“The formation that sealed you was jointly created by the Da Feng royal family, the Bureau of Astronomy, and the Western Buddhist sect. Since you’re a Buddhist, you’re likely from the Western Regions,” Xu Qi An said.
As he spoke, he began to form his connections: The owner of the severed hand was a monk, and the three forces that sealed him were the Da Feng royal family, the Western Buddhist sect, and the Bureau of Astronomy… Based on the information from Qinglong Temple, the Buddhist sect placed more importance on the sealed object beneath Sangbo… Wait!!
Xu Qi An’s eyes suddenly lit up as he recalled several details from the Sangbo case: Three days after the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple was destroyed, Wei Yuan told him that Emperor Yuanjing had initiated the city lockdown.
The day after the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple was destroyed, the Supervisor, that old codger, feigned illness and remained uninvolved throughout.
Abbot Panshu of Qinglong Temple immediately headed west after confirming the emergence of the severed hand.
From these details, one could deduce that the Buddhist sect was the main force behind the Sangbo seal. The sealed young monk was very likely from the Western Buddhist sect.
No wonder Emperor Yuanjing opened the city lockdown. No wonder the Supervisor pretended to be ill… They thought it better to stay out of trouble since it wasn’t their problem.
Xu Qi An belatedly understood the thoughts of the Supervisor and Emperor Yuanjing. Then, he recalled another detail: Wei Yuan had repeatedly emphasized that he should ignore the sealed object and focus only on investigating the traitors within the court.
Wei Yuan most likely knew the identity of the severed hand too, or at least knew it originated from the Buddhist sect.
No wonder the high-ranking officials in the capital didn’t care much about the sealed object and focused their energy on rooting out the traitors… They’re all such sly foxes.
Fortunately, I’m clever and quick-witted. I was able to unravel the mystery layer by layer through the small flag officer’s silencing case and the details of Zhou Baihu’s qi-concealing technique, tracing it back to Qinglong Temple.
At this point, the young monk sighed lightly: “This poor monk would like to ask a favor of the benefactor.”
“Master, I’m just a Qi Practitioner realm martial artist,” Xu Qi An tried to refuse politely. Wei Yuan had said that the sealed object was at least at the level of a Second-Grade expert, possibly even First-Grade.
He, a small fry, really didn’t have the confidence to get involved in a struggle at this level. Moreover, Xu Qi An hadn’t forgotten the original intention of Daoist Jin Lian in establishing the Tiandihuior Heaven and Earth Society: to defeat the Second-Grade Daoist leader of the Earth Sect.
The difficulty was only slightly less than making me ascend the throne as emperor. If I get entangled in the Buddhist sect’s grudges because of you, I might as well usurp the throne myself… Xu Qi An thought.
The young monk ignored him and continued: “Help this poor monk trace the past and recover my memories…”
“During this process, this monk will provide the benefactor with some assistance.”
Provide some assistance? Xu Qi An thought of the four Golden Gongs wrapped in bandages, and his heart stirred. If he had a sealed object by his side, it would be like having an extra trump card.
In this world dominated by imperial and divine authority, he could better establish himself. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about his family being exterminated. If anyone dared to harm a hair on his family’s head, he’d blow their brains out.
Moreover, after Zhou Chixiong was captured, he was promoted and got a raise, and his power increased.
However, before agreeing to the monk’s request, there were two things he needed to clarify.
“Master, do you need to frequently consume blood essence?” Xu Qi An asked, trying to use peaceful wording.
“As long as I’m inside your body, there’s no need for external blood essence supplements. Of course, if you want to use my power, you’ll need to nourish me with vitality blood afterward, preferably from a cultivator.”
So, as long as you stay in my body, everything will be fine. But if I want you to work, I’ll have to feed you… Xu Qi An nodded. This equivalent exchange aligned with his principles.
“Why did you choose me?” Xu Qi An asked.
“Someone brought me to you,” the young monk said. “Because we are of the same kind.”
Xu Qi An hurriedly asked, “What do you mean by ‘the same kind’, Master? Please enlighten this junior.”
The young monk said, “I instinctively feel so, but I can’t remember more than that.”
Can’t remember more… Xu Qi An’s mouth twitched, and he asked again, “Who brought you here, Senior?”
The young monk manifested an image. In it, a figure dressed in black with a hood solemnly opened a brocade pouch and placed the severed hand inside.
Judging from the figure’s shape—full breasts and round, perky buttocks—it was a woman.
The brocade pouch was embroidered with a white animal, fox-like in shape, beautiful and lively, with a fan-like white tail spread behind it.
A fox with a fan-like tail… A nine-tailed celestial fox? Hmm, according to the testimony of that gray fox from the Ministry of Rites, it was the remnants of the Myriad Demon Realm who were involved in the Sangbo case… And the fallen empress of the Myriad Demon Realm was the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox… Hiss, the people of the Myriad Demon Realm brought the severed hand to me.
Why?
They’ve noticed me… Xu Qi An grew deeply worried.
…
Xu Qi An opened his eyes to find himself lying on the cold ground. Faint moonlight provided a sliver of illumination to the quiet room.
He went to the table, lit an oil lamp, and carried it to the bronze mirror. The mirror reflected his masculine face, with dried blood at the corners of his mouth. He gently wiped it away, finding no wounds remained.
The unreasonable monkey’s paw of Monk Shenshu had left no lasting injuries.
The water clock showed the time as the first quarter of the Yin Hour, or 9:15 PM.
Xu Qi An sat by the bronze mirror, letting his thoughts wander as he pondered what to do next.
The immediate problem was how to handle the severed hand. Should he report this to Lord Wei?
“Wei Yuan does appreciate me, that’s true, but I’m not his son after all. There’s a limit to his appreciation. And this matter involves the sealed object from Sangbo…
“If he could remove the severed hand for me, that would be fine. But if he can’t, would he protect me, or seal me in Sangbo along with it?
“And I’m just a Qi Practitioner Bronze Gong. I can’t possibly survive for 500 years without food or water.
“The Supervisor could remove the severed hand for me, right? He is a First-Grade Ritualist after all. The problem is, I’m not close to him… Xu Qi An, oh Xu Qi An, you’ve fallen again, indulging in Nainai’s warm embrace. Have you forgotten that Chu Caiwei is waiting for you to win her over? Become the Bureau of Astronomy’s son-in-law soon, and the Supervisor will be on your side.
“The old Supervisor knows about my strange luck. I can’t trust him completely, because he must be plotting something in secret…”
Additionally, there was a distant problem:
The Myriad Demon Realm went to great lengths to release the sealed object. They couldn’t possibly be doing all this just for his benefit.
Secretly bringing the severed hand to him must have a purpose. Even a fool could figure that out. But was this purpose good or bad for him?
Monk Shenshu said I could nurture his arm and primordial spirit… Is this why the Myriad Demon Realm brought it to me?
Then someday, will they come to take back the severed hand? At that time, whether I live or die, no one can say for sure.
At this moment, he heard Monk Shenshu’s gentle voice resound in his mind:
“Keep it secret!”
…Xu Qi An’s expression froze.