At dusk, as the sun was setting in the west, members of the Houtu Gang emerged one by one from the tunnel, thirteen in total. Adding the members of the Tiandi Society, there were sixteen people in all.
“We’re finally out!”
“It feels like a lifetime has passed. I almost thought we’d die in there… What a pity, we didn’t salvage much.”
The tomb raiders were excited. Some sat on the ground, exhausted, relishing the joy of surviving a close call. Others were counting the meager treasures they had brought out from the tomb, lamenting the low cost-effectiveness of this operation.
The members of the Tiandi Society were in low spirits, their faces devoid of smiles.
Hengyuan gently placed Lina on the ground, staring blankly at the tunnel entrance. He murmured, “This poor monk is not even as brave as a woman.”
He sat silently for a few seconds, then clasped his hands together and burst into sorrowful tears. The depth of his grief was no less than when Henghui, whom he had raised, had died.
Hengyuan might carry this trauma for a long time. When he reaches a high rank in the future, this could be his greatest weakness in terms of mental state… Chu Yuanzhen opened his mouth, wanting to comfort him, but couldn’t find the words.
He too needed some time to calm down and process his grief.
Hengyuan had received great kindness from Xu Qi’an multiple times, yet at this critical moment of life and death, he had “cowardly” escaped. The impact of this on Hengyuan was unimaginable.
Although Chu Yuanzhen had not personally received Xu Qi’an’s kindness, he regarded him as a close friend. Xu Qi’an’s apparent death in the underground tomb filled his heart with immense sorrow.
It shouldn’t be like this, it shouldn’t… He’s a person with great fortune, he shouldn’t have fallen here… Daoist Jinlian unusually showed a dejected expression, in stark contrast to his usual image of a lofty expert.
Though he thought this way, he also knew that so-called people of great fortune were not truly immortal, especially when encountering high-rank situations.
Does the loss of such a fortunate person here indicate that I too am destined to perish… Daoist Jinlian felt lost and melancholic.
“Daoist Master!”
At this moment, the sickly leader of the Houtu Gang approached. He looked even more haggard, with sunken eye sockets and a weak constitution. His cloudy eyes sparkled with light:
“Please, Daoist Master, tell us our benefactor’s full name. Although the Houtu Gang are grave-robbing thieves, the lowest of the low in the martial world, we still understand gratitude and the importance of repaying kindness.
“Our benefactor has passed away, and we can never repay him in this lifetime. We only wish to erect a longevity stele for him. From now on, all members of the Houtu Gang will surely pay tribute to him daily, never forgetting his kindness.”
Qian You, with tears in his eyes, wiped them and cried, “Please, Daoist Master, tell us our benefactor’s name.”
“Please, Daoist Master, reveal our benefactor’s name,” the Houtu Gang members said excitedly.
“Xu Qi’an. His name is Xu Qi’an, a silver gong from the Night Watchmen Office in the capital,” Daoist Jinlian sighed and then told them how to write the name.
Xu Qi’an… The Houtu Gang members silently committed this name to memory.
Just then, Daoist Jinlian, Hengyuan, and Chu Yuanzhen suddenly froze. They had detected extremely faint footsteps coming from the tunnel entrance.
There was a silence of a few seconds, then Hengyuan grabbed Lina and threw her towards the Houtu Gang members, growling in a low voice: “Go, quickly!”
Daoist Jinlian and Chu Yuanzhen retreated from a distance, forming a triangular formation with Hengyuan, facing the tunnel entrance.
The old Daoist said in a deep voice: “Leave quickly, go as far as you can. The monster from the tomb… has come out.”
Hengyuan showed no fear. Instead, he revealed a relieved expression and spoke in an incredibly relaxed tone: “Amitabha, this time, this poor monk will not leave again.”
I haven’t even participated in the struggle between Heaven and Man yet… Chu Yuanzhen muttered, his hand reaching behind his back to grip the sword that had never been unsheathed.
The Houtu Gang members’ faces changed dramatically, frightened out of their wits. They fled, stumbling and crawling.
For a moment, no one bothered about the unconscious Lina.
These sons of bitches… The sickly gang leader cursed inwardly, fighting his intense fear to turn back and attempt to carry Lina away.
He grabbed Lina’s hands, bending down to hoist her onto his shoulder while raising his head to look at the tunnel entrance. He prayed that the terrifying corpse wouldn’t emerge at this moment, and then… he saw a shiny bald head.
This large bald head was bowed, slowly walking out, with a disheveled girl in a hemp robe on its back. The contrast between the two was striking, making one can’t help but think:
Why not share some hair with him?
The sickly gang leader was stunned, maintaining his bent posture, still holding Lina’s wrist, staring blankly at the man and woman who had emerged.
The three people facing the tunnel entrance were equally dumbfounded.
The scene fell into a dead silence for a moment.
Chu Yuanzhen murmured, “Is it him?”
His “fortune” has become even more profound. Has the Director’s spell to conceal heavenly secrets failed? How… how did he escape from the mummy’s hands… Various thoughts flashed through Daoist Jinlian’s mind, but his expression remained rather blank as he said:
“It should be him.”
At this moment, Xu Qi’an raised a smiling face: “Everyone’s out, that’s great.”
As he spoke, he adjusted his hold on Zhong Li’s buttocks, bouncing her up a bit.
The tunnel was too narrow to provide space for a princess to carry, so he had to switch to a piggyback.
“Lord Xu…”
Bathed in the evening sunlight, Hengyuan felt that the world was so beautiful, that good deeds were rewarded, and that Buddha’s teachings were boundless.
He tried hard to control his emotions, his slightly trembling hands clasped together, his eyes red-rimmed, lowering his head to chant Buddha’s name.
“Benefactor, benefactor… So you didn’t die, that’s wonderful.” Qian You, who had been running away, saw Xu Qi’an emerge safe and sound.
He was instantly overjoyed, greased his feet again, and ran back frantically.
This man, although cautious and afraid of death, still had a decent nature.
“Our benefactor has great fortune and a long life. This is wonderful, truly wonderful.” The members of the Houtu Gang returned, their faces full of joy.
Xu Qi’an felt a bit embarrassed by their praise, thinking to himself that if it weren’t for the stimulation of fortune and Monk Shenshu waking up, he might have run away at that time…
When the Imperial Jade Seal turned into white sand and the fortune poured into his body, Xu Qi’an sensed something awakening within him – it was Monk Shenshu’s severed hand. The previously dormant hand made Xu Qi’an acutely aware of its existence for the first time.
With this reassurance, he dared to stay behind. Otherwise, he could only have prayed to run faster than his teammates.
After all, when encountering a “bear,” your competition isn’t the bear, but your teammates.
…
Outside the city, in a valley far from the southern mountain range, by a stream, Xu Qi’an took the water handed to him by Qian You.
He filled it from the stream… I wonder if drinking this will cause diarrhea, it’s full of bacteria… Xu Qi’an thought as he gulped it down in one go.
Exploring the ancient tomb had taken an entire day, and the final battle with the boss had drained his energy immensely. He urgently needed to replenish fluids.
Lina was thrown to the side, sleeping soundly. Zhong Li sat alone by the stream, tending to her injuries.
The mystic system wasn’t adept at combat, and their physical constitution couldn’t compare to the warrior system, which focused on perfecting the body. Fortunately, every mystic was a skilled doctor, capable of saving lives.
Zhong Li could handle this minor injury herself, allowing Xu Qi’an to boast nearby uninterrupted.
“At that time, I didn’t think about anything else. I just wanted everyone to leave quickly, and I would face all the dangers…” Xu Qi’an said, spittle flying.
His words moved the Houtu Gang members deeply. Reflecting on their cowardly escape, they felt utterly ashamed.
Privately, Xu Qi’an told Daoist Jinlian and the others, explaining through voice transmission: “The Director left a backup plan in my body. As for what it is, I can’t say.”
The Director left a backup plan in his body… As I expected, Xu Qi’an is an important piece in the Director’s game. Now it seems this piece is extraordinarily important.
Daoist Jinlian nodded in sudden understanding and relief.
No wonder, no wonder Miss Zhong Li from the Astronomical Bureau is following him… Chu Yuanzhen glanced at Zhong Li’s thin silhouette in the distance, a look of realization crossing his face.
Moreover, he associated more details, such as why the Director had specifically appointed him as a representative to compete with the Buddhist sect in the dharma debate. And why Daoist Jinlian valued and favored Xu Qi’an so much.
There was also the detail he had shown while leading the way in the maze earlier. Everything indicated that Xu Qi’an was far from ordinary, hiding unimaginable secrets behind him.
Interesting.
Hengyuan’s thoughts were relatively pure. In his view, Xu Qi’an was a good person, and since Xu Qi’an hadn’t died, the world was still beautiful for now.
“It’s a pity I didn’t get the chance to cultivate the Vajra Indestructible Body. Reaching the third rank is still far off,” Hengyuan lamented inwardly.
After finishing his boasting, Xu Qi’an’s gaze shifted to the wild mystic among the Houtu Gang – an old man with graying hair, about fifty years old, wearing a dirty long robe.
“How should I address you, senior?” Xu Qi’an asked.
“I don’t dare to claim the title of ‘senior.’ My surname is Gongyang, given name Shu,” the old wild mystic waved his hand.
“Senior, how did you discover this tomb?” Xu Qi’an asked.
According to Qian You, this grand tomb under the southern mountain was discovered by Gongyang Shu, the vice leader of the gang who was proficient in feng shui.
This was very strange. The tomb had been buried there for thousands, no, tens of thousands of years. Why was it suddenly excavated at this particular time?
“I didn’t discover that tomb. It was my teacher who found it. The mystics of our lineage have almost lost the possibility of advancement. Most stop at the fifth rank. As for the reason…” Gongyang Shu shook his head and said, “It’s a secret within our system, not convenient to disclose.”
Isn’t it just because you need to rely on the imperial court? I’ve known that for a long time… Xu Qi’an secretly pouted but didn’t interrupt him, continuing to listen.
“People need to eat, right? There are only a few ways to make a living. The most profitable business, hehe, is none other than profiting from the dead. Since childhood, I’ve traveled the Nine Provinces with my teacher, our footsteps covering all the mountains and rivers under heaven. Whenever we encountered a place with good feng shui, we would record it, looking for opportunities to excavate in the future.
“If there’s a tomb, we make a fortune. If there’s no tomb, we introduce it to wealthy households. This tomb was discovered by my teacher when he was young, so he recorded it. However, my teacher wasn’t keen on grave robbing, saying it violated the harmony of heaven and would eventually lead to divine punishment.
“Who would have thought that the old man’s words would come true? If it weren’t for our benefactor’s help this time, I’m afraid I would have been eternally buried underground.”
I can’t judge whether what you’re saying is true or false. As a mystic, my fortune-viewing technique is useless for you… The catalyst for this event was Number Five, not me. Very few people know that I’m a member of the Tiandi Society, and they would need to satisfy one condition, which is knowing Number Five’s whereabouts. This rules out the possibility of human arrangement… Sigh, I’m almost developing Director-induced stress disorder.
Xu Qi’an inwardly sighed.
Then, thinking of the mysterious mystic he encountered in Yunzhou, he couldn’t help but curse inwardly: Mystics are all old foxes.
Well, high-rank mystics, that is.
Women like Chu Caiwei, who aren’t very smart, have chosen the wrong system. The same goes for Zhong Li.
However, saying this about Zhong Li was a bit disrespectful. Although she was unlucky, pitiful, and lacked initiative, her intelligence was a level above Caiwei’s.
Gathering his thoughts, Xu Qi’an feigned curiosity and asked, “Senior Gongyang, who is the founding ancestor of your lineage of mystics?”
Gongyang Shu stared at him steadily and shook his head, “I don’t know.”
That’s a lie, the facial expressions are too obvious… Xu Qi’an pretended to be confused and asked, “Isn’t it the first Director?”
Gongyang Shu’s expression remained unchanged as he said, “The origin of mystics is indeed the first Director. As for who the founding ancestor of my lineage is, this old man doesn’t know.”
“It should be one of the factions that split from the Astronomical Bureau 500 years ago, right?” Xu Qi’an said in a casual tone.
Gongyang Shu’s expression changed dramatically.
He opened his mouth, his Adam’s apple bobbing, “Young Master Xu, may we speak privately?”
I’ve lost my hard drive, how can I get a step? Xu Qi’an joked inwardly but smiled and stood up, walking downstream along the small stream.
Gongyang Shu followed silently.
Walking on the pebbles for over a hundred meters, Xu Qi’an finally stopped. This distance ensured that their conversation wouldn’t be “overheard” by Daoist Jinlian and the others.
We may be friends, but I can’t reveal the secrets of the mystic system to you unless you pay for it.
The footsteps behind him stopped. Gongyang Shu stared intently at Xu Qi’an, his expression serious, and probed, “Young Master Xu, what else do you know?”
“I also know that the reason Emperor Wuzong succeeded in usurping the throne was because he allied with the Buddhist sect, which helped him kill the first Director,” Xu Qi’an turned around, his gaze burning as he looked at him.
“…You even know this. Who exactly are you? You have a prophet by your side and can escape from an ancient tomb’s evil corpse.”
“Who I am is not for you to know. I only ask you, what role did the current Director play back then?” Xu Qi’an got straight to the point, asking about the doubt that had been bothering him for a long time.
“Heh, isn’t this obvious? Without the cooperation of a high-ranking mystic, how could the Buddhist sect have killed a first-rank mystic so easily?” Gongyang Shu sneered.
His eyes and expression carried contempt and disdain. Xu Qi’an knew it wasn’t directed at the Buddhist sect but at the current Director.
I guessed right, the Director did betray his master back then, which is why he has his current position… Xu Qi’an sighed, feeling very uncomfortable.
He didn’t have a moral obsession, but he instinctively felt disgusted and couldn’t accept such an act of killing one’s master.
“So, are all the mystics now scattered in the jianghu those who split off after the death of the first Director?” Xu Qi’an asked calmly, not showing any change in expression.
“There were six branches of mystics that split from the Astronomical Bureau back then, corresponding to the six disciples of the first Director. The founding ancestor of my lineage was the fourth disciple of the first Director, a fourth-rank formation master.”
Xu Qi’an hurriedly asked, “Do you still have contact with the other five mystic sects? How are they now?”
Gongyang Shu shook his head, “We’ve all gone our separate ways. What contact could there be? Besides, why should we contact each other? Form a secret organization to oppose the Astronomical Bureau?”
He laughed bitterly, “The mystic system needs to rely on the dynasty, especially at higher ranks. This is why our six mystic sects have declined.”
This doesn’t add up. The high-ranking mystic I met in Yunzhou wasn’t from the Astronomical Bureau, yet the six sects can’t advance to high ranks… There’s a logical problem here.
Xu Qi’an said in a deep voice, “I once encountered a high-ranking mystic in Yunzhou, at least a Fate Reader. He wasn’t from the Astronomical Bureau.”
Gongyang Shu was stunned, furrowing his brow, “This shouldn’t be possible.”
Xu Qi’an pondered, “Is it possible that he allied himself with some power, just as the Astronomical Bureau relies on Great Feng?”
Gongyang Shu thought for a moment, “If that’s the case, both the Buddhist sect and the Shaman Religion are possibilities. As for the southern barbarians and northern barbarians, heh, you might not know, but they can’t condense fortune.”
No, I know. Chancellor Zhao Shou told me…
Only the Buddhist sect and the Shaman Religion? Then the mystic who helped me thwart the Shaman Religion’s plot must have had ill intentions towards me because I suspect the mystics behind the tax silver case are these people. Of course, this guess needs verification… But regardless of whether he has good or ill intentions towards me, he’s not on the same side as the Shaman Religion.
So, only the Buddhist sect is left?!
I knew those bald donkeys from the West were no good… Be rigorous, be rigorous, it’s still a hypothesis, there’s no evidence… Well, but that doesn’t stop me from dissing the bald donkeys. Xu Qi’an took a deep breath, clearly and profoundly realizing the undercurrents surging between the major powers of the Nine Provinces.
“I have one last question to ask Senior Gongyang,” Xu Qi’an said.
“You saved my life. As long as it’s something this old man knows, I’ll tell you everything without holding back,” Gongyang Shu nodded.
“Do you know that the Director has blocked all information about the first Director?”
Gongyang Shu snorted, “As expected. Even ancient emperors knew to modify history books.”
Xu Qi’an’s tone was confused, “But the problem is, there are quite a few people who know about the existence of the first Director, like you and me.”
Gongyang Shu pondered briefly, his gaze turning to the rushing stream, and said carefully, “What does Young Master Xu think it means to block heavenly secrets?”
“Erasing everything related to someone, or blocking the special qualities of someone?”
Xu Qi’an gave his answer based on his understanding of the “404 technique.”
Gongyang Shu turned his gaze back to Xu Qi’an, “Then, what does it mean to erase everything related?”
Without waiting for Xu Qi’an to answer, he lowered his head, drew a line on the ground with his toe, and pointed to the mark, saying:
“It’s simple to erase this mark. No one would know I drew a line here. But what if this line was magnified countless times, becoming a gully, or even a canyon?
“Furthermore, what if this canyon ran across the capital?”
Xu Qi’an realized, “I understand. The first Director is like this canyon. Even if the heavenly secrets about him are blocked, because his influence was so great, so prominent, the traces left behind can’t possibly be erased.”
Gongyang Shu nodded and continued:
“Moreover, if the people closest to Young Master Xu, like your parents, had all traces of their existence erased, would Young Master Xu think you sprang from a rock? Would others think Young Master Xu sprang from a rock?
“The spell to block heavenly secrets must also follow the rules of heaven and earth, the supreme principles. If it’s someone very close, they’ll leave a vague concept in people’s minds, but the specific details can’t be remembered.”
So that’s how it is. No wonder Wei Yuan said he always forgot about the existence of the first Director, only remembering there was a first Director when recalling information about the Astronomical Bureau, from the historical discontinuity!
Xu Qi’an said pointedly, “You know quite a lot.”
Gongyang Shu laughed with a clear conscience, “It’s not that I know a lot, it’s that my lineage only knows this much. Since we’ve talked to this point, I’ll tell you some more secrets of the mystic system.
“The first and second ranks of mystics are very mysterious. Even my ancestor didn’t know the names of these two ranks or the corresponding techniques.”
Xu Qi’an nodded slowly, “Thank you for the reminder.”
Ending the conversation, Xu Qi’an slowly approached Zhong Li by the stream. She was cleaning her wound and continuously applying a brown ointment to her swollen, congested leg.
When the swelling had slightly subsided, she took out two prepared wooden sticks and tore off a strip of cloth, preparing to set her bones.
Xu Qi’an suddenly shouted behind her.
Startled, Zhong Li dropped one of the sticks, which floated away with the stream.
Xu Qi’an stood with his hands on his hips, looking smug.
“You…”
Zhong Li was a bit angry, gritting her teeth and muttering, “I won’t come back to find you next time.”
“Alright, alright, what’s there to regret about a broken stick? When we get back to the capital, I’ll get you a silver stick instead.”
Xu Qi’an pulled her up, carried the unlucky Fifth Junior Sister on his back, and called out, “Daoist Master, it’s time to return to the capital.”
In a moment, flying swords and paper cranes rode the wind, soaring into the sky and disappearing from view.
With his back to the setting sun, Xu Qi’an supported Zhong Li’s buttocks with both hands and sang loudly.
The Houtu Gang members looked up, watching the experts leave, their hearts and spirits stirred.
From afar came the sound of singing: “The light of righteousness shines on the big buttocks…”
…
In the afterglow of the setting sun, the members of the Houtu Gang arrived at the city gate of Xiangcheng, with just a quarter of an hour left before the gates closed.
“Hurry up, hurry up, quickly find an inn to rest. Any later and it’ll be a curfew,” the sickly gang leader urged his members to quicken their pace.
Looking back, he found that Qian You hadn’t kept up, but had stopped by the notice wall at the city gate, staring blankly at the official notice posted there.
“Qian You, Qian You… What the hell are you dazed about? Is there a woman on the wall that you can’t move your feet?” the sickly gang leader roared in annoyance.
Qian You turned his head, his expression too complex to describe in words, and stammered, “Boss, boss, you, you come here for a moment…”
The sickly gang leader angrily went over, cursing, “If there isn’t a woman on that wall, I’ll strip you naked and paste you up there myself.”
While cursing, he followed Qian You’s hand to look at the notice on the wall.
Then, both of them froze by the wall.
“Boss, what’s wrong with you two?”
Seeing this, the other members walked over, thinking to themselves that there must be a beautiful woman on the wall for these two to act like this.
Looking closely, they saw that the wall had an official notice posted:
In the year of Xinhai, on the 18th day of the third month, the Buddhist delegation arrived in the capital, wishing to compete in the use of dharma with the Astronomical Bureau. Xu Qi’an, the silver gong from the Night Watchmen’s Office, went into battle, breaking the formation, destroying the golden body, and debating Buddhist dharma… He overwhelmed the Buddhist sect, upholding the national prestige of Great Feng.
Qian You stammered, “I, I remember our benefactor’s name, it’s Xu Qi’an?!”
“Gulp!” A member of the Houtu Gang swallowed.
“Gulp…”
The sound of swallowing saliva continued.
Representing the Astronomical Bureau in the dharma competition, overwhelming the Buddhist sect… Gongyang Shu’s pupils contracted violently. He had sensed that the young man surnamed Xu was no ordinary person.
But he hadn’t expected him to be such a figure.
The sickly gang leader murmured, “I was wrong, so wrong…
“I naively thought he was the lowest-ranking warrior, but it turns out, it turns out he’s the real big shot. Breaking formations, destroying golden bodies, debating Buddhist dharma… Truly a divine person.”