Chai Lan? Was that Chai Lan?

In the cellar, Xu Qi’an’s eyes flew open, nearly losing control of the rat he was manipulating.

So the missing Chai Lan had been here all along, secretly imprisoned by Chai Xing’er in the ancestral hall’s hidden chamber?

He steadied himself and made the rat speak: “Was it Chai Xing’er who imprisoned you here?”

The disheveled woman nodded.

So Chai Lan’s disappearance truly had nothing to do with Chai Xian. It was all Chai Xing’er’s doing… I understand now, finally piecing it all together… Xu Qi’an let out a sigh. Then, he crawled up to Chai Lan’s side, making his way along her foul-smelling body to her shoulder.

At last, he could see her lovely face beneath the tangled hair, though it was dirty. It matched the portrait exactly – this was indeed Chai Lan. I understand now, I understand everything… Xu Qi’an said:

“Don’t worry about who I am. Someone will come to rescue you soon.”

Chai Lan shook her head, mumbling “mmmph,” as if trying to say something. She didn’t seem to believe the rat’s promise.

“I have no reason to deceive you…” Xu Qi’an added.

Chai Lan gradually stopped making sounds and, after a moment, gave a slight nod.

The rat also nodded, making an “mm” sound. The next second, the fat rodent looked around in panic, not understanding why it was suddenly here.

It glanced at Chai Lan and quickly scurried away.

…

“Amitabha,” Monk Jingxin chanted, sighing with emotion. “Chai Xian, your obsession runs too deep, and your hands are stained with countless killings. Death alone is not enough to atone for your sins. Let this poor monk take you back to the Western Regions to enter monastic life.”

“Wait!” Chai Xing’er stepped forward, rejecting Jingxin’s proposal. “Master, Chai Xian committed patricide and then massacred martial artists in Xiangzhou. He must be handed over to the authorities and judged by the martial world of Xiangzhou. How can you just take him away as you please?”

Monk Jingyuan also stepped forward, exuding his qi.

Chai Xing’er felt a blow to her chest and stumbled backward, falling into Li Lingsu’s arms.

Warrior Monk Jingyuan said coolly, “The affairs of Buddhism are not for laypeople to interfere with. Chai Xian’s crimes are numerous, and it is for Buddhism to deal with him.”

“Outrageous!” Li Lingsu exploded in anger, sneering, “This is Great Qi territory, not the Western Regions. Chai Xian has committed multiple murders, and naturally, the authorities will handle it. Since when does Western Buddhism get to make the decisions here?”

Jingyuan replied coldly, his gaze fixed straight ahead, not looking at Li Lingsu:

“You’re welcome to notify the authorities. This poor monk won’t stop you. Go ask the Xiangzhou Prefect if he dares to snatch someone from Buddhism’s hands. Go ask the martial artists of Xiangzhou if they dare to take someone from this monk’s grasp.”

Li Lingsu’s face darkened, clearly angered by the arrogant attitude of the Buddhist monks.

Chai Xing’er took a deep breath. “Venerable Masters, Chai Xian is a member of the Chai family. He should be dealt with by our family. Please be merciful and hand him over to me… Ah!”

She suddenly let out a scream, her body flying backward as she coughed up blood.

Jingyuan lowered his fist, his expression cold.

Jingxin shook his head and said, “We will leave Xiangzhou at dawn. Until then, we wish to avoid unnecessary conflict. Lady Chai Xing’er, why summon walking corpses and invite trouble?”

As he spoke, he glanced towards the window and said calmly:

“Chai Xian is crucial to us and must be taken away. Lady Chai Xing’er, don’t try to stand in our way. We’ve already notified Master Dunan. He will arrive in Xiangzhou by dawn. Not just the Chai manor, but the entire Xiangzhou, no one would dare to stop us.”

The orange cat beneath the window felt his heart sink.

Vajra Dunan would arrive by dawn?

I absolutely cannot handle a third-rank Vajra, let alone not knowing if he’s bringing any arhats with him. In other words, once dawn breaks, I’ll have no chance of reclaiming the Dragon Qi host.

Even if I brought Senior Brother Sun, we couldn’t deal with Buddhist arhats and vajras.

The opportunity is tonight.

“Tch, Buddhism truly is my greatest enemy in collecting Dragon Qi…” The orange cat’s face was grave.

At this moment, he heard Jingxin laugh and say:

“I’ve heard that the Heavenly Sect practices Supreme Detachment and that throughout history, its holy sons and daughters who travel the jianghu always stop short of going too far. How is it that Young Master Li has become so entangled in matters of the flesh, unable to extricate himself?”

“The Two Miss Dongfangs from the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace, Wen Ren Qianrou from the Leizhoumerchant association, and now Lady Chai Xing’er from the Chai family of Xiangzhou – all are Young Master Li’s romantic entanglements. Is this how you practice Supreme Detachment?”

Hearing Jingxin’s words, Chai Xing’er and Li Lingsu in the hall, as well as the orange cat An beneath the window, couldn’t help but feel shocked.

Li Lingsu’s cover was blown? If Jingxin and the others recognized him, they must have guessed my presence as well… No wonder they said Vajra Dunan would arrive by dawn. Even if they had notified him immediately after capturing Chai Xian tonight, he couldn’t possibly arrive so quickly… So they had already guessed I was in Xiangzhou because of Li Lingsu and notified Vajra Dunan in advance… No, how could they be certain that Li Lingsu was always with me…

Xu Qi’an suddenly became alert, quickly analyzing the situation in his mind.

Li Lingsu’s inner thoughts were similar to Xu Qi’an’s, mostly shock and bewilderment, followed by fear.

Chai Xing’er, however, focused on the “romantic entanglements” and “Heavenly Sect Holy Son” aspects, especially the former. She suddenly pushed Li Lingsu away, breaking free from his embrace. With tears in her beautiful eyes, she angrily said:

“Who are the Dongfang sisters? Who is Wen Ren Qianrou?”

Ah, this… They’re your good sisters! Li Lingsu said in a low voice, “Xing’er, now is not the time to discuss this. I’ll explain everything to you later.”

Chai Xing’er’s tear-filled eyes showed disappointment, heartbreak, anger, and sorrow, like a wife who had caught her husband in the act of adultery. But in the next moment, all these emotions were suppressed.

She took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “What do the two Venerable Masters intend to do?”

The response she received was Jingxin’s “Precept” and a golden silk rope: “Colorless!”

All emotions in Chai Xing’er and Li Lingsu’s hearts vanished, leaving only clarity. Even the flying rope couldn’t trigger their “survival” instinct, and they were instantly bound together.

Warrior Monk Jingyuan slowly walked up to the two, his face expressionless, and said:

“Young Master Li, you colluded with Xu Qian to steal Buddhism’s treasured artifact. This crime cannot be forgiven. By rights, this poor monk should kill you here and now. But you are the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect, and your status is different after all. Vajra Dunan will deal with you.”

Li Lingsu’s eyes darted around, and he immediately begged for mercy:

“Master, Xu Qian and I merely had a chance encounter. We didn’t have much interaction, and we parted ways after leaving Leizhou. I know nothing about Buddhism’s treasure. Oh, right, I heard Xu Qian say he was planning to go north.”

He cleverly distanced himself from Xu Qian and randomly pointed in a direction, trying to mislead the Buddhist monks.

Jingxin said calmly, “No need for further words. Young Master Li, you’d better think about how to face Master Dunan tomorrow.”

As he finished speaking, he heard Jingyuan transmit a message: “He left. Should we pursue?”

Jingxin shook his head slightly and transmitted back:

“That wasn’t his true form. Pursuing would be meaningless. We’ve captured Li Lingsu and controlled the Dragon Qi host. We hinted that Vajra Dunan would arrive in Xiangzhou at dawn. All this was to draw him out.”

Jingyuan transmitted gravely: “This might scare him away.”

Jingxin nodded and said:

“But the probability of him making a desperate move is higher. For us, if the Buddha’s Son is scared away, we can find another opportunity to capture him. But for him, once Chai Xian is sent back to the Western Regions, he will completely lose this crucial Dragon Qi. Moreover, I deliberately didn’t specify what punishment Li Lingsu would face, which also put pressure on him. The Buddha’s Son values relationships. As long as there’s a glimmer of hope, he will try his best to rescue them.”

Jingyuan turned his head towards the door and said, “Everyone, come in.”

The warrior monks and chan masters guarding outside entered the hall.

Without needing verbal communication, they seemed to know what to do. The chan masters sat cross-legged on the ground, forming a large circle that surrounded Li Lingsu, Chai Xing’er, and Chai Xian.

Jingxin joined the circle, smiling: “When listening to sutras, one should sit cross-legged.”

After saying this, he closed his eyes and began chanting scriptures.

The group of chan masters chanted along with him.

Chai Xing’er frowned slightly. At first, she only found the monks’ chanting annoying. But soon, she began to be drawn in, feeling an urge to listen to the Buddhist teachings.

She became alert and forcefully dispelled this imposed “understanding.”

“These are the scriptures used by Buddhist chan masters to convert people. Those who hear these sutras will gradually come to identify with Buddhist ideals and join Buddhism without hesitation.”

Li Lingsu explained in a low voice: “Hold onto your true self, constantly emphasize your identity, recall our happy experiences together – these can effectively resist the scriptures.”

As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Chai Xian. This executioner with blood-stained hands wore a look of contempt, merely frowning slightly.

Li Lingsu withdrew his gaze and said, “The deeper one’s obsession, the harder it is to convert them. Xing’er, do you love me?”

Chai Xing’er turned her head away in anger, her tone cold: “No!”

…

In the cellar.

Xu Qi’an lit a candle in the low-oxygen environment. He stared at the candlelight, his pupils gradually dilating as his thoughts wandered.

“I must reclaim the Dragon Qi before dawn, or there will be no more chances. Now even Li Lingsu has been captured by them. Alas, Holy Son, I’ve implicated you…”

“No, it’s you, you scoundrel, who’s being punished by heaven. I’m the one implicated by you. This is quite troublesome. If I make a move tonight, I’ll be facing two peak fourth-rank experts and a group of formidable monks.”

“How did Jingxin and Jingyuan know Li Lingsu’s identity? And when did they find out? If they’ve known for a long time, then perhaps Vajra Dunan has already secretly entered Xiangzhou, just waiting for me to walk into their trap. I need to consider this possibility.”

“This part is easy to handle. I’ll have Hengyin disguise himself as me to test the waters first. If Vajra Dunan hasn’t arrived, I only need to deal with Jingxin and Jingyuan…”

In the dim candlelight, Xu Qi’an’s expression alternated between dark and uncertain. After a long while, he seemed to have made a decision.

He took out a fragment of the Earth Book and retrieved a palm-sized Pagoda of Six Realms from the mirror. The pagoda flashed with golden light, and Xu Qi’an entered it.

Xu Qi’an went straight to the third floor, where he first saw Mu Nanzhi and the little fox happily playing together. The reincarnated Flower Goddess held a silver ingot, tossing it left and right.

The little white fox would leap high to catch the ingot in its mouth, then return it to Mu Nanzhi’s hand.

The human and fox were having a great time.

“Oh, Constable Xu is back,” the little white fox immediately ignored the silver ingot, wagging its tail as it bounded over. It raised its small head, its black button-like eyes shining with hope:

“Can we go out now?”

“We can leave after tonight. Alright, go to your aunt now,” Xu Qi’an gently kicked it towards the Princess Consort.

Mu Nanzhi quickly reached out to catch it. The little white fox complained pitifully, “He’s bullying me.”

So delicate. If it were Lingyinwould have asked to be kicked again… Xu Qi’an nodded slightly to the pagoda spirit old monk, then walked without pause to Shenshu’s severed arm. He shook the ankle bell he had prepared.

Ding ding ding…

In the clear sound of the bell, Shenshu’s consciousness awakened, filled with malice and madness.

It feels like summoning a pet dog… Xu Qi’an inwardly complained, then said, “I’ll help you break the first seal, and you’ll remove the demon-sealing nails from my Baihui acupoint and dantian for me.”

Shenshu let out a “heh” and said in a condescending tone:

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll go back on my word?”

Xu Qi’an replied calmly, “For me, you’re just one option. You can go back on your word, and I can return the Pagoda of Six Realms to Buddhism. Weigh your choices carefully.”

Shenshu snarled viciously, “You dare threaten me? You?”

“Cut the crap. Either cooperate with me or be sent back to Buddhism. You choose. The current situation is your only chance in 500 years. Weigh the pros and cons yourself. No matter how formidable you were before, you’re just a prisoner now. Stop putting on airs for me.”

The pressure from the Chai manor had worn away Xu Qi’an’s patience. He wasn’t in the mood to humor Shenshu’s severed arm and confronted it directly.

Shenshu sneered:

“You’ve run into trouble outside, haven’t you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t come to negotiate with me. First, break the Supervisor’s seal. I need to break free partially to have enough power to remove the demon-sealing nails.”

“But let me clarify in advance, the nine demon-sealing nails are interconnected. Pulling one affects them all. Heh, the process will be extremely painful. I hope my accumulated power is enough to remove two of them.”

Could it be more painful than when the nails were inserted? Xu Qi’an nodded, “Alright!”

He had meant what he said earlier. If Shenshu went back on his word and didn’t remove the demon-sealing nails for him, Xu Qi’an would find a way to return the Pagoda of Six Realms to Buddhism, ensuring Shenshu would never get out.

This wasn’t just revenge against the severed arm, but also because the arm was inherently evil. If he broke the Supervisor’s seal, it would emerge in a few decades. In that case, Xu Qi’an’s choice was to make sure it never came out.

If Shenshu’s other severed limbs were equally evil, I wouldn’t be able to keep my promise to the Monster Princess… This thought flashed through Xu Qi’an’s mind as he lightly tapped the Earth Book fragment. A small sword, neither iron nor stone, fell out of the mirror.

He infused the sword with his limited qi and manipulated it to slash at the iron chains.

Amidst the “cling cling” sounds, the sword light danced, and the nine chains broke.

“Comfortable, so comfortable!” Shenshu laughed maniacally, shaking the Pagoda of Six Realms violently. Mu Nanzhi immediately crouched down, hugging the little white fox.

After a while, Shenshu said, “Take off your clothes and come here! My power has partially recovered. I can try to remove the demon-sealing nails.”

Xu Qi’an took off his robe and clothes, baring his upper body as he walked close to the severed arm. He was stopped by an invisible, pale golden barrier.

“Ah…” Mu Nanzhi let out a soft gasp, staring at Xu Qi’an’s well-defined upper body muscles and the dark golden nails embedded in his spine, heart, chest, dantian, and other areas.

The flesh around the nails couldn’t heal but was desperately trying to, seeming to have become one with the nails.

Although Mu Nanzhi had seen the nail in Xu Qi’an’s heart before, she hadn’t seen the others. This was her first time seeing them all.

The little white fox raised its head and saw Mu Nanzhi’s reddened eyes. “Auntie, why are you crying?”

Mu Nanzhi denied it: “It’s because you’re shedding too much. Your fur got in my eyes.”

“I don’t shed that much. You’re crying,” the little white fox argued.

Then Mu Nanzhi gave it a few smacks on the head, and it conceded, weakly saying, “Yes, I was shedding…”

Shenshu’s left arm bulged with veins, its muscles swelling, showing a state of exertion.

Xu Qi’an could feel the terrifying power awakening from this arm and quickly concentrated on the index finger.

The index finger suddenly rose, pointing at Xu Qi’an’s lower abdomen. A dark golden beam of light shot out but was blocked by the pale golden barrier.

“Venerable…”

Xu Qi’an turned his head, looking distantly at the pagoda spirit old monk.

The old monk said nothing, just pressed his palms together. But in the next moment, the dark golden beam broke through the barrier, “shining” on Xu Qi’an’s dantian.

Then, he heard a buzzing chant coming from the void, omnipresent and dense, in a language he couldn’t understand.

Xu Qi’an looked down and saw the nail sealing his qi sea glowing with a dazzling light, slowly extracting itself from his flesh.

As the demon-sealing nail was being pulled out, the other nails on his body resonated at this moment. The wound at his heart cracked open, the wound at his middle dantian split… it seemed as if all eight nails were about to be pulled out together.

In just an instant, Xu Qi’an was covered in blood, sweat, and blood mixing as they flowed down his body. His face was contorted with pain.

He gritted his teeth, biting his lip, enduring the inhuman torture.

Ding!

Finally, the nail in his dantian fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

The remaining eight nails quieted down again.

The moment the nail was pulled from his body, a terrifying surge of qi, like a bursting dam, violently gushed out, causing the Pagoda of Six Realms to shake once more.

“So you’re a third-rank warrior.”

Shenshu let out a “hmph”: “Such powerful qi, your foundation is quite solid.”

His voice sounded exhausted as if he had expended a great deal of energy.

Huff huff huff… Xu Qi’an collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. The residual pain was still torturing him, but the powerful vitality of a third-rank warrior had already begun to repair his injuries.

The flesh writhed, leaving not even a scar.

“Master, actually, a year and a half ago, I was still at the peak of Qi Refinement,” Xu Qi’an said between breaths.

Shenshu snorted dismissively.

They rested for a while. After half an hour, the blood vessels in Shenshu’s arm bulged again, the muscles swelling as he gathered power.

This time, it took twice as long to gather power as before.

As Shenshu had said, removing the demon-sealing nails would consume his power.

The grotesque arm raised its index finger, shooting out a dark golden beam of light, this time aiming at Xu Qi’an’s brow.

The latter emotionally sensed the abnormality in his brain as the nail inside loosened slightly, then began to slowly “rise,” about to drill out of his head.

The remaining seven demon-sealing nails resonated with each other, once again tearing open the wounds…

Boom!

Xu Qi’an felt as if his soul had shattered into countless pieces, all his thoughts scattering with it, his consciousness plunging into boundless darkness.

This time, he didn’t even feel the pain.

After a long while, the “soul fragments” reassembled, and he regained consciousness. His face twitched uncontrollably, his body convulsing.

After some time, he finally recovered and sarcastically commented, feeling exhausted, “Pain might be late, but it never fails to show up.”

Two nails lay on the ground. Xu Qi’an first collected them, then closed his eyes to concentrate, sensing the changes in his body.

“The dantian seal is broken, and I can mobilize my qi now. Although the upper dantian and several acupoints along the Ren and Du meridians are still sealed, causing obstruction when Qi passes through these points, at least I’ve regained part of my strength.”

“My primordial spirit is completely unsealed, and my prized ‘scene capture’ ability has been restored. With this, if Vajra Dunan is nearby, I can immediately sense the danger.”

“Hmm, I still can’t use my physical blood energy, otherwise I wouldn’t need qi at all. One punch would be enough to pulverize a fourth-rank expert.”

Xu Qi’an opened his eyes, exhaled, and smiled, “It was a pleasure working with you.”

Shenshu didn’t respond. His power was exhausted, and while Xu Qi’an was unconscious, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

…

Xu Qi’an summoned the puppet Hengyin on the second floor and disguised him to look like “Xu Qian.” The two left the Pagoda of Six Realms and appeared in the cellar.

They moved through the night and soon arrived at the inner hall, which was brightly lit with candles. Outside, only two warrior monks stood guard.

Xu Qi’an glanced at Hengyin, who gave a military salute: “Yes, sir.”

This interaction with the corpse fully satisfied the needs of the corpse gu. In the future, with more puppets, Xu Qi’an could even manipulate them to perform crosstalk, two-person skits, or stand-up comedy.

Wearing a blue robe, Hengyin strode forward confidently, emerging from the darkness towards the inner hall.

“Who goes there!” shouted the warrior monk on the left.

Just as he was about to step forward to stop the intruder, the light from the eaves lantern illuminated the newcomer’s face, revealing it to be Xu Qian, who had appeared in Leizhou before.

With a “thud,” the two warrior monks fell stiffly to the ground, their limbs paralyzed.

Then, Hengyin kicked open the door of the inner hall. He saw the chan masters sitting in a circle, chanting scriptures, and six warrior monks guarding both sides. He saw Li Lingsu and the other two bound. He saw Jingxin and Jingyuan looking excited.

“You came!” Jingyuan laughed.