Buddha attacking the Central Plains at this time?!
Upon hearing Shen Shu’s message, Xu Qi An couldn’t suppress his confusion and unease.
If the Insect God had gone north to devour the Central Plains, Buddha’s opportunistic move would have been understandable. At that point, he and Shen Shu would have had to split their forces, and though a single half-step Martial God could contend with a Beyond-Rank being, they definitely couldn’t defeat one.
But now, with the Insect God heading south to the sea and the Shamanic God still sealed, no one was coordinating with Buddha—why attack the Central Plains?
“I’m facing off against It at the border, but we haven’t engaged yet.”
Shen Shu’s second message came through.
“Understood. Notify me immediately if Buddha strikes.”
After responding to Shen Shu, he transmitted a message to the Earth Book chat group:
[Three: Shen Shu just informed me that Buddha is facing him at the border, ready to engage at any moment.]
The news hit like a stone causing a thousand ripples!
Seeing this message, the Heaven and Earth Society members’ brows twitched.
Then, like Xu Qi An, surprise and confusion welled up—Buddha choosing to attack the Central Plains at this time?
[Four: Something’s wrong. Both Buddha and the Insect God’s behavior is strange.]
The Insect God’s abnormal behavior remained unexplained, and now Buddha’s mysterious invasion of the Central Plains put tremendous psychological pressure on the Heaven and Earth Society members.
When facing a Beyond-Rank being, you’re in danger if you can’t figure out their intentions.
[One: Have the Insect God and Buddha allied?]
At this point, Huai Qing analyzed her experience with court struggles, putting forward a bold conjecture.
Everyone was shocked. Setting aside the Insect God and Buddha’s status, just looking at their actions—the Insect God immediately going to sea after awakening, followed by Buddha attacking the Central Plains—what did this indicate?
Buddha was helping the Insect God contain Great Feng.
Without Buddha’s move, Xu Qi An would already be at sea.
What did the Insect God want to do at sea… this question once again rose in everyone’s minds.
[Nine: Regardless of what the Insect God plans, Buddha is now the urgent crisis. Let’s focus on stopping Buddha first. This poor Daoist is already heading to Lei Province.]
Indeed, Buddha was the blade at their throat—stopping Buddha was more important than anything.
[One: I’m counting on everyone. Ning Yan, have the insect tribe chiefs help too. Without the Shamanic Church’s interference, they should be able to make a difference.]
Xu Qi An replied with a simple “yes” and immediately informed the insect tribe chiefs about Buddha’s movements. Just as he was about to lead the chiefs to Lei Province, Huai Qing’s message arrived:
[One: What do you think you should be doing right now?]
Of course, it’s resisting Buddha, what else could it be… Xu Qi An’s heart stirred, and he probed:
[Three: What does Your Majesty mean?]
[One: Shen Shu and Buddha are only facing off at the border, they haven’t engaged yet. Moreover, We have already evacuated the civilians from Lei and Chu’s twenty-four counties to the Central Plains heartland. Even if fighting breaks out, Shen Shu can retreat while fighting.]
As soon as this message ended, the next one immediately followed:
[One: The Insect God has broken free of its seal. We’re at war now, and the battlefield changes in an instant—there’s no time for you to dawdle.]
There was a pause on the other end as if gathering courage, before transmitting:
[One: What you need to do now is condense fortune and prepare to advance to Martial God. You can’t wait until the opportunity to advance appears before belatedly condensing fortune—the Beyond-Rank beings might not give you that chance.]
This message, dense with meaning, repeated only two words when read between the lines—dual cultivation!
*Your Majesty has such confidence in this minister, perhaps this minister only needs half an incense stick’s time…* Xu Qi An silently self-deprecated before replying concisely:
[Three: I’m returning to the capital now.]
He immediately picked up the conch to tell Shen Shu to delay and retreat while fighting.
Then he had the insect tribe chiefs head to Lei Province first. The Insect Grandmother, not being skilled in combat, chose to stay in the market town to lead the tribe members north to safety.
After giving all instructions, he raised his wrist, making the large eyeball glow, and vanished in teleportation.
In the distant palace, in the Imperial Study.
Huai Qing’s jade hands trembled as she dropped the Earth Book, her cheeks burning. Taking a deep breath, she looked toward a palace maid at her side and commanded:
“We shall bathe.”
As she spoke, she could hear her own wildly beating heart.
…
Chu Province, Three Yellow County.
On the narrow, potholed dirt road littered with human and dog excrement, Li Miao Zhen walked through the dilapidated slums carrying a flying sword on her back and bags of silver pieces in her hands.
She routinely tossed silver into the dwellings on both sides, continuing to the next house amid the thanks of the raggedly dressed poor.
For the Flying Swallow Heroine, there were many ways to practice chivalry: eliminating evil, teaching people to fish, and helping those who couldn’t survive to live on.
What she was doing now was the third type.
Teaching people to fish was the government’s job—individual power was too small, and she couldn’t teach every freezing and starving poor person how to make a living.
Soon, she came to a broken-down courtyard at the end of the alley. Pushing open the rotting wooden door, she saw a gaunt youth sitting by the well sharpening a knife. On a small chair beside him sat a girl about ten years old, her face showing a sickly pallor as she occasionally covered her mouth to cough.
“Sister Miao Zhen!”
Seeing Li Miao Zhen arrive, the little girl happily stood up, while the youth didn’t raise his head, just pursed his lips.
Li Miao Zhen patted the little girl’s head, stuffed the silver into her hands, and smiled:
“I have to go.”
The youth’s knife-sharpening hand paused.
“Where are you going, Sister Miao Zhen?” The little girl’s face showed reluctance.
“To do something big.” Li Miao Zhen smiled.
“Will you come back?”
“No.” Li Miao Zhen shook her head and looked at the youth:
“Little punk, be a good person in the future. Stealing as a child leads to robbery as an adult. If you dare make me suffer karmic retribution, this old lady will ride her sword a thousand miles to kill you.”
“Read that manual I gave you when you have time—it’s a martial arts classic written by Officer Xu.”
The youth maintained his rebellious look, saying coldly:
“What I do in the future is none of your business.”
The youth was a habitual offender who lived by theft and occasional robbery. Once he tried to steal from Li Miao Zhen, and the Flying Swallow Heroine, seeing he was still a child, gave him a thorough beating.
Later she learned the youth had a sickly sister who was barely surviving, and he pickpocketed to pay for her treatment.
Li Miao Zhen had cured the little girl’s illness and regularly brought silver, helping these war-orphaned siblings survive.
“Suit yourself.”
Li Miao Zhen didn’t waste words with him. She knew the youth wasn’t bad at heart—his coldness toward her stemmed from adolescent admiration.
But she was used to it. After years of wandering the jianghu, which young hero didn’t admire the Flying Swallow Heroine?
Li Miao Zhen waved and flew away on her sword.
The youth suddenly stood up and took two steps in pursuit before lowering his head, his expression dimming.
“There’s a paper…”
The little girl opened the silver bag and found a small note along with the silver pieces, but she couldn’t read.
The youth snatched the note from the girl’s hand and opened it:
“Just do good deeds, don’t ask about the future.”
He silently clenched his fist.
…
Capital City, Azure Dragon Temple.
Heng Yuan, who was leading the temple’s Chan masters in assisting the Deliverance Arhat in writing scriptures, received a report from a temple disciple.
“Abbot Heng Yuan, news from the palace says there’s trouble in Lei Province,” the young monk in blue robes announced loudly.
Heng Yuan and Deliverance exchanged glances, both their eyes full of gravity.
Heng Yuan spoke to the monks looking out from the meditation room:
“That’s all for today.”
Two golden lights rose from the Azure Dragon Temple, disappearing to the west.
…
Capital City.
In the Imperial Bedchamber, Xu Qi An’s figure appeared. He looked around—the luxuriously decorated outer hall was empty, no palace maids or eunuchs in sight.
Even the imperial guards stationed outside the bedchamber had been withdrawn.
Treading on the soft carpet embroidered with clouds and flying cranes, he passed through the outer hall to the small hall, which was equally empty.
Xu Qi An continued without stopping. Past the small hall, yellow silk curtains hung low ahead—beyond the curtains lay the Empress’s boudoir.
He lifted the curtains and entered.
The room was extremely spacious. To the east was a small study with a large zitan wood desk, and tall bookshelves on either side.
To the west was a soft couch with two pheasant-tail fans, also called ceremonial fans, standing on either side.
There were also shelves displaying various antiques and jade objects.
Directly opposite the entrance was a six-panel screen, behind which was the dragon bed.
Xu Qi An stopped before the screen and said softly:
“Your Majesty!”
“Mm…” Huai Qing’s voice came from within.
Xu Qi An immediately walked around the screen to see the large, magnificent dragon bed with its dragon-embroidered quilts and pillows, and Huai Qing sitting on the bed’s edge in her royal court robes.
The sovereign’s regular attire was naturally male clothing, yet she had applied powder and rouge, drawn her eyebrows, and painted her small mouth with bright red lipstick.
Combined with her demeanor that balanced cold dignity with imperial authority.
Beyond stunning, still stunning.
Seeing Xu Qi An enter, Huai Qing sat with her legs together at the bed’s edge, keeping her gaze straight ahead and her small waist straight, maintaining imperial dignity.