As everyone’s blood was boiling with excitement, Xu Qi An suddenly removed the book from his mouth and said, “Everyone, escort the officials away. Do not engage in the battle.”
It was like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads.
Chen Xiao became anxious, “Lord Xu, this humble officer is willing to fight alongside you, even unto death without regret.”
The Imperial Guards growled, “We are willing to fight alongside Lord Xu, even unto death without regret.”
*If you had cannons and ballistic, I wouldn’t mind you providing cover fire. But with just crossbows, how can you contend against these muscle-bound monsters…* Xu Qi An frowned and angrily said:
“This is an order!”
The Imperial Guards were both angry and anxious, not understanding why he would give such a command.
Xu Qi An, his nerves taut as he guarded against sudden attacks from the two Fourth-Rank experts, saw that Chen Xiao still wouldn’t obey. His temper flared, and he snarled:
“If you stay, you’ll only die. If you don’t leave now, I’ll cut you down myself first.”
Chen Xiao understood. Lord Xu insisted on their retreat to protect them, not wanting to see his brothers sacrifice themselves in vain.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he clasped his hands and said, “Lord Xu, please… take care of yourself.”
The Imperial Guards also grasped Xu Qi An’s meaning, their eyes immediately reddening.
“Lord Xu, great kindness needs no thanks. If… if this official can escape this crisis, I will surely repay you in the future.” The Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicature walked to Xu Qi An’s side and bowed deeply.
The two censors bowed, “Lord Xu, please take care.”
The use of “you” was rare for upright officials like the censors.
Captain Chen cupped his hands but didn’t speak, though the gratitude and respect in his eyes were no less than the others. Behind him, several constables also solemnly cupped their hands.
“Get lost.”
Xu Qi An didn’t look at them, putting the book back between his teeth.
The two Fourth-Rank experts, Tang Shan Jun and Zar Muha didn’t stop them, coldly watching as everyone left. Their gazes were locked on Xu Qi An.
“His qi fluctuations aren’t strong; he’s not a Fourth-Rank warrior. But his Vajra Body Technique is extremely proficient.”
Tang Shan Jun twisted his dragon body, observing for a moment before giving his assessment.
“The book in his mouth records Confucian spells. His combat strength hasn’t reached the fourth rank. Heh, the book will run out of pages eventually. Kill him,” Zar Muha, his body covered in black hair, sneered.
Tang Shan Jun’s abdomen swelled, forming a “sphere” that rushed to his throat, suddenly spewing out.
In an instant, a viscous, foul-smelling “rain” blanketed the area, covering dozens of meters around Xu Qi An, making it impossible for him to dodge.
A brilliant golden pill rose, radiating light. The viscous, foul liquid touched its light and was completely repelled, not a drop sticking.
Thump thump thump…
At this moment, Zar Muha seized the opportunity to charge forward. His ten-foot-tall body collided with Xu Qi An, attempting to snatch the book from his mouth.
“Snap!”
Xu Qi An snapped his fingers, igniting the paper between his fingertips and a black hair within the page.
The charging Zar Muha’s body suddenly froze, as if struck on the head by a wooden club, painfully falling to his knees.
Curse-killing technique!
Just as Xu Qi An was about to seize this chance to beat the fallen foe, he heard the wind whistling in his ears as Tang Shan Jun’s dragon head violently crashed towards him.
The world seemed to ring like a great bell. Xu Qi An flew backward, embedding into the mountainside as rocks tumbled down.
The next moment, he burst out unscathed, tearing off several pages and holding them between his fingers, coldly eyeing the two Fourth-Rank experts.
Apart from the spellbook, his strongest attack was the “Heaven and Earth Slash,” but due to his cultivation level, it was impossible to break through a Fourth-Rank expert’s physical defense.
Instead, it would leave him in a weakened state.
Therefore, aside from the Vajra Body Technique’s defense, he didn’t plan to use the “Heaven and Earth Slash,” but rather to use the Confucian spellbook to restrain the enemy.
But as the two Fourth-Rank experts had said, the spellbook would eventually run out.
And Fourth-Rank warriors and demons were notoriously resilient. Xu Qi An didn’t believe he could kill them relying on the spellbook alone. Unless he used the Confucian ultimate skill: Words Become Reality.
But the aftereffects of Words Become Reality were too severe. During the Heaven and Man battle, he nearly lost his soul due to “tenfold spirit enhancement,” and it was Li Miaozhen who helped him recall his soul.
Yang Yan, that uncouth warrior, obviously didn’t possess such a high-end skill as soul-summoning. Calling him to dig graves would be more his speed… Xu Qi An grumbled inwardly.
Therefore, the key to victory in this battle wasn’t whether he could kill the enemy, but when Yang Yan could kill his opponent.
He turned his head to look and found that although the red-skirted woman was at a disadvantage everywhere, she was still holding out against Yang Yan’s spear. No matter how Yang Yan stabbed, she didn’t cry out, still struggling to respond.
*It’s hard for Fourth-Rank warriors to determine victory or defeat quickly. This woman is not only flirtatious but also more resilient than imagined…* Xu Qi An sighed helplessly.
He didn’t show an anxious expression, taking the book from his mouth and holding it in his hand. He waved it a few times and smiled, “The spells in the book are indeed limited, but enough to deal with you two.”
As he spoke, he tore off another page, burned it, and smeared the ashes on the blade of his black gold sword.
In an instant, the black gold sword seemed to come alive, whistling through the air, nimbly coiling and dancing, attacking Tang Shan Jun from different angles.
Seventh-Rank Qi Absorption in Taoism—at this level, Taoists could control magical weapons, their signature skill being flying swords.
A massive body meant advantages in terms of strength, but the corresponding drawbacks were also evident. Apart from shock waves to impact the “flying knife,” Tang Shan Jun lacked other effective methods.
If it were an ordinary weapon, it wouldn’t matter, but this blade was incomparably sharp. When it slashed at the scales, it was incredibly painful.
Whoosh…
Zar Muha lifted a huge boulder and hurled it at Xu Qi An.
Boom boom boom!
Boulder after boulder crashed down. Xu Qi An ran wildly on the mountain, dodging the meteor-like boulders.
Tang Shan Jun, enraged by the pain from the “flying knife,” let his violent nature loose. He kept moving through the mountain forest, chasing Xu Qi An. Trees snapped one after another, and boulders rolled down, inadvertently becoming Zar Muha’s weapons.
“Boom!”
After a boulder blocked the path, Tang Shan Jun cornered Xu Qi An. His massive dragon head looked down from above, emitting an ear-splitting sound wave:
“Got you.”
His hundred-foot body contracted dramatically, turning into a twenty-foot-long, arm-thick body, coiling around Xu Qi An.
Taking advantage of his opponent’s restrained limbs, Tang Shan Jun opened his mouth to bite Xu Qi An’s face, intending to snatch or destroy the book.
He bit empty air. Xu Qi An’s figure abruptly disappeared, reappearing a hundred meters away, raising his hand and gently blowing away the ashes in his palm.
A Ritualist’s teleportation array.
“You have abilities from every system?” Tang Shan Jun roared.
The cooked duck had flown away just like that, nearly making him unable to suppress his fury, wanting to go on a rampage.
Too difficult to deal with.
The spells contained in the book in this constable’s hand, their abundance and breadth, far exceeded Tang Shan Jun and Zar Muha’s imagination.
Such a book was more precious than most magical artifacts.
Who was he to possess such a treasure?
Because Xu Qi An was a warrior, they didn’t think of him as a student of the Confucian Academy, speculating that he must have another true identity.
Suddenly, the red-skirted woman fighting in the distance let out a shrill cry, then abandoned Yang Yan and fled northward.
This was the signal to retreat.
Tang Shan Jun and Zar Muha looked at Xu Qi An reluctantly, then retreated along with the red-skirted woman.
*Phew, they’re finally gone…* Xu Qi An felt relieved, exhaling deeply.
If it had continued like this, the “spellbook” given to him by Academy Chancellor Zhao Shou would have been completely depleted. Even so, he had used a quarter of it, making him feel so heartbroken he could hardly breathe.
“Warriors are indeed tough to deal with. Unless there’s a huge difference in rank, it’s impossible to determine victory or defeat in a short time… Hmm, if I were Fourth Rank, I might become an eccentric warrior, always striking just one blow—either you die, or I die…”
Thinking this, he turned his head to look at Yang Yan and called out, “Boss, proceed as planned. You go find the envoy team, I’ll go rescue the princess consort.”
Yang Yan nodded, hesitated for a moment, then replied, “Can you manage?”
Xu Qi An grinned and said, “I haven’t even used the Confucian Words Become Reality spell yet. That was just a warm-up. Don’t worry, boss, don’t concern yourself with me.
“At my current level, if I want to leave, a Fourth-Rank warrior can’t stop me.”
His Vajra Body Technique’s defense even surpassed that of ordinary Fourth-Rank warriors.
After parting ways with Yang Yan, Xu Qi An communicated with Monk Shen Shu in his mind, “Master, remember not to destroy the primordial spirit when killing.”
Monk Shen Shu’s gentle voice echoed in his mind: “This poor monk understands.”
Since deciding to counterattack the northern demon race last night, Xu Qi An had been trying to communicate with Shen Shu, attempting to wake him up. After repeated failures, in frustration, he shouted in his heart:
*Shen Shu, your mother…*
And Shen Shu woke up…
Regarding Xu Qi An’s proposal, Monk Shen Shu agreed without hesitation. The essence blood of a Fourth-Rank expert was like a great tonic for Monk Shen Shu.
Usually, there wasn’t much prey available, and now the opportunity was rare.
Monk Shen Shu was even more eager than Xu Qi An. If Yang Yan hadn’t been present earlier, Tang Shan Jun and Zar Muha would already be dried corpses.
“Perhaps there are more than three Fourth-Rank experts. They must have other helpers, otherwise they wouldn’t have allowed Chu Xianglong to escape just now,” Xu Qi An said as he tore off the page recording the Aura-Seeing Technique.
Perceiving fate could sometimes also be used as a tracking method.
“The more, the better for this poor monk,” Monk Shen Shu’s gentle voice carried a hint of a smile.
…
Chu Xianglong crossed mountains and ridges, carrying the fake princess consort on his back as he fled for his life.
He was a Fifth-Rank expert in the Internal Energy stage. Among the generals under the Northern Defense Prince, he could only be considered above average. Of course, leading troops in battle couldn’t be judged solely on personal combat ability.
Chu Xianglong’s leadership skills were outstanding, and his battlefield experience was rich. For an army of fifty thousand, the Northern Defense Prince would feel much more at ease handing the troops to him than to a Fourth-Rank warrior.
“I’ve escaped with the ‘princess consort,’ surely becoming the prime target, the focus of their pursuit. When they catch up, I’ll throw out the woman on my back.
“When they discover she’s fake, at most they’ll send one person after me, or they might not pursue me at all, instead gathering their forces to intercept the others.
“If I hadn’t had that mishap while cultivating, I could run faster… I hope Yang Yan can hold out a bit longer. Xu Qi An’s Vajra Body Technique’s defense is no worse than a Fourth-Rank expert’s. Even if killing him isn’t easy, with Yang Yan added, they should be able to hold out for half an hour against three Fourth-Rank experts…
“If Xu Qi An still has Confucian spell pages, he might be able to delay even longer. Heh, there can’t be that many of those things, they must be gone by now. It doesn’t matter, as long as they can delay, I can escape.
“The envoy team’s people are probably in grave danger, but it doesn’t matter if they die. They’re just insignificant figures anyway, how can they compare to the princess consort’s life, or mine? Especially Xu Qi An, always opposing me, he deserves to die.”
As Chu Xianglong was running and thinking, he suddenly heard a sharp whistling sound.
A warrior’s instinct made him react without thinking. The mystical abilities of a Fifth-Rank Internal Energy expert allowed him to ignore the inertia of his run, nimbly leaping to the left, dodging an attack from the air.
Where he had been standing, a white, thread-like substance appeared, like silk spun by a spider.
Chu Xianglong looked up towards the sky, and his expression suddenly changed dramatically.
In the azure sky, a creature resembling a spider but with wings growing from its sides was hovering.
On its back stood a man wearing tiger-skin. He was tall and robust, with rugged features, typical of a northerner. But unlike ordinary barbarians, he had a vertical eye on his forehead.
This man was called Tian Lang, the leader of the Jin Mu Tribe, one of the twelve barbarian tribes.
The Jin Mu Tribe was the flying cavalry among the twelve barbarian tribes. Each adult member raised a winged spider, making them natural scouts.
In battles against the barbarians, the Jin Mu Tribe had always been the biggest headache for the northern garrison. It was well known that before reaching the fourth rank, warriors couldn’t fly.
Even at Fourth-Rank, they could only hover briefly, with limited flight height.
However, the real reason for Chu Xianglong’s shock wasn’t surprise at another Fourth-Rank enemy, but the fine threads hanging from the winged spider’s protruding fangs. At the end of each thread was a maid, bound by silk.
The real princess consort was among them.
Chu Xianglong had thought he was the fisherman benefiting from the fight between the clam and the heron, but in reality, the enemy was the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Tian Lang took the hard bow from his back, drew an arrow, and pulled the string. The massive bow instantly bent into a full moon.
Twang… Amidst the vibrating bowstring, the arrow turned into a stream of light. Chu Xianglong gritted his teeth, steeling himself as he raised the woman on his shoulders high, using her as a shield.
Thud!
The arrow suddenly changed course, embedding itself in the nearby soil, avoiding the princess consort.
Twang twang twang…
Tian Lang, with the vertical eye on his forehead, kept firing. The arrows either shot straight or curved, attacking Chu Xianglong from various angles. But whenever he ruthlessly used the princess consort as a shield, the arrows automatically avoided her.
Chu Xianglong ran with his head down, not using his eyes to see but relying on a warrior’s instinct for danger to sense the arrows.
The ground kept exploding into deep pits where arrows landed nearby. Occasionally, an arrow would break through the princess consort’s shield and hit him, but it only made Chu Xianglong stagger slightly.
However, Chu Xianglong’s heart was filled with intense anxiety.
“Tian Lang is Fourth-Rank, his arrows carry ‘intent.’ At most ten arrows, and my bronze skin and iron bones will break. If I’m careless and two arrows hit the same spot, three arrows could break my defense…”
What to do, what to do…
The situation had spiraled out of control. The real princess consort was already trapped, which meant he couldn’t escape either. The enemy wouldn’t split their forces to chase after the scattered maids anymore but would focus on surrounding and killing him.
Suddenly, Chu Xianglong saw that the dense forest ahead was covered with a layer of white frost as if blanketed by snow.
Looking closer, it was clusters of spider silk. These silk threads weren’t poisonous, but they possessed powerful adhesive properties.
If he recklessly rushed in, he would surely be covered in spider silk, his movements becoming sluggish.
*Tian Lang intentionally drove me this way. He had set up this trap long ago…* As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Chu Xianglong realized that to his left was plain, and to his right were mountains. He immediately chose the mountains.
Ignoring inertia, he turned left, trying to escape into the mountains.
The best way to deal with flying cavalry was to hide in dense forests, avoiding their gaze.
At this moment, a warrior’s danger sense made him detect Tian Lang’s predicted arrow. Without thinking, he leaped sideways to avoid it.
Ding… Thud… Two different sounds. One arrow hit Chu Xianglong’s back and broke, while a second arrow followed closely, hitting the same spot.
The second arrow penetrated his back.
“Huh… huh…”
Chu Xianglong didn’t die, still clinging to a thread of life.
Tian Lang guided the winged spider to land, walked up to Chu Xianglong, and looked him in the eye, saying flatly, “Lucky you. Those two arrows weren’t meant for you; you ran into them yourself.
“Don’t trust a warrior’s instinct too much. It can only sense malicious attacks, and only for an instant. In that instant, if there’s another attack, it can’t give a warning.”
“You planned all this…” Chu Xianglong stared at him, his face full of unwillingness.
“Isn’t it natural for a hunter to set traps?” Tian Lang’s tone was cool, without a trace of pride.
He picked up the trembling “princess consort” and returned to the winged spider, placing her with the other maids.
Then he stood beside the winged spider, stroking its back, waiting silently.
After a quarter of an hour, the red-skirted woman, the giant Zar Muha, and Tang Shan Jun in human form arrived together. The qi beneath their feet exploded, propelling them through the air.
The three landed not far away.
“You look quite miserable. The three of you couldn’t kill Yang Yan together?” Tian Lang spoke expressionlessly.
His gaze lingered on the red-skirted woman for a moment, then swept over the waists of the three, noting the absence of Yang Yan’s head.
“We hit a snag. There’s a tough one in the envoy team,” Hong Ling explained with a gloomy face.
“A tough one?” Tian Lang frowned slightly.
“My injuries are from Yang Yan, while these two were held up by someone else,” Hong Ling snorted.
Tian Lang cast a questioning look at Tang Shan Jun and Zar Muha.
“A constable. His strength isn’t much, but he’s protected by the Buddhist Vajra Body Technique. Seems to be a warrior monk,” Zar Muha said.
“He has a Confucian book recording spells from various major systems. Extremely troublesome. The two of us together couldn’t subdue him,” Tang Shan Jun, wearing a black robe, had an effeminate air, his vertical pupils cold and emotionless.
Tian Lang nodded, not taking it to heart. He turned to look at the hooded princess consort and said, “This one is fake. The real one should be among these maids.”
Hong Ling flipped off the fake princess consort’s hood, revealing a delicate face. This impersonator was pale, her eyes flashing with great fear, her shoulders trembling.
“Sss…”
From Hong Ling’s small mouth, a long, forked tongue flicked out, licking the fake princess consort’s cheek. She smiled and said, “Tell me, who is the real princess consort?”
Her voice was soft and coquettish, though her Great Shang official language wasn’t very standard.
“I… I don’t know…” The fake princess consort trembled, her pretty face drained of blood. She stammered, “I’m just a maid serving the princess consort. The real… the real princess consort isn’t here.”
The red-skirted woman sighed, “I’m very unsatisfied with this answer. Let me reward you with a kiss.”
She lowered her head and caught the fake princess consort’s lips, passionately French kissing her in front of the three males.
The fake princess consort’s eyes suddenly rolled back, her limbs convulsing violently as if experiencing something extremely painful. Her cheeks rapidly shriveled, her flesh melting away, turning into a skeletal husk.
Hong Ling sighed contentedly, her complexion radiant.
Seeing this scene, the maids bound by the spider web turned pale. Some trembled as if having seizures, others broke down crying, fearing they would be next.
The princess consort was among them. She stared blankly at her personal maid’s tragic death. Amidst her grief and sorrow, she felt a hint of envy.
Because she knew what fate awaited her. Falling into barbarian hands, death might be a luxury.
*No one can save me. No one can rescue me from four northern experts unless the Huai Prince comes in person…* The princess consort thought, shaking with fear.
It had finally come to this. When leaving the capital, she had been full of worries, both fearing meeting the Northern Defense Prince and anxious about the uncertainties ahead.
Until that day on the deck when she saw the young constable, she suddenly felt much calmer, thinking that at least the journey would be smooth sailing.
This feeling was strange. Ultimately, it was probably because that guy’s achievements were truly impressive, giving her a sense of security from the bottom of her heart.
Then came the ambush at Liushi Beach. Her worries became reality, and her heart clenched.
That’s why not long ago, she had carefully probed Xu Qi An, asking if he would abandon the princess consort.
At that moment, for the first time, she understood the feeling of a frail woman relying on a man.
His answer had been disappointing.
Now, the princess consort no longer held any hope. In Great Shang, those who could single-handedly rescue her from four Fourth-Rank warriors could be counted on one hand. No, probably only the Northern Defense Prince could do it.
And he was in the north now.
It seemed the envoy team was unharmed. They couldn’t deal with Xu Qi An; he… he had actually forced back two Fourth-Rank experts… The princess consort’s eyes filled with tears, her heart finding a bit of comfort.
“Deputy General Chu, why don’t you tell me who the princess consort is?” Hong Ling picked up the dying Chu Xianglong and threw him in front of the maids.
Chu Xianglong’s gaze flashed over the maids. He grinned, “Who told you the princess consort was here? The princess consort never left the capital. You’ve fallen for a trap.”
The princess consort felt a wave of desolation, like a rabbit mourning a fox’s death. This deputy general, though dislikable, was truly loyal to the Huai Prince.
Tang Shan Jun said sinisterly, “Then I’ll just eat all these women.”
“Eat them, quickly!” Chu Xianglong panted, sneering.
The princess consort’s heart sank. Chu Xianglong wanted her dead. What the Huai Prince couldn’t have, even if destroyed, shouldn’t fall into northern barbarian hands.
“He’s lying.”
A voice came from the dense forest. Everyone turned to look. A young man in white walked out, standing with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his face.
“You’ve come at the right time.”
The “giant” Zar Muha said in a deep voice, “Use your Aura-Seeing Technique to see who the princess consort is.”
“I can’t see,” the white-robed Ritualist shook his head.
“An aura-concealing artifact?” Tian Lang pondered.
“Use your brains to think. The princess consort is a peerless beauty. How could these ordinary women compare? She must be carrying an aura-concealing artifact.”
The white-robed Ritualist raised his chin, seemingly disdainful of the barbarian and demon experts’ intelligence. He sneered:
“Use your not-so-smart brains to think again. Strip off their clothes and jewelry, and you’ll know who the princess consort is.”
“Good idea!” Hong Ling giggled:
“You Ritualists are all so annoyingly arrogant, but I like this idea of yours. Tsk tsk, rumor has it the princess consort is Great Shang’s number one beauty, elegant and noble. I’d like to see how noble she can be when stripped naked, see what difference there is between her and us ordinary women.”
The princess consort bit her lips, her eyes desperate.
At this moment, another laugh came from afar, responding to the red-skirted woman:
“Perhaps the difference between a diamond and a glass bead?”
Who is it… Hong Ling, Tian Lang, and the others whirled around, seeing a young man wearing a sable hat and carrying a long sword at his waist standing in the grass dozens of feet away.
When did he appear?
The moment she saw Xu Qi An, the princess consort’s dark, moist eyes suddenly lit up with an unprecedented light, like containing stars.
But in the next moment, it turned to anxiety and worry.
What was he doing here? Coming to die?
“Oh, it’s you.”
Hong Ling scrutinized him uncertainly, then her gaze darted around. She said coquettishly, “Where’s Yang Yan? Where is he hiding? You two aren’t afraid of death, daring to walk into the trap.”
“Who is he?” Tian Lang frowned.
“He’s that constable we mentioned earlier. His cultivation isn’t high, but relying on a Confucian spellbook, he’s extremely troublesome,” Tang Shan Jun said, his vertical pupils cold, his tone frosty.
Tian Lang, with a vertical eye on his forehead, sneered, “A Confucian spellbook is a good thing. With it, one can be remarkably effective in battle.”
The giant Zar Muha nodded. He and Tang Shan Jun had the deepest understanding of this, and their greed was even stronger.
Hong Ling raised her hand, holding up three delicate fingers. Licking her lips, she smiled, “Let’s finish him within three breaths, not giving him a chance to use spells. Otherwise, even if we get the Confucian spellbook, there won’t be enough to share.”
Tang Shan Jun coldly laughed, “Whoever beheads him gets half the pages.”
The giant Zar Muha, Tian Lang, and Hong Ling slowly nodded, “No problem.”
Tang Shan Jun added sinisterly, “I wonder if the spellbook has Taoist or witchcraft spells for raising ghosts. I want to turn him into a vicious ghost, keep him by my side to torment, never allowing him to reincarnate.”
This guy had made him lose face earlier.
The four experts looked at him as if he were prey and rare, desirable prey at that.
“Don’t rush, let me see what’s strange about him first,” the white-robed Ritualist smiled. “Daring to come here alone, he must have some reliance. Perhaps this is just an avatar.”
With that, he used his Aura-Seeing Technique to examine Xu Qi An.
Listening to the northern experts’ conversation, the princess consort’s heart tightened. She screamed, “Xu Qi An, you ignorant fool, you idiot, get out of here quickly…”
Her voice was suddenly interrupted by a scream.
The white-robed Ritualist raised both hands, covering his eyes. Streaks of blood seeped through his fingers.
The princess consort looked at the white-robed Ritualist in bewilderment, not knowing what had happened to him.
“Run, run quickly, take… take me with you…” The white-robed Ritualist used all his strength to squeeze out these words through gritted teeth.
Hong Ling, Tang Shan Jun, Tian Lang, and Zar Muha, the four experts, all changed expressions dramatically.