The moment he saw a white-robed figure standing in the darkness, Xu Qi’an felt as if his heart skipped a few beats. His scalp instantly tingled, and every goosebump on his body stood out.
This wasn’t just the shock of being observed by an outsider during an intimate moment. After experiencing Xu Pingfeng’s ambush, Xu Qi’an developed a terrible post-traumatic stress disorder towards white-robed figures appearing suddenly without warning.
Using his poison gu ability combined with saliva, he spat out a jet of black, all-corroding venom from his mouth.
Then, he pounced on Mu Nanzhi’s soft, plump body, attempting to take her into a shadow jump.
The white-robed cultivator tilted his head to avoid the poison spray, urgently uttering the word “Don’t.”
Huh?
Xu Qi’an was startled for a moment. This voice was strangely familiar and not Xu Pingfeng’s. He halted the shadow jump.
“Ah!!!”
Mu Nanzhi’s scream echoed in the room. She still hadn’t noticed the white-robed cultivator but thought Xu Qi’an was about to use violence against her…
The princess was covered by the blanket, and her body was pinned down by him, acting as a natural restraint that prevented her from pushing or resisting. She could only keep twisting her body, like a plump, luscious maggot.
As the saying goes, even the most skilled archer cannot hit a rapidly moving target.
At this moment, she heard Xu Qi’an’s voice by her ear: “Are you Second Senior Brother Sun Xuanji?”
Mu Nanzhi immediately calmed down and raised her head to look towards the head of the bed. Indeed, there was a white-robed figure standing there, his features blurred in the darkness.
The white-robed cultivator looked down at the man and woman on the bed and said in a deep voice: “Afraid…”
Afraid? Afraid of what, what is he afraid of… The same confusion flashed through Xu Qi’an and Mu Nanzhi’s minds.
Wait, he said another word earlier, it seemed to be “Don’t.” Xu Qi’an seemed to understand something.
“He’s the Supervisor’s second disciple, Senior Brother Sun Xuanji,” Xu Qi’an lowered his head, gazing into Mu Nanzhi’s dark, lustrous eyes, explaining briefly.
He then got up from the princess’s soft, plump body, put on his robe, walked to the table, and lit a candle.
The fiery glow dispelled the darkness, bringing a dim yellow light.
By the candlelight, Xu Qi’an observed his second senior brother, whom he had never met before. He was about 1.7 meters tall and very ordinary. His features were regular but far from “handsome,” equally ordinary.
Among the Supervisor’s disciples, this second senior brother was the most ordinary. Even the show-off Yang Qianhuang… oh, Xu Qi’an had never seen what he looked like.
But the alchemy fanatic Song Qing was quite a handsome man.
As for Chu Caiwei and Zhong Li, the former was a lively and cute big-eyed cutie, while the latter, though unkempt, occasionally revealed the “tip of the iceberg” of her features, indicating she was an exceptionally beautiful woman.
The princess curled up in the thick cotton quilt, only half her head poking out, her bright and lively eyes quietly observing the two, mainly scrutinizing Sun Xuanji.
Sun Xuanji said: “The… old… master… sent… me… to… find… you…”
By the time this sentence was finished, a quarter of an hour had passed.
The princess had fallen back asleep, letting out soft snores.
… Xu Qi’an looked woodenly at the white-robed cultivator: “Second Senior Brother, what’s this?”
Is this a language disorder?
Sun Xuanji nodded seriously and explained: “I… can’t…”
Xu Qi’an quickly interrupted: “It’s fine, no need to explain.”
By the time you finish explaining, another quarter of an hour will have passed, he grumbled inwardly.
“The Supervisor sent you to find me?”
Xu Qi’an turned over the upside-down teacup, poured two cups of hot tea, and frowned: “Does the old man have any instructions? Um, if possible, could you speak a bit faster?”
“The old master…” “said…” “The Pagoda…” “treasure…” “has opened…”
“He hopes…” “you can…” “go there…”
Sun Xuanji finished speaking.
The tea in Xu Qi’an’s hand had gone completely cold.
Mu Nanzhi turned over, mumbling something softly, sleeping sweetly.
I want to hit him, otherwise I won’t feel at ease… Xu Qi’an’s face twitched violently, feeling a surge of uncontrollable irritation rising in his heart, wanting to beat his chest and roar.
Listening patiently to Second Senior Brother speak was a painful thing, no less than nails scratching a blackboard or two pieces of foam rubbing against each other.
If Spring Brother were here, he’d either draw his sword to kill or commit seppuku… Xu Qi’an thought painfully.
Sun Xuanji took a deep breath and continued: “The, old, master…”
“Wait a moment!”
Xu Qi’an interrupted, quickly poured water to grind ink, spread out paper, grabbed a brush, dipped it in the inkstone, and respectfully offered it with both hands, sincerely saying:
“Second Senior Brother, if we can use our hands, let’s not babble, okay?”
Sun Xuanji frowned slightly, seemingly preferring verbal communication, but reluctantly took the brush and sat down at the writing desk to write.
Phew… Xu Qi’an let out a breath. This smooth writing rhythm, these unhindered brush strokes, this quietly burning candle… the world is truly beautiful.
The Supervisor’s disciples were indeed all abnormal. Compared to the show-off Yang Qianhuang, the alchemy fanatic Song Qing, the unhappy Zhong Li, and the brainless Chu Caiwei, this Sun Xuanji was the most terrifying figure.
Second only to the inhuman Xu Pingfeng.
“Second Senior Brother, why didn’t you give me a heads up that you were coming?” Xu Qi’an complained.
If this weirdo hadn’t come, he might have physically taught the princess how to write “M” and “一”.
“I did, but, you…”
Before long, Sun Xuanji had finished writing, but he hadn’t finished speaking.
Looking at Xu Qi’an, he said: “Didn’t, pay, attention, to, me.”
“…”
Xu Qi’an cupped his hands towards him and took the paper to read.
The more he read, the more serious he became, mixed with excitement.
The Pagoda was a Buddhist treasure, specifically used for suppressing and refining evil spirits. Five hundred years ago, when Buddhism spread to the Central Plains, they brought two arms of Shen Shu.
The right hand was sealed in Sangbo, while the left hand was sealed in the pagoda of the Three Flowers Temple in Leizhou.
Two hundred years ago, Great Feng “betrayed their trust,” implementing a policy to suppress Buddhism, driving the Buddhist sects back to the Western Regions, leaving only a few scattered Buddhist temples struggling to survive in the Central Plains.
Like the Green Dragon Temple in the capital, the Three Flowers Temple hadn’t completely withdrawn, leaving behind its lineage.
The Green Dragon Temple’s task was to watch over the sealed object at the bottom of Sangbo.
The Three Flowers Temple was the same.
As for why the Buddhist sects didn’t take the Pagoda treasure back to the Western Regions, Sun Xuanji’s explanation was that the seal in the Three Flowers Temple in Leizhou was identical to the one at the bottom of Sangbo, both having arrays set up with the Supervisor’s help.
When the Buddhist sects and Great Feng were on good terms, this wasn’t a problem. But once their plastic brotherhood broke, the Supervisor’s arrays became an obstacle.
Moreover, when the Buddhist sects initially sent Shen Shu’s remains to Great Feng for sealing, it was because they no longer had the power to seal this part of the remains.
“The severed arm sealed in the Pagoda must also have a wisp of residual soul. If the two residual souls combine, Shen Shu might remember more…”
Xu Qi’an suppressed his excitement and asked: “Why wasn’t I told about this earlier?”
Sun Xuanji picked up the brush and wrote: “The old master is the chess player.”
Does this mean that as a chess piece, I don’t have the right to know the news in advance? Xu Qi’an grumbled inwardly.
“I heard that the Witch God Cult has also sent people to Leizhou.”
Sun Xuanji frowned slightly, showing a look of realization, and wrote:
“There are two ways to open the Pagoda treasure: One, the Buddhist sect and the old master work together to open it; Two, it opens by itself once every sixty years. The time limit for the latter is approaching.”
Xu Qi’an immediately understood:
“So when that Second Rank Rain Master was sent into the Pagoda, it was done jointly by the Supervisor and the Buddhist sect?”
Hmm, during the Shanhai Pass battle, the relationship between the Buddhist sect and Great Feng was quite solid.
Sun Xuanji wrote: “I’m not very clear, I was still a youth at that time. You need to do two things: prevent the Witch God Cult from rescuing Nalan Tianlu’s soul, and bring out Shen Shu’s severed arm. I will help you.”
“Why doesn’t the Supervisor act himself?”
“When setting up the array back then, the old master made an oath with the Buddhist sect, witnessed by the Heavenly Dao. He can’t do anything to break the seal.”
“I understand.”
Xu Qi’an smiled. Although the Dongfang sisters were at the peak of the Fourth Rank, Sun Xuanji was a Third Rank Diviner. With his assistance, dealing with them would be easy.
Hmm, there might also be experts from the Three Flowers Temple, but it shouldn’t be a big problem.
This progress is good, collecting materials, dragon qi, and Shen Shu’s severed arm in an orderly manner… When the Supervisor gave me the conch that day, I thought he wanted Sun Xuanji to help me search for Dragon Qi. I didn’t expect the foreshadowing to be here.
Sun Xuanji glanced at him, his face serious, and wrote:
“Don’t be careless. After Wei Yuan captured Jingshan City, the Witch God Cult was severely weakened, which is why they’re taking this risk and targeting the Pagoda. They’re very likely to send a Spirit Wisdom Master to act.”
Spirit Wisdom Master… Xu Qi’an’s pupils contracted slightly.
Before he could speak, Sun Xuanji wrote again:
“A few days ago, I went to Leizhou and used my divination technique to observe a Dharma-Protecting Vajra.”
Xu Qi’an’s mouth gaped open: “The Three Flowers Temple has a Dharma-Protecting Vajra stationed there?”
How can we play this game now?
Sun Xuanji shook his head and wrote: “After the suppression of Buddhism back then, all Buddhist disciples of Fourth Rank and above withdrew from the Central Plains. The Three Flowers Temple doesn’t have a Vajra stationed there. The reason for this Vajra’s presence, I suspect, is for the dragon vein spirit.”
For the dragon vein spirit… Xu Qi’an’s heart sank. This wasn’t good news. It meant that if he continued to collect dragon qi, he was bound to encounter this Vajra.
“What does the Buddhist sect want to collect dragon qi for?” Xu Qi’an’s face didn’t look good.
“If the dragon qi is lost, the Central Plains will surely fall into chaos. If they gain the dragon qi, they’ll have the possibility of ruling the Central Plains. In this aspect, the Buddhist sect is no different from the Witch God Cult.”
Sun Xuanji glanced at him and continued writing: “There’s a strand of dragon qi attached to the Pagoda, and it’s one of the nine crucial dragon qi strands.”
A bolt from the blue!
Xu Qi’an’s face suddenly froze, his mouth slightly open, staring woodenly at Sun Xuanji.
The latter looked at him calmly.
This can’t be avoided now, Xu Qi’an thought. If the Pagoda only had Shen Shu’s severed arm, I could still delay, collect dragon qi first… or look for other ways to find the remaining body parts.
But now, with one of the nine dragon qi strands attached to the Three Flowers Temple, attracting a Third Rank Vajra, plus Shen Shu’s severed arm, this is an irreconcilable conflict for me.
Perhaps, we could negotiate?
Doesn’t the Buddhist sect want to invite me to the Western Regions to be a Buddhist disciple?
No, I can’t think like that. The Four Noble Truths are worse than death.
Why does the Buddhist sect want to collect dragon qi? Do they also have thoughts of swallowing up the Central Plains? They might also want to use the dragon qi as leverage to spread their teachings in the Central Plains again. But that’s unlikely, the Buddhist sect has already suffered losses in this regard and won’t repeat the same mistake… Xu Qi’an rubbed his temples.
In the deep night, he felt a chill.
“Both the Dharma-Protecting Vajra and the Spirit Wisdom Master are Third Rank. What should I do? Perhaps I could manage at my peak condition,” Xu Qi’an asked with a furrowed brow.
“Those above Fourth Rank can’t enter the Pagoda treasure. This is due to both the treasure’s restrictions and the suppression of the old master’s array. Otherwise, the Nine-Tailed Fox would have already broken into the tower and taken out Shen Shu’s severed arm.”
Sun Xuanji wrote.
Staring at the paper, Xu Qi’an’s eyes slowly lit up, radiating hope.
Suddenly, many ideas flashed through his mind, but they were too scattered and fragmented to piece together into a feasible plan.
“In that case, I have more room to maneuver. I’ll need some time to formulate a plan…”
Xu Qi’an took a sip of the cold tea and said, “Is there anything else?”
Sun Xuanji wrote: “I need to make some preparations. You should set off for Leizhou tomorrow. We’ll use the conch to communicate and make plans then. I can’t enter the Pagoda, but I can help deal with external pressures.”
Xu Qi’an nodded: “Can you bring Senior Brother Yang along? He would surely love this kind of occasion.”
Sun Xuanji’s face suddenly turned strange, and he wrote: “Junior Brother Yang has been suppressed by the old master again.”
“Why use the word ‘again’?”
“Not long after you left the capital, he emerged from underground and secretly investigated the Crown Prince.”
“Investigated the Crown Prince?”
“According to him, he has collected evidence of the Crown Prince’s corruption, bribery, collusion with court officials, and abuse of palace maids. He’s just waiting for the Crown Prince to ascend the throne…”
The room fell into dead silence for a moment, with only Mu Nanzhi’s steady breathing.
After a long while, Xu Qi’an said sincerely:
“Give my regards to the Supervisor, tell him to take care of his health. An open-minded attitude is the secret to longevity.”
Sun Xuanji nodded.
As he was about to teleport away, Xu Qi’an quickly added: “Remember to write the above words on paper.”
Don’t rub salt in the Supervisor’s wounds.
… Sun Xuanji glanced at him, the array of patterns under his feet flickered, and he disappeared.
Xu Qi’an waited for a moment, making sure he wouldn’t return, then blew out the candle, crawled into bed, and fell asleep.
…
The next day, early morning.
Xu Qi’an and Mu Nanzhi got up, washed, and came to the inn’s main hall for breakfast. They happened to see Li Lingsu, dressed in a luxurious black robe, returning to the inn.
He was carrying a large package of medicinal herbs wrapped in oil paper.
Li Lingsu quietly hid the package behind his back and flashed a handsome smile: “Good morning, you two.”
Princess Mu ignored him and lowered her head to drink porridge.
Xu Qi’an took a breath and said calmly: “Deer antler, Cistanche, Polygonatum, Fire grass root, Black sesame…”
All were herbs for strengthening the yang and nourishing the kidneys.
Mu Nanzhi looked up, scrutinizing Li Lingsu with surprise.
The Holy Son of the Celestial Sect’s face turned red. He looked around guiltily and said urgently: “Don’t, don’t say it out loud.”
Seeing that there weren’t many guests in the hall and that the innkeeper and waiter hadn’t heard, he breathed a sigh of relief. He sat down at the table and said in a low voice:
“Let me explain, it’s not that this Holy Son is excessively lustful, it’s that Sister Qing and Sister Rong are insatiable…”
At this point, the Holy Son showed a sad expression:
“They want to make love with me every day, taking turns, not allowing me to rest for a day. And their purpose in doing this is to prevent me from having the energy to flirt with the pretty maids around me.”
The Holy Son became emotional: “I have never actively flirted with the maids, it’s always the maids wholeheartedly seducing me. My cursed charm…”
Xu Qi’an said expressionlessly: “Go back upstairs. We’ll set off in a quarter of an hour.”
After Li Lingsu returned to his room, Xu Qi’an threw down his porcelain spoon and said angrily: “How tasteless.”
The princess lay on the table, one hand holding her stomach, laughing till tears came out.
…
A quarter of an hour later, the three rode horses out of the small town. Li Lingsu, chewing on the yang-strengthening herbs, called out loudly:
“Senior, where are we going?”
Xu Qi’an looked into the distance and said solemnly: “Westward all the way.”