The massive army halted at the border between Yun Province and Qing Province. Along the official road ahead stood a stone monument inscribed with the characters “Qing Province.”
Ji Xuan spurred his horse, breaking from the formation. With hoofbeats echoing “tak-tak,” he rode to the front of the central formation. Turning his head to look at the commander sitting majestically on horseback beneath the general’s banner, he smiled and asked:
“Commander Qi, do you think our sixty thousand elite troops plus thirty thousand militia are enough to kill the Supervisor?”
Qi Guangbo, the rebel commander of Yun Province, looked up at the sky and said coolly:
“The Supervisor was never our enemy.”
His features were refined, with deep furrows between his brows forming a “川” pattern.
Ji Xuan also glanced at the sky before returning his gaze and smiling: “Sir has been a hidden dragon in the depths for fifteen years, concealing your vast knowledge like silk worn in darkness or gold hidden in plain sleeves. But soon, your name will be known throughout the Central Plains and all nine provinces.”
Qi Guangbo was Ji Xuan’s enlightening teacher. Though not famous across the nine provinces, he possessed talent enough to manage heaven and earth.
Born to a prominent clan in Yun Province, Qi Guangbo trained in martial arts from childhood, showing exceptional talent. By seventeen, he had reached the Bronze Skin Iron Bones realm. Then, for unknown reasons, he suddenly evaluated the martial way with extreme disappointment:
“Too crude!”
He abandoned martial arts for scholarship. At twenty-three, he earned the rank of Provincial Graduate, then shook his head and declared to study:
“Not to my taste!”
There followed seven years of unrestrained pleasure-seeking—drinking, revelry, brothels—he did everything others did and things they wouldn’t.
His family could no longer stand by and watch. Thinking to temper his character and make him behave, they sent him into the army.
Who would have thought that on his first day as a soldier, Qi Guangbo would fall in love with military life, describing it in two words:
“Interesting!”
He subsequently distinguished himself in several bandit-suppression campaigns, earning repeated promotions from the Yun Province Military Command, rising two ranks in a single year.
At that time, Xu Pingfeng had just completed one of life’s small goals—stealing Da Feng’s national fortune!
He was pursuing his second small goal: discovering talent and cultivating loyal followers.
He quickly noticed Qi Guangbo. When Xu Pingfeng approached him, he didn’t immediately express his intention to recruit. Instead, he engaged him in a war game simulation.
The simulation recreated the Battle of Shanhai Pass from five years ago—an event that had shocked the nine provinces and would leave an indelible mark in history.
Xu Pingfeng commanded the combined forces of Da Feng and the Buddhist Nation, while Qi Guangbo led the Witch-God Cult, the southern and northern demon clans, the northern barbarians, and the Gu Tribe.
In their first match, Qi Guangbo lasted only half an hour before being forced into a desperate position without ammunition or supplies.
They agreed to meet again in half a month.
In their second match, Qi Guangbo held out for two hours.
They set another appointment for three months later.
A year later, Qi Guangbo managed to hold out until the final decisive battle of Shanhai Pass, though he still couldn’t defeat Xu Pingfeng.
Only then did Xu Pingfeng say:
“The one who defeated you wasn’t me, but Wei Yuan.
“Come with me to Hidden Dragon City. Within twenty years, I’ll let you face him on the battlefield.”
Qi Guangbo joined Hidden Dragon City without hesitation, beginning fifteen years of devoted cultivation.
He practically built Hidden Dragon City’s current army single-handedly, inventing over a dozen tactics. Under his reforms, the army shed its chronic ailments, transforming into a truly fierce fighting force.
Qi Guangbo pulled his horse’s reins, looking north and murmuring:
“The National Teacher deceived me.”
With Wei Yuan dead, what use was command over these three armies?
“What does Sir mean by this?”
Ji Xuan didn’t know about the agreement between Qi Guangbo and Xu Pingfeng.
Qi Guangbo shook his head slightly, glancing at his student: “Young master is now in the Transcendent realm. Across the nine provinces, transcendents of your age can be counted on one’s fingers. Today’s uprising is your chance to make a name for yourself.”
“Then how does Sir think I compare to Xu Ning Yan?” Ji Xuan asked solemnly.
Qi Guangbo replied flatly: “Diligence can compensate for mediocrity.”
Ji Xuan choked slightly, smiling bitterly: “Sir is truly straightforward, showing no mercy.”
Qi Guangbo countered: “How do you think I compare to Wei Yuan?”
Ji Xuan didn’t answer.
Qi Guangbo didn’t mind, his tone remaining calm:
“The Art of War says: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you’ll win every battle. Young master, only by facing yourself honestly can you truly understand the situation.
“Xu Qi’an is stronger than you—in talent, combat power, and methods, he surpasses you in every aspect. In a one-on-one encounter, you would certainly die.
“But the world never presents fair circumstances. You still have a chance. You’ve entered the realm of transcendence—even if you’re inferior, standing in the same realm means there’s a possibility.”
Ji Xuan nodded slowly: “Student understands.”
Qi Guangbo didn’t respond further. He turned to his deputy commander and ordered:
“Army, advance!”
The deputy transmitted the order to the drummers via signal flags. Instantly, drums thundered “boom-boom,” and ninety thousand troops advanced in orderly formation into Qing Province territory.
At that moment, the sky churned with wind and clouds. The clouds visibly condensed into a giant palm, descending toward the rebel army.
As this palm descended, it seemed to mobilize all the power of heaven and earth.
Horses startled and soldiers panicked. The army’s formation immediately fell into chaos, especially the militia at the rear—that motley crowd saw the supernatural phenomenon and their legs turned to jelly.
At that moment, formation after formation materialized above the ninety thousand troops, layer upon layer, large formations encompassing smaller ones, smaller ones combining into larger ones.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Under the cloud-formed giant palm, the formations collapsed one after another, pure light exploding like fireworks above the army’s heads.
In the instant the layered formations shattered, a golden light rose from among the troops, transforming into a golden body with twelve pairs of arms holding various magical instruments, a blazing halo burning behind its head, and a red flame mark between its brows.
This golden body, like an ancient giant bearing the weight of falling heavens, used its twelve pairs of arms to support the slowly descending palm.
After a moment’s deadlock, the cloud-formed hand seemed to either lose strength or be overcome by the golden body, and scattered with a boom.
Above the sea of clouds, two figures—one white, one golden—arrived floating through the air, stopping at a certain point.
They were Xu Pingfeng and the Karura Tree Bodhisattva, who wore a kasaya with half his chest exposed.
Xu Pingfeng stood gracefully atop the cloud sea in his flowing white robes, like an immortal in exile.
The Karura Tree Bodhisattva’s face was solemn, his bulging muscles displaying impressive power, the burning halo behind his head emanating scorching heat.
Simply standing there, his presence was as tall as a mountain, as vast as the sea, symbolizing pure power.
Facing them was the white-haired, white-bearded Supervisor, holding an octagonal bronze plate inscribed with mountains, rivers, sun, and moon on its back, and the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches on its front.
“Compared to the first generation from five hundred years ago, your power falls far short.”
Karura Tree examined the Supervisor, making this evaluation in a flat tone.
“Naturally!”
Xu Pingfeng smiled warmly, “Though during the first generation’s time there were foolish emperors and treacherous officials who damaged the standard, Da Feng’s foundation remained intact, still at its peak. But now, Da Feng has lost half its national fortune and subsequently endured both Wei Yuan’s eastern campaign and the cold disaster that swept the Central Plains.
“The Supervisor’s current power probably isn’t half of what it was at its peak.”
The Supervisor manipulated the celestial disc expressionlessly, saying slowly:
“It’s been five hundred years since I’ve gotten serious. Let’s play a bit.”
[…]
Chen Xiao once again saw Xu Yinluo’s young sister on deck, practicing horse stance with an extremely serious expression.
She looked quite adorable.
With nothing else to do, Chen Xiao leaned against the cabin, arms crossed, watching from the side.
He watched for half a quarter-hour.
Impressive… Chen Xiao was startled. The child had been in horse stance when he arrived, definitely over a quarter-hour now. To maintain horse stance for so long at such a young age—this was the mark of someone with an extremely solid martial arts foundation.
Chen Xiao thought to himself that she was worthy of being Xu Yinluo’s sister.
So he asked:
“Has this child reached the Essence Refining realm?”
He was asking the Southern Borderlands girl who was munching on a steamed bun nearby.
Li Na glanced back at him: “Qi Practicing realm, I’d say.”
She was referring to combat power. Early-stage Force Gu practitioners had no qi, only brute strength.
Bragging without thinking! The straightforward Chen Xiao said solemnly:
“I’ve never seen a six or seven-year-old in the Qi Practicing realm. Even Xu Yinluo progressed steadily through Essence Refining, only breaking through to Qi Practicing at nineteen.”
Li Na continued munching her bun while saying: “It is the Qi Practicing realm. If you don’t believe it, try sparring with her.”
Chen Xiao immediately called over a soldier who had just entered the Essence Refining realm. Having lost his virgin yang, this soldier would never progress beyond peak Essence Refining in this life.
“Go spar with this child. Mind your strength—don’t hurt her.”
Chen Xiao instructed.
“Yes, sir!”
The soldier looked resigned, unwilling to play with a child, but unable to refuse his superior’s order.
He strode up to the little one and patted his belly: “Little one, hit right here.”
The little one looked at her master. Li Na nodded: “Win and you get a steamed bun.”
The little one’s eyes lit up, and she threw a punch without hesitation.
Bang!
The soldier went flying, crashing heavily into the cabin wall beside Chen Xiao. He curled up on the ground clutching his stomach, vomiting acid water.
!!!
Chen Xiao stared in astonishment, his mouth hanging open for a long while.
“Amazing! Let me try!”
Chen Xiao strode toward Xu Ling’yin, planning to test his raw strength against the child without using qi.
[…]
Xu Er Lang sat at his desk, studying military texts while examining a map of Qing Province.
“Bang bang…”
Someone knocked at the door, and a soldier called from outside:
“Master Xu, your sister is fighting with our colleagues.”
“What?”
Xu Er Lang paled in shock, hastily dropping his military text and rushing to throw open the door. “What’s going on? Who dares bully my sister?”
The soldier carefully replied: “It’s… it’s your sister who’s doing the bullying.”
Xu Er Lang stormed out of the cabin and onto the deck.
Dozens of soldiers lay sprawled across the deck while Xu Ling’yin stood alone, like an invincible female general on the battlefield.
“Urgh…”
A stocky middle-aged officer struggled to his feet while retching acid, shouting:
“Help me up! I can still fight!”
The soldiers clutched their stomachs while trying to restrain him, pleading:
“Captain, please stop! Fight anymore and you’ll throw up yesterday’s dinner too. She’s Xu Yinluo’s sister—it’s not worth fighting to the death with her.”
The middle-aged officer had lost his head. He shoved the soldiers away, shouting:
“I can still fight! I can still… urgh…”
Xu Cijiu stood in the cabin doorway, silently covering his face.
[…]
In a stronghold away from the main road, the morning sun painted the mountaintop red. Li Miaozhen stood atop a low wall, holding a bloody head in her hand, looking down at over two hundred bandits formed from displaced civilians.
“I’ve killed your leader. Now you have two choices: follow me and have food to eat and wine to drink, or join this fellow in death.”
She gestured with her head, then used her other hand to take out the Earth Book fragment and pour out bags of grain.
A bandit in cloth garments boldly walked over and cut open a sack with a dull knife. Whoosh—unshelled grain poured from the gash.
“It’s rice! It’s rice!”
Cheers erupted.
“Hero, we’re willing to follow you!”
“From now on, you’re our Chief!”
The civilian-turned-bandits clamored.
For displaced civilians, whoever could fill their bellies could be their leader. Similarly, as long as they could eat, killing or not killing didn’t matter.
They robbed and murdered only to fill their stomachs.
Those ambitious ones who seized territory and declared themselves lords didn’t belong to this lowest stratum of chaotic times.
Li Miaozhen nodded with satisfaction:
“As my subordinates, you’ll follow my rules. From today forward, you may not rob common folk or harm the innocent.
“We only rob from heartless wealthy merchants and corrupt officials who oppress the people.
“Anyone who breaks these rules will be executed without mercy!”
[…]
In the cave in the Southern Borderlands.
“Ah~”
With a sharp cry, Night Princess’s delicate feet suddenly straightened, arching like bows, but the bed’s rocking didn’t stop with her hoarse screams.
This continued for another half-hour. After Night Princess’s feet had arched three times, the pair of large feet between her small ones suddenly curled their toes into the bed, the thick calves spasming.
The long-separated pair of lovers lay side by side, one enjoying the afterglow, the other entering the sage time.
“After so many days apart, Miss Fu Xiang’s techniques remain as exceptional as ever.”
Xu Qi’an praised.
Night Princess spat lightly, saying coquettishly:
“After so many days apart, why isn’t Xu Yinluo performing his specialty of falling asleep three seconds after touching the pillow?”
She remembered such a small detail from their first meeting. Women truly were petty—demons included… Xu Qi’an made a face:
“Back then I didn’t know Miss Fu Xiang was made of water, smoother than spring rain.”
Night Princess blinked, “What kind of expression is that?”
Xu Qi’an held the beauty close, explaining confidently: “It’s from a classic: ‘Light rain on heaven’s street smooth as butter, grass seems green from afar but vanishes up close.'”
After lying there a while, Night Princess said contentedly:
“Let this servant help Master Xu bathe.”
“No rush, let me fight a few more bloody battles.”
The bed curtains began swaying, the thin quilt rising and falling.
Outside the cave, little White Fox crouched by the bonfire.
“Elder Bai Ji, why are you out here?”
Guardian Hong Ying asked in surprise.
Bai Ji said in her sweet voice: “Sister Night Princess said she had important matters to discuss with Xu Yinluo and drove me out. They’re mating. She won’t let me watch.”
Miao Youfang stared dumbfounded, suddenly understanding why Li Lingsu and Xu Qi’an despised each other.
Both had lovers scattered across the nine provinces.
Hong Ying’s voice suddenly rose: “Mating? Elder Night Princess and Xu Yinluo…”
He was deeply distressed, believing Elder Night Princess was selling her body to gain Xu Qi’an’s help.
In the most childish voice, White Fox said the most vulgar thing: “Sister Night Princess mated with Xu Yinluo every day when she was in the capital.”
So they were old lovers… Hong Ying suddenly understood, turning to look at Miao Youfang: “Brother Miao, what’s this about?”
How would I know, I wasn’t following him then… Miao Youfang said: “This is Xu Yinluo’s private affair, I shouldn’t say more.”
[…]
In the bathtub, soaking in the cold water, Xu Qi’an held his protective charm and sent a soul message:
“National Teacher, this is Xu Qi’an.”
I am your eternal beloved Xu Lang.
After sending this message, Xu Qi’an’s mood was rather complex.
He recalled several personalities that had left him deeply traumatized like the lustful “Form is Emptiness” personality and the yandere “Love” personality with its cleaver always at the ready.