After sending the message, there was no response for a long time.

“National Teacher, it’s Xu Qi’an! I’m facing a life-or-death crisis in the Southern Borderlands and urgently need your help.”

Xu Qi’an quickly played up his dire situation.

The protective charm lay silently in his palm without any reaction. Luo Yuheng seemed to have lost contact.

No, in this situation, from Luo Yuheng’s perspective, I’ve probably lost contact while visiting brothels in the Southern Borderlands… Xu Qi’an joked to himself.

“National Teacher, it’s your dear Xu Lang!”

Luo Yuheng still didn’t respond.

It seems I truly can’t contact her! Xu Qi’an finally confirmed he’d lost contact with his aunt.

“First, it’s possible the distance between the National Teacher and me exceeds the charm’s transmission range—in simple terms: no signal!”

After all, the protective charm was strictly speaking just a Daoist voice transmission spell, certainly inferior to the professional communication devices produced by the Bureau of Astronomy.

“Second, Luo Yuheng is still in seclusion, getting closer to her heavenly tribulation. Accumulating power to face the tribulation is paramount. If she’s in seclusion, it’s normal that I can’t contact her. I can only wait until her karma fire reaches its limit and she emerges to find me.”

Thinking of this, Xu Qi’an felt somewhat guilty. The heavenly tribulation was a matter of life and death for Luo Yuheng—she had to face it with all her strength. At this time, it wouldn’t be right to use her as a tool.

“Finally, Luo Yuheng might still be in the awkward position of being too embarrassed to show her face after dying of shame, and doesn’t want to deal with me.”

This possibility was low—given his aunt’s temperament and capabilities, she could surely endure mere social death.

If Li Lingsu still had the face to live, what was a little social death to his aunt… he thought guiltily.

Night Princess, wearing light gauze, embraced Xu Qi’an from behind, resting her pointed chin on his shoulder, and said softly:

“Master Xu, why are you holding that charm?”

Trying to contact your sister… Xu Qi’an said: “I wanted to ask the National Teacher to help deal with Asura, but she seems to be in seclusion, or perhaps the Southern Borderlands is too far from the capital to transmit messages.”

Night Princess frowned: “Then what should we do?”

Xu Qi’an was somewhat surprised she didn’t ask why he could summon Luo Yuheng, then realized this was Fu Xiang’s understanding nature.

She never questioned his affairs with other women, never pried too deeply into his secrets.

“Don’t worry, I have another option.”

Xu Qi’an beckoned toward the screen, and the Earth Book fragment flew from his clothes pocket into his palm.

He returned the protective charm to the Earth Book fragment, then took out the voice transmission conch.

The Supervisor had said this conch could contact Sun Xuanji from anywhere in the nine provinces—it was an extremely precious communication device of the Bureau of Astronomy.

Holding the conch, Xu Qi’an hesitated, thought for a moment, and then put it away again. He turned around, and pressed Fu Xiang against the edge of the bathtub, making her hold onto it with her bottom raised.

“Let’s be intimate once more before I contact him.”

Xu Qi’an had already developed trauma from Senior Brother Sun—better not to be still bathing when Senior Brother appeared after receiving the message.

Gripping Fu Xiang’s slender waist, his lower abdomen pressed against her round bottom…

This body was still like a flower first tasting clouds and rain, and she was just recovering from serious injuries, somewhat weak. Xu Qi’an didn’t exhaust her too much, keeping it brief.

“Senior Brother Sun, I’m at the edge of the Ten Thousand Mountains in the Southern Borderlands…”

He explained the situation briefly.

“Good!”

Sun Xuanji responded concisely.

“Master Xu, I’ll go retrieve Master Shen Shu’s dismembered limb first. Please wait here—I’ll return before nightfall.”

Night Princess dressed properly in a plain underdress and light green outer robe. This outfit, which emphasized refined cultivation, would have given Fu Xiang the air of a noble lady.

But worn by Night Princess, it instead created a kind of uniform temptation.

Her true form was too alluring—though fox spirits were famous for their seduction, that constant air of flirtation and charm that attracted men at all times meant that the more properly she dressed, the more it seemed like uniform fetishism.

Lin’an’s charm and tenderness were entirely different from Fu Xiang’s bewitching allure.

The former was internally charming, the latter was purely fox spirit.

After Xu Qi’an nodded, Fu Xiang departed gracefully.

[…]

By dusk, Xu Qi’an, who had been meditating in the cave, sensed something and left to enter the valley.

He was first drawn by singing, seeing Miao Youfang holding a wine jug and dancing with the bird spirit Hong Ying, their arms linked as they spun in circles.

Miao Youfang sang bawdy songs from brothels while Hong Ying sang mountain songs from the Southern Borderlands.

Several female spirits danced around them.

Guardian Qingmu and Guardian White Ape sat watching nearby, the latter’s face bruised and swollen, clearly having endured a beating.

Behind everyone stood a white-robed mage of average height, average features, and average presence. He was so ordinary that no one had noticed his arrival.

Sensing Xu Qi’an’s emergence, everyone looked over and the singing and dancing stopped.

“Senior Brother Sun!”

Xu Qi’an called out.

Everyone suddenly turned their heads, expressions strange—they hadn’t known someone had appeared behind them.

Sun Xuanji nodded, pure light rose from his feet as he flashed before Xu Qi’an.

“Why didn’t Senior Brother come in?” Xu Qi’an smiled eagerly.

Senior Brother Sun was an excellent tool person—powerful and not talkative.

White Ape instinctively examined this stranger, his clear blue eyes seeing into hearts, and said slowly:

“This expert’s heart tells me: I happened to be heading south to Qing Province, planning to assist the teacher, so I made a detour. The journey was too far—I’m exhausted. I was just resting.”

Xu Qi’an saw Senior Brother Sun’s face stiffen.

“This is Guardian Yuan, who possesses the innate divine ability to see into hearts and has cultivated the Buddhist Mind-Reading Dharma—most formidable.”

Xu Qi’an immediately introduced Sun Xuanji, then had a thought and said:

“Guardian Yuan, please come inside with me.”

To be my translator…

Sun Xuanji turned back, looking deeply at Guardian Yuan before following Xu Qi’an into the cave.

Guardian Qingmu warned:

“That’s a Transcendent realm mage—watch what you say, understand?”

Guardian Yuan looked back at Guardian Qingmu:

“But Senior Qingmu’s heart tells me: This damned monkey, it would be best if you keep running your mouth, waiting to be skinned and dismembered.”

Guardian Qingmu’s face suddenly flushed red, his hand gripping and releasing his vine staff repeatedly.

Guardian Hong Ying pretended not to hear, urging:

“Hurry inside, don’t keep Xu Yinluo waiting.”

Guardian Yuan nodded and entered the cave.

“This Guardian is quite interesting…”

Miao Youfang, having witnessed everything, looked toward Guardian Hong Ying.

Because he had been singing and dancing earlier with no other thoughts in his head, Miao Youfang had avoided social death, not experiencing Guardian Yuan’s terrifying and disturbing nature.

Guardian Hong Ying sighed:

“Guardian Yuan was a slave in a Buddhist temple from childhood. Later, as he grew older, his innate divine ability gradually awakened, and he accidentally learned the Buddhist Mind-Reading Dharma. Since then, he could never control his ability.”

Miao Youfang suddenly understood: “Then how did he become one of us?”

In just one hour, he had already become family with the Southern Borderlands demon clan.

Guardian Hong Ying pursed his lips: “Eventually even the temple monks couldn’t stand him anymore, so they expelled him from Buddhism to fend for himself.”

Good grief! Miao Youfang secretly vowed to keep his mind clear as a mirror and unstained by dust when facing Guardian Yuan.

Guardian Hong Ying glanced at him: “Guardian Yuan is at the Fourth Rank, but his innate divine ability is even stronger. Even Transcendent realm experts can’t hide their thoughts from him unless they deliberately suppress them. At Fourth Rank, almost no system except Daoists and Witch Doctors can block Guardian Yuan’s ability.”

Inside the cave, Xu Qi’an explained the situation in detail to Sun Xuanji, then asked:

“What does Senior Brother think?”

Sun Xuanji didn’t speak. Xu Qi’an glanced at Guardian Yuan, who understood and fixed his clear blue eyes on Sun Xuanji:

“This Senior Brother Sun’s heart tells me: You handle Asura, I’ll break the formation. I’m not doing the suicide mission!”

Sun Xuanji suddenly became anxious: “The, the…”

Xu Qi’an exhaled and finished for him: “No need to say the latter part.”

White Ape Guardian nodded.

Xu Qi’an continued: “No problem. I’ll handle Asura—I’ll do my best to contain him. Senior Brother Sun, you focus on breaking the Chan Master’s formation.”

In his view, this was the most reasonable arrangement—having a mage break the formation was professionally appropriate.

Having a warrior face the Vajra was equally fitting—crossing blades to see who was tougher!

Having quickly settled the main business, Xu Qi’an asked: “Senior Brother Sun mentioned going to assist the Supervisor in Qing Province?”

Sun Xuanji stood with hands behind his back, silent.

Guardian Yuan said: “The Yun Province rebels have launched a full assault on Qing Province. The teacher and Senior Brother are battling the Karura Tree Bodhisattva. Da Feng lacks Transcendent experts—I had intended to go assist.”

Xu Qi’an’s heart sank:

“Won’t this miss a crucial opportunity?”

Sun Xuanji shook his head, and Guardian Yuan said:

“The deeper the blade is hidden, the more the enemy fears it. There won’t be any accidents in the short term. Additionally, the Yun Province rebels are waiting for the Western Buddhist Nation’s army to strike. The bigger commotion we cause here, the better—it will tie down the enemy.”

True, the Yun Province rebels bringing in the Buddhist sect must mean more than just the Karura Tree Bodhisattva—the Western armies are also supporting… If I can tie down the Western armies, it will greatly reduce the pressure on the court… Xu Qi’an nodded slowly.

At this point, he saw Guardian Yuan’s blue eyes watching him and quickly waved:

“No need to speak my thoughts aloud.”

Guardian Yuan nodded—after all, he didn’t want Xu Yinluo to swat him like a mosquito again.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the tunnel as Night Princess returned carrying a huge box.

“Clang!”

She set the box on the ground with a heavy thud.

Everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to the box. It was jet black with a metallic sheen, covered in dense Buddhist script that seemed to form some kind of sealing formation.

“This is a Buddhist sealing formation personally inscribed by Her Highness to suppress Master Shen Shu’s dismembered limb. Every ten years, it requires the sacrifice of numerous living beings, or it will break the seal.”

Night Princess spoke with some worry: “If we break the seal now, without Her Highness present, it will be very difficult to seal it again.”

Guardian Yuan looked at Sun Xuanji and said:

“This Senior Brother Sun’s heart tells me: Hah, Buddhist formations are crude and worthless. Wait until I show my skills—you’ll all be amazed.”

Sun Xuanji’s mouth twitched violently.

So beneath Senior Brother’s honest exterior beats a flamboyant heart—truly, showing off and getting things for free is human nature… Xu Qi’an held back his laughter.

“Ahem!”

He coughed forcefully and said: “Open it.”

Night Princess nodded, taking out a jade-green key and bending down to insert it in the lock.

Click!

As the bolt released, a terrifying and overwhelming aura filled the entire cave.

Guardian Yuan collapsed on the spot, trembling uncontrollably.

Night Princess retreated repeatedly, her face pale.

Sun Xuanji and Xu Qi’an remained unmoved, both looking into the box.

How many memories does this Master Shen Shu have, and what kind of personality? If possible, it might not be bad to let it meet the severed hand in the Pagoda… Xu Qi’an thought.