After the Sangbo case concluded, neither Number Six who was directly involved, nor Number Three and Number One who was in the capital, nor Daoist Jin Lian (Number Nine), disclosed any information about the sealed object within the Tiandihuì.
It was impossible not to be curious, but after Number Six made a trip to the dungeon of the Nightwatchmen’s Office, he became tight-lipped about the case, refusing to mention it at all.
Everyone believed that Number Six, with his Buddhist background, had made some sort of secrecy promise to the Nightwatchmen’s Office.
In reality, Number Six simply didn’t want to revisit this heartbreaking matter.
Daoist Jin Lian seemed more like an onlooker, rarely initiating topics and only occasionally participating in conversations.
Number One enjoyed lurking, with deep thoughts. The others didn’t have any expectations from him (her). His (Her) silence was reasonable.
Today, finally, Number Three was willing to have an open and honest discussion about this matter.
…The Sangbo case was handled by the Nightwatchmen, and it was top secret even within their ranks. Number Four instinctively analyzed that the reason Number Three was only speaking now might be because he had only recently truly uncovered the process of the Sangbo case and learned its secrets.
…Number Three was someone willing to share intelligence. He was a scholar with an open mind. His suspicion of Yang Chuannan was only based on his analysis of the information, without much personal preference. Number Two’s slight dissatisfaction instantly vanished.
[Five: What do you want in exchange for this intelligence?]
Number Five instinctively asked this question.
…This fool!
Number Four and Number Two cursed in their hearts simultaneously.
[Three: No payment is needed. As members of the Tiandihuì, we shouldn’t always be calculating gains and losses. I’ll share this intelligence with everyone for free.]
Mainly because I brought up this matter to inquire about Monk Shenshu’s identity, asking for more compensation feels a bit unethical… Well, next time I have valuable intelligence, I’ll still charge for it. Xu Qi An added in his heart.
Number Three is so generous, and here I am always thinking about selling intelligence… Number Five thought shamefully. Then, a question flashed through her mind:
But isn’t this the mode that Number Three initiated?
Xu Qi An looked up at his two sleeping colleagues, confirming they were fine, and continued writing: [It’s a severed hand, the severed hand of a top-tier expert.]
A severed hand?!
This information greatly shocked the Tiandihuì members. They had previously discussed the Sangbo sealed object and deduced that it should be from a figure 500 years ago.
Based on this, they speculated that the mysterious strong figure who was sealed was at least at the Second Rank.
A severed hand? How could a single hand be sealed for 500 years… Number Five screamed impossibly in her heart. She was about to transmit a rebuttal when she suddenly recalled the action of exploring the Extreme Abyss and gained inspiration from the Gu God. Her mind stirred:
[Five: If it’s truly a severed hand, then its owner must have a very high status. Those who can be sealed are beings that cannot be killed.]
The words of the little savage girl from the Southern Frontier hit everyone like a sudden enlightenment.
Yes, anything that is sealed is something that cannot be killed. Otherwise, why go to such trouble?
[Three: Perhaps. Even the Nightwatchmen’s Office doesn’t know the true identity of the severed hand. It was eventually taken away by someone from the demon race. That’s all I know.]
Then what did you mean by “true form” earlier… The Tiandihuì members grumbled inwardly.
[Two: Why don’t we compile a list of top experts we know about and eliminate them one by one? Perhaps we can deduce the identity of this world-class expert.]
At this moment, Daoist Jin Lian appeared. He had been lurking for a while, and the topic of the sealed object seemed to have piqued his interest:
[Nine: We can directly rule out the Daoist sect.]
Before anyone could ask, he explained: [The three schools of the Daoist sect don’t cultivate the physical body. If it were a senior from the Daoist sect who was sealed, the primordial spirit could remain, but the physical body would certainly wither. That severed hand, with its surging blood essence and raging demonic flames, is not from the Daoist system.]
Xu Qi An interjected: [We can rule out the Shushi as well.]
Huh, Number Three is a disciple of the Confucian school, why did he first rule out the Shushi instead of the Confucian school? Xu Qi An’s response slightly confused Number Two and Number Four.
[Five: We can rule out the Gu Masters too, right? The Gu Clan hasn’t had a First Rank expert for hundreds of years.]
At this point, Xu Qi An added: [The Confucian school can also be ruled out. I’m certain about this.]
Yes, certain, because the owner of the severed hand is a monk, a person from the Buddhist sect.
[Four: Good, now we’re only left with the Martial Artists, Demon Race, Shamans, and Buddhist sect. Shamans also don’t primarily focus on body cultivation. Moreover, I remember Number Three mentioning last time that there were Buddhist patterns in the sealing array beneath Sangbo.
[Based on this, we can deduce that the Buddhist sect was involved in the sealing. I’m more inclined towards the Martial Artists, Demon Race, and Buddhist sect as the three main systems.]
The analysis is very reasonable. Number Four’s wisdom stands out in the Tiandihuì chat group… Xu Qi An didn’t continue to guide but calmly observed.
[Four: I’m well-versed in history. For figures from 500 years ago who belonged to the Great Feng royal family’s forces, I only know of the first-generation Supervising Censor.]
Most of the records from that time have been erased, making it almost impossible to verify. However, one thing is certain: the Great Feng of that time, if not lacking in talent, was definitely in a weak state. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for Emperor Wu to succeed in usurping the throne.
Therefore, it’s unlikely that the royal family from 500 years ago had two First Rank experts.
Let’s temporarily rule out the Martial Artist system…
Number One, who always liked to lurk, spoke up at this moment: [Five hundred years is a time point that cannot be ignored. Apart from Emperor Wu’s initiation of clearing out disloyal ministers, don’t overlook another event.]
Number Four replied instantly: [The Jiazi Demon Purge?]
[One: The sealing array in Sangbo had the Buddhist sect’s efforts, and the Sangbo case had remnants of the Myriad Demon Kingdom plotting behind it. With a little connection, we can deduce that the owner of that severed hand is very likely to be the Empress of the Myriad Demon Kingdom, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox.]
This… Xu Qi An was somewhat speechless because Number One’s analysis was so reasonable and logical. If he didn’t already know the answer, he might have thought this was the correct answer.
…It’s completely off track, it’s not the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, it’s a stinky monk!!
Wait a minute!
Xu Qi An keenly caught a point: How did Number One know that the behind-the-scenes promoter was the remnant of the Myriad Demon Kingdom?
From beginning to end, he had never mentioned in the Tiandihuì chat group that the demons behind were remnants of the Myriad Demon Kingdom. On the contrary, Xu Qi An had always believed it was the Marquis of the North colluding with the northern demons.
After investigating and clearing things up, he didn’t discuss much about the details of the Sangbo case within the Tiandihuì, after all, he had to consider his persona. As a student from the Yunlu Academy, he shouldn’t know so many details.
And because the Sangbo case became an “unsolved case,” the case details were not made public, and the files were stored in the Nightwatchmen’s Office. Wei Yuan only reported to Emperor Yuanjing.
“Number One could have known this information through only four channels: One, from Emperor Yuanjing’s mouth. I can’t be sure who the old emperor would tell, but it would only be to someone close to him.
“Two, from my mouth. I only reported this to three people: Wei Yuan, Daoist Jin Lian, and Princess Huaiqing.
“Three: From the mouths of these three people. Number One is someone from the court, with a fairly high position. And being a member of the Tiandihuì, any of these three could be possible.
“Four: From the files in the Nightwatchmen’s Office.”
Xu Qi An thought while trying to guide the topic. It couldn’t continue to go off track, otherwise, all his efforts in talking nonsense would be in vain:
[Why can’t it be someone from the Buddhist sect?]
Someone from the Buddhist sect? Everyone frowned in thought upon hearing this.
[Five: Why would it be someone from the Buddhist sect?]
Number Five voiced the doubt for everyone.
[Three: Heh, I’m just guessing. I don’t know much about the Buddhist sect. Although there’s a Qinglong Temple in the capital, there aren’t any top-tier Buddhist experts. But I think the Buddhist sect should have cultivation methods in the field of body refinement, right?
[Moreover, I don’t understand why it would be sealed in the Sangbo of the Great Feng royal family if it were the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox?]
The latter question belongs to historical secrets, which no one could answer, but someone could answer the former question.
[Six: The Warrior Monk system of the Buddhist sect is no less than that of martial artists, or it could be said to be a unique martial artist system of the Buddhist sect.]
Number Six, who had been depressed for a long time due to the death of his junior brother Henghui, finally spoke up.
The Buddhist sect indeed has two systems… Xu Qi An already knew this.
[Five: Warrior Monks are unique martial artists of the Buddhist sect?]
[Six: Yes, there are two systems in the Buddhist sect. One system’s initial rank is the Eighth Rank Warrior Monk. Warrior Monks don’t need to chant sutras or recite Buddha’s name, they don’t even need to keep precepts. They only cultivate extraordinary strength, not the Buddha’s heart. However, I don’t know what the next rank after the Eighth Rank Warrior Monk is.]
Buddhist disciples, who don’t need to keep precepts or chant sutras? The Tiandihuì members were puzzled.
No need to keep precepts? Does that mean they can sleep with women? Strange knowledge increased… Xu Qi An knew about the Warrior Monk system, but it was the first time he heard that Warrior Monks didn’t need to keep precepts.
“Next time I can try to invite Hengyuan to the Courtesans’ House and arrange a little lady for him…”
Xu Qi An continued to guide the topic: [If that sealed powerhouse is a disciple of the Buddhist sect, then we should be able to find out his true identity by investigating the Buddhist history from 500 years ago, right? I’m quite interested in this matter. If any of you have related news, you can sell it to me.]
The Tiandihuì members immediately expressed that they would keep an eye out for related news.
Phew… Master Shenshu, I’ve done my best. Xu Qi An exhaled, only laying the groundwork for the mystery of Shenshu’s identity, not rushing to explore it.
Conservatively estimating, Shenshu’s rank should be First Rank. Xu Qi An had no concept of how strong a First Rank expert could be. Perhaps even the well-informed Daoist Jin Lian had no concept, after all, the Earthly Sect Leader was only Second Rank.
However, even after being dismembered, even being sealed for 500 years, still unable to extinguish vitality and primordial spirit… Such mysteriousness, in Xu Qi An’s mind, could already be classified in the realm of gods and demons.
This was simply a human-shaped natural disaster.
Therefore, Xu Qi An, who was still at the Eighth Rank Qi Refining Realm, was not at all eager to explore.
“Come to think of it, the Tiandihuì members chosen by Daoist Jin Lian come from all over the country, but there’s not a single one from the Western Regions. Is this a coincidence, or is there some special reason?”
After a moment, seeing that no one was continuing to speak, Number Four immediately said: [Speaking of the Buddhist sect, I do recall some interesting past events. Number Three, this is related to your Confucian school.]