“Tiandi Hui… Golden Lotus truly has a talent for naming,” Xu Qi’an mused inwardly as he began to elaborate on his plan.
As he listened, Chu Yuanzhen suddenly felt something was amiss and sent a message:
[Wait a minute. What makes you think you should be the main force? Even if you’ve advanced to the Fourth Tier, you’re no match for Jeanne d’Arc.]
Everyone else suddenly realized this as well.
Especially Li Miaozhou, who had witnessed Xu Qi’an’s advancement to the Fourth Tier. No one understood Xu Qi’an better than her.
No matter how invincible he might be within the Fourth Tier, it was still the realm of mortals. The gap between the Fourth and Third Tier, a boundary that had stopped countless martial artists, was simply too vast.
And Jeanne d’Arc was at the Second Tier of the Dao Path.
Two major realms apart – the difference was like that between clouds and mud.
Xu Qi’an sent a message: [I’ve reached the Third Tier.]
???
The members of Tiandi Hui were once again hit by a tidal wave of shock, their minds filled with question marks.
What did I just hear? This guy has reached the Third Tier?! Has he been hanging around those Confucians too long and picked up their habit of bragging? Chu Yuanzhen was dumbfounded.
Damn it, this is too much! When we first met in Yunzhou, you were just an Eighth Tier minor constable!! The small soul in Li Miaozhou’s body was screaming.
The others were equally stunned, each in their way.
At this moment, the members of Tiandi Hui collectively recalled the scene when Number Three first obtained the Earth Book fragment. Back then, he was still a small figure, trembling in fear before Daoist Purple Lotus.
That was in October of last year.
In just about a year, he had crossed the boundary of mortals to become a truly transcendent being.
A Third Tier martial artist possessed formidable vitality and longevity, easily living for several hundred years.
He was no longer a mere mortal.
Could anyone advance from the Eighth Tier to the Third Tier in just one year? Even the Confucian Sage of yesteryear probably didn’t possess such ability…
Within Tiandi Hui, each member had their fortuitous encounters, and each was a young prodigy with extraordinary talents. But they had to admit that compared to Xu Qi’an, they seemed rather mediocre.
Seeing that no one had spoken for a while, Xu Qi’an sent another message:
[Brother Chu, when you return to the capital, remember to bring Second Young Master with you. Send him to Cloud Deer Academy to meet with my Second Uncle and Aunt.]
The property deeds in Jianzhou were secretly purchased by him when he went to Quanrong Mountain alone that day, without telling anyone…
Thinking of this, Xu Qi’an frowned, feeling he had forgotten something.
At that time, Cao Qingyang invited me to a banquet at Quanrong Mountain, so I went alone. Then I bought a house along the way and met the patriarch of the Martial Arts Alliance… Hmm, that seems right.
[Four: Understood. I’ll return to the capital overnight. Have the Astronomical Bureau prepare qi-replenishing pills for me.]
If he pushed himself to the brink of death and flew his sword at full power, he could return to the capital within three hours. By then it would be late at night, and he could rest briefly, and take the pills to recover his qi, without delaying the important matters.
Ending the group chat, Xu Qi’an put away the Earth Book fragment and drew out the Taiping Saber. With a swift motion, he cut off his little finger.
“Even without using the Vajra Invincibility, it’s hard to injure my physical body with just the Taiping Saber’s sharpness. I must channel my qi into blade energy!” Xu Qi’an nodded, extremely satisfied with his current physical condition.
Then, he felt the cells at the wound of his little finger dividing at an alarming rate, trying to repair the injury.
He forcibly resisted this “instinct,” bent down to pick up the severed finger, and brought it close to the stump.
As the flesh writhed, the little finger reattached, restored to its original state without a scar.
He examined himself: “Every cell of a Third Tier martial artist is filled with immense life force. If there were a microscope, my cells would probably look different from those of ordinary humans.
“Uh, I hope this doesn’t make me sterile! It shouldn’t come to that. This world has half-demons, which means the rules of reproductive isolation don’t apply here. Just look at Song Qin’s terrifying life-grafting technique. I was too scared to think about it at the time…
“For a Fourth Tier martial artist to advance by consuming the Blood Pill is almost certainly fatal, no, absolutely fatal. No wonder hardly anyone dares to take this path. No wonder there are so many martial artists in Great Shang, yet only the Northern Frontier King has reached the Third Tier.
“Moreover, the method of refining Blood Pills using tens or hundreds of thousands of living people is something crude martial artists don’t understand. The Dao Path controls this secret technique. Prince Huai received help from the Earthly Sect Leader back then. As for whether witches and sorcerers know it, that remains unknown.
“As for someone like me, having a peak martial artist willingly sacrifice part of their blood essence to condense a Blood Pill to help me advance, well, I can only say, Dad is really good. Hmm, the Chief Astrologer deserves credit too. Without his arrangements, I couldn’t have laid the foundation in advance.
“Minister Wei’s gift was out of emotion and inheritance, but I’m not sure why the Chief Astrologer gave his. Well, I now know part of it. Heh, it’s just about killing the emperor, isn’t it? The dynasty is the foundation of sorcerers, so the Chief Astrologer killing the emperor would surely invite backlash from fate.
“I’m different. I’m just a martial artist, and I already possess the favor of fate, so I’m not afraid of backlash. But killing an emperor will surely entangle me in karmic consequences.”
He played with his little finger, recalling his body’s state moments ago.
“After reaching the Third Tier, martial artists can not only regenerate severed limbs but also reattach them. The former consumes one’s blood essence, and if done repeatedly, it would eventually lead to exhaustion and death.
“The latter consumes very little, as it doesn’t require regenerating the entire body part. Also, at the early stage of the Third Tier, decapitation would still be fatal because the primordial spirit isn’t strong enough yet. That’s my current situation.
“At the middle stage of the Third Tier, when the primordial spirit catches up with the physical body, even if the head is cut off, a new skull can grow, and the primordial spirit can return to its place. However, in such a situation, if the primordial spirit is targeted by a witch or a high-level Daoist, the risk of perishing is still high.
“Moreover, if dismembered and the body parts can’t quickly reunite, even a Third Tier martial artist would die from excessive blood essence loss due to the instinctive healing. In other words, dismemberment is the best way to kill a high-tier martial artist.
“Hiss… Considering this, how terrifying must Shenshu be?”
Shenshu was dismembered and sealed in Sangbo for five hundred years, yet his blood essence didn’t completely dissipate, still retaining vitality. Moreover, Shenshu’s primordial spirit endured for five hundred years without being worn away…
The higher one’s cultivation, the more one understands Shenshu’s terrifying nature.
How strong was Shenshu at his peak? Could he defeat an old Chief Astrologer with one punch?
Xu Qi’an took a step into the void and, with a “boom” of exploding qi, soared away.
Third Tier martial artists could fly using their qi, but among various flying techniques of different systems, this was considered forceful flight, consuming the most energy and being the slowest. It was the slowest flying speed among those of the same tier.
However, on land, martial artists were the fastest.
Even sorcerers who could teleport, unless they teleported dozens of miles in one go, would easily be caught up by a martial artist’s burst of speed in short-distance teleportation.
Then they’d be finished off with a close-quarters combo.
Soon, the capital came into view.
Xu Qi’an descended to the ground, disguised himself as that handsome devil from his previous life, and blended into the bustling crowd, becoming one of the masses.
He returned to the Star-Watching Tower, leaped onto the Eight Trigrams Platform, and with the howling wind, landed steadily beside the Chief Astrologer with a “pat.”
“Where’s Senior Brother Yang?” Xu Qi’an asked the old Chief Astrologer.
“Afraid he couldn’t handle the shock, so I locked him up underground,” the Chief Astrologer said expressionlessly.
Life is already so hard, can’t I find some joy in teasing Senior Brother Yang… Xu Qi’an grumbled, then said, “I’ve entered the Third Tier. I’ll trouble the Chief Astrologer now.”
The Chief Astrologer nodded and slapped Xu Qi’an on the head.
…
The wheels creaked.
A luxurious carriage made of purple sandalwood stopped outside Lingbao Temple.
Xu Qi’an, disguised, emerged from Lin’an’s carriage. The internally charming young mistress lifted her skirt and, with Xu Qi’an’s assistance, gracefully stepped down.
Biaobiao walked to the entrance of Lingbao Temple with an elegant demeanor, slightly raising her chin, her voice sweet: “This princess wishes to see the National Preceptor. Hmm, is my Imperial Father here?”
“His Majesty is not in the temple.”
The young Daoist attendant at the gate immediately went inside to announce their arrival. After a while, he hurried back, saying, “Your Highness, the National Preceptor requests your presence.”
Biaobiao then led Xu Qi’an inside.
“Your Highness, tomorrow, no matter what happens, please don’t hate me…”
Biaobiao fluttered her alluring peach blossom eyes and said coquettishly, “I won’t… Are you getting engaged?!”
Her voice suddenly raised in pitch.
Xu Qi’an shook his head. He wanted to hold her hand but thought better of it. The great shark might already be “watching.”
A mature player, holding a trident, must know when to spear the right fish at the right time.
Now was not appropriate; the scent of blood would provoke the ferocity of the great shark within.
Approaching Luo Yuheng’s secluded courtyard, he left Lin’an waiting outside and entered the yard, pushing open the door to Luo Yuheng’s quiet room.
The mature and cold National Preceptor sat cross-legged on a cushion, her eyes slightly closed, a dot of cinnabar between her brows, accentuating her ethereal beauty with a touch of celestial coolness.
“I’ve reached the Third Tier,” Xu Qi’an said in a low voice.
Luo Yuheng suddenly opened her eyes, staring at him intently.
Her heart pounded violently, almost unable to control her expression, nearly causing her pale, beautiful face to show intense emotional changes.
“How did you manage that?”
Luo Yuheng unconsciously lowered her voice, as if discussing a secret.
“Before Minister Wei left for battle, he left me a Blood Pill,” Xu Qi’an transmitted his voice. “Also, I’ve uncovered the truth about the case of the late emperor and Jeanne d’Arc.”
He told Luo Yuheng the whole story in detail.
Luo Yuheng remained silent for a long time, then slowly nodded, half-sighing, “So that’s how it is.”
Xu Qi’an spoke frankly, “I intend to assassinate the emperor, but I fear I’m no match for the late emperor alone. I request the National Preceptor’s assistance.”
Assassinating the emperor meant killing not just Yuan Jing, but also Jeanne d’Arc.
Luo Yuheng didn’t respond immediately. Her voice was cold and crisp:
“The Chief Astrologer won’t move against the emperor because sorcerers are inseparable from the dynasty. The cost of killing an emperor is something the Chief Astrologer can’t bear. Otherwise, successive emperors wouldn’t trust the Chief Astrologer so much.
“But after reaching the Third Tier, experts of any system are reluctant to move against mortal emperors. Because killing someone with great fate will result in karmic backlash.
“I’m at a crucial moment and can’t bear this backlash. You… why are you taking off your pants?!”
Luo Yuheng’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. This guy had taken off his coat and was undoing his belt in front of her.
“Hasn’t the National Preceptor always wanted to dual cultivate with me? The opportunity shouldn’t be missed,” Xu Qi’an said seriously.
Then, he saw this Head of the Human Path, National Preceptor of Great Shang, this peerless beauty, blush deeply.
Luo Yuheng looked at him with a complex expression: “You… you know everything…”
Xu Qi’an nodded: “Daoist Golden Lotus told me.”
Whether Golden Lotus was loyal or a wolf, he’d throw her under the bus first.
Luo Yuheng’s eyebrows stood on end, her gaze turning aside as she said coldly:
“Although I… had such intentions, it’s… not that it must be you. The matter of Dao companions shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
Her expression and tone were cold, but her stumbling words betrayed her.
The National Preceptor is still a little girl who values ceremony, huh? Can’t be taken lightly, well, of course, I’ll bathe too, and won’t skip any necessary steps… Xu Qi’an mused inwardly, stopping his belt-undoing action and smiling:
“After assassinating the emperor, I’ll be yours.”
His action was just to be frank with Luo Yuheng – you desire my body, I ask for your help, and of course, I desire your body a bit too… It was more like an exchange of interests.
However, Xu Qi’an had a good impression of Luo Yuheng and didn’t mind doing the deed first and cultivating feelings later.
As the ancients said: Love grows with time!
Luo Yuheng’s eyes glistened, showing rare embarrassment and annoyance. She said coldly, “I will act tomorrow. Now get out!”
Xu Qi’an bowed and retreated from the quiet room.
Leaving the courtyard, Biaobiao came up to him, chattering, “What did you discuss with the National Preceptor?”
Xu Qi’an answered truthfully, “I invited the National Preceptor to dual cultivate, but she refused.”
Biaobiao rolled her eyes.
Xu Qi’an added, “She thinks the matter of Dao companions can’t be taken lightly. She wants me to marry her properly with a grand procession.”
Biaobiao giggled like a little hen, “We haven’t even left Lingbao Temple yet. Be careful, the National Preceptor might hear and blame you.”
Xu Qi’an glanced at her, thinking, You won’t be laughing in the future.
“Next, take me to the Wang mansion,” he said.
…
After returning home, Wang Zhenwen immediately had his family pack their belongings, from personal clothes to antiques, furniture, and paintings, all stuffed into boxes.
The family was bewildered but knew something big had happened.
Second Master Wang mustered the courage to ask a few times but got no answer, so he dared not ask again.
He kept urging his favorite sister to investigate.
Wang Simu, considering the recent court situation and her father’s efforts to defend Wei Yuan’s reputation, had made her judgment.
There were two possibilities: one, her father intended to resign; two, His Majesty intended to have her father resign.
This mansion was bestowed by the royal family, and located in the imperial city. Unlike hereditary nobles, once a civil official resigned and returned to their hometown, such bestowed mansions would be reclaimed by the court.
Unlike nobles, where the son would inherit the title after the father’s death, allowing the bestowed mansion to be passed down.
It shouldn’t be like this. Given the father’s relationship with Wei Yuan, even if they admire each other as heroes, they’re still political opponents. There’s no need to go this far… Wang Simu frowned in worry and scolded:
“Second Brother, aren’t you annoying? Go stand aside.”
Second Master Wang immediately shut up, pouting as he left in a huff.
Just then, a servant came to report: “Young Miss, Princess Lin’an has arrived.”
Wang Simu was a bit surprised. She immediately got up to welcome her, being half-friends with Lin’an, with frequent interactions between them.
Arriving at the reception hall, she immediately saw the red-dressed Second Princess, with her oval face and peach blossom eyes, as charming and seductive as ever.
“Your Highness!”
Wang Simu curtsied, observing Lin’an’s mood. Come to think of it, the reason she and Lin’an could become good friends was largely due to Princess Huaiqing’s crucial role.
Princess Lin’an liked to cause trouble, acting flirtatiously, but apart from knowing how to please Emperor Yuan Jing with coquetry, she lacked formidable skills herself.
Until she met Wang Simu, who became her scheming advisor, often asking Wang Simu to come up with ideas to trouble Huaiqing.
Although most of the time, Wang Simu’s ideas would backfire on Lin’an, occasionally they could cause considerable damage to Huaiqing.
“Simu!”
Lin’an greeted her with a smile, saying, “I wish to see Prime Minister Wang.”
As she spoke, she glanced at the disguised Xu Qi’an.
Wang Simu, keen on observation, immediately noticed this detail and scrutinized Xu Qi’an.
He looked utterly ordinary, with a mediocre appearance and demeanor.
But since this man could be brought along by Princess Lin’an, his identity must be extraordinary.
Just then, she heard this outwardly ordinary man laugh and say:
“Well, hello, sister-in-law.”