“I don’t care about his matters,” Luo Yuheng said with a slight frown, displeased. “You don’t need to constantly use him to provoke me. With whom I choose to perform dual cultivation is my own decision, and I don’t need Senior Brother to worry about it.”
Her reaction was like that of someone dissatisfied with an elder forcefully arranging a marriage… The orange cat laughed inwardly, naturally raising its paw… glancing at it, then lowering it back down.
“It seems that Junior Sister is not truly looking down on Xu Qi’an, or at least, he doesn’t make you feel disgusted. Anyway, I know you dislike Emperor Yuanjing.”
“No woman would like a man who constantly demands to perform dual cultivation with her,” Luo Yuheng said nonchalantly.
In that case, Xu Qi’an is also that kind of person… the orange cat sarcastically thought to itself, but on the surface remained as steady as an old cat, smiling and saying, “Junior Sister, no one can decide for you with whom to perform dual cultivation. However, choosing a dual cultivation partner is no small matter and cannot be decided hastily. You should observe. I have an important piece of information regarding Xu Qi’an that may be useful to you.”
Luo Yuheng’s attitude indeed improved as she nodded and said, “Please go ahead, Senior Brother.”
“This intelligence not only involves Xu Qi’an but also relates to a secret of the ancient Human Sect,” Jinlian Daoist said, then after choosing his words for a moment, continued, “Number Five is a young girl from the Gu Tribe, which you should know. Some time ago, she left the Southern Frontier to gain experience in Dafeng…”
The orange cat’s paw moved slightly, suppressing its instincts with great determination, and continued, “But she lost contact near Xiangcheng. The night before last, I gathered Numbers Three, Four, and Six to search for her together. After much exploration, we found her in a large tomb at the foot of Nanshan Mountain outside Xiangcheng.”
“The owner of that large tomb was a predecessor of the Human Sect. According to the information recorded in the murals, he was born in an era when the descendants of gods and demons were active. To borrow the energy of fate to cultivate, he killed the ruler of the country and usurped the throne, declaring himself emperor.”
Usurping the throne and declaring himself emperor… Luo Yuheng frowned. “He was also at the Second Rank?”
The orange cat shook its head and said, “I originally thought so too. Later, he failed to transcend the Heavenly Tribulation, and his body and Dao were extinguished. He built a large tomb deep underground.”
“It must have been built by his descendants,” Luo Yuheng said while pouring a cup of water and pushing it in front of the orange cat.
The orange cat lowered its head, stuck out its tender pink tongue, and lapped up a few mouthfuls of tea. It sighed, “The difference between a cat’s tongue and a human’s is really big. Tea tastes bland and flavorless, such a waste, such a waste.”
Then it switched back to the main topic and said solemnly, “The problem lies here. The Daoist failed to transcend the tribulation, but his physical body was not annihilated and remained in slumber within the underground palace. When we entered the main tomb, we awakened him.”
The details that Xu Qi’an could see, how could an old hand like Jinlian Daoist overlook them? The burn marks on the dried corpse, as well as the strength of its physical body…
Jinlian Daoists immediately realized that the dried corpse was the Daoist himself, and Old Silver Coin was just pretending not to know.
“This is impossible!” Luo Yuheng’s face turned serious.
The Heavenly Tribulation destroys everything. If a Second Rank Daoist of the Dao Sect fails to successfully transcend the tribulation, their Primordial Spirit and physical body will be destroyed together, leaving nothing behind.
The previous generation’s Dao Sect Leader met such a fate.
“I was also surprised at first, but that’s the fact,” the orange cat said.
It had concealed one thing from the members of the Heaven and Earth Society. The Dao Sect Leader did not fail the tribulation and turn demonic, but in order to deal with the tribulation, he took a crooked path and inadvertently fell into the demonic way.
If he had failed the tribulation, the Dao Sect Leader would have long turned to ashes.
“After that dried corpse appeared, it mistakenly recognized Xu Qi’an as its lord and offered him the Imperial Jade Seal it had been guarding for many years…”
“Wait a moment!” Luo Yuheng raised her hand, frowning with her exquisite brows. “You said it called Xu Qi’an its lord?”
Jinlian Daoist nodded affirmatively.
The voluptuous and enchanting Luo Yuheng, who appeared to be a beauty of the human realm and also an aloof immortal maiden, stopped speaking. She took a dozen seconds to digest the enormous amount of information contained in that sentence, then slowly said, “You said the dried corpse was that Daoist, yet it mistook Xu Qi’an for its lord. Who exactly was its lord, and why did it mistake Xu Qi’an for him?”
The female State Preceptor stared at Jinlian Daoist with her beautiful eyes, unblinking, her expression especially focused, discarding her previous carefree demeanor.
She cared immensely about these few matters, or perhaps she had discovered some clues from them.
Jinlian Daoist analyzed, “I guess that the dried corpse was a shed skin. The real Daoist had abandoned that shell and remolded a new physical body.”
This involved the cultivation system of the Dao Sect.
Third Rank of the Dao Sect – Yang Spirit!
The Yang Spirit is also called the “Dharma Body” in Daoist terminology and is the embryonic form of the Dharma Image.
The paths taken by the three major sects of Heaven, Earth, and Human differ, but their core is the same. In summary, the cultivation steps are:
First, cultivate the Yin Spirit, then refine the Golden Core. When the Yin Spirit fuses with the Golden Core, the Infant of the Primordial Spirit is born. As the Infant grows, it becomes the Yang Spirit. When the Yang Spirit is fully developed, it becomes the Dharma Image.
Therefore, the Yang Spirit is said to be the embryonic form of the Dharma Image and is also known as the Dharma Body.
When a Daoist cultivator reaches the Third Rank Yang Spirit Realm, they can initially break free from the shackles of the physical body. The Yang Spirit roams freely between heaven and earth, unrestrained.
Even if the physical body is annihilated, as long as a certain price is paid, the physical body can be remolded.
Of course, this does not mean the physical body is unimportant. On the contrary, the physical body is the key to stepping into the First Rank Earthly Immortal Realm.
The Yang Spirit undergoes further transformation to become the Dharma Image. At this point, the Dharma Image must merge with the physical body, becoming one again, and then transcend the Heavenly Tribulation to complete the qualitative change.
Thus, an Earthly Immortal is born.
“Since he could leave behind a shed skin, it means the Daoist was not a First Rank Earthly Immortal. In that case, how did he escape after failing the Heavenly Tribulation?” Luo Yuheng frowned tightly.
“That’s why it’s just a guess. It seems Junior Sister also doesn’t know the reason,” the orange cat shook its head regretfully.
“If I knew the reason, my father would not have been annihilated in the Heavenly Tribulation,” Luo Yuheng pouted.
“Makes sense,” the orange cat nodded and revealed a humanized smile. “Let’s put this matter aside for now. Let’s talk about the next piece of intelligence. After the Daoist failed the tribulation, he built a large tomb for himself and ordered the shed skin to guard an Imperial Jade Seal, which contained the energy of fate he had gathered.”
“The Daoist told the shed skin that he would return one day to retrieve the jade seal. That shed skin mistook Xu Qi’an for the Daoist and offered the jade seal with both hands. Guess what happened next.”
Luo Yuheng’s heart pounded wildly a few times, her beautiful eyes sparkling brightly as she pursued, “Xu Qi’an obtained the Imperial Jade Seal? This is truly good news, Senior Brother. This intelligence of yours is priceless.”
If she could exchange the Imperial Jade Seal from Xu Qi’an and use the energy of fate within it to cultivate, stepping into the First Rank would be just around the corner. She wouldn’t need to be troubled by the matter of dual cultivating with a stinky man either.
Advancing to the First Rank, roaming freely between heaven and earth with a long lifespan, she would no longer need to be a State Preceptor, no longer need to deal with Emperor Yuanjing, no longer be trapped in the capital.
Thinking of this, Luo Yuheng’s heartbeat became even more intense, her breathing ragged.
Since the establishment of the Human Sect, throughout the long river of history, Second Rank experts were as numerous as the hairs on a cow, but First Rank experts were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. The Heavenly Tribulation blocked the path of so many heroes.
“The jade seal is gone,” Jinlian Daoist said regretfully.
Luo Yuheng’s expression suddenly stiffened, and her breath caught in her throat as she cried out, “The jade seal is gone? Then where is it? Did it remain in the tomb and wasn’t brought out?”
“It’s in the mountain range outside Xiangcheng, right? That mountain range, tell me the exact location…”
She abruptly stood up, summoning her flying sword and whisk, letting them hover behind her. Then, she walked out while reaching her hand toward the orange cat, drawing it into her palm.
Luo Yuheng couldn’t sit still anymore.
“Junior Sister,” Jinlian Daoist said while being held by the neck, its four limbs dangling, assuming a posture of “you can do whatever you want, I’m too lazy to move.” It said, “The jade seal is not in the tomb. You won’t find it even if you go.”
Luo Yuheng halted her steps, widening her beautiful eyes as she chided charmingly, “You old Daoist, can’t you speak all at once? Hurry and tell me, where is the jade seal?”
With a sweep of her sleeve, she sent the orange cat tumbling.
“The jade seal was destroyed…”
The orange cat added before Luo Yuheng could fly into a rage, “The energy of fate within it was completely seized by Xu Qi’an.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Yuheng instantly froze like a wooden chicken.
After a good while, Luo Yuheng silently returned to her meditation cushion, sat down cross-legged, and muttered, “The energy of fate was completely seized by him…”
“If previously, you thought his energy of fate was insufficient, then now, helping you step into the First Rank should be a sure thing. Of course, with whom to dual cultivate, or whether to dual cultivate at all, is your own business, Junior Sister,” the orange cat said gently.
It squatted for a moment and, seeing Luo Yuheng spacing out in a daze, couldn’t help but cough to remind her, “I wonder if these two pieces of intelligence are worth two Blood Fetus Pills?”
As soon as it finished speaking, two white jade bottles flew out from Luo Yuheng’s sleeve, pure and translucent.
The orange cat opened its mouth, swallowed the two bottles into its stomach for safekeeping, and smiled, “Many thanks, Junior Sister.”
It nimbly leaped off the table, its tail upright, wiggling its cat butt merrily as it dashed into the flower bed and left the Lingbao Temple.
Luo Yuheng was like a statue, sitting cross-legged for a long time. Suddenly, her long and curled eyelashes quivered, and the jade beauty came back to life.
She raised her arm, her sleeve slid down, and her white, exquisite jade hand pinched the Daoist hairpin, gently pulling it out.
The lotus crown tumbled down, and her smooth, silky black hair was released from its restraint, cascading down like water.
A divine beauty, the most enchanting in the world.
At this moment, a woman lifting her skirt and wearing a face veil came running in. She crossed the threshold, saw the black hair flowing like a waterfall and the enchantingly beautiful Luo Yuheng, and was stunned for a moment.
The veiled woman stared for a while, pointed at Luo Yuheng, and exclaimed, “Oh, oh, oh, you’ve finally made up your mind to dual cultivate with Emperor Yuanjing?”
As she spoke, she even wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, assuming the posture of an old matchmaker.
Luo Yuheng’s fair white face turned slightly red. Her orchid-like finger twirled the Daoist hairpin in her hair, magically coiling it back into a bun.
The lotus crown that had fallen to the ground was ignored.
“What did you come to find me for?” Luo Yuheng asked calmly.
The veiled woman did not respond. She walked straight to the table, turned over an overturned teacup, poured herself a cup of warm tea, gulped it down with relish, and let out a satisfied burp.
“The royal mansion received a letter from the border. The letter said that King Zhenbei had already approached the peak of the Third Rank Greater Perfection Realm. At the latest, by early next year, or at the earliest, this year, he will reach the pinnacle of the Third Rank.”
The veiled woman paced back and forth in the quiet room. “This is very bad, very bad.”
Luo Yuheng frowned. “So fast?”
In a certain room, a conversation was taking place between two women.
After a moment of contemplation, one of them said with a smile, “What’s there to worry about? With his promotion to the Second Rank, your status as the Princess Consort of Zhenbei will be second only to the Empress. Even the imperial consorts and noble ladies in the palace will have to bow their heads to you.”
“Who cares about such things?” replied the veiled woman. Suddenly, she frowned and added, “By the way, it was his vice general who delivered the message. That uncouth military brute even inquired about the Buddhist magic duel.”
…
In the Imperial City, Xu Qi An finished his lunch at the Lin’an Mansion before bidding farewell. He mounted his beloved mare, reflecting on his gains from the visit.
“As expected, chess is still too difficult for her. She doesn’t particularly enjoy it, but she treasures the chessboard and pieces we made together…”
“She also likes the stories of Long Aotian and Zixia, though she seemed a bit disappointed with the latest chapter. When I asked her what was lacking, she hesitated and wouldn’t say…”
“Today, I held Lin’an’s hand twice – once while teaching her chess, and again when helping her onto the boat at the rear pond. This experiment proves that as long as I’m not too blatant in taking advantage, she can accept some physical contact with me. It’s a good sign – more than friends, but not quite lovers.”
“Steady on, steady on. Right now, our love is like a carriage – Lin’an is inside, and I’m outside. Shortly, our love will be like a bed – Lin’an will be underneath me, and I’ll be inside her.”
Soon, the Constabulary came into view.
“Young Master, Young Master…” a familiar voice called out from the entrance.
Xu Qi An’s expression stiffened as he turned towards the source – it was the son of Old Zhang, the doorkeeper.
“How many times have I told you to call me ‘Young Lord’ in public?” Xu Qi An reprimanded him irritably before asking, “What are you doing at the Constabulary?”
The servants brought from the outer city still maintained their old habits, calling him “Young Master” and Xu Xin Nian “Second Young Master.” This reminded Xu Qi An of his previous life when his parents would still use his childhood nickname even after he had grown up, which was particularly embarrassing when others were present.
“A young lady came to the mansion looking for you, sir. When asked about her relationship with you, she wouldn’t say. She just insisted on seeing you. Madam sent me to call you back,” Old Zhang’s son explained. “But the guards at the Constabulary wouldn’t let me in. They said you hadn’t checked in today and weren’t at the office, so I could only wait at the entrance.”
A young lady?
Xu Qi An mentally reviewed the “fish” in his “pond,” first ruling out Chu Caiwei, who was a regular visitor to the Xu mansion and came to play every few days.
It couldn’t be Fu Xiang either. She wouldn’t visit without reason, and besides, his aunt knew Fu Xiang. At that time, their love was like a coffin – Xu Biao Piao was inside, and Fu Xiang the creditor was outside.
Could it be Zhong Li? Xu Qi An wondered, then asked, “What does this young lady look like?”
…
In a restaurant in the inner city, Zhu Tui Zhi, a student from the Yunlu Academy, was drinking with his fellow students.
At the table, besides the Yunlu Academy students, there were also a few students from the Imperial Academy.
Although there was a doctrinal dispute between Yunlu Academy and the Imperial Academy, and the students from both sides did harbor some mutual hostility and disdain, it was limited to that.
If one were to say there was any irreconcilable conflict, there wasn’t. After all, the doctrinal dispute was too remote for ordinary students, and most of them didn’t even have the opportunity to become officials, or could only become minor officials at best.
If one side took the initiative to socialize and curry favor, it was quite easy for them to sit together and chat over drinks.
Zhu Tui Zhi had been in a terrible mood recently. He had failed the spring imperial examination.
For the proud and arrogant Zhu Tui Zhi, this was undoubtedly a huge blow. Especially since his long-time rival, Xu Ci Jiu, had achieved the top rank of “Hui Yuan.”
This further highlighted the gap between them.
Since the results were announced, he had been spending his days in brothels, entertainment districts, and restaurants, drowning his sorrows in alcohol with his classmates.
“When did he develop such poetic talent?”
This question had been bothering Zhu Tui Zhi. As a classmate and rival, he thought he knew Xu Ci Jiu’s capabilities well. His policy essays and classical interpretations were indeed first-rate, but his poetry had always been mediocre. Zhu Tui Zhi was confident that when it came to poetry, ten Xu Ci Jius couldn’t match him.
“Who would have thought that this year’s top scholar in the spring examination would be Xu Ci Jiu from your Yunlu Academy,” remarked a student from the Imperial Academy. “For us at the Imperial Academy, this is an utter disgrace. In the past, we would have caused an uproar over this.
“But if it’s Xu Ci Jiu, everyone has to admit he deserves it.”
Another Imperial Academy student shook his head and recited, “The road ahead is difficult, oh so difficult. Many paths diverge, where shall I go now? The time will come when long winds break the waves, and I’ll set my cloud-like sail to cross the vast sea.
“Every time I savor this poem, it stirs up grand emotions in my heart. Any difficulties or obstacles are nothing in comparison. Haha, let’s drink!”
The Yunlu Academy students showed proud smiles. Xu Ci Jiu’s top achievement brought honor to them as fellow students of Yunlu Academy.
Only Zhu Tui Zhi remained silent, drinking heavily.
At this moment, a young Imperial Academy student who hadn’t spoken before glanced at Zhu Tui Zhi and said with a smile, “Brother Zhu doesn’t seem too happy?”
Zhu Tui Zhi looked at him. This person’s surname was Liu, given name Jue. He was very skilled in socializing and didn’t speak ill of Yunlu Academy students despite being from the Imperial Academy himself. He had extensive connections among the young scholars in the capital. Like Zhu Tui Zhi, he had also failed the spring examination.
Zhu Tui Zhi didn’t answer, just waving his hand and continuing to drink.
Liu Jue wasn’t bothered and was determined to draw Zhu Tui Zhi into the conversation. He asked, “If Top Scholar Xu had such poetic talent, why was he so unremarkable before? We never heard of him.
“Even if one can occasionally produce such an immortal masterpiece by chance, their overall poetic ability shouldn’t be too low. Yet I’ve never heard of a Xu Ci Jiu in the capital’s poetry circles.”
Zhu Tui Zhi let out a derisive laugh, drained his cup in one gulp, and said disdainfully, “Forget about you not hearing of him, even I, a student of Yunlu Academy, had never heard of it.”
This statement immediately caught the interest of the Imperial Academy students, who turned to look at him.
Liu Jue narrowed his eyes, his tone unchanged as he casually asked, “What do you mean by that, Brother Zhu?”