In the guest hall, Xu Qi An sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea served by a maid. At his feet was a bag about as high as his knee.
He sat quietly for a few minutes, his ears twitching slightly as he heard the sound of scales moving. Then, he saw Chu Xianglong stride across the threshold and enter directly.
“Thank you, General Chu and Duke Cao, for your assistance.”
Xu Qi An’s words lacked sincerity, as he didn’t even stand up, and continued to drink his tea while speaking.
Chu Xianglong didn’t mind. He scrutinized Xu Qi An, and then his gaze fell on the bag at Xu Qi An’s feet. “Where’s the item?”
Xu Qi An put down his teacup, opened the bag, and revealed a stone-carved Buddha statue. The carving was extremely poor, worse than a beginner’s work.
Chu Xianglong’s eyes immediately lit up, staring intently at the statue. Although it was crudely carved, with only an outline for a face, the faint Buddhist aura made one realize its extraordinariness.
“I’ve inscribed the essence of the Vajra Skill in the Buddha statue. As for whether you can successfully cultivate it, that’s your business, General,” Xu Qi An said.
“Of course.”
Chu Xianglong withdrew his gaze and looked at Xu Qi An with satisfaction, nodding: “You’re a man of your word.”
Heh, if I weren’t trustworthy, you’d say, ‘How dare a mere constable like you go back on your word? Even Wei Yuan couldn’t protect you!’
Xu Qi An inwardly sneered but kept a neutral expression. “This skill is a windfall. If General Chu is interested, I’d sell it for 500 taels of silver, no need for all this trouble.”
Chu Xianglong walked over, wrapped the statue in the bag, and held it in his hand. His face showed mockery and derision:
“Something that can be obtained with a little scheming, I don’t think it’s worth 500 taels. Of course, the Buddhist Golden Body is priceless. Constable Xu, please see yourself out.”
The Buddhist Golden Body is priceless, meaning I’m not worthy of your money… Xu Qi An didn’t show any anger and smiled, “The green hills remain unchanged, the blue waters flow forever.”
He turned to leave.
Just as he reached the courtyard, he saw a maid hurrying over, saying, “Are you Constable Xu Qi An?”
“That’s me,” Xu Qi An nodded.
“Our Princess Consort wishes to see you,” the maid said.
The Northern Border King’s consort wants to see me? The first beauty of Great Tang wants to see me. This could be interesting… Xu Qi An was extremely curious about this renowned woman.
It’s just a meeting, no harm in it… Xu Qi An smiled and said, “Please lead the way, sister.”
The maid led Xu Qi An through winding corridors, across courtyards and gardens. After a quarter of an hour, they arrived at their destination – a pavilion with curtains hanging on all four sides.
He could vaguely see a graceful figure sitting on a chaise lounge, holding a book in her hand.
Xu Qi An tried hard to see her face clearly but found that behind the curtains, there was another layer of gauze veil.
“Are you Xu Qi An?”
From behind the curtains came the voice of a mature woman, cool with a hint of magnetism.
Although he couldn’t see her face clearly, her voice was pleasant… Xu Qi An cupped his hands in salute: “What does the Princess Consort need from me?”
The woman in the pavilion snorted coldly: “I heard that you single-handedly blocked hundreds of officials outside the Meridian Gate and composed a poem to mock them. Is this true?”
Xu Qi An said, “Young and impulsive, I acted on impulse. I’m ashamed, truly ashamed.”
Are you capable of shame? Bah! The woman in the pavilion was silent for a moment, then said indifferently, “See him out.”
Is that all? Xu Qi An looked somewhat bewildered at the woman in the pavilion, then turned to follow the maid.
Just then, something golden suddenly flew out from the pavilion, hitting Xu Qi An on the back with a thud.
“Why did the Princess Consort throw something at me?”
Xu Qi An turned around, looking down at the gold on the ground. He hadn’t received any warning of danger from his divine sense, which meant there was no crisis just now, but he was a bit angry.
The woman in the pavilion ignored him.
Confusion flashed in Xu Qi An’s eyes. Seeing that the Princess Consort wouldn’t explain, he bent down to pick up the gold and pocketed it without changing his expression.
“Next time the Princess Consort wants to throw something at me, remember to use gold bricks.”
Xu Qi An mocked, then followed the maid to leave.
In a quiet bedroom, Chu Xianglong closed the doors and windows tightly. He placed the stone Buddha statue on the table and observed it intently for a long time, feeling a circulation of Buddhist aura that was indescribably wonderful.
But no matter how he tried to comprehend it, he still couldn’t extract the skill from it.
“The Buddhist Vajra Skill indeed requires some predestined opportunity and a foundation in Buddhist teachings. Xu Qi An being able to cultivate the Vajra Invincibility does show some talent. However, he’s still just a nobody without roots. A little scheming was enough to make him comply obediently.”
Thinking of this, Chu Xianglong sneered, both smug and contemptuous.
What martial arts genius? What talent is comparable to the Northern Border King? Without the Astrologer’s secret help, how could he have battled with the Buddhist Arhat?
Among the rumors in the capital praising him, what Chu Xianglong despised and hated most was the comparison between him and His Highness.
A constable from a commoner background, a lowly person from a military household, how dare he be compared?
“Apart from the Vajra Skill, the benefits that can be squeezed from this boy are pitiful. Otherwise, in the imperial examination fraud case, we would have squeezed all his value in one go.”
There was a reason why Chu Xianglong and Duke Cao plotted for the Vajra Skill. With their status, position, and experience, how could they not know the profundity of the Vajra Skill?
Chu Xianglong joined the army in his youth. In his early years, while suppressing bandits with the army, he encountered a traveler from the Western Regions.
The traveler tried to enlighten the hungry bandits with Buddhist teachings but was tied up by them, about to be cooked and eaten.
Chu Xianglong saved the traveler. To repay his kindness, the traveler gave him a bronze amulet. This amulet was engraved with Buddhist scriptures, emanating a Buddhist aura. Whenever he wore it, he felt calm, his killing intent dissipating, entering a state akin to sudden enlightenment.
After every battle, Chu Xianglong would wear it to dispel his killing intent and comprehend the profound Buddhist teachings.
“Creak…”
Opening the bedside cabinet, he took out a small sandalwood box. Lifting the lid, inside was a palm-sized bronze talisman wrapped in red silk.
“Although I’m not a Buddhist, this talisman is mysterious and magical, able to help me enter a state of sudden enlightenment. Perhaps I can use it to comprehend the marvel of the Vajra Skill.
“Once I cultivate the Vajra Invincibility, my combat power will increase by more than one level. The key is that a physical body far superior to ordinary warriors will allow me to survive better on the battlefield.
“Moreover, if I can cultivate the Vajra Skill with the help of the bronze talisman, His Highness will surely be able to as well. At that time, he will reward me heavily.”
Thinking of this, Chu Xianglong’s eyes became feverish, eager to comprehend the Buddha statue immediately.
He took a deep breath, spending the time it took to drink a cup of tea to calm his emotions, making his mind peaceful and undisturbed.
Then, he grasped the bronze talisman and began to meditate.
Gradually, he felt a vast, gentle aura. His mind became clear because of this, calmly examining the seven emotions and six desires, no longer troubled by distracting thoughts.
After entering this state, Chu Xianglong opened his eyes and focused on observing the Buddhist aura on the stone statue.
This time, he saw the Buddha statue moving, changing into various postures. Each posture was accompanied by a different way of circulating qi.
It really works… Chu Xianglong was overjoyed, almost unable to maintain his “detached from the world” state.
Instinctively, he tried to imitate the postures on the stone statue, imitating that unique way of circulating qi.
A golden light lit up between his eyebrows, quickly covering half of his body.
Suddenly… the qi in his body was affected, like a volcanic eruption, impacting his meridians and dantian.
“Puff!”
Chu Xianglong spat out a mouthful of blood. Blood vessels all over his body burst, and his dantian was also ruptured by the violent qi, severely injuring him.
His face suddenly turned red, large beads of sweat rolling down. He looked down at himself, seeing the golden light on his arms gradually fading.
“How could this happen? Does the bronze talisman not work either…” The thought flashed through Chu Xianglong’s mind as his eyes rolled back and he fainted.
Half an hour later, Chu Xianglong’s confidant came looking for him and finally discovered him unconscious and barely breathing.
“Assassin! There’s an assassin…”
The Northern Border King’s consort listened to the guard’s report, suppressing the joy in her heart, and asked, “He went berserk while practicing? How did he suddenly go berserk?”
The guard shook his head: “This humble servant doesn’t know.”
The Princess Consort said gleefully: “Is he dead?”
… The guard shook his head again: “His life is not in danger, but he’s severely injured. The cultivator from the Bureau of Astronomy and Calendar said he needs to be bedridden for a month to recover. Moreover, because it was discovered too late, his qi has reversed, all meridians are broken, and he might have lasting aftereffects.”
The Princess Consort was immediately very disappointed.
“However, this humble servant heard that it might be related to the Buddha statue brought by Constable Xu,” the guard said hesitantly.
Is it related to him? That stinky boy did something satisfying… The Princess Consort thought with a smile.
On a rugged mountain path, Li Miao Zhen, wearing a Daoist robe with her hair tied up in a jade crown, walked slowly, carrying a long sword given by her sect.
Wildflowers bloomed by the roadside, the sun shone brightly, and the scenery was beautiful. She walked and looked around, content.
A bright red oil-paper umbrella followed by her side, beneath which was the devastatingly beautiful Su Su. Her eyes were like black pearls, her lips red and alluring, her skin snow-white, wearing an intricate and magnificent long dress.
Li Miao Zhen was beautiful, but her aura was too sharp.
In contrast, Su Su was completely dressed like a peerlessly beautiful young lady from a noble family. As her eyes moved, she exuded a natural charm, with an indescribable allure.
“We’re just eighty li away from the capital. Master, can we stay in the capital for a while?” Su Su looked towards the south, full of anticipation.
“I’m not familiar with the Bureau of Astronomy and Calendar. Xu Qi An is already dead, without his connections, Song Qing wouldn’t bother with you,” Li Miao Zhen pouted, mercilessly crushing her hopes.
“Then…”
Su Su’s eyes rolled, and she smiled slyly: “I’ll say I’m Xu Qi An’s betrothed wife.”
Li Miao Zhen sneered: “That’s perfect. They might just send you off to accompany him right then and there.”
Su Su angrily turned around, stood by the roadside, and huffed: “I’m not going anymore. I want to go back to the Celestial Sect. I want to go back to the Celestial Sect.”
Her coquettish attitude could easily arouse a man’s tender feelings of cherishing a delicate flower.
Unfortunately, Li Miao Zhen wasn’t a man. She slapped Su Su on the back of her head, “Are you coming or not?”
After being hit, Su Su immediately became obedient: “Ouch, don’t hit my head. You’ve made it flat.”
At this moment, Li Miao Zhen sniffed and her expression became solemn: “I smell blood.”
She looked around for a moment, then focused on the bushes ahead.