The first nail sealed the heart, cutting off the flow of qi and blood. The second nail pierced the Baihui acupoint, sealing his Heavenly Gate and cutting off the resonance of fortune.
Xu Qi’an’s qi and blood, as well as his aura, were both blocked, and all his cultivation was sealed.
Most fatally, these golden nails engraved with Buddhist script seemed to inflict special harm upon Shenshu. Once two nails entered his body, Shenshu fell silent.
He had been sealed.
There was no warning at all. Neither Xu Qi’an nor Shenshu had received any danger alert when facing the white-robed arcanist’s sneak attack.
Though they were badly wounded and their condition had deteriorated in every aspect, for people of their current cultivation, this was simply absurd.
Yet the white-robed arcanist had managed it.
With the remaining seven nails held between his fingers, the white-robed arcanist did not strike immediately but instead looked towards the direction of the Stargazing Tower, towards Sarun Agu and the Jianzheng atop the Bagua Platform.
The white-robed arcanist let out a soft laugh: “The colourless pearl of the Buddhist sect is indeed useful. Without it, I really wouldn’t have had the confidence to teleport to you in absolute silence, without being detected by you or the demon monk.
“To deal with him, the Buddhist sect really spared no expense.”
In his palm was a Buddhist bead that had turned to dust.
He, he’s the first-generation Jianzheng… Sarun Agu is also in the capital, and with the current Jianzheng, all three generations, grandfather, father, and grandson, were here… Xu Qi’an’s heart gradually sank.
Every gift had its price secretly marked.
Now, the debt collector had come.
With two nails in his body, his qi and blood were obstructed, his aura solidified, and it was difficult to even move his limbs.
Other than being able to think, he could do nothing.
Xu Qi’an’s eyes kept darting about, and he saw that atop the Stargazing Tower, the sky, which had previously cleared, was suddenly shrouded in dark clouds. Thick bolts of lightning crashed down, and pure light raged in all directions.
The white-robed arcanist withdrew his gaze, glanced at Xu Qi’an, and said:
“The capital is his domain, but Sarun Agu has lived for several thousand years after all, with deep foundations. If he goes all out, it’s not difficult to stop him. Luo Yuheng is currently blocked by the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect.
“The only one who can save you is Zhao Shou. But, a third-rank Great Scholar? Not quite there.”
This white-robed arcanist’s face was blurred, as though covered in mosaic, making it impossible for Xu Qi’an to see his true appearance. But his tone was relaxed and calm, revealing confidence that everything was under control.
Sovereign Sword, save me… Xu Qi’an cried out frantically in his heart.
The Sovereign Sword vibrated, emanating endless sword intent.
But with a casual wave from the arcanist, the brass sword quieted down, and the Sovereign Sword was temporarily sealed.
“A peerless divine weapon baptised in six hundred years of fortune is a deadly weapon to the higher ranks of ordinary systems. But to an arcanist who manipulates fortune and is skilled in forging and formations, it poses no threat.” The white-robed arcanist’s tone was calm.
As he spoke, he took the Sage’s Carving Knife from Xu Qi’an’s hand. The sabre trembled, pure light spilling from his fingertips, but it could not harm him in the least.
Soon after, the Sage’s Carving Knife also calmed down, temporarily sealed.
“This knife can only show its true power in the hands of a Confucianist. Otherwise, no matter how peerless the divine weapon, without its owner’s blessing, it’s like a floating duckweed, impossible to use continuously. Every time its power is depleted, it needs to be nourished for a while. This is a little-known fact only arcanists understand; you’d do well to learn more.”
He spoke unhurriedly, his words making Xu Qi’an’s face pale and his heart fill with anxiety.
Whoosh!
At that moment, an unrivalled flash of sabre light shot upwards, slashing at the white-robed arcanist.
He casually caught it, grasped the Taiping Sabre in his hand, and shook his head with slight disappointment: “Once a divine weapon chooses its master, it only recognises the master. For others, it’s not much use.”
A pure light appeared in the white-robed arcanist’s palm, layer after layer covering the Taiping Sabre. Soon, the vibrating blade calmed down, and the Taiping Sabre was sealed.
With a casual toss, the Taiping Sabre fell at the ruined city gate, nailed to the ground.
“Any other tricks? If not, I’ll be taking you away now,” said the white-robed arcanist.
At this moment, Xu Qi’an realised he could speak. He tested, “The fortune on me, were you the one who put it there?”
The white-robed arcanist did not reply. He pressed a single hand to Xu Qi’an’s shoulder, his form flickered, and they teleported away.
Xu Qi’an’s vision blurred, the scenery became indistinct, and in the next second, he found himself in the countryside: barren fields stretching to the left, a small lake to the right, and mountains gathered in the distance.
Where is this…?
The arcanist’s teleportation paid no heed to reason. He had no idea where he was.
“No teleportation is allowed here!”
A deep and resonant voice rang out, as a figure appeared ahead, wearing the Confucian crown of the lesser sage, dressed in old scholar’s robes, his previously dishevelled hair now neatly tied up in the crown.
Dean Zhao Shou!
“No physical contact is allowed.”
His tone was calm, but his words carried an irresistible force.
A beam of pure light forcibly separated the white-robed arcanist from Xu Qi’an.
Relying on the lesser sage’s crown, Zhao Shou forcibly raised his status to the second rank.
After separating them, he waved his sleeve, “Withdraw a hundred li.”
The white-robed arcanist with the blurred face instantly disappeared.
Am I… saved? Wasn’t it said that teleportation was forbidden? The Confucianists really are such scoundrels…
Xu Qi’an felt a huge sense of relief, nearly throwing himself into Zhao Shou’s arms and calling him ‘father’.
But in the next moment, Xu Qi’an saw the white-robed arcanist appear beside him again, smiling:
“That’s right, the fortune on you was planted in your body by me, to fool the Jianzheng.”
Xu Qi’an was momentarily stunned. “How did you get back?”
The white-robed arcanist smiled, “I walked back.”
As he spoke, a Bagua formation lit up under Xu Qi’an’s feet, and the white-robed arcanist’s foot was conveniently stepping on the Wind Gate.
??? Xu Qi’an stared at him in confusion, his heart sinking once again.
Zhao Shou’s expression did not change as he calmly said, “Draw a circle as a prison!”1
A beam of pure light fell from the sky, covering dozens of li of land, completely isolating it from the outside world. Inside the cage was one world, and outside was another.
He was buying time, waiting for the Jianzheng to arrive.
The white-robed arcanist smiled, “Then I’ll play along with you.”
He stamped his foot, and formations appeared out of thin air, surrounding Zhao Shou.
Each of these formations was different: some intertwined with lightning, some shrouded in mist, some filled with sharpness, some blazing with flames, yet all were perfectly fused into a single formation.
They appeared simultaneously under Zhao Shou’s feet, working together to kill.
The Confucian crown above Zhao Shou’s head descended with pure light, and righteous qi protected his body. He raised a finger and traced a Buddhist glyph in the air.
The Buddhist glyph merged into his body, and at once, a touch of golden lacquer blossomed, with Vajra Divine Art protection.
Noble qi and Vajra Divine Art protected him completely.
For a high-ranking Confucianist, as long as I have seen it, I can copy it for free.
This time, Zhao Shou copied Xu Qi’an’s Diamond body.
Next, Zhao Shou imitated the white-robed arcanist, stamping his foot. Layers of formations sprang from beneath him, spreading rapidly, attempting to trap the white-robed arcanist.
But the white-robed arcanist merely waved his sleeve, sweeping away all of Zhao Shou’s formations.
How could using formations against an arcanist ever work?
The white-robed arcanist calmly removed a sachet from his waist, and in an instant, a slew of magical implements flew out as if they cost nothing.
Batteries of cannons lined up, massive ballistae landed, magical firearms and military crossbows floated in the air, all their sights aimed squarely at Zhao Shou.
Swords and sabres sharp enough to cut through iron roamed through the air.
In addition, there were other magical implements with bizarre effects, such as ropes for binding, bronze mirrors for intimidating souls, giant bronze bells for sealing…
What a damn show-off, Xu Qi’an couldn’t help but think, compared to this, martial artists could only be described as crude…
Witnessing the battle between a high-ranking Confucianist and a high-ranking arcanist, Xu Qi’an was filled with emotion.
Amidst the thunderous roar of cannons, the white-robed arcanist picked up a nail and pierced it into Xu Qi’an’s dantian.
A sharp pain tore through Xu Qi’an’s lower abdomen, cold sweat pouring down. He endured the pain and said,
“Why did you give me the fortune?”
The white-robed arcanist did not answer, and picked up another nail.
Xu Qi’an’s heart tightened, and he subconsciously wanted to retreat, but his body could not move. “You were behind the tax silver case, weren’t you? Was your aim to get me out of the capital in a ‘reasonable’ way?”
The white-robed arcanist smiled, “You guessed right.”
“But I can’t figure out, why did you need to use the tax silver case as an excuse to get me out of the capital? With your means and ability, even with the Jianzheng in the capital, you could still have taken me out.”
Xu Qi’an stared at him, trying to see through the ‘mosaic’ to observe his expression.
The white-robed arcanist patted his head, his voice gentle, like an elder speaking to a junior,
“Aren’t you supposed to be the Great Feng’s genius detective? I gave you so much time, and you still haven’t worked it out?”
I’ll work out your mother you cock-sucking… Xu Qi’an nearly swore inwardly, but he held back, striving to stall for time, and said, “Back in Yunzhou, you were the one helping me, right?”
“Mm,” the white-robed arcanist replied succinctly.
“You helped me, not to give me a gift, but because Yunzhou is really Xuzhou, the stronghold of your lineage, isn’t it?”
Xu Qi’an went for broke with his words.
“Not too stupid,”
The white-robed arcanist said calmly, picking up the nail and piercing it into Xu Qi’an’s upper dantian on his chest. “How did you work it out?”
Xu Qi’an’s face turned pale, sweat pouring from his forehead, his tone slightly weak:
“Because Yunzhou’s location is just too advantageous. It’s backed by the sea, so even if your uprising fails, you can escape overseas by ship. And why Yunzhou instead of another coastal province? Because Yunzhou is rich in resources. In terms of grain production, it’s second only to Yuzhou and Zhangzhou, the breadbaskets of the Great Feng.
“In terms of iron ore, medicinal herbs, and other mountain treasures, Yunzhou is second only to the Southern Marches’ Hundred Thousand Mountains. On top of that, banditry runs rampant there, making it the perfect cover for you to raise and station troops.
“The Church of the Warlock God also set its sights on this place, so they have been secretly plotting for years, supporting mountain bandits, colluding with the Qi Clique, and funnelling military supplies. This encroached upon your interests.
“So you used Duke Wei, and me, to eliminate the Church of the Warlock God. This way, you wouldn’t expose yourselves, and could sweep away their forces.
“If all this is right, then Yunzhou’s Chief Commander Yang Chuannan is actually your man, isn’t he?”
The white-robed arcanist applauded lightly, his face still blurred but clearly smiling. “You got it all right. And what else did you work out? Speak up, I’ll give you more time.”
“Unfortunately, I realised too late.” Xu Qi’an shook his head with a wry smile.
The reason he had quickly identified Yunzhou’s Provincial Administrator Song Changfu as the real culprit back then was all because he’d captured the cripple Liang Youping, who had been delivered by the white-robed arcanist.
And Liang Youping… was Li Miaozhen’s friend, handed over by Yunzhou’s Chief Commander Yang Chuannan.
Yunzhou was a strange place, clearly prosperous, yet plagued by banditry and the people lived in misery. Even Zhu Guangxiao had exclaimed how illogical it was.
After summoning Ji Qian’s spirit in Jianzhou and questioning him, Xu Qi’an had kept wondering where Xuzhou really was.
For a long time, he couldn’t figure it out. Only after uncovering everything did he suddenly realise the truth.
“Back in Yunzhou, why didn’t you extract my fortune then?”
“Didn’t you see for yourself?” The white-robed arcanist raised the nail in his hand and said,
“The sealed object beneath Sangpo was inside you. To extract your fortune, I’d have to face him.
“This demon monk is no ordinary figure, even I can’t seal him. So I went to the Western Regions and told the Buddhist sect about Shenshu residing within you.
“They were more than willing to lend me the treasured Demon-sealing Nails.”
No wonder he broke my Vajra Divine Art so easily, and sealed Shenshu so effortlessly. As expected, only a monk could deal with another monk… Xu Qi’an tried to ease his despair with silent lampooning.
“Why didn’t you borrow them earlier or later? Why wait until now?”
The white-robed arcanist’s tone was unhurried and amused, “Of course, I waited until Wei Yuan died, your dragon ley was scattered, and after you killed Zhende.”
Xu Qi’an narrowed his eyes. “How did you know Yuanjing was Zhende?”
The white-robed arcanist retorted, “Guess.”
Without waiting for Xu Qi’an to speak, he continued, “As long as Wei Yuan lived, not only the Church of the Warlock God but even I could find no peace. Who would dare to rise up while the Great Feng’s God of War lived? Now that the dragon ley has dissipated, the Central Plains will surely descend into chaos. This is the perfect time to start an uprising.
“It’s also the perfect time for me to take back the fortune.”
As he spoke, another golden nail was driven into Xu Qi’an’s dazhui.2
Xu Qi’an grunted, nearly fainting. The five nails inside him resonated, eroding his vitality, further sealing his cultivation, and Shenshu as well.
He was in terrible shape. Having killed Zhende and used Broken Jade twice, he was already gravely wounded.
Now, with the Demon-sealing Nails from the first-generation Jianzheng driven into his body, he was left with a weakness akin to an all-nighter in his previous life, the kind where he could drop dead at any moment.
“How did you escape the encirclement by Wuzong, the Bodhisattvas, and the current Jianzheng back then?” Xu Qi’an did not forget his aim of stalling for time.
The white-robed arcanist glanced at Zhao Shou in the distance, then opened his sachet again. More top-grade magical implements whistled out, as if cost was no object, replenishing his ‘forces’.
At the same time, he stomped again, spreading out arrays that could draw on the power of heaven and earth, trapping Zhao Shou within.
Dean Zhao Shou is already a fully perfected third rank, and with the lesser sage crown, he’s no weaker than a second rank… As expected of the first-generation Jianzheng, he must be just a step from first rank… Xu Qi’an despaired once again.
After restraining Zhao Shou, the white-robed arcanist picked up another nail, pouring pure light into it as he said,
“Do you think killing a first-rank is so easy?”
The sixth nail went into the mingmen acupoint on his lower back.
“He’s still resisting. No wonder this demon monk has caused so many headaches for the Buddhist sect. Once I’ve sealed him completely, I’ll set up an formation to reclaim the fortune. When that happens, you might die.”
“With the fortune on me, if you take my life, aren’t you afraid of suffering a backlash?”
Xu Qi’an’s face was ashen, not from fear, but from weakness.
“The Jianzheng dared not move against Zhende because he is the Jianzheng of the Great Feng. Five hundred years ago, it was by relying on this imperial line that he advanced to the first rank. Killing the emperor would be like destroying his own foundation. The fortune on you comes from the same lineage.
“If I kill you, I won’t destroy my foundation, I’ll just have to endure the backlash. And, for certain reasons, the backlash in this case is even lighter than what other high-ranks would suffer when dealing with you.”
The white-robed arcanist smiled.
“What reasons? Does it have to do with why you hid the fortune in me all those years ago?” Xu Qi’an narrowed his eyes.
The white-robed arcanist replied irrelevantly, “Do you know what the first and second ranks are called in the arcanist system? If you did, you’d figure out a lot for yourself.”
The seventh nail was driven into Xu Qi’an’s central acupoint.
Blood and sweat mingled, dyeing his tattered azure robe red. He fell silent for a moment, then nodded:
“I really am curious about the truth of the Jianzheng’s murder of his master back then.”
Legends say that the Lands of Zhou in the west (Shaanxi) were full of virtue, with its ruler’s virtue permeating its people. In Zhou, if one committed a crime, the constables would draw a circle on the ground as their cell, which they would stay in until their sentence was given. Idiom used here as its literal sense. ↩
Back of the skull at the base of the neck ↩
Comments for this chapter. You will need a GitHub account. Please follow all terms and conditions of GitHub issues and maintain etiquette in the comments. Cookies are required for this functionality.
If you want to talk with other readers about Nightwatchers (or other cultivation type books) you can join our cultivation groupreading discord server!
I also have a Kofi, which for legal reasons is definitely for supporting my digital art only (promise!): ko-fi.com/yanxin ... plus I guess server space isn't free, and I don't want to put ads/trackers... ever, so thank you if you do!