The Princess of the Wanyao Kingdom did not give chase. The nine fox tails wrapped around Xu Qi’an and brought him before Zhao Shou.
The nine tails unfurled, gently swaying behind Xu Qi’an. Then, one by one, the fox tails faded away.
“Wait, where is Fuxiang?”
Xu Qi’an, weak as he was, forced himself to ask.
The tails stirred, and a seductive female voice teased,
“You’re on your last legs, still thinking of women, what a hopeless romantic.”
So she really is a difficult Yao woman in need of discipline… Xu Qi’an understood the snark and frowned, and as he watched the fox tails disappearing one by one, pressed on,
“If someone treats me with sincerity, I will treat them the same.”
This was a basic code for a true sea king.
“I’ve married her off to a male clansman.”
The Princess’s cheerful voice came.
Doth thy mother seek death? Xu Qi’an’s eyes widened in shock!
“Just teasing you.”
The Princess’s next words calmed Xu Qi’an’s anger. She said,
“Fuxiang has already returned to my side. Her identity as the Jiaofangsi Oiran was nothing more than an ordinary mission, just a small episode in her life’s journey.”
Xu Qi’an nodded weakly,
“Then I’m at ease.”
Even though he knew Fuxiang was a Yao agent and had only faked her death to escape, hearing she was well still brought Xu Qi’an relief. For now, he would let this fish return to the sea.
He could always reclaim her for his pond another day.
As the last fox tail faded, the Princess said with a laugh,
“Oh, by the way, Fuxiang’s body was a corpse I found in a pile of dead bodies years ago, she’d only just died and the body was still usable, so I used the Soul-Returning Art to place Fuxiang’s soul inside.
“That body was just like a living person, but in the end, it was still a corpse. After a few years, she couldn’t stop it decaying, so Fuxiang had no choice but to fake her death and escape.”
Xu Qi’an’s expression froze, as if he were a still painting.
…
“Dalang, Dalang…”
Second Uncle, who had been waiting anxiously, rushed to check his nephew’s injuries the moment the fox tails vanished.
Xu Pingzhi’s old face was etched with grief, anger, worry, and lingering fear. He clung tightly to his nephew’s hand, afraid that if he let go, the boy would die.
“Why hasn’t the wound healed? Isn’t third rank supposed to be undying body?”
Second Uncle checked for a while, growing anxious.
His nephew’s wounds hadn’t improved at all: the two Broken Jade wounds remained, nine Demon Sealing Nails were still embedded in his flesh, and blood kept pouring from the wound in his abdomen.
Added to the blood from his orifices, it was a terrifying sight, he looked as if he might die at any moment from his injuries.
“He’s on the verge of death, in urgent need of help.”
Zhao Shou sighed, enduring a splitting headache, and declared gravely, “Bleeding stops.”
Those gruesome wounds slowly stopped seeping blood, but were still far from healed.
To Zhao Shou, the very fact Xu Qi’an was still alive was proof of a martial artist’s vitality.
He’d suffered greatly in his deadly fight with Zhende, especially the two self-destructive Broken Jade wounds: kill a thousand, lose eight hundred, truly terrifying.
Afterwards, the Demon Sealing Nails had locked away his qi and blood, leaving him with the cultivation of a third rank martial artist but unable to use any of it.
And finally, he had used the confucian-recorded Warlock Curse of Death, sacrificing himself to inflict the backlash of fortune on the white-robed Arcanist.
The backlash for killing a person blessed by great fortune.
A case of killing eight hundred, losing thousand oneself.
Even with all these wounds stacked up, the fact he clung to life showed just how tenacious a martial artist’s vitality was.
“Let’s return to the capital. At this point, only the Jianzheng can save him.”
Zhao Shou glanced at the distant battle. Even with his third rank cultivation, he could not see the clash between a first rank Bodhisattva and the first rank Heaven’s Mandate, shrouded as it was in countless layers of formations.
The Jianzheng was cutting off the Bodhisattva’s retreat, he meant to slay her.
Xu Pingzhi lifted his nephew, his expression gloomy as he nodded.
He remembered everything now, the famous, peerless elder brother of years past, the glory days of the Xu family.
But all of that was gone. In the capital, every year saw great officials and wealthy families fall from grace, their homes confiscated. With Heaven’s secrets shielded, no one remembered the Xu family’s brief moment of glory two decades ago.
…
Late at night, in the imperial study.
Candlelight blazed, as bright as day.
The Crown Prince sat behind the Emperor’s desk, feelings mixed, there was nostalgia, emotion, excitement, restlessness… Just like an average person facing a once-in-a-lifetime wedding.
The Crown Prince knew that whether he could ascend the throne smoothly all depended on tonight.
At this moment, the ministers were still waiting in a side hall, sipping hot tea, nibbling on cakes, and waiting for council.
With the Emperor dead and the court leaderless, it was only natural for the Crown Prince to take charge, this was his purpose, his role.
The country could not go a day without a ruler, nor a day without a Crown Prince.
Now, the importance of the Crown Prince was clear. If the Great Feng had no prince, chaos would have erupted by now.
Thanks to efforts to calm the populace, most classes in the capital remained composed. The worst unrest came from the commoners, who gathered at the palace gates and government offices, shouting to see Silver Gong Xu.
People in the city suspected Silver Gong Xu had been secretly arrested or even killed by the court.
Prime Minister Wang ordered the prince to bring the imperial guards into the city to keep order, while instructing officials to reassure the public, quelling potential riots.
“Your Highness, the Prime Minister has arrived.”
The old eunuch stepped over the threshold and whispered from below.
Prime Minister Wang, dressed in crimson robes and his official hat, strode into the imperial study, his steps firm and steady.
Compared to the anxious officials, Prime Minister Wang’s face was calm, his spirit strong, he looked completely renewed, all his old troubles swept away.
“Your Highness!”
Prime Minister Wang bowed.
“Prime Minister, what should be done at such a time?”
The Crown Prince looked down at the Prime Minister.
He knew Prime Minister Wang was key to his ascension, his future ally; as long as they formed an alliance, he could suppress the other cliques and firmly claim the throne.
And that would not be hard, since many in the Wang Clique were also Prince’s men.
Prime Minister Wang himself had never chosen sides before, as the Emperor had been there to hold him in check. But in truth, he was always a supporter of the Crown Prince, or at least favoured him, otherwise, he would not have let members of his own clique quietly side with the Prince.
Prime Minister Wang said, “Your Highness must do three things: first, steady the people; second, steady the army; third, steady the court.”
The Prince leaned forward slightly, smiling, “How does the Prime Minister suggest we do that?”
Prime Minister Wang seemed fully prepared, replying methodically,
“Your Highness, everyone knows Xu Qi’an killed the late Emperor outside the capital. There’s no way to cover it up. To try would only provoke public fury and destroy trust in the court.”
Now, everyone in the capital was thinking again of Xu Qi’an, remembering he was the one who killed the Emperor.
The Crown Prince sighed, this was just what he’d thought too.
Wang Zhenwen continued,
“Reveal the late Emperor’s actions to the people, publish it throughout the land: he cut off the army’s supplies, betrayed loyal ministers, leading to the deaths of eighty thousand soldiers at the hands of the Church of the Warlock God. Afterwards, Your Highness, denounce him in the name of filial piety, forbid his spirit tablet from entering the Ancestral Temple, and deny his remains burial in the Imperial Mausoleum.
“Then, reward Xu Qi’an, restore his position, grant him a title, and announce it to the world. In this way, the hearts of the people and the army will be settled. Though what the late Emperor did will disgrace the court and the royal family, Your Highness’s actions will earn praise from the common folk and the wise. They will look forward to a new era under a new ruler.”
By “late Emperor”, Wang Zhenwen meant Emperor Yuanjing.
“That cannot be done!”
The Crown Prince was horrified. Is this not asking me to be unfilial?
No matter how outrageous the late Emperor’s actions, father and son would always be father and son. Others might criticise the late Emperor, but as his son, he could never do so himself.
Even if he was in the right, he would be condemned as an unfilial son.
That accusation might not surface in the short term, but history would surely record it.
Throughout all the dynasties, even when a son forced his father to abdicate, he would still treat him with respect and keep him confined in the palace.
To flog his father’s corpse, such a thing had never happened, ancient or modern. It was simply too taboo; no wise man would do it.
“If Your Highness wishes to swiftly build up prestige, win the love of the people, and give them faith in a new era, this is the price that must be paid. With such an enlightened ruler ascending the throne, and with Xu Qi’an granted a title and holding the court steady, the situation will be under control.”
“This cannot be done,” the Crown Prince still shook his head.
Prime Minister Wang nodded and offered a second plan:
“Then claim that His Majesty was controlled by the Church of the Warlock God’s sorcery, and only committed those crimes as a result. Silver Gong Xu struck down the Church’s plot.
“The war with the Church of the Warlock God has just ended, and the people are furious that eighty thousand soldiers died in the northeast. No one will doubt this story, and it will redirect their anger toward the Church.
“But Xu Qi’an’s actions must still be rewarded, to help restore the court’s image. The fact that people have been gathering at government offices and the palace gates today is proof enough.”
The Crown Prince was silent for a long time and made no objection.
Seeing this, Prime Minister Wang continued,
“Finally, stabilising the court: what the officials most fear is the old saying ‘a new emperor, new ministers’. Your Highness must win them over.”
“How do we do so?” the Crown Prince asked.
Winning them over could not be done with empty promises; real benefits must be offered. So to win one group, another must be suppressed.
In truth, the Crown Prince was asking: whom should I suppress?
Prime Minister Wang said calmly,
“Censorate Right Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong and Vice Minister of War Qin Yuandao colluded with the Church of the Warlock God, controlled His Majesty, and sought to overthrow the Great Feng. Their crimes are unpardonable. They should be sentenced to nine familial executions. The rest of their clique should all be stripped of property.
“But as Your Highness is newly enthroned, a general amnesty is needed. Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao will be beheaded in public, their property seized, their female family members sent to Jiaofangsi, but their clansmen spared death.
“The rest of their clique, depending on the severity, will face confiscation, dismissal, or execution, but their families will not be implicated.”
The timing and method of dealing with them were both specified.
After a long moment’s thought, the Crown Prince slowly nodded, “Good!”
He then turned and instructed the old eunuch, “Inform the ministers, and convene the court.”
…
Cloud Deer Academy.
Xu Pingzhi returned to his small courtyard, exhausted.
Because he had left so suddenly, Auntie and his daughters had come back to the Academy to wait for him.
“H- husband dear…”
His beautiful, voluptuous wife hurried to meet him, her face a little pale, her voice low,
“I… I think I’ve forgotten a lot of things.”
For example, she’d forgotten why her father, the old scholar, had married her to Xu Pingzhi. It wasn’t because she was simple and unskilled at managing the household,
It was because the Xu family had once been fabulously wealthy and influential, with Xu Pingzhi’s elder brother holding high office and great power.
That old scholar, relying on his daughter’s peerless beauty, married her to Xu Pingzhi.
Yet all these years, Auntie had somehow forgotten these things…
And Xu Pingzhi’s elder brother was no ordinary old soldier from the Battle of Shanhai Pass, but an eminent figure at court, a man of immense authority.
Second Uncle Xu glanced at his wife, weariness in his bones, and said softly,
“Then forget it. It’s better not to remember, some things only bring pain, and some people only bring sorrow if you remember them.”
Auntie opened her mouth, her lovely face bewildered, wanting to speak but stopping herself.
Xu Lingyue ran out of the house. Barely grown, she rose on tiptoe, glancing anxiously behind her,
“Where’s my big brother? Where is he?”
“He’s at the Sitianjian. He’s fine now.”
Xu Pingzhi comforted his daughter, then added, “I think we probably don’t need to leave the capital after all.”
…
Stargazing Tower, in a bedroom.
Chu Yuanzhen, Lina, Li Miaozhen, and Master Hengyuan sat around the table, quietly drinking tea.
They already knew what had happened to Xu Qi’an, about Xu Pingfeng’s existence, and how he had treated his son as a vessel, and now planned to kill him for the fortune.
Xu Qi’an had told them everything.
At this point, there was no reason to hide anything. Emperor Zhende was dead, the showdown between father and son was over, and all secrets had come to light.
The truth was out: he was the child of fortune.
Of course, Xu Qi’an wouldn’t go around shouting it from the rooftops, but it was fine to tell his closest companions.
“Incredible… his background is so strange, so unsettling,” murmured Chu Yuanzhen.
“Amitabha.”
Master Hengyuan looked mournful, “For a father to kill his son… what a tragic tale. Sir Xu’s origins are truly lamentable.”
Li Miaozhen’s face was dark, clutching her cup without a word.
She felt both sympathy and sorrow, mixed with seething anger.
“Even a tigress won’t eat her cubs. This Xu Pingfeng, I’ll stab him myself one day!” The Heaven Sect Holy Maiden had regained her spirit.
“In our Southern Marches, there’s a tribe like this too. When a son comes of age and feels strong enough, he can challenge his father. If he wins, he inherits everything, including his mother. If he loses, he dies.
“And if a father thinks a son threatens his position, he can challenge him outright, kill him fair and square to protect his power and interests.”
Lina said.
That was a tribe where a benevolent father and filial son did not exist.
The other three ignored her; many tribes in the Southern Marches were still primitive, with all sorts of strange customs.
But this was the Great Feng, where there were rules of propriety.
Xu Qi’an’s origins moved them all deeply and made them burn with shared indignation.
They’re all ignoring me… Lina puffed her cheeks, annoyed, about to speak when suddenly she clutched her stomach, her brow furrowed,
“Ow, it hurts, it hurts…
“Th- the Sevenfold Gu…”
…
The moon was bright and the stars sparse.
On the Bagua Platform atop the Stargazing Tower, someone coughed again and again.
In the bitter wind, Xu Qi’an sat at a desk wrapped in a blanket, cradling a bowl of medicine.
Zhong Li crouched at the stove, brewing his medicine; Chu Caiwei was carefully stitching his wounds and applying pain-relieving ointment.
Song Qing, hearing that his close friend was gravely wounded, had insisted on helping.
I don’t want to bother you… Xu Qi’an had sent him away.
After taking the Jianzheng’s medicines, drinking several bowls, and having Chu Caiwei forcibly stitch up those unhealed wounds, Xu Qi’an finally caught his breath. Though still sickly, his injuries really were improving.
If this had happened during the Yuyang Pass days, he’d never have held out for the Jianzheng’s return.
But the Demon Sealing Nails still hadn’t been removed.
Without removing them, both his cultivation and Shenshu remained sealed.
“That Bodhisattva called ‘Vaidurya’, is she dead?”
Xu Qi’an looked at the white-robed figure with his back to the room.
The Jianzheng shook his head slightly, “Killing a first rank is no simple thing, she was just badly injured. She won’t leave the Western Regions for at least two years.”
Xu Qi’an drew a deep breath and smiled, “That Bodhisattva seems weaker than Sarun Agu.”
He caught a whiff of faint fragrance from Chu Caiwei, mingled with the strong aroma of meat buns.
I’m hungry…
“No one who attains first rank is weak, they all have their strengths. When first ranks fight, victory is decided by time, place, and people. In the Great Feng, only a Beyond-rank could defeat me. But with the country’s current weakness, even two first ranks could hold me off.”
The Jianzheng paused, then went on, “I tangled with Sarun Agu for so long purely to avoid dragging the capital’s people into it. And as for your business with your father, it wasn’t my place to intervene.”
Not your place?
Your disciple tried to stab you in the back, and it wasn’t your place?
Before Xu Qi’an could ask, the Jianzheng explained,
“Heaven’s Mandate cannot reveal Heaven’s secrets, only work indirectly and in secret. Success or failure is up to fate.”
So the Jianzheng means, he had used Heaven’s secrets to see through Xu Pingfeng’s plot, which amounted to peering into Heaven’s secrets, so he could not interfere directly or leak what he knew… but fighting off the Bodhisattva was not related to Heaven’s secrets, he was simply defeating a foreign enemy… Xu Qi’an finally understood.
He immediately asked, “Did you know the Bodhisattva would come?”
The Jianzheng grabbed the cup on the desk, drained it, and let out a satisfied breath:
“Vaidurya Bodhisattva holds two Bodhisattva fruits: the Five-colour Lapis Lazuli Dharma Aspect and the Walker Dharma Aspect. The latter allows her to roam the Western Regions by day and Mount Jing by night.”
So? Xu Qi’an didn’t get his meaning.
The Jianzheng smiled, “Now, there are two things I must discuss with you, both are very important.”
Xu Qi’an straightened his clothes, sitting up and listening intently.
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