Stargazing Tower, Bagua Platform.
Song Qing ascended the Bagua Platform and bowed respectfully to the Jianzheng’s back.
“Teacher, Wei Yuan’s body has been rebuilt, but he only has his human soul. His earth and heaven souls are missing. If we cannot retrieve the two souls, he will never wake up.”
The Jianzheng glanced at him coldly and said, “Didn’t you already give him the list of materials for refining the Soul-summoning Bell?”
Song Qing looked a little awkward, since his teacher had previously instructed him not to let Xu Qi’an know that Wei Yuan was still alive.
He had held it in until now, waiting for the situation to be settled before passing on the sliver of hope regarding Wei Yuan’s survival to the alchemical genius Young Master Xu, so he could collect the materials for the Soul-summoning Bell.
Song Qing, who had defied his teacher’s orders, was only somewhat regretful, as if this was nothing unusual. He lamented:
“It’s just his cultivation…”
The Jianzheng slowly said, “Given his aptitude, it was truly a pity for him to walk the path of the martial artist. The crude path of a martial artist does not suit him.”
Then he fell silent and said no more.
Song Qing continued, “It’s a pity that Young Master Xu has left the capital, and Junior Sister Zhong Li has had to enter the sealed area under the tower again. Who knows when she will finally pass through her misfortune.”
“It won’t be too long.”
The Jianzheng gazed into the distant horizon.
“You have stayed in the field of alchemy for too long. When will you advance to Rank Five?”
The Jianzheng retracted his gaze and looked at Song Qing.
Song Qing looked puzzled and asked in return, “Why should I advance?”
The Jianzheng was silent for a moment, then looked out to the distant horizon again, no longer responding to his fourth disciple.
…
The base of the Stargazing Tower.
Oil lamps lit the space, casting a dim yellow glow.
Zhong Li, draped in a coarse linen robe, her messy long hair hanging down, her bright eyes reflecting the candlelight, walked slowly along the deep, silent corridor.
As she passed a certain room, a man’s voice sounded from inside.
“Is that you, Junior Sister Zhong Li?”
Zhong Li stopped in her tracks, paused before the door, and replied softly, “Mhm!”
“Why have you come back again? That kid promised to bear the misfortune for you, but every few days he ends up sending you back.” Yang Qianhuan grunted twice.
There were three floors below the Stargazing Tower, used to imprison incorrigible criminals whose cultivation was too high. Ordinary cells could not hold those of fifth or fourth rank.
However, not many martial artists were actually worth imprisoning beneath the Stargazing Tower, and such people usually did not live long. Thus, the prison below the tower was always very quiet.
Instead, Yang Qianhuan and Zhong Li were the frequent visitors here.
It was worth mentioning that both had their own “private rooms” on the first floor. Zhong Li’s room had been arranged by the Jianzheng himself, to help her suppress her misfortune. Yang Qianhuan’s room was likewise set up by the Jianzheng, but to prevent his escape.
“He? He’s left the capital…”
Zhong Li said, a little sadly.
“Leaving the capital is just as well. Wei Yuan is dead, his backer is gone. If he doesn’t leave now, is he just waiting for the emperor to settle accounts with him?”
Yang Qianhuan sneered, a mix of delight and regret.
He was delighted because, with Xu Qi’an gone, he, Yang Qianhuan, would be unrivalled in the capital.
But he was also regretful because with Xu Qi’an gone, it felt like a soulmate had departed, leaving him alone atop the peak, a solitary and desolate figure.
“The emperor is dead. He won’t be settling accounts with him,” Zhong Li said softly.
The emperor is dead? Yang Qianhuan was shocked and said in confusion,
“Yuanjing had mastered cultivation, his life span shouldn’t have been so short.”
Zhong Li answered simply, “Xu Qi’an killed him.”
The room fell silent. After a while, Yang Qianhuan’s trembling voice came:
“While I was locked up here by the teacher, has something major happened in the capital again?”
Zhong Li replied, “Yes. Xu Qi’an, he…”
“No, don’t tell me. Please don’t tell me!”
Yang Qianhuan immediately interrupted, indicating he did not want to know, it was all bullshit talk.
Zhong Li uttered an “oh,” and turned to leave. After a few steps, Yang Qianhuan’s slightly sharp voice sounded from behind.
“No, don’t go, Junior Sister. I really…”
He paused, then said in a tone of disappointment with himself,
“I really cannot resist the allure of that man.”
Zhong Li returned to the door.
“Why did he kill the emperor? The old emperor was the ruler of a nation. A regicide is condemned by heaven and earth. His hard-earned reputation will be ruined in an instant. Wait, is he even capable of regicide?!”
As soon as he finished, Yang Qianhuan heard Zhong Li’s soft voice:
“He reached third rank. The emperor deserved to die. The common people all applauded.”
She was not good at storytelling, but with just this short sentence, the sound of heavy breathing came from the room.
“This, this…”
A gulp, as if swallowing: “Can you tell me about it?”
Zhong Li then briefly recounted the events of recent times to Yang Qianhuan, simply and plainly, with no embellishments, just restoring the course of events.
Yet the breathing from inside grew heavier.
“Damn it, damn it…”
The sound of fists pounding on the wall rang out, mingled with Yang Qianhuan’s extremely envious voice.
“Why does he get to be in the limelight every time? The tyrant has lost the way, and Xu will strike him down? Why not Yang? I’m so envious…
“Killed the emperor, and all the people of the capital applauded. Every upright man praised him. From now on, his name will be celebrated far and wide, the talk of countless people, and he won’t even need to pay for vegetables at the market…”
Yang Qianhuan imagined the cheers of the people of the capital, shouting “If heaven birthed not Yang Qianhuan, the Great Feng would be night that never ends,” and “Young Master Yang is truly the conscience of the Great Feng.” Then, he stood on high, his back to the masses, and said leisurely:
Picking the stars with the moon in hand, there are none like me upon this land.
As he imagined, Young Master Yang could not stop himself from trembling.
It was clear that Xu Qi’an would surely go down in history, leaving several grand marks in the annals of the Great Feng.
“That bastard, it would have been enough for him to be in the limelight in the eyes of the world, but he also wanted to outshine others in the eyes of posterity… Yet, I truly can’t imitate such actions, why, why?”
Zhong Li consoled him, “If Senior Brother Yang had also been there, you would certainly have gone down in history. But, unfortunately, you were in seclusion at the bottom of the tower.”
“W-what do you mean?”
Yang Qianhuan’s voice trembled slightly.
“Chu Yuanzhen, Li Miaozhen, and the others intercepted the emperor’s avatar outside the city and made outstanding contributions. Their names were mentioned in this morning’s notice. Also, Xu Qi’an told me at the time, ‘If only Senior Brother Yang hadn’t been in seclusion.’”
“Your teleportation technique is extremely useful, but you were locked up here by teacher.”
After Zhong Li finished, Yang Qianhuan didn’t respond for a long time. She seemed to realise she had said something wrong, shrank her head, and slipped away in tiny steps.
A few seconds later, Yang Qianhuan’s heartbroken wailing echoed from behind her:
“This Sitianjian, is not worth staying in!!!”
…
Yunzhou.
Amidst overlapping mountain ranges, a majestic city was built against the mountains, its houses and pavilions hidden among the forests, bustling with people.
This city was called — Qianlong!
The Hidden Dragon!
Its population exceeded two hundred thousand, made up of Yunzhou locals, wandering jianghu folk, outlaws, and the military, living by a mix of farming and hunting.
The most powerful person in the city was the City Lord. Under his rule, Qianlong City was well-ordered; even the outlaws who sought refuge here had to restrain their violent ways.
Those roaming jianghu folk, dissatisfied with the Great Feng court, called Qianlong City a pure land, and referred to the City Lord as a virtuous lord.
As for the common folk who had originally been abducted from various parts of Yunzhou to increase the population, they now lived in relative comfort and were content to settle down. For the poor, as long as they had food and clothing, it didn’t matter where they put down roots.
Outside Qianlong City were mountain strongholds used to station troops, raid villages, serve as sentry posts, and train new recruits.
Beyond the city, a group of armoured soldiers led more than three hundred militia, felling trees and widening roads, preparing solid ground on which to build new houses to accommodate the newly arrived refugees.
At the front was a handsome young man, bare-chested, wielding a large axe, chopping at trees with each swing.
His muscles bulged with each movement, radiating masculine vigour.
An old man in Daoist robes stood to one side, watching this young lord, clearly highly cultivated, work just as hard as the common labourers.
The old Daoist sighed, “Young lord, this area has such excellent feng shui; giving it to refugees is truly a waste.”
“It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. Once you’ve come to Qianlong City, you’re one of us.”
The sturdy young man wiped away sweat and continued chopping.
The old Daoist called Jiaoye smiled freely. He had originally been a wandering Daoist with eclectic skills: he knew a little of the Human Sect’s swordplay, a little of the Earth Sect’s merit techniques, and some basics in medicine, fortune-telling, physiognomy, and divination.
Years ago, outraged by corrupt officials bullying the good, he had killed a man in anger, become wanted by the local authorities, and ended up drifting to Yunzhou, where, by chance, he entered Qianlong City.
He had stayed here for several years and was favoured by the City Lord’s seventh son, Ji Xuan, the very young man before him, who took him on as a guest.
The old Daoist had been uneasy at first, being used to a carefree life, not understanding nor wanting to follow rules, and unsuitable for serving others.
To his surprise, this young lord was even more carefree than he was, wandering around the city all day, drinking and gambling with outlaws, chatting with townsfolk about hunting and harvests.
He was also a good hand at manual labour, working side by side with soldiers and civilians alike.
In Qianlong City, anyone who mentioned Young Lord Ji Xuan would smile kindly.
Old Daoist Jiaoye, unable to hide his disappointment, said,
“Young lord, now that Ji Qian is dead, you should display your talents and compete for the position of heir. Why are you still so lax? You used to keep a low profile, and I understood that, but if you don’t compete now, when will you?”
The young man squinted and smiled,
“Daoist, if Father gives me those things, then they’re mine. If he doesn’t, I couldn’t take them by force anyway.”
Old Daoist Jiaoye stamped his foot in exasperation. “Then you should show some ambition.”
The young man stopped chopping, raised his axe, and smiled brightly, “I’m always working on it.”
Just then, an armoured guard hurried over and called loudly, “Young Lord Ji Xuan, the City Lord has summoned you to the Stargazing Pavilion.”
The young man and the old Daoist exchanged a smile.
…
The Stargazing Pavilion stood atop the mountain, commanding a fine view.
Ji Xuan changed into a brand new blue robe and followed the stone steps up the mountain until he reached a secluded garden.
“Young Lord Xuan!”
The guard outside the garden saluted with clasped fists.
Ji Xuan greeted the guards cheerfully, paused for a chat, and then entered the garden.
He passed through the courtyard and a series of pavilions, finally stopping outside a small garden, where two black-clad guards stood.
These were the Black Shadow Guards of his father, the City Lord of Qianlong City.
There were not many Black Shadow Guards, but every one of them was at least fifth rank.
The two guards clasped their fists in greeting, but said nothing.
In front of them, Ji Xuan restrained his smile, returned the gesture politely, and entered the garden.
He made his way, as if used to it, to a pavilion, and said respectfully, “Father, National Teacher.”
The pavilion door swung open, and a deep, warm voice came from inside, “Come in!”
Ji Xuan stepped over the threshold and entered the grand hall.
The hall was brightly lit by candles, with curtains hanging low. The floor was covered with expensive woven carpets, and on the desk stood a four-legged golden beast, curling incense rising from its mouth.
A middle-aged man in a purple robe sat upright in a large chair, his gaze stern as he scrutinised Ji Xuan, his seventh son, the one who never did anything proper.
“Father!”
Ji Xuan looked straight ahead, bowed again, and called out.
Then he looked towards the white-cloaked figure sitting cross-legged behind the curtain and said with a smile, “National Teacher!”
The man in the purple robe said slowly, “The dragon ley spirit has been destroyed, the foundation of the Great Feng has been eroded once more. It is foreseeable that the Central Plains will soon fall into chaos.”
Ji Xuan smiled,
“Congratulations, Father. Congratulations, National Teacher. You are about to achieve great things.”
The cross-legged white-cloak cross-legged remained silent.
The middle-aged man in the purple robe shook his head and said regretfully, “Though the dragon ley was destroyed, the fortune was not extracted.”
This… Ji Xuan showed a look of surprise. His usually gentle and approachable face turned somewhat serious as he said, “Even with the National Teacher acting personally, it still failed?”
A “heh” came from the white-cloaked figure behind the curtain.
“Not only did I fail, I nearly died in the capital. I never underestimated the Jianzheng, but I did underestimate him.”
Hearing this, Ji Xuan narrowed his eyes. Even the National Teacher had nearly died in the capital, one could imagine how fierce the struggle had been.
The “him” the National Teacher referred to, was it the vessel in the capital, his cousin Xu Qi’an?
What had Xu Qi’an done? Judging by the National Teacher’s words, it seemed he had suffered a great setback at his hands.
That cousin who had been treated as a vessel since birth had always been under his attention. No, to be precise, everyone of their branch of the family had been secretly paying attention.
Ji Qian, the direct heir whom the clan had high hopes for, had been consumed by jealousy for just that reason. Under the pretext of travelling, he had gone to provoke trouble, but was ultimately killed by Xu Qi’an in Jianzhou.
Everyone knew Xu Qi’an was supremely gifted, but to say he could ruin the National Teacher’s plans and nearly make him stumble, this was hard to believe.
The white-cloaked figure behind the curtain sighed, “He has reached third rank, and has long known my identity, making his own arrangements in secret. With him and the Jianzheng working together, no one in the world can outwit these two.”
Third rank… Ji Xuan, whose own talent exceeded even the late direct heir Ji Qian, narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue.
“My cousin is probably the number one talent of Jiuzhou in this generation. Like father like son.”
A third rank martial artist barely in his twenties, such a figure was unparalleled among his peers across Jiuzhou.
The middle-aged man in the purple robe said, “With his cultivation sealed by the Sealing Demon Nails, his path as a martial artist has already ended.”
Ji Xuan nodded and looked towards the white-cloaked figure behind the curtain.
Xu Pingfeng said, “Among the Buddhists, the only one willing to unseal the Sealing Demon Nails for him is Arhat Du’e, but that would mean he’d have to join the Buddhist sect, take a Buddhist body, and renounce all worldly attachments.
“Outside the Buddhist sect, the only one who can unseal the Sealing Demon Nails is Shenshu. He will probably seek out Shenshu’s remains, which is bound to bring him into conflict with the Buddhists.”
Ji Xuan commented, “A pity.”
The middle-aged man in the purple robe looked at him and said gravely, “Xuan’er, the reason I summoned you this time is to test you.”
Ji Xuan bowed. “I await your instructions, Father.”
The middle-aged man in the purple robe spoke slowly,
“The dragon ley spirit has shattered and scattered throughout the Central Plains. You need not concern yourself with the lesser remnants of the dragon qi, but there are nine strands of dragon qi that are critical. Go into the jianghu, find those who have inherited the nine strands of dragon qi, and bring them under your control.
“Among the nine, kill four and keep five alive. Bring the five back to Qianlong City to boost our fortune. The other four are to be refined with the great formation, along with the blood pill, to help you reach third rank.”
As he spoke, the middle-aged man took a purple sandalwood box from his sleeve.
Ji Xuan’s gaze fell upon the box and could not look away.
The man in purple opened the box; on the yellow silk inside lay a crimson pill, dull in colour, the size of an egg.
“This was left by one of our ancestors five hundred years ago, who was gravely wounded by Emperor Wuzong. He left it on the verge of death. It is a shortcut for advancing from fourth to third rank, but only someone of great fortune can withstand the backlash from the blood pill.
“The National Teacher has calculated that four strands of dragon qi will be enough for you to refine the blood pill and reach third rank.”
Although the blood pill was precious, a top clan with deep resources could obtain it, not only could it be left behind by a third rank martial artist, it could also be acquired by refining living beings.
The difficulty was that, for a fourth rank, taking the shortcut of swallowing a blood pill was almost certain death.
Either you were already third rank and needn’t fear the backlash, instead, it would further strengthen your vitality; or you had immense fortune, and with fortune protecting you, you might survive the backlash.
The former’s representative was the Zhenbei King; the latter, Xu Qi’an.
Of course, Xu Qi’an not only had great fortune but had also had his body partially transformed by Shenshu’s divine blood, a double insurance.
Ji Xuan took a deep breath and reached out with slightly trembling hands, saying loudly,
“Your son will not fail your expectations, Father.”
What he received was not only a great gift, but also a legacy.
His father had never designated an heir, but as the legitimate eldest son, Ji Qian had always been considered the strongest candidate, with all his brothers restless and vying in secret.
For his father to give him this trial, and this precious box, the meaning was self-evident.
After receiving the box, Ji Xuan suddenly felt something was not quite right. He hesitated and said,
“The dragon ley spirit is of great importance. Although I have confidence, I feel it may not be safe enough. Why does the National Teacher not act personally?”
The white-cloaked figure behind the curtain replied coolly, “I have suffered backlash from fortune and am gravely wounded, so I must enter seclusion to recover.”
Backlash from fortune, but hadn’t he said that he didn’t extract fortune from Xu Qi’an… Ji Xuan did not ask further and said,
“I understand.”
The man in purple said, “I will send several experts from the guest halls to accompany you in your search for the dragon ley spirit. You depart in three days.”
“Yes!” Ji Xuan replied.
The man in purple waved his hand. After Ji Xuan left, he turned to the white-cloaked arcanist and said,
“Compared to my other sons, both legitimate and illegitimate, Ji Xuan stands out not only in talent but also in knowing how to bide his time. No matter what he thinks in his heart, to have reached this point, his future is bright.”
The white-cloaked arcanist replied, “He also enjoys the highest reputation among your sons.”
The man in purple narrowed his eyes, “You picked him a long time ago, didn’t you?”
The white-cloaked arcanist closed his eyes and began to meditate.
…
Ji Xuan left the pavilion with the sandalwood box, shaking his head with a sigh, “This thing is really a hot potato.”
After walking for a while, he bumped into a girl in a purple dress. Her black hair was like a waterfall, tied with a purple silk ribbon, simple and elegant.
“Seventh Brother!”
The girl in purple smiled reservedly and said, “Mother wishes to see you, she has something to ask.”
“Aunt is looking for me?”
Ji Xuan hesitated for a moment, then squinted and smiled, “Very well, I’ll trouble my cousin to lead the way.”
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