The deep, resonant roar echoed in her ears, mixed with a terrifying pressure that left Gongsun Xiu trembling, her lips quivering so much she could not speak.
Yet her mind remained exceptionally sharp, thoughts racing. If I’m guessing correctly, the “he” the zombie mentioned must be the man in azure, or perhaps someone with a connection to him, such as an ancestor, or a senior in his sect…
In the present era, only “he” had an agreement with the corpse. What was this zombie’s identity, and what of the man in azure? There must have been an enormous secret hidden among all this…
Judging by the zombie’s demeanour, it seems greatly concerned with some object. Did it think that the man in azure had given that thing to me? But, I don’t have it… If I told him the truth directly, would he consider it useless “nonsense” and kill me in turn?
Might it, in a fit of extreme anger, lash out and kill all of us…?
Gongsun Xiu considered a thousand things in an instant, calculating how best to deal with the zombie and survive this calamity.
Gongsun Xiangming and the other warriors did not know the intricacies involved. They saw their niece (sister) save everyone with just a sentence, and cause the dreadful zombie to show visible unrest.
They stared wide-eyed in astonishment, unable to believe what sort of mystery could be contained in such a simple phrase.
Gongsun Xiangming, face haggard, took a few laboured breaths before something struck him. He turned to look at Old Daoist Qinggu and several of the warriors who had visited the lake at midday.
It seemed this phrase had been spoken by Xiu’er, but it was actually the mysterious expert they had met at the lake who had said it…
When he saw Old Daoist Qinggu and several of the warriors stare in utter shock, Gongsun Xiangming knew at once that his conjecture was correct.
By now, Gongsun Xiu had made her decision. She resolved to confess, even if it meant immediately exposing herself and the others as “useless rubbish” and disappointing the zombie.
But since she did not know whether the zombie had a way to discern lies, honesty was the best policy, at least it left some room for manoeuvre.
Besides, she believed deep down that since the man in azure had only left that sentence and no other instructions, he must have been sure that it exerted a special binding influence on the zombie.
“Se- senior…”
Gongsun Xiu’s lips could hardly move, and she stammered out:
“This phrase, I heard it from a great expert I chanced upon while boating today. He learned that I was about to explore this tomb, and told me, if I should encounter an unavoidable crisis in the tomb…”
She recounted the matter simply, then looked carefully at the zombie to observe its reaction.
After listening, the mummified corpse’s shrivelled face showed a distinctly human disappointment.
“Indeed, he left less than a year ago. Even if he wished to repay me… it could not happen so soon. I was wishful to hope for it.”
Pausing for a moment, it continued with a cold laugh: “He had you bring that phrase to me as a warning, to stop me from trying to seize fresh blood and force open the seal! That day, he sealed me here and made a bargain with me, to either endure loneliness and wait here for all eternity…
“Or die! Heh, I chose to wait.”
So this terrifying, unnatural zombie had been sealed away? And the person who sealed it was the man in azure they met on the lake, not an ancestor nor a senior, just that man…
And all this happened less than a year ago? Wait… Gongsun Xiu remembered the collapse in this place and what they encountered along the way, and suddenly, she realised something.
There had been no earthquakes in Yongzhou City in recent years, but this grand tomb had collapsed on a massive scale. Combining this with what the zombie previously said, Gongsun Xiu hazarded a guess.
Sometime within the past year, in some unknown period, that man in azure had visited this underground palace and fought a tremendous battle with the walking corpse, leading to the palace’s collapse.
Heavens… Gongsun Xiu let out a breath as if in a sigh, her heart churning with tumultuous waves.
Wh- what kind of deity is that person, how terrifying is he… the warriors who were on the boat at lunchtime were so shocked their jaws dropped open, finally understanding what a formidable figure that young man really was.
No wonder, no wonder he could predict the weather, this was but the tip of the iceberg of his inconceivable powers.
…Old Daoist Qinggu wore a look of both sudden understanding and stunned disbelief. He had known the man in azure was no ordinary mortal, but never expected him to be such a supernatural figure.
He had truly underestimated him.
“You are lucky, so I will spare you.”
“You have come, after all.”
The corpse’s voice sounded as if its vocal cords had decayed: harsh, rasping, and yet fond of cackling with an unnerving laugh that chilled the blood.
Come? Who had come? The crowd felt a chill in their hearts and turned to look. The firelight flickered, illuminating a blurry figure, spattered in mud, holding a sabre in his hand.
“I’m passing through Yongzhou, so I thought I’d drop by and see you.”
The figure said with a smile.
As soon as he spoke, Gongsun Xiu instantly recognised his voice, exclaiming in delight, “Se- Senior Xu!”
The warriors who had been lucky enough to glimpse the mysterious master Xu Qian at noon were overjoyed, the arrival of this great man meant that they were now completely safe, with nothing left to fear for their lives.
He was the mysterious master Xiu’er spoke of, the one who had sealed the zombie… Gongsun Xiangming felt suddenly enlightened.
Xu Qi’an’s form mysteriously disappeared, then reappeared between the zombie and Gongsun Xiu and the others, his tone somewhat impatient, giving the impression of ill humour:
“Hurry up and get lost, wait for me outside.”
Gongsun Xiu and company felt as though granted a royal pardon. They no longer had any wish for treasure-hunting, and scrambled out as fast as they could.
The corpse did not stop them. After everyone had left, it looked at Xu Qi’an with surprise:
“That was the technique of the Gu God.”
“Strictly speaking, it was a method of the shaman clans of the Southern Marches.”
Xu Qi’an corrected, beckoning the nearby torch into his hand and raising it to illuminate the mummified horror.
“This time I’ve come to you for a favour. I would like to take a few things from you.”
He sat cross-legged on the ground, holding up the torch. “Lend me your fingernails, venom, and corpse aura.”
The corpse said, “Are you going to forge a magical artefact?”
Xu Qi’an nodded.
The tattered yellow-robed corpse did not immediately agree, suddenly fixing a deep, gleaming gaze upon him.
“You have been sealed.”
…Xu Qi’an grinned, “Good spot.”
No wonder this was a fleshly body that had once housed at least a first-rank expert. With such standing, it could see at a glance that I had problems with my body.
The corpse’s gaze flickered.
Xu Qi’an smiled indifferently.
“I tried to emulate your lord, so I slew the emperor and proclaimed myself ruler, only to be hunted by the present first-rank arcanist, the Jianzheng. My cultivation is now sealed.”
As he spoke, Xu Qi’an opened his robe to show the nails embedded in his body.
“You?”
The corpse’s expression shifted slightly. “And the monster within you, why has it not come out to see me?”
What the corpse truly cared about was Monk Shenshu, not Xu Qi’an the host. But when it saw the nails, it suddenly realised something was wrong.
How could this child withstand such deadly seals by his own ability?
“He is asleep. After the regicide, the two of us joined forces but were not a match for the first-rank arcanist. I was sealed, and he fell into slumber. By the way…”
Xu Qi’an smiled slyly, “I have advanced to the third-rank Undying Body.”
“Undying Body, no wonder…”
No wonder, even under such seals, he could still move about as he pleased.
The corpse’s expression grew complicated. Back then, this kid had negligible cultivation, he was but an ant.
Yet how long had passed?
Now he had already reached the realm of third-rank martial artist, the Undying Body.
The corpse considered its present situation. Most of its strength remained sealed. It could not possibly handle a third-rank martial artist. Even if this kid had also been sealed, the creature sleeping within him, if awakened…
The Heart Gu’s ability is quite useful, although it’s no more than a trivial guiding force, hardly true control… mused Xu Qi’an inwardly, though his face stayed calm.
“I will not take your things for nothing. I will try to help you look for that master of yours. In fact, since that day, I have kept an eye on your master and investigated the Great Liang Dynasty.”
Xu Qi’an once again used the Heart Gu to guide the conversation.
The dried corpse’s eyes lit up, its attention wholly captured by this subject.
It was not that the Heart Gu’s ability was exceptionally powerful, rather, this kind of topic was precisely what the dried corpse cared about most.
The Heart Gu only played a supporting role, making the concerned more concerned, the interested more interested, so that he would not be distracted by other matters, such as stabbing Xu Qi’an in the back.
“The history of the Great Liang Dynasty dates back to ancient times, ending with the era of gods and demons, when the human and Yao races rose to prominence, the descendants of gods and demons brought chaos to Jiuzhou, and that period was turbulent and chaotic. The Confucian orthodoxy had not yet emerged, and there was no set of conventional, detailed historical records left behind.”
Xu Qi’an spoke at length, “However, we can still deduce many things indirectly. For example, after your master shed his old body and forged a new one, there could have been only two outcomes.
“One, he had already perished. Two, he assumed a persona.”
The dried corpse furrowed its brows, “A persona? What do you mean by this?”
A persona means taking on a different identity, for instance, Xu Qian is my alias, and at times, even Xu Erlang can be said to be my guise… Xu Qi’an explained,
“Do you know the rule that those who inherit fortune cannot attain immortality?”
“Those who inherit fortune cannot attain immortality…” the dried corpse muttered, shaking its head.
“You don’t know. This means that when your master betrayed and assassinated the emperor, seizing the throne to proclaim himself emperor, he too was unaware of this rule. Later, when he failed to transcend the tribulation, he came to understand this rule. That is why he shed his old body, severed all ties to the past, including you and the jade seal with the fortune.”
Xu Qi’an laughed, “All very interesting.”
The rule that those who inherit fortune cannot attain immortality was well known among those at the pinnacle of Jiuzhou today.
But in ancient times, very few were aware of this. Why?
Because at that time, humanity had only just begun its ascent. The entire race had yet to accumulate a vast fortune. For cultivators from back then, fortune was something unfamiliar.
That ancient Daoist, suspected of following the Human Sect path, noticed that fortune assisted his cultivation. So, he slew the great serpent, became National Teacher, gained great renown and fortune, and eventually killed the emperor and took his place.
Much like how Xu Qi’an had killed Emperor Zhende.
But later, as his cultivation grew ever more profound, he discovered that it was impossible to cast off the shackles of fortune, impossible to achieve immortality…
Thus, he used the heavenly tribulation as an opportunity to escape his old shell, separated parts of his soul, abandoned his old body, and severed all ties to his past.
Combined with the contents of the mural, this reasoning was consistent with logic and facts.
This Daoist was rather impressive. Though fortune clung to them, Gaozu and Wuzong, both first-rank martial artists, had died, as had the Confucian Sage. In history, none of the founding emperors with peerless cultivation managed to achieve immortality, yet he forcibly severed everything…
How did he do it? There must have been a crucial step I don’t know about…
Xu Qi’an gathered his wandering thoughts and continued,
“He left you and the jade seal with fortune here, proof that he had successfully severed his past. With his cultivation, time could not touch him. He must still be alive.
“If he later became Beyond-rank, then, discounting the Gu God, any one of the Beyond-rank could be his new persona. A new persona means a new identity.
“If he did not become Beyond-rank, he must have gone into hiding, perhaps plotting something, but in the end, he did not die.”
Not dead, not dead… Human-like emotions flickered in the dried corpse’s eyes, a mixture of joy and sorrow.
Seeing such emotional upheaval, Xu Qi’an snorted with a laugh,
“Are you satisfied with this outcome?”
The dried corpse nodded slowly.
Xu Qi’an was also quite content. He tapped the surface of the Earth Book fragment, summoning the Taiping Sabre.
He gripped the sabre in one hand and lifted the dried corpse’s hand with the other, tsking, “You haven’t cut your nails in thousands of years, aren’t you afraid of nosebleeds when picking your nose?”
The dried corpse’s nails were pitch-black, unlike human nails, more like the claws of some large beast, hard and sharp, though not particularly long.
Xu Qi’an wielded the sabre, cutting with sparks flying everywhere, and only with great effort managed to hack off a sliver.
For refining a magical artifact, a single nail sufficed, but as the materials from the dried corpse were rare, Xu Qi’an had deliberately avoided specifying the amount, hoping to take as much as possible.
In one go, he chopped off five nails. The dried corpse clenched its fist, a bit unaccustomed to the emptiness, and seeing Xu Qi’an reach for his other hand, its corpse face changed,
“Don’t go too far.”
Xu Qi’an stopped appropriately, and, with the dried corpse’s permission, drew the sabre across his neck, slicing open the flesh and collecting about ten millilitres of thick, dark azure liquid, sealing it in a small jade bottle.
Thus, two of the materials required for Wei Yuan’s resurrection were gathered.
Xu Qi’an breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a deep sense of peace and heartfelt joy.
Finally, he used the corpse’s miasma to nourish the Corpse Gu.
The dried corpse spewed two streams of black smoke from its mouth, lingering in the air, clearly highly poisonous.
Xu Qi’an tightened his abdomen, inhaled, and the black smoke drifted into his nostrils.
In an instant, he felt like a man drunk on wine, pupils unfocused, black veins bulged on his cheeks, making him look vicious and terrifying.
This process lasted a full twenty minutes before he fully digested the miasma. The black vascular web faded, and his eyes regained focus.
He closed his eyes to sense the changes in the Sevenfold Gu. The Corpse Gu’s abilities had qualitatively improved, making it the strongest Gu, second only to the Heaven Gu.
Now, he could more or less perfectly dominate three seventh-rank experts from any system.
By more or less, it meant he could reproduce eighty per cent or more of their fighting power and skills.
The dried corpse suddenly frowned, “Why are you staring at me?”
Xu Qi’an replied sincerely, “I suddenly thought, you actually have rather delicate features.”
”?”
The dried corpse stared at him blankly.
Xu Qi’an gave a carefree smile, got up, and bowed, “Farewell!”
He turned and left, without the slightest reluctance.
He went all the way out of the underground palace, passed through the stone gate, and, holding a torch, paused by one of the walls. He knocked his head gently against the stone, cursing,
“Too bloody awkward…
“Too bloody awkward…”
After a while, once he had calmed his nerves, Xu Qi’an found his way back to the surface with ease.
Autumn rain fell relentlessly, bringing a chill. It beat down on faces, shoulders, necks… He glanced around and saw that Gongsun Xiu and the others were still waiting outside the cave.
Some wore rain capes, some had bamboo hats, others no rain gear at all.
When she saw Xu Qi’an emerge, Gongsun Xiu seemed relieved at last, bowed with her fists cupped,
“Thank you, senior, for saving our lives.”
The martial artists beside her bowed in unison,
“Thank you, senior, for saving our lives.”
Xu Qi’an nodded, It was nothing.
He paused, and before Gongsun Xiu and the others could speak, he instructed,
“The ancient corpse in the tomb is ferocious. Anyone below third rank who enters will surely die. At its peak, even a third-rank martial artist may not be its match. From today onwards, seal the cave entrance, under no circumstances should anyone enter.
“If the ancient corpse devours blood to recover, Yongzhou will become a living hell. This matter is the Gongsun clan’s responsibility.”
Even third-rank martial artists may not match it… The crowd’s pupils dilated involuntarily, hearts racing as they were gripped by terror, not only had they brushed past the gates of hell, they had practically had a drunken feast with Yama, the King of Hell, himself.
The only reason they had returned to the living was that Yama had gotten drunk…
“Yes!”
Gongsun Xiu bowed, biting her red lip, her beautiful face solemn, “Junior will guard this mountain to repay the senior’s kindness in saving our lives.”
She paused, then gathered her courage to ask, “Might I ask, senior, where do you hail from?”
This question was somewhat impolite, but as she had received great favour, it was only reasonable to ask the identity of her benefactor.
Xu Qi’an did not answer, simply waved and made his way down the mountain.
Just as Gongsun Xiu and the others were feeling disappointed, that figure in azure, gradually fading into the darkness, called out in a loud voice,
“I received the Dao eight hundred springs ago, my flying sword never letting blood flow;”
“No royal summon from the Jade Emperor high, so blade by side in the Jianghu I roam.”
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