Longshen Castle was built on the bend of Wanlong River, twenty li outside Yongzhou City, where there was a prosperous large town: Wanlong.
Longshen Castle was regarded as the local despot by the people of Wanlong and surrounding villages. In their eyes, the castle’s words carried even more weight than the government officials.
Wanlong River was more than two hundred feet wide, with a thriving barge transport business. The only dock in Wanlong was controlled by Longshen Castle. Relying on this dock, Longshen Castle was rolling in wealth.
Countless locals depended on Longshen Castle for their livelihood, so whenever there was a dispute in the town, folk liked to go to their ‘superior’, Longshen Castle, to resolve it.
Over time, even the law and order of Wanlong ended up under Longshen Castle’s control.
The current Castle Lord, Lei Zheng, had a fiery temper and could not tolerate the slightest breach of rules, placing great emphasis on discipline and dealing with matters impartially.
He even earned the unofficial title “Duke Lei”.
‘Duke Lei’, Lei Zheng, was an adept with the sabre, and a fifth rank martial artist. Unlike the head of the Gongsun family, he was a dull man entirely indifferent to women.
He loved nothing more than practising with his sabre each day, diving underwater with his great sword, refusing to come up until he had made at least five hundred strikes.
The townsfolk all said that, if they saw a certain stretch of river become choppy one day, it must be Duke Lei practising with his sabre in the water.
Longshen Castle, in the main hall.
Lei Zheng took a sip of tea, stroked the great sabre at his side, and his voice boomed,
“I’m going to practise with my sabre. If there’s anything you want, make it quick and don’t interrupt me.”
Lei Zheng had just passed fifty that year, stood one metre ninety tall, had a shaved head, and was covered in bulging muscles, his physique even stronger than most young men. He gave the impression of the sort who would draw his blade at the slightest provocation.
And in fact, he was exactly that sort.
At Lei Zheng’s side was the career womaniser Gongsun Xiangyang. The former young playboy smiled and said,
“After all these years of practising, when will you reach the fourth rank?”
Lei Zheng said coldly, “That’s none of your business.”
Gongsun Xiangyang grinned, “I’ve got to watch out for you, you know. What if you get to fourth rank and cut me down with one strike?”
Longshen Castle’s history was shorter than that of the Gongsun clan. When the castle’s ancestor first came to Yongzhou to make his fortune, he often clashed with the local ringleaders of the Gongsun family.
Their descendants fought constantly, with many lives lost. Eventually, as the group battles grew too large, they affected the ordinary people and had an extremely negative impact on Yongzhou’s public order, so the authorities intervened and mediated.
Of course, this was more than two hundred years ago. Nowadays, though there were still some frictions, things remained within reasonable bounds.
“There’s been a problem at the tomb.”
With this sentence, Gongsun Xiangyang put an end to Lei Zheng’s intention to see him out. The muscle-bound, bald castle lord frowned slightly and asked,
“What does that have to do with me?”
The Southern Mountain’s great tomb was now in the Gongsun clan’s hands. By unspoken agreement, Longshen Castle would not meddle again, unless the Gongsun clan invited them.
Gongsun Xiangyang described the situation at the bottom of the tomb, as well as the matter of the man in azure, to Lei Zheng.
Lei Zheng’s eyes widened until they looked about to pop out. Like Gongsun Xiangyang on first hearing the news, he felt a crisis, as if there were landmines buried at his door.
After calming down, he fixed the Gongsun family head with a cold stare, “Why should I believe you?”
Gongsun Xiangyang replied slowly,
“You can go down to the tomb and see for yourself, hmm, if you’re not afraid of dying that is. I’ve already found out that that master is staying in the tavern. He told the Gongsun clan to keep an eye on the Southern Mountain, but the place is too large to watch alone. It’ll take quite a few people.
“Longshen Castle and the Gongsun clan both make our living in Yongzhou; you can hardly stay out of it. Anyway, whether I’m telling the truth or not, we can just go and visit this master ourselves.”
Lei Zheng snorted, “You want to go, but haven’t the courage, so you’re dragging me along to share the risk.”
Gongsun Xiangyang chuckled and did not argue.
Lei Zheng rose with sabre in hand, “Wait for me for a couple hours; after I’ve finished my practice, I’ll go with you.”
“You’re not taking that master seriously?”
“Heh, master or not, just on what you say!”
Lei Zheng remained sceptical, for he had never been into the tomb, nor eaten crabs at Yangbai Lake, and was hardly going to be thrown into a state of nervous respect on the strength of Gongsun Xiangyang’s words alone.
Gongsun Xiangyang was sly, mentioning only the so-called master and saying nothing of that poem. Otherwise, Lei Zheng’s stance would have been much more respectful.
…
At the tavern.
On the table were fresh poisonous herbs, a few porcelain bottles, and five taels of sesame. Xu Qi’an asked the waiter for a pestle and mortar, threw all the herbs in, and crushed them.
Then he poured in snake venom and continued pounding away.
By the window, Mu Nanzhi wrinkled her nose and frowned. “What’s that smell? It’s awful.”
Xu Qi’an said, “Open the window for ventilation; I’m making poison pills.”
As he spoke, he grabbed a handful of sesame and tossed it into the mortar.
The princess consort obediently opened the window, but instead of enjoying the fresh air, she went to the table, arrogantly slapped away Xu Qi’an’s hand, and snatched the mortar from him.
She touched some of the poison with her fingertip and put it in her mouth to suck, then smacked her lips and licked them.
“These poisonous herbs are only average. They won’t help you much, though the snake venom is rather decent.”
To the Flower God, poisonous herbs were just herbs, and poisonous flowers mere flowers, no different from ordinary plants.
Xu Qi’an praised her as a connoisseur, and the two launched into a discussion, as if chatting about some beloved delicacy.
“This time I went to the underground palace and borrowed some corpse venom from the dried corpse body. It’s the refined essence of a thousand year old corpse, it’ll really stimulate the Poison Gu and help it evolve.”
Saying this, Xu Qi’an produced a jade bottle containing the ancient corpse’s venom and pulled out the stopper.
“The smell’s far too strong.”
Mu Nanzhi pinched her nose and scurried off.
Xu Qi’an tilted the little bottle so that viscous, dark azure-black liquid slowly dripped out into the mortar.
In an instant, the herbal pulp in the mortar was stained a deep azure-black shade, the colour alone enough to suggest intense toxicity.
Next, he set the mortar on a small brazier and warmed it over a gentle flame until it was just dry, then stopped.
All that remained was to roll the stuff into little pills and take one a day.
The corpse venom was far too potent, at the Poison Gu’s current level, it could not take too much poison in one go, lest it die from overtoxicity.
After rolling the pills, Xu Qi’an laid them out on the table to air dry.
The air was full of toxins. An ordinary person in this room wouldn’t last longer than it took to drink a cup of tea before being poisoned to death.
Mu Nanzhi sat by the window, rolling her eyes while reading the idle books she had bought at the bustling market.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and the waiter’s voice called out, “Good sir, there are two gentlemen here to see you.”
Looking for me?
Xu Qi’an was taken aback, and replied calmly to the waiter, “Who is it?”
The waiter said, “One of them says he’s Gongsun Xiangyang, the other said his name was Lei Zheng.”
Gongsun Xiangyang, someone from the Gongsun family? And who’s Lei Zheng…? Xu Qi’an pondered for a moment, then said, Invite them in.
He guessed that Gongsun Xiangyang was a highly senior member of the Gongsun family, or perhaps the head of the family.
By convention, with such a reclusive master who had attained the Dao and lived for eight hundred years here, if the Gongsun family, merely a minor force in the martial world, wished to visit, it would certainly be a figure of great virtue and prestige in the family.
There was no way they would send a junior or small character from the family.
At the very least, it would have to be someone like Gongsun Xiu, the family heir.
As for Lei Zheng, Xu Qi’an had never heard of him, but since he came with someone from the Gongsun family, he ought to be a person of some standing as well.
“Do you need me to hide behind the screen?” the princess consort looked up and asked.
“No need, go and unbolt the door.”
The princess consort pursed her lips, swaying her mature and alluring figure, and went to the door to unbolt it.
A moment later, two footsteps stopped outside, and then a mellow voice, filled with respect, said,
“Senior, I am the head of the Gongsun family, Gongsun Xiangyang.”
Xu Qi’an said lightly, “The door isn’t locked.”
The door opened and in came a middle-aged man in brocade robes, a smile on his face, with deep crow’s feet at his eyes, a sign of habitual smiling.
The other was a burly old man carrying a huge sabre on his back, bald, with an imposing aura; he gave off a fierce and difficult-to-approach impression.
“I am the master of Longshen Castle, Lei Zheng.”
The bald old man cupped his fists, his voice deep and resonant.
Xu Qi’an nodded slowly and raised his hand in invitation, “Sit.”
At this moment, his gaze was gentle, his eyes carrying the traces of years gone by, his attitude unhurried and serene, yet naturally imposing.
It was just a pity there was not a touch more grey at his temples.
Gongsun Xiangyang calmly scanned the room, his gaze sweeping over the Great Feng’s most beautiful woman, then he sat down with restraint and caution.
Lei Zheng was much more relaxed, his eyes scrutinising Xu Qi’an intently.
He had already been to the underground palace, though he had only circled the outer area and had not dared venture into the main tomb, so he remained half-sceptical about what Gongsun Xiangyang had said.
“Thank you, Senior, for saving my daughter’s life. The Gongsun family has nothing with which to repay you, but we will certainly guard the Southern Mountain well and not allow anyone to enter the tomb.”
It was also Gongsun Xiangyang’s first time meeting this master, and his curiosity matched Lei Zheng’s. He covertly sized Xu Qi’an up a few times, but could see nothing remarkable about him.
Yet precisely because of this, he became all the more respectful.
Lei Zheng tentatively asked, “Senior, what is the identity of that ancient corpse in the underground palace?”
Xu Qi’an’s voice was gentle, “Just a minor figure.”
A minor figure, a strange ancient corpse of at least third rank, and to him, it’s just a minor figure… Gongsun Xiangyang’s heart jumped. He was about to speak when he suddenly flared his nostrils, and as dizziness swept over him, he stood up in alarm,
“It’s poison…”
Lei Zheng likewise stood up and stepped back a few paces. The two of them fixed their eyes on the small black pill on the table.
What kind of thing is this, just the smell is unbearable… Gongsun Xiangyang was aghast.
Having reached fifth rank Transforming Force, most poisons in the world could be neutralised by his powerful liver. Yet these poison pills before him, one would probably be enough to kill a fifth-rank.
Xu Qi’an’s tone was gentle and apologetic, “I just happened to make a few poison pills for snacking, I’ll put them.”
He then picked up a pill and popped it in his mouth, chewing it carefully.
He- he ate it… Gongsun Xiangyang was dumbstruck, his face stiff and his back cold.
Lei Zheng’s pupils contracted sharply, every hair on his body standing up, terror surging up within him.
The two fifth-ranks stared fixedly at Xu Qi’an, at his mouth and throat, and saw his Adam’s apple bob, as the pill was swallowed down.
Why would anyone eat poison pills as a snack? No, that’s not what’s important, the point is, he truly is a terrifying figure, one of the reclusive top experts of the world… Gongsun Xiangyang silently straightened his back.
Gongsun Xiangyang didn’t lie to me… Lei Zheng was deeply shocked. He quickly replayed his own attitude in his mind, feeling anxious and remorseful for his earlier casualness, afraid he had already incurred this seemingly gentle master’s displeasure.
“Done!”
Xu Qi’an put the small jade bottle away.
Actually, in terms of combat ability, he could not beat a fifth rank, unless he could somehow force poison directly into a fifth-rank expert’s stomach.
Apart from poison, he lacked effective means to break Bronze Skin and Iron Bones.
Of course, martial artists could not beat him either, for the art of Sevenfold Gu was so unpredictable that he had countless ways to remain undefeated.
Once I have digested all these poison pills, I should be able to beat a fifth rank… Xu Qi’an mused, though his face remained calm.
“As it happens, even if you two had not come, I was going to pay you a visit anyway.”
Gongsun Xiangyang and Lei Zheng exchanged a glance, and the former respectfully asked, “May I ask what this junior can do for Senior?”
Xu Qi’an gazed at the pair, his eyes kindly calm,
“I would like to ask you both to help me convene a Martial Assembly in Yongzhou, to take place in a month and a half.”
This was a plan he had come up with not long ago: rather than aimlessly searching for the dragon’s fortune hosts, it would be better to gather them all together and sweep the net in one go.
Though the Martial Assembly was primarily aimed at martial artists, given human nature, there would certainly be people from wealthy families coming to join in.
The reason for entrusting the Gongsun family and Longshen Castle to take the lead was, first and foremost, discretion. He needed to guard against Xu Pingfeng’s moves, so staying in the background was the best choice.
As for scheduling it in a month, that was to allow time for word to spread and for people to travel. News would take time to reach every corner of Yongzhou, and then those people would need more time to arrive.
“Er… may junior ask the reason for this?”
Gongsun Xiangyang asked tentatively.
… Xu Qi’an had originally wanted to say that he was borrowing the collective might of Yongzhou’s heroes to suppress the ancient corpse, which would have seemed rather mysterious. But on second thought, for a master who had attained the Dao eight hundred springs ago to need the help of Yongzhou’s martial community to suppress a corpse was rather undignified and lacking in style.
So, he smiled faintly, “Because it’ll be fun.”
For a moment, neither Gongsun Xiangyang nor Lei Zheng could respond.
“To hold a Martial Assembly, there will need to be an attraction…”
“How about this then, our two families will jointly create a list of the top one hundred martial artists in Yongzhou, and invite all the heroes to compete, set the rankings. For those in the martial world who crave a reputation, that is an irresistible temptation…”
“There must also be substantial prizes…”
Gongsun Xiangyang and Lei Zheng began to discuss eagerly, while Xu Qi’an sipped his tea, listening in with a smile.
Half an hour later, the pair had reached an agreement and took their leave.
As they left, Mu Nanzhi looked at him and asked bluntly, “Were you playing at being Wei Yuan just now?”
Xu Qi’an ignored her and said, “We’ll leave Yongzhou City tomorrow, and travel around a bit.”
…
Fuyang County.
The little mare was being led by her owner, clip-clopping along, and the passenger on her back had changed from the most handsome man to the most beautiful woman.
Mu Nanzhi sat on the horse’s back, glancing around. This was a rather modest county town; both the streets and the houses, worn with age, made that clear.
The clothing of those passing by them was neither bright nor new, both in style and fabric; they were quite ordinary.
But Fuyang County’s yellow wine was famous throughout Yongzhou.
Xu Qi’an had travelled here to drink; the princess consort also liked wine, so she gladly agreed. The two of them, sharing a horse, wandered the jianghu, eating and drinking wherever they stopped.
They passed a small river, with a stone slab bridge spanning it. White walls and black tiles, a little bridge over flowing water, if only there had been a fine drizzle and a beauty holding a paper umbrella, it would have been perfect.
Xu Qi’an led the little mare onto the stone slab bridge when, suddenly, he heard a cry nearby:
“Someone’s jumped in the water! Someone’s jumped in the water!”
He and the princess consort turned to look. Upstream, a woman was being swept along by the river, bobbing up and down, clearly in grave danger.
People on both banks were pointing and shouting, or stretching out bamboo poles, trying to save her.
The woman choked on water, her face twisted in pain, flailing desperately to save herself. But the current was fast, and she was no swimmer, the more she struggled, the more water she swallowed.
Bit by bit, her life was slipping away.
“Save her! Quick, save her…”
Seeing someone at the bridge, the townsfolk shouted loudly.
Leap off the bridge, grab the woman by the shoulder, tap my toe on the water, and lightly float back to the riverbank… Xu Qi’an ran through this sequence in his mind. Then, he leapt off the bridge.
Splash!
He plunged into the freezing water, swimming hard towards the woman.
Of the Sevenfold Gu’s powers, none allowed for flight.
There were too many onlookers for Xu Qi’an to use the Desire Gu to save her without being seen.
Sometimes, a brute-force martial artist could be more elegant than any other path… As he scooped up the woman, this thought flashed across Xu Qi’an’s mind.
“Young man, take the bamboo pole!”
A white-haired old man on the bank held out a bamboo pole towards Xu Qi’an.
With help from the old man and others, Xu Qi’an grabbed hold and was pulled onto the shore alongside the woman.
The woman, still choking, was dazed and only half-conscious.
Her face was pale, but her features were more than decent, she was an attractive young woman.
Xu Qi’an slapped her back with his palm.
“Bleargh…”
She coughed up a mouthful of water, her dazed consciousness returning. But instead of relief at her near escape, she started wailing in pain.
“Let me die… Just let me die… I beg you…”
She covered her face and wept.
“Isn’t that Cripple Zhang’s wife?”
“What’s she doing jumping into the river for no reason?”
“Sigh, she’s truly pitiful…”
The townsfolk began whispering among themselves.
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