The Holy Son of the Heaven Sect, Li Lingsu, bowed repeatedly, his face full of apology:
“This was merely to test your abilities. If this incident would result in crisis for you, sir, I wouldn’t have come to request help tonight. Also, Sister Qing isn’t a bloodthirsty person. Since there’s no deep-seated grudge between you, she will know when to stop during the day.”
“I could tell.”
Xu Qi’an sat by the table. He was about to pour himself a cup of tea, then suddenly recalled that this was a dream, so he gave up.
Li Lingsu continued, “Two years ago, my junior sister and I descended the mountain to travel the mortal world. On our journey, we visited Donghai Commandery1 and got to know the Dongfang sisters. They are the first and second mistresses of the East Sea Dragon Palace.”
Xu Qi’an nodded slowly. “The city of chaos, Donghai Commandery.”
Donghai Commandery bordered the Eastern Sea. It once belonged to the Great Feng, then was occupied by the Church of the Warlock God, and later retaken by the Great Feng… After years of tug-of-war, and with an unwritten understanding between the Great Feng and the Church of the Warlock God, it eventually became a chaotic city.
The nature of Donghai Commandery was similar to Yunzhou; both were lawless lands. But the latter was even less orderly, teeming with jianghu factions, wanderers, and wanted criminals of both the Church of the Warlock God and the Great Feng.
“The East Sea Dragon Palace is one of the top powers in Donghai Commandery, isn’t it?”
Xu Qi’an didn’t know much about Donghai Commandery; he had only heard of it by name.
Li Lingsu nodded, “The elder sister is called Dongfang Wanrong, a peak fourth-rank Warlock. The younger sister, Dongfang Wanqing, is a peak fourth-rank martial artist. To be honest, the reason I got involved with them was entirely my junior sister’s fault.
“She has a strong sense of justice. When training in the mountains, the environment was simple, and she only interacted with fellow disciples. Ha, our Heaven Sect has always been detached and desireless; we couldn’t even be bothered to bully our fellow disciples.
“So, we didn’t realise her powerful sense of justice at the time. After we left the mountain, her true nature gradually emerged. She had to stick her nose into anything she thought was unjust.
“You’ve surely heard of Lady Flying Swallow as you travel the jianghu, she’s my junior sister.”
Xu Qi’an mentally gave a like to the Holy Son’s lampooning.
“It was also while righting wrongs that my junior sister and I got to know the Dongfang sisters. And, well, through various twists of fate, I became deeply attached to both of them…”
Is this what’s known as a friendship as close as Guan Bao’s? It must be a friendship as close as Guan Bao’s…2 Xu Qi’an thought that these four characters suited the Holy Son of Heaven Sect perfectly.
He cocked the corner of his mouth, giving a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “So, you got involved with both of them at the same time?”
The Holy Son of the Heaven Sect nodded somewhat awkwardly.
Xu Qi’an silently hailed him as an expert. Peak fourth-rank? Whichever system they belonged to, that was the backbone, a top existence in the mortal realm.
And these two sisters were actually willing to serve one man together.
He glanced at the Holy Son of the Heaven Sect, his gaze showing a hint of admiration. He mused, “From what you’ve said, it sounds like both sisters are devoted to you. Why do you want to escape from them?”
Hearing this, the Holy Son replied mournfully, “Given your deep cultivation, I’m sure you know of the Heaven Sect…”
When he saw Xu Qi’an nod, he dispensed with lengthy explanations and said bluntly, “Our Heaven Sect cultivates the way of supreme detachment from emotion. What does that mean? Master says, ‘Be still and emotionless, like someone who’s forgotten.’
“My understanding is not to be moved by emotions or disturbed by feelings. Detachment isn’t heartlessness. It’s being affectionate yet unburdened by love, unaffected, reaching a state of transcendence and observation from above.
“To assimilate with heaven and earth; as the saying goes, ‘Heaven is selfish, yet acts with impartiality’…
“This level can only be attained through insight, just like a martial artist’s Transforming Force or ‘intent’, it must be grasped personally.”
Xu Qi’an listened patiently, though in truth he took nothing in.
He raised his hand, cutting off the Holy Son’s rambling at the right moment, frowning. “What has this got to do with anything?”
“It’s very much related.”
Li Lingsu sighed, “To detach from emotions, one must first experience love. So…”
He glanced at Xu Qi’an, saw understanding dawn on his face, and was about to continue when this mysterious man in azure snorted:
“So, you seduced them and then abandoned them?”
Li Lingsu’s expression froze, and he protested loudly:
“It was not abandonment. I still have duties to my sect. I must seek my own way. Moreover, the Holy Son or Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect is destined to inherit the leadership.
“I bear the great duty of my sect. How could I be caught up in romance? It’s better we forget each other in the rivers and lakes. So, my junior sister and I wandered away together and left Donghai Commandery.”
How poetic, better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes. What a scoundrel… Xu Qi’an mocked him inwardly.
“But Sister Qing and Sister Rong did not see it that way. They saw me as heartless and unfeeling, and because love turned to hate, a year ago they finally tracked down my junior sister and me.
“My junior sister showed no camaraderie at all and simply watched, leaving me to escape on my own…”
The Holy Son wore a sorrowful expression. “In the end, I failed to escape their clutches. Now, my cultivation is sealed, my primordial spirit suppressed, and I’m being held under house arrest by Sister Qing and Sister Rong.”
How blissful… Xu Qi’an was full of sarcastic thoughts but didn’t know where to start. His tone was calm:
“So you want my help in escaping from their ‘clutches’?”
The Holy Son nodded repeatedly.
“Heh!”
Xu Qi’an let out a short laugh.
“Sorry, I’m powerless to help you. Both are peak fourth-rank; a martial artist is one thing, but one is a Warlock, skilled in divination. I’m sure you have hair, skin, or other keepsakes in their hands. With just a single divination, they’ll know your whereabouts.
“They might even, out of resentment over your betrayal, resort to a death curse.”
Of course, your ‘personal effects’ might not just be in their hands but in their bodies as well.
The Holy Son of the Heaven Sect was unhurried and composed:
“Sister Qing and Sister Rong wouldn’t bear to kill me, I can guarantee that. Of course, even if they did choose a death curse, I wouldn’t complain, since my love for them is from the heart.”
To have both in your arms and yet talk about love? Hm, I don’t think I’m qualified to judge him… Xu Qi’an still shook his head:
“That’s not the point. The point is not whether you’re ready to die, but that even if they can’t bring themselves to kill you, they’d definitely take their anger out on me. I can’t possibly take on two peak fourth-ranks.”
“How so?” The Holy Son scrutinised him, frowning. “You could use the Heaven Gu’s shifting the constellations power to conceal my presence. They wouldn’t find me. It’s perfectly safe.”
How does he know I have the constellation shifting method?… Xu Qi’an was startled and almost flipped the table, ready for a fight.
But, since the Holy Son could be regarded as half an ally, he kept his composure.
“Don’t worry. I’ve witnessed the shifting the constellations myself and experienced it firsthand. When we passed each other on the street earlier, I sensed the aura of the Heaven Gu. Only someone who’s personally absorbed its power would notice.
“Besides, your life Gu is quite odd; apart from Heaven Gu, you also have traces of the Dark Gu, Strength Gu, and Poison Gu.”
There’s also Heart Gu, Desire Gu, and Corpse Gu. Something’s off, you’ve ‘absorbed’ the constellation-shifting power of the Heaven Gu? Xu Qi’an pressed for clarity.
“That’s… a long story.”
The Holy Son of the Heaven Sect said, “That day, in order to escape from the Dongfang Sisters, I fled all the way south, to the shaman clans, where I was saved by a beautiful, lively, and cheerful young lady.
“She took pity on me and brought me to the Heaven Gu tribe, where she begged Heaven Gu Grandma to use the power of ‘shifting stars and changing constellations’ to hide my aura, severing Sister Rong’s divination. Do you know Heaven Gu Grandma? She’s a tremendously powerful senior.”
Xu Qi’an asked, “So how did the Dongfang Sisters manage to find you afterwards?”
Hearing this, the Holy Son of the Heaven Sect revealed that familiar, awkward smile:
“Later, I hit it off with that shaman girl, and on a night with a bright moon and few stars, I caressed her without care, and she caressed me just as recklessly. We even swore never to be parted…”
Xu Qi’an’s heart stirred, and he looked at him silently. “That girl was?”
The Holy Son of the Heaven Sect said blankly, “She was a girl from the Desire Gu tribe.”
Pfft… Xu Qi’an covered his mouth to stop himself laughing, but maintained his own cold and aloof persona:
“So, in order to get rid of her, you walked right into your own trap and let the Dongfang Sisters find you?”
The Holy Son of the Heaven Sect sighed:
“But when I was with her, I was truly happy and I did truly like her. However, her possessiveness was even stronger than that of Sister Qing and Sister Rong, and she even planted a Desire Gu inside my body.
“Also, sticking with Sister Rong and Sister Qing, I still had a chance to escape. But if I stayed among the shaman clans, with so many eyes and powerful people, and such strange methods, I would never have managed to get out.”
The Holy Son’s marvellous adventure actually left him tangled up with three different women… Xu Qi’an crossed his arms on the table and said,
“What rank are you, and how much of your power can you use? This concerns my plan. Also, I can save you, but you must give me a reward that satisfies me enough.”
Li Lingsu was both shocked and delighted, gave it some thought, and said sincerely,
“I am one step short of the fourth rank. When I left the mountain to travel with my junior sister, both of us were at the Yin Spirit stage. After a year, we both advanced to the fifth rank Golden Core.
“During the six months on the run, I reached the peak of the fifth rank. After another six months of being under house arrest, my cultivation was sealed and I have made no further progress. At the moment, I can muster power equivalent to seventh rank at most.
“Seventh rank, ‘Guiding Qi’, I can just about wield magical artefacts.”
Completely useless in a fight… was Xu Qi’an’s appraisal.
Li Lingsu finished and continued,
“As for the reward, I currently don’t have a penny to my name. My possessions… er, everything is in my junior sister’s hands: gold, silver, magical artefacts, and some rare natural resources.
“Once sir rescues me, I’ll take you to her and split all my savings with you fifty-fifty. Heh, it’s quite a fortune. If you don’t believe me, you should at least trust Lady Flying Swallow’s reputation.”
He wore an expression that shouted, ‘my junior sister is a big shot’, and in terms of status in the jianghu, Li Miaozhen truly was on that level.
Xu Qi’an mulled it over for a long time. “I’ll try to help, but I can’t guarantee success.”
At that, the two began to discuss in low voices.
…
The next day, Li Lingsu woke up, feeling utterly exhausted, with a slight ache in his waist.
Without reaching high rank, the Daoist body’s strengthening was not marked, far inferior to a martial artist of the same level.
The wind howled in the courtyard; that was Sister Qing honing her fist intent.
In the warm bedroom, in front of the dressing mirror, a graceful woman in light gauze with a slender waist did her hair, looking back with a charming smile:
“Li Lang, you’re awake?”
Li Lingsu threw back the covers and got out of bed, hugged the alluring woman from behind and said,
“Good big sister, let me help you draw your eyebrows.”
Dongfang Wanrong smiled beautifully, lifted her face slightly, and closed her eyes.
As Li Lingsu drew her eyebrows, he said, “The porcelain of Pingzhou is warm and lustrous. I’d like to have a look around.”
Dongfang Wanrong frowned. “We’re on a tight schedule.”
Li Lingsu gently smoothed her brow with his fingertip, softly saying, “Don’t frown, it would only mar Sister Rong’s peerless beauty.”
Dongfang Wanrong’s cheeks turned rosy. “All right, but only for half a day. We must set out at midday.”
After breakfast, the party from the East Sea Dragon Palace went out into the streets, ostentatious and eye-catching. Unlike last time, this time they walked instead of riding in large palanquins.
With two peak fourth ranks strolling around town, no amount of showing off was over the top.
They wandered about, bought all sorts of porcelain, and Li Lingsu deliberately drank so much tea his stomach was sloshing. He said quietly,
“Sisters, I need the privy.”
Dongfang Wanqing nodded, her beautiful features expressionless. “I’ll go with you.”
She took several maidservants and led Li Lingsu towards the latrines in the back courtyard of a shop.
Dongfang Wanqing and the maids stopped at a distance, not drawing near, monitoring from afar.
As Li Lingsu relieved himself, he looked down and saw a fat rat in the waste channel, half its body soaked in sewage, raising its head to look at him with bright black eyes.
“I’m in the privy, and for now the sisters are separated,” he whispered.
The big rat immediately turned and ran. A few seconds later, a chorus of squeaky, riotous “squeak squeak” sounds followed, as swarms of rats appeared in the waste trough, and with their strong leaping ability, they jumped out of the pit.
They flooded into the courtyard, covered with filth, and pounced at Dongfang Wanqing and the maids.
At the same time, there was barking, and a dozen or so dogs, big and small, rushed into the courtyard, baring their fangs at Dongfang Wanqing.
These animals were not capable of harming martial artists, but the commotion they caused left Dongfang Wanqing and the other ladies baffled. Their first instinct was not to escape the “encirclement” and apprehend Li Lingsu,
but to use their qi to blow away the foul mice and crazed dogs.
Thus giving Li Lingsu a precious chance to escape.
Xu Qi’an emerged from Li Lingsu’s shadow, pressed a hand on his shoulder, took a deliberate glance at Dongfang Wanqing in the distance, and saw the graceful, extraordinary woman’s face change dramatically.
He retracted his gaze and said in a low, solemn voice, “Let’s go!”
The two vanished at once.
“Bastard!”
Dongfang Wanqing leapt up, momentarily hovering above the ground and surveying the packed rooftops below, a flow of people everywhere. How could she possibly spot where the two went?
Face dark and grim, she landed in front of the shop, crossed the threshold, and looking at her elder sister, said seriously,
“Li Lang has been taken by someone.”
The captivating Dongfang Wanrong frowned, calmly produced a talisman with a lock of hair inside,
Closed her eyes, pressed her palms together, formed an incantation gesture with her hands, and divined, then finally lost her composure, her face turning pale. “The divination failed…”
Dongfang Wanqing’s brows shot up, and she whispered, “It was that azure-robed man yesterday.”
That mysterious, azure-robed stranger from the day before… Dongfang Wanrong turned her head to look at her younger sister, her tone growing anxious: “Why did he take Li Lang away?”
“Donghai” means East Sea ↩
“Friendship of Guan and Bao”, between Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya (Zhou), meaning unconditional friendship. Long story, search it up. But also, “Bao” is the character for abalone, which if you’ve read up to this point will surely know it’s entirely being used sarcastically. ↩
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