“Dearest, how do we do it?”
The groom sounded a bit anxious, as if he had never been with a woman before.
The bride was thrown off by the question and only replied after a long pause, shyly saying, “This, this… why are you asking me, husband, how would I know?”
The groom said, displeased, “But I heard that, when a woman leaves her family to be wed, there is always a woman in the family to impart experience.”
…The bride replied in a low voice, “It, it’s very simple.”
“Ah, dearest, why are you holding my waist?”
“Don’t— don’t say it out loud… Although you have no concubine dear, do you not even have a maid to warm your bed? Besides, have you never been to a place of pleasure?”
The bride asked, as softly as a fly.
“I have never been to a brothel, nor have I ever had a maid for company. Women would only slow my progress in martial cultivation.”
That was how the groom replied.
What a character… Xu Qi’an narrowed his eyes at the dream, trying to see through the curtains to find out who this groom was.
Tang Yuanwu, the master of the Shuangdao Sect, looked on coldly, appearing disdainful, but kept glancing towards the bed curtains.
Yuan Yi chuckled, “Obsessed with martial arts.”
Li Shaoyun hurried off with a stern face.
At this moment, the bride exclaimed in surprise, “Husband dear, where are you going?”
The curtains in front of the bed shook as if a young man was getting dressed, replying to his wife as he did so, “The time is up, I will go practise with the spear for an hour. Dear wife, do rest early.”
The bride grew anxious, “But— but we still haven’t…”
The bed curtain was lifted, and the groom jumped out, handsome, with a rebellious look in his eyes, and rushed out in a hurry.
The moment they saw the young man, everyone turned sharply and looked at Li Shaoyun.
Li Shaoyun’s dark face instantly flushed red, as if flames had erupted inside him, and illusory black smoke rose from his head.
Commander Yuan Yi examined him again and again, saying,
“That can’t be right. A few years ago, when you came to Leizhou City to report to duty, you were like a fish in water at the Jiaofangsi.”
…Li Shaoyun’s mouth twitched, “When— when I married, I was just seventeen.”
Tang Yuanwu nodded and asked very seriously, “So, was it your esteemed wife who taught you how to act in the bedroom?”
Li Shaoyun: ”…”
Liu Yun said nothing but her lips curled slightly as if she were holding back a laugh.
This is social death… Xu Qi’an pursed his lips, managing not to laugh out loud.
He cleared his throat and said, “Enough nonsense, let’s focus on finding Nalan Tianlu’s consciousness.”
Yuan Yi and Tang Yuanwu put away their expressions and nodded slightly.
Li Shaoyun breathed a sigh of relief. His first experience was too memorable and sometimes appeared in his dreams. He had never imagined it would be so blatantly exposed in front of everyone, it was more mortifying than facing the enemy on the battlefield.
They moved past Li Shaoyun’s dream and, after searching through the mists for a while, suddenly heard the lively noise of a busy marketplace. When they looked closely:
Coloured lanterns hung high, crowds thronged, and it was the vibrant scene of a bustling night market.
Whose dream is this now… thought Xu Qi’an, then saw a man and a woman, walking hand in hand towards them.
The woman was tall and elegant, with pretty features and slightly thick brows that gave her an heroic, spirited air. She was holding the arm of a man, pointing at various stalls along the roadside, occasionally bouncing with a lively, cheerful manner.
That man was handsome, tall and slender, and wore… a Nightwatcher’s uniform.
Tang Yuanwu gazed deeply at the lively woman in the dream, then slowly turned his stiff neck to look at his famous cold, proud disciple, Liu Yun.
The heroic Lady Liu, praised in the Leizhou martial world for her boldness equal to any man, finally blushed, lowering her head, not daring to meet her boss’s eyes.
Yuan Yi smiled, “Since ancient times, beauties have loved heroes. Lady Liu has good taste.”
Li Shaoyun looked gleeful at her discomfort.
Another one socially dead… Xu Qi’an’s feelings were mixed. He realised his own dream was yet to appear, he’d been worried it would expose his identity.
Now his fear was that it might show him having fun with the Oiran at the Jiaofangsi.
Or perhaps something from his previous life, like fighter jets, cars, skyscrapers and the like.
“To confirm whether the dream world is affected by the Buddhist precepts, we might as well try an experiment,” Commander Yuan Yi suggested.
“A fight?” Li Shaoyun raised an eyebrow.
Yuan Yi nodded.
Li Shaoyun, excited, dashed forward a few steps and launched a flying knee at Yuan Yi, who easily blocked it.
After a brief attempt, neither continued. Yuan Yi analysed, “In the dream world, we are not affected by the precepts, or at least this second level is not. We cannot use qi, so our current strength depends on the power of our soul.”
It depends on the power of the soul… Xu Qi’an’s eyes flashed. He looked at Li Shaoyun and said,
“Join me for another try.”
Li Shaoyun, never one to refuse a fight, licked his lips and eagerly replied,
“Alright, I’ve been wanting to test your skills.”
Liu Yun, Tang Yuanwu, and Yuan Yi took a few steps back, looking on with great interest.
As Li Shaoyun said, they were all very curious about this mysterious man who called himself Xu Qian. For now, they could treat him as an ally.
But when it came to fighting over the Blood Pill, he’d be a competitor.
Now was the perfect time to test him out.
Seeing Xu Qi’an nod, Li Shaoyun knew his opponent was ready. Without hesitation, he stamped twice, spun, and, using his waist, whipped out his right leg with a sharp “crack,” like a taut whip.
Xu Qi’an raised his hand to block, but was sent flying backwards, looking utterly embarrassed.
Is that it?
The three onlookers were momentarily stunned, finding it hard to believe.
His soul seemed suspiciously weak.
That level of skill was common in Leizhou martial circles, only about the fifth or sixth rank of martial artist.
Just as surprise and disappointment began to rise, they saw Li Shaoyun suddenly clutch his leg, stumbling backward, his face contorted in pain.
Looking closely, Yuan Yi’s pupils shrank, Li Shaoyun’s right foot had vanished, leaving nothing below his ankle.
“He, he devoured part of my soul…” Li Shaoyun gasped as if his very spirit was being torn apart. The loss itself was minor and wouldn’t have much impact, but the pain was excruciating.
Devoured part of your soul? Tang Yuanwu lost his contempt and gave Xu Qian, standing in the distance, a wary look.
Daoist, or Warlock…? Yuan Yi, too, frowned. This ability was beyond his expectations. Besides Liu Yun, the three of them were all fourth ranks.
Their souls were strong, but to devour another’s soul, this wasn’t something martial artists could do.
In other words, though Xu Qian’s soul was weaker, he could possibly devour theirs.
“It’s just a small amount of soul power. It shouldn’t have any effect on you.”
Xu Qi’an returned and said, “I only just discovered I could do it.”
He kept his explanation brief, then carried on ahead.
The others exchanged glances, said nothing, and followed, no longer daring to underestimate the mysterious Xu Qian.
So the Heart Gu can devour soul power, but rather than feeding it back to me, it was consumed entirely by the Sevenfold Gu, possibly because of the Demon Sealing Nail, which prevented the Sevenfold Gu from feeding me directly…
In that case, I’ve found a quick way to nourish the Heart Gu, by devouring souls… Xu Qi’an became fired up at the thought.
And this dream world was the perfect opportunity.
The Heaven Gu formed the foundation of the Sevenfold Gu and didn’t need nourishing; it was already at its peak. Along the way, he had focused on cultivating the Poison Gu, which, after devouring the venom of the ancient corpse, had grown strong.
The Shadow Gu and Strength Gu had been steadily nurtured, neither too strong nor too weak, belonging to the second tier.
The Corpse Gu, Desire Gu, and Heart Gu had been stagnant. Now, he had found a way to speed up the Heart Gu’s growth, devour soul power.
As for the Desire Gu, he planned to wait until the National Teacher arrived to focus on its cultivation.
So, is it the juice extractor of your Human Sect that is stronger, or is my Southern Marches’ Desire Gu superior? It was a pity that he was no longer the same martial man he had once been, otherwise Luo Yuheng would have been utterly defeated.
All that was left was the Corpse Gu.
Suddenly, Xu Qi’an’s steps froze. He stared ahead in a daze.
Before him was a dreamscape: the sky was as blue as if washed, the grasslands rolled on endlessly, and a tall brown horse was lowering its head to graze.
The dream was monotonous; apart from this horse, there was nothing else.
Li Shaoyun and the others stopped behind Xu Qi’an, gazing at the dream. The recently socially dead Disciplinary Officer asked, puzzled,
“What’s this meant to be, just a horse?”
He stared at the horse for a moment, then suddenly gasped and said,
“Have any of you noticed that, the more I look at this horse, the more delicate and attractive it seems, and I can’t help but want to ride it.”
Tang Yuanwu analysed, “It does feel like that. A dream is a reflection of someone’s deepest subconscious, and judging from the charm this horse is giving off, it’s not hard to imagine the dreamer has a special fondness for horses.”
That’s not true, you’re making things up, don’t wrong me… Xu Qi’an inwardly issued the classic denial, then realised why he was dreaming of a mare.
Dreams were shaped by both body and consciousness. When someone was hungry, they would dream of fine food.
By the same logic, before entering the Stupa tower, he had used the Heart Gu technique against the middle-aged martial monk, and as a consequence, instinctively developed a fondness for animals.
Of all animals, the one he was most familiar with was, naturally, the little mare.
Yuan Yi pondered, “Is there a horse Yao among us?”
“Impossible!”
Tang Yuanwu shook his head, “If it were a member of the Yao, they would have been forcibly converted by the Buddhists and wouldn’t have made it into the tower.”
Hiss! Li Shaoyun sucked in a breath, “Is this person some sort of pervert? Horses are already pitiful enough, serving as mounts for others day in, day out. Can’t they just leave them alone?”
…Xu Qi’an’s mouth twitched as he said blandly, “There’s nothing too strange in this vast world; it’s nothing unusual.”
Too embarrassing!
This is far too bloody embarrassing!
I’d sooner die than admit this was my dream.
Led by Li Shaoyun’s tutting noises, the group quickly moved away.
Before long, they heard the roar of battle, thunderous and deafening.
A vast, turbulent scene of war gradually unfolded before their eyes, this was Nalan Tianlu’s dreamscape.
…
In a barren expanse, a man in an azure robe gazed gently at Nalan Tianlu and said, “Today, you will certainly die.”
Dongfang Wanrong, with the disciples of the East Sea Dragon Palace and some Buddhist monks, hurried over.
Seeing this, she breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lifted, and said, “Wait for me here.”
Dongfang Wanrong approached Nalan Tianlu, who was clad in a blood-soaked warlock’s robe. She muttered incantations under her breath, and, after a moment, Nalan Tianlu’s body shuddered and his eyes, somewhat vacant, turned to Dongfang Wanrong.
“You…”
“Teacher, it’s me, Rong’er.”
Nalan Tianlu was silent for a moment, then murmured as if sleepwalking, “You’ve… grown… so big…”
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Wanrong was overwhelmed with mixed joy and sorrow. When the battle of Shanhai Pass had broken out, she had been only thirteen, a truly innocent age.
“Teacher, after you died, your soul was suppressed within the Buddhist Stupa tower. It’s been twenty years now.”
Dongfang Wanrong spoke hurriedly: “Disciple has come to save you…”
She quickly explained the “deal” between the Church of the Warlock God and the Buddhists. “You must let us leave your dreamscape now. Once the Buddhists reach the third floor, connect with the tower’s spirit, and take brief control of the Stupa tower, they’ll be able to undo your seal.”
“Twenty years… What is the outside world like now? Wei Yuan… how is Wei Yuan…”
Nalan Tianlu asked dreamily.
He was in a state of half-lucidity, half-slumber.
Wei Yuan is dead… Dongfang Wanrong dared not tell the truth, dreading that the shock would rouse her master. If that happened, the dreamscape would naturally shatter.
If so, the Jianghu folk from Leizhou would be able to escape.
“It’s a long story, Teacher. After you’re free, I’ll explain everything…”
Before Dongfang Wanrong finished speaking, there suddenly came a shrill whistle.
She turned back in astonishment, one of the East Sea Dragon Palace disciples had unexpectedly thrown back his head and let out a long howl.
Dongfang Wanqing acted instantly, suppressing the disciple, her brows drawn in anger: “What are you doing?”
The disciple seemed utterly confused.
Zen Master Jingxin said in a deep voice, “His mind has been affected by someone. There has been nothing wrong all along, but the moment we encountered Rain Master Nalan’s consciousness, he sounded an alarm, notifying whoever controls him.”
“I… I… I don’t know anything!”
The disciple was both frightened, angry, and aggrieved.
Dongfang Wanqing, frowning, looked towards the thick mist. The mist suddenly trembled and a figure shot out, like an arrow, straight at Dongfang Wanqing.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Bang!
Dongfang Wanqing slid backwards a few steps.
Zen Master Jingxin pressed his hands together and chanted the Buddha’s name, “Thou shalt not kill.”
At once, the assailant froze, unable to complete the attack on Dongfang Wanqing. The man’s skin was dark, his expression wild and unyielding, it was none other than Disciplinary Officer Li Shaoyun.
Meanwhile, the Buddhist monk Jingyuan strode forward and struck Li Shaoyun’s chest with a punch, sending him flying.
Behind the group, the mist stirred again. Two more figures burst out with a clear target, Dongfang Wanqing.
Tang Yuanwu either dodged or crashed into them, scattering the East Sea Dragon Palace disciples who tried to intervene, clearing a path for Yuan Yi.
Seizing Dongfang Wanqing was part of Xu Qi’an’s plan.
In the dream world, martial artists were far too passive. To effectively control Dream Warlock Dongfang Wanrong, and force her to lead them out, the best strategy was to seize Dongfang Wanqing.
Li Lingsu had said that the Dongfang sisters had relied on each other since childhood and were deeply attached. If threatened with her younger sister’s life, Dongfang Wanrong would surely comply.
Head Monk Hengyin pressed his palms together, using Buddhist precepts to restrict Yuan Yi and Tang Yuanwu’s movements. Buddhist precepts were enacted with the spirit, not the physical body.
While the Buddhist and East Sea Dragon Palace disciples were being held off by Li Shaoyun’s group, Xu Qi’an led Liu Yun out of the mist to attack Dongfang Wanqing.
“Wanqing, come here!”
Dongfang Wanrong called.
“You keep communicating with Rain Master Nalan, I can hold them off,” Dongfang Wanqing replied coolly.
“Master, quickly, let us go,” Dongfang Wanrong urged anxiously.
She had never planned to kill the Leizhou martial artists in the dreamscape. The more chaos they caused here, the more likely they were to attract the lone wanderers of the jianghu.
With nearly two hundred enemies, they would not be able to win.
“But… I haven’t yet defeated Wei Yuan…” Nalan Tianlu murmured.
…
Liu Yun was like a sharp blade, stabbing into the ranks of the Buddhist warrior monks and blocking the first wave of reinforcements that hurried over to stop Xu Qi’an.
Her fifth-rank Transforming Force cultivation and resilient spirit enabled her to take on a group of equally crude warrior monks. Although she struggled, she fought them to a standstill.
Thanks to his special ability, Xu Qi’an was responsible for dealing with Dongfang Wanqing’s spirit.
Without hesitation, when he approached Dongfang Wanqing, he let out a piercing whistle, shaking her spirit with the Heart Gu and causing a brief moment of dizziness.
He struck his palm at the crown of the cold, beautiful woman.
With that strike, he could devour at least thirty percent of her soul power.
Soul power was similar to vital force; as long as it was not completely devoured, the spirit would not suffer fundamental damage, at most, the spirit would become depleted and need a long time to recuperate.
“Hmph!”
Dongfang Wanqing freed herself from the brief dizziness and responded as a martial artist should: she clenched her fist and punched towards Xu Qi’an’s palm.
When fist and palm collided, there was no sound, but in the next instant, Dongfang Wanrong was consumed by soul-rending pain. Staggering backwards, she looked at her arm in disbelief.
Her entire forearm had disappeared, below the elbow, there was nothing but emptiness.
Meanwhile, Xu Qi’an was sent flying, like a kite with a broken string.
His spirit us not strong, even weak, but he can devour soul power… Dongfang Wanqing made a judgment: her soul power would, at worst, be depleted, but before that, she could destroy the spirit of this weak opponent.
She turned into a blur and chased after him.
…
Dongfang Wanrong patiently communicated with Nalan Tianlu’s consciousness, guiding him with her Dream Warlock abilities.
“Teacher, the Battle of Shanhai Pass is over. The Church of the Warlock God still remains, as does Mount Jing City. This was only one of the wars under your command. There are more battles awaiting you.”
“The Battle of Shanhai Pass… We lost?”
“Yes, we lost.”
“The Great Feng won this war, like fire boiling oil. The Church of the Warlock God has no more chances…”
“No, the Great Feng is now weakened, its dragon ley dissipated, and is at its most vulnerable. Teacher, the Church of the Warlock God needs you.”
“The Church of the Warlock God needs me? Yes, the Church of the Warlock God needs me…”
Nalan Tianlu’s vacant eyes gradually regained focus.
Dongfang Wanrong was delighted and was just about to speak when someone shouted loudly,
“Dongfang Wanrong, if you do not want your sister’s spirit shattered, you had better lead us out of this dream.”
She turned her head and, at once, shock and fury mixed on her face, disbelief written all over it.
Her sister Dongfang Wanqing’s spirit was being held in the opponent’s hand. What had been a solid form was now ethereal, a shadow that seemed likely to disperse with a puff of wind.
A dignified, peak fourth-rank spirit, defeated so quickly?
“You… your soul…”
Dongfang Wanqing struggled in unwillingness, grinding her teeth in anger.
She thought she could disperse the opponent’s soul. Unexpectedly, though his spirit was indeed weak, it was unimaginably tenacious and could not be broken at all.
As martial artists had no special abilities in spiritual battles, she was helpless against someone who could devour soul power. After a few rounds, she became a fish in the net.
“A third-rank spirit is not something you can scatter,” Xu Qi’an said with a smile.
It worked… Li Shaoyun and the others were overjoyed, and hurriedly retreated towards Xu Qi’an.
Liu Yun was about to pull out when Head Monk Hengyin’s eyes flashed. He pressed his palms together and said, “Turn and see the shore!”
Liu Yun’s body stiffened; she could not move her legs no matter how hard she tried.
Crash… a group of warrior monks and monks surrounded her, Jingxin and Jingyuan also rushed over and subdued Liu Yun.
Head Monk Hengyin placed his palm on Liu Yun’s head and said, “Donor, please release the Second Palace Lord Dongfang.”
Xu Qi’an frowned. “And if I refuse?”
Hengyin replied coolly, “Then do not blame this poor monk for breaking his vow of non-violence today.”
“If you want to kill, just kill. Less nonsense,” cursed Li Shaoyun.
“You must not kill!”
Tang Yuanwu’s face was grim as he looked at Xu Qi’an and said, “Brother Xu, have mercy.”
This hastily assembled team was not particularly united. Liu Yun was the most outstanding disciple of the Shuangdao Sect, but had nothing to do with Xu Qian and the others, they might not be willing to give up their hostage for Liu Yun’s sake.
Everyone’s eyes naturally fell upon Xu Qi’an.
Liu Yun pressed her lips together tightly.
“Fine!”
Xu Qi’an let go, and Dongfang Wanqing, facing him but with her back to her own people, retreated step by step.
At this, Monk Hengyin withdrew his hand. Liu Yun shot a deep look at Xu Qian, then quickly returned.
Dongfang Wanrong felt relieved and barked, “Come here!”
As the figures of the Buddhist monks and East Sea Dragon Palace disciples rushed toward them, she said,
“Teacher, quickly take us out.”
Nalan Tianlu’s eyes were no longer vacant; he nodded as he stared at her, laughing softly, “To think master and disciple could meet again.”
The next moment, everyone disappeared from the dream.
“Damn, what now?” Li Shaoyun swore. “How do we break free from this second-rank Master of Rain’s dream? We’ve come here for nothing, and worse, our lives are in their hands. There might not even be a rule against killing on the second level. If killing is allowed, we’re finished.”
As he spoke, the dream returned to normal. Nalan Tianlu was beheaded by Wei Yuan, and his spirit was collected by Arhat Du’e with a golden bowl.
Yuan Yi did not say a word, but his face was dark as water.
Xu Qi’an said, “If we cannot leave the dream on our own, let others help.”
What did he mean?
The three fourth-rank martial artists were stunned.
Hope shone in Liu Yun’s eyes.
…
Dongfang Wanrong was the first to open her eyes. Looking around, she found herself in a place resembling a dungeon.
The light was dim, the floor and walls made of piled black stone that gave off a gloomy shade.
The second level was not large. Statues of furious Vajra stood about, some wielding swords, others holding clubs or sabres…
Her gaze wandered and she saw her teacher, Nalan Tianlu, sitting cross-legged between two Vajra statues. The one on the left held a sword, its point aimed at Nalan Tianlu in a thrusting pose.
The right-hand Vajra held a stone hammer, raised high, as if ready to strike at any moment.
Nalan Tianlu’s spirit was insubstantial, in a half-illusory state.
Dongfang Wanrong looked away and glanced behind her, down a long tunnel where nearly two hundred people from Leizhou stood.
Their eyes were shut, like sculptures, each with expressions of sorrow, joy, anxiety, or embarrassment that shifted constantly, but none could awaken.
The East Sea Dragon Palace disciples and the Buddhist monks opened their eyes as well.
Like Dongfang Wanrong, they looked around curiously.
“We’re out. This is the second level…”
A disciple of the East Sea Dragon Palace exclaimed in delight.
Dongfang Wanqing stepped forward, looking at Nalan Tianlu’s spirit, and tried to take a few steps, then stopped and said,
“My martial intuition tells me that if I go any further, it will be dangerous.”
Dongfang Wanrong hurriedly said, “Come back quickly. Do not startle teacher, or the dream will shatter.”
At this moment, she saw Head Monk Hengyin pull out a three-edged vajra sceptre from his sleeve and stab it into the chest of a Leizhou native.
Blood spurted instantly, and that man, still in a dream, had his life taken away.
“Senior Brother Hengyin…”
Monk Jingxin frowned.
Monk Hengyin’s face did not change. “We are exterminating demons.”
His gaze swept around and locked onto the person in azure not far away.
“Especially this one, who has repeatedly offended Buddhism, stood against us, and even nearly killed Brother Yinshun.”
He walked towards Xu Qi’an, vajra sceptre in hand.
Dongfang Wanrong glanced at Monk Jingxin and said, “He can control the minds of others. To prevent anyone being secretly manipulated, Master, you had better use monastic precepts to verify everyone.”
As she spoke, she also used her Dream Warlock abilities to check the disciples of the East Sea Dragon Palace.
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