After considering for a moment, he said frankly, “I cannot share the treasure with you. Whether it is that dragon qi or the Stupa tower, both are unique. I’m sure you all understand.”
Upon hearing these words, everyone felt their hearts sink, unable to hide their disappointment.
Xu Qi’an remained calm and added, “But I can offer you proper compensation, so your trip will not be in vain.”
With a single sentence, the situation changed drastically.
There would be compensation… The martial artists of Leizhou looked at each other, joy appearing on their faces.
Since the treasure was ‘singular’, it was indeed the most stable and convincing way for the strongest to take it for themselves, while the rest received compensation.
“What compensation?” someone asked.
“It will certainly satisfy you!” said Xu Qi’an.
With everyone’s agreement, Xu Qi’an sent them all to the second floor, then, like a manager handing out bonuses to his subordinates, summoned them one by one…
The first to enter was a thin, black-clad man. There was a short sword at his waist, his face was rather pale, and his eyelids were puffy.
Xu Qi’an asked, “What do you want?”
He cupped his hands and said, “I am Zhao Pan, skilled in poisons, and I know a bit about Poison Gu methods. Earlier today at Sanhua Temple, I saw you wield a powerful poison. I would like to ask you for a dose of poison, the stronger the better.”
That’s not difficult… Xu Qi’an immediately took out a porcelain bottle, forced out a stream of azure-black poison from his fingertip, and injected it into the bottle.
“Catch!”
He corked the bottle and tossed it to the poison-master named Zhao Pan.
Pop! Zhao Pan could not wait and pulled out the wooden stopper, inhaling deeply, his face lighting up with joy: “Good, such potent poison…”
As he finished speaking, his face darkened, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the floor.
How is this any different from licking a poisoned dagger… Xu Qi’an cursed inwardly, rushed to save him, and managed to rescue that foolish life.
“Thank you for saving me!”
Zhao Pan’s face grew even paler as he gripped the porcelain bottle tightly, as if it was his greatest treasure.
“This poison is fierce. It’s best used in the open air. Never open the bottle in a confined room. Also, I’ll give you an extra gift of a poisonous plant.”
Xu Qi’an opened his pouch and handed him a ‘potted plant’.
It was a vibrant green plant, orchid-like, with a few bright red berries set against the greenery.
“Green Widow? Is this Green Widow?”
Zhao Pan studied the orchid and was suddenly overjoyed: “It’s a mutated Green Widow…”
Even widows can turn green? The fellow who named this was truly a genius… Xu Qi’an said lightly, “Just something I cultivated casually.”
In fact, he had picked the poisonous herb in the mountains and handed it to Mu Nanzhi to cultivate; it ended up mutating, becoming several times stronger than the original variety.
For poison Gu, the more types and effects the better.
For example, the poison Xu Qi’an was currently skilled with was the venom from a thousand-year-old corpse, blue-black in colour. To render it colourless and flavourless, one needed to dilute it to a certain degree.
But if he could obtain a rare, colourless, and tasteless poison, he would have much more scope for underhanded tricks.
Casually cultivate a mutant poisonous herb… Zhao Pan realised he had met a true master of poisons.
“Remember the promise, you cannot tell anyone what you have obtained.”
Zhao Pan went downstairs brimming with excitement.
Soon, the second person came up: a typical martial artist, broad and muscular, carrying a huge axe in his hand.
“What do you want?” Xu Qi’an asked.
“I want to become a fourth rank martial artist,” the big man rumbled in a deep voice.
“What rank are you now?”
“Seventh rank Refining Spirit.”
Why don’t you just say you want to be a Martial God? People like this are actually the easiest to deal with… Xu Qi’an said blandly,
“Twenty taels of silver.”
The big man said nothing.
“Fifty taels of silver.”
Still nothing.
“Eighty taels of silver.”
The big man cupped his fist: “Thank you, Sir!”
…
Two hours later, Xu Qi’an rubbed his brow and finally sorted out all the non-obligatory compensations. Everyone’s requests were different: some for poisons, others for pills, some for advice from a master, and so on.
He could not possibly satisfy everyone’s wishes; most were resolved by turning them into silver or gifting them muskets.
A few requests were particularly odd, one said he had been snubbed by his fiancée back home and was out travelling to make a name, planning to go back and show off in three years, so he didn’t want money, but a treasure that would help him improve rapidly.
Another said his daughter was so poor she had to live in a dog’s kennel, but though poor, she had aspirations. He also did not want money, just a treasure that would let him soar to the top at once.
Xu Qi’an caressed his forty-metre-long sabre and said: Think carefully before you ask.
In the end, they all settled for silver.
Money truly is the unchanging law of the world… in just two short hours I’ve given out over three thousand taels of silver. If I knew this earlier, then I’d’ve just had second senior brother conceal me completely. Right, what was second senior brother trying to say just now?
Grumbling in his heart, Xu Qi’an summoned Tang Yuanwu, Li Shaoyun, Yuan Yi, and Liu Yun.
Sweeping his gaze over the four, he smiled, “What do you want?”
“Of course, the Blood Pill. That’s exactly why we came,” Li Shaoyun said testily.
“No, to be precise, for the chance to break through to beyond mortal,” Yuan Yi corrected.
But the truth was, there was no such thing as a Blood Pill here; they had all been tricked by Li Miaozhen.
And what does not exist, Xu Qi’an could not conjure out of thin air.
“How about this,” Tang Yuanwu pondered, “Money and magical weapons are nothing rare to us. Since you are knowledgeable and well-travelled, why not answer a question for me as compensation?”
As a native of Leizhou, Tang Yuanwu understood well the wonders of the Stupa tower. That this Xu Qian could control the Stupa tower meant his identity was unlikely to be simple.
He could not judge him merely by comparing martial strength.
Xu Qi’an nodded: “Alright.”
Tang Yuanwu’s eyes lit up immediately as he asked, “How is the Blood Pill made?”
Young friend, no, big brother, your thoughts are very dangerous… Xu Qi’an replied, “An arcanist or a Daoist can do it, I don’t know about other paths, but martial artists certainly can’t.”
Tang Yuanwu could not hide his disappointment.
“I’ll give you an extra piece of information,” Xu Qi’an said, seeing the Shuangdao Sect Master’s disappointed look, and after glancing at Li Shaoyun and Yuan Yi, pondered for a moment and asked:
“Did you know that refining the Blood Pill requires slaughtering a whole city?”
The three nodded, and Liu Yun’s eyes sparkled, “The Zhenbei King slaughtered the entire city of Chuzhou to refine the Blood Pill, but was beheaded on the spot by a mysterious master.”
Whenever chivalrous feats like this were mentioned, Liu Yun became particularly excited.
If she knew it was Xu Qi’an who had slain Zhenbei King, who knows how she would feel.
Xu Qi’an said, “Since ancient times, third rank experts have been extremely rare; in a whole generation, there may not be a single one. While fourth rank is uncommon, every province has a few; Jianzhou even has more than a dozen. Across Jiuzhou, they number beyond counting.
“Yet, why is it that neither the Great Feng, nor the Church of the Warlock God, nor even Buddhism, ever refined Blood Pills on a large scale to train martial artists? It’s fine to use enemy blood, after all, surely your own people cannot die, but those from enemy nations shouldn’t be a problem, should they? Have the three of you ever wondered why?”
Yuan Yi and the others were taken aback, understanding what Xu Qi’an meant.
Li Shaoyun’s expression changed slightly, “You mean… the Blood Pill cannot help a fourth rank advance to third rank?”
“Yes and no. The Blood Pill can indeed help a fourth-rank martial artist step into the third rank, a shortcut to instant ascendance. But the cost is just as dire. Almost no one can actually absorb a Blood Pill successfully; the only outcome is their bodies exploding.”
Xu Qi’an said, “If it were really possible to advance just by swallowing a Blood Pill, third ranks would be everywhere.”
Liu Yun suddenly said, “I heard that Silver Gong Xu is already a third-rank martial artist. Yet when I saw him in the capital, he wasn’t even fourth rank. Although it’s rumoured in the martial world that he reached fourth rank when he single-handedly faced twenty thousand rebels in Yunzhou, I’m not sure. I’ve actually observed him close up.”
When did you ever observe me close up… Xu Qi’an was taken aback.
Liu Yun continued, “How did Silver Gong Xu manage to transcend mortality and become a third-rank undying body in such a short time?”
Li Shaoyun, Yuan Yi, and Tang Yuanwu’s eyes suddenly shone with excitement.
Xu Qi’an shook his head and said, “I am not that peerless talent Silver Gong Xu, nor do I know how he managed to transcend mortality in such a short period. But if he ascended by swallowing a blood pill, then he is the only one in a thousand years.”
The only one in a thousand years… I really want to confirm whether Silver Gong Xu is the first in a millennium… Liu Yun pursed her lips. “Thank you for telling me, senior.”
“I heard from the Buddhist monks that Silver Gong Xu has been crippled. Is this true?” Yuan Yi finally voiced the question that had troubled him for a long time.
He was not a pure warrior, but as the commander-in-chief of a province, whether Xu Qi’an was crippled or not was vitally important to him.
“This young man’s talent is dazzling. How could he be crippled just like that?” Xu Qian laughed.
Yuan Yi nodded slightly, saying,
“I also don’t believe Silver Gong Xu will ‘die young.’ His future achievements will certainly surpass Zhenbei King. For years, the Western Regions have been peaceful and uneventful. On the surface, the common folk believe it’s thanks to Zhenbei King, the god of war, stationed at the border, safeguarding the Great Feng’s lands.
“In truth, the Buddhist sects were wary of Duke Wei. Now that Duke Wei has sacrificed himself, if anyone else in future can make the Buddhist sects feel threatened, it can only be Silver Gong Xu. Should he suffer misfortune, the Great Feng would truly have no one left.”
Feels like my reputation is now rivalling Duke Wei at his peak… Xu Qi’an was quietly pleased, tasting the sweetness of hype.
In truth, the Great Feng’s top combat strength was not weak: the first-rank Jianzheng, second-rank Wei Yuan, the second-rank unfilial son, second-rank Zhende, second-rank Luo Yuheng, third-rank Zhenbei King, third-rank Sun Xuanji.
This didn’t even include the Wulin Alliance’s old scoundrel, the fallen Earth Sect Daoist Leader, and the emotionless Heaven Sect.
Unfortunately, some had betrayed them, some had perished, some were emotionless, some were mad, some obsessed over dual cultivation, and some tormented by disciples into high blood pressure.
Infighting had exhausted all their foundations.
In the end, Xu Qi’an looked at Li Shaoyun and said, “What did you want to ask?”
Li Shaoyun tilted his head and considered for a long time, before reluctantly replying, “I haven’t thought of anything yet.”
I think you need a collection of arithmetic exercises… Xu Qi’an muttered inwardly. He had beloved to say, “Let me open your mind using the Wisdom Dharma Aspect.”
But, taking into account that this crude disciplinary officer might turn hostile on the spot, he resisted the urge.
After sending Li Shaoyun and the rest away, Xu Qi’an stood by the window, watching as the Leizhou martial artists departed, disappearing into the darkness.
He immediately turned around and looked at Sun Xuanji, “Second senior-brother, what were you saying just now?”
Mu Nanzhi’s smooth forehead twitched. “He said, he used the Qi-watching technique to conceal the Stupa tower.”
“And the Holy Son?”
“The Holy Son couldn’t stand him and escaped to the second floor. He said he was afraid he couldn’t resist tearing Sun Xuanji’s mouth apart.”
…
Dawn.
At Sanhua Temple, now littered with ruins and broken walls, the halls dedicated to the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats had become piles of rubble under cannon fire.
Fortunately, the monks’ living quarters were well preserved. Vajra Du’nan sat on a meditation mat in one of the rooms, eyes half closed. On his left were monks Jingxin, Jingyuan and other monks from the Western Regions.
On his right were Abbot Panlong and the elders of Sanhua Temple.
Irbu from the Church of the Warlock God had left Sanhua Temple with the twins.
Every monk had a sheet of paper in front of them, on which was written:
The Stupa tower has been taken, the Dragon Qi has been taken, the enemy’s name is Xu Qian.
The strength of Heaven’s secrets shielding is inversely proportional to the depth of karmic entanglement; the deeper the karma, the harder it is to shield.
The Stupa tower had stood at Sanhua Temple for centuries. The sealed arm of Shenshu inside was deeply entangled with both the monks of Sanhua Temple and Vajra Du’nan from Aranda in the Western Regions.
Just as the disappearance of the Imperial Palace would deal a deep psychological blow to the capital’s officials, the disappearance of the Stupa tower briefly bewildered the Sanhua Temple monks, including Vajra Du’nan.
But soon, they would remember the Stupa tower’s existence, and thus recall the entire incident.
And soon after, forget again. Thus the cycle repeated, until the experienced Vajra Du’nan had someone record the relevant information on paper for them to see at all times.
This ensured their memories wouldn’t be confused, but the best chance to track down the culprit was already missed.
As for breaking the shielding of Heaven’s secrets, it would require at least three Sanhua Temple monks to see the Stupa tower again.
Host Abbot Panlong said, “Irbu tried divination, but couldn’t determine the location of the Stupa tower. We’ve completely lost this priceless treasure.”
He paused, and continued,
“Our main focus is investigating Xu Qian. According to Miss Wenren from the Leizhou Merchants’ Association, this man arrived in Leizhou accompanying her beloved, Li Lingsu. She doesn’t know his specific identity.
“However, Miss Wenren said Li Lingsu was extremely respectful to Xu Qian, even a little afraid. His true identity is by no means simple. Even Li Lingsu himself doesn’t know, only that Xu Qian has lived for several centuries, and that even the Jianzheng has lost to him at Go.
“To defeat the Jianzheng, isn’t that tantamount to winning half the world? Those are Li Lingsu’s very words.”
Afterwards, the monks from Sanhua Temple questioned Wenren Qianrou of the Leizhou Merchants’ Association directly. The young lady cooperated fully, answering every question, and Abbot Panlong, after verifying the truth, did not make things difficult for her.
The monks present all looked extremely strange. Monk Jingyuan said in disbelief, “But his cultivation doesn’t even match mine, all he depends on is the trickery of Gu techniques.”
Abbot Panlong shook his head, “This is indeed a major cause of suspicion. Also, the news was spread by Xu Qian himself. The so-called Lady Flying Swallow was actually Li Lingsu in disguise.”
An elder frowned. “Who exactly is Li Lingsu?”
Abbot Panlong answered, “He is the Heaven Sect’s Holy Son, the senior brother of Li Miaozhen.”
The Heaven Sect’s Holy Son is Miss Wenren Qianrou’s beloved? Isn’t the Heaven Sect’s path meant to be severed from mortal desires?
The monks’ hearts flickered with doubt.
Then Jingxin said, “If Li Lingsu was disguised as Li Miaozhen, he should have been recognised long ago. Why has no one uncovered his disguise? Unless it’s a special disguise technique, capable of fooling high-ranking experts.”
Abbot Panlong nodded. “If that’s the case, then Xu Qian is very likely also in disguise.”
Master Jingxin proceeded to report his own findings:
“I questioned the two Dongfang benefactors carefully. Xu Qian had encountered them on the way and even kidnapped their beloved, Li Lingsu. When they first met, he seemed completely ordinary, yet his methods were mysterious and impossible to guard against.
“Incidentally, the Dongfang benefactor also mentioned something: in a dream, we had once clashed with him, and the Dongfang benefactor had been captured by mistake. Although the man’s spirit was weak, his tenacity was incredible. In a moment of pride, he had boasted of having a third-rank spirit.”
That agreed with Wenren Qianrou’s account: this person did indeed have another identity, and it was a beyond-mortal figure.
“Hold on!”
Abbot Panlong asked in confusion, “Did you just say Li Lingsu is the beloved of the two Dongfang benefactors?”
Jingxin nodded.
At that moment, another wave of doubt swept through the monks’ minds: isn’t the Heaven Sect supposed to be free of desires?
Warrior Monk Jingyuan seemed to recall something and said,
“I remember, on the second floor, Hengyin once tried to kill this person, but the magical artefact couldn’t even pierce his skin. He’s very likely a martial artist.”
The group discussed for a long time, privately speculating Xu Qian’s true identity.
Vajra Du’nan opened his eyes and concluded,
“In disguise; greatly linked to the Sitianjian; possesses magic artefacts and firearms; came for the Dragon Qi; third-rank beyond mortal; martial artist, but actual cultivation does not reach fourth rank. Who in the Great Feng matches all these conditions?”
After a brief silence, Jingxin, Jingyuan, and the others from the Western Regions began to breathe rapidly.
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