Chai Lan? She’s Chai Lan?
In the cellar, Xu Qi’an suddenly opened his eyes, nearly losing control of the mouse.
So Chai Lan, who had disappeared, was here all along, secretly imprisoned in the ancestral hall’s chamber by Chai Xing’er?
He steadied his mind, controlled the mouse, and said, “Was it Chai Xing’er who imprisoned you here?”
The dishevelled woman nodded.
So Chai Lan’s disappearance is indeed unrelated to Chai Xian, and it was all Chai Xing’er’s doing… I understand now, finally everything is clear… Xu Qi’an breathed out in a sigh, then he crawled the mouse to Chai Lan’s side, climbed up her filthy body, and reached her shoulder.
At last, he clearly saw the beautiful, albeit dirty, face beneath her tangled hair.
The portrait matches, it really is Chai Lan. I understand, I understand everything… Xi Qi’an said: “You don’t need to worry about who I am. Soon, someone will come to rescue you.”
Chai Lan shook her head, sobbing, seemingly wanting to say something, not believing the mouse’s promise.
“I have no reason to lie to you,” Xu Qi’an added.
Chai Lan gradually quietened down, and after a while, she nodded slightly.
The mouse nodded as well and let out a “hmm.” The next second, this fat mouse suddenly looked around in panic, not understanding why it had suddenly ended up here.
It glanced at Chai Lan and quickly scurried away.
…
“Amitabha, so that is how it is.”
Zen Master Jingxin recited a Buddhist name with deep emotion, followed by a sigh, and said,
“Benefactor Chai Xian, your obsession runs too deep, and your hands are steeped in blood. Death alone is not enough to atone for your sins. Let this humble monk take you back to the Western Regions to renounce the world.”
“Wait!”
Chai Xing’er stepped forward, refusing Jingxin’s suggestion, saying,
“Master, Chai Xian first killed his father, then slaughtered fellow jianghu men of Xiangzhou. He must be handed over to the authorities, and judgements must be made together with the jianghu brothers of Xiangzhou. How could you just take him away as you please?”
Warrior Monk Jingyuan also stepped forward, channelling his qi.
Chai Xing’er’s chest felt as if struck, and she staggered back, falling into Li Lingsu’s arms.
Warrior Monk Jingyuan said flatly, “The matters of the Buddhist sect are not for the layman to interfere with. Chai Xian’s sins are many, and should be dealt with by the Buddhist sect.”
“Arrogant!”
Li Lingsu was furious; he flicked his sleeve and said coldly, “This is the Great Feng’s territory, not the Western Regions. Chai Xian has committed many murders, and naturally the authorities will handle things. When did the Western Region’s Buddhist sect get to call the shots?”
Jingyuan’s tone was indifferent; his gaze fixed straight ahead, refusing to look at Li Lingsu:
“You are free to inform the authorities. This humble monk will not stop you. Go and ask the Xiangzhou magistrate if he dares seize someone from the Buddhist sect’s hands. Go and ask the jianghu folk of Xiangzhou if anyone dares contend with this humble monk.”
Li Lingsu’s face turned sombre, clearly angered by the Buddhist sect’s arrogance.
Chai Xing’er took a breath. “Masters, Chai Xian is of the Chai family, and should be dealt with by us. I implore the two masters to be merciful and hand him over to me… Ah!”
She suddenly cried out in pain, her body thrown back as she spat blood.
Jingyuan withdrew his fist, face stern.
Jingxin shook his head, “After dawn, we will leave Xiangzhou. Before then, we do not wish to provoke conflict. Chai Xing’er, why summon corpse servants and stir up trouble in vain?”
As he spoke, he glanced toward the window and said calmly,
“Chai Xian is crucial to us. Taking him away is not negotiable. Do not try to stop us, or you’ll be crushed like a mantis before a cartwheel. We have already notified Senior Uncle Du’nan; he will arrive in Xiangzhou at dawn. Not just your Chai Manor, even the whole of Zhangzhou, no one will dare to stand in our way.”
Beneath the window, Orange Cat An’s heart sank.
Vajra Du’nan will arrive at dawn?
There is absolutely no chance I can handle a third-rank Vajra. Not to mention, I don’t know if there will be an Arhat by his side as well. In other words, once dawn breaks, there’s no hope of reclaiming the Dragon Qi host.
Even if Senior Brother Sun came, it would be impossible to defeat the Buddhist sect’s Vajra and Arhat.
My only chance is tonight.
Tsk, the Buddhist sect really is my greatest enemy in gathering Dragon Qi…
The orange cat’s expression was grave.
At this moment, it heard Jingxin laugh and say:
“It is said the Heaven Sect cultivates supreme forgetting of emotion. Over generations, all the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens wander the jianghu, but never sink too deep. Why have you, Benefactor Li, become so entangled with women you cannot extricate yourself?
“The Dongfang Benefactors of the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace, Wenren Qianrou of the Leizhou Merchants’ Association, Chai Xing’er of the Chai family in Xiangzhou, they are all your confidantes, are they not? Is this your way of cultivating supreme forgetting of emotion?”
At Jingxin’s words, Chai Xing’er, Li Lingsu, and even Orange Cat An under the window felt a surge of shock and other emotions that could not be suppressed.
Li Lingsu has been exposed? If Jingxin and the others recognised him, then they must have guessed my existence as well… No wonder they said Vajra Du’nan would arrive by dawn. They only captured Chai Xian tonight; even if they sent word immediately, he couldn’t be here this quickly… So they must have guessed I was in Xiangzhou through Li Lingsu and alerted Vajra Du’nan in advance… No, but how are they certain Li Lingsu was always with me…?
Xu Qi’an suddenly tensed, rapidly analysing the situation in his mind.
Li Lingsu’s inner turmoil was much the same as Xu Qi’an’s, mostly shock and confusion, soon overtaken by fear.
Chai Xing’er, however, focused on the words “confidante” and “Heaven Sect Holy Son”—especially the former. She abruptly pushed Li Lingsu away, broke free from his arms, and with eyes brimming with tears, demanded angrily,
“Who are the Dongfangs? Who is Wenren Qianrou?”
Ah, that… that’s your good sister! Li Lingsu coaxed in a low voice, “Xing’er, now isn’t the time for this. I’ll explain everything to you later.”
In Chai Xing’er’s tear-blurred eyes were disappointment, sorrow, anger, and heartbreak, much like a wife catching her husband cheating. But in the next instant, all these feelings were suppressed.
She took a breath and asked in a steady voice, “Masters, what do you intend?”
She was answered by Jingxin’s “Precepts,” as well as a rope woven with golden threads: “Colourless!”
The conflicting emotions in Chai Xing’er and Li Lingsu vanished, their minds becoming clear. Even the incoming rope failed to trigger their survival instincts, and they were instantly bound together.
Warrior Monk Jingyuan slowly walked before them, expressionless, and said,
“Benefactor Li, you colluded with Xu Qian to steal a Buddhist treasure, an unforgivable crime. By rights, I should kill you here. But you are the Holy Son of the Heaven Sect, after all, so it will be up to Vajra Du’nan to deal with you.”
Li Lingsu’s gaze shifted and he immediately pleaded,
“Master, I barely know Xu Qian. We hardly interacted, and parted ways after Leizhou. I know nothing about the Buddhist treasure. Oh, Xu Qian did mention he was heading north.”
Cleverly, he had distanced himself from Xu Qian, casually pointing in a random direction to sow confusion among the monks.
Jingxin said calmly, “Say no more, Benefactor Li. Best think on how you will face Senior Uncle Du’nan tomorrow.”
As he finished, he heard Jingyuan send a voice transmission, “He’s gone. Should we pursue?”
Jingxin shook his head slightly and transmitted his voice:
“That was not his true body. It is meaningless whether we pursue him or not. We have captured Li Lingsu and taken control of the Dragon Qi host. We have also hinted that Senior Uncle Du’nan will arrive in Xiangzhou at dawn. This was all done to lure him out.”
Jingyuan transmitted back in a low voice, “This might scare him away.”
Jingxin nodded and said,
“But it is more likely to force him into a desperate gamble. For us, if the Buddha Son was frightened off by this, there would still be future opportunities to capture him. But for him, once Benefactor Chai Xian is sent back to the Western Regions, he will completely lose this crucial Dragon Qi.
“Also, I deliberately did not specify what punishment Li Lingsu would face, which is another way to put pressure on him. The Buddha Son is a man of deep feelings. As long as there is a sliver of hope, he will try his utmost to save them.”
Jingyuan turned to look outside the door and said, “Everyone come in.”
The warrior monks and Zen masters standing guard outside all entered the inner hall.
No words were needed. They seemed to already know what they should do. The Zen masters sat cross-legged on the floor, forming a large circle that surrounded Li Lingsu, Chai Xing’er, and Chai Xian at its centre.
Jingxin entered the circle with a smile, “When listening to the sutras, one should sit cross-legged.”
When he finished speaking, he closed his eyes and began to chant sutras.
All the Zen masters chanted along with him.
Chai Xing’er frowned slightly. At first, she simply found the monks’ chanting to be a noisy hum. Soon, however, she became gradually absorbed, feeling a growing urge to listen to the Dharma.
She stiffened in her heart and forced herself to shake off this imposed “awareness.”
“This is a Buddhist scripture for saving people, chanted by Zen masters. Those who hear it will gradually come to accept Buddhist ideas and, disregarding everything, join the Buddhist fold.”
Li Lingsu explained quietly, “Hold on to your true self, reinforce your sense of self at all times, think of the happy times we’ve had together. That will help to resist the scripture.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Chai Xian, this executioner with blood-stained hands, who wore a face full of defiant disdain, only frowning slightly.
Li Lingsu withdrew his gaze and said, “The more obsessed a person is, the harder they are to convert. Xing’er, do you love me?”
Chai Xing’er turned her head away in a fit of pique, replying coolly, “No, I do not!”
…
The cellar.
Xu Qi’an, in the oxygen-poor environment, lit a candle and stared at the flame. His pupils gradually lost focus as his thoughts scattered.
Before dawn, I must reclaim the Dragon Qi, or there will be no further chance. Now even Li Lingsu has been captured by them. Sigh, Holy Son, it’s because of me that you are in this mess…
No, it is you, rotten man, who has brought down Heaven’s wrath and dragged me into it. This is really trouble. If I make my move tonight, I’ll be facing two peak fourth-rank monks and a group of strong monk fighters.
How did Jingxin and Jingyuan discover Li Lingsu’s identity? When did they find out? If they have known for a long time, perhaps Vajra Du’nan has already sneaked into Xiangzhou, waiting for me to walk into the trap. I must take this possibility into account.
This part is easy to handle: I’ll have Hengyin disguise himself as me and test the waters. If Vajra Du’nan hasn’t arrived, I need only to deal with Jingxin and Jingyuan…
Bathed in the dim candlelight, Xu Qi’an’s expression flickered between dark and bright. After a long time, he seemed to reach a decision.
He took out the Earth Book fragment and from the mirror, fetched the palm-sized Stupa Tower. A golden flash later, Xu Qi’an entered the tower.
He went straight to the third floor, where the first thing he saw was Mu Nanzhi happily playing with the little fox. The reincarnated Flower God was tossing a silver ingot left and right.
The white fox leapt high, caught the ingot in its mouth, and brought it back to Mu Nanzhi.
Woman and fox were playing together, delighted.
“Ah, Silver Gong Xu has returned!”
The little white fox immediately ignored the ingot. Its tail swayed as it bounded over, raised its little head, its button-black eyes shining with hope:
“Can we leave now?”
“After tonight, you can go out. Now, go to your Auntie,” Xu Qi’an gently kicked it towards the princess consort.
Mu Nanzhi quickly reached out to catch it. The little white fox complained resentfully, “He bullied me.”
So fragile. If it were Lingyin, she’d ask for another kick… Xu Qi’an nodded at the old monk spirit of the tower, then walked straight to where the severed arm of Shenshu lay and shook the prepared anklet.
Ding ding ding…
With the clear sound of the bell, Shenshu’s consciousness awakened, full of malice and madness.
Feels just like calling a pet dog… Xu Qi’an complained silently, and said, “I’ll help you undo the first layer of the seal; you help me remove the demon-sealing nails from my Baihui and Dantian points.”
Shenshu let out a “heh” and spoke in a condescending tone,
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll go back on my word?”
Xu Qi’an’s tone was calm, “To me, you’re just one choice among many. You can go back on your word. I can also return the Stupa Tower to the Buddhist sect. Weigh it up for yourself.”
Shenshu snapped viciously, “You dare threaten me, with just your power?”
“Enough nonsense. Either work with me, or get sent back to the Buddhist sect. Your choice. This is your only chance in five hundred years. Consider carefully. No matter how powerful you once were, now you’re just a prisoner. Don’t put on airs with me.”
The pressure in the Chai residence had made Xu Qi’an run out of patience. He had no intention of humouring Shenshu’s severed arm and confronted it directly.
Shenshu sneered coldly,
“You’re in trouble outside, aren’t you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come here to make a deal with me. Sever the Jianzheng’s seal first. I must break free from certain restrictions before I have enough strength to remove the demon-sealing nails.
“But let me be clear, the nine demon-sealing nails are connected. Move one, and all will be affected. Heh, the process will be rather painful. I hope the power I’ve saved up is enough to pull out two.”
Could it be even more painful than when the demon-sealing nails were first driven in? Xu Qi’an nodded, “Very well.”
He had meant what he said: if Shenshu changed his mind and refused to help, Xu Qi’an would find a way to send the Stupa Tower back to the Buddhist sect, so Shenshu would never escape.
This was not only revenge against the severed arm, but also because the limb itself was evil. If the Jianzheng’s seal was broken, Shenshu would re-emerge decades later. In that case, Xu Qi’an would rather it never escaped.
If Shenshu’s other remains are also this evil, then I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep my promise to the Wanyao princess… This thought flashed through Xu Qi’an’s mind as he tapped on the Earth Book fragment, drawing from the mirror a small sword made of neither iron nor stone.
He poured what little Qi he had into the sword and directed it to cut the iron chains.
With a series of clear “ding-ding” sounds, the sword whirled through the air and nine chains fell, severed.
“Comfortable, comfortable!”
Shenshu laughed maniacally, making the Stupa Tower shake violently. Mu Nanzhi immediately hugged the little white fox and crouched down.
After a while, Shenshu said, “Take off your clothes and come here. Some of my power has returned, I can try to pull out the demon-sealing nails.”
Xu Qi’an removed his robe and clothing, bare-chested, and walked up to the severed arm, only to be blocked by an invisible pale golden barrier.
“Ah…!”
Mu Nanzhi cried out softly, staring in a daze at Xu Qi’an’s well-defined upper body, and at the dark-gold nails embedded in his spine, heart, chest, Dantian, et cetera.
The flesh and blood around the nails could not heal, yet tried endlessly to do so, seemingly having nearly become one with the nails.
Although Mu Nanzhi had seen the nail at Xu Qi’an’s heart, she had not seen the others. This was the first time.
The little white fox raised her head and saw Mu Nanzhi’s eyes turning red. “Auntie, why are you crying?”
Mu Nanzhi refused to admit it. “It’s because you shed too much fur and it got in my eyes.”
“I don’t shed! You really are crying.” The little white fox was not convinced.
Then she was smacked on the head several times by Mu Nanzhi. She gave in, weakly saying, “It’s me shedding…”
The blood vessels in Shenshu’s left arm bulged, the muscle swelling, tensed for strength.
Xu Qi’an could feel a horrifying power reviving in the arm, rapidly gathering at the index finger.
Suddenly, the index finger rose and pointed at Xu Qi’an’s lower abdomen. A dark golden beam of light shot out, only to be blocked by a pale golden barrier.
“Senior…”
Xu Qi’an turned his head, looking from afar at the tower spirit, the old monk.
The old monk said nothing, pressing his palms together. Yet in the next instant, the dark golden beam pierced the barrier and “shone” upon Xu Qi’an’s dantian.
Immediately after, he heard a droning chant echo in the void, everywhere at once, densely interwoven, the language unclear.
Looking down, Xu Qi’an saw the nail sealing his Qi sea begin to blaze with a dazzling light, slowly drawing itself from his flesh.
As the demon-sealing nail was withdrawn, the other nails in his body resonated. The wound at his heart split open; the wound at his middle dantian split open… It was as if the eight nails would be drawn out together.
In a single instant, Xu Qi’an was drenched in blood, sweat and blood mixed, his face twisted with pain.
He clenched his teeth, biting open his lip, enduring inhuman torment.
Clink!
At last, the nail at his dantian fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
The remaining eight nails quieted again.
The very instant the nail was removed, a terrifying ripple of qi, like a flood bursting its banks, surged violently outward, making the stupa tower tremble once more.
“So you’re a third-rank martial artist.”
Shenshu gave a little laugh. “Such mighty qi, your foundation is very solid!”
His voice held exhaustion, as if greatly spent.
Gasping, Xu Qi’an slumped to the ground, panting. The lingering agony tormented him still, but the potent vitality of a third-rank martial artist had already begun to repair the wounds.
His flesh squirmed, leaving no trace of a scar.
“Master, in fact, a year and a half ago I was just at the peak of Refining Vitality,” Xu Qi’an said between laboured breaths.
Shenshu snorted dismissively.
After a short rest, no more than ten minutes, the blood vessels in Shenshu’s arm bulged once more, muscle swelling as strength gathered.
This time, the period of gathering power was twice that of before.
Just as Shenshu had said, pulling out a demon-sealing nail consumed his power.
The savage arm raised an index finger, shooting forth another dark golden beam, this time aimed at Xu Qi’an’s brow.
Xu Qi’an immediately sensed something strange in his mind. The nail within loosened, then began slowly to “rise,” as if to push its way out of his head.
The seven remaining nails resonated again, wounds splitting afresh…
Boom!
Xu Qi’an felt as if his soul exploded into countless fragments, all thought vanishing, consciousness plunged into endless darkness.
He did not even feel pain this time.
A long long time later, his “soul fragments” reformed. He awakened, his face twitching, his body convulsing.
A while later, he finally recovered, and with a sense of exhaustion, quipped, “The pain may be late, but it never misses its appointment.”
Two nails lay on the ground. Xu Qi’an first gathered them up, then closed his eyes to sense the changes in his body.
The seal on my dantian is lifted, and I can now move my qi, though certain acupoints in the upper dantian and Ren, Du meridians remain sealed, my qi is obstructed passing through them. Still, I’ve at least got some strength back.
My primordial spirit is now fully unsealed, and my proud ‘visual capture’ ability has returned. With this, if Vajra Du’nan is nearby, I can immediately sense any danger.
Hmm, I still can’t draw on my physical vitality. Otherwise, I wouldn’t need qi at all, one punch could blast a fourth-rank to pieces.
Xu Qi’an opened his eyes and exhaled, smiling. “A pleasure working with you.”
There was no reply from Shenshu. His strength exhausted, he had fallen into slumber while Xu Qi’an was unconscious.
…
On the second floor, Xu Qi’an summoned the puppet Hengyin, disguising him as “Xu Qian”. The two left the Stupa Tower and reappeared in the cellar.
They moved through the night and quickly came to the inner hall, bright with candlelight, with only two warrior monks standing guard outside.
Xu Qi’an glanced at Hengyin. The latter gave a military salute: “Yes sir.”1
This was how to interact with corpses, perfectly suiting the needs of the Corpse Gu. Once he had more puppets, Xu Qi’an could even have them perform comic sketches or stand-up.
Clad in azure robe, Hengyin strode out of the darkness towards the inner hall.
“Who goes there!”
The monk on the left shouted.
He was about to stop them, but the lamplight beneath the eaves revealed the newcomer’s face, it was none other than Xu Qian, first seen in Leizhou.
With a thud, both warrior monks toppled over, their limbs paralysed.
Next, Hengyin kicked open the inner hall’s door and saw the circle of chanting Zen masters, the six warrior monks on either side, the three captives, Li Lingsu and company, bound and tied, and the faces of Jingxin and Jingyuan suddenly alight with hope.
“You really did come!” Jingyuan said with a laugh.
“Yes Sir” is written in English in the original text ↩
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