“And who are you?”
Xu Qi’an looked down at the beautiful young woman from above, his gaze equally cold, and said slowly,
“If you don’t want to die, answer my questions honestly.”
As he spoke, he sent out a few traces of Qi, sealing her acupoints.
The young woman lifted her large, watery eyes to glance at him, neither nodding nor refusing.
“I’ll take that as your agreement.”
Xu Qi’an sat down opposite her, chewing on a stalk of straw, and asked, “Who are you people?”
Xu Yuanshuang was silent for a moment, her cheeks burning, knees drawn up, and said softly,
“We are disciples of Qiucao Hall in Qingzhou. This time, we followed Senior Brother to Yongzhou to temper ourselves and see the world. My- my name is Chen Yuanshuang.”
“Your experience in the jianghu is indeed that of a newcomer.”
Xu Qi’an reached toward her slender waist. Xu Yuanshuang’s expression changed slightly, her body leaning back hard, trying to evade his intrusion.
But she was mistaken; this ordinary-looking man was not trying to untie her waistband but rather to take the embroidered pouch hanging at her waist.
Instinctively, Xu Yuanshuang tried to snatch it back, but the moment her hand touched his wrist, she jerked away as if shocked, her breathing heavy and the blush on her cheeks deepening.
With great struggle she had barely just suppressed the effects of the desire Gu, but at the instant of contact with the man’s body, her will nearly collapsed, and she almost couldn’t help but throw herself at him in a desperate search for ecstasy.
Xu Qi’an opened the scented pouch and glanced inside…
I’m rich!
Inside, there was a dazzling array of magical artefacts, offensive, teleportation, defensive… a great variety.
If I’d had a teleportation artefact that day, I wouldn’t have been forced into such a sorry state by Vajra Du’nan. Arcanists truly are the rich dogs of the world… Xu Qi’an remained expressionless as he tucked the pouch into his robe.
Xu Yuanshuang opened her mouth, her eyes flashing with grievance and pain, but she didn’t dare speak.
“As far as I know, only the arcanists of the Sitianjian can mass produce magical artefacts. What kind of place is Qiucao Hall?”
Xu Qi’an narrowed his eyes. “If you refuse to tell the truth, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Xu Yuanshuang pressed her lips together stubbornly, her pretty face filled with resentment.
Trying to be difficult with me… Xu Qi’an poked her lightly in the side.
“Mm~”
Xu Yuanshuang’s delicate body trembled, her beautiful eyes misted over in confusion, and her legs unconsciously rubbed together.
“If you won’t cooperate, I’ll have my fun with you here and then throw you to the nearby villagers. They may have never seen such a delicate girl in their lives,” Xu Qi’an threatened.
“You…”
Xu Yuanshuang’s delicate face twisted slightly, her eyes full of fear.
“If you behave, I’ll remove your desire Gu,” Xu Qi’an said. “How about it?”
Xu Yuanshuang bit her lip, on the verge of tears. “Desire poison cannot be cured.”
“It’s Desire Gu, not poison,” Xu Qi’an corrected.
The young woman cautiously tested, “Remove the desire Gu first.”
Xu Qi’an made no move, but a moment later, a tiny worm crawled out from Xu Yuanshuang’s ankle. Xu Qi’an reached out, and it slowly wriggled onto his fingertip and vanished.
Once the worm left, Xu Yuanshuang immediately felt the heat dissipate from her body, and her maddening desires began to subside.
She breathed a sigh of relief and fixed her gaze on Xu Qi’an. “Are you from the shaman clans?”
“Answer my questions. Who are you people?” Xu Qi’an asked expressionlessly, ignoring her attempt to change the subject.
“Who exactly are you…” As soon as Xu Yuanshuang spoke, her chest suddenly tore open, revealing a light green undergarment and her fair neck.
She screamed and clutched her chest.
Xu Qi’an sneered, “Trying to stall for time, waiting for Buddhists or your companions to find you? My patience is limited. You get three breaths to answer each question. Try any more tricks, and you’ll taste a fate worse than death.”
Now that her little ploys were exposed, Xu Yuanshuang no longer dared to delay. She didn’t dare trust her chastity to the morals of an enemy.
“We’re from Qianlong City in Yunzhou.”
“What kind of place is Qianlong City?”
Xu Yuanshuang hesitated, her expression conflicted. After a few seconds, she slowly answered, “It’s a powerful force.”
“Five hundred years ago, from that branch of the Great Feng royal family?”
Xu Qi’an asked in a calm voice, but it was information as explosive as a bomb.
Xu Yuanshuang’s face changed drastically, staring at him in disbelief.
“You…”
It seemed she had realised this man’s identity. Carefully, she said, “You’re Xu Qian?”
Not bad, pretty sharp… Xu Qi’an neither admitted nor denied it, and continued, “Who is Ji Xuan? What’s his cultivation?”
“He’s a ‘shu’ son of Qianlong City’s lord, the seventh child,” Xu Yuanshuang replied sullenly. She only answered what she was asked, never saying a word extra.
“Are you out this time to collect Dragon Qi?” Xu Qi’an asked.
She nodded slightly. “Since the dragon ley of the Great Feng dissipated, the lord gave this task to Ji Xuan.”
“Any results?”
“We identified several hosts of Dragon Qi, but they all just held scattered fragments, of little value.”
So the young man they tasked Gongsun Xiangyang with finding is likely also a Dragon Qi host… Xu Qi’an mused, “Tell me about your companions.”
Xu Yuanshuang said, “Other than Ji Xuan and myself, the young man who challenged on the stage earlier is my younger brother. Of the remaining four, the Daoist called Jiaoye is a wandering cultivator who later joined Qianlong City and has been a retainer in Ji Xuan’s residence, utterly loyal to him.
“Qihuan Danxiang, of the Heart Gu tribe of the shaman clans, was wanted by the authorities in Yunzhou after exterminating the family of a corrupt official, and ended up in Qianlong City. Then there’s White Tiger, he’s a Yao who was tamed by the Tianjigong Lord in his early years.
“Then there is the disciple of Wanhua Tower, Liu Hongmian. She left the tower because she resented her junior, Xiao Yuenu, and now travels the jianghu.”
She gave a brief introduction of her companions.
That little temptress was a disciple of the Wanhua Tower, no wonder her temperament felt so familiar, with that seductive, bewitching charm… Xu Qi’an said slowly,
“Does Qianlong City have any beyond-mortal experts?”
Xu Yuanshuang shook her head. “Beyond-mortal experts are very rare. Apart from the Tianjigong Master, who is a second-rank Arcanist, there are no such experts in Qianlong City. However, the City Lord can make use of magical items and formations to form battle arrays, whose power is not inferior to the beyond-mortal realm.”
With an Arcanist’s magical items and formation bonuses, uniting the strength of several people to achieve beyond-mortal might… Although its combat strength approached that of the beyond-mortal realm, the core qualities, such as undying traits, could not be achieved by numbers alone, the strengths and weaknesses were clear…
Xu Qi’an was not surprised by this answer. Five hundred years ago, that bloodline indeed lacked top-ranking experts, which was precisely why Xu Pingfeng’s plots had focused on clear targets.
Eliminate Zhenbei King and Wei Yuan.
Unable to cultivate beyond-mortal experts in the short term, they could only drag their opponents down to their own level.
Next, Xu Qi’an asked several more questions, such as when Qianlong City planned to take action, and what the Tianjigong Master’s next plan was.
But he received none of the answers he sought. This young lady seemed unable to access such high-level core secrets.
“Two final questions.”
Xu Qi’an spat out the grass root in his mouth. “What rank Arcanist are you?”
Xu Yuanshuang pursed her lips. “Sixth rank, Master of Alchemy.”
“I remember Arcanists need to rely on the court. How did your bloodline advance?”
“For lower-ranked Arcanists,” she said, “a single Yunzhou or a single Qianlong City is enough. But if you want to step into the beyond-mortal realm, you must depend on the court.”
Knowing that the other person was Xu Qian, Xu Yuanshuang became even more open about these matters, because with Xu Qian’s connections to the Sitianjian, he probably already knew many of these secrets, he was only asking to test her honesty.
Xu Qi’an nodded and asked his final question, “Your identity!”
“I am the Palace Master’s disciple,” Xu Yuanshuang replied emotionlessly.
“Just a mere disciple, but you have so many magical items?” Xu Qi’an questioned.
Every magical item in her pouch was top-quality, especially the bracelet that had been destroyed earlier, which could easily block the attack of a Rank Four martial artist.
If Xu Qi’an had not possessed a Rank Three foundation, he would have had no choice but to retreat just now.
Even Chu Caiwei did not have such powerful defensive magical items. Of course, that was also because the adorable big-eyed girl was well cared for in the capital and never went out adventuring.
But this, in turn, proved that this Chen Yuanshuang was by no means an ordinary disciple.
“The Palace Master appreciates me greatly, says I have extraordinary talent.”
Under the other’s smiling gaze, Xu Yuanshuang did her best to maintain her composure, face unmoved, looking as if her conscience was clear.
She could not possibly reveal that she was Xu Pingfeng’s eldest daughter, doing so would only invite greater danger.
Fortunately, this Xu Qian was no Arcanist, nor would he use Buddhist commandments or Confucian ‘speaking becomes law’ principles, so he had no way of knowing if she was lying.
Her previous answers might be checked against the other’s own knowledge of Arcanists and of that bloodline from five hundred years ago, to see if she was lying.
But her true origins, Xu Qian could never discover any clues.
At this moment, she saw that scarlet, slender worm emerge from Xu Qian’s sleeve again.
“You…”
Xu Yuanshuang’s face filled with terror, her delicate body convulsed violently, but try as she might, she could not move at all.
So he really didn’t plan to let me go… The thought flashed through the girl’s mind. She could almost foresee what was about to happen to her, being assaulted by a man in this desolate wasteland.
There might be even more terrible things to come…
“Mmm~”
She watched helplessly as the worm burrowed into her body. That familiar, burning, feverish desire surged up once more.
Her eyes began to glaze over, her cheeks burned, her legs unconsciously began to rub together…
Just as her mind grew clouded and her willpower weakened, Xu Yuanshuang saw Xu Qian’s eyes suddenly become deep and dark, as if transforming into a vortex, pulling one’s consciousness in.
Heart Gu!
Without commandments, you’ll still tell the truth.
“Your true identity.”
A deep male voice sounded in her ear.
Xu Yuanshuang’s face showed a hint of struggle before she replied, “Xu Pingfeng is my father. My real name is Xu Yuanshuang…”
With this simple sentence, Xu Qi’an lost control of the Heart Gu.
!!! Inside, a storm raged. He stared wide-eyed at the alluring young lady in disbelief.
She was that inhuman wretch’s daughter?!
My own little sister?!
Xu Yuanshuang suddenly snapped awake. Recalling what she had just confessed, her blushing cheeks drained of colour, turning deathly pale.
It’s over… That was the only thought left in her mind.
She had still revealed her identity.
Now, death was probably the best outcome… Xu Yuanshuang closed her eyes, her lashes trembling, and said sorrowfully, “Just kill me.”
There was silence for a while.
She opened her eyes and cautiously observed Xu Qian, only to find his gaze incredibly complicated.
Xu Pingfeng is an unfilial wretch, how good could his daughter be? Just kill her… No, blood is blood. As long as she hadn’t shown overt hostility toward me, I just can’t do it…
She doesn’t look like Xu Pingfeng at all. That spear-wielding fellow doesn’t either. Did they take after their mother? And in the end, it turned out I looked the most like Xu Pingfeng. Damn, isn’t that a bitter joke…
Forget it, take her away, lock her in the Stupa tower…
These thoughts flashed through Xu Qi’an’s mind. He took a deep breath, having come to a decision.
Keep it cool!
He did not want any entanglement with Xu Pingfeng’s blood relatives. Fratricide was not something he found pleasant.
He wanted to eliminate Xu Pingfeng mainly for self-preservation, forced by circumstances.
If this girl turned out to be as heartless as Xu Pingfeng, killing her might be a little upsetting, but not enough to make him feel a deep sense of guilt.
But Xu Qi’an also considered the birth mother he had never met.
The original Xu Qi’an had lived to this day because of his mother’s deep and selfless love, which had allowed him a slim chance of survival.
At the moment of Xu Yuanshuang’s despair, things changed.
She saw Xu Qian lean down towards her. Her heart trembled, but before panic and fear could take root, she saw him withdraw the worm again.
? Xu Yuanshuang’s face still bore traces of fear as she looked at him in confusion and suspicion.
Xu Qi’an ignored her, flicked a few streams of Qi to unlock the seal inside Xu Yuanshuang’s body, then took a round jade pendant from his pouch, broke it, and a clear light rose from the ground, engulfing him. In the next instant, he was gone.
He- he left?
Xu Yuanshuang got up blankly, cautiously looked around in all directions, and, once she was sure Xu Qian had truly left, lifted her skirts and ran away crying as she fled.
…
She ran wildly across the wilderness for an hour, finally finding the main road. Then, after another two hours, she followed it back to Yongzhou City.
Seeing the bustling crowd at last, she felt a huge sense of relief and regained a feeling of security.
It was the dead of winter, but she’d run until she was drenched in sweat, her slender legs numb and swollen.
She made her way back through Dajiao Square and into the courtyard where they were staying, only to find Liu Hongmian sitting alone in the parlour, sipping tea in comfort.
“Well, you’re back?”
Liu Hongmian looked her up and down in surprise, then smiled, “Xu Yuanhuai said you were abducted by a mysterious man. Everyone was worried sick.”
With a face full of glee at her misfortune, Liu Hongmian pushed herself up from the armchair and moved over to stand close, taking a sniff, looking even more surprised.
“More than four whole hours and you didn’t lose your chastity? Could it be that the one who took you was actually a gentleman?”
Xu Yuanshuang replied coldly, “What has it got to do with you?”
Liu Hongmian tutted. “The pouch is gone… Mm, but your abductor wasn’t just after the treasure, right? Did he ask you anything? I’ll go and let the others know. If there’s anything else, talk later, go and have a bath first. Tsk, you stink of sweat.”
Xu Yuanshuang turned and walked off, not giving her any more opportunity to mock her.
After heating water, bathing, and cleaning up, it was not long before Xu Yuanhuai, Ji Xuan and the others returned one after another. Seeing that she was unharmed, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Yuanhuai’s brows were still full of murderous intent. “Sis, what happened? Who abducted you?”
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