The courtyard gates stood wide open as White Tiger led eight cloaked figures into the main hall.
Inside, the hall was brightly lit with candles. Ji Xuan and his team were seated there, along with the fourth-rank secret agent of Tianjigong stationed in Yongzhou City.
Ji Xuan rose to greet them, cupping his hands and calling out,
“Greetings, seniors.”
At their head, Azure Dragon gave a noncommittal grunt in response, nodded at Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai, then seated himself without another word. The seven cloaked men behind him stood in silence.
“Have you found that man?”
Azure Dragon asked, his voice hoarse and low, as though his throat had once been injured.
“Surely you know that even if the Palace Master himself were here, it would be nearly impossible to find that man,”
the Tianjigong fourth-rank agent replied coolly.
Azure Dragon nodded slightly, and from beneath his cloak came the same hoarse, low voice,
“What about the Dragon Qi host?”
“Still searching,” the agent replied.
After a brief silence, Azure Dragon’s tone turned icy.
“I am thoroughly unimpressed with your efficiency. The Buddhist sect, Tianjigong, and you lot have made a mess of things these past days. Not only have you not found that man, you haven’t even identified a single Dragon Qi host.”
Are they referring to Xu Qian, or Sun Xuanji? Ji Xuan and his companions wondered silently.
“Yongzhou City has hundreds of thousands of people, finding one person among them is like looking for a needle in a haystack,” the fourth-rank agent said:
“But it doesn’t matter how long it takes, as long as we find the Dragon Qi host before he does.”
“Let’s hear your plan,” Azure Dragon said, not objecting but dropping the previous subject.
The Tianjigong agent spoke slowly,
“Very simple. We find the Dragon Qi host encountered by Young Master Ji Xuan in Qingzhou. He is one of the nine cruical strands of Dragon Qi, enough to draw that man out. To act faster than him, monks from the Buddhist sect are patrolling Yongzhou City day and night.
“He will of course act with restraint and try to hinder the search. We will use the opportunity to seek out the host.
“As of now, we know that Xu Qian is accompanied by Human Sect Daoist Leader Luo Yuheng, and the Sitianjian’s Sun Xuanji.”
Azure Dragon raised his hand, interrupting.
“Is he aware of our strength?”
“The Buddhist sect already gave the game away, he knows how many powerful experts they have. As for you…” The Tianjigong agent glanced at Xu Yuanshuang and said,
“He likely already has a good idea.”
Azure Dragon glanced at Xu Yuanshuang as well but did not pursue the matter. He continued,
“In that case, he is even more likely to give up on this strand of Dragon Qi. There are nine in total, abandoning the one that is nearly impossible to secure and leaving Yongzhou to seek the rest is a better choice.”
The Tianjigong agent smiled.
“No hunt is ever guaranteed to yield a full harvest. So, the Seven Azure Dragon Constellations must cease other tasks and go to ground in the jianghu, tracking Xu Qian’s movements until you capture him.
“If he retreats in the face of difficulty, we will gladly accept the Dragon Qi and bring the host back to Qianlong City. Our task is to prevent the Great Feng from gathering all the Dragon Qi. The longer the Dragon Qi is scattered, the more chaos will grip the Great Feng.”
At this point, Xu Yuanhuai spoke up loudly. “Azure Dragon, when you hunt Xu Qian, I want you to kill him.”
Azure Dragon chuckled with a hoarse laugh.
“His life is exceedingly precious. Young Master Yuanhuai, do you hold a grudge against him?”
Xu Yuanhuai ground his teeth. “An enmity as deep as the sea.”
Beside him, Xu Yuanshuang hung her head, elbow resting on the arm of her chair, right hand to her brow, looking entirely unwilling to speak.
She knew that in Xu Yuanhuai’s mind, he believed she had been defiled by Xu Qian and would never trust any explanation from her.
Something like this could never be properly explained; the more she tried, the more guilty she would seem.
Xu Yuanshuang had already given up.
Azure Dragon said plainly, “When Xu Qian is captured, you may torment him as you please, so long as he is left alive.”
He sounded relaxed and confident.
Qihuan Danxiang interjected,
“This man is a master of many strange and powerful Gu techniques, he is well worth studying.”
Liu Hongmian laughed gleefully.
“With second-rank Arhats and third-rank Vajras from the Buddhist sect, the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations, and the rest of us assisting from the side, once Xu Qian takes the bait, he will be utterly trapped, no one will be able to save him.”
Everyone agreed with her words.
The main force in this hunt was made up of beyond-mortal experts, but the strength of Ji Xuan’s team and the fourth-rank agents from Tianjigong was also formidable.
Every fourth-rank expert was famous and renowned in the jianghu, none could be dismissed as mere small fry.
Suddenly, Ji Xuan said, “How can we be sure that the Buddhist sect won’t go back on their word and try to seize the Dragon Qi for themselves?”
The Azure Dragon Seven Constellations could rival third-rank fighters, but against the full force of the Buddhist sect in Yongzhou city, they were still far outmatched.
The Tianjigong agent replied,
“There is no need to worry about that.”
He offered no explanation.
Ji Xuan slowly swept his gaze over everyone present, lowered his head, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
…
Snow fell thick and fast, soon covering the official road outside the city with a thin layer.
Two figures, cloaked in great fur coats, pressed on through the wind and snow, their boots crunching softly in the icy silence.
“The city gates have already been closed.”
The tall and burly Hengyuan looked up at the pitch-black city wall.
Between the firmly shut gate and the shadowed battlements above, two characters were carved: Yongzhou!
Following the two seniors from Heaven Sect, they had come all the way to Yongzhou.
After this period of arduous cultivation, Hengyuan had finally mastered the Vajra Divine Art, his strength advancing into the fourth rank.
Yet the gravity and sorrow in his brow only grew deeper by the day.
Chu Yuanzhen summoned his flying sword and said, “Let’s enter the city.”
“Wait…”
Hengyuan looked towards the city gate and murmured, “Someone’s there.”
He slowly approached. At the gate, two figures were huddled together, one large, one small, dressed in ragged clothes: a wrinkled old man and a child, all skin and bones.
They appeared to be grandfather and grandchild.
They clung tightly to each other in the freezing wind and snow, the last spark of their lives long since extinguished.
“Amitabha.”
Hengyuan tried to separate them, only to find that the pair were completely frozen stiff, cold and lifeless as sculptures.
Although a warrior monk, he possessed a deeply compassionate heart. With his hands, he scraped out a pit in the ice-laden, iron-hard ground and buried the two bodies.
He sat before the grave and chanted prayers for their souls.
Chu Yuanzhen stood by in silence, watching.
Such things had happened to them many times since winter’s arrival.
Every year brought its frozen dead, but this winter was worse than most, for the truly poor, survival meant nothing but clinging on by a thread.
The displaced, refugees, beggars, stood little chance of lasting out the cold.
How many would die this winter?
Chu Yuanzhen did not know, but he understood that such a dwindling in the population could lead to terrifying consequences.
He knew all too well that this was only the prelude.
Winter had only just begun.
And this whole winter, was only the prelude.
“Perhaps it’s time to go home,”
Zhuangyuan Chu said softly, not quite sure whether he was speaking to the pair in the grave, or to himself.
…
Qingxing Garden.
Xu Qi’an woke at his usual time. Feeling the soft, warm body in his arms, he instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist and buried his face in the beauty’s neck.
The next moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, realising something was wrong.
Last night’s dual cultivation ended in the hot spring, with the “reserved” Luo Yuheng half accepting and half resisting, which added another chapter to Xu Qi’an’s “experience”.
Dual cultivation in water did not necessarily provide more physical pleasure than on a bed.
But the experience, stimulation, and satisfaction… hehehe.
After returning to the house, Luo Yuheng in her sage mode had not let him enter her room; Xu Qi’an had slept in the outer chamber.
So here’s the question, who was the woman in his arms?
It was Luo Yuheng!
In his field of vision appeared the exceptional beauty of the National Teacher. Today, she was like a lilac blooming in the morning mist, tinged with faint melancholy.
“You awake?”
Luo Yuheng smiled, resting her head on his shoulder, and softly said,
“Don’t move. I just want to lean on you like this. It makes me feel more at ease.”
As she spoke, she closed her eyes. Her long lashes, like fans, trembled gently.
Today’s National Teacher seems different… Xu Qi’an observed the situation, and quickly ran through the Seven Emotions in his head. Fear, anger and desire had passed; of the remaining four, which one was she now?
He didn’t know how much time had passed. Listening to the wind and snow outside, Luo Yuheng hooked her arms around his neck and said gently:
“Let’s go up a pavilion and watch the snow.”
…
There were several pavilions in Qingxing Garden, the tallest being a four-storey building.
Each floor had a viewing platform, where Gongsun Xiangyang entertained guests and enjoyed the distant views.
In the wine hall on the fourth floor, on the soft chair, Luo Yuheng nestled in Xu Qi’an’s arms, with her long Daoist robe showing half her delicate chest, and her hair in disarray.
Her cheeks were flushed with the afterglow of pleasure, her brows and eyes enchanting.
Xu Qi’an held a wine cup in one hand, his other arm round the National Teacher’s shoulder, entering a sage-like calm, staring at the grey sky without joy or sorrow. Snow was still falling.
Luo Yuheng took his wine cup and downed it in one, sighing softly:
“Drinking alone, with the snow swirling, another year drifts away in a daze.
“Xu Qi’an, do you know my age?”
Xu Qi’an tested, “Forty?”
Luo Yuheng stayed silent, the melancholy in her eyes deepening.
“What does it matter? Once you’ve overcome the Heavenly Tribulation, you’ll be an earthly immortal, with long life and everlasting youth. Even at four hundred, you’d be more beautiful than any eighteen-year-old maiden.”
Xu Qi’an immediately offered sweet words.
Luo Yuheng shook her head slightly. “I’m old enough to be your mother; Mu Nanzhi was right.”
Sadness appeared on her face: “I know I am not a good match for you. If word gets out, it will only invite ridicule.”
Ahmm… Xu Qi’an’s mouth twitched; for a moment he had no idea how to respond.
The National Teacher was a literary romantic!
Talking to a literary woman, a thoughtless comment could easily touch some sensitive spot within her.
Normally, Xu Qi’an would ignore such women.
But since it was the National Teacher… an idea stirred, and he said with deep feeling:
“Love does not distinguish age or race. You and I are kindred spirits, why care what outsiders think?
“Life is precious, but love is dearer.
“National Teacher, in my heart, you are above all else.”
When it came to sweet talk, Freeloader Xu was no worse than the Holy Son.
It was just that the women involved with him were all high-level, so sweet words didn’t work much, only Biaobiao relished them.
The reason Xu Qi’an said this was to drag the National Teacher into social death.
Now that she was in a literary mood, he encouraged her to say things she’d find mortifying in the future, enough to make her roll about in shame.
Life is precious, but love is dearer… Luo Yuheng murmured these words several times, a strange flush suffusing her cheeks, and she softly said:
“My twenty years of endurance were not in vain, not compromising with Emperor Yuanjing. When your wanderings in Jianghu are over, we shall formally become Dao partners.”
Xu Qi’an prompted kindly,
“Hurry and say you love me.”
Luo Yuheng blushed, feigning annoyance. “So annoying.”
“Call me ‘Xu Lang.’”
“Xu— Xu Lang…”
Xu Qi’an shivered, goosebumps all over, but internally he was elated.
Ha ha, National Teacher, now you’ve had your turn. When our dual cultivation ends and you return to normal, just think of these past seven days, you’ll be so mortified you won’t be able to face me.
Luo Yuheng’s shyness was suddenly overwhelmed by sadness again, and she sighed:
“Back then, when Daoist Jinlian told me you carried fortune and was the best cultivation partner to help me extinguish my karmic fire, I resisted.
“Dual cultivation meant becoming Dao partners, but at the time you were just a lowly Silver Gong.
“Later, as you began to shine, after the Chuzhou massacre case, I actually came to accept you in my heart, if you matured, being my Dao partner would not be impossible.
“From then, I was always thinking about how to get closer to you. But I’m old enough to be your mother, and also the National Teacher as well as Sect Leader. I couldn’t bring myself to act, and it troubled me for a long time.
“Even just giving you the talisman sword, I hesitated for ages. When you went to Chuzhou, I only sent the protective amulet through Chu Yuanzhen. I actually wanted to give it to you in person.
“Later on, when you needed my help to investigate Yuanjing, I was secretly delighted at the time…”
The more Xu Qi’an listened, the more wrong it felt. When she got to this point, he suddenly panicked.
National Teacher… please stop, I’m begging you!
I just want you to have some social death, not to get myself killed!
Luo Yuheng was revealing her innermost feelings. What did this mean?
It meant that when she recovered, looking back on this conversation, she’d most likely cut him down with a single slice to silence him forever.
“What’s wrong? Your heart is pounding so wildly,” Luo Yuheng frowned.
“Nothing, just… a little scared,” Xu Qi’an forced a stiff smile.
That said, it did confirm that Luo Yuheng truly liked him; it wasn’t just using him.
The “Sorrow” persona amplified her feelings for him, the real Luo Yuheng’s affection was obviously not this exaggerated.
But that was in the past.
After this dual cultivation, her feelings would likely undergo a qualitative change.
At that moment, Luo Yuheng frowned slightly and looked outside: “Someone is attacking the barrier.”
She immediately wrapped her robe around herself and fastened her belt, concealing her exposed charms.
Xu Qi’an had already risen to his feet, strolling to the viewing platform and looking down.
Below, across a snowy expanse, Li Lingsu stood on the path, controlling his flying sword as he repeatedly attacked the barrier.
He seemed not to have noticed Xu Qi’an up on the platform.
It wasn’t until Luo Yuheng cancelled the talisman formation that the Holy Son sensed something, looked up, and called:
“Senior, the Gongsun family has sent word. They’ve found the boy you were looking for.”
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