It worked?
Xu Qi’an felt a surge of joy in his heart. While keeping an eye on the commotion above his head, he dashed towards Miao Youfang.
Although he had full confidence in Luo Yuheng, it was always wise to consider the unexpected. If the National Teacher was no match for the Buddhist Arhat because of the “sorrow” persona, or if the Arhat had some other trump card and used home advantage to defeat the National Teacher, those were all possible scenarios.
If that happened, Miao Youfang would become his main focus now, while finishing off Ji Xuan and the others would be secondary.
Obviously, the enemies of Silver Gong Xu were no fools either. They kept a close watch on the situation in the sky whilst quickly regrouping as Xu Qi’an moved towards Miao Youfang.
White Tiger transformed into its true form, twenty feet long, and picked up Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai, the brother and sister, onto its back. With its right forelimb severed, it looked especially wretched.
Liu Hongmian, supporting the heavily injured Ji Xuan, moved closer and threw Ji Xuan onto the tiger’s back.
Although everyone was moving, they still devoted some of their attention to watching the golden alms bowl.
Even Ji Xuan, gravely injured, could not care about drawing in qi to heal, but stared intently at the sky.
The rest also regarded Arhat Duqing as their last hope for survival.
“Crack!”
Suddenly, a gap appeared in the golden alms bowl, and spiderweb-like cracks rapidly spread all over it.
Then, under the increasingly frightened gaze of those below, the golden alms bowl exploded with a bang.
Three figures fell from it: a blood-soaked Luo Yuheng, the shivering Holy Son, and Arhat Duqing.
At this moment, Arhat Duqing had a blood-stained iron sword driven into his Baihui acupoint at the top of his head, half buried in his skull, half exposed.
He looked dejected, his palms together, eyes closed, motionless.
Jingxin’s eyes nearly split with grief.
The Warrior Monk Jingyuan had two blood trails running down his face, staring numbly in this direction.
“The Arhat has lost.”
Liu Hongmian shrieked.
Qihuan Danxiang, Ji Xuan, Old Daoist Jiaoye, and the rest all turned as pale as death.
Without a word, White Tiger rode the howling wind and fled in panic, just like a beaten dog.
Xu Qi’an raised an eyebrow. “Trying to run?”
He sprinted forward a couple of steps and hurled the Taiping Sabre with all his might. This time, inspired by Qihuan Danxiang, he controlled the Taiping Sabre using the Heart Gu, just as he did with sparrows and the tabby cat.
In this way, after leaving his hand, the Taiping Sabre would not be influenced by Qihuan Danxiang’s Heart Gu.
In some sense, this was a form of unity between man and blade.
Whoosh… A shrill tearing sound split the air as the Taiping Sabre quickly caught up with White Tiger, its aura as sharp as a blade making everyone’s hearts freeze.
With a faint “crack”, Ji Xuan crushed the teleportation jade talisman in his hand.
As the son of the Qianlong City Lord, cherished by Xu Pingfeng, he naturally carried various means of self-preservation.
If, when facing a stronger opponent, one had no contingency and could only await slaughter, how could one roam the jianghu?
At this moment, the Taiping Sabre suddenly fired a blade aura. This aura was fine and dim, like a hidden arrow shot in the dark.
With the jade talisman crushed, Ji Xuan and the others relaxed, their taut nerves suddenly easing, and no one reacted in time.
The pupils of Ji Xuan reflected a streak of dark golden blade light.
His expression changed to one of sheer terror. That blade aura was aimed at him, and at this moment, his physical strength as a martial artist was already broken.
At this critical juncture, a shadow blocked the blade aura reflected in his eyes.
The shadow exploded, sending flesh and bone flying. The leftover blade aura pierced Ji Xuan’s shoulder, finally stopped by the White Tiger’s Bronze Skin and Iron Bones.
At the last moment, Old Daoist Jiaoye stepped forward and took the blow for him.
A clear light surged up from below, enveloping the group and teleporting them away.
“Since ancient times cousins are the most hateful; One of the Four Great Villains, Yun Zhonghe!”1
Xu Qi’an clicked his tongue twice and muttered, “You’re lucky this time.”
He turned around, beaming, and flattered, “National Teacher, have you apprehended Arhat Duqing?”
Though the evidence was right before his eyes, he still wanted to confirm.
Luo Yuheng gave a faint nod, brows knitted with sorrow.
“Let us leave at once.”
Xu Qi’an studied her carefully, noticing that the National Teacher’s aura had greatly diminished, exhaustion hidden in her beautiful eyes, and blood oozing from beneath her elegant feathered robe, a sure sign of serious injury.
“Are you hurt badly?”
Luo Yuheng nodded, her gaze distant, her pleasant voice tinged with fatigue.
“My physical body has taken severe damage, but the Yang Spirit Dharma Body is intact.”
For Daoist cultivators, as long as the Primordial Spirit remained, they would not die, at worst their flesh body would collapse. Of course, such consequences were serious.
For Luo Yuheng, aiming to achieve first rank as an Earthly Immortal, she would need to merge physical body and Dharma Body during tribulation to attain the indestructible form.
If her physical body were destroyed now, first rank would be out of reach.
Luo Yuheng continued, “The destruction of the golden alms bowl made quite a disturbance. Those two Vajra must have noticed the anomaly. We cannot stay here long.”
Xu Qi’an understood what she meant. If the two Vajra risked everything to steal the prisoner and escape, even the Heaven Sect’s Yang Spirits might not be able to stop them.
It was common knowledge that martial artists were notoriously troublesome, and the Vajra’s physical defences were even stronger than third-rank martial artists of the same level.
And now Luo Yuheng was in a terrible state.
Xu Qi’an immediately summoned the Stupa tower from afar and stored Miao Youfang, Li Lingsu, Jingxin, and Jingyuan within.
This broken tower had been unwilling to act against Buddhist disciples and had watched the spectacle for some time. Now that the situation was decided, it was no longer stubborn.
Since Arhats could not enter the Stupa tower, Luo Yuheng swept her sleeve, took Xu Qi’an and Arhat Duqing, and departed on the wind.
Within two or three minutes, a thunderous roar came from the earth as two streaks of golden light shot along the ground.
This was the phenomenon caused by the two Vajra running at full speed.
Behind the golden lights, the Heaven Sect’s Bingyi Yuanjun and Daoist Xuancheng stood atop flying swords, howling like the wind in swift pursuit.
But seeing the battle on the main field had ended and the place deserted, the two Heaven Sect Yang Spirits quickly slowed down.
They exchanged glances, turned their flying swords upward at ninety degrees, soared into the clouds, and vanished into the boundless sea of clouds.
“Arhat Duqing has been defeated.”
Vajra Du’nan, physically imposing and severe in expression, scanned the surroundings, sensing the lingering aura of the golden alms bowl.
He, a protector Vajra who survived the sixty-year extermination of the Yao, wore a face full of rage.
The Asura Vajra Dufan pinched his brow to calm his agitation and said slowly,
“He should only be sealed. Among those of the same rank, no one can kill Arhat Duqing.
“Luo Yuheng’s condition is likely dire. Let us search Yongzhou and Qingxingyuan separately.
“Meet back here before sunset.”
Vajra Du’nan grunted his assent. “I will report this to Agaruka Bodhisattva.”
As he spoke, his gaze settled on the corpses of monks strewn about, and he fell silent for a long time.
“Amitabha!”
The Asura Vajra pressed his palms together and recited the Buddha’s name with head bowed, silently gathering the monks’ bodies into a storage artifact.
…
Somewhere in Yongzhou, in the wilderness.
A fierce wind howled by, transforming into a white tiger twenty feet long, with one of its forelimbs severed.
Riding the wind, it landed, shaking the people off its back, then crouched to one side, licking the dark red stump of its right forelimb.
The group fell in disarray.
Ji Xuan clutched his chest with one hand, half-dragging Daoist Jiaoye’s body with the other, and hoarsely shouted,
“Give me the medicine, Yuanshuang, quickly, the medicine…”
Xu Yuanshuang remained silent, not because she was unwilling to save him, but because Xu Qi’an had taken her brocade pouch, along with the magical tools and pills inside.
“Young master, don’t waste any more pills.”
Daoist Jiaoye waved his hand, glanced down at the gaping hole in his chest, and shook his head with a faint bitter smile.
“With wounds like this, it seems I’m doomed.”
A silence fell over the group.
Pain flashed in Ji Xuan’s eyes, and he whispered, “I will not let you die.”
The old Daoist shook his head.
“Young master, save your words, leave this time to me.”
He swallowed a mouthful of blood, his expression serious as he said in a deep voice,
“This journey in the jianghu was your trial; many in Qianlong City have been watching you.
“The City Lord is not fond of you as his indirect son, but he is a lord of grand ambition and vision. He will not neglect or despise you simply out of personal bias.
“If you could gather Dragon Qi, or advance to third rank, you would become the next City Lord.
“Remember, it is not necessary to gather all of the Dragon Qi.
“Although the City Lord and National Teacher told you to gather all of it, ha, Qianlong City lacks true top experts, if you can reach third rank,
“They would have no choice but to give you the successor’s seat, whether they are willing or not.
“I had hoped to live and see you reach the summit, but alas, I will not see that day.”
He’d suffered such grave wounds yet remained clear-headed, speaking without pause to the very end, this must be what people call “returning light” before death.
Daoist Jiaoye took a breath and paused briefly:
“We suffered a crushing defeat today.
“You must remember this lesson, and for days to come, avoid Xu Qi’an and gather the Dragon Qi scattered elsewhere.
“The Arhat Duqing has been captured, the Buddhist sect will not let this go. The Church of the Warlock God has not yet made a move; these are all factions you might use.
“Also, do everything you can to keep the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations by your side, do not let the National Teacher recall them.”
“These days, I have thought much, and I have some inkling of the National Teacher’s next scheme.”
He did not continue, but looked gently at Ji Xuan and said,
“Young master, do you remember when we first met?”
With a congested hum, Ji Xuan nodded.
“I have always believed, flames can be born from withered grass and burn away all that is rotten.” Daoist Jiaoye gripped Ji Xuan’s hand tightly.
“The day will come,” Ji Xuan whispered.
Daoist Jiaoye let out a breath, a smile on his face.
That smile froze there forever.
Liu Hongmian stood in silence for a moment and bowed to Daoist Jiaoye.
She thought the old Daoist must have his stories, but did not feel like delving. After all, who in Qianlong City did not have stories of their own?
…
Xiushui Town, southwest of Yongzhou city.
The Rank Four secret agent “Chen”, wearing a hood and cloak, galloped into the town and stopped outside a riverside residence.
He knocked on the door in a certain pattern.
Light footsteps approached. The one who opened the door was Xu Yuanshuang, dressed in a plum-coloured dress, with exquisite features and a cool demeanour.
She looked rather pale. Upon seeing Agent Chen, she nodded in greeting.
Agent Chen followed Xu Yuanshuang into the house and said gravely:
“I received Miss’s message, so I came at once.”
Passing the courtyard and entering the hall, the instant secret agent Chen saw Ji Xuan and the others, he was startled, suspecting he had recognised the wrong people.
To begin with, Ji Xuan, once the team’s composed and gentle core, now sat on a chair, his chest wrapped in thick bandages, his face pale and drained, the brightness in his eyes all but gone.
He stared blankly at the ground, deep in thought, completely ignoring Agent Chen’s arrival.
To his left was the equally despondent and silent Qihuan Danxiang. The once extreme and irascible heart Gu master now clung tightly to his colourful long robe like a defeated dog.
Beside him sat a burly man, White Tiger, whose right arm was missing below the elbow, thickly bandaged, dark red blood faintly seeping through.
Only Liu Hongmian still seemed, at least outwardly, as usual, but she too was weighed down by the gloomy atmosphere, her usual charm nowhere to be seen.
“Where is Young Master Yuanhuai?”
Agent Chen felt a jolt in his chest.
“His arms and kneecaps were smashed. He’s lying inside.” Xu Yuanshuang replied softly.
Agent Chen breathed a sigh of relief, then asked,
“What about the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations?”
“They’re in the back courtyard, tending their wounds,” said Xu Yuanshuang.
From this, one could tell that the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations had not gained any advantage over Sun Xuanji.
Soon, Azure Dragon entered from the back courtyard, leading seven cloaked men. His hoarse voice carried a tone of accusation:
“Why did Heaven Sect’s Yang Spirit appear here?”
Agent Chen shook his head.
“I had no idea they were in Yongzhou. The Heaven Sect never involves itself with the common world, few of its disciples travel the Jianghu.
“In this generation, only the Holy Son and Holy Maiden.”
Azure Dragon pressed,
“This was a failure in your intelligence work, you must take responsibility.”
Chen frowned.
“No intelligence organisation can keep track of beyond-mortal experts, especially when they’re acting discreetly.
“We did not even know that Heaven Sect’s Yang Spirits were touring the world.”
The Daoist Yang Spirit comes and goes as he pleases, today in Yongzhou, tomorrow he might be in the capital.
Whose intelligence could be so immediate?
Besides, the two Yang Spirits from the Heaven Sect acted quietly and came to Yongzhou without a sound.
Even if a subordinate spy had seen them at an inn, would he recognise them both as Yang Spirits with one glance?
Seeing Azure Dragon fall silent, secret agent Chen breathed out, weighed his options, and looked at Ji Xuan and the others.
“It seems Xu Qi’an has recruited quite a few helpers.”
Even with Heaven Sect’s Yang Spirits on his side, at most they could be at parity in terms of beyond-mortal experts, while their own side boasted two top-rank Buddhist monks, as well as Ji Xuan, White Tiger, and others at the fourth rank.
So long as the beyond-mortal realm was not involved, they were virtually invincible.
Yet, they were now left in such a sorry state, proof that Xu Qi’an had come well prepared and recruited many rank four experts.
On hearing this, Liu Hongmian looked over with a complicated expression.
Qihuan Danxiang and White Tiger’s lips moved slightly.
Xu Yuanshuang spoke softly, “He had no helpers, he was alone.”
Alone… The eyes behind secret agent Chen’s veil opened wide, and he hurriedly asked,
“He— he’s regained his third-rank cultivation?”
Liu Hongmian and the others looked more conflicted.
“No, he’s still fourth rank.” Xu Yuanshuang shook her head bitterly.
The hall fell quiet, with no one speaking for a long time.
…
Luo Yuheng took Xu Qi’an away from Yongzhou, riding a beam of golden light due north at great speed.
They crossed vast mountains, plains, and rivers, until a city appeared below.
Luo Yuheng descended in golden light, landing outside the city.
“I need to recuperate and recover. Let’s find an inn first.” she said softly.
The reason she did not return to Yongzhou was that the two Vajra, Du’nan and Dufan, would certainly be searching everywhere.
Arhat Duqing sat cross-legged, eyes closed, totally motionless, like an inanimate statue.
He hovered by Luo Yuheng, under her control.
As they entered the small town and walked its main street, Xu Qi’an glanced over the fluttering inn banners on both sides, easily picking out an inn.
Luo Yuheng formed a seal with one hand, guiding Arhat Duqing as she followed behind Xu Qi’an.
“Customer, are you here to rest or stay the night?”
As they entered the lobby, the inn attendant bustled over, completely ignoring Luo Yuheng and the Arhat Duqing with the sabre stuck in his head.
None of the other guests seemed to notice Luo Yuheng either, no enraptured glances came her way.
Xu Qi’an glanced at her and said, “One room, please.”
…
Reference to Tianlong Babu ↩
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