Lin’an and Emperor Yongxing had grown up together since childhood, so she knew his temperament inside out.
Seeing his diligent manner, and choosing this particular time, she knew at once that he had come to her with an urgent request.
When he was still the Crown Prince, if he needed to ask the Emperor for something but could not go in person, he would always ask her to make the request on his behalf.
After all, as Second Princess, she was the most favoured among the Emperor’s sons and daughters.
“Brother Emperor, what’s the matter.”
Lin’an glanced around. There were no chairs in the Imperial Study, unless the Emperor bestowed a seat, everyone else had to stand.
Emperor Yongxing walked up to his sister and deliberately kept her guessing.
“Do you know how to resolve the issue regarding calling for donations?”
Lin’an was somewhat surprised, she had not expected her brother to summon her for the purpose of seeking her advice.
She immediately felt a rare pleasure, as though she had been “rewarded”, and was glad that she had visited Huaiqing that afternoon. She spoke up at once:
“One needs someone with enough prestige to rally everyone. Brother Crown Prince has only just ascended the throne and your prestige is lacking, so it’s difficult to command the ministers.”
Emperor Yongxing was taken aback, he hadn’t realised how much his younger sister’s wisdom had grown.
He followed her line of thought and asked, “Then who do you think is sufficiently respected, Lin’an?”
Lin’an repeated what that wretched Huaiqing had said:
“Among those in court who can inspire the ministers to willingly donate, there are only two: the Jianzheng and Xu Qi’an.
“The Jianzheng commands real respect, whilst Xu Qi’an is more feared for his notoriety, no one dares provoke him.”
No matter how stubborn a scholar, no one would be foolish enough to court death by going up against someone who had once executed two dukes and slain an emperor.
“When did you develop such keen perception, Lin’an?”
Emperor Yongxing could not help but praise her with surprise, then said:
“We would like you to act as our envoy and ask Xu Qi’an to lead the way. You know that we have only recently ascended the throne, our standing is not yet secure. Now, with both internal and external strife, and natural disasters compounding our woes, we are in dire need of silver for disaster relief.”
So that was it… Lin’an gave a rare wry smile, her smooth, oval face tinged with disappointment:
“He is not in the capital, and… and he’s never reached out to me.”
As she said these words, she felt a pang, as if being forced to admit her place in that running dog’s heart was not high enough.
Emperor Yongxing paid no heed to her disappointment; he had been waiting for this very moment, and hurried to say:
“No, Lin’an, you do not know, he has returned, it must be him! In all of the Great Feng, no other beyond-mortal warrior would appear at the Sitianjian besides him.”
Lin’an’s eyes widened suddenly, her breathing quickened, and then immense delight and excitement swept over her. She grasped Emperor Yongxing’s arm.
“Really? Has he truly returned?”
Emperor Yongxing nodded. “At dusk, there was a surge of beyond-mortal aura at the Sitianjian, almost certainly him. We have already sent people to inquire.”
…
The Jianzheng waved his hand, and the teleportation formation beneath Arhat Duqing flared to life. A clear light rose up from below, engulfing him, and a moment later he vanished from the Bagua Platform.
After confining Arhat Duqing underground, a slight smile appeared on the Jianzheng’s deeply wrinkled face.
“Your cultivation is progressing well.”
Those words have a double meaning, don’t they… Xu Qi’an thought inwardly, glanced at Luo Yuheng, her brows seemed gentle and affectionate, though beneath the sweet innocent exterior, she was in truth dangerously obsessive.
He cleared his throat, withdrew his gaze, and said,
“You had the National Teacher pass a message: all variables will reveal themselves this winter. What does that mean?”
Upon hearing this, the Jianzheng lifted his cup, took a sip, and replied slowly,
“Whether the Great Feng’s throne will change hands, whether these old bones of mine will endure another five centuries, and whether you, who bear half the nation’s fortune, will sacrifice yourself for your country… It all depends on this winter.”
Xu Qi’an looked grave. “Did you divine these secrets using your ‘Heaven’s Mandate’ ability?”
The Jianzheng retorted, “No, I used my brain.”
… Xu Qi’an pondered in silence for over ten seconds, then ventured, “You mean to say that the Yunzhou rebels will rise up this winter?”
He had been mulling it over ever since Luo Yuheng had relayed the message.
The Jianzheng nodded, satisfied with Xu Qi’an’s answer. He continued slowly,
“Don’t you find the process of collecting Dragon Qi a little too easy? Although Xu Pingfeng has suffered from fortune’s backlash and fears I will set a trap to kill him so dares not take action against you himself, with his abilities, he doesn’t need to act personally to deal with you.
“He certainly won’t let you have it so easy.”
Xu Qi’an asked, “Then what has he been up to all this time?”
He already had a strong suspicion in his mind.
“He’s been preparing for rebellion, drawing allies to his cause.”
The Jianzheng gazed westward. “Just as Emperor Wuzong allied with the Buddhist Sect in years past to launch his revolt.”
Xu Qi’an’s heart sank. “Have the Buddhist Sect agreed?”
The Jianzheng gave a cold chuckle. “Otherwise, why do you think I fought with Agaruka? The conflict between Mahayana and Hinayana in Ananda is growing fiercer by the day, the rift between them is deep. With the Buddha sleeping, the bodhisattvas and arhats remain in stalemate.
“But at the same time, this causes them lingering anxiety. Once their tensions intensify and reach the breaking point, Ananda will erupt in civil strife.
“In such a context, shifting to external conflict is the optimal choice.”
When internal conflict could not be suppressed, the best solution is to wage war abroad… Xu Qi’an sighed inwardly. Human nature truly has universal traits.
Luo Yuheng raised an eyebrow. “The Buddhists suffered because of this in the past. Aren’t they afraid Xu Pingfeng will break his word as readily as you? The Great Feng has the worst reputation for trustworthiness.”
The Church of the Warlock God liked that.
Xu Qi’an thought, finding grim amusement in the remark.
“This time is different!”
The Jianzheng drank a mouthful of wine and went on,
“After the Battle at Shanhai Pass, Buddhism’s power flourished like oil over a raging fire, while the northern yao and barbarians and remnant southern yao waned. The Great Feng, depleted by the loss of the dynasty’s fortune, only grew weaker.
“This year, the Warlock God almost broke free from his seal, and in the ensuing conflicts, the yao and barbarians suffered terribly. Wei Yuan’s armies advanced to Mount Jing City; all three parties took heavy losses. Now, aside from the fugitive remnants of the Wanyao Kingdom and the shaman clans with their sparse numbers, every faction is in a weakened state.
“This is the moment the Buddhist Sect has been waiting for, the very situation that Wuzong never enjoyed during his revolt.”
Luo Yuheng narrowed her beautiful eyes. “So, the Buddhist Sect doesn’t care whether Xu Pingfeng keeps his promise.”
She hesitated, then asked in confusion, “Do the Buddhists seek to unite all under heaven?”
If they were merely spreading their faith in the Central Plains, history would repeat itself just like in the days of Emperor Wuzong.
The Jianzheng made no reply.
Xu Qi’an’s thoughts, for no reason, drifted to Wei Yuan’s final letter, and to a line written by the Great Azure Cloak:
This world is far crueler than you can imagine!
Coupled with the Confucian Sage sealing the Gu God and the Warlock God, with Wei Yuan staking his life to re-seal the Warlock God no matter the cost,
He suddenly realised that, hidden in the mists beyond his sight, there was a higher level of secret at work.
And this secret was unknown even to someone like Luo Yuheng, the Human Sect Daoist Leader, a peak-level powerhouse!
So who told Duke Wei about all this?
A figure flashed through Xu Qi’an’s mind, and he found his answer.
Zhao Shou!
The Confucian tradition has been passed down for over two thousand years and has never been broken. As the current leading figure of Confucianism, Zhao Shou knew a great many secrets, perhaps no less than the Jianzheng himself. But he usually kept too low a profile. No, in fact, the entire Confucian school kept too low a profile…
Xu Qi’an took a deep breath to steady his wandering thoughts and said,
“There’s something I’ve never understood… Jianzheng, did you already know that Xu Pingfeng and that branch of the Qianlong City lineage were hidden in Yunzhou?”
If you already knew, why didn’t you kill Xu Pingfeng earlier and wipe out that bloodline from five hundred years ago?
The Jianzheng seemed to see right through his thoughts and replied coolly,
“I am not omniscient or omnipotent, even a Beyond-rank cannot achieve omniscience and omnipotence.
“As for now… Yunzhou no longer belongs to the Great Feng.”
As he spoke, he gazed southwards and laughed softly,
“Now that you have become Beyond-rank, I can tell you some secrets. Back then, I supported the Emperor Wuzong to ‘rectify the throne’, starting from his fief in the south to declaring his independence.
“Using that fief as a foothold, we gradually expanded, annexing neighbouring provinces one by one until finally reaching the capital.
“Why did teacher not kill me earlier?”
Xu Qi’an immediately perked up. The secrets from five hundred years ago were a taboo in the Great Feng. the first generation Jianzheng’s secrets were obscured by the current, and Emperor Wuzong had destroyed all the historical records from that time.
Now it was completely impossible to find any clues from written records.
If he could understand how Emperor Wuzong managed to rebel under the pressure of the first generation Jianzheng and succeed, perhaps he could deduce Xu Pingfeng’s detailed schemes.
“For a second-rank fortune refiner, supporting an emperor and becoming a minister close to the throne is primarily for the purpose of refining fortune. To seize the land of a province is to forge the fortune of that province.
“In this process, one becomes increasingly powerful. That is where the name ‘fortune refiner’ comes from. Until, finally, they annex the whole central plains and establish a dynasty, which makes one a first-rank Master of Heaven’s Mandate.
“Within his own territory, a fortune refiner is almost invincible.”
No wonder then, within the territory of the Great Feng, the Jianzheng could be called invincible… Xu Qi’an understood.
“So, what you’re saying is, within Yunzhou, Xu Pingfeng is nearly invincible? By the time you realised he was hiding in Yunzhou, he had already quietly refined the province. But how could you not have noticed?”
The Jianzheng replied coolly, “I also failed to notice when they were stealing the fortune.”
Xu Pingfeng had managed to steal fortune by relying on the Heaven Gu’s ‘Shifting Constellations’ ability. In other words, there was a high-ranking Heaven Gu Master by Xu Pingfeng’s side, or a top-grade magical artefact with the corresponding power.
Xu Qi’an suddenly understood.
The Jianzheng continued,
“But Arcanists have a fatal flaw. Once they lose their territory, their power fades. And so-called invincibility is only relative. Even within the Great Feng’s domain, I could not hope to defeat and kill several first ranks at once, nor could the first generation.
“That’s why, in those days, Bodhisattvas of the Buddhist sect intervened and held up the first generation, allowing us to fight all the way to the capital.”
The situation in the Great Feng today is almost exactly the same as back then… Xu Qi’an realised,
“So, Xu Pingfeng intends to replicate Emperor Wuzong’s tactics with your own from back then.”
And he had already succeeded. The Buddhist sect was once again being used as a tool.
The Arcanist system is truly cursed by fate… Xu Qi’an thought with emotion.
When he and his father had confronted each other, he had learnt from this “unfilial son” that Arcanists took disciples only so the system would not die out.
But striving for greater heights was in the nature of living things, which inevitably led to disciples betraying their masters, generation upon generation, endlessly repeating.
Martial artists might be crude, but on reflection, they were the most free and easy.
Daoists and Arcanists aside, to enter the Buddhist system, one must observe three years of precepts, far too many rules and restrictions.
The shaman clans derived their power from the Gu God, so they were not a system in the traditional sense.
Warlocks, so far, appeared to have no great weakness.
“So, is Xu Pingfeng invincible as long as he stays in Yunzhou?”
Xu Qi’an brought the topic back.
The Jianzheng smiled. “Just send two or more second ranks to contain him, then dispatch troops to recapture Yunzhou and you’ll break his ‘invincible state’.”
So that was why he wanted to ally with the Buddhist sect… Xu Qi’an nodded, realising the Jianzheng was really telling him how to defeat Arcanists.
Having finished their business, Xu Qi’an said,
“I think the mission to unseal Shenshu is too difficult. It’s impossible to finish in just two or three months.”
He was tactfully inquiring if there was any way to quickly remove the rest of the sealing nails.
The Jianzheng did not answer directly. “Collecting Dragon Qi is your core task right now. Leave the other things be.”
Xu Qi’an nodded, lowering his voice,
“One more thing, the ancient corpse in the underground palace outside Yongzhou has recently been destroyed by someone.”
The Jianzheng grunted and looked far into the distance without speaking.
Xu Qi’an was already used to how Arcanists communicated and did not press the point. As long as he mentioned it, that was enough.
“I heard Caiwei is going to take on disciples?”
He brought this up simply to make conversation.
The Jianzheng did not answer.
“Has Senior Brother Sun returned? He vanished after the battle outside Yongzhou.”
The Jianzheng replied irritably,
“If you have nothing to say, then go.”
Always bringing up unpleasant topics.
“Jianzheng, if I use Dragon Qi to nurture the Taiping Sabre, how long will it take to reach the level of the Sovereign Sword?” Xu Qi’an still had more questions and refused to leave.
“Impossible in the short term, but enough to let it begin its transformation and become a semi-finished magical treasure,” the Jianzheng replied.
Xu Qi’an asked a few more questions, and the Jianzheng answered them all in detail.
Luo Yuheng glanced at the sky, smiled sweetly and said,
“Xu Lang, come with me back to Lingbao Temple for dual cultivation.”
…Xu Qi’an replied with a simple “Oh”.
At this moment, Chu Caiwei came bouncing out from the top of the steps, wearing a yellow dress, as lively and adorable as ever.
“You’re back!”
She looked at Xu Qi’an with a cheerful smile and then said,
“Lin’an and Huaiqing have come to the Sitianjian. They want to see you.”
Luo Yuheng narrowed her beautiful eyes.
Xu Qi’an glanced at the female National Teacher, feeling at a loss.
“Tch!”
The Jianzheng laughed softly, serves you right for not leaving, you brought this on yourself.
…
At the bottom of the tower.
Li Lingsu said incredulously,
“I didn’t expect it, I really didn’t expect that Brother Yang had such a tragic past. That Xu Qi’an repeatedly snatched away your opportunities, truly repugnant.
“The Jianzheng, just to support him, cast aside his own personal disciple like an old shoe. How hateful!”
There’s no reason to stay at the Sitianjian any longer… Yang Qianhuan sighed,
“Brother Li’s experiences are just as heartbreaking. You won’t even be able to raise your head in front of him from now on.”
“Don’t, just stop talking…”
Li Lingsu scraped his feet vigorously against the ground.
The two fell silent for a moment, feeling a genuine sense of camaraderie.
Yang Qianhuan snorted, “He’ll get his comeuppance.”
Li Lingsu nodded fervently. “Just look up and see, the heavens spare no one.”
A few seconds later, he said angrily, “It’s one thing for him to have the Zhenbei King’s princess consort as a confidante, but even the National Teacher has to dual cultivate with him.”
A huge question mark floated through Yang Qianhuan’s mind.
“Luo Yuheng is dual cultivating with Xu Qi’an?”
“Isn’t it infuriating?” Li Lingsu nodded. “The princess consort is so beautiful. In my life, I’ve never met a woman to equal her beauty. The National Teacher is also a rare beauty in this world.”
Yang Qianhuan was utterly confused. He didn’t know Xu Qi’an’s secret of bearing the Great Feng’s fortune, but this matter didn’t make him jealous either.
Whether it was the National Teacher or the princess consort, in Senior Brother Yang’s eyes, they weren’t even as jealousy-inducing as the crowds in the capital crying out, ‘Silver Gong Xu is a hero.’
“By the way, I heard Xu Qi’an has quite a few confidantes in the capital. Do you know the details, Brother Yang?”
Li Lingsu asked curiously. He believed that women like the National Teacher and the princess consort were extremely rare.
But surely not all of Xu Qi’an’s confidantes could be such unmatched beauties.
By comparison, every confidante in Li Lingsu’s life was a beauty of excellent looks.
If you excluded Luo Yuheng and the princess consort, his own confidantes would be no worse than Xu Qi’an’s.
Yang Qianhuan thought for a moment and replied,
“I’m not so sure. I never bother with such trivialities. But Xu Qi’an is certainly popular with women.”
Li Lingsu pressed on, “And what do they look like?”
Yang Qianhuan sneered, “Just common, vulgar women. I’ve never even looked directly at them.”
Because he was always facing the other way.
How disdainful… Li Lingsu understood immediately.
Just then, Li Miaozhen and the others returned, bringing with them a woman with dishevelled hair dressed in a hemp robe.
Li Lingsu guessed that this slovenly woman must be the “Zhong Li” his junior sister had mentioned.
Such an untidy woman naturally wasn’t worthy of the Holy Son’s attention. He calmly withdrew his gaze and observed the expressions of the Heaven and Earth Society members.
Seeing that there was no mockery or ridicule, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Miaozhen introduced her,
“This is Zhong Li, the Jianzheng’s fifth disciple, a fifth rank arcanist.”
Considering that being plagued by misfortune was a private matter, she didn’t tell her troublesome senior brother.
Li Lingsu made a sound of acknowledgement and followed the group out of the underground chamber.
Ascending the steps, Li Miaozhen reminded them, “You two had best walk close to the wall.”
“Why?”
“It’s slippery!”
Li Lingsu looked at her as if she were an idiot and didn’t take it to heart.
Was he, a dignified fourth-rank Nascent Soul cultivator, afraid of slipping?
But after only a few steps, the Holy Son suddenly felt his foot slip and went tumbling down the stone steps.
Grimacing in pain, he muttered,
“It— it really is quite slippery.”
This time, he paid close attention to his footing, frequently lowering his head to watch the road.
After negotiating thirty steps without mishap, the strange slipperiness struck again. The Holy Son rolled all the way to the bottom, ending up battered and bruised.
“I told you to stick to the wall!” Li Miaozhen laughed.
Hengyuan opened his mouth, then glanced back at Li Miaozhen. She was usually very proper, but ever since reuniting with her senior brother Li Lingsu, she’d become a little mischievous.
Li Lingsu looked up at Miao Youfang, who, like him, hadn’t walked near the wall,
“Did you find it slippery?”
Miao Youfang did a somersault on the stairs. “Nope.”
This guy’s such a show-off… Chu Yuanzhen glanced at Miao Youfang.
Li Lingsu thought it over and said, “I’m not going any further. You all go on ahead.”
Vigilantly looking around, he suspected Li Miaozhen of plotting against him, though he had no proof.
“My senior brother is a womaniser, always chasing after women. Sometimes he needs to learn how treacherous the jianghu can be.”
Li Miaozhen explained via sound transmission.
Hengyuan thought about it and agreed.
Chu Yuanzhen, however, sensed something was off and transmitted,
“Don’t you think Xu Qi’an is also always chasing after women?”
Li Miaozhen blinked in surprise. “Is he?”
Chu Yuanzhen: “…”
Watching the four depart, Li Lingsu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Zhong Li is a fifth rank arcanist, called a Master of Prophecy. Arcanists at this rank suffer constant misfortune, and those around them get dragged in too.”
Suddenly, a deep voice sounded from behind.
Li Lingsu turned and saw a figure with his back to him.
“So that’s how it is!”
Li Lingsu felt the act of showing one’s back strangely familiar, but his doubts had vanished.
Then, somewhat indignantly, he asked, “Then why was I the only one to fall…?”
He abruptly stopped, his face contorted as if swallowing a rat.
…
This time, Li Lingsu returned to the surface without incident. As he pushed open the door leading outside, Yang Qianhuan teleported beside him in sync, still standing with his back to him.
“Where have they gone?”
Li Lingsu saw Miao Youfang waiting at the entrance and asked him.
Miao Youfang replied,
“I just heard the arcanists in the main hall and Daoist Li speaking, it seems the two princesses have arrived.”
He shrugged with a wry smile. “I’m just a commoner. I don’t dare meet people of such status.”
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