Dongfang Wanrong nodded slightly and her gaze swept over Ji Xuan’s shoulder, looking at everyone in the hall.
At the same time, Nalan Tianlu’s voice sounded in her mind:
“Those eight people are rather strange, their aura is as one. They seem beyond-mortal, yet not quite beyond-mortal.”
Dongfang Wanrong judged briefly and understood which were the “eight people” Nalan Tianlu referred to, for they were all wrapped in identical black robes.
What beautiful twins… Liu Hongmian scrutinised the pair of sisters, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes.
She considered herself a striking beauty, and even in Wanhua Tower, a sect filled with beautiful women, her looks stood out.
Neither of the sisters alone could astonish or amaze Liu Hongmian, but when the twins stood together, there was a qualitative change.
Especially with one looking charming and the other cool and aloof, they complemented each other.
Everyone in the hall had a similar reaction to Liu Hongmian and was amazed by the twin sisters.
This included the cold and stern young man Xu Yuanhuai, Qihuan Danxiang of the Southern Marches shaman clans, and the Yao, White Tiger.
Dongfang Wanrong looked at Ji Xuan and smiled charmingly, “And you are?”
“I am Ji Xuan, son of the City Lord of Qianlong City.” Ji Xuan cupped his hands as he spoke.
Dongfang Wanrong already knew from her teacher Nalan Tianlu what sort of place Qianlong City was, and nodded lightly.
She led the East Sea Dragon Palace followers into the courtyard, arranging them to stand in formation, while she and her younger sister Dongfang Wanqing entered the hall.
“Greetings to the two Vajras.”
The sisters saluted respectfully.
“The two young masters, we meet again.”
Dongfang Wanrong greeted Jingxin and Jingyuan with a beaming smile.
Once everyone had exchanged greetings, Ji Xuan took over the conversation and said:
“The general situation has been made clear in the secret message sent by Tianjigong’s spy. Do the two Palace Masters have any questions?”
Dongfang Wanqing remained silent, while her elder sister Dongfang Wanrong said:
“Why has two strands of Dragon Qi appeared within the Wulin Alliance?”
Two of Nine Dragons appearing simultaneously in the Wulin Alliance was indeed a strange phenomenon.
Jingxin put his palms together and speculated: “Perhaps it is due to the mutual attraction between strands of Dragon Qi.”
Dongfang Wanrong frowned, clearly unsatisfied with this answer.
At this moment, Xu Yuanshuang said coolly:
“It is not the mutual attraction of Dragon Qi. Dragon Qi is a kind of fortune, and it possesses its own awareness. This awareness isn’t consciousness as we understand it, but more like one of Heaven and Earth’s laws.
“Fortune is formed by the will of the people, so Dragon Qi instinctively seeks out those of great reputation, or objects that are worshipped.
“The Wulin Alliance in Jianzhou has an excellent reputation and plays the role of upholding order. Coupled with the background of the old Alliance Leader, in your opinion, if there was no interference from external forces and the Central Plains fell into chaos, which faction would be most likely to vie for supremacy?”
Without a doubt, it would be the Wulin Alliance.
Dongfang Wanqing asked, “But that’s not right. During my search for Dragon Qi, I have come across many treacherous characters.”
Xu Yuanshuang thought for a moment and said:
“Firstly, human nature is complex, even a hopeless gambler might possess the qualities of an emperor. Secondly, since ancient times, how many kings and emperors have been truly honest and trustworthy?
“If the choice of the bearer for Dragon Qi depended on virtue, then throughout history, not a single founding emperor would have been qualified.”
Dongfang Wanqing said nothing more, but Liu Hongmian frowned:
“Then, when the Dragon Qi dispersed that day, why did it not choose to reside within Xu Qi’an? In terms of reputation, he far surpasses anyone in the Wulin Alliance.”
Xu Yuanshuang replied calmly:
“Because it was deliberately scattered. Dragon Qi is condensed from the fortune of the Central Plains. When dispersed, it naturally returns to the Central Plains.”
Dongfang Wanrong nodded, more or less satisfied with the answer. Appraising the cool and aloof girl, she asked:
“Are you an Arcanist?”
Xu Yuanshuang said nothing, tacitly admitting it.
Dongfang Wanrong glanced around at the people from Qianlong City, and asked again:
“How are we dividing the Dragon Qi after we succeed?”
Ji Xuan replied, “Each takes one strand.”
Seeing that Dongfang Wanrong had no objection, he continued:
“How much do the Palace Masters know about the Wulin Alliance?”
Dongfang Wanrong said, “I was about to ask you to explain, Young Master Ji.”
The East Sea Dragon Palace was not in the Great Feng, so to the sisters, the Wulin Alliance was a Central Plains organisation with whom they had no conflict of interest and thus only knew of it in passing, not in detail.
Liu Hongmian acted as the narrator and detailed the situation of the Wulin Alliance.
The Dongfang sisters listened, frowning ever deeper.
Ji Xuan said:
“The Wulin Alliance is powerful, so we must make long-term plans. This is also why I invited the Palace Masters for a face-to-face discussion.
“Now then, let us deduce our approach.
“First, there is Cao Qingyang. He is half a step into the beyond-mortal realm, and the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations can handle him easily. But considering how many mid- and high-ranked martial artists there are in the Jianzhou, if he joins forces with them, together they might fight us to a draw?”
He looked toward the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations.
From inside Azure Dragon’s hood came a hoarse voice: “It cannot be appraised accurately, but our chances of victory are excellent.”
The true balance of strength was hard to calculate. If the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations were genuine third ranks, then even if Cao Qingyang joined forces with all Jianzhou’s fourth ranks, they would still be unable to shake the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations.
But they themselves were similarly unconventional, possessing the power of third-rank warriors, but lacking corresponding defence or the ability to regenerate flesh and blood.
In that case, there was little room for error.
Furthermore, it was impossible to know whether the Wulin Alliance possessed coordinated formation techniques.
So ultimately, only fighting would tell how things would turn out.
Ji Xuan nodded and said:
“Next is the garrison at the foot of Quanrong Mountain. An army of twenty thousand is enough to wear down fourth ranks, during the Battle of Shanhai Pass, many fourth ranks perished from exhaustion.”
White Tiger mused, “If we choose to fight on Quanrong Mountain, it will effectively negate the cavalry’s advantage. And in mountain combat, we could use the terrain to roll boulders down. Against ordinary soldiers, this would be devastating.”
Qihuan Danxiang added:
“I can set swarms of poisonous insects on the soldiers and common fighters. However, with just a few of us at fourth rank, regardless of our means, it still isn’t enough.”
How could an organisation with a six-hundred-year dominance in Jianzhou be handled by merely a few fourth ranks?
“The main force is, of course, not us.”
Ji Xuan smiled and continued:
“The old master of the Wulin Alliance has been in seclusion for years. I have reliable information that his condition is extremely poor and he is no longer a concern. But we must be wary of another.
“A truly terrifying opponent.”
Apart from the two Vajras, the expressions of everyone present changed.
Ji Xuan’s own people were mostly fearful; Jingxin and Jingyuan looked even gloomier; the Dongfang sisters were filled with resentment.
It was that person. The person that stole their man.
Seeing their expressions, Ji Xuan knew he need not elaborate further and said gravely:
“Xu Qi’an is himself beyond-mortal, but is no longer at his peak. His strength, based on what he showed outside Yongzhou City, should not fall short of Cao Qingyang.
“With Arhat Duqing captured, his seal should have been further broken. Conservatively, he should be barely third rank now.
“Such cultivation is nothing to worry about, a single Vajra could suppress him. But the people he might draw in are real headaches. People like Luo Yuheng, or the Heaven Sect.”
Xu Yuanhuai frowned, “According to my father’s omens, Luo Yuheng likely will not act. As for the two Yang Spirits of Heaven Sect, their movements are unpredictable and can’t be foreseen.”
Liu Hongmian looked at the Dongfang sisters with a measure of a smile and said:
“Sisters, what aces have you prepared?”
Above Dongfang Wanrong’s head appeared an old man with white hair and beard, who calmly gazed down at everyone in the hall and said gently:
“If the Heaven Sect’s Yang Spirit appears, leave it to me.”
Nalan Tianlu… Jingxin and Jingyuan felt a chill in their hearts, and the two Vajras behind them exchanged glances, their faces growing heavy.
Ji Xuan probed, “Rain Master Nalan?”
The old man smiled and nodded.
Ji Xuan let out a breath:
“Then Junior can rest easy.
“Actually, it is impossible for the Heaven Sect’s two Yang Spirits to shadow Xu Qi’an all the time, their action last time was perhaps a coincidence.”
He had guessed rightly.
“Moreover, Xu Qi’an may not even be in Jianzhou right now, and may not know about the Wulin Alliance having two strands of Dragon Qi. We are simply being cautious. Rather than devising a flawless plan, I believe our highest priority is to act swiftly.”
Ji Xuan spoke fluently and clearly, “We should strike like lightning at Quanrong Mountain and destroy the Wulin Alliance. Then, root out all their affiliated sects.”
…
Wulin Alliance.
For the past few days, Cao Qingyang had been caught in anxiety and unease. After his failed attempt to visit the old ancestor, the next day, he sent someone to the capital to confess the matter of the Dragon Qi to the Sitianjian.
The reason was simple, Dragon Qi was obviously a treasure, possessing miraculous effects far beyond normal understanding.
Moreover, Wang You had made it clear that before his capture, he had already managed to spread the information.
That meant that sooner or later, someone from the Sitianjian would come to hold them accountable and demand the Dragon Qi.
No matter how proud Cao Qingyang was, or how powerful the Wulin Alliance was, they simply could not afford to challenge the Sitianjian.
Given this, it was better to come clean, so as to have some room for negotiation. For example, whether extracting the Dragon Qi might endanger his children’s lives.
At the same time, he also had the messenger deliver a secret letter to Xu Qi’an, in hope that he might mediate in some way.
…
Sun Xuanji returned to the Sitianjian. He did not go to the Bagua Platform to see the Jianzheng, but instead went to find Song Qing.
The alchemy fanatic was currently leading his juniors in research. He was striving to forge a type of metal that was light, soft, and yet extremely resilient.
Such material could greatly reduce the burden on soldiers during forced marches and allow them more restful sleep while keeping their weapons at the ready.
In future, it might even be fashioned into vests, granting cavalry both high mobility and the ability to contend with heavy cavalry.
However, Song Qing had failed. The only achievement from this experiment was to worsen his dark circles.
Song Qing felt someone pat his shoulder, so he put down the vessel in his hand and turned his head, discovering Second Senior Brother had returned.
“Senior Brother Sun, you are back.”
Song Qing turned back again, fiddling with a lump of metal as he said,
“Yesterday, a man claiming to be from the Wulin Alliance came to the Sitianjian, declaring there was a Dragon Qi host in the Wulin Alliance. I remembered that you’ve been collecting Dragon Qi, so I used the messaging conch to inform you.”
His tone was calm, speaking of a Dragon Qi host as if he were talking about any old stray cat or dog.
Sun Xuanji nodded and was about to leave, but Song Qing hurriedly called him back.
“Wait a moment.
“Some time ago, before the Jianzheng started projecting his soul, he gave me something to pass on to you.”
Saying this, he called out to the other alchemists in the chamber,
“Where is the Sovereign Sword? Where did you put the Sovereign Sword?”
The white-robed arcanists looked at each other, indicating that none of them had seen it.
Sun Xuanji caught sight of a white-robed arcanist holding a brass sword, poking at the brazier with it while shaking his head and saying,
“Haven’t seen the Sovereign Sword.”
Song Qing snapped, “Xu Fu, isn’t that it in your hand? The mighty Sovereign Sword, and you use it as a fire poker?!”
The white-robed arcanist looked down, shocked, exclaiming,
“Ah, it’s been here so long that I’d forgotten it was there…….
“Senior Brother Song, didn’t you once use the Jianzheng’s Disc of Heaven’s Secrets as a table wedge? Are you really in a position to criticise me?”
Sun Xuanji glanced down, sure enough, the Jianzheng’s Disc of Heaven’s Secrets was jammed under the table leg.
The Disc of Heaven’s Secrets was a magical treasure, but it lacked self-awareness, never having borne spiritual wisdom. The Jianzheng had said that something used to deduce and peer into Heaven’s secrets could never develop spirit.
So even if it were tossed into the latrine, the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets would have no objection.
What Sun Xuanji really wondered about, though, was that the Sovereign Sword did have an artefact spirit. For it to be the founding emperor’s sword, repressing the kingdom’s fortune for six centuries, when had its temper turned so mild?
“Oh, the Jianzheng sealed it. When you get the chance, remember to undo the seal, but not in the Sitianjian.”
Song Qing said.
Sun Xuanji took the Sovereign Sword and immediately understood what Song Qing meant.
A faint sense came from the Sovereign Sword:
“Des…troy…”
…
In the courtyard, Cao Qingyang stood with hands clasped behind his back, observing Cao Chun’s vigorous sword practice.
The seven-year-old made the wooden sword whistle through the air with great energy and agility. Anyone witnessing this scene would never believe that he had only begun practising this style of swordplay the day before.
Dragon Qi is indeed a marvellous treasure. If it could remain in Chun’er’s body, then his achievements would surely surpass my own… Cao Qingyang quickly pushed this thought aside.
Compared to his son’s future prospects, as a father, he cared far more for the child’s safety.
He prayed that the Sitianjian would not seize it without regard, and hoped that Xu Qi’an, having received the secret letter, would come to the Wulin Alliance. He suddenly turned and looked behind, realising that at some point, a white-robed figure had appeared.
An arcanist? Someone from the Sitianjian, but with no hostility… Cao Qingyang’s gaze flickered as he said,
“Chun’er, go inside.”
Cao Chun stopped, looking in confusion at his father. “Yes.”
He acted as if he had not seen the white-robed man and walked straight back.
Cao Qingyang cupped his fist. “Might I have your name, sir?”
The white-robed arcanist stared at him. “Sun…”
Ten minutes passed. Cao Qingyang waited in vain for him to finish.
His surname is Sun? Only giving his surname without his full name; the arcanists of the Sitianjian really are aloof… Cao Qingyang cupped his fist again.
“Mr Sun, I am aware of the Dragon Qi. May I ask how you intend to proceed?”
He waited for some time and got only this reply:
“Xuan…ji…”1
Even someone as experienced as Cao Qingyang found his mind a swirl of questions; taking a deep breath, he said in a low voice,
“If the Dragon Qi is extracted, will my son’s life be in danger?”
“No.”
“Has Silver Gong Xu come with you?”
“No.”
He’s a cold and aloof arcanist, indeed… Cao Qingyang felt he now had an initial sense of this white-robed arcanist before him: extremely aloof, only ever giving one-word answers.
“Mr Sun, would you tell me about the Dragon Qi?”
Cao Qingyang said, “Also, I would like to bring my children to the capital to see Silver Gong Xu.”
What he thought, in his heart, was that Xu Qi’an must be present to explain the pros and cons.
Cao Qingyang did not trust this stranger.
…
An hour later, in the study, Cao Qingyang looked on as a brush with soft bristles flowed gracefully across the paper, and a sense of deep satisfaction and happiness welled up within him.
Sun Xuanji put down the brush, shook the sheet, and handed it to Cao Qingyang.
Cao Qingyang took it, concentrated on reading, and his expression grew graver with each line.
The whole sheet of paper simply explained the origins of the Dragon Qi, and Cao Qingyang finally understood why the Dragon Qi had ended up attaching itself to his children.
After Emperor Yuanjing’s death, the spirit of the dragon ley collapsed, scattering across the lands of Jiuzhou, clinging to different hosts.
In addition, this Sun Xuanji made it clear that he could not extract the Dragon Qi, only Xu Qi’an had that ability.
This allowed Cao Qingyang to breathe a sigh of relief. If Xu Qi’an were the one extracting the Dragon Qi, he would feel far more at ease.
But the next section was what made Cao Qingyang’s face grow serious.
Others currently collecting Dragon Qi included the Church of the Warlock God, the Tianjigong, and the Buddhist sect. These factions were striving to interfere in the Central Plains.
Now, it was highly likely their sights had already turned to the Wulin Alliance.
The old ancester is in a terrible state, he still hasn’t awoken, how are we to resist this enemy…? Cao Qingyang was heavy-hearted.
“Alliance Leader Cao, please prepare to meet the enemy.”
Sun Xuanji wrote these words, rose, saluted, a clear light shone at his feet, and he vanished before Cao Qingyang’s eyes.
He was going to find Xu Qi’an.
Sun Xuanji’s given name “Xuanji” is also a word meaning “mysterious machinations” ↩
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