“Traitors of the sect are usually interrogated by the tower master and the elders, with punishment being determined based on the seriousness of the transgression. However, since Liu Hongmian participated in the attack on headquarters, this must be discussed jointly between headquarters and Wanhua Tower.”
Xiao Yuenu’s voice was soft and charming, her enunciation clear and precise, without any Jianzhou accent.
In this era, anyone who could speak the official dialect so flawlessly was either a top scholar or had consciously practised it.
After listening, Xu Qi’an went straight to the point, “You want to spare her life.”
Before Xiao Yuenu could respond, Liu Hongmian burst out laughing, her eyes and expression brimming with mockery:
“Xiao Yuenu, stop putting on an act.
“For more than ten years, your hypocrisy and affectation haven’t changed one bit.
“Back then, you did it for Master to see, now you do it for outsiders and disciples. Only I know what kind of person you are.
“Xu Qi’an, if you want to kill me, then do it. This old lady would rather die than accept her kindness.”
There’s a story here… Xu Qi’an loved watching pretty women fighting, those in his own pond aside, and he said:
“So you refuse to accept Tower Master Xiao’s goodwill?”
Li Lingsu was thinking exactly the same thing, and replied with a cheerful smile:
“Even an ant clings to life, Miss Liu, please consider.”
They were really just fishing for gossip, wanting to dig out the enmity and drama between the two beauties of Wanhua Tower.
Liu Hongmian snorted disdainfully and sneered:
“She knows perfectly well that I hate her to the bone, yet insists on stepping out at this moment to play the good person, to save my life, don’t you see her intentions?
“She’s making a show of virtue.”
Xiao Yuenu slightly shook her head and said coolly:
“Liu Hongmian, don’t keep making mistakes. If you’re truly repentant, I can speak for our Master and allow you to return to Wanhua Tower.”
“Return to Wanhua Tower?”
Liu Hongmian laughed as if she had just heard the world’s greatest joke, letting out a string of giggles:
“Fine, if you return the position of tower master to me, I’ll come back to Wanhua Tower and let bygones be bygones with you.”
Xiao Yuenu remained silent.
Liu Hongmian glared at her for a good dozen seconds, then mocked:
“See, this is your hypocrisy and affectation. Back then, to seize the tower master’s position, you colluded with men from outside, accused me of being shameless and sleeping with men. Master believed you, and took away my qualification to compete for tower master. I left Wanhua Tower in a fit of anger.
“Xiao Yuenu, you’re a despicable woman who’ll stop at nothing to get what you want, who are you putting on an act for? Others may not know your true face, but don’t I? Who are you pretending for?”
Her beautiful eyes swept over to Xu Qi’an, and she suddenly said as if she’d seen the light:
“Oh, I see, my value lies in helping you score points with Silver Gong Xu. You’ve managed Wanhua Tower for years without marrying, your standards must be sky high. Only Silver Gong Xu, I suppose, could catch your eye.
“Tsk tsk, land such a rich golden husband and success will be within reach. This tiny Jianzhou can no longer contain such a living bodhisattva as you.”
Ah, don’t say it, I was actually a little hopeful… Xu Qi’an mocked himself inwardly.
Mu Nanzhi and Li Miaozhen both gave Xiao Yuenu a fleeting look.
Li Lingsu piped in enthusiastically:
“Whether you slept with a man or not isn’t up to Tower Master Xiao alone, didn’t your Master examine you?”
Liu Hongmian sneered:
“That’s her cunning, who says sleeping with a man must mean losing one’s virginity? She forged love letters in my handwriting, making me out through their contents to be a whore willing to sleep around, a foolish and wanton woman.
“And naturally the so-called lover was no upright man, in fact, if I remember right, he was a notorious lecher.
“When news spread, with all our sectmates being women, how do you think they would see me? Would they still support me? How about outsiders, hearing that Wanhua Tower’s future master was a wanton woman who would lay with anyone, what would become of the sect’s reputation?
“How laughable, in my youth and naivety I even thought to compete fairly with you, to win by my own merits.”
Everyone turned in unison to Xiao Yuenu, waiting to see how she would explain herself.
But Xiao Yuenu’s response took everyone by surprise.
“That’s right, what happened back then was indeed my doing. You didn’t sleep with any man outside, I threw mud on your name, falsely accused you, made Master worried for the sect’s reputation, and took away your right to compete for tower master.”
Liu Hongmian looked slightly dumbfounded, as if she hadn’t expected her to confess so openly.
Xiao Yuenu said calmly:
“Do you remember what Master said to us back then?
“‘The position of tower master concerns the sect’s inheritance and future prosperity, each of you must rely on your own abilities.’”
Liu Hongmian took a deep breath, driving away her dazed expression, and retorted:
“And that’s your excuse for using such underhanded means?”
Xiao Yuenu’s gaze remained steady, and she spoke slowly:
“Everything I did was within the rules.
“The position of tower master determines the sect’s prosperity and future inheritance. That was Master reminding us that if you lack the necessary means, you have no right to be tower master.
“‘Each on her own abilities’ meant there were no rules, no bottom line, as long as you can win.”
Professional… Xu Qi’an was shocked.
Liu Hongmian erupted in rage and screamed:
“That’s not true, Master always taught us that as a sect of women, if Wanhua Tower is not to be bullied, we must be ruthless and decisive outwardly, but united and loving within.
“Don’t twist black into white to excuse your own treachery.”
Xiao Yuenu had remained composed all along. She looked at Liu Hongmian and said:
“Do you think Master didn’t see through my clumsy framing? She gave you a chance, but what did you do?
“You wept, threw tantrums, threatened suicide, and your explanations were weak. You could have fought back, or hit me with even dirtier tricks. But you did nothing except make a scene.
“That was when Master truly gave up on you and decided you were unfit to lead Wanhua Tower. Foolishness wasn’t your fault, but you mustn’t destroy the legacy of our ancestors, nor drag down your sisters.
“I had planned to tell you all this after I succeeded as tower master, but you left Wanhua Tower in fury. It was only today that we, as sisters, met again.”
Liu Hongmian stood there in a daze, shocked speechless.
Clearly, inwardly, she acknowledged Xiao Yuenu’s words. Or rather, she had been convinced.
Xiao Yuenu no longer looked at her, but turned to Xu Qi’an, speaking gently:
“I will have her imprisoned in the Wulin Alliance, so Silver Gong Xu need not worry about any future trouble.”
“Very well, take her away,” Xu Qi’an nodded.
Some women, though they looked like seductive temptresses, were actually just innocent fools at heart.
Some women, though they appeared reserved and dignified, were actually elite players in the tea arts.
Brilliantly done! he thought to himself.
Watching Xiao Yuenu seal Liu Hongmian’s dantian and lead her away, Li Lingsu withdrew his gaze and sighed:
“As I thought, I still prefer girls who are a little more innocent.”
This time, Xu Qi’an didn’t mock him, truly feeling the same.
A little more innocent… Chu Yuanzhen, Hengyuan, and Li Miaozhen all thought of Lina and Chu Caiwei.
But those two girls hadn’t even started to understand love, not even Xu Ningyan could win them over, let alone the Holy Son.
Xu Qi’an suddenly stood and said:
“I’m going out for a bit.”
…
He left the military town and flew south for seven or eight minutes. He saw, standing imposingly atop a black rock, a little white fox the size of a pair of palms, bristling with fur.
Its bearing was like a cute pet imitating a lion’s majestic stance in the mountains.
Yet Xu Qi’an sensed from its body a restrained, formidable will.
“Your Highness?”
He stopped a short distance away, maintaining a respectful distance.
Baiji spoke in a melodious, magnetic voice,
“I heard from Baiji about the battle in Jianzhou. Two Vajra killed in one battle. Tsk tsk, the Buddhist Sect must be hopping mad this time.”
Her lazy tone was tinged with contentment and cheer, making it easy to imagine she was in a fine mood.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Your Highness?”
Xu Qi’an asked.
Her will had not dissipated, and waiting here, it was clear she had something to discuss.
“There is indeed something.” The nine-tailed celestial fox let out a light laugh.
“Do you remember your old lover, Fuxiang? Mm, her real name is Yeji.”
…Xu Qi’an had not expected her to suddenly mention Fuxiang, and replied irritably, “Your Highness is here to paint me another pie in the sky?”
The nine-tailed celestial fox laughed coquettishly.
“Do you not want to know how Yeji is doing now?
“It is said one night as husband and wife begets a hundred days of grace. You slept with her so many times without even spending a tael of silver, so your love must be as solid as gold.”
And you still have the cheek to say that!!!
I’m a Nightwatcher of the Great Feng, not a corpse herder for the dead… Xu Qi’an cursed inwardly, but said calmly,
“Your Highness, please speak directly.”
The nine-tailed celestial fox did not tease further, saying,
“After she returned to report to me, I sent her to the old lands of the Wanyao Kingdom in the Southern Marches to tend to a certain matter. Now, by my reckoning, everything is ready, and all that’s missing is a helpful breeze.
“And incidentally, the matter has something to do with you.”
Not waiting for Xu Qi’an to ask, she said bluntly,
“To unseal the severed limb of Shenshu.”
The severed limb of Shenshu… Xu Qi’an stroked his chin. “Some of Shenshu’s remains are sealed in the old lands of the Wanyao Kingdom? Your Highness wants me to act as your muscle?”
The nine-tailed celestial fox did not answer directly, and explained slowly,
“The reason Shenshu was torn apart and sealed was that his body was too powerful, no seal in the world could hold him. Hence, he had to be dismembered.
“And even so, sealing his flesh required special methods. One way was to use a ‘sealing-type’ magic treasure as the cornerstone, together with a powerful formation.
“Another way is to use fortune for the sealing. The former is the Stupa tower, the latter is Sangpo Lake.”
Xu Qi’an nodded slowly.
Five hundred years ago, the Buddhist Sect assisted Emperor Wuzong’s rebellion, not only to spread their faith through the central plains, but also on condition of helping to seal Shenshu’s severed arm.
In essence, the Buddhist Sect was using the Great Feng’s fortune to seal Shenshu.
“The hundred thousand mountains of the Southern Marches, full of life, is the ancestral land of our branch of the Yao race, and naturally accumulates fortune. Some of Shenshu’s body is sealed there.
“The Southern Marches used to be Vaidurya Bodhisattva’s domain. After the Jianzheng wounded her, the region has been left devoid of beyond-mortal powers for a time. Now that Vajra Du’nan and Vajra Dufan have perished in Jianzhou…
“I want to seize this once-in-an-era opportunity to reclaim the severed limb of Shenshu.
“The reason I ask for your help is, firstly, because I am overseas, and projecting an avatar here only allows limited strength. Secondly, apart from me, there is but one beyond-mortal in the Wanyao Kingdom, and he has been sulking of late and won’t heed my orders.”
So aside from the nine-tailed celestial fox, the Wanyao Kingdom does have a beyond-mortal expert after all. I thought so, how could the one nine-tailed fox alone have rebelled against the Buddhist Sect and revived their kingdom… Xu Qi’an was unsurprised.
“Sulking?”
“And thirdly, I want to test whether the Buddhist Sect has any hidden experts.”
The nine-tailed celestial fox ignored his query, continuing at her own pace.
“An Arhat’s phala within the Buddhist Sect is set for life, if he wants to advance and become a Bodhisattva, he must reincarnate and cultivate anew. Throughout history, there have been quite a few Arhats who underwent nirvana and were reborn, no telling if one has already returned to his place.
“With the stormy undercurrents in the Central Plains now, the odds of an Arhat’s timely emergence are very high.”
Xu Qi’an said, “And what’s in it for me?”
The nine-tailed celestial fox smiled,
“Shenshu’s remains mean the secret to breaking the demon-sealing nails, and together with the two I promised you before… If you’re still unmoved, then remember, Yeji is awaiting your grace.”
Xu Qi’an replied gravely, “I’m in, but not for any fleeting grace, mostly I just want to know if Fuxiang is alright.”
After a pause, he probed,
“Your Highness, have you found any fellow foxes overseas?”
The nine-tailed celestial fox shook her head: “Looking for a needle in the ocean, easier said than done. Soon, I shall return to the mainland.”
Remember to get your PCR test done… Xu Qi’an grumbled inwardly.
…
Yunzhou.
In the observatory atop the mountain, the motionless Xu Pingfeng opened his eyes.
“The affair at Jianzhou is settled, Vajra Du’nan and Vajra Dufan are dead,” he said.
On the watchtower, Vaidurya Bodhisattva remained motionless for a long while.
After some time, Vaidurya Bodhisattva spoke slowly,
“If not now, then when?”
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