“So you’re Big Bwother’s friend… Hello, Uncle, what is your surname?”
When Little Pea heard he was Big Bwother’s friend, an innocent smile bloomed on his simple face.
“You can call me Uncle Chen.”
Chen Xiao also gave an honest smile. “I’ve long heard Silver Gong Xu has two younger sisters.”
He instinctively patted his pockets, only to find he was in full military uniform and had nothing spare to give to a child.
“Is there something you need?”
Lina placed one hand on her disciple’s head, shaking her head slightly. Children are just children, without guile.
Men who go out of their way to strike up conversation like this are the most dangerous, usually harbouring bad intentions.
She had come to understand this well during her journey from the Southern Marches to the Great Feng.
But for now, she could not work out what purpose this man called Chen Xiao had in getting close to them.
“Where are you two going on this journey?” Chen Xiao asked.
Lina replied loudly, “None of your business.”
Her sudden increase in volume gave Chen Xiao a fright. Anyone watching might have thought he meant some harm. Glancing around, he said helplessly,
“If you need anything, you can come to me. Of course, Sir Xu can handle most troubles himself.”
He could clearly sense the wariness and dislike the Southern Marches girl had towards him. With a warm smile to Little Pea, he turned and headed back into the cabin.
…
“What?”
Hongying’s tone changed, almost shrieking, “Silver Gong Xu really killed two Vajras?”
To be honest, when he’d just heard Miao Youfang claim they killed two Vajra, he thought the other man was boasting.
But directly exposing that would be the act of a fool or a reckless yao, and did not fit his approach to people, so he had chosen to feign curiosity and respect.
He never imagined that it might actually be true.
No one could fabricate such detailed accounts, it was impossible to describe the extraordinary battles between beyond-mortal beings without having witnessed them.
The two female yao covered their mouths.
“Of course, but even Silver Gong Xu was battered and in a sorry state under the combined assault of the Vajra and the Church of the Warlock God’s Master of Rain. Luckily, he had me at his side.”
The roasted bird in Miao Youfang’s hand was nearly cold, but he ignored it, for bragging was far more important:
“It all happened in a flash. I leapt onto my sword, raised the Huntian Divine Mirror, and just gave them a flash of it to stun the enemy. Silver Gong Xu seized the chance, unleashed unrivalled might, and forced the enemy to retreat in defeat…”
Suddenly, the yao girl on the left interjected,
“But you’re a martial artist, how could you fly on a sword?”
Uh… Miao Youfang was immediately tongue-tied, unable to come up with an explanation for a moment. But Hongying promptly scolded the yao girl, unhappy:
“What do you know? With Brother Miao’s skill, naturally he has appropriate magical treasures or flying swords. You’re just a lowly little yao, don’t butt in.”
The yao girl quickly bowed her head, ashamed to have questioned Lord Miao out of ignorance.
He’s too good at this… Miao Youfang hurriedly chimed in, “That’s right, that’s right! Brother Hongying, staying in this backwater land of the Southern Marches is beneath your talents. Why not come north and adventure with me in the Central Plains?”
Protector Hongying went along with him, “Then I shall rely on you, Hero Miao from the Central Plains.”
Hero, Hero from the Central Plains… Miao Youfang was tickled pink, his whole body floating on air. “Brother Hongying, it’s a shame we met so late!”
The two burst out laughing, the atmosphere cordial.
…
Inside the cave.
Yeji took out an incense burner cast in the shape of a fox from bronze, inserted black incense, struck it alight, and gently fanned it as sandalwood incense spiralled into the air.
With a deep inhalation, sandalwood smoke entered her nostrils. In the next instant, a misty, luminous smoke exuded from her left eye.
A powerful will descended.
“Tsk tsk, reunited with your old flame and instead of getting passionate, you call for me, what for?”
The playful, flirtatious voice of the Nine-Tailed Fox sounded. “Yeji” hid a giggle behind her hand:
“Could it be you want me to watch from the side? That won’t do. We’re still a virgin, you know.”
Your tone sure doesn’t sound like a virgin. You sound far too much like a seasoned seductress… Xu Qi’an silently complained in his heart.
Yeji said respectfully,
“Mistress, this servant has learned a tremendous secret from Silver Gong Xu, a matter of great importance. I do not know whether you have already heard of it, so I must contact you abruptly, please do not take offence.”
When she finished, “Yeji” glanced at Xu Qi’an, giving a bewitching smile:
“Classified information? You’ve only cultivated for a year or so, and already found so many secret tips?”
Xu Qi’an said nothing, just glanced at Yeji’s right eye.
Yeji said at once, “The Buddha was sealed by the Confucian Sage over a thousand years ago.”
The light in Yeji’s left eye trembled furiously. After a few seconds, the voice of the Nine-Tailed Fox sounded from her lips, uncommonly serious:
“No, impossible. Five hundred years ago, I witnessed the Buddha strike with my own eyes. I couldn’t be mistaken.”
Xu Qi’an frowned, and said with certainty,
“Zhao Shou, the dean of Cloud Deer Academy, told me personally that the Confucian Sage sealed all the Beyond-ranks then alive, except for the Daoist Venerable, who had already vanished.”
The Confucian Sage sealed all Beyond-ranks except for the Daoist Venerable… Yeji’s heart pounded, unable for the moment to digest this secret.
The two pieces of information contradicted each other.
Xu Qi’an laid out the three guesses he’d just developed.
The Nine-tailed Fox said gravely, “Do you know how one achieves the Buddha Phala?”
Her tone was more serious than ever, bereft of her usual languid flirtatiousness.
Xu Qi’an shook his head.
The Nine-Tailed Fox enunciated each word:
“When the nine Dharma Aspects are united, one attains the Buddha Phala.
“I saw with my own eyes the nine Dharma Aspects made manifest. It had to be the Buddha, there can be no second Buddha in this world. Shenshu took the path of Zen master, Vajra and martial path.
“At most, he wielded only the Vajra Dharma Aspect.”
If that’s the case, then whoever acted back then could not have been another Beyond-rank, nor Shenshu. That rules out my latter two guessesm the person who acted must have been the Buddha… Xu Qi’an sucked in a breath:
“So the Buddha completely broke free from the seal five hundred years ago?”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. If you want to understand everything, just break all of Shenshu’s seals. Each severed limb of Shenshu contains a fragment of his soul, how much memory does the part in the Stupa tower hold?” said the Nine-Tailed Fox.
“You’ve just reminded me…”
Xu Qi’an stroked his chin. “It once let slip a sentence: ‘Buddha, you faithless, treacherous scoundrel!’”
This… Yeji’s heart leapt. She seemed to catch a hint of understanding.
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox within her also fell silent for a long moment.
After a while, the Nine-Tailed Fox said quietly, “It’s clear that Shenshu once made a deal with the Buddha, one known only to them.”
“There are too few clues, we can’t deduce the truth.”
Xu Qi’an concluded, then said, “Lacking leads, there’s nothing more to discuss. Your Highness, giving you this secret is not without price.”
The Nine-Tailed Fox instantly returned to her playful self, controlling Yeji to lick her lips and cast a seductive look:
“Xu Lang, however many times you like tonight, that’s how many it’ll be.”
Looks like I’m not sleeping tonight… Xu Qi’an assumed a solemn air:
“Your Highness, as a Silver Gong, I am a proper man, not so easily swayed by your charms. Let’s settle payment later. The main thing: the Asura King’s youngest son, al-Asura, has returned and is at Nanfa Temple. I’m no match for him on my own.”
Two plus one, equal to a Vajra and an Arhat working together, Xu Qi’an understood his own limits well.
“So, I need you to make good on your promise early, extract two demon-sealing nails, so I’ll have a better chance.”
The Nine-Tailed Fox pondered for a moment. “Just removing the sealing nails is enough to win?”
Xu Qi’an smiled. “I’ll be bringing help.”
“Very well. I’ll have Yeji take you to meet that part of Shenshu’s body.”
The Nine-Tailed Fox agreed readily, then asked, “Anything else?”
Xu Qi’an looked into Yeji’s right eye.
“From now on, Fuxiang… no, Yeji is mine. I won’t forcibly take her away, but I hope you understand this from now on. She’s no longer your slave. You may order her about, but you cannot rule over her.”
The nine-tailed celestial fox smiled and said, “Actually, I wouldn’t object if you took her away. I could even give you Baiji as well.”
As soon as Baiji heard this, she whimpered, “I don’t want to, I don’t want to!”
…Xu Qi’an glanced at the fox cub and thought to himself, am I really that annoying?
“My last request: the Huntian Divine Mirror is still of great use to me, I’d like to keep hold of it for a while longer. No more than three months at most. If I need to extend, I’ll pay you extra or help you with something.”
The Huntian Divine Mirror was crucial to a later plan, so he could not return it to the nine-tailed fox just yet.
“Outrageous!”
The nine-tailed fox pouted. “It’s my Mother’s keepsake, an object I grew up with, holding cherished memories for me. I can’t agree to this.”
Xu Qi’an was unexpectedly firm. “No, I need it. If we can’t agree on this, our cooperation ends here.”
Yeji’s left eye narrowed. She said coolly, “Then end it. We don’t respond to threats.”
The two stared at each other, poker-faced, neither willing to back down.
Yeji was caught in the middle, feeling helpless.
“Even if the Demon-Sealing Nails aren’t removed, I’m still third rank and can do plenty. I’ll just keep hunting arhats, sooner or later, I’ll break the seal. But can you really walk away from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?”
Xu Qi’an, well versed in negotiation, remained utterly uncompromising, pushing his case.
“Chaos is about to come to the Central Plains. The Buddhist Sect will certainly send more troops as reinforcements, this’ll be when Ananda is at its weakest.”
The nine-tailed fox chuckled, “If the seal isn’t lifted, you can’t recover your strength, let alone break into second rank. Your role in the struggle for orthodoxy would be limited. Cooperation brings mutual benefit, without it, we both lose out. Make up your mind.”
The powers of the Huntian Divine Mirror were equally vital to her, there was no way she’d hand it over so readily.
Xu Qi’an smiled. “In that case, why don’t we both take a step back?”
The nine-tailed fox replied coolly, “How?”
“The Huntian Divine Mirror has its own will. It’s not an object. Let it choose for itself,” Xu Qi’an said.
“No problem!”
The nine-tailed fox’s tone was confident.
Xu Qi’an took out the Earth Book fragment on the spot. There was no need to hide his Heaven and Earth Society identity in front of her, not out of trust, but because she already knew.
He tapped the mirror lightly, “clang”, and half the Huntian Divine Mirror rolled out, landing on the table.
“I’m blind! I’m blind! I’m still injured, I can’t work anymore!” the Huntian Divine Mirror immediately cried.
Yeji, no, the nine-tailed fox, was visibly startled, seeming unfamiliar with the mirror but quickly regaining her composure. In a delicate, girlish voice, she said,
“Naughty mirror, it’s been five hundred years, have you missed me?”
Her voice switched from sultry and seductive to clear as a girl’s.
The Huntian Divine Mirror instantly fell silent. On its surface, an eyelidless eye appeared, its pupil turning to look at Yeji.
It showed a hint of surprise and then trembled violently, its voice shrill and excited:
“Princess, Your Highness, is it really you?!”
Back at the City God Temple, when Xu Qi’an handed it to the nine-tailed fox, it had just been sealed by the old monk spirit of the stupa tower, and knew nothing of the outside world.
It only learned about the transaction from Xu Qi’an later.
The nine-tailed fox casually picked up the mirror and snorted,
“In those days, I always asked you: who was the prettiest fox in the world? You always said Mother. Now, let me ask you again: who is the most beautiful fox in the world?”
The Huntian Divine Mirror shouted, “You, you…”
Its voice was choked with emotion. “I’ve finally seen you again. After drifting for five hundred years, I never imagined I’d reunite with Your Highness. Even if I turn to dust now, I’ve no regrets.”
A truly moving reunion between master and servant… Xu Qi’an rolled his eyes.
The nine-tailed fox glanced at him with a lovely smile.
“This fellow hopes you’ll stay with him a while longer, but I’m unwilling, after all, it’s been years since we met, and I really can’t bear to part.”
Xu Qi’an didn’t give her a chance to steer the conversation. He added:
“So we’ve decided to let you choose for yourself whether you want to stay with me a bit longer.”
“Ah, this, this…” The Huntian Divine Mirror’s voice suddenly changed. After fierce inner struggle, it spoke earnestly:
“To see Your Highness again is a blessing for this old servant, a blessing worth dying for.”
“But, I choose to stay with that Xu.”
The smile just emerging on the nine-tailed fox’s face instantly froze.
She stared at the Huntian Divine Mirror, as if needing confirmation. “What did you say?”
“This, this… to see Your Highness again is a blessing for this old servant, a blessing worth dying for,” said the Huntian Divine Mirror.
“But it chooses to stay with me,” Xu Qi’an said with a grin.
The Huntian Divine Mirror responded weakly, “Yes…”
The corner of ‘Yeji’s mouth twitched, her voice plaintive:
“Mirror, you know your princess travelled all the lands of Jiuzhou just to find you, endured so much hardship for your sake… yet now, for the sake of a man you just met, you abandon me?”
“Princess, thank you for thinking of your old servant,” the Huntian Divine Mirror promptly cried out.
“But it chooses to stay with me,” Xu Qi’an repeated, smiling.
“Y-yes…” the Huntian Divine Mirror murmured.
Then it pledged its loyalty immediately: “But worry not, Your Highness, my heart belongs to you! I’m only staying with Xu as a spy.”
“Pa!”
The nine-tailed fox slammed the Huntian Divine Mirror down, veins standing out on her smooth forehead. She glared coldly at Xu Qi’an, and the clear light faded from her left eye.
Yeji regained control of her body, and cautiously said,
“Mistress is angry. In hundreds of years, I’ve never seen her angry.”
Compared to pleasure, loyalty between master and servant is worth little… Xu Qi’an snorted, unsurprised by this outcome.
The Huntian Divine Mirror’s intelligence was incomplete and urgently needed Dragon Qi to restore itself.
This was a creature’s most basic desire.
“Aren’t you going to put me away? Hmph, always causing trouble for me,” the Huntian Divine Mirror blamed Xu Qi’an, flying up as if to slap his face.
Xu Qi’an caught it and said,
“I’ll have something for you to do soon. It may take a while, might be troublesome.”
“Out of the question!” it refused flatly.
“When your intelligence is restored, I’ll ask the Jianzheng to help you recover your missing half,” Xu Qi’an said.
He meant a physical, not a spiritual, restoration, something the Jianzheng, a master crafstman, could surely do.
“Silver Gong Xu, if you need anything, just say the word,” the Huntian Divine Mirror said sincerely.
With business settled for now, Xu Qi’an licked his lips and smiled,
“Time for proper business.”
Having ‘communicated’ many times before, Fuxiang instantly read his meaning, her cheeks flushing.
…
At the border of Yunzhou, sixty thousand armoured troops had gathered.
They formed up in six orderly square formations, each of ten thousand men: each with a thousand heavy cavalry, a thousand musketmen, two thousand light cavalry, five thousand infantry, five hundred artillery, and five hundred repeating crossbows.
Behind the sixty thousand, another thirty thousand militiamen, recruited from among refugees.
While reinforcements from the Great Feng had yet to arrive, the Yunzhou rebels had completed their muster and were preparing to march north against Qingzhou.
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