After Xu Pingfeng finished speaking, he glanced at Vaidurya Bodhisattva, who remained motionless and composed as a mountain, and remarked with a smile,
“You don’t seem very curious. Could it be that your Buddhist sect already knew?”
Vaidurya replied indifferently,
“We have long since let go of all worldly concerns.”
Xu Pingfeng neither agreed nor disagreed, calmly brewed his tea, but then suddenly began coughing violently. Blood seeped through his fingers, and, in a hoarse voice, he said,
“Fortunately, half the national fortune is no longer with the Great Feng, otherwise the killing formation set up by my teacher yesterday would likely have refined the two of us.
“To think that the First Generation failed to injure you. That’s only because your Buddhist sect relied on numbers to overwhelm the few.”
Vaidurya Bodhisattva neither showed joy nor anger and said,
“How much longer do you plan to fool around in Qingzhou?”
Xu Pingfeng used a white handkerchief to wipe the blood from his palm and smiled,
“A skilled angler is first skilled at baiting their fish. If even Qi Guangbo can endure, why shouldn’t I?”
…
Southern Marches.
Late at night, torrential rain!
“I’ll give you one last chance, let me kill her, or…” The peerlessly beautiful woman, with flaming red lips, slowly spat out,
“I’ll kill you!”
A fierce wind howled, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, and thick black clouds hung overhead as though ink had been spilled across the sky.
Xu Qi’an knelt on one knee, struggling to look up. Rainwater washed the blood from his body, and his hair clung to his face.
A rusty iron sword was pressed to his throat. The blade’s cold glint matched the icy expression of the woman before him.
He raised his handsome face and forced a bitter smile,
“Then you’d best just kill me…”
A sharp gleam flashed in the eyes of the peerlessly beautiful woman.
The next moment, Xu Qi’an’s mind went blank.
…
Xu Qi’an suddenly shot upright from the bed, gasping for air. It was as if he’d just woken from a night’s sleep, and yet as though he’d experienced a lifetime, finally roused from a muddled dream and returned to the world.
Next, he reached for his throat with his left hand, and his right hand touched his brow.
“Don’t worry, Xu Lang, how could I possibly bear to kill you? I just used my sword energy to scatter your primordial spirit.”
A soft laugh came from the window.
The candlelight was as tiny as a bean, and by the window stood a tall figure draped in feathered robes. Seeing that he had woken, she turned gracefully and smiled coquettishly.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, but within that beauty lurked a hint of danger. As she smiled, Xu Qi’an seemed to witness the birth of a peerless femme fatale.
My head hurts… Xu Qi’an steadied himself, like a man hungover who gradually remembered last night’s events.
He had been subjected to domestic violence.
Yesterday’s Luo Yuheng was under the influence of her “desire” persona, pestering him for a non-stop dual cultivation session lasting twenty-four hours, utterly insatiable.
It took until midnight before the “desire” persona finally left. Although Xu Qi’an hadn’t been as wretched as last time, he still felt quite fatigued.
Who’d have thought, the next persona would be “evil”.
It was the “evil” persona that he hadn’t encountered during their previous coupling.
When the “evil” persona appeared, her first words were: “I loathe Mu Nanzhi, I want to kill her.”
She demanded that Xu Qi’an take out the Stupa tower and release Mu Nanzhi.
Xu Qi’an, of course, refused, hoping to use his wit to amuse Luo Yuheng and dispel her idea.
Unexpectedly, the malice persona immediately grew hostile, tossed her hair and declared her love for no one; a fierce conflict broke out between them.
The two had a fight on the border of Bo Mountain.
I really couldn’t defeat her. Although I hadn’t given my all or used all my trump cards, and she’d drained me beforehand, the gap between me and Luo Yuheng is undeniable…
No wonder she’s half a step to becoming a first rank sword cultivator…
Xu Qi’an muttered silently.
“What do you want?” he asked, warily watching the beauty at the window.
“I only wish to keep you by my side, just the two of us, all of our lives together.”
Luo Yuheng blinked her beautiful eyes, a playful smile on her lips.
She walked gracefully to the table and sat down, propping her chin up. The candlelight illuminated her face, making it seem the finest and most flawless jade in the world.
“But you keep Mu Nanzhi by your side, which really troubles me.” Luo Yuheng sighed.
Are you possessed by the Nine-Tailed Fox… Xu Qi’an’s brows knitted tightly; this sort little aunt unsettled him.
“And your infamous reputation, the thought that you’re a lecher, always visiting the Jiaofangsi, really distresses me.”
Before Xu Qi’an could respond, his little aunt smiled sweetly,
“But that’s all in the past, I don’t mind. While you were asleep, I used my sword to cut off your manhood. I’ve helped you say goodbye to your past; now you’re clean and pure.
“Would you like to see it?”
Xu Qi’an felt a chill between his legs and stared at her, dumbfounded.
For a moment, the two stared at each other in silence. Suddenly, Luo Yuheng burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking, her full chest heaving.
“I was only teasing you…”
She collapsed onto the table, still laughing.
I take back what I said earlier, not even the Nine-Tailed Fox is as wicked as you… Xu Qi’an felt no relief at all since he couldn’t tell which of Luo Yuheng’s words were true.
The fortunate thing was, Luo Yuheng’s “evil” persona was still manageable and hadn’t become truly heartless.
The initial fight was more a way of announcing her arrival, or perhaps just a wicked prank.
Her malice is the restrained kind, not blatant, as though she doesn’t wear wickedness on her face. Besides, the seven personas all stem from Luo Yuheng’s own nature.
If Luo Yuheng is fundamentally kind, then her malice can be predicted. She might be quite bad, but she wouldn’t become a murderous demon. I’ll have to keep observing.
Lost in thought, Xu Qi’an heard Luo Yuheng stretch and say,
“You worked me so hard yesterday, my body is about to fall apart. I need a good rest.”
It was you who worked me hard, your legs were wrapped round my waist and I couldn’t pry you off… he grumbled inwardly as he got up and vacated the bed.
Luo Yuheng did not move, pouted, and grinned,
“This bed is covered in your filth. Change the sheets.”
… Thus, Xu Qi’an changed the sheets and covers, which were soiled with his “countless descendants”, for new ones.
Luo Yuheng flopped onto the bed, lying prone, and gently lifted her feather robe, letting the hem slide over her shapely calves to the curve of her thighs, then stopped.
She turned her head, revealing a devastatingly seductive smile.
“Would you like to dual cultivate?”
“I think a proper rest will be rather better for restoring my vital energy.”
Xu Qi’an politely refused her.
If in her normal state, Luo Yuheng was someone he could not control, but still dared to tease with a cheeky smile, then the current Luo Yuheng before him was someone he neither dared to tease nor had any hope of controlling.
To be cautious, he decided to observe more and spend some time understanding the behaviour and style of the “Evil” personality.
Luo Yuheng pursed her lips in disappointment, turned her head and gently blew out the candle.
She slid under the quilt, rolled over, and nestled against the inside of the bed.
Xu Qi’an lay back down, resting his hands behind his head, and stared blankly at the ceiling in the pitch-black room.
It was now half past three, and the Desire personality had just left at midnight. According to previous experience, she should have slept before the next personality shift at dawn.
But as soon as the Desire personality left, the Evil personality jumped out.
Does this mean that the Evil personality was the strongest among the seven?
As these thoughts ran through his mind, his focus shifted to the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
Just one aspect of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is likely at least second rank… Arhat Du’e is also second rank, and then there’s al-Asura… It really won’t be easy to take back the Hundred Thousand Mountains…
Well, the Nine-tailed Fox should be able to handle the aspect of the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. If she didn’t have that strength, she wouldn’t even be thinking about restoring her country.
The Yao clan has another beyond-mortal, who seems to be a lazy bear, but he’s only third rank. Am I getting ahead of myself…?
If it stays like this, it’ll be very difficult for us to regain the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Even though the Sevenfold Gu has progressed greatly, I’m still quite unlikely to defeat al-Asura.
Therefore, the main force against the Buddhist sect this time is Shenshu. Sigh, to put it plainly, it’s the Asura King taking his little daughter along to fight the younger son born of his ex-wife.”
After silently making this joke, Xu Qi’an turned his thoughts to what he himself could gain from this battle.
I should try to capture Du’e and have him help me remove the last Demon-Sealing Nail. Then I can dual cultivate with the princess consort and advance to second rank…
Also, I might finally get to see the true form of the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox. I wonder who is more beautiful, her or Auntie.
As for Mu Nanzhi, Xu Qi’an left her out of his calculations.
Beauty was the Flower God’s greatest weapon, and her allure was unmatched, so much so that Xu Qi’an dared not let her reveal her true form even now.
One reason was that he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to control himself; the other was that he feared trouble.
If the Flower God’s reincarnation went out without a disguise, it was easy to imagine the kind of trouble she would stir up.
Even if she was capable of facing any challenge, there was no need to deliberately land herself in constant trouble.
At this point, Luo Yuheng, swaddled in her quilt, silently snuggled over and licked his earlobe without a word.
“National Teacher, what are you doing?”
Xu Qi’an asked with a stern face.
“Teasing you, of course.”
In the darkness, Luo Yuheng’s eyes were bright, like stars in the night sky.
Stop fooling around… The corner of his mouth twitched as an idea struck him, and he said,
“National Teacher, I’m leaving for the Hundred Thousand Mountains tomorrow to help the Yao reclaim their homeland. How much fighting power do you have left?”
Luo Yuheng giggled and said,
“Beg me for it, and I’ll tell you.”
She rolled over, straddled Xu Qi’an’s stomach, braced her hands on his firm chest, and laughed,
“No, I’ve got your child in my belly now, I can’t fight anymore.”
As she spoke, she gently rubbed her flat belly, full of affection.
Even if I poured an entire bellyful into you yesterday, it wouldn’t be this fast… Xu Qi’an didn’t want to argue with this wicked woman.
Luo Yuheng didn’t mind in the slightest and laughed coquettishly,
“The monks of the Buddhist sect do have some skills. There’s one thing I’ve never quite understood.”
Xu Qi’an kept silent and watched her.
Luo Yuheng continued,
“Xu Lang, who do you think is stronger, you or me?”
“You are!”
Xu Qi’an had to admit it.
To be honest, because Luo Yuheng had to quell her karmic fire and prepare for her tribulation, she seldom fought anymore. She was often blushing, frowning, and biting her lip in front of him, which made him gradually forget that she was the dignified Daoist Leader of the Human Sect, a second-rank sword cultivator.
A whole rank and a half above him.
It wasn’t until their fight this evening that he suddenly realised this again.
Luo Yuheng asked again,
“Then what if you add Sun Xuanji? Could you two beat me together?”
Xu Qi’an considered his trump cards and means, thought for a long time, and said,
“Although I’ve never fought you, I can’t say for certain.”
Luo Yuheng’s red lips curled slightly. She asked softly,
“Then how did you and Sun Xuanji defeat al-Asura?”
Xu Qi’an was stunned.
Auntie laughed softly, her smile wicked and enchanting, then lowered her head to bite his lips, sucking a few times before saying with a smile,
“Second-rank Arhat, with the famous executioner Phala, renowned for his killing techniques; third-rank Vajra divine skills; and the strength that comes with the title of the greatest warrior of the Asura clan.
“How did you manage to restrain him all on your own? Your Demon-Sealing Nails haven’t even been fully removed. At best, you’re just approaching third-rank completion. Relying on the Stupa tower and the Sevenfold Gu, which hasn’t reached beyond-mortal, how could you have kept him tied down for so long?”
This… Xu Qi’an’s pupils contracted.
He now realised something was wrong.
Exactly. Back then, at third rank, with the help of the Sage’s carving knife, the Sovereign Sword, and Shenshu’s remnant limb, I barely managed to kill the second-rank Zhende after a desperate struggle.
And al-Asura is definitely stronger than Zhende.
Luo Yuheng sighed and said,
“You’ve never fought with a Buddhist beyond-mortal before, so it’s not surprising you missed the issue. This time, when you join forces with the Yao to attack the Hundred Thousand Mountains, you must be extraordinarily careful.
“Perhaps this is a trap set by the Buddhist sect? Deliberately giving up part of Shenshu’s remnant body, letting the Yao see hope for restoration.
“How much fortune do you think the Yao will have left if this attempt at restoration fails?”
Xu Qi’an fixed his gaze on her,
“The National Teacher fought me this time on purpose…”
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