Beneath the full moon, the first thing Xu Qi’an saw were nine flamboyant, beautiful fox tails, spread out like a fan.
They were snow-white and fluffy, exuding an enchanting, otherworldly beauty.
Only after that did he see their owner, a woman for whom it was hard to find adequate words in a short time.
She had a pair of furry fox ears, and a head of silver hair like frost.
Her features were exquisite and seductive, with the signature enchanting eyes of fox-tribe women.
She wore a thin gauze garment, her chest wrapped in a beast-skin band, not too wide, not too narrow, full and voluptuous, and below that, a fair and firm little belly.
A white fox-fur coat was tied at her waist, hanging behind her like a cloak, but leaving those two snow-white, python-like long legs completely uncovered.
On her right ankle was a foot ring, its brass bell tinkling with every step.
In the deep and vast night sky hung the cold and clear full moon. Her lips wore a gentle smile as she walked gracefully over.
The Yao below, regardless of gender, gazed up at her in a daze.
Xu Qi’an had to admit, the nine-tailed celestial fox was one of the most captivating women he had ever seen.
A beauty who brought disaster, a legendary enchantress.
“Mistress is so beautiful, Mistress is mine, Auntie is mine too!”
Baiji muttered dreamily.
Beast ears, fox tails, enchantress… Not good, the Desire Gu is acting up… Xu Qi’an broke out in a feverish heat, overcome by a powerful urge to mate.
Not even when he first met Mu Nanzhi had he felt such a strong urge.
The next moment, a steel sword pressed against his throat, and its force swept through him. Xu Qi’an trembled, instantly regaining his composure.
“Across all of Jiuzhou, when it comes to allure, none can compete with the nine-tailed celestial fox,” said Luo Yuheng, licking her lips and narrowing her beautiful eyes, blowing gently in his ear as she whispered softly:
“If Xu Lang likes her, I will catch her for you and make her your concubine, to serve you every day. Would you like that?”
Xu Qi’an, who was being held hostage, blinked.
He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and was no longer affected by the allure. Clicking his tongue, he said,
“With such terrifying charm, who could ever bear to attack her? The Sovereign of the Wanyao Nation must have felt the same back then. The monks truly are a bunch of wooden blocks who don’t know how to cherish beauty.
“As for the matter of concubines, forget it, I shall only love the National Teacher in this life.”
He reluctantly shifted his gaze away and turned to look at Luo Yuheng:
“What is the nine-tailed celestial fox’s cultivation like?”
Luo Yuheng studied her for a moment, then shook her head:
“Can’t say. However, the Yao, like martial artists, focus on physical power and combat strength. If your little concubine were first rank, she would have no need to ask you for help.”
At first rank, a martial artist’s lower limit was already very high, cross them and you would be dead in an instant.
As for first ranks of other systems, when facing a first rank martial artist, even though they were powerful, they were still coarse martial artists.
The former, in a normal state, stood undefeatable.
The latter might not win, but could not be defeated either.
In other words, if the nine-tailed celestial fox were a first rank Yao, then the Buddhist sect would need to dispatch two Bodhisattvas to suppress her, and right now, with Vaidurya injured and Agaruka in Yunzhou, only Samantabhadra was available.
Thus, the Yao were sitting pretty and had no need to ask Xu Qi’an for help at all.
“National Teacher, between you and her, who is stronger?”
Xu Qi’an suddenly asked.
In the night breeze, Luo Yuheng tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, “Why ask such a thing?”
Because only a shark could fight a shark… Xu Qi’an mused inwardly.
As they spoke, the nine-tailed celestial fox sashayed forward, swaying gracefully to the chiming of her anklet, arriving atop the cliff.
The veiled blue-skirted woman respectfully stepped aside.
The nine-tailed celestial fox stood at the edge of the cliff, set against the deep night and the full moon like a jade plate. The wind lifted her silver hair, caressing her bewitching fox tails.
She looked down at the gathering of Yao below, spread her arms, and declared loudly:
“People of the Wanyao Nation!
“Five hundred years ago, the Buddhist sect slaughtered our clansmen, destroyed our homeland, driving us from our lands.
“For five hundred years we have wandered, searching for a place to settle. Some hid in forests and mountains, some concealed themselves in human cities, mingling with humans, never daring to reveal their true forms, not even for a moment.
“Some of our kin, in the twenty-seven cities built by the Buddhist sect, have been enslaved generation after generation, suffering humiliation and oppression at the hands of the western regions men.
“For five hundred years we have wandered, for five hundred years we have drifted, but today, we shall reclaim our home, drive Buddhism out, and rebuild the Wanyao Nation!”
The Yao were stirred to fervour, howling in response:
“Reclaim our home!”
“Rebuild the Wanyao Nation!”
Tens of thousands of voices rang out, filled with rage, excitement, and hatred, resounding in unison.
The nine-tailed celestial fox pressed her hands down, and the tsunami of noise ceased instantly.
A queen indeed… Xu Qi’an could not help but marvel; from this small detail alone, one could see that the nine-tailed fox held an extraordinary position among the Yao.
The Yao were not like the human soldiers, drilled in discipline; they were more like martial artists of the jianghu, wild and unruly, the least tolerant of order.
“Today, we have invited a renowned figure of all Jiuzhou, who will join us in resisting the Buddhist sect.”
At this, the Yao began to murmur among themselves.
“Who, who is this great figure Mistress has invited?”
“Must be Zhujiu! In our Yao clan, apart from Her Highness and the King Bear, only Zhujiu has reached beyond-mortal.”
“Sir Zhujiu is supremely powerful; with his help, we would be unstoppable.”
“I don’t think it’s Zhujiu. I heard from a little Yao stationed in the Hundred Thousand Mountains that Silver Gong Xu of the Great Feng was here recently and even helped us recapture a sealed artefact.”
“Is that true?”
Some Yao became excited upon hearing this.
The Yao were scattered far and wide, some had heard a little about Xu Qi’an, some had not at all, but for those living in the Central Plains, they knew exactly what ‘Silver Gong Xu’ meant.
One Yao, with two ram’s horns on his head, said excitedly,
“If we could bring him, it would be wonderful, he’s even stronger than the King Bear!”
“What? Stronger than the King Bear? Have you eaten too much grass, you stupid sheep?”
Other Yao nearby found this hard to believe.
The King Bear had reached beyond-mortal five hundred years ago and was, other than their princess, the strongest among southern Yao.
To ordinary Yao, he was almost like a god.
The goat Yao snorted, “We, the grass-eaters, are wise. You carnivores just have sheep shit in your heads.”
After that retort, he went on,
“I have heard his name many times in the Central Plains, a martial artist who killed a second-rank emperor. Not long ago, the court even issued an announcement claiming Xu Qi’an killed two Vajras in Jianzhou.
“Whether it’s true or not I don’t know, but you can’t deny he’s powerful. Still, I haven’t heard of him having dealings with our Yao, and with the chaos in the Central Plains, why would he travel all the way to the Southern Marches to help us?
“Forget it, there’s no way we could recruit such an ally.”
A Yao who lived in the Southern Marches shook his head,
“As far as I know, Silver Gong Xu was indeed in the Southern Marches just ten days ago.”
The Yao of Wanyao Nation were scattered and their information patchy; those in the Southern Marches knew little of the Central Plains, while those in the Central Plains were just as ignorant of the south.
Of course, the Yao leadership would not make such errors.
Similar discussions took place in various little groups.
The nine-tailed celestial fox lifted her gaze lightly and smiled with entrancing charm:
“Silver Gong Xu, are you not going to show yourself?”
The Yao turned their heads in astonishment, looking up and following the nine-tailed celestial fox’s gaze toward the night sky behind them.
My turn to enter… Xu Qi’an used the Heaven Gu’s ‘Shifting Stars and Swapping Constellations’ ability to make himself ‘exposed’ before the entire audience.
Countless eyes focused upon him.
Xu Qi’an stepped out, walking on air as if on level ground, expressionless, treading above the crowd towards the cliff top.
As he walked, golden lacquer lit up on his brow. After seven steps it covered his whole body, forging him into a body of uncompromising golden Vajra force.
“Hiss!”
A ring of flame burst into being behind his head, blazing fiercely.
“A Buddhist Vajra?!”
The Yao gasped in shock.
“Is it really Xu Qi’an, Silver Gong of the Great Feng?!”
The Yao who knew his background shouted in excitement.
Then, the Yao below watched as the human expert in the sky raised his hand and plucked the fire ring from behind his head.
The blazing ring of light vanished instantly, leaving behind only a radiant golden body.
What is he doing… Amidst the puzzled Yao, Xu Qi’an suddenly flung out his right hand, throwing out the flame in his palm.
“Boom!”
Scorching firelight exploded abruptly, streaming flames spreading out through the air, forming a majestic cloak woven from fire.
He waved the flames into a robe.
The domineering, flamboyant cloak of fire, paired with his golden, diamond-hard body, made Xu Qi’an appear like a deity descended to the mortal realm, awe-inspiring and divine.
The Yao stared blankly, and all that was left in their eyes was this figure shining with golden light, draped in a blazing cloak.
Gold and red became the only colours they could now see.
I’m not showing off, this is just the bearing my current cultivation deserves… Xu Qi’an said silently to himself. At last, he stepped onto the clifftop and stood beside the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox.
Just now, the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox’s entrance had inspired him.
A beyond-mortal powerhouse always appeared with special effects, it would be even better if there was BGM.
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox glanced sidelong at him with a smiling gaze. Even though she said nothing, Xu Qi’an seemed to read three words in her eyes:
You’re so flamboyant~
Xu Qi’an nodded expressionlessly, his gaze lingering for a moment on her beautiful face, then taking in the girl in the blue dress at her side.
Qingji happened to be sneaking a look at him as well. Their gazes met, she offered a polite smile, and looked away.
The moment wasn’t right for pleasantries between Xu Qi’an, Qingji, or the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox, so he turned to face the crowd of Yao below and spoke in a clear voice:
“The Western Regions rely on their own strength, arrogant and domineering. Five hundred years ago, they invaded the territory of the Wanyao Nation, and now they seek to encroach upon the Central Plains. Those who conquer with force will one day be crushed by force.
“I represent the Great Feng court of the Central Plains in forming an alliance with the Wanyao Kingdom. From today forth, we shall retreat and advance together, resisting the Buddhist sect.”
He paused, secretly channelling the power of the Heart Gu, and then raised his voice:
“Brothers of the Yao tribe, can you endure this?”
Suddenly, strong anger and hatred welled up from the hearts of all, and even the most composed Yao burned with an abiding hatred for the Buddhist sect as memories of their homeland’s five hundred years of humiliation resurfaced.
“No!”
The Yao roared, the mood below instantly igniting like an explosion. Every member of the Yao tribe gritted their teeth, veins bulging in fury.
Xu Qi’an shouted, “Then let’s fuck them up!”
The shout below surged heavenwards, shaking the skies. The Yao were roused with passion, their momentum and fighting spirit now even more vigorous than when the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox had delivered her own ‘speech’.
Far away, Baiji, cradled in Luo Yuheng’s arms, raised her right paw and shouted in a child’s voice,
“Fuck them up! Fuck them up…!”
She seemed utterly bewitched.
Amid such an atmosphere, four fox maidens carried two chests to the edge of the great pit, unlocked them with keys, then quickly retreated.
Bang!
The lids flew off, two legs shot out from the left chest, a torso from the right; the parts immediately dove into the deep pit.
At the same time, the Stupa tower flew out from Xu Qi’an’s arms, its first-floor door opening wide as a blackened arm shot out and plunged into the pit.
Before coming to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, Xu Qi’an had a deep discussion with the tower spirit, the old monk, for which Mu Nanzhi was sent up to the second floor.
No one but the two participants knew what was said in that conversation.
However, after it ended, when Mu Nanzhi returned to the third floor of the Stupa tower, she found that the tower spirit, the old monk, had become extremely silent, no longer uttering a single word.
Inside the great pit, tens of thousands of animals rapidly withered, turning to dried corpses.
Blood-red light rose from the pit, clearly visible for several miles, staining half the night sky crimson.
…
Elsewhere, in a hidden mountain cave.
Yeji, clad in a black gauze dress, had just finished her spirited speech, stoking the fighting spirit of the gathered Yao.
Satisfied, she nodded, then turned to look at the giant at her side.
It was a massive Giant Panda, its fur black and white, especially dark around the eyes.
It was ten feet tall. While not extraordinary among the Yao for its bulk, compared to Yeji beside him, it could be called a giant.
“King Bear, do you have anything to say?”
Yeji asked softly.
The Giant Panda, somewhat slow to react, let out a couple of “ahh ahh” sounds, as if only just returning to its senses or perhaps roused from a doze. Gazing at the crowd of Yao, he said slowly:
“The Buddhist sect… is hateful… They have stolen… our land… We, we must take…”
His voice trailed off, eyelids drooping shut.
All the Yao who had been so fired up moments before suddenly felt drowsy, eyelids closing uncontrollably, swaying on their feet as if about to drop off to sleep.
“King Bear, hold on…” Yeji drew a steel needle from her sleeve and stabbed it fiercely into the Giant Panda’s waist.
“Revenge!!”
The Giant Panda shuddered violently and bellowed.
“Revenge! Revenge!!”
The Yao broke free from their drowsiness and echoed loudly, spirits ablaze.
…
Under the moonlight, Wanyao Mountain looked like a giant lying flat, its slopes gentle but stretching for hundreds of miles.
As the heart of the ley lines of the Southern Marches, Wanyao Mountain had been blessed with spiritual energy since ancient times; great Yao were born there, giving rise to powerful clans.
Now, it belonged to the Buddhist sect, over the course of five centuries of migration, the Western Regions people had built a nation here: the Southern Kingdom!
Centred on Southern Kingdom City, it radiated out to twenty-six other cities.
Atop the towering walls of Southern Kingdom City, an armoured sentry chewed on a type of dry fruit, a local stimulant grown in the Southern Marches, and remarked to his companion:
“Are the Yao race really about to rebel?”
The Western Regions had deployed one hundred thousand extra troops to strengthen defences, gathered medicinal herbs, destroyed all mountain paths except the official roads, and rounded up the locals, barricading villages and clearing the area.
His companion, also chewing dry fruit, dismissed it with a snort:
“I’ve no idea where those animals get the nerve. Five hundred years ago, the southern Yao were so powerful, and the Western Regions still wiped them out.
“They’ve been dragging out an ignoble existence for five centuries, and still think they can restore their nation?
“Still, I hear from the officers that the Yao will rebel sooner or later, and once we quash this, they’ll never rise up again.”
The first sentry suddenly laughed:
“An hour and shift’s over. Let’s have some fun, I spotted a few pretty fox girls at the “kennel” in the east of the city, and they’re cheap.”
The other sentries nearby burst out laughing.
“And we’ll have some Golden Spear pills too,”[^1] his companions joked.
That guard spat out the fruit residue and cursed:
“When have I ever not wrecked a Yao girl in bed…”
Suddenly his eyes glazed over, and he raised a trembling right hand, pointing to the sky:
“What- what’s that?!”
Far off on the horizon, a vast “cloud” surged towards them.
[^1] TCM Pills for restoring male vitality
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