Southern City.
At dawn, Xu Qi’an lay on a soft, comfortable bed, covered by a light robe made of southern silk.
Yeji lay on her side, snuggled up close to him, exuding the lazy, delicate charm of a maid being lifted up by her master.
“After living in the capital for many years, I had grown used to everything about the human race. When I returned to the Southern Marches, I felt that the life of the Yao in the past was crude and lacking refinement,” Yeji sighed, then said, “I thought Mistress would have burnt Southern City to the ground and rebuilt the Wanyao Kingdom.”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox had preserved all twenty-seven cities built by the Western Regions people, using them as strongholds for the Wanyao Kingdom.
Such a decision truly required great boldness, for not all Yao could take human form, nor did all Yao like living in human towns.
Roaming the mountains and forests, living freely in nature, was the ideal life for many of the Yao.
Thus, while retaining the twenty-seven cities, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox also divided up areas across the Southern Marches for the different Yao clans to inhabit.
To ensure ample military strength that could be rapidly mobilised and coordinated, these zones were close to the twenty-seven cities.
However, at present, most of the Yao lived within the cities. Firstly, because the war had only just stabilised; secondly, because a large number of Yao soldiers were needed to keep the Western Regions folk in check.
“Your mistress is a very rational woman, no, Yao. Preserving the cities and copying the human system would benefit the Yao much more,” Xu Qi’an said with a smile.
Beneath the light robe, her soft, delicate body pressed tightly against his. As she seduced him without a care for her own safety, Yeji sighed,
“What Mistress is worried about is that the Western kingdoms will not want prisoners, so whether these Western Regions folk are to be killed or spared becomes a problem.”
Back then, the Western Regions folk had come to the Southern Marches for their ‘Great Reclamation’, migrating tens of thousands of their people, building cities in the Southern Marches and enjoying the herbs, timber, and mountain treasures of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
Five hundred years later, the population of the twenty-seven cities and surrounding villages had reached over a million.
Some of these people died in the war, some fled back to the West, while most had become prisoners.
For the Western kingdoms, accommodating so many people was a challenge, not just feeding them, but also housing, farming land and so on.
It was very questionable whether they would be willing to accept this burden.
“She’s someone who considers ten steps for every step she takes. There’s no way she hasn’t got a plan,” Xu Qi’an replied with a smile.
Yeji put on the airs of a dainty girl, flattering him,
“Your wisdom is no less than Mistress’s.”
I’m still happiest with Fuxiang! She knows how to please me, unlike the national teacher, who only knows how to drain me… Xu Qi’an sighed.
It wasn’t just the National Teacher; Mu Nanzhi, Lin’an, Li Miaozhen, Huaiqing and the rest, these women were all wonders of their era. Some were both beautiful and vicious, some were pampered and delicate, some were even more chivalrous than he was, and some were genius scholars who made him feel inferior.
He thought back to when he first arrived in this world, dreaming of a boring life with three wives and four concubines, and felt a whole mix of emotions.
Even having reached the beyond-mortal realm, the life of a true lord still felt distant.
That was why ideals were so precious, because they always seemed just out of reach.
Seeing that she had pleased her lover, Yeji smiled enticingly and continued,
“Mistress said that reclaiming Wanyao Mountain is only the first step. The Yao would later have to station troops along the border to help the Central Plains contain the Buddhist Sect. Just as well, these Western Regions folk could be used as militia, making the most of everything.
“We can’t just feed them for nothing. Besides, the Yao live freely, not as fussily as the humans, and don’t need slaves. Only noble families among the humans consider themselves superior, value etiquette, enslave servants, and show off their status.”
After retaking the Hundred Thousand Mountains, if the Yao were to stop there, then the Buddhist Sect could send troops to assist the Yunzhou rebels.
So the struggle between the Yao and the Buddhists was not yet over; reclaiming the Southern Marches was just the first step. Next, they would have to mass troops at the border, presenting a posture of being ready to invade the West at any moment.
Only then could the Western kingdoms be kept on alert, not daring to send troops to the Central Plains on a large scale.
That was the real counter.
Xu Qi’an nodded, “A sound plan.”
He gazed at the bed canopy above his head, thought for a moment, then sent a message via voice transmission,
“You, Baiji and Qingji, what is your connection to your Mistress? You sisters can’t be ordinary foxes.”
This… Yeji hesitated for a moment, then replied through voice transmission,
“I knew you’d find out sooner or later.
“There are nine of us sisters altogether. Baiji is the youngest. We are indeed not ordinary foxes, but even nobler. We are split souls of Mistress.”
Xu Qi’an was taken aback, “Split souls?”
A human had three souls: Heaven, Earth and Human. If he understood correctly, a split soul was one of those three.
Yeji explained,
“The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox is born with twelve souls. Aside from the three main souls, each tail possesses a soul of its own. Upon reaching adulthood, the nine split souls separate from her body along with the tails and become nine handmaidens.
“That’s why every former monarch of the Wanyao Kingdom had at least nine close elders, who were, in fact, her nine tails.
“The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox’s tails have a great wondrous use, they can be fashioned into physical bodies. So for us sisters, as long as the souls are not destroyed, our bodies can be replaced and reshaped at any time.”
Ah… so before I was driving corpses, now I am copulating with tails… Xu Qi’an’s expression grew complicated.
“What other innate divine abilities does she have?” He seized the chance to probe the depths of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
Truth be told, Yeji did struggle inwardly, for this was her Mistress’s secret. But a woman’s mental defences were at their weakest on the bed, and soon, she swayed and divulged the Nine-Tailed Fox’s innate divine abilities to Xu Qi’an.
The nine split souls were one such ability, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox had three others:
Soul Capture, Swiftness… and the last is unknown, only accessible upon reaching first rank.
By this reckoning, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox has four innate divine abilities. No wonder she’s blessed with innate spirit and is a one-of-a-kind Yao Monarch… Xu Qi’an’s thoughts drifted. He recalled the day the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox used her bewitching song to disrupt the chanting of Arhat Du’e.
That must have been Soul Capture.
He then asked:
“No wonder Baiji’s innate ability is speed. What about yours?”
Yeji said with a smile,
“Xu Lang, since our reunion in the Southern Marches, have you not felt yourself more and more enchanted by me, more and more reluctant to leave?”
Ah, so it’s charm from Soul Capture. I really didn’t notice, probably because of Mu Nanzhi. After being with her for so long, ordinary charm has no effect on me any more…
Xu Qi’an rolled over, propped himself on either side of Yeji’s waist, looked down at her, played along and put on an infatuated expression,
“So that’s why! No wonder this Silver Gong has thought of Fuxiang day and night.”
Yeji was thoroughly delighted, her face full of joy.
After a little while, the canopy began to sway rhythmically.
…
Mu Nanzhi strolled across the square of Nanfa Temple, holding Baiji in her arms.
The place was in total disarray, the main hall had collapsed, Buddhist statues had toppled, and the flagstone-paved square was riddled with cracks and potholes.
Everywhere, Yao soldiers holding weapons could be seen ordering the Western Regions folk to repair the potholes in the square and rebuild the fallen buildings. The sound of shouting and whips filled the air.
Mu Nanzhi knew that the restoration of Nanfa Temple had been ordered by the nine-tailed fox. According to Baiji, it was done to make the Yao race remember their humiliation and cultivate diligently.
“Elder Baiji.”
“Greetings, Elder Baiji.”
The Yao soldiers encountered on the way greeted Baiji, who was nestled in Mu Nanzhi’s arms, with great respect.
Baiji replied very politely, her childish voice uttering “Mm-mm” and “Ah-ah” in response to their greetings.
“You little thing, you’re already an elder. Does that mean this old lady is a Yao Monarch?” Mu Nanzhi laughed, rubbing Baiji’s head.
She gazed around with great interest at the Yao soldiers nearby. Some were in beast form, some had human bodies but retained some animal features, such as horns, eagle talons, scales, and so on.
As the reincarnation of the Flower God, she found this all rather interesting.
Initially, she had been quite afraid of the Yao, because she had traumatic memories from the time she was chased while heading north years ago.
But later, she realised that male Yao didn’t even look her in the eye.
Mu Nanzhi couldn’t figure out for a while whether it was because her looks were too ordinary, or whether the Yao had a fundamentally different concept of beauty from humans.
Suddenly, Baiji whispered, “I might have to stay in the Southern Marches.
“Mistress had me follow Silver Gong Xu to supervise whether he was properly unsealing Shenshu’s remains, but now Mistress has restored her nation, Shenshu’s remains are complete, and the last right hand is inside him.
“I have no reason to follow him anymore.”
The gentle smile on Mu Nanzhi’s lips gradually faded.
Baiji looked up and said, “Auntie, are you unhappy?”
Mu Nanzhi sighed, “I was willing to travel the land with him, thinking that even if we roamed the four seas with no fixed home, at least I’d have a companion so the journey wouldn’t feel too lonely. But in these two months, I’ve spent about half the time inside the Stupa tower.
“Thankfully I had you for company, so it wasn’t that lonely. If you stay in the Southern Marches, how lonely will I be?”
A flicker of loneliness passed through her eyes and her expression was tinged with loss.
Just then, a clear, crisp voice rang out behind her.
“Baiji!”
Holding the little fox, Mu Nanzhi turned and saw a tall woman veiled in gauze, her skirt billowing as she walked over.
“Sister Qingji!”
Baiji cried out sweetly.
Qingji beckoned, and Baiji leapt from Mu Nanzhi’s arms, flying over to the sister she hadn’t seen in so long.
Mu Nanzhi frowned slightly, reluctant to see her go.
Qingji stooped to scoop up Baiji, her seductive fox eyes curving into a smile. She nodded gently at Mu Nanzhi as they passed, and then continued on.
Mu Nanzhi watched her back, wanting to say something but hesitated. Suddenly she saw Baiji’s head pop out from over the shoulder of the woman in blue and raise a little paw in a wave.
Then she was pressed back down by the woman in blue.
Mu Nanzhi smiled, fell silent for a moment, and then let out a gentle sigh.
…
Atop Wanyao Mountain.
The alluring, silver-haired, fox-eared lady stood proudly on the edge of the cliff and said:
“Two thousand six hundred li to the south of the Hundred Thousand Mountains lies an island, which I call Silkworm Island, as it is covered in coloured silkworms.
“To the north of the island is a valley where the Hell Silkworm clan lives. The island is shrouded in poisonous miasma, and the fumes in the valley can even paralyse beyond-mortal experts. Hell Silkworms like to feed on ferocious creatures with vigorous qi and blood. They weave their silk into webs to catch sea beasts.
“However, with the Sevenfold Gu to protect you, neither the poison nor the coloured silkworms can threaten you.”
Highly intelligent, extremely venomous, with very troublesome silk… Xu Qi’an listened carefully.
The silver-haired Yao beauty raised her hand and a scroll of beast hide floated in the air.
“This is the map I drew last night.”
Xu Qi’an took the map but did not immediately open it. Instead, he asked, “How did you know I want to resurrect Duke Wei?”
The nine-tailed celestial fox pursed her rosy lips and said with a laugh, “That old white-bearded man told me.”
The Jianzheng… Xu Qi’an no longer puzzled, but said helplessly, “It’s a pity we did not capture Vajra Du’e or al-Asura. My Demon-Sealing Nails are still there. After this battle, the Buddhist sect is even more wary of me. I really don’t know when I’ll have another opportunity to remove the Demon-Sealing Nails.”
After the extraordinary battle at Nanfa Temple, Du’e and the others knew he wanted to remove the Demon-Sealing Nails, so they were extremely cautious, and Xu Qi’an had not managed to catch either of them.
Both Du’e and al-Asura ranked among the top second ranks.
Driving them off was possible, capturing them alive was too difficult.
“Then just wait and follow mum when we attack Ananda in the future. When the time comes, there will be a way to remove the Demon-Sealing Nails.” The nine-tailed celestial fox squinted into the wind, her silver hair streaming behind her.
My filial piety has gone astray… Xu Qi’an grumbled inwardly.
The sooner the Demon-Sealing Nails are removed, the sooner I can step into second rank. Dragging it out for ten years or so, removing them would be pointless then. Xu Qi’an sighed and said, “There is one more request I have!”
…
After lunch, Xu Qi’an led the little mare with Mu Nanzhi sitting on its back. The two walked along the wide streets of South City towards the only remaining intact north gate.
The other three city gates had collapsed in the fighting, and were now being rebuilt.
Along the way, many streets and houses were also being repaired. Western Regions folk in plain clothes carried bamboo baskets and stones, or hoisted timber, working away under the Yao’s shouting and the crack of whips.
“Why don’t they run away?”
Mu Nanzhi subconsciously reached for the little white fox, but her arms closed on nothing. A look of loneliness flashed in her eyes, but she concealed it well.
“If they stay in the city, at worst they’ll be enslaved. If they leave, in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, they could be eaten by Yao at any time.”
Xu Qi’an, seemingly not noticing her abnormality, led the little mare and walked on.
Mu Nanzhi gave an “Oh,” and gazed listlessly at the views along the street.
Before long, they reached the city gate, and Xu Qi’an said, “Our next stop is to head out to sea, to a place called Silkworm Island. It’s very dangerous there, so I’ll trouble you to hide in the Stupa tower again. And while you’re at it, help me cultivate some poisonous herbs.”
Mu Nanzhi sighed softly.
“Xu Qi’an, I want to go back to the capital.”
Xu Qi’an froze. “Back to the capital?”
Mu Nanzhi dared not look at him, turning away and speaking in a low voice:
“I often wonder, do you really ever think about how I feel? Have you ever thought that I might get bored and lonely inside the Stupa tower? It’s not that I’m unwilling to be there. When you face danger outside, I can’t help, so naturally I shouldn’t cause trouble.
“But I just… just feel you’ve never cared about my thoughts, my feelings…”
As she spoke, her eyes inexplicably grew wet.
Suddenly, she heard Baiji chirp indignantly, “Auntie, then take me back to the capital with you.”
Mu Nanzhi instinctively reached to pet her head, murmuring “Take you back to the capital…”
She trailed off, and then in disbelief looked down at the Baiji in her arms.
“How did you catch up with us?” Mu Nanzhi was surprised and delighted, looking repeatedly behind her.
“Mistress told me to keep following Silver Gong Xu,” Baiji said sweetly.
She actually didn’t mind whom she stayed with, she was close to both.
Mu Nanzhi looked up sharply at Xu Qi’an. “You…”
Xu Qi’an kept walking with the little mare and said irritably, “Really, the moment you get upset you want to run back to your mum’s house (the capital). Such a pretentious woman.”
After a pause, he said quietly, “Once the world is at peace, you won’t have to wander with me anymore. Just give me a little more time, not too long.”
…
The sky above the Western Regions was bright and blue, the terrain was much more rugged than the Central Plains.
Majestic eagles soared beneath the blue sky, the rolling grassland reverberated with the sound of cattle and sheep, snow-capped peaks gleamed in the distance, and red rocks rose ruggedly.
The summit of Ananda was covered with snow that never melted through the years, like an old man with white hair, sitting cross-legged amid the vast land of the Western Regions.
Amid the ceaseless chanting, al-Asura walked through one temple after another, along winding paths, until he reached a pool exuding chilly air.
Arhat Du’e sat cross-legged upon a lotus dais floating on the water, palms pressed together, eyes closed in meditation.
“Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, together with Vaidurya Bodhisattva, is contacting Agaruka Bodhisattva.”
The ugly yet handsome al-Asura said gravely.
The three Bodhisattvas were surely discussing the fall of the Southern Marches and the Buddhist sect’s next strategic move.
Arhat Du’e opened his eyes, pondered briefly, and said, “Go to the Demon Suppressing Ravine and check whether the bones of the Shura King remain. I will go to the zen forest to see the Buddha.”
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