716. Familiar Aura

Li Lingsu’s eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together excitedly:

“Brother Yang, what brilliant plan do you have?”

When it came to confidantes, Li Lingsu was completely despondent for the moment. Never mind the royal princesses as beautiful as flowers and jade, just the Great Feng’s number one beauty and the Human Sect’s Daoist Leader, Luo Yuheng, were enough to make him admit defeat.

Now, hearing that Yang Qianhuan had come up with a way to eclipse Xu Qi’an, the Holy Son was indeed pleased.

Yang Qianhuan picked up his teacup, lifted the corner of his veil hat, and Chu Caiwei and Li Lingsu both leaned forward abruptly, trying to sneak a look at his real face.

…Yang Qianhuan silently put down his teacup and decided not to drink anymore.

“Ahem!” The Holy Son cleared his throat. “Brother Yang, please carry on.”

He and Chu Caiwei both looked disappointed.

Beside them, Third Young Lady’s face was blank, unable to understand Li Lingsu and the yellow-dressed girl’s actions.

With his back to the others, Yang Qianhuan said,

“Actually, what Xu Qi’an has done is just about gaining fame for a moment. People like us care about eternal renown, not short-lived reputation. Confucianists may be irritating, but there’s one thing they say that is quite true…

‘A gentleman should establish virtue, establish achievements, and establish words, these are the three constants. Why should I compete with Xu Ningyan for a fleeting moment of delight?

“I aim to become someone remembered through the ages, recorded in history books.”

At this point, Yang Qianhuan’s tone grew impassioned as he continued,

“Brother Li, now that the Central Plains is in chaos, the Yunzhou rebels are fierce, and refugees are rising up everywhere, these troubled times are bound to be recorded in history. If I gather refugees amidst the turmoil and vie for supremacy in the Central Plains,

“If, in the end, I quell the rebellion and restore peace and order to the Central Plains and the court, then the name Yang Qianhuan will surely overshadow that running dog Xu Qi’an.

“So that Xu Ningyan, who has repeatedly snatched my opportunities, will understand the tables turn, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west.”

If you could quell the rebellion, why not just become emperor directly? By then, not just Xu Qi’an, even your teacher, the Jianzheng, would pale compared to your glory… Li Lingsu had a stomach full of lampooning.

When Zhao Susu heard this, she roughly understood that this Sitianjian Yang senior harboured a grudge with Silver Gong Xu, and it seemed Silver Gong Xu had once snatched an opportunity from him.

So Senior Brother Yang wanted revenge.

But it sounded odd. If he wanted revenge, shouldn’t he be aiming to deal with Silver Gong Xu directly?

Yet, from the sound of things, he just wanted to surpass Silver Gong Xu, to make an even bigger name for himself. What kind of revenge was that?

Zhao Susu looked towards her two companions and saw the same confusion in their eyes.

“If he can make a name for himself and form an elite force, Senior Brother Yang could indeed go down in history and gain everlasting fame.”

Despite her doubts, Zhao Susu still smiled and echoed support.

She was telling the truth. Since ancient times, those who made something of themselves, whether they eventually perished or built great achievements, have always left their mark in the histories.

Clap clap clap!

Chu Caiwei applauded vigorously, marvelling at her senior brother’s brilliance.

Li Lingsu hesitated slightly and said,

“There’s nothing wrong with your plan, Brother Yang. Heroes rise in troubled times, given your cultivation and methods, making a name for yourself in history wouldn’t be difficult.”

Hearing everyone’s agreement, Yang Qianhuan grew even more confident, inwardly praising his own cleverness.

“But, if you want to overshadow Xu Qi’an, that’s a bit…” Li Lingsu shook his head slightly:

“Brother Yang, you may not know yet…”

Yang Qianhuan’s heart sank. “Know what?”

Li Lingsu replied,

“Xu Qi’an joined forces with the southern Yao, drove Buddhism from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and restored the Yao nation. The Wanyao Nation’s return is a deed that will certainly be recorded in history in bold strokes. Moreover, he single-handedly changed the situation in Jiuzhou and reversed the decline of the Central Plains, this is another act guaranteed to make him a figure of historic renown.

“To overshadow him, Brother Yang, is truly… as hard as reaching the heavens.”

After speaking, he noticed that Yang Qianhuan sat there in silence, as quiet as a one-hundred-and-sixty-pound child.

Zhao Susu and the other two said nothing, their expressions heavy. Even with their brief acquaintance, they could still feel the wave of sorrow washing over Senior Brother Yang.

…

Silkworm Island.

Within the valley, miasma pervaded. Sunlight couldn’t penetrate, and the sea breeze couldn’t disperse it.

“The Hell Silkworm is an extremely formidable exotic beast. Even its silk can entangle a beyond-mortal warrior and is highly poisonous.”

Xu Qi’an, holding Mu Nanzhi’s hand, carefully walked to the edge of the valley and looked down into the gloomy chasm.

“What kind of silkworm eats beyond-mortal beings? I think you’re making this up, but I don’t have any proof.” Mu Nanzhi pouted, hugging the little white fox, tiptoeing to peer into the deep valley.

Though she claimed not to believe it, her expression was very cautious.

Xu Qi’an gave her pert bottom a loud slap, making her stagger and almost fall into the chasm.

“Xu Ningyan! I’ll fight you to the death…”

Mu Nanzhi turned pale with fright, threw Baiji aside, and, close to tears, lunged at him to ‘take revenge’.

“Shall I hide you in the Stupa tower?”

Xu Qi’an raised his head to keep her from clawing at his face, smiling cheerfully as he asked.

Mu Nanzhi threw a tantrum, but on hearing this, she was both curious and a bit scared.

“If things get dicey, I’ll put you in the tower.”

“Al- alright, then…”

Xu Qi’an put an arm around the Flower God’s slender waist and leapt down into the valley.

Toxic miasma rushed toward them but could not harm them in the least. Xu Qi’an had inhaled so much poison along the way that his Poison Gu was already well fed, he almost regretted it now.

The toxins in the valley were even stronger and more tangled than outside.

Baiji pressed her little paws tightly over her pink nose, although she too had a child gu inside her, which would absorb the poison for her.

Crunch!

The pair landed softly, and a crisp sound could be heard beneath their feet, it was several fragments of dried bones.

Xu Qi’an looked around. The valley floor was pitch black, and bleached bones littered the ground like refuse, most of them from birds and fish, with a few belonging to land animals.

There were hardly any human bones. This place was on the southern coast, which was originally Yao territory, so no human fishing boats would ever come here.

“Where’re these Hell Silkworms?”

Mu Nanzhi glanced around, but all was silent, not even a ghostly shadow.

Xu Qi’an’s ears twitched slightly. With a smile, he said, “Something’s coming!”

He had heard the sound of something writhing, a dense, crawling sound.

In a moment, the miasma ahead shuddered, and a dark shadow shot out from its depths.

Thwack!

Xu Qi’an pulled Mu Nanzhi back, and the black shadow struck where they had just been standing. It was a mass of silkworm silk covered in black slime, the silk itself was pale grey.

Not old enough… Xu Qi’an glanced at it and realised this wasn’t the Hell Silkworm silk he was after.

He took a deep breath, cheeks bulging, and blew hard.

The valley miasma dispersed at once, briefly clearing the air. Wisps of toxic fog started drifting back, quickly filling in the gap.

Taking advantage of the moment’s clarity, Xu Qi’an and Mu Nanzhi caught sight of their foes: a dozen or so half-human, half-silkworm monsters.

Their skin was ashen-grey. Their upper halves were human, their lower halves plump silkworm bodies.

There were both males and females, and none wore clothing.

Their faces were not much different from humans, except their eyes were like black gems without any white, and their pointed canines jutted out.

But if you considered their features, the men were handsome and the women pretty, their looks were rather striking.

“What robust blood and Qi!”

“It’s a delectable feast delivered right to our door, ha-ha.”

“I want to eat his innards, the organs are the tastiest.”

“Huh, the female beside him is strangely alluring.”

“Eat, eat, let’s devour them! Ha ha ha.”

“I especially like to watch them tremble and beg for mercy.”

The Hell Silkworms chatted freely, scrutinising the two prey who had walked into their trap. As for Baiji, she was too small and was ignored.

Of course, in the ears of Xu Qi’an and Mu Nanzhi, their voices were nothing but meaningless screeches.

I thought that Hell Silkworms looked like silkworms, but I never expected them to have human heads on silkworm bodies. Can they reach around to wipe their arses after defecating? Their strength is decent, but not even beyond-mortal, there must be an even stronger existence behind them… Xu Qi’an pressed two fingers together like a sabre and tapped his brow.

Golden lacquer immediately lit up, swiftly travelling over and dyeing his entire body.

“Hiss!”

The ring of fire exploded behind his head, the scorching heat evaporating the miasma.

“Beyond-mortal, it’s beyond-mortal!”

A Hell Silkworm at the front screamed and turned to flee at once.

The other Hell Silkworms scattered like frightened birds, fleeing into the depths of the dark valley.

“They escaped just like that?” Mu Nanzhi blinked, somewhat disappointed.

“This is nothing like what you said, you tricked me again.”

Still holding a grudge over having been scared just now, she kicked Xu Qi’an again in annoyance.

“Don’t rush, letting the small fry go will naturally draw out the big one.”

Xu Qi’an smiled. As he spoke, he deliberately released the aura of a beyond-mortal warrior, the ring of fire blazed fiercely, and the scorching heat caused cracks to appear in the valley.

Mu Nanzhi only felt a bit warm and was entirely unaffected by the pressure of a beyond-mortal martial artist. Instead, it was Baiji who shivered uncontrollably, curling up like a quail in her embrace.

About ten breaths later, Mu Nanzhi felt vibrations from the ground beneath her. In the distance came the sound of boulders tumbling, as if the mountain itself was collapsing.

In Xu Qi’an’s perception, a powerful and terrifying presence emerged from underground, heading straight towards them.

The dense mist parted, and a colossal silhouette appeared, its outline gradually sharpening. What appeared before them was a massive monster whose upper half was that of a sagging-skinned old woman.

The lower half was an obese, bloated silkworm body.

Unlike the grey Hell Silkworms from before, this giant one’s skin was as dark as the deepest night.

Compared to this Hell Silkworm, Xu Qi’an and Mu Nanzhi seemed as small as ants.

“Who are you?”

The Hell Silkworm spat out strange syllables, scrutinising Xu Qi’an.

In its eyes, Xu Qi’an, apart from having vigorous blood and Qi and an unfathomably deep aura, also had a faintly familiar presence within him.

Those black, gemstone-like eyes stared at Xu Qi’an for a long while. Its expression suddenly grew serious:

“Gu!”

This Hell Silkworm is at the beyond-mortal stage, stronger than an ordinary third rank, but short of second rank… What language is it speaking? It doesn’t sound like meaningless screeching… Xu Qi’an knew that this was the true Hell Silkworm which the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox had spoken about.

The Hell Silkworm that could devour beyond-mortal beings.

Killing it won’t be easy. I’d have to store Baiji and Mu Nanzhi inside the stupa tower first. Also, I still don’t know what other tricks this exotic beast might possess, and with its high standing, rash action could end in disaster… As these thoughts flashed by, Xu Qi’an summoned the stupa tower.

“You are Gu, what are you doing here? The matters between your gods and demons in ancient times have nothing to do with us descendants!”

The Hell Silkworm demanded loudly. Upon seeing the glowing pagoda Xu Qi’an had summoned, it immediately arched its body, lower abdomen bulging as if nurturing something within.

The stand-off was tense.

Just then, Baiji whispered from within Mu Nanzhi’s arms:

“It’s speaking the language of gods and demons.”

Language of gods and demons? Xu Qi’an remained ready to attack and asked:

“How do you know?”

Baiji replied, “Of course I know, I can also speak the language of gods and demons.”

Not only Xu Qi’an, even Mu Nanzhi was stunned. In her impression, Baiji was just a little fox cub that cried all day.

“Mistress knows the language of gods and demons. When I was born, I learned it from her. None of the other sisters managed, only I did.”

Baiji lifted her head proudly.

Just look at how smug you are… Xu Qi’an thought for a moment, then said,

“Tell it I’m here for silkworm silk, and ask what it wants in exchange.”

If he could obtain Hell Silkworm silk through trade, it would certainly be better than a bloody battle.

On hearing this, Baiji nodded and stretched her neck, her voice sharp as she called out a string of odd syllables to the Hell Silkworm.

The tensed Hell Silkworm, seemingly about to attack at any moment, was momentarily stunned to hear the familiar language of gods and demons. After patiently listening, it fell silent for a moment and replied:

“You only want silk?

“Little fox, have him answer me first. What is his relationship with Gu?”

Baiji translated the Hell Silkworm’s words.

“Tell it I merely obtained the power of Gu,” Xu Qi’an said.

After hearing the little white fox’s translation, the Hell Silkworm didn’t hesitate and stated its condition:

“I want your essence blood, not much, three drops will do.”

Clearly, it also recognised Xu Qi’an’s strength, and believed that if it could obtain what it wanted by trade, there was no need to fight.

The Hell Silkworm’s abdomen swelled like a ball and slowly moved upward, through its chest and throat, before it suddenly spat it out with force.

Splat, splat, splat… Fine pure-black threads of silk scattered through the air, landing throughout the valley, sticking to the stone walls and emitting a pungent poison.

After spinning the silk, it became slightly out of breath, having expended considerable energy.

However, this didn’t affect its combat strength, so it didn’t fear this human going back on his word.

Hell Silkworm silk was jet-black, highly toxic, extremely tough, capable of communicating with the Nether Realm and welcoming spirits… In Xu Qi’an’s mind, information about Hell Silkworm silk flashed by.

This came from the Sitianjian’s “Material Studies” secrets.

Xu Qi’an opened his palm, conjuring a vortex of air that drew the Hell Silkworm silk into his grasp.

He stored the silk in the Earth Book fragment, then fulfilled his promise by summoning the Sovereign Sword from within the Earth Book and slitting his wrist, squeezing out three drops of golden divine Vajra blood.

At the moment the Sovereign Sword appeared, the Hell Silkworm instinctively squinted its eyes, rejoicing at its choice to trade rather than fight.

“Catch.”

Xu Qi’an flicked the three drops of essence blood out.

The Hell Silkworm inched forward, mouth open eagerly to receive the drops.

“Delicious~”

With a satisfied moan, the Hell Silkworm’s sagging flesh tightened rapidly, its coarse skin becoming smooth, wrinkled cheeks firming up. In moments, the bent old crone was transformed into a fair-skinned, beautiful young woman of alluring charm.

She gazed at the two humans and the fox with emotion.

“I have survived from ancient times. Even with the near-immortal lifespan of a beyond-mortal being, one cannot ultimately avoid decline. Essence blood from the beyond-mortal stage can repair my ever-waning vitality.”

She was a divine blood descendant who had survived since ancient times? Xu Qi’an was moved after hearing Baiji’s translation.

At this moment, the Hell Silkworm stared at Mu Nanzhi and exclaimed softly:

“The aura on her body is…”

…

716. Familiar Aura

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