The Hell Silkworm had already regained its youth at this moment, appearing as a charming and beautiful woman. It no longer had that previously unpleasant, aged appearance, but being stared at so intently by those black, gemstone-like eyes still made Mu Nanzhi feel a little uncomfortable. She frowned and shrank behind Xu Qi’an.
It can’t possibly see through Nanzhi’s identity, can it? That doesn’t make sense. The bracelet given by Daoist Jinlian can shield auras, to the point even arcanists can’t see through it… Xu Qi’an frowned, tightening his grip slightly on the Sovereign Sword.
He had already received the Hell Silkworm thread. Unless absolutely necessary, he did not wish to enter into a conflict with a beyond-mortal beast.
At the same time, he knew that the spiritual essense of the Flower God was an immense temptation for those who focused on tempering the body.
Just as he was about to use the stupa tower to collect Mu Nanzhi and the little white fox, he saw the huge body of the Hell Silkworm tremble. Within those black gemstone-like eyes, light seemed to collapse layer by layer, as if the pupils were contracting sharply.
An expression of extreme excitement and shock appeared on her beautiful face, and she screamed:
“Sweetwood, it is the aura of Sweetwood.”
Seeing the Hell Silkworm suddenly grow emotional, but showing no sign of attacking, Xu Qi’an paused his attempt to put people away and looked at Mu Nanzhi in her arms:
“What is it saying?”
Baiji replied tenderly, “It said sweet wood.”
? Xu Qi’an and Mu Nanzhi both had question marks in their minds at the same time. The former thought to himself, “What is this Mary Sue term from another world?”
The latter thought, “When did I become a blockhead, and a sweet one at that?”
Xu Qi’an frowned slightly and instructed:
“Baiji, ask it what ‘sweet wood’ means…”
Baiji uttered a strange syllable.
After listening, the Hell Silkworm explained,
“Sweetwood had another name, called the Immortal Divine Tree. It grew in the northwest sacred mountains of Jiuzhou, standing tens of thousand of feet high, piercing the clouds. Its sap resembled blood and could be used to refine the Elixir of Immortality; any mortal who took it could live an extra eight hundred years.
“Its canopy stretched for ten li, countless living beings nested on its boughs. My ancestors lived upon the Immortal Divine Tree, feeding on its branches and leaves.”
After Baiji translated, Xu Qi’an could not help but glance sideways at Mu Nanzhi, thinking, “Aren’t you the reincarnation of the Flower God? How are you suddenly related to the Immortal Divine Tree as well?”
The Hell Silkworm continued,
“When I was young, I once followed my ancestors to visit the Immortal Divine Tree and cultivated upon its canopy for centuries. Even now, I have not forgotten the sweetness of its leaves. Later on, when the age of the gods and demons ended, the Immortal Divine Tree, being a primordial god-demon, withered in that disaster.”
As it spoke, it showed a nostalgic and fanatical expression.
As soon as Baiji finished translating, Xu Qi’an impatiently asked,
“Quick, ask it how the gods and demons perished, and what the Immortal Divine Tree has to do with your aunt.”
Baiji relayed the question truthfully.
“How did the gods and demons perish?”
A hint of fear appeared on the Hell Silkworm’s face. Even after all these years, the events of that time still filled it with dread.
“One day, the gods and demons suddenly went mad, began slaughtering each other. That upheaval was truly terrifying, Jiuzhou was shattered in the chaos. In ancient times, the land was several times vaster than it is now.
“There were many powerful gods and demons like Gu, but they all died in that upheaval.
“As far as I recall, only Gu survived. Many of us descendants of gods and demons were also caught up in it and perished.”
So the scene I saw of the gods and demons perishing was not that someone killed them all, but that they slaughtered each other?
Existences like the Gu God, beyond-rank, even among the gods and demons, there must have been many of that level. I can accept this, but why did they suddenly go mad?
Xu Qi’an’s mind buzzed with thoughts as he digested the information and began to analyse.
“How did they go mad?” Xu Qi’an asked, looking at Baiji.
“How did they lose their minds?” Baiji asked curiously in the language of the gods and demons.
“I don’t know. They just suddenly went mad for no reason at all. My ancestors went mad too and threw themselves into the killing.” The Hell Silkworm shook its head.
At this point, Xu Qi’an finally worked out something and asked,
“You said the gods and demons suddenly went mad, so why didn’t their descendants, those with their blood, go mad as well? How did you avoid it?”
The Hell Silkworm looked at Baiji, and after listening to her young, girlish voice, replied,
“At first, we descendants did not know the reason for the chaos. After the age of gods and demons ended and peace was restored, the bloodlines tried to uncover the truth. They even set aside their grudges and discussed it together.
“Eventually, a conclusion was reached, but it could not be verified, so we never knew if it was right.
“The gods and demons went mad because they were born from heaven and earth itself, the primordial gods. But we descendants, although we inherited their bloodline, were born after, from later generations, and did not inherit their spiritual essense.”
It then looked at Mu Nanzhi and said,
“For example, the Immortal Divine Tree. Its roots could produce many medicinal divine saplings, but these saplings had limited lifespans and could not revive after death, because they did not possess the spiritual essense of the Immortal Divine Tree.
“My ancestors said that the Immortal Divine Tree would never die. Now it seems they did not lie. Even though the Immortal Divine Tree withered in the chaos back then, here it stands before me now.”
Baiji interrupted in her tender voice,
“Hold on, please. That was such a long story, it’s quite a struggle to follow.”
Baiji hurriedly translated the Hell Silkworm’s words. As she did, Mu Nanzhi’s brows rose and her expression turned complex.
She knew she was the reincarnation of the Flower God. In the era of the Great Zhou, the emperor was corrupt and obsessed with the Flower God, wanting to seize her by force. But the Flower God called down heavenly tribulation and burned herself alive, choosing death over surrender.
But she had never expected there was another layer to the Flower God’s identity.
I always felt something was off. The unique qualities and spiritual essense of the Flower God obviously exceeds what a normal Yao should possess. If she’s the reincarnation of an ancient god or demon, that would make sense, and it also solves one of my puzzles… Xu Qi’an looked at Baiji and said,
“Ask it what the root cause of the gods and demons’ madness was?”
The Hell Silkworm shook its head slightly.
“This I don’t know. However, there may be someone who does. Many years later, after the rise of humans and Yao, especially the human race, there appeared a person comparable to the Gu and the Dragon. He drove us all out of Jiuzhou.
“I was unwilling to venture farther, so I settled on this island. Time has passed and I can no longer count the years.”
“Did you lot eat the Daoist Venerable’s mother?” Xu Qi’an quipped.
“Did you eat the Daoist Venerable’s mother?” the little white fox translated.
“Hey, hey, you didn’t need to translate that part,” Xu Qi’an waved his hand.
“Maybe someone did eat his birth mother, but I believe that person must have learned the secret of the gods and demons’ madness, and, fearing that the descendants of the gods and demons would affect him, he drove us out,” the Hell Silkworm said.
“Thank you, elder, for telling us.”
Xu Qi’an cupped his hands in thanks to it.
He was extremely satisfied with this journey to the island. First, he had obtained the Hell Silkworm, bringing him one step closer to reviving Wei Yuan. Second, he had learned part of the truth about the fall of the gods and demons, which had answered one of his doubts.
Finally, he had discovered Mu Nanzhi’s true identity.
“Two more questions!” Xu Qi’an said:
“Can the spiritual essence of the Immortal Tree be seized by some method?”
Mu Nanzhi’s face changed, and her gaze towards Xu Qi’an grew infinitely complicated. Strangely, however, her feet did not retreat in the slightest.
The Hell Silkworm scrutinised the two of them and said:
“If you want to absorb her spiritual essence, just eat her.”
A female version of Xuanzang, eh? Looks like the joke about circumcision won’t work here… Xu Qi’an quipped to himself, turned his head, and smiled, saying, “You’ll also have to guard against being eaten by someone else.”
Mu Nanzhi rolled her eyes at him.
The Hell Silkworm said, “But doing so will not allow you to completely seize the Immortal Tree’s spiritual essence. Whether by eating her or by some other method of acquiring it, you’re merely taking a share, just like the countless living beings in the past who relied on Her for cultivation and survival.
“The spiritual essence of gods and demons is bestowed by Heaven and Earth. Outsiders cannot strip it away. Otherwise, the Immortal Tree would have long been divided and eaten by other gods and demons and would no longer exist.”
“My aunt is so weak, was she bullied every day in the past?” Baiji, making use of Mu Nanzhi’s inability to understand the language of gods and demons, quickly gossiped.
“The Immortal Tree is not weak. She was one of the three great ancient divine trees, but as for her current situation, I’m not sure,” the Hell Silkworm shook its head.
“What did you ask?” Xu Qi’an said.
In a sweet voice, Baiji replied, “I asked if Auntie was the number one beauty of the ancient era. It said yes.”
Mu Nanzhi happily patted its head.
“The last question, do you know Baidi?” Xu Qi’an asked.
After hearing Baiji’s translation, the Hell Silkworm shook its head:
“Who is Baidi? Never heard of them.”
I almost forgot, Baidi was the name the people of Yunzhou had given to that descendant of a god and demon… Xu Qi’an described Baidi’s appearance and features, letting Baiji translate.
“This…” The Hell Silkworm frowned deeply:
“Their bloodline, if I remember correctly, after the era of gods and demons ended, was seemingly completely devoured by a monster known as the great ‘Desolation’. How could there be any descendants left?”
Baiji translated this simultaneously.
Xu Qi’an felt a chill down his back. “Desolation?”
The Hell Silkworm explained:
“The great Desolation is a terrifying god demon. Both It and Its descendants are known as Desolation. The first Desolation was a being who could rival Gu.
“Their clan’s innate abilities were terrifying, able to devour the essence and talents of living creatures and make them their own. In those years, that dreadful god demon devoured three great divine trees in succession. Although it couldn’t seize their essence, it still gained huge benefits.
“However, It too fell during the gods and demons’ turmoil. The Baidi clan you speak of was eaten by the descendants of Desolation not long after the end of the era of gods and demons. Hmm, you could also call them Desolation too.
“If you encounter it, you must be careful.”
It seemed to be in a particularly good mood, speaking as it stroked its smooth, delicate skin.
Baidi’s true identity is of the “Desolation” clan? The whole Baidi clan was devoured by the descendants of Desolation, so why would that Desolation disguise itself as Baidi… Xu Qi’an said:
“I have no further questions.”
The Hell Silkworm nodded:
“Then leave my territory. In three thousand years, if you’re still alive, feel free to come here again. I’ll trade you Hell Silkworm silk for your essence blood.”
My lifespan probably won’t be much longer than the Sage’s… Xu Qi’an cupped his hands, thinking to himself that the Hell Silkworm would have to wait for his descendants.
He drove the Stupa tower, taking Baiji and Mu Nanzhi with him, soaring into the sky and turning into a streak of light that disappeared into the horizon.
…
Qingzhou.
In the main hall of the Provincial Administration Office.
Yang Gong sat behind the main desk, listening to Li Mubai’s analysis.
“The Dongling front has completely collapsed. Our army has already withdrawn from the Dongling region. Of thirty thousand soldiers, sixty percent have been lost. For now, they are regrouping in Guo County, recruiting locally to replenish their numbers.
“In Wan Commandery, thanks to the flying beast army of the Heart Gu tribe, we’re no longer on the defensive. The reinforcements we sent coordinated with the garrison troops and fought several brilliant battles with the Yunzhou rebels, with losses on both sides.
“At present, there shouldn’t be any major problems. The only worrying area is Songshan County…”
Yang Gong nodded slightly:
“I know, the fighting in Songshan County has constantly been brutal. Together, both sides have suffered over fifty thousand casualties. However, most of the shaman clans’ troops are there, and the defences are as solid as iron.”
Li Mubai shook his head:
“It’s not a matter of troop strength, but of provisions. According to intelligence sent by Erlang, the garrison has already started gnawing at tree roots.”
Yang Gong frowned:
“Qingzhou is short of grain, but not to the extent that it can’t supply Songshan County. Besides, Songshan is wealthy and its granaries are well-stocked. Even after more than a month, let alone three months, it should be enough. How could there be a shortage of provisions?”
One of the advisers spoke up instead of Li Mubai and said:
“Th- those shaman clansmen eat far too much. One of them can eat as much as twenty men, that’s being conservative. In addition, the flying beasts won’t eat anything but meat, they’ve eaten Songshan County into collapse.
“Sir Xu said there’s only one way to break the deadlock, but it requires Duke Yang’s approval.”
Yang Gong understood.
This strategy was called: eating people!
To the flying beasts, meat was meat, there was no distinction of species. If animals could be eaten, so could people.
The adviser who had spoken up first tentatively asked:
“What about the corpses of the rebels, then…?”
Yang Gong said sternly, “No!”
Another adviser sighed and said:
“Duke Yang, the situation forces our hand. As much as this goes against the laws of Heaven, Songshan County is already out of ammunition and food. The flying beasts are just beasts, and eating people is in their nature. We’re not asking the garrison to eat people.
“If, out of misplaced kindness, we lose the war, it will all be for nothing. The advantage we have now has been paid for with the lives of countless soldiers.”
Li Mubai patted the table, glanced at the adviser, and said:
“That’s enough, we’ll discuss this later.”
He then looked at Yang Gong:
“In another month, it will be the Spring Sacrifice.”
All of the advisers, including Yang Gong, suddenly relaxed their tense expressions.
Yes, the Spring Sacrifice.
Just endure for another month, and Qingzhou’s task would be complete.
Besides, judging by the current situation, the Yunzhou rebels dreaming of conquering Qingzhou within a month was sheer fantasy.
One adviser stroked his beard and laughed:
“This Yunzhou army arrived with great momentum. I thought they’d be formidable, but it turns out they’re nothing special after all.”
Comments for this chapter. You will need a GitHub account. Please follow all terms and conditions of GitHub issues and maintain etiquette in the comments. Cookies are required for this functionality.
If you want to talk with other readers about Nightwatchers (or other cultivation type books) you can join our cultivation groupreading discord server!
I also have a Kofi, which for legal reasons is definitely for supporting my digital art only (promise!): ko-fi.com/yanxin ... plus I guess server space isn't free, and I don't want to put ads/trackers... ever, so thank you if you do!