“Cough cough…”
Xu Pingfeng covered his mouth, coughing violently, as blood oozed out from between his fingers.
It took several seconds for the coughing to subside. He sighed lightly and said,
“Half my life is gone. Teacher Jianzheng really didn’t hold back.”
He looked around at everyone and suggested, “Let’s go back and recover first. All of you are seriously wounded, and I also need time to refine the fortune of Qingzhou.”
Of the three people and one beast, Xu Pingfeng’s own situation went without saying. He had nearly died at the hands of the Jianzheng, and claiming that “half his life was gone” was just saving face.
Agaruka Bodhisattva’s head could not be regenerated, the force of the Confucian Sage’s carving knife kept eroding his body, weakening his strength. He needed time to refine and expel it.
This body of “Baidi” was in a condition no better than that of Agaruka Bodhisattva. Now that it had obtained the Gatekeeper, all it wanted was to return the long spear overseas and secure it.
As for Daoist Heilian, he had not been directly targeted by the Jianzheng and was the least injured.
In such a state, they did not dare to march straight on the capital.
“After his death, the First Generation left trump cards that caused the Jianzheng terrible trouble. As both are Masters of Heaven’s Secrets, who can guarantee that the Jianzheng has nothing prepared in turn?” said Agaruka Bodhisattva prudently.
“We’ve already succeeded in removing the Jianzheng. There is no need to rush things and be greedy for quick results.”
Daoist Heilian snorted, “With just that Xu Qi’an, there’s not much trouble he can stir up. At most you add Luo Yuheng, Sun Xuanji, and, hmm, that vermin Jinlian, who is probably third rank by now.”
Xu Pingfeng smiled and said, “Don’t forget, there is also Kou Yangzhou.”
But so what? The Great Feng still had several beyond-mortal experts left, but they were all just second or third rank. On their own side, even one Agaruka Bodhisattva could suppress Luo Yuheng, Kou Yangzhou and Xu Qi’an, leaving them utterly powerless to fight back.
Not to mention there was also Baidi, Heilian, Ji Xuan, and himself as a peak second-rank Arcanist.
Once they took Qingzhou and refined its fortune, his strength would rise even further.
…
The Jianzheng is gone… Mu Nanzhi squatted in front of Xu Qi’an, her eyes lost and confused.
“W-what… What do you mean?”
She asked cautiously.
Mu Nanzhi did not know what had happened, but she knew it was something major, as Xu Qi’an had never looked so dreadful before.
He hadn’t looked at his mirror then, otherwise he would have seen for himself the expression of looming doom, as if the end of the world was upon him.
In the eyes of the reincarnated Flower Deity, this man was stubborn, wild and proud in his bones. Even in the face of life and death, he could not admit defeat.
But just now, that look of utter desperation was something she had never seen before, and it filled her with inexplicable unease.
“Calamity is upon us…”
The just-recovered Xu Qi’an offered a simple explanation, then immediately took out the voice transmission conch from the Earth Book fragment and sent a message:
“Senior Brother Sun, has something happened to the Jianzheng?”
With the nation facing disaster and fortune delivering a warning, he knew that something was wrong with the Jianzheng, but could not sense the specifics.
On the other end of the conch was dead silence, not a word.
Xu Qi’an waited anxiously while spreading his thoughts. Something must have happened in Qingzhou, given the current situation, there was no other possibility.
With the power of Xu Pingfeng and Agaruka, at best they could hold back the Jianzheng, but threatening him in his own territory, impossible. But the Jianzheng is indeed likely to have perished… so there must have been another helper.
As for the major powers of Jiuzhou, the Church of the Warlock God has always watched the Central Plains like a tiger eyes its prey, possibly hoping to profit from the others’ fight. But at the current moment, the Church certainly does not want the Great Feng to lose so quickly.
They would rather see dog eat dog, hoping for the bloodshed to worsen. So Grand Warlock Sarun Agu would likely not take part.
As for the other factions, the shaman clans could not become enemies of the Great Feng and had their hands full guarding the Abyss. Over in Ananda, the southern Yao kept watch. If they dared to assist Xu Pingfeng in the Central Plains, the Nine-tailed Fox would have led the Bear King and Shenshu to flatten Ananda long ago and unseal Shenshu’s head. But from what I’ve learned from her and Baiji, she had no such intentions.
In the north, the Yao and Barbarians have already fallen. A third-rank great yao like Zhujiu is of little consequence.
Among the remaining beyond-mortal individuals outside these major powers, the Heaven Sect could definitely be discounted, the Earth Sect’s Heilian and the Heaven and Earth Society could never coexist, and as the brightest star of the Heaven and Earth Society, Heilian would definitely target me.
Baidi is Desolation. The Desolation is after the Gatekeeper and had dealings with Xu Pingfeng, but there’s no real conflict of interest with the Jianzheng, so Xu Pingfeng likely could not pay a high enough price to hire him, so this beast is questionable.
So with just Heilian joining in, it would still be impossible to threaten the Jianzheng. Xu Pingfeng must have had another trump card…
By this point in his analysis, Xu Qi’an already had a likely guess, the First Generation Jianzheng!
The First Generation Jianzheng’s surname was Chai, and the Chai family guarded the tomb left by the First Generation Jianzheng. Xu Pingfeng had long since obtained the map and control of that tomb.
If there was anything in the world that could threaten a Master of Heaven’s Secrets, it would have to be another Master of Heaven’s Secrets.
At this moment, the conch transmitted Protector Yuan’s voice:
“Silver Gong Xu, this is Protector Yuan.”
Xu Qi’an suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, fumbling a bit as he grabbed the conch and pressed it to his ear, asking urgently,
“Please speak!”
There was silence for a few seconds, Protector Yuan then said:
“Fuck their mothers, Teacher Jianzheng can’t possibly die… I swear I’ll kill every last one of those Yunzhou bastards… Teacher Jianzheng won’t die, he just can’t… fuck their mothers, fuck their mothers…
“What should we do now… Teacher Jianzheng left us no instructions… Is Teacher really dead? Fuck, FUCK! I’m going to destroy every last bastard from Yunzhou…”
This was Sun Xuanji’s truest feelings.
The Jianzheng is dead. Senior Brother Sun’s composure has completely collapsed… Xu Qi’an listened with a blank expression, his pupils dilating slightly.
He silently lowered the conch and sat in silence.
Mu Nanzhi crouched next to him without a word, her little white fox curled up in her arms, two bright eyes peeking out fearfully to watch him.
After a while, Xu Qi’an asked,
“How is the situation in Qingzhou?”
Protector Yuan was silent for a moment.
“Senior Brother Sun hasn’t told me…”
Sun Xuanji’s mind was in chaos.
“But Qingzhou most likely can’t be held. I expect we’ll retreat, retreat to Yongzhou,” Protector Yuan gave his assessment.
“I understand…” Xu Qi’an ended the transmission.
…
Shaman clans.
At the edge of the Abyss, Heaven Gu Grandma, who was leading a group of beyond-mortal leaders preparing to enter the chasm to clear out Gu beasts and Gu insects, suddenly stopped and looked north.
The shaman clan leaders and Rank Four experts around her all halted their steps.
Luanyu, swaying her slim waist coquettishly, curiously asked:
“Grandma, what is it?”
Heaven Gu Grandma pondered for a long time, her expression grave:
“The Jianzheng is gone…”
The Heaven Gu occasionally saw images of the future. Just now, in that instant, Heaven Gu Grandma saw the Bagua Platform at the Star Observation Tower of the Great Feng.
The empty Bagua Platform.
As a second-rank Heaven Gu master, she had always attached great importance to glimpses of the future.
After interpreting it carefully, she understood the meaning of that corner of the future: from now on, the Great Feng would have no more Jianzheng!
The Jianzheng is gone… The faces of the shaman clan’s beyond-mortal leaders were steadily bewildered.
What do you mean the Jianzheng is gone?
How can the Jianzheng be gone? What will become of the Great Feng then?
If it had been before, learning this news, they would probably have cheered and celebrated the Great Feng’s loss of its guardian deity.
But now, though not entirely bound together with the Great Feng, they had still given a lot.
In particular, the chiefs of four great tribes, Strength, Heart, Corpse, and Dark, immediately tensed up. Heart Gu master Chunyan frowned and said:
“Grandma, what do you mean by this?”
Heaven Gu Grandma shook her head:
“I only saw that the Jianzheng was gone. Maybe dead, maybe sealed, but I know nothing more of the details.”
The faces of the many leaders instantly became grim.
Given what they knew of the Heaven Gu, Grandma would not have voiced this unless it was already a done deed, so it was not a violation of Heaven’s secrets.
“This…” Luanyu reined in her charm, her elegant brows knitting:
“Without the Jianzheng, how can the Great Feng resist Yunzhou and the Buddhist sect? And- and that brat still owes me three months of physical repayment.”
Mosang… Longtu turned his head and looked north.
…
Mount Jing City.
Sarun Agu stood atop a desolate mountain peak, gazing southwards.
“Killing one’s master is an arcanist’s fate. You rose by murdering your master and now end by the same, a cycle of karma.”
He then looked towards the distant altar and the statue of the Warlock God with emotion:
“Without the gatekeeper, you beyond-rank beings can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Only now, the return of Desolation to Jiuzhou has been invited, whether that is a blessing or calamity, I do not know.”
The Great Warlock gave a sigh:
“Since you have now perished, our wager counts for nothing.”
He raised his hand southward and called out loudly:
“Come!”
In Qingzhou, within the Yunzhou military camp, a streak of flowing light broke through countless restraints and headed towards the northeast.
…
Ananda.
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva sat cross-legged beneath the bodhi tree, watching the image of Agaruka Bodhisattva projected by the golden alms bowl.
He quietly listened as Agaruka finished speaking, then put his palms together:
“Amitabha, all our efforts were worth it.”
Pausing, he said in a deep voice:
“Remember, before overthrowing the Great Feng, you must have Xu Pingfeng come to Ananda. Buddhism cannot repeat the mistake we made five hundred years ago.
“In addition, that god-demon descendant must be watched; we still do not know what he is plotting.”
Since Agaruka Bodhisattva had no head, he could not nod or show expression, so he simply replied, “Mm.”
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva then asked:
“What is the next step?”
Agaruka’s voice was sonorous, but emotionless:
“Let Xu Pingfeng refine the fortune in Qingzhou. Once I have extracted the power of the Confucian Sage’s carving knife, and my injuries are healed, I will head north to war.”
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement:
“This is the prudent course.”
…
Cloud Deer Academy.
Zhao Shou returned the Lesser Sage’s Confucian cap and the Sage’s carving knife to the Lesser Sage Hall.
He gave a soft sigh, walked out of the great hall, and bowed in the direction of the Sitianjian.
…
Imperial Palace.
Emperor Yongxing sat behind a desk draped in yellow silk, propping his head with his right hand, gently pinching the bridge of his nose, visibly weary.
From time to time, he glanced up at the doors to the royal study, waiting anxiously.
Before long, Chief Eunuch Zhao Xuanzhen hurriedly appeared, stepping across the threshold and bustling in.
“Well? Did you see the Jianzheng?”
Emperor Yongxing immediately got up, bracing his hands on the table, staring intently at Zhao Xuanzhen.
The latter shook his head slightly:
“This servant met Song Qing and conveyed Your Majesty’s message. Song Qing went up to the Bagua Platform and said the Jianzheng was not at the Sitianjian.”
The light in Emperor Yongxing’s eyes faded, and he slumped back into the chair, speaking weakly:
“Did Song Qing say where the Jianzheng is?”
Zhao Xuanzhen shook his head again, hesitating as if to say more.
Emperor Yongxing frowned: “Speak if you have something to say.”
Zhao Xuanzhen spoke carefully:
“At the time, Song Qing did not look well, he was upset and flustered. When I asked, he couldn’t say exactly, only that something major may have happened…”
Something major may have happened… Emperor Yongxing fell into thought, an ominous feeling rising within him.
Then, the armoured guards standing outside the study came briskly to the door, bowed, and called out loudly:
“Your Majesty, the imperial and commandery princes seek an audience.”
Emperor Yongxing was taken aback, and his sense of foreboding only grew stronger.
…
Qingzhou, Provincial Administrator’s Office.
Officials came and went in silence, and many military reports were piled up at Commissioner Yang Gong’s desk.
“Wan Commandery has fallen, its defending army completely destroyed. The great Confucian Zhang Shen is missing, his fate unknown… Qi Guangbo permitted rebel troops and refugees to plunder and massacre in the city, and Wan Commandery has overnight become a wasteland…”
“Guo County near Dongling has fallen, the commander Zhao Guang withdrew with his remaining two thousand men, Sun Xuanji left the camp and his whereabouts are unknown…”
“Songshan County has fallen, the flying beast army lost more than half its troops. Commander Zhu Jun led his forces to meet the enemy and died in battle. Xu Xinnian led the remnants of the shaman clan, eight hundred of them, and three hundred defending soldiers in retreat, but en route were pursued by enemy commander Zhuo Haoran. Xu Xinnian was wounded by a sabre and his fate is unknown…”
In one night, the second defensive line of Qingzhou collapsed completely. The Qingzhou army suffered grievous losses.
This left the upper echelons of Qingzhou no longer able to control the situation, causing some unrest and panic amid their shock.
“Gentlemen, Qingzhou can no longer be held. I have decided to withdraw and defend at Yongzhou instead.”
Yang Gong took a deep breath and slowly surveyed the officials and advisers in the hall, speaking solemnly: “Go make all necessary preparations for retreat.”
These preparations included emptying the main granaries, munitions and supplies, and silver, as well as the forced relocation of the population.
Of course, by convention, the people relocated were members of the landed gentry, not the true lower classes.
This was not to say that the common folk were worthless, but in times of war, the lower classes truly had no value. The landed gentry and aristocrats had wealth, grain, and people, by securing them, the court could secure benefits in return.
The lower classes, having nothing, ought to be abandoned when necessary, otherwise they would drag down and bankrupt the court.
The assembled officials quietly rose, saluted Yang Gong, and left the hall in silence to busy themselves.
In the vast hall, in an instant, not a soul remained, only silence.
Sunlight streamed through the lattice windows. The Provincial Administrator, sitting alone within, seemed to have aged a dozen years in an instant.
…
First year of Yongxing, winter.
Qingzhou fell. Provincial Administrator Yang Gong withdrew with the remnants of the army to defend Yongzhou, facing off with the Yunzhou army.
The world was shaken.
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