Xu Qi’an opened his eyes and stopped his meditation, his gaze falling upon Mu Nanzhi’s face. At this moment, her cheeks were flushed, charming and delicate.
Because the man on top of her had been rather rough, there were still tear stains at the corners of her eyes.
Xu Qi’an stared at the beauty before him. She was glamorous but not vulgar, seductive but not demonic, as dazzling as a blooming flower in June, as fresh as a lotus just out of water. For a moment, he was unsure if comprehending “Broken Jade” was the proper matter at hand, or if savouring the beauty was the true business.
Her wrists were as white as frost and snow, her face shy as a lotus, her skin fine and her figure slender, her waist willow-thin and light in his palm.
His gaze gradually grew intoxicated. The Flower God was, after all, the finest beauty in the world, and such a divine beauty was now his for the taking, her eyes shimmering with tears.
The satisfaction of the mind even surpassed that of the flesh.
Xu Qi’an put down her jade-like feet that had been resting on his shoulders, bent down, and bit those moist scarlet lips.
The shaking of the bed reached its peak, and the creaking sounded as rapid as a torrential rain.
His qi circulated, running the circuit again and again, and the spiritual energy within Mu Nanzhi continuously merged into his own qi, entering Xu Qi’an’s body through the cycle. The aura of the Flower God on him grew stronger and stronger.
When the absorption of spiritual energy reached a certain height, Xu Qi’an felt his spine tingling and an explosion of sensation in both his loins and mind.
He dimly heard Mu Nanzhi’s high-pitched scream, but it quickly faded. His vision went black, until a beam of light broke through the darkness, illuminating the desolate, ignorant soil.
The soil was suddenly heaved upwards, and a hint of green broke through the surface and emerged.
It was a tiny sapling.
With a mindset of accepting whatever came, he glanced at the green sprout while recalling Kou Yangzhou’s insights about Hedao.
The essence of Hedao is to sublimate a martial artist’s ‘Dao’, raising it to a higher level, to create the most perfect principle. But what counted as perfection?
There are countless sabre paths: some offensive, some defensive, some swift, some slow, some bold and open, some take an unconventional path. Which is the most perfect? Even Kou Yangzhou did not know, so his flesh collapsed into separate ‘flesh worms’, each insisting their own Dao was perfect. That was how he suffered qi deviation.
My Dao is Broken Jade, better to be shattered jade than an intact tile. So to complete my Dao and raise it higher, is it to push Broken Jade’s essence to the extreme?
Now, the tender sapling began to grow. The trunk thickened, branches and forks sprouted, and with visible speed, it became a large tree. Beneath its shelter, more green appeared at its roots, and tender grass grew.
A thought stirred in Xu Qi’an’s heart, as if he saw himself, and he murmured:
The development of things is not necessarily about pushing to extremes. The definition of perfection can also be about compensating for one’s shortcomings.
When necessary, I can bend rather than break. I rather shatter as jade, but I am not a madman who disregards my life. I have a will to survive. At heart, I want to live.
He looked within, seeing himself, and understood the original intention behind comprehending Broken Jade.
A person in desperate straits had nowhere left to retreat, therefore bursting forth with the courage to be shattered jade rather than remain as intact tile. But that deepest drive was, in truth, the desire to live on.
If he had truly despaired with no attachment to life, he would never have comprehended Broken Jade.
As these thoughts flickered by, bolts of thunder fell, striking the great tree before him, charring it to ashes and cutting off its vitality.
Many years later, the dead wood saw spring again, life blossoming anew, tender green shoots growing from the charred trunk.
My Broken Jade is too overbearing… It lacks vibrant life, lacks the will to survive. But I already possess an immortal body; self-healing means nothing to me anymore…
He stared at this towering tree and fell once more into contemplation.
The great tree continued to grow, as if without end. Gradually, it became a colossal being ten thousand feet tall, its branches and leaves covering an area dozens of li across.
Countless beings rested upon it, drawing its nourishment and spiritual energy.
Yet it did not wither. Instead, it grew even more vigorous. The more beings relied on it for life, the harder it drew strength from heaven and earth to strengthen itself.
At last, it became an immortal, undying divine tree.
Xu Qi’an lifted his head, gazing deeply at the immortal tree, his eyes reflecting the lush green vitality and exuberant life force. He stayed like this for a long while, unmoving.
Ten years of bitter cultivation, one instant for enlightenment.
At that instant, he stepped into the second rank, Hedao.
At that instant, outside the Sitianjian, strands of starlight hung down and illuminated the Bagua Platform.
A natural phenomenon appeared.
Xu Qi’an opened his eyes again. Before him was a messy bed, a naked beauty lying across it, masculine hormones and feminine fragrance mingling into what almost seemed like a potent aphrodisiac.
Mu Nanzhi’s gaze was hazy, her face and neck stained a rosy red upon snow-white skin.
She looked ravished, and also as if she might have fainted. Xu Qi’an sensed the spiritual energy in her body had somewhat revived, while much of his own qi had remained in the Flower God’s body, just as much of her spiritual energy had been absorbed into him.
Their qi and spiritual energy had completed an exchange.
A few more times, and while I’m at it, I might as well refine the Desire Gu a bit more… He spread Mu Nanzhi’s legs and pressed down on her again.
…
At Lingbao Temple, Luo Yuheng, draped in feathered robes and crowned with a lotus diadem, walked from the meditation room into the small courtyard, dust whisk in hand.
She stared at the Sitianjian, her delicate brows furrowed tight. After a long time, she suddenly let out a cold snort, swung her sleeve, and returned to her chamber.
“If I’d known, I shouldn’t have been soft-hearted back then, but sold her off to a brothel instead…”
Her muttering voice drifted out into the night.
…
“Your Highness, there is word from outside, saying there is something unusual happening at the Sitianjian.”
Huaiqing was gently woken up by the chief palace maid at her side.
Having heard that there was something unusual at the Sitianjian, she immediately sat up, all traces of sleep gone, and said,
“Bring me a robe.”
There was a lazy tone in her voice, as if she had just woken up.
The chief palace maid fetched a thick, wide-sleeved robe. With a flick of Huaiqing’s wrist, there was a rustle as her brocade robe settled on her shoulders.
She walked out of her bedchamber, her body as light as a feather, leaping gracefully onto the ridge of the roof and looking out in the direction of the Sitianjian.
From her vantage point, she could see the Sitianjian standing in solitary silence, with a third of the building visible.
At this moment, beams of starlight hung down from the night sky, illuminating the Stargazing Tower.
This… Huaiqing frowned and pondered, but was unable to make sense of it.
She immediately leapt down from the roof ridge and returned to her chambers. Dismissing the palace maids, she retrieved an Earth Book fragment from under her pillow and sent a message:
【ONE: Xu Ningyan, is the anomaly at the Sitianjian related to you?】
As the Great Feng teetered in the wind and rain, such an incident at the Sitianjian was something she could not pretend not to have seen, let alone remain calm or avoid thinking and asking about it.
She did not receive a reply from Xu Qi’an, but Li Miaozhen was the first to respond:
【TWO: What has happened at the Sitianjian? What has happened to Xu Ningyan?】
Next came the zhuangyuan scholar, Chu Yuanzhen:
【FOUR: I imagine it isn’t anything bad, but these past few days, Xu Ningyan has been acting mysterious, secretly plotting something, and hasn’t messaged us either.】
After that, Master Hengyuan jumped in to explain:
【SIX: Sir Xu is connected to the Great Feng’s fortune. Now that Emperor Yongxing is intent on making peace, he is beset by troubles at home and abroad. How could he possibly be in the mood to chit-chat with us by message?】
At this moment, the Heaven and Earth Society members saw Number Eight messaging late at night, enthusiastically joining the discussion:
【EIGHT: Looks like he has advanced to second rank.】
【TWO: Stepped into second rank Hedao?】
Li Miaozhen thought to herself: are you joking? Is becoming second rank Hedao something you can just step into?
Across the Jiuzhou Continent, how many second ranks are there?
【SEVEN: Hahaha, Number Eight is quite amusing, I like your innocence. But you might not know, Xu Qi’an has a Demon-sealing Nail in him, incredibly hard to remove. In such circumstances, he could not possibly advance.】
【FOUR: The anomaly at the Sitianjian might be a contingency left by the Jianzheng, or it might be something else. But what the Holy Son says is right; Xu Ningyan still has a Demon-sealing Nail in his body, so there’s no way it could be him. Number Eight, you probably don’t know what a Demon-sealing Nail is, let me explain.
【The Demon-sealing Nail is a magical instrument forged by the Buddha, and it has even sealed the King of Asura. Mmm, that’s the father of al-Asura, whom the Holy Son told you about.】
【TWO: By the way, al-Asura was also defeated by Xu Qi’an.】
…
Baiji woke from a deep sleep, her head spinning, not knowing who she was or where she was.
She raised her two paws and rubbed her black, button-like eyes, glancing all around, and soon realised she was inside the Stupa tower.
To the south and west there were two golden Dharma Aspects each, and on the east side, beside a tea table, sat an elderly monk with a white beard.
“Where is my aunt?”
Baiji staggered towards the tower spirit old monk.
The old monk scrutinised her and said gently,
“You don’t look well.”
Baiji’s gait was unsteady, like a human with a hangover. She spoke in a childish girl’s voice, puzzled,
“Last night I dreamt of drifting at sea, the boat rocking and rocking, I wanted to wake up but couldn’t, all muddled and half-aware. I even heard Auntie crying out, as if she was being beaten.”
She also dreamt of Auntie being beaten, there were even smacking sounds. She felt very angry in her heart and wanted to avenge Auntie, but no matter what, she just couldn’t wake up.
The old monk from the Stupa tower listened quietly, before explaining,
“You were sent in. Benefactor Xu and Benefactor Mu did not come in.”
While speaking, he beckoned to the Medicine Buddha Dharma Aspect. The Dharma Aspect’s palm held a jade bottle, from which splintered rays of light drifted out and floated into Baiji’s body.
The little fox cub contentedly rolled over on the ground, exposing her soft belly, then crawled up again with a happy chirp:
“That feels wonderful, just wonderful. My head’s not spinning anymore.
“Thank you, Master.”
The old monk smiled and nodded, put his palms together and bowed silently.
The little fox jumped onto the cushion next to the old monk, curled up, and waited for Mu Nanzhi’s summon. As she waited, she dozed off again.
…
The next day, at five in the morning.
The sky before dawn was at its darkest. At the Meridian Gate, torches blazed.
Civil and military officials quietly assembled outside the gate, waiting for the drums to sound and for court to begin.
At the same moment, Ji Yuan, fully dressed, stepped out of his room.
Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai were already waiting in the hall, along with four other elders from the negotiation team, all of whom held great seniority and learning.
They were all brimming with energy and spirit, holding back a surge of eagerness. They wished they could sprout wings and, in the Jinluan Hall, press down upon the emperor of the Great Feng and his many lords, to demonstrate Yunzhou’s might.
After a simple breakfast, Ji Yuan led the six out. As they walked into the courtyard, he spotted a young man in a Silver Gong uniform, with an unrestrained aura and reasonably handsome features, staring at him icily.
“How should I address you, sir?”
Ji Yuan asked with a smile.
“Song Tingfeng!”
The Silver Gong’s tone was just as icy as his expression.
“Nice name,” Ji Yuan commented blandly, and then, still smiling, walked up to him and asked,
“I wonder, have I somehow offended Sir Song?
“Since yesterday, the way you have looked at me has been extremely unfriendly.”
Song Tingfeng offered a smile that didn’t reach his eyes:
“Why show kindness to an enemy?”
“Well said, ‘enemy’.”
Ji Yuan tutted several times,
“Remember this: next time I see your Great Feng’s emperor in the Jinluan Hall, I will tell him that the Nightwatcher Silver Gong Song Tingfeng regards me as an enemy and attempted to assassinate me.
“Sir Song, what do you think your emperor would do with you?”
Song Tingfeng started slightly.
Ji Yuan sneered,
“To regard me as an enemy? Just a lowly Silver Gong, are you worthy?”
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