The Consort's Secret

Escape? Does he mean that the four of us, all fourth-rank cultivators, have no chance against this kid? The impetuous, bloodthirsty, and warlike giant Zharmuha was the first to Qi Ingestion, his eyes wide as he locked onto Xu Qi'an.

What did he see? Why did he tell us to escape? If this kid is so terrifying, why did we fight for so long? Tang Shanjun was naturally suspicious and stared at Xu Qi'an.

Did the Qi-Watching Technique reveal something it shouldn't have? Sirius abandoned his initial disdain and became alarmed.

There's something wrong with this kid. The white-robed Warlock's miserable state came into Hongling's view. In a flash, a piece of information flashed through her mind, stemming from a conversation she had with the Warlock.

It was on the way to Great Feng the princess of Dafeng that she heard that the princess of Zhenbei had a magnificent and extraordinary appearance, which could be seen by Warlock from dozens of miles away.

Out of curiosity, she asked, "What if it's a third-rank, second-rank, or even first-rank?"

The Warlock replied, "If it's a third-grade spirit, the Primordial Spirit will suffer severe damage. If it's a second-grade spirit, the person will go blind on the spot and go insane. If it's a first-grade spirit..."

The Warlock didn't say anything more, but Hongling could tell from his expression that the ending was death.

Second rank? This kid is second rank? No, he possesses something related to, or even equal to, the second rank. Hong Ling couldn't control her heartbeat at all; her adrenaline was surging.

Her skin broke out in goosebumps, and every nerve in her body was sending out signals of danger and a desire to escape.

At this moment, Xu Qi'an raised his hand and gently pressed down.

Amidst a gentle, breeze-like fluctuation of energy, the maids all fainted.

Run! Run now, or I'll die! A tremendous fear exploded in her heart. Hongling suppressed the urge to escape and forced a smile:

"This kid is incredibly arrogant! Zhamuha, hurry up and attack! Don't you want the Confucian School scriptures anymore?"

Zhamuha was bloodthirsty and warlike, and he was already Qi Ingestion. He didn't sense that Xu Qi'an had a powerful force exceeding the fourth rank. Provoked by Hong Ling, he immediately pounced on Xu Qi'an with a sinister grin.

A giant ten feet tall charged forward, causing the ground to tremble.

Just as Tianlang and Tangshanjun were about to make their move, they suddenly realized something was wrong. They turned around sharply and found that Hongling had escaped alone, leaving everyone behind.

The pupils of these two fourth-rank experts contracted slightly, and an ominous premonition welled up in their hearts.

Immediately afterwards, they heard a scream, a scream from Zharmuha.

Turning around in horror, they saw the giant, who was ten feet tall, kneeling in pain, his right wrist gripped by a jet-black arm covered with dark blue veins.

The arm was muscular and disproportionate to its owner, appearing somewhat deformed.

Its aura was eerie and terrifying, as if it came from the abyss, from hell. Just one glance made Tianlang and Tangshanjun feel dizzy.

They finally understood why Hongling had run away, and why the white-robed Warlock had been shouting for escape.

Amidst the cracking sounds of bones breaking, the "giant" Zharmuha's body rapidly withered, and his screams ceased.

Without further hesitation, one leaped onto the feathered spider, while the other followed closely behind Hong Ling, and they began their escape.

"With sudden enlightenment, there is no worry or fear," Xu Qi'an said loudly.

Buddhist School precepts!

This time, he did not use the magic book, because the one controlling his body was the god.

In an instant, the fear in the hearts of Hong Ling in the distance, and Tian Lang and Tang Shan Jun nearby subsided, and the thought of running away was taken away. They turned around uncontrollably, wanting to fight Xu Qi'an to the death.

The effects of the precepts wore off after two seconds, and fear and the will to survive regained their grip, but it was too late.

In two seconds, Xu Qi'an, possessed by divine intervention, was able to complete the Triple Kill.

He drew the black and gold longsword from his waist, swung it out suddenly, and then, without looking at it, appeared in front of Tianlang like a ghost, grabbed his neck, and suddenly unleashed his aura.

With a snap, the head was removed.

Immediately afterwards, Xu Qi'an leaped up and landed from the height, stomping Tang Shanjun into the ground with one foot and slapping his head with his palm.

Bang!

Tang Shanjun's eyes rolled back instantly, and his vertical pupils slowly dimmed.

Just then, a "thud" came from afar, and a black and gold longsword pierced through Hong Ling's chest, pinning her to the ground.

The body of a fourth-rank martial artist was as fragile as paper amidst the weapons that Monk Shenshu hurled with all his might.

"No, don't kill me, don't kill me!"

Hongling begged for mercy in a pitiful voice, spitting out blood and foam from her mouth.

A deep sense of regret welled up within her. If she hadn't participated in this siege, if she hadn't come to Great Feng, she would never have encountered this monster.

The most terrifying person in the delegation was not Yang Yan, but this Silver Gong, the devil hiding in the crowd.

She knows now, but it's too late.

"This humble monk did not kill you; this humble monk is sending you into the cycle of reincarnation." The monk Shenshu clasped his hands together, looking gently at the imposter queen whose Essence Blood had been drained.

Just like her.

Hongling looked utterly desperate. She screamed, "Who are you? Who are you?"

"Great Feng Silver Gong, Xu Qi'an," Shen Shu said.

Xu Qi'an, Hong Ling murmured.

These were her last words; the next moment, her head was also removed.

After killing them, Monk Shenshu extracted the Essence Blood of three fourth-rank experts, turning them into dried corpses.

"If you encounter such an opponent again, remember to call me." After saying this, Monk Shenshu returned control of the body to Xu Qi'an.

"Master Shenshu, you've become so arrogant now. What a boring battle. I haven't grasped the extraordinary abilities of a fourth-rank martial artist at all. They've already fallen before I even exerted any effort, "Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

He was not surprised by such a result; in fact, he thought it was to be expected.

When Shen Shu's severed arm was sealed for five hundred years, and he was out of ammunition and food for five hundred years, he was able to defeat four Golden Gongs and Yang Qianhuan as soon as he was born.

Now that he has been nurtured within his body for over half a year and nourished by the fortune of the ancient tomb, it would be too disrespectful to his divine status to fight a few fourth-rank officials with great force and intensity.

I wonder if he has the ability to withstand the Prince of Zhenbei. The Prince of Zhenbei is a third-rank official, and the difference between the third and fourth ranks is like heaven and earth. Shen Shu can kill a fourth-rank official, but he may not be able to kill a third-rank official. Xu Qi'an held his knife and looked around. Besides the maid, there were two other survivors present.

Chu Xianglong and the white-robed Warlock.

"You're about to die, do you have any last words?" Xu Qi'an walked up to Chu Xianglong and asked.

"Who exactly are you?" Chu Xianglong, barely clinging to life, stared at Xu Qi'an with his cloudy eyes.

He was pierced through the heart by an arrow, and death was inevitable. He was still alive only because of his strong physique.

"Didn't I say it was Xu Qi'an, the Silver Gong of the Great Feng Dynasty?"

That's not your voice.

Xu Qi'an did not answer.

Chu Xianglong stared at him for a few seconds, then asked in a hoarse voice, "I've always had a question for you. The stone Buddha you gave me..."

"It's fake, cobbled together from various sources, and shortchanged," Xu Qi'an sneered.

"You'll die a horrible death," Chu Xianglong cursed.

Puff!

Xu Qi'an swung his black and gold longsword and severed his head.

Then he looked at the deranged Warlock, who was beyond communication, blood streaming from his eyes, muttering repeatedly, "Run, run."

With a swift stroke, he killed the Warlock as well.

After killing all the survivors, Xu Qi'an took out a Confucian School scroll, tore off the Daoist School recording the Daoist "Gathering Yin Array" Law Technique, and ignited the energy.

In the dense forest, a chilling wind blew, and the sun seemed to have lost its warmth.

Seven unreal, illusory figures materialized and hovered in mid-air, their expressions blank and somewhat wooden.

Before heading north, Li Miaozhen told Xu Qi'an that after a person dies, the celestial soul and the terrestrial soul leave the body, while the human soul remains inside the body and will only overflow after seven days. When the three souls are not reunited, the soul becomes dull and lifeless.

No matter what you ask him, he will answer truthfully and will not lie.

"How did you learn of the Princess's journey north and set up an ambush beforehand?" Xu Qi'an asked calmly, scanning the souls of the four northern experts.

"Xu Shengzu told us."

"Giant" Zharmuha gave a blank reply.

"Who is Xu Shengzu?" Xu Qi'an asked in a deep voice.

"A Warlock." Zharmuha answered every question honestly.

Warlock? Xu Qi'an's gaze immediately fell on the white-robed Warlock's spirit. Lost in thought, he continued, "Why did you ambush the princess?"

After a person dies, their soul becomes sluggish and dull. You have to ask them questions one by one, otherwise they won't be able to answer them.

"Prevent the Prince of Zhenbei from reaching the second rank," Zharmuha replied.

To prevent the Prince of Zhenbei from reaching the second rank, they're trying to assassinate his princess?! Is there any necessary connection between these two things? Without the princess, the Prince of Zhenbei can't advance to the second rank?

This answer was completely unexpected by Xu Qi'an, causing him to pause and think for a long time.

Xu Qi'an had originally speculated that the princess's trip north had some hidden secret, perhaps related to Emperor Yuanjing or some scheme by the Prince of Zhenbei.

Yes, that is indeed the case. However, he never imagined that a mere woman would be related to the Prince of Zhenbei's promotion to the second rank.

After pondering for a long time, Xu Qi'an asked Hong Ling, Tang Shanjun, and Tianlang the same question, and received the same answer.

Their purpose in intercepting and killing the princess was truly to prevent the Prince of Zhenbei from being promoted to the second rank. He then asked, "What is so special about the princess?"

Zhamuha murmured, "Legend has it that the princess possesses a rare spiritual essence within her body; absorbing this essence allows one to easily advance to the third rank."

Xu Qi'an's pupils contracted slightly, thinking he was talking nonsense.

If a fourth-rank martial artist can still be considered human, then a third-rank martial artist is extraordinary and cannot be judged by ordinary standards; this is a difference in the level of life.

Therefore, the number of martial artists from the fourth to the third rank dropped almost precipitously. Xu Qi'an had not kept count of how many fourth-rank martial artists there were in the Great Feng, but they were definitely not few.

However, there was only one Prince of Zhenbei among the third-rank officials, and one can imagine the difficulties involved.

How could a mere princess consort promote a fourth-rank official to a third-rank official?

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an couldn't help but turn his head to look at the old lady.

No wonder she became somewhat out of control after learning that the official ship had been ambushed, and was trembling with fear and insecurity the whole way, a stark contrast to her arrogant demeanor a while ago. She must know her special status and what fate awaited her if she fell into the hands of the barbarians.

Immediately, he realized another illogical point.

"That's not right. If the princess really smells that good, how has she managed to survive all these years unscathed? The temptation of advancing from the fourth rank to the third is irresistible, not to mention the northern barbarians, even a fourth-rank expert in the capital of the Great Feng Dynasty would probably be unable to resist such temptation, like Yang Yan."

Yang Yan, that martial arts fanatic, would definitely go crazy for it. But I asked Yang Yan about it on the official ship, and he clearly didn't know about the princess's peculiarities. Hmm, if I were the Prince of Zhenbei or Emperor Yuanjing, I certainly wouldn't have exposed the princess's secret either. But how did the northern barbarians know about it?

Xu Qi'an voiced this question.

Zharmuha answered truthfully, "Xu Shengzu said so."

The Warlock asked Tangshan Jun and Tianlang the same question again, and they came to the same conclusion as Zhalmuha. They were convinced that the princess possessed a so-called spiritual essence that could help them break through to the third rank.

However, when it came to Hongling, Xu Qi'an's question was supplemented.

The alluring woman's gaze was vacant as she whispered, "The lord covets the princess and ordered me to intercept and kill her. I was jealous, so I asked him what was so special about the princess. He said she possessed spiritual energy and even told me a poem."

"My lord? Chu Xianglong said she was the favorite concubine of the Qingyan tribe's leader. Is that 'my lord' the leader of the Qingyan tribe?" Xu Qi'an didn't care about that. The thought flashed through his mind, and he asked, "Which poem?"

The alluring woman instinctively revealed a look of jealousy, saying, "Her birth was breathtaking, surpassing all others; her elegance was captivating, bathed in the sunlight. Revered by all, she became a national beauty; her soul, bound to the mortal realm, even attracted emperors."

Isn't this the poem Fuxiang told me about? It's said that when the princess was still a child, the abbot of a certain temple was amazed by her Celestial Person and wrote her a poem.

"There's definitely no problem with this poem, because it's widely circulated. Or perhaps there's a deeper meaning behind it that most people don't know. I'll ask Dean Zhao Shou when we get back to the capital."

Now, most of the mysteries have been solved.

The Prince of Zhenbei needs to be promoted to the second rank, so he needs the spirit of his wife to help him break through the final barrier. What Emperor Yuanjing and Chu Xianglong are wary of are the "enemies" in the Great Feng court, some of whom do not want the Prince of Zhenbei to be promoted to the second rank.

However, because of Xu Shengzu and the mysterious Warlock behind him, the barbarians learned of this matter and thus set up an ambush in advance to seize the queen.

This has resulted in the current situation where there is a huge disparity between the ambush experts and the escorting forces.

So that means the enemy on the imperial side hasn't made a move yet?

No, they've already made their move. Xu Qi'an's eyes suddenly lit up as he recalled some more details.

Zhou Xianping, the former Ministry of Revenue the Ministry of Revenue, spearheaded the tax silver case, in which a mysterious Warlock was involved. This case tells Xu Qi'an that the mysterious Warlock secretly controls a portion of the court.

Zhou Xianping is the evidence.

How did the barbarians know about the queen's extraordinary abilities? It was this white-robed Warlock named Xu Shengzu who told them.

The traitors within the imperial court must be colluding with the northern barbarians, because they share a common link: a mysterious Warlock.

"Damn it, all those Warlock are old foxes. The Superintendent is plotting in the shadows, and that mysterious Warlock is plotting in the shadows too. They're all more cunning than the last. Wait, the Superintendent probably knows about this Warlock's existence."

Xu Qi'an opened his mouth, slightly dazed, as a thought suddenly flashed into his mind: Was the supervisor currently playing a game of chess with this mysterious Warlock?!

Everyone was a pawn in their game, including me and Shen Shu.

Xu Qi'an exhaled slowly, deciding to ignore the matter of the supervisor and the mysterious Warlock for now; that was something he would have to deal with in the future, not something he could control now.

Chess pieces have their advantages; they can grow stronger through the gifts of a player, and when they have enough strength in the future, they can overturn the game.

But before that, he needs to bide his time and gather resources from other sources. After all, simply absorbing the gifts from other players will not allow him to grow strong enough to overturn the chessboard.

He then inquired about the main purpose of the operation, "Was the massacre across three thousand miles carried out by your barbarian tribe?"

PS: Thank you "Mo Bibi" for the generous donation, muah!