Take a gamble, turn a bicycle into a motorcycle

Facing the terrified Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect, Xu Qi'an smirked. "Guess."

The Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. Xu Qian's mysterious aura was too strong, causing him to fall into great confusion and bewilderment.

Did I accidentally kill the conversation? Clearly, this matter involves the secrets of the Heavenly Sect, and Li Lingsu most likely won't tell me the truth. To extract information, I can't ask directly, and an exchange won't work either; I have to get him to tell me voluntarily. Xu Qi'an thought for a moment and said calmly:

"What is a secret that the Heavenly Sect cannot reveal to the public to you is something I have known for hundreds of years."

Hundreds of years ago, Li Lingsu slightly opened her mouth and stared blankly at him.

who is he?

How many hundreds of years has he lived?

Aside from Confucian School, only those of the fourth rank or higher in any other system can enjoy long lifespans. Does this mean Xu Qian is at least a third-rank? No, although he is cunning, he can't even beat Sister Qing.

In an instant, all sorts of thoughts flashed through Li Lingsu's mind.

"You can't even beat Sister Qing, how have you lived for hundreds of years?" He frowned and questioned.

"I can't even beat a fourth-rank opponent, but I know everything the Gu Clan knows," Xu Qi'an said with a smile.

Li Lingsu was speechless for a moment, unable to refute him, and felt even more that Xu Qian was a mysterious and unpredictable person.

Xu Qi'an continued, "Knowing doesn't mean knowing the inside story."

Li Lingsu closed his mouth, which he had just opened; he had been about to question her:

Since you already know the secrets of the Heavenly Sect, why did you ask me earlier?

The answer was obtained, and I was surprised by the other party's meticulous logic.

The Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect pondered for a moment and said:

"I don't know more than you do, but it's true. Of course, it won't be recorded in any books, but it can't be hidden from any disciple. The reason is simple: the Heavenly Sect has been passed down for thousands of years, and many masters have emerged. After advancing to the third-grade transcendent level, one can have an extremely long lifespan."

"Logically speaking, even if some seniors are lost due to factors such as heavenly tribulations or battles, it is impossible for them all to perish. However, the three sects of Heaven, Earth, and Man have very few extraordinary experts."

"The Earth Sect cultivates merit, but risks falling into demonic possession. The Human Sect suffers from the karmic fire, and almost no Daoist leader survives the Heavenly Tribulation. So, what about our Heavenly Sect?"

"The Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotions of the Heavenly Sect is the Great Way, which is different from being burned by karmic fire or falling into the demonic path. So what is the problem with the Heavenly Sect?"

Many disciples have these kinds of questions in their hearts, but they are destined never to get the answers. Only the elders of the sect and a few outstanding disciples know the Heavenly Sect's cultivation method. The higher the rank, the easier it is to encounter the danger of "disappearance".

"No one knows where they went. I suspect even the elders of the sect don't know. Perhaps only the leaders of each generation know, but they never say."

After speaking, Li Lingsu looked at Xu Qi'an, and in a gesture of exchanging information, asked for his advice:

"Does Senior Xu know?"

These matters are secrets of the Heavenly Sect. He would never have revealed them to anyone else, but Xu Qian, who claims to have lived for hundreds of years, revealed them in a single sentence. Li Lingsu believes that the other party may know more about the inside story than she does.

"Looks like you don't know the truth either. I was just about to fleece you, and you've already taken it from me." Xu Qi'an maintained his persona of a wise and enlightened master, and scoffed.

"Where did the Daoist Master go?"

Li Lingsu's pupils suddenly contracted, his expression became blank, and after a moment, his frozen eyes trembled slightly, and his breathing became rapid.

In an instant, he seemed to understand a long-standing question, or perhaps, a question from the past had been answered.

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, senior!"

The Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect sincerely performed a Daoist salute.

I didn't say anything; I used a question. Xu Qi'an muttered to himself. He didn't dwell on the topic and instead asked:

"How did you confirm beforehand that if we went west, the Eastern sisters wouldn't pursue us too closely?"

Li Lingsu chuckled and said:

"Because they were originally going to the West, or more precisely, to Leizhou, apparently to find a pagoda. Sister Rong said that whether her master can be resurrected depends on this trip."

The name "Futu Pagoda" suggests it belongs to Buddhist School; Leizhou is a prefecture bordering the Western Regions and belongs to the Great Feng; Dongfang Wanrong is a sorceress, so her master must also be a sorceress.

Xu Qi'an frowned, finding it difficult to put these pieces of information together. "Explain in detail."

"I don't know the specifics, but I do know that Sister Rong's master was Nalan Tianlu, the former city lord of Jingshan City, and the father of the former city lord Nalan Yan. He was killed by Wei Yuan during the Battle of Shanhai Pass."

Li Lingsu's gaze swept over Xu Qi'an's shoulder and saw her sister-in-law sitting on a large rock in the distance, smiling as she looked this way.

His heart sank, and he quickly lowered his head. He suspected that his sister-in-law was spying on him, but he had no proof.

Women of average appearance were not on his list of those seeking enlightenment and transcendence, especially since her man was a formidable figure.

My damn charm.

The Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect composed himself and said:

"But as you know, the Witch God Sect excels at cultivating the Primordial Spirit. The physical body is easily destroyed, but the Primordial Spirit is difficult to annihilate. As far as I know, that Nalan Tianlu was a second-rank Rain Master. Presumably, he died but did not fall, and his Primordial Spirit was taken away by the Buddhist School."

What does this have to do with the Pagoda? Xu Qi'an pondered.

The capital city.

In Jingxiu Palace, the Crown Prince sat in the warm, spring-like hall, dressed in a python robe, holding a teacup in his hands.

"Mother, in another half month, I will ascend the throne."

When the Crown Prince spoke these words, his voice was calm and steady, as if he possessed the composure to remain unmoved even if a mountain collapsed before him.

This is a detail he has been emphasizing to himself recently: his deceased father, Wei Yuan who died in battle, and the still-standing Chief Minister Wang—these once powerful figures all possess a calm and composed aura.

As the soon-to-be-crowned king of a nation, he naturally had to keep his emotions hidden.

The elegant and well-maintained Consort Chen, radiant with health and beauty, walked to the Crown Prince's side, gently stroked his sleeve, and said excitedly:

"Good, good, we've finally made it through! We've finally made it through!"

The voluptuous and alluring mature woman's eyes welled with tears.

She was pleased for a moment, then suddenly frowned. "You must be wary of the Fourth Prince resorting to desperate measures."

The crown prince smiled and shook his head:

"No, the child has been the Crown Prince for over a decade. Whether it's public opinion or the court, his heart is with me. I am the rightful heir."

"Now that Father has passed away, the country cannot be without a ruler for a day. The court and the people all hope that I can ascend the throne as soon as possible. Moreover, after that proclamation was posted, my popularity among the people immediately soared. My fourth brother is not popular and poses no threat at all."

"In truth, we have to thank Chief Minister Wang for all of this. Without his help, my fourth brother might have been able to rely on Wei Yuan's remaining supporters and struggle a bit."

Consort Chen smiled and said, "After you ascend the throne, you will need to rely more on Chief Minister Wang."

"I understand."

Consort Chen nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly said resentfully, "After you ascend the throne, your mother wants that woman to enter Changchun Palace."

Changchun Palace was a cold palace; who that woman refers to is self-evident.

The crown prince frowned and said, "Mother, after I ascend the throne, you will be the mistress of the harem. Why bother with a mere rank?"

He understood his mother's meaning; she wanted to become Empress Dowager and, more importantly, wanted to banish that woman to the Cold Palace.

However, he was the Empress's nominal son, and she was his legal mother. Unless the Empress committed an unforgivable mistake, he could not strip her of her title even if he ascended the throne.

"Snort!"

Consort Chen said in a low voice, "I understand the Crown Prince's concerns. The Empress has long since lost her virtue and is unworthy to be the mother of the nation. Let me tell you."

Upon hearing this, the crown prince was dumbfounded and remained silent for a long time.

He never imagined that the Empress and Wei Yuan had such a past.

"But now Wei Yuan is dead, and there's no way to verify it." The Crown Prince frowned deeply.

"If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext," Consort Chen sneered.

"Let me think about it."

The Eastern Palace.

Upon his return, the Crown Prince immediately sent for the Grand Secretary.

He relayed Consort Chen's thoughts to Grand Secretary Wang and asked, "What is your opinion, Grand Secretary?"

The gray-haired Grand Secretary Wang Huan was momentarily dazed, then sighed, "So that's how it is. Your Highness has cleared up my doubts of many years."

He paused, then said:

"Your Highness is about to ascend the throne. When making decisions, your primary consideration should be the gains and losses, not blood relations. If you wish to depose the Empress on this basis, it would be reasonable. But has Your Highness considered what will become of the royal family's reputation?"

"After you ascend the throne, the face of the royal family is your face. After the death of the late emperor, everything in the past was blamed on him. Now, the Great Feng in a new era. If such a thing happens again at this critical juncture, Your Highness will not only lose face, but also damage your reputation as well as the Empress."

"Even if we disregard all these princes and insist on making this a fact, would Xu Qi'an agree to it, given Wei Yuan's reputation after death?"

The crown prince's breath hitched, his expression stiffening slightly. The next second, his face returned to normal, and he slowly said:

"The Grand Secretary's view is very pertinent; it was my oversight that led me to this conclusion."

He casually changed the subject, laughing, "I heard that the Grand Secretary's daughter is getting engaged to the junior scholar Xu Xinnian?"

The Prime Minister immediately smiled, "An auspicious day has been chosen; the engagement will take place in three months."

The Crown Prince laughed and said, "Don't forget to invite me for a drink then."

The sun shines brightly today. A beautiful woman in a red dress, dressed in a gorgeous outfit, rides a dragon and glides across the lake, her waist swaying like a water snake.

Dressed simply, Huaiqing held a wine cup and stood on the shore, looking at the useless Lin'an with a gasp and a clear, bell-like laugh.

After Xu Qi'an left the capital, she could clearly perceive the state of Lin'an, which swept away the gloom.

Although there are times when I space out, I'm mostly happy.

The reasons included the improved atmosphere in the palace after Joan of Arc's death, the upcoming ascension of the crown prince, and Lin'an's joy for his elder brother. However, Huaiqing believed that the biggest reason lay with Xu Qi'an.

What did he say to her before he left? Or what promises did he make?

The eldest princess, as beautiful and pure as a lotus flower, frowned.

She was secretly annoyed for a moment, then looked up at the horizon and muttered to herself:

"A storm is brewing, and the wind is howling."

The mess left by the Emperor is nothing compared to the rebels in Yunzhou, which pose the greatest challenge to the court and to the Crown Prince who is about to ascend the throne.

On the narrow mountain path, three people on two horses galloped along, raising a cloud of dust behind them.

Before dusk, Xu Qi'an and his two companions arrived at a small town and decided to rest at an inn for the night.

Sitting at a square table in the inn's lobby, Li Lingsu sipped her wine and asked in confusion:

"Senior, why don't you return to the capital? Do you still have matters to attend to?"

In his mind, the three of them should immediately head north to the capital, but Xu Qian continued westward, showing no intention of returning to the capital.

"If you wish to go to the capital, you may leave on your own." Xu Qi'an poured Mu Nanzhi a glass of wine.

"No, without you, I'll lose my Law Technique to shift stars and change constellations. Sister Rong and Sister Qing will capture me and take me back sooner or later."

Li Lingsu touched her waist and shook her head repeatedly.

After a hasty dinner, both returned to their rooms. Xu Qi'an took out a large water vat and several pots of poisonous plants from the fragments of the Earth Book and placed them by his bedside, hoping that under the nourishment of the reincarnation of the Flower Goddess, they would grow and evolve as they should.

"Hmm, we can't take out the Earth Book fragments in front of Li Lingsu anymore; he's most likely number seven."

Long ago, when Master Jinlian introduced the members of the Heaven and Earth Society, he mentioned that Number Seven was being hunted down and that his relationship with Li Miaozhen was extraordinary.

Number Seven and Li Lingsu are a perfect match. He once said that all his savings were with his junior sister Li Miaozhen. In other words, the fragments of the Earth Book were in Li Miaozhen's hands.

This is understandable; Li Lingsu wasn't very confident that she could escape the pursuit of the twin sisters.

The Earth Book was a gift from Daoist Jinlian and is a magical Law Treasure of the Earth Sect. To prevent this Law Treasure from falling into the wrong hands, it is understandable that Li Lingsu, who was prepared for the worst, gave the fragments of the Earth Book to her junior sister.

At this moment, Xu Qi'an felt a strange stirring in his heart and sensed the unique fluctuations of a certain Law Artifact emanating from the fragments of the Earth Book.

Lightly tap the mirror with your fingertips.

A conch shell engraved with incantations fell onto the table with a thud.

He picked up the conch shell and brought it to his ear.

A man's voice came clearly: "You"

Xu Qi'an remained listening intently, but after a long while, the conch shell remained silent, without any movement.

"You?"

Xu Qi'an fell into deep thought. What was the second disciple of the supervisor trying to express?

He started to think about it, racking his brains, and then, after a long silence, a voice finally came from the conch shell. "Here."

"You are?"

Xu Qi'an frowned even more, wondering what this meant and what his second senior brother was trying to express.

He started to think about it and rack his brains.

Unfortunately, there was no sound coming from the conch shell.

Unable to guess his second senior brother's meaning, Xu Qi'an reluctantly gave up. He took off his shoes and socks, soaked his feet for a while, and was about to go to bed when his powerful hearing caught a faint voice coming from the conch shell on the table:

"Where"

Finally, there was a sound! Xu Qi'an repeated in a low voice, "Where are you?"

He suddenly raised his voice. "Where are you?!"

A series of question marks flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind. His second senior brother had asked: Where are you?

They're asking about his location.

That's it?

"It's probably because the distance is too far, and the conch's 'signal' is weak," Xu Qi'an guessed in his mind, and replied:

"I'm on the border of Yongzhou, in a place called Qingya Town."

After waiting for a long time, a voice came from the conch shell. "Okay."

Then came an eternal silence.

"It should be alright now. The conch shell the supervisor gave me is no good; the signal is so bad." He grumbled as he walked into the closet and pulled out a clean quilt.

"Move over a bit, the space you gave me is way too small."

Xu Qi'an threw the blanket on the bed and nudged Mu Nanzhi's shoulder.

"Why didn't you book two rooms?" Mu Nanzhi turned her head, her bright eyes filled with doubt.

I'm worried you'll be scared sleeping alone.

Xu Qi'an slipped into the quilt. Although they were sleeping under different quilts, the two were very close, close enough that he could count the princess's hairs and smell the unique fragrance of the reincarnation of the flower goddess.

Mu Nanzhi glared at him, turned around, faced the wall, and put her back to him.

Her fair and delicate neck was faintly visible through her disheveled hair.

Xu Qi'an moved closer to the wall, and Mu Nanzhi also moved closer. As the enemy retreated and we advanced, Mu Nanzhi was forced against the wall, with nowhere left to retreat.

She turned around, glared at him, and snapped, "What do you want to do?"

"I'm sorry, it was the love potion that struck first." Xu Qi'an paused for a moment, unable to answer.

He gazed at Mu Nanzhi's ordinary features and whispered, "I... I want to see your face again, your true face."

Mu Nanzhi's face flushed instantly, and even her ears turned red.

The two stared at each other in the darkness, their breathing gradually quickening and their heartbeats accelerating.

Just as Xu Qi'an was about to gamble his luck and turn his bicycle into a motorcycle, he suddenly heard the heartbeat of a third person.

He was immediately shocked and looked up abruptly at the head of the bed.

A white-robed Warlock stood there, silently watching the man and woman on the bed.

PS: Updated first, revised later.