An Irreconcilable Conflict

The moment Xu Qi'an saw a figure in white standing in the darkness, his heart seemed to skip a few beats, his scalp tingled, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

This was not just because he was frightened by being watched by outsiders while doing something private, but also because after experiencing Xu Pingfeng's surprise attack, Xu Qi'an developed a very serious post-traumatic stress disorder in the face of the white-clad man who suddenly appeared and caught him off guard.

He combined his poisonous abilities with his saliva, spitting out a jet-black venom that corroded everything.

Then, he pounced on Mu Nanzhi's plump and soft body, trying to leap into her shadow.

The white-robed Warlock turned his head to avoid the venom spray and urgently uttered a single word. "No."

Um?

Xu Qi'an was stunned for a moment. The voice sounded strangely familiar, but it wasn't Xu Pingfeng's voice. He stopped the shadow jump.

"Ah!!"

Mu Nanzhi's screams echoed in the room. She still didn't notice the white-robed Warlock, but she thought Xu Qi'an was about to use violence against her.

The princess was covered by the quilt, her body pressed down by him, like a natural restraint, making it impossible for her to push or resist. She could only keep twisting her body, like a plump and juicy maggot.

As the saying goes, even the most skilled archer cannot hit a fast-moving object.

Just then, she heard Xu Qi'an's voice in her ear. "Are you Second Senior Brother Sun Xuanji?"

Mu Nanzhi immediately calmed down, raised her head, and looked towards the head of the bed. Sure enough, there was a figure in white standing at the head of the bed, whose features were indistinct in the darkness.

The white-robed Warlock looked down at the man and woman on the bed and said in a deep voice, "Fear."

Fear? What is he afraid of? What is he afraid of? The same question flashed through Xu Qi'an and Mu Nanzhi's minds.

Wait, he just said a word, something like "don't," and Xu Qi'an seemed to understand something.

"He is the second disciple of the Supervisor, Senior Brother Sun Xuanji."

Xu Qi'an lowered his head, gazing into Mu Nanzhi's dark, lustrous eyes, and offered an explanation.

He immediately rose from the princess's soft, voluptuous body, put on his robe, walked to the table, and lit the candles.

The fiery glow dispelled the darkness, bringing a dim, yellow light.

By the candlelight, Xu Qi'an sized up his second senior brother, whom he had never met before. He was about 1.7 meters tall and quite ordinary. His features were regular, but he was far from being "handsome" and was equally ordinary.

Among the disciples of the Supervisor, this second senior brother was the most ordinary. Even the arrogant Yang Qianhuan... oh, Xu Qi'an had never seen what he looked like.

But Song Qing, the alchemy fanatic, is actually a rather handsome man.

As for Chu Caiwei and Zhong Li, the former is a lively and adorable girl with big eyes, while the latter, although sloppy, occasionally reveals a glimpse of her features, which suggests she is an exceptionally beautiful woman.

The princess was curled up in the thick quilt, only peeking out half her head. Her bright and lively eyes quietly watched the two of them, mainly scrutinizing Sun Xuanji.

Sun Xuanji said, "My teacher sent me to find you."

Fifteen minutes passed after he finished speaking.

The princess fell asleep again, emitting soft snores.

Xu Qi'an stared blankly at the white-robed Warlock: "Senior Brother Sun, what's going on?"

Is this a language barrier?

Sun Xuanji nodded solemnly and explained, "I... no."

Xu Qi'an quickly interrupted, "It's alright, no need to explain."

He thought to himself, "Another fifteen minutes have passed since you finished explaining."

"Did the Superintendent send you to see me?"

Xu Qi'an flipped the overturned teacup, poured two cups of hot tea, and frowned, saying, "What are his instructions? Hmm, if possible, please speak quickly."

The teacher said, "The Floating Pagoda is open."

He hopes that you can go there.

Sun Xuanji finished speaking.

The tea in Xu Qi'an's hand had gone cold.

Mu Nanzhi turned over, murmured a few words, and slept soundly.

I really wanted to hit him, otherwise I wouldn't be able to calm down. Xu Qi'an's face twitched violently, and he felt an uncontrollable surge of agitation rising in his heart, making him want to pound his chest and roar.

Listening patiently to what the second brother (a character from Journey to the West) has to do is a painful thing, no less painful than scratching a blackboard with fingernails or rubbing two pieces of foam together.

If Chun Ge were here, he would either draw his sword and kill someone or commit seppuku. Xu Qi'an thought painfully.

Sun Xuanji took a deep breath and continued, "Teacher."

"Wait a moment!"

Xu Qi'an interrupted, quickly poured water to grind ink, spread out the paper, dipped the brush in the inkstone, and presented it with both hands, saying sincerely:

"Second Brother, if we can fight, let's not talk nonsense, okay?"

Sun Xuanji frowned slightly, seemingly preferring verbal communication, and reluctantly took the pen, sitting down at the desk to write.

Huff. Xu Qi'an exhaled. The smooth writing rhythm, the unhindered strokes, the quietly burning candle... the world is truly beautiful.

As expected, none of the disciples of the Supervisor are normal. Compared to the arrogant Yang Qianhuan, the alchemy fanatic Song Qing, the grumpy Zhong Li, and the clueless Chu Caiwei, this Sun Xuanji is the most terrifying person.

Second only to the incorrigible Xu Pingfeng.

"Second Senior Brother, why didn't you let me know you were coming?" Xu Qi'an complained.

If this birdie doesn't come over, he might be able to teach the princess how to write "M" and "".

I said it, but you...

Before long, Sun Xuanji finished writing, but he hadn't finished speaking.

Looking at Xu Qi'an, he said, "You didn't pay any attention to me."

"."

Xu Qi'an cupped his hands in greeting and took the paper to read.

The more he looked, the more serious he became, his expression tinged with excitement.

The pagoda is a treasure of Buddhist School, used specifically to suppress and refine evil spirits. Five hundred years ago, when Buddhist School spread its teachings in the Central Plains, it brought with it two divine arms.

His right hand was used to suppress the evil spirits in Sangbo Lake, and his left hand was used to suppress them in the pagoda of Sanhua Temple in Leizhou.

Two hundred years ago, the Great Feng "betrayed its promises" and implemented a policy of suppressing Buddhism, driving the Buddhist School back to the Western Regions, leaving only a few scattered Buddhist temples to eke out a living in the Central Plains.

Like Qinglong Temple in Beijing, Sanhua Temple did not completely withdraw, leaving behind its lineage.

The mission of Qinglong Temple is to keep an eye on the sealed artifact beneath Sangbo Lake.

The same applies to Sanhua Temple.

As for why the Buddhist School didn't bring the pagoda back to the Western Regions, Sun Xuanji explained that the seal of the Sanhua Temple in Leizhou and the seal under Sangbo were exactly the same, both having the help of the supervisor to set up the formation.

When the Buddhist School and the Great Feng brothers were on good terms, there was no problem. But once their superficial brotherhood broke down, the Supervisor's formation became an obstacle instead.

Furthermore, the Buddhist School sent Shenshu's remains to the Great Feng Seal because they were no longer able to seal those remains.

"The severed arm sealed within the pagoda must also contain a wisp of remnant soul. With the two remnant souls combined, Shen Shu will be able to recall even more things."

Xu Qi'an suppressed his excitement and asked, "Why weren't you told about this beforehand?"

Sun Xuanji picked up his pen and wrote, "The teacher is a chess player."

Does this mean I, a pawn, am not entitled to know the news in advance? Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

"I heard that the Witch God Cult has also sent people to Leizhou."

Sun Xuanji frowned, then a look of realization dawned on him. He picked up his brush and wrote:

"The Pagoda has two ways to be opened: one, by the combined efforts of the Buddhist School and the master; two, by opening it automatically once every sixty years. The latter's opening time is almost up."

Xu Qi'an immediately understood:

"Was it a joint effort between the Supervisor and the Buddhist School sect that the second-rank Rain Master was sent to the Pagoda back then?"

Yes, during the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the relationship between Buddhist School and the Great Feng was quite close.

Sun Xuanji wrote, "I'm not quite sure, I was just a boy back then. You have two things to do: stop the Witch God Cult from rescuing Nalan Tianlu's soul, and bring out Shen Shu's severed arm. I will help you."

Why doesn't the supervisor himself take action?

"When the formation was set up, our teacher and the Buddhist School swore an oath, sworn by the will of Heavenly Dao, that they would not do anything to break the seal."

"Understand."

Xu Qi'an laughed. Although the Dongfang sisters were at the peak of the fourth rank, Sun Xuanji was a third-rank Heavenly Mystery Master. With his assistance, dealing with them would be a piece of cake.

Well, there might be some experts from Sanhua Temple, but it shouldn't be a big problem.

This is progressing well. The materials, dragon energy, and the severed arm of the Divine One are being collected methodically. I thought the Supervisor wanted Sun Xuanji to help me search for dragon energy, but I didn't expect the foreshadowing to be here.

Sun Xuanji glanced at him, her expression serious, and wrote:

"Don't let your guard down. After Wei Yuan captured Jingshan City, the Witch God Sect was severely weakened, which is why they took a desperate gamble and set their sights on the Floating Pagoda. They are very likely to send a Spiritual Wisdom Master to take action."

Master Linghui, Xu Qi'an's pupils contracted slightly.

Before he could speak, Sun Xuanji wrote again:

"A few days ago, I went to Leizhou and used the Qi-Watching Technique to detect a guardian deity."

Xu Qi'an's mouth dropped open. "Sanhua Temple has a guardian deity guarding it?"

How can we play then?

Sun Xuanji shook his head, picked up his brush and wrote, "After the persecution of Buddhism, all Buddhist disciples of the fourth rank and above withdrew from the Central Plains. Sanhua Temple did not have a Vajra guardian. I suspect that the reason this Vajra is here is because of the spirit of the dragon vein."

For the sake of the Dragon Vein Spirit, Xu Qi'an's heart sank. This was not good news; it meant that if he continued to collect dragon energy, he was destined to encounter this Vajra.

"Why would Buddhist School collect dragon energy?" Xu Qi'an's expression was not good.

"Losing the dragon's energy will plunge the Central Plains into chaos. Obtaining the dragon's energy grants the possibility of conquering the Central Plains. In this respect, Buddhist School and the Witchcraft Cult are no different."

Sun Xuanji glanced at him and continued writing, "There is a dragon aura attached to the Floating Pagoda, and it is one of the nine crucial dragon auras."

a bolt from the blue!

Xu Qi'an's face suddenly went blank, his mouth slightly agape as he stared blankly at Sun Xuanji.

The latter looked at him calmly.

This is unavoidable. If the Floating Pagoda only had Shenshu's severed arm, I could still stall for time, and try to collect dragon energy or find other remains.

But now, one of the nine dragon energies is attached to the Sanhua Temple, attracting the third-rank Vajra. Coupled with Shenshu's severed arm, this is an irreconcilable contradiction for me.

Perhaps, we can negotiate?

The Buddhist School wanted to invite me to the Western Regions to become a Buddhist disciple.

No, you can't think like that. To live a life devoid of all worldly desires is worse than death.

Why would Buddhist School collect dragon energy? Does it also harbor ambitions to conquer the Central Plains? Or perhaps it wants to use the dragon energy to coerce Buddhism into spreading its teachings in the Central Plains again? But that's unlikely; Buddhist School has already suffered losses in this regard and won't repeat the same mistake. Xu Qi'an rubbed his temples.

He felt a chill in the night.

"Both the Dharma Protector Vajra and the Spiritual Wisdom Master are of the third rank. What should I do? Perhaps I could have done it in my prime," Xu Qi'an asked with a worried expression.

"Those of the fourth rank or above cannot enter the Floating Pagoda. This is due to both the restrictions of the Law Treasure itself and the suppression of the teacher's formation. Otherwise, the Nine-Tailed Fox would have already broken into the pagoda and brought out Shen Shu's severed arm."

Sun Xuanji wrote.

Staring at the paper, Xu Qi'an's eyes slowly brightened, radiating a light of hope.

Suddenly, many ideas flashed through his mind, but they were too scattered and fragmented to be pieced together into a feasible plan.

"That gives me a lot more flexibility; I'll need to spend some time developing a plan."

Xu Qi'an took a sip of the cold tea and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Sun Xuanji wrote, "I need to make some preparations. You will set off for Leizhou tomorrow. Contact me via the conch shell then to formulate a plan. I cannot enter the pagoda, but I can help alleviate external pressure."

Xu Qi'an nodded. "Could we bring Senior Brother Yang along too? He'll definitely enjoy this kind of occasion."

Sun Xuanji's expression suddenly turned strange, and he wrote, "Junior Brother Yang has been suppressed by Master again."

"Why use the word "you"?"

"Not long after you left the capital, he emerged from underground to secretly investigate the Crown Prince."

"Investigate the Crown Prince?"

"According to him, they have already collected evidence of the Crown Prince's corruption, collusion with court officials, and abuse of palace maids. They are just waiting for the Crown Prince to ascend the throne."

The room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by Mu Nanzhi's steady breathing.

After a long while, Xu Qi'an said sincerely:

"Give my regards to the Superintendent, and tell him to take good care of his health; a broad-minded attitude is the secret to longevity."

Sun Xuanji hummed in agreement.

He got up to teleport away, Xu Qi'an quickly added, "Remember to write down what's on the paper."

We must not rub salt into the wound of the supervisor.

Sun Xuanji glanced at him, then the array patterns beneath his feet flickered, and he disappeared.

Xu Qi'an waited a while, and only after confirming that he wouldn't come back did he blow out the candle, snuggle into the quilt, and go to sleep.

The next day, early morning.

Xu Qi'an and Mu Nanzhi got up, washed up, and went to the inn's lobby for breakfast. They happened to see Li Lingsu, dressed in a magnificent black robe, returning to the inn.

He was carrying a large bag of medicinal herbs, wrapped in greaseproof paper.

Li Lingsu discreetly hid the package behind her back and flashed a beautiful smile, "Good morning, you two."

Princess Mu ignored him and lowered her head to drink her porridge.

Xu Qi'an took a breath and said calmly, "Deer antler, Cynomorium songaricum, Polygonatum sibiricum, Gynostemma pentaphyllum root, black sesame seeds."

These are all medicinal herbs used to invigorate male virility and tonify the kidneys.

Mu Nanzhi raised her head and scrutinized Li Lingsu with surprise.

The Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect blushed, looked around nervously, and said urgently, "You, you mustn't say it."

Seeing that there weren't many diners in the main hall and that neither the manager nor the waiter had heard him, he breathed a sigh of relief, sat down at the table, and said in a deep voice:

"I must explain, it's not that I, the Holy Son, indulge in excessive pleasure, but rather that Sister Qing and Sister Rong are insatiable in their demands."

At this point, the Holy Son showed a sad expression:

"They had to have sex with me every day, taking turns, not allowing me a single day of rest. And their purpose in doing this was to prevent me from having the energy to seduce the pretty maids around me."

Overwhelmed with sorrow, the Holy Son cried out, "I never actively seduced the maids; it was they who single-mindedly tried to seduce me. My damned charm!"

Xu Qi'an said expressionlessly, "Get up there. We'll depart in fifteen minutes."

When Li Lingsu returned to her room, Xu Qi'an threw down his porcelain spoon and angrily said, "Utterly tasteless."

The princess lay on the table, one hand covering her stomach, laughing until tears streamed down her face.

A quarter of an hour later, the three rode away from the town. Li Lingsu, chewing on aphrodisiac herbs, called out loudly:

"Senior, where are we going?"

Xu Qi'an looked into the distance and said in a deep voice, "Head west."