Xu Qian's True Identity

After a moment's consideration, he said frankly, "These treasures cannot be shared with you. Both the dragon energy and the Floating Pagoda are unique. You understand that."

Hearing him say this, everyone's hearts sank, and they could not hide their disappointment.

Xu Qi'an remained calm and added, "But I can offer you appropriate compensation so that your trip won't be in vain."

A single sentence can bring about a dramatic turn of events.

There was compensation. People in the Leizhou arena looked at each other with joy.

When there is only one type of treasure, it is indeed the safest and most convincing way to let the strongest person get it all, while the others receive compensation.

"What kind of compensation?" someone asked.

"I will definitely make you satisfied!" Xu Qi'an said.

After obtaining everyone's consent, Xu Qi'an led everyone to the second floor, and then, like a leader giving bonuses to subordinates, summoned them one by one.

The first person to enter was a gaunt man dressed in black, with a short sword hanging at his waist. His face was slightly pale, and his eyes were puffy.

Xu Qi'an asked, "What do you want?"

He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "My name is Zhao Pan. I am skilled in poisons and know a little about the techniques of poison gu. During the day at Sanhua Temple, I saw how fiercely you used poisons. I would like to ask you for a poison, the more potent the better."

This request was not difficult. Xu Qi'an immediately took out a porcelain bottle, forced out a stream of bluish-black venom from his fingertip, and injected it into the bottle.

"Then!"

He plugged the lid back in and tossed it to the strategist named Zhao Pan.

Pop! Zhao Pan eagerly pulled out the cork, took a sniff, and his face lit up with ecstasy. "Good, such potent poison!"

After saying this, his face turned black, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

"What's the difference between this and licking a poisoned dagger?" Xu Qi'an cursed inwardly, frantically trying to save the person, thus rescuing a foolish life.

"Thank you for saving my life."

Zhao Pan's face grew increasingly pale as he clutched the porcelain bottle tightly in his hand, as if it were his greatest treasure.

"This poison is highly potent; it is best used in open areas. Never open the porcelain bottle in a closed room. Additionally, I'll give you a poisonous herb as a bonus."

Xu Qi'an opened the brocade pouch and took out a "potted plant" for him.

This is a lush green plant, resembling an orchid, with a few bright red fruits dotting its verdant greenery.

"Green Widow? This is the Green Widow?"

Zhao Pan examined the orchid and suddenly exclaimed with delight, "It's a mutated Green Widow!"

Even widows can be cuckolded? The guy who named this is a real genius. Xu Qi'an said calmly, "Just cultivated it casually."

Actually, he picked poisonous herbs in the mountains and gave them to Mu Nanzhi to cultivate. As a result, they mutated and became several times more toxic than the original variety.

For poisonous creatures like Gu, the more of different types and with different effects, the better.

For example, the toxin that Xu Qi'an is currently skilled at using is the venom of a thousand-year-old corpse, which is bluish-black. To make it colorless and odorless, it must be diluted to a certain degree.

However, if one could obtain a colorless and odorless poison, the possibilities for underhanded tactics would be even greater.

Zhao Pan casually cultivated a mutated poisonous plant. He knew he had encountered a master of poisons.

Remember our agreement: we mustn't tell anyone what we got.

Zhao Pan went downstairs with great interest.

Before long, a second man came upstairs. He was a typical martial artist, with a burly build and bulging muscles, carrying a large axe.

"What do you want?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"I want to become a fourth-rank martial artist," the burly man said in a deep, booming voice.

What rank are you now?

"Seventh Rank God Refining."

Why don't you just say you want to be a Martial God? People like that are easier to deal with. Xu Qi'an said calmly.

Twenty taels of silver.

The big man didn't speak.

Fifty taels of silver.

The big man remained silent.

Eighty taels of silver.

The burly man clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you, sir!"

An hour later, Xu Qi'an rubbed his temples, finally resolving all the non-obligatory compensation issues. Everyone's needs were different; some wanted poison, some wanted elixirs, some wanted guidance from renowned teachers, and so on.

He couldn't possibly meet everyone's needs, so he mostly paid for them by converting them into silver or giving away muskets.

A few requests were particularly strange. One said that his fiancée had broken off their engagement back in his hometown, so he came out to gain experience and would return in three years to retaliate. Therefore, he didn't want money, but rather a treasure that could help him improve rapidly.

Another story tells of a daughter who was so poor she lived in a doghouse, but despite her poverty, she was ambitious and didn't want money, but she was a treasure who could rise to the top in one step.

Xu Qi'an touched his forty-meter-long broadsword and said, "Think it through before you speak."

In the end, it was converted to silver.

Money power is the only eternal truth. Over three thousand taels of silver were sent away in just one hour. I should have had my second senior brother block me. By the way, what was my second senior brother trying to say just now?

Xu Qi'an muttered to himself as he summoned Tang Yuanwu, Li Shaoyun, Yuan Yi, and Liu Yun.

His gaze swept over the four people, and he smiled slightly, "What do you want?"

"Of course it's the Blood Pill; that's why we came here."

Li Shaoyun said irritably.

"No, to be precise, it's for an extraordinary opportunity," Yuan Yi corrected.

But the truth is, there are no so-called blood pills here; they were all deceived by Li Miaozhen.

Of course, Xu Qi'an shouldn't be forced to produce something that doesn't exist.

"How about this," Tang Yuanwu pondered for a moment, then said, "Money and magical Law Artifact are not uncommon for us. You are knowledgeable and experienced, so why don't you answer one question for me as compensation?"

As a native of Leizhou, Tang Yuanwu was well aware of the miraculous power of the Floating Pagoda. This Xu Qian was able to control the Floating Pagoda, which alone suggested that his identity was not simple.

This person cannot be evaluated solely based on their combat strength.

Xu Qi'an nodded. "Okay."

Tang Yuanwu's eyes immediately lit up with eagerness as he asked, "How do I refine the Blood Pill?"

"Little brother, no, little brother, your thinking is dangerous!" Xu Qi'an said. "Warlock and Daoist School understand it, I'm not sure about other systems, but martial artists definitely don't."

Tang Yuanwu could not hide his disappointment.

"I'll give you an extra piece of information," Xu Qi'an said, glancing at Li Shaoyun and Yuan Yi after looking at the disappointed expression of the Twin Blades Sect Master. He then asked thoughtfully:

"Do you know that refining the Blood Pill requires massacring an entire city?"

The three nodded, and Liu Yun's eyes sparkled. "The Prince of Zhenbei slaughtered the entire city of Chuzhou in order to refine the Blood Pill, but was killed on the spot by a mysterious expert."

Liu Yun gets especially excited when it comes to such exhilarating and chivalrous deeds.

She knew that it was Xu Qi'an who had slaughtered the Northern King, and she didn't know how she would feel.

Xu Qi'an said, "Third-rank individuals are extremely rare. In an entire generation, it is not possible for a third-rank individual to be born. While fourth-rank individuals are few, there are a few in each province. For example, Jian Province has more than a dozen. In the vastness of the nine provinces, there are countless fourth-rank individuals."

"But why haven't the Great Feng, the Witch God Sect, or even Buddhist School ever mass-produced Blood Pills to train martial artists? They use the Essence Blood of living people to refine them; surely their own people can survive, and there shouldn't be any problem with enemy countries? Have the three of you considered the reasons?"

Yuan Yi and the others were startled, but they understood what Xu Qi'an meant.

Li Shaoyun's expression changed slightly. "You mean, the Blood Pill can't help a fourth-rank cultivator advance to the third rank?"

"Yes and no. Blood Pills can indeed help a fourth-rank martial artist advance to the third rank, a shortcut to instant advancement. But the corresponding price is equally heavy; almost no one can successfully absorb a Blood Pill, and the only outcome for them is to explode and die."

Xu Qi'an said, "If simply consuming blood pills could lead to advancement, then rank three would be commonplace by now."

Liu Yun suddenly said, "I've heard that Xu Yinluo is already a third-rank martial artist, but when I saw him in the capital, he wasn't even a fourth-rank. Although it's rumored that she was already a fourth-rank when she single-handedly held off 20,000 rebel troops in Yunzhou, I don't know if that's true. I observed him up close."

"When did you observe me up close?" Xu Qi'an was taken aback.

Liu Yun continued, "And how did Xu Yinluo manage to enter the extraordinary realm in such a short time, becoming a martial artist with a third-grade immortal body?"

Li Shaoyun, Yuan Yi, and Tang Yuanwu's eyes suddenly lit up.

Xu Qi'an shook his head and said, "I am not the one who, in such a short time, achieved the extraordinary realm of Xu Yinluo, a man of unparalleled talent. But if he advanced by consuming a Blood Pill, then in the past thousand years, only he has done so."

"In a thousand years, only this person has truly stood out. I really want to confirm if Xu Yinluo is indeed the first person in this millennium." Liu Yun pursed her lips, "Thank you for informing me, senior."

"I heard from Buddhist School monk that Xu Yinluo is ruined. Is that true?" Yuan Yi asked the question that had been bothering him for a long time.

He was not a mere warrior; as the commander of a prefecture, whether Xu Qi'an was dismissed or not was extremely important to him.

"This boy is exceptionally talented; he can't be wasted so easily," Xu Qian said with a smile.

Yuan Yi nodded slightly and said:

"I don't think Xu Yinluo will 'die young' either. Xu Yinluo's future achievements will definitely surpass those of the Prince of Zhenbei. In recent years, the Western Regions have been peaceful. On the surface, the people believe that it is because the Prince of Zhenbei, a military genius, is guarding the border that the Great Feng Kingdom is safe and secure."

"Actually, what the Buddhist School feared was Duke Wei. Now that Duke Wei has sacrificed himself, if there is anyone else the Buddhist School will fear in the future, it will only be Xu Yinluo. If something happens to him, the Great Feng will truly have no one left."

"I feel like my fame is almost on par with Duke Wei's peak era," Xu Qi'an with some delight, having tasted the sweetness of hype.

In fact, the top combat force of the Great Feng is not weak: the first-rank Jian Zheng, the second-rank Wei Yuan, the second-rank Bu Bu Ren Zi, the second-rank Zhen De, the second-rank Luo Yuheng, the third-rank Zhen Bei Wang, and the third-rank Sun Xuanji.

This doesn't even include the old scoundrels of the martial arts world, the degenerate leader of the Earth Sect, or the emotionless Heaven Sect.

Unfortunately, they either became traitors, perished, lost all emotions, went mad, thought about dual cultivation every day, or were tormented by a group of disciples to the point of developing high blood pressure.

The internal strife was too intense; it completely depleted their resources.

Finally, Xu Qi'an looked at Li Shaoyun and asked, "What do you want to ask?"

Li Shaoyun tilted his head, thought seriously for a long time, and said helplessly, "I haven't thought about it yet."

"I think you need a math workbook," Xu Qi'an thought to himself. He had originally intended to say, "I'll enlighten you with the Great Wisdom Dharma Image."

But considering that this uncouth pacification general might turn on them on the spot, he restrained his impulse.

After seeing Li Shaoyun and the others off, Xu Qi'an stood by the window, watching the Leizhou warriors depart and disappear into the night.

He immediately turned to Sun Xuanji: "Second Senior Brother, what did you say earlier?"

Mu Nanzhi's smooth forehead throbbed with veins. "He said he used celestial magic to conceal the pagoda."

Where is the Holy Son?

"The Holy Son couldn't stand him anymore and fled to the second level, saying he was afraid he wouldn't be able to resist tearing Sun Xuanji's mouth to shreds."

dawn.

The Sanhua Temple, now a ruin, with its main halls enshrining Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats, was reduced to rubble by artillery fire.

Fortunately, the monks' meditation rooms were well preserved. Du Nan Jingang sat on a futon in the meditation room with his eyes slightly closed. Below him, to his left, were monks from the Western Regions, including Jing Xin and Jing Yuan.

On the right are the elders of Sanhua Temple, led by Abbot Panlong.

Yilbu, a member of the Witch God Cult, left the Three Flower Temple with two twins.

In front of each monk was a piece of paper with the following written on it:

The pagoda was stolen, the dragon's energy was stolen, and the enemy was named Xu Qian.

The strength of the ability to shield secrets is inversely proportional to the depth of entanglement in cause and effect; the deeper the cause and effect, the more difficult it is to shield them.

The pagoda has stood in Sanhua Temple for hundreds of years, and the severed arm of Shenshu is sealed inside. It has a very deep karmic relationship with both the monks of Sanhua Temple and Du Nan, a group of monks from Alanda in the Western Regions.

Just as the disappearance of the Golden Palace would have created a strong sense of division among officials in the capital, the disappearance of the pagoda briefly deceived the monks of Sanhua Temple, including Du Nan Jingang.

But soon, they will remember the existence of the pagoda, and thus recall the entire course of events.

Then they quickly forgot, and the cycle repeated itself. Finally, the knowledgeable and experienced Vajra of Salvation had someone write down the relevant information on paper so that they could see it at all times.

This ensures that the memory is not confused, but it also means missing the best opportunity to track it down.

As for breaking the spell that shields the heavenly secrets, it requires at least three monks from the Three Flowers Temple to see the Floating Pagoda again.

Panlong presided over the ceremony, saying, "Yirbu used divination techniques but failed to determine the location of the pagoda. We have completely lost this priceless treasure."

He paused, then continued:

"Our investigation focuses on Xu Qian. According to a prominent figure in the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce, he came to Leizhou with his beloved Li Lingsu. She did not know his specific identity."

"However, according to Benefactor Wenren, Li Lingsu was extremely respectful to this Xu Qian, and even a little afraid of him. This person's true identity is not simple, and even Li Lingsu herself does not know it. She only knows that the other party is a person who has lived for hundreds of years, and even the Supervisor lost to him in chess."

"The one who can defeat the supervisor, doesn't that mean he can beat fate?" These are Li Lingsu's exact words.

Afterwards, the monks of Sanhua Temple personally questioned Wenren Qianrou of the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce. The female benefactor was very cooperative and answered all questions. After Abbot Panlong verified the authenticity of the information, he did not make things difficult for her.

The Buddhist School monks present had extremely strange expressions. The martial monk Jingyuan said incredulously, "But his cultivation is not even as good as mine; he relies entirely on the unpredictable Gu techniques."

Abbot Panlong shook his head. "This is indeed a major point of suspicion. In addition, the news was spread by that Xu Qian. The so-called Flying Swallow Heroine is actually Li Lingsu in disguise."

An elder frowned and asked, "Who exactly is Li Lingsu?"

The abbot, Panlong, replied, "This person is the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect, and Li Miaozhen's senior brother."

The Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect is the eldest daughter of the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce and Wenren Qianrou's ideal husband? Isn't the Heavenly Sect's cultivation the Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotions?

A sense of doubt flashed through the minds of the monks.

At this moment, Jingxin said, "If Li Lingsu is disguised as Li Miaozhen, she should have been recognized long ago. Why hasn't anyone seen through her disguise? Unless it's a special disguise technique that can fool high-level experts."

Panlong nodded. "In that case, Xu Qian is very likely also in disguise."

Monk Jingxin began to recount his investigation findings, saying:

"I have questioned the two Eastern female benefactors in detail. Xu Qian had encountered them by chance on the way and even kidnapped their beloved Li Lingsu. He seemed unremarkable at first glance, but his methods were unpredictable and difficult to guard against."

"Furthermore, the Eastern female benefactor mentioned something else. In the dream, we had a conflict with him, and she was captured. That person, despite his weak Primordial Spirit, was incredibly resilient. In his moment of triumph, he claimed to be a third-grade Primordial Spirit."

This confirms Wenren Qianrou's statement; this person indeed has a different identity and is a person of extraordinary level.

"Wait!"

Abbot Panlong asked in bewilderment, "You just said that Li Lingsu is the ideal husband of the two Eastern female benefactors?"

Jingxin nodded.

At that moment, a question flashed through the minds of the monks once again: Wasn't the Heavenly Sect's cultivation of Supreme Forgetfulness?

The Pure Land monk seemed to have thought of something and said:

"I remember now. On the second floor, Hengyin tried to kill this person, but her Law Artifact couldn't penetrate his flesh. He's very likely a martial artist."

The group discussed for a long time, secretly speculating about Xu Qian's identity.

The Vajra of Salvation opened its eyes and summarized:

"Disguised, with close ties to the Bureau of Astronomy, possessing magical Law Artifact and firearms, coming for the dragon's aura, a third-rank extraordinary being, a martial artist, but whose actual cultivation is less than a fourth-rank. Who in the Great Feng agrees with these conditions?"

After a brief silence, Jingxin, Jingyuan, and the other monks from the Western Regions began to breathe rapidly.

P. S.: I went through everyone's suggestions in the individual chapters again today, and I'm slowly feeling less lost. Crowdfunding for writing a book really works. But why are all the previous chapter reviews so fast?

Shouldn't we do some self-reflection, guys?