Laying the groundwork

Upon receiving the news, Jingxin and Jingyuan led the monks to greet them.

Du Nan Jingang saw his beloved disciple Jingyuan and immediately understood the extent of his injuries:

"The intent of the sword resides within him, inexhaustible and impossible to erase. Was this the injury he inflicted?"

After Chai Xing'er secretly sent someone to leak the information, Jingxin immediately used Secret Method to notify Du Nan Jingang, who already knew that Xu Qi'an was in Xiangzhou.

Jingyuan's face was pale, and he nodded slightly, saying with shame, "This disciple is incompetent and has failed to keep the Buddha's disciple."

Du Nan Jingang said calmly, "Let's talk inside."

The monks entered the Chai residence and took their seats in the main hall. Jingxin recounted in detail what had happened in Xiangzhou to Dunan Jingang.

"That Chai Xing'er is said to be a spy from the 'Tianji Palace.' We've already been informed of our superiors. The Buddhist monk didn't kill us because he was afraid that if the spy came and discovered our secrets had been exposed, he would massacre us."

Let's calm our minds and make a final summary.

"What a pity."

Du Nan Jingang said regretfully, "If I had arrived a little earlier, I could have captured the Buddha's disciple and fulfilled the instructions of the Gara Tree Bodhisattva."

He rose from his chair, walked to Jingyuan's side, and placed his palm on Jingyuan's right shoulder. A pale golden aura surged into his beloved disciple's body, shattering the remaining sword intent in his internal organs and meridians.

Jingyuan's skin suddenly cracked all over his body, and blood flowed continuously.

He groaned, his face turned deathly pale, and large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks.

"Such domineering sword intent."

Du Nan Jingang commented, then shook his head. "No, this intent, just as it was about to vanish, erupted again, preferring to shatter like jade. The fourth-grade sword intent of a Buddha's disciple."

Jingyuan's complexion gradually returned to a rosy hue, as if she were recovering from a serious illness.

Seeing his master's solemn expression, he asked, "What do you mean by this?"

The third-rank Vajra has no "intention," and the eighth-rank martial monk directly advances to the third rank. The actual cultivation process follows the path of a martial artist, but after reaching the fifth rank of Transformation, the martial monk can skip the fourth rank, comprehend the Vajra Divine Skill, and directly advance to the third rank.

In other words, the invincible defense of the Vajra Divine Skill is actually "intention".

"This meaning can no longer be described as domineering and fierce. Anyone of the same realm who fights him must be prepared to perish together," said the Vajra of Salvation.

"Why?" Jingyuan frowned.

"Because this is his intention: to shatter like jade, not to survive like a broken tile," said Du Nan Jingang slowly.

Jingyuan and Jingxin exchanged a glance, realizing once again how terrifying Xu Qi'an was; the Buddhist disciple was undoubtedly the number one among his peers.

"Uncle Du Nan, what business are you going to do with Arhat Du Qing and Uncle Du Fan this time?" Jing Xin asked.

Du Nan Jingang said in a deep voice, "I originally intended to go to Qianlong City, but I received your message on the way, so I turned back."

Hidden Dragon City?

Jingxin glanced at Jingyuan and noticed the same doubt in his eyes, so she asked, "When could something be more important than collecting dragon energy and capturing the Buddha's son?"

The Vajra remains silent in the face of adversity.

Jingxin didn't ask any further questions, but tentatively inquired, "So, should we go directly to Yongzhou next, or wait here for a few more days?"

Du Nan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let's leave tomorrow morning."

At night, Du Nan Jingang was meditating and practicing breathing exercises in his room in the outer courtyard of the Chai residence when suddenly there were two "bangs" on the door, indicating that someone was knocking on the door from the outside.

Du Nan Jingang said slowly, "Come in."

The door opened, and a person wearing a cloak walked in; judging from the figure, it was a man.

"I have seen the Vajra of Salvation."

The cloaked man had a deep, magnetic voice.

"Are you a spy from the Heavenly Mystery Palace?" Du Nan Jingang remained seated in meditation, not even opening his eyes.

"Exactly."

The cloaked man answered.

"Does the Heavenly Mystery Palace belong to that second-rank Warlock?" Du Nan Jingang asked.

"Yes."

The cloaked figure made no attempt to conceal anything, respectfully stating, "When the Palace Master issued the mission to search for the host of the dragon's aura, he mentioned that the Buddhist School was a potential partner, which is why I came. The Palace Master's foresight is unparalleled; he has never been wrong."

Seeing that Vajrapani was meditating in silence, he continued:

"Very well, since the dragon energy has been obtained by the Buddhist School, the Heavenly Mystery Palace has nothing to say. However, I have already searched the Chai residence and did not find Chai Xing'er. She is a member of my Heavenly Mystery Palace, and I hope the Buddhist School will be lenient and return her to the Heavenly Mystery Palace."

Du Nan Jingang opened his eyes and shook his head in a deep voice. "Chai Xing'er is not in the hands of the Buddhist School."

The cloaked figure paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "It seems something unexpected has happened in Xiangzhou. Please inform King Kong."

Inside the room, the candlelight was dim, its orange glow unable to reach beyond five meters.

"That person is here."

Du Nan Jingang's words made the breathing beneath the cloak become heavy.

Then, Du Nan Jingang told the cloaked man the whole story he had heard from Jing Xin.

The cloaked figure listened intently, not missing a single word, and after pondering for a long time, said:

"The Palace Master once said that person would eventually enter the martial world to collect dragon energy. He failed to retrieve the dragon vein in the capital. The martial world is a new opportunity. The Palace Master shattered the dragon vein not only to destroy the foundation of the Great Feng Dynasty, but also for this purpose."

"If he fails to retrieve the dragon energy from that person, then let's change the battlefield and hunt him down in the martial world. The Palace Master is incredibly insightful and has already taken everything under control."

"Master, why don't we cooperate?"

Du Nan Jingang scrutinized him. "How do you, a mere spy, know so much?"

The cloaked figure smiled but did not answer.

Du Nan Jingang said, "How do you want to cooperate? He has a way to conceal his presence, and his disguise skills are superb. It's difficult to find him, let alone capture him."

The cloaked figure remained silent for a few seconds, then laughed:

"Sometimes, catching prey doesn't necessarily mean chasing it. A good hunter knows how to set traps."

"There are two effective ways to deal with him: First, use the dragon's energy host to lure him out. This plan can only be used once; given his intelligence, it will be difficult to succeed a second time."

"Second, in areas where he might appear, commit rape, plunder, and all sorts of evil deeds. If he knows about it, he will definitely come over. This plan can be used multiple times."

"The Heavenly Mystery Palace is producing a dragon aura host?" Du Nan Jingang immediately abandoned the second option.

Buddhist School Vajras do not abstain from killing, but only kill those who deserve to die, such as enemies, evil people, and those they hate. Indiscriminate killing of innocent people will cause them to be plagued by inner demons.

The cloaked man nodded and said:

"According to reliable sources I have, the martial arts tournament in Yongzhou is about to open, and heroes from all walks of life will gather there. He will definitely attend to search for the dragon energy host hidden among the crowd."

"We only need to control a few dragon energy hosts, arrange for them to operate in Yongzhou City, and closely monitor the movements around the hosts. Once that person shows up, we'll immediately close the net and catch them like turtles in a jar."

The guardian deity nodded slowly. "He has broken free of part of the seal. During last night's conflict, the Soul-Capturing Mirror could not shake his Primordial Spirit. If my guess is correct, the Demon-Sealing Nail at the Baihui acupoint has been released."

The cloaked figure pondered, "In this way, a third-rank martial artist's premonition of danger will significantly increase the difficulty of an ambush. This matter requires careful consideration. To ensure absolute success, I will immediately send a letter to the Palace Master to inquire about his opinion."

On this day, the five-person team arrived in Yongzhou City after a day and a night of urgent travel.

Xu Qi'an abandoned his handsome and dashing appearance from his previous life, and in return, he had an ordinary appearance. Li Lingsu did the same.

As for Hengyin and Mu Nanzhi, the former was wrapped in a cloak, and the latter wore a veiled hat.

Even the mare was disguised; Xu Qi'an painted its hooves white and its fur black.

Thus, the mare transformed from a yellow dragon into a snow-white black horse.

Xu Qi'an also realized that the little mare was still too conspicuous and the only weakness in the team.

After all, people can disguise themselves, but horses are very difficult to disguise, even though most people think all horses look the same.

Upon entering Yongzhou City, Xu Qi'an easily made his way to one of the best inns in the city: Bu Zui Ju.

However, we were told that the hotel was fully booked and there were no spare rooms.

I checked several more guesthouses, but they still didn't have any rooms available.

Li Lingsu clicked her tongue. "Yongzhou is hosting a martial arts tournament, and all the inns in the city, good and bad, are fully booked. It's strange, how can Yongzhou, a place that doesn't even have a fourth-rank official's residence, host a martial arts tournament?"

There are fourth-rank officials in Yongzhou, but they all hold official positions and are members of the imperial court. There are no fourth-rank masters in the martial arts world.

Lei Zheng of Dragon God Fortress and Gongsun Xiangyang of the Gongsun family are both fifth-rank Transformation Realm cultivators, just one step away from the fourth rank, yet they can't seem to cross that threshold.

Sitting on horseback, her slender waist swayed gently with the bumps. Hearing this, she scoffed, "Someone must have lost their mind."

Li Lingsu smiled and asked, "What do you mean by that, Madam Xu?"

Perhaps it was because the name "Madam Xu" sounded so pleasant, Mu Nanzhi glanced at Xu Qi'an and said, "It was this guy who suggested it."

A question mark flashed through Li Lingsu's mind: Was the martial arts tournament in Yongzhou organized by Xu Qian? Why had he never mentioned it? No, what was his purpose in organizing this martial arts tournament?

The Holy Son glanced at Xu Qian, and seeing that he had no intention of explaining, he wisely suppressed his curiosity and did not ask any further questions.

Fortunately, Yongzhou City is large and there are many inns. After searching around, we finally found an inn that was decent and had vacant rooms.

After checking in with Li Lingsu and Mu Nanzhi, Xu Qi'an sat at his desk as usual, pondering his next plan.

"The martial arts tournament in Yongzhou is a quick way for me to collect dragon energy, but it is the same for Buddhist School, the Witch God Sect, and Xu Pingfeng."

"They will definitely come after hearing the news, which has already been confirmed by Jingxin and the others. The next stop for Buddhist School is here."

"Thinking in reverse, the Buddhist School and Xu Pingfeng must have figured it out too. I won't let this opportunity slip by. Putting myself in their shoes, what would I do?"

"Heh, they must be seizing this opportunity to gather dragon energy and deal with me. But I have the Heavenly Gu's ability to 'shift stars and change constellations' to conceal my aura, so the Qi-Watching Technique is useless against me."

How will they find me?

Xu Qi'an rubbed his temples, then suddenly had an idea. "The Gongsun family and Dragon God Fortress are local bullies; I'll have them act as my spies to gather information."

With that thought in mind, he got up and left the room, knocking on Li Lingsu's door.

"Senior?"

Li Lingsu opened the door, stepped aside to let him in, then walked to the table, poured water, and said:

"I'm trying to break through the seal. Sister Rong is at the peak of the fourth rank, while I just entered the fourth rank. The difference in strength between us is huge. I can't break through the seal in a short time. If only I could have a Daoist School master to help me."

"When should we go to the capital? My junior sister is now a fourth-rank official; she can break the seal on me."

"Your junior sister is barely able to protect herself, so let your master break the seal for you." Xu Qi'an said decisively without drinking tea.

"Come with me on this trip."

"Where are we going?" Li Lingsu asked instinctively.

"You'll know when you get there."

Li Lingsu said "Oh," turned and walked outside, but seeing that Xu Qian hadn't followed, she asked in confusion, "Senior?"

Just then, a sparrow flew in through the open window, landed on Li Lingsu's shoulder, and spoke in a human voice, "Go."

Having spent so much time together, Li Lingsu had grown accustomed to Xu Qian's aloof and reserved nature, and without asking any further questions, she left Yongzhou City under the guidance of Ma Que'an.

Two quarters of an hour later, they arrived at Gongsun Manor, eighteen miles away.

Gongsun Manor is nestled amidst verdant mountains, boasting stunning scenery in spring and a unique charm even in the depths of winter.

Passing through the tall archway at the foot of the mountain, and climbing the steps, they stopped outside the gate of the manor. Li Lingsu cupped her hands in greeting to the gatekeeper and said:

"Please inform them that Xu Qian has come to visit."

The gatekeeper immediately went to announce their arrival. Half an hour later, Gongsun Xiangyang, who was heavily pregnant and looked like a middle-aged man who had become overweight, led Gongsun Xiu, who had been designated as the heir, out in a hurry.

Upon seeing Li Lingsu, the father and daughter frowned. Gongsun Xiangyang cupped his hands and said, "Senior Xu?"

Seeing the local powerful Gongsun family treating Xu Qian with utmost respect, Li Lingsu began to believe Mu Nanzhi's words to some extent.

Following Xu Qian's instructions, Li Lingsu simply grunted in response and remained silent.

However, the old scoundrel was quite impressed when he saw Gongsun Xiu; she was a pretty good girl.

Of course, this is limited to appreciating beautiful women; the Holy Son currently has no energy to embark on another romantic relationship, as he is focused on comprehending the ultimate state of detachment from emotions.

Led by Gongsun Xiangyang, he entered the villa and took a seat in the inner hall where charcoal was burning.

"We apologize for any shortcomings in our hospitality due to the visit of an unknown senior."

After a few polite exchanges, Gongsun Xiangyang got down to business:

"The martial arts tournament is being held as instructed by our predecessors. This time, heroes from Yongzhou have gathered, and not only from Yongzhou, but also from neighboring states like Qingzhou and Zhangzhou, there are martial arts practitioners coming to join in the fun."

"Very good!" Li Lingsu nodded. "Where will the competition take place?"

"In Yongzhou City, at the Southwest Corner Field. That used to be the barracks of the city's garrison, with a training ground and plenty of space. Now that the city's garrison has moved camp, I've temporarily rented that place."

For such a large-scale gathering, a single ring is not enough; the venue is extremely important.

The barracks must be far from residential areas and have a sufficiently spacious training ground to serve as the venue for the martial arts tournament.

Li Lingsu asked, "Do me a favor: send someone to keep an eye on Yongzhou City. If they discover any trace of Buddhist School monks, report back to me immediately."

Gongsun Xiangyang said, "Good!"

At this moment, Gongsun Xiangyang heard the little sparrow on Xu Qian's shoulder speak in human language and laugh:

"It seems that Patriarch Gongsun has been living a peaceful life these days. I will not disturb you any longer. Farewell."

After saying this, the sparrow flapped its wings and flew out of the inner hall, disappearing into the horizon.

Gongsun Xiangyang was stunned for a moment, then belatedly looked at Li Lingsu: "Just now."

Li Lingsu nodded. "That was Senior Xu just now."

Xu Qi'an did this mainly to play it safe. Putting himself in their shoes, if the Buddhist School or Xu Pingfeng's henchmen came to Yongzhou, they would likely also seek out local bullies and have them search for a man named Xu Qian in the city.

Or, a small team with warhorses.

Finding a needle in a haystack is also a method of finding people.

It seems that the Gongsun family is safe for now.

Senior Xu Qian has turned into a bird? No, he's controlled a bird. What an unpredictable and ingenious method! Gongsun Xiu was utterly shocked.

Gongsun Xiangyang raised an eyebrow and looked at Li Lingsu with a smile, "And who is this gentleman?"

Li Lingsu nodded. "I am a close friend of Senior Xu, and also a junior."

He gave a brief self-introduction, then added, "We have another purpose for this trip. We couldn't find a good inn in Yongzhou City. I wonder if Patriarch Gongsun has any spare accommodations? It would be best if they weren't at Gongsun Manor."

After receiving confirmation from Gongsun Xiangyang, Li Lingsu finally couldn't contain her curiosity and asked, "How did Patriarch Gongsun become acquainted with Senior Xu?"

"Well," Gongsun Xiangyang said with a wry smile, "Our senior instructed us not to leak the secret."

Li Lingsu asked unwillingly, "Does Patriarch Gongsun know Senior Xu's background and identity? I met him during our travels and have been particularly curious about his identity."

He believes that telling the truth and expressing one's curiosity is worse than lying.

Gongsun Xiu chimed in, "We don't know much more than you, brother, and we're equally curious about Senior Xu's identity."

She paused, then hesitated, "There's a poem I've heard before, brother."

"Poetry?" Li Lingsu asked in return.

Gongsun Xiu explained, "I once asked Senior Xu about his identity, but he didn't say it directly; instead, he left behind a poem."

"What poem?" Li Lingsu suddenly straightened up and asked.

"Eight hundred years have passed since I attained enlightenment, and I have never taken a head with my flying sword. The Jade Emperor has not bestowed any heavenly decree upon me, and I merely sell black gold to circulate among the world."

Gongsun Xiu said slowly.

Even after many days, reciting this poem again still evokes an overwhelming sense of awe and stirs the heart.

"Eight hundred years have passed since I attained enlightenment, eight hundred years have passed since I attained enlightenment," Li Lingsu murmured.

After a while, he pinched the bridge of his nose and secretly grinned. Xu Qian's identity was more terrifying than he had imagined.

Unbeknownst to those in the hall, after flying around outside, the sparrow returned to Gongsun Manor and stood quietly on the eaves, like a silent sentinel.

Inside the inn, Xu Qi'an took a satisfied sip of tea:

"That bird needs to stay at the Gongsun family's residence as a spy, to prevent the Buddhist School and Xu Pingfeng's people from finding it. However, I actually hope they come to the Gongsun family."

At this moment, Xu Qi'an felt a jolt in his heart, heard a phantom dragon roar in his ears, and the fragment of the Earth Book in his arms became scalding hot.

He sensed that the host of the dragon energy was nearby.