Someone Else

At this moment, Xu Qi'an felt a sense of bewilderment as if his established knowledge had been overturned.

The Lord of Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons is a half-step Martial God, a fact that, while not deeply ingrained in his mind, is still a fairly certain one.

Five hundred years ago, the Buddhist School had a supreme Buddha, four first-rank Bodhisattvas, and numerous Arhats and Vajras.

To be able to put up such a fierce resistance against such a powerful force, resulting in a near-mutual destruction, the Lord of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons must be a half-step Martial God; only then would it make sense.

If the Lord of Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons is not a half-step Martial God, then the entire history of the "Sixty-Year Demon Purge" might be fake, and the whole history would have to be overturned.

As for the possibility that the Lord of Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons is a Super Grade Martial God, Xu Qi'an believes it is zero.

The reason is simple: given the offensive power and endurance of a martial artist, if the Lord of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons is truly a supreme martial god, then even if Buddha joins forces with the Witch God and the Gu God to attack, the Lord of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons might only lick his red lips with unbridled satisfaction and say disdainfully:

That's it?

Of course, this speculation is purely Xu Qi'an's personal conjecture; the difference between the Super Grade items shouldn't be that big.

One thing is certain: it is impossible for the Buddha to kill a god of war.

Absolutely impossible!

If the Lord of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons isn't a half-step Martial God, then he can only be a First-Rank Martial God. Just as Xu Qi'an was about to express his doubts, he heard Protector Yuan speak frankly:

Xu Yinluo's heart told her: if the previous ruler had been a supreme martial god, she would have fawned over him.

Protector Yuan didn't get to finish his sentence because Xu Qi'an slapped him to the ground, causing his limbs to twitch.

"Sorry, there was a mosquito on your head just now, I've already swatted it off for you."

Xu Qi'an nodded to Protector Yuan, indicating that it was nothing and there was no need for thanks.

The shock I just received was quite strong, and I subconsciously started speculating all sorts of wild ideas, unable to control my thoughts.

"You cultivate telepathy but not silent meditation? How have you survived this long, Monkey King? "Xu Qi'an muttered silently.

"Thank you, Xu Yinluo, for helping to drive away the mosquitoes."

Protector Yuan got up, his clear blue eyes fixed on Xu Qi'an, sincerely thanked him, and tried to continue listening to his thoughts.

Guardian Aoki reminisced about the past and said:

"The Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons has never claimed that its ruler is a half-step Martial God. Who told you that?"

This question stumped Xu Qi'an, just like someone asking you:

Who told you that one plus one equals two?

Fortunately, he had only been in this world for a year and a half at most, and the time scale was so short. He quickly recalled that he first heard the words "Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons" when he first became Nightwatchers, when a case of demons eating people occurred in Taikang County, a county attached to the capital.

The monster drove away the nearby gray households and, together with its accomplices, dug up saltpeter and secretly refined gunpowder.

When he, Zhu Guangxiao, and Song Tingfeng investigated the truth and reported it to Li Yuchun, Chun Ge speculated that the demon was most likely a remnant of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons.

Eager to solve the case, Xu Qi'an wrote it down. Not long after, the hot-tempered martial monk Master Hengyuan broke into the Pingyuan Earl's mansion at night, killed the Earl, and, having nowhere else to turn, sought help in the Earth Book chat group.

Xu Qi'an, who happened to be on patrol that night, rescued the other party.

He then proposed the principle of "Equivalent Exchange" and began to inquire about the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons from members of the Heaven and Earth Society.

Yes, it was Lina who said it.

Lina said that during the Sixty-Year Demon Purge, Buddha made a move because the King of Ten Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons was a half-step Martial God.

"I was so stupid, really. I didn't know what kind of person Lina was, and she tricked me."

Xu Qi'an nearly coughed up blood.

At the same time, he recalled many other things, such as when the Golden Lotus Daoist subtly corrected him, saying that the Lord of Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons was a first-rank official, not a half-step Martial God.

Back then, everyone thought that Master Jinlian was just a loser from the Earth Sect, what did he know about the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons?

Number Five, who was also born in Southern Frontier, is definitely more trustworthy.

Who would have thought that the seemingly useless guy was actually a powerful figure in the Earth Sect, and the trustworthy Number Five was actually a not-so-bright glutton?

"Is the Lord of Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons a first-rank official?" Xu Qi'an asked, his tone slightly hurried.

"Yes!" Protector Aoki nodded.

"That half-step Martial God is..."

After asking the question, Xu Qi'an held his breath.

Protector Aoki slowly said, "Master Shenshu is the person we are going to rescue this time."

As expected, Xu Qi'an's face showed a complex expression, a mixture of realization that "as expected" and astonishment that "it was him."

After overturning the conclusion that the "half-step Martial God" was the ruler of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, the truth immediately surfaced in Xu Qi'an's mind.

The three clues are clearer than ever before:

1. Shen Shu was sent to the capital to be sealed five hundred years ago, and the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons was destroyed five hundred years ago.

The timing was so perfect, but Xu Qi'an couldn't be sure before that Shen Shu had "died" five hundred years ago; perhaps he had already been dismembered.

Second: The Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons attaches great importance to the severed limb of the god. The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox not only sent the severed arm to him, but also helped him on many occasions.

However, valuing Shenshu does not mean having any connection with Shenshu. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Perhaps the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox wants to support an enemy to deal with Buddhist School.

Third: The divine nature of immortality.

His severed arm was sealed in Sangbo, and after five hundred years of running out of ammunition and food, without any external support, he was still alive.

Even a Buddha of the highest rank couldn't completely kill him; such terrifying vitality clearly couldn't be possessed by a mere first-rank martial artist.

Although Xu Qi'an had never witnessed the strength of a first-rank martial artist, the Lord of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons was a first-rank Demon Race. The paths of Demon Race and martial artists were the same, the difference being that Demon Race cultivated innate supernatural Divine Ability at the fourth rank, while martial artists cultivated "intention."

History has proven that the King of Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons has fallen, demonstrating that the Buddha was capable of killing a first-rank martial artist.

The Confucian sage divided the major systems into nine ranks, with only Buddha, shamans, and gods existing outside of these ranks. This shows that those of a higher rank have an absolute crushing advantage over those of a lower rank.

"Then, what is the relationship between Master Shenshu and the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons?"

Xu Qi'an took a deep breath.

Protector Qingmu shook his head. "My level is too low, how would I know? However, the King and Master Shenshu must be acquaintances, fellow Daoists with a good relationship."

"Yes, in the Buddhist School war against demons, Shenshu won't side with the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons." Xu Qi'an nodded, pondering the details, when he suddenly heard the White Ape Protector say in a deep voice:

"Aoki, the Protector, tells me: I suspect the King and Shenshu are old lovers."

There was a sudden silence in the grotto.

The white ape protector was greatly surprised and shocked by this message. He hurriedly said:

"That's what Protector Aoki said, it has nothing to do with me!"

Protector Aoki's face flushed red, his dark green hair stood on end, each strand brimming with green energy. He gripped his vine cane, tightening and loosening his grip repeatedly.

After struggling for a moment, Protector Aoki exhaled:

"I won't stoop to your level. Ha, that's right, back then we little demons did indeed have some complaints about the relationship between the king and Master Shenshu."

"But the young king is the best proof; he is a pure-blooded nine-tailed celestial fox."

The White Ape Guardian looked at the Green Wood Guardian with clear, untainted blue eyes and said calmly:

"Your heart tells me: that's why I suspect they're old lovers."

The old mistress never had a legitimate status and was someone he couldn't show his face to others.

The cave fell silent once more.

Guardian Aoki silently gripped his vine cane, signaling the start of the hunt.

Two streaks of light, one white and one green, chased each other as they rushed out of the cave and disappeared into the horizon.

"Protector Yuan's innate Divine Ability is to see through people's hearts. After secretly learning the Buddhist School technique of telepathy, he surpassed the fourth-grade level, which made him somewhat difficult to control. Therefore, he often speaks recklessly regardless of the situation."

"Fuxiang," Ye Ji explained softly.

Does he often talk nonsense? Is he just letting himself go? Xu Qi'an hummed in agreement, offering no further comment.

Night Princess instructed the demoness inside the cave, saying:

"You all go out and stand guard; no one may enter without permission."

After the enchantress left, seeing her lover's thoughtful expression, she said softly:

"What's wrong?"

Xu Qi'an held Ye Ji's tight waist, but had no mood to appreciate her beautiful body. His expression was serious as he said:

"You may not know this, but the Buddha was sealed away by the Confucian sage long ago."

"What?!"

Ye Ji's expression froze, her pupils dilated slightly, Xu Qi'an could hear her heart suddenly quicken at that moment.

Why did the Confucian sage seal away the Buddha?

If the Buddha was sealed away by the Confucian sage, then who was it that intervened back then?

Ye Ji felt a chill run down her spine, and an inexplicable coldness rose from her back, making her shiver.

"Then couldn't it have been sealed away by the Confucian sage later?"

Bai Ji, who was trying to get used to the cushion, chimed in after hearing this.

Although it was still a cub, it was intelligent enough to understand the horror contained in the secret.

Night Princess shook her head slightly:

"The Confucian sage lived only eighty-two years and has been gone for over a thousand years, while the war between Buddha and demons took place five hundred years ago."

"Xu Lang, you're good at this, what do you think?"

With her lover by her side, she felt she had a strong support and instinctively reached out for help.

Xu Qi'an analyzed:

"I have three guesses, but all of them are paradoxical and lack sufficient clues."

He paused, and seeing Ye Ji's bright eyes gazing at him gently, he slowly said:

"Either the Buddha has broken free of the seal; or someone else intervened back then; or Shenshu orchestrated the destruction of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons."

"Buddha and the Witch God were sealed together. The Witch God has only recently broken free of the seal. As both are of the highest rank, it's unlikely that Buddha could have broken free of the seal five hundred years ago."

"If it were someone else, then it would be a bit chilling to think about. But that's unlikely, because now the Hundred Thousand Mountains have been incorporated into the Western Regions and become the territory of Buddhist School. The fortunes of Buddhist School are protecting them. If it was someone else who made the move back then, what would their purpose be? It couldn't have been simply to benefit Buddhist School."

"As for the destruction of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons under Shen Shu's leadership, well, if that's the case, then who dismembered Shen Shu? Even the Buddha was sealed away, so who else could dismember a half-step Martial God?"

Night Princess nodded, looking worried:

"Does Your Majesty know about the Buddha being sealed away by the Confucian sage?"

Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment and said:

"It's hard to say. Your Majesty is unfathomable, and I don't know much about her. But very few people in the Nine Provinces know about the Confucian sage sealing the Buddha. If the leader of the Confucian School hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known about such an inside story."

The "Sixty-Year Demon Purge" battle five hundred years ago is shrouded in mystery, concealing even deeper secrets.

"Bai Ji, contact your empress."

Xu Qi'an said.

Bai Ji lazily refused to move, and said in a childish voice:

"Sister Ye Ji can also contact the Empress; why don't you have her go do some work?"

In a family, the older generation naturally does the chores, so as the youngest sister, her job is simply to be cute.

The older sisters would exclaim "Wow, little darling!" and dote on it, feeding it all sorts of things.

Even the Fuxiang could connect with the nine-tailed fox. Xu Qi'an raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing his old flame.

As the sun rose, Miao Youfang sat cross-legged in the valley, facing the roaring campfire, chewing on a blade of grass.

Hongying was roasting two large birds in his hands, which he had caught on the way when he went to pick up Miao Youfang.

"You're too kind, you're too kind."

Miao Youfang felt a little embarrassed, as he was receiving VIP treatment.

"Of course, of course. Brother Miao is Xu Yinluo's disciple, so he is a distinguished guest. It is our bounden duty to entertain such a distinguished guest and ensure he eats and drinks well."

Hongying showed none of the demeanor of a fourth-rank master; she was more like a seasoned, worldly official skilled in social maneuvering.

As he spoke, he noticed Miao Youfang's gaze constantly scrutinizing the two female demons at the cave entrance, so he immediately beckoned to them:

"You two come here."

The two banshees hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward:

"What are your orders, Protector Hongying?"

Hongying looked reproachful and said:

"You blockheads! Of course, this is for entertaining our distinguished guest. Brother Miao has fought alongside Xu Yinluo in countless battles; he's a great figure among the human race. You must treat him well. If you fail in your duties, see how I punish you."

This bird demon is so good at getting things done. Miao Youfang suddenly got a little cocky and waved his hand:

"You flatter me. I only helped Xu Yinlu kill a few Vajra. I mainly assisted him; Xu Yinlu was just too powerful."

Hongying's eyes lit up. "Brother Miao, you must tell us about this."

The two enchantresses, who were initially reluctant, quickly sat down and served Miao Youfang from either side.

The same morning.

Xu Lingyin shouldered her bag and followed her second brother and teacher, walking up the wooden planks extending from the warship onto the deck.

The three warships carried a total of three thousand soldiers and officers.

The military system of the Great Feng was the Weisuo system, which was derived from the Fubing system of the previous Great Zhou. The advantage of the Weisuo system was that it greatly reduced the country's military expenditure.

Furthermore, by ensuring that troops are dispersed across various continents, it is possible to quickly gather forces to quell rebellions, while also preventing any single general from concentrating military power and becoming too powerful.

Therefore, the imperial court only dispatched 3,000 troops from the capital region this time, with the remaining troops drawn from other regions.

"Lingyin, be careful!"

My aunt shouted at the top of her lungs at the dock:

"When you encounter trouble, you need to..."

I was going to say that I should listen to my master more, but then I suddenly remembered that a master might not be as reliable as a disciple.

Second Uncle Xu hurriedly said, "We need to find a way to contact my elder brother."

Xu Lingyin, carrying a backpack larger than herself, nodded vigorously:

"Mother, I'm going to fight!"

The soldiers and pedestrians on the dock all looked on in astonishment.

The fact that a little kid had sneaked onto the warship was already quite conspicuous.

Upon hearing that they were going to fight in a war...

Second Uncle Xu was shocked and angrily said, "What war are you talking about? You're here to return to your hometown with your master, don't talk nonsense."

The little boy always thought he was going to fight a war.

A series of questioning gazes scrutinized Xu Lingyin from afar.

Xu Lingyue, her face veiled, called out loudly, "Lingyin, as Xu Yinluo's sister, don't let everyone down."

In an instant, the questioning and dissatisfied gazes turned into warmth and friendliness.

After some commotion, Xu Erlang led the master and apprentice back to the cabin.

When the appointed time came, the warships set sail and embarked on a long voyage.

Xu Xinnian arranged for his younger sister and Lina to stay in the next room, and instructed them:

"Stay in your room, don't wander around, and don't cause trouble."

"Lina, don't eat anything offered by strangers, and don't accept the officers' kindness."

Although Lina is a fourth-rank expert, her gluttonous and naive nature will certainly make her unable to resist some underhanded tactics.

"Uh-huh!"

Lina nodded vigorously.

She was actually not afraid of poison. As a girl who grew up in Southern Frontier, even though she was not a member of the Poison Gu Clan, her ability to identify and resist poison was still outstanding.

Furthermore, poisons capable of stunning or killing a fourth-rank official are extremely rare and not something an ordinary person could easily obtain.

Lina thought Xu Erlang was just a naive scholar with little knowledge, and there was no need to explain these things to him.

After settling the two women in, Xu Erlang returned to his study to study military texts and analyze the battle situation in Qingzhou.

On the other side, Lina turned around and took Xu Lingyin out for a stroll, all the way to the deck.

Facing the cold wind, stars shone in the eyes of the master and apprentice.

This was the first time in their lives that they had set sail.

"What is your relationship with Xu Yinluo, young lady?"

A voice came from behind me asking a question.

Lina turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a square face and wearing armor. He was short and stocky, and his eyes were fixed intently on Lina and Xu Lingyin.

"Who are you?"

Lina spoke with a non-standard Central Plains Mandarin accent.

"Chen Xiao, Centurion of the Imperial Guard Battalion!"

The middle-aged military officer clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "During the summer, I accompanied Xu Yinluo north to investigate the case of the massacre that lasted three thousand miles. I just heard that this young lady is Xu Yinluo's sister?"

PS: Updated first, revised later.