Shenshu's Severed Limb

After the message was sent, there was no response for a long time.

"Imperial Preceptor, it is I, Xu Qi'an. I am in a life-or-death crisis in the Southern Frontier and urgently need your help."

Xu Qi'an quickly tried to play the victim.

The amulet lay quietly in his palm, showing no signs of distress; it was as if Luo Yuheng had lost contact with him.

"No, for Luo Yuheng, this situation should be described as 'I went missing after soliciting prostitutes in the Southern Frontier,' "Xu Qi'an joked to himself.

"Imperial Advisor, I am your Xu Lang."

Luo Yuheng still did not respond.

It seems he really can't contact her! Xu Qi'an finally confirmed that he and his aunt had lost contact.

"Firstly, it's possible that the distance between me and the Imperial Preceptor exceeded the range the amulet could transmit; in layman's terms—there was no signal!"

After all, amulets are strictly speaking just a sound transmission Law Technique in Daoist School, and they are certainly not comparable to professional sound transmission Law Artifact produced by the Bureau of Astronomy.

"Secondly, Luo Yuheng is still in seclusion. She is getting closer and closer to the Heavenly Tribulation, and accumulating strength to deal with it is of paramount importance. If she is in seclusion, it is normal that I cannot contact her. I can only wait until her karmic fire is nearing its limit and she comes out of seclusion to find me."

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an felt a little guilty. The Heavenly Tribulation concerned Luo Yuheng's life and death, and she had to do her best to face it. At this time, it was not appropriate to use her as a tool.

Finally, Luo Yuheng was still too ashamed to face anyone after his death and didn't want to talk to him.

That's unlikely. Given my aunt's temperament and skills, she should be able to tolerate a mere social death.

Li Lingsu still has the nerve to live, so what's a little social death like my aunt's? He thought to himself, feeling a bit guilty.

Dressed in a light veil, Ye Ji embraced Xu Qi'an from behind, her delicate chin resting on his shoulder, and said softly:

"Young Master Xu, what are you doing holding that talisman?"

Contact your sister Xu Qi'an and say, "I wanted to ask the Imperial Advisor for help in dealing with Asura, but she seems to be in seclusion, or perhaps the Southern Frontier is too far from the capital to send the message out."

Night Princess frowned. "Then what should we do?"

Xu Qi'an was somewhat surprised that she didn't ask him why she was able to persuade Luo Yuheng, but then he realized that it was Fuxiang's understanding.

She never pried into his private affairs with other women, nor did she inquire excessively about his secrets.

"Don't worry, I have another candidate."

Xu Qi'an waved towards the screen, and the fragments of the Earth Book flew out of his pocket and landed in his palm.

He returned the amulet to the fragment of the Earth Book, then took out the sound-transmitting conch.

The Imperial Observatory had said that this conch shell could be used to contact Sun Xuanji from anywhere on the Nine Provinces Continent, making it an extremely precious communication Law Artifact of the Bureau of Astronomy.

As he held the conch shell, Xu Qi'an hesitated for a moment, thought for a moment, and then put the conch shell back. He then turned around, pressed Fuxiang against the edge of the bathtub, and made her hold onto the tub, sticking her buttocks up.

"Let's get intimate a bit more, then I'll go find him."

Xu Qi'an was already traumatized by Senior Brother Sun. He hoped that Senior Brother Sun wouldn't show up while he was taking a shower after sending out the message.

Pinch Fuxiang's slender waist...

This body was still a delicate flower, fresh from her first experience of lovemaking. Moreover, she was recovering from serious injuries and was somewhat weak, so Xu Qi'an didn't torment her for too long, stopping after a brief taste.

"Senior Brother Sun, I'm in the edge of the Hundred Thousand Mountains in Southern Frontier."

I briefly explained the situation.

"Good!"

Sun Xuanji gave a concise response.

"Xu Lang, I'll go retrieve Master Shenshu's remains first. Wait here again; I'll return before nightfall."

Ye Ji was dressed neatly, in a plain-colored strapless ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) paired with a light green blouse. This outfit, which exuded a refined and cultured air, would have given Fuxiang the air of a well-bred lady.

But now, when worn by Yoru, it actually exudes a certain uniform allure.

Her true form was too alluring. Although the fox clan was known for its seductive charm, her alluring gaze and mannerisms constantly tempted men, making her look more like a uniform fetish the more proper she dressed.

The charming and passionate nature of Lin'an and the alluring and beautiful nature of Fuxiang are two completely different qualities.

The former is alluring, the latter is a vixen.

After Xu Qi'an nodded, Fuxiang gracefully departed.

As dusk fell, Xu Qi'an, who was sitting cross-legged in the cave practicing breathing exercises, felt something and left the cave, arriving in the valley.

He was first drawn by a loud singing voice, and saw Miao Youfang carrying a wine pot, singing and dancing with the bird demon Hongying. The two of them were intertwined and turning around.

Miao Youfang sang risqué songs from the brothels, while Hongying sang folk songs characteristic of Southern Frontier.

Several enchanting women danced gracefully around the two.

Guardian Aoki and Guardian White Ape sat to the side watching, the latter with a bruised and swollen face, clearly having been severely beaten.

Behind the crowd stood a white-robed Warlock, of average height, with ordinary features and an ordinary demeanor. He was so ordinary that no one noticed his arrival.

Upon noticing Xu Qi'an's appearance, everyone immediately looked over, and the singing and dancing stopped.

"Senior Brother Sun!"

"Xu Qi'an shouted."

Everyone turned around abruptly, their expressions strange, completely unaware that someone had suddenly appeared behind them.

Sun Xuanji nodded, a burst of clear light rose beneath his feet, and he appeared before Xu Qi'an.

"Why don't you come in, senior brother?" Xu Qi'an asked with a warm smile.

Senior Brother Sun is an excellent tool; he's incredibly capable and doesn't talk much.

The white ape subconsciously scrutinized the stranger, its clear blue eyes piercing through to the heart, and slowly said:

"This wise man's heart told me: I was just heading south to Qingzhou to assist my teacher, so I turned back here. The journey was too long, and I'm exhausted. I was just resting."

Xu Qi'an clearly saw Senior Brother Sun's face stiffen.

"This is Protector Yuan, who possesses the innate supernatural Divine Ability to see through people's hearts and has cultivated the Buddhist School practice of telepathy, making him extremely skilled."

Xu Qi'an immediately introduced Sun Xuanji, and as he spoke, a thought struck him, and he said:

"Protector Yuan, please come inside with me."

Please translate for me.

Sun Xuanji turned around and gave Yuan Hufa a deep look before following Xu Qi'an into the grotto.

Protector Aoki reminded him:

"That's a transcendental level Warlock. Don't talk nonsense, understand?"

Protector Yuan looks back at Protector Qingmu:

"But Aoki-senpai's heart tells me: This damned monkey, you'd better keep spouting nonsense and wait to be skinned alive."

Aoki Protector's face suddenly flushed red, and his grip on the vine cane tightened and loosened repeatedly.

Protector Hongying pretended not to hear and urged:

"Hurry up and go in, don't keep Xu Yinluo waiting."

Protector Yuan nodded and entered the cave.

"This protector is quite interesting."

Miao Youfang witnessed everything that had just happened and looked at Protector Hongying.

Because he was singing and dancing and had no other thoughts in his mind, Miao Youfang escaped death and did not experience the horror and cruelty of Protector Yuan.

Protector Hongying sighed:

"Protector Yuan was a slave in a Buddhist temple from a young age. Later, as he grew older, his innate supernatural Divine Ability gradually awakened, and he unintentionally learned the Buddhist School art of telepathy. From then on, he was no longer able to control his abilities."

Miao Youfang suddenly realized. "Then how did he become one of ours?"

In just one hour, he had become one of the Demon Race of the Southern Frontier.

Protector Hongying curled her lip. "Later, even the monks in the Buddhist temple couldn't stand him anymore, so they expelled him from the Buddhist School and left him to fend for himself."

Good heavens! Miao Youfang secretly vowed that when facing Protector Yuan, he would remain clear-headed and untainted by worldly dust.

Protector Hongying glanced at him. "Protector Yuan is at the fourth rank, and his innate supernatural Divine Ability are even stronger. Even if a Transcendent Realm expert doesn't consciously restrain their thoughts, he can see through their mind. At the fourth rank, apart from the Daoist School and the wizarding sect, almost no other system can shield Protector Yuan's abilities."

Inside the grotto, Xu Qi'an explained the situation to Sun Xuanji in detail, and then asked:

What does Senior Brother Sun think?

Sun Xuanji remained silent. Xu Qi'an glanced at Protector Yuan, who understood immediately. His clear, azure eyes fixed on Sun Xuanji, he said:

"Senior Brother Sun's heart tells me: You deal with Asura, I'll destroy the formation. I'm not going to do something that's just asking for my life!"

Sun Xuanji panicked and repeatedly said, "Empress, Empress!"

Xu Qi'an let out a breath and finished for him. "You don't need to say the last sentence."

The white ape guardian nodded.

Xu Qi'an continued, "No problem. I'll deal with Asura; I'll try my best to keep him occupied. Senior Brother Sun, you'll be in charge of breaking the Zen Master's formation."

In his view, this arrangement was the most reasonable, as having Warlock break the formation was a good fit for their profession.

A brute fighting King Kong is a perfect match – a bayonet duel to see who's tougher!

After quickly settling down the important matters, Xu Qi'an asked, "Senior Brother Sun just said he was going to Qingzhou to assist the Supervisor?"

Sun Xuanji stood with his hands behind his back, without saying a word.

Protector Yuan said, "The rebels of Yunzhou have launched a full-scale attack on Qingzhou. My teacher, my senior brother, and the Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree Great Feng Dynasty is lacking extraordinary experts, and I originally intended to go and lend a hand."

Xu Qi'an's heart sank:

"Wouldn't this delay our chance to strike?"

Sun Xuanji shook his head, and Protector Yuan said:

"The deeper the knife is hidden, the more wary the enemy will be. There shouldn't be any surprises in the short term. Besides, the rebels in Yunzhou are waiting for the Western Regions Buddhist Kingdom's army to attack. The bigger the commotion we make here, the better, as this will keep the enemy occupied."

Indeed, the rebels in Yunzhou have dragged Buddhist School into this mess, and it's definitely not just Bodhisattva Gara Tree who's involved; the Western Regions' army is also a contributing factor. If I can contain the Western Regions' army, the pressure on the imperial court will be much less. Xu Qi'an nodded slowly.

At this moment, he saw Protector Yuan's azure eyes looking at him, and quickly waved his hand:

"I don't need to say what I'm thinking."

Protector Yuan nodded, after all, he didn't want to be swatted by Xu Yinluo again.

Just then, footsteps came from the passageway, and Yoru returned carrying a huge box on her back.

"Clang!"

She placed the box on the ground with a heavy thud.

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the box. It was jet black with a metallic sheen, and its outer layer was covered with dense Buddhist script, resembling some kind of sealing formation.

"This is a Buddhist School sealing formation personally inscribed by the Empress to suppress the remains of Master Shenshu. Every ten years, a large number of living beings must be sacrificed, otherwise it will break the seal."

Ye Ji said with some worry, "If the seal is broken now, it will be very difficult to reseal it if the Empress is not here."

Protector Yuan glanced at Sun Xuanji and said:

"This Senior Brother Sun's mind was telling me: Ha, Buddhist School formations are crude and rubbish. I'll show you all what I'm capable of later."

Sun Xuanji's lips twitched suddenly.

It turns out that beneath Senior Brother Sun's honest appearance lies a sly heart. Indeed, showing off and getting something for nothing are human nature. Xu Qi'an held back his laughter.

"Cough cough!"

He coughed forcefully and said, "Open it."

Night Princess nodded, took out a jade-green key, bent down, and inserted it into the keyhole.

Click!

The sound of the bolt opening filled the entire grotto with a terrifying yet powerful aura.

Protector Yuan collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

Night Princess retreated repeatedly, her pretty face turning pale.

Sun Xuanji and Xu Qi'an remained unmoved, both looking inside the box.

How many memories does this Master Shenshu possess, and what is his personality? If possible, it wouldn't be unreasonable to let him meet the severed hand inside the Floating Pagoda, Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

PS: Updated first, revised later.