Daughter

As the box was opened, its contents were revealed to everyone.

This was a torso, without legs, arms, or a head, but it was the most complete body Shen Xu Qi'an had ever seen.

It's worth mentioning that the body's crotch was covered by a miniskirt made of animal skin, which inexplicably reminded Xu Qi'an of that monkey with the thunder god's mouth on TV back then.

"The ten-year period has not yet ended, why have you awakened me!"

The torso awoke, slowly "stood up," and hovered in front of everyone before concealing its aura.

"Master Shenshu, this servant has been ordered by Her Majesty to open the seal, for I have a request."

With the pressure lifted, Ye Ji bowed in relief.

The divine creature slowly turned halfway around, as if scanning the people in the cave, until it saw Xu Qi'an.

The two black beans on her chest suddenly split open, turning into a pair of eyes. A terrifying aura emanated from them once more, and Ye Ji and the white ape retreated repeatedly, their faces turning pale.

"You carry my scent; a part of my body resides within you."

Her torso and breasts stared intently at him, and a thunderous sound emanated from her chest.

"That's a right arm!"

Xu Qi'an answered calmly; he did not sense any strong hostility or malice emanating from this body.

This means that the other person's personality is "gentle," just like the right arm residing in his body.

"Demon-Sealing Nails"

The divine being scrutinized him and said, "You're an enemy of Buddhist School? Hmm, then you're my friend. Your cultivation is impressive, your foundation is solid, you're a good warrior. Let's have a drink sometime."

They drank together. Xu Qi'an glanced at the bowl-sized scar on its neck and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

However, he has a decent personality, somewhat bold, unlike that lunatic in the tower who's always yelling about killing.

"Master, he is an assistant invited by the Empress."

Night Princess relayed the deal between the two parties to the torso of the deity, saying:

"Asura guards the Nanfa Temple. He is incredibly powerful, and we are unable to deal with him. Therefore, we would like to ask you to remove the Demon-Sealing Nails for him in advance."

The divine being readily agreed, "No problem, but removing the Demon-Sealing Nail will greatly diminish my power, and I will need a batch of Essence Blood to replenish it afterward."

Ye Ji nodded. "This servant understands."

The Hundred Thousand Mountains are abundant with wild animals, which can even launch surprise attacks on small towns and villages to plunder the Essence Blood of the people from the Western Regions.

Xu Qi'an's heart skipped a beat, and he asked:

"Master, can you reside in my body? Like a severed arm."

In that case, he could get the divine power from Shen Shu's body for free.

"No, you have the Demon-Sealing Nail inside you; I cannot possess it."

The divine body gave a negative answer.

So that's how it is. There's no way to exploit the loophole. Xu Qi'an shook his head in disappointment. It seems he still has to go and confront Asura himself.

"Which two Demon-Sealing Nails can you remove, senior?"

She stared at him for a moment, then chuckled, her chest heaving, "Those two are still on you."

"Very well, I truly am the chosen one. If this happens again, I'll have to doubt whether the luck within me is genuine." Xu Qi'an turned and instructed the others, "You all leave the cave."

Then, looking at the divine torso, he said, "Please help me remove the Demon-Sealing Nails, senior."

After Sun Xuanji, Ye Ji, and Protector Yuan led the female demons out of the cave, a vortex of air collapsed from Shen Shu's chest.

The swirling vortex whipped up a strong wind in the grotto, causing Xu Qi'an's long hair to dance wildly.

Crackling sound~

The cyclone crackled with golden arcs of electricity, casting flickering light throughout the grotto.

A golden arc of electricity shot out from the center of the cyclone, splashing onto Xu Qi'an's lower abdomen, where the Demon-Sealing Nail on his Ren Meridian was located.

From an observer's perspective, golden arcs of electricity transformed into long ropes, connecting Shen Shu's body with Xu Qi'an.

The cyclone spun faster and faster, its suction force growing stronger, causing the long rope formed by the golden electric arcs to tighten and pull on the Demon-Sealing Nail.

Xu Qi'an heard the chanting of Buddhist mantras echoing in his ears, knowing that these were the Mnemonic used to unlock the Demon-Sealing Nails.

The first two times the Demon-Sealing Nails were removed, both the Arhat of Love and the Divine Mantra on the left arm were aided by incantations.

Xu Qi'an secretly memorized it, but unfortunately, after trying it, he found that simply chanting the incantation could not unseal the Demon-Sealing Nail.

As the Demon-Sealing Nail was slowly pulled out, his face twitched violently, and large beads of sweat rolled down his face like rain.

I experienced the pain of my body being torn apart once again.

With a soft "poof," the sound of the Demon-Sealing Nail detaching from flesh and blood rang out, and the Qi within the Dantian surged forth uncontrollably, as if it had to be released.

Xu Qi'an suddenly swung his arms outwards, and with a "boom," the energy surged through the cave, causing the entire mountain to tremble violently.

Ye Ji, Sun Xuanji, and the others outside the cave clearly felt the ground beneath their feet trembling.

Whew~

A terrifying gale rushed out of the tunnel, "spitting" torches and pebbles out of it.

Sun Xuanji extended his right palm and gently pushed it outwards and forwards.

A tortoise-shell-shaped array of clear light stood before everyone, blocking the strong wind that could "blow" away martial artists below the sixth rank.

The powerful Red Tassel Protector, Green Wood Protector, and other Demon Race were secretly alarmed.

Inside the grotto, after this outburst, Xu Qi'an calmed the Qi in his Dantian, followed by a surge of revitalizing power.

Bang!

He clenched his fist so tightly it looked like he was about to burst the air.

"The depth of my Qi and the strength of my physical body have been greatly enhanced. The Qi I gained from dual cultivation with my aunt has finally found its use. With my current strength, combined with the perfected Vajra Divine Skill, I can easily defeat either Du Nan or Du Fan. Even in a two-on-one fight, I can remain undefeated."

After absorbing the blood of the Asura Vajra, he mastered the Vajra Divine Skill and was able to fight the Vajra one-on-one.

Now, he can easily defeat King Kong.

"In terms of physical strength alone, I'm not inferior to Asura, even if I'm slightly weaker, the difference isn't too great. Once I unlock the other Demon-Sealing Nail, my strength can improve further. However, Asura is also an Arhat, hmm, I'm not without other means. Entangling him is a piece of cake."

Composing himself, Xu Qi'an clasped his hands in a fist salute towards the greatly weakened body of Shen Shu and said:

"Please continue, senior."

The divine tortoise followed the same method to unlock the second demon-sealing nail for him. After Xu Qi'an calmed his disordered energy, it praised him:

"Your foundation is stronger than I imagined. If all the Demon-Sealing Nails were removed, your strength would be close to the pinnacle. It seems you were originally at this level."

It means that Xu Qi'an was originally a third-grade master, but he was sealed by the Demon-Sealing Nail.

"Buddhist School rarely uses the Demon-Sealing Nail. Your identity is extraordinary, young man. You've been practicing martial arts for hundreds of years, haven't you?"

Xu Qi'an, who has been practicing for half a year, clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"All things considered, a year and a half."

Shen Shu was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Don't joke with me like that."

"I have no reason to joke with you like that," Xu Qi'an said.

The deity's tone shifted to one of confusion. "You're not lying, but this is impossible."

Xu Qi'an truthfully replied, "This junior carries half the fate of the Central Plains dynasty."

The divine torso countered, "And then?"

Do I even need to say it...? Xu Qi'an muttered to himself, and said:

"Those with great fortune are blessed by heaven and can transcend the ordinary and become saints in a short period of time. Although it's an exaggeration, it's not uncommon."

His current achievements are inseparable from his own talent, hard work, and the care of some elders.

Xu Qi'an attributed all his extraordinary encounters to luck.

"I only know that those who possess great fortune cannot live forever; well, to be precise, they are bound by the fate of their nation. Therefore, there are no emperors in the world who live forever."

Shen Shu paused for a moment, her nipples fixed on him:

"It is unheard of for someone to gain extraordinary fortune and advance to the transcendent realm within a year and a half."

Xu Qi'an frowned and said:

"Perhaps it's because national fortune and individual fortune differ?"

Shen Shu asked again:

"In that case, all emperors throughout history could reach the transcendent realm within a year and a half. Why can't others do it, but you can?"

Xu Qi'an was stunned. "This, this..."

He subconsciously thought that Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Wuzong of the Great Feng Dynasty were the same.

But later they realized something was wrong, because although the two emperors were later promoted to the first rank, that was many, many years later.

Moreover, they started from the Subordinate Third Rank.

He composed himself, clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"This junior is unaware; this junior has a question to ask."

"Explain."

"The founding emperor of the Great Feng Dynasty in the Central Plains was a third-rank official before becoming emperor. After becoming emperor, he achieved the first rank. A hundred years later, his grandson rebelled and usurped the throne, and the same thing happened." Xu Qi'an spoke very quickly:

What's wrong with that?

"There's nothing wrong with that, but why do you think they achieved the highest rank because of good fortune?"

Shenshu said, "Your understanding of being blessed with good fortune is flawed and too one-sided. Those who are blessed with good fortune are different from ordinary people in every way; it manifests in all aspects of life."

"But in your eyes, it seems that if you are blessed with good fortune, you will definitely be able to step into the extraordinary realm and your cultivation will definitely advance by leaps and bounds every day."

"Indeed, those blessed with good fortune will receive benefits in their spiritual practice, and good luck will come one after another. However, it will only ever play a supporting role, helping you avoid detours on your spiritual path."

"But if you believe that good fortune alone can lead to extraordinary achievements, or even the highest rank, then you are placing too much importance on good fortune and too little on the importance of the highest rank."

Xu Qi'an's pupils dilated slightly.

"You still have secrets to uncover. Unfortunately, my memory is incomplete, so I can't offer much advice."

"But there are two questions worth considering: First, where did your national fortune come from? Second, compared to other emperors who were also blessed with good fortune, how is your fortune different?"

The fortune within me was infused by Xu Pingfeng; unlike that of ordinary emperors, it has been refined.

Yes, Shen Shu is right. Xu Pingfeng has always been concerned about the speed of my cultivation advancement.

Imagine if he knew that those who possess the destiny are destined to transcend the ordinary and achieve the highest rank, with Xu Pingfeng's wisdom, why would he support that lineage from five hundred years ago? Wouldn't it have been better to support me directly?

A first-rank martial artist is enough to easily sweep through the Great Feng dungeon.

What does this mean? It means that he knows that luck can amplify cultivation and bring about frequent fortuitous encounters, but it hasn't reached that exaggerated level yet.

Therefore, compared to a martial arts prodigy, the vast army of Qianlong City is a better fit for cooperation.

That means that luck does indeed help me improve my cultivation, but there are other reasons why I have the cultivation I have today.

The reason is still a matter of luck, but it's not just a matter of luck anymore.

Xu Qi'an remained silent for a long time before slowly exhaling:

"Senior, do you know the inside story of the war between Buddha and demon five hundred years ago?"

"Forgot."

The divine being said in a deep voice, "I only remember the beautiful times I spent with the king under the flowers and moon."

The old tree spirit guessed correctly; Shen Shu really was the lover of the Queen of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons? Xu Qi'an was startled.

"Besides these, what else do you remember?"

He was met with a long silence. After a long while, the divine being slowly spoke:

"We have a child, a very cute little fox. She is the current leader of the Southern Demons."

Holy crap, Xu Qi'an hasn't sworn in a long time; this news is just too shocking.

The Nine-Tailed Fox is Shen Shu's daughter?! She's actually Shen Shu's daughter?!

But that doesn't make sense. Protector Qingmu said that the Empress is a pure-blooded nine-tailed celestial fox, how could she possibly be Shen Shu's daughter?

No, back then, Protector Qingmu was just a minor demon. No matter how high his seniority was, he was still a minor demon, and he might not have known too much about the inside story.

But God has no reason to lie to me.

Shen Shu and the King of Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons were lovers and had a daughter; the Buddhist School destroyed the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, and Shen Shu was a member of the Buddhist School; Shen Shu and the Buddha had a secret deal that no one knew about—holy crap, it's terrifying to think about!

Xu Qi'an's heart pounded wildly.

"Senior, do you still remember your identity?" she asked tentatively.

I was referring to your status within Buddhist School.

"I don't remember."

The divine being murmured, "I only remember the time I spent with her, and that Buddha killed her back then. I can't remember anything else."

This might be why he has a relatively mild temperament and doesn't have much negative energy. Xu Qi'an didn't ask any more questions.

Three-masted warships sail on the canal.

After having lunch, Xu Erlang sat at his desk, pen in hand, and earnestly wrote his first letter home.

Fearing something might happen to her son, the aunt stipulated that he write a letter home every two days.

"Mother, I'm finding life adrift on the canal somewhat uncomfortable."

Writing these vernacular letters made Xu Erlang somewhat uncomfortable, but considering his parents' educational level, these letters were easy for them to understand.

"On the contrary, Lingyin really enjoys boating. Apart from not being very smart, she seems to have no weaknesses."

"I heard from my colleagues that the situation in Qingzhou is very good, and the imperial army is defeating the rebels one after another, so you don't need to worry, I will be victorious soon."

"Take good care of yourself in the capital. Don't worry about me. Lingyin has her elder brother to look after her, so she'll be fine too."

"If you encounter any trouble at home, remember to discuss it with Lingyue. Lingyue's wisdom is not even a tenth or a twelfth of yours, but more people means more ideas."

"Lingyin suffered no mistreatment on the ship. The soldiers liked her very much, praising her as worthy of being their elder brother's sister, brave and unparalleled, a true hero who could hold off ten thousand men."

Xu Erlang thought for a moment, crossed out that line, and rewrote it:

"She's truly worthy of being her elder brother's sister; she's incredibly intelligent and will surely grow up to be a well-educated and refined young lady."

After finishing writing the letter home, he blew on the ink to dry it and stuffed the letter into the envelope.

At this moment, two beams of light rose from the room, and Zhang Shen and Li Mubai, dressed in Confucian robes and wearing square headscarves, suddenly appeared.

"Teacher, Mr. Mubai?"

Xu Xinnian was stunned for a moment, then surprised and delighted. "Why are you here?"

Zhang Shen stroked his beard and said:

"The situation in Qingzhou is dire. Yang Gong wrote to the Dean for help, and the Dean asked Mubai and me to go to Qingzhou to serve as Yang Gong's advisors."

The joy of reunion vanished instantly, Xu Xinnian said in a deep voice:

What did the Layman Ziyang say in his letter?

Li Mubai said, "The first line of defense on the border of Qingzhou has been breached. Ziqian has ordered a scorched-earth policy, gathering refugees and adopting a strategy of holding out and waiting for reinforcements."

Xu Xinnian immediately unfolded the map of Qingzhou, examined it for a moment, and said:

"This plan is brilliant."

Qingzhou spans thousands of miles and has ample strategic depth, so simply holding the border is not very meaningful.

The strategy of the Great Feng garrison, which occupied a strategically advantageous location, of fortifying the city and scorching the fields, and refusing to leave the city, was also the right choice.

Zhang Shen shook his head and sighed:

"Don't forget that the Western Region monks and soldiers haven't entered the fray yet. If Cijiu go as expected, the Buddhist School will soon send a large army to attack Leizhou and other places to contain the imperial court and force it to fight on two fronts."

"At that time, Qingzhou will face a situation where it is 'unable to clap its hands' (i. e., it is powerless to act alone)."

Li Mubai added, "Furthermore, with the rise of refugees and bandits, internal instability has created a precarious situation. Ziqian had anticipated this, but after racking his brains for a solution without success, he wrote to the dean for help."

Xu Xinnian's expression darkened.

Dusk falls, and the sun sets in the west.

Wanyao Mountain is the core area of the Hundred Thousand Mountains in Southern Frontier. Although the mountain is not high, it is exceptionally majestic, resembling a reclining giant, stretching for dozens of miles.

And this is only the main peak.

As one of the blessed lands of Southern Frontier, Wan Yao Mountain is blessed with beautiful scenery and abundant Spiritual Qi, nurturing generation after generation of Demon Race.

The number of Demon Race in the mountains is still large, but with the passage of time, they have gone from being masters to slaves.

Buddhist School has taken over this place.

Nanfa Temple is built on a mountaintop and is the tallest building in southern China.

After the Buddhist School occupied Wanyao Mountain, they embarked on a massive construction project, felling trees to clear roads and building a magnificent city there.

Wearing a cloak, Xu Qi'an walked on the streets of "Southern Kingdom" city, accompanied by Ye Ji, Sun Xuanji, and Miao Youfang.

They were all wearing the same cloak.

"Squeak."

The high-pitched monkey cries caught Xu Qi'an's attention.

On the street, someone was putting on a monkey show. A little yellow-haired monkey would bow to passersby, begging for money. If the passersby didn't give it any, it would do somersaults, make faces, or kneel down and kowtow.

"They're all unformed little demons."

Xu Qi'an took out a piece of silver and threw it over. The yellow-haired monkey picked up the silver, kowtowed and knelt down, his forehead thumping loudly.

A look of sorrow appeared in Yoru's eyes:

"Because unformed demons are the easiest to control."

There are two types of Demon Race. One type consists of beasts that Aperture Opening and, through their own cultivation, gradually become great demons.

Their offspring are born as Demon Race, just like humans, and as they age, they naturally develop Aperture Opening. This is another kind of Demon Race.

The Demon Race of Ten Thousand Demon Mountain are mostly descendants of the great demons of yesteryear.

Although they are beasts in form, they possess extremely high intelligence.

Hakuhime is an example.

"There should be Demon Race who can take human form, right?" Miao Youfang asked.

"Of course there are, but they are few in number. Most of them are enslaved by Buddhist temples or used as mounts. Or they are controlled by high-ranking officials and nobles in the city."

Ye Ji said, "The high-ranking officials and nobles of the Western Regions raise Demon Race who can transform into human form, usually to serve as war slaves, with very few exceptions."

"Very few exceptions?"

Miao Youfang pressed for further details.

Ye Ji sneered, "For example, beautiful Demon Race women will become their playthings, and that's considered good treatment. Those who are treated worse will be sent to the army."

She didn't finish her sentence, but Miao Youfang could guess what she meant.

He fell silent for a moment.

On the pagoda of Nanfa Temple, the imposing Asura stands at the top, overlooking the magnificent city under the night sky.

At one point, he turned his gaze away and looked at the shadows below the tower.

A figure draped in a cloak and wearing a hood appeared there silently.