My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult

Chapter 264: Chapter 264 The Imperial Jade Seal of the Great Zhou Dynasty

The next moment, a chill rose from his heart.

A streak of cold light silently assailed him, its speed incredibly fast.

An Jing hastily utilized the “Shrinking Land into Inches” technique and vanished from the spot.

“Thump!”

A gigantic hook ruthlessly plunged into the ground, instantly stirring up dust and shattering rocks, leaving a massive pit where An Jing had just been standing.

“Hmm!?”

...

An Jing looked over and, to his astonishment, saw a scorpion a full zhang in height. The scorpion was entirely black, but its eyes glowed green, and the sharp hook on its tail emanated a heart-chilling light.

An exotic beast!?

In the world, there were some spiritual objects that, thanks to fortuitous opportunities and creation, such as the Honghu and the Thousand-year-old Black Python, had transformed. The black scorpion before him was also one such exotic beast.

The difference was that this black scorpion had mutated by absorbing the Yin Evil Qi.

“Swoosh!”

An Jing’s body became like the wind, and he leaped straight onto the back of the black scorpion.

The black scorpion, naturally feeling An Jing on its back, swung its tail hook madly at him. The cold glow hung in the air, leaving one feeling suffocated.

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“Zing!”

The hook clashed violently with the sword blade, immediately causing An Jing to feel a huge force pull at him from the sword.

“This black scorpion sure is strong.”

An Jing gripped the Evil Suppressing Sword with both hands, his eyebrows tightly knitted as he planted his feet on the back of the black scorpion.

A man and a scorpion continued their tug-of-war, neither willing to give in, with surging force qi rippling outwards.

Suddenly, with a hint of ferocity in its eyes, the black scorpion’s giant pincers snapped fiercely towards An Jing.

An Jing, hearing the wind beside his ear, thrust his sword forward sharply, causing the scorpion’s tail hook to retract rapidly.

He grabbed the Evil Suppressing Sword, his hands moving swiftly as he slid the sword toward the middle part of the scorpion’s hook.

“Ssst!”

The blade sliced cleanly, its sharp edge peerless, severing the black scorpion’s tail hook in two, with black blood spurting out several meters high.

With a sharp cry, the black scorpion charged forward frantically.

An Jing promptly thrust the Evil Suppressing Sword heavily into the back of the black scorpion, emitting sparks of color as the razor-sharp tip pierced straight through the scorpion’s iron armor.

This was the sharpness of the Evil Suppressing Sword!

Stabbed, the black scorpion’s ferocity was roused further; its green eyes took on a hint of blood red, and it emitted a strange roar.

Meanwhile, countless little black scorpions emerged from the surroundings and swarmed towards An Jing.

“Clang!”

The Evil Suppressing Sword moved in quick succession, tapping four times in front of him.

The next moment!

Four cross-shaped sword lights burst forth, shredding the swarm of little black scorpions, enveloping the area in a black rain.

Sword Control Technique!

An Jing narrowed his eyes, and with a slap of the Evil Suppressing Sword in his hand,

The sword light, unmatched in its chill, turned into a streak of light and thrust forward, causing the surrounding air to spill out, lighting up the originally pitch-black night sky.

“Thud!”

The Evil Suppressing Sword directly penetrated the body of the black scorpion, and black blood splattered onto the ground, sizzling, before the black scorpion fell to the ground, twitching briefly before lying still.

An Jing looked at the Evil Suppressing Sword that had returned to his hand, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

At the same time, in the Earth Book, black and purple radiances intertwined, shining brilliantly.

Before An Jing could regain his composure, the small hill began to shake again, cracking in all directions from the center with the stele as the epicenter.

“Rumble! Rumble!”

Upon closer inspection, the trembling wasn’t just confined to the small hill, but the entire White Bone Mountain.

“What’s this…”

Such a disturbance, shaking tens of miles around, was also felt by Jun Qinglin beneath his feet. He couldn’t help but look forward, feeling the Yin Evil Qi around him converging towards White Bone Mountain.

An Jing looked at the fractured mountain range before him, feeling the surge of Yin Evil Qi from the dark rift like an incoming tide.

This Yin Evil Qi was incredibly dense; even a grandmaster wouldn’t dare to approach it recklessly. Through this Qi, one seemed to peek at countless wronged souls and fierce ghosts howling.

Besides that, there were earth-shattering sounds of battle, resounding in the ears.

It was as if the scene of tens of thousands of soldiers clashing in battle unfolded before the eyes—the clash of weapons, the neighing of horses, kicking up clouds of dust, and the ground scattered with innumerable amounts of fresh blood and corpses.

At a glance, one couldn’t see the end, ultimately leading to a mountain built of bones.

This was White Bone Mountain!

Indeed, White Bone Mountain was genuinely formed from a pile of bones.

And these army ghosts had always been under the mountain, along with the Evil Suppressing Sword, as if they were suppressing some unknown fierce creature, holding back the surging Yin Evil Qi within the mountain.

At this moment, with the Evil Suppressing Sword drawn, the Yin Evil Qi surged forth violently.

“Quick, leave!”

Upon witnessing this eerie and terrifying scene, An Jing felt a sudden chill in his heart, his feet stepping on the scattered stones as he retreated into the distance.

It was easier said than done, and before one knew it—Boom!

The Yin Evil Qi rushed forward like a tangible giant hand, turbulent and stirring fiercely.

An Jing’s “Nameless Heart Scripture” began to circulate, and instantly a scorching stream of Qi surged around his body, dispersing all the approaching Yin Evil Qi.

But the Yin Evil Qi was like an ocean, and as soon as the Qi in front was melted away, more surged forward in relentless waves.

“Boom! Boom!”

The Yin Evil Qi in front morphed into a violent storm, into thousands of troops and horses.

A point of red light in the boundless darkness was simply insignificant.

Even as all the True Qi inside An Jing gushed forward, it only held off the Yin Evil Qi for a moment before the overwhelming tide came rushing back, swallowing him up in an instant.

Boom!

That red light also disappeared, and suddenly White Bone Mountain became very still.

After the Yin Evil Qi engulfed An Jing, apart from feeling cold, there were no other sensations, and in an instant, both his sight and mind were plunged into darkness.

About three or four breaths later, a speck of light appeared before his eyes.

Above his head was a pitch-black expanse, like an eternal night, and murky, unclean currents of air flowed around.

All around was vast emptiness, devoid of any light.

Underfoot was barren land as far as the eye could see.

Through the black, muddy mist, one could discern an immense and majestic gate, ancient and heavy with history.

The gate was a hundred zhang high and several tens of zhang wide, and if not for the fact that An Jing still had some distance from it, he probably wouldn’t have been able to perceive its entirety.

By the terrifying gateside, two stone sculptures on either side were carved with eerie and archaic patterns.

“What place is this?”

An Jing took a glance around, feeling the utmost chill inside, “Could this be Fengdu?”

Fengdu governs the life of all things. When every living creature dies, their divine soul is brought to the Underworld, where all good and evil deeds from the Mortal World must be settled.

As the saying goes, the living stay in the Mortal World, and the dead reside in the Underworld—one world for the living, another for the dead.

In the human world, nothing is more momentous than life and death.

And at this moment, An Jing stood at the boundary between life and death.

“Swoosh!”

In his mind, the Earth Book suddenly released an extreme black radiance.

The stronger the light released, the closer the black opportunity was. The last time the Earth Book unleashed such an extreme black radiance was when he faced Jiang Shang.

Is everything here just an illusion?

Or is it real?

An Jing watched the ancient gate before him with utmost calm, subconsciously reaching for the Evil Suppressing Sword at his waist.

But his palm grasped at the void, as the sword was not on his belt.

“Could it be that I’m truly dead?”

Cold sweat broke out on An Jing’s forehead as his heart pounded chaotically.

“`

In this world, no one is unafraid of death, especially those whose hearts are still entangled with worldly concerns.

“Impossible….”

An Jing’s heart became incredibly calm, his eyes narrowing into slits. If he had truly died, the Earth Book wouldn’t possibly have emitted a black light.

He walked forward, and before he knew it, he found himself in front of the ancient door.

In front of this door, a person seemed insignificant, utterly minuscule.

An Jing placed his hand on the ancient door and without any hesitation, he pushed hard.

In an instant, darkness engulfed him from above; An Jing felt as if he had lost consciousness, his breathing slowly ceasing, and all the strength from his body slowly draining away.

It seemed as if he could see his body gradually sinking into the darkness.

His eyes seemed to glimpse a faint light, and by his ears, he could hear the sounds of battle.

An Jing’s soul began to separate from his flesh.

His entire body felt like it was falling into darkness, but not into absolute darkness.

A path appeared ahead of him, lined with flowers on both sides, followed by a tremendous noise, almost shattering his eardrums.

Then, An Jing saw something enormous, seemingly without end.

In front of the path, a strong light was refracting, not inducing fear, dread, or tension, but an unmatched tranquility.

In one’s life, there may be countless farewells, but the most heart-shaking is the farewell in death.

That is a farewell to oneself.

“Click—!”

The ancient door was opened.

“Whoosh!” “Whoosh!”

The moment the door was pushed open, An Jing too opened his eyes.

Unknowingly, he had walked a circle through the Ghost Gate.

He found himself within White Bone Mountain, where a faint sunlight cast its rays from above. The mountain was crumbling, chaotic, and the bare white bones on the ground were shockingly exposed.

An Jing was enveloped in Yin Evil Qi, as if he was in the middle of darkness.

In front of him, there seemed to be a ray of light—it was Jun Qinglin, who was also trapped by the thick Yin Evil Qi, unable to move an inch.

Even Jun Qinglin, a Five Qi Grandmaster, was powerless in the face of such dense Yin Evil Qi.

A mysterious sound came from within the Yin Evil Qi, and a giant shadow crept forward, as if it was going to cover the sun in the sky.

“So it’s you who’s causing mischief….”

An Jing gazed at the specter before him. The Nameless Heart Scripture began to operate, and then he drew the Evil Suppressing Sword from his waist and struck forward.

“Shh!”

The surrounding massive Yin Evil Qi dissipated.

“Kill!” “Kill!” “Kill!”

From the vast and dark mist ahead, the sound of a thousand troops surged once more, the echoes of intense combat reverberated over the entire White Bone Mountain.

An Jing saw an overwhelming darkness ahead, covering the sky and earth, endless to the eye—an army of countless soldiers, the military souls of the Great Zhou Dynasty who had died hundreds of years ago but had not yet dispersed.

At that moment, they stood in front of An Jing, roaring as they charged into the vast sea of Yin Evil Qi.

The military souls merged with the Yin Evil Qi, but still fearlessly continued their onslaught as if bound by a singular destiny.

They had failed to defend Lengping City in the past, failed to protect the last stronghold of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and failed to protect the royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

This grievance was the reason their divine souls had not faded for so long.

And now, once more, they faced the same choice.

This time, whether in favorable or adverse circumstances, they resolved to advance with their heads high, leaving no room for regret.

If thorny paths lay ahead, they would forge ahead, cutting through the obstacles.

“Kill—!”

The cry of battle shook heaven and earth; no one retreated.

With steel and valor, they roared mightily like tigers swallowing thousands of miles!

The countless military souls surged forward towards the Yin Evil Qi, willing to dissolve into it, yet showing no sign of retreat.

Fearless of death!

“`

Divine Soul dissolves, this is true death!

It was as if they had stayed in this world for hundreds of years, just to wait for this moment.

An Jing looked at the scene before him, and an unusual emotion arose within him.

Jun Qinglin walked to An Jing’s side and slowly said, “This Yin Evil Qi should have been caused by your removal of the Evil Suppressing Sword. These Army Souls should have been suppressing the Yin Evil Qi of White Bone Mountain together with the Evil Suppressing Sword, and this Yin Evil Qi was not produced by the Army Souls themselves.”

The scene that unfolded at White Bone Mountain naturally attracted the attention of hundreds of thousands of commoners around Lengping City, many of whom raised their heads in surprise and looked up at the dark clouds rising from White Bone Mountain, and at the towering ghost city within the clouds.

Dim lanterns hung high on the red pavilions, which were like a jade tower standing at the edge of the sky.

“That… that is…”

Ordinary people were visibly shocked at the sight, everyone was stunned.

Fengdu!

The legendary Fengdu has really appeared!

“Emperor Zi Wei has revealed his spirit.”

An old man was seen tremblingly kneeling down.

Seeing this, the surrounding commoners kneeled down en masse, their expressions extremely reverent.

…..

At White Bone Mountain, white bones covered the ground, and the Yin Evil Qi kept converging, forming a black vortex.

An Jing looked at the Evil Suppressing Sword in his hand, then glanced at the Army Souls plunging into the Yin Evil Qi above, and suddenly he felt purple radiance fluttering within the fissure.

At this time, the black opportunity had also disappeared from the Earth Book, leaving only the purple opportunity.

An Jing leaped to the front of the crevice and looked down. Under the faint sunlight, he could see an ancient jade stone below.

It was like a seal.

“Whoosh!”

An Jing’s palm sucked in, and the jade stone was drawn by the force, floating upwards, before finally landing in his palm.

The Jade Seal was extremely peculiar, .

“Is this the Imperial Jade Seal of the Great Zhou Dynasty’s royal family?”

Jun Qinglin looked at the Jade Seal in An Jing’s hand, a glint flashing in his eyes.

After Lengping was breached, Emperor Yan searched for months and failed to find the Imperial Jade Seal, ultimately he could only give up in frustration. It turned out the Jade Seal was actually within White Bone Mountain.

“It should be.”

The moment An Jing held the Jade Seal, the purple opportunity on the Earth Book disappeared as well.

This indicated that the Jade Seal was indeed the purple opportunity.

Jun Qinglin whispered, “So that’s how it is.”

All of the 700,000 Army Souls were soldiers from the former Great Zhou Dynasty, and An Jing had the bloodline of the Great Zhou Dynasty’s royal family; it was only natural for the Jade Seal to end up in his hands.

An Jing channeled his True Qi into the Jade Seal.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”

The Jade Seal flickered with a faint golden light, flying towards the sky.

In a daze, the golden light of the Jade Seal grew bigger and bigger, obscuring the sun and enveloping the entire White Bone Mountain.

The vast Yin Evil Qi, as if it had met its nemesis, scattered and fled, eventually being absorbed by Fengdu.

As the Yin Evil Qi dispersed, the chill of White Bone Mountain began to fade, and the temperature between heaven and earth was slowly rising.

That dazzling sunlight once again shone upon this land, warm and inviting, once again bursting with vitality.

Meanwhile, countless Army Souls on White Bone Mountain turned towards An Jing’s location and then knelt down in unison.

Looking over, it was only a vast expanse of black, endless and boundless, as if it had no end.

There was no speech, nor any sound.

But the scene was extremely spectacular and awe-inspiring, even Jun Qinglin felt his heart tremble.

An Jing took an instinctive step forward, looking at the dark mass of Army Souls before him.

At that moment, it was as if a thunderous sound rang out in his heart.

The next moment, these Army Souls, without any hesitation, headed towards Fengdu floating in the sky.

The great army moved out, with grand and mighty momentum, connecting heaven and earth.

An Jing watched as those military souls surged into Fengdu, then glanced at the Jade Seal in his hand, “I never expected this Jade Seal to be such an extraordinary treasure.”

There are many unique and unparalleled treasures in the world, such as the Heavenly Venerate’s Mirror and the Heavenly Flipping Seal crafted by the Demon Sect in imitation of the Imperial Jade Seal from the Great Qin Dynasty. They are treasures that firmly establish the foundation of their respective sects, exceedingly precious.

And not only does the Great Zhou Dynasty’s Imperial Jade Seal symbolize status and position, but it is also a powerful offensive exotic treasure.

Jun Qinglin couldn’t help but think to himself, “This Jade Seal is not inferior to the Heavenly Flipping Seal, it might even be stronger. This young man truly has great fortune upon him. His visit to White Bone Mountain was clearly fraught with extreme danger, but in the end, not only did he complete the Evil Suppressing Sword, but he also obtained this exotic treasure. His strength must have greatly increased. If he reaches the Three Qi, aside from the Five Qi Grandmasters, I’m afraid there are few in the world who could be his match.”

At that moment, Fengdu in the sky also became illusory, then completely disappeared, as if it had never appeared.

All of White Bone Mountain fell into silence.

An Jing spoke softly, “Great Elder, there really is a Fengdu in this world.”

Jun Qinglin also looked towards the horizon and said, “Indeed there is, this is my first encounter as well. To peer into its mysteries, I’m afraid one must reach the true Immortal level.”

Great Grandmasters are called Demi Immortals or Land Immortals. Aren’t true Immortals even above the level of Great Grandmasters?

Throughout the ancient and modern times, there have been people who have reached the realm of Great Grandmaster; the realm above Great Grandmaster is merely rumored among mortals. Whether or not such a realm exists is left to people’s conjectures and guesses.

An Jing touched the Jade Seal in his hand, “From now on, this Lengping City will return to calm once again.”

…..

Three days later, Jiangnan Dao.

The confluence of Yu State River and the small boat in the misty rain, the birds floating in the fog and the riverbanks are not as turbulent as the northern waters, but they possess a more engaging charm; everything appears soft, clear, clean, and spotless.

In the awning boat, An Jing and Jun Qinglin sat facing each other.

Looking at Yu State City, where he had lived for dozens of years, An Jing’s heart was filled with a sense of poignancy at the moment.

In the year that had past, he had visited many places: the bitterly cold Dongluo Pass in the north, the Russell Clan in the desolate lands, Jinghai City on the difficult-to-reach islands, and even Yujing City, blooming like a brocade of dazzling flowers…

But still, he missed the misty rain of Yu State City.

Jun Qinglin held a cup of wine, looking at the small bridges over flowing water, his expression tinged with a measure of leisurely contentment.

Just then, as the boat slowly drifted past the Grand Tea House, it came to the entrance of Jishi Hall.

“Woof! Woof!”

Suddenly, a loud barking erupted.

An Jing followed the sound and saw a black dog on the shore, barking excitedly. It then spun around and barked twice more, seemingly unable to contain its emotions, and with a splash, it dove into the river, swimming towards the boat.

Little Blackie?

An Jing recognized at a glance that this was the Little Blackie Tan Yun had adopted.

Now, Little Blackie had grown quite a bit larger than before, but due to its breed, it would never grow very large; it still looked just like a bench-legged dog.

Sure enough, Little Blackie quickly reached the side of the boat, its eyes excitedly fixed on An Jing.

An Jing reached out his hand and lifted Little Blackie aboard, “You’re still alive, huh?”

Jun Qinglin put down his cup and laughed, “We have a tasty treat delivered right to us, how convenient, just when we lack a dish to accompany the wine.”

Little Blackie certainly didn’t understand their words, running circles around An Jing, its tail wagging excitedly.

An Jing patted Little Blackie on the head and said with a smile, “Looks like you’ve gained some weight, Jie Se did not mistreat you.”

Little Blackie howled and bit at An Jing’s pants, jumping up and scurrying around to show its excitement.

At this moment, another small boat drifted over, and a man in black approached and spoke softly, “An Tributor, news has arrived.”

“Speak.”

“The Yan Kingdom Court is preparing for the Zhong Mountain Heavenly Ceremony. Lin Yiyang has already hinted at attending this Solitary Deer Assembly. In addition, many swordsmen will participate, including both old generation and new swordsmen.”

“Is there any news of the Sword Demon?”

An Jing asked.

Not long ago, the Exalted Vajra had already returned to Buddhism, and the news that the Sword Demon was still alive had spread throughout the world in the past few days, causing a stir in Jianghu.

After all, no one in Jianghu had imagined that the Sword Demon, who had vanished for so long, would still be alive. Many had believed that the Sword Demon had perished in the hands of the Houjin.

Furthermore, the Sword Demon had severely injured the Exalted Vajra with his first strike, which was enough to prove that his strength was still above that of the Exalted Vajra, and he had made further progress compared to when he disappeared.

With the reappearance of such a legendary figure in the martial world, the debate over who holds the title of the world’s number one swordsman has risen once more.

Who is truly the world’s number one swordsman?

Some insist it’s the Ghost Swordsman, but even more think it’s the Sword Demon. After all, the Sword Demon has severely injured the Exalted Vajra, even though the Exalted Vajra managed to escape by using a secret technique. But with the Sword Demon’s strength, he is far above the Exalted Vajra.

Moreover, decades ago, the Sword Demon had already reached the Sixth Realm in his Sword Dao. With so many years having passed since, it would not be surprising if his mastery of the Sword Dao has reached the peak of the Sixth Realm.

Even if the Ghost Swordsman had incredible talent, he couldn’t possibly be the match for that once top swordsman in the world.

Some also believed that the Ghost Swordsman was actually the best swordsman in the world because even the Exalted Vajra had been defeated by him, and it was a fair and square defeat. In that perilous battle on Blue Sky Island, even Ye Ding died, yet he managed to survive.

However, these discussions had both sides presenting their own arguments, but since the Ghost Swordsman and the Sword Demon hadn’t fought, it was unclear who was stronger.

Nevertheless, the emergence of the Sword Demon had stirred up a fervor for the title of the world’s best swordsman.

“No.”

The Human Sect spy shook his head, “It’s as if he has disappeared once again, without any news.”

“Hiding your head while showing your tail will lead to your eventual appearance.”

An Jing said with a faint smile, “Is there any other news?”

“There are two other pieces of significant news, the first concerns the Shuangmu Forest that the Tributor asked us to pay attention to.”

The Human Sect expert’s expression darkened as he said, “Half a month ago, an unusual event occurred in Shuangmu Forest. Many experts of Shuangmu Manor died tragically, and Liu Qingshan, who had been detained, was rescued by a mysterious expert. Then the mysterious expert took Liu Qingshan and stormed into the Cao Gang Headquarters, where the impostor posing as Liu Qingshan was killed. He turned out to be the well-known Thousand-faced Ghost Shadow, Chen Wentai, from Jianghu. The Poison Master, Guo Yuchun, took the opportunity to escape. Afterwards, Liu Qingshan issued invitations for the Five Gangs Alliance, and Chen Wandou of Wangjing Sea responded to the call as well. It seems the establishment of the Five Gangs Alliance is imminent…”

An Jing had never forgotten about the Cao Gang, whose real gang leader, Liu Qingshan, had been trapped in Shuangmu Forest.

And Mu Xiaoyun, the head of the Vermilion Bird Seat, was Liu Qingshan’s wife. An Jing had planned to rescue the real Liu Qingshan when the Demon Sect returned and leverage the influence of the Cao Gang in places like Jiangnan Dao to better spread the sect’s beliefs.

After all, a strong dragon does not repress local snakes, and the Cao Gang, being one of the five gangs, still had considerable clout in various places of Jianghu.

Now, it seemed that someone had anticipated and outmaneuvered him, and the person behind this appeared to have significant backing.

The Five Gangs Alliance had not been successful because Chen Wandou of Wangjing Sea did not agree to it. Now, just as the impostor Liu Qingshan died, he agreed to it, which clearly indicated premeditation.

“It is very likely that this person is the Second Prince,” An Jing thought to himself, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Originally the Demon Sect and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had planned to kill the impostor Liu Qingshan, but due to an unfortunate coincidence, An Jing had stopped them.

According to Human Sect intelligence, Chen Wandou had also been leaning towards the Second Prince in secret. Linking together various clues, it wasn’t difficult to guess the person behind the scenes.

An Jing asked, “What else is there?”

The Human Sect spy quickly bowed and said, “There’s news from the Sect Hierarch. She says that Houjin is increasingly active, and their army seems to be preparing to move out. She hopes that An Tributor and the Great Elder will hurry back to Dongluo Pass as soon as possible.”

An Jing’s brows raised slightly. Even though he had anticipated that Houjin would make a move against Dongluo Pass, he didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

“Alright, I understand. You may go now,” An Jing said.

The Human Sect expert bowed with his fists and then slowly retreated.

An Jing was stroking the head of little Blacky, murmuring to himself, “Winter is approaching, and the roads will be icy and slippery, making it difficult for horses to travel. It should be a feint by Houjin, but we cannot afford to neglect it.”

“Woof! Woof!”

At this moment, little Blacky started barking furiously at Jun Qinglin, as if it recalled that earlier hostile gaze.

Jun Qinglin was staring at little Blacky, chuckling, “This dog is quite clever, are you taking it back to Dongluo Pass?”

An Jing rubbed the fur on little Blacky’s body and looked towards the distant mountain peaks, “The journey is too far, so let’s leave it here. Before that, I want to pay a visit to an old friend.”

It had been a long time since he had seen Han Wenxin, and he wondered how he was doing in his studies at Fa Xi Temple.

“Go home, keep a good watch over the house.”

After disembarking from the small boat, An Jing left little Blacky by the roadside and then gave a few instructions before heading towards Three Temple Mountain.

Little Blacky wailed in the back but ultimately did not follow. It just watched the figure of An Jing getting farther away and then sat down to lick its fur.

There was a constant stream of people going up and down the stone steps.

Seeing this, An Jing couldn’t help but remark, “Buddhism is thriving.”

Jun Qinglin replied with a light tone, “This indicates that the times of turmoil are coming.”

An Jing’s heart jolted, agreeing completely with Jun Qinglin’s words.

Buddhism flourishes when the world is in chaos; the more tumultuous the world is, the greater the suffering of mortal beings.

While talking, the two arrived at the top of Three Temple Mountain, just as a figure appeared not far away.

It was a novice monk about ten years old, with good looks and a clean, handsome face despite his young age. He wore a pale grey monk’s robe and held a wooden fish and mallet in his hands.

Jun Qinglin communicated through a transmission, “This little monk seems extraordinary.”

Surprise flickered in his eyes. This young monk, roughly ten years old, had already reached the Grandmaster Realm in his cultivation.

Generally, high-level Grandmasters can conceal their aura, and even those one to three minor realms higher might not sense any fluctuations in their energy. But Jun Qinglin was easily aware of the aura from this young monk.

This was because, firstly, his own cultivation was much higher than the young monk’s, and secondly, because the young monk’s cultivation had been hastily assembled through some secret technique, appearing somewhat lightweight.

This novice monk was none other than Fa Wu.

An Jing chuckled lightly, “Master Fa Wu, we meet again.”

“Benefactor, you honor me with your presence,” replied the monk.

Upon seeing An Jing, Master Fa Wu brought his palms together in a gesture of respect.

Through the Buddhist network of information, he had also learned that the once doctor from Jishi Hall was the ghost swordsman of the Demon Sect, which shook him to his core.

After all, anyone who heard this would find it absurd and bizarre.

An Jing glanced at Fa Wu and said, “The master’s cultivation has made progress, congratulations are in order.”

The last time he saw Fa Wu, he was at the First Grade, and now, in such a short time, he had reached Grandmaster level; it seemed there was indeed something extraordinary about Fa Wu.

However, Fa Wu’s expression was solemn as he said, “My cultivation is different from the benefactor’s, it came easily and is not worth mentioning.”

Others only knew he had reached the status of Grandmaster, but he himself knew how his cultivation had been achieved. What was there for him to be proud of?

The two looked each other in the eyes, An Jing’s gaze was calm, and so was Fa Wu’s.

An Jing knew this matter concerned the secret sorrows of Buddhism, and he immediately asked, “May I inquire if Monk Jie Se is around?”

Fa Wu shook his head, “The benefactor has come at an inopportune time, my disciple has gone down the mountain to wash his hair.”

“To wash his hair?”

An Jing and Jun Qinglin exchanged glances.

Did a bald monk need to wash his hair?

Fa Wu explained, “Monk Jie Se comes from a wealthy home and is generous and kind; he says there are many poor women working hard at the base of the mountain, and he goes down to wash his hair and incidentally gives alms to them.”

An Jing said meaningfully, “He truly is a noted philanthropist.”

Only someone as guileless as Fa Wu would be deceived by Han Wenxin.

In the end, An Jing did not manage to see Han Wenxin and stood up to take his leave.

On the way down the mountain,

An Jing thought of Fa Wu and furrowed his brows, “That Monk Fa Wu has a unique physique, seemingly able to continuously absorb relics to enhance his cultivation.”

Relics, which generally are bone relics, only come into existence after a Bodhisattva-level monk passes away, and not every deceased high monk results in relics.

Therefore, relics, even within Buddhism, are extremely rare treasures.

An Jing had once absorbed two relics and was very aware of their efficacy and power.

But relics cannot be absorbed endlessly. After taking in two relics himself, he found it difficult to further absorb relics for cultivation.

From Fa Wu, he sensed an overwhelming aura of relics.

If one continued to absorb relics, what heights could one’s cultivation eventually reach?

It appeared that Buddhism had bet all its treasures on Fa Wu alone.

Jun Qinglin narrowed his eyes slightly, “Indeed, there is something peculiar; we should also be cautious about Buddhism.”

All powers in the world have their schemes, and even the Buddhist monks who practice daily in the temples have their own calculations.

Although the Demon Sect and Buddhism have formed an alliance for now, who can guarantee that Buddhism won’t stand against the Demon Sect in the future?

“Let’s go back,” said An Jing, taking one last look at Three Temple Mountain before shaking his head.

…..

In Yujing City, the Imperial Palace.

Within the empress’s sleeping chamber, the voluptuous Zuo Linglong lay on a divan, her fair and smooth thighs exposed, holding a small wine cup in her hand.

“Mother!”

At that moment, a crisp voice rang out as Zhao Xuening hurried in.

Zuo Linglong looked at her only daughter and couldn’t help but sigh, “What brings you here now?”

Zhao Xuening spoke coquettishly, “Mother, I heard that my second brother went to see old man Lv.”

She was very astute and knew Zhao Mengtai’s visit to Lv Guoyong was surely to discuss her own marriage to the top scholar Zhou Xianming. Although her mother was very fond of Zhou Xianming, she herself did not share the sentiment.

“Indeed, Mengtai did go,” said Zuo Linglong, swirling her wine cup and speaking indifferently, “But Zhou Xianming refused. He said he does not wish to be a prince consort.”

Relieved, Zhao Xuening’s face showed a look of release from a heavy burden.

“I saw Zhou Xianming during the imperial examination,” Zuo Linglong sat up, her bosom heaving as she set the wine cup on the table. “With my experience in judging men, I believe he will be a person of significance in the future. You may feel smug now, but you might end up with regrets.”

Zhao Xuening quickly asked upon hearing this, “Mother, you have a keen eye for men; can you tell what the future holds for An Jing?”

Zuo Linglong couldn’t help but recall the white-clothed sword immortal of the Heavenly Martial Sect she saw that day and only after a long time did she reply, “But he is a married man.”

Zhao Xuening looked earnestly at Zuo Linglong and said, “What’s wrong with being a married man? Mother, don’t you always tell me that if you want something, you must fight for it? Without fighting, it will never be yours.”

If she didn’t try to fight for it, she always felt she would regret it in the future.

Zuo Linglong was greatly moved inside; if it were An Jing… It seemed that even his Imperial Majesty was quite satisfied with him.

Zuo Linglong asked, “What do you want to do?”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuening’s face flushed slightly and she said, “Please teach me, Mother.”

She only knew she wanted to do this, but how to do it, she did not know.

“To capture a man’s heart, you must first understand a man.”

Zuo Linglong laughed softly and said, “Knowing the enemy and knowing yourself, you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.”

Zhao Xuening thought for a moment and said, “I heard second brother say that he likes to frequent brothels to listen to music…”

“Tsk… Men.”

Zuo Linglong scoffed upon hearing this and then said, “But knowing this weakness of his makes things much easier to handle.”

Zhao Xuening’s eyes brightened immediately, “Mother means…”

Zuo Linglong heard her and glared at Zhao Xuening fiercely, “What kind of women are in those brothels? How can any of them compare to you?”

As she spoke, Zuo Linglong felt that something was wrong with her comparison; how could she compare her daughter to the women of brothels?

Zuo Linglong took a deep breath, “You need to find an opportunity to get close to him, seduce him with your beauty. Men are very hard to control, unless they are…”

Zhao Xuening quickly asked, “Unless what?”

Zuo Linglong said, “Unless they are not men.”

Zhao Xuening sighed deeply and said, “But he is in Jianghu, and I am in the palace. It’s extremely difficult to even see him once.”

Zuo Linglong slowly walked to her daughter’s side and said, “There is a way that can let you see him whenever you wish.”

“What way?”

Zuo Linglong pressed her lips to her daughter’s ear, her voice very low, “If you take the place of your father, wouldn’t it be easy to meet anybody you wish?”

Zhao Xuening’s heart stirred, but her eyebrows raised slightly as she spoke in a low voice, “Mother, we must not speak carelessly about such matters.”

Zuo Linglong smiled and said no more.

…

In Houjin, Heavenly Water City.

A major battle between Houjin and Yan Country ended with Houjin losing two banners of their military force. Out of thirteen banners, the loss of two banners was not a fatal blow to Houjin, but it was not a minor injury either.

Over the last decades, Houjin had developed rapidly, not only in economic trade; its many tribes also saw significant population changes compared to forty years ago. Finding two new tribes to replace them was not hard; the difficulty lay in assembling an army of two hundred thousand in a short period of time.

Under the dim yellow light.

A map was slowly spread out on the tabletop. Yan Country, Houjin, Dongluo Pass, Zhao Country, the Southern Barbarians, and many other forces were clearly marked on the map.

Zongzheng Yue looked at the map in front of her, her eyes filled with utter solemnity.

Soul Seeker Mansion’s Zeng Zhen stepped in slowly and said, “Princess.”

Zongzheng Yue asked, “Has her intelligence arrived?”

Zeng Zhen took a letter from his bosom and said, “This contains the defensive layout of the Demon Sect’s sixty thousand Black Armored Army, the granary locations, and intelligence material on many of the Demon Sect’s experts.”

A glint appeared in Zongzheng Yue’s eyes, “Very well.”

Zeng Zhen asked carefully, “Princess, do you really intend to…?”

After all, Houjin had just been defeated by Yan Country, and they had also suffered a setback at Sanfeng Pass. To now wage war again, if they won it would be one thing, but if they lost, it would be a tremendous blow.

“Keep your worries to yourself.”

Zongzheng Yue’s lips curled up with a confident smile, “The most formidable thing about the Demon Sect is not the sixty thousand Black Armored Army, but the Jianghu experts who come and go without a trace. This time I am well-prepared; they have experts in the Demon Sect, but doesn’t Houjin have them as well?”

The fearfulness of the Demon Sect lay in their ability to behead leaders amidst army clashes. If it were purely a matter of war, with just sixty to seventy thousand soldiers at Dongluo Pass, it would have been reduced to ashes long ago.

Zeng Zhen was shocked inwardly and said no more; Houjin’s march southward would inevitably lead to an epic battle with the Demon Sect, it was just a matter of time.

Zongzheng Yue’s gaze landed on Dongluo Pass on the floor, a cold light flashing in her eyes, and then her hand clenched fiercely.

…