Nightwatcher

# 417. Emperor Yuanjing: Where is our Lotus Seed?

Behind the stone gate, the old man’s voice carried a hint of amusement.

"First, you must figure out what the current Jianzheng is plotting. The first Jianzheng didn’t kill you because he wanted to steal your fortune. If you were to die, the fortune would return to the Great Feng. That’s what that man named Ji Qian said, didn’t he?"

Xu Qi’an nodded.

The old man continued, "But there’s a flaw in that logic. If that were the case, the current Jianzheng could simply kill you to foil his opponent’s scheme."

Xu Qi’an hummed in agreement. "Which means the current Jianzheng has another goal, or perhaps, Ji Qian’s understanding is flawed."

The old man nodded approvingly. "You are indeed a man of great intellect. But we are martial artists, we have a simple temperament; when faced with such a situation, we don’t hesitate. We flip the table."

"And if flipping the table isn’t an option?" Xu Qi’an asked in a serious tone.

"Then you bide your time and survive in the cracks. No matter how powerful the two Jianzhengs are, one fact remains—fortune is within you. It is your power and will be your leverage. Even the Jianzheng cannot change this. You are a smart man; you should understand what I mean."

Xu Qi’an smiled. "In this process of gathering strength, does that include you, Senior?"

The old man fell silent for a moment before sneering. "You came to Mount Quanrong for this, didn’t you?"

Xu Qi’an nodded, then shook his head. "I was just testing my luck. Fortunately, I have plenty of it."

The old man chuckled. "Very well. If you can find me a Nine-Colored Lotus Root, I will lend you my aid!"

Xu Qi’an considered this. "Would a small piece suffice?"

The old man retorted, "Can a small piece of lotus root help me ascend to Rank Two?"

_So he needs the whole root, or at least most of it. That means the lotus root I have is useless to me… And the Nine-Colored Lotus Root is a sacred treasure of the Earth Sect. Daoist Jinlian would never give it to me—there’s no need to even think about it._

"Is there something else that could substitute it?" Xu Qi’an asked instead.

"Perhaps," the old man replied.

After a pause, Xu Qi’an asked, "Have you ever met the first Jianzheng, five hundred years ago?"

"I have."

The old man gave a definite answer, then laughed. "At the time, he had yet to establish the Arcanist system. Funny enough, back then, he was a youth of unparalleled beauty. Just like that young man you brought up the mountain."

"He was always with Great Feng’s founding emperor, inseparable. An incredibly brilliant man: deeply loyal, highly principled, but also a bit obstinate. Oh, and both of them had the same ambition; they never sought immortality."

_Why does that sound like he and the founding emperor were more than just friends…?_ Xu Qi’an mocked inwardly.

_Beautiful like a woman, deeply loyal, highly principled, but stubborn, and didn’t seek eternal life…_

He mentally noted these key traits, then cupped his fists. "If Senior has nothing else, I shall take my leave."

Behind him, the old brute’s voice called out.

"Have you thought of how to escape the calamity looming over you?"

"Just wait and see, Senior. Perhaps before long, Silver Gong Xu will become history. Or perhaps… he will do something that will shake Jiuzhou." Xu Qi’an didn’t look back.

"I’ll be watching." The old man chuckled.

…

As he stepped out of the rear mountain, golden-red sunlight bathed the peaks. Xu Qi’an made his way toward his courtyard, where Cao Qingyang had already dismissed the crowd, leaving only Yang Cuixue and a few other Rank Four experts waiting for him at the entrance.

"What did the great ancestor say to you?"

"Silver Gong Xu, what was that sabre aura just now…?"

"Silver Gong Xu, may I have a look at your sabre?"

Sect and clan leaders swarmed him with questions.

Xiao Yuenu, the master of Wanhua Tower, stood gracefully at a distance, wrapped in a pink robe. She remained silent, but her brilliant, expressive eyes quietly watched Xu Qi’an, filled with anticipation.

"The old senior spoke of confidential matters—I cannot reveal them to outsiders. As for this…"

Xu Qi’an took the Taiping sabre from his waist, planted it firmly into the ground, and smirked. "Anyone who can draw it is free to try."

"It’s just a sabre."

A fourth rank clan leader who specialised in sabre techniques stepped forward, eyes gleaming with greed. He rubbed his hands together before grasping the hilt and pulling hard.

The sabre didn’t budge.

He gritted his teeth and pulled harder.

Still, it didn’t move.

_What…?_ The surrounding martial artists looked astonished and gathered closer.

"Move aside!"

Feeling humiliated, the clan leader waved the others back. His arm muscles bulged, and his internal force surged.

_Clang!_

The Taiping sabre was forcibly drawn from its scabbard.

A second later, the man yelped and recoiled as if electrocuted, his palm stinging with pain.

The Taiping sabre seemed displeased. With a swift motion, its blade turned and lunged at the clan leader.

A man-and-blade chase ensued.

"An… an absolute divine weapon…"

"This sabre is a divine weapon? Why didn’t we realise it before?"

"Divine weapons have souls—they cannot be wielded by anyone but their rightful master. That fool tried to force it and angered it."

The gathered martial artists were dumbfounded, their eyes wide with shock. None had expected Xu Qi’an’s sabre to be a peerless divine weapon. Despite having witnessed the celestial phenomenon earlier, they had assumed it was due to Xu Qi’an’s own breakthrough.

Now, the truth dawned on them.

Several of the Rank Four warriors, one by one, stared at the Taiping sabre with undisguised greed.

A peerless divine weapon.

A weapon that surpassed all enchanted armaments. Every such blade had its own consciousness, transcending the category of mere tools.

They were more like companions.

Moreover, a divine weapon could store its own sabre aura and fight independently.

To use a phrase from Xu Qi’an’s past life: _I am now a fully matured weapon—I can fight on my own._

For wandering martial artists, an enchanted weapon was an heirloom, passed from father to son, generation after generation. For an organisation, a peerless divine weapon was a sacred treasure, a legacy-defining relic.

Above divine weapons were sacred artefacts.

The distinction between a divine weapon and an artefact wasn’t just based on offensive capabilities, but on their unique nature and irreplaceability.

The Taiping sabre was a weapon—its purpose singular. Hence, it was a peerless divine weapon rather than a sacred artefact.

The Sovereign Sword, however, was both a divine weapon and an artefact. It possessed the ability to suppress a nation’s fortune, a quality that set it apart.

Similarly, the Earth Book Fragments currently had only two functions: communication and storage.

But these were merely the abilities of the fragments—the true power of the complete Earth Book remained unknown. Daoist Jinlian had never disclosed it to the holders of the fragments.

_Silver Gong Xu actually owns a peerless divine weapon…_

"Come back."

Xu Qi’an spoke casually.

Like an unruly husky, the Taiping sabre chased after Clan Leader Sun for a while longer before returning begrudgingly to Xu Qi’an’s side, circling around him.

"Its intelligence has just begun to form—it still has a long way to grow. Keep nurturing it with your qi, and if possible, refine your intent within it. Over time, it will evolve," Cao Qingyang remarked, his eyes filled with admiration.

The Wulin Alliance had plenty of enchanted weapons, but not a single peerless divine weapon.

Moreover, he himself had cultivated sabre intent, making the Taiping sabre a perfect match for his needs. Even as the alliance leader, he couldn’t remain indifferent.

At that moment, Xiao Yuenu spoke gently, "I’ve heard that peerless divine weapons must be named. A name is inseparable from the blade itself. May I ask, Silver Gong Xu, what is the name of your sabre?"

Yang Cuixue and the others immediately turned to Xu Qi’an.

"Tower Master Xiao is well-informed."

Xu Qi’an grasped the hilt, flicked the spine of the blade, and said, "Its name is _Taiping_—‘Peace.’ It signifies peace in the world. If injustice arises, it will cut it down."

The crowd fell silent, their expressions solemn.

_Peace in the world, to cut down all injustice…_ Xiao Yuenu’s gaze wavered slightly, a complex expression flashing across her face as she looked at Xu Qi’an.

…

After lunch, Xu Qi’an and Nangong Qianrou bid farewell to the members of the Wulin Alliance and set off on horseback along the official road.

"Nangong, you’re more well-traveled than I am. Have you ever heard of a place called Xuzhou?"

"Never." Nangong Qianrou replied flatly.

_That answer came too quickly—you’re not even trying…_ Xu Qi’an muttered internally. The two rode for a long time without encountering Li Miaozhen or Chu Yuanzhen.

_Did those two forget about me? If I ride all the way back to the capital, it’ll take half a month—flying on a sword is much faster…_ Xu Qi’an decided to rely on his "invisible wings" instead.

"Riding is too slow. Let’s fly back," he suggested.

Nangong Qianrou sneered. "Your shabby sabre isn’t fit to carry people."

_Underestimating me, are you?_ In front of Peerless Beauty Nangong, Xu Qi’an took out the Confucian spell book, tore out a page, and flicked his wrist to ignite it. "I have a pair of invisible wings."

Nangong Qianrou immediately sensed the air around them ripple, as if an unseen pair of wings had unfurled.

"Why don’t you just teleport? Something like, ‘The place I stand is the city gate of the capital,’" Nangong Qianrou suggested hesitantly.

"It’s not that I lack intelligence. If I summon a pair of wings, I’ll only have a stiff neck for a few days. But if I do as you suggest, sure, we’ll reach the capital immediately—except my extended family will suddenly show up at my house for dinner again," Xu Qi’an quipped with self-deprecation.

Grabbing Nangong Qianrou by the shoulder, he soared into the sky.

With intermittent flying and resting, they finally arrived at the capital at dawn the next day.

Xu Qi’an’s neck had inevitably stiffened, forcing him to look at everything from a tilted angle.

_Meeting Wei Yuan like this would be undignified. I’ll head home and rest for a day before going to play "truth or dare" with him tomorrow._

As soon as he returned home, Xu Lingyin came running, excitedly calling, "Big Bwother, Big Bwother…"

But the moment she saw that he had returned empty-handed, her enthusiasm noticeably waned.

Tilting her head, Xu Lingyin asked, "Big Bwother, didn’t you bring back gifts? You always bring gifts when you go out."

Xu Qi’an, still tilting his own head, replied, "I was busy this time and didn’t bring anything. Why are you tilting your head?"

"I’m copying you," Xu Lingyin said, maintaining the same posture.

Xu Qi’an tilted his head at her.

Xu Lingyin tilted her head back at him.

_I can’t deal with this foolish child. I wonder if feeding her a lotus seed would make her smarter…? No, that would be a waste._

"Why hasn’t my master returned? I saved a bunch of chicken legs for her. Big Bwother, I saved some for you too," Xu Lingyin asked, still tilting her head.

At that moment, Auntie emerged from the hall, scolding, "The chicken legs you stuffed in your shoes? I threw them away. How could you eat those? Do you want to get sick?"

Little Pea tilted her head, bounced twice in place, and shouted, "Where did you throw them? I want to pick them up for Master and Big Bwother!"

_Your filial piety has taken a questionable turn…_ Xu Qi’an sighed. "Big Brother doesn’t want them. You can pick them up for Lina."

…

The next day.

Tianji and Tianshu finally returned to the capital. They had been carried part of the way by a Daoist from the Earth Sect, riding on a flying sword.

However, the Earth Sect Daoist was impatient and irritable, so he abandoned them as soon as they reached Jiangzhou, just outside the capital.

After traveling by water overnight, the spies finally arrived at the capital.

Upon entering the Imperial City, Tianji and Tianshu entered through the southern gate. The southern gate was rarely used since it was adjacent to the eunuchs’ quarters.

At that moment, Emperor Yuanjing had just finished his morning meal and was preparing to leave the palace for Lingbao Temple to meet with the National Teacher for morning meditation.

A eunuch rushed in to report, "Your Majesty, the spies sent to Jianzhou have returned. They’ve just entered the palace and are waiting outside for an audience."

"Summon them to the Imperial Study."

A smile appeared on Emperor Yuanjing’s face as he turned to his chief eunuch and said leisurely, "I’ve heard that the Earth Sect’s lotus seeds can imbue all things with spirituality—even stones can gain sentience.

"Tell me, my dear attendant, if We were to consume a lotus seed, would it remedy Our natural shortcomings?"

The elderly eunuch smiled obsequiously. "Your Majesty possesses unparalleled talent. What need is there for a lotus seed? However, this humble servant still congratulates Your Majesty—eating one would only make Your Majesty even more formidable."

Emperor Yuanjing laughed heartily.

Suppressing his excitement, he waited for fifteen minutes before finally making his way to the Imperial Study with the old eunuch.

Inside the study, Tianji and Tianshu, clad in black robes and wearing pure gold masks, stood silently, heads bowed, saying nothing.

Emperor Yuanjing swept his gaze over them, his smile unchanged. "Where is our lotus seed? Present it to us at once."