It was night, and the full moon hung high.
Bathed in the bright moonlight, Xie An climbed to a high vantage point, taking in the entire layout of the stronghold:
He had come through four courtyards, which he guessed were where the Grand Priest usually trained his Gold, Silver, and Bronze Corpses. Behind the four courtyards was a large square, at the end of which stood the ancient pagoda.
However, on the other side of the ancient pagoda was a strange, enormous palace: the courtyard outside the palace was filled with a large number of evil ghost statues, as well as some wooden plaques scattered on the ground. Judging from their shape, they seemed to be used for carving spirit tablets. Besides these, there were also some discarded transparent containers, and other bottles and jars.
Based on Xie An's knowledge, that palace should be a place similar to an ancestral hall.
Shouldn't the heretics and fiends of the Corpse Refinement Hall be utterly unscrupulous, fearing neither heaven nor earth? Why would they set up an ancestral hall?
Xie An instinctively felt that this ancestral hall was not quite right.
Because the ancient pagoda was located behind the palace, Xie An could not see the front of the palace gate, and thus could not obtain more information. However, Xie An's Qi perception had reached a considerable level, and he keenly sensed… that this ancestral hall seemed to be filled with something familiar.
Hmm?
Xie An immediately activated the Bright Jade Skill, pushing his Qi perception to its highest state, and carefully looked towards the ancestral hall in front.
That familiar feeling became even stronger, but he still couldn't see through it.
Helpless, Xie An had to clear his mind of distracting thoughts and focus on the large bronze bell in front of him.
Having had the experience with the Tong Stele, Xie An had long anticipated that the large bronze bell would be very big, so he wasn't too surprised. He roughly scanned around the large bronze bell and saw that the bell was engraved with characters the size of bowls, which combined to form the complete content of the agreement:
In the thirteenth year of the Jingtai era, the imperial court and the Corpse Refinement Hall reached a non-aggression pact, lasting for a hundred years.
It was also agreed that no one should violate this agreement, otherwise it would be considered contempt for imperial authority, and other details.
"So the agreement was reached in the thirteenth year of the Jingtai era, and now it should be the one hundred and third year of the Jingtai era, leaving ten years until it expires," Xie An calculated the time with his fingers.
A single agreement, spanning a hundred years.
Even Xie An couldn't help but feel a bit moved when he saw it.
He recalled his past life, when he was a post-90s generation. When he was in high school, it was already the 2000s. At that time, Xie An was well-versed in the history of the Qing Dynasty a hundred years ago, and he felt that it was ancient history, separated from Xie An at that time by several dynasties, quite distant.
Now, for the first time, he saw an agreement from a hundred years ago, and he couldn't help but sigh.
Regaining his composure, Xie An continued to look down, and at the bottom, there were three names written:
Representing the imperial court was He Nanfeng.
Representing the Corpse Refinement Hall was Li Changchun. However, Li Changchun was in the second position of the representative party, and the first was a person named Guang Chanzi.
"Who is Guang Chanzi? Is his level higher than Li Changchun's?"
Isn't Li Changchun the Old Ancestor of the Corpse Refinement Hall?
Is there someone even bigger?
Xie An searched his entire brain, but couldn't find any information about Guang Chanzi.
This made him keenly realize that things were not quite right.
In addition to the point of Guang Chanzi, there was another detail that exceeded Xie An's expectations: this was an agreement between the imperial court and the Corpse Refinement Hall. Not an agreement between He Nanfeng and the Corpse Refinement Hall.
It was evident that this agreement involved a great deal.
No wonder Su Yuqing, as the eldest princess, would be suppressed by this agreement and dare not enter the mountain rashly.
From Su Yuqing's extremely disgusted attitude towards this agreement, it was not difficult to see that there was probably controversy within the imperial court when this agreement was established. However, He Nanfeng was capable and suppressed those who opposed it.
"Logically speaking, if it was just Li Changchun and the Grand Priest, it wouldn't be enough to make the imperial court agree to sign such an agreement. After all, Li Changchun had only cultivated the Bright Jade Skill to the eighteenth level at that time, and he was not comparable to a Martial Dao Grandmaster. And He Nanfeng was already a Martial Dao Grandmaster at that time, plus the imperial court was equipped with other experts, it shouldn't be a big problem to encircle and suppress a Corpse Refinement Hall. The key issue… lies with this Guang Chanzi?"
Xie An considered this line of thought for a long time, but because there was too little information to refer to, he couldn't come to an answer. But he felt that there must be a major secret behind this agreement that he didn't know about.
Even if it wasn't because of Guang Chanzi, there were other reasons.
Just then, Yu He's voice came from below.
"Master, have you encountered any difficulties? Do you need Yu He to come up and help?"
Xie An then came back to his senses and said downwards, "Yu He, have you ever heard of Guang Chanzi?"
Yu He shook her head, "Never."
Xie An was certain that Yu He would not lie to him, and even Yu He didn't know… it was evident that this Guang Chanzi was very well hidden. It seemed that only Su Yuqing would know.
Xie An said, "Yu He, I'm going to start. There may be a lot of commotion in a while."
Yu He said, "It's okay, I asked people to set fire to the forbidden area in the distance. In a while, a raging fire will ignite, and most people will rush over to put out the fire. We will have enough time to leave."
Hearing this, Xie An no longer hesitated, chose to face away from Yu He, and then took out the Immortal Treasure Box from his inner pocket.
Buzz buzz buzz.
Sure enough—
As soon as he approached the large bronze bell by three meters, the Immortal Treasure Box vibrated violently.
The vibration was much greater than the last time he faced the Tong Stele.
This allowed Xie An to see the hope of shattering the large bronze bell. He took a deep breath and slowly brought the Immortal Box closer.
When he approached two meters, the Immortal Box trembled violently and emitted a buzzing sound at the same time.
When he approached one meter, the Immortal Box was like a ferocious beast, opening its bloody mouth, about to devour a gluttonous delicacy.
Crack!
Xie An placed the Immortal Box on the large bronze bell.
In an instant, a thunderclap rose from the ground, and an unimaginable terrifying force emerged from within the large bronze bell, rushing wildly towards the surroundings. The entire ancient pagoda was shaking, and the surrounding ancestral hall and square were shaking violently.
However, even such a terrifying force could not pass through this palm-sized Immortal Box and was firmly devoured by the Immortal Box.
The Immortal Box continued to perform as usual.
Huff!
Xie An took a deep breath.
He knew that the Imperial Seal inscriptions on the large bronze bell would most likely be shattered.
All that was needed was time.
A soaring white light lit up from the large bronze bell, shaking all directions. Then, it was absorbed by the Immortal Treasure Box.
The two sides entered a tug-of-war.
Yu He, on the first floor of the ancient pagoda, widened her eyes when she saw this scene and exclaimed in surprise, "Master is amazing."
Countless Bronze Corpses, Silver Corpses, and Gold Corpses heard the commotion here and rushed towards here.
They shouted angrily.
"Someone broke into the top of the ancient pagoda and wants to ruin the large bronze bell."
"Damn thief, we must tear him into pieces. Come with me, kill the thief."
"That is the lifeline of our Corpse Refinement Hall, this thief is going to cut off our lifeline. We must not spare him."
"Kill the thief."
Almost at the same time, the forbidden area caught fire.
The swarming corpses stopped one after another and looked back at the raging fire in the forbidden area in the distance.
"There are also thieves burning the forbidden area, damn it!"
"What should we do?"
"Split up, you, you, you… go to the forbidden area to put out the fire. You, you… and you, take people with me to protect the bronze bell."
The corpses' IQ was still okay, and they immediately made the decision to divide their forces.
However, the ancient pagoda also caught fire.
A raging fire.
This stumped the corpses.
"I'm going… it's on fire again. What do we do?"
"Put out the fire first, save as much as we can."
… …
On the other side.
At the foot of Da Yin Mountain, on the Huai River outside Gu Po Village.
A painted boat was sailing on the river.
The two-story painted boat was already not small. But there was no boatman, nor anyone steering the helm. The boat spontaneously stayed on the river. On the open-air position on the second floor, there was a tea table made of rosewood.
A woman wearing a water-blue slim-fitting long dress was sitting quietly next to the tea table, starting a stove to brew tea, with exquisite porcelain cups and tea sets placed on the table. After nightfall, the river wind came slowly, brushing against the woman's flowing long hair. A few strands of hair passed over her jade lips, appearing somewhat disheveled. The woman didn't care much, only focusing on brewing tea.
Porpoises jumped out of the water under the Great Huai River, and there were gulls circling.
The woman also didn't care, only focusing on brewing tea.
Finally, a bamboo raft slowly approached from a distance. A little girl wearing a red cotton-padded jacket stood at the front of the raft. She wasn't using a bamboo pole to propel it, yet the raft moved forward on its own, slowly approaching the painted boat.
The little girl seemed to be in a good mood, humming a song.
“Great Yin Mountain is a treasure, the mountain treasures are endless. Find ginseng, find Bao Zhi, find precious beasts… The Three Thousand Huai River is a treasure, the finless porpoise leads the way to the fish demon, see the fish demon, see the Dragon King…”
As it neared the painted boat, the small bamboo raft suddenly stopped. The little girl leaped up, landing on the second floor of the boat, in front of the woman.
The kettle beside the woman had already boiled, making a "bubbling" sound.
The woman reached out to pick up the kettle and began to make tea. "The High Priest has lived here for a hundred years and has completely integrated into this land. You sing a good song."
Hehe.
The little girl giggled and walked over, sitting down opposite the woman. "I've long heard that Princess Chang is proficient in everything from qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I'll take that compliment to heart. I just wonder how good the Princess's tea is."
Just then, Su Yuqing brought a cup of tea to the little girl's side. "How is this concubine's tea art? The High Priest can taste it and know the flavor."
The little girl didn't drink the tea but said with a giggle, "Since Princess Chang came to Nanyang Prefecture twenty-four years ago to take charge of the Demon Suppression Division, the evil cults in Nanyang Prefecture have been safe and honest. Although I haven't seen Princess Chang take action, I know that the Princess's methods are extraordinary. She has the style of He Nanfeng back then. This cup of tea, could it be the execution tea that Princess Chang wants to send me on my way with?"
Su Yuqing poured herself a cup of tea and took a gentle sip. "This concubine has only heard of execution meals, but never execution tea. If this concubine really had that intention, I would invite the High Priest to dinner today."
Hehe.
The High Priest suddenly smiled, picked up the teacup, and took a sip. "I live in a poor place and have never had good tea. I can't compare to Princess Chang's fine clothes and jade food. But I can taste it… This is good tea. Thank you for the Princess's reward."
Su Yuqing poured her another cup. "Then drink a few more cups."
The High Priest drank two more cups before speaking. "Princess Chang sent someone to send a letter to me the other day, inviting me to meet here. She also said that there was something important to discuss. Now that I'm here, I ask the Princess for guidance."
Su Yuqing said, "The High Priest has worked hard for the Corpse Refining Hall for a hundred years. I wonder what your plans are for the future?"
Facing such a critical question, the High Priest didn't hide anything. "I am also a person, just wanting to keep my subordinates alive. I have heard some of Princess Chang's remarks. I know that Princess Chang cares for the people. I have three questions that I would like to ask the Princess."
"Feel free to speak."
"Princess Chang said that the root of the Great Qian lies in the wilderness, not in the court. Princess Chang also said that all the people living on the land of the Great Qian are citizens of the Great Qian. Then, I want to ask, does my Corpse Refining Hall count as a citizen of the Great Qian?"
"Yes."
The High Priest nodded. "Since Princess Chang thinks that my Corpse Refining Hall is also a citizen of the Great Qian, then, my Corpse Refining Hall… also deserves the same care as other citizens, right?"
"It deserves it."
The High Priest didn't expect Su Yuqing's answer to be so direct and straightforward, and couldn't help but be shocked. After a slight daze, she asked the third question, "If that's the case, can you give my Corpse Refining Hall a way out?"
"Yes."
Su Yuqing didn't even think about it and directly said the answer.
The High Priest widened her eyes, looking incredulously at the calm Princess in front of her.
Just yesterday, Su Yuqing found a golden corpse and had it deliver a letter to the High Priest, inviting the High Priest to come here to discuss the Corpse Refining Hall's future survival.
The dignified Princess Chang personally opened her mouth, so the High Priest naturally had to come.
Before coming here, the High Priest had specifically learned about Su Yuqing's lectures and felt that this Princess Chang was different from other Demon Suppression Division bosses. She vaguely felt… that she might be able to find a way out for the Corpse Refining Hall.
Although Li Changchun went to Nanzhou City, he hadn't returned for a long time. It could be seen that the negotiations there were not as smooth as expected. And Su Yuqing was in Qingwu County, watching the Corpse Refining Hall with a constant gaze.
The High Priest had to consider Su Yuqing's attitude. She thought that if she could get Su Yuqing's promise before the Great Blood Sacrifice was successfully completed, the Corpse Refining Hall would be safe.
Therefore, the High Priest was taking a risk to meet with Su Yuqing here in secret.
She knew that Su Yuqing was a Martial Dao Grandmaster, but she had already cultivated the Bright Jade Skill and already possessed strength comparable to a Grandmaster, so she wasn't afraid of Su Yuqing attacking her here.
She just wanted to find a stable way out.
Staring at Su Yuqing for a long time, the High Priest slowly stood up and cupped her hands at Su Yuqing. "Princess Chang cares about the world, and I hope that Princess Chang will have compassion on the people of my Corpse Refining Hall. If Princess Chang is willing to give my Corpse Refining Hall a way out, I can discuss any conditions."
Su Yuqing coldly poured the High Priest a cup of tea. "Don't rush. This concubine came here tonight to consider the future of the Corpse Refining Hall. Sit down and talk slowly."
The High Priest saw hope and was in a great mood. After sitting down, she slowly drank tea.
Su Yuqing occasionally looked up at the direction of the Great Yin Mountain Corpse Refining Hall.
She chose this meeting place after careful consideration.
First of all, this place is not too far from the Corpse Refining Hall, and you can hear the bell from the Corpse Refining Hall.
In addition, from here to the Great Yin Mountain, with Su Yuqing's pace, it only takes a hundred breaths.
Seeing that there was still no movement from the Corpse Refining Hall, Su Yuqing began to chat: "I remember that the High Priest's surname is Jin, and she is the daughter of Guang Chanzi. How is Guang Chanzi now?"
The High Priest wasn't too surprised that Su Yuqing said the three words "Guang Chanzi", and casually said, "My father is in Nanyang. Although he is over two hundred years old, he is in good health."
Su Yuqing said, "Good health is a blessing. This concubine saw Guang Chanzi in the Prefecture City twenty years ago. His old man's complexion was indeed very good, worthy of being a former Imperial Preceptor, his foundation is still there."
The High Priest just smiled awkwardly and didn't speak.
Just then—
Dang!
A clear and melodious bell sound came from within the Great Yin Mountain.
The High Priest stood up immediately upon hearing this sound, turned to look at the Great Yin Mountain, and her expression was shocked.
This bell hasn't rung for a hundred years.
And no one can ring this bell.
With the High Priest's knowledge, she naturally knew… that something might have happened in the back.
She suddenly turned her head and looked at Su Yuqing. "It's you!"
Su Yuqing quietly finished a sip of tea, then slowly stood up. "Just now you asked me three questions, and I answered them truthfully. But there is one more thing that you may have misunderstood—whether it's the Corpse Refining Hall demons or the monsters living on the land of the Great Qian, they are all citizens of my Great Qian. But because of this, they should follow the laws of the Great Qian even more. If there is any violation, the law will not allow it. If the Three Divisions can't control it, my Demon Suppression Division will."
After speaking, Su Yuqing slowly took off the small metal ball hanging around her neck. "I've long heard that when the Bright Jade Skill is cultivated to the nineteenth level, it can be comparable to a contemporary Martial Dao Grandmaster. I wonder what level the High Priest has cultivated to?"
The High Priest took three steps back, staring vigilantly at Su Yuqing. "Nineteenth level."
"That's just right, this palace… has practiced a sword." Su Yuqing clenched the metal ball, placed it in her palm, and then slowly opened her palm.
The metal ball, which was originally motionless, suddenly moved. Like a ball of yarn, strands of metal filaments surrounding it continuously spread and bloomed, turning into thousands of filaments, covering the entire painted boat, sealing off all of the High Priest's escape routes.
The High Priest stared blankly. "Sharp enough to cut iron like mud, soft enough to wrap around a finger, this is a Sword Pellet! You have actually cultivated the sword to such a realm."
Whoosh!
The High Priest seemed to have seen something extremely terrifying, and without even thinking, immediately retreated and fled.
Su Yuqing slowly walked to the bow of the boat, looked at the High Priest who jumped into the bamboo raft and flew away, and raised her right hand. "This palace came to Nanyang and cultivated a sword for twenty-four years, just to break the century-old stalemate. Below, I can slay demons and evil spirits, and above, I can slay Martial Dao Grandmasters. Jin Haier, you can't escape!"
