Han Qian was at a loss for words.
Li Xuanzhen had never acted like this in Loftcloud Sect. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have traveled together, and he wouldn’t suddenly turn strange every time they encountered Li Lanxiu, spouting the kind of nonsense that left people speechless.
Li Lanxiu took the Heartlink Mirror from Jiang Zhuo, turned it over in his hand and examined it, then nodded. “Thanks.”
Jiang Zhuo stared at him for a few seconds and said calmly, “Don’t mention it.”
With that, he returned to his seat in the hall, placed his hands on his knees and sat up straight, with the air of a solemn young man with a maturity far beyond his years.
Chu Yue gave him a once-over and took the Heartlink Mirror from Li Lanxiu’s hand. “I’ll hold on to this for the young master.”
Li Lanxiu swept his gaze across the hall and asked in a clear, deliberate voice, “Has anyone considered why the Red Sect chose to hide in White Pagoda Temple?”
Jiang Zhuo sat up straight and deliberately lowered his voice, replying solemnly, “Because we’re in Dreamsaint City. They had nowhere else to hide but White Pagoda Temple.”
Han Qian, being a clever man, asked with a smiling tone, “What insight does Young Master Li have this time?”
“Li-daoxiong, feel free to speak your mind.” Jing Mei looked at him earnestly. “I’m only good at fighting. Your ideas will surely be better than mine.”
Li Lanxiu stood up, pulled out the Coldiron Fan and tapped the handle lightly against his palm. As he strolled forward slowly, he said, “Each day, Lord Xu sends us a record of the city's affairs. Does anyone remember what major event White Pagoda Temple is preparing for?”
Jing Mei’s eyes lit up and she answered quickly, “White Pagoda Temple is holding the Feast of All Souls to deliver the souls of those massacred by the Red Sect.”
“Yes, that’s right.” Han Qian nodded.
Li Lanxiu stopped walking and looked out toward the bright blue sky beyond the hall. Standing slightly sideways to the others, he said, “This Feast of All Souls will be more grand than any other before. The entire city will be there. It’s the perfect day for something big to go down.”
Chu Yue followed behind him and stepped forward. “Whether they intend to massacre everyone in the city or plot something else, that day will be the easiest time to act.”
Han Qian shot to his feet, grabbed the sword resting on the table and said, “The festival’s in three days. Shouldn’t we head to White Pagoda Temple now and capture the Red Sect followers?”
“Their faces aren’t marked. How would we tell them apart?” Li Lanxiu cast him a glance, then suddenly smiled with malice. “Or should we just arrest all the stinking monks in White Pagoda Temple?”
Han Qian waved a hand and sat back down. “That would never work. It would cause a rift between the Buddhists and the Daoist sects.”
Jiang Zhuo said thoughtfully, “Why not cancel the Feast of All Souls?”
“There’s still the Landwater Dharma Assembly, the Mourning Relief Assembly, and others later on…” Li Lanxiu turned to him and teased, “You don’t want to go back to Streamcloud Sect? Planning to stay here with us forever?”
Jiang Zhuo opened his mouth to argue, but after meeting those bright, clear eyes, he shook his head and said nothing.
Li Lanxiu had achieved his goal. The few people in Dreamsaint City were not enough to take on the Red Sect’s so-called “Buddha Son,” so he had asked about the sects’ methods of contact. The more allies who came, the better their chances.
If worst came to worst, he still had Gu Zhengxing as a trump card. The life the ghost king owed him had to be used at the right time.
He looked over the silent crowd and proposed a plan. “Why don’t we contact disciples from each sect and have them come to Dreamsaint City in three days? Together, we can lay a trap and capture the Red Sect followers hiding in White Pagoda Temple.”
Chu Yue stood behind him, gazing at the neatly bound black hair atop his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Before Li Lanxiu arrived, the others had still been debating whether to go to White Pagoda Temple. That was a minor matter.
But after just a few words from Li Lanxiu, they began to consider whether to contact disciples from their sects, to alert the world of the Red Sect’s presence and invite disciples from the four great Daoist sects to gather in Dreamsaint City.
These were matters of entirely different weights, yet they had no better choice.
Contacting fellow disciples for aid was the only reliable path Li Lanxiu had laid before them.
Han Qian pondered briefly, then agreed readily. “Alright. I’ll send word to the Loftcloud Sect disciples and ask them to come to Dreamsaint City and lend their strength.”
“Li-daoxiong, rest assured.” Jing Mei stood up, radiating a sense of duty. “If I ask, disciples from my sect will surely come.”
Jiang Zhuo remained seated and unmoved. As the young master of the Jiang family, he spoke with confidence. “Half of the disciples in Streamcloud Sect owe me favors. They’ll come.”
Li Lanxiu had achieved his goal. He walked to the doorway of the hall and said with a soft chuckle, “Then I’ll await the good news.”
Chu Yue followed him outside. Without needing instructions, he said, “I’ll contact the disciples of Conundrum Sect.”
Li Lanxiu gave a soft hum of agreement and raised his hand to ruffle Chu Yue’s hair. “Smart.”
Inside the hall, the rest began pulling out communication talismans, sending messages to their sects asking for aid. The room bustled with activity, and no one paid attention to the idle Li Xuanzhen.
Li Xuanzhen had been watching Li Lanxiu the whole time. Since Li Lanxiu had entered the hall, the man’s gaze had swept evenly over everyone like rain, yet never once landed on him.
He rose, slung his sword over his back and strode toward the door. As he passed Li Lanxiu, he halted and gave a soft snort. His fingers traced a line meaningfully beneath his chin.
As if hinting at something.
Then he strode out the door, heading in the direction of White Pagoda Temple.
Chu Yue brushed a finger under his chin, touching the spot where Li Lanxiu’s scar lay. “Young Master, do you know him?”
Li Lanxiu gave a soft “Hm?” and asked carelessly, “Who?”
Chu Yue glanced at Li Xuanzhen’s back and couldn’t help but laugh. “A deluded man.”
At the same time, incense smoke curled gently in the Buddha Hall of White Pagoda Temple.
The scent of sandalwood filled the air. A distant chant echoed with tranquility.
Wuji sat cross-legged on a cushion. Four Red Sect guardians stood before him. One of them, hair half-black and half-white, wore a clean Daoist robe. He was the formation master Yin Xuanzi.
Yin Xuanzi held a golden disc filled with water. Reflected on the surface was a map of White Pagoda Temple, composed entirely of winding overlapping lines.
From above, the temple looked like a blooming lotus flower—pure and elegant.
Yin Xuanzi held the golden disc in both hands and knelt to offer it to Wuji. “Buddha Son, this is the Six Paths Lotus Platform Formation I laid. Using the lotus of White Pagoda Temple as the base, each lotus flower marks a formation point.”
“In every lotus pond, I’ve buried objects imbued with blood fiend energy. Once someone enters the temple, they’ll step into the sixfold cycle of reincarnation, with no chance of escape…”
Wuji closed his eyes and pointed to the gleaming Buddha Relic Pagoda in the temple. “Is this the formation core?”
The core was the soul of the formation and key to breaking it.
Yin Xuanzi nodded. “Yes. I used the hundreds of thousands of spirits within the relic pagoda as the core. This amplifies the formation’s power greatly. Anyone who enters will fall into endless reincarnation and be unable to escape.”
Wuji nodded and said calmly, “The formation needs only to trap one person. I intend to dual cultivate with him before the Buddha.”
Another protector, Huanji, wore a gauzy black dress that hugged her graceful figure. She asked with a teasing smile, “I haven’t seen Buddha Son’s consort yet. Is he handsome or ugly?”
Only the north guardian Canyue had seen Li Lanxiu. He replied honestly, “He wore a mask. I couldn’t tell.”
Xueying, completely cloaked in black, let out a sinister laugh. “Consort? You give him too much credit. He’s just a furnace to help Buddha Son to draw in yin and replenish yang.”
Huanji covered her mouth and giggled. “But from what I hear, during dual cultivation, he can replenish the Buddha Son too. If he happens to be good-looking, then the Buddha Son’s slight grievance can be overlooked. If he looks like you, wouldn’t the Buddha Son be at a loss?”
Yin Xuanzi couldn’t bear to listen anymore. He sneered coldly. “Why do you care if he’s handsome or ugly? He’s a man. With his face covered, they’re all the same.”
“You don’t know shit!”
Huanji laughed and cursed, then said in a dreamy tone, “You’re old, he’s ugly, and the other one’s dull. What would you know about the charms a man can have? Besides, the Buddha Son’s consort has that kind of physique. The pleasures of the bedchamber…you couldn’t even imagine.”
Just as they spoke, a knock on a wooden fish echoed through the room. Wuji looked toward the outside of the hall. “People from the Daoist sects have arrived.”
Xueying’s cloak spread like a giant parasol. The three other guardians stepped to his side and were covered by it. In the blink of an eye, all four vanished, their auras gone without a trace.
With nothing better to do, Li Xuanzhen came to White Pagoda Temple to look around. After asking around a bit, he heard that Master Wuji had openly broken precepts yesterday by eating meat. He immediately suspected Li Lanxiu’s involvement—it sounded exactly like something he would do.
He stepped through the doors and examined Wuji for a moment, then said with warmth and courtesy, “I’m a resident of Dreamsaint City. I heard about what happened here yesterday and came to check in on you, Master.”
Wuji slowly stood up and nodded. “Thank you, benefactor. This humble monk is fine.”
Li Xuanzhen got straight to the point. “Master, did you happen to see a man wearing a ghost mask yesterday?”
Wuji lifted his eyes to look at him, expression neither sorrowful nor joyful.
Li Xuanzhen understood immediately. He cleared his throat and said, “He’s my cousin. He’s been mischievous since he was young. If he offended you in any way, I hope you’ll be generous and forgive him.”
Wuji rubbed his fingertips over his lips for no apparent reason and gave a faint smile. “It’s nothing.”
Li Xuanzhen was about to turn and leave, but paused at those words. “Master doesn’t mind?”
Wuji sat back down on the cushion and gently brushed his lips, as if savoring a lingering memory. “You don’t understand, benefactor. When I don’t want to do something, no one in this world can force me. If I broke precepts, it was because I wanted to.”
"So that's how it is? Li Lanxiu really never forced you?" Li Xuanzhen sounded incredulous.
Wuji murmured softly. "Li Lanxiu…"
He spoke slowly, as if savoring the name on his lips. He looked up and stared intently at Li Xuanzhen. "That’s his name?"
His interest was plain to see.
Li Xuanzhen's expression twisted slightly. He asked with displeasure, "What does Master mean by that?"
Wuji answered calmly. "In all heaven and earth, nothing is rarer than a kindred spirit. He ought to be mine."
He hadn’t lied. Setting aside the fact that Li Lanxiu was the life-saving medicine his body needed, just the man alone was enough to stir Wuji’s interest in forming ties.
Cold and ruthless, cruel and venomous, doing whatever it took to achieve his aims, utterly devoid of compassion.
Only someone like Li Lanxiu could understand him and the things he did. Wasn’t that exactly what a kindred spirit meant?
Li Xuanzhen studied him again, then lowered his voice. "It seems Master does not know the reason Li Lanxiu wears a mask."
Wuji looked at him. "Why is that?"
Li Xuanzhen’s lips curled with malice. "Because his face was destroyed in a fire. His real face is hideous beyond imagining. That’s why he wears a mask in front of others."
Wuji lowered his head in thought. "So that’s how it is."
Li Xuanzhen coaxed him gently, one line at a time. "Master, I told you only because I see you as a monk who’s lost in delusion."
"If he were good-looking, why would he wear a mask?"
"He can’t stand being laughed at. That’s why he hides behind it. But he never expected that everyone would take him for a beauty…"
Earlier, when the four guardians discussed Li Lanxiu’s true face, Wuji showed no interest. Beauty or ugliness was just skin deep—he only cared about Li Lanxiu’s physique. But now, after what Li Xuanzhen said…he suddenly grew curious about what lay beneath that mask.
Li Xuanzhen saw him deep in thought and exited the hall with a light laugh.
Once his presence vanished from White Pagoda Temple, the four guardians of the Red Sect reappeared in the Buddha hall.
What had started as a casual discussion now felt like a conclusion carved in stone. All four exchanged glances in silence.
Huanji looked at Wuji with a sympathetic gaze and asked sincerely, "Buddha Son, have you ever broken your vow of chastity?"
Wuji nodded slightly. His voice stayed calm. "You need not worry. I’ve seen plenty. I know how to deal with men."
"That’s not what I’m worried about." Huanji took out a small illustrated booklet and handed it to him with both hands. "If the time comes and you find yourself unable to perform with Li Lanxiu, this might help stir some excitement."
Wuji glanced down. It was a vividly rendered erotic picture book of men. He flipped a few pages. As his fingers touched the paper, seductive scenes sprang to life before his eyes, accompanied by soft moans at his ears. He chuckled and shook his head. "I’ve seen plenty of this sort of thing."
Huanji saw he hadn’t caught her meaning and gave Xueying a look.
Xueying pulled back his cloak, revealing a face scorched by fire—ghastly and twisted like a demon from hell. "Buddha Son, I fear Li Lanxiu looks about the same as I do."
Except for Huanji, the other two guardians imagined the Buddha Son entwined with such a face and couldn’t help showing pained expressions. It felt like wasting something sacred.
Huanji pointed at Xueying’s face and asked bluntly, "Buddha Son, if Xueying had the yin-gathering vixen physique you so crave, could you still feel desire for him?"
Wuji studied Xueying’s face and still shook his head. "No. He is not that person, and even if he were, I couldn’t."
"Three days from now is the Feast of All Souls—the day Buddha Son will dual cultivate with Li Lanxiu."
Huanji paused, her voice troubled. “The urgent matter now is that Buddha Son must feel desire for Li Lanxiu. Otherwise, how will you dual cultivate?”
“Buddha Son, perhaps use an aphrodisiac?”
“It’s your fault for bringing up his appearance. If no one had said anything, there’d still be some room for fantasy. Now whenever I think of him, I just picture Xueying.”
“Heh…maybe he’s even worse than me. Truly a pity for Buddha Son.”
All four guardians furrowed their brows, their minds heavy with worry.
Wuji, however, smiled and said calmly, “It’s fine. Three days from now, I’ll remove his mask in front of everyone.” He had sensed that some remarkable beings followed Li Lanxiu—ones he could not afford to provoke.
That black-clad youth beside Li Lanxiu wasn’t ordinary either.
At first he’d thought they followed Li Lanxiu for his physique. He’d been pondering how to remove those troublesome nails, but then Li Xuanzhen unintentionally revealed that everyone believed Li Lanxiu was a beauty.
The truth turned out to be so shallow.
Once Li Lanxiu revealed his true face in public, those shallow “nails” would resolve themselves. Without lifting a finger, he would obtain his life-saving medicine.
As for the concerns the four guardians had—whether he could complete dual cultivation if he felt no desire—this was indeed a real issue.
Not because Li Lanxiu might be ugly. Wuji had always been indifferent to pleasure. So even if Li Lanxiu were stunningly beautiful, he would feel no lust.
Thanks U for the ch:).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter!
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