Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Six cities were guarding the capital city of the Great Zhou Dynasty—Beiluo, Drunken Dragon, Tong’an, Pingnan, Yuanchi, and Wangtian.
These six cities formed the strongest defense of the capital city of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
As long as these six cities were not captured, there would be no threat to the capital city, and the emperor—who lived in the capital city—could rest easy.
Drunken Dragon City…
One of the six cities guarding the capital city of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The City Master was Jiang Li, a loyal general. He served in the previous Great Zhou emperor’s dynasty as well. Jiang Li was known for launching military expeditions against Xirong, repulsing Guifang, and intimidating the Five Barbarians to such an extent that their armies had to stay away from the border of the Great Zhou Dynasty, not daring to go one step past the prescribed limit.
At that time, Great Zhou was extremely prosperous.
They had the general Jiang Li taking care of international affairs and the Imperial Advisor Kong Xiu taking care of internal affairs. The Five Barbarians did not dare make any move against them at all.
However, after the death of the overlord of that generation, Great Zhou had continuously been in civil conflicts. The martial arts world was in chaos, and it was a real rat race among the Hundred Schools of Philosophy. The whole world was a mess.
A decline always follows a flourish. All independent warlords in the world exclaimed with that with pity.
The night was already deep.
In a corner in Drunken Dragon City, in a remote farmer’s yard…
Crouching on the ground holding a chick, Bai Qingniao, in coarse clothes, suddenly woke up.
Failing to steady herself up, she flopped onto the ground, still in shock.
“Immortal… Immortal?!”
Bai Qingniao looked around. Except for the chick huddled in her hand, the other chicks were all stumbling behind the hen under the night sky.
It was a serene scene.
“Are there really Immortals in the world?”
Bai Qingniao took a deep breath. She held the chicken closer to her.
“Chick, I was asking you…”
The chick in her hand was confused.
Bai Qingniao’s face showed some changes under the moonlight. Then she lifted her hand to pat herself on her plump breasts as if she still had a lingering fear.
Buzz…
All of a sudden…
Bai Qingniao felt a warm current flow through her head.
Then a scripture jumped in her head as if it were alive.
“Nine Phoenixes Transformation, is this the immortal method the Immortal imparted to me?”
Bai Qingniao opened her eyes slowly. She seemed to be puzzled.
[Nine Phoenixes Transformation: Fortune is fickle. The whole of creation follows laws to evolve. The weak can be strengthened. Chicks can be transformed into phoenixes.]
Bai Qingniao wondered. “? ? ?”
What about her Immortal encounter?
This Immortal encounter was to make her chicks transform into phoenixes. Did it have anything to do with her?
She went on reading and found that Nine Phoenixes Transformation could enable her to rear nine phoenixes with which she could telepathically communicate. In this way, she could get Spirit Qi from them.
Bai Qingniao did not know whether to cry or laugh. It turned out the Immortal encounter was to turn her from poultry woman to phoenix woman.
Bai Qingniao used her mind to draw the one wisp of Spirit Qi gifted by the Immortal into the chick’s body, which she grasped by the neck, as was described in the method.
The chick instantly fluttered its wings. Stretching out its claws, it crowed comfortably…
Then, the chick’s eyes seemed much brighter and clearer, as if it had been endowed with Spirit Intellect.
Gazing at that adorable look, Bai Qingniao almost lost her heart to the chick.
Obviously, after the nurturing of Spirit Qi, the chick had been a bit unusual.
“No. You are already a chick with Spirit Intellect. I can’t use you to make chicken soup anymore when you grow up. I need to give you a name. Otherwise… What about Lil Phoenix One? The immortal method can cultivate nine chicks. Your future brothers and sisters will be called Lil Phoenix Two, Lil Phoenix Three…”
Rubbing Lil Phoenix One’s head, Bai Qingniao smiled joyfully under the moonlight.
Lil Phoenix One rolled its eyes, cold-shouldering her.
Suddenly, she could hear footsteps coming from out of the yard.
The wooden fence was pushed open.
“Qingniao,”
A hoarse voice came. Bai Qingniao hurried to tuck Lil Phoenix One into her collar.
Lil Phoenix One popped its head out, opening its mouth to protest its fate stubbornly.
“Grandma!”
Bai Qingniao greeted with a smile.
Outside the yard, a hunchbacked gray-haired old woman walked in, carrying a basket and a candle lamp.
“Qingniao, Uncle Jiang will come tomorrow. Make some chicken soup for him. Your chicken soup is his favorite.” By the candlelight, the grandma’s wrinkled face looked affectionate.
Bai Qingniao was pleasantly surprised.
“Uncle Jiang is coming? That’s great. I’ll get up early tomorrow to kill a chicken and make some good soup.”
Bai Qingniao was happy from the bottom of her heart.
Lil Phoenix One, tucked into Bai Qingniao’s clothes, felt threatened somehow. Its head sank into its neck. The stubborn protest against fate was thus over.
The grandma was gone.
Bai Qingniao did not go on studying Nine Phoenixes Transformation. Instead, she went back to her room to sleep. She even took out the makeup wrapped in a cloth so that she could make herself pretty the next morning when she got up.
The candle lamp was extinguished when the grandma walked out of the yard.
Then, the hunchbacked grandma straightened her back up. The gray hair disappeared as well. She turned into a well-shaped woman.
In the distance…
Under the moonlight, an armored figure was standing with his hands behind his back.
“Master, I’ve informed Qingniao,”
The woman said to the figure with respect. There was a frantic deep affection in her eyes.
This man was exactly the City Master of Drunken Dragon City, Grandmaster Jiang Li.
“Tonight is the night to kill. Go back to your post,”
Jiang Li said indifferently.
“Yes.”
The woman lowered her head. The affection in her eyes vanished the way water flowed away. She pushed off from her feet, and her well-shaped body flew out. In this way, she disappeared in the dark night.
Jiang Li did not turn around until the woman was gone.
The face behind the armor was gazing at the farmer’s yard. A smile emerged on his stiff face.
******
The capital city…
On the second floor of the Book Pavilion…
Kong Nanfei woke up gradually.
In the distance, the Imperial Advisor was sitting in a rocking chair. Rocking the chair, he was gazing at the bright moon outside of the window. He seemed to be in deep thought.
Meanwhile, Mo Tianyu was drinking while reading. Since his trip to Beiluo City, Kong Nanfei found this senior brother of his had changed a lot. His usual unconventional and unrestrained disposition was gone. Instead, he had been more diligent and studious.
But he still loved fortune-telling. Except that, everything about him had been improved.
A light cough from Kong Nanfei broke the silence in the Book Pavilion.
“Master…”
The Imperial Advisor looked back at Kong Nanfei.
“You finished studying the Immortal encounter on Hidden Dragon Ridge?”
Kong Nanfei shook his head. He got to his feet from his chair. He said with a pair of blazing eyes after arranging his robe, “Master… I got absentminded just now. An Immortal accepted me at the Immortal Ascension Site, and I got to meet him in person.”
Once that was said…
Tension filled the atmosphere inside the Book Pavilion.
The Imperial Advisor’s eyes, which had seen too many things in the world, suddenly lit up.
Mo Tianyu’s hands holding a book also trembled.
******
South County…
Tang Manor’s woodshed, Nanjiang City.
In the darkness…
Tang Yimo opened his eyes. With a swollen face, he coughed lightly.
He made an effort to straighten his body up while thinking.
Scripture texts were jumping in his head.
A crimson light flashed in his eyes.
Recalling what the Immortal in the dream had told him, he curled his lip. His eyes looked even more resolute.
[Eight Meridians Escaping Demonic Technique, to sacrifice yourself to be a demon and protect whom you want to protect.]
[Humans have eight extra meridians. Whenever an extra meridian is opened up, by offering your life, you will get the technique of Jiazi. When all eight extra meridians are opened up, you will be able to break mountains and rivers.]
A quiet murmur echoed in the woodshed.
In the darkness, Tang Yimo’s dull eyes were as bright as stars.
******
Within the Dao Impartment Platform…
Silently, Lu Fan was floating up and down. He was pondering on one thing.
He had intended to construct another Secret Realm. However, after thinking, he figured that since the Hidden Dragon Ridge’s Secret Realm had just been opened, people would need some time to get used to and get familiar with it.
He should not rush into anything.
And he did need to slow down.
So he gave up the idea of constructing another Secret Realm. He exited the Dao Impartment Platform. Breathing out lightly, he closed his eyes to sleep.
As his strength improved, getting a good night’s sleep might be something of a luxury for him in the future.
However, not long after he closed his eyes…
He opened them slowly. In the darkness, Lu Fan let out a sigh.
******
Outside of Beiluo City…
A wagon was moving slowly. Horses’ clip-clops broke the silence of the night.
On the city tower, Lu Changkong’s brows were tightly knit.
Behind him, Luo Yue looked extremely serious. “Master, should we open the city gate?”
“The Mohist giant came to Beiluo City in person. He can’t be here with a good intention… I don’t think we should open the gate.”
However, Lu Changkong was still frowning. Letting out a sigh, he said, “It won’t be a peaceful night tonight. Open the gate. It’s not only the Mohist that has come.”
Luo Yue was instantly shocked. “Not just the Mohist?”
Standing by the city wall, Lu Changkong said, “The mantis seizes the locust but does not see the yellow bird behind him. What Fan’er did caught the Mohist’s attention.”
“The Mohist disciples are mostly rangers and assassins. Besides, the Mohist has allied itself with Jiguan School and Yinyang School. They are unfathomable. If they attack us by surprise, it’ll be impossible to defend against them. Tell Luo Cheng to take 1,000 soldiers to guard Lu Manor and keep Fan’er safe. We will let them enter the city so that they will be exposed to us and arrange massive forces to keep an eye on them. In this way, we can rest easy,”
Lu Changkong said.
“Yes.”
Luo Yue took a deep breath. Then he left to execute the order.
After getting the order, Luo Cheng took 1,000 soldiers to Lu Manor. Sheltered by darkness, they guarded Lu Manor to such an extent that nothing could go through its walls.
Lu Changkong went down the gate tower in person.
The city gate was unbolted. With a heavy creak, the city gate of Beiluo was opened.
In front of the city gate, there was an old wagon under the moonlight. Next to the wagon, there were several Mohist disciples on horses, all wearing a bamboo hat with a veil. They were protecting the wagon.
Lu Changkong went out of the city with his generals.
The man inside the wagon was old. He drew back the curtain.
Mo Beike got off the wagon slowly. Gazing at Lu Changkong, standing in the distance with an imposing appearance, he showed a smile on his wrinkled face.