"Immortals ride the colorful phoenix, descending from Langfeng's height. The seas have thrice turned shallow, the Peach Spring is easy to find. They left me a cup of green jade, and a zither of purple jasper. The cup is for pouring fine wine, the zither to quiet the simple heart. These two are not of this world; why speak of pearls and gold? The zither plays the wind in the pines; the cup invites the moon in the sky. Wind and moon are eternal friends; how fleeting are the people of this world!"
After Li Bai resigned his post and left the court, he traveled through mountains and rivers; this poem, "In Imitation of Antiquity," written in the style of Han Yuefu, possessed his usual otherworldly transcendence. Legend has it that the Demon Zither was crafted at the end of the Tianbao era. Mingyu, wandering leisurely through the ruins of the Sui Palace amidst the chaos of war, encountered a vengeful ghost—a palace maid who had died clutching a zither in resentment. Mingyu took demon bones to forge a zither as a vessel for her soul. The name "Xiansu," meaning "Simple Heart," was perhaps a whim granted by the Ancestor of All Demons after she had just read Li Bai’s poetry. Yet, such a clear and elegant name did nothing to cleanse the resentment from the vengeful ghost. With a soul as its essence and a demon as its body, neither truly demon nor truly spirit, Xiansu was an indescribable "Demon Spirit" existing between ghost, demon, and instrument spirit. She had followed Mingyu for thousands of years and naturally perished alongside her.
The deathly energy within the Demon Sun poured continuously into Xiansu’s body, while the sun itself gradually dissipated. Driven by my instincts as a demon beast, I clearly felt her power surging at a terrifying speed. Her aura climbed, so oppressive it made one’s legs tremble, leaving me with the feeling that only by kneeling in submission could one find safety. In truth, she had slender shoulders and a wasp waist, possessing the graceful and delicate posture of a palace lady. Only her long hair was white as snow, her pupils a crimson so deep they were nearly black, and her skin a greyish-white like the color of bone. She wore a long black gauze dress condensed from deathly energy.
When she blocked the attack from the Shixige array, she had only just awakened from her slumber and seemed somewhat dazed. Soon, her eyes shifted, and she slightly spread her fingers.
Before I could react, Wei Qingming had already pulled me into her arms and leaped back several yards, flipping down from the roof of Shixige. A thunderous roar like a direct strike of lightning followed as Xiansu returned the attack in its original form, slamming it heavily into the center of the array where we had just stood. Although Shixige was protected by its own defensive array, the impact caused an ear-piercing screech of friction. Most of the roof was made of jade tiles and could withstand it, but the decorations made of thousand-year-old Phoebe zhennan wood could not endure the massive spiritual fluctuations and spontaneously ignited. The Li family members guarding the array and Commander Yuan’s men were likely severely injured, if not dead...
My heart pounded more violently than ever before. Due to extreme terror, I felt a wave of nausea, as if I might vomit out this overactive heart. To be honest, at this moment, I truly just wanted to flee. With my abilities, I couldn't even discern Xiansu’s cultivation realm, let alone fight her. Even if Daoist Lu had slain countless ghosts, he was only at the late stage of the Canxia Realm!
At that moment, Wei Qingming slightly moved her hand away from my ear and whispered, "Azhi, you go first with Second Sister and Xuesu."
We were standing on the railing beneath the eaves of Shixige’s ninth floor, a space barely half a palm wide. Amidst the red light and black mist overhead, one could still see a few twinkling stars if they looked closely. In the bitter winter weather, the piercing night wind swirled through our tattered clothes. It felt as if we were suspended in mid-air, facing a bottomless abyss. She had to stay, of course; I had always known that.
She used the back of her finger to wipe the tears from my cheek and smiled. "Don't cry. I don't intend to die here." Then, her voice suddenly turned cold. "Something has gone wrong. I sent a distress signal to Mr. Feng long ago. Even if he is attending the Emperor today and cannot leave, Brother Hou Yi would have handled it for him. This is no longer an ordinary incident; by all logic, the Emperor’s decree should have arrived by now." Connecting this to Wang Guangqi’s prison break, the traitor within the Temple must possess significant influence...
"Commander Hou is back?" I said hurriedly. "I can go find him, find Grandpa Feng."
"Mhm." She nodded gently. "Xuesu is the fastest; it would be best if she goes to the Jingguan in the western suburbs to invite several more Perfected Ones. Daoist Lu isn't actually in the capital; he rushed here from a thousand miles away in the southwest. The one on duty at the monastery should be Senior Brother Qu Yiming. According to the rules, more than three Canxia Realm Perfected Ones of the Wujing Sect entering the capital simultaneously requires an imperial decree. We can't worry about that now. Have Xuesu give my disciple token and sound-transmission talisman to Senior Brother Qu; he can handle it. Azhi and Second Sister, go to the Imperial Tombs in the east. Today is the day of the Suburban Sacrifice. If you can't find Mr. Feng..."
"I'll find a way to go directly to the Emperor!"
She smiled again, gave me a deep hug, and pressed the necessary items into my hand. She lifted her lashes to gaze at me for one last moment, then reached out to hook a corner of the eaves above and drifted into the sea of fire atop the pavilion.
I took one last look at her silhouette as she raised her hand to summon the Zhishui Blade. The feather-like blade reflected the firelight for an instant before vanishing. Only then did I leap down toward where Lu Lingfeng and Xuesu were standing.
After Xuesu captured the spider woman, she encountered another group of demon rebels. She had stood like a lone guardian at the street entrance until she had slain them all, only then arriving near Shixige. I handed the items over to her. Xuesu nodded and sprinted toward the west. Lu Lingfeng and I mounted the small dragon and flew swiftly toward the Imperial Tombs in the eastern suburbs.
Xiansu struck out with a palm, and memories of battles from her past life gradually awakened. She looked down at the humans below who had no time to flee or cry out before losing their lives, her lips curling into a contemptuous smile.
"Lady Xiansu." Behind her, Jiang Xiaying, holding the zither, knelt in mid-air, raising the instrument high above her head. "Welcome back, Lady Xiansu!"
The demon spirit who had perished a thousand years ago and was now resurrected slowly turned her body. Only when she saw that the zither was indeed the "Slanting Jade Hook"—the vessel of her soul and the anchor of her mind—did she straighten her posture, lowering a hand to press gently against the strings.
"Who are you?" she asked without emotion, her gaze fixed only on the zither.
"We are 'Angling for the Nation,'" Jiang Xiaying looked up and replied with a smile. "Prosperity and decline, honor and disgrace, all begin from the tip of a green duckweed; governance and strategy are seen within the wind and clouds. Even if good bows are hidden away, they can still raise or ruin a nation. The name of 'Angling for the Nation' should not be unfamiliar to you, My Lady."
"Heh." Xiansu sneered, her expression one of undisguised loathing and mockery. "A thousand years have passed. The heroes are gone, yet the rats live long."
"Heroes have the things they can do and the things they refuse to do. As for rats—everything is permissible." Jiang Xiaying was neither angry nor annoyed, maintaining a perfectly measured smile.
Xiansu stopped speaking to her and looked up at the night sky. Seeing the swirling black mist and foul atmosphere, she raised her sleeve and swept it away. A corner of the pitch-black, clear sky, like polished ink-jade, was finally revealed.
"Lady Mingyu..."
She called out softly, longingly, as if talking to herself.
After Wei Qingming returned to the top of the pavilion, the two Perfected Ones, Lu Tangwei and Zheng Tancun, also landed. Daoist Zheng flicked his sleeve, releasing a breath of life-giving wood energy to envelop the wounded on the ground. He then tossed out banana leaves as large as boats, wrapping the people and sending them floating gently down from the pavilion.
"Brat, every time I see you, you're missing an arm or a leg!" Even in the midst of chaos, Daoist Lu didn't forget to slap Wei Qingming on the back, laughing loudly. "Old rules: you play the sneak, I'll provide cover!"
Wei Qingming glanced at him, expressionlessly sheathing the Zhishui Blade she had just drawn. She reached into her robes and pulled out a jade vial. Lu Tangwei continued to ramble: "You don't say it, but you actually listen to old Lu quite well! Hehe, lucky you stored your heart's blood in advance... You're just born to toil." Heart's blood was precious; taking too much at once would damage one's cultivation foundation. Thus, he had invented a method to take one drop every month and store it in a special jade vessel for emergency use.
Before he could finish, Wei Qingming unexpectedly reached out and brushed past Lu Tangwei’s chest. With two fingers, she nipped out an identical small vial and, without looking, threw it far into the void. The jade vial shattered, and the crimson blood within splashed out. A fiery, scorching Great Crimson Demon-Subduing Array instantly activated—it must have been one Daoist Lu had secretly set up.
Lu Tangwei’s eyes widened like copper bells, his beard and hair bristling. He raised his hand to give Wei Qingming a sharp rap on the head. "Who told you to use it all at once!"
Wei Qingming had naturally anticipated this. While tucking her own vial back into her robes, she dodged away, leaving behind only one sentence: "The array is mine. You go up."
Daoist Zheng watched from the sidelines. Lu Tangwei cursed a few times, clenched his fists, dropped into a horse stance, and let out a low roar—
The battered jade tiles of Shixige cracked and shattered. Daoist Lu transformed into a thirty-foot-tall giant. Stowing the greatsword he had used earlier, he drew his life-weapon, the Meteor Demon-Slaying Staff, and leaped high into the air to attack Xiansu!
Lu Lingfeng and I flew eastward, riding the northwest wind. After flying for about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Lu Lingfeng suddenly pointed forward. "I see it."
She was referring, of course, to the Emperor’s location. Through the Heavenly Eye, one could see a wisp of supreme, noble golden mist—the Dragon Qi.
"Good!" I patted the small dragon’s head, urging it to fly faster, ignoring Lu Lingfeng’s dissatisfied glare.
"You're exhausting him. Ten bottles of Yin-Nourishing Pills."
"Small price to pay."
"Three Cloud-Swallowing Imps."
"No problem."
"Five high-grade underworld artifacts."
"Hey, are you trying to rob me?" I rolled my eyes. "No deal!"
Because the Emperor, Empress, and concubines were at the tombs for the Suburban Sacrifice, news from Yingzhao Temple was naturally slow to reach them. But it was also fortunate that they had left the palace, giving me a chance to get close. If I had to enter the palace, even with a Commander’s token, I would have to be announced through every single gate according to the rules; it wouldn't be settled for at least an hour. A hundred paces ahead was the restricted area; the colorful, incomparably luxurious imperial procession was already clearly visible.
Following the formal process to request an audience would waste too much time. I had Lu Lingfeng put away the small dragon and forced her to change her clothes into a black night-suit style. I sent a mental transmission: "We’ll split up to scout and see where we can break in."
She was surprisingly obedient and nodded. I added an uneasy instruction: "Even if you find a gap, don't act rashly. Send a message to me and wait for me! If I send a message to you, make sure you read it!"
Before I could finish, she vanished silently. I broke into a cold sweat, not knowing if she had actually listened...
After circling halfway around the perimeter, I finally found a hidden gap. Although there was an array, I could tell it was the work of Yingzhao Temple. With Wei Qingming’s Commander jade token to protect me, passing through shouldn't be a problem if I was careful. I wrote a sound-transmission talisman and was about to send it to Second Sister when a strange, powerful wind suddenly came from behind. I hurriedly rolled forward, narrowly avoiding it, and drew my sword to strike back.
The person caught the tip of my sword with two fingers, standing as steady as an old pine. I saw his face and whispered in joy, "Commander Hou!"
Hou Yi did not seem surprised to see me; instead, he showed a slight smile, his expression carrying a hint of familiar affection. He released my sword and said, "So it's you, little sister. Where is Wei Jiu?"
I explained the situation in a few words. Hou Yi’s brow gradually furrowed, his gentle demeanor vanishing as he said decisively, "Follow me." With a gesture, two Yingzhao Temple secret guards emerged from the dark mountains. He ordered them to wait there to receive my Second Sister.
Brother Hou didn't stop, his movement technique so swift I could tell he was slowing down slightly for me. I followed with all my strength, and we soon reached the vicinity of the Emperor’s sleeping tent. He signaled for me to wait at the entrance and called over a small eunuch to whisper a word—clearly a message for Mr. Feng inside.
In less than a moment, Grandpa Feng hurried out, an attendant rushing to drape a thick fur cloak over him. For some reason, seeing his grave expression mixed with worry and urgency made my eyes sting. I fell to my knees with a thud, looking up at him and saying hoarsely, "A demon calamity in the East Market! Grandpa, please save her!"
He said nothing, only bowing his head slightly. He stepped forward tremulously, gesturing for me to rise, then turned to meet Hou Yi’s gaze. His expression was dark, silently questioning why the news hadn't reached them. Hou Yi also knelt with cupped fists and shook his head slightly. Grandpa Feng turned and went back into the tent.
A rustle followed—the sound of many well-trained people moving quickly inside. The Emperor himself actually emerged.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
闲素 | Xiansu | The spirit of the Mingyu Demon Zither; her name means "Simple Heart."
钓国 | Angling for the Nation | A mysterious organization mentioned by Jiang Xiaying.
玉钩斜 | Slanting Jade Hook | The true name of the Mingyu Demon Zither.
流星屠魔杖 | Meteor Demon-Slaying Staff | Lu Tangwei's life-weapon.
太赤伏魔大阵 | Great Crimson Demon-Subduing Array | A powerful fire-based array used by Wei Qingming.
郊祀 | Suburban Sacrifice | A ritual performed by the Emperor in the outskirts/suburbs.
驻跸 | Imperial Halt | The temporary residence or stopping place of the Emperor during a journey.
冯阿爷 | Grandpa Feng | A term of endearment for Feng Aye/Mr. Feng.
魏九 | Wei Jiu | "Wei the Ninth," a familiar way Hou Yi refers to Wei Qingming.
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