Chapter 125: Madam Xiao

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The Buddhist scripture contained the whereabouts of the Demon Lord’s relic. Lu Xin had no idea what it was, but Dharma Master Xuanhong was Xuanzang’s senior fellow disciple and the abbot personally invited from Pure Land Temple by Li Shimin himself. If even he was willing to protect something with his life, it must be of tremendous importance. Yet this was a matter for the imperial court, and Lu Xin was not in a position to become involved. Leaving it to Wei Zheng was therefore the most prudent course.

After passing through Kaiyuan Gate, Lu Xin headed straight for Longshou Plateau in the north. While still at the Wei residence, he had received a talisman sent to him from afar by Li Chunfeng, asking him to meet at Longshou Plateau. Before the Chang’an calamity, master and disciple had spent several days cultivating there. Now that the calamity had passed, they had returned to the same place to meet once more. There was something fitting about that, as though the story had come full circle.

“I seem to remember Lu Tingfang mentioning that Li Shimin planned to build a summer palace on Longshou Plateau for the Retired Emperor Li Yuan. It was originally called Yong’an Palace. After Gaozu ascended the throne, the entire nation’s strength was marshaled to expand it, and history came to know it as the Great Bright Palace. From that point onward, this once-desolate land became the political center of the entire Great Tang. But after Wu Zetian proclaimed herself emperor, she soon moved the capital to Luoyang. These emperors certainly knew how to stir things up.”

As he climbed the mountain, Lu Xin recalled some of the history he had once learned from Lu Tingfang. The Great Bright Palace, the Tang dynasty’s second imperial palace, held tremendous historical significance. Whenever the ancients built houses, whether tombs or residences, even ordinary people would do everything in their power to find a site blessed with auspicious geomancy, let alone the imperial family. During Gaozong’s reign, the Great Bright Palace had been built as the main palace of the empire. As the foundation of an imperial palace, the geomantic quality of Longshou Plateau was naturally important.

Yet from Lu Xin’s current perspective, the geomancy of Longshou Plateau was truly nothing special.

By the time he reached the summit, it was nearly the hour of the Goat. The examinations in Qunxian Ward were still proceeding in full swing. Li Chunfeng remained seated at the edge of the cliff, gazing out over the entirety of Chang’an.

“Master, what exactly happened in the final moment last night? And why did you not return for the entire night?”

The instant he saw Li Chunfeng, Lu Xin asked two questions in succession. His memories of the final moment of the calamity were blurred. At the instant the Lunar Netherglow descended into the world, he had lost consciousness entirely. By the time he recovered, everything had already been settled.

“Someone used a demonic artifact from beyond our borders to draw forth the primordial yin energy hidden within the ley lines of Fengdu’s ghost domain. Then, in secret, they performed a spell to manifest the Lunar Netherglow, intending to beguile the Tang king. In the end, however, your master and the leader of the Undying Immortal Sect stopped them.”

“A demonic artifact from beyond our borders? The Lunar Netherglow? And who exactly is the leader of the Undying Immortal Sect?”

Li Chunfeng’s answer not only failed to resolve Lu Xin’s doubts, but left him even more confused. Several of the terms were ones he had never heard before. The Undying Immortal Sect in particular was not among the five most powerful sects. Yet for Li Chunfeng to mention it under these circumstances, its leader must possess at least the cultivation of the Spirit Manifestation Realm.

Among the great sects of the martial world, however, only the Supreme Heaven Sect maintained an ambiguous relationship with the imperial court. The rest were either openly hostile or remained neutral.

Hearing this, Li Chunfeng did not answer at once. Instead, he beckoned Lu Xin to sit beside him. Looking at him now, Lu Xin saw that Li Chunfeng’s complexion was poor and the aura around him extremely faint. His entire person gave the impression of a sickly man so frail that a gust of wind might carry him away.

“The so-called Lunar Netherglow is an ancient sacred beast of legend. Or perhaps it is one of the manifestations of Heaven and Earth. In any case, it is not a benevolent existence. It is said that when primordial chaos first opened, Pangu sacrificed his physical body to transform it into all things under Heaven. His left eye became the essence of lunar yin, which combined with the supreme yin energy within the ley lines and gave birth to a sacred beast that fed exclusively on wicked thoughts.

“All living things with a spirit possess wicked thoughts. So long as wicked thoughts remain, the Lunar Netherglow cannot die. In truth, no one has ever seen the creature itself. What I dealt with last night was merely a magical treasure concealed deep within the thunderclouds.”

“Merely a magical treasure? It took so many experts working together to deal with it—and you were seriously injured besides.”

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Lu Xin was astonished. What sort of magical treasure required several Spirit Manifestation Realm yin-yang masters to join forces against it? And it had even wounded Li Chunfeng. This so-called “demonic artifact from beyond our borders” was far too powerful.

“I merely expended too much magical power and damaged my vitality somewhat. A few days of rest will set me right. As for the identity of the person who brought that demonic artifact into Chang’an, it is still too soon to say. The leader of the Undying Immortal Sect suspects it came from Persia or Byzantium. But the envoys of both countries were murdered some days ago. There is no one left alive to testify.”

“The Undying Immortal Sect... According to what you have said, could its leader be Tan Zongxiao, the Chamberlain of Yin and Yang?”

“That is indeed the man.” Li Chunfeng nodded, and a hint of approval entered his voice. “I only learned of it last night myself. The Undying Immortal Sect is a new school that emerged within the past decade or so. It is exceedingly mysterious and keeps an exceptionally low profile, scarcely involving itself in either the cultivation world or the affairs of the imperial court.

“I had originally thought Tan Zongxiao was merely an unaffiliated cultivator. But now it appears that the Undying Immortal Sect is the true Chamber of Yin and Yang. The Temple of Spirit Control and the Demon-Suppressing Bureau are merely parts of this sect. The imperial court must be plotting something of immense consequence.”

“So that is how it is. That is terrifying. On the surface, the court forbids the common people from cultivating immortality or practicing the Dao, claiming that it must suppress every sect under Heaven. Yet in secret, it has created a sect of its own. The Undying Immortal Sect—‘undying, therefore immortal.’ What an arrogant name. How could Li Shimin possibly tolerate such a title?”

“That is precisely the crux of the matter. The Undying Immortal Sect appeared more than a decade ago, when Li Shimin was still the Prince of Qin. Above him stood Crown Prince Li Jiancheng; below him stood Li Yuanji, Prince of Qi; and between them were all the civil and military officials of the court. If one were to ask who would inherit the throne, the crown prince would naturally come first. Barring an unforeseen circumstance, there was no possibility that it would fall to Li Shimin.”

“Master, do you mean...”

At this point, Lu Xin trembled from head to toe and abruptly rose to his feet. Li Chunfeng had spoken in a light and unhurried tone, but anyone who understood the implication would likely be terrified to the core.

Ten years ago. The Prince of Qin. Li Jiancheng. Li Yuanji. The imperial throne. The Undying Immortal Sect.

Bringing all these terms together was enough to make one shudder at the hidden implications. As far as the people of the realm knew, no one truly understood what had happened during the Incident at Xuanwu Gate three years earlier, nor how many people or forces had been drawn into it.

Throughout the dynasties, the crown prince’s faction had always been the strongest. Li Shimin had indeed achieved brilliant military victories and possessed an excellent reputation, but that alone was not enough to make Li Yuan depose Li Jiancheng and appoint another crown prince. If Li Shimin wished to seize the throne, he would inevitably have to launch a military coup. That required immense power; otherwise, he could never defeat the forces of both Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji at the same time.

And in this age, where yin-yang masters existed, soldiers alone were clearly not enough.

“All right. These are merely my conjectures. The truth will emerge sooner or later, but not now. There is no use dwelling on it. I called you here because I need you to handle something for me.”

“Please tell me, Master.”

“My injuries require a certain immortal herb before I can recover fully. Chang’an is the imperial capital, where people of every kind gather and goods from across the world converge. Anything that exists under Heaven ought to be obtainable here. Find a stalk for me. This bottle of pills should be sufficient payment.”

Li Chunfeng placed a jade bottle in Lu Xin’s hand and instructed him to proceed with caution, making certain that no word of the matter escaped. Lu Xin naturally understood its seriousness. He nodded repeatedly, then quickly descended from Longshou Plateau.

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Li Chunfeng had made light of his injuries, but Lu Xin was no fool. He could tell from his master’s complexion alone that the wounds were severe—perhaps so severe that he could no longer even walk.

At Li Chunfeng’s level of cultivation, he would ordinarily be almost impossible to injure. There were few forces in the world capable of harming an expert who could contend with a Spirit Manifestation Realm yin-yang master without being defeated. Yet when someone of that level was injured, the damage was invariably grave.

“Dragon Saliva Grass... From Master’s tone, it must be some kind of heavenly treasure. Anything capable of treating a yin-yang master’s injuries certainly will not be found in an ordinary place.”

By the time Lu Xin returned to Chang’an, it was already six intervals past the hour of the Goat. The sun blazed overhead, and the heat was oppressive. He had no idea where to purchase the Dragon Saliva Grass Li Chunfeng needed, so he decided to return to the Qian residence and ask Qian Xiaoyue for advice.

Entering the city through Golden Light Gate brought him into Qunxian Ward. The Huaiyuan Ward, where the Qian residence stood, lay on the opposite side of the Western Market. When he passed through the market, Lu Xin suddenly stopped, deciding to look around before continuing.

Chang’an was the gathering place for goods from across the world, while the Western Market was the largest trading center within the city. Perhaps he could uncover some information about the Dragon Saliva Grass there. After all, Li Chunfeng had clearly intended for him to handle the matter alone. The fewer people who knew about it, the better.

On the night he had first entered Chang’an, Lu Xin had already visited the Western Market. But it had been dark then, and no matter how brightly the lanterns shone, the sights of night were entirely different from those of day. In addition, the sudden fire had prevented him from truly familiarizing himself with the market.

Now, wandering its streets with a clear purpose, he finally experienced the market’s prosperity firsthand.

There were goods not only from every region of the empire, but also merchandise from the countries of the Western Regions and even from the European continent. Most of the businesses dealing in such goods were controlled by powerful factions, clans, or sects. Some industries were even operated by the government and held directly by the imperial court. Small private enterprises were, in fact, quite rare.

Lu Xin wandered through the Western Market for more than half an hour before finding an area dedicated to the trade of medicinal herbs. It was not especially large, but it contained two adjoining streets lined with more than a hundred shops and stalls. The streets were packed with people and utterly chaotic.

Lu Xin soon entered several shops, but none had any trace of the Dragon Saliva Grass. A few shopkeepers had not even heard of its name. This left Lu Xin rather disappointed.

However, just as he was leaving the fifth shop, a young man dressed like a street thug suddenly darted out from the crowd.

“Young sir, judging from how hurriedly you are walking, I take it you have run into some trouble? To be frank, these little shops do not carry anything worthwhile. If you are looking for a life-saving medicinal herb, you must first find the right place.”

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