Chapter 14: The Nine Phoenixes Devour the Evil
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The qilin bronze incense burner breathed out wisps of green smoke. Ye Ziyan sat cross-legged upon a white-jade bed, while a Tianshan snow lotus floated above her head. Its petals peeled away and transformed into ice crystals, which seeped inward along the purple markings on her neck.
In an instant, the purple seemed to lose its color and turn crimson. A thread of blood mist burst forth, condensing into a scarlet phoenix as flames leapt up in a flash.
Chains of frost drilled out from within, turning the scarlet phoenix purple once more.
Crack!
The ice crystals exploded. The Purple Phoenix let out a shrill, mournful cry and struggled to swallow the Tianshan snow lotus, only for the frost chains to drag it swiftly into her body.
Pfft.
Ye Ziyan suddenly opened her eyes wide and spat out a mouthful of blood. In the blink of an eye, it congealed into ice chips.
“The cold poison has intensified!”
Yet a thunderous rumble came from within her. Her sea of qi was opened, and she advanced from Refining Essence into Qi to Refining Qi into Spirit.
Ye Ziyan gently stroked her wrist. Two crescent-shaped blades had been set into a bracelet, forming a pattern much like the Supreme Ultimate. Two lines of tears slipped down her cheeks.
She murmured to herself, “Mother, Grandfather’s life or death is uncertain, and Ling Xuan has been drawn into the whirlpool. Even the Tianshan snow lotus was useless. Will Yan’er still be alive to see you again?”
At the Fragrant-Sinking Pavilion, Ling Xuan held the Purple Cloud Divine Flute in one hand, its surface wrapped in coiling chi-dragon patterns. He wore a mischievous grin.
“Prince, your little brother is timid. Dangerous matters and dangerous people—please do not tell me about them. I’m afraid I may not be able to keep my mouth shut.”
Yang Xuangan burst into laughter. “Were you not asking about the Moon-Entwining Spirit Serpent?”
Could the Moon-Entwining Spirit Serpent actually be connected to someone else?
Puzzled, Ling Xuan laughed it off. “Prince, surely you don’t think that because I raise a little white snake, because it carries the bloodline of a white chi-dragon, and because I possess this box, I must be connected to the Moon-Entwining Spirit Serpent?”
“The YuWen family’s Gray Harriers are very interested in serpents,” Yang Xuangan said with a mysterious smile. “The moment they discover the Moon-Entwining Spirit Serpent, they will investigate it to the very end.”
The Gray Harriers?
Could Uncle Gou be one of them?
On YuWen Chengxiang’s folding fan was a gray falcon with gray feathers and orange eyes. Could that be the emblem of the Gray Harriers?
The corner of his mouth tilting upward, Ling Xuan’s eyes shifted. “Big Brother, I am ignorant and poorly informed. What exactly are the Gray Harriers?”
“The YuWen family raised more than a hundred men and called them the Gray Harriers. They train falcons and hawks to travel through the mountains and forests, making it convenient to deliver messages.” Yang Xuangan lifted his teacup. “That fellow YuWen Chengxiang is specifically in charge of this.”
Uncle Gou was one of the Gray Harriers. Had the YuWen family been watching Grandfather for a long time? Could it be because of Ye Ziyan’s former identity as a princess of the Chen dynasty?
YuWen Chengxiang had invited him to a banquet. Could it have been merely to confirm his identity?
A smile spread across Ling Xuan’s face. “Big Brother, the gray falcons I roasted before—surely they weren’t raised by the YuWen family, were they?”
“Little Brother, do you know that all this is for the sake of YuWen Chengdu?” Yang Xuangan roared with laughter.
YuWen Chengdu?
Ling Xuan paused slightly. Was that not the legendary Heavenly Treasure Great General?
Yang Xuangan threw back his head and laughed. “Little Brother, do you know that the Demon-Hunting Camp is controlled by the YuWen family? The demons that escape from the Demon-Suppressing Abyss have always been pursued and slain by them?”
“Big Brother, I only just arrived in Luoyang. I had barely warmed the seat in the prince’s residence before YuWen Chengxiang invited me over.” Ling Xuan hurriedly shook his head. “How could a rustic like me know anything about the great affairs of the court?”
“Come.”
Yang Xuangan rose and pulled aside the cloth curtain hanging on the wall.
A map appeared—the map of the vast territory of the Great Sui Divine Dynasty. A deep abyss, centered on Luoyang, ran from north to south, reaching Zhuo Commandery in the north and Yuhang in the south. Three words were engraved upon it:
The Demon-Suppressing Abyss.
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Ling Xuan was secretly astonished. The Demon-Suppressing Abyss truly was the Grand Canal linking the capital to Hangzhou.
“The YuWen family failed to pursue the demons effectively. King Mount-Support therefore advised the Divine Emperor to divide the Demon-Hunting Camp into two, forming an eastern and a western camp.”
Yang Xuangan pointed to the eastern bank of the Demon-Suppressing Abyss.
“The Eastern Camp is commanded by King Mount-Support, who leads his Twelve Guardians. Together, they are known as the Twelve Demon-Hunting Camps.”
“What about the western bank?” Ling Xuan asked hurriedly.
“The Western Camp is personally commanded by the Divine Emperor, who established the Twelve Demon-Hunting Guards. The original Demon-Hunting Camp now serves merely as the Left and Right Cavalry Wings.” Yang Xuangan gave him a meaningful look. “The Prince of Changping commands the Left and Right Bear-Quelling Guards.”
“And you?”
Ling Xuan pretended not to understand.
Yang Xuangan laughed loudly. “The Divine Emperor places great trust in me. I serve as general superintendent of the Twelve Guards, overseeing provisions, medical care, and other such duties. This expedition against Goguryeo is taking place because they have been manipulating demons and draining the national fortune of our Great Sui Divine Dynasty.”
The Demon-Suppressing Abyss used the national fortune to suppress demons. The Bearded Traveler had seemed to mention something similar, but Ling Xuan had never imagined that the conquest of Goguryeo would be undertaken for such a reason. It appeared to differ from the records he knew.
A thought stirred in his mind. “Big Brother, why is everything counted in twelves? Is there some particular reason?”
“There are countless spirit familiars, but only twelve possess the power to bring about changes in the celestial phenomena. The rumors of the martial world say that when the Great Spirit Familiars first appear, signs of chaos emerge. When all Twelve Great Spirit Familiars take their places, the world will fall into complete disorder.” Yang Xuangan seemed lost in thought. “Have you heard this before, Little Brother?”
There were only twelve Great Spirit Familiars?
Neither the Bearded Traveler nor Qiu Rui had ever mentioned this.
Ling Xuan lifted his tea bowl and drained it in one swallow. “Big Brother, I am merely a rustic who knows only how to fill my belly in the wilderness each day. I have never heard anything about the affairs of the martial world. I truly am ignorant.”
“Spirit familiars are refined from demonic souls. Goguryeo seeks the national fortune of Great Sui so that it can refine demonic souls into Great Spirit Familiars, surpass the number twelve, and trigger a cataclysmic upheaval in Heaven and Earth.” Yang Xuangan sighed softly. “It is said to be connected with the Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil.”
The Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil?
Ling Xuan froze in sudden realization. His memories of the former Chen empress remained vivid. The Purple Phoenix Spirit Familiar must not be found by the Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil.
“Big Brother, what is the Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil?”
“The Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil.” Yang Xuangan chuckled as he explained, “According to legend, among the Twelve Great Spirit Familiars, the Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil ranks first. By nature, it is restrained by the Moon-Entwining Spirit Serpent, which ranks last.”
Yet even now, no one knew whether the Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil was one person or nine. Nor did anyone know where the Moon-Entwining Spirit Serpent had fallen.
According to observations by the Office of Celestial Historiography, the recent rise of the Demon-Suppressing Abyss’s waters had been caused by the appearance of the Moon-Entwining Spirit Serpent, which ranked last.
Although the Moon-Entwining Spirit Serpent occupied the lowest position among the Twelve Great Spirit Familiars, only eleven of the twelve had appeared.
Another Great Spirit Familiar had suddenly emerged, only to vanish with equal swiftness before the Office of Celestial Historiography could determine where it had manifested.
For many years, it had remained in a state of half-visibility. As for its ranking, no one even knew where it belonged.
Although legend placed the Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil first among the Twelve Great Spirit Familiars, that ranking was also uncertain because the position of the elusive Great Spirit Familiar remained undetermined.
The appearance of the Moon-Entwining Spirit Serpent had caused the celestial patterns of the Twelve Great Spirit Familiars to shift. The demonic seals imprisoning the creatures within the Demon-Suppressing Abyss had loosened, causing the national fortune to leak out and giving the escaped demons an opportunity to absorb it.
Ling Xuan remained dazed for a long while. Who could have imagined that the Twelve Great Spirit Familiars possessed so many stories? That the Moon-Entwining Spirit Serpent and the Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil were connected in such a manner?
The dream surfaced before his eyes: purple claws tearing apart a crimson serpent. A stab of pain struck his chest.
For a moment, he was overcome by dizziness.
Could Ye Ziyan’s spirit familiar be the Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil?
But he had seen Ye Ziyan’s spirit familiar—especially at the divine seat of the Last Emperor of Chen. It was unmistakably the Purple Phoenix Spirit Familiar.
Recalling the words of the former Chen empress, could the Nine-Phoenix refer to the Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil? But why could the Purple Phoenix not be seen by the Nine-Phoenix? Could it be that the Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil needed to devour the Purple Phoenix?
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A thought stirred. The corner of Ling Xuan’s mouth lifted.
“Big Brother, where has the Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil fallen?”
Yang Xuangan shook his head. “Although the Office of Celestial Historiography has observed the return of the Twelve Great Spirit Familiars, it has no way of knowing where they have fallen or who their hosts are.”
No one knew?
His eyes shifted. The more attention he showed, the more suspicion he would arouse. Ling Xuan hurriedly changed the subject.
“Big Brother, whom am I going to meet?”
“Once the bloodline of the white chi-dragon is awakened, you will head for Liaodong.” Yang Xuangan laughed heartily. “As for whom you are to meet, you will certainly know when the time comes.”
“Prince, stop speaking in riddles.” Ling Xuan hurriedly rose. “Acupuncture depends on the free flow of the meridians. You are leaving my channels blocked, and I will not feel comfortable for half the day.”
Yang Xuangan waved a hand. “Would it not be boring if I told you everything?”
At that moment, Ye Ziyan approached at an unhurried pace. Not a trace of tears remained on her face. Instead, she wore an expression of delight.
“Thank you, Prince, for giving me the Tianshan snow lotus.”
“Don’t thank him.” Ling Xuan hurriedly shook his head. “He made me swallow tens of thousands of flies. I still feel sick.”
“Flies? What flies?” Ye Ziyan asked, her face filled with astonishment.
Yang Xuangan laughed loudly. “My younger sister-in-law has opened her sea of qi and taken another step toward the Divine Treasury. Congratulations. This will make the heir’s journey to Liaodong much safer.”
“Liaodong?”
Ye Ziyan was still bewildered. They had been in Luoyang perfectly well—how had the subject suddenly shifted to Liaodong?
Ling Xuan hurriedly shook his head and asked with a grin, “Prince, I have not even entered the Imperial Medical Office yet. What if the physicians there look down on me?”
Yang Xuangan thumped his chest and spoke with complete confidence. “Heir, leave this matter to your big brother. Once the little white snake awakens its bloodline, remember to invite me for a drink.”
“Fine, then. The prince is trying to drive me away.” With a loud gulp, Ling Xuan sprang to his feet and took Ye Ziyan’s delicate hand. “Wife, come. Let us return home and celebrate properly.”
Yang Xuangan beckoned. “Someone, escort the heir and the heir’s consort home.”
Clang... clang-clang... clang-clang-clang...
Outside, the watchman’s clappers announced the third watch of the night.
Ling Xuan raised his head toward the Office of Celestial Historiography. Seven bronze lamps were arranged in the shape of the Northern Dipper. Their flames—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, and blue—flickered in succession. Yet where the violet flame should have burned, there was only darkness.
In the sky, a crescent moon appeared and vanished behind the clouds.
The little white snake gave a soft hiss. Ling Xuan’s lips curled upward.
“What a splendid opportunity!”
He waved backward. “Prince, I will come trouble you again tomorrow. Your tea is excellent, and the candied fruit is good as well.”
“Haha!” Yang Xuangan burst into laughter. “I will have my servants send some to you tomorrow. Remember—the entrance to the Imperial Medical Office at the hour of the Dragon. I will be waiting for you.”
When the carriage set off, Yang Xuangan hurried back to the secret chamber.
He stroked the bronze beast’s head. The qilin patterns shimmered, and green smoke outlined the scene of Ye Ziyan’s breakthrough: blood mist appearing suddenly, chains of ice crystals coiling around her, and the Purple Phoenix wailing in agony.
A faint smile appeared at the corners of Yang Xuangan’s mouth.
“Interesting. Very interesting. It truly is the Purple Phoenix Spirit Familiar of the former Chen imperial house. YuWen family, the Purple Cloud Divine Flute will surely cause the Purple Phoenix to reveal its aura. With the appearance of the Moon-Entwining Spirit Serpent, should your Nine-Phoenix Devouring Evil not reveal itself as well?”
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