「Of all the qi, xuan qi is the ultimate source of Yin energy source generated from a mysterious yet endless source. Ling qi, also Yin in nature, is exhaustible. To date, the only time when xuan qi is used by the Celestial powers was to create the Great Deluge where millions, of both beasts and men, died of drowning for their transgression of the cosmos.」
Great deluge mentioned in this part of the book. Noah's Ark, China's great floods, etc.
Earth had a similar legend across all cultures. Heck, even my dream, when those great purplish grayish energy lines appeared along Ji Feng's veins.
Was this trick of destroying the world, or any world used over and over again? Only Zaixing could answer it.
"Yes," came the answer from within me. Again, that entity.
The real world imploded into millions of shards around to reveal the same dreamscape again.
Do I have narcolepsy or something? Just randomly falling asleep like that to enter dreamland?
Before me was the same man of my dreams. Usually, that term, 'man of my dreams' was a good thing on Planet Earth. In my case, since Zaixing is involved… probably something bad. Really, really cataclysmic bad.
"Do you answer questions?"
Deafening silence. Like a video that has halted abruptly.
His eyes were not on me. However, the same purple glow was present along the body where the meridians flow, with a ebbing flow towards a concentrated point on the index finger on my right hand. Before my mouth could open, a searing burn started on that same finger of mine. Like being roasted over an open fire with no chance of pulling my finger away. Maybe I would self combust, somehow.
*One thought and release.* That popped into my head.
Was this thing a training tutorial, like in computer games, except on a celestial scale?
The idyllic village before me was a good target, since it seemed like an illusion in replay. Might as well try it out than to struggle and make sense of this situation.
[Destroy] the thought entered my mind with the imagery.
With the envisioned aim in my mind, my index finger pointed at the village, forcing the flowing energy out of my finger.
Think of it as constipation of qi. A blockage in the conduits like a pipe clogged.
Out of the blue, the skies turned crimson red. From my humble finger, a ferocious raging energy flew out, setting off a sea of raging infernos on the village. People were screaming everywhere, but those are just illusions. Yet the acrid smoke smelled so real, and so did the heat. Not to mention the smell of animal flesh roasting.
The illusion shattered into shards yet again. I was back in the library. Was something trying to teach me how to control xuan qi? That automated tutorial has to be fixed, if it was truly one.
The shadows of three figures fell on my book, distracting me from my thoughts. It was Cangtian and gang in front of me.
What do they want?
***
Lianfeng entered the final golden burst to progress towards the next level of cultivation. His body felt lighter.
Without warning, a purplish blackish wisp zipped past his sight in the meditative consciousness. His eyes instantly opened. That same heavy sinking feeling like what he felt in the hot springs.
Cangtian's voice and a few others could be heard from Ji Feng's position. Lianfeng glanced around. That same odd feeling vanished as quickly as it came.
He tiptoed stealthily towards Ji Feng's position. It was best to see what Cangtian was up to before interfering.
"Come on, Ji Feng, it's been a long time since we hung out. Youdu is famous for beauties and since we are now men...why not go out for some fun instead of staying home?" Cangtian asked.
"I mean, Miss Chunyan is the beauty of Youdu. You can catch up with Cangtian there," Liyu suggested.
Four against one. Lianfeng thought carefully. If he interfered now, Cangtian would bear a deep grudge against him. But the earlier purplish wisp was unsettling, as though a warning.
"As long as it is not a brothel," came the reply of Ji Feng.
"Just a place of everything beautiful. Women, decor, dances. A few drinks and listening to some music performance," Cangtian persuaded. "We are not even going to spend the night there."
Lianfeng coughed politely as he made his way to the four teenage boys surrounding Ji Feng.
"Lianfeng, do you want to come along?" Ji Feng asked innocently.
Lianfeng shook his head as Cangtian glared at him with a feigned smile. Behind that smile, he could feel the thought of daggers directed at him.
"Um...father wants me to do something later, I would like to excuse myself."
A lie. He wanted to flee from Cangtian's gang. Whatever they had in mind, four to two was still a risk.
"And oh, have this pendant. It will allow you into this library past the magical seal." Lianfeng offered his pendant to Ji Feng as the book exchanged hands.
Secretly, he had drawn a protective talisman on it for Ji Feng before revealing himself to them.
***
Interesting... there was something going on between Cangtian and Lianfeng, especially with the way Lianfeng backed away.
Lianfeng had thought that I could not see the high level talisman. Whether it was me or Ji Feng's residual innate abilities, it was easy to spot. A big yellow glow. He was breaking through level eight while suppressing his level to a six.
A plump, pleasant looking woman in a fine embroidered hanfu sashayed towards us in the private room accompanied by five women. Not drop dead gorgeous, but the four were already drooling.
Must be the damn mamasan.
She looked more like she was a matchmaker than a pimp. Her hair was neatly tied in a bun with matching accessories. Her perfume was overly intoxicating, with mixed fragrances that it made my stomach somersault a few times over.
"Chunyan will be out in a minute."
The whole damn place was a high-class brothel. Unlike the lower class ones which had whitish made-up women calling out for customers, this one even had a lavish carpet laid out with expensive jade-like flowers at the entrance.
The noises and likely more were subdued by a magical greenish force field. Even the maids were dressed decently, not scantily clad. The entrance was grand with the gold gilded lanterns and nicely carved wooden pillars. Unlike the crassy red ones screaming out 'RED LIGHT' district.
In the greeting hall, the carpets resembled the old Persian-like handiwork. Private rooms were bound with opaque screens. No shadows, suppressed by the force-field. Pieces of expensive decorative items placed tastefully around when we made our way up the stairs.
Some were spiritually imbibed with some sort of spring magic. Spring - the euphemism for aphrodisiac… the Spanish fly… the viagra of magic.
Perhaps the corpse I was occupying had not hit the crazy sex drive of a teen yet. Maybe it was poisoned to the point of impotence. Didn't bother me, didn't care.
For some reason, the mamasan avoided me since we showed up. Perhaps it was the talisman.
Or my silence.
Or the fact that I was escorted by two highly skilled bodyguards.
The four idiots from Xuanlong sect, acting like horny shitheads, were already sickening. Just paint drool rolling from their mouths and bingo, you have teenage love dogs ready to hump anything with a cleavage.
Not to bring up how they bulge in their lower areas while the women fussed over them.
Hold up. A hand caressing my thigh. Then the 'unintended' bump against me. If Zaixing had got rid of my memories as a woman, this might have worked.
"Sit over there." I ordered her to the chair a meter away. Cangtian and the others stopped and stared in bewilderment.
"Prince...don't you..."
All it took was a glare. And she rushed quickly to the seat.
"Why is his killing aura so awful...isn't he ...um...you know...?" Liyu could be seen murmuring to a now worried Cangtian.
I savored my tea slowly, pretending to be ignorant of what was said.
What killing aura is he on about?
Never mind, will ask Lianfeng when I meet him.
A slight purplish light of a warning appeared on my thumb when the tea cup accidentally spilled a little on it. There was something in the tea - perhaps another aphrodisiac.
FOR F**KS SAKE, Viagra® has more potency than magic or herbs. Magic - Nil: Science - One. One pill, a few hours of hardening 'potency' and a nice gamble on acquiring a heart attack later. Too bad for the men of Lingyu Kingdom, they will never know that joy.