Chapter Twenty-Nine: River Pirates

A faint wisp of sinister energy swept past with the Yin Wheel. The spiritual energy within Buxu’s body grew wild and chaotic, clashing violently; her dantian and meridians were thrown into utter turmoil, as if boiling water surged within her. Though Yang Nan was newly initiated into the Dao, even he could tell Buxu was standing at the edge of a precipice.

Her magical power still lingered, but seven out of ten of her meridians were destroyed. Had it been anyone else, their mortal form would have collapsed and perished. That she remained unscathed was solely due to the immense force of her cultivation, stubbornly holding her together. No wonder after her battle with the White Dragon, she could no longer maintain her illusion and was forced to reveal her true appearance! She had slain the Pheasant Demon and wounded the White Dragon, but her own injuries far surpassed the dragon’s. Little wonder she was so desperate as to borrow the power of Yang Nan’s Yin Soldier Aspect to heal herself! In truth, her wounds had reached a critical point and could not be delayed any longer.

With an injury such as this, relying solely on herself would require a hundred years of recuperation to recover, but could Buxu afford to spend a century? Practitioners of the Dao do not risk leaving themselves in dire straits, for the road to immortality is long and treacherous; a single misstep, and regret follows to the grave. Yang Nan possessed both the Yin Soldier Aspect and the Xuanflame Sword; no wonder Buxu had offered him so many benefits in exchange for his aid in healing…

To recover, it was necessary to use the harmonious spiritual power contained in the Everlasting Yin-Yang Wheel to reshape and restore each meridian one by one. Yin alone does not give life, nor does yang alone thrive; only the union of yin and yang brings forth all things. Such is the mysterious power of the Everlasting Yin-Yang Wheel. The time needed to heal with this method was neither long nor short.

When Buxu’s Golden Dragon entered the acupoint, it spat out a radiant orb of golden light, dazzling and impossible to look at directly, brimming with vast spiritual force converted from the Xuanflame Sword’s power. The Golden Dragon spat out the pearl, which the Black Serpent swallowed. After a moment, the Black Serpent spat it out again for the Golden Dragon to refine. The Golden Dragon and Black Serpent chased the orb inside Buxu's body like twin dragons playing with a pearl, frolicking through an endless sea. The orb flashed in and out of their mouths, and everywhere the dragon and serpent passed, the meridians were restored anew.

Not until the orb vanished completely did the Golden Dragon and Black Serpent cease, returning to Buxu’s brow. In an instant, the Everlasting Yin-Yang Wheel split apart: the Golden Dragon stood motionless while the Yin Wheel flew from Buxu’s brow. Yang Nan called the Yin Wheel Black Serpent back to his own acupoint, where his own Black Serpent—a magical weapon—waited like a mother yearning for her child. Seeing the Yin Wheel’s return, it joyfully opened its jaws and swallowed it up once more.

When the Yin Wheel Black Serpent had returned to its place, Yang Nan finally opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath. It was his first time using the Yin Law in concert with Buxu, and he’d been far from adept. The Everlasting Yin-Yang Wheel was unfathomably profound, its transformations and mysteries limitless. Yet this first attempt at healing Buxu had also benefited him; many things that were previously obscure now seemed suddenly clear.

He now understood why this technique could only be cultivated between master and disciple. To open one’s acupoints and allow another’s spiritual power to flow so freely—if not bound by mutual trust and shared fate, who would dare? Should an enemy harbor ill intent within, not even immortals could save you!

Buxu’s courage was clearly extraordinary. As a true disciple of Kunlun, her decisiveness and resolve were remarkable. Of course, Yang Nan did not believe Buxu would be without precautions; if he harbored evil thoughts, she—with her countless magical treasures—could subdue him in an instant! Even in death, Buxu would drag him down with her. A disciple of Kunlun was no ordinary person.

However, Yang Nan had no ulterior motives, and Buxu’s wariness of him lessened greatly. Having achieved this first cooperation with the Everlasting Yin-Yang Wheel, future healing would be much smoother. Once Buxu’s injuries were healed, she would owe Yang Nan a great debt—a boon that would be invaluable for his future within the sect. This Yang Nan understood perfectly, and so, tired as he was, his heart brimmed with joy.

Yang Nan rose to his feet; outside, the night was clear, the moon and stars hanging high. The Wang family’s fleet pressed on, undaunted by the hour. Buxu still had not opened her eyes; she must have been examining the state of her injuries. Yang Nan softly called Lian Die and Dieyi, the two girls waiting in the outer room, to come in.

Dieyi, seeing her mistress had finished her cultivation, entered with a delighted face. Yang Nan asked, “How long was I cultivating this time?” Practitioners might close themselves off for thirty or fifty years at a stretch; though this session was not so exaggerated, Yang Nan knew he’d been in meditation for more than a day or two.

Dieyi smiled gently. “Young Master, you have not awoken for ten days. Fortunately, Brother Chiyang assured us you were cultivating; otherwise, we would have thought you’d fainted.” Her delicate face was a mixture of lingering worry and relief. The little maid was loyal to her master, and ten days of seeing no movement had truly worried her.

“Ten days?” Only now did Yang Nan realize how hungry he was, his stomach almost touching his back. He was not like Buxu, who could go without mortal food. “Quick, bring some food! I’m starving!” he called out, forgetting all decorum.

Dieyi laughed, and Baiyi from the outer room entered with a tray of dishes. “Young Master, we sisters have already prepared everything.”

Only then did Yang Nan understand: not knowing when he might awaken, the two sisters prepared fresh meals every day, just in case. The thought warmed his heart, and he glanced approvingly at the gentle Dieyi. Truly, taking in these two was a wise decision.

Dieyi, seeing the warmth in her master’s eyes, blushed slightly and served him attentively. As Yang Nan ate, he said, “Go invite Immortal Buxu to join us. She may be powerful, but even she doesn’t live on air.”

“No need. I am already awake.” Buxu walked out from the inner room. Her face was still dark and plain, but her eyes had regained much of their former brilliance. Yet her aura remained as distant and icy as ever, untouched by mortal warmth.

Yang Nan could sense, without using his spiritual power, that Buxu’s condition was vastly improved from ten days before. The human body possesses countless meridians. With their combined efforts, aided by a supreme technique, only a tenth of Buxu’s wounds had been healed.

The Xuanflame Sword was Kunlun’s divine weapon, its spiritual energy as boundless as the sea. Even with the Everlasting Yin-Yang Wheel’s help, their progress was rapid, but a full recovery would take several months.

Still, even one-tenth of Buxu’s power far surpassed Yang Nan, a mere novice! At the pinnacle of the Martial Order, bordering on sagehood, each rank was a chasm apart. A tenth of her strength made her a true master among warriors; what was Yang Nan’s fledgling power compared to that?

Relieved, Yang Nan buried himself in his meal. Mortal men, denied food for three days, would be weak as kittens. Even cultivators cannot go without food forever. Buxu, seeing Yang Nan eat so heartily, took up her chopsticks and ate a few bites with elegant restraint. Every gesture was natural, exuding an innate grace. Lian Die and Dieyi giggled at the stark contrast between the two.

Yang Nan, finally sated, set down his chopsticks and sighed. “A meal and a full belly—what more could a man want? Only when starving does one realize how joyous a simple meal can be.” After ten days without food, any ordinary man with a breath left would devour his meal like a starving wolf. Yang Nan, only seven-tenths full, was already awash in contentment.

Dieyi, with delicate hands, wiped the rice from Yang Nan’s lips with a handkerchief. Noticing Baiyi smirking at him, Yang Nan glared. “Little imp, shouldn’t you be serving tea?”

Baiyi stuck out her tongue mischievously, then with a graceful motion of her white hands, summoned two streams of water that carried teacups steadily to the table. Yang Nan’s eyes brightened; that move alone showed she hadn’t been slacking off. Her soul had finally coalesced, and she had entered the ranks of practitioners. Dieyi, too, formed a hand seal, and a refreshing breeze immediately swept through the room.

“Well done. It seems neither of you has neglected your studies. This is exactly how I want you to use your arts.” Yang Nan praised, raising his cup. The once-boiling tea was now the perfect temperature, and he could not help but voice his approval. The two girls, delighted by his praise, worked even harder—one pounding his back, the other fanning him—bustling about like dutiful attendants.

Buxu, after a few more bites, set her chopsticks down and watched as Yang Nan was served like a young lord by the two little maids. She found it secretly amusing. Practitioners are supposed to be ascetic, yet many keep little demons as pages or maids. Still, she had never seen a cultivator who let his demon servants use their arts to wait on him. Yang Nan, only twelve, was clearly still a child at heart.

But Yang Nan cared nothing for convention. Since he had been reborn, his past life was but a dream. In his former life, his kindness had led to betrayal; in this one, he would be ruthless. Practicing the Dao was about following one’s heart, and was not pleasure part of that path?

After the meal, Yang Nan sat cross-legged on his bed and resumed his cultivation. The next stage of the Everlasting Yin-Yang Wheel required no further practice for now, so he turned his attention to the supreme Demon Body technique gifted by Buxu.

This art was truly unique. Legend had it a practitioner of the Law Sect, orphaned in youth by enemies, powerless to seek revenge, was driven to the desperate idea of using demons to bolster his own strength. Through extraordinary fortune, he acquired fragments of ancient demon clan arts. After years of bitter contemplation, he created a technique that cared nothing for elemental alignment or spiritual nature, but only for the depth of one’s magical power. In the end, he used this art to wipe out his foes’ entire clan, avenging his family.

Thus, this bizarre technique—capable of challenging those of higher rank—became renowned across the world.

As its name implied, the Supreme Demon Body allowed one to condense demon power to strengthen oneself, provided one’s own magic was sufficient. The greater the power, the mightier the Demon Body created. The art required the cooperation of countless demon soldiers, but once mastered, one’s strength would soar to terrifying heights.

Yet as Yang Nan cultivated, a sense of unease grew within him. This Supreme Demon Body seemed like a demon clan art, but was perilously close to demonic sect techniques. If a master was cruel and continually drained his demon soldiers of life and essence, progress would be swift as a lightning bolt—and with demon soldiers so numerous, it would be all too easy for a villain to become a lord among men…

But Yang Nan had bright prospects before him and would never sacrifice his followers to force a breakthrough. To reach such heights at the cost of one’s soul was to fall into the demonic path.

Long ago, Yang Nan had instructed Old Crab to train his troops for cooperative cultivation, but never found the chance to attempt this art. Now, eager to improve his strength, he no longer cared whether this technique was orthodox or heretical.

So long as he possessed sufficient magical power, the Supreme Demon Body was not difficult to cultivate. Once he mastered the intricate formula, he quickly achieved the Ten Demon Power. With the help of ten demon soldiers, he could transform into a giant demon over ten feet tall—lacking in magical abilities, perhaps, but endowed with monstrous strength!

At his current level, this was his limit. His magical power was full to bursting; if his demon soldiers cooperated, he could manifest the Supreme Demon Body, but further progress would require time. He ceased his practice and opened his eyes.

A day and a night had passed in cultivation. Lian Die and Dieyi still stood watch nearby. After waking, Yang Nan sensed someone was missing from the room and asked, “Where is Brother Chiyang?”

Dieyi pointed ahead. “Brother Chiyang said we are nearing Star Lake. He fears water bandits may attack and has gone outside to keep watch.”

The water bandits had marked them back in Deyang Prefecture; no one expected them to wait until now to strike. Yet, of all dangers on the river, water bandits were the most dreaded. They were numerous, knew the terrain, and were as hard to shake off as leeches.

Yang Nan frowned. He and Buxu still needed to continue their cultivation and could not afford interruptions. The bandits might not be powerful, but they were certainly troublesome. He needed to find a way to eliminate them once and for all.

“For every one that comes, we’ll kill one! Such scoundrels deserve nothing less than death!” Buxu rose, her eyes cold with murderous intent. She had always been ruthless, and with her recovery at stake, she would show no mercy to those who dared disturb her.

Yang Nan slapped his thigh. What was he worried about? With this formidable lady present, not even a few dragons would pose a threat. She was not known for her patience—if her healing was interrupted, the bandits were walking to their own graves.

Buxu, too, was recovering her power, preparing to use the Everlasting Yin-Yang Wheel once more to draw on the Xuanflame Sword’s energy. Seeing Yang Nan awake, she walked over.

“Immortal Sister, why don’t we step outside and deal with the bandits? Once that’s settled, we can return to our cultivation.” With someone as powerful as Buxu at his side, Yang Nan would be a fool not to act. Seizing the moment, he suggested they go out together.

“Very well. We’ll kill them all and be done with it.” Buxu did not hesitate, nodding in agreement.