“You don’t know either,” Xiao Kun murmured to himself.
“Mm,” Xiang Xian replied seriously.
“What do you think?” Xiang Xian turned his head to size up Xiao Kun, who gazed at the lake water.
“The Heaven’s Mandate Box might answer that question,” Xiao Kun said. “That’s one reason I’m seeking it.”
Xiang Xian was puzzled—wasn’t the Imperial Jade Seal inside the Heaven’s Mandate Box? How could it answer questions? But he did not press and said only, “Since you’re one of us, why not say so earlier?”
Xiao Kun replied, “Though I’m an exorcist, I’m not on the same path as you.”
Xiang Xian said, “Fine.”
What the exorcists guarded were all living beings under heaven, treated equally. But after Grand Demon-Exorcist Shen Kuo stepped down, under the Song Court’s interference, the current Grand Demon-Exorcist Guo Jing pledged loyalty to the court, deviating from the Exorcism Division’s original purpose.
The consequence of meddling in politics was that the Exorcism Division headquarters drew scorn from noble families everywhere. No one respected the fawning, power-hungry Guo Jing, and the clans no longer heeded the Division’s orders.
Xiang Xian was too lazy to argue, with no way to anyway, so he closed his eyes, waiting to hear what else Xiao Kun had to say.
Xiao Kun leaned against a natural stone pillar in the cave and fell asleep moments later. Soon, only their breathing filled the karst cave.
After an unknown time, Xiang Xian woke. He hesitated whether to wake Xiao Kun or go search for the Heaven’s Mandate Box alone. The man was full of mysteries, his skills no less than Xiang Xian’s own. At first, Xiang Xian had gained a slight edge only by cleverly provoking him. In a real fight, victory was uncertain.
Which family’s heir was he? From the Dragon Controlling Clan? A Northern Tradition Exorcist? Xiang Xian pondered the possibilities.
The Great Song Exorcism Division’s prestige had waned, so it made sense for clans to send young experts to investigate the Heaven’s Mandate Box.
“Hey.” As Xiang Xian approached slightly, Xiao Kun’s eyes snapped open.
Xiao Kun stretched his muscles, clearly still sore and not fully healed.
“Let’s keep going,” Xiang Xian said. “We’re probably close.”
Following traces of human activity, they delved into the deepest part of Nine Dragons Cave, where Gongsun Bang was likely hiding.
Xiao Kun said nothing, walking ahead of Xiang Xian. The Dragon Jade Pendant at his waist glowed, lighting the surroundings.
“He’s called Weng Immortal,” Xiao Kun said abruptly.
“Who?” Xiang Xian asked, puzzled.
“Our earlier enemy,” Xiao Kun explained. “He’s a weng spirit transformed from Wangwu Mountain. For some reason, he gained his current cultivation base and wields the Tianluo Fan, which imprisons numerous Earth Gods.”
“Ah.” Xiang Xian understood and said, “Without the magic treasure, he’s not hard to deal with.”
“Exactly,” Xiao Kun replied. “It’s the magic treasure that’s formidable.”
“You could report to the Great Song Exorcism Division,” Xiang Xian said. “We’re critically short on manpower now. Lord Guo isn’t as rumored…”
Xiao Kun asked, “What are the rumors?”
Xiang Xian thought it over. It would not do to badmouth his direct superior to an outsider, so he said, “He just doesn’t meddle much. My days in Kaifeng are leisurely enough. Where’s your home?”
“I have no home,” Xiao Kun answered.
Xiang Xian raised a brow inquiringly. Xiao Kun said, “I’m a wanderer.”
Xiang Xian found it hard to believe and felt a touch of respect. “You’re really here for the Heavenly Demon Reincarnation and the world’s safety?”
Xiao Kun replied, “That’s just one purpose.”
Xiang Xian asked, “What other unfinished business do you have?”
Xiao Kun said, “I don’t want to say.”
“Fine.” Xiang Xian had intended to recruit him but now felt rebuffed. “Big Brother, with no place to settle, why not come to Kaifeng?”
“We’re neither kin nor friends,” Xiao Kun said coldly. “Don’t get familiar.”
Xiang Xian dropped it. Xiao Kun added, “One more warning: be careful. Once I see the Heaven’s Mandate Box, I’ll seize it.”
Xiang Xian chuckled.
The wind in the karst cave grew stronger, carrying a faint scent of cooking.
“We’re here,” Xiang Xian said.
The cave’s end opened into a secluded valley, far from Xuan Yue Mountain, on the western side of the Taihang Mountains. At midday, a middle-aged man cooked over a fire outside a rundown thatched hut, smoke curling upward.
That man was Gongsun Bang. Ever since taking the Heaven’s Mandate Box from Master Liuyun and fleeing into Nine Dragons Cave, he had cultivated here for months.
That day, he brewed a pot of wild vegetable soup haphazardly and was about to eat when two young men appeared on his left and right. Killing intent enveloped this peach-blossom haven of a hovel, spreading silently.
“Xiao Kun, let’s be clear upfront. Right now, I consider you a friend. If you seize the magic treasure, we’re no longer friends.”
Xiang Xian’s tone remained casual and light, but he positioned himself intentionally on Gongsun Bang’s side, his aura shielding the man from Xiao Kun’s killing intent.
Xiao Kun gripped his Tang Dao but pondered briefly before slowly sheathing it.
Xiang Xian raised a brow at Gongsun Bang and said, “We…”
“I know,” Gongsun Bang said at once. “The box, right? Here it is for you.”
Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun exchanged a glance. Gongsun Bang hurried inside, fetched an ancient casket wrapped in yellow cloth, and said, “I knew you’d come!”
