Volume 3: A Long Journey, Chapter 261: The Snake Swallows the Elephant
The Nine-Headed Worm acted cautiously, taking out the Five Elements Heart-Questioning Jade to determine direction after each short journey, which wasted a lot of time. It took about an hour before they found Dry Pine Gorge.
The Nine-Headed Worm ordered Qin Wuxian and Yun Juanshu to explore first, while he stayed put. Though Qin Wuxian and Yun Juanshu understood his intentions, they had no choice but to proceed cautiously under his command.
They followed the path through Dry Pine Gorge and, halfway there, spotted the Fire Cloud Cave. Seeing no signs of activity around, they were overjoyed and hurried back to report to the Nine-Headed Worm.
“Fire Cloud Cave?” the Nine-Headed Worm asked.
Yun Juanshu replied cheerfully, “It is indeed the Fire Cloud Cave. I recall that Yan Zheng, who possesses a crimson fire constitution, was once a disciple of the Fire Cloud Sect. He must have come here and changed his sect.”
The Nine-Headed Worm asked, “Where is the Fire Cloud Cave located?”
Yun Juanshu answered, “About fifty li to the southwest.”
The Nine-Headed Worm took out the Five Elements Heart-Questioning Jade to check again, nodded, and asked, “Have you two thoroughly explored the surroundings?”
Qin Wuxian said, “Rest assured, Lord. Aside from not entering the cave, there isn’t a single person within a hundred li.” In fact, people like Dayu Qilin were nearby, but with their current cultivation levels, they couldn’t detect them.
Yun Juanshu suddenly said, “Lord, I remember something. It wasn’t just Yan Zheng who destroyed the Fire Cloud Sect in the Realm of Calamity. He had a master as well, whose cultivation was quite formidable.”
The Nine-Headed Worm asked, “Were they those man and woman in red?”
Yun Juanshu confirmed, “Exactly!”
The Nine-Headed Worm said, “It doesn’t matter.” He had once met those two—Fire Phoenix and Golden Crow—in the Dao Questioning Sect. Their abilities were no match for his, so he was confident he could take Yan Zheng from them.
With success within reach, the Nine-Headed Worm led the way and soon arrived at the Fire Cloud Cave. He was polite enough to ask Yun Juanshu to go ahead and knock on the door.
Yun Juanshu stepped forward and knocked three times. Moments later, the door opened, and Golden Crow stepped out. Seeing that the three were acquaintances, he showed a wary expression and asked, “What bring you three here?”
Yun Juanshu demanded, “Hand over Yan Zheng.”
Golden Crow snapped, “You wanted to capture my disciple in the Realm of Calamity. Still not giving up even here?”
Fearing delays that might lead to trouble, the Nine-Headed Worm stepped forward quickly and tried to grab Golden Crow’s wrist. Golden Crow stepped back, spread his arms, and unleashed a wave of flames at the three of them. He then entered the cave and shut the door firmly behind him.
The Nine-Headed Worm didn’t dodge. Instead, he kicked the door, but to his surprise, it didn’t budge at all.
The Nine-Headed Worm was startled: “There’s a formation protecting it?” Then he turned around and shouted, “Break through this door!”
The formation on the door was Wu Kong’s idea. He feared the Nine-Headed Worm might be cautious and flee at the first sign of trouble, so setting up a formation there could at least distract it a bit.
The three of them struggled hard to break through the door when suddenly a furious roar came from behind. Before they could even turn around, a giant claw descended from the sky, pressing the Nine-Headed Worm firmly to the ground.
Yun Juanshu and Qin Wuxian were terrified to see their lord unable to resist at all. Not daring to look, they fled in panic.
It was the Qilin who captured the Nine-Headed Worm. Following Wu Kong’s plan, it did not reveal its true form but took the shape of an unnamed monster. Although its magical power was reduced somewhat, it was more than enough to capture the Nine-Headed Worm.
Wu Kong had thought things through carefully. After all, Qin Wuxian was the national advisor of the Wuji Country. If he remained there, it would be advantageous for the journey to obtain the scriptures. Besides, he and Yun Juanshu had no real grudges—they had only acted under the Nine-Headed Worm’s coercion. Bringing them back to Qitianling would be difficult to deal with.
The Qilin swiftly captured the Nine-Headed Worm and used its magic to seal its powers. Seeing the Qilin succeed in one strike, Dayu and the others stepped forward and said, “Hurry back to Qitianling!”
The Fire Phoenix and Golden Crow, hearing no noise outside, knew the matter was settled, so they came out. Zhu Rong thought for a moment and asked, “How about you two come with us to Qitianling?”
The Fire Phoenix glanced at Zhu Rong and remembered what Wu Kong had said—that this woman was on par with the master of the Fire Cloud Palace. Seeing the Qilin capture the Nine-Headed Worm effortlessly earlier, she was greatly alarmed. Both of them knew the Nine-Headed Worm’s abilities well; even the Fire Phoenix and Golden Crow couldn’t defeat him. What could Zhu Rong possibly want by inviting them to Qitianling?
The Golden Crow said, “Why go to Qitianling? We’re already used to living here.”
Zhu Rong replied indifferently, “I wanted to explain to you the methods of purifying the mind and cultivating energy, keeping the heart flame intact. Since you won’t go, then forget it.”
The Fire Phoenix exclaimed, “Really?”
The Golden Crow was also very surprised. Zhu Rong could see at a glance the key points of their cultivation methods. Moreover, purifying the mind and cultivating energy while keeping the heart flame intact had been a difficult problem for them these past few days, leaving them puzzled.
The Golden Crow quickly said, “We’ll go! Thank you, elder!”
The happiest was naturally Yan Zheng. How could he not be pleased to see Zhu Rong treating his former master so well?
Everyone set off together. The Qilin held the Nine-Headed Worm, while Dayu and the others took the Fire Phoenix and the two others with them, rushing back to Qitianling at lightning speed.
Qin Wuxian and Yun Juanshu returned to the Wujī Kingdom in a state of terror, rushing straight to the Qin family’s courtyard, still unable to calm down. After a long while, Qin Wuxian asked, “Master Yun, what kind of monster was that?”
Yun Juanshu shook his head. “We only saw half a claw—already as long as a person. How could we dare look at its whole body?”
The powers of the Nine-Headed Worm seemed unfathomable in their eyes; even with just one hand, it could take their lives. Yet such an awe-inspiring figure had been captured in an instant by some monster—how could this not shock them?
Qin Wuxian said, “We must never mention this to anyone else!”
Yun Juanshu also understood the gravity of the situation. “Of course. I’ll forget about today’s incident right away.”
The two exchanged a knowing look and left the room as if nothing had happened. Yun Juanshu was fine—he had only met the Nine-Headed Worm a few times. But Qin Wuxian was deep in thought.
Qin Wuxian had come to the Wujī Kingdom under the orders of the Nine-Headed Worm. His task was to find people with the Five Elements constitution and confront the Grand Master to ensure the pilgrims could proceed unimpeded to the West. Now that the Nine-Headed Worm was captured, he didn’t know what to do next. Twenty-three people with the Five Elements constitution had already been found, and success seemed within reach. But even if he found all of them, he didn’t know what to do with them.
As for clearing obstacles for the pilgrims, he was equally confused and unaware of the full situation. What should he do now? Qin Wuxian pondered.
Then he remembered something the Nine-Headed Worm had said, “If you succeed, I’ll give you this kingdom!” Honestly, this temptation was too great for Qin Wuxian. Ever since he left the Three Realms and the Daoist sect vanished, although he had found a few former elders in this world, he no longer felt like the supreme being he once was.
Having cultivated for many years, he had remained stuck at the eighth or ninth rank of celestial immortals, with no progress for a hundred years. If he didn’t reach the rank of Taiyi Golden Immortal, he would end up as mere dust. Ah, if he could experience being an emperor before returning to the Void, it would be worth living.
As he thought this, a malicious idea arose in his mind. Although the Wujī Kingdom was small, it was quite wealthy. If he wanted to be an emperor, the king of Wujī could be ignored. The only obstacle was the Grand Master.
Though the Grand Master was slightly stronger than him, Qin Wuxian had the advantage of having more people at his side. With the combined strength of five or six celestial immortals, they should be able to kill him. If the Grand Master died, wouldn’t the Wujī Kingdom become his possession?
Qin Wuxian was already a decisive person who always acted promptly—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to serve as the leader of the Daoist sect. He formulated his plans and went to consult Yun Juanshu and the others.
Yun Juanshu was calm inside the house, determined to forget the strange events of the day. Hearing Qin Wuxian calling him from outside, he stepped out. Qin Wuxian outlined his plan in detail, which surprised Yun Juanshu slightly—he hadn’t expected Qin Wuxian to have such an idea so soon after the master’s accident.
Qin Wuxian said, “We’ve known each other for years, so there’s no need for formalities. Although cultivating immortality is good, becoming an emperor is also a satisfying path. How about we take turns ruling the court?”
Yun Juanshu frowned and said, “Master, I certainly trust you, but this is too hasty. I’m worried about the master…”
Thinking of the Nine-Headed Worm, Qin Wuxian felt uneasy as well, but he said, “I believe the master must have angered some enemies. Otherwise, why would that monster target only him and avoid us? In my judgment, he won’t be able to reappear in this world again.”
Yun Juanshu replied, “It’s better to be prepared for the worst.”
Qin Wuxian already had a plan, so he said, “Even if the master returns, he surely won’t blame us.”
Yun Juanshu asked, “Why not?”
Qin Wuxian explained, “The master only instructed me to do two things: gather the people needed for the Great Five Elements and pave the way for the pilgrim so he can travel west safely. This doesn’t conflict with our plans to seize the throne. Even in the worst case, if the master returns safely while we take control of the kingdom, we can use imperial authority to search among the people and gather the necessary elements. Moreover, with the imperial seal, we can justify sending the pilgrim west—this achieves two goals at once. Why not do it?”
Hearing Qin Wuxian’s logical reasoning, Yun Juanshu clasped his hands and said, “Good, then we’ll follow the master’s plan!”