A Copper Coin

As soon as Qin Xuan spoke, a chill settled over the pavilion, and the plants around it seemed to fall silent. Seeing that Qin Xuan was neither intimidated nor rattled, but instead remarkably sharp-tongued, Qian Fan clapped his hands and laughed in appreciation. "Splendid! Junior Brother Qin truly is an interesting fellow, far more candid and direct than that Shen Yunfei. In my fifteen years at Fengling Temple, you are the only one who suits my temper so well." "You flatter me." Qin Xuan smiled faintly, walking straight to a stone stool inside the pavilion and taking a seat. At this, Qian Fan drained the water from his bowl, filled it to the brim once more, and continued as he drank, "For Qi Refining cultivators like us seeking the Dao and immortality, apart from our innate faculties and comprehension, we also rely on fortune. As the saying goes, 'When fortune arrives, even iron gleams; when luck wanes, even gold loses its luster.' Is there any falsehood in those words?" "None at all." Not wishing to sit idle, Qin Xuan retrieved his purple-green gourd and took a sip of spirit dew. Occasional passersby on the mountain path looked over from afar. All they saw were two men in the pavilion drinking, laughing, and conversing like bosom friends. Qian Fan sighed with feeling. "Ever since I was born, I was bathed in medicinal broths. At eight, I began practicing Daoyin, and I have cultivated qi for over twenty years now, counting as an outstanding talent among the younger generation of Fengling Temple. Yet when it comes to entering Guanjiang Mountain, I have always lacked a bit of luck. "Junior Brother Qin, that stroke of luck lies with you. "As an elder brother a few years your senior, let me offer you some advice... "There are some things you cannot hold on to, so it is better to part with them early. If wealth was not meant for you, how could it ever stay in your pouch?" Qin Xuan listened, utterly baffled. "Hold on to what?" Qian Fan dropped a hint: "You went to Yunxiu Mountain and entered the water mansion. With all those rare spirit herbs and dharma treasures, how could you have walked away empty-handed? Surely you didn't think such a massive commotion could be hidden from anyone? Gifting some to your elder brother here to forge a karmic bond—what harm could there be in that?" "There were certainly gains, but... what does that have to do with you?" Qin Xuan's expression turned grave. "Senior Brother Qian, I must offer you a word of advice as well. Our sect strictly forbids fellow disciples from slaughtering one another. If you fall into the demonic path and strike first, then in defending myself, I might fail to measure my strength properly and inadvertently send you down to the Nine Nethers. "When the elders question me afterward, I can swear a Great Dao oath to prove that my words are true. At most, I would bear a slightly vicious reputation, without having to suffer the slightest consequence. You had best think this through." Hearing this, Qian Fan froze for a moment. Usually, it was he who intimidated others to borrow a bit of fortune, yet today, someone had turned the tables on him. Baring his teeth in a grin, he said, "Junior Brother Qin, who said anything about fellow disciples killing each other? Your senior brother is merely short of an opportunity for a major breakthrough, so I am asking to borrow a few things from you. I never said I wouldn't return them." He seemed utterly confident in subduing Qin Xuan, intending to bully him right here in this octagonal pavilion. Qin Xuan gave a knowing nod. He pulled out the copper coin left behind by Jinyanshu and flicked it lightly between his fingers. "Very well. Then I shall make a wager with you for a copper coin." "A copper coin?" "This is a treasure that a friend from the Dao Sect risked his life to bring out of the water mansion. I doubt you have the ability to take it from my hand." Qian Fan could sense that Qin Xuan was not lying. Greed instantly welled up in his eyes, and he fixed his gaze on the coin. "Fine, I accept your wager. What do you want to wager against me?" "Senior Brother Qian, if you dare to make a move," Qin Xuan warned coolly, "then the wager is over whose heart is colder." "Arrogant fool!" Furious, Qian Fan glared with murderous venom in his triangular eyes, yet he held himself back. He merely continued drinking water while pulling out a Daoist scripture to read. Qin Xuan likewise sipped his spirit dew while opening and reading *Spring Letters, Autumn Post*. Both harbored their own designs, both biding their time. Waiting for the slant rays of the setting sun to catch the backs of passing wild geese; waiting for the first evening breeze to blow in from the banks of the Yishui River. At last, the sun sank in the west, and twilight gathered. No one had walked the mountain path for a long while. Qin Xuan stood up and gazed into the distance. "The time is about right." "Indeed." Qian Fan also stood. Even if there were onlookers now, they would likely only assume that Qin Xuan was seeing Qian Fan off on his return to Fengling Temple. Suddenly, a wave of frigid air surged around Qian Fan. In an instant, specks of frost coated the pavilion's edges, and the surrounding plants were dusted in white. He slowly raised his right hand. White light faintly swirled in his palm, casting a deathly pale sheen over his face. "Junior Brother Qin, I have already reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining. Not only have I achieved embryonic breathing, but I have also unsealed the Xuanying aperture." Qian Fan spoke word by word, brimming with self-pride. "This aperture is the pivot of the human body's water mansion, linking the kidneys to the lungs and governing the qi of water. Taking this aperture as my foundation, I comprehended the Three-Nine Cold Light Art and forged a dharma artifact. Behold!" Before his words finished, a small banner flew from his sleeve. About a foot long, it was embroidered with a two-headed snow wolf, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws in lifelike detail. "This banner is called the Cold Wolf Banner." Qian Fan gave the banner a flick. Instantly, within a radius of several tens of paces, a freezing gale howled, and white mist billowed forth. The two-headed snow wolf on the fabric seemed to come alive. Both heads raised together, each bearing eight eyes—sixteen eyes in total, all snapping open and glaring with savage light. *Roar—!* With a low, rumbling howl, the snow wolf leaped out of the banner. Upon landing, it transformed into a gigantic wolf, completely snow-white, with fur like steel needles. Its two massive heads flanked left and right, saliva dripping from its jaws. It locked its gaze onto Qin Xuan, its tongue constantly circling its lips. Qian Fan waved the banner gently. The snow wolf began to pace slowly around Qin Xuan, in no hurry to pounce. "Junior Brother Qin, this snow wolf demon was subdued within an ancient vessel, and I have refined it into this banner for seven years. Though it lacks a flesh-and-blood body and exists only as a vessel for frigid qi, it is far fiercer than it was in life. "Not to mention you, even if an elder of the sect came here, if they couldn't break my art, they would still end up as a sacrifice to my banner. "It is not too late for you to change your mind." With a casual wave of his hand, the wolf demon returned to his side, allowing itself to be stroked like a large hound. In Qian Fan's eyes, this display of intimidation was more than enough. In the past, whenever he used this move, whoever stood before him was always willing to lend a few things. Just as expected, this Junior Brother Qin appeared utterly frozen in shock. However... Just as he was reveling in his triumph, instead of pleas for mercy, Qin Xuan merely flicked his sleeve. Abruptly, a billowing cloud of black mist surged forward! Cold! Incredibly cold! This cold was not a chill upon the skin; his body still felt warm, yet his soul shivered with icy dread. Amidst his astonishment, Qian Fan caught sight of something extraordinarily bizarre. That cloud of black mist was... was a fiend! The fiend's sinister laughter echoed in his mind, and his face instantly twisted in horror. The wolf demon reacted swiftly, opening both of its bloody maws to snap at the fiend from left and right. The fiend neither dodged nor retreated. As soon as the snow wolf lunged in front of it, the fiend dissolved into black mist, scattering into thousands of fine threads that drilled into the wolf's mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. Struck, the snow wolf shook both heads frantically, clawing wildly at the ground. A sizzling sound rang out, like ice and snow cast into a raging fire. The snow wolf's spiritual form rapidly melted away, refined and swallowed in an instant! Only the fiend remained in its place, its tiny crimson eyes turning once again to fix on Qian Fan. With his art broken, Qian Fan reeled in dazed shock. He felt his grip suddenly lighten as the Cold Wolf Banner was snatched away by Qin Xuan. The fiend was exceedingly clever, leaping straight into the banner. Instantly, the banner's fabric whipped about, and a gust of yin wind from the Nine Nethers blew across Qian Fan, freezing him in place, unable to move an inch. Staring at Qin Xuan and that eerie fiend, he suddenly recalled Shen Yunfei's words. *"When thoughts fail to flow smoothly, demonic impulses arise. In an instant, those demonic impulses transform into a fiend, devouring the physical body whole."* It seemed Shen Yunfei had spoken no falsehood. Under provocation, Qin Xuan really had spawned a demonic impulse, and that impulse had transformed into a fiend. Yet how could this fiend possibly be under his control?! Filled with disbelief, Qian Fan stammered in panic, "Senior... Senior Brother Qin, let's talk this over. I'll give you this Cold Wolf Banner, just let me return to Fengling Temple!" He threw all dignity aside, knowing he had to submit first and settle scores later. From what he had learned from Shen Yunfei, Qin Xuan cared about his reputation and would not dare to invite trouble. Yet Qin Xuan merely asked, "Tell me, did you win or lose the wager?" Without a second thought, Qian Fan blurted out, "I lost! Completely and utterly!" Holding the Cold Wolf Banner, Qin Xuan spoke in an indifferent tone: "Let you go back, so you can accuse me of stealing your Cold Wolf Banner? With such clumsy arts, you dared to challenge others to a duel. I gave you your chance. Since you lost, you have no right to back out." The banner unfurled once more. The fiend opened its gaping mouth, and the yin wind swept Qian Fan up, drawing him directly into the banner! "*Aaargh!*" Following a bloodcurdling scream, Qian Fan gasped his final words: "Junior Brother Qin, in the end... it was your heart that was colder." Killing him was troublesome, but leaving him alive was even more so. Still, he had been forced to retaliate rather than initiating the fight, keeping him firmly on the side of reason without violating sect rules. Even if the matter came to light, people could at most say his methods were ruthless. Qin Xuan actually rather appreciated men like Qian Fan—straightforward and direct, fairly candid. Far better than those few in the sect who only played petty, underhanded tricks. By now, the moon had risen in the east, casting down a pure, clear glow. A layer of white frost coated the stone table and stools, and puddles of melted snow from the snow wolf demon lingered on the ground. Shaking the Cold Wolf Banner, Qin Xuan blew away the frost and snow, then swept clean every trace on the ground. The pavilion was mostly restored to its original state, save for one fewer person. Stowing the Cold Wolf Banner into his hundred-treasure pouch and recalling the fiend, he adjusted his robes and hair clasp, clasped his hands behind his back, and strolled up the mountain. …… At this hour, lights dotted Yuansong Temple, and the evening bell had just finished tolling. On the stone steps before the main hall, two figures—one fat, one thin—leaned against a stone crane, seemingly waiting for someone. Hearing movement from the mountain path, both men straightened up and peered intently into the dark. Through the dim forest trail, a figure gradually came into focus. Recognizing the person who approached, Shen Yunfei and Zhou Cang both blanched... The one returning was actually him...