A deafening collision echoed through the air. The monstrous beast plummeted from the sky, its fall seemingly inevitable. Then, a lotus leaf drifted from the north, rapidly growing at a visible pace until it blotted out the sun. With a swift curl, it ensnared the beast, binding it into a ball.
"This is Zhang Chuchen, the current Celestial Master, and one of the twelve chairmen of the Nine Bureaus," Zhu Yin'e explained to Liu Nanfeng.
However, the beast's vitality was tenacious. Despite several heavy blows, it remained alive and showed signs of renewed anger. The searing pain intensified its fury.
"Roar~"
This roar lacked the previous joy and majesty, replaced by boundless rage.
Purple flames consumed the sky, vaporizing the thick, dark clouds. The lotus leaf, already wrapped around the beast, was riddled with holes, its movements writhing and twisting as if alive, pulling away rapidly.
Coiled in the sky, the beast's flesh on both sides swiftly detached, forming two massive crab-like claws that wrenched the trident from its chest.
The excruciating pain elicited a piercing scream, an intangible sonic wave spreading outwards. Those who heard it felt an overwhelming empathy, tears streaming uncontrollably, and a searing pain in their chests. Those with weaker wills writhed on the ground in agony, while others, their livers ruptured, succumbed to the pain and died.
"Silence..."
Just then, a soft reprimand rang out, and the entire world seemed to be muted. Although the beast continued to roar towards the heavens, it was like a silent film; no sound escaped.
Liu Nanfeng recognized this as Nan Caicheng, another of the Twelve Chairmen. He hadn't expected his Golden Rule to have such a wide range. The consecutive actions of the Nine Bureaus' Twelve Chairmen led Liu Nanfeng to ponder. While maintaining social stability was their duty, why did one person's intervention necessitate successive actions?
"Are they showing off their power?"
Zhu Yin'e nodded, sharing the same thought. These individuals, who had remained hidden for so many years, suddenly displaying their might likely had a purpose beyond mere ostentation. Besides deterring external enemies, there was...
Before Liu Nanfeng could delve deeper, another individual intervened.
"All dharmas are empty; cause and effect are eternal."
A delicate hand appeared in the sky, its fingers slender and long, a stark contrast to the fat hands of Monk Zhikong. With fingers formed into a mudra, she then moved her hand as if playing a zither, her fingers like lotus blossoms. With a flick of her fingertips, ethereal strings materialized in the air. As she played, Nan Caicheng's Golden Rule was instantly shattered.
A melodious tune filled the heavens and earth, brimming with joy and exuberation. Those on the ground, previously writhing in pain, felt a warmth rising from their abdomen, invigorating their spirits and healing their injuries. The beast in the sky, as if hypnotized, swayed unsteadily and plummeted to the ground. Its trident, meanwhile, streaked across the sky like a rainbow, vanishing without a trace.
"So powerful? Is she also from the Buddhist sect?" Liu Nanfeng asked with surprise.
"Just a vixen from the White Lotus Sect. Her strength is inferior to your wife's," Zhu Yin'e replied dismissively. Liu Nanfeng, in truth, had no concrete grasp of Su Jinxiu's capabilities.
"She is also one of the Twelve Chairmen of the Nine Bureaus," Zhu Yin'e added. Sensing Liu Nanfeng's confusion, she continued, "Not all powerful individuals join the Nine Bureaus; your wife is an example of this. Those who generally join the Nine Bureaus have their own motives. Like Celestial Master Zhang of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, Monk Zhikong of Putuo Mountain, and Bai Susu, the White Lotus Saint Mother of the White Lotus Sect..."
Liu Nanfeng suddenly understood. These individuals, with their significant backgrounds, were more deeply bound by their own factions. Often, they had no choice but to join. Unlike the two Su sisters, unburdened and free; if they could fight, they fought, and if they couldn't, they ran, hiding in the deep mountains for a century or two, unharmed.
At this moment, the sky changed again. A beam of light shot down from the horizon, cleaving the beast into several pieces. Subsequently, others intervened, and the arrogant, overbearing beast was quickly dismembered.
"Alas..." Liu Nanfeng sighed.
"What's wrong?" Zhu Yin'e asked curiously. The humans had clearly won; why the sigh?
"The beast died so easily. It might give them the illusion that beasts are not that formidable," Liu Nanfeng said.
"More terrifying than that?"
"Just some riffraff. The true monstrous beasts... Forget it, I won't talk about it anymore. I'm going back. Notify me as soon as Xiao Liyu wakes up." Liu Nanfeng turned and left.
After Liu Nanfeng disappeared from sight, Zhu Yin'e returned to her water mansion.
"Ding ding ding."
Upon hearing the sound, "Su Jinxiu" immediately came forward.
"How is it? Is Xiao Liyu okay?" Su Huamei asked with concern. Setting aside other matters, she was quite fond of Xiao Liyu.
"She's fine. She's doing great," Liu Nanfeng replied. He looked at her extended hand, and saw Xu Xinyi and Hong Xiumin lowering their heads, engrossed in their phones, muttering to each other from time to time.
"What's wrong with them?"
"It's the commotion outside. Everyone online is going crazy now," "Su Jinxiu" sighed. She wondered if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Online?" Liu Nanfeng pulled out his phone. Previously, several incidents had caused a stir online, but the authorities had neither explained nor intervened. This time, however, Liu Nanfeng was greatly surprised. The government had openly acknowledged the existence of the "inner world," a term coined by netizens, and even offered an explanation for the celestial circle in the sky. But this was not the end. The key point was that the government declared its ability and strength to handle the impending global upheaval, urging everyone not to panic, to live their lives calmly, not to believe or spread rumors, and to prioritize stability and unity. Most importantly, the government had actually released a list of thirteen Great Xia Guardians.
Displayed as cards, thirteen cards were shown. Most were gray, with only a few bearing images. These individuals were precisely those who had intervened that day. Liu Nanfeng had met one of them: Nan Caicheng, still depicted as a scholar holding a book, exuding scholarly elegance. The others included Monk Zhikong, Zhang Chuchen, and Bai Susu. Monk Zhikong did not resemble a venerable monk with white hair and beard; instead, he had a plump face and a simple, approachable demeanor. Zhang Chuchen was truly "chuchen" (ethereal), with white hair, hands clasped behind his back, wearing a thunder-patterned Daoist robe, standing aloof and detached. He clearly projected an idol image, destined to attract female admirers. Bai Susu, the only woman, appeared as an immortal spirit descended to the mortal realm, clad in white, standing on a lotus platform, her cold eyes surveying the world. Her form-fitting attire accentuated her perfect figure, a blend of purity and allure. As their images were released, netizens across the internet became incredibly excited, expressing their views online. Some wanted to become their disciples, others debated who was the strongest, and some discussed the identities of the unrevealed individuals. At this time, not only Great Xia but also other countries subsequently revealed the identities of their special personnel, both to stabilize public sentiment and to prepare for the coming global changes. Liu Nanfeng finally understood why the Twelve Chairmen of the Nine Bureaus had intervened consecutively today: in addition to deterring adversarial forces, their actions also served to reassure the domestic populace.