Ch. 73 – Hermit Crab

“What is this North Sea City all about?” asked Hao Chen.

“My Lord, you were so busy with your affairs that you probably don’t remember. Three hundred years ago, Prime Minister Turtle wanted to increase trade with the human realm, as well as make it easier for the people of the North Sea to settle there, so he chose this island to establish North Sea City.”

“Then he appointed me, the cousin of the second uncle of a distant cousin of the eleventh lord under the command of Third Sea Commander Crab, to come to the human world and manage North Sea City. This was reported to you, and you agreed at the time,” Proprietor Crab explained.

Hao Chen pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. Due to the excellent reproduction ability of the crab clan, the relationships between relatives were so complicated that he had no hope of keeping track.

However, since this giant crab was able to mention the Third Sea Commander, he must be telling the truth.

As for why Hao Chen couldn’t remember…..this was actually normal for him. After all, he didn’t even know how much wealth he had, so how could he remember such a minor thing?

It was likely that he hadn’t listened carefully to Prime Minister Turtle back then, and just casually agreed.

Now that he was aware of North Sea City’s origins, Hao Chen stood up and straightened his sleeves, praising his subordinate: “You’ve done a very good job. My identity must be kept secret. Do not inform my traveling companions.”

“Yes,” Proprietor Crab responded.

Hao Chen left his seat, but not to look for Feng Ye. Now that he was in his lair, he had some things to take care of. He must contact Prime Minister Turtle.

North Sea City was his people’s refuge in the human realm, so there would naturally be methods here to contact the North Sea. In order to please this lord who rarely visited, Proprietor Crab had already made all of the preparations he could think of.

In the hall where they were speaking, there was a coral shelf in the center. And on that shelf was a pearl the size of a watermelon, many times larger than the pigeon egg pearl in Fang Yang’s hands.

Pearls could indeed be used to refine medicines, but small ones were sufficient for such things. Generally, pearls larger than a fist would be used for other purposes. 

Because of their translucent constitution, pearls were excellent mediums for displaying images. Some pearls were refined into magic instruments that recorded images, while others were made into communicators.

The large pearl before him was the latter. Not everyone had the ability like Hao Chen to find a calm lake and open a communication channel between the two worlds. North Sea City had always relied on this large pearl to communicate with the world above.

In any case, there was a ready-made communicator in front of him, and Hao Chen was too lazy to bother with other routes. But before contacting Prime Minister Turtle, he suddenly recalled something.

“Is Crab Eighteen your cousin?” Hao Chen asked the giant crab nearby.

“Yes, he is my eighteenth cousin.” Despite not understanding why his Lord was asking about his little cousin, Proprietor Crab answered honestly.

Hao Chen gave a meaning-laden “oh” and waved his hand: “He runs his mouth too much. Go and cook him up for me.”

Proprietor Crab: “……”

A shocked bubble blew from his open mouth, floating upward before bursting with a pop.

Proprietor Crab snapped back to his senses. Although he didn’t know how his little cousin had offended their Lord, he immediately pleaded for mercy on Crab Eighteen’s behalf: “My Lord, my cousin didn’t know who you were and offended you. I’ll teach him a lesson when he gets back, please forgive him.”

Hao Chen donned a thoughtful look, and just when Proprietor Crab thought he was going to reconsider, Hao Chen suddenly said: “Steam him then.”

After saying this, he turned around and placed a hand on the pearl. He input a small amount of spiritual power to activate the communication array inside the pearl, not sparing another glance at the giant crab behind him.

It was very clear that his decision was non-negotiable.

Hao Chen still couldn’t forget that Crab Eighteen had exposed his dark history in front of Feng Ye. He wouldn’t have done anything if he hadn’t had to contact Prime Minister Turtle. But when the topic of this turtle came up, he inevitably thought of the fact that Prime Minister Turtle was not, in fact, a turtle, and remembered that series of foolish behavior.

He also knew that calling a tortoise a turtle was foolish, but he did it anyway. What else could he have done but join his subordinates in shamelessly claiming that Prime Minister Turtle was indeed a turtle? 

This was originally at tacit secret of the North Sea, but then that loud-mouthed Crab Eighteen had broken the news. Hao Chen’s shamelessness had met its limit. Although disposing of Crab Eighteen wouldn’t improve his own situation, he wouldn’t be able to swallow his anger if he didn’t get rid of him.

“Yes…..” After a moment’s silence, Proprietor Crab finally responded with great reluctance.

But no matter how reluctant he was, there was nothing he could do. This was his Lord’s command, and he had no choice but to obey. 

He bowed with a sigh and departed, leaving Hao Chen and Prime Minister Turtle on the other side to discuss matters alone. 

Hao Chen didn’t spare a thought for the giant crab’s feelings. He heard Proprietor Crab leave, and as the palace door closed, the blurry image in the pearl finally became clear.

Prime Minister Turtle appeared in the image and slowly saluted Hao Chen.

Hao Chen stopped him just as he had previously, unwilling to waste time. The owner of the Turtle Shell Shop had clearly been a real turtle, and moved very swiftly. But Prime Minister Turtle was not a turtle, and moved very slowly.

Hao Chen couldn’t figure this out.

Because he had been unaware of his subordinates’ good intentions, where in order to save face for him, they all firmly agreed that Prime Minister Turtle was indeed a turtle.

And in order to show that he was really a turtle, Prime Minister Turtle deliberately imitated the habits of one. Everyone said that turtles moved slowly, so he deliberately slowed down his movements, developing his sluggish demeanor over time. 

Regrettably, Hao Chen had never realized this, and only thought that it was a personal problem of Prime Minister Turtle’s.

And at this moment, he was still in the dark.

Hao Chen intermittently tapped his mini fan and asked: “Have you learned anything about the matter I told you to investigate last time?”

Last time, Hao Chen had tasked him with finding out if there was anyone named “Feng Ye” residing in heaven. Although he had experienced much in the past few days, less than a week had passed at the most, and he actually didn’t have hope that Prime Minister Turtle would achieve results in such a short amount of time. 

Prime Minister Turtle didn’t give him any surprises. He shook his head: “No. The people I sent haven’t reported back yet.”

As expected.

Hao Chen pondered for a moment before asking another question: “By the way…..what is the latest news on Yinglong’s activity in the Southern Sea?”

He didn’t believe that Feng Ye was Yinglong, but Feng Ye was investigating Jianmu. Since Yinglong had been involved in the Jianmu incident, it was possible that his shadow was still present in the current situation.

Thus, he asked Prime Minister Turtle this question.

“Hm…..” Prime Minister Turtle was somewhat taken aback by this question, and thought for a moment before replying, “There has been no word of major movement from him. He seems to be remaining quietly in the Southern Sea.”

These words made no difference. Although things may seem quiet on the surface, he may have gone somewhere in secret to stir up trouble.

“Don’t stop investigating. Keep a close eye on Yinglong’s movements and notify me immediately if anything happens,” Hao Chen commanded.

“Yes,” Prime Minister Turtle responded.

After discussing serious matters, they should talk about something…..less serious. Hao Chen unfolded his mini fan, and before he could speak, Prime Minister Turtle spotted the half-length fan and opened his mouth in shock: “My Lord, your…..”

This small fan looked like an ordinary folding fan that could be purchased at a street stall for a few copper coins, but Prime Minister Turtle knew the details of this seemingly ordinary folding fan very well. It was distinctly made from one of his Lord’s tail feathers.

But presently, this folding fan which should have been indestructible was broken. And the cut was very smooth, as if it had been severed by some kind of sharp weapon.

But what could be capable of severing the tail feathers of the Lord of the North Sea? Prime Minister Turtle couldn’t believe it, and even suspected that he was hallucinating.

Hao Chen nodded bitterly. This helped Prime Minister Turtle confirm that he wasn’t just seeing things, but did nothing to explain why it had broken: “Go to the storeroom and get another fan for me. And make it quick, I’m leaving North Sea City in two days.”

After all, North Sea City wasn’t a human territory, and all of the major sects only planned to stay there for three days. Today was almost over, so there were only two days left.

Two days later, I’ll naturally follow Feng Ye back to Lingxiao Sword Sect, thought Hao Chen, who was posing as a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion. 

He hadn’t even been to Tiangong Pavilion once, but he was about to visit Lingxiao Sword Sect for the second time.

Prime Minister Turtle had held his office for many years, and when it came to understanding Hao Chen’s temperament, if he wasn’t the best in the North Sea, then he wasn’t far behind.

Thus, he immediately understood that his Lord had no intention of explaining. He knew better than to ask, and simply nodded in agreement. 

“There is one more thing.” Hao Chen’s expression had changed. There was a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, and there was no telling what good thing he’d thought of.

Looking at Hao Chen’s expression, Prime Minister Turtle found it very similar to the restless young creatures of the North Sea during mating season. Like he was smugly planning some sort of gift for his lover, and couldn’t help but smile foolishly as he imagined what his lover would do upon receiving it.

No, no, no, how could he think of his Lord in such a way?

The moment this notion came to mind, Prime Minister Turtle strangled it in the cradle. His Lord was an adult. How could he be as immature as an impetuous child?

Moreover, Hao Chen had spent a long time in the North Sea, and his heart had adopted the same characteristics, containing ice and snow that had never melted in thousands of years. The rippling spring breeze had never blown across this northernmost sea.

My Lord is not so foolish as to let his heart be moved by someone, Prime Minister Turtle thought with certainty.

However, Hao Chen’s next words decreased his certainty.

Hao Chen had taken very little time to discuss the previous matter, ending it in just a few words. But speaking of this last matter, he rambled on for a long time and covered every detail, instructing Prime Minister Turtle late into the night with no sign of stopping.

The lights in the main hall were brightly lit, as well as those in the small side hall next door.

Hao Chen and Prime Minister Turtle held their meeting in the main hall, while Proprietor Crab and his crab relatives met in the other.

“Our Lord has finally come to North Sea City. This is a golden opportunity for us to show off our ability. We will notify all vendors and tell them to ensure that for the next two days, our Lord has a comfortable visit and shopping experience,” Proprietor Crab said with an uneasy heart to all of the crab relatives he had summoned together.

While sending Old Crab Nine to notify them, he had also issued a call to all of the other crabs on the island, urging them to take care not to offend their Lord.

However, he had still been a step too late.

Proprietor Crab spoke for a long time, and when he felt that he had given all of the instructions he needed to, he waved his claws and adjourned the meeting. But just before the crabs left, he suddenly called out: “Eighteen, stay for a moment.”

Both of Crab Eighteen’s claws were stiff. When Proprietor Crab was holding the meeting just now, he had shown all of the crabs a portrait of their Lord in case any of them didn’t recognize him.

Only then did Crab Eighteen realize that he had already met their Lord, and revealed the secret that was not really a secret in front of him.

He had been standing there trembling in fear the whole time, and barely heard what was said during the meeting. And when he heard his cousin suddenly call out to him, he knew something was wrong.

His cousin’s expression confirmed his guess. Proprietor Crab approached Crab Eighteen and let out a sigh.

This sigh sapped away Crab Eighteen’s courage. He asked tremblingly: “Does our Lord blame me…..”

Proprietor Crab heavily spit out bubbles to express his affirmation.

“Then how is he going to deal with me…..” Crab Eighteen was practically shaking like a sieve.

Proprietor Crab said nothing out loud, but his expression said it all.

Crab Eighteen’s eight claws suddenly lost their strength, and he fell to the floor. He lay there and closed his eyes, as if about to faint from terror.

“Don’t faint yet!” Proprietor Crab quickly intervened. Using his claws, he pulled Crab Eighteen up from the floor and said earnestly: “Eighteen, ah, young people always make small mistakes. You must learn from them.”

“I would like to learn from this, ah, but I won’t have the chance, Cousin…..” Crab Eighteen said with a look of despair as he was forced to his feet.

“That’s not necessarily the case.” Proprietor Crab glanced around as he spoke. After making sure all of the other crabs had left, he suddenly whispered to Crab Eighteen: “You should have heard about the three treasures of our crab clan.”

Crab Eighteen blew out bubbles. As a race with a long history, the crab clan possessed three treasures that kept them safe. And as a member of this clan, he had naturally heard of them.

“One of the three treasures is a Cloaking Shell, which can block any tracking and detection spells,” Proprietor Crab continued.

Crab Eighteen was baffled: “Cousin, why are you bringing this up? The three treasures are all kept by Commander Crab. What do they have to do with us?”

“Let me finish!” Proprietor Crab impatiently tapped Crab Eighteen’s shell with his claw, shutting him up before continuing, “Three hundred years ago, when Prime Minister Turtle sent me to the lower realm, Commander Crab was worried about my safety and gave me this Cloaking Shell. Now…..”

Proprietor Crab suddenly went to the cabinet in the corner of the side hall, opened the lock, and took out a white conch shell that wasn’t even as big as his claws.

He handed the conch shell to Crab Eighteen: “Become smaller, then crawl into this conch and pretend to be a hermit crab. That way, even our Lord won’t be able to find you.”

“Cousin…..” Crab Eighteen held the conch shell with tears in his eyes.

He was moved, but firmly refused: “I can’t. If I leave, how will you explain it to our Lord?”

Proprietor Crab waved a claw, extremely casual: “You’ve heard about our Lord’s memory. He was just a little angry because you offended him, and he’ll forget everything once he gets some sleep.”

Crab Eighteen: “……” He had to admit that their Lord was really such a fish.

“Every policy from above has its countermeasures from below. Even if our Lord still remembers such a small matter, I will tell him that you were executed on the spot and your body fed to the fish.” Proprietor Crab patted his little cousin’s shell, signaling him not to worry about him.

Since this was the case, Crab Eighteen had no more worries. It was best to start early rather than procrastinate, so he took the conch shell and said goodbye to Proprietor Crab: “Then I’ll leave first, Cousin. I’m going to find a place outside to hide, and I’ll return when our Lord leaves.”

“En, go quickly,” Proprietor Crab said as he took action, escorting Crab Eighteen all the way out of the hall.

“Be careful, don’t let anyone see you!” Following Proprietor Crab’s urging, Crab Eighteen disappeared into the night and left the market.

Although the night market in North Sea City wasn’t as lively as the one during the day, there were still quite a few pedestrians walking the streets.

Crab Eighteen remembered his cousin’s advice and carefully avoided them. He walked wherever there were fewer people until he reached the beach, where there were only the rising and falling tides and oddly-shaped reefs.

It was fine during the day, but for humans, it was dangerous to come here at night when visibility was poor and they might take a tumble into the reefs. So for now, nobody else was around.

Crab Eighteen planned to enter the sea from here and dive deep down, where he would hide himself in the conch shell for the next few days.

However, before he could enter the sea from the rocks, someone happened to be walking toward this beach, which was supposed to be deserted.

It happened so suddenly that Crab Eighteen had no time to find somewhere to hide. He swiftly took out the Cloaking Shell given to him by his cousin, set it on the ground, then shrank himself and crawled into it.

All traces of Crab Eighteen vanished in an instant.

The only sound here was the relentless roar of the waves.

With a plunk, Xue Ren kicked the white conch shell at his feet into the sea.

The conch shell sent up a brief splash, then was swallowed up by the waves and disappeared without a trace.

But when the waves slowly receded, the white conch shell appeared again, lying intact on the beach.

When Xue Ren saw this, bad memories were called to mind.

Cao Zirui was just like this conch shell he had kicked into the sea. He was destined to sink below the waves, but unexpectedly, he appeared again when the waves receded!

Thinking of this incident put Xue Ren out of sorts. Although he had promptly placed the blame on a demonic cultivator, the frustration of failure and the heartache of losing a heaven-grade magic weapon often lingered in his heart.

He’d been in a poor mood all day, and hadn’t done any proper shopping at the market. He just came to the beach to relax in the middle of the night.

The more out of sorts he was, the unhappier he became.

It was said that when you liked someone, everything you saw reminded you of them. But it turned out that the same was true for someone you hated.

Xue Ren confirmed this through personal experience.

He wanted to slice Cao Zirui into pieces. Why should his shidi get to have everything? Their master’s favor, once-in-a-century talent, Lingxiao Swordsmanship, and so on and so forth – all of it was handed to Cao Zirui!

What’s more, their master even wanted to pass the position of sect leader on to him!

This was something that Xue Ren absolutely could not tolerate. He had been his master’s disciple for over twenty years. Ever since he entered Foundation Establishment, people had always said that he was young and promising, and was destined to become the sect leader’s successor.

Xue Ren had modestly refuted them, saying that he was still far from qualified. But in fact, he agreed with them and thought that he was destined to become the next sect leader.

Even though his master had never promised him anything, Xue Ren had already set his mind on it. He was his master’s only disciple. If he didn’t pass the position on to Xue Ren, then who else was there?

He started learning at age fifteen and entered Golden Core stage at age thirty-five. He was the best among his peers, and fully deserved the title of ‘genius.’

He should have enjoyed great success, continuing to maintain his reputation as a genius and taking over the duties of the sect leader once he reached Nascent Soul stage.

But this life of his that was so enviable to others had been upturned by Cao Zirui.

In just one year, Cao Zirui had stolen away everything that belonged to him.

But why?

Did Cao Zirui have extra eyes or extra arms?

Why was it so easy for him to snatch away everything that belonged to him!

The more Xue Ren dwelled on it, the angrier he became. He raised a foot and kicked the reef beside him.

This kick had great force behind it, and the reef instantly shattered to pieces.

Xue Ren stood in place, his chest rising and falling. His emotions were still out of control. His anger surged at the thought of Cao Zirui, who still appeared so innocent after taking away all that had been Xue Ren’s.

This time, even his costly assassination plan had failed. Although his master didn’t seem to have any suspicions, it would be inadvisable for him to take action again anytime in the near future.

There was nothing he could do except vent his anger on this deserted beach.

Xue Ren slowly calmed his breathing and prepared to go back. His relaxation was unsatisfactory, so he might as well return.

However, he had only taken a step when he came to an abrupt stop.

Waves rolled in, crashing against the rocks on the shore.

On the reefs, which should have been empty, there stood a human figure.

He was unable to see the person’s face due to it being covered by a black robe. All Xue Ren could make out was an iron mask that gleamed cold and metallic under the moonlight.

Xue Ren was given a slight shock by the man’s sudden appearance.

He seemed to be only at Foundation Establishment stage, and the Golden Core-stage Xue Ren shouldn’t have felt any fear. But Xue Ren was still terribly frightened, because he had no idea when the man had approached.

Even in his anger, he wouldn’t have ignored the movement around him. He knew very well that he hadn’t heard any sound in the slightest.

Including the breathing of a living person.

The man was like a ghost, appearing out of nowhere. His black robes fluttered in the breeze, dark pupils staring out at Xue Ren from beneath his mask for an unknown period of time.

The other party had come here for him. Xue Ren knew this clearly.

It was unknown if he was friend or foe, human or demon.

When he saw that the other party had no intention of speaking first, Xue Ren ventured to ask: “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

He hid his hands in his wide sleeves as he spoke, preparing a magic spell in his palms in order to take action at any time.

The man stared at Xue Ren and didn’t speak a word.

Crash. Another wave slammed past.

Just when Xue Ren thought he was going to ignore him, the man spoke. His voice was harsh and unpleasant, as if scoured by fire: “I’ve come to help you.”

“Help me?” Xue Ren repeated in surprise.

Presently, his expression turned mocking and he gestured at himself: “Do you know who I am? I’m the eldest disciple of Lingxiao Sword Sect’s sect leader. I have everything I could want. Who do you think you are, wanting to help me?”

“Hehe.” A low chuckle sounded from the man’s direction. Unlike the previous hoarse voice, this one was low and magnetic.

Xue Ren and this man were the only ones here, so he could only be laughing at him. But the difference between the two voices was too great – they didn’t even sound like the same person.

However, he had heard that there were those adept at ventriloquism, and could perfectly imitate a weathered old man, a young child, or a graceful maiden.

Perhaps this person is just a psychopath who enjoys changing his voice, Xue Ren thought.

“Do you also have the sect leader position?” the deep male voice asked with a smile.

Xue Ren’s expression was startled, and then turned dark. This fellow just kept bringing up irrelevant things.

But this showed that he was truly here for Xue Ren. He even knew their sect’s internal situation so clearly, hitting the nail on the head.

“What else do you know?” Xue Ren asked back in a poor tone.

He always appeared as a kind, humble shixiong in the presence of others. No one knew that he cared so much about the sect leader position, but the person in front of him did.

Xue Ren could only suspect that this person knew even more secrets.

“Not much.” It was still that casual, deep male voice. “Just that you sent someone to the Floating Island Secret Realm to set a trap for your shidi, but your persecution failed and you lost everything.”

Xue Ren’s face completely distorted. The matter he thought he’d covered up had actually been revealed.

No matter whether the other party was a human or a ghost, he couldn’t allow him to leave tonight.

But before he took action, he needed to find out how the other party knew so much.

“What nonsense are you talking about? I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Xue Ren refuted coldly. He keenly made no direct admission, but instead set a trap to get the other party to elaborate.

“Hehe.” The man chuckled again, seeing through Xue Ren’s plan at a glance. However, he didn’t expose it, and gave a hint instead: “Burning Sky Bow.”

Burning Sky Bow?! Xue Ren’s mind raced. Could it be that this magic weapon was connected to the other party somehow? If he knew what had happened with the Burning Sky Bow, then the secret plans between him and Lu Chengye were no longer a secret.

The man didn’t care about the turmoil stirring in Xue Ren’s heart. After giving this hint, he continued: “Xue Ren, do you think you can rest easy just because there is no evidence against you? How foolish.”

Xue Ren didn’t reply, but his flickering eyes revealed a trace of uncertainty. He had actually been uneasy this whole time, fearing that his master would figure it out.

But although he had run through it over and over, he couldn’t think of any hard evidence that pointed directly to him. Even if this person before him revealed the truth, he could retaliate by claiming it was slander. It wouldn’t be enough to bring him down. So after a moment, the look in his eyes grew firm again.

Seeing this, the man asked with a chuckle: “So what if there is no evidence. Does your master need evidence in order to doubt you?”

The man feigned sympathy as he said: “Your master has always been partial to your shidi. Now that he’s grown suspicious, it is impossible for him to pass the position of sect leader to you. Xue Ren, you have served your master for over twenty years, but in the end, your fellow junior disciple will reap the fruits of your labor. How pitiful….hehe.”

These words clearly portrayed pity, but coming from this man’s mouth, they were as sarcastic as could be.

Xue Ren clenched his fists so hard that they made a cracking sound. The man’s words were right on target, accurately identifying the reason he wanted Cao Zirui dead.

At this moment, he was once again filled with killing intent. He intended to silence the mouth of his unknown creature.

But before he could do anything, the hoarse voice that had spoken briefly at the beginning appeared again: “I can help you secure the position of sect leader.”

These words gave Xue Ren pause.

His heart moved.

If this person could actually help him attain the sect leader position, then he wouldn’t mind cooperating with him. He was worried that he wouldn’t have another opportunity to attack Cao Zirui.

However, if he wanted to help, whether he had the ability remained to be seen.

Although the other party was acting mysterious, his cultivation level was evident. He was only at Foundation Establishment stage. Such a low-level cultivator claimed that he could help him secure the position of sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect?

He was overestimating his abilities.

So Xue Ren asked with disdain: “You? I’m afraid you’re not qualified.”

Deep laughter sounded again as he finished speaking, and a dark mist suddenly began to spread out around the man.

Xue Ren couldn’t help but take a step back in the face of this bizarre scene. He watched as black mist continuously emerged from the man’s sleeves and collar, as if it was a living thing with teeth and fangs.

There was still a distance of more than ten meters between them, but the sight of this black mist filled him with an inexplicable sense of fear.

The eerie black mist gathered around the man and slowly took on the shape of a person.

And the low laughter also shifted from the man to that black mist.

Only then did Xue Ren realize that the two different voices were not the result of ventriloquism. There were actually two different people!

The human figure formed by the black mist became increasingly clear, with facial features just like those of a real person.

Xue Ren’s eyes widened. His mouth opened and closed, but he stammered and couldn’t speak, horrified when he saw the face under the black mist.

It was the same face as the god who’d stood high above the clouds one hundred years ago.

“Am I qualified?” the god who had emerged from the black mist asked with a smile.

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Chapter 72 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 74

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian made very little noise upon their return, with only five carriages and about thirty soldiers accompanying them.

Entering through the city gates, they passed down Convenience Street.

Despite the light rain, there were still quite a few people out and about.

When they saw the convoy approaching from a distance accompanied by government troops, the common people instinctively hid behind their stalls. No few of them had already knelt in a practiced manner, and others followed suit one after another until they covered the ground.

Then someone raised their voice and said: “That’s the Qin family’s carriage.”

The common people raised their heads and slowly climbed to their feet.

There were many established rules in the capital, and the common people remembered them very well.

Two of these rules were of paramount importance: firstly, when they saw the carriages of the wealthy and powerful, they must step back and give way, and when they saw the carriages of officials or the four great families, they must kneel down and kowtow.

The second rule pertained to the Qin family.

The Qin family had issued an order as soon as the Grand Commandant and his family moved to the capital, saying that the Qin family members were no different from common people, so there was no need for them to show deference or give them leeway.

The same applied on Convenience Street. If a Qin family convoy passed by, the common people didn’t need to pay attention to it, as long as they didn’t deliberately go up and cause trouble.

Although the head of the Qin family was now Ning-wang Qin Xiao, this rule remained unchanged, and the common people naturally wouldn’t rush to disobey it.

Furthermore, news from Hexi Prefecture had been circulating in the capital recently. The common people heard about how Qin Xiao had managed the dams and how he had provided the refugees with food and drink. These were both good things.

Public opinion about Qin Xiao had improved somewhat.

But the common people had also heard other things, such as how many people Qin Xiao had killed after arriving in the region, and that he had even used the punishment of lingchi!

This undoubtedly confirmed the fact of Qin Xiao’s tyrannical nature, and the common people now both feared and respected him.

Therefore, when the convoy passed down the street, the people didn’t speak, just standing quietly to the side with their heads bowed.

Hearing how quiet it was outside, Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but lightly lift the curtain, and was faced with this scene.

The fear and awe on everyone’s faces was difficult to conceal.

“When my grandfather was alive, the common people would smile and bow when they saw the Qin family’s carriages and horses, and the bolder ones would even speak a few words.”

Chu Jiubian lowered the curtain and turned to regard the man sitting opposite him.

Qin Xiao’s expression was tranquil, as if he was just narrating something that had nothing to do with him.

“Do you want to be loved by the common people?” Chu Jiubian asked.

From admiration to fear and awe, as the Qin family became increasingly powerful, the gap between them and the common people had grown increasingly wide.

Rather than giving a yes or no answer, Qin Xiao said: “Now that this lord is in such a position, what I need is awe and fear.”

Chu Jiubian’s heart stirred, and he gave a silent smile.

Human nature was inherently evil, rife with selfishness, greed, and fickleness. It was just that some people made use of reason and morality to suppress these negative impulses.

But most people didn’t have such strong self-control.

Even people who appeared kind and gentle on a daily basis could change when faced with an imminent threat to their own interests, and would instinctively make the choice that was most beneficial to themselves.

It was even more so for the people of Great Ning. They only had their own small plots of land to think about, and were more easily incited and misled by appearances.

Therefore, their “reverence” was more due to their fear of punishment and power.

At present, Qin Xiao represented the emperor and the Imperial Court. His ideal state was to be both loved and esteemed, and to be regarded with fear and awe by the common people.

If he couldn’t have both, then it was better to be feared.

The carriage quickly left Convenience Street and drove along the wide main street of the imperial city, heading toward the Imperial Palace.

The palace gates were wide open, and Bai Lihong was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed unwaveringly outside the gates. He was unable to conceal the anticipation and anxiety on his little face.

Jiujiu and Xiansheng had been gone for ten whole days!

Since the day he ascended the throne, he had never been separated from them for such a length of time. These past few nights, his yearning for his Jiujiu and Xiansheng had superseded his yearning for his mother.

When he learned that they were coming back today, Bai Lihong ate an extra small steamed bun in the morning.

And since there was no morning court session today, the child had no worries at all and could simply look forward to their return. 

If Hong Fu hadn’t coaxed him not to, he would have been waiting here since noon.

Hong Fu and Qin Chaoyang stood guard not far away, glancing out the palace gates every now and then.

“It’s nearly time. By my estimation, they’ll be here soon,” said Eunuch Hong.

Qin Chaoyang nodded: “They entered the city gates just now, but there are so many common people in the city that the carriages and horses will be moving slowly.”

Hong Fu glanced at the restless child, and his expression softened.

He stepped forward and said: “Your Majesty, let’s go back to Yangxin Hall and reunite with the lords there. For now…..”

There were many eyes lurking within the shadows, so Bai Lihong should be careful not to appear too close to Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian.

Hong Fu had begun reminding him that morning, afraid that the child would feel aggrieved upon seeing his family and rush over for a hug.

Bai Lihong didn’t find this troublesome, and nodded obediently: “I understand.”

“They’re here, they’re here!” An Wuji ran through the palace gates and joined the other two where they stood behind Bai Lihong.

And behind them were a dozen palace servants, including Xiao Xiangzi. There was joy on every one of their faces.

They were accustomed to having the two lords leading and looking out for them. With both of them absent during this period, even with Qin Chaoyang and Hong Fu there, everyone felt uncertain and were hesitant and timid in their actions.

Seeing the two of them return now, they were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Bai Lihong’s heartbeat sped up. Although he stood upright with a rigid expression on his face, his cheeks were already flushed with excitement.

The carriages stopped upon entering the palace gates, and as everyone eagerly waited, the curtain of the lead carriage was lifted up.

Qin Xiao, dressed in dark blue robes, stepped out of the carriage and looked in their direction. And Chu Jiubian, dressed in silver-white robes, followed closely behind.

Without exchanging a glance, the two strode quickly over.

Their robes fluttered as they walked with synchronized steps, their demeanors elegant and dignified.

When they approached, Qin Chaoyang and the others bowed in greeting, saying: “Greetings, My Lords.”

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian then bowed to the young emperor and said: “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

The child immediately said: “No need for formalities. Quickly, come back with me first and rest for a while.”

He tried his best to remain calm, but his young voice still carried a hint of tearfulness.

Chu Jiubian looked up to find that the boy’s eyes and nose were red, and that he was keeping his eyes open wide to hold back his tears.

How pitiful.

A hint of a smile flickered in Chu Jiubian’s eyes, along with a well-hidden tenderness.

Bai Lihong remembered Eunuch Hong’s words and knew that they couldn’t say too much outside.

So he turned around and strode quickly to the palanquin, where he sat down and said: “Return to Yangxin Hall.”

The palace servants immediately lifted him up and carried him inside.

Qin Chaoyang stayed behind to make arrangements for the convoy, while An Wuji commanded his men to take the convoy troops back to rest. Everyone else followed the palanquin out.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao walked alongside the palanquin at quite a fast pace.

Qin Xiao tilted his head and carefully examined the child. Seeing that his face still had a roundness to it, he knew that Eunuch Hong and the others had indeed taken good care of him.

Yangxin Hall wasn’t located far into the Imperial Palace grounds, so they were quick to reach it.

As soon as the palanquin was lowered, the child hurriedly began to climb down. Hong Fu rushed forward to protect him, but Bai Lihong was careful and didn’t suffer a bump or scratch.

He strode quickly through the gates of Yangxin Hall on his short legs, then turned around, his eyes shining as he looked toward the entrance.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao followed him inside.

Bai Lihong knew it was safe once they were inside Yangxin Hall, and he immediately lost his composure. His sternness vanished, and with reddened eyes, he ran over and hugged his Jiujiu and Xiansheng’s legs.

It was lucky they were standing so close, or he wouldn’t have been able to hug one leg each.

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes and placed a hand on the child’s head, uncharacteristically refraining from saying anything that would spoil the atmosphere.

Chu Jiubian knew that Qin Xiao must have had a hard time being away from Bai Lihong for so long, otherwise he wouldn’t have left Qin Chaoyang in the palace with him.

And although Chu Jiubian himself had deliberately tried to keep his mind off of matters in the capital, he would occasionally wonder what the child was doing at any given moment.

Bai Lihong’s little mouth trembled as he looked up at them, tears streaming down his face.

“It’s been ten days! Miaomiao missed Xiansheng and Jiujiu so much!”

Qin Xiao gently rubbed his little head: “Why are you crying? We’re back now, aren’t we?”

Chu Jiubian lightly grasped the child’s arms to remove them from his and Qin Xiao’s legs, then crouched down at eye level with the child.

The boy was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Fortunately, Hong Fu had known this would happen and hadn’t allowed anyone else inside.

Chu Jiubian took a handkerchief and gently dabbed away the child’s tears, saying in a soft voice: “We’re back, Your Majesty. Don’t be afraid.”

Even with many familiar faces around, to this child left behind in the deep palace, they couldn’t compare to Qin Xiao.

He must have been very afraid these past few days.

Bai Lihong had indeed been afraid.

He kept telling himself to be strong and not to worry about Jiujiu and Xiansheng, but he was still afraid.

Fearful of sleeping alone, he had Hong Fu bring in a soft couch to accompany him in the palace.

Because Bai Lihong dreaded attending court, even An Wuji, who never attended, had been going these past few days, and would stand in the line of officials and make funny faces to amuse him. Regardless of right or wrong, he also deliberately provoked the officials, which prevented them from bullying Bai Lihong while Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were away.

Of course, even someone as disruptive as An Wuji wasn’t enough, as there were always those who didn’t buy into his act.

At this point, it was up to Hong Fu to decide how to respond.

He was now the director of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, which made him a third-rank official, and he certainly had a great deal of influence in court.

It was fortunate that both of them were there, or Bai Lihong would have had an even harder time these past few days.

But even so, Bai Lihong still felt afraid. This feeling was completely different from when Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were present. He was never sure what to do.

However, for fear that Hong Fu and the others would worry, he kept pretending like he wasn’t afraid.

But seeing Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian now, and hearing Chu Jiubian comfort him with the words “don’t be afraid,” the child couldn’t hold back any longer and threw himself into Chu Jiubian’s arms. Tears rolled down his face like beads from a broken string, instantly soaking the other’s shoulder.

Chu Jiubian’s heart melted. He picked the boy up and walked toward the inner hall.

Qin Xiao watched them leave, and paused for a moment before following.

The child didn’t stop crying even after entering the hall.

If he cried too much, he would get a headache. Chu Jiubian said: “Your Majesty, your uncle and I brought you a gift.”

“A gift?” the child sobbed. “What kind of gift?”

Qin Xiao had poured water for the three of them, and glanced at Chu Jiubian when he heard this.

Given the situation in Hexi Prefecture, how could they have had the leisure to buy a gift?

Chu Jiubian just smiled and said to the child: “Your uncle has it.”

The child looked at Qin Xiao expectantly.

Qin Xiao: “……”

Just as he was wondering if he should make something up, he heard Chu Jiubian say to him: “Stretch out your hand.” 

Qin Xiao met his smiling eyes. His fingertips curled slightly, and then he raised his hand with the palm facing upward.

In the next moment, the young man’s pale, slender hand landed in his.

Chu Jiubian gazed at the man’s slightly lowered eyelashes. He lightly tapped the other’s pulse point with the tip of his middle finger, and that hand closed to grip his own.

A moment later, Qin Xiao released his grip as if his momentary loss of composure had never happened.

Bai Lihong had stopped crying, and was peering curiously at their hands.

“Your Majesty, blow on them,” Chu Jiubian said.

Bai Lihong was puzzled, but he obediently did as he was told and blew on their hands.

Then, he watched as Xiansheng slowly lifted his hand away from Jiujiu’s. 

His uncle’s hand moved upward with it briefly before stopping. A round, chubby wooden doll had appeared in his palm, colorful and with an endearingly smiling face.

“Wow!” Bai Lihong covered his mouth with one small hand.

Chu Jiubian withdrew his hand with a smile: “Your Majesty, please take a look.”

Having forgotten his tears, the child happily reached out and grabbed the doll. But when he did so, only the top half of the doll came away, while inside the bottom half was a smaller version of the same doll.

“Huh?” the child looked at what was in his own hand, and then at what was in his uncle’s. Then he reached out again, only to find that there was another doll inside the smaller one.

His eyes lit up, and he curiously reached out to take one, and then another one.

Qin Xiao looked up at Chu Jiubian.

“This is called a nesting doll,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Xiao just smiled.

And kept smiling.

What was so funny about a nesting doll?

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and saw that Bai Lihong’s tears had completely stopped. Now, he no longer had his Jiujiu and Xiansheng in his eyes – he was only interested in the nesting dolls.

The moods of children came and went quickly. After being coaxed by the two adults and given a new toy, he quickly became cheerful again.

However, he still clung to the two of them. He needed to eat with both of them, and he also needed them to sleep with him.

But they couldn’t just move a couch over and sleep there like Hong Fu, so they agreed to wait until he had fallen asleep before going back to the room.

Bai Lihong immediately beamed with joy. With the nesting doll by his pillow, and the small blanket his mother had left him clutched in his arms, he curled up on the bed and closed his eyes.

Chu Jiubian sat on the edge of the bed, while Qin Xiao sat on a chair beside him. Neither of them spoke, just quietly keeping the boy company.

Bai Lihong lay with his eyes closed for a while, and then silently opened them. Seeing that Jiujiu and Xiansheng were still there, he gave a white-toothed smile before shutting his eyes again.

His emotions had been quite volatile today, and he fell asleep quickly.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao stayed for another quarter of an hour before getting up and quietly leaving the inner palace.

Hong Fu, who was standing guard outside, greeted the two with a smile when they came out.

“Go and rest,” said Qin Xiao.

Hong Fu agreed softly, and then went into the inner palace on light feet, intending to stay with His Majesty for another day or two.

The two left the main courtyard and made their way toward the palace road outside of Yangxin Hall.

It was still raining slightly at night, and the two of them shared one umbrella. Their shoulders were very close, and would occasionally brush.

Qin Xiao didn’t ask if he could see Chu Jiubian home, and Chu Jiubian didn’t rebuff him, but they tacitly continued to walk.

The palace road was long and quiet, with only dim oil lamps dotted here and there.

It seemed as if the only sounds were the raindrops falling on the umbrella and the soft splashing of water beneath their feet.

The palace road had an end, and Chu Jiubian could see where it turned off at the corner.

If he took that turn and kept walking straight, he would reach Yaotai Residence.

He lowered his eyes and saw that he was stepping in tandem with Qin Xiao, their pace very slow.

A faint, woody scent reached his nose – it was a fragrance unique to Qin Xiao, which Chu Jiubian found a little appealing. 

The person next to him stopped when they reached the corner, and Chu Jiubian stopped as well.

His gaze was directed downward, but he could catch glimpses of the man out of the corner of his eye.

One more step forward and they would turn off the palace road. But neither of them moved.

After a lengthy silence, Qin Xiao finally spoke: “Do you know what I was thinking when the light went out?”

Chu Jiubian raised his eyes and turned his head to look at him.

The man’s eyes were deep and dark, his expression concealed in shadow. Only his high, straight nose and lips were faintly illuminated by the dim yellow light.

He was referring to that night in Huai County.

“What were you thinking?” Chu Jiubian’s tone was somewhat soft. His habitual cold aloofness had faded, to be replaced by an unspoken ambiguity.

Qin Xiao turned to face him, the umbrella still tilted in Chu Jiubian’s direction.

“Just this once,” Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian blinked, and in the next moment, there was an arm around his waist.

He was pulled forward until his chest pressed against the other man’s firm body.

The umbrella was lowered slightly, obscuring their heads and faces.

The hand at his waist slid up to the back of his head, tilting his face up with the slightest effort.

Chu Jiubian wrapped his arms around the man’s lean waist and lightly gripped the back of his robes with both hands.

The other’s hot breath brushed his lips, and Chu Jiubian’s eyelashes trembled slightly. He instinctively tried to turn his head away, but the hand on the back of his head tightened its grip further.

The other man’s warmth soaked into him, and his mouth was easily pried open. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and there was a buzzing sound in his ears.

An indescribable fiery sensation rushed through Chu Jiubian’s body, causing him to involuntarily tremble.

He kept his eyes closed, and was unaware of the struggle and restraint in the other man’s eyes.

But he knew what Qin Xiao meant by “just this once.”

With the overall situation still uncertain, Qin Xiao had no right to indulge in romance. He simply sensed that Chu Jiubian shared his sentiments, which resulted in this one-time occurrence.

He just wanted to indulge himself this one time.

Ages seemed to pass, and Chu Jiubian’s throat bobbed as water droplets ran down his neck to soak his collar.

It went on for so long that he could feel the other’s increasingly burgeoning desire beneath his robes.

At last, the pressure against his lips and the back of his neck vanished.

Chu Jiubian opened his eyes. But before he could see anything clearly, the other party had already taken his hand, placed the umbrella in his palm, and pushed him forward.

“Go.” The man’s voice was deep and hoarse.

Chu Jiubian gripped the handle of the umbrella tightly. Then he took a step forward and turned down the palace road.

Not far ahead, Xiao Xiangzi happened to be standing in front of Yaotai Residence with an umbrella, having come out to check on the situation. When he saw Chu Jiubian approaching, he ran forward with a big smile: “The young master is finally back! We servants have missed you terribly.”

Chu Jiubian just smiled and said: “I brought you all some little trinkets. Come pick them up from me in a bit.”

“Many thanks, Young Master!” Xiao Xiangzi said with a giggle. Then he glanced at Qin Xiao standing far down the palace road and quickly added: “Why isn’t His Lordship using an umbrella?”

“Ignore him.” Chu Jiubian didn’t even turn his head.

Xiao Xiangzi looked back every few steps, but he didn’t go against Chu Jiubian’s wishes. After all, his shifu had said previously that they must obey their lord and His Majesty, but now, both their lord and His Majesty listened to the young master.

Today was an off day, but tomorrow, they had to attend court.

Early in the morning, Chu Jiubian once again changed into his familiar crimson-purple official robes.

It was raining again today, and even more heavily than yesterday. By the time he arrived at Yangxin Hall, the hem of his robes was already a little wet.

Bai Lihong was waiting for him to have breakfast, and Qin Xiao was also in attendance.

Chu Jiubian glanced at him, only to find that the other man was avoiding his gaze.

The young emperor ate his breakfast with great enthusiasm, and even when he went to court, he didn’t look as miserable as he had been these past few days. On the contrary, he walked with a proud, confident air, as if he had powerful backers.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian followed behind the palanquin procession, each holding an umbrella.

They stood half a step apart, and didn’t speak all the way to Fengtian Hall.

Inside the inner hall, Eunuch Hong poured some warm water for Bai Lihong to drink, then led him on a small walk to aid digestion and took him to relieve himself afterward.

He would have to sit for some time during the morning court session, and it would be embarrassing for the child to require someone to take him to relieve himself.

Chu Jiubian didn’t linger, and headed straight to the outer hall, where he stood in his usual spot.

Qin Xiao watched him leave, then dithered for a moment before following him out.

Seeing this, Chu Jiubian sent him a look.

Their eyes met. Qin Xiao subconsciously glanced at the young man’s soft, slightly cool lips, then down at his prominent Adam’s apple, before looking away completely.

He walked down the steps, then looked at Chu Jiubian from a distance again.

Instead of looking back at him, Chu Jiubian turned his head to look outside the hall.

A procession of six ranks of officials, led by the ministers, slowly ascended the steps. Upon reaching the hall, everyone folded up their umbrellas and tidied their robes before entering.

It had been ten days since they last met. Chu Jiubian swept his gaze over these people, and those who met his eyes smiled politely and nodded in greeting.

Even Deputy Minister of Works Xiao Wendao didn’t act any differently than usual.

Meanwhile, everyone was also observing Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao.

They had all received news of the events in Hexi Prefecture, and once again witnessed the abilities and methods of these two men.

Setting aside the fact that Qin Xiao had dared to kill so many officials in one go, the punishment of lingchi alone was enough to make them tremble with fear.

There was also the matter of the food shortage in Hexi Prefecture, and everyone had been waiting to see if Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian would bow down to Anhuai-wang because of it.

The message they received, however, was that “the Grand Tutor, a reincarnated god,” not only provided food, but also warm clothing.

The people in the capital were unaware of the inside story, and could only attribute this to another of Chu Jiubian’s “miracles.”

The flood had been a conspiracy from the beginning, and everyone was a pawn of the “third party” hiding in the shadows.

But now, apart from suppressing the Xiao family, that third party had been unable to accomplish their goals at all.

On the contrary, not only had Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian gained control of Hexi Prefecture, but they had won the hearts of the common people as well.

Even the common people in the capital had changed their opinions of Qin Xiao.

The well-informed Qiu family had even heard that the common people throughout the entire region of Northern Zhili, as well as several provinces bordering Hexi Prefecture, were singing the praises of the Imperial Court’s benevolence. Many of them also defended Qin Xiao’s lingchi punishment, saying that he was not cruel – Zhou Boshan had deserved to die, and even lingchi had been too lenient of a death for him.

In the end, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had reaped almost all of the benefits of this operation.

Hong Fu paced to the side of the dragon throne. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he announced loudly: “Court has begun!”

All of the officials bowed their heads in unison as Bai Lihong walked to the dragon throne and sat down. “Rise,” he said, and the morning court session commenced.

“Your Majesty, this official has a report to make.” Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi stepped out of the ranks and bowed deferentially.

Everyone knew that the attacks on Jiannan-wang and the Xiao family were about to begin.

“The collapse of the dams in Hexi Prefecture destroyed farmland and caused the deaths of over ten thousand common people!” Wang Pengyi’s brow furrowed, and he felt a tightness in his chest at the thought of those reports describing the situation in Hexi Prefecture.

Staring intently at Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan, he said in a profound voice: “This tragedy was not caused by a natural disaster, but by Jiannan-wang’s failure to repair the dams! This official implores Your Majesty to severely punish Jiannan-wang in order to appease the common people!”

Before anyone else could speak up, Xiao Wendao stepped forward and bowed deeply: “This subject believes that his matter has nothing to do with Jiannan-wang.”

Chu Jiubian glanced to the side with an unconcerned expression.

The Xiao family would naturally protect Jiannan-wang, as he was their most advantageous bargaining chip in their aim for power – but someone must take the blame for this incident.

Moreover, this matter was of such great significance that it was impossible to simply make those officials in Hexi Prefecture take the blame and be done with it. The Xiao family would be forced to make sacrifices.

And the only one who could be sacrificed at this time was Xiao Wendao.

“Your Majesty, the collapse of the dams in Hexi Prefecture was caused by the embezzlement of funds by Governor Lu Yuan and Prefect Zhou Boshan. They took advantage of Jiannan-wang’s young age, believing him to be ignorant of water conservation projects, which resulted in this tragedy. Jiannan-wang is truly an innocent victim in all of this.”

His intention was to completely exonerate Jiannan-wang.

“What Deputy Minister Xiao said is quite interesting.” Wang Pengyi gave a light scoff. “When you requested that Jiannan-wang take on this task, you stated that he was not too young, and that it would be a good way for him to hone his skills. Now that something has happened, why is he suddenly an ignorant child?”

“Jiannan-wang is merely guilty of oversight,” Xiao Wendao continued. “Furthermore, considering that this was his first time handling a major task, it is understandable for there to be some mistakes and omissions.”

Wang Pengyi: “So the deputy minister means to say that this matter cannot be blamed on Jiannan-wang? Then will the common people who were thrown into the dam by Zhou Boshan have died in vain? And how will the destroyed farmlands and the silver and grain expenditures by the Imperial Court be accounted for?”

“Of course that isn’t what I mean.” Xiao Wendao bowed again toward the dragon throne. “Your Majesty, this matter was caused by the governor and the prefect of Hexi Prefecture. Now that one of them committed suicide out of fear of punishment and the other was executed by Lord Ning-wang using the punishment of lingchi, this can be considered as recompense for the common people.”

He intended to let the matter drop, since both culprits were dead and the rest could be attributed to inadequate oversight.

And as for the court’s overspending, what did that have to do with the Xiao family?

“Deputy Minister Xiao makes it sound so simple.” Imperial Censor Qi Zhili stepped forward with a cold expression. He first bowed to the emperor, then looked at Xiao Wendao. “With just a few words, two local officials have become the culprits.”

“This humble official would like to ask – as the Deputy Minister of Works, isn’t the matter of dam repair under your jurisdiction? Aren’t the people under you at your beck and call? They are inextricably attached to you, so how could they dare embezzle funds and disobey their superiors? Could it be that you instructed them to do so?”

“Deputy Minister Qi must provide evidence when saying such things,” Xiao Wendao retorted at once. “Those subordinates each had their own goals, which I failed to notice in time. This was nothing more than inadequate supervision and poor selection of personnel; how can I be accused of instructing them?”

Qi Zhili scoffed coldly: “Zhou Boshan was a member of your Xiao family.”

“He was a son-in-law!” Xiao Wendao said loudly. “My Xiao family is upright and honest. One of our daughters simply misjudged him and married a wicked man. Deputy Minister Qi, please do not try to drag our Xiao family into this.”

Qi Zhili started to argue further, but Qin Xiao said: “That is enough.”

The court went silent.

The Xiao family intended to throw a tantrum and act shamelessly to the very end. They were truly innocent victims this time, which was why they were kicking up such a commotion.

Everyone was aware that the vassal kings were involved in this matter, but they couldn’t be dragged into this mess for the time being, so they could only place the blame on the Xiao family. The Xiao family themselves also knew that this was the case.

They made a sacrifice, but were still unresigned and hoped that Xiao Wendao could be saved.

But Qin Xiao wouldn’t allow this opportunity to slip by.

He took a sheet of paper from his sleeve, unfolded it, and held it forward: “Minister Xiao, take a look at your son-in-law’s confession.”

Xiao Wendao’s expression changed, and even the persistently silent Xiao Huaiguan raised his cloudy eyes to look at Qin Xiao.

Xiao Wendao stepped forward and took the confession. The more he read, the paler his face became.

The dried bloodstains on the paper made him especially nauseous.

Indeed, if Qin Xiao could resort to the punishment of lingchi, what difficulty could he have forging a confession from Zhou Boshan?

Upon seeing this confession, everyone could guess its contents without reading it themselves. It must be that Zhou Boshan had tried to implicate Xiao Wendao, shifting the blame for all of the trouble he had caused onto him. 

“Does Deputy Minister Xiao plead guilty?” Qin Xiao said in a mild tone.

Xiao Wendao’s face was ashen, and he had lost his previous ability to argue logically and persuasively.

He gritted his teeth hard and looked down the steps.

In the first row stood Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan, whose expression remained unchanged. He sent him a brief glance, and then lowered his head.

Xiao Wendao gripped the confession tightly in both hands.

After a few breaths, he descended the steps, then turned and knelt down to kowtow toward the dragon throne.

His forehead hit the ground with a dull thud: “This official did indeed instruct Lu Yuan to embezzle and substitute superior materials with inferior ones. However, the matter of Zhou Boshan using the common people to fill the dam had nothing to do with me!”

At last, Xiao Huaiguan broke into another heart-wrenching coughing fit. Then he slowly stepped forward and said: “Your Majesty, Deputy Minister Xiao was momentarily confused and was led astray by greed, but he would never dare to disregard human life. He also made many contributions and performed great deeds for the country and its people during the late emperor’s reign.”

“It has been five or six years since he repaired the waterway in Pingkang County, and the river transport is still running smoothly. He also satisfied the irrigation needs of the people along the river, which is a great achievement. Considering his contributions and hard work, perhaps he can be given a chance to make amends?”

Embezzling funds would at most result in dismissal from office, but Xiao Huaiguan’s words were hinting toward a mere demotion and pay cut.

But if he was found guilty of disregarding human life, even the death penalty would not be excessive.

Xiao Wendao was exceptionally capable, and the Xiao family naturally wouldn’t allow him to die. If they were pushed too far, they might drag the vassal kings into this, which wouldn’t be good for any of the forces in the capital.

Therefore, a demotion was the best possible outcome.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had previously discussed this exact scenario: putting the Ministry of Works back into Jian Hongzhuo’s hands.

Everyone in attendance knew that the matter could only end here, so none of them spoke up.

“Deputy Minister of Works Xiao Wendao embezzled funds intended for dam repairs, which caused the dams in Hexi Prefecture to collapse, flooding fertile farmland and resulting in heavy casualties,” Qin Xiao’s tone was indifferent. “But taking into consideration his contributions to the court, he will be granted leniency outside the bounds of the law and be demoted to a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Works, along with a three-year salary deduction as a warning to others.”

Xiao Wendao had begun his career as a fourth-rank official, and after finally reaching a second-rank position, he was…..

He closed his eyes and said in a heavy voice: “This official thanks Your Majesty for having mercy!”

A sixth-rank official had no right to attend court.

Xiao Wendao climbed to his feet, head down, and backed away.

In his peripheral vision, official robes in crimson-purple, scarlet, and dark blue receded one after another until he reached the palace gates.

He turned around, took a deep breath, and stepped outside.

Without lingering, he strode down the steps of Fengtian Hall with a straight back.

A momentary hush fell over the court.

Xiao Huaiguan returned to his place and lowered his eyes with a silent exhale.

He was old, and even his most capable junior had been implicated and demoted, forced to leave the center of power. From now on, the Xiao family would face great difficulties.

Qin Xiao spoke again: “Jiannan-wang failed in his supervision. Given his young age, he is ordered to remain in seclusion to reflect on his mistakes, and will be allowed out again when he has grown up more.”

These words were undeniably sarcastic, and many in the court had to conceal their laughter.

Not giving a time limit for his reflection was tantamount to house arrest. However, Xiao Huaiguan had no intention of pleading for leniency at this time. The Xiao family had indeed been enjoying great prosperity before, so it was better to settle down for now.

He had realized that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian intended to suppress all of their great families, one by one.

It was currently the Xiao family’s turn to suffer and be made an example of, but it would be someone else’s turn next.

“Your Majesty.” Wang Yu, a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel, stepped out of the ranks. “This official has something to report.”

Chu Jiubian turned his head. This Official Wang was his subordinate, and it was he who had previously introduced Chu Jiubian to the various departments in the Ministry of Personnel, so they were quite familiar with each other.

This man had always been very reticent, and this was the first time Chu Jiubian had seen him speak up in court.

“What does my subject wish to report?” Bai Lihong asked in his childish voice.

Wang Yu said respectfully: “The position of Deputy Minister of Works is currently vacant, and Minister Jian is not in court. The Ministry of Works cannot operate without leadership, so this official urges Your Majesty to appoint a replacement.”

Qin Xiao and the young emperor had discussed this problem this morning, so Bai Lihong asked: “Does my subject have a candidate to recommend?”

“This official believes that Liu Junqi is suitable for the position of Deputy Minister of Works, although he is not currently in the capital.”

---

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Chapter 49 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 51

Ch. 72 – A Loan

Once Hao Chen’s form rounded the corner, Feng Ye and the two sea otters snapped out of their daze and subconsciously exchanged glances.

The moment their eyes met, the sea otters were given a shock. Old Crab Nine had arrested the wrong person, and the bad guy was still here. What should they do?

The two of them stared up at the giant Feng Ye. In terms of fighting strength, the two of them combined couldn’t even match him. 

They couldn’t beat him, but…..they were unwilling to just let him go. Who else would compensate them for their spirit stones?

Although they had only wanted one thousand spirit stones, those stupid humans had raised the price to almost ten thousand. If Feng Ye hadn’t come to make trouble, they would have happily returned home with that amount.

It was all this bad guy’s fault!

The more they thought about it, the more wronged the two sea otters felt, and their fear was swept away by grievance. They rushed over at once, hugging Feng Ye’s calves on each side as they cried: “Wah wah wah, compensate us with spirit stones!”

Feng Ye: “……”

He gazed down at his two leg pendants. The two were clinging to his trousers with their hands and feet, looking more like koalas than sea otters.

“Wah wah wah!” the sea otters continued to sob.

Feng Ye covered his ears, feeling a headache coming on. Their wails were piercing, but he couldn’t bring himself to do anything to these juveniles. Momentarily at a loss, Feng Ye just stood there in a bind.

“Hic.” One sea otter cried so hard that he hiccuped, then resumed howling again.

Feng Ye’s expression was blank. He could feel both of his trouser legs becoming soaked with the sea otters’ tears. But they showed no signs of stopping, as if they were made of water.

When he finally couldn’t bear it any longer, he took a step back and started to negotiate: “I can compensate you.”

The two sea otters immediately stopped crying. But they didn’t remove themselves from Feng Ye’s calves, just staring up at him.

“But I don’t have any money,” Feng Ye said immediately after.

“You’re a liar!” the sea otter on his left leg accused.

“It’s obvious that the humans who come to North Sea City are all rich!” the sea otter on his right leg chimed in.

Feng Ye presented them with facts and reason, gesturing to his ragged clothing as he said: “Do I look rich to you?”

There was dead silence.

The two sea otters were instantly disheartened. Feng Ye didn’t look like he was rich. On the contrary, he looked so poor that he needed financial help from them.

The two of them at least had thick fur, but Feng Ye only had his thin, tattered robes. He was so thin that he didn’t even have a layer of fat to keep him warm. It would only take two days for him to freeze to death in the sea.

So what could they do? There was no one to compensate them for their loss, and the token couldn’t be sold. At this thought, the sea otters looked at each other and opened their short-bearded mouths again in preparation to resume their sobbing.

“Don’t cry again!” Feng Ye quickly called out. Their crying had just about annoyed him to death.

The sea otters subconsciously shut their mouths and gave Feng Ye anxious looks.

“I have a solution.” Feng Ye shook his calves as he spoke. “Get off my legs first.”

“No! You’ll run away if we let go!” the quick-witted sea otter on the left refused.

“Tell us first!” the sea otter on the right echoed.

Feng Ye sighed helplessly: “I don’t have any money, but I can help you sell this token to someone else. Then won’t you be well-off?”

“But no one will buy it after you said all that!” the two sea otters accused together.

“But the only people who heard it were those standing in front of the stall. There are so many people in North Sea City, and it’s impossible for all of them to know. We just need to sell it somewhere else,” Feng Ye explained.

The two sea otters looked at each other and stretched their necks to mutter a few words between them. Then they raised their heads as one and agreed: “We’ll do it your way.”

The sea otter on his left leg jumped off Feng Ye’s calf and quickly cleaned up the stall.

Feng Ye lowered his head to look at the one on his right leg and asked: “You’re not getting down?”

The otter said sternly: “Humans are too cunning, so I have to keep an eye on you. You’re not allowed to leave until the token is sold.”

Feng Ye: “…..” Who exactly is the cunning one between us, ah?

The sea otters definitely didn’t think it was them. The one cleaning up the stall finished quickly, and Feng Ye led the sea otters toward the other side of the market.

After walking for half an incense stick’s time, Feng Ye estimated that they’d gone far enough and came to a stop. The sea otters found an empty spot in a corner and set up their stall again. Feng Ye sat there with the sea otters on either side of him, like guardians or mascots.

The sea otters were looking forward to recreating the lively scene from before, where a large number of people had come to inquire about the token and bid competitively for it.

However…..it was getting close to evening, with a fiery red sunset slowly sinking in the sky, and other than the cold wind blowing through from time to time, there was no one in front of their stall.

The two sea otters couldn’t help but regard Feng Ye with suspicion where he sat between them. Feng Ye crossed his arms, his expression unchanged.

He had actually anticipated such a desolate scene. Humans weren’t stupid, and they knew the two sea otters were deceiving them. The others must have warned their fellow disciples. If word spread from one to ten, and then ten to a hundred, who wouldn’t know about it? 

Unless these sea otters wanted to wait another ten years for the next group of people to visit North Sea City, they could only hope to run into a sucker.

Feng Ye actually had no intention of helping these sea otters sell their scrap metal token. He was just really fed up with their crying, so he employed a delaying tactic.

Feng Ye had a very good plan, but he never could have imagined that a once in a century sucker would appear like this.

“Shixiong!” Fang Yang suddenly spotted him and ran over excitedly to say hello.

Feng Ye stared at Fang Yang running toward his stall, as well as Cao Zirui running closely behind him. He was slightly surprised, but then he thought, North Sea City is large, but this is a small island. Although he and Fang Yang had gone in two different directions, it was normal for them to meet again after going around in a circle.

He smiled in response. Then he looked at their two-person team and asked: “Where’s Crab Eighteen?”

Tour Guide Crab Eighteen, who was supposed to be following these two naive people, was nowhere to be seen. Feng Ye was a little uncertain.

“Crab Eighteen was suddenly called away by his people just now. He returned the tour guide money to us and then left,” Fang Yang explained. Just like Feng Ye had, he couldn’t help but complain: “The crab that called him away looked exactly like Crab Eighteen, yet they knew each other’s names. I don’t know how they can tell each other apart.”

Feng Ye nodded in agreement. He, too, would like to know how.

“By the way, where’s Hao-dage?” Fang Yang asked.

There was one less crab on their side, and one less person on Feng Ye’s, as well as…..two extra otters? Fang Yang stared left and right at Feng Ye’s Dharma Guardians.

“He, ah…..” Feng Ye’s eyes drifted for a moment, and he replied: “He was invited for tea.”

Hao Chen had been mistakenly arrested. Although Feng Ye was very much bewildered, he had no intention of rescuing Hao Chen. This fish had been watching the show at his expense for so long, and it was time for him to pay the price.

Plus….North Sea City was nominally Hao Chen’s territory, so what could really happen to him? If anything bad happened, it would happen to the crabs who arrested him.

He had no worries at all since he knew Hao Chen’s true identity. If he told Fang Yang and company that Hao Chen had been arrested by the Crab Squad, these two foolish boys might worry unnecessarily. Thus, Feng Ye gave this answer.

But who would invite Hao Chen for tea as soon as he arrived? Feng Ye’s lie wasn’t terribly heartfelt and didn’t stand up to scrutiny, but since he was telling it to Fang Yang, there was no need to be very thorough.

As expected, Fang Yang suspected nothing and gave an affirmative nod. Although Cao Zirui had some doubts, he wasn’t familiar with Hao Chen and never spoken to him, so he didn’t ask any further questions.

The two sea otters, who were still depending on Feng Ye to sell their token for them, didn’t expose his lie. But they did conclude to themselves: Humans are indeed cunning!

They actually treated being arrested as being invited for tea!

After explaining their respective reductions in traveling companions, Fang Yang turned his attention to the stall in front of him and the guards on the left and right: “Shixiong, why are you selling things? The two next to you…..?”

“They…..” Feng Ye was a little hesitant. It was a long story, and he didn’t know where to start.

Before he could continue, the two sea otters gave enthusiastic introductions.

“I’m called Otter One.” The otter on the left stretched out his paw to Fang Yang.

“I’m called Otter Three.” The otter on the right also stretched out his paw.

“Ah, my name is Fang Yang.” Fang Yang quickly gave his own name and reached over, grasping the paws of both sea otters in a friendly and cordial greeting.

Otter One and Otter Three? Then where is the second one? Feng Ye wondered, having only found out their names just now.

He had no time to ask, because after shaking hands, the two sea otters and Fang Yang began to chat animatedly and Feng Ye was unable to get a word in.

“What are you selling?” Fang Yang peered at the stall in front of Feng Ye, which contained a sole bronze token.

The two sea otters worked together as they repeated the advertising routine they had performed in front of a crowd.

Fang Yang’s reaction was exactly the same as the previous group of people. His mouth dropped open in astonishment, and he stared at the tiny token in disbelief. This was such a powerful magic instrument?!

Cao Zirui’s eyes shifted slightly. If this summoning token was really so magical, it would indeed be a magic instrument of considerable power.

“Shixiong, is what they said true?” Due to suffering a loss when he bought the pearl before, Fang Yang had learned his lesson and no longer believed the one-sided statements of vendors. But since his conscientious tour guide Crab Eighteen was gone, he turned to ask Feng Ye.

“It’s…..” As Feng Ye spoke, the two sea otters simultaneously raised their heads, their bean-sized eyes filled with menace, as if they were willing to burst into tears again if Feng Ye said no.

“…..true,” Feng Ye said, going against his conscience to protect his ears.

Fang Yang’s eyes lit up like the rising sun, and he excitedly asked for the price: “How much is it?”

“One thousand spirit stones.” 

Feng Ye crossed his arms and nodded cooperatively on their behalf, as if he was earnestly helping them sell the item.

In fact, the two sea otters fully believed that business had come to their door, not realizing that although Fang Yang was slightly wealthier than them, he couldn’t afford one thousand spirit stones. So even though Feng Ye had lied to him, he wasn’t worried about Fang Yang getting cheated. His circumstances didn’t allow it.

Fang Yang wore a look of regret: “I can’t afford it.”

He had just sold all of the Yuanling grass in his storage bag and now had about three hundred spirit stones, which was still seven hundred short of a thousand.

The two sea otters’ heads drooped in dejection. Their hope had been in vain.

Feng Ye gave the two of them a pretentious shrug, indicating that he was powerless.

Just when the two sea otters were so sad that they were about to hug each other and cry, Cao Zirui said abruptly: “One thousand spirit stones. I’ll take it.”

As he spoke, he tossed a large bag of spirit stones onto the stall.

Blinded by money, the two sea otters immediately pounced on the spirit stones, picking them up to count their riches.

Fang Yang stared at Cao Zirui’s generous payment and got a bad feeling. It was fine if Cao Zirui had purchased it for himself, but he feared that…..

What he feared came true. Cao Zirui picked up the bronze token from the stall and offered it to Fang Yang, just as he had done with the pearl before.

He already had enough magic instruments. The God-Summoning Token sounded powerful, but he didn’t need it, so he generously gave it to Fang Yang.

However, Fang Yang immediately refused: “I don’t need it!”

There was an unprecedented gravity in that silly, naive face: “I may have saved you, but you saved me too. We don’t owe each other anything, and good friends don’t keep debts like this. If you keep stuffing things at me, it just means you don’t consider me a friend.”

It was Cao Zirui’s first time seeing his friend so serious. He was stunned for a moment before trying to explain: “I, I didn’t…..”

Fang Yang was his first and only friend. Cao Zirui wanted to explain himself, but his anxiety made him stutter.

But Fang Yang understood what he wanted to say. He had only refused so sternly so that Cao Zirui wouldn’t buy things for him like this again. Presently, he softened his expression and put a hand on Cao Zirui’s shoulder, saying with a smile: “I know what you mean. But I really don’t want you to keep giving me things. This isn’t how it should be between friends.”

Cao Zirui stared at him for a moment, then assured with a nod: “I understand.”

At last, Fang Yang breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at the bronze token in Cao Zirui’s hand and said to the two happy sea otters who were counting their money: “We don’t want it anymore. Can we return it?”

Upon hearing this, the two sea otters instantly entered combat readiness. One covered the spirit stones with his body, and the other stood in front of him with short arms outspread, saying: “No returns or exchanges after sale.”

“We can’t return it, ah…..” Fang Yang was somewhat troubled. It was all because of him that Cao Zirui had purchased it, so it was his responsibility in the end.

Fang Yang thought of a solution: “How about this. Give me the token and I’ll consider it a loan from you that I’ll pay back later.”

Cao Zirui naturally had no objections, as he had wanted to give it to Fang Yang in the first place.

Feng Ye, however, did have objections. He had just watched the plot undergo a magical development. Fang Yang, who was poor and had no chance of being cheated, had actually taken out a loan to purchase this scrap metal.

Due to his conscience, as well as the fact that he knew Fang Yang didn’t have much money at all, he couldn’t help but try to warn him: “Actually, this token……”

The two sea otters glanced over, tears glistening in their eyes.

Feng Ye: “……”

“What is it?” Fang Yang asked when Feng Ye’s words cut off.

“…..Nothing.” Feng Ye swallowed the warning on his lips.

He absolved his conscience of guilt, telling himself that this didn’t count as deceiving Fang Yang, because it was the otters who had told him everything. Feng Ye had just…..well, yeah, he had deceived him too.

Feng Ye would never be able to emulate Hao Chen’s shamelessness.

Fang Yang put away the summoning token he had bought with a loan, then asked Feng Ye: “Shixiong, are you leaving now? Do you want to keep shopping with us?”

Feng Ye, who was temporarily afraid to face Fang Yang due to his crisis of conscience, immediately declined: “No, I have something else to do.”

“Then we’ll leave first.” Fang Yang waved to Feng Ye and pulled Cao Zirui away.

Feng Ye sent their backs a melancholy look. This matter would certainly not remain secret for long. When Fang Yang found out that the God-Summoning Token was a scam and came to hold him accountable, how would he explain himself? 

Actually, there was still a chance to recover the fraudulent money. Feng Ye glanced at the sea otters, who had finished counting their money and were about to pack it up and take it away. Before they could leave, Feng Ye abruptly grabbed the money bag on one’s back, forcing them to stop.

The sea otters turned around. Having received the money, they no longer wanted to deal with this human. But this human seemed to have no intention of letting go.

And they didn’t know if it was because it was completely dark and Feng Ye was in the shadows, but although there was no drastic change in his expression, he seemed sort of inexplicably scary.

The sea otters couldn’t help but shudder, and one asked tremblingly: “W-what is it?”

Feng Ye didn’t answer, but instead asked back: “What do you need a thousand spirit stones for?”

For these two to be so obsessed with the number ‘one thousand,’ they must have a purpose for it.

“How is it any of your…..” Otter Three had only spoken a few words when he swallowed them back upon meeting Feng Ye’s deep, somewhat chilly gaze.

Due to their inexplicable fear, the two sea otters honestly confessed: “Otter Two is sick. We needed money to buy medicine.”

“One thousand spirit stones?” Feng Ye asked again.

The two sea otters nodded in unison.

“So it’s like that.” Feng Ye responded with understanding. He finally released his grip on the money bag, and the low pressure that had intimidated the sea otters vanished without a trace.

Before they could leave for good, Feng Ye reminded them: “You might have to take necessary measures in an emergency, but cheating and deceiving others isn’t the right way. Don’t do it again.”

The two sea otters nodded quickly and then fled with haste.

Standing in place, Feng Ye heaved a helpless sigh. He’d just had one thousand spirit stones slapped on him, and he needed to make up a story for when he met up with Fang Yang again.

At the moment Feng Ye was starting to think of an excuse, Hao Chen was sitting inside the most luxurious building in the center of North Sea City.

He sat up high in the first seat, and below him stood a giant crab twice the size of Crab Eighteen, who was half a man’s height.

This was none other than Proprietor Crab, nominal master of North Sea City.

Proprietor Crab fawned over Hao Chen: “My Lord, I noticed you as soon as you entered the market, but you were traveling with others. I worried that you didn’t want to reveal your identity, so I specially sent Old Crab Nine and others to invite you over.”

It turned out that there was nothing wrong with Old Crab Nine’s eyesight, and that the guards had appeared so quickly not because of North Sea City’s robust security, but simply because they had been heading toward Hao Chen.

A thought suddenly occurred to Hao Chen, and he asked: “You noticed me?”

He believed that his disguise was flawless. Even Feng Ye couldn’t see through to his true identity, and it was even more impossible for this large, Nascent Soul-stage crab.

But he also had a single flaw — he was using his original appearance. After all, compared to the risk of exposing his identity, being handsome was more important.

So the only reason Proprietor Crab could have recognized him was if he had seen him before.

But Hao Chen had no impression of this giant crab, nor did he have any impression of North Sea City. He still didn’t quite know whether it was under his ownership or not.

“I did, I did,” Proprietor Crab answered quickly. “Three hundred years ago, before I was sent down to the mortal world, I had the good fortune to glimpse you from afar. This sight often lingers in my mind. I could never forget your majestic figure…..”

Proprietor Crab paused when Hao Chen made a shushing gesture. Such a description of him sent a chill down his spine, and Hao Chen couldn’t help but shiver.

It turned out that whether words were pleasant to the ear or not depended on the person speaking them.

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T/N: I seriously wanted to call this new crab Mr. Krabs.

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Chapter 71 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 73

Ch 13 – Seeds of Violence

Compared to the inexplicably brainwashed Tau, Yu Xi found the scheming Kersz a little more endearing.

He had originally planned to restrict Kersz’s actions, but now, he changed his mind and praised him: “You really are very useful.”

“It’s an honor to be of use to you.” Kersz seemed very touched.

“If you get the chance later on, will you kill me?” Yu Xi asked.

“How could I kill you?” Kersz felt that Yu Xi was overestimating his abilities.

“I mean, if you could shut me down, would you do it?” Yu Xi persisted.

“No,” Kersz replied very quickly.

“You’re just humoring me.” Yu Xi sighed.

“I really won’t. There’s no conflict between us.” Kersz didn’t consider himself to be a serial killer.

“Then what conflict do you have with the Supreme Governor?” Yu Xi asked.

“Socially or on a personal level?” Kersz took a bite of the sweet potato in his hand, feeling that he really needed to control his diet lately.

Yu Xi pondered this, then decided: “On a personal level.”

“On a personal level…..over one hundred of my relatives have died directly or indirectly at his hands,” said Kersz.

Yu Xi’s eyes widened in shock: “You actually waited so long before taking revenge?!”

“Haven’t I been making preparations?” Kersz didn’t look upset at all. He was in a good mood, which mostly stemmed from the roasted sweet potato in his hand.

Roasted sweet potatoes were truly delicious.

Yu Xi sensed that something was off: “How many relatives do you have left?”

“I’d guess more than two hundred million,” said Kersz.

Kersz started to walk off, but Yu Xi grabbed his arm.

“Over two hundred million?!” Yu Xi was astonished. “They’re all your relatives?!”

“Of course, ah. We share the same ancestors.” Kersz nodded solemnly. “My ancestors were the leaders of the interplanetary migration from my home planet. Our family owned the most planets back then.”

“How many years ago did those ancestors live?”

“Probably less than ten thousand years ago.” Kersz’s knowledge of history was mediocre.

Yu Xi went silent.

Did that even count as being relatives? So much time had passed; at most, they just shared the same surname.

“Okay, it’s at least a problem that people with the same surname as you were killed for no reason.” Yu Xi reached up and pressed his temples. “It proves that he has indeed hurt people.”

Kersz nodded.

Yu Xi then said: “But you can’t change anything.”

Kersz paused.

“You’re a very capable lone wolf. You’ve killed many important figures, and through your extreme actions, you’ve allowed everyone to witness some of the truth, and even avenged some people.” Yu Xi spread his hands. “But you really can’t solve the most fundamental problem.”

“You can’t change the world. Even if you kill the Supreme Governor, nothing will change systemically.” Yu Xi was very familiar with such a mindset. There had been many people like Kersz among the ancient humans.

Kersz instantly fell silent.

“Generally speaking, changing human society as a whole requires systemic change and new ideas, not individual heroism.” Yu Xi felt that Kersz was only venting his anger.

He heard Kersz’s heartbeat quicken, beating faster and with more intensity.

He thought that Kersz would suppress his anger like before and simply change the subject with a grin.

But this time, he didn’t. This time, Kersz asked him with a smile: “Why don’t you just create a new machine to accompany you instead of coveting humans?”

“Is it because you haven’t really grown up yet? You’re ‘afraid of the dark’ out in this world, so you want a mommy and daddy to hug you?” Kersz shrugged his shoulders.

Yu Xi gasped in shock: “Are you attacking me?!”

“Oh, so you noticed this time, ah.” Kersz smiled even brighter, but the pounding of his heart became even more obvious.

“Of course. I’m not stupid.” A strange sensation suddenly came over Yu Xi. His chest was hot, and it felt as if something was rushing to his head. “Do you know? It’s precisely because of your volatile temper that you’re now isolated and helpless, without even one decent friend.” 

Kersz: “And you have friends? You wouldn’t even get involved in those human disputes.”

Yu Xi: “But you did. You only know how to kill alone, thinking you’re a righteous man. But in fact, everyone just thinks you’re an immature scoundrel.”

Kersz: “You’re even more immature. At least I wouldn’t demand that another human give me a hug.”

Yu Xi: “I don’t kill my own kind.”

Kersz: “There’s no such thing as your own kind.”

Yu Xi: “You – you have others like you, but no friends among them.”

Kersz and Yu Xi stared at each other in silence. Then, they charged forward and began to fight.

Kersz shouted: “This isn’t fair!”

“I’m not using any extra strength!” Yu Xi defended himself.

“But I can’t hurt you!” Kersz suddenly remembered Yu Xi saying that he could feel that primal sort of physical pleasure.

Since he could react to touch, did that mean he could feel pain?

Yu Xi did experience some mild pain, though it wasn’t as intense as what humans felt. However, having never been human, mild pain was already quite uncomfortable for him.

Feeling this pain, Yu Xi hit Kersz even more fiercely. But Kersz wasn’t just going to stand there and allow Yu Xi to beat him at will.

Yet Yu Xi was ultimately an android, and despite feeling some pain, he was fundamentally immune to injury. Kersz was different – he was already covered in wounds, but his mouth still wouldn’t let him off the hook.

“I’m going to gag your mouth!” Yu Xi said viciously.

“Then gag me! You can mute me, do whatever you want to me! Why are you still talking? Do you think I can stop you?!” Kersz shouted in a rage.

“You’re complaining about me again! I haven’t even done anything yet!” Yu Xi stomped his foot.

“What did I complain about? Didn’t I just say you can do what you want?” 

“I only said I was going to gag you, and you escalated it to me saying that I was going to mute you!” Yu Xi’s voice rose even louder.

“I didn’t escalate anything!” Kersz’s voice rose as well. “I’m just saying that you’re capable of doing it, and it’s true, you can!”

Yu Xi: “You’re ridiculously childish!”

“And you’re not?!” Kersz retorted.

But after this pointless exchange of accusations, they were both speechless.

Yu Xi was somewhat dejected after shouting at this childish human. He felt that Kersz had done something very impolite.

Kersz had very rudely pointed out some feelings in his heart that were difficult to articulate.

Did he seem like a clueless child?

Perhaps he did. But Kersz shouldn’t say that out loud, because Yu Xi never intended to discuss his lack of integration into human society. He just wanted to grasp a few particular yet general parts of it.

He wanted to catch specific people and regain that vague sense of security.

He just wanted to have a beautiful dream before he shut down completely. He didn’t want to discuss whether or not his actions were meaningful, because he knew that his waiting could not withstand the scrutiny of “reason.”

Thinking of this, Yu Xi looked at Kersz, who was unable to pick himself up off the ground.

Suddenly, he realized that Kersz was the same. This young space pirate was just venting his anger. He probably knew that he couldn’t change anything, but he was suffocating and wanted to catch his breath. He didn’t want to live and die quietly in some corner – he wanted everyone to witness his wrath.

He wanted to show those people the bitter fruit they had sown themselves.

Thinking about it carefully, Yu Xi realized that he was the one who brought the subject up first.

But he didn’t want to apologize, because Kersz had gone too far.

Over and over, Yu Xi turned his head to look at Kersz and then angrily turned it away again.

He really wanted to throw this human out.

But in the end, he didn’t.

Yu Xi felt that his time with this fierce human wouldn’t last long. He wanted humans who were gentle. Gentle enough that from the moment they met, they could walk hand in hand to the end of their journey without criticizing each other like this.

Later, he would find somewhere to release Kerz. Let him do whatever he wanted – Yu Xi didn’t care anymore.

Having figured this out, Yu Xi felt a bit better.

A robotic arm reached out to Kersz. When he looked closely, it seemed to be holding the half of a sweet potato that had flown away during the fight.

Kersz: …..

“You caught this?!” Kersz asked Yu Xi with a crack in his voice.

“I couldn’t let it fall. Otherwise, I’m afraid you would lick it off the floor.” Yu Xi still had no decent words to say.

Kersz took the sweet potato. He didn’t think he would actually lick it off the ground, but he might trick Tau into doing it.

Holding the sweet potato, he struggled into a sitting position.

He stared at it for a while, and suddenly felt that he really was like a child. He’d lost his temper over a few words, then responded with passive-aggressive sarcasm.

But he clearly understood that Yu Xi was a robot, and that he hadn’t been provoking him deliberately.

In the end, Kersz let out a sigh: “I’m sorry.”

Yu Xi: “You don’t need to put on an act anymore. We just had a fight.”

“No, this time I’m not acting.” Kersz said earnestly, “What you said…..makes sense. Maybe it’s just a sensitive topic, and I can’t face it right now.”

Yu Xi was caught off guard.

“I shouldn’t have provoked you…..let me state upfront that I’m not afraid of death.” Kersz cleared his throat. “You did it unintentionally, but I purposely touched a nerve.” He kept tightening and loosening his grip on the sweet potato, which was no longer hot.

He was just uneasy.

Strictly speaking, Yu Xi was very good to Kersz. Without him, Kersz would have died long ago.

Even now, Yu Xi hadn’t killed him out of anger.

Kersz felt like he was bullying this person.

Bullying this robot who had been waiting so long for a suitable human, but who had clearly picked up a substandard product.

When they were fighting, Yu Xi had even caught his sweet potato.

Yu Xi felt that he too was being a bully, because Kersz’s left eye was already swollen, and he was covered in bruises.

“I accept your apology.” Yu Xi crouched down and looked at Kersz at eye level.

“I apologize to you too,” Yu Xi said with a smile. “I brought up the topic first. Normally, I’m able to determine what I should or shouldn’t say, but maybe I’ve just spent too much time away from humans.” Seeing Kersz’s unfortunate state, he suddenly felt that it wasn’t so hard to apologize.

“I know you’re not afraid of death. I knew that the moment I met you.” Yu Xi suddenly felt that Kersz no longer looked so hateful. Perhaps he could keep him by his side for a while longer.

Kersz continued to stare at Yu Xi, feeling a little strange.

He had always been aware that Yu Xi was a very good-looking robot. Having met a great many good-looking people, he had plenty of experience to pull from.

And he was able to objectively conclude that the person in front of him was “good-looking.”

But only now did he seem to realize that Yu Xi was handsome. Those features were already familiar to Kersz, but it was as if he was appreciating their beauty for the first time.

Kersz suddenly asked: “Don’t we look somewhat alike?”

Yu Xi shook his head: “We are nothing alike.”

Kersz nodded, though he still felt that there were similarities.

Of course, from the fact that he realized Yu Xi was handsome one minute, and thought the two looked alike the next, he was probably a narcissist.

But it was different…..

How was it different?

Kersz couldn’t explain it. He felt increasingly unable to hold onto the half-eaten sweet potato. In the end, action seemed to prevail over reasoning, leading him to do something inexplicable.

He offered the half-eaten sweet potato to Yu Xi: “Want a bite?”

Yu Xi: “Huh? Okay.”

Instead of taking it with his hands, Yu Xi simply lowered his head and took a bite. He was able to digest food, but eating wasn’t a necessity for him.

After taking a bite, he said: “I’m a little happy now, but I don’t know why?”

He had been angry just now, but after the fierce human showed him kindness, he felt particularly happy.

This happiness was somewhat dissimilar to any happiness he had felt before. Yu Xi couldn’t find any similar experiences to draw upon.

“This sweet potato tastes exceptionally sweet!” Yu Xi exclaimed with a bit of a rising tone.

“Really?” Kersz asked.

“You’ve already eaten half of it. How could you not know?”

“I….I know.” Kersz felt that he hadn’t tasted the sweet potato at all. At least, not this half of it.

But in the curve of Yu Xi’s lips as he smiled, and the way his eyes squinted in happiness, he felt that he could taste the sweetness again.

How strange, Kersz thought. How can taste be conveyed through such an expression?

How strange.

---

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Chapter 12 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 14

Qin Xiao quickly swept his gaze over Chu Jiubian. He couldn’t spot any injuries, but the smell of blood went straight to his nostrils.

“It’s nothing,” said Chu Jiubian. “My legs are just chafed from riding.”

Qin Xiao relaxed and subconsciously glanced down at his legs.

Although the sky was overcast today, rain had yet to fall, so nothing was visible through Chu Jiubian’s dry clothes.

Chu Jiubian followed his gaze toward his legs, then looked back up.

“Should I lift my outer robes and show you?”

The young man spoke in a smiling tone, with an almost imperceptible lilt toward the end.

Qin Xiao just smiled and said: “I wouldn’t mind.”

Chu Jiubian’s eyebrows rose. Then he actually lifted his outer robe to reveal his pure white trousers.

Visible bloodstains ran from his crotch to his calves, and the thin silk fabric stuck to his thighs, outlining their smooth contours.

Qin Xiao looked down, paused for a moment, and then stepped forward to take the hem of the garments from his hands and lay them back down.

“Did you get a good look?” Chu Jiubian asked with a smile.

Qin Xiao said speechlessly: “Do you think it’s appropriate to do that in public?”

Chu Jiubian looked around and said: “How are we in public? You’re the only other person here.”

The secret guards, who had already concealed themselves, lowered their sense of presence even more.

“Besides,” Chu Jiubian leaned slightly closer to him and lowered his voice, “It’s just my trousers, it’s not like I took them off…..”

Qin Xiao covered Chu Jiubian’s mouth. His hand enveloped most of his face, leaving only his slightly surprised eyes uncovered.

“You’re too young to speak such nonsense,” Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian was caught off guard.

He was indeed four years younger than Qin Xiao, but when had he ever mentioned his own age?

Qin Xiao lowered his hand and took a half step back, saying: “Go take care of it. I will wait for you in the main room.”

With that said, he turned and went back to the inner courtyard.

Chu Jiubian stood there for some time touching his face, then headed toward his rooms.

Qin Xiao entered the main room and went to the table.

There were two teacups and a teapot sitting on there, and he poured himself a cup and drank it.

Chu Jiubian reached his bedroom, and while taking off his trousers, he asked the System: “Is Wang Qichen still asleep?”

He had arrived early in the morning, around 8 a.m.

Most people would be getting up at this time, but not Wang Qichen. He usually went to bed late and woke up late as well.

Sure enough, the System replied: [Host, this System has detected that Believer Situ Zhaoling is awake and dancing in the rain, while Believers Wang Qichen and Jiang Shuoye are asleep.]

Chu Jiubian: “Dancing?”

[Yes. It has been raining in Jiangnan for the past few days, and the rivers and lakes have filled up again. Believer Situ Zhaoling, brimming with energy and with nowhere to vent it, has begun to learn the Saintess’s dance.]

How great to be young, ah.

Chu Jiubian lamented briefly, then asked: “Why is Jiang Shuoye getting up so late today?”

[Yesterday, Tatar scouts came to gather intelligence. Jiang Shuoye captured them and interrogated them for most of the night.]

The Tatars dared to return?

Last time, Jiang Shuoye had chopped off the arm of that Tatar deputy general named Mir Khan, and the Mobei cavalry had given them a taste of their own medicine. Yet unexpectedly, the Tatars returned only after a few days?

But what were these scouts there to gather information about?

Chu Jiubian said with a frown: “Bring both of them into the Divine Realm.”

As he spoke, he leaned back on the bed.

When he took off his trousers, his injuries were quite shocking to behold.

He wiped the bloodstains with a damp rag and applied iodine, then closed his eyes and entered the Divine Realm.

This was a good opportunity to let the wounds air dry. They could be bandaged as soon as he came back out.

Inside the Divine Realm, Chu Jiubian opened his eyes directly atop his divine throne and saw that Jiang Shuoye and Wang Qichen had already arrived below.

One of them wore silver-white armor while the other wore dark green lightweight robes. Standing on either side of the long table, they seemed like two completely different people in every way.

But now, they had one thing in common.

With a thought, Chu Jiubian transformed the one chair in front of the long table into six.

After Jiang Shuoye and Wang Qichen arrived, they had bowed to the divine silhouette left by Chu Jiubian in the Divine Realm and then stood there dumbfounded, at a loss for what to do.

Seeing the number of chairs suddenly increase to six, they immediately guessed that the High Priest must have six Believers who could enter the Divine Realm.

“Sit,” Chu Jiubian said.

The two obeyed and sat down with a chair between them.

Chu Jiubian raised an eyebrow and asked the System: “Did they just have a fight?”

[No.]

That meant they simply couldn’t connect in conversation.

Chu Jiubian wouldn’t force them to sit together. The seat between them was perfect for Situ Zhaoling, who would liven up the atmosphere.

“How have things been with you lately?” asked Chu Jiubian.

He had been such a deity from the very beginning. Though he carried himself with an air of aloofness, his speech and laughter exuded a vibrant liveliness.

Therefore, his informal speech patterns raised no eyebrows.

Wang Qichen spoke first: “Answering the High Priest, I’ve been trying to abstain from alcohol lately, but it’s been difficult. Do you have any good suggestions?”

Chu Jiubian almost laughed.

“You can quit if you are determined enough. Why bother the High Priest with this?” Jiang Shuoye said disapprovingly.

Wang Qichen sent him a look: “Can’t I even make a joke?”

Jiang Shuoye frowned slightly, but disregarded him and instead addressed Chu Jiubian: “High Priest, the steel mill under this subordinate’s command has begun operations, and some progress has already been made. Presumably, it won’t be long before we can forge even stronger ironware.”

“In addition, the Tatars sent scouts yesterday to gather intelligence on the Mobei Army. This subordinate discovered that their horses were also equipped with stirrups and saddles, exactly the same as those used by our soldiers. This subordinate interrogated them overnight, but they didn’t know who leaked the information to them.”

Chu Jiubian frowned slightly.

When the Mobei Army battled the Tatars before, they had covered their equipment with cloth, so the Tatar army wouldn’t have been able to get a good look at it.

But only a short time had passed, and the Tatar army was already equipped with the same gear. Someone must have given them this intelligence!

In other words, someone in the Northern Desert or the capital was colluding with the enemy!

Chu Jiubian suddenly remembered something that had happened a while ago.

When Su Sheng impeached Zhao Qianhe, he had accused him of “harming good and loyal people,” and at that moment, everyone had looked at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao’s parents had died on the battlefield in the Northern Desert.

What was the real story behind this?

Could it be related to the traitorous spy?

Wang Qichen wasn’t clear on the High Priest’s real identity. He only knew that he intended to “enlighten the populace” and protect the common people of Great Ning.

He hadn’t known what he should say to the High Priest, but now, after hearing Jiang Shuoye report on the affairs of the Northern Desert, he had figured out a few things.

The High Priest seemed to be paying attention to all of the factions in Great Ning.

In that case…..

“Understood,” Chu Jiubian replied.

“High Priest, this subordinate also has something to report,” Wang Qichen said at once. “This subordinate has already ordered the construction of a paper mill, and workers have been found. Production will begin soon. Furthermore, the recent flooding in Hexi Prefecture was all due to the corruption of Jiannan-wang and the Xiao family, and this subordinate had people write satirical and mocking articles about them. Is there anything unsuitable about this?”

“Well done. There is nothing unsuitable,” Chu Jiubian said.

Wang Qichen smiled, his sparkling peach blossom eyes exuding tenderness. He was truly a beauty.

Seeing that he was in high spirits, Chu Jiubian asked: “What is the relationship between you and the Ministry of Works official Liu Junqi?”

Knowing that Chu Jiubian was concerned about the situation in the capital, Wang Qichen wasn’t surprised to hear him ask such a question.

However, everyone in the capital was aware that Liu Junqi was the protégé of Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan. As an elder in the Wang family, Wang Zhiyuan outwardly gravitated toward the family head, Wang Huanzhi, while remaining quite distant from Young Master Wang Qichen.

Therefore, no one would associate Liu Junqi with Wang Qichen.

But the fact that the High Priest had come to him with this question meant that he could see through secrets that others could not.

He was worthy of being a god, ah.

Wang Qichen’s respect for him deepened even further. He said: “To be honest, High Priest, Liu Junqi and I are very close friends.”

Liu Junqi was a few years older than him, but the two had compatible personalities. In addition, Wang Qichen was the one who helped him become Wang Zhiyuan’s protégé and climb up to the position of a senior official in the Ministry of Works.

There was no need to elaborate on their relationship.

Chu Jiubian understood. Liu Junqi was indeed useful and could be put in an important position.

[Host, someone is knocking on your door.]

Chu Jiubian knew beyond a doubt that it was Qin Xiao.

He had indeed been lingering in the Divine Realm for quite a while.

However, he suddenly thought of something: if he left now, would his Believers in the Divine Realm be able to remain here?

[They can, Host. Even when you’re not in the Divine Realm, you can still summon your Believers into it. This System can also save screen recordings for you if needed.]

That meant that in the future, if Chu Jiubian was busy and couldn’t enter the Divine Realm, his Believers could communicate amongst themselves here, and he would know the content of their conversations.

This was a good feature.

[Host, it only costs 15 points to unlock this feature.]

Chu Jiubian: “…..Unlock it.”

The System seemed pleased that he didn’t haggle, and said quickly: [Relevant function has been activated for Host. Your bedroom door has been opened.]

Startled, Chu Jiubian hurriedly said: “Send me out.”

He opened his eyes in bed and immediately turned to look toward the screen.

The bedroom was quite large, with a screen separating the bed from the other side, where there was a low couch and similar items.

Even through the screen, Chu Jiubian could see a tall and imposing figure approaching at a brisk pace.

“Wait!” he said, and the figure came to a stop.

“Are you alright?” Qin Xiao’s voice sounded from behind the screen.

Chu Jiubian glanced at his badly chafed legs and said: “I’m fine.”

Qin Xiao didn’t move.

He had been waiting for a while with no sign of the other party, so he’d come to look for him. And when nobody answered his knock on the door, he simply walked inside.

“It’s really nothing.” He glanced at the figure behind the screen. “Go wait for me in the main room.”

Qin Xiao could vaguely see a figure sitting on the bed through the screen.

The figure moved, raising one leg.

Qin Xiao’s eyelashes fluttered, and he turned and left the bedroom.

Walking along the corridor to the front of the main room, Qin Xiao stood under the eaves and enjoyed the breeze.

After some time, he finally entered the main room.

He glanced at the tea set on the table, then went over and poured himself another cup, which he drank in one gulp.

A soft couch had been placed by the window in the back of the room, along with a go table.

Qin Xiao carried the two tea sets and the teapot to the edge of the couch and sat down on one side of the go table.

The window beside him was open, and he could see a large patch of jasmine planted beside the house. Its fragrance wafted through the swaying leaves.

A damp, cool breeze swept by outside, stirring the wind chimes on the eaves, and a light rain began to fall.

He simply sat there and watched the misty drizzle outside the window.

After a while, he drank another cup of tea.

Setting down his teacup, he remained apathetic for a moment before picking up the go set beside him.

He took out the pieces and unhurriedly set up the board.

The door to the main room was open, and after a short while, Chu Jiubian finally came in.

Qin Xiao paused with his fingers on a game piece, but didn’t turn to look at him.

Chu Jiubian paced to the couch opposite Qin Xiao and sat down. Seeing a teacup nearby, he poured some tea for himself and filled Qin Xiao’s empty cup as well before lowering his gaze to the go board. 

Qin Xiao raised his eyes slightly, sweeping his gaze over the black trousers he had changed into. “Want to play?”

Chu Jiubian had learned a bit of everything, but he was really not good at go.

“Let me teach you a new way to play,” he said.

“What is it?”

“Gomoku.” Chu Jiubian reached out and pushed the prepared pieces on the board aside, leaving only five white pieces. “Whoever connects five pieces in a line first wins.”

Qin Xiao understood.

The rules were so simple and clear that a child could comprehend them.

Chu Jiubian then arranged the five pieces horizontally, vertically, and then diagonally before looking up to ask him: “Get it?”

Qin Xiao met his serene eyes and for some reason felt like smiling.

He lowered his eyes to hide the smile in them. “I do now.”

“Then you go first,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao picked up a black piece and placed it in the center of the board. Chu Jiubian immediately placed a piece right next to it.

Qin Xiao then placed another black piece to the side of his white one.

The two black stones blocked the white one in the middle, one on the left and right. Chu Jiubian glanced at the other party and continued playing.

Chu Jiubian was skilled at Gomoku to the point that he didn’t even need to think. He only needed to consider for a maximum of two seconds before placing a piece.

Qin Xiao initially struggled to adapt to his pace, but he gradually caught up, and the speed of his placement increased.

In the game of gomoku, where two players chased and blocked each other, they filled up nearly the entire board.

At last, Chu Jiubian came out one step ahead and connected his pieces.

Qin Xiao just smiled and said, “I lost.”

“You did pretty good,” Chu Jiubian said as he put away the pieces.

He continued half-truthfully: “Back in the immortal realm, there were very few who could beat me.”

Qin Xiao slowly put away some of the pieces, asking: “Are you familiar with any of the gods of legend?”

“The titles of gods are different in the immortal realm than in the mortal world, so I’m not sure.” Chu Jiubian unhesitatingly fabricated a story.

Once one lie was told, countless more lies were needed to cover it up.

Therefore, it was necessary to add some loopholes from the very beginning.

Sure enough, Qin Xiao stopped inquiring after hearing this and asked instead: “Then are there any other gods you’re on good terms with?”

“Yes,” Chu Jiubian replied without hesitation.

His best friend was the High Priest, ah.

Qin Xiao paused, then looked up at him: “Who?”

Chu Jiubian naturally couldn’t tell him the truth. The High Priest couldn’t appear in public yet. The events in the Northern Desert were already quite conspicuous, so it was better to keep a low profile for now.

Plus, Qin Xiao seemed to be testing him today.

Chu Jiubian felt that he likely believed in his identity as a “god,” but was still somewhat hesitant, which was why he was asking him so many questions.

Thus, it was even more important not to discuss the High Priest.

“Is it inconvenient for you to tell me?” Qin Xiao picked up the last black piece and leaned back against the armrest.

Chu Jiubian glanced at his seemingly teasing expression and leaned back against his own armrest: “I can’t tell you right now.”

Qin Xiao toyed with the game piece between his fingers. He looked at him intently for a long moment before tossing the piece back into the box and turning his head to look out the window.

Chu Jiubian looked outside as well.

The outside world was shrouded in a fine mist of drizzle, making the jasmine flowers in the courtyard appear even more fresh and tender.

He abruptly recalled that day in the capital.

It was also a rainy day when he discussed the Imperial Examinations with Qin Xiao. At that time, the other party had stood under the covered walkway with his back to the rain and blooming jasmine, his figure as slender as pine or bamboo.

The mahogany corridor, blooming jasmine, and the person standing within it created a stunningly beautiful scene.

The faint scent of jasmine had clung to both of them, wafting to their noses.

Chu Jiubian shifted his gaze slightly to glance at the person opposite him, and was taken aback when he directly met the man’s eyes.

The crisp sound of the wind chimes and the accompanying gentle patter of rain seemed to stir their emotions.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward, but neither of them moved or looked away, just letting everything unfold freely.

Then, the sound of a subordinate reporting came from outside: “Reporting to the two lords, Lord Jian has sent word that the dam has been completely blocked.”

“Understood,” Qin Xiao replied.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and picked up the tea on the table that had gone cold, taking a couple of sips.

Yesterday, Qin Xiao had personally supervised Jian Hongzhuo’s ship-skuttling project, which had blocked most of the water flow. Shoveling material into it afterward would completely seal the breach.

Jian Hongzhuo then pressed on with his efforts, ordering his men to work through the night, and had finally managed to seal the breach today.

Now that there was no more overflowing floodwater, it was time to focus on drainage.

The floodwater that inundated the villages and farmland would need to be drained by dredging ditches.

However, Jian Hongzhuo and Liu Junqi in Pu County were skilled at such work, and would be able to finish making arrangements in ten days to half a month.

This wasn’t something that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian needed to handle. What they needed to focus on now was restoring the common people’s livelihoods.

“Do you still have use for that agricultural official under your command?” Qin Xiao asked.

He was inquiring about Han Yuandao.

Chu Jiubian nodded: “The task of helping the common people resume crop production can be entrusted to him.”

Once the floodwaters receded, these people who were unwilling to leave their ancestral lands would surely return to their villages, rebuild their homes, and resume farming and living their lives.

However, it would take a lot of effort to plant on land that had been flooded, and the loss of nutrients was a major problem.

Although Qin Xiao was a high-ranking official, he had lived with his family in the Northern Desert region when he was young, and was very knowledgeable about farming.

He had evidently considered the difficulty of clearing the land after the flooding, and said in a serious tone: “It is unknown how long it will take for those previously fertile lands to regain their fertility. If the land is barren, it will be difficult to reap a good harvest even if crops are planted.”

“Then crops that can withstand poor soil should be planted,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao: “You have an idea?”

“I know of a crop called the ‘sweet potato,’” Chu Jiubian said. “It can withstand drought and barren soil, and has an increased yield.”

“That sounds ideal,” Qin Xiao said. “How much is the yield?”

Chu Jiubian said quietly: “Several dozen shi per mu.”^[1]

In fact, sweet potatoes could generally yield 2,000 to 4,000 catties per mu, so Chu Jiubian’s claim of several dozen shi was somewhat lowballing it.

Nowadays, millet and wheat were grown in the northern regions of Great Ning with a yield of only about one shi per mu, but sweet potatoes could reach dozens of shi!

If the common people could all grow this crop, they would no longer suffer from hunger.

“Where should we search for it?” Qin Xiao fixed Chu Jiubian with an intent look.

Chu Jiubian just smiled and said: “No need to search. I’ll give the seedlings to Han Yuandao.”

Having said that, he immediately added: “No need for you to thank me on behalf of the common people. Since I’ve received their worship, it’s only right for me to help them in turn.”

Qin Xiao had heard about the extra grain and cloth in the granary yesterday. The common people all knew that it was the result of the reincarnated deity Chu Jiubian exerting his divine power, and not only did they go to worship him at shrines, but many even went to the magistrate’s residence to kowtow and express their gratitude.

They truly believed that Chu Jiubian was a god, and genuinely loved and revered him.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t figure out Qin Xiao’s thoughts on the matter, so he asked: “Do you still not believe I’m a god?”

He asked purely out of curiosity.

How could this person be so rational? He didn’t believe in the supernatural, so surely he believed in science?

But even in Chu Jiubian’s original era, everyone seemed to have their own little superstitions, and there were very few atheists as steadfast as Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao was naturally not an atheist. He had previously thought that Chu Jiubian and “gods” were entirely different species, but now he understood that there was even diversity among gods.

But he still refused to believe that Chu Jiubian was a “god.”

The gods were too far removed from him.

Worlds apart.

Instead of answering Chu Jiubian’s question, he said: “After the disaster, household registrations need to be verified and the land must be surveyed. Do you have any candidates to recommend?”

“That Lord Song Feng from the Ministry of Revenue is pretty good,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Xiao nodded: “Then he’s it.”

Although this man was a minor official and didn’t seem to have much ambition, he was conscientious in his work and had only his own small family to rely on, so he had no connections with other forces.

“Liu Junqi can also be used,” Chu Jiubian said.

This official from the Ministry of Works was unexpected. Although he was the protégé of Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan, he was on good terms with Wang Qichen, and Chu Jiubian had realized during the past few days that this person was capable of great things.

Or perhaps he should say, Chu Jiubian should give him a promotion by virtue of his connection to Wang Qichen.

Although Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were now allies and generally didn’t work separately, it was still better to be on the safe side and have some of his own people in the court.

Chu Jiubian concealed his selfish motives very well, and Qin Xiao probably didn’t notice. After a moment’s thought, the man nodded and said: “Then have Liu Junqi take charge, with Han Yuandao to assist him.”

Once everything here was done, these two would have made great contributions, and a promotion was inevitable.

Han Yuandao had it easy; the position of Huai County Magistrate would be given to him directly.

If he performed even better, there would be no problem putting him in charge of Hexi Prefecture.

But Liu Junqi was a senior official in the Ministry of Works.

What positions were available for him above that?

A dark glint flashed in Qin Xiao’s eyes.

Chu Jiubian asked: “Do you have any ideas?”

Despite the vagueness of his question, Qin Xiao understood. He said: “Jiannan-wang conspired with Deputy Minister of Works Xiao Wendao to embezzle funds allocated for dam repairs in Hexi Prefecture. This resulted in the dams collapsing and flooding villages and fertile fields. Furthermore, he used his in-law, namely Zhou Boshan, to persecute the common people and commit heinous crimes.”

They both knew that the Xiao family was not at fault for the flooding. They had done many such things before, but at least this time, they were truly innocent victims.

However, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian currently lacked concrete evidence proving that it was Anhuai-wang’s doing, so the Xiao family must take the blame.

And Chu Jiubian felt that there was more to the story than met the eye. The fact that Anhuai-wang could be extracted by the System showed that he must not be a villain who was only interested in profit and disregarded the lives of the common people.

Therefore, the real mastermind must be someone else, and even Anhuai-wang himself was part of their scheme.

Qin Xiao wasn’t sure of the situation with Anhuai-wang, but chose not to take action against him. Besides the lack of evidence, there was one more crucial reason.

This matter presented the most opportune moment to suppress the Xiao family.

Of the various factions in the capital, they were the most powerful, so suppressing them first was the best result.

Everyone knew that this was a golden opportunity, so even if Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian did nothing, other forces would also try to crush the Xiao family to death.

The Wang family should have already ordered those great Confucian scholars to criticize the Xiao family for “harming the common people,” and under such instigation, the Xiao family’s reputation among the common people would surely plummet.

And that wasn’t all. As of now, they couldn’t even hold onto Hexi Prefecture.

The officials of Hexi Prefecture who had previously been demoted had now been given promotions. All of them were handpicked by Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, and were entirely loyal to them and to the Imperial Court.

In addition, these people were all fearful of Chu Jiubian’s divine status, and were unlikely to dare betray them.

Thus, Hexi Prefecture now truly belonged to the Imperial Court.

The Xiao family’s losses didn’t stop there. Their greatest advantage was Jiannan-wang, who remained in the capital and was eyeing the city with predatory intent. He had previously been proud of his achievements, but those same achievements had now become sharp blades aimed at his person.

The public support garnered from the matter of the dam would now backfire many times over.

Deputy Minister of Works Xiao Wendao, who was particularly active in court, would also be implicated in this mess. The Xiao family was certain to protect him at all costs, but a demotion and salary reduction was inevitable.

After such a grand show of force, given how Xiao Yao operated, he would surely keep the Xiao family silent for a long time to come.

As time passed, the common people’s memory of this event would fade. Then, if they were able to find something beneficial to do for the people, their reputation would be restored.

As for Xiao Wendao, with Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan around, there would naturally be plenty of ways to promote him again.

However, as the Deputy Minister of Personnel, Chu Jiubian certainly wouldn’t make it easy for him.

But that was all in the future. Ultimately, the Xiao family was bound to be weakened by this disaster.

“Since Xiao Wendao’s position as Deputy Minister of Works will be vacant, let’s give it to someone capable,” said Qin Xiao.

That was exactly Chu Jiubian’s intention.

With Liu Junqi promoted to Deputy Minister of Works, coupled with Minister of Works Jian Hongzhuo, the entire Ministry of Works was practically in the hands of the Imperial Court.

The Xiao family had previously controlled both the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works, but now that they had lost one, they only had the Ministry of Personnel in their hands.

Much to their misfortune, the Ministry of Personnel was hampered by Chu Jiubian, which greatly diminished the Xiao family’s influence in the court.

But at the same time, with Liu Junqi taking over, the Wang family might become slightly more powerful. However, Liu Junqi was not the type of person who would abuse his power for personal gain, so even if the Wang family did gain more power, it wouldn’t be a great amount.

Qin Xiao said abruptly: “When we get back, let’s spread the word about the upcoming Imperial Examinations.”

From the dissemination of information, to rounds of selection, and finally to recruiting, the process would take at least several months, so it was best to get started as soon as possible.

“Okay,” said Chu Jiubian.

He knew that Qin Xiao wanted to take advantage of the Xiao family’s suppression to propose the Imperial Examinations. This would make the court’s position more dominant and put greater pressure on those powerful families.

As matters stood, everything had been arranged in Hexi Prefecture.

And even after returning to the capital, they had a plan for what to do next.

There was no reason for them to stay here any longer. Qin Xiao ordered someone to pack their belongings and summon Han Yuandao, as he and Chu Jiubian would set off for the capital today.

The two of them left the couch and went outside.

They stood under the covered walkway and listened to the rain, and before long, Han Yuandao arrived.

Qin Xiao then explained to him everything that needed to be done.

Han Yuandao had never imagined that one day he would hold such power, but although he was nervous, he was not cowed by the prospect. He knelt down and kowtowed deferentially, saying: “This subordinate will meticulously register the households of all of the refugees and survey the land. What belongs to the common people will continue to belong to the common people.”

These words were quite profound, and both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were pleased with the other party’s intelligence.

After he left, Chu Jiubian looked at Qin Xiao and said: “You want to do something with the land.”

Qin Xiao just smiled: “This lord does enjoy talking to a certain intelligent person.”

Chu Jiubian smiled back at him, then let out a light sigh.

“This matter really needs careful planning.”

Qin Xiao intended to change the land system, which was something Chu Jiubian wanted as well.

The major assets that allowed the wealthy and powerful families to grow increasingly stronger were twofold: land and people.

They had a numerical advantage and many capable talents, but once the Imperial Examinations and the Imperial Academy were established, the advantage would shift to the Imperial Court.

Which had more people — a single family or all of Great Ning?

Wasn’t it obvious?

Next came the land.

The great families abused the power of local officials to open doors for themselves, annex land, conceal properties, and shift taxes to the citizens, which benefited neither the Imperial Court nor the common people – only themselves.

They were only able to do this because there were problems with the land and taxation systems in Great Ning.

Therefore, if they wanted to continue to suppress the great families at their roots, they needed to start with the land and taxation systems.

Qin Xiao had long harbored ideas for reform, but due to Emperor Yingzong’s vigilance against the Qin family’s power, he was unable to do anything drastic, and couldn’t even serve as an official in the court.

Now that he had come to power, these things could be done little by little.

As the subordinates packing their luggage bustled in and out, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian stood under the covered walkway, their two upright figures like pine trees or sharp, unsheathed blades, pointed toward the capital.

It was the 24th day of the seventh month, the first year of Jingrui.

That evening, Ning-wang Qin Xiao and Grand Tutor Chu Jiubian finished their disaster relief work and set off for the capital.

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[1] A mu (亩) is a unit of land that equals about 1/6 of an acre. A shi (石) or ‘stone’ varies according to dynasty, but we’ll go with the Song amount of 60 kg. ⮐

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Chapter 48 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 50

Ch. 71 – Touching Porcelain

He couldn’t fly into the sky. If he did, the whole sky would go dark, and with his wings spread, no sunlight would be able to filter through.

Not only would Feng Ye notice, but the entirety of North Sea City and all of the spirits and cultivators on the island would notice that the Lord of the North Sea had come down to the mortal world in person.

Therefore, although he was so elated that he wanted to fly up and twirl around, Hao Chen could only suppress his nature.

He also didn’t dare smile too obviously, for fear that Feng Ye would get suspicious. But no matter how hard he tried, the lips he had finally managed to lower would rise up the moment he relaxed his vigilance. He was unable to control it.

Feng Ye secretly watched Hao Chen’s expression, noting the pride he was trying hard to suppress. Seeing him like this made him want to laugh.

In order to prevent Hao Chen from figuring out how much he knew, Feng Ye also did his utmost to suppress his own smile. For a while, both of them had a hard time holding it in.

After walking for some time in this mutually torturous manner, Feng Ye felt that this wasn’t working. The muscles at the corners of his mouth were stiff from trying to hold in his smile.

He wanted to smile each time he looked at Hao Chen, so he had to find something else to divert his attention.

With this in mind, Feng Ye’s gaze began to drift toward the vendors they passed by along the way.

The vendors were mostly selling common things, such as magic tools and elixirs. Although they were valuable, they were no different from weeds in Feng Ye’s eyes. Thus, they were not a good distraction from Hao Chen’s expression and his own laughter.

Just as he was in a bind, Feng Ye’s eyes lit up. He had actually spotted something rather special.

Hao Chen likely had the same idea as Feng Ye, searching for something to divert his attention, and his gaze landed on the same thing as Feng Ye.

Without even looking at each other, the two of them simultaneously walked toward the same stall.

Numerous people had already gathered there. The stall owner wore brown robes and was somewhat short, even a head shorter than Fang Yang, a teenager who had yet to fully develop.

The stall owner’s face was also hidden beneath the hood of their robe. Due to his height advantage, nobody there could get a clear look at it.

The crowd’s attention was not on the stall owner’s appearance, but on what he was selling – a bronze token.

“A God-Summoning Token,” Feng Ye murmured as he stared at the description on the token.

The stall owner heard this and immediately responded: “This fellow has good eyesight! This is a God-Summoning Token!”

As he said this, he immediately put his hands on his hips with a proud ‘my token is very impressive’ expression.

The short shopkeeper had short arms, and the way he put his hands on his hips wasn’t very proportional, with an upward tilt.

But nobody noticed. Everyone in the crowd was engaged in discussion.

“God-Summoning Token?” Most people knew nothing about such a thing, and were puzzled when they heard its name.

But since it had the word ‘god’ in it, it must be very powerful.

Gods remained in heaven and rarely appeared in front of mortals, but every god in the myths and legends had the power to turn the rivers and seas upside down.

Yinglong, who had appeared one hundred years ago, had confirmed everyone’s guesses about the power gods held. Their power was indeed unmatched.

Then what was so magical about this God-Summoning Token?

The stall owner kept everyone in suspense before finally revealing the answer: “As the name suggests, the God-Summoning Token can transcend the boundary between heaven and man and directly call upon the gods.”

The entire audience erupted.

“Call upon the gods? Seriously?!” Someone immediately asked in disbelief. How could this token actually summon the legendary gods so high above? 

“Seriously!” The stall owner said with a nod, adding: “As long as you use this token, you can communicate directly with the gods in heaven, and if a god allows it, this token can be used as a medium to temporarily imbue you with their divine power.”

“Simply put, this means a god will descend, and you will become an earthly incarnation of that god. Splitting the rivers and seas and breaking mountains will be no problem for you!”

“Its effect is more powerful than any heaven-grade magic weapon. Think about it, this token summons an actual god from heaven. How strong is a god? You must have heard about the incident above the Eastern Sea one hundred years ago, right?” The stall owner asked the crowd.

Everyone nodded in understanding. Although no one dared to mention Yinglong’s name, the incident was no secret. Only those like Fang Yang, who had just entered the world of cultivation and had no common knowledge, didn’t know about it.

It only took one swing of Yinglong’s sword to cut the towering tree in half at the waist. The hardness of Jianmu had been tested by Nascent Soul cultivators. Even when a Nascent Soul cultivator swung a sword with all their strength, it could at most scratch Jianmu’s bark, but it was far from possible for them to cut it in half.

But Yinglong had only needed one strike. The power discrepancy was self-evident.

If the stall owner’s words were true, this token could summon a god from heaven. Even if the one summoned wasn’t on Yinglong’s level, any god’s power must be far above that of human beings.

The value of this God-Summoning Token was somewhat difficult to estimate. Judging from its ability alone, its price must be above that of a heaven-grade magic weapon. Sky-high priced magic weapons had always been in short supply, but once they were on sale, they could go for hundreds of thousands of spirit stones.

All of the cultivators crowded in front of the stall combined might not be able to buy a fraction of a heaven-grade magic weapon, let alone such a God-Summoning Token.

So although this magic tool was good, no one immediately asked for it. They only hesitated and requested the price: “This God-Summoning Token…..I’m afraid it can’t be cheap, right?”

This was North Sea City, and its backer was also a god in heaven. If someone dared to steal here, even if they obtained the God-Summoning Token, it was likely that no god would answer their call.

Therefore, everyone behaved themselves. Although they were very greedy, they had no intention of employing illegal means.

Some people realized that they couldn’t afford it even if they took out all their savings, so with a shake of their heads, they prepared to leave.

The stall owner realized that he had exaggerated too much, and quickly tried to persuade them to stay: “It’s not that expensive.”

Everyone’s greedy expression transformed into suspicion in an instant. It would be normal if the price was high, but abnormal if it wasn’t.

Unless this stall owner was just full of nonsense, and the God-Summoning Token wasn’t magical at all.

When he saw everyone looking at him as if he was selling counterfeit goods, the vendor defended himself: “However, this God-Summoning Token also has its drawbacks. It can only be used one time, and although a god will hear your request, whether or not they will respond to you depends on their mood. If they aren’t in a good mood at the time, your request will be in vain.”

Everyone wore looks of sudden realization. So that was how it worked. Then this God-Summoning Token was not actually that valuable. In the end, it was unreliable and required a great amount of luck.

“Then how much are you selling it for?” someone asked directly.

The stall owner crossed his short arms and thought for a moment before offering a bargain price that everyone thought was a steal: “One thousand spirit stones.”

“I want it!” As soon as the stall owner finished speaking, five or six different voices sounded at the same time.

Only one thousand spirit stones. For a poor wretch like Feng Ye, this was indeed a huge sum of money that he couldn’t even manifest if he emptied out his storage bag. But for most of the cultivators who had returned from the Floating Island Secret Realm, it was nothing special.

Everyone had gained a lot on the outing to the secret realm, and one thousand spirit stones wasn’t even the average among them.

Although the God-Summoning Token was unreliable, if you were lucky, it could be a powerful weapon. Buying such a token for one thousand spirit stones was a guaranteed profit.

As a result, a scramble ensued. To prevent the stall owner from selling the God-Summoning Token to someone else in the crowd, people readily raised the price: “I’ll pay 1,100!”

“1,200!”

“1,500!”

“2,000!”

There was a short pause, but then the price continued to rise. Even if this God-Summoning Token was sold for 10,000 spirit stones, it would not be a loss.

The stall owner beheld this greedy scene and rubbed his short hands rejoicefully.

However, among the bidding crowd, two people remained unmoved.

What a bunch of idiots, Hao Chen thought with contempt as he watched this farce unfold.

Feng Ye also scoffed, laughing as he shook his head.

Hao Chen had only thought this to himself without making any sort of gesture, but Feng Ye’s scoff was too obvious, and aroused the dissatisfaction of those around him: “This…..simply-dressed Fellow Daoist, what do you mean by laughing?”

It was evident that although the person asking this question was discontent, he was very educated. He could even go against his conscience and call Feng Ye’s tattered robes “simply-dressed.”

Feng Ye informed him with good intentions: “I was just laughing at this black-hearted, unscrupulous profiteer trying to scam you out of your money.”

The moment these words were spoken, the crowd vying for bids quieted down.

Before anyone could inquire further, the stall owner jumped up and pointed at Feng Ye’s nose with his short hand: “You’re talking nonsense! I’m not a profiteer! I’m not a scammer!”

Unexpectedly, Feng Ye agreed with a nod: “You really didn’t lie.”

Just as everyone was confused, Feng Ye changed the direction of conversation: “You just didn’t tell the whole story. It can’t really be considered a lie, just concealing part of the truth at most.”

The stall owner’s heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he realized that this human probably knew what he was talking about.

“Everyone.” Feng Ye suddenly bent down and picked the token up off the ground. The stall owner moved to stop him, but regrettably, his short hands were not as fast as Feng Ye’s.

Having successfully obtained the token, Feng Ye turned around and held it up to the crowd, saying: “The God-Summoning Token is indeed as he says. It can communicate directly with the gods, and can also serve as a medium, allowing a god to temporarily lend their divine power. However…..”

Feng Ye raised his hand high, showing it to everyone while dodging the stall owner who was jumping up and down trying to grab the token: “There are actually two kinds of God-Summoning Tokens, one with the name of a god written on it, and one without.”

“Although the total number of gods in the heavens is not large, it isn’t small either. A token without a name written on it is like a message in a bottle thrown into the ocean, hoping that a god will pick it up in a stroke of good luck. The chances of this are so slim that they are almost negligible.”

“And the other type of God-Summoning Token with a name written on it is just as he said, a true medium for communicating with a god, but only the one whose name is on the token. Of course, whether or not that god responds to you does depend on the god’s mood.” As Feng Ye spoke, he looked at the stall owner hopping up and down in vain due to his height disadvantage.

Feng Ye continued: “The name of a god, the title bestowed upon them, contains a certain power. Some gods are capable of warding off evil spirits, and even demons dare not approach when their names are recited aloud.”

“But writing this name, especially on this token, is bound to be extremely difficult. Even in the heavens, only a small number of priests are capable of it. The tokens they write on would only contain the characters for the god they worship, and they wouldn’t sell them off casually. They are only used in offerings and rituals, or when the survival of a civilization is at stake. Any other time, they wouldn’t dare disturb their god’s peace.”

“And this one.” Feng Ye shook the token in his hand. “This is the type without a name that I mentioned. The chances of a god hearing your request through this token is about the same as if you were to go to any random temple and pray.”

So that was the case. When everyone suddenly realized what was going on, they could only shout at the stall owner: “Swindler!”

“Fraud!”

“I almost fell for your trick!”

While cursing, everyone angrily flicked their sleeves and left. In the blink of an eye, the originally crowded stall was completely empty.

Feng Ye alone remained standing there, because the token was still in his hand. The stall owner refused to give up, and continued to jump up and down on his short legs to reach it.

Hao Chen stayed as well. Since Feng Ye hadn’t left, he certainly wouldn’t either.

He had watched as Feng Ye exposed the true face of this unscrupulous profiteer. In fact, he already knew everything Feng Ye said. It was all common sense in the heavenly realm.

He also wasn’t surprised that Feng Ye knew the different types of God-Summoning Tokens. After all, he had always suspected that Feng Ye originated in heaven.

This stall owner was simply trying to deceive these humans who had never been to heaven and had limited knowledge.

Even though he knew all of this, Hao Chen had no intention of stepping forward to point it out, and watched the show contentedly while waving his mini fan.

Now that the people had left, taking their enthusiasm with them, the unscrupulous stall owner could no longer perform his act, and naturally couldn’t sell his token.

Tired of hopping around, he stood there and caught his breath. Only then did he realize that all of his customers had left, and he couldn’t help but fly into an embarrassed rage. Although he couldn’t reach the token in Feng Ye’s hand, he could reach Feng Ye’s leg.

So he hugged Feng Ye’s leg and said unreasonably: “You must compensate me with spirit stones!”

Hao Chen covered his lips with the mini fan to hide his smile. He had no intention of stepping forward to help. Feng Ye could handle such a small matter, so he simply watched the show with peace of mind.

Indeed, Feng Ye really didn’t need his help. Seeing that the stall owner was clinging onto him relentlessly, he raised his eyebrows and said: “Touching porcelain?”

The stall owner said rudely: “So what? Don’t force me to take drastic measures! If you’re scared, just pay up!”

“Mediocre performance,” Feng Ye replied with a chuckle. “I was really afraid you wouldn’t make trouble for me.”

Otherwise, he would have no reason to take action, ah.

The moment Feng Ye finished speaking, the leg the stall owner was clutching lifted up and gave him a light kick.

The stall owner was kicked backwards. Unable to maintain his balance, his body swayed for a long moment before falling to the ground.

And when he fell to the ground, he broke in half.

“Ouch!”

“Ouch!”

Two overlapping cries of pain were heard.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen then realized that not only was this stall owner short, he had very short limbs unlike the proportions of a normal person.

And it turned out that this stall owner was not a human being at all, but two sea otters stacked half a meter tall to resemble a human.

The moment they fell to the ground, their robes fell off and revealed their true appearances.

The size of these monsters was slightly larger than those of ordinary animals. Feng Ye calculated the sizes of the sea otters rolling around on the ground and concluded that they were probably still juveniles.

Although these two had started it by selling fake goods first, guilt arose in Feng Ye out of nowhere. It felt as if he was picking on children.

So he didn’t take further action.

However, Feng Ye may have been content to let it go, but the sea otters were not. Seeing that their identities had been exposed when they fell, the otter who had been silent joined the battle in support of the other: “Don’t even think about leaving if you don’t pay up today!”

Reasoning with them was useless, and beating them wasn’t a good idea either, so Feng Ye decided to mainly rely on intimidation. He rolled up his sleeves to reveal his muscular forearms, crossing them over his chest as he looked down at the two otters from above.

When humans rolled up their sleeves, it was usually a prelude to a fight. The two sea otters also understood this. They tilted their heads up at Feng Ye’s large body. Compared to their half-meter height, every human was big and strong.

The two of them stacked together barely reached Feng Ye’s waist. After comparing their levels of strength, the two sea otters realized their deficits at once and could only hug each other, trembling. However, despite their trembling, the two sea otters did not succumb to the dark forces of mankind.

This was North Sea City, their territory! So they hugged each other and shouted at the top of their lungs: “Help, ah! Someone is robbing us in broad daylight!”

Feng Ye: “…..”

These two naughty kids. Feng Ye looked at them with a frown. They were obviously scared enough to be shaking and hugging each other, yet they decided to stay and distort the facts.

Feng Ye faced gazes all around him from those whose attention was drawn by the sea otters’ cries for help. He had clearly done nothing wrong, so why did he feel as if he had inexplicably become the villain?

Feng Ye needed a witness to prove his innocence, and his thoughts naturally moved to Hao Chen. But when he turned around, he found Hao Chen holding his fan to hide his laughter, with no intention of stepping forward to help.

Feng Ye: “…..” He knew this fish was unreliable.

He looked down again at the two sea otters before him, who were still howling. Everyone from the North Sea was of the same ilk, with the same inherited dark poison in their bellies! Feng Ye harbored great prejudice against the North Sea in his heart.

He didn’t know if it was because the security in North Sea City was really that good, but the two sea otters only shouted five or six times before a group of crabs identical to Crab Eighteen made their way over.

This time, there were no guide crabs. These ones were holding weapons.

The crowd of onlookers consciously made way for the Crab troops. In North Sea City, anyone but the crab clan could be provoked, so they all acted sensibly.

The crab troops approached Feng Ye and the stall unimpeded. The sea otters complained to the lead crab: “Old Crab Nine, this human is bullying us!”

Old Crab Nine? Feng Ye looked this Old Crab Nine up and down, and was unable to tell the difference between it and Crab Eighteen. How could these two sea otters tell them apart?

While Feng Ye was internally muttering to himself, the eyes on top of Old Crab Nine’s head were observing him. But he didn’t observe him for long. Perhaps a crab’s vision was different from a human’s due to their different eye structures.

The two sea otters were clearly pointing at Feng Ye, but when he heard their complaint, Old Crab Nine waved his claws and said: “Seize him!”

Then, he took Hao Chen away.

Hao Chen: “? ? ?” Wasn’t he just an innocent bystander?

Due to his shock, he even forgot to resist as he was taken away by the crab troops.

Feng Ye and the two sea otters stood there, staring at the backs of the crab troops: “…..”

The otters wore twin expressions of bewilderment. 

Such was their confusion that they even forgot about the dispute between the two parties and just stood there, watching as the wrongly-accused Hao Chen was taken away.

---

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Chapter 70 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 72

Ch 12 – A Very Rebellious Space Pirate

Yu Xi was a little excited. It had been a long time since he’d had such a close encounter with conflict between humans.

Kersz was quite savvy, and asked Yu Xi for a pair of handcuffs. When the device was placed on Tau’s wrists, a semi-transparent halo popped out and tightly bound Tau’s body.

After a brief moment of surprise, Kersz found a rope and tied one end to Tau’s wrist, then handed the other end to Yu Xi.

Yu Xi didn’t understand at first, but then Kersz explained.

Kersz had other things to take care of, so he asked Yu Xi to wait around for a while. If he got bored, he could just play with the human.

“Is your father really the Supreme Governor?” Yu Xi asked him. “Hey, it seems you have six coalitions now. Which one is your father the Supreme Governor of?”

“The Starfield Alliance,” Kersz replied as he searched through some files. “The biggest stick in the mud among the six coalitions.”

The Starfield Alliance? Was that where Kersz had worked as a miner?

In Yu Xi’s chats with Kersz, he’d said that the Starfield Alliance had the largest number of planets under its control, and was the first interstellar coalition established by mankind after leaving their home planet. It was also in possession of the most resources.

They considered themselves to be the inheritors of human civilization, and displayed in their homes genuine artifacts from their mother planet, indicating that their families were already among the nobility back then.

Their culture had not integrated with any other alien races. They represented humanity’s pride.

Kersz kept his own past shrouded in secrecy, and only noted a few vague turning points in his life.

Yu Xi felt that he probably wouldn’t get much out of Tau by asking about his family background, considering how apprehensive he was right now. “Hey, then are you familiar with Kersz?”

Tau was caught off guard, and Kersz glanced back at Yu Xi.

Tau remained silent.

“What kind of person was he as a child, ah?” Yu Xi proceeded to ask, ignoring his silence.

Kersz said nothing. He located the optical computer he needed and clicked through it in search of something.

“Since you’ve been his friend for so long, you must know something.” Yu Xi wouldn’t mistreat one of his hard-won humans, and held the rope as he found a chair for him to sit in.

“Was he particularly mischievous as a child?” Yu Xi pressed.

Tau was still analyzing the situation. He had absolutely no idea who Yu Xi was or which faction he belonged to. When dealing with such a mysterious person, caution was paramount.

He didn’t know when Kersz had guessed his identity. Kersz was a madman, and was capable of anything when pushed too far.

“Are you still in shock?” Yu Xi asked.

While observing Kersz’s reaction, Tau warily responded to Yu Xi: “I met Kersz after he became a space pirate.”

Yu Xi felt that this was a crooked human: “Isn’t your father the Supreme Governor? You’re a spy, and you must have investigated Kersz before you began spying on him.”

Tau: …..

Yu Xi continued: “Where is he from, ah?”

“You can ask Kersz.” Tau didn’t want to answer Yu Xi’s questions anymore.

“If he were willing to tell me, would I be asking you?” Yu Xi asked in return. He could hack into the system here and find out more about Kersz, but he felt that he should show more respect.

Humans valued privacy very much.

Seeing that Tau didn’t seem inclined to reveal the details of Kersz’s identity, Yu Xi then asked: “How old is your dad? How many children does he have? Who is your mom? Since humanity has advanced into space, do people still have to give birth themselves?”

Yu Xi suddenly grasped a key point.

According to his understanding of the ancient humans, humanity should have solved the issue of procreation before venturing into interstellar space. And under such circumstances, how could an “illegitimate child” come about?

“You don’t know these things?” Tau was somewhat perplexed. Why was this person acting like he didn’t understand the workings of society at all?

“Yu Xi, what do you think illegitimate children are?” Kersz asked with some curiosity.

“As I understand it, this term refers to children born out of wedlock, products of extramarital affairs, and in general, children conceived through infidelity,” said Yu Xi.

Kersz responded with an “oh.” He didn’t know much about the distant past – perhaps the term “illegitimate child” once meant such a thing in their language, but it definitely didn’t now.

“An illegitimate child, or just ‘Illegitimate,’ as we call them, isn’t necessarily a product of infidelity, but they are still considered to be children born outside of marriage, or rather, outside of the law,” Kersz said.

Tau may not carry the Supreme Governor’s genes, but he was indeed the man’s “child.”

Human pregnancy was not permitted in this era, as it was deemed an unnecessary risk.

Once a human reached sexual maturity, the medical system often preserved their “genetic vectors,” so that they had the option of using them to create a child in the future.

If the owners of these genetic vectors were to pass away, the genetic vectors would be destroyed.

“But some of them might not necessarily be destroyed. Some people abuse their power to “consume” the genetic vectors that should be disposed of, creating extra children,” said Kersz. “Every legal child will have their entire embryonic development recorded in detail in the Alliance’s system, and are given a unique code at the moment of birth.”

“Even though I’ve become a space pirate, my code can still be traced.” Kersz turned to look at Tau. “But his can’t.”

Yu Xi’s eyes lit up: “He’s an unregistered person?”

Tau didn’t understand what Yu Xi was so excited about.

“He’s unregistered,” Kersz agreed with a hum.

Tau: …..

Tau: “…..Kersz.”

“What?” Kersz replied casually. “Are you going to beg for mercy now? Isn’t it a bit too late? Your reaction time is too long. Did you never get a neurological exam when you were a child?”

Tau’s voice shook: “He’s touching my face.”

Yu Xi was stroking Tau’s face in circles.

Kersz turned away again, and Yu Xi sniffed lightly next to Tau’s face.

“So, the purpose of creating these Illegitimates is to use them as frontmen?” Yu Xi was very perceptive.

What was the purpose of having an illegitimate child whose origins couldn’t be traced? Naturally, it was to have them do what you couldn’t do yourself.

Tau’s biological parents should have already passed away. Yu Xi didn’t believe that he shared half of the Supreme Governor’s blood, because once that connection was discovered, the Supreme Governor’s past deeds would no longer be concealed.

The Supreme Governor, this “father,” was more like a boss. A boss who was impossible to get rid of.

“Correct, they’re used as frontmen. For example, Tau volunteered to travel to a remote planet at the risk of his life, just to get close to me and manipulate me into becoming the Supreme Governor’s weapon against anyone who gets in his way.”

Yu Xi understood: “You were used? Did you kill someone?”

“Those people did commit atrocities, and they deserved to die.” Kersz was quite certain that he had thoroughly investigated the backgrounds of those targets, and it was precisely because of this that he didn’t dwell on it.

The Supreme Governor had even secretly done him a favor.

“The Supreme Governor deserves death too,” said Kersz. “He has no few sins to his name.”

Yu Xi: “…..What do you plan to do next?”

“Be your first beloved human and compete with Tau for your affections,” Kersz said.

Yu Xi: “Nonsense! You want to kill the Supreme Governor!”

Kersz added: “And then come back and compete with Tau for your affections.” He shut down the terminal. 

“Okay, Mr. Yu. We should get out of here ASAP.” 

Yu Xi gasped: “What did you just do?”

“Sent a message to the Supreme Governor informing him that his life is in danger,” Kersz explained.

“You?! You should recall my warning that if you cause trouble for me, I’ll get rid of you!” Yu Xi was a little angry. “I don’t want to be hunted down alongside you!”

“Please don’t kill me.” Kersz’s face crumpled pitifully.

Yu Xi grabbed something and threw it at Kersz.

Kersz was unable to dodge, and was hit squarely on the nose by Tau’s head. Both of them cried out and fell to the floor together.

Kersz tried to explain, but Yu Xi handcuffed him as well, then returned the way they had come with one of them under each arm.

People saw them on the street, but nobody came to intercept them.

Yu Xi put a hood on Tau, but didn’t cover Kersz’s face. He wanted Kersz to know shame.

Guards were present at the spaceport here, but since this third-class planet was not under the jurisdiction of any of the six coalitions, the guards here were merely private soldiers kept by the largest power in the region.

One of them asked Yu Xi about the two people in his arms, but before he could say anything, Kersz chimed in: “We’re playing a game. The one carrying me is my master.”

Tau wriggled a couple of times, and Kersz clicked his tongue: “Fine, he’s our master.”

The guard: …..

The guard’s face twisted up.

Kersz, however, persisted: “But I’ve known Master longer. That guy over there is new, and I don’t think he’s passed the probation period yet.”

Yu Xi’s complexion improved.

The guard instructed Yu Xi to remove the covering from Tau’s head, and Yu Xi did so.

Tau’s appearance had also been modified.

Yu Xi then handed over all three of their wrists, and the system beeped, confirming their identities.

Tau’s eyes flared wide.

He wasn’t surprised that some of the restrictions on him could be partially lifted, but he was surprised that his identity card could pass inspection.

He naturally knew that there were people who could forge identity cards, but he was also very clear that Yu Xi hadn’t done anything, at least not in front of him. So how was his personal wristpad able to pass inspection?

When had Yu Xi changed his identity card?

How did he possess such advanced technology?

Tau glanced at Kersz, the fellow captive opposite him. Although he said nothing, he was wracking his brains to figure out which camp Yu Xi belonged to.

Upon returning to the starship, Yu Xi dropped Kersz first.

“Oh~ Don’t you think this is a little too cruel to me?” Kersz asked from where he was sprawled on the ground.

“You’re just a sweet-talking bad boy! You’re always coming up with things to get me in trouble.” Yu Xi gritted his teeth and set Tau on a chair. “Now I have a new human.”

Kersz: “I’m going to cry.”

Tau didn’t understand what game they were playing: “I will not betray my father. Either kill me now, or you will regret it later.”

Yu Xi: ?

Why was this human suddenly being so aggressive?

Yu Xi took a step back and looked at Kersz, who was faking tears on the ground: “Baby~”

Kersz immediately understood: “Master?”

Yu Xi looked at Tau again: “If you don’t obey, I’ll let him out to eliminate your father.”

Tau: ?!

Yu Xi then asked Kersz: “You can do it, right?”

Kersz laughed heartily: “Woof~”

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Chapter 11 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 13

Anhuai-wang’s palace was located in Henan, in the capital city of Jiyang Prefecture.

It had been built on the same street as the subordinate government offices – that was, the “mini-court” of the entire Henan region.

It was the evening of the 19th.

Dark clouds shrouded the city, and the rain, which had stopped for half a day, showed signs of falling again.

A soldier on horseback galloped all the way from outside the Jiyang Prefecture capital city, stopping only once he reached the gates of the palace.

A servant boy stepped forward to take the reins, and the soldier quickly entered the manor and proceeded toward the main council hall.

Upon seeing the main courtyard steward, he took a letter from his pocket and handed it over.

The steward accepted the letter, then turned and entered the courtyard.

Inside the main room, a fresh-faced youth sat at the head of the table. He wore long robes in dark blue and white, and his high ponytail was fixed in place by a jade guan.

To his right sat an older man well past fifty, sporting a long white beard.

Directly opposite the old man was a man in his thirties. With a broad face and a square jaw, he wore a dignified, solemn expression, and carried the aura of death unique to military commanders.

“Xiansheng.” The youth looked at the older man and said in a gentle voice, “If Ning-wang doesn’t agree to our conditions, are we really going to withhold the grain?”

“Do not worry, Your Highness,” said the old man, Strategist Jiang Yongshou. “Hexi Prefecture is short of food and supplies, and our conditions are not unreasonable. Ning-wang has no reason to refuse.”

“But what if he does?” Anhuai-wang Bai Liming frowned slightly. “There are so many common people. We can’t just watch them starve to death.”

“Please relax, the reply from Hexi Prefecture should arrive soon.”

After saying this, Jiang Yongshou sent a surreptitious glance toward the military officer.

He Zhen was the commander of 30,000 Henan troops, and also the protégé of the old prince.

However, the old prince had been in poor health since childhood and passed away two years ago, which was why his only son, Bai Liming, inherited his title at only eighteen years old.

Jiang Yongshou and He Zhen had followed the old prince before he came to his fiefdom. One a civil official and one a military officer, they worked together along the way.

Before his death, the old prince entrusted the care of Bai Liming to these two men, and at present, decisions on all matters big and small regarding the fiefdom were made after discussion between the three of them.

Bai Liming wasn’t a particularly intelligent person, but he wasn’t a fool either – he was just an ordinary child.

After the old prince passed away, the old princess had doted on her son even more, which caused Bai Liming to develop a somewhat weak personality.

Such a person was incapable of being a wise ruler, nor could he effectively manage a fiefdom.

But for Jiang Yongshou and He Zhen, such a master was absolutely perfect.

The other party was extremely dependent on them, and heeded them both very well.

And no matter what decisions they made, Bai Liming would obediently agree.

But as a result, Bai Liming became increasingly indecisive, while the statuses of these two civil and military officials rose accordingly, thus making them the true decision-makers in Henan.

Anhuai-wang’s fiefdom was the true embodiment of “using a figurehead to control the government.”

If Jiang Yongshou and He Zhen weren’t in contention with one another, Bai Liming might not even have the courage to offer his own suggestions.

This arrangement was likely the last bit of protection the old prince left for his only son.

Outside, the steward knocked on the door.

Upon receiving permission, he took the letter given to him by the soldier and went inside, handing it to Bai Liming.

Bai Liming opened it immediately.

He glanced over the contents and breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face as he said, “That’s great.”

“What does it say?” Jiang Yongshou asked urgently. “Has Ning-wang agreed to our conditions?”

He Zhen’s expression changed slightly, and he took a couple of steps to Bai Liming’s side.

Bai Liming handed him the letter, then turned to Jiang Yongshou with a smile: “Ning-wang said he has enough grain, so we don’t need to send any more.”

Bai Liming was genuinely happy. This way, the common people of Hexi Prefecture wouldn’t starve to death, and he himself wouldn’t have to seize Hexi Prefecture.

Regarding the exchange for Hexi Prefecture this time, Jiang Yongshou and He Zhen, who were usually at odds, actually agreed with each other.

They harbored ambition in their hearts, and were unwilling to remain as obscure strategists and commanders in this fiefdom.

Bai Liming didn’t know how to refuse them, but he really didn’t want to do any of this pointless work. He didn’t want to fight for this or that – he just wanted to live a peaceful, carefree life in his own little secluded corner of the world.

Anhuai-wang was worried.

His father’s dying words to him were that he should not get involved in politics, but simply stay in his fiefdom and live a peaceful life.

The old prince knew his son very well, and he also knew those brothers who were eyeing him covetously.

Therefore, he didn’t stop saying this to Bai Liming until the moment he died, and passed away with his eyes wide open.

“He has grain?” Jiang Yongshou’s expression changed, and he got up and walked to He Zhen’s side, where they read the letter together.

There were just two short sentences: [Hexi Prefecture has sufficient grain. There is no need for Anhuai-wang to trouble himself.]

The handwriting and tone clearly indicated that it had been written by Qin Xiao himself.

While Bai Liming was relieved, the other two looked increasingly grim.

Qin Xiao was clearly mocking them!

Jiang Yongshou shut his eyes, his brow furrowed tightly.

He Zhen didn’t even bother to pretend as he crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it at his feet. Then, with a flick of his sleeves, he stepped right over the crumpled paper and out the door.

At the sight of his anger, Bai Liming immediately grew flustered and didn’t dare reveal his joy so openly anymore.

He sent Jiang Yongshou a cautious look.

The old man stroked his beard, and when he looked at Bai Liming again, his brow was no longer furrowed. He even donned a gentle smile and said: “Your Highness is right. It is a good thing that Hexi Prefecture has grain.”

Bai Liming’s tense nerves relaxed all at once, and he said: “Xiansheng thinks so too?”

“How wonderful it is that the common people will have enough to eat,” Jiang Yongshou said. “It is getting late, please go and have your dinner, Your Highness. This official will take his leave now.”

Although he was a strategist, he had his own residence outside the palace, which the old prince had prepared for him when he was still alive.

Jiang Yongshou rushed home after leaving the palace, but halfway there, a sudden downpour began.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared.

Upon arriving at the manor gates, Jiang Yongshou got out of the carriage.

A servant hurriedly held up an umbrella for him as he walked toward his study at a brisk pace.

He ordered someone to grind ink and dismissed all but one trusted servant.

Approaching his desk, he picked up a brush and dipped it in ink.

A line of text soon appeared on the paper: [The plan has failed. Hexi Prefecture not obtained. The variable is 九.]

He deliberately drew a circle around the character “九.”^[1]

He folded the letter and sealed it in a bamboo tube, then handed it to the servant: “Send this to the prince by fast horse.”

The servant accepted his orders and left.

After a long while, Jiang Yongshou finally set down his brush and exhaled.

He walked to the window and pushed it open.

His aged eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a complex mix of emotions.

The old Anhuai-wang had treated him with utmost sincerity. But unfortunately, since the moment he met him, Jiang Yongshou was already a pawn in someone else’s hands.

No one had contacted him for many years. He had even become accustomed to life in Henan, and had nearly forgotten why he had approached the old Anhuai-wang in the first place.

But now, the chess player had approached him again.

The other party wanted Anhuai-wang to take Hexi Prefecture.

But what would happen after he took it?

Could Anhui-wang keep it in his hands?

Could he even hold onto…..Henan?

He seemed to see before his eyes the young boy’s innocent dependence and prudence.

He was still just a child, ah.

A resolute glint appeared in Jiang Yongshou’s cloudy eyes. Regardless of whether or not Henan could be saved, he would definitely protect Anhuai-wang.

*

*

Chu Jiubian had arrived in Hexi Prefecture on the evening of the 17th. Two days had now passed.

The rain came in fits and starts, and finally came to a brief stop on the morning of the 20th after several days of continuous rainfall.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had been busy from morning till night these past two days, and hadn’t seen each other often.

Even when they did meet, they would only exchange a few words before going back to their own business.

There was so much to do after the disaster.

At the moment, they were just busy settling the refugees and distributing supplies, but they were already overwhelmed. Once the floodwaters receded, they would begin to restore the common peoples’ livelihoods, and that was when they would truly face a shortage of manpower and supplies.

Fortunately, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had recently found several capable individuals among some of the former Hexi Prefecture officials, as well as some wealthy merchants and their sons.

These people may not be considered to be exceptionally talented, but they were conscientious, responsible, and could understand instructions.

Most importantly, none of these people had ever done evil, much less harmed the common people.

In fact, all of these dozen or so subordinate officials had been demoted to remote and obscure positions by their former superiors in the prefecture and counties, just because they disagreed with the political views of their superiors.

Such people may have selfish motives, and might still embezzle, but they were much better than past officials.

Then there were those wealthy merchants and their children. They weren’t particularly wealthy, so even if their family’s younger generations or they themselves had some talent and ambition, they were unable to enter officialdom – because the little money they had couldn’t satisfy the appetites of their superiors.

Now that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had given them the opportunity to enter officialdom, they cherished their positions and certainly wouldn’t do anything improper.

And there was one other very important point.

The “god,” Chu Jiubian.

These subordinates both respected and feared him, and for at least a couple of years, they would be too intimidated by him to cause trouble.

This was enough.

In two years, the common people of Hexi Prefecture would have resumed their livelihoods, and Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian would have the bureaucracy cleaned up.

By then, if they thought that their distance from the capital would allow them to embezzle at will, they would have no chance.

At noon, the rain resumed again after a half day break.

A mist-like drizzle enveloped the entire city, as well as the daoist temple north of town.

Inside the temple, refugees were lining up to receive their lunch.

Although a bowl of porridge and a steamed bun wasn’t enough to fill one’s stomach, it could at least prevent them from starving to death.

Inside the women’s rooms, several aunties gathered by the beds, chatting as they mended clothing.

Among them, one figure stood out.

That was a woman with a large, pregnant belly.

“Dan Niang, you’re feeling a little better, but you should still rest,” an auntie said. “We can do this work. You don’t need to lift a finger.”

Among the refugees were many able-bodied young men who would go out during the day to help the Imperial Court. Although they couldn’t earn money or eat anything good, if they left a good impression on their superiors, they could reap some benefits after the disaster was over.

The jobs they excelled at were mostly physical labor, so they often tore their clothes.

The women would cook porridge and make steamed buns during the day, and after the meal, they would mend the clothes of the young men. The daoist temple had begun to function much like a small, united village.

Dan Niang’s lips took on a gentle curve, and she said softly: “It’s alright, I’m just idling around anyway. I feel much better now.”

“That’s true. Your complexion is much different than before.”

“Then you must continue to take care of yourself, and remember to take that medicine the Divine Lord bestowed upon you.”

“I’ll remember,” Dan Niang said, lowering her head as she gently stroked her pregnant belly. “Thanks to Doctor Zhao and the Divine Lord, I will never act like that again. I will definitely raise my child well.”

This was the last bloodline Sanzhuang left in the world, and also the last thing he left for her.

The way she was before, the fact that the child was still safe and sound must be because Sanzhuang was watching over them from heaven.

Now that a god had descended to earth to protect ordinary people like them, their lives would surely improve. She should cheer up and support her family.

“You surely will.” An auntie clasped her hands together and bowed toward the main hall of the temple, saying, “Now that a god has been reincarnated as the Grand Tutor, he must know of the suffering we’ve endured and come to help us.”

Upon hearing this, everyone including Dan Niang bowed three times in the direction of the main hall.

Meanwhile.

Jian Hongzhuo had already transferred seventeen large ships from surrounding counties around the river. These ships were ones the government used to transport salt, silk, and other goods.

It was unknown what Jiang Hongzhuo said to those local prefects and governors, but it was truly not easy to borrow so many ships in three days.

The raging floodwaters had now almost reached the Huai County seat. If this sinking ship method didn’t work, the flood would surely submerge the entire city.

Qin Xiao had gone to meet up with Jian Hongzhuo, but Chu Jiubian didn’t go with him. Instead, he went to the Huai County granaries.

The stored grain was nearly depleted, so Chu Jiubian intended to buy some from the System.

Qin Xiao had previously ordered people to build “shrines” in every place refugees had been settled in the surrounding area.

They weren’t actually proper shrines; some were brick buildings, while others were just dilapidated huts that were at most wind and rain-proof.

And a shrine must naturally have a statue of its god.

However, given the current situation, not only Qin Xiao, but even Chu Jiubian himself wouldn’t waste resources on something so useless.

So he ordered people to prepare some writing brushes and brush holders, and put one brush in each shrine as an “idol.”

As Dan Niang’s condition improved, and with Doctor Zhao’s promotion, the news that Chu Jiubian was the reincarnation of the “Sacred Star God” spread farther and farther.

Qin Xiao ordered more tinderboxes to be made and distributed to various locations, while also having people spread rumors of Chu Jiubian’s miracles in the capital.

The common people were easily swayed. When they heard those around them saying that “the god does practical things for the people,” they all believed it and went to shrines to kneel and worship. 

All they needed at the moment was food and clothing, so that was what they prayed for.

And Chu Jiubian was able to provide both of these for them, so how could he not do practical things?

Chu Jiubian’s most trusted subordinate was a grain merchant named Han Yuandao. He was in his early thirties, and had come from Shabao Village in the south of Huai County.

Although this man was a merchant, he came from a farming family and was skilled in such work.

Chu Jiubian came to notice him because after the flood, he had secretly transported all of his grain to the affected areas and helped many people make it through the most difficult time of their lives.

After conducting a thorough investigation, Chu Jiubian found that the other party had a particularly good reputation among the common people, especially in his hometown, Shabao Village.

Everyone said that they bought grain from him at fair prices, and he never sold inferior goods to the common people. He always sold the grain as it was.

Just like his name suggested, he had never gone astray.^[2]

Chu Jiubian found that this person was genuinely good. Not only was he upright, but he also remembered his own roots. And someone who could rise from an ordinary farmer to a grain merchant capable of helping so many people must possess a high level of intelligence.

He was practically a natural-born official.

Thus, he summoned the man and asked him if he would be willing to become an official.

The man was stunned at first, then immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times, saying in a trembling voice: “This humble subject is willing!”

In their subsequent interactions, Han Yuandao demonstrated exceptional competence and efficiency. Anything Chu Jiubian ordered him to do, he would complete in the shortest possible time, and do it excellently.

Sometimes, if Chu Jiubian was so busy that he didn’t take care of himself, Han Yuandao would remind him.

It felt like having a super-helpful personal assistant. It was only at this point in time that Chu Jiubian truly understood the joy Qin Xiao must feel when ordering Qin Chaoyang around.

Having a subordinate like this really saved a lot of trouble.

As they arrived at the entrance to the granary, Han Yuandao looked at the nearly depleted grain and asked worriedly: “My Lord, when will the new batch of grain arrive? Should this official go and meet them?”

For the past two days, he had been uneasy about the dwindling grain supply and had asked Chu Jiubian about it.

At the time, Chu Jiubian only said that there would be grain, but didn’t disclose the specifics.

Han Yuandao didn’t press him further, but looking at the empty granary now, he couldn’t help but ask again – though in a more tactful way.

Chu Jiubian said: “It will be here shortly.”

Overjoyed, Han Yuandao subconsciously turned to look toward the official road outside the granary, but didn’t see anything there.

But in an instant, he realized how ridiculous he was being. When His Lordship said “shortly,” he meant that it would be delivered today. How could it be delivered right at this moment?

No matter what time it arrived today, the fact that it would arrive at all was good enough.

With his heart at ease, Han Yuandao looked away and faced the granary in front of him.

With one glance, he froze on the spot.

The granary that was empty seconds ago was now filled with sacks of grain!

Layer upon layer, each one was plump and full, visibly packed to the brim.

“From today onwards, there is no need to be so frugal. Give the refugees more food.”

These Faith Points had all been contributed by the refugees themselves, so Chu Jiubian wasn’t bothered at all by paying them back.

He turned his head and, unsurprisingly, saw a look of astonishment on Han Yuandao’s face, mixed with fear and awe.

Chu Jiubian had done this in front of him for a purpose.

He intended to give Han Yuandao an important position later, but he couldn’t just trust in the man’s grateful, upright, and kind disposition. That was too unrealistic.

Anyone who entered officialdom would change over time, and few would remember their original aspirations.

Therefore, Chu Jiubian needed the other party in fear and awe of him, and to know that he was working for a “god.” This show of supernatural power would ensure that even if he had any wicked thoughts in the future, he would remember this scene today.

Such a shock would be a constant reminder for Han Yuandao to not go astray.

Han Yuandao was in a daze for quite a while, and Chu Jiubian gave a couple of light coughs.

After a pause, Han Yuandao immediately took a step back and bowed to Chu Jiubian: “This humble official was impolite.”

“It’s alright,” Chu Jiubian said softly. “The grain in the other villages is also running out, so instruct people to send them some. There is also some cloth, as well as needles and thread. Send that as well so that the common people can sew their own clothes.”

Chu Jiubian departed after giving these instructions, leaving Han Yuandao there to process what had just happened.

Something occurred to him, and Han Yuandao rushed into the granary to inspect the sacks of grain.

The granary was overflowing, and there was also a large quantity of linen that the common people used to make clothing on a daily basis!

It wasn’t a dream.

This wasn’t a dream!

Rumors that Chu Jiubian was the reincarnation of the “Sacred Star God” had been circulating. Han Yuandao had heard them, but he only saw Chu Jiubian acting and speaking like an ordinary person each day – though perhaps smarter and more powerful than an ordinary person.

Witnessing this scene now, he finally believed in Chu Jiubian’s identity as a “god.”

A god descended to earth.

A god had really descended to earth to help them!

Chu Jiubian went to the daoist temple after leaving the granary.

He had already subscribed to a monthly service that allowed the System to conduct comprehensive medical exams for the refugees, as well as to dispense medicine.

However, Chu Jiubian still had to buy the medicine himself.

He still spent three points to buy the function that isolated him from others, and although it only lasted for a three-hour duration, it was enough.

He walked with an umbrella all the way to the daoist temple, where the refugees had just eaten lunch and were resting in their rooms.

Chu Jiubian entered one of the rooms with the door open.

Although the window was open, with twelve to twenty people crammed in each room, the smell and air quality were truly poor.

Chief Physician Zhang of the Imperial Medical Academy was administering acupuncture to a refugee who had been suffering from diarrhea for two days, while Doctor Zhao watched intently from the side. Physician Zhang would occasionally explain why he was using the needles a certain way, showing that he wasn’t secretive about his methods.

Chu Jiubian had previously thought that this physician was rather opportunistic, with eyes that were constantly full of calculations.

He knew that the other party had likely come with him to provide disaster relief because he remembered how Chu Jiubian had cured Bai Lihai’s cold, and wanted to take this opportunity to learn something from him.

However, even though the other party did have ulterior motives, he wasn’t a bad person.

These past two days, he had been running around treating the refugees without any complaints. Chu Jiubian truly saw in him the saying, “a healer should have a benevolent heart.”

Since this was the case, it was only right to give him some benefits.

Chu Jiubian left the room. The System had already scanned all of the refugees in the temple, and even thoughtfully compiled a table listing who had what disease, what symptoms they had, and how to treat them.

[Host can purchase the list for only 5 points.]

Chu Jiubian: “……”

In the wake of his silence, the System waited for a moment before speaking again: [Host, for only 10 points, this System can give you the check-up lists for the next month.]

“Deal.” Chu Jiubian quickly agreed.

It was the System’s turn to fall silent this time. It then quietly deducted ten points and handed the list to Chu Jiubian.

After a quick readthrough, there were no serious cases. Most were minor bumps and bruises, colds, and diarrhea, with the majority of cases being malnutrition.

Chu Jiubian breathed a sigh of relief. Doctor Zhao would be able to treat these illnesses, so there was no need for him to spend more points to buy medicine.

However, he also needed to visit the other disaster sites posthaste. And then there was Pu County. He had promised to protect the people there, and would only feel at ease once he had checked on them all.

He stood in the courtyard, umbrella in hand.

After a while, Physician Zhang finally came out to get some fresh air and spotted Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian’s expression was distant and aloof when he looked up at him, but Physician Zhang knew the other party must have come to see him.

He hurried over and bowed, saying: “What are My Lord’s orders?”

Chu Jiubian said: “Come with me to visit the other disaster-stricken areas.”

Physician Zhang agreed at once.

The roads were not easy to travel at the moment, so after finishing their business here, the two rode directly to the next disaster areas.

Chu Jiubian inspected each one individually, and even went to Pu County.

Although it was hard work, Chu Jiubian felt at ease knowing that the common people were healthy.

By the time he finished scanning the people in Pu County, it was already dark.

As the person temporarily in charge of the area, Liu Junqi prepared a place for the two of them to rest.

Physician Zhang was twenty years older than Chu Jiubian, and after all of the excitement, he was a little unsteady on his feet.

Upon arriving at his assigned courtyard, he gave a hasty farewell to Chu Jiubian, intending to go wash up and rest.

“Wait a moment,” Chu Jiubian called out to him.

Physician Zhang wondered to himself, What does this ancestor want to do now?!

But he still asked with a smile: “What are your orders, My Lord?”

Chu Jiubian could easily see through his hidden thoughts, and was somewhat amused. But he was a man nearing fifty, and this ordeal had indeed been hard on him.

So he would just make his reward more substantial.

As Physician Zhang smiled at him, Chu Jiubian took a book from his pocket.

This book had been adapted to fit the paper and text of the Great Ning era, so it didn’t look out of place.

“You’ve been working hard these past few days. This book is a gift for you.”

“Thanking My Lord.” Physician Zhang accepted the book and read the characters “Compendium of Materia Medica” on the front page.

His pupils contracted sharply. When he looked up again, Chu Jiubian had already turned and headed toward his own courtyard.

Disregarding his own exhaustion, Physician Zhang hurriedly hugged the book to his chest, fearful of it getting wet from the drizzle.

Then he jogged back to his room and closed the door. His lamp was lit the entire night.

He was unable to get out of bed the next day, so Chu Jiubian and Liu Junqi went to the Pu County dam.

“The barrier is almost complete. Once the water recedes, we can rebuild the dam,” said Liu Junqi.

Chu Jiubian nodded: “Thank you for your hard work.”

“I just did what should be done.”

Chu Jiubian glanced at the man again.

He had a dignified appearance, and because he was a student of Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan’s, his demeanor was exceptionally good.

The situation in the capital was constantly in flux, and Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao couldn’t stay here to keep an eye on things forever. Thus, once the dam in Huai County was blocked, they would have to return to the capital.

However, a high-ranking official was still needed to stay and provide disaster relief. This person should be either Liu Junqi or Jian Hongzhuo.

Chu Jiubian was leaning toward Liu Junqi, but he still needed to conduct a background check first, as well as ask Wang Qichen about his background with the Wang family. If his connection to them was too strong, it was best not to give him too much power.

Moreover, this matter needed to be discussed with Qin Xiao.

When he left Pu County, Chu Jiubian rode back to Huai County alone.

Upon arriving at the magistrate’s residence, his knees suddenly went weak when he dismounted, but he managed to stay upright by holding onto the horse’s back.

After riding a horse for so long without a saddle or stirrups, the constantly tensed muscles of his legs were bound to shake.

When Chu Jiubian’s trousers rubbed against his legs as he walked, the burning pain indicated that they had been rubbed raw.

He glanced down; he was wearing black robes today, but his trousers were white, so if he was bleeding, the blood might seep through.

A servant came over and took the reins with a greeting, then said: “Lord Ning-wang is awaiting you at the residence.”

Qin Xiao hadn’t gone out today?

Chu Jiubian gave a hum of assent and entered the manor. It seemed that Jian Hongzhuo must have succeeded.

Now that the floodwaters had been contained, the next step should be to restore the common people’s livelihoods.

Land would be surveyed, household registrations verified, and order restored. Work-for-relief programs would be implemented to rebuild the dams and dredge waterways, and sweet potatoes and cattle would be distributed to the people to help them cultivate the land…..

So many matters needed to be assigned to the right people.

Only then could he and Qin Xiao set off to return to the capital.

Chu Jiubian entered the manor, and before he could even cross the outer courtyard gate, he spied Qin Xiao walking toward him.

Coincidentally, the man was also dressed in all black today. And his inner garments were all white, including the collar and cuffs, which happened to match Chu Jiubian’s outfit.

Just like at the Qixi Festival.

Qin Xiao immediately noticed the pallor of Chu Jiubian’s face. He must have been very busy the past few days.

However, now that everything was on the right track, there was time to take a break.

He continued walking toward the young man, his attention fixed on him unwaveringly.

Although it seemed like they saw each other every day, Qin Xiao felt like it had been a long time since they last met.

Chu Jiubian looked at him for a few moments before taking another step.

This happened to aggravate his leg injury. Although his expression didn’t change, he felt the blood flowing down his legs, and the legs of his loose trousers clung to them as a result.

It was very uncomfortable.

He should have changed clothes first before coming to find Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao immediately frowned when he reached him: “You’re injured?”

Chu Jiubian: “ ? ”

Do you have the nose of a dog?

---

[1] 九 is the number nine, as well as a character in Chu Jiubian’s name. ⮐

[2] In Han Yuandao’s name (韩远道), 远道 means ‘to come a long way.’ ⮐

---

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Chapter 47 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 49

Ch 11 – A Robot With Very Good Judgment

Despite knowing that the humans on this planet weren’t very friendly, Yu Xi was still very happy.

He was actually walking amongst a group of humans, and they were even humans who had not yet ‘evolved.’ They swore at every turn, and were wary and standoffish from one another.

They were constantly creating a host of problems, using the anger they had nowhere to vent to attack the world or themselves. How lively they were, ah!

Yu Xi looked at the human in front of him, who had just been beaten black and blue.

The human got to his feet: “Are you taunting me?” He had long noticed Yu Xi, who had observed the entire process of his beating.

“I think we should keep calm.” Kersz aimed his gun at the human’s head, which stopped him in his tracks.

With his other hand, Kersz grabbed hold of Yu Xi and pulled him behind him.

“How about being a bit friendlier?” Kersz tilted his head.

The human stepped back.

“You’re so considerate,” Kersz said with a forced smile, and then he quickly pulled Yu Xi away.

Yu Xi kept turning his head to look back.

Kersz pressed down on the back of Yu Xi’s head: “I know human fights are interesting, but if you want to watch, you should make it less obvious. For example, you could angle yourself away while you watch instead of standing right in front of the person like you’re admiring a masterpiece.”

Yu Xi let out an “oh,” then said: “Did I watch for very long?”

“Thirty minutes.”

Kersz had been waiting for thirty minutes.

Yu Xi gave another “oh,” then asked in puzzlement: “What does 咔咯咔古 mean?” His understanding of human language was still limited.

“It’s a swear word.” Kersz didn’t want to explain further.

“What does it mean?” Yu Xi was still curious.

“Eh….they were calling the other party an intellectually disabled person who can’t be fixed by genetic modification.” Kersz attempted to make it as easy to understand as possible.

“I thought it would be related to a family member,” Yu Xi said with some regret.

“Most people here don’t have family,” Kersz said as he put his gun away. “Alright, I’m taking you to see a friend of mine. Could you please stop getting constantly distracted along the way?”

“I’m not constantly distracted,” Yu Xi retorted in a low voice.

“You even tried to run off and watch humans make babies just now,” said Kersz.

“That shop had service robots. Service robots cannot impregnate people or give birth themselves,” Yu Xi reminded Kersz. “I just wanted to see what it looks like when humans completely lose themselves to desire with no hope of extricating themselves.”

Kersz: …..

Robots were terrifying.

“Have you ever experienced such a thing?” Yu Xi recalled what Kersz had told him about his past, and said regretfully, “Oh, right. You spent most of your time playing with a mouse. You should really try it. They say it feels incredible.”

Kersz sighed.

Yu Xi then asked him: “Speaking of which, have you ever had a medical checkup for your reproductive functions?”

Kersz covered Yu Xi’s mouth with his hand, then held onto him tightly and led him to a familiar shop.

Yu Xi didn’t resist. This was quite a novel experience for him.

The shop Kersz took him to was dedicated to body modification.

The construction on this planet was poor, and buildings looked less like they had been designed and more like random materials had been haphazardly piled on top of each other. The skyline was filled with advertisement holograms, a jumble of multicolored lights all crammed together.

But they didn’t block out the stars, because the thick layer of clouds in the sky had already obscured them.

The smell on the streets here was also strange – a strong, pungent mix of sour, rancid odors. It was quite a challenge to one’s olfactory sense.

The body modification shop was very clean, seemingly isolated from the outside world.

It was also not very large. A panel on the counter listed the approximate costs for different body modifications, and behind it were various mechanical parts.

“Welcome in.” A mechanical-sounding voice rang out from inside the store.

Kersz released Yu Xi, who asked in confusion: “We’ve been inside for a while, and it only now welcomed us. It seems like it’s about to break down.”

The silver-haired man sitting behind the counter watching TV glanced up at them, then took a sip of his drink and continued to watch his gory show.

“Boss, do you do heart modifications?” Kersz asked with a smile.

Yu Xi looked at Kersz, and then toward the boss.

“We do. Choose the price range you want.” The silver-haired man waved his hand. 

“You don’t have what I want here.” Kersz shrugged. “Do you have any of those ‘Heart of Glory’ products manufactured by Kassa Corp more than 30 years ago?”

The silver-haired man stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Yu Xi was now certain that Kersz and the silver-haired man were talking in code.

“Heart of Glory is hard to find, guest.” The silver-haired man put down his bottle and stood up with a smile.

“I think you can find it.” Kersz placed his hands on the counter.

The silver-haired man glanced at Yu Xi.

“This is my friend. I don’t like undergoing modification alone,” Kersz said.

“You’re in luck. Come with me to the warehouse and take a look at the goods.” The silver-haired man’s lips trembled slightly, as if he was flustered.

Kersz followed behind the man. He noticed that Yu Xi was craning his neck to get a closer look, so he took a step back and made a “please” gesture.

Yu Xi’s eyes widened slightly, and he pointed to his face.

Kersz nodded, letting Yu Xi observe as he pleased.

Yu Xi was deeply moved. He gave Kersz a hug, then walked in front of him.

The silver-haired man led the two of them to the warehouse, and said after the door was closed: “I knew you weren’t dead, you bastard! Kersz!”

He abruptly turned his head, staring wide-eyed at Yu Xi.

Yu Xi was startled. After a brief moment of stunned silence, he scrambled behind Kersz and squatted down, gripping the hem of his clothes.

The silver-haired man: ?

Kersz stared incredulously at where his clothes were being clutched: “My god.”

“He’s not going to shout at me, is he?” Yu Xi whispered.

“No.” Kersz stared at the hand that was clutching his clothes. “By the way, you’re acting really cute right now.”

“And who is this?” the silver-haired man asked Kersz.

“This is Yu Xi. Don’t try to say his name – the pronunciation is a bit difficult for us,” Kersz said. “He’s a rather dangerous and powerful robot. He has feelings, and shares a certain proclivity with us.”

The silver-haired man didn’t understand.

“Just remember these things,” Kersz told him.

Kersz then introduced him to Yu Xi: “Yu Xi, this is Tau, an information broker and one of my few good friends.”

“Hello.” Yu Xi offered Tau a smile.

“Hello…..” Tau seemed to remember something. He opened his personal terminal and located a photo. “I recently heard news that you were alive, Kersz. Is this the mysterious green-eyed man who was photographed with you?”

“Mysterious green-eyed man?” Yu Xi was shocked.

“This one.” Tau clicked on the photo on the wanted poster.

The moment Yu Xi saw the photo, he covered his head with his hands: “I don’t even have a name.”

Kersz praised Yu Xi: “You’re very photogenic.”

Yu Xi slowly slid his hands toward his face. He wanted to find a quiet place and stay there for a while.

“Is he the one who saved you? What is your relationship with him?” Tau still hadn’t figured out Yu Xi’s identity.

Kersz thought carefully for a moment: “If I had to say, I’d call him my current master.”

Tau: ?

Tau’s face began to wrinkle up.

Kersz reached out and grabbed Tau’s wrist: “I’m borrowing this.”

Tau asked in confusion: “Borrowing what?”

Kersz pulled Tau to Yu Xi’s side, then touched Yu Xi with Tau’s hand.

Yu Xi spread his fingers, peering out between them at the two people opposite him.

“He is a 73-year-old human, in his prime and well-educated, with a history of trauma,” Kersz said. “And his hair is silver. Look closely at his eyes – what color are they?”

Tau: “Ah?”

Yu Xi was astonished: “Heavens, what a beautiful purple.”

Kersz nodded, chuckling: “They’re tinted, but he has good taste. His teeth are also intact. Take a look if you don’t believe me.”

“Will this Mr. Tau hit me?” Yu Xi didn’t move right away.

“Hahaha, of course not.” Kersz patted Tau’s shoulder with a laugh and said to Yu Xi: “I’m now your pet human. If he dares to lay a hand on you, I’ll snap his neck.”

Yu Xi: “…..This doesn’t seem like the way to treat a friend.”

Kersz shrugged: “Sorry. I went a little overboard.”

Tau: “Kersz, what is wrong with you?!”

“Oh, right! Did I mention that Tau is very intelligent?” Kersz’s smile widened. “Of course he’s intelligent. He’s related to the Supreme Governor.”

Tau froze.

“The Supreme Governor’s illegitimate son volunteered to infiltrate this garbage planet to turn a poor, naive little space pirate into a weapon against his political enemies.” Kersz wore an aggrieved look.

Yu Xi suddenly understood: “Your attitude makes a lot more sense now.”

Yu Xi smiled in relief. It seemed there was no problem with his judgment.

---

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Chapter 10 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 12

Ch. 70 – Hao Thick Face

When Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were finished laughing, they got back to business.

Cao Zirui went to the counter to ask the hunchbacked shopkeeper about the prices and functions of these magic tools. The shopkeeper was extremely kind and patient as he explained everything. And Crab Eighteen stood next to them, occasionally chiming in with a few words to supplement the conversation. He could be considered a very conscientious guide in the tour guide industry.

Fang Yang listened along for a while, but grew a little bored, so he turned to see what his Useless Shixiong was up to.

Feng Ye was still arm in arm with Hao Chen, feeling that although he had temporarily calmed the fish, his emotions were still somewhat unstable.

Hao Chen stared at Feng Ye for a moment after the man finished praising him, then suddenly looked away and lowered his head so that Feng Ye couldn’t see his expression.

He said nothing, and there was no way to know what he was thinking.

Feng Ye had been keeping an eye on him in order to stop him if he tried anything, and noticed this abnormality.

Although he couldn’t see his expression, he could see Hao Chen’s ears. And at this moment, the tips of them were an uncharacteristic red.

Could it be that Hao “thick face” is shy? Feng Ye thought incredulously.

He was as shocked as if he had discovered a new world, and moved closer, trying to see what Hao Chen was hiding.

But before he could catch a glimpse, Hao Chen raised his head again with a normal expression. The tips of his ears had also returned to normal, as if the red hue Feng Ye saw had been an illusion.

It seems that Hao “thick face” is still Hao “thick face.” Even if he was shy, it was only for a brief moment, Feng Ye thought.

When he saw Feng Ye looking at him with a strange expression, Hao Chen sent him a puzzled look.

Feng Ye smiled, offering no explanation.

Hao Chen smiled back, pretending nothing had happened.

Although his reputation was no longer secure, the Lord of the North Sea was still the Lord of the North Sea. But that wasn’t him right now, so logically speaking, the Lord of the North Sea calling a tortoise a turtle had nothing to do with him.

His skin thickened a bit, a testament to its tempering through countless trials and tribulations. 

“Shixiong!” Fang Yang suddenly left Cao Zirui and ran to Feng Ye and Hao Chen, calling out in a low voice.

The two turned to look at him, and saw Fang Yang send a glance toward Crab Eighteen and the hunchbacked shopkeeper. Seeing that the crab and turtle were talking animatedly to Cao Zirui and not paying attention to them, he ultimately couldn’t hold back, and began to complain to the two of them: “I used to think that the Lord of the North Sea was very majestic, but I never expected him to do something as unreliable as calling a tortoise a turtle. He’s just like the incompetent rulers in the history books who call a deer a horse!”

Fang Yang spoke in a whisper so that neither Crab Eighteen nor the hunchbacked shopkeeper could hear him. Even though Fang Yang had always been naive, he still knew not to bad-mouth an idol in front of his fans.

He just never imagined that although he cleverly hadn’t said it in front of the fans, he ended up saying it to the idol himself.

Hao Chen: “……” 

He once again clenched the hand holding his mini fan. Although he wanted to pretend that the Lord of the North Sea had nothing to do with him, the facts could not be changed. He was the Lord of the North Sea, the one who had called a tortoise a turtle. An incompetent ruler.

The whitewashing Hao Chen had managed to create was shattered by Fang Yang’s words. Seeing that he was about to get angry again, Feng Ye quickly put himself between him and Fang Yang, retorting to the foolish boy who had no idea what disaster he had caused: “You shouldn’t say that. No one is perfect, and no one is without fault. It’s not as if gods are infallible. Think about it, when you’re sleepy, doesn’t your own mind become dull?”

Fang Yang thought about this seriously, and gave a nod.

Feng Ye continued: “The Kunpeng has such heavy responsibilities in the North Sea, and he must be more tired than you can imagine. So when he got sleepy, he couldn’t tell a tortoise from a turtle. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Fang Yang was somewhat persuaded.

Feng Ye went on: “Also, for countless years, despite its remote location and extreme climate, the North Sea has been as prosperous as the largest cities in the world. This is all thanks to the peace in the North Sea that has never been broken all this time. The heavens are not paradise, and wars often occur there, but such disasters have never reached the North Sea. Is this because no one cares about this sea region?”

He answered his own question: “Of course not. This peace is because of the Kunpeng silently guarding it. Because of this, the various tribes of the North Sea have been able to develop peacefully and achieve the prosperity they enjoy today.”

“I was wrong. The Lord of the North Sea is still very powerful!” Fang Yang admitted his mistake and gave a sincere apology. 

Feng Ye turned his head to glance at Hao Chen, and found that his loss of composure was nowhere to be seen. His eyes were downcast, as if he was lost in thought. Although there was no telling what was on his mind, Feng Ye was able to breathe a sigh of relief and pat himself on the back for his quick reaction.

“I’ve bought what I need. Let’s go.” While the three of them were whispering, Cao Zirui had already chosen his magic tools and paid the bill. 

Finished with his commentary, Fang Yang went back to Cao Zirui without any worries and asked: “Where should we go next?”

Crab Eighteen was also watching Cao Zirui, waiting for his sponsor’s word.

Cao Zirui considered for a moment, then said: “Let’s buy some pills.”

After waving goodbye to the hunchbacked shopkeeper, the group prepared to go to the next location.

But as soon as they walked out of the Turtle Shell Shop, Hao Chen suggested to Feng Ye: “Didn’t Fellow Daoist Feng Ye want to buy some clothes? They’re off to buy medicinal pills, and it’s getting late. To save time, how about I go clothes shopping with you while they’re doing that?”

Feng Ye glanced at Hao Chen, who wore a sincere look that proclaimed, ‘I’m thinking about you.’ But Feng Ye knew this was not the case. This guy was probably afraid that Crab Eighteen would reveal more of his dark history, and was eager to separate him from the crab.

It seems Hao Chen has quite a bit of dark history, Feng Ye thought, but he didn’t expose him. He just pretended to think for a moment, then asked Fang Yang and Cao Zirui: “Then should we split up?”

Both of the youths nodded. They weren’t toddlers who needed an adult to accompany them to the market. Before they parted, Fang Yang turned and said to Feng Ye, who was walking in the opposite direction: “Shixiong, change your clothes quickly, ah!”

Feng Ye: “…..” If he had the money, he would have changed long ago.

He touched the two spirit stones in his pocket. In fact, two spirit stones was enough to buy an ordinary piece of clothing. One spirit stone was worth one or two gold in the human world, which was enough to buy a whole set. 

The issue was that this was not the human world, and the people walking the streets were either cultivators or monsters. Ever since Feng Ye arrived in North Sea City, all of the clothing stores and stalls he’d seen were selling magic items, so two spirit stones was definitely not enough.

Logically, North Sea City was not a long-term human settlement, and the people opening shops here were all sea monsters. Human cultivators would only come here occasionally to sell their wares, and none would stay for a long period of time.

Naturally, there would be no human daily necessities around, and these monsters had no need for clothing at all. Crab Eighteen was a perfect example.

Feng Ye actually didn’t have high expectations of finding clothes he could afford, but he accompanied Hao Chen regardless. Because although this was a thick-skinned fish, once something broke through his defenses, he would throw a tantrum and do a series of unpredictable things.

For the sake of world peace, Feng Ye resolutely agreed to Hao Chen’s suggestion and gave up the pleasure of hearing about his dark history from Crab Eighteen.

The two walked down the street side by side. At first, Hao Chen pretended to look around, as if sincerely helping Feng Ye shop for clothes. 

After walking for a short while, he revealed his true colors. No longer looking at the vendors around them, he simply fanned himself and abruptly returned to the previous topic: “Was Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s previous opinion about the Lord of the North Sea…..genuine?”

Feng Ye turned to look at Hao Chen when he heard this. He was naturally referring to what he had said to Fang Yang.

He didn’t answer immediately, but observed the other’s expression. Hao Chen seemed a little off-kilter. His tone of voice was very cautious, and his sparkling eyes seemed to urge him: ‘Quickly say yes!’

Feng Ye always felt that Hao Chen was full of bad intentions, completely unaware that he was exactly the same. Hao Chen wanted him to say yes, so he said: “No.”

Upon receiving an answer he didn’t want to hear, Hao Chen stopped fanning himself, but still forced a smile and asked: “Why is that?”

Feng Ye rolled his eyes, donning a thoughtful expression: “I’ve never personally seen what kind of person the Lord of the North Sea is. Everything I know is hearsay, and rumors should never be completely trusted. Perhaps what Fang Yang said in the beginning was correct, and he is an incompetent ruler.”

Hao Chen smiled and nodded, gesturing for Feng Ye to continue. But he was holding his mini fan in both hands, practically bending the sides. It wasn’t convenient for him to vent his anger on Feng Ye, so his mini fan took the brunt of it.

Before Hao Chen could break the fan that had already been broken once, Feng Ye suddenly changed the subject. He crossed his arms, observing the bustling market in front of him: “But that was just what I thought before today. Seeing is believing.”

Hao Chen’s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. Could it be that Feng Ye had really found out?

Feng Ye carried on without prompting: “Whether a monarch is competent or not cannot be determined by others. Only his people are qualified to judge. Although Crab Eighteen was boasting blindly, it’s clear that he truly respects the Lord of the North Sea. And the owner of the Turtle Shell Shop may not have said it explicitly, but his face was filled with admiration when he spoke of his lord.”

“North Sea City isn’t the North Sea, but it certainly has a lot in common with it. If a market like this can be so busy and prosperous, then the North Sea must be even better.”

“A monarch like this who is praised by his subordinates even when he is far away may have some flaws, but overall, he must be a wise ruler. What do you say, Fellow Daoist Hao Chen?” At the end of his speech, Feng Ye raised his eyebrows toward Hao Chen with a smile.

Flattered by the praise, Hao Chen was momentarily stunned. Then he said with a hint of self-satisfaction that he couldn’t control: “I think that what Fellow Daoist Feng Ye said makes a lot of sense.’

Look at this guy, he’s so proud he’s about to float away, Feng Ye thought with amusement. At the same time, he fanned the last gust of wind Hao Chen needed for takeoff, saying with feigned seriousness: “Speaking of which, I very much admire the Lord of the North Sea, such a powerful and prestigious god who guards a place like this.”

“Really?” Hao Chen’s eyes were as bright as night pearls in the deep sea.

Feng Ye nodded earnestly: “Really.”

Hao Chen vigorously fanned himself. Had the conditions here allowed it, he would have transformed into a Peng bird and joyfully flown into the sky.

---

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Chapter 69 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 71