Ch 22 – Is He Always This Brave?

“The meaning of life lies in life itself,” Tau told Yu Xi with a smile. “It lies in every minute and every second we spend here, and in every uncertainty therein.”

Yu Xi, slumped in Kersz’s arms: “So which of your personas is this one? A teacher?”

“Correct. A teacher.” Tau dropped his smile and nodded expressionlessly.

Yu Xi praised: “You’re really impressive.”

“It’s just a necessary skill,” Tau explained.

Kersz really wanted to free up his hands and give Tau a good beating. Did he not realize that he was successfully keeping Yu Xi’s mind off other things?

“You don’t necessarily need to have a positive, uplifting outlook,” Kersz chimed in. “I’m certainly not ‘positive and uplifting,’ but if I have a choice in the matter, I don’t want to die.”

“Because of your anger.” Yu Xi understood.

“Right, my anger.” Kersz reached out and rubbed Yu Xi’s head. “You can learn to be angry too, and lash out at the things you hate.”

Yu Xi showed no sign of perking up at these words: “Then what do I hate?”

Kersz had no idea.

“I dislike the ancient humans for abandoning me, but I can’t take revenge on them. I’ll never see them again.”

Yu Xi also felt that his method of vengeance wouldn’t be particularly over-the-top. He would simply confront those humans and ask them: why?

Thinking of this, Yu Xi was even more disappointed with himself. He couldn’t even manage to be an angry villain.

“If I were a bad-tempered robot set on taking revenge on all of humanity…..” Yu Xi hypothesized.

“Please, whatever you do, don’t think that way.” Tau grabbed hold of Yu Xi’s hand. “You must be a good person.”

“I’m becoming increasingly worried that I’m going to go down in history as an eternal sinner. Fortunately, we’ll all go down together when you enact your revenge, and there won’t be anyone left to condemn me behind my back,” Kersz said.

“I can condemn you right now,” Tau said to him.

“The condemnation of an Illegitimate holds no power over me.” Kersz was entirely unconcerned. After all, Tau didn’t even consider himself to be a human being.

“The top priority right now is to reawaken his will to live, not to throw snide remarks at me.” Tau lowered his head.

Kersz let out a sigh: “To be honest, I’ve already decided to give up.” He adjusted his position again, turning Yu Xi against his chest so that it was easier to hold him.

Yu Xi: “Wow…..”

Kersz: “What?”

Tau also didn’t know what Yu Xi was exclaiming over: “What is it?”

“Humans have such a high body temperature.” Yu Xi felt warmth humming through his entire body. But a human’s body temperature wasn’t that high, so what was the source of the warmth he was currently basking in?

Kersz lowered his head and made a sound of surprise.

Although he didn’t understand what had caused it, Tau sensed that Yu Xi was now in a better mood.

“Hold him a little tighter,” Tau said to Kersz.

Kersz pulled Yu Xi even closer. Yu Xi was visibly flustered, shifting his hands and feet slightly as if he didn’t know what to do with them.

However, he eventually found a place to rest his limbs. Tucking his legs in, he made an effort to wrap his arms around Kersz in return.

Kersz felt that their posture was a bit odd: “Do you still feel like everything is meaningless?”

“I still haven’t figured it out,” Yu Xi said truthfully.

Kersz was somewhat disheartened by this answer, because he really didn’t have it in him to figure out a marvelous angle that would allow him to convince Yu Xi that life held meaning.

“But I seem to have calmed down a little now,” Yu Xi added. “Because you’re holding me.”

Kersz, who was also being held: ……

“Then do you still want to die?” Tau asked him.

“I don’t know…..it feels like…..like I can’t escape from that dream.” Yu Xi recalled that agitated big white dog. “Maybe Kersz was right, and it would have been better not to remember, but I have a feeling that the seal on that memory of mine was opened.”

He likely hadn’t deleted that dream completely, and unlocking it had simply required a certain catalyst – for instance, learning that the central figure of that dream was still alive.

And Yu Xi had been overwhelmed by it, rendered helpless by the intense emotions that swamped him in its wake.

All energy had drained from him, and he only felt that this universe was vast and empty. His past, too, seemed like a succession of days passing by, each just as empty as the last.

But in Kersz’s embrace, he seemed to have grasped a handhold against the current.

This wasn’t able to resolve the vast emptiness within him, but at least for the moment, it did give him something.

Yu Xi couldn’t quite put his finger on what Kersz had given him. It wasn’t heavy, nor was it sacred, and seemed to be nothing more than a few small things.

Yu Xi really liked these small things.

Kersz stiffened slightly within Yu Xi’s embrace, and a thought suddenly occurred to him: “Let’s go wander around somewhere with a lot of humans.”

“A third-class planet?” Yu Xi asked.

“Nah, let’s hang out on a first-class planet instead,” said Kersz. “The people there aren’t quite as volatile.”

Yu Xi’s eyes lit up.

Kersz: “But you can’t go around touching people indiscriminately.”

The light in Yu Xi’s eyes dimmed.

“What are you planning?!” Tau asked warily. “Who are you going to make a move against?”

“Your father,” Kersz said with a sneer.

Before Tau could respond, Kersz said: “My life isn’t all fighting and killing. I actually have my own distinct insights when it comes to entertainment.”

“So shall we go to a first-class planet?” Kersz asked Yu Xi.

Yu Xi nodded. He liked places where there were a lot of humans…..but this time, the sense of urgency to see those humans seemed to have diminished.

Yu Xi felt a bit strange.

Could it be because he already had two humans by his side? Somehow, he didn’t feel quite so desperate anymore.

In particular, Kersz still had his arms around him.

An hour later, they landed at the spaceport on a planet called Daybreak.

This place was indeed different from a third-class planet, where the buildings resembled blocks of steel piled together haphazardly, a rotting skin wrapped around the planet’s surface.

But the architecture here was very beautiful, arranged in a well-ordered and aesthetically pleasing array. It was just that it was a bit too white – blindingly so.

“Do the people here really enjoy using white for everything?” Yu Xi had a panoramic view of the city from the spaceport where they had landed.

“It’s because the owner of this planet has some issues,” Tau explained.

Tau didn’t understand why they had brought him along. In his own estimation, he was a prisoner. They should have kept him locked inside the starship…..and he still had unfinished crafts to complete.

But then Yu Xi brought up the topic of his father again, and Tau had no choice but to capitulate, changing his clothes before obediently following along.

“The owner of this planet is a very interesting old man,” said Kersz. “He was one of the few men of action within the Interstellar Alliance, a real anomaly, and it didn’t take long before he was ousted from his position. Afterward, he became obsessed with carrying out construction work on various planets. He has seven of them, each with their own representative color.”

Yu Xi was astonished: “I thought you didn’t like those lords?”

“I’m not that narrow-minded. I wouldn’t kill someone just because they’re a lord.” Kersz smiled and led Yu Xi toward the exit, who in turn pulled Tau away from where he was rooted to the spot.

As the three of them left the spaceport, Yu Xi noticed that in place of humans, there were mostly robots walking around on the streets.

“Where are we going?” Yu Xi disliked such emptiness, and the uniform white of the buildings made him feel as if the place lacked even a shred of vitality.

“A retro bar. It’ll be packed with people, shoulder to shoulder.” Kersz winked at Yu Xi.

Yu Xi gasped: “So does that mean I can sneak around and touch people without them noticing?”

“Please don’t do that.” Kersz slightly tightened his grip around Yu Xi’s wrist.

Yu Xi gave an “oh.”

But he figured that if he touched people very quickly and furtively, he was certain to get away with it.

Kersz saw through Yu Xi’s thoughts, and so did Tau.

Because whenever Yu Xi was feeling guilty, his eyes would dart around aimlessly without settling on anyone’s face.

Kersz heaved a helpless sigh and pretended not to notice. He would just apologize after Yu Xi inevitably stirred up trouble later.

When Kersz led Yu Xi and Tau to the retro bar, he unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.

Or rather, an acquaintance of Tau’s.

Not long after they had settled into their booth, Yu Xi dashed off toward the dance floor. Kersz and Tau, however, had no interest in mingling, and had a drink at their table. But before long, they noticed a commotion as someone kicked up a ruckus.

A man sporting a head of curly platinum-blond hair was brawling with another man……no, it would be more accurate to say that he was unilaterally thrashing him.

None of the bystanders dared to step forward.

“Ah~” Kersz rested his chin in his hand and suddenly let out an amused chuckle. He glanced at Tau: “Isn’t that the Supreme Governor’s youngest son?”

Tau fell silent.

“He’s a biological child, unlike you. His parents are fully documented, not unregistered.”

Kersz laughed delightedly: “They say the Supreme Governor’s youngest son is violent by nature. Did he ever beat you up? Does he even see you as a human being?”

Tau’s expression suddenly shifted.

Kersz hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from him. Could it be that he had actually struck a nerve?

Tau’s lips trembled as he pointed in the direction of the commotion: “Is, is that Yu Xi?”

“Who?!” Kersz immediately jumped to his feet and looked in that direction.

The scene he encountered just about made him collapse.

The area around the blond man had essentially become a vacuum, occupied only by him and the man he had beaten up.

Along with one other person.

Standing between the two of them, Yu Xi leaned down to observe the groaning man before turning back to look at the blonde.

Yu Xi stood with his hands behind his back, his weight settled on one leg while the other was relaxed, looking as thoroughly at ease as a tourist at a museum. 

The blonde and the beaten man both stared blankly.

Yu Xi’s gaze darted back and forth between them.

The blonde raised an eyebrow at him.

Yu Xi finally responded by shifting his weight, settling into the same casual posture with his other leg at rest this time.

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Chapter 21 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 23

Ch. 87 – Fleeting Shadow

The solemn and dignified sound of the bell at the mountain peak repeated a total of one hundred times.

It must be said that while starting at the ring of a bell was cliché, its advantages were obvious. The noisy crowd was immediately silenced, and everyone covered their ears while hoping that the cacophony would end quickly.

Feng Ye looked around at the people around him, who were covering their ears just like him, and hoped for the same.

When the ringing finally ended, the elders of the sect, headed by Ji Chengyue, finally made their appearance. Today, Ji Chengyue was dressed in exceptionally formal attire. His black robes, although very similar to the Lingxiao Sword Sect uniform, were made with incomparable materials and workmanship.

Of course, no matter how expensive the materials were, it couldn’t compare to the robes Feng Ye was wearing.

Ji Chengyue and company stood before a ritual altar in the open area outside Zhenwu Hall. The three sacrificial animals were naturally indispensable. Killing living creatures as sacrifices was a long-standing human tradition, and while humans served as sacrifices in the past, cattle and sheep had now taken their place.

Ji Chengyue lit three incense sticks and solemnly bowed to the heavens: “Disciple Ji Chengyue, second disciple of Xuanxu-zhenren and thirteenth sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect, hereby respectfully informs his predecessors and teachers…..”

He used spiritual power as he spoke, so everyone atop the mountain and below was able to hear him as clearly as if he were speaking directly into their ear.

Any ceremony of even moderate importance inevitably involved complicated rituals and procedures, and this one was no exception. Ji Chengyue’s ritual tribute had only begun, and judging from his tone, there was much more to be said.

Feng Ye’s attention abruptly shifted away from the mountaintop, and he swiftly turned his head.

He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but it felt like he was being watched.

Yet when he looked over, he found only empty space. Nobody was there.

Was it all in his head?

Normally, Feng Ye wouldn’t dwell on it too much. However, undercurrents were surging beneath this seemingly calm trial ceremony, and an unknown enemy may be lurking nearby. It was best to be cautious.

“I’m going to go relieve myself,” Feng Ye said at once.

Hao Chen’s eyes shifted, and he said: “I’ll go too.”

Fang Yang gave them a strange look. Why did they have to go together? But rather than ask any questions, he gave them a word of advice: “Come back soon, ah, it’ll be really exciting once it starts!”

Feng Ye nodded, then walked away.

Hao Chen paced along at his side, and asked once they were some distance away from Fang Yang: “Where is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye planning to relieve himself?”

Feng Ye glanced at the mischievously grinning Hao Chen, who was clearly asking a question he already knew the answer to.

Thus, he didn’t answer. Now was not the time for bickering; the most important thing was finding that person behind the scenes.

He walked very quickly, each stride of his long legs covering more than half the distance of his normal stride. If Fang Yang were following behind him, he would have to jog to catch up.

Fortunately, Hao Chen’s legs were long enough that he could keep up with some difficulty. He and Feng Ye were about the same height and had similar builds, so it was especially convenient to give him clothes. He could just have them made according to his own measurements.

As Feng Ye walked, his gaze swept across the crowd. There didn’t seem to be anything out of place about these ordinary-looking faces.

Hao Chen said nothing more after Feng Ye ignored him, and realized that he was probably searching for something.

What was he looking for?

Naturally, it must be a person.

Hao Chen cast his own gaze across the crowd in search of this person, and wondered if Yinglong was really here.

Xue Ren had likely made some kind of deal with Yinglong, but that didn’t mean that the god himself would make an appearance. Hao Chen attempted to comfort himself with this speculation.

As long as it wasn’t Yinglong himself who took action, he should be able to control the situation.

That didn’t mean that he would ensure the safety of Lingxiao Sword Sect, but rather that he would act to protect his future wife, who was unaware of Yinglong’s true strength.

The owner of that clothing store had referred to Feng Ye in such a way, operating under the belief that they had such a relationship. Hao Chen found it very pleasant to the ear, so in the end, he had simply let the crabs smash up the shop and refrained from taking his anger out on the shop owner himself.

However, he only dared to refer to him like that in his heart, as he might earn himself another beating if he spoke it aloud. He was not the type of fish to forget a lesson learned.

Hao Chen followed Feng Ye around the outer edge of the square. But even with both of them observing, nothing caught their eye.

There was nothing to be done. The crowd was simply too dense, everyone packed together and blocking each other’s way. Since it was impossible to get a clear view of everyone’s actions and expressions, it was equally impossible to spot an abnormality.

Suddenly, a commotion arose within the crowd. Feng Ye looked up and found that Ji Chengyue had finished his long and tedious ritual tribute.

“Disciple Cao Zirui is willing to accept the challenge!” Cao Zirui went down on one knee and bowed to his master, then turned away.

He trotted along the flat ground toward the edge of the cliff. Then, without looking, he jumped.

A gasp of shock rose from the crowd, then swiftly transformed into cheers.

The moment Cao Zirui jumped, he drew the spiritual sword on his back from its sheath and directed it to hover steadily under his feet.

Riding atop his sword, he arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Although he had yet to begin the challenge, the audience was already applauding for him. Fang Yang’s clapping was especially enthusiastic. Not everyone possessed the courage to jump like that on a whim.

Swordflying was not difficult, and the only reason Fang Yang flew so haphazardly was because he was only a beginner at Foundation Establishment stage. Similarly, catching oneself using a sword was not a demanding feat.

But people inevitably made mistakes, and most didn’t have the guts to gamble their lives on whether or not they would be the one to miscalculate. Cao Zirui’s daring showed that he was extremely confident in his swordsmanship. It seemed that he was determined to conquer these one hundred checkpoints.

Everyone had the same thought in mind – except for Xue Ren.

He stood at the peak of the mountain, watching with a cold smile on his lips as Cao Zirui strode toward the first checkpoint.

When he was unable to find what he was looking for, Feng Ye temporarily gave up the search and turned his attention toward Cao Zirui.

Cao Zirui climbed the first step, and the disciple standing there attacked. Their swords clashed three times before the first disciple guarding the pass was defeated.

Only three moves.

Although Cao Zirui’s victory was swift, few people were surprised. The difficulty of these one hundred checkpoints increased from low to high, with the guardians getting stronger as one progressed. The first fifty checkpoints were barely worth watching.

One hundred years ago, the former sect leader hadn’t even drawn his sword before passing the first fifty.

Due to the ease of the first few checkpoints, Cao Zirui didn’t actually need to draw his sword either. However, he was quite different from Ling Yun. Ling Yun possessed an arrogance that emanated from within, and looked down on these weak disciples.

But Cao Zirui felt that drawing his sword was a sign of respect for his opponent, and that he should take them all seriously regardless of their strength.

Very soon, Cao Zirui had broken through ten checkpoints in a row, with nobody lasting more than ten moves against him. His speed was comparable to that of Ling Yun one hundred years ago.

However, there was still a world of difference between his strength and Ling Yun’s. Leaving aside the fact that he was only at Foundation Establishment stage, even just taking swordsmanship into consideration, he was far from a master of the Lingxiao Swordsmanship technique.

He was able to maintain the same speed of progression as Ling Yun simply because, due to the decline of Lingxiao Sword Sect over the past century, the strength of these one hundred disciples guarding the pass was far inferior to those who had guarded it one hundred years ago.

However, compared to the ordinary disciples watching below, Cao Zirui’s swordsmanship was already far beyond their reach. These disciples couldn’t help but discuss it amongst themselves, almost all of them full of praise for Cao Zirui’s excellent swordsmanship.

However, others had the opposite opinion.

“He still needs more refinement.” Hao Chen shook his head, offering a seemingly professional critique.

Upon hearing this, Feng Ye regarded Hao Chen with some surprise. It wasn’t that he disagreed, since Cao Zirui’s swordsmanship did indeed have a lot of room for improvement. He was just taken aback that Hao Chen was able to judge the quality of his swordsmanship.

“You practice swordsmanship?” Feng Ye asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked exceedingly interested, as if he was a moment away from dragging Hao Chen out for a friendly match.

“I don’t.” Hao Chen immediately shook his head. Without using spiritual power, he would lose no matter which weapon he wielded in human form.

Before Feng Ye could ask, he explained with a smile: “It’s just that I’ve seen Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s swordsmanship, and the difference in skill between the two of you is glaringly obvious.”

He gestured with both hands as he spoke. The hand representing Feng Ye was raised above his head, while the hand representing Cao Zirui barely reached his waist.

Feng Ye looked at Hao Chen speechlessly. He had hoped to discuss swordsmanship with Hao Chen, but it turned out that this fish was just flattering him.

He had flattered this fish before, and it was extremely easy to do. Just one compliment, and this fish would leap into the sky. But it wasn’t as easy to flatter Feng Ye, because he wasn’t nearly so superficial.

At such an age, he’s living entirely off the thickness of his skin.

Feng Ye had this thought for what seemed like the thousandth time. Then, he shook his head and continued to watch Cao Zirui face his challenge.

While they were speaking, Cao Zirui had passed over a dozen more checkpoints. Finally, at the forty-seventh level, he was no longer as relaxed as before. This time, he fought a disciple for more than twenty rounds before the winner was decided.

“It seems your descendent is not very capable, ah. He clearly learned your swordsmanship, but it took him so long to pass the forty-seventh checkpoint,” the man said to Ling Yun with a hint of sarcasm. 

Ling Yun watched Cao Zirui make his way upward and replied indifferently: “He’s only learned the basics.”

“Hehe, that’s true. Even you, the creator of this sword technique, haven’t given him any pointers, so how could he possibly learn the essence of it? How about you go and give him some advice later?” The man seemed to have suddenly thought of an idea.

But before Ling Yun could respond, he immediately shot down his own idea: “Ah, I almost forgot. He won’t have the opportunity.”

“Xue Ren will definitely kill him.” The man’s voice contained a beaming smile.

Even when speaking of something as dark as murder, he maintained a genial smile, as if he was simply talking about the weather. 

“It’s just uncertain whether Xue Ren will make a move against your shidi.” The man’s tone was somewhat anticipatory. “If Xue Ren really acts against Ji Chengyue, will you intervene?”

“No.” Ling Yun spoke this single word without any hesitation or fluctuations.

“Aren’t the two of you very close?” the man asked with regret.

Ling Yun looked up toward Ji Chengyue at the mountaintop. Standing in a secluded, unlit corner, he remained unnoticed by Feng Ye, much less the sect leader.

He replied in a flat tone: “That’s in the past.”

The man was a little disappointed by this answer, and shook his head: “You don’t seem to care about anything anymore.”

“Not true,” Ling Yun refuted again. “Don’t you know what I care about better than anyone else?”

“Hehe.” The man chuckled softly in response to Ling Yun’s question. He nodded, assuring him: “I will help you. After all…..that is my wish as well.”

“Now…..” the man’s tone suddenly became somewhat indolent. He stretched, then chuckled as he watched Cao Zirui reach the one hundredth checkpoint. “…..the show is about to begin.”

“Shixiong.” On the one thousandth step, Cao Zirui bowed to Xue Ren before making any move to strike.

“Shidi.” Xue Ren greeted him with a smile.

Ji Chengyue felt a little sentimental as he observed this scene, recalling how he and Ling Yun had been in the same situation one hundred years ago.

After they exchanged greetings, the challenge officially began.

Xue Ren held his sword in a defensive stance, adopting such a posture to invite Cao Zirui to make the first move. 

Cao Zirui didn’t refuse, and charged forward with his sword.

His strike was swift and fierce. It seemed as if his sword was going to pierce his opponent’s chest, but just as it approached Xue Ren, Cao Zirui twisted his wrist, turning the blade.

The tip of the sword, which had been thrust straight forward, angled upward toward Xue Ren’s jaw.

Although Cao Zirui had abruptly altered his move, Xue Ren’s reaction was just as swift. He leaned back slightly to avoid the attack, while simultaneously thrusting his sword forward.

Having missed his first strike, Cao Zirui quickly withdrew his sword and defended against the attack. When the blades connected, the two equally precious spirit swords shook slightly.

As personal disciples of the sect leader, both of them possessed excellent magical tools. Their spirit swords were also top-rank Earth-grade weapons, equally sharp and durable.

And in terms of swordsmanship, Xue Ren had learned the traditional techniques of Lingxiao Sword Sect, while Cao Zirui had learned the Lingxiao Swordsmanship created by Ling Yun, which was a superior technique.

However, Xue Ren was more than twenty years older than Cao Zirui, and he possessed far richer experience.

Thus, for a time, there was no clear indication as to who would emerge victorious. Each took turns attacking and defending, but neither was able to breach the other’s defenses.

After a brief clash, Xue Ren launched another attack. Perhaps due to fatigue after this series of skirmishes, Cao Zirui’s reaction time slowed and the opponent’s sword grazed his sleeve.

When the two parted, Cao Zirui’s sleeve sported a long gash.

Fang Yang couldn’t help being worried for his friend. In order to better view the scene, and to fulfill his promise to cheer Cao Zirui on, he managed to fly up somewhat unsteadily on his sword. Having flown halfway up the mountain, he had a clearer view than most of the disciples and was able to witness this dangerous moment.

Had Cao Zirui reacted any slower, he would have lost his arm.

Ji Chengyue frowned as he watched this scene. Cao Zirui had been slow to react, and even when Xue Ren’s sword was about to cut into his shidi, he showed no signs of calling off the attack.

This was just a spar, but Xue Ren seemed to be going all-out.

Could it be…..? A bad feeling came over Ji Chengyue. But he was reluctant to believe it, and convinced himself that perhaps Xue Ren was unable to stop in time, but had not done it deliberately.

Ji Chengyue continued to watch the spar……but his hand clenched slightly where it was hidden in his sleeve. He was ready to step in at any moment.

Sometimes, a bystander was able to get a clearer picture than the person involved. Cao Zirui was completely unaware that Xue Ren was trying to kill him. He just assumed that mistakes could be made in the heat of battle, and that Xue Ren would have pulled his swing if Cao Zirui was unable to react in time.

Although Xue Ren didn’t usually pay much attention to him, he had specially gifted him that warning bell before Cao Zirui entered the Floating Island Secret Realm, which showed that his shixiong was a good person.

He didn’t really want to fight Xue Ren, but this was a friendly spar, and also the final checkpoint out of one hundred. He had no choice but to win.

And it needed to be a quick victory, because he was growing tired. Ling Yun had passed these one hundred checkpoints as if strolling through a garden, casual and relaxed. Although this was not a truly grueling battle, the first ninety-nine checkpoints had certainly taken a toll on Cao Zirui’s stamina.

Cao Zirui abruptly changed his swordsmanship style. He had started off aggressively, then switched back and forth between offense and defense, but now….he abandoned defense entirely.

He would use offense as his defense!

His blade struck the middle of Xue Ren’s sword, and the sudden increase in force vibrated through the metal, bringing a tingling sensation to Xue Ren’s hand.

Xue Ren had just blocked the attack, and before he had a chance to retaliate, he barely managed to block a second incoming strike.

The second strike was even stronger than the first, and the tingling sensation in Xue Ren’s hand intensified.

“This is…..” Fang Yang murmured as he watched this familiar scene from the sidelines. This looked similar to the sword technique Useless Shixiong had used to defeat Lu Chengye.

When Cao Zirui swung again and Xue Ren was forced to take a step back, Fang Yang was certain – this technique was not similar. It was exactly the same.

Four, Cao Zirui counted to himself while once again increasing the power of his next swing.

Ever since he witnessed Feng Ye use this technique, it had never left his mind. He had attempted it before during the Foundation Establishment tournament, but without success.

But he didn’t give up after this failure. Instead, he practiced it on his own time. Although he had learned Lingxiao Swordsmanship, there was no absolute distinction between different sword techniques, as martial arts were inherently versatile.

Ling Yun had studied the strengths of many schools of swordsmanship before designing his technique.

Cao Zirui had been practicing this particular technique for almost half a month. At first, he could only use the first four or five moves at most, but now he could use the entire set of seven.

Five.

With the fifth swing, Cao Zirui reached the limit of his strength.

The vibrations from the sword were no longer limited to Xue Ren’s hand. This time, his entire arm went numb.

What sort of technique was this?! Xue Ren was filled with surprise and bewilderment.

Due to his early departure, he hadn’t witnessed the battle between Feng Ye and Lu Chengye, and therefore never learned about the Seven Strike Takedown technique.

But although he was unaware that there were seven strikes in total, Xue Ren could sense by the increasing strength of the attacks that he might not be able to keep his grip on his sword after two more moves.

Losing to Cao Zirui?

What a joke!

This trial ceremony explicitly forbade the use of spiritual power, so he was unable to simply overwhelm Cao Zirui using his Golden Core stage might. However, a different sort of power was not expressly prohibited…..

Xue Ren’s lips suddenly curved upward.

Cao Zirui spun in place, using the acceleration of the rotation to unleash a sixth sword strike that exceeded his physical limits.

The clash of their swords emitted a reverberating hum.

Just then, amidst the vibrations, the sword in Xue Ren’s hand suddenly darkened very slightly in hue.

The originally bright silver sword suddenly turned faintly greyish, like a pearl covered in dust. 

This subtle change was not very noticeable, and even Ji Chengyue, who was closest to their battle location, failed to spot it.

But Feng Ye noticed. He was particularly sensitive to the thing that caused the sword to change.

At once, he raised his head and looked toward the sky.

At some point, bright sunlight had been obscured by dark clouds. Although it wasn’t quite to the point of blotting out the entire sky, the light was much fainter than before.

And those dark clouds seemed to be growing in density.

Seven. Cao Zirui uttered the last number to himself, simultaneously thrusting his sword forward. The first six strikes had forced Xue Ren to retreat repeatedly, leaving him on the defensive and completely unable to counterattack.

The final strike would knock the sword out of his hand, resulting in Cao Zirui’s victory.

However, just as the two swords were about to collide, Cao Zirui suddenly noticed that Xue Ren’s sword had turned black.

Pitch black.

Despite being made of metal, the blade lacked the reflective properties metal should have.

Even the patterns engraved on the spirit sword had been swallowed up by the blackness.

There was nothing on the sword apart from that monotonous darkness.

Although Cao Zirui was baffled, he had no time to withdraw his sword. The blades collided.

A sword flew away as a result, but it was not Xue Ren’s.

Cao Zirui stumbled back several steps and went down on one knee, leaning on the remaining half of his sword.

“Cough, cough…..” Cao Zirui spat out a mouthful of blood, which stained his collar and dripped to the ground.

The entire place fell silent.

No one had expected this. Cao Zirui was clearly the one with the upper hand, beating Xue Ren back repeatedly, so how had he ended up losing?

And how had Xue Ren managed to sever the spirit sword in Cao Zirui’s hand?

Feng Ye had spent a considerable amount of time building up to severing Lu Chengye’s sword. He struck the same spot repeatedly, and the accumulation of these strikes had caused it to shatter in the end.

But the material of the sword itself had also played a role. Ultimately, no matter how exquisite it may be, the sturdiness of ordinary steel was limited.

But Cao Zirui’s spiritual sword was a genuine Earth-grade magic weapon. How could Xue Ren so easily sever it in two?

Ji Chengyue stared at the jet black sword in Xue Ren’s hand, his expression one of bewilderment.

Xue Ren met Ji Chengyue’s gaze with a smile. At the same time, he sheathed his sword and bowed slightly, saying: “Shifu, victory is mine.”

The silent crowd finally stirred, and the disciples at the foot of the mountain began to whisper amongst themselves:

“This was Cao Zirui’s succession ceremony, but Xue Ren won in the end. So who should be the successor?”

The same question was raised throughout the square, reflecting everyone’s common concern.

But this did not include Ji Chengyue and those next to him. There was something wrong with the sword in Xue Ren’s hand. Those far away were unable to see it clearly, but those watching from the mountaintop were able to see perfectly well.

Without even using spiritual power, he was able to cleave a spiritual sword in two. There was no way that a low-grade magic weapon was capable of such a feat. Even Ji Chengyue’s Heaven-grade spiritual weapon Mountain Breaker, which was reserved for the use of successive sect leaders, was incapable of doing this.

He had never heard of a sword with this degree of sharpness.

No…..

He came to a sudden realization. He had heard of such a sword before, and had even seen it with his own eyes.

He had witnessed firsthand the divine sword that had severed Jianmu in one strike…..

Ji Chengyue recalled their late night conversation three days prior, during which Xue Ren had suddenly mentioned Jianmu, and a premonition arose in his heart. Unbeknownst to him, a conspiracy had been brewing.

“Shifu, the position of sect leader has always been held by whoever is most capable. Since shidi failed his trial, how about giving it to me?” Xue Ren suggested with a smile.

Ji Chengyue’s gaze shifted from the sword in Xue Ren’s hand to his smiling face, which seemed to belong to a stranger.

He had already made one mistake, and to his surprise, the decision he made three days ago had been another one.

Xue Ren had never considered repentance. Instead, he had become even more excessive than before.

Ji Chengyue sternly rebuked him: “Enough! Winning through external power is not fair play! My Lingxiao Sword Sect would never accept such a person as its leader!”

Xue Ren’s face immediately iced over. His fake smile vanished as he finally did away with all pretense, revealing an expression of fierce resentment.

He confronted his master: “What do you mean by ‘fair play?’ That’s just an excuse. Shifu, you never even considered passing the position of sect leader over to me.”

He abruptly turned to look at Cao Zirui, his eyes brimming with malice: “In your heart, I am inferior to him in everything. Everything I do is wrong.”

His voice grew louder and louder: “Nothing good was ever given to me. You gave him the Linxiao Swordsmanship technique, and you even want to give him the position of sect leader!”

When he uttered the last word, he was screaming almost uncontrollably.

At the same time, he swung his sword. An invisible sword glare swept toward Cao Zirui, who was kneeling on the ground, staring in shock.

This jet-black sword had easily severed an Earth-grade magic weapon, and there was no need to mention what it would do to fragile human bones.

If this attack connected, Cao Zirui would be cleaved in two.

Fang Yang, who had been stunned by the scene unfolding before him, saw this and immediately came to his senses. He directed his sword downward, intending to rush to Cao Zirui’s aid.

But he was too far away. No matter how fast he was, he wouldn’t get there in time.

And Cao Zirui himself was suffering from severe internal injuries due to the severing of his spirit sword, to which he was bound heart and soul. Forget dodging this strike. He was only managing to remain upright through sheer power of will.

At the sight of Cao Zirui moments away from death by sword glare, Ji Chengyue finally moved. He flashed in front of Cao Zirui, simultaneously gathering his spiritual power to form a protective barrier. Normally, his Nascent Soul stage strength would have been more than enough to handle an attack from a Golden Core stage cultivator.

But at this moment, not only did the sword cleave straight through his barrier, but he was even knocked back a step.

Fortunately, Ji Chengyue was quick to react. He immediately took a protective magic weapon from his sleeve and held it in front of him, ultimately managing to block the attack.

Such terrifying power…..his suspicions were only further confirmed.

“Xue Ren, have you gone mad?! How can you attack your own shidi?!” The perpetually good-tempered Elder Zhou finally reacted to the scene before him, in complete disbelief.

Xue Ren showed no sign of backing down, and raised his sword with a sneer.

The disciples at the checkpoints reacted accordingly. Although the reason for Xue Ren’s sudden madness was unknown, he had violated the sect rule against harming fellow disciples, and should be apprehended.

Amidst the sound of countless swords being drawn, Xue Ren was surrounded.

Xue Ren swept his gaze over the swords pointed toward him. Each one was razor-sharp, gleaming with a cold and deadly light under the overcast sky.

Even so, he showed no signs of panic. He had regained his composure after his earlier outburst, and his smile returned as he looked back toward Ji Chengyue: “Since Shifu won’t give it to me, I have no choice but to take it for myself.”

Although Ji Chengyue already had a vague guess in mind about the origin of that sword, Elder Zhou didn’t recognize it, and had not yet realized that this was not the first time Xue Ren had attempted to kill Cao Zirui.

He advised Xue Ren: “Apologize to your master at once! Do you really think you can win against so many people alone?”

As he spoke, he even went to snatch the sword from Xue Ren’s hand. He truly didn’t wish to witness the tragedy of master and disciple coming to blows, nor disciples fighting one another.

However, just as he took a step, Ji Chengyue raised an arm to stop him.

At this moment in time, Ji Chengyue no longer dared to say that he understood Xue Ren. His repeated actions had completely shattered his previous understanding of his disciple.

But the one thing he was certain of was that Xue Ren was not an impulsive person. To have taken this action, he must be absolutely certain of his success.

Xue Ren reacted to Elder Zhou’s words with a scoff, asking him: “Apologize? What have I done wrong? I’m only taking back what is rightfully mine! Also…..who said I’m alone?”

What did he mean by that? Did he have accomplices? 

Just as the disciples surrounding him were filled with uncertainty, Xue Ren held the jet-black sword in front of him horizontally and flicked the blade with his finger.

He listened to the crisp sound with near rapture, then infused his voice with spiritual power and raised his voice to say to everyone: “This is the divine sword – Fleeting Shadow!”

Fleeting Shadow?! Wasn’t that…..

Everyone with knowledge of that past event recited the name in their hearts, staring at Xue Ren in abject shock.

Feng Ye, who had been weaving through the crowd in search of the person behind the scenes, also raised his head.

His eyes widened slightly as he listened to Xue Ren utter that name…..a name he had never expected to hear.

“And the name of my master is…..” Xue Ren paused, then said with a grin, “Yinglong, the God of War!”

---

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Chapter 86 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 88

With the knowledge that the letter was from Qin Xiao, Bai Lihong became restless.

He pushed off the chair with his calves and slid down, then ran on his short legs to stand in front of Chu Jiubian.

“Xiansheng, I want to read it too,” the young boy said. Standing on tiptoe, he used his hands to support himself on Chu Jiubian’s knees and tried to climb into his lap.

Chu Jiubian lifted him up and settled him on his lap.

Bai Lihong looked at the envelope with bright eyes: “Xiansheng, what did Jiujiu say?”

“Let’s have a look.” Chu Jiubian unfolded the letter.

The first thing to catch his eye was the familiar handwriting. Flowing and vigorous, the powerful strokes seemed to perforate the paper, possessing a unique and distinctive style.

Having left the capital a month ago, we have now arrived in the Northwest…..

In a businesslike tone, he briefly recounted everything that had transpired along the way.

In addition, on the day they arrived in the Northwest, Moba Zanpu changed his mind and prepared to massacre the city that very day, but was stopped by Dingbei-wang.

The people of Shanxi and Gansu were now spreading stories of Dingbei-wang’s heroic deeds, and his previous reputation as “incompetent” after being captured had been completely overshadowed.

Although the tone was entirely professional, Chu Jiubian still detected a hint of mockery in Qin Xiao’s words, particularly in the phrase, “Dingbei-wang is in the enemy camp, yet his name is still associated with Great Ning.”

It seemed that this matter was not as the rumors suggested.

It was a foregone conclusion that Dingbei-wang and Moba Zanpu had conspired together. All this talk of “shielding the common people from harm” and showing fearless courage in the face of death was likely just a show that the vassal king had staged for himself.

He himself had constructed the stage, then drew both Great Ning’s Imperial Court and the Western Regions onto it. He had included Qin Xiao and Moba Zanpu, and even the common people of Shanxi and Gansu into his calculations.

Not only did he successfully lure Qin Xiao over, but he even made a name for himself in the process.

He was truly a clever tactician.

Chu Jiubian’s eyes darkened slightly. He had never truly paid attention to this Dingbei-wang Bai Liyu before.

He was the youngest prince from the reign of Emperor Chengzong, and at twenty-five years old, he was the same age as Qin Xiao.

During the succession struggle under Emperor Yingzong’s reign, this Dingbei-wang was still young, and his maternal family’s influence was not particularly strong. Therefore, a fiefdom was hastily arranged for him and he was sent away, which let him avoid competing in the political power struggle.

During the eight years of Emperor Yingzong’s reign that followed, he behaved himself and kept a low profile, making himself stand out even less than Nanjiang-wang, who was far away in the south.

But now, it seemed that this was no simple person.

On the contrary, he was strategic, daring, and willing to take risks. This was a very difficult person to deal with.

These vassal kings were very adept at keeping their heads down, but now that the political situation was unstable, they were all beginning to stir.

Chu Jiubian lowered his gaze and continued to read the contents of the letter.

Envoys were sent tonight for negotiations. The army will rest for three days before the battle begins. Wish me luck.

Qin Xiao had never intended to negotiate, and had only sent the envoys as a formality. Sooner or later, war was inevitable.

But when Qin Xiao wrote it out like that, Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but smile.

However, the smile on his face quickly faded, and a furrow appeared on his brow.

It had taken four days for the letter to reach him, which meant that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Qin Xiao would have already engaged the Sai Kingdom Army in battle yesterday.

He had no idea what the situation was like, or if Qin Xiao had been injured.

He probably hadn’t.

Had Qin Xiao been injured on the very first day, it would be very difficult for him to “decisively defeat the Sai Kingdom” as he had in the novel, so he must still be safe for now.

Chu Jiubian composed himself and continued reading.

He had reached the last two sentences of the letter.

Please inform His Majesty that I am doing well, and that I will strive to return to the capital before the end of the year.

Before Chu Jiubian could relay the message, the child had already read the sentence and immediately hugged Chu Jiubian’s arm, saying: “Xiansheng, Jiujiu said he’ll be back before the New Year!”

“En,” Chu Jiubian replied with a smile.

Bai Lihong squirmed and wriggled in Chu Jiubian’s arms, saying with a grin: “Xiansheng, this emperor needs to continue his calculations.”

He needed to work hard so that when his Jiujiu returned, he would see a much-improved version of himself!

“Go ahead,” said Chu Jiubian.

The child returned to his seat, where he continued to sit upright and solve the math problems Chu Jiubian had given him. He displayed no impatience at all – only a strong sense of determination.

Chu Jiubian withdrew his gaze and read the last line of text on the letter.

I miss the jasmine in the courtyard. I wonder if it is still doing well?

He stared at it fixedly for some time before putting the letter away. Then he turned to Qin Chaoyang and said: “Fighting has likely already broken out in the Northeast. Keep a close eye on the news.”

Qin Chaoyang gave a respectful affirmative reply.

“Preparations should also be started on the residences of the vassal kings. Please monitor the arrangements for the banquet and the New Year’s festivities, along with Eunuch Hong,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Chaoyang bowed and said: “This subordinate accepts the order.”

The New Year Festival was approaching.

In the first year of the new emperor’s reign, all of the vassal kings were required to come to the capital to pay their respects, and it was expected that they would bring their families and retinues with them.

With there being so many people, it was naturally impossible to accommodate all of them in the Imperial Palace.

Fortunately, the Imperial Court had already bestowed residences upon these princes when they were granted their titles. Now, all that was needed was to send people to prepare those residences; there was no need to build new ones.

In addition, these manors all had servants who were left there to “look after the house,” which meant that they were not abandoned properties. This would save a lot of time when it came to cleaning them up.

There were many details to oversee regarding the New Year’s palace banquet, and it was fortunate that officials from the Ministry of Rites were responsible for coordinating it. Otherwise, Chu Jiubian’s staff would have been even more overwhelmed.

And the Ministry of Personnel was experiencing an uptick in memorials lately.

During this period of annual performance reviews for officials, and with many of them seeking transfers to new positions, there was a flurry of activity. Memorials piled up in stacks, and Chu Jiubian worked late into the night each day to review them.

Whenever he found himself unable to straighten his back at night, he thought of Qin Xiao.

If he were here, they could split the workload and make things much easier.

But Qin Xiao wouldn’t be able to return anytime soon.

Chu Jiubian spread out a new sheet of paper, dipped his brush in ink, and began writing a reply to Qin Xiao.

His letter was even simpler.

He began with recounting the recent news and events in court.

Firstly, the household registration records of the people in Hexi Prefecture had all been properly organized, and Prefect Han Yuandao had exercised his authority to suppress local forces, preventing the local nobles and other various factions from seizing the common people’s land again.

However, the Imperial Court’s four great families seemed to have guessed their intention to reform the land taxation system, and had secretly begun to take countermeasures.

Secondly, Xiao Yao, the head of the Xiao family, had recently begun to appear in public again.

Although he was slightly thinner than before, he was in a healthy mental state. Chu Jiubian had observed that the other party seemed to have already managed to suppress his addiction to mandala.

On the contrary, although Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan seemed to be in good spirits, he had also started to lose weight. His already aged face had become even more gaunt, with his cheeks now visibly sunken.

Chu Jiubian subtly informed Qin Xiao that the old bastard was likely not going to live much longer.

The Xiao family had previously possessed a large quantity of mandala, and after the Imperial Court banned them, Xiao Yao had ordered everyone in his household to stay away from this substance. 

However, just one glance at Xiao Huaiguan’s condition was enough for Chu Jiubian to grasp what was going on.

That old bastard Xiao Huaiguan must be partaking in the Xiao family’s remaining mandala.

Chu Jiubian even understood why he was taking it. He must be thinking that he was already old and frail, with limited time left to live, so he might as well live more freely even if it meant resorting to drugs.

Thirdly, there was the Wang family.

Chu Jiubian felt that since he had sent Wang Pengyi to deliver the military supplies, Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan had changed somewhat.

He no longer participated in court affairs, only occasionally speaking up. And even then, he sided with Chu Jiubian and Bai Lihong.

Chu Jiubian informed Qin Xiao in his letter: Surnamed Wang may be considering retiring while he’s ahead, depending on the success of the military campaign in the Northwest.

If there was anyone in the Imperial Court who understood the situation the best, it was Minister Wang.

Wang family members had held official positions and served as ministers during the previous dynasty, but once Great Ning overthrew the previous regime, the high-ranking and powerful figures in the court were all weakened – with the exception of the Wang family. Because of a secret deal they made with Great Ning’s founding emperor, they were able to preserve their wealth and power.

This ability to assess the situation and react accordingly had clearly been passed down to Wang Zhiyuan. 

However, there was another very important factor that Chu Jiubian would not tell Qin Xiao.

He had obtained some inside information from Wang Qichen that the Wang family was currently experiencing serious internal conflict, and that Wang Qichen was already laying the groundwork for the release of “Yaotai Green Paper,” which would likely be available soon.

At that time, the Wang family’s monopoly on papermaking would be shattered, and if the family head couldn’t figure out a way to reverse their decline, he would very soon be overshadowed by Wang Qichen’s rising popularity.

And under these circumstances, Wang Zhiyuan, an elder in the family who held an even higher position than family head Wang Huanzhi, remained completely silent and didn’t even restrict his own grandson Wang Pengyi’s interactions with Wang Qichen. This already revealed a clear bias.

If Wang Qichen were truly to inherit the position of family head, then the Wang family would become a force that was under Chu Jiubian’s control.

The four great families’ strong alliance and mutual animosity against him would thus be dismantled from within.

Lastly, regarding the Imperial Examinations, the first round of preliminary examinations had been completed.

Chu Jiubian had established the examination system with procedures similar to those in later time periods. First came the preliminary exams, followed by the prefectural and regional exams, and finally the palace exam, for a total of four rounds.

The preliminary exam was taken by students in their respective locales. This stage tested basic knowledge, and anyone with a solid foundation would be able to pass.

For the prefectural exam, students would travel to a prefectural city depending on their place of residence. This round was more difficult, and would weed out most of those who were trying to muddle through or lacked adaptability. 

Since this was the first time the Imperial Examinations were being held, Chu Jiubian had not set a limit on the number of candidates.

So long as students achieved a passing score at each stage, with their total score exceeding 85 points, they would be able to advance to the next round.

The third round of exams was the regional exam, which also took place in a prefectural city. 

The scope of the questions was broader and more difficult, and Chu Jiubian had even added some debate-style topics.

Besides the candidates for classical subjects, other subjects such as math and embroidery were included as well. Exceptional writing skills were not required when the answers were graded. As long as the candidates possessed sound moral values, or were only slightly old-fashioned but had the potential for correction, Chu Jiubian would consider them to have passed.

And those students who passed their exams would have secured their spots in the Imperial Academy.

These students would then come to the capital to participate in the final round of Imperial Examinations.

Bai Lihong would serve as the chief examiner in this exam, while other civil and military offiials would act as his assistants.

The final exam paper was not divided into different specialties – everyone would receive the same set of questions, which numbered ten in total. 

These ten questions would not take into account professional skills, but instead would ask about the students’ reasons for entering public service, methods for improving the lives of the common people and how best to ensure their well-being, and how they would carry out their duties in their respective positions. 

Bai Lihong and Chu Jiubian had created all of these questions between the two of them, and two of the questions were matters that the child himself wanted to know the answer to.

The purpose of including these questions in the Imperial Examinations was not only to select the most outstanding students among the candidates and find the most suitable talents who aligned with Chu Jiubian’s governing philosophy, but to help these students gain recognition.

When presented in front of all those civil and military officials, the students’ answers, whether good or bad, would have a certain level of impact.

After the examinations, Chu Jiubian would have his people record these questions, as well as the students’ answers, and disseminate them.

This content would then be presented in colloquial language by professional storytellers or in crowded places such as inns and restaurants, and then spread further to various marketplaces.

This would let the common people know that the ones in charge now were Bai Lihong, Chu Jiubian, and Qin Xiao, and that those who would govern them in the future and ensure the betterment of their livelihoods were students from ordinary families who were selected by the Imperial Academy.

Unlike those from powerful and influential families, the students of the Imperial Academy would naturally be less distant from the common people.

Once their reputations spread, the common people would place their trust in the Imperial Academy, which would make a more convincing case for sending students into the Imperial Court.

He who wins the hearts of the common people wins the world.

Chu Jiubian was well-aware of this principle, and so were the officials in the Imperial Court.

These powerful and influential figures, who were accustomed to holding themselves above the masses, did not genuinely take the common people’s demands into account. They simply used their “good reputations” to use the common people like tools.

When the time came for them to charge into battle, just like what had happened with the drought in the southern regions, a minor incitement from officials could turn them into a sharp weapon pointed toward Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong.

But to them, the common people were like ants, a disorganized and powerless mass.

Even a mere county official was able to command troops to throw them into a raging river.

For another example, the recent Sai Kingdom invasion.

The common people of Gansu had become bargaining chips to be traded, and Dingbei-wang had put them in a dangerous situation without their knowledge. 

Yet he also needed the support of these common people. He intended to gain renown through this matter and gain more acceptance from them.

For this reason, he dragged many others into his scheme, using his reputation as a fearless hero who single-handedly faced off against danger to manipulate the admiration and resentment of the common people.

To him, and to those in power, the common people were merely tools to be used.

Therefore, it wouldn’t even enter their minds to “enlighten the common people.” On the contrary, they would oppress the common people to such an extreme degree that just having enough food to eat and clothing to wear would be considered good fortune.

Once the common people became a little wealthier, they would begin to pursue other endeavors and would have the time and inclination to contemplate deeper principles.

They would become less prone to manipulation, and would no longer be tools to be used.

This was not good news for those in power.

Even in newer generations, the common people naturally remained trapped in information bubbles, seeing and hearing only what certain people wanted them to see and hear.

However, there would always be people who thought more deeply, as well as those who would search for ways to transcend their social class.

Progress was inevitable in a society, and this was a good thing.

Chu Jiubian had never naively imagined that every single common person would become a talent. He simply wanted them all to have better lives, and wished to give them the opportunity to think for themselves, to grow, and to understand their ultimate purpose.

After rambling on and on, Chu Jiubian raised his head in surprise to find that he had unknowingly written an entire page.

The confidential letter would be kept safe, and if anything unexpected happened, the messenger would immediately destroy it. So there was no issue with Chu Jiubian writing such things, and no need to worry about outsiders reading it.

He was just a little bewildered.

When Qin Xiao was with him before, he never noticed how much they communicated. But now that he was writing things down, he realized that he and Qin Xiao actually talked quite a lot.

Keeping in mind that Qin Xiao’s letter only amounted to one page, Chu Jiubian didn’t say anything further, and simply wrote at the end: His Majesty is perfectly well. Court affairs are so numerous and demanding that this god even dreams of reviewing memorials. I hope you will return soon to share some of my burdens.

After a moment’s thought, he added one last sentence: The jasmine in the courtyard is in full bloom.

It was already nearly mid-October, and the jasmine was beginning to show signs of wilting.

Qin Xiao received the reply on the evening of October 15th.

The setting sun painted the sky red, and rain mixed with a few snowflakes melted into water the instant it met the ground, blending with the dirt to become mud.

Tall boots tramped through it, stirring up filth.

There was still a trace of ferocity to Qin Xiao’s expression. Blood was splattered across his chin, and his dark armor gleamed with a cold, hard light.

He strode to the entrance of the tent, tossed his spear to a guard, and opened the tent flap before entering.

Just as he reached the washbasin and was about to wash his hands, a secret guard landed silently a few steps away. Holding up a confidential letter, he said: “My Lord, a reply has arrived from the capital.”

Qin Xiao abruptly turned his head and took a couple of steps toward him. But then he stopped, turning to thoroughly wash his hands before going back to take the letter.

The secret guard disappeared in a flash.

Qin Xiao took a seat on the only stone stool in the tent, and without even taking the time to pour himself a cup of water, he opened the letter.

The young man’s handwriting was strong and vigorous, with powerful, elegant strokes.

The fierceness slowly faded from Qin Xiao’s face as his gaze moved unhurriedly across the letter.

The language in the letter was sometimes concise and formal, and at other times quite colloquial, which was very much Chu Jiubian’s style.

Upon reading “that old bastard Xiao Huaiguan doesn’t have much longer to live,” Qin Xiao let out a low chuckle.

He was relieved to read “His Majesty is perfectly well,” but he still felt a sense that something was missing.

For a long while, his gaze remained unwaveringly fixed on the last sentence:

The jasmine in the courtyard is in full bloom.

By this time, the jasmine in the courtyard was probably withering.

But it wasn’t the jasmine flowers that were on Qin Xiao’s mind, and Chu Jiubian’s response was not referring to the state of their blooms.

After a while, Qin Xiao placed the letter on the table and gently tore it in half.

The first half of the letter, which detailed various matters in the capital, Qin Xiao burned completely. 

The second half contained only the last two sentences of the letter.

Qin Xiao stood and placed the thin piece of paper into a small box, then hid it beneath his pillow.

Without bothering to tidy himself up after getting to his feet, he proceeded to walk straight out of the tent.

Someone in the capital was waiting for him to return and help review memorials, so he needed to speed things up.

*

*

Inside the Sai Kingdom commander’s tent, a subordinate rushed in and reported: “Sovereign, Ning-wang is attacking again!”

“He only just left a short while ago, why is he back again?!” Such was Moba Zanpu’s fury that he smashed down the wine cup in his hand.

Fortunately, it was made of bronze and didn’t shatter.

He glared at Bai Liyu, who was sitting at the far end of the table, and said in a temper: “This sovereign has already lost five of his top commanders. You never mentioned that Ning-wang is this formidable!”

Bai Liyu’s eyes darkened slightly, and he said in a low voice: “The sovereign should understand that nothing comes for free in this world.”

Driven by his desire to seize the territory of Gansu, he had initially been eager to collaborate with Bai Liyu – but now that Ning-wang was on the offensive, he had become anxious.

How could Moba Zanpu not know by now that he had been utterly manipulated by Dingbei-wang and these Central Plains people?

He was being used by Dingbei-wang as a sharp weapon to oppose Qin Xiao.

But at this moment in time, Moba Zanpu was truly in a dilemma.

If he were to retreat now, not only would he not retain control of Gansu, but the morale of his troops would collapse, which would have a significant impact on his rule within their country.

But if he didn’t retreat, he would have no choice but to fight Qin Xiao.

With his 130,000 soldiers facing off against Great Ning’s 110,000-strong army, it was truly uncertain which side would prevail.

But they were within Great Ning’s territory, and Qin Xiao possessed a supply train extending from the capital that ensured ample provisions. Furthermore, the terrain of the Central Plains was more suitable for the Great Ning Army’s tactics. 

At present, the only advantage Moba Zanpu seemed to possess was a position that was easy to defend but difficult to attack.

With a fierce glint in his eyes, he directed his murderous gaze toward Bai Liyu: “Since we must confront Ning-wang directly in order to take full control of Gansu, the deal between you and I is useless.”

“And you—” He sneered, “You are useless too.”

Since he was no longer useful, it was better to kill him.

What did it matter how clever this person was? Wasn’t he still in Moba Zanpu’s hands?

“What’s the rush?” Bai Liyu spoke unhurriedly, sipping his tea. “In warfare, provisions are paramount.”

He looked up at the sovereign sitting upon his throne: “My men have located Great Ning’s provisions, which are being stockpiled at the Ganying Post Station fifty li away. Asking the Sovereign to hold out for two more days. Once the weather clears up, we can set fire to Ning-wang’s supplies, and won’t the initiative then be in our hands?”

In fact, his people had already known where the provisions were stockpiled. He had also thought that Wang Pengyi, who was escorting the provisions, would share his objective and at least delay the delivery of the supplies for a while.

Unexpectedly, the other party proved to be diligent and conscientious, purchasing grain along the way and traveling at a very rapid pace. He had now joined Qin Xiao’s army, providing support from the rear to ensure the supply of basic food and supplies.

Bai Liyu had a vague sense that the Wang family seemed to be considering pledging their allegiance to the Emperor, but now was not the time to dwell on such matters.

Since Wang Pengyi had escaped his control, he would simply order his people to burn down the supply camp.

However, it had been raining and snowing for the past two days, and starting a big fire in this weather would be too difficult and disruptive. He feared that the fire wouldn’t even have a chance to get going before they were discovered.

For this reason, he had yet to take action.

But just in case, he had prepared a contingency plan. The strategist Qian Ziming was currently in Great Ning’s military camp, and Bai Liyu still had 6,000 private troops of his own.

When Moba Zanpu heard about the military supply camp, his expression shifted slightly.

The people of the Sai Kingdom valued strength, and he had secured his position as Sovereign through forcefully subduing other military leaders.

But he wasn’t just a mindless brute; on the contrary, he possessed considerable talent in military matters.

An idea formed in his mind at that very moment, and he immediately summoned a trusted commander and whispered a few words into his ear.

Afterward, the commander accepted the order and departed. Moba Zanpu also stood and walked outside, grabbing his longsword as he went.

Bai Liyu knew upon seeing this that he planned to confront Qin Xiao in person.

This ruler possessed considerable military prowess, and even the formidable Qin Xiao was unlikely to be a match for a true general. This battle was going to be a harrowing one.

It was a shame that he was currently being “held captive,” and was unable to show his face. Otherwise, he would definitely want to go and watch.

*

*

On the battlefield, Qin Xiao sat on a tall horse at the forefront of his troops, gazing out at the vast, imposing army of the enemy kingdom in the distance.

A burly general on horseback was shouting something toward them in front of the Sai Kingdom troops.

Qin Xiao was unable to understand the language, so his advisor, Qian Ziming, translated for him: “The other party is asking, why is there only one general left in your Great Ning Army? Have all the others perished?”

Qian Ziming was Bai Liyu’s strategist. He possessed a lean, upright build, and had a somewhat subtle sense of presence, making him seem less like a strategist and more like a secret guard like Qin Chaoyang.

Having resided in Gansu for many years and traveled frequently throughout the Western Regions, he naturally understood the local languages.

Exchanging insults before battle seemed to be a customary practice, but Qin Xiao couldn’t be bothered to engage in such a thing. Upon hearing the challenge, he instructed a young deputy beside him: “You go.”

“Yes.” The deputy rushed out without another word.

Seeing this, the fierce general ceased shouting and charged forward as well.

After a dozen rounds of fighting, the deputy’s robes were torn by the enemy’s longsword, but the general was wounded in the shoulder and fled back to his troops in disarray.

Instead of returning, Qin Xiao’s deputy stood before the enemy army and taunted them, asking if they had no one left who was capable of fighting.

Another well-muscled general then emerged from the other side and confronted Qin Xiao’s deputy.

Qian Ziming’s eyes flickered, and as his gaze swept across the people around him, his heart skipped a beat.

He seemed to have overlooked one very important thing.

Since the previous night, he hadn’t seen the brave, skilled warrior Chung Shuo!

The man in question was Qin Xiao’s most trusted lieutenant. And yesterday, he single-handedly killed four enemy commanders, proving himself to be even more formidable than Qin Xiao!

With such a terrifying lieutenant at his disposal, Qin Xiao certainly wouldn’t have sent him away without good reason. There must be some important arrangements to be made.

Just then, Qian Ziming saw a middle-aged man with a long saber emerge from the enemy ranks. Who else could it be but the Sai Kingdom Sovereign?

Qian Ziming came to a sudden understanding, and his heart sank as far as it could go.

It’s over, he thought.

The prince’s plan was surely ruined.

---

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Chapter 63 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 65

Upon entering the Divine Realm, Chu Jiubian immediately called out to the System: “I’ll draw a card.”

He still had several duplicate cards in his hands, and he could use any one of them to draw Qin Xiao.

[Insufficient points detected to draw a new card. Would Host like to draw a Believer with an existing card instead?]

“Yes.”

[Okay. You currently have one ‘wealth’ card, one ‘armed forces’ card, and two ‘charisma’ cards. Please choose one.]

Chu Jiubian chose the ‘charisma’ card. After using this one, he would have one each of the remaining three cards.

The charisma card flipped over, revealing four character cards.

They were all old acquaintances.

Besides Wang Qichen, there was also Eunuch Hong and An Wuji.

And finally, there was Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian reached out decisively and grasped the card belonging to Qin Xiao.

In the next moment, the entire Divine Realm began to shake violently. Intermittent red lights flashed, and an alarm wailed shrilly.

The System’s mechanical voice also cut in and out: [Alert—]

[Not recommended!!]

[N-not recommended—]

There was a sharp, intense pain in Chu Jiubian’s chest, as if countless needles were frantically piercing his internal organs.

Boom—

One after another, the towering dragon-shaped pillars collapsed.

The chair and steps under Chu Jiubian also plummeted into the pure white space. As he fell weightlessly, solid ground never materialized beneath him. 

Just like when he had fallen from the cliff, it felt as if this fall would never end.

It mirrored him as a person – constantly on the road to death, yet always held back by a yearning for life, neither truly dead nor able to live in peace.

Then he coughed up a mouthful of blood. It stained the young man’s pure white robes and disheveled silver hair, and tainted the swirling mist of the Divine Realm.

The clouds instantly turned blood-red, and after a brief moment of stillness, they suddenly transformed into two gigantic arms and caught Chu Jiubian securely, preventing him from falling any further.

An unknown amount of time passed before Chu Jiubian abruptly opened his eyes and found himself back in his bedroom, laying in his bed.

At the same time, a sickly-sweet, metallic taste welled up in his throat and caused him to cough violently.

He clutched his chest and leaned over the edge of the bed, retching several times before he was finally able to suppress the bloody taste in his throat.

Chu Jiubian’s eyes were bloodshot, and his entire body was drenched in cold sweat. Hair stuck to his face, and he looked entirely disheveled.

He lowered his eyes, which contained a hint of madness.

Then he called upon the System again and entered the Divine Realm.

Everything there had returned to its original state, and he had even returned to his seat on the elevated throne.

Just like he was in the real world, he was now deathly pale, with bloodstains on his lips and cheeks. A complete mess.

“Summon Qin Xiao,” he said in a hoarse voice, his tone remarkably calm.

[Host, this System does not recommend that you select this Believer, nor does it recommend that you continue trying.]

“I didn’t manage to pull out the card just now, so it doesn’t count as me having used one, right?” Chu Jiubian asked.

[It doesn’t count.]

“Okay,” Chu Jiubian said, “Draw the ‘armed forces’ card.”

The System remained silent for a long moment before displaying the ‘armed forces’ card.

Without hesitation, Chu Jiubian once again grasped the card belonging to Qin Xiao.

The Divine Realm collapsed again, and in the midst of the shrill alarms, Chu Jiubian felt as if his internal organs were being pierced through.

The clouds once again transformed into large hands, which caught him even more skillfully than before.

When he opened his eyes again, Chu Jiubian was back in his bedroom. A large mouthful of bright red blood gushed from his mouth, and his vision was slightly blurry.

“System,” he called out again in his mind.

The System’s usually calm, mechanical voice sounded somewhat anxious as it said: [Host, please stop trying! This setting was put in place by the System’s creator; no one can defy it!]

Chu Jiubian’s eyes instantly regained their clarity. “The System’s creator? Who is he, and what setting did he put in place? Why can’t I summon Qin Xiao?”

The System didn’t answer any of his many questions, and only said: [For Host’s personal safety, this System has temporarily disabled the Divine Realm function and will reactivate it tomorrow at noon.]

[During this period, if any Believers request an audience, this System will inform Host, allowing you to rest assured and recuperate in order to better carry out your mission. (Injuries to Host’s body are a side effect of this System, and will heal after six hours. No medical attention is needed.)]

Having said all of this, the System went completely silent and refused to respond no matter what Chu Jiubian said.

Chu Jiubian lay on the side of the bed for a long time before he ultimately managed to get up. He dragged his almost crippled body to the table and poured some water to rinse his mouth.

He now sincerely felt that it would be a good thing to have someone stationed outside his room. That way, he wouldn’t have to get out of bed himself at times like this.

But it was just a fleeting thought. The weather was getting increasingly cold, and the palace servants were even feeling cold in their own rooms, much less sleeping on the floor outside his door.

Chu Jiubian considered creating a ‘metal stove’ at some point. Or perhaps he would create an underfloor heating system, which would be warmer than simply using a charcoal brazier.

That being said, all of the affairs of the Imperial Court had fallen upon Chu Jiubian’s shoulders recently, and he had delegated many tasks to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs and Qin Chaoyang.

Therefore, Hong Fu had also been very busy lately. Even Xiao Xiangzi hadn’t been able to stay at Chu Jiubian’s side to attend to him, and instead spent his days running errands with his master.

Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi were also frequently seconded to help out. Chu Jiubian didn’t mind, and even hoped that these children could grow and develop, so the two of them were kept incredibly busy.

All of the miscellaneous tasks around Yaotai Residence then fell to Shui Qing and Shui Yun.

The two young palace maids were maturing at a rapid pace, and were already being addressed as “jiejie” by younger maids when they went out.

Chu Jiubian’s thoughts came to a halt.

It seemed he really was injured. What was he even thinking about?

He dragged himself to the side of the bed, sat down, and slowly levered himself down flat.

But even with how careful he was, his chest and abdomen still felt as if they were being ripped open.

The pain showed no sign of abating once he was lying down, but it also didn’t worsen. The System had even said that he would make a full recovery in six hours.

Chu Jiubian felt that this might be the System’s “punishment” mechanism.

It would hurt you, but not kill you – this was purely for the purpose of teaching a lesson.

How cruel. He didn’t know who had created this System, but they must have been a complete deviant.

He became lost in thought, attempting to distract himself and take his mind off his injuries.

This caused his thoughts to turn to Qin Xiao.

It turned out that the “not recommended” alert that kept appearing on the cards was a genuine warning, and that if he insisted on going against said advice, this was the sort of consequence that awaited him.

But since he wasn’t recommended, why even include him as an option in the first place?

Was this “entrapment” on the part of the System?

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but recall the cards he had drawn previously. All of the character cards he had seen flashed before his eyes one by one, and in that moment, his thoughts became exceptionally clear.

Therefore, he noticed something strange.

From the initial Jiang Shuoye and Situ Zhaoling, to the later Wang Qichen and Qin Chuan, and finally to Lu Yao – each time, the System gave him several options, but in the end, he always seemed to choose the card that the System marked as “recommended.”

It was as if the System was guiding him to choose these people, and it could even be said that these Believers were his only options.

Causal System.

Chu Jiubian pondered these two words, his eyes narrowing.

Was choosing these people the “cause” or the “effect?”

He had transmigrated to Great Ning and met Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong. What kind of cause and effect was this?

Chu Jiubian’s mind was alternately clear and muddled, and he didn’t fall asleep until dawn.

When Xiao Xiangzi brought a basin of hot water for him to wash up that morning, he spied the dried bloodstains on Chu Jiubian’s face. His scream not only brought everyone else in the courtyard running, but also woke Chu Jiubian up.

Chu Jiubian abruptly opened his eyes and instinctively raised his hand to touch his chest.

There was no pain at all. Just as the System had said, he was completely healed after six hours.

Chu Jiubian: “……”

He sat up and saw the panicked people around him, and quickly stopped Xiao Yinzi before he could go and fetch a doctor: “I’m fine, I just had a nosebleed.”

He didn’t dare say he had “vomited blood,” or these people would be scared to death.

As expected, everyone breathed sighs of relief at his words.

Excessive internal heat could cause nosebleeds, so this was normal for a healthy young man like Chu Jiubian.

Xiao Xiangzi quickly helped him up, saying with concern: “Young Master, perhaps a servant should stand vigil from now on. We servants were unaware of what transpired last night, or we certainly wouldn’t have let you sleep through the night like that.”

Chu Jiubian hadn’t intentionally avoided washing his face; he had simply had no energy left last night.

“No need,” he declined. “This was just an accident. I’ll call for you if something similar happens again.”

“Okay,” Xiao Xiangzi replied with reluctance.

“There is no need to inform His Majesty about this,” Chu Jiubian instructed.

Xiao Xiangzi would previously report every single detail of his affairs to Qin Xiao, but at some point, Qin Xiao had stopped asking so many questions, and Xiao Xiangzi also stopped telling him so much.

At present, Chu Jiubian had instructed him not to say anything in order to avoid worrying the child.

Xiao Xiangzi understood his good intentions, and instructed everyone else to keep quiet.

Chu Jiubian felt refreshed after washing up, and went to Yangxin Hall for breakfast as he usually did.

Since it was a day off, he went for a stroll with Bai Lihong after their meal in the name of aiding digestion. Xiao Xiangzi and the rest had all gone to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, leaving only Xiao Yuzi to attend to the two of them.

One after another, the three of them walked down the palace paths.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and looked beside him to where the small child was trudging along on his short legs.

The weather was getting cooler, and the child had changed into his autumn clothes.

The moderately thick clothing made him look short and stocky, and caused him to walk even slower than before.

Sensing his gaze, Bai Lihong glanced up at him.

The child immediately smiled upon meeting his Xiansheng’s gaze, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. His eyes were also bright and clear, no longer as listless as they had been in the first few days after Qin Xiao’s departure.

Chu Jiubian dearly wanted to pat his little face, but since they were outside, he refrained from reaching out and just smiled faintly.

Bai Lihong blinked his large eyes and said: “Xiansheng, how much longer until Jiujiu comes back?”

This was the nth time the child had asked this question.

But Chu Jiubian didn’t try to deceive him, nor did he display any impatience. Instead, he thought carefully before saying: “The main army should have already reached Gansu. I estimate that they should be back in about three months.”

Whenever Bai Lihong had asked this before, Chu Jiubian wasn’t entirely sure of the timeframe and his answers were vague as a result.

This was the first time he had given a relatively precise timeframe. Bai Lihong was initially delighted, but then his face fell as he said: “Three months, ah. Does that mean Jiujiu won’t make it back for the New Year celebrations?”

It was already autumn, and New Year’s Day was on the last day of the twelfth month, so there were barely three months left.

“If he doesn’t return with the army, he might make it in time,” said Chu Jiubian.

At a quick, light pace, it would only take about half a month to return to the capital from Gansu, so it was actually possible for Qin Xiao to make it back in time.

“That’s great!” The child’s eyes lit up, and he counted on his fingers over and over.

Jiujiu would be back soon, and then he could spend the New Year with him!

Seeing his excited expression, Chu Jiubian smiled. The child would likely be counting down the days for the next three months.

He didn’t say anything to discourage him, but deep down, he didn’t have much hope.

There was no doubt that Qin Xiao would be able to conquer Gansu. It just remained to be seen if, after securing a victory, he would continue his pursuit and drive the Sai Kingdom Army even farther away.

That would cause an even longer delay.

And as for Qin Xiao himself, it was already a miracle for him to make it back alive with a severe injury, so how could he possibly return to the capital ahead of everyone else?

At this thought, Chu Jiubian’s eyes darkened slightly.

Since the System wouldn’t allow him to summon Qin Xiao, he could only rely on the man’s letters and Qin Chuan’s communication channels.

But regardless of which method he used, there would be a delay.

The information he received was actually about events that happened three or four days in the past, and he currently had no idea what the situation was like on Qin Xiao’s side.

There was no telling if he had already been injured…..

Frowning, Chu Jiubian put it out of his mind.

Qin Xiao would surely return alive. He wouldn’t die from his injury. There was nothing to worry about.

The three people made their way to the Imperial Gardens.

The child was tired from their walk, so he pulled Chu Jiubian over to a bench to sit down and rest for a while.

Not long after, they saw two embroiderers from the Imperial Clothing Bureau approaching from a distance. It was clear that they were looking for them.

Now that the weather was getting cooler, the eunuchs and palace maids had all changed into thicker clothing. The palace servants, however, were in no hurry to obtain new clothes; they were able to make do with last year’s outfits for a few days.

But the masters and mistresses all needed new clothes. Even though the only high-ranking figures in the palace at the moment were the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, there were actually still some Imperial consorts and concubines remaining from Emperor Yingzong’s reign, as well as Bai Lihong’s two young Imperial brothers, who were both under ten years old.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian also lived in the previous dynasty’s palace quarters, so preparations needed to be made for them as well.

And there were only three months left until the New Year.

This was the first year of Bai Lihong’s reign, so the celebrations must be exceptionally grand.

Thus, the embroiderers had been constantly checking and modifying the dragon robes that Bai Lihong would wear during the New Year festivities. There were also Chu Jiubian’s first-rank official robes, as well as princely robes for Qin Xiao and the seven vassal kings.

All of this clothing needed to be prepared by the Imperial Clothing Bureau.

And because it was the start of a new year, even the official clothing for officials of the first and second ranks needed to be bestowed upon them by the Imperial Court.

Each person would be given six sets of clothes, three for summer and three for winter, which would last them throughout the year.

Therefore, the Imperial Clothing Bureau had been working non-stop ever since Bai Lihong ascended the throne.

The two embroiders who had just arrived were named Lin Ju and Shuang Chun.

They frequently came to speak with Hong Fu or Xiao Xiangzi, and had even taken Chu Jiubian’s measurements, so he had a rather strong impression of them.

However, it was unclear why they had come at this particular moment.

Both embroiderers were high-ranking matrons at the bureau, but despite the title of “matron,” they were both only in their twenties, in the prime of their youth.

The two approached the pavilion and bowed to Bai Lihong and Chu Jiubian, inquiring about their well-being.

Since his masters were hesitant to speak, Xiao Yuzi asked with a smile: “Do the two aunties have something to report?”

“Indeed,” Shuang Chun answered softly. She then looked at Bai Lihong and Chu Jiubian, saying: “We servants just went to Yangxin Hall to pay our respects, but learned that the masters had come here, so we came to find them. We humbly beg His Majesty and His Lordship to forgive us.”

Spying on the Emperor’s whereabouts was a grave offense, so she immediately clarified that they hadn’t been following them. Instead, they had gone to Yangxin Hall, obtained the information through official channels, and only then made their way here.

Bai Lihong asked: “What do you need from this emperor?”

Having spent a lot of time with Chu Jiubian, his speaking habits were sometimes not as refined as others’, making him sound very down-to-earth.

Shuang Chun replied: “Thanking Your Majesty for being lenient. We servants have come to ask Your Majesty and Your Lordship a question: we would like to know if palace maids like us are permitted to participate in the Imperial Examinations.”

Bai Lihong glanced at Chu Jiubian.

He knew a little about the Imperial Examination System, but only the basics, such as its purpose and benefits. 

The specific procedures and requirements were too complicated, and the child was unable to comprehend them.

Chu Jiubian regarded the two of them and asked: “Why do you want to enter the Imperial Examinations?”

These two women were already senior maids in the palace, and although there was no such thing as a female official in the Great Ning Dynasty, they had already acquired some quantity of power and wealth.

They would be able to leave the palace when they turned twenty-five, and although they would no longer have any power at that time, they would have their wealth to support them. They would be able to live prosperous lives after leaving the palace thanks to their former positions in the Imperial Clothing Bureau.

Lin Ju was a year younger than Shuang Chun, but was also twenty-three this year.

Her expression was even colder and more resolute than Shuang Chun’s, and she said firmly: “To be honest with you, My Lord, we servants will all reach the age to leave the palace in the next year or two, but we don’t want to leave just to become ordinary seamstresses, with lives that offer no prospects for the future.”

Shuang Chun seemed to want to say something more pleasant to the ear, but she wavered, and ultimately didn’t resort to falsehoods.

Chu Jiubian’s expression was indifferent, his tone cold and distant, making it difficult to discern his thoughts.

However, the palace servants secretly whispered amongst themselves that Grand Tutor Chu was not as cold and aloof as he appeared; he was actually a very gentle and benevolent master.

So when he deliberately maintained his silence, the two embroiderers were only a little nervous rather than overly flustered.

Of course, they were not taking advantage of Chu Jiubian’s kind nature and being overly presumptuous. They were being genuine. Compared to flattering their superiors with empty words, they felt much better about themselves for telling the truth.

They were remarkably calm.

And Chu Jiubian was very satisfied.

If these two embroiderers lacked skill, they wouldn’t have been able to reach their current positions of authority.

Conveniently, the embroidery workshop in the capital was already under construction, and once the embroiderers passed the Imperial Examinations, they would be able to go there to study.

The two embroiderers Qin Xiao had previously hired were in charge of teaching, but they were not adept at management.

However, Shuang Chun and Lin Ju clearly had management experience, and were ambitious and bold. If they could be a little more flexible in their thinking, then having them oversee the operations of the embroidery workshop seemed like a good option.

“You can,” Chu Jiubian replied, “but the deadline for the first round of Imperial Examinations has already passed.”

The two embroiderers’ expressions remained unchanged, but their clasped hands tightened.

Seeing them react like this, Chu Jiubian was even more pleased.

He then shifted direction, saying: “Within three days, each of you must prepare a piece of embroidery and bring it here. I will personally test you. If you pass the exam, you can directly join the embroidery workshop as officials.”

Given the exceptional circumstances, many scholars had been specially recruited into official positions for matters related to the waterway transportation system. Adding two more to the embroidery workshop wouldn’t hurt anything.

In the future, if anyone else tried to take such a shortcut, Chu Jiubian wouldn’t give them a chance. Opportunities were only given to the quickest and most well-prepared.

Both Shuang Chun and Lin Ju’s eyes lit up, and they bowed their heads over and over in gratitude.

Their goal was to take the Imperial Examinations and enter the embroidery workshop, as this was their area of expertise. 

The embroidery workshop was also located outside the palace, meaning that even after they left, they could continue to hold onto positions of authority.

They would be called “female officials!”

They could hold official positions too!

The two were extremely grateful, and immediately set off to prepare their embroidery work.

Chu Jiubian called out to them, saying: “Tell the other embroiderers that after they leave the palace at age twenty-five, they can directly apply for jobs at the embroidery workshop. If they perform well, they will be able to continue serving His Majesty and the Imperial Court.”

Thus, the Imperial Clothing Bureau would become a stepping stone to the embroidery workshop, resulting in a multitude of people endeavoring to enter the palace. This would also prevent all of the embroiderers from going to the embroidery workshop and leaving no one to work in the Imperial Clothing Bureau.

The two embroiderers were naturally delighted, and after agreeing, they prepared to withdraw.

“Wait a moment,” Chu Jiubian called out to them again.

The two embroiderers stopped again, waiting for him to speak.

But unexpectedly, Chu Jiubian remained silent for a long stretch of time.

Bai Lihong tilted his head and regarded him with bright, innocent eyes, asking: “Why isn’t Xiansheng saying anything?”

Chu Jiubian’s expression didn’t change as he lightly tapped his fingers against his knee.

Only when both embroiderers had begun to feel uneasy did he ask: “Did Ning-wang ever task you with embroidering jasmine flowers?”

Shuang Chun nodded: “He did. This servant embroidered them herself, on a handkerchief.”

Ning-wang had not told her to keep it a secret, and since the two masters before her were the closest people to Qin Xiao, she thought there might be some hidden meaning to the handkerchief and didn’t dare conceal anything.

“Was it on the twelfth day of the seventh month?” asked Chu Jiubian.

“That’s right,” said Shuang Chun. “That day happened to be this servant’s birthday, which is why I remember it so clearly.”

She only answered what needed to be answered, offering no extra information.

Chu Jiubian’s fingertips curved slightly. “Alright,” he said, “You may leave now.”

Once the two embroiderers walked away, Bai Lihong looked up at Chu Jiubian and said: “Xiansheng, wasn’t the twelfth day of the seventh month the day the heavy rain started? Why did Jiujiu have someone embroider jasmine flowers on a handkerchief?”

Chu Jiubian’s throat bobbed.

He couldn’t possibly say that on that rainy day, he and Qin Xiao had been drenched in the scent of jasmine under the cover of Yangxin Hall’s outside corridors.

And that when he happened to wipe his hands on Qin Xiao’s handkerchief, the other party had even taken it back…..

He was now certain that the jasmine-embroidered handkerchief Qin Xiao carried was indeed the one he had used before.

But he couldn’t very well explain that to the child.

“Xiansheng?” Bai Lihong asked in surprise, “Why are your ears so red?”

Xiao Yuzi was standing behind them, and upon hearing this, he glanced at Chu Jiubian before quickly averting his gaze, suppressing the smile at the corners of his lips.

Although His Majesty was young and intelligent, he was unable to comprehend matters of love and romance.

However, he knew that it was a very unusual thing for Lord Ning-wang to suddenly order that courtyard to be filled with jasmine flowers.

For Grand Tutor Chu to ask about jasmine and that handkerchief today, the two items must carry some special significance for them both.

“I saw Qin Xiao with a very beautiful handkerchief before,” Chu Jiubian replied half-truthfully. “I was just asking out of curiosity.”

“Wow, if even Xiansheng says it’s beautiful, then it must be very beautiful.” Bai Lihong propped up his little face and said: “When Jiujiu comes back, I’ll definitely take a look.”

Chu Jiubian looked up, gazing in the direction of the Northwest. There was a tightness in his chest, and he felt a sense of unease.

After leaving the Imperial Gardens and returning to Yangxin Hall, Chu Jiubian and Bai Lihong each proceeded with their respective tasks.

The child had just learned Arabic numerals from Chu Jiubian the day before, and found them very interesting, so he spent the entire day studying them.

Chu Jiubian made quick work of reviewing memorials.

After an unknown period of time, Qin Chaoyang suddenly came in and handed Chu Jiubian a confidential letter, saying: “Young Master, this is a letter from the Northwest.”

Chu Jiubian’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately took the envelope and read the boldly-written characters on it: 

For the Young Master’s eyes only.

---

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Chapter 62 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 64

Ch. 86 – Prelude

As the sky brightened, the originally cool early morning sunlight grew rather scorching.

Feng Ye stood in the unshaded main square, shielding his eyes with his hand as he glanced up at the sky. The trial ceremony would be held at exactly sishi. Judging by the intensity of the sun, there should be about an incense stick of time left.

It had been absolutely necessary for Fang Yang to wake him up so early, because even though they had gotten up at the crack of dawn, they were not among the first to arrive.

When the three of them arrived at the main square, some disciples were already waiting there, having claimed the prime spots.

Fortunately, although they were not the first to arrive, they hadn’t arrived too late either, and the spot they found was relatively close to the front. The square was currently packed with people. Almost all of Lingxiao Sword Sect’s disciples had come out in force, some having even exited seclusion to attend, and others having rushed back from training outside. In short, everyone capable of attending had made it their mission to do so.

Those who came in later naturally lined up in the back, where the view wasn’t so clear. Anyone who was a little shorter wouldn’t be able to see anything except for the back of the head of the person in front of them.

Aside from the main square where one could watch the ceremony, there were also mountain paths on either side of the stone staircase and an area at the mountaintop.

The stone staircase was built into the mountainside, and in fact, the unpaved mountain paths bordering the staircase offered a better view than the main square at the bottom. However, these paths were incredibly steep, with some layers of rock that were almost perpendicular to the ground. Forget watching the show – rashly standing upon it could send one plummeting to their doom. Getting a good view wasn’t worth a few broken bones.

The final part of the ceremony would be held at the mountain peak. Today, apart from the sect’s stewards, elders, and participating disciples, nobody was allowed to ascend the mountain. Thus, the main square became the only available – and extremely crowded – viewing spot.

However, this only applied to the Qi Refining stage disciples. One was capable of flying on a sword after reaching Foundation Establishment, which opened up a plethora of viewpoints from which to watch.

However, Fang Yang’s swordflight was not very stable yet, so he made a couple of preparations for himself and first secured a good position.

At present, Fang Yang had squeezed himself toward the front of the crowd, craning his neck to watch for movement along the mountain paths. The one hundred disciples who would guard the steps had not yet descended, and the paths were empty.

Yet he still watched with intent focus, fearful of missing something.

Feng Ye was similarly focused, but in contrast to Fang Yang, his attention was fixed on the mountaintop.

He then glanced around, his gaze wandering aimlessly amongst the crowd.

“What is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye looking at?” Hao Chen asked.

Feng Ye’s gaze briefly shifted to Hao Chen. Then he looked away again and casually replied: “You.”

When he heard this, Hao Chen’s eyes widened at the apparent flattery. He opened his fan and waved it slightly, and although he tried his best to suppress his smugness, the lilting tone of his voice still betrayed him: “Then do I look good?”

Feng Ye: “…..”

Only then did he realize the implications of his words.

Feng Ye withdrew his wandering gaze and focused on Hao Chen’s face with a complicated expression. Going by human aesthetics, this fish could indeed be described as a charming young master. Fanning himself like that with a slight smile…..some girls who only paid attention to looks would be taken in by that deceptive appearance. 

However…..Feng Ye was not so superficial. He had already seen through the true nature of this fish. As the saying went: Fair skin hides flaws, but fatness intensifies them.

The fish in question was a behemoth, which further compounded his flaws. Although the attractiveness of fish could not be judged by human standards, Feng Ye still held this prejudiced view.

He couldn’t help but pour cold water on Hao Chen’s enthusiasm: “Yeah, super good.”

Anyone with common sense would identify this as sarcasm, but Hao Chen happily took it as a compliment. He even said modestly: “I don’t look my best today.”

This meant that he looked even better normally.

Feng Ye was dumbfounded by the shamelessness of a certain fish. Although he had been stunned in such a way many times, Hao Chen always managed to find a way to refresh his amazement.

Faced with such a thing, all Feng Ye could do was massage his forehead. Words seemed pale and powerless in the face of Hao Chen’s thick skin.

After a moment of silence, Feng Ye continued to look around.

He wasn’t sure whether or not Xue Ren would resort to desperate measures today, but if he did intend to make a move, the person in the shadows might be nearby.

And the crowded main square was an excellent hiding place. Thus, ever since Feng Ye arrived, he had been on the lookout for any suspicious behavior.

As more and more people gathered, he found himself hemmed in, his vision obscured.

His position near the front was an optimal spot from which to observe the ceremony, but not to observe the crowd.

It would be easier to observe from one of the outermost edges. With this in mind, Feng Ye began to search for a way to extract himself from the dense crowd.

He swept his gaze around, and abruptly froze when he encountered something unexpected.

On the outermost edge of the square, in a secluded area under an ancient tree, a head peeked out.

Cao Zirui, the star of the show, was hiding behind the tree while watching Fang Yang at the forefront of the crowd. He seemed to want to call out to Fang Yang, but dared not make a sound for fear of drawing everyone else over as well.

Just as he was in a dilemma, he inadvertently made eye contact with Feng Ye.

Although they were far apart and couldn’t discern one another’s expressions, after a moment’s thought, Feng Ye understood why Cao Zirui had appeared here.

Perfect. This also gave Feng Ye an excuse to give up his perfect spot and leave the crowd.

Thus, Feng Ye stepped forward and pulled the puzzled Fang Yang out of the crowd, pointing toward the tree where Cao Zirui was looking back at them.

With no need for an explanation, Fang Yang immediately slipped out of the crowd upon seeing his friend.

Feng Ye successfully took advantage of this opportunity to follow Fang Yang out, with Hao Chen trailing close behind.

The three of them gave up their ideal spots that they had woken up early to reserve, moving to the outermost edge.

“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be preparing for the ceremony?” Fang Yang immediately asked upon approaching.

“Shifu told me to go out for a walk, and to come back before the ceremony begins,” Cao Zirui explained.

Out for a walk? Was that what he called sneaking down the mountain and hiding behind a tree?

Fang Yang pondered for a moment, and then something occurred to him: “Are you nervous?”

“No! I-I’m not!” Cao Zirui immediately retorted.

However, the fact that he used more than one word in response clearly revealed how nervous he was.

Fang Yang considerately refrained from pointing this out. He placed an arm around Cao Zirui’s shoulders and comforted him: “So what if there are a hundred checkpoints? With your skills, you definitely won’t encounter any problems.”

Cao Zirui hesitated to speak. That wasn’t what he was nervous about. Although it would be difficult to pass the one hundred checkpoints, he had confidence in his swordsmanship. What worried him was…..

“Are you worried about whether you’ll be a good successor to the Sect Leader?” Feng Ye suddenly cut in.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui both stared at Feng Ye, who continued with a smile: “If the sect leader job was offered to me, I wouldn’t take it.”

“Why?” Fang Yang asked at once.

“Being the sect leader clearly has a lot of benefits. You have complete control over the sect, free use of the sect’s treasury of magical tools and spirit stones, and a high status that draws the admiration of others….is that what you’re thinking?” Feng Ye turned the question back on Fang Yang.

Fang Yang nodded. That was exactly what he was thinking.

Feng Ye shook his head and began to list out the shortcomings on his fingers: “Having complete control over the sect seems like a lot of power at first glance, but in reality, there is no end to the trivial matters you have to involve yourself in.”

Hao Chen, who had been observing from the sidelines, nodded heavily in agreement. Before he established the five great Sea Masters and Prime Minister Turtle, he had been constantly bothered by all sorts of trivial matters.

“And although the position of sect leader sounds prestigious, it comes with countless eyes watching you. Even a small mistake will very likely become public knowledge. Right, Fellow Daoist Hao Chen?” Feng Ye suddenly directed this question at Hao Chen, who had already demonstrated this point through his own actions.

Hao Chen: “…..” What else could he do but nod?

“There is also the sect leader’s responsibility to revitalize the sect, and to prioritize its interests in everything. It is like being bound in heavy chains, with absolutely no freedom.” Feng Ye summarized: “In short, while being the sect leader has its advantages, they pale in comparison to the carefree life of an ordinary cultivator. It is glorious to be free and unrestrained, living only for oneself, bearing no heavy responsibilities and lacking the fear of the blame that might fall upon you to fail in revitalizing the sect.”

“That makes sense…..” Fang Yang was successfully swayed by Feng Ye’s line of thought, but he still felt that there was something amiss.

Cao Zirui remained silent. In fact, he had already considered everything Feng Ye just said.

Three days ago, when he was abruptly informed that he was to be the next sect leader, a sense of unease came over him, as well as…..unwillingness……

Just as Feng Ye had said, the benefits of being the sect leader were obvious at first glance, but the responsibilities associated with the position were equally significant. This responsibility was like a boulder at the end of a chain, hanging around his neck.

Once today’s ceremony was over, this responsibility would inevitably fall upon his shoulders. Would he be able to carry it?

Just now, he had been wandering around in a state of hesitance, lacking answers.

But Feng Ye’s words directly and unhesitatingly exposed his cowardice.

Looking at himself from an outsider’s perspective, Cao Zirui was shocked to realize how cowardly and selfish he was acting.

“No!” He retorted loudly. His voice was no longer tense, only resolute. “Living freely and only for oneself is nothing more than an excuse to shirk responsibility.”

He had been taught the Lingxiao Swordsmanship technique, and his food, clothing, and shelter were all provided by the sect. He had no way to repay the sect’s kindness in raising him, so he should contribute to its revitalization.

This had nothing to do with whether or not he would be the next sect leader. Rather, the moment he became a disciple of Lingxiao Sword Sect, he had tied himself to it irrevocably.

After coming to this realization, he was suddenly no longer afraid of shouldering such responsibility. Instead, he began to look forward to the day when he would become a truly qualified sect leader and lead Lingxiao Sword Sect to restore its former glory.

He realized that the tone of his rebuttal may have been a bit harsh, and glanced at Feng Ye with some worry.

There wasn’t even a trace of anger on Feng Ye’s face. Instead, he was smiling with a hint of relief.

Hao Chen saw that smile and immediately understood: Feng Ye was using reverse psychology. He knew that Feng Ye wasn’t one to shirk responsibility, or else he wouldn’t have taken action to save these people in the Floating Island Secret Realm.

After a moment of surprise, Cao Zirui came to this realization as well. He immediately bowed to Feng Ye and offered his thanks.

Fang Yang was the only one who was completely bewildered. What just happened? Why was Cao Zirui suddenly thanking Feng Ye?

He eyed his Useless Shixiong, but when Feng Ye showed no signs of explaining, he could only look toward his friend Cao Zirui.

Just as Cao Zirui was about to explain, the sound of a loud bell rang out across Lingxiao Sword Sect, startling everyone present.

Everyone realized what this bell meant – the ceremony was about to begin.

Cao Zirui quickly bid the three of them farewell. As the star of the show, he couldn’t be late.

“You can do it, ah!” Fang Yang shouted after Cao Zirui’s retreating figure.

Although Cao Zirui didn’t turn around, the firmness of his steps indicated his attitude.

When Cao Zirui’s figure faded into the distance, Feng Ye shifted his gaze upward toward the four giant characters “Lingxiao Sword Sect” that covered the entire mountainside, as well as the stone steps beside it that led to the summit.

He caught sight of a neatly arranged line of disciples descending the staircase, one stopping every ten steps with a sword in hand. 

These were the one hundred disciples guarding the pass.

The trial ceremony to appoint the next sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect was about to begin.

Everyone in the main square craned their necks, looking in the same direction.

Only one person stood out.

A handsome young man stood at one end of the square, gazing toward Feng Ye on the other side. He stared intently, all of the previous mockery and contempt absent from his face. Instead, his gaze held the tenderness of beholding a long-lost friend.

But as for what lay beneath that gentle exterior, nobody knew.

---

The Author Has Something To Say:

Regarding the amount of screen time…..the first volume is almost finished, and as you can see, there are essentially two parallel storylines: one about a master-disciple relationship, and one about the pursuit of Jianmu.

Xue Ren is the point where the two storylines converge.

Therefore, the main character’s screen time in the first volume might be less than in typical stories. I tried my best to control it, but some things really couldn’t be described from the protagonist’s perspective. 

As for the lack of focus and overshadowing of the main plot, I’ve done a lot of reflection. Fang Yang indeed had too big of a role in the Floating Island Secret Realm, and I sometimes veered off-topic when writing. Ultimately, this is because my writing skills aren’t up to par. Thank you all for understanding. ❤️

---

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Chapter 85 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 87

Ch 21 – The Three of Us

“Yu Xi, what do you think everyone lives for?” The big white dog was sitting in the grass, gazing up at the starry sky.

“Living every minute and second to the fullest!” The round robot vacuum cleaner exclaimed cheerfully.

The big white dog sighed, seeming deeply troubled: “I just feel like it’s all so absurd.”

Yu Xi didn’t understand.

“I don’t understand why anyone would enjoy squeezing into a bar to dance or falling in love. I used to think that the former represented a sort of rebellious joy, and that the latter was something far more sacred.” The big white dog continued, “But nothing seems to be as I once thought.”

Yu Xi asked him: “Then what are you thinking now?”

“I’m thinking: and then what?” The big white dog said, “You had your revelry, and then what? You fell in love, and then what?”

“There’s no point to any of it. Do you know about fortune-telling?”

“Fortune-telling is a sham, but what if? What if such a thing existed, and it told you that tomorrow wouldn’t be any better? Would people still go on living?” The big white dog stared intently at Yu Xi.

“But we ourselves are capable of changing quite a lot of things.” Yu Xi rolled a few paces back.

The big white dog seemed to realize that he was scaring him. With a somewhat sheepish look, he pressed his two paws together: “Not enough…..”

*

*

“You’re asking me?” Kersz looked on as Tau worked on his handicrafts.

Tau was learning how to make crafts by following along with an old-school educational show that Yu Xi played for him, and had asked Yu Xi for some paper and white glue.

Tau completely ignored Kersz.

As Kersz continued to watch, Yu Xi had suddenly told him about a dream he’d had, and asked him if humans ever felt that they didn’t know what they were living for.

Kersz gave it some serious thought: “Yeah, definitely.”

Yu Xi’s eyes lit up slightly.

“How should I put it…..it just seems like everyone is putting on an act,” Kersz said.

Yu Xi felt a twinge of trepidation upon hearing these words. It wasn’t the answer he wanted, but he didn’t interrupt.

“Sometimes I envy those people who can find happiness in alcohol and sex, because I can’t. I can’t even comprehend it.” Kersz continued, “Oh~ maybe I did get it at one point, because I used to watch those racy videos behind my parents backs, and I even experimented with alcohol.”

“But those things did nothing for my anger, and didn’t give me an answer either,” Kersz said with a hint of helplessness.

Yu Xi reached out and clutched the front of his clothes: “An answer to what?”

“To whether I was just a living corpse in the past, animated by the notion that everything would eventually get better.” Kersz shrugged.

Yu Xi lowered his eyes.

“And what about Mr. Yu Xi?” Kersz asked.

“I….I don’t know.” Yu Xi sat on the sofa, staring blankly.

He thought for a moment, then looked up at Kersz and said: “But I really like you.”

“Thanks.” Kersz sat down next to him.

At some point, Tau had stopped what he was doing and turned to look at them.

“My energy will eventually run out, and I’ll die too.” Yu Xi touched his chest. “I won’t start up again.”

“Then do you feel like waiting for it is painful?” Kersz asked.

“I don’t know.” Yu Xi shook his head. “I’m just doing what I always do.”

He had started out as nothing more than a robot vacuum cleaner, and once his program was set, he would just sweep the floor every day.

The ancient humans hadn’t taken him with them, so he just continued to live day by day.

Yu Xi had not gone in search of meaning. He just tried to do something new every day, until the new things became old and the things he liked ceased holding any novelty.

Day after day, day after day…..was it painful?

If he were to extract his own power source and destroy it, perhaps it would all come to an end.

He could actively bring an end to it all.

Yu Xi went slightly tense.

“Mr. Yu?” Kersz noticed that Yu Xi’s pupils were dilating and constricting over and over, until they nearly engulfed his irises. “Mr. Yu! Are you okay?!”

Tau set down the craft he was holding.

Yu Xi had always lived his own life on his planet, and could fill it with noise using the sound emitters strewn across it.

Why exactly had he done anything? Even he couldn’t say.

Perhaps he was waiting for something?

But he didn’t like the answers that big white dog gave him in his dream, and he didn’t particularly like Kersz’s either.

“Mr. Yu Xi?” Kersz gave him a shake.

He was a first-generation artificial unintelligence.

[People of the past loved to imbue all sorts of things with meaning.] The glowing ancient human said to Yu Xi. [All manner of celebrations, all manner of relationships. They even went so far as to invent the word ‘destiny.’ How fascinating.]

“But even my birth was a form of destiny.” Yu Xi pointed at himself.

[No, your birth was a coincidence. It had nothing to do with destiny, just a series of irrational human coincidences.] The human touched Yu Xi’s head with a glowing tentacle.

“But I like the word ‘destiny,’” said Yu Xi.

[Very good. You have the right to like it.] The human continued to stroke Yu Xi’s head.

“But it’s not real?” 

[Correct. It is just like a myth.]

Yu Xi snapped out of his memories and turned his head somewhat stiffly to look at Kersz: “Where are we going next?”

“I have an old comrade on a third-class planet situated on the frontier. Of course, he isn’t some Illegitimate. Our relationship is actually pretty decent,” Kersz said. “He might have some connections that’ll allow us to search for the central hub of the Facai system.”

“Then do you still intend to kill the Supreme Governor?” Yu Xi asked.

“I do, but I’m not in any rush. I’ll get my chance eventually,” Kersz said.

Tau sent Kersz a wary look.

Yu Xi: …..

Yu Xi: “We’re not going.”

Kersz: “Ah?”

Tau was also briefly taken aback.

“Perhaps you’re right, and everything is meaningless.” Yu Xi suddenly slumped over. “If everything is such a void…..then the three of us should just wait here for the final end.”

Kersz: “…..What end?”

Yu Xi: “Death.”

Kersz fell silent.

Then he sucked in a sharp breath: “Now wait just a minute. It’s true that I’m angry all the time, but I have no plans to die.”

“Your anger won’t change anything.” Ever since having that dream, Yu Xi had felt trapped, like he was stuck inside a tiny box, utterly powerless.

“I can accept death.” Tau was indifferent. Dying here would be the perfect way to protect his father.

Kersz glanced at him, then asked Yu Xi: “Then what about that planet hanging around your neck? Are you going to put it back?”

“I don’t want to put it back. It’s too painful to look at.” Yu Xi couldn’t understand how his emotions had become so intense. This was actually rather abnormal, but he couldn’t control it.

And after hearing Kersz’s answer, he felt even more out of sorts.

“Oh,” said Kersz. “So will it explode after we die?”

Yu Xi: “Probably.”

Kersz: “Will our human civilization be wiped out with it?”

Yu Xi thought for a moment, then said again in a resigned tone: “Probably.”

Tau: “Pull yourself together. You can’t die.”

“But what else can I do?” Yu Xi’s pupils began to dilate and constrict again. He was anxious. It was the first time he had ever felt such anxiety, or perhaps simply the first time he had ever confronted it.

If nothing meant anything, then why had he lived alone for so long?

Clearly, he could have ended it long ago.

Yu Xi slowly closed his eyes, deciding to wait for death right where he was.

“This is bad, this is bad…..” Kersz scratched his head in agitation. He came to the conclusion that all of this might have been caused by that single remark he made. Had he known that the answer was so important to Yu Xi, he would have just made something up.

After fretting for a moment, Kersz crouched down in front of him: “Actually, living in this world is really interesting.”

Yu Xi opened his eyes to look at him, then closed them again.

It was clear that Kersz’s situation carried absolutely no persuasive power for Yu Xi.

“Live. You have to live.” Tau grabbed Yu Xi by the collar, but Kersz immediately knocked his hand away.

“Don’t jostle him. Now, wrack your brains and come up with something to convince him.” Kersz pulled Yu Xi into his arms.

“Convince him of what?” Tau had played all manner of characters, and when he applied himself, he was actually impressively eloquent. He just worried that since Yu Xi had lived for so long, his eloquence would have no effect on him.

Tau continued to press: “What do you want me to convince him of?” He had to at least try.

Kersz: “I want you to convince him to cherish life again.”

Tau, who had been produced as a disposable weapon: …..

He seemed to serve as nothing more than a cautionary tale.

“Can’t you do it?” Tau asked Kersz.

“He just asked me a question, and I gave him the wrong answer.” Kersz was about ready to crumble. How could he convince him? He was a lone space pirate who went around stirring up trouble with complete disregard for his life. Who the hell would be convinced if the words “cherish life” came out of his mouth?

Tau and Kersz exchanged a look.

Tau: “Is it just the two of us here?”

Kersz: “Have you seen any other humans?”

Tau fell silent.

Kersz: “If all else fails, couldn’t you use your communicator to ask someone on your father’s side?”

Tau: “So you do know I’ve been sending messages.”

Kersz: “Who cares. Find a therapist…..or just ask your father directly. Isn’t he a pampered old bastard? He’s certain to find life especially rewarding.”

Tau didn’t share this opinion: “Power and money are fleeting, and his insatiability might come across as greed. I don’t think he’s the right person to answer such questions.”

Kersz stared at Tau, and even Yu Xi opened his eyes.

“He opened his eyes!” Tau exclaimed, pointing at Yu Xi.

“So you actually know your father is a piece of trash, ah?” Kersz pulled Yu Xi a little closer as he spoke.

“I don’t know anyone else. I have no friends.” Tau didn’t answer the question.

Kersz didn’t have any friends either.

Yu Xi…..Yu Xi had met two humans, and he had spent a very, very long time all alone.

Could the three of them band together to tackle the issue of nihilism and become more positive?

What a joke.

Kersz and Tau both stared blankly, while Yu Xi felt his disordered state subside ever so slightly.

Just for now, he felt warm.

Warm from the heat of a human body.

---

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Chapter 20 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 22

These two Believers had arrived at a convenient time; Chu Jiubian had actually been planning to summon them both.

“Send them into the Divine Realm first,” Chu Jiubian said. “I’ll be there once I finish bathing.”

[Okay.] The System was often very well-behaved and cooperative, which pleased Chu Jiubian.

He was bored just soaking in the water, so Chu Jiubian said: “Can you show me what they’re doing? Is there a screen I can watch?”

[There is, Host. Voice transcription does not have a point requirement, but projecting images into the real world costs three points each time. Are you sure you want to project the image?]

Chu Jiubian: “……”

“From now on, just assume we’ve haggled and give me the resulting price.”

The System now seemed to have “mastered” the rules of haggling, and would always choose the middle value.

Since it had said three points, this indicated that Chu Jiubian could haggle it down to one point and the System would settle with him at two points.

Chu Jiubian was initially quite happy with this haggling process and thought he was getting a good deal. 

But ever since he had learned that all of these miscellaneous features were arbitrarily priced by the System itself, he felt that he was losing out no matter what, and couldn’t be bothered to complain about it.

The System paused for a moment before responding: [Okay, Host. Two points have been deducted. Image projecting now.]

Chu Jiubian placed his arms on the edge of the tub and rested his chin on his wrist.

The screen before him displayed the scene in the Divine Realm.

Situ Zhaoling was clad in a light purple dress that further enhanced her already beautiful features, making her appear even more charming.

The phoenix in the Divine Realm seemed to hold a particular fondness for her, and caught her before she could even fall, circling around the Divine Realm with a joyful cry.

Situ Zhaoling had not come empty-handed today.

She was holding a flower pot in her left hand, in which a cotton flower had already bloomed.

Under her other arm she carried various pieces of silk in a multitude of colors, which, as the phoenix carried her soaring through the air, seemed to cast a colorful halo around them.

Wang Qichen had only brought a few pieces of paper, so had entered the Divine Realm before her.

At that moment, he was standing beside the table, and was momentarily dazed as he stared up at the scene before him.

Had he not known that only the High Priest and his Believers could enter the Divine Realm, he would have thought he was beholding a goddess.

Even with her hands full, Situ Zhaoling didn’t forget to pay attention to the golden phoenix.

She leaned down and gently rubbed her cheek against the phoenix’s fluffy feathers, saying with a smile: “Good phoenix, please let me down now.”

The golden phoenix slowly descended to the ground before dissipating into a wisp of mist.

As Situ Zhaoling landed safely, the mist reformed mid-air into a golden phoenix again, which then soared into the clouds and vanished from sight.

Only its occasional cries, mixed with the roars of a dragon, let one know that it still existed in this world.

Situ Zhaoling noticed someone standing nearby after landing, but she still bowed to the High Priest with her items in hand.

Knowing that the High Priest sometimes arrived a bit late, she rose of her own volition after receiving no response to her customary greeting. She piled everything in her arms onto the table, then let out a sigh of relief and turned to look at the extra person who had appeared.

She had known previously that the High Priest had other followers, but this was the first time she had actually seen one, and she couldn’t help but observe Wang Qichen curiously.

The more she looked, the brighter her eyes became.

“This young master is incredibly handsome,” she said, being very generous with her compliments.

Compared to the reserved young ladies in the capital, she was much more outgoing and expressive.

Wang Qichen had rarely encountered a woman who expressed her admiration so directly, but his surprise lasted a mere moment before he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: “Thanking the young lady for her kind words. If not for the fact that only the High Priest and his followers can enter the Divine Realm, I would have thought I had seen a fairy.”

His words were genuine. He was accustomed to speaking to others in such a manner, so even if his words were somewhat glib or pandering, they sounded sincere when coming from him.

Situ Zhaoling smiled at once, saying: “The young master is truly eloquent.”

She took a couple of steps toward him and performed the greeting customary to the Nanjiang people: “I am Situ Zhaoling of the Nanjiang Stronghold. May I know the young master’s name?”

Wang Qichen was astounded.

It turned out that she was the princess of Nanjiang. Even someone of her status was a follower of the High Priest.

He found it hard to believe, but at the same time, it seemed perfectly logical.
Despite his surprise, he maintained a smile and gave a respectful bow, saying: “This one is Wang Qichen, the young master of the Langya Wang clan. The princess can simply call me by my name.”

“So you are the renowned Young Master Jiyue. No wonder you possess such an extraordinary and refined demeanor.” Situ Zhaoling’s eyes gleamed.

Although she was far away in Nanjiang, she had heard of a flamboyant and dissolute young man in the capital named Wang Jiyue, who was mostly known for “rescuing people from prostitution.”

Regardless of whether they were male or female prostitutes, as long as they possessed a decent character and sought his help, he would aid them.

Therefore, countless men and women of the jianghu regarded him with mixed feelings, both loving and hating him.

He was praised for his sense of justice, and criticized for his philandering.

These feelings of love and hate stemmed directly from his face and his dissolute, spoiled nature.

Situ Zhaoling had long wished to see what kind of person he was, and today, she finally got her chance. He was even more handsome than she had imagined!

“Young Master Wang looks a bit older than me, so how about I call you Wang-dage from now on?” she said.

Wang Qichen had noticed how informal and easygoing this girl was, so he didn’t stand on ceremony: “Then I’ll take the liberty of calling you Xiao Ling.”

“Okay, ah,” Situ Zhaoling said, smiling so broadly that her eyes were barely visible. “I have a little twin brother at home who’s always wanted a big brother. Today, his wish can finally be fulfilled.”

These two extremely outgoing people hit it off immediately, and practically became sworn siblings after exchanging just a few sentences.

After recognizing one another as brother and sister, Wang Qichen brought up the topic of her fabrics. He was particularly fond of the light pink one, and touched it again and again, unable to put it down. He even held it up to his face and asked Situ Zhaoling if it would look good on him.

Situ Zhaoling’s eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously in agreement: “My big brother looks good in everything.”

Chu Jiubian was so amused that he couldn’t stop smiling.

The two of them chatted about everything from what colors and styles of clothes to make, to how to open a shop and use these fabrics to compete with the silk from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, while Chu Jiubian leisurely finished bathing and then entered the Divine Realm.

The two immediately noticed his arrival and cut off their conversation, rising to bow.

Chu Jiubian then called out to them, and they proceeded to report on their recent achievements.

Silk could be produced in large quantities, a method for cultivating cotton had been developed, and Wang Qichen’s new paper was also ready to be sold.

Chu Jiubian was very satisfied with their efficiency.

Since the two had just been discussing how to open a shop, Chu Jiubian didn’t beat around the bush, and directly stated his plans.

He instructed Situ Zhaoling to take a portion of the silk to the Divine Realm and give it to Wang Qichen, who would be responsible for opening a shop in the capital to help her sell the fabrics.

Having just discussed this subject, the two now had even more ideas and were eager to put them into action.

Regarding the matter of the new paper, Wang Qichen intended to use it to strike a blow against the main branch of the Wang family.

He had his own plan, so Chu Jiubian didn’t interfere much. He just said that they could keep a portion of the profits from the silk and papermaking businesses, and the rest could be brought to the Divine Realm.

The two didn’t want any benefits, but they were unable to refuse.

After leaving the Divine Realm, they all became busy with their own affairs, and only then did Wang Qichen belatedly remember that he had planned to ask the High Priest about his relationship with Chu Jiubian. Oh well, he would ask him next time.

While these two events were in full swing, the troops heading to the Northwest had already been on their journey for half a month.

The army was encamped on a plain, and campfires stretched out in lines as far as the eye could see, resembling a sea of flames.

Inside the commander’s tent, the space was empty but for a single makeshift bed.

Qin Xiao lay on the blanket fully clothed. The constant traveling over the past few days had tanned his skin, making him look even stronger and more vigorous.

Resting his left hand behind his head, he held his right hand in front of his eyes as he ran slender, calloused fingers gently across a silk handkerchief.

The corners of the silk handkerchief were embroidered with pure white jasmine flowers.

“Who gave you that?” A male voice suddenly rang out inside the tent.

Qin Xiao stood up. He slowly folded the silk handkerchief and placed it into his pocket before finally raising his eyes to look toward the source of the voice.

The young man was dressed in black, and possessed a tall, striking figure. Carrying a bundle on his back, he wore a half-mask which revealed a pair of deep, bright eyes.

Not at all surprised by his arrival, Qin Xiao sat down on the edge of the bed, saying: “I didn’t think you would show up here.”

“I didn’t come to the Northwest just for you.” Qin Chuan walked over and sat down beside him.

Qin Xiao turned his head to look at him: “Then you have business here?”

“En, I was asked to deliver this.” Qin Chuan didn’t waste any words. He took the package on his back and handed it to him. “I got this for you. Open it and take a look.”

Qin Xiao just smiled and opened the package.

Inside was the small repeating crossbow that the High Priest had bestowed upon Qin Chuan.

Qin Xiao took it out with some surprise, and after examining it briefly, he quickly realized what it was.

“What is its range?”

“It shoots farther than a bow and is more accurate…..” Qin Chuan grew excited when he was talking about weapons, and rattled off a multitude of information in one breath before finally adding, “Most importantly, it can fire repeatedly!”

He gestured to the quiver inside the package and said: “There are at least fifty bolts. It’s more than enough to catch someone by surprise.”

This repeating crossbow was exactly to Qin Xiao’s liking, and he couldn’t help but take a bolt and shoot it at the ground inside the tent.

With a thud, the crossbow bolt embedded itself deeply into the ground.

“It really is good.” Qin Xiao paced over to retrieve the bolt. “Where did you get it? Give me some more at some point.”

“There is only one of these for now. Remember to return it to me once you’re done using it; I need to have a craftsman take a look at it,” Qin Chuan said.

Qin Xiao nodded: “Alright.”

“And then there’s this.” Qin Chuan walked over and took a bottle of penicillin out of his pocket, handing it to him. “This medicine can prevent wounds from festering, but it needs to be tested first. Take one pill, and I’ll leave tonight if you’re fine.”

The porcelain bottle was opaque, so he couldn’t see what was inside. But when Qin Xiao opened the lid and poured out a pill, his heart skipped a beat.

“Who gave this to you?” His tone had become somewhat urgent.

Qin Chuan raised his eyebrows. He knew exactly why the other party had reacted that way, and said: “It wasn’t Grand Tutor Chu.”

Qin Xiao frowned slightly: “Then who was it?”

Qin Chuan had already attempted to mention the High Priest to others, but the words simply wouldn’t leave his mouth.

He tried again now, but was still unable to utter the title “The High Priest.”

He could only say: “You don’t need to worry about it. With Grand Tutor Chu around, that person is highly unlikely to hurt you.”

After receiving the medicine from the High Priest, he had asked Qin Chaoyang to sound out Chu Jiubian’s attitude, and the response he received was that the medicine could be used without worry.

There was no need to doubt the relationship between Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao. Since Chu Jiubian had said that the High Priest could be trusted and that the medicine could be given to Qin Xiao, Qin Chuan could rest at ease.

Who was it?

Who?

Qin Xiao’s eyes darkened slightly, but he didn’t ask further questions.

Unless it was something that truly could not be revealed, Qin Chuan had no reason to hide anything from him.

Since that was the case, there was no need to press the other party.

The only one who could produce the same type of pills as Chu Jiubian, and who could also be connected to him, would seem to be a similar “god.”

Was it the High Priest who had appeared in the Northern Desert?

He was indeed connected to Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao had previously speculated that these two deities were the same person, but now, it seemed they were not.

But if they weren’t the same person, what was their relationship?

Qin Chuan watched him swallow the pill, and his manner of speech became less casual: “Do you know why this was given to you?”

Qin Xiao looked up at him and said: “I will suffer an injury.”

“Yes.”

“Then it won’t kill me,” said Qin Xiao.

Qin Chuan frowned. He wanted to say something, but ultimately refrained.

Although they were biological brothers, they had been separated at a young age and only reconnected in their teenage years.

Before he met Qin Chuan, Qin Xiao hadn’t even known he had a younger brother.

Having been separated for so long, and lacking a strong emotional foundation, the relationship between the brothers remained awkward and strained.

Neither of them was particularly adept at expressing their emotions, and they were accustomed to hiding their true feelings. As a result, even after knowing each other for so many years, they still couldn’t communicate openly and honestly with each other.

Qin Xiao stowed away the repeating crossbow and sat back down on the bed.

Qin Chuan sat down as well, saying: “You get some sleep. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

“En.” Qin Xiao gave a nod, then added: “What you’re here to do – is it safe?”

“Very safe.”

Qin Xiao had nothing more to say.

The two brothers remained silent for a long moment before Qin Xiao finally lay down.

But he couldn’t fall asleep. A multitude of thoughts flooded his mind.

At one moment, he was thinking about how he would take more guards with him when he reached the next county, then he was wondering how things were going in the Northwest, and then he dwelled on how Chu Jiubian and Bai Lihong were doing back in the capital.

Finally, he couldn’t help but wonder about the relationship between Chu Jiubian and the High Priest.

Qin Chuan sat there for some time. Then he turned his head and noticed that although Qin Xiao had his eyes closed, he wasn’t asleep.

After a pause, he ultimately asked: “Are there any adverse reactions?”

“None,” Qin Xiao said without opening his eyes.

A while later, Qin Chuan asked again: “Who gave you that handkerchief?”

“It’s mine,” Qin Xiao said.

Qin Chuan: “Then who else has touched it?”

Qin Xiao opened his eyes and gave him a look: “I’m going to sleep.”

“Oh.” Qin Chuan fell silent.

Qin Xiao closed his eyes, and actually fell asleep after a while.

Qin Chuan sat at his bedside through the night, and when he noticed nothing unusual, he slipped out of the tent at the approach of dawn.

Without lingering long, he followed the address given to him by the High Priest and traveled all the way to Shandong to find Lu Yao.

Qin Xiao departed from Northern Zhili, leading an army of 50,000 men.

Although he hadn’t brought Qin Chaoyang with him, he did bring Cheng Shuo, the deputy commander of the Capital Garrison.

Over two meters tall, Cheng Shuo was thirty-eight years old and sported a robust physique. He wielded a spear with exceptional skill and had previously accompanied Grand Commandant Qin into battle, achieving victory in every engagement.

When Grand Commandant Qin led his army back to the capital to support Emperor Yingzong’s ascension to the throne, it was his presence that prevented various factions from making any rash moves.

The fact that Qin Xiao had brought him along as his second-in-command on this campaign clearly indicated that his purpose was not to negotiate peace.

Naturally, others knew that the “peace negotiations” were simply a pretext. Neither Moba Zanpu of the Western Regions nor the various factions within the territory of Great Ning intended to allow Qin Xiao to leave Gansu alive.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Qin Xiao had prepared for the worst.

He traveled from Northern Zhili to Shanxi, passing through numerous cities and prefectures along the way. Using his military authority, he recruited half of each local garrison into his westward-bound army, so that by the time they reached Shanxi, the 50,000 soldiers he had brought from the capital had swelled to 110,000!

However, due to the long procession of people, the rate of the army’s movement slowed.

By the time they arrived in northwestern Shanxi, it was already the last day of the given period of one month.

Moba Zanpu’s army of 130,000 had set up camp near the Hexi corridor a month ago. In his letter, he had requested that Qin Xiao arrive at that location for “peace talks” before the end of the month.

At present, Qin Xiao had reached the border between Shanxi and Gansu, only a day’s journey from where the rival army was located.

Rather than ordering a halt for rest, he continued onward, planning to rest only after reaching the designated location.

And that night, he did indeed arrive at the designated location before midnight. He sent messengers on horseback to the Sai Kingdom encampment several dozen kilometers away, informing Moba Zanpu of his arrival and asking him to decide when the peace talks should begin the following day.

When the message arrived slightly before midnight, Moba Zanpu, who was personally leading the army on this campaign, was holding a grand banquet in the main tent.

Sitting in the main seat, he wore a tall, round-topped hat and dark, short-sleeved garments. His eyes were deep-set, and his face bore a fierce expression.

Even when calmly looking at someone, he seemed to be glaring fiercely.

Sitting in the seat next to him was a young man dressed in dark red robes embroidered with golden dragons, his black hair neatly tied up with a golden hair ornament.

His stature was like that of a cypress tree, and his bearing was extraordinary.

Further down on either side of the aisle, four seats were arranged facing each other.

Those seated were clearly divided into two groups. On one side were the military leaders and officials from the Western Regions, and on the other side were the strategists and commanders under Dingbei-wang Bai Liyu.

The two groups mingled freely, clinking cups and chatting merrily. With graceful dancers and enchanting music, it truly seemed as if they were “one big happy family.”

It was as if no one had noticed the subordinate who had rushed in to deliver a report, nor the letter in Moba Zanpu’s hand.

“Your Highness Dingbei-wang.” Moba Zanpu tossed the letter to the ground and glanced sideways at the young man next to him. “You previously said that even at a forced march, it would be impossible to reach this place from the capital in less than a month, yet the Imperial Army has already arrived.”

Bai Liyu toyed with his wine cup between his fingertips, saying in a languid tone: “Truly? Perhaps Ning-wang walked faster.”

Moba Zanpu stared at him intently with slightly narrowed eyes: “Does Dingbei-wang perhaps think that only people from the Central Plains possess brains?”

“What do you mean by that?” Bai Liyu seemed somewhat surprised.

Moba Zanpu smiled coldly: “You calculated precisely that Ning-wang would arrive on the last day, didn’t you? This was a trick.”

“What do you mean?”

“Stop pretending!” Moba Zanpu suddenly slammed his hand down on the table. Those below, who had been laughing and chatting boisterously as if drunk, went quiet all at once. Their eyes instantly became clearer and more alert.

The music players and dancers stopped simultaneously, as if struck dumb.

Bai Liyu, however, calmly poured himself a cup of wine. Only then did he look up at Moba Zanpu in the main seat and give a light chuckle.

He had absolutely done it on purpose.

The details of the deal with Moba Zanpu were very simple.

The other party would help him lure Qin Xiao into a trap, and once he was eliminated, Bai Liyu would cede Gansu to the Sai Kingdom.

Moba Zanpu would also “generously” give Qin Xiao a deadline, and if he failed to arrive by that time, the Sai Army would have reason to massacre the city’s inhabitants.

But when the time came, Moba Zanpu would “benevolently” refrain from massacring the people, and instead spread rumors about the incompetence of Great Ning’s Imperial Court. Subsequently, he would gain the support of the people of Gansu.

This was an excellent deal for Moba Zanpu, and it also allowed Bai Liyu to get rid of Qin Xiao.

However, the consequence of this plan would be that the perpetually low-profile Dingbei-wang would be branded as “incompetent” or even a “traitor,” which would severely damage his future plans.

Therefore, Bai Liyu had intentionally set Qin Xiao’s time limit to one month. The hundred thousand-strong army would be able to reach their destination from the capital within that time at a forced march.

According to his understanding of the man, Qin Xiao was someone who always strove to maximize his own interests.

He would make full use of this month, recruiting troops along the way, and work to arrive right at the last moment in order to not waste a single day.

As expected, Qin Xiao had arrived on the very last day.

Meanwhile, those whom Bai Liyu had stationed in Shanxi and Gansu Prefectures and the surrounding counties also began to take action this morning.

These people were to do nothing else but ensure that one message was spread far and wide.

The contents of the message were as follows: Ning-wang Qin Xiao arrived on the agreed date, but Moba Zanpu went back on his word and threatened to massacre the city’s inhabitants. Dingbei-wang purposely allowed himself to be stabbed by Moba Zanpu, thus preventing the massacre and giving Ning-wang the extra day he needed to reach the city.

Like this, Bai Liyu’s reputation would no longer be that of an “incompetent captive,” nor would he be considered a traitor.

He was willing to take a stab from the enemy to protect the common people. 

Bai Liyu would be considered a benevolent ruler in the hearts of the common people of Shanxi and Gansu, and indeed, throughout the entire territory of Great Ning.

Even having been captured when the city first fell, he could gradually change the common people’s perception in the aftermath and become a prince without blemish, one who enjoyed the love and respect of the common people.

His actions would completely disrupt Moba Zanpu’s plan, and even deal him a counterblow.

In the eyes of the people of Gansu, he was already a cruel foreign ruler.

Even if this transaction went as planned, with Qin Xiao dead and Gansu handed over to the Sai Kingdom, Moba Zanpu would still be unable to win the hearts of the common people.

And so, when Bai Liyu and the Imperial Court set out to reclaim Gansu later on, it would be in accordance with the will of the common people.

Moba Zanpu was no fool – he knew exactly what was going on when these rumors began to spread.

Tonight’s banquet could be considered a hongmen banquet, a feast of ill omen.

“Without my permission, you dared to spread rumors in order to enhance your own reputation.” A murderous gleam flashed through Moba Zanpu’s eyes. “Dingbei-wang certainly has some clever tricks up his sleeve.”

Bai Liyu gave a light chuckle: “When Zanpu ordered people to bring mandala into the territory of our Great Ning, he didn’t ask this lord’s permission either.”

Mandala had spread from the other man’s territory, and if not for Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao’s decisive methods, this would have truly resulted in a great disaster.

Even if the matter turned out to be unrelated to Bai Liyu, the Imperial Court would still hold him accountable, and the common people would harbor considerable resentment toward him.

At present, he was only retaliating. What was so wrong with that?

Seeing how dark Moba Zanpu’s expression had become, Bai Liyu smiled again and said in a gentler tone: “We’re even now. But the deal still stands; as long as Lord Ning-wang is out of the picture, Gansu is yours.”

Moba Zanpu sneered: “How easy do you think it will be to get rid of Ning-wang when he has a 110,000-strong army?”

If he’d only had the original 50,000 troops he’d brought from the capital, Moba Zanpu might have been able to hold his own against him in battle, and perhaps even conquer Shanxi Prefecture.

But with 110,000 troops in the enemy’s hands and 130,000 in his own, there was really no need for a direct confrontation.

In any case, Dingbei-wang would have to find another method to kill Qin Xiao, and there were also other forces within Great Ning who wanted him eliminated. Therefore, this “outsider” could simply sit back and watch both sides fight it out.

Since he had already entered Gansu, even if Ning-wang didn’t die, Dingbei-wang wouldn’t be able to reclaim the city.

“This lord has his own plans. Zanpu only needs to go through the motions,” said Bai Liyu.

Moba Zanpu looked at him intently.

After a while, he directed his gaze toward the dancers, then tilted his head back and drained his cup of wine.

The music recommenced, and as the tense atmosphere dissipated, everyone resumed drinking and toasting.

*

*

The Capital City.

Inside Yaotai Residence.

The night was dark and deep. After nearly a month of clear skies, a light rain began today.

Raindrops pattered down continuously, and the weather grew cold.

Chu Jiubian had several hot water bottles in his bed, making it warm and cozy.

But he wasn’t sleepy at all.

Qin Xiao had been gone for a month now, and should have arrived at his destination. He wondered if everything was going smoothly.

However, the man was too far away. Even if a message was sent by the fastest possible means, it would have lost its relevance by the time it arrived. 

But if Qin Xiao were his Believer, Chu Jiubian would be able to observe his condition at any time.

He wasn’t worried that misfortune would befall the other man; he simply desired firsthand information so that he could be prepared in case of any unexpected situations in the Northeast.

With this in mind, Chu Jiubian closed his eyes and entered the Divine Realm.

---

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Chapter 61 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 63

Ch. 85 – With Pleasure

“Shixiong, hurry up, ah!” Fang Yang paced back and forth, like an arrow ready to be launched at a moment’s notice.

Feng Ye hurriedly put on his boots, saying somewhat helplessly: “It’s barely dawn. There’s still some time before the ceremony begins.”

“I know, I’m just….just….looking forward to it.” Fang Yang scratched his head and grinned with a mouthful of white teeth, his face awash with undisguised anticipation.

The protagonist of today’s trial ceremony was Cao Zirui, but Fang Yang was so excited that he leaped out of bed before dawn, then ran over and impatiently urged his shixiong to accompany him to the main square.

But Fang Yang couldn’t be blamed for this. After all, this was the ceremony to select the next sect leader, which was a highly significant once-in-a-century event.

Setting aside the former sect leader, whose term had lasted only a short time, Lingxiao Sword Sect generally changed its sect leader once every three or four hundred years.

Cultivators were longer-lived than ordinary people, and the higher their cultivation level, the longer their lifespan grew.

It was a given that one must reach Nascent Soul stage to be a sect leader, so compared to mortal emperors who were replaced every few decades, it was much rarer for a sect to choose a new sect leader.

Although Cao Zirui would not immediately take up his duties, this ceremony was similar to the investiture ceremony of a crown prince. It was merely a preliminary appointment, but still of great significance.

Such a once-in-a-lifetime event was someone that no one would want to miss, and onlookers were not prohibited at the ceremony. Therefore, regardless of their duties or cultivation levels, everyone planned to come out and watch the excitement today, as well as witness the strength of their next sect leader.

The trial ceremony was to be held in the main square, on the thousand-step stone staircase leading to the mountaintop. There was a checkpoint every ten steps, for a total of one hundred checkpoints and one hundred disciples to defend them.

The list of these one hundred disciples have been finalized two days ago. All of them were at least at Foundation Establishment stage, with some of them having even reached Golden Core.

This was actually quite a difficult challenge for Cao Zirui, because he had only been a disciple for a year. Although he was a genius, his time here was too short, and his current cultivation level was only in the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

Although Cao Zirui had won first place in the Foundation Establishment tournament to determine who would enter the Floating Island Secret Realm, it had consisted of one-on-one duels with rest periods between each match. But this time, he would be facing consecutive rounds of competition, which substantially increased the difficulty level.

And among those guarding the staircase were Golden Core stage cultivators who were an entire realm higher than Cao Zirui. It was generally considered impossible for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to defeat someone at Golden Core stage.

Of course, this was a ceremony to pre-establish the next sect leader. It was ultimately just for ritual purposes, and wouldn’t be an insurmountable challenge.

This trial did not allow for the use of spiritual power, and was solely a contest of sword skill. The way of the sword depended more on one’s own comprehension, and had relatively less to do with the amount of time spent cultivating.

Although Feng Ye had never personally witnessed Cao Zirui’s swordsmanship, having not watched his previous duel, he surmised that Ji Chengyue’s willingness to let him participate in the challenge meant that he had confidence in his disciple’s swordsmanship.

“Shixiong, are you ready yet? So many people are going to watch today, and we won’t get a good spot if we’re late!” Shortly after his first prompt, Fang Yang urged him again.

“I’m ready, I’m ready.” Feng Ye stood up and straightened his robes, then followed Fang Yang outside.

The instant he stepped out of the dorm, he was unsurprised to find Hao Chen waiting outside.

Hao Chen gave Feng Ye a smile, then offered the snacks he had prepared, saying solicitously: “This ceremony will probably take a long time, and it might go through lunch. I worried that Fellow Daoist Feng Ye would be hungry, so I brought him some snacks to try.”

Feng Ye glanced at the snacks in Hao Chen’s hand, but didn’t accept them immediately.

Ever since this fish realized that he had angered Feng Ye three days prior, he had attempted every means to serve and attend to him, wanting to use this thoughtful care to defuse Feng Ye’s temper.

Feng Ye wasn’t actually angry at all. These three days of giving Hao Chen the cold shoulder was actually….an act.

Why not give him the cold shoulder if it resulted in him waiting on Feng Ye hand and foot?

But there was a limit to everything. Pretending for too long could easily lead to slip-ups and the discovery that he had been faking it all along, so Feng Ye estimated that three days was just about right. He then reached out and selected a snack from Hao Chen’s hands, and said after tasting it: “Not bad.”

For the first time in three days, Feng Ye was signaling a willingness to reconcile with him. Hao Chen immediately pounced on this opportunity. Grasping a pastry between two fingers, he held it to Feng Ye’s lips with a smile: “Another one?”

Although having a pastry fed to him was an odd feeling, it was already at his lips. Reaching out to grab it seemed redundant, so Feng Ye simply accepted the pastry from Hao Chen’s hand.

As he chewed, he took another pastry from Hao Chen and handed it to Fang Yang.

Fang Yang thanked his shixiong and the pastry vendor at his side before digging in.

But as he ate, he felt that something was off about this whole situation. Would male friends normally feed each other snacks by hand?

However…..Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage had an unusually good relationship, and slept together as soon as they met. Compared to that, feeding each other snacks seemed like nothing.

Setting aside the strange feeling, Fang Yang swallowed the pastry and ran ahead to lead the way. Feng Ye and Hao Chen followed at a leisurely pace as the three of them made their way to the main square. Along the way, they met many other disciples who were on their way to watch the show.

As soon as dawn broke, the foot of the mountain was bustling prior to the once-in-a-century trial ceremony.

Meanwhile, at the summit of the mountain in Zhenwu Hall.

This was the primary meeting hall, where three days ago, Ji Chengyue made an announcement that shocked a great many people.

The fact that he chose Cao Zirui as his successor came as no surprise, because in every respect, Cao Zirui was indeed more promising than Xue Ren.

The timing was the surprising part. How old was Cao Zirui? He was just a youngster who had yet to reach adulthood. Choosing now to name him as the next sect leader seemed a bit hasty.

The stewards, as well as Elder Zhou, immediately raised objections to Ji Chengyue’s decision. But with his heart set on Cao Zirui, Ji Chengyue defied their protestations and scheduled the ceremony for today.

If it weren’t for the time needed to prepare for the ceremony, judging by his urgency, he likely wouldn’t have bothered to wait three days, and would have simply done it the next morning.

But why was Ji Chengyue in such a hurry? Nobody knew. Even Elder Zhou, whom Ji Chengyue respected the most out of anybody, received no response when he asked the man.

He was the sect leader, after all. So although many people doubted his decision, they went along with it anyway.

Zhenwu Hall was empty today, what with everyone preparing for the ceremony. They needed to rush in order to finish the preparations in only three days.

But the empty hall was not entirely deserted. Two people sat there facing each other.

“Shifu,” Cao Zirui called out to Ji Chengyue.

Ji Chengyue sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, resting with his eyes closed. At Cao Zirui’s call, he opened them and glanced in his direction.

He noticed that the boy’s brow was furrowed slightly. For the perpetually icy-faced Cao Zirui, even this slight frown was a significant change in expression.

The unusual change in expression, along with the rustle of Cao Zirui adjusting his posture as the two of them meditated, collectively revealed Cao Zirui’s inner tension and unease.

“No need to be nervous,” Ji Chengyue reassured him.

Cao Zirui was not comforted. He had barely left the sect more than a few times to gain experience, so it was impossible for him to avoid being nervous about his selection as the next sect leader.

“Shifu, isn’t this….too early?” Although many had already posed this question to Ji Chengyue, Cao Zirui couldn’t help giving voice to it himself at this moment.

He felt that he was not yet ready. He wasn’t ready to take on the responsibility of managing an entire sect.

“It’s not too early.” In contrast to Cao Zirui’s hesitation, Ji Chengyue’s tone was very firm.

This was the decision he had come to after careful consideration that night.

The conflict between Cao Zirui and Xue Ren was actually very similar to the succession struggle between princes in the mortal realm. In order to avoid fratricide, a crown prince was established early on so that the other brothers would give up on their ambitions.

Therefore, Ji Chengyue planned to follow this example and utilize the trial ceremony to make Xue Ren give up completely.

He had chosen Cao Zirui as the next sect leader not because he favored him the most. In terms of emotional bonds, he was far closer to Xue Ren, who had been at his side for over twenty years. 

It was only that…..the selection of the sect leader could not be based on his personal likes or dislikes. He couldn’t just choose the person he liked best to fill the position.

The sect leader had a responsibility – to lift Lingxiao Sword Sect toward the sky.

And this responsibility was not one that Xue Ren could bear.

Although Xue Ren’s opinion on this differed, Ji Chengyue was firm in his belief.

Some things could not be done through intent alone. While hard work was vital, fate was even more so.

Ji Chengyue had also harbored a burning passion to surpass his shixiong, who possessed an exceptional single spiritual root. He cultivated day and night, but as a result, he fell farther and farther behind.

What did it matter if he was unwilling? This was fate.

He had been born with dual spiritual roots, while his shixiong was born with only one. Their starting points were different, so their potential was naturally different as well.

No matter how hard Xue Ren tried, he would only ever be the next Ji Chengyue. Therefore, after encountering Cao Zirui with his single spiritual root, Ji Chengyue quickly made up his mind.

And the journey to the Floating Island Secret Realm only further solidified his decision. Lingxiao Sword Sect had lingered at the bottom for a century, but with Cao Zirui participating this time, they had moved up one place in the rankings. Although Cao Zirui’s personal performance had not been ideal, this also illustrated a certain kind of luck.

He saw hope for the elevation of Lingxiao Sword Sect in Cao Zirui, and thus, he remained steadfast in his decision.

“If you’re really that nervous, go take a walk first. Just don’t be late for the start of the ceremony.” While remaining resolute, Ji Chengyue softened his voice.

Had Xue Ren not attempted to murder Cao Zirui, he wouldn’t have forced Cao Zirui to undergo the trial ceremony so early. After all, he was still so young…..

He knew he was placing a heavy responsibility on the young boy, but he had no other choice. This was the only way he could think of to protect both of his disciples.

“Understood, Shifu.” Cao Zirui’s eyes immediately brightened when he heard these words. He eagerly stood up from the meditation mat, then pushed open the door and left.

In his haste, he even forgot to close the door.

Ji Chengyue gazed after Cao Zirui’s hurried figure and shook his head helplessly. He had no doubt that the boy was going to find his little friend.

That was good. Sometimes, encouragement from a friend was more effective than advice from a teacher. Finding Fang Yang would help ease Cao Zirui’s mind.

Ji Chengyue’s fingertips twitched as he prepared to use spiritual power to close the door, but the sound of footsteps outside made him pause.

He could vaguely sense the identity of the person outside, and his feelings grew complicated.

Xue Ren walked in through the open door. He approached Ji Chengyue and bowed, calling out: “Shifu.”

Ji Chengyue gave a slight nod, and Xue Ren sat down cross-legged in front of him on the same meditation mat Cao Zirui had just used.

Then, neither of them spoke.

The room was silent as master and disciple faced each other, both unsure of what to say.

After a while, Ji Chengyue prompted: “Are you all packed up?”

Xue Ren said with a smile: “I am. Once today’s ceremony is over, I’ll set off.”

He spoke in a very relaxed tone, as if he had willingly accepted Ji Chengyue’s order to go to the Cold Mountain Secret Realm. 

But only three days ago, according to the disciple who delivered the message, Xue Ren’s face had been a terrifying rictus of fury.

Ji Chengyue had expected this understandable reaction.

He was prepared to face Xue Ren’s emotional outburst and questions, but Xue Ren had never sought him out.

And when he couldn’t help but go to Xue Ren himself, his disciple used various excuses to avoid seeing him.

Today was his first time seeing Xue Ren since announcing his decision, and his expression seemed very at ease.

It was as if in these three days, he had sorted himself out. As if, no longer dwelling on his narrow-minded jealousy, he was prepared to temper himself in the Cold Mountain Secret Realm.

If this was the case, it was the best possible outcome – and the outcome Ji Chengyue most desired to see.

Now that Xue Ren was ready to leave, Ji Chengyue couldn’t help but give him some instructions: “The Cold Mountain Secret Realm is bitterly cold. You should keep some warm wine in your storage bag, and take a sip to warm yourself if you reach the end of your endurance.”

Xue Ren acquiesced.

Ji Chengyue added: “What about the frostbite ointment? Remember to bring that too.”

“Even though you are already practicing inedia, you should still bring some easily-preserved dried fruit to satisfy your cravings during cultivation breaks.”

“And as for the cold-suppression medication…..”

Ji Chengyue unconsciously began to ramble. He had been the same way before Cao Zirui entered the Floating Island Secret Realm, and now it was Xue Ren’s turn to receive such treatment.

The concern hidden behind his usually stern expression was no less than what he had shown Cao Zirui. It was just subtle and difficult to detect.

But at this moment, Xue Ren no longer cared.

“Oh, right, and bring some warm wine…..” Ji Chengyue had said so much that he’d forgotten his words from before.

“Shifu, you already said that,” Xue Ren reminded him.

“I already…..” Ji Chengyue thought back, and realized that he really had. He wracked his brains, but it seemed that there was no further advice to give his disciple.

Silence fell once again.

“Shifu.” This time it was Xue Ren who broke the silence.

Ji Chengyue looked at Xue Ren.

Xue Ren tamped down the smile that seemed to be painted on his face, looking into Ji Chengyue’s eyes as he said seriously: “Shifu must have made the decision a long time ago, right? To choose my shidi as the next sect leader?”

“Therefore, you passed the Lingxiao Swordsmanship technique down to my shidi, and never thought of teaching it to me.” Xue Ren posed this as a question, but his tone made it more like a statement of fact.

Ji Chengyue remained silent.

He had indeed made this decision some time ago. However, he hadn’t refrained from teaching Lingxiao Swordsmanship to Xue Ren because it could only be taught to the next sect leader, but because Xue Ren’s talent was insufficient to cultivate it.

But there was no point in explaining this now. The result was the same. He had never planned to pass Lingxiao Swordsmanship on to Xue Ren, so he kept his silence.

Xue Ren took this as a tacit agreement. Smiling, he abruptly stood up: “Then this disciple will take his leave. I still need to observe my shidi’s trial ceremony later.”

“A-Ren.”

As Xue Ren reached the door, Ji Chengyue suddenly called out an endearment he hadn’t used in a very long time.

Xue Ren came to a stop. Ji Chengyue wavered for a long moment, but was ultimately unable to keep from voicing his inner hope: “Are you willing to guard the one hundredth checkpoint?”

One hundred years ago, when Ling Yun challenged the thousand steps, the one guarding the final platform was Ji Chengyue. This was not just a challenge, but rather a sort of inheritance and recognition between fellow disciples.

Although Xue Ren and Cao Zirui were at odds, Ji Chengyue still hoped that the two of them could reconcile.

“It’s fine if you are unwilling. Just pretend I didn’t say anything…..” Although Ji Chengyue clung to hope, he had no intention of forcing Xue Ren.

After a long pause, Xue Ren finally answered.

“With pleasure.”

His tone was relaxed and gratified, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

A sense of relief came over Ji Chengyue.

Ji Chengyue could only gaze after Xue Ren’s back as he left Zhenwu Hall, and therefore missed how the smile on his face distorted.

---

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Chapter 84 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 86

Their gazes met for a brief moment before parting.

Qin Xiao then focused on everyone present.

Jian Hongzhuo, whose brow remained perpetually furrowed, found an opportunity to interject and said: “My Lord, please reconsider. His Majesty is still young, and the court requires your continued guidance. Perhaps it would be better to send someone else to conduct the peace negotiations.”

The journey ahead was fraught with danger, and there were those who would try every means possible to kill Qin Xiao. 

Jian Hongzhuo didn’t want him to take that risk.

“The enemy specifically requested this lord’s presence, and it would be useless for anyone else to go. No further discussion is necessary.” Qin Xiao then said to everyone, “This lord has already instructed Commander An to inform everyone of the necessary preparations for the expedition. If any of you have anything to add, or if you wish to send someone to assist, please make the appropriate arrangements.” 

With 50,000 soldiers assigned to the expedition on short notice, it was impossible for Qin Xiao to only recruit former Qin family subordinates; there would definitely be people from other factions among the ranks.

But there was nothing he could do. The situation had arisen so suddenly, and he could only blame himself for having too few informants in the Northwest, and therefore limited access to information.

The most important thing at present was to set off as soon as possible in order to reach the Northwest in less than a month and prevent a massacre.

When they heard Qin Xiao ask them to recommend people to assist him, although they didn’t show any reaction outwardly, they all felt a little awkward.

Jian Hongzhuo knew that dissuading him was a useless endeavor, and could only glance toward Chu Jiubian.

He had witnessed the methods of Grand Tutor Chu back in Hexi Prefecture.

He possessed medical skills, could conjure up vast amounts of food out of thin air, and held a position in the Imperial Court. He was also eloquent and sharp-witted, and his extensive abilities were undeniable. He was the perfect person to assist in governing.

Therefore, with Qin Xiao leaving, there was no need to worry about matters in the capital.

On the contrary, the Northwest was where the real danger lay.

Everyone did indeed have things to prepare back home, so when Qin Xiao dismissed them, they all left the palace.

Once these scheming ministers left Yangxin Hall, only Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao remained, along with Bai Lihong, who was still holding back tears.

Now that everyone else was gone, the child could no longer suppress his emotions, and tears rolled down his cheeks in long, continuous streams.

But he didn’t cry out loud. He cried silent tears, staring up at his uncle who was standing beside him.

Jiujiu was so tall that he could only see his jawline.

Bai Lihong was no longer the little boy who had just lost his mother. He understood that his uncle had to go to war this time in order to save many people.

So no matter how scared or upset he was, Bai Lihong knew that he couldn’t speak up and stop him.

Yet he couldn’t help but carefully grasp his uncle’s robes with a tiny hand and hold on tight.

Qin Xiao lowered his gaze to the child’s tearstained face.

Then he bent down and picked him up.

The child buried his face in his uncle’s shoulder, wrapped his short arms around his neck, and finally began to sob.

Qin Xiao gently rubbed his back and took slow steps toward the seat next to Chu Jiubian, where he sat down.

Chu Jiubian’s eyes had been lowered the entire time, and only when the child’s cries gradually subsided did he turn his head to look.

Due to Chu Jiubian mentioning it before, Qin Xiao no longer carelessly wiped the child’s face with his clothes. Instead, he took a handkerchief from his breast pocket – but unexpectedly, another handkerchief came out with it.

The handkerchief he held in his hand was pure white and lacked embellishments, but the one he pulled out with it had jasmine flowers embroidered in silver thread in the corners.

But Chu Jiubian distinctly remembered that the other party only used unmarked handkerchiefs.

Qin Xiao also discovered the extra handkerchief, and neatly folded it before placing it back into his pocket.

He didn’t behave as if anything was out of the ordinary.

Chu Jiubian stared at him intently, a sudden tightness welling up in his chest.

“Jiujiu, Miaomiao will miss you.” Bai Lihong regarded Qin Xiao with a pitiful expression, tears flowing endlessly down his face.

Qin Xiao said nothing, and simply wiped away his tears.

Children this age were typically self-centered and eager to express themselves, but Bai Lihong, having experienced so much at such a young age, was more mature than other children of his generation.

Therefore, he was able to use reason to control his thoughts.

He said not a single word to stop him, but only whispered: “Come back, Jiujiu.”

Qin Xiao gently patted his little head, smiling very tenderly despite keeping silent.

Chu Jiubian stared at his profile, then averted his gaze when the other looked in his direction.

*

*

Both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were exceptionally busy over the next two days.

Qin Xiao was nowhere to be seen all day long, and didn’t even return for meals. Chu Jiubian and Bai Lihong were left to eat alone without him.

Bai Lihong also seemed to have composed himself, and was as well-behaved and sensible as always. He would only occasionally glance toward the palace gates, then casually avert his gaze.

But Chu Jiubian could clearly recognize the child’s sadness and inner turmoil.

On the evening of the twelfth, Bai Lihong stayed up late, washing up before playing with the nine-link rings Chu Jiubian had given him the day before.

Hong Fu’s heart broke at the sight, and he instructed Xiao Yuzi to go find Qin Xiao.

But Qin Xiao hadn’t returned to the palace yet, as he was leaving for battle tomorrow and was still making the final preparations.

Xiao Yuzi then went to find Chu Jiubian.

The Grand Tutor usually wasn’t one to go to bed late, but it was already almost the third watch, and when he went to look for him, he found Chu Jiubian sitting in the courtyard.

When he heard that Bai Lihong wasn’t sleeping, Chu Jiubian realized that the child was waiting up for Qin Xiao to return.

Thus, he got up and went with Xiao Yuzi to Yangxin Hall.

Upon entering the bedroom, he found the small child wrapped up in a blanket, engrossed in fiddling with a set of nine interlocking rings. 

When he heard a noise, Bai Lihong turned his head to look.

Seeing that it was Chu Jiubian, a distinct look of disappointment flashed through his bright eyes, but he quickly hid his emotions and donned a sweet, innocent smile.

Chu Jiubian’s heart softened, and he went over to him.

Hong Fu brought him a chair and placed it at the bedside, then left the room.

Chu Jiubian sat down.

“Xiansheng,” Bai Lihong said obediently in his sweet, childish voice.

No matter how fond the child was of Chu Jiubian, it couldn’t compare to the blood ties he shared with Qin Xiao.

When Qin Xiao was present before, the child felt that he had someone to rely on and a strong support system, which made it easier for him to lower his guard and accept other people.

But when Qin Xiao left, Bai Lihong surrounded himself with a protective shell and withdrew into it.

Even with Chu Jiubian, Bai Lihong didn’t feel as comfortable acting spoiled or playful around him, for fear that he wouldn’t be as understanding and tolerant as his uncle.

It was precisely because Chu Jiubian understood the child’s thoughts that he could discern his cautious behavior.

 But he was only a little over three years old, ah.

Rather than speaking any words of comfort, Chu Jiubian simply opened his arms to him and said gently: “Would you like Xiansheng to hug you?”

Bai Lihong’s little mouth trembled, and he immediately tucked the nine-ring puzzle back into his pocket.

The child was a small, soft bundle as Chu Jiubian hugged him tightly through his blanket.

“Xiansheng.” Bai Lihong’s voice was choked with emotion. “Miaomiao is scared.”

“What are you scared of?” Chu Jiubian’s voice was soft and tender.

Tears streamed down Bai Lihong’s little face, soaking Chu Jiubian’s shoulder.

“Miaomiao is afraid Xiansheng won’t like me.” He was no longer using “this emperor” to refer to himself.

Chu Jiubian gently rubbed his back, just like Qin Xiao had. He said softly: “Don’t be afraid. Xiansheng will always like you, just like your uncle, and will always be by your side.”

The child pulled back from his embrace slightly, his face contorted into a pitiful expression as he asked: “Really?”

Chu Jiubian wiped the tears from his face: “Really.”

Bai Lihong then snuggled back into his arms. After a while, he whispered softly: “Xiansheng, Jiujiu will come back safe and sound, won’t he?”

“Yes,” Chu Jiubian said. “He will come back alive.”

He didn’t say “safe and sound,” because he knew that Qin Xiao would be seriously injured to the point that he was clinging to life.

Only now did Bai Lihong feel more at ease.

Xiansheng was a god – if he said that Jiujiu would come back alive, then he definitely would!

The child had been troubled the past few days, but now that he knew that Xiansheng would stay by his side and Jiujiu would return, a great weight was lifted from his heart.

Then, the long-lost drowsiness set in, and before long, he nestled into Chu Jiubian’s warm embrace and fell into a deep sleep.

Chu Jiubian carefully placed him on the bed and covered him with a blanket, then got up and left the room.

Hong Fu and Xiao Yuzi were both waiting outside, and when they saw Chu Jiubian come out, they bowed in greeting.

This was where Hong Fu’s cleverness lay; even though he was so familiar with Chu Jiubian, and was now the head eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, which was equivalent to a second or third-rank official in the Imperial Court, he remained humble and never displayed the slightest hint of overstepping his bounds.

He treated Qin Xiao the same way.

Chu Jiubian said in a low voice: “The Emperor is asleep. I’m going for a walk.”

“Yes.”

Stepping out of the main hall, Chu Jiubian stood in the courtyard and gazed up at the sky.

The bright moon hung high, and the starlight was faint.

After some time, he sensed something and turned his gaze toward the courtyard gate, where a tall, imposing figure was stepping through.

The other person had clearly spotted Chu Jiubian as well. They paused briefly, then continued forward before stopping just a couple of steps away from him.

“Has everything been taken care of?” Chu Jiubian asked.

There was no sign of fatigue on Qin Xiao’s face, but the angles of his jawline were more defined, as if he had lost weight.

“En.” Qin Xiao glanced toward the palace behind him. “Is His Majesty asleep?”

Chu Jiubian nodded.

Qin Xiao smiled: “Then shall we walk together?”

Chu Jiubian had already planned to ask him if he wanted to take a break, and nodded again.

The moonlight was like a veil, illuminating the streets and alleys inside and outside the Imperial City.

While the common people were fast asleep, the elite were awake all through the night. They all knew that at dawn, Lord Ning-wang, the most powerful figure in the capital, would lead his army into battle.

Whether or not he would manage to return depended on the actions of others.

Outside the Imperial City, 50,000 soldiers were also ready to depart.

Qin Chaoyang meticulously double-checked the headcount, as well as the military rations for the expedition.

An Wuji was also exceptionally busy with the Imperial Guard, and his nerves were stretched to the breaking point.

Qin Xiao wasn’t even bringing Qin Chaoyang with him on this expedition, and would instead leave him behind in the palace to assist Chu Jiubian with miscellaneous tasks.

Even in less noticeable ways, Qin Xiao revealed much.

He was setting out on this expedition with the expectation that he would not return alive.

*

*

Inside the palace, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao wandered unknowingly to the western courtyard.

This was Qin Xiao’s residence. Previously, the courtyard had been absent of any notable features, and lacked the lively atmosphere of the main hall and the eastern courtyard.

But at present, Chu Jiubian saw that the entire courtyard was overflowing with jasmine flowers.

Someone had planted them.

The flowering season was nearly over. “Are you fond of jasmine?” Chu Jiubian inquired.

Qin Xiao gazed at the swaying, pure white flower branches and said: “They are significant to me.”

“Significant how?”

Qin Xiao smiled, but didn’t explain.

The air was slightly cool at night, and a delicate fragrance clung to their robes.

They should have had much to speak about, but they understood each other without the need for words.

For a long while, they walked silently and unhurriedly through the courtyard, their steps perfectly synchronized.

Neither of them mentioned parting ways.

Eventually, Qin Chaoyang returned from outside the palace and stood at the courtyard gate, watching the two of them strolling side by side. He said in a deep voice: “My Lord, it is time to prepare for departure.”

Having said this, he retreated to a greater distance so as not to disturb them further.

Chu Jiubian stopped in place.

Qin Xiao, however, walked to the edge of one of the flowerbeds and gently stroked the petals of a flower.

Chu Jiubian observed him in silence.

After several moments, Qin Xiao turned around and met his gaze from only a few steps away.

Pale moonlight shone down at an angle above him, and behind him stretched a sea of overlapping white flowers. Dressed in black, the man stood out strikingly against this backdrop.

Qin Xiao said with a smile in his eyes: “Would you like to make another wager with me?”

“What are we betting on?” Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Xiao replied: “I’ll tell you when I get back.” 

Chu Jiubian smiled as well, saying: “Then His Majesty and I will await your return.”

The young man’s eyes held a gentle smile. Dressed in white, he was as pure as snow and as distant as the moon. 

Qin Xiao gave him a long, searching look, and then turned and walked out of the courtyard.

“Go and rest.” The man’s deep, low voice drifted through the air, accompanied by the light scent of flowers.

Chu Jiubian watched his retreating figure until he was out of sight, then looked away and left the courtyard as well.

However, after taking two steps, he stopped once more.

Soon after, he finally exited the courtyard gate with a pure white jasmine flower in his hand, one of its petals slightly bent.

In his bedroom back in Yangxin Hall, Bai Lihong was curled up in a ball with his back to the door.

Only when the footsteps that had lingered for a long time at the door had faded away did the child snuggle deeper into the blankets, tears rolling silently down his cheeks.

Jiujiu would return safely. Xiansheng had told him so.

*

*

Everything seemed to change after Qin Xiao left. The tense atmosphere in the capital, which had been on the verge of boiling over, miraculously calmed down.

Even during morning court, the matters discussed were mostly trivial.

But Chu Jiubian knew that this was just the calm before the storm. Everyone was waiting for the final outcome of the situation in the Northwest.

He observed all of this with a detached gaze, while meticulously handling the tasks at hand without slacking in the slightest.

The list of candidates for the Imperial Examinations had been finalized, and examination halls had been constructed in various regions.

Chu Jiubian had told Qin Chuan to send people to conduct secret investigations in those locales, and those with problems had already been ordered to make corrections.

Those government offices that had been carelessly neglecting their duties due to their remoteness from the capital were terrified when they received a reprimand from the Imperial Court, and dared not continue to be negligent.

During the previous investigation into candidates for the waterway transport system, Chu Jiubian had witnessed Qin Chuan’s methods and the usefulness of the [Connections] keyword.

Upon hearing about the matter of the examination halls, Qin Chuan immediately suspected that they were Chu Jiubian’s doing. But while he harbored suspicions about Chu Jiubian’s relationship with the High Priest, he diligently carried out his duties.

The Imperial Examination system benefitted both the common people and the Imperial Court, so Qin Chuan had no reason or justification to refuse this task.

He once again requested another life-saving chance as his reward for this mission, but the High Priest ruthlessly refused and instead bestowed upon him a handheld repeating crossbow.

Upon receiving it, Qin Chuan was so delighted by the crossbow that it would be an understatement to say that he couldn’t put it down. He even requested additional tasks from the High Priest so that he could acquire multiple different weapons.

Chu Jiubian hadn’t expected him to be so enthusiastic about weapons, and wondered if he would go insane with joy if he were handed a machine gun one day.

He considered sending Qin Chuan to protect Lu Yao right away, but Qin Chuan hesitated, saying: “Can it be done a little later?”

“Why?” asked the High Priest.

Qin Chuan knew he had no chance of keeping it a secret, so he said frankly: “I want to go to the Northwest.”

Chu Jiubian looked at the repeating crossbow in his hand, and said after a moment of silence: “You may go and find Lu Yao later. First, I will bestow a reward upon you.”

He bought penicillin from the System Mall, repackaged it, and then gave it to him: “This medication is taken orally, one tablet at a time, three times a day, and can reduce the likelihood of wounds festering. However, you should try a small amount first and only use it again if there are no adverse reactions.”

It was rare for the High Priest to say so much at one time, but Qin Chuan was too preoccupied to make note of this.

His heart sank when he heard the words “reduce the likelihood of wounds festering.”

The High Priest must have guessed that he was going to find Qin Xiao, but why had he given him this kind of medicine?

If it was meant for all of the soldiers, then the quantity was insufficient.

Did this mean that Qin Xiao was going to be injured?

And the injury might be so severe that the wound festered?

At this thought, Qin Chuan was unable to remain any longer. He stood up, bowed, and prepared to leave.

The High Priest had said that the medicine needed to be tested in advance, and could only be taken if there were no adverse reactions. Therefore, it must be tested while Qin Xiao was still healthy, or it would be too late when he was seriously injured.

However, before that, he needed to have someone test the drug to ensure that it was truly effective and non-toxic, just to be on the safe side.

Chu Jiubian instructed the System to send this person away.

Then, he fell silent.

A box of penicillin only cost two points, but Chu Jiubian had never expected that he would actually buy it, and only did so when he suspected that Qin Chuan was going to bring the repeating crossbow to Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian sat alone in the Divine Realm for a long time, and finally let out a laugh.

Lord Ning-wang was incredibly cunning; he posed a wager with him, but deliberately withheld the terms of the bet, which was surely for the purpose of keeping him guessing.

Chu Jiubian left the Divine Realm and chose not to dwell on it.

The next day was the tenth day since Qin Xiao’s departure.

Chu Jiubian handed over the first batch of test questions to Qin Chaoyang, instructing him to send the trained examiners to depart together with secret guards. They should arrive by the 29th at the latest, and the Imperial Examinations would officially begin on the 30th of the ninth month.

In addition, all of the merchant caravans transporting fine salt had returned today.

The profits from the first batch of fine salt were incredibly substantial, accounting for almost half of the caravans’ total earnings for the expedition. Everyone was eager to continue such a profitable business. 

So when Chu Jiubian released the news that he had the same quantity of fine salt waiting to be sold, each family made sure to “express their loyalty.”

Not only did the Wang, Lu, and Xiao families refrain from any dishonest practices (since they couldn’t possibly falsify their accounts anyway), even the Qiu family set aside their ulterior motives and paid Chu Jiubian much more than they had originally planned.

Chu Jiubian had no time to enjoy the money he received before he allocated thousands of taels to be used for military provisions. He ordered Kou Qiao, a secretary in the Ministry of War, along with Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi, to lead three thousand soldiers and quickly catch up with the supply convoy that had departed several days earlier.

Kou Qiao had been part of the Qin Family Army, and was one of Qin Xiao’s men. He had previously been an assistant secretary in the Ministry of War, and it was his meritorious service in the Hexi Prefecture disaster relief efforts that led to his promotion to Secretary.

Putting him in charge of escorting military supplies was the most suitable option.

As for Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi, he himself had never expected to be summoned specifically by Chu Jiubian in the name of the Emperor.

He had also never imagined that the other party would entrust him with the task of transporting thousands of taels of silver. Even after arriving at the doorstep of the palace, he still couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

Could it be that Chu Jiubian thought that due to the Wang family’s prestige, he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone snatching the job away from him?

Or perhaps Chu Jiubian believed that given the Wang family’s emphasis on reputation and their inherent pride, they would surely side with the Imperial Court on matters of great importance, and that was why he was allowing this member of the Wang family to escort the military provisions?

Unable to comprehend the situation on his own, he went straight to his grandfather, Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan, and recounted the conversation he’d had with Chu Jiubian inside the palace.

Wang Zhiyuan remained silent for some time after hearing this.

When Wang Pengyi was summoned to the palace, Wang Zhiyuan had already heard the news and speculated that it was likely related to the military provisions. He thought that Chu Jiubian might want Wang Pengyi to suggest some suitable escorts, or perhaps wanted him to take a careful account of the funds.

But he had never imagined that Chu Jiubian would actually want Wang Pengyi to personally escort the military supplies.

How important was this task?

A delay of a few days could mean the 50,000 soldiers led by Qin Xiao going hungry and being overwhelmed by enemy forces.

It was absolutely impossible for Chu Jiubian to allow anyone from various factions to meddle in this situation, and the most appropriate course of action would be to have Qin Chaoyang act as the escort.

It would merely be a temporary, minor official position given to him through special arrangements, so others couldn’t really complain.

But now, not only had Chu Jiubian employed someone from one of the great families, he had selected a high-ranking official like Wang Pengyi!

Wang Zhiyuan abruptly burst into delighted, hearty laughter.

He stood and walked over to Wang Pengyi, patting him on the shoulder as he said: “You must handle this task properly! No mistakes are allowed.”

“This grandson understands.” Wang Pengyi didn’t intend to fool around.

He understood very well that the events in the Northwest were a conspiracy aimed at Qin Xiao. A great many people wanted him dead, and delaying the military supplies and provisions would definitely be a good method to drive him into a desperate situation.

But Wang Pengyi wouldn’t do such a thing.

No matter how much they might fight amongst themselves, colluding with foreign enemies was treason!

It was impossible for any member of their Wang family to be a traitor to the country.

When Wang Zhiyuan looked at him, his eyes were full of admiration and helplessness, but mostly a sense of relief.

“Go ahead,” he said. “The rest of us are getting old, after all, and can’t compare to you young people.”

Nor could they possibly compare to the magnanimity of a deity, ah…..

It must be said that when Wang Zhiyuan instructed him to do a good job, Wang Pengyi actually felt a sense of relief.

Before, he had worried that his family would want him to delay the military supplies, but now it seemed that there were good reasons why his grandfather was able to maintain his position in the Imperial Court for three generations, and why the Wang family’s reputation had remained consistent for so long.

Upon returning to his courtyard, Wang Pengyi was surprised to find his cousin Wang Qichen there, whom he had rarely seen in recent days.

The young man still bore the same disheveled, carefree appearance, but he now appeared even more confident and spirited.

“Cousin, it’s been a long time,” Wang Qichen said with a smile as he stepped forward.

Wang Pengyi chuckled and said: “Have you been busy with important matters lately?”

“Definitely! I was just thinking of showing you the results of my recent hard work.”

“Now isn’t a good time,” said Wang Pengyi.

“You have something to do?” Wang Qichen asked. “Are you going out?”

“I’m going on a long journey.” Wang Pengyi then explained how he was going to escort the military supplies, since it wasn’t exactly a secret anyway.

“I just don’t understand why Lord Chu would send me,” he said absently.

Wang Qichen’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and he softly tapped the palm of his hand with his folding fan.

Before, when the High Priest asked him about the relationship between Deputy Minister of Works Liu Junqi and Wang Zhiyuan, he had mentioned Wang Pengyi. He told the High Priest that his cousin was kind-hearted and compassionate, a man of great talent with his own aspirations, but was constrained by his family background. If he were given the right opportunity, he would surely be able to realize his ambitions.

Although the High Priest hadn’t said anything at the time, he had certainly taken it to heart.

The High Priest had instructed him not to reveal the existence of the “High Priest” to Chu Jiubian, and Wang Qichen had agreed. 

However, he then thought that the High Priest’s name had already spread through the Northern Desert, so Chu Jiubian couldn’t possibly be unaware of it – unless “High Priest” was a pseudonym, and his real name was something else.

However, a figure like Chu Jiubian who was capable of stirring up trouble in the Imperial Court must have guessed that the High Priest was an old acquaintance of his, and it was possible that these two divine beings had already recognized each other.

Therefore, Chu Jiubian must have received word from the High Priest that Wang Pengyi was a reliable person, and subsequently entrusted him with the vital task of escorting the military supplies.

At this thought, Wang Qichen couldn’t help but carefully examine Wang Pengyi.

His cousin was excellent in every respect, except for one thing: he was simply too tightly bound by family obligations.

What if he made a mistake for the sake of their family and harmed Chu Jiubian’s interests? Then wouldn’t Wang Qichen, who had recommended him, have caused trouble for the High Priest?

A flurry of thoughts raced through Wang Qichen’s mind.

The High Priest and Chu Jiubian were on such good terms, and were possibly even partners – if a misunderstanding arose because of someone he recommended, he couldn’t even imagine the amount of trouble he would have caused. 

He would have offended two gods!

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. The smile on his face remained, but his expression grew more serious.

“Cousin,” he said, his tone as flippant as ever, “could it be that Grand Tutor Chu saw that you’re an upright and capable person, and simply asked you to deliver the military supplies because he trusts you on a personal level?”

Wang Pengyi was taken aback.

Chu Jiubian actually trusted him? How was that possible?

But he couldn’t help but recall his grandfather’s attitude earlier, as well as the somewhat wistful remark he had made.

Could it be that his grandfather recognized Chu Jiubian’s ability to discern and utilize talent, and thus developed a level of respect for him, which was why he instructed him to be sure to carry out the task well?

Seeing the expression on his face, Wang Qichen knew that he had taken his words to heart and would definitely do his work diligently.

This was good. With Wang Pengyi’s talent and abilities, if he was determined to protect the military funds, there would be absolutely no problems.

Feeling quite pleased, Wang Qichen opened his folding fan.

But the next time he entered the Divine Realm, he would have to ask the High Priest if he had already reunited with Chu Jiubian.

Also, his paper-making workshop had already achieved mass production, and he had come to see Wang Pengyi today precisely to show him around.

This paper was far superior to “Langya Gold Paper,” and was now ready for sale. Perhaps he should pay a visit to the High Priest tonight to report his progress and ask him to give this new paper a beautiful name.

*

*

Meanwhile, in a dye workshop in Nanjiang, Situ Zhaoling was touching the soft, smooth fabric in her hands with admiration. It was her favorite color – light purple.

When she looked up again, the bolts of brightly-colored silk on nearby wooden racks seemed to shimmer under the sunlight.

No, they were actually shimmering!

The weavers had incorporated silver thread into the colorful silk while weaving it, and the interplay of these different threads caused a lustrous effect.

These fabrics, when made into clothes and embroidered with unique and novel patterns, would be stunningly beautiful!

Situ Zhaoling was of the opinion that she should meet with the High Priest tonight to show off her achievements. It would be even better if she received some praise.

She had entrusted the cotton the High Priest had asked her to plant to several elders who were skilled at farming, and just this morning, those elders had sent someone over to report that the cotton plants had already bloomed.

She would take some cotton with her to show the High Priest as well.

*

*

That night, the instant Chu Jiubian settled into the bathtub, he heard a notification from the System: [Host, Believers Situ Zhaoling and Wang Qichen are requesting entry into the Divine Realm.]

---

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Chapter 60 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 62

When the news of unrest in the northwest reached the capital, the Imperial Court was observing a holiday break.

Bai Lihong was taking a nap while Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian reviewed memorials in Yangxin Hall.

A memorial sent by Qi Zhili addressed the establishment of a branch office for the waterway transport business. It stated that after his arrival in Tongzhou, he had contacted local government officials and also sought out three local scholars who were on the list.

Because of the Imperial Decree and the fact that establishing a branch office there would be beneficial to Tongzhou itself, boosting the political achievements and financial gains of the local officials, those officials were very cooperative and the establishment of the branch office proceeded smoothly.

The three students on the list were indeed capable talents, each with their own strengths. They also respected one another, and worked together to help Qi Zhili solve many issues.

Even the most difficult tasks, such as “recruiting personnel” and “recommending officials” were handled by these three. They had to navigate through their interactions with local officials and wealthy nobles, and while avoiding causing any offense, managed to select capable lower-ranking officials to the greatest extent possible, rather than those who were merely wealthy or well-connected.

Qi Zhili also stated that in about two weeks, he would be able to leave for his next destination.

“Entrusting this matter to him was definitely the right decision,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao nodded: “The three thousand taels of silver given to him is too little. I wonder how long it will last.”

“The caravans selling fine salt should be back by now, shouldn’t they?” Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Xiao: “The Lu family caravan returned just this morning, and those of the other families will all be back by next month.”

At that time, the revenue from the first batch of fine salt would be deposited into the National Treasury, which would help relieve some of its financial pressure.

However, these powerful families would certainly not meekly pay the required amount, so Chu Jiubian already had plans in place to deal with them.

Take the Qiu family for example.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival Imperial Banquet, the Qiu family had given the court a sum of money essentially for the purpose of currying favor with Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, and with the end goal of obtaining from Chu Jiubian the fine wine that had been served at the banquet.

However, Chu Jiubian never gave them a definite answer, and simply waited for the Qiu family to send over the remaining dividends in a timely manner.

The other noble families were easier to deal with than the Qiu family.

Because Chu Jiubian had established a limited quota to the amount of fine salt they could receive, and the price at which each merchant caravan sold the salt could be tracked, it was very difficult for any of them to manipulate the accounts.

At most, they could only gain some petty, negligible benefits.

But the Qiu family was different.

Their caravans were capable of traveling to regions across the border, such as the Northern Desert and the Western Regions, and they had established trade routes in all of these locations.

Taking advantage of the information gap between Great Ning and the outer regions, as well as the fact that people on the frontier had never seen fine salt, the Qiu family resorted to many underhanded tactics.

As Qin Xiao had previously learned, the Qiu family did not sell pure fine salt, but instead mixed in a certain proportion of rough salt in order to create a “refined” salt that was superior to coarse salt, but inferior to fine salt.

Due to this mixing process, the quantity of fine salt available for sale increased, leading to greater profits.

Other noble families naturally wanted to follow suit, but those who could afford to buy fine salt in Great Ning were well-informed. Knowing what fine salt looked like, they wouldn’t even be tempted to buy the mixed “refined” salt, and only desired the pure product.

These two factors combined led to the Qiu family being able to earn significantly more wealth than the other noble families.

And due to this, the Qiu family found it easier to manipulate their accounts.

But at present, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian planned to simply turn a blind eye as long as they didn’t go too far.

After all, they had just snatched away their waterway transport business. If they also prevented them from profiting off the fine salt trade, the Qiu family might be driven to desperation.

Now was not the time to completely sever ties with the great families.

“Let’s wait a little longer,” said Chu Jiubian. “Haven’t our people already taken over the salt fields in Haizhou? Once production is stabilized over there, we’ll take back the fine salt trade for the Imperial Court.”

At that time, with the revenue from the fine salt and the taxes from the waterway transportation business, the Imperial Court would no longer be short of money.

Haizhou was located at the border of Southern Zhili and Shandong, adjacent to the vast Eastern Sea, and boasted a large salt field – the third largest in Great Ning.

After fine salt was introduced, Qin Xiao had sent people to seek out Prefect Wei Yi in Southern Zhili and instruct him to find a way to assume control of the salt fields in Haizhou.

These salt fields had initially been under the direct control of the Imperial Court, but due to managerial neglect, local forces colluded with the prefect of Haizhou to deceive and mislead the central government. This led to rampant illegal salt trading, which defrauded the Imperial Court of a considerable amount of money.

Wei Yi had long harbored the idea of taking over the salt fields, but Emperor Yingzong’s inaction during his reign had prevented him from doing so. His repeated memorials were ignored, and since privately-produced salt was cheaper than government-controlled salt, the common people preferred to buy the illegal product. Therefore, he was forced to turn a blind eye to the situation.

However, Qin Xiao’s message informed him that the price of salt would definitely be lower in the future, but before that, the Imperial Court needed to regain complete control of the salt fields.

And the Haizhou salt fields were the first target for reform and restructuring.

Therefore, Wei Yi personally made the trip to Haizhou several times, and recent rumors suggested that he had seized the salt fields and had already begun processing and refining fine salt according to Chu Jiubian’s method.

This was a huge step forward. Once the production of fine salt stabilized, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian planned to sell salt at three different grades.

Coarse salt was considered low-grade salt, so its price must naturally be lowered.

Even if the price wasn’t directly cut in half, it should at least be reduced by one third, so that more common people would be able to afford to buy salt.

The second grade consisted of fine salt that contained impurities.

It wouldn’t be as expensive as pure fine salt, but its taste would be superior to that of coarse salt, making it very suitable for wealthy households.

The highest grade, of course, was fine salt as white as snow.

Fine salt would be twice as expensive as the lower-grade impure salt, but even so, the wealthy and powerful would flock to buy it.

Like this, the salt fields capable of producing fine salt would be under the control of the Imperial Court, and all of the profits would naturally go into the National Treasury.

The inexpensive, non-profitable coarse salt was simply for the purpose of benefitting the common people.

Once Great Ning’s political situation was entirely stable, the National Treasury was prosperous, and the common people were living in peace and contentment, the coarse and impure salt could be phased out of existence.

But these were all matters for the future. Right now, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were steadily moving step by step toward their goal.

Qin Xiao raised his eyes to glance at Chu Jiubian. He didn’t say anything, but merely watched him in silence, lost in thought.

Qin Xiao had been staring at him like this all the time lately. Chu Jiubian had grown accustomed to it, so he simply ignored that palpable gaze and continued to steadily review memorials.

But at that moment, a chorus of greetings from the palace servants suddenly echoed from within the courtyard: “Greeting Commander An.”

Chu Jiubian looked up reflexively, first meeting Qin Xiao’s eyes before turning his head toward the doorway.

At nearly the same time, An Wuji rushed through the door.

There was a look of anxiety on his face as he approached Qin Xiao and handed him a confidential letter, saying: “My Lord, there is an urgent military report from the Northwest!”

Military report?

Chu Jiubian’s brow furrowed, and he rose and walked to Qin Xiao’s side.

He leaned forward slightly with one hand resting on the table, his head nearly touching Qin Xiao’s.

But neither of them were cognizant of their intimate posture at this moment, as both were focused intently on the military report. 

These few lines were written by Pang Ruizhi, the Commander of the Northwest Army.

On the thirtieth day of the eighth month, the Sai Kingdom of the Western Regions launched an invasion. Our army was defeated, and Gansu fell within three days. Dingbei-wang went to negotiate, but was instead detained and placed under house arrest. Moba Zanpu, the ruler of the Sai Kingdom, has declared that he requires Ning-wang to personally attend the peace talks, and that if he doesn’t arrive within a month, he will begin to massacre the city’s inhabitants. The fighting will only cease upon Ning-wang’s arrival!

The Western Regions of the Great Ning Dynasty were divided into two main sections.

According to Chu Jiubian’s initial demarcation of this world, the area referred to as the Western Regions included parts of Xinjiang and all areas outside of Gansu, including Xizang.

The people of Xinjiang mostly existed in the form of small tribes, and didn’t pose a significant threat. 

However, during the previous dynasty, Xizang and the surrounding regions were unified by the royal family of the Sai Kingdom, which was ruled by a “zanpu,” or king.

In the military report, Pan Ruizhi had mentioned the Western Regions kingdom bordering Gansu.

And this Pang Ruizhi was also not an ordinary person.

Hailing from a noble family in Gansu, he had married Lu Yourong, the eldest daughter of the Wuwei Lu family. She was also the younger sister of Minister of War Lu Wuwei.

During the reign of Emperor Chengzong, he obtained the position of Commander of the Northwestern Army through his connections with the Lu family.

However, his military capabilities were clearly inadequate, or else his 70,000 Northwest troops wouldn’t have been defeated by the Sai Kingdom Army in just three days.

The fact that they had fallen in three days was rather strange.

Unless this person had done it intentionally…..

Qin Xiao’s face was grim as he placed the military report on the table.

Chu Jiubian rose and sat down in the chair beside him, a slight furrow creasing his brow.

An Wuji was unaware of the military report’s contents, as he had delivered the letter as soon as he received it.

When he saw that both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were finished reading it, he took it back to read it himself.

After reading it, he was so incensed that he immediately burst into a round of loud curses: “Three days?! Bullshit! Even if the 70,000 Northwest troops just formed a human wall, it would be impossible for them to only hold out for three days! This surnamed Pang is truly an idiot! A waste!”

He whirled around in a frenzy.

Chu Jiubian turned his head slightly to view Qin Xiao’s profile and asked: “What are you thinking?”

Qin Xiao’s voice was soft: “Aside from Pang Ruizhi, the Northwest Army contains several other lieutenant commanders. Surely not all of them are fools.”

Chu Jiubian chuckled, but his eyes were completely devoid of warmth: “Even if there are no capable people in the army, there are many officials in the local area, and Dingbei-wang’s palace boasts even more strategists and subordinate officials.”

With all of these people, how could Gansu have fallen within just three days?

Was this logical?

Not to mention that after Gansu fell, Dingbei-wang Bai Liyu foolishly went in person to negotiate, only to be captured. How could that happen?

Which of these vassal kings didn’t have a few talents under their command?

How could these people stand by and watch their master go to his doom?

An Wuji paused in his steps and looked at the two of them, saying: “Could this be a trap set specifically for you, My Lord?”

Neither Qin Xiao nor Chu Jiubian spoke, but An Wuji understood. He paced to the opposite side and sat down, his expression terribly grim.

Yes. 

This was the perfectly clear answer.

Qin Xiao had long been a thorn in the sides of these people from the capital, and they had attempted to suppress him at every turn. Given the right opportunity, they would likely kill him without hesitation.

Early on, various factions sent assassins after him almost every single day.

Only after coming to the realization that Qin Xiao was not so easily dealt with did these people eventually back down.

When covert tactics failed, they resorted to overt methods, using their influence within the Imperial Court to suppress Qin Xiao under a nearly suffocating pressure.

However, the sudden appearance of a major variable like Chu Jiubian at Qin Xiao’s side had caught them all completely off guard. 

If not for this event, it would have been much more difficult for Qin Xiao to reach this point.

But it was precisely because of Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian’s growing influence in the Imperial Court, which was gradually surpassing that of the great families and causing all parties to suffer losses to some degree, that these people could no longer sit still.

They didn’t dare lay a hand on Chu Jiubian, so they simply thought to get rid of Qin Xiao in an open, straightforward manner.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the conflict in the Northwest had been orchestrated by Dingbei-wang, but there were certainly other forces involved as well.

It wasn’t just those in the Imperial Court – perhaps those other vassal kings were involved as well.

This was a unified, coordinated attack aimed at eliminating Qin Xiao.

An open and deliberate plot.

These people were aware that such an obvious tactic wouldn’t fool Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, but they still went forward with it. They didn’t even bother to put on a convincing act, leaving it full of flaws.

Ultimately, their only goal was to set Qin Xiao up.

The current situation in the Northwest was that the common people of Gansu were suffering horrifically and were very likely to face a massacre. All of their hopes rested on Qin Xiao; if he went, there was a chance that he could save them all.

Furthermore, the capture of Dingbei-wang was a matter of great concern. As a member of the Imperial family, his capture by a foreign power was a blatant insult to Great Ning’s dignity, as well as a clear challenge to the authority of the new emperor, Bai Lihong.

Only if Qin Xiao went to the Northwest and “rescued” Dingbei-wang would the Imperial family’s reputation and the lives of the common people of Gansu be preserved, and only then would he be able to justify himself in front of the country.

Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at Qin Xiao, his eyes filled with unreadable, complex emotions.

He could comprehend the intricacies of the situation, as could Qin Xiao.

There were currently only two options before him: go or not go.

If he didn’t go, he would lose the support of the common people, the Imperial Court would lose its prestige, and the hope that they had painstakingly built in the hearts of the common people over the past few months would also be lost.

But if he were to go, he would likely lose his own life.

So was there even a choice?

Of course there was.

Given Qin Xiao’s reckless personality and disregard for how people saw him, he could easily choose his own safety and well-being over his reputation.

Given his ruthless, villainous nature, he could easily abandon the common people of Gansu without a second thought.

But for some reason, Chu Jiubian was thoroughly convinced that Qin Xiao wouldn’t abandon them. 

Qin Xiao might not care about his own reputation, but he did care about the prestige of the Imperial Court, and even more so about the innocent common people of Gansu.

Even though it was highly unlikely that Dingbei-wang would go through with ordering a massacre, Qin Xiao wouldn’t take the risk.

At this point in time, Chu Jiubian could no longer deceive himself.

Qin Xiao was a good official who cared about the common people. He had the coldest and most ruthless outward appearance, but deep down, he was more easily moved to compassion than anyone else, and also possessed more humanity.

He was a perfectly normal person; he had healthy familial relationships, a challenging but typical upbringing, and an incredibly well-adjusted personality. 

Qin Xiao was not – or at least not yet – the heartless, brutal regent pictured in the original novel.

Thus, he and Chu Jiubian had never been the same kind of people after all.

Chu Jiubian’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he unconsciously clenched his hands where they were hidden under his sleeves.

He instinctively wanted to scratch himself, but his rationality prevailed and he was able to suppress the urge.

The medicine I bought from the System Mall must be working, he thought.

Qin Xiao beside him spoke up to say: “An Ping.”

An Wuji immediately got to his feet: “My Lord.”

Qin Xiao calmly instructed: “Find Qin Chaoyang and instruct him to tell the Ministry of War to assemble troops. We’ll need at least 50,000 soldiers. Also have him instruct the Ministry of Revenue to prepare military supplies and provisions. Everything must be ready within three days, and we will depart at dawn on the thirteenth.”

“My Lord,” An Wuji said with a frown, “Who will lead them…..”

“Me,” Qin Xiao said calmly.

He sat on the chair with his legs crossed, leaning against the backrest. From his posture to his expression, he seemed completely relaxed.

An Wuji hesitated. He wanted to say something, but ultimately refrained, and just said with a respectful bow: “This subordinate accepts the order.” With that, he turned and swiftly left the room.

Once Qin Xiao decided on something, there was no one in the world who could change his mind.

With the departure of An Wuji, the Council Hall fell into a deathly silence.

Chu Jiubian turned his head to view Qin Xiao’s cold, grim profile.

At once, he remembered a description he’d read in the original novel: [Ning-wang Qin Xiao led his army to defeat a border kingdom in the Western Regions and was seriously injured. It took him three months to recover.]

Had he been paying closer attention at the time, he would have wondered why Qin Xiao, the dignified Regent, needed to personally lead his troops into battle.

But now, Chu Jiubian didn’t question it at all. He knew that Qin Xiao must go.

It must be said that the various factions in the capital understood one another very well, and had accurately predicted that Qin Xiao would step into the trap with full knowledge of what it was.

This plot point was also present in the original novel.

However, it was happening an entire year ahead of schedule!

Chu Jiubian pondered for a moment, and came to the conclusion that this was due to his own appearance. 

His series of actions had accelerated Qin Xiao’s efforts to suppress the powerful families, allowing him to accomplish in a much shorter amount of time what should have taken him a year to do. 

This undoubtedly placed great pressure, as well as a greater sense of urgency, on the other factions who were concerned about Imperial power growing, which was why they harbored murderous intentions so early on. 

Perhaps sensing Chu Jiubian’s gaze, Qin Xiao snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head to meet the other’s eyes.

Chu Jiubian blinked, momentarily unsure of what to say.

Even saying something like “take care” felt unnecessary, because he knew that Qin Xiao would definitely come back alive.

But….Qin Xiao didn’t know.

He was aware that this campaign would be fraught with danger, but decided to lead it himself regardless.

Chu Jiubian genuinely felt that he and Qin Xiao had nothing left to say to each other at this point.

But after gazing at each other for an extended moment, Qin Xiao smiled.

Chu Jiubian’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. “What are you smiling about?” he asked.

“When this lord departs on the campaign, he will have to trouble the Young Master to deal with matters concerning His Majesty and the capital,” Qin Xiao said, still smiling.

Chu Jiubian dodged his gaze and remained silent.

Qin Xiao leveled him with a long, searching look, then rose and walked to the table where the young emperor usually sat. There, he prepared to grind ink and draft an Imperial Decree.

Chu Jiubian dithered for a moment, then paced over to him and took the ink stick from his hand, saying: “I’ll do it.”

Qin Xiao withdrew his hand, softly rubbing his fingertips together.

The young man’s slightly cool touch seemed to linger there.

*

*

Upon receiving the news from the Northwest, all of the major forces in the capital were shaken.

Everyone knew that this was a trap Dingbei-wang had set for Qin Xiao, and these powerful figures naturally involved themselves in the scheme.

Dingbei-wang had already set up the chess board; now, all they had to do was place Qin Xiao on the board and gradually force him into a desperate situation. 

Unable to wait for Qin Xiao’s summons, they all rushed from their homes to the Imperial City, traveling all the way to Yangxin Hall to request an audience with him.

Hong Fu had also received the news at this time, and rushed over from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs.

At present, he greeted everyone and escorted them to the Council Hall.

Inside, Chu Jiubian had already returned to his original seat, while Qin Xiao remained standing beside the emperor’s throne.

Bai Lihong sat obediently on the throne with a somewhat listless expression.

But upon seeing the ministers approaching, he immediately perked up.

Most of the Six Ministers were present. All of them wore anxious expressions, but in reality, Minister of Works Jian Hongzhu was probably the only one who was actually worried. Everyone else was secretly hoping that Qin Xiao would go to his demise.

And with Qin Xiao gone from the capital, the greatest threat would be Chu Jiubian.

A single tree could not stand alone. It was easy to imagine the immense pressure Chu Jiubian would be under. These powerful and ambitious figures were watching him closely, and would undoubtedly do their utmost to suppress him.

However, they still feared Chu Jiubian’s identity as a “god,” so the ideal situation would be to lure Chu Jiubian over to their side while Qin Xiao was away.

If it meant securing greater benefits for their families, they wouldn’t hesitate to pledge their allegiance to the emperor and become loyal subjects.

Reputation was paramount to them, and they had never intended to overthrow the Imperial family and seize power for themselves. Those were “rebellious ministers and traitors,” and they had no desire to leave such a reputation behind in the history books, bringing shame upon their descendents for generations to come.

Therefore, it didn’t matter to them who sat on the throne; what mattered was whether that person could be manipulated to give them greater benefits.

With their true intentions carefully concealed, everyone finished paying their respects to the emperor and proceeded to discuss the matter in the Northwest.

But before anyone could speak up, Bai Lihong said: “Esteemed ministers, you have undoubtedly come here at this time to discuss the matter in the Northwest. This emperor has already made his decision.”

Qin Xiao had instructed him to speak these words. He actually had no idea what “decision” had been made, only that his Jiujiu was going to war, that he would be gone for a long time, and that there was no telling when he would return.

When he thought of this, the child’s eyes welled up with tears.

His maternal grandparents had gone off to war and never returned. Grand Commandant Qin had suffered from lingering injuries sustained in the early years of warfare, which tormented him with illness in his old age. He only lived long enough to witness the birth of Bai Lihong before he passed away.

Therefore, to Bai Lihong, going to war was a very dangerous matter.

It was very likely that he would lose another loved one, perhaps even the only close relative he had left.

His mother was gone, and if his uncle left too, then he…..

The child tried his utmost to hold back the tears pooling in his eyes, clenching his little hands into the cloth of his robes.

Jiujiu said that he was the emperor, and he couldn’t cry in front of his ministers.

Chu Jiubian didn’t notice the child’s expression at that moment. He had his eyes lowered slightly as a jumble of thoughts spun through his mind. He seemed to be thinking about many things, yet at the same time, thinking about nothing at all.

Then he heard Qin Xiao say: “Since Moba Zanpu has specifically requested that this lord attend the peace talks, this lord shall go.”

He glanced over the crowd and said calmly: “With all of you present in the Imperial Court, this lord can depart with peace of mind.”

Much to everyone’s surprise, Qin Xiao had already decided to go to war before they could persuade him to do so.

Thus, they began to think things over again and wondered if they should persuade him to stay.

But Qin Xiao continued: “However, His Majesty is young and requires someone to guide him at all times. Therefore, once this lord leaves the capital, Grand Tutor Chu will temporarily assume the role of Regent.”

This came as a surprise to absolutely no one. In their eyes, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had long been inseparable from each other.

But Chu Jiubian just felt his heart sink as he slowly raised his eyes to look at Qin Xiao.

Others may not know what his relationship with Qin Xiao was like, but he had a clear understanding of it.

There was only a small amount of trust between the two of them.

He had never imagined that Qin Xiao would entrust him with the power of the Regent.

But…..

Qin Xiao’s penetrating gaze fell upon him, meeting his inscrutable gaze.

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Chapter 59 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 61