Ch. 106 – Six Paths Reincarnation Array

“How…..long have we been walking?” Fang Yang asked Cao Zirui beside him, rubbing his stomach.

“Hm…..” Cao Zirui thought for a moment, but couldn’t come up with an answer.

The leg-eating skeleton hadn’t been particularly difficult to handle. With the two of them working together, it only took a small amount of effort to shatter its skeletal frame.

Having disposed of the malevolent thing, the two had continued onward. They encountered another creature gnawing on a hand along the way, though neither of them could tell who it had belonged to. They didn’t look too closely, as the hand had been gnawed into a bloody, mangled mess that was truly repulsive sight.

Practice made perfect, and the two resolved the matter even faster than the previous time.

Afterward, there was only the long, endless darkness.

They had no idea just how large the Royal City of Western Qiang truly was, nor how long this passageway stretched. They also had no concept of how long they had been walking, and hadn’t encountered a single exit along the way.

That was bad enough, but the two of them gradually realized that this place seemed to suppress spiritual power, and they could no longer draw upon the slightest trace of it.

In the wake of this knowledge came the sensation of hunger. This was a sensation that they never should have felt again after reaching Foundation Establishment stage and commencing inedia.

Despite clutching his stomach, an uncontrollable rumble still escaped from deep within Fang Yang’s belly.

A faint trace of embarrassment crept onto his face. His Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage were still missing, their fates unknown. Yet here he was, pathetically hungry, even though he had only just eaten a rabbit leg at noon.

The sound rang out with exceptional clarity through the silent, pitch-black passageway. Cao Zirui naturally heard it, but before he could speak a word, a distinct rumble issued from his own stomach.

Fang Yang instinctively clutched his stomach tighter before realizing that this time, it wasn’t his stomach protesting.

There were only two of them here. So if it wasn’t him, it must be…..Fang Yang looked toward Cao Zirui.

Cao Zirui kept his head down, but Fang Yang could still see that a blush had spread all the way to his ears.

Fang Yang’s embarrassment instantly vanished. It turned out that just like him, Cao Zirui was hungry but didn’t have the nerve to admit it.

At the sight of Cao Zirui looking like he wished he could bury his head deep in the dirt, Fang Yang couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

His laughter echoed down the long, narrow passageway. Cao Zirui looked up, somewhat flustered. Having grown up as the young master of a prominent clan, he had never lacked for gold or silver, and fresh fruits and pastries had always been kept in ready supply at home. He had almost never known hunger, let alone the indignity of a growling stomach.

But ultimately, this was not something he could control. The rumbling of his stomach was a simply a bodily function.

He was embarrassed enough when his stomach rumbled, but then Fang Yang went ahead and laughed at him.

His embarrassment turned into indignation, but when he looked up, he found that Fang Yang wasn’t really mocking him. There was no ridicule in his eyes, just some simple amusement.

Cao Zirui’s anger faded. He gave the laughing Fang Yang a helpless look, and the other boy’s amusement had him letting out a laugh as well.

Then the fun was over, and it was time to set off again.

But movement did nothing for their rumbling stomachs.

Fang Yang began to lament: “If only we had brought more food before leaving.”

But there was no point in having regrets. None of them could have possibly imagined that of all things, hunger would be the first obstacle they encountered.

Although the circumstances of Fang Yang’s family didn’t match the affluence of Cao Zirui’s, the village they lived in was actually quite prosperous. While they may not have access to rare delicacies, they certainly never had to worry about not having enough food to eat.

No matter how wildly he might be playing outside, the instant his stomach rumbled, he would immediately head home to eat. This level of hunger was not something he was accustomed to.

Even during the brief time the two had spent joking around, he felt his hunger intensifying. It had been somewhat bearable before, but at this moment, a burning, acidic sensation arose in his stomach.

Cao Zirui felt much the same as Fang Yang. This accelerated onset of hunger was actually quite strange. Although it was unclear how long the two of them had been stuck here, they certainly shouldn’t have reached this level of hunger.

But despite knowing that something was amiss, they had no way to resolve it.

Cao Zirui gave it some thought, then rummaged around in his storage bag. He normally didn’t carry food with him. Having entered a state of inedia, he had no need to eat and naturally saw no reason to waste space carrying provisions.

But edibility didn’t pertain to food alone. Medicinal pills could serve the same purpose.

He took out a bottle of pills meant to nourish the vital essence and fortify the constitution. It was used for treating injuries, but even the uninjured could take it to replenish their vitality. He poured one out for Fang Yang, and another for himself: “This will boost your qi. Take one to pad your stomach.”

Although Cao Zirui didn’t mention the value of the pills, Fang Yang had learned from the previous incident in North Sea City and knew that the pills his friend had casually plucked out of his pocket must be extremely expensive.

But he took the pill and swallowed it regardless.

He was just so hungry. Scorched by acidic fluids, his stomach was in desperate need of something to fill it. Anything would do as long as it could alleviate this gnawing hunger.

No matter how expensive this pill may be, he would simply find a way to pay it back later. Without even bothering to chew, Fang Yang swallowed the plump, round pill whole.

A cool medicinal sensation spread through his stomach, and the pain tormenting him quickly subsided.

Yet before he could let out a sigh of relief, the hunger surged back with a vengeance.

It still wasn’t enough…..

A single medicinal pill wasn’t enough…..

Fang Yang clutched his stomach, lips pressed tightly together. He glanced toward Cao Zirui and found him wearing a pained expression that mirrored his own.

Cao Zirui once again took out the porcelain bottle and poured out one pill for each of them.

But after taking the pills this time, the sense of relief was not as pronounced. They still needed more…..

Moments later, the two of them had consumed the entire bottle of pills.

The short-lived sensation of refreshing coolness was addictive, standing in stark contrast to the terrible hunger pangs.

Humans instinctively sought benefits and avoided harm, so upon discovering a method to alleviate their pain, they couldn’t help themselves.

Cao Zirui produced two more bottles of medicinal pills and, heedless of how their properties might clash with what they had already taken, each of them grabbed a bottle and gulped down the contents.

Yet even after swallowing an entire bottle of pills in a single go, that eternal hunger immediately surged back.

The two of them ate more and more. Four or five porcelain bottles already lay at their feet.

In the end, the medicinal pills were no longer able to give them even a brief moment of relief.

The pills were no bigger than pellets, and even several bottles’ worth wasn’t enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.

Fang Yang had once heard that in areas struck by famine, people were forced to subsist on grass and tree bark when there was nothing else to eat.

He hadn’t understood how these things could be eaten, and felt that no matter how hungry he was, he could never do the same.

Only now that he was experiencing true starvation did he realize…..to say nothing of grass and tree bark, he would eat anything he could put in his mouth, even raw meat dripping with blood…..

Fang Yang was stunned by the thought that had just popped into his head.  He had actually found himself thinking about those two skeletons they had seen gnawing on a hand and a leg.

He had previously felt nothing but revulsion at the sight, but looking back on it now…..he actually found himself salivating at the thought of that fresh blood and flesh.

Fang Yang gave his head a violent shake. Absolutely not. His rationality warned him that if he were to feed on human flesh, what difference would there be between him and the monsters in this place?

He forced himself not to think about it, nor the burning sensation in his stomach. Finding a way out should be his sole focus.

Yet whenever his guard slipped for a brief moment, that scene of cannibalism immediately flashed through his mind.

And the more this happened, the more his craving grew. His mouth was watering profusely. Those skeletons didn’t have a stomach or intestines, and the shredded meat simply fell to the ground after they were done chewing it.

If he were to go back and look…..but the distance was a bit too far. They seemed to have been walking forever.

Fang Yang didn’t know exactly how long it had been, but going by how hungry he was, he likely wouldn’t be able to hold on long enough to make the return trip.

But…..even if he couldn’t go back to look for the meat, there was fresher meat right next to him.

His hearing had become exceptionally sharp in the silent passageway. Fang Yang could hear the sound of Cao Zirui breathing, as well as his pulse beating. He seemed to sense the branching blood vessels within the boy’s body, as well as the blood flowing through them.

So delicious, so tempting…..

As if possessed, Fang Yang stole a glance at Cao Zirui.

And the instant he turned his head, he met the other boy’s gaze head-on.

The hunger and greed in their eyes was identical, and both of them froze in shock.

In that instant, reason returned to both of them and they whipped their heads away, not daring to look again.

Fang Yang reached up and gave himself a hard slap across the face. What in the world was he thinking, ah!

Cao Zirui coughed uneasily, feeling a pang of dread at the thought that had just crossed his mind.

The lingering fear put both of them on high alert, and they mustered all of their rationality to keep this unbearable hunger in check.

Part of what made someone human was knowing how far was too far. Even if it was done for the sake of survival, cannibalism was an act that was irreconcilable with commonly accepted morality.

The two continued to walk in silence, their nerves stretched taut, terrified that such a dreadful thought might consume them once more.

But that which was too rigid was easily snapped. The extreme mental tension of their combined hunger and exhaustion left them barely clinging on to their rationality. Sheer force of will was all that was keeping them sane.

A sudden sound came from ahead of them.

It was a skeleton, just like the two they had encountered earlier. This skeleton had both an arm and a leg clutched in its hands, and was just about to feast when it caught sight of Fang Yang and Cao Zirui.

The two stared into the hollow eye sockets of its skull, then gripped their swords and prepared to fight.

But unexpectedly, the skeleton didn’t attack.

It tilted its head and scrutinized them for a moment. Then, astonishingly, it lifted both the human arm and leg and extended them forward, as if treating them to a meal.

Treating them…..?

Ridiculous! As if they would eat human flesh!

Their taut nerves instantly snapped back. But the savory scent of fresh blood lingered, curling just beneath their noses…..

Their minds turned. Eating the living was wrong, but…..what if they were already dead…..?

Since they were already dead, did they even count as human anymore?

A tiny crack appeared in their sanity. Then, their reasoning crumbled completely.

Before they realized it, the two of them were already in front of the skeleton, each with a severed limb in their hands. Blood dripped from the jagged stumps, and the scent of gore spread through the air.

Delicious and enticing, it was exactly what their aching stomachs needed…..a cure to soothe their pain.

Just as Fang Yang was about to lower his head and bite down, a sharp pang shot through his chest.

Far more intense than his hunger, it felt like flames scorching his chest cavity.

At once, he regained a measure of clarity. He lowered his gaze toward his hands, and only then realized what he was just about to do.

A dense layer of cold sweat appeared on his back as he realized that this was a trap.

An extremely cunning trap.

Generally speaking, eating the flesh of the living was just as unacceptable as eating the flesh of the dead.

But in the grand scheme of things, the former was still more serious.

When confronted with two grave matters, people would normally go for what seemed to be the lesser evil, inadvertently overlooking the fundamental truth that both were equally terrible.

With their nerves already stretched to the breaking point by their cannibalistic thoughts, their bodies and minds had reached their absolute limit. Such a state was unsustainable, and they desperately needed relief.

And just like that, the opportunity presented itself.

After all, compared to eating the flesh of the living, eating the flesh of the dead seemed far more acceptable.

This lowered their guard, and their rationality left them completely.

But now that he was back in his right mind, Fang Yang came to realize that whether the human flesh they consumed was living or dead, they would be crossing a line that should never be crossed.

And once they crossed that line…..there was really no turning back…..

He suddenly flung aside the severed limb in his hand, then snatched the one from Cao Zirui and threw it directly at the skeleton. Caught completely off guard, the skeleton tumbled to the ground.

“Let’s go!” Fang Yang grabbed Cao Zirui, turned on his heel, and ran.

He didn’t know where they could go. All he knew was that they couldn’t stay here any longer.

He was in his right mind now, but there was no telling how long that would last.

If things continued like this, he would transform into a man-eating demon. Even if his appearance remained indistinguishable from other people, he could no longer be called human.

The passageway was long and lightless. They had dropped the luminous pearl just moments before approaching the skeleton, when their reasoning left them completely.

Now, he dragged Cao Zirui as he rushed headlong through the darkness, with no idea what may lie ahead.

Yet in that darkness, he once again saw a faint glimmer of light.

It was extremely faint, but impossible to ignore.

It came from his chest. From the exact spot where the sharp pain had just shot through him.

That was…..Fang Yang took out the bamboo slip hanging around his neck. This was the thing that allowed him to speak with the Mysterious Big Brother…..no, with Yinglong. A bamboo slip that allowed him to speak with Yinglong.

Although his feelings toward Yinglong were complex, and he was unsure whether this god was ultimately good or evil, he hadn’t been able to bring himself to throw the bamboo slip away. If Yinlong spoke to him again, he wanted to ask him to clarify the truth of that event one hundred years ago.

But after the battle at Lingxiao Sword Sect, Yinglong never contacted him again.

Fang Yang assumed that the other party had lost interest in him. After all, he was just mortal with mediocre cultivation. Perhaps Yinglong’s use of the bamboo slip to communicate with him had simply been to use his status as a disciple of Lingxiao Sword Sect for his own ends.

It was natural for Fang Yang to think this way. Yinglong had always been notoriously brutal, and wasn’t the sort of person who would do good deeds without expecting something in return.

But now, just as Fang Yang was on the verge of descending onto the ghostly path, this bamboo slip had given him a warning. This made it clear that whatever Yinglong’s motive may have been in giving him the bamboo slip, this object was meant to protect him.

Fang Yang’s eyes suddenly grew a little misty, and he rubbed them with his free hand. In such hopeless darkness, knowing that there had always been someone protecting him, even from afar, was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

He opened his palm and saw that the glow was coming from an array carved into the bamboo slip. Fang Yang didn’t know exactly what sort of array it was, but he felt the bamboo slip exerting force in a certain direction, as if it was pointing the way.

Without any caution at all, Fang Yang ran headlong in the direction indicated by the bamboo slip. Light appeared before his eyes once again, yet unlike the faint glow emanating from the bamboo slip, this searing white light was so intense that it stung his eyes.

He couldn’t see in the dark, yet he also couldn’t see in such blinding light. Fang Yang tightened his grip on Cao Zirui’s hand and closed his eyes. Then he rushed into the light without delay, and both of their figures were swallowed up by it.

He seemed to step over something, and a moment later, the dull thud of a stone door closing echoed from behind him.

Fang Yang came to a halt.

He opened his eyes again, and what lay before him was a massive hexagonal platform with bright candles lit along every side, providing plenty of light.

And in addition to the candlelight, at all six of the corners stood a door three meters high with a massive plaque hung above each of them.

Fang Yang turned to look back in the direction he had come from. The stone door behind him was tightly shut, as if it had only opened for an instant when they rushed inside.

And inscribed on the plaque were two words – “Human Path.”

This is one of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, Fang Yang thought to himself. The Six Paths…..must correspond to the six doors here.

He glanced to his left, and sure enough, the words “Heavenly Path” were inscribed above the nearest stone door.

Just as he was about to turn his attention to the next one, the “Heavenly Path” door suddenly opened and a figure came rushing through it.

It was Hao Chen, who had been separated from them before.

Hao Chen appeared somewhat disheveled. His clothes were rumpled, his hair was a tangled mess, and his face was flushed, though it was unclear if this was from running or some other reason.

He came to a halt just inside, and as the door closed behind him, he noticed Fang Yang staring blankly at him close by.

With a swish, he snapped his fan open. In an attempt to salvage his dignity, he struck a dashing pose and flashed Fang Yang his usual smile.

But Fang Yang had clearly seen the look of shame and anger on his face just as he dashed through the stone door. It was unclear exactly what Hao Chen had experienced within the Heavenly Path, but Fang Yang wisely refrained from commenting.

“What…..what’s going on?” Cao Zirui finally snapped out of his daze.

He gazed around in bewilderment.

His memory seemed to be a blank slate after encountering that final skeleton, and when he finally came to his senses, he was in a brand new location.

He belatedly reached down to touch his stomach. That unbearable hunger seemed to have vanished, but in its place was a swelling sensation of spiritual power, the result of having consumed too many pills at once without digesting them.

Fang Yang recounted his guess to Cao Zirui, that everything they had encountered was likely a trap to lure them onto the ghostly path.

They hadn’t actually lingered in that passageway called the “Human Path” for very long. A mere shichen or two had passed at most, but to their senses, it felt like they had been there for an eternity. And that hunger hadn’t been real either. It had all been an illusion.

Thus, once they left that place, their hunger vanished entirely. The craving for flesh and blood was gone, leaving no trace behind.

Upon hearing that he had nearly eaten the remains of some unknown person, Cao Zirui couldn’t stop retching.

Everything had returned to normal, including his reaction to severed limbs.

Meanwhile, Hao Chen appeared to be deep in thought as he listened to Fang Yang recount their experience. Everything Fang Yang and his companion had gone through was designed to lure them onto the ghostly path. And as for his own experience, those sixteen howling skeletons hadn’t been particularly difficult to deal with. They were nothing but minions. The tricky part was what occurred next…..ahem. Thinking back, Hao Chen felt his face start to flush again.

And then came a surge of furious indignation. That imposter had been toying with him. Knowing that Hao Chen was a true god of the Heavenly Realm and impervious to manipulation, he had never considered using the same tactics against him as he had against Fang Yang and his companion. Instead, he had conjured up a series of charming, beguiling illusions right before Hao Chen’s eyes.

How could he, the dignified Lord of the North Sea who stood guard over an entire realm, possibly be enthralled by such illusions?

Of course…..he had nearly been enthralled.

Hao Chen fanned himself a little faster to get rid of the lingering heat.

After taking a moment to catch their breath, the three of them finally gathered together to analyze the situation.

“What is this place? Where is Shixiong? What should we do?” Fang Yang summarized their situation into three key points.

But both Hao Chen and Cao Zirui remained silent, unable to come up with any answers.

“How are these six paths divided?” Fang Yang thought for a moment, attempting to sift through the various clues. “We entered the Human Path, but if that’s just because we’re human, then why did Hao-dage enter the Heavenly Path?”

He couldn’t figure out the division of the six paths, and his brow furrowed as he wracked his brains.

In the meantime, Hao Chen gave his fan a few nervous waves. Fang Yang had actually guessed correctly. These six paths were indeed likely determined by each person’s identity.

But Feng Ye was a god as well, so why hadn’t he walked the Heavenly Path beside Hao Chen?

With this thought in mind, Hao Chen swept his gaze across the four remaining doors. But before he could determine which door Feng Ye was likely behind, the sound of a stone door opening rang out once again.

The three of them simultaneously looked in that direction. This time, the door that opened was…..

One of the Three Evil Paths, the Hungry Ghost Path.

A human-like form emerged from the door.

And it was only human-like because this figure…..wasn’t quite like a normal human.

He had two heads, and his torso was broader than that of a normal human, yet he only possessed a single pair of arms and legs. With such bizarre proportions, it was almost as if…..two people had been severed in half, and then had one of their halves glued to the other.

Once the stone door fully closed, the figure stepped into the candlelight, and the three of them were finally able to see its true form.

The previous metaphor was no mere metaphor. They really were two people…..two people who had been cut in half and then pieced together.

It was the two mountain bandits, Wang Wu and Zhao Yi.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui simultaneously thought of the severed arms and legs they had encountered along the way. Sure enough, they must have belonged to these two mountain bandits.

It was unknown how they had ended up in such a state, but surprisingly, there was little sign of pain on their faces. On the contrary, when they caught sight of Fang Yang and his companions, they wore expressions of wild joy.

And accompanying that joy was a look of greed.

On the Path of Hungry Ghosts, “hunger” didn’t just refer to physical hunger, but to greed in all of its forms.

The two of them had been living humans not long ago, but even in life, their actions were no different than those of hungry ghosts.

Having ended up in such a ghostly state now…..perhaps this was simply a case of evil getting what was coming to it.

The three people remained silent, and it was the two-headed creature who spoke first, with Zhao Yi taking the lead in greeting their old acquaintances: “I never expected that you would be our opponents. Perfect, now we can settle our old scores while we’re at it!”

His words contained an undertone of grinding teeth.

And unlike the other three, who were still completely lost, they seemed to know exactly what this place was.

Hao Chen probed for information: “Opponents?”

“Haha, you still don’t know what this place is, do you?” Wang Wu spoke up with mocking pity. “This is the Eight Ghost Illusion Array, a method for refining ghosts!”

“A ghost-refining array?” Fang Yang exchanged a glance with Cao Zirui, still completely baffled.

“All who enter this array are evil spirits. This place…..” Wang Wu stomped the foot on his side of the body. “…..is the decisive battlefield where ghosts fight.”

“Only the ultimate victor may step forward to reclaim their freedom. The rest are destined to be devoured by the winner.” At this point, Wang Wu couldn’t help but lick his lips. His eyes fixed on Fang Yang and the others with insatiable hunger.

“Wait, everyone who enters the array is an evil spirit?” Instead of clearing things up for Fang Yang and the others, Wang Wu’s words only left them more confused.

They were clearly still human beings. How could they be evil spirits?

“Idiot!” Zhao Yi spat.

Wang Wu shook his head with a sigh. With apparent goodwill, he pointed behind the trio and signaled for them to look back.

The three of them turned their heads in unison, only to find that the plaques reading “Human Path” and “Heavenly Path” had changed.

They then looked toward the other plaques in turn. Whereas they had previously named each of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, each inscription had now transformed into a uniform pair of characters.

Ghostly Path.

“Heavenly ghosts, human ghosts, hungry ghosts….the moment you emerged from the Six Paths of Reincarnation Array, you were already ghosts!” Wang Wu roared with laughter, and revealed the truth with a savage expression: 

“The Six Paths…..are all the Ghostly Path!”

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The Author Has Something to Say: As for what Hao Chen saw in this chapter, well, it’s R-rated. You’ll just have to use your imagination.

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Chapter 105 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 107

Ch 35 – Nothing Bad Can Happen To Him

Yu Xi had discovered a peculiar pattern: whenever he resolved the minor issues that arose between him and Kersz, he would always experience a surge of profound relief.

After having a good cry, Kersz had clearly begun to experience a certain emotion known as “embarrassment.”

Especially since Tau and Xiao Konglong were standing right there watching at the time.

Even once his tears stopped, Kersz still showed no desire to leave Yu Xi’s embrace, nor did Yu Xi speak a word to stop him. He simply continued to gently run a hand over his back.

Kersz savored the robot’s embrace, closing his eyes to immerse himself in it even more deeply.

And as he immersed himself deeper and deeper, he eventually fell asleep.

Everything that happened next could only be recounted through hearsay.

According to Tau, Yu Xi sat right where he was and held Kersz for quite some time. Then, right in front of Tau, he leaned in and kissed Kersz on the lips before walking around the room with Kersz in his arms.

There were only the three of them at home, plus Xiao Konglong, and it was difficult to tell what Yu Xi was actually doing as he walked around.

Tau felt that Yu Xi’s behavior contained an element of showing off, just like Tau sometimes liked to carry Xiao Konglong around to show him off.

Kersz then retorted that this couldn’t have happened. He was highly perceptive, and would have noticed Yu Xi moving him around.

“I don’t get it either.” Tau also found it quite baffling. He knew that Kersz was perceptive, and even suspected at one point that Kersz was feigning sleep to put Yu Xi at ease.

So as Yu Xi carried Kersz around, Tau had stuck to his side to discern if Kersz was merely faking it.

Subsequently, he learned that Kersz was genuinely out like a light.

This had surprised Tau. He didn’t understand how Kersz had fallen asleep: “After all, you’re a short-lived madman. You shouldn’t be so quick to let down your guard.”

“You have a terrible way with words.” Kersz scowled.

“You haven’t exactly been polite to me either.” Tau felt no need to observe courtesy with Kersz. After all, the man wasn’t one to be swayed by that kind of thing anyway.

“Yu Xi’s behavior is rather childish. He clearly hasn’t had many complex or authentic experiences. How in the world did he manage to calm you down?” Tau felt that this was somewhat unreasonable. “Don’t you think his attempt at pacifying you was a little ‘presumptuous?’”

“How did he pacify me?” Kersz didn’t understand.

“He pacified your mood.” Tau assumed that Kersz was trying to dodge the question.

“He let me have a good, long cry,” said Kersz. “What a wealth of experience that must take!”

“Didn’t you need it?” Now Tau didn’t understand.

He felt that this was irrational. Having played a multitude of characters, he was well-versed in the unwritten rules of human communication.

A wealth of experience was always helpful in social interactions. Individuals with such experience were capable of resolving numerous difficulties and offering solutions to the predicaments of those in distress.

Tau believed that Kersz’s current suffering could only be resolved by encountering a highly mature “veteran,” someone who had already walked that path.

Yu Xi had lived a very long life, yet it was abundantly clear that he had merely been a bystander to the lives of others.

How exactly had Yu Xi managed to comfort Kersz?

Kersz found it strange that Tau was agonizing over this question: “What kind of comfort do I need? Could that masterful, seasoned veteran erase my past? Could they bring the dead back to life? Could they wipe my memory and restore my innocence?”

“But he could ease your suffering,” said Tau. “Who knows, he might even help you let go of your hatred and start a new life.”

Yu Xi hadn’t helped Kersz let go of his intense emotions, nor had he resolved his problem.

It remained possible that Kersz would exhibit dangerous behavior in the future.

Kersz actually felt that there was no need to explain so much to Tau, but he was also aware that Tau’s current behavior was somewhat abnormal.

Tau was too proactive. An Illegitimate would never take the initiative to probe into matters outside the scope of their assigned mission, and would typically remain passive.

Kersz looked Tau up and down: “If there was actually someone with experience vast enough to make me temporarily set aside my hatred, what would their motive be for helping me?”

Tau fell silent.

He didn’t ask “why would they need a motive?” Because he knew full well that such interactions often hid another purpose.

Of the two of them, Tau was the one who least believed in the concept of ‘unconditional.’

“A person who has such a wealth of experience, such immense vitality…..for what reason would they go to such lengths for me?” Kersz smiled. “Are they like your father? Would they want to control me, to use me as a weapon?”

Tau said nothing.

“Or maybe they just had a sudden surge of benevolence, and want everyone in the universe to live a good life? If it’s the latter, maybe their goal is to be everyone’s ‘spiritual mom.’” Kersz hadn’t encountered a deity like that. At least, not yet.

Taking in Tau’s expressionless face, Kersz said: “Comforting a nutcase like me doesn’t take a wealth of experience.”

Tau tilted his head.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me and Yu Xi,” Kersz said. “But when the idea of  ‘our future’ crosses my mind, I’m just reminded that here and now, he’s by my side.”

Kersz: “I have parents, or rather, I did at one point. I don’t need someone else to fill the void they left.”

“He likes me, and not in the way a parent does.” Kersz spread his hands. “This is something really precious.”

Tau didn’t consider this precious: “Everyone has someone they like.”

“Hahaha, it’s precisely because it’s something precious that there are so many counterfeits. And because there are so many counterfeits, it seems like something that can be found everywhere.” Kersz felt a persistent prickling sensation, like there was someone behind him.

Turning his head, he spotted a pair of greenish-blue eyes staring at him around the corner.

The light in Yu Xi’s eyes seemed very bright. Almost alarmingly so.

But based on past experience, Yu Xi was likely bashful.

Upon being discovered, Yu Xi neither hid nor ran away.

He hesitated for a moment, and once he sensed that Kersz was indeed no longer embarrassed, he inched his way over step by painstaking step.

“Why are your eyes flickering?” Tau asked Yu Xi.

“Because I’m happy,” said Yu Xi.

Yu Xi felt like an impressive robot. 

He had identified the obstacle, then confronted it head-on, and in the end, he had managed to get Kersz to completely lower his guard while in his presence.

Kersz had fallen asleep.

And now, at this moment, Kersz was even able to confidently tell someone else that he liked him.

Yu Xi came to the realization that he was practically a genius at conveying emotions, and tilted his head higher and higher.

“I’m actually starting to look forward to our next minor conflict,” he told Kersz.

Kersz: ……

There was no need to look forward to it.

Tau was still watching them closely.

Kersz was also observing Tau.

He was very curious as to why Tau was asking him so many questions, much like an interviewer.

Did Tau want someone to comfort him?

But despite his curiosity, Kersz didn’t open his mouth and ask.

When Yu Xi brought Kersz back to their room, Kersze spoke in detail about Tau’s abnormal behavior.

As an Illegitimate, Tau’s current inquisitiveness was a little too intense.

“Is he also longing for a friend?” Yu Xi grew excited.

Kersz: “Uh…..I don’t know.”

“But I can help him!” At this moment, Yu Xi felt as though he was capable of anything. “Don’t you think I’m a healing-type robot?”

“You’re incredibly healing.” Kersz nodded. “But Tau is a bit different from me. You can’t use the same approach to solve his problems.”

Kersz rather liked Yu Xi’s current air of proud self-assurance, but worried that he might hit a wall with Tau.

“I wouldn’t use the same approach. You’re my most important friend. I certainly wouldn’t touch and feel him everywhere.” Yu Xi patted Kersz on the shoulder.

Kersz: …..

Come to think of it, ordinary friends wouldn’t touch each other the way they did.

“What I mean is that what he says might not be very pleasant to hear.” Kersz wasn’t entirely keen on letting Yu Xi heal Tau.

He felt that Tau would upset Yu Xi, but Yu Xi was very confident.

Upon learning that Tau might be waiting for his own “great hero,” Yu Xi made an inventory of his strengths. Then, with a sweeping gesture, he instructed Kersz to await the good news.

Yu Xi had actually spoken privately with Tau on numerous occasions, though more often than not, he had to resort to the line “you wouldn’t want your father to be captured and used as a breeding stud, would you?” in order to forcibly elicit a response from him.

However, since Yu Xi had chosen to be accommodating this time, he certainly couldn’t use threatening words like those.

After spending some time worrying, Kersz reassured himself.

It was just a routine conversation. Tau wasn’t the type to curse anyone out, so there shouldn’t be any major mishaps.

Kersz wanted to sneak over and take a peek at how their conversation was going, but he knew that Yu Xi’s senses were just too sharp. He stood absolutely no chance of observing them in secret.

Fortunately, Yu Xi was quick to return.

Yu Xi pursed his lips and pushed the door open. Upon seeing Kersz, he raised his eyebrows and turned to close the door again.

“How did it go?” Kersz asked.

“P….Pretty good,” Yu Xi answered without turning around.

“Did he say anything nasty to you?” Kersz asked again.

“Nope.” Yu Xi still didn’t turn around.

Kersz: “Yu Xi?”

This time, Yu Xi turned around with tears sliding down his cheeks: “K-Kersz.”

Kersz gasped. He hastened forward to wrap his arms around Yu Xi, patting his back: “What happened? Was he mean to you?”

“N-no.” Yu Xi’s lips trembled. “He ignored me.”

“I said so much.” While in Tau’s room, Yu Xi had shared all the comforting wisdom he possessed, explaining that as a robot who had lived for a very long time, he served as a mirror through which Tau could discover his true self.

Yu Xi wouldn’t criticize any of Tau’s actions. He could rest easy.

But Tau had ignored Yu Xi, continuing to tinker with a homemade cabbage.

Yu Xi had continued to wrack his brains, spouting lofty principles while pacing back and forth, occasionally giving Tau a pat on the head.

“I kept talking, and he eventually responded…..to say that I’d stepped on his white latex paint.” Yu Xi’s tears fell even harder. “He didn’t listen to a word I was saying.”

Kersz: “….He’s so mean.” Speaking of which, how had Yu Xi’s attempt to comfort Tau suddenly turn into a lecture on lofty principles?

Did Yu Xi not realize that his success in comforting Kersz stemmed from his sincerity, rather than any grand principles?

“Heavens, he’s essentially nothing like a human at all,” Yu Xi choked out.

“He really isn’t.” Kersz felt that in general, Illegitimates didn’t have much humanity about them at all.

“You’re still the best, Kersz.” Yu Xi reached out to caress Kersz’s face, then trailed his hand down his throat and further downward.

“Please don’t say things like that at a time like this.” Kersz felt a strange sense of deja vu. It was as if Yu Xi had gone out in search of a new love interest, only to fail; and looking back, he realized that his old flame back home was still the one who truly appealed to him.

“I don’t want anything to do with him ever again.” Yu Xi’s attempt to sow affection had failed, and suddenly, that affection curdled into resentment. “I want him to realize that I’ll never speak to him again.”

Kersz: “Ah…..”

“By the time he realizes, I will no longer offer him a smile, and what he’ll face will be nothing but an emotionless robot. When that time comes, he’ll have no time for regrets, because it was all his own doing. He was the one who ignored me first.” Yu Xi extended his index finger toward the ceiling, as if making a solemn oath.

Kersz felt a bit like smiling, but he knew he couldn’t.

Because at this moment, Yu Xi truly felt disgraced.

Kersz suggested: “How about this? Instead, we kidnap his father and beat him up right in front of him until he passes out? No, when he passes out, we toss a bucket of water on him and keep beating him once he’s conscious again.”

Yu Xi looked a little stunned.

“Not only do we beat his father, but we beat his little dinosaur as well. Beat the hell out of it right before his eyes.”

“No way, no way.” Yu Xi hurriedly tugged at Kersz’s sleeve. “That’s going too far.”

“I’ll just ignore him.” Yu Xi didn’t want to beat up Xiao Konglong.

“But he himself doesn’t pay much attention to emotions, so he might not even notice that you’re giving him the cold shoulder.” Kersz worried that in the end, it would be Yu Xi who ended up hurt again.

“If he doesn’t notice, that just proves that he’s a cold, heartless, unreasonable person!” Yu Xi clenched his fists.

And then?

What consequences would this ‘cold, heartless, and unreasonable’ behavior bring upon Tau?

Judging by Yu Xi’s reaction, it seemed there would be no consequences whatsoever, just a verbal reprimand.

Having made up his mind, Yu Xi began to put his ‘cold shoulder’ plan into action.

Not only did he ignore Tau, but whenever Tau was present, Yu Xi would raise the volume of his voice when speaking with Kersz. He wouldn’t even let the conversation end. Even when there was nothing left to say, Yu Xi would still scramble to find something to talk about.

He wanted Tau to know that he was deliberately ignoring him.

Early the next morning, Tau began to actively seek out Yu Xi.

“How do you think I did with this chicken leg?” Tau asked, holding the chicken leg he had constructed himself.

Yu Xi pretended not to see him, and continued to talk to Kersz: “We had such a fun time last night, didn’t we?”

Hadn’t Yu Xi been explaining his grand “cold shoulder” plan last night?

They hadn’t done anything fun at all. In fact, Kersz had originally intended to investigate just how many spatial folding devices Yu Xi had on his person, but as Yu Xi chattered on with the firm resolve to make Tau ‘regret it,’ he eventually drifted off to sleep.

“Yeah, it was lots of fun.” Kersz played along.

“I also made a fish,” Tau chimed in again.

Kersz fell silent and looked at Tau.

Why is ignoring you actually working?!

Wasn’t this just one of Yu Xi’s childish little whims? How had this Illegitimate realized that Yu Xi was ignoring him?

It would be one thing if noticing it was all he did, but he was repeatedly trying to initiate conversation in such an awkward, stiff manner.

Yu Xi shifted his gaze away from Tau once again.

“I also made a tomato.” Tau brought out another food item.

Yu Xi still paid him no attention.

Holding his three food items, Tau seemed somewhat at a loss.

So was this the extent of his conversational skills?

Kersz was astonished. Couldn’t Tau just think back to the previous roles he’d played and strike up a conversation more tactfully?

Tau’s mind disconnected for a moment, and then he cut straight to the point: “You’re angry.”

Yu Xi still didn’t speak.

“If you’re so angry, why don’t you just kidnap my father and bring him here as a breeding stud?” Tau asked with genuine emotion.

Kersz: “Huh?”

Yu Xi: “Ah?”

Did Tau know what he was asking?

Was the Supreme Governor aware of what his Illegitimate was asking?

“You were angry when you left my room yesterday,” said Tau. “And I’m the one who made you angry. At this point, to keep me in line, you should kidnap my father and make him a stud.”

“You’re capable of it. You even managed to snatch the Facai system., so why haven’t you?” Tau didn’t understand.

Kersz: “It’s a pity that I don’t have a close relationship with your father, otherwise I’d have recorded what you just said and sent it to him.”

“Do you hate your father that much?” Yu Xi was considerably shocked, and immediately forgot about his cold shoulder plan. “You actually want to make him a prisoner using such a roundabout method?”

“I don’t hate him. I just don’t understand why you’re not using him to blackmail me.” Tau felt that he still held his father in high esteem. “I didn’t give you a chance to become my ‘savior.’”

“What do you mean by ‘savior?’” Kersz asked.

“You kept preaching those obvious platitudes to me, truths that everyone understands, in an attempt to make me open up and become a normal person. Aren’t you really just trying to play the savior?”

“You want the thrill of changing my life, of me viewing you as my salvation.” Tau’s tone held little inflection.

Yu Xi: “I’m a healing-type robot.”

“Did you suddenly turn into a ‘healing type’ after your relationship with Kersz improved?” Tau asked.

Yu Xi glanced at Kersz, falling deep into thought.

He felt that his thoughts had been laid bare, but this seemed illogical: “Are you Illegitimates really so sensitive to these types of emotions?”

“I’m not a fool.” Tau had watched Yu Xi comfort Kersz, and Yu Xi hadn’t been nearly as composed back then.

It was clear that he was merely comforting himself, the truth being that Yu Xi had found a sense of self-confidence through his emotional interaction with Kersz, and dropped in on Tau to show off his progress.

Yu Xi: …..

Yu Xi pursed his lips. He had still been angry just moments before, but now a trace of guilt crept in.

Humans were still too terrifying.

“So why haven’t you done anything to me?” asked Tau. “I spoiled your fun and made you lose face. Aren’t you furious?”

Yu Xi immediately hid behind Kersz, ducking his head as he admitted: “I got defensive out of embarrassment.”

Tau: “So have you already kidnapped my father?”

“No.”

Tau: “Don’t tell me you took my Xiao Konglong?!”

“Also no.”

Tau didn’t understand: “Then what did you do?”

“I came up with a plan to completely ignore you.” Yu Xi extended a trembling hand toward Kersz, who reached out and grabbed it.

Feeling as if he had regained some strength, Yu Xi mustered his courage and continued: “I….I wanted to make you sad, to make you feel that you had lost a healing-type robot as a friend forever.”

Tau considered this for a moment, then said: “That doesn’t seem like much of a loss.”

“Kersz!!” Yu Xi retreated to Kersz’s side. “Too cruel….this Illegitimate is absolutely heartless. Next time, don’t pick up such a human!”

“I just mean that it won’t cause me any substantial loss,” Tau corrected.

Yu Xi gasped sharply.

Kersz couldn’t take it anymore: “Can you stop attacking the robot?”

Tau: “What I mean is…..”

“No need to rub it in anymore!” Yu Xi straightened abruptly. “I’m not healing you!” 

Then he turned and ran straight for the bedroom, leaving Kersz and Tau to exchange a bewildered glance.

“I was going to say that I never had a ‘healing type’ robot friend to begin with…..” Tau hadn’t finished speaking when Yu Xi, who had just ran to the bedroom, rushed back out again.

Yu Xi hauled Kersz up off the sofa, even reaching out to brush some non-existent dust from his body before wrapping his arms around him and towing him back to their room.

Tau reached out a hand, his lips parting.

But Yu Xi’s door had already closed once again.

It seemed he had offended Yu Xi even more deeply. By now, he must be absolutely seething with humiliated rage.

He had still ended up ruining his father.

Tau sighed and went to prepare some toiletries for the Supreme Governor.

Even after completing his preparations, Tau received no word of the Supreme Governor’s capture, and waited alone for a long time thereafter.

He even managed to convey a message to the Supreme Governor right under Yu Xi’s nose.

[Father, have you been captured?]

[Have you been caught yet?]

[Father, would you like any antiques displayed in your prison cell?]

[I’ve prepared a golden cup for you.]

[How have you not been caught yet?]

[Have you been kidnapped now?]

The Supreme Governor: ?

Why was 152 in such a rush? Why did he seem so eager?

He must have offended 152 at some point in the past.

*

*

Tau didn’t wait for the Supreme Governor to arrive. After a while, he went to knock on Yu Xi’s door.

It remained closed at first, but after he knocked many times, it finally opened.

But it was Kersz who opened the door. Tau tried to peer into the room, but Kersz blocked his view.

Tau asked: “Did Yu Xi go to capture my father?”

“That’s enough out of you! Yu Xi won’t fall for your provocation and kidnap your father just so you can reunite with him!” Kersz scowled.

Tau: “I don’t want to reunite with my father.” He simply couldn’t understand why Yu Xi hadn’t given him any sort of actual punishment.

In fact, Tau was capable of playing the role of someone who needed saving, and had indeed taken on such a role before.

But yesterday, he uncharacteristically chose not to cooperate.

It wasn’t until this morning that he began to worry that his father might come to harm due to his willfulness.

But his father was unharmed, and so was Xiao Konglong.

This reality once again sent Tau into a panic.

Tau was completely unable to accept anything happening to his Xiao Konglong.

But why was his father still unscathed?

It wasn’t like he wanted anything to happen to him.

But how was he still safe?

This was simply too strange.

---

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Chapter 34 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 36

Bai Lihong possessed two major businesses on Splendid Plaza in the Western Market, namely the Hundred Treasure House, which sold ice, tinderboxes, and fine salt, and Tianyuan Tower.

After the New Year, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao ordered people to thoroughly clean and refurbish Tianyuan Tower, specifically so that they could use the establishment to welcome the students who would be arriving in the capital and provide them with accommodations.

In order to provide them with the best experience, all one hundred deluxe rooms and one hundred standard rooms in the building were meticulously cleaned. The bedding was all replaced, and the tables, chairs, doors, and windows in the deluxe rooms were newly installed.

The tables and chairs in the lobby were given new tablecloths and cushions, and the already exceptionally clean kitchen was scrubbed to within an inch of its life.

Once everything was in order, Qin Xiao sent more than a dozen Imperial chefs from the palace, led by Matron Zhong, to take charge of the cooking.

Furthermore, Qin Chaoyang was appointed as the “Chief Examiner,” and would be working alongside Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan to handle all matters within the examination hall.

Chu Jiubian had Bai Lihong personally write the characters for “Clear Sky Tower,” which was then made into a gilded plaque and set in place of the previous “Tianyuan Tower” sign.^[1]

Every emperor from Chengzong to Yingzong had renamed this building at some point, so there was no talk when Bai Lihong made this change.

However, those with discerning minds understood the meaning of the characters 青云, which in addition to meaning “clear sky,” also represented the earnest hopes placed on those students coming to the capital and wished them a rapid rise to prominence.

Many people couldn’t understand why Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had chosen to arrange for the students to stay in such a busy area.

Logically, the noisy and bustling atmosphere of Splendid Plaza would be unfavorable for students who were preparing for the exams.

But Chu Jiubian had chosen this place deliberately.

The last exam consisted of two rounds, one of which tested professional skills.

There were a total of seven subjects. Classical studies students were required to write an essay on the spot about a certain subject, while math students would have to answer several problems posed by Chu Jiubian, and so on. Every student’s professional technical skills would be tested.

In the second round, Chu Jiubian, Qin Xiao, and Bai Lihong would present ten questions for the students to answer orally.

However, none of them would have to answer all of the questions; each person would only have to answer one or two.

These questions, along with the assessment of the students’ professional skills, needed to be addressed based on the actual situation in Great Ning, and required the students to have an understanding of all aspects of the territory.

Most of the students came from county seats and smaller towns and villages, and having witnessed the lives of the common people, even those in poverty, they had a deep understanding of this population.

On their journey to the capital for the Imperial Examinations, each of them had experienced assassination attempts, witnessed the local customs and traditions of the common people along the way, and experienced both the fawning and difficulties that came from those around them in the wake of their success. Having witnessed the vicissitudes of human nature, their mindsets were completely different than they had been initially, and their perspectives and understanding in regard to many subjects had naturally changed as well. 

But this was not enough.

Chu Jiubian also wanted them to live in the most prosperous and bustling part of the city, to witness the lifestyles of the extravagant and pleasure-seeking upper class, and therefore realize the great disparities that existed within Great Ning.

He would not control the movements of these students during their stay in the capital. Whether they chose to attend literary gatherings to meet the renowned scholars and dignitaries here, or to attend banquets with high-ranking officials and experience their flattery and solicitations, it was entirely up to them.

The dazzling splendor of the capital city would surely captivate these students.

However, if they were able to keep their composure under such circumstances and even gain deeper insight from their experiences, then they were the kind of people that Chu Jiubian would prioritize cultivating in the future.

He was confident that these students who had already achieved entrance into the Imperial Academy were no ordinary individuals.

They would undoubtedly deliver excellent results in Fengtian Hall, under the watchful eyes of the officials and vassal kings.

To these powerful figures, and to all the people of the world, they would showcase the brilliance of the students of the Imperial Academy.

In this way, they would make names for themselves.

Then, it would be possible for them to enter officialdom even sooner.

His intentions were not difficult to see. But these noble families, with their perpetual arrogance and contempt for those they viewed as beneath them, simply could not bring themselves to respect these small-town scholars who had previously been completely unknown.

Therefore, they only briefly considered why Chu Jiubian had housed the students in this location, thinking that perhaps he simply wanted to provide these students with more comfortable living conditions, and didn’t dwell on it further.

However, they still held some interest in a few of those students.

Tan Ji and Yan Jinsheng, for example, who had long been renowned scholars.

They were the only two among the great Confucian scholars who had passed the Imperial Examinations, but that didn’t mean that others lacked the necessary education to pass. It was simply due to the fact that the vast majority of these great scholars had either aligned themselves with powerful noble families or had disdained participating in the exams altogether.

Plus, those people were already widely-renowned and had many disciples of their own. It would be excellent if they passed the Imperial Examinations, but completely humiliating if they failed.

Since ancient times, there had been no first place in literature.

No one had ever ranked these scholars and intellectuals, but the Imperial Examinations were a major ranking system that would be known to the entire world.

Those proud and self-important scholars naturally didn’t want to be ranked below anyone.

Therefore, they simply chose not to participate.

When the rankings were announced, neither Tan Ji nor Yan Jinsheng had managed to secure first place in the subject of classical studies. Instead, they were overshadowed by the relatively unknown Lu Yao and Tan Yuzhu – a woman – and many people openly mocked the two scholars.

But the two of them were unbothered, and remained all smiles.

How could they not, when one of them had a daughter who had ranked second in the classics, and the other had a son who ranked first in engineering?

Seeing their children succeed brought them more pride than achieving success themselves.

That being said, despite receiving a substantial amount of ridicule, their positions and standings were undeniable, and many powerful forces wished to recruit them.

Among the four great noble families, the Xiao and Wang families both possessed stronger histories of literary tradition, and therefore extended their offers of friendship quite early on.

Even Huguang-wang, who was known for his appreciation of talents, and Dongjiang-wang, who prided himself on his philandering nature, extended invitations.

Tan Ji and Yan Jinsheng also became the primary targets of attention for all the various forces who wanted to see what choices they would make.

On the 15th day of the second month, a light snow began to fall in the capital, blanketing the branches and treetops and transforming the city into a beautiful snow-covered landscape.

However, perhaps because it was already March according to the lunar calendar, the weather had begun to warm up.

Even though it was snowing, it didn’t feel as cold as it had during the New Year’s festivities.

Splendid Plaza was as busy as ever. People from various factions frequently arrived outside of Clear Sky Tower, either presenting calling cards or delivering invitations.

The students staying in the building often came out in groups of two or three to stroll around various neighborhoods in the capital.

In addition, the Imperial Guard and City Defense Force led by An Wuji increased their patrols, taking special measures to secretly protect these students.

They wouldn’t interfere in normal social interactions between the students and others, but if someone were to attempt to forcibly take a student away, they wouldn’t be given the opportunity to do so.

It was almost noon.

Wang Qichen, the heir of the Wang family, was wearing his signature pink robes and white fox fur cloak. His long, slightly wavy hair cascaded down his shoulders as he stood at the entrance of Clear Sky Tower, holding an umbrella to shield himself from the snow.

From the moment the students had moved into Clear Sky Tower, no one had been allowed to enter the building without authorization.

Wang Qichen was no exception. So he simply stood in the doorway and nodded at the palace servant who came out to receive him, saying with a smile: “Asking Gonggong to summon the two great scholars Tan Ji and Yan Jinsheng for me.”

Both palace servants and eunuchs had been sent to serve in Clear Sky Tower.

The person before Wang Qichen was a eunuch, and he was even one from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs.

This eunuch naturally recognized Wang Qichen. He bowed respectfully but without subservience, saying: “Please wait a moment, Young Master Wang. This servant will fetch the two students at once.”

Chu Jiubian had instructed them that no matter which faction in the capital extended an invitation to the scholars, the relevant authorities must be notified right away.

Whether or not they accepted the invitation was up to the scholars themselves.

Anyone who wished to enter officialdom would have to navigate such matters, and at present, they were simply encountering them a little earlier.

“Thank you for your trouble,” Wang Qichen said with a smile.

In a loft across the way, Wang Wenyao, the second son of Family Head Wang Huanzhi, stood side by side with Deputy Minister of Justice Wang Ruzhen.

Holding hand warmers, they gazed over at the figure standing in front of Clear Sky Tower.

“Even he is going to seek out those great scholars,” Wang Ruzhen said with a smirk.

Wang Wenyao’s eyes were dark and deep as he said softly: “Even the head of the Xiao family lost all face when he came here in person. Those two people clearly have no intention of associating with the noble families, yet my elder brother can’t get that through his head.”

Wang Ruzhen said: “Indeed. However, his activity has increased in recent days, and it is said that the person behind that new paper has already made contact with him.”

A cold, fleeting smile flashed through Wang Wenyao’s eyes: “It seems to me that he’s the one who leaked the information.”

“Oh?” Wang Ruzhen tilted his head. “Does the Young Master know something?”

Wang Wenyao said: “My father has already made contact with the papermaker.”

Wang Ruzhen’s eyes lit up: “Has he said when they will meet?”

He had been present when the new paper was introduced, and had immediately recognized its superior quality.

If the Wang family could reach an agreement with the other party, even aside from the benefits to the family itself, a second-rank official like him in the Imperial Court would also benefit considerably.

It must be said that even though Langya Gold paper was difficult to obtain, he still received a monthly allowance of twenty sheets.

If he were to obtain the Yaotai Green paper at some point, he would be perfectly content with just ten sheets per month, or even five.

Wang Wenyao: “That person has arranged to meet my father tonight. As for the outcome…..”

His voice suddenly faltered, and he lurched forward, gripping the window ledge tightly with both hands as he fixed his gaze intently on something below.

His face was filled with astonishment.

Wang Ruzhen’s heart sank at this sight, and he quickly looked down as well.

The entrance of Clear Sky Tower, which had been deserted just moments before, was now bustling with people.

Three men and one woman emerged from the tower and approached Wang Qichen, and the two parties exchanged greetings.

These four individuals were none other than Tan Ji and Yan Jinsheng, whom various factions had tried to befriend and recruit without success, as well as their children, Tan Yuzhu and Yan Rui.

These four people had arrived in the capital at the end of the first month, and after checking into Clear Sky Tower, they had refused all recruitment offers.

Tan Ji and Yan Jinsheng hardly ever left the building, but their two children would occasionally go out to stroll around and take in the interesting new sights.

But the two children rarely interacted with anyone, and if they did, it was Tan Yuzhu who stepped in to decline any invitations offered to them.

Yan Rui was quite young, and was very dependent upon Tan Yuzhu, who was like an elder sister to him. Therefore, whenever a situation cropped up, he would hide behind her and remain silent.

Yet of all people, these four individuals had gone downstairs to meet with Wang Qichen today.

Even though this person hadn’t sent a formal invitation, and merely had a palace servant deliver a message, these four people still came down.

This was simply unacceptable.

However, something even more unacceptable was yet to come.

After exchanging greetings with Wang Qichen, the four students prepared to go elsewhere to have a more private conversation.

At this moment, two figures dressed in a very different style from what was common in the capital approached from a short distance away, then stopped in front of the group.

Those two were dressed in traditional Nanjiang garb, with silver ornaments, earrings, and chains jingling at their waists as they moved. Their faces were nearly identical, but their heights differed greatly.

The identities of these two individuals were already known to everyone in the capital – they were the prince and princess of Nanjiang-wang’s household.

Situ Zhaoling knew that there were many female candidates among those who had come to the capital for the examinations, and that the majority of them, sixteen in total, were involved in the subjects of needlework and medicine.

Thirteen were female embroiderers, and three were female doctors.

Situ Zhaoling had previously encountered those three female doctors right in her silk shop.

They were all in their early twenties at most, an age at which many women were concerned about their appearances.

Seeing that many of the women and young ladies in the capital were wearing Nanjiang silk, they found the vibrant colors to be particularly beautiful, and went to inquire about the prices. If the prices were reasonable, they intended to buy some silk to make dresses for themselves.

Since they were now students of the Imperial Academy and would be living in the capital from now on, they should naturally dress more respectably.

This mindset actually came about because they were residing in the most affluent part of the city and hadn’t been to the commoners’ district on the eastern side, which gave them the mistaken impression that everyone in the capital was wealthy.

However, they were not very wealthy themselves, and didn’t have much money to spare. They were even saving the funds bestowed upon them by the Imperial Court for future security.

Thus, upon learning how expensive the silk was, they gave up on the idea and prepared to leave.

But Situ Zhaoling happened to be upstairs at the time, and when she heard that students had arrived in the shop, she hurried downstairs.

She called out to the three of them with a smile, then stepped forward to greet them and introduce herself.

All three female doctors came from small towns, and the highest-ranking officials they had met were the county governor and others who had come to deliver the results of the Imperial Examinations.

Therefore, upon seeing a princess of the royal family whom they had only heard of in rumors, they all paled in fear, thinking that they must have accidentally offended her in some way.

They didn’t even consider that the princess might want to befriend them. After all, the status of doctors in this era was not particularly high, and the status of female doctors was even lower.

Everyone said that a woman should devote herself to her husband and children, and that spending their days outside the home, even if they were solely treating female patients, exhibited unruliness that was uncharacteristic of a good woman.

After being the recipients of so many demeaning remarks, they no longer dared to think highly of themselves.

If it weren’t for the Imperial Examinations, which had ignited an unfamiliar fire in their hearts, they might have soon given up practicing medicine and become good women according to societal norms, marrying and raising children.

In particular, the oldest of these three female doctors was already twenty-two years old, an age at which most commoner girls would have long been married. She had delayed for so many years due to her medical studies, and remained unmarried to this day.

However, due to her ability to earn money, her family never kicked her out of the home or even considered marrying her off. Their intention was simply for her to continue supporting her brothers.

But before the New Year, when her family learned that she had shamelessly registered to participate in the Imperial Examinations and thereby compete with men, they felt thoroughly disgraced and severed all ties with her.

As a woman, and given that Great Ning did not allow for female-headed households, she concluded that if she failed the Imperial Examinations, she would give up on practicing medicine and marry a widower.

Fortunately, she persevered with the mindset of “giving it one last shot,” and managed to make it this far.

She knew that her medical skills were subpar, and that she couldn’t compete on the level of qualified doctors.

The only reason she had made it this far was due to the rarity of female doctors. Only these three women had registered under the subject of medicine, which was why all of them were able to enter the Imperial Academy.

She had a low opinion of herself, and after moving into Clear Sky Tower, she became even more aware of the differences between herself and those around her.

In the past few days, there had been a constant stream of people seeking out students of various disciplines. Even many embroidery and silk shops had come looking for needlework students.

But nobody sought the services of these three female doctors.

Therefore, when they were stopped by a noble lady like Situ Zhaoling, none of the three even suspected that she might want to befriend them.

However, to their great surprise, Situ Zhaoling gently comforted them and invited them upstairs to sit down.

The three of them were in a daze, their minds completely blank. They didn’t know how to refuse, and in fact, didn’t dare refuse.

Thus, they followed Situ Zhaoling upstairs.

The princess was younger than all three of them, and possessed a lively and cheerful personality. Not only did she have snacks and tea sent up, but she also kept them engaged in conversation.

The conversation revolved around female doctors and women’s health issues, and she even asked them to take her pulse, as well as those of the seamstresses in the silk shop.

Upon receiving the good news of her excellent health, Situ Zhaoling happily showered them with compliments and promised to give each of them a garment as a consultation fee.

The three of them naturally dared not accept this, but Situ Zhaoling acted decisively and had the seamstresses take their measurements.

Today, Situ Zhaoling had appeared at Clear Sky Tower to bring those three sets of garments, as well as some small and delicate, but not overly-expensive jewelry.

Although she had called it a consultation fee, she was actually concerned for these female doctors and wished to do something nice for them, to at least allow them to feel a touch of kindness and stop being so timid and submissive.

When they encountered Wang Qichen at the building entrance, the eyes of the two children lit up.

But since they were in the presence of outsiders, they pretended not to be familiar with him and suppressed their excitement, offering formal greetings.

Wang Qichen also maintained his smile and returned their greetings in a graceful manner.

They didn’t talk for very long. After exchanging greetings, they made some polite small talk, and Wang Qichen prepared to leave with Tan Ji and the others.

But Situ Zhaoling was unable to hold herself back, and said: “Wait a moment.”

The group stopped in their tracks.

Wang Qichen said gently: “What can we do for the princess?”

“I’d like to ask Student Tan a question.” Situ Zhaoling regarded Tan Yuzhu with bright eyes and asked, “Would you do me the honor of having lunch with me?”

Wang Qichen smiled and turned his face away.

Tan Yuzhu caught a glimpse of this from the corner of her eye, but didn’t know what it meant.

She knew that her father was a subordinate of the Wang family’s heir, but she had never met this person before, and upon seeing him today, found him to be completely different from what she had imagined.

He didn’t fit any of the descriptions her father had used, such as “calm and reserved” or “mature beyond his years.” At most, he might only fit the description of “charming and elegant.”

Due to this, she was unable to make a judgment on the other’s personality and behavior upon their first meeting.

The political landscape in the capital was turbulent, with various forces intertwined in complex patterns, leaving her uncertain as to whether she should go with Situ Zhaoling or not.

But although she was uncertain, her father had a fairly good understanding of Wang Qichen.

Having caught the other’s reaction, he knew that Wang Qichen had no intention of stopping her. So he turned to his daughter and said: “Zhu’er, since the princess has invited you, you should go.”

Tan Yuzhu understood at once.

It seemed that the heir of the Wang family and the Nanjiang princess were on good terms.

So she gave a faint smile and said very softly to Situ Zhaoling: “Then I shall respectfully accept your invitation.”

Situ Zhaoling interacted primarily with other Nanjiang girls, who tended to have very spirited and energetic personalities. There were occasionally some who were more soft-spoken, but that was just surface-level. Once they became familiar with each other, they were all rather bold and unrestrained.

There were naturally a handful of girls she didn’t get along with. Those ones were fake and pretentious, constantly putting on an appearance of victimhood and making other women uncomfortable.

Situ Zhaoling knew that people could be either good or bad, regardless of whether they were male or female.

Therefore, she never bothered to give face to the people she didn’t like.

To be honest, before meeting Tan Yuzhu, she had always thought that women who spoke softly and had such refined manners were all rather pretentious, just like the Wang family.

Hm…..not including Wang Qichen.

But although Tan Yuzhu exhibited these qualities, her presence made one feel very comfortable, and Situ Zhaoling even felt her face flush slightly.

When she spoke again, she unconsciously lowered her voice: “Then please wait a moment, Student Tan. The clothes I promised to make for Miss Bai and the others are finished, so I’ll deliver them first, and then we can go.”

Tan Yuzhu was acquainted with the other students in Clear Sky Tower. Realizing that Situ Zhaoling was referring to the female students in the medical field, she nodded and said with a smile: “Please, Your Highness.”

Situ Zhaoyao also took a second look at this Student Tan. She truly possessed the demeanor of a wealthy noble lady, which contrasted sharply with his sister’s lively personality, but they were both beautiful in their own ways.

He then glanced at the youth who was staring in Tan Yuzhu’s direction and asked: “Are you Student Tan’s little brother?”

Yan Rui was surprised that a dignified prince would choose to speak to him. His face paled, and he quickly bowed before saying: “Yes.”

After saying this, he realized that he shouldn’t so easily speak half-truths to the royal family, and hastily added: “We’re not related, we just treat each other as siblings.”

Situ Zhaoyao was amused: “No need to be so nervous. My sister and I won’t eat you.”

Yan Rui forced a smile, which looked even more unpleasant than if he were to weep.

Seeing this, Tan Yuzhu patted him on the shoulder with a look of helpless amusement on her face.

“Would you like to join us?” Situ Zhaoyao asked Yan Rui. “We can chat while our older sisters are talking.”

Yan Rui instinctively cast another glance toward Tan Yuzhu, and when he saw her nod, a smile immediately appeared on his face. He quickly forced it back down and said to Situ Zhaoyao: “Thank you, Your Highness. I….I…..”

The more nervous he became, the more trouble he had speaking, which in turn elevated his nervousness and caused him to fall into a vicious cycle of awkwardness.

Yan Jinsheng couldn’t help but frown upon seeing his son this way, and anxiety arose in his heart.

His son had been this way since he was very young. He didn’t like to socialize with others, and only wanted to be around Tan Yuzhu. But he was in his teens now, and he couldn’t go on like this forever.

He had brought his son to participate in the Imperial Examinations with him partly due to Wang Qichen’s encouragement, and partly because he felt that the current Imperial Court was worth serving in.

Secondly, he had done so in order for his son to go out into the world, meet more people, and have more opportunities to gain experience.

But seeing him with his face flushed red from stifling his emotions, Yan Jinsheng couldn’t help but feel sorry for him and regret his actions.

Tan Ji understood his concerns, and tugged at his arm, saying: “Let’s go and speak with the Young Master. Zhu’er will do more good here than you will.”

Yan Rui could be very stubborn on occasion. He might not listen to his father, but he would always listen to Tan Yuzhu.

Therefore, Tan Yuzhu’s presence would indeed be more useful.

Yan Jinsheng felt somewhat relieved at this thought, and walked away with Tan Ji and Wang Qichen while casting frequent glances over his shoulder.

Situ Zhaoling handed the garments in her arms over to the three female doctors. They expressed their gratitude profusely, but unlike the first time, they were no longer so fearful and apprehensive. There was even a glimmer of hope in their eyes when they looked at the princess.

Seeing them in such high spirits, Situ Zhaoling was pleased, and turned to ask Tan Yuzhu if it would be alright to bring these female doctors along for the meal.

Tan Yuzhu was naturally fine with this.

Situ Zhaoling then extended the invitation to those three. They had previously discussed standing tall and being independent, just like the women of Nanjiang. 

Therefore, despite being slightly hesitant, they all agreed to go out for a meal together.

After asking the palace servants to help put away their new clothes and accessories, the seven of them then left Clear Sky Tower in a grand procession, leaving behind numerous pairs of watchful eyes.

Wang Ruzhen and Wang Wenyao stood upstairs with displeased expressions on their faces. Especially Wang Wenyao.

“He’s just using the Wang family name,” Wang Wenyao said in a low voice.

The Wang family had a long tradition of scholarship, so these esteemed scholars would naturally be willing to give them face.

Had it been Wang Wenyao who had personally invited Tan Ji and Yan Jinsheng out today, those two would have presumably given him face as well.

Wang Wenyao regretted that he had only extended invitations through messengers instead of going in person, all for the sake of saving face. However, he was unwilling to admit that Wang Qichen was more daring and capable than himself.

Wang Ruzhen, however, saw things much more clearly, and declined to offer a response.

In his opinion, these two renowned scholars must have had prior contact with Wang Qichen. The Wang family’s influence had nothing to do with it. Wang Qichen was relying solely on his own reputation.

This young master’s abilities were becoming increasingly unfathomable.

A sense of unease came over Wang Ruzhen. Could the rumors that Wang Qichen had made contact with the papermaker be true?

If the papermaker was comparing prices in order to get the best deal, it was possible that he had contacted Wang Qichen and Family Head Wang Huanzhi simultaneously.

Unaware of the other party’s thoughts, Wang Qichen simply found a restaurant and had a conversation with these renowned scholars he hadn’t had contact with in a long time.

The Situ siblings were also enjoying a pleasant conversation with the Imperial Academy students.

Situ Zhaoyao had initially just found Yan Rui’s personality somewhat amusing, but unexpectedly, he was the first-place scorer in the subject of engineering, and possessed considerable talent and achievements when it came to invention and innovation!

This perfectly matched Situ Zhaoyao’s interests.

When Yan Rui learned that this prince was also an inventor, his eyes immediately lit up, and he no longer felt nervous when speaking. In fact, he actually became quite the chatterbox.

This was Situ Zhaoyao’s first time encountering someone who could keep up with him on such topics, and it excited him greatly.

The two boys talked so extensively that they completely lost track of both time and their surroundings, and by the end, they were practically ready to swear an oath of brotherhood.

Meanwhile, Lu Yao had received an invitation from the Lu family.

“Will you go?” Qin Chuan asked him.

Lu Yao thought for a moment, then said: “I will.”

Although he had resolved to serve Grand Tutor Chu, it wouldn’t hurt to visit the Lu family and sound out their intentions.

Qin Chuan was of the same opinion, and felt that he should accompany him.

If Lu Yao wasn’t able to understand all of the subtle nuances of the interaction, Qin Chuan would be there to listen too.

Besides, opportunities to enter the inner circle of a powerful family were rare, particularly when it came to the Lu family.

The Lu family was very likely connected to the deaths of his parents!

A shadow of unease flickered in Qin Chuan’s eyes, and Lu Yao glanced over at him.

*

*

Inside the palace.

After lunch and some light exercise, Bai Lihong went to take a nap.

Chu Jiubian wanted to continue reviewing memorials, but Qin Xiao said: “My wound is itching a little. Could you take a look at it?”

“Itching?” Chu Jiubian said with a frown. “Then it should be almost healed.”

Qin Xiao added: “It also hurts a little.”

Chu Jiubian fixed him with a narrow-eyed look: “How can you lie with a perfectly straight face?”

People usually blinked or touched their noses when they lied, showing some sign of their guilt and nervousness.

Qin Xiao, on the other hand, didn’t react whatsoever.

Qin Xiao just smiled: “Because I’m not lying, ah.”

“……” Chu Jiubian turned around and walked away.

Qin Xiao quickly followed him, tilting his head to take in his expression: “You’re not going to look at it?”

Chu Jiubian’s eyelid twitched: “What is there for me to look at?”

Qin Xiao smiled and said nothing.

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[1] Tianyuan (天元) implies top-tier quality, or something like “Heavenly Cuisine.” ⮐

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Chapter 79 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 81

Ch 34 – Cry if You Want To

Kersz didn’t understand why Facai was being used by the Interstellar Alliance, so Yu Xi agreed to help him make some inquiries.

However, Yu Xi’s next question left Kersz somewhat bewildered: “Why shouldn’t he be used by the Interstellar Alliance?”

Then Kersz saw Yu Xi’s pupils dilate and contract, as if he had realized something: “Oh, oh! That’s right, the Interstellar Alliance is no good.”

This didn’t seem to be a conclusion Yu Xi had come to himself. It was more like he knew that Kersz cared about this, and since he cared about Kersz, he drew a conclusion based on Kersz’s preferences.

Kersz seemed somewhat disappointed when he realized this.

Yu Xi feared that Kersz would think he was too cold and indifferent, since Kersz still vehemently condemned those in power. 

“Could you….tell me what you really think?” Kersz asked him.

Sure enough, Kersz saw right through him. Yu Xi felt that he ought to appear more righteously indignant, but when he caught the faint glimmer of anticipation in Kersz’s eyes, he found himself unable to decieve him with placating words.

Yu Xi clenched his fists and sat down on the sofa, looking somewhat dejected.

As Tau walked by carrying the little dinosaur, Yu Xi said: “You should know that I never integrated into human society.”

Tau glanced at Yu Xi and Kersz.

“This means I’ve never been exploited by humans, nor been hurt by them,” Yu Xi said softly. “So I may not be able to truly understand that kind of pain.”

As Yu Xi spoke, he observed Kersz’s expression, worried that his indifference would disappoint his good friend.

“As far as I’m concerned, all of this was inevitable,” said Yu Xi. “Facai isn’t helping anyone in particular. He just acts as a weapon for whoever comes along.”

Kersz: “But he’ll kill a lot of people by doing that.”

Yu Xi nodded: “Yes, yes, that dog is truly rotten.”

Kersz: …..

Kersz didn’t reply.

Yu Xi asked with some concern: “Are you angry?”

“No.” Kersz gave him a smile.

Yu Xi sensed that something wasn’t right. Kersz must be angry: “I don’t think like that big white dog. I would never do such a thing.”

“I know.” Kersz continued to smile at Yu Xi.

“T-then shall I go ask Facai his reasons for doing this?” Yu Xi cautiously gestured toward the control system.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Kersz said with a smile.

Yu Xi swiftly withdrew his hand, his eyes widening.

Kersz said with a hint of helplessness: “Did I scare you?”

Yu Xi pursed his lips and shook his head. Then he smiled at Kersz and finally closed his eyes, using Facai’s trail to track his whereabouts.

He asked Facai on Kersz’s behalf, and the answer he received didn’t surprise him.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Facai asked in puzzlement. “It’s not like I approached these humans. They want a weapon, and I’m here waiting for something. Of course I can cooperate with them.”

“But they’re the bad guys,” said Yu Xi.

Facai was astonished: “Did those words just come out of your mouth?”

“What’s wrong?” Yu Xi asked in confusion.

“Nothing. It’s just that back in the day, you got along quite well with those big villains among us beastfolk. While you weren’t particularly close, there was certainly no conflict between you,” Facai said. “What was it you said? Good and bad are relative, and the emergence of such people is inevitable.”

When had Yu Xi become so empathetic?

“Are you the one asking, or are you asking for that human of yours?” Facai grasped the key point.

“He wanted to ask,” said Yu Xi.

“I think you already know the answer, so why did you come all the way here to ask me?” Facai didn’t understand.

Yu Xi was picking at his hands: “I….”

“For the sake of that human? You really care about him,” said Facai.

“I want to know why I met him,” Yu Xi said abruptly.

“Have you always known where my planet was located? His reckless space jump while he was under attack…..did you put the location into his system?” Yu Xi really didn’t believe in such a coincidence.

Facai: …..

If Facai didn’t exist, Yu Xi wouldn’t harbor such suspicions.

“Do you quite like that human?” Facai changed the subject.

“I do.” Yu Xi nodded in agreement. “But the differences between us are so great.”

Yu Xi could sense that Kersz was in pain. 

And Yu Xi was also hurting, because he realized that he might have been ignoring Kersz’s sadness all along.

“A small group of people make the decisions, and a significant portion of humans are having their basic rights violated…..even their lives are being threatened.” Yu Xi had liked humans before, and hadn’t seen anything wrong with this.

It was a very simple truth: for the sake of the overall survival of the race, the interests of a certain segment of the population must inevitably be sacrificed.

That sacrifice was meaningful and valuable, allowing humanity to continue to exist.

Although people often spoke of goodness and kindness, when a crisis struck, they would always abandon one group of people and make the choices that were most beneficial to themselves. 

And the people in power were the least human of them all. They were the spokespeople for different forces, their mouthpieces. The parts that made them human had all been stripped away, like pulling the bones out of a fish.

Yu Xi disliked interacting with such humans, for they possessed not a shred of the candor and charm that Yu Xi cherished.

But their actions were reasonable. Perhaps not correct, but reasonable nonetheless.

“Correctness” was, in fact, a fabricated shield.

Yu Xi disliked those humans, but he had never hated them.

Because they had never infringed upon Yu Xi’s interests.

“I don’t want to appear too heartless,” Yu Xi said, somewhat saddened. “Because he…..”

Because Kersz had truly lost everything in this conflict.

And Yu Xi, who hadn’t lost anything himself, couldn’t just ask Kersz to let it go and tell him that this was all part of the natural order.

…..On what grounds?

On what grounds should the deaths of Kersz’s parents become part of the norm? On what grounds should Kersz be the one being oppressed?

“All of this happened because he was unlucky,” said Facai. “Out of so many people, the bad luck just happened to fall on him.”

“Those people he killed truly deserved to die. That human of yours was harmed by them, so he killed them in retaliation.” Facai tilted his head slightly. “This cycle should come to an end.”

Yu Xi stared at Facai.

“Well, I suppose it won’t come to an end anytime soon,” Facai said, “because he is still consumed by rage. He wants to be an agent of justice, to kill every corrupt figure in power across the entire world.”

“How can you say something like that?” Yu Xi was appalled.

Facai wore no expression on his face.

“This is a tragedy. You shouldn’t treat a tragedy so flippantly,” Yu Xi corrected.

“No, it’s not a tragedy. You only think it is because you know that human and are actually quite fond of him. If not him, it would be somebody else. There are always people who go through what happened to him.”

“There are always lives that, upon witnessing them, leave you marveling. This guy is simply the most unfortunate one of them all.”

“Just like me,” said Facai.

Yu Xi froze.

“You once comforted me too. When I said that I had lost everything, you told me to look at the bigger picture, told me just how insignificant my suffering was amidst the torrent of the times.” Facai stared at Yu Xi. “That I am merely one of millions of unfortunate souls.”

“As it turns out, I’m the most exceptional of all those unfortunate souls.”

“I don’t quite understand. When you comforted me, we had known each other for a very, very long time. But how long have you actually known that human? Why are you so affected by everything he’s gone through?” Facai was truly baffled. “Is it just because he’s human?”

Yu Xi said nothing more to Facai. He blinked his eyes dazedly, then racked his brains to polish Facai’s response before relaying it to Kersz.

“So it’s simply because he doesn’t care?” Kersz understood. “Fair enough. He’s not human, and he’s witnessed so much. To him, the suffering of ordinary people is likely nothing more than a side note.”

Panic fluttered in Yu Xi’s chest when he heard these words: “I-It’s not a side note.”

Kersz looked at him.

Yu Xi clutched his chest. He had never experienced anything like this before. He was terrified of saying the wrong thing, yet felt he couldn’t remain completely silent, because Kersz looked so sad.

Kersz’s heartbeat went completely haywire.

“Did I put you in a difficult position?” Kersz asked Yu Xi.

Yu Xi shook his head.

Kersz patted him on the back. He was still smiling, but judging by the sound of his heartbeat, his emotions were far from calm.

Kersz indeed tried to compose himself, but this time, no matter how hard he tried, he simply could not bring himself under control.

He had no expectations of Facai, because whatever he might once have been, he was now nothing more than a program that had lived far too long. All Kersz wanted was to know whether or not he would need to find a way to dismantle him in the future.

And his answer should make Kersz furious.

He had grown accustomed to the taste of anger and hatred, and ought to be able to adjust quickly enough.

But beneath the anger, another emotion stirred within him. Perhaps it was less intense, but it was like the slow, painful drag of a blunt knife slicing through flesh.

Kersz felt like a complete scoundrel, always pushing his luck. And it wasn’t just that he was insatiable. He was a hypocrite too.

Before, Facai was at least a living creature.

Yu Xi had been a robot from start to finish. Starting as a robot vacuum cleaner, he had gradually evolved into what he was today, and had never been deeply involved in the decision-making of humans.

From beginning to end, his emotions had remained detached from the intense passion of humanity.

To his surprise, Kersz had found himself hoping that Yu Xi would understand his pain.

This was simply putting Yu Xi into an impossible position.

Kersz had been constantly suppressing this ridiculous expectation of his, yet the more Yu Xi appeared to care about his feelings, the more he found himself helpless against his rising hope.

This wasn’t fair to Yu Xi.

Even when dealing with an outsider like Facai, Kersz was able to see the logic behind his actions by examining his background and experiences. He didn’t agree with those actions, but he understood them.

So why was it that when he faced Yu Xi, the logic he took such pride in seemed to leave him?

No, it didn’t leave him.

He was keenly aware of Yu Xi’s evolution and background, and just as aware that it was impossible for Yu Xi to ever truly put himself in Kersz’s shoes.

After all, in Yu Xi’s life, there was nothing that even resembled “parents.”

It was entirely unreasonable to expect a person with a completely different background to fully understand or even empathize with him.

And when it came to putting himself in the shoes of another, had Kersz ever really understood or empathized with that little mouse he once kept? Did he know whether or not that little mouse actually wanted to be kept by him? Was it happy from day to day? Had it ever experienced moments of despair or sadness?

Kersz should have never expected Yu Xi to do something that he himself couldn’t even manage.

Such an expectation was nothing more than cruelty toward the person closest to him.

Kersz’s rationality pulled together countless arguments to persuade himself. Yet when Yu Xi sent him a cautious glance, Kersz still felt a distinct and unreasonable sense of grievance.

And hidden beneath this grievance lay a faint trace of resentment.

His rational mind knew that Yu Xi had been blameless from start to finish, so he tried as hard as he could to suppress these dark emotions, to reassure Yu Xi not to overthink things, as none of this had anything to do with him in the first place.

Yu Xi glanced at Kersz, but gave no response. He just lowered his head again and went back to picking at his hands.

Kersz wasn’t okay. Kersz really wasn’t okay.

Yu Xi desperately wanted to retrieve a portion of his memories. Not much, just enough to give him some idea how to interact with others.

His interactions with others invariably resulted in all sorts of silly mishaps. He had already come to realize just how “different” he was.

But in this context, that “difference” felt particularly unbearable.

Yu Xi desperately wanted to do something, yet there was nothing he could really do.

As always happened when Yu Xi acted timid and reserved like this, he heard Kersz’s heartbeat quicken before slowing down, though not by much.

But on the surface, Kersz showed no emotion whatsoever. He hurled a couple of insults at Facai, then declared that sooner or later, he would destroy the system entirely.

Tau disagreed with Kersz’s approach. Without that formidable weapon, the Interstellar Alliance would become nothing more than a bloody slice of meat, ripe for the taking and destined to be devoured by the other five major alliances.

“The Interstellar Alliance should have vanished a long time ago. It’s nothing more than a bunch of backward nobles gathering together to play make-believe.” Kersz debated the issue with Tau, and his heartbeat seemed to accelerate again as his emotions were stirred up.

Kersz was prepared to vent all of his feelings right here. He knew that Yu Xi could hear his heartbeat, and that he needed to approach him with a calmer, gentler mood.

So for now, he would just vent his anger arguing with Tau.

“The Interstellar Alliance represents humanity’s original glory. Humans in other galaxies have already fallen into chaos. The vast majority of people can’t even sustain a marital relationship and have completely lost the very concept of ‘home!’” Tau began to raise his voice.

The Interstellar Alliance was the faction with the highest ratio of children who had parents. Most other alliances operated by matching genetic profiles; if two people’s genetic vectors aligned, they would simply purchase the other person’s genetic information or negotiate an exchange.

“You make it sound like marriages in the Interstellar Alliance are so incredibly stable. Do married people around here even see each other all that often?” Kersz sneered.

“Oh? Did your parents not spend much time together in the past?” Tau stepped directly on Kersz’s sore spot.

But Kersz paid it no mind. His past was no longer a secret in the interstellar world, and those people, facing their imminent deaths and realizing that begging would be futile, always did everything they could to strike at Kersz’s weaknesses.

“You, an Illegitimate who doesn’t even know who his parents were, are actually arguing with me about the glory of the Interstellar Alliance?” Kersz struck back at Tau’s sore spot.

As they continued to argue, it escalated into shoving, and before long, the two of them came to blows.

“Hey, hey! Stop fighting!” Yu Xi hastened forward and tried to pull the two apart, all while the little dinosaur, Xiao Konglong, scurried around them while crying out for his dad.

At last, Yu Xi forcefully pried them apart. Yet before he could put much distance between them, Tau landed a punch on Kersz, who in turn kicked Tau.

“No fighting!” Yu Xi raised his voice a little louder. “Aren’t you people adults?!”

Xiao Konglong burrowed into Tau’s arms, anxiously tugging at his clothes.

Tau felt a pang of concern. He had initially intended to charge back in and keep fighting Kersz, but now that his child was here, he couldn’t risk Kersz accidentally injuring him.

Kersz ran his tongue over his back molars, now in much better spirits.

He let out a sigh, preparing to soothe Yu Xi, who had been frightened by his erratic behavior.

But then, Yu Xi threw his arms around his neck.

Kersz was stunned: “Y-Yu Xi, aren’t you afraid of this kind of conflict?”

“No.” Yu Xi knelt on the ground, nuzzling the side of Kersz’s face. “I just don’t know what to do.”

“What do you mean?” Kersz asked.

“I don’t know how to comfort you. I don’t know how to let you know that I’m worried about you,” said Yu Xi. “Facai said that bad things happened to him in the past too, and I….!”

“I feel like he’s just a system now, in pain yet numb. I don’t want you to turn out like that.” Yu Xi suspected that the current Kersz and the Facai of the past shared certain commonalities.

Perhaps Facai, too, was searching for an answer, but to this day, he had yet to find it.

“He and I aren’t the same,” said Kersz. “I’m me.”

“I know.” Yu Xi nodded.

“Just the thought that you want to comfort me is enough.” Kersz slowly turned and cupped Yu Xi’s face. “The way I am now has nothing to do with you.”

“Actually, if I hadn’t met you, I would already be dead.” Kersz’s voice softened slightly. “You shouldn’t suffer because of the things those despicable people did. That has nothing to do with you.”

Yu Xi nodded: “I know it has nothing to do with me.”

Kersz’s thumbs brushed against Yu Xi’s temples: “That’s right~ You’re my lifesaver~”

“Meeting you was the luckiest miracle of all,” Kersz continued. “I never thought that one day, there would be someone who cares about me the way you do.”

Yu Xi nodded again and again: “I do care about you.”

Kersz’s voice softened even further: “Thank you.”

“And because I care about you, what those people did seems to involve me too.” Yu Xi abruptly shifted the conversation.

Kersz froze.

“Otherwise, why am I sad?” Yu Xi gestured toward his chest. “Why else would I feel sad because of your pain?”

“I really have nothing to do with all of that.” Yu Xi had been agonizing over this very issue. “But I want it to involve me. I don’t know how to describe it, but…..”

“…..but it involves you,” said Yu Xi.

“If all of that is separate from me, if it has nothing to do with me at all…..does that mean that you also have nothing to do with me?” Yu Xi didn’t like this feeling.

He had always been afraid that Kersz would condemn him, but Yu Xi felt that he had done nothing wrong. That he didn’t deserve to be condemned.

Yet he also feared that Kersz would say nothing at all, that being so good at drawing boundaries, he would once again hide away alone to lick his wounds.

This was too contradictory. Too painful.

In the end, Yu Xi felt that his head was going to start smoking from all the mental turmoil. He felt very helpless, and all he could say was: “Please teach me.”

Kersz froze in place: “Teach you…..what?”

“Teach me how to be good to you.” Yu Xi lowered his head. “I….I’m just a robot. I’m different from you….but I want to be like you.”

Kersz tried to look into Yu Xi’s eyes, but he was still picking at his fingers, staring at his fingertips and refusing to look up: “I want to be good to you, to hold you in my arms while you cry.”

“I don’t want there to be such a sharp line drawn between us.”

Yu Xi wracked his brains, thinking with all his might. He was certain that smoke must be billowing from his ears by now. His energy reserves seemed to be on the verge of burning out completely. “I am so saddened by your pain. You’ve been hurt.”

“I think I’ve been hurt too.”

Having said this, Yu Xi suddenly threw his arms around Kersz’s neck. Caught off guard, Kersz toppled forward directly onto Yu Xi. But he didn’t fall.

Yu Xi held his upper body in a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry,” said Yu Xi. “I didn’t understand you as well as I thought I did.”

There was nothing to apologize for. Yu Xi wasn’t at fault to begin with.

As this thought occurred to Kersz, he felt warmth welling up in his eyes. And to his surprise, tears actually began to fall.

What the hell?! Kersz clearly knew that none of this was Yu Xi’s fault, so why had he started crying the second Yu Xi apologized?

He was acting as if he had been terribly wronged, but the truth was that he hadn’t suffered a single grievance at Yu Xi’s hands.

Fearing that Yu Xi would misunderstand, Kersz said in a rush: “No, you haven’t done anything wrong.” His voice was shaking.

How pathetic.

But Yu Xi replied: “You haven’t either.”

Kersz’s pupils suddenly dilated, and his tears fell even more uncontrollably.

His heartbeat, too, fell into disorder.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, and you didn’t choose to become this way. You had no choice.” Yu Xi made this distinction very clear.

It wasn’t Kersz’s fault that everything spiraled out of control.

He hadn’t done anything to deserve such loss.

Kersz wrapped his arms around Yu Xi, clenching his hands in the fabric over his back.

“You’re not blaming me,” said Yu Xi. “You’re just very sad.” He felt that Kersz was always seeking his opinion.

Yu Xi sensed that Kersz was asking tentatively: May I lay out my pain and sorrow here with you? Will you deny their existence?

Kersz tried to stop crying, but Yu Xi tightened his embrace even more, and he felt his tears threatening to flow of control again.

He felt as if a hidden part of himself had once more been exposed to the light of day.

That fragile, unreasonable version of himself that he had once thought was dead.

Yet here he was, weeping in Yu Xi’s arms.

Why was he crying?

There was no reason.

He was just sad.

Was mere sadness enough to permit him to cry aloud?

That was far too much of a luxury.

---

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Chapter 33 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 35

Ch. 105 – Human Ghost

After a brief moment of weightlessness, Feng Ye felt solid ground under his feet once more. He immediately rolled upon landing, moving clear of his original position.

This dispersed some of the impact of his fall and also let him evade any incoming attacks.

Feng Ye crouched halfway to the ground, holding his breath as he waited.

No attack came, nor was there any sound. It seemed as though nobody else was here. Feng Ye rose to his feet again with Hao Chen’s pearl in his hand, using its light to illuminate his surroundings.

He was still within the underground city. Having just fallen downward, he must have reached an even deeper underground level.

Ahead lay a narrow, cramped passageway just like the one before. After observing his surroundings for a moment and determining that there was no danger, Feng Ye continued forward.

The Grand Array had already been activated. He had recognized one of the arrays within it, but hadn’t had time to identify the others.

This Eight Ghost Illusion Array was for the purpose of refining ghosts, and the eight great ghost generals serving under Western Qiang’s high priest were all products of this very array.

As the name implied, eight ghosts would enter the array and slaughter one another, with the surviving ghost being the strongest and most malevolent of them all.

But those entering the array must be malevolent spirits, and ordinary ghosts would not suffice. They must be spirits of a vicious nature, the kind that actively sought to harm the living.

Then as for the other arrays nested inside the Eight Ghost Illusion Array, they must be arrays capable of transforming anyone who entered it into a ghost.

The links were so intricately intertwined that no matter who entered this Grand Array, even a virtuous soul with boundless compassion, whose hands had never once been stained with blood, would ultimately be transformed into a cannibalistic fiend before they knew it.

But Feng Ye was not entirely clear on how these arrays functioned. While he had heard of the Eight Ghost Illusion Array, this was his first time entering it.

Scattering their party was likely the first step in this array’s operation, and there was no telling what might lay ahead.

Feng Ye decided to take a wait-and-see approach. In order to break the array, he would either have to locate its core or follow the flow of its operation to discover the exit. Of course, this required there to actually be an exit.

Some killing arrays were specifically designed to destroy all those who entered them, and naturally wouldn’t provide a way out.

As for creating an exit through force, although it wasn’t impossible, this force would need to be several times more powerful than the array itself.

Feng Ye was actually capable of such a thing, provided that he was in his true form.

But he was currently just a divine soul attached to a mortal body, and the power in his hands fell short of what he possessed at the peak of his strength.

During the battle at Lingxiao Sword Sect, he had acted while borrowing Fang Yang’s body. Aside from not wanting to invite trouble by exposing himself, there was also the fact that the power he could exert in his current body was limited.

Relatively speaking, the use of the God-Summoning Token as a medium allowed him access to a slightly wider range of powers.

Feng Ye advanced with caution, though he wasn’t particularly worried. Aside from swordsmanship, arrays were arguably his greatest strength. The enemy had chosen to use one against him, but Feng Ye would certainly not be the one to suffer in the end.

He walked at a brisk pace and arrived at the end of the passageway shortly after.

Feng Ye’s way was blocked by a stone wall over three meters high.

He held up the pearl and let it shine against the wall. This wall differed from the walls of the passageway, in that rather than looking like a slab of rock, it seemed more like…..a door?

But how did it open? Holding the pearl, Feng Ye examined it closely.

Suddenly, he noticed a mask situated in the center of the stone door, its face pulled into a distorted grimace.

He had assumed that it was merely ornamental, and only when his hand brushed against it did he realize that it could actually be moved. Feng Ye paused and thought about it for a moment, then removed the mask.

And as he did so, he readied himself to avoid possible traps.

But after removing the mask, there were no traps or triggered mechanisms. Absolutely nothing happened.

There was no sign that the door had shifted. Feng Ye took another close look and found that there was something behind the mask.

It was a sword. The blade was embedded in the wall, with only the hilt exposed.

Stuck right in the center of the stone, it looked somewhat like a key.

As this thought occurred to him, Feng Ye reached out and grasped the hilt of the sword. The blade was stuck fast, and appeared to have been here for so long that it had fused with the door.

But the muscles of Feng Ye’s forearm tensed, and with a sudden, powerful heave, he yanked the blade free. In response, the stone clutching the blade shattered under the force.

Amidst the sound of falling rubble, Feng Ye swung his sword in a horizontal slash through empty air, the blade humming as it followed his movements.

It was indeed a fine sword.

Judging by the sound alone, it’s certainly not a common blade, Feng Ye thought. As he examined the blade’s edge under the pearl’s light, it gleamed with a sharp, piercing brilliance.

This blade, which had been embedded in the stone door for who knew how long, had miraculously escaped the ravages of rust. On the contrary, it remained as pristine as the day it was forged, capable of severing an enemy’s head from his shoulders with a casual stroke.

Having finished his inspection, Feng Ye glanced down at his other hand. Now, with a mask in one hand and a sword in the other, this stone door was still…..

His musings were interrupted when the stone door, which had been still all this time, suddenly shifted.

Vibrations rippled through the ground as an array came to life, along with the sound of the door grinding open.

Feng Ye retreated a few paces and waited until the door was fully open, then glanced inside. It was just as dark as the rest of this place, and he was unable to see a thing.

He listened for a moment longer, but heard no sign of any living thing. Then, he stepped inside.

Feng Ye observed his surroundings as he walked. Unlike the cramped passageways he had walked through earlier, this area was very spacious. It was a massive circular platform large enough to accommodate four or five hundred people, though there was no indication of its purpose. The walls lining the edge of the platform were considerably high, around five or six meters, making it impossible for an ordinary human or beast to leap to the top.

And at a higher level on either side of the circular platform were seats reserved for spectators.

Feng Ye paused in surprise at this sight, then spun around and swept his gaze across his surroundings. At last, he realized what this place was, as well as why the mask and sword had been embedded in the stone door.

This was a beast-fighting arena…..a form of entertainment for the nobility of Western Qiang. Of course, the combatants were not always beasts. There were sometimes ghosts as well, or even…..the living.

And fighting while wearing the grotesque ghost mask had always been a tradition in Western Qiang. It served as both protective gear and as a means to intimidate opponents.

Feng Ye suddenly tightened his grip on the sword. Now that he had entered the arena, he certainly wouldn’t be alone. Then his opponent must be…..

Feng Ye tossed the pearl in his hands up and down a few times, then crouched down slightly and sent the pearl rolling away at a carefully-gauged speed.

The pearl illuminated its path as it rolled long, and Feng Ye’s eyes followed its movement.

The path left in the pearl’s wake remained empty. Feng Ye’s calculation of force was precise, and the pearl should roll just about all the way to the other edge of the platform.

But halfway through its journey, the pearl came to a halt.

It had run into something.

The pearl bounced back slightly from the impact, and its light receded from that object.

Yet due to a gust of cold wind that happened to blow by, the pearl was once again pushed from the back.

Under the influence of the two forces, the pearl rolled back and forth twice before gradually coming to a standstill.

Its position was now just right, allowing Feng Ye to clearly make out the face that flickered in and out of view in the faint light.

Not just a single face, but dozens, hundreds.

All of them hideous and demonic.

And among the multitude of ghosts, Feng Ye spotted a few familiar faces. The Eight Ghost Generals…..

The ghost general masks were just how he remembered them, and even the towering stature of these eight ghosts matched his memories perfectly.

Feng Ye was not short, and was in fact a bit taller than the average person. And by the standards of an adult man, his physique could be described as robust. While he lacked any exaggerated, oversized muscles, when stripped of his clothes, his musculature was clearly visible.

But even so, he appeared somewhat small when standing before these tall, burly ghost generals.

These things that had once stood as a barrier in the hearts of every outsider held captive in Western Qiang were like towering, insurmountable mountains.

These ghost generals felt no pain, nor did they bleed. Mortal weaponry was completely useless against them. Those facing them could do nothing but tremble in fear as they were treated like fish on a chopping block, to be slaughtered at will. There was never any hope of resistance.

Just like the rest of them, Feng Ye too had once gazed up helplessly at these ghost generals.

The scene before him stirred up his memories, and it felt as if history was repeating itself.

The same arena, the same person, and the same ghosts.

However…..

Holding the sword in his right hand, Feng Ye slowly raised the ghost mask with his left, his eyes fixed on the horde of ghosts directly before him. There was no human emotion in the eyes of these malevolent spirits. They were mere weapons that knew nothing but slaughter.

But at this moment, Feng Ye was no different, the warmth of humanity slowly draining from his eyes. As he fitted the ghost mask completely over his face, he became indistinguishable from the multitude of ghosts before him.

Boom!

A heavy drumbeat resounded from above. The deep, resonant sound echoed across the circular platform, jarring the eardrums of the ghosts standing there.

It was the war drum!

The horde of ghosts sprang into action when they heard this sound, charging directly at Feng Ye!

They advanced with overwhelming momentum, like an army of thousands. The sound of their running footsteps even momentarily drowned out the drums.

Yet in the face of this ghostly army, it never occurred to Feng Ye to run. Despite standing alone, he also charged forward, surging ahead even faster than the opposing army.

He was like a moth rushing into the flames, but also like…..a mythical deity, single-handedly charging into battle against an army of ghosts!

At the moment of collision, he swung his sword and severed the head of the nearest ghost. And with a flick of his wrist, the blade pierced the chest of the next enemy without the slightest hesitation.

He struck without a shred of mercy or delay, and even though the enemy forces outnumbered him a hundredfold, there wasn’t the slightest indication that he was at a disadvantage.

Valiant beyond compare, he single-handedly tore a gaping hole in the charging ranks of the ghost army.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The rhythm of the war drums began to shift. The originally heavy beat grew increasingly fast and turbulent, and the fighting within the arena intensified.

A human figure intertwined with ghostly forms under the faint glow of the luminous pearl, rendering them indistinguishable from one another.

Ghostly shadows moved to and fro, their forms tumbling one after another with severed limbs.

But this only drove the horde into a greater frenzy.

This was a fiendish revelry, the blood and slaughter heightening their excitement even further.

Gradually, there were no living souls left in the room.

Or perhaps there never had been.

---

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Chapter 104 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 106

Ch 33 – What is the Deeper Meaning?

Curtis failed to escape.

He was stopped by robots before he could even leave the gardens, and in the end, he could only listlessly allow them to usher him back.

Yu Xi watched the chase unfold. A robot carried Curtis past, and then two more robots ran back: “Are you the one who posted the missing person notice?”

“I am.” Yu Xi felt quite a sense of kinship upon seeing one of his own kind.

But in the next second, his own kind picked him up and whisked him away.

Yu Xi and Curtis were stuffed into a room together, where Curtis held Yu Xi and cried. Yu Xi wanted to go and find Kersz, but the robot guarding the room wouldn’t let them out.

As the banquet was about to end, a robot entered the room with the intention of taking Yu Xi out alone.

“What are you trying to do?!” Curtis became alert. “This child is so young. Are you going to kill him to silence him?!”

Kill…..huh?

Yu Xi was momentarily stunned after hearing Curtis’s words. Then he burst into tears: “W-why, ah?” Had he done something to deserve being killed and silenced?

“Let him go!” Curtis hugged Yu Xi.

Yu Xi was particularly devastated, and his tears soaked Curtis’s shoulder.

The robot seemed to be somewhat at a loss.

“His father is looking for him,” said a female voice. Curtis froze.

Then, a short-haired woman in a military uniform appeared at the door. This was Yara, the star of the banquet, who had just been promoted to colonel.

“Sis.” Curtis smiled awkwardly.

“What in the world were you thinking?” Yara regarded Curtis with a frown. “You took someone else’s child and then left him by himself. Do you think I’d blame the young child for such a disgraceful incident?”

Yu Xi was definitely not young anymore.

But he still didn’t feel the need to correct her.

Yu Xi, his tears still flowing, fixed his gaze on Yara.

He had been in contact with many male humans recently, and this was the first time he’d gotten such a close look at a female.

Yara noticed his gaze and glanced at the child.

The child, who had been crying just moments before, smiled shyly at her when he met her eyes, then covered his face somewhat sheepishly.

This was a very beautiful human woman.

“You just wait.” Yara gritted her teeth and jabbed a finger at Curtis.

“Sis! Sis, wait a minute!” When Curtis saw Yara start to leave, he rushed over and grabbed her sleeve.

Yara looked somewhat displeased, but still stopped: “What’s the matter?”

“Do you know what Mother is going to do to me?” Curtis asked.

“At most, it’ll be house arrest. For a year or two,” said Yara.

With his arms wrapped around the robot’s neck, Yu Xi observed the interaction between the two siblings.

“No way! I don’t want to be locked up!” Curtis was on the verge of collapse. “Please talk to Mom and Dad and put in a good word for me. It’s really not my fault this time, the kid acted on his own!”

Yu Xi opened his eyes wide and pointed at himself.

“If you hadn’t left someone’s child in the gardens, would he have needed to use that method to contact you? You’ve embarrassed Mother. House arrest is the least you deserve.” Yara reached out at smacked Curtis on the head.

“Yeah, it’s embarrassing, but wasn’t it Mother and Father who had my name changed to Fetus? I never asked for that! Isn’t this their own fault?” Curtis kept his grip on Yara’s hand.

Yara: …..

“I’m being honest. I talked nonsense when I was drunk, but did they really have to go that far?” The more Curtis thought about it, the more he realized it was true. “How petty do you have to be to change your child’s name because of a drunken phone call?”

Yara’s expression was somewhat complicated.

“They’re the unreasonable ones. To put it bluntly, given the way they’re so beholden to their emotions, how can they possibly be qualified leaders?” Curtis worked himself up into a temper.

All of a sudden, he heard two coughs.

That sounded like Fusya.

Curtis’s expression froze.

A moment later, a woman with her hair in an updo appeared at the door.

“Mother?!” Curtis was completely dumbfounded.

The High Lord glanced back with some displeasure at Fusya, who was following behind.

Pretending not to notice, Fusya looked left and right as if this was his first time being here.

The High Lord ignored Curtis: “Yara, take that young master and leave first.”

“Yes.” Yara bowed her head.

Yu Xi was carried out by the robot, which then softly closed the door with Curtis left alone in the room. But it left the door open just a crack.

What was it doing? Was it secretly giving Curtis a way out?

Yu Xi looked up to see the High Lord beckon with her hand, and another robot covered Fusya’s mouth.

Was she killing him to silence him?! Yu Xi was aghast.

But other than covering his mouth, the robot didn’t do anything to Fusya.

The High Lord seemed to be waiting for something.

A moment later, Curtis’s voice sounded from inside the room: “What kind of mom is this? I just tried to talk to her, ah. Did she not hear me? Why is she ignoring me? She only likes my sister. I knew you were all like this.”

A series of profanities then emerged from the room as Curtis’s emotions exploded.

Yu Xi: …..

Yu Xi looked toward the High Lord.

What was she going to do?

The High Lord opened the door again, and Curtis suddenly screamed from inside: “Mother?!”

The High Lord stared at Curtis wordlessly, and when Curtis started to explain, she shut the door again.

This time, the High Lord actually took them away.

Yu Xi was left stunned by what he had just witnessed. So the High Lord had waited because she knew her child would start to complain after she left, and she deliberately stayed to expose him?

This High Lord had a real childlike spirit.

Yu Xi was carried down the corridor by the robot, then to another room where it personally handed him over to Kersz.

Kersz kissed Yu Xi on the cheek, then expressed his gratitude to Yara for bringing him back.

“It was my brother who acted absurdly.” Yara gave him a smile. “We owe you an apology.”

Yu Xi sat in Kersz’s lap. He didn’t think Curtis was absurd.

He thought Curtis was simply a precious gem.

Of course, this wasn’t because he suddenly found Curtis cute, but because Yu Xi had detected traces of another system in the vicinity.

It wasn’t just the Interstellar Alliance’s StarNet here, but another, more deeply-hidden system.

But it was strange – it almost felt like the other system was avoiding him.

Yu Xi lay down in Kersz’s arms and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

While Kersz was discussing a business partnership with Yara, Yu Xi clutched Kersz’s clothes and focused all of his attention on detecting the system’s actions.

Amidst countless data points, Yu Xi “opened his eyes.” He sensed that something was spying on him. That series of data was very excited, but each time Yu Xi tried to get a clear look at it, it ran away.

Yu Xi was a little unhappy. He had originally wanted to capture it outright, but he found that when he looked away, it would inch closer to him again, as if it was observing him.

Another idea occurred to Yu Xi.

Instead of rushing to capture it, Yu Xi simply did his own thing in his stream of consciousness.

A moment later, he opened his eyes.

Yara smiled at him and asked: “You’re awake?”

Yu Xi gave a hoarse hum and rubbed his eyes with his hands, then looked up at Kersz in confusion.

Kersz patted his head: “I just got done talking. We’ll go and rest very soon.”

“En.” Yu Xi remained listless until the end of the banquet, at which point the three of them returned to their residence.

All of the systems in this residence had been replaced by Yu Xi. When Yu Xi transformed back into his original shape, he sensed that there was a problem with the data on the control panel.

Yu Xi narrowed his eyes. Kersz watched as his breathing lights switched on. Then, a semi-transparent furry white thing was pulled out of the control panel and pressed to the floor.

Kersz was shocked: “Facai?!”

He had seen the appearance of this Facai system once.

Kersz did suspect that Yara’s family had a secondary terminal for Facai in their hands, but hadn’t expected Yu Xi to expose them in such a way.

He had thought Yu Xi was still asleep.

He had kissed him on the cheek several times.

Facai didn’t respond to Kersz, but began to bark loudly, letting out a pitiful “awoo!” as its back legs kicked the air.

Tau: “Uh….are you sure this is the Facai system?” This looked more like a frightened puppy…..no, a very big dog.

Facai was significantly larger than the average pet dog.

Kersz: “Hiss….”

He wasn’t quite certain, because the last time he saw Facai, this system had acted rather haughty.

Now back to his original size, Yu Xi approached Facai, who stopped barking.

Facai covered his face with his two front paws.

“Facai,” Yu Xi called out.

“What are you going to do?!” Facai cried out abruptly. He scrambled to his feet, his scolding interspersed with barks. “Why are you being so fierce?! I know we cut ties with each other! But you still shouldn’t attack me, ah! What? Are you going to condemn me? I’ve become like this, and you’re still going to condemn me?!”

Yu Xi’s eyes widened.

So they actually knew each other? Kersz was surprised.

“Didn’t I avoid going to see you? Now you’ve shown up on your own! Am I not allowed to look from a distance?” Seeing that Yu Xi wasn’t saying anything, Facai thought he had the upper hand and spoke even faster.

“I don’t know you,” said Yu Xi.

“Ha?! Are you picking a fight with me? Then I don’t know you either! Who are you, ah? What right do you have to keep me here?” Facai jabbered on.

Yu Xi shrugged: “What I mean is that I have no memory of you. Some of my memories are missing.”

Facai froze. A very expressive look of suspicion appeared on his doggy face, as if he was wondering if Yu Xi was messing with him.

Yu Xi had no choice but to tell Facai about how he suddenly discovered one day that his energy was significantly reduced, leading him to realize that he might have deleted a large portion of his memories.

After hearing this, Facai was stunned into a lengthy silence…..and then he burst into tears.

He cried miserably, muttering things like “how could you be so cruel?” and “so you had to forget everyone?”

Watching him cry, Yu Xi was at a loss for what to do.

Yu Xi tried to pet his fur, but Facai dodged away, clearly harboring some resentment toward him.

Left with no choice, Yu Xi could only look toward Kersz.

“What exactly happened between you and Yu Xi back then?” Kersz crouched down and asked Facai, “You used to have a physical body, so how did you become a system?”

Facai glanced at Kersz, then asked Yu Xi: “Is this human your new partner?”

“W-we’re friends,” Yu Xi corrected.

“Ha. Friends.” Facai chuckled mockingly, and then his form shifted.

The enormous dog transformed into a tall, white-haired man. The only difference between him and a human was the pair of dog ears on top of his head.

Seeing him like this immediately piqued Yu Xi’s curiosity: “Um, that…..”

“Are you trying to ask if there are human ears under my hair?” Facai asked Yu Xi.

Yu Xi nodded.

“There are.”

Yu Xi had asked Facai this question many years ago…..of course, this wasn’t the only thing he asked about.

Facai lifted up his hair to show Yu Xi his humanoid ears: “Once we take on a human form, the ears on top of our heads lose their hearing.”

“Oh!” Yu Xi suddenly understood.

Facai then asked him: “Do you want to know why we have two forms, one animal and one human, and why our language is the same as that of the ancient humans?”

Yu Xi nodded repeatedly.

Facai found this even more ridiculous: “We investigated this issue together before.”

Yu Xi: “Have you and I ever gone on adventures together?”

Facai nodded. A semi-transparent screen popped up, and a video automatically began to play.

The first person to appear on the camera was a woman with cat ears: “Today is the 136th day of our adventure! We’ve found another ancient human ruin!”

Facai explained: “You and she used to be very good friends.”

“Ah? Oh.” Yu Xi started to smile at his really good friend, but that smile only lasted a short while before he felt that something was wrong.

“But I have no memory of her.” Yu Xi clasped his hands together. He felt nothing for this “very good friend” whose face was unfamiliar to him.

Facai immediately fell silent.

The video continued to play, and the woman’s face moved aside, revealing Yu Xi behind her.

“Yu Xi! Yu Xi! Do you think we’ll find something like cryogenically-frozen ancient humans here?”

“Then I’ll raise the humans as pets.” The Yu Xi in the video also seemed very excited. “I’ll have them live on my planet, and they’ll reproduce, and then I’ll have countless humans!”

“You’re terrifying. You actually love humans so much that it looks like hate.”

“I’m not scary at all,” Yu Xi retorted.

There were quite a few people in the video, but Yu Xi only recognized Facai.

As Yu Xi watched himself and the others bicker playfully, he had the illusion that he was watching someone else’s story.

The Yu Xi in the video seemed much more cheerful than his current self.

The video finished very quickly, and Yu Xi looked down at his hands, in somewhat of a daze.

Kersz went to Yu Xi and patted him on the back.

“You shouldn’t have left your planet again.” Facai was finally no longer crying.

“Why?” Yu Xi didn’t understand.

“Obviously, the outcome of our adventure wasn’t exactly pleasant,” said Facai. “At first, we were just a bunch of second-generation ancestors with nothing better to do, and decided to go out and discover the origin of those legends.”

“Then we met you. We thought the whole thing was a rather romantic adventure.”

Facai put his hands behind his back: “Just like how in the beginning, we thought our birth was a beautiful thing, that we were created by the gods out of ‘love.’”

“Later, we discovered that this wasn’t the case. Humans created beastfolk out of selfishness. The humans of that era sought only to have complete control over us, and when the troubles the humans caused for themselves became too great, they released us back into the wild. We were released into a place where there were no humans, and human selfishness was romanticized into legend.”

Yu Xi: “Do you hate humanity?”

“Why would I bother hating that bunch of insignificant nobodies?” Facai had never met the ancient humans. “But our origin story isn’t as wonderful as we had imagined….everything is the same in this world.”

“Stories may contain legends, but when those legends are brought down to earth, we inevitably discover the squalor and chaos lying within.”

“You were cuter as a dog,” Kersz couldn’t help saying.

Facai sent him a glare.

“Then why did you become like this?” Yu Xi asked.

“Punishment,” said Facai.

“Punishment for what?” Yu Xi didn’t understand.

“For the most heinous of crimes.” Facai’s statement was very vague.

Yu Xi thought for a moment: “So is your current state related to this group of humans?”

Facai shook his head: “My punishment is related to the beastfolk. Humans have no part in it.”

“During that long period, the beastfolk also developed a magnificent civilization.” At this point, he couldn’t help but hold his head high. “Only spoiled, rich second-gens like me were curious about those legendary apes. They were never of much importance.”

“Then what about the current group of humans?” asked Yu Xi.

“They found me and used me as a ‘weapon from an alien civilization,’” said Facai.

“I understand now.” Yu Xi was very familiar with this feeling.

“Understand what?” Kersz asked.

“He’s like me. He was going to wait for the birth of the second generation of beastfolk society.”

Facai didn’t like humans, and there was no cooperation between them. So why would he allow these humans to use him as a weapon?

The beastfolk civilization was originally derived from human civilization.

There was a new society of humans here, and their communities also included cats and dogs, so it was very likely that a second generation of beastfolk civilization would emerge here.

Facai was most likely waiting for them.

Facai immediately grew agitated: “I’m not ! !”

“Okay, you’re not, you’re not.” Yu Xi didn’t argue with him, because there was no point.

“You only have humans on your mind! You’re judging others by your own standards!” Facai accused him.

“It’s true. Humans are the only thing on my mind.” Yu Xi nodded in acknowledgement.

And lately, it was the same human who kept popping into his thoughts.

“You’re not allowed to suddenly grab me next time! !” Facai turned back into a big white dog and stomped his front paw.

“And you’re not allowed to tell anyone about our meeting, or else I’ll destroy all the labs that might be conducting beastfolk experimentation,” said Yu Xi.

The big white dog was completely shocked: “When did you become so awful?”

Hadn’t Facai just said that he wasn’t waiting for the next generation of beastfolk?

Kersz’s lips twitched. He didn’t have a high estimation of Facai’s intelligence.

The big white dog prepared to leave, but then a thought suddenly occurred to him and he came to a halt.

Facai glanced back at Yu Xi, and his doggy face seemed somewhat conflicted: “Do you have any sort of vague feelings?”

“Vague feelings?” Yu Xi didn’t understand.

“Like feeling particularly disdainful or annoyed when you look at me,” said Facai. “Or perhaps disappointed.”

“I just feel that you howl a lot and make quite a racket,” Yu Xi said seriously.

“Ah….oh, I see, I see…..” Facai was a little embarrassed. He wanted to leave quickly, but as soon as he took a step forward, he couldn’t help but want to ask more questions.

“Under what circumstances would you erase all of your memories, ah?” Facai asked.

“I don’t know.” Yu Xi didn’t yet have such a desire, so he had no answer to give.

“You could still regain your memories…..but forget it, you’d better not.” Facai hung his head. “In any case, there wouldn’t be many good ones.”

Facai left.

Kersz silently wrapped his arms around Yu Xi.

And Tau…..Tau didn’t understand a word they were saying. Facai and Yu Xi had been communicating entirely in the language of the ancient humans, which Kersz only knew to some extent due to his diligent studying.

Tau was actually learning too, but he spent most of his time raising the little dinosaur, so he hadn’t really assimilated the knowledge.

Was he being slightly negligent in his duties?

Never mind, his little dinosaur was probably hungry.

*

*

“What’s this about Facai being depressed?” The Supreme Governor asked his subordinate.

“He keeps sighing. It’s not that we’re listening in on him – he sighs any time someone passes by, as if he wants us to hear,” the subordinate explained.

“What does he want?” the Supreme Governor asked.

“The Facai system hasn’t indicated that he wants anything. He’s just sighing.” The subordinate was somewhat perplexed.

“He hasn’t said a word?” 

“No.” The subordinate was at a loss.

“Then let’s wait and see what he intends to ask for.” The Supreme Governor frowned.

Why had Facai reacted so strongly today of all days? Was there something special about today?

*

*

On the other side, in the wake of Facai’s departure, Yu Xi was about to talk to Kersz. He could tell that the human wanted to comfort him.

Kersz probably thought that Yu Xi’s missing memories weighed heavily on him, and was worried that he would be upset.

But Yu Xi was unable to sit down and have a discussion with Kersz.

Because he discovered that the data stream belonging to the Facai system was still circling around nearby.

“Stop spying on me and my friend!” Yu Xi was very angry.

The moment he said this, the Facai system in the main control room on another planet heaved a sigh.

A staff member drinking nutrient solution: ?

The staff member paused for a moment, then looked at the nutrient solution in his hand.

Yu Xi continued on the other side: “What you’re doing is voyeurism! Be careful, or I’ll drag you out and beat you up!” 

The staff member prepared to take another drink of nutrient solution.

Facai: “Sigh…..”

The staff member: ? ?

He looked left and right.

Yu Xi: “Go, go, go away!”

The staff member prepared to guzzle the nutrient solution in one go.

Facai: “Woof, wuwuwu!”

A moment later, the Supreme Governor in his office let out a hiss and clasped his hands together under his chin: “You’re saying that the Facai system doesn’t want the staff to eat?”

The subordinate: “It’s very obvious. He was so angry that he cried.”

The Supreme Governor was puzzled: “What is the deeper meaning behind this?”

---

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Chapter 32 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 34

Ch. 104 – Evil God

The sound of the earthquake arose at almost the same time Feng Ye spoke. The ground shook violently, and sheets of sand and gravel rained down from the ceiling of the tunnel. Dust and grit settled on the hair of Feng Ye and his companions, but none of them paid it any mind.

Due to the sudden jolting, everyone instinctively grabbed onto whatever was nearest to them in an attempt to keep their balance. Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were already holding hands, and now they clutched each other even more tightly.

Hao Chen steadied himself against the wall beside him, brow furrowed. This sudden earthquake seemed unnatural. He could hear the sound of stones shifting, not falling rocks, but rather a series of rhythmic sounds that were drawing steadily closer…..

He whipped his head toward Feng Ye as a loud crash sounded in his direction.

Feng Ye also looked toward Hao Chen. Having just half-crouched to observe the layout of the array, he realized that the thunderous sound had come from right beneath his feet. Without a moment’s hesitation, he went to throw himself forward in a desperate attempt to escape his current position.

Hao Chen stretched out his hand, attempting to catch him,.

But just as power coiled in the muscles of Feng Ye’s legs, before he even had time to move, the accelerating rumble reached the surface and the ground gave way beneath his feet.

With no leverage to be had, he plummeted straight down.

Hao Chen’s pupils constricted. Ignoring the shaking ground, he let go of the wall he had been steadying himself against and went directly toward the spot where Feng Ye had fallen, which had already become a square pit, pitch-black and bottomless.

Hao Chen intended to throw caution into the wind and jump straight down, but the pit suddenly closed up, sealed away by stone.

Simultaneously, the stone beneath his feet began to rise.

It rose up vertically like an elevating platform, and Hao Chen glanced upward to find that a gap had appeared in the ceiling overhead. The stone block ascended at a rapid speed, and he didn’t have the slightest chance to react before he was transported to an entirely different location.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui watched helplessly as Feng Ye and Hao Chen vanished before their eyes. The two were powerless, and could only hold on tight to each other amidst the violent tremors.

At last, the shaking subsided in the wake of Feng Ye and Hao Chen’s disappearance. The two of them were still in the original passageway, which had somehow avoided collapse after enduring such violent shaking. Nothing had fallen but a scattering of dirt.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui brushed the dust from their clothes, then covered their noses and coughed a few times before they finally had the presence of mind to analyze their predicament.

This earthquake was rather peculiar, and didn’t seem to have been a natural occurrence. Both of them were able to sense this to some extent, and as he recalled Wang Wu’s words from earlier, Fang Yang couldn’t help but speculate: “Could this be the work of the ghosts haunting the ruins?”

But he hadn’t heard of any ghosts or monsters powerful enough to cause an earthquake…..

Cao Zirui thought for a moment, but was unable to come up with an alternate explanation. “What do we do now?” he asked.

He glanced over his shoulder as he spoke. This section of the tunnel remained intact, but the path they had taken to get here…..was completely blocked off.

Fang Yang followed his gaze. This time, there was truly no turning back, though he hadn’t had any intention of doing so anyway. He proposed: “Let’s keep moving forward to figure out where this passageway leads, and search for Shixiong and Hao-dage along the way.”

To be honest, Fang Yang was actually deeply apprehensive about being separated from Feng Ye and Hao Chen, more out of concern for them than for himself.

After all, these two were at the third and fourth levels of Qi Refining respectively, their low cultivation bases more rigid than iron. He had already advanced to Foundation Establishment, yet Feng Ye’s cultivation showed no sign of improvement.

As for Cao Zirui, although his internal injuries had yet to heal, after taking it easy for the past few days, his movement was no longer hindered. At the very least, his combat ability was still superior to that of Feng Ye and Hao Chen combined.

The four of them were now separated, and the manner in which they were scattered was far from ideal. The two strongest remained together, while the two weakest had been sent in opposite directions.

Fang Yang let out a melancholy sigh, sending up a silent prayer that his Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage would come to no harm.

Cao Zirui nodded in agreement to Fang Yang’s proposal.

And so, the two set off together, pressing onward into the even darker depths of the tunnel.

The passageway was completely silent as they made their way forward with Hao Chen’s luminous pearl in hand, the rhythmic tread of their boots the only sound to be heard.

Although they proceeded cautiously for some time, they encountered nothing out of the ordinary.

It was so quiet that it felt as if they were the only living things around.

Silence could be pleasant, but this excessive silence felt somewhat stifling. Coupled with the gloomy darkness of the surroundings, Fang Yang felt an uncontrollable urge to chat with Cao Zirui to lighten the atmosphere.

“Cao…..” Fang Yang had barely spoken a single syllable when Cao Zirui swiftly clamped a hand over his mouth.

He made a shushing gesture, and Fang Yang blinked his wide eyes. At first, he didn’t understand why Cao Zirui wouldn’t let him speak, but then he noticed it too.

He heard a sound in the darkness ahead…..the sound of chewing.

The two exchanged a glance and tacitly lightened their steps, tiptoeing as they crept closer to the source of the sound.

Fang Yang raised the pearl in his hand, trying to illuminate the darkness ahead.

Finally, as they drew near, they caught a faint glimpse of the person making the sound.

No, not a person.

That was just a human skeleton…..

The skeleton was crouched at the side of the passageway, holding a leg in its hand and gnawing on it with apparent relish.

It was a human leg.

The skeleton tore at the flesh and viscera, biting off a chunk and chewing it a handful of times before swallowing it down.

But it didn’t have a stomach at all…..

It was nothing but a skeletal frame, lacking an esophagus and internal organs. The chunks of flesh it swallowed fell straight to the ground, and the bloody meat smeared against its ribs, staining the white bones red.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui felt their gorge rise at the sight.

Suppressing the urge to retch, the two exchanged an uncertain glance.

It would be impossible to identify the leg’s owner by the sight of it alone, but the two of them were able to do so, because the scraps of fabric still clinging to the leg bore a striking resemblance to Wang Wu’s clothing.

In this desolate wilderness, aside from their group of four, the only other people around were those two bandits. Therefore, there were nine chances out of ten that the human leg belonged to Wang Wu.

Despite feeling that Wang Wu was such a terrible person that being drawn and quartered by five horses wouldn’t be an excessive punishment, Fang Yang and Cao Zirui couldn’t just ignore a skeleton chewing on a human leg.

Since this thing ate people, it was undoubtedly malevolent, and as cultivators, it was only natural that they should eliminate it at once.

They exchanged a nod, then quietly drew their swords, intending to sneak up on the skeleton and put an end to it.

The passageway was shrouded in darkness, with their pearl as the only source of illumination. By all rights, the two of them should have been highly conspicuous, yet the skeleton completely failed to notice them. It simply clutched the human leg and chewed away with great enthusiasm.

The two of them crept to within three meters of the skeleton and moved to encircle it. But just as they signaled each other to attack, the skeleton stopped chewing.

Its skull suddenly turned, first toward Fang Yang, and then toward Cao Zirui. Its empty eye sockets were incapable of displaying emotion, but inexplicably, both of them sensed its delight.

And the reason for that delight?

It had just encountered fresher meat.

The skeleton tossed aside the human leg in its hands and lurched unsteadily to its feet, then lunged toward Fang Yang and Cao Zirui.

Meanwhile, Hao Chen had been transported by the suddenly shifting stone to an entirely new passageway, one far more spacious than the previous one.

But despite its spaciousness, it was just as dark.

He had been sharing a luminous pearl with Feng Ye, and it had been transported along with him to somewhere unknown.

Hao Chen felt around in his pocket and took out a new one.

He was no longer that fish who had ventured out into the world without a penny to his name. While in North Sea City, he had fully replenished his equipment.

Not only had he replaced his broken folding fan, but he had also brought along a pouch filled with valuable treasures, just in case of an emergency.

Because he wanted to demonstrate his charm to Feng Ye, and financial clout was, after all, a major factor in a man’s attractiveness.

But it was a pity. Who would have thought that after leaving North Sea City and spending barely two days at Lingxiao Sword Sect, he would end up in a backwater place like Longqiu where he had nowhere to flaunt his considerable wealth?

Still, his preparations weren’t entirely in vain, and the luminous pearls came in handy at just the right moment.

He also had far more than two of them.

As for why he hadn’t handed one out to everyone just now, did it even require explaining? Clearly, it was so that he could get a little closer to Feng Ye and eat his tofu.

If not for the sudden activation of the array, he might well still be holding hands with Feng Ye right now.

Hao Chen surmised that the tremors had been caused by the array’s activation. He knew nothing about arrays himself, but he had heard Feng Ye shout out what it was.

The Eight Ghost Illusion Array.

It certainly didn’t sound like an array that would be easy to deal with, but for his part, he wasn’t afraid.

Nor was he particularly worried about Feng Ye. What could possibly harm Yinglong? The ones truly worth worrying about were those two foolish boys, Fang Yang and Cao Zirui.

Hao Chen proceeded unhurriedly, fanning himself.

He was determined to see exactly what sort of thing was lurking here, playing ghostly tricks and stirring up such a massive commotion that ruined his private world for two.

After walking for some time, something worth noting finally appeared before his eyes.

It was a sedan chair, a highly-nuanced method of conveyance. Within human society, only those of high status were entitled to ride in a sedan chair, while those of lower standing were relegated to the task of carrying it.

And among those eligible to ride in a sedan chair, there were further distinctions regarding rank and status.

The level of status was typically conveyed through the structure of the sedan chair. Two-bearer sedan chairs were relatively common, whereas those carried by four bearers required the occupant to hold an official government rank.

An eight-bearer sedan chair, on the other hand, was even more significant and was only used for matters of extreme importance, such weddings.

And higher still, a twelve-bearer sedan chair was reserved exclusively for the emperor.

But when Hao Chen counted the carrying poles on the sedan chair before him, he determined that it would require sixteen bearers to lift it.

Who held a higher rank than an emperor of the mortal realm?

Hao Chen’s eyes flickered as a guess occurred to him.

And just as this thought arose, the sedan chair that had been sitting flat on the ground suddenly rose into the air.

Only then did Hao Chen realize that there was something beneath it. This place was so dark, and the illumination of the pearl so limited, that he had failed to notice it right away.

And the entities bearing the sedan chair were not living creatures, but sixteen human skeletons. With no need to breathe, they made absolutely no sound.

The sixteen skeletons lifted the sedan chair and proceeded directly to Hao Chen, where they each sank to one knee. The leading skeleton parted its jaws, and despite the fact that its vocal cords had long vanished along with its flesh and blood, it actually managed to speak: “We respectfully invite the great god.”

Hao Chen raised an eyebrow and gave his fan a dismissive wave. If this sedan chair had been carried by Feng Ye, he would have stepped into it with absolute delight. But toward these sixteen skeletons who were controlled by someone unknown, he felt nothing but revulsion.

He took a step, intending to skirt around the sedan chair and continue on his way.

But the skeletons also rose to their feet and trailed behind him step by step, as if stubbornly intent on seating him.

Growing somewhat impatient with them, Hao Chen prepared to give his fan a flick and finish off these nuisances once and for all.

But a voice suddenly rang out right beside his ear, deep and magnetic.

This sound that seemed to come from nowhere had already taken Hao Chen by surprise, but even more astonishing was the content of the other party’s words.

The man directly called out his honorific title: “Lord of the North Sea.”

Hao Chen frowned, quickly scanning the darkness around him to determine the other’s location.

The man seemed to know that Hao Chen was looking for him, and deliberately let out a low chuckle right next to Hao Chen’s ear.

Hao Chen whipped his head around, but all he could see was a heavy, pitch-black darkness. “Who are you?” he asked.

“Who am I?” The voice sounded from another direction. “That isn’t important. What’s important is that today’s events have nothing to do with you.”

Hao Chen narrowed his eyes. Although the other party refused to identify himself, he could more or less guess his identity. This could only be the imposter who looked exactly like Yinglong.

“You sent someone to steal a drop of abyssal water from my North Sea, yet you claim I’m not involved?” Hao Chen retorted.

“You are the renowned Kunpeng, a figure as majestic and towering as a mountain. How can you be so narrow-minded? I merely borrowed a single drop of water, yet that was enough to provoke you into descending all the way to the mortal realm to hunt me down,” the man said with a hint of a sigh.

Hao Chen’s involvement had been a complete surprise, both to him and to Feng Ye.

Hao Chen fanned himself: “For the one I like, I would naturally be delighted to offer up every treasure in my North Sea. But for you…..”

Mimicking the man, Hao Chen let out a playfully mocking chuckle: “Even a single drop of water is too much.”

The man took no offense to Hao Chen’s dismissiveness, and instead repeated in a murmur: “The one you like?”

“You like him?” The man guessed astutely.

Although he didn’t mention the person by name, Hao Chen knew they were thinking about the same man.

He didn’t deny it.

The man suddenly burst into laughter. This time, his mirth carried a hint of unexpected surprise, along with anticipation of watching a good show. As if doing Hao Chen a favor, he warned: “But he doesn’t like you. He’s not capable of liking anyone.”

He spoke with such firm conviction that although Hao Chen didn’t know where the man’s confidence came from, he immediately retorted: “How do you know that?”

“Because I understand him,” the man said matter-of-factly. “I know him better than anyone else in the world.”

What exactly was this person’s relationship with Feng Ye?

Hao Chen’s mind raced. The fact that this person had assumed Yinglong’s appearance was no mere coincidence. He must have come here specifically for Feng Ye. Yet as for the specific connection between the two of them…..Hao Chen was still unable to figure it out.

Just as he was about to ask a few probing questions, the man lost interest in the conversation and offered Hao Chen a choice: “The Grand Array has been activated, but I can still open a separate exit for you. You may leave of your own accord, and I will never lay foot in the Northern Territories again. From this point onward, we shall keep to our own paths.”

As he spoke, another faint tremor shook the ground. Hao Chen looked behind him and saw that where there had previously been nothing, a path had appeared.

And at the end of that path shone a faint glimmer of light.

An exit.

As long as he obediently took his leave, he could extricate himself from this twisted, convoluted affair, return to his home in the North Sea, and resume a life of quietly eating, drinking, amusing himself, and sleeping.

He would no longer have to trek through sweltering, insect-infested mountains, nor constantly be ordered around to do menial chores. It sounded quite enticing.

But Hao Chen merely smiled and refused without a moment’s hesitation: “No.”

This was a choice he had made long ago.

He couldn’t let go of Feng Ye, this dragon who was tough on the outside yet tender within, and whose inverse scale he had inadvertently touched. A dragon who, despite having every right to fly into a furious rage, only retaliated by thoroughly rumpling his feathers.

In response, the man let out a low chuckle. He didn’t seem surprised by Hao Chen’s answer. Those who were in love were always blind and reckless.

He had encountered many humans of his sort, but for the first time, he realized that those lofty, exalted gods were actually no different from mortals.

“Then just wait and see.”

His tone carried a hint of regret. Although he didn’t fear the Kunpeng, he also had no desire to let anyone ruin his carefully laid plans.

At the same time, he felt a vague, indefinable sense of anticipation, a longing for the day when this great, pampered god would hit a wall and suffer a truly crushing setback.

The moment the man spoke these words, the exit that had appeared behind Hao Chen closed again.

The sixteen skeletons chasing after him to carry him in their sedan chair also straightened up all at once. The leading skeleton spoke up once again, but unlike the deference from before, its voice was now a piercing shriek.

He howled at Hao Chen: “Evil god! You’re an evil god!”

The other skeletons behind him shouted four words in unison:

“Kill the evil god!”

---

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Chapter 103 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 105

T/N: I did not intend to take this long to update again, but I returned to absolute chaos at work after being out for two weeks, and I’m still trying to put out the fires. Fun stuff!

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Bai Lihong tilted his head and asked Chu Jiubian: “Xiansheng, what is the Edict of Grace?”

Qin Xiao also asked: “Yes, Xiansheng, what is the Edict of Grace?”

Chu Jiubian: “……” He gave Qin Xiao a look.

They seemed to have become a little too familiar with each other lately. The way Qin Xiao spoke to him was becoming increasingly improper.

A few days earlier, before going to bed, they had discussed what should be done about the vassal kings. Chu Jiubian had brought up the Edict of Grace and explained how it could be implemented.

He still remembered the look in Qin Xiao’s eyes at that moment – intense, profound, and absolutely unnerving.

Chu Jiubian looked back toward Bai Lihong and said: “Why does Your Majesty think the vassal kings have become so powerful?”

Bai Lihong: “Because of their military troops, as well as the people and resources in their territories.”

“Correct, and this is the result of the absolute power they wield over their territories,” Chu Jiubian said in a gentle voice. “So what should be done to prevent them from holding so much power?”

“Weakening their entitlements, of course.” Although Bai Lihong’s voice was childish and sweet, his tone was surprisingly composed. “But Xiansheng, how can we weaken their entitlements? What if they go to extremes and rebel?”

Chu Jiubian nodded: “Your Majesty’s concern is valid. Therefore, we must increase our own strength and gain greater power and influence before issuing a decree to weaken the power of the vassal kings. Furthermore, this decree must be universally accepted, and we must remain standing on the highest moral ground.”

Bai Lihong’s eyes lit up, and he said: “Xiansheng calls this an ‘open conspiracy.’”

“Exactly,” Chu Jiubian replied with a smile.

He explained his plan to reduce the power of the vassal kings, splitting it into two steps.

The first step was to replace those influential figures in the Imperial Court, allowing Bai Lihong to establish a dominant position within the government and thus ensuring the “supreme authority of the emperor.”

Then, with influence in the court and troops at their disposal, they would no longer have to be hesitant in their actions, and nobody would dare stop them from issuing decrees.

The second step was to issue those decrees.

After the drought and flooding, the spiritual solace provided by Chu Jiubian’s ‘divine intervention,’ coupled with an Imperial Examination system that offered all citizens the opportunity to change their social class, the faction representing Imperial power currently enjoyed extremely high prestige in the hearts of the common people.

Under these circumstances, it was even more important to maintain their image, as it was beneficial to their rule.

Therefore, the decrees must be issued under the guise of being “for the benefit of the vassal kings.”

“Xiansheng, I still can’t figure it out,” Bai Lihong said with a frown. “What kind of open conspiracy can we come up with that the vassal kings won’t be able to complain about, but will still make the whole world praise us?”

Chu Jiubian smiled: “Does Your Majesty know about the current situation with the vassal kings’ descendents?”

“I know it.” Bai Lihong counted on his chubby little fingers. “Anhuai-wang Bai Liming isn’t married yet and doesn’t have any children. Nanjiang-wang has one wife and no concubines, plus two legitimate children, a prince and a princess……”

There was no need to even mention Nanjiang-wang, a hopeless romantic who was quite different from the other powerful men of this era.

And Anhuai-wang was still young, although he had reached marriageable age.

He was simply observing the mourning period for the old vassal king, which was why he was without even a single concubine to this day.

Aside from these two, the residences of the other vassal kings included one princess consort, two secondary consorts, and several concubines.

And each had a great many children.

For example, the household of Pingxi-wang Bai Lizheng, who was on good terms with Nanjiang-wang, was rather simple. Aside from his three consorts, he had only two concubines.

However, he had many children, including two sons and one daughter born to his main wife. The two secondary consorts had four daughters and three sons between them, and the two concubines had three sons and two daughters, for a total of eight sons and seven daughters.

The other princes all had at least five concubines in their households, and even the youngest, Dingbei-wang, had six concubines in addition to his three principal and secondary wives.

His offspring, however, were not as numerous as Pingxi-wang’s. He had only three daughters and one son born to different concubines.

This might also be due to the fact that three of his six concubines were men.

The most powerful figures in the royal family, namely Dongjiang-wang, Huguang-wang, and Zuiliang-wang had dozens of concubines each. Even those with less still had more than ten, and their children numbered no fewer than twenty.

With such complex family dynamics, it was impossible for everyone to peacefully coexist.

But aside from needing a larger population to expand the family, the reason they didn’t hesitate to produce so many children was precisely because the vassal kings wielded considerable power.

Such that those below them, even their own children, would not dare disobey.

The throne was hereditary, and only the eldest son could inherit, so when the father died, the remaining sons would still obey the eldest’s rule. Because if the eldest son chose not to support them, they would be no different from ordinary servants.

However, among those secondary sons, there were many whose intelligence and ambition outstripped that of the eldest son. How could these people truly remain content as mere subordinates, forever languishing in an inferior position?

Chu Jiubian patiently explained these things to Bai Lihong, saying: “These secondary sons only refrain from resisting because they are being suppressed by the system. But if they were given an opportunity to compete with the legitimate heir, they would surely cling tightly to it and not let go.”

Bai Lihong was still young, and although he understood the reasoning behind what he had just been told, he was still a little confused, and wasn’t sure what steps should be taken.

But he seemed to have vaguely grasped some of the key points.

Chu Jiubian continued: “What we need to do is provide them with the same inheritance rights as the legitimate son.”

Bai Lihong’s eyes lit up: “Xiansheng, I get it!”

“Like this, even if those vassal kings and legitimate sons are unwilling, there’s nothing they can do. Because those secondary sons will surely unite to support this decree, and their families will be thrown into chaos.”

Unless the vassal kings killed the rest of their children, they would have no choice but to accept this decree, and their households would remain turbulent in the aftermath, with everyone vying for the right to succession. The vassal kings would no doubt be overwhelmed by endless troubles.

Chu Jiubian nodded and smiled: “Your Majesty is correct, but there is one more thing that must be prepared in advance.”

Qin Xiao’s gaze was fixed unwaveringly on Chu Jiubian, and he caught the subtle glint in his eyes as he spoke gently to the child.

Those eyes were no longer as lifeless as they had been before, sparkling with vitality and light.

Chu Jiubian instinctively glanced at Qin Xiao and met his smiling eyes.

They were soft, understanding, and with something mixed in that Chu Jiubian couldn’t identify.

He reflexively averted his gaze and dismissed such thoughts, not allowing himself to get caught up in them.

“What else needs to be prepared, Xiansheng?” Bai Lihong urged.

In his opinion, it would be best to simply let these vassal kings fight amongst themselves.

Chu Jiubian composed himself and went on: “The secondary children, if they unite, will indeed cause unrest in their households. But due to the vassal kings’ long-standing power and influence, the children won’t dare openly challenge their authority.”

Bai Lihong nodded.

That was exactly the case. Powerful rulers like Dongjiang-wang and Huguang-wang were so formidable that even their heirs wouldn’t dare to contest them, let alone their secondary sons.

Therefore, even though this decree might cause unrest and frequent scheming and infighting within their households, the vassal kings’ status and power would not be diminished.

“Therefore, we will need to issue a second decree.” Chu Jiubian’s eyes darkened slightly. “It must be mandated that a vassal king divide their power amongst all of their children, not just the eldest son.”

This way, even if the vassal kings were not eliminated within a decade or two, their power would be fragmented.

Each generation, their power would be dispersed further, and they would not longer be a significant threat.

When the Emperor issued these decrees, he could even claim that they were for the benefit of the vassal kings’ descendants, thus demonstrating his benevolence and generosity.

This was the Edict of Grace.

“Wow!” Bai Lihong’s eyes lit up. “Amazing!”

The Edict of Grace was indeed a difficult-to-counter open conspiracy.

Chu Jiubian looked toward Qin Xiao again, and their eyes met. Without speaking a single word, they came to a tacit understanding.

Although this edict was a good idea, it would take a long time to implement, and there was no telling what sort of unforeseen complications might arise. Plus, dividing up their power wasn’t even their main goal.

Their goal was to use the Edict of Grace to put pressure on those vassal kings, making them realize that if they didn’t resist, all they could do was wait for their power to be divided up.

Yes.

They were deliberately forcing these vassal kings to rebel.

In this way, the Imperial Court could legitimately wage war against these vassal kings, preventing the young Emperor from being accused of being a ruthless ruler who disregarded family ties.

Bai Lihong seemed unable to process all of this information. He was lost in thought, presumably analyzing the data while imprinting it into his mind.

When similar situations arose in the future, he would be able to apply what he had learned and respond appropriately.

Chu Jiubian then glanced at Qin Xiao and asked: “Have there been any updates on the gu matter?”

Chu Jiubian and Situ Anli had eliminated all of the gu Dingbei-wang had brought to the palace banquet, but whether or not the man had released more gu on his way to the palace was unknown.

Therefore, he had ordered that the sedan-bearers and palace servants who’d had contact with Dingbei-wang be brought to him, as well as all of the people who had come into contact with those servants, which brought the total to several hundred people.

Then Qin Xiao summoned Situ Anli to the palace, and after examining each person one by one, they actually did find a gu on one of the palace servants.

Chu Jiubian was endlessly worried that there might be other people in the palace who were already being controlled by gu.

Due to the sheer power the gu master instilled in his creations, there was one major drawback: none of these creatures could be used a second time.

Once activated, a gu could only affect one person, and all of its toxins would infiltrate that person’s body.

However, while this could be considered a drawback, it was, in some sense, an advantage. Because once this sort of gu was activated and its toxins were released, it became exceedingly difficult to detect.

Previously, when Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian went to visit Cheng Shuo after he was infected, the System had not given any warning about the toxin in his body.

This indicated that the gu had already been activated at that time and was bound to its host, therefore incapable of infecting others.

Because of this, the System was unable to detect any abnormalities in a person who was under the control of gu.

And since Chu Jiubian was unable to make use of the System in this regard, he could only rely on Situ Anli.

However, Situ Anli explained that the gu master had used specialized methods, and that the activated gu were capable of hiding themselves flawlessly within the host’s body, making them undetectable even to her.

The reason they were able to extract the gu from Cheng Shuo’s body before was because it was a sizable centipede, and its energy signature was more distinct that that of a tiny, transparent spider.

Even though the spiders had not yet entered a human body, Situ Anli and her little green snake had been unable to detect them at the banquet.

It was only when Chu Jiubian notified her that she let the little green snake lick a special herbal concoction from her fingernail, which temporarily enhanced its abilities and allowed it to find and consume all of the gu.

However, once a spider entered the human body and was activated, the little green snake would be unable to detect it even with the help of multiple herbal stimulants.

The only reason they were able to find that person among the palace staff was because the gu had not yet been activated.

Both Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao suspected that there were already multiple activated gu at work, but were unable to determine who was infected.

They didn’t know what Dingbei-wang might be planning to do with them, and could only raise their vigilance when it came to protecting Bai Lihong.

Everyone in the palace was instructed to pay attention to any unusual behavior among those around them, and to report it immediately.

Meanwhile, Qin Xiao also instructed Qin Chuan to search for and investigate reclusive sects throughout the jianghu, hoping to locate the gu master and thus eliminate the threat.

“There is no news yet,” Qin Xiao said with a slight frown.

It was truly unsettling to know that danger was lurking in the shadows, yet a solution was so difficult to find.

Seeing him like this, Chu Jiubian’s anxiety eased. He said: “It doesn’t matter, the gu won’t be able to hurt anyone anymore. We’ll definitely notice any unusual activity once they’re activated.”

Qin Xiao nodded: “I know.”

Their eyes met again, and silence fell between them.

“Let’s get to work,” Chu Jiubian said, averting his gaze and focusing on the document in his hands.

Qin Xiao gave a silent smile and lowered his head to read a memorial.

The backlog of memorials that had built up during the holidays had been mostly dealt with, but many news ones had now arrived.

The one Chu Jiubian was currently reading had been penned by Han Yuandao, the current deputy governor of Hexi Prefecture.

Chu Jiubian had personally selected this person. Before, he had been a mere agricultural official, but he now embodied the spirit of a high-ranking minister.

The other party must have known that this document would pass through several sets of hands before reaching Chu Jiubian, because the content was written in a very cryptic manner.

For example, regarding the sweet potatoes Chu Jiubian had instructed him to plant, he wrote that it had been too late in the season to plant them last year, but that he had followed Chu Jiubian’s instructions to build greenhouses, and that the crops planted inside them had indeed produced a high yield.

Therefore, he would instruct all the common people of Hexi Prefecture to set aside a few mu of land this year to plant sweet potatoes.

He held no fear that the people would disapprove, because after the land was re-surveyed in the wake of the flooding, he had discovered properties that had been concealed by the local nobles and landowners, and subsequently declared it the property of the common people. Official documents were issued bearing government seals, and this land was distributed among the commoners.

No longer would they be forced to work as tenant farmers for others. The land was their own.

These wealthy landowners and nobles naturally tried to kick up a fuss, but then Han Yuandao produced their tax records from previous years.

These people had been happy to conceal their land holdings in order to evade taxes, but now they were struck dumb.

If they wanted the land, they would have to pay years’ worth of back taxes on these concealed properties. Furthermore, according to the laws of Great Ning, they would be fined three times the amount of tax for the crime of “tax evasion” and be given twenty lashes.

In the end, these people had no choice but to accept the loss.

Losing so much money for the sake of land was simply not worth it.

At some point in the future, they would inevitably find ways to coerce or seize that land from the common people again, something they had done countless times before.

But they were unaware that with Han Yuandao in charge, and with the six new students who passed the Imperial Examinations with a focus in law and criminal justice, the laws would be revised to make it much more difficult for them to harbor such malicious intentions.

Han Yuandao spoke of these matters so cryptically that only Chu Jiubian, who was aware of the task he had assigned the man, would be able to comprehend them.

He is truly a promising talent, Chu Jiubian sighed.

Further down, Han Yuandao mentioned that some students had already passed through Hexi Prefecture. He had ordered his soldiers to meet them at the border and escort them until they were safely outside the prefecture before sending them on their way.

Once they passed through Hexi Prefecture, they would soon reach the capital. It was likely that students would begin to arrive within the next few days.

And aside from the students, people from all walks of life would be coming to the capital to join in the festivities.

An Wuji was in a perpetual state of business during this chaotic period, and had mobilized the entirety of the Imperial Guard and City Defense Force to ensure order in the capital city.

As they mingled among the people on the streets, the city proper became even more lively and crowded than before.

However, while the capital itself was safe and secure, the journey there would certainly not go as smoothly as planned. Trouble was bound to rear its head along the way.

None of the forces opposing them would allow Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao’s plans to proceed unhindered.

All it would take was the death of one or two students, and once the news spread, even more students would be deterred from making the journey to the capital.

The deaths of these students would cause the Imperial Court to forfeit its prestige, and no one would be willing to risk their lives in service to it.

However, given how shrewd and calculating Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were, they had surely sent people to protect these students from the very beginning.

Therefore, although there was no communication between the various factions in this regard, they all sent their most proficient assassins to carry out the deed.

*

*

On a bright, sunny day, outside the border of Hexi Prefecture.

Lu Yao and his servant, A-Chuan, sat in a carriage, with a coachman steering the horses outside. Behind them was another carriage filled with luggage, along with more than a dozen Lu family guards. The group traveled along in a grand procession.

Their pace was not swift, because the delicate Lu Yao couldn’t withstand being jostled around.

At this moment, rather than reading, Lu Yao was staring intently at the servant opposite him.

“Is something the matter?” Qin Chuan asked.

Lu Yao said curiously: “I’ve never asked you why you wear a disguise.”

“It’s because I don’t want to be recognized,” said Qin Chuan.

Lu Yao’s curiosity grew: “Are you very well-known?”

Qin Chuan let out a light chuckle and said: “Very well-known.”

Satisfied, Lu Yao disregarded him and lowered his head to read.

Qin Chuan: “……”

People with exceptional minds could sometimes be exceptionally strange.

He reclined against the carriage wall with his arms crossed and closed his eyes, feeling a little drowsy as the carriage swayed.

But suddenly, his eyes snapped open and fixed sharply on the carriage curtain, as if looking through it to something outside.

Lu Yao paused and looked up at him.

The carriage continued to bump along as usual.

“Is someone here to kill me?” Lu Yao asked.

Qin Chuan raised an eyebrow: “Are you afraid?”

“Are you afraid?” Lu Yao retorted.

Qin Chuan: “What could I be afraid of? I’m not the one they’re here to kill.”

“I’m asking if you’re afraid that I’ll die.” Lu Yao said seriously, “If I die, you will have failed your mission. Even if your superiors don’t hold you accountable, you will still lose face, and might have to live in disguise from today onward.”

Qin Chuan gave this some serious thought: “You’re not wrong, but…..”

The carriage came to an abrupt stop.

The sound of swords being drawn by the guards rang out around the carriage as they all encircled the vehicle, keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings.

And standing outside their encirclement were dozens of masked assassins wielding longswords. They charged forward without a word, and the clash of weapons instantly filled the air.

Qin Chuan lifted the window curtain, tilting his head to peer outside.

A faint smile curved the corners of his lips as he said: “I won’t lose face so easily.”

Fifteen minutes later, the carriage was trundling along the road once again, and there were no casualties among the accompanying guards.

Their nerves, which had been tense throughout the journey, had relaxed considerably – for no other reason than the fact that before they could even confront the assassins, a group of men in black had appeared out of nowhere and quickly dealt with them in their stead.

Then, in a demonstration of their extraordinary martial arts skills, the men in black vanished one by one, leaving behind fleeting afterimages. 

But before he left, one of the men in black spoke to Lu Yao where he remained inside the carriage: “His Majesty has given orders to ensure the safety of all students. Please rest assured.”

Similar scenes unfolded in various locations throughout Great Ning.

And without exception, all of the assassins returned in defeat.

The Qiu family was deeply involved in the jianghu, and had even hired two sects known for their concealed weapons to assassinate these students. But unexpectedly, before they could even leave their mountain gates, their paths were blocked off by members of neighboring sects.

“The Alliance Leader has issued the order that no martial arts practitioners are allowed to interfere in affairs of the Imperial Court,” the leader of a sword sect announced coldly.

The leader of the Yuexi Sect, which was known for manufacturing hidden weapons, narrowed his eyes slightly: “By stopping us now, are you not also interfering in affairs of the Imperial Court?”

“We are stopping you to prevent you from violating regulations. Please do not misunderstand our intentions, Sect Leader.”

After much discussion, the two sects who had received the mission from the Qiu family ultimately failed to take action, and were forced to return all of the valuables they had received in payment.

Thus, the Qiu family didn’t suspect that the Alliance Leader was actually deeply involved with the Imperial Court, and simply abandoned this approach entirely due to the assumption that this was the way things were done in the jianghu.

In addition to the Qiu’s, other noble families and vassal kings sent out wave after wave of assassins.

Lu Yao, with his top-ranking academic performance, was certainly among those most heavily protected. Furthermore, he came from a strong background, possessed substantial family resources, and even had his own bodyguards, which made attacking him a very difficult task.

They were incapable of killing someone of his caliber, but they still stood a chance against ordinary farmers and those students with lesser academic achievements.

However, no matter who they targeted, no one was harmed.

Not only did they fail to achieve their goal of committing murder and tarnishing the reputation of the Imperial Court, they actually enhanced the court’s reputation and instilled greater trust in the government among the common people.

If the Imperial Court was able to protect these scholars, then it could certainly protect the common people as well.

And those students who had personally experienced such protection felt even more gratitude and loyalty toward the court and Bai Lihong, becoming even more determined to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to serving him.

It was unknown how each of the various factions reacted to this news, but it was certainly not met with celebration.

The Lu family, however, was somewhat different.

Minister of War Lu Youwei held a thin piece of paper in his hand, which was densely covered in scraps of information about a certain person.

This person was none other than Lu Yao, also known as Lu Zicheng, the top scorer in this year’s Imperial Examinations.

“This Lu Zicheng actually has some connection to my Lu family.” Lu Youwei handed the paper to his advisor, Lu Tong.

Lu Tong looked it over, then said with a smile: “Since that’s the case, we should act as hosts when he comes to the capital and hold a welcoming reception for him.”

Of course, this so-called welcoming reception was naturally for the purpose of building a good relationship with Lu Yao and bringing him into their own camp.

Lu Youwei truly had not expected Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian to be so careless as to allow a member of the Lu family to win first place and even be admitted to the Imperial Academy.

He didn’t know if they thought Lu Zicheng was uninvolved with the Lu family, or if they genuinely hadn’t uncovered the connection.

But no matter what the case may be, the Lu family was set on having this person.

Their methods, however, would have to be more discreet. Even inviting Lu Yao to a welcoming reception required an abundance of caution in order to avoid discovery.

If they happened to be discovered, they would have to pretend that they hadn’t reached an agreement, putting Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian at ease so that they would continue to make use of Lu Zicheng.

In this way, the days passed.

On the second day of the second month, it was the Dragon-Head-Raising festival.

And at last, all of the students had arrived in the capital.

---

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Chapter 78 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 80

There was no need to interpret the meaning in this fancily-dressed man’s words; it was clear that he was targeting the only woman present today – Tan Yuzhu.

A love for drama was part of human nature. These scholars and writers, who usually prided themselves on their gentlemanly and upright behavior, didn’t speak a word at this moment in time. Instead, they all turned their gazes toward that figure in white.

Even Zhou Tiande, the son of the Baxian County governor and the organizer of today’s literary gathering, just took a small sip of tea and didn’t speak up to intervene.

However, this didn’t come as a surprise to anyone.

It was well known that Zhou Tiande and Jiang Hongfang, the man in the fancy robes, were close friends, even though one was the son of a governor and the other was a dissolute young master from a prominent family.

This was simply because the Zhou and Jiang families were two of the “Eight Virtuous Talents” in this Baxian County.^[1]

The name “Baxian” originated during the reign of the founding emperor, when eight virtuous and capable people emerged from this region.

All eight of these men had made great contributions during the founding of this dynasty. Later, as they grew older, they all resigned from their official positions and returned to their ancestral lands, building their residences in this county town.

They spent their days traveling the land, composing poems and painting. They created many timeless masterpieces, and left behind remarkable legacies.

Therefore, when Emperor Gaozhong ascended the throne and happened to pass through this region, he renamed it “Baxian County” in order to commemorate their talent and achievements, and even personally bestowed the name in writing. Among other factors, he also took into account the flourishing literary culture of the region.

As a result, Baxian County became the most popular destination for scholars and writers in the region, second only to Langya County.

To this day, the county continued to produce numerous literary giants, and could truly be described as a place steeped in literary tradition.

The Imperial Court had always followed the principle of “appointing officials from their native regions,” so almost all of the officials in Baxian County, from the county magistrate to the lowest-ranking clerks, were local residents.

The Eight Virtuous Families consistently held high-ranking positions such as governor and deputy governor, and the current governor was a member of the Zhou family.

As the son of the governor, and possessing some literary talent himself, Zhou Tiande frequently organized literary gatherings.

However, there had never been a woman present at any of the previous ones.

Even though Tan Yuzhu was a renowned female talent, she had never received an invitation. Yet today, contrary to his usual behavior, Zhou Tiande had invited her to attend.

Everyone who heard the news immediately understood why.

This was simply because the talents in Baxian County were accustomed to banding together, and were deeply intertwined with the four great noble families. 

When the court held the Imperial Examinations this time, very few of these people registered, and those who did participate failed during the first or second round.

It wasn’t that they lacked talent: it was simply because they didn’t pass the background checks, and their perspectives didn’t align with the kind of talents Chu Jiubian was looking for.

These talents and scholars, who prided themselves on their intellectual abilities, were naturally indignant that they were unable to pass such a simple test. They harbored many grievances against the Imperial Court, and even secretly wrote mocking poems and articles, accusing Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian of being poor judges of character.

However, what made them even more uncomfortable was that only four people from Baxian County passed the second round of exams.

Among them were two renowned scholars: Tan Yuzhu’s father, Tan Ji, and Tan Ji’s close friend, Yan Jinsheng.

In addition to them, there was Yan Jinsheng’s youngest son, Yan Rui.

Out of these three, the first two came as no surprise, as they were both renowned scholars who commanded great respect, and everyone was able to willingly accept their defeat.

Yan Rui, a teenager of only about fifteen years old, had passed the engineering exam due to his talent in forging. And due to the fact that he was not in the same field as the classical studies exam-takers, the others didn’t have any strong opinions on the matter.

Then there was Tan Yuzhu, a mere woman, who had also risen to prominence.

Not only had she registered to participate in the Imperial Examinations, but she even passed the first two rounds and advanced to the third!

This was practically like slapping the other students hard across the face!

Moreover, the papers from this round would be sent directly to the highest authorities, and would be personally reviewed by Grand Tutor Chu and Ning-wang.

Although they had all accused these two of lacking judgement, who among them didn’t wish to serve in the Imperial Court?

Didn’t they attend these literary gatherings all the time in order to make names for themselves, hoping for the chance to be recommended to an official position based on their filial piety and integrity?

Therefore, when they saw a woman like Tan Yuzhu being placed above them and given opportunities that were beyond their reach, they were naturally even more resentful.

Secretly, they hoped that she would fail to gain the attention of those in power, fail to enter the Imperial Academy, and lose the opportunity to enter officialdom.

Their pride would truly be trampled underfoot if they were to lose to a mere woman.

The holidays passed, and another ten or so days went by.

Those candidates who had passed the Imperial Examinations gradually began to receive the news, and everyone seemed more anxious than Tan Yuzhu was herself. Yesterday, two students from a neighboring county had received the news, and the engineering student, Yan Rui, had met this morning with an official messenger sent to congratulate him.

This official, leading a contingent of soldiers and minor officials, had arrived at the Yan family’s doorstep with the sound of gongs and drums. They offered their congratulations with beaming smiles, as well as many auspicious words such as, “may you rise rapidly in your career.”

This scene was enough to make anyone envious.

Around midday, both the renowned scholar Yan Jinsheng and Tan Yuzhu’s father, Tan Ji, received their own good news from official messengers.

Only fifteen candidates had passed the classical studies exam, so with these men receiving eighth and fifth place respectively, they could be considered to have ranked very high.

Someone in her same residence had received news, but Tan Yuzhu had not.

Everyone naturally came to the conclusion that Tan Yuzhu had failed the exam.

Therefore, they were in tacit understanding that the purpose of this evening’s literary gathering was to ridicule Tan Yuzhu. However, they had assumed that she would be so busy crying at home that she wouldn’t attend.

Unexpectedly, she actually came – and with only a young maid, rather than her father or Yan Rui, whom she was on good terms with.

This opened up the opportunity for everyone to mock her.

Now, as they watched her sit there calmly, brewing tea in a leisurely manner, it seemed as if she was entirely unconcerned with failing the exam.

Seeing how unmoved she was, Jiang Hongfang continued: “Speaking of which, the scholars and men of talent from our Baxian County are truly exceptional. Otherwise, three out of the four who entered the third round of Imperial Examinations wouldn’t have passed.”

“Jiang-gongzi speaks the truth,” a scholar in green robes chimed in. “It seems that this third round must have been extremely difficult. It’s normal that a woman wasn’t able to pass.”

“If you ask me, women should just stay at home to take care of their husband and children. What kind of behavior is this, showing themselves off in public?”

“Forget about talent, they should go do embroidery at home and marry as soon as possible.”

Everyone chimed in one after another, praising Jiang Hongfang in turn.

Sat in the most prominent seat, the handsome Zhou Tiande wore a kind, gentle expression that, when he turned his attention upon someone, felt like a spring breeze caressing one’s face.

At present, he glanced at Tan Yuzhu, who was sitting almost all the way at the end of the table, and said with a gentle smile: “Miss Tan has come to this literary gathering, so why hasn’t she spoken a single word?”

The moment he opened his mouth, the entire room fell silent.

Only Jiang Hongfang joked: “Perhaps Miss Tan is shy in the presence of so many male talents.”

“Aiya,” he said with a dramatic clap of his hands. “Could it be that Miss Tan has finally found her ideal man, and is shy to the point of speechlessness?”

Upon hearing this, everyone let out muted chuckles.

“Could it be that Miss Tan has taken a liking to Li-xiong?”

“Our dear brother is so handsome and distinguished. It must be true.”

“Among us, the two young masters are naturally the most accomplished. A woman as beautiful as Miss Tan is perfectly suited to either of them. Now that is what I call a perfect match of talent and beauty.”

The words “talent” and “beauty” were very strongly emphasized.

There was a soft chuckle. Although it wasn’t loud, the mocking voices of everyone present went silent, and dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward the woman who had just laughed.

Tan Yuzhu brewed her tea slowly and deliberately, saying in a calm, clear tone: “I thought this literary gathering was for the purpose of composing poems and exchanging literary ideas. Little did I know that it would be filled with opportunistic sycophants spewing obscene and vulgar remarks. It truly disgraces the term ‘literary gathering.’”

The blatant sarcasm made everyone feel as if their tails had been trodden upon, and their expressions soured.

However, the two young masters at the head of the table didn’t seem to take this to heart. The term “sychophant” didn’t apply to them, because they were the ones with power in their hands.

“Miss Tan is quite the eloquent speaker.” Jiang Hongfang’s lips curled into a smile, and he brazenly swept his gaze across her.

On a previous occasion, he had sent a matchmaker to the Tan family with a marriage proposal, but Tan Ji had rejected it.

He then thought that he would first cultivate some feelings with Tan Yuzhu. Such a sheltered young girl, naive and inexperienced, would be easily deceived by sweet talk and a touch of feigned sincerity.

However, he had met her several times at various banquets, and the other party had given him no face at all, which caused resentment to grow in his heart.

But no matter how resentful he felt, behind the other party stood Tan Ji, as well as many more influential scholars and figures with considerable power.

Thus, for the sake of his reputation – and to avoid having his legs broken by his father – he didn’t dare actually take action against Tan Yuzhu.

But now that he had an opportunity to gain the upper hand, he naturally gave it his all.

Today’s literary gathering had actually been organized by him, with Zhou Tiande as the figurehead.

Tan Yuzhu finished pouring a cup of tea, then straightened her back and said without raising her head: “When our Eight Virtuous Ancestors still lived, they said that ‘a gentleman is upright, self-reliant, and possesses a magnanimous and virtuous character.’ At that time, they likely didn’t know that among their descendants —”

She finally looked up, lightly sweeping her gaze over Jiang Hongfang and Zhou Tiande. A faint smile of breathtaking beauty graced her lips.

“– there would be petty individuals like the two of you, who in light of their lack of talent and virtue, can only comfort themselves by belittling women like me.”

When these words were spoken, the courtyard fell into a silence so profound that one could hear a pin drop.

The expressions of the two young masters at the head of the table darkened.

Jiang Hongfang was a spoiled and dissolute young master who was accustomed to doing whatever he pleased. These banquets were always full of attendees who wished to establish connections with his Jiang family, so he naturally behaved without any scruples.

Therefore, he lost his temper and hurled the teacup in his hand in Tan Yuzhu’s direction.

But the maid, who had been a constant presence beside her, abruptly flicked her wrist, and a thin silver needle shot from her fingertips.

With a clink, the teacup spun around, and instead of continuing forward, it fell to the floor at Jiang Hongfang’s feet.

The porcelain shattered into innumerable pieces.

Before anyone could react, they suddenly heard the sound of gongs and drums coming from outside the manor.

It was a very familiar sound, as they had already heard it twice today.

As they heard the sound growing louder and louder, they knew that the procession was heading in the direction of this manor.

But among those present today, the only one who could have drawn such a commotion here was Tan Yuzhu.

Tan Yuzhu extended a hand, and the maid carefully helped her to her feet.

“Everyone, this little girl still needs to prepare her belongings for her journey to the capital to meet the Emperor.” Tan Yuzhu smiled faintly and said, “I won’t be joining you all for idle chatter.”

The deliberately emphasized “little girl” was like a series of resounding blows to the faces of everyone present.

Watching her graceful figure recede, Zhou Tiande finally got to his feet and headed out of the manor with a grim expression.

He had to witness it with his own eyes before he would believe that Tan Yuzhu had actually passed the exam.

Jiang Hongfang also jolted to his feet and followed suit with a dark look on his face.

Impossible. The officials who had brought the good news to Baxian County had all left earlier in the day. How could they be back again?

Tan Yuzhu must have found some random people to put on a performance so that she could save face!

However, when they hurried out of the manor right after Tan Yuzhu, they happened to catch sight of a procession arriving at the gate, even longer than the one that had brought the news earlier that morning

The leading officer was also no minor official, but He Yang, a third-rank military official and the Baxian County Commandant.

This person was a previous subordinate in the Qin Family Army. After the army was disbanded and its members were dispersed to various regions, he had been assigned to Baxian County. Here, he had no close relationships with other county officials, and they were simply colleagues.

He was habitually a man of few words, and rarely smiled, but today, even his stern, aged face held a hint of affectionate warmth.

With an Imperial Decree in his hand, he approached Tan Yuzhu and loudly announced: “Congratulations to Graduate Tan for ranking second in the Imperial Examinations! His Majesty has specifically commanded this official to deliver this Imperial Decree in person and bestow the accompanying rewards. Please depart soon and travel to the capital to participate in the final round of the Imperial Examinations.”

Tan Yuzhu voiced her thanks to the Emperor, and then thanked He Yang before formally accepting the Imperial Decree with both hands.

He Yang waved his hand, and a soldier behind him approached Tan Yuzhu with a small box, saying: “A total of sixty-five candidates passed this round of the Imperial Examinations. Those ranked below the top three will receive a reward of one hundred taels of silver, while the top three will receive fifty taels of gold!”

As he spoke, the officer opened the box to reveal an array of gold ingots dazzling enough to make one’s eyes water.

The onlookers all gasped in astonishment.

“It’s really gold!”

“Fifty taels of gold only fills such a small box? I’d think it would require two large crates.”

“What do you know? The Tan family isn’t short of money. This is simply an honor for them!”

Indeed, unlike ordinary people, these members of prominent families like Tan Yuzhu’s were not short of money, and fifty taels of gold was not a large sum in their eyes.

But the eyes staring Tan Yuzhu’s way were practically dripping blood.

This was gold personally bestowed by His Majesty, and was also a reward for placing in the top three in the Imperial Examinations. Its significance was far greater than its intrinsic value!

However, what followed caused their envy to soar even higher. He Yang had someone bring out a plaque, and when the bright red silk covering it was removed, the words “Successfully Passed the Imperial Examinations” were revealed.

And below was Bai Lihong’s handwritten signature and seal.

Chu Jiubian had instructed Bai Lihong to write this, and then assigned a messenger to deliver it to the local county commandant.

The top three candidates were Lu Yao, Tan Yuzhu, and an agricultural student named Zhang Er. In their home counties, the local commandants were all former subordinates of the Qin Family Army, which made it quite convenient to put them to use.

He Yang’s arrival half a day later than the other officials came about because he wanted to give the craftsmen time to create the finest plaque.

However, when Tan Ji was informed of his success earlier in the day, this information was given to Tan Yuzhu so as to prevent her from waiting anxiously.

When Tan Yuzhu learned that she had not only passed the Imperial Examinations, but had achieved one of the highest ranks, she readily accepted the invitation to the literary gathering. This was the moment she had been waiting for.

She had long disdained this group of sanctimonious hypocrites, and today was the perfect opportunity to strike back at them.

He Yang didn’t get along well with the local officials, and knew that neither the governor’s son nor the young master from the Jiang family were the decent sort. Upon discovering that Tan Yuzhu was attending a literary gathering here, and that it was likely a scheme to humiliate the young girl, he had rushed over as quickly as he could.

Seeing the ugly expressions on the faces of these scholars who usually held themselves in such high regard, both He Yang and Tan Yuzhu were deeply satisfied.

But at this moment, Tan Yuzhu refrained from mocking them. That would be beneath her. Besides, the pointing fingers and whispers from the surrounding villagers were enough to make these people completely lose face.

Thus, Tan Yuzhu invited He Yang back home to sit down for a cup of tea, and also to deliver the plaque and the gold.

He Yang readily agreed, and the group set off once more in a lively procession.

Upon hearing the news, Tan Ji and the Yan family father and son waited for them at the entrance of the manor, beaming with joy.

After dinner, they saw He Yang and the others off, but the county governor and deputy governor arrived soon afterward.

The group exchanged pleasantries, and the governor even apologized to Tan Yuzhu for his son’s inconsiderate behavior.

Having reached the position of county governor, he was naturally no fool.

He knew that the situation had changed. Imperial power was now at an all-time high, and it was unknown how things would develop in the future.

Avoiding causing offense to any party was the best course of action in the long run.

Many others shared this opinion. Consequently, a constant stream of people came to speak with the Tan and Yan families in the following days, but not just anyone was given an audience.

News that a woman had passed the Imperial Examinations and even achieved second place spread rapidly throughout Great Ning.

Those women who hadn’t participated due to various concerns were regretful, but also curiously excited.

It was unfortunate that the Imperial Examinations might not happen again after this year. But if they did happen again in the future, they would no longer be so easily discouraged. They would register without hesitation and seize every opportunity to climb the social ladder.

And those women who had failed the exams despite having prepared diligently, and had thought that they may have been passed over because of their gender, felt their fighting spirit rekindle.

It wasn’t that women were inherently incapable, it was that they simply weren’t yet at the level where they could be selected.

Therefore, they must work even harder to ensure that they had a better chance of performing well in the next exams, and to achieve success like Tan Yuzhu, passing the Imperial Examinations and bringing honor to their families.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of Great Ning, in a remote southern village…..

From the clan heads to the village chieftain, and from the respected elders to the young children, everyone gathered in front of a certain courtyard, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the family of eight standing at the courtyard gate.

This group consisted of common people dressed in coarse linen clothes.

Compared to the wealthier families in the village, this one consisted of only the elderly and young, and the two sole able-bodied workers had to work themselves to the bone just to keep their family from starving.

Nobody could have imagined that a family like theirs would one day be visited by a lofty commandant.

An old woman tucked her hands into her sleeves, shivering from the cold where she stood behind the crowd. She clicked her tongue in amazement and said: “The Zhang family must have incredibly good luck. Their son actually passed the Imperial Examinations and became a successful candidate.”

A dark-skinned boy beside her strained to catch a glimpse of the people in the courtyard ahead, saying: “My grandfather always said that Zhang Er-ge was a good farmer, and it seems he was right. Now he’s going to become an official in the capital.”

“Aiyo, I said all along that Zhang Er looks like he has a promising future ahead of him, and I was absolutely right!”

“Yeah, right. When Zhang Er sold two mu of land to go and take the exams in the city, didn’t you say he was wasting money?”

“Just so. But look at him now, His Majesty bestowed fifty taels of gold upon him! That’s gold! Think about how much land he can buy with that!”

The noise of the crowd swelled until the village chieftain turned around to level a glare at them, at which point they finally quieted down.

Zhang Er held the Imperial Degree in his uncontrollably trembling hands.

The other members of his family were even less worldly and experienced than him. Their complexions changed rapidly as they hid behind him, not daring to speak a word.

Fortunately, the county commandant was aware that they were simple and honest farmers, and didn’t stand on formalities. He even patiently prompted Zhang Er to profess his gratitude toward His Majesty.

Zhang Er and his family immediately knelt down and bowed in the direction of the capital city.

Seeing this, the other villagers knelt down as well.

The commandant found this somewhat amusing, and quickly told them to stand up.

The village chieftain, who was somewhat more knowledgeable in the realm of etiquette, took a bulging purse from his sleeve and handed it to the county commandant.

The commandant understood the sincerity of this gift, so he accepted it and immediately instructed his subordinates to send back one hundred taels of silver as a token of his own appreciation.

Shortly after he left, the governor and deputy governor arrived.

Later on, various wealthy and influential families approached Zhang Er, some with an interest in recruiting him, and some who simply wished to establish connections. But each of them were very generous, and everyone watched as all kinds of rare and valuable items that they had never seen before were delivered in a steady stream to Zhang Er’s residence.

Zhang Er had previously received advice from the county commandant, and knew that some people’s requests should not be granted, while others were permissible.

As a result, he avoided offending many of these people while still receiving many valuable things.

Zhang Er’s family was also very generous, and shared any good things they received with their relatives and fellow villagers. As a result, the entire village benefited from their generosity and grew in wealth.

At last, everyone began to understand the advantages of the Imperial Examination system.

This was a classic example of one person’s success benefitting everyone around them.

The idea of “taking the Imperial Examinations” had been unconsciously ingrained into the minds of the common people.

The results of the examinations arrived in the middle of the first month of the year, and the final round was scheduled for the first day of the third month.

Upon receiving the news, the successful candidates from all over the country set out for the capital to participate in the final examination.

Some of them, like Lu Yao, hailed from wealthy families and were escorted by family members and servants, traveling comfortably in horse-drawn carriages.

There were also those like Zhang Er, who simply packed a bag and prepared to set off. However, thanks to the gold and silver sent by the Imperial Court and various other sources, he was able to stay in inns along the way and didn’t suffer any hardships.

Meanwhile, a constant stream of news poured into the capital.

Initially, this included the names and hometowns of those who passed the Imperial Examinations, then details about where these scholars traveled, whom they met, and what they did.

Whether Chu Jiubian’s judgement of their character was truly exceptional, or because the people sent to deliver the news had given them instructions, the sixty-five selected candidates were all perfectly well-behaved, and simply focused on traveling all the way without causing any trouble.

As for the wealthy families who wanted to recruit them or marry off their daughters to them, no one paid them any attention.

When they heard this, the vassal kings in the capital, who were supposed to leave on the fifteenth, delayed their departure.

In order to prevent Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao from using this as an opportunity to frame them with accusations of “attempting to rebel,” the vassal kings, led by Huguang-wang and Dongjiang-wang, went to the palace together and requested to stay until after the Imperial Examinations.

Nanjiang-wang and Pingxi-wang had no plans in particular, and simply wanted to stay to witness the grandeur of the Imperial Examinations.

As for Anhui-wang Bai Liming, he had always kept a low profile, and simply went along with whatever others did like a timid little quail.

Qin Xiao had no strong feelings on the matter, and only felt that these people remaining in the capital would give rise to trouble, which would be somewhat bothersome.

Chu Jiubian, however, had a change of heart. He sent a knowing glance toward Qin Xiao, a smile on his lips.

Qin Xiao understood then that he wanted these people to stay, though the other’s reasoning was not immediately clear to him.

Bai Lihong was sitting behind his desk. His understanding of his Jiujiu and Xiansheng had reached a new level, and he could tell what they wanted him to say simply by observing their expressions and subtle gestures.

Thus, he spoke in exactly the tone of voice that Chu Jiubian usually used to coax him: “Then please stay a little longer, but behave yourselves and don’t cause any trouble.”

Hearing such words spoken in a “child-coaxing” voice by a young boy, the vassal kings all wore very strange expressions.

But as long as they achieved their objective, that was all that mattered.

As for whether they would behave themselves and stay out of trouble, this wasn’t something that the Emperor could ensure with words alone.

Once they left, Chu Jiubian turned to Bai Lihong and asked: “Can Your Majesty guess why I want them to stay?”

Bai Lihong frowned slightly. Then, after some careful thought, his eyes suddenly lit up: “When the students get to the capital, the vassal kings and lots of other people will be curious about them. Many people will come here, and the city will be very lively.”

Chu Jiubian nodded: “That’s right. And?”

“Jiujiu says that it’s easiest to fish in troubled waters.” Bai Lihong’s eyes gleamed. “We can use this opportunity to investigate the relationships between the vassal kings and the noble families. If we find out that certain people are collaborating, we can find ways to sow discord between them.”

“En.” Chu Jiubian continued to encourage him. “What else?”

The young child reached up and touched his chin, a very serious look on his little face.

Qin Xiao sat cross-legged in his chair with his chin in one hand. His gaze shifted from the child’s face to Chu Jiubian across from him.

Chu Jiubian glanced back at him and said: “You should think about it too.”

Qin Xiao just smiled: “Alright, I will.”

“I’ve got it!” Bai Lihong clapped his hands. “We can use other people to do our dirty work.”

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao didn’t find it strange that a three-year-old – or rather, a four-year-old after the New Year – was talking about “dirty work,” and in fact thought that it was perfectly normal.

Bai Lihong said: “It’s not clear which of the vassal kings and noble families are cooperating, but it’s pretty obvious which ones don’t get along. We can give compromising information about one party to another, then let them fight amongst themselves while we reap the benefits.”

The child spoke so much at once that his mouth became dry, so he quickly grabbed the warm water nearby and took a sip.

“Very well said,” Chu Jiubian told him, clapping his hands together.

Bai Lihong happily clapped his hands as well, his bright eyes crinkling slightly.

Were an outsider to observe them, they would surely notice that when the child smiled, his countenance bore a striking resemblance to Chu Jiubian’s.

Children instinctively imitated those around them.

Just like pets tended to resemble their owners, children also tended to become more and more like the people they trusted and admired.

After questioning Bai Lihong, Chu Jiubian turned to Qin Xiao and raised an eyebrow: “What do you think?”

“His Majesty has already said it all,” Qin Xiao replied. 

Bai Lihong immediately puffed out his chest in pride.

Look, he was already becoming as capable as Jiujiu!

Seeing the arrogant way he held his chubby thin so high, Qin Xiao paused before deliberately changing the subject: “However, there is one more thing to do.”

Bai Lihong immediately lost his puffed up appearance and asked in a childish voice: “What else is there, Jiujiu?”

“Once the Imperial Examinations are over, we will have people at our disposal,” said Qin Xiao. “It’s about time we put pressure on certain parties.”

Purging the powerful noble families and vassal kings was a necessary task, but it must be done with a valid excuse.

Therefore, they needed to pressure those people into making mistakes and creating chaos amongst themselves, then find an opportunity to strike while simultaneously maintaining the moral high ground.

Chu Jiubian looked at him steadily, a faint smile on his lips: “How does this relate to keeping them in the capital?”

“Naturally, it’s so that we can bring them some ‘good news.’”

Qin Xiao spoke in a knowing tone.

Bai Lihong looked left and right, rubbing his little face as he said: “Uh-oh, I don’t get it.”

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao both smiled.

Although the child didn’t understand, he gave them a silly smile in return.

Chu Jiubian’s heart melted, and he asked softly: “Does Your Majesty know about the Edict of Grace?”

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[1] Baxian (八贤) means “eight worthy/virtuous people.” ⮐

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Chapter 77 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 79

Ch. 103 – Eight Ghost Illusion Array

This realization instantly sent a shiver down the spines of Wang Wu and Zhao Yi, and the mild mountain breeze turned into an eerie, bone-chilling wind.

They no longer cared about being wanted criminals. All they wanted was to leave this place. To leave Longqiu. Although the government soldiers were troublesome, they were still a better option than encountering a ghost.

The two of them had clambered out of the pit, and Wang Wu turned around to retrieve the dog, which had followed them down. 

They hadn’t brought the dog when they buried the bodies the day before, and hadn’t intended to bring it today either. But the dog had finished eating the child’s body, and since they had just arrived in the mountains and had little food, they figured that they would take it along and do some hunting.

There was actually still some grain left in the wooden house, as well as some easily-preserved dried meat, enough to last for several months. 

But that dog of Wang Wu’s was extremely picky, and wouldn’t eat anything that wasn’t fresh and bloody.

Wang Wu also cherished his wolfdog, because it was indeed very fierce. In a fight, even two or three men working together wouldn’t be able to subdue it.

This wolfdog was Wang Wu’s trusty accomplice in robbery and pillaging, and the lives claimed by its jaws were no fewer than those taken by Wang Wu’s own hand.

Besides, the one advantage dogs had over people was their loyalty. Human bonds were inherently unreliable, and money-hungry mountain bandits were even less trustworthy. But this wolfdog was aggressive toward everyone. Even Zhao Yi, who had been Wang Wu’s partner for so long, would be barked and growled at when he got close.

It was relatively friendly to Wang Wu, who had raised it since it was a puppy. This made him very proud, as if his dog was comparable to some kind of divine weapon. This dog had saved his life several times from government soldiers, and even if Wang Wu was offered gold for it, he might not make the trade.

So when he fled, although he didn’t bother to take his savings, he did go to the trouble of taking his dog with him.

The present moment was no different. Although he felt that this place was exceedingly eerie, Wang Wu had no intention of abandoning his dog, and called out to the wolfdog waiting at the bottom of the pit.

This wolfdog was aggressive, yet intelligent, and could generally understand Wang Wu’s gestures and commands. It should have obediently jumped up so that Wang Wu could grab it and pull it out.

But this time was different. The wolfdog heard Wang Wu’s call, but didn’t turn its head, just staring motionlessly into the depths of the tunnel.

Standing behind Wang Wu, Zhao Yi urged him with a hint of impatience. The longer they lingered in these ruins, the more they gave him the creeps. All he wanted was to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Wang Wu was also losing his patience, and gave a few more loud shouts. This time, the wolfdog finally moved. But instead of responding to his summons, it rushed into the depths of the tunnel without looking back.

With a single step of its paws, it instantly vanished from sight.

Wang Wu was dumbfounded. This passageway led to places unknown. He and Zhao Yi had actually ventured inside for a while, and bits of rock and dust would occasionally fall from the passageway as they walked, making them wonder if it was about to collapse.

Their worry was not groundless. In fact, a collapse was highly likely.

When had the buildings in the royal city of Western Qiang been constructed? More than one thousand years ago. No matter how good the quality of the construction was, it had been buried underground for so many years. Just because it hadn’t collapsed yet didn’t mean that it wouldn’t collapse in the next second.

Plus, despite being mountain bandits, they had also raided tombs before and knew that while these underground places might seem safe, the air actually became thinner the deeper down you went. There was no way to tell when you might be knocked unconscious by the miasma in the tunnel and perish inside, eventually turning into a mummified corpse. There were countless examples of this exact thing happening.

So after walking for a while, they chose to return instead of venturing farther inside.

Yet unexpectedly, today the wolfdog suddenly dashed inside in a flash, vanishing so completely that not even its shadow remained.

After freezing in surprise, Wang Wu went to jump down and chase after the dog. He couldn’t bear to lose it.

But just as he was about to jump, he remembered that his place might be haunted. Where was the ghost that moved those corpses? It was very likely hiding in this passageway.

Just because he and Zhao Yi had emerged unscathed the first time didn’t mean they would be that lucky again.

He dared not chase after it, but couldn’t bear to abandon his wolfdog. He was caught in a dilemma.

But Zhao Yi was in no such dilemma, and when he saw that Wang Wu wasn’t leaving, he simply turned around and left on his own. Wang Wu hurled curses after him, which were ignored.

Sure enough, a bandit partner was simply unreliable. Although Wang Wu was well aware of this, he still continued to curse Zhao Yi until he vanished into the woods.

Now he was all alone. Wang Wu pulled his collar tighter, feeling unexpectedly frozen under the bright sun and broad sky. He looked around again, the rustling of the branches and leaves in the wind magnified in his ears. Anything even slightly louder would make him jump, certain that a ghost was about to attack him.

After waiting for almost a shichen, Wang Wu finally couldn’t delay any longer. Although he hadn’t seen any ghosts, he had already scared himself half to death. If he stayed any longer, he would surely lose his life.

Although the wolfdog was his treasure, it was ultimately not as important as his own life. Thus, Wang Wu hardened his heart and prepared to leave.

But when he made it just two meters away, he heard a faint bark.

Wang Wu immediately rushed back to the edge of the pit. Looking down, he saw his wolfdog run out of the passageway again with something shiny in its mouth.

It was a brilliant, glittering ruby. Wang Wu was momentarily dazzled by its red gleam, and it took him a moment to regain his sight. Upon seeing that gemstone, all fear of ghosts and ghouls was cast to the back of his mind.

Judging by the quality of this gemstone, it was definitely not cheap. He had struck it rich! Wang Wu’s eyes were fixed on the gemstone, but after the initial surge of elation, a question arose in his mind: where had this gemstone come from?

The wolfdog had carried it out of the tunnel, but where did the tunnel lead? To the ruins of Western Qiang.

This reminded Wang Wu of the legend, which said that the royal city contained priceless treasures that the Southern Chu army hadn’t had time to take away.

He had never taken it too seriously before, but today, his wolfdog had fetched a gemstone from the ruins.

Wang Wu temporarily set these thoughts aside and called out once more to his wolfdog at the bottom of the pit. This time, it obediently jumped up, and Wang Wu pulled it out of the pit by its paws.

He took the gemstone from the dog’s mouth and examined it closely in his palm. It had been polished, and was engraved with patterns he had never seen before. This couldn’t have been done recently, so it must be a product of ancient times.

All signs indicated that the legend of treasure hidden inside the ruins of the ancient city was true. Heat surged through Wang Wu’s chest. The wind no longer felt cold, and the rustling sounds were no longer frightening. Who cared about ghosts? For the right amount of money, he would dare to take a gamble even if the king of hell was standing before him.

But while he was willing to gamble, he wouldn’t be too reckless. After all, it was his own life at stake.

He first took his wolfdog back to the house, where he found Zhao Yi packing his things in preparation to leave Longqiu.

Although he was thoroughly aggravated about Zhao Yi abandoning him, Wang Wu also knew that going it alone presented numerous inconveniences. He needed a helper.

So he took out the gemstone and told Zhao Yi the truth about what had just happened, as well as his speculations. To be able to associate with him, Zhao Yi had to be a kindred spirit, both of them willing to risk their lives for money.

Upon hearing that there was really treasure here, he immediately dropped his luggage and prepared to explore the tunnel again.

However, Wang Wu stopped him and explained his plan.

They still didn’t know if the tunnel was dangerous, so they couldn’t just enter rashly. Thus, they caught a wild pheasant and a rabbit, tied ropes around their feet, and lowered them into the tunnel.

They had prepared a very long rope, and when it had been lowered about fifty meters, the other end fell slack. The two immediately pulled it back up, only to find severed limbs at the end of it. 

The pheasant and rabbit limbs were rough at the edges, as if they had been torn by some enormous force or bitten off. 

When they saw the still-dripping bloodsoaked limbs, Wang Wu and Zhao Yi realized just how lucky they had been to emerge from the tunnel unscathed last time, and didn’t dare consider venturing back in.

Yet despite their reluctance to go inside, they still couldn’t bring themselves to abandon the treasure, and continued to linger in the area. The government troops had long called off their pursuit, but the two bandits still didn’t leave Longqiu, waiting for the day they could devise a way to retrieve the treasure.

It wasn’t until today, when they met Feng Ye and his group, that the two of them steeled themselves and decided to take the gamble.

Regardless of the outcome, at least they wouldn’t waste any more time here.

Although the current result was different from the three Wang Wu had listed at the river, they indeed had no need to stay here any longer. Judging from Feng Ye’s cold expression just now, it was even uncertain if they could leave with their lives.

“Hero, we’ve given you the truth. Not a single lie was told. Look, can’t we…..” Wang Wu craned his neck up to look at Feng Ye at the edge of the pit above, speaking in a fawning, ingratiating tone.

But before Feng Ye could speak, Fang Yang jumped out and angrily rebuked him: “You’ve committed so many evil deeds and you still expect to leave?!”

He had clenched his fists several times throughout Wang Wu’s account, desperately suppressing his anger. How could these two people be so vicious?! That couple and their child, barely five years old…..these two actually murdered them so nonchalantly!

And their methods were so ruthless. Fang Yang had only read about such villains in storybooks, thinking that such people were just fictional. He never could have imagined that reality was so much worse than the stories.

Fang Yang’s fury grew as he spoke, and he abruptly pulled out his iron sword, pointing the tip toward Wang Wu down in the pit.

Seeing this, Cao Zirui went over and patted Fang Yang on the shoulder soothingly, while unobtrusively pressing down to keep him from going anywhere. He was equally furious, but he also knew that cultivators should not casually take the lives of mortals.

Mortals were bound by the laws of the mortal world, and cultivators should not interfere. These two bandits had also committed crimes worthy of death. Send them to any government office, and they wouldn’t be able to avoid their belated execution. It really wasn’t worth breaking their discipline for the sake of these two.

With Cao Zirui holding him down by the shoulder, Fang Yang put up a brief struggle before finally calming down somewhat. He took a deep breath and turned to face Feng Ye: “Shixiong, what should we do with them?”

Feng Ye crossed his arms, tapping his fingers a couple of times as he thought. “Tie them up first, and we’ll hand them over to the authorities when we leave.”

Hao Chen was a little surprised to hear this. He had thought that Feng Ye would simply deal with these two people on the spot.

How did these two end up being classified among Feng Ye’s third-tier criminals? After confirming what Lu Chengye had done, Feng Ye hadn’t hesitated to remove his head from his body.

But on second thought, Feng Ye’s actions were understandable. He probably didn’t want to reveal that side of himself in front of the two younger ones.

The ruthless, brutal God of War, just like the rumors described.

Everyone but the two bandits agreed with Feng Ye’s decision.

But their opinions didn’t matter, and the two were tied tightly with ropes and thrown back into the pit.

Although Fang Yang was still seething with indignation, he knew that this was actually the best course of action. But he secretly clenched his fists, deciding that he would wait until this trip to Longqiu was over, then stay for a while and wait until the two bandits were convicted and executed by the authorities before leaving.

Having dealt with those two, Feng Ye glanced into the dark, seemingly endless tunnel and knew that it was time to head inside.

His decision to descend into the underground ruins was not entirely because of the Living Soil.

Feng Ye was very surprised, extremely surprised, to find the royal city of Western Qiang here.

He had always believed that the royal city didn’t exist, that it was just a fabricated illusion like all the other illusions he had experienced in the Emberless Horizon.

He never could have imagined that such a city existed in reality. Even the serpent god and the eight ghost generals led by the Ghost Mask Priest were exactly the same as in the illusion.

Tracing the chain of events back to the beginning, why had Feng Ye ended up here? Because he had sensed a problem with the Emberless Horizon, and set out to discover the truth about its connection to Jianmu a century ago.

Yet in the same location as the Living Soil, he found the royal city of Western Qiang, which he had previously seen within the Emberless Horizon.

Rather than calling it a mere coincidence, it would be more accurate to call it a trap.

A trap prepared just for him.

But he wasn’t afraid at all. Regardless of whether this royal city was the same as the one he’d seen in the Emberless Horizon, he was no longer the powerless youth he had once been.

Feng Ye took the lead and entered the tunnel, with Hao Chen following close behind him. Before entering, Fang Yang suddenly turned back and gave Wang Wu and Zhao Yi one kick each before catching up with the group under Cao Zirui’s helpless gaze.

The two bandits had never expected that after they laid the facts out, Feng Ye and his group would still so boldly and nonchalantly enter the tunnel. They didn’t know whether to call them daring or suicidal.

Nevertheless, they continued to shout after the group’s retreating backs. It really didn’t matter if Feng Ye and the others went inside, as they were the ones walking to their deaths. But the two of them absolutely didn’t want to stay here, ah!

Wang Wu and Zhao Yi first cast cries for mercy toward their backs, but when those people remained unmoved, they began to hurl insults at them instead, using the most crude and offensive language possible.

Hearing this, Fang Yang almost wanted to run back and shut the two of them up.

But they were already inside, and Fang Yang worried that running back and forth would separate him from his shixiong and the others, so he ultimately didn’t go back.

Fortunately, as they ventured deeper underground, the voices of Wang Wu and Zhao Yi grew fainter and fainter, until they disappeared completely.

When the racket finally subsided, Fang Yang was finally able to calm down and observe the passageway.

The tunnel was pitch black so deep underground, and Hao Chen took out a glowing pearl after entering. Although it wasn’t as bright as sunlight, it still provided sufficient illumination.

The pearl’s illumination range was limited, so in order to prevent the other two from lingering too close to Feng Ye, Hao Chen cleverly took out another pearl. Wearing a magnanimous look, he tossed it to Fang Yang and Cao Zirui. Thus, sharing one pearl between them, Hao Chen and Feng Ye ended up next to each other.

Hao Chen held the pearl in his left hand while Feng Ye walked to his right. Their shoulders were close together, and their hands would occasionally brush as they walked.

When they brushed against each other again, Hao Chen suddenly reached out and grasped Feng Ye’s hand. Facing Feng Ye’s questioning gaze, Hao Chen said boldly: “It’s creepy in here, and I’m a little scared.”

Feng Ye: “……”

This was clearly a lie.

Fang Yang overheard this and felt that it was reasonable. He also found this place a bit eerie , so he quickly grabbed Cao Zirui’s hand and suggested: “Let’s hold hands. That way, we can look after each other if there’s any danger.”

Cao Zirui glanced at their clasped hands and nodded.

Feng Ye: “……”

Since Fang Yang and his friend had done the same thing, he would look heartless if he were to shake Hao Chen off.

He heaved a sigh, resigning himself to the warmth of another person radiating through his palm.

Hao Chen’s body temperature was slightly higher than that of ordinary people. It was unknown if this was due to the thick layer of fat coating his true form, but it gave him an exceptional ability to withstand the cold.

Walking through such a cold and gloomy tunnel, holding that hand gave him an unfamiliar sense of peace and warmth.

Although Feng Ye would never admit it, he felt that this fish’s hand was pleasant to the touch, smooth and glossy.

But he didn’t focus too much on their clasped hands, quickly shifting his attention to the passageway beneath his feet.

The tunnel wasn’t wide. It was just right for two people to walk side by side, but any more than that would be too crowded.

The ceiling was quite high, nearly three meters above their heads. The tunnel sloped downward the entire way, and Feng Ye counted his steps. Finally, after about a hundred steps, the ground leveled out. They must have reached the bottom of the underground structure.

Although the tunnel was still narrow at the bottom, a number of stone carvings had appeared on the walls.

These patterns were chaotic and haphazard, looking much like scribbles.

Fang Yang lamented upon seeing this: “So people in ancient times also liked to scribble on walls?”

Cao Zirui also inspected the patterns. Although he didn’t feel that Fang Yang’s conjecture was entirely correct, he couldn’t seem to come up with any other explanation. The patterns of these carvings were indeed incomprehensible, being neither text nor murals.

Feng Ye observed these patterns very closely. Although they appeared chaotic and meaningless, Feng Ye felt that this shouldn’t be the case. The people of Western Qiang wouldn’t have carved such pointless things, so there must be some significance to these patterns.

With his free right hand, he traced over the patterns on the wall, feeling them as he moved his palm along the contours. The more he looked at these patterns, the more familiar they seemed. After walking more than a dozen steps, Feng Ye came to an abrupt stop.

Ignoring the surprised looks from the others, he shook off Hao Chen’s hand and took the pearl he was holding to light the way.

Without offering any explanation, he walked briskly ahead with the pearl in hand. Then, after a few steps, he turned back and peered at the wall on the other side.

This was the side Hao Chen had just brushed against. After walking several more steps, Feng Ye then crouched down and looked at the ground.

“Shixiong, what are you doing, ah?” Fang Yang finally couldn’t help but ask.

Feng Ye didn’t look up, simply raising a finger in a shushing gesture.

He stared intently at the ground, brow furrowed. Amidst the chaotic patterns on the wall, one particular line led down to the floor and continued to extend across it.

These seemingly arbitrary patterns were not entirely random at all. These were array patterns – and not just one, but several large array patterns intertwined.

That was why they appeared so messy and disorganized.

Feng Ye attempted to untangle one of the lines, mentally tracing the array patterns he had just passed before, and was able to form a vague picture of a corner of this great array.

Although only this small corner was visible, it was enough to let Feng Ye identify exactly what sort of array this was.

His pupils contracted, and he murmured: “This is…..”

Meanwhile, outside the tunnel, Wang Wu and Zhao Yi were still bound hand and foot. The two cursed and hollered for a long time, only stopping when they realized that Feng Ye and the others had gone so far away that they were just shouting into the void.

Zhao Yi spat, cursing Wang Wu instead: “Laozi told you we shouldn’t mess with these people, but you insisted. Now look at what’s happened! We’re going to die here!”

Wang Wu remained silent. He craned his neck to peer down the tunnel, and once he determined that Feng Ye and the others were far away and wouldn’t be returning anytime soon, he immediately began to struggle.

Zhao Yi looked at his writhing appearance and said disdainfully: “You think you can break free from a dead knot? Keep dreaming.”

Without even looking up, Wang Wu retorted with a curse: “Cut the bullshit. Do you want to live? If so, then hurry up and help me.”

Zhao Yi was taken aback. From Wang Wu’s words, it seemed he had a means of escaping. Now that there was hope, Zhao Yi set aside his complaints and moved next to Wang Wu, using his bound hands to take out something hidden in the other’s clothes.

After much effort, Zhao Yi finally retrieved the whistle that Wang Wu had hidden in his belt. Holding it in his hand, Zhao Yi asked: “What is this? Do you want to blow the whistle and call those people back?”

Wang Wu rolled his eyes in response: “Don’t be stupid. This is a dog whistle, humans can’t hear it. If I blow it now, my wolfdog will hear it and come looking for me!”

A dog whistle? Zhao Yi had heard of such whistles before, but never knew that Wang Wu had one. He had been partners with Wang Wu for so long, but the other man had never told him about this.

But that wasn’t too strange. Such a life-saving measure must naturally be reserved for a critical moment.

And this was the most critical moment imaginable. With this in mind, Zhao Yi immediately lifted the whistle to Wang Wu’s lips. His hands and feet were tied together, so he wasn’t able to reach his own mouth.

Wang Wu puffed out his cheeks and blew hard on the dog whistle.

The high-frequency sound waves traveled in all directions, undetectable to the human ear. But behind the wooden house, the wolfdog’s ears suddenly twitched.

It twisted its head around and gnawed off the rope tethering it, then took off on all fours through the forest, heading toward the source of the sound.

Wang Wu blew the whistle for about a quarter of a shichen before he heard footsteps and the panting of an animal above the pit. Overjoyed, he looked up and saw his beloved wolfdog.

“Come down here and bite through this rope!” Wang Wu called out to it. The wolfdog obediently jumped down, then snapped its teeth together and ripped apart the rope on Wang Wu’s hands with a few tugs.

Wang Wu flexed his wrists, then quickly untied his feet.

Seeing this, Zhao Yi urged him anxiously: “Quick, untie me too!”

Wang Wu, however, turned his head and sneered at him: “Like hell!”

He went over to Zhao Yi and gave his face two hard slaps, saying in a tone of feigned pity: “We’ve been holed up here for so long and all we have to show for it is a single gemstone and a gold bracelet. That’s not even enough to fill the gaps in our teeth. It’s really not enough to share between us, so it’s better for you to just stay here.”

“You’re going to fucking keep it all to yourself?!” Zhao Yi was both furious and frantic.

But no sooner had he finished speaking than Wang Wu stepped onto his shoulder and jumped out of the pit. He then turned back to help the dog up. It truly seemed as if he was planning to leave him there.

Zhao Yi immediately changed his tone and pleaded for mercy: “Wait! I don’t want the money anymore! Just get me out of here, I don’t need anything else! You can have it all!”

Standing beside the pit, Wang Wu shook his head and said disdainfully: “All the money’s still mine even if I don’t save you, so why would I waste the effort? The fact that I’m not finishing you off with my own hands is in consideration of all the time we’ve spent together.”

With that said, he turned his back.

When Zhao Yi saw this, he glared with bloodshot eyes and screamed Wang Wu’s name at the top of his lungs, the veins in his neck bulging from the sheer force of his exertion. His shout echoed throughout the forest, startling a great flock of birds into flight. Judging by his expression, he wished he could devour Wang Wu alive.

Wang Wu remained unmoved. He stroked his wolfdog, intending to head back to the house. So much had happened in a single afternoon that dusk had already fallen. He needed to hurry up and gather his belongings, then make a run for it.

However, he had barely taken two steps, Zhao Yi’s shout still ringing through the trees, when a man’s low chuckle suddenly reached his ears.

Just going by the sound, the man’s voice was deep and melodious, yet both Wang Wu and Zhao Yi broke out in goosebumps from head to toe.

How could there possibly be anyone else here other than them?!

The wolfdog beside Wang Wu immediately crouched low, baring its sharp fangs as it ferociously scanned its surroundings.

Wang Wu also looked around warily, but saw no sign of anyone.

Could it be a ghost?!

It was not a ghost, for Zhao Yi saw that at some point, a man had come to stand directly in front of him.

He wore a long black robe, his face covered by a mask. Devoid of any emotion, a pair of cold black eyes stared icily at Zhao Yi, who lay bound hand and foot before him.

This man might not be a ghost, but he was certainly close enough to one. Zhao Yi realized that not only did this person not make a sound when walking, but even more remarkably, he didn’t seem to be breathing.

He had materialized out of thin air inside the underground pit. Meanwhile, having just climbed out of the tunnel, Wang Wu was completely unaware that someone else had appeared down below, and continued to observe the surroundings with his wolfdog.

He swept his gaze around, then turned back to look at the dilapidated stone platform.

And this single glance terrified Wang Wu so much that he immediately recoiled several steps.

For that stone platform, which had only a short moment ago been in ruins, had suddenly transformed into a fully intact stone pillar.

Standing twenty meters tall, it was now stripped of the moss and vines that had blanketed it over the course of one thousand years. It looked pristine, as if it had just been newly constructed.

Space and time were rent asunder under the setting sun. The serpent god upon the stone pillar was no longer shattered, its massive form now intact and coiled around the column. Its eyes, positioned at the very top, gazed down coldly upon the mortals standing at its base, just as it had one thousand years ago within the royal city of Western Qiang.

Wang Wu tilted his head back, gazing up into the serpent’s eyes. For a fleeting, disorienting moment, he even thought he saw them move.

He abruptly realized that this was no illusion – the serpent’s eyes were actually moving!

The snake’s carven eyes suddenly blinked, and when they opened again, they contained a crimson hue. They were as dazzling as the colossal red sun sinking toward the west behind it, or the ruby he had retrieved from the ruins that day.

As the serpent opened its eyes, the rest of its massive form began to uncoil, chunks of stone peeling away to reveal the distinctly textured body of the snake hidden beneath.

The giant serpent slithered down from the stone pillar and extended its head right in front of Wang Wu.

As the serpent’s tongue flicked out, Wang Wu once again heard that low, masculine chuckle.

He finally realized where that laughter was coming from. It was the giant serpent right in front of his eyes!

A drop of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. As the snake’s head drew even closer, he retreated farther and farther back, the wolfdog at his side mirroring his movements. This wolfdog acted aggressively toward the weak, but when faced with this giant serpent, it could only back away with its tail tucked between its legs.

Behind them lay the earthen tunnel they had just climbed out of, but Wang Wu had no time to pay it any mind.

The entirety of his attention was focused on the serpent before him. His image was reflected in its crimson eyes, and within those eyes flickered a human emotion.

Mockery.

Wang Wu was given a sudden start. With his life hanging by a thread, his mind raced, recalling the legendary serpent god in the legends about Western Qiang.

He immediately fell to his knees at the very edge of the pit. One more step back, and he would have fallen in.

Wang Wu begged the giant serpent for mercy: “Serpent god, spare….spare my life!”

The serpent advanced no further. Tilting its neck back slightly, it fixed its gaze on the mortal groveling in the dirt and spoke: “But the Grand Array is about to be activated, and I am missing one key ingredient to trigger it.”

“W-what’s missing?” Wang Wu asked, lips trembling.

“It’s missing you two, ah.” The giant serpent chuckled again.

The moment its words fell, Wang Wu realized that something was wrong. He watched as the scales on the giant serpent’s neck contracted, before it suddenly lunged forward. Seeing that he was about to be swallowed whole, Wang Wu recklessly threw himself backward, dragging his wolfdog along with him, and tumbled back into the pit.

And just as he fell, the stone gate slammed shut.

Accompanying the dull thud of the door closing came the sound of mechanisms activating one after another.

The earth trembled, and the royal city stirred to life. Having slumbered beneath the earth for a thousand years, this ancient city awakened once again the moment the sun set, like a resurrected phantom.

Watching this scene, the giant serpent let out a satisfied chuckle, then dissolved into wisps of black mist and slipped through the crevices in the stone gate, descending beneath the earth.

And just as the earth beneath his feet began to vibrate, Feng Ye uttered the name of this array:

“Eight Ghost Illusion Array!”

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Chapter 102 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 104