Ch. 78 – Parting

It could be said that three days was a long time, but it was also just the blink of an eye.

Today was their third day in North Sea City, and logically speaking, they should depart the city today and return to their respective sects.

So as Feng Ye packed his bag, he thought nothing of it.

He’d come with empty hands, and he would leave with empty hands.

He had found nothing this time: no Jianmu seed, and no spiritual plants. It was truly just like a spring outing.

Knock knock.

Before Feng Ye could respond, the person knocking on the door shouted through it: “Shixiong, our sect’s ship will be docked at the eastern market dock around lunchtime today, and then we’ll set off. Cao Zirui and I are going to use this half day for shopping, and we can meet for lunch. Don’t forget, Shixiong!”

“Got it,” Feng Ye replied.

A burst of footsteps could be heard hurrying away from the door. It seemed that Fang Yang and his friend were in a rush to get to the market.

Feng Ye shook his head helplessly. Fang Yang was always full of endless enthusiasm, whether in cultivation or shopping.

After two days of shopping, Feng Ye had lost interest in North Sea City, and mostly ignored those products that were new or unheard of to Fang Yang.

Only the fortune-telling shop the day before had been somewhat interesting, although it had obviously been a setup specially prepared for him by Hao Chen, who had been gone for a day after being called away by Old Crab Nine the day before.

Even though the crab with the fake beard had concealed his cultivation level, Feng Ye could still tell at a glance that his strength was roughly equivalent to a Nascent Soul stage human.

A Nascent Soul cultivator wasn’t just some commonplace weed that could be found everywhere. The only Nascent Soul stage crab in North Sea City was its nominal owner, Proprietor Crab.

And who else had the ability to command Proprietor Crab and instigate him to stick on a fake beard, other than their so-called ‘Honored Lord?’ 

There was no telling who or what had prompted this fish Hao Chen to come up with such a roundabout method to warn him.

Hao Chen had likely discovered the danger hidden behind the Jianmu incident, which led to this situation.

Speaking of which, although it was unknown why this fish appeared in Lingxiao Sword Sect and ended up at his side, Hao Chen had never quite understood the situation. He knew nothing about Jianmu, and became involved in the matter purely by chance.

Yesterday, the crab had told Feng Ye that he wouldn’t be able to fathom what he would encounter at the end of his quest. But that statement wasn’t true – it was Hao Chen who lacked that knowledge.

Although Feng Ye couldn’t clearly say who it was working behind the scenes, he had a vague prediction, as well as an estimation of his opponent’s strength.

He still vividly remembered the fright his dream had given him; the other party was definitely not someone to be underestimated.

Feng Ye was already prepared. No matter how powerful the enemy was, he was determined to track him down.

It was just that…..he didn’t know what decision Hao Chen had come to after receiving his answer yesterday.

Hao Chen was different from him. It was imperative that Feng Ye investigate the Jianmu matter, but there was actually no need for Hao Chen to further his involvement. He was the Lord of the North Sea, and the location where Jianmu penetrated into the heavens was thousands of li away from his domain.

In fact, very few of the gods in heaven were warm-hearted. Most of them kept their distance in peacetime, and minded their own business when there was trouble.

Feng Ye was already surprised that Hao Chen would warn him of the danger. This fish was actually so loyal? 

But this was probably where their association ended. How long had they known each other? It had been less than half a month at most, so the warning was just for the sake of brotherhood. Going any further would be too much.

The best strategy was to extract oneself from the muddy water in a timely manner, which was also consistent with the fish’s character. Perhaps the reason Feng Ye hadn’t seen him since yesterday was because the fish had already departed.

The more Feng Ye pondered, the more possible this seemed. He couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Although Hao Chen pestered him constantly and was a bit annoying, he felt a sudden sense of loneliness at the thought that Hao Chen had left without a word.

Feng Ye glanced around the empty room again. Fang Yang had also run off with Cao Zirui, so he was truly alone.

But there was nothing strange about that. It was just his life reverting back to its original state. The excitement couldn’t last forever, and traveling alone was the norm.

Feng Ye folded the bedding and sorted his clothes, then prepared to leave.

Knock knock.

Who would come knocking on his door? Perhaps Fang Yang had returned again. Feng Ye opened the door and was taken aback by who had arrived. 

Hao Chen was very adept at seizing opportunities. Taking advantage of Feng Ye’s brief daze, he squeezed past him into the room without saying a word, holding a plate in his hands.

He placed breakfast on the table and then commented on Feng Ye’s room very familiarly: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye is so tidy. Your bedding is folded neatly.”

Feng Ye belatedly came to his senses and turned around to look at Hao Chen, who had broken into his room as if he owned it. He didn’t speak immediately, but went and sat down next to Hao Chen in silence.

Seeing this, Hao Chen attentively picked up the breakfast he had delivered and handed it to Feng Ye, saying: “Has Fellow Daoist Feng Ye not eaten yet? I brought it up for you specially from downstairs. Why aren’t you eating? Would you like me to feed you?”

Without giving Feng Ye a chance to speak, he blew on a spoonful of seafood porridge and brought it to Feng Ye’s mouth.

Feng Ye: “……”

He pushed away Hao Chen’s hand holding the spoon and refused: “No need, I can do it myself.”

“Awwww.” It was only one word, but Hao Chen dragged it out with all-encompassing regret.

Feng Ye: “……” What is there to regret about this?

This fish’s thought patterns were becoming increasingly difficult to understand.

In order to prevent Hao Chen from trying again, Feng Ye pushed the breakfast tray far away. It was time to discuss serious business.

“You…..” Although he had already turned the words over in his mind several times, when he gave voice to them, it was as if he had just learned how to speak. “Why are you back?”

He’d assumed that this fish had already escaped.

Hao Chen smacked the table when he heard this, and Feng Ye stared at his folding fan for a few seconds. The mini fan that had shrunk after he severed it was gone, and what Hao Chen held at present was a fan of normal length.

Hao Chen was in high spirits. He had been waiting for this!

He had wanted to tell his made-up story the day before, describing the hardships he had endured after being wrongly arrested in Feng Ye’s place – in order to gain some benefits.

But who would have thought that Fang Yang would interrupt them? And he had taken Feng Ye shopping for clothes afterward, so he never had the time.

Now that Feng Ye had posed this question, Hao Chen’s interpretation of it was completely different from Feng Ye’s meaning. Feng Ye was asking why Hao Chen hadn’t left since this situation was so dangerous, while Hao Chen understood it as him asking how he’d gotten away after being arrested the day before.

Hao Chen finally had his chance, and naturally wouldn’t let it go to waste. He recounted the story he’d made up before and added some new content on the spot: “Ai, I had to spend an entire night explaining things to those arrogant crabs before I was finally cleared of all charges. An entire night of tossing and turning!”

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye.” Hao Chen looked at him and sighed, “I took the blame for you, so you must make it up to me.”

Feng Ye, after hearing the whole story: “…..” What does this have to do with anything, ah?

He realized that this fish had probably misunderstood. It seemed that Hao Chen was unaware that he already knew his identity, and had even fabricated such a story in order to come here and gain his sympathy. 

What kind of punishment could Hao Chen have endured? Would those crabs dare to interrogate him? He was probably served delicious fish and meat dishes.

But since Hao Chen was unaware, Feng Ye had no intention of notifying him. He simply went along with Hao Chen’s words and said: “Thank you for your hard work, Fellow Daoist Hao Chen.”

Hao Chen, who was happily waiting for Feng Ye’s compensation, waited for a long time. Seeing that Feng Ye had no intention of making it up to him aside from his words, he couldn’t help but look upon the other man with dissatisfaction.

Feng Ye lowered his head and drank his porridge, pretending not to see.

No matter how lively a person sang, there was nothing one could do if the audience didn’t respond. Hao Chen could only give up on the idea of taking liberties with the other person by calling in this debt.

“Oh, right.” Hao Chen suddenly changed the subject and let out a performative sigh: “All good things must come to an end. After today, you and I will return to our respective sects.”

Feng Ye paused as he drank, but quickly recovered as if nothing had happened.

It turned out that Hao Chen hadn’t left, but had come to say goodbye before leaving.

Feng Ye set the empty porridge bowl on the table. As he stared at the bottom of the empty porcelain bowl, he inexplicably felt that his heart was empty as well. 

But very quickly, he convinced himself that this was actually a good thing.

Hao Chen staying wouldn’t be of any help to him at all, and would actually be a hindrance. Feng Ye also didn’t want anyone else to get involved in the Jianmu matter, so it was really the ideal choice for Hao Chen to leave. 

His only regret had been that he didn’t get to say goodbye properly.

After all, they were still acquaintances. Although the reason for their acquaintance was somewhat mysterious, and they had created numerous obstacles for each other blatantly and in secret, all grudges were resolved with a smile. Feng Ye more or less classified Hao Chen as a friend.

Since Hao Chen hadn’t left without a word, and had in fact come back to speak to him, Hao Chen probably regarded him as a friend as well. 

At this thought, Feng Ye smiled with some relief. He turned to Hao Chen and asked: “When is Fellow Daoist Hao Chen leaving?”

Hao Chen fanned himself, taking a moment to think: “Right away. Our sect will set off in an hour.”

Only one hour left, Feng Ye thought.

There was no telling when they would see each other again, and it was possible that they would never meet again in this life.

Of course, Hao Chen wasn’t returning to Tiangong Pavilion. He would go back to his North Sea, in the farthest northern reaches of heaven, so far away that Feng Ye had never crossed such a distance.

But at the moment of their parting, Feng Ye suddenly ran out of words and began to make up lies without thinking. When it came to serious goodbyes, he didn’t know what to say.

After hesitating for a long moment, he finally said five words: “With luck, we’ll meet again.”

When he saw Feng Ye holding himself back for so long, Hao Chen had thought he would say something other than these five dry words.

He shook his head in disappointment: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s goodbye is too perfunctory. I even secretly prepared a big gift.”

As he spoke, he took a folded garment from his storage bag.

Hao Chen shook the robes out in front of him as if displaying a treasure. Gesturing toward Feng Ye’s 50,000 spirit stone robes and then toward the set in his hands, he deliberately asked: “Do you see the difference, Fellow Daoist Feng Ye?”

“This is…..” Feng Ye was a little surprised. When he compared the feeling of the two sets of clothing, the one in Hao Chen’s hands was actually softer than the one he was wearing.

The shop owner had said that it was mermaid-woven silk, and that the higher their level of cultivation, the more valuable it was. This nine-hundred-year-old garment he was wearing was already the finest quality that was circulated outside. The clothes made of over one thousand-year-old mermaid silk were as valuable as a heaven-grade magic weapon, and were rarely circulated outside, with most of the supply going to the Lord of the North Sea.

Who was this exact smug fat fish in front of him. 

Hao Chen regarded Feng Ye’s dark blue robes with disdain. How could he give him such a shabby gift? If he was going to give him something, it had to be the best.

Yesterday, he had specifically taken Feng Ye to look at the clothing store in order to make clear to him the preciousness of the over one thousand-year-old mermaid silk in his hands.

Otherwise, if he gave someone a pearl and they took it as a marble, wouldn’t there be no end to his grievances?

He had begun preparing this gift the very first night he met with Prime Minister Turtle. The style was of his own design, and he had discussed it with Prime Minister Turtle all night long.

When he went shopping the day before, the original plan was just to browse without buying anything. Just after making clear to Feng Ye how precious over one thousand-year-old mermaid silk was, he would take out this gift he had just received today, which had been rushed here overnight along with his new fan. 

As for asking the store owner for a discount, that was just for the purpose of teasing Feng Ye. He hadn’t expected such an accident to happen. It didn’t matter that he had to leave for something, but that self-satisfied shop owner just had to give away the clothes!

The more Hao Chen thought about it, the angrier he became. In the end, he couldn’t bear it and personally took the crabs to smash up the store.

Of course, he didn’t mention any of this, but simply smiled and said: “These robes are made of thousand-year-old mermaid silk. I spent a lot of effort to obtain them.”

As he spoke, he reached for Feng Ye’s belt: “Those dark blue robes don’t really suit you. I think these black ones are better, let me help you change into them.”

Feng Ye tightened his belt with one hand and took Hao Chen’s grasping hand with the other, saying repeatedly: “No need!”

Hao Chen held the rejected clothes and donned a tearful expression: “Is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye unwilling to accept this parting gift?”

“This…..” Feng Ye hesitated. Although this thousand-year-old mermaid silk was precious, it wasn’t so precious that he dared not accept it. But he hadn’t prepared a gift, and to receive a gift without giving one in return was a bit awkward.

However…..this was also an opportunity.

Feng Ye suddenly reached out and took the robes from Hao Chen’s hands. Then he stretched out his other hand under Hao Chen’s puzzled gaze, explaining: “Where’s your little fan?”

Hao Chen was somewhat baffled. He took the mini fan from his sleeve, having forgotten about it when he purchased a new one, asking doubtfully: “What do you want this for?”

Feng Ye immediately snatched the mini fan away and explained: “I’ll give you a new one.”

Although Hao Chen was puzzled over Feng Ye’s reasoning for taking his mini fan away, he couldn’t help but smile when he heard these subsequent words. His fan was made from his own tail feathers – what could Feng Ye hope to replace it with?

But…..didn’t this mean Feng Ye was giving him a gift? The gift may be small, but the sentiment behind it was great. Overjoyed, Hao Chen decided that no matter what kind of worthless fan Feng Ye gave him, he would praise it to the sky.

A moment later, under Hao Chen’s relentless badgering, Feng Ye changed into the robes he had given him. As for the dark blue ones…..they were viciously destroyed by Hao Chen.

Fifty thousand spirit stones were wasted in the blink of an eye, but neither of them had major regrets.

Hao Chen looked with satisfaction at Feng Ye in the robes he had designed himself. He felt they were like a sign board declaring that this person belonged to him.

Of course, he wisely didn’t speak these silent thoughts out loud. If he did, Feng Ye would likely change back into his original tattered robes. Hao Chen had already suffered a loss in the Floating Island Secret Realm, and had since learned his lesson.

The two of them had dithered for a long while, and when they calculated the time, they realized that nearly a shichen had passed. It was time for Hao Chen to leave.

Feng Ye had originally wanted to see Hao Chen off, but the other declined: “Your sect is gathering at the eastern pier, and ours at the west. If you send me there personally, you may not be able to catch up to them.”

So Feng Ye didn’t see him off, but before Hao Chen departed, he made a promise to him while looking at the mini fan in his hand: “In the future, I’ll personally bring you a new fan.”

He would give it to him personally in the North Sea. This was also a promise that they would meet again.

Hao Chen smiled upon hearing this. Although he didn’t know what Feng Ye meant, he clasped his new fan and said: “Then I’ll be waiting for you.”

Then, he opened his folding fan and left in a leisurely manner.

Feng Ye watched until Hao Chen’s figure completely vanished from sight.

Hao Chen never looked back. He just departed without hesitation, very free and easy.

Feng Ye shook his head with a smile, feeling that he himself wasn’t as free and easy as this fish. Suppressing the sadness of parting, he turned and headed toward the eastern pier.

He also unfolded the mini fan in his hand and waved it like Hao Chen did. In any case, they would meet again. One day, he would make the long journey across the North Sea and return the favor in person.

He didn’t know if it was because of the breeze created by this small fan, but this really helped to dispel a lot of his sorrow.

Feng Ye’s pace became increasingly brisk as he recalled everything that had happened since he met Hao Chen. The memories surged like waves, turbulent for a while before slowly easing up.

When he arrived at the pier, the large ship was already there waiting. Fang Yang stood atop it, waving at Feng Ye.

Feng Ye smiled back. He completely accepted the fact of his and Hao Chen’s separation and tossed all of his regret and sorrow into the sea.

Had it ended like this, it would have been a perfect farewell.

After boarding the ship, Feng Ye maintained his blank expression for a full quarter of a shichen.

Then, he stared at Hao Chen, who was seated next to Fang Yang and Cao Zirui as he regaled them with the tale of his adventure when he was arrested by the crabs. A large # appeared on Feng Ye’s forehead.

Perhaps due to the sharpness of Feng Ye’s gaze, Hao Chen found it a little difficult to continue. He said to Fang Yang and Cao Zirui, “To be continued,” and then approached Feng Ye with an apologetic smile: “Please don’t be so angry, Fellow Daoist Feng Ye. I didn’t expect this either.”

Hao Chen spread his hands and said: “As soon as I boarded the ship, the sect leader told me to get off. He said that Tiangong Pavilion lost rank because of me getting zero points, and he doesn’t want to see me for a while. So I had no choice but to seek refuge with Fellow Daoist Feng Ye.”

Feng Ye remained unmoved. He had already seen through to Hao Chen’s true face.

This fish did it on purpose!

He deliberately put on a show and acted out a farewell drama, and after cheating enough sorrow out of him, he’d come back to deliver the final blow. Feng Ye was so angry that he wanted to personally kick this fish off the ship, but his last shred of rationality kept him from taking action. 

Hao Chen also realized that he had gone a bit too far, and quickly offered tea and water as an apology.

But Feng Ye crossed his arms and ignored him. No matter how Hao Chen apologized, it was fruitless, and the situation remained deadlocked.

All of a sudden, the ship rocked.

The sails unfurled, flapping in the wind.

The ship was about to set sail.

When he realized this, Feng Ye temporarily let go of his grudge.

He turned to Hao Chen – who was fanning him – and asked seriously: “You’re really not leaving?”

Hao Chen gave it some genuine thought, then maintained a serious expression as he winked at Feng Ye: “Wherever Fellow Daoist Feng Ye is, I will be there as well.”

Feng Ye held his forehead and completely gave up communicating with Hao Chen.

And while Feng Ye was holding his forehead, Hao Chen smiled where he couldn’t see.

He actually knew what Feng Ye was asking, and was cognizant of the fact that Feng Ye probably knew his true identity.

But he had still decided to stay.

Although confronting Yinglong would bring great danger to the North Sea…..he couldn’t just leave Feng Ye by himself.

Yinglong had sought out Xue Ren. It was unknown what their plans were, but Feng Ye returning to Lingxiao Sword Sect would undoubtedly be very dangerous, since Xue Ren was returning too.

It followed that Yinglong would likely accompany him.

With Hao Chen there, he could at least deal with Yinglong when the time came.

He still hadn’t decided if he would fight Yinglong directly, but in any case…..he would take it one step at a time.

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Chapter 77 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 79

Ch. 77 – A Gentleman Achieves His Ambition At the Cost of His Life

Feng Ye looked away once Hao Chen and Old Crab Nine disappeared around the street corner.

Old Crab Nine had been anxious to find Hao Chen, so something had probably happened in the North Sea. Feng Ye thought, I haven’t heard of any recent disputes in the heavens, so it shouldn’t be anything major.

Since Hao Chen was gone, he would leave the store and go for a stroll outside.

However, he had just stepped half a foot out of the store when the owner called out to him. Feng Ye turned in puzzlement to find the other party walking toward him with a smile, rubbing his hands together.

“Sir…..” the shop owner asked cautiously, “Um…..what is your relationship with that person just now?”

His words were vague, but Feng Ye understood at once. He was going to answer honestly and say that they were friends who had only known each other a short time, but when the words came to his lips, he suddenly paused.

Hao Chen always took advantage of him, both openly and covertly, tit-for-tat. If he just gave without taking anything in return, wouldn’t he suffer a huge loss? 

Now was the time to gain some ground, so…..

“He, ah…..” Feng Ye donned a thoughtful look, and said as if conflicted, “I’m not sure how to characterize it.”

Upon seeing the situation, the shop owner said: “I’m good at this sort of thing. Tell me, and I’ll help you determine the nature of it.”

Feng Ye nodded in agreement, and the shop owner immediately asked: “Have you…..ever done things that people wouldn’t normally do with each other?”

He gave it some thought. The Lord had personally brought this person clothes shopping, and although he was mediocre in appearance and ability, he couldn’t think of another possibility other than this person being his lover.

After all, this was their Honored Lord who was sometimes too lazy to swim and would just go floating along the current. But he actually bothered to take this human along to go shopping for clothes. 

And the two of them had just casually shown their affection. This human had grabbed their Lord’s wrist so naturally. Everyone knew that their Lord had a mild aversion to touch, and was picky and conceited, but he actually allowed a human to touch him so casually. 

It was no exaggeration to call this bizarre. The shop owner had been so shocked that he couldn’t close his mouth, and even suspected that he was hallucinating.

However, it was not a hallucination. Not only did their Lord allow this human to hold his wrist, he even whispered something very intimately to him. 

Although he didn’t know what was said specifically, all of this abnormal behavior further pointed toward the guess in the shop owner’s mind. He only needed some details to prove it further.

However, Feng Ye’s response was a shake of his head.

The shop owner persisted, suggesting: “How about kissing?”

He shook his head.

“Hugging?”

He shook his head again.

“Then…..” After kissing and hugging, one would usually pamper a partner and hold them in the palm of their hand, but the shop owner thought about their Lord’s size and felt that wasn’t practical, so he changed his last question: “Holding hands? The two of you haven’t held hands before?”

This time, Feng Ye nodded. They had really never held hands. Holding wrists didn’t count. Holding hands should at least involve interlocking five fingers. 

Was their Lord’s progress too slow, or was he really overthinking things? The shop owner was a little disappointed.

“But…..” Just when the shop owner was feeling let down, Feng Ye suddenly said, “We have slept together.”

The shop owner’s head, which had been lowered in disappointment, suddenly shot up. The flames of gossip burned in his eyes.

Feng Ye pretended not to notice. He stroked his chin with a look of reminiscence, and said in a calm tone that struck a thunderbolt into the shop owner’s mind: “We slept together twice, once inside and once outdoors.”

Once in Lingxiao Sword Sect and once in the Floating Island Secret Realm. Sleeping next to each other could also be called sleeping together. I’m not lying, Feng Ye thought with peace of mind.

And the shop owner was thinking: It turns out they’re that wild?!

“Hehe.” The shop owner couldn’t help but let out a laugh that all men would understand. Then he asked eagerly: “How was it?”

Feng Ye thought for a moment, then said: “He was rather calm and quiet.” Besides cuddling up to him like an octopus, Hao Chen didn’t have any other bad sleeping habits, and didn’t grind his teeth or snore.

But when the store owner heard this, it took on a completely different meaning.

Calm and quiet? What kind of description was calm and quiet? Their Lord was calm and quiet in bed? Shouldn’t that be the time for him to show off his prowess? 

Could it be that…..the shop owner’s expression suddenly cracked. Could it be that…..he was thinking about it the wrong way? That their Lord was the one on the bottom?

Shocked by this terrifying speculation, the shop owner gaped silently for a long stretch of time.

Feng Ye observed the shop owner’s expression, a bit puzzled. Although he was indeed misleading him, he felt that the shop owner was misleading himself even more.

He just wanted to mislead him into thinking that he and Hao Chen had a special relationship, but the shop owner was so shocked that he had practically turned to stone.

Feng Ye couldn’t help but wave five fingers in front of the shop owner’s eyes, and the petrified person finally came to his senses.

But when he came to his senses, his attitude toward Feng Ye had changed again. While he had smiled at him in the beginning, now he was practically fawning over him.

“This…..” The shop owner was somewhat hesitant over what to call him. They had already slept together, so he should call him the Lord’s wife. But it seemed that the Lord was the wife, so he didn’t know what title to use……

Feeling that he had fallen into a philosophical dilemma, he simply returned to the starting point and used the original address: “Sir, it’s rare for you to visit our shop, so I can’t let you leave empty-handed. If it pleases you, please accept this garment.”

As he spoke, the shop owner stuffed the nine hundred-year mermaid silk garment worth 50,000 spirit stones into Feng Ye’s hands. He calculated in his mind – of course their Lord hadn’t brought this person to their store to shop, but to buy him clothing as a gift.

It was just that their Lord had to leave suddenly, so as his subordinate, he should naturally take his intentions into consideration. He would help their Lord with his unfinished business and make an impression on him, as well as…..their Lord’s future wife, who he didn’t know whether or not to call a wife.

Everything developed as Feng Ye had predicted. Although the shop owner was overthinking things, the result was the same.

Feng Ye couldn’t help the way the corners of his mouth curved. But before he accepted the free goods, he pretended to refuse several times.

The shop owner was a businessman, and was well-versed in the ins and outs of such things. After going back and forth for a while, the clothes ultimately ended up in Feng Ye’s hands.

But before accepting them, Feng Ye said deliberately: “We’ve just met by chance. I can’t accept your clothes for nothing.”

The shop owner started to persuade him again, but Feng Ye said quickly: “How about this. I’ll buy it based on the price he just agreed on.”

As he spoke, he took the last half of his savings from his pocket and placed a spirit stone in the shop owner’s hand.

A moment later, Feng Ye walked out of the store in his new clothes while the shop owner held a spirit stone in his hand and saw his guest off.

Feng Ye shook out his sleeves, feeling the sensation of soft fabric once more. That spirit stone was well spent. He had made a fortune.

And the shop owner was thinking that he had made a fortune by spending 49,999 spirit stones to make a good impression on his Lord’s wife.

In short, both sides felt that they had made a sizable profit.

After leaving the store, Feng Ye felt like the street vendors were looking at him differently now that he was wearing new clothes. In his previous outfit, most vendors wouldn’t even bother to greet him. But now, in garments worth 50,000 spirit stones, they were looking at him like he was a fat sheep ready to be slaughtered, shouting at the top of their lungs in hopes that Feng Ye would come to their stalls and take a look. 

It was a pity that this fat sheep was all show and no substance. Apart from this set of clothes, he was truly penniless.

So Feng Ye stared straight ahead, unmoved by the vendors’ cries, and went on his way.

“Sir, please stay.”

A call came from the right, but Feng Ye ignored it and continued to walk forward.

“Sir, please stop!”

This one was deliberately louder, but Feng Ye didn’t stop, walking away from the store.

The owner of the voice finally couldn’t help but run outside. He blocked Feng Ye’s way anxiously and repeated: “Sir, please stop!”

Feng Ye finally came to a stop and peered at the person blocking his path. It was…..a crab with a fake beard?

Feng Ye: “……” He stared at the obviously glued-on fake beard on the crab’s mouth with dark lines on his face.

Seeing that Feng Ye had finally stopped, the fake-bearded crab resumed the low, unfathomable tone he had used at the beginning. He stroked his beard with one claw and pinched the other together, saying: “I see that you and I were destined to meet. Would you care to come to my shop for a fortune-telling?”

Feng Ye was very blunt: “I have no money.”

This fellow with a glued-on beard was obviously a swindler. Feng Ye decided to jump over this crab and leave.

However, the crab’s next words made Feng Ye pause in his steps.

“It’s free! You’ll even get a free gift when you enter the store!” The crab said as he stopped Feng Ye.

Thus, Feng Ye followed the crab into a small shop.

The shop itself wasn’t very roomy. It was a small, box-like space with decor that was pretty much the same as all the other shops. The only thing worth noting was…..

Feng Ye stared at the fist-sized pearl near the door, specially displayed on a shelf. There were so many other places to put it, but it was placed right near the door where it would have a panoramic view of the entire establishment.

“Sir, please have a seat here.” The crab pulled out a chair for Feng Ye.

Feng Ye looked away from the pearl, thanked the crab, and sat down in the middle of the shop.

The chair faced the door, with a small round table in front of it. Across the table stood the crab, who was unable to fit on a chair. Feng Ye found a comfortable position for himself, then placed his hands on the table and said directly: “What are you going to give me?”

He hadn’t actually followed the crab into the store for a free gift. Since the crab hadn’t asked for money, and even offered something for free, it was clear that Feng Ye was being targeted. 

The other party had already set the stage. As a member of the audience, if he didn’t enter, wouldn’t the other’s performance be very lonely?

So Feng Ye had followed him inside in order to see what this fake-bearded crab was up to.

There was a hint of joking in Feng Ye’s voice when he asked this question. It was clear that he didn’t believe in such fortune-telling.

Seeing this, the fake-bearded crab began to warn him in a roundabout way: “Sir, you are from far away, right?”

Feng Ye smiled when he heard this. Such a sentence applied to everyone who came to North Sea City. Who hadn’t made a long journey via a flying magic instrument to get here from the mainland?

This sort of ambiguous phrasing that could make sense from multiple standpoints had always made up the opening remarks of such charlatans. First they bluff you, then they set traps for you step by step until you believe them, and then they defraud you of money.

But before the crab finished speaking, he saw the smile on Feng Ye’s face and slowly raised a claw to point upward: “I’m talking about that place.”

Although the ceiling was right there, Feng Ye wasn’t as foolish as Fang Yang. He certainly understood what the crab was pointing at.

The heavenly realm.

The crab didn’t say it out loud, and Feng Ye didn’t acknowledge it, but he put away his smile and leaned forward slightly, serious at last.

“What else have you divined?” Feng Ye asked.

“Did Sir come on this journey in search of something?” The crab began to stroke his fake beard again. “Something that should have been destroyed long ago.”

Feng Ye nodded and said affirmatively: “Something like that.”

“Would Sir like his luck to be divined for this quest?” the Crab said to Feng Ye.

Feng Ye stared at the crab for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Alright, divine it,” he agreed. As he spoke, he once again relaxed his posture and leaned back in his chair.

With a clatter, the crab dropped three copper coins from his claw and explained to Feng Ye: “These three coins belong to the Five Emperor coins, perfect for divination. I’ll flip the coins six times for you and give you six hexagrams. Only when all six hexagrams come together can we determine the final outcome, whether good or bad.”

“This is the first hexagram.” The crab pointed to a copper coin on the table and determined which side had landed up. “The first line is Shaoyin.”

As the crab said this, he scratched the first hexagram into the table with his claw.

Feng Ye continued to recline in his chair. Although he was watching the crab flip the divination coins, there was a sense of indifference in his eyes.

There was another clatter, and the crab recorded the second hexagram: “Second line, Shaoyang.”

“Third line, Bianyao.”

“Fourth line, Shaoyin.”

Feng Ye’s gaze followed the crab’s raised claw and the descent of the copper coins. He folded his long legs and found a more comfortable sitting position.

“Fifth line, Shaoyin.” The crab had already drawn five hexagrams, but didn’t rush to drop the last coin. Instead, he commented on the five hexagrams he had already divined: “This is a bit like the Marsh Water Trap, a very ominous hexagram. The prospects for this quest, Sir, are not very good.”

“Oh?” Feng Ye raised an eyebrow and asked cooperatively: “Then according to you, if it really is this Marsh Water Trap, then what should I do?”

“Well…..” the crab pretended to make a prediction: “A marsh without water, a trap. A gentleman achieves his ambition at the cost of his life. The hexagram clearly indicates that if you insist on continuing your pursuit, you will pay a heavy price – perhaps even your life.”

“As for how to interpret this hexagram, it is actually fairly simple. The Marsh Water Trap only appears in relation to the matter you are pursuing. If you are willing to take a step back and give up your pursuit, the ominous hexagram will naturally be resolved.” The crab asked carefully: “What will you decide, Sir?”

Feng Ye couldn’t help but smile when he saw the crab’s expectant expression. His desire for Feng Ye to agree with him was so obvious that it was practically written across his face.

Feng Ye gave a deliberately unclear answer, adopting a solemn expression as he thought for a while before saying: “The six lines aren’t complete yet, so the hexagram hasn’t been determined. It’s still a little early to decide now.”

“Indeed, then I will make the final divination.” These were the crab’s words, but inwardly he was thinking: He won’t cry until he sees the coffin.^[1]

The only hexagram available for Feng Ye was the Marsh Water Trap, which could only be a bad omen. After all…..this was the situation that had been set up for him.

As the crab thought, he threw down the copper coins just as he had done before.

The coins fell, flipping through the air. The crab’s eyes were fixed on their trajectory, waiting for the final divination to be completed before he questioned Feng Ye again.

However, before the copper coins could actually fall onto the table, a pair of hands suddenly caught them.

Feng Ye had leaned forward in his chair at some point. With his chin resting on one hand, he held the three copper coins in the other and said with a smile: “Since it’s my fortune being told, how about I cast the final divination myself?”

Although he phrased it as a negotiation, his tone brooked no argument.

The crab had no chance to disagree. When Feng Ye was done speaking, he turned his raised fist over and simply spread out his hand, slapping the copper coins onto the table. 

When Feng Ye moved his hand away, the crab quickly looked at the table. He was speechless for a long time.

Because the tree copper coins were now scattered in pieces across the table, fragmented and mixed together, which made it impossible to divine the hexagram.

Feng Ye allowed the crab some time to be stupefied, then gave him an unhurried apology: “Sorry, I guess I used a little too much force.”

The crab: “……” It was obviously intentional.

The crab gave Feng Ye an accusing look, but the other party was unmoved. The roguish look on his face said: what are you gonna do?

Damnit! I’m so angry my fake beard is about to fly off!  The crab thought in a temper.

Seeing that the blue crab was transforming into a red crab due to anger, Feng Ye stood up unhurriedly, tidied his 50,000 spirit stone robes, and then left the store without looking back.

The crab’s anger fled at this sight, and he hastily shouted after Feng Ye: “Wait!”

Feng Ye did not wait. He simply waved a hand and said: “I won’t accept the free gift. Just keep it as compensation for your copper coins.”

The crab: “…..”

The crab was so furious that he finally lost his composure and yanked off the fake beard, shouting at Feng Ye: “You don’t know what you’ll encounter at the end of your pursuit!”

This sentence was what finally made Feng Ye stop. He had already walked to the door, and his expression was obscured as he said without looking back: “Do you know?”

Of course I know, the crab thought proudly. But…..he couldn’t say it overtly…..or else he would ruin his Lord’s plan.

But he could give a general description: “In short, the hexagram is very clear. The enemy ahead of you is more powerful than most people can imagine, and is certainly not someone you can fight against at your current level. If you don’t want to die, you must stop as soon as possible.”

“A marsh without water, a trap. A gentleman achieves his ambition at the cost of his life.” Having listened to the crab’s words, Feng Ye simply quoted the hexagram he had ruined for no apparent reason.

“A gentleman achieves his ambition at the cost of his life……” he murmured the second half again, momentarily distracted.

Just when the crab thought Feng Ye had been persuaded, Feng Ye suddenly chuckled where he stood at the door. Turning his head, he looked not at the crab behind him, but at the pearl that was deliberately placed at a vantage point near the door.

He said toward the pearl, as well as the person behind the scenes who had designed this performance: “This divination is actually very accurate. If I had any money, I would give it all to you.”

“As for this enemy being beyond my imagination, entirely too strong for me to fight against…..” Feng Ye regarded the pearl with a half-smile.

The translucent pearl reflected his appearance. Although the corners of his lips were raised in a gentle smile, this smile was like the design on the hilt of a sword. Even if the carving was of a compassionate Bodhisattva, it couldn’t conceal the terrifying sharpness of the sword itself.

“That’s not necessarily the case.”

After giving this response, Feng Ye stepped out of the shop without further delay.

Half a sleeve trailing behind him was the last thing Hao Chen saw before losing sight of him through the door. He actually hadn’t been very surprised after finally hearing Feng Ye’s answer. 

He clutched his pounding chest as he recalled the way Feng Ye had spoken to him through the pearl.

It was that look again…..that arrogant look that sent his heart beating out of control.

Hao Chen could only smile. If Feng Ye hadn’t given the answer he did, Hao Chen probably wouldn’t like him.

However…..he was going to have to deal with that choice.

While Hao Chen was holding his fan, deep in thought, the defeated crab walked through a secret door in shame. The shop only looked small, but in fact, it held a secret world inside.

The shop was divided into two halves by a wall, connected by a secret door that ordinary people wouldn’t notice. 

Feng Ye and the crab had been engaged in fortune-telling up front, while Hao Chen sat in the back watching the image-transmitting pearl. 

Hao Chen had come up with such a roundabout method due to his reluctance to show up in person, but in the end, it seemed that Feng Ye had discovered something.

“Cousin, didn’t you swear before that you would succeed?” Crab Eighteen, who was also watching in the back, brought up this sensitive subject.

“Right, Cousin, you even glued a beard onto yourself, saying that all human fortune-tellers look like that. But it didn’t seem to do any good, ah,” Old Crab Nine echoed.

“Shut up!” Proprietor Crab was so angry that he gave each of the two cousins a smack with his claws.

Old Crab Nine and Crab Eighteen covered their shells and shut their mouths.

Feng Ye had met both of them, so the person sent to take action ended up being Proprietor Crab.

Proprietor Crab had gone there with confidence, saying that it would definitely work. He had witnessed numerous fortune-telling methods, and they boiled down to three points: an unfathomable tone of voice, a long beard, and only using mysterious phrases half of the time.

He believed he had achieved these three points, but regretfully, that human didn’t play by the rules.

“Honored Lord…..” After smacking his two cousins, Proprietor Crab started to apologize to Hao Chen.

Hao Chen raised a hand to stop him. This game had been bound to fail. After all, Feng Ye was just that kind of person. He looked polite and amiable most of the time, but deep down, he was crazier than anyone else.

If he truly hit a wall and cracked his head bloody, only then would he know to turn back.

Hao Chen let out a sigh, still undecided.

But there was no need to make a decision this far ahead of time. After all…..they hadn’t actually faced Yinglong yet.

One step at a time, Hao Chen thought. He suddenly sensed that Prime Minister Turtle was calling him, and used his fan to tap the pearl he had used to spy on Feng Ye.

The image displayed in the pearl warped, and the image of the shop disappeared to be replaced by the prosperous North Sea palace.

The three crabs regarded Hao Chen with admiration. He was indeed their Honored Lord. With one casual move, he turned the surveillance pearl into a communicator capable of reaching the North Sea.

“What is it?” Hao Chen asked Prime Minister Turtle.

“Honored Lord, there have been results. The octopus spirit has confirmed that the man in black robes is the one who stole the water,” Prime Minister Turtle replied.

Hao Chen was a little doubtful: “Are you certain?”

He had simply asked if the black-robed man looked similar to the thief. He wore a mask, with no way to discern his features, so how was the octopus spirit able to recognize him?

“Honored Lord, please pay attention to the image.” Prime Minister Turtle replayed the image of the meeting between Xue Ren and the black-robed man. 

At the end, when Yinglong began to appear, Prime Minister Turtle paused it. He gestured to the man’s sleeves as they billowed with black mist, saying: “Honored Lord, do you see the scar on his wrist?”

Hao Chen and the three crabs moved closer to the pearl. At Prime Minister Turtle’s prompting, they discovered that there was indeed a scar on the black-robed man’s left arm.

It had been hidden under his robes before, but it was partially revealed now due to the black mist billowing out of his sleeve.

“The octopus spirit said that the thief had scars on his face as well as on his left arm, and their body shapes are the exact same. There aren’t that many coincidences in this world; they must be the same person,” Prime Minister Turtle concluded.

Hao Chen nodded, thinking the same.

But this brought about even greater confusion. The black-robed man was in league with Yinglong, whether as a subordinate or something else. They must have the same goals.

Yinglong…..why would he send this person to steal the water? This completely contradicted his aim of destroying Jianmu. 

Could such yin water, besides nourishing the growth of Jianmu, have any other purpose?

Hao Chen couldn’t figure it out at present, so he decided to set the matter aside for the time being.

He gave Prime Minister Turtle a few more instructions, emphasizing the need to strengthen recent guard patrols in the North Sea, and then ended the call.

“Oh, right.” After finishing up his business, Hao Chen suddenly remembered one more thing. He asked the three crabs: “What’s with that outfit of his?”

The moment Feng Ye entered the door, Hao Chen had discovered that the tattered daoist robes were gone, and in their place was a familiar set of blue silk robes.

It looked very much like the ones he had taken Feng Ye to look at before. 

But he clearly hadn’t bought them for Feng Ye, so how had they ended up in his hands?

“Well…..” Crab Eighteen took the initiative to explain. As a tour guide crab, he was very familiar with all of the vendors in North Sea City, both large and small. Not long ago, before Feng Ye entered the fortune telling shop, the owner of the clothing store had specially sent him a message, asking Crab Eighteen to say a few good words for him in front of their Lord.

As it happened, their Lord had asked about it, so Crab Eighteen honestly repeated the shopkeeper’s words: “The shop owner said that a friend of yours is a friend of the North Sea, so that set of robes was given to him in the name of friendship. Your Lordship doesn’t need to praise him, as he only did what he should have done.”

The shop owner felt that since their Lord had not spokenly openly about the matter of marriage, then he shouldn’t either, and he chose his words very tactfully.

In any case, the meaning was conveyed – that was, that the gift was from him to his Lord’s wife. He said he didn’t want any praise, but when his Lord saw how thoughtful he had been, he was certain to be very pleased, and he might even receive a lot of praise.

Therefore, the shop owner happily awaited Hao Chen’s commendation.

But Hao Chen’s reaction was the complete opposite of the shop owner’s expectations. Instead of being pleased, he had the urge to go and raze the store to the ground.

When it came to gifting clothing to Feng Ye, the least important aspect was the result. What was important was the process, which included Hao Chen being the one to give them to him.

He had originally intended to take liberties with Feng Ye through the gift of clothing, but now that someone else had already used that method, what advantage did Hao Chen have left?!

And this wasn’t even the gift he wanted to give him. He had taken Feng Ye to the clothing store today purely to lay the groundwork and highlight the preciousness of his own gift, but his plan was unexpectedly ruined by this shopkeeper who’d overestimated his own intelligence.

“Hmph!” Hao Chen scoffed at the thought.

Under the bewildered gazes of the three crabs, he angrily flung his sleeves and left.

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[1] “He won’t cry until he sees the coffin” means that he won’t give up until he absolutely has to. ⮐

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Chapter 76 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 78

Ch. 76 – Disengagement

T/N: Thank you to Cydney for the generous Kofi donation! Enjoy the extra chapters!

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How could Yinglong come to North Sea City? Hao Chen wondered as he walked.

He approached a temple gate and saw that there was no path forward, so he turned around and started walking back.

And why would Yinglong seek out Xue Ren, a human? What was he plotting?

Before he knew it, he had reached the end of the path. There was only a thick wall before him, so Hao Chen changed direction again.

Could it be about Jianmu? Xue Ren was from Lingxiao Sword Sect, and Jianmu originated with the sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect one hundred years ago. Perhaps a clue to Jianmu still remained within the sect.

If that was the case, it made sense for Yinglong to seek out Xue Ren.

No, wait. Hao Chen changed direction again and suddenly realized that his first two questions might be one in the same. Yinglong had come to North Sea City just for Xue Ren, and if he wanted Xue Ren’s help, there was a 99% chance it had to do with Jianmu. 

This was a bit messy. Hao Chen knocked the handle of his fan against his forehead. Although no branch nor leaf of Jianmu had been seen thus far, the towering tree that should have burned to ashes long ago seemed to have sprouted back to life.

Like a resurrected ghost, the shadow of the tree grew beyond his sight, increasing its area to encompass increasingly powerful people.

If it was a mess, he would start from the source.

The source was obviously Ling Yun’s dream from one hundred years before. This human had planted Jianmu to try to ascend to the heavens. But in the end, not only had he failed, he also brought a great disaster down upon the world.

Yinglong severed Jianmu in the Eastern Sea. This was also the first time Yinglong had appeared in relation to Jianmu.

Yinglong’s reason for chopping down the tree was unknown. Was the general belief true, that this cold and arrogant god wouldn’t allow mortals to ascend to the heavens? He cared nothing for the casualties that resulted from that one swing of his sword. Human lives were like those of ants – why should a god pay them any attention?

Or perhaps Yinglong had some other reason for chopping down Jianmu?

There was no way to tell.

The answer could likely only be gleaned by questioning Yinglong himself, but regrettably, no one dared to try.

People would rather swallow their anger than question the murderer who took the lives of their relatives, friends, and mentors, instead pushing all of the blame onto Ling Yun, who had done nothing wrong.

Although it had been Ling Yun alone who planted Jianmu, the final decision to ascend to the heavens had been made collectively. They had all vied to be the first to climb it, but after the disaster, this group of people never dared to mention it again. They simply blamed Ling Yun for drawing Yinglong out, and labeled him an eternal sinner in order to avoid Yinglong’s wrath.

Had Ling Yun not died in that fire, this group of people likely would have sacrificed this sinner to appease Yinglong.

Such speculation was not outrageous. There was a high probability that it would have happened. After living for so many years, Hao Chen had developed more than just thick skin. He had seen much of the darkness and filth in the world, so most of the time, he preferred to keep himself out of it rather than meddle in the affairs of others. 

He only needed to protect his North Sea. The fates of those in the outside world had nothing to do with him.

Yet he, who should have had no involvement with the Jianmu incident, actually became involved due to an unforeseen coincidence.

Needless to say – the thief who came to steal water for Jianmu from the North Sea. The thief had been very cautious, and hadn’t been discovered even after sneaking into the heart of the North Sea. His bad luck was that as a land-based human, he didn’t understand the characteristics of marine species very well, and although he cut off most of the limbs of the octopus he forced to help him steal the water, the octopus still lived.

Not only did it not die, but the octopus monster escaped to report to Prime Minister Turtle. This triggered a large-scale manhunt in the North Sea, which woke up the soundly sleeping Hao Chen.

And Hao Chen’s decision to descend to the mortal realm to hunt down the thief himself was the ultimate coincidence. It had been a spur of the moment decision that no one would have been able to predict.

Therefore, among the three forces currently involved in the Jianmu matter, his North Sea was actually involved by happenstance.

But the other two parties were not so unexpected.

On Yinglong’s side, there was the man in the black robes. He was wearing a mask, but Proprietor Crab and the others had already reported the matter to Prime Minister Turtle and were waiting for the octopus to come and see if the black-robed man resembled the thief.

If so, it was very likely that they were the same person.

Then he must have come to the North Sea to steal the water under Yinglong’s orders…..but why?

Sunlight, water, and soil were the three key elements required for Jianmu to sprout and grow, but Yinglong’s purpose should clearly be to destroy Jianmu. It was he who had cut down Jianmu one hundred years ago. Even if he was pursuing Jianmu now, his goal should still be its complete destruction. Why would he steal water to nourish Jianmu’s growth?

He couldn’t figure it out for the time being, nor could he be sure that the black-robed man at Yinglong’s side and the water thief were the same person. So he set the matter aside  temporarily and waited for Prime Minister Turtle and company to identify the person.

The last party involved in the matter of Jianmu was one lone person – Feng Ye.

One hundred years after Jianmu was reduced to ashes, everything was buried in the dust. People no longer spoke of the incident, because it happened so long ago that it was almost ancient history. One hundred years was very short for Hao Chen – simply the length of a nap. But for a human being, half their life, or even their whole life might pass during this length of time.

But this buried past had been dug up by someone, for some unknown reason. Yinglong and Feng Ye had once again begun to pursue Jianmu. Perhaps they had sensed something that nobody else had noticed, and were therefore investigating Jianmu’s whereabouts.

If Yinglong wanted to completely destroy Jianmu, then what was Feng Ye’s goal? Who was he? Did he know that Yinglong was involved in all of this?

Probably not. If he knew that pursuing Jianmu would put him in opposition to Yinglong, he likely wouldn’t continue. After all, Yinglong’s reputation was well-known in the heavenly realm. There were only a few gods who dared to face him directly, and Feng Ye was not one of them.

Speaking of which, he needed to warn Feng Ye not to investigate any further. For the moment, Yinglong was probably unaware that someone else was after Jianmu. Otherwise, given Yinglong’s ruthless character, how could he allow another to covet something he had set his sights on?

This matter needed to be dealt with quickly. After all, Yinglong had already appeared in North Sea City and may still be there now. Feng Ye was still completely unaware. He had to warn him at once.

With this in mind, Hao Chen took another turn.

He paced the halls as he thought, spinning like a top, from east to west and from west to east, without stopping for a single moment.

And as he spun, his three crab subordinates didn’t dare remain idle. Although they themselves were not lost in thought, they followed in their Lord’s wake and marched in line behind him.

But Hao Chen’s turns were completely irregular, and his steps would change whenever a question popped up in his mind. Crabs were not very good at making turns, and after following Hao Chen for quite a while, they finally grew dizzy.

When Hao Chen turned the last corner, the crabs crashed into each other in a chain reaction, starting with Crab Eighteen in the back.

“Ouch!”

“Ouch!”

“Ouch!”

There were three consecutive crashes, rising and falling like waves.

Hao Chen glanced back at the crabs sprawled on the floor and couldn’t help but gripe to himself that his people were so unreliable.

Whether subordinates could be relied upon was mostly the responsibility of their leader, but Hao Chen had no talent for introspection. 

But he suddenly remembered something when he was disturbed by this group of crabs. He had to warn Feng Ye, but he couldn’t do so directly.

After all, he was still in disguise, and he shouldn’t be aware that Yinglong had appeared in North Sea City.

He needed to employ a subtler method. Hao Chen quickly came up with an idea, and just as he was about to give the order, the crabs helped each other off the floor and spoke first.

With Proprietor Crab as their spokesman, they asked for recognition from Hao Chen: “Honored Lord, since Eighteen discovered something important, shouldn’t he be rewarded according to his merits?”

The three crabs blew bubbles together as they looked at Hao Chen expectantly.

But Hao Chen sneered internally. He wouldn’t have remembered this matter if the crabs hadn’t brought it up.

He smiled and said: “Great achievements should naturally be rewarded, but…..” He shifted his gaze to Crab Eighteen. “You were so close to Yinglong, but he didn’t notice you?”

“Well……” Crab Eighteen nervously blew bubbles, and couldn’t help but glance at his cousin.

Proprietor Crab was also very anxious. He made eye contact with Crab Eighteen, trying to tacitly make up an excuse.

Unfortunately, Hao Chen saw through them. He smiled and said: “I’ve heard that your crab clan has three treasures, and one of them seems to be a Cloaking Shell. It can block all detection methods, and even I wouldn’t be able to find the one hiding within it.”

“Could it be that you didn’t intend to obey my orders at all, and gave the Cloaking Shell to your cousin, allowing Crab Eighteen to escape while you made up a tale about his body sinking into the sea to fool me? But you unexpectedly ran into Yinglong, and came back to ask for credit, isn’t that right?” Although Hao Chen was still smiling, his voice grew more and more dangerous.

The three crabs were sweating profusely. Although they didn’t have sweat glands, it was no exaggeration to use this description.

Because everything their Lord said was true!

Their Honored Lord was worthy of his title. Although he seemed unreliable most of the time, and could even call a tortoise a turtle, once he got serious, nothing could be hidden from him.

After all, how could a great god be a fool?

Under normal circumstances, Hao Chen would have just brushed the crabs off and moved past this. He had been comfortable for so long, and couldn’t be bothered to think too much. He would eat and sleep, sleep and eat, and flirt with a beauty in his free time, living a very happy life.

But the appearance of Yinglong broke him completely out of his lazy state. Most creatures had a certain territorial awareness, and smaller creatures entering or leaving their territory wouldn’t draw their attention. But with a predator of equal strength, even if it didn’t enter one’s territory, just lingering near the boundary would agitate the territory’s owner.

Yinglong was a predator of equal strength, and the other party was not just lingering near the boundary – he had already stepped into the territory of the North Sea.

And he hadn’t given the Lord of the North Sea any notice at all. This alone was enough to start a war.

But Hao Chen didn’t want to start a war. He didn’t advocate for peace out of cowardice, but the casualties of war with Yinglong were unpredictable, and Yinglong had nothing holding him back. If he were to recklessly engage in a fight in his North Sea, even if he ultimately emerged victorious, what would be the point if his North Sea was completely devoid of life?

Plus, Yinglong had no intention of starting a war at the moment. Had he not seen this image, Hao Chen would have had no idea that Yinglong had appeared in North Sea City. This suggested that the other party had been very careful to conceal himself, and was pursuing Jianmu in secret. He had only been discovered by accident.

He could avoid a dispute by pretending not to have seen him. After all, from beginning to end, Hao Chen and the North Sea were only involved in this matter by happenstance. It wasn’t too late to withdraw now.

Of course, before withdrawing, he would have to take Feng Ye with him. Although their relationship had not made any substantial progress, Hao Chen already considered Feng Ye to be half a North Sea citizen in his heart.

So when Hao Chen watched the three crabs trembling, about to burst into tears and confess their sins to him, he reached out in time to stop them. Without pursuing the matter further, he simply said: “Forget about it. Now, you three help me with something.”

“Do you know the person who has been accompanying me?” Hao Chen asked them.

Crab Eighteen and Old Crab Nine had both met Feng Ye, and nodded in tandem.

“Go find him, and then…..” Hao Chen gave his orders in a low voice.

After receiving their instructions, the three crabs left.

Hao Chen stood there and watched the crabs depart, his expression still somewhat solemn.

Logically speaking, if he withdrew in time, the Jianmu matter would have nothing to do with him. He had also sent his people to warn Feng Ye in a roundabout way, but…..

It was one thing to tell him, but whether Feng Ye would listen was a different matter.

If Feng Ye didn’t listen and continued on his quest, he would eventually run into Yinglong, who was also pursuing Jianmu.

At that time……would Hao Chen take action?

In other words, would he fight against Yinglong – whom he didn’t want to come to blows with – for Feng Ye’s sake?

Hao Chen couldn’t come up with an answer for the moment. If he didn’t carry the burden of the North Sea, he would be free from worries just like Yinglong. Then he could naturally do as he pleased. Since Feng Ye was the person he had set his sights on, what did it matter if he faced Yinglong? The God of War was powerful, but Hao Chen was not to be trifled with. Without a real fight, who could know which of them was stronger?

But he had an unshakable responsibility upon his shoulders, and he couldn’t act so impulsively and recklessly.

“Ai.” After thinking about it, Hao Chen just let out a sigh. He was in big trouble.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have woken up a month ago.

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Chapter 75 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 77

Ch 16 – Terror

“Do you like honey tea?” Yu Xi had been visiting Tau every day lately, only chatting with him about everyday matters.

And Kersz always accompanied him, which caused Tau immense suffering.

He subtly implied that perhaps Kersz was being held captive by Yu Xi. Kersz clearly detected the disparagement in his words, but he insisted that he was simply a space pirate with no accomplices. He didn’t need to report to anyone, and there were no missions that he was required to complete.

Kersz claimed that he was a freelancer, and that he was taking some time off lately.

He had indeed threatened Tau’s father, but hadn’t set a specific timeframe for the assassination. In any case, Kersz wasn’t in a hurry.

Tau was very dispirited.

“Your sleep has been awful lately” Yu Xi was very worried about Tau, fearful that all of his care would result in the human’s death. “You eat very little, and you don’t like to move around much. You can’t go on like this.”

Tau stared at Yu Xi.

He now had a general idea of Yu Xi’s character. Tau actually was trying to win him over, since Yu Xi likely possessed all of the technological achievements of those humans who had evolved to their limit.

But Yu Xi didn’t seem to have much faith in him.

Tau found this very strange. He didn’t understand why Yu Xi trusted Kersz more than him.

Kersz was nothing more than a mentally fragile, neurotic space pirate. Even if Yu Xi shared his technology with the man, he wouldn’t know how to use it.

All Kersz knew was destruction.

“Mr. Yew Shi.” Tau didn’t give up.

Yu Xi could only sigh when he heard this. He didn’t even mock Tau’s pronunciation, because he knew that Tau was addressing him respectfully in order to persuade him to cooperate with the Supreme Governor.

“You love humans so much. How can you let so many of them suffer without trying to do anything about it?” Tau asked him.

“I am doing something. I won’t let you starve or freeze to death,” Yu Xi said. “There are too many people for me to help them all.”

“If it’s beyond your capabilities, you can hand over that ancient human technology to the human government,” said Tau. “Allow them to take on the responsibility. They can improve the lives of today’s humans.”

Without even thinking, Yu Xi shook his head: “They won’t.”

Kersz let out a derisive chuckle, but didn’t interrupt.

“How do you know they won’t?” Tau pressed.

“Because judging from the state of your technological development, you’re capable of ensuring that every human’s basic needs are met.” Yu Xi gestured toward Kersz. “What reason is there for the profession of a human miner to exist?”

Yu Xi recalled Kersz saying that today’s androids were extremely capable, but those companies still chose to use human miners because androids were expensive and cost a lot to maintain.

They would rather pay more compensation to the families of dead miners, since the combined compensation for more than a dozen people was only equivalent to the cost of one android.

“And you can’t afford to eat.” Yu Xi found this quite baffling. “Your food supply is monopolized, and only a select few can afford it. But the conditions for planting food aren’t that demanding. You’re capable of terraforming planets, yet you’re incapable of growing plants?”

He didn’t bring up the topic of synthetic meat, since he wasn’t sure if this human society was capable of producing it.

“You already possess the objective conditions to ensure that all of humanity can live well,” Yu Xi said, holding his teacup. “But now there’s an orphan like you, and a rebel like Kersz.”

“This is just because of the selfishness of a select group of people,” said Tau.

“And the final result is what you see here.” Yu Xi didn’t intend to hand over the technology of the ancient humans to any civilization in this world. Not even another group of humans. “The things belonging to the ancient humans will only make the current situation worse.”

“But….”

Yu Xi cut Tau off: “The humans I used to know also went through such a stage, and they figured out the path they needed to take on their own. Only people themselves can determine the direction of their destiny.”

“You’re just saying that to avoid taking responsibility,” Tau said indignantly.

“I am not responsible for your people.” Yu Xi found Tau very strange. He wasn’t even a human-created robot vacuum cleaner here, so what responsibility could he possibly bear?

“Since you feel that you have no responsibility, then you have no right to restrict my freedom.” Tau set down his cup. “I’m leaving this place.”

“I don’t think that’s a wise choice for you.” Kersz put down his cup as well. “If he lets you go, I’ll shoot you right afterward.”

“If it wasn’t for Yu Xi protecting you, you’d have been dead long ago,” Kersz reminded him.

“This isn’t very good, is it?” Yu Xi whispered. “That sounds like a threat.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it. Once you release him, you shouldn’t interfere any further.” Kersz rested his arms on the back of the sofa. “And it doesn’t just sound like a threat. It is a threat.”

“Kersz, you’re helping an alien robot kidnap humans!” Tau raised his voice.

Kersz: “What else should I be doing? Spreading love and justice?”

“Are you really so unhappy living here with me?” Yu Xi asked him.

“This place of yours is very good, but I don’t belong here,” Tau explained.

“You don’t belong outside either, ah. You don’t even have a proper identity,” said Kersz. “Do you think that what your father does is for the sake of humanity? Do you really believe that?”

Tau remained silent.

“I’ve always known that you Illegitimates have father and mother complexes. You don’t care whether your masters’ actions are right or wrong, and live your lives entirely for their benefit.” Kersz clicked his tongue.

“What kind of logic is that?” Yu Xi didn’t understand.

“The personalities of Illegitimates are screened, and the unsuitable ones are ‘disposed of,’” said Kersz. “For them, loyalty to their master is a matter of course. A few hundred years ago, something rather absurd happened because of this.” He lowered his voice, as if to deliver a piece of gossip.

“What happened, ah?” Yu Xi perked up.

Tau, left on the sidelines: ……

“Back then, there was an Illegitimate whose feelings for his master were so intense that he developed a rather peculiar possessiveness toward him.” Kersz raised his eyebrows slightly.

Yu Xi immediately understood: “Love?!”

Kersz nodded: “But then that master got married. Unable to bear it, and under extreme psychological pressure, the Illegitimate killed his master.”

Yu Xi covered his mouth with a gasp.

Kersz continued: “Then that Illegitimate managed to actually clone his master, and made more than one. He chose the most obedient one and destroyed the rest, just like what people do to Illegitimates.”

“My god.” Yu Xi stared at Tau.

Tau shrank back: “I wouldn’t do such a thing to my father.”

Yu Xi asked: “Then do you like your father?”

Tau: “I revere him.”

Yu Xi gave an ‘oh.’

“Then you don’t want anything to happen to your father, do you?” All Yu Xi needed to know was that Tau really cared about his father. It didn’t matter what form that care took.

Tau: “Ah?”

“That’s a threat!” Tau grabbed a pillow and hugged it to his chest.

Yu Xi looked to Kersz, somewhat helpless.

Kersz immediately jumped in: “It’s not you threatening him, it’s me.”

Yu Xi felt that this was a bit unreasonable.

Kersz added: “If you let him out, he’ll definitely die at my hands. To avoid that, you have no choice but to use every means to keep him here.”

Yu Xi breathed a sigh of relief. This sounded more reasonable.

“If you really can’t adapt, I can temporarily take the place of your father. I don’t mind,” Yu Xi said.

Kersz: “……” It was clear that Yu Xi ‘not minding’ was an understatement. He was actually looking forward to it.

“You can also call me ‘Dad.’” Yu Xi tried to take Tau’s hand, but Tau immediately snatched it away.

Yu Xi let out a sigh: “I’ve never raised a child, but I think I’ll be a compassionate father.”

“No need. Thank you.” Tau proceeded to refuse.

Yu Xi spent some time attempting to persuade him, but in the end, he sighed and left with his hands behind his back.

Kersz didn’t follow him out. Worried that he would take action against Tau, Yu Xi warned Kersz that if he dared to kill the other human, he would place him in solitary confinement for three whole days.

Kersz smiled and acquiesced.

Once Yu Xi left, Kersz picked up his cup again: “Stay here.”

Tau eyed him warily.

“We’ve been friends for a few years at this point, so I think I know you pretty well,” said Kersz.

“You really think you know me?” Tau found this amusing.

He was constantly wearing a mask, and the personality and identity of the “Tau” Kersz knew was all pre-designed. How could Kersz ever come to know the real him?

He didn’t even know himself.

“I know you quite well,” said Kersz. “First of all, ‘Tau’ is a seasoned veteran from a third-class planet, a slick-talker who’s good at getting things done.”

“Whether as ‘Tau’ or the stereotypical Illegitimate, you wouldn’t be foolish enough to actually make Yu Xi release you.” Kersz took a sip of tea, then let out a heavy sigh. “After so many days, you should have a good grasp of Yu Xi’s character.”

“Even if you have doubts about the personality he outwardly presents, you’ll quietly go along with him. Perhaps you’ll be able to convince him to kill me, or coax or trick him into giving you the technology in his hands.”

“How can someone over seventy years old be so presumptuous ~” Kersz’s tone became languid once again.

Tau froze.

“Now tell me, do I know you?” Kersz asked him.

Tau didn’t respond.

“I also have a guess. Would you like to hear it?” Kersz asked again.

Tau remained silent.

“I think you actually have a death wish, because all of this is causing you more suffering than direct torture would.” Kersz gestured around the room. “All of this clashes with your simple, straightforward, brainwashed thinking, doesn’t it?”

“What ‘kidnapping?’ Cut it out with the performative anger. Someone like you, who doesn’t even consider himself to be human, is actually talking about human rights?” Kersz sneered.

“You people are the best at being lackeys. Being kidnapped, tortured, or even killed are all within your comfort zone.”

“But that’s clearly not what’s happening now.” Kersz got to his feet. “You’re in so much pain that you wish Yu Xi would send you to your death right this instant – because that’s the world you’re familiar with, isn’t it?”

Tau didn’t react. His current state was a result of specialized training, so that others would be unable to discern what he was thinking.

“So you’re not pretending to be a clueless hothead anymore? This is more like you ~” Kersz walked to the door. “Get some rest. Don’t make your new dad worry ~”

The door opened, and Tau watched Kersz leave.

In the wake of Kersz’s departure, Tau remained where he was, completely motionless.

Tau didn’t know if there might be cameras watching him.

He slowly lowered his head. His hands were sweaty, and he clenched and relaxed his fists.

Kersz was right. Tau was afraid.

Tau hadn’t even been this terrified when Kersz exposed his identity.

Death was an inevitability for most of his kind, and he was nothing special.

But after that moment, everything spun out of Tau’s control.

Someone was doing things to Tau that he couldn’t understand. These things didn’t hurt him, but they still elevated his fear to an unprecedented level.

He longed to return to a safer, more familiar environment – even if it resulted in his death.

---

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Chapter 15 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 17

Ch. 75 – Discount

“Cough, cough…..” After spraying water everywhere, Feng Ye coughed a few times before regaining his composure.

Hao Chen, on the other hand, was fanning himself calmly, lacking any sense of shame over his inappropriate words.

Although Fang Yang felt that the logic of this explanation was a bit odd, he couldn’t find any fault in it for the time being. Just at that moment, his stomach growled again.

Since this wasn’t a dine-and-dash meal, he began to eat with peace of mind.

And while Fang Yang concentrated on his food, the two people on opposite sides of the table began a silent war.

Feng Ye shot Hao Chen a warning look, telling him not to talk nonsense. And Hao Chen smiled back, using his unwavering shamelessness to absorb the entirety of Feng Ye’s glare.

Feng Ye narrowed his eyes and increased the intensity of his attack, but Hao Chen continued to smile calmly, not taking him seriously at all. 

With a bang, Fang Yang placed his empty porridge bowl on the table, then wiped his mouth with satisfaction. This sound was like a clarion announcing the end of a war, bringing a conclusion to the struggle between Feng Ye and Hao Chen.

Unsurprisingly, this war ended in Feng Ye’s defeat.

Hao Chen stood leisurely with a victorious smile on his face, and asked Feng Ye as he left the table: “We didn’t go shopping for clothes for Fellow Daoist Feng Ye yesterday. How about we go and have a look around now?”

Feng Ye sent him a look, wondering what this fish had up his sleeve. But he didn’t have anything important to do in any case, and wouldn’t know where to go if he went shopping alone, so he nodded in agreement.

Fang Yang said goodbye to the two of them: “Cao Zirui is still waiting for me at the inn. I said I’d go back to see him in half a shichen, so I’ll leave first.”

Feng Ye and Fang Yang waved to each other as they once more split into two groups.

Feng Ye initially thought that Hao Chen was using clothes shopping as an excuse to plot against him, but unexpectedly, Hao Chen didn’t do any such thing. He simply brought Feng Ye to the largest clothing shop in North Sea City.

Even though it was a ready-made clothing store, the clothes sold here were anything but ordinary. They were all magic garments made of strong materials, with the cheapest ones costing thousands of spirit stones.

Feng Ye glanced around, and was deeply injured by the long strings of zeros on the price tags.

Although breakfast had been paid for due to Hao Chen’s recognizable face, Feng Ye had already spent half his savings to buy a pot of water before his arrival, and only had one spirit stone left in his pocket.

If all of the zeros on the price tags could be omitted, only then would he be able to afford it. But this was not to be.

However, Hao Chen had no awareness of his financial situation. Not only did he bring Feng Ye with him, but he acted like a rich man and called for the shop owner as soon as they entered the store.

Hao Chen said grandly: “What decent goods do you have here? Show them to us.”

The shop owner came out from behind the counter with a bow, saying to Hao Chen with an obsequious smile: “Honored…..Honored Lor…..”

When Hao Chen’s eyes instantly sharpened, the shop owner reacted swiftly, changing his address from “Honored Lord” to “Honored Customer.”

It seemed that this fish’s identity was known to everyone in North Sea City, which was why he was able to act with such great confidence.

Feng Ye had already seen through Hao Chen’s deception, but he said nothing and just continued to quietly watch him perform.

Hao Chen gave the shop owner a look of praise, and the other party breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if he had escaped disaster. He’d heard about the miserable end of the loudmouthed Crab Eighteen, who was said to have been made into a steamed crab.

The shop owner hesitated before continuing: “My shop only uses the finest materials. Ordinary robes on the market, while having decent defensive capabilities, are made solely out of materials that prioritize defense at the expense of comfort.”

“Clothes are meant to be worn, after all. Defense is important, but comfort is equally important. Take a look at the fabrics I have here.” The shop owner casually pulled down a piece of clothing hanging on display and said: “This is made of mermaid-woven silk. It’s light and thin, and won’t get wet or burn, comfortable to wear and with excellent protection. It is a great value for the cost.”

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, what do you think?” Hao Chen didn’t express his thoughts after hearing the shop owner’s introduction, but turned his head to question Feng Ye.

Feng Ye had come to a stop not far from Hao Chen upon entering the store, leaving room for him to perform. When Hao Chen addressed him, he stepped forward cooperatively.

There was no script for this play, so Feng Ye just went with how he felt. He touched the so-called mermaid silk and remarked sincerely: “It feels nice.”

It was indeed very nice. The mermaid silk was so soft and fine that it won over natural silk by a few points. In addition, because it wouldn’t get wet in the water or burn in a fire, it was very convenient for traveling in the sea or on land.

You got what you paid for – it felt nice, and the price was pretty impressive too.

Feng Ye glanced at the price tag and immediately posed a question: “Why is there such a price difference when they’re all made of mermaid silk?”

The expensive ones cost tens of thousands, while the cheap ones only cost thousands. It was no exaggeration to say that the price difference was astronomical.

The shop owner didn’t answer immediately, but gave Fang Yang a careful once-over. He looked like a normal human being. His strength wasn’t very high, and his face was even less pleasing to the eye.

But for a person who was mediocre in every aspect, his Lord actually condescended to hide his identity and remain by his side, even taking him clothes shopping. What was the relationship between his Lord and this person?

The shop owner’s mind was in turmoil. He couldn’t think of an answer at the moment, but no matter what, he couldn’t afford to offend the person his Lord had brought.

Therefore, he quickly answered: “Honored Customer may not know, but although this is all mermaid silk, it is divided into different levels. Mermaid silk woven by mermaids who have lived for decades costs only a few hundred spirit stones per piece, so the clothing made with it isn’t expensive either.”

“A mermaid who lives for hundreds of years can weave mermaid silk for thousands of spirit stones per piece. In short, the more advanced a mermaid’s cultivation, the better the quality of her silk, and the more expensive it is. The most expensive mermaid silk in this store was woven by a mermaid who cultivated for nine hundred years. This right here costs ten thousand spirit stones per piece of fabric.”

The owner took the most expensive garment down from its display cabinet, handing it to Feng Ye when Hao Chen made a gesture.

Feng Ye compared the feeling of this garment to the one he’d touched before, and it was indeed very different. It appeared that the shop owner’s words were true. After touching, he returned the garment to its owner intact.

When the shop owner saw this, he thought Feng Ye was disappointed with the quality of his materials. This was his Lord’s person, after all, so he must have very high standards.

The shop owner said quickly: “Although this shop is small, nine hundred year mermaid silk is the finest material circulated even in the heavenly realm’s North Sea. As for those over a thousand years old, those can’t be bought outside, only…..”

The shop owner couldn’t help but glance at Hao Chen when he said this, and Hao Chen responded with a threatening smile.

The shop owner immediately withdrew his gaze and continued with restraint: “Only our Lord of the North Sea possesses it. The production of thousand-year-old mermaid silk is extremely limited, and once it is produced, it is supplied to our Lord. It is rarely released to the outside world, and can be said to be priceless. Garments made of thousand-year mermaid silk are comparable to heaven-grade magic weapons in this world. So generally speaking, this nine hundred-year mermaid silk is the best available on the market.”

Feng Ye understood the shop owner’s underlying meaning, and explained: “I’m not looking down on your materials.”

“Then if you don’t mind it, would you like to try it on?” the shop owner said enthusiastically.

Feng Ye waved his hand in refusal. The reason was simple: he couldn’t afford to wear it. Unlike Hao Chen, he was very self-aware and had a clear understanding of his poverty.

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, why don’t you try it on?” Hao Chen also joined the persuasion team. “Although it’s not the best material, it’s at least better than what you’re wearing.”

Although his robes were ragged and torn, revealing a few well-defined muscles, he looked sexy rather than slovenly. The problem was that not just Hao Chen could see this – others could as well, so it was best to cover up.

Hao Chen astutely kept that part to himself.

Feng Ye glanced at the shop owner, then at Hao Chen, who held the garments with an enthusiastic look on his face. He gave the shop owner a polite smile, then very naturally grabbed Hao Chen’s wrist and led him toward the door.

He failed to notice the shop owner’s horrified expression when he took Hao Chen’s wrist so naturally. He was just focused on whispering to Hao Chen: “Fellow Daoist Hao Chen, have you forgotten how much money you have on you?”

This fish was always so ignorant to his penniless state that he needed Feng Ye to remind him.

“This…..” Hao Chen skewed his eyes, the next bout of nonsense already on the tip of his tongue.

However, Feng Ye headed him off: “You and the owner hit it off at first sight, and he’s going to give you a free meal?”

Hao Chen choked. Feng Ye had snatched away his excuse.

But it didn’t matter. If Feng Ye blocked off one path, he would find another. After all, he was a creature of both water and land.

Hao Chen gave a mysterious smile, waving his mini fan as he said: “No, no, I’m just really good at getting discounts.”

Under Feng Ye’s puzzled gaze, Hao Chen leisurely made his way back to the shop owner.

He pointed to the most expensive piece of clothing in the store and asked: “How much is this one?”

Although the shop owner was still immersed in shock from the sight of someone holding his Lord’s hand, he immediately snapped back to his senses at Hao Chen’s question: “This is…..50,000 spirit stones.”

“Oh.” Hao Chen nodded pretentiously, then held up a finger: “Will you sell it for one spirit stone?”

The shop owner was momentarily stunned, then met Hao Chen’s eyes and nodded: “Sold!”

Hao Chen turned around and smiled at Feng Ye watching on the sidelines. His expression said: Told you I’m good at getting discounts.

Feng Ye: “…….”

Fair enough.

However, although Hao Chen had won the clothing, he didn’t intend to purchase them just like that. Instead, he asked for a reward from Feng Ye: “Shouldn’t Fellow Daoist Feng Ye give me something in return since I helped him get such a huge discount?”

There it is. The cunning wolf has finally revealed his tail, thought Feng Ye.

He had known Hao Chen must have ulterior motives to be so enthusiastic about buying clothes for him, and that he was probably plotting something. So before Hao Chen could tell him what he wanted in thanks, Feng Ye promptly declined: “No need, I don’t really want it.”

Hao Chen: “……”

He swallowed the excessive request on his lips and said: “Actually, I wasn’t going to ask for very much…..”

But the more he spoke, the more vigilant Feng Ye became: “No, it’s really not necessary.”

Hao Chen was about to say something else, when a sudden shout from afar interrupted their conversation.

“Honored Lor—” Old Crab Nine rushed to the door of the clothing store, panting, and received a glare from Hao Chen. He came to a sudden realization and switched his words: “H-honored Proprietor Crab says that the case from yesterday hasn’t been fully investigated yet, and he needs you there to investigate further.”

“What else is lacking?” Unhappy about the interruption to his plan, Hao Chen’s tone was particularly unfriendly.

He was having a great time shopping with his sweetheart when he was suddenly called back to work by his subordinates. It would be strange if he wasn’t unhappy.

“Um…..” Old Crab Nine blew nervous bubbles. It was inconvenient for him to speak bluntly with other people around, so he could only say vaguely: “It is a very important matter. You must return.”

Hao Chen frowned. He had never been very involved in such matters. Apart from maintaining the safety of the North Sea, all other matters, big and small, were handled by his subordinates. What could be so important that it required him to go back?

Everything was fine in the North Sea, and there had been no disputes in heaven recently. What could have happened? He suspected that this crab was making a big deal out of nothing, but just to be cautious, Hao Chen decided to accompany Old Crab Nine back.

He gave Feng Ye an apologetic smile: “I must go with him to handle something. Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, continue your stroll and I’ll come find you later.”

Feng Ye’s gaze had been on Old Crab Nine since the moment he appeared, and he responded to Hao Chen’s words with a nod.

Hao Chen followed the crab outside. Once they were out of the store and away from Feng Ye’s gaze, Hao Chen sent Old Crab Nine a threatening glare: “You had better actually have something important for me.”

Old Crab Nine’s claws trembled in fear, and he affirmed repeatedly: “I do, I do.”

Hao Chen withdrew his gaze, still somewhat skeptical. What could be going on?

If it turned out that the crab was just kicking up a fuss, he would make seafood stew.

A fish and a crab walked back to the main hall in the center of North Sea City without stopping. Proprietor Crab was waiting in the hall with another crab beside him, and they stepped forward to greet him.

These crabs looked pretty much the same, and Hao Chen was unable to tell them apart. With no idea who the lackey at Proprietor Crab’s side was, he got straight to the point: “What do you need from me?”

Proprietor Crab didn’t reply immediately, and instead nudged the crab beside him with his claw: “Eighteen, report to our Lord at once.”

“Okay, Cousin,” Crab Eighteen replied.

“Wait, eighteen?” Hao Chen suddenly cut in before Crab Eighteen could make his report. “Crab Eighteen?”

Hao Chen’s eyes narrowed as he realized who this crab was, and that Proprietor Crab had dared to disobey his orders. He scoffed and said in a frigid tone: “I thought I told you yesterday to have this loudmouthed crab steamed.”

“Well…..” Proprietor Crab explained guiltily: “Honored Lord, I did intend to do as you commanded, but didn’t get a chance. This is a good thing, because Eighteen was taking a stroll on the beach when he ran into a bigshot.”

“What bigshot?” Hao Chen’s tone was a little disapproving.

What kind of person could be considered a bigshot compared to him?

“Honored Lord, please have a look.” The other crab immediately presented a pearl between his pincers. 

He carried this pearl with him for the purpose of recording images, and had happened to record what he’d witnessed the previous night.

Hao Chen took the pearl and held it in his palm. He casually injected a bit of spiritual power into it and watched the image that appeared midair.

The first person to appear was someone he knew – Xue Ren of Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Could this be the bigshot the crabs were talking about? Hao Chen’s eyes suddenly turned cold.

Proprietor Crab hurriedly defended himself: “Honored Lord, please keep watching.”

Hao Chen held off on getting angry. He would finish watching before settling the score with these crabs.

A second person soon appeared in the image, a man wearing black robes and a mask.

Crab Eighteen had begun recording upon seeing the man arrive, because he keenly sensed that this man was very dangerous and wanted to use it as an example for his cousin to pay more attention to security in North Sea City. He never expected to catch such a big fish.

No, not a fish. This was a……

Hao Chen watched the image in boredom. Due to Crab Eighteen being a distance away, the sound of the waves was so loud that he couldn’t hear any of the conversation between Xue Ren and the man in the black robes.

Trying so hard to act all mysterious. Hao Chen regarded the black-robed man with disdain.

Hao Chen himself was open and honest, and would use his original appearance when he secretly descended to the mortal realm. Unlike this black-robed man, who hid his face.

However, Hao Chen’s disdain vanished without a trace when he saw the black mist emerging from the black-robed man in the image.

His expression finally turned serious, and the fan he was casually waving came to a stop. He could only hold his breath as the black mist began to take on a shape.

Then, he watched as a man walked out of the black mist, his face just as handsome as the one recorded on the jade slip.

But that face was no longer as cold as when it had appeared up in the clouds one hundred years ago. In this moment, the ruthless man sent Xue Ren – and Hao Chen outside the image – an inexplicably malicious smile.

Crash went the rolling waves.

The man seemed to say something, but Hao Chen was unable to hear it.

His mind wasn’t on the man’s words. He simply stared at that face and muttered a name: “The God of War…..Yinglong.”

---

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Chapter 74 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 76

Chu Jiubian walked through the palace gates. Just as he was about to grab his umbrella, another hand snatched it before he could.

He paused, turning his head to look at the person who had come up beside him.

“ ? ” Chu Jiubian frowned slightly.

Qin Xiao had already opened the umbrella, and said casually: “I’ll see you off.”

Chu Jiubian gave him a long look. His brow finally relaxed, and he let out a soft chuckle.

He stepped out of the connecting corridor with Qin Xiao keeping pace beside him, the larger part of the umbrella tilted over his head.

They walked at a leisurely pace, and although they were under the same umbrella, their shoulders were a fist’s distance apart, with neither of them crossing the line.

They traveled in silence until they reached Yaotai Residence. Chu Jiubian stopped and turned to Qin Xiao, asking: “Are you going to help me wash up?”

“Do you need me to?” Qin Xiao asked instead of answering.

“No.”

Qin Xiao just smiled and said: “See you tomorrow then.”

Chu Jiubian nodded, then turned and made his way toward the main house without looking back. Xiao Xiangzi and the others saw him when he arrived at the door, and they all busied themselves preparing water for him to wash up.

He went to his bedroom, where the servants were industriously arranging a tub of water for him.

Chu Jiubian had the habit of bathing every day, which Xiao Xiangzi and the others had long known.

“Young Master, your hand is injured. Would you like my help washing?” Xiao Xiangzi asked worriedly.

“No need. You can wait in the outer room.”

“Yes.” They all withdrew.

Chu Jiubian paced to the window and pushed it open.

Although this window didn’t face the gate directly, he could still see the entrance.

There was no one there.

Chu Jiubian closed the window and walked to the clothing rack.

He took off his official robes and tossed them on top, keeping only his trousers as he sat down in front of the mirror.

He didn’t need to comb his hair or wear any hair ornaments, so there were only two combs and some body lotion sitting on his dressing table.

However, the lotion was rather oily, and Chu Jiubian hadn’t used it before.

He looked at himself in the bronze mirror. Although it wasn’t as good as a modern mirror, it still clearly reflected his delicate face and flawless body.

He raised his left hand, lightly tracing his fingertips across the thin skin of his chest.

There were no visible traces anymore, but he could still feel some unevenness under his fingertips in the places that had been covered in scars.

A sharp pain shot through his index finger, and Chu Jiubian watched as a deep red stain slowly crept down the chest of the person in the mirror.

He blinked softly and drew his finger away, then wiped the blood with his palm, smearing it everywhere.

Chu Jiubian stared at the blood on his fingertip and palm with a frown. Then he got up, went to the bathtub and took off his trousers, and got inside.

The blood on his chest washed away in the water, leaving no traces behind.

But a drop of bright red blood slowly dripped from his index finger where his hand was resting on the edge of the tub.

Chu Jiubian lowered his head and submerged his face in the water, his long silver hair fanning out across his thin back.

“System,” he asked in his mind, “Do you have any medication for mental illness?”

On the rooftop, a man stood silently for some time with an umbrella in his hand, then turned around and vanished in the blink of an eye.

*

*

The council chamber.

Qin Chaoyang had just sent all of the memorials that required a response to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, where Eunuch Hong’s people would help write replies to the local officials.

With Chu Jiubian around before, memorials would usually be approved on the same day.

However, these memorials had been piling up ever since the two of them had gone to provide disaster relief. With Chu Jiubian’s hand injured, it would be quite difficult for Qin Xiao to handle them all alone – he might not be able to finish them even if he worked through the night.

After tidying up, he went outside and looked out at the courtyard to calculate the time.

Qin Xiao had gone to see Chu Jiubian off, and had been gone for half a shichen.

From Yangxin Hall to Yaotai Residence, given His Lordship’s pace, he should have returned long ago even if he had encountered a delay.

In an instant, he snapped his head toward the roof.

Then he turned to look into the council hall and, sure enough, found someone standing next to the dim oil lamp.

Qin Chaoyang entered the hall: “My Lord, will you continue reviewing memorials?”

Qin Xiao folded the umbrella and placed it on the table. Rainwater flowed from its tip and rapidly soaked one of the table’s legs.

“Any news?” Qin Xiao asked.

Qin Chaoyang understood at once, and replied with his eyes lowered: “No information was found about the young master, but the High Priest of the Northern Desert seems to have some sort of connection with him. However, the common people were unaware of the details. It is even unknown whether the High Priest is a fabrication created by Jiang Shuoye, so it is impossible to be certain.”

“And Jiang Shuoye himself is even more tight-lipped. Apart from the fact that the High Priest is an immortal who enters dreams to impart knowledge, he hasn’t revealed anything else.”

Qin Xiao sat down and picked up an ink stick, then began to unhurriedly grind ink.

His features were hidden in shadow, making it impossible to determine his expression.

Qin Chaoyang looked up at him and said in a low voice: “Why doesn’t My Lord ask the young master directly?”

They were now in the same boat, and his lord and the young master had obviously developed a basic level of trust. They had even embraced each other on the palace road the night before.

Since they were already so close, if Qin Xiao directly asked about Chu Jiubian’s relationship with the High Priest, the other party might not continue to keep it secret.

Having ground the ink, Qin Xiao dipped his brush in it and began to review memorials.

Qin Chaoyang said nothing more, and simply concealed himself in the shadows.

He was ignorant when it came to sentiment, and he imagined that even his lord possessed little knowledge in that regard.

*

*

Yaotai Residence.

After Chu Jiubian finished bathing, he told Xiao Xiangzi and the others to retire early, then went to bed himself.

Now that the flooding was over and there was nothing else to worry about, he could get back to his work.

“System, send Situ Zhaoling to the Divine Realm.”

[Believer Situ Zhaoling has been detected as summonable. Summoning in progress.]

[Summoning successful.]

Chu Jiubian opened his eyes and found himself already seated on the divine throne.

A phoenix cried out in the distance, and a girl dressed in traditional Nanjiang attire swooped in on the back of one of the golden birds, looking radiant.

Upon landing, Situ Zhaoling quickly bowed to Chu Jiubian: “This subordinate greets the High Priest.”

“Please sit,” said Chu Jiubian.

Situ Zhaoling was surprised to find six chairs lined up behind the long table: “Why are there so many chairs? Are they for the High Priest’s followers?”

“Yes.”

“Wow, does that mean I’ll get the chance to meet them?”

“En.”

Chu Jiubian didn’t say much, but Situ Zhaoling was capable of talking a lot on her own, so the atmosphere wasn’t awkward at all. On the contrary, it made the Divine Realm, with only the two of them inside it, seem rather lively.

Looking at the six chairs, Situ Zhaoling didn’t dare imagine which “chosen one” she would be, and asked: “Where shall I sit, High Priest?”

With a thought, Chu Jiubian made the third chair from the right undergo a gradual change, transforming from white jade to a light purple, with swaying hyacinths faintly visible within it.

“Wow, it’s so beautiful!” Situ Zhaoling immediately stepped forward and stroked the faintly-scented chair. She liked it so much!

Her favorite color was light purple, but weaving and dyeing techniques were underdeveloped in this era, and there was no fabric of this color in the entirety of Great Ning, so she had to settle for dark purple dresses instead.

Otherwise, she would definitely have her whole family wear this color. They would look so beautiful when they went out!

She sat down on the chair and found it to be softer and more comfortable than it had been previously.

“Thank you, High Priest.” She smiled as she gazed up at the giant silhouette of the god.

Chu Jiubian had met with this girl several times, and she was always dressed in purple. It seemed his guess about her favorite color was correct.

“Do you like this color?” Chu Jiubian asked, feigning ignorance.

Situ Zhaoling nodded vigorously: “This subordinate likes it very much! Many thanks, High Priest!”

Chu Jiubian just smiled and said: “I have something I need you to do.”

“Please command me, High Priest. This subordinate is willing to offer her life in sacrifice.”

With a wave of Chu Jiubian’s hand, a book landed on the table in front of Situ Zhaoling.

He had long noticed that the people of the Great Ning Dynasty wore clothing in monotonous colors. Not to mention the common people, even the wealthy and powerful only wore black and white, or the same few colors over and over again. 

Red, green, blue, and purple, all in dark shades.

Gold was reserved for royalty, and others were unable to wear it no matter how much they might want to.

Thus, Chu Jiubian had long wanted to introduce superior dyeing techniques to this era – not aimed at common linen, but at silk.

The vast majority of silk products in Great Ning came from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions. The Imperial Court had even set up a dedicated textile bureau to manage the silk business in those areas.

However, Jiangsu and Zhejiang lay within the fiefdom of Zuiliang-wang Bai Liyan. The textile bureau was ostensibly a business belonging to the Imperial Court, but this prince actually took 40% to 50% of the profits.

This wasn’t good for Chu Jiubian, nor for the Imperial Court.

Nanjiang was also very suitable for silkworm-rearing and silk-reeling, and most of the silk in the southern parts of Great Ning was produced there.

It was just that there was no comprehensive management plan, and the region hadn’t developed industrial chains like in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. They also lacked sufficient technology, so not only was the silk of poorer quality than that of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but the output and price also remained low.

The book Chu Jiubian gave to Situ Zhaoling not only contained methods for dyeing silk with other colors, but also methods for improving the quality and quantity of the silk produced.

It even gave a clear explanation of how to form an industrial chain.

If Situ Zhaoling did as instructed, he would be able to establish a reputation for Nanjiang silk.

Situ Zhaoling picked up the book and began to turn the pages.

She read very quickly as she flipped through the book, and very soon, she had skimmed most of the important content. Her heart was pounding.

If everything contained in this book could be achieved, then the silk fabrics of Nanjiang would surely become even more eye-catching than even those of Jiangsu and Zhejiang!

There was even a color chart in this book. She couldn’t begin to imagine how beautiful those colors would be when made into fabric and tailored into dresses.

Not to mention a woman like her, even men were sure to love it.

Situ Zhaoling knew very well how extravagantly the wealthy and powerful spent money when it came to these silken fabrics, so what she saw in this book was actually an endless expanse of silver!

They would centralize management of all of the silk workshops in Nanjiang, create different departments, and assign them different functions. This would make things much more efficient. 

The next step was to expand its scale, increase production, and at the same time, make improvements to quality using the methods in this book.

Then a separate textile workshop would be established, specifically for mixing and dyeing…..

Situ Zhaoling had basically envisioned the entire industry chain, and the clinking and clattering of coins ringing in her ears made her feel somewhat dizzy.

At the same time, she also knew what the High Priest wanted her to do.

She stood up and bowed deferentially, saying: “This subordinate will definitely live up to your expectations and bring you lots and lots of money.”

Although she was usually a bit loud and impulsive, and not very mature in her actions, she was still adept at reading people – so she didn’t ask the High Priest what he needed the money for. Just being obedient was enough.

This Believer’s circumspection put Chu Jiubian in a good mood.

After expressing her loyalty, Situ Zhaoling then said anxiously: “High Priest, our Nanjiang does possess its own caravans, so selling goods in the southwest and northwest is relatively easy. But transporting goods from Nanjiang to Northern Zhili or the Jiangnan region would take an extremely long time, and might delay your important business.”

“It won’t be a problem, just go and get started,” Chu Jiubian said.

In fact, Situ Zhaoling had indeed raised a large problem.

The Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions had canals that allowed for silk to be directly transported northward, but the Nanjiang region was very remote, making the sale of silk in the north very difficult.

But this didn’t pose a problem for Chu Jiubian.

Items could be traded in the Divine Realm. He could easily have Situ Zhaoling bring the Nanjiang silk into the Divine Realm, then have Wang Qichen, his noble young master from the capital, help with selling it.

This also saved on transportation costs, making it basically pure profit.

Chu Jiubian would set aside a portion of the money for Nanjiang, and send the rest to Jiang Shuoye.

Even after Wang Qichen started up his mass-production paper mill, he would keep a portion of the profits for Wang Qichen and give the rest to Jiang Shuoye.

In this dog-eat-dog world, strengthening one’s military power was the true key to survival.

Qin Xiao was able to protect Bai Lihong’s throne even though he had nobody in the court – wasn’t this because of the soldiers and generals under his command?

Chu Jiubian currently possessed 80,000 Mobei Army troops and the fierce General Jiang Shuoye, but it wasn’t enough.

As far as he knew, Huguang-wang alone had 100,000 soldiers, at least on the surface, and who knew how many hidden in the dark.

Other vassals kings, along with the militarily strong Lu and Qiu families, may only have a few  thousand troops on the surface, but they secretly maintained an unknown number of private soldiers.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were currently on the same side, but as their methods became more radical, these other forces would grow increasingly restless.

They might just end up banding together.

The unification of these forces should not be underestimated.

And after they eventually defeated and scattered these forces, Chu Jiubian would inevitably be forced to confront Qin Xiao. At that time, he would need to possess enough power and military strength to protect himself.

In short, Jiang Shuoye’s steel mill must be expanded quickly to produce stronger and sharper weapons as soon as possible. The more, the better.

So Chu Jiubian needed money, and Situ Zhaoling and Wang Qichen both needed to make a profit quickly.

“This is also a gift for you. Try to cultivate it.” Chu Jiubian gave her some cotton seeds and planting methods.

However, the cultivation of this crop required repeated trials, and the growth requirements varied from location to location, so it would take a long time to figure out.

Chu Jiubian steadied his mindset and decided to take it one step at a time.

With no further business, Chu Jiubian had the System send Situ Zhaoling away.

Just as he was about to depart as well, the System said: [Host, this System has preserved the conversation between Jiang Shuoye and Wang Qichen. Would you like to view it?]

Only then did Chu Jiubian remember this event.

When he was in Hexi Prefecture before, he’d left the Divine Realm before the two of them because Qin Xiao had come to find him, and the System had recorded the content of their conversation.

“Let’s see it,” said Chu Jiubian.

He actually thought that the two of them wouldn’t have much to say to each other, and would likely exchange a few awkward pleasantries before leaving.

The character cards of these two appeared before his eyes, then merged together to become a large screen.

Chu Jiubian saw the two of them sitting in their seats, with an empty chair between them.

Because the High Priest had left in a hurry and hadn’t told them to leave, they sat there in awkward silence for some time.

Jiang Shuoye sat tall and straight, his expression stern, and did nothing at all.

Wang Qichen sent him a sideways glance, then looked up at the enormous silhouette of the god.

“High Priest? Are you still there?” he asked.

His response was the low, distant roar of a dragon.

Jiang Shuoye said: “The High Priest must have something to take care of. Please be patient.”

He was a prudent person and had sensed Chu Jiubian’s departure from the Divine Realm long ago, but since he hadn’t been given any instructions, he simply waited.

Wang Qichen looked over at him: “Has this happened before?”

“No.”

“Then why don’t you seem concerned at all?” Wang Qichen raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps the High Priest had a last minute meeting with another god. There’s no reason for us to wait here like fools, is there?”

Jiang Shuoye glanced up at the silhouette of the god, somewhat hesitant.

“Then let’s wait another quarter shichen,” he said.

Wang Qichen: “Alright. But how will we get out afterward?”

“I don’t know.”

The System detected the keywords “get out” and sent them out immediately. Otherwise, these two simple-minded people might have really waited for a quarter of a shichen.

It seemed he would need to make some things clear the next time he saw these two. If such a situation happened again, they should just leave rather than waiting around like idiots.

“Right, how many card draws do I have now?” Chu Jiubian asked.

[Host, your accumulated points now allow you to draw three more cards.]

Chu Jiubian had previously drawn an extra duplicate card.

His points would continue to increase, and he would soon have the opportunity to draw an additional card, so he might as well draw these three now.

Chu Jiubian needed people who could participate in the Imperial Examinations and enter the Imperial Academy, so it would be best to draw cards related to the scholarly arts or craftsmanship.

“I’ll draw a card,” Chu Jiubian said.

[Okay, Host. A card deck has been prepared for you, please draw one. (You can only draw one card at a time.)]

Last time, Chu Jiubian had drawn two in one go. One was a duplicate, and one was Wang Qichen.

The System had learned well.

Chu Jiubian tried to haggle with it, but this time, the System knew that Chu Jiubian was set on his purchase and maintained a firm attitude, not budging an inch.

“Fine, I’ll just draw one.” Chu Jiubian was left with no choice, and drew one card.

“……”

This was already his third “wealth” card!

The System shuffled the cards, of which there were now six.

Chu Jiubian was genuinely afraid of drawing a fourth wealth card, and rubbed his hands together before making the next selection.

Great, now it was a “Charisma” card.

Another one he had already drawn.

Could he be this unlucky?

Chu Jiubian closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself, silently chanting, new card, new card, before drawing the last one.

The card was flipped over, and a flash of golden light revealed the words written on it: [Connections].

It was actually a [Connections] card!

Chu Jiubian was delighted; this was a keyword he hadn’t considered before.

Her surmised that this network of connections wasn’t the same as Wang Qichen’s, which included his large clan. This was likely to include connections between a variety of people.

If that was the case, wouldn’t it be much easier for Chu Jiubian to place his own people in the Imperial Academy?

Couldn’t he just have the Believer on this card make the arrangements?

This was a godsend. The System really was going easy on him.

Chu Jiubian said: “Let’s see who we have here.”

[Suitable Believer cards have been preserved for Host. Please select one to summon.]

The keyword cards vanished, only to be replaced by two Believer cards.

Why were there so few candidates this time?

Chu Jiubian had a bad feeling about this – like he would once again only have one card he could choose.

When the first card was revealed, his pupils immediately contracted.

As expected, the Regent who was haunting him like a ghost was once again in the selection pool.

[Ning-wang Qin Xiao, courtesy name Fengqi, age 25. You think he’s just a powerful minister sitting high in the halls of power? Not so – he has the strongest network of connections. With him on your side, you will control the majority of the jianghu!  (Not recommended ! ! !)]

Chu Jiubian had the belated realization that he had never known Qin Xiao’s courtesy name.

So it was Qin Fengqi?

And what did the card mean by “the majority of the jianghu?” How did Qin Xiao know people in the martial arts world?

Chu Jiubian’s questions were resolved in less than two breaths, because he found the answer on the second card.

[Qin Chuan, courtesy name Mingce. Leader of the Wulin Alliance, age 23. As the second legitimate son of the Qin family who has never been publicly acknowledged, he operates in the shadows while Ning-wang Qin Xiao operates in the open. One holds a high position in the Imperial Court, while the other lives in seclusion in the jianghu. With him, you will hold a large portion of the jianghu’s power, as well as an intelligence network spanning the entire nation. (Recommended!)]

Chu Jiubian instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

No wonder Qin Xiao always received news so rapidly. It turned out that his younger brother was a martial arts leader famous throughout the land! 

No wonder!

Chu Jiubian had previously heard Xiao Xiangzi mention the “leader of the Wulin Alliance” while gossiping. At that time, he had thought it fortunate that such figures from the jianghu didn’t serve in the Imperial Court. Otherwise, they would become objects of contention among various forces.

But now, he realized that the world of the jianghu was already taking part in this power struggle, and stood behind Qin Xiao.

That world-renowned Grand Marshal Qin was indeed a master strategist.

He had raised up both of his grandsons to become outstanding individuals.

Qin Xiao possessed exceptional political acumen and ruthless methods, so Grand Marshal Qin had kept him in the capital and made him known to the public, instructing him to act as a dissolute dandy in order to lower everyone’s guard and further protect the Qin family.

If someone were to attempt to harm the Qin family, Qin Xaio’s prowess would allow him to protect its members even after death.

And even if he failed to protect them, there was still Qin Chuan on the outside. As a direct descendent of the Qin family, he would be able to preserve their bloodline.

Whether or not Grand Marshal Qin had foreseen this situation, once Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong came to power, Qin Chuan became their most valuable intelligence network and backup plan.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but think of the late Empress Qin Feng.

These three siblings, plus Bai Lihong, seemed to have inherited Grand Marshal Qin’s talents. Each of them could be a “protagonist” in their own right.

Were all of them main characters?

Something flashed through Chu Jiubian’s mind, but he was too slow to grasp it.

[Would Host like to summon Believer Qin Chuan?]

“No need.” Chu Jiubian firmly declined.

Qin Chuan and Qin Xiao shared a connection, and given the intellect and talent of Qin Xiao and Qin Feng, it could be deduced that Qin Chuan must also be very capable.

Upon seeing the High Priest, such a person would inevitably associate him with Chu Jiubian.

It was too dangerous. 

Chu Jiubian had no intention of exposing his identity to Qin Chuan for the time being.

However, his “connections” skill was vital, and Chu Jiubian needed an intelligence network. That way, even if Qin Xiao kept something from him, he could still get the information from Qin Chuan.

The only prerequisite was that Qin Chuan must trust and believe in him completely.

Furthermore, he must not be led to believe that the High Priest would harm Qin Xiao. Otherwise, even with his identity as a god, he wouldn’t be able to compare to the blood relationship between brothers.

He needed to make preparations to reveal that the High Priest and Qin Xiao shared the same goals. Only in this way would Qin Chuan trust him completely.

[Host, someone is knocking at your door.]

Chu Jiubian immediately withdrew from the Divine Realm and sat up in bed.

Sure enough, there was a knock on the door. Chu Jiubian instantly knew that it was Qin Xiao.

At this hour, he hoped nothing terrible had happened again!

Chu Jiubian quickly got up and put on his shoes, then went to the outer room. As soon as he opened the door, a surge of damp coldness rushed inside.

Ignoring the chill, he asked with a frown: “What’s the matter?”

Qin Xiao sent him a glance and stepped forward.

Chu Jiubian automatically stepped back, only to see the man enter and close the door behind him.

Chu Jiubian: “ ? ”

Qin Xiao grasped his wrist and examined his hand. Sure enough, the bandages on his finger were gone and the wound was openly exposed, with dried blood between the nail and flesh.

Qin Xiao was silent for a moment or two before asking: “Doesn’t it hurt?”

---

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Chapter 51 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 53

Ch 15 – Robot Photo

Tau didn’t quite understand what was happening to him. His identity had been discovered, so Kersz should either kill him or try to use him against his father.

It made sense. Since Tau wasn’t dead, he was prepared for Kersz to try to use him. Right now, he was only valuable because of his relationship with the Supreme Governor.

Tau had no idea how Kersz and that inexplicable robot intended to break down his mental defenses.

Yu Xi didn’t come to see him. While Tau was locked in his suite, an announcement informed him that Yu Xi had gone to take care of his own business.

Tau believed that this was a delaying tactic. They wanted to amplify his anxiety, as people often behaved irrationally under extreme stress.

But did this tactic also involve playing cartoons?

Tau’s assigned suite was a little overly luxurious, containing its own small living room, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a gym.

After going inside, a semi-transparent projection showed him how to use all of the objects here. And most importantly, it showed him food.

Yes, the projection showed Tau how to eat. It indicated that there was no nutrient solution here, but that more nutritious and enjoyable food would be provided.

Tau initially intended to go on a hunger strike, but then he discovered that there really was no nutrient solution provided.

From the moment he took his first bite, Tau once again sank into deep suspicion.

Was this a strategy to win him over gently?

Was this in Kersz’s nature? Kersz only wanted to torture him until he broke down physically and mentally.

Maybe it was the robot’s idea? Who exactly was that robot? And how had he managed to acquire such a high-tech starship?

Tau’s mind was a flurry of questions, but for now, all he could do was exist like this…..three meals per day, early to bed and early to rise, reminders to exercise, daily health checks, and even holographic games to play when he was bored.

This excessively affluent lifestyle left Tau completely bewildered. All of his preparations were rendered useless, which only heightened his anxiety.

Tau was unable to sleep, and when the transparent projection informed him that Yu Xi was coming to visit him, he felt a rush of relief, as if the blade hanging over his head had finally fallen.

He finally understood what Yu Xi intended to do.

Yu Xi brought Kersz along to visit Tau. At the door to his suite, Yu Xi repeatedly instructed Kersz not to be mocking or malicious, and to try to appear kind and gentle.

“I won’t mock him,” Kersz assured Yu Xi.

Yu Xi didn’t quite believe him.

Kersz gave him a gentle smile: “As you’re well aware, I’m a master of pretense.”

“Very good, keep smiling like that. After all, you need to promote my planet,” said Yu Xi. “There’s lots of delicious food and fun things to do there.”

Kersz cleared his throat, then said to Yu Xi: “Earth is covered in plants, food is readily available, the technology is more advanced, and there are more fun games to play. Most importantly, we no longer need to run ourselves ragged.” His tone was sincere, and his low-pitched voice exuded temptation.

“You’re amazing!” Yu Xi patted Kersz’s shoulder.

Kersz put his hands behind his back and smugly puffed out his chest: “I’m just speaking the truth.”

“You always have such a sweet mouth~” Yu Xi was ready. He reached out and knocked on the door, activating the communication system: “Hello, Mr. Tau. May we come into your room as guests?”

They waited for a while, and the door finally opened. Tau was both confused and wary. It seemed that ever since he met Yu Xi, he never knew how to deal with any given situation.

Kersz smiled gently at him: “Mr. Tau~”

Tau: …..

Yu Xi asked again: “Will you let us in?”

Tau retorted: “Do I have the right to refuse?”

Kersz glanced at Yu Xi: “It seems we’re not welcome.”

Yu Xi was a little disappointed, but he still respected Tau’s choice: “We’re sorry to have bothered you. We’ll be leaving now.”

Tau was even more befuddled, but he was quite certain that he didn’t want to wait any longer. He wished that the blade hanging over his head would fall soon, and that whether he lived or died, he would at least be given an explanation: “Wait. Come in.”

Yu Xi’s initial disappointment gave way to delight: “Thank you! !” He pulled Kersz into the room, and once inside, he even looked around and praised the beauty of Tau’s home.

Tau: ?

The three of them sat down on the sofa, and a spherical butler robot brought them drinks.

Tau waited for Yu Xi to interrogate him.

“What is your favorite color, ah?” Yu Xi asked in a conversational tone.

Tau: “Silver.” He didn’t keep silent this time.

“Oh, right, your hair is silver.” Yu Xi nodded. “Your eyes are purple. Do you like purple too?”

Tau nodded.

“Have you been enjoying the food these past few days? Do you have any feedback?” Yu Xi asked again.

“It’s delicious, thank you.” Tau was still on edge.

“Do you want to live like this forever?”

Here it comes!

Tau’s muscles tensed: “What do you mean by that?”

“What I mean is that you can forget your past, forget your father, and forget your mission. You can live your life happily on a certain planet, with no worries about food, shelter, clothing, or transportation, with plenty of entertainment options to fill your life with.” Yu Xi said, “Of course, you don’t need to give anything in return. I know it sounds like a scam, but once you spend enough time on my planet, you’ll realize I’m telling the truth.”

Tau’s brow furrowed.

Kersz spoke up in a timely manner: “I can vouch for him. When you go there, you’ll no longer be controlled by anyone. You’ll be free, and you might even find love when there are more humans in the future.”

Tau saw Kersz’s smile and felt a chill run down his spine.

There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

“I don’t want to.” Tau shook his head in refusal. He didn’t understand what Yu Xi was trying to do. In fact, the best course of action was to agree first and then figure out Yu Xi and Kersz’s intentions before trying to free himself.

But the overly comfortable life he had enjoyed these few days had caused Tau great distress. He disliked passively waiting in such an environment. “I will not betray my father.”

“To your father, you’re nothing more than a pawn to be sacrificed at will,” Kersz reminded him.

“Perhaps I will be sacrificed, but if I die when it’s time for me to die, it will be a worthy death.” Tau clenched his fists.

Yu Xi: …..

Yu Xi exchanged a few brief pleasantries with him, then said goodbye with a smile and pulled Kersz away.

They left Tau’s suite, and when the door closed again, Yu Xi could no longer hold back: “Is there something a little bit wrong with his head?”

Kersz understood Yu Xi’s meaning: “Please cut him some slack. After all, he is an Illegitimate.”

“I know he’s an illegitimate child. An illegitimate child should harbor even more resentment toward his so-called father, but why does he seem to have an unusually deep relationship with him?” Yu Xi asked.

“That’s very normal. He was trained on the Supreme Governor’s private planet from childhood. He’s been brainwashed.” Kersz had met many ‘Illegitimates.’ “They’re superfluous humans outside the law. They’re not protected by any of the human alliances, and their lives are far removed from the concept of ‘humanity.’”

“Their feelings toward their masters are highly abnormal. They regard their masters as the only truth, and their own lives as worthless.” Kersz glanced back at the tightly closed door. “God knows how many of their companions’ deaths they witnessed on their way to adulthood. Death is a common occurrence to them, something that can happen at any time. They don’t value their own lives much at all.”

These humans seemed very familiar to Yu Xi: “They’re like a group of interstellar suicide soldiers.”

“Suicide soldiers? In any case, I generally don’t try to reason with them.” Kersz ran his hand lightly across his throat. “I just take action, because they’re completely immoveable.” 

“Then if I capture their fathers, wouldn’t it be like capturing the queen bee of a swarm and luring in all the worker bees?” Yu Xi pondered.

Kersz looked at Yu Xi.

Yu Xi requested his opinion: “What do you think?”

Kersz gave Yu Xi a thumbs up: “You’re clever. Almost a little devious.”

“Is it possible for me to reform him by treating him a little better?” Yu Xi felt that kidnapping the Supreme Governor was too risky due to his special identity amongst humans.

“It’ll be a bit difficult. Those toxic beliefs are deeply ingrained in their minds.” Speaking of this, Kersz proudly patted his chest. “Their natures are dark and twisted from childhood, unlike us sunny, cheerful kids.”

“Sunny and cheerful?” Yu Xi doubted this statement.

“Yeah, sunny and cheerful. Wait just a second.” Kersz opened his ID profile and found a video of himself as a child.

Kersz clicked the video, and Yu Xi saw a big-eyed child pointing at pictures on another screen, introducing them to his imaginary friend.

“These is Star Beasts. They lives in stars. They glows, and they puffs out fire and smoke.” The child’s pronunciation was still a little fuzzy.

“Heavens! !” Yu Xi covered his mouth in astonishment as he watched the adorable child in the video who believed in fairy tales.

At the end, the child hugged his doll to his chest and smiled sweetly.

“I want this video! I really want this video!” Yu Xi exclaimed with great excitement.

“Then you can trade me one,” Kersz said. “A photo or video of you.”

Yu Xi thought for a moment, then nodded sharply: “Okay!”

Yu Xi began to search through his memory bank for photos. When he found one of himself from the past, he was a little embarrassed: “I might not be wearing any clothes.”

“Ah?” Kersz felt his ears getting hot.

Yu Xi first copied Kersz’s video, then sent his own photo over.

What Kersz saw was a fat orange cat looking at the camera with a disdainful expression.

Kersz: ?

Yu Xi pointed at the round disc under the cat: “This is a photo of me at work. I still didn’t know anything at that time, so I wasn’t wearing any clothes.”

Kersz: …..

He took a close look at the photo, wherein the fat cat was pressing down on the robot vacuum while seemingly regarding them with lofty scorn.

“My, my dustbin is even facing the camera…..” Yi Xi felt that his photo was a bit excessive. “I hope you don’t misunderstand me. I’m a decent and proper robot.”

So this photo was actually risqué?

Kersz was helpless. He felt like he’d gotten a great picture, but all he could focus on was the fat cat looking down on him. 

It was a little baffling, but he really wanted to make sense of it, ah.

He really wanted to appreciate this photo from Yu Xi’s perspective.

What was so titillating about it? He wanted to know!

---

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Chapter 14 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 16

Ch. 74 – Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

“Guest, you’ve been staring at the menu for quite some time. Have you made your choice? If you can’t make up your mind, why not order our signature seafood porridge? It’s incredibly delicious.” The waiter made a suggestion to the cultivator in slightly tattered clothes, who was sitting by the window.

This person had been sitting here since early morning, staring at the menu. It was unknown what it was about the menu that mesmerized him so, but he still hadn’t made a selection.

Feng Ye glanced at the waiter. He could see the complaints hidden under that polite smile, and couldn’t help but reply silently, What else could I be mesmerized by but the prices on the menu?

The cheapest bowl of porridge here cost three spirit stones. Although the ingredients were said to contain spiritual energy, such a high price was still a bit of a rip-off.

If he had the money, Feng Ye wouldn’t mind being ripped off. Coming to North Sea City was a rare opportunity.

The problem was that he didn’t have the money.

In other words, if the sect wasn’t paying for his nightly accommodations, Feng Ye would have been sleeping on the streets last night.

But although the sect provided accommodations, it was not the same for food. Feng Ye had initially thought that since he still had two spirit stones, although he was poor, he at least wouldn’t starve to death.

However, this was before he saw the menu.

If a less-than-rich breakfast could be sold at such a high price, lunch and dinner were out of the question. He might actually starve to death.

Of course, it wasn’t actually that serious. Although those at Qi Refining stage had not yet adopted the practice of inedia, it wasn’t a big deal to skip a few meals. And Feng Ye wasn’t a Qi Refining cultivator anyway.

Eating was a small matter, but saving face was more important.

Feng Ye felt a little embarrassed after occupying a seat for half the day without ordering any dishes. But since he couldn’t afford anything on the menu, he just held it for a long time without making a selection.

But facing the problem of this waiter now, he had to make a decision.

Just as Feng Ye was about to stand up and say that he had something to do and would forgo a meal, he suddenly caught sight of a small line of words at the bottom of the menu. Because he had been holding the menu with his right hand, his palm had been covering it up. 

Feng Ye’s eyes lit up at the sight of these words: Pot of boiled water – one spirit stone.

They charged spirit stones for a simple pot of boiled water. This establishment was so blackened that no other colors could be seen.

But Feng Ye grasped at this straw in order to save face. There was finally something on the menu that he could afford, and he said to the waiter: “Give me one of these.”

Just when the waiter thought that this dawdling customer had made a decision and looked over happily, he saw the words Feng Ye was pointing to: “A pot of boiled water.”

“That’s it?” the waiter asked in disbelief.

“That’s it.” Feng Ye nodded affirmatively.

The waiter: “…..”

When he saw the cultivator wearing such tattered clothes, he had thought that it was some new fashion in the human world. Human trends were always changing, after all, forever mystifying these sea monsters.

Only now did he realize that it wasn’t a fashion trend at all; it was simply a lack of money.

With a thud, the teapot landed on the table in front of Feng Ye.

“Here is your boiled water.” The waiter maintained his excellent customer service, smiling as he delivered it and smiling as he retreated.

How much he complained about this unprecedentedly poor fellow in his heart, only he knew.

Feng Ye picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup. He wasn’t thirsty, but this pot of boiled water had cost him half his savings, so he should drink it before he left.

Although the prices at this restaurant were high, the quality of the dishes was excellent. It was called boiled water, and it was indeed boiling to the point that it was impossible to drink.

Feng Ye could only blow on the teacup, waiting for the water to cool while he observed the scenery outside the window with some boredom.

He was on the second floor of the building, and below him was the market, which was gradually becoming lively. As the sun rose higher, cultivators who had been resting once again went to the market in high spirits.

The beauty of shopping lay in the word “browsing.” It wasn’t necessary to buy anything, but one must walk around and have a look.

This was the case with Fang Yang and Cao Zirui. They belonged to the same sect, and had stayed at the same inn the previous night. As soon as dawn arrived, Fang Yang ran to wake Cao Zirui, and after an early meal, they went out browsing.

It must be said that Feng Ye was genuinely happy that Fang Yang had made a new friend in Cao Zirui. Otherwise, the person Fang Yang woke up early would have been him.

That naive, innocent child still didn’t realize that the God-Summoning Token was a scam, and had no idea that he’d taken out a loan to purchase a hunk of scrap metal.

This bought Feng Ye more time to come up with a story. This wasn’t actually difficult, but Feng Ye couldn’t break past the psychological barrier. After all, he wasn’t as shameless as Hao Chen.

Had Hao Chen been the one to encounter Feng Ye’s ordeal, it wouldn’t have been a problem for him. He would have simply deceived that silly person, taken the money, and left without another word.

Speaking of Hao Chen, there had been no news of the fish since he was taken away by the crab squad the day before, allowing Feng Ye a rare night of peace and quiet.

I wonder if the crabs discovered his true identity…..

Just as Feng Ye was thinking this, he suddenly spied a familiar face among the crowd walking down below.

Speak of the devil. The moment Feng Ye thought about Hao Chen, he appeared.

Feng Ye didn’t call out to him, but almost at the same time Feng Ye noticed him, Hao Chen raised his head.

Hao Chen smiled when their eyes met, and he turned to walk inside the building.

As his figure disappeared from Feng Ye’s sight, the thump, thump, thump of ascending footsteps reached his ears.

Feng Ye turned his gaze from the scenery outside the window to the stairs.

“Is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye having breakfast?” Hao Chen greeted him immediately upon arriving on the second floor. 

As he spoke, he went straight toward Feng Ye’s table by the window.

Then, without an invitation, he directly took the seat opposite Feng Ye.

Feng Ye sent him a glance, then lowered his head to blow on the teacup of boiling water with an unhurried “En.”

At this reply, Hao Chen was quick to ask: “What did Fellow Daoist Feng Ye eat?”

The table was clear apart from a pot of boiling water. It looked as if he had either finished eating or hadn’t started yet. Hao Chen actually didn’t care much about breakfast. As soon as he exited the hall, Proprietor Crab had treated him with great care and prepared the most luxurious of dishes for him. Naturally, he was well-fed and satisfied.

He was just asking for fun. Some of the most common ways for humans to greet each other were “Have you eaten” and “What did you eat?” He had picked this up to use casually, laying the groundwork before getting to the main topic.

Faced with this question, Feng Ye didn’t raise his head, continuing to stare at the boiled water in the teacup. Seeing that it was almost cool, he gulped it down and looked up, replying seriously: “Boiled water.”

Hao Chen: “……”

He was briefly taken aback before something occurred to him. He then recalled that while he himself was satiated and well-fed, Feng Ye was still struggling to make ends meet.

Hao Chen couldn’t help but tap his mini fan. Now that he had discovered that North Sea City belonged to him, Feng Ye was visiting his territory for the first time and he, as the host, had not been the most hospitable.

Although Feng Ye most likely didn’t know his identity, Hao Chen was very aware of his own position. He knew that he must show courtesy to this person no matter what, so he immediately called the waiter over and glanced at the menu, directly ordering: “Bring all of your signature dishes.”

Thinking that he had run into a big customer, the waiter happily took the menu and went downstairs.

And Feng Ye looked expressionlessly at the smug, praise-seeking look on the fish’s face. He couldn’t help but take a stab at Hao Chen, reminding him: “Fellow Daoist Hao Chen ordered so much. Do you have the money for it?”

Hao Chen: “……”

Silence.

In reality, he had much more than enough. North Sea City belonged to him. How could he be broke?

It was just that…..he had been penniless before, but today he was spending money like water. There was no legitimate excuse for him suddenly becoming rich.

But this didn’t bother Hao Chen. After a moment of silence, he swiftly came up with a reason: “The owner and I hit it off downstairs. He and I got along very well, so he said I can eat as much as I want for free.”

Feng Ye: “…..” How long had this guy been downstairs? Less than a few seconds. Could this lie be any more half-assed?

However, in spite of this perfunctory attitude, Hao Chen’s lie actually received the cooperation of the store owner.

Thanks to the efforts of the crab clan, news of Hao Chen’s arrival had spread throughout North Sea City overnight. Of course, this was limited to the monsters native to the North Sea. The humans were completely unaware.

All shops big and small had been given instructions, and had seen the portrait of their Lord. Therefore, the shop owner noticed him as soon as he walked into the establishment.

Seeing the obvious disbelief on Feng Ye’s face, Hao Chen called up the store owner to testify on his behalf.

Hao Chen repeated what he’d said to Feng Ye, then asked the shop owner: “Am I right?” There was an inexplicable undercurrent of danger in his tone, as if he would turn hostile if the other party denied it.

“Right, right, we hit it off right away.” The shop owner got the hint and nodded hurriedly.

It was just that…..his tone was still overly deferential.

Feng Ye: “……”

“Okay.” Feng Ye held his forehead and didn’t expose this fish’s act.

It would take a while before the food was served, so Feng Ye asked casually: “How did you deal with your wrongful arrest yesterday?”

He knew he wasn’t going to hear the truth, but it was still entertaining to listen to Hao Chen’s stories.

Hao Chen smacked the edge of the table with his fan. He had been waiting for Feng Ye to ask!

Before coming to see Feng Ye, he had already prepared an excellent, detailed story, mainly consisting of how much injustice he had suffered after being arrested in Feng Ye’s place yesterday, and how much effort he put in to escape.

Although he hadn’t been wronged, and Proprietor Crab had been so earnest that he almost cooked himself into a dish to entertain him. And Old Crab Nine’s target had been Hao Chen in the first place. It was purely coincidental that he’d appeared during Feng Ye’s dispute with the sea otters.

But Feng Ye was unaware of this, and Hao Chen wasn’t going to enlighten him. He planned to use this tale to trick Feng Ye into feeling guilty.

Just like he was in the Floating Island Secret Realm. When Hao Chen thought about it later, Feng Ye letting him hold onto him throughout the night was a product of his soft-heartedness, but it also contained an element of guilt.

As long as Feng Ye felt a bit guilty toward him again, it would allow Hao Chen to take advantage of him with justification.

Hao Chen’s animated expression was like that of a storyteller in a teahouse. While a storyteller held a clapping board, Hao Chen held his fan. The sounds they made were equally loud.

Just as he was about to begin telling his carefully-prepared story, the words on the tip of his tongue, he was suddenly interrupted by a thump, thump, thump sound.

Someone was walking up the stairs, very quickly and loudly.

Hao Chen chose to wait for the noise to stop before he spoke.

Feng Ye subconsciously glanced toward the stairs, and found Fang Yang standing there with a serious expression.

Needless to say, the naive, innocent boy must have come to the restaurant to ask his shixiong for an explanation.

Before Fang Yang actually came upstairs, Feng Ye’s short-lived excuses had been sabotaged by his guilty conscience.

All of a sudden, he asked Hao Chen an extremely asinine question: “Where is your fan?”

“Why?” Hao Chen lowered his head to glance at the fan he was holding.

Feng Ye followed his gaze and said directly: “Lend it to me.”

Having said this, he grabbed Hao Chen’s wrist and raised the fan in front of his face, as if no one could see him if he was hiding behind it.

Hao Chen was briefly stunned. Then he looked toward the stairs and noticed Fang Yang’s unusually serious face, and realization hit him in an instant.

Although he didn’t know what had happened between Feng Ye and this naive boy, he reacted very quickly.

Slowly fanning himself a couple of times, he considerately raised his sleeve to shield Feng Ye behind it. His sleeve wasn’t very wide, and the fan only covered a portion of Feng Ye’s face, but everything important was concealed. Except…..Fang Yang recognized him solely by his ragged clothing. He walked straight to the table where the two of them were sitting, placed his hands on the table, and called out sternly: “Shixiong.”

Feng Ye made one last attempt, continuing to shield his face as if Fang Yang had recognized the wrong person.

Hao Chen also cooperated very well, covering Feng Ye’s face with his fan and sleeve as he asked Fang Yang: “Young xiongdi, I’m afraid you’ve recognized the wrong person. In fact, he has an older brother who looks exactly like him…..”

Fang Yang: “……” His serious expression fractured in the wake of this fantastical lie.

Feng Ye, blocked behind Hao Chen: “……”

This person was even less reliable than him, so he had to take up the reins again.

Feng Ye’s reasoning returned to him, and he gave a dry cough, reaching out to press down Hao Chen’s sleeve that was concealing him.

Escaping wouldn’t solve the problem, so Feng Ye decided to bravely face it head on. In a sense, what he’d done the previous night was the same as Hao Chen – both of them making up stories.

Before Hao Chen had a chance to tell the story he’d made up, Feng Ye told his to Fang Yang first. He gave a long speech about the miserable backgrounds of the two sea otters, how he couldn’t bear it and thus helped them sell counterfeit goods.

Fang Yang had to wipe his eyes after hearing this. Sniffling, he said to Feng Ye: “Shixiong, you did the right thing. If it were me, I would have helped them too. They’re just too pitiful. Not only do they have to take care of their sick second brother, but they also have a vicious stepmother and stepfather who don’t give them food.”

The two sea otters did have a sick second brother, but no stepmother or stepfather. The last part was all Feng Ye’s artistic embellishment in order to show that his selling of counterfeit goods was not unjust, but simply an act of helping the weak.

Although the logic behind it wouldn’t hold up to scrutiny at all, what mattered was that Fang Yang believed it.

Even when Feng Ye said that he would repay the one thousand spirit stones later, Fang Yang proactively refused: “This is my way of helping them too, Shixiong. You don’t need to pay it back.”

“Besides, I at least got a token,” Fang Yang sighed, taking out the God-Summoning Token.

Having said that, he still felt a little bad that he had spent a thousand spirit stones on a piece of scrap metal.

Feng Ye thought for a moment, then patted Fang Yang on the shoulder and comforted him: “Look at it this way. Although the chances of success when using a token without a god’s name on it are extremely low, what if you succeed?”

“That seems to make some sense…..” Fang Yang was slightly comforted.

After listening to Feng Ye’s story and gleaning the general truth, Hao Chen suddenly cut in with a smile: “This disposable magic instrument can only be used in a matter of life or death. Even if it fails, at least you would have prayed before you died.”

Fang Yang: “……” This sounded even more reasonable!

The three of them talked for a long time, and the dishes Hao Chen had ordered were delivered one after another. Although Fang Yang had already eaten breakfast, young people who were still growing tended to get hungry quickly.

Feng Ye invited him to eat with them, so he moved a stool over and joined their meal.

Before picking up his chopsticks, Fang Yang looked at the sumptuous dishes on the table and had to ask: “You ordered so many dishes…..isn’t it expensive?”

He had read the menu. Fang Yang, who was one hundred spirit stones in debt, was very frugal. Although he still had a few hundred in his pocket, he had only ordered the cheapest bowl of porridge that morning and wasn’t full at all, which was why he was hungry again so quickly.

The few hundred in his pocket, combined with the money Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage had…..was it enough to pay for even a fraction of the food on this table?

Thinking of this, it was a little difficult for him to use his chopsticks. This felt like a dine-and-dash, as if the owner would soon chase him down and beat him up. 

Fang Yang’s expression was easy to parse, so Feng Ye repeated Hao Chen’s words about being friends with the owner at first sight.

Hao Chen nodded repeatedly, and added once Feng Ye was done speaking: “Just like me and Fellow Daoist Feng Ye. We hit it off at first sight when we first met at Lingxiao Sword Sect.”

As Hao Chen spoke, he sent a smile at Feng Ye. Feng Ye poured himself a cup of water and pretended not to notice.

Neither of them noticed anything wrong with this sentence, but Fang Yang did.

“First met? Lingxiao Sword Sect?” Fang Yang wore a puzzled expression. “Weren’t you already close friends who’d known each other for a long time?” When the two of them saw each other at Lingxiao Sword Sect, hadn’t Hao Chen come to visit his close friend?

Feng Ye: “……”

Hao Chen: “……”

It was over. They’d forgotten about their deception.

Faced with Fang Yang’s puzzled expression, Feng Ye was momentarily unable to come up with a suitable excuse. Thus, he picked up his teacup with a guilty conscience and tried to divert Fang Yang’s attention by drinking.

After a moment’s thought, Hao Chen suddenly came up with an exceptionally wondrous explanation: “Reuniting after a short time is even sweeter than a newlywed marriage.”

Although they were old friends, they hadn’t seen each other for a long time and felt like newlyweds when next they met, full of freshness, as if they were meeting for the first time. Therefore, they hit it off at first sight.

Feng Ye spat out the water in his mouth.

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Chapter 73 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 75

With the position of Deputy Minister of Works vacant, everyone coveted such a lucrative and powerful role.

Xiao Huaiguan naturally wanted to promote his own person, but now, everyone had a chance except for the Xiao family.

Deputy Minister of War Qiu Songbo stepped forward and said: “Your Majesty, this official does not believe that Official Wang’s suggestion is appropriate.”

“Where is it inappropriate?” Bai Lihong asked.

“Official Liu Junqi is the protégé of Minister Wang. The fact that Official Wang is promoting him for Deputy Minister of Works raises concerns about nepotism.”

Wang Yu immediately retorted: “When selecting officials, we must choose the most capable and virtuous, and avoid recommending relatives or friends.”

“Liu Junqi, as a senior official in the Ministry of Works, is ever-diligent and has never slacked off, and performed exceptionally well in the disaster relief efforts in Hexi Prefecture. He is certainly qualified for this position. Perhaps Minister Qiu is judging a gentleman by his own petty standards.”

“It is impossible to see into a person’s heart. Official Wang speaks such genteel words, but who knows what is really on his mind? Besides, Liu Junqi is currently out of the capital, and the Ministry of Works cannot be without someone in charge.” Qiu Songbo bowed toward the dragon throne. “Your Majesty, this official believes that Meng Wenxiao, an official with the Ministry of Works, is capable of temporarily taking up the position of Deputy Minister.”

“Isn’t this blatant nepotism by Deputy Minister Qiu?” Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi gave a light scoff and stepped forward. “Your Majesty, this official also believes that Liu Junqi will be a capable Deputy Minister of Works.”

Minister of Justice Qiu Heng looked up and swept his gaze over Qin Xiao’s expression, but didn’t see anything unusual. However, just as Qiu Songbo was about to say something, he turned his head slightly and gave him a look.

Qiu Songbo was given a shock, and swallowed back his words.

The court fell momentarily silent as everyone lowered their heads with their own thoughts in mind.

Now that the Xiao family was weakened, the Wang family had become the most prominent among them.

Looking at the court, their family already had four people in positions of power: Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan, Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi, Official Wang Yu from the Ministry of Personnel, and Deputy Minister of Justice Wang Ruzhen.

If a protégé of Wang Zhiyuan such as Liu Junqi were to become the Deputy Minister of Works, the Wang family would have influence over five of the six ministries in the Imperial Court. 

Upon realizing this, everyone understood that the Wang family had quietly grown in power.

They were also the most reputable and esteemed clan among the four great families. If their development continued unchecked, the Imperial Court would likely become the Wang Family Court!

What occurred to them would naturally have occurred to Qin Xiao as well, so they all felt that Liu Junqi had no chance of being promoted.

However, Chu Jiubian stepped out of the queue at this moment. His cool and aloof voice was particularly distinctive.

“Your Majesty, this official also believes that Liu Junqi is capable of this task.”

He felt gazes coming at him from all directions, but lowered his eyes and pretended not to notice.

Bai Lihong had been told by Xiansheng and Jiujiu yesterday that once Xiansheng made a recommendation, he should give the nod. 

The child’s clear voice echoed throughout the hall: “Then the Grand Tutor’s request is granted.”

From initially only being able to utter phrases like “rise” and “what do you have to report?” during morning court, it had only taken a little over a month for him to learn how to say more complex things at just the right times.

For a child who was only three years old, this rate of growth was astonishing.

Qin Xiao spoke at last: “Since there are no objections, Official Liu Junqi will be promoted to Deputy Minister of Works.”

Since the emperor had spoken and Qin Xiao had made his final decision, the others had no way to refute him – but their suspicions only deepened.

Were Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian not afraid of the Qiu family’s growing power?

Or perhaps they had reached some sort of agreement with Liu Junqi, the new Deputy Minister of Works?

Liu Junqi had truly put in a lot of effort on this disaster relief mission to Hexi Prefecture. Who knew if he had actually received some sort of guarantee?

In an instant, everyone seemed to unintentionally turn their gazes toward the Wang family members – especially Minister Wang Zhiyuan.

Wang Zhiyuan, however, remained calm and unmoved.

Now that morning court had ended and all of the most important matters had been discussed, everyone had their own thoughts in mind and intended to go home to hash out their future plans.

“Your Majesty, this subject has another matter to discuss.” The young man’s indifferent voice was neither loud nor soft, yet it startled everyone into looking up.

The officials who had stepped forward to plead their case had long since returned to their positions, leaving only Chu Jiubian remaining in place.

“Please speak, Grand Tutor,” said Bai Lihong.

“In recent days, there have been many matters to attend to in court. From the magistrates of Guizhou and Guangxi who previously delayed disaster relief efforts, to Xiao Wendao and Lu Yuan, who embezzled money intended to repair the dams, and then Zhou Boshan, who used common people to block a dam – all of them were wicked and corrupt officials.”

Chu Jiubian spoke in a cool tone and made no effort to raise his voice, but with each sentence spoken, the court grew even quieter than before.

One could hear a pin drop.

Nobody knew what his purpose was in saying these things, but their intuition told them that it wasn’t anything good.

Chu Jiubian continued: “There are countless officials such as these, which lays bare the flaws in our dynasty’s official selection system.”

The moment the words “official selection system” were uttered, everyone’s expressions changed drastically. 

A series of nearly-tangible gazes immediately shot toward Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian raised his eyes slightly and met Qin Xiao’s deep gaze.

“What insight does the Grand Tutor have?” Qin Xiao’s voice was low and stern.

Chu Jiubian said unhurriedly: “Everything under the sky belongs to His Majesty, and also to the people. The Imperial Court belongs to His Majesty, but should also belong to the people.”

“This official believes that the selection of officials in our dynasty should not be limited to scholars, but should be expanded in order to give all common people an opportunity to enter officialdom.”

Qin Xiao said: “Currently, the recommendation system for selecting officials emphasizes both virtue and talent, and is open to all common people. Anyone who possesses these qualities is able to be recommended for officialdom by their superiors who are at the level of prefect or above.”

Chu Jiubian: “If the power to recommend officials is held by those at prefect level or above, there will be suspicions of nepotism. For example, Prefect Zhou Boshan of Hexi Prefecture was recommended and promoted by Governor Lu Yuan, but was neither talented nor virtuous. On the contrary, many talented merchant families have people who embody these qualities.”

“Indeed.” Qin Xiao nodded. “During the disaster relief effort, this lord also met many talented and virtuous people. But due to their poverty, they are unable to provide their superiors with enough money to buy official positions, which is why they remain unaccomplished.”

“What Lord Ning-wang says is true.” Chu Jiubian replied immediately after. “Therefore, this official believes that such an official selection system does more harm than good, and should be changed.”

“How should it be changed?”

“Selection through an Imperial Examination System,” Chu Jiubian said. “The Imperial Court will set up different subjects students are to be tested on. Anyone in Great Ning will be eligible to take the exams, and those who pass will become officials.”

The two of them sang in unison, and each line of their song was like a tidal wave crashing onto the minefield of the Imperial Court.

The two tacitly went quiet, and as expected, nobody in attendance was able to sit still.

Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan was the first to step forward, saying in a deep voice: “Your Majesty, Lord Ning-wang! The Grand Tutor’s idea is tantamount to shaking the very foundations of our nation! His words must not be heeded!”

For hundreds of years, the official selection system had been firmly controlled by the powerful and influential families.

The proposal made by Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao would not just shake the foundations of the nation, but also undermine the very basis of the noble families’ control over the Imperial Court.

Immediately afterward, Minister of Revenue Su Sheng stepped forward from the ranks: “This official seconds Minister Wang’s rebuttal!”

Then, one after another, the other five ministers minus the absent Jian Hongzhuo stepped forward.

These ministers usually only spoke up at critical moments, but they had no capacity to bother with such behavior now, and jumped out one by one.

Now that they had all made their stances known, the remaining officials bowed in unison and said: “These humble officials second the rebuttal.”

For a moment, apart from Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, only Bai Lihong on the throne and Hong Fu to the side held their heads high. Everyone else bowed deeply in a rare display of unity.

Bai Lihong stared in wide-eyed surprise, then looked up at Hong Fu beside him.

Hong Fu shook his head with a smile, and the boy nodded obediently and remained silent. 

It seemed that whatever followed had nothing to do with him; Jiujiu and Xiansheng would handle it alone.

Silence returned to the hall, but suddenly, a low chuckle rang out.

Everyone’s minds subconsciously turned to Qin Xiao, but when they listened closer, they found that it was coming from Chu Jiubian.

This ethereal Grand Tutor maintained a perpetual aloofness toward everyone, and would at most wear a polite smile on his lips, but he had never laughed out loud like this before.

“Why are you all reacting so strongly?” Chu Jiubian asked in a mild tone. “Could it be that what Lord Ning-wang and I spoke of just now was wrong?”

“My Lord’s example of Zhou Boshan is a generalization based on a single instance,” said Wang Zhiyuan. “The recommendation system has been in place for centuries, through which countless talents have been selected for the court. Among the officials in court today, who hasn’t entered officialdom through these means?”

“Indeed, who hasn’t entered officialdom through these means?” Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at him. “Minister Wang, take a look at how many Wang family students and disciples are standing behind you.”

Wang Zhiyuan’s brow furrowed slightly: “Many talents have emerged from the Wang family’s student body. There is nothing wrong with them entering officialdom.”

“Since the implementation of the official recommendation system, half of those recommended as candidates for officialdom have come from prominent families, and most talents have been students from those families.”

Chu Jiubian swept his gaze over the ministers standing beside him, and his voice grew colder: “Do the officials selected through the recommendation system belong to the Imperial Court, or to you?”

“Grand Tutor, be careful with your words!” Minister of War Lu Youwei said in a deep voice. “The officials selected through the recommendation system are naturally chosen for His Majesty and the court. The process has its own regulations, so how can it be considered nepotism? Grand Tutor, don’t look down on us mortals simply because you consider yourself to be an immortal.”

“Minister Lu. Everyone,” Chu Jiubian said, turning his head to look at the crowd. “You say that the process has its own regulations, but it hasn’t been long since the matter of Zhao Qianhe selling official positions. Would you like me to read out the list of who bought those positions?”

At least half of those people were connected to the four great families.

Naturally, they all knew that Chu Jiubian was right. No one understood the drawbacks of the recommendation system better than them.

But they would not admit to it, much less allow Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao to change the system!

Imperial power was constantly growing in strength these days. If the Imperial Court were to take back the power to select officials, the consequences would be dire.

Chu Jiubian glanced up at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao then said: “Enough.”

Their original goal was not to start the Imperial Examinations right this minute. If they forced the matter, these noble families would go crazy, and if they were pushed to the brink and united in a fight to the death, their side would experience more losses than gains.

They had already been sufficiently provoked; Qin Xiao should step in as the peacemaker, give each side a good scolding, and make them stand down.

Qin Xiao looked at Chu Jiubian and said gently: “The Grand Tutor means well, but the Imperial Examination system could threaten the foundations of the state at present, so let’s put it on hold for now.”

Everyone else was stunned, and reflexively stared at the two of them.

What were they up to now?

Could it be that these two hadn’t reached a private agreement after all?

Qin Xiao then focused his attention on the ministers, and his tone chilled considerably: “His Majesty is wise, and my colleagues in the court are all equally intolerant of evil. At present, there are problems within our administration. Some subordinates have grown restless, and have brought monsters and miscreants into my Great Ning’s officialdom. Surely, gentlemen such as yourselves would like to eliminate parasites such as Zhou Boshan.”

He was being unusually flexible and lenient, but everyone felt a chill run down their spine.

And their vigilance heightened even more.

“But after the parasites are removed, people will be needed to fill the gaps.”

Qin Xiao said: “Why don’t we establish an “Imperial Academy,” and select talents from the public through examinations? By further assessing their characters over time, we will truly be able to select individuals with both virtue and talent to fill those vacancies.”

This was a significant step back for him. If he didn’t directly abolish the recommendation system, then the noble families would still have many ways to promote their own people.

But establishing an Imperial Academy with the intention of supporting scholars from poor families was naturally for the purpose of competing with them.

Everyone’s thoughts raced.

Very quickly, they calculated all of the pros and cons.

As long as the recommendation system existed, the foundation of the noble families would remain.

As for the Imperial Academy —

Nowadays, those with the means to study and comprehend Confucian principles were mostly from families with some financial resources.

These families strove desperately to make a name for themselves, all in the hope of attracting attention from prominent families and being recommended for official positions.

Therefore, as long as these prominent families established some kind of “clan school” for outsiders, these scholars would flock to them and completely disregard the Imperial Academy.

And who among the truly impoverished had the means to access books?

Even if a group of uneducated people were to enter the Imperial Academy and receive training from Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, it would still take a considerable amount of time for them to develop enough to become officials.

However, even if they did enter the court, they would be unable to contend with the great families whose roots were deeply embedded in the bureaucracy.

Everyone knew that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were preparing for a protracted war, and since that was the case, they just wouldn’t give them an opportunity.

They had all planned to take things slowly, but now that they were being put under such pressure from the two of them, they couldn’t help but become impatient.

They could no longer allow Imperial power to develop unchecked. They should use stronger tactics sooner rather than later.

“This official has no objections,” Chu Jiubian said abruptly, breaking the court’s silence.

Imperial Censor Qi Zhili, his eyes gleaming with a strange light, loudly echoed from within the ranks: “This official seconds the measure!”

He had joined the others in opposing the previous measure, partly out of concern that the great families might resort to desperate measures.

But if this Imperial Academy program was established now, it would be the best starting point for suppressing the prominent families!

His heart beat faster at the thought of this.

If these self-concerned bigwigs could be removed from their posts, a new dawn would break across Great Ning!

A few others chimed in, all of them low-ranking officials from the Ministry of War – and also Qin Xiao’s men.

“This official seconds the measure.” Suddenly, Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan spoke up.

At once, most of the Xiao family and Ministry of Personnel officials joined in to voice their approval.

And so it went, one after another, until at last there were no objections.

Qin Xiao gazed out at the crowd. Among those bowing and making obeisance, Chu Jiubian stood out starkly with his upright posture.

The young man stood tall and elegant, with some of his silver hair spilling over his shoulders. Dappled light reflected in his usually indifferent light-hued eyes, dispelling the original barrenness to make way for the slow sprouting of a vigorous life force.

But in just two breaths, that force retreated like the tide, returning to a state of calm stillness.

Like a flower that had just begun to bloom, then withered and died without warning.

Qin Xiao’s breath momentarily caught in his throat.

All of the countless complex thoughts in Chu Jiubian’s mind fell silent.

He felt his heart pounding at the thought of the Imperial Academy, the future of Great Ning, and the lives of tens of millions of common people.

As if waking from a dream, Chu Jiubian struggled to break free from his “role.”

He remembered that his original purpose was not to save the rotten Great Ning Dynasty. The Imperial Examinations and Imperial Academy were merely means for him to cultivate power and ensure his survival. He was not a genuine, benevolent god, but a false one skilled in subterfuge. 

He also recalled that he was in the world of a novel, and had fallen into the trap of method acting. He shouldn’t have gotten so caught up in the role, seeing himself as a savior, nor should he have become entangled with the novel’s characters.

He looked up at Qin Xiao, this powerful official who would stop at nothing to gain power.

He would abandon and sacrifice everything for that power, and would put on the most perfect disguise in order to gain influence and status.

Chu Jiubian was currently his most important asset, so Qin Xiao would do everything he could to keep him by his side.

Whether it was testing his preferences or pretending to be a benevolent ruler who cared for the common people, perhaps all of his previous actions had been for the sake of using that so-called “love tribulation” to make Chu Jiubian unswervingly loyal to him.

That could also be the reason for that unexpected kiss last night.

And why he had said “just this once.”

Qin Xiao had sensed Chu Jiubian’s subtle, ambiguous feelings for him, and had no choice but to make that sacrifice in order to appease him.

Yes.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes.

How could anyone possibly care about someone like him?

How much sincerity could there be in the vortex of power?

Even Chu Jiubian only had a slight liking for Qin Xiao. It had nothing to do with feelings – he was simply someone with exploitative value.

Everything could be an act, something that Chu Jiubian, as an actor, knew very well. If he could talk about a “love tribulation” without giving any explanation, and act affectionately toward Qin Xiao, the man could naturally reciprocate by pretending that he cared about him.

Very good.

It was good that it was “just this once.”

It was perfectly normal for mutual respect and appreciation to arise during a game of strategy, but when faced with the prospect of gains or losses, they could still rationally analyze the actions and outcomes that were the most beneficial to them. Only when there were emotional ties would they have misgivings.

Therefore, a purely cooperative relationship made it easier to take action when weapons were drawn.

In order to survive, Chu Jiubian could only rely on himself, the System, and his Believers. Not on Qin Xiao or Bai Lihong.

Whether it was the Imperial Examination System or the Imperial Academy, it didn’t matter who approved of them.

The important part was for Chu Jiubian to place his own people in the government and promote them to advantageous positions.

In this way, he would be better able to protect himself.

Chu Jiubian stepped beyond his framework, and even his own ego, to calmly analyze everything. His face remained composed and expressionless, his eyelashes slightly lowered. For a moment, he didn’t notice the commotion of the outside world.

Only when his hands were grasped and lifted did he look up, only to meet Qin Xiao’s very close deep, cold eyes.

“What are you thinking about?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian then realized that court had ended some time ago, and that all of the officials had left, except for Bai Lihong and Hong Fu, who had gone back to the inner hall.

At present, only he and Qin Xiao remained in this vast hall.

“I was thinking that I should start training those teachers,” Chu Jiubian said in a tranquil tone. His attitude toward Qin Xiao was the same as it had been the day before.

“Is that so?” Qin Xiao gripped his wrists with both hands. The veins stood out on the backs of his hands, but he didn’t dare to actually use any force. “That’s what you were thinking about?”

“ ? ”

Chu Jiubian looked down at his hands with a frown.

Qin Xiao was holding them up at chest height, and his pale skin contrasted sharply with the trails of blood winding across it.

Chu Jiubian was momentarily stunned.

It turned out that at some point, he had scratched off several of his fingernails. Blood flowed down, coating his hands.

His eyelashes trembled slightly, and he instinctively tried to clench his hands into fists to hide his injuries, but Qin Xiao held them still.

Chu Jiubian looked up into his deep, cold eyes. The pressure on his hands loosened, and he stopped struggling. 

Qin Xiao then took out medicine and bandages from his pocket and carefully treated the wounds.

Neither of them spoke again.

*

*

Outside Fengtian Hall.

Deputy Minister of Justice Wang Ruzhen descended the long staircase and hurried a few steps to catch up to Wang Zhiyuan. He whispered: “Minister, may I speak to you in private?”

Wang Zhiyuan was accompanied only by his grandson, Wang Pengyi.

Wang Pengyi knew that Wang Ruzhen was giving him a hint, so he moved to leave, but Wang Zhiyuan stopped him and said: “We’re all family here. Just speak your mind.”

Wang Ruzhen glanced at Wang Pengyi.

The Wang family may seem like a powerful force now, but internally, it was subtly split into two factions.

One faction was led by the family head, Wang Huanzhi, while the other faction was led by Young Master Wang Qichen.

Wang Ruzhen himself was loyal to the family head, but his cousins Wang Pengyi and Wang Qichen had a good relationship that stemmed back to their childhood, so there were some things he really didn’t want Wang Pengyi to know.

But now that Wang Zhiyuan had declared them all “family,” he could no longer insist, and said: “Grand Tutor Chu just suggested that Liu Junqi be promoted to Deputy Minister of Works. Could there be something going on here…..?”

Before he finished speaking, he raised his eyes to observe Wang Zhiyuan’s expression.

Wang Zhiyuan remained indifferent: “I know my student Liu Junqi well. He is upright and honest, and entered officialdom for the purpose of doing practical things for the common people. He is uninterested in all the rest.”

What family ties, what political infighting? Although Liu Junqi was a bit simple and naive, he was indeed a good child who served the people and the country.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were willing to promote him because they had witnessed his abilities and ambition. Using him was no different than using a pure and loyal minister.

Therefore, it was completely unnecessary for Wang Ruzhen to worry that he had a business deal with Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao.

Wang Zhiyuan understood this, and Wang Pengyi beside him understood it even better.

It was he who had facilitated Liu Junqi’s apprenticeship with Wang Zhiyuan, and only he knew that this person had been sent to him by Wang Qichen.

In other words, Liu Junqi was Wang Qichen’s man.

Wang Pengyi was overjoyed by his promotion.

This subtly elevated Wang Qichen’s position within the family, and if things really came to the point where they had to break ties with Wang Huanzhi, they would be better able to protect themselves.

“With My Lord’s words, we can rest assured.” Wang Ruzhen smiled faintly.

Wang Zhiyuan gave no response. His steps were steady, but a dark glint flickered in the back of his eyes.

The capital had truly been thrown into chaos.

*

*

Yangxin Hall.

Bai Lihong sat in the head seat as he practiced writing large characters, and would glance toward Chu Jiubian from time to time with his little face all wrinkled up.

Xiansheng was really prone to injury. He didn’t know how it happened, but after the morning court session, the fingers on both of his hands were injured!

Xiansheng had said that when gods were injured after descending to earth, it was called “divine retribution.”

Bai Lihong didn’t understand, but that didn’t stop him from hating the so-called “divine retribution.”

Despite his reluctance, he still wanted Xiansheng to return to heaven where he couldn’t get hurt. But Xiansheng had said that he wanted to remain here for him while he grew up…..and Bai Lihong changed his mind again. He wanted Xiansheng to stay.

But how could he keep getting hurt like this?

Ai.

The young boy gave a quiet sigh with his face in his hands, wishing he could bear the pain for Xiansheng.

But he was so little. He wondered how many of the injuries he could take…..

Chu Jiubian was unaware of the child’s troubles. He crossed his legs and flipped through the memorials, setting aside the pointless ones.

All of these only required drawing a simple circle on them, and he would do that for the Emperor in a while.

The remaining useful reports, such as those on local finances or the appointment or removal of officials, he took a close look at and set aside. Qin Xiao would reply to each of them later.

He set down another memorial and turned his head to look at the person beside him.

The two of them had previously faced each other across the aisle, each with their own table to review memorials. But now, the two tables had been pushed together, with their chairs side by side.

After Qin Xiao finished reviewing a memorial, Chu Jiubian said: “I can still hold a brush.”

Qin Xiao paused, then set down the memorial and selected another one, silently rejecting his suggestion.

“Then are you going to feed me when we eat later?” Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Xiao hummed in agreement.

Really?

Chu Jiubian couldn’t tell whether he was serious or not.

When lunchtime came around, Qin Xiao sat down beside him, picked up a bite of food with his chopsticks, and held it to Chu Jiubian’s lips: “Eat.”

Chu Jiubian: “…..I can eat by myself.”

He reached for the chopsticks as he spoke, but Qin Xiao dodged and stubbornly held the food to his lips.

Bai Lihong sat opposite them, slurping as he ate. He would occasionally glance at the two of them and giggle, then continue to eat.

Xiansheng’s hands were injured, so it was a matter of course that Jiujiu would feed him.

Chu Jiubian stared at Qin Xiao in silence, but he couldn’t find a trace of warmth in the other’s eyes, only calm indifference.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and ate the food that was offered to him.

The same thing happened at dinner.

Chu Jiubian didn’t try to grab the chopsticks this time, and just ate what Qin Xiao gave him.

But strangely enough, every bite Qin Xiao fed him was exactly what he wanted to eat.

After dinner, Qin Xiao reviewed more memorials while Chu Jiubian sat silently beside him.

The council chamber was now empty aside from the two of them. A dim oil lamp flickered on the table.

Chu Jiubian took a high-powered flashlight out of his spatial storage and turned it to its lowest setting, illuminating the entire room.

Qin Xiao saw the sudden flash before his eyes and turned his head to look.

Amidst the light and shadow, the young man gently pressed the light source against his cheek, his face appearing somewhat hazy and dreamlike.

He was so close, yet seemed so far away.

Chu Jiubian’s gaze moved slowly, as if it was a tangible thing, from the high bridge of the man’s nose to his slightly pursed lips, and then to his prominent Adam’s apple.

When he looked farther down, the light in the room abruptly dimmed.

Qin Xiao had reached out to block the light, holding his palm against it.

Chu Jiubian’s eyes hadn’t had a chance to adjust to the darkness, and he vaguely glimpsed the other man moving closer to him.

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately turned his head. The kiss landed on his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.

The atmosphere became slightly tense.

Qin Xiao didn’t back away, and Chu Jiubian could feel the other’s hot breath against his ear and neck.

“Are you angry?” Qin Xiao’s voice was very soft, even gentle.

Chu Jiubian kept silent for a moment before finally saying with a smile: “Lord Ning-wang, this isn’t necessary.”

He stood up and put away his flashlight, moving toward the exit: “No need to see me off.”

---

T/N: CJB has some trauma to work through, the poor guy. He’ll get there eventually!

---

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Chapter 50 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 52

Ch 14 – Charming Corn

Yu Xi found it strange. He didn’t like arguing, and hated disputes, but after the fight, he still found Kersz pleasing to the eye in spite of it all.

“I want humans. You’re human too, but you’re different.” Yu Xi took Kersz’s hand and gently patted the back of it. “My feelings toward you are also a little different.”

Kersz: …..

That may be true, but wasn’t Yu Xi being a little too blunt?

Kersz felt that something was wrong with his own state of mind, and attributed it to the conflicts that shaped his relationship with Yu Xi.

Strictly speaking, Kersz didn’t have any real friends, but he’d had a lot of imaginary friends when he was a child.

Yu Xi’s objective was so simple and straightforward that Kersz didn’t feel the need to erect any defenses in front of him. Of course, it was also possible that Yu Xi harbored some ulterior motives, and everything now was just a facade.

But Kersz had witnessed Yu Xi compress an entire galaxy. How could human society be worth Yu Xi’s concern?

Kersz felt that this was probably his first time making a friend. Ironically, after losing his previous innocence, he finally had a chance to make a genuine friend.

There was nothing about him that Yu Xi could possibly want…..

Okay, maybe Yu Xi did have some ulterior motives. He intended to use Kersz to kidnap more humans, but this sort of scheming was much more sincere and genuine compared to that of those inhuman and treacherous people in power.

Kersz was happy to have met him, but it was a happiness that he thought was best kept to himself, so that their relationship could gradually and silently become closer.

Basically the opposite of what he was doing now, laying side by side in bed with Yu Xi, listening to Yu Xi express how much he liked him.

“I find you exceptionally beautiful,” Yu Xi continued. “Your facial features are very good-looking. Has anyone ever told you that your eyelashes are very long?”

“Someone mentioned it when I was a kid,” Kersz replied dryly.

“So long. So beautiful.” Yu Xi stretched out a finger and touched Kersz’s eyelashes a couple of times.

Kersz moved backward slightly.

“What are you doing?” Yu Xi reached out and grabbed Kersz. “You weren’t like this before. Every time I got even a little close to you, you acted like you were ready to fall into depravity at any moment.”

“I was just teasing you.” Kersz was extremely uncomfortable. He still wanted to back away, but felt that doing so would upset Yu Xi. He didn’t know what to do.

“You shouldn’t have teased me like that.” Yu Xi disapproved of Kersz’s behavior. “There is a difference in strength between us. If I really wanted to do something to you, you wouldn’t be able to stop me, and then you’d be unhappy.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily be unhappy. I can accept anything.” Kersz didn’t look Yu Xi in the eyes again. He liked that cyan-blue color, but he was also afraid of it.

“You would be unhappy. Anyone would be unhappy about being suppressed.” 

Yu Xi didn’t think this was a very healthy way to start a relationship: “We almost ended up hating each other.”

Kersz found Yu Xi’s concerns particularly interesting: “But you’re not interested in my body at all. You just condemned me for being frivolous.”

“I am interested,” Yu Xi corrected him.

Kersz went silent.

Yu Xi gave him an earnest look: “You have a very good physique.”

Kersz: “Thank you for the compliment.”

“It’s truly excellent. Very robust, and seems like it wouldn’t break easily.” Yu Xi corrected himself after speaking, “Not just seems – it really is tough. You survived some terrible injuries back then.”

Kersz had no reply to give.

“I developed a feature to make myself happy, but I’ve never used it. I’m always tempted to take action when you proposition me, but I know it wouldn’t be right.” Yu Xi was a little smug, proud of his sense of morality.

Kersz gave an “oh.” Then he placed his hands on his chest, seemingly lost in thought.

“Perhaps your physical condition is related to your profession, but I haven’t seen a strong and healthy human being in a very, very long time.” Yu Xi explained, “The more developed humans became, the less important muscles were. Everything could be replaced by mechanical parts, and people’s aesthetics changed as they developed.”

Ultimately, the appearance of an ‘early human’ became a peculiar niche aesthetic, because this type of body was really too inconvenient.

“Seeing a strong human brings many thoughts to mind.” Yu Xi sighed. “Very sturdy. Very steadfast.” He had a feeling that Kersz would be a very capable worker.

Oh, Kersz was indeed a very capable worker. He used to be a miner.

“Kersz!” Yu Xi’s eyes lit up. “Would you like to try farming?”

“Farming? You mean like growing those vegetables?” Kersz was very interested in food. “Sure.”

“And rice,” Yu Xi added.

“When do we start?!” Kersz’s attention was successfully diverted.

“A month will be about right. Oh, and I also have an ox-shaped robot over there that can help you.” Everything on that planet was automated, and the animals were all machines controlled by Yu Xi.

“Ox-shaped?”

“Oxen are used for plowing fields,” Yu Xi explained.

“That’s amazing!” Kersz exclaimed.

“You can wear a white tank top then. Working the fields is tiring.” Yu Xi had never actually seen a person and an ox working the fields, as he had originally been a robot vacuum cleaner and the family that bought him didn’t own any farmland.

But Yu Xi had watched a lot of TV dramas from that era, and felt that Kersz was particularly suited to the role.

The sun, an old ox, and a profusely sweating farmer.

Yu Xi shifted his position under the covers and let out a comfortable sigh.

It was all his.

Kersz’s curiosity was piqued by Yu Xi’s satisfied expression: “What are you thinking about right now?”

Yu Xi lowered his voice, covering his mouth as if divulging a secret: “Did you know? You can go into a cornfield and do naughty things.”

Yu Xi was thinking of some wild, primitive scenarios.

“Corn? Is there really so much space in a cornfield?” Kersz asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Cornstalks would definitely be bent under the weight,” said Yu Xi.

Kersz exclaimed in shock: “What a waste! Is that corn even fully grown yet?”

Yu Xi: “…..Can you stop thinking about food all the time?”

“I just think we should show a basic level of empathy. That corn is growing perfectly well. Why should we trample it?” Kersz couldn’t quite bring himself to accept it.

“You treat corn much more nicely than you treat other humans,” said Yu Xi.

“Because corn doesn’t have a brain. Between the two of us, you being friendly to humans is enough,” Kersz replied.

“You’re so unromantic.” Yu Xi let out a sigh. “If I was a bad guy, maybe I’d force you to do it and trample your favorite food. And when you accused me of wasting food, I’d stuff it all into your mouth.”

“It sounds like you’re seriously considering the possibility.” Kersz chuckled a little.

“I really am,” Yu Xi confessed, clutching the blanket tightly.

Kersz: “…..Wow.”

“All living things have some bad thoughts in their heads, but as long as they aren’t put into practice, you can pretend that those bad thoughts never existed,” Yu Xi explained. “And I’m not going to put them into practice.”

Kersz felt like his mind had completely spun out.

“Am I wearing clothes in your fantasy?” Kersz asked him.

“Of course. You can’t beat me, and you’re sobbing in a corner,” Yu Xi shared excitedly.

Kersz came to the sudden realization that Yu Xi’s current fantasy was not romantic in nature. Yu Xi was simply thinking about bullying him.

He began to think about Yu Xi’s previous words. He was quite certain that Yu Xi had said something about having feelings when Kersz deliberately came onto him, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint which of his words expressed those ambiguous thoughts and which ones were describing Yu Xi’s wildly imaginative mindscape.

This robot was truly an enigma.

“Kersz,” Yu Xi suddenly called out again.

“Yeah?”

“Perhaps we should discuss the matter of that child, Tau. He may not be accustomed to being away from his father.”

Yu Xi: “It will take a joint effort between the two of us to integrate him into our family.”

Kersz: …..

Great, now it was a parenting channel.

“He must have some troublesome emotional trauma.” Yu Xi sighed.

“He’s not a child to me. He’s over seventy, and I’m only in my early thirties.” Kersz had no interest in taking care of Tau. He simply knew what Tau cared about and wanted to torment him with it. “He’s not old enough yet to go to a nursing home, and I haven’t passed the caregiver certification exam.”

Yu Xi exclaimed: “You’re so mean to him! If he were a corn cob, you would never talk about him like that!”

“Only you would use such a metaphor.” Kersz was a little sleepy.

Yu Xi caught the fatigue in his words, so he reached out and pulled Kersz into his embrace: “Okay, my good friend. Let’s sleep together.”

“Heh. Good friend,” Kersz muttered subconsciously as he shut his eyes.

Yu Xi added: “I’m so glad I’ll be able to see you the moment I open my eyes tomorrow.”

Kersz mumbled again, but this time it was just meaningless sounds.

Yu Xi smiled and simply sensed the human’s temperature and heartbeat for a while. Then he stretched out a finger and poked Kersz’s body.

After playing to his satisfaction, Yu Xi then squeezed his head next to Kersz’s: “I’m so happy. It feels like a dream.”

Yu Xi closed his eyes, and really did start to dream. This time, the dream was no longer about the old house and the big fat cat sitting on him.

He dreamed that a group of humans opened their arms to hug him, but he couldn’t possibly hug them all, and new humans kept sprouting out of the ground.

There were so many humans. He was about to be overwhelmed by them.

Yu Xi joyfully embraced the humans, falling into a sweet dilemma.

Kersz, dreaming next to him, was also in a dilemma.

The words Yu Xi had spoken to him were absorbed into his dreamscape. Kersz felt that he was doing farmwork, but since he had never actually done farmwork, his dream was abstract and illogical.

But his dream of being pinned down in a vegetable field by Yu Xi was very vivid.

This could probably be attributed to the fact that he had seen too many inappropriate videos.

When he was a miner, his coworkers absolutely loved this type of stimuli. Unlike Kersz, who was a madman obsessed with killing and revenge, they lived for the moment, never knowing what tomorrow might bring.

Under perilous conditions, the human desire to copulate was particularly strong.

Kersz wasn’t neutered, and his little companion mouse couldn’t completely evolve him into a desireless saint.

He had a little bit of knowledge in this area, and thanks to the generous sharing of his coworkers, his knowledge expanded even more.

Therefore, this dream was exceptionally detailed.

He could feel the goosebumps on his skin as Yu Xi’s fingers brushed against it.

He could also feel his muscles reflexively tensing and relaxing at the scrape of fingernails.

Yu Xi’s actions were hardly friendly.

Just like Yu Xi had said, he gripped Kersz’s neck from above, pinning him facedown. Kersz also had something stuffed in his mouth.

“Shh, don’t cry, don’t cry~” Yu Xi leaned down and whispered in his ear, “All the good food is yours. Come on, chew slowly and swallow.”

Yu Xi guided him step by step, one hand still pressing down on Kersz’s neck and the other stroking soothingly through Kersz’s hair.

Kersz tried to protest, but he couldn’t swallow the lump in his mouth.

In the end, he coughed violently – but just as he was about to spit the thing out of his mouth, Yu Xi suddenly covered his mouth with both hands.

Kersz struggled, but he was utterly unable to break free.

Kersz felt like he was suffocating. He was about to die. His vision started to go out of focus.

“You can’t~” Yu Xi whispered in his ear.

Can’t what?

Kersz awoke with a start.

Yu Xi was already up and sitting on the edge of the bed, recording something on a semi-transparent screen.

When he noticed that Kersz had woken up, Yu Xi greeted him with a smile: “I’m so happy to see you today.”

Instead of smiling back at him, Kersz cried out in shock: “Am I a masochistic pervert?!”

Yu Xi: “What did you dream about?”

Kersz: “…..Corn.” He felt that there were some things that shouldn’t be said.

Upon hearing this answer, Yu Xi leaned back slightly. He had just heard Kersz making some indecent noises when he was half-asleep.

Yu Xi silently deleted a few lines of text from the computer. This file was a record of Kersz’s behavior, which Yu Xi used to study him.

Yu Xi retyped.

[Kersz considers himself to be a masochistic pervert….]

[He seems to be a die-hard corn fanatic.]

[Humans are truly magical.]

Yu Xi paused briefly, then typed out another line of text.

[Truly, truly magical.]

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Chapter 13 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 15