Ch 20 – What Did the Cruel Robot Do?

“Take a look at Tau.” Yu Xi adjusted the semi-transparent screen so that it faced Kersz. Displayed on it was a photo. “I think our relationship has improved significantly.”

On the holographic screen, Tau sat with his back as straight as a board. He was wearing a pink formal suit covered in goose-yellow polka dots, with a large yellow bowtie secured around his neck. Perched atop his head was a cute little tophat. 

This was the outfit Yu Xi had picked out for him, as today was the birthday of his fabricated persona.

“In consideration of his favorite color being purple, I gave him purple dress pants and silver-white shoes.” Yu Xi zoomed in on Tau’s lower body.

Kersz felt as if his eyes were being assaulted by that pair of gleaming silver shoes.

“We celebrated his birthday together. His heart started racing and his face turned bright red, so I knew he was feeling shy.” Yu Xi sighed. “Tau is really becoming more and more lively.”

Kersz: …..

Kersz suspected that Tau had wanted to pummel Yu Xi, but considering the disparity in strength between the two, all he could do was grit his teeth and bear it.

Surely Yu Xi wouldn’t dress Kersz up like this for his own birthday. Right?

“This outfit is a little odd,” said Yu Xi.

Kersz: “Ah?” Yu Xi thought it was odd? Shouldn’t he find it adorable?

“But Tau himself likes it. It’s his birthday, so his preferences matter most.” Yu Xi wondered whether he should hang this photograph in Tau’s quarters.

“What do you mean it’s his own preference?” 

Kersz finally realized that something wasn’t right here.

“I prepared several outfits.” Yu Xi exited the photo and showed Kersz the array of garments he had selected.

Those formal outfits looked very elegant, and Tau would certainly look good in them.

“When I asked him to pick out his clothes, he looked rather conflicted. Then I jokingly said that if all else failed, I would just tie a big bow on his head and be done with it. And he actually said okay!”

“I designed some clothes for him, and he selected the sketches for this particular set,” Yu Xi explained. “Actually, he didn’t point them out. It’s just that once the sketches were ready, his eyes lingered the most on this particular set.”

Kersz was deeply shaken: “So he actually prefers this?”

“I got the feeling that he really liked it.” Yu Xi recalled that when the little top hat had begun to fall from his head, Tau had reached up himself and straightened it again.

Kersz wore an incredulous expression.

“And he also prefers children’s cartoons to those heavy, complex stories intended for adults.” Yu Xi had discovered this by perusing Tau’s playback history.

Kersz was even more shocked.

“Do you think I should give him a teddy bear? I think he’d like it.” Yu Xi asked for Kersz’s opinion.

Kersz raised a hand to his temples: “I suppose…..he really likes this stuff?!”

“Everyone has their own little hobbies.” Yu Xi patted Kersz. “By the way, I’ve secretly tapped into your civilian computer network. I’m striving to understand your social structure. You now have unrestricted access to the network, and no one will be able to trace your identity.”

“I can access the network?” Kersz frowned.

Yu Xi nodded.

“What about Tau?”

“He can too,” said Yu Xi.

“No way! He’ll send information outside!” Kersz was alarmed. “His father is the Supreme Governor. The military of the Interstellar Alliance is going to come knocking on our door.”

“He wouldn’t do that, he’s an honest child,” Yu Xi reassured him.

“He might like those cartoons, but he hasn’t been successfully reformed. It’s not that easy.” Kersz worried that Yu Xi might suffer a loss at Tau’s hands. “He will absolutely reveal your situation to the Interstellar Alliance.”

“He can’t determine the exact location of our starship,” said Yu Xi. “Your equipment here isn’t able to do so either.”

Kersz: “He doesn’t need to know the exact location. He only needs to transmit your identity and goal to the outside world.”

“So he’s going to say that a robotic relic of an ancient human civilization wants to round up humans solely for the purpose of raising them in a healthy and scientifically sound environment, ensuring that they live out their lives in health and contentment until they die of old age?” A smile spread across Yu Xi’s face. “Wouldn’t you take this as a joke?”

Kersz: …..

He had nearly forgotten how absurd Yu Xi’s goal would seem to ordinary people.

Kersz’s suspicion turned out not to be baseless. Upon discovering that he could access the network, Tau indeed began to transmit information. However, he was very cautious, and waited a long time before sending his first brief message in a rather roundabout manner.

After all, he couldn’t be sure if Yu Xi was spying on him or not.

In reality, his best course of action at the moment was to do nothing at all, but Yu Xi’s tactic of using his father to threaten him had left him feeling a little anxious.

On the capital planet of the Interstellar Alliance, a man with long golden hair closed a file and removed his gloves before rubbing the tip of his nose.

Just then, a message suddenly popped up on his communicator.

[Supreme Governor, we have received a message from 152.]

Number 152? The blond man raised his teacup.

He recalled that Number 152’s identity had already been exposed by Kersz. Given Kersz’s deranged nature, he had assumed that Number 152 was already dead.

[Send it over.] The blond man’s brow furrowed. He wondered if this could be a trap set by Kersz.

[….Please try not to get angry when you read it.] The other side suddenly sent this remark.

The blond man’s displeasure deepened. The other’s words seemed a little excessive.

Fortunately, the other party didn’t display any further extraneous sentiment. Instead, they simply forwarded the intelligence transmitted by Number 152.

Number 152 had left varying comments across different websites, and they had to use a secret code to identify specific characters, deconstruct them into their constituent strokes, and then based on the numerical values of those strokes, reassemble them to construct a new message.

The file sent by the other party contained all of Number 152’s comments, and in the process of deconstructing the information, these fragments coalesced into a single statement: [A robot is coming to capture Father and use him as a breeding stud.]

“Pfft! Cough, cough, cough!” The blond man spat out the tea in his mouth. After coughing for quite a while, he shifted his gaze back to the message.

Then he went back through every message sent by Number 152, scrutinizing the decryption process. He felt that something must have gone wrong during one of the steps.

He read them over once, twice, three times…..

…..Was this message posted by Kersz under the other person’s account?

That must be it. The space pirate was probably just indulging his twisted sense of humor.

*

*

Kersz sneezed.

“Are you sick?” Yu Xi reached out and touched Kersz’s forehead.

“I don’t think so.” Kersz didn’t know why he had suddenly sneezed. “Let’s continue our discussion.”

“Oh, oh, okay.” Yu Xi had been speaking to Kersz about the little animals in his dream. “Humanoid extraterrestrial beings are extremely rare. In the dream, they referenced ‘supreme apes,’ and said that I resembled them. So I figure that their facial features must at least be human-like, or that human features must represent a substantial portion of their appearance.”

“The animals spoke the same language as me, so they must have originated back when the original humans still existed. It’s highly probable that they are artificially created beastfolk,” Yu Xi continued to analyze.

“That makes sense. Actually, back when I was a miner, I used to think to myself: if only my little mouse could live a little bit longer.” Kersz nodded.

“Oh~ You wanted companionship, right?” Yu Xi took Kersz’s hand and stroked the back of it.

“I guess so.” Kersz knew that Yu Xi was susceptible to this kind of thing. His words were sincere, but he wouldn’t usually bring up such trivial matters.

“Do you want to come into my arms?” Yu Xi opened his arms to Kersz.

Kersz embraced Yu Xi quite naturally, resting his head on his shoulder.

Yu Xi stroked Kersz’s head: “You really are a cunning human. One who knows how to act cute, too.”

Had Yu Xi figured out what he was thinking? Kersz smiled, knowing that Yu Xi would fall for it next time as well.

“In any case, it’s highly probable that those little animals originated from the ancient humans. But I’m not exactly sure what ‘Facai’ is, or why it established a connection with you.” Yu Xi petted the human beside him as he spoke.

Yu Xi typically wouldn’t be so impolite to a human. Even when dealing with the mentally unstable Tau, he wouldn’t directly lay a hand on him.

It was precisely because Tau’s personality was so maladjusted that Yu Xi worried about leading him down an even more misguided path, and always conducted himself with caution and courtesy.

But Kersz was different. Kersz was very warm and enthusiastic.

Yu Xi suddenly let out a sigh. He set the topic of the dream aside and proceeded to lament: “Good-looking, sweet-talking humans are very dangerous.”

As he spoke, Yu Xi gave Kersz a squeeze.

Then he let out a world-weary sigh.

Kersz was too generous, and couldn’t bring himself to push him away.

Yu Xi continued to pet him, and their postures shifted slightly. He began to nuzzle his way deeper into Kersz’s arms, stroking him all the while, as if preparing to stake out his territory.

He groped around with a sigh, as if helpless in the face of his own exessiveness.

Kersz’s face went slightly red.

This robot really knew how to push boundaries.

Kersz could feel his heart beating faster and faster. Yu Xi, who had been nuzzling him all this time, went still and lifted his head to gaze at Kersz with those cyan-blue eyes.

Great, the robot had picked up on his emotions again.

Yu Xi smiled somewhat sheepishly, then asked politely: “Can I touch more?”

“Go right ahead~” Kersz continued to feign composure, still maintaining his smile.

Yu Xi stared at his face, then carefully reached out to touch it.

Kersz felt that he ought to interrupt Yu Xi.

He really should put a stop to this.

But Yu Xi looked so happy right now.

He couldn’t help thinking that if he stopped Yu Xi right now, it would be tantamount to committing a crime.

Meanwhile, Tau tentatively sent a second coded message: [There is a powerful robot that wants to abduct humans and keep them as livestock. He possesses a vast amount of resources and provides the humans with three meals per day, as well as countless forms of entertainment. He says that one can even acquire any knowledge they desire here, and intends to use these means to break the humans’ will and satisfy his obsession with keeping and raising humans.]

The person who decoded the message: …..

Was this a scam advertisement?

A hustle?

Someone with a human abduction fetish?

And where was the registration portal?

Having just sent this message, Tau hugged the teddy bear beside him.

Yu Xi’s tactics were truly terrifying.

---

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Chapter 19 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 21

Ch. 84 – Impending Storm

“Aaah.” Standing in the martial arts square, Feng Ye yawned widely as he leaned on his broom.

As if it was contagious, Hao Chen nearby began to yawn as soon as Feng Ye finished.

The two of them automatically exchanged a glance.

Although Hao Chen looked tired, he still managed a smile for Feng Ye.

Feng Ye, however, remained expressionless. He had not fully let go of what had happened not long prior.

If Hao Chen hadn’t licked his hand, he wouldn’t have pulled back in shock and hit the bedframe, drawing Ji Chengyue’s attention.

However, although he couldn’t personally investigate what secret those spirit tablets held, based solely on Ji Chengyue’s reaction at the time, Feng Ye was quite certain that the Jianmu fragment was hidden there.

Although Hao Chen had used a clever trick to prevent Ji Chengyue from discovering them, the abrupt sound had still aroused the sect leader’s suspicion.

And what would someone do if they suspected there might be a thief in their house, but couldn’t find any trace of him and had to leave?

Naturally, he would take the most valuable items out with him, so that if there really was a thief, all he could steal were some worthless trinkets.

And what did Ji Chengyue take with him? He took away the two wooden spirit tablets that were probably worth no more than two or three spirit stones.

Feng Ye hadn’t examined the incense burner closely, but from the one glance he took at its exquisite carving, it couldn’t be a cheap item; its value was certainly far greater than that of a spirit tablet.

Anyone with a sound mind would know which item was more important.

Of course, there was another explanation: spirit tablets were for commemorating lost loved ones, and their significance couldn’t be measured in gold. 

But this wasn’t a very convincing argument, because although the spirit tablets were significant to Ji Chengyue, they were worthless to others.

If a thief were to steal something, they would steal the incense burner, not the spirit tablet behind it.

But in the end, Ji Chengyue took nothing of value – just a worthless spirit tablet that nobody would think of stealing.

There was only one possibility: that spirit tablet held a secret, and it must be an extremely important one, something much more valuable than anything else in the house.

And that thing was most likely a Jianmu fragment.

Now that Jianmu had resurfaced, even if Ji Chengyue took the fragment with him, Feng Ye could just go and snatch it back……if his goal was simply to obtain Jianmu.

Having found what he was looking for, whether or not his identity was exposed would no longer be a concern. 

However, Feng Ye’s goal was not just Jianmu.

Jianmu was merely a tool; what he truly sought was the nefarious person behind the scenes.

To nip a problem in the bud, one must remove the roots. Even if everything was as he suspected and the spirit tablet really did contain a Jianmu fragment, if he tried to take it, what would the black-robed man he’d met at the exit to the Floating Island Secret Realm do?

He would likely go back into hiding again and pursue other ways to achieve his goal, laying low so that he was even more difficult to find.

Therefore, Feng Ye did nothing when Ji Chengyue took away the spirit tablet.

Xue Ren’s inexplicable questions about Jianmu indicated that the other party had already tracked it down to this point. It wouldn’t be long before they made their move.

Although there had been a minor mistake, the end result was still the same.

Even if nothing had occurred at the time and Ji Chengyue hadn’t taken the spirit tablet with him, Feng Ye wouldn’t have touched it after investigating. He needed it as bait to catch that big fish.

The reason Feng Ye hadn’t let go of this other matter wasn’t because of any near-failure, but rather…..why had Hao Chen licked him for no reason?

The warm, moist sensation, and the feeling of teeth lightly tugging at his palm…..even now, recalling it gave Feng Ye goosebumps.

The situation had been urgent, and there wasn’t time to settle accounts with Hao Chen. Once Ji Chengyue left, the two didn’t linger further, and returned to their lodgings at the foot of the mountain before dawn.

After climbing through their own windows, they emerged from their rooms wearing the clothes they hadn’t taken off. 

Then they took their brooms to the martial arts training square and commenced their daily work while yawning.

Now, Feng Ye finally had the chance to settle the score with Hao Chen.

He stared blankly at Hao Chen’s smile, then threw down the broom and stalked toward him with an unfriendly expression.

He looked like he wanted a fight.

Hao Chen’s heart skipped a beat, but he remained standing there and tried to maintain his composure.

He’d already had a premonition that Feng Ye would ask for an explanation, since Hao Chen was the culprit who had caused a commotion and aroused Ji Chengyue’s suspicion. 

He hadn’t intended to, but…..he couldn’t help it…..

When the person he was attracted to placed his hand over his mouth and their skin touched, it was difficult for an old ten thousand-year bachelor like Hao Chen to resist.

It was like holding a meat bun in front of a dog’s mouth – if it was able to resist when the aroma hit its nose, then it wasn’t a dog.

Although this analogy wasn’t quite suitable, the principle was the same.

In short, when it came to who to blame, it wasn’t his fault. It was the fault of his damn male instincts.

He’d held himself back for a long time, and only gave Feng Ye a light nip in the end, which demonstrated his excellent self-control.

Hao Chen inwardly attempted to shirk responsibility while simultaneously wracking his brains for a solution. Of course, he couldn’t use that explanation on Feng Ye. Were Feng Ye to hear it, he likely wouldn’t care about so-called male instincts and simply roll up his sleeves to beat him.

Feng Ye came to a stop when he reached Hao Chen. He crossed his arms and asked: “Do you have an explanation for me?”

There was no need to spell it out; both of them knew perfectly well what Feng Ye was referring to.

After long consideration, Hao Chen ultimately decided on his usual solution – deny, deny, deny.

He feigned surprise: “An explanation for what?”

Feng Ye raised his left hand, which he had used to cover Hao Chen’s mouth.

However, Hao Chen maintained his look of innocent confusion.

Feng Ye proceeded to remind him: “What you did to my hand before.”

Hao Chen blinked, then suddenly reached out and placed a hand over Feng Ye’s mouth, saying in confusion: “I don’t quite remember. Perhaps Fellow Daoist Feng Ye should reenact it.”

How dare he ask him to reenact it?

Feng Ye smiled and nodded at Hao Chen, but rather than acquiescing to his request, he silently rolled up his sleeves.

Hao Chen’s eyebrow twitched. He took a few quick steps back, attempting to reason with Feng Ye as he did so: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, let’s talk this out…..”

Maintaining his smile, Feng Ye pressed forward step by step: “I don’t think it’s so easy to discuss.”

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, how about you ask me again, I’ll be reasonable this time…..” Hao Chen continued his efforts, but Feng Ye was unmoved.

As Feng Ye closed in, Hao Chen recalled that he had already experienced his ruthless methods once not long ago.

Feng Ye was truly merciless when he attacked. At that time, Feng Ye hadn’t known who he was. His moves were brutal, and he had gripped Hao Chen’s throat so tightly that even his bones hurt.

Of course, it wasn’t like he was unable to break free or fight Feng Ye; it was just that without spiritual power, he really couldn’t beat Feng Ye in close combat.

As a Kunpeng, he wasn’t particularly skilled at combat in his human form. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses, and there was no shame in admitting that. 

It was like putting Feng Ye in water – his combat power would definitely decrease…..although it seemed that it actually hadn’t last time…..

Hao Chen suddenly remembered that Feng Ye was also very agile in water, and could even manipulate it like a fellow aquatic creature.

Then how about another analogy: put Feng Ye in the sky. Hao Chen refused to believe that anything other than a Kunpeng could both swim in the water and fly through the sky.

He subconsciously excluded Yinglong, since Feng Ye couldn’t possibly be him.

Therefore, losing to Feng Ye in combat didn’t mean that he was weaker than Feng Ye. It simply meant that he was in a weakened state. In terms of overall strength, how many were capable of defeating him, the dignified Lord of the North Sea?

People walked through this square from time to time, so he couldn’t possibly get into a real fight with Feng Ye here. So if Hao Chen remained here, he could already picture his fate.

His skin might develop a few new colors.

This fish would change from black…..to black and blue.

A wise man knew when to yield, or as the saying went, a wise man knows when the odds are against him.

Anyway, he would just run and figure out the rest later.

Feng Ye watched as Hao Chen suddenly spun around and ran off in a flash.

He didn’t pursue him, and only after Hao Chen had run some distance away did he let out a chuckle.

He had only been trying to scare Hao Chen, but never expected that the fish would react so strongly. He probably had a guilty conscience from all of his bad behavior.

But after laughing, Feng Ye came to a sudden realization.

Hao Chen had run away. 

Which meant he was the only one left here to clean.

Feng Ye’s smile instantly vanished. He could only let out a resigned sigh and finish his work quickly, then go back and catch up on his sleep.

He had been cleaning intently for a while when a sudden, joyful shout came from nearby.

“Shixiong!”

Feng Ye looked up to see Fang Yang flying overhead on his sword.

It was his first attempt, and his erratic flying made it seem as if he would fall off at any moment.

Just as this thought occurred to Feng Ye, Fang Yang really did fall.

Fortunately, he wasn’t flying very high, only three or four meters. He reacted quickly and rolled to disperse the force of his landing, so he was able to avoid any serious injuries. 

Feng Ye walked over and pulled Fang Yang up from the ground. He examined his cultivation level: “You’ve reached Foundation Establishment?”

Flying on a sword was the threshold between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining.

Although Fang Yang’s flying skills were lacking, he was at least flying.

Once Feng Ye helped him to his feet, Fang Yang dusted himself off and told his shixiong the good news: “After eating the pill made from the Ice Grass, not only did I recover my lost cultivation, but my cultivation increased significantly and I even broke through to Foundation Establishment stage!”

“Ice Grass has such a function?” Feng Ye was somewhat surprised.

Fang Yang nodded: “Generally, this wouldn’t happen. Even Elder Zhou, who was watching over us, found it strange. He took my pulse afterward and speculated that a previous blockage in my meridians had stifled the flow of spiritual energy and caused it to accumulate.”

“Ice Grass has the ability to cleanse the marrow and rejuvenate the body, so it immediately opened up all of my meridians. The pent-up spiritual power circulated within my body and surged all the way to my dantian, and I achieved Foundation Establishment!” Fang Yang exclaimed happily. “And with my meridians opened, my speed will be much faster, comparable to a dual spiritual root cultivator!”

Feng Ye congratulated him with a smile: “Then you’ve turned misfortune into a blessing.”

Fang Yang touched his nose: “I might have turned misfortune into a blessing, but Cao Zirui is even more amazing. He got double the good news! Not only did he recover his lost cultivation, but he’s about to become the next sect leader!”

Feng Ye was somewhat taken aback. The next sect leader?

Seeing Feng Ye’s expression, Fang Yang gleaned that his Useless Shixiong probably hadn’t heard the news yet. He explained: “Sect Leader Ji made the decision this morning. In three days, the thousand-step trial ceremony will be held, which the previous sect leader went through one hundred years ago.”

“So hastily?” Feng Ye asked with a frown.

Immediately after asking this, he realized that it wasn’t the case.

Last night’s conversation had made Ji Chengyue’s attitude very clear. Having discovered what Xue Ren had done, he couldn’t bear to lose this disciple he had raised. He wanted to protect Xue Ren.

But even if he was able to protect this disciple, there was no guarantee that Xue Ren wouldn’t turn against Cao Zirui again, so he needed to completely cut off Xue Ren’s ability to do so.

Giving the position of sect leader directly to Cao Zirui would cut off all of Xue Ren’s hopes. At the same time, he would likely put Xue Ren under house arrest. 

Just as Feng Ye was considering this, Fang Yang said: “Yes, we were surprised too. Cao Zirui was really stunned. And in addition to the trial ceremony, Sect Leader Ji also wants Xue-shixiong to cultivate in the Cold Mountain Secret Realm. That place is supposed to be an extremely harsh environment covered in ice and snow, and it takes ten years to get out once you go in.”

Everything was just as Feng Ye had imagined.

Ji Chengyue’s actions were not inherently wrong. He was reluctant to part with this eldest disciple, and equally reluctant to part with his youngest. But since the eldest could not tolerate the youngest, he was sending Xue Ren to the Cold Mountain Secret Realm for arduous cultivation.

Although this was indeed to keep Xue Ren away from Cao Zirui, Ji Chengyue also hoped that Xue Ren’s character could be tempered, that he could resolve his inner conflicts within the Cold Mountain Secret Realm and release the obsessive jealousy he held toward his shidi. 

The method seemed feasible, but only because Ji Chengyue was unaware of a crucial piece of information.

Xue Ren had a backer.

A backer so powerful that even Feng Ye was wary of him.

Ji Chengyue’s move was essentially driving Xue Ren to a dead end. Would he resort to desperate measures?

If Xue Ren only possessed the strength of a Golden Core stage cultivator, his abilities were limited, but perhaps with the assistance of his backer…..

“Shixiong, what are you thinking about?” When Feng Ye didn’t reply to his words, Fang Yang looked up to see that his brow was furrowed.

“It’s nothing,” Feng Ye said in a perfunctory tone. Then he seemed to suddenly remember something: “Where is that God-Summoning Talisman you bought in North Sea City?”

“Ah, that?” Fang Yang rummaged through his storage bag. He found the talisman at the bottom, then took it out and handed it to Feng Ye: “Although it’s not very useful, I did spend a thousand spirit stones on it, so I carry it around with me and treat it as a lucky charm.”

Feng Ye held the talisman and rubbed his thumb across it. Due to Feng Ye’s superior height, Fang Yang was unable to see this movement.

“Shixiong, what do you need the talisman for?” Fang Yang couldn’t help but ask curiously.

Feng Ye smiled and handed the talisman back to Fang Yang: “Don’t leave your lucky charm gathering dust in your storage bag all day. Let it air out. After all…..”

He looked up at the sky and murmured: “A storm is brewing…..”

After placing the talisman back into his storage bag, Fang Yang mimicked Feng Ye and looked upward. The sun hung high in the cloudless sky, with no signs of rain to be seen.

But since Useless Shixiong had said it, he probably wasn’t wrong.

So Fang Yang immediately said his farewells: “I haven’t taken in the clothes I hung out to dry yesterday. I’ll hurry back and collect them!”

Having said this, he rushed off before Feng Ye could respond.

Feng Ye: “……”

He wasn’t talking about an actual storm…..

---

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Chapter 83 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 85

Ch. 83 – Striking a Deal

Inside a secluded courtyard at the mountain peak of Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Although the morning light was somewhat dim, its glimmer still marked the end to a turbulent night.

It was a bit early, but some diligent disciples had already gotten up to prepare for a day of cultivating. However, due to this courtyard’s remote location, there were few people in its vicinity.

Similarly, very few people lived there.

With a creak, a window was pushed open.

A visitor had appeared in the previously deserted courtyard.

A man dressed in black opened the window and casually leaned against it. The sunlight streaming into the dimly-lit room was the only source of light.

Bathed in the morning light, the handsome man turned the pages of a book as he leaned against the windowsill, eyes lowered while his fingers skimmed across the paper.

This scene was as beautiful as a poem or a painting, and just like a figure in a work of art, this person was the epitome of the word “ godly beauty.”

Actually, he was indeed a god.

“God,” Ling Yun called out to the man beside the window.

“En,” the man replied with disinterest. He continued what he was doing, paper rustling as he turned another page of his book.

He read quickly, without delving into the details of the text; it was clear that he was searching for something.

“What are you looking for?” Ling Yun asked, glancing at the list of disciples in the other’s hands.

The man gave no reply. After turning another two pages, his expression suddenly transformed into one of pleasant surprise, and he stroked the page with a trace of intimacy.

At once, he threw the book in his hand, and Ling Yun caught it. It was still open to the page he was reading.

Lingxiao Sword Sect’s disciple roster was extremely comprehensive, and recorded the disciples’ date of admittance, talents and aptitudes, and portraits. 

Ling Yun looked at the portrait in front of him and found this face somewhat familiar.

This was the person he had specifically gone to see before leaving the Floating Island Secret Realm.

The man’s records were incredibly mediocre. He had entered the sect three years ago, had made no outstanding achievements, and possessed merely average talent. After three years, he had only reached the third level of Qi Refining, which put him firmly at the bottom of the pack.

As for aspects such as appearance and family background, he was as ordinary as could be. If there was anything remarkable or strange about these mediocre records, it was that this person had suddenly changed his name a month ago.

He had changed it from a rustic one to his current name, “Feng Ye.” Although it was a bit out of nowhere, it also wasn’t that strange. Quite a few people changed their names after entering an immortal sect. Having seen the vast world, nobody wanted to retain an extremely common name.

But while changing one’s name wasn’t odd, it was when that person deliberately changed their name while impersonating someone else.

Keeping the original name would have been the best, most inconspicuous choice. Going to great lengths to change his name could easily draw attention and lead to the discovery of his identity.

Why did he go to all that trouble?

Before Ling Yun could ask, the man said with a chuckle: “He’s trying to lure me out.”

After his first unsuccessful search of Ji Chengyue’s rooms, Feng Ye had not simply wasted that month. While idly waiting for an opportunity might have worked, it was far too passive, so he had devised a plan to lure the snake out of its hole.

And his name was the bait. If the person behind the scenes was who he thought it was, they would definitely recognize his name and take action.

But any move they made would be easily detected, giving him an opportunity to act.

He had put himself out in the open, hoping to lure the other party into revealing themselves as well.

Unfortunately……

“It’s a pity we haven’t been to Lingxiao Sword Sect in the past month.” The man shook his head with regret. If they had been, they wouldn’t have only just discovered Feng Ye in the Floating Island Secret Realm.

Therefore, Feng Ye’s attempt to lure the enemy out was fruitless. He never explained to anyone why he changed his name, just like he never explained any of his seemingly pointless actions.

Ling Yun estimated the time and found that it was true. He had come to Lingxiao Sword Sect just before Feng Ye got there, and went elsewhere upon finding nothing, thus missing Feng Ye.

Ling Yun closed the record and set it aside. There was no more useful information within it.

He didn’t speak again, nor did the other man.

That man remained standing by the windowsill, shielding his eyes with his hand as he watched the few rays of light that filtered through his fingers.

He suddenly clenched his fist tightly, as if trying to grasp that light in his hand.

But when he opened his hand again, there was nothing there.

At the same time, his originally solid figure began to disintegrate, turning into black mist starting at his fingertips.

The man stared at the changes to his hands and sighed: “The time has come.”

As soon as he spoke, his human figure vanished completely. The man who was as perfect as a portrait was no longer there; only a formless black mist remained.

The black mist churned inside the room for a moment, then surged toward Ling Yun, where it entered his sleeve and disappeared inside his wide robes.

Ling Yun straightened his cuffs, and just as he finished, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Xue Ren had carefully avoided other people as he made his way to this secluded courtyard. Before opening the door, he first observed his surroundings to make sure no one was watching, and only then did he push it open and enter.

After closing the door, he turned and saluted the only other person in the room: the “god.”

The man in black robes didn’t move, and the mask over his face made it impossible to discern his expression.

Xue Ren’s salute was not directed toward him, but at the person dwelling inside of him.

“Any results?” A wisp of black mist emerged from Ling Yun’s collar, coiling around his neck like a venomous snake.

“Yes, God.” Although Xue Ren put on a show of deference and submission, he sent a furtive glance toward the other person as he spoke.

But that venomous black mist seemed to sense his gaze, and abruptly stretched forward a few inches. It looked as if it was flicking its tongue.

Xue Ren instantly averted his gaze and didn’t dare look again. He had experienced the other party’s strength firsthand both that night in North Sea City and in his knowledge of the events one hundred years ago.

He gave a brief account of his conversation with Ji Chengyue and deduced: “I relayed the words Your Lordship taught me to my shifu. Based on my understanding of him, and judging from his expression, I am seventy percent certain that he indeed possesses a Jianmu fragment just as you suspect.”

“Very good,” the man praised. Then he commanded: “Go fetch the Jianmu fragment for me. Use whatever methods you prefer.”

Xue Ren’s heart stirred when he heard this. Last time, he had been in such shock from his sudden encounter with the other party that he’d readily agreed when the God of War instructed him to locate Jianmu.

But now that he was being asked to fetch the Jianmu fragment, a question arose in his mind. He asked tentatively: “God, would you like me to destroy the Jianmu fragment for you?”

The black, snake-like mist slithered up Ling Yun’s neck. After listening to what it said, the man immediately said: “No, no need.”

He emphasized: “You must bring the Jianmu fragment back to me intact.”

What did Yinglong want Jianmu for? He was the one who destroyed it in the first place one hundred years ago. Xue Ren’s doubts grew, but he remained outwardly calm and revealed nothing of his true thoughts.

He set aside his doubts for the time being and replied deferentially: “I will definitely do my best, but…..”

He seemed somewhat troubled: “Although I am my shifu’s personal disciple, my authority is ultimately limited. And I don’t know where my shifu hid the Jianmu fragment, so I’m afraid it wouldn’t be convenient to enact a large-scale search…..”

His words were loaded with meaning: the power of a personal disciple was limited, while the power of a sect leader was naturally much greater. This was a reminder for the other party to not forget their agreement: Xue Ren would help them find the Jianmu fragment, and they would help him become the sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect.

The black mist stretched along Ling Yun’s neck, suddenly lengthening its body until it reached Xue Ren. He naturally knew what Xue Ren meant. This human was complex, yet very easy to understand.

Because he had met far too many people just like him.

The black snake flicked its tongue and said with a laugh: “Your actions have left clues behind, and Ji Chengyue is already suspicious of you. The prospect of your master willingly passing the leadership of the sect to you is now highly unlikely.”

Xue Ren’s eyes flashed, and he retorted: “But he believed my story…..”

“He didn’t believe it.” Ling Yun cut in before Xue Ren could finish speaking.

This hoarse, unpleasant voice was very different from Yinglong’s, and Xue Ren immediately realized that it was the black-robed man speaking. He looked at this rarely talkative man and asked unsurely: “How do you know?”

“I know him,” said Ling Yun.

His tone remained as calm as a still pond, without any of the familiarity one might reveal when speaking of an old friend.

Xue Ren found this answer somewhat laughable. He had been his master’s disciple for over twenty years. How dare this unknown person claim to know his master better than he did?

But surprisingly, the black snake around Ling Yun’s throat agreed with him: “He’s right, Ji Chengyue didn’t believe you. He just doesn’t want to kill you. However…..”

“Hehe,” the black snake chuckled. “Your master doesn’t want to kill you, but that doesn’t mean he won’t employ other measures to keep you in check. Don’t even mention whether you can obtain the position of sect leader – it remains to be seen if you will even be able to move freely for the rest of your life.”

At the sight of Xue Ren’s disbelieving expression, the black snake just said: “If you don’t believe me, then go out and see for yourself. It’s getting lighter. Your master should be making his move soon.”

The moment he finished speaking, the tightly closed door was flung open by an invisible force.

As it creaked, the wide-open door seemed to offer a silent invitation.

Xue Ren’s throat bobbed as he suppressed his roiling emotions. He glanced at the black-robed man and the snake encircling his neck, then turned and walked out of the room.

He hadn’t gone far when he spotted another disciple hurrying along. Before he could stop them, they approached him of their own volition and said: “Da-shixiong, I was just looking for you. The sect leader just gave the order that a trial ceremony will be held in three days. Your shidi, Cao Zirui, has been chosen to challenge the thousand-step staircase.”

Xue Ren was shaken to his core. The thousand stone steps and one hundred checkpoints had always been the ceremony used to select the next sect leader. This act was tantamount to announcing that Cao Zirui had secured the position.

But what shocked him more was yet to come.

The disciple continued: “The sect leader also told me to inform you that you should pack your belongings over the next two days. You will be heading to the Cold Mountain Secret Realm for secluded cultivation three days from now, once the trial ceremony is over.” 

Although the Cold Mountain Secret Realm was also a small world, it varied greatly from the Floating Island Secret Realm. The latter was rich in spiritual energy and lush with vegetation, but the former was nothing but endless snow.

Such harsh, desolate conditions were extremely challenging to one’s character and willpower, and in order to break through their limitations, many people chose to enter this secret realm for arduous cultivation.

Once one entered the Cold Mountain Secret Realm, at least ten years would pass until they could emerge. His master had ostensibly ordered him to go there to cultivate, but in reality, it was basically house arrest.

Everything the other party had predicted was spot on…..

Xue Ren didn’t know what he said to the disciple who’d delivered the message, but he realized that his expression likely wasn’t good – rather, it must be terrifying. Because that disciple was currently trembling with fear. 

Xue Ren paid no further attention to him. Without a care for whether he was still wearing his “good guy” mask, he walked away in a daze.

His master’s actions proved that he had completely given up on him.

He had banished him to the Cold Mountain Secret Realm to cultivate for ten years, and during those ten years, Cao Zirui was certain to secure his position as the next sect leader.

Xue Ren had become a complete failure, like a lion who had been driven away after failing to become the king of lions, pitiful and dejected.

“How pitiful, ah…..” A man’s low chuckle sounded in his ear, and Xue Ren abruptly turned his head to look down toward the side of his neck.

The black mist that had been swirling around the black-robed man had somehow transferred over to him. The snake-like cloud coiled around his neck whispered in his ear: “Xue Ren, do you know why the dormant Burning Sky Bow awakened in your hands?”

“Was it because of the materials you used to awaken it?” The black snake asked, then answered his own question, “No, it was not. Many have attempted to awaken the Burning Sky Bow, and the materials they used were not inferior to yours, but they all failed. Only you succeeded. Do you want to know why?”

“Why?” Xue Ren asked helplessly, drawn in by the other’s words.

“Because I chose you, Xue Ren,” the black snake said in a smiling tone.

“How much does a single spiritual root actually matter? Xue Ren, your master is foolish and incompetent, and is utterly incapable of seeing your talents. You have never been less capable than your shidi. You are the true chosen one! You deserve to be the next sect leader!” The black snake’s voice suddenly rose.

These words resonated in Xue Ren’s heart. Yes, he deserved to be the next sect leader!

“Now, your shidi wants to take everything from you, and your master wants to imprison you. Xue Ren, what will you do?”

“Like hell I’ll go!” Xue Ren cursed fiercely.

“Hehe, that’s more like it.” The black snake’s voice was equally fierce as he commanded, “Go and take back everything that is rightfully yours!”

Xue Ren’s chest heaved with intense emotion. Although he was filled with anger, resentment, and bitterness, these emotions did not completely cloud his mind. He still retained some rationality.

He looked down at his hands and murmured: “I can’t do it…..”

He was at Golden Core stage, and would never be able to take the sect leader position by force.

The black snake suddenly slithered over his robes and positioned himself in front of Xue Ren, promising: “I will help you.”

“I will bestow upon you the power of the God of War and help you to obtain the position of sect leader. Then…..” The black snake let loose an uninhibited laugh. “Then you will seize the Jianmu fragment for me.”

“It’s a deal.” Clenching his fists, Xue Ren laughed as well.

---

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Chapter 82 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 84

Qin Xiao spoke very frankly.

Qiu Heng’s heart plummeted, and he hastily went to his knees, saying: “Answering My Lord and Your Majesty! Most of the bandits on the canal are common people who have been driven to desperation. They are all citizens of Great Ning, and I dare not simply round all of them up.”

This implied that the Qiu family wasn’t incompetent – they just had compassion for these destitute common people.

Then he continued: “However, in order to protect the interests of the merchant ships, the Qiu family has established security teams to guard them. We are certainly not sitting idly by!”

Qin Xiao chuckled softly: “Whether it is for the benefit of the merchant ships or for the benefit of your family, you know better than anyone else.”

“This official would never dare!” Qin Heng lowered his head, frowning deeply.

Qin Xiao, this unruly and unconventional man, often spoke bluntly and straightforwardly in court, where everyone was accustomed to indirect and circuitous language. This left others at a loss for how to respond. 

The Qiu family had amassed a huge fortune over the years through their involvement in the waterway transport business, and Qin Xiao would have been able to discover many clues without having to investigate very thoroughly. If he were to directly reveal that evidence, the Qiu family might have to sacrifice some of their members to protect the rest, resulting in the loss of many officials and a great deal of wealth.

However, the fact that the other party hadn’t directly presented that evidence proved that he didn’t want to completely sever ties with the Qiu family, and was giving them a little room to maneuver.

Qiu Heng quickly analyzed the advantages and disadvantages, then made the most reasonable decision that would maximize his benefits.

It was a foregone conclusion that Qin Xiao would take action against the waterway transport system, and the Qiu family would certainly not be able to maintain their previous level of absolute control over it. 

But he also had to secure some benefits for the Qiu family in the new policy. The waterway transport business was extremely profitable, and the Qiu family could share some profits with the Imperial Court, but they would never completely relinquish control!

It just remained to be seen what kind of policy Qin Xiao intended to implement.

The officials at court were all shrewd people, and had discerned some clues from Qin Xiao’s seemingly straightforward yet ultimately ambiguous statement. All of them watched intently, anticipating Qin Xiao’s next words.

Qin Xiao slowly swept his gaze over the crowd before saying slowly: “The canal network is vast and complex, and it is understandable that the Qiu family is unable to oversee every aspect. Minister Qiu, please rise.”

“Yes.” Qiu Heng climbed to his feet.

Upon hearing Qin Xiao’s words, the others were not surprised, and concluded that he was indeed willing to let go of the Qiu family’s past transgressions. 

Similar to previous instances of corruption and chaos in the Imperial Court, Qin Xiao did not pursue matters that occurred before Bai Lihong’s rise to power. However, now that Bai Lihong sat on the throne, everyone would need to tighten their belts. 

“The canal is long, and its issues are too complex. It would be better to manage it in sections.” Qin Xiao looked at everyone and asked: “What are your thoughts?”

Everyone quickly began to come up with their own ideas.

Before, the waterway transport system was under the control of the Qiu family, but among the officials who carried out the actual work, many were disciples and subordinates of other powerful figures, who were naturally aware of how much profit could be made through this endeavor.

It was just that others had never gotten the opportunity to be involved.

Qin Xiao was currently implementing a segmented approach to managing the canal, and the Qiu family would no longer be the sole authority. At most, they would be responsible for one section, which left the other sections open for other forces to jump in.

After some consideration, Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi stepped forward and bowed, saying: “This official thinks this is an excellent method.”

Soon after, every other faction had someone pipe up in agreement.

Under these circumstances, Qiu Heng naturally could no longer act on his own.

The division of the waterway transport routes was intended to distribute the profits previously enjoyed by the Qiu family to others. All of the court officials were watching intently, and would naturally unite against the Qiu family at this moment.

Individual strength was no match for the power of a group.

This being the case, Qiu Heng decided against putting up a futile struggle. It would be better to express his “loyalty” now and perhaps earn a good reputation.

Furthermore, Qin Xiao would certainly not take away all control over the canal system. He would give the Qiu family a portion of the canal to appease them, so Qiu Heng must secure the most advantageous section of the river to minimize his losses.

Thus, Qiu Heng bowed and said: “This official also believes it to be a feasible method. However, I do wonder how many sections Lord Ning-wang intends to divide the canal into?”

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had already discussed this beforehand, and agreed that dividing it into four sections would be the safest and most profitable approach.

“Minister Qiu should know more about the waterway transport system than anyone here,” said Qin Xiao. “If you were to divide it, how would you do so appropriately?”

Qin Heng understood that Qin Xiao already had a plan in mind, and that he was only trying to sound him out to discover which section of the river he preferred.

So without putting on airs, he said frankly: “This official dares not speak presumptuously. However, the waterways between Yangzhou, Suzhou, and Hangzhou are quite complex, and the regulations governing merchant and official ship transportation are detailed and numerous. To take over this section, it would require a year or two for one to become familiar with everything, which might delay the important affairs of the Imperial Court.”

Yangzhou, along with Suzhou and Hangzhou, were among the wealthiest regions in the Jiangnan area, and also the places with the most frequent ship traffic and trade.

In other words, this area offered the greatest potential for profit.

Entirely unapologetic, Qiu Heng was directly requesting the location that would earn him the most money.

Chu Jiubian lowered his gaze. His face was expressionless, but he sneered inwardly.

This was exactly as he had expected.

However, they had already planned to entrust this transportation route to the Qiu family.

This was not done to appease them, but because the Fujian region was the fiefdom of Bai Liyan, also known as Zuiliang-wang.

Previously, Bai Liyan had not interfered excessively in matters concerning the canal. But once the Qiu family secured this portion of the river and the situation with the other sections stabilized, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao could, in the name of the Imperial Court, grant concessions to Bai Liyan that allowed him to also oversee a portion of the canal.

With such enormous profits at stake, the wealthy Zuiliang-wang, who ruled over the prosperous regions of Fujian and Zhejiang, would surely be tempted.

At that time, the Qiu family and Bai Liyan would be enemies. They would mutually restrain one another in order to divide the profits, which would further reduce the Qiu family’s control over the waterways.

As for whether Bai Liyan would use this opportunity to amass wealth and expand his power, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao weren’t particularly worried.

Their lack of concern stemmed from one fact: Bai Liyan, who controlled both the Fujian and Zhejiang regions, was already wealthy and didn’t lack money. If he wanted to expand his power, he wouldn’t have to rely on the waterway transport system to do it.

On the contrary, he might end up clashing with the Qiu family, which would bring trouble down on his head.

But as the saying went: no one ever complains about having too much money. Therefore, no matter how wealthy Bai Liyan became, he would inevitably attempt to gain control of the canal. At that time, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao could simply sit back and watch the two sides fight it out.

The others were unaware of the scheming between the two of them, and only knew that the stretch of river Qiu Heng mentioned was by far the most profitable.

Since the Qiu family was willing to relinquish all of the remaining waterways, Qin Xiao would certainly do them the courtesy of leaving the most profitable section to them.

As expected, after Qiu Heng finished speaking, Qin Xiao said: “Minister Qiu’s words are absolutely correct.”

“This lord plans to divide the canal into four sections. The Capital City–Hebei section extends from Tongzhou in Northern Zhili to Qingzhou; the Jianghuai section extends from Qingzhou in Northern Zhili to Yangzhou in Southern Zhili; the southeastern section…..” Qin Xiao looked at Qiu Heng as he said, “…..runs from Yangzhou to Minzhou. This area is complex, and since the Qiu family is familiar with all relevant matters, they will continue to manage this section of the waterways from today forward.”

Relieved, Qiu Heng was quick to say: “This subordinate will ensure that his clansmen fulfill their duties and guard this section of the river properly, so that there will be no more incidents of bandits running rampant!”

Qin Xiao gave a hum in response, then continued: “The final section is in the southwest, running from Yangzhou to Nanjiang.”

In other words, the canal forked in Yangzhou, with one going southeast and the other southwest.

With this division of responsibilities, it wasn’t just the already knowledgeable Qiu Heng who sensed the subtle implications behind this plan – the other ministers did as well.

The southwestern section of the canal flowed through the Huguang region, reaching Sichuan and Nanjiang, and thus ensuring the flow of goods between these remote areas and the Central Plains.

This section was likely the most “leisurely” and least lucrative of the four river segments.

The southeastern section encompassed both Fujian and Zhejiang Prefectures, and could be said to cover a crucial stretch of river that was vital to the wealth of the entire Jiangnan region.

Whether grain or silk, goods could flow freely, which made it the most prosperous region.

However, it had already been promised to the Qiu family, leaving no room for other forces to involve themselves.

The section of the canal in the Jianghuai region could be described as a transit hub between the north and south, and was where the main channel of the entire canal was located.

This section of the waterway was also the most geographically complex.

Hexi Prefecture, which was prone to frequent flooding, was located along this route. This section also differed greatly in water level, and because it served as a transit hub, official and merchant ships were particularly numerous, thus requiring stricter management.

Everyone felt that Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao would at least keep this section firmly under their own control.

Only one last portion remained – the Capital City–Hebei section.

This section, which ran the entire length of the main canal and connected to the strategically important Capital City, would need to be managed directly by the Imperial Court for security reasons.

Therefore, after much deliberation, everyone concluded that the only section of the canal they had a chance to compete for was the southwestern stretch.

Even small gains were still gains, and considering that the southwestern section contained the relatively prosperous Huguang region, it was likely to be profitable.

However, Chu Jiubian didn’t give them the chance to speak up. He stepped forward first and said: “Your Majesty, My Lord. With the waterway transport system operating in segments, there is a risk of each segment operating independently, which would be detrimental to the canal system’s overall efficiency. This official believes that a Governor-General of Waterway Transportation should be appointed to oversee the work of each section of the canal, which will prevent anyone from abusing their power and harming the interests of the Imperial Court and the common people.”

In an instant, dozens of eyes fell upon Chu Jiubian before shifting to Qin Xiao.

The Governor-General of Waterway Transportation was a supervisory management position, similar to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs that preceded it.

However, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was now involved in more than just monitoring and supervising the salt trade. They had their hand in the work of other ministries and departments in the Imperial Court, all under the guise of supervision.

Just as Chu Jiubian had described them, those eunuchs were indeed not ordinary people. Rather, their ranks held many individuals of exceptional intellect.

And due to their backgrounds as eunuchs, they were even more cunning and manipulative in their dealings than ordinary officials, and didn’t seem to mind being given a hard time by officials from various departments. As long as they ultimately achieved the desired results, that was all that mattered to them.

Consequently, no one could do anything about them. They could only be more conscientious in their own work, fearing that some fatal weakness might be detected and exploited.

By bringing up the position of Governor-General now, was Chu Jiubian perhaps suggesting that this authority should be handed over to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs?

But could the Directorate really extend its influence that far?

Some people wondered if the position of Governor-General of Waterway Transportation might be intended for one of Qin Xiao’s military officers.

The border regions were currently unstable, and military officials should still have some standing in the Imperial Court. However, because Grand Marshal Qin had withdrawn from court affairs due to serious illness, and because the four great families controlled the court, the current situation had become one where civil officials were in a stronger position than military officials.

It would not be impossible for Qin Xiao to use this opportunity to offer the position to a military official.

Everyone had differing opinions.

Censor Qi Zhili stood amongst the ranks, maintaining a detached, unaffected attitude.

He was quite in favor of dividing the waterway transport system into sections, as this would allow the Imperial Court to replenish the National Treasury. Such a situation was leagues better than the Qiu family raking in a continuous profit.

Whether others had considered this or not, Qi Zhili felt that Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao, possessing the advantage of the Imperial Edict, would certainly not resort to the same methods as the Qiu family and earn money by accepting bribes from merchant ships. They must be about to announce some new policies.

He just didn’t know what they would be.

His mind wandered a bit as he was lost in thought.

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his arm from a colleague next to him. Then he heard Qin Xiao ask: “Is Deputy Minister Qi available?”

Qi Zhili: “ ? ”

Completely bewildered, he stepped forward out of the line and said: “This official is here.”

Qin Xiao then proceeded to say: “The Censorate already operates in a supervisory capacity, and the Grand Tutor has recommended you for the position of Governor-General of Waterway Transportation. Are you capable of handling this responsibility?”

Qi Zhili abruptly lifted his gaze, unable to react for a moment.

They wanted him to be the Governor-General of Waterway Transportation?

Shouldn’t a Governor-General be at least a second-rank official?

He was currently only a lowly fourth-rank official. How could he possibly be promoted so many levels at once?

And he wasn’t one of Qin Xiao’s men either, ah. Although he served in the Imperial Court, he didn’t consider himself to have a close relationship with either Qin Xiao or Chu Jiubian. 

How could these two people have confidence in him and entrust him with such a vital position?

He was incredulous. In fact, no one else had expected Chu Jiubian to suggest Qi Zhili for the position of Governor-General either.

But after a moment’s thought, they all understood.

Censor Qi didn’t belong to any particular group or faction, and it would be no exaggeration to call him a loyal and upright official. Furthermore, he possessed outstanding talent and was also a censor, which made him seem perfectly suited for this position.

Of course, the most important factor was Jiang Shuoye, the general of the Mobei Army. With such powerful backing, Qi Zhili truly had no need to show deference to anyone, and would be able to oversee the waterways without having to consider the interests of others.

Thinking about it like this, he was a truly excellent choice. Much better than if Qin Xiao had nominated one of his own military officials!

With their knowledge of how to select and utilize talents, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were truly difficult opponents to deal with.

This was naturally how those high-ranking officials at the top thought, but the officials of the Censorate who were fifth-rank and above had their own calculations.

If Qi Zhili became the Governor-General, did that mean he would have to relinquish his position?

Then these lower officials would have the opportunity to move up the ranks.

There was a profound silence in the Imperial Court.

Chu Jiubian turned his head to glance at Qi Zhili, who was standing behind him and to the side, and cleared his throat.

Qi Zhili quickly regained his composure and adjusted his expression, then bowed deeply: “This subject will definitely not fail to live up to Your Majesty’s expectations.”

Since this remark was directed toward Bai Lihong, Qin Xiao gave no response.

The child had been working as a mascot for a long time today, and when his uncle fell silent, he knew that it was his turn.

So he donned an air of maturity and said loudly: “Good, this emperor has not misjudged you after all.”

These words were something Chu Jiubian had told him jokingly before, never expecting that the child would put them into practice.

Chu Jiubian reflexively exchanged a glance with Qin Xiao, then quickly looked away, not daring to maintain eye contact for fear of bursting into laughter.

Qin Xiao, however, kept his gaze fixed on him and didn’t hold back his faint smile.

After the proper bows and gratitude had been displayed, Qin Xiao finally restrained his smile and said: “In that case, this lord requests that Censor Qi accompany him to Yangxin Hall after the morning court session to draft a set of regulations for the waterway transport system.”

Everyone was operating under the belief that once the detailed regulations were released, Qin Xiao would bring the matter up in court again, so no one was in a hurry to claim a section of the waterways at this time.

They also needed to go home and discuss the matter, as well as select a few suitable candidates so that if they indeed secured a segment of the canal, they could immediately send people over.

However, they never could have imagined that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had absolutely no intention of allowing other forces to participate in the waterway transport business.

*

*

After the morning court session, three tables were placed on the lower section of Yangxin Hall’s council chamber, while the young emperor diligently practiced calligraphy at the main table and occasionally made a circle on unimportant memorials.

Through this process, he was able to learn which memorials didn’t require close examination, as well as identify where the officials who wrote them were from, what official positions they held, and which group or faction they ostensibly belonged to.

Eunuch Hong now spent most of his time at the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, so the person serving Bai Lihong was another young eunuch named Hong Yu.

This Xiao Yuzi was one year younger than Xiao Xiangzi, but was intelligent and quick-witted while also being very perceptive of others’ intentions. He also had a simple background, and had previously received the favor of Qin Feng and Eunuch Hong. He was eunuch Hong’s second disciple, and the person he was grooming to succeed him and accompany the young emperor as he grew up.

While Bai Lihong was learning to read memorials, Xiao Yuzi would also pay attention to the ranks and locations of those officials, as well as the power structures behind them.

He would also listen attentively while Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were explaining things to Bai Lihong, endeavoring to remember it all so that if His Majesty forgot it in the future, he could give him a prompt reminder.

Chu Jiubian quite liked him. He was a reliable and clever child.

Of course, the reason he trusted the young eunuch to this extent was not just because he had been thoroughly vetted by Qin Xiao and Hong Fu, but because he had seen this eunuch’s information when drawing a “wisdom” Believer Card.

Those selected by the System must have impeccable character and backgrounds.

This was Qi Zhili’s first time working in the Council Hall, and he was a little uneasy at first. But once he immersed himself in the work, he quickly forgot about everything around him as he gradually drafted a rough plan for the waterway transport system.

Once His Majesty gave his approval, he would take this draft back to his office to further refine it.

Only after he finished drafting it to his satisfaction did he set down his brush and look up at the emperor.

When he saw the three-year-old child diligently studying without crying or making a fuss, and that he was already able to understand official documents at such a young age, a glimmer of admiration appeared in Qi Zhili’s eyes.

He had been in the Imperial Court since the reign of Emperor Yingzong, and it had been clear to him that the other party was not a wise or benevolent ruler, nor was he even particularly intelligent.

He had only managed to secure the throne with the support of the Qin and Xiao families.

But then he turned his aggression on the Qin family, a family that had been loyal for generations. He was truly ungrateful, incompetent, and morally bankrupt.

Even after the dynasty changed, Qi Zhili was plagued by a constant sense of unease.

He feared that Qin Xiao would become addicted to power, and that his inflated ego would turn him into the greatest threat to the Imperial Court.

But seeing the state of the young emperor now, Qi Zhili finally felt at ease.

At such a young age, he could sit so still, dared to speak up in court, and possessed an eidetic memory. Combined with his gentle yet subtly assertive personality, he truly displayed all of the characteristics of a wise and capable ruler!

With this opportunity to support such a capable emperor, Qi Zhili felt that his vision of a prosperous era would one day be realized.

The common people would no longer have to worry about food and clothing.

When he sensed someone staring at him, Bai Lihong looked up with large, round eyes that were full of light.

When he saw that it was Qi Zhili looking at him, Bai Lihong smiled with curved eyes and revealed a set of pearly white teeth.

Qi Zhili was momentarily taken aback. Then he felt his heart soften, and a smile appeared on his usually placid face.

Chu Jiubian thoroughly observed this interaction from the corner of his vision, and a slight smile entered his eyes.

It was safe to say that nobody could resist a well-behaved, sensible, and intelligent child.

Qi Zhili rose from his chair and walked to the main seat, where he bowed respectfully to Bai Lihong: “Your Majesty, this subject has finished drafting the regulations. Please take a look at them.”

As he spoke, he deliberately looked at Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, who were seated on opposite sides of the aisle.

Ever since entering Yangxin Hall, the two had remained at their stations, reviewing memorials without exchanging a single word. Only when the young emperor had a question would they look up and patiently answer him.

At present, Qi Zhili had deliberately skipped over them and delivered the documents to Bai Lihong, wanting to observe their reactions.

But to his surprise, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian didn’t react at all. They didn’t even look up.

Xiao Yuzi, perpetually at Bai Lihong’s side, approached and took the documents from his hands, then turned and handed them to the young emperor.

Bai Lihong then carefully read over his work.

These regulations were written clearly and concisely, covering everything from the jurisdictional divisions and governing bodies to be established, to personnel allocation, division of responsibilities, and management and supervision procedures.

After reading it, Bai Lihong nodded and praised very frankly: “The minister has written it very well.”

Through his sense of relief, Qi Zhili had some doubts about how much the young emperor truly understood.

But in the next moment, he heard Bai Lihong say: “But why hasn’t the minister added any new tax categories?”

“What?” Qi Zhili stared blankly.

Bai Lihong also froze for a moment before saying: “The canal has been divided into sections. If merchant ships want to travel across all sections of the river, they should pay taxes. Otherwise, what’s the point of dividing the river into sections?”

Both Xiansheng and Jiujiu had explained this to him before. Xiansheng had even specifically drawn the course of the canal for him, explaining where and why it was divided into sections.

The canal had originally been constructed to facilitate the transportation of official vessels and goods, and now that merchant ships were benefitting from the convenience of the waterways, they should also give something back to the Imperial Court.

The court was short of funds, but these merchant ships were not, so they should be required to pay a certain amount in taxes.

It was like if someone had dug a well that everyone had been using all this time – now that the people who dug the well were short of money, everyone else should show their gratitude by lending them a hand.

Bai Lihong thought that, like his former self, Qi Zhili was unable to understand this concept. Therefore, he specifically explained the “borrowing a well” analogy to him.

Afterward, he blinked his big eyes and asked: “Does the minister understand?”

Qi Zhili quickly replied: “This subject understands.”

He had suspected that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had their own policies in mind, but he had never imagined that they were implementing taxes!

However, at the word “taxes,” he felt a shiver run down his spine.

Indeed, the Imperial Court had the right to collect taxes, and as His Majesty had said, merchant ships were enjoying privileges and treatment previously reserved for official ships. Rather than only focusing on receiving benefits, they should also give something in return.

He couldn’t help but glance at Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian on either side of him, feeling somewhat complicated.

These two didn’t seem to treat Bai Lihong like a child at all, but like a true emperor.

They not only taught him how to read memorials and recognize officials, but also how to comprehend the political situation, and explained the meaning behind every aspect of government affairs using the simplest principles.

No wonder. No wonder Bai Lihong’s rate of growth was so astonishing – it was because he had these two excellent mentors!

Then there was the exceptionally talented Hong Fu, who must have passed all of his skills on to Bai Lihong.

Growing up in such an environment, it would be a shock if Bai Lihong didn’t become a wise and capable ruler.

Qi Zhili’s emotions surged, but he managed to keep them completely below the surface.

He stepped forward to retrieve the regulation documents and said: “Your Majesty, this subject will make further revisions.”

“Okay. Don’t rush, take your time,” Bai Lihong said, comforting Qi Zhili just like Chu Jiubian always comforted him.

Qi Zhili was deeply moved, and his enthusiasm swelled.

When lunchtime arrived, he only managed to eat a few bites before going straight back to work.

It wasn’t until after four o’clock in the afternoon that he finished the new draft, adding in the tax provisions before handing it over to Bai Lihong.

Bai Lihong had yet to learn how to interpret tax documents, so he only glanced over them briefly before saying: “Show this to the two lords.”

Qi Zhili now felt only respect for Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, and having shed his previous apprehensions, he readily agreed.

Qin Xiao then got up and went to sit beside Chu Jiubian, looking through the documents with him.

Although this version of the regulations was not entirely perfect, with the addition of tax classifications, details on minimum taxable amounts, and procedures for tax collection by different waterway management offices and remittance to the Imperial Court, it seemed that all necessary elements were now in place.

“It looks pretty good,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qi Zhili’s expression relaxed slightly. He said: “The transportation of goods along the southeastern section of the canal will be handled by the Qiu family, but I honestly don’t know who should be entrusted with management of the other three sections.”

Chu Jiubian looked up at him and said: “Next, we will need to trouble Lord Qi to travel to the local areas and supervise the establishment of the branch offices.”

He then took out a list he had prepared beforehand and gave it to him, saying: “The people on this list are students we consider promising, all of them from humble backgrounds. You can handle their appointment yourself.”

Qi Zhili was a capable person, and although the job of Governor-General of Waterway Transportation was a difficult one, he would surely perform well.

They were letting him handle the appointments?

Qi Zhili was shocked almost to the point of losing his composure.

The highest-ranking officials at these branch offices should be mostly officials of the second rank, and not much lower. How could he be allowed to have the final say on the matter of these high-ranking regional officials?

Plus, all of the people on this list were commoners. Wasn’t it too risky to directly promote them to official positions ranging from fifth-rank to second-rank?

He harbored doubts in his heart, but when he looked up and met Chu Jiubian’s tranquil eyes, he found himself without words.

He didn’t believe himself to be more intelligent than the two people before him, so anything he could think of, they would surely have thought of as well.

Since they were still going ahead with it, there must be other factors at play.

This being the case, there was no longer any need for him to hesitate. He could simply accept the order and get to work.

Thus, he bowed respectfully and said: “This subordinate accepts the order.”

He then bowed toward Bai Lihong and said: “Thanking Your Majesty for your trust and confidence.”

“No need for that,” said Bai Lihong. “You’ve had a long day, go home and rest.”

The child’s sweet, innocent voice warmed Qi Zhili’s heart, and he said gently: “Thanking Your Majesty for your concern.”

Qi Zhili was exceptionally diligent and efficient in his work, and by the evening of the second day, he had already resubmitted his revisions again.

This time, he even specified how many laborers and guards each branch office should employ.

With such a comprehensive plan in place, his work in the local regions would go much more smoothly.

The regulations had been finalized, so Qi Zhili planned to set off the next day. He would travel south along the main canal from Southern Zhili, which would allow him to establish branch offices along the way.

He could also survey the route on his return trip, and if there were any oversights, he could promptly correct them and make improvements.

Bai Lihong had bestowed an official title and seal upon Qi Zhili, as well as three thousand taels of silver and six hundred elite soldiers as guards. He was also to be escorted by a military commander named Wan Lin from the Qin Family Army.

Qin Xiao also secretly gave Wan Lin a military token, which would allow him to mobilize city garrisons in any location.

Chu Jiubian had used the extra “wealth” card he had drawn from the System’s inventory to successfully obtain Qi Zhili, but he didn’t summon him into the Divine Realm.

Whether he would summon him in the future was another matter; for now, he simply intended to provide him with an extra layer of security.

The System would notify Chu Jiubian when a Believer was in danger, and he would subsequently be able to assess the situation and save them if necessary.

It wasn’t that he and Qin Xiao were blowing things out of proportion – what Qi Zhili was about to do was indeed perilous. Just because the great families didn’t dare target him out in the open didn’t mean they wouldn’t attempt to harm him in secret. It was always better to be safe than sorry.

The Qi family was also very wealthy, and Qi Zhili, knowing that the National Treasury was depleted, discreetly indicated before his departure that he could withdraw money from Qi family businesses at any time, and told Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian not to worry themselves about it.

Since this person was so sincere, it was only right that the two of them reciprocate.

Qi Zhili’s departure was nothing short of a grand spectacle, and at last, the various factions came to the realization that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had never intended to share the profits from the waterway transportation business from the very start!

This realization not only infuriated the families who hadn’t received any benefits, but even instilled resentment in the Qiu family, who had received their fair share. 

Had they known about this plan earlier, the Qiu family wouldn’t have had to worry about being targeted by other families, and could have even haggled with the Imperial Court for more benefits.

But now, it was too late to speak up.

In the wake of this incident, everyone discerned that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian’s methods were becoming increasingly aggressive. Before, if any issues came up in court, these two would try various conciliatory measures and distribute benefits to all parties involved.

But now, their sharp edges were displayed in full.

Under these circumstances, it seemed that only the great families were capable of curbing the further expansion of Imperial power.

However, this was easier said than done.

Chu Jiubian could be set aside – this deity was not a being that mortals were capable of handling.

And even when it came to Qin Xiao, they were unable to find a way to eliminate him.

But they had never imagined that an opportunity would present itself so quickly.

On the ninth day of the ninth month, during the Double Ninth Festival, news suddenly arrived without warning from the northwest that a country from the Western Regions had invaded and occupied Gansu!

Furthermore, Dingbei-wang had been captured, and the common people of Gansu were suffering terribly. The Western Regions kingdom was demanding that Qin Xiao personally travel to Gansu for peace talks, or they would begin to massacre the city’s inhabitants!

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Chapter 58 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 60

Ch. 82 – Mistake

Although Ji Chengyue had commanded him to get up, Xue Ren did not comply. He simply adjusted his posture from prostrate on the ground to sitting back on his knees.

Upon sitting up straight, Xue Ren rubbed his red and swollen eyes. The reason for his tears may be fake, but his grievance was genuine.

Xue Ren felt nothing but jealousy and resentment at Ji Chengyue’s favoritism toward Cao Zirui.

However, he was no longer the youth who confided in his master. He was in his thirties, and although he maintained his youthful looks through cultivation, most people at this age would have children who were practically adults.

So he had kept his grievances to himself all the while, but finally let them out today under his master’s suspicion.

Although Ji Chengyue was not incorrect in his suspicions, Xue Ren did wonder why he came to suspect him seemingly out of nowhere. His Master had never done such a thing before Cao Zirui became his disciple.

Then it was all because of Cao Zirui! Just because his master’s precious little disciple got himself injured, he began to doubt Xue Ren!

A sinister glint appeared in Xue Ren’s eyes. Ji Chengyue’s soft heart did not lead him to repent; instead, it made him blame Cao Zirui for everything.

Ji Chengyue had covered his eyes with his hand, and didn’t see Xue Ren’s change of expression.

He only saw the bloody wound on Xue Ren’s forehead dotted with dirt from the floor, and let out a soft sigh.

“Come here,” he called to Xue Ren, his tone no longer as stern as before.

Xue Ren’s eyes flickered. After briefly weighing the situation, he immediately shuffled forward on his knees toward Ji Chengyue.

Ji Chengyue pulled his hand out of his sleeve to reveal a small porcelain bottle.

He performed a very basic spell to condense the water vapor in the air into a fine stream of water, which he used to wash the wound on Xue Ren’s forehead.

The cut hurt a little when it came into contact with the cold water, but this was nothing. It wasn’t even as bad as the wounds one suffered when practicing swordsmanship.

Xue Ren wouldn’t cry out in pain because of this kind of wound, but the moment the water touched his forehead, he let out a soft hiss.

This brief, bitten-off sound made it seem like he could no longer bear the pain, but didn’t wish to make his weakness known.

Ji Chengyue unconsciously softened his movements.

Xue Ren noticed this, and a faint smile appeared on his lips where Ji Chengyue couldn’t see. It seemed he’d made the right move: showing weakness to his master had softened his heart and made him unwilling to pursue the matter.

After rinsing the wound, Ji Chengyue popped open the porcelain bottle, dipped a finger into the cool ointment inside, and gingerly applied it to the wound on Xue Ren’s forehead.

As he applied the medicine, he couldn’t help but lament: “The last time I helped apply medicine for you was probably twenty years ago, when you were injured in a fight. You hadn’t even reached Foundation Establishment stage yet.”

Later, as Xue Ren grew older, perhaps due to the innate independence and strong-willed nature of boys, he no longer confided his troubles to Ji Chengyue, and no longer cried and complained to him when he was injured. He just tried to act like an adult and shoulder everything himself.

Although Ji Chengyue was somewhat reluctant, he gradually let him go. Children inevitably grew up, and would one day have to leave the protection of their master and stand on their own.

He had first observed Xue Ren in secret for a while, and when he found that he was handling himself well, he completely loosened his hold and allowed Xue Ren to go out and travel on his own.

Their companionship while Xue Ren was a youth had fostered a bond between master and disciple that rivaled that of even blood relatives. They had become people who understood one another the best.

But because Xue Ren was often away training after he reached Foundation Establishment stage, their time together became less and less frequent, and the distance between them grew accordingly.

The process was slow, like a gentle spring rain seeping into the ground. Before Ji Chengyue even realized it, a stream had already grown between the two of them, and was difficult to cross.

Today, when he looked at that person across the water, he couldn’t even recognize him.

He suddenly realized that at some unknown point, he had stopped understanding Xue Ren. Even face to face with him, he no longer knew what his disciple was thinking.

And he had never imagined that Xue Ren would instigate someone to murder his fellow disciple.

Looking back on everything from the past to the present, Ji Chengyue could only sigh with complicated feelings.

Xue Ren was moved by Ji Chengyue’s words. In all his years training outside, what he had learned best was scheming and pretense. It had become a habit over time, and he never removed this pretense even after returning to the sect.

But Ji Chengyue’s words brought him back to twenty years ago, reminding him of a time when he would run to his master unhesitatingly and ask him to apply medicine for him if he suffered the smallest scrape.

His mask of pretense crumbled slightly, finally revealing a hint of truth. He complained: “If Shifu had cared about me more, he wouldn’t have missed all of the wounds that required medicine these past twenty years.”

If Ji Chengyue had given him even half the attention he devoted to Cao Zirui, he might not have reached this point.

Sensing the resentment in those words, Ji Chengyue chuckled and shook his head with a smile: “You’re all grown up now. I doubt you would want me to take care of you like a child.”

Xue Ren smiled upon hearing this. His master was correct – he truly didn’t wish to be treated like a child.

Such estrangement would have been a natural process if not for the appearance of Cao Zirui.

Without Cao Zirui, he wouldn’t have grown jealous over his master’s difference in attitude toward the two of them.

Without Cao Zirui, he wouldn’t have resorted to murder out of fear that the position of sect leader would be taken from him.

Without Cao Zirui, he wouldn’t be facing these problems. After all, his master’s care and the position of sect leader should belong solely to him.

So ultimately, it was all Cao Zirui’s fault.

He deserved to die!

Ji Chengyue withdrew his hand from Xue Ren’s head once the medicine was applied, and Xue Ren sat up again with a smile.

These few words had banished much of the tension created by the late-night interrogation, and a sense of long-lost intimacy emerged.

But beneath Xue Ren’s smile lay an even more resolute killing intent.

Completely unaware of this, Ji Chengyue pinched the bridge of his nose and waved for Xue Ren to leave.

However, Xue Ren remained in place. He had no intention of leaving.

This was a rare opportunity for Xue Ren to ask his master some questions in private, and he certainly wouldn’t miss it. 

“Shifu,” he called out again.

Ji Chengyue regarded him with some confusion, only to see Xue Ren frown and abruptly change the subject: “Shifu, during the few days we stayed in North Sea City, I met many cultivators from other sects and overheard them talking about the master of the city, the Lord of the North Sea.”

Hiding under the bed, Hao Chen was rather taken aback to hear Xue Ren mention him. He temporarily stopped grappling with the hand Feng Ye had over his mouth, and listened carefully to see if Xue Ren would say anything bad about him.

Unexpectedly, Xue Ren’s next sentence was: “While they were talking about the Lord of the North Sea, they naturally steered the conversation toward another god.”

Xue Ren paid close attention to Ji Chengyue’s expression as he said word by word: “The God of War, Yinglong.”

Ji Chengyue was slightly startled. It had been a long time since anyone had spoken this name in front of him.

Hao Chen was greatly disappointed by the realization that he was just a conversational stepping stone that Xue Ren was using to steer the conversation toward Yinglong.

He turned his attention back to Feng Ye, only to find him listening intently with an unwavering gaze.

“I am aware of the feud between Yinglong and our sect, but I’ve never quite understood what happened one hundred years ago. There are scrolls in the library that contain records of it, but this disciple was even more confused after reading them.”

Xue Ren feigned a puzzled expression: “When it comes to the information in those scrolls or what disciples from other sects have to say, it all portrays my shishu as an eternal sinner. But after much thought, I still feel that my shishu didn’t do anything wrong.”

Ling Yun was Ji Chengyue’s shixiong, so it was only reasonable for Xue Ren to call him “shishu.”

Compared to most people, who were unwilling to even acknowledge the former sect leader, Xue Ren’s attitude toward Ling Yun was rather unique.

After all, a normal person would want to sever all ties with an elder who had committed a heinous crime, and certainly wouldn’t refer to them with an affectionate ‘shishu.’

Ji Chengyue was somewhat out of sorts. Xue Ren’s words had inevitably summoned back past memories, and he became immersed in that past that he almost didn’t want to remember.

Ji Chengyue was momentarily silent, but even this silence indicated a certain stance.

Xue Ren felt a sense of certainty growing in his heart. He had just addressed Ling Yun as his shishu and spoken up for him, and Ji Chengyue hadn’t immediately refuted him. This showed that…..his master’s true feelings were different from the facade he put on for the world. Although he remained silent in the face of the universal condemnation for Ling Yun, he still believed deep down that Ling Yun was innocent.

Xue Ren continued to probe: “My shishu was such a brilliant and talented person. If it weren’t for that accident, our Lingxiao Sword Sect would definitely be in a completely different league.”

“Shifu, one hundred years ago, there was a great fire in the Eastern Sea. It is said that Jianmu was burned to ashes by heavenly flames, and Shishu also died in the sea of fire. But Jianmu was so big and tall. Was such an enormous tree really so easy to burn down? Wouldn’t there be debris left over from the fire?”

Xue Ren gradually steered the conversation toward his true purpose, and said as if a brilliant idea had suddenly occurred to him: “Shifu, do you think that if Jianmu wasn’t completely destroyed in the fire, Shishu could come back to life through the fragments? After all, his heart was connected to Jianmu.”

Ji Chengyue’s thoughts were inevitably led astray. He pondered Xue Ren’s words for a moment, then suddenly realized what he had just said and immediately scolded: “Enough!”

He stood almost in a panic, and turned his back so that he could no longer see Xue Ren: “Nonsense! Such absurd talk should never be repeated!”

“This disciple was confused.” Xue Ren stood up as well, bowing to Ji Chengyue as he said: “It’s getting late, so this disciple will head back now.”

Ji Chengyue waved a hand behind him, and Xue Ren turned to leave.

But just before opening the door to leave, he glanced back toward Ji Chengyue. He was already seventy percent certain of his master’s stance.

He needed to hurry and go report to that god. With this in mind, Xue Ren closed the door and quickly departed.

The door shut with a creak, and the footsteps in the corridor gradually faded until the room fell completely silent.

Ji Chengyue alone remained standing before the incense table, neither speaking nor moving as the flickering candlelight cast his shadow on the wall like a solitary silhouette.

Although he was only solitary on the surface.

Xue Ren had left, but the two under the bed remained. There were still three people in the room, which was enough to have a lively card game.

Feng Ye’s gaze was focused on Ji Chengyue, but inwardly, he was pondering Xue Ren’s seemingly pointed words.

Xue Ren had asked exactly what Feng Ye wished to know.

First, he tested Ji Chengyue’s attitude toward Ling Yun, and after roughly concluding that he didn’t condemn the man, he probed further to find out if Ji Chengyue might have hidden fragments of Jianmu.

Without Ji Chengyue here, Xue Ren’s words would have sounded absurd. But the sect leader had reacted with panic, as if Xue Ren had inadvertently aired a secret that he had kept hidden for many years.

Feng Ye was now almost one hundred percent certain that Ji Chengyue had part of Jianmu in his possession.

However…..why would Xue Ren be asking about it?

Although he had used North Sea City as a pretext, Feng Ye didn’t believe that Xue Ren asking these questions was merely a result of overhearing other people’s conversations.

It was a big coincidence that he had asked just the right questions when there was an uptick in unusual activity around Jianmu.

Feng Ye was certain that Xue Ren was not the black-robed man he’d met at the exit of the Floating Island Secret Realm. Their eyes were completely different.

But…..is Xue Ren connected to the black-robed man? Feng Ye wondered.

In actuality, the question would have been solved had he just asked Hao Chen.

Although Hao Chen hadn’t heard what Xue Ren and Yinglong discussed, judging from their expressions in the image, they must have reached some kind of agreement. 

Therefore, Hao Chen was not at all surprised to hear Xue Ren mention Jianmu. Yinglong must have been the one to instigate him. Yinglong was attempting to find Jianmu, and had approached Xue Ren for this purpose.

Sending Xue Ren to gather information from Ji Chengyue was the logical step.

But just like the fact that neither side was willing to remove their disguises yet, they weren’t honest about their identities, let alone about what they knew about each other.

However, based on his deductions alone, Feng Ye connecting Xue Ren back to the black-robed man got him fairly close to the truth.

Now that the other side had begun to take action, he needed to pick up his speed as well. The question now was who would find Jianmu first.

Where exactly was Jianmu?

He would have to ask Ji Chengyue.

When the incense stick Ji Chengyue had lit upon his return finally burned out, the man moved at last.

Rather than light more incense, he reached out and picked up the spirit tablet that was placed on the incense table.

Ji Chengyue sat back on the prayer mat with the spirit tablet in his hands. Gazing at the tablet, he murmured to himself: “Did I make a mistake?”

After much deliberation, Ji Chengyue had finally figured out a few key points regarding Xue Ren’s plan to murder Cao Zirui.

Why would Xue Ren kill his own shidi for no reason? The motives for murder were nothing more than conflicts of interest or hatred.

Xue Ren likely possessed both.

As it happened, Xue Ren hadn’t seemed to like his shidi much when Cao Zirui first joined the sect. This didn’t change for an entire year – he maintained a lukewarm attitude and never initiated conversation.

Ji Chengyue noticed this, but never paid it much mind.

Because he hadn’t liked his shixiong very much at first either, always feeling that the boy was willful and arrogant.

Ji Chengyue even felt frustration and jealousy toward the gap between him and his shixiong, and thus kept his distance from Ling Yun and paid no attention to him.

Just like Xue Ren, he had a dual pair of spiritual roots, and his fellow disciple was a one-in-ten-thousand holder of a single spiritual root.

A century apart, the two pairs of fellow disciples were remarkably similar.

Although Ji Chengyue had initially disliked Ling Yun, as he spent more time with him, he gradually discovered a completely different side to him beneath his arrogant exterior.

What was Ling Yun’s reputation like? It was similar to Cao Zirui’s today – a prodigy, aloof and untouchable.

Even worse, while Cao Zirui only maintained an icy expression, Ling Yun had such an arrogant appearance that he seemed to be looking down on everyone.

It could be said that Ling Yun far surpassed Cao Zirui when it came to attracting hatred.

Cao Zirui was doted on by Ji Chengyue, just like Ling Yun was doted on by their master, Xuanxu-zhenren.

One might expect such a person to be domineering and insufferably arrogant.

This description proved correct: his shixiong was indeed like that most of the time.

He dared to stir up trouble no matter how big a mess it made, and was utterly lawless.

But Ling Yun also possessed a heroic spirit reminiscent of chivalrous heroes in traditional storytelling. He never hesitated to share with others, and would readily lend anything from magic tools to spirit stones to whoever asked for them.

There were just as many people who repaid him as there were those who didn’t. Therefore, despite being the sect leader’s personal disciple, Ling Yun still had to ask Ji Chengyue for money on occasion.

Aside from magic tools and spirit stones, Ling Yun also taught his sword techniques to anyone who asked.

Although he might mock someone for being too slow and clumsy as he taught them, he was earnest and patient in his teaching.

Ji Chengyue never took the initiative to ask Ling Yun to teach him, and continued to give Ling Yun the cold shoulder due to his unspeakable jealousy.

Ling Yun was the one who approached him with the offer, though his disdainful attitude throughout the process was incredibly irritating.

Ji Chengyue did try to fight Ling Yun, but was never able to win.

However, Ling Yun’s Lingxiao Swordsmanship was not fully developed at that time, and Ji Chengyue still managed to bruise up his right cheek. Covering his swollen cheek, Ling Yun ran to Ji Chengyue’s room, not to enact revenge, but instead to…..sew up his clothes with needle and thread.

Ji Chengyue was so shocked that he was unable to keep a straight face. He stared, mouth agape, at this perpetually aloof shixiong who now muttered and griped as he helped him mend the robes that had been torn during the fight.

“There are so many holes in your clothes. How am I supposed to explain this to Shifu?” Ling Yun spoke stridently. “He’ll think I bullied you, but you’re the one who started it. Ai, it’s tough being a shixiong. I have to give way to you, no matter what.”

“Who asked you to give way!” Ji Chengyue grew furious upon hearing this. He knew nothing good could come out of this dog’s mouth!

He immediately started another fight with Ling Yun, and this time, their master arrived in time to witness it. When he questioned the two fellow disciples about what had led to this behavior, Ji Chengyue started to step forward and accept the blame, but Ling Yun unexpectedly preempted him and took all of the blame upon himself.

Subsequently, Ling Yun was punished by their master to kneel for the entire night. Ji Chengyue stood in front of Ling Yun during his punishment and asked with a complicated expression: “Why?”

Ling Yun touched his nose and said matter-of-factly: “You’re my shidi. If the little brother makes a mistake, what can the older brother do but take responsibility?”

He treated Ji Chengyue’s cold indifference as nothing more than a little brother throwing a tantrum, and didn’t take it to heart.

He genuinely considered Ji Chengyue to be his little brother, but Ji Chengyue had never regarded him as a sibling in return.

But Ji Chengyue gradually changed his attitude toward Ling Yun after this incident, and began trying to treat him as an older brother. If he couldn’t treat him like a biological brother, he could at least treat him like one he picked up off the street.

They went through much together after that. For example, when Ji Chengyue lost to a disciple of another sect in a martial arts tournament, Ling Yun came onstage after him and knocked that disciple out of the ring with exactly the same move he had used to defeat Ji Chengyue.

Or when hunting for treasures in some secret realm, Ling Yun abandoned the treasures in favor of saving his shidi.

When Ling Yun underwent the sect leader trial and Ji Chengyue was guarding the last step, he was even able to openly ask Ling Yun to give way to him rather than clinging to his pointless pride.

And he was able to sincerely say, “As always, I’m not as good as Shixiong,” without a single trace of jealousy in his voice. He was genuinely proud of Ling Yun’s achievements.

The position of sect leader rightfully belonged to his shixiong. He himself was inferior.

Hadn’t these two fellow disciples with a bad relationship in the beginning gradually worked things out? Thus, Ji Chengyue thought that Xue Ren and Cao Zirui would do the same.

However, Ling Yun was different from both Cao Zirui and Xue Ren.

Only now did Ji Chengyue realize that he had been too presumptuous.

Not every conflict could be resolved through spending time with one another and gradually adjusting; some conflicts only became sharper and more deadly.

The conflict of interest stemmed from Xue Ren’s desire to become the sect leader, as well as his jealousy over Cao Zirui’s talent and Ji Chengyue’s favoritism toward him this year. These were the roots of his hatred.

These factors had catalyzed and eventually became the situation they were facing today.

Looking back on his own actions over the past year, Ji Chengyue acknowledged that he had been somewhat biased.

But it wasn’t because he disliked Xue Ren. He just…..just…..desperately wanted Cao Zirui to become the next Ling Yun…..

He had served as the sect leader for nearly one hundred years, and although he had managed to preserve Lingxiao Sword Sect, it had remained at the bottom of the rankings for the entire century.

Since its founding, Lingxiao Sword Sect had never been brought so low.

He had already proven through his own experience that his talent was not enough to lead Lingxiao Sword Sect back to its peak. But his shixiong could have done it.

Ling Yun definitely could have done it.

But Ling Yun was dead, so he could only hope that Cao Zirui possessed the same potential as Ling Yun.

Ling Yun had hoped to lead Lingxiao Sword Sect to truly soar to the heavens, and wasn’t this also Ji Chengyue’s wish?

He was too eager, too urgent, to the point that he neglected Xue Ren and focused all of his energy on Cao Zirui in the hopes that he would grow up quickly.

He just wanted to improve Lingxiao Sword sect quickly, so as not to disappoint his master and his shixiong. Had he make a mistake?

Ji Chengyue voiced this question as he gazed at the spirit tablet, hoping to receive a reply from the deceased.

He waited a short while, but there was no response.

Of course there wasn’t.

But upon asking this question, he already knew the answer.

Had he made a mistake?

Yes, he had.

Xue Ren was his disciple, and he was Xue Ren’s master. “A teacher for a day is a father for life; if a child is not taught, the father is at fault.”

Xue Ren had made a big mistake, and it was Ji Chengyue’s fault.

But Xue Ren ultimately failed in his endeavor, so there was still a chance to salvage the situation.

He didn’t expose Xue Ren this time, but he would also not sit idly by and watch Xue Ren continue to make mistakes.

He already had a plan in mind. All he had to do was wait until dawn, at which point he would announce his decision to those who held authority within the sect.

At this moment during the brief interval between dusk and dawn, he touched the name engraved on the spirit tablet and sighed: “If only you were still here…..”

“Shixiong…..” Ji Chengyue called out softly.

Feng Ye opened his eyes slightly where he was hiding under the bed, observing Ji Chengyue’s actions as the man split the overly-heavy spirit tablet in two.

The name Ling Yun was clearly written on a second spirit tablet hidden beneath the first one.

The tablet was made so perfectly that even upon close inspection, he was unable to make out the seam between the two.

Ji Chengyue’s usual attitude was indeed a facade. It wasn’t that he didn’t miss his shixiong, but that he didn’t dare to reminisce about him when others were present. He only dared to hide his shixiong’s spirit tablet behind his master’s and mourn him in secret.

A multitude of thoughts immediately occurred to Feng Ye, along with a sudden realization.

He may have made the mistake of overlooking something that was right under his nose. The most dangerous place could also be the safest. Ji Chengyue likely hadn’t hidden a Jianmu fragment in a secret room or behind a mechanism, but had rather placed it out in the open, in the most conspicuous place.

The spirit tablet engraved with Ling Yun’s name might contain a Jianmu fragment!

Feng Ye was somewhat excited at the thought. After searching for so long, he finally had a clue. He just needed to wait for Ji Chengyue to leave, and then he could investigate the spirit tablet.

Dawn was approaching, and a faint light already shone through the cracks in the door and windows.

There was a thud, as if something had hit a wooden board.

Ji Chengyue’s gaze abruptly shifted toward his bedroom, zeroing in on the bed.

Realizing that he had hit his elbow on the bedboard, Feng Ye tried to quiet his movements – but it was already too late. It was so quiet in here that Ji Chengyue couldn’t possibly have missed that sound.

Feng Ye glared at Hao Chen. He had instinctively pulled his hand back from Hao Chen’s mouth when he felt a warm, wet sensation on his palm, as if it had been lightly licked, only to smack his elbow into the bed. 

Hao Chen wore a look of complete innocence, as if he had done nothing wrong.

Feng Ye wished he could grab Hao Chen by the collar and drag him out for a fight right this moment, but this was no time to settle accounts. It was more important to make a quick escape.

A teleportation array? No, there wasn’t enough time. An illusion array? That might not be fast enough either……Feng Ye quickly brainstormed as he listened to Ji Chengyue’s approaching footsteps.

Hao Chen, completely unaware of what was happening, nudged him and opened his mouth as if to speak.

Before he could say a word, Feng Ye flipped him over and pinned him down, using his weight to keep Hao Chen from moving.

At the same time, he used one hand to cover Hao Chen’s mouth and nose to make sure the fish wouldn’t make any more noise, and used the other to draw an array pattern in the air. Even if there wasn’t enough time, he had to try. He was desperate!

Feng Ye’s heart raced as he stared at Ji Chengyue’s boots, which had already reached the bedside.

He heard the sound of rustling fabric, as if the man was crouching down.

It’s over, Feng Ye thought to himself. He hadn’t finished drawing the illusion array.

Ji Chengyue’s face appeared in front of Feng Ye, but rather than the shock and anger upon finding two people hiding under his bed, he wore a look of puzzlement.

There was clearly nothing under the bed, so what had made that noise?

Rather than moving away immediately, he continued to crouch in front of the bed as he inspected it, and even tentatively reached a hand inside.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen held their breath.

The only thing separating them from Ji Chengyue was a curtain of water.

Before Ji Chengyue crouched down, Hao Chen had finally managed to pull out his fan under Feng Ye’s weight and unleash a curtain of water.

On this side of the curtain, they could clearly see Ji Chengyue.

But all Ji Chengyue could see was an empty space beneath the bed.

However, this hastily-created water curtain was not very reliable, as it was only an illusion. If Ji Chengyue reached forward a little more, he would touch it and find that his hand had become wet inexplicably.

Even a fool would realize that something wasn’t right.

The two of them watched Ji Chengyue’s movements with some tension, his hand groping just in front of the water curtain, just a hair’s breadth away…..

The sound of footsteps outside the door resolved their crisis.

“Sect Leader, Elder Zhou wishes to see you.” A disciple had come to relay a message.

Ji Chengyue paused. With one more glance under the bed to make sure there was actually nothing there, he then withdrew his groping hand.

“Understood,” he replied while straightening his sleeves.

Then he turned to leave the bedroom.

But before leaving, he hesitated for a moment in front of the door, seemingly lost in thought. Abruptly, he returned to the incense table and stuffed the two spirit tablets that had not yet been reconnected into his storage bag. 

The door closed with a creak.

At last, Feng Ye and Hao Chen breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn’t been discovered.

But there was no reason to celebrate, because the spirit tablet that likely contained a Jianmu fragment had been taken away by Ji Chengyue.

---

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Chapter 81 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 83

Ch. 81 – Unable to Bear It

The furnishings in the room had not shifted since he’d departed. Ji Chengyue entered his bedroom as usual and closed the door.

Having returned home late at night only a shichen before dawn, he should have taken advantage of this time to get some sleep. But Ji Chengyue had no intention of resting, and went to the incense table to light the candlestick.

But as he lit it, he experienced a moment of doubt. Had this candlestick been here when he left?

Why did he remember it being on the desk……

Feng Ye held his breath where he was watching this scene from beneath the bed. Hao Chen, who was lying next to him, did the same. Ji Chengyue had returned so suddenly that they hadn’t had time to put the candlestick back in place. They were only able to hastily hide themselves under the bed.

Presently, they could only hope that Ji Chengyue’s memory wasn’t very good. The two observed Ji Chengyue’s actions nervously.

Fortunately, after a moment of confusion, Ji Chengyue went on to light the candlestick, thinking that he had been too busy recently and forgot.

But that recent business would come to an end tonight.

Ji Chengyue stared at the tablet on the incense table for some time. He picked up a stick of incense, lit it with the help of the candle, and bowed to the spirit tablet. Then he inserted the incense stick emitting white smoke into the incense burner.

The white smoke twisted and turned through the air, emulating his current mood. Ji Chengyue sat cross-legged on the cushion in front of the incense table.

But rather than facing the incense table, he sat with his back to it.

This was not a normal sitting posture, but more like…..he was waiting for someone.

Just as this thought occurred to Feng Ye, footsteps could be heard out in the corridor.

Knock knock. The owner of the footsteps knocked politely upon arriving at Ji Chengyue’s door.

Ji Chengyue’s thoughts were obscure. He looked in the direction of the door, but didn’t answer. Rather than saying “please come in,” or “go away,” he just stared at it.

“Shifu?” the person standing outside called out with some puzzlement.

The voice was not Cao Zirui’s. Cao Zirui often appeared in Feng Ye’s presence these days because of Fang Yang, so he was very familiar with his voice.

Since it wasn’t Cao Zirui calling out for his shifu, then it could only be Xue Ren.

Why had Ji Chengyue called Xue Ren to his rooms so late at night? Was there something that couldn’t wait until daytime? Could it be…..

A guess occurred to Feng Ye, and he continued to observe in silence.

“Come in,” Ji Chengyue said at last.

But he closed his eyes as he spoke, as if he didn’t wish to see the person who opened the door.

Xue Ren carefully closed the door after entering the room, then paced to the opposite side from Ji Chengyue and bowed: “Shifu summoned me so suddenly in the middle of the night. Is there some sort of urgent matter?”

Ji Chengyue did not answer Xue Ren’s question. He spoke only two words: “Kneel down.”

Xue Ren was dumbfounded. He hadn’t yet lowered his hands when he looked up blankly to see Ji Chengyue’s face under the candlelight, looking much more grave than it had during the day.

Ji Chengyue still had his eyes closed, and Xue Ren couldn’t see the emotions within them, but he had a bad feeling just by looking at the man’s frown.

“Kneel down!” Xue Ren had frozen in shock, and Ji Chengyue raised his voice as he sternly commanded him a second time.

The sound brought Xue Ren back to his senses. He quickly lifted his sleeves and touched his knees to the floor, kneeling straight in front of Ji Chengyue.

His eyes flashed and his mind raced.

Although they were master and disciple, Ji Chengyue didn’t really pay much attention to etiquette, and the act of kneeling and bowing was only performed on a few very important occasions. Normally, Xue Ren would just give a simple bow when greeting his master.

But this time, Ji Chengyue had called him to his rooms late at night to talk, and told him to kneel the instant they met. He looked so serious. Could it be about…..that matter?

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Xue Ren’s forehead, and he inwardly dismissed the idea. There was no way to verify that Xue Ren had ordered Lu Chengye to kill Cao Zirui. How could his master possibly know?

He couldn’t afford to lose his composure. Perhaps his master had summoned him for something else…..it was best to test the waters first.

With this in mind, Xue Ren remained kneeling on the floor, head bowed as he asked Ji Chengyue: “This disciple doesn’t know what he did to upset Shifu…..”

“You don’t know? You don’t even have an idea?” When Ji Chengyue finally opened his eyes, they were aflame with a fury that seemed liable to burst forth.

“This disciple doesn’t know.” Compared to Ji Chengyue’s loss of composure, Xue Ren maintained a normal tone, as if his conscience was clear.

However, no matter how he pretended, the cold sweat collecting in his clenched palms betrayed a hint of his inner panic.

“Good! Good! Good!” Ji Chengyue said three times in a row, so angry at Xue Ren’s denial that he was almost incoherent.

Smack. 

Xue Ren’s face jerked to the side slightly under the blow, but he didn’t utter a sound.

Ji Chengyue pointed at the ledger he had just tossed away and questioned: “What did you do with the 100,000 spirit stones you embezzled from the sect a month ago?”

100,000 spirit stones might seem like a lot to a normal person, but for a sect – especially one in the top ten – it was a paltry amount.

Although Ji Chengyue had tasked Xue Ren with managing some of the sect’s affairs, he himself was not entirely clueless when it came to accounting matters.

He simply hadn’t interfered. After all, Xue Ren was his disciple, and he didn’t usually do such things. He was probably just short of money at the moment, so Ji Chengyue didn’t confront him about it.

However…..the night Cao Zirui emerged from the Floating Island Secret Realm, he’d sensed that something was off about Xue Ren’s attitude.

Without explanation, and with evident urgency, Xue Ren had labeled Cao Zirui’s pursuer a demonic cultivator.

What was he so anxious about?

Ji Chengyue had maintained a facade of calmness as he asked after Cao Zirui’s injuries, but in reality, he was keeping a close eye on Xue Ren. And the more he observed him, the more he felt that he was in a very abnormal state.

He had seemed both impatient and nervous.

Although Xue Ren concealed it well, just as Cao Zirui had been raised by Ji Chengyue, so too had Xue Ren.

Ji Chengyue knew Xue Ren extremely well, and his suspicions grew as he noticed the subtle movements that even Xue Ren was unaware he was making.

Cao Zirui had mentioned that an outer disciple named Lu Chengye had hunted them ceaselessly in the jungle, right on their heels like an inescapable ghost. Ji Chengyue’s supposition was thus: the fact that they were unable to shake him off their trail meant that the other party had something with which to track Cao Zirui.

Aside from a few unorthodox methods that relied on scent or similar tracking techniques, the most common involved two connected magic tools capable of pinpointing someone’s location.

When the Floating Island Secret Realm first opened, despite the fact that everyone had been randomly transported from the entrance, Lu Chengye had located Cao Zirui with remarkable accuracy.

Ji Chengyue had been to the Floating Island Secret Realm himself. Tracking someone over such a large island by scent or similar means was virtually impossible, because it was impossible to predict where the target would be transported to.

With the tracking distance so great, scent-tracking and other means would naturally fail.

Therefore, it was most likely that Lu Chengye had utilized a magic tool to determine his location, but this method required there to be two interconnected magic tools. The fact that Lu Chengye was able to track Cao Zirui meant that the latter must be carrying one of the tools as well.

How could an outer disciple who rarely got to see Cao Zirui’s face have an opportunity to plant such a tool on him?

At that moment, Ji Chengyue’s gaze had drifted toward the bell tied to Cao Zirui’s waist. He had also noticed Xue Ren’s attitude toward Cao Zirui. To be honest, Ji Chengyue was quite surprised when Xue Ren suddenly gifted Cao Zirui the bell before he entered the secret realm.

But on the heels of his initial surprise came relief, as well as a sense of pride that after a year of cultivating together, the two sect brothers had finally developed a level of intimacy reminiscent of his own with Ling Yun.

Little did he know that this bell was actually a deadly trap…..Ji Chengyue revealed no suspicion in front of Xue Ren, because he didn’t want to unjustly accuse his disciple, especially of such a vicious crime as trying to murder his shidi.

Thus, he waited until Xue Ren and Fang Yang left, and Cao Zirui was the only one who remained. Then he reached out to examine the bell, and what he found caused his heart to sink even further. This bell was indeed one of a pair of mother and child bells. Although the half connected to this child bell was nowhere to be found, it was easy to guess that it had been left behind in the Floating Island Secret Realm with Lu Chengye.

This bell already implicated Xue Ren in the crime of instructing Lu Chengye to murder Cao Zirui, since it was Xue Ren who had given him the bell.

But Ji Chengyue had refused to believe it. He tried to exonerate Xue Ren in his heart, thinking that perhaps Xue Ren had been unknowingly tricked into obtaining the bell, and had then given it to Cao Zirui.

He attempted to clear Xue Ren’s name, but the deeper his investigation went, the more shaken he became.

In Cao Zirui’s account of his pursuit, there was one other detail: a bow engraved with a dark red totem.

That bow must be of extraordinary origin for a low-level Qi Refining disciple like Lu Chengye to be able to destroy an earth-grade magic weapon with it in a single blow.

Using this bow as a clue to follow, Ji Chengyue expanded his search in all directions. He had been busy with matters in North Sea City these past few days, and today, he finally had results.

This so-called Burning Sky Bow had been sold at an underground auction in Yunzhou a little over a month prior.

Although the Burning Sky Bow was a Heaven-grade magic weapon, it seemed to have fallen into a dormant state for some unknown reason, making it no different than an ordinary bow.

Therefore, the final selling price was a low 200,000 spirit stones, which was practically a bargain for a Heaven-grade magic weapon.

After many twists and turns, Ji Chengyue had finally located the buyer today and completely lost his ability to defend Xue Ren.

The truth was now clear: after obtaining the Burning Sky Bow, Xue Ren had somehow managed to awaken the divine bow from its dormant state. Furthermore, he lent it to Lu Chengye and instructed him to intercept and kill Cao Zirui inside the Floating Island Secret Realm.

Ji Chengyue was fully aware of everything, but didn’t confront his disciple about it directly. Instead, he used the matter of the 100,000 misappropriated spirit stones as a pretext to give Xue Ren a chance to confess.

And after Xue Ren confessed, he would…..

What would he do? In truth, Ji Chengyue didn’t know.

After discovering the truth, he had immediately sent someone to wake Xue Ren and call him to his rooms in a fit of pent-up rage.

But when it actually came to the point of exposing everything, he was somewhat afraid to face it.

Murdering a fellow disciple was a crime so heinous that it wouldn’t be excessive to strip him of his cultivation and expel him from the sect entirely.

But this was Xue Ren, his disciple of twenty years, ah…..

Could he really bring himself to punish Xue Ren in such a way?

After throwing the ledger at Xue Ren’s face, Ji Chengyue shut his eyes once more.

Xue Ren stared at the ledger on the floor, his mind racing. Ji Chengyue had never been a stingy person. It was only 100,000 spirit stones. Even if his master was angry that he had embezzled sect funds, he wouldn’t go so far as to call him over in the middle of the night to scold him. 

Ji Chengyue must have discovered the reason he embezzled those 100,000 spirit stones, and that he had possessed the Burning Sky Bow, which meant…..

Xue Ren had never expected Ji Chengyue to investigate the matter from this angle, because he never imagined that his master would suspect him. He had covered his tracks perfectly!

But dwelling on it now was pointless. He was indeed the buyer of the Burning Sky Bow, so the fact that it was in Lu Chengye’s hands directly implicated him.

However…..this couldn’t be considered conclusive evidence……

Xue Ren instantly concocted a story in his mind. He raised his head from its lowered position and looked directly at Ji Chengyue: “Shifu, it’s true, the Burning Sky Bow in Lu Chengye’s hands was mine.”

Ji Chengyue let out a long breath. The moment he dreaded facing had arrived.

Unexpectedly, Xue Ren changed direction and asked him in turn: “Shifu suspects me? Does he suspect that I gave the Burning Sky Bow to Lu Chengye and ordered him to kill my shidi?”

Ji Chengyue opened his eyes to look at Xue Ren. What did he mean by that? Was Xue Ren really going to try to deny it even in the face of such evidence?

“I was worried that I would be suspected, which was why I never told Shifu that the Burning Sky Bow was mine.” Xue Ren gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “It was indeed mine, but it was stolen the day the Floating Island Secret Realm opened. Shifu, since you found out about the auction, you should know that this Heaven-grade magic weapon is only nominally Heaven-grade. In reality, it’s completely unusable, no different from a piece of firewood.”

“I naturally wouldn’t carry around a magic weapon that takes up so much space, and always kept it in my room. That day, after hearing my shidi recall his ordeal of being hunted, I had a vague feeling that Lu Chengye’s bow sounded a lot like mine.”

“But I thought that was unlikely, because I had clearly put the Burning Sky Bow in my room, so how could it have ended up in Lu Chengye’s hands? So I supposed that it must just be a similar-looking weapon, and didn’t speak up at the time.”

“It wasn’t until we returned to the sect that I went looking for the Burning Sky Bow, and was shocked to find that it was gone. I was deeply disturbed and filled with remorse. It was all my fault that Lu Chengye had managed to obtain such a magic weapon and used it to hunt down my shidi. But I feared that I would be accused by Shifu, and dared not admit it.”

“But in the end, the outcome that I feared most still came about…..” As Xue Ren spoke, his voice began to unconsciously tremble with emotion.

Although his story was entirely fabricated, that last sentence came from the bottom of his heart.

The discovery of his shameful deeds was indeed the outcome he feared most.

His tearfulness was not feigned. Rather, it was during his narration that he fearfully realized the extent of the consequences he might face, and it all burst out under his master’s questioning, along with the grievances he had been nursing throughout the years. 

Why would his master investigate him? This was simply because he had never trusted him.

He didn’t intend to hide this grievance. He knew that his words were only barely plausible, and could not truly prove his innocence. Similarly, there was no conclusive evidence to support Ji Chengyue’s speculations.

Faced with two outcomes, if he wanted Ji Chengyue to choose to believe him, he must truly move his master’s deeply suspicious heart.

Xue Ren, having accompanied Ji Chengyue for over twenty years, was well aware of this.

“Shifu!” Xue Ren shouted abruptly, startling Ji Chengyue.

Before Ji Chengyue could react, Xue Ren slammed his forehead against the floor. Seemingly oblivious to the pain, he relentlessly banged his head onto the stone.

There was a dull thud from the impact, after which Xue Ren remained kneeling. When he raised his head slightly, his brow was covered in blood.

Tears were welling up at the corners of his red, swollen eyes, and threatened to fall.

He murmured to Ji Chengyue: “Shifu doesn’t believe me……”

As he uttered those words, the tears in his eyes finally rolled down his cheeks and dripped to the floor. 

Ji Chengyue watched this scene in silence.

Hao Chen, who had been watching the entire performance from under the bed, couldn’t help but discuss the plot with Feng Ye beside him.

He first poked Feng Ye in the shoulder, and when he turned his head to look at him, Hao Chen mouthed silently: “Do you think Ji Chengyue will believe him?”

But before he could finish his sentence, Feng Ye reached out and covered his mouth.

Hao Chen: “……”

Having silenced Hao Chen with a hand over his mouth, Feng Ye then turned to intently observe the master and disciple in front of him.

After a long silence, Ji Chengyue finally gave a response. He whispered to Xue Ren where he was kneeling and staining the floor with his tears: “Get up.”

It seems he’s chosen to believe Xue Ren, Feng Ye thought.

But when he got a look at Ji Chengyue’s eyes, he discarded this notion.

If Ji Chengyue believed Xue Ren, he would at least feel some guilt for his prior suspicions, but there was only sadness in his eyes.

What saddened him was that after committing such a malicious, shocking act, he still tried every means to exonerate himself and refused to confess.

Although he didn’t know when it had occurred, at some point, the disciple he raised had turned out like this. 

But Ji Chengyue hadn’t exposed Xue Ren’s deceit, mainly because…..

He couldn’t bear to.

---

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Chapter 80 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 82

Ch 19 – Sweet and Dangerous Memories

Yu Xi wanted to learn more about Facai, but neither Kersz nor Tau could accurately explain the system’s specific origins, and it was also unclear if this system possessed an emotion module.

At least Kersz had some prior contact with Facai. Tau, however, had never had the opportunity to interact with it, and only knew that such a system existed.

Neither of them were clear on the situation, and knew even less where Facai’s control center was located.

Kersz felt that all of this seemed a bit too coincidental. How had he ended up right in Yu Xi’s lap after picking a random space jump point? And why was the name of this “Facai” system in the language of the ancient humans?

Had the two of them really never been in contact with each other?

Kersz attempted to subtly probe for details from Yu Xi, but Yu Xi was simply unable to locate anything in his memories.

“Have you really never seen him?” Kersz pressed.

“In any case, he’s not present in my existing memories,” said Yu Xi.

“Existing memories?” asked Kersz.

“A segment of my memory has been erased. I’ve tried many times, but I’ve been unable to restore it.” Yu Xi explained, “I’m not certain of the timeframe of that memory segment, because for me, it was just like falling asleep one day and waking up the next. There was no adjustment period at all. It was only after I discovered that my energy level had dropped significantly that I discovered the gap in my memory.”

Yu Xi typically paid no attention to his energy level. After all, when this energy was first allocated to him, he believed that he was facing eternity.

A road that seemed to have no end.

“Then do you think you might have met him in those missing memories?” Kersz couldn’t shake the feeling that Yu Xi was hiding even bigger secrets.

“I don’t know…..” Yu Xi shook his head. “But I’m certain that I’m the only one capable of erasing my memory.”

He used to frequently delete parts of his memory in order to watch movies and TV shows again as if it was his first time seeing them.

If he had really met this Facai or an existence anything like him, he would have surely been over the moon even if they had done nothing but chat. For Yu Xi, who had been residing on a living corpse of a planet for years on end, it would have come as an incredible surprise.

If Kersz’s conjecture was correct, and Yu Xi had indeed come into contact with Facai directly or indirectly, then why would he have erased those memories?

Yu Xi couldn’t fathom what he must have been thinking. After all, those memories were a blank slate for him.

Kersz noticed a faint greenish glow flicker in Yu Xi’s eyes, only to dim in the next moment.

“What’s wrong?” Kersz asked Yu Xi.

“I…..I feel that I don’t understand myself well enough.” Yu Xi felt a peculiar sense of self-betrayal. Some very interesting memories that might have alleviated his loneliness had been hidden away by his own hand.

Then could it be possible that he had long since experienced some extraordinary events and undergone personal changes himself?

“They probably weren’t very pleasant memories.” Kersz reached out and rested a hand on Yu Xi’s back.

“But every experience is valuable in some way.” Yu Xi felt that this method was too extreme, and that erasing his memory was simply a form of escapism.

“That may be true in principle, but if the ‘me’ of years ago had this ability, I probably wouldn’t have become a space pirate,” said Kersz.

“You want to seal away your memories too?” Yu Xi asked.

“Maybe in the past I would have, but I have no plans to do so now,” Kersz said with a smile.

“Why not?” asked Yu Xi.

Kersz’s heartbeat began to quicken, though he didn’t appear to be angry: “On the day my life was destroyed, I wished I could erase my memories and pretend I knew nothing at all, to just go on living in blissful oblivion.”

“If the sealing of your memories wasn’t an accident, then something must have happened that you absolutely couldn’t bear to deal with.” Kersz didn’t feel that there was any need for Yu Xi to recover those memories.

He could understand how he must have been feeling.

Yu Xi: “…..Do you think I might have broken down?”

“I’m not sure, but I think you should prepare yourself.” Kersz rubbed his hand up and down over Yu Xi’s back. “Sometimes we can’t really tell if what we want is the truth or a lie.”

Yu Xi’s eyes slowly widened, and Kersz patted him on the back.

Yu Xi continued to dwell on this matter all the way up until bedtime.

If he really had erased his own memories, then something must have happened that he was absolutely unable to accept.

Just how severe had that “unacceptable thing” been? Yu Xi didn’t know.

But after Kersz’s warning, Yu Xi began to fear that truth.

After all, he had only just begun to learn how to deal with human malice.

As he ruminated, Yu Xi went to sleep.

He had a dream, and it was one he knew very well – still in the form of a robot vacuum cleaner, he wandered around the house, but this time, the big fat cat didn’t make an appearance.

Yu Xi diligently went back and forth, cleaning the floor. Suddenly, he heard a crash as a glass on the dining table was knocked to the floor. Yu Xi was startled, and spun around to look in that direction.

Standing there were a small calico cat, a large white dog, a crocodile, and a big wild boar.

The dining table stood right next to the window, which they had clearly climbed through to get in.

These little animals were all wearing uniforms, and looked very serious.

“Look! That’s an image of the legendary supreme apes!” As it spoke, the crocodile pointed with a short front limb toward a photograph on a storage cabinet.

Supreme what? Supreme ape?

Yu Xi turned his body to look at the photograph, which bore the image of his household’s masters.

The calico cat exclaimed: “They really do look a lot like us.”

Alike?

Yu Xi disagreed.

“The legends are actually true.” The big white dog wore a solemn expression. “We once lived under the protection of the supreme apes, free from the need to work or worry about the future. The supreme apes would always provide us with food and shelter.”

The big wild boar sighed: “How I wish I had been born in an era where the supreme apes were still around.”

Yu Xi: ……

If the “supreme apes” these creatures brimming with chuunibyou energy were referring to were the humans, living as a pig in human society would have been a bit perilous.

“Oh!!” The calico cat caught sight of Yu Xi. “There’s actually a living being over there!”

A living being? Him? Yu Xi felt that with his round shape, he more closely resembled a manhole cover than he did a living being.

“Hello!” The calico cat jumped down nimbly from the table. “Can you understand what we’re saying?”

Yu Xi felt a bit self-conscious, and wanted to hide behind something to conceal his figure.

His disc-like self inched back slightly, swaying awkwardly from side to side.

“Are you shy?” The big white dog jumped down as well.

“Yu Xi. My name is Yu Xi.” His voice was incredibly faint.

All four animals let out exclamations of surprise at this reply, giving Yu Xi a shock. His first instinct was to flee, but he ended up fleeing no further than behind the coffee table, where he trembled in fear as he cautiously peered out at the four animals.

“I’m sorry, we scared you.” The crocodile scratched its head with its short claws. “We just didn’t expect that we’d share a common language.”

The big wild boar took a couple of steps forward: “Are you a supreme ape?”

Yu Xi: “I’m not…..I’m a robot vacuum cleaner.”

“But you really are similar to a supreme ape,” said the calico cat.

He seemed like a human? Yu Xi felt a little pleased when he heard this.

“Do you know where the supreme apes went?” the big white dog asked him.

Yu Xi didn’t know, but he didn’t say this outright.

With a strange premonition, he turned back to the photograph of the family of three and felt a wave of sadness sweep over him.

Yu Xi said: “They left.”

The four animals looked at him, and Yu Xi felt a little self-conscious under their gazes: “It’s just me here. I’m a robot vacuum cleaner, and I’ve always worked here.”

“You’ve been here all alone?” The big wild boar’s tone was rather gentle.

“En.” Yu Xi swayed back and forth again. He didn’t like this answer, but there really wasn’t a second person here to keep him company.

“Then would you like to come and play with us?!” The big white dog pawed at the floor in excitement. “You can tell us stories about the supreme apes.”

Yu Xi edged closer to the four animals. Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he backed a short distance away again.

“Do you want to come play with us?” The crocodile extended a short little paw.

“I – I really want to, but I don’t know if you all will like me,” said Yu Xi.

“I think we’re going to like you very, very much.”

Yu Xi hesitated, but ultimately made his way over to the group of animals at a slow pace.

He awoke from his dream.

Yu Xi opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused.

“Mr. Yu Xi?” Kersz called out from where he was lying nearby.

Yu Xi was given a fright. His pupils suddenly constricted, then dilated again: “Kersz?! You’re awake?”

Kersz gave a hum: “You got some pretty big news today. A human likely wouldn’t sleep well under such circumstances, and I wasn’t sure if the same applied to you.” For this reason, he had been waiting for quite a while.

Yu Xi gave an “oh,” then clutched the blanket tightly. “I had a dream, and it was a little different…..I think my memories might not have been erased completely.”

Kersz didn’t immediately offer a response. He knew that Yu Xi’s momentary pause was because his mind was in turmoil.

“The scene in that dream wasn’t real, but I feel like such an event might have happened.” Yu Xi was somewhat curious, and a little expectant, but more than anything else, he was afraid. 

“Did I mess up a relationship?” Yu Xi asked Kersz uncertainly.

“I doubt it. You have a very good personality,” Kersz reassured him.

Yu Xi looked at Kersz: “Really? But I did mock your pronunciation. I even wanted to capture you and a bunch of other humans and take you back to live on my planet. Plus, I always speak really bluntly, and whenever you’re with me, your heart starts racing…..it’s the same with Tau too…..”

Kersz: “In any case, your feelings are very sincere. Anyone can see it.” Kersz felt that even if Yu Xi managed to anger someone, the prevailing sentiment in their reaction would be a sense of helplessness.

Still, managing to piss off an Illegitimate was actually pretty impressive.

Yu Xi covered the lower half of his face with the blanket.

“Do you want to just delete those memories?” Kersz asked.

“A little bit. I just feel like they contain something I can’t accept,” Yu Xi answered truthfully.

“If worse comes to worst, just pretend like none of it ever happened. You can make a fresh start now,” Kersz said.

“But surely there must be some happy memories during that time. I would only be sad if there was happiness too…..I don’t want to cast aside the people I once cared about – or rather, the small animals.” Yu Xi had a feeling that these small animals were creations of the ancient humans.

Kersz gazed up at the ceiling, which featured a projection of the starry sky.

He didn’t want to forget?

If I were to forget them, would it stop hurting so much?

No, that’s not fair, they did it for me.

They died. In his memory, Kersz slapped his head over and over. Remember! Kersz, they’re dead. You need to imprint them in your mind. They’re gone and they’ll never come back again. You need to remember.

From now on, I won’t be able to talk with them about those boring, trivial things anymore. I won’t be able to say a single word to them. They’re dead.

“Do you think I was very sad?” Yu Xi asked.

Kersz: “I hope not.”

---

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Chapter 18 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 20

Qin Chuan seemed like someone who liked to speak his mind, and it turned out to be true.

Chu Jiubian, who spent his days in the capital navigating all kinds of complicated schemes, found it quite refreshing to encounter such frankness, and spoke straightforwardly as well: “There is indeed something I need you to do.”

It was unknown what Qin Chuan thought about this, but he simply said: “Please give me your orders, High Priest.”

Chu Jiubian was somewhat surprised.

He hadn’t even done anything yet, but Qin Chuan had already agreed to work for him?

Although he was puzzled, he said frankly and without hesitation: “Go to Southern Zhili and verify the characters of these people.”

A piece of paper with over a dozen names written on it appeared on the table, and Qin Chuan picked it up.

The moment he touched the smooth, pristine paper, a faint light flashed in his eyes.

Upon closer inspection, the writing on the paper was small and delicate, and although it had a sharp, precise quality, it was definitely not written with a brush.

Was this what they called a divine artifact?

It was indeed extraordinary.

Showing no outward expression, Qin Chuan casually read through the names one by one, and the more he read, the faster his heart began to beat.

The day before yesterday, he had received a letter from the palace instructing him to personally make a trip to Southern Zhili.

That letter had also included a list of names; Qin Xiao wanted him to go to Southern Zhili and investigate the backgrounds and characters of these people.

Qin Xiao didn’t distrust Wei Yi. It was only that some secrets could only be uncovered by leveraging the connections of people from the jianghu.

The waterway transport matter was of paramount importance, and he needed to ensure that everything proceeded flawlessly.

And the names the High Priest had just given him were, without exception, all on the previous list!

And the task the High Priest had for him was exactly the same as the task given to him by Qin Xiao!

Qin Chuan didn’t believe in coincidences.

His thoughts inevitably turned to Grand Tutor Chu in the capital.

Chu Jiubian definitely knew of Qin Xiao’s plans, so was it possible that the High Priest and Chu Jiubian were…..

Qin Chuan put down the list and looked up at the god: “Why ask me specifically?”

“We were destined to meet,” Chu Jiubian said mysteriously. “And you possess the necessary capabilities.”

“May I ask why you are investigating these people?”

Rather than answer, Chu Jiubian said: “If you succeed, I will grant you a precious item.”

He didn’t yet know what Qin Chuan needed, so he would put off giving him this item for now and simply buy something from the System later.

Chu Jiubian knew he would agree.

Because given Qin Xiao’s personality, in order to ensure that everything was foolproof, he would definitely send someone to investigate in secret in addition to the investigation conducted by Wei Yi. 

And Qin Chuan was the most suitable candidate.

Thus, Chu Jiubian suspected that Qin Chuan had already received this list from Qin Xiao.

Qin Chuan was already planning to investigate this matter, so taking on Chu Jiubian’s task was a highly-profitable deal.

As long as Qin Chuan wasn’t a fool, he was certain to accept this task.

As expected, Qin Chuan said after a moment of silence: “This one will carry out this task on your behalf…..”

Chu Jiubian raised his eyebrows.

He had only said half of what he wanted to say. Was the other party trying to negotiate with him?

Qin Chuan carefully considered his words before continuing: “But I wonder what kind of precious item you’re referring to?”

It sounded like he wanted something from him.

“What do you want?” Chu Jiubian asked with interest.

Qin Chuan detected the keen interest in his tone and couldn’t help but carefully examine the tall, majestic form hidden within the mist.

His specific features were unclear, but it could be vaguely seen that the deity had long, silver-white hair.

Just like Chu Jiubian.

Did all gods look like this, or just Chu Jiubian and the High Priest?

With this sudden shift in thought, Qin Chuan said: “The High Priest possesses supernatural abilities, and the treasures he bestows must be unparalleled in this world. As I travel the jianghu, I inevitably suffer injuries – sometimes serious ones.”

His eyes were bright as he asked: “I wonder if the High Priest could bestow upon me a life-saving elixir?”

Chu Jiubian: “……”

He asked in his mind: “System, does such a thing exist?”

[It does, Host, but you do not have permission to purchase it.]

“Why not?”

[The items Host can purchase in this world can only be things that exist in this world’s past or future. For example, the fine salt you purchased earlier, and other similar items, are things that would naturally appear in this world’s future. When you purchase such an item, you are only accelerating the time of its appearance, not creating something out of nowhere.]

[Life-saving elixirs exist in the world of cultivation, but neither the past nor future of the world you currently inhabit contains any immortal cultivation techniques. Therefore, you are unable to purchase such items.]

Chu Jiubian immediately extracted the key points from this information and asked: “Then if Qin Chuan or any of the other Believers were to be seriously injured, could I use future medical technology to save them?”

[Yes, Host will just need to purchase the relevant books and medications in order to master them. The range of medical skills available for purchase includes those from Host’s former world, as well as those from interstellar worlds hundreds of years in the future.]

The selection was that broad?!

Chu Jiubian was pleasantly surprised.

It seemed he would need to find some time to read through the descriptions of all the medical books in the System Mall so that he could buy them immediately when the need arose.

“What if surgery is required? Is there a sterile environment available?”

[Surgery can be performed in the Divine Realm under special circumstances, but it will cost Host 500 points.]

Five hundred points?!

Although Chu Jiubian’s points were still increasing, they were rising much more slowly than at the outset, and he also had more expenses to cover.

Even now, he had less than a thousand points in his possession.

If he really needed to perform surgery, it wouldn’t just be those five hundred points that he lost. There were still the books and surgical instruments that would have to be purchased…..

In other words, if he agreed to Qin Chuan’s request, he must keep at least six hundred points in reserve to be on the safe side.

Chu Jiubian had a bit of a headache.

Compared to Qin Chuan, the three Believers before him were practically little angels!

However, Qin Chuan had a special status, and Chu Jiubian didn’t expect to win him over easily.

After some thought, he said at last: “Fate is predetermined, and I cannot bring the dead back to life. But if you still have one breath left in you, I will be able to save you.”

Qin Chuan felt a little nervous after asking this question.

Potions of immortality and life-saving elixirs – those were all things invented by daoist priests and storytellers.

But what had he just heard?

The High Priest actually said that if he only had one breath left, he could bring him back to life!

Qin Chuan’s heart was pounding wildly, but he continued to maintain a composed expression. Then, pushing his luck a little, he asked: “What if I want to ask you to save someone other than myself?”

“It can be done. But you will only have one chance,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Chuan immediately stood up and knelt deferentially before Chu Jiubian, bowing three times as if he were worshiping at a temple or a daoist shrine.

When he finished bowing his head for the third time and looked up, he found that the scene before him had completely changed.

Gone was the ethereal Divine Realm, gone were the roars of dragons and cries of phoenixes, and gone too was that magnificent, towering figure. All that remained was the intricately carved frame of a bed in a guestroom.

He abruptly sat up and cast his gaze around.

Sure enough, he had returned. 

He took out and lit a tinderbox, and noticed a piece of paper sitting on the bedside table from the corner of his eye. He picked it up and read it.

He didn’t even need to take a close look at the contents; just by touching it, he knew that this was the divine paper he had touched in his dream!

Something from his dream had actually appeared in reality! Incredible!

Qin Chuan folded the piece of paper into a square, then got up and went to the table, where he lit the oil lamp and began to quickly grind ink.

He intended to send word back to the capital and inform Qin Xiao of his meeting with the High Priest. 

As for whether the High Priest had learned of the waterway transport candidates from Chu Jiubian, or simply through his supernatural abilities, Qin Xiao could investigate that himself.

Qin Chuan unfolded some rough, yellowed paper and dipped his brush in ink.

In a dream, I encountered a god and received…..

He had only written the fifth character when he suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed on the words on the paper.

Those characters were slowly beginning to dissolve.

The ink blurred and spread, and very soon, the writing was no longer visible.

His heart skipped a beat. He began to write again, but no matter how carefully he chose his words or how subtly he phrased them, the words on the paper would disappear.

He set aside the ink-stained piece of paper and started on a new page, writing: Is my elder brother well?

He waited when he was done writing, but the words remained unchanged.

After those few words, he tried writing further: I have arrived in Southern Zhili. And I had a dream last night…..

The characters started to melt again, but this time, it only affected everything starting with ‘and I had a dream last night.’

Qin Chuan felt cold sweat break out on his back as he stared at the cluster of ink stains.

He put down his brush and walked to the window, where he pushed it open and took out a whistle. After blowing it only once, he stepped back a few paces and then stood in place.

The whistle was as clear and crisp as a bird’s call, and in just two breaths, a dark figure silently leaped through the window and dipped into a respectful bow.

“Just now, I…..” Qin Chuan could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, but couldn’t manage to say them.

It wasn’t that he had gone mute, but that he was unable to even form the words with his mouth!

His subordinate looked up at him and asked: “What are your orders, Alliance Leader?”

Qin Chuan’s throat bobbed, and he finally said after a few breaths: “Tomorrow, go to the prefectural city of Ruyang and visit the owner of Ruihua Tower. Remember to buy some of her favorite pastries.”

Ruihua Tower was located in Ruyang Prefecture’s capital city, and was the largest brothel in all of Southern Zhili. The owner was Lady Ruihua, who was renowned throughout the jianghu and privy to all sorts of intelligence throughout Southern Zhili.

Naturally, she was also a close friend of Qin Chuan’s.

After receiving the message from Qin Xiao, Qin Chuan had led his people to Southern Zhili. He had just met with some old friends in the city of Suiyuan today, and asked them for help investigating and keeping an eye on several students on the list from the local area.

He was currently staying at a friend’s house, and planned to go to Ruyang Prefecture tomorrow.

His subordinate bowed at once, saying: “This subordinate will obey.”

When his subordinate left, Qin Chuan walked back to the table. The ink on the paper was still there.

He burned both pieces of paper.

The flickering light of the fire reflected in his deep-set eyes.

He was unable to tell anyone about matters relating to the Divine Realm, including his closest relative.

*

*

Inside the Divine Realm, Chu Jiubian sat with his legs crossed, resting his chin on one hand as he watched the image displayed on the card screen.

It seemed that Qin Chuan really wouldn’t be able to tell Qin Xiao about what happened inside the Divine Realm.

Chu Jiubian had waited so long before summoning Qin Chuan because he wasn’t confident that he could persuade the man to serve him.

He had hinted to the other party that he had a connection with Chu Jiubian and stood together with him, which by extension meant that the High Priest and Qin Xiao were also on the same side.

Therefore, as long as it didn’t interfere with Qin Xiao’s interests, Qin Chuan would remain a very useful Believer for the High Priest.

But at present, Chu Jiubian had no intention of allowing Qin Xiao to meet his other Believers.

Other than Lu Yao, this superhuman being who needed Qin Chuan’s protection.

Furthermore, Qin Chuan could not reveal Lu Yao’s identity to Qin Xiao at this time. That way, even if Lu Yao were to pass the Imperial Examinations, Qin Xiao wouldn’t know that he was connected to the High Priest.

Onscreen, Qin Chuan had given up on writing the letter, and turned to go to bed.

Chu Jiubian turned off the screen and, as a matter of routine, asked the System: “Is Lu Yao still not sleeping?”

[Yes, Host.]

Chu Jiubian: “…..”

If the System wasn’t so reliable, he would start to think that Lu Yao wasn’t even human. 

However, he also knew that there were varying degrees of difference between people, both in terms of intelligence and physical ability.

Some people simply possessed the ability to remain alert at all times, but it wasn’t that they didn’t sleep at all – they just compressed and broke down their rest time into short, fleeting moments.

In an instant, they could enter a state of extremely deep sleep.

And immediately after, they could regain consciousness with perfect clarity.

For example, after an hour of intense mental activity, they would give themselves a one-minute period of deep sleep, and then drift off to sleep for a second or two every few minutes. After a day of this, they got just enough sleep to meet their body’s requirements, but their health was still harmed on some level.

And Lu Yao was only nineteen years old. He was still very young, and needed to take better care of his health. He shouldn’t squander it in his youth.

Once he summoned this person, he must stipulate that he sleep five to seven hours every night.

Chu Jiubian withdrew from the Divine Realm with a yawn, then rolled over and fell asleep.

There would be much to discuss at tomorrow’s morning court session. 

The rain that had been falling for several days had stopped, and the past few days had been sunny.

Early in the morning, all of the officials gathered outside the palace gates.

The follow-up matters in Hexi Prefecture had mostly been handled, with only a few minor matters remaining. Those could be handled by the newly appointed county magistrate, Han Yuandao.

Hexi Prefecture was currently lacking a Prefect, and Han Yuandao, a mere agricultural official, had suddenly become the highest-ranking authority in the prefecture. It went without saying how much pressure he was under.

Meanwhile, Minister of Works Jian Hongzhuo, who had been stationed there to oversee the work, along with Liu Junqi, the newly-appointed Deputy Minister of Works, had returned to the capital yesterday before the city gates were locked.

Therefore, it was the entire contingent of officials who had arrived this morning.

Everyone exchanged pleasantries, but it was unclear how many of them were genuine.

Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan looked over at Xiao Huaiguan – the man seemed to be in considerably better spirits, which he couldn’t help but find somewhat strange.

This old man had previously looked as if he was on the verge of death, but now, he seemed to be getting more energetic by the day. Could he have found some kind of miracle elixir?

Xiao Huaiguan noticed his attention and turned his head to look at him with a smile: “What is Minister Wang looking at me for?”

“Lord Xiao looks even younger now,” Wang Zhiyuan said with a faint smile. “Could it be that because there are no younger Xiao family members left in the Imperial Court, Lord Xiao had to beg the heavens for a few more years of life?”

There were naturally still members of the Xiao family in the Imperial Court, and many of them held positions of the fifth rank or higher.

But without the exceptionally capable Xiao Wendao, Xiao Huaiguan found himself truly isolated, with a dearth of support in the Imperial Court. 

Xiao Huaiguan’s thoughts were unknown. He revealed no anger on the surface, and instead gave a gentle smile: “I naturally cannot compare to Minister Wang, who is enjoying such great success. The entire Imperial Court is practically under the control of your Wang family.”

“Lord Xiao’s words are not quite accurate,” Wang Zhiyuan said with a smile. “The members of my Wang family have always been just and upright, and we solely serve His Majesty.”

“Indeed,” said Xiao Huaiguan. “I had previously heard that the head of the Wang family and his heir were not on good terms, but that must have been a false rumor, right?”

As the saying went, family secrets should not be aired in public. What these powerful families feared most was outsiders accusing them of internal discord, as it would make their family members seem petty and quarrelsome.

It was truly improper for public display.

Suffice it to say that the Wang family, who were known for their attention to etiquette, would consider this a great disgrace.

However, Wang family head Wang Huanzhi insisted on doing things his own way, gradually creating more and more distance between himself and his heir. At present, the two factions within the Wang family were basically at each other’s throats.

Wang Huanzhi was determined to replace Wang Qichen as his heir and install his second son, Wang Wenyao, in his place.

He was able to have such thoughts because the Wang family had always chosen the most outstanding individual from the members of the younger generation to inherit the position of family head.

Even the heir himself could be replaced.

But aside from Wang Pengyi, who held a high official position, there were actually very few outstanding individuals among the younger generations of the Wang family.

However, once someone entered officialdom, they no longer had the energy to spare to handle family affairs. Therefore, the head of a powerful noble family and a high-ranking official in the Imperial Court could never be the same person.

Since Wang Pengyi had already entered the Imperial Court, it was impossible for him to serve as head of the family.

Furthermore, Wang Pengyi was soft-hearted and easily swayed, and was sometimes prone to acting on emotion, so he was decidedly not suitable for the position of family head.

Even within the Imperial Court, he was never able to be as sharp and assertive as Xiao Wendao.

That being said, apart from Wang Pengyi, the Wang family was truly unable to find anyone else suitable to take on the role of family head.

But recently, things had changed.

Wang Qichen had completely reversed his previous spoiled and frivolous demeanor. He actively interacted with his close relatives and wrote many eloquent articles, gradually revealing a brilliance that suited the family heir.

But rather than feeling proud, Wang Huanzhi was furious.

He was like a clueless fool who was determined to fight against his own son, and now this family scandal had become common knowledge among the capital’s elite.

Wang Zhiyuan could barely maintain his smile as he listened to Xiao Huaiguan’s taunts.

“What outsiders see is just baseless rumors and speculations,” he said with faux nonchalance. “The position of Wang family head has always been held by the most capable person, and some harmless discussion and debate is perfectly normal.”

Right as he was speaking, the palace gates began to open.

Wang Zhiyuan felt a sense of relief wash over him.

Xiao Huaiguan glanced over at him, the gentle smile on his lips fading slightly.

The Wang family was currently in a state of turmoil and internal conflict.

But the Xiao family wasn’t in a much better situation.

The head of the Xiao family, Xiao Yao, had damaged his health while attempting to quit mandala, and was still recovering. None of the family’s younger generations were capable of taking over, and with Chu Jiubian keeping a careful eye on the Ministry of Personnel, it would be difficult for Xiao Huaiguan to use his influence to promote Xiao Wendao again.

For now, they could only wait for an opportunity, and try to find a way for Xiao Wendao to perform a meritorious service so that they could promote him legitimately.

But how could Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian possibly give them such an opportunity?

Regarding the marriage between Jiannan-wang and Su Xi’er, Xiao Huaiguan had no good expectations for it from the very beginning. However, Xiao Yao said there was no harm in trying, since his Xiao family and Su Sheng, that loyal official, were already at odds. If it worked out, excellent. If it didn’t, then it didn’t matter if they offended him.

Unable to persuade him, Xiao Huaiguan could only observe with a cold expression.

And the final outcome was exactly as he had expected: the marriage alliance fell through, and the young emperor was given an opportunity to protect his subordinate. He was already so intelligent at such a young age, able to vaguely discern the political situation in the court, and thus, was able to garner the trust and loyalty of a group of loyal officials.

It would be no exaggeration to say that rather than gaining an advantage, they had suffered even greater losses.

Xiao Huaiguan may have claimed that the Wang family was plagued by internal conflict, but in reality, his own Xiao family was the same.

This Minister of Revenue was somewhat estranged from family head Xiao Yao, and there was no true reliance or trust between them.

Even the other members of the family had their own ambitions and schemes.

As a tree grew taller and its branches spread, so too did people’s hearts and minds tend to drift apart.

Xiao Huaiguan let out a slow exhale, then made his way toward Fengtian Hall.

Meanwhile, Minister of Revenue Su Sheng, whom he had just been thinking about, was not having an easy time of it either these days.

Outwardly, he remained a loyal official who was devoted to the emperor, but Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had already begun to suspect that the emperor was not his true “master.”

After the Imperial banquet, he specifically took the time to review how he could have been exposed.

But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t figure it out.

He had considered the possibility that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian might be harboring suspicions about him without any basis, but he didn’t dare take the gamble.

What if those two actually had some evidence in their hands?

This worry left him unsure of how he had exposed himself and whether he had implicated his backer. Due to this, he had been acting with much more caution lately, and it felt as if he was walking on thin ice.

And then there was Su Xi’er.

His beloved daughter had, in the end, been sent away from the capital.

He harbored resentment against the Xiao family, but there was nothing he could do.

The Xiao family was a powerful and influential entity, and were on a completely different level than the exiled Zhao Qianhe.

Each absorbed with their own thoughts, the officials arrived at Fengtian Hall and were unsurprised to find Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian already there.

The morning court session commenced.

Liu Junqi, the newly-appointed Deputy Minister of Works, stepped forward and spoke of the dam construction in Hexi Prefecture, as well as the post-disaster relief efforts.

The human and material losses from this disaster were enormous, but fortunately, it had finally reached its end.

The common people had already begun rebuilding their homes, but the friends and loved ones they lost would never return.

Subsequently, several other officials came forward to speak of local matters.

For example, there were reports of a significant decrease in silk production in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, and the troops on the northwestern frontier had submitted another petition requesting military supplies and provisions.

Almost every report was a complaint about receiving less money despite rising expenses.

Once the majority of these matters had been reported, Chu Jiubian finally raised his eyes to look at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao exchanged a subtle glance with him, then said: “This lord also has something he would like to discuss with all of you gentlemen.”

Only when everyone had given him their attention did he go on: “The day before yesterday, a memorial was received from the southern regions. It stated that the middle section of the canal has silted up, making navigation difficult for merchant ships.”

At the first mention of the canal, Minister of Justice Qiu Heng sensed that something was amiss.

Since the responsibility for waterway transportation had been entrusted to the Qiu family for so many years, no one understood the problems facing the canals more than him. 

Qin Xiao looked at Qiu Heng and said mildly: “The number of merchant ships traveling by canal have increased in recent years, but with lax management, there have been frequent incidents of piracy.”

Qiu Heng’s brow furrowed slightly.

He thought to himself, so this is what it’s really about.

It was true that there were sometimes bandits on the canal, but if they paid enough tribute money to the Qiu family, these merchant ships could fly their official banner, which the bandits wouldn’t dare attack.

As for those who declined to offer tribute money, or whose transported goods did not meet the Qiu family’s approval, they would not receive an official banner.

Bandits could then freely plunder those ships. The stolen goods would be divided between them and the Qiu family, with the Qiu family receiving 60% of the haul.

Over the years, the Qiu family had amassed so much wealth using these methods that it was almost impossible to calculate.

However, neither Emperor Chengzong nor Emperor Yingzong took these matters seriously, especially since the Qiu family paid the most taxes to the Imperial Court each year.

But just because those two foolish emperors didn’t know the truth didn’t mean that Qin Xiao was unaware.

Although the Qiu family paid a hefty sum in taxes each year, the amount they received from the Imperial Court through the waterway transport system was even greater.

They consistently employed the strategy of making small concessions to achieve greater gains.

But now, what were Qin Xiao’s intentions in bringing up the canal?

Did he want the Qiu family to pay more taxes to fill the gaps in the treasury, or did he intend to seize power from the Qiu family directly?

If it was the former, it was simply a matter of losing money to prevent a greater disaster.

But if it was the latter, Qiu Heng dared not imagine how great the losses for the Qiu family would be.

“Minister Qiu,” Qin Xiao addressed the man.

Qiu Heng quickly stepped out of the ranks and gave a respectful bow, saying: “My Lord.”

Qin Xiao said calmly: “During Emperor Wuzong’s reign, you were granted authority to oversee the waterway transport system. Now, more than thirty years have passed, and the money the Qiu family provided to Emperor Wuzong to aid him in conquering the empire has been mostly repaid.”

His words implied that the Qiu family had embezzled a huge amount of money from the waterway transport business.

But this was precisely the truth.

Qiu Heng, however, couldn’t admit to this. He immediately said in a fluster: “This subordinate wouldn’t dare! Having received His Majesty’s favor, the Qiu family has diligently managed the waterway transport system, never daring to slack in our duties or seek any personal gain.”

“Bandits have been rampant around the canals for quite some time now,” Qin Xiao said. “If my memory serves me correctly, this has been the case for at least ten years.”

Qiu Heng pursed his lips tightly, not daring to speak a word.

Qin Xiao continued: “In the past ten years, not only have the bandits not been suppressed – they have even become more rampant. Since your Qiu family is so incompetent, you should no longer be involved in the management of the waterway transport system.”

---

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Chapter 57 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 59

There was silence in the room.

Qin Xiao leaned back against the soft couch’s backrest, trapping Chu Jiubian’s legs between it and his lower back.

Chu Jiubian glanced at his legs, then up at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao was looking back, his expression calm and composed.

“The Qiu family’s last salt transport caravan has yet to return, but since they manage the waterway transport system and their delivery of goods is both fast and convenient, they should be able to bring back a shipment sometime this month,” Qin Xiao said casually.

Chu Jiubian sat up and withdrew his legs, then sat down cross-legged.

“Wine is best when it’s aged, and I don’t have a lot of good wine right now.” Sitting directly opposite Qin Xiao, he asked: “I’ve always wondered – why did the responsibility for waterway transportation fall into the hands of the Qiu family?”

The Great Ning Dynasty had begun constructing canals and waterways during the reign of its founding emperor, and in the late period of the previous dynasty, the Imperial family had spent lavishly and burdened the common people by constructing and opening numerous waterways for transportation.

As a result, the state of Great Ning’s water transport system was undeniably excellent.

The canal system was extensive, and connected the northern regions to the south.

The importance of these canals was evident, as it not only facilitated trade between the north and south, but also allowed for the rapid and large-scale transportation of supplies during wartime.

Why would the Imperial Court delegate such a significant project, and such a potentially lucrative “business,” to a powerful noble family?

“This is due to Elder Qiu Hongkuo of the Qiu family,” Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian knew of this person.

Minister of Justice Qiu Heng and Qiu family head Qiu Xuanzheng were brothers; one served in the Imperial Court, while the other managed the family’s affairs.

But in reality, neither of them was the real decision-maker in the Qiu family.

The one who was truly in charge was their uncle, Qiu Hongkuo.

This man had a disability affecting his legs, so he rarely appeared in public. Chu Jiubian had never seen him with his own eyes.

Qin Xiao said: “During the reign of Emperor Wuzong, the head of the Qiu family was still Qiu Hongkuo’s father, who was also the Minister of Revenue. But by that time, Qiu Hongkuo had grown into a fifteen or sixteen year-old boy, and it would be no exaggeration to call him an exceptional talent.”

This person, however, disliked court life and preferred commerce, so he often traveled with the merchant caravans.

Only after he injured his legs did he shift his focus from the wider world to the affairs of the Imperial Court.

Emperor Wuzong was on the throne at that time, and he spent more than half a year campaigning abroad. The war was a drain on resources, and the Imperial Court was running at a deficit. They simply could not afford to continue fighting.

However, Qiu Hongkuo suggested to his father that the Qiu family should take responsibility for providing supplies to the military.

“It is no exaggeration to say that the Qiu family was wealthy enough to rival a nation. They indeed relieved Emperor Wuzong of his worries, and never made any complaints.” Recalling the old stories his grandfather had told him, Qin Xiao said: “Emperor Wuzong therefore favored and trusted the Qiu family, and even felt some guilt toward them.”

“After retaking the southern regions, he decided to cease military operations for the time being and give the common people the chance to recover and rebuild their lives.”

“And to compensate the Qiu family for the money they spent, Emperor Wuzong specially established a “Waterway Transport Bureau” to manage waterway transportation. He then chose the Minister of Revenue at that time, Qiu Hongkuo’s father, to be the Waterway Commissioner.”

Subsequently, Chengzong and Yingzong successively ascended the throne. Each was more incompetent and useless than the last, and neither bothered to deal with such a “trivial matter.”

It could be said that these two emperors bore undeniable responsibility for the four great families being able to exert complete control over the Imperial Court.

Chu Jiubian said with a frown: “So since then, control over the waterway transport system has remained in the Qiu family’s hands?”

“That’s right.” Qin Xiao nodded. “The current Waterway Commissioner is an elder from the Qiu family known as Qiu Shan.”

The official in charge of waterway transport possessed not only power, but the ability to reap enormous profits.

Currently, the entirety of the waterway transport system was managed by a single authority, and there were no specific taxes or restrictions based on different types of goods or the weight of the cargo. But it could be said that other than providing convenience for official and merchant ships, the canals had no further “profitable ventures.”

Leaving aside the Imperial Court’s official ships for a moment, in order for merchant ships belonging to private businesses to travel safely on the canals, it was absolutely essential to bribe and curry favor with officials from the Waterway Transport Bureau.

This must have involved countless transactions of immeasurable value, so much so that it was impossible to determine the extent of the benefits the Qiu family received from them.

“You want to take back power from the Waterway Transport Bureau?” Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Xiao wouldn’t bring up the matter of the waterway transport business in casual conversation; he must have a plan in mind.

“Yes,” Qin Xiao answered without hesitation. “Several regions in the north and south suffered from natural disasters this year, so the Imperial Court has exempted them from taxes for a period of three years. Then there are the ships borrowed from Hexi Prefecture and the expenses for the Imperial Examinations and maintaining the army. There isn’t a single aspect that hasn’t required money.”

The Imperial Treasury would indeed earn a considerable amount of silver from the refined salt transport. 

However, there was an interminable list of things that required money, so it was still necessary to find ways to increase income and reduce spending.

Historically, the simplest way to fill the Imperial Treasury had always been through confiscating the property of wealthy individuals. But currently, Qin Xiao had no one he could extort money from, so he could only turn his attention toward the waterway transport system.

If a tax system could be established for the canals, it would undoubtedly be an extremely lucrative business.

But before that, the management of the waterway transport system must be brought under the control of the Imperial Court.

Chu Jiubian was familiar with the Great Ning Dynasty’s waterway transport system, and asked upon hearing this: “What do you intend to do?”

“I intend to manage the canals in sections,” said Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian raised his eyebrows: “That’s a good idea.”

The main canal stretched almost the entire length of the country from north to south, but also branched off toward the southwest and southeast, forming a comprehensive and interconnected system of waterways.

Previously, branch offices were established in counties and prefectures that were suitable for the logistics of moving goods, but all of them were under the overall management of the bureau. 

What Qin Xiao intended to do was to transform these branch offices into independent organizations, each responsible for a specific section of the canals.

Each section would be under the jurisdiction of a different branch of the Waterway Transport Bureau, with separate “canal superintendents” appointed for each, thus avoiding one person being in charge of the entire waterway.

At the same time, a Director-General of waterway transport should be appointed in the Imperial Court to oversee the work of these branch offices.

With all of the above, they could strip the Qiu family of their power and return control of the waterway transport system to the Imperial Court.

Furthermore, the Imperial Court would issue decrees requiring merchant ships travelling on different sections of the river to pay different levels of taxes. The process would also involve applying for specific documents, specifying the quantity of goods, the amount of taxes to be paid, when the merchant ships would depart, and when they were expected to return, and so on.

Each of these smaller steps would undoubtedly involve some degree of personal connections and favors, but just as clear water had no fish, it was necessary to allow those below to benefit somewhat in order to ensure that they served the Imperial Court effectively.

As long as things didn’t get too out of hand and the Director-General of the Waterway Transport Bureau didn’t find out, the Imperial Court would turn a blind eye.

And if someone truly overstepped the boundaries, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian could use them as an example to deter others.

“These canal superintendents must be our own people. Where can we find them?” Chu Jiubian asked.

The Imperial Examinations had not yet begun, and the candidates were still on their way. This process would take at least three months, at which point it would be November.

And even after recruiting these people, he would still need to provide further training and personally observe the characters of these students.

Given how lengthy the process would be, it would probably take until after the New Year to finish.

But the Imperial Court was in urgent need of funds, and Qin Xiao’s proposal to reform the waterway transport system would certainly not be able to wait that long.

“I’ve read the list of candidates from Southern Zhili for the Imperial Examinations, and there are quite a few scholars who are already somewhat well-known.” Qin Xiao had clearly thought everything through. “I’ll have Wei Yi carefully screen them again, and then send people to further investigate the backgrounds of those students. If possible, they can be allowed to enter officialdom without having to take the examinations.”

Chu Jiubian’s heart skipped a beat.

Entering officialdom without taking the Imperial Examinations was no small matter.

But other than this method, there didn’t seem to be a better solution available.

Governor-General Wei Yi of Southern Zhili was one of Qin Xiao’s people, and would indeed be able to handle this task well for him.

An idea suddenly occurred to Chu Jiubian.

Wei Yi was certain to thoroughly investigate the backgrounds of these students, but this presented a good opportunity for Chu Jiubian.

He hadn’t dared to use the character card belonging to Qin Chuan, because he didn’t know how to gain the man’s trust, and could only wait for a suitable opportunity.

Now that the opportune moment had arrived, he could summon Qin Chuan and send him to Southern Zhili to help investigate the true characters of those students.

Qin Chuan controlled a large portion of the jianghu and possessed an underground intelligence network, so investigating this matter would be well within his area of expertise.

Most importantly, the other party would definitely know that Qin Xiao had instructed Wei Yi to investigate those students.

Since both the “High Priest” and Qin Xiao were investigating the same matter, and their objective was the same, didn’t that mean that the High Priest might be helping Qin Xiao?

Even so, Qin Chuan might not entirely trust the High Priest.

But with this preconceived notion, whatever happened afterward, he would certainly lean toward thinking that the High Priest and Qin Xiao had the same objectives.

Trust would be built gradually and unknowingly.

Chu Jiubian’s thoughts raced.

Qin Chuan was a valuable asset, but also a dangerous one.

If the time ever came when he was truly forced to confront Qin Xiao, Chu Jiubian would decide whether or not to use Qin Chuan based on the circumstances. But for now, all he needed to do was reveal his existence to the man.

There was also his fifth Believer, Lu Yao, the extraordinary man who “never sleeps and is always busy.”

The person in question was not a well-known scholar. Not only had the four great families and other forces failed to take note of him, but even Qin Xiao only sent one secret guard to protect him.

The difference between him and Tan Yuzhu, who was protected by eight secret guards, was rather significant.

In other words, only Chu Jiubian knew of the other party’s soaring intelligence level, yet he was still unable to make contact with him. This was unacceptable.

Therefore, he planned to have Qin Chuan pay him a visit in person.

It would be best to find another way to get this superhuman being to sleep, so that he could bring him into his Divine Realm.

Chu Jiubian quickly thought everything through. On the surface, he simply appeared to be deep in thought over the matter concerning the waterway transport system, so Qin Xiao was unable to discern anything unusual. 

“What about the Director-General of waterway transport?” Chu Jiubian asked, looking at Qin Xiao again. “That official position should be at least second-rank.”

The position of Director-General of Waterway Transport would be a powerful, high-ranking one, carrying an immense amount of responsibility.

A righteous and upright minister would be needed to fill the role, preferably one who was both loyal and capable.

Ideally, that person should have some kind of background influence or power behind them, which would give them the confidence to stand firm against others and effectively fulfill their supervisory responsibilities.

Without even having to think hard about it, one person immediately came to Chu Jiubian’s mind – they were perfect for the position.

Qin Xiao regarded him with a smile: “Does the Young Master have anyone in mind?”

Their eyes met, and Chu Jiubian knew that they were both on the same page.

“Who has My Lord taken a liking to?” Chu Jiubian asked with a smile.

Qin Xiao said: “ The Censorate already exercises supervisory responsibilities, so it is perfectly reasonable for them to also hold the position of Director-General of Waterway Transport.”

Chu Jiubian nodded: “My thoughts exactly.”

Deputy Censor-in-Chief Qi Zhili was an upright and incorruptible man. And with the support of Jiang Shuoye, General of the Mobei Army, he was truly an excellent candidate.

At the thought of Jiang Shuoye, Chu Jiubian asked Qin Xiao as if by some strange impulse: “What do you think of Jiang Chifeng as a person?”

Qin Xiao thought carefully for a moment, then said: “I’ve never met him before, but I’ve heard that he is a formidable general, possessing both superior martial skills and strategic abilities. He is a born leader.”

“Are you not wary of him?” Chu Jiubian asked again, his eyes fixed on the man before him.

Qin Xiao met his gaze directly and said: “The common people of the northern frontier have not seen war in the past eight years.”

This single sentence revealed his trust in Jiang Shuoye and the Mobei Army.

No matter how powerful the Mobei Army might be, at least for now, the forces under Jiang Shuoye’s command were protecting the common people well, and that was enough.

Chu Jiubian had initially thought he would mention that there were former Qin Family Army commanders in the Mobei Army, and that a general who could exert authority over people like them must be a virtuous and capable general who served the country and its people.

Unexpectedly, what Qin Xiao cared about the most were the common people.

Once again, it came down to the common people.

Chu Jiubian stared at Qin Xiao, trying to detect the slightest hint of insincerity or other emotions in his eyes, but could glean nothing.

There were no signs of “acting” in Qin Xiao’s behavior.

Chu Jiubian was somewhat uncomprehending.

While in Hexi Prefecture, he believed that Qin Xiao genuinely cared about the common people.

But later on, he considered that Qin Xiao was perhaps just putting on a show for him, and that for someone who was designated as the cruel, ruthless villain of the book, power and status were likely what he valued most.

But now, he sensed that Qin Xiao genuinely cared about the common people and was truly dedicated to the country and its citizens…..

Chu Jiubian’s thoughts were somewhat muddled. The ringing in his ears returned, and the piercing noise caused pain in his eardrums and even the veins in his neck.

When Qin Xiao saw the vacant look in his eyes, his heart skipped a beat.

“Chu Jiubian,” he said, and reached out to grip the young man’s left wrist with slight force.

Chu Jiubian gave a slow blink. His pupils refocused.

“You –” Qin Xiao began to speak, but Chu Jiubian interrupted him.

“Guess which ear is ringing.”

Qin Xiao paused, then said: “The right ear?”

Chu Jiubian immediately laughed: “You guessed right! Here’s a reward for you.”

As he spoke, he took out a piece of candy. He leaned forward slightly, and with his free right hand, placed the grape-flavored candy into Qin Xiao’s mouth.

Then, he ate one himself. It was also grape-flavored.

At that moment, they both had the same taste on their lips.

Qin Xiao lightly brushed his tongue over the candy in his mouth, his gaze sweeping subtly across the young man’s smooth, rosy lips.

Chu Jiubian noticed that Qin Xiao’s fingertips were lightly stroking the inside of his wrist.

He lowered his eyes to look, and Qin Xiao followed his gaze.

The other’s inner wrist was smooth and fair. He had gained a small bit of weight due to eating well lately, so rather than feeling bony to the touch, it felt rather soft.

“Your – has your divine power been restored?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian was momentarily taken aback, and then nearly burst into laughter.

How could Qin Xiao still remember that spur-of-the-moment lie?

Seeing his half-smiling expression, Qin Xiao couldn’t control the upward curve of his lips: “What about other places?”

“What?”

Qin Xiao’s gaze fell toward the young man’s chest.

Since it was a day off work, he was wearing pure white robes. The collar was slightly disheveled, revealing the white undergarments beneath.

Qin Xiao still remembered the first time he saw him wearing only his undergarments. Bloodstains had spread across his chest like red plum blossoms, and his slightly gaping collar had revealed several messy scars on his fair skin.

Chu Jiubian lifted a hand to touch his chest. He vaguely recalled something like that happening.

His long lashes fluttered slightly as he looked down and said: “Do you want to see?”

The two exchanged a long glance, then Qin Xiao withdrew his hand and said: “Shall we go for a walk?”

This was a straightforward invitation, and it would be convenient to go to Yangxin Hall for dinner afterward. 

“Okay,” Chu Jiubian agreed.

As the two walked through the palace gate, Qin Xiao raised a question: “Why did you ask me to guess which of your ears was ringing just now?”

“If you guessed correctly, something good would happen,” Chu Jiubian said.

With a strong, sweet taste lingering in his mouth, Qin Xiao said in a low voice: “Indeed.”

*

*

That night, Chu Jiubian once again summoned Jiang Shuoye into the Divine Realm.

The other party was now quite familiar with this process, and this time, instead of jumping down on his own, he finally boarded the “express train.”

The last time he entered the Divine Realm, he had seen Wang Qichen arrive on an actual golden phoenix.

Although Wang Qichen wasn’t exactly a martial artist, he did possess some qinggong ability and wouldn’t be injured by jumping down from a height.

So that golden phoenix was originally meant to transport Believers…..and by jumping down directly the first time, he had missed out on it for so long.

Jiang Shuoye dismounted from the golden phoenix and bowed to the High Priest.

Chu Jiubian responded coolly: “Have a seat.”

Jiang Shuoye agreed and went to the table, where he noticed that the chair to the left of where he had sat last time had changed.

It was pale purple, with swaying flower branches.

Chu Jiubian had already determined much of this person’s personality and preferences, so when he walked to his seat, an idea suddenly struck him.

Just as Jiang Shuoye was about to sit down, he noticed that the chair in front of him was also changing.

A hint of emerald green appeared on the white jade surface, followed by a carved jade pine tree that materialized on the backrest of the chair, standing tall and verdant.

Jiang Shuoye’s eyes lit up slightly, and he lightly touched the pine tree. Its smooth, jade-like texture blended seamlessly with the seat, a masterpiece of craftsmanship.

It truly lived up to the name of a divine artifact.

Fearing that he would delay the High Priest’s important business, he didn’t linger to admire it further, but instead took his seat. After a moment or two, he looked up and asked: “The High Priest summoned me here. Does he have any instructions?”

“This is a gift for you. Take it and put it toward steel production.” When Chu Jiubian finished speaking, three large boxes, all filled to the brim with silver, appeared on the table in front of Jiang Shuoye.

Jiang Shuoye had been scrimping and saving for many years, and when so much money suddenly appeared in front of him, he almost couldn’t believe his eyes.

When he regained his composure, he quickly stood up and expressed his gratitude.

Chu Jiubian said nothing more, just waiting for Jiang Shuoye to ask.

But the other party didn’t ask after the silver’s origins. He picked up one of the coins and examined it, saying with some concern: “High Priest, this is all official government money.”

“En.”

“To be honest with the High Priest,” Jiang Shuoye said, “since your name has become known across the Northern Desert, people have been coming to inquire about you, but they haven’t discovered any clues. However, if this official money is put to use, it might bring trouble to your door.”

There were some differences between the official government-issued silver and the silver that circulated amongst the general public.

The general public silver could be cut into pieces of varying sizes, or it could be kept in its original form. However, official government silver was primarily used for transactions related to businesses managed by the Imperial Court.

For example, salt and iron transactions used official currency, and the majority of the gold and silver stored in the treasuries of the four great families was official currency as well.

Such a large amount of government funds being spent would inevitably raise suspicions.

Chu Jiubian, however, didn’t seem to care. He said: “It won’t be a problem.”

Anyone who wished to investigate could go right ahead. His biggest worry before had been that Qin Xiao would discover his relationship with the High Priest, but he didn’t really care if anyone else found out.

After all, the High Priest’s purpose in gathering Believers was not to confront other forces, but to be able to oppose Qin Xiao if necessary. 

But the political situation in the capital was currently in chaos, and Qin Xiao had never given up on investigating his connection with the High Priest. Therefore, Chu Jiubian decided to stop playing innocent and simply allow Qin Xiao to discover that they were indeed connected.

However, he could not be allowed to know that they were the same person.

“If anyone asks, it is fine to reveal some details of my relationship with the Divine Lord,” Chu Jiubian said.

Jiang Shuoye lowered his eyes and nodded in agreement.

The High Priest had previously mentioned his relationship with Grand Tutor Chu in the capital, describing it as one of mutual dependence and coexistence.

These silver coins, it seemed, had been given to the High Priest by Grand Tutor Chu.

“High Priest, this subordinate has another question.”

“What is it?”

Jiang Shuoye looked up at the towering, ethereal image of the god and said solemnly: “Does this subordinate need to recruit more soldiers?”

Chu Jiubian raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with a hint of appreciation.

He hadn’t even said much, just giving him the task of producing extra steel and revealing his relationship with “Grand Tutor Chu,” yet Jiang Shuoye had already guessed what would happen next.

To become the general of an army at such a young age, he was certainly not a simple person.

“There is no need for the time being,” Chu Jiubian replied.

That was something that might need to be handled at some point in the future.

Jiang Shuoye understood. He received his orders, then departed from the Divine Realm.

*
*

Several more days passed.

August 23rd, in the western courtyard of Yangxin Hall.

The weather had cleared up after the past few days of rain, and the moon shone very brightly tonight. Even without lighting an oil lamp, one could still make out the furnishings in the room with the window open.

It was late at night.

Qin Xiao stood at the window, gazing out at the distant silver moon.

A few steps behind him, Qin Chaoyang reported: “My Lord, news has arrived from the Northern Desert region.”

His tone was somewhat cautious as he looked at Qin Xiao’s back: “The official silver you gave the Young Master did indeed appear in the Northern Desert, originating from General Chifeng.”

This incident provided sufficient proof that Chu Jiubian did indeed have a connection to the Northern Desert.

His connection with that mysterious “High Priest” was even more complicated – it was even possible that the Young Master himself was the High Priest.

Qin Chaoyang felt cold sweat drip down his back. He was utterly terrified.

The capital was several days’ journey from the northern frontier, and the Young Master had not left the capital during this period, nor had he made contact with anyone unknown to them.

Therefore, it was impossible for Chu Jiubian to have sent someone to deliver the silver to the Northern Desert.

The fact that this silver had inexplicably ended up in the Northern Desert, coupled with the earlier incidents where Chu Jiubian seemingly conjured grain out of thin air for Hexi Prefecture and Nanjiang, left Qin Chaoyang in a state of complete astonishment.

Supernatural powers!

The Young Master was actually a god!

In the quietness of the room, Qin Xiao remained silent.

Qin Chaoyang glanced up to see him standing at the window, his figure silhouetted by the moonlight in a way that created a sharp contrast with the dimness of the room. It made him look particularly lonely. 

Qin Xiao gazed into the distance.

Toward that distant, unattainable silver moon.

*

*

Meanwhile, at Yaotai Residence.

Chu Jiubian lay down in bed and closed his eyes, then entered the Divine Realm.

News had just arrived from Southern Zhili that Wei Yi had selected over a dozen students who were suitable for managing matters related to the waterway transport, and he was currently evaluating each of their characters. 

Since there were now suitable people available, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian should bring up the matter of reorganizing the waterway transportation system at tomorrow’s morning court session.

At last, Chu Jiubian was able to summon his fourth Believer.

He wasted no time upon his arrival in the Divine Realm, and immediately said: “System, summon Qin Chuan.”

[It has been detected that Believer Qin Chuan is in a sleeping state and may be summoned.]

[Summoning successful.]

Chu Jiubian raised his eyes and gazed into the mist.

A dark figure descended from the sky.

That person was agile, and reacted instantly to the feeling of weightlessness, pushing off empty air with his toes and landing safely a moment later.

His light, agile movements suggested that his martial arts skills, qinggong in particular, were even better than Jiang Shuoye’s.

With his ability to see everything within the Divine Realm, Chu Jiubian could naturally see the other’s face…..

Which bore a striking resemblance to Qin Xiao’s!

As expected of brothers, although they looked alike, their personalities were completely different.

Qin Xiao was more reserved and melancholic, occasionally even displaying a hint of sinister intent, but Qin Chuan had a more relaxed demeanor and a carefree, uninhibited temperament.

Previously, his three other Believers had each reacted differently.

Qin Chuan seemed like an easily adaptable person. Even when he abruptly appeared in the Divine Realm, he showed no signs of wariness, and his demeanor remained completely at ease.

Noticing movement ahead, he proceeded to walk slowly and leisurely. Anyone watching would think he was just out for a casual stroll.

The reactions of his Believers were all quite interesting, and Chu Jiubian found them rather amusing.

Qin Chuan emerged from the mist step by step and approached the long white table.

Chu Jiubian didn’t want him to know how many Believers he had, so he’d put away all of the other chairs, leaving only one that was devoid of decorative carvings.

The current scene should be the same as when Jiang Shuoye first entered the Divine Realm.

Qin Chuan glanced around at his surroundings, then looked up at the giant, ethereal figure of the deity, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Was this a dream?

“Welcome to my Divine Realm,” Chu Jiubian said in a cold, clear voice.

Divine Realm?

Recently, two famous “deities” had appeared in Great Ning.

One was Grand Tutor Chu of the Imperial Palace, the reincarnation of the Sacred Star God. The other was the High Priest, who had appeared in Jiang Shuoye’s dreams to impart knowledge to him.

And the person before him was naturally – Qin Chuan’s heart stirred. He straightened his expression and bowed respectfully to the illusory figure: “Qin Chuan greets the High Priest.”

It came as no surprise to Chu Jiubian that he was able to guess his identity.

“Have a seat,” he said.

As expected, he was right.

An odd glint flashed through Qin Chuan’s eyes. After expressing his gratitude, he made his way over to the chair and sat down.

He placed his hands on the long table and felt to trace of man-made carvings, yet the table was undeniably inscribed with numerous runes or totems.

It was rumored that Jiang Shuoye had received instructions from the High Priest in a dream, and thus obtained the knowledge of how to create stirrups and saddles.

Why had the High Priest sought him out now?

And what was the relationship between the High Priest and Grand Tutor Chu?

He simply asked his question directly.

“May I ask why the High Priest has appeared in my dreams?”

---

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Chapter 56 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 58

T/N: These extra chapters are for ♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪. Thank you for the Kofi donation!

Sorry for the wait, everyone. Had a minor surgery (a bigger one coming up in a month or two, ugh), and I haven’t looked at my computer in a week. Doing good now though!

---

Due to the flooding incident, the Xiao family had lost control of both Hexi Prefecture and the position of Deputy Minister of Works. Jiannan-wang was subsequently put under house arrest, and Fan Ze, the magistrate of Guizhou, died in prison.

It was one thing after another. While it wouldn’t be accurate to say that they were completely devastated, their power had clearly weakened and they urgently needed to expand their influence in the Imperial Court.

There were some elders who suggested that a few recently-matured daughters in the family should be married off to the households of officials of the third rank or higher.

The direct descendents of these prominent families either married within the family or among their disciples, or directly married into the Imperial family. However, there were no such restrictions on members of the family’s collateral branches.

Such relationships allowed families to band together and stand united when their interests aligned, maintaining a more secure position within the Imperial Court.

And when there was a conflict of interest, there was no need to fear severing ties with these collateral branches. 

However, almost all of the officials in the Imperial Court above the third rank currently had intricate connections with the four great noble families.

These elders proposing such a marriage alliance would not solve the Xiao family’s current predicament.

After all, these high-ranking officials already had their allegiances, so how could they possibly abandon the powerful connections they had relied on before just because they married a girl from the Xiao family? 

Therefore, if the Xiao family wanted to gain influence, they could only focus their effort on those “loyal officials.”

There were very few truly loyal officials in the Imperial Court. After much deliberation, it was the family head, Xiao Yao, who ultimately spoke up and suggested that Jiannan-wang marry Su Sheng’s youngest daughter.

Everyone in the capital knew how much Su Sheng cherished his youngest daughter.

He surely hoped his daughter would marry well, so when rumors circulated in the capital about Su Xi’er marrying An Wuji, nobody was surprised.

However, after what happened on the day of the auction, Su Xi’er and An Wuji’s marriage was completely out of the question.

Su Xi’er was now sixteen years old, the age when she should be considering marriage. If Jiannan-wang were to marry her as his princess, then both the prince himself and the Xiao family would gain a powerful ally in Su Sheng, and the Xiao family would gain even more influence than before.

Of course, Xiao Yao would have never risked making this decision before.

But now that the capital was in chaos, there was no harm in resorting to drastic measures.

When the Empress Dowager received Xiao Yao’s message, deep down, she was actually displeased.

The current situation in the capital was turbulent, and as a loyal official, Su Sheng had a natural connection to the emperor. Even if Su Xi’er married Jiannan-wang, Su Sheng would never wholeheartedly support the Xiao family.

But after seeing the way Jiannan-wang had looked at Chu Jiubian just now, Xiao Ruohan could no longer sit still.

Compared to being deceived and manipulated by Chu Jiubian, marrying Su Xi’er was absolutely the right decision for Jiannan-wang.

If the Empress Dowager publicly bestowed a marriage upon them at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, no one but the emperor had the authority to object.

And even the emperor himself couldn’t just refuse outright; if news of discord within the Imperial family were to spread, the fact that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were at odds would not be a good thing for Bai Lihong.

Xiao Ruohan smiled gently at Su Xi’er, who stood in the middle of the hall with her eyes downcast.

She was indeed a beautiful girl, and her temperament and virtue were impeccable. There were very few young ladies in the capital who could compare to her in quality.

Therefore, the more Xiao Ruohan looked at her, the more her satisfaction grew. She couldn’t help but cast a glance at Bai Lihai, who was sitting beside her.

The young man was wearing a mild expression. He had experienced a moment of surprise upon hearing about the marriage arrangement, but quickly composed himself and sat there obediently, revealing no signs of displeasure or resistance.

Xiao Ruohan’s smile deepened.

Under the stares of countless pairs of eyes, Su Xi’er had grown deathly pale.

How could it be like this?

She had simply performed a talent act like the other girls, so how had she ended up being betrothed?

She had never met Jiannan-wang, but she had heard that his incompetence had led to the flooding in Hexi Prefecture, resulting in the deaths of a great many common people.

He was also closely connected to the Xiao family, so if she were to marry him, wouldn’t she be forcing her father to take sides?

For a brief moment, she was in a trance. It was as if she had returned to that horrifying auction, to the day Zhao Xi died.

At the end of that brief suicide note, it had read: 

I was powerless to resist being dragged into the game and pushed forward.

Su Xi’er hadn’t understood, and had been holding resentment in her heart over Zhao Xi’s actions.

Only at this moment did she truly empathize with the other girl and understand the helplessness and pain she had felt at that time.

In this game of chess, no one could remain completely detached from it. Sooner or later, they would be drawn into this swirling vortex of madness, powerless to escape.

I ask that you take care of yourself and stay away from the capital. Do not follow in my footsteps.

This was the last sentence of Zhao Xi’s suicide note.

Su Nian’er had also said: “I wish you would leave the capital.”

But Su Xi’er had no intention of leaving, and only wished to remain with her family. She no longer even dreamed of marrying the man she loved; all she wanted was to pass the Imperial Examinations, enter the Imperial Academy, and become a female official serving the country.

But now, she finally realized that staying in the capital may not have been a wise decision.

She looked up toward the front and saw her father’s tall and imposing figure, like a towering mountain, always standing firm in front of her and their family, sheltering them from the wind and rain.

This was where she differed from Zhao Xi.

Zhao Xi’s father, despite being a high official of the second rank, was helpless to protect her and even used her as a pawn in his schemes.

But Su Sheng was different – he was an excellent father.

And as a high official of the first rank, he would definitely be able to protect his daughter.

Su Xi’er felt a sense of calm settle over her, yet at the same time, it felt as if something was burning inside her.

She didn’t want to hide behind her father. She wanted to stand alongside him, to become her father’s pride and someone to lean on!

From his high vantage point, Su Sheng’s eyes carried a chilling coldness.

He maintained his bow, the veins on his forehead bulging.

The Xiao family had actually set their sights on his daughter – what a wicked and malicious scheme!

Chu Jiubian narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on Su Sheng.

Qin Xiao was also watching this “loyal Minister of Revenue.”

They didn’t hurry to tell Bai Lihong to speak up and defend Su Xi’er, mainly because they wanted to see how Su Sheng would react.

Behind him stood an unknown vassal king, and if the Emperor didn’t speak up during the current situation, Su Sheng might have to rely on this powerful connection to save Su Xi’er.

Alternatively, he might abandon his daughter and continue to conceal the existence of his backer.

Lord Su, this renowned loyal official in the capital…..what choice would he make?

At this moment, Su Sheng neither agreed nor disagreed. He was waiting.

He was waiting for Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian’s response. On the surface, he was a loyal official who always upheld the Emperor’s rule, so the Emperor should naturally come to his aid when he encountered difficulties.

Otherwise, the other remaining loyal officials in the court would become disheartened.

I worked for you and you wouldn’t protect me and my family. A wise bird chooses its tree; why shouldn’t I seek shelter elsewhere?

Therefore, although Su Sheng was angry, he was not panicked.

Right now, it all came down to who could remain the most calm and composed.

The hall was eerily quiet. Bai Lihong had long since put down his chopsticks, no longer munching on the small cake on the table.

He swept his gaze over everyone, his small head working hard to process everything. He only had a vague grasp of what was happening, but couldn’t put it all together or understand the implications of the events unfolding before him, let alone comprehend what these people were thinking. 

One breath, two breaths…..

After an unknown amount of time, a voice finally echoed throughout the hall: “Could it be that Minister Su is simply overcome with joy? Is that why he has forgotten how to express his gratitude?”

The subtle, almost imperceptible gazes directed toward him immediately swung toward the source of the voice.

Bai Lihai rose from his seat with a smile on his face, walking over to take Su Sheng’s arm. “There is no need for formalities, My Lord. It is truly my great fortune to be able to marry your daughter.”

Su Sheng glanced at Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian from the corner of his eye. The two of them remained completely unmoved, as if they had no intention of helping him refuse this marriage proposal.

How could this be happening?

Could it be that they already knew there was another force behind him?

But how was that possible?

He had always been cautious and prudent, and was confident that he had never given anything away.

But if they didn’t know, then why were these two standing by and doing nothing while he faced ruin?

Su Sheng’s heart sank. It suddenly felt as if he was left with only two options.

One path was to protect his daughter but expose his backer; the other path was to abandon his daughter and use her to protect his backer, and thus the entire Su family. 

Between one daughter and the entire Su family, there seemed to be no need to even consider the options.

But…..

Su Sheng’s breathing was heavy, and his eyes stung.

His lips trembled slightly, and when he spoke, his voice was hoarse beyond belief: “Your Highness is too kind…..”

Just as he was about to say more, a clear, childish voice sounded from the main seat: “Jiannan-wang, please stop joking around.”

In an instant, Su Sheng’s legs went weak and he almost collapsed to his knees.

His clothes were soaked through with cold sweat, and the feeling of having narrowly escaped doom left him with a mixture of relief and profound unease.

The Emperor had finally spoken.

But Su Sheng knew that he had once again incurred a debt of gratitude to both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian.

And at the same time, he became certain that these two had discovered his connection to another force.

There was no concrete evidence, so they decided to play along and test him. He just wasn’t sure whether or not he had passed their test.

Would there be more attempts like this to sound him out?

At last, Su Sheng straightened up again, his back firm.

Bai Lihai turned to look at Bai Lihong, his smile unchanged: “Your Majesty, this subject is not joking.”

The interruption of Su Sheng’s words just now had been orchestrated by Hong Fu, who had covertly passed instructions to Bai Lihong after receiving a signal from Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian.

He had only been given this one sentence to say, and now, facing Bai Lihai, the child didn’t know what to say next.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian exchanged glances. Just as they were about to speak up, the child raised his voice again.

“The late Emperor and Empress have just recently passed away.” Bai Lihong had a pair of large, round, bright eyes, so clear and unsullied that they seemed untouched by any sort of impurity. “Jiannan-wang hasn’t even come of age yet, but he can’t wait for the three-year mourning period to be over?”

The child’s voice was pure and innocent, and his question was asked with genuine sincerity.

He had heard from Jiujiu that after the death of one’s parent, children were supposed to observe a period of mourning.

During the mourning period, it was best to avoid eating meat or fish, holding elaborate banquets, or discussing marriage arrangements.

Only if that parent or elder left behind a “dying wish” that their child marry could they do so during the mourning period, and thus earn a reputation for “exemplary filial piety.”

Rules should be applied based on the circumstances – and the Imperial family’s circumstances were unique. Various important banquets were still required to be held, and children like Bai Lihong shouldn’t be completely deprived of meat and other rich foods, lest they suffer from malnutrition.

However, Jiannan-wang was the son of the late emperor, and the late empress was nominally his stepmother. And now, only three months after their deaths, he was already thinking about marriage.

This was wrong.

Bai Lihong’s question directly hit the nail on the head, and the entire hall fell silent.

The child could sense the strange atmosphere, and instinctively looked toward Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian.

Seeing that the two of them were still calm and composed, he immediately puffed out his chest, knowing that he was right.

From the moment Xiao Ruohan proposed the marriage arrangement to when Bai Lihong posed this question, all anyone saw was Hong Fu briefly whispering something in the Emperor’s ear.

In such a brief moment, he had likely only been told to interrupt Su Sheng before he could finish speaking.

Therefore, Bai Lihong must truly be improvising.

The officials sitting nearby were all experienced and shrewd, and their hearts sank when they realized this fact. 

Dozens of gazes fell upon Bai Lihong, then Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, followed by Eunuch Hong, who was perpetually at Bai Lihong’s side.

These three lords alone were each more difficult to deal with than the last.

But now, they had discovered that this young emperor was no ordinary child.

However, upon further reflection, everyone understood. Bai Lihong, who had the blood of the Qin family flowing in his veins, having inherited the legacy of Grand Marshal Qin and having been taught by figures such as Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, could by no means be an ordinary person.

All at once, everyone felt as if they were under immense pressure.

The mountain pressing down on them seemed to be growing ever more heavy and looming.

Looking into the child’s bright eyes, Bai Lihai maintained his gentle demeanor as he explained: “Your Majesty, this subject isn’t getting married immediately, just engaged.”

Bai Lihong looked toward Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, blinking his big, innocent eyes.

This was a cry for help; the child didn’t know what to do next.

Chu Jiubian’s lips curved into a smile, and he lowered his gaze, taking a sip of wine.

Qin Xiao leaned back in his seat and said: “Marriage requires mutual consent and involves formal proceedings such as a matchmaker and betrothal gifts. Jiannan-wang must observe three years of mourning, but does that mean he must leave a young lady waiting for three years?”

Bai Lihai turned his head to look at him: “Miss Su is only sixteen years old. Even three years from now, she will be in the prime of her youth, the perfect age for marriage.”

“If there is a genuine intention to marry, then even without a formal engagement, the girl will wait for you for three years.” Qin Xiao didn’t give him even a little face. “If there is no intention to marry, then the prince is using coercive business practices.”

The Xiao family was known for their coercive and unfair business practices, but while everyone was aware of this, they wouldn’t dare say it out loud.

But not only did Qin Xiao say it, he even went on to explain it more clearly: “This sort of reputation must not be spread. We don’t want people saying that our Great Ning’s Imperial family uses its power to bully others.”

A shrewd man, Su Sheng immediately played along and said: “Lord Ning-wang is exaggerating. I believe that both Jiannan-wang and the Empress Dowager mean well, but my daughter is mischievous and unworthy of such affection and esteem. Therefore, this marriage arrangement is indeed unsuitable. Please don’t allow that girl of mine to cause any trouble or bring shame to the prince’s reputation.”

Now that things had been made so clear, if the Xiao family still insisted on pursuing the marriage, it would certainly be a case of force and coercion.

Xiao Ruohan exchanged a glance with Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan, who had remained silent throughout this process. Then she smiled and said: “Alright, alright. I just took a liking to the Su family girl, and in a moment of impulse, I caused all of this trouble.”

“Since things are like this, I won’t speak of this marriage further,” she said. “However, Miss Su has indeed caught my eye. When she has some free time, she can come to the palace to keep me company and talk.”

Su Sheng quickly bowed in agreement.

Su Xi’er, who had been standing below the platform this entire time, bowed along with her father. Her posture was graceful, and although her face was somewhat pallid, she appeared calm and composed.

She is someone who can keep herself together, everyone thought.

Since Xiao Ruohan had spoken, Bai Lihai couldn’t possibly keep pressuring Su Xi’er as if he was desperate to marry.

Everyone returned to their seats, and as the banquet continued, other young women rose one after another to perform.

Perhaps having been frightened by what happened, they all made rather poor showings.

Sitting in her seat, Su Xi’er belatedly realized that her back was drenched in cold sweat. Madam Su sitting in front of her had her trembling hands clasped together, and her face was even more ashen than Su Xi’er’s.

It was evident that she was terrified.

Su Xi’er felt a pang of sympathy, but there was no comfort she could offer in this situation.

Apart from this minor incident, the palace Mid-Autumn Festival banquet proceeded rather smoothly.

When the banquet ended and they returned home, Madam Su immediately took her daughter’s hand and led her into her courtyard, then instructed the servants to begin packing her belongings.

“Mother, what are you doing?” Su Xi’er asked anxiously.

Madam Su gripped her hand tightly. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her voice was choked with emotion as she said: “Take all of your belongings and leave at the break of dawn for your maternal grandparents’ house in Suzhou. I’ll write a letter to your grandmother. Stay there from now on, and do not come back to the capital!”

The events of today had terrified her.

Although Jiannan-wang was known for his virtuous reputation, she had heard from Su Sheng that this prince was definitely not as gentle as he appeared on the surface.

She was ignorant of the intricacies of officialdom, and didn’t care about the power struggles between the major families. She simply didn’t want her daughter to marry someone as two-faced as Jiannan-wang.

She also didn’t want her daughter to become involved in the turbulent affairs in the capital.

Therefore, making her leave was the best option!

“Mother, I’m not leaving!” Tears immediately welled up in Su Xi’er’s eyes and flowed down her face. “I want to stay, I want to be with you all!”

“Dear child, you must listen to your mother this time,” Madam Su said firmly.

She knew that Empress Dowager Xiao Ruohan would inevitably find an opportunity to bring Xi’er into the palace in the future; that woman hadn’t given up scheming against her daughter!

Su Xi’er burst into tears and threw herself, sobbing, into her mother’s arms: “I won’t leave. Mother, I won’t leave!”

After leaving the palace, Su Sheng spent some time exchanging pleasantries with other officials before heading home. Upon arriving, he went directly to his daughter’s courtyard.

When he caught sight of the servants busily packing luggage, he paused for a moment before making his way into the inner chamber, where he found the mother and daughter sitting together, both wiping away tears.

“Father.” Su Xi’er rose and bowed.

Su Sheng quickly waved his hand and told her to straighten up, then went and sat down beside her.

But then he just looked at his daughter, unable to bring himself to speak.

Madam Su choked back her tears and fought a losing battle to keep them suppressed. She glared at him, saying: “Su Sheng! Are you satisfied now?”

Never before had she called her husband by his full name like this. Her fury was evident.

Su Xi’er was shocked, and quickly grabbed her mother’s hand.

Su Sheng simply looked at his wife and remained silent.

“Why did you hesitate today?!” Madam Su’s teeth ground together. “If His Majesty hadn’t spoken up, would you have agreed to this marriage?!”

Su Sheng’s hesitation and agony were very well-concealed, but Madam Su had been married to him since they were youths and knew him too well. She knew he was considering his options.

Naturally, Su Xi’er was aware of this too.

If His Majesty hadn’t interrupted her father’s unfinished words, perhaps he would have…..

But she didn’t blame her father. His concern and affection for her were genuine, so in that situation, he must have been the one suffering the most.

“You’re always busy with this and that, always thinking about the Su family as a whole, but what about our daughter?” Madam Su’s tears flowed profusely. “For the sake of those outsiders and your backer, you were willing to sacrifice our daughter’s entire life!”

“Is the child that woman left behind more important than the child I gave birth to?!” Even in her fury, Madam Su made an effort to suppress her voice so that those outside wouldn’t overhear.

Su Sheng remained silent throughout, his expression sorrowful.

He took one last, long look at Su Xi’er, then stood up and walked away.

But before stepping through the door, he stopped and said in a hoarse voice: “Once things settle down here, I will bring you home.”

Having said that, he walked out the door without looking back.

Su Xi’er stared blankly toward the doorway, her heart pounding in her chest.

She slowly shifted her gaze until it fell upon her mother, who was sobbing uncontrollably. Fighting back tears, she said softly: “Who is ‘that woman?’ Father, he hasn’t…..”

He was not a loyal minister.

As it turned out, the Su family was not the upright and virtuous family they claimed to be at all!

They were the same.

It turned out that everyone was the same!

Su Xi’er gave a soft chuckle and wiped her tears.

“I’ll go.”

What Imperial Examinations, what bringing honor to the family, what serving the common people – even if she were to enter officialdom, she would be an ignorant pawn in the hands of some other force.

From an insignificant speck of dust, she would transform into an expendable “pawn” who was always under someone’s control.

She had no desire to be controlled, nor to act against her own conscience.

Leaving might truly be the best option. 

*

*

Early the next morning.

Chu Jiubian dressed in his court attire and went to Yangxin Hall for breakfast, only to hear that Su Xi’er was already preparing to leave the capital.

He wasn’t very surprised.

After just two brief encounters, he could tell that she was an ambitious girl – otherwise, she wouldn’t have registered for the Imperial Examinations.

For a spirited and ambitious young woman like her, what mattered most was the realization of her self-worth.

However, the actions of Xiao Ruohan and Jiannan-wang last night had directly negated Su Xi’er’s value as a talented and ambitious “person,” effectively relegating her back to the confines of her private chambers.

They had used her marriage as leverage, exploiting the power behind her while intending to restrict her as a human being. 

As factions clashed, her life and marriage were on everyone’s lips.

But from beginning to end, no one had ever asked her opinion.

She must have realized that despite growing up, she was still far from being able to make her own decisions.

After all, if even her father, a high-ranking minister in the court, sometimes found himself powerless, how could a young, inexperienced person like her expect anything different?

Her desire to secure a better future for herself seemed to have become a joke because of this absurd farce.

She couldn’t save the common people or benefit society. She couldn’t even save herself.

She was merely a transient figure in this powerful current of events, someone whose name wouldn’t even be remembered.

Nobody knew her as Su Xi’er.

Therefore, her departure was actually the most suitable option.

Leaving the capital city would open up a wider world for her, and perhaps she would find a chance to start anew.

The departure of a young lady from a prominent family sparked discussion in the inner quarters of various households for two or three days, but after that, everyone lost interest.

On the evening of the third day after the banquet, Chu Jiubian received the first installment of profits from the refined salt trade.

Wearing light, loose-fitting robes, he casually reclined on the soft couch in Yaotai Residence, his legs stretched out to occupy the entire couch.

Three large boxes filled with gleaming silver coins sat on the floor, shining with an alluring luster.

The palace servants had all withdrawn after delivering these items, and even Xiao Xiangzi wasn’t present in the room to attend to him.

Chu Jiubian raised his eyes toward the man standing next to the boxes, his gaze shifting subtly.

“Who is all of this from?” he asked.

Qin Xiao paced over to him and sat down right next to his legs.

Chu Jiubian gave him a look. He drew his legs inward slightly, but didn’t withdraw them completely.

“The Qiu family just sent over their portion of the profits, saying they were worried that the Imperial Court might need it urgently, and that they will send the rest once the trade caravans return.”

Chu Jiubian gave a light scoff: “They finally did it.”

“What a waste of those two excellent jars of wine.”

“Ten jars,” Chu Jiubian corrected.

Qin Xiao smiled and said: “En, consider this as the payment for this lord’s portion of the wine.”

“It’s not enough.”

“Then consider me in debt for now.” Qin Xiao turned his head toward him and asked with a smile: “Would you like me to write a letter of guarantee?”

Chu Jiubian ignored him.

Then Qin Xiao said: “The salt trade should have yielded you a larger share of the profits, but the Imperial Treasury is currently short of funds. I will certainly compensate you later.”

They hadn’t actually discussed the details of profit sharing before this.

Chu Jiubian had just tacitly acquiesced to putting all of the dividends received into the Imperial Treasury first, in order to be used for the Imperial Examination system and infrastructure development.

He truly hadn’t expected Qin Xiao to send him money.

But no one disliked money, and Chu Jiubian was naturally delighted to see all of this silver.

It was so much money – enough to last him a couple of years.

If it was all given to Jiang Shuoye for steel production, he would likely make faster progress.

However, these were all government funds, and putting them to use would leave a trail. Qin Xiao would definitely find out that it had all been used in the Northern Desert region, and then Chu Jiubian’s connection with the region would cease to be hidden.

Chu Jiubian rested his chin on his hand and turned his head to regard the other man, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Had Qin Xiao genuinely given him this money to spend, or was he waiting to see where he would spend it?

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Chapter 55 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 57