A steady drizzle fell outside, while inside the room, one could hear a pin drop.

Qin Xiao must be worried that something is wrong with the medicine, ah.

Chu Jiubian discerned this clearly.

That was right — Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were not bosom pals who trusted one another, but two people with a relationship based on benefits.

If their roles were reversed today, he wouldn’t trust Qin Xiao either.

But the young emperor was innocent. 

A smile appeared on Chu Jiubian’s lips. Instead of pulling his hand back, he took the cup into his right hand.

Then, he poured two drips of the medicine into the center of his left palm.

The light in the room flickered dimly.

The young man’s forehead was slightly damp, his eyelashes thick and black.

His skin was as pale as jade, but his cheeks and ears were slightly pink, his lips as red as blood.

He leaned forward slightly, closer to his left hand.

Bright red lips and pale skin created an extremely striking beauty.

Qin Xiao watched as Chu Jiubian took the medicine on his palm into his mouth and swallowed it.

His gaze moved upward. Their eyes met.

When he saw the teasing smile in Chu Jiubian’s eyes, he released his grip.

Chu Jiubian took his hand back and sat up straight. Without looking at him again, he brought the cup to Bai Lihong’s mouth once more.

This time, Qin Xiao didn’t stop him.

“Your Majesty, this isn’t bitter. You’ll feel better after drinking it,” Chu Jiubian coaxed softly.

Bai Lihong blinked. He sniffed it suspiciously, but didn’t smell any bitterness.

Then, he opened his mouth obediently and said: “Ahh—”

Chu Jiubian carefully fed the medicine to him bit by bit.

“Is it bitter?” Chu Jiubian asked with a smile.

The child smacked his lips twice and shook his head: “Not bitter at all.”

Chu Jiubian lifted a hand and touched the child’s head: “Go to sleep. Everything will be alright when you wake up.”

No matter how young he was, he was still the emperor. Logically, Chu Jiubian shouldn’t be treating him like a child, but he couldn’t help it.

Qin Xiao stood up and took two steps back, standing in place.

He watched as Chu Jiubian gently coaxed the child to lie down, then gently wiped his face with a handkerchief while speaking to him softly.

This sort of Chu Jiubian was completely different from how he normally was.

Even the other’s perpetually unaffected eyes were now filled with emotion, as if he was seeing through Bai Lihong’s little face to something else.

It was rare for Chu Jiubian to show such emotion. Qin Xiao stroked the fingertips that had just been in contact with the other’s wrist. It felt as if there was still a trace of burning heat left behind.

Was it caused by a fever?

Bai Lihong was already tired after crying for so long, and after taking the medicine and being coaxed by Chu Jiubian, he soon fell into a deep slumber.

Chu Jiubian had taken some medicine before coming here, and it had begun to start taking effect. His head still hurt, and he felt dizzy, but he felt even more sleepy.

His eyelids were heavy, and the tinnitus penetrating his eardrums grated against his fragile nerves. His mind began to drift.

An unknown amount of time later, he began to lose the ability to distinguish between reality and dreams, and lowered his head blankly.

He saw that he seemed to have become much shorter, and that he was wearing a red and white elementary school uniform and white tennis shoes that were neither old nor new.

The tinnitus gradually faded, and the noise and bustle of a city grew more intense.

He looked up to see a street that was familiar but unfamiliar. It was very narrow, with shops on both sides of the road. It had just rained, and there was dampness everywhere he looked.

The smell of soil filled his nostrils.

“Xiao Jiu!” A woman’s voice rang out.

Chu Jiubian glanced to the side and saw a familiar face, which was covered in sweat, likely due to her running so fast.

“Xiao Jiu, go home quickly! Your parents are fighting again!” The woman grabbed his hand and hastened forward. “Your brother is locked on the balcony, he’s crying so miserably. We didn’t dare go inside…..”

Chu Jiubian ran faster and faster, eventually leaving the woman behind.

He saw himself nearing the old, dilapidated building. The only sound in his ears was his own rapid breathing.

Gradually, he heard the heart-wrenching cries of a child, each one clearer and more miserable than the last.

Almost there, almost there.

The small figure on the sixth-floor balcony reflected in Chu Jiubian’s eyes.

He had a round little face and was three heads tall. Holding a box of colorful marbles in his arms, he had his back pressed against a railing with bars as thick as a finger.

Get back.

Get back quickly!

Chu Jiubian tried to shout, but was unable to. He could only run faster.

Bang—

The balcony door was suddenly and violently kicked open. The child was so frightened that he clung even more tightly to the railing.

The dilapidated railing groaned, rocking precariously.

A tall man rushed out of the house, one hand clutching a woman’s long hair and the other holding a half-empty bottle of alcohol.

Amid the screams and curses of the woman and the cries of the child, he took two big gulps of alcohol and obscenities poured from his mouth. 

The woman’s face was streaked with tears. She scratched his arms with broken fingernails and bit his arm with her teeth.

The man cried out in pain and shoved her away.

The woman hit the railing, and the already unstable bars were knocked completely outward.

The child leaning against it was utterly defenseless, and rolled backward under the force.

Bang!

The small body ruptured, colorful marbles mixing with flesh and blood as they rolled across the wet ground, leaving crimson trails.

The unending screams of the man and woman pierced his eardrums.

Chu Jiubian knelt on the ground with outstretched arms, less than a meter away from the pool of blood.

After a long while, he reached up and touched his face. He felt something sticky and red.

“My Lord, the young master’s fever has subsided. He was probably tired last night, so it’s alright for him to sleep a little longer.”

“En. You can leave.”

Chu Jiubian slowly opened his eyes. He caught sight of an unfamiliar bedframe, and the scent of burning incense filled his nose.

It was dawn.

He blinked his sore eyes. The headache was gone, but his body still felt a little weak.

Turning his head, he saw Qin Xiao, who had just sent the Imperial Physician away.

The man must not have slept all night. He was still wearing yesterday’s robes, and his hair was a little disheveled.

Qin Xiao turned his head to look toward the bed and met the young man’s gaze.

“You’re awake.” His tone carried a natural smile. He went to the side table to pour a glass of water, bringing it to the bedside. “It’s already late in the morning. You were even more tired than His Majesty.”

Chu Jiubian levered himself into a sitting position, then took the water and drank it all.

Qin Xiao took the cup again and asked: “Do you want more?”

“No.” Chu Jiubian put on his boots and got off the bed. He glanced at the System for the time and said: “How can this be considered late in the morning? It’s not even seven o’clock yet. I’m awake early.”

Qin Xiao just smiled and said: “You fell asleep abruptly last night. If I hadn’t been quick enough to grab you, you would have hit His Majesty on the head and woken him up.”

Chu Jiubian raised his eyebrows: “So you don’t think I poisoned him?” 

Qin Xiao’s expression faltered for a moment. Then he bowed his head respectfully: “If it were me taking it, I wouldn’t have been so cautious. I hope the young master will forgive me.”

“It’s fine.” Chu Jiubian brushed his hair back. “How is His Majesty? Is he awake?”

“His fever has subsided. He woke up briefly and drank some porridge, then fell asleep again.”

“That’s good.” Chu Jiubian walked out of the hall. “I’ll go wash up and then come back.”

“Alright.” Qin Xiao walked outside next to him.

Only then did Chu Jiubian realize that he was currently in the western courtyard – Qin Xiao’s courtyard.

Xiao Xiangzi hurried to meet them when they stepped out, but because Qin Xiao was there, he didn’t dare say much and just followed two steps behind them.

Qin Xiao didn’t escort Chu Jiubian further after they left Yangxin Hall. 

Chu Jiubian walked a few more steps, then stopped.

He turned to look at Qin Xiao with inquiring eyes: “I didn’t talk any nonsense last night, did I?”

“You did not,” said Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian nodded. His gaze fell on the dark stubble that had already begun to emerge on the man’s face, and reached up to touch his own. 

There seemed to be some, but his own facial hair had never grown fast, so he must look better than Qin Xiao.

When he saw him do this, Qin Xiao reached up to touch his own chin as well.

Chu Jiubian just smiled and turned around to leave.

Qin Xiao watched his back until he was out of sight.

*

*

At the same time, various locations in the capital gradually became lively.

The previous night, many servants had been running around to spread the news of morning court being cancelled to all of the government offices.

The Great Ning Dynasty enforced one day off every three days. Today was supposed to be a court day, but with court cancelled and tomorrow a free day, everyone was able to sleep for two days in a row.

The low-ranking officials were all very content, and basically slept until it was time for them to report for duty.

But officials of the first, second, and third ranks got up as they usually would for court. Then, as if by tacit agreement, they either went to report to their superiors before taking up their duties, or went to the government offices early to chat with their colleagues about what had happened the previous night.

The little emperor was young, and had just recently lost his mother and father. The weather had also been changeable lately, so it was not surprising that he had caught a cold and a fever.

If he were to pass away just like that, the capital would be thrown into chaos.

But with Qin Xiao around, the possibility of this coming to pass was very low.

And sure enough, when they woke up this morning, they heard that the young emperor’s fever had subsided and that he had even eaten breakfast. It could be surmised that he was practically back to full health.

Naturally, this news from Yangxin Hall had been spread by Qin Xiao – otherwise, nobody would have known a thing.

The lower-ranking officials gathered in the government offices in groups of three or four, talking to each other in low voices.

“It’s said that when an Imperial Physician first left Yangxin Hall, his face was pale and he reeked of medicine. He even had stains on his clothes. I bet His Majesty couldn’t swallow the bitter medicine and spat it all out.”

Each of them had one or two favored children, and knew that children couldn’t bear to take those kinds of soups and medicines and would spit them all out.

“That’s right. After Grand Tutor Chu went there, most of the remaining Imperial Physicians left Yangxin Hall soon after, and their expressions were more relaxed. It seems His Majesty must have gotten better by that point.”

“Grand Tutor Chu must have some skill with medicine, or perhaps some magic elixirs.”

“As expected of an immortal who descended to earth. He can make ice, save lives, and even knows so many great poets. He’s truly remarkable.”

“Do you really believe he’s a god? To me, he’s just a person with talent.”

“Then why are there so many talented people, yet none of them can make ice? Why could none of them recite those poems?”

“Putting aside the issue of ice-making, those poems were only written by great men he knew. How does that prove he’s a god?”

“That makes sense. When I heard those poems, the concerns and emotions they expressed were the same as those of ordinary people like me, so he’s definitely not a god.”

“Immortals are just mortals who’ve ascended to heaven. Those poems must have been written before they ascended. And perhaps their ability to create such masterpieces was what allowed them to ascend in the first place.”

There were many different opinions. Some people thought that all of this talk of the supernatural wasn’t credible, while others firmly believed it.

However, it was undeniable that Chu Jiubian had been the focus of conversation amongst the capital’s officials since the moment he appeared.

Unlike the bustling government offices, there weren’t so many people debating inside the courtyards of higher-ranked officials.

“I heard that as soon as news of His Majesty’s high fever reached Yaotai Residence, Grand Tutor Chu rushed to Yangxin Hall without even taking the time to put on his robes.”

Wang Pengyi, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, gently waved the folding fan in his hand as he sat in the lower section of the seating arrangements.

He was less than thirty years old, with a face that was warm and handsome. He was truly an elegant young master, representative of the typical “Wang family member” in the eyes of the world. 

In the main seat, Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan was fiddling with a jade pendant in his hand. He said slowly: “That’s quite the act he’s putting on.”

“Or perhaps he really does care,” Wang Pengyi said. “They spend so much time together, and he is the Grand Tutor. Maybe he’s really begun to develop feelings for His Majesty.”

“I don’t believe he is such a soft-hearted and lenient lord.” Wang Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked outside the hall. “Even that old bastard Xiao Yu couldn’t gain any advantages from him, not to mention that three-year-old child?”

Xiao Huaiguan was considered to be the most cunning old fox in the Xiao family. Even if he didn’t receive any benefits from Chu Jiubian, he wouldn’t have let it become known. 

But Wang Zhiyuan had entered officialdom at almost the same time as him. They had been battling for decades, so he knew the other’s temperament the best out of anyone.

So when he heard yesterday that Xiao Huaiguan had not personally escorted Chu Jiubian to the Ministry of Personnel, he knew that negotiations had not been successful, and that even Xiao Huaiguan had suffered a setback at the hands of Chu Jiubian.

Moreover, a spy had reported back that Xiao Huaiguan had observed the etiquette between peers with Chu Jiubian. This old man loved to take advantage of his seniority, and would only put Chu Jiubian on equal footing with himself if he feared the other party.

Wang Zhiyuan didn’t believe that such a “Jiu-gongzi” and “Grand Tutor” could develop feelings for a child he had only known for a few days.

Wang Pengyi said thoughtfully: “So in your opinion, Grand Tutor Chu hasn’t made a decision yet?”

At morning court yesterday, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had worked together almost seamlessly, and even the young emperor had made a good assist at the critical moment.

Wang Pengyi and many of his subordinates actually felt that Chu Jiubian was likely to side with Qin Xiao and the young emperor.

After all, it was the orthodox side, and the side that had the most say for the time being. Moreover, Qin Xiao had taken the initiative to give Chu Jiubian such great power. This transaction couldn’t have been made just because of Chu Jiubian’s ice-making skills. There must be something else involved.

For all anyone knew, the contents of the transaction may be Chu Jiubian’s future “position” in the capital.

Wang Zhiyuan was nearly seventy years old, but he was still full of spirit. He lowered his eyes to look at the jade pendant in his hand.

Chu Jiubian’s background was shrouded in mystery, but he did have some genuine skills.

Right now, none of them knew where the other party had come from, nor did they know his purpose.

Previously, they had all wanted to recruit him out of fear and in the interest of benefits.

But now this fear had grown increasingly deep, and he had started to become their “biggest concern.”

This person moved between various major forces. He had only been in the capital for a few days, but had already disrupted the original status quo. If this situation continued, there was no telling what might happen.

“This Grand Tutor Chu is truly unpredictable, ah.” Wang Zhiyuan let out a faint sigh, and a gleam of ruthlessness and murderous intent flashed through his eyes.

Wang Pengyi restrained his expression slightly: “Then we must…..”

He sent a tentative look toward this senior official sitting in the main seat, who was also his grandfather.

In this case, it seemed that killing Chu Jiubian directly was the best option.

But…..that was a living person.

Wang Zhiyuan’s gaze fell on his expression, and the younger man continued to avoid his eyes.

“Don’t emulate your father’s soft-heartedness,” Wang Zhiyuan rebuked coldly. “A man may not want to harm a tiger, but the tiger is always a threat to him. Remember this in everything you do.”

Wang Pengyi quickly stood up and bowed: “Grandfather’s teaching is correct.”

“Good. See to your duties.”

“Yes.” Wang Pengyi proceeded slowly to the door, then left the main courtyard at the same pace.

The four great families owned many properties, and generations of their direct descendents lived on this street. Each residence was divided into private courtyards, with dozens of gates in total.

The same was true for the Wang family. In the row of courtyards, the main house sat in the middle. This was where the head of the family, Wang Huaizhi, lived with his sons and nephews, and it also possessed the only gate with a plaque that read “Langya Wang family.”

Wang Zhiyuan was Wang Huaizhi’s uncle, and his courtyard was directly next to the main house.

Wang Pengyi left the compound and came to another long street outside the gate.

There were no other houses on the entire street. If one walked to the end, they would reach Shenwu Street. Going north to the fork in the road was Chang’an Street, which was where most of the officials’ households were located.

Rain was no longer falling, but the sky was still overcast. It would probably rain a little more soon.

It was a rare cool day. Wang Pengyi’s mind was a little restless, so rather than calling for a carriage, he took an umbrella and slowly went on his way.

It had rained all last night, but there was no water on the bluestone pavement. It was just slightly moist.

His grandfather was right. His father was a pedantic scholar who only cared about his studies. He possessed the nobleness and pride unique to a cultured person, but also the soft heart of a Confucian scholar.

His concern was for the people and the country, but he also hated officialdom and couldn’t parse its intrigues. For this reason, his father was never entrusted with any important tasks, and was simply a renowned scholar who preached scriptures. 

Wang Pengyi was different from his father, and could see the situation clearly.

But like his father, he also hated all of the intrigue and power struggles.

Yet there was no other way. As a child of the Wang family, he was given the best of everything, so he should also give back to the family. 

He knew that his grandfather would go out today and meet with those superiors who could make things happen with a wave of their hand. They would point the tips of their swords at the Imperial Palace, and at that Jiu-gongzi of unknown origins.

Nobody knew the other party’s identity or purpose, but simply out of fear, and in order to prevent more so-called variables from popping up in the future, they were willing to deprive him of his life.

And knowing all of this, all Wang Pengyi could do was watch.

This was not the first time, and it would not be the last.

Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder and brought Wang Pengyi out of his thoughts. He turned his head to see a handsome man of a similar height to him.

The man wore loose, ill-fitting dark green robes. This slightly curly hair was loose, and fluttered restlessly in the intermittent cool breeze, as rebellious and unrestrained as its owner.

Wang Pengyi smiled unconsciously and said: “Qichen, where are you going so early in the morning?”

“Naturally, I have a date with a beautiful lady to drink and have fun.” Wang Qichen held up his folding fan and waved it gently. His fox-like eyes contained a pure, shining light, and he looked like a young dandy.

Wang Pengyi just said with a smile: “I really envy you, always so happy and carefree.”

“Cousin is teasing me.”

“How so? Do you want to tease me back?”

“No way. Of all my cousins, you treat me the best.”

Wang Pengyi gave him a look and said: “Are you short of money again?”

“Cousin knows me well,” Wang Qichen said, all smiles.

Wang Pengyi snorted and took a purse from his sleeve, but before he could open it, it was snatched away by the person next to him.

“Only take the money. That purse was embroidered by your sister-in-law,” he said.

“I know.” Wang Qichen took out a few pieces of gold and returned the purse.

Wang Pengyi put the half-deflated purse back into his pocket and said: “It’s a bit lighter now.”

Wang Qichen was delighted. 

The two of them parted ways at Shenwu Street, and Wang Pengyi felt that his low mood had improved substantially.

Wang Qichen walked away leisurely, and finally arrived at Jinxiu Square right before it started raining.

The best place to eat in Jinxiu Square was Jinxiu Restaurant, which belonged to the emperor. Located at the very center of the street, it had the most complete array of offerings, and even the storyteller was the fastest talker in the capital.

Wang Qichen had just taken a few steps into Jinxiu Square when it began to drizzle.

He covered his head with his fan and hurried toward Jinxiu Restaurant.

The establishment had not officially opened at this time, and the only people there were waiters making preparations to receive guests. 

Wang Qichen regularly frequented this place. There were bedrooms on the top floor of the restaurant, and he would stay there when he came early or drank late.

He entered the restaurant in a familiar manner, and as he walked into the room, he passed by someone.

He stepped through the door, lowered his fan, and turned around, only to see the back of a man in tight-fitting clothes and a straw hat. In the blink of an eye, the man disappeared around the streetcorner. With such speed, he must be a martial arts master.

“Jiyue-gongzi is here.” The shopkeeper came forward to greet him. “It’s cold outside, please come in and have a seat.”

Wang Qichen’s courtesy name was Jiyue. People had always called him that in a teasing manner, and because it didn’t bother Wang Qichen himself, it eventually became his courtesy name.^[1]

“Who was that person just now?” Wang Qichen asked.

The shopkeeper smiled and said: “He’s a chivalrous hero from the jianghu. It rained heavily last night, so he stayed here temporarily.”

A chivalrous hero.

Wang Qichen walked up the stairs, wondering which chivalrous hero would enter the capital at this time.

He was likely someone’s retainer.

*

*

The palace walls were high.

A figure passed silently through the many halls.

An Wuji was eating meat buns with several of his subordinates beside the palace wall as they chatted about the martial arts conference that had taken place some time ago, as well as the martial arts leader who had topped the rankings for three years in a row.

A faint sound of wind reached his ears, and An Wuji’s sharp eyes immediately darted to the side.

The smile dropped off his subordinate’s face beside him: “My Lord?”

An Wuji withdrew his gaze and smiled: “It’s nothing.”

*

*

Bai Lihong slept until almost ten o’clock. At this time, Qin Xiao was called to the western courtyard by Qin Chaoyang, leaving only Chu Jiubian and Hong Fu to guard him.

The child sat up blearily and rubbed his swollen eyes with small hands. His hair was a mess from sleeping.

“Your Majesty.” Hong Fu hurried over and gently wiped his eyes with a clean handkerchief. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Chu Jiubian had been reading a memorial, and now approached the bedside.

“No, it’s just that my eyes are swollen.” The child smiled at Hong Fu and touched his head. “Gonggong, don’t be sad.”

He had seen it yesterday – Hong Fu had cried with him.

It was the same when his mother was alive. Every time he cried, his mother cried too. Hong Fu did the same.

Eunuch Hong’s eyes burned, and his smile gentled even further: “Your Majesty, this servant isn’t sad. This servant will get you some water to wash up.”

At Bai Lihong’s nod, Hong Fu stood up, bowed to Chu Jiubian, and left.

“Xiansheng.” The child looked up at Chu Jiubian with a face full of admiration: “Xiansheng is so amazing. I got better after taking your medicine, and it didn’t taste bitter at all.”

Such an angelic little doll coaxing others in a childish voice, telling them not to be sad and sincerely expressing his gratitude…..no one would be able to resist him.

Chu Jiubian stretched his hands out toward him and said: “Your Majesty, would you like me to carry you?”

There were no palace servants in the bedroom, so the only ones who would know about Chu Jiubian’s actions were the secret guards.

The little boy looked around with his round eyes, and when he didn’t see anyone else, he temporarily put aside his uncle’s words about having “composure” and threw himself into Chu Jiubian’s arms.

He remembered the embrace from last night. It was very warm, and not stiff like his uncle’s. 

Chu Jiubian held him firmly and lifted him high.

There was no child who didn’t like to play like this, and Bai Lihong immediately laughed out loud.

Chu Jiubian saw the child’s smile, and a smile appeared in his eyes as well.

Today, he would hold this child firmly.

The boy in his arms suddenly began to squirm, and excitedly stretched his arms out toward the door: “Jiujiu!”

With the child in his arms, Chu Jiubian turned around and saw Qin Xiao approaching in a relaxed manner.

As soon as he got close, Bai Lihong reached out and grabbed the fabric over his chest.

Chu Jiubian subconsciously glanced down and glimpsed the slight swell of muscle under the cloth.

He suddenly recalled how it had felt back then – very springy, and easy to grab.

Qin Xiao took Bai Lihong into his arms, and when he looked up, he saw the young man staring at his chest, seemingly unintentionally.

---

[1] Jiyue (霁月) means “clear, unclouded moon,” and is also a term for someone with a noble and benevolent character. ⮐

---

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Chapter 25 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 27

Chapter 58 – Return Trip

“So as long as I eat the Ice Grass, I will regain my cultivation?” After a long, diligent analysis, Cao Zirui finally extracted the key points from Fang Yang’s rambling and came to a conclusion.

Fang Yang nodded vigorously. He also knew that his narrative ability was lacking, but there was nothing he could do. He was so happy that it made him somewhat incoherent.

Most of the day in the Floating Island Secret Realm had been wasted either escaping or resting, and the one hour left was reserved for rushing to the exit.

Although the entrance to the Floating Island Secret Realm transported people to random locations, the exit did not. It would appear at the center of the island at the end of the day, and would only be open for a short while. All of the cultivators on the island would go there in advance, because if they missed this opportunity, they really would have to wait for another ten years.

The four of them were currently near the eastern coastline of the floating island. The island had been split in two by the sudden earthquake, and the terrain had inevitably changed. If they wanted to reach the exit in time, they had no time to search for treasures elsewhere.

Fang Yang had thought that his bag of Yuanling Grass would be his only bounty from this journey. But he had never imagined that in a twist of fate, while others might not have gained much after searching all night, he would pick up such a valuable herb just by going to the river to wash his face.

And it wasn’t some other rare species that was of no use to him. It was exactly the Ice Grass he needed most, which could help him regain his cultivation lost to the Blazing Sun Flower.

He still remembered Administrator Zhang’s words. Although the man hadn’t spoken a specific number, Fang Yang remembered the ten fingers he’d waved. And Administrator Zhang had sworn that he, Useless Shixiong, and Hao-dage wouldn’t be able to afford it, because Ice Grass was more expensive than an Earth-grade magic weapon. 

And yet, he had picked it up so easily. If Fang Yang hadn’t experienced it himself, he wouldn’t have believed that such luck existed.

He had no doubts about the origin of this Ice Grass, nor did he know that it grew on the seabed rather than by the river in a crevice between rocks. It was also in such an obvious place, but had never been picked by anyone.

This jackpot was practically tailor-made for him, with the winning conditions set based on how he placed his bets.

Such was his happiness that he didn’t contemplate this string of unreasonable occurrences at all. And after Cao Zirui listened to Fang Yang’s narration and realized the preciousness of the Ice Grass, he frowned and remained silent.

Although he hadn’t been the one to discover it, he’d been next to Fang Yang when he spotted the herb. In fact, he had also noticed the spiritual energy emitting from the Ice Grass, but had been just one step slower than Fang Yang.

It had been so conspicuous. Why hadn’t anyone noticed it?

It could be assumed that no one else had passed by this remote location. But Fang Yang’s shixiong, Feng Ye, had clearly been to the river not long ago. How could he be so slow-witted that he didn’t even notice such obvious spiritual energy?

Cao Zirui felt that something wasn’t right, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He couldn’t help but look up at Feng Ye, who was standing a short distance away from him and Fang Yang. The other man was whispering together with Hao Chen, that disciple from Tiangong Pavilion.

He only looked at him in secret for a short moment, but while Feng Ye was talking to Hao Chen, he glanced at Cao Zirui out of the corner of his eye.

Cao Zirui was a little embarrassed to be caught peeping. Facing such a situation, Hao Chen had thick skin that was immune to all poisons, but although Cao Zirui’s icy face was no match for Hao Chen’s defenses, it was equally effective here. He wore no obvious expression despite his embarrassment, and his face remained unchanged, like a tranquil iceberg.

Feng Ye briefly cut off his conversation with Hao Chen to turn his head and smile at Cao Zirui, who was watching him.

Seeing this smile, Hao Chen immediately moved from facing Fang Yang and Cao Zirui at an angle to facing them with his back, completely blocking Feng Ye and Cao Zirui from looking at each other.

Feng Ye: “……”

Cao Zirui: “……”

The thoughts of the two were surprisingly consistent. But after a brief stretch of speechlessness, Cao Zirui had a sudden realization. He recalled the scene when he had just woken up. Since they were a daoist couple, it was inappropriate for him to stare at one of them in front of their significant other.

With this in mind, Cao Zirui withdrew his gaze. Although Feng Ye was a very strong swordsman, his cultivation was only at the third level of Qi Refining. He shouldn’t be able to attain something like Ice Grass, right?

He temporarily set aside his suspicions. Coincidentally, Fang Yang also snapped out of his excitement and back to the present. And in an unexpected move, he held the Ice Grass in front of Cao Zirui.

Cao Zirui stared at the Ice Grass before him in surprise. Although the meaning of Fang Yang’s action was clear, he was still a little unsure: “This….?”

“You saw it too, so you get a share. We each get half!” Fang Yang said as a matter of course.

Cao Zirui pursed his lips and didn’t speak for a while.

The two people talking nearby also turned to look over. Hao Chen shook his head with a sigh: “Foolish boy.”

Feng Ye smiled again, with a hint of hope that this kid would live up to his expectations.

If Fang Yang was a narrow-minded person who only knew how to monopolize treasures and was unwilling to share them with others, he wouldn’t have made a special trip to pick up this herb.

When Hao Chen was done lamenting, he couldn’t help saying to Feng Ye: “But he’s still not as foolish as you.”

At least when Fang Yang was good to others, the other party knew they had received a favor and must repay it one day in the future.

But when Feng Ye was good to that naive boy, he knew nothing and thought it was just his own good luck. He had no idea that this pie that had fallen from the sky had been thrown down to him by his shixiong, who had specially climbed up to the clouds and aimed it at him.

Feng Ye didn’t comment on Hao Chen’s evaluation. He just replied lightly: “A few more fools isn’t a bad thing.”

Having said this, he walked toward the other two. 

After standing there for a time, Cao Zirui finally remembered to respond, and took the Ice Grass from Fang Yang with some solemnity.

Although the two had been very close when they discovered the Ice Grass, one had seen it before the other. Since Fang Yang had been the first to discover it, the herb belonged to him, and Cao Zirui would not fight him for it.

In fact, from the perspective of value alone, judging from the various magical tools and elixirs he had taken out in an endless stream, the valuable Ice Grass really wasn’t that rare for him.

Now that he knew what kind of poison he had been infected with, he could naturally find a way to detoxify himself once he was out of the Floating Island Secret Realm.

But the same thing held completely different values for different people. The Ice Grass was not particularly precious to him, but it definitely was to Fang Yang. It was perhaps the most precious thing on his body.

Although the pills he’d given Fang Yang were worth one thousand spirit stones each, that was still just a drop in the bucket, not something worth mentioning. Fang Yang, however, was giving half of his only treasure to him.

He knew that he could never match this level of thoughtfulness.

He wasn’t sure he could accept such a huge favor, but then he changed his mind. He and Fang Yang had been through life and death together, and Cao Zirui was able to trust him with his life during their escape. They were no different from blood brothers. To be concerned about money and value would make him look petty.

So he openly accepted the Ice Grass, but didn’t take it completely, remaining in a position where he and Fang Yang were holding onto it at the same time. With a hint of a smile, he said: “Okay. Half each.”

Fang Yang’s eyes widened in surprise. He called out to Feng Ye, who was walking over: “Look, he just smiled!”

It was like he was inviting him to watch an acrobatics show.

Cao Zirui immediately stopped smiling, and all Feng Ye saw was a stoic, icy face.

Fang Yang was somewhat unwilling to let his Useless Shixiong miss seeing such a fantastical sight, so he did his utmost to make Cao Zirui smile again: “Make that expression again, do it again!”

With a blank expression, Cao Zirui remained unmoved.

“Just smile a little and I’ll lend you all the storybooks in my collection.” Fang Yang tempted him with benefits.

Storybooks? His master was strict with him, so Cao Zirui wasn’t as free as the junior disciples, who were allowed to roam freely at the foot of the mountain. He had never read such books that were only meant for entertainment. 

At this moment, he couldn’t help feeling a little curious.

Fang Yang was paying close attention to his expression. Seeing that there was a way forward, he continued his efforts: “They’re very good. My shixiong likes them too.”

Feng Ye: “……” Here we go again. Every time Fang Yang recommended his books to others, he would use Feng Ye as an example, even though he clearly didn’t enjoy reading them.

Cao Zirui’s gaze drifted over the two of them. Since both of them liked to read them, they must be very good. He was somewhat moved.

Fang Yang continued: “I have lots and lots of books, including three volumes of ‘Legend of Li Aotian’s Cultivation’ and the five part series ‘The Quest For Immortality.’ If you smile, I’ll lend them all to you.”

Cao Zirui’s defenses were crumbling. He pursed his lips, hesitant.

Feng Ye and Fang Yang stood side by side, staring at him as they awaited his answer. Although Feng Ye hadn’t said a word, that didn’t mean he didn’t want to see what this iceberg looked like when he smiled.

The two people, one tall and one short, currently looked like street thugs trying to trick an innocent young man from a good family into smiling.

Though this “innocent young man” was the one with the highest cultivation level here. Even though he had fallen to the ninth level of Qi Refining, he was still leagues above these wastes.

After a long stalemate, Cao Zirui ultimately couldn’t bring himself to do it. With his mind made up, he simply turned away and rejected all of these sugar-coated attacks.

Feng Ye and Fang Yang let out twin sighs of disappointment, and Hao Chen, who had been left to the side, took advantage of the opportunity to cut in.

He inserted his mini fan between the shoulders of Feng Ye and Fang Yang to separate them, then took the position between them. While unobtrusively pushing Fang Yang toward Cao Zirui, he waved his fan and said to Feng Ye: “If Fellow Daoist Feng Ye wants to see someone smile, why not come to me?”

“I’ll smile however you want~” Hao Chen fluttered his eyelashes suggestively as he spoke, and the high trailing end of his sentence once again turned a normal sentence into something deviant.

Feng Ye: “……”

He imitated Cao Zirui by turning away (out of sight, out of mind), and declined: “N-no need.”

Hao Chen followed him when Feng Ye turned around, with Feng Ye turning in place and Hao Chen turning in a circle with Feng Ye as the center.

He walked around Feng Ye again, displaying his signature frivolous smile and completely disregarding the other’s wishes: “How about this?”

Feng Ye: “……”

He took a step forward in an attempt to escape this vicious circle. Hao Chen chased right after them, both of them walking faster and faster.

Although neither of them were young anymore, they played a childish game of chase.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui stood in the center of the circle the two men had formed. Fang Yang watched them running in circles and said in a condescending tone: “Here they go again.”

Cao Zirui: “…..Do they do this often? It’s so…..childish.”

Fang Yang nodded affirmatively and provided an example: “They used to have broom fights when they swept the floors of the sect!”

Cao Zirui looked at the two of them in surprise. One couldn’t judge a person by appearances…..whether it was Feng Ye with his eye-catching swordsmanship or the elegant and handsome disciple of Tiangong Pavilion, their personalities were surprisingly immature in private.

So immature that the two younger ones couldn’t bear to watch any longer.

The chase didn’t last long, cut short by Feng Ye when he finally realized what he was doing.

He stopped the smiling Hao Chen from moving closer to him, looking up at the sky as he suggested: “It’s getting late. Let’s head back.”

It went without saying where he was referring to.

It was time to head toward the exit of the Floating Island Secret Realm.

The three of them nodded, packed up their things, and prepared to set off.

Their journey to the secret realm was finally drawing to a close.

However…..it wasn’t over yet.

Hiding in the bushes with a bell in his hand, Lu Chengye watched them from afar and uttered a hateful “Tsk.”

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T/N: Lu Chengye, have you not realized that you’re the very definition of a low-IQ cannon fodder?? This only ends one way!

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Chapter 57 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 59

Chapter 57 – “He’s Lucky”

He didn’t know why birdsong sounded so sweet at other times, but so irritating in the morning. It was the dazzling sunlight penetrating his eyelids that slowly brought Hao Chen back to consciousness.

In a daze, he thought he was still floating in the North Sea, sleeping a long, timeless sleep.

He didn’t want to wake up, because there was no point. It was better to just sleep.

So he turned his head as if to escape, avoiding the direct sunlight.

But when he smelled an unfamiliar scent, he realized that something wasn’t right.

This scent was mixed with the unique salty aroma of seawater, prevalent in all creatures who spent a lot of time in the sea. This was a scent he liked and was familiar with, but besides that, there was an indescribable scent that differed from it.

After one sniff, he couldn’t help but sniff again. Although the indescribable scent was difficult to distinguish, it slowly entered his body through his breathing and brought with it waves of burning heat.

Hao Chen frowned at this strange feeling, his hazy consciousness growing clearer and clearer. His sense of smell wasn’t the only thing affected – he seemed to be holding something in his hands.

The feeling under his hands was a bit hard, a bit soft, and very elastic, like his thick fish belly. But it was a little firmer than his belly, more like the muscles of his human form.

In addition to the muscles directly under his palms, there was what felt like cloth, but not an expensive variety. It was very rough and tattered, exposing a lot of skin.

Ragged clothing…..no, he should say daoist robes, and ones he had ripped…..Hao Chen’s mind became perfectly clear, and he remembered exactly where he was and what had transpired. 

Last night, he had laid claim to Feng Ye’s shoulder in the name of sleeping. And Feng Ye was so good-natured that he didn’t push him away, and even let him sleep all night.

Moreover, perhaps to avoid waking him up, Feng Ye hadn’t moved around, so he was able to enjoy a deep and dreamless sleep.

At first glance, Feng Ye seemed as tranquil and harmless as a soft persimmon. But if you looked closer, you would discover the sharpness and coldness within that soft persimmon.

However, if you broke his cold shell a little, you would find that the innermost part was still soft.

When Feng Ye gently told Hao Chen to go to sleep last night, Hao Chen had been as happy as if he’d eaten a piece of candy. And when he awoke to find that Feng Ye had allowed him to cling to him all night, it was like eating another piece of candy.

One with the sweetest filling.

Hao Chen took a deep whiff of that scent, recognizing its source as soon as he regained consciousness.

He had originally been resting his head on Feng Ye’s shoulder, but when he drowsily lifted his head, his whole face was buried in Feng Ye’s neck. What he was smelling was actually the fragrance on Feng Ye’s body.

Since he had spent most of the previous day in the sea and hadn’t had time to bathe, his body was still wreathed in the salty smell of seawater. And as for the other foreign scent that made him feel hot, it was probably the man’s hormones.

He belatedly realized that his heart was pounding. A mere scent had rendered him so sensitive.

If he didn’t take advantage of this, he would lose out. He had been able to open a small crack in Feng Ye’s shell this time, but there was no telling when he would be able to do it again, so of course the more he could take, the better.

So even though he was awake, Hao Chen maintained his original posture, with his hands still clinging to Feng Ye’s chest and back, and his face buried in his neck.

It would have been fine, but this guy was greedy and refused to be satisfied with the status quo. His disobedient fingers couldn’t help but rub a few times.

A big “井” character appeared on Feng Ye’s forehead, and he finally couldn’t take it anymore.

He had already realized that the fish was pretending to be asleep, so he unhesitatingly poked Hao Chen’s forehead with a finger and pushed him away from his shoulder.

Hao Chen was unable to pretend any longer after such a significant movement. But he refused to admit that he had woken up long ago, feigning sleepiness as he asked blankly: “What’s wrong?”

Feng Ye said nothing, and simply stared at him.

This guy was taking advantage of him. And although they both knew it, Feng Ye had no evidence.

His only hope was that Hao Chen would feel guilty and slip up.

But Hao Chen wouldn’t feel guilty even if he was a thief. He was thick-skinned, and faced Feng Ye’s gaze with a calm, assured expression.

After a long period of staring at each other, Feng Ye was the first to look away. He admitted defeat.

Hao Chen smiled triumphantly. Feng Ye had already exposed this matter, but Hao Chen deliberately gave voice to it: “I slept on Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s shoulder all night, and my sleeping posture wasn’t very elegant. I must have caused Fellow Daoist Feng Ye a lot of trouble.”

Feng Ye was unmoved by Hao Chen’s apologetic words, and instead regarded him with some caution. Something wasn’t right. This guy had already eaten the tofu, so there was no reason for him to spit it out. Since Hao Chen had said this, he must have a trick up his sleeve.

As expected, Hao Chen continued: “It would be impolite not to reciprocate. Fellow Daoist Feng Ye has been keeping watch all night. Are you tired? How about you rest on me?”

He opened his arms as he spoke, as if to say, “My arms are always open to you.” But his expression was that of an upright gentleman, as if he was really just returning the favor.

However, Feng Ye knew that was not the case. He could guess what wickedness was on this guy’s mind without even looking.

So he sat there with his arms folded and firmly refused: “No need. I’m not tired.”

Hao Chen sighed with some regret, but didn’t give up: “Even if you’re not tired, your shoulder should be sore, right? I could give you a massage?”

When he started to raise his claws to touch him, Feng Ye was forced to jump up and retreat three or four meters before stopping.

To prevent Hao Chen from making any further moves, Feng Ye immediately took action to cut the threat off at the source. He made an excuse: “I’m going to the river to wash my face.”

Having said this, he turned around and left.

Hao Chen sat there with his chin in his hand, watching with a smile on his face as Feng Ye fled.

He didn’t pursue him further. As a fish himself, he knew the art of fishing. The tighter the line was, the harder the prey struggled. This often led to the line breaking and the fisherman suffering a double loss.

Only by letting out the line properly and letting the prey unknowingly exhaust itself could it be caught in one fell swoop.

He also had no need to worry about Feng Ye disappearing like before, because…..Hao Chen turned to look at the two half-grown boys still sleeping beside the extinguished campfire.

Fang Yang’s sleeping posture was extremely unrestrained. He slept in the shape of the “大” character, occupying the largest area he could. Cao Zirui, who had been sleeping next to him, had rolled over countless times during the torturous night until he was curled up a meter away.

The big one could run away, but the small ones could not, so Hao Chen was very much at ease. He sat there and waited patiently.

Time passed, and the sun rose higher and higher.

The sunlight was so scorching that it couldn’t be ignored, and there was also no shade above his head. Fang Yang woke up.

He sat up and looked around. His familiar Useless Shixiong was nowhere to be seen, but Hao-dage was there with an inexplicable smile on his face.

Although Hao Chen usually had a smile on his face, Fang Yang felt that he seemed particularly happy today.

Rather than asking the reason for Hao Chen’s happiness, he just asked: “Where’s my shixiong?”

Hao Chen raised his mini fan and pointed it toward the river: “He went to wash his face.”

Fang Yang gave an “Oh” and rubbed his sleepy head. He glanced at the sun to see what time it was, and estimated that it was already si shi. 

There was still about an hour left before the Floating Island Secret Realm closed.

Quite a number of people had stayed awake during the night in the secret realm. They were all cultivators, so staying up all night wasn’t a big deal. The Floating Island Secret Realm was only open for one day, so they naturally couldn’t miss one minute or second.

It was pretty rare for four people to spend the whole night quietly at camp like they had.

Fang Yang had never imagined that he, who woke up at the crack of dawn, could sleep in until noon. This is clearly when Useless Shixiong usually wakes up, Fang Yang thought as he looked at the sun.

While Fang Yang was lamenting to the sun, Cao Zirui also slowly woke up. He rubbed his sleepy eyes. For some reason, he felt like he’d had a nightmare about rolling around. But in the end, after a night of rest, the power of the elixirs had slowly taken effect and his injuries were greatly improved.

His spirits were no longer as low as they’d been the day before, and he took the initiative to greet Fang Yang. He wasn’t familiar with Hao Chen, and also wasn’t very good at socializing, so he just nodded at him somewhat distantly.

Hao Chen couldn’t be bothered to waste energy on these two brats. He gave a perfunctory nod in return and then continued to gaze in the direction Feng Ye had left like a husband-waiting stone.

He only went to wash his face. Why hasn’t he come back yet? Just as Hao Chen began to mutter inwardly, he caught sight of Feng Ye’s figure from afar.

Feng Ye walked back to camp. He seemed to have washed his face as he’d claimed, because there were still droplets of water on his skin.

But his water-stained brow was now wrinkled somewhat worriedly.

Feng Ye was looking at his sleeves as he walked, which were torn beyond recognition. Although he was not a shy young woman who wouldn’t go out in ragged clothes…..it was still pretty indecent.

In a sense, Feng Ye was a bit old-fashioned and couldn’t accept walking around in public like this. So when he got back to camp, his first words were: “Do you have any spare clothes?”

His question was directed at Fang Yang. As for the other two, he wasn’t familiar with Cao Zirui, and he ignored Hao Chen.

Fang Yang considered this and said hesitantly: “I do, but…..”

In order to be more persuasive, he purposely rushed to Feng Ye’s side and stood on tiptoe to compare the height difference between them, then said uncertainly: “Shixiong, would you even be able to wear my clothes?”

Feng Ye: “……” It had actually slipped his mind. He probably wouldn’t fit them.

Since Fang Yang’s wouldn’t do, then Cao Zirui’s wouldn’t either, since they were about the same size.

Feng Ye looked around and once again ignored Hao Chen’s glittering eyes, which seemed to say, “Look at me, quick, look at me,” coming to the conclusion that he could only walk out of the Floating Island Secret Realm in these tattered robes.

But although Feng Ye wouldn’t look at him, Hao Chen refused to be left out, and took the initiative to suggest: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, actually…..I do have some spare clothes.”

Before Feng Ye could disagree, Fang Yang answered happily: “That’s great! Then you can get changed, Shixiong, and I’ll go to the river to wash my face.”

Cao Zirui promptly said: “I’ll go too.”

With that, the two of them went off to the river to wash their faces.

The other two people were left with a strange atmosphere.

Feng Ye intuitively felt that the clothes Hao Chen gave him would come with some problems, but since Fang Yang had already helped him fall into this trap, it was too late for him to stop it.

As soon as Fang Yang and Cao Zirui walked out of sight, Hao Chen took out a white daoist robe with golden edges – the same style as his own – from his storage bag.

He spread the robe in front of him and compared his own similar height to Feng Ye’s, sighing: “It’s practically tailor-made for Fellow Daoist Feng Ye. Let me help you put it on.”

As he spoke, he reached out to untie Feng Ye’s belt.

Feng Ye immediately took a couple of steps back and declined: “No need, I’ll do it myself.”

Hao Chen could only hand the clothes over to Feng Ye with regret. Feng Ye took them and dithered for a moment, not changing right away. He hadn’t decided whether to wear them or not.

This piece of clothing was likely not brand new. He was a little hesitant to wear clothes that had been worn by someone else, especially since the owner of the robe was Hao Chen.

Forget it, why put up a fuss? It was better than showing up in rags.

Feng Ye was just about to change clothes when he heard Hao Chen say with great emotion: “This robe is extremely close-fitting. I’ve worn it for a long time, so it must have picked up a lot of my scent. Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, once you put it on, it will be like I’m always by your side.”

Feng Ye: “……” This description was too horrifying.

He pinched the robe in his fingers and held it at a distance. In the end, he couldn’t get past this feeling.

In fact, after last night, he no longer found Hao Chen as annoying as before. But they were far from the point at which he could accept Hao Chen staying by his side at all times.

He decisively returned the clothes to Hao Chen, who finally realized that he had gone too far this time. No matter how he tried to save the situation, Feng Ye could never forget Hao Chen’s original description and refused to wear it.

As they persuaded and refused back and forth, they heard a young man’s joyful, excited voice coming from afar.

“Shixiong!” Fang Yang trotted toward the two of them, holding something in his hand as Cao Zirui followed close behind.

Hao Chen squinted his eyes to take a look, thinking that it looked like some kind of medicinal herb.

Only when Fang Yang ran closer did he see the thing’s entire appearance.

The plant was completely transparent, like ice crystals. It looked very much like one of the medicinal herbs they had heard about from administrator Zhang.

“Ice Grass!” Fang Yang said excitedly. He showed the grass to Feng Ye: “I found it by the river, growing between two rocks. Shixiong, you just went to wash your face. How come you didn’t see it?”

Feng Ye smiled and said: “I guess I didn’t notice it.”

Hao Chen tapped his arm with his mini fan and remained silent.

Cao Zirui was completely confused. He didn’t know what he had been poisoned with, nor did he know what the Blazing Sun Flower and Ice Grass were. He naturally didn’t understand how precious this herb was. 

When he and Fang Yang were washing their faces at the river, Fang Yang had discovered this herb and rushed back regardless of anything else in order to tell his Useless Shixiong the good news as soon as possible. Although Cao Zirui didn’t know why Fang Yang was so happy, he rushed back with him as well.

He was increasingly confused, and couldn’t help but tug on Fang Yang’s sleeve. Fang Yang then remembered that Cao Zirui knew nothing about the Blazing Sun Flower, so he suppressed his excitement and explained to Cao Zirui the functions of these two herbs.

The two were talking animatedly when Hao Chen followed suit and tugged on Feng Ye’s sleeve. He dragged the other man farther away from where the other two were standing and asked in a low voice: “Ice Grass has extremely high requirements for its growing environment. I remember Administrator Zhang saying that it only grows on the seabed in the Floating Island Secret Realm. How could it have been found on land by a river?”

How could it have been found on land by a river?

Feng Ye’s gaze drifted. It was because before he went to search for the underwater cave, he had taken a detour to pick the plant. And just now, he had planted it in a crevice between two rocks.

These were his thoughts, but the words on his lips were: “He’s lucky.”

Just as Administrator Zhang had said at the time: “Perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to pick it up.” Although Administrator Zhang had just been comforting him, Feng Ye had turned this seemingly impossible statement into reality.

Hao Chen fixed him with a steady look. After a moment, his lips curved into a smile and he waved his mini fan, echoing: “Really lucky.”

He turned his head to regard Fang Yang, who was excitingly regaling Cao Zirui with a story, and added to himself: “He’s really lucky to have met you.”

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Chapter 56 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 58

T/N: Thank you to Rosepetalrabbit and DashingRavens for the Kofi donations! Here’s a triple update!

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Chapter 56 – A Long Night

This coincidence was so dramatic that the two of them fell silent again.

“Cough.” Hao Chen was the first to break the silence. The strange look on his face vanished, transforming into a frivolous, insincere smile: “Since this was all a misunderstanding, I was in the wrong. But it was unfair of you to abandon me, Fellow Daoist Feng Ye. Let’s let byegones be byegones.”

Feng Ye considered it, and began to nod in agreement. Although he didn’t think he was wrong for getting rid of Hao Chen, he certainly hadn’t meant to trap him in a monster lair.

If Hao Chen weren’t so powerful, he would have made an irreparable mistake. Thinking of this, Feng Ye felt a little guilty.

However, before he could nod, Hao Chen suddenly changed his mind and denied: “No, no, we can’t just let this go.”

Feng Ye was surprised that Hao Chen was still unable to let go of his anger, and was about to hit back when Hao Chen smiled at him and said: “Although it was all a misunderstanding, I didn’t give Fellow Daoist Feng Ye the trust he deserves, so my part in this was more serious. It’s reasonable for me to be the one who makes amends.”

He spoke in a lofty manner and made a very convincing argument, but when Feng Ye looked at that smile, he inexplicably felt that this was like a weasel sending New Year’s greetings to a chicken. His scalp tingled, and he decisively refused: “No need.”

“How can this be? I’ll feel guilty if I don’t compensate you.” Hao Chen scooted his butt so that he was closer to Feng Ye.

Feng Ye continued to refuse: “No, it really isn’t necessary. I appreciate Fellow Daoist Hao Chen’s kindness.”

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, please don’t refuse. Three times is the limit. If you refuse again, you’ll hurt my feelings.” Hao Chen put on an aggrieved expression.

He moved a little closer as he spoke, until his leg was touching Feng Ye’s.

Feng Ye curled his leg up in discomfort, avoiding contact as he observed Hao Chen’s expression.

Hao Chen’s sad and aggrieved expression was most likely fake, but…..due to the slight guilt he still felt, it was somewhat difficult to give voice to the refusal that was on the tip of his tongue.

Feng Ye pursed his lips and dithered for a while, but he was ultimately defeated by the guilt in his heart and knowingly jumped into this pit, saying helplessly: “Alright.”

When he received an affirmative reply, the expression on Hao Chen’s face immediately cleared up, all of the sadness and grievance vanishing without a trace.

He waved the mini fan in his hand and said with a smile: “Gold, silver, and jade are too worldly, and magical instruments and spirit stones are just commonplace objects, unworthy of Fellow Daoist Feng Ye. I would be embarrassed to present them to you.”

“I’ve given it some thought, and the only thing I can compensate you with is…..” He covered his lips with the mini fan as he spoke, his voice going lower and lower while he simultaneously leaned slightly to the side, pressing close to the side of Feng Ye’s neck.

Feng Ye felt increasingly ill at ease. He wasn’t used to having someone so close, but for the same reason as before, he forced himself not to move away.

Warm breath brushed against his skin, bringing with it a slight tingling sensation.

The mini fan moved to cover both of their faces, although it couldn’t cover them entirely. He leaned close to Feng Ye’s ear and whispered in a soft voice: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, how about…..I compensate you with my body.”

Feng Ye: “……”

He remained sitting there, unmoving. This was not tacit consent – Hao Chen’s words were so shocking that he was frozen in place.

Feng Ye was frozen, but Hao Chen wasn’t. He noticed how tense Feng Ye was. Although he hadn’t meant it seriously, he couldn’t help but add one more malicious comment after seeing Feng Ye’s reaction: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye isn’t saying anything. Shall I take that as agreement?”

This comment was like a thunderclap in a clear sky, waking Feng Ye up at once. He instinctively turned his head to refute, but Hao Chen was so close to him that their noses collided.

There wasn’t much pain in this so-called collision, but rather the enchanting feeling of two breaths intertwining.

They were both stunned by this unexpected development, each set of eyes staring at the other with identical surprise and confusion.

Hao Chen stared at the face that occupied his field of vision. It was ordinary, without any stand-out features. He didn’t know if it was due to their past few days of getting along, or because the gleam in those pupils was so charming, but his heartbeat actually felt a bit irregular.

His heartbeat had quickened because of Feng Ye before, but that was only when Feng Ye revealed his arrogant side. He couldn’t figure out if it was because of his desire to fight this time, or if it was simply attraction.

But Feng Ye’s sharp edges certainly weren’t showing right now. How could he be thrown into turmoil over such an ordinary face?

Could it be that I actually have feelings for him….. Hao Chen thought unwillingly.

In his original mate selection criteria, setting aside being as strong as him (because if this was the case, he would probably be single for the rest of his life), his partner’s appearance had to be at least above average. He didn’t have to be stunningly, peerlessly beautiful, but he at least had to be good-looking in a unique way that was difficult to forget.

Obviously, Feng Ye’s current appearance was far from meeting his standards. But he had seen beauties who were above that standard before, yet never felt the slightest attraction to them.

Perhaps this standard in itself was a paradox, and when he met the right person, his standards all became the same as that person.

But when he met the wrong person, even if his standards were met, a new one would always emerge in his heart that the beauty couldn’t meet.

If the person who accompanied him for the rest of his life were to be Feng Ye, there would be nothing wrong with that. He likely wouldn’t be bored in the future, because it was endless fun to compete with Feng Ye in wits and courage.

Hao Chen’s thoughts diverged more and more, and he even thought about how he would announce the good news that he was no longer single to his subordinates in the North Sea. His significant other, completely unaware of this good news, had not yet agreed.

Unlike Hao Chen’s thoughts, which were jumping farther and farther away, Feng Ye’s mind went blank in the face of this suddenly shortened distance. He seldom got close to others, and the distance between their two breaths was as short as could be.

He could handle anything else with ease, and wouldn’t panic even if the sky was falling. Even though he knew nothing about the mastermind behind the incident that was about to disrupt the world, he had still dared to come here and investigate alone.

But when it came to feelings, he was a novice who wasn’t much better than Fang Yang.

He divided the sins of the world into three categories, and people also held three different attitudes toward him: respect, fear…..and hatred.

As for those who judged him by his outward appearance, their numbers were negligible.

Hao Chen was definitely the most daring one among them. First he flirted with him, and now he went a step further and wanted to compensate him with his body.

However, Feng Ye had no feelings toward Hao Chen. It had nothing to do with his identity, appearance, strength, or anything else. 

It was simply because he refused to let his guard down in the slightest.

Feelings were a strange phenomenon. They were powerful, with the strength to move mountains and fill up the seas. But they were also very fragile, so fragile that even trivial daily matters could cause them to collapse irreparably.

Although Feng Ye wouldn’t admit it, deep down, he was wary of such a fickle thing.

He didn’t like Hao Chen that way, just like he didn’t like anyone else.

He had already drafted the words of rejection in his mind, but just as he was about to blurt them out, a cough interrupted him.

Cao Zirui held his aching chest, propping himself up slightly. The sky was dark, but not so dark that he couldn’t see anything, so he spotted these two sitting intimately together at a glance.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen were still deep in thought, and hadn’t moved at all.

For a not inconsiderable amount of time, the two of them maintained this intimate posture with their noses touching.

But as luck would have it, with Hao Chen holding his mini fan in front of their faces, the truncated fan was just able to cover the key parts – their lips, which were very close together.

Thus, in Cao Zirui’s eyes, it looked like the two of them were kissing.

Two men were kissing?

This realization muddled Cao Zirui’s brain. The first thing he did upon waking was not to ask where he was or who these two people were. Instead, he asked in a puzzled tone: “You….?”

Feng Ye: “……” He finally realized how awkward their closeness was and jumped to his feet in a fluster, moving away from Hao Chen.

Hao Chen was also a little embarrassed at first, but Feng Ye’s embarrassment canceled out his own. He gave Cao Zirui a broad and level smile, as if to say: Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking.

Cao Zirui: “……”

He could only raise a hand to touch his forehead, wondering if he had brain damage from his injuries. Just as he was about to close his eyes and lay down again, he heard footsteps approaching from afar.

Fang Yang rushed back with a pile of firewood in his arms. He saw Cao Zirui sitting up from a distance, and greeted him joyfully: “Cao Zirui, you’re finally awake!”

This familiar voice pulled Cao Zirui back from his mentality that this was all a dream, and he opened his eyes again

Fang Yang ran over and tossed the firewood to the ground. He dusted off his hands and grinned at Cao Zirui: “How are you feeling? I was so worried when you wouldn’t wake up. I didn’t know how to heal you, and I don’t have any medicine on me. Does it still hurt? Do you need my help?”

The series of rapid-fire questions came so fast that Cao Zirui couldn’t react in a timely manner. Having just woken up, his mind was still a little off-kilter and he couldn’t tell if the nightmarish pursuit from before had been a dream or reality.

But seeing Fang Yang now proved that it wasn’t a dream. He had really had a close call with death.

Cao Zirui did not rush to ask what had happened, or how they escaped. He also didn’t rush to ask about the two unfamiliar men in front of him who seemed to be a couple. Since Fang Yang had unhesitatingly left him with these people, they must be trustworthy.

So he sat up cross-legged on the ground, and after circulating his spiritual power through his body once, he found that although his meridians were broken in many places, they could be healed by taking some spiritual pills. It was the fact that his cultivation showed no signs of recovery that concerned him more.

He really seemed to have fallen to the ninth level of Qi Refining, his lost cultivation gone forever.

But after all, compared to losing his life, this was the better outcome.

Cao Zirui was very much at ease. He replied to Fang Yang: “It’s nothing serious.” Then he took five or six porcelain bottles from his bottomless storage bag and ate one pill from each bottle.

When he was done, he handed one of the bottles to Fang Yang: “These are for external injuries. You should take one too.”

Fang Yang didn’t ask what kind of medicine it was. With great trust, he opened the bottle and poured out a round pill, popping it into his mouth.

Although this pill looked dark and terrible, when it entered his mouth, he felt a cool sensation that very much relieved the burning wounds on his body.

Although Fang Yang didn’t know much, he knew that it must be quality medicine, so he asked while holding the pill in his mouth: “Is this medicine expensive?”

Cao Zirui shook his head, and Fang Yang easily swallowed it. As the jut of his throat rolled up and down, Cao Zirui said: “They’re only about a thousand spirit stones each.”

Fang Yang: “……” After a long silence, he immediately began to dig at his throat, trying to spit out the pill.

One thousand spirit stones, ah! That was ten years of savings for him!

Apart from some surface wounds, he was completely unharmed. They would only take two or three days to heal with some common medicine, so there was no need to take such an expensive pill.

However, he had already swallowed it and was unable to spit it out.

Cao Zirui simply thought it had stuck in Fang Yang’s throat, so he patted him on the back considerately.

However, the other two watching nearby clearly understood Fang Yang’s thought process. Hao Chen couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head. 

This poor boy had never seen the world. What were one thousand spirit stones for each pill? Hao Chen wouldn’t even care if it was ten thousand. So thought a certain wealthy fish.

Feng Ye sent Hao Chen a light glance. Due to Cao Zirui waking up, he hadn’t had a chance to voice his rejection.

He was rather hesitant to bring it up again. He didn’t want to string him along when feelings between them were impossible, but…..Hao Chen probably hadn’t meant what he said. This guy was always so frivolous. Even though he looked like a gentleman, every word he spoke had alternate meanings.

If it was just a joke, it would be a bit improper for Feng Ye to reject him.

Feng Ye gave it some thought, and didn’t voice his rejection openly in the end.

When Cao Zirui was done taking his pills, he took some time to regulate his breathing alone, and felt that his injuries were basically stable. At last, he had time to ask about what had happened.

Fang Yang became a chatterbox again, and Hao Chen could be heard yawning in boredom. After filtering out the useless information that took up most of the narrative, Cao Zirui finally had a grasp of the events that had unfolded.

The sudden earthquake had destroyed the golden arrow that was pursuing them, and the two people in front of him were fellow disciples of Lingxiao Sword Sect. Feng Ye was the dark horse who had emerged during the previous competition and kicked Lu Chengye off the stage. Cao Zirui hadn’t recognized him immediately due to the fan being in the way.

The other person was a disciple of Tiangong pavilion, and a good friend of Feng Ye’s.

Once he had a general understanding, Cao Zirui’s energy began to decline again. Although he had taken the elixirs, he required a good rest in order to deal with his injuries.

Fang Yang was also a little drowsy. He had been running for his life for so long – first by himself, and then with Cao Zirui on his back. He had been anxious the whole time, and it could be said that he only felt a little more at ease once Feng Ye appeared.

Seeing the troubled expressions of the two, Feng Ye suggested: “You two should rest first. The Floating Island Secret Realm won’t close until noon tomorrow. Most of the others will probably be searching for spiritual plants and treasures overnight, but you’re not in good condition, and your health is more important.”

Feng Ye’s words made sense. Fang Yang and Cao Zirui really didn’t have the energy to care about spiritual plants and treasures. The most important thing was to get a good rest.

But before going to sleep, Fang Yang still mentioned something with concern: “The golden arrow may be broken, but Lu Chengye…..”

Lu Chengye wasn’t dead. They didn’t know where he was, and he might attack again at any time, so Fang Yang didn’t feel secure enough to fall asleep like this.

Feng Ye couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard this, saying: “You can sleep peacefully. I’ll keep watch for you, don’t worry.”

Although Useless Shixiong was only at the third level of Qi Refining, for some reason, Fang Yang felt at ease when he heard this.

Thus, not long after Feng Ye finished speaking, Fang Yang fell into a deep sleep, following the already slumbering Cao Zirui.

He and Cao Zirui lay with their shoulders touching, side by side next to the lit campfire.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen sat on the other side, listening to the occasional chirping of insects in the quiet night.

Although Hao Chen didn’t speak a word, he looked like he was prepared to accompany Feng Ye until dawn.

Only his yawning once again revealed his sleepiness. Unlike Feng Ye, who had come on the sect’s ship, he had been running around all night long before coming to the Floating Island Secret Realm, which was the only reason why he was able to arrive at the entrance before Feng Ye.

Since entering the secret realm, he had been busy the whole time due to various incidents. Even the most powerful fish wouldn’t be able to bear it, and he was actually a little sleepy.

But he had no intention of going to sleep first. As the tyrant lord of the North Sea, he was usually the one who took care of others, and had never experienced the role of being looked after.

In his subconscious mind, he was the one who should keep watch. Others could go to sleep, but he couldn’t. Just like the North Sea he guarded, others could escape and retreat, but he could not.

However, Feng Ye’s next words changed his mind.

“Go to sleep if you’re tired.” Feng Ye gazed up at the starry sky as he spoke. The stars shone brightly. Although they weren’t as brilliant as the sun, they were the only shining lights in the darkness and could not be ignored.

Hao Chen didn’t react immediately after hearing this, but turned his head to look at Feng Ye blankly. He was surprised by this sudden tenderness.

It was the first time Feng Ye had spoken to him in such a gentle tone. Usually, his tone was either a mix of sarcasm and ridicule, or a mix of probing and pushing.

After staring for a while, Hao Chen suddenly asked a completely unrelated question: “Does what Fellow Daoist Feng Ye said to me under the sea still count?”

Feng Ye thought about it and realized that Hao Chen was probably talking about the “even if it was you who was in danger, I would save you” comment.

He nodded, assuring him: “As long as you’re not in the third class of sinners, this sentence will always hold true.”

Hao Chen suddenly smiled. It wasn’t his usual frivolous, duplicitous smile, but a rather pure one, like a child who had just received candy. He winked at Feng Ye: “Your word has weight. And you can’t deceive me again, otherwise…..I’ll be very angry.”

There was a hint of a threat at the end of his words.

But Feng Ye was unbothered, because his conscience was clear. If he said he would do something, he would do it, even if he had to go through boiling water or walk through fire.

Feng Ye nodded again.

Having received this assurance, Hao Chen stretched his tired body, then moved unhesitatingly to Feng Ye’s side. After finding a good angle, he closed his eyes and said: “Then I’ll sleep.”

After saying this, he tilted his head onto Feng Ye’s shoulder.

Feng Ye: “……” He’d wanted Hao Chen to rest, but not in this position.

But the person on his shoulder was breathing long, even breaths, and even Feng Ye couldn’t tell whether he was actually asleep or pretending.

He hesitated, but ultimately didn’t shake Hao Chen off. He just gazed at Hao Chen’s sleeping face for a while before silently acquiescing.

Never mind. Anyway, I broke his fan, so I should compensate him for it, Feng Ye thought.

And where Feng Ye couldn’t see, a black-hearted fish smiled. His plan had succeeded. He hadn’t slept in vain for so long in the North Sea – it was inevitable that he would gain some experience from his lengthy naps.

When it came to feigning sleep, he was second to none. Therefore, even Feng Ye couldn’t tell the difference.

He was using the excuse of sleep to take liberties. Though he was secretly delighted by his own cleverness, the night was long, and he unknowingly fell asleep.

Quietly, and without any burdens.

At the four people’s campsite, two people of similar heights lay side-by-side next to the campfire. Cao Zirui slept very well, and rarely moved around, but Fang Yang was the exact opposite. He flung his arms and kicked his legs, forcing Cao Zirui to retreat again and again.

And on the other side of the campfire, two figures sat side-by-side.

Hao Chen was already deeply asleep. When he was awake, he at least knew not to go too far, lest he step on Feng Ye’s bottom line and suffer the consequences.

But at this moment, he was like an octopus, clinging to Feng Ye with his hands.

Feng Ye could only helplessly lower his bottom line again and again. He listened to the crackle of burning wood and watched flaming embers float into the night sky.

Like countless times before, he kept watch over the long night alone.

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Chapter 55 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 57

T/N: It was a hectic holiday season, but I’m back on track! Updates should be more regular from now on.

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Situ Zhaoling stared in shock at the huge phantom god, and only returned to her senses when the phoenix placed her on the ground and soared away.

There was pure white all around, with clouds and mist to the left and right, and tall, unreachable coiled dragon jade pillars hidden among them.

A few steps in front of her was a long white jade table and a wide chair made of the same material.

A dozen feet farther ahead, clouds and mist flowed slowly like a gauze curtain, and a gust of wind carried the scent of wintersweets.

Situ Zhaling felt her mind become much clearer.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes to look at her.

When Jiang Shuoye entered the Divine Realm earlier, he’d worn the same clothes he was sleeping in. Due to this, Chu Jiubian was a little worried about what to do if the girl arrived wearing her sleeping clothes. Fortunately, the System said that it would automatically supply clothing for his Believers.

Whatever they wore during the day was what they would wear in the Divine Realm.

Presently, Situ Zhaoling was wearing the crimson-purple dress she’d been wearing during the day, which was very characteristic of Nanjiang. The top skirt was adorned with white tassels hanging at the hems, and a large silver collar hung around her neck, exquisitely crafted.

She had long, thick black hair, half of which was tied into a bun while the other half was left loose. Pale lavender pearls hung from the bun and her two silver hairpins, swaying slightly. 

When she realized that the huge godly image was looking down at her, Situ Zhaoling involuntarily clenched her fists. That gaze seemed to have substance, and the terrifying pressure caused her heart to tremble slightly.

A distant dragon let out a long, lingering roar.

She heard a cold male voice sound from the shadowy figure.

“Welcome to my Divine Realm.”

Divine Realm?

Countless thoughts flashed through Situ Zhaoling’s mind in an instant.

In ancient times, immortals appeared in dreams to instruct mortals. Could she have been chosen by a god?!

Her heart was beating like a drum.

She asked cautiously: “Are you a god?”

Her clear voice was full of awe.

Perhaps because she was aware from the start that she was dreaming and had been brought here by a mythical phoenix, or perhaps because the people of Nanjiang were more prone to believing in the supernatural, she was not as vigilant as Jiang Shuoye and very easily connected this situation to the gods.

This saved Chu Jiubian a lot of trouble. He was very satisfied with this believer.

“I know you’re in trouble, so I’ve come to help you.” His voice echoed all around.

Nanjiang was experiencing a severe drought, and it was fair to say that it was a disaster.

Situ Zhaoling instantly thought of the matter that had been bothering her for several days, and quickly straightened out her expression. 

She knelt right down on the ground, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and performed the salute of the Nanjiang people.

“This one is indeed in trouble right now.” Situ Zhaoling said sincerely, “There has been no rain in Nanjiang for many days, and the rivers are drying up. There is fear of a drought.”

“It’s just that the Imperial Court is doing nothing. My parents are honest people and haven’t been collecting much grain tax, so we cannot afford to donate sufficient food for disaster relief. Please help the common people of Nanjiang!”

Ever since her mother and father married, her maternal grandmother, the Stronghold Chieftain, had become inseparable from the Nanjiang palace, along with her relatives. 

They never exploited the common people under their rule.

Because Nanjiang always had good weather and hadn’t experienced any disasters in the past hundred years, the village chiefs and Nanjiang-wang had only collected half of the annual taxes to be paid to the court, with the remaining half never collected in full. In fact, there was more food and money in the hands of the common people themselves. 

This also meant that there was not much surplus grain in Nanjiang’s granaries. If food was distributed on a large scale, it wouldn’t last more than a few days. This wasn’t nearly enough to withstand a large-scale drought.

The grain merchants in Nanjiang were all aware of the situation. Grain prices were rising slowly, and when the people had eaten up all the old grain, prices would definitely rise even more. 

Bai Lihao could naturally use his power to suppress those grain merchants and prevent them from raising prices. 

But merchants were profit-driven, and there were other regions near Nanjiang that were also suffering from drought. Grain prices were also high there, so these grain merchants would definitely go elsewhere.

At that time, there would be nowhere to buy grain in Nanjiang even if they wanted to.

Although her mother had been praying for rain for several days, the crops were basically dead due to the current situation, and even a few days of heavy rain wouldn’t be able to save them.

So Situ Zhaoling was not asking Chu Jiubian to bring rain, but to help them overcome the drought, whether it was giving advice, donating food, or anything else — anything that could save the common people.

“This one is willing to serve you, My Lord. I only ask you to bestow upon us your blessings.”

As a god, it would be too cheap to demand something without giving something in return.

If he didn’t lay a good foundation at the beginning, and then tried to use Situ Zhaoling to make money and expand his reputation, he might have to trade something else in order to make a deal.

This wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted Believers to volunteer to serve him, and work without asking for more in return.

The Faith Value from Nanjiang couldn’t be relied on for the time being, and the Faith Value in the capital wasn’t sufficient no matter how hard he tried, so the only place left was the Northern Desert.

Jiang Shuoye should also fulfill some of his obligations as a Believer, such as helping with “missionary work.”

With some plans in mind, Chu Jiubian said to Situ Zhaoling: “I will call upon you again in fifteen days to help you overcome this difficulty.”

Situ Zhaoling’s bright eyes flashed with pleasant surprise, and she quickly bowed: “Many thanks, My Lord!”

Then she hastened to ask: “What is your name?”

Her vision was suddenly flooded with white mist, and it felt like her body was floating slightly.

Bright moonlight streamed into her bedroom, illuminating the beautiful sleeping face of the young girl.

Her long eyelashes trembled, and she abruptly opened her eyes.

Situ Zhaoling jumped out of bed and cast her gaze around.

She was perfectly awake, her eyes bright and clear, without a trace of the usual sleepiness that came with waking.

The god’s deep voice echoed in her ears: “I am the High Priest.”

“High Priest.” She whispered the title, and her heart trembled for a long while.

Wait, she had to go find her mother!

She hurriedly dressed herself and, heedless of the fact that it was the middle of the night, ran straight to her parents’ courtyard.

The maid on night duty scrambled to catch up, but Situ Zhaoling stopped her: “Go and sleep. I’m going to find my mother.”

The princess had been having constant nightmares during this period, and after waking, she would go find her mother and stay in her courtyard.

The little maidservant was worried, so she followed the princess all the way until she saw that she had indeed entered the main courtyard. Only then did she feel at ease and go back.

Situ Anli and Bai Lihao couldn’t sleep well, so they simply gave up and snuggled at the head of the bed, talking in low voices.

They had previously thought that if the common people had more money and food, their lives would be more comfortable, but now they truly regretted not building larger public granaries and collecting more food from the people.

The people of Nanjiang were used to living good lives, and never treated themselves badly when it came to food. Because there hadn’t been any disasters in the past hundred years, they all relied on each season’s harvest and didn’t keep much old grain.

Now that they were watching the grain harvest fail, the common people only thought about saving money and food.

But even so, the surplus grain in their hands wouldn’t last long. They had now begun buying grain to eat, and the grain merchants had been slowly raising prices.

If this continued, they would soon have to open the granaries.

However, the grain in the granaries wouldn’t last long.

Bai Lihao had considered buying food from other places, but Guizhou, Sichuan, and Huguang, which were closest to them, were also suffering from the disaster.

If they wanted to have enough food, they would soon have to go to Henan or Jiangxi.

There were two or three regions in-between, and it was unknown how long the trip back and forth would take. The money and manpower spent would also be far more expensive than buying grain directly from the grain merchants.

“It would be great if the Imperial Court would send us food.” Situ Anli leaned against the headboard with a small emerald green snake coiled around her arm.

Frowning, she gently touched the little snake’s head.

Southern Zhili was under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court. Not only had they not suffered any disasters this year, but it was even a rare year of bumper harvest. 

According to the news, their early rice harvest should have already started.

If the Imperial Court could transfer grain from Southern Zhili to Nanjiang, the grain prices would stabilize in just one month, thus solving their urgent needs.

Bai Lihao reached up to gently smooth away her frown, saying softly: “To send grain from Southern Zhili, it must pass through Huguang and Guizhou, only the latter of which is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court. Huguang-wang will never allow food to be transported safely from his territory to Jiangnan.”

Situ Anli said with a sneer: “His greed is insatiable.”

The region of Huguang had good harvests year after year, and the grain tax revenues were high, but the money was never enough when it was handed over to the court, and Huguang cried about being poor all day long.

Like this, the money and grain that should have been handed over to the Imperial Court went into Huguang-wang’s pockets. The local army was expanded again and again, and granaries were built one after another.

Everyone knew that he was extremely wealthy, his treasury overflowing.

Even if he gave out porridge every day, it would be easy for him to feed the common people in his territory for a year or two.

But everyone knew that with Bai Liyue’s personality, while he would give food to the soldiers without hesitation, he would be reluctant to give any to the ordinary commoners.

This was indeed the case.

When the drought began two months ago, Bai Liyue submitted a memorial to the court bemoaning his poverty, and requested money and food, as well as manpower to dig wells and dredge canals.

At that time, the late Emperor Yingzong was still in power. Apparently due to his fear of the more than 70,000-strong Huguang army, he actually sent over the requested money and food.

When he saw this, Bai Lihao also submitted a memorial. But the emperor had never been close to him, nor did he take this vassal king living in a remote region seriously, so he ignored it.

However, now that the new emperor had ascended the throne, the Imperial Court must be in a completely different situation.

Bai Lihao had been sent to Jiangnan by Emperor Chengzong before the late Emperor Yingzong came to power, so when the coup was launched in the capital, he was leisurely and comfortable far away in Nanjiang.

The Qin family had helped Emperor Yingzong ascend the throne. This family had been loyal for generations, and Bai Lihao had a good impression of them. He was just not very familiar with Qin Xiao.

He had only heard that the other party was the idle eldest son of the Qin family, but now, it seemed that Qin Xiao was definitely not a stupid person.

On the contrary, Qin Xiao was decisive and mighty, with ruthless methods. 

The fact that he was able to stand out amongst the twisted politics in the capital and push Bai Lihong, who carried Qin family blood, to the top was something that should not be underestimated.

Bai Lihao had sent a memorial just before, because he was unsure of the other party’s temperament. What if he actually sent them grain?

But this possibility was extremely low. Just as he had said, most of the grain from the Imperial Court would be stolen by the Huguang-wang on the way, and Nanjiang wouldn’t see even one grain of rice.

Bai Lihao did not have high expectations. He said: “The letter I sent to Fifth Brother should have arrived. I wonder if he will be able to provide the needed food.”

Pingxi-wang, Bai Lizheng, was the same age as Bai Lihao. The mothers of the two princes had similar backgrounds and personalities, so they had a good relationship in the palace and often visited one another, and the fifth and sixth princes grew up together.

Their relationship was much closer compared to the other brothers.

Afterward, they were separated to their fiefdoms, one in Nanjiang and the other in Sichuan, which were close in proximity. Therefore, although they didn’t see each other as often as they had in the palace, they still exchanged letters several times a year.

Now that Bai Lihao had taken the initiative to make the request, if Bai Lizheng had any surplus food, he would definitely share some with him.

It was only that Sichuan was also suffering from the disaster, and its population was much larger than that of Nanjiang. Bai Lihao could only ask for help as a last-ditch effort.

“I figure they’re also stretched to the limit over there.” Situ Anli let out a faint sigh and looked outside through the open window. The moonlight was like a gauzy veil.

“Madam, My Lord, the Princess is here,” a servant reported from outside the room.

“Ling’er?”

“Did she have a nightmare?”

The couple quickly got up, dressed themselves, and went out.

Their daughter rushed toward them as soon as they came out, and Situ Anli immediately embraced her.

The little snake coiled around her arm quickly slithered up to her shoulder, wrapping its tail around her neck. Its little head tilted, and its black, bean-like eyes peered at Situ Zhaoling curiously. Situ Zhaoling stepped back slightly, then took her mother’s warm hands and said excitedly: “Mom, I had a dream—”

Her throat suddenly seemed to be blocked, and she was unable to utter a single word that came to her lips.

She reached up and touched her throat in surprise: “What’s going on?”

Her voice returned.

“What’s wrong?” Situ Anli hurriedly inspected her daughter’s neck, asking anxiously, “Do you have a sore throat?”

“Call for the doctor.” Bai Lihao immediately ordered someone to fetch him.

“Dad, there’s no need. I’m fine,” Situ Zhaoling dissuaded him.

The servant glanced at Bai Lihao, who waved a hand for him to retreat.

Situ Zhaoling thought she had spoken too fast with a dry throat, so she slowed down as she continued: “I just dreamt that—”

Her voice caught in her throat again.

Situ Zhaoling realized that something was wrong.

She seemed to be unable to speak of the High Priest.

Was…..was this the work of the god?

Without his permission, she couldn’t even reveal his existence.

She had originally come to her mother for help performing a divination, but now she had skipped that step and directly confirmed the identity of the High Priest.

The other party must be a powerful god, and had come to help her through this difficult time!

In this case, the drought issue would be successfully resolved!

Bai Lihao watched his daughter’s strange reaction and shifting expression. He asked with a frown: “Ling-er, what did you dream about?”

He had only heard his daughter speak the word “dream.”

Situ Zhaoling had been having nightmares these days, and Bai Lihao was truly worried about her. It seemed his daughter had been dreaming again, but going by her excitement, it shouldn’t have been a nightmare.

This was a good thing.

But what kind of dream would warrant her coming here in the middle of the night specifically to tell them about it?

“I didn’t dream about anything.” Situ Zhaoling giggled. She looked at her parents with bright eyes and said in a light tone, “Dad, Mom, you go ahead and continue to rest. Ling’er will take her leave now.”

She reached out and gently stroked the little green snake’s head a couple of times. “See you later, Cuicui.”

The little snake flicked its tongue.

Smiling, Situ Zhaoling turned around and left the main courtyard like a gust of wind.

Bai Lihao chuckled: “That child. Did she have a sweet dream?”

“Perhaps.” Situ Anli watched her daughter hurry away, her eyes bright and her heart beating rapidly. Cuicui slowly slithered to the top of her head and curled into her hair.

The holy star she had divined just the day before had actually appeared in her daughter’s dream. 

Nanjiang was saved.

*

*

Situ Zhaoling was so excited that she couldn’t sleep. 

An immortal had appeared in her dream. She was the chosen one!

It was a pity that she had no way to show off and express her joy and pride. All she could do was excitedly pace around the room. 

This wasn’t working. Since she couldn’t sleep, she needed to find someone to talk to.

Chu Jiubian watched the card screen and saw his second Believer jump around like a rabbit, then speed off to another courtyard.

The moonlight in Nanjiang was very bright tonight.

Inside the courtyard, there was a grinding sound in the middle of the night, like a saw cutting through wood.

Following Situ Zhaoling’s figure, Chu Jiubian saw that there was indeed a young man in the courtyard who was sawing a block of wood with his sleeves rolled up.

“A-di,” Situ Zhaoling said with a smile. “You’re still awake.”

When her brother showed her the diagram of a waterwheel today, she knew he would definitely be unable to sleep and would stay up studying it.

“A-jie, why aren’t you asleep yet?” Situ Zhaoyao reached up to wipe his face.

Situ Zhaoling immediately handed him a handkerchief, saying: “There’s sawdust on your hands.”

Situ Zhaoyao took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

With the brother and sister standing together, it was obvious that the growing younger brother was now half a head taller. 

But when they sat down, Chu Jiubian noticed through the screen that the two of them really looked alike, as if they had been carved from the same mold.

But the boy’s bones were somewhat more robust, and the girl’s more delicate, although both were good-looking.

The brother and sister chatted for a while, and Situ Zhaoyao talked about the waterwheel he was making. He was distressed, because something wasn’t right – it felt like there was something missing.

Chu Jiubian could only glimpse some cut pieces of wood through the screen, but didn’t see a complete waterwheel. He also didn’t know if he was making a dragon-bone waterwheel, a barrel wheel, or something else.

But no matter what it was, anybody who could conceive of making a “waterwheel” was no ordinary talent.

Chu Jiubian opened the System Mall and searched inside, locating the books on agricultural tools.

There were dozens of books, with very different categories and contents.

And because they involved tool diagrams, the prices were very high.

Chu Jiubian’s heart hurt just looking at them. But he had never known how to make a waterwheel before, so he couldn’t even give Situ Zhaoyao any advice.

Chu Jiubian didn’t dare to spend his limited points recklessly, so he decided to wait until the next time he summoned Situ Zhaoling to buy one.

It was getting late, so he stopped eavesdropping on the siblings’ conversation, shut off the screen, and left the Divine Realm.

A pounding headache and a burning sensation instantly washed over him. 

He opened his eyes and raised a hand to touch his forehead.

His hands were also hot, so he couldn’t really feel anything, but it was obvious that he had a fever – and a serious one at that.

His body was still too fragile.

Chu Jiubian had no choice but to buy a box of fever-reducing medicine from the System Mall. Then he struggled to sit up.

He rubbed his dry, burning eyes to clear his mind a little, then put on his boots and slowly walked to the outer room.

Xiao Xiangzi, who was supposed to be guarding the outer room, was not there. He’d probably just happened to go to the toilet.

Chu Jiubian took two cold medicine tablets with water.

Just as he was about to go back to sleep, the door opened from outside.

A cool breeze blew in along with drizzle. Chu Jiubian’s collar was a little loose, and the cold significantly cleared up his mind.

The person outside put away his umbrella and was startled when he turned around and saw Chu Jiubian: “Young Master!”

“En.” Chu Jiubian glanced at the person’s wet clothes and said: “Go change clothes and go to bed. There’s no need for you to remain here.”

Xiao Xiangzi immediately became anxious and explained in a rush: “No, Young Master, please don’t misunderstand me. Someone from Yangxin Hall came and called for me. I didn’t go far, just beyond the pavilion. I wasn’t purposely being lazy.”

The young master didn’t have a habit of getting up at night, so Xiao Xiangzi had gone out for a while and came back after exchanging only a few words. Unexpectedly, he was caught by the young master.

Chu Jiubian felt a dull pain at the back of his head, but he was used to hiding such things. Apart from a slight flush to his cheeks, there was no sign of anything unusual on his face.

“I’m not blaming you,” he said. “I really don’t need anyone to tend to me. It’s too much trouble for you all to take turns standing watch.”

Xiao Xiangzi breathed a sigh of relief. Then he remembered something and said: “By the way, Young Master, the person from Yangxin Hall said that His Majesty has a high fever and won’t attend court tomorrow. His Lordship said that you can sleep in longer.”

“His Majesty has a high fever?” Chu Jiubian frowned.

“Yes, the Imperial Physician was called a shichen ago.” Xiao Xiangzi said with some concern, “But it’s said that since His Majesty is so young and his body is so precious, the medicines can’t be made too strong. His fever has yet to subside.”

As the male protagonist, there was no need to worry about minor illnesses and misfortunes.

But the child’s tender face seemed to appear before Chu Jiubian’s eyes, smiling with a mouthful of white teeth and obediently calling him “xiansheng.”

“I’ll go have a look.” Chu Jiubian walked out.

Xiao Xiangzi hurried into the inner room to fetch his coat. When he emerged again and saw that the young master had already left the house with an umbrella, he quickly chased after him and helped him put on his coat.

The strong smell of ancient medicine wafted from Yangxin Hall’s main room.

“My Lord, His Majesty spat out his medicine, this won’t work at all.” The Imperial Physician was sweating profusely with nerves. “His Majesty still must be forced to swallow it.”

Ancient Chinese medicine tasted bitter, and it was truly difficult for a three-year-old child who had been raised in a pampered environment to swallow it.

Moreover, the child had a fever and didn’t feel good. The grievance of losing his mother in recent days completely burst out, and he hugged Qin Xiao’s neck tightly, crying so hard that his voice grew hoarse.

Everyone in the hall had watched him grow up, and they all knew why he had lost his composure and refused to take the medicine.

He wanted his mother.

Everyone’s hearts hurt. Several palace maids and nannies were quietly wiping their tears, and Eunuch Hong’s eyes were also red.

Qin Xiao gently rubbed the child’s back as he carried him around the hall at a sedate pace. He didn’t attempt to comfort him, but simply let him cry.

On the day the late empress passed away, Bai Lihong had sobbed heart-wrenchingly. It had taken Qin Xiao an entire night to comfort him.

Since then, the child had often woken up crying at night, looking for his mother. But he had never cried so loudly before, and would only sniffle.

Today, he was finally crying again.

The child needed to vent, so Qin Xiao simply held his small form and slowly walked around.

He would feel better after crying.

Outside, rain continued to fall in a steady drizzle.

There was noise in the outer hall, and Qin Xiao looked through the bedroom door. In just two breaths, a light-clothed figure came into view.

Qin Xiao paused, looking at the new arrival with some surprise.

Chu Jiubian was very disheveled. His clothes were untidy, his robes and boots were wet, and there were even water stains on his shoulders and hair.

However, his usually pale cheeks now had some color to them, making his complexion look much better than usual.

Bai Lihong’s eyes were swollen from crying. Coupled with the fever and not getting enough air, his whole person was in pain.

He only wanted to cry and vent, with no idea what was wrong with him.

“Send them out first.” A hoarse male voice rang out. Choking on a sob, Bai Lihong turned to find that it was Xiansheng.

It was Xiansheng. Xiansheng was a god, and knew about his mother. An inexplicable feeling of intimacy made him want to get closer to this person, so in full view of everyone, the child finally unlatched his small arms from Qin Xiao and twisted to reach out in Chu Jiubian’s direction.

Chu Jiubian had already walked closer. When he saw the child’s outstretched hands, he looked dazed for a moment.

“Xiansheng hold.” The child’s choked voice brought him back to his senses.

Chu Jiubian glanced at Qin Xiao. Seeing that he wasn’t going to stop him, he reached out and took the child into his arms.

Piping hot, tender, and damp, with the distinct scent of a child.

Chu Jiubian’s throat bobbed slightly.

Qin Xiao knew that Chu Jiubian had special pills, so when he heard him ask the others to leave, he didn’t hesitate to send everyone out, leaving only the three of them in the room.

On the way here, Chu Jiubian had already bought an electronic thermometer and fever medicine for children from the System Mall.

“Turn around first,” Chu Jiubian said to Qin Xiao.

He could show off some miracles in front of Qin Xiao from time to time, but it was better to hide things that were too advanced, such as the electronic thermometer.

Qin Xiao gave him a deep look, then turned his back to him.

He softly rubbed the ring on his thumb with his fingertips, and suddenly heard a very soft beep behind him.

Chu Jiubian looked at the thermometer. 38.3 degrees Celsius. Not too high, but still too high for a child.

He put the thermometer back into his Space, and when he lowered his eyes, the child looked stunned.

From the moment he took the thermometer out of thin air, Bai Lihong forgot to cry, staring blankly with red and swollen eyes at the thing that had appeared out of nowhere.

The thing tapped against his forehead gently and made a beeping sound.

And then Xiansheng made the thing disappear again!

Amazing! He was indeed Immortal Xiansheng!

Having forgotten to cry, Bai Lihong blinked and looked at Chu Jiubian, his shock gradually turning into admiration.

Chu Jiubian looked into the child’s red eyes and felt his own burning as well, as if he was about to burst into tears.

“Shh.” He gave the child a gentle smile without realizing it, his voice soft and tender. “This is a secret between us.”

Bai Lihong glanced at Qin Xiao’s back and said: “No telling Jiujiu either?”

“No telling,” Chu Jiubian said.

Bai Lihong hesitated for a moment, but ultimately nodded: “No telling.”

Qin Xiao listened to the open conversation between the two of them, and his heart, which had been suspended all night, finally settled.

“Are you finished?” he asked.

Chu Jiubian hummed in response, then carried the young emperor to the bedside and lay him down.

Bai Lihong’s underlayers were already soaked with sweat. Qin Xiao came over and sat down beside the bed, stripped him clean, and wrapped him in the quilt, leaving only his round, tender little face exposed.

Chu Jiubian brought over the water cup and saw the child sitting in a daze on the bed, wrapped up like a dumpling.

The corners of his lips curved up unconsciously. When he sat down on the edge of the bed, his knee accidentally bumped against Qin Xiao’s.

Qin Xiao’s muscles instantly tensed, and he looked downward.

Chu Jiubian adjusted his sitting position and pressed his knee directly against Qin Xiao’s.

Qin Xiao withdrew his gaze and said nothing. He didn’t move his leg.

Chu Jiubian had already poured the children’s fever-reducing medicine into the cup, measuring out a little less for worry that a child in ancient times wouldn’t be able to handle the full dose.

Just as he was about to coax the child to drink it, his cup-bearing left wrist was grabbed.

Taken aback, Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao’s deep eyes gleamed in the light of the oil lamp, making him seem even more difficult to read than usual.

---

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Chapter 24 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 26

Chapter 55 – Misunderstanding

Only after raising the fan did Hao Chen realize that something was wrong. Although he looked put-together on the outside, without even a scratch on his clothes, his actual losses were far greater than Feng Ye’s.

Feng Ye’s daoist robes were made of the most common cotton and linen fabric in the world. In terms of value, they were probably not worth a spirit stone of the lowest quality.

But this folding fan of his was several grades higher than a priceless heaven-grade magic weapon. Feng Ye had ruined daoist robes, and Hao Chen had a half-broken fan. No matter how he looked at it, he had lost money in this deal.

And it was a huge loss.

Hao Chen calculated this clearly, but refused to acknowledge it. The loss was minor; admitting that he’d lost to Feng Ye was a bigger deal.

But since he’d already taken out the mini fan, it would look too conspicuous if he put it back. Hao Chen was momentarily in a dilemma, lacking a clever solution for this awkward situation.

Just as he was in a bind, he suddenly heard a chuckle in his ear.

Feng Ye smiled and shook his head. He could basically guess what Hao Chen was thinking, and looked at the smooth broken edge of the mini fan. It was likely that Hao Chen had used it to block his sword attack, which was why he was unharmed.

Although he didn’t know what sort of magic weapon the folding fan was, the fact that it was able to block his attack proved that it was extraordinary.

The loss was obviously much greater than his own, but Hao Chen had only realized this once he took it out. Feng Ye couldn’t help but laugh when he saw Hao Chen’s complicated expression as he held the mini fan between his fingertips.

His laughter interrupted Hao Chen’s musing. It seemed he didn’t have to worry anymore – because Feng Ye had already caught on to his embarrassment. Since this was the case, Hao Chen simply waved the mini fan as he usually would, pretending like nothing had happened.

In order to prevent Feng Ye from rubbing it in, Hao Chen was eager to bring up another topic. His gaze drifted to Fang Yang, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground with a vaguely familiar person laying across his knees.

Hao Chen couldn’t help but wonder: “This is…..?”

“Ah, this is Cao Zirui.” Fang Yang was reminded by this question, and introduced him to Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage. Hao Chen successfully diverted his attention, and the youth forgot to ask what had happened to their respective tattered robes and half-missing fan.

Cao Zirui’s name was well-known in Lingxiao Sword Sect, and many people privately envied or hated him. Even if someone didn’t remember his appearance, they would immediately know who this was once Fang Yang spoke his name.

If Feng Ye were the only one here, Fang Yang would have only needed to introduce him like this. Although Feng Ye had long known about him, he pretended to know nothing.

But there was an outsider here who didn’t belong to Lingxiao Sword Sect. Hao Chen was from Tiangong Pavilion, and wouldn’t know much about their sect, so Fang Yang kindly gave a detailed explanation: “He’s also a disciple of our Lingxiao Sword Sect, and a direct disciple of Sect Leader Ji. He was standing on the viewing platform during the competition.”

“Ah, yes. I remember now.” Hao Chen came to a sudden realization. No wonder he looked familiar – it turned out that he had seen him before. Although most of his attention had been on Feng Ye during the Qi Refining level competition, he had also spared time to glance at the viewing platform.

That brief glance didn’t allow him to recognize Cao Zirui, but it had left a small impression on him.

“What are you two……” With the question of his identity answered, Hao Chen had a new concern. He looked at Fang Yang and Cao Zirui. Unconscious and with his eyes closed, it was obvious that Cao Zirui was seriously injured. Although Fang Yang was still in good spirits, his body was covered in wounds, and his dusty daoist robes were full of holes.

He had originally thought that he and Feng Ye were in a miserable state, but compared to these two, he realized that the two adults had at least retained their dignity and suffered no wounds.

“You’re injured. What happened?” Although Feng Ye knew everything, he was different from Hao Chen, who lacked professionalism and often forgot his fake identity. He had to put on a good show, and asked this question with a look of astonishment on his face.

This question unleashed the chatterbox. Fang Yang sniffled, suppressing the sudden sourness that welled up in his heart. He hadn’t felt anything before he was asked, but now that his injuries had been addressed, all of the grievance and fear in his heart rushed out at once.

He rubbed the corners of his eyes, refusing to cry in front of the others as he recounted his experiences of the past half day in detail.

“That’s what happened. We were chased by Lu Chengye the whole way, but somehow the earthquake just now caused the golden arrow to break, and Cao Zirui and I were lucky enough to survive,” Fang Yang summarized.

Feng Ye listened in silence, and said after Fang Yang finished speaking: “I’m glad you’re okay.”

He was no good at comforting people, and after wracking his brains, he could only squeeze out these four words. Although four words was short, Fang Yang could identify the concern in them, and his nose felt sour again.

Seeing this, Feng Ye was silent for a moment before saying gently: “You can cry if you want to.”

Fang Yang shook his head vigorously. He raised a hand to cover his eyes, masking the rising tears, and said stubbornly: “I don’t want to cry. Men don’t shed tears easily. A man who stands tall and proud sheds blood, not tears.” He didn’t remember where he had read this sentence. Perhaps it was from some fictional book, but he firmly believed it.

It was embarrassing enough that he had cried a few days ago over the enormous drop in his cultivation level, and he’d told himself that it would never happen again.

However, Feng Ye gainsayed him with a chuckle: “That may be true, but tears don’t equal weakness. And whether or not one cries isn’t the standard by which a person’s capability is determined.”

Fang Yang was unconvinced, and refuted: “But the powerful people in my stories would never cry about such a minor thing.”

“How do you know that those powerful people never cried themselves hoarse before they became powerful, sobbing on a dark and rainy night?” Feng Ye asked softly.

Fang Yang was taken aback by the question, and didn’t respond right away.

Feng Ye’s eyes were vacant, staring unfocused at the ground as if he was recalling something: “No one is born powerful. Even the most powerful gods have experienced disasters you can’t even imagine before they became deities.”

He raised his eyes and looked directly at Fang Yang: “Fang Yang, only after a hundred rounds of forging can iron be made into steel, and only after a hundred rounds of hammering can a sword take shape. Only after you have shed all of your blood and tears will you truly be indestructible.”

Fang Yang was stunned by his words. He lowered his head in silence, mulling over the words in his heart.

Fang Yang’s account of the entire process was like an old lady’s foot-binding cloth, tedious and messy. He spoke of every little thing, even the emotional experience of discovering the Yuanling grass. Thus, it had taken more than an hour for him to finish his story.

The three of them had long since switched from standing together to sitting together.

Only after listening to Fang Yang’s account did Hao Chen realize that while the sea had been turbulent, so many things had happened on land as well.

He suddenly understood the so-called urgent matter Feng Ye had mentioned to him at that time. Filled with shame and anger at having his identity exposed, he hadn’t listened to Feng Ye at all, nor had he cared.

Feng Ye had likely been so anxious to leave because he wanted to go ashore and save this person, but he had been obstructed in every possible way. At this thought, Hao Chen couldn’t help but wave his mini fan again with a guilty conscience.

But very soon, he found an excuse for himself. In the end, all of this was Feng Ye’s fault. If Feng Ye hadn’t tricked him into the monsters’ lair, he wouldn’t have been angry enough to call a group of monsters to attack him.

Feng Ye had clearly just claimed that he would save him, but in the next moment, he turned into a floating daoist robe painted with array patterns inside the monster’s lair. He’d flipped even faster than turning the page of a book!

If he wasn’t a strong, powerful Kunpeng, he would have died here today facing those hundreds of monsters. Feng Ye’s move had clearly been a fatal one.

Hao Chen waved his mini fan faster and faster, reigniting the sputtering rage in his heart.

He was not actually angry at Feng Ye for tricking him into the monsters’ lair. Setting Feng Ye’s previous words aside, he really had to admire his methods. This series of deceptions had been brilliant.

But Feng Ye had spoken those words, and Hao Chen had believed them to be true. He was deeply moved, and had made an equally important promise in return – but what he got in return was deception. It was inevitable that this big fish, who wasn’t that big anymore, would be angry.

Due to this rekindled anger, Hao Chen ceased to listen to the conversation between Feng Ye and Fang Yang, and instead stared at Feng Ye, attempting to discern his expression. He wanted to see the difference on his face between when he lied and when he told the truth.

After watching for a long time, he came to the conclusion that there was no way to tell at all.

Feng Ye usually told him lies, and they were easy to distinguish. But at the bottom of the sea, he had clearly been speaking very seriously, and his expression was exactly the same as it was now.

What Feng Ye had said just now to Fang Yang shouldn’t be a lie, but what he’d said to Hao Chen likely was.

The same expression, but two results. Hao Chen couldn’t figure it out, and could only conclude that Feng Ye was a cunning and treacherous person with superb acting skills.

Fang Yang pondered for a long time, but before he could fully comprehend Feng Ye’s meaning, he suddenly realized that night was approaching. “Ah, it’s getting dark. I’ll go to the river to wash my face and pick up some firewood.”

He gently moved Cao Zirui from his lap to the ground, then stood up and prepared to leave.

Feng Ye looked at the dried mud all over Fang Yang’s clothes and face, and commented: “You should bathe.”

Fang Yang was also aware of how slovenly he looked, and scratched his head with a bit of embarrassment. In order to prevent Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage from misunderstanding him as an unhygienic person, he justified himself: “I wanted to bathe earlier, but he wouldn’t wake up. I was afraid that moving him would disturb his wound, so I just stayed here to make sure he wasn’t carried off by some monster.”

Fang Yang left after saying this, and only two people remained, not counting the unconscious Cao Zirui.

The word “monster” once again touched Hao Chen’s nerves. Gazing after Fang Yang’s departing figure, he said enigmatically: “Afraid he would be carried off by a monster? Your shixiong knows exactly where a monster lair is. Better than I do, even.”

Feng Ye had already set the fatal trap before Hao Chen realized the location of the monsters’ lair. It seemed his insight was far superior to Hao Chen’s own.

Fang Yang didn’t hear this as he walked away, but Feng Ye was sitting near him and heard it clearly.

He was puzzled: “What monster lair?”

Hao Chen scoffed and said accusingly: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, there’s no one else here, so don’t bother pretending anymore. One moment, you were sweet-talking me, and the next, you revealed your murderous intent and used an illusion to lure me into the lair of sea monsters. A man’s thoughts are like a needle at the bottom of the sea.”

Feng Ye: “……” What on earth was going on, ah!

He filtered out Hao Chen’s excessive adjectives and grasped the key point: “You think I used the illusion to trick you into a monster lair?”

It was Hao Chen’s turn to be confused: “What else?”

Their eyes met, filled with identical question marks.

After a long silence, both sides promptly came to their senses.

“The direction of the movement array was random?” Hao Chen got straight to the point with his question.

Feng Ye nodded.

Hao Chen: “……”

He stood in front of the other party, stiffly holding his mini fan. Who would have thought that the anger he held in his heart was all because of a misunderstanding?

Meanwhile, Feng Ye’s thinking was: Hao Chen had led that group of monsters to find him because he thought he had been deceived, and wanted to take revenge? And the result was that he was almost too late to save Fang Yang.

In the vast, open ocean, the daoist robe had actually led Hao Chen right into a monster lair, which in turn triggered the series of subsequent events.

Feng Ye didn’t know whether to say that Hao Chen was unlucky, or that he himself was.

---

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Chapter 54 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 56

Disi deliberately lowered his voice, but it sounded like muffled thunder as it exploded in Ling Yi’s eardrum.

After saying this, he retreated to his original position and relished the change in Ling Yi’s expression with amusement.

None of the guests chatting and drinking could have imagined that at this moment, someone at the banquet was thinking at lightning speed as he analyzed the feasibility of killing someone in front of the empire’s top elite troops.

Ling Yi suppressed the turmoil in his heart. Other than that initial moment, he seemed outwardly calm.

“How did you know?”

“Over the past few months, whether on the news or social media, your face has been everywhere I look. It would be difficult not to notice.”

“Do you expect me to believe that? Everyone here has seen me, so why haven’t they recognized me? Even people who spent time with me every day don’t recognize me as I am now.”

“It’s because they’re either too close to you or too far away. If they’re far away, they can’t see you clearly, and if they’re close, they’re blind.”

Lei Yue returned with a plate piled high with food. He noticed the person beside Ling Yi and the indescribable undercurrent between them, and was astonished.

“Sidi, you’re here too? How do you know each other?”

Disi smiled and replied: “I’m here to eat, do you mind? This friend and I hit it off at Grand Duke Sully’s ball. I never expected to run into him again here. What a coincidence.”

Then he explained to Ling Yi: “Lei Yue and I are classmates at the Royal Academy.”

Lei Yue placed the dishes on the table one by one. But when the table was nearly full, he realized that the most important main course was missing.

“Wait! I’ll go grab it and be right back!”

Even with this person’s new identity as a classmate of Li Yue, Ling Yi didn’t relax his guard.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone, including Lei Yue. We actually aren’t that close, and barely exchange a few words at school. He’s a big name on campus and I’m just a marginal figure.”

“What do you want?”

“I just want to be friends with you. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with the hero who fights for the common people?”

Disi gave him a friendly smile.

Lei Yue came back with the largest plate yet and placed it closest to Ling Yi.

Disi said with a laugh: “There are so many servants coming and going here, yet you’re still taking care of such a minor task yourself. It seems you care deeply about this distinguished guest.”

Lei Yue didn’t seem to hear him: “This is Wielan steak, my family chef’s specialty. Try it.”

Disi raised an eyebrow.

Ling Yi collected his thoughts and realized belatedly that Lei Yue had brought a wide variety of dishes, filling the entire table.

“You said you know your kitchen best, it turns out you brought the entire kitchen here?”

“I didn’t know what you would like, so I just grabbed a few more.”

Lei Yue felt that just bringing the dishes wasn’t enough, so he took a little bit of each and put it on the plate in front of Ling Yi.

In the end, he even helped slice Ling Yi’s steak into small portions so that he only had to focus on eating it, taking care of him in every way. 

Disi, also a guest, was completely left out.

Feeling a little unbalanced at the sight, Disi said: “Lei Yue, do you know who this is?”

Ling Yi’s hand shook, and the steak on his fork nearly fell.

He warned Disi with his eyes, but the other continued to speak: “He’s the little friend His Highness Oser values so much.”

He emphasized each word to make their weight clear.

“So what?” This was what Lei Yue least wanted to hear.

“You’re being so attentive. Aren’t you afraid His Highness Oser will get suspicious?”

“I’m a host taking care of his guest. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing’s wrong, you’ve been very considerate. His Highness Oser will thank you,” Disi said, hiding his sharpness behind a veneer of gentility.

Ling Yi attempted to change the subject: “What’s the Royal Academy like? Are only royals and nobles allowed to attend?”

When Lei Yue heard this, he immediately put aside Disi’s unpleasantness.

“That’s true in theory, but many children of nobles are spoiled and need to be served even when it comes to eating or dressing. Because of this, the school allows each student to bring one more person with them.”

Ling Yi: “Are these people also considered to be formal students?”

Lei Yue nodded: “These people are pretty much all commoners. They also receive an education while taking care of the nobles’ daily needs, and many of them become successful after graduation, achieving a higher class status. Some families borrow money, give gifts, and seek out connections just to send their children there.”

Ling Yi just found it ironic: “The poor give money and gifts to the nobles. No wonder the poor get poorer and the rich get richer.”

Lei Yue asked him: “You’re studying at Luban, so do you plan to join the army after graduation?”

Ling Yi slowly chewed a piece of mushroom. He really liked the unique flavor.

“Well, even if I did have such a goal, it seems it won’t be easy to attain.”

“Exactly! Life in the army is rough. I’ve seen the daily life of my father and his comrades. Especially……especially for someone like you with a special situation, there will be a lot of inconveniences if you go to the front lines.”

Lei Yue seized the opportunity and said: “How about you come to the Royal Academy for further study?”

“Further study?”

“I haven’t used my quota yet. I can be your referral.”

He realized that this statement might lead to a misunderstanding, and added: “Since I was young, my father has attached great importance to cultivating my ability to take care of myself, so I don’t need a servant. You won’t have to take care of me…..but I can still take care of you if you need me.”

“Well…..”

Seeing his hesitation, Lei Yue pulled Disi – who had just now been making insinuations – into his advocacy camp: “Sidi, you say a few words too.”

Disi said with a smile: “At the Royal Academy, you can choose any subjects you like and experience hundreds of clubs and organizations. The school holds a variety of large-scale events every year, including sports competitions and overseas study tours. There’s nothing you can’t accomplish at the Royal Academy, unless your imagination is limited.”

Compared to Luban Military Academy, which was known for its strict discipline, what he described sounded like heaven. 

“The two of you together are like a Royal Academy recruitment ad. You’ve really convinced me.”

Lei Yue’s eyes lit up: “You can join our motorcycle club, and we can go racing together after classes!”

Ling Yi interrupted his fantasy: “But even if I want to go, I’ll have to ask His Highness Oser’s opinion first.”

“Is His Highness restricting your freedom?” Lei Yue’s expression turned ugly again.

Disi casually added another piece of mushroom to his plate. Ling Yi didn’t notice that the person feeding him had changed, and picked up the mushroom, bringing it to his mouth: “That’s not how it is…..”

Suddenly, someone grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of his seat, causing him to drop his fork.

When Ling Yi saw who it was, his face was awash with confusion: “Your Highness?”

Oser had seen Ling Yi and Disi together and rushed over, attracting many curious gazes. He swallowed the angry words that had risen in his throat.

“I didn’t expect you to make new friends so quickly.”

“You mean these two? They’re not new friends. I met this one at Grand Duke Sully’s ball, and you’ve seen the other person.”

Oser instantly recalled the fox-masked man who had been chatting and laughing with Ling Yi at the ball. Sure enough, it was that little fox.

Presently, the fox stood from his seat and offered Oser a polite nod, but Oser could tell by the curve of his mouth that he had ulterior motives.

He put a demonstrative arm around Ling Yi’s waist: “I was worried you would be bored, but I’m relieved that you have so many old friends by your side.”

Oser emphasized the word “old,” and Ling Yi could tell that he was jealous again.

“I’m not as popular as Your Highness. People have been toasting you ever since you came in, and I couldn’t even squeeze through the crowd to find you. I’m the one who was left on the sidelines,” he deliberately scolded.

Oser was somewhat mollified: “It seems I haven’t been taking good care of you. I’ll take you to see the spoils the marshal brought back this time.”

“Why do you make it sound like they’re tourist souvenirs? If I like them, can I take them?” Ling Yi joked.

“No need. Whatever you like, I’ll have Lei Cheng send it to the palace.”

He nodded haughtily to Disi and the other man and left with Ling Yi in his arms.

The two people left behind gazed after their departing backs, each with their own emotions.

Lei Yue was feeling down. Ling Yi had left his glass of wine without taking a sip, so he simply raised it up and drank it all in one gulp.

Oser pulled Ling Yi into a corner and dropped his enigmatic guise: “Don’t spend any more time with that guy just now. He doesn’t look like a good person.”

Ling Yi was amused: “There were two people just now. Which one are you referring to?”

“Then both of them.”

Ling Yi reached up to straighten Oser’s collar, which wasn’t even messy, and his knuckles brushed against his Adam’s apple.

“Your Highness, you should make a blacklist of all the people you take issue with, including Alphas, Omegas, Xi Lan…..”

“I’m afraid the paper won’t be big enough to hold them all.”

“Then make it into a book. Is a dictionary thick enough?”

Ling Yi was joking with Oser when he suddenly heard a scream from the banquet table.

Looking toward the source of the sound, Lei Yue, who had been fine half a minute ago, was lying motionless on the floor.

Ling Yi rushed over unthinkingly and found that Lei Yue’s eyes were closed and his lips were purple.

“He’s been poisoned! What did he eat just now?”

The person who’d screamed pointed at the shattered glass on the floor: “He drank that and then collapsed.”

When they heard he’d been poisoned, the crowd erupted.

They had consumed a lot of the drinks and food here. If it was a large-scale poisoning, they were in grave trouble. 

A man dressed as a military doctor arrived with a first aid kit. After examining Lei Yue’s condition, he injected him with a golden liquid.

“The toxin is under control for now. He needs to be sent to the hospital for gastric lavage immediately.”

Everyone immediately gathered around to send him to the hospital, and Ling Yi suddenly became vigilant: “No one move!”

Everyone was taken aback, and someone shouted at him: “He’s the Marshal’s son, will you take responsibility if you delay his treatment?”

Ling Yi remained calm and unmoved as he pointed out four people in the crowd one by one. Aside from the doctor, they were all soldiers who had arrived in the wake of the incident.

“You four take him to the hospital. The rest of you stay where you are.”

“Who are you, ah? Do you know who these people are? Why should they listen to your orders?”

“If you ignore his orders, will you ignore mine as well?” Oser’s commanding voice sounded, and the voices questioning him disappeared in an instant.

Oser said to the people Ling Yi had pointed out: “You leave first.”

The unconscious Lei Yue was quickly carried away.

Oser glanced at the people present one by one: “Who was here just now?”

Everyone looked at each other and pointed fingers randomly.

“I remember that he seemed to be here.”

“No I wasn’t! I ran over when I heard the shouting!”

Ling Yi crouched down and observed the liquid remaining in the glass fragments.

— The white wine produced on Croston’s own estate is refreshing and mellow, but be careful when drinking it. 

The belated arrival of Lei Cheng and his entourage added a greater sense of oppression to the scene. These backbones of the military were intimidating even when they weren’t angry, but when they did get angry, the people around felt like the ground they were walking on was a battlefield.

“Where is Lei Yue?”

“Reporting to the Marshal! He’s been sent to the Royal Medical College for emergency treatment!”

“First Legion, listen to my orders!”

“Yes, Sir!” In a uniform response, soldiers in all different locations stood at attention and answered in unison.

Lei Cheng strode out with haste: “While I’m away, all of you will obey His Highness Oser’s orders.”

“Yes!”

Lei Cheng departed in a gust of wind, and the highest-ranking officer left behind marched over to Oser and saluted.

“Your Highness Oser, please relay your instructions!”

“Someone poisoned the Marshal’s beloved son in his own home. This is a grave matter. In order to find the killer as soon as possible, I have no choice but to offend all of the guests present and trouble you to stay for questioning. Body searches are permitted if necessary. No one may leave until they have been completely cleared of suspicion.”

He took a step forward and whispered in the officer’s ear so that only the two of them could hear: “Screen the staff, particularly those with access to the food and drinks, as well as anyone associated with the Prime Minister.”

Upon hearing that those associated with Lu Hulun were to be investigated, the officer’s eyes flashed with confusion for a fraction of a second, but his military identity forced him to obey without question.

“As you command!”

“Have your men keep a close eye on them. Don’t give anyone a chance to commit suicide.”

Oser’s words signified that the poisoner might be someone ordered to take their own life before being interrogated, so the officer dared not take it lightly. “Understood!”

When His Highness Oser was the first to be searched, the rest of the crowd had no choice but to cooperate, no matter how reluctant they were.

After searching Oser, the officer said cautiously: “Your Highness, this is a matter of great importance, so your friend may also need to go through the necessary procedures.”

Ling Yi spoke up before Oser could: “No problem, I want to clear myself of suspicion as soon as possible. Please have one of your Omega subordinates search me.”

His statement was equivalent to publicly admitting his identity as an Omega. Before everyone could recover from the shock of Lei Yue’s poisoning, they were shocked by the news that the object of His Highness Oser’s affections was an Omega. Their pupils quivered.

“He’s an Omega? This person’s identity is unknown. An Omega in a romantic affair with His Highness Oser, who’s an Omega repellant? Doesn’t anyone think he’s suspicious?”

“From beginning to end, I saw only him with the Marshal’s son. He’s the most likely suspect in the poisoning.”

Ling Yi’s belongings were few, consisting of only his cell phone and the Omega pheromone suppression cuff, which further confirmed his identity.

He pretended not to hear what the others were saying about him, and whispered to Oser: “Your Highness, I suspect that I was the target of the poisoning. They must still be at the scene. I’d like to borrow your gun for self-defense.”

Oser gave him a deadpan look and said: “Guns are not child’s play.”

“Neither is my life. It’s not that I don’t trust your guards, but rather than entrusting my fate to others, I prefer to take control of it myself.”

After brief consideration, Ling Yi felt a hard metal object in his palm.

“Be careful. Don’t mess around.”

Ling Yi quickly concealed the gun and feigned casualness, distancing himself from Oser.

The guests left one by one after being cleared of suspicion. When it was the turn of “Sidi,” an 18th-tier noble, to be questioned, there were almost no guards left in the banquet hall.

There was nothing suspicious about him, so the officer recorded his detailed statement and allowed him to leave.

As Disi stepped out of the main hall, he felt something strange against his waist.

“Be silent. Go left, and then head straight.”

Disi paused for a moment, and after confirming that the thing pressed against him must be a gun, he followed the speaker’s instructions without a word.

The two walked one after another into the depths of the garden before the hostage-taker spoke: “You can turn around now.”

Disi turned around slowly, lowering his eyes toward the gun in Ling Yi’s hand.

“I don’t understand.”

He was calmer than an ordinary person should be. Ling Yi raised the gun and aimed the muzzle at his forehead.

“Tell me, who are you? What is your purpose? Why did you approach me?”

---

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Chapter 33 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 35

The Ministry of Personnel was responsible for the appointment and evaluation of officials. Chu Jiubian, being both the Deputy Minister of Personnel and the first-rank Grand Tutor of the Imperial Court, held positions of considerable prestige, so it would be perfectly understandable for him to be in charge of the Imperial Examinations.

In his previous world, the Imperial Examination system had afforded an opportunity to all scholars.

However, if Chu Jiubian were to hold the Imperial Examinations, he would not focus solely on literary skills, nor would he recruit only literary scholars.

He was determined to add several more subjects, including engineering, agriculture, mathematics, medicine, and subjects that women in particular were skilled at, such as embroidery and handicrafts.

The assessment criteria should also not be limited to educational background. Professional skills, comprehension ability, and natural talent were even more important.

The System Mall offered many career books for purchase. He would first cultivate a few experts in the relevant fields, and then have them train the students who passed the Imperial Examinations.

He rapidly organized these plans in his mind. A clear outline was already beginning to form.

These individuals who were trained in advance would have to be relatively loyal to Chu Jiubian, and it would be even better if they were his followers.

This way, when those students passed the exams later, they would be influenced by these teachers and lean toward Chu Jiubian’s viewpoint. 

It would be a shame if all of his hard work and effort in training these people ended up benefitting someone else.

Chu Jiubian unconsciously fiddled with his pen.

If things really did develop according to plan, he would be able to recruit talents from various fields to work for him.

Replacing officials in the capital may be difficult, but it would be much easier in the counties and prefectures.

Local officials, who typically rose to power through bribing merchants or leveraging their relationships with certain forces, had little to no involvement with the influential figures at the center of power. 

They were like insignificant screws in a massive, complex engineering project, going unnoticed under normal circumstances.

Therefore, Chu Jiubian intended to gradually replace them with his own people, and there was ample room to maneuver.

In this era where the common people had absolutely no understanding of politics, they didn’t recognize the emperor, nor did they recognize the ministers of the Six Ministries. The only people they could rely on were their direct superiors – the prefects, magistrates, and other local officials.

If all of these local officials were loyal to Chu Jiubian, more than half the entire population of the Great Ning Dynasty would fall under his control.

The common people were particularly easy to incite. At that time, whether they lived peacefully and cultivated their land in a prosperous and stable country, or rose up in rebellion, leading to widespread suffering and disaster, it would all depend on Chu Jiubian’s decision.

The emotions in Chu Jiubian’s eyes gradually grew more complex.

The fragile nerves in his brain seemed to tremble, and he experienced an intermittent ringing in his ears.

Suddenly, with a soft sound, Chu Jiubian leaned back in his chair as his chin was lifted by a warm hand.

Looking down at him, Qin Xiao watched as the wild expression slowly faded from his eyes.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

Chu Jiubian stared up at him fixedly.

After a few moments, he smiled brightly: “Did I scare you?”

When he saw that Qin Xiao was still examining him with a scrutinizing gaze, Chu Jiubian’s smile deepened.

He grasped Qin Xiao’s warm palm in his cold hand and said meaningfully: “We’re the same. You should understand.”

In that moment, Qin Xiao felt as if he had returned to the ninth day of the lunar month.

This person had appeared out of nowhere, and if he had used just a little more force when his hand was around the other’s throat, he could have killed him.

Back then, Chu Jiubian had held his wrist in a similar manner, without a trace of fear. He had even smiled as he spoke his mysterious words.

And now, what did he mean by “the same?”

What was he meant to understand?

Qin Xiao released the other’s chin, then grasped his wrist with the other hand: “Qin Lie, bring me medicine.”

Qin Chaoyang immediately stepped forward and procured a bottle of medicine from his pocket, then handed it to Qin Xiao. He also conveniently gave him a brand new strip of clean white cloth, which he likely kept on hand for emergencies. Frequent injuries were probably commonplace in his line of work. 

After delivering these items, he faded back into the shadows.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes, and only then did he notice that there was a cut that went from his right thumb to his palm. His skin was torn open and half of his palm was soaked with blood. Even the back of Qin Xiao’s hand was marred by a large swathe of crimson.

He glanced sideways at the desk and, sure enough, the shaft of his brush was broken into two pieces.

Qin Xiao sprinkled some medicinal powder on the wound, and a burning sensation immediately spread throughout his entire arm, causing Chu Jiubian’s hand to tremble in reaction.

Qin Xiao glanced at his face, but didn’t find a trace of pain there.

“The writing utensils in the mortal world aren’t as good as in our immortal realm,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao released a light scoff as he bandaged the wound.

“Thank you,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao gave a hum of acknowledgement and called for someone to bring another brush. Then he said: “Can you write with your left hand?”

Many of the official documents were simply marked with a circle to signify that they had been read. Chu Jiubian nodded: “I can.”

He glanced at his bandaged hand, then looked up again toward the opposite side of the aisle.

Qin Xiao had already sat back down. Without even wiping the bloodstain from the back of his left hand, he resumed his work.

He was truly a go-getter.

Chu Jiubian also picked up a new memorial.

The Imperial Examination system touched upon the interests of the noble families, and any hasty proposal to make changes would certainly be met with widespread opposition. A long-term plan was necessary, and he would need Qin Xiao’s assistance.

Chu Jiubian currently had only one Believer, Jiang Shuoye, and he hadn’t officially met the twins yet. He had no suitable candidates to be trained as “teachers,” and Qin Xiao likely didn’t have any under his command either.

Therefore, he would need to take advantage of this period of time to make his selection carefully.

The reason he needed Qin Xiao’s help was because his influence had not yet extended to the local level, and he wasn’t known to the common people. Therefore, it was necessary to hold the Imperial Examinations in the name of the Imperial Court to ensure a wider impact.

He also lacked subordinates, so even if there were talented individuals with clean backgrounds who wanted to participate in the Imperial Examinations, he would be unable to guarantee their safety. If they were to be attacked by other forces, the consequences would be disastrous.

However, Qin Xiao had many secret guards under his command who could be utilized to protect the students.

The problem with this kind of collaboration was that the students might be more inclined to favor Qin Xiao rather than a “nobody” like Chu Jiubian.

Thus, the most important thing for Chu Jiubian at the moment was to quickly expand his influence so that “Jiu-gongzi” was not solely active within the circles of the scholarly and the elite.

He intended to make those ignorant, rustic people believe in him. 

The common people were numerous, and their lives were difficult.

They didn’t trust the Imperial Court, and would seek out other sources of solace – such as gods and spirituality.

What Chu Jiubian needed to do was to become the “god” in these people’s hearts, the one who could truly help them. 

This was the turning point.

He just needed the right opportunity.

And that opportunity might just arrive in the near future, during the severe drought in the south.

Naturally, the drought would not only help him spread his name, but would also become a bargaining chip in his negotiations with Qin Xiao.

He intended to use “solving the drought” to persuade Qin Xiao to establish the Imperial Examinations with him, as well as to allow Chu Jiubian complete control over the endeavor. 

Suppressing his restless thoughts, Chu Jiubian continued to review memorials.

Many of these memorials were trivial matters, and quite a few simply flattered the emperor and Qin Xiao. He marked each with a circle to indicate that he’d read them.

He opened another, and his hand paused in the middle of drawing a circle.

This one had actually been sent by Nanjiang-wang Bai Lihao. Wasn’t he the father of the Situ siblings?

Chu Jiubian was frozen in surprise.

Wait a minute, he had been overlooking something this whole time – Nanjiang-wang, the sixth uncle of the young emperor, was surnamed Bai, but the young prince and princess were surnamed Situ.

“Qin Xiao.” He looked up at the person opposite him.

Qin Xiao was taken aback, and looked over with some surprise.

Qin Chaoyang, who was sharpening his dagger in the shadows, also glanced toward Chu Jiubian in bewilderment.

Ever since he had become “Ning-wang,” no one ever called Qin Xiao by his given name, so Qin Chaoyang was somewhat unaccustomed to hearing it. 

Previously, Chu Jiubian had only addressed him as “My Lord” or “Lord Ning-wang,” but it was in a slightly teasing way, much like how Qin Xiao always addressed him as “Jiu-gongzi.”

But behind his back, Chu Jiubian always referred to him by his given name.

When he said it out loud just now, the words just slipped out of his mouth, and he only realized what he had said after the fact.

But since the words were already out, he wouldn’t overthink it. He asked directly: “Doesn’t Nanjiang-wang have children?”

“He has a pair of dragon and phoenix twins,” Qin Xiao said.

“Then why didn’t they take his surname?”

Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow: “How do you know about that?”

“I’m a god,” Chu Jiubian said matter-of-factly.

Qin Xiao: “Then why don’t you already know the answer?”

“My divine power is limited, and I don’t want to waste it on such a thing.” Chu Jiubian spoke without hesitation. He had now completely integrated into the experience of “descending to the mortal world to undergo tribulation.”

That sounded completely reasonable, and Qin Xiao had no way to refute it. He chuckled softly and said: “The Nanjiang region was under foreign control for nearly one hundred years. Even after Emperor Wuzong reclaimed it, the local people remained fiercely independent, showing little allegiance to the Imperial Court even as they recognized their local village chieftains.”

“Is Situ the name of a village chieftain?” Chu Jiu immediately had a guess in mind. “Could it be that this Nanjiang-wang married one?”

“You’re not far off. He married the current Saintess, next in line to be the Stronghold Chieftain.”

The Old Stronghold Chieftain still lived, but after her death, Situ Anli would be the next to fill the position.

“I see.”

This sort of relationship was equivalent to a man marrying into a woman’s family, where the children would take the woman’s surname.

Woman could become powerful leaders in Nanjiang, which showed that they were not bound by so-called societal norms.

Since that was the case, Situ Zhaoling would be able to accomplish even more.

Chu Jiubian felt incredibly lucky that he was able to draw her as a Believer.

“What does Nanjiang-wang have to say?” Qin Xiao asked.

“There is a severe drought in Nanjiang. He requests that the Imperial Court allocate funds toward it and send grain,” said Chu Jiubian.

He actually hadn’t expected Nanjiang-wang to send a memorial to the emperor.

The vassal kings governed their own territories, acting as local rulers with their own government offices and troops. Each year, they would first collect a portion of the grain and tax revenue from the common people in their fiefdoms, and the remaining portion would be handed over to the Imperial Court.

In other words, the vast majority of matters within their territory were the responsibility of the vassal kings themselves.

Given the current drought, they should, by all rights, be more concerned about the livelihoods of the common people. The Imperial Court wouldn’t have to concern themselves – after all, any unrest or suffering among the common people in the fiefdoms would affect the vassal kings themselves first and foremost. 

But now, the situation had reversed: the Imperial Court was the entity worrying about the common people in these fiefdoms, while these local rulers were only concerned about demanding things from the court.

The Believers selected by the System were all people of competence and good character, so he had instinctively assumed that the father of the Situ siblings wouldn’t be a greedy or unscrupulous person.

Naturally, Pixi-wang Bai Lizheng, who controlled the region of Sichuan, shouldn’t be acting like a hands-off manager either.

Chu Jiubian pondered for a moment, then came to realization and looked toward Qin Xiao.

Bai Lihong had just recently ascended the throne, and his claim to power was not entirely orthodox. Therefore, all of the powerful factions in the capital, as well as those vassal kings, were watching intently, waiting for an opportunity to criticize the emperor and Qin Xiao.

If the current drought truly led to widespread unrest, these powerful figures would undoubtedly join forces with the vassal kings and place all of the blame on their common enemies – the young emperor and Qin Xiao.

Perhaps they would say that the young emperor was immoral and unworthy, having seized the throne illegitimately, and would be punished by the heavens.

Or perhaps Qin Xiao had seized and mismanaged power as an Imperial relative, and the heavens would send down some sort of divine revelation.

The common people were easily incited; they would readily believe these claims, and at that point, the emperor might have to issue a decree of self-reproach. Qin Xiao would almost certainly be forced to atone for his sins with death, or abdicate and hand over power to someone else. 

If Qin Xiao didn’t sacrifice himself, he would have truly become a treacherous official who brought disaster upon the country and its people. 

He was walking on thin ice while surrounded by a pack of wolves.

Chu Jiubian was very much aware of the situation Qin Xiao was facing.

And Qin Xiao himself also had a clear understanding of it. 

His eyes darkened.

The drought in Sichuan and Huguang prefectures was already giving him a huge headache, and now Nanjiang was also demanding supplies. Where was he supposed to find so much money and grain?

He couldn’t help but glance at Chu Jiubian.

During the morning court session, he had considered striking up a partnership with him. 

Their eyes met, and Chu Jiubian smiled: “Do you want my help?”

“Do you have a solution?”

“I do.”

A weight was lifted from Qin Xiao’s shoulders: “What do you want in return?”

This was another transaction. Both parties were familiar with the process, so much so that no extraneous words were necessary. 

Chu Jiubian felt that this sort of cooperative relationship was fantastic. It involved an exchange of benefits, so that each party could obtain what they wanted.

“Let’s put that on hold for now,” he said. “I’ll tell you what I want when I need it.”

This wasn’t a good time to discuss the matter of the Imperial Examinations, as Qin Xiao would definitely not agree.

But Chu Jiubian’s reputation would spread after this disaster was resolved. He would accumulate more points, which would perhaps allow him to find suitable Believers to participate in the Imperial Examinations.

At that time, using the fact that Qin Xiao owed him, he would propose helping Qin Xiao recruit candidates for the Imperial Examinations, on the condition that he would be given complete authority over the entire process. 

Qin Xiao would definitely agree.

In this way, it would be easy for him to cultivate a group of loyal scholars and place his own people in official positions through the Imperial Examinations system.

Before, Chu Jiubian would always state his conditions directly, and the fact that he was being evasive this time suggested that it was likely a difficult matter. 

It would be strange if Qin Xiao couldn’t see through such obvious ulterior motives.

But he still agreed without much hesitation, saying: “Would you like me to draw up a written agreement for you? If I go back on my word later, you can use it to threaten me.”

Chu Jiubian said speechlessly: “Wouldn’t it be better to just not go back on your word?”

Qin Xiao smiled, took a new piece of paper, and neatly wrote out a written agreement.

The highly observant Qin Chaoyang walked over and handed the written agreement to Chu Jiubian.

In strong, powerful writing, the document consisted of only a few lines: 

As of today, Qin Xiao owes Chu Jiubian a favor. May he be struck by lightning if he fails to fulfill it. 

The sixteenth day of the sixth month, in the first year of Jingrui.

It was indeed a solemn oath.

Chu Jiubian accepted it with a smile.

He placed the document into his sleeve pocket, then transferred it into System Storage.

“You swore an oath in the presence of a god.” Chu Jiubian said, looking at Qin Xiao with interest. “It will be truly binding.”

If Qin Xiao goes back on his word, I’ll use a stun gun to shock him a few times, Chu Jiubian thought maliciously.

Qin Xiao nodded, but it was unclear if he had taken his words to heart.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” One after another, respectful greetings sounded from outside the hall.

Chu Jiubian glanced outside, and soon after, he spotted a small form walking toward them from afar.

The child stopped upon reaching the doorway, then grasped the hem of his robes and carefully lifted his short legs, struggling somewhat to step over the threshold that came up to his knees.

Chu Jiubian kind of wanted to laugh.

Qin Xiao remained seated, and Chu Jiubian didn’t move either, but both of their gazes were fixed on that small figure.

Hong Fu silently held his arms out behind Bai Lihong, ready to support him out of fear that the young emperor would fall and hurt himself.

He smiled and said: “Your Majesty is truly impressive.”

Bai Lihong giggled, then called out in his childish voice as he entered the hall: “Jiujiu, I can cross the threshold by myself now!”

He then noticed that there was someone other than Qin Xiao in the room.

When he recognized Chu Jiubian, his eyes lit up.

This was the immortal Chu Jiubian!

However, his Jiujiu had told him that morning that he shouldn’t call Chu Jiubian by his given name anymore, but should address him as “Xiansheng.”

Jiujiu said that a teacher was an elder, someone he should respect just like he respected his uncle.

The child quickly composed his expression. He bowed toward Chu Jiubian and said in a clear voice: “Hello, Xiansheng.”

Chu Jiubian was somewhat taken aback.

He stood up and bowed back to the child: “Hello, Your Majesty.”

Bai Lihong then turned and bowed again to his uncle: “Hello, Jiujiu.”

Qin Xiao: “……”

He reluctantly stood up and returned the bow.

Bai Lihong was happy.

However, he soon noticed the bandage wrapped around Chu Jiubian’s hand and hurried over, asking in concern: “Did Xiansheng injure his hand?”

Chu Jiubian crouched down to meet his gaze and said: “I accidentally cut myself.”

“Does it hurt a lot?” The child’s face was all scrunched up. “Have Jiujiu blow on it for you.”

Chu Jiubian: “ ? ”

Bai Lihong said seriously: “When I burned my hand eating porridge once, Jiujiu blew on it for a long time and it felt better.”

“Your Majesty,” Qin Xiao said, “Have you finished writing your characters for today?”

“I’ll write them now.” Bai Lihong cleverly winked at Chu Jiubian, then immediately went to the table and extended his short arms up toward Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao lifted him up and placed him on a chair, making sure he was seated properly.

The cushion on the chair was quite thick, allowing Bai Lihong to sit comfortably as he wrote at the desk.

Bai Lihong touched Qin Xiao’s hand, which was covered in dried blood. Surmising that it must be Chu Jiubian’s blood, he directed another concerned glance toward the man.

Qin Chaoyang approached and unfolded some paper for him, then ground the ink, conveniently blocking his view.

The child looked up at Qin Chaoyang, and when the other looked back at him, Bai Lihong smiled with his little white teeth.

Even the most stoic man wouldn’t have been able to keep a straight face. A smile appeared in Qin Chaoyang’s eyes.

Chu Jiubian sat back down in his seat and watched as the boy composed himself and began to write very seriously, stroke by stroke, exhibiting no impatience at all. 

As expected of the male protagonist – he was diligent even in childhood.

He directed his attention toward Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao had already resumed reviewing memorials, and only looked up when he noticed his gaze.

Chu Jiubian lifted his injured left hand to brush aside a lock of hair, then gently blew on his palm with his eyes remaining fixed on Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao gave him a silent smile, then lowered his eyes and continued to work.

Chu Jiubian was in a good mood after teasing him, and began drawing circles again.

Throughout the afternoon, the three of them each attended to their own business.

It wasn’t until dinnertime, when the sky gradually became overcast and the light began to fade, that they finished their work.

Bai Lihong invited Chu Jiubian to have dinner with them in the main hall, and since Qin Xiao didn’t object, Chu Jiubian didn’t refuse.

On the dining table were the usual stewed dishes.

The young emperor probably didn’t have a particular liking for these foods. He was only reluctantly drinking the porridge, but there was a hint of joy to his expression.

It was unknown what the child was smiling so foolishly about.

Chu Jiubian glanced at Qin Xiao again and found that he was eating the braised cabbage dish while barely touching anything else.

It seemed that both uncle and nephew were somewhat picky eaters.

Of course, Chu Jiubian himself didn’t like to eat these things either. He couldn’t help but think of iron woks and stir-fried dishes again.

Previously, due to the preciousness of iron and the poor smelting technology, he hadn’t proceeded with his plan for iron cookware.

But there were actually iron woks in the System Mall, and because they counted as daily necessities, they were cheap – only two points.

He couldn’t neglect his stomach any longer. Plus, the young emperor was such a picky eater; what if he became malnourished and never grew tall?

Perhaps he should buy two iron woks, one for himself and one for use in Yangxin Hall.

He would do it tomorrow, and let these ancient people experience what “real food” was like.

From tonight to tomorrow night, there would be a continuous light drizzle. The sky was already looking rather gloomy, and a damp wind was blowing into the room, making Bai Lihong shiver.

Qin Xiao noticed this, but before he could issue a command, Hong Fu had already hurried over to shut the window.

The group rinsed their mouths after quickly finishing their meal.

Chu Jiubian stood and walked to the door, then looked outside.

The System indicated that it would rain in twenty minutes.

“It’s going to rain,” said Qin Xiao, coming up to his side. “I’ll send you home.’

Why would he send him home?

He was a grown man and had so many bodyguards protecting him. Why did he need to be accompanied?

Chu Jiubian felt that something was off about this.

But he declined without giving it much more thought, saying: “I can get back on my own.”

Qin Xiao didn’t insist, and Chu Jiubian left after saying farewell to the young emperor.

Qin Xiao followed him to the entrance of Yangxin Hall’s courtyard.

The sky was dark and gloomy. Rumbling thunder and brief flashes of lightning emitted from the thick clouds, and the damp, cool breeze made their robes flap in the wind.

Qin Xiao watched the young man’s slender figure walk down the long palace corridor. The deep red walls on either side made his form seem even thinner.

The cool breeze ruffled his hair, and as his long silver-white locks were blown over his shoulders, Chu Jiubian held them in place with his bandage-wrapped hand.

He carried with him a profound sense of solitude.

Qin Xiao suddenly understood the meaning of Chu Jiubian’s words during lunch.

We are the same.

*
*

The rain came abruptly, and the weather became much cooler at night. Qin Xiao even switched to a thicker blanket when he went to sleep.

The pattering of rain masked the sound of footsteps.

But Qin Xiao, who should have been fast asleep, suddenly opened his eyes and drew the longsword from beneath his pillow. His sharp gaze pierced through the darkness outside the bedchamber.

“My Lord!” Qin Chaoyang’s voice sounded from outside with an unusual tint of anxiousness.

Qin Xiao’s heart sank, and he immediately made his way over.

The two met at the entrance to the Emperor’s bedchambers, and Qin Chaoyang said urgently: “His Majesty has a high fever!”

*

*

Thunder crashed, and Chu Jiubian glanced outside.

He felt dizzy, and there was a throbbing pain in his temples and the back of his head.

On his way back, he had impulsively decided to walk in the rain for a while on the palace grounds, and took a bath when he returned.

As a result, he was a bit dizzy and lightheaded now, and he likely had a fever.

Rubbing his temples, he lay down in bed.

Xiao Xiangzi was standing vigil outside tonight. With thick blankets and a cup of ginger tea, he shouldn’t be cold. 

Chu Jiubian closed his eyes and composed himself before opening the System interface and entering the Divine Realm.

Perhaps because only his consciousness entered this place, he felt none of the previous discomfort. 

Sitting atop the elevated platform, he cast his gaze down toward the long table, where there was still just a single chair. He didn’t intend to summon two Believers at the same time in the first place, so there was no need for another. 

“Summon Situ Zhaoling,” he said.

[Believer Situ Zhaoling has been detected to be in a sleeping state. Summoning in progress.]

[Summoning successful.]

As the mechanical voice faded, Chu Jiubian caught sight of a figure clad in a dark purple dress falling out of the clouds in the distance.

At the same time, a cry of astonishment echoed throughout the entire realm.

Situ Zhaoling had been dragged by her younger brother to his courtyard that afternoon. He had said he wanted to build some sort of “waterwheel” for irrigation.

He had also drawn some messy, incomprehensible diagrams, which she didn’t really understand – but she had long become accustomed to this sort of thing.

Her younger brother was always creating strange and wonderful things, like a flying bamboo propeller, a rotating fan that could blow air by itself, a wooden chair that could be adjusted up and down…..

In hindsight, it was due to the severe drought in Nanjiang that her younger brother thought of building a waterwheel.

But at present, the rivers were practically dry. What they lacked was not tools, but water.

Their mother, who was the Saintess of Nanjiang, had been praying every day recently, but it hadn’t done much good.

Her father, the vassal king of Nanjiang, was so worried each day that his hair was turning white.

Situ Zhaoling was worried as well, which had caused her to have nightmares for many days. She dreamed of parched fields, failed harvests, and widespread suffering and misery among the common people.

The common people led the Saintess to the altar with the intention of sacrificing her.

They also stormed the royal palace, burning, killing, and looting.

She would often wake up in tears.

Tonight, she had closed her eyes wearily, afraid of having more nightmares. And sure enough, it happened again.

She dreamed that she was standing beside a dried-up river, and as far as the eye could see, there were only yellow, withered crops.

Her head spun and her vision blurred as she suddenly felt the ground give way beneath her feet, sending her plummeting downward.

She couldn’t help but let out a scream of terror.

It stemmed from fear, but was also a form of catharsis.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her vision became a blurred field of mist.

Suddenly, an ethereal cry reached her ears, and in the next moment, a brilliant golden bird swooped down from the clouds, its long tail feathers trailing a shower of golden light.

Situ Zhaoling blinked.

Was that a phoenix?

She watched in disbelief as the golden phoenix swooped down in front of her, and the dazzling light made her eyes water even more.

It winged past her side, and then she felt herself enveloped in a mass of soft feathers. 

The feeling of weightlessness vanished, and she was carried upward with the ethereal cry of a phoenix.

Situ Zhaoling felt as if she was in an illusion. When she straightened up, she found herself sitting on the back of the phoenix, soaring through clouds and mist.

She was confused, yet pleasantly surprised.

Finally, something other than a nightmare.

She reached out and touched the phoenix’s feathers; they were soft and warm to the touch, like they belonged to a living creature.

Before long, she suddenly noticed that the mist ahead of her was thinning. Dimly, she seemed to spy the hazy, upturned eaves of a building in the sky, as well as a colossal figure seated amidst the obscuring clouds, like a magnificent statue in a temple. 

When she finally passed through the clouds and mist, the view suddenly opened up before her.

Situ Zhaoling finally caught a clear glimpse of the statue. It looked like a man sitting on a white jade chair!

---

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Chapter 23 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 25

Chapter 54 – Like Stepping Back in Time

The earth shook for several breaths, and once the floating island split in two, the tremors slowly came to a stop.

Tranquility returned to the island, as if nothing had happened.

However, for the cultivators, and for all monsters big and small, it was impossible to pretend like nothing had happened.

The intact island had been broken into two halves, separated by a trench many meters wide and deep. Some cultivators who had been walking together only a few steps apart were now left standing on opposite sides of the island, staring at each other across the sea.

The earth was marred by a great ravine. Although the fracture in the island was smooth, the tremors caused a secondary collapse of the layers beneath, leaving a sea of cracks along the island’s edges. From time to time, loose debris would slide into the trench.

People had no time to talk or think during the tremors, and could only desperately seek a safe place to evade this natural disaster.

Yes, a natural disaster. To most people, it was just an unfortunate accident that they had encountered a once-in-a-century earthquake.

Because they had not seen the fleeting light. And even if someone did see it, they wouldn’t recognize the light that split the island as a sword glare. After all, how could that be possible?

Breaking mountains and splitting seas was something that cultivators at Nascent Soul stage were incapable of, and even the powerhouse who broke through to Hedao stage a hundred years ago might not be able to accomplish it.

Such awe-inspiring power must be only achievable by the gods in heaven.

The land returned to calm, and the waves were no longer turbulent, either on the surface or below it.

Hao Chen stared at the half-broken fan in his hand with shock and doubt. Thanks to the fact that he’d been holding it horizontally, it was still just barely intact.

It had just shrunk in length.

It had originally been the size of a normal folding fan, two palms long, and could completely cover the face when unfolded.

But now…..Hao Chen pinched the bottom of the handle with his fingers and raised it in front of his face. This mini folding fan, which was only half the length it was originally, could barely cover his mouth and nose.

He placed it in his palm for comparison. The mini fan was now only the size of his palm, not even big enough for him to hold in his hand, so he could only hold it gingerly between his fingertips.

This had been created from his tail feathers, which only fell off every thousand years, ah!

Although he had lived for so long and made many more folding fans from his fallen tail feathers, he was still heartbroken.

But aside from the heartache, his shock was even greater. What kind of sword did Feng Ye possess? How could it cut his folding fan in half, which was several levels higher than a heaven-grade weapon, with just a sword glare from three kilometers away?

No wonder Feng Ye, a proficient swordsman, never carried a sword with him. It turned out that it had been there all along, no matter where he was. Even in the deep sea where there was no sunlight, this peerless blade that had the power to split mountains and carve through the seas came when summoned.

“Haha.” Hao Chen suddenly chuckled. The broken fan didn’t prevent him from fanning himself with it gripped between his fingers. Instead of being angry, he was happy that the magic weapon had been destroyed.

He was not frightened by this astonishing sword, but instead became even more eager to fight.

This was an opponent worthy of battling him!

It seemed that all of his previous reservations were actually an affront. For a strong opponent like Feng Ye, giving his all was the only proper respect.

Hao Chen placed the palm-sized fan into his sleeve. So what if his magic weapon was sliced off? After all, it was just a material possession, and he didn’t require anything else to complement his strength.

He raised a hand in front of him, toward Feng Ye’s direction.

The previously calm sea water began to stir again. A dense layer of ice spread out around him, condensing into thousands upon thousands of arrows.

And each of their tips was aimed at Feng Ye.

There was no need for a bowstring. Hao Chen’s spiritual power, as vast as the ocean abyss, was the most powerful method of propulsion.

The number of ice arrows continued to increase. Hao Chen raised his hand with his five fingers clenched, waiting until all of the arrows were prepared to release them all at once.

Three kilometers away in the sea, Feng Ye floated in the water. This place was no longer dark and dim. When he split the floating island, the layer of rock covering the water’s surface was also severed by his sword.

Faint light fell from the sky, illuminating the deep sea.

The sword in his hand shone with light, under which surged a black mist. The two were intertwined, indistinguishable from each other.

He stared into the distance with a slight frown.

There was killing intent there. This battle was far from over.

The corners of Feng Ye’s lips suddenly curved upward. He had been hiding until now simply because he didn’t want to expose himself. But now that it had come to this point, why not fight with everything he had?

He also raised his right hand forward, pointing the tip of his sword into the distance.

Some people named the sword a ‘gentleman among soldiers,’ but no matter how one tried to beautify it, one fact was undeniable.

The sword as a weapon meant for killing.

This was a weapon born to take lives. Who among those who wielded a sword were not eager to fight?

Feng Ye was no exception. He just never revealed this in front of Fang Yang, and instead came across as a bit nonchalant. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been treated as a soft persimmon by Lu Chengye.

Because when it came to fighting, both sides must be equally matched. Otherwise, if the power was one-sided, it would be called a massacre. Feng Ye may be warlike, but he didn’t enjoy bullying the weak.

Whether it was Fang Yang or Lu Chengye, or the rest of Lingxiao Sword Sect, they were far, far from being able to match his strength.

Like a sheathed sword, Feng Ye was usually in a suppressed state. But now, he watched as the water gently parted before him. Just by raising the sword in his hand, and without using any force at all, the water parted in front of him following the movement of the sword.

His prowess was displayed to the fullest extent, so why should he be afraid to fight?

Even deep down in his heart, he had secretly been looking forward to having a strong opponent who could challenge him. For thousands of years, he hadn’t had a good enough fight.

As for whether or not Hao Chen was qualified, they would have to fight to find out!

If fighting spirit could become tangible for the sake of comparison, then the two people at two ends of the seabed would be equally matched.

They attacked simultaneously. Feng Ye moved the tip of the sword back slightly, and the muscles in his right arm tensed as he prepared to swing it a second time.

And Hao Chen’s bent index finger slowly straightened. He was like a general commanding thousands of troops, with the ice arrows floating around him as his army.

His pointed index finger was a military horn, and the soldiers marched as it sounded.

As Hao Chen straightened his finger, the ice arrows trembled slightly, like warhorses stamping their hooves anxiously in place. The arrows were on the string, ready to be launched!

However, just before the two of them were about to engage in a real, all-out fight, the floating island began to shake once more.

The tremors were not limited to the island itself. The seawater was also affected.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen paused at the same time and looked up at the sky, the boundary of this small world. A faint crack had appeared in it, and behind that crack was a vast and endless void.

Why did the heavens have gods, but the other three thousand worlds, big and small, had none?

Because a small world was not sufficient to bear the power of a god. The small worlds themselves possessed the ability to maintain their own stability, which restrained divine power to a certain extent.

Therefore, even if a god traveled to a lower world, it would not have any impact on the stability of that world.

But this did not include the already precarious Floating Island Secret Realm. The situation was already dangerous, and two god-level figures were about to engage in an all-out battle.

Before they even took action, their ambient power alone had already caused a shock to the secret realm. If they began to fight in earnest, the Floating Island Secret Realm would collapse before they had time to determine the winner.

Causing the collapse of a world and affecting ten thousand lives would be a great sin.

Therefore, even though Hao Chen held no sympathy for mortals, he was still forced to stay his hand. The ice arrows melted and once again turned into water.

Feng Ye also withdrew his hand. The sword broke into fractured light and shadow, and slowly dissipated.

Directly above Feng Ye, Fang Yang saw the ground shake again and figured it was just an aftershock. He quickly half-dragged, half-carried the unconscious Cao Zirui to an open area to avoid being hit by falling trees.

He had roughly bandaged Cao Zirui’s wounded shoulder just now, and the bleeding had finally stopped.

The external injuries were actually not too serious, but Fang Yang didn’t know about the internal ones.

After all, Cao Zirui had directly faced every arrow shot by Lu Chengye while holding the Water Soul Bead.

In any case, the injuries couldn’t be light, or else Cao Zirui wouldn’t still be unconscious. But Fang Yang had no healing abilities, and there were only medicines for external injuries in his storage bag. He couldn’t afford elixirs for internal injuries.

But even if he couldn’t afford it, Cao Zirui, who had a treasure trove in his pocket, definitely could. However, Fang Yang couldn’t open Cao Zirui’s storage bag, so he could only wait for him to wake up.

But for now, Cao Zirui showed no signs of waking.

The ground was shaking so violently, and he didn’t even blink. Fang Yang held Cao Zirui on his knees to prevent him from being struck by the shaking stones on the ground.

The tremors stopped abruptly, and the aftershock went as swiftly as it had come.

Fang Yang gazed at the unconscious Cao Zirui’s face for a while, feeling that it was very boring to watch a man sleep. He couldn’t help but take out the bisected golden arrow to study it.

This was the golden arrow that had been chasing them all the way, demanding their lives.

The flowing flames were gone now, as the spiritual power stored in the body of the arrow had dissipated when it broke.

It had become worthless scrap metal.

But Fang Yang still studied it intently. He peered at the broken ends of the arrow, which were flat and smooth.

This cut was made by a sharp weapon, Fang Yang thought.

He had closed his eyes as he fell to the ground, and hadn’t looked behind him, so he naturally didn’t see the flash of the sword glare.

He didn’t know what had cut the golden arrow, nor did he know what had suddenly caused the fissure in the ground.

But he knew that it must be the work of the Mysterious Big Brother in the bamboo slip. As expected, he was very powerful!

Fang Yang clutched the bamboo slip hanging around his neck and thought, I won the gamble!

He didn’t know who this big brother was, or if he was nearby. But who else could have saved him?

Could it be like in the storybooks, and he had ascended beyond the mortal world?

Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard someone call out to him from behind.

“Fang Yang.”

Fang Yang turned his head toward the voice and saw his Useless Shixiong, whom he hadn’t seen in half a day.

Upon seeing Feng Ye, Fang Yang’s eyes widened in excitement. He subconsciously wanted to stand up and run to him, but just as he was about to move, he remembered that Cao Zirui was still sleeping on his lap and held himself back.

But he still offered Feng Ye a smile. It was great to see his Useless Shixiong again. He must be unaware of what Fang Yang had gone through today, and that they had almost been separated forever.

In the face of Fang Yang’s smile, Feng Ye couldn’t help but smile back softly. Regardless of whether or not his identity had been exposed, it had been worth it.

Fang Yang had a lot to say, but when the words came to his lips, he noticed Feng Ye’s tattered, ripped daoist robes and changed the subject: “What happened to your clothes?”

He solely asked after his clothing, not his injuries – because Feng Ye wasn’t injured at all. Revealed beneath the fabric of his clothes was toned muscle, not open wounds.

Feng Ye averted his eyes, and was just about to make up an excuse when he heard footsteps approaching from afar.

A man in white daoist robes approached them, revealing a look of surprise: “I didn’t expect to meet you here, Fellow Daoist Feng Ye. We are truly fated.” Hao Chen chuckled.

What fate? Feng Ye griped to himself, but he didn’t expose Hao Chen. The two of them tacitly agreed not to mention what had happened under the sea.

“Hao-dage!” Fang Yang’s eyes lit up once more when he saw Hao Chen. It seemed that the saying was true – those who survive great disaster will receive future blessings. After surviving a near-death experience, his only two friends immediately appeared before him.

Hao Chen nodded at Fang Yang, then directed all of his attention to Feng Ye.

The first thing that met his eye was the tattered robes hanging on his body. He feigned astonishment and said: “What happened, Fellow Daoist Feng Ye? What sort of ferocious monster did you encounter? How are you such a mess?”

His words conveyed concern, but his tone was anything but. When he said the word “mess,” it was with a joking smile. After all, this was his own handiwork.

“It seems Fellow Daoist Hao Chen experienced a smooth half day?” Feng Ye responded.

Hao Chen deliberately lowered his head to look at his intact sleeves. His meaning was self-evident. Although he hadn’t won the fight with Feng Ye, judging from his appearance, he had come out on top.

Thus, he couldn’t help but say in a proud tone: “It wasn’t bad. Likely smoother than Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s.”

Habits could not be changed in a short period of time. Without realizing it, Hao Chen reached into his sleeve and took out his mini folding fan, fanning himself in front of the others.

Fang Yang: “……”

Fang Yang stared at the folding fan that now had to be held between pinched fingers, and thought, It seems you fared no better than Useless Shixiong!

---

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Chapter 53 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 55

Yellow plumes of sand covered the sky as the neighing of warhorses and the roars of soldiers resounded throughout the Northern Desert.

Jiang Shuoye’s attention was originally on the “High Priest,” but when the column of cavalry burst out, he could no longer think of anything else.

The cold gleam of their weapons reflected in his clear black pupils. The horses raised their front legs high, and the soldier’s spears clanged.

His heart pulsated violently. The scene Jiang Shuoye had rehearsed countless times in his mind was actually playing out at this exact moment.

The cavalry phalanx before him was still a little disorganized, but it was much stronger then before.

Jiang Shuoye felt that even if the current Mobei cavalry were to fight against the Tatar army, they would not be defeated. If they were trained well in the future, the Mobei Army may even be able to launch a counterattack. 

–You only need to protect the people of the Northern Desert.

This was the High Priest’s expectation for Jiang Shuoye. But now, there seemed to be a fire burning in his eyes.

He felt that with such an army, not only could he protect the people of the Northern Desert, but he could even push the border of Great Ning out hundreds of li.

If only they could be bolder…..

Jiang Shuoye looked toward the far north, which contained lush grasslands, Tatar tribes with their strong horses and soldiers, and the vaster world beyond.

The cavalry formation had already galloped a great distance. The commander stood up straight with the help of his stirrups and waved the fluttering Mobei Army flag in his hands.

At the command, the cavalrymen turned their horses around and rushed back toward the military camp. 

The team now seemed to be running with the momentum of thousands of troops. Watching them rush toward them from afar, the blacksmiths and other soldiers standing in place felt their blood boil.

This was the new cavalry, the new Mobei Army!

The blacksmiths’ eyes welled up.

They had lived in this town on the desert border for generations, and it went without saying how deep their feelings were for the army guarding this place.

The army stationed here had always protected the common people diligently, never allowing them to see a glimpse of Tatar swords.

This was the case with the Qin Family Army after Emperor Wuzong, as well as with the Mobei Army that had arrived here several years ago.

Unlike the blacksmiths, the soldiers who had yet to receive the equipment were eager to try it out. If they could also be equipped with saddles and stirrups, they would certainly be as valiant as these soldiers before them.

Chu Jiubian was also quite satisfied.

Although these soldiers didn’t seem very strong now, they were being trained by the outstanding General Jiang Shuoye, who also had modern training methods in his possession. In time, the Mobei Army would definitely be a super powerful force.

It was just that 80,000 soldiers might not be enough. They were still too few.

The armies of the two vassal kings who appeared in [Alternative Believer Cards] were 50,000 and 80,000 respectively. The Qin Family Army was divided into smaller sections such as the Imperial Guard and the City Defense Force, but there were still 50,000 people total.

Qin Xiao also had 10,000 private soldiers that were unknown to the public.

Compared with these numbers, the border army of 80,000 soldiers was really not sufficient.

Jiang Shuoye would definitely need to recruit more soldiers later. Right now, the other party was so poor that they had to patch their pillows, and recruiting soldiers was too difficult.

Plus, the Mobei Army was not “unknown.” Everyone in the Imperial Court was watching them. If Jiang Shuoye recruited soldiers, he certainly wouldn’t be able to hide it from them, which might bring some trouble to his doorstep.

Even things like the stirrups and saddles would likely become known to the powerful and influential people in the court in short order.

But Chu Jiubian had considered this when he handed those things out. Improving yourself and making others fear you was far more effective than hiding your abilities.

What’s more, neither the Mobei Army nor Chu Jiubian himself possessed the capital to play the pig to eat the tiger. They would be under the spotlight from the very beginning.

Therefore, they all had to become stronger so that when others wanted to take action against them, they would have to weigh the cards in their hands.

“A silver saddle shines on the white horse, which gallops like a shooting star.”

The corners of Chu Jiubian’s lips twitched. When the news that the Mobei Army possessed stirrups and saddles was passed back to the capital, those powerful people would know what this “silver saddle” was.

He had just finished reciting this verse at the auction when the soldiers far away in the Northern Desert had already equipped themselves with saddles.

It would be difficult for these intelligent people in the capital not to connect the two things.

After realizing that Chu Jiubian might have a connection with the Mobei Army, there was no telling what those people would come up with.

Would they think that this “god” had contacted Jiang Shuoye right under their noses, that it was an unknown source behind him, or that he had already become socially involved with the wider world?

One could imagine the shock that would be brought on by this omnipresent, mysterious thing that left no traces.

That said, improving the Mobei Army was completely different from recruiting soldiers.

Those people in court, including Qin Xiao, could tolerate improving the strength of the soldiers because it would help maintain stability on the border.

But they would not allow Jiang Shuoye to recruit soldiers and expand the army.

Once such signs emerged, all parties would raise their vigilance and attempt to stop them.

Therefore, the issue of recruitment could only be put on hold for the time being. When the business in Nanjiang developed and Chu Jiubian had money, he would have a more stable position in court.

Then he wouldn’t have to be overly cautious about doing what he wanted to do.

Chu Jiubian gazed at Jiang Shuoye onscreen.

The other party was discussing the production of more equipment with the blacksmiths. This included horseshoes, which he wanted to see if they could create.

He was so busy that it was no wonder he didn’t have time for a nap.

Chu Jiubian felt relieved after seeing the progress, and put calling anyone else into the Divine Realm out of his mind.

He turned off the screen and opened the System interface again.

The total Faith Value was over 100, and the cumulative value was almost 300.

He didn’t know if it was all in his head, but Chu Jiubian felt that the speed of collecting faith points seemed to have slowed down, and wasn’t as easy as in the beginning.

[Host, as your reputation grows, the conditions for collecting faith points will become more stringent. This is a measure to ensure Host’s enthusiasm. Thank you for your understanding.]

Chu Jiubian’s reputation had spread. As his poems spread more and more widely, more people would know about him, and an increasing amount of people would believe in this “godly” deity. His Faith Value would increase even if he didn’t put on a performance.

The System was afraid that he would slack off, so the collection requirements would become increasingly rigorous.

It was understandable.

But this was not good news for Chu Jiubian.

He opened the System Mall again and took a look at the food column.

This column contained mostly basic necessities, so the prices were very cheap. Only one point was needed for one kilogram of refined grains such as rice and wheat, or 200 kilograms of brown rice.

Chu Jiubian frowned slightly.

It was currently time to harvest the early rice in the south, and many people were waiting to harvest the grain to fill their stomachs.

There had been no rain in the south during this time, and the common people would definitely suffer from poor harvests or no harvests at all. Drought was inevitable.

If that time really came, Chu Jiubian might be able to buy some food directly from the System and hand it over to Situ Zhaoling.

Nanjiang was also a drought-stricken area. If Nanjiang-wang had such a batch of grain, the grain prices in the region would remain stable and wouldn’t rise too much.

As a result, grain merchants would go to Sichuan, Huguang, and other places where prices were high to sell their grain.

But when they were gone, there would be more food in these places and the prices would go down.

At that time, those with extra money would be able to buy food.

The Imperial Court could also purchase more grain from these grain merchants and open the granaries to release grain. By around October, the grain in the north could be harvested, the Imperial Court could collect the grain tax and send it to the south, and the drought would basically be over.

It was only that to accomplish this, Chu Jiubian needed more points. His current total of around 100 points wasn’t nearly enough.

It seemed that he still needed to find a way to expand his influence.

With this, he would also be helping Qin Xiao and the young emperor.

When the time came, he would do business with Qin Xiao and let him do the work of expanding his influence.

Thinking about it this way, Chu Jiubian felt that the drought wasn’t a very difficult matter to solve, and could feel at ease.

Then he looked at the weapons column.

From the simplest knives and stun batons, to pistols and other heavy weaponry that he didn’t even have the authority to click on, the required Faith Points were very high.

After looking around, he set his sights on a K19 pistol.

When he was filming a police drama, he went to the army for two months to train to use this gun.

It had low recoil and could hold 15 rounds of ammunition, making it suitable for the use of an ordinary person.

Chu Jiubian had good accuracy, and could hit at least nine rings with this weapon.

Although he had not explicitly rejected the other forces, due to his identity as the Grand Tutor, he was basically standing with Qin Xiao on the surface.

He wasn’t as safe as before.

Who knew if someone would lose their patience and try to kill him if they couldn’t secure him for themselves, saving them the trouble of cozying up to him?

Thus, he needed to prepare some means of self-defense.

The pistol seemed a bit like overkill. Not to mention the lethality, even the sound of a gunshot would be enough to terrify these ancient people. After all, this was an era that even lacked fireworks.

But he was a “god,” so it was completely understandable that he had some supernatural means.

And if he could use a bullet to scare those people hiding in the dark into being too afraid to attack him again, it would be worth it.

Chu Jiubian looked at the price column and saw that he could buy it for 99 faith points.

A while later, he closed the System interface.

He would buy it when he needed it.

After emerging from the Divine Realm, Chu Jiubian opened his eyes.

He stood up from bed and was so dizzy that he held onto the bedframe to keep from falling.

He relaxed, exhaling slowly after the dizziness passed.

He really envied those who could astral project. The kind of time and space travel he had now caused him to suffer from low blood pressure.

There was a light burning sensation in his stomach. He rubbed his temples, picked up his robes and put them on, and walked out of the bedroom.

Just as he was about to ask Xiao Xiangzi to prepare lunch, he saw someone sitting at the desk in the outer room.

Qin Xiao had been resting with his eyes closed. When he heard a noise, he opened them and looked toward the bedroom door.

Their eyes met.

Qin Xiao’s gaze moved down to Chu Jiubian’s chest.

Spots of crimson were splashed across his pure white tunic, like plum blossoms fallen on snow.

It was blood.

Chu Jiubian followed his gaze and noticed the bloodstains. His eyelashes trembled slightly. “I’ll change my clothes.”

As he said this, he gathered his outer layer, turned around, and went back into the bedroom.

The collar of his inner layer lifted briefly as he moved, and Qin Xiao saw that there appeared to be several thin, shallow marks on the young man’s chest.

Like scratches.

Qin Xiao glanced outside, and Xiao Xiangzi, who had been standing guard in the corridor, immediately ran over.

“Serve the food,” Qin Xiao said.

It seemed the young master had awakened.

Xiao Xiangzi responded at once and turned to give the order.

Chu Jiubian heard the noise outside. When he changed his clothes and went out, Shui Qing and Shui Yun happened to have brought the food over.

The two of them silently placed the dishes on the table, then left the room with their heads lowered.

Chu Jiubian took a seat on a stool. Seeing that Qin Xiao had a bowl and chopsticks in front of him, he asked: “You haven’t eaten yet?”

“I’ve eaten.” Qin Xiao picked up his chopsticks. “I’ll eat some more with you.”

Chu Jiubian chuckled.

Qin Xiao looked up at him.

There was no emotion in Chiu Jiubian’s light-colored eyes, but they seemed to contain hooks that made it impossible to look away.

“Do you know why I fell into your arms?” His voice was very soft, with a slight rising tone. This sentence was abrupt, and even a bit out of nowhere.

Qin Xiao looked at him in silence, as if he was trying to see through his appearance to something deeper.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because…..”

Chu Jiubian deliberately prolonged his tone, staring at the man for a few breaths before saying with a smile: “Because you’re strong.”

Qin Xiao smiled as well.

“Eat.” He poured a bowl of soup for Chu Jiubian and placed it next to him. “Be careful, it’s hot.”

“Is this how you usually take care of His Majesty?” Outsiders probably didn’t know that this overwhelmingly powerful Regent was actually so good at taking care of others.

Qin Xiao gave a hum.

Chu Jiubian didn’t hesitate, and began eating.

“How was your shift today?” Qin Xiao asked casually.

“Not bad. Very leisurely.”

“Leisurely?” Qin Xiao raised his eyebrows and said, “If you have nothing to do this afternoon, come with me to Yangxin Hall to review memorials.”

Chu Jiubian paused as he was picking up food. His inquiring gaze fell on Qin Xiao’s face.

Did this person have the ability to read minds?

Otherwise, why had Qin Xiao brought it up himself this afternoon when Chu Jiubian had just thought about it that morning?

Chu Jiubian had originally thought that he might need to give something in exchange, but now it seemed that wasn’t necessary.

But that was Yangxin Hall, the most heavily-guarded place in the Imperial Palace

How did Qin Xiao dare bring an outsider like him in?

He hadn’t thought Qin Xiao trusted him.

“Another bowl?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian finished the last mouthful of soup and said: “No need.”

He rinsed his mouth and wiped it with a handkerchief.

Then, like a magic trick, he produced two white pills out of thin air and handed them to Qin Xiao.

Seeing the two pills suddenly appear with his own eyes, Qin Xiao’s heart was shaken slightly.

Was it magic?

He tilted his head back, swallowed the pills, and took a sip of tea.

These pills were indeed unusual. Qin Xiao had suffered many injuries before, many of which were actually less serious than the two cuts on his shoulders, but the pain that followed had been more severe than this injury.

He was certain that it was the medicine.

After taking it, the pain from his wounds would subside.

The Imperial Physician had also said that the wounds were healing well, and there was no sign of deterioration even on such a hot day. It couldn’t be that Qin Xiao’s body was different than that of a normal person. It could only be the effectiveness of the pills.

If such medicine could be used on soldiers, perhaps there would be fewer casualties.

“Is it really impossible to make these?” Qin Xiao couldn’t help but ask.

“Didn’t I tell you? If you treat me well, I have plenty of pills.”

Qin Xiao tapped the table with his fingertips, looking thoughtful.

“Let me teach you a second use for saltpeter,” Chu Jiubian said abruptly.

Qin Xiao stared blankly for a moment, then said: “What should I prepare?”

“Saltpeter, rushes, sulfur, rosin…..”

The process for making tinderboxes was more complicated than that of making ice. Chu Jiubian told Qin Xiao the necessary things to prepare, such as drying and beating the rushes, and asked him to order someone to do it.

In fact, it would be better to use sweet potato vines or cotton wool, but Great Ning didn’t have these two things yet, so they could only make do with other materials instead.

He must grow sweet potatoes and cotton later, which were the two most useful things to make sure that the common people had sufficient food and clothing.

The current preparations would take at least one or two days. Besides, there would be a little rain tomorrow, so the work of drying the rushes would have to be put on hold. It would likely be a few more days before it was all finished.

Qin Xiao was in no hurry. After all, Chu Jiubian wouldn’t go back on his word, so it would be fine to wait a few more days.

To him, Chu Jiubian possessed a high amount of credibility.

Qin Xiao didn’t have a habit of napping, and Chu Jiubian had just “slept” before, so the two of them went to Yangxin Hall together after their meal.

Qin Xiao walked leisurely along the way, and even dragged Chu Jiubian to the Imperial Gardens in the name of “digesting their food.”

Countless scrutinizing and inquiring gazes came from all directions.

It likely wouldn’t be long before the news that Chu Jiubian had come to Yangxin Hall would spread throughout the capital, and by then, there would be more people who wanted to get in touch with Chu Jiubian.

After all, he was able to enter Yangxin Hall, even though, like other high officials, he only entered the meeting hall through the eastern courtyard. There were also secret guards watching him at all times.

But what if?

What if Chu Jiubian, the “Grand Tutor,” was different and had access to the main hall where the emperor resided, or even the western courtyard where Qin Xiao lived?

Everyone knew that the secrets that truly concerned Qin Xiao’s trump cards were located in the western courtyard.

Since Qin Xiao even allowed Chu Jiubian to stab him twice, it wasn’t out of the question that he might take him there.

But this also proved how much he trusted Chu Jiubian. Many people probably thought that the two of them had reached some sort of tacit understanding and had a cooperative relationship.

And this cooperative relationship was stable – so stable that Qin Xiao had brought Chu Jiubian into Yangxin Hall.

This being the case, if those allied with other forces were to rashly approach Chu Jiubian with conditions for cooperation, wouldn’t they just be giving Qin Xiao their information in return?

They could naturally try to recruit Chu Jiubian with conditions that didn’t reveal the extent of their power, but this would make impressing him difficult.

Should they take a gamble, or should they proceed with caution?

This choice had become a difficult one.

Chu Jiubian looked at Qin Xiao, having pretty much guessed the other party’s purpose in bringing him here.

It was to completely cut off the possibility of him allying with other forces.

He had pretended to be magnanimous during the auction, giving him the opportunity to get to know others, but now he was attempting to exert his sovereignty.

Qin Xiao’s clumsy performance might have been useless at a different point in time, and others would still seek Chu Jiubian out. But it was just a gamble. If he succeeded, the rewards would far outweigh the disappointment. 

But during this “ambiguous” time, Qin Xiao’s trick was very useful.

At present, the capital was at a critical juncture where chaos was imminent but not yet at full throttle; it was the calm before the storm.

So everyone was on edge, and thought twice before committing to any action.

Because they had no way of knowing if their words and actions would become a sword in the hands of others and come back to stab them.

This had led to all parties becoming risk-averse and favoring a slow, steady approach.

What Xiao Huaiguan pulled off at the auction was a test, and everyone had seen the results.

It was likely that before long, the conflicts within the Imperial Court would all come to light. By then, there must be a clear result as to whether Chu Jiubian would remain with Qin Xiao or join someone else.

Originally, Chu Jiubian had thought to make a name for himself and collect more Faith Points before completely falling out with the other forces.

But now it had all gone to waste.

It could be presumed that the leaders of several major families harbored murderous intentions toward him at this very moment.

He needed to spend those 99 points.

Chu Jiubian unobtrusively gritted his teeth. He was going to make Qin Xiao compensate him for all those points!

After entering Yangxin Hall, the two went straight to the meeting hall in the eastern courtyard.

Two rows of wooden chairs faced each other on both sides of the hall, with an aisle in the middle. There was a side table beside each wooden chair.

At the end of the aisle, facing the door, was a desk. And behind it was a mahogany chair with a high, soft cushion.

Chu Jiubian took a seat on the chair closest to the desk, and Qin Xiao sat down opposite him.

Very soon, Qin Chaoyang led in a handful of young eunuchs, who carried in two tables and placed them in front of Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao respectively.

Qin Xiao would usually sit directly behind the desk. Only when he brought in other ministers to discuss state affairs would he sit below, and the seat behind the desk would be given to Bai Lihong.

But after today, he would likely continue sitting in this spot.

The young eunuchs prepared writing brushes and ink on the tables before departing.

Qin Chaoyang divided the memorials piled up on the table into two stacks, then handed them to both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian. Then he vanished into the darkness, as if having popped out of existence.

Chu Jiubian really wanted to peer up toward the ceiling beams to see if secret guards were hiding there like they had in the novel.

But that would make him look too ignorant, so he held himself back.

Chu Jiubian selected a memorial and opened it.

Memorials had prescribed formats and requirements, and were all in paper form, which was much more convenient.

However, with so many memorials each day, and with many people submitting them repeatedly, they must have spent a lot of money to buy paper. He wondered if it was all money embezzled from the court.

Chu Jiubian carefully read through the memorial’s contents.

This one had been submitted by Lu Yuan, the prefect of Hexi Prefecture. It began by asking about the well-being of the emperor and Ning-wang, and then brought up the construction of the dams.

Throughout the entire article, there was praise for Jiannan-wang.

He was praised for his gentle character and decisiveness in handling matters, for how smoothly the construction of the dams went under his guidance, and how happy the common people were.

This was the beginning of a secret effort to help Bai Lihai make a name for himself.

But starting to properly repair the dams was a good thing. Heavy rain would begin soon, and the repairs needed to be finished before that.

Thinking of this, Chu Jiubian looked up at Qin Xiao and said: “Heavy rain will begin in Northern Zhili on the twelfth day of the sixth month, and will last for at least four days.”

His weather forecast currently only showed heavy rain for four out of the next thirty days, and there was none to be seen after that, but he thought the rain would probably last longer.

Qin Xiao looked away from the memorial, his brow furrowed.

“It would be best if the dam construction in Hexi Prefecture is completed before then,” Chu Jiubian said.

“En.”

Qin Xiao had no doubts as to this forecast’s authenticity: “Send that in your reply.”

Chu Jiubian picked up a brush and wrote a reply on the first page of the memorial.

Replies were written on the first page of each memorial, and Qin Chaoyang would later take the eunuchs of Yangxin Hall to copy them onto new sheets of paper before sending them back to the original sender.

Chu Jiubian hadn’t used a brush in a long time, and the combination of brush, ink, and paper was not easy to handle. The process of writing was very rough, and his handwriting deteriorated somewhat.

When he was finished, he set the memorial aside to let the ink dry.

This series of movements flowed smoothly and naturally.

After doing this, he raised his eyes and unsurprisingly met Qin Xiao’s gaze.

Starting moments ago, Qin Xiao’s attention had never left him.

“What, having second thoughts about bringing me here?” he asked.

“No.” Qin Xiao smiled. “I just want to apologize.”

An apology?

Chu Jiubian was a little surprised.

“I’m sorry for taking advantage of you again.” Qin Xiao still had a slightly awkward smile on his face, but his eyes were sincere, just like the time he asked Chu Jiubian to stab him.

Chu Jiubian understood.

This was about him taking Chu Jiubian for a stroll through the gardens before going to Yangxin Hall.

Qin Xiao continued: “Rest at ease, I have prepared twenty secret guards to protect you at all times.”

Chu Jiubian was surely the target of many people by now. Everyone wanted to go all out, but then there was him, the new variable.

As the instigator, Qin Xiao naturally bore responsibility.

What was the point of apologizing now when he already got what he wanted?

Chu Jiubian inwardly cursed him as a hypocrite, but he wasn’t too angry.

He and Qin Xiao had originally been engaged in a relationship of mutual exploitation. He was able to use Qin Xiao’s connections to enter the court, and the other party naturally found a way to secure this “talent” for himself.

This sort of interest-bound relationship could be strong, but it could also fall apart at the slightest touch.

But at least for now, they were both on the same boat.

If they fell out in the future, they would definitely not have mercy on one another.

This was good.

Meeting Qin Xiao’s gaze, Chu Jiubian smiled and said: “Twenty people at the outset. Ning-wang is generous.”

Qin Xiao said: “I believe you have the means to protect yourself, but if you feel this isn’t enough manpower, I will give you another two hundred people.”

“No need.” Chu Jiubian would have to be crazy to want two hundred people staring at him day and night.

But Qin Xiao was indeed very generous, and Chu Jiubian fully believed that he was capable of sending two hundred men to protect him.

It could be seen that the other didn’t lack capable fighters, but lacked those who could get things done.

Otherwise, for matters such as writing reply letters to officials, Qin Chaoyang and the palace eunuchs wouldn’t have to bother with copying the replies off the memorials. They could just have some Imperial secretaries do it.

The more insignificant memorials also wouldn’t have to be addressed by Qin Xiao himself. 

Of course, these memorials were sent to the Six Ministries first. After the ministries selected a batch of memorials for approval, they would send over the ones that needed approval from the emperor or Qin Xiao.

But there was currently almost no one within the Six Ministries who supported Qin Xiao. These officials seemed to hold a grudge against him, and were willing to use such matters to annoy him.

In any case, it wasn’t a big deal. At most, they could explain it away with a simple statement such as “this subordinate didn’t review it strictly enough” or that they “really couldn’t make such a decision themselves.” Qin Xiao was unable to do anything to these people. 

So in the end, he still lacked manpower.

It would be great if the Great Ning Dynasty had an Imperial Academy. A secretariat that served the emperor with full authority would be much more efficient than Qin Chaoyang alone.

But where could he find so many capable, obedient people who weren’t part of the ruling class?

The Great Ning Dynasty didn’t have an Imperial Examination system…..

Chu Jiubian experienced an abrupt shock, and his heartbeat quickened.

He was now the Deputy Minister of Personnel, the one responsible for this very sort of thing, ah.

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Chapter 22 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 24