“Pair of tens.”

“Check.”

“Pair of aces.”

“Check again.”

In the basement lounge of the Royal Medical College, the rare sound of cards being played was heard.

In the end, they were young people and greatly adaptable. The day before, they had cried with joy when something lost was returned to them, and today they were all playing cards around a table.

After removing his makeup, Ling Yi was still the familiar Ling Yi they knew. But across from him, Bo Rui was distracted as he kept seeing a different face.

He cleared his throat and thought of ways to sound him out: “Ling Yi, can I ask…..”

“No,” Xi Lei said, dealing three sixes. “Play your cards and don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.”

Bo Rui immediately snapped back: “Who asked you? If we weren’t short one player, who would want to play poker with such a poker-faced guy? Three jacks! Ling Yi, what is your relationship with His Highness Oser?”

Ling Yi had his eyes lowered to look at the cards in his hand, and didn’t even bother to raise his eyelids: “What do you think?”

The answer couldn’t be clearer from the kissing and the hand-holding, but Bo Rui just wanted to deceive himself.

“You killed his uncle, and he admires you? Or…..he gives you benefits, and you play a role-playing game with him? You still haven’t told us how you managed to survive an exploding prison van.”

Da Lun put down three kings and said: “Didn’t you finish writing those ten pages yesterday?”

Ling Yi looked at the three queens in his hand with hatred: “Can’t afford it.”

Bo Rui muttered softly: “I don’t have any weird ideas. I know Ling Yi is an Alpha. If he was an Omega, I would have weird ideas.”

Xi Lei gave him an unreadable look.

Ling Yi raised his eyebrows: “You interested?”

Bo Rui’s neck stiffened and he said: “You’re not, and why would I be interested? I’m straight!”

Da Lun deliberately changed the subject: “Ling Yi, are you coming back to school?”

Xi Lei: “If he wants to go back to school, the news that he’s still alive will have to be made public. Otherwise, if he comes back to life, all of the teachers and students will be scared to death.”

Bo Rui argued: “He came back to life in front of me. Why wasn’t I scared to death?”

“You may not have been scared to death, but one of you is stupid to death and the other is seeking death.”

“Do you believe I won’t strangle you to death right now?”

Whoosh—

A card flew past the two heads that were about to clash and lodged itself in a crack in the opposite wall.

Ling Yi played with the remaining cards in his hand as if nothing had happened, and both of them fell silent immediately.

Bo Rui obediently ran to get the card, and when he turned around, he looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Holy shit!”

“What’s wrong?” Ling Yi asked curiously.

Bo Rui pointed to the door in horror. The three of them turned their heads as one and saw Luo Li leaning delicately against the door, staring at them with an inscrutable look on his face. It was unknown how long he had been there.

Ling Yi: “Need to take my temperature? Nan Ting took it this morning.”

Luo Li shook his head a few times, then pressed his hands to his chest and took a deep breath with the fluttering of love in his heart: “Is this the youthful scent of young Alphas?”

The three Alphas present: “……”

“You guys have your fun.” Luo Li threw them a very lethal wink and left, humming a little tune.

The three Alphas who had never seen the world were terrified.

Da Lun: “Who was that just now?”

Ling Yi: “My caretaker.”

He received sympathetic glances.

“What’s that for? Don’t judge a person by appearances. He’s very skilled at his trade.” His makeup skills were amazing.

Da Lun: “Why does your temperature need to be taken? Are you sick?”

Before anyone else could speak, Xi Lei quickly got to his feet.

Ling Yi couldn’t endure it: “What’s wrong now? You’re so jumpy!”

Xi Lei stood at attention: “Your Highness Oser!”

Bo Rui and Da Lun also stood up hurriedly to greet him, with Ling Yi alone staying seated.

Oser reclined in the same position as Luo Li: “Is the branch school open again? What classes do you have today?”

Bo Rui and Da Lun were still anxious at the sight of His Highness Oser. They had used up all the commoner jargon they knew and could not dredge up another word more.

“Sorry, Your Highness Oser! We’re leaving now!”

“Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Aren’t you having fun?” Oser’s words nailed them to the spot. “Go on, let me see what young people play when they get together.”

The two people couldn’t tell if his words were genuine or sarcastic.

Xi Lei ran to the next room, retrieved a chair, and placed it next to Ling Yi’s.

Oser was magnanimous: “Continue with your game. Just pretend like I don’t exist.”

Bo Rui and Da Lun naturally wanted to pretend like he didn’t exist, but Oser’s pheromones were too strong. Him sitting there doing nothing only increased their stress.

Although Xi Lei wasn’t much better off, he was still happy at the knowledge that this was His Highness Oser, whom he admired.

Throughout the history of the empire, there were likely few military academy students who experienced being watched by the crown prince while playing cards. Four more entries were added to the record this day.

Bo Rui played distractedly, occasionally stealing glances at Oser’s hand on Ling Yi’s shoulder. He suddenly felt a pain in his foot.

“Ah!” Bo Rui jumped in shock and asked Xi Lei, “Why did you step on me?”

Xi Lei fixed his eyes on the cards in his hand and didn’t look away: “It’s your turn.”

Bo Rui angrily threw out two cards: “Pair of sevens!”

Xi Lei: “I play four of a kind, and you play a pair of sevens?”

“…..”

Oser smiled and said: “I didn’t expect this civilian game to be so interesting.”

Xi Lei immediately stood up. “Does Your Highness want to play? You can have my seat.”

“No need,” he declined. “Ling Yi and I can play together.”

Ling Yi went with the flow, but instead of handing the cards to Oser, he played whichever cards Oser pointed to in the spirit of cooperation.

After several rounds like this, the two of them won two consecutive games while the other three suffered bitter losses.

Ling Yi suspected that this was not the first time he had played: “I can’t believe it. Your Highness is also an expert at this commoner game?”

Oser’s tone was as arrogant as ever: “The rules are so simple. I can understand it at a glance.”

Bo Rui was depressed, and took it out on Xi Lei: “It’s obvious that you’re letting them win. You ignore His Highness Oser’s moves, but you focus on mine!”

“Prove it. I’m not ignoring His Highness, I’m ignoring you.”

“Why pay attention to me instead of His Highness Oser?”

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel again, Oser threw the cards in his hand on the table and gave them a meaningful smile.

“No nesting dolls allowed.”^[1]

Everyone: “……”

Ling Yi thought: Could it be that Oser read all thirty pages?

Oser seemed to have the ability to read minds: “Not only did I read them, I memorized them.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to have any communication problems with you.”

There were five people in the room, and three of them felt redundant.

Bo Rui was inexplicably depressed: “I can’t win even if I fight, so I don’t want to fight anymore.”

Oser leaned back and said: “It’s fine if we don’t play cards. Let’s chat.”

Da Lun asked cautiously: “What does Your Highness want to chat about?”

“We can chat about anything, as long as it’s related to Ling Yi.”

Everyone exchanged glances, and Da Lun was the first to pose a topic.

“In a few days, there will be an underground motorcycle race between Luban Military Academy and the Royal Academy. In previous years, Ling Yi always represented the team.”

“Right, right.” Bo Rui grew interested when the topic of motorcycles was brought up. “Ling Yi and that guy surnamed Lei from the Royal Academy were always neck-and-neck every year. They even made a bet: whoever loses this year’s race will never be able to ride a motorcycle again.”

“Surnamed Lei?” Oser repeated.

“What was his name…..” Bo Rui pondered.

Ling Yi: “Lei Yue.”

“That’s it!”

Oser raised an eyebrow.

Da Lun revealed a piece of information that even Ling Yi didn’t know.

“On the day of the school’s memorial service, Lei Yue also came to pay his respects.”

Ling Yi was rather surprised. He and Lei Yue were just rivals on the field. “Why was he there?”

“He came to fucking show off!” Bo Rui jumped up. “I’ll show you how it went!”

Xi Lei coughed hard: “Don’t use such uncouth words in front of His Highness Oser.”

“Don’t disturb me when I’m getting into character. I’m going to recreate the scene that day for His Highness—”

His expression immediately went solemn and he walked straight forward, his right arm bent at an angle as if he was holding something under it.

Then he walked to the table, took the thing under his arm, and placed it on the table with both hands.

Ling Yi had a sudden realization. The thing he put down had to be a helmet.

Bo Rui stared into space as if he was looking at Ling Yi’s portrait: “You agreed to compete with me, and that the loser would never touch a motorcycle again. I didn’t expect you to cancel on me in such a way.”

“Ling Yi, I lost this battle.”

He finished his performance vividly, then ended with an exaggerated vomiting gesture: “Bleh…..”

Ling Yi didn’t quite believe Bo Rui’s performance, feeling that there might be some embellishments, so he looked at Da Lun for confirmation.

“That’s how it went.” Da Lun had to admit that his acting was very good.

“Is he crazy? Who would want to beat him in this way? He doesn’t have to use me as an excuse if he doesn’t want to ride anymore.”

“Well said!” Bo Rui waved his fist. “Ling Yi, since you’re still alive, why not beat him fair and square? Otherwise, it’ll seem like we won by default!”

Ling Yi was about to say something, but he glanced at Oser first and said: “Forget it.”

“Why?” Bo Rui asked in an overdramatic tone.

“Why? The fact that I’m alive can’t be made public for the time being. Lu Hulun is still trying to find a way to assassinate me.”

“I’ll fucking z@#$%^(*) that……” A string of swear words streamed from his mouth.

Xi Lei slammed the table and stood up: “Shut up!”

The situation once again devolved into two people fighting and one person trying to separate them. This time, it was Ling Yi and Oser’s turn to be redundant.

“Be honest.” There was only Ling Yi in Oser’s eyes. Everyone else was invisible.

“It’s not a formal competition. We have a private race with the Royal Academy every year. My record against him is one win, one loss, and one draw. This match isn’t important, so I don’t have to go.”

“When and where?”

“This Saturday night, Banma Mountain.”

“Do you want to go?”

Ling Yi pretended to think: “Hmm…..”

“When he suggested beating him fair and square, your eyes lit up.”

Ling Yi was thwarted: “Is my acting worse than Bo Rui’s?”

“Put on your makeup and suppressant cuff before going, and come back after the match.”

Ling Yi’s eyes lit up again: “You agree?”

“If I don’t agree now, won’t you seduce me until I do? When I do the math, I seem to have suffered a loss.”

Ling Yi stood and grabbed Oser’s collar with both hands, pulling him in as he leaned down and kissed him from above.

The background trio: O口O！！！？

After finishing a round of ruthless attacks, Ling Yi seemed to have just noticed them: “Ah? Why are you still here?”

The three people: Is our presence so unnoticeable?

“Are you free this Saturday night?”

Bo Rui replied mechanically: “F-for what?”

“Meeting Lei Yue on top of Banma Mountain.”

. . . . . .

Before the start of the match, the peak of Banma Mountain was already filled with students from the two schools.

“I thought the match was canceled this year. Without Ling Yi, what’s the point, ah?”

“It’s said that they brought a last minute substitute. What’s the appeal of watching a substitute?”

“That’s right, even if they come, won’t they just be defeated by our Lei-ge?”

In the darkness of night, a black Soaring Eagle drove in a low-profile manner up the road ringing Banma Mountain.

Bo Rui touched things left and right in the back row, unable to hide the envy in his eyes.

“This car is so cool! The interior is completely customized. Even in the Soaring Eagle class, this is a king-class configuration.”

Da Lun kindly advised him: “You’re a royal too. Don’t act so inexperienced.”

“You know how much I count as a royal. His Highness Oser and I only share 12.5% of our bloodline.”

“No wonder you can’t be compared to him.” Xi Lei’s voice came from the front seat.

Bo Rui stuck his head between the driver and passenger seats: “I was just about to ask, why are you allowed to sit in the passenger seat?”

Ling Yi was in a very good mood tonight, and joked: “Only bodyguards sit in the passenger seat. VIPs sit in the back.”

The night breeze blew through the open windows. Long silver hair fluttered in the wind and brushed against Bo Rui’s face, and he couldn’t tell where he itched the most.

He glanced at Ling Yi through the rearview mirror, and still couldn’t understand why his own son looked so different after putting on makeup.

The corners of the rearview mirror reflected the headlights, and a flash of silver on the cuff of Ling Yi’s ear caught Bo Rui’s attention.

“What’s this?” He reached out to touch it.

But before he could, Xi Lei grabbed his wrist and he was unable to move at all. This seemed like a familiar scene.

Xi Lei gazed ahead: “I told you. If you dare touch him, you’ll lose your hand.”

The grip on Bo Rui’s wrist was so forceful that it hurt, so he could only withdraw it in frustration and mutter, unreconciled: “You really think you’re a bodyguard, sitting in that passenger seat.”

At the top of Banma Mountain, the Luban driver had yet to appear, and everyone was getting impatient.

“The match is about to start, and this substitute hasn’t shown up yet. Could it be that he heard his opponent is Lei Yue and was too scared to show his face?”

“Look, is that a Soaring Eagle? Is some bigshot from the Royal Academy coming to watch the match tonight?”

The Soaring Eagle stopped by the roadside, and Xi Lei handed Ling Yi a helmet before he got out of the car.

“Did you bring that?” Ling Yi asked in a low voice.

Xi Lei had expected this, but he still donned a gloomy expression as he slipped him the pill covertly.

Ling Yi tossed the pill into his mouth and put on his helmet, and the four people got out of the car one after another.

Someone in the audience recognized them.

“They’re not from the royal family, they’re from Luban. How could a Luban student possibly afford a car of this quality?”

“You might not know this, but that big guy is a relative of Grand Duke Sully. He’s the one who caused a scene at the ball a couple days ago.”

“Ah, I heard about that! Why is he going to the military academy instead of the Royal Academy?”

Some people were disappointed when they saw Ling Yi.

“That’s the substitute Luban found? Their hair is so long. They didn’t find a girl, did they?”

Bo Rui said loudly: “Are people from the Royal Academy sexist? We at Luban have crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Even if we found a girl or an Omega, we would still beat you!”

“You talk a big game. Don’t cry if you lose. Our Lei-ge isn’t good at coaxing girls!”

A burst of laughter erupted.

Ling Yi remained unmoved, walking straight toward his motorcycle.

The motorcycle he was using today had been prepared for him by Oser, and it had been sent to the top of the mountain in advance. Presently, it was parked right beside Lei Yue’s at the starting line.

Someone wearing a helmet was already waiting there.

“I’ve run this mountain road many times, and I’m very familiar with the road conditions. It would be unfair of me to compete with you here. Think carefully before making your decision.”

“Beat me first, then you can say your victory was unfair.”

“I feel I have an obligation to explain this upfront.”

Ling Yi got on his motorcycle: “Are you done with this nonsense?”

“Wait a moment.”

Lei Yue lowered his head and remained motionless for about thirty seconds.

Ling Yi: “What are you doing? Praying?”

“Taking a moment of silence for a deceased friend. Today’s match should have belonged to him.”

Ling Yi turned the handlebars and heard the roar of the engine, feeling secretly delighted.

This motorcycle was worthy of being sponsored by His Highness. It was much better than his previous one.

He couldn’t stop touching it, and patted the hood, wondering if he would have a chance to ride such a nice machine again in the future.

Lei Yue didn’t quite understand his behavior: “That old friend was also your schoolmate. Shouldn’t you be mourning him too?”

Ling Yi rolled his eyes behind his helmet.

“No need. Let’s get started.”

---

[1] In forums, this means not to keep quoting someone else’s messages and creating a long string of nested messages. Basically, stop repeating each other. ⮐

---

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Chapter 28 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 30

When Bai Lihong saw his uncle go to the barrel, he quickly followed.

He could just barely see a smaller wooden basin inside.

He was almost the same size as the barrel, and stood on tiptoe to find that it was full of ice!

The ice inside the wooden basin was crystal clear, reflecting the dumbfounded expression on his face.

The child’s eyes immediately widened, and there was thinly-veiled surprise on Qin Xiao’s face as well.

Chu Jiubian watched Qin Xiao’s expression with interest. What was he feeling?

He’d thought this person was able to completely conceal his feelings, but it seemed he was still young and inexperienced. Hadn’t he still revealed a hint of emotion?

Sensing his gaze from the side, Qin Xiao looked away from the basin of ice.

There was an unspeakable emotion in his dark eyes as he looked straight into Chu Jiubian’s.

Chu Jiubian stood at 1.83 meters, which was considered tall among men, but Qin Xiao was half a head taller than him, putting him at around 1.9 meters.

In this situation, his height advantage and fierce aura instantly brought a heavy sense of oppression over Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian didn’t avert his gaze, but raised his eyes slightly to give him a thought-provoking smile. He asked: “Lord Ning-wang, is this a fun thing?”

Before Qin Xiao could respond, a clear childish voice came from below: “Fun!”

Bai Lihong gripped the edge of the barrel with his small hands, standing on tiptoe with great effort. He looked up at the two “giants” beside him and said excitedly: “Chu Jiubian, you have so much ice, ah! It feels so cool!”

Children were not as heat-resistant as adults, and the summer heat was at its peak these days. It was true that Bai Lihong couldn’t sleep at night due to the heat, but he didn’t cry because of it.

Seeing such a large piece of ice now, he couldn’t help reaching out to touch it – but his arms were too short.

The child chattered on about how satisfied he was with this “toy,” but he was an intelligent boy, and when he noticed the strange atmosphere between the two adults, he fell silent.

Qin Xiao lightly twisted the ring on his thumb. A smile appeared in his eyes, and in an instant, the tense atmosphere between the two of them dissipated.

“It’s fun.” Qin Xiao’s slightly low voice held a smile. “It’s really fun.”

Chu Jiubian was quite satisfied with this answer, and said: “This should be able to relieve your worries, but what about what you promised me?”

Qin Xiao smoothly agreed: “This palace is Jiu-gongzi’s home, and he may do whatever he wants.”

“Jiu-gongzi?” Chu Jiubian’s eyelid twitched slightly. What a silly name.

Qin Xiao smiled and said: “Jiu-gongzi’s reputation has spread throughout the entire capital nowadays, and even those who curse me are fewer. This lord must thank you.”

Although the Qin family was prestigious and had a good reputation among the common people, ever since he killed all those spies in front of Shenwu Gate for three days and three nights, more people had been scolding him than praising him.

Especially those powerful families, who criticized him behind his back for being cruel and ruthless and having evil ambitions.

But now, these people were attempting every means to get close to the “immortal” Chu Jiubian, and didn’t even have time to curse Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian guessed what was going on and said: “If Lord Ning-wang really wants to thank me, why not do me another favor?”

It would be even better if he could go out of the palace again. He wondered if the scenery in ancient times was the same as the sets he had acted on.

“It’s dangerous outside the palace,” Qin Xiao exaggerated. “Perhaps when this lord is free one day, I’ll take you out for a walk?”

This meant he still intended to keep an eye on him. But being able to freely move around the palace was still a big improvement.

Chu Jiubian was just testing the waters, and since his words had no results, he didn’t argue with him.

When the other party went silent, Qin Xiao thought for a moment and said: “Three days. I’ll take you out in three days.”

This time, Chu Jiubian was genuinely surprised. He sent the other party a suspicious look. Was Qin Xiao so easy to deal with?

He was probably going to get cheated again.

Changing the subject, Qin Xiao bowed with a rare solemn expression and said: “Asking the Young Master to help me make ice.”

With no further discussion, Chu Jiubian had someone hand over the ice-making method. He had no intention of keeping it to himself, and said bluntly: “I told you I’d provide you a way. I don’t go back on my word.” Unlike Qin Xiao, who’d lost a bet and refused to pay up.

Qin Xiao bowed again without hesitation: “Then on behalf of the common people and His Majesty, thank you, Young Master.”

Although the elite nowadays had cellars for storing ice, none of them were in the capital, and the closest ones were in the outskirts.

The roads were difficult to travel, and the weather was so hot that most of the ice would have melted by the time it was transported to the capital.

Now that Qin Xiao had this ice-making method, it would be much easier to just make it and sell it in the capital. Those elites were not short of money, and never cut corners when it came to making their lives comfortable. This ice-selling business was bound to be extremely profitable.

The issue of the empty treasury would naturally be solved.

Chu Jiubian hadn’t expected Qin Xiao to give him such sincere thanks, and especially hadn’t expected him to add “on behalf of the common people and His Majesty.”

How could a treacherous villain be so upright?

Perhaps he was planning to take the majority of the ice-making profits.

But this had nothing to do with Chu Jiubian. His only goal was to ensure his freedom.

He had originally planned to tell Qin Xiao about how to use saltpeter to make tinderboxes and fireworks, but there was no need to rush. If Qin Xiao really did what he said and took him out of the palace in three days, it wouldn’t be too late to tell him about it then. He could just treat it as another business deal.

“Take out that basin of ice first. I’ll teach you how to make it,” Chu Jiubian told Qin Xiao.

Eunuch Hong had known that Qin Xiao had something to discuss with Chu Jiubian, so he led Xiao Xiangzi and the others to guard outside the main house. At present, there were only the two adults and one three-year-old emperor in the room.

Chu Jiubian didn’t want to do the work, and the young emperor couldn’t do it, so that just left Qin Xiao.

He didn’t drag his feet. After Chu Jiubian spoke, he immediately took out the basin of ice and set it on the floor.

Bai Lihong couldn’t reach it before, but now he could finally touch it and get a better look.

“Chu Jiubian, can I touch this ice?” The little boy squatted beside the ice basin, looking over pitifully with his head tilted upwards.

“This is a gift for Your Majesty,” Chu Jiubian said.

Bai Lihong immediately gave a white-toothed smile: “Thank you, Chu Jiubian!”

“Your Majesty is too polite.” Chu Jiubian wanted to reach out and pat the little boy’s head. He was such a cute kid, but when he grew up, he would be resolute and decisive. He didn’t know how Qin Xiao could have raised such a person.

Bai Lihong reached out with his little hand to carefully touch the ice. With a shiver, he quickly withdrew his hand and pressed it against his chubby face.

That little face, which had previously been red from the heat, felt cool and comfortable.

Bai Lihong’s face lit up after tasting this sweetness, and he repeated the action again and again to cool down his face.

Nearby, Chu Jiubian had already instructed Qin Xiao to pour the remaining saltpeter into another wooden barrel filled with water, and then to stir it with a wooden stick. 

When the stirring was almost done, he filled a smaller basin with water and carefully placed it inside the wooden barrel, ensuring that it was surrounded by the water.

“Like this?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian nodded: “Just like this.”

Qin Xiao was somewhat flummoxed.

How had nobody ever discovered such a simple thing?

He had just touched the saltpeter water, and it was a little cold. If those people from the Imperial Hospital ever accidentally dropped saltpeter into water, wouldn’t they discover the same thing?

Had there never been such an accident, or did those people just not use their brains?

Chu Jiubian saw through his thoughts practically at a glance and said: “This method is simple, but the prerequisite is that the saltpeter must be purified.”

“Purified?” Qin Xiao had noticed that the saltpeter here with Chu Jiubian was different from what he had seen before, but he’d thought it was just finely ground.

“Xiao Xiangzi and the others know how to do it, so just ask them.”

“Okay.” Qin Xiao lowered his eyes to look at the basin in front of him. The water inside hadn’t changed much.

“How long does it take?” he asked.

“If it’s fast, a few quarters of an hour. If it’s slow, a half hour more than that.” Qin Xiao nodded. This was much faster than he had expected.

“This saltpeter is truly miraculous,” he said.

“It has more uses than just this,” Chu Jiubian said intentionally.

Qin Xiao turned his head to find the young man giving him a faint smile.

Qin Xiao smiled back.

It seemed he would have to wait and see what other uses saltpeter had in the future.

Bai Lihong saw that they had concluded their business, and that he finally had a chance to interrupt them. He quickly stood up and walked in front of Chu Jiubian, then looked up and asked: “Chu Jiubian, have you met my mother?”

Chu Jiubian was stunned. He crouched down to give him his full attention: “Your mother?”

“Yeah.” Bai Lihong’s eyes were full of anticipation. “My mother went to heaven and became an immortal. Have you seen her?”

He had never met anyone who could make ice, so Chu Jiubian must be a god!

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes toward his nephew’s little round head. He started to say something, but stopped.

He then glanced at Chu Jiunbian, somewhat curious about what this “god” would say.

Chu Jiubian thought of the description of the empress in the original novel. She was an intelligent, courageous, gentle woman.

“I’ve never seen her,” Chu Jiubian said.

The young emperor looked visibly disappointed.

“But I’ve heard of her,” Chu Jiubian continued.

Bai Lihong was stunned.

“She is very strong, and she must want you to be as brave and strong as she is.”

These were not Chu Jiubian’s words, but the dying thoughts of the empress in the novel. She hoped that her child would grow up to be a wise and upright ruler who would create a prosperous era for the Great Ning Dynasty.

Bai Lihong’s eyes suddenly reddened, but he forced himself to hold back his tears.

“I remember. Mother said that people should be brave.” 

[Congratulations, Host! Your accumulated Faith Value has exceeded 100 points. The Divine Realm function is now open. You may enter and invite a Believer at any time.]

Chu Jiubian’s heart skipped a beat.

Just before Qin Xiao and the young emperor arrived, the score was at 98 and hadn’t increased in a while, but now it had actually exceeded 100.

The Divine Realm and Space functions were calculated based on the accumulated points, and Chu Jiubian had previously consumed 1.5 points. In other words, he had just gained another .5 points, which caused the accumulated value to reach 100.

He looked at the young emperor in front of him who had already fought back his tears, and knew where that .5 points came from.

What a good boy, he thought.

Time passed little by little. The three people in the room didn’t speak as the water in the basin gradually cooled and turned into ice.

Qin Xiao stood by and watched the water turn into ice with his own eyes. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t shaken.

Once the ice slowly solidified, he reached out and touched it lightly.

His fingertips trembled at the cold sensation.

He looked at Chu Jiubian with deep and unfathomable eyes, his thoughts unknown.

Chu Jiubian had long been eager to enter the Divine Realm. When their eyes met, he said at once: “If there is nothing else, My Lord should have his own business to take care of, right?”

He was driving him away.

Qin Xiao chuckled, and without further ado, he took the young emperor away from Yaotai Residence.

The two basins of ice were naturally not taken from the room, but Xiao Yinzi and Xiao Jinzi, who knew the process of purifying saltpeter, were taken away.

After they left, Xiao Xiangzi, Shui Qing, and Shui Yun went into the main house to perform their duties.

It went without saying how shocked they were to see the two basins of ice. Chu Jiubian had already hidden in the bedroom, and after instructing that he should not be disturbed, he eagerly lay down on the bed and opened the System interface.

The [Divine Realm] section, which had been greyed-out before, was now lit up. Chu Jiubian clicked on it without hesitation.

In an instant, a sensation of dizziness and weightlessness spread throughout his body. It took him a few seconds to regain control, and his feet seemed to step onto solid ground.

He steadied himself and slowly opened his eyes.

A vague white mist lingered around him, slowly swirling, and it was difficult for him to tell whether this was reality or a dream.

[Hello, Host. The Divine Realm has been opened. In the Divine Realm, you and your Believers exist as a form of consciousness, while your bodies remain in their original three-dimentional space and appear to be asleep.]

[As the one true god in the Divine Realm, you have the right to make changes to all objects. To ensure your privacy, you can also choose to change your appearance.]

The System was straightforward and businesslike, never rambling as it briefly explained the functions of the Divine Realm.

The one true god.

Chu Jiubian chewed over these words. His thoughts moved, and the white mist around him dissipated in a flash to be replaced by a pure white space with no visible boundaries.

There was nothing in this space except the ground beneath his feet.

When looking forward, back, left, right, or upward, he could only see the space extending out endlessly.

The was the original appearance of the Divine Realm.

The corners of Chu Jiubian’s lips curved up, and he turned to look behind him.

The empty white space shook, and several towering jade pillars with dragons coiled around them abruptly rose from the ground to stand on both sides of the space. They extended upward until a white mist appeared, shrouding the endless space overhead.

Spots of golden light appeared and moved leisurely within the white mist. One could see the indistinct silhouettes of huge buildings hidden within it, such as pavilions and palaces with upturned eaves. Faintly, one seemed to hear the low cries of dragons and phoenixes.

As Chu Jiubian stepped forward, white jade steps appeared under his feet, extending to the left and right until they vanished into the mist with no end in sight.

After twenty-seven steps, Chu Jiubian came to a stop, and a new piece of ground extended under his feet.

A wide, thick white jade chair slowly took shape here, with a high, straight back and wide armrests.

Chu Jiubian took a couple of steps forward, turned around, and sat down on the chair.

Simultaneously, his clothes transformed into the same incredibly gorgeous ones he’d transmigrated in. 

He sat casually on the chair and crossed his legs. The jewels and beads on his boots made soft clinking sounds, and the chair adjusted itself to best fit his body shape.

Looking down from this angle, a white jade table had appeared beneath the twenty-seven steps. There was nothing on the table, but a wide chair sat behind it facing Chu Jiubian.

This was a seat for Believers, and there was only one at the moment.

A wisp of white mist poured down from the sky, faintly blurring the long table like a gauze curtain. Hazy red plum blossoms swayed within it, and there seemed to be a faint fragrance of plums as the misty curtain was lifted by a steady breeze.

Were someone to sit at that long table, they would see the faint, blurry outline of the jade steps behind the curtain, extending slowly upward like a ladder to heaven.

But from Chu Jiubian’s position, he could clearly see the situation below.

The Believers logically shouldn’t be able to see Chu Jiubian behind the curtain, but just in case, he stretched out his hand and a bronze half mask appeared in his palm.

He put the mask on and called up the System again: “How do I connect to Believers?”

[The System Card Library has been updated. Please draw a card to select.]

Hadn’t it said he could bring in anyone he wanted?

Chu Jiubian frowned. Drawing cards wasn’t exactly reliable.

Perhaps because it was within the System space, the System directly placed the cards into the void in front of Chu Jiubian – a total of six.

[Asking Host to extract keywords.]

Chu Jiubian understood that when drawing a card, one must first select a keyword, and then choose a person associated with that keyword to become a Believer.

It was just that there were no words written on the cards, so he could only click on one at random. The other five were immediately retracted by the System.

Two traditional Chinese characters gradually coalesced on the remaining card: “Armed Forces.”

Chu Jiubian raised his eyebrows.

He’d gotten lucky, ah. What he currently lacked was the ability to protect himself. If he had his own armed forces, he could be more confident in his dealings with Qin Xiao.

[Keyword confirmed. Currently selecting qualified Believers for Host.]

[Selection completed. Four character cards are reserved. Please make a selection.]

The System’s requirements for selecting Believers were very complex, so Chu Jiubian didn’t expect to have very many people to choose from. Right now, having four was good enough.

The keyword card was taken back, and four new cards appeared in front of him.

Unlike the previous blind selection, the four cards in front of him revealed the name, identity, and armed forces represented by the “reserved Believers.”

Chu Jiubian glanced over them.

[Pingxi-wang Bai Lizheng. Age 35. Fifth Uncle of Emperor Bai Lihong, with a fief located in Sichuan. Armed forces consist of 50,000 Sichuan troops.]

[Anhuai-wang Bai Liming. Age 18. Cousin of Emperor Bai Lihong (son of the emperor’s fourth uncle). Armed forces consist of 30,000 Henan troops.]

[Mobei Army Commander Jiang Shuoye. Age 25. Grandson of Lord Zhenbei, whose family is in decline. Armed forces consist of 80,000 Mobei troops. (Recommended!)]

Chu Jiubian found the word “recommended” in the brackets a little funny.

Was this the System’s selfish motives?

But compared to the two previous Imperial relatives, the commander of the Mobei Army with 80,000 troops was indeed more suitable. His strength seemed to be much higher than the other two.

But the Northern Desert was so far away from the capital. If something really did happen to Chu Jiubian, it was difficult to say whether the other party could make it there in time.

He was temporarily undecided.

Then he looked at the last card, and his expression went blank.

The card read: [Ning-wang Qin Xiao. Age 25. Armed forces consist of 50,000 elite Qin Army soldiers and 10,000 *****. (Not recommended!)]

---

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Chapter 10 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 12

Chu Jiubian opened the System interface and saw that the Faith Value column now displayed a shining 58 points!

In disbelief, he logged out and logged in again, only to see that his points had risen again to 59.

What had happened last night?

Chu Jiubian pondered, and quickly made a guess.

The two poems he wrote down yesterday must have spread. And Qin Xiao must not have told anyone to hide Chu Jiubian’s identity, so thanks to the ancestors Li Bai and Li Qingzhao, Chu Jiubian’s name had really spread.

And in order for his Faith Value to have increased so quickly, there must be many people who believed in his identity as a “god.”

A cunning smile surfaced in Chu Jiubian’s eyes.

For there to be so many faith points in one night, they must have been contributed by well-informed people. 

After daybreak, more people would find out about these two poems, and the Faith Value would assuredly continue to rise.

If this was the case, then the System’s words about the Faith Value exceeding 100 today was likely to come to fruition.

With such a pleasant surprise upon waking, the state of Chu Jiubian’s mood was self-evident.

However, for those two poems to have reached the ears of so many people in just one night, Qin Xiao must have been fanning the flames behind the scenes.

No matter the other party’s reasons, considering the fact that he had helped him by accident, Chu Jiubian didn’t find it so painful to tell him that saltpeter could be used to make tinderboxes and fireworks.

When he heard sounds inside the room, Xiao Xiangzi immediately greeted him from where he was standing guard outside the door: “Is the Young Master getting up? May this servant come in and serve you?”

After yesterday’s interactions, everyone in Yaotai Residence knew that Chu Jiubian was not a fussy person. He was unwilling to delegate many things to others, and nor did he want the servants to wait on him.

Chu Jiubian had already put on his overrobe, and said: “Get me a basin of water.”

“Yes.”

Xiao Yinzi and Xiao Jinzi came in together, one holding a basin of water and the other holding soap for washing his face and a brush for brushing his teeth.

The toothbrush was a piece of a willow branch, and the process of crushing it between your teeth performed the function of cleaning them.

Chu Jiubian had acted in several costume dramas and liked to pick up various bits of knowledge, so he learned whenever he had the chance. He had studied these things, and could use them skillfully.

This method did work, but it was no match for an actual toothbrush, and this soap was no match for modern soap either.

It seemed he would need to find an opportunity to make daily necessities such as toothbrushes, tooth powder, and soap.

But he needed to take things one step at a time and not give Qin Xiao the illusion that he was too proactive, lest the other party not take him seriously or simply treat him as a useful tool.

After washing up, he carefully tied his long hair at the back and went to check on the saltpeter that had been set out to dry yesterday.

Xiao Xiangzi also got up and followed him in high spirits.

Chu Jiubian thoroughly inspected the purified saltpeter, and after confirming that there were no problems, he said to Xiao Xiangzi: “After the morning court session, go and invite your lord over.”

“Yes.” Xiao Xiangzi nodded. “Is there anything else this servant should do?”

Chu Jiubian paused, then gave him a sideways glance.

Xiao Xiangzi smiled with even more friendliness, and the dimples on his cheeks deepened.

He was a very likeable child.

Shui Qing and Shui Yun came from the kitchen to the front courtyard, carrying a fairly substantial tray of breakfast.

“Young Master, breakfast is ready,” the two of them greeted him together.

Chu Jiubian said with a nod: “I’ll eat in the courtyard.”

Although it wasn’t a large courtyard, there was some scenery available, as well as a small pavilion with a round stone table and four stone benches.

Shui Qing and Shui Yun responded affirmatively, then placed breakfast on the table and moved aside.

Chu Jiubian walked over and sat down, and Xiao Xiangzi immediately picked up the chopsticks and handed them to him.

Chu Jiubian took them and asked casually: “Have you eaten?”

“This servant has already eaten,” Xiao Xiangzi replied.

They had all indeed washed and eaten before Chu Jiubian woke up, so that they could serve their master well.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but look between the three of them, then toward the main house where Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi were cleaning.

These five people were his neighbors, with whom he would be cohabitating for an extended period of time. Although they were all Qin Xiao’s people, if Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao appeared to be an indivisible whole on the surface, then he and these five people could be considered colleagues, right?

And if they were all colleagues in the future, would it be okay to complain about Qin Xiao, their “boss,” and chat about gossip and their daily goings-on?

A dim light flashed in Chu Jiubian’s eyes.

Soon after, he finished his breakfast and began to pace around the courtyard.

Xiao Xiangzi stood nearby, and Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi were pruning the courtyard’s flowers and plants and dealing with weeds. Shui Qing and Shui Yun brought the used tableware back to the kitchen and handed it to a maid, then came back to the main courtyard and stood quietly under the eaves of the main house.

Chu Jiubian squinted his eyes at the rising sun. From time to time, he could hear the chirping of birds.

What a great day for a heart-to-heart talk, ah.

The five people who were focused on Chu Jiubian heard him give a soft sigh.

They automatically looked over, and saw the morning sun shining down on a young man with the appearance of a banished immortal. He wore a dark blue set of robes, and the red collar of his inner garments made his already pale skin look even more delicate and translucent.

His light-hued eyes were gazing far away in the direction of Yangxin Palace, as if he had a heart full of sorrows and no one to tell them to.

Flowers fall and water flows, one kind of longing, and two kinds of idle worries.

There is no way to dispel this feeling. It has only just left my brow, yet still it lingers in my heart.

These two lines of poetry simultaneously emerged in the minds of this group of people, and Chu Jiubian in front of them seemed to have become the passionate individual who was yearning for his lover.

Shui Yun was a sentimental person. When she saw this scene, she felt a pang of sadness and asked: “Young Master, is there anything on your mind?”

After asking this, she suddenly realized that she may have crossed a line and immediately bowed and apologized.

Chu Jiubian waved a hand and said: “It’s okay.” Then he gave another deep sigh.

This time, it was Xiao Xiangzi who couldn’t stop himself. He asked in concern: “Young Master, if there is anything you need, please say it. This servant will do his best to help you.”

Chu Jiubian looked at him, then glanced at the others: “It’s nothing serious. I just miss your lord a little bit.”

“M-miss…..” Xiao Xiangzi spoke with difficulty. “Our lord?”

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and said nothing more. He just sat there dejectedly as if lost in his own thoughts, leaving the others to their endless imaginings.

The power of the imagination should not be underestimated. Free speculation and filling in the blanks was much more preferable to Chu Jiubian than making up a story himself.

Sure enough, the five people in the courtyard aside from Chu Jiubian exchanged glances at this moment, their eyes full of surprise and disbelief. 

Xiao Yinzi was so agitated and uncomfortable that he could only get up and quietly leave the courtyard. 

They actually didn’t know much about Chu Jiubian. They only knew that he was a mysterious person who fell from the sky during the coronation ceremony and predicted the rainfall, and there were many different opinions about him.

However, none of these opinions was consistent with the idea that “Chu Jiubian missed Qin Xiao.”

Xiao Yinzi hurried out of Yaotai Residence and headed straight to Yangxin Palace with a clear purpose, intending to question the eunuchs serving there. He had to figure out what was going on, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep.

Chu Jiubian naturally noticed him, but feigned ignorance.

Go ahead and find out. You should hear the truth about this “love tribulation,” ah.

Suddenly, a notification sounded in his mind: [Congratulations, Host. Your Faith Value has reached 80 and is expected to exceed 100 by noon. Please keep up the good work.]

Chu Jiubian’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

At the same time, in the back gardens of the Minister of Personnel’s manor, unmarried young ladies from noble families gathered together. There were twelve or thirteen of them, plus their maids, for a total of more than thirty people.

These were all beautiful, lively girls in their prime, but the dresses they wore had monotonous colors, and were all a bit dull. There was not a single bright, pretty color like pink or yellow.

It wasn’t that the girls didn’t like such things, but dying technology was limited in this era, and there were only a few types of dyes that could be produced.

A girl in a pure white dress stood in the pavilion, gently waving the round fan in her hand. In a bright, clear voice, she said: “My favorite line is ‘who sent this brocade letter from the clouds? When the geese return, the moon is full over the western tower.’ It is truly beautiful.”

“Seond Miss Su, is it the ‘full moon over the western tower’ you like, or the ‘brocade letter’ sent back by someone?” Another young lady teased suggestively.

The girls immediately all laughed out loud.

Su Xi’er’s face instantly flushed, and she said in embarrassment: “What nonsense is this? Stop laughing!”

The girls laughed even more heartily, and Su Xi’er hurriedly found a place to sit where she could hide herself behind the girl next to her.

That girl was none other than Zhao Xi, Third Miss Zhao of the Minister of Personnel’s family. She laughed when she saw this, but still shielded the other girl behind her, saying: “Okay, okay, stop teasing her. Who wants to speak next and get back to proper business?”

Another girl then stood up to recite her favorite line, and everyone moved on from the previous one.

Zhao Xi turned to look at Su Xi’er beside her. Seeing that her face was still red, she couldn’t help but smile.

Su Xi’er was even more embarrassed: “You’re teasing me too.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t make any more trouble.” Zhao Xi held her hand and moved closer, whispering in her ear: “I heard that Commander An has been in favor recently. Your father should have a better attitude toward him now.”

Su Xi’er’s face flamed even hotter. She subconsciously looked around to make sure no one could overhear their conversation, and only then did she somewhat relax.

Now that her beloved had been mentioned, she couldn’t help but want to talk to her friend about him, so she pulled the other girl to her feet to go elsewhere.

Zhao Xi simply took her to her own courtyard, and they chattered away.

“Father has indeed stopped being so hostile toward him recently.” Su Xie’er beamed. “But he is reluctant to allow me to marry so early, and he also thinks that a warrior like him won’t be caring enough.”

Zhao Xi said at once: “Who says warriors can’t be caring? From what I’ve seen, the young and talented Commander An is different from other warriors. Besides, you’ll be marrying down if you marry him, and there are no elders in his family, so you’ll definitely live an unrestrained life.”

“Mother feels the same way.” There was a trace of desolation on Su Xi’er’s face. “But he and I have only met two times. Perhaps my feelings are unrequited and he doesn’t even know who I am.”

“How could that be? You have good looks, a good personality, and you come from a good family…..” Zhao Xi lowered her voice and continued: “Besides, your father is a loyal minister, exactly the kind of person Lord Ning-wang wants to befriend, and Commander An is one of Lord Ning-wang’s subordinates. As long as you’re interested, this marriage will definitely be a success.”

The relationships between the elite in the capital were complicated. Most of them were related to the four great families and various vassal kings, but Minister of Revenue Su Sheng was different. His ancestors had followed Emperor Wuzong to conquer the territory, and the generations that followed were all loyal ministers to the Imperial family.

Qin Xiao now represented Bai Lihong and the Imperial family, and no one would think it wrong for Su Sheng to develop close ties with him.

Su Xi’er knew this was the truth, but in her girlish worries, she also thought it would be ideal if her beloved also had feelings for her.

*

*

At another manor in the capital, a group of ladies were gathered to enjoy the same poem: [A Spray of Plum Blossoms].

Unlike the young girls, although these ladies also wore smiles on their faces, such expressions appeared much more distant.

And as they discussed the poem, they also began to discuss people – from the Immortal Poet and the Scholar of Serenity, to the mysterious “Jiu-gongzi.”

“Jiu-gongzi actually seems to comprehend the poems written by immortals. I fear he really is a god who descended to the mortal world.”

“I think it’s probably true. Otherwise, with the coronation ceremony being so heavily guarded, even the most formidable martial arts master wouldn’t have been able to appear so silently, right?”

“There really are gods in this world. Why do I feel a little panicked?”

“I couldn’t sleep last night, so I came to see you all early this morning. Why don’t we go to Lingjue Temple this afternoon and ask the master to chant some scriptures for us so that we can feel more at ease?”

“Perfect. Then it’s settled,” the lady of the host family said. “We’ll all have lunch here at noon, take a break, and then go to the temple.”

The ladies of each family quickly instructed their maids to go back and report to their families, and to arrange for carriages and horses.

They had also believed in gods and the supernatural before, and often invited each other to go to the temple to pray for blessings. But now that a “god” was actually in front of them, they were panicked and frightened, but without a clear idea of what they were afraid of.

But for the “god” Chu Jiubian, their reverent and fearful awe was the best thing.

Just this morning, he had witnessed his Faith Value skyrocket all the way to 98. With two more points, he would be able to open the Divine Realm!

While in this state of excitement, he saw Qin Xiao arrive after morning court with the young emperor walking half a step ahead of him.

Xiao Xiangzi and the others immediately knelt to pay their respects.

Logically speaking, Chu Jiubian’s actual identity now was that of a “commoner” and illegal resident, but the thought of kneeling didn’t even cross his mind.

Doing it while shooting a movie was one thing, but he would be uncomfortable kneeling before someone, especially when that person was a three-year-old child.

Besides, he had given himself the identity of a “god,” so why should he follow the customs of mortals?

Perhaps because his attitude was so matter-of-fact, nobody thought it was rude for him to remain standing, but instead thought it was the way things should be.

Even Qin Xiao had never told Chu Jiubian to observe etiquette.

Bai Lihong moved very quickly on his short legs, approaching Chu Jiubian almost eagerly to look up at him with sparkling eyes.

Perhaps it was because of the hot weather, but even though he had come here in a sedan chair, his face was sun-reddened and his hair was damp.

This was the male protagonist in his childhood, ah.

Seeing him wobble, Chu Jiubian was afraid he would accidentally tumble backwards, so he crouched down.

He gave a friendly smile and took the initiative to say: “Hello, Your Majesty.”

Qin Xiao stood a couple of steps behind Bai Lihong, neither too close nor too far. It was a position that put no pressure on the other person, but was still within the immediate range to protect him.

Bai Lihong sensed Chu Jiubian’s friendliness and smiled with his little white teeth, saying: “Hello, Chu Jiubian.”

Chu Jiubian found it quite amusing to be called by his full name by such a small child.

“Chu Jiubian,” Bai Lihong asked impatiently, “Where is the fun thing?”

Chu Jiubian raised his eyes to look at Qin Xiao.

The other party was calm and composed, and even offered him a smile.

A fun thing? This bastard Qin Xiao was messing with him again.

If he hadn’t made something good, wouldn’t the young emperor be bored?

Then wouldn’t Chu Jiubian have committed the crime of “deceiving the emperor?”

Wouldn’t he have been sent to prison again?

Chu Jiubian’s expression was tranquil. He stood up and said: “Follow me.”

Having said this, he headed toward the main house.

As early as half an hour ago, Chu Jiubian had estimated the time when morning court would end and made ice. 

It would take longer for the ice to form now that the weather was hot, but over half an hour was definitely sufficient.

Sure enough, he felt the chill hit him when he opened the main door.

It was done.

He entered the room and turned to look toward the door.

The young emperor and Qin Xiao walked in one after another, and their expressions changed in an instant.

Qin Xiao unconsciously frowned, while Bai Lihong exclaimed in delight: “Chu Jiubian, it’s so cool in your house, ah!”

Chu Jiubian smiled and pointed to a large barrel in the room, saying: “Your Majesty, that is the fun thing.”

Bai Lihong didn’t run over immediately, but instead glanced at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao’s gaze fell on the wooden barrel. He had a vague suspicion in mind, and was unable to stop his heart from beating wildly.

If it was true…..

The frivolous, carefree look on his face had long vanished. He took long strides toward the barrel and peered inside. 

In the next moment, a string in his mind seemed to snap.

It was actually ice!

---

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Chapter 9 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 11

Chapter 48 – Shamed Into Anger

“Why are you trying to kill us?” Seeing that Lu Chengye wasn’t saying anything else and was about to take action, Fang Yang quickly spoke out.

Talking too much led to a villain’s death. This truth could be understood by reading more books and listening to more stories.

It wasn’t that Lu Chengye didn’t know this, but just like every villain with this knowledge, he couldn’t help showing off when faced with a secure victory.

Lu Chengye raised his chin and said haughtily: “Do you even need to ask? Fang Yang, there is actually no deep grudge between us. At most, you opposed me, and I destroyed half your cultivation in return. Our debt is settled.”

“Are you the one who told someone to put the Blazing Sun Flower in my bowl?” Fang Yang asked in a tone of surprise.

“You’ve only realized it just now? Hahaha, how have you survived until today when you’re this stupid?” His poisoning had been exposed, but Lu Chengye wasn’t flustered at all. Instead, he regarded Fang Yang with disdain and shook his head with a sigh, as if regretting that this youth had been born with looks but no brain.

“You!” Fang Yang shouted furiously, gripping the hilt of his sword.

“But!” Lu Chengye’s voice suddenly rose, drowning out Fang Yang. He continued in a cold tone: “Who told your useless shixiong to humiliate me that day? It’s obvious that he won through luck – it was an unfair victory! As a result, he’s the object of everyone’s admiration while I, the real champion, have become a joke!”

Blocked behind Fang Yang, Cao Zirui was moved when he heard this, and finally remembered who Lu Chengye was. It turned out that he was the final champion during the Foundation Establishment tournament that day.

And the useless shixiong Lu Chengye had mentioned should be the junior disciple Feng Ye, whose swordsmanship was so exquisite that his own couldn’t match it.

Feng Ye’s victory over Lu Chengye had not just been luck. Cao Zirui had clearly seen that there was nothing wrong with Lu Chengye’s sword – it had broken entirely because of Feng Ye’s repeated attacks.

But although he knew this, he didn’t refute Lu Chengye at this moment. If he angered the other party, Lu Chengye might just kill them directly.

Although buying time wouldn’t provide a solution to their current crisis, it was better to delay as long as possible.

Thus, Cao Zirui simply remained standing behind Fang Yang while secretly regulating his spiritual power.

“By poisoning me, weren’t you trying to prevent me from participating in the afternoon competition?” After Fang Yang learned that it was Lu Chengye who’d poisoned him, it was also easy to guess his reasoning. 

It was precisely because he felt that he had a strong rival, and wanted to block his way to the championship.

“You’re a waste!” Fang Yang said coldly. “You didn’t even have the courage to confront me head-on, yet you have the nerve to say that someone else won unfairly!”

When he heard this, Lu Chengye clenched his fingers so tightly that his knuckles cracked. Fang Yang had hit the nail on the head, and he was shamed into anger, veins popping out on his forehead.

However, just as he was about to lose control, he suddenly calmed down and donned a mocking smile once again: “Whatever you say. Since you’re about to die, shouldn’t I allow you some last words?”

“There’s no deep grudge between you and me. If you need to blame something, just blame your bad luck. Who told you to hang around Feng Ye when there are so many other people you could spend time with?” As Lu Chengye spoke, he raised the hand holding the golden arrow, as if preparing to take action.

Not good. I haven’t delayed long enough, Fang Yang thought. The Mysterious Big Brother had fallen silent after telling him to buy some time, and he had no idea what to do next.

He asked him silently in his spiritual consciousness, but there was no answer.

It couldn’t be that he fell asleep again, right?

Of course Feng Ye hadn’t fallen asleep. It would be strange if he was able to.

The battle on land had not yet begun, but three hundred meters under the sea, the battle horn had already sounded.

The tentacles surrounding Feng Ye were spread out like chrysanthemum petals, and had closed in while Fang Yang was talking to Lu Chengye.

Feng Ye was trapped inside a cage of continuously constricting tentacles. Once the opening and closing suckers came into contact with his skin, they would inevitably begin to tear off swathes of flesh.

And he was unarmed, lacking even a sword to cut off the tentacles.

The situation seemed to be getting worse.

They hadn’t expected it to be so easy. The monsters gathered here, represented by the octopus, had thought that the person a god had sent them to kill would be very difficult to deal with.

Who could have expected that this human would be helpless in the deep sea, and was about to be eaten by the octopus without them even having to lift a fin?

Most of the monsters held this opinion, convinced of their impending victory. Except for a black fish mingling amongst the group of monsters, yet not fitting in with them at all.

Sea creatures were generally larger than those that lived on land, due to the buoyancy of the sea reducing the burden of weight on the body.

And the monsters living in the sea were more powerful than ordinary marine fish, as well as several times larger. The octopus encircling Feng Ye had tentacles that stretched dozens of meters long, and its body was as large as an adult sperm whale.

This black fish stood out amongst the group of monsters, each one bigger than the other.

Not because it was slim.

This black fish was more like a whale than a fish. He didn’t have scales like fish do, just smooth, slick skin over a thick layer of fat.

This black fish had the size and appearance of a normal whale. Although it was unknown what type of whale it was, it did look similar to the creature people were familiar with.

Moreover, there was no fluctuation of spiritual energy within its body. It looked like an ordinary, innocent fish that had swum into the wrong set. 

However, the other monsters didn’t dare to get within a few meters of it, deliberately avoiding the area around the black fish. If a monster approached even accidentally, it would immediately retreat far away as soon as it noticed.

Of course, there was no fish other than Hao Chen who could instill such fear in monsters that were used to dominating the depths of the sea. 

This wasn’t his true form, but an incarnation formed from a piece of fan bone. This fan bone could transform into a crow on land, and a black whale in the sea.

Due to this, he was able to keep his body size within an inconspicuous range and sneakily blend into the group of monsters encroaching on Feng Ye.

Otherwise, if he actually transformed into his true self, this small floating island would likely be directly submerged beneath the resulting tsunami caused by his transformation into a Kun.

And Hao Chen didn’t want to reveal his identity so prematurely. His true form was so enormous that it would be nearly impossible not to see it, and he was more or less aware of this.

Taking all factors into consideration, using an incarnation to follow the monsters and observe was the best option. As for his human form, he was still floating far away in the sea with his eyes slightly closed, controlling the movements of the black fish with his spiritual consciousness. 

He saw Feng Ye become trapped unawares in a cage made of octopus tentacles, his fate undetermined.

The black fish floating quietly in the sea couldn’t help but wave its tail anxiously. He had said to “kill him without mercy,” but in fact, those were empty words.

It would be difficult to relieve the feeling of being “made a fool of” without saying a few harsh words. But the words had indeed been spoken, and his anger had subsided.

He didn’t want Feng Ye to die. There were so many mysteries surrounding this person, and he was so interesting. If he died like this, wouldn’t Hao Chen have to return to the frozen North Sea and sleep out of boredom?

But he did not withdraw his command. The strongest of these monsters was only at Nascent Soul stage, which Feng Ye should be able to handle. This was a good opportunity to test his strength.

He had been watching with this in mind, but unexpectedly, the cage formed by the octopus’s tentacles kept shrinking, but Feng Ye showed no sign of escaping.

The black fish’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. Could it be that he had misjudged Feng Ye’s strength? Or was this fellow unable to swim blindly in this dark sea, with no ability to fight back? 

If that was the case…..should he go and rescue him?

The body always reacted faster than the brain. Before he could come up with an answer, his tail had already swung twice and propelled him forward a few meters.

But before he could actually make a move, the seawater suddenly became turbulent.

The source of the turbulence was the octopus that had trapped Feng Ye. Its tentacles spread out again, and its furious voice was transmitted through its sea of consciousness to every monster present: “He got away!”

Got away? The black fish looked at the octopus’s tentacles in surprise. They were empty but for a few golden wisps that were eye-catching in the deep, dark sea.

This was an array that had triggered and was about to dissipate.

“A teleportation array.” Hao Chen recognized the function of this array. When Feng Ye was trapped by the tentacles, it had seemed that the situation couldn’t get any worse.

But inside that cage, he was also isolated from sight. In a short period of time, he had drawn a teleportation array and escaped from danger without anyone noticing.

After a brief moment of surprise, Hao Chen’s mood turned into joy. He had been right about this person.

But this was far from over. Hao Chen had come here with the intention of taking off Feng Ye’s mask, so how could Feng Ye escape so easily?

The speed of a teleportation array was fast, but its distance was very limited. He must still be nearby. Perhaps he had used some means to conceal his aura, so all of the monsters, including Hao Chen were unable to locate him.

Hao Chen told this to the octopus using his spiritual consciousness. Upon receiving its orders, the octopus immediately commanded the other monsters to search the sea cun by cun.

The calm seawater grew turbulent as monsters of all sizes shuttled out to search the sea.

The black fish was also observing his surroundings. He wasn’t like the other monsters, which were running around everywhere – he was more like a general sitting in the center of the army, overlooking the entire situation.

Where would Feng Ye have gone? Hao Chen thought as he felt the turbulent seawater all around him. The currents caused by the monsters’ movements were so numerous and chaotic that it was difficult to read them.

Suddenly, there was a slight ripple above him. Hao Chen didn’t take it seriously at first, thinking that a monster had happened to swim above him.

However, the ripples were getting closer and closer, only three meters away from him.

Which monster is bold enough to approach me? The black fish thought in amazement.

Before he could figure it out, the monster made an even bolder move.

It stood on the black fish’s back.

As the Lord of the North Sea, Hao Chen would not allow any creature to stand on his back, even if the black fish was merely an insignificant incarnation. But this time, contrary to his normal response, he didn’t throw that person off in a rage. Because that was not a monster, but Feng Ye under an invisibility array.

Hao Chen: “…..”

The fish’s dark face went slack, as if it had seen a ghost.

Feng Ye hadn’t gone elsewhere. He had come right to him.

Was this a case of destiny bringing people together, or a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road?

Actually, neither was true, because this wasn’t a coincidence.

Just as Hao Chen had thought, the distance of the teleportation array Feng Ye had drawn was limited, and it was impossible for him to directly escape the encirclement of this group of monsters.

But he didn’t have much time to waste here. Although he had told Fang Yang to buy time, Lu Chengye could take action at any moment, so he had to reach land as soon as possible.

He certainly didn’t want to fight this group of monsters head-on, as it would be too time-consuming. Thus, Feng Ye had come up with this idea. He would activate the invisibility array at the same time as the teleportation array and leave here quietly.

And the reason he approached Hao Chen was simply because this was the only area where no monsters were roaming. Everywhere else, monsters of all sizes were searching for traces of him.

Only here did the monsters refuse to even approach.

Therefore, Feng Ye inevitably encountered the black fish that Hao Chen had transformed into.

Feng Ye looked carefully at the black fish floating agreeably in the water under his feet, drifting with the current.

On the surface, this black fish truly looked like an ordinary whale, with no trace of spiritual power at all.

Such whales could be found everywhere in the vast ocean, and were not uncommon. The one under his feet also looked commonplace. 

But floating alone in such a sea while surrounded by monsters was the biggest abnormality. When things went against the norm, there must be a culprit. There had to be a problem with this black fish.

And even when he stepped on its back, it didn’t react at all, which once again confirmed Feng Ye’s conjecture.

Considering that the monsters dared not approach the black fish, it wasn’t difficult to infer that it was the culprit that had gathered the group of monsters.

Otherwise, how could it have been so quiet when Feng Ye came here, yet he was surrounded by so many monsters when he left?

The more Feng Ye thought about it, the more certain he became. His only point of confusion was that he had just arrived and there were no grudges between him and the fish, so why had it chosen to seek him out?

Wait. Feng Ye suddenly realized what the problem was. He had no grudges with the fish of the Floating Island Secret Realm, but the same could not be said for a certain seafood from the North Sea.

Feng Ye suddenly half-crouched beside the fish’s erect dorsal fin, soft, elastic skin under his feet.

He called out tentatively to the black fish: “Hao Chen?”

The skin that had been soft just now immediately tightened, and the tail that would occasionally wave in the water went still.

The black fish seemed to have fallen under a petrification spell, turning into a statue in an instant.

Feng Ye: “…..”

There was no answer, but his reaction said it all.

His eyelid twitched as he stared at the black fish under his feet. He had never thought that the sticky candy he thought he’d gotten rid of would return in such a way.

In a place beyond Feng Ye’s sight, a hint of struggle finally manifested on Hao Chen’s fish face. Feng Ye had yet to drop his disguise, but his own was the first to be seen through.

No! No way!

He couldn’t admit it like this!

So after a brief moment of stiffness, the originally docile and well-behaved black fish suddenly became violent.

He twisted his body vigorously, attempting to throw Feng Ye off his back.

Feng Ye quickly hugged the fish’s body and explained to Hao Chen, who was furious at his identity being exposed: “Listen to me first, I’m in a hurry…..”

Would a person who was shamed to anger listen to him?

Of course not.

The black fish had made up his mind: Not listening, not listening. He twisted his body even harder, rushing around in the sea.

Although the black fish was not slender, it swam surprisingly fast. Feng Ye used all of his limbs to cling tightly to the fish, but the skin with a thick underlayer of fat was so slippery that he had nothing to hold onto.

He was immediately thrown off by Hao Chen, and the commotion here was naturally not hidden from the eyes and ears of the other monsters.

They received orders from Hao Chen and swam over quickly, surrounding Feng Ye.

Hideous, terrifying tentacles blocked Feng Ye’s way again as a wide-open fish mouth filled with sharp teeth attacked him from behind.

He hadn’t escaped after all. Feng Ye looked at the group of monsters surrounding him, as well as the black fish hiding behind them with its tail wagging, and thought with some impatience, It seems this battle is inevitable.

On land, Fang Yang racked his brains for ways to buy time, as Feng Ye was occupied and unable to respond to him.

He once again interrupted Lu Chengye before he could take action: “You have a reason to kill me, but what about him?” As he spoke, he gestured with his eyes toward Cao Zirui behind him.

Lu Chengye subconsciously followed his gaze and answered: “It’s because…..” But just as he was about to say it, he remembered Xue Ren’s repeated warnings that he must not reveal his hand in this.

But was there anything that couldn’t be said to two people who were as good as dead? Lu Chengye didn’t speak this opinion out loud, because Xue Ren had forced him to take an oath, and if he revealed it, his meridians would be severed and his life would be forfeit.

And this had been dragging on for so long that he was a little impatient. If he could get rid of these two sooner, he would have more time to search for treasures. He couldn’t return empty-handed from this trip to the Floating Island Secret Realm, right?

So after his aborted sentence, Lu Chengye suddenly laughed, his smile filled with icy killing intent: “Ask the King of Hell!”

He immediately took an ancient wooden bow engraved with an unknown red totem from his storage bag. Then he placed the golden arrow on the bow and drew it back.

The bow had no string, but when the fingers were placed where the bowstring should be, the dim red totem flared brighter and brighter like burning charcoal.

As Lu Chengye’s fingers holding the tail of the golden arrow drew back, the totem blazed even more intensely, until it caught fire.

The raging fire was transmitted to the arrow through the stringless bow, and this magic weapon, which was supposed to be only earth-grade, immediately gained a terrifying power that far exceeded that of its peers.

Enormous, destructive spiritual power gathered on the arrow and spread in all directions.

The arrow had not yet left the bow, but Fang Yang was overwhelmed by its intimidating aura. His mind went blank as he stood there foolishly.

“Run!” Feng Ye grabbed the tentacle lashing toward him with one hand, raising his head to shout at Fang Yang three hundred meters away.

Fang Yang returned to his senses at this shout, and he realized he had broken into a cold sweat as he stared at the golden arrow.

Considering the destructive force of the golden arrow when it pierced the ground just now, he definitely wouldn’t be able to stand against it!

Lu Chengye’s bow was almost fully drawn, and the flames burned more and more fiercely. The arrow was about to leave its invisible string.

Fang Yang grabbed the hand of the petrified Cao Zirui and turned around to flee.

And the moment they turned around, the bow bent into a full moon, and the arrow was released.

The flames reappeared. Fang Yang turned back while running, and his dilated pupils reflected the arrow that had flown to within a meter of him in the blink of an eye.

Due to the close distance, the small arrow tip was magnified several times in his eyes, lighting up his dark pupils in orange and red. The youth’s slender body was about to be engulfed in raging, destructive fire.

His life was hanging by a thread.

---

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Chapter 47 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 49

The sofa in the small, dark room was high, and the coffee table sat low. In order to write on it, the two of them had to crouch on the floor. Bo Rui, a large man, looked particularly aggrieved.

“Have you thought of anything?” Bo Rui asked.

“No, what about you?”

“I have one, but I don’t know if it counts.”

“What is it?”

“Traditional Chinese medicine passed down through the family^[1]…..is that okay?”

“I think…..it should be fine.”

Bo Rui then nearly wrote down his first words: Traditional Chinese medicine.

“Wait a minute.” Da Lun held him back. “If His Highness Oser asks about this traditional Chinese medicine, how should we explain it?”

“Isn’t it easy to explain? Traditional Chinese medicine, passed down from generation to generation, used to treat…..”

“……”

Bo Rui crossed out what he’d written with all his might, only giving up when not a word could be seen.

The two people continued to wrack their brains.

Da Lun suddenly had an idea: “I’ve got one too.”

“What, what?”

“The Dragon King is spraying disinfectant in the group chat.”

Bo Rui was not very optimistic: “Will this work? Hasn’t this meme been outdated for several years?”

“He thinks ‘Teacher Tony’ is cool, so why not ‘Dragon King?’”

“…..Okay.”

Separated by a wall from the small, dark room was the only public lounge in the basement.

Ling Yi, still dressed for the ball, sat on the sofa while browsing his phone, his long legs carelessly draped over the coffee table.

Xi Lei was very dissatisfied with his style: “Why are you like this wherever you go? Do you think this is your home?”

Li Yi diverted a bit of his attention to him: “What’s wrong with me?”

“There’s an outsider here! Can you please pay some attention to social etiquette?”

Ling Yi turned his head toward the so-called outsider: “Captain Tang De, do you mind?”

“As long as Your Highness Ling Yi is comfortable, anything is fine. Just pretend like I don’t exist.”

Ling Yi raised an eyebrow at Xi Lei, infuriating him.

“I don’t believe you would act so rudely in front of His Highness Oser.”

Ling Yi squinted at him: “I use more postures in front of His Highness Oser. Wanna see?”

Xi Lei’s face flushed red: “You—!”

Tang De cleared his throat. With these two, he couldn’t get rid of his identity as a peacemaker.

“Stop arguing. Every inch of the empire belongs to the royal family, so this can also be considered His Highness Ling Yi’s home. There’s no need to quarrel over such a trivial matter.”

Xi Lei endured it for Tang De’s sake. But not only did Ling Yi not hold back, he even swung his toes back and forth, humming a little tune to deliberately aggravate Xi Lei.

Tang De had a sudden craving: “I’m going outside to smoke a cigarette.”

Ling Yi paid him no mind. He was browsing the Luban Military Academy’s forum, the top post of which was still: [In solemn remembrance of our school’s lifelong honor student Ling Yi — the hero is gone, but his spirit lives on, always in our hearts.]

He didn’t even bother clicking on this thread, which already had over 200 replies. Instead, he became absorbed in reading the most popular post of the night: [Eating Melons].

[Big news! His Highness Oser and a companion attended Grand Duke Sully’s ball!]

[Blurry candid photo taken from a distance]

[Look carefully, this Xiao Mei was His Highness’s dance partner for the night!]

[Xiao Mei was wearing a mask, and His Highness Oser refused to reveal his identity. Everyone on the scene was going crazy guessing!]

[There was no scent of pheromones, so everyone guessed he was a Beta!]

[Based on my close observations, Xiao Mei and His Highness Oser did the following things and more at the ball:

Hugged shoulders and waists / whispered in each others ears / played with hair / fed cake by hand / danced (His Highness danced the O steps and Xiao Mei danced the A steps) / exchanged a quick kiss (I saw it through a telescope from a hundred meters away) / wait, wait, wait!

Here comes the main point! You won’t believe what happened!

Two idiots from our school went to the ball and did something no one else dared to do!

The two of them suddenly attacked from behind and took off Xiao Mei’s mask!

Can you believe it? At Grand Duke Sully’s ball! In front of His Highness Oser! They took off his. Partner’s. Mask! Is this something a human being should do?!

Well done!

Who could have known that Xiao Mei was such a looker behind the mask!

My language skills aren’t good enough to describe Xiao Mei’s beauty, but everyone present was stunned. No one thought to take a photo though. Such a shame! (This also reduces the credibility of this post).

Then His Highness Oser left with him for 11 minutes and 27 seconds. This timing, hmm…..intriguing. (I won’t mention that there was a suspicious red mark on His Highness’s mouth when he returned).

Oh, right. After the ball, those two idiots were taken away by His Highness Oser. I really want to know how he plans to deal with them.

Should I state in advance that although I’m an alumnus of their school, I have no relationship with them at all? 

(No, I don’t know them at all, and I also don’t know that their names are Bo Rui and Da Lun.)]

Ling Yi couldn’t help but laugh as he read this.

Xi Lei wanted to ask what he was laughing at, but suddenly caught a glimpse of Ling Yi with his left elbow resting on the arm of the sofa, hand resting against his mouth with long fingers curled loosely, sitting there with his head tilted and eyes lowered as he looked at his phone.

His long silver hair cascaded down, half hanging behind his back and half draped over his shoulders, reflecting a hazy glow under the overhead lights.

His eyebrows, made charming by application of cosmetics, curved like crescent moons. His eyelashes cast thick shadows, but couldn’t conceal the smile in his eyes.

There was a small amount of lipstick remaining on his lips, which were pursed in a thin line. The slightly raised corners of his mouth gave him a leisurely and comfortable look.

Despite the pheromone suppression ear cuff he was wearing, Xi Lei couldn’t help but think back to his surprisingly sweet fragrance.

The Omega before him seemed like an entirely different person from the annoying Alpha in his memories…..

Xi Lei stood abruptly, startling Ling Yi.

“What are you doing!” Ling Yi said with contempt.

Xi Lei clenched his fists: “I’m…..thirsty. I’m going to get some water.”

“What’s the big fuss over a drink of water?”

Ling Yi symbolically moved aside, making way for a path that wasn’t blocked in the first place.

Xi Lei hastily washed his face in the bathroom, chagrined at having such thoughts.

It must be because Ling Yi’s attire tonight was so disorienting. Take off the makeup, and he was still the same bitter rival with whom he had engaged for years in verbal and physical conflict.

He returned to the lounge in a trance, pushed open the door, and immediately snapped back to his senses when he saw who was in the room.

Xi Lei: “Why is it you?”

Bo Rui and Da Lun: “Why is it you?”

The three of them spoke in unison.

After realizing this, they changed their tune.

Xi Lei: “Why are you here?”

Bo Rui and Da Lun: “Why are you here?”

All three: “……”

Bo Rui and Da Lun were both good friends of Ling Yi. Xi Lei belonged to another camp, and the two sides had an incompatible relationship at school.

Even participating in the prison break together hadn’t improved their relationship.

Da Lun was the moderate in their camp. He was the only one who had no conflicts with Xi Lei, and even cared about him a little.

“Where have you been all this time? And why are you wearing the uniform of His Highness Oser’s guard?”

Bo Rui: “Did you forget? He’s His Highness Oser’s chief bootlicker, and he finally got what he wanted.”

Xi Lei: “At least I’m standing here with dignity, unlike you two, who can only squat.”

“……” The two people squatting on the ground quickly stood up.

“What’s wrong with squatting for a while? We were tired of standing and wanted to stretch our legs.”

Xi Lei glanced at the papers on the coffee table. They were a mess, with scribbles and scratches all over them.

“I get it. You offended His Highness Oser tonight and were arrested to write self-criticisms, yes?”

Bo Rui was stubborn: “It’s none of your business whether or not we’re writing self-criticisms. You’re too nosy.”

“You behaved disrespectfully in public, so it’s your own fault that you have to write self-criticisms.”

“A bootlicker is a bootlicker. You haven’t even graduated yet, and you’re already biting people for His Highness Oser.”

After Xi Lei left, Ling Yi was alone in the room. He enjoyed being free and unfettered, with no one to bother him even if he put his feet up in the air.

Both mischievous and mocking, he watched everyone’s imaginations run wild, making all kinds of guesses about his identity, such as an artificial Omega or an alien, each more outrageous than the last.

There were also those who spoiled the fun and were cynical in the melon-eating posts, saying things like “the hero’s body is still warm, it’s truly chilling that the public is only interested in royal gossip.”

While browsing, he heard a quarrel start up in the adjacent room for some unknown reason. It grew increasingly intense, and showed no signs of calming down in the near future.

Ling Yi’s head ached from the noise, but when he listened carefully, he found that the voices were very familiar.

It felt like being back at school, back in the classroom, back at the training grounds, the same people and arguments happening over and over.

The three people were arguing heatedly when the half-closed door was kicked open – and nearly kicked off.

The loud noise shocked everyone, and the three of them fell silent at once.

The long-haired beauty who was glimpsed briefly at the ball walked in with a seductive yet malicious look on his face.

He was still as beautiful as ever, but he looked difficult to deal with.

“You guys are noisy as hell!”

Bo Rui became inexplicably nervous and rubbed his palms against his pants.

“You’re here too, ah. It was my fault today, I shouldn’t have persuaded my classmate to drink. You were scared, weren’t you…..my name is Bo Rui, and that’s Da Lun. We’re both students at Luban Military Acadmy.”

For some reason, the beauty glared at him. One glance at that alluring gaze made Bo Rui’s palms sweat even more.

“May I ask what this beauty’s name is?”

Ling Yi narrowed his eyes: “What did you just call me?”

Xi Lei also said in an unfriendly tone: “Do you know who you’re talking to?”

“I, I don’t know your name, so…..if you don’t like that name, then what would you prefer? I can change it.”

Da Lun stomped hard on his foot, but it unfortunately had no effect.

“I know you’re His Highness Oser’s dance partner, but…..I was wondering…..if we could be friends?”

Fed up, Ling Yi rolled his eyes: “Ha!”

Xi Lei warned: “It’s not too late to take back your words.”

Da Lun lowered his head and also advised him: “Quit making trouble, bro. If you keep going, writing a self-criticism will be the least of your worries.”

However, Bo Rui persisted: “I’m serious, no joke! The first time I saw you, I felt like we had known each other for a long time!”

Before he could finish speaking, the coffee table in front of him was kicked hard, screeching as it slid across the floor. Bo Rui felt a pain in his knees and almost collapsed.

The grumpy beauty stepped onto the coffee table, reached over his head with his right hand, and ripped off his wig with a flourish. 

“Open your dog eyes wide and behold your father!”

Bo Rui and Da Lun froze simultaneously. Their frozen state lasted so long that Xi Lei wanted to check and see if they were petrified.

After a long while, Da Lun murmured: “Maybe I’m still drunk…..”

Ling Yi looked down his nose at them: “You can’t even recognize me with makeup on. Are you still straight?”

Bo Rui’s eyes were already filled with tears: “Wuwuwu, I am!”

Ignoring the pain in his knees, he rushed forward with his arms flung wide.

Xi Lei flashed in front of Ling Yi without hesitation and opened his arms to stop him.

“…..What are you doing?!”

The touching reunion plot was ruined. Bo Rui was furious.

Xi Lei made no concessions: “He’s no longer the Ling Yi you knew in the past. I advise you to keep your distance.”

“How is he not the Ling Yi I know? Wasn’t it just because he’s wearing makeup that I didn’t recognize him?”

Bo Rui belatedly reacted: “You knew Ling Yi was alive but didn’t tell us. Do you know what it’s been like for us the past few months?”

As the two bickered, tears gradually welled up in Da Lun’s eyes.

He hoped so much that this scene was real, but he also feared that it was only a dream.

“Ling Yi,” Da Lun whispered softly, afraid that speaking louder would puncture this sweet dream. “Is it really you?”

“Ah.” Ling Yi scratched his short hair in distress. “It’s a bit complicated. I’m not sure how to explain it to you.”

“The fact that you’re alive is the best explanation!” Bo Rui tried to rush over and hug him again. “I missed you so much!”

Xi Lei grabbed his wrist and held it tightly, not letting go.

“If you dare touch him, you will lose your hand.”

There was a rare ruthlessness in his eyes. Even a big guy like Bo Rui, who was known for his brute strength, took a step back in the face of his sudden imposing manner.

It had only been so long, but Ling Yi had become such a different person that even Xi Lei could barely recognize him.

“Have I come to the wrong place? Is this the Royal Medical College or the medical branch of Luban Military Academy?”

Those making a commotion immediately stopped and turned toward the door, standing at attention: “Your Highness Oser!”

Oser glanced at each person in the room in turn: “Do you also follow the rules this well at the military academy?”

Ling Yi had no desire to speak, and the other three didn’t dare to.

Oser walked into the room unhurriedly. The papers on the coffee table had been kicked over by Ling Yi just now, and were scattered everywhere.

Oser leaned over and picked up one of the sheets. He had one hand in his pocket and held a corner of the white paper with the other as he read the contents aloud: 

“No nesting dolls allowed.”

“Nesting dolls are prohibited.”

“Absolutely no nesting dolls.”

Everyone: “……”

Oser raised an eyebrow.

Bo Rui was embarrassed: “Sorry, I couldn’t think of anything else at the moment.”

The nesting doll sheet was tossed to the ground and replaced with another.

“The Dragon King is spraying disinfectant in the group chat.”

Oser stared at this sentence, as if trying to find the deeper meaning behind it.

Da Lun: “Um. That sentence means that there’s a group chat, and the Dragon King is the one who speaks the most in it, and he’ll sprinkle disinfectant in it every day…..or something like that.”

Oser slapped the paper against Da Lun’s chest, and he reached up to take it.

“Remember to include notes as well.”

Oser walked around him and finally took Ling Yi’s hand.

“All three of you, stay here. No one can leave until you’ve written ten pages.”

Ling Yi gave the three of them a sympathetic look and followed Oser out of the room.

Xi Lei was a little depressed at first, but he cheered up in the blink of an eye.

“Isn’t it just a ten page self-criticism? Reflecting on my own mistakes and praising His Highness is nothing to me.”

Bo Rui: “Who told you we’re writing something to praise His Highness?”

“Then what else could you be writing?

Xi Lei turned in confusion and came face to face with two gloating expressions.

---

[1] Traditional Chinese medicine is oftentimes thought to help with erectile disfunction. Can also be internet slang for pretending to have mystical knowledge or skills. ⮐

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Chapter 27 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 29

After Qin Xiao left, Chu Jiubian made a list of what he needed and gave it to Xiao Xiangzi.

Xiao Xiangzi went to the Imperial Hospital and the Imperial Household Department in person. After some time had passed, more saltpeter and containers for ice-making were brought over.

Yaotai Residence was brimming with Qin Xiao’s people. Chu Jiubian couldn’t hide it even if he wanted to, so he directly put Xiao Xiangzi and the others to work with him.

It took an entire night to purify and cool the saltpeter, so everyone was busy until dark and still had no idea what Chu Jiubian was working on. However, none of them asked many questions. As palace servants trusted by Qin Xiao, they were cognizant enough to keep their mouths shut.

As the sky gradually darkened, Chu Jiubian gave the cooling saltpeter one last inspection and then prepared to wash up and go to bed.

Two of the young eunuchs, Xiao Jinzhi and Xiao Yinzi, took fire from the kitchen and lit lamps in each room, and also used herbs to ward away mosquitos.

Chu Jiubian stared blankly for a moment, and only then did he realize that the Great Ning Dynasty didn’t have flame sticks or candles, and could only use flint to light a fire.

So nowadays, saltpeter was really only used medicinally.

No wonder Xiao Xiangzi had only found two baskets of saltpeter after all this time. The palace really didn’t have much in stock.

Saltpeter could not only be used for making ice, but also for tinderboxes, gunpowder, and fireworks.

If the saltpeter mining business was taken over by the Imperial Court and the private collection and sale by the people was prohibited, then from now on, only the Imperial Court could use saltpeter.

And anything made from saltpeter, with the exception of gunpowder, could be sold. The rich and powerful would contribute to the majority of the profits first, and then it would gradually spread to the people as a steady source of income.

Chu Jiubian lay down in bed after washing up, thinking that Qin Xiao was truly lucky.

However, the Imperial Court was not Qin Xiao’s alone. After all, the young emperor was still the one in charge. Chu Jiubian would just think of it as making an investment in the male lead.

While he was considering these matters thoroughly, he was unaware that the capital was in an uproar because of his two poems.

Not to mention all of those refined, elegant scholars and poets, even officials of all ranks who were skilled in political intrigue were gathered together with their advisors to comment and engage in discussion.

Poets and scholars studied these two poems over and over, analyzing them from the perspectives of rhythm, parallelism, imagery, emotion, and other aspects, and ultimately came to the conclusion that “poems such as these could only have originated in heaven.”

For a time, the names of the Immortal Poet Li Bai and the Scholar of Serenity Li Qingzhao spread throughout the scholarly circle.

Someone lamented: “If I could meet these two immortals in person, I would have no regrets in life.”

There were also those scholars who once pretended at being famous talents, and whose personal confidence was so shaken that they could no longer pick up a brush and write poetry.

Different from these talented scholars were those with a heart for knowledge. Government officials of all ranks had more insight, and their focus was not on the two “immortals” Li Bai and Li Qingzhao, but on Chu Jiubian, who had brought these immortal works to the mortal world.

Chu Jiubian’s name became known to the public as his poems spread.

Nowadays, almost everyone knew about “Jiu-gongzi.”

Inside Su Manor, Minister of Revenue Su Sheng stared at the thin sheet of paper in his hand. Written on it were the two poems that had spread throughout the capital within a few hours.

“This Jiu-gongzi is truly a remarkable person,” he said in a weighty voice.

Advisor Fan He said solemnly: “Indeed. Qin Xiao plays his moves well.”

When these two poems came out, everyone naturally made their own calculations.

At first, there were rumors that these poems had been written by scholars under Qin Xiao, but if he really possessed such talents, and more than one, he wouldn’t be so isolated and powerless in court right now.

Just looking at the line “There will be a time to ride the wind and waves, and set sail to cross the vast ocean,” one could tell that the author was ambitious, and would never be willing to hide behind the scenes as a strategist.

Therefore, it was impossible for the poet Li Bai to be Qin Xiao’s man.

Having ruled out this possibility, they could only believe that the two poems had been written down by Chu Jiubian.

If there was only [The Hard Road], it would be easy to believe that Chu Jiubian was the author, but there was also [A Spray of Plum Blossoms.]

Unless Chu Jiubian had experienced two different lives, there was no way he could have written such completely different poems.

“Xiansheng, why do you think the force behind Chu Jiubian sent him to the capital to stir up trouble?” Su Sheng asked.

Fan He shook his head, saying: “I don’t know. But we should do our utmost to win over this force that has been lurking in the shadows for who knows how long.”

Su Sheng nodded: “It seems I must send another message to the prince.”

He gazed northwest through the wide-open windows of the study.

The silver moon cast a brilliant white light across the ground.

In a small courtyard at the back of the house, a young woman in her twenties stood with graceful poise, holding a piece of rough, yellowed paper between her delicate fingers. On the paper, written in beautiful calligraphy, was the poem [A Spray of Plum Blossoms].

A young girl with two buns in her hair rushed inside from the courtyard, and reported after greeting her: “Young Lady, just now, Third Miss Zhao of the Minister of Personnel’s family sent you an invitation to attend a poetry appreciation banquet at her residence tomorrow morning.”

A look of surprise appeared on Miss Su’s bright, charming face: “Wonderful! I was just worried about not having anyone to discuss it with.”

The maid at her side took her hand with a smile: “Then please rest, Young Lady. We will go early tomorrow morning.”

Young women and girls from various courtyards in the capital also received invitations one after another, all of which were for poetry appreciation gatherings.

At the same time, in the eastern courtyard of Yangxin Hall, Xiao Xiangzi was reporting to Qin Xiao all that he had seen and heard today.

“Just now, I went to help the Young Master prepare saltpeter and containers. During this period, Xiao Hu from the Imperial Kitchens, Xiao Tao-guniang from Imperial Gardens, and Auntie Haitang from the Bureau of Imperial Attire approached this servant.” Xiao Xiangzi presented a few small golden nuggets to Qin Xiao and said: “They gave me these, saying only that this servant has a good job and that they want to be on good terms with me. They didn’t say anything else.”

“Well done,” said Qin Xiao.

Xiao Xiangzi hastened to say: “This servant is grateful.”

Qin Chaoyang escorted him out of the study, returned all of his little gold nuggets, and even gave him a few extra gold melon seeds, saying: “Take these and continue to keep an eye out. Report back if there are any problems.”

“Yes.” Xiao Xiangzi left the eastern courtyard with a smile on his face, skipping toward Yangxin Hall’s main courtyard.

At the gate, Eunuch Hong Fu was looking up in a trance at the high silver moon. When he noticed someone coming, he immediately glanced in that direction with a chill in his eyes.

Seeing that the person coming was familiar, that fierce look vanished.

“Shifu.” Xiao Xiangzi ran up to Eunuch Hong and handed over the gold nuggets and gold melon seeds he had just received. “This is all what I earned today, including what His Lordship gave me. He even praised me.”

Eunuch Hong Fu usually had a kind appearance, and now, looking at the disciple in front of him, his smile held even more kindness and genuine affection.

He stuffed all of the gold back into his disciple’s purse and said: “Keep it for yourself, but don’t spend it recklessly. Save it for your retirement.”

“This disciple knows.” Xiao Xiangzi smiled with curved eyes and dimpled cheeks. “Then I’ll leave first, Shifu. I’m afraid the Young Master might look for me at night.”

Seeing him like this, Eunuch Hong couldn’t help but warn him again: “Remember, His Majesty and our Lord are our only masters.”

“Understood, Shifu. This disciple will remember.” Xiao Xiangzi said goodbye to his master and bounced away happily again.

Eunuch Hong watched until he disappeared around the corner of the palace road, then looked up at the bright moon again with a smile.

His usually hunched back stood straight since there was no one else around, displaying his vigorous form, but melancholy gradually appeared in his eyes.

The eunuch, at only thirty years old, had a pair of eyes like an old man in his twilight years. His figure was slender and desolate under the lonely moonlight.

A long while later, when the moon was at its zenith, the faint sound of a crying child came from the courtyard behind him. Only then did he transform back into the conscientious, kind and smiling Eunuch Hong he played during the day.

Hong Fu walked quickly back to the courtyard and entered the main hall.

A palace servant in the hall was coming out in a panic to find him, and said in a tearful voice when she saw him coming: “Eunuch Hong, His Majesty just had another nightmare and has been crying since he woke up.”

“Understood.” Hong Fu continued toward the inner hall. “Go and make a bowl of goat’s milk with extra sugar.”

“Yes.” The palace maid immediately went to prepare it, which Hong Fu had already entered the inner hall.

The palace servants immediately made themselves less noticeable upon seeing his approach, not daring to even raise their heads.

On the wide dragon bed, a little boy in a pure white satin undershirt was hugging the blanket. His hair was disheveled, and his nose and round eyes were red from tears.

Upon seeing a familiar face, he cried even more pitifully.

Hong Fu felt a pang in his heart, and quickened his pace to walk over. He knelt on one knee at the bedside and gently wiped the young emperor’s tearstained face with a handkerchief.

“Don’t be afraid, Your Majesty. This servant is here with you,” Hong Fu coaxed softly.

Bai Lihong sobbed and clutched Hong Fu’s hand in his sweaty little palms, choking out: “I….want….Jiujiu.”

Hong Fu smiled softly and said: “Okay. I’ll help you get dressed.”

The western courtyard of Yangxin Palace.

There was a faint but hurried sound of footsteps outside the main room. The figure in the bedroom immediately opened his eyes, standing up from the bed in one movement to draw the longsword from beside his pillow. He looked outside the door with dark eyes.

“Who is it?” There was no trace of sleepiness in his voice.

From outside the door came a eunuch’s voice: “My Lord, the Emperor has arrived.”

Qin Xiao paused, then put on an overrobe and went out.

He put down the sword before leaving the bedroom.

But before he could walk out of the courtyard, he spied a small figure running toward him in the moonlight.

Qin Xiao took two steps forward, picked up his little nephew who had run to him, and held him above his head.

The child who had just been crying and gasping for breath was immediately delighted, and kicked his legs in the air while shouting, “Jiujiu, Jiujiu!”

Hong Fu had already signaled for all of the servants to leave. He himself also did not approach, but stood guard from a distance at the courtyard gate.

Qin Xiao lowered Bai Lihong to sit in his arms, as he had done countless times before.

Bai Lihong clutched his clothes in his small hands, sniffling.

“Crying again?” Qin Xiao pulled up the hem of the child’s clothes without hesitation and wiped his nose.

Bai Lihong immediately burst into tears and choked out: “Jiujiu, I miss Mother.”

Qin Xiao wiped away the child’s tears with his calloused fingertips and said: “Jiujiu misses her too.”

The child’s tears fell even harder: “Has – has Mother really turned into an immortal? Is she really watching me from the sky?”

But every time he cried in the past, his mother could come to keep him company. Why didn’t she come to find him now even though he had cried so many times?

“Did Hong Fu tell you that?” Qin Xiao asked.

Bai Lihong nodded.

Jiujiu had said that his mother was dead, just like his grandparents and great-grandparents. He would never see them again, and he would also never see Mother again.

But Eunuch Hong had told him that his loving relatives had gone to heaven and become immortals, always watching over him and blessing him.

Qin Xiao looked into the child’s pitiful eyes and swallowed back the cold words on the tip of his tongue.

But he said nothing about her becoming an immortal. Bai Lihong was no ordinary little prince, but the emperor. He was required to be stronger and more mature than ordinary children.

But in the end, he was just a three-year-old child who had just lost his mother, and Qin Xiao couldn’t be hard on the boy while he was in tears.

So he changed the subject and asked: “Remember the person who fell from the sky yesterday?”

Bai Lihong’s attention was indeed diverted, and he stuttered out: “F-fairy-gege?”

Qin Xiao couldn’t help but send a glance toward the courtyard gate. What was Hong Fu teaching him every day to have the emperor talking about fairies and immortals all the time?

“He’s not a fairy. You can call him Chu Jiubian from now on,” he corrected.

Bai Lihong nodded: “Jiu-gege.”

Qin Xiao corrected him again: “You’re the emperor. You can’t call him ‘gege.’”

“Oh.” Bai Lihong nodded obediently.

Qin Xiao: “He’s doing something fun, so I’ll take you to see him tomorrow. But you have to sleep well tonight, otherwise I won’t take you out to play tomorrow, and you’ll have to eat an extra egg yolk. Okay?”

The nephew resembled the uncle. Bai Lihong had inherited many of Qin Xiao’s strengths, such as his photographic memory and talent for learning. 

But he had also inherited some of Qin Xiao’s shortcomings, such as being picky about food.

When Bai Lihong heard that he would have to eat an extra egg yolk, he immediately covered his mouth with his little hands and shook his head in fear, then nodded.

Qin Xiao chuckled and set him on the ground: “All right, go back to sleep.”

“En, Jiujiu should sleep too.” Bai Lihong gave Qin Xiao a formal bow, then walked back on his short legs.

Hong Fu saluted Qin Xiao from a distance, then followed Bai Lihong away.

Qin Xiao watched as the two figures, one big and one small, walked away. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Today, Chu Jiubian had said that he would show him something good in the morning, something that would be enough to help solve his financial difficulties in a short period of time.

Qin Xiao had already been slowly introducing Bai Lihong to such things, so there was nothing wrong with bringing him to see Chu Jiubian tomorrow.

It was a dreamless night.

Chu Jiubian slept until dawn and woke up naturally.

As soon as he opened his eyes, a familiar mechanical voice sounded in his mind: [Good morning, Host. Congratulations! You have reached 50 Faith Points, and projections indicate that you will break 100 today. Please keep up the good work.]

Chu Jiubian immediately jolted up.

---

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Chapter 8 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 10

Shui Yun was a woman in her twenties, with a soft and melodious voice. She recited word by word the lines that still lingered in her mind: “A golden cup of the purest wine costs a thousand coins. A jade plate of delicacies costs a million…..”

Just a few words depicted a grand and luxurious banquet scene. These sentences alone revealed the poet’s talent. 

“Wonderful!” An Wuji’s eyes suddenly lit up, and his back straightened slightly.

Qin Chaoyang nodded in agreement. 

Shui Yun continued: “I put down my cup and chopsticks, unable to eat. I draw my sword and look around, my heart bewildered……”

Qin Xiao’s eyes gradually darkened, and he tapped the table lightly with his index finger.

“I fish in a jade green stream at my leisure, and suddenly dream of a boat at the sun’s edge…..”

An Wuji let out a light breath, as if the depression brought on by the previous lines had eased at this moment.

Finally, Shui Yun recited her favorite line, which was also the last one: “There will be a time to ride the wind and waves, and set sail to cross the vast ocean!”

Her soft, pleasant voice became strident and powerful when she recited this final line.

“Good!” An Wuji stood and turned around in place. “What a great poem! This poet Li Bai is truly a genius, no wonder he became an immortal!”

He himself believed in the supernatural, and after Chu Jiubian predicted the weather correctly two times, he no longer harbored any doubts as to his identity as a god, and sincerely regarded him as an immortal descended to earth.

And after hearing this poem, he believed even more in the existence of the immortal realm and this heroic “Immortal Poet.”

Qin Chaoyang had a steady personality and was able to keep his composure better than An Wuji, but after listening to this poem, he was not composed at all.

Could an ordinary person really write something with such bold poetic talent?

Could it be that this Immortal Poet really existed?

He raised his eyes toward Qin Xiao sitting in the main seat. The other party wore a slight frown, his thoughts on the matter obscure.

An Wuji paid no attention to the reactions of the other two. Still abuzz with excitement, he said to Shui Yun: “What about the other poem? Let’s hear the poem by Li Qingzhao, the Scholar of Serenity.”

Shui Yun did so. 

In fact, compared to the poem just now, she secretly liked the words of this Scholar of Serenity more.

She closed her eyes partway as a slender, graceful figure seemed to gradually emerge in her mind, blurred by the misty clouds.

“The fragrance of the red lotus fades, and my jade mat holds the chill of autumn. I take off my silk dress and board the orchid boat alone.” The girl’s melodious voice was truly suitable for reciting such words. An Wuji, still immersed in excitement, couldn’t help but calm down and sit back in his chair.

“…..Flowers fall and water flows, one kind of longing, and two kinds of idle worries.”

Qin Xiao’s eyes narrowed slightly.

An Wuji couldn’t help but look at Qin Chaoyang, and they both glanced at Qin Xiao.

“There is no way to dispel this feeling. It has only just left my brow, yet still it lingers in my heart.” As Shui Yun recited the last sentence, she had to admire it again. This poem was written so beautifully.

An Wuji was a rough man, but he could still hear the beauty in these lines and feel the moving emotions contained within them.

It was only that……this was a love poem, ah.

He couldn’t help but think of the “love tribulation” Chu Jiubian had mentioned at the coronation ceremony yesterday.

Even though he didn’t know the specific meaning of a love tribulation, these two words were easy to understand. It obviously referred to Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao being in love, but that there were some hardships and tribulations in the relationship.

When he heard it yesterday, he hadn’t taken it to heart.

But today, when he heard the recitation of these yearning words, the term “love tribulation” lingered in his mind.

Could…..could it be that Chu Jiubian deliberately passed this on to Lord Ning-wang?

The more he thought about it, the more the images in his mind began to spin out of control. He seemed to see Chu Jiubian, with that pale, beautiful face, standing thin and frail above the clouds. And due to his yearning for their Lord Ning-wang, he leaped directly from the sky and threw himself into their lord’s arms…..

Qin Chaoyang didn’t possess such a rich, vivid imagination. His concerns lay elsewhere.

He asked Shui Yun: “Is this Scholar of Serenity Li Qingzhao a woman?”

Just going by these lines, such delicate, beautiful thoughts could only have come from a woman.

As expected, Shui Yun replied with a nod: “The Young Master said that this Scholar of Serenity is a woman, and one of the most famous poets in their world of immortals.”

One of.

Meaning that there were more poets like her.

Qin Chaoyang: “Understood. You may leave first.”

Once Shui Yun left, Qin Chaoyang said to Qin Xiao: “My Lord, these two poems could not have been written by the same person, so they were probably not written by the Young Master himself.”

“And the people I sent checked everywhere they could, but they didn’t find any hints about the Young Master’s identity. Instead, they found that various forces are doing the same.”

He saw Qin Xiao’s indifferent expression and stopped himself from speaking further.

Qin Xiao chuckled: “You really think he’s a god?”

“This subordinate just can’t figure it out,” Qin Chaoyang said with a frown. “Anyone capable of writing such poetry couldn’t possibly be unknown, but after much thought, I can’t guess which of those many well-known men and women possess such poetic talent.”

An Wuji finally extracted himself from his musings and said: “What if they’re hermits living in the mountains?”

In fact, he was already completely certain that Chu Jiubian was a god. But since Qin Xiao didn’t believe it, he wouldn’t dare offend him openly.

Qin Chaoyang’s expression grew more serious: “If there really are such masters, the force behind them might be something we have never discovered.”

And it was clear that the other forces knew nothing about Chu Jiubian’s identity. So how powerful must the force behind these people be to hide them so well?

How many great people were there like this Immortal Poet and Scholar of Serenity?

Qin Xiao’s thoughts ran along a similar vein.

If such a force really existed, what was their goal?

Was the power that was able to control his body yesterday also related to this mysterious force?

An Wuji looked at Qin Chaoyang, then at Qin Xiao: “Why are you so concerned?”

“Of course we’re concerned.” Qin Chaoyang explained: “If such a force really exists, there’s no telling if it will hinder our important undertaking.”

Their ultimate goal was to completely suppress the princes and noble families until they were no longer able to cause trouble, and to create a prosperous and peaceful era for the young emperor.

Therefore, they had to be cautious in every move they made.

But after listening to his explanation, An Wuji was still not as anxious as him. Instead, he kept giving Qin Xiao strange looks.

Qin Xiao sent him a cool glance.

An Wuji frowned, lost in thought.

Qin Xiao: “Speak.”

An Wuji’s expression momentarily froze. He glanced up at him and gave a dry laugh, saying: “Actually, I don’t think there is anything to worry about.”

“Why is that?” Qin Chaoyang asked quickly. He had a feeling he knew what it was.

An Wuji said as a matter of course: “That young man obviously has feelings for our Lord. Besides, he’s in our hands now. As long as we treat him well, the force behind him will definitely stand with us, ah.”

Wasn’t this the case with marriage between powerful people?

Qin Chaoyang was stunned from the moment he heard the first sentence exit his mouth.

The room fell into a long silence.

An Wuji felt that his words were correct, and couldn’t help but say: “My Lord, is this subordinate right?”

Qin Xiao’s smile didn’t waver. He repeated An Wuji’s words with great interest: “That person has feelings for me.”

“That’s right.” An Wuji nodded. “He clearly wrote this love poem for you to see. He wants you to go keep him company.”

Qin Chaoyang quietly reduced his sense of presence.

He was originally a secret guard, and his sense of presence was already ridiculously low. Now, he practically disappeared from the room.

Qin Xiao said with a chuckle: “An Ping, I see you have great talent for this, so I’ll give you a mission.”

An Wuji didn’t see what talents he had aside from fighting and learning martial arts, but when he heard there was a mission, he immediately stood and bowed, saying: “Please give me your orders, My Lord.”

“Spread these two poems as widely as possible.”

An Wuji had a wild imagination, but he was never careless about serious matters and didn’t ask too many questions.

So after accepting this mission, he immediately turned and left.

Once he was gone, Qin Chaoyang said: “Once these two poems get out, those people probably won’t be able to sit still.”

If they could guess that there was a huge and mysterious force behind Chu Jiubian, others naturally would as well.

If it was Chu Jiubian alone, perhaps these people would not easily move those hidden stakes,^[1] but with the addition of another powerful force, they would have to take action.

Qin Xiao stood up with a laugh and walked out: “Since he misses me, it’s time I go pay him a visit.”

See, even His Lordship couldn’t sit still.

Qin Chaoyang wrapped the chunk of saltpeter on the table back up in the handkerchief and put it in his sleeve pocket, then followed his master.

Chu Jiubian, who had a “huge force” behind him, was currently wandering around the courtyard doing nothing.

He had originally planned to write only [The Hard Road], but feared that others would misunderstand that he was the author, so he also wrote [A Spray of Plum Blossoms]. 

The two poems had such different styles that one could tell at a glance that they could not have been written by the same person.

With such good poems and the ethereal titles of “The Immortal Poet” and “The Scholar of Serenity,” there would definitely be people who believed he was a god.

For example, the five eunuchs and palace maids in the courtyard now looked at him with sparkling eyes.

Also for example, his Faith Value had soared by five points!

Chu Jiubian was in a particularly good mood.

Even if Qin Xiao kept his poems from spreading, he had no fear, because he was confident that those two poems would lure Qin Xiao over.

And as long as he came, Chu Jiubian could negotiate.

At this time in the original novel, the treasury was empty and funds were needed everywhere. It had rained heavily these past two days, and the dam needed urgent repairs, so Qin Xiao must be worried about money.

For negotiations, it was imperative to understand the other party’s psychology and find out what he needed most.

Qin Xiao currently needed money, and Chu Jiubian happened to have a way to make money in a short period of time; Chu Jiubian needed the opportunity to freely interact with more people in the palace, and Qin Xiao could fulfill that need.

Qin Xiao would not refuse a win-win situation.

Chu Jiubian looked at his Faith Value and couldn’t help but wonder who his first Believer would be when he reached the first 100 points.

Suddenly, a palace servant’s greeting rang out from the courtyard gate: “Greetings, My Lord.”

“Young Master.” Xiao Xiangzi also hurried to tell Chu Jiubian: “Lord Ning-wang is here.”

Chu Jiubian turned to look toward the courtyard gate.

The man who’d arrived was tall and slender, with an elegant temperament. There was a faint smile on his thin lips and a burning wildfire hidden in his eyes.

Everyone in the courtyard was kneeling on the ground, and Qin Xiao spotted the only upright figure at first glance.

The young man had washed and combed his hair, and had changed out of the strange clothes he wore yesterday, but his odd hair still looked strange.

Qin Xiao leisurely approached the young man and stood in front of him. He peered at the bruises on his neck and said familiarly: “Are you feeling better?”

You’re acting very familiar.

Chu Jiubian slandered him inwardly, but was calm on the surface: “Much better.”

“That’s good,” Qin Xiao said with a smile. “Shall we go inside and talk?”

Chu Jiubian took the lead and stepped into the outer room, sitting down in the main seat behind the desk.

Qin Xiao followed him inside and glanced around the room, saying: “Just tell Xiao Xiangzi if you need anything. Don’t be polite with me.”

Chu Jiubian smiled faintly: “My Lord is so considerate.”

“As I should be.” Qin Xiao sat down on a chair next to him. “You’ve come all the way down to earth to find me, so I must treat you well.”

He spoke in a mocking tone, and there was no awe in his expression. It was clear that he still didn’t believe in Chu Jiubian’s identity as a god.

Chu Jiubian didn’t respond, and simply sat there quietly.

Since he wasn’t saying anything, Qin Xiao didn’t say anything either.

In the midst of this silence, Shui Qing and Shui Yun brought them some tea and then quietly left.

Chu Jiubian picked up the tea and took a sip, then placed the cup on the desk. His every move was graceful, just like a descendant of the Imperial family who paid absolute attention to etiquette and posture. 

Qin Xiao rubbed the ring on his finger, then stood and walked to the desk, where he took the saltpeter wrapped in a handkerchief from his sleeve and placed it on the desk’s surface.

“As you requested.” He stood before the desk with his arms folded, his gaze constantly roving across Chu Jiubian’s face so as not to miss any change in expression.

Chu Jiubian took the handkerchief and opened it, revealing mottled white stone.

It was saltpeter, but in the form of natural ore.

It needed to be processed.

If he wanted pure saltpeter, after the processing and purification of this small piece, there would be even less left.

Chu Jiubian raised his eyes to look at the other man and said with a smirk: “Is Lord Ning-wang so poor?”

Qin Xiao said frankly: “There is nothing to be done. The treasury is empty.”

Having said this, he smiled again and said: “Perhaps this immortal young master will help me?”

“Okay,” Chu Jiubian agreed decisively.

Qin Xiao paused.

Chu Jiubian’s smile deepened. He looked the man up and down and said: “I’ll help you make money, and you’ll let me out of this courtyard. What do you say?”

“A few coins won’t put out this fire,” Qin Xiao said.

“Not to worry.” Chu Jiubian said word by word: “It will be enough to build the dam.”

Minister Xiao had proposed fortifying the dam as an item of business in this morning’s court session. Chu Jiubian, who had been under constant surveillance, had no way of knowing about this matter. But he said this precisely so that Qin Xiao’s imagination would run wild.

If this happened often, the other party would believe he was a god sooner or later.

Qin Xiao’s eyes darkened for a moment before returning to normal. “Deal,” he said.

As for the rest of the things he needed, Chu Jiubian only needed to tell Xiao Xiangzi to take care of it.

The two had nothing more to say, so Qin Xiao prepared to leave.

But before he left, he paused, then turned around and asked: “Name?”

Chu Jiubian stared blankly for a moment: “Chu Jiubian.”

“Bian for ‘debate?’”

“Yes.”

“Chu Jiubian,” Qin Xiao said in a low voice, then inexplicably laughed.

Chu Jiubian looked at his back as he walked away and said quietly: “Nutjob.”

---

[1] “Hidden stakes” refers to underwater stakes placed to hinder the progress of ships. It can also refer to spies or insiders. ⮐

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Chapter 7 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 9

Chapter 47 – When it Rains, it Pours

“Wow, it’s Yuanling Grass!” Fang Yang’s eyes lit up as he spotted a clump of grass with light brown roots at the edge of the path. He immediately rushed over and squatted down, using the iron sword he carried with him to dig up the grass.

Yunaling Grass was not a very precious herb, but it was extremely suitable as an alchemy ingredient for equalizing medicinal properties, and there was a considerable market demand.

But it was the lowest-level alchemy material, and the price was about one spirit stone per plant.

Compared to the spiritual plants in the Floating Island Secret Realm that could truly be regarded as natural treasures and cost untold numbers of spirit stones, Yuanling Grass wasn’t worth anything at all. Nobody would come here just to dig up Yuanling Grass.

Moreover, it was very troublesome to dig them up. The roots could not be damaged, and if one was even slightly broken, the spiritual energy would leak out and it would become worthless ordinary grass.

Therefore, one must use extreme caution when digging it up. This was inevitably a task that couldn’t be accomplished in a short amount of time. Time inside the secret realm was limited, and instead of wasting it harvesting this useless plant, it was better to search for more valuable ones.

This was how most people thought. When they spotted Yuanling Grass, they would pretend not to see it and just walk straight past it.

But Fang Yang was very happy to harvest it. He had never seen any truly precious herbs. For him, one Yuanling Grass that could be sold for one spirit stone was a rare material that could be sold for money.

As a poor boy from the country, he was far from wealthy. His parents and relatives were all born and raised farmers. They could barely read and write, and possessed neither gold nor silver. Naturally, it was impossible for them to provide him with spirit stones that could be traded in the world of cultivation. 

All of his savings came from his monthly spirit stone subsidy from the sect. Over the course of the year, he had saved up over a hundred of them.

And there were probably dozens of Yuanling Grasses here. If he dug all of them up, it would be equivalent to earning dozens of spirit stones.

This was half a year’s income!

The naive Fang Yang was dazzled by the dozens of spirit stones and dug with great concentration and meticulousness.

Finally, after half a day, he had dug up all of the Yuanling Grass without leaving a single one behind.

Half of his time in the Floating Island Secret Realm had already passed. During this half day, other cultivators were on their way to find natural treasures or had already found them, and while they were fighting against cultivators who had happened upon the treasures at the same time, Fang Yang was quietly digging grass.

And among all spiritual plants, it was even the least valuable Yuanling Grass.

Of course, Fang Yang naturally didn’t think this way, and felt that bringing back dozens of Yuanling Grass was an enormous gain. After sorting them all out, he placed them carefully into the storage bag.

The storage bag that everyone in the sect possessed was naturally not a high-quality item, and the space inside was so small that it couldn’t even hold a normal-sized iron sword. Fang Yang had packed a set of medicine and clothing inside, and with the addition of the Yuanling Grass he had just dug, the storage bag was stuffed to the point of bulging.

Fang Yang gave his mostly full storage bag a pat and continued on his way with satisfaction.

He hadn’t run into anyone since entering the secret realm, not even his two friends, Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage.

It was said that the Floating Island Secret Realm was rife with danger, but Fang Yang hadn’t seen a single monster so far. 

Similarly, he hadn’t seen any truly valuable spiritual plants. Natural treasures were not just fought over by humans, but were also coveted by monsters and beasts.

Monsters had keen senses and had lived here for a vast period of time, so they knew every corner of the Floating Island Secret Realm like the back of their paws. Almost every place where natural treasures grew was guarded by monsters, which would wait until the spiritual plant reached maturity and swallow it in one gulp to improve their cultivation.

And the other monsters or humans attracted by the spiritual plants were all the prey of the monsters guarding them.

Of course, just who qualified as prey would be determined by strength.

The only law in the Floating Island Secret Realm was the law of the jungle.

“I wonder what Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage are doing…..” Fang Yang muttered, somewhat lonesome as he walked.

He’d had such high expectations before coming here, but after half a day, he still hadn’t witnessed any thrilling plots like in the storybooks, such as fighting ferocious monsters or searching for magical treasures in dangerous caves.

But that didn’t matter. At least he’d harvested a bag of Yuanling Grass, making him a wealthy man.

It was inevitable that he’d be a bit bored. After all, it was really quiet here.

“Ai, Useless Shixiong was right. It turns out that the stories in books are all lies,” Fang Yang lamented, picking up a piece of grass from the side to hold in his mouth.

After saying so, he felt that his words were somewhat incorrect. They weren’t all lies. Hadn’t he recently picked up a talking bamboo slip?

Although it wasn’t exactly the same as in the storybooks. The protagonist had a pendant made of mutton-fat jade, while he had a piece of bamboo that looked just like the bamboo planted by the sect.

The protagonist of the story possessed a jade pendant that housed a kind, gentle old man who provided countless martial arts secrets free of charge. The person in this bamboo slip of his was a somewhat strict older brother, and he hadn’t handed out any martial arts secrets.

Comparing the two, the older brother in the bamboo slip looked a bit shabby.

Fang Yang actually hadn’t asked for any martial arts secrets. It would be good to have them, but not having them was fine too. He was already very happy that the Mysterious Big Brother would teach him swordsmanship.

Only…..

“Are you there?” Fang Yang took out the string around his neck that was hidden under his collar, the bamboo slip hanging at the end of it. He used his spiritual consciousness to try to communicate with the Mysterious Big Brother.

He waited quietly for a moment. As expected, there was no response.

“Ai,” Fang Yang sighed. It would be great if this big brother who lived in the bamboo slip could be like the old grandfather who lived in the jade pendant, coming to talk whenever he was called.

He had tried many, many times, but his words always fell on deaf ears, never making a single wave.

He wondered if this big brother was ignoring him or sleeping? Why did he like sleeping so much, just like his Useless Shixiong?

Fang Yang was lost in thought as he moved through the vast jungle. He walked for a long time without seeing anyone – only the same towering trees in front of him. All he could do was pass the time daydreaming.

There were no sounds other than the rustling of leaves in the breeze and the singing of birds hidden in the vast canopy. 

Rustle.

Fang Yang stopped in place, the strand of grass in his mouth falling to the ground.

He sent a wary look at the one-meter-high bushes not far ahead. The rustling sound just now had been caused by their shaking branches.

There was no wind down here, so the bushes couldn’t have shaken for no reason.

There must be something hiding inside them.

Fang Yang paused for a moment at this thought, then pretended not to have noticed and continued walking forward.

But his casual steps became cautious, and his hand, which had been casually resting on the hilt of his sword, tightened around it.

The bushes had returned to their original state after the brief disturbance, without any unusual sounds or movement.

But Fang Yang knew that it wasn’t all in his head, and as he drew closer, he could vaguely hear the deliberately suppressed, yet still labored sound of breathing.

What in the world was behind these bushes? A monster?

It’s most likely a monster, Fang Yang thought. Although he was trying his utmost to feign ignorance, the jut of his throat rolling up and down was evidence of his inner nerves.

It was finally here! The dangerous, exciting adventure from his storybooks!

Although Fang Yang was nervous, he couldn’t help feeling a little excited. The youth was adventurous to the bone, so when he noticed the oddity, he walked toward it instead of leaving.

He walked to within three meters of the bushes. But instead of going straight toward it, he deliberately pretended to turn in a different direction.

Then, just as the thing behind the bush thought he hadn’t noticed it, and was about to move away, Fang Yang abruptly swung around and stabbed toward it with his iron sword.

He’d intended to catch them off guard, but the other party reacted just as quickly and fought back.

With a clang, two swords collided.

It’s not a monster? Fang Yang thought in surprise when he felt the impact of metal on metal.

He saw the edge of the blade flash with a cold light as it met his own iron sword. In addition to the cold metallic light, there was also the flowing gleam of spiritual power along its edges.

Fang Yang’s gaze trailed up the sword to an intricately-patterned hilt inlaid with spiritual stones, which contained great spiritual power. It looked very expensive at first glance, and could not be compared with his plain-patterned iron sword. The weapon in the other party’s hands was likely a valuable spiritual sword.

Finally, Fang Yang saw the thin, slender hand holding the hilt of the sword. It was a youth’s hand, smaller than those of an adult.

“Cao Zirui!” Fang Yang called out the other’s name in surprise. Unexpectedly, the first person he ran into inside the Floating Island Secret Realm was Cao Zirui. This was the sect leader’s direct disciple, whom he normally didn’t even have the chance to get close to. 

After calling his name, Fang Yang realized that their swords were still crossed, the force behind them unabated. He realized that he had almost hurt another disciple by mistake, and quickly withdrew his sword with an apology: “I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was…..”

Before he could utter the word “you,” he was silenced by a blade against his throat.

Fang Yang had put down his sword, but Cao Zirui had not. The moment Fang Yang sheathed his sword, Cao Zirui had thrust the tip of his sword forward, stopping it a hair’s breadth away from the jut of Fang Yang’s throat.

Holding the weapon in his right hand, he coldly scrutinized the unarmed, harmless-looking Fang Yang.

Fang Yang was momentarily stunned by this unexpected development. When fellow disciples met, shouldn’t they greet each other in a friendly manner and make small talk?

Why was Cao Zirui leveling the tip of his sword at him? After a brief period of confusion, Fang Yang realized that while he knew of Cao Zirui, Cao Zirui didn’t know him, ah!

So that’s it! He was a stranger who’d just attacked him, so Cao Zirui didn’t dare let down his guard.

Fang Yang thought he had grasped the key issue, and started to raise a hand to gesture toward the Lingxiao Sword Sect sword emblem embroidered on his daoist robes, which would inform Cao Zirui that he was a fellow disciple.

However, the second he raised his hand, Cao Zirui’s sword inched forward. Fang Yang leaned back quickly in order to prevent the sharp sword from slicing his throat.

He didn’t dare move again, and could only explain verbally: “My name is Fang Yang, and I’m a junior disciple in the outer sect. I joined Lingxiao Sword Sect the same year as you, so we’re martial brothers.”

Since he couldn’t gesture with his hands, Fang Yang changed tacks and blinked hard toward the sword pattern on his chest.

But the sword was right in front of his throat, and he couldn’t lower his head, so it was very difficult to signal Cao Zirui with his eyes. Fang Yang clearly had no talent in this area, and when he performed this action, it looked amusingly as if his eyelids were spasming.

Cao Zirui’s eyes were still very cold. He wasn’t amused by Fang Yang’s ridiculous expression, and he didn’t drop his gaze, because he didn’t need to.

He had realized that this person was a fellow disciple as early as when he was hiding in the bushes, but he still didn’t relax his guard in the slightest.

Seeing how Cao Zirui was unmoved, Fang Yang finally came to the conclusion that something wasn’t right.

Cao Zirui’s reaction was very abnormal. Fang Yang had called out the other’s name first and then took the initiative to sheath his sword. In any case, he had demonstrated that he harbored no hostility and was familiar with the other person’s identity.

Even if Cao Zirui didn’t recognize his fellow disciple or believe his fellow disciple’s identity, he at least should have asked some questions to clarify his identity instead of raising his sword at him like this, right?

But Cao Zirui had no such intentions. His eyes fixed on Fang Yang were filled with cold vigilance. Fang Yang had no doubt that if he showed any sign of attacking, Cao Zirui would pierce his throat with his sword.

But before this point in time, he didn’t really intend to kill Fang Yang. He was just on guard. His abnormally offensive actions were just because he feared that Fang Yang meant to hurt him.

He’s afraid? Fang Yang was stunned. He was very certain that he could see a hint of fear in Cao Zirui’s eyes – deeply hidden, but still slightly evident.

Cao Zirui was at Foundation Establishment stage, and was able to crush all of his fellow disciples who were at the same level. With his strength, why would he fear Fang Yang, whose cultivation had fallen to the third level of Qi Refining?

And weren’t they from the same sect? How could fellow disciples harm one another?

No, that’s not right. Fang Yang suddenly realized that Cao Zirui had likely already known he was a fellow disciple, but had still raised his sword.

During the stalemate, a drop of sweat slid down Cao Zirui’s forehead. Fang Yang’s eyes followed the droplet’s path down Cao Zirui’s face to his pursed lips, which were noticeably pale and bloodless. The bead of sweat dropped from his chin to his collar, and Fang Yang noticed a faint crimson hue on his black robes over his left shoulder.

Fang Yang’s nose twitched, and he belatedly smelled the pungent scent of blood in the air.

Considering the labored, barely-concealed panting he’d heard when he approached the bushes, it wasn’t difficult to guess that……

“You’re injured?!” Fang Yang’s eyes widened, and he looked in shock at Cao Zirui, who was sweating profusely from the pain.

The climate in the Floating Island Secret Realm was different from that of the outside world. The sun was shining, but it wasn’t hot. The sweat on Cao Zirui’s forehead was clearly a pain-induced cold sweat.

It was unknown what Cao Zirui had experienced in this half day, nor what had caused him to become so anxious that he refused to trust his fellow disciple. The blood on his left shoulder was still spreading, but he still didn’t lower his sword and stop the bleeding.

Cao Zirui didn’t answer. When Fang Yang discovered his injury, his eyes became even colder, because this meant he was in even greater danger.

The weaker he was, the more likely the other party would attack him.

Fang Yang was unaware of Cao Zirui’s thoughts, and subconsciously reached for the storage bag at his waist. This action alarmed Cao Zirui, and the tip of the sword moved slightly closer.

Fang Yang took a hasty step back, exclaiming: “I don’t mean you any harm! There’s wound medicine in my storage bag – it can help you stop the bleeding!”

Cao Zirui’s eyes flickered briefly when he heard this, and he ultimately didn’t carry out his attack.

But he didn’t believe Fang Yang’s words. He just continued to hold his sword up, signaling Fang Yang to stay still. He didn’t dare bet on whether what Fang Yang took out of the storage bag was wound medicine to heal him or a magic weapon to kill him.

Fang Yang could only stand there helplessly, watching Cao Zirui’s face become increasingly pale. Although Cao Zirui hadn’t shown him any friendliness, Fang Yang couldn’t help worrying about his injury.

In the end, they were from the same sect, and Cao Zirui meant something to Fang Yang……he was Fang Yang’s goal, the person he wanted to surpass.

Fang Yang hoped to defeat this rival of his with his own strength. He paid attention to him and was envious of him, but at the same time, he hoped that Cao Zirui would remain safe and sound more than anyone else. This way, Fang Yang could challenge him when he was strong enough.

But Cao Zirui was like an immovable stone, stubbornly gripping his sword and ignoring his bleeding wound, as if he was going to face off against Fang Yang until he bled to death.

Just when Fang Yang was getting restless, a familiar male voice suddenly reached his ears.

It was that nice-sounding big brother’s voice!

Fang Yang had no time to be happy, because the man called out in a hurried, anxious tone: “Run!”

Run? Why would he run for no reason?

Fang Yang was dumbfounded by this word, and didn’t do as he was told.

And at the same time, a crisp ding-ding rang out – the crisp sound of a bell.

Fang Yang looked in the direction of the sound and found that the ringing had come from a bell tied to Cao Zirui’s waist. When Cao Zirui had taken action just now, that bell hadn’t rung even though his movements were so considerable.

But now, as he stood in place, it suddenly began to ring without even a breeze.

Fang Yang didn’t know what the ringing signified, but Cao Zirui’s expression changed abruptly, his already pale face becoming even more bloodless.

He immediately sheathed his sword and, ignoring Fang Yang, rushed forward in labored strides.

Fang Yang watched in confusion as Cao Zirui attempted to run, unable to move much faster than a walk due to injury and exhaustion. What was going on?

Very soon, he understood.

Because he suddenly felt warmth behind him. The temperature soared, and in a very short moment, that warmth grew into a scorching wave of heat.

A streak of fire rushed over from afar – an arrow covered in flames.

The tip of the arrow was golden, and the flames were red.

The golden arrow flew at extreme speed, so fast that an afterimage of flames lingered in the air at its passing.

As it flew, a tail of flames several meters long trailed behind it.

And this deadly arrow, wreathed in deadly flames that could burn anything, was heading straight in Fang Yang’s direction. 

The interwoven stream of gold and red fire reflected in Fang Yang’s dilated pupils, and he heard the man yell again: “Get down!”

He finally knew why the Mysterious Big Brother had told him to run away. It was too late to run now, but he might be able to escape by lying flat.

Fang Yang subconsciously started to do what he was told, but then he spotted Cao Zirui staggering away a few meters ahead of him.

He looked back at the incoming golden arrow, and after estimating its flight trajectory, he realized that the arrow was not aiming at him, but at Cao Zirui.

I’ll be fine if I get down, but Cao Zirui…..

Fang Yang struggled inwardly, but not for long. Time didn’t allow him to hesitate. He immediately gritted his teeth, took a couple of steps, and then rushed forward regardless of anything else.

His tackle was very accurate, and he knocked Cao Zirui, who had a hand pressed to his shoulder, flat onto the ground.

Cao Zirui put up a brief, instinctual struggle, but Fang Yang pressed down hard on his shoulders and refused to let go no matter what, keeping Cao Zirui and himself pressed tightly to the ground.

Less than a second after they fell, the deadly flames passed less than a meter above their heads. Then, with a boom, the golden arrow pierced the ground in front of them.

The ground three meters in diameter around the arrow began to collapse and sink, and cracks spidered across it, stopping just in front of the two disciples.

Gravel exploded in all directions. Laying on top of Cao Zirui, Fang Yang used his equally slender body to block the stones pelting the two of them.

The small stones were fine – he could bear those. But a fist-sized rock hit Fang Yang’s hand that was holding Cao Zirui down. He groaned in pain, but still didn’t let go.

Cao Zirui was pinned firmly to the ground. He had struggled a bit at first, but when the flying object zoomed overhead, he could feel the scorching heat even though it had missed him. He also realized Fang Yang’s reason for pouncing on him, and immediately stopped moving.

With his face buried in the ground, he couldn’t see Fang Yang’s expression, but he heard the muffled groan in his ear.

Cao Zirui felt a bit complicated. If Fang Yang hadn’t suddenly tackled him, he likely would have been shattered to pieces along with the broken rocks.

Even though they were strangers, and Cao Zirui had drawn his sword against him, Fang Yang had still chosen to protect him.

He was already extremely disappointed with the so-called mutual help among fellow disciples, but just when he was feeling discouraged, he met such a kind-hearted, slightly foolish disciple.

He had trusted people he shouldn’t have trusted, and when he met a person he should have trusted, he didn’t dare.

With this in mind, Cao Zirui pursed his pale lips and clenched his fingers slightly on the ground.

The dust raised by the golden arrow’s impact slowly dissipated, and Fang Yang carefully raised his head to look around. There didn’t seem to be any danger, so he climbed to his feet while shaking his head.

He shook the dust and gravel from his hair and clothes, then reached out to Cao Zirui on the ground and asked in concern: “Are you okay?”

Cao Zirui glanced at the hand stretched out in front of him, but didn’t take it right away, just staring at Fang Yang.

Fang Yang felt a little embarrassed. Thinking that Cao Zirui was difficult to approach and probably didn’t want to take his hand, he shrank back awkwardly.

However, just as he retracted his hand halfway, Cao Zirui quickly grabbed it. He borrowed Fang Yang’s strength to stand up, replying softly: “I’m fine.”

Although he’d only spoken two words, Fang Yang was indescribably surprised and delighted. Cao Zirui had finally spoken to him!

This super strong fellow disciple, who kept to himself and rarely met junior disciples like Fang Yang, had spoken to him!

Fang Yang couldn’t hold back a silly smile. Cao Zirui was his goal, as well as his idol. Even though they were the same age, Cao Zirui had already reached a height that was beyond what most others were capable of.

Of course, Fang Yang had more than one goal. His ultimate goal was to defeat Yinglong, the heavenly God of War. But in the end, that goal was so far away, and Cao Zirui was much closer.

After smiling, he remembered to ask Cao Zirui: “What’s going on? How did you get hurt?”

He was very uncertain. Logically speaking, Cao Zirui’s strength at Foundation Establishment should be difficult to beat, and the highest level of cultivation in the Floating Island Secret Realm was also Foundation Establishment. Who had the ability to put Cao Zirui in such dire straits?

And…..Fang Yang glanced at the golden arrow that was stuck in the ground to the middle of its shaft. Where had this golden arrow come from? The intimidating aura of that arrow just now far exceeded Fang Yang’s current comprehension.

He had watched the Foundation Establishment martial arts competition, and the power of this golden arrow was definitely higher than Golden Core.

“It was…..” As soon as Cao Zirui spoke, something unexpected happened.

“Look out!” Fang Yang’s eyes were on the golden arrow, and he noticed its unusual movement right away.

Halfway inserted into the ground, the golden arrow was vibrating slightly. The hard soil around it cracked as the arrow shook – it was about to break out of the ground.

Fang Yang immediately reached out and pulled Cao Zirui back a few steps. Almost at the same time they retreated, the golden arrow flew up again. 

But this time, the arrow was no longer burning. It didn’t shoot toward Cao Zirui, but instead turned and flew in the opposite direction.

It didn’t fly for too long, stopping after about ten meters.

A man had appeared at some point and grabbed the arrow hanging in the air, his gaze moving back and forth between Cao Zirui and Fang Yang.

When Cao Zirui saw the man’s face clearly, his expression turned cold and gloomy, with an underlying tinge of anger at being deceived.

Fang Yang also frowned where he was standing in front of him. He knew this person too. He was wearing the same style robes as he and Cao Zirui, and wore a familiar mocking expression on his face.

“I never thought I’d be able to kill two birds with one stone, hahaha. As they say, good things come in pairs, and misfortunes never come alone. It’s just that this good thing is all mine…..” Lu Chengye smiled and pointed the tip of the arrow in his hand at them: “And the misfortune is yours.”

Cao Zirui couldn’t help but grit his teeth when he heard this. Not long after entering the Floating Island Secret Realm, he’d happened to run into this fellow disciple. He had thought it was a coincidence. Lu Chengye had done his best to flatter him, saying that he himself was of modest ability, and begging Cao Zirui to take care of him.

The two of them were fellow disciples, after all. Considering the instructions his master had given him before he departed, he should take care of him. Besides, it was fate that they had met in such a large secret realm……so Cao Zirui agreed.

He traveled with Lu Chengye, who busied himself all the way, asking him if he was hungry, or if he was thirsty. His enthusiasm was a little too much for Cao Zirui to handle.

He refused at first, but couldn’t hold up against Lu Chengye’s constant persuasion. In order to placate him, he accepted the water bag Lu Chengye handed him and took a sip. He didn’t know what kind of water it was. Lu Chengye said it was a scented water made with some kind of flower, which was refreshing and could reduce internal heat.

He didn’t feel such a cooling effect, but shortly after drinking the water, they encountered a Foundation Establishment stage monster.

Cao Zirui didn’t panic. He was very confident in his own abilities, and he alone was enough to handle it. Therefore, he signaled Lu Chengye to wait aside while he took charge of the monster.

Lu Chengye repeatedly thanked and flattered him, which Cao Zirui’s icy face was almost unable to bear. Then he stepped aside to observe the fight.

As Cao Zirui engaged the monster in fierce battle, he realized that the spiritual power in his dantian was lowering significantly. He was mystified, and had no idea why it was happening.

He had to concentrate on fighting the monster in front of him, but unexpectedly, just as he was about to kill the monster, a deadly stream of red fire attacked him from behind.

He wasn’t prepared for an attack to come from that direction, nor had he expected that his fellow disciple who had been fawning over him all day would suddenly attempt to kill him.

And there was no room to maneuver. A single strike would kill him.

At that moment, Cao Zirui’s sword was holding back the fangs of the monster. He couldn’t free his hands, and his cultivation level was about to fall below Foundation Establishment due to the massive loss of spiritual power. The spiritual power he had left was barely enough to deal with the monster, and he was entirely unable to defend against a sneak attack from behind.

Fortunately, he was wearing the defensive magic tool his master had given him. Its defensive capabilities were top-notch among earth-grade magic tools, enough to block an attack from a Golden Core cultivator.

Logically speaking, this trip should have been uneventful.

But it was unknown where the golden arrow in Lu Chengye’s hand had come from. He was clearly only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, but using that golden arrow, he was able to penetrate Cao Zirui’s earth-grade magic tool in one strike.

Fortunately, the magic tool helped block the majority of the impact before it collapsed, which was why he was able to survive the fatal blow.

But his shoulder was seriously injured, and he had no time to heal it. Taking advantage of his opponent’s failed attack, he immediately turned and ran away in shock.

Although he didn’t understand why, this fellow disciple named Lu Chengye truly intended to kill him, so Cao Zirui certainly wouldn’t just wait to die.

He hid here and there all the way, hoping to recover some spiritual power and catch his breath. However, his spiritual power showed no signs of recovering, and was instead depleting itself without pause. His current cultivation level had dropped from the initial stage of Foundation Establishment to the ninth level of Qi Refining.

He had directly dropped down a realm!

This loss was far greater than Fang Yang’s, who had fallen from the seventh to the third level of Qi Refining, because each major realm was a threshold. The spiritual power required in order to advance from the tenth level of Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment was more than ten times the amount required for each level of Qi Refining.

The worst thing was that after falling below Foundation Establishment stage, Cao Zirui had lost the ability to fly on his sword, and could only escape on foot.

As he fled, Cao Zirui realized that there had likely been something wrong with that bag of scented water. He had originally thought that the friendship between fellow disciples would include mutual assistance and unity against the outside world, as his master had said.

Therefore, although he was unfamiliar with Lu Chengye, he saw that he was wearing the same style of daoist robes and agreed to the other party’s request, drinking the water handed to him by this stranger without any suspicion.

The trust he placed in the other party was rewarded with such a vicious, brutal attack.

As he ran, he reminded himself that he must never trust others again. Especially fellow disciples!

Thus, when he spied another fellow disciple while he was hiding in the bushes, he had no intention of stepping forward to greet Fang Yang or request his help.

His fellow disciple Lu Chengye had tried to kill him, and there was no guarantee that others wouldn’t have the same idea. And who knew if running into Fang Yang was happenstance or the result of intentional action?

Just like he hadn’t thought that running into Lu Chengye after being randomly transported to a location in the Floating Island Secret Realm had been planned long in advance.

He had just hoped that Fang Yang wouldn’t notice him. The wound on his shoulder was painful, and the blood loss and tearing of the wound was making him weaker and weaker.

Although Fang Yang only seemed to be at the third level of Qi Refining, if he had some kind of magic weapon like Lu Chengye possessed, which would allow him to challenge a higher level opponent, Cao Zirui would certainly die.

However, as he hid in the bushes, his left shoulder accidentally hit a horizontal branch. These branches didn’t look very thick, but a casual brush could scratch off a layer of skin.

What’s more, his skin was already torn, and his bloodied clothing was stuck to his shoulder.

The severe pain caused Cao Zirui to tremble, and he suppressed a cry of pain, praying that Fang Yang wouldn’t notice.

But he was just deluding himself. Although Fang Yang had feigned ignorance as he walked over, he ended up finding him in the bushes.

And, as expected, Fang Yang directly drew his sword on him.

Someone else wants to kill me! Cao Zirui thought, disheartened and desperate.

He was unwilling to accept this fate, so he raised his sword and faced the enemy despite the weakness of his body.

The following development was somewhat beyond his expectations. Once Fang Yang got a clear look at him, he took the initiative to sheath his sword. 

And he really acted a bit silly, not like someone who was scheming and vicious.

But Cao Zirui had just suffered a loss, and didn’t dare trust someone so easily again.

Therefore, he didn’t concede at all, wary that Fang Yang’s foolish appearance was simply a deception, and that he would kill him once his guard was down. 

Due to his uncertainty, he didn’t kill Fang Yang directly. If Fang Yang was honestly just silly rather than duplicitous, then wouldn’t he have murdered his fellow disciple by mistake?

Even with his life hanging by a thread, Cao Zirui was unwilling to become a villain who would do anything to ensure his own safety.

So he was at a stalemate, unwilling to kill him, but also unable to let him go.

As he was in a state of uncertainty, the chime of a bell forced him to make a decision.

This was the magic tool gifted to him by his shixiong, Xue Ren. This bell was able to give advance warning of danger, and he had been carrying it with him since entering the Floating Island Secret Realm.

This bell indeed functioned as Xue Ren had said, and would chime upon the approach of danger. It had sounded before when he and Lu Chengye encountered the monster.

The principle of this magic tool was actually that it could sense killing intent. Lu Chengye had carefully concealed his killing intent at the beginning, so the bell hadn’t rung when they were walking together before.

But once Lu Chengye failed to kill him, he no longer needed to hide it. His killing intent leaked out and was picked up by the bell, and during Cao Zirui’s escape, the bell rang every time Lu Chengye approached.

Now that the bell had rung again, it was likely that Lu Chengye had caught up with him once more.

Although he had no idea how Lu Chengye had found him again in such a dense jungle, he no longer possessed the ability to oppose him and his high-level magic weapon.

He could only run away.

He no longer cared whether Fang Yang was cooperating with Lu Chengye or if he was just an innocent fellow disciple. 

Although he had no wish to mistakenly kill a fellow disciple, he was not benevolent enough to sacrifice himself for someone else.

He couldn’t even protect himself, so he naturally couldn’t worry about Fang Yang.

However…..although he harbored such selfish thoughts, Fang Yang did not.

At the critical moment between life and death, there was no room for hesitation or deception.

Any choice Fang Yang made during that time was his truest intent. And his choice had been to save Cao Zirui at the risk of dying together under the golden arrow.

When Fang Yang tackled him to the ground, shame was the foremost amongst Cao Zirui’s complicated emotions.

Fang Yang didn’t know what Cao Zirui was thinking, nor did he know what had happened, but at such a critical moment, he was unusually keen.

“It’s you?!” Fang Yang roughly pieced together the picture based on the few clues in front of him.

Why was Cao Zirui so wary of his fellow disciples, and why was he in such a miserable state? It was likely because he had suffered at the hands of Lu Chengye.

“It’s me.” Although Fang Yang hadn’t asked a full question, it wasn’t difficult to guess that Lu Chengye was openly admitting guilt.

He wasn’t at all worried that Fang Yang would spread the news about him hunting down a fellow disciple. How could the dead speak?

He had never intended to let Fang Yang go. He was narrow-minded, and would never be lenient toward someone he held a grudge against. He had always intended to get rid of him the moment the opportunity arose, and the Floating Island Secret Realm, where he had no one to help him, was his best chance.

But due to Xue Ren’s orders, he had to get rid of his annoying shidi first.

After getting rid of Cao Zirui, it wouldn’t be too late for him to kill Fang Yang and Feng Ye.

Speaking of Feng Ye, Lu Chengye was so angry that his teeth itched. He was originally the unrivaled champion, but who could have known that the bullyable Feng Ye would suddenly jump out and disrupt the situation? 

And he had even lost!

He, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, had lost to a loser who had cultivated for three whole years to reach the third level of Qi Refining!

How shameful!

After Lu Chengye was kicked off the ring by Feng Ye that day, he’d held his stomach in pain for some time before he was able to recover. Then, while everyone was watching the person who’d stolen his place, he slipped away in shame. 

He naturally couldn’t swallow this humiliation, but didn’t dare pick another fight with Feng Ye.

After some thought, he felt that losing to Feng Ye that day could be attributed to bad luck. The blade of his sword had cracked for no reason – wasn’t that just bad luck?

If the sword hadn’t cracked, Feng Ye’s last strike wouldn’t have broken through his defense. As the saying went, when facing a challenge, it was best to act with full force and determination at the outset.

After seven strikes, Feng Ye should have been exhausted, and Lu Chengye would win as long as he blocked the last strike. 

Although he thought this way, Lu Chengye couldn’t forget the frigid killing intent that accompanied Feng Ye’s last strike. 

Just the memory of it made him shudder.

Therefore, even though he felt that Feng Ye’s victory over him had been pure luck, he didn’t have the courage to challenge him again.

But now, things were different. He held a rare treasure in his hands that could even kill the Foundation Establishment stage Cao Zirui. No matter how strong his swordsmanship was, how could Feng Ye turn the tables at the third level of Qi Refining?

His original plan was to get rid of Cao Zirui first, then look for Fang Yang and Feng Ye while searching for spiritual plants. He would get rid of all of these people in one go inside the Floating Island Secret Realm.

At least the three of them would have company on their journey, which was rather kind of him.

It was just that he encountered a bit of a setback. He hadn’t expected Cao Zirui to have such a powerful defensive tool hidden on him, which enabled him to survive a fatal attack. Although he’d been injured, it was not a mortal wound.

With no choice but to postpone the rest of his plans, he pursued Cao Zirui with a hint of anger at having his plans disrupted. 

But he didn’t expect to meet Fang Yang in the middle of his pursuit, this unlucky fellow who was also on his kill list.

Lu Chengye simply felt that his luck had turned. Today was the day he would stand tall and proud, catching all of his enemies in one fell swoop.

As for Feng Ye…..

“Your useless shixiong isn’t with you?” Lu Chengye shook his head regretfully: “Forget it. It won’t be too late to kill him after I get rid of you. I definitely won’t allow him to die easily.”

When he spoke this last sentence, he was already grinding his teeth. Among the three people on his kill list, he held no grudge against Cao Zirui, and was only following Xue Ren’s orders. And although he hated Fang Yang, he didn’t harbor much resentment toward him. He just didn’t mind picking him off in the meantime.

But Feng Ye…..he would never forget the contemptuous look on Feng Ye’s face when he kicked him off the ring – as if he was looking at an ant.

He’d obviously won by sheer luck. How dare a loser who was only at the third level of Qi Refining look down on him like that?

Feng Ye already occupied the top of the most-hated list in Lu Chengye’s narrow mind. The sum of his hatred toward Fang Yang and Cao Zirui didn’t even amount to a decimal point in comparison.

But unfortunately, Feng Ye wasn’t here. This was a pity, but also understandable. It was already rare to kill two birds with one stone. It was impossible for his enemies to string themselves together and wait for him to kill them, right?

Lu Chengye was still feeling regretful, and had no clue that, in a certain sense, Feng Ye was actually present here.

And that through the spiritual consciousness he shared with Fang Yang, he had heard the entire conversation between the three people.

“Keep him talking to buy time,” Feng Ye instructed Fang Yang in his spiritual consciousness. 

After experiencing the two previous warnings, Fang Yang already believed Feng Ye’s words without a doubt. Although he didn’t know what the point of buying time was, he was still prepared to do as he was told.

He silently agreed: “Okay.”

Once Feng Ye received this affirmative reply, he jumped from the underwater cave back into the sea without delay.

The golden arrow in Lu Chengye’s hand appeared to be an earth-grade magic weapon, but for some reason, when the arrow was shot just now, its power far exceeded that of an ordinary earth-grade magic weapon and was almost approaching the threshold of a heaven-grade magic weapon.

This was definitely not something Fang Yang and Cao Zirui could handle at this moment in time.

Therefore, he didn’t tell Fang Yang to defeat Lu Chengye. Although the battle against the White-Nosed Demon Bear had been dangerous, he hadn’t taken action while there was a chance that Fang Yang could win. But this time, Fang Yang and Cao Zirui stood no chance.

Feng Ye was the one who would need to put this matter to rest.

Feng Ye swam faster through the sea. He didn’t know how much time Fang Yang would be able to buy, so he had to hurry.

However, he had just swam out of the narrow passage leading to the underwater cave and had not yet had time to surface from the deep sea, when he suddenly stopped moving. Floating in place, he scanned the sea with a frown. 

Above his head was the 300-meter layer of rock forming the base of the Floating Island Secret Realm. Its mass blocked out the sun, and there was not a single ray of light in his location.

All he could see was deep, ink-black water.

But he was still able to sense danger.

The seawater vibrated as something swam through the sea.

There were many of them, and they were enormous.

Feng Ye scanned the entirety of the sea around him, and could feel them approaching from all directions.

Tentacles with hideous suckers stretched out from the deep sea below, dozens of them blooming around him like petals.

Then, under the cover of darkness, the petals slowly closed, intending to entangle their prey before it noticed them.

“Tsk.” Feng Ye uttered somewhat impatiently. He hadn’t encountered any monsters along the way, so why were a group of them surrounding him now?

When it rained, it poured, and the more impatient he was, the more he got tripped up by other things.

The tentacles encircling Feng Ye closed in slowly and carefully as the other monsters prepared their killing moves.

On land three hundred meters above, Fang Yang used his body to half-block the injured Cao Zirui. At the same time, he intently observed Lu Chengye’s every move, guarding against any sudden attack.

The battlefields both in the sea and on land were on the verge of breaking out into war.

---

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Chapter 46 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 48

Xiao Xiangzi was proficient at grinding ink, and did so quickly and finely.

Chu Jiubian walked to the desk and sat down.

Since the purpose was to spread his name, the poems must naturally be top-quality. And in the Great Ning Dynasty, from top to bottom, everyone valued reputation more than life.

Therefore, if Chu Jiubian wanted to be looked up to by scholars and intellectuals, the poems he wrote could not be too down-to-earth, but should instead reveal the character, nobleness, and tenacity of a scholar.

Xiao Xiangzi was serving at his side. Seeing that Chu Jiubian seemed to be immersed in thought, he didn’t disturb him, and just directed a meaningful look at the two palace maids who were standing nearby.

These palace maids were named Shui Qing and Shui Yun. They had known Xiao Xiangzi for many years, and understood what he meant with just that one look. He wanted them to prepare some tea and snacks for Chu Jiubian.

Thus, the two of them silently left through the door.

Chu Jiubian noticed their interaction, but didn’t pay it any mind.

After a while, he finally decided on what he would write. 

No longer hesitating, he dipped the brush in ink and began to write.

On the rough, yellowed paper, a few lines of vigorous and powerful words slowly emerged—

A golden cup of the purest wine costs a thousand coins

A jade plate of delicacies costs a million…..^[1]

Xiao Xiangzi’s gaze fell upon the first page. At first, he was just curious about what Chu Jiubian was going to write, and thought to take note of it to report to his master later.

However, when he saw the sharp brushstrokes of Chu Jiubian’s handwriting, he couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly: Good! This handwriting was just as good as Lord Ning-wang’s.

And when he read over the content carefully, his round eyes suddenly widened, and he couldn’t help but move closer.

“I would cross the Yellow River, but ice chokes the ferry. I would climb the Taihang Mountains, but the sky is blind with snow…..” He unconsciously read it aloud, and the scene before him seemed to have transformed from the scorching heat of summer to a world of ice and snow.

*

*

Cining Palace.

On a large lounging couch reclined a graceful woman with her eyes closed. She was around forty years old, wearing a light golden palace dress with her long hair tied up in a simple bun adorned with gorgeous gold ornaments.

There was a small basin of clear ice on the low table beside the couch, which had already slightly melted.

A palace maid knelt in front of the low table, holding a palm-leaf fan that she waved again and again to send the cold air forward.

Matron Liu walked in slowly from outside the hall, clad in a dark-colored dress and with a letter in her hand. She stopped in front of the couch and called softly: “Mistress, the family has sent some more ice. This servant has already sent it to the prince.”

The woman she referred to as “mistress” gradually opened her eyes.

Matron Liu reached out to help her sit up. The young palace maid immediately came forward with a teacup, and Matron Liu helped the woman rinse her mouth.

When the woman had finally gotten over her sleepiness, Matron Liu handed her the letter and said: “This is a letter from home. Please have a look.”

The woman took the letter and sneered: “Ice has been delivered three times in one day. What is it they want from me?”

Matron Liu smiled: “The family is just concerned for you and the prince. Besides, only our Xiao family is able to enjoy ice every day. I’ve heard that only the main room in Yangxin Palace has ice on a daily basis, and His Little Majesty cries at night because of the heat.”

There was a smile in the eyes of Empress Dowager Xiao Ruohan, and she opened the letter to read it.

There were only a few lines of words, speaking about the events of the morning court session.

Minister Xiao had brought up the issue of dam construction, forcing Qin Xiao to come up with a way to refill the Imperial Treasury. The letter also said that if Qin Xiao really managed to raise the money and handed it over to the Ministry of Works, they would see if there was a chance to let Jiannan-wang go out to practice his skills and win over the common people.

At the end of the letter, it mentioned the strange man who had appeared in the throne hall yesterday.

The man was not an assassin sent by the Xiao family, but after some investigation, it was discovered that he was also not affiliated with any other forces. The Xiao family wasn’t even able to find any information regarding the man’s identity.

It was as if the other party had really appeared out of thin air.

Xiao Ruohan closed the letter and handed it to Matron Liu, who read it before putting it into her sleeve.

She looked at Xiao Ruohan and asked with a slight frown: “Mistress, I heard yesterday that the man possesses the ability to predict celestial phenomena and claims to be a god. Since the family is unable to uncover his identity, could it be that…..”

Xiao Ruohan glanced at her and said with a smile: “Rumors in the palace are always spread by those with ulterior motives. How can you believe them?”

“It is this one’s ignorance.” Matron Liu’s brow relaxed. “It is only that our people reported just now that Ning-wang sent that person to Yaotai Residence. This servant feared that the other party did indeed possess some sort of supernatural power, and that this would give Ning-wang an extra advantage. But now, it seems that Ning-wang may have done this on purpose.”

“Qin Xiao never does anything without a reason.” Xiao Ruohan’s eyes chilled slightly. “What god, ah, what supernatural powers, ah? He’s just trying to intimidate everyone.”

For all anyone knew, Qin Xiao could have hired that person himself and deliberately had him fall from the sky during the coronation ceremony and claim to be a god. Later, the man would stand at Qin Xiao’s side to confirm the illusion that the young Emperor Bai Lihong had been recognized by the gods.

The common people were ignorant, and might just believe it.

Matron Liu understood as well, and lowered her voice: “Perhaps Ning-wang also knows that the young emperor’s ascension to the throne was illegitimate, and feels insecure.”

Xiao Ruohan looked into the distance, unable to keep herself from thinking of the past.

When she was still the empress, that old bastard Chengzong indulged in sensual pleasures and had many concubines in his harem who gave birth to one son after another.

Chengzong himself was not very capable, but his sons were each more outstanding than the other.

This also led to the fact that once the princes grew up, a struggle for the throne was inevitable.

Xiao Ruohan herself had no children. Fortunately, she chose each step carefully and was able to use the power of the Qin family to send Yingzong, who was not of Xiao family blood but was the most useful to her, to the seat of power, and she then safely became the Empress Dowager.

However, the Qin family possessed a 30,000-strong army, which was a sharp blade in the struggle for the throne. And after gaining power, they became the biggest threat to Xiao Ruohan and the entire Xiao family.

As long as the Qin family continued to exist, the Xiao family would not be able to completely control Emperor Yingzong.

Fortunately, Yingzong was close to Xiao Ruohan, so under her repeated instigations, he and the late empress Qin Feng gradually became estranged, and the Qin family became a major concern for him.

Everyone naturally changed over time – especially the emperor.

Yingzong changed as well, and became even more paranoid and superstitious.

He was wary of the Qin family’s military power, and was also anxious about several major families and vassal kings. Although he was grateful to Xiao Ruohan for caring for him and his mother when he was young, he did not completely trust and rely on the Xiao family.

He became a solitary person, and although he attempted to balance the relationships between these forces, his ability was limited and the results were unsatisfactory.

Those who were not family could not be of one mind.

Xiao Ruohan had no expectations that Yingzong would take care of her in her old age, so she brought the eldest prince born of a Xiao family girl and Yingzong to live with her.

She had thought that when the eldest prince, Bai Lihai, grew up a little more and the power of the Qin family was further eroded, she would find an opportunity to replace Yingzong and put Bai Lihai, who had the blood of the Xiao family, on the throne.

But Xiao Ruohan was not the only clever person in the world. That woman Qin Feng was evidently craftier and more willing to take risks.

Qin Feng had long known that Yingzong coveted the Qin family’s military power, but she had always put on a facade of innocence and harmlessness, promoting jealousy between her and Concubine Duan, among others. Making herself appear like a love-brained person caused Yingzong to lower his guard. 

Yingzong did have feelings for her, so his heart softened under her gentle attacks.

Thus, Qin Feng finally had the opportunity to give birth to the fifth prince, Bai Lihong – a prince with Qin family blood.

At that time, the eldest prince Bai Lihai, who had been raised by Xiao Ruohan, was already thirteen years old. And in order to appease the Xiao family, Yingzong made Bai Lihai a king.

But such a method was unable to appease the Xiao family or anyone else.

When a prince with Qin family blood was born, various forces began to stir.

Everyone knew that a storm was coming.

But reputation was more important than anything else, and everything must have a legitimate reason, so no one wanted to be the first to take the lead. Everyone waited for a suitable opportunity, and this stalemate lasted for three years.

Just after fifth prince Bai Lihong celebrated his third birthday, when all forces were on edge like drawn bowstrings, something unexpected happened!

Emperor Yingzong and his Empress Qin Feng, who were only in their thirties, were assassinated in their bedrooms. 

Almost at the same time various forces heard the news, the Imperial Guard composed of the former Qin family army surrounded the palace, captured batches of so-called assassins, and killed them all.

Blood flowed in front of Shenwu Gate for three days and three nights.

Afterwards, Qin Xiao went before all of the officials with the bloodstained Crown Prince Edict, confirmed Bai Lihong’s orthodox status, and sent him to the throne.

The officials naturally didn’t believe him, but after taking a look for themselves, they found that the words had indeed been written by Yingzong himself, and the Imperial Seal was also present.

Everyone knew there was something fishy about the matter, but they simply could not find any evidence.

The spies stationed in the palace by major forces might have known something, but they were all killed by Qin Xiao as assassins, leaving no evidence behind.

Xiao Ruohan understood everything clearly. Others might not have understood Qin Feng, but she had fought with her for many years and truly had a grasp of the other person’s methods.

She was certain that Qin Feng was most likely responsible for Emperor Yingzong’s death, and that there had been no assassins at all.

But Qin Feng herself perished as well, making it impossible to find any evidence against her. Most of the Qin family’s direct descendants had died in battle, and the only ones left were the Qin Xiao and Qin Feng brother and sister.

Ask anyone off the street how much Qin Xiao cherished and protected his elder sister, and they would know.

Therefore, even though others had spread the rumor that Qin Xiao and Qin Feng had joined forces to murder the emperor, few people would believe it.

Because everyone felt that Qin Xiao would be unwilling to let his only blood relative die. After all, even when Qin Feng fell and sprained her ankle, Qin Xiao had gone to Yingzong and kicked up a fuss, so how could he allow her to die in such a tragic way?

Qin Feng was clever, and may not have told Qin Xiao that she would die.

Qin Xiao and the Qin family would have had a chance to protect her, but at that point, the Qin family would have proven their wicked ambitions.

When it came to Qin Feng’s life, Qin Xiao, the head of the family, would naturally set aside any so-called reputation and integrity.

But once their reputation was in tatters, the spittle of great scholars would be able to drown the Qin family, and the military achievements and prestige they had built up over the years would be destroyed.

So Qin Feng died.

This eldest daughter, who was held in the palm of the Qin family’s hand, preserved the glory of the Qin family with her death and the hideous gash across her throat, paving the way for her son to ascend the throne with her own blood.

But now, Qin Xiao, the seemingly spoiled brat of the Qin family, seemed to have become a different person overnight. He was once the decadent son of a wealthy family, but had grown into the powerful and cunning official he was today.

Compared to what others said about him “growing up overnight,” Xiao Ruohan believed that Qin Xiao had been like this from the beginning, and his previous unreliable character was just an illusion. Otherwise, Qin Feng would not have dared to die so easily.

“The Qin family.” Xiao Ruohan’s expression was grim.

They were truly formidable.

Seeing that she was in a bad mood, Matron Liu quickly changed the subject and said in a gentle voice: “Mistress, if the dam repairs are successful, won’t our family’s prince win the support of the common people?”

Xiao Ruohan’s tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

She raised a hand, and Matron Liu immediately stepped forward to help her up.

The two of them walked slowly through the palace. Feeling much calmer, Xiao Ruohan said: “In previous years, the money for dam construction never reached the local areas. If A-Hai goes this year and the dam is completed, who among the common people won’t remember his kindness?”

“That’s right, our family’s prince is the best.”

Xiao Ruohan chuckled and said: “That child is good, but a little too kind and honest. Have someone cook some of his favorite dishes this evening. I must teach him how to behave, or else he will be bullied when he goes out.”

“Yes.”

The two of them walked out of the hall, their eyes fixed on the horizon.

*

*

The scorching sun after the rainstorm made everyone feel hot and stuffy.

A white pigeon flew across the streets of the Imperial City under the hot sun, flapping its wings as it flew into a courtyard with towering gates.

A servant reached out to receive the white pigeon and took the message from its talons, then handed the bird off to someone else to be fed while he quickly headed toward the study.

Inside the study, the Minister of Revenue, Su Sheng, placed the black chesspiece in his hand on the board with a frown.

Opposite him sat Councilor Fan He in a breathable black outfit. He stroked his beard with his left hand, placed a white piece with his right, and then picked up his teacup with a smile.

Su Sheng stared at the board for a long time, then shook his head and laughed: “Xiansheng, your chess skills have improved again.”

“So have My Lord’s,” Fan He said with a hint of meaning.

Su Sheng met his gaze and burst out laughing.

Just then, a servant called out from outside the hall.

“Come in.”

The servant entered with a bow and handed a message to Su Sheng before exiting the hall again.

Su Sheng quickly read the contents of the message and handed it to Fan He.

After reading it, Fan He slipped it into his sleeve pocket.

“My Lord and the prince are steadily becoming closer,” he said.

“It seems the task of building the dam is best left to Jiannan-wang.” Su Sheng took a sip of tea and said meaningfully, “This is a major undertaking that will benefit the common people. I’m sure he will earn quite a good reputation.”

“I hope so.” Fan He smiled and asked, “By the way, has My Lord heard the news about that man yesterday?”

“You mean that fellow who predicted the rain?”

“Right.”

“What happened?” Su Sheng immediately became curious.

As a first-rank official, he was standing closest to Qin Xiao and that person the day before, so he heard the rain prediction with his own ears.

He had also looked at the sky. The sun was shining brightly, and there were almost no clouds to be seen. There was no way it was going to rain.

So later, when he witnessed the rain come as predicted in Fengtian Hall, he could not hide his terror.

A gleam appeared in Fan He’s eyes: “That person predicted what time the rain would stop. Exactly.”

Su Sheng’s heart skipped a beat: “Really?”

“It is absolutely true.”

Su Sheng had a sudden realization: “No wonder Qin Xiao invited him to Yaotai Residence. There must be something extraordinary about him.”

Fang He stroked his beard and said: “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?” Su Sheng asked quickly.

Fan He: “Qin Xiao believes in nobody and nothing but himself. He released that person and sent him to Yaotai Residence like a parade, as if he wanted to announce it to the world.”

“You mean Qin Xiao did so deliberately to use that person as bait?” 

“That’s right. If that man really can predict celestial phenomena, then he might have other abilities.” Fan He said in a weighty voice: “Such a person is very desirable.”

“If that is the case, should we send someone to make contact with him?”

Ever since Qin Xiao’s three day and three night slaughter of the “assassins,” most of the spies planted in the palace by various forces had perished, and the only ones left were very well hidden.

Now that the Imperial Guards were guarding the palace rigorously, it was very difficult for outsiders to insert their own people.

Therefore, if any forces wished to contact that man, they must use hidden tactics, which stood the chance of being discovered by Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao, who was determined to completely wipe out all of the spies planted in the palace by the major forces, ah.

Fan He frowned, saying after a moment’s thought: “Let’s wait a while.”

They would see how everyone else reacted first.

*

*

“No reaction?” Qin Chaoyang looked at An Wuji in surprise.

The other man nodded, saying: “There has been no movement at all. Those old fools are all overly cautious.”

Qin Chaoyang raised his eyes toward the person in the main seat.

Qin Xiao sat in the wide chair in the study, holding a palm-sized piece of saltpeter wrapped in a handkerchief.

There was no trace of surprise on his face. It seemed he had expected this.

“My Lord,” An Wuji said with an anxious frown, “If those people don’t take action, how will we be able to root out those hidden agents?”

Qin Xiao said in a mild voice: “I never expected them to take the bait so quickly.”

The fact that Chu Jiubian successfully predicted the weather twice didn’t prove that he was capable of more. Those people wouldn’t take such a gamble.

“Then what should we do?” An Wuji asked.

“Naturally, we should increase the stakes.” Qin Xiao glanced at the saltpeter in his hand. 

He didn’t know what Chu Jiubian planned to do with the saltpeter, but he could see that the other party did indeed possess some abilities that were different from those of ordinary people. Who knew – with the help of this saltpeter, he might be able to create another “miracle.”

Of course, using Chu Jiubian to expose the hidden spies was just a spur-of-the-moment idea. If it failed, it was no big loss. He would just figure out another method.

Suddenly, a palace servant’s voice came from outside the study: “My Lord, a palace servant from Yaotai Residence has an important matter to report.”

The three people in the room were somewhat taken aback.

“Send them in,” Qin Chaoyang said.

Soon after, the palace maid Shui Yun entered the hall and bowed in greeting.

Qin Xiao set down what he was holding and asked: “What is it?”

“Answering My Lord, the young master wrote down two poems and claims they were written by the Immortal Poet Li Bai and the Scholar of Serenity, Li Qingzhao. Eunuch Xiao Hong told me to pass them on to you.”

“Poetry?” An Wuji asked curiously. “Written by an Immortal Poet and a Scholar of Serenity? Quickly, tell us.”

---

[1] This poem is called “The Hard Road” or “Hard is the Way” by the famous poet Li Bai. ⮐

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Chapter 6 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 8

T/N: Thank you to Courtney for the Kofi donation! Here’s a double update!

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A bird flapped its wings and landed on the small, solitary window of the cell, shaking its wet little head.

A faint light fell through the window, casting a golden hue across Chu Jiubian’s silver-white hair.

The heaviness in Qin Xiao’s chest dissipated, and he rubbed the jade ring on his right thumb, gazing steadily at Chu Jiubian. 

The young man had short, fluffy black hair in front, a delicate face, and a pair of light-hued eyes that were indifferent and aloof, lacking any emotional fluctuations. Even though he was wearing coarse linen clothes, he looked like a high and mighty immortal god in the heavens, perpetually regarding those below him with a distant gaze.

But there was a stark palm mark on his fragile neck, shockingly purple and mottled, which abruptly pulled him down from the altar and into the mortal world.

Qin Xiao chuckled and said: “You win.”

Chu Jiubian’s smile remained unchanged. He said nothing, but he was hurling curses in his heart.

You bastard, you’d better let me out of here now, or I’ll be the first to kill you when my power grows!

From the moment he decided to pretend to be a god, Chu Jiubian had already immersed himself in the role.

He was a professional, experienced actor, and his acting skills were comparable to those of veteran actors in the circle. Now, it was easy to play the role of a god who had come to earth to experience trials and tribulations.

“Release him.” Qin Xiao gave the order in a casual tone, then turned and walked out.

Chu Jiubian blinked slowly, then glanced at Qin Chaoyang, who was still standing there.

As Qin Chaoyang met his gaze, he was still unable to calm his raging heartbeat. 

The “miracle” he’d heard about from others was nothing compared to the shock he suffered from seeing it with his own eyes.

That was rain! A celestial phenomenon!

And Chu Jiubian had actually predicted it!

Such power! It was no exaggeration to call it a miracle!

Qin Chaoyang couldn’t calm his heart for a long time, but his strong self-control allowed him to school his expression in order to not reveal the terror inside.

He took two steps forward with downcast eyes, then lightly tugged the bronze lock on the cell door.

Click.

The lock opened.

He was easily able to open the solid lock with brute force, a display of his great internal strength.

Qin Chaoyang pushed open the cell door and said to Chu Jiubian: “Please.”

Chu Jiubian knew that Qin Xiao wouldn’t let him go so easily, and would just take him elsewhere to put him under house arrest. But as long as he could come into contact with more people, even if they were servants, he could quickly increase his number of believers and accumulate Faith Points.

No matter what he did in the future, the only things he could rely on now were himself and the System.

And he was very interested in the System Mall and the [Divine Realm] functions, so he needed to collect Faith Points quickly.

Qin Chaoyang was worthy of being Qin Xiao’s most capable assistant. Without specific instructions from the other party, he knew how to make arrangements for Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian was led out of the cell and toward the palace road.

Looking forward, a man in crimson-purple court robes was strolling leisurely a few dozen meters ahead. Just by looking at his back, one could tell that he had a lot on his mind, as if he had already planned everything out.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes.

Qin Xiao and the young emperor were enemies.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Chu Jiubian felt that he needed to have a good relationship with the young emperor. Not to mention that the other party had the ability to defeat Qin Xiao in the end, his identity as the “male protagonist” made him the thickest thigh in the world to hug.

But the young emperor was only three years old. Qin Xiao was only twenty-five – he had just gained power and was about to flex his muscles. Thus, Chu Jiubian couldn’t confront him for the time being, or at least couldn’t fight him head-on. 

Otherwise, inside the Imperial Palace, Qin Xiao wouldn’t even have to lift a hand to have him killed.

So until he had the ability to protect himself, he still needed to deal with Qin Xiao and build a good relationship with him.

Moreover, Qin Xiao was in power now, and if the other party trusted him and found him useful, he might even give Chu Jiubian an official position.

In such a dog-eat-dog era, only those who held power were truly capable of protecting themselves.

Therefore, what Chu Jiubian needed to do most at this point in time was to get close to Qin Xiao and make the other party believe that he was a “god,” and even make him think that they were two grasshoppers on the same rope. Only then could they have a stable alliance.

But he didn’t want to reveal all of his cards so early, such as glass, salt, soap, etc. Before he could protect himself, making these things would be like a child carrying gold through a market.

However, apart from using “miracles” to draw the other party in, it seemed that only the “love tribulation” could legitimately entangle him with Qin Xiao.

Since he had “descended” to the mortal world just to become entangled with Qin Xiao, it made sense for him to want more contact and communication between them, and even to learn more about the other party.

As for whether or not Qin Xiao would grow angry out of shame, just by observing his attitude over the past two days, one could tell that he didn’t believe Chu Jiubian at all, nor did he take this “love tribulation” seriously. So he could take advantage of this opportunity to jump around, and the other party probably wouldn’t take issue with him.

Chu Jiubian gazed at the tall figure in front of him, and a barely noticeable smile appeared at the corners of his lips.

The three of them traversed the winding palace road. The eunuchs and palace maids they met from time to time would kneel silently on either side of the road after seeing Qin Xiao from afar, not daring to stand up until he had gone far away.

At first, Chu Jiubian would turn his head to take a few peeks, but after witnessing such scenes everywhere, he no longer paid specific attention to them.

After about the time it would take to drink a cup of tea, they parted ways with Qin Xiao. And after walking for another quarter of an hour, Chu Jiubian was finally led to his destination – Yaotai Residence.

This was a medium-sized courtyard, with two main rooms and two side rooms. It was around 200 square meters in total, and was very clean. The servants in this courtyard likely didn’t dare to slack off. 

Indeed, this courtyard was only a quarter of an hour’s walk away from Yangxin Palace, where the young emperor and Qin Xiao resided, so no one dared to slack off.

When they noticed the two of them coming, five palace maids and eunuchs in palace garb immediately bowed down and walked quickly from all parts of the courtyard to kneel quietly on one side.

“This was once the residence of Concubine Duan, and is very close to Yangxin Palace.” Qin Chaoyang paid no attention to these people, and explained to Chu Jiubian, “Moreover, this courtyard is named Yaotai Residence, which is very suitable for your status.”

Yaotai, the legendary jade residence of immortals, was now quite suitable for Chu Jiubian to live in.

Qin Xiao must have done this intentionally. As for whether he really believed Chu Jiubian was a god, or was simply using such a name to mock him, everyone was very much aware.

Chu Jiubian inwardly rolled his eyes, but said calmly: “Many thanks.”

Qin Chaoyang responded politely, then looked at the people kneeling nearby and said loudly: “Hong Xiang.”

“This servant is here.” The man kneeling in the front of the group of five immediately stood up. He walked forward quickly with his body lowered, and greeted Qin Chaoyang and Chu Jiubian respectively.

“This…..” Qin Chaoyang wanted to introduce Chu Jiubian, but realized that he didn’t know his name. But he didn’t ask, and said instead, “Young Master, this Xiao Xiangzi^[1] is quite useful, and will run errands for you from now on. You can ask him for anything you need.”

Chu Jiubian regarded the young eunuch in front of him.

The eunuch was wearing dark green palace robes. He looked to be less than 1.7 meters tall, and had the tender face of a boy around thirteen or fourteen years old.

The young eunuch knelt down again to kowtow to Chu Jiubian, saying in a crisp voice: “Young Master, this Xiao Xiangzi will dedicate himself to serving you from now on.”

“Your name is Hong Xiang?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“Yes.”

“Get up.”

The young eunuch got up and stepped to the side without a word. He had learned the rules very well.

Hong Xiang.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but recall the eunuch Hong Fu, who followed the young emperor. He wondered what the relationship was between him and the young eunuch beside him.

However, what was certain was that the eunuch Xiao Hong, as well as the other four servants in this courtyard, were definitely Qin Xiao’s subordinates.

Naturally, there were several hidden gazes around the courtyard keeping an eye on Chu Jiubian at all times, probably from the Imperial Guard.

“Then please stay here with peace of mind, Young Master. My Lord will come to see you when he is free,” Qin Chaoyang said.

This man appeared gentle and polite on the surface, and his words were considerate, but each word he spoke seemed to have an underlying meaning that kept people guessing.

Like the sentence just now – the implication was obviously that Chu Jiubian should stay quiet and not make trouble, and also not go looking for Qin Xiao. The man would naturally come to see him when he felt like it.

After checking and confirming that everything had been arranged in the courtyard, Qin Chaoyang said his farewells and departed.

Chu Jiubian also took this opportunity to take a look around at his temporary residence. There were two main rooms, two side rooms, and a small kitchen at the back of the house.

Everything here was in order, and Chu Jiubian could even do anything he wanted within this courtyard.

He tentatively walked toward the gate, Hong Xiang following closely behind. Just as Chu Jiubian was about to step through it, the other party unsurprisingly stopped him and said: “Young Master, His Lordship has ordered that you are not to leave the courtyard.”

It turned out to be house arrest.

But at least there was food and drink and a comfortable place to live, so Chu Jiubian didn’t put up a fuss.

He hadn’t eaten his lunch in the prison just now, and was a little hungry, so he said: “Go get me some food and boil some hot water. I want to take a bath.”

“Yes,” Xiao Xiangzi responded, and turned to instruct another eunuch.

Then the young eunuch hurried off to the kitchen.

Chu Jiubian felt his stomach ache at the thought of eating meat soup or brown rice porridge again, but his throat was currently injured, so he could only eat some soup.

He couldn’t help but think of delicious stir-fried dishes again, and his mind naturally turned to iron woks.

But iron ore was hard to come by here, and there was no chance of making one.

Well, there actually was a certain way to get one.

The sky had cleared up after the rain, ushering back the scorching heat and sweltering summer sun. Chu Jiubian looked up at the sky, then entered the main house.

The outer room was the study and reception room, and the inner room was the bedroom. The entire house was decorated elegantly and exquisitely. There were not many decorative items, and they were not expensive, but they suited the place just right.

Chu Jiubian went to the desk and saw brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone. But the paper looked rough and yellowed, completely incomparable to modern white paper.

And the pieces of paper were very few, but there were many bamboo slips placed in rolls on the bookshelf.

Paper in this era should be very rare. The craft of papermaking may be controlled by aristocratic families or vassal kings, and was so expensive that only wealthy nobles could afford it.

If only he could make paper…..

Chu Jiubian immediately discarded the idea.

Not to mention something like papermaking, which would shake the foundations of the great families, even the glass and soap he had thought of before couldn’t be created for the time being.

Then what else could he do?

“Young Master, the water has been boiled. Would you like to bathe now?” Hong Xiang’s voice extracted Chu Jiubian from his musings.

He gave a hum in response, and got up to walk toward the bedroom.

A half-person-high wooden barrel was placed within, warm water rippling inside it.

Chu Jiubian took off his clothes and sat in the tub. In the bright sunlight, one could see the many irregular, light-hued scars on his body.

He didn’t ask for anyone to serve him, but Xiao Xiangzi remained outside the screen, not only to be of service at any time, but also to monitor him.

Perhaps because the rain had stopped and the weather had gradually become warmer, he fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan.

Chu Jiubian stared at the swaying shadow of the fan behind the screen for a while, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

That’s right, he could make ice!

Saltpeter should be available in this era, and water was not in short supply. Neither of these two things required him to exert any effort, and after ice was made, it could be enjoyed immediately, unlike that ostentatious glass.

Of course, the most important thing was that even if he told others the principle behind this “miracle,” he would have no regrets.

He even wanted to spread this method under his own name, something like the “Jiubian Ice-Making Method.”

This would definitely increase his reputation, and his Faith Value would increase as well.

The more he considered it, the more feasible it seemed.

Chu Jiubian wished he could start making ice at this very moment.

“Xiao Xiangzi,” he called out.

“This servant is here.” Xiao Xiangzi immediately stood and walked out from behind the screen.

Chu Jiubian withdrew his arms that were resting on the sides of the tub and sank into the water, leaving only the parts above his neck exposed.

“What instructions does the Young Master have?” Xiao Xiangzi asked respectfully.

Chu Jiubian asked: “Are you familiar with saltpeter?”

“Saltpeter?” Xiao Xiangzi looked bewildered. “This servant is not, but I can help you find out.”

“Okay, then you can ask about it for me,” Chu Jiubian said in a warm voice.

“Yes, this servant will go right away.” Xiao Xiangzi turned and left the bedroom, calling for another palace maid to come and serve Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian naturally couldn’t allow a young girl to help him change clothes and wash up, so he just instructed her to stay behind the screen.

After bathing, he just casually wiped his hair and changed into new clothes.

The round-necked dark blue robes resembled the robes of officials in the Ming Dynasty. They were embroidered with auspicious silver cloud patterns, and the collar of the red inner shirt was exposed above the round collar, neutralizing the dullness of the dark blue and adding a touch of sunny brightness. 

The material was brocade inside and out, which was far superior to the linen that had previously rubbed Chu Jiubian’s tender skin red.

Chu Jiubian tied the dark belt, then walked out with wet hair and sat down at the dining table.

Lunch had just arrived and was still hot.

What was surprising was that this time, the staple food was vegetable and egg soup, which was much better than the meat soup that had almost made him vomit.

Chu Jiubian drank three bowls of soup in one breath.

Xiao Xiangzi, who had gone out to inquire about saltpeter, also returned at this moment. He smiled at Chu Jiubian with two big dimples and said: “Young Master, His Lordship said that the palace has the saltpeter you requested, and he will personally bring it to you when he has time.”

Chu Jiubian glanced at him.

He wasn’t even pretending that he hadn’t gone straight to Qin Xiao to report the news, was he?

But that was fine. Anyway, everyone knew this was the way things were, so it was better to be calm and poised.

Only, Qin Xiao had agreed so easily?

Was he not even going to ask what he needed the saltpeter for?

Chu Jiubian sensed something fishy about this.

“Young Master, this bottle of medicinal oil was sent to you by His Lordship.” Xiao Xangzi took a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve and set it on the table. “This servant will apply it for you later.”

Was Qin Xiao so kind?

Chu Jiubian reached up and touched his neck. The pain was still there, and the burning sensation in his throat was even worse than it was yesterday. It must be due to some swelling and inflammation.

However, this was the normal situation after being strangled, and it would heal on its own after a few days. Chu Jiubian was very experienced in this regard.

He reached out and took the medicinal oil, thinking, could this be poison? Perhaps it would make it easier for Qin Xiao to control him or something.

[Hello, Host. This System has automatically scanned the suspicious item for you and confirmed that it is an effective medicinal oil that helps promote blood circulation and reduce bruising.]

The System actually had such a function!

Chu Jiubian’s eyes glinted. Did this mean he wouldn’t have to worry about being poisoned in the future?

[Hello, Host. The scanning and detection function is a paid function. This automatic scan has deducted one Faith Point. If you need to scan further items, you can directly call up the System to make a trade.]

Chu Jiubian: “…..”

Damn, you couldn’t ask me before deducting it?!

He gave the remaining Faith Points a pained look. He had even bought only half a box of medicine, but now the System had deducted an entire point.

It seemed he would still need to hurry and collect more Faith Points.

It would take some time to make ice with saltpeter, and the results from accomplishing this were unknown. If Qin Xiao directly stole his fame, then he could kiss his Faith Value goodbye.

He shouldn’t put all his eggs in one basket.

Chu Jiubian looked up at the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the room. They all comported themselves excellently, and their speech revealed that they were all literate.

Since they could read, they should also know some poetry, right?

If he wrote down the masterpieces of the “immortal world,” from poets like Li Bai, Du Fu, and others, would these people help spread them?

Confucianism was prevalent during the Great Ning Dynasty, and the statuses of scholars, farmers, craftsmen, merchants, and literati were self-evident.

If Chu Jiubian wrote down one or two good poems and spread them, would these intellectuals and poets also hold respect in their hearts for him?

Respect and faith were often inseparable. He only needed to make everyone believe he had brought these poems from the world of immortals, and then his identity as a “god” would be solidified.

Chu Jiubian looked at Xiao Xiangzi and said: “Xiao Xiangzi, have you ever been to school? Can you read?”

“This student studied with a master for a few years,” Xiao Xiangzi said honestly. “My master is Eunuch Hong Fu, who serves His Majesty.”

As expected.

Chu Jiubian continued: “Then please help grind some ink for me. I want to write something.”

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[1] From what I could gather, the “zi” added to Xiao Xiangzi’s name indicates his status as a eunuch. ⮐

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Chapter 5 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 7