Chapter 60 – “But I like it~”

Lu Chengye held the Burning Sky Bow in one hand and the bell in the other, hurriedly chasing after the group of people as they moved onward.

He was running out of time.

Cao Zirui and his group were obviously heading toward the exit, where there must be a lot of people gathered. Once they arrived, there would be so many people around that he would have no chance to do anything.

This was Lu Chengye’s last chance to intercept and kill them before they reached the exit.

He didn’t know what Cao Zirui and the others were doing, but their speed suddenly slowed down. And with Lu Chengye rushing faster and faster, the distance between them dwindled.

Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound amongst the trees.

Lu Chengye paused, regarding the dense bushes in front of him with some caution.

The bushes shook a little, as if there was something behind them.

It’s probably some kind of monster, Lu Chengye thought. He didn’t want to waste his energy, so he changed direction and prepared to take a detour.

However, just as he took a step, the rustling sound came closer.

Lu Chengye dithered there for a moment before finally stomping his foot. He turned his head impatiently and glared at the bushes that were shaking more and more violently.

He had no choice. The noise was obviously coming toward him. A monster must have discovered him, and he couldn’t escape it.

He raised his right hand, holding the bow forward slightly. This action revealed his arm, which had been covered beneath his sleeve. His previously white skin was now covered in strange patterns inked with cinnabar.

The undried cinnabar flowed along his arm like blood or tears, eerie and terrifying.

As he raised his hand, his left hand also nocked an arrow on the Burning Sky Bow. After losing the golden arrow, he should have been unable to draw the magic bow even a little bit. But oddly, his left hand on the bowstring pulled it backward slightly.

The divine bow had no string and no place for an arrow, but he went through the motion of drawing the bow and nocking the arrow.

But the bow was not fully drawn – only halfway.

Lu Chengye held his breath and stared at the shaking bushes, waiting for the monster to rear its head so that he could kill it in one blow. He had much to do, and no time to waste here.

He was prepared to strike, but when he saw what was revealed between the bushes, he didn’t take action immediately.

That was a pair of hands. A pair of human hands.

The owner of those hands pushed aside the obstructing foliage and emerged from the jungle.

When he raised his head and saw Lu Chengye with a look of astonishment on his face, he couldn’t help but smile.

Although this smile contained no mockery or sarcasm, Lu Chengye over-interpreted that look and assumed that Feng Ye was provoking him.

The rage gushing from within him snapped him back to his senses, and he asked harshly: “It’s you?”

Feng Ye shrugged and asked: “Who else?”

Lu Chengye narrowed his eyes. Although his blood pressure had soared when he saw Feng Ye, aside from his anger, he felt that something wasn’t right. It seemed like Feng Ye had sought him out purposely. Could this be a trap?

He regarded Feng Ye with caution. The other party was unarmed, without even a sword for self-defense, and didn’t seem like someone who was looking for trouble.

The area was very quiet, with only the sound of birds flapping their wings. It didn’t seem like an ambush. Could he be here to die?

Although this guess was unlikely, he couldn’t think of any other reason for Feng Ye to leave the main group and seek him out alone.

Unable to make sense of it, he just asked directly: “Did you come here to die?”

“Hehe.” Feng Ye chuckled upon hearing this, his expression one of helpless amusement. He crossed his arms and leaned casually against the more than ten-meter-high tree beside him.

The majority of his weight was on one foot, while the other leisurely tapped the ground with his toes. It was a very relaxed posture, full of openings. If his opponent wanted to attack, he could do so from any angle, and Feng Ye would be unable to dodge.

Of course, he dared to stand before Lu Chengye like this not out of trust, but out of simple contempt.

At this thought, the fire in Lu Chengye’s heart instantly shot up dozens of meters.

On what basis! How dare a loser like Feng Ye at the third level of Qi Refining look down on him again and again!

His eyes blew open wide in fury, his appearance so savage that he seemed liable to pounce on him and tear flesh from bone in the next moment.

But Feng Ye seemed unaware of Lu Chengye’s vicious expression, maintaining his relaxed attitude. Instead of answering directly, he asked: “First, you poisoned your fellow disciples, causing their cultivation to drop significantly. Then you ruthlessly hunted down Fang Yang and Cao Zirui, leaving them no way out. Am I accusing you unjustly?”

Wasn’t this obvious? He had already admitted it in front of Fang Yang, and wasn’t afraid to admit it again now. A hint of ridicule appeared on his lips: “You’re not. You’re just missing one thing.”

“Not only do I intend to kill them both, I also intend to kill someone else. And that person is…..” The smile on Lu Chengye’s lips widened further. He pointed at Feng Ye in front of him, gritting his teeth as he shouted the last word: “You!”

Feng Ye couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head: “I fear that will be somewhat difficult.”

“Hmph!” Lu Chengye gave a heavy scoff. He didn’t take Feng Ye’s words to heart at all. So what if he lost to this person last time?

Setting aside the element of luck during the competition, the situation was different now. What he held in his hands was a heaven-grade magic weapon!

Generally speaking, it was impossible for him, at the seventh level of Qi Refining, to draw the Burning Sky Bow without the aid of another magical instrument. But…..if he used a forbidden technique, that might not be the case.

Since it was a forbidden technique, he would have to pay a huge price, but it would also afford him spiritual power beyond his usual level. This was the last trump card Xue Ren had given him.

Since all of his previous killing moves had failed, it was time to use his last resort.

However, the cost of this forbidden technique was extraordinarily high, requiring the loss of half his cultivation. He had shown no mercy when he destroyed Fang Yang’s cultivation, but was hesitant when it came to his own, and was only willing to use it as a last resort.

He was cruel only to others, and never to himself.

Even now, he couldn’t bear to do it – but he had been forced into a corner. If he didn’t eliminate these people, he was doomed. Compared to death, losing half his cultivation was clearly the better option.

Holding the wooden bow in front of him, he raised his chin and introduced it to him as if lecturing a country bumpkin: “You don’t understand what you’re dealing with. Do you know what this bow is?”

“What is it?” Feng Ye observed the bow engraved with a dark red totem for a moment. He really didn’t know where it had originated. Its power far exceeded that of an ordinary magic weapon, and the flames were vaguely familiar, so he responded cooperatively.

“Alright, I’ll let you die with the knowledge!” Donning an arrogant, condescending look, Lu Chengye repeated exactly what Xue Ren had told him that day: “A hundred years ago, Yinglong cut down the Jianmu tree in the Eastern Sea. The giant tree collapsed and fire rained from the sky to the ground, spreading for three thousand li and burning for three days.”

“Before the heavenly fire was extinguished, someone used it as a catalyst and combined it with thousand-year-old locust wood. Several extremely cold yin substances, such as the Snowy Mountain Ice Soul, suppressed the incinerating heavenly fire and sealed it within a bow, forging this indestructible heavenly weapon.”

Before Lu Chengye could speak the name of the heavenly weapon, Feng Ye suddenly cut in: “Someone used the heavenly fire as a catalyst? Who was it?”

When he heard Lu Chengye’s description of the heavenly bow, his prior nonchalant appearance turned a bit more serious. He speculated with a frown: “Wood for the body of the bow and fire for the weapon’s soul. Even thousand-year locust wood wouldn’t be able to overcome the advantage fire has over wood. Why was locust wood chosen for the body? What kind of cold, yin substance is able to overcome heavenly fire?”

He remained lost in doubt, muttering to himself as he disregarded Lu Chengye to the side.

His contempt and disregard completely destroyed Lu Chengye’s already precarious sanity. He went on to shout the name he had been interrupted in the middle of earlier: “This is the heaven-grade magic weapon — Burning Sky Bow!”

“Feng Ye, go to hell!” He roared out these five words. His face reddened and his neck bulged, not from the strength and volume of his shout, but because he had drawn the bow completely while speaking to Feng Ye.

The crescent resembled a full moon! 

He spared no effort in his fury, determined to leave Feng Ye without a complete body!

As he drew the bow to its full potential, a crimson arrow suddenly appeared on the empty bowstring. The blazing flames, compressed hundreds of times over, condensed inside the small arrow and burst out.

There was a brief vacuum in the surrounding spiritual energy. Because Lu Chengye didn’t possess enough spiritual power for the Burning Sky Bow to absorb, this magic weapon spontaneously sourced the remainder from the air.

As his words fell, a crimson arrow several times more powerful than the golden arrow exploded out.

At such a short distance, it arrived in front of Feng Ye in the blink of an eye.

Feng Ye didn’t even look directly at Lu Chengye. Deep in doubt and confusion, he had his head lowered toward the ground, and he only looked up when he heard Lu Chengye’s shout.

Firelight illuminated his pupils, and the gust of wind caused by the whistling arrow flung up his bangs and the hem of his clothes.

He didn’t dodge. There was no time.

But even so, he felt no fear.

After releasing the arrow, the smile of victory at having avenged his great hatred had not fully appeared when Lu Chengye’s face distorted in fear at the incredible scene in front of him.

Faced with the crimson arrow aimed straight at his head, Feng Ye took no action. He simply reached up slightly and grasped the arrow in his fragile mortal palm.

The violent flames should have instantly reduced his hand and arm to ashes, but the reality was…..

The untamable flames became obedient in his hand, the fire dancing in his palm without burning it at all.

His hand holding the arrow exerted a small bit of force, and the crimson arrow formed by sucking all of the spiritual power from Lu Chengye turned into pieces of residual flames in his hand, scattering to then extinguish in the air.

“This…..this is impossible! Impossible!” Lu Chengye was horrified. Unable to speak clearly, he stammered while looking at Feng Ye like he was a monster.

And this monster was walking toward him! Lu Chengye couldn’t help but back away a few steps.

When Feng Ye stepped forward, he stepped back.

The ultimate attack he had launched with all his strength had been crushed by Feng Ye with such ease! This could no longer be explained by luck.

Feng Ye was clearly just a junior disciple at the third level of Qi Refining. How could he possibly do this!

No…..Lu Chengye’s panic-stricken mind suddenly became clear, and he asked repeatedly: “Who are you? Who are you?!”

He stared at this familiar yet unfamiliar disciple. The familiarity lay in his ordinary face, while the unfamiliarity lay with the person beneath that skin.

At last, he realized that Feng Ye was definitely not the original owner of this body. This guy was simply an imposter with ulterior motives!

In his ignorance, he had accidentally offended such a great god. Lu Chengye felt both fear and regret, but it was too late for regret now. The usual geniality on Feng Ye’s face was nowhere to be seen at this moment.

In a trance, Lu Chengye felt as if he was back in the ring on that day, with Feng Ye holding a sword to his throat. He’d looked exactly like this.

Colder than cold iron.

All emotion had faded from his eyes. There was no pity or sympathy, nothing at all. Looking into his eyes was like looking directly at a sword poised to take his head, with a killing intent just as strong.

“Who am I?” Feng Ye repeated mildly. Then, in the same calm tone, he said: “I’m the one who’s going to kill you.”

He wants to kill me! These five words reverberated in Lu Chengye’s mind. His steps trembled slightly in terror, and before he knew it, he was collapsing to the ground.

He didn’t even have the opportunity to stand back up. He simply sat on the ground, propped himself up with his hands, and proceeded to scoot away with a complete lack of dignity.

He knew that Feng Ye wasn’t all talk. This person…..this person was really going to kill him!

He rolled over and crawled, and Feng Ye continued to walk forward as usual, approaching him step by step.

When he saw Feng Ye step in front of him, Lu Chengye knew there was no escape. 

He simply prostrated himself in front of Feng Ye, tears streaming down his face as he said: “I just got momentarily carried away, please let me go…..let me go this time, and I’ll never mess with you again!”

Speaking so pitifully with a face full of undignified tears, he didn’t seem to be faking it at all.

He naturally wasn’t pretending, but these tears had nothing to do with repentance. This is simply the fear of dying, thought the crow watching from a branch.

He observed Lu Chengye with jet-black eyes, and then Feng Ye, who was standing there motionlessly.

He’d made a bet with himself on whether Feng Ye would let Lu Chengye go.

Hao Chen was leaning toward letting him go, because from all of the actions he’d taken since he’d met him, Feng Ye was actually a very soft-hearted person. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone so far as to allow Hao Chen to sleep on his shoulder all night.

However, the completely different expression on Feng Ye’s face at this moment made him hesitate. Because it was cold – so cold that even his thick feathers were unable to block it out. The crow couldn’t help but hug his wings to himself tightly, curling into a ball as he craned his neck to watch the show.

“Who gave you orders?” Feng Ye looked down at Lu Chengye, his face still cold and expressionless.

This question lifted Lu Chengye’s heart. Instead of acting against him directly, Feng Ye had asked him a question. This sounded like he was easing off, but after the relief came bitterness. He couldn’t speak on this issue at all. 

So he could only cautiously lift his head and stammer: “I….I can’t say…..”

“Xue Ren?” Feng Ye asked again.

Lu Chengye still couldn’t say anything, nor could he shake his head or nod. The vow didn’t allow for any loopholes.

But the excitement in his eyes still revealed the answer.

“I understand.” Feng Ye lifted his head and looked away, leaving Lu Chengye behind to walk a few steps forward.

It looked as if Feng Ye was going to let him go.

Both Lu Chengye and the crow on the branch thought so.

But after walking three meters, Feng Ye suddenly stopped.

He turned around and said to Lu Chengye: “Poisoning and trying to kill fellow disciples is a third-degree crime.”

What third-degree crime? Lu Chengye looked up from the ground in astonishment and saw Feng Ye raise five fingers. 

Those thin lips parted slightly: “Die.”

Wind blew through the jungle, branches swaying up and down with a rustling sound. The crow who was curled up into a fat little ball swayed with the branches.

The last thing Lu Chengye saw was Feng Ye’s cold expression, which hadn’t changed from beginning to end. Then the world spun around him. His line of sight suddenly flew very high, and then very low. After rolling across the ground a few times, he could no longer feel anything.

Soon after his head rolled, the kneeling body collapsed as well. A column of blood several meters high spurted out from the severed neck, and the pungent smell of blood carried on the wind.

The crow couldn’t help but raise his wings, pretending to cover his eyes. He commented solemnly from his perch: “So ruthless.”

Through the gaps in his feathers, dark eyes peered down at the corpse lying below, then at Feng Ye, who stood there without a trace of blood on his body. His tone abruptly turned joyful: “But I like it~”

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Chapter 59 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 61

Nanjiang was densely-populated, and with limited land. It possessed three main cities, each managed separately by the three largest strongholds.

The largest city in terms of area and population was the central city, where the royal palace and the Main Stronghold were located. The other two were the northern city, which was under the jurisdiction of the Beiyuan Stronghold, and the southern city, which was under the Nanting Stronghold.

The Beiyuan and Nanting strongholds were of roughly the same size and population, and had always tacitly acknowledged the “leader” status of the Main Stronghold, which made the decisions on all matters of importance.

Moreover, the leaders of both the northern and southern strongholds in this generation were women. The two were childhood friends of Situ Yu, the Main Stronghold chieftain, who was also the maternal grandmother of the Situ siblings.

Over the decades of their rule, Nanjiang had experienced unprecedented stability and harmony.

It was only that due to their history and population composition, there were still hundreds of villages of various sizes below these three major cities, each managed by its own minor chieftain.

The village chieftains were mostly the heads of major families that had been in power for generations. In the eyes of ordinary villagers, the power and status of these village chieftains was even greater than those of the three major cities, or even the royal palace or the Imperial Court.

Some villagers had been oppressed for generations, and had forgotten how to resist.

In order to live better lives, some blindly flattered and defended these village chieftains and their families, giving them absolute power. This resulted in vastly different living conditions depending on the village.

A good village chieftain would always consider the needs of the villagers, and the entire village would rally together.

If a chieftain was worse, they would exploit the villagers year after year. But due to their abundance of power, the villagers dared not resist and even had to treat them with great respect.

To put it bluntly, the entire Nanjiang region was essentially a smaller version of Great Ning.

But whereas Great Ning had vassal kings controlling different regions, the local powers near the southern border consisted of chieftains of various villages.

But back to the point.

The Nanjiang granaries were located in the three major cities: twenty in the central city and ten each in the northern and southern cities.

Ten days ago, people all over had basically finished eating their stored grain, so the chieftains of each village had sent able-bodied men to the cities to request more grain.

The granaries in the three cities were opened simultaneously, and the grain was distributed according to the populations of the villages.

When the need arose, each village naturally began to distribute porridge.

The specific situation was unclear, but all three major cities had begun distributing porridge eight days ago, and the number of porridge stalls had gradually increased from the initial two per city to dozens.

However, the area surrounding the central city was directly under the jurisdiction of the Main Stronghold, and its population was much larger than that of the others.

With refugees arriving from other villages, the city’s food supply was consumed at an alarming rate once all of these people gathered in the central city.

Now, the porridge served at the porridge stalls was getting thinner by the day, while the number of people gathering outside of the city was increasing at the same rate.

Even with guards on watch day and night, there were still many minor skirmishes.

It was nearly noon, and the blazing sun was making everyone irritable and restless.

Dozens of porridge stalls at the gates had already commenced cooking.

But because there wasn’t enough rice, today’s porridge was even thinner than yesterday’s.

The common people had lined up in front of the porridge stalls in long queues early that morning, and they all had a listless look about them. Some even carried baskets full of withered wild vegetables.

The prolonged drought had killed most of the wild grass and vegetables.

But people were still able to pick some – in the face of true starvation, eating a bite or two to pad their bellies was better than nothing.

Refugees sat dispiritedly on the scorching ground, not daring to take shelter under the shade of the wall, lest the spot they had finally managed to secure be taken by someone else.

Everyone knew that the city was likely running out of food, so they had all adopted the mindset of “one meal at a time.”

The faint aroma of rice porridge stimulated their tastebuds and set their stomachs to rumbling.

But it wasn’t time yet, so they could only endure the hunger and heat as they waited.

A servant from the Royal Palace stood inside a porridge stall, sleeves rolled up. He fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan, but the sweltering heat still made him sweat profusely.

Sweat trickled into his eyes, and he raised his hand to wipe it away.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps rushed toward him, accompanied by a woman’s heavy breathing.

The servant immediately opened his eyes to see a woman staggering over with a small baby. Her gait was unsteady, and her pale lips clearly indicated her weakness.

She rushed to the porridge stall, picked up the bronze ladle next to the pot without saying a word, and poured a scoop of porridge directly into her mouth.

“What are you doing!” The servant was alarmed, and quickly tried to grab it back.

Drinking scalding-hot porridge like this would definitely scald her throat.

The ladle was snatched away from the woman, and half of the porridge on the utensil spilled onto the ground.

She collapsed to her knees, clutching her child as she broke down in tears. Her lips and chin were red from the boiling porridge, and blisters would likely form soon.

The commotion was so loud that it was noticed by everyone.

The refugees closest to the porridge stall paled slightly when they saw the half-portion of porridge spilled on the ground.

Perfectly good food had been wasted!

What a terrible thing, ah!

“What is the meaning of this?” the servant asked, gripping the ladle tightly for fear of it being snatched again.

The servants in the other porridge stalls also became more cautious, keeping their eyes focused on the nearby refugees.

The woman held her child and sobbed her heart out, her voice hoarse and agonizing.

Like a helpless kitten.

The baby in her arms also let out faint cries. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” the woman apologized again and again. “It’s all my fault that I can’t feed you properly.”

The woman was emaciated, as if she had not just been starving for a few days, but had never even eaten a full meal.

With her condition, the baby naturally wouldn’t have any milk to drink.

Many refugees felt sorry for her, and some even wanted to give her the wild vegetables they’d picked, but were stopped by their families.

In times such as these, nobody had the ability to take care of others.

The fact that the refugees were still at leisure to sympathize with others was because the food had yet to run out completely.

If a few more days passed and there was truly nothing left to eat, people would be capable of resorting to all sorts of ugly behavior, and wouldn’t have the capacity to sympathize with others.

Seeing how pitiful the woman and child were, the servant couldn’t help but feel a surge of compassion, and picked up a bowl of thick porridge to give her.

Tears streamed down the woman’s face as she stared at the porridge offered to her. Holding her child, she struggled to lower herself and kowtow to the servant.

The servant stopped her and handed her the bowl instead.

After accepting it, the woman took two mouthfuls for herself, and then blew on the next mouthful to cool it before feeding it to her child.

She wouldn’t be able to produce milk immediately, so she could only feed her baby rice porridge.

As for whether the baby would survive, that was up to fate.

A man at the back of the queue craned his neck to watch the whole thing. Seeing how the woman was able to receive such a thick bowl of porridge, he skewed his eyes, turned around, and pulled his five-year-old son over.

The family’s financial situation hadn’t been so bad before, so the child was well-raised, dark-skinned, strong, and resilient.

But in order to save rations, they had been eating less and less over the past month, and the child had become thin. His lips were also a little chapped.

The man crouched down and whispered a few words into the child’s ear.

The child’s eyes gleamed with intelligence. After hearing his father’s words, he immediately slumped down as if he had fainted.

“My son!” the man called out in anguish, “Dad is useless. Wake up, you can’t leave Dad all alone!”

His cries were even more pitiful than those of the woman before.

Everyone turned to look, watching as the man picked up his son and rushed to the nearest porridge stall, where he knelt down with a thud.

“Please, Sir, help us! My son and I have come from the north and haven’t eaten for days. Please, just give us a bite to eat!” The man cried so hard that he went hoarse, and was so entrenched in his emotions that he suddenly began to cough.

The servant from the Royal Palace in charge of this porridge stall was given a shock. Seeing that the child was indeed unconscious and seemed to be exhaling more than he was inhaling, he immediately wavered.

Porridge was about to be distributed anyway, so why not just give him a bowl?

“Don’t give it to him!” someone in the crowd shouted. “That guy stole someone else’s porridge yesterday!”

“That’s right! I recognize him too, Sir. You absolutely must not give it to him!”

“If anyone can just go up and ask for porridge, why are we even lining up?”

“Exactly, we might as well just go up and grab some!”

In a flash, the crowd became restless.

The kneeling man wailed and protested: “I didn’t! I only got here today!”

The patrolling guards sensed that something was wrong and rushed over to maintain order, while others went to seek out the princess and young prince.

Just now, more than a dozen village chieftains had come to the city. The Nanjiang-wang, as well as the Stronghold Chieftain and others, were receiving them to discuss important matters.

Therefore, seeking out the prince and princess was the most reasonable choice.

When Situ Zhaoling and her younger brother arrived, they found that the people had completely abandoned the queue and were pushing and shoving, craning their necks and standing on tiptoe with their bowls raised high.

Cries, screams, and curses……it was like a living hell.

The guards tried their best to maintain order, but there were too many refugees. When they managed to quell one side, trouble would break out on the other.

The servant who had originally served the woman porridge was deathly pale, hands trembling as he spooned porridge into the bowls handed to him. He knew that he had brought trouble upon himself, and in his panic, he didn’t notice that the next bowls handed to him had already been filled once.

The refugees would squeeze to the front and hurriedly drink a bowl, then take advantage of the chaos to pass over their empty bowl and receive another helping.

Those unable to squeeze in from behind pushed forward frantically. Some fell, and women and children were squeezed so hard that they couldn’t breathe, but nobody took notice.

“A-jie.” Situ Zhaoyao’s voice trembled. “What should we do?”

Situ Zhaoling’s heart pounded like a drum, chills running down her spine.

This could not be allowed to continue. It must be stopped immediately! They couldn’t wait for their grandmother to come over.

“A-di, did you bring that bullhorn?”

Situ Zhaoyao had previously created something called a “bullhorn.” Shaped like a morning glory, it could make one’s voice louder when spoken into the smaller end.

“It’s on the city wall,” he said.

Situ Zhaoling immediately turned back to the gates and raced up the stone steps all the way to the top of the city wall.

Situ Zhaoyao followed his sister up, then immediately went to the guard station to find the bullhorn.

Bullhorn in hand, Situ Zhaoling immediately ran to the wall and looked down.

The crowd was densely packed, stretching as far as the eye could see.

“Please calm down! Calm down!”

The girl’s powerful voice carried through the bullhorn, and the refugees, servants serving porridge, and guards all looked up at her.

High on the city wall, a boy and a girl dressed in crimson robes stood side by side.

“It’s the princess and the young prince!” someone shouted, and the crowd erupted.

“Everyone, please line up. Rice porridge will be given to everyone. Due to limited manpower, there are only a dozen porridge stalls for now, but there will definitely be enough porridge! Please be understanding!” Situ Zhaoling spoke clearly, ensuring that everyone could hear her.

“This porridge is so thin that it’s like rice water. One bowl each isn’t enough to fill us up!”

“Please, Your Highness, have some compassion and cook more porridge. We’re all going to starve to death if this continues.”

“There are so many grain merchants and so much grain in the city. Please, Your Highness, buy some more out of kindness!”

“That’s right, the Royal Palace and the Main Stronghold are so wealthy. Even if they only let a little bit slip between their fingers, it would be enough to get us through years of famine.”

“Please, Princess, have mercy!”

Refugees spoke up one after another, beseeching her, the Royal Palace, and the Main Stronghold.

Situ Zhaoyao had been somewhat frightened by their reckless charge, but was now enraged by their words. A vein throbbed in his temple.

“What do they mean by this? Haven’t we been indulging them? We’ve never overtaxed nor exploited them, so what money could we possibly have?”

The price of grain in the city had increased several times over by now, reaching outrageous heights.

In such a situation, even selling off the Royal Palace itself wouldn’t yield much grain.

The young man blurted out in a fit of anger: “These ungrateful bastards! We should have collected taxes and grain just like other places do!”

The city walls were very high, and with everyone clamoring for their money, no one could hear what was said.

Situ Zhaoling had never witnessed such a scene before, and was at a loss for how to react.

But at least this farce had been quelled, preventing what could have been even more disastrous consequences.

She had assured everyone that there would definitely be food, but deep down, she wasn’t so certain. 

What if the High Priest didn’t come to meet her?

And the High Priest hadn’t said that he would give her food, just that he would solve her problem…..

Situ Zhaoling’s mind was a mess.

The refugees were starving and wanted to continue receiving porridge, but they also wanted the princess to give them a definite answer so that they could use it to pressure the Royal Palace to spend more money on grain.

The pleas for the princess to intervene grew louder and louder. Situ Zhaoling’s hands trembled.

Situ Zhaoyao also didn’t know what to do, and sent his sister an anxious look.

There had been no news from the Imperial Court, and Pingxi-wang was unable to provide any extra grain.

Currently, the only ones with grain in Nanjiang were the grain merchants, and the only way to ensure that the common people had food was to buy from them.

Situ Zhaoling raised the bullhorn again.

She would agree to purchase more grain, if only to put the people’s hearts at ease.

But if these grain merchants raised their prices again, even if they spent everything they had, how much grain would they be able to buy?

Just as she was hesitating, she suddenly heard the distant roar of a dragon.

Startled, she immediately looked up at the sky.

Under the blazing sun appeared a long golden dragon, carried on a divine wind that cast a fleeting illusion of light.

Her heart pounded faster and harder, and Situ Zhaoling seemed to smell the aroma of plum blossoms, just like she had in the Divine Realm.

The long dragon swam above her head, and the god’s clear, cold voice echoed in her mind: “Go to the granary, and I will enter your dreams to bestow grain upon you.”

The High Priest.

It was the High Priest!

The other party had actually heard her pleas, and had come to her ahead of schedule.

And he even said that he would give her grain. Grain!

Grain that could save Nanjiang from disaster!

“Thank you, High Priest! I will go immediately!” she excitedly assured the dragon. Then she watched as the long dragon swam into the splendorous sunlight and disappeared.

Situ Zhaoyao, standing next to her, had suddenly seen his sister stare up at the sky with a look of fervent joy.

He sensed that something was happening, and was about to call out to her when she opened her mouth and spoke.

High Priest?

Why this title again?

He didn’t understand, but he saw that his sister’s expression no longer contained any hesitation or unease as she solemnly promised those below the city wall: “Rest assured, everyone! The Royal Palace and the Main Stronghold will not lack food!”

Hearing the confidence in her voice, most of the common people were reassured.

Only a small number of them still had doubts, and there were naturally those who wanted to take advantage of the chaos to cause trouble. However, things hadn’t completely descended into chaos yet, so it wouldn’t be reasonable for them to act rashly; on the contrary, they might be made an example of.

This being the case, everyone calmed down again and got back in line under the guidance of the guards.

Situ Zhaoling handed the bullhorn back to her younger brother and said: “Go and call Grandmother and the others to the granary.”

She then rushed down the city wall and hurried in the direction of the granary.

Situ Zhaoyao was endlessly confused, but he was accustomed to obeying his sister, and only hesitated for a second before running toward the stronghold.

Inside the council hall of the Main Stronghold.

Nanjiang-wang Bai Lihao and Chieftain Situ Yu of the Main Stronghold sat at the head of the table, while Situ Anli sat in a chair next to her mother in one of the other main seats.

Facing them from the other side were a dozen or more chairs and tea tables, which were fully occupied by village chieftains.

The chieftains of the northern and southern cities had not come, nor had the several powerful and influential village chieftains under their jurisdictions. 

It seemed that these minor village chieftains had come here to put pressure on the stronghold chieftain.

This being the case, the two other stronghold chieftains were probably facing a similar situation.

One of the village chieftains said with a bitter expression: “Great Chieftain, you must help our Quanjing Village! Our food supply will only last one more day, and will be depleted tomorrow.”

“It’s the same in our village. Even yesterday’s porridge had almost nothing in it, since most of the rice is gone. The villagers are so hungry that they’ve started to eat tree bark.”

“I would like to buy enough grain to at least get through this crisis, but the price of grain in the city has increased many times over, and we couldn’t afford it even if we tried.”

“That’s right! Great Chieftain, Your Highness, you must help us think of a way.”

The three people at the head of the table didn’t even blink as they listened to the lamentations of these village chieftains.

They already had a plan, which, while not perfect, should be enough to weather this crisis.

Seeing that the others had no reaction, the village chieftains continued to embellish their stories while constantly glancing at the person in the main seat.

Situ Yu was nearly seventy years old. Her silver hair was tied up with an ordinary silver hairpin, and in her left hand, she held a gleaming cane exactly her height, decorated with various colorful ribbons and silver bells.

When she had heard enough of their complaints, she tapped the floor with her cane, and the yammering village chieftains fell silent.

“You’ve come here today simply to ask for money and food, have you?” Situ Yu’s cloudy eyes gazed over the crowd. “I will give you all a definite answer today. Even if my Nanjiang Stronghold must empty its coffers, it will continue to protect the common people.”

The chieftains breathed a collective sigh of relief, but then Situ Yu went on: “But I need you all to put away your little calculations.”

Her gaze suddenly sharpened, sweeping over all of those chieftains in their brocade robes: “I know exactly how much money and grain you hold in your hands.”

“During this famine, you have all been eating until your bellies are round and your faces are shining with oil. But you force your people to beg for food in other villages, and if they’re unable to find any there, then even farther afield.”

The village chieftains, who had just been bemoaning their poverty, subconsciously exchanged glances. Their expressions were a little awkward, and those with large bellies surreptitiously covered them with their sleeves.

Situ Yu scoffed: “You saw those refugees outside the city when you arrived, didn’t you? How many of them are from my stronghold? And how many of them fled from your villages? You all know the answer, don’t you?”

She was aware that not all of these village chieftains cared for their villagers. However, because neither the Main Stronghold nor the Royal Palace had collected much grain tax, these village chieftains did not exploit their villagers, and most of the common people lived quite well.

But now that a disaster year had arrived, these people could no longer hide their greedy natures.

Situ Yu knew their characters well, so when the granaries were opened for distribution earlier, she had instructed the chieftains of Beiyuan Stronghold and Nanting Stronghold to be careful to only give the village chieftains the same amount of food, and nothing extra.

If more was given, more grain would end up in the private coffers of these village chieftains.

The chieftains had enough grain for their own consumption, but they still wanted to take a cut before distributing the disaster relief. Anyone with eyes could see through their intentions.

They intended to wait until the grain in the granaries was completely used up.

At that point, the three strongholds would have no choice but to buy grain from the grain merchants.

And with grain prices remaining high, these village chieftains could make a fortune by reselling their grain.

These people simply wanted to profit from the disaster.

Of course, not all chieftains were like this, but those in the hall today inevitably had these thoughts in mind.

They probably thought that since they had money, power, and large households, why couldn’t they become the Great Chieftain of a stronghold?

When the human heart grew ambitious, it became more selfish as well.

But as long as these people wanted something, Situ Yu could negotiate with them.

She had just pointed out their intentions, which was a show of force to assert her authority.

Now, she softened her voice and said earnestly: “In the face of such a great calamity, our Nanjiang villages must unite as one. I will remember your hard work and contributions. From now on, if there is anything in my Main Stronghold that requires oversight, you will be given priority for the position.”

Nanjiang was essentially a small Imperial Court with its own power structure.

The Situ family had held the positions of Great Chieftain and Saintess since the previous dynasty. One controlled the practicalities, and the other unified their ideology. Combined, they firmly controlled Nanjiang.

Below the Great Chieftain and Saintess were six government offices similar to those of Great Ning, along with numerous official positions.

These officials were all capable people promoted from various villages, and were able to bring more benefits and advantages to their respective hometowns. The more powerful leaders were practically equal to the local stronghold chieftains in terms of position and status.

Situ Yu’s words implied that she intended to use these official positions in the Main Stronghold as bargaining chips.

As for what she got in return…..

“Since the Great Chieftain has broached the subject, I won’t hold back anymore. I still have some surplus grain at home, and I can’t bear to see villagers suffering like this. I’m willing to donate it all,” said the Chieftain of Quanjing village, his voice full of righteous indignation.

With him taking the lead, the other village chieftains immediately followed suit.

But their claim of “donating it all” was obviously not true. At most, they would donate half and sell the other half.

“Then I thank you all in advance. I have already spoken with the grain merchants in the central city,” said Situ Yu. “They are willing to lower their selling prices to twice the previous rate.”

Even twice the previous rate was quite a lot.

Situ Yu naturally hadn’t spoken to those grain merchants – they would have never been so easily persuaded.

But if these village chieftains sold their grain at this lower rate, the grain merchants would have to lower their prices as well despite their reluctance.

And even just double their previous rate would earn them quite a bit of profit.

If those merchants felt that the prices were too low and wanted to sell in other regions instead, they would have to expend manpower and resources, and would also have to consider potential losses. It would be more profitable for them to simply earn twice the money in Nanjiang.

But the village chieftains exchanged glances, dissatisfied with the price.

“Grain prices have now increased fivefold,” one of them said. “There’s no way those grain merchants would lower the price to twice the normal amount, right?”

“I think the same. It should at least be three times the normal amount.”

They all opened their mouths at once, speaking of the “grain merchants” while actually referring to their own selling prices.

These people wanted to earn three times the profit.

Their greed knew no bounds!

Situ Yu stroked her cane, mentally calculating the costs over and over, but no matter how she counted the figures, she still came out at a loss.

“Have any of you heard of that Lord Ning-wang?” Bai Lihao suddenly asked.

Everyone turned to look at him.

The man was in his early thirties, exuding a gentle and refined air as a slight smile played on his handsome face.

“Of course we’ve heard of him.”

“Then do you all know that Lord Ning-wang has 50,000 Qin family soldiers under his command?”

Nanjiang had been conquered by Emperor Wuzong and the Qin Family Army. How could they not know that?

Almost all of them had heard their elders recount the glory of Emperor Wuzong and the Qin Family Army.

But why was Bai Lihai bringing up the Qin Family Army and Qin Xiao?

“That Ning-wang is not an ordinary person who seeks to maintain the status quo.” Bai Lihao didn’t know exactly what Qin Xiao was like, but that didn’t stop him from using his name to intimidate these southern chieftains.

Neither Emperor Chengzong nor Emperor Yingzong had paid much attention to Nanjiang, which was why the people here lived so comfortably.

What they feared most was that someone would come and disrupt their way of life.

When Bai Lihao was first assigned to this region, he was also targeted quite frequently. But luckily, the Great Chieftain’s family knew that he had no say in the matter, and helped him out of trouble many times.

In particular, Saintess Anli had saved him twice.

During the process, the handsome man and beautiful woman, both with similar temperaments, fell deeply in love.

It was only afterward that he was able to gain a firm foothold in the Nanjiang region, and he never took advantage of his position to suppress these village chieftains.

So when these people saw that he didn’t seem to use intimidation or threats, they gradually lowered their guard and continued to live their carefree lives.

Now, Bai Lihao was telling them that their world was changing.

Qin Xiao was indeed not one to maintain the status quo. He held great power and had the Qin Family Army behind him, so it would be easy for him to take control of Nanjiang.

Everyone understood his implied meaning, and their expressions immediately changed.

Bai Lihao didn’t say anything more, but everyone got the picture.

As Nanjiang-wang, Bai Lihao held absolute authority over the region. If Qin Xiao really sent troops to attack, these villages, including the Main Stronghold, would have no grounds to resist. If they tried, they would be labeled traitors.

But Bai Lihao was different. As long as he stood before them as Nanjiang-wang, even Qin Xiao wouldn’t be able to set foot in his territory.

Before, everyone had just regarded him as the Saintess’s husband, and had nearly forgotten his actual identity.

But now, they seemed to have a new understanding of the vassal king before them.

Indeed, how could he be a simple person when he had emerged unscathed from the succession struggle during the reign of Emperor Chengzong?

With the pros and cons laid bare, the group lost all interest in haggling and agreed to “two times the original price.”

A large banquet was not suitable given the current situation, so Situ Yu directly saw the chieftains off.

The food problem was solved, but at the price that they would have to empty most of their coffers to buy half the amount of grain. But to prevent the common people from starving to death, this was the only way.

Just as the three were about to tally up their funds, Situ Zhaoyao rushed in and urged the three of them to go outside, saying as they walked: “A-jie said we have to go to the granary.”

“The granary? Has something happened?” All three were anxious.

“I don’t know, that’s all A-jie said.”

“Then let’s hurry.”

When the three of them arrived at the enormous granary, Situ Zhaoling was already asleep, sitting back against the wall.

Inside the Divine Realm.

Sitting on his throne, Chu Jiubian let out a soft breath.

When he heard the System notification during court, he knew that something must have happened in the Nanjiang region.

Fortunately, the morning court session ended at that time and he rushed back to Yaotai Residence nonstop.

On the way, he first had the System send a message to Situ Zhaoling, then lay down in bed as soon as he got back and immediately entered the Divine Realm.

Although he hadn’t run along the way, he was still a little out of breath – so much so that he instinctively took a deep breath to stabilize himself after entering the Divine Realm.

Upon entering the Divine Realm for the second time, Situ Zhaoling was still startled by the feeling of weightlessness and let out a short scream.

Fortunately, a phoenix flew over in time to catch her, and they passed together through the clouds.

She once again glimpsed the huge, sacred silhouette of the god, along with many rows of stacked grain sacks in the vast white space.

These had all been purchased by Chu Jiubian.

The packaging was also automatically changed by the System to the burlap sacks commonly used in the Great Ning Dynasty.

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Chapter 30 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 32

A silver saddle shines on the white horse, which gallops like a shooting star.

Qiu Heng silently recited this line, and his heart trembled violently.

At the Qiu family auction, Chu Jiubian had recited this line of poetry when competing against Bai Gongjin!

The crowd initially didn’t understand what this ‘silver saddle’ was, and assumed it was just an ornament on a warhorse. But now, it seemed that this ‘saddle’ was actually for the cavalrymen.

But this wasn’t what shocked him the most. What shocked him the most was how Chu Jiubian had gotten involved with the Mobei Army.

Although the Northern Desert also lay within Northern Zhili, it was located in a remote area that would take four to five days’ travel on a fast horse from the capital.

The Qiu family possessed the strongest intelligence network composed of their merchant caravans, with many carrier pigeons and relay stations for delivering messages, which enabled them to receive information more quickly.

Even so, it would take them at least two days to receive news from the Northern Desert.

According to the steward, the Mobei Army had only allowed their cavalry to test the so-called stirrups and saddles two days ago, but Chu Jiubian had recited that line of poetry the night before.

So how had Chu Jiubian gotten in touch with the Mobei Army?

Or was it that Chu Jiubian’s people had already gone to the Northern Desert and gained Jiang Shuoye’s trust by making such equipment for his cavalry?

Did they belong to the force behind Chu Jiubian?

How had the other party managed to contact Jiang Shuoye so quietly, and without anyone noticing?

Or perhaps Chu Jiubian was actually a god?

Chu Jiubian was connected to Jiang Shuoye, but there was no way of knowing what extraordinary means were used to get involved with a stranger thousands of li away…..

Fear and awe in the face of the unknown shattered Qiu Heng’s usual composure.

“Ge?” Qiu Xuanzheng reached out and patted his shoulder.

Qiu Heng looked up at him and then walked out of the courtyard at a rapid pace, leaving behind only the words: “I’m going to find Uncle.”

Their uncle, Qiu Hongkuo, was the most respected elder in the Qiu family. He had been exceptionally talented in his youth, but an accident occurred when he was doing business with the Tatars, which resulted in both of his legs being disabled. He was now unable to walk properly.

If not for the requirement that the family head must have descendants – and Qiu Hongkuo’s injury made it impossible for him to father children – the position of Qiu family head would never have gone to Qiu Heng’s father, Qiu Hongde, who only knew how to indulge in pleasure all day long.

However, Qiu Hongde didn’t serve as the family head for long. After the Qiu brothers came of age, Qiu Hongkuo directly handed over the position of family head to Qiu Xuanzheng.

The more intelligent and capable Qiu Heng was brought under Qiu Hongkuo’s personal tutelage, which gradually raised him to the position of Minister of Justice.

So the Qiu family was represented by the Qiu brothers on the surface, but the one who truly held the reins was their eldest uncle, Qiu Hongkuo.

As for what words Qiu Heng had for the other party, no one knew.

*

*

When Chu Jiubian arrived at the government office, the bloodstains on his body had been cleaned away.

His right palm had been pierced by the handle of a calligraphy brush the day before, and now his right thumb was injured too, so his entire hand was wrapped in white bandages.

He hid his hand beneath a wide sleeve and casually approached the courtyard where his office was located.

Many ministry officials greeted him during this time, saying, “Greetings, My Lord,” but they didn’t dare say anything else.

They were all very curious about what had occurred on Chang’an Street. With Chu Jiubian having come from that direction, asking him would be the most convenient option.

However, due to their statuses and Chu Jiubinan’s aloof and indifferent demeanor, no one dared to strike up a conversation with him.

Wang-langzhong had met him before and knew that he was actually easy to get along with, so he took the initiative to go up and speak with him, naturally bringing up the occurrence on Chang’an Street.

Wang-langzhong assumed that lightning had struck a tree, since there was already precedent for this.

But Chu Jiubian said mildly: “I didn’t see any lightning. The sound must have come from something else.”

“No lightning?” Wang-langzhong asked in surprise.

Before he could inquire further, Chu Jiubian took his leave and headed toward the back courtyard.

Wang-langzhong frowned slightly: “If it wasn’t lightning, what else could it have been?”

Chu Jiubian reached his office and first went to the storeroom to search around, where he finally found a map of Great Ning.

He took the map back to his office, locked the door, and then sat down at his desk.

He took the paper and pens he had previously purchased out of the System Space. Then, referring to the map of Great Ning and the identity records of various local officials, he sorted them out little by little and marked them out on the paper.

Great Ning covered a vast territory, its area and administrative divisions somewhat similar to the “Ming Dynasty” in his previous life.

Regions like Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, and the three northeastern provinces were at this time ruled by various Western Region states, as well as the Tatar and Jurchen tribes. The rest of Great Ning’s territory was divided into “two capitals, four provinces, and seven counties.”

Chu Jiubian carefully compared the two.

The “two capitals” referred to the two directly governed regions in the north and south. Northern Zhili encompassed the three regions of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, which were directly governed by the capital and the emperor.

Southern Zhili was the general term for the three regions of Jiangsu, Anhui, and Luzhou, which were under the control of Wei Yi, the governor-general of Zhili.

Wei Yi was Qin Xiao’s cousin from his maternal grandfather’s side, but he was already close to fifty and was old enough to be Qin Xiao’s father.

Chu Jiubian didn’t know the nature of this person’s relationship with Qin Xiao, but they would always be closer to each other than to others.

The four provinces referred to Shandong and Shanxi, which stood on the east and west sides of the Imperial City, as well as Guizhou and Guangxi, which were located in the south.

The remaining seven counties referred to the fiefdoms of the seven vassal kings.

Henan, which bordered Northern Zhili, was governed by Anhui-wang, Bai Liming. When Jiannan-wang went to Hexi Prefecture to build the dams, Bai Liming supported him fully and provided many conveniences.

And Chu Jiubian had also drawn this person as an armed forces card before. He was a young man who had succeeded his late father, and was only eighteen years old.

The other party must be a decent person to be willing to open the door for Jiannan-wang, likely out of concern for the suffering of those in his fiefdom.

Pingxi-wang Bai Lizheng had also been selected, and was in charge of Sichuan.

Apart from them, there was also Huguang-wang, Bai Liyue, who despite his extreme wealth still begged the court for money and grain, and Bai Lihao, Nanjiang-wang and father of the Situ siblings.

Chu Jiubian had some impression of these four vassal kings.

Besides these, there was only Dingbei-wang Bai Liyu, who controlled Shanxi and Gansu, Zuilang-wang Bai Liyan, who controlled Fujian and Zhejiang, and Dongjiang-wang Bai Lihe, who controlled Guangdong and Jiangxi.

Chu Jiubian was unable to determine the exact strengths of these individuals. He would have to find some time to ask Xiao Xiangzi, or directly ask Qin Xiao.

Moreover, he didn’t know their ranking within the Imperial family. He only knew from the character cards that Bai Lizheng was fifth in line for the throne, and Bai Liming’s father had been fourth in line.

The deceased Emperor Yingzong had been the seventh son.

Chu Jiubian swept the tip of his pen across the seven regions one by one. His right thumb bled from writing, and blood dripped down the pen and onto the paper, leaving a trail behind.

He would take it slow. These places would eventually return to the emperor’s hands.

And those places that were not yet included in the territory of Great Ning would gradually be marked with its flag.

*

*

As evening fell, Matron Zhong brought out several new stir-fried dishes that she had spent the afternoon figuring out.

The six full plates included a mix of vegetables and meats, including stir-fries and stews, and each one was a feast for the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Bai Lihong sat in his chair with his short legs swinging, resting his chin on his chubby little hands as he looked at Qin Xiao opposite him.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Qin Xiao asked.

Bai Lihong replied matter-of-factly: “I’m waiting for Xiansheng.”

Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow: “You really like him?”

“I like him!” Bai Lihong’s eyes lit up. “Xiansheng is amazing. He can write poetry, treat illnesses, make ice, and cook. He knows so many things! And he coaxes me to sleep gently just like Mother.”

Qin Xiao noticed that he was still somewhat despondent when he spoke of Qin Feng, but he no longer burst into tears as easily as before.

Had he transferred his longing for his mother onto Chu Jiubian?

Qin Xiao deliberately asked: “Am I not gentle? I also coax you to sleep.”

“It’s different.” Bai Lihong shook his head confidently. “You’re Jiujiu.”

“And Jiujiu can’t be gentle?”

“It’s, it’s…..” Bai Lihong wracked his brains to describe the feeling, but couldn’t come up with a suitable expression. He could only puff his little cheeks out and say, “It’s just different.”

Seeing that Qin Xiao didn’t seem to take his words seriously, he said with some indignation: “Does Jiujiu not like Xiansheng?”

Although Xiansheng didn’t seem to like his uncle very much, he could tell that his uncle definitely liked him. Otherwise, he never would have let Xiansheng get close to him, the emperor.

This wasn’t because Bai Lihong was narcissistic at such a young age, but because he knew that his current status was important. So apart from Qin Chaoyang and An Wuji, whom he had known all his life, and the palace servants who had followed his mother, no one else was able to get close to him, much less sit at the same table as him for a meal.

Therefore, Xiansheng was the first “stranger” he became close to after losing his mother, the significance of which needed no further explanation.

Qin Xiao was rendered speechless by this question.

But when he didn’t answer, the child went on to ask: “Jiujiu, why aren’t you saying anything? You must like Xiansheng too, right?”

The servants in the inner palace kept their eyes down and their minds vacant, while the secret guards dared not utter a sound, but their hearts were erupting.

Help! What did they just hear!

Their Lord liked the Young Master?

So the matter of the love tribulation was indeed true!

Matron Zhong’s words this afternoon about the two of them sharing a pair of chopsticks must be true as well!

If someone were to ask them now if those were just words the young emperor said, they would immediately retort: “Our Lord didn’t say he ‘dislikes’ him, so he naturally must ‘like’ him, ah!”

The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat awkward. Fortunately, Chu Jiubian entered the courtyard at that moment, accompanied by Xiao Xiangzi and Eunuch Hong.

Bai Lihong had previously expressed that he wanted to have dinner with Chu Jiubian, and had Eunuch Hong go pick him up.

Therefore, as soon as Chu Jiubian returned to the palace after finishing his shift, he saw the two eunuchs waiting for him at the palace gates. Xiao Xiangzi was grinning from ear to ear, as enthusiastic and lively as ever, while the elder eunuch wore a gentle, kindly expression, as if he possessed no temper at all.

Since the child wanted to eat with him, Chu Jiubian naturally wouldn’t refuse.

“Xiansheng is here.” Bai Lihong immediately slid off his chair and personally went to the palace gates to receive him.

Qin Xiao hadn’t foreseen that the child would grow so close to Chu Jiubian. After all, the other party’s seemingly innate coldness was something that even Qin Chaoyang and An Wuji were somewhat intimidated by, let alone a three-year-old toddler.

But the child was not afraid of Chu Jiubian. In fact, when he met him for the first time at the coronation ceremony, he had exclaimed in delight, “Fairy-gege!”

Outside, Bai Lihong saw Chu Jiubian start to bow, so he rushed over and stood on tiptoe, barely managing to raise his short arms far enough above his head to stop him.

“No need for formality, Xiansheng.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Chu Jiubian readily went along with his wishes.

Bai Lihong tilted his head up and said sweetly: “Xiansheng was busy this afternoon and must be hungry. Let’s go eat.”

Inside, Qin Xiao ladled out two bowls of egg drop soup and placed them in front of Bai Lihong and Chu Jiubian respectively.

Chu Jiubian had exchanged a glance with him after entering the room, which could be considered a greeting.

After sitting down, Bai Lihong noticed the blood seeping from Chu Jiubian’s right thumb and immediately asked with concern: “Is Xiansheng’s hand injured again?”

He had injured his palm previously, but it hadn’t been serious, and had scabbed over pretty much overnight.

But now there was a new injury on his finger.

Chu Jiubian glanced at his finger and said gently: “I accidentally bumped it on something. No need for Your Majesty to worry.”

“Ai,” Bai Lihong said with the concern of a little adult, “Xiansheng should take better care of himself and not get hurt again.”

Injuries hurt a lot. He’d fallen and scraped his knees before, and they hurt for a long time afterward.

“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty,” Chu Jiubian said with a faint smile.

He didn’t respond to the declaration, because he knew he would continue to get hurt.

Qin Xiao withdrew his gaze from the young man’s bloodstained finger and said nothing.

Bai Lihong took his chopsticks and picked up stir-fried cabbage from a plate.

Of all the dishes served at lunch, he had thought the stir-fried cabbage was the best, so he’d asked Matron Zhong to make it for dinner again.

But after putting it in his mouth, he frowned.

It was tasty, of course, but nowhere near as good as what he had for lunch.

Qin Xiao also picked up a piece of cabbage.

The stir-fried dish was fresh and fragrant, but compared to Chu Jiubian’s, it had a slightly bitter, salty taste.

That was the unique flavor of coarse salt.

When the dish was being made, he had watched Matron Zhong go through all the same steps, but the taste was still far from what he had expected.

His intention was to see if all stir-fried cabbage dishes were that delicious, or if only Chu Jiubian’s was.

Now, it seemed that it wasn’t all in his head. Chu Jiubian must have added other spices to the dish he made, or had perhaps substituted some important seasoning.

Was it salt?

Since the other party could conjure an iron wok out of thin air, it wasn’t impossible that he could also conjure up a different kind of salt and put it in the pot.

Qin Xiao’s gaze was almost tangible. It was impossible for Chu Jiubian to ignore it.

He looked up and met the man’s eyes: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Qin Xiao said with a smile. “I just feel that this dish doesn’t taste as good as the one the Young Master made at noon.”

“I think so too,” Bai Lihong echoed.

His eyes shone with even more admiration as he looked at Chu Jiubian. The immortal Xiansheng was indeed different from mortals.

Chu Jiubian casually made up a story: “It might be because I added some magic power to it.”

Could fine salt and thirteen-spice powder not be considered a ‘magic power?’

“Wow!” The young emperor’s mouth dropped open.

Qin Xiao appeared thoughtful, but he ultimately didn’t pursue the matter further, which could be considered acceptance of Chu Jiubian’s words.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips.

It seemed the sudden appearance of the iron wok at noon had given the Regent quite a shock. Otherwise, the Qin Xiao of the past would have taken his words as a joke and exchanged a few words with him about it.

After the meal, Chu Jiubian poured out some cold-prevention medicine for Bai Lihong.

After taking the sweet medicine, the young emperor happily went for a walk outside the palace with Eunuch Hong. The entourage behind him consisted of only six people, far fewer than those following the Empress Dowager.

However, it was unknown how many guards were watching from the shadows.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian walked leisurely along the palace path – just the two of them, with no palace servants.

The fiery red sun had half-set on the horizon, layers of clouds fanning out in flame-like hues.

Chu Jiubian took out two anti-inflammatory pills and handed them to Qin Xiao: “Take two more pills and that should be enough.”

He hadn’t seen Qin Xiao’s injuries, but he was a strong, healthy person and should be able to make a quick recovery.

Qin Xiao was indeed almost fully recovered. He didn’t take the pills, saying in a somewhat indolent voice: “I’m fully recovered. You should take the medicine yourself.”

Chu Jiubian was injured, and this anti-–inflammatory medicine relieved pain. Qin Xiao felt that with such delicate skin, the other party needed it more than he did.

“I have plenty.” Chu Jiubian grabbed his hand and placed the medicine in his palm.

The young man’s slightly cool hand contrasted with Qin Xiao’s warm body temperature, resulting in a curious tactile sensation.

Qin Xiao swallowed the pills and turned his head to look at Chu Jiubian.

The young man possessed striking features that exuded a strong sense of detachment. The lingering glow of the setting sun illuminated his handsome face, lending it an ephemeral, sacred air.

Chu Jiubian was admiring the fiery clouds on the horizon, but the man’s gaze seemed to pierce through him.

What was it now?

He turned to see the man’s sharply handsome face, as well as the lingering smile in his eyes.

Chu Jiubian: “ ? ”

“What are you smiling about?”

It said in the original story that when the main villain smiled, someone was bound to suffer.

But Qin Xiao always smiled warmly at him, and he never seemed to suffer any real misfortune.

Oh, wait. That wasn’t quite right.

Hadn’t there been an attempt on his life today?

To send dozens of assassins to kill a defenseless civil official like him, those people were certainly cautious.

“I just remembered something amusing,” said Qin Xiao.

“Like what?”

The two continued to stroll at a leisurely pace, but when their eyes met, they could clearly discern each other’s expressions.

“I heard that the Mobei Army has developed new equipment.” Qin Xiao carefully observed Chu Jiubian’s expression, not missing a single fluctuation.

Chu Jiubian had known that this matter would reach the capital, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.

“The Mobei Army?” He seemed to be hearing this name for the first time. “What new equipment?”

Having acted for so many years, this current role was a piece of cake for Chu Jiubian.

“They’re said to be called stirrups and saddles,” Qin Xiao said in a low voice. “Does the Young Master recognize them?”

Chu Jiubian feigned just the right amount of surprise and asked: “Aren’t they equipment for horses? Could it be that they didn’t exist in the mortal world before?”

“Indeed, they did not. They must be things that only exist in the immortal realm,” said Qin Xiao.

“These things have existed in the immortal realm for millennia,” Chu Jiubian said without even blinking. “But it’s not surprising that ordinary people could come up with something so simple.”

Qin Xiao stared at him, but couldn’t discern anything from the natural look on his face.

It was as if he had truly come from the so-called immortal realm and didn’t know anything about the Mobei Army.

 “Do you know Jiang Chifeng?” Qin Xiao suddenly asked.

Chu Jiubian paused: “Is he from the Mobei Army?”

“He is the general of the Mobei Army.”

“And he created the stirrups and saddles?”

When he saw Qin Xiao nod, he said: “Then this person is quite clever.”

“Yes, ah.” Qin Xiao gazed at the sky and said in a low voice: “It’s just that with so many people talking, these new things won’t remain hidden from the eyes of others.”

“Are you one of those people talking?” Chu Jiubian asked with a smile.

Qin Xiao had no one to rely on in the Imperial Court, but in other places, his secret guards and subordinates could exert much more power.

Regarding the matter of the Mobei Army, Qin Xiao was likely the first person in the capital to receive the news.

“Somewhat, but not entirely.” Qin Xiao said meaningfully, “I’m not the only one who has received this news.”

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes.

Other than Qin Xiao, the only other people in the capital who knew were probably the Qiu family, who had caravans and post stations all across Great Ning.

But in a few days, these elites in the capital would definitely find out.

At that time, their fear and wariness of him would reach a higher level, and no one would dare to act against him casually.

His prediction was correct.

In the days that followed, each household received news from the Northern Desert.

Unlike the vague information Qin Xiao and the Qiu family had initially received, the subsequent messages became more specific and held a greater amount of information.

They had all heard of a new god – the High Priest.

Since receiving his mission from Chu Jiubian, Jiang Shuoye had worked tirelessly in his determination to ensure that all the common people of the Northern Desert knew the “High Priest’s” name.

Because the Mobei Army enjoyed high prestige in the region, the common people believed everything these soldiers said.

“Have you heard? The Mobei Army recently fought a particularly brilliant battle, routing the Tatars and sending them fleeing in terror.”

“Of course I’ve heard. I also heard that it was because the Mobei Army was equipped with those new stirrups and saddles. It’s quite remarkable…..” This person spoke eloquently, praising these two items as if they were unparalleled in heaven and earth.

“My cousin is a blacksmith. He helped make the equipment for the Mobei Army!”

Everyone immediately gathered around.

The man raised his chin, spittle flying as he spoke: “You wouldn’t believe it. My cousin was utterly astonished by these divine objects and immediately asked the general where they had come from. And guess what the general said?”

“What did he say?”

“The general said —” Here, he lowered his voice, “That an immortal gave them to him as gifts in a dream!”

Everyone gasped in astonishment.

“An i-immortal?”

“I heard that too! I overheard a young soldier talking about it at a noodle stall. He said that when the immortal saw that the common people of the Northern Desert were suffering greatly because of the war, he couldn’t bear it and thus bestowed upon us these divine objects, enabling the general to better protect us.”

“Right, right, that’s what I heard too. This High Priest is truly a compassionate immortal.”

“So the immortal is known as the High Priest? He must be a powerful and benevolent deity.”

Such conversations took place throughout the Northern Desert, and within just a few days, nearly everyone knew the name of the “High Priest.”

Some even spontaneously set up simple altars in temples or empty houses, in hopes that the High Priest would continue to protect the common people of the Northern Desert.

Chu Jiubian’s Faith Value soared at a speed visible to the naked eye, and he was almost to the point of being able to summon four Believers.

However, for the fifth Believer, the required points suddenly doubled to 800.

Chu Jiubian had a long debate with the System, and they both eventually took a step back.

Chu Jiubian agreed to wait until he accumulated 800 points for the fifth Believer, in exchange for the System selling him food at wholesale prices.

An agreement was reached, and both sides were happy.

And when news of the High Priest being worshipped by the people of the Northern Desert reached the capital, the moods of everyone in the city grew heavier with each passing day.

They had immediately connected the High Priest with Chu Jiubian.

But listening to how the common people spoke of him, it seemed as if this High Priest was a gentle and benevolent old man. Unlike Chu Jiubian, who was upright and aloof, yet whose words could command respect in the Imperial Court.

But even if these two weren’t the same person, there was definitely a connection between them.

Perhaps they were from the same faction. Or perhaps they were both gods!

If Chu Jiubian could fall from the sky, who knew if other immortals might fall as well?

Regardless of what others thought, they didn’t dare to make any further rash moves.

Now, not only were there no assasination attempts, but the entire capital returned to a state of peace and tranquility, as if it had gone back to the time when Emperor Yingzong still sat on the throne.

Everyone was already respectful of Chu Jiubian, and now that respect was tinged with a distinct air of obsequiousness.

They clearly knew that they should not offend this “deity” unless absolutely necessary.

However, the vortex of power could never remain calm for long. Just ten days later, trouble reared its head in morning court once more.

Xiao Wendao, the Deputy Minister of Works, submitted a memorial to the throne discussing the matter of Jiannan-wang overseeing the construction of the dams in Hexi Prefecture. It was said that he worked diligently from dawn till dusk during this period, and the construction was proceeding steadily.

The dams were now basically complete, and Jiannan-wang would soon return to the capital to report on his duties.

Xiao Wendao uttered a long string of praises for Bai Lihai, while also subtly hinting for Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong to reward Bai Lihai according to his merits.

This reward was the ability to enter the court and participate in government affairs early.

The Great Ning Dynasty stipulated that officials must reach the age of 22 and undergo their guan ceremony before they were entitled to serve in court. Therefore, Bai Lihai, who had just turned sixteen, was not actually allowed in court at this time.

Being sent to oversee the construction was already an exception.

However, a prince who could participate in court politics was completely different from a prince who had no power. The latter was merely a figurehead, while the former had the ability to achieve great things and win the hearts of the common people.

The emperor was young now. If a prince who remained in the capital was able to rise above him and gain more popular support, that wouldn’t be a good thing.

The Xiao family’s wolfish ambitions were glaringly obvious.

The officials stood in silence, not a single one of them uttering a sound.

This was originally a game between the Xiao family and Qin Xiao. If Bai Lihai successfully entered the court, Qin Xiao and the young emperor would be weakened, while the Xiao family would rise in power.

These old foxes were unwilling to get involved, and simply watched the two sides fight it out.

Qi Zhili glanced at the censors standing around him. When he saw them with their heads down indifferently, looking as if this was none of their business, he felt a surge of anger.

An imperial censor should be loyal and upright, fearless even in death.

But on second thought, not everyone had the support of the Mobei Army like him, so it was understandable that they would think twice.

Fine, then it was time for him to speak up.

He let out a quiet sigh, and was about to step out of the queue when he suddenly heard a young man’s clear, cold voice ring out in the hall: “Minister Xiao is truly an impatient person.”

Startled, Qi Zhili paused in his steps and looked toward the source of the voice.

The young man stood tall and elegant, dressed in crimson-purple official robes. His hair looked incongruous and stood out from the crowd, but it suited him perfectly.

It was Chu Jiubian.

He was connected to the “High Priest” mentioned in his cousin’s letter, and had also wielded “heavenly lightning,” intimidating the “gods” of the four great families.

Jiang Shuoye’s letter hadn’t gone into detail, only mentioning that he had received instructions from the High Priest in a dream, along with the stirrups, saddles, and several other treasures.

When Qi Zhili first read the contents of the letter, his thoughts and reaction were almost identical to those of everyone else – he immediately mistook Chu Jiubian and the High Priest for the same person.

The “High Priest” mentioned in Jiang Shuoye’s letter was powerful, mysterious, and benevolent…..he resembled a mighty, compassionate deity, a kind elder, completely unlike the upright, cunning, and intelligent Jiu-gongzi.

Qi Zhili felt that they couldn’t be the same person, but there must be some kind of relationship between them.

So he told Jiang Shuoye everything Chu Jiubian had done since he appeared, but he hadn’t received a response yet and didn’t know how the other party would react.

“What makes you say that, Grand Tutor?” Xiao Wendao regarded Chu Jiubian with a polite expression.

Chu Jiubian stood in place, not even stepping out of the queue as he said calmly: “Those who have rendered meritorious service should be rewarded. However, the how and what of that reward should always be decided by His Majesty.”

Xiao Wendao pursed his thin lips.

Xiao Huaiguan stood in front of Chu Jiubian with his back slightly bowed, the gentle smile on his face slowly fading away.

“The way you spoke just now, Minister Xiao, made it sound as if you were the Grand Tutor.” Chu Jiubian casually set the trap. “Are you here to instruct His Majesty on how to conduct himself during a morning court session?”

Reputation was of paramount importance in this era.

As a second-rank official, Xiao Wendao represented the Xiao family.

By openly guiding the emperor in making decisions during morning court, to put it nicely, he was instructing His Majesty on how to do his job. And to put it bluntly, he was attempting to control the emperor.

Of course, even if it was said that he was “instructing His Majesty on how to do his job,” it wouldn’t sound good if word got out.

In this era that advocated loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, such a rebellious act would surely be condemned to death by scholars and Confucian masters if it were to get out.

Why had Qin Xiao been criticized before? Because people had spread rumors that he was controlling the young emperor.

Xiao Wendao was not as shameless as Qin Xiao. If this reputation were to fall on him and the Xiao family, would he still have any face left?

Would the Xiao family still retain its century-old reputation for “loyalty and righteousness?”

They’d had a taste of this Jiu-gongzi’s sharp tongue these past few days. He was able to quietly dig a pit for someone, leaving them defenseless.

What kind of god was this?

What god could be so adept at navigating the complexities of officialdom?!

Surely they didn’t have political infighting in the immortal realm too?

Or perhaps, before he became a god, Jiu-gongzi had also worked in the Imperial Court?

Xiao Wendao had previously enjoyed watching Chu Jiubian set up pitfalls for people, especially when he saw those from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue suffer setbacks. But now that it was his turn, he felt a surge of fury rising within him.

“Impetuous!” An aged voice rang out, filled with anger. “Do you think you can control His Majesty’s decisions?”

This reprimand came from Xiao Huaiguan.

Xiao Wendao immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times in Bai Lihong’s direction, feigning terror as he said: “Your Majesty, please forgive this official, he absolutely did not mean it that way. This official knows he was wrong, and will never dare speak casually again. Begging forgiveness!”

Bai Lihong glanced at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao didn’t make a move for the time being. That meant he wanted to leave this person hanging, so Bai Lihong maintained a stern expression and didn’t say a word.

Compared to his first day attending court, he was now a mature young emperor, able to quickly grasp the intentions of his uncle and Xiansheng and cooperate well with them.

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes toward Xiao Wendao where he was kneeling and begging forgiveness, then looked at Xiao Huaiguan, who wore an expression of anger. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

It was extremely satisfying to have someone help him criticize others. No wonder these people formed cliques for personal gain.

Chu Jiubian’s persona in the court was that of a sharp-tongued person who feared nobody and was willing to confront anyone.

His three lightning shots had utterly intimidated these people, and there was also the “High Priest” lurking behind him, making it difficult for others to figure him out.

Therefore, these people would not confront Chu Jiubian directly. No matter how much hate and anger they held in their hearts, they still had to smile and cotton up to him after court.

They were all talented actors, none of whom could be looked down on.

Two more breaths passed. Seeing that matters had cooled down enough, Qin Xiao lightly tapped the back of his ear with his fingertip.

Bai Lihong then allowed the man to stand up.

Xiao Wendao thanked His Majesty and praised his magnanimity before returning to his place. The matter was therefore left unresolved.

The officials from the Ministry of War and Ministry of Revenue, who had been challenged by Chu Jiubian several times before, felt a strange sense of satisfaction. Was this how it felt to watch someone else be criticized?

It was indeed quite refreshing. They might want to speak freely, but had no ability to do so.

They weren’t Qi Zhili, and didn’t have the Mobei Army at their back.

And they were not like Chu Jiubian, possessing no divine power.

Moreover, Chu Jiubian’s advantage over them lay in the concept of “reputation.”

They cared about their reputations and their family’s prestige, but Chu Jiubian did not. As long as his identity as a “god” spread to the ears of the common people, his prestige would smoothly and inevitably be elevated.

Who would dare offend a god?

And how could a god possibly make a mistake?

Let alone criticizing people, even if Chu Jiubian were to curse, beat, or even kill someone in the court, many commoners and scholars would still defend him.

This realization caused the court officials to become even more envious of Qin Xiao.

Why was he so fortunate? Why was it that he alone had won Chu Jiubian’s favor?

Was it because he was the one who caught Chu Jiubian the day he descended to the mortal realm?

People glanced toward Chu Jiubian, intentionally or otherwise, but Chu Jiubian had no time to spare for them at this moment.

Because he heard a System notification in his ears.

[Friendly reminder: Believer Situ Zhaoling is requesting Host’s assistance.]

*

*

Nanjiang, inside the royal palace.

Situ Zhaoling clasped her hands together, bowed in all four directions, and murmured: “High Priest, please demonstrate your power! The fifteen days you promised may be too long.”

The High Priest had previously said that he would come to her in fifteen days, at which time the problem in the southern border region would be resolved.

But only ten days had passed, and the grain in dozens of granaries was already running out. It was estimated that supplies would not last for the entire fifteen days.

In an effort to extend the supplies for a few more days, they had instructed that porridge be cooked rather thin, but this still couldn’t withstand the consumption of a million people.

Starting the day before, her grandfather had the porridge cooked even thinner, but people still weren’t getting enough to eat and resentment was growing. Some people were already throwing fits and making a scene this morning.

This was in the main stronghold, with the royal palace and the chieftain in charge, so the people only dared to cry and complain, not to cause trouble.

But the situation was not necessarily the same in other towns and cities. There, people may already be causing trouble.

If this continued, something terrible was bound to happen.

Although Situ Zhaoling had been pampered from childhood and was literate and had read many books, all of that knowledge was of no use at this moment.

She had no connections, and no way to conjure food out of thin air.

Looking at the dark circles under her parents’ eyes, she felt helpless. She could only hope that the High Priest would hear her prayers and come a few days earlier to help them through this difficult time.

Situ Zhaoyao ran in from outside, covered in sweat.

Startled by his sister’s superstitious behavior, he asked: “What’s wrong, A-jie?”

Situ Zhaoling, however, pulled him down with her, saying: “A-di, quick, let’s pray to the High Priest together.”

“High Priest?” Situ Zhaoyao repeated blankly.

Astonished, Situ Zhaoling turned to stare at him: “You heard that?”

“What in the world?” She touched her throat. “I can say his name now?”

These past few days, she had been worried that it was just a dream, so she’d tested it on people several times. But each time, she was unable to say anything regarding the High Priest.

But now that she thought about it, she had never tried it on her brother.

“Aiya, let’s not talk about that now.” They boy grabbed her hand and rushed outside. “Something’s happened at the porridge stands!”

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T/N: Stress-translating is great, because it takes my entire brain and leaves no room for other thoughts. Things are, uh, not looking great in the U.S. right now. So enjoy some ridiculously frequent updates for the foreseeable future.

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Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 29 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 31

Chu Jiubian held the gun steady with both hands, his gaze passing through the guards and assassins locked in combat, toward the distant silhouettes of the trees behind the high wall.

He remembered which trees, and which branches, contained the crouching archers.

The rain had stopped completely around noon today, and the sun was currently shining brightly, with a beautiful rainbow on the horizon.

His target was no longer a bullseye or a dummy, but a real, flesh-and-blood person.

The veins on the backs of Chu Jiubian’s hands bulged.

If he didn’t kill them, they would kill him.

He must abandon the civilized laws of modern society and use overwhelming force to deter those prying eyes in the shadows.

His index finger slowly bent.

Another arrow shot between the trees, and Chu Jiubian simultaneously pulled the trigger.

Bang—

Without a silencer, the muzzle of the gun emitted an almost deafening sound in the quiet surroundings.

A sharp ringing echoed in Chu Jiubian’s ears, and the whole world seemed to fall silent.

The bullet had grazed the arrow before striking the archer one hundred meters away at lightning speed, hitting him in the throat.

Chu Jiubian’s light-hued eyes reflected the swaying silhouette of the distant tree.

He pulled the trigger again.

Another loud bang, and the branches of another tree began to shake violently.

He picked up his binoculars and saw that two of the archers had disappeared, leaving behind only splatters of blood.

Outside the sedan chair, the two sides seemed to have paused, their eyes focused on the sedan chair in the center.

They were all dressed in tight-fitting black garments, and dark masks covered their faces, revealing only pairs of eyes filled with shock and fear.

What was that?

What were those thunderous roars just now?!

Before they could react, there was another loud bang.

An assassin holding a short sword fell to the ground with a thud, eyes wide open. A gruesome hole the size of a thumb had appeared between his eyebrows, gushing blood.

The bodyguard who had previously been fighting the assassin took a few steps back, moving away from the corpse on the ground.

Deeply shocked, he stared at the corpse in disbelief, then turned to look at the sedan chair one hundred meters away.

He seemed to have seen something shoot out of the sedan chair and hit the assassin between the eyebrows.

But it wasn’t an arrow, nor was it any kind of hidden weapon. He had never seen anything capable of hitting someone in the head from so far away.

Due to the limited weapons and materials available in this era, even the most capable archers couldn’t shoot through a person’s skull from one hundred meters away.

Other guards and assassins with exceptional eyesight had also noticed the abnormality with the distant archers.

Perhaps it was the thing that shot out of the sedan chair which had taken the lives of those archers.

So what exactly was it?

It was so fast that it was almost invisible to the human eye.

And why was there such a terrifying, thunderous sound?

The person inside the sedan chair…..

Everyone simultaneously thought of the rumors circling in the capital. Other than being a court official, Chu Jiubian was also said to be…..an immortal.

This person was really an immortal!

Everyone was utterly astonished.

Suddenly, one after another, the thuds of bodies hitting the ground could be heard.

The guards all took a few steps back, disregarding everything else as they stared warily at the corpses of the assassins.

“They took poison,” someone said after realizing what had happened.

The other guards rushed to check the bodies, and confirmed that they had all committed suicide by poison.

But they seemed to understand why they had committed suicide – they had come here to assassinate a god!

The heavens were watching. What a terrible sin it must be to attempt to murder a god!

So before things got out of hand and the situation became more complicated, it would be better to die to atone for their mistakes.

The four sedan-bearers remained stationed around the sedan chair, never more than two meters away from it. For this reason, they were the ones most affected by the gunshots.

When the first thunderous blast sounded from within the sedan chair, they were terrified, and even thought that lightning had struck the top of the sedan chair.

But they soon discovered that this was not the case – it was the person inside the sedan chair controlling the thunder.

And with each clap of thunder, an assassin died.

To control thunder – how terrifying!

The sedan-bearers had previously heard that Chu Jiubian could accurately predict the weather, even knowing when the rain would start and stop. Thus, it only seemed natural that he could control thunder as well.

But was this really something a mortal was capable of?

No!

Absolutely not.

Jiu-gongzi in the sedan chair must genuinely be a deity who had descended to earth!

Muffled claps of thunder on a clear day had startled those in the nearby offices of the Six Ministries. Many officials went to the courtyards to stare up at the sky in bewilderment, but there were no dark clouds to be seen.

“How can there be thunder in broad daylight?”

“I fear someone made a false oath and was struck down by lightning.”

“That didn’t sound like thunder to me. It sounded more like it was coming from the main street.”

“What else could it be but thunder? The road couldn’t have been broken by something heavy, could it? Hahahaha.”

Everyone laughed, not taking it seriously at all.

Wang Pengyi stood in the courtyard, gazing toward Chang’an Street with his brow furrowed. A bad feeling crept over him. 

Could it be that his grandfather and the others had made their move?

What else could it be but a large-scale operation?

He couldn’t help but recall Jiu-gongzi’s extraordinary qualities.

Could that “thunderous” sound just now be related to him?

On Chang’an Street, the guards were at a loss for what to do next.

Qin Xiao had previously ordered them to follow Chu Jiubian’s arrangements in everything they did. As long as it didn’t harm Bai Lihong or Qin Xiao, Chu Jiubian could make decisions as he pleased.

Therefore, it was up to Chu Jiubian to decide how to deal with the bodies of these assassins.

However, the other party still hadn’t shown his face. They didn’t know if the immortal required rest after using his divine power, or if they would commit a taboo by addressing him, so they didn’t dare speak up or disturb him for the time being.

Amidst the silence, the leading guard stepped forward and bowed. He was about to voice a question when he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.

The newcomer wore dark brocade robes embroidered with golden python patterns. It was Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian had already stored the pistol in his System Space.

His eyes were downcast, his ears ringing from the explosive bangs of the gunshots. He couldn’t hear any sounds outside, only the frantic, disordered beating of his own heart.

His gaze fell on his pale, slender hands. A faint pink tinged his palms, and his hands and arms were shaking from the shock.

He had killed someone.

He had really killed someone.

It turned out that doing so was easier than he had imagined.

Something trapped behind the twisted cell door in his mind seemed to break free, gradually eroding his remaining sanity.

“Murderer!”

“You’re the same as him, you’re both murderers!”

“Why wasn’t it you who died? Why wasn’t it you?”

“You both deserve to die! You deserve to die!”

A woman’s hysterical screams echoed in his mind. Chu Jiubian seemed to see her rush over frantically, hands wrapping tightly around his throat as her empty eyes filled with moldering hatred.

A murderer.

He had the blood of a murderer in his veins. He had the genes for violence.

He watched as the madness in the woman’s eyes faded, replaced by endless grief and helplessness. She hugged him tight, apologizing repeatedly.

He reached out to touch the woman’s shoulders, but she abruptly stood, grabbed his thin arm, and shoved him toward the filthy bedside that was covered in vomit and alcohol.

A man snored loudly, passed out drunk on the bed.

The woman rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and knelt down in front of him.

She placed the kitchen knife in his small palm and made him grip it firmly.

Chu Jiubian watched the woman smile at him, so gentle and tender, even as tears streamed from her eyes.

“Baby, please kill him. Please kill him, okay?”

“Help your mama.”

“Save your mama!”

He let out a hoarse scream.

Chu Jiubian felt his hands trembling violently.

His head spun and his stomach churned.

The woman suddenly shoved him away and snatched the kitchen knife from his hands.

“You won’t kill him? Fine, I will!” The woman looked crazed. She raised the knife, then slashed fiercely toward the person on the bed.

Blood covered his field of vision.

Chu Jiubian suddenly smelled the faint scent of gunpowder.

He looked down to see his own slender hands, no longer those of a child. The lingering scent of gunpowder was coming from them.

Most of the nail on his right thumb had been torn, leaving it bloody and mangled. He raised his hand to his lips, then bit off that portion of his fingernail.

His frantic heartbeat immediately calmed.

He tossed away the nail and gently wiped the blood from his lips with a handkerchief.

He calmly bought alcohol, anti-inflammatory medicine, and gauze from the System store and skillfully bandaged the wound.

Excruciating pain spread through his flesh and bones, accompanied by the ringing in his ears, yet his mind became increasingly clear.

Ancient times were different from the modern era. He must properly disinfect and bandage the wound, lest it become infected.

Suddenly, the curtain beside him lifted up and sunlight streamed in, shining on the young man’s pale face.

Chu Jiubian was startled, and the ringing in his ears subsided.

He turned his head to look out the window.

The man’s well-defined knuckles lifted the sedan curtain, and Chu Jiubian saw his dark robes, along with an embroidered belt cinching his waist that revealed a glimpse of undulating muscles beneath the fabric.

The man leaned in slightly, revealing an incomparably handsome face.

Qin Xiao met Chu Jiubian’s distant eyes through the window, his gaze gradually falling upon the crimson mark on the other’s lips.

Further down, he saw the young man’s bloodstained hand.

A deathly silence fell.

Qin Xiao raised his hand and lifted the curtain to the top of the sedan chair. Reaching through the side window with both hands, he retied the bandages on Chu Jiubian’s finger.

Chu Jiubian looked down and suddenly smiled.

“What are you smiling about?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian looked up at him.

The two were separated by the window, but they were still so close that Chu Jiubian could see the inconspicuous little mole on Qin Xiao’s nose.

Instead of answering, he asked: “When did you get here?”

“When you were displaying your divine power.” Qin Xiao withdrew his hands and regarded him with a half-smile. “I just didn’t expect that an immortal would have to harm his body when casting spells.”

Chu Jiubian smiled as well: “It was unexpected.”

Qin Xiao straightened up and lowered the sedan curtain. He then said to the four sedan bearers: “See to your duty.”

The sedan chair was lifted again and steadily carried to the government office.

Qin Xiao stood in place, watching the sedan chair move farther and farther away until it turned onto another road and disappeared.

“My Lord, what should be done with these assassins?” the leader of the secret guards asked.

Qin Xiao: “Find An Wuji.”

“Yes.” 

When An Wuji arrived after hearing the news, Qin Xiao was no longer there.

He looked at the pile of corpses, then at the ground where there wasn’t much blood, and finally fixed his gaze on the most conspicuous pool of blood.

“My Lord, look at this corpse.”

An Wuji went over and saw that the assassin had been shot in the head.

His eyes darkened slightly, a storm raging within him.

He had been in the city just now not far from here, and had naturally heard the three loud bangs.

He had connected them to Chu Jiubian almost instantly.

Was this the work of an immortal?

How impressive.

An Wuji was already firm in his belief that Chu Jiubian was a divine immortal, and now felt even more awe.

Thank heavens.

Thank heavens that the Young Master and their Lord were of one mind. Having such a powerful deity in their camp provided a great sense of security.

“My Lord, what should be done with these corpses?”

An Wuji snapped out of his musings. There was a cold glint in his eyes as he said in a deep voice: “Return them to where they came from.”

“Yes!”

Not long after, a Xiao family guard hurriedly arrived at the main courtyard where the family head resided.

Only after his presence was announced by a servant did he enter the courtyard.

Xiao Yao sat under a long pavilion, speaking with Xiao Huaiguan, the Minister of Personnel, as they played a game of chess.

“Reporting to the Family Head and the Minister, news just arrived from Hibiscus Garden that all of the assassins we sent out have perished. Their bodies were even dumped back into Hibiscus Garden by the Imperial Guards.”

Hibiscus Garden was where this group of powerful figures had met previously to discuss important matters.

Xiao Huaiguan’s cloudy eyes fixed on the guard, and he asked in a kindly tone: “How did they all die?”

“Thirty-seven people committed suicide by poison, two died of blade wounds…..and there was one more.”

Xiao Yao placed a white piece down, forcing the black pieces into a desperate situation.

He raised his eyes and smiled at the guard.

The guard’s face drained of color and he immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying: “One person’s forehead was pierced by an unknown object, and the other archers were nowhere to be found.”

Six archers had been sent by the Lu and Wang families. They must have either returned to the families alive, or their bodies were taken back by those families.

“What do you mean by ‘an unknown object’?” Xiao Huaiguan asked in confusion. “What sort of weapon can pierce directly through the brow?”

“This subordinate doesn’t know.” The guard began to tremble as a thought occurred to him.

Xiao Yao opened his fan and waved it gently. His voice was as refreshing as the breeze: “What is the use of keeping your tongue if you’re unable to speak clearly?”

Xiao Huaiguan glanced toward him.

The guard trembled even more violently, and said in a shaky voice: “R-reporting to the Family Head, this subordinate heard that the object was a divine weapon created by Grand Tutor Chu, which is capable of summoning heavenly lightning!”

Xiao Huaiguan chuckled: “How miraculous.”

“A divine weapon?” Xiao Yao was intrigued, and sat up straighter. “Explain it to me in detail.”

“It was Commander Xiao who told this to us subordinates. As for the rest…..”

Before the guard could continue, a middle-aged man clad in tight-fitting garments walked into the courtyard.

This person was nearly 1.9 meters tall. Although he was almost 40 years old and sported a full beard, one could still discern a beauty to his face typical of a member of the Xiao family.

Xiao Ying dismissed the guard, then bowed to Xiao Yao and Xiao Huaiguan.

“Second Cousin, please have a seat.” Xiao Yao gestured to the stool beside him, not putting on any airs as the family head.

“Thank you, Family Head.” Xiao Ying went over and sat down.

“Have you found out what happened?”

“Yes.” Xiao Ying was the commander of the Xiao family’s 30,000 private soldiers. From the moment he heard that they were going to take action against Chu Jiubian, he had personally guarded the vicinity of Chang’an Street.

Upon hearing the three thunderous blasts, a bad feeling came over him and he rushed over, only to find that all of the assassins on the official road had committed suicide.

Fortunately, there were still four surviving archers. He stopped one of them to get a general understanding of the situation, and then instructed a subordinate to come back and notify Xiao Yao.

He stayed behind to hear the details, then hurried over.

As soon as he sat down, he began to explain everything he had heard in detail.

“You mean to say that Chu Jiubian summoned heavenly lightning and killed three assassins?” Xiao Huaiguan shook his head with a chuckle. “That is a bit absurd.”

“Absurd?” Xiao Yao regarded him with gleaming eyes. “I don’t think it’s entirely impossible.”

Xiao Huaiguan raised an eyebrow: “The Family Head believes this?”

A strange light flashed in Xiao Yao’s eyes: “With the ability to predict celestial phenomena and create so many miracles, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was able to summon heavenly lightning.”

Moreover, even if it wasn’t heavenly lightning that killed those people, it had been proven that Chu Jiubian had absolute means to protect himself.

Even without Qin Xiao’s guards, the assassins they’d sent wouldn’t have been able to do anything to him.

“It’s such a pity that this person cannot be of use to my Xiao family.” Xiao Yao shook his head as he spoke, muttering to himself: “No, how could someone like him be controlled by others?”

Xiao Huaiguan contorted his expression and coughed twice.

Xiao Yao’s eyes flickered. He quickly feigned concern, asking: “Is Great Uncle unwell?”

Xiao Huaiguan lamented: “When people get old, their brains age as well.”

“Great Uncle is joking.” Xiao Yao said with a hint of worry, “I am young and inexperienced, and our family’s great ship still requires your help steering it, Great Uncle.”

Xiao Huaiguan chuckled: “The Family Head has made this old man happy again.”

“I mean it sincerely.” Xiao Yao poured him a cup of tea and raised it toward him, saying: “Please have some tea to soothe your throat. Your assistance will be needed to make decisions from here on out.”

Xiao Huaiguan looked at him intently. There was a smile in his cloudy eyes, but instead of gentle benevolence, it exuded a sense of oppression. 

Xiao Yao’s hand did not waver, and the smile on his face remained unchanged.

After a long moment, Xiao Huaiguan finally accepted the teacup from his hand and took a sip.

Xiao Ying kept his eyes slightly lowered throughout the process, as if he hadn’t noticed the subtle atmosphere between the two.

The teacup made a crisp sound as it was placed on the table.

“This man is highly skilled. We must avoid direct confrontation with him for now,” Xiao Huaiguan said in a warm tone. “But his cooperation with Ning-wang is something that must be taken seriously.”

“Does Uncle mean that we should sow discord between the two?”

Someone as capable as Chu Jiubian, who had come to the capital and entered the vortex of power, would certainly not be satisfied with being someone else’s subordinate.

He must have a higher and more indefinable purpose.

Therefore, he wasn’t choosing to ally with Qin Xiao, but given the current situation, what Qin Xiao was offering him suited his needs best.

“Let’s wait and see,” said Xiao Huaiguan.

He picked up a black piece and placed it on the board, instantly transforming a hopeless situation into a chance for survival.

“This relationship based on mutual benefits will inevitably break down,” he said as if lamenting.

Xiao Yao lowered his gaze to the chessboard and said gently: “ This Zimei has learned much.”

Mutual benefits?

But what if Chu Jiubian was actually a god?

Then his supposed “love tribulation” with Qin Xiao would be the basis of their close cooperation.

A love tribulation.

Since it was a tribulation, it couldn’t be a good thing.

There was affection, yet also calamity. Betrayal would be the weapon that collapsed their relationship.

Xiao Yao stroked the white chess piece in his hand and lightly placed it down.

*

*

The Wang family.

Wang Huanzhi found these arguments laughable.

The common people may believe in the supernatural, but this was not necessarily the case for the wealthy and powerful.

These so-called gods, divine right to the throne, and celestial phenomena were nothing more than methods for the emperor to control the hearts of the people.

How could there possibly be gods in this world?

But his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the body of the archer in the courtyard. There was a small bloody hole in his forehead, and his eyes were wide open as if in disbelief of his easy death.

How exactly had Chu Jiubian killed this person?

Could…..could he really be a god?

Even Wang Huanzhi’s supposedly firm resolve was thrown into turmoil.

Wang Zhiyuan, Minister of Rites, along with his advisor Wang Zhang, wore solemn expressions as they stood to the side with their brows furrowed.

If Chu Jiubian was truly a god, then his close relationship with Qin Xiao was not a good thing for them.

How could mortals possibly defeat a god?

They must find a way to create discord between Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao – otherwise, they would be subservient to Qin Xiao for the rest of their lives!

It must be said that these wealthy and powerful people were all of one mind, and were all thinking the same thing.

In the study in the Lu family’s main courtyard, Lu Youwei, Minister of War, and his strategist Lu Tong both shared the same idea.

Only the Family Head, Lu Jinfeng, frowned and said: “I’ve said it before – asassination is the work of the despicable, and is a disgrace to the Lu family.”

“Yes, you are indeed upright and honest. But isn’t this vast Lu family supported by treacherous villains like us? If we relied on you —”

Seeing Lu Jinfeng’s unsightly expression, Lu Youwei sneered: “Our Lu family went along with Qin Jingzhao and his wife eight years ago.”

Lu Jinfeng rose and walked out, his face cold and grim.

But upon reaching the door, he stopped and said: “The Lu family, having persecuted loyal officials, did indeed die eight years ago.”

With that, he turned and left.

Behind him, Lu Youwei crushed the teacup in his hand with a crack.

At the same time, a cold scoff was heard from the main Qiu family courtyard.

“What supernatural abilities? They were just useless idiots who couldn’t even kill a person properly.” The Qiu family head, Qiu Xuanzheng, picked up his two large hammers and said: “I’m going to pay a visit to that Jiu-gongzi.”

“Qiu Ren! You stop right there!” Minister of Justice Qiu Heng strode forward and reached out to snatch the hammers from his hands.

Qiu Xuanzheng held onto them tightly and said with little patience: “Ge, let go. He’s just a charlatan. Laozi will kill him today so that you don’t have to worry about this and that all the time.”

“Who’s the laozi here?” Qiu Heng said angrily, “Do you understand what it means that he shot through a person’s skull from a hundred paces away? You’ll be shot dead before you even get close!”

“Don’t listen to their nonsense. How could someone shoot through a person’s head from a hundred paces away? They must have been closer than that.”

If they were closer than that, they would have been smashed to a pulp with a single blow.

A vein throbbed on Qiu Heng’s forehead: “You had better stay put and behave yourself. Whether you’re practicing martial arts or training soldiers, just don’t go out and cause me any trouble.”

Chu Jiubian’s performance today had obviously been intended to intimidate.

He was telling everyone that he was not someone to be trifled with.

Anyone who wanted to lay a hand on him should first consider whether they were qualified.

Clearly, with his own abilities and Qin Xiao’s protection, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to get close to him.

Qiu Xuanzheng had never listened to anyone since childhood, and his older brother was the only one who could keep him in check.

Now that he had been scolded by his older brother, he didn’t dare actually go and confront Chu Jiubian, and could only put down his two hammers in frustration.

Just then, the steward came from outside the courtyard.

“Family Head, My Lord, our caravans have sent word that the Mobei Army has created two new items that greatly enhance the cavalry’s strength when equipped on their horses.”

“Oh?” Qiu Xuanzheng’s interest was piqued. “What kind of objects?”

“They are said to be called stirrups and saddles, but their specific design and function in actual combat are still unknown. I expect there will be more updates in a few days,” the steward reported.

“Stirrups and saddles?” Qiu Xuanzheng frowned. “Why do these words sound familiar?”

“Ge, have you heard of them?” he turned to glance at his older brother, only to find that his expression was rather unpleasant. He quickly asked: “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“There is!”

There was a big problem!

---

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Chapter 28 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 30

The longsword cleaved through the air right toward Jiang Shuoye’s face.

The cold glint of the blade reflected in his dark pupils.

Just as it was about to strike him, he lay back on his horse to dodge. And simultaneously, he kept his spear at an angle and thrust it straight toward Mir Khan’s heart.

Mir Khan tightened the reins, and his horse immediately changed direction as he leaned to the side to evade the attack.

The two men and their horses brushed past each other, then turned their mounts back around and attacked again.

The first move was a test.

Now, they had gained an understanding of each other’s strengths.

Jiang Shuoye could tell that the unfamiliar general before him was quite capable, but he was still somewhat inferior to Muhammad.

Mir Khan, who had previously been dismissive of this person, was forced to calm down and focus. He dared not be careless again.

This Mobei general was indeed very formidable.

The two clashed again, blade striking spear with a burst of dazzling sparks and a teeth-gritting screech.

Jiang Shuoye’s spear pressed down heavily on the longsword, and Mir Khan could only passively brace his weapon to defend himself.

He roared and squeezed his legs tightly around his horse’s belly, arm muscles bulging as he tried to repel the spear.

But he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Jiang Shuoye had suddenly stood up, and an even more terrifying weight pressed down on his opponent. Mir Khan gritted his teeth, but the blade still pressed down lower and lower, until it was nearly touching his shoulder.

The sharp tip of the spear drew toward his throat.

This was an extremely perilous position; if Jiang Shuoye changed the angle of the spear even slightly, it would pierce his neck.

Mir Khan roared and slammed his legs into his horse’s belly, causing the warhorse to suddenly bow its head, lowering the rider on its back as well.

As the force of their clash dissipated, Mir Khan seized the opportunity to lean back and avoid the spear.

Jiang Shuoye’s eyes narrowed. He immediately withdrew his spear, only to thrust it out again at lightning speed.

And this time, he stabbed toward Mir Khan’s abdomen.

Mir Khan instinctively raised his blade to block it.

Jiang Shuoye’s arm went numb when the weapons clashed, but he lost no strength. Instead, he twisted the shaft of the spear, and the iron lock at the joint of the shaft and spearhead wrapped around the blade.

Mir Khan instinctively pulled on the hilt of his sword, just as Jiang Shuoye pulled the spear back with all his might. The warhorses under them neighed and reared up.

As the two forces pulled against each other, Jiang Shuoye abruptly loosened his grip on the weapon and the sharp tip slid toward Mir Khan’s chest.

Mir Khan was startled and subconsciously loosened his grip, but Jiang Shuoye suddenly pulled the spear back along with the sword.

He had been disarmed!

Alarmed, Mir Khan immediately spurred his horse to flee.

However, he hadn’t fled far when he heard a whoosh behind him.

Thinking it was a spear, he immediately ducked, but what came at him was his own longsword.

The longsword slashed down fiercely, severing his right arm.

Blood fountained out.

Mir Khan roared and fled in disgrace toward the military camp.

The remaining Tatar cavalry rushed to cover him, and quickly prepared to retreat. But the Mobei Cavalry, which had easily been shaken off before, were unusually difficult to deal with today.

The Mobei soldiers were able to simply loosen the reins and fight them with two hands holding their weapons.

Previously, the Mobei cavalry had been forced to hold the reins tightly with one hand to avoid falling off, but now they seemed to possess an ability exclusive to the Tatars – remaining firmly seated on their horses!

Due to this, the Tatars’ previous advantage over them ceased to exist.

In fact, due to the fact of “the longer the weapon, the stronger the force,” the advantage of the Mobei cavalry’s long spears became prominent.

Thus, it didn’t take long for the Tatar cavalry to fall behind.

When they saw their lieutenant general flee with a severed arm, the morale of the army collapsed. With a call of “retreat,” the Tatar soldiers scattered and fled. 

The border between the Northern Desert and the Tatars was the vast Yanbian Grasslands. To the south lay the desert, as well as border towns and the garrisons of the Mobei Army.

To the north lay even more expansive grasslands and Muhammad’s Tatar court.

There were dozens of Tatar tribes of various sizes, which had only been brought under the rule of Muhammad’s tribe a few decades ago, after which his court was established.

In order to better defend against Great Ning, King Muhammad had sent his younger brother Muhammad to lead an army to secure the other side of the grasslands.

When the Qin Family Army had been guarding the border, the Tatars rarely appeared to harass them.

Later on, in order to put Emperor Yingzong on the throne, the Qin army led by Grand Marshal Qin had sent half of its troops to the capital and other important locations within the territory. The remaining 50,000 troops, led by General Qin and his wife – Qin Xiao’s father and mother — had continued to guard the northern border.

Due to the Qin Family Army’s fearsome reputation, and with Grand Marshal Qin and his wife remaining to guard the area, the Tatars did not dare to invade rashly even though there were only 50,000 troops left.

However, not long after Emperor Yingzong ascended the throne, he was unable to tolerate the Qin family’s growing power and extended olive branches to the Jiang family several times, intending for them to annex the Qin family’s 50,000 troops guarding the northern lands.

The Jiang family’s ancestors had gained power under the reign of Emperor Gaozong, and later during the reigns of Emperor Mingzong and Emperor Wuzong. During the later years of Emperor Wuzong’s reign, the army was repeatedly reduced. By the time of Emperor Chengzong, only 20,000 troops remained in the region and were mostly incorporated into other armies.

At that time, Jiang Shuoye’s father, along with the clan elders and other relatives, actually preferred to pursue scholarly careers. In addition, Qi Zhili of the Qi family became the Chief Censor, and the Jiang family felt that entering the court was the better option.

Unfortunately, none of their family members had any talent in this area, and the family’s fortunes declined even further.

Under these circumstances, Emperor Yingzong’s desire to give them official positions was like a windfall for them.

Jiang Shuoye’s father accepted the offer with little hesitation, leading the Jiang family and their 20,000 soldiers outside the territory to the Northern Desert.

Unexpectedly, just as they were about to arrive, they received news that General Qin and his wife had perished in a sudden Tatar invasion.

Emperor Yingzong ordered the Jiang family to rush over at once, take over the remaining 40,000 Qin troops, and launch a counterattack against the Tatars.

None of the Jiang family members had ever been on a battlefield, so Jiang Shuoye’s father had no recourse but to go himself. Unsurprisingly, he suffered two defeats in a row.

Fortunately, Jiang Shuoye arrived at that moment.

He was only seventeen years old at the time, and had not been with the Jiang family for nearly ten years. Instead, he had been traveling the world with his master, learning martial arts and helping people where he could.

He’d learned by chance that the Jiang family had set out for the Northern Desert, so he bid farewell to his master and rushed over.

His original intention was to persuade the Jiang family not to let themselves be used by Emperor Yingzong. The Qin Family Army had rendered meritorious service by helping to defend the border, and should not be discarded in such a way after serving their purpose. At the very least, the Jiang family should not be the “knife” used against them.

But when he arrived, he learned that Grand Marshal Qin and his wife had both died in battle.

This was clearly suspicious. He even suspected that it was a scheme orchestrated by Emperor Yingzong in collusion with the Tatars, but there was no evidence.

Given the current situation, any deal between the emperor and the Tatars was no longer valid. Emperor Yingzong had no ability to control the Tatars, and the other side clearly meant to take advantage of the Qin Family Army’s lack of leadership to invade the Northern Desert.

Jiang Shuoye had no choice but to don his armor and go into battle.

He was only seventeen years old, and an unknown junior. Not to mention the Qin Family Army, even the 20,000 troops brought by the Jiang family didn’t take him seriously.

However, all of this changed when Jiang Shuoye entered the battlefield.

He had inherited the martial talent and military command skills of the Jiang family ancestors, and had also learned a great deal from his mysterious master. Having spent many years in the jianghu, he had witnessed all sorts of deceit and treachery, and was basically self-taught regarding military strategy.

Therefore, when he went to the battlefield and the two armies faced off, he killed the Tatar army’s general with a single shot.

Then, he led his soldiers to drive the Tatar army back to the other side of the Yanbian Grasslands.

He became famous in a single battle.

Jiang Shuoye was appointed Commander of the Northern Desert by Emperor Yingzong, holding a second-grade rank.

The Qin Family Army and the Jiang army then merged to form the Mobei Army.

After that, he submitted a memorial requesting to recruit more soldiers, and only then did the number of troops slowly increase.

Now, eight years later, the formerly separate armies had completely merged into one, becoming the current 80,000-strong Mobei Army.

Jiang Shuoye’s reputation gradually spread along with that of the Mobei Army, intimidating the Muhammad royal court and the Tatar tribes.

However, since the beginning of this year, Tatar troops had been raiding the border with increasing frequency.

They never launched an attack; each time, it was all bark and no bite, as if they were waiting for some kind of opportunity or brewing conspiracy.

Jiang Shuoye was deeply worried, and at this point he began to intensify the training of the cavalry.

Fortunately, with the guidance of the High Priest, he now possessed treasures such as stirrups and saddles, which were truly able to solve his urgent problem.

The soldiers cheered jubilantly, celebrating a victory that had been easier than any they had ever achieved before.

“The General is amazing! With these stirrups and saddle, I can swing my spear even harder.”

“That’s right. When I rode on horseback before, I was so afraid of falling off that I had to hold onto the reins with one hand. Now, I can let go of them without fear.”

“Look at how those Tatars are fleeing in disarray. It’s so satisfying!”

Jiang Shuoye exhaled slowly.

He had previously wanted to explain that the “stirrups and saddle” were divine provenance,  but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he couldn’t get them to come out.

Perhaps the immortal was immune to fame and fortune, and didn’t want him to publicize such a thing.

But when he heard the soldiers’ praise, he only felt ashamed.

This battle was a resounding victory, and it wouldn’t be long before the common people of the north heard about it. They would surely praise the bravery of the soldiers and commend their general for his skill in training the troops.

But the majority of the credit actually belonged to the High Priest, and Jiang Shuoye didn’t want to steal his glory.

Perhaps he should wait until he met the High Priest again and ask permission to spread his deeds, so that the common people and soldiers would remember the High Priest’s benevolence.

He ordered everyone to take the bodies of the fallen soldiers and bury them on the outskirts.

They all sprang into action.

Chu Jiubian hadn’t expected to witness such an intense, thrilling battle, but he had finally gained an understanding of Jiang Shuoye’s abilities.

He looked in the direction of the camera.

On the vast grassland, a young general clad in silver armor sat atop a tall steed, spear in hand as he gazed toward the fleeing Tatar army. The bloodstains splattered across his cold, handsome face only accentuated his fierce, murderous aura.

He was indeed a brave and capable general. He wasn’t reckless at all, but was instead cautious and intelligent, with almost no weaknesses.

No wonder the Imperial Court was wary of him; they feared not only the 80,000 Mobei troops, but also Jiang Shuoye himself.

Jiang Shuoye suddenly seemed to sense something, and glanced in a certain direction.

Chu Jiubian met his gaze through the camera and couldn’t help but smile.

This guy was as alert as ever.

However, given the other party’s current state, it seemed unlikely that he would easily be able to fall asleep or relax. He would probably call his subordinates to review the battle as soon as he got back.

“System, how do I remind him to go to sleep?” Chu Jiubian asked.

It was really troublesome that a Believer had to be asleep or in a daze in order to enter the Divine Realm. Were there to be an emergency, he wouldn’t be able to notify or summon his Believers right away.

[Hello, Host. This System provides a spatial transmission service. Only 500 points must be spent to reach a Believer, with a duration not to exceed one minute.]

[Friendly reminder: this spatial transmission service violates the rules of the three-dimensional world. Host may experience side effects such as dizziness and minor internal bleeding. These side effects will resolve naturally in two to three days, so there is no need to worry.]

Five hundred points?

And so many side effects!

Chu Jiubian replied decisively: “No need.”

Upon seeing his stinginess, the System added: [This System also provides a message transmission service capable of transmitting your words to a Believer. Each entry of ten characters or less costs 2 points. For entries exceeding ten characters, an additional point is charged for every three extra characters.]

Chu Jiubian: “…..”

It really seized every opportunity to make him spend points.

He might call his Believers in their dreams more often in the future, and send messages occasionally, which would consume two or more points each time.

He had to spend points everywhere, but it was getting harder and harder to earn them.

No wonder the System didn’t issue missions – even if it didn’t, Chu Jiubian would do his utmost to earn Faith Points and feed them to the System.

“Do you offer monthly or yearly subscription services?”

[This System does not provide such services. Thank you for your understanding.]

Fine, at least there was a messaging function.

“What if a Believer wants to contact me?” Chu Jiubian asked.

[Host can enable the real-time monitoring function, which only requires a monthly payment of 30 points. Once this function is enabled, this System can monitor a Believer’s status in real time. If a Believer is in a life-threatening situation or needs to contact Host, this System will notify Host in a timely manner.]

Oh, now it knew about monthly subscriptions. 

Chu Jiubian said speechlessly: “I’ll purchase it.”

This feature was vital. Thirty points it was.

Jiang Shuoye naturally felt the familiar sensation of being watched, and his heart involuntarily constricted.

When had the High Priest appeared?

Was he here to see how the stirrups and saddles worked in actual combat?

No wonder he was a celestial being; he was able to make such accurate calculations.

However, the High Priest would always leave as soon as he came, giving Jiang Shuoye no chance to thank him in person.

Should he try to persuade him to stay, and ask to meet with him?

He wondered if that would offend the god.

Just as he was dithering, the cheers of the soldiers around him abruptly cut off. His ears heard only silence. Suddenly, the distant, ethereal cry of a phoenix sounded.

He subconsciously looked up, and saw a phoenix with a long, bright golden tail flying down from the clear sky!

The divine bird, draped in colorful rays of light, flew over his head and made a circle.

He heard the High Priest’s clear, cool voice echo in his ears: “At noon, I will seek you in your dreams.”

With a flap of its long wings, the phoenix cried out as it flew toward the blazing sun and vanished.

Jiang Shuoye was in shock for a long stretch of time. When he came back to his senses, he glanced at the soldiers around him but found that they weren’t acting any differently, and were still moving the bodies of the dead soldiers.

So he was the only one to witness that miraculous scene.

He was the only one present who was truly blessed by the god.

An indescribable excitement took root in his heart.

Noon.

Jiang Shuoye glanced at the sun; there was still an hour left. He must hurry back to the military camp and go to sleep.

The High Priest had said he would enter his dreams, so he naturally needed to be sleeping.

It was just a question of if he would be able to fall asleep in his excited state.

Chu Jiubian shared this worry.

[Please rest assured, Host. This System can conjure images to calm the mind and soothe the spirit. Believers can reach a state of emptiness even if they cannot sleep, simply by wanting to dream.]

The System had just now conjured an image of a golden phoenix, and the gold dust falling from it had the effect of inducing dreams.

And it wouldn’t put someone to sleep if they wanted to stay awake, which was convenient.

These were all hidden features of the System, which had been perfected through the use of many previous hosts.

So before him, the System must have followed quite a few other hosts.

The Causal System – its original name – had only changed to the Great Ning System after it was bound to Chu Jiubian, based on the path he might take in the future.

But in the end, its purpose was still to help Chu Jiubian correct a causality.

But what exactly was wrong with this world?

Deep in thought, Chu Jiubian sat on his throne for a long time until someone fell into the Divine Realm, at which point he looked up.

Jiang Shuoye was already very skilled at this, and jumped down from mid-air without giving the golden phoenix a chance to catch him.

Chu Jiubian propped his cheek up on one fist, watching this person emerge from the mist.

“Jiang Shuoye greets the High Priest.”

The young general bowed, still clad in his silver armor and exuding a warlike aura.

“Please sit,” Chu Jiubian said.

“Yes.” Jiang Shuoye was clearly excited, and his body was somewhat stiff as he sat down.

It was unreasonable to expect the god to speak first, so Jiang Shuoye said: “Many thanks to the High Priest for the diagrams and books he previously gifted me. Our Mobei Army’s great victory over the Tatars today came about because of these stirrups and saddles, which is all thanks to you.”

“It’s only that when someone asked me about them before, I was unable to speak your name, leading others to misunderstand that it was my doing. I’m truly ashamed.”

He quickly offered this explanation, knowing that Chu Jiubian had been watching him before and fearing that the other party would misunderstand that he had taken credit.

“It’s alright,” Chu Jiubian said calmly. “If anyone asks again in the future, you may mention my name, but you must not mention anything about the Divine Realm.”

He granted Jiang Shuoye the authority to spread his message, but left the matter of the Divine Realm aside, as it was his biggest secret.

Jiang Shuoye hurriedly agreed. 

Chu Jiubian paused for a moment before slowly opening his mouth to say: “You have passed the test, and may become my disciple.”

Jiang Shuoye was ecstatic.

To become the disciple of an immortal – what an honor!

 At the sight of his reaction, Chu Jiubian continued: “From now on, you may refer to yourself as my subordinate. Are you willing?”

He spoke in a cryptic, mystical manner, like a charlatan spreading heresy, but Jiang Shuoye immediately stood up and bowed, saying deferentially: “Thanking the High Priest for his favor! This subordinate is willing to serve you with his life!”

He didn’t make this decision on a whim, but rather because he had witnessed Chu Jiubian’s abilities.

If he was the disciple of an immortal, he would surely be able to fight for more benefits for the Mobei Army and the common people of Great Ning.

Of course, he wasn’t an ungrateful, heartless person. Since the High Priest had given him good things, he naturally wanted to repay him.

“I just don’t know what I, a mere mortal, can do for you?” he asked respectfully.

As expected of someone of noble birth – he knew that both mortal and god must exchange benefits. Right now, without Chu Jiubian even having to ask, he was already asking him for a “mission.”

Chu Jiubian was very satisfied with his reaction. He naturally didn’t hold back, saying mildly: “I am undergoing a tribulation in this world, and need the faith of believers to achieve success. All you need to do is have faith in me.”

Tribulation?

Faith?

Jiang Shuoye understood immediately.

“Tribulations” were certain obstacles on the path of godhood, and overcoming them would make one stronger.

To overcome this so-called “tribulation” required the faith of believers.

However, since the High Priest had come from outside this world, his reputation here was not as great as those of the gods in the temples and monasteries, so nobody knew of his prestige and he could not gather faith.

Moreover, the gods and Buddhas in those Daoist temples required incense offerings and faith. The High Priest also needed faith to prove his legitimacy as a deity.

And the High Priest didn’t even need incense offerings, nor did he ask for temples and monasteries to be built. He only asked that more people know about him and believe in him. That was far too little!

He was practically a saint, incorruptible and virtuous!

Jiang Shuoye was even more awed, and his posture became even more respectful: “Please rest assured, High Priest, this subordinate will handle the matter well.”

This person was sensible and of good character, upright and grateful.

Chu Jiubian felt that the Mobei Army would definitely be his strongest support from now on.

However, the current strength of the Mobei Army was still not quite up to par, and was far from the “divine weapon” he desired.

The most obvious problem was its insufficient combat readiness.

Chu Jiubian had just noticed the weapons used by the soldiers. Whether it was the spears of the Mobei Army or the longswords of the Tatar army, they were just common ironware replete with porous iron and impurities.

This forging method resulted in weapons with short lifespans and a low success rate.

Jiang Shuoye’s spear was slightly better, but it was still inferior to the steel spears seen in later generations.

There were also the iron stirrups. The ones Jiang Shuoye had used were a little deformed after he stepped on them to stand during battle.

This demonstrated the poor quality of ironware in this era.

If only steel could be made.

Chu Jiubian recalled that in his original world, steelmaking technology seemed to have existed during the Western Han Dynasty. Repeated forging resulted in “refined steel,” which was on a completely different level from ironware.

With more hard work, he might be able to bring about “steelmaking technology”…..

Chu Jiubian’s thoughts wandered further and further, until he had built a skyscraper in his mind with all of the possibilities.

He looked down at Jiang Shuoye, who was sitting quietly in his chair. He was clearly a decisive and ruthless general, but at this moment, he had the look of a model student.

He waited silently while Chu Jiubian was deep in thought, and didn’t interrupt. This demonstrated his keen observation skills.

These Believers…..he had picked them well.

And good Believers deserved good investments.

In a good mood, Chu Jiubian said: “There is a method for refining steel, which I will now give to you.”

He bought a book titled “From Forging Ironware to Steelmaking” from the System Mall and handed it over.

Jiang Shuoye’s eyes lit up at the sight of the book appearing on the table.

He didn’t know what “steel” was, but with the precedent of the stirrups and saddles, as well as the three military books and horse-raising techniques that had benefitted him greatly, he was sure that this must be a good thing as well.

He first thanked Chu Jiubian for his kindness, then picked up the book.

The book had transformed to fit the era, both in terms of text and binding methods – only the paper was of much better quality.

From Forging Ironware to Steelmaking?

Jiang Shuoye understood immediately upon reading the title.

Steel should be a better weapon material than iron, and was created from iron itself.

Such a miraculous thing must never be made known to outsiders.

Even Great Ning’s four great families and seven vassal kings should be kept in the dark as much as possible.

It seemed he would need to find some suitable blacksmiths and build a workshop. These people must be discrete, reliable, and have clean backgrounds.

Just as he was making his plans, he heard the High Priest say: “This method of steelmaking forges divine weapons. Do not let it be known to others, lest they create trouble.”

Jiang Shuoye immediately stood up and bowed: “This subordinate understands.”

“If you ever need anything from me in the future, simply chant my name and state what you wish to ask,” Chu Jiubian added.

Jiang Shuoye readily agreed.

This way, he could seek out the High Priest when he needed to.

“Is there anything else you would like to report?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“No, this subordinate has nothing else,” Jiang Shuoye replied.

“Then go,” Chu Jiubian said, and had the System send him out.

Inside his tent, Jiang Shuoye opened his eyes and immediately sat up to look under his pillow. Sure enough, he found the book on steelmaking.

He walked to the corner and pressed down to reveal a secret compartment.

The compartment contained many letters, as well as the three blueprints Chu Jiubian had given him before. He put this new steelmaking method into it as well.

He would put setting up the workshop on hold for now. He first needed to clarify the issue of the stirrups and saddles.

The High Priest needed faith, so this matter should be spread as widely as possible.

Chu Jiubian also exited the Divine Realm. Seeing that it was still early, he took a nap before waking up.

He hadn’t gone to work in the morning, so in the afternoon, he thought he would go to the government office and get to know the local officials better.

He instructed Xiao Xiangzi to prepare a sedan chair, then proceeded toward the palace gates.

Inside the study in Yangxin Hall’s western courtyard, Qin Chaoyang reported: “My Lord, the Young Master has left the palace. The bodyguards are following him.”

Qin Xiao continued reviewing memorials without looking up.

Qin Chaoyang continued: “Those people have also made their move.”

Qin Xiao paused, then closed the memorial and stood up: “You stay and guard His Majesty.”

Qin Chaoyang agreed. When he looked up again, his master had disappeared.

There was a soft noise behind him. When Qin Chaoyang turned around, he saw a man dressed in black with a straw hat on his head.

He sat lazily on a chair with one leg propped up, a black mask concealing his face.

Qin Chaoyang was not surprised at all. He nodded, saying: “You’re here.”

The man’s voice sounded young as he said with a smile: “Tell me about that Jiu-gongzi.”

*

*

Outside the palace.

Chu Jiubian traveled along Chang’an Street aboard the sedan chair.

There was still some distance to the Six Ministries. The wide road was flanked by high palace walls the whole way, with tall, sturdy trees planted both inside and outside those walls.

Chu Jiubian was browsing the System Mall when he felt the sedan-bearers suddenly slow down, then stop completely after a few steps.

“Young Master, someone is blocking the road,” a sedan-bearer said calmly.

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Jiubian heard the sound of an arrow whistling through the air outside, as well as the clash of weapons.

Someone had intercepted the arrow shot from the shadows.

This location was not far from the palace and the Six Ministries.

In broad daylight, on this wide, stately official road, these people dared to attack an official appointed by the Imperial Court.

They disregarded the Imperial Guards, as well as the power of the throne.

This was the nature of noble families.

How arrogant!

Dozens of footsteps sounded from all directions, and dozens of assassins appeared with the sedan chair at the center.

At that moment, twenty guards appeared and formed a circle, protecting the sedan chair in the middle.

The guards and assassins immediately engaged in close combat battle.

None of them spoke; only the light sounds of disordered footsteps and the occasional thud of someone falling to the ground could be heard.

It was like a silent film.

Suddenly, several arrows shot toward the sedan chair.

The four sedan-bearers closest to the sedan chair drew longswords from a hidden compartment and cut the arrows in half before they could even touch the sedan chair.

Arrows had a limited range, so those people must be close by.

Chu Jiubian lifted the curtain slightly and took out the binoculars he’d just bought. Sure enough, he spotted several people crouched in trees a distance away.

He had initially thought these people would lure him to some secluded location, or perhaps attempt to poison him, but who would have thought that they were so lawless as to confront him directly?

So you’re going to use force, huh? You want me dead, right?

A strange light flashed through Chu Jiubian’s eyes.

This was an era where human life was as worthless as grass. As a powerful official in the court, if someone tried to kill him, he could kill them back without bearing any responsibility.

[Host, are you sure you want to spend 99 points to purchase a GLOCK19 pistol?]

“I’m sure.”

A heavy weight pressed into his hand, ice-cold to the touch.

It was loaded.

Chu Jiubian raised his hand and pointed the muzzle of the gun through the slightly open curtain of the sedan chair.

---

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Chapter 27 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 29

The mild, friendly aura perpetually shrouding Disi vanished, and was replaced by an unusual collectedness.

“You suspect I’m the poisoner?”

“He drank the wine you gave me. Since you know who I am, you must be aware that someone wants to kill me.”

“You ate a lot in front of me at the ball, and you ate the food I picked for you today. If I wanted to harm you, I had plenty of opportunities.”

“Even if you aren’t the poisoner, if I can’t confirm whether you’re friend or foe, I would rather kill you by mistake to eliminate a hidden danger.”

Croston’s garden and the main house presented two very different styles. Flowers were in full bloom, competing in beauty, and even at this time, there were a handful of hardworking bees and butterflies working overtime to collect nectar.

Disi thought deeply for a long stretch of time before slowly uttering a name: “Lu Hulun.”

“Lu Hulun sent you?”

“He’s my enemy as well.” Disi said word by word, “He murdered my wet nurse.”

Ling Yi waited patiently for him to continue.

“Not long after I was born, my biological parents placed me in the home of Viscount Qiao Wen, a bachelor. He knew nothing about taking care of children, so a maid who had just given birth became my wet nurse. She raised me from childhood to adulthood, and my feelings for her are even deeper than those for my biological mother.”

“My wet nurse’s biological son was the same age as me, but he was given away to be raised by someone else when he was born. That family treated him very poorly. He came looking for her several times, but was ruthlessly driven away each time. I didn’t understand how the wet nurse could be so gentle and kind to me, but so cold-hearted toward her own son. It wasn’t until she was executed in the street that I finally understood—”

Disi paused, recalling a scene he didn’t want to recall: “She was a member of the Bee Tribe.”

Ling Yi’s gun hand trembled slightly.

“This name rarely appears nowadays. You probably haven’t heard of it, right?”

Ling Yi feigned calmness: “I’ve heard a little bit.”

“The Bee Tribe was originally a minority group living in the mountainous regions of southwest China. They were named thus because their social structure resembled that of bees…..”

The Bee Tribe not only lived in groups and worked together like bees, but they also secreted saliva that could paralyze or even kill a person, known as bee venom.

They used to live peacefully in their own territory like other ethnic minorities, but seventeen years ago, for reasons unknown, they took the initiative to provoke conflict.

The most notable person who died in this conflict was Count Lu Bie’er, who was greatly respected and loved by the common people at that time.

Lu Hulun lost his beloved son, and in his rage, launched a genocidal war against the Bee Tribe. Not only were the Bee Tribe colonies in their territory completely slaughtered, but even those scattered around outside were not spared.

Since then, the empire had enacted a law that any remnants of the Bee Tribe that were found should be executed on the spot without trial.

In this way, over the past decade, the people of the Bee Tribe had long become extinct on this continent.

“My wet nurse survived several bloodbaths, concealed her identity, and worked as a servant in the home of a minor viscount. She didn’t even dare to recognize her own son. She was kind and gentle, had committed no crimes, and had never harmed anyone, yet she ended up dead in the street.”

“After my wet nurse died, her biological son finally learned about his background and came to me, wanting to avenge his mother. I devised a plan to send him to the Prime Minister’s office, and created an opportunity for him to save Lu Hulun’s life so as to gain his trust. He then spent several years gradually rising to a core position, and came into close contact with many of Lu Hulun’s plans. Naturally, we found out that he had sent his most capable assassin to the Royal Medical College to kill a helpless patient.”

Ling Yi got the gist of it: “You approached me with a purpose from the beginning.”

“But my intention has never been to harm you.”

“Then what is it?”

“Whether you think I’m a kindred spirit or that I want to recruit more allies, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

“You may have chosen the wrong ally. I’m a coward who loves life and can barely manage to survive. I won’t take any risks for the sake of revenge.”

“Have you forgotten about that drink? As long as Lu Hulun still lives, you are taking a risk every day you’re alive.” Disi said, “Of course, I’m not kidnapping you to join us. I can provide you with insider information. Even if you don’t intend to seek revenge, you can use this information to protect yourself.”

“You’ll provide me with information out of the goodness of your heart?”

“I may not have the power to overthrow Lu Hulun, but I can at least do my best to protect those he persecutes and prevent innocent people from suffering the same fate as my wet nurse.”

In order to express his sincerity, Disi even took the initiative to provide the first piece of information.

“The Royal Court’s Grand Justice went to see Lu Hulun. The two conspired for a long time, and a key piece of evidence vanished.”

Ling Yi became apprehensive: “What evidence?”

“A cell phone memory card that contained footage of a crime scene taken by an eyewitness. My informant was unable to access the memory card and the information inside it, but given that they chose to dispose of the evidence, there must be something there.”

“Where is that memory card now?” Ling Yi asked.

“As far as I know, it’s still at the courthouse, in the custody of the Grand Justice.”

Ling Yi fell silent. His instincts told him that this person was telling the truth, but he also knew that he must be hiding something from him.

Just as he was debating whether or not to lower the gun, a figure flashed between the two of them. A hand tightly grasped the barrel of the gun, forcing the muzzle to rest against the person’s own brow.

Ling Yi was shocked by his reckless behavior, and even more astonished by the identity of the person who appeared in front of him: “Captain Tang De?”

The Tang De before him was so serious that he was like a stranger. “You mustn’t shoot!”

He held the barrel tightly, not moving an inch, with a determination in his eyes that disregarded life and death.

“What are you doing?” Ling Yi had never seen Tang De like this before.

“You mustn’t shoot,” Tang De repeated firmly. “His Highness Oser has already used his power of pardon on you once. If you are sentenced for murder again, even His Highness won’t be able to save you.”

“I wasn’t going to kill him. I just wanted to question him about something.”

Tang De still refused to let go: “I believe you, but this conduct is too dangerous. Please let go first.”

“I didn’t release the safety.”

Ling Yi slowly loosened his grip to prove his words. Tang De swiftly turned the gun around and checked it, only to find that there was indeed no bullet loaded. He heaved a sigh of relief, as if he had survived a disaster.

“You really scared me to death. Can you please not use weapons so casually in the future? You scared half the life out of me last time, and I don’t have much left.”

He had returned to the usual Tang De, but Ling Yi’s impression of him had changed.

“Did you come here for me?”

Tang De put the gun away for safekeeping: “The poisoner has been caught, and His Highness Oser will preside over the trial. Let me take you back first.”

Hearing this, Ling Yi obediently turned and left, completely forgetting about the other protagonist left behind.

“Are we now companions in the same camp?” Disi asked loudly from behind.

“I didn’t promise you anything.”

Tang De turned halfway around and lowered his eyes with an imperceptible nod, then quickly caught up with Ling Yi.

It wasn’t until the two were completely gone that Disi spoke: “Come out.”

Du Bin emerged from the nearest bushes, gun in hand.

“Put that dangerous thing away. I can’t stand people like you who use weapons so casually.”

Du Bin did as he was told: “What if he threatens your life again next time?”

“There won’t be a next time.” Disi said confidently, “He believes me. It won’t happen again.”

. . . . . . 

When Ling Yi returned to the medical college, Lei Yue’s life was no longer in peril.

The lab department worked nonstop to produce a toxicology report, and Pat looked grim when he read it.

“What are the results?” Ling Yi asked. Lei Cheng was also there to question Pat.

“This poison mainly targets Omegas. Were an Omega to consume it, they would die on the spot, but since Lei Yue drank it by accident, it was…..”

He suddenly realized that it was inappropriate to say such a thing in front of Lei Cheng, and he swallowed back the words “a blessing in disguise” at the last moment.

But if the person who was poisoned tonight had been Ling Yi, he would probably be lying in the hospital morgue right now.

Ling Yi also felt some lingering fear, and at the same time felt deeply guilty toward Lei Yue.

“This person was likely targeting me. I’m sorry for bringing trouble to the Marshal’s family.”

Lei Cheng spoke in a robust, penetrating voice.

“Even if the target wasn’t a member of the Lei family, it was the Lei family’s guest. The Lei family motto is to avenge every grudge. I will absolutely uncover the mastermind behind this. I will not allow my son to have been poisoned in vain, and I will also find an explanation for His Highness Oser.”

Lei Yue had just woken up after having his stomach pumped, and came into the lounge when he heard the noise. He saw Ling Yi at first glance and said with pleasant surprise: “You came to see me.”

He then remembered that Lei Cheng was also present, and tensed as he called out: “Father.”

Lei Cheng looked at the two of them in turn: “Since a friend has come to visit you, greet him well. I will go and meet the brave warrior who dared to poison someone in Croston Manor.”

Lei Yue was visibly more relaxed once Lei Cheng left. It was evident that he held great respect for his father, the Marshal.

“Thanks for coming to see me. I’m alright now.”

Ling Yi was still struggling over whether to tell Lei Yue that he had been poisoned because of him.

Lei Yue noticed his dilemma: “I heard that I was poisoned with a highly toxic substance that targets Omegas. The person who poisoned me obviously didn’t mean to kill me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why should you apologize? You’re not the one who poisoned me.”

“I implicated you in this.”

“I’m actually glad it wasn’t you who drank that glass of wine.”

His face took on a look of concern: “Who on earth did you offend? They actually tried to poison you at my family’s banquet. Does His Highness Oser know about this?”

Ling Yi nodded hesitantly.

Lei Yue pursed his lips tightly and forced a smile: “Then I don’t need to meddle in this matter. His Highness Oser will definitely not allow such things to continue to happen.”

Ling Yi was silent, and Lei Yue didn’t know what to say next.

“If there is anything I can do to help, just ask. I’m okay now. You should go back soon.”

“I’m Ling Yi.”

Lei Yue froze.

“You’re not dead?”

“If not for luck, I would be dead several times over. But I managed to survive each time, just like now.”

“This time…..was it Lu Hulun too?”

“There shouldn’t be anyone else who wants to kill me.”

After getting over the shock of Ling Yi being alive, Lei Yue’s eyes gradually turned cold.

“I regret not being able to help you before when you were in trouble. Now that heaven has given me another chance, I won’t sit idly by this time.”

“I didn’t confess to ask for your help.”

“Then why did you?”

“To comfort you out of pity. Don’t be depressed over losing to two people – I’m the only one who defeated you from beginning to end.”

“……” 

“It’s too hasty to say ‘there’s no one else who wants to kill you.’” Lei Yue was full of resentment. “With your mouth, it’s impossible that you’ve never offended anyone else.”

“Then I’m lucky to be alive today.” Ling Yi waved at him from behind. “Since there’s nothing else, I’ll leave first.”

The person who was full of resentment a second ago was suddenly concerned about his destination.

“Wait, where are you going?” 

Ling Yi didn’t even turn around. “I also want to meet the brave warrior who poisoned someone at Croston Manor and find out which enemy I’ve offended.”

. . . . . .

The man hanging in the interrogation room was barely recognizable as a servant.

Barely, because he was covered in blood, and there was not a single intact part of his servant’s uniform.

Ling Yi felt physically uncomfortable with one glance through the glass. In comparison, the interrogation he received during his arrest could be considered mild.

“These soldiers have experienced many life-or-death situations, so their methods are naturally ruthless,” Oser explained to him. “If you feel unwell, just wait outside. The one who was poisoned is Lei Cheng’s son, and they won’t stop until they achieve a result.”

Ling Yi endured the discomfort and insisted on staying.

“What is that person’s identity?”

“A kitchen staff member. He’s worked at Croston for many years.”

“Lu Hulun’s spies have been lurking in the Marshal’s house for so long?”

“He wasn’t necessarily lurking. The old man uses all available tricks, including coercion, bribery, and even buying someone over at short notice.”

“Then has he confessed?”

“The torture was too severe, and he accused people randomly. The military is investigating them. In my opinion, his words might not be true.”

“What if he refuses to give them up even in death?”

“Lei Cheng personally made clear that we can use any means necessary.”

“What constitutes ‘any means necessary?’”

Ling Yi’s question was answered through practical application.

The door of the interrogation room was opened, and a blindfolded little girl was brought in.

The girl looked to be only five or six years old. She was small and thin, and her clothes were worn but very clean.

The pupils of the dying middle-aged man instantly dilated. He struggled hard, but didn’t make a sound.

“I’ll give you ten seconds to reconsider.” The interrogator moved to take off the blindfold. “Ten…..”

The man’s eyes were bloodshot as he tried to gouge the flesh out of the other person with just his gaze.

The interrogator ruthlessly slammed the electric baton in his hand into his ribs. The man convulsed in agony, veins popping out in his forehead and neck, but he remained silent. Blood flowed from the corners of his tightly clenched mouth.

“Nine, eight, seven……”

As the countdown sounded, the little girl grew more and more frightened. She hunched her neck and trembled, and the blindfold couldn’t stop her tears from flowing.

“Six, five, four……”

The man began to shake his head desperately, silently pleading, but he received no mercy from the other party.

Oser knew that Ling Yi wouldn’t be able to bear this: “You should leave first.”

Ling Yi rushed out the door as the interrogator counted down to the end: “Three, two, one…..”

The interrogation room opened with a gust of wind, and at nearly the same moment the blindfold came off, a hand covered the little girl’s eyes.

“Don’t look.”

There was wetness against his palm.

“Don’t cry. Don’t be afraid.”

Ling Yi turned around with the little girl: “The door is right in front of you. Gege is taking you out.”

He took the little girl out of the room and ran into Oser as he came through the next door.

“Sorry, Your Highness, for ruining the plan. I guess I couldn’t help giving in to my soft heart.”

“It doesn’t surprise me that you would do this.” Oser sent someone to pick up the little girl.

“I suppose we won’t be able to ask anything else this time.”

Ling Yi had no regrets, but he couldn’t help feeling frustrated.

“At worst, I can just go out and act as bait a few more times. If they make enough attempts, they’ll definitely slip up somewhere.”

Oser gave him a warning look: “This is the last time. Everyone knows what the result will be, but there is a lack of direct evidence. If the person inside refuses to confess, we’ll fabricate evidence. Dead men tell no tales. But I will never allow you to take another risk.”

The interrogator came out with perfect timing: “He confessed.”

---

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Chapter 34 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 36

Chapter 59 – Once and For All

Lu Chengye gritted his teeth. If he’d had the materials here, he would have turned each of those people into little cursed dolls.

He was helpless. How could he have failed in such a one-sided situation!

And he was truly defeated. The golden arrow had been destroyed, and all of his spirit stones were used up. He couldn’t even wield the Heaven-grade weapon in his hand.

This was truly a case of failing to achieve a goal and suffering an even bigger loss.

So even though he knew where Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were, he didn’t dare approach them.

To him, the Burning Sky Bow and the golden arrow were no different from pieces of rubbish. He only had himself, and his two fists were no match for four hands. And now there were even more hands, because that damn Feng Ye was here too!

It was all just dog shit luck! It was enough for that bastard Feng Ye to get lucky and win against him, but those two bastards Fang Yang and Cao Zirui got lucky too. Otherwise, how could the golden arrow have broken so strangely?

The Floating Island Secret Realm had opened who knew how many times, and he had never heard of any earthquakes. Neither too early nor too late, the earthquake centered directly on the location of the golden arrow, breaking the Earth-level weapon he had obtained with great difficulty.

If he gave this excuse to Xue Ren, there was a 90% chance that he wouldn’t believe it. He would just think Lu Chengye was deceiving him and kill him in a temper.

He wasn’t being overly-suspicous. Xue Ren really was likely to do so.

And even if Xue Ren didn’t kill him, the Sect Leader definitely would once he found out what Cao Zirui had been through.

Wouldn’t it be child’s play for a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator to crush him?

Thinking about it this way, he really had no way out – all thanks to those three people. The more Lu Chengye thought about it, the more hateful he became. He cursed Feng Ye, Fang Yang, and Cao Zirui over ten times. He didn’t know Hao Chen, so he was able to escape his wrath.

A bunch of useless people who had nothing to their names but luck! Lu Chengye thought with a complete lack of self-awareness that he was the only one who was truly conscientious and down-to-earth.

He didn’t steal or rob, and he won the competition with his own ability. What? Poisoning? He was still capable of poisoning.

How unfair the world was! He was such an honest and hardworking person, but whereas he was unlucky, those three experienced good luck one after another.

No, he couldn’t just accept his fate like this! Lu Chengye abruptly clenched his fists. If he was going to die anyway, he might as well give it one more try!

He glared fiercely in the direction of those four people. Killing intent spread out wildly, but he realized that although he wasn’t close, he wasn’t far from them either. This could easily alert the enemy, so he quickly restrained himself.

But although he quickly brought himself under control, the bell hanging on Cao Zirui’s waist still sensed it.

Ding-ling. The silent bell all of a sudden gave a short ring, so short that if there was a little more noise in the environment, he wouldn’t have noticed it at all.

But Cao Zirui was particularly sensitive to the sound of this bell. At almost the same time the bell rang, the expression on his face changed mid-conversation with Fang Yang, and he looked around warily.

Fang Yang also heard the bell, but he wasn’t as sensitive as Cao Zirui. It was only when he noticed Cao Zirui’s change of expression that he realized what the bell signified. He immediately stood back to back with Cao Zirui, simultaneously calling for his Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage to come over and form a circle to facilitate defense.

But when Feng Ye and Hao Chen saw the two gesturing toward them, they stood there unmoving, looking at each other speechlessly instead.

The only thing that could pose a threat to them in the Floating Island Secret Realm was each other. When the two of them started to fight, even the lawless monsters in the sea had to stand aside. 

Of course, this was something they kept to themselves and didn’t speak out loud.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui stood together warily for a long stretch of time, but there was no movement around them. The bell didn’t ring again after that first instance.

The two of them could only gradually relax. Cao Zirui analyzed: “It might not be Lu Chengye. Perhaps it was a passing monster. It should have left by now, so the bell hasn’t rung again.”

Fang Yang wiped the nervous sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief: “Just a false alarm.”

Since there was nothing to worry about, they began to hit the road again. But Feng Ye suddenly said: “Can you show me that bell?”

As he spoke, he glanced at Cao Zirui’s belt. The golden bell swayed with his movements, but no longer made any sound.

Cao Zirui was taken aback. Although he didn’t understand, he still took off the bell and handed it to Feng Ye.

Feng Ye held the bell in his hand and poured a trace of spiritual power into it. Although magic tools differed from magic arrays, they were essentially the same. No matter their operation system, they were always powered by spiritual energy. The flow of that energy would tell him information that couldn’t be gleaned from the surface.

For example…..this bell was actually one of a pair of mother and child bells. Cao Zirui’s was actually the child bell. Although it could be used for early warnings, it also continuously emitted small spiritual leads so tiny that they were almost undetectable, allowing the mother bell to track its real-time location.

Feng Ye’s eyes narrowed. He had long suspected that Lu Chengye had a means to track Cao Zirui and Fang Yang through the dense jungle, because they were never able to lose him. There had to be a reason for that. And as it turned out, the problem lay with this bell.

“This is a nice-looking bell. Did someone give it to you?” Feng Ye asked, calm and composed.

Although he asked this in a veiled way, Hao Chen beside him knew exactly what he was asking. Feng Ye had suddenly stopped and asked to look at the bell, so there must be something wrong with it.

He didn’t expose Feng Ye, but instead acted as an ignorant spectator.

And Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were the actual ignorant spectators. The two of them still didn’t realize that something was wrong with the bell. Cao Zirui thought for a moment before replying: “My shixiong gave it to me before I left. Thanks to this bell, I was able to escape Lu Chengye’s pursuit several times.”

Although they were from the same sect, in terms of age, Feng Ye could be considered Cao Zirui’s shixiong. However, in terms of seniority, there was only one person qualified to be called Cao Zirui’s “shixiong.”

Xue Ren.

“Xue-shixiong is such a good person!” Fang Yang told Cao Zirui with admiration.

Cao Zirui nodded in agreement. Although he rarely spoke with his shixiong – because Xue Ren almost never took the initiative to talk to him and Cao Zirui’s own personality was rather introverted – the two sect siblings had always been familiar strangers.

But before he left, Xue Ren had suddenly given him such a gift. Although Cao Zirui didn’t say anything, he secretly kept this favor in his heart, thinking that if he found some precious spiritual plants this time, he would take them and give them to Xue Ren as a return gift.

It was a pity that he hadn’t found any worthwhile spiritual plants during his escape. He would have to think of some other way to repay the favor. With this in mind, Cao Zirui sighed with regret.

“Xue Ren…..” Feng Ye whispered to himself. He hadn’t paid much attention to Xue Ren as a person. He was more concerned about Xue Ren’s master, Sect Leader Ji Chengyue.

The only close encounter he’d had with Xue Ren was their unexpected encounter that night.

Although it had only been one encounter, Feng Ye had discovered that this person was duplicitous.

If Xue Ren was not the kind, gentle, good-hearted person he appeared to be, then everything could be explained.

For some reason, perhaps from jealousy or the fear that his master’s other personal disciple would threaten his position, he had attempted to murder Cao Zirui through Lu Chengye.

This explained the unknown high-level magic weapon in Lu Chengye’s hands. How had a Qi Refining stage disciple like him obtained such a treasure, and why had he hunted down Cao Zirui, a person he had no grudges against? Everything was connected.

Feng Ye had already painted a picture of the outcome of this pursuit in his mind, and was lost in thought for a long time. Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were a little puzzled as they stared at him. They didn’t understand what Feng Ye was doing with the bell for such a long time.

Feng Ye met their puzzled gazes and smiled, then handed the bell back to Cao Zirui.

He didn’t say a word as he watched Cao Zirui tie it back onto his belt.

He had no evidence. Lu Chengye attacking him under Xue Ren’s orders and the real reason Xue Ren gifted him the bell were all just suppositions.

What he could see may not be the whole truth. If there was another mastermind behind Xue Ren, could he have given Cao Zirui the bell out of ignorance? If he rashly told Cao Zirui, not only would he alienate his fellow disciple, but he might also wrongly accuse a good person.

So Feng Ye didn’t say anything. But now that he knew Cao Zirui was carrying a tracker, he couldn’t just ignore it entirely.

The reason the bell rang just now was not what Cao Zirui had guessed, that it was just a monster passing by. This child bell could transmit its location to the mother bell through an invisible thread of spiritual power, but similarly, Feng Ye could locate the mother bell through this thread.

Feng Ye had already realized that Lu Chengye was following them nearby. This fellow was unscrupulous, and must have some ulterior motive.

He didn’t destroy Cao Zirui’s tracker, which was constantly reporting his location, because he planned to directly eliminate the source.

Feng Ye suddenly clenched his fist and smacked it into his palm, as if he had just remembered something important. He said to the three of them with some vexation: “I left something at camp. I’ll go back and get it.”

“Ah? Is it important?” Fang Yang couldn’t help but glance at the sky when he heard this. Although they weren’t in a hurry, they also didn’t have very much time. If they had to backtrack, they might not make it in time.

Feng Ye nodded.

Fang Yang rolled up his sleeves and prepared to run: “What is it? I can run fast, so I’ll get it for you.”

Feng Ye: “……”

Hao Chen covered his lips with his mini fan and couldn’t help but chuckle.

He had also guessed most of what Feng Ye had figured out. He’d met Xue Ren as well and witnessed his duplicity, so he easily came to a conclusion and was on the same page as Feng Ye.

And he also knew that when Feng Ye said he had to go back, he didn’t really mean it. Feng Ye was probably going to solve this problem once and for all.

So before Feng Ye could reject Fang Yang’s offer, he conscientiously covered for him. He pushed Fang Yang and Cao Zirui forward, one hand on each of their backs: “The thing belongs to your shixiong, and he’s the only one who knows what it is. It would be a waste of time for you to go. We can wait for him as we walk – Fellow Daoist Feng Ye will definitely catch up with us, right?”

When he said this last sentence, he turned and winked at the slightly stunned Feng Ye.

Feng Ye stared for a moment, but soon returned to his senses and agreed: “Right, I’ll catch up with you. No need to wait for me.”

“But….” Fang Yang took two steps when he was pushed, but he was still a little worried. How could he just go ahead and leave his Useless Shixiong behind? 

So he jumped to the side to evade Hao Chen’s insistent hand, turning to look at Feng Ye.

Feng Ye waved to the anxious-looking Fang Yang and assured him with a smile: “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely catch up with you.”

His attitude was so firm that Fang Yang had no ability to persuade him, and could only helplessly follow Cao Zirui and Hao Chen as they continued forward.

Feng Ye watched their retreating backs. Just as he was about to turn and leave, Hao Chen suddenly turned his head and smiled at him.

In fact, when Hao Chen didn’t insist on making things difficult for him but instead offered his help, he was indeed a rare source of assistance. 

It had been obvious since their first meeting that there was an inexplicable tacit understanding between them. Therefore, even though he hadn’t left anything behind at all, the two of them were able to stick to their story.

So just now, even with Feng Ye not saying a word, Hao Chen had guessed what he was going to do and covered for him in a timely manner.

At first, Feng Ye was unable to believe that Hao Chen had good intentions, so he was a little stunned. But now it seemed that Hao Chen was honestly helping him.

He was a little prejudiced against Hao Chen, Feng Ye reflected on himself. He sent Hao Chen a grateful nod, then turned and left in the opposite direction.

Hao Chen watched Feng Ye’s figure disappear into the depths of the jungle, then turned back and landed a meter away from Fang Yang and Cao Zirui, following them unhurriedly.

Fang Yang deliberately slowed his pace to make it easier for Useless Shixiong to catch up with them, murmuring to Cao Zirui as he walked: “I wonder what’s so important that he has to go back for it at a time like this.”

Cao Zirui thought for a moment, then replied: “It must be something of great importance. Don’t speculate, he’ll definitely catch up with us.”

“Ai.” Fang Yang sighed dejectedly.

As they talked back and forth, Hao Chen didn’t interrupt them.

He followed the two of them in silence. After walking for about half an incense stick’s time, Hao Chen estimated that the distance was close enough. The corners of his mouth suddenly curved up.

It was true that he was helping Feng Ye, but…..honestly, it couldn’t be called that.

He put his hands behind his back when Fang Yang and Cao Zirui weren’t looking. A feather dropped out of his sleeve, and before it could drift to the ground, it transformed into a lifelike crow.

The crow flapped its wings and flew into the jungle behind the three of them, chasing after that lone, departing figure.

How can I miss a big show starring Feng Ye? Hao Chen thought with a smile.

---

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Chapter 58 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 60

Chu Jiubian looked away from the man’s chest muscles, and when he raised his eyes, he met the slightly dubious gaze of their owner.

Chu Jiubian: “…..”

It was perfectly normal to admire the appearance of the same sex. Qin Xiao had better not think of him as a pervert.

“Jiujiu.” The child took advantage of his illness, saying coquettishly: “I wanna sit high up.”

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes to look at him.

Bai Lihong immediately put on a pitiful expression: “Miaomiao is grown up and can’t sit high up anymore.”

Qin Xiao: “…..”

Yes, he even said his baby name. 

This wasn’t Chu Jiubian’s first time encountering Bai Lihong’s baby name.

In the original book, the name “Miaomiao” was given to him by the late empress.

‘Miao’ for ‘seedling,’ which symbolized a good harvest.

Qin Feng had hoped that her child could grow up healthy and be able to lead the common people to live good lives.

But what was sitting high up?

Chu Jiubian was unfamiliar with this game, but he guessed it was similar to being lifted up in the air.

No matter what it was, Bai Lihong was the emperor, and he could only be a child for a couple of days while he was sick.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t bear to disappoint him.

Evidently, Qin Xiao couldn’t either.

He said: “Just this once.”

Bai Lihong immediately grinned from ear to ear, and his pitiful appearance vanished as he clung excitedly to his uncle.

Qin Xiao lifted him up and let him ride on his shoulders.

So this was what he meant, Chu Jiubian suddenly realized.

Many children rode on their father’s shoulders like this when they were young. He had always been curious…..was it really that fun?

But when Chu Jiubian heard Bai Lihong’s laughter, he smiled.

It must be fun.

Qin Xiao was 1.9 meters tall, and the child sitting on his shoulders had a very good view. He steered Qin Xiao to move around, but they remained within the limited space of the bedroom.

Clearly, the young emperor was aware that some things should remain hidden from outsiders.

Qin Xiao played with him for a while, and the child asked to come down on his own initiative.

Qin Xiao set him back on the bed.

Bai Lihong stretched out a little hand and clasped his shoulder, saying: “Jiujiu has worked hard.”

Qin Xiao rubbed his little head and then skillfully helped him put on his clothes.

Hong Fu had already helped him wash all the sweat away when he woke up that morning, so now, he simply got dressed.

When he was finished, Qin Xiao called Hong Fu in from the outer room.

“Take His Majesty to wash his face,” he said.

“Yes.” Hong Fu led Bai Lihong to the outer room, where someone had already prepared water for washing. He didn’t need anyone else to help him. Instead, he personally watched the young emperor brush his teeth, then helped him wash his face and comb his hair.

Chu Jiubian also prepared to leave.

He planned to take the iron wok to the kitchens and cook up something tasty for the child.

It was currently lunchtime, so the kitchen must already have ingredients prepared. That would make everything more convenient.

However, the Imperial Kitchens were located in the back courtyard of Yangxin Hall, so it was unlikely that anyone would be allowed to go there casually unless they were accompanied by Qin Xiao.

Unlike electronic thermometers, iron woks were something that could conceivably be found in this era, so it wouldn’t seem too out of place if Chu Jiubian procured one.

Since he would be using it for cooking from now on, he couldn’t just keep hiding it every time; he might as well just take it out openly.

Thus, he had no intention of hiding it from Qin Xiao.

And conjuring a pot out of thin air was far more shocking than producing a couple of pills. Even someone as rational as Qin Xiao would be startled by it.

He didn’t believe he was a god, right?

Didn’t he think he was just a special person with extraordinary abilities?

If he were to suddenly produce a pot out of thin air in front of Qin Xiao, even such a staunch atheist would have to waver in his beliefs.

Thinking of this, Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but glance at Qin Xiao.

Their eyes met, and Qin Xiao smiled faintly: “Do you want a ride too?”

“What?” Chu Jiubian stared blankly.

“I noticed that you seemed rather envious of His Majesty just now.” Qin Xiao approached him and patted his shoulder. “Want to try?”

Chu Jiubian’s indifferent expression nearly cracked.

“No need,” he said, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.

Qin Xiao chuckled.

Chu Jiubian had no wish to continue this topic, and said: “May I use the kitchens?”

“You may.”

Qin Xiao led him to the back courtyard and dismissed the cooks, leaving only the two of them in the kitchens.

On the stove were several pots, all made of bronze or ceramic. Fish was simmering in one of the ceramic pots, and there was an abundance of processed ingredients on the counter next to it.

Chu Jiubian looked around and found that apart from the lack of a wide variety of seasonings, everything else was fairly complete.

It seemed that a lot of ginger slices had been added to the fish to remove the fishy taste, so rather than smelling fragrant, it just smelled strongly of ginger.

Chu Jiubian had eaten it at Yaotai Residence before, and it didn’t taste good at all.

Although Bai Lihong’s fever had subsided, according to the treatment methods of the Imperial Hospital, he would definitely have to take medicine for several days in order to make a complete recovery. For this reason, Qin Xiao assumed that Chu Jiubian had come here to brew medicine.

He just didn’t know how he had prepared such efficient medicine the day before.

Seeing that Chu Jiubian was going to move a bronze pot, Qin Xiao stepped forward and said: “Let me do it.”

“No need.” Chu Jiubian glanced at his shoulder.

When Qin Xiao was holding the boy, he had barely used his left hand, likely because he didn’t want to pull on his wound.

Qin Xiao was somewhat surprised.

He himself had practically forgotten about the injury to his shoulder, but Chu Jiubian unexpectedly still remembered it.

Chu Jiubian set the slightly heavy pot on the ground, and then Qin Xiao watched as a new pot that seemed to be made of iron appeared out of thin air in his hand.

Just like the pills that had appeared out of nowhere before, this pot popped into existence.

While the pills could have been hidden in a sleeve or other places, such a large pot couldn’t possibly have originated on Chu Jiubian’s person.

This couldn’t possibly be sleight of hand. So what else could it be?

In an instant, an outrageous idea suddenly became clear.

Qin Xiao’s deep eyes were fixed on the young man only steps away, who had already placed the iron wok on the stove.

“Let me show you what we immortals eat.” Chu Jiubian spoke casually, as if his magic trick was nothing to be surprised about.

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes and suppressed his restless thoughts.

“Can you cook?” Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at Qin Xiao and happened to catch a glimpse of his concealed expression.

It seemed to have worked.

As expected, drastic measures were needed for someone like Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao recovered and said: “I can call Matron Zhong.”

Matron Zhong was the head chef of the Imperial Kitchens, and had also accompanied Qin Feng in the palace before. She had always been the one to serve Qin Feng and Bai Lihong their meals, and continued to do so for Bai Lihong now.

Chu Jiubian supposed this person must be trustworthy.

Since he wasn’t going to cook every day anyway, he might as well teach Matron Zhong now for future convenience.

“Then please have her come,” he said.

A secret guard must have gone to inform her, because before Qin Xiao could speak, Matron Zhong hurriedly entered the kitchen and bowed to the two of them.

“No need for that.” Qin Xiao told her to light the stove.

Matron Zhong went to leave after the fire was lit, but Chu Jiubian said: “Stay.”

She sent a quick look toward Qin Xiao, and only stayed after he gave a nod.

Then she kept her head down and remained silent.

But in her mind, several rounds of questions had already passed through it.

She spotted the iron wok.

Iron ore was precious nowadays, and smelting it was troublesome, so it was considered a valuable resource. Therefore, no one had ever thought to make an iron wok.

The iron wok in front of her was very well-made, and looked like it was meant for stewing. Wasn’t that a waste?

She knew everything in the kitchen by heart, and hadn’t seen anyone bring in this iron wok, so where had it come from?

Could it be related to the young master?

They were fairly well-informed in the Imperial Kitchens, but because they didn’t know one another’s backgrounds, they didn’t dare just talk about anything. 

Just a few days ago, Ning-wang had punished a lowly eunuch named Xiao Huzi and a cook named Lian Niang on the grounds of “offending a noble person.”

These two had been in the Imperial Kitchens for several years. Everyone knew perfectly well that Qin Xiao’s sudden punishment of them meant that either they had betrayed their master, or they were spies planted there by other forces.

After that, the atmosphere in the kitchens had become much more relaxed, because everyone else knew that they were innocent, and were Qin Xiao’s or the Emperor’s people. Because of this, they all naturally became closer.

So when they gathered together to work or rest, they inevitably chatted for a while, with the main topic of conversation being the currently very popular “Jiu-gongzi.”

His ability to accurately predict the rainfall, his creation of ice, and the poems that were wildly popular amongst scholars and poets all demonstrated that Chu Jiubian was a celestial being descended from heaven.

Almost all of them believed this.

Matron Zhong couldn’t help but think of this matter now, and was inevitably a little excited at the thought of Chu Jiubian’s identity.

That iron wok must have been conjured up by the young master. She wondered what he intended to use it for.

Since they had brought her in to serve, didn’t that mean she would also have a chance to witness a miracle?!

“Matron Zhong,” Chu Jiubian called out.

“This servant is here.” Matron Zhong’s tone became even more respectful.

“I will now teach you how to cook the stir-fried dishes we immortals eat. Once you’ve mastered them, you can cook them for His Majesty in the future.”

Stir-fried dishes eaten by immortals?!

Good heavens! What an honor!

Matron Zhong flushed with excitement. Her hands trembled slightly, but she still managed to calmly and resolutely agree: “Yes, this servant will definitely learn them well.”

Chu Jiubian had long taken charge of his own household, and was a pretty good cook. Although he had basically stopped cooking after entering the entertainment industry, his skills should still be present.

The pot was already hot, so he used a matching iron spoon to scoop some oil, then added chopped scallions and onions and stir-fried them. Once they were aromatic, he added a spoonful of seasonings.

Seasonings were arguably the best food additives of his era.

Once the seasonings were fragrant, he added some chopped cabbage.

Unlike stewing, stir-frying immediately released the rich aroma of the vegetables.

Matron Zhong swallowed hard. A gnawing wave of hunger washed over her, but she dared not let her mind wander. She fixed her eyes almost unblinkingly on Chu Jiubian’s movements, afraid of missing anything.

Qin Xiao could tell from Chu Jiubian’s movements that he had done this often.

People said that a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen, but Chu Jiubian seemed to handle cooking with ease and confidence. And under the hazy glow of the flames, his aloof temperament seemed more down-to-earth.

Like an immortal who had descended to the mortal world.

Since he was already doing this, Chu Jiubian wanted to enhance the recipe a little more.

So he secretly took out some fine salt and thirteen-spice powder from the System Space. It would be even better if he could use some light or dark soy sauce.

However, just these two potent seasonings instantly created a mouthwatering aroma.

This time, not only Matron Zhong, but even Chu Jiubian was craving a taste.

The aroma wafted out of the kitchen to where the other cooks and Xiao Xiangzi were waiting out in the courtyard, and they all swallowed hard.

“What is that scent? It smells so good, ah.”

“Is Matron Zhong cooking? Have her skills improved?”

“It smells so strong, it’s making my stomach rumble.”

Xiao Xiangzi was one of the people closest to Chu Jiubian, and he firmly believed in his identity as a “god.” Because of this, he deduced the truth with a high degree of accuracy.

“Our Young Master must have brought some celestial food with him,” Xiao Xiangzi said.

Everyone turned to look at him: “How does Xiao Hong know that?”

Xiao Xiangzi proudly raised his chin and said: “Our Young Master is skilled in everything. He always brings us mortals the best things from the heavenly realm to broaden our horizons. I think this aroma is from the food he brought back from heaven.”

The cooks and palace maids exclaimed in amazement, all of them filled with envy.

To be able to accompany an immortal was truly an incredible stroke of luck for Xiao Xiangzi. But he was different from them, being the only disciple of Eunuch Hong Fu.

Bai Lihong had finished washing up, and came to the kitchens with Eunuch Hong just then.

He could smell the fragrance from a great distance.

Having just recovered from a fever, the child still had a low appetite. He had only drunk a few mouthfuls of porridge in the morning, and his mouth constantly felt dry and bitter.

But now, smelling this aroma, he couldn’t help but salivate.

The child always tried to appear more composed and mature in public. His cheeks puffed out, and he quickly swallowed twice.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

The people in the courtyard knelt down.

Bai Lihong called for them to rise, and looked at Xiao Xiangzi.

Xiao Xiangzi immediately stepped forward and bowed, reporting: “Your Majesty, our Lord and the Young Master are inside.”

“Are they cooking?” Bai Lihong asked in his childish voice.

Xiao Xiangzi shook his head: “This servant doesn’t know.”

He could make a definitive statement to his fellow servants, but not to His Majesty.

Inside the kitchens, Chu Jiubian had already finished the stir-fried cabbage dish.

He picked some out and took a bite. Although it lacked the flavor of cured meat and chili peppers, compared to the dishes of this era, it would be no exaggeration to call it divine cuisine.

Besides, Bai Lihong was still so young. It was best for him to eat something simple and low in salt. If it did contain chili peppers and cured meat, the child probably wouldn’t be able to eat it.

Chu Jiubian picked up another portion of cabbage and looked at Qin Xiao: “Want to try some?”

Qin Xiao’s eyebrows rose. Then he walked over, leaned down, and took the bite from his hand.

Matron Zhong’s attention was initially focused on the dish, but this scene immediately caught her eye and frightened her so much that she almost knelt down. But out of fear of disturbing the two lords, she could only lower her eyes in guilty shock and pretend that she hadn’t seen anything.

But inside, she was screaming.

Good heavens!

What in the world did she just see?!

She saw the Young Master feeding their Lord! The two even shared the same chopsticks!

Chu Jiubian glanced at her reaction, rather satisfied.

He was only putting on an act for the “outsider.” His “love tribulation” involving Lord Ning-wang needed to be confirmed with some solid news.

He and Qin Xiao were bound together now, standing against those other forces.

However, it wasn’t necessarily the case that Qin Xiao’s subordinates saw him as one of their own.

But if his relationship with Qin Xiao was ambiguous, these people’s attitudes toward him would change.

During the Great Ning Dynasty, scholars considered visiting prostitutes a refined pursuit, and there were brothels in abundance. Even the Minister of Works, Jian Hongzhuo, was involved in such activities. He had also married a man, and to this day had no concubines or children. Therefore, among the powerful and wealthy families of the capital, affairs between men were not uncommon.

This made it easier for Chu Jiubian to spread rumors about his ambiguous relationship with Qin Xiao.

“Delicious,” Qin Xiao praised without reservation.

He hadn’t expected Qin Xiao to directly use his chopsticks. He had just been teasing him, as well as showing enough intimacy to make Matron Zhong’s imagination run wild.

But Qin Xiao’s move actually assisted him well.

Outside, Bai Lihong really wanted to go in and see what they were doing, but he feared that Xiansheng and his uncle were attending to a serious matter, so he could only suppress his cravings and pace back and forth in the courtyard, his little legs moving fast.

At last, the kitchen door opened.

Bai Lihong came to a stop and looked over with expectant eyes.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian came out one after another, but Matron Zhong didn’t follow them. Instead, she remained in the kitchen to continue cooking other dishes.

With Chu Jiubian’s demonstration, this woman who was already a skilled cook was able to understand the concept of “stir-frying.”

As if her meridians had been opened, she eagerly took the iron wok and began to stir-fry.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao bowed almost simultaneously.

They were in tacit, unspoken agreement.

In front of outsiders, they must maintain Bai Lihong’s face as the emperor.

Bai Lihong then returned their greeting.

The two in front of him were his uncle and the Grand Tutor, so his response was also very standard.

“Your Majesty’s meal will be served shortly,” Qin Xiao said to Bai Lihong. “Let’s return to the main hall first.”

“Okay.”

The three of them then led Eunuch Hong and the others back to Yangxin Hall.

As soon as they arrived, the child was eager to ask what they had been doing and what smelled so good.

“You’ll see when the dishes are served,” said Qin Xiao.

Before long, a variety of dishes were placed before them.

Unlike the usual bland and watery dishes, today’s food looked incredibly appealing.

“Wow!” Bai Lihong exclaimed in delight. “So many new dishes!”

He sniffed, smelling the aroma he had noticed near the kitchen before. It was so fragrant that he swallowed hard.

Now that he was Emperor, he should naturally be the first to start eating.

So the child eagerly grabbed his chopsticks, and Hong Fu hurried to serve him food.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao also began to eat without needing anyone to serve them.

The table held six dishes.

The portions weren’t large, but Chu Jiubian felt that the three of them probably wouldn’t be able to finish it.

Let alone one of them being a child, the other two didn’t eat much. Chu Jiubian had a small appetite, and Qin Xiao should be the same.

However, the rest could be given to Eunuch Hong and the others. Here, it could be called a reward from their superiors.

“Delicious!” Bai Lihong’s eyes lit up after just one bite of cabbage. “Xiansheng, did you make this?”

It just so happened that Chu Jiubian had made this dish, so he nodded and said: “I did.”

“Xiansheng is amazing!” Bai Lihong’s admiration was undisguised, and he even tugged at Qin Xiao’s sleeve. “Jiujiu thinks so too, right?”

Their eyes met. Bai Lihong silently pursed his lips and lowered his head to eat, not daring to say another word.

Oh no.

Jiujiu always said not to talk while eating.

Just as he was thinking he might get a scolding, he heard his uncle say: “Yes. He is very impressive.”

He looked up in surprise and saw his uncle staring at Xiansheng.

Xiansheng glanced at his uncle, then resumed eating without a smile or a word.

This cold attitude was completely different from how he treated Bai Lihong.

The child was a little confused; did Xiansheng not like his uncle?

But Jiujiu was very good.

Everyone was satisfied with the meal. All six dishes were eaten clean, with nothing wasted, as most of it ended up in Qin Xiao’s stomach.

Chu Jiubian thought to himself, this guy looks thin, but he sure can eat a lot.

While the atmosphere in Yangxin Hall was filled with joy and harmony, the atmosphere inside Cining Palace was oppressive.

The palace servants hung their heads, barely daring to breathe.

It seemed that ever since the appearance of the Grand Tutor, there hadn’t been many peaceful days in Cining Palace.

Matron Liu served the Empress Dowager, picking up a piece of stewed eggplant with her chopsticks.

Eggplant stewed with only sauce and salt was usually considered delicious, but presently, Xiao Ruohan didn’t like the look of it and had no appetite.

She slammed down her chopsticks and reached out a hand.

Matron Liu quickly helped her up, and the two of them left the hall.

The aroma from the Imperial Kitchens had wafted far and wide, attracting the attention of many palace servants, and rumors soon began to circulate. It was said that Chu Jiubian had once again performed a miracle, bringing down food from the heavenly realm for the Emperor and Lord Ning-wang to eat.

And the rumors became increasingly fantastical, starting with claims that the heavenly cuisine was capable of strengthening the body and prolonging one’s life.

Xiao Ruohan didn’t believe it, but hearing it still annoyed her.

Ever since this Chu Jiubian appeared, Yangxin Hall had been experiencing a surge in comfort – first the ice, and now gourmet food.

Moreover, Qin Xiao’s influence in court was growing stronger and stronger.

The Imperial Court and the harem were intrinsically linked; the Xiao family was accustomed to using marriage alliances to win over court officials, and even emperors. But the current young Emperor was only three years old. Even if they offered him a celestial being, he wouldn’t care at all.

Thus, the only one in the harem now was her, the Empress Dowager.

But Qin Xiao was indifferent to everything. He was well-mannered and polite on the surface, but he never actually took her seriously.

Since his ascendance to the throne, even the young Emperor hadn’t formally paid his respects to her, disregarding her entirely.

“My Lady, please don’t get angry and harm your body,” Matron Liu said gently. “It’s just some food. I doubt they’ll bother to hide it, and our people will find out the details soon enough.”

“You’re just trying to appease me,” Xiao Ruohan huffed. “You know that’s not what I’m angry about.”

It was just food. She was the Empress Dowager, a legitimate daughter of the Xiao family. What good food hadn’t she already eaten or seen?

Matron Liu smiled: “Matters outside the palace are already being managed, so you can relax and wait for the right opportunity.”

A cold glint appeared in Xiao Ruohan’s eyes: “I hope they will act quickly and stop Chu Jiubian from getting in my way.”

What she was waiting for was for Chu Jiubian, this variable, to vanish entirely, and for Qin Xiao to also be removed as an obstacle.

Without the Qin family, the young Emperor was nothing.

At that time, Jiannan-wang was the one most likely to seize the initiative. With the Xiao family’s assistance, by the time the vassal kings arrived, Jiannan-wang would be securely seated on the throne.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, gazing outside toward a certain secluded residence in the capital. Guards stood watch closely around the perimeter, and many more secret guards were hidden all around, remaining vigilant at all times.

In the main house’s courtyard, a dozen people sat on wide mahogany chairs, creating an atmosphere that was at once strange and harmonious.

If there were outsiders present, they would be surprised to find that these people were all prominent figures in the capital. They all belonged to the four great families, but none of the family heads were present.

These officials rarely gathered together in such a way; this was the first time in nearly three years.

And their reason for gathering here today was to discuss how to eliminate the unpredictable “Jiu-gongzi.”

Everyone wanted him out of the way, but no one was willing to take the lead.

Thus, here they were.

No one would play any games; they would all send out their top assassins to ensure a fatal blow.

Otherwise, there was no telling how Chu Jiubian and the forces behind him would retaliate against them.

This group of cunning old foxes discussed for a long time before ultimately deciding when to take action and how many people to send.

The outcome of this would be that no one would suffer a loss, but no one would gain an advantage either.

Chu Jiubian was unaware that these people had already devised a plot to kill him.

What he cared about at the moment was contacting Jiang Shuoye as soon as possible and asking him to spread Chu Jiubian’s name in order to collect Faith Points.

The collection of Faith Points didn’t require disseminating his real name or identity. Even if believers worshiped him by his pseudonym – or didn’t even know his other name – as long as they believed in him because of his actions, they could imagine him however they wanted.

So when Jiang Shuoye helped spread his name, there was no need to call him the “High Priest.” It was enough to refer to him as an immortal.

After having lunch at Yangxin Hall, Chu Jiubian returned to Yaotai Residence.

As usual, he stated that he was going to take a nap. But the moment he closed his eyes, he entered the Divine Realm.

So slow.

He glanced at his points, which were increasing, but at an extremely slow rate.

“Let’s see what Jiang Shuoye is up to,” he said.

The System immediately opened the card screen.

In an instant, roars, the clash of weapons, and screams echoed throughout the Divine Realm.

On the vast grasslands, there was no shelter whatsoever.

The soldiers on both sides, dressed in entirely different garments, roared as they battled fiercely, their bodies covered in dirt and blood. Each thrust of their spears and slash of their swords was aimed at the enemy’s vital points.

They wanted nothing other than to devour one another’s flesh and blood.

Chu Jiubian’s pupils constricted sharply.

This was a battle between the Mobei Army and the Tatars!

The camera zoomed out, revealing a battlefield teeming with people, stretching as far as the eye could see in all directions.

The soldiers were engaged in close combat. The Tatars were tall and strong, much stronger than the soldiers of Great Ning’s army. Therefore, in this close-quarters battle, it was mostly the Great Ning soldiers who suffered wounds and casualties.

Suddenly, a loud horn sounded and Chu Jiubian saw the Great Ning Army gradually split down the middle, clearing out the central area of the battlefield.

Upon seeing this, the Tatars immediately charged forward along this route.

They roared, vowing to slaughter the entire Mobei Army, to eat their flesh and drink their blood!

Fwip—

A spear pierced the sky and sank straight into the chest of one of the leading soldiers, pinning him to the ground like a flag.

A young general in silver armor rode up, pulled back his spear, and charged forward. He kicked Tatars to the ground with his horse’s hooves and sliced their necks with his spear, carving a bloody path through them.

And behind him, a cavalry contingent of nearly two hundred men followed closely on his heels.

In the distance, the thick-bearded Tatar general Muhammad sat astride a tall horse. As he watched the cavalry charge onto the battlefield, he immediately burst into laughter.

“The people of Great Ning are getting more and more interesting!”

A nearby lieutenant scoffed: “These Mobei cowards actually dare to send out cavalry. Have they forgotten how our Tatar warriors slaughtered them and made them flee in terror?”

“Mir Khan,” Muhammad said with a laugh. “Go show them what a real cavalry looks like.”

“Yes!” Lieutenant General Mir Khan immediately ordered a hundred cavalrymen to charge forward.

In his view, even just a hundred cavalrymen was more than enough to deal with the Mobei cavalry.

It should be known that the people of the Great Ning Dynasty couldn’t even ride horses properly. If their horses were startled, they would roll off and be trampled by their own mounts. Today’s battle would definitely be child’s play.

A young soldier beside him spotted something in the distance and shouted: “Lieutenant General Mir, there seems to be something on those Mobei horses!”

Mir Khan looked closer and saw that there seemed to be a layer of material wrapped around the horses, as if they had been dressed up.

Other than that, there was nothing abnormal.

“Whatever it is, all they can do is be slaughtered by us or flee!” he said.

One hundred cavalrymen charged forward swiftly, closing the distance between them and the Mobei cavalry.

Closer.

Closer still.

Mir Khan spotted Jiang Chifeng, the young general of the Mobei Army. He was one of the few people from Great Ning who was skilled at riding and had considerable martial prowess, making him a formidable opponent.

General Muhammad had told him that this man was not to be underestimated – but he had never confronted him directly, and felt that no matter how capable this man was, he was still someone from Great Ning.

In a cavalry battle, this Tatar warrior who had grown up on horseback believed that he could never lose to this pretty boy.

As they drew closer, Mir Khan drew his longsword and brought it down fiercely.

Jiang Shuoye, coming from the opposite direction, brandished his spear and thrust it straight at him.

---

T/N: I’ll never understand how these rich douchebags can never be content with what they have. What would they even do with more power and wealth when they already have access to anything money can buy? And Xiao Ruohan — just eat your soggy eggplant and enjoy living in the lap of luxury, you dingus.

---

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Chapter 26 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 28

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

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

Chu Jiubian discerned this clearly.

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

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

But the young emperor was innocent. 

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

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

The light in the room flickered dimly.

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

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

He leaned forward slightly, closer to his left hand.

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

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

His gaze moved upward. Their eyes met.

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

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

This time, Qin Xiao didn’t stop him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Was it caused by a fever?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The smell of soil filled his nostrils.

“Xiao Jiu!” A woman’s voice rang out.

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

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

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

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

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

Almost there, almost there.

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

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

Get back.

Get back quickly!

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

Bang—

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

The dilapidated railing groaned, rocking precariously.

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

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

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

The man cried out in pain and shoved her away.

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

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

Bang!

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

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

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

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

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

“En. You can leave.”

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

It was dawn.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chu Jiubian walked a few more steps, then stopped.

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

“You did not,” said Qin Xiao.

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

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

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

Chu Jiubian just smiled and turned around to leave.

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

*

*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But…..that was a living person.

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

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

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

“Good. See to your duties.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Cousin is teasing me.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wang Qichen was delighted. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A chivalrous hero.

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

He was likely someone’s retainer.

*

*

The palace walls were high.

A figure passed silently through the many halls.

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

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

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

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

*

*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chu Jiubian held him firmly and lifted him high.

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

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

Today, he would hold this child firmly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chapter 25 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 27

Chapter 58 – Return Trip

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feng Ye: “……”

Cao Zirui: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Having said this, he walked toward the other two. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With a blank expression, Cao Zirui remained unmoved.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feng Ye: “……”

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

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

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

Feng Ye: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It went without saying where he was referring to.

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

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

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

However…..it wasn’t over yet.

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

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

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Chapter 57 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 59