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.

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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.

---

[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.”

---

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

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Chapter 57 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 59

Chapter 57 – “He’s Lucky”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One with the sweetest filling.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feng Ye said nothing, and simply stared at him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Having said this, he turned around and left.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time passed, and the sun rose higher and higher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other two people were left with a strange atmosphere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chapter 56 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 58

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

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Chapter 56 – A Long Night

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feng Ye: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two men were kissing?

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

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

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

Cao Zirui: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feng Ye nodded again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quietly, and without any burdens.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chapter 55 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 57

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

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

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

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

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

Situ Zhaling felt her mind become much clearer.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes to look at her.

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

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

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

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

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

A distant dragon let out a long, lingering roar.

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

“Welcome to my Divine Realm.”

Divine Realm?

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

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

Her heart was beating like a drum.

She asked cautiously: “Are you a god?”

Her clear voice was full of awe.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They never exploited the common people under their rule.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wait, she had to go find her mother!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This was indeed the case.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Their relationship was much closer compared to the other brothers.

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

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

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

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

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

“Ling’er?”

“Did she have a nightmare?”

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

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

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

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

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

Her voice returned.

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

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

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

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

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

Her voice caught in her throat again.

Situ Zhaoling realized that something was wrong.

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

Was…..was this the work of the god?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This was a good thing.

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

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

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

The little snake flicked its tongue.

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

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

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

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

Nanjiang was saved.

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

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

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

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

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

The moonlight in Nanjiang was very bright tonight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

His body was still too fragile.

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

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

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

Chu Jiubian took two cold medicine tablets with water.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He wanted his mother.

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

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

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

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

Today, he was finally crying again.

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

He would feel better after crying.

Outside, rain continued to fall in a steady drizzle.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chu Jiubian’s throat bobbed slightly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And then Xiansheng made the thing disappear again!

Amazing! He was indeed Immortal Xiansheng!

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

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

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

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

“No telling,” Chu Jiubian said.

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

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

“Are you finished?” he asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chapter 24 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 26