Li Lingsu wanted to go outside anyway, so he hurried to catch up, planning to leave alongside Xu Qi’an.
“Your appearance is far too eye-catching.” Xu Qi’an raised a hand, reminding him.
My damned charm… Li Lingsu habitually muttered internally, before suddenly choking on the words. He took a glance at Xu Qian’s figure, feeling somewhat glum.
“Senior, I haven’t gathered the ingredients for changing my appearance.”
Just as he finished, he saw Xu Qian throw something to him. Reaching out to grab it, he discovered a brocade pouch sewn with orchids.
The old sea king’s nose twitched slightly, totally sure that this was a woman’s private possession.
“A storage artefact?”
Li Lingsu’s eyes gleamed, making a pleased expression.
As the Holy Son of the Heaven Sect, he originally had two such storage artefacts; one was given to him by his sect, the other was the Earth Book fragment.
The one given by his sect was confiscated by the Dongfang sisters, whereas the Earth Book was given to his meddling junior sister Li Miaozhen.
“Thank you, senior.”
Li Lingsu was overjoyed. One must know that, travelling the jianghu, having a storage-type magical item was an immensely important matter.
However, storage artefacts were far too valuable. Even as the Holy Son of the Heaven Sect, losing such an item would still earn him a scolding.
Only arcanists could mass-produce these things.
“There’s a veil hat inside,” Xu Qi’an said blandly.
Li Lingsu took the veil hat out of the brocade pouch and put it on, then took the opportunity to glance at Xu Qian’s appearance, his heart stirring:
Xu Qian, which one was truly his real face?
“Senior, this isn’t your real appearance, is it?” Li Lingsu tried probing with a tone of certainty.
Previously, he had actually sensed that the disguise-skilled Xu Qian’s ordinary looks might not be his true appearance.
But he had no proof, and in any case, the Holy Son hadn’t concerned himself with it.
Until the day before yesterday, when he saw Luo Yuheng and the true beauty of the Great Feng’s number one beauty, Li Lingsu could no longer ignore it. He now looked forward to Xu Qian’s real face keenly.
“Don’t try to investigate my identity. It will do you no good,” Xu Qi’an said calmly.
Is that a threat… Li Lingsu pursed his lips, “Senior, I thought we were friends.”
It’s exactly because we’re friends that I don’t want you to be so embarrassed you could curl your toes through the floor once my identity is exposed… Xu Qi’an muttered inwardly.
Thinking back to how the Holy Son had been respectful all along in a junior’s manner, and how he had looked with dark circles when he was suffering from kidney trouble, once his real identity came to light, the one losing all face would definitely be Li Lingsu.
The two strolled aimlessly down the street. Throughout, Xu Qi’an always held the Earth Book fragment tucked within his sleeve.
He kept sensing the surroundings, the moment a Dragon Qi host appeared nearby, he would know instantly.
Li Lingsu strolled with hands clasped behind his back, walking with great poise, even more confident than before.
This confidence did not come from his charm, but from his restored cultivation.
…
Dajiao Square, the former garrison barracks.
Ji Xuan received a fourth-rank secret agent, the official responsible for managing the fourth-rank secret agents in Yongzhou City.
“Sir, you surely must be very busy.”
Ji Xuan cradled a tea cup, blowing gently on it, scrutinising the secret agent wrapped in robe and wearing a hood.
Before this, the one who had been liaising with them was the fourth-rank agent from Zhangzhou. The reason for making that person work across borders was that the agent in Yongzhou had too many responsibilities and could not spare time to deal with the Buddhist and Xu Qian matters.
The agent gave a small chuckle, his gaze sweeping across Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai: “I am ‘Chen’, one of the thirteen fourth rank agents.”1
“In fact, what I’ve been investigating lately has some connection to Xu Qian.”
On hearing this, the siblings’ expressions shifted slightly, and Xu Yuanhuai ground his teeth.
Ji Xuan’s eyes lit up.
“Before the events at Leizhou, Xu Qian once came to Yongzhou. This matter starts with the underground palace outside Yongzhou City…”
Agent Chen recounted the incident at the underground palace in detail for Ji Xuan and the Xu siblings.
“Later, the Gongsun clan and Longshen Castle sealed off the underground palace, not letting anyone near. Rumour spread that the two clans had joined forces to pocket the treasure inside for themselves.”
“I investigated in secret and found out that, on the night the Gongsun clan explored the underground palace, a man named Xu Qian was seen.”
Ji Xuan narrowed his eyes, saying slowly, “The Gongsun clan have known Xu Qian for a long time.”
Xu Yuanhuai gnashed his teeth, “He dared play us for fools. Seventh Brother, I’ll go to the Gongsun clan right now.”
Ji Xuan raised his hand slightly, signalling for Xu Yuanhuai to calm down, and asked, “What exactly was in the underground palace?”
Agent Chen paused for a few seconds, his voice carrying a hint of fear:
“The reason I’ve only just come to see you now is because I’ve been exploring the underground palace. It is an ancient tomb built from Qinggang stone, old beyond imagination. Inside is sealed an ancient corpse.”
An ancient corpse?
Ji Xuan frowned. “Very dangerous?”
Agent Chen nodded, “I’ve already reported this to the Palace Lord. His reply was to mind our own business and not meddle. Also, the Palace Lord said that this answered one of his questions.”
What question exactly, the agent did not say, because he did not know either.
The clever Xu Yuanshuang frowned slightly, “The Gongsun clan and Longshen Castle’s behaviour seems odd.”
With the usual way of the jianghu, they would have handed this off to the authorities, not blockaded the place themselves at such cost of manpower.
Of all the jianghu factions in the Great Feng, only the Wulin Alliance in Jianzhou was truly keen on upholding the law and acting as enforcers in the Jianghu.
“According to what I’ve learned, it was Xu Qian’s idea to have them seal the place.”
“Xu Qian?!” Xu Yuanhuai raised his brows.
The agent nodded, not elaborating.
He did know Xu Qian’s true identity, but had no intention of telling the siblings. The Palace Lord had never commented on the matter either.
What kept all the agents resolutely silent was twofold. First, if the siblings had any fondness for that eldest brother, or any dissatisfaction towards their father’s ruthless acts, telling them would only hinder things.
Second, if they harboured resentment towards Xu Qi’an, with Silver Gong Xu’s temperament, he would kill them as needed. If the siblings died unexpectedly, the agents would be heavily culpable.
Xu Yuanhuai immediately said, “I’ll go to the Gongsun clan first.”
“No need!” Ji Xuan waved a hand, stopping Xu Yuanhuai’s reckless action, and analysed, “Perhaps this is a test by Xu Qian. If we go to the Gongsun clan, he could learn a lot from how we respond.”
“More importantly, unless you can bring a high-ranking monk from the Buddhist sect with you, you’re just courting death. Don’t forget, he has a third-rank arcanist by his side. For the sake of a Gongsun clan, it’s not worth the risk.”
As he spoke, Liu Hongmian waltzed in, her eyes sparkling, “The Gongsun clan sent word. They found that boy at the Liubo Gambling House.”
“That boy” was their code for the Dragon Qi host from Qingzhou.
Sent by the Gongsun clan… Ji Xuan asked, “Any more detailed information?” “None.”
“Go and round him up immediately.”
Agent Chen said at once, “Leave it to me. Yongzhou is my territory.”
…
At the archway of the Gongsun Manor, a sparrow stood quietly, gazing at the mountain road, motionless.
…
On the other side, in a teahouse on the edge of the busy city.
Xu Qi’an and Li Lingsu sat at a table. The former ordered a pot of extra-strength goji berry tea, while the latter had a proper pot of Maojian.
But looking at Xu Qi’an’s goji berry tea, Li Lingsu felt quite sour in his heart.
The two of them had wandered aimlessly for two hours without any gains, so Xu Qi’an found a teahouse to rest in, and took the opportunity to check the letters brought by the fish in his pond.
Without any special selection, he picked up the first letter on the outside. The sender was Lin’an.
Running Dog:
Big brother Crown Prince has ascended the throne. I’m so happy. He’s endured for so many years and now he’s finally sitting on the dragon throne, completely full of energy. He says he wants to wipe away old maladies, and restore the Great Feng to its peak from twenty years ago.
Mother Consort isn’t very happy, because Brother Crown Prince doesn’t want to depose the Empress Dowager. His reason is the remnants of Wei Yuan’s Clique are still around, and he still needs them to work for him. Besides, Prime Minister Wang doesn’t approve of deposing the Empress Dowager either, at least not in the next few years…
She described the court situation briefly, then started chattering on about her own life.
I can walk wherever I want in the palace now! If I want to leave, I can just leave. It used to be hard for me to sneak out to see you, but now there are no restrictions, yet you’re no longer in the capital.
Simu and Xu Erlang are engaged! I’m so jealous of her…
The hint was very obvious.
When are you coming back to the capital? It’s going to be really cold this winter, remember to wear more layers. If you see anything fun, make sure to buy it for me, save it up, and give it to me when you return. Rotten Running Dog, it’s been so long and you haven’t sent me a single letter.
The Fourth Prince has become really dejected, he has no hope left, hmph. Huaiqing is still the same, but the official positions she held were taken away by Brother Crown Prince. Mmm, she used to be… I can’t remember what post she held, it was to do with history or something.
I can bully her as much as I want now, and she doesn’t dare fight back.
Xu Qi’an read with a gentle smile, his gaze warm. In his mind, the beautiful woman with the oval face and red skirt, full of charm and affection, flashed past.
He then opened the second letter. It was from Huaiqing.
The eldest princess’s letter was much simpler, opening with the polite formalities, and then mentioning a few things about the court’s situation.
As for the Crown Prince—no, Emperor Yongxing—her judgement was: a monkey.
Yongxing had become a plaything for the officials. He had great enthusiasm, wanting to sweep away corruption and see the Great Feng thrive again. But his skills were lacking; without Prime Minister Wang’s help and the assistance of a handful of loyal officials, things might get even worse for the Great Feng.
Compared with Yuanjing and Zhendede, the new monarch was still too young.
Aside from her contempt for Emperor Yongxing, Huaiqing was extremely worried about the Great Feng’s future, even saying, risking great offence, that:
Within two years, the Great Feng would face a life or death crisis.
She also complained a little about Lin’an’s lack of sense, always picking at her, but every time was forcefully suppressed by Huaiqing herself.
Yet Lin’an never seemed to tire of it.
So which of them was lying, Lin’an or Huaiqing? Xu Qi’an muttered, My poor little nightclub queen.
Huaiqing’s political instincts were, as always, sharp and frightening… he thought to himself.
The third letter was from Chu Caiwei, split into two parts. The first part was Chu Caiwei chattering about trivialities and asking about delicacies from various places in the Great Feng.
She was probably planning to collect information in advance, so that if she ever travelled the jianghu, she could follow the food tour map.
She also complained about a few eccentric senior brothers. For example, Song Qing inventing terrifying creations every few days, only to be suppressed by her teacher, the Jianzheng.
For example, Yang Qianhuan coming up with bizarre ideas every so often, only to be suppressed by the Jianzheng.
And how Senior Brother Sun, who had been travelling outside for ages, finally came back, though nobody wanted to talk to him or listen to what he had to say.
When Senior Brother Sun was around in the Sitianjian, the other disciples would carry brushes, paper, and ink on them, and if they ran into him, they would immediately hand him paper and brush, no questions asked.
Once, when she went to talk to the Jianzheng, she discovered even the Bagua Platform now had a set of paper, brush and ink placed on it.
Finally, she wrote that she’d be teaching a junior disciple next year, and felt both excited and nervous.
But there was one thing that made her unhappy, the arcanists of the Sitianjian had secretly given her future juniors a nickname: the Eating Clique.
The second half was a note from Zhong Li, who simply and concisely said she was fine and asked if he was well.
If you are well, then it’s a sunny day. But Fifth Senior Sister, whenever you leave the Sitianjian, it’s more like a storm with thunder and lightning… Xu Qi’an thought of that senior sister, always in plain robes, head lowered as she walked, and felt a wave of emotion.
Then, he thought of Xu Yuanshuang.
If she also wants to advance, she’ll probably face the same fate as Senior Sister Zhong…
The fourth letter was from Xu Lingyue.
She wrote that she had become an outer disciple of the Human Sect, but she didn’t really want to cultivate and practically never went to Lingbao Temple.
The letter was filled with family matters.
Since becoming a Qianhu, Father now buys green oranges from time to time. I’m sure there’s something going on, but Mother, as always, ignores it. Big Brother, do you know why?
…Little sister, are you testing me? Second Uncle is just networking, don’t overthink it. Oh, and keep an eye on Erlang; if he’s also buying oranges like Second Uncle, I suggest you quietly tell Wang Simu…
Chu Caiwei came to our house a while ago for free meals and gave Mother a batch of beauty-preserving pills. After taking them for five days, Mother grew younger and more beautiful. But then Lingyin and Lina stole and ate them all.
Now Mother says she doesn’t want a daughter anymore, and chased Lina and Lingyin around with a broom…
Auntie, they were only hungry… Xu Qi’an covered his face silently.
The day before yesterday, Lady Wang invited Lingyin and I over to her manor. The Wang women have a high opinion of themselves, and I was very nervous and scared. Big Brother, you know, I’ve never been good with the scheming of big families.
Oh, and Lingyin has gone to the Wang family’s private school. After only a few days, I heard the Wang family’s teacher fell ill. Lingyin said the teacher has ignored her ever since.
However, the teacher then recommended her to enter the palace to study with the princes and princesses under the Grand Tutor.
Did that teacher have a grudge with the Grand Tutor? Xu Qi’an had this thought.
The princes and princesses in question were Huaiqing’s and Lin’an’s nieces and nephews.
Emperor Yuanjing’s nine princes had all established families and had children of their own. Among the princesses, the Third Princess was already married with children, while the other three had yet to marry.
At the end, Xu Lingyue expressed her thoughts for her big brother in a reserved way.
The last letter was from Xu Erlang.
He wrote about his daily work at court, lamented the bureaucratic ways, and expressed concern about the empty treasury.
Xu Erlang said he had petitioned Emperor Yongxing, asking him to organise a fundraising drive, to make the high officials and gentry cough up some silver to relieve the common people.
But Emperor Yongxing had rejected the idea.
What use would fundraising be? In the end, isn’t it always the common people’s money getting taken in a three-to-seven split, while the fortunes of the great and powerful are returned in full! Xu Qi’an thought.
Recently, when I visited the Wang family, I noticed a huge change in their attitude towards me. Thinking back, this only happened after Lingyue had gone to visit. I reckon it’s Lingyue’s gentleness that’s moved them, don’t you think so, Big Brother?”
…Erlang, that sounds a little sarcastic!
……..
Chen as in earthly stem no. 5. Not the common surname. ↩
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