Futile Devices Scans

Would the commander of the Xiling emperor’s inner guards and the leader of Longsha’s royal assassins win if they fought each other?

Mu Heng: “No idea. As long as they don’t lose the house or the land, they can fight however they want.”

Before the emperor and the future Assistant Chancellor sat a whole table of snacks. The two lounged about as leisurely as though attending a flower-viewing gathering, drinking tea and eating pastries while admiring, through the window, the fierce clash between two handsome men outside.

Wei Fu said, “Why did the two of them insist on fighting? Prince Yu Gong is still a foreign prince after all. Isn’t this a little inappropriate?”

Mu Heng replied, “If we speak in terms of official duties, Xiling’s Egret Guards and Longsha’s assassins have similar responsibilities. It’s perfectly normal for the commanders of both sides to exchange pointers. And if you insist on discussing status, Chuiyun isn’t beneath him either. What exactly are you dissatisfied with?”

Wei Fu nearly choked on his tea as though it had burned him, even the tips of his ears turning red. “Your Majesty… cough… speaks rightly.”

On the open ground behind the hall, Yu Gong Zhao Ye leapt into the air, sleeves fluttering like drifting willow catkins, lightly avoiding the sweeping kick Zhong Yi aimed at him. Landing behind Zhong Yi, he joined two fingers together like a blade and slashed toward the side of his neck. Zhong Yi swiftly dodged aside and twisted into a flying kick. Yu Gong Zhao Ye raised an arm to block, yet refused to retreat. His other hand transformed from palm to claw and shot toward Zhong Yi’s eyes like lightning.

If that kick landed solidly, Zhong Yi would at minimum lose his sight. Though Zhong Yi knew Yu Gong Zhao Ye would never truly strike lethally in front of the Son of Heaven, his heart still lurched, and he hurriedly threw himself backward.

Yu Gong Zhao Ye naturally had no intention of letting him withdraw so easily. He intercepted Zhong Yi midair, two fingers stabbing toward his waist. Unexpectedly, Zhong Yi had anticipated it. A palm met him head-on, soft yet carrying hidden force as it struck Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s shoulder, numbing half his arm. The two retreated simultaneously, opening a half-foot distance between them.

Facing one another from afar, both smiled.

Zhong Yi called out brightly, “Again!”

Too lazy to answer aloud, Yu Gong Zhao Ye flicked his sleeve, driving a gust of force toward Zhong Yi’s face. The two tangled together once more, locked in an even match.

Since childhood, Zhong Yi had studied martial arts under masters of the imperial palace. His style followed the orthodox and forceful path—rigorous, disciplined, unyielding. Guarding Mu Heng over the years, he had crossed hands with countless experts, most of them exceptional fighters. Though he dared not claim invincibility beneath heaven, he was nevertheless tempered steel forged through seas of blades and mountains of fire.

Yet against Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s drifting, elusive assassin techniques, he unexpectedly found himself unable to gain the upper hand.

And this was with both of them barehanded and holding back.

Even knowing he would not truly be injured, Zhong Yi unconsciously devoted his full concentration to the fight, not daring to divide his attention for an instant. Had real weapons been involved, he might already have several holes in his body.

Yu Gong Zhao Ye, of course, was not handling it effortlessly either. Assassins were naturally unsuited to frontal combat. The fact that he could exchange moves with Zhong Yi this long relied first on adaptability and unusual techniques. He often disguised himself and infiltrated unfamiliar places; from martial arts masters to street ruffians, he had picked up tricks from every walk of life. Zhong Yi, constrained by his background, needed time to react to such strange and underhanded methods.

Second, Yu Gong Zhao Ye was more accustomed than Zhong Yi to fighting without weapons at hand. And because he did not need to worry about being surrounded or injured, he could attack without restraint, allowing him to hold his own even in direct confrontation.

One advanced while the other retreated. They exchanged nearly a hundred moves in splendid succession. Once their blood heated and both realized no victor would emerge this way, they tacitly exchanged a palm strike in midair and borrowed each other’s force to drift apart, landing on opposite sides of the courtyard.

Zhong Yi withdrew first and cupped his hands. “Thank you for holding back. This area is wide and open. I had the advantage.”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye returned the salute. “Commander Zhong fought without weapons, which is no different from limiting one arm. I was merely fortunate.”

Neither of them had entered the fight intending to determine superiority anyway. Zhong Yi respected Yu Gong Zhao Ye as Wei Fu’s lifesaving benefactor, while Yu Gong Zhao Ye respected Zhong Yi as Wei Fu’s sworn brother. The two exchanged courteous praise, clearly developing mutual admiration.

Since childhood, Mu Heng had disliked watching people fight and show off martial skills. Only because Zhong Yi enjoyed it had he tolerated the pair leaping around outside for so long. Yet after the fight ended, they still stood there chatting instead of returning.

Impatiently, he knocked his teacup against the table. “The fight’s over already. What are they talking about so happily?”

Wei Fu casually tossed melon seed shells into a small dish and glanced outside. “Exactly. Aren’t they cold?”

Mu Heng snorted. “Did those two forget people are still waiting in here?”

“Exactly,” Wei Fu agreed. “Their heads are probably full of fighting techniques now.”

“Chuiyun is a martial arts fanatic.”

“Exactly.”

Mu Heng slapped the table and barked, “Does Yu Gong Zhao Ye have no fault at all?!”

Wei Fu: “……”

Out in the courtyard, Zhong Yi remained completely unaware and said, “That backward counterattack move of Yours just now was truly exquisite. But that only worked because neither of us had weapons, allowing technique to overcome force. In ordinary circumstances, if I had a sword in hand, how would Your Highness break the situation?”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye glanced toward the ruler and minister inside the hall. Wei Fu waved to him. He nodded faintly from afar to show he understood, then gestured “please” to Zhong Yi. The two walked side by side back toward the hall through the wind as Yu Gong Zhao Ye answered casually:

“You can’t meet force head-on. In that case, I’d probably have no choice but to commit an act of grave disrespect.”

Zhong Yi froze, then immediately understood he meant taking the emperor hostage. With a hostage in hand, no number of weapons would matter.

Then again, if assassins and the commander of the imperial guards were truly fighting, the emperor would hardly be sitting there leisurely drinking tea and eating pastries. Such a hypothetical had little practical value. Zhong Yi laughed freely and stopped dwelling on the details. “I see. I’ve been enlightened.”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye replied, “I dare not claim such. Thank you for your instruction, Commander Zhong.”

The two returned to the hall and first apologized to the emperor. Mu Heng did not ask who won or lost, merely saying, “You two martial arts fanatics finally satisfied yourselves? Since you’ve had your fill, sit down and help me discuss proper business.”

Everyone took their seats. Palace attendants entered to replace the tea and refreshments. Once all irrelevant personnel withdrew, Zhong Yi opened a portable notebook he carried with him.

“You all already know the prior circumstances, so I will not repeat them. I’ll state only the conclusions. The Ten Aspects Sect members captured seven days ago with Prince Yu Gong’s assistance have already been interrogated. Four are natives of Xiling who had secretly worshipped the Ten Aspects Sect for many years. The remaining six are from Yan Yuan. Last month, they infiltrated Fengdu disguised as medicinal herb merchants. The person who coordinated with them was Xu Shifu, proprietor of Tongshi Pharmacy, the recent murder victim.”

“Among those six Yan Yuan men, the leader called himself ‘Gu Pingchuan.’ Based on the tattoos on his body and the confessions obtained through interrogation, his real name is Su Lü Qingtie, one of the Eight Great Elders of the Ten Aspects Sect and also the son of the late Prince of Ganyang, Su Lü Yingpan, of Yan Yuan. Because his father became implicated in the Helan Zhenjia assassination case years ago, the entire family was exiled. Therefore he harbors deep hatred toward Longsha. Under a false identity, he joined the Ten Aspects Sect to accumulate strength and seek revenge.”

Wei Fu truly had not interfered with the case, and upon hearing the name, he immediately froze and instinctively turned to Yu Gong Zhao Ye.

Yu Gong Zhao Ye said coldly, “False. Not a single sentence is true. Su Lü Qingtie is already dead. Gu Pingchuan likely planned this in advance. If captured, he intended to create an identity that appeared connected yet not truly important, so that no one could use him as a hostage to threaten Yan Yuan.”

Mu Heng asked, “Already dead? Are you certain?”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye replied, “Su Lü Yingpan and all his family members died of Red Fever. It was a virulent epidemic. Yan Yuan feared public panic and sealed off the news. So even if someone traced matters to Su Lü Yingpan, they would only discover he had been exiled to a remote region.”

Wei Fu voiced the key question for Mu Heng. “Then where did Your Highness obtain this information?”

Whenever Yu Gong Zhao Ye turned serious, his brows lowered sharply, giving him a fierce and icy sort of handsomeness.

“This minister dares ask one question first. Has Your Majesty truly resolved to eradicate the Ten Aspects Sect entirely? No matter what occurs, will you not waver?”

Mu Heng frowned and met his gaze directly. “Whether my resolve wavers depends on how much useful information your ‘Bihua’ can provide. If Your Highness has something to say, speak freely.”

The implication was clear: I’ve already chosen to turn a blind eye to Bihua itself. Stop probing and just speak plainly.

After a brief pause, Yu Gong Zhao Ye carefully began:

“Six years ago, after Helan Zhenjia’s assassination, Su Lü Yingpan was indeed exiled with his entire family to the borderlands for involvement in the matter. Yet shortly after arriving, he contracted the Red Fever plague. The city where he lived was filled with criminals, so the Yan Yuan court simply sealed the entire city and burned everything to the ground.”

“The issue is that Red Fever normally only erupts in warm and humid regions. Su Lü Yingpan was exiled to a bitterly cold land where Red Fever had never previously appeared. Furthermore, the plague rapidly infected the rest of his household. Although local officials swiftly exterminated the infected population, according to the information we gathered, the symptoms and transmission speed far exceeded those of the original Red Fever known to the world.”

The hall fell deathly silent.

Two great incense braziers warmed the chamber like springtime. Even dressed in light clothing, no one would feel cold. Yet every person present felt a chill slowly spreading down their back.

Yu Gong Zhao Ye said, “We suspect someone may have mastered a mutated strain of Red Fever and used it to take revenge on Su Lü Yingpan.”

“Who wished to avenge themselves on him?” Mu Heng asked. “And what does Su Lü Yingpan contracting the plague have to do with the Ten Aspects Sect?”

“What follows is merely internal speculation from Longsha,” Yu Gong Zhao Ye replied. “There is not yet definitive evidence or conclusion.”

“In the twelfth year of Tianbao, Yan Yuan invaded Yilin. Helan Zhenjia accompanied the campaign. He possessed divine arts capable of making soldiers immune to pain and granting them immense strength. Emperor Tianbao therefore greatly favored him, appointing him Imperial Preceptor, and the Ten Aspects Sect rose in one leap to become Yan Yuan’s state religion.”

“Those so-called ‘states neither living nor dead,’ as well as the strange phenomena of people feeling no pain, were likely not sorcery or divine miracles at all, but the effects of special drugs. Yet the Ten Aspects Sect’s methods of refining medicine are extremely secretive—even within the sect itself. Almost no information can be obtained.”

“In the sixteenth year of Tianbao, four years after Yilin’s destruction, Prince Ganyang, Su Lü Yingpan, led troops to exterminate the remaining Yilin survivors who had fled to Tianxuan Mountain. It is said he buried nearly fifty thousand people alive, directly turning Tianxuan Mountain into a forbidden land.”

“According to scattered intelligence gathered during those years, we suspect those former Yilin people may have been imprisoned within Tianxuan Mountain and used as living test subjects for the Ten Aspects Sect’s secret medicines. The Red Fever plague was likely an unforeseen result of those experiments. In order to avenge themselves on Su Lü Yingpan, the surviving Yilin forces found a way to let infected test subjects escape and infect him with the plague.”

“After Su Lü Yingpan’s death, Tianxuan Mountain was completely purged by the Yan Yuan army. Meanwhile, Bihua itself was forced to disband while investigating the matter. What medicines the Ten Aspects Sect was researching, and whether Red Fever still exists in the world—these all became an unsolved mystery.”

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