Judging by the attitudes of Fu Xi Yan and his two companions, Chu Shao Yang and Zhang Da Shan’s hearts had already gone half cold. Even so, clinging to the faint hope of what if, they searched all three men thoroughly from head to toe.
Naturally, the outcome delighted their allies and tormented their enemies.
Zhang Da Shan looked almost dazed. “How is that possible? Where did you hide it?”
Fu Xi Yan had originally been watching the show with great enjoyment, but now he was beginning to worry about the man. Could this fellow have caught Chu Shao Yang’s illness and be preparing to follow him into the psychiatric ward?
Wei Gang motioned for Chu Shao Yang to step aside and advised him with patient sincerity, “Company Commander Chu is young and accomplished, with limitless prospects ahead. Officialdom is much like the martial path. Acting openly and honorably is the proper road. Do not lose something great for the sake of a minor advantage and narrow your own path.”
Chu Shao Yang had already placed him firmly within the Fu faction. How could he possibly take the advice to heart?
However, Zhang Da Shan had personally admitted to sending a pigeon into Fu Xi Yan’s room to search it. Even if Chu Shao Yang wanted to shield him, he had no way to begin. He could only say, “Thank you for your concern, Inspector Wei. The Brocade Guard failed in its supervision and allowed one corrupt member to damage the whole unit. I am deeply ashamed. I will personally hand him over to Commander Chu for judgment and provide Guard Fu with a proper explanation.”
Wei Gang nodded. “That would be best.”
Chu Shao Yang’s greatest concern had been that Wei Gang would demand custody of Zhang Da Shan. Only after realizing that he had no such intention did he finally relax.
Everything after that became simple. Zhang Da Shan was locked inside a separate room and placed under dedicated guard.
Chu Shao Yang asked what had brought Wei Gang there and offered to hold a welcoming meal in his honor.
Wei Gang explained that he had been traveling through Shanxi on an inspection tour when he happened to hear that people had been disappearing frequently in the area, so he came to investigate. Unexpectedly, the case had already been solved by the time he arrived. He planned to rest for one night and leave, so there was no need for Chu Shao Yang to spend money entertaining him.
Wei Gang smiled with rustic honesty. “I eat in the kitchen. The innkeeper has waived my food and lodging.”
Just then, the innkeeper hurried over excitedly with a plate and held it before him. “Mister Wei, please take a look. Is this Guifei Red?”
Elio’s Notes: Guifei Red (贵妃红) is an elaborate red flaky pastry recorded in a famous Tang-dynasty banquet menu. Its exact historical recipe has been lost.
When Wei Gang nodded approvingly, the innkeeper was so delighted that he nearly began dancing. “Thank Heaven and Earth! You truly are my lucky benefactor. You’ve helped me enormously!” With that, he rushed back toward the kitchen.
Wei Gang explained, “When I first came seeking a room, the innkeeper told me the inn was full. He only agreed to take me in after hearing that I knew how to make Guifei Red.”
Fu Xi Yan could not help looking toward Chu Shao Yang.
When Mei Mei had been making things difficult for the innkeeper, Fu Xi Yan had asked Chu Shao Yang whether he intended to help. Chu Shao Yang had refused. In the end, to satisfy Mei Mei’s unreasonable demand, the innkeeper had allowed Wei Gang into the inn.
Fu Xi Yan wondered whether Chu Shao Yang now regretted the choice he had made earlier.
With the affair settled, Wei Gang returned to the kitchen to help, while Fu Xi Yan and Chu Shao Yang remained in the main hall to finish their meal.
Unlike Fu Xi Yan, who ate with tremendous appetite, Chu Shao Yang barely moved his chopsticks. The moment Fu Xi Yan finally set his down, Chu Shao Yang found an excuse to leave. Fu Xi Yan carried the untouched desserts to Zhong Xin and Geng Geng’s table and began a second round.
Biting into a red-bean bun, Fu Xi Yan said with a solemn expression, “Inspector Wei just said the disappearance case has been resolved. Go outside later and ask around. Find out exactly what is happening at Willowwood Manor now.”
Zhou Geng Geng said, “We’ve already escaped. Why should Young Master still worry about them?”
Fu Xi Yan’s chewing gradually slowed. He sighed sadly. “We may have walked out of Willowwood Manor, but that does not necessarily mean we have truly escaped.”
If everything the Seventh Princess had said was true, the Immortal Treasury Palace probably would not let him go so easily before resolving the fundamental question of whom Pei Yuan Jin was supposed to marry.
Zhou Geng Geng asked in confusion, “Then what would count as truly escaping?”
Fu Xi Yan considered it. “Strengthening ourselves without rest.”
Weak nations had no diplomacy. The same principle worked when applied to individuals. Only when a person became strong enough could he possess any real say in his own affairs.
Since Fu Xi Yan had arrived in a high-martial world, he should not waste the setting. The ambition he had buried deep inside himself for nine full years was finally sprouting again under the effects of the Harmonized Yang Pills.
My fate is mine, not Heaven’s!
Before that line became hopelessly overused, how bold and stirring it had sounded!
Seeing the determination in his eyes, Zhou Geng Geng became excited as well. “Then should we go back and practice immediately?”
“No.” Fu Xi Yan swallowed the final bite of the red-bean bun. “First, we take a walk.”
Zhou Geng Geng looked bewildered.
Fu Xi Yan said, “Walk a hundred steps after a meal, and you’ll live to ninety-nine.”
Naturally, he did not walk those hundred steps at random. Fu Xi Yan deliberately wandered past crowded restaurants. He never went inside, merely stood near the entrances and enjoyed the cool air. Whenever an attendant came out to welcome him, he would move away at a leisurely pace.
After this happened several times, Zhong Xin and Geng Geng understood that his real purpose was to gather information about what had followed the disappearance case.
Zhou Zhong Xin said, “I didn’t expect the kidnappers to return everyone so quickly.”
They had not heard Yu Su Huan’s report, so naturally they did not know that the disappearances had separately been carried out by the Immortal Treasury Palace’s Shanxi Thunder and Lightning Divisions. Fu Xi Yan had guessed part of the truth but did not know the details. He assumed Lu Rui Chun had been behind everything and that Pei Yuan Jin had released the captives after learning what had happened.
Zhou Geng Geng said, “Unfortunately, none of them remembers what happened during the kidnapping.”
Fu Xi Yan understood the feeling. It was like watching a drama all the way to the words The End without ever finding out who the murderer was. It left a person painfully frustrated. Still, he said, “Perhaps forgetting is better.”
In the real world, ignorance could sometimes make a person happier.
The three continued walking for a while before Fu Xi Yan suddenly asked quietly, “Did you invite Wei Gang?”
He had already reached the answer before asking. The question was more of an opening, telling the other two that they could continue explaining.
Zhou Zhong Xin said, “Before we left, the Count gave us ways to contact several officials. If we encountered something we could not resolve ourselves, we were permitted to ask them for help. Inspector Wei was one of them. When he was younger, he taught the Count, and he is the most upright and incorruptible of them all.”
Fu Xi Yan asked, “When did you contact him?”
Unable to tell whether Fu Xi Yan was pleased or angry, Zhou Zhong Xin became somewhat anxious. “On the day Guo Ping found poison in Young Master’s tea, we sent Inspector Wei a letter… We acted without permission. Please punish us, Young Master.”
Zhou Geng Geng also asked for punishment.
They had always addressed Fu Xi Yan as “Little Young Master,” both to distinguish him from Fu Li An and to subtly convey how they saw him. Zhou Zhong Xin’s decision to call him simply “Young Master” this time clearly revealed that his opinion of Fu Xi Yan had changed.
The adaptability Fu Xi Yan had displayed while trapping Zhang Da Shan in front of Wei Gang and Chu Shao Yang proved that he was steady at heart and seasoned in his methods. Even Chu Shao Yang, who was regarded as one of the outstanding young men of his generation, seemed dim beside him. That was not even considering the cunning with which Fu Xi Yan had forced Zhang Da Shan to sign the receipt or the decisiveness with which he had later burned it. All of this had gone far beyond what Zhong Xin and Geng Geng once meant when they called him “Little Young Master.”
Fu Xi Yan naturally noticed their change in attitude and felt highly satisfied. Being called “Little Young Master” every day had always given him the odd impression that he was not the son of an official, but the grandson of one.
When the three returned to the inn, the main hall had already regained its calm.
Fu Xi Yan had originally intended to pay Wei Gang a visit. On second thought, however, Wei Gang had only just dispensed justice on his behalf. If Fu Xi Yan immediately went to cultivate their relationship, others might question Inspector Wei’s integrity. Even when everyone understood perfectly well, the proper appearances still had to be maintained.
Since he had nothing else to do, he returned to his room to rest.
He had only recently reached the peak of the Bone Forging Stage when one event after another occurred. He had not even found time to sit down and properly experience the emotional journey of becoming the Fu family’s beacon of hope once again. Looking back upon those long and agonizing years…
He pushed open the window and looked toward the crescent moon. Just as he prepared to sort through his tangled emotions, he noticed a vaguely familiar young man leap from the roof opposite in alarm and disappear in the blink of an eye.
With that style of movement, the man might as well have carved I come from the Lightning Division across his forehead.
Fu Xi Yan remembered why he looked familiar. He was the young man who had caught Lu Rui Chun’s Thunderclap Bomb in a net and then, unable to resist running his mouth, told him to throw out the remaining bombs as well.
Fu Xi Yan was not especially surprised. Ever since discovering how important the Harmonized Yang Pills were, he had expected the Immortal Treasury Palace to make another move. Secretly watching him was already among the mildest methods they could have chosen.
Fu Xi Yan calmly closed the window and climbed onto the bed to cultivate.
As Heaven moves with untiring strength, a gentleman should constantly strive to improve himself…
Elio’s Notes: The line comes from the Book of Changes and is one of the best-known classical expressions of perseverance and self-strengthening.
…But when people were arguing outside, there was no way to rest properly.
Fu Xi Yan got out of bed and quietly opened one corner of the window.
Mei Mei and Chu Shao Yang were confronting each other beneath it. Judging from the fragments he heard, their disagreement was that Mei Mei wanted to go outside and buy a hair ornament for the princess, while Chu Shao Yang said he could send one of his subordinates to run the errand.
In the end, the person with the stronger fists won.
Mei Mei was remarkably fierce, however. Before leaving, she swung a slap straight at Chu Shao Yang’s face.
Chu Shao Yang stepped backward and avoided it, but his expression was darker and bleaker than the late-autumn night sky.
He raised his head and looked toward Fu Xi Yan’s room.
Fu Xi Yan extended two fingers and bent them in a friendly little gesture, indicating, Brother, I understand. Judging from Chu Shao Yang’s furious back as he departed, he did not appreciate the sympathy.
The late-autumn sun rose later with each passing day, so Fu Xi Yan inevitably slept a little longer than he had the morning before. Chu Shao Yang had informed everyone yesterday to pack and prepare to leave. By the time Fu Xi Yan came downstairs, most of the group was already eating.
Fu Xi Yan sat at Zhong Xin and Geng Geng’s table.
Some of the Brocade Guards Chu Shao Yang had brought were originally members of the Chu faction within the Yulin Guard. The rest had also formed the beginnings of friendships with them over the past several days. In comparison, Fu Xi Yan and his two companions appeared noticeably out of place.
Fortunately, as an experienced homebody, Fu Xi Yan never minded being isolated. He even enjoyed the peculiar solitude of being alone in the middle of a crowd.
Before their departure, Wei Gang deliberately called Fu Xi Yan outside in full view of everyone.
Before Wei Gang could speak, Fu Xi Yan admitted his mistake first. He explained that he had intended to visit the previous night but feared creating suspicious appearances through an overly private meeting.
Wei Gang looked puzzled. “You’re a little fatty and I’m an old man. What suspicious appearances could there be?”
Fu Xi Yan: “…I was being shallow.”
Wei Gang said, “I once taught your father, but your father has helped me far more than I ever helped him. Coming here this time can be considered repayment of a small part of that debt.”
Fu Xi Yan tactfully replied, “I will certainly pass those words on to him.”
Wei Gang smiled without confirming or denying anything, but Fu Xi Yan assumed that counted as approval.
Wei Gang drew a letter from his sleeve. “After you return, if Chu Guang refuses to punish Zhang Da Shan, give this memorial of mine to the Third Prince and ask him to present it to His Majesty.”
He said it was to be presented to the emperor, but in truth he wanted the Third Prince to step forward and place pressure on Chu Guang.
Seeing how thoroughly Wei Gang had considered the matter, Fu Xi Yan naturally thanked him repeatedly.
Wei Gang nodded in satisfaction. “Your father’s children belong to my grandchildren’s generation. I should give you a meeting gift.”
Fu Xi Yan saw him reaching into his sleeve again and was just about to offer a polite refusal when Wei Gang produced one copper coin.
…
Did this mean that this “grandson” was worth a single copper cash?
Wei Gang held the coin on his open palm. “Remember the design on it. If you ever see the same image on the signboard of a bank or pawnshop, you may go there at noon on the third, seventh, thirteenth, seventeenth, twenty-third, or twenty-seventh day of any month. Use the coin as your token, and you will be able to purchase whatever information you seek.”
Fu Xi Yan examined the coin carefully. It was indeed different from ordinary currency. At first glance, the creature engraved on it resembled a qilin, but a closer look revealed several differences. “This is…”
“Bai Ze,” Wei Gang said.
Elio’s Notes: Bai Ze is an auspicious mythical beast said to possess knowledge of supernatural creatures, hidden dangers, and secret matters.
Fu Xi Yan asked with some difficulty, “…This isn’t connected to the Immortal Treasury Palace, is it?”
Wei Gang laughed. “Of course not. The person who gave me the coin said he merely wanted to conduct business more effectively.”
“But if you give it to me, what will you…”
“I am already this old. How many more times could I use it? Better to give it to you.” Wei Gang patted his shoulder with grave sincerity. “I may help you for a time, but the only person who can help you for a lifetime is yourself.”
The statement sounded ordinary, yet every word contained real value.
Fu Xi Yan nodded, somewhat moved.
Seeing him accept the coin, Wei Gang visibly relaxed. “Tell your father that the debt I owed has now been repaid in full.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
Hadn’t he just said this was a meeting gift?
Wei Gang’s whole body radiated an indescribable lightness and happiness. “All right. Go.”
Since Wei Gang clearly had no intention of taking the gift back, Fu Xi Yan could only accept the kindness. He simply did not know whether Fu Fu would cough blood after learning that the favor Wei Gang owed him had been bought back with a single copper coin.
But Fu Fu was far away, so for now he could only allow his unfortunate son to improvise freely.
Fu Xi Yan returned to the inn beside Wei Gang, and a considerable number of curious, probing gazes immediately swept toward them.
After the verbal battle at yesterday’s table, Zhang Da Shan—who had dared openly argue with Chu Shao Yang—had become a prisoner. By the group’s informal pecking order, Fu Xi Yan had temporarily risen to the top of this small Brocade Guard unit.
Chu Shao Yang had lost all interest in maintaining false civility. He offered Wei Gang a perfunctory farewell, then led his men away from the town without looking back. It was a place that had brought him both gains and losses.
Riding on horseback, Fu Xi Yan could not resist glancing toward Willowwood Manor.
He did not know that shortly after their departure, a majestic white tiger followed a luxurious carriage away from Willowwood Manor, likewise traveling toward Luoyang.
The night deepened, and the clouds grew heavier, as though preparing to release a shower of rain.
Chu Shao Yang hurried his men back to the encampment, only to discover that the main force had already left. Only two Brocade Guards remained behind to report the situation.
The two guards had originally been rather resentful. Zhang Da Shan had previously sent word that Company Commander Chu had found the princess and that they would return after the two groups reunited, which proved they had a messenger system. Yet when the encampment sent messages back, there was no response at all. Commander Chu eventually ran out of patience and ordered the two guards to stay behind.
However, when they saw Zhang Da Shan with both hands tied tightly, escorted by two other guards, their complaints immediately disappeared. They obediently conveyed the message Chu Guang had left.
When the princess first vanished, the Third Prince had not dared hide the matter from the emperor. He submitted a secret report that very day and naturally received a severe reprimand. The emperor then issued Chu Guang a decree: the princess had to be recovered, but they also had to reach Luoyang on schedule. They could not arrive late by even a quarter of an hour.
The reason was not difficult to understand. Opposition to moving the capital still remained at court. Although Emperor Jianhong’s word carried unquestioned authority and he insisted on acting according to his own will, he was nevertheless under considerable pressure. The Third Prince’s advance journey to Luoyang was being watched from every direction. The smallest mistake would allow the objections that had been forcibly suppressed to surge back up.
Chu Guang understood the stakes and had wanted to leave long ago. Unfortunately, the Third Prince cared deeply for his younger sister. Hoping to use the approaching deadline to pressure Chu Guang into searching more diligently, he refused to break camp until news arrived that the princess had been found.
Fortunately, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had originally given them a generous amount of time. Even after the delay of so many days, they still had some hope of arriving when required.
Chu Shao Yang did not dare waste any more time. After resting on the spot for two hours, he urged the group onto the road again. They traveled beneath the stars and moon, rushing forward day and night, and finally arrived in Luoyang one day after Chu Guang.
The site of the new imperial palace had been chosen north of the Luo River. The Third Prince and Chu Guang had already established camp nearby and were preparing to create a Luoyang garrison later. The Brocade Guard, which had drifted without a stable base until now, finally had somewhere to settle.
Chu Guang’s good mood vanished completely, however, after he heard Chu Shao Yang’s report concerning Fu Xi Yan and Zhang Da Shan.
Looking at the emotion written across the face of the nephew in whom he had placed such high hopes, Chu Guang began to feel that allowing him to find his own way through officialdom might not have been the best form of education.
He patted Chu Shao Yang on the shoulder. Once the young man had calmed down, he asked, “Do you believe I want Fu Xi Yan dead?”
Chu Shao Yang paused. “Didn’t we receive…”
“I am asking whether you believe I want him dead.”
Chu Shao Yang considered it. “Uncle does not?”
Chu Guang nodded. “If I truly wanted to kill him, why would I go to so much trouble? Poisoning, assassination—there would have been countless opportunities. He was merely a True Origin cultivator who could not condense true qi. Killing him would have been effortless.”
Chu Shao Yang wanted to say that Fu Xi Yan had already reached the Bone Forging Stage. Then he reflected that against his uncle, a veteran of the Vajra Stage, the distinction made little difference.
Chu Guang said, “Hu Yu once helped me. I can remember that favor and repay it later. So long as I remain Commander of the Brocade Guard, there will always be opportunities. But if I kill Fu Xi Yan, I will sever myself from the hereditary nobility. From then onward, I could only cling to Hu Yu and become a dog for the force standing behind him.”
Chu Guang had always understood that his cooperation with Hu Yu was temporary. His real foundation was within the hereditary military nobility. Hu Yu clearly understood that too, which was precisely why he had proposed such a condition and tried to drag Chu Guang fully onto his side.
Chu Shao Yang remained confused. “But we have been making things difficult for Fu Xi Yan throughout the journey.”
Chu Guang chuckled. “Could that not also be considered protection in another form?”
He had an explanation prepared for either side.
To Hu Yu, he could claim that he had been attempting to force Fu Xi Yan away from the encampment so that they could kill him elsewhere.
To Fu Xuan, the harassment could be interpreted as an indirect warning. Someone repeatedly subjected to hostility naturally became more vigilant. When a genuine threat to their life appeared, that vigilance might give them a better chance of surviving.
Chu Shao Yang asked, “Then what should we do about Zhang Da Shan? Fu Xi Yan is still thinking about the five thousand taels.”
Chu Guang felt nothing but contempt for Zhang Da Shan. The man lacked intelligence and could not read a situation. Chu Guang had only allowed him to accompany Fu Xi Yan after observing him for several days. Sure enough, Zhang Da Shan had returned filthy and humiliated, thoroughly living up to Chu Guang’s expectations.
Although Chu Guang did not know why the man had been entrusted with such an important task, there had to be some reason he had been placed before them. Too lazy to calculate further, Chu Guang said, “Let the person who ought to worry about him do the worrying. Do not underestimate the force behind Hu Yu.”
In other words, Hu Yu could deal with the headache himself. Since the failure had come from Zhang Da Shan, Chu Guang did not fear that Hu Yu would turn against him.
After Chu Guang’s candid explanation, Chu Shao Yang’s hostility toward Fu Xi Yan finally eased somewhat. As a result, when Fu Xi Yan came to request leave, Chu Shao Yang approved it without so much as blinking.
That reaction made Fu Xi Yan suspicious instead. The Chu uncle and nephew had mistreated him into developing a conditioned reflex. Whenever they suddenly acted kindly, he felt that nothing in the world was auspicious.
Still, he could not bear to waste a rare opportunity to go outside and enjoy some freedom. He eagerly left with Zhou Zhong Xin. Ever since reaching the peak of the Bone Forging Stage, he had reduced his security by one level. The three no longer traveled everywhere together like a master leading two disciples.
They left early in the morning, wandered through the market, and spent a large amount of loose silver. By noon, Fu Xi Yan selected a restaurant where they could rest and eat.
Directly opposite the restaurant was a pawnshop. A signboard stood outside, and in one corner, a magnificent Bai Ze stared at the passing crowd with bright and spirited eyes.
Fu Xi Yan had noticed the sign when they entered the city the previous day. Since today was the twenty-seventh, he had deliberately come to see how the arrangement worked.
…He also sincerely prayed that the copper coin would not prove too useless, so that Fu Fu would not remain angry for too long.
Fu Xi Yan ordered an entire table of dishes. After eating and drinking his fill, he frowned when the time came to pay. “I’ve spent all my silver.”
Zhou Zhong Xin was serving as his straight man today. “What are we to do?”
Fu Xi Yan was not entirely pleased with his delivery. Zhong Xin was certainly steady, but when it came to acting, he lacked the spark of genuine emotion. His expressions were nowhere near as vivid as Geng Geng’s.
Fortunately, there were no other spectators, so Fu Xi Yan continued the scene without difficulty. He removed the jade pendant at his waist. “I can only pawn this for now and redeem it another day.”
Holding the jade pendant, he went downstairs and crossed to the pawnshop opposite.
Zhou Zhong Xin remained in the restaurant as collateral. Even so, his gaze followed the round figure below until Fu Xi Yan disappeared inside the pawnshop, and only then did he relax slightly.
It was lunchtime, so the pawnshop was rather empty. Even the shopkeeper sat in a corner noisily slurping noodles. When Fu Xi Yan entered, he blinked his farsighted eyes. “Pawning or redeeming?”
Fu Xi Yan placed the jade pendant on the counter.
The counter was rather high. The shopkeeper looked down from above, creating a surprising amount of pressure. He picked up the pendant and casually pinched it. “One jade fish pendant. Permanent pawn or redeemable?”
Fu Xi Yan produced the copper coin Wei Gang had given him and slapped it onto the counter. “What do you think?”
The shopkeeper bent down. “What information do you want?”
Fu Xi Yan decided to make a small trial purchase first. “News from Haojing.”
The shopkeeper nodded and crouched behind the counter, rummaging for a while before producing a ledger. He licked one finger and flipped through the pages. “The newest information from Haojing comes in upper, middle, and lower grades. Upper costs one hundred taels, middle thirty, and lower five. Which do you want?”
“I’ll start with the five-tael version.” Fu Xi Yan placed some loose silver on the counter.
The shopkeeper accepted it and crooked one finger, indicating that Fu Xi Yan should lean closer.
Fu Xi Yan glanced at the people passing outside and asked in surprise, “You’re going to tell me here?”
The shopkeeper clearly looked down on such a minor transaction. “It cost five taels and takes only a few sentences to tell. Did you expect me to serve tea and water so you could sit down and savor it slowly?”
“…”
He had paid for the information, so Fu Xi Yan leaned his ear closer.
The shopkeeper whispered, “Four young masters from noble households in Haojing have died suddenly during this period. One drowned while boating, one died after catching a chill, one accidentally cut his own throat while practicing martial arts, and one hanged himself for no apparent reason.”
He counted on his fingers and reached exactly four. “If you want the names, add one tael.”
Fu Xi Yan added another tael.
“The one who drowned was Count Jianning’s eldest grandson. The one who died of illness was Count Jianning’s second grandson. The one who killed himself during martial practice was Marquis Dehua’s second son. The one who hanged himself was Grand Commandant Liu Yan Sheng’s third son.”
Fu Xi Yan’s heart clenched violently. The concubine-born son of the Liu family who was currently discussing marriage with his sister ranked third among the brothers.
For one moment, he desperately wanted to ask whether the shopkeeper might be mistaken.
He restrained himself. In a mysterious place like this, revealing too much was not wise.
Had he been in Haojing, he would not have questioned the report’s truth.
The deaths of four young masters in succession had already thrown the city into such a state of panic that every tree and blade of grass seemed like an enemy. The victims’ families sent people to surround the Capital Prefecture yamen every day, demanding an explanation from the Prefect.
The Prefect’s head felt as large as a bucket.
The entire affair was bizarre.
When Count Jianning’s eldest grandson drowned, everyone assumed it was an accident.
When Count Jianning’s second grandson died of illness, everyone thought the Count’s household had simply encountered a run of terrible luck.
When Marquis Dehua’s highly skilled second son accidentally killed himself during martial training, people began to feel that something was wrong, and conspiracy theories slowly spread.
By the time the vigorous and ambitious third son of the Liu family inexplicably hanged himself, no one doubted it any longer. Someone was definitely acting from the shadows.
The affair was discussed everywhere, both within and outside the court, eventually reaching the point where officials began submitting memorials.
Three of the victims belonged to hereditary noble families, and the military officials were furious. They all believed that the young emperor of Southern Yu had become frightened upon learning that Northern Zhou intended to move its capital to Luoyang. He had therefore sent assassins to murder Northern Zhou’s future pillars, leaving the nation without successors.
A faint voice at court objected that Count Jianning’s eldest grandson had been highly accomplished in eating, drinking, gambling, and visiting brothels, but could hardly be described as a pillar of the country.
Once everyone concluded that the young man had died in a conspiracy, however, they looked back on his life through the glorious halo of sacrifice for the nation. Even his habit of lingering in brothels was transformed into charitable aid for suffering people. Naturally, no one could accept the argument that he had not been promising material.
Count Jianning had also lost two heirs in succession and was nearly deranged. Anyone who spoke a single unfavorable word about his grandsons could expect him to cast aside all dignity, appear at their door, and curse their mother.
As time passed, the few remaining voices of reason were drowned beneath the overwhelming tide of condemnation.
The emperor and the Grand Secretariat had not yet announced how Northern Zhou would retaliate against Southern Yu. Nevertheless, the incident had poured fuel onto Northern Zhou’s hatred, causing it to burn more fiercely by the day.
Returning to Fu Xi Yan, the moment he finished hearing the five-tael report, he took out a fifty-tael banknote and handed it to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper accepted it delightedly, whereupon Fu Xi Yan added, “Twenty taels in change.”
…
The thirty-tael information did not come with improved service. Fu Xi Yan remained on one side of the counter and the shopkeeper on the other, and he still had to hold out his ear to listen.
The shopkeeper said, “Consort Dowager Chen’s nephew recently had a son, but the child is not actually his. The true father is Monk Zhi Ji of Mingji Temple.”
Fu Xi Yan stared at him in shock.
The shopkeeper looked rather pleased with himself. “Shocking, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I’m shocked.” Fu Xi Yan erupted. “You charge thirty taels for this shit?”
The shopkeeper said, “Thirty taels for a secret like this is excellent value! Think about it. If you happened to know Consort Dowager Chen’s nephew and told him, then…”
“Then I would be dead.”
Who wanted other people to know they had been cuckolded?
The shopkeeper said, “Whether you wanted to know or not, you know now. You cannot take the money back.”
Fu Xi Yan drew a slow breath.
Useful or not, the fact that the organization could uncover a secret like this proved it possessed real ability. He simply did not know how accurate the information was.
Pretending to ask casually, he said, “How much for information about the Harmonized Yang Pills?”
He was clearly not the first to ask. Without consulting his ledger, the shopkeeper immediately raised one hand.
“Fifty taels?”
Fu Xi Yan frowned and reached into his robes.
“Five thousand.” Seeing Fu Xi Yan’s expression darken, the shopkeeper immediately explained, “That is already one-tenth of the original price. When the information first became available, each buyer paid fifty thousand taels.”
Why didn’t he simply rob people?
Fu Xi Yan turned to leave, but the shopkeeper called after him. “Wait. Why are young men always so impatient? Since you have already bought so much information, I will give you a special price.”
When Fu Xi Yan returned, the shopkeeper smiled craftily. “Four thousand five hundred.”
Fu Xi Yan held out his hand. “Give me back the jade pendant.”
The shopkeeper: “…”
He reluctantly returned it. “That is already an extremely low price.”
“Anything above one thousand is impossible.” Fu Xi Yan had lost half his savings at Willowwood Manor, and the money he had attempted to extract from Zhang Da Shan had not yet reached his hands. He was genuinely short of funds.
Having tested Fu Xi Yan’s limit, the shopkeeper immediately agreed. “Fine. One thousand.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
He had offered too much.
After accepting the one-thousand-tael banknote, the shopkeeper’s service improved at once. Smiling from ear to ear, he opened a door and invited Fu Xi Yan inside for tea.
Tea worth one thousand taels…
Fu Xi Yan said, “Bring a whole barrel!”
Naturally, no barrel of tea appeared. Even the leaves were the most ordinary kind sold in the market, displaying the pawnshop keeper’s stinginess in full.
Fu Xi Yan lost interest after one sip. “Talk. Where did the Harmonized Yang Pills come from, and what are they for? You’re not allowed to add another charge halfway through.”
The shopkeeper smiled. “Do not worry. Information a customer requests specifically is naturally different from a vague five-tael report. Besides, if we set a high initial price on information whose contents are unclear, what happens if you hear it and have no interest? Wouldn’t you lose money? Letting customers pay a little extra only after something catches their interest is much better value.”
Fu Xi Yan felt he had learned something. Since he intended to open a shop of his own, this kind of treachery disguised as customer service was well worth studying.
The shopkeeper said, “It is said that the Sacred Blaze Art practiced by Pei Xiong Ji contains a hidden danger, forcing him to enter seclusion while still in the prime of his life. Pei Yuan Jin cultivates the same art. To prevent him from repeating his father’s fate, Iron-Gall Pharmacist Jiang Xiu was invited to refine nine Harmonized Yang Pills.”
Fu Xi Yan asked, “There were only nine?”
“Producing even nine was extraordinarily difficult. They contain more heavenly treasures and earthly materials than anyone could count. Even the cost of the failed pills was enough to rival the wealth of a city!”
Fu Xi Yan swallowed involuntarily.
“According to legend, when the Harmonized Yang Pills emerged from the furnace, mountains and seas shook, and thunder rolled without end through the nine heavens, as though a wondrous treasure had entered the world.”
Gulp.
The shopkeeper glanced at him and added more water to his cup.
Fu Xi Yan drank to steady himself. “Continue.”
The shopkeeper said, “However, the Harmonized Yang Pills were not intended for Young Palace Master Pei himself. The Sacred Blaze Art is extremely overbearing. The deeper one cultivates it, the more severely it harms the body. Jiang Xiu therefore planned to neutralize the Young Palace Master’s tyrannical true qi through the harmony of yin and yang between husband and wife. The Immortal Treasury Palace began searching for suitable partners long ago. On the day the pills were completed, Ban Qing Yu of the Spirit Sect, Xia Xue Nong of the Xia Family Fort, Wen Ping of the Northern Alliance, and numerous other famous heroines and noble young ladies of the jianghu all set out toward the Immortal Treasury Palace at almost the same time.”
Within the martial world, the Young Palace Master of the Immortal Treasury Palace held a position comparable to the crown prince of a dynasty. Pei Yuan Jin himself was also extraordinarily gifted and stood far above others of his generation. Naturally, that made him even more attractive.
Fu Xi Yan was silent for a long time. “Do the Harmonized Yang Pills only take effect after someone consumes three?”
The shopkeeper looked surprised. That was one of the most closely guarded details concerning the pills. He had not expected Fu Xi Yan to reveal it in a single sentence. He immediately felt that the one thousand taels had been pure profit.
“That is correct. Three Harmonized Yang Pills must be taken before the intended effect is achieved. Therefore, there are only three places available for the Young Palace Master’s wives. The three women I just mentioned are the most promising candidates.”
He paused, then emphasized, “There is no place for anyone else.”
This time, Fu Xi Yan remained silent even longer. The shopkeeper was almost ready to stand and send him away when Fu Xi Yan finally asked faintly, “What happens if someone only takes two?”
The shopkeeper thought the question was deliberately unreasonable. “There are only nine pills in existence. Young Palace Master Pei would have to be insane to let someone take only two!”
Fu Xi Yan did not know whether Pei Yuan Jin was insane, but he himself felt an urgent desire to become so. Mao Bu Yi had been right: in this world, the sober were always the most absurd.
Fu Xi Yan walked out of the pawnshop with empty sleeves and an even emptier purse. Only then did he realize that he had spent a fortune buying himself a stomach full of fear and worry.
Elio’s Notes: 两袖清风, literally “clean breezes in both sleeves,” traditionally describes an honest official with no wealth. Here, it also jokes that Fu Xi Yan has spent nearly all his money.
He returned to the restaurant, paid the bill, and headed back with Zhou Zhong Xin.
He had arrived full of curiosity and was leaving burdened with worry. While he was still lost in melancholy, an overwhelmingly terrifying presence suddenly descended upon him from every direction.
For one instant, he felt as though he had become a rabbit.
Behind him, an enormous predator was watching.
Before thought could catch up, Fu Xi Yan shot forward twenty or thirty yards. That instinctive habit of moving faster than he could think had once allowed him to almost evade Tang Gong’s palm strike, and this time it seemed to save him again.
By the time he came back to himself, the terrifying presence had vanished without a trace.
Only the nearby pedestrians remained, staring at him in alarm.
Zhou Zhong Xin hurried after him and saw the cold sweat covering his forehead. He swept a guarded gaze over the surroundings. “Young Master, what happened?”
Fu Xi Yan asked, “You didn’t feel anything?”
When Zhou Zhong Xin looked confused, Fu Xi Yan guessed that whoever had released the pressure must be beyond the Vajra Stage.
That ruled out Chu Guang.
But in Luoyang, what other expert of that level bore hostility toward him?
The answer surfaced almost immediately.
There was indeed one.
Fu Xi Yan smiled bitterly.
If it was Pei Yuan Jin, then this time he truly might be unable to escape.
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