Since Zuo Li De had put it that way, Fu Xi Yan naturally had to give him a way down. He smiled and waved a hand. “Young Master Zuo is too polite. There’s no need to call it an explanation. I was merely curious.”
“Speaking of curiosity,” Zuo Li De was clearly no easy opponent either. Seizing the opening, he immediately followed it upward. “Actually, I am also quite curious about what happened between Young Master Pei, Young Master Fu, and Lingyun Palace the night before last. I wonder whether I might ask a few questions?”
Fu Xi Yan neither agreed nor refused. “Isn’t the Vice Minister extremely well-informed?”
Zuo Li De glanced at Pei Yuan Jin. Seeing that Pei Yuan Jin had done nothing from beginning to end except sit there drinking tea without saying a word, apparently leaving Fu Xi Yan entirely in charge of speaking, he continued addressing him. “The other party is a Martial God, after all. Our people may dare watch from outside, but they would absolutely never enter.”
Fu Xi Yan said, “Since Young Master Zuo wants to know, I can tell you a little. Sect Leader Wu drank rather too much that night. She kept cursing some scumbag and faithless bastard. I’m an outsider and only recently arrived here, so I had no idea whom she meant. Young Master Zuo is knowledgeable and experienced. Surely you know?”
Zuo Li De paused, then awkwardly coughed.
Even if he knew, he could hardly admit it. His entire family ate from the faithless bastard’s table. He deliberately put on a puzzled expression. “That… I truly don’t know. Did the Sect Leader say anything else? Perhaps we can analyze it together.”
Fu Xi Yan pondered. “Anything else… Let me think, let me think… She seemed to mention the new city.”
Zuo Li De’s expression remained unchanged. “The new city? The one where the Spirit Sect is relocating its headquarters?”
Fu Xi Yan tested him. “Jinling is every bit as prosperous as the capital, Lin’an. The Spirit Sect has been entrenched there for many years and possesses deep foundations. Don’t you find it strange that they would suddenly relocate?”
Zuo Li De said, “The Spirit Sect’s construction of the new city was never a recent plan. The previous Sect Leader already began preparing it. Jinling was merely a temporary residence. Everyone in Southern Yu knows this.”
“But it exhausts the people and drains wealth.”
“Great cities are indeed prosperous, but when everyone flows into them, places such as Jinling become overcrowded while smaller cities and towns lose residents and gradually decline. That cannot be good in the long run. If the new city can encourage people to begin new lives somewhere else, that may not be a bad thing.”
Fu Xi Yan looked at the sincerity covering Zuo Li De’s face and smiled. “You’re right. I was being short-sighted.”
“Young Master Fu merely worries for the people.” Zuo Li De paused. “To speak frankly, with Young Master Fu’s talent, if you remained in Southern Yu, you would certainly accomplish great things.”
Fu Xi Yan said, “Now that you mention it, I’m rather interested. Go on. Explain in detail.”
Zuo Li De had clearly prepared in advance. He first recited Fu Xi Yan’s employment history in Northern Zhou, then praised him in countless different ways until he practically described him as Zhang Liang reincarnated and Kongming reborn. If Zuo Shi Shi had not inconsiderately come over and interrupted, Fu Xi Yan felt he could have listened to the entire thing a second time.
He said regretfully, “If Young Master Zuo had not awakened me from my dream with a single remark, even I wouldn’t have known that I possessed such extraordinary talent!”
Zuo Li De said, “Every word comes from the bottom of my heart.”
Fu Xi Yan sighed. “With talent like mine, whether I remain in Southern Yu or Northern Zhou would be unfair to the other country. Heaven’s Dao is perfectly impartial. Surely it would never tolerate such a thing.”
Even Zuo Li De, who was extraordinarily skilled at flattery, found himself speechless.
The youths had already completed their poems. Perhaps the scenery today was so beautiful that inspiration flowed unusually freely, or perhaps the arrival of new friends created a catfish effect. Either way, all of them felt they had outperformed themselves and produced works they were extremely satisfied with.
Zuo Shi Shi said, “Let’s vote now.”
More than a dozen poems were hung up for display. Since he had come all this way, Fu Xi Yan intended to obey the rules of the game and choose one that pleased his eye. Then he turned his head and discovered that his own “poem” had been hung directly in the center, in the most conspicuous position.
Zuo Shi Shi said smugly, “See? I didn’t treat you discourteously.”
Fu Xi Yan said, “Participation is what matters. I’m already satisfied that it was hung up.”
This was the first time Zuo Shi Shi had encountered someone so thick-skinned. Such an ugly, malformed little poem was being exposed to public scrutiny, yet he did not feel the slightest shame. “Won’t you lose face if no one votes for you?”
Fu Xi Yan said, “How could no one vote for me?”
As he spoke, Pei Yuan Jin and Zuo Li De stepped forward one after another and dropped lotus seeds into the celadon bowl assigned to him.
“Bro-Brother?” Zuo Shi Shi’s eyes widened. She seemed unable to believe that her own elder brother’s literary judgment could collapse so catastrophically one day.
Fu Xi Yan casually threw his own lotus seed into his bowl as well.
Zuo Shi Shi desperately wanted to ask whether he possessed even the slightest shame. But with her biological brother standing beside her, she could only resentfully throw her lotus seed into the bowl belonging to the poem she had already selected.
Although only Pei Yuan Jin and Zuo Li De had helped Fu Xi Yan inflate his votes, the top two poems attracted so many supporters that everyone else’s votes were spread thin. Several poems received no votes whatsoever. In the end, Fu Xi Yan actually placed fourth.
Fu Xi Yan was extremely satisfied. “Not bad, not bad.”
Zuo Shi Shi looked at the “lofty” fourth place and angrily declared that her poetry gathering had been defiled and could never again be pure.
Fu Xi Yan comforted her from the side. “How could that be? This is a lotus poetry gathering, after all. ‘It rises unstained from the mud and emerges washed by clear ripples without becoming seductive.’”
Zuo Shi Shi stared at him in shock, as though witnessing a frog transform into a prince before her eyes. “Why didn’t you use those lines in your poem?”
“…I don’t own the copyright.”
＊
After leaving the poetry gathering, the two of them did not immediately return home. Instead, they strolled along the lakeside, then sat at a simple food stall and ordered several bowls of fragrant wontons.
Jiangnan wontons had thin skins and were small enough to eat two or three in one bite. Even after several bowls, they did not fill much of the stomach.
Fu Xi Yan drank every drop of soup in one breath before finally feeling somewhat full. He was about to speak when a group escorting prisoners passed in front of him. Judging from the prisoners’ appearance, every one of them was broad and well-fed, suggesting they had only recently entered jail. Their faces still retained traces of the rebellious arrogance that had not yet been fully beaten out of them.
One prisoner even deliberately turned his head and gave Fu Xi Yan a vicious grin.
Fu Xi Yan pulled a face at him.
The prisoner froze and was about to react when a constable’s whip arrived.
Only after the group passed did Fu Xi Yan curiously ask the food-stall owner, “Where are they taking those prisoners?”
Business happened to be quiet at that hour, so the owner was happy to chat with customers and improve the odds of repeat business. “I heard they’re being sent north for hard labor.”
Fu Xi Yan said, “North?”
Jinling and the new city were both north of Lin’an.
He turned to Pei Yuan Jin. “I don’t know whether I imagined it, but Zuo Li De seemed unusually positive about the new city.” On the issue of the empress, Wu Xuan Yin and Southern Yu’s officials were definitely standing on opposing sides. If Southern Yu wanted to attack the Spirit Sect politically, the new city was an excellent opening. Why had Zuo Li De gone out of his way to praise it?
“Do you think Southern Yu’s court knows what the new city is actually for?”
If the Spirit Sect produced someone who successfully ascended and that person remained willing to help Southern Yu, then the Southern Yu court should logically support the plan. That would explain Zuo Li De’s praise.
But over the matter of the empress, Southern Yu had already thoroughly offended Wu Xuan Yin. If Wu Xuan Yin ascended, did Southern Yu truly believe it would still receive benefits? Where did that confidence come from? The young Southern Yu emperor’s beauty?
Fu Xi Yan sighed over the enormous mess inside his head.
Pei Yuan Jin patted his head. “We’ll discuss it after we return.”
＊
The Spirit Sect was playing an enormous game of chess, but for now they still could not see how many people had actually entered the board.
On the way back, Fu Xi Yan reorganized his thoughts. His mind finally became somewhat clearer. He mentally placed each person at a corner of the chessboard and drew crossing lines between them, only to discover that the result was still a complete mess.
“Ban Qing Yu currently controls the Spirit Sect. Suppose the Acting Sect Leader and the Sect Leader are at odds, and Ban Qing Yu bypassed Wu Xuan Yin to cooperate directly with the Southern Yu court. Then that would explain why Southern Yu’s officials treat Wu Xuan Yin and the new city so differently. But Wu Xuan Yin is still the person who intends to ascend. What exactly is everyone else busy doing?”
Shou Nan Shan pointed out the greatest flaw in his reasoning. “Zuo Li De may not represent the Southern Yu court.”
Fu Xi Yan paused, then suddenly understood. Right, right. Zuo Li De was still a young man. He could easily have his own opinions. His attitude could not automatically be treated as the official Southern Yu position on the new city.
“So how much of what Wu Xuan Yin said can we actually believe?”
Thinking carefully, Wu Xuan Yin had not spoken that much, yet the amount of information contained in her words was enormous.
“Is the new city really meant to open a road to ascension?
“Is Pei Yuan Jin truly being kept as a hostage?
“Does the Spirit Sect actually have other Martial Gods?”
His head began aching. “And she could simply have refused to tell us. Why reveal a secret like that?”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “Because even if she hadn’t told us, we would have learned eventually.”
Fu Xi Yan paused. “Why?”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “If the new city truly concerns ascension and she holds me hostage, that means the Immortal Treasury Palace and Spirit Sect are not on the same side. Mo Xiao Ran traded for the new city’s formation blueprints, so he can be considered aligned with the Spirit Sect. But those are only two organizations. No one knows how many Martial Gods exist beneath Heaven. If the others hear of this, what attitude do you think they will take?”
Fu Xi Yan followed his reasoning downward. Horror appeared on his face before he smiled bitterly. “There probably isn’t a single Martial God who doesn’t want to ascend.”
In other words, even if Wu Xuan Yin were the Spirit Sect’s only Martial God, she had countless Martial God allies available to call upon!
“The Spirit Sect is blazing a trail for every Martial God beneath Heaven. Therefore, every Martial God beneath Heaven will protect that trail.” Pei Yuan Jin’s expression darkened. “The only martial force with any possibility of stopping them is the Immortal Treasury Palace.” That was precisely why the Spirit Sect had gone to such lengths to lure him into Southern Yu and hold him hostage. They had concluded that Pei Xiong Ji had failed to find a path of ascension and therefore must value his successor enormously.
Fu Xi Yan did not understand. “Doesn’t the Palace Lord want to ascend?”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “Countless people have walked forward one after another seeking a path to ascension. None succeeded, but they left behind many theories. Over time, two major schools formed. One advocates nourishing the soul through the body. They believe the reason Martial Gods dissolve into nothing is that the body lacks the strength to coexist with such a powerful soul, so they focus on strengthening the physical body.”
Fu Xi Yan thought of Pei Yuan Jin’s Extreme Yang Sacred Body. “You… the Immortal Treasury Palace follows this path?”
Pei Yuan Jin nodded. “The other school believes that after entering the Martial King Stage, a person’s soul undergoes a transformation and gradually becomes assimilated by the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, they seek to reverse that transformation.”
Fu Xi Yan thought for a moment, then looked toward Shou Nan Shan, who had been listening nearby. “May I offend you for a moment?”
Whatever intentions Mo Xiao Ran might harbor, the Spirit-Sight Art recorded in Introduction to the Puppet Arts truly did have many additional uses. For example, Fu Xi Yan now wanted to personally see whether a Martial King’s soul was different from an ordinary person’s.
He activated the Spirit-Sight Art and looked toward Shou Nan Shan, but all he could see was the broad silk robe rising and falling gently with his breathing. He then looked toward Pei Yuan Jin and saw nothing but black brocade.
“I can’t see anything… Don’t tell me the Spirit-Sight Art has a level restriction too?”
“Spirit-Sight Art?” Shou Nan Shan’s expression became grave. “Isn’t that a Puppet Art?”
Only then did Fu Xi Yan remember that only his eldest brother Fu Li An and Pei Yuan Jin knew he was studying Puppet Arts. Being questioned by Shou Nan Shan immediately made him somewhat flustered. After all, even today the Puppet Path still occupied first place on the list of heterodox and demonic arts and remained the Immortal Treasury Palace’s number-one enemy to eliminate.
He timidly looked toward Pei Yuan Jin.
Pei Yuan Jin said calmly, “If one does not enter the tiger’s den, how can one capture its cub?”
Shou Nan Shan was choked speechless. The fine lines at the corners of his eyes creased as his gaze swept over Fu Xi Yan, as though he could see through every hidden crime.
Fu Xi Yan had originally been nervous, but under that stare he regained his composure. “With the Young Master watching me, how bad could I possibly become?”
Shou Nan Shan muttered, “The fact that the Young Master is watching is exactly why I’m worried.”
Things such as principles and bottom lines were slowly deposited in a person’s heart only after countless experiences and trials. But for most young people, love possessed neither principles nor bottom lines. They could blindly fling themselves into flames like moths and still think the sight was beautiful.
No matter how seasoned the Young Master’s actions might appear, he was fundamentally still a young man.
Shou Nan Shan could not help regretting how recklessly he had once tried to bring the two together.
Fu Xi Yan saw his expression changing repeatedly and could not help asking, “It’s only one Spirit-Sight Art. Is it really that serious?”
Shou Nan Shan said, “The Spirit-Sight Art is only the first step through the door of Puppet Arts. But once someone enters that door and sees the dazzling world inside, will he easily turn around and leave? A person’s fall often begins with one insignificant event, one seemingly harmless benefit.”
Fu Xi Yan said, “Martial King Shou worries too much. Forget some dazzling world—I can’t even see what’s inside your clothes.”
Shou Nan Shan: “…”
Pei Yuan Jin pressed a hand against Fu Xi Yan’s head and forcibly turned his face back toward him. “Why do you want to know what’s inside Shou Nan Shan’s clothes?”
Fu Xi Yan froze. Realizing the ambiguity, he hurriedly said, “I phrased that wrong! I meant his soul. I wanted to see whether a Martial King’s soul had undergone any changes.”
The conversation finally returned to its proper track.
Pei Yuan Jin said, “Ban Qing Yu said she would keep me for one month, but that may not be true. When we left the new city, construction was already complete and only population relocation remained. The City of Ten Thousand Beasts should also arrive within the next few days. That means the Spirit Sect may act very soon. The Immortal Treasury Palace cannot possibly be completely unaware. Send out messages and see whether anyone in Jinling or the new city responds. Also summon Shen Bo You here immediately.”
Fu Xi Yan asked, “Are we going to stop them?”
Pei Yuan Jin countered, “Can we?”
Without question, the struggle surrounding the new city had already reached a level where only Martial Gods could truly participate. Even Pei Yuan Jin had managed to glimpse a little of it only because of his value as a hostage. To genuinely enter the game and sit at the table was, without undervaluing himself, beyond his current qualifications. The Spirit Sect had gone through an enormous circle to lure him into Southern Yu not because they valued his personal strength, but because of his identity as Young Master. The person they were truly speaking to was his father standing behind him.
Fu Xi Yan thought about it and had to admit that he truly had been arrogant.
Shou Nan Shan comforted them. “Trust Chief Steward Jing to respond appropriately. Do we still need to summon Shen Bo You?”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “Of course. Affairs on the table can be left to Uncle Jing. As for what happens beneath the table, we can still play another round.” Young Master Pei had always preferred straightforward action. Even if he could not yet sit at the main table, he had no intention of remaining silent as an obedient hostage.
＊
Zuo Li De kept his word. The very next day, he sent someone to explain Wuchen’s origin.
“The Eldest Young Master found the gift register from that year. Wuchen was presented five years ago by a wealthy merchant surnamed Huang from Rongcheng, supposedly as a birthday gift. He also asked the Vice Minister to write a recommendation allowing his son to enter the Imperial Academy. The Vice Minister saw that the son was genuinely talented and agreed immediately. Afterward, there was no further contact. Yesterday, the Eldest Young Master checked the Imperial Academy. That merchant’s son left last year. Judging by the timing, it was around the same period as the regent’s downfall. Therefore, I suspect both the merchant surnamed Huang and his son had highly suspicious identities.”
The visitor was a retainer from the Vice Minister of Rites’ residence. He spoke slowly and calmly, neither servile nor arrogant. “The Eldest Young Master was both furious and ashamed after discovering this. He is currently checking the rest of the family’s gifts to ensure no similar mistake occurred. We have also brought several apology gifts. Please accept them, Young Master and Young Master Fu.” As he spoke, several more chests were carried inside. This time they contained imperial-kiln porcelain, famous embroidered paintings, and other gifts characteristic of Southern Yu.
Whether sincere or false, they had at least played their part perfectly and prevented Pei Yuan Jin’s group from seizing the matter as leverage.
Unfortunately, Pei Yuan Jin was not someone who liked following other people’s intentions. “There is another matter in which I would like Vice Minister Zuo’s help.”
The retainer smiled bitterly. “I can pass along your words.”
The Eldest Young Master had warned him that Fu Xi Yan was eloquent and difficult to deal with. He had not expected Young Master Pei to be no easier. Pei Yuan Jin either said nothing at all or, once he spoke, was no more polite than Fu Xi Yan.
＊
After the poetry gathering, the Immortal Treasury Palace’s various Lin’an divisions, which had previously possessed almost no visible presence, suddenly began emerging throughout the city.
The Rain Division scattered large quantities of silver in an attempt to smooth relations with various government offices.
The Thunder Division selected several small sects and brought them under its banner, including more than a few hidden Spirit Sect pieces.
The Wind Division and Lightning Division appeared to make no obvious moves, but the chief managers of both had been summoned to Pei Yuan Jin’s small residence.
Ying He was currently reporting on Wuchen’s origin.
His investigation had clearly followed the Vice Minister of Rites’ direction, and his conclusions were almost identical. Pei Yuan Jin was not particularly satisfied. If the Wind Division under his command could only accomplish this much, then why did it need to exist at all? He might as well drag the other party over and ask directly whenever something happened.
Still, Ying He was the best among a poor selection, so Pei Yuan Jin phrased his dissatisfaction relatively mildly. “Where did the wealthy merchant surnamed Huang obtain Wuchen? Why did he choose to give it to a ministry official who does not practice martial arts? Those questions must all be investigated.”
Pei Yuan Jin had little interest in whether the wealthy merchant from Rongcheng had been a spy connected to the regent. Something about Wuchen itself felt strangely abrupt. Everyone beneath Heaven knew that Pei Yuan Jin used a sword and already possessed the Crimson Dragon King, a Heaven-grade famous sword. Sending Wuchen to him therefore felt entirely inappropriate.
He had a vague intuition that another unseen hand was quietly stirring conflict.
After finishing his report, Ying He did not immediately leave. Instead, he respectfully remained standing to one side. He could not practice martial arts. Only because Southern Yu lacked personnel had he managed, through diligence, to climb to the chief-manager position. But this was probably the limit. Any further promotion would take him to Immortal Treasury Palace headquarters, where experts gathered like clouds. Who was he compared with them?
He had assumed his life would remain like this forever. Pei Yuan Jin’s arrival, however, showed him a new possibility.
Reaching the end of the ordinary promotion path did not mean exceptional promotion was impossible. If he gained the Young Master’s favor, it would be equivalent to investing in the Immortal Treasury Palace’s future.
Thus, he had worked extremely hard these past days. Whatever Pei Yuan Jin ordered, he did everything possible to accomplish. Unfortunately, the Immortal Treasury Palace’s foundations in Southern Yu were simply too weak. After rising to chief manager, Ying He himself had also become somewhat complacent, and now it appeared the results were poor.
Still, whether someone performed well or badly depended upon comparison.
Inside Southern Yu, his greatest rival was this veteran figure who reportedly possessed unusually deep ties with the old Palace Lord—Shen Bo You, chief manager of the Lightning Division.
Pei Yuan Jin had seen Shen Bo You when he was young. He vaguely remembered a dark-faced man. More than ten years later, Shen Bo You’s appearance had changed little. Only the hostility between his brows had faded, replaced by the composure accumulated through years.
Shen Bo You cupped his hands. “Greetings, Young Master.”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “Uncle Shen has remained in Southern Yu for so many years. Have you ever considered returning to headquarters?”
Shen Bo You said, “This old man is already advanced in years. Once I grow accustomed to staying somewhere, I dislike moving. I’ll simply retire in Lin’an.”
Pei Yuan Jin did not become angry at being refused. Instead, he nodded. “That is also fine. Southern Yu is currently entering troubled times. The Immortal Treasury Palace needs a mature, steady person such as Uncle Shen to oversee the overall situation.”
Shen Bo You said, “Southern Yu’s internal chaos has nothing to do with the Immortal Treasury Palace. This old man has no patience for all these schemes and deceptions. If the Young Master has such ambitions, you would be better off finding someone more capable. I can step aside for a worthy successor at any time.”
Seeing his attitude of giving up entirely, Pei Yuan Jin gradually withdrew his mild expression and revealed a trace of sharpness. “Elder Shen’s realization seems to have come rather late.”
Shen Bo You had not expected him to suddenly turn hostile. After a moment of surprise, anger appeared on his face. “What does the Young Master mean by that?”
Pei Yuan Jin stood. He was already tall, and once he straightened, he towered a full head over Shen Bo You. Although his cultivation realm was slightly lower, looking down at the other man now gave him an imposing air that needed no anger to command authority.
“This is the Immortal Treasury Palace’s chief manager of the Wind Division in Lin’an. He has a few connections at court, but he cannot practice martial arts. The Rain Division chief manager is a wealthy local merchant who reportedly wanted a powerful backer, so every year he threw enormous quantities of silver at the Palace until he literally bought his way into his current position. The Thunder Division chief manager is even more impressive—a former outlaw. He grew old and no longer wanted to live with his head on the chopping block, tried to join the Spirit Sect, was rejected, and therefore turned around and entered my Immortal Treasury Palace!”
Heaven knew that when Pei Yuan Jin first read those files, he had nearly coughed up blood.
“You are the chief manager of the Lightning Division. Surely you already knew all of this?”
Shen Bo You opened his mouth, intending to explain, only to discover that any explanation would sound hopelessly weak.
Supervising and inspecting the other divisions was precisely the Lightning Division’s duty. As Lin’an’s Lightning Division chief manager, changes in the leadership of Lin’an’s various divisions should have passed through his review. Yet after arriving in Southern Yu, Shen Bo You had only pretended to manage things properly for the first few years. Later, he delegated everything to his subordinates. He genuinely had not heard of a single one of the situations Pei Yuan Jin described.
Seeing Shen Bo You’s old face turn red beneath its dark complexion as he stammered without producing an answer, Pei Yuan Jin continued, “I have been in Lin’an for this long, yet you never came to report. Did you know I was here and refuse to come, or did you simply have no idea?”
Shen Bo You said, “I was in seclusion on the mountain…”
Pei Yuan Jin coldly interrupted him. “Elder Shen should remember Palace rules. Anyone entering seclusion must first report to headquarters and wait until a temporary replacement has taken office. Only then may he begin seclusion.”
Shen Bo You breathed heavily through his nose but could not produce another word.