Chapter 400: Which Is Harder

After Duan Rong left the Public Mortuary, he rushed that very night to a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of Tongbai County to rendezvous with Ximen Kankan and Liu Shushan.

Inside the dilapidated temple, Liu Shushan had already heard Ximen Kankan recount Duan Rong's plan once, but Ximen Kankan himself did not understand many parts of that plan; he merely had a good memory, so he repeated it to Liu Shushan without any omissions.

Naturally, Liu Shushan was also left completely bewildered.

However, the fact that Shen Yanliu had already been rescued was an indisputable fact.

Furthermore, the person currently conducting the search and investigation within Ruyang Prefecture was Tang Wanhong; this was also an indisputable fact.

Although he did not know exactly how Duan Rong had managed it, there was no doubt that he had accomplished an almost impossible task, leading that old fox Chen Xun into a maze he had laid out.

Although this dilapidated temple was in the wilderness where human tracks were rare, for the sake of secrecy, they did not light a fire at night, and only Ximen Kankan and Liu Shushan took turns keeping watch.

Liu Shushan sat at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, keeping watch while pondering matters; in the wilderness outside, a light night breeze blew from time to time, emitting a rustling sound in waves.

Under the dim starlight and moonlight, a black shadow suddenly flashed inside.

Liu Shushan's heart jumped, and he was about to strike when he heard a familiar voice say, "Shushan, it's me."

Liu Shushan felt a sense of relief in his heart; it was Duan Rong's voice.

In the darkness, he looked at the blurred silhouette at the entrance; as these past few days had passed, he realized that Duan Rong had completely captivated him.

Over these past few months, although Duan Rong had repeatedly cracked strange cases, that had been while battling cunning people from the streets and the jianghu; yet this time, with the Shen Yanliu case, Duan Rong had set up such a massive trap for Prefecture Master Chen Xun right under his very nose.

That Chen Xun was himself the number one old fox, and he even kept a group of retainers under his command, yet not a single one had been able to see through it.

Truly, one must think where it is unthinkable, and act using methods that should be impossible!

Shen Yanliu's original prison uniform had already been burned by Ximen Kankan and replaced with linen clothes; coupled with his haggard face and disheveled hair, he truly looked like an old farmer suffering from a serious illness.

Duan Rong, Ximen Kankan, and Liu Shushan waited in that dilapidated temple for only another day before Shen Mizhi and Xiao Yu arrived after burying those two coffins at the Public Mortuary.

Duan Rong used his Divine Sense to carefully investigate and discovered that no secret agents were following Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi.

It seemed that after Shen Yanliu was executed, Chen Xun's side had already given up on tracking Shen Mizhi. After all, he had many other things to worry about, and in his eyes, Shen Mizhi probably had no tracking value anymore.

The group did not stay in the dilapidated temple for too long.

After discussing it, they decided to have Ximen Kankan and Liu Shushan send Shen Yanliu to a Separate Courtyard of the Ximen Family in Yuanyang Prefecture to recuperate.

Although Shen Yanliu had once been the magistrate of Xiangu County, he had almost never appeared in Yuanyang Prefecture, and since he was going there to stay behind closed doors to heal his injuries—not to mention that in the official government documents, he was already a dead man—unless someone personally escorted him and brought him before Chen Xun, the matter could not be exposed.

Duan Rong, Xiao Yu, and Shen Mizhi stood side by side on the Official Road, reining in their horses and watching that carriage go further and further away.

Naturally, Shen Mizhi felt very reluctant to part, but since the Shen Yanliu case had only just occurred, her identity was still somewhat sensitive, making it inconvenient for her to accompany them. She could only wait for the heat to die down before rushing to Yuanyang Prefecture to serve and fulfill her filial duties.

"Let's go!"

Seeing that the carriage had become a black dot, Duan Rong spoke softly.

Shen Mizhi gave a hum of agreement, and the three of them reined in their horses, turned, and headed in another direction along the Official Road at the intersection.

Having been delayed here for more than half a month, they should have long since reported back to the contact point for the errand assigned by the Sect.

Galloping along the Official Road, the lush Wild Forest on both sides receded behind them; a sense of pleasure welled up in Duan Rong's heart as he silently recalled the origin of this plan in his mind.

It was after investigating the Dungeon of the Prefecture City; that night, as he lay alone on his bed, half-asleep and half-awake, something had sparked like a flash of lightning.

It was just an inspiration, or perhaps just an initial thought, and then Duan Rong began to deduce based on that thought.

Looking back on it now, that thought and the subsequent deduction were not actually without foundation.

In his previous life, he had read a formal detective novel that left a deep impression on him.

That was *The Devotion of Suspect X* by Keigo Higashino. He had to admit that his initial thought and inspiration came from this novel.

The protagonist of the novel, Ishigami, was a mathematician who set a trap, using a near-perfect plan to lead the police investigating the case into a fog.

If you want to solve a problem, you must first be able to see the problem.

If you never saw a problem at all, how could you solve it?

In the novel, there was a dialogue where Ishigami asked his friend, a physicist named Yukawa: "You once asked me a question: which is harder, to devise an unsolvable problem or to solve it? Do you remember?"

Yukawa replied: "I remember. My answer is that designing the problem is harder. I have always believed that the solver should hold the creator of the problem in high regard."

In Ruyang Prefecture, he had done almost the same thing as Ishigami: he simply did not let Chen Xun see the problem at all.

If what you see is a fake problem from the start, a maze designed by someone else, then you have already lost from the beginning, and you have absolutely no chance of turning the tables, because you were never sitting at the gambling table to begin with! No matter how good your gambling skills are, or how much capital you have, it is all in vain.

After they reported back to the Sect, they received new tasks assigned by the Sect and went their separate ways to different places to carry out their missions.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year.

This year, Zhu Xiaoqi was at home and had prepared quite a lot of New Year's goods, but as the New Year approached, Ximen Kankan arrived and insisted on pestering the couple, Duan Rong and Xiao Yu, to go to Yuanyang Prefecture for the New Year.

The two could not refuse his pestering, so they had to agree.

Zhu Xiaoqi could only prepare gifts for the two of them with a mournful look in his eyes.

This night was New Year's Eve; outside, the sound of firecrackers rumbled, and the Duan Rong couple and the Ximen family sat around a large round table, eating a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.

Duan Rong once again ate that rather authentic Eight Treasure Gourd Duck; he served two pieces to Xiao Yu, and after eating them, Xiao Yu was full of praise.

The two families were harmonious, toasting each other and exchanging New Year's blessings...

Shen Yanliu and his daughter, Shen Mizhi, were actually also staying in a rather secluded Separate Courtyard of the Ximen Mansion at this time, but the two of them did not come over for this lively New Year's Eve dinner.

This was not them being impolite; after all, Shen Yanliu was a man who had suffered the punishment of castration, so it was inconvenient for him to appear in such a lively setting.

Most of the time, Shen Mizhi was out rushing about for Sect missions, and only occasionally, when she had spare time, would she come over to take care of her father.

However, the injuries on Shen Yanliu's body had already mostly healed, and over the past half year, Xiao Yu had visited him several times.

Usually, he lived alone in that Separate Courtyard and did not associate with outsiders; his daily food, clothing, and necessities were all sent over from here.

After the New Year's Eve dinner concluded, Duan Rong and Xiao Yu returned to their room.

Xiao Yu sat at the dressing table and began to remove her makeup.

Duan Rong, however, suddenly picked up a long wooden box he had placed on the bed and said, "I'm going over there to see Mr. Shen; I'll be back in a moment."

Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong's reflection in the Copper Mirror and said, "Go ahead, give him my regards."

Duan Rong had already discussed the matter of giving the thing in his hand to Shen Yanliu with her before they came, and she had agreed to it.

Moreover, she also felt that it was better for Duan Rong to go alone for this matter.

If both of us go, the husband and wife making such a big show of it, it would look as if we were afraid the other party wouldn't appreciate the favor.

When Duan Rong carried that long wooden box and walked into that rather secluded Separate Courtyard, he saw that the father and daughter had already finished their New Year's Eve dinner; Shen Mizhi was tidying up the bowls and chopsticks, clearing away the plates, while Shen Yanliu stood alone in the courtyard, looking at a cluster of thin bamboo in the corner.

The moonlight was sifted through, casting a patch of mottled, sparse shadows on the ground.

As Duan Rong walked into the courtyard, Shen Yanliu's gaze flickered slightly.

Over the past half year or so, Xiao Yu had come a few times, but Duan Rong had not yet come.

He saw that Shen Yanliu was dressed in loose clothing, his hair gently tied up with a band; his expression was tranquil, and his gaze was soft.

Duan Rong sighed with admiration in his heart; having experienced life and death, this man seemed to have let go of quite a lot.

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Master Shen, I trust you have been well since we last met!"

"Officer Duan!" Shen Yanliu cupped his hands and smiled faintly, "I am merely a man who has suffered the punishment of castration, just lingering on in a wasted existence."

The two then stepped into the room, and Shen Mizhi served each of them a cup of tea before withdrawing; her attitude was very respectful, and the arrogant look of the past was long gone.

The thing that changes a person the most is those four words: life and death, parting and separation.

Whatever one experiences, there is bound to be a transformation.

Duan Rong took a light sip of tea and asked, "Master Shen, are you getting used to living here in this Separate Courtyard?"

Shen Yanliu said, "It is very quiet here."

Duan Rong smiled and said, "I see that your state is quite good; after this incident, it is as if you have become ten years younger."

Shen Yanliu laughed heartily and said, "Your eyes are like torches, Officer; I am indeed now free from official duties and light of heart!"

Duan Rong also smiled, then pushed the long wooden box on the side table toward Shen Yanliu, saying, "This is the item you entrusted to me last time I went to Shen Garden. Now, it is returned to its rightful owner."

"Shen Garden?" Shen Yanliu's gaze jumped. "Ni Yunlin's 'Autumn Clearing at the Fishing Villa'?"

Duan Rong took a sip of tea and said, "It is indeed this item!"

To be honest, Shen Yanliu living in the Separate Courtyard of the Ximen Mansion was, after all, living under someone else's roof, and it was not a long-term solution. Moreover, the heat of that major case had already passed, and he and his daughter were considering finding a place to move out.

However, the funds for this had become a problem.

Shen Yanliu had already had his home confiscated, and the wealth he had originally accumulated had naturally all vanished into thin air.

Although Shen Mizhi was an Inner Sect Disciple, when she handled cases in various places, her food and lodging were all covered while staying at post houses. However, the case-handling rewards given by the Sect were all in merit points and items like the Pill, and there would definitely be no silver.

Because, within Changliu Mountain, silver notes simply did not circulate.

Furthermore, most Inner Sect Disciples were children of noble families and did not lack silver or money, but Shen Mizhi's situation was relatively special; her family had suddenly fallen into decline, she had no silver, and she had never known how to acquire it.

Shen Yanliu was currently getting a headache over this matter, and this painting from Duan Rong could be called sending charcoal in snowy weather. Moreover, Duan Rong said it was returning the item to its owner, which also looked after his dignity.

Shen Yanliu's hand gently stroked the surface of the wooden box, and looking at Duan Rong, he sighed, "You are very thoughtful, Officer!"

The two then chatted about some idle matters, and Duan Rong rose to take his leave.

Walking on the road, Duan Rong recalled the conversation he had just had with Shen Yanliu; he had not expected that the two of them would have such a congenial chat.

An old saying goes: The sea of sin is boundless, turn back and you are at the shore; put down the butcher's knife, and you will become a Buddha on the spot.

It is just that the knife in the hand is easy to put down, but what is hard to put down is the knife in the heart.

After this great change, Shen Yanliu had become quite relieved.

After Duan Rong left, Shen Yanliu moved the tea off the side table, opened the wooden box, and carefully took out the old, yellowed scroll inside.

Shen Yanliu spread the scroll out on the side table, and the familiar brushwork and Artistic Conception appeared before his eyes once again.

When Shen Yanliu was young, he was quite fond of calligraphy and painting and had studied them for several years; if it weren't for that experience, he would not have known Tang Wanhong.

Seeing the sparse bamboo under Ni Yunlin's brush, noble, clean, and vast, Shen Yanliu was suddenly tearful and muttered, "I didn't expect that in this life, I would be able to see this painting again. The bamboo in this painting is far cleaner than I am; I have wasted half my life, and it is nothing but a hollow illusion."

Looking at this painting now, Shen Yanliu's state of mind was vastly different from previous years.

The painting had not changed, only the person looking at the painting was no longer the person from back then.

When Duan Rong returned to his room, Xiao Yu was already fast asleep. In these few days approaching the end of the year, she had been busy receiving guests and preparing gifts, and had been very exhausted for several days.

Duan Rong sat by the bed, watching Xiao Yu sleeping soundly, his heart very calm; he blew out the Candle Lamp and sat cross-legged on the bed.

The Heaven and Earth Qi was thin, making it impossible to break through to the Qi Refining Realm. For the past year, Duan Rong's cultivation had stagnated, remaining at the True Qi Realm Great Perfection.

He had also distributed the Pills and such that the Sect rewarded him with to Xiao Yu, Ximen Kankan, and the others.

However, no longer focusing on cultivation, this year of time had allowed him to ponder another matter, which was the issue of dealing with the source blood light of the Filthy Blood Divine Art within his Spirit Sea.

After nearly a year of exploration, he had finally found a way to completely eradicate this scourge.

Since he had decided to develop in the Taiyi Sect for the long term, this scourge had to be removed, because the further he entered the core of the Sect, the greater the chance of this scourge being exposed would become with each passing day.

Moreover, that blood light had always been a significant worry for Duan Rong.

Between breaths, Duan Rong skillfully struck a certain point, and with a sudden dizziness before his eyes, he entered his Spirit Sea.

In the center of the Black Earth, he looked up and saw a phantom sitting cross-legged in the firmament, its features no different from his own.

Eleven Star Bodies surrounded it, slowly rotating with the phantom as the center.

The moment Duan Rong appeared in the center of the Black Earth, that phantom shared his mind.

This phantom in the firmament was slightly different from when he was in Changliu Mountain.

He saw that at the dantian of the phantom, a cluster of red light was faintly glowing.

Yes, Duan Rong had manipulated the phantom to swallow the source blood light of the Filthy Blood Divine Art into its dantian.

And Duan Rong discovered that after the phantom swallowed the source blood light, when he activated the Womb Treasury Sutra, the technique of the Womb Treasury Sutra was actually digesting that piece of source blood light bit by bit.

Although it was very slow, it was indeed effective.

Ever since he discovered this method, Duan Rong had been diligent every day, because this thing was also a task of grinding, and it wouldn't work without diligence.

He wanted to completely refine that piece of blood light before his three-year term as an Outer Sect Disciple expired and he advanced to an Inner Sect Disciple.

This time when he returned to Changliu Mountain, he would definitely be an Inner Sect Disciple.

He had only been an Outer Sect Disciple for a year, but he had heard a saying circulating among the Outer Sect Disciples: Inner Sect Disciples are the true people of the Sect, while Outer Sect Disciples are just dogs raised by the Sect.

Inner Sect Disciples would begin to come into contact with the true core affairs of the Sect, and before that, only by completely dealing with that source blood light could Duan Rong be at ease.

(End of chapter)