Chapter 109

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

This phrase was still shallow and plain as ever, yet it made Shaowei pause to think for a moment, staring at the two characters "freshly killed" in the dim light.

These two characters were not unfamiliar; back in Taoxi Township, whenever she went to the prefecture-county market to sell poultry, a wooden tablet would always stand before the chicken cages and goose baskets, with "Live Poultry, Freshly Killed" written in charcoal in four large characters.

But the house slave had come specially to sneak into the shrine to deliver a message, naturally not to have her kill chickens and geese; Shaowei pondered for a moment, then a look of realization appeared in her eyes—this meant to freshly kill a person.

Shaowei thus inferred that her eight-character prophecy must have been fully interpreted and spread—so much so that even the house slave believed someone of status from the Liu family had to die, to shake the dragon qi, break the earth, and hold a grand funeral, before the prophecy could be fulfilled.

The house slave had reached this conclusion from eavesdropping on the roofs of the mansions of the great and powerful in the capital over these past two nights.

Since that night Shaowei had asked him to help inquire about matters at the Lu Hou Fu, Shaowei had not returned to the small courtyard again, but remained in the shrine preparing for the February 2nd sacrifice.

Shaowei had told him in advance that she intended to use the February 2nd sacrificial ceremony to end these days of miserable hiding, and she would carry out a brilliant deception, needing to succeed at once and make a stunning debut.

The house slave asked if he could be of use, and after receiving a negative answer, he felt that a scam one person could complete could not be very large in scale, and that deceiving people was always more conservative than killing people, so he settled down at home to wait for the results, waiting for her to return triumphant from her con, or to celebrate and encourage her, or to wait for her to return defeated and summarize her experience.

But on the night the February 2nd ceremony ended, Shaowei still had not returned.

The house slave was uneasy, and sneaked into the shrine overnight, found a random roof, and overheard several female shamans fearfully discussing and cursing a new mad little witch, saying that the little witch had actually claimed at the ceremony to be possessed by the spirit of the Taizu Emperor, and would surely implicate everyone in the shrine.

At that moment a thunderclap sounded in the night sky, and the house slave on the roof felt as if struck.

Whether the soul of the deceased Taizu Emperor had been summoned back was unknown, but the living house slave's soul was nearly frightened out of him—that was the truth.

She had clearly promised him to be extra careful, yet her deception was actually to turn around and impersonate the Heavenly Son's father; there was no scam in the world larger than this. The conservative method he thought of laying down blades and fists was actually another kind of more unbounded, reckless adventure.

Fortunately, the First Swordsman was always reserved, otherwise he would surely have clutched his head and screamed on the roof.

At that time Zhao Qie'an silently looked up at the night sky, vaguely feeling that the sky of this capital had been punctured.

But after all, he had raised this child for some time; he believed that although this child was bold, she was not foolish.

So he patiently waited a day and a night, and eavesdropped on the pillow talk of the officials who had participated in the sacrificial ceremony everywhere.

After listening to the end, the house slave came to a conclusion: at least one person related to dragon qi had to die.

The house slave gradually felt relieved, thinking that Shaowei had studied under Jiang Fu and should know physiognomy and qi observation; perhaps she knew whose time was up, intended to pick a ready-made target, and set up this trap.

But after patiently waiting another day and night, the house slave inquired everywhere and couldn't help but frown slightly: why was no one dead yet?

According to his habit of never meddling and his naturally extraordinary, strange calmness, he should have continued waiting, but ever since that "Zhao Shu," he inexplicably felt bound by something invisible, and unconsciously wanted to worry and toil.

So tonight he sneaked into the shrine again, asking if she needed him to go freshly kill someone.

There were less than two days left; killing also needed time. The Emperor definitely could not be killed, and the Crown Prince, also in the palace, was somewhat difficult, but among the royal clans living in Chengdong, two or three evildoers could be chosen as cheap substitutes, ensuring the killing of these substitutes while trying for the Crown Prince's side; this plan was called "secure three, strive for one."

As for why it was the clans in Chengdong, naturally there were reasons; it was said that Chiyang had also divined that change would arise on the east side, just to hitch a ride on Chiyang's words to cover up and confuse the disturbances brought by killing.

Unlike Shaowei's shrine eight-character prophecy that had long spread far and wide, few people knew of Chiyang's divination; the house slave learned of it in time because the dark guard Liu Qi sent to follow Shaowei had revealed it.

Those ten guards, by Liu Qi's order, after escorting Shaowei into the capital, also remained in the capital.

Now that Shaowei was in trouble, the leading dark guard appropriately passed some news to Zhao Qie'an; this action was within the latitude Liu Qi allowed.

When the other party went to deliver the news it was deep night; at that time, looking at the dark guard clad in pitch black with a covered face, Zhao Qie'an wanted to speak but hesitated.

As an elder house slave, he should naturally prepare for the worst; killing was ultimately a blunt last resort, not necessarily able to cover things up. If Shaowei were still taken to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for interrogation, he would naturally act to rescue her; at that time, he didn't know if these Sixth Prince's dark guards could lend a hand?

But the house slave was never good with words; thinking of his own child's affairs in Qian: impersonating the Sixth Prince's great-uncle to deceive the Sixth Prince's father—he couldn't help but feel somewhat embarrassed, so he did not rashly invite the other party to participate in the jailbreak.

In places Shaowei could not see, the house slave already had many plans, but he also knew his plans were too simple; ultimately he needed to know if the child truly needed them, otherwise he would become a poor-quality parent blindly adding chaos.

At this moment, the house slave crouched on a roof opposite the quiet chamber, his figure merging with the rainy night, silently watching that quiet chamber.

Not long after, there was a faint movement on the window opening of the quiet chamber; obviously the person inside had climbed up again, and then a hand reached out from the opening, waving a few times in the night, making a gesture of driving away and urging departure.

The house slave understood, turned and left very decisively; the plan of "secure three, strive for one" was canceled, and he would just watch to see if she could extricate herself next; if not, he would have to start the jailbreak.

Inside the quiet chamber, Shaowei, full of pent-up energy for many days with nowhere to use it, had torn that ball of hemp cloth worse than cat scratches and more shattered than mouse gnawing, no trace of the characters discernible.

Then she clutched the ball of scraps in her hand, knelt and crawled under the bed, lifted a corner of the low bed, propped it on her shoulder, used a flying dart to pry up a floor tile under the bed, evenly scattered the scraps inside, pressed the tile back, and set the bed straight.

Finally, after looking around the room, she flew up and grabbed the window opening, closed one eye to aim at the tallest tree in the courtyard, and threw the flying dart, which firmly lodged in the thick fork of the tree.

After doing all this, Shaowei patted her hands and lay down again, turning her head to look east; as she closed her eyes, she murmured to herself: "Who says it must be a fresh death to break the earth and leak dragon qi?"

The rain outside the quiet chamber continued for another day and night.

The sixth day of the second month, the fourth day arrived.

Although the sky that day still had not completely cleared, fortunately the rain finally stopped; the Grand Historian in charge of observing the weather, seeing the clouds disperse, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

This spring had much rain; if it continued to pour like this, it was feared it would cause severe flooding, and the accumulated water in the city was already quite deep; fortunately, heaven opened its eyes and stayed its hand in time.

However, although flooding was still a hair's breadth away, something more terrible happened.

Hearing the news sent back from outside the city, the Grand Historian, who had just relaxed, went black before his eyes, helplessly "ah, ah" opening his mouth and trembling twice; when he finally caught a breath, he immediately hurried to Weiyang Palace.

Just as he was announced into the palace interior, the Grand Historian immediately knelt down, performing the salute with a trembling voice: "Reporting to Your Majesty... these past days of rain, the water accumulation on the east side outside the city is especially severe, actually causing Changling to collapse and cover, unfortunately affecting the late Emperor's mausoleum!"

The Crown Prince and Yan Xiangguo, kneeling on the left and right sides inside the palace, both changed color upon hearing this.

The Ren Emperor, leaning against the back of the dragon case, suddenly stood up and asked urgently: "Has it damaged the coffins of the late Emperor and the Huanghou?!"

Changling was the place where the founding Emperor and Empress of Great Qian were buried together; the Emperor and Empress's mausoleums were less than a hundred steps apart.

The Grand Historian almost in tears: "At present, only that the late Taizu Emperor's mausoleum has been damaged is heard; the tomb guards hurried back to the city to report this matter, and at this moment the specific extent of the damage is still unclear!"

The Ren Emperor flicked his sleeve and urged: "Then why not quickly take people to go inspect and remedy it!"

"Yes, yes!" The Grand Historian hurriedly climbed up: "This subject will take people there immediately!"

Yan Xiangguo stood and saluted upward, with a solemn expression: "Your Majesty, the Du Shui Guan and the Chief Architect should be immediately summoned into the palace for consultation."

The Du Shui Guan was in charge of water conservancy; the Chief Architect belonged to the Shao Fu, responsible for the earth and wood construction of palaces, ancestral temples, and mausoleums.

The Ren Emperor sat back down and ordered Guo Shi in a deep voice to summon a group of relevant officials into the palace.

Guo Shi also no longer wore his usual amiable and pleasing expression; with a grave face, he agreed and withdrew.

Kneeling in place, Liu Cheng, his face snow-white, after a moment of shifting expression, suddenly bowed low and said in a trembling voice: "Imperial Uncle, Changling is precisely in the east of the city; the Immortal Master's divination has indeed come true——"

The Immortal Master spoke: the East Side will give rise to a mishap, with the worry of colliding with the Dragon Body.

And compared to this general indication, another even more precise prophecy has also been fulfilled thoroughly……

"And also that little witch in the Shen Ci……" Liu Cheng, his head full of cold sweat, repeated those Eight Characters that had made him terrified for several days: "Return Dragon Break Soil, Dragon Qi Leakage…… Taizu Mausoleum damaged, must break soil and rebuild……"

Yan Xiangguo received Crown Prince Cheng's halting words and said with a solemn expression: "The Taizu Mausoleum concerns a Great Matter; it is the true place where Dragon Qi and Dragon Vein gather. Encountering water, it leaks away, precisely matching that little witch's prophecy."

He also said: "And if this humble minister does not misremember, Changling's terrain winds around, concealing wind and gathering Qi; myriad mountains embrace it, like a long dragon winding, coiling, and turning its head. In terms of feng shui, it is precisely a 'Return Dragon Look Back at Ancestors' treasure land."

Liu Cheng grew even more astonished. Return Dragon Break Soil — it turned out not only the two words 'break soil' came true…… even what 'Return Dragon' referred to was not the funeral procession returning, but Changling's terrain?!

Amidst Liu Cheng's sudden realization, he felt his scalp go numb and his spine turn cold, and he murmured to himself: "No wonder Taizu had to personally descend and manifest……" So it turned out Taizu's mausoleum was going to collapse!

Before long, the second batch of tomb-guarding soldiers who returned to the city to report brought back more exact news: the Empress Dowager's mausoleum was intact and undamaged.

In other words, within Changling, the only one with a mishap was Taizu's tomb.

The Ren Emperor slowly calmed down from shock and anger; in his heart he already had the answer in broad outline.

His Imperial Uncle was the Great Qian's founding monarch; most of his life was spent on the Battlefield. When he ascended the throne, his health was already not too good. And an Emperor's tomb must be built in advance, but at that time the treasury was empty, so poor that even after the main hall's pillars were chopped and damaged by Marquis Lu, they were reluctant to replace them with new ones.

Imperial Uncle was frugal and repeatedly demanded that building the Imperial Tomb must be done with simplicity. At that time, craftsmen temporarily summoned from various places had uneven skills…… Mother Empress passed away seven years after Imperial Uncle; by then there was finally some surplus money, and all systems were also more complete.

The cause of Taizu Mausoleum's collapse is certainly not hard to seek — nothing more than insufficient manpower and materials back then, plus the recent surging Rain and the Return Dragon gathering water terrain. But however detailed the cause, it cannot cover up this matter's ominousness; in the world's eyes, this is a great inauspicious event.

People's hearts uneasy, then Dragon Qi scatters — this is an inevitable Cause and Effect relationship.

And that little witch who completely and accurately prophesied this matter……

The Ren Emperor's gaze passed over the officials in the Palace Interior, looking toward the wide-open Palace Gate outside.

The tightly shut Jing Shi House Door was suddenly pushed open from outside.

Shaowei, sitting cross-legged on the low Bed, raised her face and saw Yu Si Wu standing outside the door, her features faintly trembling.

Yu Si Wu, who these past days had been near heart-dead-ash, at this moment wore a suppressed strange excitement on her face. After somewhat losing her composure and pushing open the door, she did not immediately enter, merely looking at that girl sitting cross-legged on the Bed.

Palace people have come.

Those who came were not Embroidered Uniform Guards to seize people for interrogation, but Inner Attendants by the Son of Heaven's side.

The Taizu Mausoleum has collapsed!

This is certainly not any Good Thing, but, but……

Meeting that girl's quiet gaze, Yu Si Wu forced herself to calm down and opened her mouth: "Huali, His Majesty summons you to enter the Palace for an Audience."

Shaowei untied her cross-legged legs and lowered them: "Then I can go out?"

"Nonsense……" Yu Si Wu, whose temper was never good, subconsciously spat out these two words, then immediately changed expression and corrected herself, stepping aside to make way: "Of course, hurry up."

Shaowei then bounced down, head high and strides wide, walking out.

The continuous Yin Rain finally dispersed; the sky light was white to the point of being somewhat glaring. Shaowei, who had been shut in for many days, stepped across the Room Door, spread her arms, and gave a big stretch.

Yu Si Wu looked at that spirited and relaxed girl's back outside the door, saw her hair slept into a mess, like a sloppy lazy raccoon dog that hadn't licked its fur for many days, and immediately chased out: "First follow me to wash and change clothes; entering the Palace to Face the Saint is a Great Matter!"

Shaowei turned her head to look at her: "How about it, didn't I say I wouldn't implicate you all?"

Yu Si Wu forced a stern tone: "It is too early to speak now; wait until you come back alive from the Palace, then speak."

Shaowei simply wouldn't listen: "Right now I have a Condition to raise."

Yu Si Wu knitted her brows; seeing this girl's rather smug appearance, she only felt she would surely say words that would make her embarrassed and unable to pay. The next instant, she saw the other party hold her head high and chest out, speaking with resonant force: "From today onward, never again allow me to play that little ghostling driven away by the Great Witch!"

Yu Si Wu suddenly stared in surprise.

In her line of sight, that girl had already walked down the Stone Steps in big strides.

The Shen Ci architecture is ancient, mostly Wood structure and strange Totems; all around, soaked by Rain, it was like a deep forest beyond the world.

The girl seemed to have just then leaped into the Mountain Forest; a crowd of female witches avoided her one after another, like Mountain Spirits making way for her.

After becoming neat and fresh anew, Shaowei followed the Inner Attendant and left the Shen Ci.

The instant she stepped across the Palace Gate, Shaowei, dressed in brand-new Witchcraft Attire, tilted her head up to look at the towering, undulating, magnificent Palaces, and only felt that this one seat before her was the Great Mountain she wanted to break into.