Chapter 131

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

"The details of this I am not clear on," Zhao Qie'an said. "I only remember she once said there was also a cause and effect between her and this junior fellow disciple of hers. As for what cause and what effect, she did not elaborate, and I never asked deeply."

This vague answer left Shaowei feeling disappointed. Zhao Qie'an showed some apology and said, "I am not in the habit of deliberately prying, so I know little of the inside story. Better you ask something a bit shallower."

Shaowei had to settle for second best: "Then you surely know why she disguised herself as a man to the world?"

Zhao Qie'an nodded. This he indeed knew, for when he learned she was a woman he had been quite frightened, and she could not help but explain and placate him with a couple of sentences:

【When the day comes that one wants to leave it all behind, one need only shed this National Preceptor's splendid robe, slough off this false reputation and false identity, and walk in one's true form a hundred or a thousand li away, roaming freely between heaven and earth — would that not be carefree and happy?】

Walk a hundred or a thousand li away, roam between heaven and earth — Baili Youyi. So years ago she had already laid bare her Feather Slough Plan within these four characters of her name.

Leaving the capital, putting on a set of cyan robes, riding a cyan ox, taking a Mo Li, picking up a little ghost, on the road heading south she had once sighed with a smile to Zhao Qie'an: 【Now this is not ascending to immortality, yet it surpasses ascending to immortality.】

Shaowei seemed to have unrolled a bamboo slip both brand new and ancient, beginning to read that person's past. As she read she asked: "Jiang Fu is truly her original name?"

"Mm. She said that was her true name from long ago, long before she became a disciple."

Shaowei asked again: "Then does she have any other family?"

"Her kin ties are thin; her family have all passed away, not a single one left."

"Who says so?" Shaowei's face turned solemn as she rebutted: "Are you and I not her family?"

Seeing the manservant freeze, she went on herself: "Anyway I am! From now on I am Jiang Huali. As long as more people believe in me, the more thought power Jiang Huali obtains in this world, even Heaven cannot say she is a person without heirs!"

The manservant was even more dumbstruck. Her ambition was actually this vast — not only deceiving the world and the Son of Heaven, but also trying to use the thought power gained by deceiving with the identity of Jiang Huali to deceive Heaven itself —

So she had always remembered that prophecy in Jiang Fu's fate: "No heirs in fate, death at thirty," and constantly thought of changing it.

In these three characters Jiang Huali, there was clearly hidden the rebellious persistence of "Heaven says she has no heirs, I insist she shall have them."

A warmth rose in Zhao Qie'an's heart, but after thinking it over he still spoke frankly: "Heaven probably isn't that easy to deceive. A name alone is far from enough; only those with a blood relation are truly family and descendants."

"How do she and I not have a blood relation?" Shaowei said at once: "You probably don't know, she has drunk my blood, used my blood to refine a pill and ate it! Our blood Qi have long since fused, how does that not count as blood relation?"

What was once the thing she most tabooed and loathed has now become the bond she is most unwilling to let go of, determined to bind that person, to keep her in the human world.

Looking at those pitch-black bright eyes in the dimness, the manservant was silent for a moment, then said: "Not only that. For the sake of finding and saving her, you have also shed uncountable blood. This bloodline bond has long been unbreakable; I fear even Heaven cannot tell them apart now."

Shaowei: "Then retract it, announce it."

The manservant was baffled. She explained seriously: "Retract what you just said about her having no family, announce that she has family and descendants."

Words are also spells; only spoken firmly do they have a chance of coming true.

But the manservant did not announce it. He extended three fingers upward and devoutly recited this Heavenly Deception Lie: "Heavenly Way above, I, Zhao Qie'an, swear: Jiang Fu has heirs, she is absolutely not a solitary soul who died young."

Shaowei's heart gave a start. She had him announce it, not swear an oath!

Time was pressing, and she did not want to retreat or waver either, so she also extended three fingers and said solemnly: "Heavenly Way above, I also swear: it was I who made Zhao Qie'an swear this oath!"

The young girl's gaze was firm, unyielding and untamed, sharing the suffering and sharing the burden.

Zhao Qie'an showed a trace of an unfamiliar smile. He almost never smiled.

The two of them just like that improvised a grand and haphazard round of oaths.

When they lowered their hands, Shaowei said: "I don't care what cause and effect she has with Chiyang. I only know the cause and effect I must fulfill. Since Chiyang wants to kill me, I naturally must also kill him. This is the cause and effect between him and me; life, death, victory, defeat — we'll just see each one's own ability."

The manservant nodded, expressing support.

These are all great matters, and great matters must start from small matters. The manservant thought of a small matter and said casually: "This time that Sixth Prince helped quite a bit, but you also helped him take revenge, so it's not like you owe him. Only if you don't want to cut off contact and still want to make use of him, you ought to get in touch and pay a visit or two."

"Pay a visit?" Shaowei caught those two key words.

"Mm, he took a beating and got injured."

Shaowei was surprised: "Who beat him?"

Manservant: "The Emperor's order. Because he acted without regard for law and discipline, committing slaughter with blades at Zhu Zhi's mountain villa, the Emperor ordered him beaten ten strokes, and also cancelled out the merit of shooting Zhu Zhi dead, as punishment."

A mere ten strokes, Shaowei naturally didn't take them seriously, but thinking of Liu Qi's leg, she couldn't help feeling it was truly adding frost to snow for him.

The manservant asked her opinion: "Should I go pay a visit?"

"Go, go." Shaowei said: "This matter he was originally cleaning up the mess for me. Not only must we visit, but also remember to convey my thanks to him on my behalf."

"Then presumably we can't go empty-handed." The manservant pondered: "But imperial offspring don't lack gold, silver, pearls, or jade."

Moreover the gold, silver, pearls, and jade he can produce would not have clean origins; giving them would look like fencing stolen goods, far too lacking in sincerity.

Shaowei racked her brains, her gaze landing on the ceramic jar the manservant was holding, and inspiration struck: "Have Mo Li stew him a jar of black fish soup too?"

After a thought, she added: "And send a basket of fresh eggs!"

Shaowei had secretly observed before: back in Taoxi Township, whenever a family had someone sick or injured, friendly neighbors would always send some fresh eggs to the door. Shaowei had gradually become convinced this was a very widespread social custom, carrying the sincere wish for the other party to recover health soon.

The next day when the sky was turning late, Zhao Qie'an cradled the ceramic jar in his left hand, carried the bamboo basket in his right, and prepared to make a trip to the Sixth Prince's Residence.

Back when Liu Qi left the capital and rushed to Wuling Commandery, he was still young, far from the age to leave the palace and establish a residence, but just as he had a courtesy name early on, his Prince's Mansion had also been in planning and construction early on.

But the Emperor and Empress of the past doted on this youngest son. He often followed his maternal uncle out, and when he returned to the capital he still lived in the palace. The Emperor and Empress merely continuously added furnishings to the Prince's Mansion.

The first time he truly moved into this Prince's Mansion was that snowy night when an arrow struck his leg. The tightly shut Palace Gate would no longer open for him.

The Prince's Mansion steward still remembered that the child who should have been recuperating gradually became silent and gloomy. Mother, brother, and maternal uncle separated by life and death; the only living father became in one night the closest yet most distant person.

More than four years later, that child who luckily survived had grown into a youth, returning here once again, and again in the posture of recuperating.

Just after dusk, the Prince's Mansion lit its lamps for the first time.

The steward came to inquire after the Sixth Prince's injuries. Through the half-drawn soft bamboo curtain, he watched the youth lying prone on the bamboo couch while attendants changed his medicine.

It had been three days since returning from the Imperial Tomb. This Highness only recuperated and did not go out. Daily he wore only inner attire. At this moment his snow-white upper garment was pulled down to his waist, revealing a waist and back with smooth, symmetrical curves. His arms lay crossed before him, faintly showing the superior muscle definition of his cold-white arms.

The steward thought: the current Emperor in his youth had a magnificent appearance, the Ling Empress was also tall and handsome, the Marquis and A Jie resembled each other — only with an even more robust build. Now one could see this grown Sixth Prince truly gathered the strengths of all families; whether physique or looks, he was top-tier among top-tier... only his temperament was gloomy, his injured leg hard to heal — he truly seemed a person envied by Heaven.

The ten strokes of punishment were nothing serious, but the one administering them likely showed no mercy, so those ten strokes aggravated his leg ailment.

The steward, who had been at leisure for many years, was filled with mixed emotions; at this moment he wanted to say something more, but that Sixth Prince kept his eyes closed in silence, and the attendant applying his medicine was a mute, so the chamber was quiet as if no living person were there.

Just as the steward was about to take his leave, someone came to summon him, saying Tang Changshi requested his presence to inquire about a matter.

The steward backed out on his feet while his head began to ache.

This Tang Changshi had only been back a few days, yet from morning to night he dragged him around asking this and that, trivialities to the death, and whenever he asked it was — "The Sixth Prince has endured countless hardships, not fit to speak of to outsiders, but we family must be clear in our hearts."

Tang Changshi was excessively cautious; even when decocting medicine daily for the Sixth Prince he had to watch closely, and repeatedly inspect it.

The Sixth Prince's residence courtyard allowed no one to step foot in lightly; Tang Changshi made him understand and cooperate, for the Sixth Prince was like a bird startled by the twang of a bow — and a bird of prey at that.

Thus everyone in this residence courtyard was brought back from Wuling Commandery; even he, the steward, had to wait for someone to announce him each time he came.

This afternoon was a rare moment of peace; word was Tang Changshi went into the palace to weep before the Emperor, and by now he had likely finished weeping and returned, so he sought him out again at the first opportunity.

The steward withdrew helplessly with the twilight, merging into the emerging night.

Just as he was preparing to serve the late meal, Deng Hu returned from outside and reported in a low voice to Liu Qi: "Your Highness, Swordsman Zhao has arrived."

"Quickly invite him in." As Liu Qi spoke he sat up, reached out to take the outer clothes A He held out, and draped them on.

When Zhao Qie'an was brought here, he saw the youth sitting cross-legged under the lamplight in his draped clothes, and he greeted him with a ceremonial smile: "Thank you for visiting at night, Swordsman."

The smile was not very genuine, but it was handsome enough; Zhao Qie'an simply did not smile — he was not good at smiling, and when he did it looked both fake and unhandsome, harming himself and benefiting no one, so he only nodded in reply, saying plainly: "The Young Master of my household instructed me to come deliver some things, and also to convey her thanks to the Sixth Prince."

At Liu Qi's signal, Deng Hu stepped forward to receive what the swordsman had brought.

【74】 The First Swordsman under Heaven coming to the door with a gift — his offering would surely be extraordinary; Deng Hu was curious in his heart, until he took it in hand and saw the specifics, whereupon he was struck dumb with surprise.

The First Swordsman under Heaven came to the Door bearing a gift; his hand could only be Extraordinary, and Deng Hu felt Qi Yu in his heart — until he Received it, saw the Specifics, and could not help but fall Surprise-struck and speechless.

"The eggs are all home-laid." Zhao Qie'an said blandly: "The fish soup must be drunk while hot."

Liu Qi smiled and nodded, his face showing no change, only asking: "Has the Swordsman seen Jiang Jun? I wonder how her injuries are recovering? Is there any place I can be of help?"

"I have seen her, she is recovering well, she has nothing to say for now." Zhao Qie'an answered in turn, then stood rooted there, neither intending to leave nor speaking further.

Liu Qi sensed he was waiting for something, looked at the pot of fish soup Deng Hu had placed on the small table to the side, and asked: "Does the Swordsman intend to personally watch me drink this fish soup?"

At these words, Deng Hu silently went on alert.

Zhao Qie'an knew these people's scruples, but he did not care, only following his own way of doing things, saying: "Either is fine. If the Sixth Prince wishes to drink, then drink; if not, just say the word. I have delivered it, whatever becomes of it, I must report truthfully."

Liu Qi had only asked casually, not suspecting the soup; hearing him put it that way, he could not help but look up and ask: "Report back to Jiang Jun?"

Zhao Qie'an gave a slight nod.

Liu Qi immediately understood — to report back to her in such detail, it had to be at her personal instruction.

"It is precisely the late meal hour." He said to Deng Hu: "Ladle soup for me."

Deng Hu froze a moment, then answered: "Yes."

Liu Qi's gaze fell on that carrying basket; originally he had thought this gift the plainest he had ever seen, and thought nothing more of it, but now knowing this was likely the result of her careful thought, looking at those eggs again he only felt each one plump and adorable, all packed in the same basket, full to the brim, bustling and lively in a most unusual way.

Deng Hu brought a jade bowl holding fish soup; the soup was delicious, both flesh and bones having been strained out; Liu Qi took it and drank it all in one go.

Two bowls of fish soup down, Deng Hu took the empty bowl, and passing before that swordsman responsible for verifying the result, inexplicably made a display of turning the bowl mouth downward.

"The fate of this soup, trouble the Swordsman to report truthfully." Liu Qi sat cross-legged in place, and said to Zhao Qie'an: "Also, please convey my advance congratulations to her on my behalf."

Zhao Qie'an stood there waiting a while, did not hear him continue, so he nodded in agreement, turned, and left.

"Congratulate me on what?" Shaowei asked.

On the way back to the small courtyard, passing the shrine, a manservant returning to report shook his head: "He didn't say."

Two days later, Shaowei had a clear answer.

At dawn, Yu Si Wu came hurriedly.

Yu Si Wu came to visit at least three times a day, but this time was different; she personally brought people to help Huali change and wash, the whole process solemn and serious, only her eyelashes and fingers trembling slightly.

Once everything was ready, Huali was supported to the front courtyard of the shrine hall, where countless witch practitioners were already waiting, and in addition a group of people from the palace.

Yu Si Wu supported Huali to the very front, knelt down, and bowed her head to listen as the inner attendant proclaimed in a loud voice:

"Imperial Edict to the Censor —

I have heard that the Sage Kings of old, in governing the world, none failed to revere Heaven and emulate the Ancestors, performing the rites with reverent clarity. The great affairs of the state lie in sacrifice and war. You, Witch Woman of the Jiang Clan, Huali, possess a natural spiritual nature and extraordinary innate gifts, capable of bridging Heaven and Man. Therefore, following the ancient institutions, I specially promote you to Grand Sacrifice Order, Fifth Rank, salary six hundred bushels, bestowing copper seal and black ribbon, ordering you to garrison the shrine, preside over the four seasonal sacrifices and the six prayer texts; pray for timely wind and rain, abundant harvests; bless the ancestral temple secure, the state eternally peaceful. You must not neglect your duty, to fulfill My intent of revering the gods and protecting the people. Proclaim this far and wide, so all may know!"

Following Yu Si Wu's repeated instructions on the way here, Shaowei performed the rites and prostrated: "Your subject Jiang Huali, kowtows in thanks for the Sage Grace!"

The one conveying the edict was Guo Shi; he smiled as he presented both the edict and the Grand Sacrifice Seal and Ribbon, congratulating this overly young newly appointed Grand Witch on the Witch God Path.

Shaowei took the edict and seal and ribbon in both hands, slowly stood, and subconsciously turned her head, looking behind her.

The atmosphere was roaring and clamorous; seeing that girl look back, the witch practitioners rising one after another all lowered their heads in sincere conviction.

After many years, a Grand Witch has finally returned to the shrine once more.

?? Good night everyone~