Chapter 179

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

One bird, three people, a square courtyard — all heard the news from outside.

Looking at the figures surrounding them, Shaowei dazedly recalled what Liu Qi had said that night: he said she now had many things, and they all belonged to her.

Fortunately, she had not fallen so far as to be forced to resort to that worst-case scenario; for now, there was still a courtyard that could barely be called home to return to, and both the person and the little bird were safe and sound, not plunged into a storm of blood and carnage.

She had not cast aside everything before her, and had still captured Chiyang head-on — winning fair and square was always more satisfying.

Add to that the moment she lifted the little bird from the cave — for the first time in her life, Shaowei grasped the weight of a stranger's insignificant life; thus, exposing the ugly truth of that underground chamber added an unplanned significance.

This significance was like shouting out a denunciation in public, rather than only grinding one's teeth in secret; staying silent only emboldens evil deeds, but shouting them out brings relief to the heart, and makes more lurking malice retreat in fear.

Sleepless all night, Shaowei now stood still in the courtyard, feeling this moment of satisfaction and exhilaration amid the gazes welcoming her.

The house slave spoke little and slowly; after Xiao Yu ran out, her heart was fixed entirely on the Young Master, yet Mo Li beat her to speaking — his straightforward mind triggered not congratulations this time, but first looked behind the Young Master and asked: "Young Master, did the Head of Household not return together?"

This conclusion was reached simply and crudely; its thought process was nothing more than: the thief who stole the Head of Household had been caught, so the Head of Household who vanished into thin air would naturally be retrieved and returned.

Xiao Yu corrected him: "There's still interrogation and casework to be done — how could it be this fast!"

Shaowei froze briefly, then immediately said: "But it won't be very slow either; he'll be back soon."

Only then did Mo Li transition to the congratulations phase; having received the Young Master's permission, he ran off to the front courtyard as usual to demand more meat.

After an extremely sumptuous morning meal, everyone attended to their duties; Shaowei caught up on sleep at home, Xiao Yu went to find the martial maids to practice stick fighting, the house slave went out to gather information, and Mo Li returned to the small courtyard to hammer iron, telling Shunzhen: "I said your master was the thief, you wouldn't admit it; now he's been caught thieving, you can't deny it any longer."

After enduring Mo Li's hammering all day, Shunzhen — whether unable to bear the disturbance, or fearing his resolve would waver, or as some form of self-punishment — actually attempted to bite off his tongue and commit suicide yesterday.

However, biting one's tongue usually cannot kill; the cause of death is typically the severed tongue and blood blocking the throat — since someone was there to clear the airway and treat him, Shunzhen, with half his tongue severed, was doomed to survive; he was untied from the wooden post, force-fed medicine, and now lies bound hand and foot, semi-conscious against the wall corner.

Hearing Mo Li's words now, his eyelid twitched, as if in disbelief; he tried to speak, but could no longer form complete words, only repeating woodenly in his heart: Master must still have another way; the chaotic era will surely still come...

He tried to organize his thoughts to block out those contradictory ideas forcibly awakened by those heart-piercing words, but that damn hammering sounded again, like some kind of judicial torture.

Shunzhen was in agony, yet Shaowei's satisfaction and exhilaration were not as grand or lasting as she had imagined.

When the house slave returned from outside, the sky had turned a dusky yellow; he only saw Shaowei sitting on the stone steps outside the main hall with her hair loose and knees hugged, staring blankly — unknown how long she had slept, or if she had slept at all.

The house slave asked if Shaowei had caught up on sleep; he received no response.

After a moment of silence, the house slave asked: "You did all this, finally caught Chiyang — aren't you happy?"

This question finally struck the child's heart; the child finally responded, but gazing at the courtyard's blue bricks, she prefaced: "If I tell you, you must not laugh at me."

"Rest assured." The house slave agreed, offering his usual behavior as guarantee: "I've always found it very hard to laugh."

"Not just on the face — secretly laughing in your heart is also forbidden." These words were merely padding for her pride; Shaowei didn't wait for further assurance, just lowered her head and said in a low voice: "Right now, I'm a little afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

Shaowei paused a while, then said: "Chiyang is Shunzhen's master; I'm afraid he'll be even harder to interrogate than Shunzhen — 'rather be shattered jade than intact tile' — and won't say a single thing."

Liu Qi led men to arrest him; Chiyang didn't flee — though under a dragnet he was doomed to be caught anyway; the people behind him, to avoid the limelight, dared not show themselves easily — but Chiyang's such compliant obedience always made Shaowei feel he lacked the panic a loser should have; how to pry answers smoothly from a man who feels no panic, no fear?

Half a year ago, Shaowei first arrived in the capital with nothing, no visible chance of victory — but with a clear hunting target in her heart, she could charge forward single-mindedly with her blade, fearless of any hardship; yet now the prey was in hand, and she saw clearly this prey's pathological abnormality — she actually felt she didn't know where to begin.

If there were no other concerns, she could just tear him to shreds and take satisfying revenge — but there were other concerns, and this concern entangled another fear she dared not speak aloud.

Like the timidity before a homecoming before the answer is revealed, the house slave had similar feelings; he now said hoarsely: "Catching him is winning; the rest we'll see as we go — everything extra is profit. He's calm now, but after a round of torture he may not stay calm; you don't show yourself first, don't let him drag you along — wait until he's worn down and his will breaks, then go negotiate with him."

This was also Liu Qi's advice; Shaowei adopted it for now, beginning this final psychological tug-of-war.

Shaowei told herself she absolutely could not shrink back in fear after a great victory — that would only let the opponent eat her alive; she forced herself to rally.

This rallied spirit, in Yu Si Wu's eyes, only made her feel the Great Wu God's power around this fox growing ever more abundant — no wonder she escaped Baoquan while fleeing for her life, and could casually catch a fly and nab that shocking filthy scheme.

Shaowei hadn't managed to rally for two days before that unavoidable questioning — dodge the first, can't dodge the fifteenth — seized its chance and came knocking.

Lady Huang's twenty-first day since death approached; the Rui Family, following custom, had to set up an altar and perform rites to help the deceased's soul find a smooth reincarnation, lest it fall into an evil path.

The Rui Family attached utmost importance to this; Rui Ze sent for the Great Wu God to inspect the mansion for anything obstructing the dead soul.

Wu practitioners preside over auspicious sacrificial rites, but also handle inauspicious funeral rites, as well as state military rites; inviting the Tai Puzhe to oversee the National Mother's mother's twenty-first-day rites was perfectly justified.

The summoned fox sat in the carriage; before reaching the Rui Mansion, her heart already had a clear verdict: she needn't attend in person to know — the filthiest thing in the entire mansion obstructing Lady Huang's soul's reincarnation was none other than Lady Huang's own son.

The Rui Family's seriousness showed in every aspect; also invited was the Yi Ming Gongzhu from Lianqing Guan.

The Yi Ming Gongzhu and a group of female Daoists arrived a step earlier; Rui Ze's wife, Lady Wen, personally welcomed them.

Lady Wen had just welcomed them out the main gate when the Tai Puzhe's carriage arrived; Shaowei alighted and saw that Yi Ming Gongzhu up close for the first time.

Just like that night's glimpse, the Yi Ming Gongzhu seemed a translucent, noble immortal who subsists on wind and dew — only closer, one could see a faint greenish fatigue in her eyes.

Though she had left the secular world, the Yi Ming Gongzhu did not bow to Lady Wen; as for the Tai Puzhe, she merely cast a measuring glance, smiling: "So this is the Jiang Tai Puzhe who achieved remarkable merit — truly a youthful prodigy, extraordinary."

During the eye contact, Shaowei showed little expression, just said: "It was luck; I dare not claim greatness."

The Yi Ming Gongzhu smiled faintly: "Those words are overly modest."

She didn't speak further with this junior; after pleasantries she turned away; Lady Wen had people usher the Tai Puzhe into the mansion, while she accompanied the Yi Ming Gongzhu, saying with some apology as they walked: "Princess has been presiding over blessing rites at the observatory these days, truly laboring day and night... but this final rite at the mansion still requires your personal presence to be complete."

Shaowei walked behind; a strange fragrance lingered at her nose, one ingredient easily identifiable — used for calming the spirit... As she pondered, the image of this princess slapping a female Daoist flashed before her eyes — could it truly be because of her Mother and Yan Xiangguo's affair that she remains troubled?

Mother is no longer in the capital; she has secretly sent people to protect her — so for now she needn't worry whether the other party might act unfriendly due to distress.

Shaowei suspected ghosts and spirits for a while, then was quickly ushered into Lady Huang's residence courtyard where the rites and sacrificial table were set; after the inspection, the real topic arrived — Rui Ze claimed he dreamt of his deceased mother last night, and wanted the Tai Puzhe to step aside for a talk to ease his heart.

The dream's content was truly bizarre; the moment he opened his mouth to recount it, it was like Yama interrogating a little ghost: "What exactly happened in the mountains that day?"

Shaowei knelt in the lower seat behind the table, looked up and answered: "Liu Qi and I entered the mountain one after another; I went ahead, when suddenly unknown assassins came at me to kill."

The person behind the main seat above asked again: "What is their origin? Why did they lie in wait to assassinate you?"

"They never announced their names; I had no way to know." Shaowei spoke concisely, casually slandering: "Who knows which rebel faction wanted to stop the court from searching for Dark Water; then Liu Qi arrived and they fought in a melee — perhaps I was caught in his wake, too."

Rui Ze held back a bellyful of anger, endured it and asked other things — but left and right he questioned, he couldn't extract any useful clues, and couldn't help rebuking: "Your brilliant idea cost me heavy losses, and dragged me into this inexplicable mess."

The words barely left his mouth, yet the flower fox below showed none of the expected fear and trepidation; looking at him, she instead said, "But I am also risking my life to set a trap and lure the enemy; the plan was finalized by the Sicheng."

She even feels wronged and indignant?

Rui Ze sneered, "Your meaning is that this official had bad luck, and failed to seize the good opportunity you set up?"

One then saw that young woman's bearing was neither servile nor overbearing, not the least bit guilty or self-reproachful: "I have already exerted my utmost with a clear conscience, and consider that I should not be held accountable again."

Seeing her manner, Rui Ze forcibly suppressed his anger; he knew perfectly well the source of her confidence — youthful vigor, coupled with two great merits, and the Emperor's appreciation had risen another level, so she dared to argue this dead logic with him; she was utterly without fault, sitting ramrod straight, instead making him seem like the one who needed to reflect and regulate himself.

Truly, an ignorant youth is hard to discipline, but who let her now actually possess this capital...

Rui Ze was still rational enough, but there was one account that still needed settling; this account involved a suspicious point: "You say you exerted your utmost without error; however, fleeing for your life is one thing, but why would you be together with that Liu Qi, and even let him share the credit for Baoquan?"

The flower fox's gaze was fixed: "It is not that I accompanied him; it is that he took me hostage."

Rui Ze looked at her with half-belief, half-doubt: "Hostage?"

Flower fox: "He is deeply suspicious; he guessed that I had set a trap to lure him there, so he attempted to use me as a hostage—"

Rui Ze's heart chilled; sure enough, this dead brat was suspicious to this extent; he couldn't help asking: "What did you and he say to each other?"

"I naturally would not admit it; otherwise how would I have survived." The flower fox's expression was displeased: "Afterward he tested me with it, discovered those people also wanted my life, only then did he dispel his suspicion."

She added: "I also thought of making a move on him, but he had a weapon in hand, was on guard everywhere, I am not his match, and could not find an opportunity."

Rui Ze frowned, reluctantly said: "That was correct; if you had acted rashly, you would have exposed yourself instead."

Before he could press further and reproach her, the flower fox had already said: "Finding the dark water was accidental. But because of this matter, his view of me changed somewhat, therefore recently I have another plan—"

Hearing this, Rui Ze's heart involuntarily gave a jolt; she has another plan, yet he feels lingering apprehension.

"Sicheng rest assured, this plan I alone am sufficient to accomplish." The flower fox looked toward the person at the head: "He now gradually wins the Holy Will, secretly harbors intentions to win me over; I will feign compliance, and once I gain his trust, I can strike at him without gods or ghosts knowing."

Rui Ze did not speak for a moment, only looked at her; her bearing just now, neither servile nor overbearing, did not look like someone who would voluntarily offer strategies...

Sure enough, one only heard her say: "But I have a condition; after the matter succeeds, I want the antidote."

Rui Ze looked at her for another moment, his gaze turning into appreciation, and he nodded readily: "Good, this official promises you."

The flower fox had taken the poison for not yet a full month, but to show sincerity, he took out the first month's suppressing medicine in advance.

The study door opened, and the flower fox withdrew.

Watching that retreating figure, the appreciation in Rui Ze's eyes dissipated; the more ambitious she is, the less easily the antidote can be handed over... if this continues, I fear in the end it will still require using Cheng Er's hand to take her into service.

The flower fox's steps grew lighter; she only felt she had temporarily shaken off a meddlesome hand; if she had not proactively offered this tempting proposal, Rui Ze would certainly have interfered and ordered her about from time to time.

So what if she deceives him; it's not the first time she's deceived him anyway.

Deceiving him is secondary; the days she counts down are about to end; when the time comes, it will be her turn to settle accounts with him; she as Yama, exchanging him to be the little ghost.

Shaowei, who is determined to become Yama, has not yet been able to leave Rui Fu, only to hear the Embroidered Uniform Guard coming to search; the one leading them is precisely Liu Qi, whom the flower fox has secretly schemed to kill time and again.

The Imperial Guard had already roughly searched Rui Fu earlier; this time Liu Qi personally brings the Embroidered Uniform Guard, clearly intending to search meticulously; Rui Ze does not want to conflict with them, but neither can he play the guilty soft persimmon; hearing the news he hurried over, enduring his anger to question: "Does the Sixth Prince suspect my Rui Fu harbors dead soldiers, or secretly holds evidence of collusion with that demonic Daoist?"

The youth clad in a crow-blue long robe looked at him: "What if both are true?"

Rui Ze: "You..."

"Just a joke." Liu Qi said with no sincerity: "It is also for the sake of your residence's safety; I bear the imperial decree, please be accommodating, Marquis Rui."

Rui Ze flicked his sleeve and made way: "Let them search!"

Liu Qi raised his hand to let the Embroidered Uniform Guard go first; he himself looked toward the flower fox blocked by the crowd, and asked a sentence: "Tai Puzhe, how is your body's recovery?"

Rui Ze saw this in his eyes, and thought: sure enough, he wants to use the pretext of concern to win her over; he is no longer that fault-finding appearance.

"Already much better." The flower fox answered briefly, then said: "Won't hinder the Sixth Prince's official business; I'll take my leave."

Shaowei left just like that, yet sensed a gaze seeing her off from behind; she couldn't help wondering: did Liu Qi just happen to search here, or does he know she came here, worried she would be trapped and coerced like last time... so he followed to guard against the unexpected?

Regardless, these several rounds of action, thanks to his assistance; now the interrogation of Chi Yang also requires him to keep watch from time to time; openly and secretly, the things he has to do are truly many; yet he privately told her: he cannot clone himself; even for searches, he is destined not to be able to personally attend everywhere, and there will inevitably be omissions and insufficiencies; he hopes it won't delay her affairs.

Liu Qi finished searching Rui Fu, and led men to the gate of Liang Wang Fu not far away.

Compared to Rui Ze, Liang Wang was amiable to the extreme, even delighted at his nephew's arrival, stammeringly ordering servants to prepare tea and fruit.

To cooperate with the search, Liang Wang Fu's guards all ceased duty or patrol, to be inspected by the arrivals.

Even so, one could glimpse that these guards each possessed extraordinary skill; this matter is not a secret, and counts as the Emperor's tacit permission. Liu Qi also knew long ago; this Wang Shu of his, because of youthful valor, offended many factions; many remnant descendants want revenge; he is disabled in body, and these years has grown accustomed to heavy protection.

Even so, Liu Qi still searched meticulously; several common cellars and ice chambers, he also entered one by one to inspect.

After coming out of the last cellar, passing a small courtyard, Liu Qi stopped his steps, and ordered men to enter.

From inside the chamber emerged a blue-clad woman wearing a hanging hair bun, standing fearfully and uneasily in the courtyard, her face marked with many conspicuous red dots.

The steward, who had been following Liu Qi left and right guiding the way, now softly reminded: "Sixth Prince, this one is a family member bestowed by the palace; she has been ill for over half a month... the Wang Ye has always valued her, and it would be best not to let her be frightened."

Liu Qi turned to look at that woman, and nodded to her in a truly kindly manner; it looked like he genuinely took the steward's words to heart.

Qingxiang also looked up at him, raised her hand in salute, Sixth Prince... she had heard Jiang Sister mention this ally.

Shaowei would share information within a certain scope, so she had naturally already informed Liu Qi of finding Qingxiang Sister, to save him from continuing to search.

At this moment these two counted as having met face to face, seeing each other's true appearance only heard of in Shaowei's mouth.

After Liu Qi left, Qingxiang returned to her room, her heart full of worry.

Although she is recuperating here, daily servants deliver meals, doctors come and go; she has heard of the Grand Shaman's recent affairs.

Again an assassination, again uncovering such bloody and terrifying matters; Shaowei younger sister risks everything so desperately, sparing no effort; I wonder if she is about to find the Jiang family's eldest sister? She must succeed in finding her.

That sliver of fear in Shaowei is not without reason; at least for the coming ten days, the interrogation of Chi Yang has had no progress worth mentioning.

He does not deny the existence of that bloody dark chamber, but more clues, he refuses to truly divulge. Even lacking the daily required medicine, his body gradually weakening, under torture his will scattered, he actually only speaks of his immortal arts, just like when he lectured scriptures everywhere before.

Shaowei also endures in this tug-of-war, but she still dares not stop; by day she is on duty at the Shen Ci, by night she must lead people running east and west to investigate.

Liu Qi discovered Chi Yang had purchased two villas outside the city under another's name; Shaowei hurried to investigate, but digging three feet deep, searching several nights, found no traces, only dug up several rat nests.

Shaowei could no longer hold back, and wanted to proactively go see Chi Yang; however on that very day, Chi Yang, muddleheaded, finally opened his mouth, saying he wanted to see the Grand Shaman once.

?? is five thousand words, slightly making up for yesterday.

? Super thanks to everyone for monthly tickets! Rewards! Comments!

【119】? (Today by the way recommending an old author's new ancient setting book: "After Being Widowed, I Drove the Whole Court Crazy Farming")

(empty line in source? Actually line 120 is the recommendation line continuation? The source shows line 119 and 120 as separate but both author notes. I'll translate line 120 as the continuation.)

【120】? (Today by the way recommending an old author's new ancient setting book: "After Being Widowed, I Drove the Whole Court Crazy Farming")

? Author: Er Qian

? Synopsis: After binding the wrong system, all the civil and military officials in the court are helping me complete Tasks.