Chapter 189

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

Several months ago, Yingniang brought back some information about Chiyang's past experiences in his sect, and Shaowei guessed that Chiyang had used seclusion as an excuse to go out for three years, but she did not know where he had gone during those three years or whom he had met.

Yingniang promised that while carrying out her employer's mission, she would help inquire about Chiyang's old whereabouts along the way, but since so many years had passed, such a thing was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack, and she told Shaowei not to pin too many hopes on it.

The only clue available for investigation was Chiyang's extraordinary appearance; after leaving the capital and traveling east, Yingniang presented herself as a widowed woman searching for relatives, moving in and out of village lanes and street corners, and whenever she chatted with people, she would speak alarmingly, claiming that she had encountered a white-haired ghost last night who had almost taken her life—

This line was used no fewer than a hundred times, and occasionally someone would echo her, but after Yingniang investigated and distinguished, each time it came to nothing.

Until one day, following a remark that happened to match the time, she traced it through various connections to a fishing village and met an old boatman, who said that many years ago he had ferried a young guest accompanied by a servant; the guest was wrapped up tightly and seemed unremarkable at first glance, but his eyeballs were gray.

Yingniang questioned him further and guessed that Chiyang might have tried his best to conceal his appearance, such as covering his hair and blackening his eyebrows, but his eyeballs could ultimately not be hidden.

The boatman also said that he had been a little afraid at first, but the young man spoke with the bearing of an extraordinary person and said he was going to Penglai Immortal Island to seek an elixir of immortality, which filled him with solemn respect and made him dare not offend or question.

The boatman was located in Jiujiang Commandery.

Yingniang could no longer continue traveling east to inquire, as she was being hunted by enemies and needed to hide for some time, so she first sent this letter through a circuitous route, entrusting it to Zhao Qie'an and his young house steward to judge for themselves; if they found it credible, they could then send someone to follow up on this clue.

After reading it, Zhao Qie'an felt no great stir in his heart, only numb speculation: Could it be that Chiyang really went to some immortal mountain back then and found an elixir capable of suppressing his strange illness? —namely the so-called "Golden Moss Immortal Herb" that Shaowei had previously discovered?

Because the herb's name contained the character "Immortal," and records said it grew within Jinting Immortal Mountain, guarded by fierce beasts and seen once in a hundred years—so mystical that it inevitably made one think of the rumored Penglai Immortal Mountain.

The dispirited house servant now had no interest in this at all; Chiyang had already been caught and was about to be killed as a sacrifice to heaven, everything would soon be over, and his past whereabouts were no longer so important, but Yingniang had investigated it after all...

The house servant pondered briefly, thought of a perfunctory yet two-sided solution, put away the letter, and ordered Xiao Yu: "Take it to the Marrow Cake stall."

That brat Liu Qi had a quick mind, was young and durable, and held many clues; handing it to him to judge was undoubtedly cost-effective and labor-saving.

Xiao Yu obeyed and ran the errand; the house servant simply leaned back and slumped against the steps, becoming like a puddle of spilled egg liquid spreading over a wider area.

After a long daze, the house servant, lying at ease, slowly turned his head to look at a room on the upper left side; that room was the most spacious but had always remained empty, where Shaowei had placed a hair-combing mirror, a small incense burner, and the beautiful lacquerware she had brought back from Liu Qi's lacquerware shop.

Like a fox carrying many good things back, waiting only for the day when the person most skilled at raising foxes would move in, he clicked his tongue and sighed: "It's arranged quite well."

Tears suddenly blurred his eyes; the house servant suppressed this unfamiliar urge to cry, and because it hurt too much, he finally sat up, his eyes, a mess from tears, still fixed on that room, and with a hoarse voice he uttered a confused sentence: "If she recognizes you, I will bury you beside your aunt's grave. If she doesn't recognize you, then keep looking for you."

When Xiao Yu delivered the letter to the Marrow Cake stall, Liu Qi had just returned to the Sixth Prince's Residence.

Not long after, Tang Jia hurried back from outside and immediately heard that His Highness the Sixth Prince wanted to see him.

The fierce bird was finally willing to return to its nest to rest, which made Tang Jia feel somewhat relieved, but why had he been summoned in such a hurry?

Liu Qi had changed his clothes and taken his medicine, and at this moment was sitting cross-legged behind the desk, organizing many letters in his hand.

One bamboo slip after another was placed on the desk, covered with clues: Chiyang, Yi Ming, Immortal Master's Mansion, Lianqing Guan, Hu Sheng, evil formations...

Tang Jia entered and saluted, seeing the youth lost in thought before the slips on the desk; Tang Jia sighed and first asked with concern about the medicine for his injuries.

"No serious problem," Liu Qi answered briefly, then asked: "Previously I had the Changshi investigate news about a medicine called Golden Moss Immortal Herb; has any news reached the capital from various places recently?"

Tang Jia now managed some covert intelligence exchanges for Liu Qi, but he had recently been busy with disaster relief outside the city—not to mention other things, His Highness the Sixth Prince had gone to great lengths to set up the disaster relief stall; how could this merit be allowed to be snatched away by others?

Thus, recently Tang Changshi was like a mother hen guarding her food, fluttering about inside and outside the city, and paying less detailed attention to the mansion's affairs.

But there were also advisors working openly and secretly, and not everything was stagnant; Tang Jia said at this moment, "Let me go ask," then saluted and took his leave; not long after, he hurried back and handed over several pieces of news.

Since Golden Moss Immortal Herb was a medicinal herb, inquiries had to be made among doctors; using covert stations in various places to conduct such specific large-scale information screening was always twice the result with half the effort; at this moment Liu Qi and Tang Jia examined the news and distinguished one account that could be considered credible.

An old doctor who treated difficult and miscellaneous diseases said that this herb specifically countered the White-Haired Ghost illness, and that ordinary people taking it would be harmed instead; White-Haired Ghost illness was rare, and this herb was also very rare, so it had not been widely circulated, with only one or two records seen in a few ancient books—

The doctor said that the reason Golden Moss Immortal Herb was so rare was that it only grew deep in copper mines, grew slowly, and was extremely hard to find.

"Deep in the copper mine..." Liu Qi's eyes gradually showed realization.

That was right; when she had mentioned this matter to him, she had said the record concerning this thing was: 【Golden Moss Immortal Herb, as large as a palm, colorless and scentless, growing within Jinting Immortal Mountain, guarded by fierce beasts, seen once in a hundred years; after entering water for several days, golden moss appears...】

She also said that although this record seemed mystical, it presumably had its reason... and now it seemed this was not false; the so-called Jinting Immortal Mountain actually referred to the copper mine, and deep within the mountain, there were naturally wild beasts; as for golden moss appearing after entering water for several days, it was presumably copper surfacing.

Liu Qi subconsciously said: "Nowadays, places rich in copper mines are nothing more than Yuzhang and Danyang..."

He had not finished speaking when footsteps approached from outside, and a subordinate delivered a letter, but it was from Jiang Zhai.

Liu Qi immediately unfolded and read it.

The letter spoke of speculation regarding Chiyang's movements after secretly leaving his sect many years ago; Jiujiang Commandery...

"Jiujiang Commandery?" Tang Jia thought for a moment, drew a sharp breath, and said: "From Jiujiang going southwest, one approaches Yuzhang; if going southeast, one borders Danyang... both places rich in copper mines are only a few hundred li from here!"

Tang Jia did not know the full picture, but based on these two pieces of news, it was enough for him to speculate: "Could it be that this demonic Daoist Chiyang traveled far in his early years to seek, and indeed found, that life-saving Golden Moss Immortal Herb?"

This question was already a fact, so Liu Qi did not answer, but instead suddenly asked: "If the Changshi were him, how would he seek this herb?"

Tang Jia: "Since it is a life-saving herb, naturally the faster the better; entering the mountain to seek it, there is no time to lose!"

Liu Qi: "But this herb is hard to find; back then he had only one disciple by his side, and a copper mine is not a place ordinary people can enter at will—"

Tang Jia came back to himself, pondered briefly: "Then he might borrow the pretext of feng shui to gain the mine owner's trust, and thus seek the herb?"

After speaking, Tang Jia was startled to find himself growing increasingly unfamiliar; this was originally not his gentlemanly conduct...

"The Changshi's method is usable, but not long-lasting," Liu Qi's tone gradually became firm: "He has been in the capital for many years, yet this herb has never been cut off; there must be someone who has always been searching for this copper-mine immortal herb for him..."

Those capable of doing this could be the master of the copper mine, or perhaps someone superior to the mine owner, who had formed a long-term stable relationship with Chiyang.

If the latter, it should logically be Princess Yi Ming, but upon careful calculation, Lianqing Guan had only just been completed back then; at that time Princess Yi Ming could not possibly have accumulated such power...

Not the princess; then there must be a third person.

If such a third person truly existed, Princess Yi Ming dying so cleanly and decisively was like a cover-up.

Hu Sheng was a pawn; he could only see that his master above was the princess, but did not know that the princess herself might be someone else's pawn.

Above the pawn was still a pawn; Princess Yi Ming's hatred for the Emperor was not feigned; her going to death was certainly for the sake of final dignity, but at the same time it might also be to sever all these traces, to protect the third person above her...

Liu Qi analyzed quickly in his mind, looking at the letters and news before him.

All clear traces had been severed; the new developments at present, whether the copper-mine immortal herb or Chiyang's whereabouts, were scattered clues from Jiang Jun's previous desperate investigation; precisely because they were scattered, it showed how unwilling she was to let go of any possible lead.

Then he could not let go of the chaotic guesses born from these scattered clues, otherwise he would betray her unceasing efforts.

Jiujiang Jun, copper mine...

Liu Qi's mind flashed with the positions of each commandery and state.

After a moment, he did not know what guess he had formed, suddenly rose, and had the imperial guards beside him prepare a carriage to enter the palace.

He had just returned, not even rested for a moment, how could he go out again, and even enter the palace? Tang Jia subconsciously advised: "Your Highness, Chi Yang's crimes are already determined, the matters behind him certainly need thorough investigation, but there is no rush for this one day!"

"No, Changshi, this one day is very important." Liu Qi had already walked out from behind the desk, leaving only a sentence that was unclear.

Liu Qi arrived at the palace gate, just as Crown Prince Cheng led the ministers out of the palace in a grand procession.

The location of the Rain Prayer Sacrifice was the Lingxing Terrace built specially for praying for rain; the Emperor's Dragon Body had been unwell recently, so he ordered Crown Prince to lead the ministers to preside over this great sacrifice.

The great sacrifice was held in the evening, all matters had been prepared, the Great Witch God had also led the witches out from Shen Ci, and with the Horse Team escorting the demonic Taoist, they paraded all the way, under the gaze of the common people, leaving the city for Lingxing Shan.

Liu Qi stepped aside to let the long sacrificial procession go first.

"Liu Qi? What is he coming to do again?" In Weiyang Palace, upon hearing the news that the Sixth Prince had entered the palace, the Emperor, who had just taken medicine, frowned.

But he heard that this son entering the palace was not to have an audience, but to go to Taiyi Shu; the attending eunuch reported: "The Sixth Prince says he wants to see that child called Que Er."

The Emperor did not have a very clear impression of this common name; the eunuch promptly said: "In the demonic Taoist's dark room, the maiden who survived the drug testing; since the demonic Taoist case is not yet concluded, she has been receiving treatment in Taiyi Shu... The Sixth Prince says he wants to ask her again, perhaps this child still has other clues on her person."

The Emperor neither agreed nor refused, only said: "I told him to return to his residence to recuperate from his injuries, but he did not listen to a word, not stopping for a moment, running east and jumping west."

Guo Shi accompanied Crown Prince Cheng out of the palace for the sacrifice; at this moment kneeling beside him was a young Yiguan, who softly said: "The Sixth Prince is also doing this to share Your Majesty's worries; such wholehearted effort is truly rare..."

The Emperor turned to look at this eunuch; if he remembered correctly, this person was Guo Shi's adopted son.

Noticing the Emperor's gaze, this eunuch lowered his head, still maintaining a respectful and smiling attitude.

The Emperor withdrew his gaze, leaned against the armrest, closed his eyes to rest his spirit, but could not help thinking: from the assassination at Nanshan, to uncovering Chi Yang's schemes, then to investigating Lianqing Guan... along this path, besides Tai Puzhe, the greatest credit belonged to this brat.

And his performance during the disaster relief, his posture when shooting the assassin at the palace banquet on the fifth day of the fifth month...

All these flashed through his mind, drawing from the Emperor a very light, indistinct sigh.

Liu Qi had arrived at Taiyi Shu, saw Que Er, but it was still Que Er in a coma.

In these twenty-plus days at Taiyi Shu, Que Er initially would from time to time fall into a death-like state, unable to be interrogated; several times she neared the gates of ghosts, but was forcibly pulled back by the Spider Woman, only to fulfill Hu Li's entrustment.

Until a few days ago, Que Er's condition stabilized, no longer falling into long periods of death-like state; He Pingchun also specially came again to ask about her confession, but she only calmly recounted her experiences; He Pingchun gained nothing, and knew no more could be asked.

Although no longer in a death-like state, Que Er was weak, and most of the time still remained in a coma.

"Can she be awakened?" Liu Qi asked at this moment.

The Spider Woman agreed, and administered acupuncture to Que Er.

During the acupuncture process, Liu Qi noticed Que Er's eyelids twitching slightly, but she still did not open her eyes.

The Spider Woman only sighed in her heart; this child already knew her days were numbered, and seemed unwilling to look at this world any longer; her recent comas were mostly because she herself refused to wake up.

"Que Er, it's me, we have met before." Liu Qi tried to speak, but the child lying on the bed covered by the quilt had no reaction.

After a moment, Liu Qi said again: "After this matter is concluded, I will take you out of the palace to see the Great Witch God."

Que Er slowly opened her eyes; her pupils were pitch black; waking from deep sleep, she was completely without any drowsiness or confusion, so awake as if she had never slept.

This unusual wakefulness was a remnant of the drug testing; previously many had determined that this girl was testing medicine for Chi Yang's illness; now that the matter of Yi Ming Gongzhu had occurred, others again determined that what Que Er tested was an elixir for eternal youth.

The evil array had already been found; the girl's drug testing was ultimately no longer important; no one paid attention to this child anymore; but she had been saved by Hu Li and had her life prolonged until now, which could also be counted as a scattered clue and trace; meeting the girl's gaze, Liu Qi thought, perhaps all affairs in this world have their own cause and effect.

Since nothing more could be asked, then carefully observe her during conversation; even if nothing was gained, at least strive to do so.

Que Er sat up, and began this long conversation.

Whatever Liu Qi asked her, she answered very quickly, without any hesitation or thought; Liu Qi tried to recite a poem, and she could memorize it after hearing it only once.

"Before testing the medicine, was your memory also this good?" Liu Qi asked.

Que Er answered blankly: "No, before I was at the academy eavesdropping; when the teacher recited poems, I could not remember many."

Liu Qi looked at her head.

After a moment, Liu Qi suddenly turned the question: "If a person's head is injured, what symptoms would there be?"

He looked at the Spider Woman.

This question was sudden; the Spider Woman was stunned for a moment, then answered: "Depending on the injured area and severity, the symptoms left behind are also different."

"Please have the Doctor explain them one by one."

The Spider Woman answered seriously; Liu Qi listened to the end, combining it with what he had thought before entering the palace, and slowly connected a guess in his mind.

Two shichen ago—

Rong Wang Fu, inside the kitchen house, Qing Wu, who was simmering tonic soup for Liang Wang, guarded the stove absentmindedly.

These past few days she had stopped taking medicine and reappeared before Liang Wang, able to walk around the residence, and also heard many news from Liang Wang's side.

Yesterday she heard of the matter at Lianqing Guan; the Great Witch God found the evil array; inside the array was an unidentified female corpse...

She shed tears on the spot.

She had always been timid and cowardly; this was also a very good disguise; Liang Wang hurriedly coaxed and comforted her, telling her not to be afraid.

But how could she not be afraid? Jiang Sister, with one heart and one virtue, only wanted to find her Jiang Sister; hearing that her younger sister had been guarding inside that array, what else could she not guess? That female corpse must surely be the Jiang family's eldest sister harmed by the demonic Taoist...

Exerting all her strength, sacrificing her life, and ultimately ending up like this; how lost and sad must Shaowei Sister be?

She truly should have stayed by her side, but she could do nothing; she could not even keep Jiang Sister company for a while.

Anxiety and self-reproach surrounded Qing Wu; not paying attention, her hand was scalded by the hot soup pot.

The burning pain gave her tears a reason to flow; the people in the kitchen hurriedly took her to soak in cold water; a cook beside her clucked his tongue and sighed: "Noble person, do not cry anymore; if His Highness sees, he will not know how we people in the kitchen have mistreated you! This smoke and fire burning, is it a place a noble person like you can come every day?"

Qing Wu felt somewhat embarrassed; she stepped out to walk outside; she came to the back of the kitchen, wiping her tears by herself; as she raised her hand, the Panlian Jie on her left wrist, long since old, broke and fell off.

The wind blew; the light Panlian Jie rolled with the wind; Qing Wu was about to chase it, when she heard someone shout: "Xiangzhi, the Steward is looking for you!"

"Coming!" Qing Wu answered loudly; hesitated for a moment, but still went to chase the rope knot; bending over to pick it up, she saw a long silver thread.

Qing Wu picked it up together; holding it in her hand, she discovered it was not real silver thread, but actually a white hair, nearly three chi long.

White hair is nothing remarkable, but Qingwu carefully searched her memory and could not think of a single person in this Liang Wang Fu who possessed such a head of silver hair, white to the very roots... As a spy, though she was utterly useless, for the sake of gathering intelligence to save her mother, she paid close attention to every trivial detail around her.

There is no such person in Liang Wang Fu, then where did this hair come from?

Qingwu subconsciously looked toward the direction from which the wind had blown just now, and at a glance saw the Underground Cellar in the Distant View.

Hesitating for a moment, she walked over, only to see the wooden door of the Underground Cellar was locked... The Underground Cellar is rarely opened in summer; she remembered that before, this place did not seem to be locked.

She slowly crouched down to observe, and at the bottom of the cellar door crack, she saw another identical silver hair half-hidden in the dust.

Qingwu's heart gave an inexplicable jump, staring at the Underground Cellar's door.

"Xiangzhi, where are you?"

It is the Steward's voice!

Xiangzhi hurriedly moved away from the Underground Cellar door, flusteredly pretending to search for a rope knot.

The Steward approached, saw her pinching a broken, rotten rope in her hand, her hand also scalded, and tears still on her face, and could not help but sigh: "What can I say about you... Go apply medicine quickly, His Highness has been looking for you for a good while."

Qingwu nodded, wiped dry her tears, and on the road leaving with the Steward, she thought in her heart: The Steward could just send someone to look for her if he didn't see her, why did he come personally to this Back of House?

When a person is suspicious, they always suspect ghosts and spirits like this, but Qingwu clutched those two silver hairs, and her heart could not help but think of the image related to the demonic cultivator Chiyang... She had seen Chiyang before, precisely a full head of silver hair like a waterfall, without a single trace of mixed color.

But Chiyang has been imprisoned for a long time, and never came to Liang Wang Fu, how could it be possible?

Qingwu could not sort out a clue for the moment, wild thoughts in disarray for a while; after finishing applying the scald ointment, she carried the tonic soup to Liang Wang's Ju Yuan, and just saw two Maidservants serving Liang Wang change clothes.

Liang Wang also had to go to the Lingxing Terrace to attend the Great Sacrifice; he pitied Xiangzhi for just recovering from a serious illness, fearing she would be exhausted and catch wind, so he did not bring her along. Only the Great Sacrifice would end late, inevitably requiring an overnight stay at the Lingxing Terrace, therefore before setting out, he specially had Xiangzhi come to see him.

Seeing Xiangzhi's hand scalded, and her bringing tonic soup, Liang Wang was very pleased.

"... Your Highness, Xiangzhi also wants to go watch the Great Wu God exorcise evil and pray for rain, can you bring Xiangzhi along?" Qingwu summoned her courage to ask.

Liang Wang looked at her body: "But you, your illness still..."

"Xiangzhi is already much better!" Qingwu's gaze was earnest: "Xiangzhi is grateful to Your Highness for not abandoning her, heard that the Great Wu God can communicate with ghosts and spirits, if there is a chance, Xiangzhi also wants to pay respects to true ghosts and spirits, only praying to ask for blessings for Your Highness..."

These words of hers were nothing more than expressing loyalty, a very shallow intention, but Liang Wang found them very pleasing; he pulled over Xiangzhi's hand, laughing heartily: "Good, this King will... bring you, go together."

?? ：(This is a chapter tying up and collecting the previous loose ends, collection complete, there are still two chapters to end this volume, see you tomorrow everyone.)