Chapter 73: Encountering a Clear Day Chapter 52: Dig Out Its Heart Pulse, Smash Its Spine

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

The night sky was a gloomy gray, rain could fall at any moment.

Shaowei was traveling alone this time, with no household slaves ahead to chase, but having come out, she still imagined a figure, chasing that nonexistent phantom, tirelessly engaging in self-management and trials.

The girl's figure was swift, starting like the wind, landing without a sound. If any night-walking commoner caught a glimpse, they would likely think their eyes were playing tricks, or take it as some fortuitous encounter, stumbling upon a mountain spirit beast transforming.

Zhan Zhan followed her through the forest and across streams, flying high and low, dodging left and right, imitating Shaowei's movements.

One person and one bird shuttled through the night until the dampness in the air ahead grew thicker, and Shaowei gradually slowed her steps.

Shaowei was quite familiar with this road; it was where she and Jiang Fu had initially decided to settle in Taoxi Township, and also where she had encountered Liu Qi last year.

Having learned from the previous experience, Shaowei was more vigilant this time; she concealed her presence and carefully surveyed the surroundings, confirming no one within a hundred paces, before stepping out from the bamboo grove.

Stepping out from the bamboo barrier, the scene before her eyes had greatly changed.

The Broken Mountain, originally covered in lush greenery, was now once again ruined, excavated and split, unrecognizable.

Stones were temporarily piled by the water's edge, gravel splashed everywhere, disturbed muddy silt flowed and scattered, making this still water turn turbid.

Shaowei walked to the water's edge, bent down, picked up a small piece of gravel, and held it in her palm to examine.

The stone looked new, as if it had burst out from inside the mountain body, its color dark profound, patterns clear, icy cold and hard, but when truly held in hand, it had no sharp edges enough to cut a person.

Shaowei held it in her hand, and in a daze felt as if this stone had a heartbeat consistent with hers, as if human heart and mountain range were resonating silently.

Shaowei felt this nameless stirring, and put this piece of gravel into the lotus pouch at her waist.

She looked around, chose a higher piece of ground, nimbly climbed a large tree, stood in the middle of a thicker tree branch, one hand embracing the tree trunk, the other hand pushing aside green-yellow leaves, gazing into the distance.

Taking advantage of the terrain, Shaowei looked toward the left front along the traces of the Broken Mountain, vaguely seeing torches winding between mountain shapes, with still many people quarrying the mountain and moving stones.

The night was already late; ordinary commoners on duty had mostly gone to the resettlement place to rest, those still laboring were mostly convicted criminals, they toiled day and night, with iron chains on their feet, resting time pitifully little, if they couldn't work, a constable would whip them, if after several whips they still couldn't get up, they would be dragged back to the grass shed, thrown a dry cake to gnaw, catch a few breaths, and when dawn came, they would have to get up and continue working.

Too far away, Shaowei couldn't see those people's faces, but could imagine their identities and appearances; sinners who committed faults naturally weren't worth pitying, but rich and powerful people who committed the same crimes could pay to offset their punishment, the outcome was so vastly different.

Seeing things at night had advantages daytime didn't possess; Shaowei, now looking from a height, using the winding direction of those conspicuous torches, could judge the path direction of quarrying the Broken Mountain, or rather its shape—

Looking down from above, one could see the full extent of the Broken Mountain's traces, actually resembling a Zhuque Bird lying down, and now those torches wound into lines, like blades quenched in fire, cutting this Xuanque apart; judging by position, it was no different than severing its claws and wings, digging out its heart pulse, smashing its spine.

The mountain body should have no sense of pain, but Shaowei, witnessing this sight, vaguely felt she could sense the touch of pain; she furrowed her brow and snorted.

She had recently been reading about feng shui and earth veins; a few days ago she heard the Officials wanted to excavate the Broken Mountain, thinking of the earlier rumors that "the Broken Mountain is an incarnation of the Marquis," and hearing that an Immortal Master had personally arrived, she had guesses in her heart; coming tonight to look, it was indeed so.

Those people in the Capital were truly guilty-conscience; the person was dead, yet they didn't even dare to tolerate this Broken Mountain.

Shaowei felt disdain and contempt in her heart, and since her guess had been confirmed, she was unwilling to look more or stay longer; her foot landed, she grabbed the tree trunk and leapt down silently, but almost stepped on a living creature.

Shaowei jumped back a few steps, but almost stepped on another; several mice squeaked and scrambled chaotically, making Shaowei jump around, unusually flustered for a while; mice were very like toads, Shaowei though not afraid, also didn't easily want to step on them, that feeling would make her foot sole go numb.

The mice scattered away, just like the small beasts and rabbits startled and displaced by the quarrying, all hurriedly seeking new places to settle.

A gray-furred mouse dragged its long bald tail, climbed onto a corner of a profound-colored robe, then quickly climbed up along that robe corner, all the way to the knee of this black-robed master.

A hand nearly snow-white reached out, using two snow-white fingers to gently stroke the mouse's head; following this hand upward, one saw profound-black wide sleeves, weakened but not narrow shoulders, and a man's face equally snow-white to where clear sinews and vessels were visible, the only color on it being several conspicuous red spots.

The man's hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes were also white; his lip color and pupil color were both pale; even though it was now night, indoors, he still wore a wide wind hood integrated with his robe, shrouding his entire face in shadow.

Zhu Zhi came back from outside, wearing a black robe with bound sleeves, a knife at his waist, striding into this After Hall; seeing the man sitting cross-legged still toying with that disgusting mouse, he smiled meaninglessly and said: "I hear the Daoist faith likes to raise elegant white cranes, but the Immortal Master deals with mice all day; isn't that lowering his status?"

"White cranes may have graceful forms, but are flashy and insubstantial, not necessarily as clever and nimble as this little mouse." The man did not raise his head, still stroking the mouse; his voice sounded very young, his tone extremely faint: "No matter how much painstaking effort, no matter how profound the divination calculated, what is shown is only a rough direction. And within this direction, it is the mice's world."

Zhu Zhi looked at that gray rat with an amused expression and casually said: "It is said rats have vision of an inch; how far can a rat see?"

"Commander Zhu does not know; the so-called vision of an inch refers to house rats that hide indoors all year."

Red Yang raised his eyes, smiling: "My children follow me walking outside; within what rat eyes can see, they can see eagles flying in the air within thirty zhang. And they find things for me, relying on smell rather than sight. The world dislikes them, despises them, so they are very suitable to make a strange troop, is it not?"

Zhu Zhi found it funnier the more he listened; this cold, aloof, taciturn monster Immortal Master spoke quite a lot when talking about his mice, showing he truly loved them; indeed, monsters were monsters.

Zhu Zhi snorted in his heart, sat cross-legged, took the tea water offered by his confidant and first quenched his thirst.

He and this Red Yang Immortal Master, by the Son of Heaven's command, toured the four directions; both to find the so-called Tianji Incarnation and to investigate auspicious and inauspicious anomalies everywhere, and along the way clear out some disloyal elements—these were all public business.

And outside of public business, he and this Immortal Master had additionally reached a transaction...

Zhu Zhi was one of the few who completely did not believe in or respect ghosts and gods; therefore from the beginning he had determined that the claim of Baili State Preceptor shedding feathers to ascend to immortality was false, and the golden cicada shedding its shell was true.

The Son of Heaven believed it openly, but privately also had doubts; he had once tried to find Baili Youyi's whereabouts, but to no avail for a long time.

This task was not in Zhu Zhi's hands, but Zhu Zhi was also secretly looking for people; not to find the State Preceptor for His Majesty, but intending to kill that person.

The timing of Baili Youyi's disappearance was too coincidental, right around the Deposed Crown Prince calamity; if he had just left, it would be fine, but he also left behind that twelve-character prophecy; and in recent years natural disasters and anomalies continued, and wars against the Xiongnu repeatedly failed, seeming about to confirm that bewitching heresy.

Such a person alive was a calamity; Zhu Zhi knew very well the truth of the Deposed Crown Prince calamity; out of caution, he had no reason to keep such a calamity that might pop up at any time.

And the Son of Heaven might not want this person to live either; Zhu Zhi had learned from Guo Shi that Baili Youyi had once subtly reminded the emperor to be careful to avoid the "calamity of father and son being alienated," but the emperor's suspicions had already arisen, and such a reminder had no positive effect.

His Majesty believed in ghosts and gods, but His Majesty was the Human Emperor; within the domain of man, in the Human Emperor's heart, imperial rule was always above divine and ghost beliefs.

After this matter, Baili Youyi perhaps knew persuasion was useless, and feared he had already attracted the emperor's suspicion; so first he used seclusion as an excuse, actually to avoid disaster, and then slipped away and left.

Unwilling to be used by the emperor again; even with real ability, he could not be kept.

There were not only Baili Youyi with such ability; now wasn't there this Red Yang Immortal Master to replace him?

Zhu Zhi and this Red Yang Immortal Master got along quite well at present, because the latter also did not want his senior brother Baili Youyi to return to the court.

From the same school, they were like family senior and junior brothers, but also natural rivals; the two clearly had similar abilities, yet one was the Baili State Preceptor famous throughout the world and admired by all, while the other, due to an unusual appearance since birth, could not see the light of day, attracting many strange gazes and cold neglect and contempt.

Now the junior brother finally had the chance to be valued; how could he be willing to hand everything back?

Such a mood, Zhu Zhi could well understand.

But what occasionally made him impatient was that over these two years there had been no news of Baili Youyi's whereabouts; every time he urged, Red Yang only said: 【The timing of Heaven's Mandate has not yet come; bitter searching is all in vain.】

Red Yang claimed to believe only in Heaven's Mandate and advocated following the natural Way of Heaven.

To Zhu Zhi, these words were nothing but deliberately mystifying bullshit, but he had a mission to carry out and secretly many more important matters to attend to; eliminating Baili Youyi was merely incidental, so although he was displeased with Chiyang's attitude, it had not yet reached the point of falling out.

Not until they came from the western route toward the south, nearing Nan Commandery, did Chiyang seem to have divined something, finally awaiting that so-called heavenly-ordained timing.

During this stay in Nan Commandery, Chiyang went to examine the traces of the mountain collapse, and it was also Chiyang who memorialized the Son of Heaven, stating that the mountain collapse traces had already produced anomalies contrary to the Heavenly Way; if action was not taken soon to sever them, or if they gave birth to monsters manifesting in the world, it would surely bring calamity upon the national fortune.

The Son of Heaven already harbored resentment over the mountain collapse and bronze ringing anomaly from that year, and with the war against the Xiongnu progressing unfavorably, he naturally chose to believe it existed, which was why the order to excavate the mountain, open channels, and clear silt came about.

The mountain excavation was already proceeding in an orderly fashion, and Zhu Zhi had also secretly investigated more than half of the Nan Commandery officials; at this moment there was no one else in the hall, so Zhu Zhi once again urged Chiyang in a low voice about the whereabouts of the Baili National Preceptor.

Chiyang raised his pale eyes, gazing into the pitch-black night outside the hall: "Commander Zhu need not be anxious; I have already sensed it, and the time to meet my senior fellow disciple is presumably not far off."

More of this deliberately mystifying ghost talk, but perhaps it is a tracking method unique to their sect; Zhu Zhi gave a half-hearted laugh: "Since that is so, I hope the Immortal Master will soon display great divine powers."

Having spoken, he rose to leave.

At this moment, however, he heard Chiyang remind him: "I ask Commander Zhu to remember the agreement between you and me."

"Rest assured, Zhu remembers." Zhu Zhi raised an eyebrow, revealing a smile: "I only need to see the person with my own eyes and trap him to death; the Immortal Master may then personally settle the sect grievance. You and I each perform our duties, cooperating fully."

He looked quite expectant of that scene — fellow disciples killing each other, a junior brother personally killing his senior brother — also an interesting good play.

Zhu Zhi smiled and stepped across the hall gate.

On the way, a subordinate hurried over, and upon seeing Zhu Zhi, hastily saluted, then whispered a single sentence into Zhu Zhi's ear in an extremely low voice.

Zhu Zhi's expression changed at once: "... Truly no mistake?"

"Reporting to the Commander, although his appearance has changed somewhat, we have already had former Ling Family Army subordinates secretly identify him; there absolutely will be no mistake!"

After Ling Ke's death, Zhu Zhi had also privately gathered some former Ling Family Army men for his own use; although the Ling Family Army had many hardliners, not everyone was cast from the same mold, and moreover when the tree falls the monkeys scatter.

When the tree falls the monkeys scatter; if you want the monkeys to scatter thoroughly, you must cut down the entire forest, yet now a sapling still lives... he knew the charred corpse could be faked, that the Ling family's little son truly had not died, and his careful investigation all this time had not been in vain!

Zhu Zhi took that subordinate to a side room, ordering strict guard on all sides, and after questioning carefully, narrowed his eyes to confirm: "You mean someone is currently taking him south?"

"Yes, the escorts' martial skills are extraordinary, their movements concealed and cautious; we dared not act rashly, only assigning two men to keep close watch along the way, awaiting the Commander's order!" The subordinate asked: "Commander, should we immediately memorialize the throne about this matter?"

"No, no rush..." Zhu Zhi suddenly smiled, saying slowly: "Just a little snake; now that we know he lives, catching him is catching him, not much interest... first don't startle the snake by beating the grass, let him crawl further south a bit, then we can catch both little snakes red-handed at once."

Whose men are those escorting Ling Congnan? Former Ling Family Army subordinates? Perhaps. Even if not, at that time they can also insist to the death that they are, to avoid implicating another little snake named Liu Qi.

But once Ling Congnan is allowed to crawl into Wuling, it becomes different; at that time, no matter what Liu Qi says he cannot explain himself away, and the charge of privately harboring the criminal Ling Ke's son nailed down, this little devil even if he wants to curl up in Lingnan and continue surviving ignobly will not be able to.

He has already come to the south; he cannot have come for nothing, and I was just worrying about lacking a suitable charge to kill this little devil.

Thinking of that little devil's provocative gaze when he left that year, Zhu Zhi squeezed a laugh from between his teeth, and immediately left with his subordinate to personally arrange and deploy the plan for this matter.

On a night in early the ninth month, a sudden muffled thunder rolled, and heavy rain crashed down.

Zhu Zhi moved swiftly through the rain with his subordinate; the Nan Commandery Grand Administrator encountered Zhu Zhi head-on, and hurriedly signaled his servants to yield their umbrella to this Commander Zhu, but Zhu Zhi strode away in large steps, not even giving him a glance.

This place was precisely the Nan Commandery Grand Administrator's residence; seeing Zhu Zhi so arrogant and lawless, the Grand Administrator under the umbrella wanted to spit a "pah," but fearing those sharp-eared evil creatures might hear, he could only swallow the saliva back down.

The Grand Administrator felt humiliated; upon returning to the inner court and seeing the beautiful concubine who came to greet him, he immediately regained his confidence, and with his arm around that beauty he walked toward the inner room while maliciously recounting some hidden rumors about Zhu Zhi: "That surnamed Zhu evil creature, merely appears imposing before people, but actually, hehe..."

"Actually how?" The beautiful concubine asked curiously in a low voice.