Chapter 205: Undercurrents

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Dawn.

Li Rui knocked on He Shan's door.

"Brother Li."

When He Shan saw Li Rui standing outside, his face lit up with joy.

Li Rui paused, clasped his fists in congratulations:

"Brother He, congratulations on your wedding—truly, joy brightens the brow."

A smile upon opening the door is common for others, but coming from He Shan, it was unexpected.

They had served together for a long time, yet even he had rarely seen He Shan smile, let alone laugh like this.

He Shan led Li Rui into the main hall.

"Brother He, that day Jiang Daoren issued an urgent order requiring me to leave the city, so I couldn't attend your wedding banquet. I truly apologize."

Saying this,

he pulled another purple sandalwood box from his sleeve.

He Shan hurried to stop him: "Brother Li, I already received your wedding gift—how can you spend again?"

Li Rui chuckled: "This isn't for you. I heard your wife is frail—this is a special tonic I sought out. Take it."

At this,

a flicker of hesitation crossed He Shan's eyes—if it were for him, no matter how precious, he would refuse; but since it concerned his wife, he hesitated.

Before he could decide, the box was already in his hands.

He let out a bitter laugh:

"Brother Li, thank you."

"We're brothers—what's there to thank for? By the way, how is your wife feeling?"

He had already heard from Yang Yong.

He Shan's wife had been ill; after the wedding, she had appeared only once to thank guests, and He Shan claimed she was unwell.

He Shan called for tea while apologizing:

"My wife is unwell and cannot come out to greet you, I'm truly sorry."

"No matter."

Li Rui waved his hand.

He had no perverse taste for other men's wives—seeing her or not made no difference.

At his level of cultivation, beauty was but a skeleton.

"I never thought you'd finally wake up and marry, Brother He. Didn't you once swear you'd never take a wife?"

Li Rui teased.

He Shan chuckled: "Back when I was a blade-for-hire, I had too many enemies. I thought: if I married and had children, they'd be killed by my enemies—too great a loss."

"So why isn't it a loss now?"

"Xiao Lan."

A softness flashed in He Lan's eyes: "If I die, she lives."

Clearly, he had resolved to fight to the death.

Well then.

Li Rui laughed harder—he had never imagined a hardened warrior would fall for tender love, and He Lan had actually fallen for pure affection.

Good.

He Shan's behavior made him even more curious: "How did you two meet? Where is your wife from?"

If she were from Qinghe, he likely knew her parents.

He Lan: "My wife's family suffered disaster. She fled into the mountains, fell into a valley, and lost her memory. I found her there."

"Hmm."

Li Rui fell silent.

This plot—utterly hard to describe. In his past life, it would've been a clichéd soap opera, rated one star with ten thousand negative reviews.

Yet it had actually happened.

Still, he knew He Shan loved wandering in the mountains—he had once joined him on such trips when they both served in the Armory.

Picked up a wife?

Interesting.

It was family business. Though strange, he didn't press further.

After chatting awhile, Li Rui found an excuse to leave.

As soon as Li Rui departed,

He Shan stepped out of the main hall and saw a graceful figure gliding toward him, smiling gently: "Lan'er, why are you out?"

He Lan blinked her beautiful large eyes:

"Husband, who was that old man just now?"

"Li Rui, patrol captain of the Running Tiger Cavalry. He used to manage grain in the Armory—he's my close friend."

"Oh."

The girl fell into thought.

Deep night.

Inside the main chamber of the He family residence.

A rustling of clothing filled the air; a figure stood silently beside the bed.

He Shan lay with eyes closed, breathing evenly.

He Lan stared for a long time.

Earlier, she had slipped poison into He Shan's tea. If all went as planned, when he awoke, she would already be gone.

"Forget me."

Then, she stepped out of the room with quiet, light footsteps, making not a single sound.

Clearly, she possessed martial skill.

She was no sickly invalid.

She walked out of Anning Guard without much resistance—being He Shan's wife, and claiming she was buying wine for her husband, no one stopped her.

Outside the military camp,

moments later she reached a secluded alley.

A voluptuous, alluring woman stood at its center.

He Lan bit her lip:

"Master."

Liu Jiaoniang's slender, slanted phoenix eyes narrowed, filled with mockery.

"I am No. Nine, not 'Little Lan.'"

He Lan's frail body trembled slightly.

Liu Jiaoniang sneered: "Good. I almost thought sleeping with a man had stolen your soul."

Liu Jiaoniang snorted coldly: "Good that you remember—I really thought climbing into a man's bed had stolen your soul."

"Better not."

Liu Jiaoniang's eyes glinted with danger.

He Lan—more accurately, No. Nine—

was her charm slave.

Such charm slaves were women she had specially scoured from brothels, each stunningly beautiful, trained in seduction arts.

What "chance encounter in the mountains"?

What "love at first sight"?

Just tricks to lure men.

No. Nine's appearance was no accident—it was carefully planned to plant a spy in Anning Guard and help her find spiritual energy. Though she excelled in disguise, Jiang Lin's methods eluded her.

If Jiang Lin discovered her, she would die and her Dao would be shattered.

So sending a charm slave was the safest method.

"Hah. Men."

"Do you really think he'd still fall for you if he knew you were a whore for ten thousand men?"

"Crush that foolish fantasy."

Liu Jiaoniang sneered coldly—she excelled at manipulating women's hearts, as if she could see straight into No. Nine's soul.

No. Nine trembled more violently:

"I dare not, Master."

Seeing the effect, Liu Jiaoniang's crimson lips curled upward.

"Speak. What happened?"

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No. 9 stammered, "Master, the Immortal-Seeking Stone you gave me has reacted."

Liu Jiaoniang immediately perked up and urged:

"Speak quickly!"

"It's an official named Li Rui—he came to the He family, and the Immortal-Seeking Stone lit up."

"Lit up!"

Liu Jiaoniang's eyes narrowed slightly: "Li Rui."

She had never told No. 9 that what she sought in Anning Guard was immortal qi; instead, she had given her the Immortal-Seeking Stone to find someone who could make it glow.

That person was the one hiding in Anning Guard, possessing immortal qi.

But the problem was.

No. 9 went to Anning Guard, and the Immortal-Seeking Stone went dark.

Nearly seven or eight days passed before it finally reacted again.

No. 9 said, "I've inquired. Li Rui recently went to Huaqing Sect—he only returned the day before yesterday."

"It's him!"

Liu Jiaoniang's eyes flashed with sharp light.

Everything fit perfectly.

"Find an opportunity to lure Li Rui out and make him swallow this bottle of medicine."

Saying this,

Liu Jiaoniang pulled a vial from her bosom and tossed it to No. 9.

No. 9's eyes flickered with hesitation.

"Master, this medicine—"

She knew too well that, given her status, the only way to draw Li Rui out was through He Shan—but poisoning was never precise; the safe way was to poison everyone.

For some reason, she didn't want to see He Shan die.

Liu Jiaoniang sneered, "It's a sleeping draught—it won't kill anyone. I want the object, not the corpses of two imperial officials—that would only bring me trouble."

No. 9's heart leapt with relief:

"Yes, Master."

Watching No. 9 leave, Liu Jiaoniang's smile widened.

Zui Xian Pavilion, private room.

"Brother He, is this how you treat your guests?"

"You send someone at the last minute to give me a time and place—neither coming nor not coming is acceptable."

Li Rui stepped into the room.

He complained to He Shan—but it was only playful teasing.

Near the hour of You, one of He Shan's maids came to his door, saying He Shan wished to treat him to wine; he had to abandon his meal mid-way and hurry over.

If it had been anyone else,

Li Rui might not have come—but He Shan was an honest man, newly married, and this courtesy had to be honored.

During their time as colleagues in the Dingzi-sized arms depot, he'd already seen that He Shan merely disliked social pretense, but had a good heart.

Besides, he might still need to rely on the arms depot in the future.

Worth cultivating.

He Shan offered a hint of apology: "Today we went out for a stroll. When we returned, my wife felt remorseful for having missed seeing Brother Li last night, so she insisted on this."

Li Rui then turned to the stunning woman leaning against He Shan.

Not a dazzling beauty, but delicate as a white rabbit—making every man feel pity at the sight of her.

Beautiful she was, but not to Li Rui's taste.

He sat down.

He Shan raised his cup: "Brother Li, let me apologize first."

Li Rui waved him off: "Between brothers, no need for words—drink!"

Both tilted their heads back.

Two taels of wine vanished down their throats.

Li Rui commented, "Brother He, did someone cheat you? This wine is truly awful."

He Shan scratched his head:

"That can't be right—I ordered the finest wine."

Li Rui turned to He Lan: "Sister, could you ask the innkeeper to bring a jar of the wine I left here? Tell him my name—he'll know."

"Yes, Brother Li."

He Lan rose gently and stepped out of the room.

Li Rui didn't refuse the wine just because it was bad; the two drank cup after cup.

Suddenly!

CLATTER—the wine cup slipped from his hand and shattered.

He stared wide-eyed at the wine pot: "It's poisoned!"

He Shan was stunned.

He tried to rise, but dizziness surged—he saw black, his neck slumped, and he collapsed unconscious.

Moments later,

He Lan returned to the room. She held no wine from Li Rui—she stared at Li Rui and He Shan lying sprawled on the floor, her expression complex.

Behind her, Liu Jiaoniang's voice spoke:

"What, pitying your lover?"

"N-no, Master."

He Lan quickly stepped aside, retreating to the side.

Liu Jiaoniang entered the private room, glanced at the two men inside, then at the Immortal-Seeking Stone in her hand.

"Immortal qi…"

The thought of finally completing Blood Shadow Ancestor's task sent a thrill through her.

She nudged Li Rui's body over with her toe.

Then she searched him.

Soon, she pulled a small wooden box from his bosom and opened the lid.

Inside lay a thin strand of pale green qi, as fine as a hair.

Liu Jiaoniang felt her breath quicken:

"This is immortal qi?"

(End of Chapter)