Chapter 632: Boasting of a Heavenly‑Stealing Mastery, Yet the Turned‑Over Water Cannot Be Reclaimed

When the question was raised, Xu Langwen and the others also began to agree, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Exactly!

How could someone you spend day and night with not notice at all?

Chen Yan heard that and let out a low laugh, raised his hand to point at Qin Ci beside him, his tone as calm as if speaking of a trivial matter: "Actually it's very simple…".

His gaze fell on Qin Ci, carrying a hint of approval, and he said slowly: "Because after Qin Ci infiltrated under your command, she began secretly selecting a target, after fixing Shi Ji, she has been lurking day and night by his side, observing all his habits…".

"When he wakes, when he sleeps, what he likes to eat, what he likes to drink…".

"Even his tone when speaking to others, his demeanor when angry, all are noted, repeatedly mimicked, ingrained in her heart."

"Not only that!" Yuwen Ze stepped forward at the right moment, took the cue, a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth, added: "Qin Ci didn't achieve it in one step, directly replacing Shi Ji…".

"She first secretly looked for opportunities, one by one replaced several of Shi Ji's trusted attendants, either eliminating or moving aside those who might notice the flaw…".

"When Shi Ji became completely isolated, she then chose the right moment to strike him!"

So that's how it is!

Everyone who heard it felt a chill run through their bodies, as if falling into an ice cave.

Such patience, such meticulousness, such interlocking scheming—truly bone‑chilling!

Qin Ci, after listening, gave Gao Changjing a graceful bow, clasped her fists in a jianghu salute, and on her pure face a sly smile appeared, her tone modest: "Gao Gongzi, this is a petty trick, I hope it amuses you, I present my clumsy display!"

The light, airy words fell into everyone's ears, yet like a heavy hammer, they struck their hearts hard.

Gao Changjing looked at Chen Yan's bottomless eyes, listening to his breezy words, and suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly.

That laugh, desolate yet bold, echoed through the silent forest, shaking the leaves to flutter down, yet carried a hint of a hero's tragic end.

"Hahaha!"

He laughed so hard his whole body trembled, his eyes leaking blood at the corners, and after he was done laughing, he slowly hushed, his gaze burning as he looked at Chen Yan, saying word for word, full of admiration: "Brother Chen, I have to admit, you truly are impressive!"

"Gao is not your opponent!"

That sentence was a complete admission of defeat.

Chen Yan heard that, gave a calm smile, his robe sleeves brushing, his tone as calm as if speaking of something trivial: "It's merely luck…".

"I accept!"

Such breezy, cloud‑light attitude, when seen by Gao Changjing, did not stir any ripple.

The smile on his face suddenly vanished, replaced by a chill, he let out a cold snort, his eyes flashing with sharp and ruthless light, like a trapped beast's final counter before death, gritting his teeth he said: "Gao lost, and lost disastrously…".

"But you didn't win either!"

With those words, the wind in the forest seemed to freeze.

Master Yin Zhi and Qin Ci were both stunned, their gazes at Gao Changjing filled with confusion and astonishment.

They were already at a dead end, how could they have the confidence to contend with Chen Zhuguo?

Chen Yan's brows lifted slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, showing no panic, and he calmly asked: "Brother Gao, what do you mean by that?"

Gao Changjing looked at his confident demeanor, a grim smile curling his mouth, and said word for word: "It means that Gao, in Chang'an, left a great gift for you, Brother Chen!"

"Great gift?"

Chen Yan blinked, murmuring those two words repeatedly.

Then, as if recalling something, his eyes flickered, and he asked meaningfully: "Could it be the prophecy that circulates in Chang'an's alleys…".

"Jin West, where a dragon resides, purple robe, jade belt, emperor's bearing, right?"

"Exactly!" Gao Changjing almost shouted those words, his eyes flashing with madness.

He sneered confidently repeatedly, his laughter full of spite and exhilaration, as if he saw Chen Yan's downfall: "Even if you are Yuwen Hu's prized person, his handpicked trusted general, you cannot escape the backlash of this prophecy!"

"Brother Chen, I await you in the underworld to accompany me!"

Prophetic riddles beguile the masses, and have long been a great taboo for emperors.

Especially such blunt words as "purple robe jade belt, emperor's bearing", when they reach Yuwen Hu's ears, when they reach the Zhou State court, even Chen Yan's towering merits cannot escape suspicion.

Mildly, it could mean dismissal and loss of title; severely, the whole clan could be exterminated!

After all, before power, even father and son may destroy each other…

Take Emperor Wu of Han, for example!

Moreover, these two are not even father and son…

Chen Yan, after listening, not only showed no panic, but lightly clapped his hands, his expression unruffled, even with a hint of praise: "Brother Gao, you really pulled a vicious and skillful move!"

Gao Changjing's mouth curved into a smug arc, he sneered, and replied succinctly: "Likewise!"

He guessed that Chen Yan, upon hearing this, would panic and become incensed.

After all, this is a killing move that could overturn everything, his trump card.

However, just as Gao Changjing was eagerly expecting to see Chen Yan lose composure, he saw Chen Yan suddenly turn his head and exchange a glance with Yuwen Ze beside him.

The next moment, the two simultaneously burst into loud laughter:

"Hahaha!"

That laughter was bright and carefree, with a hint of mockery and ridicule, as if they had heard the greatest joke.

The smug expression on Gao Changjing's face froze instantly, watching the two laugh uproariously, his heart gave a sudden thump, an ominous premonition arose.

He furrowed his brows, his voice tinged with startled doubt, and demanded sharply: "You… what are you two laughing about?!"

This prophecy concerns life and death, honor and disgrace, the fate of an entire clan; how could they laugh so heartily?

Yuwen Ze, after laughing enough, slowly straightened up, cast a sideways glance at Gao Changjing, pursed his lips, his tone full of unabashed sarcasm, blurting out: "Laugh at your stupidity, laugh at your unfathomable foolishness!"

He paused, as if still unsatisfied, stepped forward again, looking down at the collapsed Gao Changjing, his voice suddenly higher, with a hint of mockery: "Qin Ci has been lurking by your side for months, transmitting messages day and night; could she have failed to report this prophecy to my brother A Xiong?"

"Since my brother A Xiong could calculate your whereabouts today, could lay this heavenly net, would he just sit and wait for death, waiting for this prophecy to stir up waves in Chang'an?"

Those words, like thunder, struck Gao Changjing's heart hard.

Gao Changjing lay on the ground, his mind buzzing, Yuwen Ze's words like a sharp dagger, piercing the last thread of luck.

He snapped his head toward Qin Ci, whose face had just regained its clear beauty, and in his eyes it seemed like Guimo.

The sudden, belated panic instantly swept over his whole body.

Indeed, Qin Ci had been lurking by his side for so long, thinking his backup was flawless—how could he hide it from Chen Yan's eyes?

He opened his mouth, the color draining from his face, his whole body frozen, his voice hoarse as if rubbed with sandpaper: "How could I have forgotten her! I actually forgot she was still by my side...."

"One bucket short! One bucket short!"

The sigh, full of desperate remorse, sounded like a dying beast's wail, making Cui Yizong and Xu Langwen's hearts tremble and their faces lose all color.

Yuwen Ze, seeing this, stepped forward slowly, looking down at him from a height, a teasing smile at the corner of his mouth, his tone containing no hint of consolation, more like sprinkling salt on a wound: "Don't be so discouraged, the prophetic verses have already spread throughout Chang'an's....."

He deliberately paused, watching a flash of light in Gao Changjing's eyes, then leisurely finished the second half, each word cutting to the heart: "It's just that it's already been altered!"

"Altered....."

Gao Changjing whispered those words, as if the last ounce of strength had been drawn out, his whole body collapsing, even the hands bracing the ground trembling faintly.

He stared at the sky above, fragmented by leaves, the light in his eyes dimming bit by bit, a heavy aura of despair surrounding him; after a long while he let out a helpless sigh, his voice as light as a wisp of smoke: "I have lost, and lost completely....."

From the moment he set foot in Chang'an, he fell into the net of Heaven and Earth that Chen Yan had woven, every step a calculation, every place a trap.

The backup he thought he had was merely a joke in others' eyes; the trump card he believed in had long been swapped for a dead card in secret.

Yuwen Ze looked at his despondent state, as if it piqued his interest.

He stepped forward, grabbed a strand of Gao Changjing's side hair, his fingertips applying slight pressure, and instantly tore away the disguise.

Beneath the disguise, how could it still be the miserable appearance just moments ago?

It was actually a face that could outshine the sun.

Eyebrows like ink strokes, eyes like bright stars, a straight nose bridge, lips crimson, skin whiter than snow; stripped of dust and disguise, the dazzling handsomeness surpassed even that of a beautiful woman by several degrees.

"Wow!" Yuwen Ze couldn't help exclaiming, pacing two steps around Gao Changjing, scrutinizing the stunning face, his eyes full of amusement, "What a handsome man!"

Chen Yan also stepped forward slowly, his gaze landing on Gao Changjing's face, a flash of surprise in his eyes, then he nodded slowly, his tone bearing genuine approval: "Indeed."

Yuwen Ze elongated his tone, letting out a long sigh, his voice full of teasing: "I have to say, this looks three points more handsome than the two of us combined!"

Those words reached Gao Changjing's ears, causing his whole body to tremble.

He keenly sensed the unabashed, maliciously playful gazes of Chen Yan and Yuwen Ze, like a poisonous snake's stare, a chill racing from his soles up to the Heavenly Spirit Cover.

Immediately, he curled his body sharply, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor, demanding sharply: "You… you want to do what?"

Chen Yan, hearing this, smiled calmly, leaned down, his fingertips lightly brushing Gao Changjing's cheek; the touch was delicate and smooth, even softer than a woman's skin.

His voice was soft, yet carried a bone‑chilling cold: "I want Brother Gao to experience the pleasure of being a woman!"

"What do you mean!"

Gao Changjing seemed struck by a bolt of thunder, his whole body freezing, his eyes snapping open in panic, his body shivering uncontrollably as he blurted out.

At that moment, countless bad omens surged wildly in his mind, as if ready to devour him completely.

Chen Yan, watching the frantic scene, let the smile at his mouth grow richer, looking at Gao Changjing with a half‑smile, speaking slowly yet each word cutting like a knife, grinding at Gao's dignity: "I, the Duke, have specially selected a few, brought by the embroidered‑clad envoys of the Dragon‑Sun's excellence!"

"From now on, they will serve you well, Brother Gao!"

Saying so, he raised his hand, pointing at the several tall, Dark Hawk‑eyed embroidered‑clad envoys behind him.

Those people, hearing this, had a flash of excitement in their eyes, their gaze at Gao Changjing like that of a newly acquired toy.

"Chen Yan! Yuwen Ze!"

Gao Changjing seemed utterly enraged, thrashing wildly, but his body was weak and limp, only able to twist futilely.

He stared fixedly at Chen Yan, a poisonous glare bursting from his eyes, gritting his teeth as he roared: "A warrior may be killed… but not disgraced!"

"I am of the Great Qi royal family!"

"You bastards!"

He is a Qi State prince, of noble birth, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

"Better to shatter like jade than crumble like tile!"

"Prefer death to such disgrace!"

"But now, in this situation, death doesn't seem that easy....."

Yuwen Ze, as if he hadn't heard the roar, turned his head and loudly ordered the embroidered envoys behind him: "You all stop standing there!"

"Serve our Prince His Highness properly!"

"Yes!" the embroidered envoys replied in unison, their voices loud and eager.

Chen Yan, watching Gao Changjing's struggle, calmly reminded him with a tone as if giving a trivial instruction: "Remember, don't play him to death....."

"Understood!"

The embroidered envoys answered in unison again.

At that moment, Chen Yan couldn't help recalling Zhang Yin, the assistant judge of Jing Zhao Fu who died while striving to leave vital clues; he raised his hand and patted Gao Changjing's shoulder—light in touch yet bearing the weight of a thousand pounds.

Chen Yan's voice was calm yet thick with cold, each word clearly reaching Gao Changjing's ears: "Gao Changjing, for the evils you committed against Great Zhou, for killing Great Zhou's people, for harming Great Zhou's loyal, from today onward you will repay them, line by line....."

"This is merely an appetizer!"

"No… don't!" Gao Changjing, utterly desperate, looked at Chen Yan's icy eyes as if seeing a demon from hell.

He let out a mournful wail, echoing through the silent forest, only to draw a disdainful snicker from Yuwen Ze.

The embroidered envoys dragged Gao Changjing, gradually disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.

That mournful wail was slowly carried away by the wind, finally returning to silence.

Chang'an's night was as black as ink, the ghost market's spies concealed their edges.

A series of blood crimes raged east and west, the Jing Zhao Fu office coagulated blood.

Counterfeit coins flowed covertly through the market, the people's hearts ready to ignite into beacon.

Boasting of stealing the heavens, they turned it into water that cannot be retrieved.

In Hebei, the populace rebelled everywhere, while the markets of Guanzhong remained carefree.

All the schemes are calculated to the end, but in their haste they bring disaster that flows on its own.

In those days he was proud, scornful of princes and dukes; now his soul is extinguished, rotting away.

Stealing a chicken only to eat its rice, losing soldiers and also breaking the prized steed.

A farce delivered to a desolate hill, merely to make Chang'an laugh!

【In the annals, a few lines of names and surnames come to an end】