Chapter 296

【Five Turbid Vessel】?

This kind of name, I last heard it in a martial arts storybook!

However, according to Xuan Feixing, this item should be similar to those martial arts secret manuals and rare treasures that are not easily seen.

Du Shanü instinctively thought the other party wanted to present a treasure:

"Good, good, good! With the power of the Marshal's crossbow, if we add this item, it will surely be the icing on the cake—future attacks will be unstoppable, battles unbeatable!"

"Since you are willing to offer your family heirloom, I will certainly not let you suffer a loss, especially since you also captured Liu Ji and others and threw them into prison... So, what reward do you want this time?"

Du Shanü is not lenient with herself; she does not indulge in food, clothing, housing, or travel.

But there is one point: if someone truly achieves merit, as long as she has it, she will produce it without hesitation.

This time Du Shanü is genuinely preparing to "make a splash," to make the kid in front of her tremble and bow.

Ideally, awed by her heroic spirit, upon hearing of high office and generous salary, favored treatment, they would tearfully kneel before her, eyes wet with gratitude as they confess.

Then came cries of "Wise Lord! Beloved minister! Wise Lord! Beloved—" in a confused shout, after which Xuan Feixing declared he would henceforth spill his liver and brains for her as his Wise Lord.

Du Shanü's mental drama was in full swing, yet after singing for a while she realized the person opposite remained silent.

After a long while, Du Shanü finally heard a hesitant voice from the other side:

"But... I, a commoner, never intended to offer a treasure?"

Du Shanü: "......."

Chen Weifang: "......"

Chen Weifang clearly couldn't hold back, gave a short laugh, then quickly resumed her cool, indifferent demeanor.

Being thwarted!

Putting it on someone else would be embarrassing, but placing it on my own Wise Lord somehow feels completely normal!

Du Shanü glared at her own Afang, then gritted her teeth and said:

"If you're not offering a treasure, why bring up that thing..."

"Surely your family's item won't recognize a master and can't be easily passed on, right?"

This time, Xuan Feixing quickly glanced at Du Shanü, then promptly lowered his eyes.

Du Shanü faintly saw this person's obscure eye color, yet also faintly did not.

After a few breaths of silence, Xuan Feixing finally spoke:

"It's just because... the Princess wants to know how I captured Liu Ji, that's all."

"Actually, when the Princess speaks, I as a commoner ought to present the supreme treasure, but this item is extremely toxic, with too many drawbacks—it really cannot be done."

"If it weren't for my bloodline that constantly accompanies the Five Turbid Substance, an ordinary person touching the vessel would suffer ruptured organs and death; for ordinary people, contact brings only harm and no benefit."

"Even without touching the inside, just contacting the vessel's exterior causes the five organs to rot?"

"I originally thought it was just a concentrated confusion drug, but it turns out this thing is that terrifying?"

Du Shanü stared wide-eyed, rubbed her brow, and only then recalled something:

Earlier, the fortune-teller gave accurate predictions; since mystic arts work in this world...

... then perhaps the shamanic arts also contain some genuine methods?

Damn it.

She clearly just wanted to get on good terms with this newcomer!

Others shouldn't think she's some big villain trying to seize the ancestral supreme treasure using her authority!

Du Shanü finds it hard to chat with such a gloomy, taciturn young man; after holding back for a while, she finally managed to speak:

"It's fine; since it's your family's supreme treasure, just keep it safe."

"In the future I will make you a Prefectural Commandant, grant you Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon, allocate fields and award a residence, assign fifteen retainers on duty, and put you in charge of the city's military deployments... As long as you wholeheartedly serve Yongzhou, we can also make use of your family's special confusion drug."

The so-called Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon refers to the privilege reserved for officials with a salary of two thousand shi or more.

The Silver Seal refers to the official seal, symbolizing authority.

The Blue Ribbon refers to the court robe, symbolizing rank.

As for retainers, they are attendants and assistant officials.

Du Shanü assigning him fifteen retainers means that when he goes out, his entourage can include up to fifteen people.

In these days, though heaven and earth are shattered, the ancestral system has not yet been completely abolished.

The Son of Heaven rides six horses, feudal lords five, ministers four, officials three, scholars two, commoners one...

This is an iron law passed down from antiquity.

When the Son of Heaven travels, he still uses only six carriages and thirty-two retainers; now a country-born youth who possesses Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon and can command fifteen attendants—how is that not a meteoric rise?

You should know that Du Shanü herself rarely has more than three attendants when she goes out.

Now my forces truly lack talent, especially military commanders—a shortage that is hard to fill.

Du Shanü this time has also truly poured out her blood and wealth; as long as she can gain his loyalty, her mind is dazed, her passion spent—she grits her teeth and stamps her foot, sealing the deal fiercely.

However, despite such an alluring offer, Xuan Feixing still fell into a silence.

In Du Shanü's view, beyond the files a few steps away, that gloomy, stern youth always kept his head down, making his thoughts impossible to read.

Du Shanü waited inside for a while, but no thanks came; she could only glance doubtfully at her own Afang.

Chen Weifang still showed doubt in her expression, but she only gave a slight shake of her head.

Du Shanü simply couldn't tell whether that head shake meant "not enough, seal again" or "this approach won't work"...

She was so vexed that only one thought remained—

Stop hesitating like this!

What conditions, just say them! Say them!

If she doesn't speak up, how will she know whether she can accept it?

As long as you can name a price, then we have something to talk about!

If she doesn't open her mouth and doesn't talk, how would she know what it means?

Besides, it's fine that Xuan Feixing is so silent, but Afang is over there shaking her head and posing some riddle!

"...... I, the humble commoner, do not wish to leave."

In the quiet study, the one who finally broke the silence was none other than this person, Xuan Feixing.

Xuan Feixing still kept his head down; this time he didn't clasp his hands again, but simply let his hands hang at his sides, his fingers, full of old calluses, unconsciously twining the waistband at his side.

That leather waistband was issued by the Zhoufu, a belt convenient for archers to shoot arrows; logically, it should be extremely sturdy.

However, under his tampering, it actually showed a faint tendency to turn white and crack.

In the boundless silence, Xuan Feixing only said:

"...... I, the humble commoner, wish to await orders at the government office, serving as a messenger awaiting orders."

The 'messenger' position, in others' eyes, is perhaps a job so tiny it cannot be any smaller.

But in his eyes, as long as he can get even a bit closer to what he longs for, that is better than any silver seal and blue ribbon, better than forced laborers.

The people of the Witch Ancestor cannot leave the great mountain; his heart has never been that big, and he does not seek any high-ranking nobles.

This time, if it weren't for her severely depleted health, yet she keeps going back and forth to muster troops, appearing as if she truly wants to seize the Horizontal Pure Two Cities, he would still hide in the waiting hall, acting as an inconspicuous messenger, handling ordinary inconsequential matters......

Occasionally brushing past each other, that would already be enough.

How could it be like now, being apprehended and entrusted with an important mission?

Where exactly did he reveal that he seems like someone who wants to bear a heavy responsibility?

?? Even a raging storm outside cannot stop the author's steady updating pace! How come no baby feels sorry for the author, moving their little money-making hand to click a vote, wuu wuu wuu o(╥﹏╥)o