Chapter 723: Mist and Water

Below Zijin Mountain.

The Nine Heavens Dao Palace stands tall on the highest point surrounding Jingcheng; it is the residence of the Great Jin State Preceptor, resembling an immortal's mansion, causing people to look up in awe.

An immortal's mansion naturally can only be inhabited by immortals for long periods; mortals can only come and go.

Inside the Dao Palace, people organize files and handle official business during the day. At night, only the State Preceptor's direct disciples on rotation duty are allowed to spend the night on the mountain; most other Immortal Officials return to their personal quarters at the foot of the mountain to rest, then head back up the next day.

The Dao Palace's benefits are quite good; every Immortal Official of the ninth rank or higher has an independent courtyard. This, of course, counts for nothing outside, but here in Jingcheng, where rice is as precious as pearls and firewood as expensive as cassia, this is a remarkable benefit.

Nowadays, the Nine Heavens Dao Palace is becoming increasingly important. Not only is the number of subordinate Immortal Officials expanding, but a large number of young people and martial artists—both from Daoist sects and outside—are flocking to it. Let alone ninth-rank or unranked Immortal Officials, even the completely unpaid boy servants and the laborers who pay to work there are fighting tooth and nail for a spot.

Gradually, a small town has formed at the foot of Zijin Mountain, with residences, shops, teahouses, taverns, and carriage agencies. However, since this is a place for Daoist cultivation, casinos and brothels are not permitted. There is no curfew here; once night falls, the streets are brightly lit, and the residential areas are also filled with the lights of ten thousand homes, making it even livelier than Jingcheng.

Xu Zhongnan has been feeling irritable lately; he cannot eat or sleep well. Whether his eyes are open or closed, his mind is filled with the matter of the Lingzhi. When eating dinner at night, he even feels a sense of trance when he sees the mushrooms on his plate.

After dinner, an acquaintance of his, an Immortal Official, invited him out for a drink. He was in no mood and naturally declined. His friend knew he had been anxious lately and did not force him, leaving instead to call upon other friends. Xu Zhongnan turned back home, and as soon as he entered, he saw someone sitting in the living room.

It was a very familiar figure.

"Junior Brother!"

Xu Zhongnan was startled at first sight, but upon seeing clearly that the visitor was Tang Zhao, he was overjoyed. He hurriedly turned to close the door, then walked up quickly and called out, "Why did you only just arrive! I have been waiting for you for a long time!"

Tang Zhao smiled and said, "Senior Brother, long time no see. How have you been? I came with the Yunzhou team, but I arrived a day or two early to see you first."

Xu Zhongnan said, "That's right, you came following the Imperial Court's orders. You are a lord of some standing now. The old man says I love being an official, but I love being an official yet don't know how to be one. When it comes to promotion, Junior Brother, you are a hundred times better than me. That's great. I was just feeling anxious all by myself; now that you've come, I can finally catch my breath."

Tang Zhao followed him into the house, all the way into the innermost bedroom, where there were absolutely no idle people around. Xu Zhongnan poured him tea, and Tang Zhao, unable to wait any longer, asked, "Senior Brother, what is the situation here? What is going on with the Lingzhi?"

Xu Zhongnan said, "I have already told you the most important thing, which is that no one knows where the rumors about the Lingzhi started. Let me tell you the latest situation. These days, the rumors about the Lingzhi Sword Deity have not subsided; instead, they are spreading more and more fiercely. As far as I know, several Wangfu in Jingcheng have already taken action, sending people out one after another, many of whom have gone to the north. Shou Wang is particularly active; it is said that he alone has sent out no fewer than five groups of people, each group consisting of elites, heading north separately. They have gone to the northeast, due north, and northwest. Even the palace is not without movement."

He lowered his voice and said, "You know Liu Hu who went to look for you, right? The envoy from Prince Chun who accompanied him said that he didn't return to Jingcheng at all, but went straight to search in Yunzhou. His looking for you was just a pretext; he did it to have a legitimate reason to leave the capital and enter Yunzhou, but he was actually carrying out a mission. I even suspect he knows some inside information and is determined to get the Lingzhi. Although he took the initiative to leave Jiugao Mountain, it might just be to deceive people before making a sudden return."

He gritted his teeth and said, "Now the folk songs outside have spread, saying, 'Master of the East, King of the North, once the Lingzhi appears, ten thousand years of longevity.' Listen to this stuff—it mentions the East and the North; isn't the direction obvious? It clearly points to our Northeast Yunzhou. I'm afraid someone has obtained precise information and is building momentum here."

Tang Zhao was very confused: where this information came from was a mystery, but he had heard news earlier that the Emperor was dead. He naturally thought that the undercurrents in the capital were surging and ready to erupt at any moment. Those big figures should be concentrating all their efforts on dealing with this, and other rumors, no matter how urgent, should be secondary and not worth their attention for the time being. But now, the top power-holders in Jingcheng did not have the tension of a major event looming; instead, they were focusing their attention on the Lingzhi. This does not look like a critical moment of power transition, does it?

Could it be that the Emperor's death is a secret, the news has been blocked, and everyone doesn't know?

That shouldn't be; even Prince Shun, who is thousands of miles away, knows. Why wouldn't the others know? Could it be that the other princes are all fools, and only Prince Shun is a smart person?

Then it must be that Prince Shun was talking nonsense to deceive the Gaoyuan Marquis, or his source of information is problematic and he was also deceived by someone?

Tang Zhao felt anxious. He didn't care who deceived Prince Shun; the key was that Third Senior Sister would be unsafe if this were the case. Of course, Third Senior Sister could still hide at the Qianxian and seek the protection of the Sword Saint Emperor. In fact, she has already set off; if she sees things going wrong, she will completely lean toward the Kun Sword. But it is not easy for Senior Sister to maintain her current independence; that is only because the Kun Sword is giving Tang Zhao face. But this face is limited; once she throws herself over to seek protection, that favor will be exhausted, and from then on, she will have to listen to the arrangements of the Guiyuanshi. Both Tang Zhao and Zhu Ying hope not to reach that final step. Moreover, the more this news spreads and the more people it attracts, the greater the pressure. If it spreads in the Human World, can it not spread at the Qianxian? Sooner or later, it will attract enough strong people. At that time, who can guarantee protection for Zhu Ying?

Something should be done to prevent this.

To deal with rumors, he first thought of some public relations methods: diverting attention and spreading more rumors to muddy the waters and shift the focus away from here.

But this only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. Victory in the arena of public opinion is not the most important thing. The key is the person spreading the news; if they are confident, they can naturally throw out more evidence to make those who should believe it, believe it.

He couldn't help but confirm again, saying, "Are you sure? Have they taken any action in the last two days, or have they not shifted their attention and recalled their men?"

Xu Zhongnan said, "Of course not. Yesterday, even the second-tier princely residences, which are the least informed, sent people out. The relatives of the Emperor have also sent people out in the last two days; they are dreaming too."

Relatives of the Emperor... the little Emperor doesn't seem to have an Empress yet, so that means the Empress Dowager's relatives?

Tang Zhao was even more disappointed: if the Empress Dowager had really killed the Emperor, wouldn't her relatives be fully armed and preparing for a coup? How could they have the leisure to go searching for some Lingzhi?

Furthermore, now that the news has spread to this point, is there any point in stopping the originator?

Xu Zhongnan, however, remembered something and said, "You said they were distracted, what could they be distracted by?"

Tang Zhao felt a bit dispirited and lowered his voice, saying, "Some people say the Emperor is dead, and that the Empress Dowager killed him."

Xu Zhongnan "puffed" and sprayed out a mouthful of tea. He coughed several times before saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? Impossible, absolutely impossible! What kind of rumor is this? It's even more absurd than 'he who obtains the Lingzhi gains the world'."

Tang Zhao's heart stirred, and he said, "The saying 'he who obtains the Lingzhi gains the world' is a rumor, but we are involved parties and know that there is truth hidden within the falsehood; it is not a pure rumor. Then do you think this news could also be a mix of truth and falsehood, where the false is taken as true and the true as false?"

Xu Zhongnan shook his head and said, "What truth and falsehood? Could it be that you are saying it's not the Emperor who died, but the Empress Dowager? That is also impossible. If such a big figure died, it would be impossible to keep it airtight; the capital would have been under martial law long ago. The State Preceptor would also have been mobilized. He is the anchor of the capital; it is impossible for any news to be hidden from him."

Tang Zhao could only admit that he was right. He was guessing based on a few pieced-together bits of news, so he couldn't say he was right, while someone who had been observing the situation in the capital all along was wrong. It has always been said that the ducks are the first to know when the spring river water warms; he was just a crow that had just run to the riverbank to drink water, and he hadn't even managed to take a sip, so how could he know the temperature of the water?

Tang Zhao said, "Is the State Preceptor in the Dao Palace now?"

Xu Zhongnan said, "He is. I saw him during morning lessons at the Dao Palace this morning, although it was through a curtain."

Tang Zhao raised an eyebrow and said, "Through a curtain?"

Xu Zhongnan said, "You don't understand. The State Preceptor has always met people from behind a curtain. Apart from the current Emperor and the Empress Dowager, probably no one has ever seen his face. But that is undoubtedly the State Preceptor himself. If you go and feel it, you will know; the aura around the State Preceptor is different, and others cannot fake it."

Tang Zhao nodded and said, "Can I see him?"

Xu Zhongnan said, "I will go and ask for permission tomorrow. Logically speaking, the timing is quite sensitive now, and the State Preceptor may not necessarily see outside guests. But you are different; firstly, Yunzhou has a good relationship with the State Preceptor, and secondly, your title also had a contribution from the State Preceptor. It is only right and proper for you to pay him a visit, so I imagine he will not refuse."

Tang Zhao shook his head and said, "No, can I see him privately? Tonight would be best."

Xu Zhongnan hurriedly said, "It's impossible at night. The State Preceptor won't see anyone at night. Let alone you, even I can't get through the door. If you must see him privately, I will look for an opportunity to pass a message when I go to serve him tomorrow. Perhaps it might be possible."

Tang Zhao said, "Is it not possible tonight? I am actually here on a mission from the Gaoyuan Marquis, and I still want to see the State Preceptor as soon as possible."

Xu Zhongnan shook his head and said, "It really isn't possible. At night, apart from the few Disciples on night duty, only special envoys from the capital can go up. Don't even think about sneaking up there; the movement of an ant on Zijin Mountain cannot be hidden from him. When the time comes, a bolt of lightning will strike you down; even if you don't die, you'll lose a layer of skin. Why would you want to take that risk?"

Tang Zhao sighed and said, "At a time like this, delaying a day might result in nothing, but it might also lead to a complete upheaval because of a half-day delay. At this juncture, I want to race against time."

Xu Zhongnan said helplessly, "I understand, but your Senior Brother here has limited ability..."

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

It was the room door.

Someone had walked straight into the house.

Xu Zhongnan jumped up and was about to go out, but Tang Zhao had already said, "It is Weise. He was originally guarding in the courtyard; he must have something to find me for, but it is not a danger."

He got up and went to the door, where he saw Weise beckoning to him, saying, "Sir, I just saw a Disciple coming down the mountain to pick someone up. Do you think we should intercept one and replace you to go up?"