Chapter 502

Pan Yun handed the insect to Pan Xiaohei, then strolled into the courtyard.

In the courtyard, one man lay unconscious, the other stared blankly at a single spot.

Pan Yun followed his gaze and saw he was looking at Hu Jing and the dog beneath the wall; she squatted beside him, lowered her voice, and asked with a mysterious smile: "Do you know him?"

The young man snapped back to himself, lowering his eyes: "I don't."

Pan Yun smiled at him, holding his travel pass between her fingers and waving it before his face: "Even if you do, it doesn't matter. Ji Shu, Young Master Ji, from Jianshi, Luling. Judging by your appearance, you're no orphan—surely you have parents, siblings?"

Ji Shu's face darkened, glaring at her angrily: "Are you threatening me?"

Pan Yun lightly tapped his cheek with the travel pass: "Why get angry? Isn't this exactly what you've been doing to me these past days?"

Ji Shu's face turned pale, his eyes filled with complex emotion—he found no words to refute her.

To be threatened with one's family was this furious, this hateful.

Pan Yun watched his shifting expression and was thoroughly satisfied.

Ji Shu fell silent before her, rose to leave, but couldn't help stopping her: "What will you do with us?"

Pan Yun tilted her head: "Become blood bags."

Ji Shu: "And then?"

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow: "So confident you'll survive after giving blood?"

Ji Shu glanced at the blood bag lying nearby: "Today was the most critical—most blood drawn, longest duration—he survived today, so survival from now on will be easier."

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly: "I like talking to smart people."

She squatted again, facing him eye to eye, staring intently into his eyes: "But I wonder—does your master share your wit, your sense of timing?"

Ji Shu lowered his eyelids, hiding his emotions, speaking flatly: "Those who've held power too long lose no cleverness, yet grow arrogant, losing caution—like Master Pan."

He lifted his gaze straight to her: "Has no one ever told Master Pan—you're too arrogant?"

Pan Yun gave him a faint smile, standing up: "No one has. You're the first."

Pan Yun called out to Hu Jing: "Grandmaster Gu, you've had enough sun today—go back inside."

Hu Jing slowly opened his eyes, slowly looked at her, then slowly rose.

Pan Yun watched him shuffle back inside and followed him in: "What's wrong with you? Altitude sickness?"

Hu Jing: "Just tired. Took a nap. Why drag me into your conversation?"

Pan Yun tilted her chin toward the outside: "Do you know him?"

Hu Jing: "From the moment he stared at me, I tried to recall—I racked my brain and came up empty, so I assume I don't know him. Besides,"

He pointed to his face: "I've disguised myself this badly—even An Chen's Embroidered Uniform Guards didn't recognize me. How could he?"

Pan Yun studied Hu Jing's current makeup, frowning: "True. Though I see through you instantly, Wang Cong and the others all say they can't recognize you..."

Pan Yun tapped her chin in thought: "Damn. Did you disguise yourself as someone he knows?"

Hu Jing: "... Should I change my makeup now?"

"You're trying to make An Chen and the others notice you've disguised yourself, aren't you?" Pan Yun waved her hand: "Don't change it. He's in my palm—he can't run."

Hu Jing: "Who's his master?"

Pan Yun: "I don't know. But he's not Wang Zhen's man. Take him back to Jingcheng, ask who he's been advising—then you'll know."

"Won't you interrogate him?"

Pan Yun: "Does he look like someone who'll confess?"

She said: "I'm a good person. I don't want to use cruel tortures. Let it be this way."

Hu Jing gave her a skeptical look: "You've nearly drained a man's blood. You call that not using cruel torture?"

"Hey, don't misrepresent me—that's not torture. That's saving lives. The Buddhists say: saving one life builds more merit than erecting seven tiers of pagodas. I'm building pagodas here."

Hu Jing snorted. Seeing Pan Yun turn to leave, he quickly raised his hand to stop her, frowning: "You've half-completed your mission in Yunnan. Can you finally tell me why you brought me along?"

"I already said—to protect you..."

"The other reason."

Pan Yun paused, tilted her head, thought a moment, then spoke plainly: "To keep you from being captured by Wang Zhen. To force Wang Zhen to hand over his ledgers."

Hu Jing looked confused: "Why?"

Pan Yun walked to the medicine shelf, placed a weight on the balance scale—it dipped slightly. "My father and Xue Xuan are this weight. On this scale, only they sit. To tip the balance, this weight will be the first discarded."

"But now another has been added."

Pan Yun placed a larger weight on the scale, turned, and smiled at Hu Jing: "You—or Wang Zhen's ledgers detailing Jiangnanyi Sect's corruption. A ready-made stake in the struggle. Isn't this weight more worth fighting for?"

Pan Yun replaced the weights with two equal ones, speaking ambiguously: "The imperial treasury is short on funds. The Emperor is short on funds. Wang Zhen knows. The court's civil and military ministers know. Whoever eases the Emperor's urgent need gains his favor."

"I brought you out of Jingcheng for two reasons: one, I didn't want you to die; two, naturally, I wanted to destroy this weight."

Pan Yun removed one weight, turned to Hu Jing: "Now, my goal has been achieved."

Hu Jing's gaze settled on the scale: "But my father and Xue Xuan are still on the scale. How do you plan to remove them? Or replace them?"

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow: "What, Grandmaster Hu, are you offering yourself?"

Hu Jing's face turned serious: "You said the treasury is short. If you hand over the treasure map, the Emperor will surely pardon your father. He might even outright rehabilitate you as a reward..."

Pan Yun's face darkened: "You want me to hand over the treasure map."

Hu Jing: "You're not greedy. Why fight the court for this money? This treasure was stolen from the people by Japanese pirates—it should be returned to the treasury."

Pan Yun sneered: "Returned to the treasury?"

"Handing over the map doesn't guarantee the island's wealth reaches the treasury. Even what does reach it may never benefit the people," Pan Yun said. "After the Japanese pirates slaughtered my village, I swore in Quanzhou—I'd help them avenge themselves and rebuild. So this money—I won't give it up unless absolutely forced."

She said: "I've already arranged its use—guaranteed to benefit the people."

In her hands, she could ensure every coin reached the people. Handing it over? That was different.

Hu Jing, a bounty hunter who often dealt with officials, understood Pan Yun's concerns.

He sighed: "Then you've made your life too hard."

Pan Yun gazed at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, her expression noble and upright: "As long as it serves the people and the nation, this Daoist Priest will not hesitate to die ten thousand deaths."

Hu Jing: "It just feels a bit hollow."

Pan Yun glanced at him.

Hu Jing swallowed hard, then asked: "You're cooperating with Chen Battalion Commander—don't you split the money with him? This kind of loot-sharing arrangement… I can't help but suspect you have ulterior motives."

Pan Yun turned and walked away: "Don't forget you swore a deadly oath—the treasure map is mine. Don't speak out of turn."

Hu Jing sighed, helplessly watching her leave. Pan Yun had no intention of staying long in Yunnan; she knew the Emperor had sent her out partly to save Mu Lin and win favor with the Mu family, and partly to remove her from court intrigues and save her life.

But she refused to accept it.

Her father and elder brother were both in Jingcheng; her father had even been thrown straight into the Imperial Prison. If she sought only her own safety, she would never have stirred up trouble in Jingcheng.

So she must quickly stabilize Mu Lin's condition, determine the optimal number of corpse worms for him, teach him how to control them, and then return to the capital.

With this achievement to her name, it would be easier to speak her mind upon returning.

This trip to Yunnan wasn't a loss either—she had drawn the Mu family to her side, adding another layer of power to her father's cause for exoneration.

Moreover, the Mu family had always remained neutral, not aligned with either Wang Zhen or the court's clean-stream faction.

He was a noble of merit, yet different from other nobles of merit.

Other noble families believed the Mu family belonged to the Huangshi Sect; the old imperial clan recognized them, but the current one does not.

Thus, the Mu family had always existed as a solitary minister.

Please… Your Majesty… collect _(!)

And it was precisely because of this that the Mu family had endured through five emperors without falling.

If she pulled the Mu family onto her side, had the Emperor foreseen this?

Pan Yun removed nine more corpse worms from Mu Lin, sealed and bandaged the wounds, then turned to Mu Lin and asked: "When your father recovers, will you return to Jingcheng with me?"

Mu Lin lowered his eyes, thought briefly, then shook his head: "I wish to stay longer beside my father. As long as Your Majesty does not summon me, I will remain in Yunnan."

Pan Yun nodded: "Good. I've noticed Yunnan's people are fierce and unruly—they need constant suppression. But your family is small; staying here to learn governance and military affairs will benefit you."

Mu Lin asked: "You want to return to Jingcheng?"

Pan Yun nodded, her voice heavy with worry: "My father is now in the Imperial Prison. Since his downfall, my father and I have not seen each other once—I miss him terribly. I wish to resolve matters here quickly and return to see him."

Mu Lin deeply understood this.

He, too, had been separated from his father at a young age, never to see him again.

Though his uncle and aunt treated him well, it was still different from having one's own parents.

Mu Lin solemnly said: "I've heard my grandfather speak of your father's case—it was ruined by Wang Zhen. Now that my father's condition is stabilizing, this is good news. I will immediately submit a memorial to the Emperor, reporting this joyous development and pleading for Lord Pan's clemency."

Pan Yun's face filled with emotion: "Thank you."

Mu Lin smiled at her: "I should be thanking you—for saving my father."

But before Mu Lin's letter reached Jingcheng, Pan Hong was transferred to the Dali Temple prison.

After the Emperor's conversation with Xue Shao on Lake Island, news reached him that Pan Hong had nearly been poisoned.

The Emperor was furious, feeling a pang of guilt and anxiety—he had a sense that if Pan Hong died in the Imperial Prison, he and Pan Yun would become bitter enemies.

As Emperor, he certainly wasn't afraid of Pan Yun, a Daoist Priest.

But he genuinely cherished Pan Yun, treating her as a friend; if he truly caused the death of a friend's father—especially one wrongfully accused—his young heart would still tremble with unease.

So his resolve wavered.

Xue Shao seized the moment, dragging the Emperor to see stars and moon with Yin Song, performing a flawless scene of harmonious ruler-minister relations before Wang Zhen's eyes, terrifying Wang Zhen into voluntarily surrendering Wang Shan.

It wasn't that Wang Zhen was easily frightened—it was because after his men entered the Imperial Prison, they intercepted two assassins targeting Pan Hong.

The last one chilled him to the bone.

Because the assassin was a young eunuch who had once received his favor.

First investigation: it was he who sent the eunuch to kill Pan Hong.

Second investigation: it was the Jiangnan faction who sent the eunuch to kill Pan Hong, then framed Wang Zhen.

Third investigation: it was he who sent the eunuch to kill Pan Hong, then framed the Jiangnan clean-stream faction to implicate himself.

It was convoluted, but in three versions, he was the killer in two—Wang Zhen put himself in Pan Yun's place, and he would believe the majority.

Or rather—he'd rather kill the innocent than let the guilty escape; if he were Pan Yun, he'd treat them all as enemies.

And he believed Pan Yun was exactly that kind of person.

He couldn't afford to gamble.

Especially now that the Emperor's bond with Xue Shao and Yin Song grew ever closer.

Wang Zhen lived by the Emperor's favor—he absolutely would not allow anyone to steal that favor.

So under Xue Shao's relentless pressure, he could only retreat a step.

He ordered Wang Shan, who had been hiding at home in penance, seized and handed directly to the Three Judicial Offices, then blocked Xue Shao at the palace gate and warned in a low voice: "Little Lord Xue, you are a clean-stream scholar-official—don't stoop to the flattery we do."

Xue Shao: "I speak from the heart—I've never flattered anyone. What, does Wang Zhangyin think any praise I've given the Emperor is flattery?"

Wang Zhen snorted, turned away: "Wang Shan has been handed over to the Three Judicial Offices. This matter ends here."

Wang Zhen had retreated a step—now it was up to the Emperor and the Jiangnan clean-stream faction to decide whether they would retreat too.

But regardless of their willingness, Wang Shan had confessed to framing Pan Hong and Xue Xuan. Though the case remained unresolved, Pan Hong's charges had been greatly reduced; the Emperor relented, allowing him to be moved from the Imperial Prison to the Dali Temple prison.

Xue Xuan still held some prestige and influence within the Dali Temple.

As soon as Pan Hong was delivered to the Dali Temple, Xue Shao went to inquire about the ransom amount.

After learning the sum, Xue Shao went to find Pan Yue and his brother.

Pan Yue produced all his money: "The funds from our hometown have arrived, but we're still short a bit."

He said: "I plan to borrow some from others."

Yin Song waved his hand: "Why borrow from outsiders?"

He took out a box and pushed it toward Pan Yue. "Little sister left in a hurry and didn't think of money at the time, so she left none behind. But her family is my family—this is my savings; take it and use it."

Pan Yue hugged the box, his face filled with emotion. "How can I possibly accept this? Second brother has already helped us so much these past days…"

Yin Song: "No need to worry. This is interest-bearing—two percent monthly. But don't worry, I don't expect you to repay me. I'll collect from little sister later."

Pan Yue: "... Loan shark?"

Yin Song: "Just two percent monthly, no compounding. How is that a loan shark?"

Yin Song forcefully shoved the box back into his arms. "Take it. Let me tell you—little sister isn't short on money."

Xue Shao also pushed a box toward Pan Yue. "This is the money my uncle and I pooled together—not much, but use it."

Pan Yue: "Do you want interest?"

Xue Shao smiled and shook his head. "I don't need interest."

Pan Yue let out a sigh of relief.

Yin Song smiled warmly. "Master Xue is truly a master of education—I am far behind him." (End of chapter)