《Peach》 CH 1 The moon shone brightly in the sky this midsummer night. Birds flew across the cloudless sky, leaving the soft echo of their beating wings in the silent capital under curfew. On the Zhanghua Pavilion, moonlight gleamed on a smooth bluestone slab like winter frost, faintly revealing the pale patterns on its surface, the lines intermingling in a complicated fashion. The High Priest*, clad in a silver brocade huafu* delicately patterned with clouds, stood in the very centre of the Zhanghua Pavilion, chanting with his eyes closed. Behind him stood seven princes, all with their heads deferentially lowered, not daring to look around. *T/N: I¡¯ve translated guoshi (¹úʦ) as High Priest. Huafu is ancient Chinese attire worn by the nobility. It¡¯s an elaborate long sleeved robe with many layers of clothing. Google ¡°»ª·þ¡± for an image. ¡°God will soon alight upon us. Your Highnesses, please,¡± the High Priest. He did not turn around, and only gave this calm instruction. Behind the Zhanghua Pavilion was the Zhanghua Temple. This was the temple that enshrined the God that the current dynasty had relied upon generation after generation. The seven princes filed into the temple, scrupulously sitting down on the round prayer mats on the temple floor to await the coming of God. The legends said that when God descended, the Zhanghua Pavilion would glow bright as a sun, so bright that its glow could be seen across half the capital. The Emperor and his Ministers of Court waited expectantly below the Zhanghua Pavilion for the shining moment of God¡¯s descent. An incense time* passed. The moon shone calmly down, and the stars glittered prettily in the night sky. *T/N: An incense time, or the time taken for a stick of incense to burn, is about 5 minutes. An hour passed. The breeze blew gently, and nocturnal birds called to each other in the quiet night. Another hour passed¡­ ¡­but nothing happened. The Emperor could no longer sit still. He gathered up his robes and climbed up onto Zhanghua Pavilion. ¡°High Priest, what¡¯s going on?¡± The High Priest was quiet for a moment. He looked at the silent Zhanghua Pavilion. ¡°If the Imperial descendants are not all in attendance, God will not alight.¡± Essentially, God was not willing to select one of the princes today, and wanted the Imperial descendants who were scattered in the general populace to be gathered before him before He would make His divine decision. On hearing this, irritation flashed on the Emperor¡¯s face. ¡°Zhen* will get people to look for them,¡± he eventually said, after mumbling discontentedly under his breath for some time. *T/N: Zhen (ëÞ) is how the Emperor refers to himself. It basically means I. The Chinese have a million ways of saying ¡°I¡± that don¡¯t translate to English. In the Zhanghua Temple, the seven princes looked awkwardly at each other. The High Priest¡¯s euphemistic explanation earlier really only had one meaning ¨C that God did not favour any of them present today. A round, fluffy red chick scanned the seven princes, its gaze disinterested. It was standing steadily in the shadows of the temple rafters, and had gone entirely unnoticed in the whole process. [Jiuru Town, Southwest Fortress] Jiuru Town was a prosperous town at the intersection of many travel routes, bustling with people and activity all year round. However, it was also in a far-flung location, and no one had claimed jurisdiction over it. There were trades aplenty on the main street ¨C mercenaries, medical shops, fortune tellers ¨C you name it, you have it. ¡°BANG!¡± Someone fell from the sky and knocked down the fortune telling stall. ¡°Brother, be careful,¡± a man who looked like a ruffian said, standing up immediately to help the fallen man up. ¡°Many thanks!¡± the fallen man said, clasping his fist and palm together in greeting. He grit his teeth and dashed out again, fighting hard with the large fellow who pushed him into the fortune teller¡¯s stall. The ruffian exchanged a look with the fortune teller, grinning as he tested the weight of the money pouch that he had just stolen. He then curled his lip at the two who were still fighting. ¡°Idiot,¡± he muttered under his breath. The ruffian and the fortune teller quickly packed up the stall, and the fortune teller pulled off his robes, revealing his brown shirt and pants, identical to the one the ruffian was wearing. Two ruffians were sitting at the side of the street. One of them was smiling foolishly at the coquettish girls directly opposite him; the girls hid smiles behind little hankies and were soliciting business at the main door of the Scarlet Robe Court. The other ruffian was scanning the street intently, and when he saw a small figure emerge from the crowd, his small, sneaky-looking eyes lit up. ¡°Xiao Qi!¡±*the ruffian called. He ran over quickly to meet the boy, who looked to be only about five or six years old. *T/N: It¡¯s common practice to call children Xiao [insert syllable of child¡¯s name]. Xiao means small. We Chinese find it cute to address children this way. The little boy was very good looking, with pink lips, a straight nose, and large peach blossom eyes. Even the coarse peasant clothing he wore could not hide his good looks. The boy and his mother lived in the outskirts of Jiuru Town with his uncle¡¯s family. He didn¡¯t know who his father was, so he took on his mother¡¯s family name, which was ¡°Chang¡±. His uncle named him ¡°Chang Qi¡±*, a very inauspicious-sounding name. *T/N: This roughly means constant sadness. ¡°Xiao Chen Ge*,¡± Chang Qi said, quickening his pace as he saw the ruffian approach. When he was within reach, he leapt up and clapped the ruffian on the shoulder by way of greeting. *T/N: Ge is how you address an older male who is still a young man. It means ¡°brother¡±. Xiao Chen reached out to catch him, and then brought him into an alley. He took out a child-sized brocade robe. ¡°Wear this quickly, Mr Ma will be coming to the brothel very shortly,¡± Xiao Chen instructed. ¡°This bastard is going to get married the day after tomorrow, and he¡¯s still fooling around in a brothel? I¡¯ll show him later¡­ eh, this material¡¯s not bad, where did you get this from?¡± Chang Qi expertly slipped on the huafu*. The clothes were very luxurious, with a plum-patterned inner layer made of ice brocade, and a wine-coloured outer robe. The only issue was that it was a little too long for Chang Qi, such that the hem would get stepped on when he walked. *T/N: A huafu refers to Chinese robes worn by the nobility. ¡°I just stole it from Yunjinzhai (a shop),¡± Xiao Chen said with a touch of pride. He squatted down to help Chang Qi arrange his robes. ¡°Mr Ma is betrothed to the Wang family¡¯s daughter ¨C her name is Wanrong. You got it?¡± ¡°Got it, Wanrong,¡± Chang Qi winked. Raising his chin, he folded his hands behind his back and walked out of the alley with the imperious air of a spoiled young noble. Two of the ruffians followed behind Chang Qi, and the three walked grandly into Scarlet Robe Court. The girls at the door gave them a knowing smile, and Chang Qi reached out to gently tug at one of the girls¡¯ clothes. ¡°Xiaoru jie*,¡± Chang Qi mouthed at the girl whose clothes he just tugged. *T/N: Jie or jiejie is a Chinese mode of address for an elder female who is still a young lady. An lady who is not considered a young lady would be addressed as an ¡°aunt¡±. Xiaoru flicked him lightly on the head, and surreptitiously passed two sweets to him. Without changing his expression, Chang Qi smoothly hid the sweets in his sleeve, and stepped over the threshold. He looked around, and found his target sitting at one of the tables in the main hall, surrounded by courtesans. His target was an overweight, large-eared man. He was presently drinking wine, and he clutched a courtesan in each arm. This was the Mr Ma he was looking for. Mr Ma had just entered into a betrothal agreement with a distinguished family, but apparently still had the guts to engage in debauchery. Chang Qi strode over quickly, and landed a solid slap on Mr Ma¡¯s thickset back. ¡°Jiefu!¡± he said. *Jiefu is how you would address your older sister¡¯s husband. ¡°What?¡± Mr Ma was shocked. He squirmed left and right, looked high and low, and finally his gaze fell upon the short little boy. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked. ¡°I am Wang Wanru¡¯s little brother. I saw you just two days ago, when you came over to my house!¡± Chang Qi said, grinning widely. His ability to act as a spoiled, rude young master was 10/10. Mr Ma looked at this delicate, good looking little boy, and then looked at the two persons following behind him. His heart skipped a beat. He knew Wanru had a little brother, but he had never met him formally. Young children were playful, and it was not surprising that the little brother had somehow managed to sneak a peek at him when he was last at the Wang estate. The real issue here was that he, Mr Ma, was meeting his brother-in-law for the first time in a brothel. It was truly¡­ awkward. ¡°Ah, little brother, why did you come here?¡± Mr Ma asked, looking around anxiously. He was really worried that the old Mr Wang, his fiancee¡¯s father, might be nearby as well. ¡°I came out to do some shopping, but I forgot to bring money, and just so happened to see you here,¡± Chang Qi laughed innocently. ¡°Jiefu, could you lend me five taels of silver? I want to get¡­ ah, just lend it to me.¡± Upon hearing this, Mr Ma rolled his eyes, thinking that this little jiuzi* must want to buy something unspeakable. Having drawn this conclusion, he pulled Chang Qi closer to him, and said in low tone, ¡°I don¡¯t carry that much money with me and can only give you three taels. But we have a deal, yes? You won¡¯t say anything to your mum and dad about running into me here. If you say anything, I¡¯ll tell on you too.¡± *T/N: Jiuzi is how you would address a brother-in-law. Chang Qi furrowed his brows, making a show of thinking for a while, then replied, ¡°Deal!¡± Mr Ma immediately pulled out his money pouch, and gave him all the money that he had in there, which amount to three taels of silver. ¡°Thanks Jiefu, I¡¯ll return this to you another day,¡± he said, smiling exuberantly. ¡°Off with you, then,¡± Mr Ma said. He raised his eyebrows and exchanged a tacit look with Chang Qi. Chang Qi rolled his eyes heavenward the moment he turned around. What tacit understanding would I have with you, idiot? He walked out of Scarlet Robe Court with the same imperious air he had when he entered, and once they had left the building, Chang Qi exchanged a meaningful look with the two ruffians. Xiao Chen picked Chang Qi up in his arms and ran like the wind, only stopping when he ducked into a small alley to hide. ¡°Hahaha, that dumbass!¡± the three of them guffawed. Chang Qi pulled off the huafu, tossed it to Xiao Chen, and then took out the three taels of silver to split between them equally. ¡°Are you going to pawn the clothes?¡± Chang Qi asked. He felt around for the sweets that Xiaoru Jie gave him, and tossed one into into his mouth. ¡°Pawn? Nah, if I did that, I¡¯d be found out. I¡¯m going to return this to Yunjinzhai,¡± Xiao Chen replied. He picked up the clothes and shook it to get the dust off. ¡°Yes, this is the ¡®Way of Thieves¡¯!¡± said another ruffian, agreeing with Xiao Chen¡¯s plan. ¡°Woah,¡± Chang Qi said, nodding. He learnt something new today; even thieves had ethics. He bade farewell to the ruffians, and put his one tael of silver from today¡¯s takings into one of his socks before putting on his shoes, donning an innocent expression, and making his way home. The day was still young, and Jiuru Town was lively as usual. ¡°Little brother, where¡¯s your family? Are you lost?¡± a wrinkled old lady asked him, smiling. ¡°My family¡¯s right behind you,¡± Chang Qi said, an earnest expression on his face. The old lady turned in surprise, but found nothing behind her. She turned back to Chang Qi, but the pretty little child had disappeared. She stamped her foot in frustration. This Jiuru town truly had bad fengshui; even kidnapping a child was particularly difficult. ¡°Walk the walk, talk the talk, watch your supplies like a hawk! Feed a goose, feed a moose, but don¡¯t let a rat run loose!¡± the rat poison seller piped in a singsong voice. His voice could be clearly heard from afar. Chang Qi walked past one stall, then decidedly walked back to the rat poison seller. ¡°Mister, do you have something that causes sores on the mouth and tongue?¡± Chang Qi said, picking up a bag of rat poison to examine as he did so. ¡°Ha, I don¡¯t carry goods that cause harm to humans,¡± the rat poison seller said, his bushy beard twitching as he chuckled. Chang Qi dropped the bag of rat poison and turned to leave, but then heard the seller say in a low tone, ¡°However, if you want to harm some vermin, I might have something suitable.¡± Chang Qi had already taken two steps away from the stall at that point, but upon hearing this, he immediately turned around. ¡°Yup, harming vermin is exactly my purpose.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be two wen*,¡± Bushy Beard said. He fished out a little yellow packet about the size of a copper coin from his inner clothes. *A wen is a small denomination of money. Chang Qi accepted the yellow packet, and gave Bushy Beard the two wen. ¡°Have a rat concern? Don¡¯t be burned. My medicine only costs two wen! Do not fret, don¡¯t be upset, buy now or you will regret!¡± Bushy Beard piped again in his singsong voice, beaming at Chang Qi for reasons unknown. Chang Qi lived in the farming village on the outskirts of town. There was a huge chicken farm there, as well as arable farms growing produce. The entire village and its farms belonged to a martial arts sect called the Jingang Sect. His uncle, Chang Sheng, was one of the Jingang Sect¡¯s disciples, but not an important one, as his cultivation ability was not high. He was therefore cast to the farmlands to oversee the Sect¡¯s property. The farmlands were closely guarded by people, and ordinary folk could not enter. Chang Qi leaned on the fence, looking at the lively chickens scratching and flapping in the chicken pens. He swallowed hard. This morning, when he came to assist with collecting eggs, his pay was just one egg. ¡°Xiao Qi, you managed to get some money?¡± asked the person in charge of the chicken farm. He was slaughtering chickens. Every day, they would slaughter a few, and send them to the restaurants in Jiuru Town. ¡°Old Uncle Qiu, I¡¯d like to buy half a chicken, can I?¡± Chang Qi asked, taking out some money from one of his socks. ¡°Of course you can, why would you not be able to?¡± Old Uncle Qiu said, ruffling Chang Qi¡¯s hair affectionately. ¡°I heard your mother is sick?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to make some chicken soup for her to drink,¡± Chang Qi said, looking every bit the dutiful son. His bright, large eyes were a little misty, and anyone who looked at him could not help but feel at least a prick of sympathy. Old Uncle Qiu gave him the half-chicken he asked for, and also threw in some chicken intestines and gizzards for free. Chang Qi thanked him and carried his half-chicken back home. A fat little child stopped him at the entrance to his home. ¡°Chang Qi, did you steal again?¡± the little fatty asked. This was Chang Qi¡¯s cousin, Chang Jiabao. He was a younger cousin, but was taller than Chang Qi by a full half-head, and looked to be seven or eight years old. ¡°Yo, our Xiao Qi has hit it big today!¡± said his aunt, who was, like her son, also rather fat. She sashayed out to where Chang Jiabao was. ¡°Come, give the chicken to me.¡± ¡°My mother is sick. I need to boil chicken soup for her,¡± Chang Qi said. He hid the chicken behind his back protectively, looking warily at his aunt. His aunt had a black mole at the corner of her mouth and was not good looking to begin with. Today, she looked even uglier than usual to him. ¡°You¡¯ve already stolen a chicken, and now you dare to hide it? Give it here, or I will tell my daddy!¡± Chang Jiabao said confidently, standing next to his mother. The neighbours all came out upon hearing this commotion. This Chang family could never go more than two or three days without quarreling; it was never-ending entertainment for the whole neighbourhood. Chang Qi pressed his lips together. He took hold of the chicken intestines in one hand, and extended these to his aunt and cousin with a serious expression. ¡°These aren¡¯t stolen. Old Uncle Qiu washed these intestines clean and gave it to me. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try it for yourself.¡± With this, he shoved the raw chicken guts into his cousin¡¯s mouth. CH 2 ¡°BLARRGHHH¡ª¡± Chang Jiabao had received a whole mouthful of raw chicken guts, and the bloody, gamey smell filled his mouth and nostrils at once. The mushy, sticky sensation made him vomit immediately. ¡°AHHH!¡± screeched the aunt in shock. She had not thought that Chang Qi would react this way. She quickly pulled her son over and slapped his back. ¡°Spit it out, quick!¡± Chang Qi¡¯s mother heard the noise, and ran out in a hurry. She only had enough time to shove her toes into her shoes, and her heels pressed the back of the shoes flat. She wore a coarse luoqun (ancient Chinese ladies¡¯ clothing) and a wooden hairpin in her simply done hair. Her face and pale and her steps unsteady, but none of this detracted from her beauty. It was precisely because she was too beautiful, Chang Qi¡¯s maternal grandmother had insisted on giving his mother the name ¡°Chang Er¡± (the name of a fairy), saying that her daughter was more beautiful than the fairy on the moon. Chang Qi personally had always thought that his mother was indeed a fairy. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± Chang Er asked, pulling Chang Qi towards her protectively just as his aunt was about to push him. ¡°What trouble have you gotten into this time?¡± The last question was addressed to Chang Qi. ¡°Cousin wanted to eat the chicken I bought, so I was just giving him a taste,¡± Chang Qi said innocently. ¡°You little monster, how could you stuff chicken guts into your cousin¡¯s mouth?! That stuff is so dirty, he¡¯ll get chicken plague!¡± the aunt said. She had earlier picked up a gourd ladle and scooped some water for her son to rinse his mouth, and now was able to focus her attention on disparaging Chang Qi. She picked up the chicken guts that Chang Jiabao spat out earlier and made to feed them to Chang Qi. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn! Try it for yourself!¡± the aunt said angrily. Chang Er furrowed her brows and took a step back, simultaneously pulling Chang Qi back with her. ¡°Tsk, this woman is so shameless. She gave birth to a little bastard and lets him bully her elder brother¡¯s son! Who does she think her son is?¡± Mrs Zhang, the next-door neighbour said critically, tutting all the way. ¡°Exactly. If it were me, I¡¯d have strangled the little bastard, and then jumped into a river myself,¡± Mrs Zhang¡¯s mother-in-law said with a sneer. ¡°BLARGHHH¡ª¡± Chang Jiabao had originally managed to stop his retching, but when he saw his mother pick out the chicken intestines from the heap of vomit, he couldn¡¯t help but start vomiting again. Chang Er grit her teeth, raised her hand, and smacked down on Chang Qi¡¯s buttocks hard. ¡°See what happens when you¡¯re not obedient! We don¡¯t even know when your noble father is going to come bring us with him! How are you going to live to see your dad if you keep making trouble like this? I¡¯ve told you so many times, give way to your little cousin! Why don¡¯t you listen?¡± Chang Er continued to hit Chang Qi as she shouted this, and the loud thwacks made by Chang Er¡¯s palm hitting Chang Qi¡¯s clothes resonated in the courtyard. Chang Er¡¯s voice was rather shrill, and when she raised her voice, the neighbours could all hear her loud and clear. The Zhang family¡¯s necks shrank back a little. They had heard that Chang Qi¡¯s father was a member of the high nobility before, but Chang Er had not mentioned this recently, and they had all forgotten. When Chang Er¡¯s palm came into contact with Chang Qi¡¯s body, he froze for a moment, then cried out piteously. ¡°Wahhhh!¡± The sound was so heart-rending that even his aunt got a shock. Upon seeing Chang Qi cry so pitifully, the neighbours also started to find the scene a bit unbearable. Mrs Qiu, the opposite neighbour, came out and tried to persuade Chang Er to stop. ¡°Madam Chang, do stop ¨C your child is so young, he can¡¯t stand this kind of beating!¡± Chang Qi was a good looking child, and good looking children cried prettily. Huge teardrops fell from his eyes, and his eyes and nose were red from crying. He looked particularly pitiable. Many neighbours came forward thereafter to persuade Chang Er to stop, and just then, Chang Qi¡¯s uncle returned as well. Seeing that his front yard was again surrounded by people, he hurriedly went up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chang Er was as beautiful as a fairy from heaven, but her brother was the exact opposite, with coarse and unrefined features. One might even call him ugly. There was no family resemblance between Chang Er and her brother at all. ¡°Chang Sheng, you¡¯re finally home! Quick, stop your sister ¨C she¡¯s going to injure the kid if she goes on like this! And your wife ¨C she refuses to give in at all!¡± Mrs Qiu said in a huff. She was somewhat angered by this point. Mrs Qiu was Old Uncle Qiu¡¯s wife. Old Uncle Qiu held a high position in the farmlands, and everyone treated Mrs Qiu with respect. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry¡­ boohoohoo¡­¡± Chang Qi persisted with his pitiful wailing, presenting a truly heart-rending sight. Chang Sheng looked at his pitiful little nephew, then at his domineering wife. It was obvious who the aggressor and the victim looked to be here. The neighbours were all pointing and whispering, and he felt like he was rapidly losing face. ¡°Alright, alright, stop messing around!¡± he said, pulling his sister away before turning to scold his wife. ¡°You make trouble every day ¨C don¡¯t you think you¡¯re running out of face to lose?¡± Chang Er did not say anything after this, led the still sniffling Chang Qi back to their house, and closed the door. Tears were still rolling from Chang Qi¡¯s eyes. Chang Er couldn¡¯t stop herself from rolling her eyes and poking his forehead with her index finger. ¡°Alright, that will do, you bratty bastard,¡± she said. ¡°You can stop pretending!¡±* Chang Qi blinked innocently, eyeballed the closed door, then wiped his face with a dirty hand. The dust and dirt on mixed with his tears and streaked his face with grey, making his appearance even more pitiful. There wasn¡¯t even a hint of sorrow on his face ¨C he smiled brightly as he held out the half-chicken to his mother. ¡°Let¡¯s boil some chicken soup!¡± he said. ¡°You only know how to eat!¡± Chang Er said, glaring at him. Her fierce response belay her motherly actions, however ¨C she picked up a cloth, wet it, and started wiping the grey streaks off his face as if his face were a table. Chang Qi raised his face, allowing his mother to clean his face. ¡°You¡¯re not well, so you should eat some nourishing food¡­¡± Chang Qi said into the cloth that was busily wiping his face, his voice muffled. When his mother didn¡¯t say anything in response, he carelessly said, ¡°When I¡¯ve grown up a bit more, let¡¯s leave.¡± Chang Er stopped wiping his face and flicked his forehead with a finger. ¡°Leave? Where would we go to? In this world, if you¡¯re not skilled in martial arts, it¡¯s hard to do anything. You don¡¯t even learn martial arts from your uncle properly like I told you to.¡± Chang Qi pursed his lips. His uncle only knew some low-level gongfu, the kind that even if he reached the pinnacle of cultivation, he¡¯d still rank as a hard labourer in the grand scheme of things. ¡°I will definitely become the most famous Daxia (warrior/hero) in the world! And when I do, I will own a thousand-acre chicken farm, and have chicken to eat at every meal!¡± he said exuberantly. At this time, Chang Er had the chicken in hand, and was preparing to cook it. ¡°Ok, I await the day when the Chicken Farm Hero shakes the foundations of the martial arts world,¡± she said, chuckling. Chang Qi jumped to sit proudly on the table, and dangled his legs under the table, swinging them back and forth playfully. The pot of chicken soup was ready. Chang Er scooped out the chicken leg and placed it in a bowl. After removing the chicken leg, there was basically no meat left on the half-chicken. She turned to look at her skinny little son, furrowed her brows, then put the chicken leg back into the pot, scooping out a chicken wing to put into the bowl instead. ¡°You eat first, I¡¯ll go give some to your uncle,¡± she said, pouring the contents of the pot into a large soup tureen. She set the tureen down on the dining table. Food did not keep well in the summer heat, and had to be finished in one sitting. Chang Er and Chang Qi weren¡¯t very particular about dining etiquette, and were quite happy to just eat out of the soup tureen. Chang Qi looked at the coarse earthen bowl in his mother¡¯s hand that was filled with chicken soup and a wing. He knew it was meant for Chang Jiabao. He pushed himself off the table, landing on the floor firmly. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. I¡¯ll send the soup over after we¡¯re done,¡± he said. Chang Qi¡¯s reasoning was that he and his mother should eat their fill first, in case something cropped up in between. He and Chang Er polished off all the chicken, and all that was left was the wing in the earthen bowl that was meant for Chang Jiabao, and a chicken backside. Chang Qi wrapped the chicken in oilcloth, and put it carefully into the front folds of his clothes. He picked up the earthen bowl and went to the forecourt. Chang Qi fished out the yellow packet he bought from the rat poison seller in town. Chang Qi bit his lip in thought, and eventually didn¡¯t put any of the yellow packet¡¯s contents into the soup, settling for spitting into the soup instead. ¡°Uncle, Mother said me to bring this for Cousin Jiabao,¡± Chang Qi said. Chang Qi had a pair of peach blossom eyes, and the corners of his eyes naturally had a pale pink blush. This blush was even more pronounced now because he had cried earlier. He deferentially raised the earthen bowl above his head with both hands, and cast his large, slightly reddened eyes at his Uncle, looking as good as gold. At this sight, Chang Sheng felt very sorry for Chang Qi. ¡°Xiao Qi, why don¡¯t you eat this yourself? Jiabao has already eaten.¡± Chang Qi said nothing, maintaining his position with the bowl in his hands above his head. In this situation, Uncle Chang Sheng could only extend a hand to accept the bowl of chicken soup. He fished around in the front folds of his clothes, brought out two pieces of sweetcake that he had bought in town earlier, and gave them to Chang Qi. ¡°Thank you, Uncle,¡± Chang Qi said, accepting the two sweetcakes before turning to leave. Upon leaving the forecourt, he headed toward the plum orchard that was east of the chicken farm. Because the Lady of the Jingang Sect loved to eat plums, the farmlands here had lots of plum orchards. It was plum season, and the enticing smell of sweet plums filled the air for miles around. There were many children in the farmlands, but not a single one dared to steal the plums. The reason for this was a strange, gnarled old man who guarded the plum orchard. No one knew his name, so they just called him Old Man Plum. ¡°Old Man Plum, Old Man Plum!¡± Chang Qi shouted. He had squeezed through a gap in the fence and was standing under a plum tree. ¡°What? You are so noisy!¡± said a hoarse old voice. The voice came from a dilapidated little hut. Before long, a rickety figure that was blind in one eye shambled out from the hut. Chang Qi ran over, and presented him with the oilcloth-wrapped chicken backside and the two sweetcakes. ¡°Here, this is for you,¡± he said. ¡°You brat, why is there only a chicken backside?¡± Old Man Plum looked around for a tree root to sit on, picking up the oilcloth packet for a sniff as he did so. ¡°It was really hard to come by even a bit of chicken, and my Aunt took it all. There were only some bones left, and this chicken backside. I took the bones to make soup for my mother, and saved the chicken backside for you,¡± Chang Qi said, pursing his lips. ¡°Hmpf, fine, I accept,¡± Old Man Plum said, eating the chicken backside with gusto. He pulled out a battered book from a snarl of tree roots, and tossed it to Chang Qi, soil and all. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you the 18th sentence today. Remember it well.¡± The battered book was very old, and its pages were tattered and torn. On its cover were the words ¡°Tianyan Wan Xiang Gong¡±. The first time Chang Qi saw this book, he thought he had obtained a rare secret book, and was so excited that he could not sleep the entire night. Subsequently, he found out from the ruffians in town that the Tianyan stances were just basic exercises for beginners that all practitioners of Qi martial arts had to learn, regardless of their sect. Even though these were just basic exercises, in the whole of the farmlands, only Old Man Plum had any knowledge of it. Chang Qi took his lessons with Old Man Plum seriously. In the very least, he could learn how to read. ¡°Gather the qi of heaven and earth at the Shaoyang meridian¡­¡± Old Man Plum said, reading from the book with his mouth full of chicken. ¡°How do you read this word?¡± Chang Qi asked, pointing at a character. ¡°That¡¯s ¡®gang¡¯, the same ¡®gang¡¯ used in ¡®tian gang di sha¡¯¡­ Hey you little brat, you¡¯re reading stuff at the back!¡± The page Chang Qi pointed at was one of the last few pages, and Old Man Plum suddenly realized that Chang Qi had nearly read the whole book. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to learn how to read,¡± Chang Qi said, smiling sweetly as he returned the book to Old Man Plum. He dusted off his buttocks, stood up, grabbed a few plums, and took to his heels. ¡°Stop there! You¡¯re stealing plums again!¡± Old Man Qi shouted, getting up to chase Chang Qi. He was too late; Chang Qi was long gone. On the way back, he passed by the Zhang family¡¯s house. There was a small ruckus happening inside, with Mrs Zhang scolding her son loudly. ¡°You are not to play with Chang Qi in future, you hear me? His mother is a shameless woman¡­¡± At dawn the next day, when the sky was just beginning to brighten with the first rays of the sun, Chang Qi crawled out of bed, rubbed his eyes, and picked up the cold kettle and drank a few gulps of icy water. He picked up a straw basket at the door, and headed to the chicken farm. The earlier he got to the chicken farm, the more eggs he would be able to collect. ¡°Xiao Qi always picks the most,¡± Old Mr Qiu said, smiling as he distributed the reward for their efforts: one chicken egg. They could ask for a boiled egg or a raw egg. As the child who collected the most eggs, he was rewarded with two eggs, one raw, and one boiled. He kept the raw egg in his clothes, and peeled the boiled egg to eat, to the envy of the other children. The Zhang family¡¯s son and Chang Jiabao huddled together, whispering to each other, whilst the other children were all gathered around Chang Qi. ¡°Chang Qi, your mom said yesterday that your dad is some high noble ¨C what kind of noble is he?¡± one of the children asked curiously. ¡°If I said it, I¡¯d scare you all to death!¡± Chang Qi grinned. ¡°But I¡¯ll tell you something. My mom is a divine fairy who enjoys heaven¡¯s protection. If you say anything bad about her, you¡¯ll get sores on your mouth and tongue, and the soles of your feet will be filled with pus!¡± ¡°Really?¡± some of the children said dubiously. ¡°He¡¯s for real,¡± the Qiu family¡¯s grandson said, remembering something. He imitated his granny¡¯s mannerisms, slapping his thigh before continuing dramatically. ¡°This morning, I saw Aunty Zhang, and her mouth was covered in huge sores!¡± Author¡¯s note Mini-scene: Prophecies are usually only half fulfilled Qiqi: My mum is a fairy, whoever talks bad about her will get sores in their mouth Neighbour: Aiyar! The Zhang family have all got huge sores on their mouths! Qiqi: My dad is a nobleman, one day he will give me wealth and riches Emperor: You¡¯re absolutely right, why don¡¯t you drop by and offer your body? Qiqi: The one I love is a great hero, one day he will ride on clouds to come get me Niaogong: Chiu? Qiqi: ¡­¡­ CH 3 On hearing this, the children all turned to look at Zhang Dazhuang, the Zhang family¡¯s son. ¡°Why look at me?¡± Zhang Dazhuang asked, confused. He had been talking to Chang Jiabao, and hadn¡¯t heard what Chang Qi said. When he opened his mouth to say this, the little ring of small blisters around his mouth were painfully apparent. Some of the blisters had burst, and looked like freakish chicken eyes. ¡°Ahhh¡ª¡± a few children screamed in horror. They looked at Chang Qi in awe, then turned their gaze back to Zhang Dazhuang, thinking to themselves that they should start minimizing their interactions with the latter. The blisters on Zhang Dazhuang¡¯s mouth were actually considered not too bad. His mother and granny had huge sores on their mouth that one¡¯s eyes could not help but be drawn to. This rumour spread like wildfire in the farmlands, and in a day, everyone had heard of it. Initially, people didn¡¯t believe it, but when they saw the Zhang family¡¯s sores, they couldn¡¯t help but think twice. Whether the rumour was true or not, it was safer to act as if it were true. The people in the farmlands all behaved themselves for a while as a result. ¡°I heard the Jingang Sect is taking in new disciples,¡± the Qiu family¡¯s grandson said enigmatically to a group of people. ¡°My grandpa said that they will check your bone structure, and if your bone structure is good, you can become the core disciple, and inherit the whole sect!¡± ¡°Wow, then you wouldn¡¯t have to work any more, and can eat good food every day?¡± ¡°You wish. You¡¯d have to practice martial arts every day. But if you¡¯re good at it, you would really be somebody.¡± The children discussed this excitedly. Practically everyone hoped to become the disciple of a martial arts sect. The only rose among the thorns, a little girl called Yingying, didn¡¯t participate in this discussion. She instead sidled up to Chang Qi. ¡°Chang Qi, are you going to join the Jingang Sect?¡± she asked, tilting her head to one side. ¡°Nope,¡± Chang Qi said. He was reclining on haystack, his legs crossed, idly shaking the horizontal leg. ¡°I¡¯m not going either, since they don¡¯t take girls as discples,¡± Yingying said, puffing out her cheeks. ¡°Then where are you planning to go?¡± Martial arts sects controlled everything. Even the Imperial family was inextricably linked to the martial arts sects and had to give them some face. Studying and scholarly pursuits were not valued; martial prowess was. Becoming a disciple of a good sect was the most illustrious career one could aspire towards. ¡°Jiyang Sect*, perhaps,¡± Chang Qi said, after some thought. *T/N: Jiyang Sect basically means ¡°Extreme Manliness¡±. Jingang Sect was a satellite sect of the Jiyang Sect. Jiyang Sect¡¯s martial arts could only be practiced by men, and as such, the entire Jiyang Sect and its satellite sects only took in male disciples. When Yingying heard this, she was rather disappointed, having hoped to go to another sect with Chang Qi. ¡°Clop clop clop!¡± The sound of horses could suddenly be heard. Chang Qi looked up quickly, grabbed Yingying by her clothes, and rolled out of the way. Just then, heavy horseshoes trampled on the haystack, causing the half-dried hay to scatter. Had he been just a heartbeat slower, Yingying would have been trampled on by those horsehoes. ¡°Whoa¡ª¡± said the horserider, bringing the horse to a halt. The horserider was a young man wearing a turquoise martial outfit. He turned to look at Chang Qi with a careless smile. ¡°Nice move, young lad!¡± he said. Chang Qi didn¡¯t reply. He took in his clothes, which was embroidered with the Jingang sect¡¯s unique motifs. The horserider also didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to chat with them. He tapped the horse¡¯s belly lightly with his boots, and made straight for the residence of the chief of the farmlands. At this time, Chang Er was delivering a bolt of woven cloth to the chief¡¯s office. She couldn¡¯t do manual labour, but she had a pair of clever hands. She could weave cloth and sew clothes, and she relied on this for income to maintain herself and her son. It was not convenient for her to go to town to sell the goods directly, and she certainly didn¡¯t want to pass them to her brother¡¯s wife to sell, so the next best option was to sell it to the chief. ¡°Third young master, what brings you here?¡± the chief exclaimed, surprised at his appearance. He hurried out to greet the young man, who was the same horserider Chang Qi encountered earlier. The horserider¡¯s name was Zhang You¡¯de, and was Jingang Sect¡¯s core disciple, ranking third in the Jingang Sect. He was about 27 years old and his appearance could be considered above average. ¡°Shifu (martial arts mentor) asked me to come have a look¡­¡± Zhang Youde said, his voice trailing off as he caught sight of Chang Er, his expression somewhat dazed. Chang Er was still clutching the bolt of cloth. ¡°Ah, this is Chang Sheng¡¯s younger sister. Ms Chang, this is Jingang Sect¡¯s third young master,¡± the chief smiled as he introduced the two. Chang Er accepted the money from the chief, put down the bolt of cloth, bowed briefly to the two men, and left without a word. Zhang You¡¯de¡¯s eyes never left Chang Er, and his gaze followed her dreamily as she disappeared into the distance. ¡°Chang Sheng¡¯s younger sister¡­ she¡¯s really pretty¡­¡± The chief laughed. ¡°So what if she¡¯s pretty, she¡¯s still a¡­¡± His voice trailed off as the recent rumour about mouthsores suddenly came to mind. ¡°Pei pei!¡±* he said, as an added measure to ward off bad luck. T/N: Pei Pei is a sound made to ward off bad luck. ¡°The sect is going to take in new disciples soon, and Shifu asked me to come have a look at the children in the village,¡± Zhang You¡¯de said with a smile. The people in the farming village mostly had some blood ties with the Jingang Sect, and good things were always shared first with family. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, good things should be kept within the family*,¡± Chang Qi¡¯s aunt said, beaming as she put a plate of food on the table. She called Chang Jiabao over to introduce himself. *T/N: The direct Chinese translation is that fertile waters shouldn¡¯t be used to water an unrelated person¡¯s farmlands, but I found this quite unwieldy. A few days after this incident, Chang Qi was on his way home after working. He was just outside the door when he suddenly heard people speaking inside his house. ¡°Ms Chang, I¡¯m sincere about wanting to marry you, and your brother¡¯s wife has already agreed. I¡¯m the core disciple of Jingang Sect, and if you¡¯re my wife, you won¡¯t have to work any more.¡± The voice was Zhang You¡¯de¡¯s. ¡°Chang Qi¡¯s father will come to get me. Please don¡¯t joke around, Zhang shixiong,¡± Chang Er said. Her voice was full of suppressed anger. ¡°To be honest with you, I¡¯m here to pick disciples for my sect. If you marry me, Chang Qi will be the next core disciple!¡± Zhang You¡¯de was full of confidence. At the same time, his words carried a hint of a threat. If Chang Er refused to marry him, then Chang Qi could forget about being selected, not even as a low-ranking satellite disciple. Chang Er clenched her fist. She looked at her sister-in-law, who was listening in at the door, then shifted her gaze to the rude disciple in front of her. ¡°You want to marry me? You should first go ask your Shifu whether he dares to let you marry me! Who was the one who gave me to a nobleman in the first place? If that man comes back and asks for his son, who is going to accept responsibility for this?¡± she said loudly. This stern warning had its intended effect. Zhang You¡¯de was suitably alarmed, and turned to look at Chang Qi¡¯s aunt. The aunt had vanished by this point. ¡°Given the situation, I¡¯ll go back and ask Shifu about it,¡± Zhang You¡¯de said. He had no choice but to leave, but as he stepped out the door, he could not resist turning back to look at Chang Er. Beautiful women were truly hard to chase. ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow!¡± he declared. Chang Qi hid behind a stack of firewood during this exchange. As Zhang You¡¯de left, he glared fiercely at his retreating back, and wished to the high heavens that looks could kill. If they could, he would have run Zhang You¡¯de through, no questions asked. His words were grandiose, but at the end, he was just a lecher, lusting after his mother¡¯s beauty. ¡°Was what Ms Chang said true?¡± Mrs Zhang asked Chang Qi¡¯s aunt quietly. Chang Qi¡¯s aunt recalled what happened the year Chang Er was sent to the nobleman, and became a little panicky. She glared at Mrs Zhang. ¡°After that episode with the sores, you still want to eavesdrop on Chang Er?¡± ¡°I asked because I was concerned for you!¡± Mrs Zhang retorted, stung by what she felt was injustice. Chang Qi came out from behind the firewood stack, and headed out of the farmlands. He went looking for Da Chen and Xiao Chen, and before long, found Da Chen¡¯s stall. ¡°Da Chen ge, help me look for a dagger.¡± ¡°A dagger? What do you want that for?¡± Da Chen asked, looking closely at Chang Qi. Chang Qi¡¯s eyes were burning with hatred, and he looked like an angry wolf cub dying to bite someone¡¯s head off. Da Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry about him. ¡°If that asshole* refuses to give up, I¡¯ll kill him,¡± Chang Qi said, gritting his teeth. *T/N: The exact translation of ¹êËï (gui sun) is grandson of a tortoise, LOL. The closest equivalent in English is asshole, I guess? Da Chen listened to Chang Qi¡¯s account of what happened, and went silent for a while, before replying again. ¡°Deal. You come here tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll have a good dagger ready for you then.¡± Chang Qi took his leave, and on the road home, his eyes reddened with emotion. At the end of the day, he was really still just a child, and whilst he could surmount many obstacles with his superior intellect, there were still things that were just beyond his ability to manage. ¡°Xiao Qi?¡± A soft, sweet voice called out to Chang Qi ¨C it was Scarlet Robe Court¡¯s Xiaoru. ¡°Xiaoru jie, are you shopping for cosmetics?¡± Chang Qi replied by way of greeting, raising his head to look at her. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Xiaoru reached out to touch Chang Qi¡¯s cheek with one hand, and pushed a few sweets to him with the other. When Chang Qi didn¡¯t respond, she squatted down and unwrapped a sweet for him to eat. ¡°Life is hard. When you¡¯re down, eat a sweet, and the sweetness will diffuse a little to your heart,¡± she said softly to him. Chang Qi gazed at Xiaoru, and as the sugary treat dissolved on his tongue, he nodded slowly. The next day, Chang Qi got up early as usual, but instead of heading to the chicken farm to collect eggs, he went to look for Da Chen in Jiuru Town. Da Chen was as good as his word, and he handed Chang Qi a dagger. Its sheath was slightly rusted. Chang Qi pulled the blade out. It was about five inches long and an inch wide, and gleamed coldly in the morning light. ¡°Laizi found this in the south of town, in a rubbish heap,¡± Da Chen said, squatting to be on eye level with him. ¡°It¡¯s a precious blade ¨C when you¡¯re done, remember to return it to him.¡± ¡°Got it. Thanks, Da Chen ge.¡± Chang Qi kept the dagger in his sleeve, bumped shoulders with Da Chen, and walked back home with a spring in his step. Just before he got to the entrance to the farmlands, he saw people and horses in the distance, galloping in his direction. The riders wore elegant armour that gleamed in the sunlight, and their steeds were glossy looking stallions. A beautifully decorated horse carriage followed behind the horseriders. The villagers in the farmlands had never seen such a grand scene, and they all came out to see what was happening. Coincidentally, Zhang You¡¯de was also riding toward the farmlands, and linked up with this splendid-looking group. ¡°Good day, good sirs. I¡¯m one of the disciples of the Jingang Sect. Could I ask what business you have in my Sect¡¯s farmlands?¡± he asked, clasping his hands together respectfully. ¡°We are here on his Majesty¡¯s orders, to pick up his Imperial concubine and her son, the prince,¡± the leader of the grand company replied. He was clad in a green martial outfit, and wore a lofty expression on his face as he glanced at Zhang You¡¯de. ¡°We are to send them back to the Imperial Palace.¡± The prince? An imperial concubine? All the people gathered round were stunned. Zhang You¡¯de also froze, thinking about what his Shifu had said last night. A light chill crept up his spine. From this exchange, the leader had determined that Zhang You¡¯de possessed no real power here. With a contemptuous sniff, he led his entourage into the farmlands. Chang Qi stroked the dagger in his sleeve, then ran like the wind to his little house. The villagers didn¡¯t dare to go near the Imperial entourage, and only watched curiously from afar. The chief of the farmlands, having some experience in receiving nobility, nearly fell over himself receiving these important guests after they presented the gold insignia of the Imperial family. ¡°This village warmly welcomes the Imperial Commissioners!¡± he said, kneeling before the horses¡¯ hooves with a thump. ¡°My apologies if anything is lacking!¡± Chang Qi returned to his home, and saw that his mother was standing in the middle of the courtyard with an anxious expression on her face. ¡°You little bratty bastard, where did you disappear to?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of people and horses outside, and they say they¡¯re here to pick up the Imperial Concubine and some prince,¡± he said, looking up at his mother. Chang Er covered her mouth with her hand in shock, and froze for a second before running to the door to get a look outside. The splendidly dressed Imperial Commissioners were walking steadily toward the Chang residence. Chang Qi¡¯s aunt and uncle stood foolishly by the main door to their residence. The leader of the Imperial Commissioners swung off his horse, walked up to the Chang residence that the farmland chief had pointed out, knelt respectfully at the entrance. ¡°This humble commissioner greets her Grace, the Imperial Concubine, and his Highness, the Imperial Prince,¡± he said. ¡°The Emperor has requested that we bring you both back to the palace.¡± On hearing this, Chang Er felt a little faint, and Chang Qi quickly supported her. ¡°Oh my¡­ her Grace¡­ an Imperial concubine¡­¡± Mrs Zhang cried out in surprise, before fainting dead away, her eyes rolling toward the back of her head. ¡ª Author¡¯s note: Mini-scene The Possibility of Winning by Divine Means: A Discussion Qiqi: They say I am a bastard Mother: Don¡¯t listen to them, your dad¡¯s the Emperor ¨q(¨s^¨t)¨r Qiqi: Alright, mother ¨q(¨s^¨t)¨r Imperial Commissioner: We¡¯re here to bring the Imperial Concubine and the Prince back to the palace Qiqi: WTF, my dad¡¯s actually the Emperor? Mother: WTF, your dad¡¯s actually the Emperor? Qiqi: ¡ú_¡ú CH 4 It wasn¡¯t just the Zhang family¡¯s matron that was got a shock ¨C the other people who liked to gossip about Chang Er were all dumbfounded, not to mention scared. They¡¯d denounced Chang Er as a loose woman who had been abandoned by her illicit lover without a thought for years; who knew that she had been favoured by the Son of Heaven? And her bastard son ¨C he was actually the Emperor¡¯s son¡­ ¡°Greetings to her Grace the Imperial Concubine, and greetings to his Highness the Prince! May you both live for a thousand thousand years!¡± the chief cried. Ever the opportunist, he made a show of kneeling reverently, following the Imperial Commissioner¡¯s example. At this, everyone hurriedly knelt and kowtowed as well, shivering slightly in fear. Chang Er finally got her breath back. She looked at the people kneeling before her, and had to pinch herself hard to stop herself from grinning like a Cheshire cat. ¡°My Lord Imperial Commissioner, you may rise,¡± she said, in a reserved tone. The Imperial Commissioner said his thanks and rose to his feet. The armoured guards behind him also righted themselves, but the villagers still knelt, not daring to make a sound. ¡°My house is very plain and crude, I hope my Lord doesn¡¯t¡­ will not pay any mind,¡± Chang Er said, making an effort to smile in a reserved manner. She racked her brain for the few elegant phrases she knew the nobility used, and invited the Imperial Commissioner into the house to sit. ¡°My name is Di Yeqing, and I am the one of his Majesty¡¯s royal guards,¡± Imperial Commissioner Di said. ¡°Niangniang can just address me by name.¡± Di Yeqing looked to be around twenty odd years old, and the green material of his martial outfit was plain, with no motifs on it. A sword with a gold-edged ebony sheath hung at his waist, and he had a piercing gaze. He looked to be a martial arts master. The Emperor¡¯s search for the lost princes was done on an urgent basis, and the moment one was found, the Emperor¡¯s orders were that he be sent back to the palace immediately. As such, Di Yeqing intended to leave with them today. ¡°Lord Di, how can you be sure that my son is of royal blood?¡± Chang Er asked. She had calmed down by this time, and now that her head was clearer, there were some things she needed explained. ¡°The ministers of the Imperial Court have investigated this matter for some time. Niangniang, please have a look,¡± Di Yeqing said. He took out a piece of parchment that was covered with dense writing, stamped with a personal seal, and had lots of handprints on it, evidencing that it had been reviewed countless times. It actually looked rather like a document with an accused person¡¯s confession. Chang Er looked down at the parchment briefly. ¡°I can¡¯t read,¡± she said, after a pause. Di Yeqing was silent for a moment. He then kept the parchment, and explained to Chang Er the investigation process in a low voice. Chang Qi looked at the neighbours who were still kneeling outside the door with a subtle sense of satisfaction. He had previously boasted that his father would come collect him with carriage and horses, and that he would live a life of wealth and luxury thereafter ¨C all his baseless boasting had actually come true in an instant! ¡°Xiao Qi ah¡­ aiyoh!¡± Chang Qi¡¯s aunt exclaimed. She had been trying to pull his cousin Chang Jiabao and sidle up to him, but was immediately blocked by a guard. The guard drew his sword, and gestured to her to step back. ¡°I am the the Prince¡¯s aunt, and I want to speak to him,¡± the aunt said indignantly. The guard was entirely unmoved. He moved the sword closer to her, and the silent threat was as clear as if it had been spoken. Chang Qi¡¯s uncle quickly came forward and pulled his wife to the side with a sharp glare, warning her not to speak another word. The chief, who was also still kneeling, wanted to raise his head to check on the situation, but caught sight of Zhang You¡¯de out of the corner of his eye, and got a huge shock. He had helped Zhang You¡¯de in his attempt to marry Chang Er, who was now revealed to be one of the Emperor¡¯s wives, and the memory made him feel like his head was in danger of being separated from his body. He hurriedly signalled to him with his eyes to ask him to leave. Zhang You¡¯de harboured similar thoughts. When Chang Er and Chang Qi left the house to get on the horse carriage, that overconfident young disciple of the Jingang Sect was gone without a trace. Chang Er and Chang Qi didn¡¯t have many possessions, and so just packed a few sets of clothes as luggage. Chang Qi ran to a spot at the base of the wall, and dug out a little bottle where he stored his savings. These were what remained of his ill-gotten gains. He poured out all the money that was in the bottle, and stuffed them into his sock. The exquisitely ornamented carriage was pulled by a magnificent chestnut horse. The carriage itself was shaped like an octagon, and auspicious fragrance sachets hung at every corner, their refreshing scent drifting into the carriage with the breeze. The servant girls waiting on them wore jade green dresses, with their hair neatly looped on their left and right side. One servant girl came forward to support Chang Er with her gaze respectfully lowered. ¡°Stop holding me back ¨C we¡¯ve fed them for free for so long, and now that they¡¯ve made it big, they need to return our kindness!¡± Chang Qi¡¯s aunt struggled free from her husband¡¯s grasp, and made a beeline for Chang Qi and Chang Er, who were preparing to board the carriage. ¡°Sister-in-law, you¡¯re just going to go like this?¡± In the very least, she wanted to let the Imperial Commissioner give her a thousand or so taels of silver, and also get a good job in the government for her husband. Chang Er turned around, looking silently at her sister-in-law, and then at her brother. That year, when she had been offered as a gift to service a mysterious nobleman, her brother had not done anything to stop this, and thereafter, when the nobleman left, he had been handsomely compensated for her sacrifice. She owed Chang Sheng absolutely nothing. The atmosphere turned cold for a while. Then, Chang Sheng slapped his wife, his face purple with anger, and told her to shut up. He turned to address Chang Er. ¡°When you get to the capital, write back to let know you arrived safely.¡± ¡°Nn,¡± Chang Er acknowledged. She picked Chang Qi up and boarded the carriage. ¡°Chang Sheng, you¡¯re pretty clever ¨C if we maintain a relationship with an Imperial concubine, our family will definitely see better days,¡± Chang Qi¡¯s aunt said, suddenly realizing this benefit. Her husband said nothing, but continued to gaze at the horse carriage shrinking in the distance, until it disappeared from sight. ¡°This humble slave is named Biyun, and I will be the one attending to your needs on this journey. If there¡¯s anything you require, please do not hesitate to tell me,¡± the green-clad little servant girl said. She was seated on the carriage step, the one used to board the horse carriage. ¡°Got it. I don¡¯t have anything I need at the moment, so you can take a break,¡± Chang Er sat ramrod straight in the horse carriage and gestured to dismiss Biyun. ¡°Certainly,¡± Biyun said. She moved to sit at the space just behind the curtains. This horse carriage was very big, and the interior was separated into two sections. The front section was separated from the larger back section by curtains. Chang Er stretched out her neck to check that Biyun had really left, and upon confirming this, sank into a more relaxed posture, looking excitedly around the carriage. She grabbed one of Chang Qi¡¯s hands, and said in a small voice, ¡°Son, I¡¯m an Imperial concubine now! Hehehe¡­¡± ¡°Hehehe, and I¡¯m a prince now!¡± Chang Qi grinned like Cheshire cat, lying down on the cushions and kicking out his legs. He stared at the magnificently ornamented ceiling of the carriage, his spirits soaring higher and higher. He got up and started poking around the carriage, touching this and that. The whole horse carriage was thickly cushioned, and because the weather was hot, soft bamboo mats had been attentively placed in the carriage as well. Incense burners and books were displayed on a wooden bracket was built into the carriage wall, and it all looked very elegant. The only thing was, after searching high and low, there didn¡¯t seem to be any snacks anywhere. Chang Qi furrowed his brows. He had seen the horse carriage used by the wife of the head of the Jingang Sect, and there were always many snacks on board. Every time she came to the farmlands, she would give him some snacks to eat. It seemed to Chang Qi that this horse carriage was nice to look at, but wasn¡¯t really prepared with its occupants¡¯ needs in mind. ¡°Since the Emperor knew where we were, why didn¡¯t he bother with us all this time?¡± Chang Qi asked. After the initial excitement had passed, he suddenly thought of this question. ¡°He probably forgot about me. I¡¯m not even sure why he suddenly remembered¡­¡± Chang Er pursed her lips. Now that she thought about it, she felt rather unsettled. The Imperial Commissioner Di Yeqing generally held himself aloof from them, so Chang Er had to call Biyun in, and asked her about the situation in the palace. Biyun was one of the palace maids, and she didn¡¯t know anything about why the Emperor had suddenly called them to the palace. ¡°The Emperor¡¯s harem organizational structure is like this ¨C there¡¯s the Empress right at the top, then in descending order of status, you have two Guifei, four Fei, nine Pin, nine Jieyu, and nine Meiren. Below that, there¡¯s the Baolin, Yvnv, and Cainv. For these last three, there¡¯s no limit on the number that the Emperor can have,¡± Biyun said. She went on to give some basic information about the palace to Chang Qi and Chang Er ¨C at the moment, the Emperor¡¯s harem had many vacancies; if you were ranked as a Jieyu and above, you could raise your own children, but below that, you would have to let your child be raised by one of the higher-ranking concubines. On hearing this, Chang Er immediately became anxious. If she could not get a high enough position, her Xiao Qi would no longer be her son¡­ Stressed about this issue, Chang Er¡¯s appetite was very poor for the next few days. ¡°Little bratty bastard, this old mother of yours has some regrets now. Let¡¯s not enter the palace,¡± she said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a heavenly fairy? Don¡¯t be scared,¡± Chang Qi said. He tickled his mother playfully, and put a sweet into her mouth. Sweets always had the effect of improving one¡¯s spirits, and Chang Er pulled her son into her arms, gratified. ¡°Where did you get this sweet?¡± ¡°I got it from a jiejie who sells tofu in town*,¡± Chang Qi said, without batting an eyelid. T/N: ¡°Selling tofu¡± is an euphemism for the sex trade in Chinese. Jiejie is a common form of address for an older female who is still a young lady. The direct translation of jiejie is ¡°older sister¡±. ¡°A tofu seller? I haven¡¯t heard you mention her before,¡± Chang Er mumbled half to herself. Chang Qi laughed happily. Xiaoru had once told him, when people went to a brothel, they were there to eat tofu*, so she could be said to be a tofu seller¡­ right? T/N: ¡°Eating tofu¡± is an euphemistic way of saying that you had intimate relations with someone. It doesn¡¯t necessarily mean sex ¨C touching someone intimately (with or without consent) is also counted as ¡°eating tofu¡±. After being bumped around in the horse carriage for ten odd days, Chang Qi wasn¡¯t able to walk properly when he got off the carriage. He had the sensation that the ground was still swaying even though he was on solid ground. The palace gate was so high that you had to tilt your head backward in order to see its apex. The words ¡°Bai Hu¡± were gilded in gold letters on the crimson tablet. This was the western palace gate. There were three other gates in the south, north and east, called the Zhuque gate, the Xuanwu gate, and the Qinglong gate respectively. Since they entered from the Bai Hu gate, they were probably going straight to the Hougong*. *T/N: The Hougong is the part of the palace that houses the Emperor¡¯s harem. Think the Forbidden City in Beijing. I refuse to use the word harem to describe the Hougong because the usual image people have of a harem is a bunch of women stuffed together in one place, when that¡¯s not it in Chinese culture. For the higher ranking concubines, they each have their own palace. An old eunuch came out to greet them, and they were sent to a palace on a palanquin. ¡°This is Qingping Palace, the residence of concubines who have yet to be assigned a rank,¡± the eunuch said. ¡°If I may trouble Niangniang and Dianxia* to stay here for the time being? Once his Majesty has confirmed your rank, you will be able to move out.¡± Even though the eunuch¡¯s words were courteous, there was no sincerity in his voice at all. *T/N: Niangniang is the formal address for a concubine, and Dianxia is the formal address for a prince. It¡¯s the Chinese equivalent of Your Highness / Your Grace etc. ¡°The High Priest is waiting. Let¡¯s get Dianxia changed into fresh clothes,¡± Di Yeqing said quietly to the old eunuch. He had followed them over to the palace. ¡°Certainly,¡± the old eunuch said. He seemed to be in awe of Di Yeqing, and agreed immediately. In addition to Biyun, there were two young eunuchs and a palace maid stationed in Qingping Palace to wait on them. Chang Qi, who was still rather unsteady on his feet, was hustled off to wash up and change into a light-coloured brocade robe. This wasn¡¯t as high quality or elaborate as the usual outfit worn by a prince, but it was still much nicer than the usual coarse peasant garb that he wore. Chang Qi had a handsome little face, and looked absolutely adorable in the light-coloured robe, his long black hair combed neatly and fastened with a blue hair tie, with a matching blue belt at his waist. Everyone liked looking at beautiful things, and eunuchs were no exception. When the old eunuch saw Chang Qi all dolled up in his new clothes, his expression couldn¡¯t help but soften. ¡°Dianxia, this way, please,¡± he said, a much kindlier look on his face. Di Yeqing took Chang Qi straight to Zhanghua Pavilion. From afar, he could see a man standing tall in the very centre of Zhanghua Pavilion. The man was clad in a wide-sleeved, cloud-patterned huafu with a long train that extended far behind him like a peacock¡¯s tail feathers. The sight was truly beautiful. ¡°High Priest,¡± Di Yeqing said, by way of greeting. He knelt, and all the palace staff behind him knelt as well. The High Priest turned around. His eyes lit up as he looked at Chang Qi, who was positioned in front of everyone. He took hold of Chang Qi¡¯s little hand in his pale, slender one. Chang Qi noticed that there was a round stone next to the High Priest that was about the size of a millstone. The stone was translucent, and had a blue cast to it. This was the Dragonstone, which had the ability to verify if someone was of royal blood. Whilst Chang Qi was absorbed in looking at the stone, the High Priest suddenly produced a small knife, and made a small cut in Chang Qi¡¯s finger before he could react. ¡°Ah!¡± Chang Qi yelled in shock. A drop of his blood fell on the Dragonstone, and it immediately glowed with a burst of blue light. The light in the stone undulated, as if there were a dragon curving around and howling inside the stone. ¡°He is of royal blood,¡± the High Priest announced. He bent his head to look at the little boy. ¡°You¡¯re called Chang Qi?¡± Chang Qi licked his injured finger, and nodded, looking warily at the High Priest. ¡°Moving forward, your name will be Chen Ziqi,¡± the High Priest said, smiling slightly. Chen was the royal family name. Thus ended this myserious ceremony. Chen Ziqi went back to Qingping Palace utterly confused. The guards went with Di Yeqing to report back to the Emperor, and the old eunuch was nowhere to be found. The only person accompanying Chen Ziqi was a young eunuch. Zhanghua Pavilion was some distance from Qingping Palace, but without a palanquin, Chen Ziqi only had the option of walking back. To hell with this prince thing! It was not prestigious at all; he¡¯d gotten his finger cut, his blood let, and now he had to walk back himself! As he passed a remote garden, he couldn¡¯t help but vent his frustration on a rock, kicking it into the flower patch. ¡°Tweet!¡± A pleasant, crisp chirp sounded from where the rock landed. Chen Ziqi pressed aside the flowers curiously, and saw a round, fluffy little red chick, glaring ferociously at him with its wings flared. ¡ª Author¡¯s note: Mini-scene Qiqi: Yo~ A chicken? Birdie gong: Yo~ You¡¯re not happy to see your husband? (¡Ñv¡Ñ) Qiqi: Of course I¡¯m happy! I get to eat chicken soup tonight! Birdie gong: Tweet? CH 5 ¡°Eh?¡± Chen Ziqi said, squatting down in amazement. He picked up the little red ball of fluff in a practiced manner. ¡°Why¡¯s this chick so big?¡± Typically, chicks with down feathers were those that just hatched, and were only about the size of Chen Ziqi¡¯s child-sized fist. This little red chick was big enough that he needed to use two hands to hold it. It was covered with pale red down, looked like a little ball of fire in his hands. Two little feathers stood up on its head, one long and one short, and they swayed left and right with the chick¡¯s movements, giving the chick a perky appearance. Chen Ziqi had never seen such a fascinating looking chicken before, and couldn¡¯t resist examining it. He flipped it over, tugged lightly at its half-grown wings, and prodded its little belly. The chick¡¯s eyes sparkled like little round obsidians, its little wings had not grown wing feathers yet, and its belly was soft and fuzzy. The fluffy little thing had zero fear factor. A soft tummy, round eyes, and slow growth of wing feathers ¨C in Chen Ziqi¡¯s experience with chickens, this was likely to be a rooster. ¡°Tweet!¡± The chick was originally already angry that Chen Ziqi had kicked a rock it, and now he was adding insult to injury, poking and prodding it all over; the chick was now absolutely furious. He aimed for Chen Ziqi¡¯s nose, and pecked him savagely. ¡°Hey ¨C yo ¨C trying a sneak attack?¡± Chang Qi¡¯s frequent interactions with chickens had trained his reflexes, and he dodged quick as lightning, entirely unscathed. He reached out to flick the chick¡¯s head. ¡°With a temper like this, you¡¯re definitely a male.¡± ¡°Tweet! Tweet?¡± The little red chick was about to try pecking at Chen Ziqi again, but suddenly paused, sniffing the air carefully. It smelt blood, and this blood had an unusual smell. The chick¡¯s eyes narrowed. Was this the royal blood of the Chen family? It cocked its head at Chen Ziqi, looking at him more closely. Not bad, his face was pretty pleasing. It was an unfamiliar face though, so he must have been recently brought back to the palace. ¡°Do they raise chickens in this garden?¡± Chen Ziqi was rather reluctant to let the chick go. Such a big chick would certainly grow up to be a good quality stud rooster. If he could raise a thousand of these red chickens, he would certainly make big bucks! ¡°No, I¡¯ve never seen such a¡­ erm¡­ chicken before. And this Imperial garden¡­ isn¡¯t for raising chickens for sure¡­¡± the little eunuch said rather awkwardly. Looking at the colour of the chick, it definitely wasn¡¯t going to grow up to be a regular chicken ¨C it was more likely a rare breed of bird. But if Dianxia said it was a chicken, then he was certainly in no position to contradict him. Chen Ziqi was blissfully unaware of the young eunuch¡¯s internal conflict, and all he heard that this chicken was a chattel without an owner. He happily stuffed the little fluffball into his clothes with peace of mind. ¡°Cheeeeep¡ª¡± Said fluffball was still deep in thought when he was unceremoniously shoved into Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes and squashed against the latter¡¯s warm little body. The undershirt had to be made to measure, and Chen Ziqi had only just arrived in the palace, so he did not have an undershirt ready for him. The palace maids had simply foregone the undershirt entirely, and dressed him directly in the outer robes. As such, when the little bird was stuffed into Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes, it came into direct contact with his soft, tender skin. The fat little chick froze in embarassment, and its light red down immediately puffed into a brilliant shade of scarlet. It lifted its skinny little bird legs and tried to curl itself up. Chen Ziqi held on to the suddenly obedient little fluffball, and looked at this surroundings attentively as he walked back to Qingping Palace from Zhanghua Pavilion. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, pointing at the tallest building nearby. ¡°To answer Dianxia¡¯s question, that is Zichen Palace, where his Majesty the Emperor lives,¡± the young eunuch replied patiently. He continued to explain the other palace buildings to Chen Ziqi as they walked. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, looking at this intelligent little eunuch. ¡°This servant is called Fuxi,¡± the eunuch replied with a smile. He had two dimples when he smiled, and was very pleasant looking. He was actually only ten years old himself, and had only worked in the palace for a short time. He had previously always been assigned to do odd jobs and chores, and had only just started waiting on the Imperial nobility. ¡°Why did you start working in the palace?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, glancing surreptitiously at Fuxi¡¯s crotch. He knew that eunuchs were boys who had their ¡°little chickens¡± cut off. Just as Xiaoru had never dreamed of working in a brothel, he was certain that no one grew up aspiring to be an eunuch. ¡°My father died early, and my mother remarried. My stepfather said that he couldn¡¯t maintain so many children, so he sold me into the palace,¡± Fuxi said with a wooden expression. Chen Ziqi patted Fuxi¡¯s shoulder sympathetically, then touched his intact crotch and heaved a sigh. Thankfully his little fairy didn¡¯t marry anyone, or he might have also lost his little chicken. Back at Qingping Palace, Chang Er was standing at the main entrance and peering anxiously out. When she saw Chen Ziqi return, she quickly went up to meet him. ¡°Why did you take so long?¡± she asked. He might have been brought to Zhanghua Pavilion on a palanquin, but he had to walk the considerable distance back, so of course he had taken a long time. Chen Ziqi pursed his lips and tugged at his clothes, revealing the head of a small scarlet bird. ¡°I went to catch a bird,¡± he said. ¡°Wow, what a large chick!¡± Chang Er said. She extended a finger and poked the chick¡¯s plump little body. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird voiced its disapproval, and made to peck her. ¡°It¡¯s too small ¨C we can¡¯t eat it,¡± Chang Er said. She pulled her son into the house, took the chick out and placed it on the table. There was a teacup on the table. Looking at the chick¡¯s size relative to the teacup, it was clear that even if they made soup with the chick, they¡¯d only get about a cup of soup. ¡°Eat it? No way, this is a stud rooster. It will be more useful if we raise it,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He put his face close to the little fluffball, and promptly received a hard peck on his nose. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°A stud rooster¡­? You¡¯re still thinking of opening a chicken farm? You silly boy!¡± Chang Er poked her son with a finger. ¡°What, were you expecting me to become the Emperor?¡± Chen Ziqi said. He supported his chin with a hand and stared at the little red bird, thinking about the beautiful palace buildings he saw while walking back today, particularly Zichen Palace. Actually, being the Emperor also didn¡¯t seem too bad. If you want to be the Emperor, you have to first win my favour. The little red bird raised his round head and tweeted proudly. Chen Ziqi obviously had no idea what the bird was saying. He turned to Chang Er and started telling her what happened earlier ¨C the mysterious High Priest, the strange Dragonstone, and his change of name to Chen Ziqi. Both he and his mother agreed that this new name was much nicer than his old one, and so said they¡¯d use it moving forward. They talked until sunset. Chang Er got up to cook dinner, and then realized that Qingping Palace didn¡¯t have a kitchen. The only place with a stove was the small tearoom, and the stove was actually only used for boiling water. There were no condiments or food to be found. ¡°Looks like we have no choice but to eat this chicken,¡± Chang Er said, eyeing the little red chick, which was nodding off on the table. ¡°Niangniang, your dinner is here. Should we serve it now?¡± At that critical moment, Biyun walked in, trailed by two eunuchs carrying food. Ah, so this place comes with a meal plan¡­ Chang Er breathed a sigh of relief, then raised her chin slightly. ¡°Yes,¡± she said in a dignified tone. Chang Er still had not been assigned any rank, so the dishes that were served were the most basic set. Even so, her and Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. There were two meat dishes, two types of vegetable dishes, plus a soup, and of the two meat dishes, one consisted of a whole fish! It was not as if they hadn¡¯t eaten well prior to this ¨C on the way to the palace, Di Yeqing had ensured that they ate decently, but there was no way those meals could compare to dishes prepared by the Imperial chefs. Even the stir-fried vegetables were done to perfection, crunchy and fragrant, and they both couldn¡¯t get enough. Biyun and Fuxi stood attentively at the side, serving them the dishes in elegant little portions, much to the mother and son¡¯s frustration. ¡°You can take your leave ¨C we don¡¯t need to be served,¡± Chen Ziqi said, gesturing impatiently. Chen Ziqi and his mother waited for the two servants to leave, and the moment the carved wooden door closed, they exchanged a glance, rolled up their sleeves, and got to eating. They attacked the food like ravenous beasts, and the food was finished in a trice. When the last morsel of fish was polished off, they finally set down their chopsticks, sat back in their chairs and rubbed their bellies in satisfaction. The little red bird observed the two from an ornamental bird perch and was completely confounded by this scene. How long had these two not eaten? The servants entered to clear up, and then served a plate of dessert with a pot of tea. The dessert wasn¡¯t anything fancy, just some green bean cake and osmanthus pastry. Chen Ziqi drank some tea, then realized that his little stud rooster had not had anything to eat. He carried the small fluffball onto the table, and crumbled some green bean cake for it to eat. However, the bird was completely disinterested in the cake crumbs. It tilted its little head back and gave Chen Ziqi a look of distaste. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t like this?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, furrowing his brows. Why was this chicken so picky? The little red bird looked at the whole, uncrumbled piece of green bean cake in Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand, hopped two steps forward, and took a bite of that cake, the two long feathers on its head waving as it did so. ¡°Haha, the bird wants you to hand feed it,¡± Chang Er said, unable to hold back her laughter. ¡°Things in the palace are really on a different level ¨C even a chicken is this spoiled!¡± Just as she said this, the little red bird swallowed its mouthful of cake, then hopped to Chen Ziqi¡¯s teacup, stuck its pastel yellow beak in, and took a sip. Chen Ziqi was speechless. ¡ª Author¡¯s note: Mini-scene Qiqi: What a great stud rooster Birdie gong: Who do you think you¡¯re calling a stud rooster? I¡¯m going to remember this [A thousand years later] Qiqi: Are you done¡­ Nngh¡­ Birdie gong: I¡¯m a stud rooster, I never tire (¡Ñv¡Ñ) Qiqi: QAQ *sobs* CH 6 The tea that he¡¯d just poured was now wasted! The little red bird¡¯s backside was sticking up as it drank, and Chen Ziqi flicked it squarely on its little butt. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird immediately leapt up, trying to clutch at its bum with its tiny wings. Unfortunately, they were too short to reach all the way behind it, and it could only chirp angrily at Chen Ziqi in retaliation. You dare flick Benzuo¡¯s* bum? Looks like you¡¯re not intending to be the Crown Prince! T/N: Once again, Chinese people have a million ways of saying ¡°I¡±. This form of address is usually used by immortals, gods, and some members of the nobility. It literally means ¡°this seat¡±. Chen Ziqi had no clue what the little creature was chirping about. He picked up the well-fed little chick and got ready to go to bed. Qingping Palace had quite a few residences within it. It was meant to hold concubines before they were assigned ranks and so had to be built to accommodate a large number of people. The residence that Chang Er and Chen Ziqi lived in was one of the larger ones that had many rooms. For the first time in Chen Ziqi¡¯s life, he had a room all to himself. ¡°Sleep well, Dianxia,¡± Fuxi said. He had already prepared Chen Ziqi¡¯s bed, and two palace maids had done the same for Chang Er. Chen Ziqi carried the little red bird into the bedroom, and upon seeing the soft, spacious bed, could not hold back an ear-splitting grin. The wooden bedposts were delicately carved with floral motifs, and it was covered in a canopy made of supple silk. A soft silk blanket was laid out on the bed, and it all looked incredibly comfortable. In high spirits, Chen Ziqi set the little red bird on an ornamental perch to the side of the bed, and instructed Fuxi to close the windows and doors, so as to prevent the chick from running off in the middle of the night. He then proceeded to take off his clothes, starting with the outer robes, and then stripping off what was usually the middle layer. As Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t have an undershirt, he just climbed into bed without a stitch of clothing. A bamboo mat made of soft, polished bamboo strips had been placed under the blankets. It had a pleasant cooling effect, and did not jab uncomfortably at Chen Ziqi at all. The blankets were also lovely and soft, though they smelt a bit musty because they had not been sunned. Chen Ziqi rolled around on the bed in glee, then lay chest-down on a squidgy cushion. He used a finger to trace the lotus flower patterns on the cushion, the same finger that had been cut by the High Priest earlier that day. The small wound had begun to heal, and there was only a thin red line where the cut had been made. It still hurt a little when touched. On seeing the wound, he recalled again what happened at Zhanghua Pavilion earlier that day. In particular, he remembered the Dragonstone that undulated with light when it came into contact with the royal family¡¯s blood. This was the first time Chen Ziqi had heard of this method of testing for kinship, and he wondered what kind of arcane secret the stone held. Also, what of that mysterious High Priest? Whilst he was lost in thought, a pastel yellow beak suddenly appeared and pecked at his finger. ¡°Eh?¡± Chen Ziqi looked at the little red fluffball next to his pillow, then looked at the bed, which was a good two feet from the ground. How did this little thing jump up? The small red bird tilted its head to the side, its two crown feathers swaying as it did so. It examined Chen Ziqi¡¯s finger, taking in its pale, tender appearance. It halted abruptly, pulled its head back, then pecked fiercely at the finger. ¡°Hey! Another sneak attack?¡± Chen Ziqi dodged quickly, and flicked the chick in retaliation. The chick fell over backwards, landing on its round little bum, its two skinny bird legs pointed toward the sky. It was a hilarious sight. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter. This little chick was so amusing. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird cried out angrily, getting back on its feet with a grunt. It made to peck at Chen Ziqi again. ¡°Tsk, what a temper,¡± Chen Ziqi tutted. He placed a finger on the chick¡¯s head to stop its advance, then pushed it over again. The sight of the overturned little chick was too funny, and he doubled over with laughter. He then kicked aside his blankets and imitated the chick, falling over backwards with his legs pointed toward the ceiling. The little chick, which was struggling to get up, turned around, and got an eyeful of Chen Ziqi¡¯s naked little bum. It fell over again in shock, and immediately turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. In the dim glow of candelight, Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t notice the little bird¡¯s feathers change colour. He was still kicking up his legs in glee, laughing exuberantly. ¡°I know what to name you, I¡¯ll call you Chao Tian*.¡± T/N: Chao Tian means ¡°pointed to the sky¡±. Ziqi is making fun of our poor little gong. ¡°Tweet tweet tweet tweet!¡± What nonsense is this Chao Tian? Benzuo is called Dan Yi! The little red bird was extremely dissatisfied with this strange new name, and tried to correct this grave error. Sadly, Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t understand him, and went on to tease him. ¡°Liang Jiao Chao Tian Ji* ¨C that sounds like the name of a dish in a restaurant! Hehehe!¡± T/N: This means ¡°chicken with its two legs pointed to the sky¡±. Little children didn¡¯t have that much stamina, and Chen Ziqi was no exception. Before long, he started yawning, and he pulled the blankets up to cover his stomach. He turned to look at the little red bird next to his pillow. ¡°You can sleep on the bed, but you¡¯re not to poop on the bed, ¡®kay? If not, I¡¯ll turn you into chicken soup,¡± he warned. With that, he closed his eyes and drifted off into a blissful slumber, leaving poor Dan Yi to stand and sulk on the pillow. The next morning, a loud wail shattered the dawn. Chen Ziqi awoke with a start. He struggled out of bed, ran to the window on bare feet, and opened the windows to have a look outside. A palanquin was parked in the Qingping Palace courtyard. A palace maid dressed exactly like Biyun emerged, carrying a boy who looked to be about three years old. ¡°Jiujiu, I want my jiujiu, boohoohoo¡­¡± The little boy sobbed as if his heart were breaking, struggling in the palace maid¡¯s arms. *T/N: Jiujiu means uncle. ¡°Dianxia, you¡¯ll be able to meet your father very soon,¡± the palace maid said soothingly. She looked around anxiously, afraid that the boy¡¯s wails would wake the other nobles in the palace. ¡°I don¡¯t want my father, I want my uncle, BOOHOO!¡± the little boy wailed, sobbing even harder. Biyun saw this scene as she came out to fetch water, and went up to offer help. A few palace maids managed to cajole the boy into going into the residence next door, and when the door closed behind them, the sound of the boy¡¯s crying became softer, though one could still hear the boy¡¯s muffled cries for his uncle. ¡°Tweet tweet?¡± A crisp little chirp sounded next to Chen Ziqi¡¯s ear. Chen Ziqi turned to look at it in surprise. He hadn¡¯t realized the little red bird was awake. It was presently standing on his shoulder, craning its neck to look outside. Its little claws dug into Chen Ziqi¡¯s bare shoulder for purchase. The sensation was a little painful and little itchy at the same time. Chen Ziqi blew a puff of air hard at the little bird, trying to blow its two crown feathers flat. ¡°Tweet!!!¡± Dan Yi cried out in surprise as he lost his balance and fell from Chen Ziqi¡¯s shoulder. He tried to flap his little wings to arrest his fall, but it was futile; his wings hadn¡¯t grown. The little struggling fluffball continued to fall toward the ground. Chen Ziqi nimbly caught the bird in mid-descent, and furrowed his brows. ¡°You obviously can¡¯t fly, so how did you get up on my shoulder?¡± I have qinggong*! Dan Yi raised his head and proudly swished his two crown feathers, making them stand up again. T/N: Qinggong is a form of martial arts that lets one move quickly and jump/run great distances with ease. It¡¯s a form of martial arts that actually exists irl! Though not to the extent that you see in wuxia shows, where they can just toe a leaf and then leap up eleventeen storeys again. Grins. Chang Er had two palace maids attending to her ¨C Biyun and Biyv. Biyv was the talkative one. True to her nature, she started telling Chang Er about the little boy as she assisted her with washing up one morning. ¡°That boy¡¯s also one of the lost princes, like our Dianxia. Unfortunately, his mother has already passed away. He lived with his uncle all this while. He hasn¡¯t stopped crying for his Jiujiu since he woke up this morning.¡± Biyv¡¯s tone was playful, and it was quite pleasant to hear her speak. ¡°He looks like he¡¯s only two or three. Such a poor little thing.¡± Chang Er sighed perfunctorily. She didn¡¯t pursue this topic further. Biyv saw that Chang Er was not really concerned about the boy and stopped talking. She mentally changed her assessment of Chang Er; she thought that this Niangniang was the kind, soft-hearted type, but that didn¡¯t appear to be the case. Chen Ziqi was not one to sit still, and he went out exploring after eating his breakfast. Fuxi followed him anxiously. ¡°Dianxia, you still haven¡¯t had your audience with the Emperor. It¡¯s best to keep a low profile until then,¡± he said. ¡°When will the Emperor grant me an audience?¡± Chen Ziqi picked up the little red fluffball that had followed him out and put it on his shoulder. ¡°Jiujiu¡­..¡± The door where the little boy stayed in suddenly opened, and the boy himself ran out, nearly falling over his own feet as he did so. He ran blindly and crashed face-first into Chen Ziqi, his tears and snot staining Chen Ziqi¡¯s huafu. ¡°I¡¯m not your Jiujiu,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He pushed the little boy off him. The boy had fair skin, a chubby body and a chubby little face. His eyes were red with crying, and he looked like a fat, red-eyed white rabbit. When he saw that Chen Ziqi was not his uncle, he was ready to wail again. ¡°Tweet!¡± Dan Yi chirped irritably from his perch on Chen Ziqi¡¯s shoulder. The quality of the Chen family¡¯s descendants were going from bad to worse; the lost princes seemed no better than the seven idiots who were raised in the palace. ¡°Birdbird.¡± The little boy looked at the fluffy red bird and suddenly wasn¡¯t interested in crying any more. ¡°This isn¡¯t a bird. It¡¯s a chicken,¡± Chen Ziqi corrected. He narrowed his eyes calculatively at this vapid looking little fatty. The princes in the palace already had a head start in forming alliances, and he was late to the game. Perhaps he should get this one on his side early, so that he wouldn¡¯t lose out when he went up against the others¡­¡­ With this thought in mind, he deliberately softened his tone. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ah Mu,¡± the child said obediently. His eyes were fixed on Dan Yi. ¡°Birdie, I want to carry the birdie.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Chen Ziqi refused to let him play with the bird. He pointed at the little boy¡¯s crotch. ¡°You have a bird yourself.¡± ¡°I have one too?¡± Ah Mu bent his head and groped his crotch, confused. ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Fuxi and a few palace maids who watching this exchange had to stifle their laughter. ¡°How vulgar,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said from behind them. Chen Ziqi turned around. A woman clad in a cloak the colour of yellow gosling down alighted from a palanquin with a little boy in her arms. That woman had a sharp almond-shaped eyes that lifted upwards at the outer corners, and her eyes seemed to glow. She looked like she was someone who had neili.* *T/N: Neili translates to ¡°internal force¡±. People with high martial arts capability always have neili. Neili is to martial artists what the Force is to Jedi Knights. Well, save that neili usually can¡¯t be used for psychokinetic purposes. A disciple of the Suxin Sect*? Dan Yi tilted his head, looking at the motifs on the woman¡¯s cloak. Suxin Sect was one of the Qi martial arts sects, and only took in girls as disciples. It was the complete opposite of sects like Jiyang Sect that only took in boys. Dan Yi had not thought that the Suxin Sect¡¯s old mistress would actually do something as disgusting as sacrificing one of her own disciples to service the Emperor. *T/N: Suxin means ¡°Pure Heart¡±. My preference is to try and keep the Chinese names where I can for a more authentic reading experience. ¡°Niangniang, this way, please.¡± The old eunuch made his appearance again, and this round, he was much politer to this newcomer than he had been to Chen Ziqi and his mother. Dan Yi narrowed his eyes, looking at the boy in the newcomer¡¯s arms. He looked to be about four or five, and might already have started practicing martial arts. He was very tanned, with rather coarse features. Dan Yi sniffed, then turned to look at Chen Ziqi¡¯s profile. Thick eyelashes fanned out from face, framing Chen Ziqi¡¯s intelligent, lively eyes. Dan Yi hung his little bird head in defeat. From the looks of it, Chen Ziqi was still the most pleasing of the lot. In the days that followed, five more children arrived at Qingping Palace, four of which were boys, and the last of which was a girl. They all came with their mothers; Ah Mu was the only one without. Dan Yi perched on Chen Ziqi¡¯s shoulder, surveying all the new arrivals with a critical eye. Then, on the day Chen Ziqi was scheduled for his audience with the Emperor, Dan Yi disappeared. Author¡¯s Note: Mini-scene Qiqi: I¡¯m going to give situational names to my Laogong* *T/N: (Dafuq I have to do a T/N even for the mini-scenes?!) Here, the author is making a pun on the Chinese word for husband, which is laogong, but instead of using the correct character for gong (ÀϹ«), she uses the character ¹¥, which refers to the dominant party in the BL relationship. Birdie Gong: If the Laogong falls down Qiqi: The chicken whose legs face heavenward ¦ä(£þ¦á£þ)¦ä Birdie Gong: If the Laogong strips off his clothes Qiqi: The chicken that lost its skin Birdie Gong: The Laogong who wants to have sexytime Qiqi: The chicken ready for launch _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï*)_ Birdie Gong: The Laogong in the middle of sexytime Qiqi: The chicken that can¡¯t stop moving Birdie gong: The Laogong who does it seven times in one night Qiqi: The spicy chicken! QAQ Beansprout: I¡¯m sorry, despite my best efforts, this doesn¡¯t translate very well. Please read the raws if you can, it¡¯s much funnier than what I¡¯ve penned above! CH 7 The night before the audience with the Emperor, the old eunuch had scurried over, distributed some robes and instructed them to wear it for the next day to meet the Emperor. The Dragonstone had already confirmed these five children to be of the Imperial bloodline, and the Imperial family intended to recognize them as such. The clothes that were prepared for Chen Ziqi, therefore, were also a full set of an Imperial Prince¡¯s robes. The Imperial Prince¡¯s standard robes usually consisted of a deep yellow wide-sleeved robe. However, as Chen Ziqi was still small, he might trip over the sleeves, and thus his sleeves were specially cut with a narrower fit. A black brocade belt embroidered with a kirin motif secured the robes around his waist. This black belt would be replaced by a jade belt bestowed by the Emperor during the audience later. Chang Er also received a few sets of clothing. There were three colours to choose from ¨C gosling yellow, light pink, and pure white. ¡°These clothes all look pretty good, which should I pick?¡± Chang Er asked. Chen Ziqi was playing with the little red chick at the time, and she pulled him over to help her make a decision. ¡°The one next door who likes to glare at me ¨C she¡¯s definitely going to pick gosling yellow. As to the rest¡­¡± Chen Ziqi scratched his head. The only fine clothes he¡¯d seen so far were the ones worn by the girls in Scarlet Robe Court, and he didn¡¯t think that made a good reference point. ¡°Tweet!¡± The fluffy little red bird somehow jumped up on the mattress where the clothes were laid out and nestled in the set of pink-coloured robes. The women of the martial arts world like to wear white, as it symbolizes chastity and purity. If you want to stand out tomorrow, wear the light pink one. The little red bird looked up at Chen Ziqi and gave him a meaningful look, hoping that Chen Ziqi would get his meaning. Unfortunately, Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t get it. ¡°Your feathers are going to get on the dress!¡± he said, reaching out and grabbing the little red bird. ¡°Tweet tweet tweet!¡± the little fluffball chirped in dissatisfaction. ¡°Let¡¯s just go with this pink one, it looks auspicious,¡± Chang Er said, clapping her hands together. ¡°Nn,¡± Chen Ziqi agreed. The little red bird fell backwards in indignation on Chen Ziqi¡¯s palm, with his little claws sticking up in the air, and a disenchanted look on his face. Chen Ziqi got up at the crack of dawn the next morning. The little fiery little fluffball was conspicuously absent, and Chen Ziqi rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn¡¯t still dreaming. He flipped his blankets over, searched under the bed, and all over the house, but the little bird was nowhere to be found. He then raised his head and saw that the window, which had originally been shut tight, was slightly ajar, just enough for a little bird to pass through. Chen Ziqi was dejected. A stud rooster like this was hard to come by, and he¡¯d let this golden opportunity slip right through his fingers. Chang Er looked young and delicate in her elegant pink dress, and the pale red sash tied at her waist highlighted her slender beauty. She looked like a dewy peach blossom in full bloom, and it was difficult to take one¡¯s eyes off her. Chen Ziqi had also been dressed, and he was now bored. He decided to slip out to see what was happening in the other residences. Peeking in next door, he was amused to see that the sharp-eyed woman had indeed chosen the gosling yellow dress as he had predicted. Her son sat to her side with expressionless eyes. Those eyes suddenly turned and looked straight at Chen Ziqi through the window, and Chen Ziqi nearly fell over in surprise. This brown berry* was pretty scary. Chen Ziqi laughed inwardly, then grinned widely at the the tanned little boy. *T/N: Actually, Ziqi calls him hei dan (ºÚµ°), which translates into ¡°black egg¡±. He¡¯s making a reference to the tanned colour of his skin. It makes no sense in English, so I translated this as brown berry instead, since there¡¯s a simile that goes ¡°as brown as a berry¡±. The boy was stunned for a second, then returned a stiff smile. Chen Ziqi proceeded to inspect the occupants of the other residences. He didn¡¯t think much of the competition. Two of the women were reasonably pleasant looking, but their faces bore traces of the hard life they had lived, which marred their otherwise passable looks. Even the sharp-eyed woman in yellow earlier, who could have been considered good-looking, had two worry lines creasing her brows. Only his little fairy was untouched by the years. Chen Ziqi sighed insincerely and shook his head, then slipped into Ah Mu¡¯s residence. ¡°Gege,¡± Ah Mu greeted Chen Ziqi the moment he caught sight of him. He was standing on the mattress, and the palace maids were putting on his clothes. Chen Ziqi had taught Ah Mu to call him gege some days back, and this little fatty had obediently done as instructed thereafter. The little fatty hadn¡¯t cried much the last two days, probably because he¡¯d substituted his Jiujiu for his new gege. ¡°Shh.¡± Chen Ziqi stepped into the house and placed a finger on his lips. ¡°When we¡¯re outside today, don¡¯t call me gege in front of others.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ah Mu blinked in confusion. As Chen Ziqi approached, he couldn¡¯t resist grabbing hold of a corner of his robes. ¡°We can¡¯t let others know that we¡¯re on the same side.¡± Chen Ziqi said earnestly. Keeping your cards close to your chest was a basic rule of survival. Ah Mu nodded blankly. Chen Ziqi made a show of giving his xiaodi* commendatory pats on his head, then went back to accompany his mother. He thought back to the brown berry he met earlier. That boy looked to be quite simple-minded, but he would probably be useful in a fight. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to get him as an ally. *T/N: Xiaodi means little brother. It can be used to address young boys who are not biologically related to you. Chang Er applied her makeup herself. This would ordinarily have been done by Biyv and Biyun, but she refused to let them do it; she knew best how to bring out her feminine charms. Like Chen Ziqi, she had a pair of peach blossom eyes, and she emphasized them by applying red powder at the outer corners of her eyes. When she was done, she looked absolutely charming. ¡°Mum, you¡¯re as beautiful as a fairy descended from heaven ¨C I can¡¯t take my eyes off you!¡± Chen Ziqi looked at his mother¡¯s reflection in the mirror and praised her beauty loudly. ¡°Stop talking nonsense, you little brat. Who do you think I¡¯m doing this for?¡± Chang Er was in no mood to be teased. She was freaking out, actually ¨C if she didn¡¯t manage to get a sufficiently high rank, she would no longer be able to keep Chen Ziqi by her side. Chang Er usually couldn¡¯t be bothered with dressing up, but this thought frightened her into putting more effort into her appearance than ever before. As the women walked out the Qingping Palace, they looked each other up and down. Chang Er was the centre of attention after this silent mutual assessment. ¡°Hmpf, look at that thick makeup. She doesn¡¯t look like the daughter of a good family at all,¡± the woman in gosling yellow said, sneering coldly. Biyv had gathered information about this lady in the last two days. She was originally one of Suxin Sect¡¯s satellite disciples, but after she was given to service the Emperor, the mistress of Suxin Sect took her in as a direct disciple of the main sect. She didn¡¯t have much of a name in the martial arts world, but as a direct disciple of the well-respected Suxin Sect, people still had to accord her a certain degree of respect. Chang Er was annoyed by this comment. ¡°Please, all of us here had premarital sex, and gave birth to children out of wedlock. Don¡¯t pretend that you¡¯re the chaste daughter of a good family,¡± she said derisively, a hand on her hip. ¡°You¡­¡­¡± The lady in yellow was rendered speechless, and could only glare fiercely at Chang Er. She¡¯d never been spoken to so crassly in her life, and simply did not know how to respond. ¡°Whatever.¡± Chang Er rolled her eyes, flicked her handkerchief disdainfully, and proceeded to board the palanquin with Chen Ziqi in her arms. The current Emperor, the Zhenlong Emperor, was thirty-two years old this year. He was a tall, well-built man with proportionate facial features. He wore a black inner robe, and bright yellow robes with a five-taloned dragon embroidered on it in gold thread. He was seated on the dais in Zichen Palace, his expression calm as he spoke quietly with the Empress, who was seated next to him. The Empress was clad in a wine red phoenix robe with gold embroidery. In her hair, she wore a hairpin with beads falling like a waterfall, and the little beads swayed elegantly with every movement of her head. She looked exquisite. ¡°The children can remain in the palace, of course. But what of the women? What does your Majesty intend to do with them?¡± The Empress looked at the namelist before her, reading the women¡¯s family background. ¡°This Cheng Suyao is one of the Suxin Sect¡¯s disciples. You will have to give her a reasonably high rank.¡± ¡°Just make her a Jieyu, then. Then the rest can be fourth-ranked Baolin.¡± The speaker was a woman in fancy plum-coloured robes embroidered with white butterflies. She was seated below dais, and smiled slightly as she spoke. This woman was the only Guifei in the Imperial palace. ¡°These women have rendered a great service in giving birth to princes. They can¡¯t just be fourth-ranked Baolin,¡± the Empress said, giving her a look. She did not, however, reprimand her for her lack of manners in speaking out of turn. At this time, the people from Qingping Palace arrived. Four women and five children sank to their knees, kneeling in greeting. ¡°You may rise,¡± the Emperor said languidly. He¡¯d forgotten these women long ago. They were just flowers by the roadside to be picked as he travelled around the country, to be thrown away after briefly admiring their beauty. It had also been many years since he¡¯d seen them, and their appearance had probably changed over the years. He scanned the women casually, not expecting much. His attention was suddenly caught by the lady in pink. She was beautiful as a pink lotus in a pond, her natural beauty outshining the others. Given that she was here as one of the mothers of the princes, she had obviously given birth before, but she looked as fresh and delicate as a young girl. She wore a charming smile on her face, and her eyes were captivating; the peach blossom makeup she applied brought out her naturally bright and lively eyes, and made her skin look even fairer. Her face was like a peach blossom in full bloom, and the Emperor was unable to take his eyes off her. To the surprise of both the Empress and the Guifei, he descended from the dais and stood in front of Chang Er. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°This commoner is named Chang Er,¡± Chang Er said respectfully, raising her eyes to look at the Zhenlong Emperor. She recognized him ¨C he was indeed the man she saw that year, albeit older-looking now. ¡°Chang Er, ah, that¡¯s a good name¡­¡± The Zhenlong Emperor said, distracted by Chang Er¡¯s captivating beauty. Beansprout: This Emperor is such a colour wolf (É«ÀÇ)! Chen Ziqi saw the Emperor¡¯s lustful smile. He ground his teeth and willed himself to resist the strong urge to kick the Emperor¡¯s balls. Beansprout: You go Ziqi! Protect your momma! ¡°The lady dressed in gosling yellow ¨C she must be a disciple of the Suxin Sect, right?¡± the Guifei said suddenly. ¡°A direct disciple of a Qi Confederate should be given a good rank, wouldn¡¯t you say so, Empress niangniang?¡± The Empress lowered her eyes and paused for a while. ¡°The Suxin Sect is considered to be one of the superior martial arts sects. For the Emperor¡¯s safety, if you want to stay in the palace as an Imperial consort, you must give up your martial arts ability.¡± The lady in yellow¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The Emperor finally managed to pull his eyes away from Chang Er, and sat back down on the throne with a flourish of his sleeves. He indicated that he agreed with what the Empress had said. A woman who slept by his side could not have strong martial arts abilities; she could kill or threaten him at any time otherwise. If Cheng Suyao refused to give up her abilities, she was free to return to the martial arts world and leave her son in the palace. Cheng Suyao clenched her teeth, thought hard for a moment, then made her decision to stay in the palace. The moment she said this, an eunuch went forward, and made her drink medicine that would disperse her martial arts ability. After drinking the medicine, Chen Suyao¡¯s body started trembling, and she fell on the ground, screaming in pain. ¡°Ahhhh¡ª¡± Chen Ziqi jumped in shock. Chang Er pulled him to her side and rubbed his back soothingly. The other children were also shocked into silence. Ah Mu was the only one who started crying. The Emperor paid no heed to any of this, and started announcing the women¡¯s ranks. The little girl was considered a princess, and was given a random title. The boys were all bestowed the title of prince, and their titles ran numerically in order of their age. The princes who were raised in the palace were also taken into account in this numbering. Chen Ziqi was six years old this year, and was the seventh oldest prince, so he was given the title of the ¡°Seventh Prince¡±. Ah Mu was the youngest, and so was made the ¡°Eleventh Prince¡±. The Emperor then turned to the women. Chen Suyao, who had a good family background, was granted the title of third-ranked Jieyu. The rest of the women were given the rank of Meiren, and it was finally Chang Er¡¯s turn. ¡°As to the Seventh Prince¡¯s mother¡­¡± the Zhenlong Emperor hesitated. Chang Er¡¯s heart was in her mouth. Whether she could continue to raise Chen Ziqi as her own son rested entirely on what the Emperor was about to say next. She surreptitiously pinched her thigh hard. Tears welled up immediately, and she raised her sparkling eyes to gaze at the emperor. Her lips parted slightly in an alluring manner, as if she were about to say something. The Zhenlong Emperor¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°She shall be bestowed the title of Jieyu, and will live in the Qingyun Palace,¡± he said, without further thought. ¡°Chang Er thanks your Majesty for this kindness,¡± Chang Er said, overjoyed. She knelt in thanks as was required. The Empress¡¯ and Guifei¡¯s expressions immediately turned sour. The Author has something to say: Mini-scene Qiqi: My chicken is missing QAQ Ah Mu: It¡¯s gone? (looks at crotch) Qiqi: Not that chicken! Ah Mu: Then which one is it? (looks at butt) Qiqi: Nobody¡¯s chicken grows on their backsides! (¨t_¨s)# Birdie Gong: Mine does¡­ mine grows on your backside (¡Ñv¡Ñ) Qiqi: ¡­ ¡­ Beansprout: I really like Chang Er in this chapter. She¡¯s feisty, spunky, and streetsmart! You go girl. Loved it when she served some cold hard truth to Gosling Yellow Woman at the start of this chapter! <(£þ¦á£þ)> CH 8 The hougong rank one was assigned had a lot to do with one¡¯s family background. In this age, martial artists were effectively the nobility, thanks to the strong influence they had in all areas of life. The mainstream sects were divided into the Sword Alliance and the Qi Confederate, and the factions in the hougong were similarly split alone these lines. The Empress was the daughter of the Sword Alliance¡¯s leader, and the Guifei was the granddaughter of the Head of the Qi Confederate. People like Chang Er, who was not from any martial arts sect but managed to immediately be bestowed the title of Jieyu, were extremely few and far between. ¡°Ah, the granddaughter of the Leader of the Qi Confederate¡­¡± Chang Er sucked in a breath through her teeth after listening to Biyv¡¯s explanation. The sect that her brother, Chang Sheng, was in ¨C the Jingang Sect ¨C was one of the small satellite sects of the Jiyang Sect. The Jiyang Sect was one of the four main sects in the Qi Confederate, and the Leader of the Qi Confederate was effectively also the leader of all the four sects¡­ Chang Er¡¯s low birth was painfully obvious when compared to these people. As they talked, the palanquin arrived at Qingyun Palace. Chang Er jumped off with Chen Ziqi in tow, then looked up at the nameplate hanging above the door. ¡°How do you pronounce these three words?¡± Chang Er had been too overjoyed earlier to pay attention to what the Emperor said the name of the palace was. ¡°Qingyun Palace,¡± Chen Ziqi said, pointing at the three words in turn. A poem was engraved on the carved stone pillar at the door. I feel not the cold wind that blows in my face / I pass through the moon and clouds to the fairy palace. Most palace entrances had carved stone pillars like this. The top was shaped like a bowl and would collect rainwater, attracting birds to stop by and quench their thirst. There had been one in Qingping Palace as well, and the poem on that one read, ¡°To drink clear water at the Clearwater River / To sing of peace and prosperity in a golden age¡±. Fuxi said these pillars were called ¡°Pillars of God¡±, and they were built for the divinity that this dynasty worshipped to rest its legs. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t believe that something like this would attract any kind of god ¨C it looked like a bird bowl. What kind of god would rest on a bird bowl? Qingyun Palace was smaller than Qingping Palace, but was a lot more exquisite. There were little streams with ornamental bridges over them, lush green trees and brilliant red flowers. As Chang Er was now a Jieyu, she was also given more attendants. In addition to the two eunuchs and two palace maids she already had, was given a few more eunuchs and maids to do the chores and other coarse labour in the palace. There were no higher-ranked concubines in the Qingyun Palace at this time, so Chang Er was the mistress of this place. She lived in the main residence, and appointed Fuyuan as the Head Eunuch of Qingyun Palace. Fuyuan had been assigned to serve Chang Er and Chen Ziqi at the same time as Fuxi. He was sixteen years old, and was a man of few words. He didn¡¯t have much of a presence, but was responsible in carrying out his tasks; the day they moved to Qingyun Palace, Fuyuan immediately went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs with Fuxi to get Chang Er¡¯s monthly allowance. The next morning, Chen Ziqi woke Fuxi up at daybreak, washed up, got dressed, and went to greet the Empress. The concubines all had to pay their respects to the Empress every morning. That particular day, the Empress had required all the new princes and princesses to go as well. Chen Ziqi caressed the jade pendant hanging from his belt, which was carved with the word ¡°Seven¡±, and followed his mother into Fengyi Palace. Practically all of the other concubines were present. Guifei sat to the right of the Empress below the dais, supporting her chin with one hand, a mysterious smile playing about her lips. The Empress did not say much. She sternly explained the palace rules they had to abide by, and also allowed the newly arrived concubines to introduce themselves. ¡°Gege¡­¡± Ah Mu pulled at a corner of Chen Ziqi¡¯s sleeve. Chen Ziqi turned to look at him. The plump little pumpkin was in good spirits. As he didn¡¯t have a mother, he had originally thought that he would be the subject of a fierce fight between concubines who wanted to adopt him, but that turned out not to be the case. The princes whose mothers were not high ranking enough to raise their own children all lived together in Chaoyang Palace. Brown Berry lived with his mother Cheng Jieyu, but he looked to be in a worse state than Ah Mu. Cheng Jieyu wore a gosling yellow outfit as usual. She was very weak after just having her martial arts ability dispersed, and looked like she was about to collapse any minute. ¡°In the afternoon, I will be in the Imperial Gardens. If you have time, you can come and accompany me.¡± The Guifei said suddenly said this after they left Fengyi Palace. ¡°Cheng Jieyu and Chang Jieyu, you must come, I will introduce you to our sister concubines then.¡± The concubines who were close to Guifei immediately smiled and agreed. ¡°Maybe they should bring the Sixth and Seventh Princes along as well,¡± a few of them suggested. ¡°Why not?¡± Guifei said, smiling at Chen Ziqi and Berry Brown. ¡°Certainly¡­¡± Cheng Jieyu answered weakly, her face white and pinched. Chang Er really didn¡¯t want to go, but there was no way to decline in the circumstances, so she agreed as well. [Afternoon, the Imperial Gardens] Guifei and five concubines of the Jieyu rank and above were sitting in a shaded pavilion, chatting and enjoying little tea cakes. ¡°We are all sisters from the Qi Confederate, so if you run into any problems in the palace, come look for me,¡± Guifei said, picking up her teacup and swirling the dregs. Her fingernails were painted red with dankou.* ¡°This palace is dangerous ¨C one wrong move and you¡¯re dead. Especially so if you have children. Do you two understand?¡± *T/N: Dankou is a red stain, often used to stain noble women¡¯s fingernails red. What she meant was, you all came from families in the Qi Confederate, and my grandfather holds sway there. Accordingly, all of you naturally also have to obey me. If you obey me, you¡¯ll live comfortably; if you don¡¯t, there¡¯ll be a high price to pay. ¡°Understood,¡± Chen Jieyu said in frail voice. Chang Er plastered a smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m just an ignorant bumpkin, so of course I¡¯ll listen to Niangniang.¡± ¡°Nn,¡± Guifei said in approval. She gestured for Chen Ziqi to go over to her, and gave him a tea cake. ¡°Xiao Qi has such an adorable face. No wonder the Emperor favours him, and immediately made his mother a Jieyu.¡± ¡°Truly, just look at this little face,¡± the concubine in purple said. She was sitting next to Guifei, and she reached out to take hold of Chen Ziqi¡¯s face. Her fingers looked slender and feminine, but her grip was like a vise. She clamped down hard on Chen Ziqi¡¯s soft jaw, and tears immediately welled up in his eyes. He looked up at the woman gripping his face. Chang Er saw that her son was in pain, and wanted to pull him away, but one of the concubines blocked her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Li Pin just likes to pinch little children¡¯s faces.¡± Li Pin¡¯s heavily made up eyes stared unblinkingly at Chen Ziqi, observing his expression. ¡°Look, Seventh Prince looks like he¡¯s going to cry! You still have to go and pay his respects to the Emperor this evening, my dear. If his Majesty sees that you¡¯ve been crying, he¡¯ll get angry, you know?¡± she said, a note of sadistic glee in her voice. As she said this, she tightened her grip on Chen Ziqi¡¯s face, and raised her hand to touch the back of Chen Ziqi¡¯s head, so that her wide sleeves would block what she was doing from view. This viselike grip was definitely not normal. Chen Ziqi felt like the bones on his face were about to crack, and tears fell unbidden from his eyes. ¡°Fuck you!¡± Chang Er pushed aside the concubine who was restraining her, and smacked down hard on the back of Li Pin¡¯s hand. ¡°SLAP!¡± The sound reverberated in the air. The concubines in the pavilion were all stunned. Chang Er pulled her son into her arms, and on seeing that his face wasn¡¯t bruised at all, her heart missed a beat. However, she recovered quickly. ¡°You little bastard, what are you crying for? You¡¯re so useless!¡± ¡°Chang Jieyu, you watch your mouth!¡± Guifei said, furrowing her brows. If Chen Ziqi was a bastard, what did that make the Emperor? ¡°You¡¯re going to meet the Emperor in a bit, aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?¡± Chang Er scolded loudly. She made her apologies to Guifei, then went off with her son in tow, saying that she needed to change his clothes as he had cried all over them. It was indeed nearly time to pay respects to the Emperor, so Guifei didn¡¯t stop them from leaving. She instead glared at Li Pin. ¡°She smacked you, and all you do is stare into space?¡± ¡°Pinqie*¡­ didn¡¯t have time to react.¡± Li Pin stuttered. Chang Er had hit her in such a matter-of-fact manner, and then had immediately started yelling at Chen Ziqi ¨C too much had happened too fast. *T/N: Pinqie is how concubines refer to themselves. It means ¡°I¡±. Chen Ziqi had nearly fainted from the pain earlier. He touched his jaw, and was unable to speak for some time. Chang Er scrutinized his face anxiously for some time, checking for injuries. Strangely, there were none; his face was as fair and rosy as usual, with no trace of injury. Li Pin likes to play this trick,¡± Fuxi explained quietly. ¡°She often asks the princes and princesses to go to her, and then she¡¯ll squeeze their faces until they cry. The Emperor hates crybabies, and if the Emperor sees that Dianxia was crying, he will definitely get angry. We should get Dianxia¡¯s facecleaned up.¡± Chen Ziqi slowly regained his mental faculties. He rubbed at his face, thinking hard. It was useless to complain about her, because there was no evidence she had done anything. However, this Li Pin must have practiced some kind of martial arts before in order to cause pain without leaving bruises¡­ Chen Ziqi looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was dressed in a new set of clothes, and his eyes were red from crying. He clenched his fists, and refused to let Fuxi do anything about his appearance. He got on the palanquin just like that, red eyes and all. Life in the palace had a fixed routine. The princes had to greet the Empress in the morning and the Emperor in the evening. ¡°Hey ¨C are you okay?¡± Chen Ziqi ran into Brown Berry just outside Zichen Palace, and Brown Berry actually took the initiative to speak to him. Chen Ziqi¡¯s tear-filled eyes were even redder now. He looked like he was about to burst into tears any second. He didn¡¯t pay any heed to Brown Berry¡¯s sudden expression of concern, and followed the older princes into the main hall. This was the first time Chen Ziqi saw the original seven princes, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to get to know them today. He looked straight at the Emperor seated on the dais, tears falling down his cheeks. ¡°Seventh Prince, why are you crying?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor asked the teary little boy. Chen Ziqi looked cute even when he was crying, with his peach blossom eyes and well-defined brows. The Zhenlong Emperor was also fondly reminded of Chang Er when he looked at Chen Ziqi, and so asked this question. The other princes all turned to look at Chen Ziqi. ¡°He really has no regal bearing, crying like this at his age,¡± the original Seventh Prince, now currently the Ninth Prince, sneered softly. He found Chen Ziqi annoying. ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s lips curled as he sobbed out loud. ¡°Li Pin niangniang, she¡­ she¡­¡± The other princes immediately knew what he meant, and their expressions became sympathetic. They¡¯d all suffered from Li Pin¡¯s Pincers of Steel that caused injury without bruising. None of them had dared to complain given the lack of physical evidence. ¡°Li Pin? What did she do?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor asked, his brows knitting together. ¡°She touched me!¡± Chen Ziqi looked as if he had mustered up his courage with great difficulty to say this, and because he was overwhelmed by anxiety and nerves, spoke a little too loudly. His clear, crisp voice resonated through Zichen Palace, startling everyone. Before anyone could react, he immediately continued his tearful remonstrance. ¡°Mother said before, that place isn¡¯t to be touched by anyone.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± The jaws of everyone present promptly hit the floor. ¡°She- Where did she touch you?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor asked with some difficulty. Chen Ziqi opened his robes and quickly pulled down his pants, revealing a patch of bruised skin on his legs near his crotch. The little chicken between his legs was also red and swollen. ¡°Squawk?!¡± The little red bird perched on the rafters of Zichen Palace lost its balance and fell over in shock. Author¡¯s Note: Mini-scene Birdie Gong: How dare you let your bird be seen by other people! Qiqi: No, I only wanted to let them see my thighs Birdie Gong: ¡­ I¡¯m gonna use my body to block your bird from view Everyone: Whoa, it¡¯s so red, and it¡¯s even grown some hair! These Pincers of Steel are truly savage! Birdie Gong: ¡­¡­ Beansprout: This evil Li Pin! How dare she pinch little Qiqi! Rarrrrghhhhh CH 9 ¡°This bitch!¡± the Zhenlong Emperor cursed. He had returned to his senses and was now livid with anger. A concubine of the hougong actually dared to sexually abuse a child? And not just any child ¨C a prince, at that! The Emperor was both revolted and outraged. The other princes looked at the sobbing Chen Ziqi with mouths wide open, and didn¡¯t close them for quite some time. The Third Prince, who was twelve years old, was mature enough to know what Chen Ziqi was talking about. He elbowed the Second Prince next to him. ¡°That¡¯s a real low blow; I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± The Second Prince was the Empress¡¯ son. He had a refined, scholarly look about him. He exchanged a look with the Third Prince and smiled, but did not comment. ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down, there must be some mistake here somewhere,¡± the eldest Prince said. His face and ears were red with agitation, and he had hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to say something. The eldest Prince was the Guifei¡¯s son. He knew that his mother had called Chen Ziqi and his mother to the Imperial Gardens earlier. A concubine molesting a Prince ¨C this was bound to become a huge scandal, and Li Pin was close to his mother. If the Emperor believed this to be true, things would be bad forhis mother as well. ¡°A mistake? What mistake could there be? Little Seventh* is just a little boy ¨C are you telling me he could make up something like this?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor looked at Chen Ziqi, whose swollen little bird was still in plain view. The sight of it infuriated him anew, and he threw his teacup on the floor in anger. *T/N: The Emperor is not calling him Xiao Qi (СÆÝ), which is an affectionate short-form of his name, he is calling him СÆß (little seventh prince). ¡°Aiyo, your Majesty, don¡¯t be so worked up, it¡¯s not good for your heart,¡± the Head Eunuch Yuan Xingan said soothingly from his position next to the Emperor. His plump body moved quickly to Chen Ziqi¡¯s side, and pulled up his pants gently, fastening them around Chen Ziqi¡¯s waist. ¡°Does it still hurt, Dianxia?¡± Chen Ziqi looked at the kind-faced old eunuch, reached out to hug his neck, then slowly shook his head. Eunuch Yuan froze for a moment. His expression immediately became softer. ¡°Li Pin niangniang likes to call the princes to her. I don¡¯t know if this is the first time this has happened¡­¡± The Third Prince said these ambiguous words, then shut his mouth, and let the implication hang in the air. He was De Fei¡¯s son, and De Fei was in the Empress¡¯ faction, so he was happy to lend a hand in sticking a knife into someone in Guifei¡¯s camp. The Zhenlong Emperor trembled in anger, and his gaze swept slowly across the other princes. The younger princes all didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. Even the Ninth Prince, who had originally found Chen Ziqi annoying, chose not to say anything. To the Emperor, this clearly indicated that the princes agreed with what the Third Prince had insinuated. ¡°This matter stays within the walls of Zichen Palace,¡± the Zhenlong Emperor commanded, banging the table fiercely. That very night, Li Pin was imprisoned. The concubines had no idea what happened. They made their own quiet inquiries, but all they found out was that this was a result of Li Pin bullying Chang Er and Chen Ziqi. This rumour duly made its rounds in the hougong, and everyone was stunned. Who knew that the Emperor favoured Chang Jieyu to this extent? ¡°What did you say? The Emperor wants to cut off Li Pin¡¯s fingers?!¡± Guifei grabbed the front of the Eunuch¡¯s clothes. ¡°Who did you hear this from?¡± ¡°This was what Eunuch Yuan said. He told you not to interfere, or you might also suffer the fallout,¡± the little eunuch said, shivering in fear. Earlier, the Emperor had been like an enraged lion, furiously smashing things in the palace. Even Eunuch Yuan did not dare to go in. Guifei let go of the little eunuch. She slumped into a chair, and bit her lower lip, panic rising in her chest. ¡°Pincers of Steel?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor looked at the report, his expression dark. Pincers of Steel was a type of external gongfu. It could not be detected by the usual checks conducted on concubines before they entered the palace ¨C these were usually done by taking the girls¡¯ pulse, and could only check for the types of gongfu that required internal force. Thinking about how he loved Li Pin¡¯s slender little hands before, and the many times those hands had brought him to ecstasy, he could not help but shudder. If those hands had but exerted some force, the mighty dragon between his legs might have never roared again¡­ He thought back on how tragic Chen Ziqi¡¯s little bird looked that day, then looked at the bowl of crushed tofu that Eunuch Yuan had just placed on the table. That was how his little dragon might have ended up in Li Pin¡¯s hands¡­ He felt his lower body twinge with sympathetic pain. ¡°Cut off the two fingers she uses for the Pincers of Steel, demote her to a Baolin, and move her to Yongle Palace,¡± the Zhenlong Emperor said. He covered the bowl of tofu and pushed it aside; he couldn¡¯t bear to look at it any longer. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t know that his mudslinging had such a great effect. At this time, he was huddled in bed, applying medicine to his thighs. His skin was naturally fair and bruised easily, so he didn¡¯t have to exert that much force on his thighs. Rubbing his little chicken to make it red and swollen had taken more effort. He dipped his fingers into the ointment, then applied it to the young bud between his legs. A cooling sensation immediately rushed through his body, from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. ¡°Ow!¡± Chen Ziqi exclaimed, holding his crotch and falling onto the bed. Urgh, what was with this weird minty feeling? When Dan Yi jumped up on the window, the scene that met his eyes was Chen Ziqi holding the little bird between his thighs and rolling around on the blankets. Chen Ziqi sighed in relief after enduring this minty ordeal. He propped himself up on a big pillow and opened his legs to check on the situation. A little red, fluffy bird stood between his legs. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Chen Ziqi was silent for a second. He caught hold of the fluffy troublemaker. ¡°You gave me a fright; for a moment I thought my bird fell off.¡± ¡°Tweet!¡± Dan Yi flapped his wings angrily. How dare you mistake me for that unspeakable thing! ¡°Where have you been these last two days?¡± Chen Ziqi picked up the little red bird and looked it all over. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you grown any proper feathers yet?¡± Chicks usually started growing wing feathers five days after hatching. It had been far longer than that with this little red chick, and it was still covered in fluffy down. The only feathers he had were the two crown feathers on his head. The little red bird squirmed out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand and hopped onto the bed between his legs, tilting its head to look at his injuries. Because he needed to let the ointment dry, Chen Ziqi had to sit with his legs wide open, so the little red bird got a full view of that other bird. These injuries looked to be self-inflicted. Dan Yi relaxed, then turned to hop away. He was a polite bird, and he didn¡¯t look at Chen Ziqi¡¯s little chicken more than was necessary. ¡°Dianxia, do you want some snacks?¡± Fuxi asked, knocking on the door. Chen Ziqi pulled the blankets over his legs, then asked Fuxi to come in. The situation in Zichen Palace had taken a while, and he¡¯d missed his dinner, so he could only eat some snacks to stave off his hunger. Fuxi brought in a plate of snow-white steamed cake. It had a layer of osmanthus sugar sprinkled on top, and looked really delicious. ¡°Dianxia can only eat vegetarian food from today onwards. Please bear with it,¡± Fuxi said. The Midsummer Ritual was only seven days away. This was the ritual where they prayed to their god. All the princes had to keep to a vegetarian diet and bathe in incense to prepare for it. Fuxi was intending to say more to comfort Chen Ziqi, but when he saw that Chen Ziqi was eating the steamed cake with great gusto, he decided it probably wasn¡¯t necessary. Chen Ziqi gestured for Fuxi to leave, then flipped off the blankets covering his legs and put the steamed cake on the mattress. He took a big bite of cake, and fed the little red bird some as well. ¡°Why do you think we need to fast and bathe in incense for the Ritual? I mean, it¡¯s not like it affects our ability to pray,¡± Chen Ziqi mused, pinching a small piece of steamed cake. He offered it to the little red chick, and when it was about to peck at it, pulled it away, just out of reach. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little bird was tricked, and chirped angrily at Chen Ziqi. ¡°I heard that there are some sacrifices that have to be made to the god¡­ hey, the sacrifice isn¡¯t us right? The princes? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re being offered up for the god¡¯s gratification?¡± The more Chen Ziqi thought about it, the more likely this seemed, and the more worried he became. Jiuru Town once suffered a plague. The Taoist priest said that the River Spirit was angered, and that to appease him, the town had to offer up a young boy and girl, as well as some ingots and silk. Two children were selected, cleaned up, and put on a vegetarian diet for several days, before being sent to the temple. Thereafter, the two children were never seen again. ¡°Tweet¡­¡± Dan Yi raised his little head, and his two crown feathers swayed gently with his movement. If you were offered up for my gratification, that would be your privilege, really... Before he could finish tweeting this, a mouthful of steamed cake was stuffed into his face. ¡°Hahaha!!!¡± Chen Ziqi guffawed, laughing at the little bird¡¯s comical appearance. He fell onto to the bed, clutching at his sides. The next day, the news that Li Pin had been demoted and had two of her fingers cut off spread like wildfire. When Chang Er went to pay her respects to the Empress in the morning, the other concubines were noticeably much nicer to her than they were the day before. ¡°Little Seventh is at the age where he grows like a weed. He¡¯ll outgrow his clothes in a matter of months. I¡¯ve just received a few bolts of ice silk ¨C you can take some to make some underclothes for him,¡± the Empress said, smiling warmly. She raised her hand slightly, gesturing to the palace maids behind her, and they immediately went to fetch a bolt of ice silk. ¡°Thank you, Empress niangniang.¡± Chang Er said, accepting the silk. She was overwhelmed by the Empress sudden favour. Guifei smiled frostily next to her. ¡°The Sixth Prince is about the same age as the Seventh Prince ¨C will Empress niangniang also give some to Cheng Jieyu?¡± she asked. ¡°Ah, unfortunately, Zijian has asked for the rest,¡± the Empress said, still smiling as she mentioned her son, the Second Prince. ¡°Guifei, you¡¯ve got plenty of ice silk too. Since you mentioned Cheng Jieyu¡¯s son also needs some, you can give some to her.¡± Chang Er didn¡¯t really understand the complicated games these women played. She just bent her head to examine the ice silk in her hands. She had never seen such beautifully soft material before. Her little brat would certainly enjoy wearing this comfortable material as his underclothes. Chen Ziqi rose early the following morning. The little red bird was missing again, but he wasn¡¯t fussed. He tidied himself up, then headed for Chunxi Hall, which was near the Eastern Palace. Chunxi Hall was where the Princes studied and practiced their martial arts every day. Martial arts reigned supreme in this age, and literary pursuits were not valued. This bias was reflected in the Princes¡¯ lessons as well. They practiced martial arts all morning, and only studied a bit in the afternoon. Before eating breakfast, they all had to maintain a horse-riding stance* for an hour. *T/N: Like a squat position, with your fists held fingers up at your waist, elbows tucked behind you. Google ¡°horse riding stance¡± to see what this looks like. The person in charge of teaching the Princes martial arts was their Imperial uncle, Prince Qi. Prince Qi looked to be younger than the Zhenlong Emperor. He wore a light blue martial outfit, and had a solemn expression as he supervised the Princes. ¡°Our Yuzhang royal family only practices one type of martial art. It¡¯s a very powerful one ¨C if you achieve great success in cultivation, you can wipe out a thousand soldiers in one blow,¡± Prince Qi said, explaining the royal family¡¯s martial arts for the benefit of the newcomers. The name of this dynasty was Zhang, probably because the first Emperor of this dynasty gained power in Yuzhang many generations ago. The Imperial family also sometimes referred to themselves as ¡°Yuzhang people¡± as a result. ¡°Imperial Uncle, let¡¯s not talk about achieving ¡®great success¡¯ ¨C when can I even manage a ¡®small success¡¯?¡± the Third Prince said, unable to resist the urge to make this mischievous remark. The Third Prince had started learning this martial art since he was three years old, and he was now nine. In the six years he had practiced this art, he had only managed to gain a small amount of neili; he was miles away from being able to extinguish a thousand men with a single blow. ¡°You haven¡¯t practiced hard enough,¡± Prince Qi said blandly. ¡°Continue holding your horse-riding stance.¡± Ah Mu was next to Chen Ziqi. His tiny little hands and legs simply could not maintain the position for long. After a minute, his legs gave way, and he toppled to the ground with thud. Prince Qi helped him up and allowed him to rest for a bit before instructing him to strike the horse-riding stance again. After the morning¡¯s exertions, the Princes were all dead tired. They didn¡¯t even have energy to chat with each other, and went back to their individual palaces to rest. Just as Chen Ziqi stepped out of Chunxi Hall, he felt someome tug at his clothes. It was Ah Mu. ¡°Gege, can I, go back, with you?¡± Ah Mu panted. He had overexerted that morning, and he still couldn¡¯t walk straight on his trembling legs. Chen Ziqi¡¯s brows furrowed in thought before replying. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll give you something nice to eat.¡± Since he had decided to accept Ah Mu as his brother from another mother, he certainly had to give him some benefits. On hearing this answer, Ah Mu grinned like a Cheshire cat. Little children were sensitive, and in this entire palace, only Chen Ziqi showed him even the least bit of kindness. He was the only one who gave Ah Mu a sense of security after being separated from his Jiujiu. ¡°Brown Berry! Do you want to come with us?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. The tanned little boy just happened to be passing by, and Chen Ziqi decided to invite him along in the spur of the moment. Brown Berry froze for a bit. ¡°You¡¯re talking to me?¡± he asked slowly, surprised. Chen Ziqi gave him an awkward, toothy smile. He¡¯d accidentally called the boy by the nickname he¡¯d privately given him without thinking. The tanned boy had a name, and was called Chen Zimo. Thankfully, Chen Zimo wasn¡¯t offended, and went to Qingyun Palace with Chen Ziqi. Chen Zimo ate like a starving dog at lunch. Chang Er and Chen Ziqi looked at him inhaling great mouthfuls of food, then exchanged a look. Ah Mu didn¡¯t have anyone to take care of him, and so it was somewhat expected that he wouldn¡¯t eat well on his own, but why was this Brown Berry also eating like a hungry ghost? Author¡¯s Note: Mini-scene Qiqi: What exactly are we doing at the Ritual? Birdie Gong: Offering your pure and fragrant body to the god Qiqi: How am I supposed to offer myself? Birdie Gong: Oh, where do I even begin ¨C you can offer yourself lying on your back, you can offer yourself lying on your chest¡­ Qiqi: ( ¡Ñ o ¡Ñ ) Birdie Gong: But remember to pinch out smaller pieces of the steamed cake ¨C it¡¯s a grave sin to choke the god Qiqi: Huh? Beansprout: Surprise! I managed to get this chapter out earlier than expected. Hope you guys enjoyed it! In case you didn¡¯t get the innuendo in the mini-scene, basically Birdie Gong is talking about missionary and a modified doggy where the recipient lies flat and chest-down. :3 Also, holding a horse stance for an hour?! Wut?? I did martial arts as a kid, and even holding that pose for 10 minutes was torture. These ancients have thighs of steel¡­ CH 10 ¡°Zimo, you don¡¯t look so good today, did you not sleep well the past two days?¡± Chang Er asked tentatively. Brown Berry had eaten his fill by then. He set down his chopsticks and sat up straight. ¡°Mother¡¯s body is weak, so I need to take care of her.¡± He spoke woodenly, and it sounded like he¡¯d been made to practice this answer many times. Chang Er nodded. Cheng Jieyu had indeed looked unwell earlier that morning when she went to greet the Empress. ¡°Chang mufei*, next time, can I come to eat here often?¡± Ah Mu asked timidly, his fat little hands gripping the edge of the table. The servants of Chaoyang palace didn¡¯t treat him badly, but also could not be said to treat him well. It was clear from their cold faces that they found taking care of him to be a thankless task. Ah Mu always felt scared around them, and had no appetite to eat anything. *T/N: Mufei is how a Prince would address his mother. It means ¡°mother consort¡± or ¡°mother concubine¡±. Ah Mu actually isn¡¯t supposed to address Chang Er as mufei, because he¡¯s not her son, adopted or otherwise. However, that he does so shows that he considers her to be his mother, and that he has a good relationship with her. ¡°Sure, you can come every day if you want,¡± Chang Er said, reaching to pinch Ah Mu¡¯s plump little face. In Jiuru Town, she had been so poor that there was no way she would have ever considered allowing another child to stay for a meal, but things were different now. As a Jieyu, she was served so much food at every meal that she and Chen Ziqi could never finish it all. She could certainly afford to feed a young child like Ah Mu. Ah Mu was delighted. From that day on, he followed Chen Ziqi back to Qingyun Palace for lunch every day. Brown Berry would come along occasionally as well, though he didn¡¯t say much when he joined them. Cheng Jieyu also never sent anyone to look for him when he came over. After fasting and bathing in incense for seven days, it was finally time for the Midsummer Ritual. This Midsummer Ritual was a custom observed by the Yuzhang Imperial family every year. It was of particular significance in the years when the Crown Prince had yet to be appointed. The legends said that every Emperor of this dynasty was personally selected by God, and there was a possibility that God would select the next Emperor at these Midsummer Rituals. After being bathed, Chen Ziqi was dressed in the Ritual robes in a room thick with sandalwood incense. The Ritual outfit was a wide-sleeved, sky blue robe made of very soft material. After the belt was fastened, the entire outfit clung to him like a second skin. The only accessory he wore was his Imperial jade pendant, which hung from his waist. He didn¡¯t even wear his usual jade belt ¨C a cyan-coloured rope was used to secure his outfit in place of a real belt. A strip of cloth in the same colour was used to tie his long hair in a loose ponytail behind his back. Chen Ziqi became increasingly uneasy. No matter how he looked at it, it was obvious that he and the other Princes were the things being sacrificed in this Ritual. It was sunset when they arrived at Zhanghua Pavilion. The rays of the setting sun bathed the Zhanghua Pavilion in golden light and made the blue Dragonstone glow. The High Priest was clad in a ceremonial snow-white robe embroidered with silver clouds. The robe had a train that was a foot long, and it was laid out neatly on the ground behind the High Priest. The silver threads glistened in the last rays of the sun, and the High Priest seemed to be surrounded by a halo of light. It was truly captivating sight; the High Priest¡¯s white clothes and glowing halo made him look like a beautiful white peacock with its tail feathers on display. ¡°The Imperial descendants are all present, and I beseech God to make His divine decision. God above, protect the Dazhang Dynasty,¡± the High Priest intoned. His voice was cold, and brought to mind the ethereal image of a lone bird singing in a deserted valley. The Zhenlong Emperor himself did not go up to the Zhanghua Pavilion. He stood below, watching the Princes walk up one by one. Chen Ziqi stole a look at the Emperor, and saw that he had a slightly guilty expression on his face. This made him even more anxious. No one had told them what they were supposed to do at the altar. Had the Emperor recalled the lost princes so urgently because he was looking for someone to sacrifice in place of the one of the original seven princes? The eleven princes were seated according to their age in a row behind the High Priest, listening to his measured chanting. Other than the first few sentences, Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t understand anything at all. He seemed to be speaking in an ancient language that sounded like birds chirping. The chanting continued until the moon was high in the sky. ¡°For the Midsummer Ritual, the Son of Heaven ordinarily will Han Tao* through the night in the Zhanghua Temple. As you are only princes and not the Son of Heaven, you will hold cherries instead of peaches in your mouth as a sign of respect,¡± the High Priest said, gazing at the Zhanghua Temple just behind the Pavilion as he instructed the princes seated behind him. *T/N: Han Tao, which is also the title of this novel, literally means to ¡°hold a peach in your mouth¡±. I am not 100% on what the High Priest is saying here, he¡¯s speaking in riddles in the raw. It could either be that if it was the Emperor was doing the ceremony, they would offer peaches instead of cherries, or that if the Emperor was doing the ceremony, it would still be cherries, just that he wouldn¡¯t have to hold the cherries in his mouth. ¨r(£þ¦Ø£þ;)¨q The moment he finished speaking, attendants dressed in white appeared, each bearing a plate of juicy red cherries. One of the attendants walked toward Chen Ziqi. ¡°Dianxia, please select a cherry,¡± the attendant in white said. The person¡¯s face was covered by a thick white veil, and Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t make out his or her features. He looked to his left and right. Every prince had a plate of cherries in front of them. The First and Second Prince had already done this once before, and they picked out a cherry at random without a second thought. Their hands were clasped together just below chest level, with the palm of the right hand cradling the back of the left hand. Their cherries were each placed right in the centre of the palm of the left hand. The cherries had just been washed, and the little drops of water on them glistened in the moonlight. They looked very enticing to Chen Ziqi, who was parched after standing for an hour. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the luscious cherries. There didn¡¯t seem to be much to choose between the individual cherries, so Chen Ziqi just chose the biggest and reddest one. He imitated the other princes, placing the cherry in his left palm, then surreptitiously took another two fat and juicy cherries from the plate and popped them into his mouth. The little water droplets on the cherries immediately soothed his parched lips, which were to dry, they felt as if they were about to crack. He bit into the round little fruits, and the juice burst forth in his mouth, coating his tongue with a taste that was sweet and sour all at once. This quenched his thirst, and he felt momentarily refreshed. This all happened in a split second, and the attendant didn¡¯t have time to react. Since it was too late to stop Chen Ziqi, the attendant chose to simply turn a blind eye. He pulled back the plate of cherries protectively, then bent his head deferentially and left the Zhanghua Pavilion with his white-clad counterparts. ¡°God will alight upon us soon. Your Highnesses, this way please,¡± the High Priest said with his eyes closed. He gestured for the Princes to enter the Zhanghua Temple. Zhanghua Temple was lit by twelve tall candelabra shaped like peacocks. They were made of bronze, and each one could hold thirty-six candles, arranged like the eyes on a peacock¡¯s tail. All twelve candelabra were fully lit on this night, making the temple interior look as bright as day. Chen Ziqi knelt on the round prayer mat and raised his eyes to look at the image of God on the wall. No one had ever mentioned what Dazhang Dynasty¡¯s god looked like; it seemed that only the Imperial family had any knowledge of this. Everyone else referred to the god as the ¡°Protector-God of the Nation¡±. Looking at the sculpture on the wall, he felt somewhat cheated. Wasn¡¯t this just a regular dragon-phoenix image*? *T/N: Dragon-phoenix images are very common in Chinese history. The dragon usually represents the Emperor, and the phoenix represents the Empress. In the wall sculpture, a dragon and a phoenix were depicted entwined together in the clouds. It was exquisitely made, and looked particularly impressive in the warm candlelight, but it was still, at the end of the day, a regular dragon-phoenix image. The Zhenlong Emperor and his ministers anxiously watched from below the Zhanghua Pavilion as they did the previous time. At last year¡¯s Midsummer Ritual, God did not deign to descend, and the Emperor had to painstakingly search for the lost princes among the populace. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he¡¯d managed to find them all. He hoped that nothing would go wrong this time. The power of the Imperial family had been in decline for some time now, and if God still refused to grace them with His presence today, the next Emperor was likely to meet with even greater difficulties during his reign. The High Priest continued to stand in the centre of Zhanghua Pavilion, quietly watching the situation in Zhanghua Temple. A quarter of an hour later, all the candles in the temple suddenly went out. At the same time, the whole of Zhanghua Pavilion was filled with a brilliant white light. Rays of golden light shot out of the Dragonstone, and the faint markings on it took on a rich golden hue. The markings could now be seen to be in the shape of a golden phoenix in flight, encircled by a golden dragon at the sides of the stone. The detail was exquisite; even the individual feathers of the phoenix could be made out. ¡°God has come,¡± the High Priest said softly. He knelt, then kowtowed in the direction of Zhanghua Pavilion. The people of Dazhang knew that today was the day of the Midsummer Ritual, and were all waiting in their yards for this moment. When they saw the brilliant golden light flash from Zhanghua Pavilion, they immediately fell to their knees and kowtowed in prayer. Chen Ziqi was sitting in Zhanghua Temple and had no idea what had just happened. In the brief instant when the brilliant light from Zhanghua Pavilion illuminated the dark temple, he had caught a glimpse of the red chick hiding in the rafters. ¡°Chao Tian?¡± Chen Ziqi said in surprise. The light was too bright, and he had to close his eyes; when he opened them, it was dark again in the temple. All he had to see by was a sliver of moonlight that flowed in from the temple door, which was slightly ajar. Even after his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could only faintly make things out. The High Priest appeared at the temple door. ¡°Your Highnesses, please place the cherry in your mouth, then go to sleep on the prayer mats,¡± he instructed. After the Princes had all put the cherries in their mouths, he walked toward to the dragon-phoenix wall sculpture and took out a very thin stick of incense. He lighted it, and placed it on the incense pot on the altar. He then raised his head very slightly, almost imperceptibly, and looked at the little red chick in the rafters. Chen Ziqi followed the High Priest¡¯s line of sight. He appeared to be looking at nothing but darkness, but Chen Ziqi knew that that was where the red chick was. He was absolutely certain that the High Priest was looking at that red chick! The High Priest left Zhanghua Temple thereafter, closing the doors behind him. The whole temple was plunged into darkness. Although small spots of moonlight danced in from the small carvings in the door, the light was too dim to see by. ¡°Yawn¡­.¡± Someone yawned in the darkness. The eldest prince was the most relaxed. He lay down on the mat immediately and went to sleep the moment the door closed. The rest of the princes also nodded off thereafter, toppling onto the prayer mats. In the frail light, Chen Ziqi could just make out that Ah Mu was next to him, and that he was already dead to the world. He was sleepy too, but he strongly resisted closing his eyes. This urge to sleep came on far too quickly, and something was definitely wrong with it. He pinched himself hard to keep conscious, then sat up, looking up at the rafters where he last saw the chick. The little red chick slowly inched out of the shadows and tilted its head as it looked at him. Moonlight shone on the two little crown feathers, casting a long shadow across the temple floor. Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. He could no longer resist, and he plopped down onto the prayer mat, looking at the cherry in his hand. The High Priest said that he had to keep it in his mouth and not eat it, but he was worried that he might accidentally swallow it in his sleep. He¡¯d probably choke to death if he did that ¨C this cherry was pretty big. After some thought, he settled on putting the cherry in the pocket formed by his lips and teeth, then closed his eyes and went to sleep. Chen Ziqi felt like he had only slept for a short while before his eyes flew open again. The little red chick was standing right in front of him. He wanted to reach out to catch it, but he seemed to have been robbed of all his energy. He could only watch as the little chick hopped to the cherry at his lips, tilted its head and pecked at the cherry with its pastel yellow beak. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Chen Ziqi protested, his eyes widening. He wanted to stop the chick from spoiling the cherry ¨C he only had this one cherry, and if this chick ate it, might be severely punished for losing it. The little red bird didn¡¯t share his concerns, and languidly pecked another mouthful of cherry. Cherry juice trickled down to Chen Ziqi¡¯s lips, staining them a moist red colour. After pecking a few more mouthfuls, the little red bird pulled out the cherry seed with its beak, tossed it to the side, and ate the rest of the fruit in one gulp. The little bird seemed very happy after eating the cherry. It flapped its little wings twice, jumped onto Chen Ziqi¡¯s head, and used its little claws to scratch at his head. ¡°Tweet!¡± it called. This cry was markedly different from its usual chirps. It had the crisp quality of Kunshan jade shattering, and reverberated like a plucked harp string. It seemed to pierce through the fog in Chen Ziqi¡¯s brain, allowing him to regain his faculties. Chen Ziqi¡¯s mind was clear, but his body was still immobile. His lips parted in surprise as he watched the little bird climb into the soft folds of his clothes. It found a comfortable position, stepped around a bit as if it were nesting, then rubbed its head against his chest, curled into a ball, and went to sleep. The sky-blue ritual robes were made of only one layer, with no underclothes or even a middle layer. The chick was pressed up directly against Chen Ziqi¡¯s skin, and the feeling was a little ticklish. Chen Ziqi wanted to scratch his chest where the bird was, but he couldn¡¯t move. He bit his lip, enduring the itchy feeling. The little bird didn¡¯t make any move, and he eventually got used to the sensation. Chen Ziqi finally gave up, closed his eyes, and went to sleep as well. Author¡¯s Note: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: I¡¯ve popped your cherry, and now you¡¯re mine Qiqi: That sounds wrong Birdie Gong: Then how should I say this? Qiqi: Eat my cherry, be my bird Birdie Gong: Why does that sound vulgar somehow ( ¡¤ v ¡¤ ) Beansprout: Had many *brainsplodes* moments translating the ceremony; can the Guoshi be any more cryptic? If you read Chinese, have a look at the raws, and you¡¯ll see what I mean¡­ (¡¥ ¡¥?) Also, I¡¯ve started calling the mini-scenes ¡°mini-theaters¡± instead, in response to a comment posted in the previous chapter. That¡¯s a much better translation, thank you! CH 11 The next morning, sonorous chimes from the belltower near Zhanghua Pavilion woke the soundly sleeping princes up. The thin stick of incense lighted by the High Priest the previous day had long since burnt out. Little dust motes sparkled as they passed through the tiny rays of sunlight streaming in from the door¡¯s carved orifices. Chen Ziqi opened his eyes and patted his chest. ¡°Tweet?¡± The soft, fluffy little chick was still in dreamland, and tweeted unhappily when he was unceremoniously pressed down through the fabric of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes. The chick was still there! ¡°Creak¡ª-¡± The heavy carved door was pushed open, and bright sunlight poured into the temple. Chen Ziqi squinted, looking at the people who walked in. The Zhenlong Emperor walked at their head. ¡°Your Majesty, this official* should be the one to check on God¡¯s Decision¡­¡± the High Priest in a controlled voice, as if he were repressing a strong emotion. He followed closely behind the Emperor as he said this. *T/N: The High Priest is respectfully referring to himself as chen (³¼). ¡°I believe I should observe something as important as this,¡± the Emperor said, paying no heed to the High Priest¡¯s words. He strode into the temple, and a detachment of Jinwu Guards followed behind him. The princes were all awake now, and they got to their feet in unison when the Emperor arrived. Chen Ziqi looked up at the guards. They were all dressed in silk outfits with a golden leaf motif and had swords in snakeskin sheaths at their waist. These were the legendary Jinwu Guards. Every guard was a highly skilled martial artist. Ostensibly, they were the Emperor¡¯s honour guard, but in truth, they functioned more like his personal army. Di Yeqing, the guard who had escorted them to the palace, was one of the Jinwu Guards. He stood at attention in a position nearest to the Emperor, looking straight ahead with a hand resting on his sword hilt. This was the first time Chen Ziqi had seen him after entering the palace. ¡°Your Majesty, bringing the Jinwu Guards into the temple will cause disturbance to God,¡± the High Priest said, his face cold as he stood in the centre of the temple hall. He had foregone the elaborate robe with the long train of the previous day in favour of a simpler but no less elegant robe whose hem just brushed the floor. A silver hair ornament adorned with pearls held his hair at the top of his head. The pearls were arranged like the crown feathers on a peacock¡¯s head, each pearl forming the end of the crown feather and attached to the main body of the ornament by a thin wire of silver. Chen Ziqi noticed the High Priest¡¯s face for the first time. He was a tall man who looked to be twenty or younger. He was fair-skinned and had an aloofly handsome face. His eyes were shrewd and perceptive, and ordinarily he gave off an ascetic air. At this moment, however, the High Priest looked to be rather incensed. The Emperor had brought along a few of his Imperial ministers in addition to the Jinwu Guards. At the side, a servant girl held a tray bearing the apricot-orange robes and jade belt that made up a Crown Prince¡¯s attire. A dragon was embroidered on the apricot coloured robes in gold silk thread. Dan Yi peeked out from Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes and narrowed his eyes when he saw the scene in the temple. ¡°High Priest, perhaps you¡¯d like to begin?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor said with a meaningful smile, taking hold of the High Priest¡¯s wrist. He tightened his grip on that slender wrist threateningly. The High Priest looked evenly at the Emperor for a moment, then forcefully pulled his wrist back from the Emperor¡¯s grasp. ¡°Your Highnesses, please check if the cherry in your mouth is still there,¡± he said. His gaze swept across the eleven princes and came to rest on Chen Ziqi. A fluffy red bird head poked out from Chen Ziqi¡¯s sky blue robes. The colour contrast made the little bird¡¯s presence even more conspicuous. ¡°Mine is gone!¡± the eldest prince cried out, making a show of being surprised. ¡°It looks to me that God has chosen the eldest prince as the Crown Prince,¡± one of the Imperial ministers said immediately. ¡°The eldest prince has integrity and is talented in politics. It¡¯s only natural that God would favour him,¡± the other ministers supplied. Losing your cherry meant that you were selected by God to be the Crown Prince?! Chen Ziqi¡¯s heart thudded in his chest. He bent his head to look at the fluffball peeking out from his robes, then looked at the High Priest standing in front of the dragon-phoenix sculpture. His eyes met the High Priest¡¯s, who had coincidentally also turned to look at him. The High Priest shook his head imperceptibly. ¡°Could my eldest brother have swallowed the cherry by mistake in his sleep?¡± the Third Prince asked with a chilly laugh. He bit down on his own cherry and swallowed it in one bite. ¡°High Priest, it may be prudent to check if any other princes have lost their cherries as well.¡± The Crown Prince had actually been pre-selected much earlier in consultation with the Sword Alliance and the Qi Confederate. The Third Prince knew this, but he found the First Prince annoying and just wanted to make some trouble for him. The princes all spat out the cherries and placed them on their hands. ¡°My cherry is missing,¡± Ah Mu said, raising his hand innocently. Everyone¡¯s eyes immediately turned to Ah Mu, and the Jinwu Guards moved forward to check. The High Priest, who should have been the one to do this, was restrained at the side. The Jinwu Guards examined Ah Mu¡¯s mouth carefully. ¡°Reporting to the Emperor, the Eleventh Prince has some remnants of cherry in his mouth. It¡¯s likely that he ate the cherry,¡± a guard said. ¡°Little Seventh¡¯s is also missing,¡± the Third Prince said loudly. The Jinwu guards strode over immediately. Their thick-soled boots clacked on the hard temple floor, and the sound echoed in the silent temple. Chen Ziqi stole a look at the snakeskin sheathed swords in the Jinwu Guards¡¯ hands, and suddenly felt a chill around his neck, as if someone had pressed the cold metal of a sword next there. ¡°Perhaps I ate it by accident while I was deep in sleep,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He squatted down and picked up the cherry seed that the little red bird had thrown away, holding it up for everyone to see. The Zhenlong Emperor was very pleased with this result. ¡°God has made his intentions clear, and there shall be no further debate. Pass my Imperial decree ¨C from this day forth, the First Prince, Chen Ziyuan, shall be appointed as the Crown Prince, and a date will be set for the appointment ceremony,¡± he declared in resonant tones. The servant girl holding the Crown Prince¡¯s robes came forward and dressed the First Prince in them. Now clothed in apricot orange, the First Prince felt a sense of deep satisfaction as he knelt to give thanks. Those clothes were coincidentally made to fit a sixteen-year-old prince. The red bird¡¯s little claws gripped the folds of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes, his feathers standing up in rage. The High Priest said nothing. He stood in front of the dragon-phoenix sculpture and chanted softly with his eyes closed. He didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of congratulating the newly appointed Crown Prince, and in fact appeared to be asking God for forgiveness. The Imperial ministers looked at each other, but chose to keep silent. They followed the princes out of Zhanghua Pavilion. ¡°High Priest, who was the prince selected by God?¡± Everyone had left by this time, leaving only the Zhenlong Emperor and the High Priest. The former had waited an hour to speak with the High Priest, who had been chanting all this while, and finally couldn¡¯t take it any more. ¡°This is irrelevant, since your Majesty has no intention of honouring God¡¯s Choice,¡± the High Priest said evenly, opening his eyes. He looked up at the phoenix in flight depicted on the dragon-phoenix statue. ¡°Zhen wants to know what¡¯s so special about the prince chosen by God,¡± the Zhenlong Emperor said, raising a hand to caress the dragon in the sculpture. ¡°Defying Heaven¡¯s will is detrimental to the country,¡± the High Priest warned, not answering his question. ¡°Your Majesty, you should be careful.¡± ¡°Be careful? Huh, you should go ask those ministers which one of them is satisfied to have our Crown Prince picked by sleeping in a temple with a cherry in his mouth?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor said, snorting derisively. ¡°Ever since Zhen¡¯s grandfather¡¯s time, no one has successfully mastered the Dragon¡¯s Howl! God has obviously abandoned our Imperial family, and we can¡¯t rely on Him any more. It is the great founding families that form the backbone of the country!¡± The High Priest stood up. He regarded the Emperor silently with pity in his eyes. ¡°Stop looking at me like that.¡± The High Priest¡¯s gaze made him feel uncomfortable, and just a little guilty. The High Priest retracted the pity in his eyes. He poured the incense into a silk bag and fastened it, then left with a flourish of his sleeves. Because Ah Mu¡¯s cherry had also been eaten, Chen Ziqi¡¯s missing cherry didn¡¯t seem particularly out of the ordinary, and no one investigated further into this matter. He returned safely to Qingyun Palace with the chick hidden in his clothes. Dan Yi¡¯s feathers were still sticking straight out from his body as he paced angrily around the table on his two little feet. Chen Ziqi was slumped on the table watching the little chick. The High Priest clearly knew about the chick¡¯s existence. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, when the High Priest shook his head today, he had been telling him not to say anything about the chick. Chen Ziqi wasn¡¯t sure about the reasoning behind this, but he instinctively knew that if he had said the little red bird ate his cherry, a snakeskin-sheathed sword would have immediately taken his life. ¡°You¡¯re the God that the High Priest talks about, right?¡± Chen Ziqi said, extending a fair-skinned little finger to poke at the chick¡¯s backside. The little bird stopped on hearing this, and raised its tiny head proudly. ¡°The Divine Protector of our country is actually a chicken?¡± Chen Ziqi found this very hard to believe, and poked the chick¡¯s behind again. Dan Yi fell face-first onto the table with a plop. He flapped his wings angrily. I¡¯ve already said I¡¯m God, why are you still calling me a chicken? Chen Ziqi picked up the little bird and put him in his palm, his actions gentler than they had ever been before. ¡°Since God takes the form of a chicken, if you were to be my stud rooster, wouldn¡¯t you be able to father thousands of divine chickens?¡± Dan Yi¡¯s eyelids drooped in resignation. He refused to engage with Chen Ziqi any further. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be rich!¡± Chen Ziqi hugged the little chick and rolled on the bed. He kissed the little chick¡¯s fluffy head exuberantly, flattening the two crown feathers. ¡°Hahaha, yours truly is actually God¡¯s chosen one!¡± ¡°Pop!¡± The light red feathers immediately turned a bright scarlet. Dan Yi raised his small wings and brushed the top of his head, returning the crown feathers to their original position. ¡°I won¡¯t call you Chao Tian any more ¨C I¡¯ll call you the Divine Chicken!¡± ¡°Tweet!¡± ¡°O Divine Chicken, can you do any magic tricks?¡± ¡°Tweet tweet!¡± ¡°What can you conjure up? How about ten thousand gold bars?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be able to do anything special. How are you different from a regular chick? Do you just have a slower growth rate?¡± ¡­¡­ Chen Ziqi was overcome with joy at the knowledge that he was the owner of a divine chicken. In contrast, he felt nothing about losing his Crown Prince position to the First Prince. After all, he had been a starving country bumpkin just half a month ago, and survival was still his first priority. Political positions didn¡¯t really mean anything to him. Chunxi Hall gave the princes a day¡¯s holiday to let them rest after the Midsummer Ritual, and Chen Ziqi spent the holiday playing with the little red bird in the Qingyun Palace gardens. As cherries were a necessary part of the Midsummer Ritual, many of the vassal states had sent cherries as tribute, and the palace was flush with the fruit. Now that the Ritual was over, the remaining cherries could be eaten freely. In the afternoon, the Zhenlong Emperor decided to visit Chang Er out of the blue and gave her a big basket of cherries. The next day, Chen Ziqi grabbed the still sleeping red bird before he left for Chunxi Hall, and stuffed him into his clothes. He also got Fuxi to bring along a bunch of cherries, the better to ¡°pay his respects to God¡± during the day. The little red bird seemed to like cherries very much, and the big plate of cherries that Fuxi had washed the day before had all ended up in the bird¡¯s tummy. He had no idea how that tiny stomach could hold so many cherries. Now that the First Prince was the officially appointed Crown Prince, the atmosphere in Chunxi Hall was very different. All the princes went up to congratulate him, save the Third Prince. The Third Prince stood next to the Second Prince, his gaze frosty as he watched the other princes. ¡°What¡¯s there to be proud about? Does he really think he was chosen because of his so-called ¡®political talent¡¯? In both the literary and martial arts disciplines, he can¡¯t hold a candle to you.¡± The Second Prince was the Empress¡¯ son, and the First Prince was the Guifei¡¯s son. He was technically superior to the First Prince by reason of his birth, and should have been first in line to be appointed as Crown Prince. The Second Prince smiled blandly. ¡°This was the decision reached by the Sword Alliance and the Qi Confederation. If this hadn¡¯t been the case, I wouldn¡¯t have started learning swordsmanship from my mother¡¯s side. I know where I stand,¡± he said. The Imperial family were only allowed to learn the Dragon¡¯s Howl martial arts. All other martial arts were forbidden. By choosing to learn swordsmanship from one of the Sword Alliance sects, the Second Prince had effectively given up his right to be chosen as Crown Prince. The Dragon¡¯s Howl was the most powerful martial art in the world, but the Imperial family had been unable to master it for three generations. In this world where martial arts reigned supreme, this failure was damning, and it was hard to say if their family would continue to head the country in future. In the circumstances, the Second Prince had cut his losses; to him, it was better to give up the chance to be the next Emperor in exchange for learning other martial arts. The Crown Prince was surrounded by a group of people, and his chest was sticking out in pride. He turned to squint at Chen Ziqi and Ah Mu. ¡°Little Seventh, I heard that our father Emperor gave your mother a big basket of cherries ¨C was that because he knows that you like to eat cherries on the sly?¡± he sneered. These two person¡¯s cherries had also gone missing during the Ritual. Did they do it deliberately to give him trouble? Or worse, had they already allied themselves with the Second Prince? Chen Ziqi jumped. He hadn¡¯t expected the Crown Prince to single him out. His eyes met the Crown Prince¡¯s, which were filled with unconcealed animosity. ¡°Hmpf, he¡¯s just a lowborn imp. He doesn¡¯t deserve to eat those cherries,¡± the Fourth Prince said immediately, a derisive look on this face. He meant that the Ritual cherries should only be eaten by a true royal, which he did not consider Chen Ziqi to be. Chen Ziqi blinked innocently. ¡°I didn¡¯t eat it. I fed it to the chicken.¡± Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: I¡¯ll say this again, I¡¯m not a chicken! Qiqi: Yes, you¡¯re not just any chicken, you¡¯re a divine chicken Birdie Gong: I¡¯m also not a divine chicken! Qiqi: Then what are you? Birdie Gong: I¡¯m your Laogong! Qiqi: Oh~ So your job is to service the chicken? Birdie Gong: ¡­¡­ Beansprout: Pwahahaha he called Dan Yi a ¡°Divine Chicken¡±! Gotta love LYQH¡¯s sense of humour XD CH 12 Fed it ¡­ to the chicken? The Crown Prince was shocked speechless. ¡°How could you feed our father Emperor¡¯s Imperial gift to a chicken?¡± the Fourth Prince said in a loud voice. He was shocked too, but he managed to squeeze this sentence out. Chen Ziqi shrank back as if he were frightened, and sidled over to the Third Prince. He had long since observed that the Third Prince and the Crown Prince were in different camps, and the two were always contradicting each other, regardless of what the issue was. He figured that in this situation, the enemy of his enemy was his friend, and it couldn¡¯t be wrong to hide near the Third Prince now. He¡¯s guessed right. The moment the Third Prince saw that Chen Ziqi had moved closer to him, he immediately retaliated on his behalf. ¡°Why are you bullying Little Seventh? He just came to the palace. How would he know all these rules?¡± ¡°What are you squabbling about?¡± Prince Qi said sternly, walking over. At the sight of him, the young princes immediately closed their mouths. The Second Prince shot Chen Ziqi a sympathetic look, indicating that he could come stand next to him. Chen Ziqi lowered his eyes, pretending that he didn¡¯t see it. He didn¡¯t move from his spot. ¡°You children don¡¯t know how to start practice on your own if I¡¯m not here?¡± Prince Qi was no different from any other teacher; the laziness of his students always caused him great anguish. He immediately instructed them to strike a horse-riding stance, and picked up a thin bamboo cane. He smacked this bamboo cane onto his own palm again and again as he spoke. ¡° The Crown Prince¡¯s appointment ceremony is on the eighth day of the next month. The major martial arts sects will all be in attendance. This morning, instead of practicing martial arts, you will be learning out about the various sects.¡± The princes were overjoyed. Not having to practice martial arts moves meant that they just had to sit and listen ¨C that was far more relaxing. ¡°However, you will all still need to hold your horse-riding stance for the usual amount of time. Also, there will be a test tomorrow on today¡¯s lesson, and if anyone can¡¯t answer, he will be punished.¡± Prince Qi said. He raised the bamboo cane as he said this, smacking Ah Mu¡¯s backside to correct his horse-riding stance. ¡°Oww¡­¡± Ah Mu used his short little hands to rub his backside, but continued to hold the horse-riding stance. At present, there were three types of martial arts ¨C swordsmanship, qi martial arts, and arcane arts. The Sword Alliance was made up of all the sword-wielding martial arts sects, and had a relaxed governance structure. It was comprised of several major swordsmanship sects and smaller clans under these main sects. The sects in the Qi Confederate all originated from the same grand master, and they all had their foundation in the Tianyan Wanxiang Gong method. Their arts diverged at the advanced stage. ¡°Imperial Uncle, what are the arcane arts?¡± Chen Ziqi was listening intently, and was even jotting down messy notes with a brush. He could read and write, but he didn¡¯t know that many words, and so had to use pictorial representations for quite a number of things. ¡°The arcane arts are a very dark topic,¡± Prince Qi said enigmatically. To put it bluntly, this was actually a form of black magic. These people had unspeakable powers, and held themselves apart from the sword and qi sects. Well, it should also be said that the sword and qi sects also didn¡¯t want anything to do with the people who practiced the arcane arts. ¡°Are the arcane arts sects under the Cloud Palace*?¡± the Third Prince asked. He had always been confused about this. *T/N: The Cloud Palace¡¯s Chinese name is the Gui Yun Gong (¹éÔƹ¬), or the Palace to Which Clouds Return / Palace to which the Clouds Belong. The Cloud Palace was a unique entity in the martial arts world. They did not have any relationship with the Sword Alliance or the Qi Confederate, but had great power and influence. All the sects treated it with respect and caution. Let¡¯s take the Imperial family as an example. Long ago, when the first Emperor conquered the land, he had been assisted by many skilled martial artists. After he succeeded and ascended to the throne, all these martial artists who helped him were given peerages. The leader of the Sword Alliance and the Qi Confederate were all given the title of Guogong*. *T/N: A Guogong is roughly equivalent to a Duke. Being given the title of Guogong was already a huge privilege. However, the Master of the Cloud Palace had an even higher position ¨C he was a Prince of the First Rank! ¡°The Cloud Palace does not manage the arcane arts sects. As such, the arcane arts sects does not have any leader.¡± Prince Qi waved his hands, closing off this topic. He instructed the princes to memorise the names of the different sects and their respective peerages, so that they wouldn¡¯t embarrass themselves at the Crown Prince¡¯s appointment ceremony. Chen Ziqi¡¯s notes were a sorry collection of chicken scratchings and ugly drawings. At the end, there were some complicated names that he simply couldn¡¯t think how to put to paper, and he simply gave up, choosing to rest his head on his hand and listen instead. He stealthily pulled out a few cherries and stuffed them into his shirt to feed the chick. Dan Yi was reclining in Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes, and opened his mouth to receive the juicy cherries. After eating the delicious sweet-sour flesh, he turned to rub his little beak affectionately in thanks. He then noticed that he was separated from Chen Ziqi¡¯s skin by the soft fabric of his undershirt, which had been stained red by cherry juice from his beak. He tilted his head in thought, then scratched at the fabric impatiently. This ice silk might be soft, but it wasn¡¯t as pleasant to sleep on as Chen Ziqi¡¯s skin. In the afternoon, the Crown Prince went to the Ministry of Rites to learn the proper etiquette for his appointment ceremony. The other princes were also let off early for the day. ¡°Gege, I haven¡¯t remembered any of the things Imperial Uncle wants to test us on tomorrow,¡± Ah Mu said plaintively, pulling at Chen Ziqi¡¯s sleeve. His little brows were furrowed in concern. Every morning, he was usually bone tired after doing the horse-riding stance exercise; he was too young to maintain the horse-riding stance for long periods of time, and at the end of the session, his legs always wobbled like jelly. If he had to suffer corporal punishment for being unable to answer questions on top of this, it would be absolutely unbearable. ¡°I also can¡¯t remember it all,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He looked at the chicken scratchings he made earlier and sighed in defeat. ¡°Little Seventh, you didn¡¯t manage to get it earlier?¡± A voice that had clearly tried its best to sound warm and nurturing sounded behind them. It was the Second Prince. His voice had originally been pleasant to the ears, but had recently become rough and scratchy because he was fourteen this year, and his voice was breaking. ¡°Second Imperial Brother,¡± Chen Ziqi said, turning to greet him. ¡°If you need some help, come to Fengyi Palace. I¡¯ll teach you,¡± the Second Prince said, smiling slightly. Chen Ziqi might be of low birth, but his mother was favoured by the Emperor, and he himself seemed to have an agile mind; the Second Prince had assessed that he was worth his while to have Chen Ziqi as an ally. Chen Ziqi lowered his head and rolled his eyes. This was obviously an attempt at a land grab by the Second Prince, done with a view to making sure that he didn¡¯t go over to the Crown Prince¡¯s side. The Second Prince and the Crown Prince also didn¡¯t get along. However, when Chen Ziqi thought about it, he was a small fry, and he needed a backer; he wasn¡¯t in any position to form his own faction. With this thought in mind, he arranged his face into his most disarming smile, and raised his head. ¡°That¡¯s so kind of you, thank you, Second Brother,¡± he said. Dan Yi raised his head and looked at Chen Ziqi¡¯s expression. He felt somewhat irritated. When Chen Ziqi walked out Fengyi Palace later that day, he met the Crown Prince, and that irritation turned into real frustration. ¡°Old Seventh, what are you doing in the Fengyi Palace?¡± the Crown Prince asked. He saw that Fuxi had some snacks and toys in his hand, and narrowed his eyes. The jiulianhuan* inlaid with agate crystals was a gift bestowed on the Second Prince by the Emperor three years ago. The Second Prince had treated it as his treasure, and he was surprised that he had given it to Chen Ziqi. He had just been appointed as the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince was already making obvious moves to gather allies ¨C what was the meaning of this? *T/N: A child¡¯s toy with nine interlocking links. It¡¯s like a puzzle ring ¨C you have to figure out how to unlock the links. ¡°I couldn¡¯t remember the names of the sects and the peerages, so Second Brother said he would teach me,¡± Chen Ziqi said in a small voice. His head dipped, and he pressed his lips together, looking scared. ¡°Is that so?¡± the Crown Prince said. He stared meaningfully at Chen Ziqi for a while. ¡°Next time, if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t know, just come to the Eastern Palace to ask me. Fengyi Palace is the Empress¡¯ sleeping quarters at the end of the day, and it¡¯s not good for boys to be seen walking in and out of there.¡± The Yuzhang hougong¡¯s rules were that before a prince turned fourteen years old, he could live with the Imperial consort who was his mother in the consort¡¯s palace. The Second Prince was fourteen this year, but hadn¡¯t had the time to move out yet. ¡°Sure, next time, I¡¯ll go look for my Crown Prince gege in the Eastern Palace,¡± Chen Ziqi said, raising his head to smile placatingly at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince nodded his head in satisfaction, then walked off imperiously. Chen Ziqi looked at the Crown Prince¡¯s retreating back and bared his teeth. The leaders of the two sides were both trying to get him to join them ¨C how was he to deal with this? Xiao Chen had told him before that a dog couldn¡¯t have two masters¡­ At night, Chen Ziqi held the little notebook the Second Prince gave him, painstakingly trying to memorise its contents. ¡°The Sword Alliance¡¯s leader¡¯s peerage is the Lin Guogong¡­¡± ¡°The Qi Confederate¡¯s head¡¯s peerage is the Wan Guogong¡­¡± ¡°The Cloud Palace¡­¡± Chen Ziqi slumped on the table and stared at the fluffy chick. He played with the jiulianhuan in one hand, and held the notebook in the other. He looked at the lazy-looking chick that was literally as free as a bird, and couldn¡¯t help complaining resentfully to it. ¡°Divine Chicken, what¡¯s the use in me memorizing all this? It¡¯s not like any of these people are going to bother talking to me at the ceremony.¡± The Sword Alliance¡¯s leader was the Second Prince¡¯s maternal grandfather, and the Qi Confederate¡¯s leader was the Crown Prince¡¯s maternal great-grandfather¡­ ¡°Tweet!¡± Dan Yi tilted his head at Chen Ziqi, somewhat worried. If this little bastard didn¡¯t have Benzuo¡¯s protection, he would probably not make it safely to adulthood. ¡°Ah, forget it. It¡¯s not like you understand what I¡¯m saying,¡± Chen Ziqi said, his lips twisting in resignation. He caught hold of the little red bird, buried his nose in the soft down, and rubbed his nose back and forth. ¡°Tweet tweet tweet!¡± Dan Yi protested. He used all the strength in his little claws to push Chen Ziqi away. This little bastard was going to be the death of him! [Taizhen Palace, Zhaixin* Pavilion] *T/N: Zhaixin means ¡°to pick the stars¡±. It means that you can pick the stars like fruit from this pavilion, and it usually also indicates that this is the highest building in that palace. The moon was high in the sky. The High Priest wore simple robes and sat under the lamplight, his slender fingers threading pearls on a silver wire. He reached for a pearl, and his hand touched a warm, fluffy bird head. His hand shook slightly in surprise. ¡°Young Master,¡± the High Priest. He got up and bowed to the bird in greeting. Dan Yi looked at him and gave a solemn ¡°tweet¡± in response. When Chen Ziqi woke up, the little bird had already disappeared. This creature was a god, and often went off on his own, so Chen Ziqi wasn¡¯t particularly concerned. He gave his room a once over in an attempt to look for the bird, but when he couldn¡¯t find it, he shrugged and left for Chunxi Hall, thinking that it¡¯d probably be back when he returned. However, it never returned after that. From that day on, Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t see the little red bird for half a month. This made him rather worried, and he thought about going to ask the High Priest about it, but he was buried in homework and didn¡¯t have the opportunity to do so. Time passed in a flash, and the day of the Crown Prince¡¯s appointment ceremony arrived. The appointment ceremony was held in the Taiji Palace. The Taiji Palace was considered part of the external palace, and was where the Imperial family held ceremonies and banquets. There was a huge, sunken courtyard in front of the main hall of the Taiji Palace. It was round, and black and white marble was used to make a gigantic yin-yang symbol, also called a taiji symbol, on the floor. It was a good place for performances to be held, and for guests to have friendly duels with each other. The sixteen carved wooden doors were all open now. The Imperial family and the distinguished guests were stationed in the hall, whilst the rest stood around the yin-yang diagram. Chen Ziqi and a few other princes stood in front of the main hall, looking curiously at what was happening outside. Imperial court officials and martial artists from all disciplines were standing around the yin-yang diagram. Chen Ziqi looked at the round sunken courtyard. The floor was about a foot below ground level, and he wondered if any guests had accidentally fallen into it when they had too much to drink. ¡°Announcing the arrival of the Wan Guogong!¡± the Master of Ceremony sang out from his position at the entrance. In the Imperial Court, they did not use their martial arts titles, only their peerage titles. The Crown Prince stood at the very front, unable to stop himself from smiling. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± A loud burst of laughter rang out, making Chen Ziqi¡¯s ears ache. Before he could recover, a man in purple robes flew down from mid-air. This was Luo Hongfeng, the leader of the Qi Confederate. His hair, eyebrows and beard were all as white as snow, but his eyes were lively and youthful. He looked casually at the yin-yang pit, took a light step forward, and leapt over the full length of the pit effortlessly, landing in front of the main hall. ¡°Luo Hongfeng respectfully greets his Imperial Majesty,¡± he said, kowtowing in greeting. As the Guifei¡¯s grandfather, he was already 74 years old, but his face did not look a day over forty. Chen Ziqi had heard that highly skilled martial artists lived longer lives than average people, and someone like Luo Hongfeng could probably live to more than 150 years old. ¡°Wan Guogong, please rise,¡± the Zhenlong Emperor immediately stepped forward and helped him up. ¡°Haha! I hope your Majesty has been well?¡± the Wan Guogong smiled as he made polite conversation. He caught sight of the Crown Prince standing next to the Emperor and nodded at him in satisfaction. ¡°Brother Luo, why didn¡¯t you wait for me?¡± Before Wan Guogong could finish his sentence, the Master of Ceremony sang out again, announcing the arrival of Lin Guogong. A man in pale grey Taoist robes carrying a huge sword on his back flew in and landed in front of the main hall. This newcomer was the leader of the Sword Alliance, Huang Huacan, also known as the Lin Guogong. The Lin Guogong greeted the Emperor as well. The Emperor made no move to bring them into the main hall. Luo Hongfeng stroked his snowy beard and pondered for a moment. ¡°Will the Master of the Cloud Palace also be in attendance today?¡± ¡°The Phoenix King will not be coming, but his heir will be,¡± the Crown Prince explained to his great-grandfather. His chest puffed up involuntarily in pride after he said this. The Cloud Palace usually held itself aloof, and rarely attended functions even when they were invited by the Imperial family. That the Cloud Palace was willing to send its Young Master to attend his appointment ceremony was a rare honour, and it had even agreed to let the Young Master stay in the Imperial Palace for some time to study with the princes. This was an honour that even his father had not been granted. ¡°The Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi* ¨C what¡¯s his name again?¡± the Third Prince asked the Second Prince in a worried voice. That Shizi¡¯s name was difficult to remember, and he kept forgetting it. *T/N: A shizi is an heir of a peerage. Chen Ziqi also pricked up his ears. The Second Prince raised his head, and looked at the palanquin floating towards them in the distance. ¡°The Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi¡¯s name is Dan Yi.¡± Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: I¡¯m off Qiqi: They say that good chickens don¡¯t leave home Birdie Gong: I¡¯m back again Qiqi: They say that good chickens don¡¯t change their minds Birdie Gong: ¡­ Who said all this? Qiqi: ¡°They¡± said it Birdie Gong: ¡­¡­. CH 13 Qinggong was a martial art that relied on a combination of neili and muscular power. You had to push off something with your own strength, then use neili to enhance that movement. How far you were able to fly in one leap depended on the level of your neili and the strength of your body. Leaping the length of the ten-foot yin-yang pit effortlessly like the leaders of the Qi Confederate and Sword Alliance was considered to be an extremely advanced skill. For younger martial artists, this was nigh impossible, unless they were qinggong specialists. That said, the palanquin approaching in the distance completely shattered everyone¡¯s understanding of what the limits of qinggong were. The palanquin was covered in light blue silk, and was carried by four people wearing clothes of the same colour. From afar, they looked to be part of a massive blue bird in flight. They did not seem to need to push off anything solid, and appeared to simply fly to the front of the main hall. A handsome, distinguished-looking man stood at the side of the palanquin. He was clad in a long sapphire blue robe with narrow sleeves. The buttons that fastened his sleeves were inlaid with sapphires, and he wore a long light blue outer robe with wide sleeves over the inner robe like a long open jacket. In his hands was a beautiful fan that had its guard and spines made entirely of jade. This man had previously been ¡°flying¡± with the four palanquin bearers at the head of the palanquin, and had only fallen back to stand on the palanquin as it approached the Taiji Hall. Chen Ziqi had previously watched the qinggong displayed by the two old men with open-mouthed admiration, but compared to these palanquin bearers, their skills seemed to be nothing. Chen Ziqi suddenly felt that there wasn¡¯t anything outstanding about the leaders of the Sword Alliance and the Qi Confederate. Their qinggong couldn¡¯t even match up to the qinggong of four random palanquin bearers! ¡°This is the secret technique of the Cloud Palace, the Cyclone Cloud Step,¡± the Second Prince said softly to his younger brothers. He could feel the envy and amazement of his younger brothers, and felt the need to explain this, so as to save some face for his maternal grandfather. ¡°They say this technique allows one to fly 90,000 li* in one leap, and I¡¯ve seen for myself today that it¡¯s true,¡± the Third Prince said, sighing enviously. *T/N: One li is taken to be about 500m today. The distance represented by one li has varied considerably throughout history, however. The blue-robed man didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of greeting the crowd gathered at Taiji Palace. Instead, he bowed to the person inside the palanquin and raised the sheer silk curtains, which were made of material as delicate as cicada wings. ¡°Young Master,¡± he said. He was addressing the Cloud Palace¡¯s Young Master, also known as the Shizi of the Phoenix King. This was the first time the Young Master had deigned to appear in the public eye. Everyone stared intently at the palanquin, watching with bated breath. A few seconds passed in silence. Then, the delicate, three-layered curtains parted, and a boy in scarlet robes walked out regally. He looked to be only seven or eight years old, and had beautifully exquisite facial features. What was truly astounding about this boy, however, was his commanding presence; the force of his presence was so great that in the moment he stepped out, he seemed to draw all the light in the world toward himself. The crowd couldn¡¯t take their eyes off him. His lips were the colour of peach blossoms, his skin was as white as snow, and he had a pair of dark phoenix tail eyes* that sparkled like black onyx crystals. *T/N: Large, almond-shaped eyes that tilt up slightly at the corners. Google ·ïβĿ to see what this looks like. In short, he was an incredibly handsome and regal-looking boy. ¡°This must be the Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor said, recovering his sensibilities. ¡°Dan Yi, of the Cloud Palace, greets your Imperial Majesty,¡± the young boy said. His voice was pleasing to the ear, but at the same time had a cold, commanding quality that inspired respect. There was none of the softness that one would have expected a seven-year-old boy¡¯s voice to have. After saying this, Dan Yi clasped his hands together at chest level, and bowed formally. He did not kowtow like the other distinguished guests did. Chen Ziqi was dumbfounded. The Lin Guogong and the Wan Guogong had both kowtowed in a full greeting. How could this Shizi only do a half-greeting? The Crown Prince¡¯s face had turned sour. Even his great-grandfather had to kneel ¨C this Dan Yi was much too full of himself! ¡°Shizi, why did you only do a half-greeting¨C¡± ¡°Shush! What do you know?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor cut him off before he could finish his sentence. He looked at Dan Yi appreciatively. ¡°The Dan family is on equal footing with the Imperial family. It¡¯s entirely appropriate for the Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi to do a half-greeting.¡± This was a rule set by the first Emperor of the Dynasty. ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how it is; I apologise for my ignorance,¡± the Crown Prince said, shooting Dan Yi a friendly smile. Dan Yi didn¡¯t respond. His face remained coldly regal, and he pulled out a small white flute from his belt, holding it in one hand. He raised that hand slightly, and the four palanquin bearers left with the palanquin, disappearing in a flash. ¡°This must be the new head of the Peacock Wing ¨C I believe we met at Jade Mountain last year.¡± Luo Hongfeng, the Qi Confederate¡¯s head, spoke up to try and lighten the mood. He was speaking to the man in blue behind Dan Yi. ¡°Sect Leader Luo has a good memory. This one¡¯s name is Lan Shanyu, and I have indeed been recently promoted to head the Peacock Wing,¡± he said, smiling disarmingly. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re much older than sixteen or seventeen ¨C such an accomplished young man,¡± the leader of the Sword Alliance, Huang Huacan, joined in the conversation as well. He bent his head to look at the small little Dan Yi. Lan Shanyu laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not worthy, but our Young Master saw fit to bestow this honour on me,¡± he said. He picked Dan Yi up and carried him, so that he could be on eye level with the other men. His Young Master was still a child, and so couldn¡¯t stand shoulder-to-shoulder with these men physically, but it seemed entirely inappropriate for them to look down at him when they spoke. Everyone present was confounded when Lan Shanyu said that his appointment to the Peacock Wing had been Dan Yi¡¯s decision. Dan Yi immediately went up in their estimation, and everyone looked at him with newfound respect. The Cloud Palace had twelve divisions, called the Twelve Golden Wings*. Each division had a different purpose, overseeing different aspects of the Cloud Palace¡¯s work. Of the twelve, the Peacock Wing* was one of the most prestigious and important divisions, and eight-year-old Dan Yi clearly had control over it if he was able to decide who the head was. *T/N: The actual Chinese name for Twelve Golden Wings and Peacock Wing actually translates into Twelve Golden Feathers and Peacock Tail Feather respectively. It sounds really pretty in Chinese, but a bit stupid in English, so I¡¯ve turned the feathers into wings instead, given that we¡¯re dealing with a bunch of birds here. Also, ¡°wing¡± is a loose synonym for ¡°division¡±, which is basically what these are. Everyone had assumed that the Young Master of the Cloud Palace wasn¡¯t anyone of note because he was still young, but it was clear now that he held real power within the organization. ¡°All the guests have arrived ¨C shall we begin?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor said, coughing politely to end this rather disconcerting conversation. He gestured for everyone to move into the main hall to observe the ceremony. The Crown Prince¡¯s appointment ceremony was a simple one. He had already paid his respects at the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the morning, so all that remained was the proclamation of the Imperial edict appointing him to the position, and for him to receive the guan* that signified his position as Crown Prince*. *T/N: The equivalent of this in English is to crown him, but the Chinese don¡¯t use crowns per se, so I chose not to translate it that way. I have also given up trying to describe the guan in English in the main text ¨C this is a hair ornament that ancient Chinese wore. The men usually bun their hair into a tight little bun at the top of their head, or wear their hair in a high ponytail, and the ornament is what you see in front of the bun or ponytail. It encircles the bun or ponytail and is usually held in place by a hairpin that pierces through the bun. The type of guan you wear often signifies rank, especially within the Imperial family. Commoners do not wear guan; it is usually only worn by the nobility or other people of importance. Chen Ziqi knelt in the centre of the hall, watching the Emperor personally secure the golden dragon guan on the Crown Prince¡¯s head. The Crown Prince was only sixteen, meaning that he had not come of age and ordinarily could not wear a guan. However, being appointed as the Crown Prince meant that he brought forward his coming of age, and could therefore wear the guan moving forward. Chen Ziqi was rather envious of this. Wearing a guan meant that one was an adult. If he came of age, he would receive a fiefdom, and could bring his mother to his fief to live. He would live free and unbridled, own a chicken farm, and breed hundreds of thousands of divine chickens¡­ Everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on the Crown Prince; only Dan Yi¡¯s were locked on Chen Ziqi. When he saw the envy in Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes, he felt a little prick of pain in his heart. ¡°What is it, Young Master?¡± Lan Shanyu asked quietly, looking at Dan Yi¡¯s furrowed brows in concern. Dan Yi¡¯s slim, elegant lips pressed together in a straight line. He looked at the young and na?ve-looking Chen Ziqi, and rubbed the jade flute between his fingers in contemplation. ¡°Benzuo is planning to stay in the Imperial Palace for a while. After the ceremony ends, you may return to the Cloud Palace on your own,¡± he said. ¡°The Imperial Palace is not well appointed. I think it best if I remain with you, Young Master,¡± Lan Shanyu said. He thought for a bit. ¡°The Peacock Wing has a division in the Capital. I can manage affairs from there.¡± ¡°That should work,¡± Dan Yi agreed, inclining his head slightly. After the appointment ceremony was over, the various sects presented their congratulatory gifts to the new Crown Prince, and the celebratory banquet began. The Zhenlong Emperor sat on his throne on a raised platform, with the Crown Prince on his left and Dan Yi at his right. The two Guogong sat below the dais, one on each side, in the seat closest to the throne. Other than the two Guogong, other heads of major sects were also titled. The Sword Alliance¡¯s three major Sword Sects, and the Qi Confederate¡¯s four Qi Sects all held hou* peerages. *T/N: A hou peerage is one level below a gong peerage. Roughly equivalent to a Marquis. The three Sword Sects presented their gifts first, followed by the four major Qi Sects. This was Chen Ziqi¡¯s first time seeing the Jiyang Sect¡¯s head, Yao Xiong, in the flesh. Yao Xiong was tall and had a thickly muscular body. The Jiyang Sect only took in male disciples, and the martial arts was extremely masculine in nature. Even the way they spoke was masculine; deep and sonorous, like a great bell in a belltower. ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone from the Arcane Sects here?¡± Yao Xiong asked after presenting the Jiyang Sect¡¯s gift. He wanted to try and impress the Qi Confederate¡¯s Head, and thought to do so by getting some information from the Cloud Palace. He turned to Lan Shanyu, who was standing next to Dan Yi. ¡°Lan louzhu,* would you care to explain?¡± *T/N: Louzhu literally means owner/master of a building. It refers to Lan Shanyu¡¯s position as the head of the Peacock Wing. Chen Ziqi blinked. Didn¡¯t his Imperial Uncle say that the Cloud Palace had nothing to do with the Arcane Sects? He raised his head to look curiously at Dan Yi. Coincidentally, Dan Yi was also looking straight at him. Wow, this fellow is really good looking! Even better looking than yours truly! Chen Ziqi thought to himself, pursing his lips. When Dan Yi noticed that Chen Ziqi was looking at him, he sat up slightly, a little self-conscious. He didn¡¯t look away, but held his gaze and raised a wine cup in his direction, toasting him silently. Chen Ziqi was surprised for a moment, then raised his own cup in response. The young princes were not allowed to drink strong liquor, and his cup held a mild, sweet wine made of green plums. He took a sip of the wine, biting down on the edge of the wine cup as he did so, thinking to himself that this Young Master wasn¡¯t as cold and aloof as he presented. Beansprout: WTF, guys, you¡¯re less than ten years old, you really shouldn¡¯t be drinking. To any readers under the drinking age in your country, please don¡¯t follow the terrible example of these ancient Chinese, lol. No one else noticed the exchange between Chen Ziqi and Dan Yi. They were all looking intently at Lan Shanyu. Part of the reason why people feared the Cloud Palace was because the Arcane Sects secretly recognized the Cloud Palace as its leader and took orders from it, even though the Cloud Palace had never openly admitted to this. Today, the Young Master of the Cloud Palace had attended without any of the Arcane Sects in tow; had the Cloud Palace lost control over the Arcane Sects? Lan Shanyu¡¯s expression did not change. He lowered his gaze, pouring a cup of fruit wine for his Young Master before replying. ¡°There are many clans that practice the arcane arts. Offhand, there¡¯s the Qugu Elder of the Thousand Poisons Clan, and the Ganshi Protector of the Stone Corpse Clan. Which one does Sect Leader Yao wish to meet?¡± *T/N: Qugu means ¡°insect expelling¡±, and ganshi means ¡°corpse chasing¡±. I felt these just didn¡¯t translate too well, and so kept their names in Chinese for now. The Qugu Elder and the Ganshi Protector are both the leaders of their respective clans. Upon hearing these names, the audience shivered in fright. Yao Xiong was also dumbstruck. ¡°Tell me who you wish to meet, and I¡¯ll summon him here,¡± Dan Yi said. He placed the jade flute in his hands on the table. The flute made a bright, crisp clinking sound as it made contact with the tabletop. It looked as if Dan Yi could pick it up at any moment and summon the King of Poisons together various undead creatures to the ceremonial hall just by blowing a tune on it. ¡°No- no- no need, it was just a casual question! I¡¯m not on speaking terms with them,¡± Yao Xiong stammered. He didn¡¯t dare to say a word after that. CH 14 Lan Shanyu smiled enigmatically, but didn¡¯t say anything more. He opened the jade fan and fanned himself languidly. The fan was made of royal blue snow brocade, and a pattern like a peacock¡¯s tail feathers could be faintly seen on it, embroidered in transparent snowsilk thread. Chen Ziqi felt that there was something vaguely familiar about this man. His eyes travelled up to the guan on his head, and a candle lit up in his mind. This guan had nine sapphires, each about the size of a bean. Each sapphire was held up by a thin silver wire, and fanned out like a peacock¡¯s crown feathers¡­ it was almost exactly the same as the High Priest¡¯s. Under Chen Ziqi¡¯s constant gaze, Dan Yi did his best to continue deporting himself properly, sitting up straight and ensuring that his movements were elegant. It was a little tiring, but he persevered. The gift-giving ceremony was still ongoing. Luo Hongfeng, the Qi Confederate Head, came forward. ¡°Today, my grandson is being crowned as Crown Prince. I certainly have to give a grand present befitting of this joyous occasion,¡± he said, smiling broadly. He clapped his hands together, and a squad of nine men walked into the hall. They were all dressed in black martial outfits and had their faces covered with black cloth. Only their eyes could be seen. ¡°These men are guards trained by the Liuhe Sect. They are my gift to my grandson,¡± Luo Hongfeng said in ringing tones, stroking his beard. The Qi Confederate had four main sects under it ¨C the Kongming Sect, the Liuhe Sect, the Jiyang Sect, and the Suxin Sect. Luo Hongfeng came from the Liuhe Sect, so the guards that he trained would naturally come from there. Luo Hongfeng might have called these men ¡°guards¡±, but it was clear that they were not just ordinary guards, but the far more formidable shadow guards*. Their movements were far too fluid, and they were abnormally inconspicuous, as if they had no presence at all. *T/N: Shadow guards, or anwei (°µÎÀ) are the Chinese equivalent of ninjas. They are highly skilled at martial arts and are often used for espionage / other secret or sensitive missions. The Zhenlong Emperor¡¯s expression darkened. These shadow guards were all highly skilled martial artists, and also appeared to be skilled at concealment tactics. He, the Emperor, wasn¡¯t dead yet! Giving the Crown Prince a gift like this was extremely disrespectful to him. However, Luo Hongfeng wasn¡¯t the least bit concerned about the Emperor¡¯s unhappiness, and continued to make a big show out of giving the shadow guards to the Crown Prince. ¡°Brother Luo has been generous indeed. The Sword Alliance doesn¡¯t have such great resources, and can only give this broadsword to your Highness. We hope your Highness will not be offended,¡± the Sword Alliance Leader Huang Huacan said, removing the broadsword from his back, then throwing it down casually. The sword was very heavy, around a hundred jin* in weight, and it vibrated with a loud humming sound as it landed point first, piercing easily through the hard stone floor. About three inches of the sword were embedded in the floor, and it stood straight up in the very centre of the main hall. *T/N: 1 jin is equivalent to 500g. The audience gasped in surprise. That sword was still in its scabbard when it left Huang Huacan¡¯s hands*, and it had gracefully unsheathed in mid-air to pierce the incomparably hard bluestone floor as it landed. Huang Huacan had not moved from his seat when he tossed the sword in a seemingly casual manner earlier¡­ How powerful was he, to have managed to do this? *T/N: I¡¯m actually not sure whether the sword stuck into the bluestone floor with the scabbard still on or not. The raw directly translates into ¡°The sword had a scabbard, and the floor was incomparably hard bluestone slabs.¡± I am assuming the scabbard was unsheathed from the sword mid-flight, because a sharp scabbard defeats the very purpose of having a scabbard in the first place¡­ Luo Hongfeng had nearly been struck by the falling sword earlier, and was extremely displeased. ¡°We are in the palace today, and it¡¯s not appropriate for you to address me as ¡®Brother Luo¡¯, is it?¡± he said. The Emperor was Luo Hongfeng¡¯s grandson-in-law, but was Huang Huacan¡¯s son-in-law; Luo Hongfeng was technically the elder as such. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this the rule of address that Brother Luo set when I became the Sword Alliance Leader?¡± Huang Huacan said, pretending to be confused. This Luo Hongfeng usually liked to give the impression that he was young, and now he wanted to pull rank as a so-called ¡®elder¡¯? He wasn¡¯t buying it. ¡°Lin Guogong¡¯s heartfelt gift is greatly appreciated. I will treasure this broadsword,¡± the Crown Prince said, trying to defuse the situation. He motioned for his servants to pull out the sword. Two young eunuchs went over with a tray and pulled at the embedded sword with all their might. ¡°Heave ho!¡± The eunuch¡¯s individual efforts were to no avail, and after some discussion, they decided to try pulling the sword out together. The sword still did not budge. ¡°Your Majesty, I have a suggestion to make things more lively. Would your Majesty care to hear it?¡± the Sword Alliance Leader said, after observing the eunuchs for a while. They were still making awkward efforts to try and dislodge the huge sword. ¡°You may proceed,¡± the Emperor said with a forced laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that even the youngest prince has started practising martial arts. How about we let each of the princes try to pull the sword out? I will reward the prince who succeeds with two Swordsmen.¡± The ¡®Swordsmen¡¯ he spoke of were essentially sword-wielding guards trained by the Sword Alliance. People training in sword arts could use the Swordsmen to fight for them, and they could also ask the Swordsmen to train them. Amongst all the princes, only the Second Prince was practising the sword arts, and it was obvious whom Huang Huacan intended to gift the two Swordsmen to. He probably saw that the Crown Prince had obtained nine shadow guards, and did not want his grandson to lose out. The Zhenlong Emperor raised his eyebrows. He was always happy to see the two leaders at odds, and so agreed with pleasure. At this time, Ah Mu was applying himself assiduously to his food. He was suddenly pulled up by eunuchs and asked to go try dislodging the sword. He had no idea what was going on, and he stood confused in the centre of the main hall, a chicken leg still in his hand. ¡°Dianxia, leave the chicken leg for now, do try pulling out the sword first,¡± the eunuch said, taking Ah Mu¡¯s chicken leg from him. Upon having his food stolen, Ah Mu immediately screwed up his face and prepared to cry. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Some members of the audience could not help laughing quietly at this sight. Dan Yi frowned disapprovingly as he looked down at this scene from his position on the dais. The Imperial family had really weakened to an alarming extent. Ah Mu obviously couldn¡¯t even make the sword budge an inch. The Tenth, Ninth and Eighth Princes each tried in turn, all to no avail. The Tenth Prince had made such strenuous efforts that he had even fallen over during his attempt, much to the amusement of the onlookers. ¡°Little Seventh, you¡¯re up,¡± the Third Prince said, giving Chen Ziqi a derisive push. Chen Ziqi staggered from the unexpected push. He was rather annoyed by this and the whole situation that he had been thrust into. Their martial arts lessons had essentially only comprised striking the horse riding stance, and his Elixir Field* had not even activated yet. He was obviously going to make a fool of himself trying to pull out the sword. *T/N: In xianxia novels, the Elixir Field (or dan tian µ¤Ìï) is the source of martial arts powers. Without it, usually people cannot practice martial arts. He turned to look at the Second and Third Princes. Their mothers, the Empress and De Fei, were both from the Sword Alliance, and would certainly support what the Sword Alliance Leader said. But it rankled of injustice; their schemes did not have to involve making him suffer this embarrassment! Chen Ziqi clenched his fists and stared at the broadsword for a moment. This sword was four feet long and four inches wide. It looked to be extremely heavy. Even if he somehow managed to pull it out, that 100 jin sword would probably crush him under its weight the moment it was dislodged. There was no way this would end well. Dan Yi watched Chen Ziqi intently. As he did so, the hand grasping the small jade flute clenched tighter and tighter. He had half-arisen from seat when Chen Ziqi opened his mouth. ¡°Just get a chisel and chisel the sword out of the floor. Wouldn¡¯t that be much easier?¡± Chen Ziqi said, standing apart from the sword and pointing to the cracked bluestone slab it was lodged in. Everyone was dumbfounded. Dan Yi sat back down. ¡°Seventh Prince, I said pull¡­¡± Huang Huacan protested. This was not what he had planned at all! ¡°Lin Guogong didn¡¯t say that the floor could not be chiseled away,¡± the Crown Prince cut in. He instructed his newly obtained shadow guards, and they went forward with chisels to work on releasing the sword. The great broadsword swayed, then fell to the ground with a crash. Silence reigned in the main hall. ¡°Clap, clap, clap.¡± Dan Yi applauded in a deliberate manner. ¡°Hahaha, this Little Seventh is really more intelligent than most,¡± the Crown Prince praised. He instructed servants to retrieve the sword, then turned to Dan Yi. ¡°Shizi thinks so as well?¡± Dan Yi glanced at him. ¡°Nn,¡± he acknowledged in a non-committal manner. The Crown Prince smiled in satisfaction. This Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi might be cold and aloof, but still gave him a lot of face. By sending his son here, the Phoenix King had probably intended for his son to get close to him, the Crown Prince, right? Just like that, Huang Huacan¡¯s plans to gift the Second Prince with Swordsmen were derailed by Chen Ziqi. The Second Prince looked upset, but didn¡¯t say anything. He returned to his seat, and even said a few supportive words to Chen Ziqi. ¡°After the banquet is over, I¡¯ll help you make sure the Swordsmen are sent over to you,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, Second Brother,¡± Chen Ziqi said, giving him a brilliant smile, as if there were no difference between receiving two Swordsmen and a jiulianhuan. The Second Prince felt a painful pang in his chest. Dan Yi raised a hand. Lan Shanyu, who was standing behind him, took out a red sandalwood box from his sleeves, and offered it to the Crown Prince. Everyone was curious as to what the Cloud Palace¡¯s gift was, and stretched out their necks to get a better look. The Crown Prince accepted the box and opened it. Three small sandalwood tablets were placed neatly next to each other. The front of each block was gilded with a complex pattern in the shape of interlocking clouds. He picked up one tablet and turned it over. It bore the word ¡°Heaven¡± on its back in gold letters. ¡°If you bring these tablets to the Cloud Palace, you can exchange one of these for the answer to a Heaven-class question,¡± Lan Shanyu explained conscientiously. The audience, who had been confused until then, gasped loudly in unison. What made people truly fear the Cloud Palace was not its control over the Arcane Sects or the Dan family¡¯s incomparably powerful martial arts, but the fact that the Cloud Palace was omniscient. It knew everything that happened in the land, from the secret policies of state set by the Emperor to the minutiae of what your neighbour¡¯s wife had said to her husband the other day. One only had to pay the price the Cloud Palace exacted if one also wished to have this information. Questions were divided into four classes. In descending order, these were ¡°Heaven¡±, ¡°Earth¡±, ¡°Raven¡±* and ¡°Canary¡±*. Each class attracted a very different price, and which class the question belonged to depended on the importance or difficulty of obtaining the information in question. *T/N: The third and fourth classes are called xuan (Ðþ) and huang (»Æ) actually. Xuan means black, but translating it as ¡°black¡± doesn¡¯t give the same feeling as xuan, which is a fancy way of saying ¡°black¡±, so I decided to call it ¡°raven¡± ¨C again, because we¡¯re dealing with a bunch of birds. Huang clearly translates to yellow, but it looks out of place in the English translation, so I have decided to translate this as ¡°canary¡± instead, in keeping with the birdy theme. Canaries are yellow! :3 Money often could not buy the answer to a Heaven-class question. There were times when the price was a person¡¯s life, and at others, the price would be a rare treasure. Being rich did not mean that you would be able to afford a Heaven-class question. Therefore, Dan Yi¡¯s gift of three Heaven-class tablets was truly priceless, and a great show of generosity. The Crown Prince¡¯s elation on receiving this invaluable gift was obvious to all. He carefully put the tablet he had been examining back into the sandalwood box and gave it to his eunuchs with stern instructions to keep it safe. Once the gift-giving ceremony ended, the music and dance performances began. The Zhenlong Emperor bent over to speak to Dan Yi. ¡°The Phoenix King has agreed to let you stay in the Imperial palace for a while. Since you and the Crown Prince seem to get along well, why don¡¯t you stay with him in the Eastern Palace whilst you¡¯re here?¡± the Emperor asked. He motioned to the eunuchs next to him to offer Dan Yi a plate of chicken wings. Dan Yi regarded the chicken wings in front of him silently. The Crown Prince was very happy when he heard this. He raised his chin a little in pride. ¡°The Eastern Palace has been recently renovated and is very spacious. The Shizi can stay in the Shuangxue Hall,¡± he said, in tones that indicated he was doing Dan Yi a great favour. Shuangxue Hall was the largest guesthouse in the Eastern Palace. This represented the best that the Crown Prince had to offer, and the Crown Prince thought that offering Dan Yi this hall to live in was the very pinnacle of good etiquette. To the Zhenlong Emperor, it seemed like sending Dan Yi to the Imperial palace to study with the princes was akin to him being a hostage of sorts, and showed that the Phoenix King was subject to the Imperial family¡¯s control. Also, he thought it would be good if the Crown Prince and the Phoenix King¡¯s successor could start building the foundations of a good relationship. ¡°I will stay in the Danyang Palace,¡± Dan Yi said. He pushed aside the plate of chicken wings, and picked up a cherry to eat instead. ¡°This¡­¡± The Zhenlong Emperor was rather reluctant to agree to this. Danyang Palace was the palace built for the first Phoenix King by the first Emperor of this Dynasty, the Taizu Emperor. All the successive Phoenix Kings had lived in this palace when they visited the Imperial Palace thereafter. Even the name of the palace suggested that it was built specially for the Dan family to live in. However, the current Emperor was very unwilling to let Dan Yi live there, not least because the Danyang Palace was very close to his Zichen Palace. The Cloud Palace servants were all highly skilled in martial arts, and he wouldn¡¯t sleep well if these people were stationed so near his own sleeping quarters. ¡°I¡¯m only bringing two maids with me,¡± Dan Yi said, as if he had heard the Zhenlong Emperor¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Haha! How can two maids possibly be enough? Zhen will ask the Empress to send some eunuchs and palace maids over to wait on you,¡± the Emperor said, relieved. He raised a hand and gestured to the Head Eunuch of the Imperial Palace, Eunuch Yuan. ¡°Get people to tidy up Danyang Palace now,¡± he instructed. Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Crown Prince: Why don¡¯t you want to live in the Eastern Palace? Birdie Gong: It¡¯s shabby Crown Prince: Why do you only look at Little Seventh, but not me? Birdie Gong: You¡¯re ugly Crown Prince: ¡­ Old Seventh, what do you think? Qiqi: My Laogong is absolutely right! Crown Prince: (vomits blood) ¡­ ¡­ CH 15 The Crown Prince felt like he¡¯d been slapped. His face was a little stiff as he tried to think about what to say to save face after Dan Yi¡¯s rejection. ¡°Shizi, do you find staying in the Eastern Palace to be inconvenient? I¡¯ve heard that the Phoenix King of every generation starts training in the Danyang Divine Martial Arts from a very young age. Could I ask what level Shizi has attained?¡± By saying this, he was trying to insinuate that Dan Yi was unwilling to stay in the Eastern Palace because he didn¡¯t want others to see him practicing his martial arts and thereby know his cultivation level. He waited for some time, but Dan Yi didn¡¯t respond, as if he didn¡¯t even hear his question. He continued selecting cherries casually and popping them into his mouth. The Crown Prince¡¯s face was livid now. Lan Shanyu bent down and served Dan Yi some food so that he wouldn¡¯t just keep eating cherries. He put the serving chopsticks down, then smiled at the Crown Prince. ¡°Dianxia, you have asked a Heaven-class question. If you wish to know the answer, you may exchange it with one of the Heaven-class tablets you received earlier,¡± he said. This was considered a Heaven-class question? The Crown Prince¡¯s face reddened, his teeth clenching together as he struggled to maintain his composure. ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. It was just a casual question,¡± he said. The Jiyang Sect¡¯s leader, Yao Xiong, couldn¡¯t help speaking up on hearing the conversation that was going on on the dais. ¡°Since the Cloud Palace¡¯s Young Master will be staying in the palace to study with the princes, I¡¯d very much like to also have my child do so. He can be one of the Crown Prince¡¯s designated study partners too,¡± he said. Yao Xiong clapped his son on the back. His son¡¯s name was Yao Guang, and he looked very much like Yao Xiong ¨C six feet tall, and very sturdily built. All conversation on the dais ceased immediately. Lan Shanyu opened his fan with a flourish. ¡°What does Sect Leader Yao mean by this? My Young Master is merely visiting the palace for a short time. He is not here to be anyone¡¯s study partner,¡± he said, his expression frosty. Chen Ziqi was in the midst of drinking soup, and choked when he heard Lan Shanyu say this. He raised his head to look at the people on the dais, and saw that the Crown Prince¡¯s face was changing from pale to red and back again in a marvellously entertaining fashion. He looked like a malfunctioning chameleon. The Second Prince elegantly raised a winecup to his lips, allowing his wide sleeves to cover his face, the better to hide his amused smirk. The Crown Prince¡¯s self-important attitude always inadvertently produced hilarious results. The Second Prince hoped the Crown Prince would never change ¨C look how entertaining today was! Yao Xiong thought about what the Zhenlong Emperor had said earlier. ¡°The Phoenix King has agreed to let you stay in the Imperial Palace for a while¡± was what he had said. This didn¡¯t mean that Dan Yi was here to be anyone¡¯s study partner, and he felt a little embarrassed. The rest of the audience also realised their mistake. By staying in the Imperial Palace, Dan Yi was not indicating that he submitted to the Emperor¡¯s power, but was just here to visit as a family friend. The Crown Prince¡¯s face had taken a sound beating today, and he didn¡¯t dare to antagonize Dan Yi again. He couldn¡¯t offend Dan Yi if he didn¡¯t speak, so he chose to remain largely silent until the banquet ended. As the Jiyang Sect¡¯s leader was putting his first legitimate son in the palace to be the Crown Prince¡¯s study partner, the other sect leaders also started clamouring to have their sons in the palace as well. However, the number of study partners the Crown Prince could have was limited, and they couldn¡¯t accept everyone. The final decision was for Yao Guang and the Crown Prince¡¯s younger cousin, Luo Zheng, to remain in the palace. The Sword Alliance decided to have one of the disciples that Huang Huacan personally trained remain in the palace as the Second Prince¡¯s study partner. This disciple might be called a ¡®study partner¡¯, but everyone knew that he was here to teach the Second Prince the sword arts. Naturally, no one bothered giving princes with no power and no influence, like Chen Ziqi, any study partner. The banquet ended, and the princes left the main hall with the Emperor. Eunuch Yuan rushed over immediately. ¡°Reporting to the Emperor, the Danyang Palace has been in a state of disrepair for many years, and two of the large windows are broken. The renovations will take a few days, and it¡¯s not in a livable state right now,¡± he said in hushed tones. In a state of disrepair for many years¡­ Chen Ziqi rubbed his chin. The palaces in the Imperial Palace were usually maintained on a regular basis even if no one was staying in them, unless orders were expressly given to leave the place unattended. Danyang Palace was where the Phoenix King of every generation was supposed to stay when he visited the Imperial Palace. How could it have been allowed to fall into this shoddy state? He turned to look at Dan Yi, who was standing at the front of the main hall. That exquisite little face was still calm and expressionless. As Chen Ziqi looked at him, he started to harbour some wild thoughts. Dan Yi was really good looking and had a great personality. If they could be friends, how great would that be? Since the Danyang Palace needed a few days¡¯ repair work, Dan Yi would have to live elsewhere during this time. ¡°Given the situation¡­¡± the Crown Prince said, his tone reserved and hesitant. He had been taught a number of hard lessons today, and he didn¡¯t want to embarrass himself again. ¡°Perhaps Dan Yi can live with one of the princes for two days?¡± the Second Prince cut in. He wore a warm, welcoming expression on his face, and but there was a predatory kind of anticipation in his eyes. The Crown Prince glared at the Second Prince. ¡°I¡¯ll live with the Seventh Prince for a few days, then,¡± Dan Yi said suddenly. Huh? The Seventh Prince? Everyone was speechless. Chen Ziqi looked left and right, then raised a finger to point at himself. ¡°Me?¡± he asked in confusion. Dan Yi walked over and took Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand, the same hand that he was using to point at himself. The Second Prince had not expected this at all. He had only wanted to annoy the Crown Prince and give him some trouble, but he didn¡¯t think that Dan Yi would really live anywhere else but the Crown Prince¡¯s Shuangxue Palace these few days. Dan Yi had not only chosen to live with someone other than the Crown Prince, he¡¯d chosen Little Seventh, who had no clout or influence to speak of. The Crown Prince was intensely jealous. ¡°Why Little Seventh?¡± he couldn¡¯t help asking. These two couldn¡¯t have known each other beforehand, right? Chen Ziqi, whose hand was still held in Dan Yi¡¯s, also gave him a mystified look. Dan Yi¡¯s hand felt clean and warm, and he felt his heart grow a little warm, as if it were wrapped in a fuzzy blanket. He also felt strangely exultant; this was something that even the Crown Prince couldn¡¯t get if he wanted, but he had obtained it. ¡°He¡¯s good looking,¡± Dan Yi said matter-of-factly. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The rest of the princes were dumbfounded. ¡°Hahaha!!!¡± The Zhenlong Emperor looked at the two adorable, fair-skinned children holding hands, and couldn¡¯t help bursting into laughter. He¡¯d been too cautious earlier, thinking that the Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi was a dangerous person he needed to be on guard against. Now, it seemed that he really was just a child, selecting his playmates based on whether they were good looking or not. ¡°If you like Little Seventh, then by all means, live with him. We¡¯ll get your Danyang Palace sorted out in the meantime. Hahaha¡­¡± After saying this, the Emperor directed Eunuch Yuan to make the arrangements, and left with a broad smile on his face. ¡°Have fun, you two. If there¡¯s anything you need, come look for me,¡± the Second Prince said, smiling gleefully. He was very pleased with this outcome. Little Seventh was in his camp, and if he got along well with Dan Yi, that meant that Dan Yi would also be on his side in future. ¡°What a phony!¡± the Crown Prince sniffed disdainfully. He instructed his servant to send some nice things from Shuangxue Palace to Qingyun Palace, then spoke quietly to Chen Ziqi. ¡°Little Seventh, don¡¯t forget what we discussed the last time.¡± Chen Ziqi winked at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince nodded in satisfaction upon receiving this ¡°secret sign¡± from Chen Ziqi, then turned to leave. Everyone had left other than Chen Ziqi, Dan Yi and their servants. The two were still holding hands. ¡°Why did you wink at him?¡± Dan Yi asked, slightly displeased. ¡°I¡¯m messing with him,¡± Chen Ziqi said, raising his head and winking at Dan Yi. His huge peach blossom eyes made him look particularly adorable doing so. Dan Yi¡¯s lips, which were pressed firmly together in a straight line, relaxed when he saw this. He studied Chen Ziqi for a while. ¡°My name is Dan Yi, and I¡¯m eight this year,¡± he finally said. This sudden introduction drew a gasp of laughter from Chen Ziqi. ¡°I¡¯m Chen Ziqi,¡± he said simply. With that, he pulled Dan Yi toward the Qingyun Palace. ¡°You haven¡¯t said how old you are.¡± ¡°I¡¯m bigger than you. You can call me gege,¡± Chen Ziqi said cockily, swinging their linked hands. ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, you¡¯re only six,¡± Dan Yi said, giving Chen Ziqi a sideways glance. The fellow was a whole head shorter than he was. ¡°What are you looking at me like that for? I just haven¡¯t hit my growth spurt yet,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He bounced twice on the balls of his feet. ¡°If you already know how old I am, why bother asking? They say that it¡¯s rude to ask a question to which you already know the answer. You have to compensate me.¡± ¡°Huh? There¡¯s such a saying?¡± Dan Yi asked, furrowing his brows. ¡°Of course! You should read more.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± ¡°How do you write the word ¡°yi¡± in your name?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, bounding happily in front of Dan Yi. ¡°The ¡°yi¡± in san shui yi,¡± Dan Yi said. He looked at the confused Chen Ziqi, then smirked at him. ¡°You don¡¯t know that? You should read more.¡± ¡°Bah, you probably don¡¯t even know how to write it yourself.¡± The two bantered noisily as they entered Qingyun Palace. Chang Er was embroidering in the garden pavilion, and when she saw that her son had returned, she happily called him over to drink some green bean soup. She then noticed Eunuch Yuan following behind him, and quickly stood up to greet him. ¡°Greetings, Chang Jieyu,¡± Eunuch Yuan said, smiling as he bowed to her. He explained what happened earlier, and that Dan Yi would be living with them for a few days. ¡°So this is the Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi? He¡¯s very good looking,¡± Chang Er said, squatting down to look at the exquisitely handsome little Dan Yi. She couldn¡¯t resist reaching out a hand to caress that fair-skinned, tender-looking little face. ¡°Jieyu niangniang, my greetings to you,¡± Dan Yi said, dipping his head respectfully. ¡°Good boy,¡± Chang Er said, smiling broadly. This was the first time she¡¯d seen a child that was actually better looking than her own son. Pfft, even the feel of his skin was too good to be true. Eunuch Yuan was both astonished and horrified by Chang Jieyu¡¯s actions. He was afraid that the little lordling would throw a tantrum. However, Dan Yi just stood there obediently and let Chang Er do what she pleased, with no sign of throwing any tantrum whatsoever. ¡°These are for the Shizi¡¯s use,¡± Eunuch Yuan said, pointing to the boxes in the junior eunuchs¡¯ arms. ¡°We came in a hurry, so we haven¡¯t assigned any palace maids or eunuchs to wait on him yet. We¡¯ll send them over later today.¡± ¡°Nn,¡± Dan Yi said. He was eating the green bean soup that Chang Er offered him. ¡°Lan Shanyu will send two maids over. Eunuch Yuan, if I could trouble you to make arrangements for them to come here.¡± ¡°Certainly,¡± Eunuch Yuan said, smiling. He motioned to the young eunuchs to set down the large boxes containing items for the Shizi¡¯s use, and asked other servants to bring some cut fruits over before leaving Qingyun Palace. The Cloud Palace¡¯s two maids arrived in the evening. They were a pair of twins called Linghe and Lingguan who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. They appeared to be bright, intelligent girls, and their voices were sweet and pleasing to the ear. Chen Ziqi had originally thought that the Imperial palace servants were the epitome of good service, but when he saw how the two Cloud Palace maids waited on Dan Yi, he realised he was mistaken; his servants could be considered lazy next to these two. Lingguan opened one of the boxes and started swiftly arranging all the items contained inside. Before an hour had passed, Chen Ziqi¡¯s room looked completely different, as if it were brand new. The green gauze bedcurtains had been changed to indigo curtains made of soft, fine silk, and the bamboo mat on the bed was replaced with a jade mat made of fine, polished jade. The incense burner was filled with Sanyun incense, a cool scent that repelled mosquitoes, and the ice bower was filled to the brim with ice, cooling the room down considerably. Chen Ziqi took off his outer robes and climbed onto the bed in his thin snowsilk underclothes. The smooth, cool jade slats were a hundred times more comfortable than the bamboo mat, and he couldn¡¯t help rolling over on the bed in glee. He rolled over to where Dan Yi was sitting propped on a plush cushion reading a book. Dan Yi extended a hand and stopped Chen Ziqi¡¯s hairy head from rolling into him. He glanced at Chen Ziqi. ¡°It¡¯s the dog days of summer* now. Don¡¯t you feel hot sleeping in your underclothes?¡± *T/N: The hottest days of summer are called ¡°dog days¡± or san fu tian (Èý·üÌì). Of course he felt hot. Chen Ziqi pulled at his underclothes. Ordinarily, he slept without a stitch on, but he had a roommate today¡­ Well, they were both boys, so what did it matter? Chen Ziqi let the bedcurtains down, removed all his clothing, then dived into the blankets, flailing his legs about excitedly. Dan Yi put down the book in his hands and slid into the blankets as well. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking off your underclothes?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, turning to look at Dan Yi. He reached out to tug at Dan Yi¡¯s underclothes, which had an odd, cold gleam to them. ¡°This is made of frost silk, and makes the wearer feel cool,¡± Dan Yi said, yawning. It was indeed very cool to the touch. Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help caressing it a few more times. Lingguan took her leave, and Linghe brought out an embroidered mat to sit by the bedside. She held a round, woven fan in her hands and fanned the two children on the bed with it. ¡°Linghe, you should go and rest,¡± Chen Ziqi said, turning to the girl seated beyond the silk bedcurtains. He was not used to being waited on like this; was she going to fan them the whole night? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dianxia, I have neili in my body, and it¡¯s no matter even if I don¡¯t sleep for three days,¡± Linghe said lightly, smiling. Chen Ziqi had always had a gentlemanly nature, and tended to worry about women and girls exhausting themselves. Satisfied that Linghe would be fine, he turned back to Dan Yi and gave him a huge grin. Dan Yi looked helplessly at Chen Ziqi¡¯s bright, shining eyes. The boy obviously was in no mood to sleep. ¡°Dianxia, if you cannot sleep, perhaps I¡¯ll sing you a lullaby?¡± Linghe suggested. ¡°Okay!¡± Chen Ziqi said, nodding enthusiastically. He had never heard a lullaby before. The fan in Linghe¡¯s hands never stopped moving as she cleared her throat, then started to sing in a soft, sweet voice. The Jade Mountain has a hundred spirits; they call at sunrise, they call at sunset. Morning and night, birds return home; they chirp at moonrise, they chirp at moonset. Little ones, sleep on a branch, soar over the high cliffs and gardens. Quickly grow up little ones, to pass through the clouds, and into the highest heavens. CH 16 Linghe¡¯s voice was particularly lovely. The soft, lilting tune was incredibly soporific, and Chen Ziqi found himself being lulled gently to sleep. In a sleepy haze, he wondered why the little ones would sleep on branches and soar in the sky, but before he could think this through, he slipped into a deep sleep. In his dreams, he grew a pair of wings and flew to the mountain cliffs to enjoy the beautiful scenery, the wind whooshing past his ears. Then, something warm pressed against his chest. It was uncomfortable, and he flapped his wings harder, trying to fly above the cliffs, but his wings wouldn¡¯t listen to him, and he suddenly started free-falling toward the ground. ¡°Ah!¡± Chen Ziqi woke up in a fright. He stared blankly into space for a moment, then rubbed his eyes. The early light of dawn filtered in through the windows, gently illuminating his pillow and the polished jade mat on it. Something seemed to be missing. Chen Ziqi thought hard, and his memories of the previous day came rushing in. Where was the Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi? He flipped the thin blankets off, and saw his frost silk-clad bunkmate curled into a ball at his side, his face pressed firmly against his chest. Dan Yi seemed to feel the chill at having his blankets removed, and cuddled even closer to him. Chen Ziqi now knew why he had started falling in his dream. His four limbs were firmly restrained by the octopus that was Dan Yi! Of course he couldn¡¯t fly. He reached out a hand and tugged on Dan Yi¡¯s ear. ¡°Cock-a-doodle-doo!¡± he crowed. ¡°It¡¯s time to get up.¡± Dan Yi slapped away the hand that had dared to pull his ear, then opened his eyes. What came into sight was a swath of fair skin and two pink little cherries. Dan Yi suddenly felt hungry. He stared blankly ahead for a few moments more, then realised what he was doing, and quickly released his hands from Chen Ziqi¡¯s waist. ¡°You know, when chicks sleep, they snuggle under their mother¡¯s feathers,¡± Chen Ziqi said, laughing. ¡°You sleep exactly like that.¡± This fellow looked to be so prim and proper. Who knew that his sleeping habits were anything but? Dan Yi sat up. He felt slightly embarrassed, and pressed his lips together, not knowing what to say. Chen Ziqi crawled over toward him, his butt sticking up in the air. He tilted his head and observed Dan Yi. ¡°Oh my! Your ears are red ¨C are you a girl? Your skin is really so thin, hahaha!¡± he teased Dan Yi. On hearing this, Dan Yi¡¯s entire face turned red. He glared at Chen Ziqi with a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment, then pushed him aside and jumped off the bed. Linghe resisted the urge to smile from her seat beside the bed, then got up and helped Dan Yi to dress. After breakfast, the two headed to Chunxi Hall together. Dan Yi had refused to speak to Chen Ziqi the entire morning, and their breakfast was spent in frightful silence. Even now, Dan Yi was not showing any signs of thawing at all. Chen Ziqi followed behind Dan Yi on his short little legs, scratching his head as he looked at Dan Yi¡¯s back. His previous interactions with other children in Jiuru Town had always been loud and boisterous; they teased each other mercilessly, and if anyone took offence at something someone had said, they¡¯d just hit each other a few times and be done with it. Those rules of engagement didn¡¯t seem to apply to the coldly aloof Dan Yi. He bounded up two steps to overtake Dan Yi, then turned around to face him, continuing to walk with his back facing the front. ¡°What?¡± Dan Yi asked, his tone slightly unfriendly. Chen Ziqi did his best to continue walking backwards without falling over. He put his hands behind his back so that his body would sway with his steps. This made him look rather contrite. ¡°Umm¡­ why don¡¯t you hold my hand when we walk any more?¡± he asked. His soft, sweet little voice made it very hard for anyone to continue being angry with him. ¡°This road is really long¡­¡± Chen Ziqi spread out his hands to emphasise this. He looked back to see where he was going, and at that moment, his foot caught on a stone. He tripped and started falling backward. Dan Yi flashed forward and caught hold of his collar, pulling him upright. The two children stood where they were, looking at each other. Chen Ziqi blinked innocently at Dan Yi. Dan Yi hesitated for a moment, then extended a hand with his palm facing up. ¡°Hehe!¡± Chen Ziqi put his hand in Dan Yi¡¯s and locked his fingers around that warm little hand. Their small little quarrel was over just like that. The two continued holding hands as they walked toward Chunxi Hall. Qingyun Palace was situated in a remote area of the palace, and getting to Chunxi Hall required them to walk a very long palace road. This road was flanked on both sides by high walls. Chen Ziqi always felt that this road was very scary, and would walk quickly to get past it as soon as possible. Today, however, with a friend by his side, he wasn¡¯t afraid any more, and started to find this road interesting. ¡°How high do you think these palace walls are?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, pointing at the green-tiled walls. They were so high that he had to tilt his head backwards in order to see the top. ¡°Three zhang and seven chi*,¡± Dan Yi said precisely. *T/N: This is about 10 metres. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Chen Ziqi turned to look at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know a lot,¡± Chen Ziqi said, rolling his eyes inwardly. Shouldn¡¯t the appropriate reaction be to exclaim excitedly over how tall the wall was with him? Dan Yi forced down the sides of his mouth that were threatening to twitch into a smile. He raised his chin slightly. ¡°Nn,¡± he acknowledged in a dignified manner. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Most of the princes had already assembled at Chunxi Hall, and were chatting in groups of two and three while waiting for lessons to start. The Crown Prince had gained two lackeys from his appointment ceremony ¨C his younger cousin Luo Zheng, and the big, burly Yao Guang. Luo Zheng was fifteen this year, and would have been pleasant looking if not for his slanting fox eyes, which were the same as the Guifei¡¯s eyes. They made him look rather crafty. Luo Zheng was in the midst of demonstrating the Liuhe Sect¡¯s martial arts to the Crown Prince. He struck a solid horse-riding stance, gathered his qi in his Elixir Field, and punched out with his fists a few times, channeling his qi through them. Three breaths later, the fallen leaves and dust around him swirled a little around his feet. Chen Ziqi looked at this display in awe. In Jiuru Town, there might have been a lot of martial artists, but they were mostly the low level kind that practised external gongfu and weren¡¯t direct disciples of their sects. People with actual neili were few and far between, and whenever they appeared, they were practically worshipped as heroes. Chen Ziqi¡¯s dream had always been to become a highly skilled martial arts hero. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t known Old Man Plum for long, and he had only learnt six skills shown in the Tianyan Wanxiang Gong book. He had memorised the theory of the rest, but he didn¡¯t know how to put it into practice at all. Now that he was in the palace, he could only learn that ambiguous Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl that no one seemed to be able to master, and it seemed that his dreams of becoming a great martial arts hero were slipping through his fingers. When he looked at Luo Zheng, he couldn¡¯t help but consider a wild thought ¨C could he use the Crown Prince¡¯s lackey to finish learning the Tianyan Wanxiang Gong? ¡°Ha!¡± Luo Zheng yelled abruptly. He was still channeling his qi, and punched out in the direction of a small sapling, his palm facing forward. He didn¡¯t make physical contact with the sapling, but it swayed left and right, and some of its leaves fluttered to the ground. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s amazing!¡± the Eighth and Ninth Princes called out, applauding. ¡°Please, how is that amazing? My Jiujiu is far more amazing,¡± Ah Mu muttered. ¡°What do you know?¡± the Fourth Prince said, glaring at Ah Mu. ¡°Luo Zheng is only fifteen, and he can channel his qi to move solid objects! At that age, people are usually only able to start gathering qi, not channel it.¡± Ah Mu wanted to say something, but didn¡¯t know how to phrase it properly, so he just frowned and pursed his lips. ¡°Anyway, my Jiujiu is the most amazing.¡± Everyone ignored him. They started clamouring for Yao Guang to demonstrate the Jiyang Sect¡¯s punching technique. ¡°My channeling ability isn¡¯t as good as Brother¡¯s Luo¡¯s. I¡¯ve only just managed to reach the sixth level of qi cultivation,¡± Yao Guang said, scratching his head. He walked to the same little sapling, then struck it with a qi-enhanced punch. ¡°Crack!¡± The sapling, which was about as thick as a man¡¯s wrist, broke into two. ¡°Wow!!!¡± A few of the younger princes exclaimed in astonishment. The Crown Prince¡¯s eyes swept across the audience in a circle. He was very pleased with the effect that Yao Guang and Luo Zheng had produced. His eyes fell on Chen Ziqi¡¯s hungry, envious gaze, and he couldn¡¯t resist laughing softly. Dan Yi looked at Chen Ziqi¡¯s expression, and the lips that had started turning upward during their walk to Chunxi Hall turned downward again. Just then, Prince Qi arrived. Everyone went to their places and prepared to strike the horse-riding stance. Dan Yi stood next to Chen Ziqi. ¡°Dan Yi, do you know how to do this? Do you need me to teach you?¡± Chen Ziqi whispered. Dan Yi didn¡¯t answer. He flowed straight into the horse-riding stance, moving as easily as if he were just changing the way he stood. His feet were steady and balanced, as if they were nailed to the ground, and his upper body posture was perfect, straight and relaxed. It might have just been a simple horse-riding stance, but he did it so elegantly, it was difficult to take one¡¯s eyes off him. Chen Ziqi gaped at him. Even though he didn¡¯t know much about martial arts, it was plain that Dan Yi¡¯s level was far above theirs. Catching sight of Chen Ziqi¡¯s bright, admiring gaze, Dan Yi suddenly felt strangely elated. ¡°Breathe evenly, keep your thoughts clear, and recite the gongfa* in your head,¡± Dan Yi said, before turning back to concentrate on practising his gongfa. *T/N: In Chen Ziqi¡¯s context, gongfa is the theory of that particular martial art. In Dan Yi¡¯s context, gongfa is the actual practice of the martial art. Dan Yi had very nice looking hands. It was still a little boy¡¯s hand, but it was more slender than other children of his age. His two hands pressed together, one above and one below, then moved apart slowly, the middle finger of each hand touching the palm of the other hand. He switched the position of his hands in a smooth rolling motion and repeated what he did before again. One could faintly see strong qi circulating between his palms. Then, Dan Yi¡¯s wrists and shoulders suddenly burst into motion, executing a series of extremely complicated moves at a measured pace. All the onlookers were awed by the sight. Dan Yi¡¯s hands seemed to fly as he executed those beautifully elegant moves faster and faster, until his hands became a blur of movement. ¡°Is this the ¡®Cloud Dispelling Fists¡¯ Technique of the Danyang Divine Martial Arts?¡± Prince Qi asked in wonder. Yao Guang¡¯s lips twisted in annoyance. This Dan Yi really knew how to show off; even when everyone was just holding a horse-riding position, he knew how to make himself stand out. Thinking this, he also started practising his punches, trying to impress the princes, who were still learning the basics of martial arts. ¡°Hoo! Hah!¡± Yao Guang was practising his punches noisily, but no one even bothered to look in his direction. Everyone was transfixed by Dan Yi¡¯s movements. ¡°What¡¯s this ¡®Dispelling the Clouds¡¯?¡± the Crown Prince asked his cousin, who was standing next to him. ¡°It should be one of the techniques of the Danyang Divine Martial Arts,¡± Luo Zheng said vaguely. He wasn¡¯t sure himself. The Masters of the Cloud Palace had always been very secretive and rarely showed their skills in public. Not much was known about the Danyang Divine Martial Arts, and what little they did know mostly came from rumours, the accuracy of which left much to be desired. The large bulk of Danyang martial arts techniques had never been seen in public before. The Crown Prince gave Yao Guang a meaningful look. Yao Guang had been suppressing his irritation, and immediately stood up upon being given a chance to vent. ¡°I have often heard of the great Danyang Cloud Dispelling Fists, and I have finally been able to see it in the flesh today. If I may be so bold, may I ask the Cloud Palace¡¯s Young Master to teach me some of it?¡± In the martial arts world, it was not discourteous to ask to be taught by someone who had just publicly demonstrated his gongfa. It was within the demonstrator¡¯s rights to refuse, however. Dan Yi ignored him. He continued practising his martial arts. Meanwhile, Prince Qi was itching to have a friendly duel with Dan Yi. Without any warning, he moved forward and started exchanging blows with Dan Yi. In the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl, there was a technique called ¡®Roving Dragon Follows The Moon¡¯, which was complementary to the Danyang Cloud Dispelling Fists Technique. Even though Prince Qi did not have neili, he could still match blows with Dan Yi. Dan Yi was still an eight-year-old child, so Prince Qi squatted down to be at his eye level. ¡°Thump thump thump!¡± The four hands exchanged blows quicker than the eye could follow, and after about a hundred moves, Dan Yi¡¯s hand contacted Prince Qi¡¯s face with a loud smack. A red palm print immediately blossomed on Prince Qi¡¯s honey-coloured skin. The audience immediately fell silent. Dan Yi clasped his hands together respectfully, the fingers and palm of one hand wrapped around the other. ¡°Good match,¡± he said. ¡°Hahaha. I¡¯m addicted now, let¡¯s have another go tomorrow,¡± Prince Qi said, after he¡¯d recovered from his initial shock. He laughed out loud. Chen Ziqi was astonished. So this Dispelling Cloud Fist technique was specially developed to slap people? That was so useful! He didn¡¯t bother with his horse-riding stance any more, and bounded over to Dan Yi and tugged on his hand. ¡°This move is really awesome, can you teach it to me?¡± ¡°Hmpf!¡± Yao Guang sniffed coldly, then punched out fiercely at Dan Yi just as Prince Qi had. Chen Ziqi was standing right in front of Dan Yi, and the punch looked like it was aimed at him. Dan Yi immediately stood up from his horse-riding stance, pulled Chen Ziqi behind him, and hit back at Yao Guang. Dan Yi¡¯s punch looked to be light as a feather, but its impact was like a ton of bricks. Yao Guang stumbled back a few steps. He grit his teeth, refusing to admit his loss. He charged forward again, punching rapidly with his fists, wanting to experience the Cloud Dispelling Fist technique again. Yao Guang was very tall and sturdily built. He did not give Dan Yi the concession that Prince Qi did, squatting down so that they would be face-to-face. Dan Yi was still a child, and there was no way he could reach Yao Guang¡¯s face. Chen Ziqi was a bundle of nerves as he stood behind Dan Yi watching this scene. He looked at Yao Guang¡¯s thick legs, and in a sudden flash of inspiration, yelled, ¡°WHACK HIS BALLS!¡± Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater The Cloud Palace¡¯s advertisement on the Cloud Dispelling Fist Technique Birdie Gong: The Danyang Cloud Dispelling Fists are specially developed for all sorts of situations in which you feel dissatisfaction! Qiqi: It¡¯s great in a fist fight! Birdie Gong: It¡¯s great for slapping flirts with bad pickup lines! Qiqi: You can use it at home or when travelling! Birdie Gong and Qiqi: A must-have technique! CH 17 Yao Guang got a shock when he heard what Chen Ziqi said, and subconsciously shrank back in fear for just a split second. But in this split second of hesitation, Dan Yi found his weakness, and hit out instinctively. ¡°ARGHHH!!!!!¡± A scream of pain shattered the heavens. Yao Guang toppled to the ground and lay still, his two hands covering his crotch. The entire arena fell silent. Dan Yi looked at his hands. His expression slowly turned into one of disgust. ¡°Hahaha!!¡± Chen Ziqi was laughing so hard that he couldn¡¯t stand properly. He was draped over Dan Yi¡¯s shoulders at this point and had to hold on to Dan Yi to stop himself from falling over with laughter. Lingguan, who had been standing with the rest of the servants, immediately came forward with a damp handkerchief for Dan Yi to wipe his hands. The Crown Prince hurried forward to check on Yao Guang¡¯s condition. Yao Guang¡¯s face was contorted in pain, and the Crown Prince quickly instructed his servants to send for the Imperial physician. All the young men present knew exactly how painful Yao Guang¡¯s injury must be ¨C they themselves felt their balls ache just by looking at him. The Crown Prince shot a look at Luo Zheng, who was still staring blankly in shock, to come over and help. Yao Guang was the only son of the Jiyang Sect¡¯s leader, and if his fatherhood had been dealt with a critical blow, it would be very difficult for them to explain to him what had happened today. Luo Zheng recovered his senses, and squatted down next to Yao Guang. ¡°Brother Yao, are you alright?¡± ¡°Mmphh¡­.¡± Yao Guang was simply unable to form any words. Luo Zheng raised his head and looked at Dan Yi, who was still wiping his hands. ¡°It¡¯s just a friendly duel, did you really have to fight dirty?¡± he asked heatedly. Chen Ziqi was annoyed on hearing this. ¡°To begin with, he was the one standing up to fight Dan Yi,¡± he retorted. ¡°If he didn¡¯t want his crotch to get hit, then he should have just squatted down like Prince Qi. Serves him right for bullying a kid!¡± The crowd had originally thought Chen Ziqi to be the vicious one, but on hearing this, they all turned to stare at Yao Guang in an accusatory manner. It was true, actually he only had himself to blame; he was the one who charged out to challenge Dan Yi¡¯s Cloud Dispelling Fists and even fought him standing up, which put his crotch at Dan Yi¡¯s eye level. Wasn¡¯t he just asking for his crotch to get hit? Prince Qi coughed lightly. ¡°Injuries are common during friendly duels. Quick, call the Imperial physician over.¡± Yao Guang seemed to have been quite seriously injured. He was still absent from Chunxi Hall when they gathered to study after lunch. Chen Ziqi bit the handle of the brush he was holding, then stole a glance at Dan Yi, who was sitting at the desk next to him, listening seriously to the teacher. He wanted to ask, when the Cloud Dispelling Fists were used on that place, would it be crushed like a broken egg? If it were, then did it mean that Yao Guang would be like Fuxi and the other eunuchs¡­? The more he thought about it, the more curious he got. He finally took out a piece of paper and wrote a note to Dan Yi. At this time, Dan Yi was reading a book intently. This was a book that was written for the Imperial family, called the ¡°Dragon¡¯s Howl Thesis¡±. This was actually the secret instruction manual for the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl martial arts. The Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl was a type of high-calibre gongfa, and ordinarily, this book would not have been available for people to read. However, in the last few hundred years, nobody other than the men of the Chen bloodline had successfully cultivated this skill. The Imperial family was therefore not worried that others would try to secretly learn the technique, and allowed the book to be freely circulated among the princes for their study, the better to help them memorise the gongfa. Dan Yi lifted his brush, underlined the words ¡°Negative yin embraces positive yang, flushing the qi for harmony¡±, and narrowed his eyes in thought. The Danyang Divine Martial Arts also had a similar phrase in its first chapter, which went, ¡°Negative yin embraces positive yang, rolling the qi to make it soft¡±. ¡°Plop!¡± A little paper ball landed on his desk. Dan Yi turned around and saw Chen Ziqi wink at him. He opened the paper ball to read it. On the crumpled paper, the single word ¡°naked¡± was scrawled haphazardly, and below it was a very ugly looking drawing, which looked to be a thick stick flanked by two eggs. One of the eggs had a hole, and runny egg white was leaking out of it. The corners of Dan Yi¡¯s mouth twitched. He figured that Chen Ziqi was asking if Yao Guang¡¯s ¡°eggs¡± had been broken by him. This fellow was already six, but clearly didn¡¯t know very many words. Sticks and eggs? How vulgar. Dan Yi picked up a thinner brush, dipped it in ink, and started labelling the drawing. ¡®Testicles¡¯ was the first word he wrote after drawing a line out from the ¡°egg¡±. As he finished writing this, he suddenly felt someone¡¯s presence next to him, and raised his head quickly. The teacher, Professor Luo Yunsheng, was standing right beside him, bending his head to look at what he was writing. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Dan Yi was speechless. He wondered if he could somehow burn the paper to ashes then and there. It was obviously too late to save the situation. Luo Yunsheng picked up the paper, and studied it for a moment. ¡°How very interesting,¡± he said. Luo Yunsheng, courtesy name Hailou, was one of the ten great poets of the current Zhang dynasty. In a dynasty that placed the mastery of martial arts above all else, he was one of the very few people who preferred to apply himself to scholarly pursuits instead of martial ones. He was a swordsman by training, but he greatly preferred writing poems, and before he was thirty, had travelled all over the land to expand his horizons. He had an extensive knowledge of many subjects, and had seen much of the world. As such, he was not particularly outraged by the Seventh¡¯s Prince¡¯s shockingly vulgar drawing. Instead, he started critiquing it seriously. ¡°The word on top is so badly written, it must be written by the Seventh Prince,¡± Luo Yunsheng said, tapping on the chicken scrawl. He set the piece of paper down in front of Chen Ziqi. ¡°Look at the Shizi¡¯s handwriting. It has strength and character, and I¡¯m starting to see some personal flair there as well,¡± he said. ¡°Seventh Prince, your homework tonight will be to learn how to write like this. Write the word the Shizi wrote a hundred times.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ziqi scrunched up his face unhappily. He had just started learning to write, and his writing speed was very slow. The word ¡°testicles¡± also looked to be complicated, and he didn¡¯t know how long it was going to take him to write it a hundred times. ¡°Separately, since Shizi knows so many words, he can copy the first chapter of the ¡°Dragon¡¯s Howl Thesis¡± ten times,¡± Luo Yunsheng said blandly, before moving to check on the rest of the princes¡¯ work. When Dan Yi and Chen Ziqi returned to Qingyun Palace that night, they hurriedly went to do their homework in the study immediately after dinner. Chang Er was surprised. ¡°What¡¯s up with them today?¡± she asked Fuxi. That little bratty bastard never liked to practise his writing, and it was extremely unusual for him to be so hardworking about it. Had the sun risen in the west this morning? ¡°The professor gave a lot of homework today,¡± Fuxi said, not daring to tell Chang Er that his Dianxia had been punished by the teacher. Chang Er nodded, then looked at Ah Mu, who was here to freeload as usual. ¡°Little wooden block*, why aren¡¯t you going to do your homework?¡± *T/N: The ¡°mu¡± in Ah Mu¡¯s name means wood. Chang Er has given him a nickname as usual, and she calls him ¡°little wooden block¡±. ¡°I don¡¯t have any,¡± Ah Mu said, swinging his short little legs happily. He was still a very young child, and couldn¡¯t even hold a brush properly, so Luo Yunsheng was in no hurry to make him start practising his writing. He only had to memorise a few simple poems. ¡°Dianxia, we should be getting back soon,¡± Ah Mu¡¯s young eunuch reminded him. ¡°Chang mufei, I¡¯ll be back again tomorrow,¡± Ah Mu said reluctantly. He wanted to stay and play for a while more, but he knew that this wasn¡¯t his sleeping quarters, and Chang Er was not his mother, so he couldn¡¯t stay for too long. ¡°Sure,¡± Chang Er said, pinching Ah Mu¡¯s face lightly. She walked him out and watched as his fat little legs trotted out of her residence. She felt rather melancholy as she saw his small frame fade into the distance. If she had not struggled hard to survive to this day, her little bratty bastard would be just like Ah Mu, without anyone in the world to rely on. Ah Mu at least still had a responsible Jiujiu; if Chen Ziqi had been raised by his Jiujiu¡­ he¡¯d probably have been sold off long ago. Chang Er looked at the letters on the table, laughed a cold little laugh, then cast the letters aside. She picked up her sewing and threaded a needle. Autumn was coming, it was time to make clothes appropriate for that season. The embroidery department made very nice robes, but didn¡¯t seem to be able to make underclothes that fit Chen Ziqi well, so she still made those for him personally. In the study, Chen Ziqi¡¯s face was all scrunched up as he slumped on the table, copying the word ¡°testicles¡± a hundred times as instructed. ¡°Why does this word have so many letters?¡± he complained. Dan Yi was nearly done with his assignment. He turned to look at Chen Ziqi¡¯s handiwork and raised his eyebrows. That tangle of black ink didn¡¯t look like words at all. Actually, Chen Ziqi did want to learn how to write properly. However, the other princes started their education at three, and could write a thousand words by the time they were six. Even though he was able to recognise the words, he didn¡¯t know how to write them; reading and writing were actually two separate skills altogether. The teacher didn¡¯t seem to realise that, however. He assumed that if Chen Ziqi could read, he could write as well, and thus neglected to teach him the basics of writing. Chen Ziqi threw his brush down, walked over to Dan Yi¡¯s desk, then slumped down on it with a thump. He watched Dan Yi¡¯s brush skim lightly across the rice paper, drawing out the beautifully elegant lines of his handwriting. It was very pleasing to the eye. Chen Ziqi scratched his index finger with his thumb, hesitating, then suddenly asked, ¡°Dan Yi, can you teach me how to write?¡± Dan Yi looked up from his writing. ¡°If you teach me, I¡¯ll call you gege, how about that?¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling with his small, white little teeth showing. ¡°What benefit is it to me if you call me gege?¡± Dan Yi asked, putting down his brush. He folded his arms and looked at Chen Ziqi. ¡°We¡¯re technically from the same generation, so my calling you gege is a huge loss on my part,¡± Chen Ziqi said with a straight face. He took Dan Yi¡¯s hand in his and tugged him over to his desk. What kind of logic was this? Dan Yi was amused and annoyed all at once, but he let Chen Ziqi tug him over to the table that was full of his chicken scratchings on rice paper. ¡°Write a word for me to see,¡± Dan Yi said, lifting his chin, indicating to Chen Ziqi to pick up his brush and try on his own first. Chen Ziqi gripped the brush and applied it to the paper with great difficulty. After writing two letters, he had to look at the original again before continuing. Dan Yi shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not writing the strokes in the correct order,¡± he said. He picked up a brush, and wrote the word again for him slowly. He succeeded in teaching Chen Ziqi the order of the strokes, but couldn¡¯t seem to get him to hold the brush correctly. He finally stood behind Chen Ziqi, took his hand in his, and wrote the word once with their hands intertwined. The Phoenix Kings and Emperors of the past had always met when they were in their teens. He, however, had met his chosen one early enough that he could teach him how to write¡­ Dan Yi felt a queer mix of cocktail of haplessness and happiness as he held Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand. Dan Yi bent his head and looked at the paper they were writing on. The word ¡°TESTICLES¡± was written in huge letters all over the paper. Dan Yi¡¯s eyes, which had originally been curving into smiling half-moons earlier, suddenly fell back into a solemn position. In this historic moment when the future Phoenix King was teaching his chosen one how to write, they were writing this very vulgar word. What a waste. When Chen Ziqi was done writing, he pestered Dan Yi to teach him the Cloud Dispelling Fists technique again. ¡°This move is just so useful ¨C when I quarrel with anyone next time, I¡¯m gonna go right up and give that fellow a few tight slaps! Like this, smack, smack, smack!¡± Chen Ziqi said, slapping his right elbow with his left hand for emphasis. He was dressed in the middle layer of his robes, and his feet were bare. Dan Yi allowed Linghe to remove the silk strip holding his hair in place, then raised his hand to stop Chen Ziqi¡¯s slapping motion. ¡°You can¡¯t learn the Danyang Cloud Dispelling Fists,¡± he said. ¡°I know, I don¡¯t have neili,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He bounded over to face Dan Yi, then hugged Dan Yi¡¯s warm little body, placing his chin in his chest. He looked up from that position with bright, puppy dog eyes. ¡°I just want to learn the moves!¡± He thought back on how Dan Yi had countered Yao Guang¡¯s attack in one move by slapping his crotch. How simple was that? Once he learned it, he would alter it just a bit, to make its purpose solely to attack people¡¯s crotches. He would be invincible! Dan Yi turned, dragging Chen Ziqi, who was still stuck to him like glue. He walked to his desk, and picked up his copy of the ¡°Dragon¡¯s Howl Thesis¡±. ¡°You don¡¯t need to learn the Cloud Dispelling Fists. Learn the ¡°Roving Dragon Follows the Moon¡± instead,¡± he said. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ziqi stuck his head out below Dan Yi¡¯s arm, still holding on to his waist. He glanced at the document in his hands. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the divine martial art that nobody¡¯s mastered in forever?¡± Dan Yi looked at the head that had popped up below his armpit, then let his arm fall, trapping Chen Ziqi. ¡°You can master it.¡± ¡°A sneak attack! No fair!¡± Chen Ziqi protested, immediately reaching out to tickle Dan Yi. Dan Yi lost his balance, twisted a little and fell to the floor. The two children landed on the thick carpet, their limbs tangling together. ¡°Is the ¡°Roving Dragon Follows the Moon¡± as powerful as the Cloud Dispelling Fists?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, biting the clothes covering Dan Yi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°More or less,¡± Dan Yi said. He pulled his clothes from Chen Ziqi¡¯s teeth, then struggled to stand up. ¡°Alright. That settles it. I¡¯ll learn the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon,¡± Chen Ziqi declared. He wriggled his shoulders as if he were a roving dragon, and dove between Dan Yi¡¯s legs. Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Qiqi: Watch this, the ¡°Roving Dragon Follows the Moon¡±! Birdie Gong: If you use this to attack me, it¡¯s not called the ¡°Roving Dragon Follows the Moon¡± any more Qiqi: Then what¡¯s it called? Birdie Gong: The ¡°Roving Dragon Meets the Bird¡± Qiqi: ¡­ ¡­ Birdie Gong: I¡¯ve got other moves, wanna learn them? Qiqi: What else is there Birdie Gong: ¡°The Phoenix Enters the Cave¡±, ¡°Invading the Yellow Dragon¡± Qiqi: Can I not learn those? Birdie Gong: Nope Qiqi: _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï*)_ CH 18 Dan Yi used a technique called the ¡°Dispelled Clouds Reveal the Moon¡± and grabbed hold of Chen Ziqi¡¯s wrist easily, but Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand had already grabbed hold of his crotch. ¡°Hehe!¡± Chen Ziqi grinned, relaxing the wrist in Dan Yi¡¯s hand. The very moment Dan Yi released his grip, Chen Ziqi stretched out a finger and poked Dan Yi¡¯s little bird in a flash. ¡°You¡­¡± Dan Yi¡¯s face reddened instantly. ¡°Why do you blush so easily?¡± Chen Ziqi teased. He poked Dan Yi again in a most foolhardy manner, and was wrestled to the ground in retaliation. They both fell to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Dan Yi huffed angrily as he got up and made to leave. Chen Ziqi tugged on his belt to stop him. ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t be angry! I¡¯ll let you grab my crotch back, how about that?¡± he said. ¡°Please, who wants to grab yours?¡± Dan Yi sniffed derisively. He grabbed hold of Chen Ziqi¡¯s collar and dragged him to the bed. ¡°Do you want to learn or not?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course I do!¡± Chen Ziqi said animatedly. ¡°First, learn how to control your breathing. Without neili, you can only learn how to do the actions, and that¡¯s pretty much useless,¡± Dan Yi said, sitting cross-legged in front of Chen Ziqi. ¡°Control my breathing? I know that,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He also sat cross-legged and demonstrated the Tianyan Wanxiang Gong method that Old Man Plum had taught him. Dan Yi frowned and stopped him at once. ¡°Forget this. Don¡¯t use this ever again,¡± he said. Most of the neili cultivating methods originated from the Tianyan Wanxiang Gong, and mastering this ordinarily formed the foundation for learning other martial arts. However, the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl was not in the same family of martial arts as the Tianyan Wanxiang Gong at all. Chen Ziqi nodded dubiously. Dan Yi started teaching him a completely different method of controlling his breathing. This method was not difficult, and as it was a second-order breathing control method, it was in fact much easier than the Tianyan Wanxiang Gong¡¯s third-order breathing control method. In a third-order breathing control method, the first breath was short, the second breath was longer, and the third breath was the longest. This cycle then repeated ad infinitum. The second-order breathing method that Dan Yi was teaching Chen Ziqi was very different. One had to inhale in two breaths and exhale in a single long breath. Chen Ziqi tried out this method three times, then started to feel rather faint. Beansprout: Lol all this breathing reminds me of pilates ¡°Loosen your clothes,¡± Dan Yi said, supporting the unsteady Chen Ziqi. ¡°I¡¯m taking off my clothes again?¡± Chen Ziqi protested vaguely, scratching his head. However, he complied obediently, removing his belt and opening his robes to reveal his fair-skinned chest. Dan Yi reached out and pressed a hand on Chen Ziqi¡¯s soft little chest. ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t touch me here, hahaha!¡± Chen Ziqi giggled, wriggling away from Dan Yi¡¯s fingers. He was ticklish there and couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯m looking for your meridian,¡± Dan Yi said. He held Chen Ziqi down, looking earnestly for that elusive point. He wasn¡¯t experienced in doing this; he had only recently succeeded in attaining the first level of the Danyang Divine Martial Arts, so he had to press and prod Chen Ziqi carefully inch by inch. Chen Ziqi was laughing uncontrollably throughout this process, and had tears in his eyes from laughing too much by the time Dan Yi was finally done. ¡°Have mercy on me¡­¡± he moaned pitifully. Dan Yi made a mental note of Chen Ziqi¡¯s ticklish spot, but outwardly he displayed a serious expression. He tapped the meridian that he¡¯d just located. ¡°When you do the breathing technique, make sure your qi passes through this spot.¡± Chen Ziqi collected himself, then breathed in, and out, and in, and out¡­ He did this for a full hour, but nothing happened. He couldn¡¯t even feel his qi, let alone figure out if it was indeed passing through his meridian. Dan Yi pressed his palms to Chen Ziqi¡¯s and transferred a little neili to him. A warm, toasty feeling passed through Chen Ziqi¡¯s palms and traversed his whole body. It was as if someone had poured warm wine into his veins. He closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of the qi as it passed through his body. ¡°I think I kind of understand it now,¡± Chen Ziqi said, opening his eyes and scratching his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush it,¡± Dan Yi said, yawning. He lay down to sleep. Chen Ziqi exerted himself blindly for some time more without Dan Yi¡¯s guidance, but there was no improvement. He pursed his lips, then let himself fall limply onto the bed. He turned to look at the soundly sleeping Dan Yi. This fellow really slept very quickly. Chen Ziqi wriggled over and tilted his head to one side as he observed Dan Yi. Moonlight filtered in from beyond the bedcurtains, and Dan Yi¡¯s long eyelashes cast delicate shadows over his fair-skinned face. Now that he was so close to Dan Yi, he could also smell the sweet smell of his breath. Chen Ziqi grinned mischievously as he recalled the nightmare he had the previous night. It was time to get some revenge. He fastened his underclothes firmly, squirmed over to Dan Yi¡¯s side, and snuggled into Dan Yi¡¯s arms, hugging his soft little body tightly. He buried his face in Dan Yi¡¯s chest and drifted off into a contented slumber. Chen Ziqi awoke feeling hot and bothered in the middle of the night. He wanted to roll away to find a cooler spot, but found that his legs were firmly entwined in Dan Yi¡¯s, and he couldn¡¯t move an inch. Chen Ziqi ended up not sleeping well that night. When he awoke the next morning, there were bags under his eyes. ¡°Dianxia, are you feeling unwell?¡± Fuxi asked. He noticed Chen Ziqi looked rather off-colour that morning as he was dressing him, and was very worried. Lingguan hid a smile with her hand. She had been on duty last night, so she knew exactly what had happened. ¡°Last night, I dreamt that I was hugging a hot brazier to sleep, and that I was burned so badly that my skin fell off,¡± Chen Ziqi said, giving the clueless Dan Yi a pointed look. Chen Ziqi thought that he looked under the weather, but when he saw Berry Brown at Chunxi Hall, he thought he looked to be in the pink of health compared to Berry Brown¡¯s exhausted-looking face. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, clapping Chen Zimo on the back in a friendly way. Chen Zimo looked like he was about to fall asleep right then and there in the horse-riding stance. ¡°Hmm?¡± Berry Brown made a vague sound, then slowly raised his head to look at Chen Ziqi. ¡°Last night. Martial arts practice. Tired.¡± Chen Zimo had always been a person of few words. When he did speak, he usually spoke in this short, disjointed manner. ¡°The Sixth Prince is most hardworking,¡± the Third Prince said, walking over to peer at Chen Zimo. ¡°The Qi Confederate¡¯s gongfa is difficult to practice.¡± On the surface, it sounded like he was praising the Sixth Prince for his efforts to improve his martial arts, but when one read between the lines, he was actually insinuating that Chen Zimo was secretly learning the Qi martial arts. All of the princes were not allowed to practice martial arts other than the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl. The Second Prince was an exception, but he had to give up many things in exchange for this opportunity. Even the Third Prince, who had the high-ranked De Fei as his mother, had been unable to get a concession to learn swordsmanship. De Fei might be very highly ranked, but her clout was still a far cry from the Empress¡¯ at the end of the day. Cheng Jieyu was from the Suxin Sect, so it was very likely that she had taught Berry Brown some of the Qi Martial Arts before they had been summoned to the palace. The Zhenlong Emperor had indicated that he would overlook the fact that Chen Zimo had been taught the Qi Martial Arts in the past, but had also told them to stop practising this now that they had entered the palace. The other princes were all jealous that the Sixth Prince had learnt a bit of martial arts before. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Chen Zimo muttered softly. He didn¡¯t really know what to say in response. ¡°Suxin Sect¡¯s martial arts can only be learned by women. The Sixth Prince probably didn¡¯t learn that, and was only taught some external martial arts,¡± Yao Guang said, his confident voice ringing out across the martial arts arena. Cheng Jieyu was a direct disciple of one of the Qi Sects, so the Crown Prince naturally included her son Chen Zimo in his camp. When he saw that the Third Prince was giving Chen Zimo trouble, he immediately sent Yao Guang over to help him. Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t resist staring at Yao Guang¡¯s crotch. He seemed to be lively and in good spirits, so he probably hadn¡¯t suffered any permanent damage. It looked like the Cloud Dispelling Fists couldn¡¯t smash those ¡°eggs¡±, and Chen Ziqi wondered if the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon technique could. The hairs on the back of Yao Guang¡¯s neck prickled uncomfortably under Chen Ziqi¡¯s gaze, and he instinctively clamped his two legs together. ¡°It was just a casual comment. It¡¯s really disrespectful to speak to me like this. I¡¯m a prince, you know,¡± the Third Prince retorted. He had always had a glib tongue, and was able to shut Yao Guang up in a few sentences. Yao Guang had never had the gift of the gab and was not the Third Prince¡¯s match by a long shot. ¡°Yao Guang, you shouldn¡¯t speak that way. Quick, apologise to my third brother,¡± the Crown Prince said, gritting his teeth. At the end of the day, he still had to protect the dignity of the Imperial family. Yao Guang looked incredibly reluctant as he bowed and apologised to the Third Prince. The Third Prince only gave him a cold, disdainful sniff in reply, The Second Prince smirked as he looked on from afar. Chen Zimo had not said anything throughout this whole process. Chen Ziqi looked left and right, making sure that no one was watching, then quietly asked him to come back for lunch with him at Qingyun Palace. Every time Chen Zimo had a meal at Qingyun Palace, he seemed to fare alright for the next two days or so. As expected, Chen Zimo¡¯s eyes lit up on receiving Chen Ziqi¡¯s invitation, and he nodded happily in agreement. Ah Mu heard this and immediately raised his hand, indicating that he would be coming along too. Chen Ziqi smacked him on the head. ¡°When have you ever not had lunch at my place?¡± he said. Ah Mu was not in the least bit frightened of Chen Ziqi. He stuck out his tongue at him and ran off. Dan Yi frowned slightly. He didn¡¯t like it when it was crowded during mealtimes. Qingyun Palace was already lively enough on a regular day, and now Chen Ziqi had invited yet another person along. He thought to himself that he should hurry along the repairs for his Danyang Palace. ¡°The Autumn Hunt will be upon us soon. Rather than wasting energy on arguing with each other, go practice your archery instead,¡± Prince Qi admonished. He brought them all to the archery grounds behind the martial arts arena. The archery grounds were situated in the middle of a racecourse for racing horses. Sixteen targets were lined up in a row at the far end of the archery grounds. ¡°Imperial Uncle, am I also participating in the Autumn Hunt?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, clutching at an arrow. ¡°All princes above six years old have to participate,¡± the Crown Prince said, picking up a bow. It weighed six jun*, and had a dragon carved along the length of the bow. He nocked an arrow, then released it. The arrow whizzed away and landed solidly near the red bullseye. ¡°To protect the land, the Imperial family relies both on its generals and its troops. It¡¯s very important that the Imperial family masters both horsemanship and archery.¡± *T/N: Baidu says 1 jun is equivalent to 30 jin. I previously noted that 1 jin was 12kg, but that was my bad ¨C it¡¯s actually ? kg, not 12kg, oops. That makes 1 jun 15kg, so this bow is 90kg?! This Crown Prince must be a hulk. Prince Qi nodded approvingly at the Crown Prince¡¯s words. He directed the older princes to practise on their own, then went to teach the younger princes how to draw the bowstring. ¡°That¡¯s a two-jun bow,¡± Chen Ziqi warned softly, watching Dan Yi pick up a bow that was taller than himself. Prince Qi started teaching them archery a few days ago, so he knew how to recognise the weight of the bows. He found it very difficult to pull the bowstring, even for the lightest one-jun bows. Dan Yi was only older than him by two years, and using a two-jun bow might injure his hands. The Crown Prince shot three arrows in succession, and they all landed very close to the bullseye. The other princes immediately started praising his archery skills. ¡°My brother, your archery has improved even further,¡± the Fourth Prince said, full of admiration. ¡°Will you teach me?¡± The Crown Prince smiled proudly. He turned to look at the Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi, who clearly still intended to use the two-jun bow. He decided to grant Dan Yi the distinct honour of teaching him archery personally, in the hopes of getting close to him. ¡°Shizi, do you know how to draw the bow? I can teach you,¡± he said. Dan Yi didn¡¯t reply. He nocked an arrow, pulled the bowstring, then released the arrow in one smooth motion. ¡°Thwack!¡± The arrow lodged itself firmly in the very centre of the bullseye. He walked around the Crown Prince, who was still standing there awkwardly, and went to tug at Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you,¡± he said to Chen Ziqi. After archery class, Chen Ziqi and Dan Yi walked back to the Qingyun Palace to have lunch together. ¡°Why do you always ignore the Crown Prince?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, tilting his head curiously. The Crown Prince was the heir to the throne after all. Even if the Phoenix King was very powerful, he still had to give some face to the Crown Prince, didn¡¯t he? ¡°I feel like ignoring him, so I will,¡± Dan Yi said. He threw a glance over his shoulder, looking at Brown Berry and Ah Mu, who were trailing along behind them. ¡°Danyang Palace will be ready tomorrow.¡± ¡°Nn.¡± ¡°Come live with me.¡± ¡°Nn¡­ Huh?¡± Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Crown Prince: Why don¡¯t you say anything? Birdie Gong: This is a rule in my family, I hope you understand Crown Prince: What rule? Birdie Gong: We don¡¯t entertain fakes Crown Prince: QAQ Qiqi: I feel kinda bad that you only talk to me Birdie Gong: This is a rule in my family, I hope you can understand Qiqi: What rule? Birdie Gong: To talk to your spouse more Qiqi: ( ¨R ¦Ø ¨Q ) CH 19 At the lunch table, Berry Brown and Ah Mu ate like starving dogs again. They didn¡¯t even look up once. Dan Yi didn¡¯t have much of an appetite, and he just ate some vegetables slowly. ¡°Dan Yi, why don¡¯t you eat meat?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He tossed a piece of fish from his bowl into Dan Yi¡¯s bowl using his chopsticks. ¡°My mum says that if little children don¡¯t eat meat, they won¡¯t grow tall.¡± Linghe got the shock of her life. Her Young Master never ate food that had touched someone else¡¯s saliva, and Chen Ziqi had used his own chopsticks to give Dan Yi that piece of fish instead of using the serving chopsticks. Afraid that Dan Yi would be disgusted, Linghe immediately moved to use the common chopsticks to remove that piece of fish from her master¡¯s bowl. Dan Yi looked at the short little Chen Ziqi. ¡°You eat a lot of meat, but I don¡¯t see you growing,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t get to eat meat before,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He grabbed a big piece of pork elbow and polished it off in one big mouthful. He and his mother had been poor in the past, and could only afford to eat meat about once every ten days. Now that he could eat meat every day, he was determined to eat more to make for what he had missed out on previously. Dan Yi looked at Chen Ziqi applying himself assiduously to chewing his meat, then looked at the offending piece of fish in his bowl. Linghe¡¯s chopsticks had already extended to remove it, but he used his own chopsticks to pick it up and put it into his mouth. He ate it slowly, then swallowed. Linghe was astonished. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± she said uncertainly. Dan Yi waved his hands, dismissing her unspoken concern. Like Chen Ziqi, Chang Er also liked to eat pork elbow. The two of them polished off the dish in a trice and drank some soup to wash it down. Chang Er wanted to reach out to pinch Ah Mu¡¯s face, but discovered that Berry Brown was in between them. She decided to pinch Berry Brown¡¯s forearm instead. ¡°Zimo, you look like you¡¯ve gotten skinnier,¡± she remarked. ¡°Mmph..¡± Chen Zimo¡¯s hand shook violently, and the rice bowl he was holding fell onto the table with a crash. The rice fell out and spattered everywhere, giving Chang Er a big shock. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked. Berry Brown was trying to shrink away, but she grabbed hold of his arm and rolled up his sleeve. On that thin, tanned arm, there were a few black and blue lines that criss-crossed over each other. They looked like they had been made by a bamboo cane or something similar. Berry Brown pulled his arm out of Chang Er¡¯s grasp. He didn¡¯t say anything, and just picked up his rice bowl and continued to eat. Ah Mu looked at Berry Brown, then silently pushed the chicken in front of him towards Berry Brown. A hush fell over the table. Chang Er felt very unhappy about the situation, but she also wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Cheng Jieyu looked to be quite the formidable person, so it was unlikely that anyone would have dared to bully Chen Zimo. That really only left one possibility as to who the perpetrator of these injuries was. ¡°Moving forward, why don¡¯t you come eat lunch here with me and Ah Mu every day?¡± Chen Ziqi said, breaking the silence. He picked up his chopsticks, and once again applied himself to stuffing food into his mouth. To him, Chen Zimo¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t anything surprising; in Jiuru Town, there were countless children who had been abused by their parents. Cheng Jieyu didn¡¯t seem like a maternal person, so he didn¡¯t find it odd that she would beat Berry Brown. He just found it very cruel that she starved him as well. A ray of hope shone in Berry Brown¡¯s eyes. He turned to get Chang Er¡¯s approval. Chang Er gave Chen Ziqi a pointed look, then turned to smile at Berry Brown. ¡°The little b¡­ prince is right. Come over with Ah Mu in future,¡± she said. She had nearly called Chen Ziqi ¡°little bratty bastard¡± out of habit. After Berry Brown and Ah Mu went to the guestrooms to take a nap, Chang Er grabbed hold of Chen Ziqi by the ear. ¡°You little bratty bastard, stop sending random children to your old mother here. Ah Mu is one thing ¨C he doesn¡¯t have any family at all, but Chen Zimo has a mother! It¡¯s not appropriate for me to interfere with his care,¡± she said. If Cheng Jieyu thought that she was trying to steal Chen Zimo from her, there was definitely going to be trouble. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that he was practically starving to death?¡± Chen Ziqi said, struggling out of Chang Er¡¯s grasp. ¡°I¡¯ve taken Berry Brown in as my brother, and I¡¯m only inviting him for a meal. Don¡¯t kick up such a fuss.¡± ¡°Oh, you think this is a fuss?¡± Chang Er asked threateningly, raising a hand to smack him. Chen Ziqi escaped as fast as lightning. He ran and hid behind Dan Yi, who was drinking tea in the garden pavilion. On seeing Dan Yi, Chang Er put down her hand. ¡°Niangniang, I¡¯ve just brewed some lotus leaf tea. It¡¯s good for warding against the dry air in autumn. Would you like some?¡± Linghe said, smiling as she filled two teacups for Chang Er and Chen Ziqi. The tea smelt of fragrant lotus leaves, and Linghe had added some sugar to it. The taste was pleasantly sweet and refreshing. ¡°This lotus leaf tea is really nice. I can never make it taste like this,¡± Chang Er said. She couldn¡¯t help taking another sip. ¡°You always don¡¯t add enough rock sugar, so of course it isn¡¯t as nice,¡± Chen Ziqi muttered. He finished his tea and pulled a face at his mother. Chang Er grit her teeth, then mouthed ¡°You little rascal!*¡± at Chen Ziqi. She didn¡¯t say anything out loud. She looked at Chen Ziqi, who was sitting beside Dan Yi as naturally as could be. She found this very strange. Weren¡¯t these two kids just introduced a few days ago? *T/N: Actually, Chang Er calls him a little rabbit (ÍÃáÌ×Ó), but it doesn¡¯t have the same feel in English. She¡¯s basically calling him a rascal. ¡°Wanbei* has something to discuss with niangniang,¡± Dan Yi said, putting down his teacup. Even that simple motion looked cultured and refined. *T/N: Wanbei (Íí±²) is how someone of a later generation would address someone of an earlier generation. It literally means ¡°I of the later generation¡±. This is a very polite form of address coming from Dan Yi. Chang Er nodded, transfixed by Dan Yi¡¯s good looks and elegant deportment. She¡¯d always felt that Dan Yi gave off even more of a regal air than the Imperial princes who were older than him. She turned to look at Chen Ziqi, who was holding his teacup in both his hands and guzzling tea noisily. Urgh, she didn¡¯t even want to think about how lacking in regal bearing her son was compared to Dan Yi! ¡°Danyang Palace will be ready tomorrow. I¡¯m a little afraid to live in such a big palace on my own. Could you let Chen Ziqi stay there with me for some time?¡± Dan Yi said, smiling disarmingly at Chang Er. Let her son live in another palace? Chang Er was rather reluctant to do so. She and Chen Ziqi had always been together all this while. She looked over to see Chen Ziqi¡¯s reaction, and immediately felt her teeth ache in irritation. Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes were giving her a look that said he really, really wanted to go stay with Dan Yi. Sons really were unfilial when they grew up ¨C this Chen Ziqi clearly had forgotten all about her now that he had a new playmate! ¡°Fine, since you two want to play together, he can go stay with you,¡± Chang Er said. She felt like she had overlooked something. After racking her brains for a while, she recalled some of the palace rules that she had been taught. ¡°Danyang Palace is the residence of the Phoenix King though. I think it¡¯s best if you got the Emperor¡¯s approval first.¡± ¡°I will let the Emperor know about this,¡± Dan Yi said, nodding in satisfaction. Chang Er felt a little out of place, so she stood up to leave. She gestured to Chen Ziqi to come with her. When he refused to budge, she grabbed hold of him physically in annoyance. ¡°You¡¯re really getting out of hand. Come with me now,¡± she said. Chen Ziqi was dragged off by his mother, and he turned to cast a pitiful look in Dan Yi¡¯s direction. Dan Yi had already achieved his goal, so he didn¡¯t intend to interfere in the mother and son¡¯s affairs. He picked up his teacup and sipped his tea slowly, giving Chen Ziqi a ¡°what can I possibly do?¡± look. Chen Ziqi bared his teeth at Dan Yi, making various hand signs at him and mouthing curses at him for being disloyal. Chang Er dragged him into the house and closed the door. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Chen Ziqi asked his mother. Chang Er released him, and before he could get his footing, a letter smacked lightly onto his face, then fell onto the floor. Chen Ziqi picked it up. It was addressed to ¡°My dear sister Chang Er¡±. ¡°Your jiujiu sent us a letter,¡± Chang Er said, pursing her lips. It was undoubtedly a letter asking for money or something similar. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to bother with it, but since you¡¯re moving to the Danyang Palace tomorrow, I won¡¯t have anyone to read it to me. Read it to me now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that many words either,¡± Chen Ziqi muttered. He nevertheless opened the letter despite his protests. The chief of the farmlands had probably helped to write it. Even the paper used for the letter was the high grade paper that only the chief had. I heard that you¡¯ve been made a Jieyu. Jingang Sect has sent us a lot of nice things. Chief Zhou has also given us two chickens and a goat. Chief Zhou is very something something to our family, he¡¯s even something that little house of yours. The Jingang Sect has also invited our family to their Mid-autumn Festival celebrations. Your sister-in-law, your nephew and I don¡¯t have anything appropriate to wear, and we¡¯re afraid that we¡¯ll embarrass you if we don¡¯t dress well. Can you tell the Emperor to give our family something a few nice clothes to wear¡­ Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t know how to read all of the words, so when he encountered a word that he couldn¡¯t read, he replaced it with the word ¡°something¡±. Chang Er barked a derisive laugh. ¡°They want me to go ask the Emperor to bestow some nice clothes on them? Who do they think he is? I¡¯m not an ordinary daughter-in-law who can ask her father-in-law for some hand-me-downs to give to my poor relatives! This is the Emperor we¡¯re talking about!¡± She didn¡¯t think her brother would be dumb enough to ask her for something like this, so it was probably her sister-in-law who came up with this idiotic idea to try and get clothes from the palace. She obviously just wanted to be able to impress the people of the Jingang Sect. ¡°I hear Li Pin niangniang was originally from the Jingang Sect.¡± Fuyuan, the head eunuch of the Qingyun palace, suddenly spoke out of the blue. Chang Er stared blankly into space for a moment, then realised what this meant. Li Pin had had two of her fingers cut off because she had practised the Pincers of Steel technique, and this was one of the secret techniques of the Jingang Sect. When they were still living in Jiuru Town, she had also heard people say that the younger sister of the Jingang Sect leader had married into the Imperial Palace¡­ ¡°Shit!¡± Chang Er exclaimed, slapping her hand on the table. Even though she wasn¡¯t particularly fond of her sister-in-law and her nephew, they were still her brother¡¯s family at the end of the day. She couldn¡¯t let them walk blindly into this trap. Chen Ziqi smirked, revelling in their misfortune. ¡°Do you think the Jingang Sect leader will cut off Chang Jiabao¡¯s two fingers to get revenge for his sister?¡± he asked, making snipping motions with his hands. ¡°Shut up!¡± Chang Er smacked Chen Ziqi¡¯s arm. ¡°You walk around like a peacock in the palace but secretly get your relatives killed ¨C you think that¡¯s how you should behave?¡± Chen Ziqi held his arm where Chang Er had hit him, his lips curled in dissatisfaction. ¡°Then what do you plan to do?¡± he asked after a moment. ¡°Write a letter for me back home,¡± Chang Er said, clenching her teeth. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, climbing onto his chair and laying out a random sheet of paper on his desk. ¡°Scram,¡± Chang Er said decisively. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t know how to write the word ¡°scram*¡±, so he had no choice but to ask Dan Yi for help. ¡°Help me write a letter to my jiujiu,¡± he said. *T/N: I know ¡°scram¡± isn¡¯t a hard word in English, but the Chinese word is gun (¹ö), which isn¡¯t that easy to write ¨C I mean, look at it. Dan Yi: ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± As such, ten days later, the farmlands received a letter from the palace, addressed to ¡°my dear brother¡± in flowing, imperious-looking script. The Chief immediately called the Chang family over and opened the letter reverently in their presence. On that snow white sheet of paper, there was only one huge word, written in that same imperious-looking script. ¡°What does it say?¡± ¡°SCRAM!¡± Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: My spouse asked me to help him write a letter home. Do you think this means he recognises my position in the family? Qiqi: Sure sure, I¡¯ve recognised it. Just write it, quick Birdie Gong: What¡¯s the content? Qiqi: ¹ö*! *T/N: Here, ¹ö means ¡°scram¡±. Birdie Gong: I¡¯m talking to you nicely, why are you being rude to me?! Qiqi: The content is ¡°¹ö!¡± Birdie Gong: Using only one word isn¡¯t clear. Do you want to ¹ö* on the bed or ¹ö* on the carpet? *T/N: ¹ö here means ¡°roll¡±. Birdie Gong is asking Qiqi if he wants to have sexytime on the bed or on the carpet. Qiqi: ¡­ ¡­ ¹ö*! *T/N: ¹ö here means ¡°scram¡± again. Don¡¯t you just lurve the Chinese language? :3 CH 20 The Chief couldn¡¯t help blanching on seeing the contents of the letter. Thereafter, however, he recalled how the Chang family had treated Chang Er when she had been living in the farmlands. Perhaps it was not so shocking, after all. ¡°That ungrateful wench! How dare she treat us this way?!¡± Chang Er¡¯s sister-in-law stamped her foot in a rage. She had been hoping that Chang Er would send some gold and silver back with the clothes she¡¯d asked for ¨C never in her wildest dreams did she think that Chang Er would not only refuse, but make them lose face on top of it! ¡°Shut up,¡± Chang Sheng said, his face red with anger. He took the letter and turned to leave. The Chief rolled his eyes, got people to prepare his carriage, and left to go to the Jingang Sect. Chen Ziqi had no idea what happened in Jiuru Town. At this very moment, he was standing in the main hall of Danyang Palace, his arms full of gold and jewels that he wasn¡¯t sure what to do with. Dan Yi had moved into Danyang Palace with Chen Ziqi when the repairs were completed. The Emperor, Empress and the older princes bestowed many gifts on Dan Yi for the occasion. The room was full of antique jade objects, precious gems and shining pearls, to the point whereby the floor could barely be seen. Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from them. It was all so shiny and sparkly! Dan Yi had said that he could pick something out for himself, and Chen Ziqi was in a quandary; how was he to decide when everything looked so wonderful? ¡°There¡¯s no gold?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, hanging by the waist over a large chest. His butt was sticking up as he poked around in it. Dan Yi looked up from his book and gave him a patronizing look. He didn¡¯t bother to answer Chen Ziqi¡¯s question. Linghe took pity on Chen Ziqi. She smiled as she squatted next to Chen Ziqi. ¡°Dianxia, all these things are more valuable than gold. Look at this little horse, for example. It¡¯s made of bloodred jade, and it¡¯s worth a hundred taels of gold,¡± she said. Chen Ziqi raised his head to look at the jade horse Linghe was pointing at, then took the horse and clasped it to his chest in one swift motion. ¡°There¡¯s also this Yangzhi jade ornament that dates back to the previous dynasty. This is worth another hundred taels of gold,¡± Linghe said, picking out a jade lamp in the shape of a plum blossom tree for Chen Ziqi to look at. Chen Ziqi immediately reached out to snatch this jade lamp as well. An incense time later, Chen Ziqi¡¯s arms were full of precious things. He was like a little hamster surrounded by a pile of corn kernels that couldn¡¯t decide which to eat first, picking up one then abandoning it subsequently to pick up another kernel. Chen Ziqi had the jade horse grasped tightly in one hand, a string of luminescent pearls wound around his neck, and he was standing protectively over a set of four table plaques. Dan Yi didn¡¯t say a word, and just left him to his own devices. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, pointing. He had suddenly discovered a huge plate full of pearls. Linghe and Lingguan got up and brought the item over. It was a windchime made entirely of pearls the size of lotus seeds. There were eight rows of pearls, all strung on thin silver wire. ¡°This is a gift from the High Priest,¡± Linghe said, smiling. The High Priest¡­ Speaking of the High Priest, Chen Ziqi recalled that he hadn¡¯t seen his little red chick in quite some time, and that he had been intending to ask the High Priest about it. Chen Ziqi slunk off to the Taizhen Palace when they next had a break from lessons at Chunxi Hall. He¡¯d always run amok on his own when he¡¯d lived in Jiuru Town, so he was very good at finding his way about. He arrived at the High Priest¡¯s residence without much difficulty. Taizhen Palace was part of the external palace, together with the other palaces that were used for managing government affairs, such as the Taiji Palace and the Imperial Study. It had been designated as the High Priest¡¯s residence since the founding of the dynasty. The whole palace was made of spotless white marble. It looked very out of place in the midst of the other palace buildings, which all had red walls and green glazed porcelain tiles. Guards in silver armour stood at attention outside Taizhen Palace. When Chen Ziqi approached, the guards immediately crossed their spears, blocking his entrance. ¡°I want to see the High Priest,¡± Chen Ziqi said, showing them the jade pendant that indicated he was an Imperial Prince. ¡°The High Priest does not meet with the princes. Dianxia, please leave,¡± the guard said. The spears had immediately returned to their original positions once the guards knew he was a prince, but they still did not allow him to enter. Chen Ziqi saw that someone had gone into the Taizhen Palace to inform the High Priest that he had requested to meet him, and so refused to leave. Before long, one of the High Priest¡¯s veiled assistants came out. ¡°The High Priest invites the Seventh Prince to come in,¡± the assistant said in a soft voice. The guards were dumbfounded. They allowed Chen Ziqi to pass this time. A grove of pagoda trees was planted in the gardens of Taizhen Palace. It looked like there was some kind of pattern as to how they were planted, but Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t figure out its significance. He followed the assistant up the winding, narrow road, and finally exited the grove of pagoda trees after about a quarter of an hour. ¡°Dianxia, this way, please,¡± the assistant stopped at the entrance of the main hall, gesturing for Chen Ziqi to enter on his own. The main hall of Taizhen Palace was a high-ceilinged hall paved with polished black marble slabs. When Chen Ziqi stepped over the threshold, he immediately felt a gush of cool air on his face. The interior of the Taizhen Palace looked to be very minimalistic. There was very little furniture, just a few small futons that looked like they had been randomly tossed onto the ground. The High Priest sat behind a short table, drawing something with a fine-tipped brush dipped in red cinnabar ink. The threshold was about a foot tall, and Chen Ziqi¡¯s short little legs couldn¡¯t step across it directly. He had to sit on it, swing his legs over, then hop down on the other side. The High Priest heard the sound he made when he landed and looked up. He couldn¡¯t help smiling in amusement when he saw the awkward way Chen Ziqi had entered the hall. ¡°Dianxia, you¡¯re finally here,¡± the High Priest said, raising a hand. One of the futons glided over, unassisted, and came to rest next to the High Priest¡¯s table. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Telekinesis! Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes were as big as saucers. Da Chen had boasted about seeing this when he was in Jiuru Town. That had been the only time he had heard about such gongfu, and this was the first time he had ever seen it personally. He sat down obediently on a futon. He really wanted to look around curiously, but he didn¡¯t dare to do so in the presence of the solemn High Priest. His hands grasped the edge of the short table as he peered at what the High Priest was doing. On a snow white piece of rice paper about three feet long, the High Priest was painting an incredibly complex pattern of clouds in cinnabar ink. His brush did not leave the paper even once; it was all painted in one long brush stroke. ¡°Is this some kind of spell?¡± Chen Ziqi asked softly. The High Priest finished up and put the thin brush into a green jade brush washer. The red cinnabar ink immediately diffused out of the brush and into the water, looking like wriggling koi fish in a pond. ¡°Was Dianxia¡¯s purpose in coming here to ask me about spells?¡± the High Priest asked, smiling at him in amusement. ¡°No,¡± Chen Ziqi said, scratching his head. He was here for something much more important. ¡°You know that little red chicken in Zhanghua Temple? That¡¯s the Protector-God of our dynasty, isn¡¯t it?¡± When the High Priest heard Chen Ziqi use the word ¡°chicken¡±, the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily. ¡°It is what Dianxia thinks it is,¡± he said cryptically. What kind of answer was that? Chen Ziqi frowned. ¡°Where has it gone?¡± he asked. It had already been quite some time since he last saw that divine chicken. Surely it hadn¡¯t been caught and made into chicken soup by one of the palace staff? ¡°He¡¯s right by your side,¡± the High Priest said. He opened a small sandalwood box sitting on the short-legged table and took out a tiny scroll that was only about the size of his palm. He extended this to Chen Ziqi. ¡°When you need him, he will appear,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi accepted the scroll and opened it. It was an elaborate gongbi painting* depicting that little red divine chicken standing with its wings flared on a rock, looking very dignified. *T/N: This is a realist painting technique. See the wiki page for more details. ¡°Dianxia, if you have any other questions, you can always look for me in Taizhen Palace,¡± the High Priest said. He pushed a white jade pendant into Chen Ziqi¡¯s hands. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing that I must ask Dianxia to keep in mind. Do not, under any circumstances, tell anyone that the little red bird ate your cherry.¡± Chen Ziqi gripped the small jade pendant in his hand, in a bit of a daze as he walked back to his residence. The High Priest¡¯s words resonated in his mind, and a chilly feeling pulsed repeatedly from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. ¡°Seventeen years ago, the prince whose cherry was eaten was murdered after he left Zhanghua Temple¡­¡± Murdered¡­ After Chen Ziqi left, a man slipped out from behind the screen in Taizhen Palace. He wore blue gauze robes on his slender body, had a handsome face, and held a jade-boned fan in one hand. Who could it be but Lan Shanyu? ¡°Why didn¡¯t you want me to meet him?¡± Lan Shanyu asked, nuzzling against the High Priest affectionately. ¡°It¡¯s not the right time,¡± the High Priest said. He rolled up the cinnabar ink painting in front of him, and gave it to Lan Shanyu. ¡°A three-foot train would be good.¡± ¡°This pattern is very nicely done. Qinghan, you¡¯re getting better at this,¡± Lan Shanyu said, addressing the High Priest by his courtesy name. He grinned cheekily at the High Priest as he put the painting into his sleeves. ¡°What did you call me?¡± the High Priest asked, giving him a cold stare. ¡°Ah! It hurts, it hurts! I¡¯m sorry! Ge, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Back at Danyang Palace, Chen Ziqi was squatting in the grass in a melancholy mood. ¡°Divine Chicken, come here quickly, I need you right now,¡± he said. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Dan Yi asked. His shadow fell over Chen Ziqi¡¯s back as he walked over. Chen Ziqi leapt three feet into the air in shock. ¡°How is it that your feet don¡¯t make any sound?!¡± he exclaimed. He rolled his eyes inwardly. Dan Yi wasn¡¯t even the divine chicken, why did he bother coming out right at this time? Dan Yi didn¡¯t reply to this comment. He tugged Chen Ziqi over to the water pavilion in the middle of the pond. ¡°It¡¯s time to practice your martial arts,¡± he said. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chen Ziqi said, a pained expression on his face. These few days, Dan Yi had dragged him to practice like clockwork, making him repeat countering his Cloud Dispelling Fists with the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon. He had only just started learning the technique and wasn¡¯t Dan Yi¡¯s match at all, so he took a sound beating every day. They got into position, and started the practice. When they first started, Dan Yi did the moves very slowly, and Chen Ziqi could still keep up. When Dan Yi struck out with his left arm, Chen Ziqi would use his right arm to block, the Roving Dragon winding up gracefully to catch hold of Dan Yi¡¯s small arm. The Cloud Dispelling fists would then attack the Roving Dragon¡¯s wrist. This motion was repeated endlessly, faster and faster each time. The Danyang Cloud Dispelling Fists was a minor move in the Danyang Divine Martial Arts repertoire. It wasn¡¯t a prerequisite for attaining any level of cultivation. However, the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon was an important technique that had to be mastered if one wished to reach the first level of cultivation in the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl martial arts. After a few days of practice, Chen Ziqi realised that the awkward stances Prince Qi had taught them before were actually the first few moves of the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon. The Roving Dragon Follows the Moon had a total of thirty-six moves. He¡¯d only learnt three when he first started practicing with Dan Yi, and in order to increase his ability to counter the latter, he pestered Prince Qi daily to teach him the rest. At present, he had learned all thirty-six moves, but he was still getting hit left, right and centre by Dan Yi during their practice sessions. Even though Dan Yi didn¡¯t use his neili when they practiced, getting hit still hurt! ¡°Thwack thwack thwack!¡± Chen Ziqi got hit a few times in succession, and immediately opened his mouth to beg for mercy. ¡°I can¡¯t do it any more ¨C I really can¡¯t! Let me rest a bit,¡± he pleaded. Dan Yi stopped. Chen Ziqi¡¯s arms were already throbbing in pain by this time. He collapsed onto the wooden bench that circled the pavilion, panting heavily. ¡°Tell me honestly. When you picked me as the one to live with, was it because you thought I¡¯d be the most fun to bully?¡± Chen Ziqi asked in a weak, plaintive voice. The Cloud Palace obviously didn¡¯t like the Imperial Family. Even an idiot could tell that their Shizi had come to the Imperial Palace with an agenda. Maybe it was to give all the princes a good beating¡­ Dan Yi picked up the teacup on the stone table and drank a mouthful. He went over to Chen Ziqi and squeezed next to him, poking him in his ticklish spots. ¡°You? Fun? You play the fool every day,¡± he said. Dan Yi had discovered that Chen Ziqi was the kind of person who used underhanded tactics to gain the upper hand when he knew he couldn¡¯t win fair and square. Examples included poking at his eye and hooking his nostrils. And then, when he still lost, he would make a hue and cry about it. ¡°Hahaha! Don¡¯t poke me there!¡± Chen Ziqi grabbed hold of Dan Yi¡¯s hand in a trice. On Chen Ziqi¡¯s part, he had discovered that Dan Yi remembered where his ticklish spots were, and liked to poke at them willy nilly. Linghe walked over on the wooden bridge leading to the pavilion and stood silently outside it. Dan Yi sat up and motioned for Linghe to enter. ¡°Speak,¡± he said. Linghe looked at Chen Ziqi, who was staring at them with eyes as big as saucers. She saw that her Young Master had no intention of concealing the contents of this discussion from Chen Ziqi. ¡°Last night, the Sixth Prince was locked into the small prayer hall in their residence by Cheng Jieyu. He was not allowed to eat dinner. It seems that it was because the Sixth Prince did not finish learning the gongfa that Cheng Jieyu set him,¡± she reported. ¡°What gongfa is he learning?¡± Dan Yi asked. Without even looking, he caught hold of Chen Ziqi, who was trying to bite his shoulder. ¡°The Taisu Wuxin Gong of the Suxin Sect,¡± Linghe answered smoothly. On hearing this, Chen Ziqi froze in the act of biting the clothes covering Dan Yi¡¯s shoulder. A few days ago, Dan Yi had told Linghe to look into Berry Brown¡¯s matter. He was surprised that he had managed to do it with such detail. How did the Cloud Palace people do it? Did they project their souls out of their bodies at night to roam the palace for information? ¡°Huh, how absurd,¡± Dan Yi said, with a disparaging sniff. The Taisu Wuxin Gong was meant for women cultivators. Chen Zimo was a boy, and it was ridiculous to expect him to be able to learn it. Author¡¯s Note: Mini-theater Qiqi: Is it really impossible for Berry Brown to learn the Suxin Sect¡¯s martial arts? Birdie Gong: It¡¯s not that he can¡¯t, but he has to pay a certain price Qiqi: What price? Birdie Gong: To learn this mode of attack, he must first attack his chicken Qiqi: ( ¡Ñ o ¡Ñ ) What do you call a Berry Brown that¡¯s lost his little chicken? Birdie Gong: Berry-less Qiqi: ¡­ ¡­ *T/N: I had to change the pun here. Let me explain. Berry Brown¡¯s nickname in Chinese is ¡°Black Egg¡±. Qiqi¡¯s question actually was ¡°What do you call a black egg that has lost its chicken?¡± Birdie Gong¡¯s reply was ÎÚ¼¦µ°, which literally means Black Chicken Egg. ÎÚ means ¡°crow¡± or ¡°raven¡±, and it is a homophone for ¡°missing¡±. Birdie¡¯s Gong¡¯s reply actually means ¡°Missing chicken eggs¡±, hahaha. CH 21 ¡°It¡¯s only for women cultivators?¡± Chen Ziqi thought about what Berry Brown would look like as a girl, and a cold shiver immediately travelled down his back. ¡°Then if he succeeds, doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯ll be like Fuxi and the other eunuchs?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Dan Yi ignored him and gestured for Linghe to leave them. ¡°Berry Brown¡¯s having a hard time, isn¡¯t he? No wonder he¡¯s dark* and skinny,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He snatched Dan Yi¡¯s half-finished tea and drank it in a few noisy gulps, then wiped his mouth. ¡°We have to help him.¡± *T/N: I felt I should explain that the reference to being dark isn¡¯t racist ¨C being dark in ancient China was associated with working in the sun for long periods of time, and therefore also associated with having a hard life. Berry Brown¡¯s mother likely made him practice his martial arts in the sun for a long time, or often punished him by making him stand in the sun (a very common punishment in ancient China, by the way, and also a punishment that even my school carried out when I was a kid! It¡¯s not allowed any more, of course.). Berry Brown and Ah Mu were his brothers from another mother. He hadn¡¯t even achieved anything yet, and his brother was about to die of abuse! His efforts to feed him lunch would have all gone to waste! Dan Yi looked at the empty cup that Chen Ziqi thrust back toward him, then at Chen Ziqi, who looked like he was raring to go fight a mighty battle. ¡°What are you intending to do?¡± he asked. ¡°When I was living in Jiuru Town, I had a sworn brother called Da Niu. His mother died when he was very young, and his dad remarried after that. His stepmother was really vicious. She beat him every day, and Da Niu really didn¡¯t want to go on living this miserable life. Xiao Chen ge came up with an idea to steal her corset, then use it to spread salacious rumours about her¡­¡± Chen Ziqi said proudly. It always gave him great pride to speak of his valiant deeds. Dan Yi stared at him blankly. Wasn¡¯t this just a cheap tactic?! ¡°What do you think happened next?¡± Chen Ziqi guffawed. ¡°Da Niu¡¯s dad beat the stepmother every day, and she didn¡¯t have energy to beat Da Niu any more.¡± ¡°But what if the truth comes out?¡± Dan Yi asked, furrowing his brows. Cheap tactics like these were usually seen through very easily. ¡°Then let it come out. So long as we¡¯ve already got our revenge, it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Chen Ziqi said, sitting with an ankle over his knee. He started to think about how to help Berry Brown. Cheng Jieyu was his birth mother, so it wasn¡¯t that easy to think of a solution. As they were talking, an eunuch came in, saying that the Emperor had requested Chen Ziqi¡¯s presence in Zichen Hall. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ziqi was surprised. He thought the eunuch would have come to summon Dan Yi instead. Chen Ziqi scratched his head, then followed the eunuch out of Danyang Palace and climbed onto the waiting palanquin. ¡°Mr Eunuch, sir, did the Emperor summon just me, or did he also ask the other princes to come?¡± Chen Ziqi asked the eunuch, who was walking next to the palanquin. ¡°Dianxia is too polite. This servant¡¯s name is Fulu,¡± the young eunuch said in a warm voice. ¡°Eunuch Yuan asked me to come and get you, but I don¡¯t know if the other princes were summoned as well.¡± Chen Ziqi pursed his lips. This eunuch definitely knew the answer. He just didn¡¯t want to say it. Other than the Qingyun Palace servants, the rest of the palace staff all didn¡¯t really bother with him, and whenever he asked anything, they always said they didn¡¯t know. They were just bullying him because he was young and of low birth. At Zichen Palace, Eunuch Yuan came forward to welcome him. ¡°Dianxia, thank you for taking the trouble to come,¡± he said. ¡°Eunuch Yuan!¡± Chen Ziqi greeted him exuberantly, smiling gaily as he buried himself in the old eunuch¡¯s arms. Eunuch Yuan couldn¡¯t help smiling. His plump, round face looked like a wrinkled old bun when smiled. He held Chen Ziqi¡¯s little hand as they walked toward the study. The Seventh Prince was good looking, had an amiable personality, and on top of that, the Emperor seemed to favour Chang Jieyu of late. He certainly had to treat the Seventh Prince a little better than the others. Fulu¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help changing when he saw the preferential treatment Chen Ziqi received from Eunuch Yuan. The Zhenlong Emperor had not called the other princes over. Chen Ziqi was the only one in the study. His heart was beating like a drum in his chest. Had the Emperor found out about his visit to the High Priest? He tried to recall if there were any palace rules that prohibited princes from meeting the High Priest, but came up blank. Professor Luo didn¡¯t seem to have mentioned anything of the sort at all. ¡°Little Seventh, how has your stay in the Danyang Palace been? Are you getting used to things there?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor asked. He looked to be in the middle of reviewing submissions from the Imperial Court officials. ¡°Yup, I¡¯m getting used to it,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He was still a little nervous. The High Priest¡¯s warning that the cherry-picked prince had been murdered seventeen years ago still rang in his mind. Was it his Father Emperor who ordered that prince¡¯s death? ¡°I just want to have a casual chat with you. What¡¯s there to be nervous about?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor said. He saw that Chen Ziqi was afraid, and he put down his brush, gesturing for Chen Ziqi to come forward. In genial tones, he asked Chen Ziqi what he usually did on a daily basis, what Dan Yi did on a daily basis, and what the two Cloud Palace servants were up to. Chen Ziqi only felt fear as he looked at the Zhenlong Emperor. He felt that if he said anything wrong, his head would roll within seconds. He forced himself to look away from the Emperor¡¯s face, staring determinedly at the dragon pattern woven into the Emperor¡¯s clothes. He made himself count the number of claws on each dragon¡¯s foot in an attempt to calm himself down. ¡°I go to Chunxi Hall every day for lessons, and Dan Yi¡¯s day is exactly like mine. Linghe sings very well, and the snacks Lingguan makes are really delicious,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He counted five claws on the dragon¡¯s foot, and felt a bit less panicked. He started rattling off the types of snacks that Lingguan could make, counting with his fingers as he did so. He deliberately chose to omit the fact that he was practicing martial arts with Dan Yi. ¡°Haha, why are you so obsessed with food?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor said with an insincere little laugh. ¡°Zhen has a few more questions for you, alright? Who is Dan Yi close to usually? Has he been to see the High Priest?¡± Chen Ziqi got a shock when he heard the Emperor mention the High Priest, and had to take a few moments to collect himself. He then realised that the Emperor was asking whether Dan Yi had gone to meet the High Priest, not himself. ¡°This round, when Dan Yi moved into the Danyang Palace, lots of people sent congratulatory gifts. The Crown Prince gege gave a huge box of jewels, and the Empress sent over some antiques and four palace maids¡­ Dan Yi gave me a little jade horse, and I heard it¡¯s worth a hundred taels of gold,¡± Chen Ziqi blabbered, avoiding the Emperor¡¯s question. ¡°Father Emperor, how much meat can I buy with a hundred taels of gold?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a prince, for goodness sake; could you not be so unsophisticated? You embarrass me!¡± The Zhenlong Emperor was getting a headache listening to Chen Ziqi. The Cloud Palace already held the Imperial family in contempt, and this penniless bumpkin was definitely embarrassing them even further in front of Dan Yi. ¡°Whatever you lack, Zhen will give you. Don¡¯t look enviously at other people¡¯s things any more! You¡¯ll make them look down on you.¡± Chen Ziqi shrank back a little. ¡°Yuan Xingan,¡± the Zhenlong Emperor said, calling for Eunuch Yuan. He was so irritated that he paced in circles around in his study. ¡°Bestow the following on Cheng Jieyu: a hundred taels of gold, one hu* of pearls, twelve sets of accessories, some jade ornaments¡­ ah, just go to the storehouse and send whatever catches your eye over to the Qingyun Palace. Also, tell Chang Jieyu to teach the Seventh Prince what it means to have regal bearing!¡± *T/N: This is a unit of measurement for dry weight in ancient China. Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes lit up. Pretending to be poor and pitiful had reaped him quite a few benefits today! Very soon, rumours that the Seventh Prince had been scolded by the Emperor for being greedy and materialistic spread all over the palace. When the other consorts and concubines heard about it, they all laughed at Chang Er. ¡°She¡¯s from an insignificant family in a small town, so of course she¡¯s impressed by a few shiny things,¡± Shu Fei said, her lips twisting in derision. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve asked her to have tea quite a few times. Nine times out of ten, she¡¯ll say she can¡¯t come because she¡¯s sewing. There¡¯s a whole department of embroidery in the palace, so I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing, sewing her own things,¡± the Guifei sneered. She glanced at Cheng Jieyu, who was sitting quietly in a corner. Cheng Jieyu and Chang Jieyu were both from the Qi Confederate sects, but the former was far more obedient; she always came when she was called. Chang Jieyu, on the other hand, was like a thorn in her flesh. ¡°Since she likes to sew so much, why don¡¯t we give her something to sew? I hear she makes really good underclothes, and the Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi has even asked her to make a few for him. You think she would make some for the Fourth Prince if I gave her some silver?¡± Shu Fei laughed unkindly, covering her mouth with her hand. Ordering another consort about like a palace maid ¨C just thinking about it made her heart sing. ¡°You can try,¡± Guifei said. She wasn¡¯t interested in this sort of thing. She turned to the palace maid next to her. ¡°Chang Jieyu will definitely scold the Seventh Prince for what happened today. Ask the Crown Prince to send a little something over to the Seventh Prince to comfort him.¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± Back at Qingyun Palace, contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, Chang Er was laughing giddily, clutching a plate full of gold ingots to her chest. ¡°My dear son, my dear capable son! How did you manage to get so much money just by saying a few words?¡± she said. ¡°I just acted pitiful in front of Father Emperor, and he was all like, ¡®A hundred taels of gold! Bring out the big pearls! Bestow them all!¡¯ He even asked Eunuch Yuan to go to the storehouse, and told him to send all the good things he saw over to our place,¡± Chen Ziqi said boastfully. He was standing on a chair, crowing triumphantly like a cocky little rooster on receiving Chang Er¡¯s praise. Chen Ziqi walked out of Qingyun Palace in high spirits. He was immediately called over by the Crown Prince, who had duly received his mother¡¯s instructions. ¡°Little Seventh, are we in the same camp?¡± the Crown Prince asked. He twisted the jade prayer beads on his wrist, smiling faintly. ¡°That goes without saying. I came from the Jingang Sect¡¯s area, and the Jingang Sect is part of the Qi Confederate. We¡¯re natural allies,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling obsequiously. The Crown Prince was gratified by Chen Ziqi¡¯s response. He took out a gleaming, beautifully wrought object and pressed it into Chen Ziqi¡¯s palm. ¡°If you need anything, come look for your Crown Prince gege. Don¡¯t envy others¡¯ things,¡± he said. There was an undertone of ridicule in his voice. Chen Ziqi looked at the item in his hand. It was a piece of white jade with blue veins, carved in the shape of a cicada about two inches wide. It had been made with incredible attention to detail ¨C even the tiny veins on the insect¡¯s wings had been carefully carved into the piece of jade. The jade cicada felt cool and comfortable in his hand. ¡°This cicada is carved out of ice jade. It¡¯s worth about the same amount as the jade horse,¡± the Crown Prince said, smiling meaningfully at Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi gave the Crown Prince a strange look. He had only told the Emperor about the jade horse. How did the Crown Prince know about it? It was dark when he returned to Danyang Palace with the jade cicada in his hand. Chen Ziqi saw Dan Yi waiting for him to eat dinner in the garden pavilion. Touched by this gesture, he impulsively gifted the jade cicada to Dan Yi. Dan Yi¡¯s body was always very warm, and he seemed to be more sensitive to heat than the average person. The ice bower in Danyang Palace was constantly being refilled. The Crown Prince said that this ice jade could make one feel cool, even in the summer heat, and so it seemed to be a fitting gift for Dan Yi. The jade cicada gave off a slight bluish glow in the darkness, and looked beautiful resting in Dan Yi¡¯s pale-skinned palm. For some strange reason, it also felt like it had a treacherous air about it, like it was a dangerous creature primed to strike. Dan Yi looked at the jade cicada for a moment, then passed it to Linghe for safekeeping. ¡°Do you know how much this ice jade cicada is worth?¡± he asked Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi¡¯s heart thudded ominously in his chest. The Crown Prince had said it was of similar value to the jade horse, but from the way Dan Yi spoke, it sounded like it was worth far more. Did that mean he had made a loss? He raised his head to look at Dan Yi¡¯s expression. Argh! He¡¯d guessed right! Dan Yi didn¡¯t say anything and continued to eat his food. Chen Ziqi clutched at his ricebowl, his heart twinging painfully. Then, a thought crossed his mind. Dan Yi was really wealthy. Since he had given Dan Yi something, then Dan Yi would probably give him something in return, probably of equal value. He was unlikely to make a loss in that case. Thinking this, he relaxed, and on recalling that he¡¯d made Chang Er a huge sum of money earlier, had enough of an appetite to eat two bowls of rice. However, Dan Yi did mention anything about giving him a return gift. At bedtime, Chen Ziqi stared at the back of Dan Yi¡¯s head. Troubled by this potential loss, he fell into a restless sleep. Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Qiqi: Boohoo, I think I¡¯ve made a loss Birdie Gong: Don¡¯t worry. What¡¯s mine is yours Qiqi: Really? Birdie Gong: Of course! Come home with me if you don¡¯t believe me ¡­ ¡­ Qiqi: (holding his butt) Why do I feel like I¡¯ve suffered an even bigger loss? CH 22 The next morning, Linghe gave the ice jade cicada to Dan Yi again. Chen Ziqi wasn¡¯t sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but it looked as if that cicada wasn¡¯t as blue as it was the day before. In fact, it just looked like a normal, translucent piece of white jade. ¡°Don¡¯t casually accept the things given to you by the Crown Prince in future,¡± Dan Yi said impassively, toying with the jade cicada. Chen Ziqi understood Dan Yi¡¯s veiled warning. He swallowed nervously. ¡°Was there something wrong with this piece of jade?¡± he asked. Dan Yi held it up to the sun. ¡°Not anymore. But yesterday, there was a little worm hidden in it,¡± he said. He handed the jade cicada to Chen Ziqi for him to have a look, but the latter refused to take it. A little worm¡­? For Dan Yi to mention it specifically, it definitely wasn¡¯t just an ordinary worm. Chen Ziqi¡¯s fingertips tingled, as if something had just crawled over them. ¡°The Crown Prince is out to get me?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He pressed his lips together. Could it be that the Crown Prince was still annoyed that he¡¯d eaten a cherry in Zhanghua Temple? ¡°Not necessarily. Perhaps the person who gave this jade cicada to the Crown Prince was out to get him,¡± Dan Yi said. He saw that Chen Ziqi looked scared, so he kept the jade cicada out of sight and held Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand in his comfortingly. A warm feeling spread from their linked hands all over Chen Ziqi¡¯s body, and Chen Ziqi slowly calmed down. ¡°Bloody hell, how dare he try to pull a fast one on me? I don¡¯t care whether he knew or not. Yours truly isn¡¯t going to accept things from him any more,¡± Chen Ziqi declared. ¡°The martial arts world is dangerous. Be wary of anything anyone gives you.¡± ¡°Nn¡­¡± The two little boys walked hand-in-hand to Chunxi Hall in the morning light, swinging their hands as they went. Meanwhile, Chang Er had gone to greet the Empress. All the other Imperial concubines were present. The Empress started talking about the Autumn Hunt, and requested that all the concubines make the necessary preparations. ¡°All princes above the age of six must participate. The Emperor will usually bring two concubines along, but he hasn¡¯t said who yet,¡± the Empress said, smiling faintly. Her eyes swept in an arc across the gathered concubines. She was already considered advanced in years, and didn¡¯t hope for the Emperor¡¯s favour, but she liked to see these concubines fight for it. She found it incredibly entertaining. Just as she expected, once she said this, many of the concubines started getting excited. They still stood a chance since the decision had yet to be made. Being able to accompany the Emperor on the Autumn Hunt was a great opportunity to win the Emperor¡¯s favour. ¡°There are many insects and vermin in the forest. We should get the Imperial Physicians to prepare some repellent powder or medicine for the princes,¡± De Fei said, thinking of her Third Prince. ¡°I¡¯ve already told them to do so. If you want some, just send someone to get it,¡± the Empress said, still smiling that faint smile. ¡°The Empress is most meticulous,¡± De Fei said immediately, fawning over the Empress. Shu Fei was irked by this and changed the topic. ¡°The weather¡¯s getting cold, and we should pack more clothes for the princes. The Fourth Prince is going through a growth spurt again, and the Embroidery Department can¡¯t make underclothes that fit him fast enough. I want to make some underclothes for him personally, but I¡¯m really bad at it¡­¡± she said, her voice trailing off. She turned her eyes to look at Chang Er, who was sitting quietly in a corner. ¡°I heard that Chang Jieyu is very good at making clothes. How about you help make two sets of underclothes for the Fourth Prince? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely pay you well for it.¡± On hearing this, the rest of the concubines looked askance at Shu Fei. Chang Jieyu was still one of the Imperial concubines after all ¨C was it appropriate for another concubine to pay her to make underclothes as if she were some common embroidery maid? The Guifei furrowed her brows immediately on hearing this. Saying this in private was one thing; saying it in front of the Empress was quite another. She had expended efforts to get Chang Er into her camp, and with Shu Fei¡¯s meddling, wasn¡¯t she just pushing Chang Er toward the Empress¡¯ camp? The Empress saw this as well. Before the Guifei could open her mouth to speak, she spoke up first. ¡°Oh, is that so? Chang Jieyu is very good at sewing?¡± she said. ¡°Oh yes, Chang Jieyu makes all of the Seventh Prince¡¯s underclothes personally. They¡¯re so well made that even the Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi wanted a set or two,¡± Shu Fei said, completely unaware that she was putting her foot in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll give you thirty taels of silver for a set of underclothes. How¡¯s that?¡± Chang Er looked at Shu Fei in disbelief. Did this woman have any brains at all? Did she not know the implications of asking her to make underclothes for the Fourth Prince? Chang Er decided to just speak her mind. ¡°Shu Fei, did you leave your brains with your shit in the chamber pot this morning? The Fourth Prince is twelve ¨C he¡¯s already at an age where he can marry and have kids. It¡¯s extremely inappropriate for him to wear underclothes made by a married woman who¡¯s not his wife or mother. I¡¯m not sure whether it¡¯s you or me who will lose face if I make underclothes for him, really,¡± Chang Er said acidly. Her words were crude and straightforward. These well-bred ladies had never been spoken to so crudely before, and they were all speechless. Shu Fei herself had turned red as a lobster with anger. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± was unfortunately all she could manage to sputter, pointing an accusatory finger at Chang Er. ¡°Chang Jieyu, how can you speak so vulgarly?¡± the Empress said, her brows furrowing. She did not, however, say that Chang Er was wrong. Chang Er rolled her eyes. That she hadn¡¯t used a single swear word in that spiel was already fabulous by her standards. Beansprout: Oh, Chang Er, you are my spirit animal Shu Fei opened her mouth to say something more, but the Guifei cut in. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to make the Fourth Prince¡¯s underclothes, then get the Embroidery Department to do it. You¡¯re only asking to be laughed at by saying this sort of thing in public!¡± she said. De Fei exchanged a look with the Empress, and they both hid a smile in their long sleeves. Over at the martial arts arena, Chen Ziqi was being made to practice his archery again, and he was bored to tears. He carelessly shot a few arrows, then looked around aimlessly. He saw Berry Brown practising his archery silently in a corner, and that reminded him of what Dan Yi said. The Taisu Wuxin Gong was designed to be practiced only by women. Only by women¡­ When Chen Ziqi saw Chen Zimo leave his spot, he immediately put down the one-jun bow in his hands and followed him. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Dan Yi asked, tugging at him. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go pee pee,¡± Chen Ziqi said softly. Dan Yi frowned in disbelief. It was obvious that Chen Ziqi was trying to follow Chen Zimo. ¡°Okay, fine. I just want to see whether Berry Brown has turned into Fuxi,¡± Chen Ziqi grinned. His words were rather vague, but Dan Yi understood what he meant and was speechless for a moment. A few heartbeats later, Chen Ziqi and Dan Yi joined the peeing Berry Brown. Chen Ziqi stole a look at Berry Brown, but coincidentally, Berry Brown had also turned to look at him at the same time. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere started to get awkward. ¡°Let¡¯s have a contest ¨C who can pee the furthest!¡± Chen Ziqi said. Dan Yi: ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± And so, the three began this very strange contest. ¡°Hey, Dan Yi, why is it that you always win every contest, no matter what it is?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, pursing his lips in mild annoyance. He pulled up his pants. He had never lost in a contest of distance peeing before. Dan Yi raised his chin a little. There perhaps was nothing to really be proud of as the winner of a distance peeing competition, but he still felt a tinge of pride. Chen Ziqi had also been able to confirm that Berry Brown had not turned into Fuxi. That also meant it was impossible for him to practice the Taisu Wuxin Gong. Chen Ziqi frowned. How was he going to get this brother from another mother out of this sticky situation? ¡°Did your mum hit you again yesterday?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, looking at the bruises peeking out from under Berry Brown¡¯s collar. Chen Zimo nodded woodenly. Chen Ziqi hooked a finger at him, gesturing for him to come closer. He slung a brotherly arm over Chen Zimo¡¯s shoulder and put his lips to his ear. ¡°Do you know how to pretend to be a girl?¡± he whispered. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Zimo didn¡¯t get it. He stared at him in confusion. ¡°Your mum beats you, right? Then pretend that you¡¯ve been beaten silly, and that you¡¯ve turned into a girl,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He gave a demonstration, pressing his legs closely together and sashaying about, making an orchid finger* with one hand. *T/N: An orchid finger is a lady¡¯s hand gesture with the tips of the thumb and the forefinger touching and the other three fingers raised (usually made on the stage to show delicacy and grace). Credit to Baidu for this explanation. Chen Zimo looked at him, light dawning in his eyes as if he had just made a huge discovery. He began earnestly imitating what Chen Ziqi was doing. Dan Yi stood a short distance away, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. ¡°The Seventh Prince is really kind-hearted,¡± Linghe said softly. Chen Ziqi had not said it in so many words, but asking the Sixth Prince to pretend to have turned into a girl would effectively remind Cheng Jieyu that this gongfa could only be mastered by women, and that she should stop having unrealistic expectations of Chen Zimo. ¡°He just wants to see Berry Brown make orchid fingers,¡± Dan Yi said blandly. Linghe: ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s suggestion seemed to have some positive effect. Berry Brown looked much better the next few days. The Autumn Hunt was upon them before they knew it. The Emperor had decided not to bring any concubines along this round, saying that he wanted to have a grand hunt this round to celebrate God¡¯s appointment of the Crown Prince, and that it would be inconvenient to have the concubines around. The hunting grounds were in Caoru Mountain, sixty li from the Capital. Caoru Mountain sprawled across a hundred square li, and the hunting grounds marked out for the Imperial family¡¯s use was situated in a forest between several mountain ranges. This forest was specifically chosen because it was less dense than the others and made for better hunting. To get to the hunting grounds before dark, they had to set off before daybreak. Chen Ziqi wasn¡¯t fully awake when he climbed into his horse carriage. He fell asleep again the moment he lay down on the soft mattress in the carriage. The roads were reasonably even whilst they were still in the Capital, but once they left the paved roads of the Capital, the carriage started to shake and rattle uncomfortably. Chen Ziqi was jolted into the air when the carriage wheel hit a large stone, and his head smacked hard on the carriage ceiling with a loud thump. Chen Ziqi sat up, holding his head in his hands. Thankfully, the carriage stopped then. Chen Ziqi pulled on his socks and walked out of the carriage, standing on the carriage step. ¡°Dianxia, is there anything you need?¡± the guards outside the carriage asked. ¡°Carry me to the Shizi¡¯s carriage,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He looked first at the tall horse carriage, then at the space between the carriages, and extended his arms for the guards to carry him over. Dan Yi was reading letters from the Cloud Palace when his carriage curtains were unceremoniously pulled open. A prince in dark yellow robes dove right at him and rolled over on the soft mattress, rolling straight into his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. ¡°How is your carriage so comfortable?¡± Chen Ziqi asked indignantly, pressing down on the thick padding in Dan Yi¡¯s carriage. It was at least two times thicker than the one in his. Dan Yi ignored him. He continued to read the letters, and when he had read the last one, tossed them all into the incense burner to burn. ¡°I told you to come sit with me in the morning, but you refused to. Is this regret I hear now?¡± Dan Yi said. ¡°Whose fault is that? Last night you were pressing down on my chest and I had such a bad nightmare! If I want to sleep properly, I absolutely have to avoid you,¡± Chen Ziqi said, full of righteous indignation. Dan Yi looked at him wordlessly for a moment. Last night, Chen Ziqi was the one who insisted they sleep while hugging each other because it was cold. Unfortunately, they¡¯d hugged each other too tightly, and Chen Ziqi now wanted to cast all the blame on him. Chen Ziqi snatched Dan Yi¡¯s pillow and lay down on it, looking left and right at Dan Yi¡¯s carriage interior. The carriage floor and its four walls were all covered in luxurious cobalt blue brocade and lined with thick padding underneath the brocade. Open shelves were fixed on all four walls of the carriage. Incense burners, books, snacks, and a tea set were placed on the shelves. There was even a retractable table, which at this time had a plate stained with red bayberry stains on it. The carriages started moving again. In that thickly padded carriage, the bumps and jolts became a pleasant rocking motion, and Chen Ziqi drifted off into sleep again. It was pitch black by the time they got to the camping ground. They couldn¡¯t do anything other than sleep. The Yulin Troops had arrived earlier to pitch all the tents, so they didn¡¯t even have to do that. The Emperor had his own tent, and the princes all slept in pairs. ¡°Dan Yi, do you know how to hunt pheasants?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He¡¯d slept the whole day, and was wide awake now, running excitedly from one end of the tent to the other. He picked up Dan Yi¡¯s bow to play with. ¡°You want a pheasant?¡± Dan Yi asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Chen Ziqi nodded. ¡°I want a red one.¡± Dan Yi¡¯s hands stopped. He had been unfastening his belt when Chen Ziqi said this.¡°What do you want something like that for?¡± Dan Yi asked. ¡°I kept a little chick previously, but he¡¯s gone missing these last few days. I want to rear another one to make the original chick jealous. Then maybe the original chick will come back.¡± Dan Yi: ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Author¡¯s note: Mini-Theater Birdie Gong: You dare to say you want another chicken? Qiqi: Nono, actually I want the original chicken Birdie Gong: I¡¯m right in front of you Qiqi: But you don¡¯t look like a chicken right now. How can I tell that you¡¯re that bird Birdie Gong: I have another bird, wanna see? Qiqi: Nah, I¡¯ve seen it before ¨q(¨s^¨t)¨r Birdie Gong: ¡­ You¡¯re getting too cleve CH 23 Hadn¡¯t Chen Ziqi already met with the High Priest? Why was he still going on and on about chickens?! Dan Yi clenched his teeth. He rubbed the jade flute hanging from his waist. When he went back to the Cloud Palace, he was going to have a few words with Lan Qinghan. At the very least, he was going to correct this ¡°chicken¡± misnomer! At this very moment, the High Priest, Lan Jiangxue, courtesy name Qinghan, was examining the new set of robes hanging from his clothes stand. The outermost robe was made of three layers of sheer silver organza, and it glistened softly in the moonlight. Below it, the complex cloud pattern he had drawn was sewn on the luxurious white brocade, and could be seen faintly through the sheer organza. The robe¡¯s three-foot train flowed onto the floor like a white and silver river. It was a truly magnificent piece of work. ¡°Satisfied?¡± Lan Shanyu asked, smiling expectantly at the High Priest as he stood next to the clothes stand. ¡°Achoo!¡± The High Priest sneezed. ¡°What happened?¡± Lan Shanyu asked. He moved to lean against the short table in front of Lan Jiangxue, and supported his chin with a hand. ¡°I¡¯m right here. Who else would be thinking about you?¡± Supposedly, when you sneezed, it was because someone was thinking of you. Just as Lan Shanyu said this, he sneezed as well. ¡°We¡¯re done for. It must be the Young Master who¡¯s thinking of us. Have you done anything wrong recently?¡± he asked cheekily. There certainly was someone thinking about Lan Shanyu, but it wasn¡¯t Dan Yi. Linghe carried a bowl of warm water into the tent and set it down. She dipped a towel into it, wrung it out, then handed it to Dan Yi so that he could wipe his face. ¡°This servant has surveyed the whole hunting ground. The Imperial family¡¯s guards are very average. Ordinary people are unlikely to be able to get in, but there definitely are weaknesses in their defence that can be exploited. In my view, it¡¯s best to inform Wing Leader Lan to send some people over,¡± Linghe said quietly. Dan Yi thought for a second, then slowly shook his head. The Imperial family¡¯s hunting ground was not any random place. If he summoned Cloud Palace guards here, he would be seen to be humiliating the royal family. Given how weak the Zhenlong Emperor was, he would certainly take great offence at such a course of action. ¡°Dan Yi,¡± Chen Ziqi called. He had investigated every last nook and cranny of their tent, and now bounded exuberantly to Dan Yi¡¯s side. He saw that Dan Yi was still holding on to the jade flute even though they were here to hunt, and found this to be very curious. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard you play a single tune on the flute. Will you play one for me?¡± he asked. Dan Yi waved a hand to dismiss Linghe, then pulled Chen Ziqi to bed. ¡°I¡¯m not tired. Play a tune for me, please?¡± Chen Ziqi said, refusing to give up. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know how to.¡± Dan Yi¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°You don¡¯t know how?¡± Chen Ziqi asked incredulously. He looked at Dan Yi in disbelief. When he first saw Dan Yi in the Taiji Palace, he was dressed from head to toe in scarlet robes, with this white jade flute hanging from his waist, looking like a fairy child that had just descended from the heavens. When he gripped the jade flute tightly, everyone had tensed up in fear. At that time, Chen Ziqi thought that this smooth white flute had to be something that could do frightening things. Perhaps it was a godly weapon that could rupture blood vessels with a single note, causing you to bleed out of every orifice in your body, or an ancient relic that had the power to summon a thousand birds when it was played. More likely though, Chen Ziqi thought it was used to summon the Cloud Palace¡¯s people, and that playing it differently would summon different subordinates, like the Qugu Elder or the Ganshi Protector. At least, that¡¯s what the storytellers in Jiuru Town said¡­ But now, Dan Yi was saying that He. Did. Not. Know. How. To. Play. It! ¡°If you can¡¯t play it, then what¡¯s the point of carrying it with you?¡± Chen Ziqi asked with difficulty, finally retrieving the jaw that had dropped onto the floor at this astounding revelation. It was as if someone who carried a sharp abattoir knife with him every day suddenly said that he didn¡¯t even know how to slice pork. Dan Yi balanced the flute on his hand, looking at the tassel at the end of the flute sway gently. ¡°To look elegant,¡± he said tonelessly. Elegance¡­? Chen Ziqi was confounded. After a heartbeat, he leapt up, circled Dan Yi and examined his face carefully with a tilted head, then circled him once more. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Dan Yi asked, looking at the fellow squatting nose-to-nose with him. ¡°I feel like I never really knew you before today,¡± Chen Ziqi said seriously. Dan Yi: ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± This was the perfect time for the Autumn Hunt. The trees and grasses were turning yellow and bare, and the game was fat and juicy. Since time immemorial, every Imperial dynasty had organised an Autumn Hunt. The Zhang Dynasty placed particular emphasis on martial arts, and the Autumn Hunt had even more significance as such. It was not just a hunt that was organised ¨C there was also a martial arts competition that the guards participated in. If they had a good showing, they would earn a place in the rankings, and have a higher chance of promotion. The important ministers in the Imperial Court all had strong ties to the big martial arts sects. Only the Emperor¡¯s honour guard was trained personally by the Imperial family and had no ties to any sect. The ones competing in the Autumn Hunt¡¯s martial arts competition were mainly all from the Jinwu Guards. Di Yeqing, who had not made an appearance for quite some time, was also among them. On the first day of the Autumn Hunt, Chen Ziqi and the other princes watched the martial arts competition from the viewing gallery. After the competition was over, the princes could each pick the Jinwu Guards they wanted to accompany them on the Hunt. ¡°Big brother Di!¡± Chen Ziqi waved enthusiastically at Di Yeqing. Di Yeqing was standing on the martial arts stage. He didn¡¯t acknowledge Chen Ziqi, though it could have been because he was too far away to hear. His gaze didn¡¯t shift away from the Emperor on stage with them. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Dan Yi asked, frowning. He hadn¡¯t seen Chen Ziqi talk to that man before. ¡°Di Yeqing. He¡¯s the one who escorted me and my mum from Jiuru Town,¡± Chen Ziqi said, pursing his lips. ¡°Why¡¯s he ignoring me?¡± Di Yeqing was the first person from the palace he had become familiar with. ¡°He¡¯s part of the Emperor¡¯s honour guard. If you¡¯re close to him, he might die for it,¡± Dan Yi said, a slight chill in his voice. Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes suddenly came alight again now that he understood the situation. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is. I won¡¯t speak to him in future, then,¡± he said. Dan Yi thought that Chen Ziqi would feel disappointed after hearing his explanation. Who knew that this fellow¡¯s reaction would be like this? Chen Ziqi was now watching the martial arts competition in excitement. Dan Yi felt like he was wasting his energy worrying about Chen Ziqi. The competition ended quickly, with Di Yeqing emerging as the victor. The rankings were released, and the princes were allowed to select the guards they wanted in order of their age. The top three were naturally taken by the Crown Prince. By the time Chen Ziqi was allowed to pick his guards, the ones that had made the rankings list had all been selected by the older princes. The good thing was that even the unranked guards were very skilled, so even if he got the very worst of the lot, they should still be enough to protect him on the hunting grounds. ¡°What danger could there be on this mountain?¡± Chen Ziqi asked the guards by his side. ¡°Replying to Dianxia¡¯s question, the hunting grounds were already cleared of dangerous animals half a month ago. Even if there are one or two left, the five of us together can certainly take down one bear. Please do not worry,¡± one silver-armoured Jinwu Guard said. Chen Ziqi relaxed on hearing this, but Dan Yi frowned. To hunt, one had to ride a horse to do so. The younger princes didn¡¯t know how to ride horses, so they were given ponies to ride on, and these ponies were led by a guard. Chen Ziqi and Dan Yi each got a docile little pony. They had eight guards with them in total, and two of them were leading the ponies. Another two carried a bow and arrows and walked on foot. The remaining four rode on tall stallions, with two moving ahead as lookouts and two bringing up the rear. ¡°Everyone¡¯s practised their archery for quite some time now. Shall we have a competition today to see who nets the most game?¡± the Crown Prince asked his brothers. As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Dan Yi. As the heir apparent, he had to get on the Phoenix King¡¯s good side. Perhaps it was because they had too much of an age gap, but Dan Yi was completely disinterested in talking to him. The Crown Prince was not too worried nonetheless. He was sure that he could come up with a plan to get close to Dan Yi. This Autumn Hunt was a good chance to curry favour with Dan Yi; he was young and intensely competitive. If Dan Yi didn¡¯t manage to shoot enough game, he could secretly pass some of his own kill to him. Dan Yi was a kid after all ¨C he would certainly think well of the Crown Prince for doing something like that. Or so the Crown Prince thought. Dan Yi looked at the Crown Prince. He thought that the Crown Prince must still be sore that he had lost to him that day on the archery grounds, and probably wanted to get some of his face back. With these thoughts in mind, Dan Yi agreed to the Crown Prince¡¯s challenge. ¡°Dan Yi, let¡¯s go shoot some pheasants,¡± Chen Ziqi said, tugging on the pony¡¯s ear excitedly. ¡°Sure,¡± Dan Yi said warmly. He walked off with Chen Ziqi in tow. ¡°He¡¯ll be crying later, when he finds that he can¡¯t get any kill,¡± Yao Guang sneered. He had waited until Dan Yi was out of earshot before saying this. Ever since he had been hit by Dan Yi, the place between his legs twinged painfully every time he set eyes on him. ¡°Be good to Dan Yi. You¡¯ll need to make a name for yourself in the martial arts world in future, so you can¡¯t afford to offend the Cloud Palace. You never know when you¡¯ll need them,¡± the Crown Prince admonished. The Crown Prince left with his crew to an area that was known to have more game. The Second and Third Princes remained at the starting point for a while. ¡°Where shall we go?¡± the Third Prince rubbed his hands together eagerly, preparing to go all out. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ follow them,¡± the Second Prince said, narrowing his eyes at the two children walking in the distance, a light smile playing about his lips. ¡°Huh?¡± The Third Prince was confused. ¡°What¡¯s the point of following two kids?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the Crown Prince said?¡± the Second Prince asked. He adjusted his vambraces. ¡°There¡¯s no telling when you¡¯ll need the Cloud Palace¡¯s help in future. Between the future Phoenix King and ten fox pelts, which do you think is more worthwhile?¡± As such, Chen Ziqi¡¯s group found themselves accosted by the two princes and their guards. ¡°Little Seventh, where are you headed?¡± the Second Prince asked, smiling in a friendly manner. ¡°We¡¯re gonna look for pheasants,¡± Chen Ziqi said, waving the one-jun bow in his hand excitedly. ¡°Pheasants? This place is a lowland, and there aren¡¯t many pheasants here. I did find many pheasant eggs in a forest around here last year though. Do you want go check that place out?¡± the Second Prince asked in his most cordial tone. Chen Ziqi eyed the Second Prince a little suspiciously. Why was he being so helpful? He then looked over at Dan Yi. ¡°Dan Yi, do you want to go there?¡± he asked. Dan Yi was observing the birds flying in the clear blue sky. He turned to look at Chen Ziqi. ¡°I REALLY WANNA HUNT SOME PHEASANTS¡± was written all over Chen Ziqi¡¯s face. Dan Yi nodded helplessly, indicating his agreement to look at the place the Second Prince suggested. ¡°Caw! Cawww¨C¡± A crow flew overhead, calling out ominously. Dan Yi suddenly reined in his horse and stopped walking. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, turning to look at him. Dan Yi looked up at the trees around them. Deep in the forest, a cloud of birds suddenly burst out of the branches in unison. Quick as lightning, Dan Yi dragged Chen Ziqi onto his horse, and pulled out the white jade flute at his waist. Before the Second Prince could react to Dan Yi¡¯s queer behaviour, what looked like hundreds of withered leaves whizzed through the air like arrows. These sharp leaves were aimed right at them! ¡°Dianxia, take cover!¡± A few guards immediately drew their swords to counter the strange leaves. The leaves made a metallic ringing sound when they came into contact with the steel of the swords. The Second Prince¡¯s horse was unfortunately hit, and it whinnied in panic as it reared onto its hind legs with the Second Prince still clinging to its back. They could see clearly now that the things being shot at them were not leaves at all, but throwing knives made of brass, with five pointed corners that could pierce deeply into human flesh with ease. The Second Prince¡¯s horse was frightened now, and it started to run away in a frantic, haphazard manner. The Second Prince gasped in fright, but held on tightly to the reins. His guards chased after him. The Third Prince was frozen to the spot and didn¡¯t know what to do. Two black shadows suddenly leapt out of the flurry of leaf-knives. ¡°Hold on tight,¡± Dan Yi said to Chen Ziqi. He pulled the reins of his pony out of the guard¡¯s hand, then dug his heels hard into the horse¡¯s sides. Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Qiqi: Hey, did you see that cliche scene that¡¯s full of dog¡¯s blood*? *T/N: In TV dramas, a dog¡¯s blood scene is one that is super cheesy, cliche or ridiculous. Birdie Gong: Which scene? Qiqi: The one where both the Gong and the Shou are being chased by assassins, end up trapped in a cave, get naked to perform healing martial arts, and then do things repeatedly *T/N: What this is in Chinese is ½´½´ÄðÄð, which in common usage means ¡°doing things repeatedly¡±. In the context of what Chen Ziqi has said, this has some sexual innuendo. The literal meaning of the Chinese words is ¡°sauces and condiments¡±. Birdie Gong: ¡­ First you need to have a cave. Secondly, you need to have the right conditions to ¡°do things repeatedly¡± Qiqi: But we have the conditions. We can hunt a pheasant, then roast the bird repeatedly in all sorts of sauces Birdie Gong: Err wait, what is this roasting the bird that you¡¯re talking about Qiqi: Eating wild game? Birdie Gong: ¡­ ¡­ CH 24 ¡°Kaboom!¡± The sound of a tree falling sounded deafeningly behind them, followed by anguished screams of pain from the Jinwu Guards. Chen Ziqi was riding backwards on the horse, his arms wrapped tightly around Dan Yi¡¯s waist. He could see two men clad in clothes the colour of withered leaves behind them. One was continuously letting fly the sharp brass leaves from earlier, whilst the other wielded a three-foot axe and cut down huge trees in just one stroke. The tree trunks of the trees he cut were about as wide as the circumference of a man¡¯s arms. Two Jinwu Guards were pinned under the tree. The other guards charged forward, and the Third Prince drew the sword at his waist. ¡°He¡¯s a Prince ¨C don¡¯t kill him!¡± the one throwing brass leaves reminded his comrade. He then fixed his gaze on the two children fleeing on horseback. Chen Ziqi locked eyes with the assassin. The assassin¡¯s eyes were as cold as ice, and Chen Ziqi let out an involuntary gasp of fear. ¡°Dan Yi, we¡¯re on a pony ¨C it can¡¯t run very fast,¡± he said worriedly. As he said this, the two assassins had already killed four Jinwu Guards. The one with the throwing leaf-knives left his comrade and sped forward, chasing after them. Dan Yi didn¡¯t reply, but pulled out the jade flute at his waist and twisted the joints apart. The jade flute was made like a bamboo flute, and when one unscrewed the top part from the bottom, the top part became a whistle that was about the size of a child¡¯s palm. ¡°Blow hard!¡± Dan Yi said, thrusting the jade whistle at Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t hesitate. He took the whistle and blew it with all his might. Blowing a whistle didn¡¯t require any skill, just lungpower. ¡°Phweet!¡± A bright, high-pitched note sounded loudly, so loud that it seemed to reach the very heavens. Flocks of startled birds burst out of the trees around them, reacting to the shrill sound. ¡°Continue!¡± Dan Yi held the pony¡¯s reins as it forded a small stream. They soon galloped out of the forest at top speed, and Dan Yi pointed the horse in the direction of the camping ground. ¡°Phweet! Phweet!¡± Thousands of birds were startled out of the trees, rising in clouds into the sky above them. ¡°Tweet tweet tweet!¡± ¡°Caw caw caw!¡± ¡°Screech!¡± Chen Ziqi raised his head to look at the birds flying above them. There were so many birds that they had blotted out the sun, forming a dark moving mass in the sky above them. At the camping ground in the distance, everyone was looking up at the mass of birds in the sky. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor asked, perplexed. Even if a fierce beast had appeared in the forest, it should not have frightened such a large number of birds. ¡°Young Master!¡± Lingguan and Linghe exclaimed. They rushed into the tent, grabbed weapons, and sprang away at once, seeming to float lightly into the distance. ¡°Huh?! These Cloud Palace maids also mastered the Cyclone Step?¡± The guards stationed in the camp were stunned. The birds in the sky circled for a few moments, then shot off in all directions. ¡°Do I keep blowing?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, staring blankly at the empty sky. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re running to?¡± A menacing voice cracked like thunder behind them, and two leaf-knives flew unerringly at them. One broke the pony¡¯s hoof, and the other lodged itself deeply in the horse¡¯s hind leg. The little horse whinnied frantically as it fell onto the ground. Dan Yi hugged Chen Ziqi tightly in his arms, then leapt off from the saddle, rolling over as he hit the ground. They rolled a few times in a tangle of arms and legs before they finally came to a halt. They were at the edge of a small stream that had some large, uneven-looking rocks next to it. An insistent buzzing sound filled Chen Ziqi¡¯s ears, mixed in with the gentle gurgling of the stream. Chen Ziqi shook his head to clear it, then raised his head, looking in the direction of the uneven rocks. In one of the larger recesses of the rock, he saw a huge hornet¡¯s nest about the size of a water barrel. Chen Ziqi pulled off his outer robes and threw one end of his robes to Dan Yi. ¡°Quick, throw that hornet¡¯s nest at him,¡± he said. Dan Yi got the idea immediately. He caught Chen Ziqi¡¯s robes, and the two worked together to scoop up the hornet¡¯s nest with the robes before tossing it right at the assassin. The assassin instinctively threw leaf-knives at the nest, and the nest broke apart in mid-air. A horde of angry hornets exploded from it with a deafening buzzing sound. Chen Ziqi pulled Dan Yi into the stream to take cover. The hornets swarmed around the assassin, stinging him without pause. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± The assassin screamed wretchedly, rolling around in the grass. He realised belatedly that he could use his neili to kill the hornets. The stream was quite shallow ¨C it was only deep enough to hide the two children up to neck level when they squatted down. They waded over to the other side, then ran for their lives. A small number of hornets were following them, and Dan Yi dispatched these easily with a shockwave of neili. Dan Yi pulled Chen Ziqi in the direction of an area thick with tall grasses. The tall grasses came up to their waist. A dry, crackling sound came from beneath their feet as they stepped on the withered grass, and the icy water from the stream dripped off their clothes, making a soft ¡°pitter patter¡± sound as it made contact with the ground. The birds and insects were all silent, and the only sound they could hear was their hearts beating in their chests like little drums. ¡°Ziqi,¡± Dan Yi said softly. He pulled Chen Ziqi into the grass thicket. They were crawling on their hands and knees to conceal themselves in the grass. This was the first time Dan Yi had ever called Chen Ziqi¡¯s name so seriously. ¡°Hmm?¡± Chen Ziqi was trembling from head to toe in fright, but his brains were still working double time to ensure their survival. At this time, he was wondering if there was a way to clear out an area of grass for them to sit in safely and light the rest on fire. The withered grass in autumn caught fire easily and burned savagely, and this might be enough to stave off the assassins until help arrived. ¡°These assassins are after me. They won¡¯t kill princes like you. If I get caught later, make sure you run away quickly,¡± Dan Yi said, pulling him to a halt. ¡°I can¡¯t do that!¡± Chen Ziqi shook his head vehemently. That was too cowardly for words. Dan Yi found that Chen Ziqi was shaking, and he gripped Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand firmly in his. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t kill me. They probably have something they want from the Cloud Palace, that¡¯s ¡­¡± Before he could finish, the metallic sound of clashing swords rang out from the direction of the stream. Chen Ziqi stood up to have a look, and nearly shouted in relief ¨C Linghe and Lingguan had come to their rescue. The Cyclone Step was truly incredible ¨C the two had managed to get here in no time at all. They wielded a full moon scimitar each, working together to battle furiously with the assassin. ¡°You¡¯re the Invincible Waverider, aren¡¯t you?¡± Linghe said. She leapt lightly into the air, raising the scimitar high above her head, then slicing down with force as she descended. There was a pair of brothers in the martial arts world known as the Invincible Duo. The one who specialised in throwing copper leaf-knives was called Xue Lang, and his nickname was the ¡°Invincible Waverider¡±. The one wielding the axe was called Cheng Zhou, and his nickname was the ¡°Invincible Cutter¡±. These two had a pretty good reputation in the martial arts world ¨C they were known to be righteous and courageous, and people called them Daxia* wherever they went. For some reason, they had taken up this assassination job out of the blue today. *T/N: Daxia means Great Hero. ¡°The duo that everyone respectfully calls ¡®Daxia¡¯ would actually stoop so low as to try and kill two children? If word of this got out, you¡¯d completely lose face,¡± Lingguan followed on seamlessly from her sister¡¯s first blow, cutting off Xue Lang¡¯s escape route. In truth, the Ling sisters¡¯ martial arts ability was one cut below Xue Lang¡¯s. However, their teamwork in executing this sword technique was perfect, and he couldn¡¯t find a way to break through. Moreover, the two were taunting him in clear, carrying tones, and he couldn¡¯t keep his mind on the battle. ¡°Stop talking rubbish! If you want to fight, then fight,¡± Xue Lang said, intensely frustrated. Speed was key if he was to succeed in catching the Cloud Palace¡¯s Young Master. If this continued to drag out, more of the Cloud Palace¡¯s people might arrive, not to mention the Imperial family¡¯s guards. ¡°Poke out his eyes! Cut off his dick!¡± Chen Ziqi cheered the Ling sisters on exuberantly. Suddenly, he felt a gust of wind behind him. He looked up blankly to find that a man with a massive axe was standing next to him, and that the axe was about to be brought down on his head! ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Dan Yi kicked at the flat of the axe, causing the axe to veer sideways, then grabbed Chen Ziqi in his arms and rolled out of the way. The axe slammed into the ground next to them with a whoosh, slicing off a corner of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes cleanly. Cheng Zhou seemed to realise that using his mighty axe on the two children was like using a sledgehammer on a walnut. He hefted the axe onto his back, then moved to grab the two children with his bare hands. This man didn¡¯t seem to be out to kill them. Chen Ziqi suddenly felt much less afraid. He groped for the dagger hidden in his waistband ¨C the same one that Da Chen had given him back in Jiuru Town. They¡¯d left Jiuru Town in too much of a hurry for him to return it to Da Chen. Chen Ziqi had specially brought it along with him on this Autumn Hunt. ¡°Young Master, this one is named Cheng Zhou. I do not have any ill intent. My sworn brother and I just want to bring you to the Cloud Palace with us,¡± Cheng Zhou said. He looked to be in his thirties, and had a pleasant-looking face. His skin was very tanned and weather-beaten, likely because he spent many days in the great outdoors. Chen Ziqi found his features strangely familiar. ¡°The Cloud Palace¡¯s doors are wide open. You can just head there yourself if you want,¡± Chen Ziqi said, his lips curling. What did this fellow mean when he said he wanted to ¡°bring¡± Dan Yi to the Cloud Palace with them? This was something child kidnappers in Jiuru Town often liked to say! Cheng Zhou sneered coldly, then reached out to grab hold of Dan Yi. Dan Yi immediately countered with the Cloud Dispelling Fists. The two were soon engaged in a fierce fight. Cheng Zhou got a real shock. He had not thought that a mere eight-year-old child could have such well-developed martial arts skills, and in a moment of panic, exerted more force than he should have. Dan Yi folded his arms in an instant, made a simple motion with his hands in front of his chest to channel his qi, then raised his hands to block. ¡°BOOM!¡± A circle of withered grass flattened in the resulting shockwave. The two were standing with their palms out, with a space of two inches between their hands. They both could not advance another inch. ¡°Danyang Divine Martial Arts¡­¡± Cheng Zhou clenched his teeth and said this with difficulty. He would never have guessed that Dan Yi had such formidable neili. Given what he¡¯d shown today, it was likely that he had already reached the first level of cultivation. Dan Yi¡¯s face looked calm and relaxed, but he was actually under a lot of strain. Even though he was powerful, he was still a young boy, and couldn¡¯t store that much neili. He could match up with Cheng Zhou for a short period of time, but he would definitely be worse off in an extended fight. When his neili was exhausted, he would no longer be able to push back against Cheng Zhou, and when that happened, he would be seriously injured. Chen Ziqi would likely suffer some of the fallout as well. Dan Yi wanted to tell Chen Ziqi to run away as fast as he could, but the words couldn¡¯t come out of his mouth; such was the strain he was under. Chen Ziqi was hiding behind Dan Yi. When he saw that the two were not moving any more, he was confused for a second, but reacted immediately thereafter. He pulled out the dagger from his waistband and used the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon, winding his way along their arms to stab the dagger right into Cheng Zhou¡¯s arm. Bright red blood spurted out of Cheng Zhou¡¯s arm immediately. The two who were still exerting their neili were dumbfounded. Cheng Zhou¡¯s injured arm dropped down despite his best efforts, and the neili he exerted decreased as a result. Dan Yi took advantage of this and pushed out with his own neili. The two sets of neili slammed into Cheng Zhou¡¯s body. ¡°Pff¨C¡± Cheng Zhou vomited out a mouthful of blood. His entire body flew backwards and fell into the grass thicket. He looked at his bleeding arm, which had been cut so deeply that the white of bone showed through. Cheng Zhou bit down on his bloodied silver tooth ferociously, as if he had just seen a sworn enemy who had murdered his father, directing that menacing glare at Chen Ziqi. ¡°A Bloodblade¡­ As I thought, you¡¯re in it together!¡± Cheng Zhou bit out. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ziqi had no idea what he was talking about. Dan Yi looked at the slightly rusted old dagger in Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything special about the dagger, but if one looked closely, there was a barely detectable joint on the blade. A thin line of blood flowed down this joint, making the joint more conspicuous. ¡°What are you staring at ¨C run!¡± Chen Ziqi grabbed Dan Yi¡¯s hand and ran. If they didn¡¯t take advantage of their enemy¡¯s temporary defeat to escape, when were they ever going to be able to flee? Was Dan Yi waiting for Cheng Zhou to get up and do battle again? ¡°Young Master, be careful!¡± Linghe screamed suddenly. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t have time to react before Dan Yi gathered him protectively into his arms and hugged him so tightly that he couldn¡¯t move. Chen Ziqi clearly saw two throwing knives glinting gold in the sun before they stabbed straight into Dan Yi¡¯s back. ¡°DAN YI!!!¡± Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Cheng Zhou: Come, let¡¯s have a neili competition Qiqi: I¡¯ll cut your bird off Cheng Zhou: (blood rising) Low blows are not the way of the gentleman Qiqi: Whilst you¡¯re wasting your breath, I¡¯ll cut you again Blood: biubiu~ you¡¯re freaking dum CH 25 Dan Yi pressed Chen Ziqi¡¯s face into his chest mid-scream. Chen Ziqi felt Dan Yi tremble once as he grunted softly in pain. Chen Ziqi sat up immediately once he felt the arms wrapped tightly around him loosen. He ran his hands over Dan Yi¡¯s body, checking for injuries, and his hands immediately came into contact with something wet and sticky. He looked down at his hands. They were covered in blood. Tears welled up immediately in his eyes and cascaded down his cheeks. In all six years of his life, Dan Yi was the only person other than his little fairy who had protected him with his life. ¡°Boohoohoo, Dan Yi, please don¡¯t die! BOOHOO!¡± Chen Ziqi wailed, clutching Dan Yi desperately. ¡°Ouch. Don¡¯t move,¡± Dan Yi grimaced, sucking in a breath. He patted Chen Ziqi¡¯s back lightly, trying to get him to loosen his hold on him. ¡°Young Master!¡± Linghe flew over immediately to the two children. She couldn¡¯t be bothered with Xue Lang any more given what had just happened. Xue Lang shoved Lingguan aside with a single blow. He tried to go and help Cheng Zhou, but before he¡¯d moved two steps, his head whipped around suddenly, and he threw a handful of copper leaves behind him. ¡°Ting ting ting!¡± The musical sound of metal colliding sounded, little golden sparks flying in the air from the points of collision. Countless long golden needles rained down, moving so quickly that they were almost invisible to the eye. The falling needles intercepted all of Xue Lang¡¯s copper leaves, making them fall harmlessly to the ground. Xue Lang¡¯s eyes widened in fear. He retreated backwards quickly, but it was too late. A swift, forceful gust of wind followed in the wake of the needles, hurling him to the ground. ¡°AH!¡± Xue Lang cried out in pain. Eighteen long needles pierced through his body at his shoulders, palms and thighs, pinning him firmly to the ground. He looked like a huge, dead bug that had been nailed in a flower pot. When Xue Lang caught sight of the long needles impaling him, his screams turned into one of terror. To be more exact, those ¡°needles¡± were more like extremely long hairpins, the same kind worn by women in their hair. Each needle was topped with a carving in the shape of the eye of a peacock¡¯s feather. A man dressed in wide-sleeved azure robes descended gracefully from the sky, a silver peacock feather in his hand. This man was Lan Shanyu. ¡°Brother Xue!¡± Cheng Zhou shouted. He pushed himself off the ground with great force and got back on his feet, charging straight at Lan Shanyu. Lan Shanyu smiled coldly. He thrust out the silver peacock feather in his hand, and just as Cheng Zhou raised his axe to parry, he swiftly pulled out the jade fan and opened it with a flourish, battling Cheng Zhou with it. The thin jade bones of the silk fan looked too delicate to withstand heavy blows from Cheng Zhou¡¯s mighty axe, but it held firm, and in Lan Shanyu¡¯s skilled hands, it even looked like the latter was toying with Cheng Zhou. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t have any attention to spare for the battle raging around him. He only had eyes for Dan Yi. Linghe loosened Dan Yi¡¯s robes and pulled them down. His outer robes were tattered and torn, but the frost silk undershirt was completely unscathed. The only wound Dan Yi had was on the back of his arm, which was exactly where Chen Ziqi had touched earlier. Blood was flowing from that wound in a scarlet stream. Linghe quickly tore off the tattered fabric of Dan Yi¡¯s sleeve and applied some medicine to the wound. She then sliced off a strip of her soft inner robe, using the cloth to bind his wound gently with well-practiced hands. Chen Ziqi had originally thought he and Dan Yi were about to say their eternal farewells earlier, but he saw now that it was a false alarm. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t cry any more. He stared blankly at Dan Yi, a huge teardrop hanging from his long eyelashes. The teardrop quivered, looking like it was about to fall onto Chen Ziqi¡¯s cheeks at any moment. He looked quite funny. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you crying?¡± Dan Yi asked. His lips were pale. Even though the wound was not life-threatening, he was still only an eight-year-old child, and the pain was quite unbearable. Chen Ziqi blinked. The huge teardrop finally slid down his cheeks. ¡°This undershirt of yours¡­¡± he started, his voice trailing off. The first day Chen Ziqi met Dan Yi, Dan Yi had said that his undershirt was made of frost silk. Frost silk was made by Tianshan frostworms, and this type of silk was, as its name suggested, as cold as frost to the touch. It was also an incredibly strong, flameproof material. If one layered three pieces of frost silk on top of each other, it became virtually impenetrable. Swords and spears could not pierce through it, and fire could not burn it. Poor little Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t know this, and had always just thought that frost silk was just a cooler type of silk to wear¡­ Chen Ziqi frowned after he heard Linghe¡¯s explanation. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you make his sleeves out of frost silk then?¡± he asked. To him, it seemed silly to use frost silk for the interior of the undershirt and regular material for the sleeves ¨C why leave any weakness at all if the whole body could be protected? ¡°Tianshan frostworms only make silk threads every ten years. We can¡¯t waste frost silk on making sleeves,¡± Linghe said awkwardly. It had already been very difficult to gather enough frost silk threads to make two sets of vests for the Young Master. If frost silk were that easy to obtain, then spears and swords would be rendered completely useless! ¡°BOOM!¡± Just as Linghe finished explaining this, Cheng Zhou had been subdued by Lan Shanyu in just a few moves. He was presently pinned to the ground by the golden peacock needles. Cheng Zhou had already suffered internal injuries earlier, and this blow from Lan Shanyu really knocked him out. He lay on the ground, unable to move for some time. ¡°This subordinate apologises for his tardiness,¡± Lan Shanyu said in a low voice, bending one knee before Dan Yi. Dan Yi waved his hands dismissively. ¡°Why did these two want to capture me?¡± he asked. Lan Shanyu stood up and kicked Cheng Zhou. Cheng Zhou steadfastly refused to answer. He looked like he would rather face death than reveal the reason. Unexpectedly, Lan Shanyu didn¡¯t bother asking him anything. ¡°Three months ago, the Invincible Duo came to the Cloud Palace to ask a Heaven-class question. They took a Return Tablet, but have not fulfilled the conditions we stipulated on it. It¡¯s very likely that they were unwilling to pay the price we asked for, and so came up with this evil idea instead,¡± Lan Shanyu said, getting straight to the point. The ¡°Return Tablet¡± Lan Shanyu spoke of was a small wooden tablet that people seeking an answer from the Cloud Palace were given. The conditions they had to fulfil, or the price of the question was inscribed on the tablet, and once they had fulfilled the conditions or paid the price, they could return to the Cloud Palace to exchange it for the answer. Answers to the three classes of questions below ¡°Heaven¡± could usually be obtained with silver, gold or precious gems. It was only the answers to Heaven-class questions that could not be bought with wealth. A thin stream of blood trickled from a corner of Cheng Zhou¡¯s mouth. This man already knew everything! What did he kick him for then?! ¡°The Cloud Palace obviously knows who exterminated the Jiuying Mountain Sect but refuses to say it! On top of that, you asked us to kill Abbess Wuyin! The Abbess Wuyin is a woman of honour and valour, and has done my Cheng family a great kindness. You¡­ you¡¯re all just too vicious!¡± he yelled. The Cheng family¡¯s Jiuying Mountain Sect was one of the small satellite sects of the Suxin Sect. The Abbess Wuyin was the Suxin Sect¡¯s current leader. Lan Shanyu laughed coldly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to kill her, then don¡¯t. We¡¯re not forcing you to. If you can¡¯t fulfil the conditions on the Return Tablet, then find out the answer yourself! What gave you the right to kidnap our Young Master? Looks like you¡¯re inviting the Cloud Palace to hunt down the remaining members of the Cheng family and eliminate them all ¨C that¡¯s total extermination for you,¡± he said, his tone as cold as ice. He¡¯d seen too many people like Cheng Zhou. If the conditions precedent for Heaven-class questions were that easy to fulfil, then they wouldn¡¯t be classified as Heaven-class questions in the first place. There were always people who wanted to try and take a shortcut. He had to give it to Cheng Zhou though ¨C he was the first person in all of the Cloud Palace¡¯s long history who had to tried to kidnap the Young Master to force the Cloud Palace to give him the answer. Cheng Zhou raised a hand ¨C the only hand he could move at this time. He used it to seal the meridian on his shoulder, and the blood pouring from the wound on his shoulder reduced to a small trickle. He did this so that he wouldn¡¯t die of blood loss before he finished saying what he had to say. ¡°Pah, you Cloud Palace people and the Bloodblade Tower are all in cahoots, colluding to make me turn against the Suxin Sect,¡± he spat out. When he said this, he turned his eyes to Chen Ziqi, staring at him in a bloodthirsty manner. Chen Ziqi looked at the rusting dagger in his hand. Could it be that the ruffians in Jiuru Town had accidentally picked up a treasure in the rubbish heap? ¡°If my Cloud Palace wants to kill someone, we don¡¯t need to hide behind the Bloodblade Tower to do it. We¡¯ll just kill them openly, in our own name, with our own people,¡± Dan Yi said icily. The Bloodblade Tower was one of the Arcane Sects. They were mercenaries who would kill anyone for a price. Cheng Zhou was looking for the person who hired the Bloodblade Tower to kill his family in the Jiuying Mountain Sect. The Cloud Palace wasn¡¯t the least bit afraid of making an enemy of Cheng Zhou, but it certainly didn¡¯t want to take the blame for a crime it did not commit. Cheng Zhou was silent for a few seconds. He looked over at his sworn brother, who had been shot through so badly his body was like a sieve. ¡°All this was my doing. Let Xue Lang go,¡± he said, his voice so soft as to be almost inaudible. Lan Shanyu raised an eyebrow. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you two disappear at the same time from the martial arts world,¡± he said ominously. ¡°And in a disgraceful manner, at that.¡± The whites of Cheng Zhou¡¯s eyes could be seen clearly now. He trembled as he glared at Lan Shanyu. He and Xue Lang had done heroic deeds for many years to build up the good name of the Invincible Duo, and he absolutely refused to have all those years of hard work come to nothing. ¡°What are you planning?¡± he asked, angry and scared at the same time. Lan Shanyu lifted his robes, then squatted down in front of Cheng Zhou. He flicked the golden needle impaled in Cheng Zhou¡¯s shoulder with a finger, causing it to quiver. ¡°In two days, there¡¯ll be a shocking rumour in the martial arts world. The Invincible Duo were swallowed by crimson waves*, and died in the throes of passion.¡± *T/N: It seems that the original meaning of the phrase ±»·­ºìÀË (bei fan hong lang) just meant that red bedsheets were rumpled together at the top of the bed, without being made up. This phrase began its life as a purely innocent description of the state of the bed. However, subsequently, many writers used this in their novels to signify having a passionate night in bed. (I can see why.) Chen Ziqi¡¯s jaw hit the floor. ¡°Can two men also be swallowed by crimson waves?¡± he asked Dan Yi quietly. Dan Yi frowned and turned to face him. ¡°You know what ¡®swallowed by crimson waves¡¯ means?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course I know. It means that they¡¯re going to be made to sell their bodies!¡± Chen Ziqi said confidently. Everything that he knew about this topic came from the girls of the Scarlet Robe Court and the ruffians¡¯ dirty talk. ¡°Pff¨C¡± Cheng Zhou coughed out blood violently on hearing this, then fainted, his eyes rolling toward the back of his head. At this moment, the sound of galloping hooves could be heard coming from a distance. The Emperor¡¯s guards had finally arrived, with a very concerned Second Prince at their head. ¡°Little Seventh, Dan Yi, are you alright?¡± he asked, jumping off his horse. He looked at the two children before his gaze fell on Lan Shanyu. ¡°Wing Leader Lan?!¡± he asked in surprise. ¡°Second Prince Dianxia,¡± Lan Shanyu said, bowing calmly. ¡°These two assassins¡¯ actions were aimed at the Cloud Palace, and inadvertently startled your Imperial Highnesses. This subordinate will immediately take them away.¡± What happened in the martial arts world, stayed in the martial arts world. ¡°Hold on,¡± the Second Prince said, raising a hand to stop Lan Shanyu. ¡°Brass leaf-knives and a three-foot axe ¨C if I¡¯m not mistaken, these two must be the renowned Invincible Duo. Cheng Zhou is the Sixth Prince¡¯s uncle. Since he¡¯s here, they should be allowed to meet.¡± Lan Shanyu¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. This Second Prince was full of tricks even at this young age. He had elevated Cheng Zhou¡¯s status from a mere assassin to an Imperial relative by dragging the Sixth Prince in. This was probably a scheme of the Second Prince¡¯s targeted at the Crown Prince. A few detachments of the Yulin Troops had also arrived by this time, and the soldiers surrounded them tightly. Lan Shanyu did not say anything more. He helped his Young Master up and went to the camping ground with everyone else. The Zhenlong Emperor was infuriated by the appearance of these two highly skilled assassins in the Imperial hunting ground. The Imperial family¡¯s martial arts skills were very poor now, and most of the princes were wholly reliant on their guards for protection. He had spent a lot of money and effort training these Jinwu Guards precisely so that the Imperial family would not come to harm. He had not thought that the Jinwu Guards would not only fail to stop the assassins, but also be killed by the assassins as easily as a knife cutting through butter. This incident really touched a raw nerve with the Zhenlong Emperor. He summoned everyone into his tent and castigated the Yulin Troops¡¯ commander harshly in front of everybody. Cheng Zhou and Xue Lang were trussed up like turkeys and thrown on the floor. All the princes had returned to the camping ground, and they stood in two straight rows next to the Emperor¡¯s throne. Dan Yi was given special permission to sit on a soft couch on account of his injuries. Chen Ziqi immediately went over to accompany him. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, looking at Dan Yi with huge, concerned puppy eyes. Dan Yi had never seen Chen Ziqi look at him in such an ardent, concerned manner before. ¡°It hurts,¡± Dan Yi said, giving him a sideways glance. ¡°What are you intending to do about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll blow the pain away,¡± Chen Ziqi said, his expression serious. He stuck his head next to Dan Yi¡¯s injured arm, puffed out his cheeks and blew twice. ¡°Puff! Puff! Pain, pain fly away!¡± Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: It hurts Qiqi: I¡¯ll blow it for you Birdie Gong: Okay~ [About a thousand years later] Birdie Gong: It hurts Qiqi: You¡¯re not injured, what you talking about Birdie Gong: But my little bird started to hurt when it saw you, blow it, quick Qiqi: You perv! CH 26 Dan Yi looked at Chen Ziqi, who was applying himself seriously to huffing and puffing on his wound. His heart melted a little, and he poked Chen Ziqi¡¯s puffed out little cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t hurt any more,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi sat back. He looked left and right, confirmed that everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the two assassins, then took out the rusting dagger for Dan Yi to see. ¡°What¡¯s so special about this thing?¡± he asked. Earlier, Cheng Zhou had called this a Bloodblade or something. Did this rusty blade Laizi picked up in Jiuru Town have anything to do with a murder case?! ¡°This dagger is called a Bloodblade, and it¡¯s a weapon used exclusively by the Bloodblade Tower,¡± Dan Yi said. He was too tired to sit up any more, so he leaned back on a big cushion. He gestured to Linghe to wipe the dagger clean. Linghe took the dagger and started wiping the blood off it with a handkerchief. ¡°The Bloodblade Tower is a mercenary group,¡± Dan Yi said. He saw that Chen Ziqi had a blank look on his face, so he simplified his explanation. ¡°Basically, they will kill anyone if you pay them money.¡± Linghe was done cleaning the dagger. She rotated the dagger handle vigorously, and a thin blade detached itself with a sharp snapping sound. This Bloodblade was split into two parts ¨C the blade and the blade holder. The assassins of the Bloodblade Tower usually carried one blade holder and a large number of blades. The blade was made thin so that it had unparalleled sharpness, but it was also precisely because it was so thin that it had to be replaced very often. It wore out when used too many times to cut flesh and bone, and had to be changed when that happened. ¡°Because the blade is held by a holder, it makes three lines when used to cut ¨C one line made by the blade, and two lines made by the two edges of the holder. This is why Cheng Zhou was able to recognise the dagger,¡± Dan Yi said. He snapped the blade back into place and returned it to Chen Ziqi. ¡°Keep it with you to protect yourself, but don¡¯t show this to people unless you absolutely have to.¡± The Bloodblade Tower did not have a good name, and there was no telling what misfortunes would come out of being associated with it. Meanwhile, someone had thrown water on Cheng Zhou¡¯s face to rouse him. He struggled to sit up. He first looked around at the group of people surrounding him before his gaze fell on the silent Berry Brown. ¡°Cheng Mo!¡± he exclaimed. Chen Zimo looked at him, then slowly opened his mouth to greet him. ¡°Uncle,¡± he said. ¡°Why are you in the palace?¡± Cheng Zhou was shocked. Wasn¡¯t this child supposed to be living with the Suxin Sect? Jiuying Mountain Sect¡¯s leader was a man in his fifties named Cheng Ji, courtesy name Qianli. Cheng Zhou was the Sect leader¡¯s youngest brother, and had been rebellious since he was a young boy. He refused to learn his family¡¯s heritage martial arts, choosing to go gallivanting around the world instead. He learnt his martial arts from the various martial arts masters that he met on his travels. In recent years, he had managed to make a name for himself in the martial arts world. It could be said that Cheng Zhou was the most accomplished member of the Jiuying Mountain Sect. Even though the Jiuying Mountain Sect Leader often praised Cheng Zhou to the skies in front of Brown Berry, Cheng Zhou was essentially no better than a stranger to him. He grew up in the Jiuying Mountain Sect when he was little, and lived there until the Sect had been wiped out three years ago. He had never met Cheng Zhou during this time. After that, he had been sent to the Suxin Sect. The first time he met Cheng Zhou was in the early part of his first year in the Suxin Sect. Cheng Zhou¡¯s search for surviving members of his family had led him to the Suxin Sect, and Cheng Suyao had clutched at this youngest uncle of hers when she saw him, sobbing loudly. That was how Brown Berry even knew that he had a relative called Cheng Zhou. ¡°My father is the Emperor,¡± Chen Zimo answered simply. He had only met this uncle of his once, and he didn¡¯t feel anything for him. Chen Zimo actually had no feelings for anyone in the Jiuying Mountain Sect. Chen Zimo¡¯s memories from his childhood were not happy ones. Before he was four, he remembered being laughed at and bullied. After he turned four, he remembered being starved and overworked. Even though these memories weren¡¯t clear, he could still recall what happened that fateful day three years ago when the Jiuying Mountain Sect was wiped out. That day, the Jiuying Mountain Sect had received a wax-sealed envelope. When the Sect Leader broke the seal and opened it, all he found inside was a thin blade. There was no letter in the envelope. Sect Leader Cheng Ji¡¯s hands trembled as he held the blade between his fingers. ¡°A Bloodblade¡­¡± he whispered fearfully. It was said that before the Bloodblade Tower sent its assassins, it would first send a Bloodblade as a warning. If the Bloodblade was sent to one person, then its target was only one person; if the envelope containing the Bloodblade was addressed to the family, then its target was the entire family. The Bloodblade was always sent on the very day of the intended assassination. Receiving one meant that the Bloodblade Tower would certainly take action that night. You were allowed to try to make a run for it. But even if you ran, the Bloodblade Tower would find you and kill you. You might even die an earlier death if you tried to escape, falling prey to the Bloodblade Tower assassins who were already stationed near your home. If the terror of waiting for death to knock on your door was too much for you, you could also choose to take the Bloodblade in the envelope and slit your own throat. The Sect Leader had summoned the entire sect urgently to the front hall, and told everyone to run. The faster and further, the better. ¡°Where can we go? The Bloodblade Tower¡¯s assassins are obviously nearby. The moment we leave, we¡¯ll be killed!¡± someone shouted, sobbing. ¡°If you don¡¯t try to escape, you¡¯ll die. If you try to escape, you might be able to live.¡± Chen Zimo had always remembered the Sect Leader¡¯s words. He left with a few aunts and cousins on a horse carriage bound for the Suxin Sect, but before they had gotten very far, all his aunts and cousins had been killed. He only survived because he didn¡¯t have the right to sit in the carriage, and had been squashed into the luggage compartment under the carriage. He remembered the Sect Leader saying that he had to get to Suxin Sect and look for his mother ¨C the one who had been taken in by the Suxin Sect as a direct disciple immediately after he was born. He begged for food the entire way, and finally met a Suxin Sect disciple in one of the towns. That disciple brought him back to the Sect. This was the first time Cheng Zhou knew these details about Brown Berry¡¯s life. ¡°When I last saw you in the Suxin Sect, why didn¡¯t you tell me all this?¡± he asked, looking at Chen Zimo in confusion. Chen Zimo remained silent. He¡¯d dreamed about a blissful reunion with his mother, but when he actually met her, his dreams were all shattered. His mother did not treat him well, and in fact saw him as an embarrassment. When he met the uncle that his mother practically worshipped, he, as the object of her embarrassment, naturally chose to say nothing out of prudence. ¡°How dare you speak like this to the Sixth Prince!¡± One of the guards standing at the side kicked Cheng Zhou. Cheng Zhou staggered from the kick. He looked at Xue Lang, who was still out cold, and pulled himself out of his misery. ¡°Today, the Invincible Duo recognises that we should pay for our sins with our deaths, but I am unwilling to die before I avenge my family¡­ Your Majesty, if you can spare both our lives, we will both commit to working for you for ten years. This poor peasant only asks for the mercy of being allowed to avenge his family¡¯s unjust deaths.¡± ¡°You tried to assassinate the Cloud Palace¡¯s Young Master, but you¡¯re asking for mercy from the Emperor? That¡¯s the most illogical thing I¡¯ve heard,¡± Lan Shanyu said, stepping forward immediately. ¡°Your Majesty, affairs of the martial arts world remain in the martial arts world. The Cloud Palace should be allowed to deal with this matter. If the Imperial Palace gets involved in this, it would make a laughingstock out of the Imperial family.¡± To begin with, the Zhenlong Emperor greatly desired to have powerful warriors like the Invincible Duo serve him, and after listening to Cheng Zhou¡¯s emotional speech, he was very moved. He wanted to accept Cheng Zhou¡¯s offer. However, what Lan Shanyu said made sense; the whole of the martial arts world would probably agree with him. The Emperor couldn¡¯t help feeling irritated. ¡°These people came to the Imperial hunting ground to carry out their assassination! How can you say that this is purely a martial arts matter? This obviously concerns the Imperial family!¡± he said angrily. He was the Emperor of this entire empire! Why should he give way when he wanted very badly to be the master of this Invincible Duo? Dan Yi suddenly spoke up. ¡°The Emperor can deal with this matter if he so wishes. However, the Cloud Palace will also be taking its own action,¡± he said decisively. He motioned to Lan Shanyu. Lan Shanyu understood. He moved forward and faced the Second Prince. ¡°Dianxia, may I borrow your sword for a moment?¡± he asked. The Second Prince was training to be a swordsman, and always carried a sword at his hip. He thought Lan Shanyu was trying to get close to him and was very pleased. He smiled as he extended his sword to Lan Shanyu. ¡°Shing!¡± Lan Shanyu drew the sword from its sheath, then stabbed smoothly at two of Cheng Zhou¡¯s meridians, one in his hand and another in his foot. ¡°AH!¡± Cheng Zhou screamed in pain and fell to the ground. He could only watch in horror as Lan Shanyu did the same to Xue Lang. ¡°You¡­¡± The Emperor exhaled angrily, blowing his whiskers askew. He had preserved their lives so that they could be his faithful warriors, and Lan Shanyu had damaged their meridians! What use were they now that their martial arts ability was either gone or greatly reduced? ¡°Since the Emperor wishes to pardon you, the Cloud Palace has only broken one hand and one foot. From this day forth, the Cloud Palace will also not entertain any questions that either of you have,¡± Lan Shanyu said calmly. He wiped the sword and sheathed it with a flourish before handing it back to the Second Prince. The Emperor nearly had apoplexy then and there, but Lan Shanyu paid him no heed. He left the two half-invalids with the Emperor, and carried his Young Master back to the camping ground to rest. Back in camp, Chen Ziqi was still disconsolate. ¡°We nearly died! How can those two be let off so easily?¡± he complained. ¡°We only said we wouldn¡¯t kill them. We never said we¡¯d let them off,¡± Lan Shanyu said with a cunning smile. ¡°What I said earlier still holds.¡± ¡°You mean that thing about the crimson waves and throes of passion?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, his eyes shining. ¡°Big Brother Lan, could you find me some blades that look like the ones used in the Bloodblade?¡± ¡°What do you want them for?¡± Lan Shanyu asked curiously. ¡°If my Father Emperor keeps them as guards, then let¡¯s send them a blade once every few days,¡± Chen Ziqi said with an evil little laugh. Lan Shanyu gaped at Chen Ziqi. This idea was truly sinister; how did this Seventh Prince come up with it? He looked to be only six or seven years old! He then looked questioningly at his Young Master. Why did his Young Master choose such a frightening person as his partner? Dan Yi pressed his lips together and smiled faintly. ¡°Do as he says,¡± he said. Lan Shanyu rubbed his chin, then suddenly gave a brilliant smile. ¡°Dianxia is most wise. I¡¯ll send it over in two days. I have some more interesting ideas on how to torment these two people. Dianxia, would you like to hear them?¡± he said. Chen Ziqi nodded immediately, and went off excitedly with Lan Shanyu. Dan Yi: ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Dan Yi had a bad feeling that he might have opened a really big can of worms. Dan Yi and Chen Ziqi left the Autumn Hunt early because of this attempted assassination. The two of them headed back to the Imperial Palace before the others to recuperate in the Danyang Palace. ¡°I¡¯ll take this for you ¨C it¡¯s not good for you to get wet.¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s nagging filled the quiet Danyang Palace every day. He ran with short little legs to stop Dan Yi from plucking a lotus flower from the pond, and tiptoed to pluck that lotus bud for Dan Yi himself. He thrust the flower bud into Dan Yi¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t move! I¡¯ll feed you.¡± Dan Yi¡¯s injury was on his right arm, and he couldn¡¯t use his chopsticks properly. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t even let him use a spoon to eat, insisting on feeding him personally. He held a spoonful of food next to Dan Yi¡¯s mouth. ¡°Open up,¡± he said. Dan Yi had no choice but to open his mouth and let Chen Ziqi feed him. At the start, Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t really know how to do this, and they both ended up with rice all over them. He got much better at it after a few days. Chen Ziqi mixed the sauce from the meat dishes and some vegetables together evenly, then scooped up a big spoonful and stuffed it in Dan Yi¡¯s mouth. As Chen Ziqi watched Dan Yi chew on his food, he too felt hungry, and he scooped a mouthful for himself to eat before feeding the next spoonful to Dan Yi. Linghe couldn¡¯t stop Chen Ziqi in time. She could only watch helplessly as the two children happily ate alternate mouthfuls of food from the same spoon and bowl. ¡°Qiqi¡­¡± After dinner, Dan Yi looked at Chen Ziqi, who was helping him to wipe his chin in a most careful manner. He felt a pang of reluctance in his heart. ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± he said. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s hands stopped suddenly. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Back to the Cloud Palace,¡± Dan Yi said, looking at the four palanquin bearers outside. Lan Shanyu came in. ¡°The Cloud Palace Master has summoned the Young Master back urgently. Dianxia, if you need anything, you can come and look for me at the Peacock Wing in the Capital,¡± he said in warm tones. Chen Ziqi lowered his head silently. Dan Yi felt strangely melancholy looking at Chen Ziqi. ¡°I¡¯ll come back and play with you again sometime,¡± he promised. Author¡¯s Note: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: I¡¯ll come play with you another day Qiqi: Another day? I don¡¯t even know whether you¡¯ll be back in a year! I might be all grown up by then. Play, my ass Birdie Gong: Playing with your ass is good too Qiqi: ¡­. Scram CH 27 The Imperial Palace had never been Dan Yi¡¯s home. He was only here to have some fun, and certainly had to go back when duty beckoned. Chen Ziqi understood all this, but he still felt a deep sense of reluctance. Linghe passed a wooden box to Dan Yi, and Dan Yi thrust this at Chen Ziqi. ¡°This is for you,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi opened the box. An inner vest made of frost silk lay gleaming inside it. ¡°I only have two sets, so this one isn¡¯t new,¡± Dan Yi said. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Dan Yi had two sets so that he would always have one to wear whilst the other was being washed. If he gave this one to Chen Ziqi, then he would only have one left for himself. ¡°I don¡¯t want it,¡± Chen Ziqi said, pushing it back to Dan Yi. The world outside was very dangerous, and there were probably many more skilled assassins like Cheng Zhou after Dan Yi. If it so happened that they managed to pick a day when Dan Yi¡¯s frost silk vest was being washed¡­ Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t want to think about what would happen then. ¡°Give me something else if you feel sorry for me,¡± he said. Dan Yi pressed his lips together and smiled. ¡°What would you like?¡± he asked. ¡°I want those blankets and the silk bedcurtains,¡± Chen Ziqi said after thinking for a bit. The bedsheets from the Cloud Palace were just too comfortable, and he probably wouldn¡¯t be used to the usual sheets when he moved back in with his little fairy. Linghe hid her smile as she turned to pack up the bedsheets and bedcurtains. She instructed a servant to send them over to the Qingyun Palace. In the end, Dan Yi still left the frost silk inner vest with Chen Ziqi, telling him to wear it for important events, just in case. Chen Ziqi hugged that little vest to his chest as he watched Dan Yi get on the light blue palanquin and slowly put down the curtains. Lan Shanyu clasped his hands together in farewell, then led the two maids away. They leapt lightly into the air and floated away behind the palanquin. They looked like a flock of birds, disappearing quickly into the horizon. ¡°Stop being embarrassing. You¡¯ve just lost a playmate! It¡¯s not like you lost your wife,¡± Chang Er said impatiently. Her little rascal had pulled a long face ever since he moved back in. She couldn¡¯t resist giving him a quick flick on the head. ¡°Dan Yi is my wife! We¡¯ve slept together and everything,¡± Chen Ziqi said seriously. ¡°Get lost. The two of you have dicks! He can¡¯t possibly be your wife,¡± Chang Er said dismissively. ¡°Go do your homework, quick! If your handwriting is still that ugly chicken scratching when Dan Yi comes back next year, he might not want you any more.¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s lips curled, but he went back to his room to practice his writing. As he wrote, he thought that it would be great if Dan Yi was his wife. Dan Yi was rich, good-looking, skilled in martial arts, and even gave in to him¡­ The more Chen Ziqi thought about it, the better it sounded. When Dan Yi left, he didn¡¯t leave from the Xuanwu Gate, but leapt directly over the palace walls instead. The Zhenlong Emperor felt like the Cloud Palace was really disrespecting him, and wondered if it was because they were still unhappy over the Invincible Duo matter. The more he thought about it, the more likely this seemed, and the perturbed Emperor decided to pay a visit to Chen Ziqi. ¡°Little Seventh, you¡¯ve grown taller again¡­¡± the Zhenlong Emperor said. He made some small talk with Chen Ziqi before speaking about Dan Yi. ¡°Before he left, did he say anything?¡± Chen Ziqi tilted his head as he thought hard. ¡°He said that he¡¯d come back to play with me one of these days. Father Emperor, can I go and play with Dan Yi in the Cloud Palace?¡± he asked. The Zhenlong Emperor was rather surprised. He hadn¡¯t thought that Dan Yi and Chen Ziqi would have such a good relationship. This round, the Crown Prince had not managed to take advantage of the chance to get close to Dan Yi, but Little Seventh had managed to do so. Chen Ziqi was part of the Imperial family anyway, so the Emperor wasn¡¯t fussed. ¡°You¡¯re not fourteen yet, so you can¡¯t leave the palace. When you¡¯re older, you can go and look for him there,¡± the Emperor said. With Chen Ziqi here, Dan Yi was unlikely to take any action against him even if was displeased. He couldn¡¯t help smiling in satisfaction at this thought. ¡°Little Seventh, you made great contributions at the Autumn Hunt this round. What would you like as a reward?¡± Great contributions? What did he contribute? If anything, it was the Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi who took a hit for him! Chen Ziqi found this very incomprehensible, but he wasn¡¯t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. ¡°I want more meat to eat every day. The food that¡¯s sent to my mother isn¡¯t as delicious as the food at the Danyang Palace,¡± he said. ¡°You little rascal. You¡¯re always thinking about food,¡± the Zhenlong Emperor said, laughing heartily. He waved an arm grandly. ¡°Pass my royal edict. The Seventh Prince has made great contributions at the Autumn Hunt, but because of his young age, there¡¯s nothing suitable I can reward him with. As such, I will be raising his mother, Chang Jieyu, to the rank of Pin. Henceforth, she shall be known as Yue* Pin.¡± *T/N: Yue means ¡°moon¡±. I¡¯m quite amused, because in the legend of Chang Er, Chang Er is the goddess of the moon. Pretty sure that¡¯s what influenced LYQH in giving her this name as well! In order to add more meat dishes to the Qingyun Palace¡¯s menu, the allowance given to Chang Er, the mistress of Qingyun Palace, also had to be increased. As the allowance was fixed according to the concubines¡¯ ranks, increasing Chang Er¡¯s allowance meant that her rank also had to be increased. As such, because of Chen Ziqi¡¯s simple request to ¡°eat more meat¡±, Chang Er rose from a third-ranked Jieyu to a second-ranked Yue Pin. It also meant that she could take more of the residences within the Qingyun Palace as her own. Chang Er happily cleared out an entire side palace in the Qingyun Palace for Chen Ziqi to live in, and even claimed a small martial arts practice area for him. With Dan Yi gone, Chen Ziqi now had to walk to Chunxi Hall by himself again every day. That long palace road became scary again, but all he could do was grit his teeth and run through it quickly. Chen Ziqi also didn¡¯t have anyone to play with when Dan Yi left, so he applied himself faithfully to his studies and martial arts practice. The Emperor did not say how he finally dealt with that uncle of Berry Brown¡¯s, but he did hear that Cheng Jieyu had brought Berry Brown to beg the Emperor for mercy three days in a row. She was finally allowed to meet Cheng Zhou for a short while, and when she returned to her palace, she cried for a very long time. Berry Brown was even more taciturn these days. ¡°Do you think a person¡¯s name can be changed?¡± Chen Zimo asked Chen Ziqi. He¡¯d come over to play with Chen Ziqi on one of the few days they had a break from lessons. The two of them were squatting over the pond with fishnets in hand, trying to catch some fish when he suddenly asked this question. Chen Ziqi executed the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon and caught a fat koi fish. ¡°Of course,¡± he replied. ¡°Didn¡¯t we both change our names once already?¡± ¡°In the past, you were called Chang Qi, and I was called Cheng Mo, so our names were changed to Chen Ziqi and Chen Zimo. There¡¯s still a correlation to our old names,¡± Berry Brown said. ¡°But is there such a thing as someone changing both characters of their name?¡± It was very rare for Berry Brown to string so many words together. He seemed to be very intent on getting an answer to this question. Chen Ziqi used both his hands to pin the struggling koi fish down, trying to prevent it from escaping. ¡°It¡¯s quite rare for both the characters in a name to be changed. It¡¯s a name given by your parents, after all, so even if you were accepted as a disciple of a sect and had to change your name, they would usually only change one of the characters to show which generation of disciples you¡¯re from*. For example, Dan Yi told me that your mum¡¯s generation of Suxin Sect disciples are all called Su-something,¡± Chen Ziqi said. *T/N: A generation name is so called because every member of that generation, e.g. siblings / paternal cousins / disciples of a sect of the same generation all have a certain character in their name. In martial arts sects, when you were accepted as a direct disciple, the sect members became your family, which was why they took on the sect¡¯s generation name. Read the wiki page for more information. ¡°That generation of the Cheng family had the generation name ¡®Jia¡¯. That means that my mother should have been called ¡®Cheng Jiayao¡¯ before she entered the sect, right?¡± Chen Zimo asked, his eyes boring into Chen Ziqi¡¯s intently. Chen Ziqi nodded. ¡°And so?¡± he said. Chen Zimo clenched a fist slowly as he bent his head to gaze at the fish swimming in the pond. ¡°My uncle, he called my mother Jiazhen¡­¡± he said. ¡°Plop!¡± The struggling koi fish in Chen Ziqi¡¯s hands escaped back into the pond. Chen Ziqi stared at Chen Zimo for a moment, then looked around carefully. ¡°You¡¯re suspecting that she¡¯s not your mother?¡± he asked quietly. Chen Zimo didn¡¯t say anything, but he nodded his head slightly. He¡¯d previously thought that his mother¡¯s ill-treatment of him was normal; he was an illegitimate child born out of wedlock after all, unworthy of a mother¡¯s love. It was only after he came to the palace and saw how Chang Er treated Chen Ziqi that he slowly realised he might have been wrong, that love could exist between an illegitimate child and his mother. He knew now that his mother should not have treated him that way. If Cheng Jieyu really wasn¡¯t Chen Zimo¡¯s mother, this would truly be an earth-shattering revelation. Chen Ziqi bit his lip in thought. ¡°For the time being, don¡¯t confront your mother about it, or she might hit you again. Let¡¯s try to investigate this ourselves,¡± he said. Any investigation had to begin from Cheng Jieyu¡¯s person, however, and the only person Chen Ziqi knew with access to Cheng Jieyu was his mother. As such, Chen Ziqi had no choice but to tell Chang Er about it. ¡°What?¡± Chang Er found this story to be incredible, but she listened seriously as Chen Ziqi spoke nonetheless. After Chen Ziqi finished explaining the whole situation, she was silent for a moment before she spoke again. ¡°If we really want to pursue this train of thought, I have to say that actually, Cheng Jieyu¡¯s body¡¯s is a little strange ¨C she doesn¡¯t look like she has given birth before.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, snuggling into his mother¡¯s arms and feeling her up and down. ¡°What¡¯s different if you give birth?¡± ¡°You little bratty bastard, keep your hands to yourself!¡± Chang Er said, catching hold of his ear and pulling him off her. ¡°How about this then? I¡¯ll test her next time I see her.¡± As to how this test was to be conducted, Chang Er refused to say, so Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t say anything to Berry Brown about it. He continued to let him have his meals and spend most of his time at the Qingyun Palace. Autumn soon ended, and the first icy winds of winter blew into the Capital. Chen Ziqi huddled in his blankets, listening to the wind whistling outside the window. It was probably going to snow soon. When the roads were blocked by many feet of snow, Dan Yi was even less likely to come back¡­ The next morning, sunlight shone in through the windows, and it somehow seemed brighter than it had ever been before. Chen Ziqi opened his eyes and saw that everything was blanketed in a layer of glistening white. The first snow of winter had fallen last night. He squirmed further into the blankets, not wanting to get up. He suddenly heard a sweet little chirp, and he stiffened in surprise for a second before throwing off his covers. A small, red, fluffy ball was nestled in the blankets, reclining lazily on his tummy. ¡°Divine chicken!¡± Chen Ziqi was elated. He gathered the little red chick into his hands. ¡°Did you come to accompany me because you knew I was cold?¡± The little red bird ignored him. It crawled determinedly into the sleeve of his undershirt, found a comfortable corner to sleep in, and refused to move after that. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± The little red bird¡¯s feathers had tickled Chen Ziqi as it wormed its way into his sleeve, and Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help laughing. He shook his arm a little to get the little chick out, then arranged the blankets comfortably around it. He got into his robes in trice, pulled the chick out of the blankets and stuffed it into the front of his clothes before heading to the High Priest¡¯s Taizhen Palace with a spring in his step. In the Taizhen Palace, Lan Shanyu was holding out a cloak edged in white foxfur for the High Priest to see. ¡°I came of age last month, and the Cloud Palace Master gave me a courtesy name, Qingchen. It complements your courtesy name perfectly, doesn¡¯t it? Lan Shanyu, courtesy name Qingchen. Lan Jiangxue, courtesy name Qinghan. *T/N: Shanyu means ¡°mountain rain¡±, and Qingchen means ¡°light dust¡±. Jiangxue means ¡°a snowy river¡±, and Qinghan means ¡°light chill¡±. The mountain rain settles the light dust, fishing alone in the snowy river. Even the artistic concept of their names was complementary. ¡°We¡¯re not even brothers related by blood. What¡¯s the point in making our names complementary?¡± the High Priest said dismissively. He stretched out a hand to grab hold of the cloak, but Lan Shanyu dodged at the last moment. The High Priest overbalanced and fell straight into Lan Shanyu¡¯s arms. ¡°High Priest!¡± Chen Ziqi ran in with the red bird grasped firmly in one hand. The scene that met his eyes was Lan Shanyu with his arms wrapped around the High Priest, and the High Priest clutching at Lan Shanyu¡¯s clothes. The two men froze at the sound of Chen Ziqi¡¯s voice and turned their heads in unison to look at him. The atmosphere was just a little awkward. Why was Lan Shanyu here? And why were they in that compromising position¡­ ¡°Ahem. Dianxia, you¡¯re here,¡± the High Priest said, pushing Lan Shanyu aside. He straightened his clothes. ¡°Is there something you need?¡± he asked in genial tones. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Chen Ziqi hesitated. He wasn¡¯t sure what kind of relationship Lan Shanyu had with the High Priest, and whether Lan Shanyu knew about the little red bird being the Protector-God. Because Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t speak up, a weird hush fell over the Taizhen Palace again. ¡°Tweet?¡± The little red bird stuck its head out of the clothes at Chen Ziqi¡¯s chest. The atmosphere seemed to become even more awkward¡­ Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Lan Shanyu: We¡¯re dead, the boss found us making out in the office High Priest: Boss, you¡¯re here just in time, I want to complain that Lan Shanyu has been sexually harassing me at work Birdie Gong: Tweet? Qiqi: He¡¯s still a little chick. He doesn¡¯t understand Birdie Gong: (¡Ñv¡Ñ) Beansprout: Thank you for all the lovely comments in the previous chapters ¨C keep ¡¯em coming! I love reading your comments! I haven¡¯t had time to respond to them this week because it¡¯s been a crazy week at work, but will try to do so when things ease up! It¡¯s about all I can do to release the chapters on time rn. o.o CH 28 ¡°Ah, I¡¯m just here to pass my older brother some clothes,¡± Lan Shanyu said. He felt that he had to explain himself when he set eyes on the crimson bird¡¯s bright little eyes. ¡°The High Priest is your older brother?¡± Chen Ziqi gaped in astonishment. He remembered something that he¡¯d found strange before as he looked at the nine pearls on the High Priest¡¯s guan. He then turned his eyes to the nine sapphires on Lan Shanyu¡¯s guan. Other than the colour, the design of the two guan were practically identical. He suddenly felt like he¡¯d been enlightened. ¡°It¡¯s drafty in the doorway. Dianxia, why don¡¯t you come in and have a seat?¡± the High Priest said. He was his usual calm, dignified self again as he invited Chen Ziqi to come forward. The Taizhen Palace didn¡¯t look as spacious in winter as it had in summer. Tall wooden screens were used to block off the cold winds from outside, creating a smaller, warm space in the main hall. Wooden slats had been placed on the floor to create a short platform, and warm sheepskin rugs were strewn all over the platform. The futons on the floor had also been changed from the usual straw ones to the cushioned type, and a fire burned merrily in an incense burner that was as tall as a man. Chen Ziqi sat in front of the short table, and some assistants immediately came forward to place fluffy rugs over his legs. They also gave him a small hand warmer. The little red bird felt the warmth emanating from the small hand warmer, and pressed his small wings against it. ¡°Don¡¯t move. If you fall into the hand warmer, you¡¯ll turn into a roast chicken,¡± Chen Ziqi said, pushing the bird back into his clothes before looking up at the two adults. ¡°Pfft¨C¡± Lan Shanyu immediately choked on his tea when he heard Chen Ziqi describe the little red bird as a ¡°roast chicken¡±. ¡°Relax, I won¡¯t tell anyone about you and the High Priest having a tryst,¡± Chen Ziqi said, a serious expression on his face. ¡°A tryst?¡± The High Priest¡¯s hands faltered, and he looked at the little red bird, which had popped its head out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes again. ¡°Dianxia, this is not a word that should be used lightly.¡± Chen Ziqi scratched his head. ¡°You¡¯re meeting someone in private ¨C isn¡¯t that what a tryst means?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. If word got out that the High Priest of the Zhang Dynasty having regular contact with the Cloud Palace, surely that would not be good for the High Priest? ¡°No,¡± the High Priest said. ¡°That¡¯s not what a tryst means.¡± Things had already come to this, so the High Priest decided to explain that he was originally from the Cloud Palace to begin with. On hearing this, Chen Ziqi stood up to leave immediately. ¡°I think I¡¯d rather not know such a big secret,¡± he said. Knowledge was a dangerous commodity in the palace.The more you knew, the faster you perished. ¡°It¡¯s not a secret,¡± the High Priest said. He couldn¡¯t help smiling in amusement when he saw Chen Ziqi¡¯s reaction. ¡°The Emperor knows of this.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ziqi stopped in his tracks and looked suspiciously at the High Priest. Other people might not have known about this fact, but the Emperor certainly did. Lan Jiangxue¡¯s allegiance had originally been to the Phoenix King before he became the High Priest. The position of High Priest was a special one that could only be fulfilled by members of the Lan family, and Lan Jiangxue was chosen as the candidate for his generation. Most of the important ministers in the Imperial Court came from the major martial arts sects. This was something that couldn¡¯t be helped; if you didn¡¯t come from a major sect, you wouldn¡¯t be able to afford the cost of education to begin with. However, it was a surprise to Chen Ziqi that even the position of High Priest belonged to someone whose loyalties did not lie entirely with the Emperor¡­ Chen Ziqi thought back on the time Dan Yi was living in the palace. The Emperor had asked him whether Dan Yi met with the High Priest. Clearly, the Emperor had misgivings about the High Priest being affiliated with the Cloud Palace, which was why he had asked Chen Ziqi this question. ¡°Big Brother Lan, how¡¯s Dan Yi?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. At that time, Lan Shanyu had gone back with Dan Yi when he left for the Cloud Palace. Now that Lan Shanyu was back in the Capital, why hadn¡¯t Dan Yi come along as well? Lan Shanyu glanced furtively at the fluffy little bird head poking out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s chest. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ doing well,¡± he said evasively. The little red bird stared hard at Lan Shanyu, then tilted its head. The two long crown feathers on its head swayed with the movement. ¡°Ah, I still have things to deal with in the Peacock Wing, so I¡¯ll make a move first,¡± Lan Shanyu said, getting to his feet noisily. He disappeared in a trice, as if he were being chased by wild dogs. With Lan Shanyu gone, Chen Ziqi relaxed and spoke openly about the divine chicken with the High Priest. He pulled a corner of the warm rug covering his legs toward the short table, and used the hand warmer as a weight to hold that corner on the table before taking the little bird out of his clothes and setting it down on the corner of the rug next to the hand warmer. The little chick hadn¡¯t come into its full plumage yet, and Chen Ziqi was afraid it would get sick from the cold. He placed his hands around the little chick to make sure it didn¡¯t run around. ¡°High Priest, the divine chicken¡¯s back, but why is it that it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s grown at all? When is it going to grow proper feathers?¡± he asked. ¡°Divine creatures have very long lives. It follows that they also grow very slowly. You must have heard before that fairy children still look like children after a thousand years,¡± the High Priest said, smiling gently. He looked at the little fluffy chick, then suddenly remembered that his Young Master would get cold in winter when he was in bird form. He had to get someone to make warm clothes for him to wear. With this in mind, he took out a piece of paper, dipped a fine brush in ink, and started to draw. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird didn¡¯t want to stand on the short table, and he hopped onto Chen Ziqi¡¯s arm, flapping his wings a little. He bounded onto Chen Ziqi¡¯s head in a trice and pecked at the strands of hair that had fallen out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s bun, making a little nest for himself there. The High Priest finished drawing the design for the bird¡¯s clothes and looked up from the paper. He found that the little bird had closed its eyes as it nestled on Chen Ziqi¡¯s head, and Chen Ziqi was in the midst of reaching up to pet it. He couldn¡¯t help but press his lips together in an amused smile, and set his brush to the paper again. Before long, a picture of a young child with a little chick on his head appeared on the paper in flowing lines. After Chen Ziqi plucked the little bird out of his hair and turned to look at the High Priest again, he saw the High Priest matter-of-factly stamping his personal seal on the painting he had just drawn. ¡°High Priest, are you asking me to make clothes for the divine chicken?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, looking at the sketch of the bird¡¯s clothes. It was a tiny little vest with furred sides, narrow at the top and wide on the bottom. ¡°Nn. It¡¯s cold in winter, so you need to clothe the chicken¡­ ahem, the divine bird, or else it can¡¯t run around in the snow,¡± the High Priest said, smiling blithely. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird flapped its wings in dissatisfaction. Chen Ziqi nodded obediently. He stretched his hand out to take the sketch. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my mum to try making this,¡± he said. He wasn¡¯t really sure if he¡¯d succeed, however; his little fairy would probably think he¡¯d lost his mind when he asked her to make clothes for his chicken. The High Priest had originally thought to get Lan Shanyu to place an order for the vest, but since Chen Ziqi offered, he didn¡¯t reject it. He smiled and nodded at Chen Ziqi. ¡°Since the Protector-God has returned, you should keep him next to you when you practice martial arts. It will be beneficial to Dianxia¡¯s cultivation,¡± he advised. Chen Ziqi folded the sketch carefully and put it into his sleeve. He silently observed the little red bird pecking at some snacks next to the hand warmer for a while. ¡°Is the Cloud Palace affiliated in some way to the Protector-God?¡± he asked suddenly. Dan Yi had taught him a new breathing method, and now the High Priest was saying that the little red bird would be beneficial to his cultivation¡­ ¡°Of course. Lan Shanyu and I are servants of the Protector-God,¡± the High Priest said with a faint smile. ¡°Then what about Dan Yi?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, raising his head to look at the High Priest. His small hands slowly clenched into fists inside his sleeves. Did Dan Yi only make friends with him because he was the Protector-God¡¯s chosen one? The High Priest looked at the little red bird, who had now stopped pecking at the snacks. ¡°The Young Master¡­ is different from us,¡± he said. He did not elaborate on what this difference was. However, this was enough to allay Chen Ziqi¡¯s fears. Chen Ziqi secretly heaved a sigh of relief, then picked up the little bird and shook the snack crumbs off it. He put the little bird back into his clothes, bade farewell to the High Priest, and walked back to his palace, the thin layer of snow on the ground crunching under his feet. ¡°Mum, what are you doing?¡± Chen Ziqi called. ¡°Sigh, Ah Mu has a high fever, and I heard that he¡¯s in a pretty bad state. I¡¯m going to have a look,¡± Chang Er said. Her concern for Ah Mu was written all over her face. This wasn¡¯t something she should ordinarily have bothered with, but the little fatty had been coming over for half a year now, and she¡¯d started to develop some motherly feelings for him as well. ¡°I¡¯ll go too,¡± Chen Ziqi said, moving to follow his mother. However, Chang Er stopped him. ¡°You¡¯re still small, and your body¡¯s weak. You¡¯re not to go,¡± Chang Er said. She herself turned and left in great haste. When Chang Er arrived at Chaoyang Palace, the Empress and a few other concubines were already there, scolding the palace servants fiercely. ¡°Is this how you look after an Imperial Prince? How could you not notice that he¡¯d pushed off his blankets in the middle of the night? Even if he froze to death, you probably wouldn¡¯t have realised it!¡± The Imperial Physician said that Ah Mu had caught a chill in the night. When small children caught chills, it was usually because they had kicked off their blankets. This also meant that Chen Zimu had been left unattended at night. ¡°Empress niangniang, please investigate this carefully! We servants have not been slacking off, but it snowed suddenly last night, and the little prince has a weak constitution, which is why¡­¡± the palace maid in charge of Ah Mu¡¯s care said, trying to explain herself. ¡°These two days have been cold! Is there a difference whether it snows or not? You mean to say that you would give him a thin summer blanket if it doesn¡¯t snow?¡± Chang Er retorted, cutting the palace maid off. She couldn¡¯t tolerate listening to this palace maid any more. The Empress didn¡¯t reprimand Chang Er for cutting in, which indicated that she agreed with what Chang Er had said. A few of the palace maids started to shiver in fright, and didn¡¯t say any more. After Chang Er returned to the Qingyun Palace that night, she still felt very dissatisfied with the whole situation. She held her rice bowl in one hand, looking at her son slurping down hot noodles with great gusto. She hesitated for a bit, then spoke up. ¡°Little bratty bastard, your old mother wants to discuss something with you,¡± she said. ¡°What?¡± Chen Ziqi gulped the soup in the bowl down noisily, then extended the empty bowl to Chang Er. Chang Er took the bowl and ladled more noodles and soup into it. Even though she was now a Pin, she still dismissed the servants during mealtimes because she felt more comfortable eating without them waiting on her. ¡°I went to see the little fatty, and he was burning up like a stove. He kept calling out for his jiujiu and gege, and my heart really goes out to him,¡± she said. ¡°And so?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, accepting the refilled bowl. He took a big slurp of noodles and stuffed a piece of pork elbow into his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m thinking, now that I¡¯ve been promoted to Yue Pin, my monthly allowance has also increased by a lot, and I can afford to support one more person. How about I ask to adopt Ah Mu? He can be your brother¡­¡± Chang Er said, a little torn. In the past, there was no way she would have even considered doing this ¨C it was a lot of work for little or no reward. It had also been very difficult to raise one son on her own, let alone take in someone else¡¯s child. It was different now, though. As a Pin, she had the right to adopt other princes. Furthermore, for Chen Ziqi to live well in the palace, he needed to have people on his side. If she was already going to extend some kindness to Ah Mu every now and then, she might as well just adopt him and officially make him one of their own. Over and above all these justifications, it had to be said that Chang Er really pitied little Ah Mu. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird now had its own small bowl to eat from, and was pecking noodles from it. When it heard Chang Er¡¯s suggestion, it looked up immediately and chirped in dissatisfaction. If Chang Er adopted the little fatty, didn¡¯t that mean that he would share a bed with Chen Ziqi? Chen Ziqi put down his chopsticks and considered this silently for a few moments. Chang Er looked at her son. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I¡¯ll¡­¡± she began tentatively. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to,¡± Chen Ziqi said, his face serious. He pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeves. ¡°Make this for me, and I¡¯ll say yes.¡± Chang Er opened the folded piece of paper. A small, chick-sized vest was drawn on it¡­ A resounding smack landed on Chen Ziqi¡¯s head. ¡°You little bastard, are you trying to make fun of me?¡± The next day, Chang Er went to seek an audience with the Zhenlong Emperor. The Emperor wasn¡¯t really particular about who took care of the princes ¨C to him, the princes could be taken care of by whoever wanted to take care of them. He agreed to Chang Er¡¯s adoption request with a dismissive wave of his hand. When Ah Mu next opened his eyes, he saw Chang Er sitting by his bedside, dressed in soft robes. He looked around him in confusion. The room was unfamiliar, and didn¡¯t look like his room at all. ¡°Why am I here?¡± he asked. ¡°The Emperor agreed that you¡¯ll be my son from now on,¡± Chang Er said, reaching out to flick his pink little nose gently. She couldn¡¯t help smiling. Children around three to four years old were the most fun. Older kids like Chen Ziqi, on the other hand, were at that irritating age where even dogs didn¡¯t want to play with them. He wasn¡¯t fun at all. ¡°Really?!¡± Ah Mu sat up straight, staring at Chang Er in disbelief with his swollen, watery eyes. ¡°I have a mother now?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m your mother now.¡± ¡°I have a mother¡­ mummy¡­ boohoohoo¡­ is this real? You¡¯re not bluffing me, right? Boohoo¡­¡± Ah Mu asked over and over again. He started crying as he repeated the questions over and over again. Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Chang Er: You¡¯ll have to change how you address me in future. What should you call me? Ah Mu: Mummy! Chang Er: Good boy. (Points at Qiqi) What about him? Ah Mu: Big brother! Chang Er: Very clever! (Points at the little red chicken) What about him? Ah Mu: Saozi*! *T/N: This is how you would address your brother¡¯s wife. Chang Er: ¡­ Wut? Beansprout: Urgh, who cut onions in here? Anyway, this is one of my favourite chapters in the book! Dear little Ah Mu finally has a mum! Also, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone! I hope you¡¯ll have some time today to drink tea and savour a mooncake while appreciating the beauty of the round, round moon! ÖÐÇï½Ú¿ìÀÖ£¡ CH 29 Chen Ziqi stood in front of the door, observing what was happening in Ah Mu¡¯s room. ¡°Divine Chicken, my mum won¡¯t just be my mum any more,¡± he said. ¡°Tweet,¡± Dan Yi acknowledged. He pecked lightly at Chen Ziqi¡¯s chest. He understood; he had similar feelings when his dad had told him that he wanted to have another egg. ¡°The good thing is, you¡¯re still my chicken, and no one else¡¯s,¡± Chen Ziqi said, laughing happily. He bent his head down to kiss the fluffy little head. ¡°Tweet tweet!¡± I¡¯ve said it so many times, I¡¯m NOT a chicken! Dan Yi pecked at Chen Ziqi¡¯s incoming lips. ¡°Ow¡­¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand went reflexively to his lips, and when he released them, the finger that touched his lips came away with a tiny droplet of blood on it. The little chicken¡¯s sharp beak must have broken the soft skin on his lips. Dan Yi tasted blood. He froze for a bit, then raised his head to look at Chen Ziqi. A small droplet of blood was oozing out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s pink lips, and Dan Yi felt kind of bad. He stretched out a wing to wipe the blood off, but before he could do so, a small finger flicked his head. ¡°You dare to peck me? You¡¯re asking to be spanked!¡± Chen Ziqi said, licking off the blood on his lip. He still wasn¡¯t satisfied after flicking the bird¡¯s head, so he flicked the bird¡¯s backside as well. ¡°You won¡¯t get any green bean cake tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tweet?!¡± Much to Dan Yi¡¯s relief, Chang Er had not made Chen Ziqi and Ah Mu share a bed. As a favoured concubine with money to splurge, there were many side palaces that she could put Ah Mu in. In any event, because Ah Mu was very young and had not fully recovered from his illness, Chang Er decided to keep him by her side in her room for the winter, the better to help him recover. She also let him sleep in her bed at night. Ah Mu was beside himself with joy. The first night, he tentatively hugged Chang Er¡¯s arm beneath the blankets, and when she didn¡¯t push him away, he became braver, and nuzzled his face against her arm happily. This was his mum, his own soft, sweet-smelling mum! Cuddling her was as warm as cuddling his Jiujiu. Ah Mu was sure he wouldn¡¯t get nightmares at night any more. ¡°Sigh. The moon is bright, bright in the night, an orphaned child tells a chicken his plight,¡± Chen Ziqi said in a singsong voice. He was lying chest-down on a pillow, and he blew out some air at the little red bird when he sang the last word, trying to flatten its two crown feathers. The word ¡°plight¡± wasn¡¯t very suitable for blowing out air, so he tried again. ¡°A chicken! His! Plight! Huff!¡± he sang again, puffing out air at the poor little bird. ¡°Tweet!¡± Chen Ziqi had blown the air out with such force that the little fluffball fell off the cushion. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Chen Ziqi reached out to pet the bird, then pulled it out of the gap between the cushions. He stuffed the little bird into the blankets. ¡°Shan¡¯t play with you any more, or you¡¯ll probably be frozen.¡± The fluffball¡¯s feathers were already cold from the winter chill. Chen Ziqi quickly put the bird into his clothes to let it warm up. Although he knew that the divine chicken wasn¡¯t an ordinary chick, Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help but worry. The chicks that hatched in winter often froze to death when they ran around even for a bit. He didn¡¯t want that to happen to his divine chicken, so he felt it was better to be safe than sorry. Dan Yi struggled a bit in Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes, and his head bumped into a little protrusion on Chen Ziqi¡¯s chest. He paused in surprise, then, realising what he¡¯d bumped into, turned a brilliant shade of red. He was quiet after that. Chen Ziqi patted the little bird in a satisfied manner, then closed his eyes and went to sleep. Under Chang Er¡¯s dedicated care, Ah Mu returned to the pink of health again very quickly. He looked even better than he had been before he fell ill. ¡°Gege, where¡¯s your little bird?¡± Ah Mu asked as he trotted behind Chen Ziqi on his little legs. They were headed to lessons at Chunxi Hall. ¡°I¡¯ve hidden my bird, of course. Do you think everyone¡¯s like you, wearing detachable crotch pants* outside?¡± Chen Ziqi teased. *T/N: These are pants worn by little children, to make it easier for them to pee. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that bird¡­¡± Ah Mu covered his crotch, his face turning red. ¡°I haven¡¯t worn those pants in ages.¡± He wanted to ask about the little bird since he saw it hiding in Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes yesterday, but he was now distracted by Chen Ziqi¡¯s teasing. ¡°You liar. I just heard my mother ordering you some from the Embroidery Department,¡± Chen Ziqi said, making a face at Ah Mu. ¡°No she didn¡¯t¡­¡± Ah Mu protested, frowning so hard that his face looked like a steamed meat bun. They bantered noisily all the way to Chunxi Hall. Prince Qi saw this and smiled. ¡°Little Eleventh looks much more lively today. It¡¯s true that children grow up a little after recovering from serious illnesses,¡± he said. Ah Mu smiled bashfully. Now that he had a mother, he had a lot more confidence, and often smiled happily when other people spoke to him. Berry Brown looked enviously at Ah Mu, who was practically glowing with happiness. Chen Ziqi winked at him, signalling that he could come and have lunch at Qingyun Palace with them, then applied himself seriously to striking the horse-riding stance. The little red bird poked its head out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes and looked around. Dan Yi shivered as the wintry winds gusted by his little head and ducked back into Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes. He nestled in Chen Ziqi¡¯s chest for a bit, then stood up and wriggled about in Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes until it found one of the meridians that qi had to pass through to master the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl. He pecked at it with his beak. This was ticklish, but Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t move around as he pleased when holding the horse-riding stance, so he tried to use his qi to soothe the itch at that spot. He closed his eyes and tried to visualise this again and again. Suddenly, a burst of warmth appeared in his veins. Chen Ziqi found that he could control this warmth, and directed it toward the place that the little bird was pecking at. That spot stopped itching instantly. The little fluffball hopped over to another spot to peck at another meridian. That warmth was like spring water gurgling out of a mountain, bubbling out a little here and there. As time went on, more and more spots of warmth bubbled forth, connecting into little streams that passed through the critical meridians in his body. Chen Ziqi was sweating buckets by the time the horse-riding stance practice was over. ¡°Why are you sweating so much?¡± Prince Qi asked, puzzled. It was a really cold, blustery day. How could anyone sweat so much just holding a horse-riding stance in these circumstances? ¡°I think I put on a few layers too many,¡± Chen Ziqi said, forcing a smile. He excused himself and went to the bathroom, then pulled the little chicken out of his clothes the moment he had privacy. He thought carefully about what had happened earlier. That warmth he felt ¨C was that qi? According to the Tianyan Wanxiang Gong¡¯s theory, it would seem like he had succeeded in summoning his qi. ¡°Divine Chicken, I¡¯ve summoned my qi!¡± Chen Ziqi laughed gleefully. He was so ecstatic that he couldn¡¯t pay attention to the rest of his lessons that morning, and kept trying to experience that feeling of qi flowing through his veins again. He really, really wanted to share this new discovery with Dan Yi, but because he wasn¡¯t here, he could only tell this to the little red bird. ¡°Tweet,¡± the little chick chirped tiredly. It slumped down in his palm, not wanting to move. It had transferred some neili into Chen Ziqi¡¯s body in order to catalyse Chen Ziqi¡¯s qi summoning, and it was incredibly tired now. It snowed a little in the afternoon, and Professor Luo was gripped by a sudden inspiration to compose poems. He flitted off to a temple in the mountains to enjoy the scenery and write his poems. With their teacher gone, the princes were unable to have any lessons, so Chen Ziqi played with Berry Brown and Ah Mu in the Qingyun Palace. As they were playing, Chang Er called Chen Ziqi into the house. ¡°Here,¡± Chang Er said, breaking the thread in her hands with a small snapping sound. She tossed something at Chen Ziqi. ¡°When did you pick up a chick again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same chick,¡± Chen Ziqi said, catching the thing Chang Er tossed at him. It was the tiny vest for the chick she had agreed to make earlier. He immediately climbed onto the warm brick bed and set the sleepy little chick down. He tried to put the vest on the chick. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. It¡¯s already been a few months! Your chick should have grown by now, it¡¯s not a block of wood, is it?¡± Chang Er said, her lips twisting in disbelief. The vest was made out of snowsilk that had been left over after Chang Er made Chen Ziqi¡¯s underclothes. Chang Er put a layer of soft cotton between two layers of snowsilk to make it warm. Because it was too small, Chang Er just made it into a pullover. All Chen Ziqi had to do was pull the little chick through the neck and then gently tug its little wings out of the wing openings. ¡°This isn¡¯t a regular chicken. It grows very slowly,¡± Chen Ziqi said mysteriously. He pulled the fluffy little pullover onto the very uncooperative red chick. ¡°Mum, something¡¯s missing ¨C where are the openings for its feet?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, picking up the little chick that had been bundled up like a dumpling. He raised it up for Chang Er to see. ¡°Oops! I forgot that!¡± Chang Er exclaimed. She tugged the vest off the chick, took out a pair of scissors, and expertly snipped two holes in the bottom. ¡°Try this. I¡¯ll sew it properly later.¡± The two little holes were perfect, and the chick could extend its little feet out. The chick was all set. The snow white vest was firmly wrapped around the chick¡¯s fat little body, exposing only its crimson head, wings and a fluffy red butt. The little chick had to waddle a bit with the vest on, and looked extremely comical. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Chen Ziqi collapsed with laughter onto the warm brick bed. ¡°You remember that thing you asked me to check? I¡¯ve asked,¡± Chang Er said softly, packing away her sewing things. ¡°Hmm?¡± Chen Ziqi cuddled the little red chick to his chest and stood up, wiping away his tears of laughter. ¡°What was it?¡± ¡°Cheng Jieyu¡­ most likely hasn¡¯t given birth before,¡± Chang Er said in a measured, serious tone. There were some things that only women who had given birth would know, and when she spoke to Cheng Jieyu about these things over the last few days, Cheng Jieyu had no clue what she was talking about. Chen Ziqi turned to look out the window at Berry Brown in the distance. He pressed his lips together, placed the little red bird on the warm brick bed, and ran out with his shoes half on. ¡°Ah? What¡¯s up with him?¡± Chang Er picked up the little red bird and set it on the table on the brick bed. ¡°Little chick, this old lady¡¯s sewing is pretty good, eh?¡± she said, poking the vest on the little bird. ¡°Tweet!¡± The bird wasn¡¯t used to the added bulk of the vest yet and immediately fell over. Berry Brown listened to Chen Ziqi, but there was no visible reaction on his face. He just stared blankly in silence, his hands slowly clenching into fists. ¡°I¡¯ll go and ask her,¡± he said abruptly, turning to leave. ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t be dumb!¡± Chen Ziqi exclaimed. He tugged at Berry Brown to stop him from leaving. ¡°You think she¡¯ll just admit it if you ask? You¡¯re asking for another beating, that¡¯s what it is!¡± ¡°I really want to know where my real mother is!¡± Berry Brown said, frustrated. He threw a stone into the pond. A thin layer of ice had formed over the pond, and this broke with a cracking sound where the stone landed. ¡°Don¡¯t rush into things. I have a plan,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He thought hard, then suddenly laughed out loud. ¡°What plan have you got?¡± Chen Zimo asked urgently. ¡°A plan to make her tell the truth¡­ But we have to wait for the right moment. If this plan succeeds, though, you have to listen to me after this,¡± Chen Ziqi said, raising his small chin. ¡°Done,¡± Berry Brown said decisively. ¡°Let¡¯s shake on it!¡± Chen Ziqi said, extending a hand. They shook hands, and the deal was done. Later that night, Chen Zimo slowly made his way back to the palace he lived in with Cheng Jieyu. Cheng Jieyu was in the midst of writing out the gongfa of the Taisu Wuxin Gong from memory. Her face was serious, and the more she wrote, the darker her expression became. The reason why she chose to stay in the palace and give up her status as a direct disciple of the Suxin Sect was to obtain a higher social status, which in turn would enable her to exact revenge for the Cheng family. However, her martial arts ability had been dispersed, and she had no achievements to show after making this sacrifice. Even her youngest jiujiu was now an invalid¡­ Cheng Jieyu saw Chen Zimo walk slowly into the room, and she was seized by a fit of irritation. ¡°You keep going over to that side every day ¨C why don¡¯t you just go be that village wench¡¯s son?¡± she snapped. Chen Zimo had originally intended to ignore her after coming home, but on hearing this, he stopped in his tracks. He glared coldly at Cheng Jieyu, and spoke a frigid tone that Cheng Jieyu had never heard him use before. ¡°It would be better to be a village wench¡¯s son than be your son!¡± he retorted, enunciating every word slowly and clearly. Beansprout: The mini-theater for this chapter has been omitted because I don¡¯t really understand it. (///£þ £þ///) Sorry my friends! CH 30 Cheng Jieyu was speechless. When she finally processed what Chen Zimo had said, she snatched up the bamboo cane next to her and leapt to her feet. ¡°Goddamn you! Who do you think you are?!¡± she shouted angrily. Chen Zimo thought about what Chen Ziqi said earlier as he gazed at the vicious-looking woman in front of him. ¡°If the person who hits you loves you, then cry with all your might, cry until her heart breaks for you. If the person who hits you doesn¡¯t love you, then run, so that she can¡¯t hit you.¡± Cheng Jieyu¡¯s heart would never break for him. Chen Zimo knew this like he knew the sun would rise in the east. Crying never worked; this had been true since he was just a three-year old boy. Just as the bamboo cane was about to make contact with his body, he turned tail and ran. The benefit of growing up in the Suxin Sect was that he had learnt a bit of martial arts. In the very least, he knew qinggong, and he ran much faster than your average person. ¡°Catch hold of him!¡± Cheng Jieyu screeched. The two eunuchs standing at the doorway immediately reached out to grab hold of Chen Zimo. Concubines were not allowed to abuse the princes, and they were complicit in this crime, having witnessed but not reported Cheng Jieyu¡¯s ill-treatment of Chen Zimo. If the Emperor knew about it, they would also be severely punished. Chen Zimo used all his strength to kick the two eunuchs in the chest, knocking them flat on the ground, then charged out of the residence at top speed. ¡°Niangniang, should we ask the Jinwu Guards to come and help catch the Sixth Prince? We can tell them that he¡¯s been possessed and gone crazy¡­¡± the eunuchs said, trembling in fright. ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re the ones who are possessed,¡± Cheng Jieyu scolded them in a cold voice. How she brought up this child was her problem, but she could not let other people think that he was mad. A mad prince would not be entitled to his own fief and could not leave the palace as such. Now that her uncle was an invalid, her hopes to avenge the Cheng family were all pinned on this child. ¡°Then¡­¡± the eunuch¡¯s voice trailed off. They were still very afraid of Cheng Jieyu. ¡°The hougong will be locked soon. He can¡¯t have gotten far. Come and help me look for him,¡± Cheng Jieyu said with a contemptuous smile. She led a small group of eunuchs and palace maids to chase after Chen Zimo. Chen Zimo ran as if the devil himself was nipping at his heels. Because he was a prince, no one dared to stop him, and he ran all the way to the external palace. The path he took was one of the more deserted palace roads leading to the guards¡¯ residence. That uncle of his, Cheng Zhou, lived in one of these guards¡¯ residences. Cheng Zhou remained in the palace because had agreed earlier to work faithfully for the Emperor for ten years. Now that the meridians in a hand and leg had been destroyed, he couldn¡¯t work as a guard. The Emperor gnashed his teeth in frustration at this outcome, but finally asked him to teach martial arts to the Jinwu Guards. He could be considered a coach of sorts. Cheng Zhou¡¯s sworn brother, Xue Lang, had suffered very severe injuries, and Cheng Zhou had been busy looking after him these past few days. He had not started coaching the Jinwu Guards as a result. Chen Zimo stood outside Cheng Zhou¡¯s residence. He clenched his fists tightly as he stared intently at the tree branches poking above the residence wall. He wanted to go in and ask where his mother was, who his mother was, and where she was right now. Also, who was that demon of a woman that he had lived with all this while? ¡°Brother Xue¡­¡± An anguished groan suddenly sounded from inside the house. The voice sounded like Cheng Zhou¡¯s. The next morning, Berry Brown was rather out of it when Chen Ziqi saw him at Chunxi Hall. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, patting him on the back. ¡°I met Cheng Zhou last night¡­¡± Chen Zimo began, then suddenly shut his mouth halfway. Jtfc Ildl¡¯r wbbv lwwfvljafis rbegfv bc tfjglcu atja cjwf wfcalbcfv. Ktja ugfja ylu fnli mgfjaegf vlvc¡¯a ufa tlr pera vfrrfgar jcv jqqjgfcais tjv fnfc yffc wjvf j wjgalji jgar mbjmt! ¡°Qtja vlv tf rjs ab sbe?¡± Jtfc Ildl jrxfv. ¡°Wef Ojcu lr vfjv¡­¡± Dfggs Dgbkc rjlv tfrlajcais. Lf rffwfv ab tjnf ecrqbxfc mbcmfgcr. ¡°Tweet?¡± Dan Yi poked his head out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes. Xue Lang actually died? Then again, he had been shot through with eighteen of Lan Shanyu¡¯s peacock needles, and Lan Shanyu had always been savage in his attack; he had probably shot through all of Xue Lang¡¯s important meridians. Even if he didn¡¯t die, he would have been incapacitated. His death wasn¡¯t really all that surprising when one stopped to think about it. ¡°He said he would teach me martial arts,¡± Chen Zimo said. He looked at Chen Ziqi, hesitated for a moment, then moved closer and whispered in Chen Ziqi¡¯s ear, sharing what Cheng Zhou had told him the night before. Three years ago, when the Cheng family had been massacred, Cheng Zhou, the most powerful member of the Cheng family, had not been at home. He had gone to the Western Regions to look for martial arts treasures. The legends told of secret martial arts manuscripts hidden in the ruins of Loulan in the Western Regions. Not many people knew about this. Xue Lang found out about it by chance, and asked Cheng Zhou to go with him to the Western Regions to try his luck. After much effort, they¡¯d actually succeeded in finding the secret manuscripts. However, when he returned, the Cheng family was no more. The manuscript they¡¯d found was called ¡°Open the Heavens¡±. It was an instruction manual of a divine-class martial art practised by a general in Loulan three hundred years ago. They intended to take this manuscript to the Cloud Palace and exchange it for news about the Cheng family¡¯s massacre, but unexpectedly, the Cloud Palace didn¡¯t give two hoots about the book and tossed it carelessly onto the ground. The Cloud Palace gave them a Return Tablet instead, and the price of the answer was the death of the Suxin Sect¡¯s leader, Sect Mistress Wuyin. Cheng Zhou thought to master the techniques in ¡°Open the Heavens¡±, then get his revenge, but Xue Lang was infuriated at being humiliated by the Cloud Palace, and had dragged him off to kidnap Dan Yi. The rest, as they say, was history. ¡°He intends to pass ¡®Open the Heavens¡¯ on to you?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, raising an eyebrow. This was interesting ¨C it was exactly like the stories sung about in the theatre, where you met a relative that hadn¡¯t been seen for eight hundred years, and that relative passed on some superior martial art to you, after which you went on to become invincible. ¡°Nn,¡± Berry Brown said, nodding. Cheng Zhou said that he would be stuck in the palace for ten years, and had no one else to pass this technique on to, so he might as well pass it on to Chen Zimo. Since Chen Zimo was also half a Cheng, the solemn duty of avenging the Cheng family naturally had to be passed on to him, and accordingly, the divine technique contained in ¡°Open the Heavens¡± should also be taught to him. Chen Ziqi rubbed his chin. The Imperial family all had not succeeded in mastering the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl, and the female martial arts Cheng Jieyu made Berry Brown learn was also inappropriate. If Berry Brown could learn a high-level martial art from Cheng Zhou, that wasn¡¯t a bad deal at all. ¡°Tweet.¡± Dan Yi was not interested in ¡°Open the Heavens¡± at all, and nestled back into Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes to sleep on hearing this book mentioned. Chen Ziqi found the bird¡¯s little puffy vest too thick and unwieldy to wear when he went out with the bird in the day, so he didn¡¯t bother putting it on. The little red bird was very happy about this anyway. Sleeping without a stitch on next to Chen Ziqi¡¯s underclothes was the cosiest. ¡°If he¡¯s willing to teach you, then learn from him conscientiously. Don¡¯t mention that stuff about your mother first,¡± Chen Ziqi said, clapping Chen Zimo on the shoulder. If there were benefits available, it was best to reap them first. However, because the princes were not allowed to practice any martial art other than the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl, it was best for Chen Zimo to keep this a secret for the time being. ¡°Then what about my mum¡­¡± Chen Zimo frowned. He wasn¡¯t that concerned about whether he could learn martial arts or not. He just wanted to know where his mother was. ¡°We can still work on Cheng Jieyu. Just wait for now,¡± Chen Ziqi hooked a finger at Chen Zimo, asking him to come closer. Because Berry Brown now was in Cheng Zhou¡¯s favour, and was secretly learning ¡°Open the Heavens¡± from the latter, Cheng Jieyu behaved herself for a good period of time. She stopped abusing him physically, and also fed him properly. Before anyone knew it, the new year was nearly upon them again. The women of the hougong were very busy preparing for the new year celebrations. Ordinarily, the Empress was the one who organised the new year celebrations, but this year was different. Now that the Guifei¡¯s son had been made the Crown Prince, the Guifei¡¯s status in the hougong had also increased greatly. The concubines in the Guifei¡¯s camp didn¡¯t really listen to the Empress any more. One day, the Empress called all the concubines, princes and princesses to Fengyi Palace to instruct them on matters pertaining to the new year celebrations. ¡°On New Year¡¯s Eve, the celebrations are exclusively for the Imperial family, and arranging professional dancers may be a bit over the top. I¡¯ve heard that Cheng Jieyu knows how to do a sword dance. How about we have Cheng Jieyu perform for us, together with Wang Meiren and Zhao Meiren?¡± De Fei suggested, smiling. She had obviously spoken on the Empress¡¯ behalf. The Empress nodded slightly on hearing this. ¡°This is a good idea. Cheng Jieyu, would you be willing to do this?¡± she asked, looking at Cheng Jieyu. Cheng Jieyu raised her head to look at the Guifei, who was sitting right in front of her. The Guifei¡¯s eyes were fixed firmly on the floor, and she remained silent. At the side, Shu Fei made some hand signals at her. Cheng Jieyu got the hint. ¡°Replying to the Empress¡¯ question, pinqie is from the Suxin Sect and primarily practiced Qi martial arts. I only learnt a little bit of swordsmanship, certainly not enough to perform anything for such a big occasion. I don¡¯t want to embarrass myself in front of all the concubines. Empress niangniang, please forgive my inability to contribute to the celebrations,¡± Cheng Jieyu said. Her voice had always been on the shrill side and sounded rather mocking when she spoke, which unfortunately sounded very annoying. These words were polite, but Cheng Jieyu had definitively rejected the Empress¡¯ suggestion. It had to be pointed out that the people in the Empress¡¯ camp, who were from Sword Alliance sects, all didn¡¯t come forward to perform a sword dance; they instead requested that someone who wasn¡¯t from the Sword Alliance come forward to do this. They were clearly just waiting to watch her embarrass herself. The Empress suddenly clenched the teacup in her hand and stared coldly at Cheng Jieyu. Part of the reason why De Fei came up with this suggestion was because Cheng Jieyu had previously performed a sword dance for the Emperor. Cheng Jieyu¡¯s quick rejection of her suggestion that she perform a sword dance was obviously meant to be a slap to her face. ¡°Cheng Jieyu¡¯s neili has already been dispersed ¨C she doesn¡¯t have the strength to wield swords anymore. De Fei¡¯s quite accomplished at the Yandang Mountain swordsmanship style, why doesn¡¯t she get a few Meiren to accompany her to perform the Southbound Geese Jianfa* for us?¡± the Guifei said in a measured, mocking tone. *T/N: Jianfa means swordsmanship, but specifically a set of choreographed pattern of martial arts steps meant to be practiced alone. The Japanese call this kata, and the Koreans call this poomsae. There doesn¡¯t seem to be an equivalent in English. The Southbound Geese Jianfa was the Yandang Mountain Sect¡¯s signature set of moves, and De Fei was born in the Yandang Mountain Sect. In the martial arts world, the Southbound Geese Jianfa had a very good reputation, and there was no reason to turn it into something as frivolous as a performance. The Second Prince¡¯s hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves as he stood next to the Empress. The Third Prince, who was standing next to him, was even angrier. ¡°My mufei is a first-ranked Imperial Consort, how dare you suggest that she perform a sword dance like a common concubine?¡± he retorted. ¡°A third-ranked Jieyu and a first-ranked Imperial Consort are both concubines at the end of the day,¡± the Fourth Prince countered, joining in the argument. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± the Empress said, slamming her teacup down on the table. After that, everyone dispersed on this bad note. Chen Ziqi looked around. He noted the Third Prince scowling angrily and the Second Prince¡¯s bottled-up frustration. A flash of inspiration hit him. The princes had a break from lessons the next day. Chen Ziqi took the little bird with him to Fengyi Palace to visit the Second Prince. The Second Prince was due to move out of Fengyi Palace after the New Year. He wasn¡¯t sixteen yet, so he had the choice of building a residence in the Capital, or asking for a fief to be bestowed on him and going there directly. ¡°Dianxia, this way, please,¡± the eunuch leading the way said. He led Chen Ziqi toward the garden. The Second Prince was practising his swordsmanship in a flat patch of ground in the garden. The youth dressed in a dark yellow martial outfit held a long, slender sword in one hand, practising a simple set of jianfa. It was simple, but effective; every stroke would have drawn blood had a real life opponent been opposite him. The sword hummed with a metallic sound as it cut through the air. The Second Prince seemed to be aware that he had an audience. He began swinging his sword faster and faster, transferring his neili into the sword, then slicing down hard at a large rock near him. ¡°CRACK!¡± The sharp sword sliced off a large piece of the rock. ¡°Well done!¡± Chen Ziqi shouted, clapping enthusiastically. The Second Prince stopped practising his swordsmanship and kept his sword. He looked at the little boy standing in the corridor. ¡°Little Seventh, do you know swordsmanship?¡± ¡°Not really¡­¡± Chen Ziqi scratched his head, smiling a little shamefacedly. ¡°However, I can see that Second Brother¡¯s swordwork is¡­ umm¡­ how do you say this¡­ something about clouds and water? What I mean is, it¡¯s definitely high-level jianfa!¡± ¡°You mean ¡®like floating clouds and flowing water¡¯,¡± the Second Prince said, beaming from ear to ear. He flicked Chen Ziqi¡¯s forehead playfully, then brought him to the water pavilion to eat some snacks. ¡°I¡¯ve just found out a secret, so I came to report it to my Second Brother,¡± Chen Ziqi said mysteriously, pinching a bit of cake with his fingers. The Second Prince suppressed a laugh. He thought to himself that this little fellow was really serious about being in his camp, and was amused that Chen Ziqi had actually bothered to come and share some secrets with him. ¡°What secret is this? Tell me,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s about Cheng Jieyu¡­¡± Chen Ziqi said in a low voice. He looked meaningfully at the Second Prince. The Second Prince had been suppressing his anger since the day before, and when he heard Chen Ziqi say ¡°Cheng Jieyu¡±, his interest was immediately piqued. ¡°Oh?¡± he said. CH 31 ¡°I heard something about how Chen Zimo¡¯s mother seems to have changed her name. That axe-wielding fellow called Cheng Jieyu ¡®Jiazhen¡¯,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He deliberately spoke in a vague manner and put on a confused expression to make himself more believable. ¡°Jiazhen?¡± the Second Prince said, frowning slightly. He had looked over the namelist of concubines when the new ones had entered the palace, and had paid particular attention to Cheng Jieyu because she was from the Suxin Sect. At that time, the Empress said that the Suxin Sect¡¯s people all used the word ¡°Su¡± as the first character in their given names, so Cheng Jieyu must have been called Cheng-something-Yao before she entered the palace. She didn¡¯t change her name back to her original name even after becoming a concubine* ¨C it reeked of forgetting her family origins, and the Second Prince didn¡¯t think much of her for it. *T/N: When you become a concubine, you have to leave your martial arts sect. What¡¯s distasteful here is that Cheng Jieyu continues to hold on to her identity as a Suxin Sect disciple even after she has opted to leave the Sect ¨C it¡¯s as if the family she was born in doesn¡¯t matter, and all that matters to her is being a Suxin Sect disciple. How could she be called Jiazhen? The Second Prince was already fourteen and had good analytical skills. He was able to infer quite a number of things from what Chen Ziqi said. ¡°Was there anything else?¡± he asked. Chen Ziqi thought for a bit, and put on a hesitant look. ¡°There¡¯s still one more thing, but Brother Second Prince, you can¡¯t say that I¡¯m the one who told you this, or Chen Zimo will get angry with me,¡± he said. ¡°Naturally. When have I ever let the cat out of the bag?¡± the Second Prince smiled encouragingly. ¡°So¡­ Cheng Jieyu often beats Chen Zimo, and his arms are always black and blue,¡± Chen Ziqi said, waving the snack in his hand emphatically. ¡°She also starves him.¡± ¡°Bam!¡± The Second Prince slammed a hand down on the table. It wasn¡¯t clear whether he was angry or just excited. ¡°Brother Second Prince, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, shrinking back and looking at him in a frightened manner. ¡°Sorry, I scared you. I was just too angry,¡± the Second Prince said. He took a deep breath. ¡°Abusing a prince ¨C that¡¯s a serious crime. Zimo is also my younger brother, and I am not going to turn a blind eye to his sufferings!¡± ¡°That¡¯s his mother though? He doesn¡¯t want to report her, so you absolutely cannot say that I told you about this. He asked me to swear that I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Chen Ziqi emphasised. ¡°Yes, I promise I won¡¯t tell. I¡¯ll get my mother to investigate this secretly,¡± the Second Prince said. He thought for a bit, then decided to add a few more words of affirmation. ¡°Little Seventh, you were right to tell me about this. This Second Brother will protect you both.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Chen Ziqi scratched his head as he laughed. He finished the snack in his hand. ¡°Ooh, this snack is really good. What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s osmanthus pastry,¡± the Second Prince said. He instructed some servants to pack a box of osmanthus pastry for Chen Ziqi, and also thrust some marbles made of cat¡¯s eye gemstones into his hands, telling him to come over and play when he had time. Chen Ziqi agreed immediately, beaming from ear to ear as he left with an armful of gifts. After Chen Ziqi left, the Second Prince¡¯s warm and welcoming smile slid off his face. He pondered on what Chen Ziqi said for a long time before heading to the Fengyi Palace. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Cheng Jieyu might be a fake?¡± the Empress exclaimed in shock. ¡°That¡¯s my guess. Logically, before Cheng Jieyu was accepted into the Suxin Sect, she should have been called Cheng Jiayao, but Cheng Zhou called her Jiazhen instead. Mother, I think it might be good to look into this ¨C see if the Cheng family had a daughter called Cheng Jiazhen?¡± the Second Prince said, running his finger down the list of concubines. ¡°Jbeiv atf Vlzat Uglcmf tjnf yffc wlrajxfc jybea ktja tf tfjgv?¡± atf Swqgfrr jrxfv. Vtf ralii obecv atlr ab yf jc lcmgfvlyif ajif. Ktf lvfcalalfr bo atf Pwqfglji mbcmeylcfr tjv yffc vbeyif jcv aglqif mtfmxfv ys atf Alcke Xejgvr yfobgf atfs kfgf ygbeuta ab atf qjijmf. Cirb, atf rfmar atfwrfinfr xfqa gfmbgvr bo atf kbwfc ktb kfgf boofgfv ab rfgnlmf atf Swqfgbg. ¡°Let¡¯s not make a big issue out of it for now. Investigating it quietly won¡¯t have any impact. Cheng Jieyu is so rude; if this is true, then we can use this to teach her a lesson,¡± the Second Prince said. He only revealed thoughts of this juvenile nature in front of his mother. ¡°Nn. I will get people to look into this. As to the abuse, I will also get someone to deal with it. Don¡¯t get involved, you hear me?¡± the Empress instructed the Second Prince. Even though a lot of the country was controlled by martial arts sects, there were still government authorities stationed in most places, and these local government offices kept a register of births, marriages and deaths. The Cheng family might have been massacred, but they had originally been an important family in the area, and the local government office had therefore kept complete records of their family. The Empress was powerful enough that checking the local government office¡¯s register of births and deaths was a simple matter. Before long, the Cheng family¡¯s family register was sent to the Fengyi Palace. The register showed that the Cheng family indeed had two daughters called Cheng Jiayao and Cheng Jiazhen. Cheng Jiazhen was the eldest legitimate daughter, born to the head of the Cheng family, Cheng Ji, and his legitimate wife. She was the pearl of the Cheng family. The one offered to service the Emperor was Cheng Jiayao. Cheng Jiayao¡¯s father was Cheng Ji¡¯s second brother, and her mother was one of his concubines. It was recorded on the register that about seven years ago, Cheng Jiayao¡¯s name was delisted under the Cheng family and re-listed under the Suxin Sect. At the same time, a child called Cheng Mo was added to the Cheng family register. In that same year, Cheng Jiazhen died, and the cause of death was listed as ¡°falling from a cliff¡±. There were remarks below that record stating that she had fallen off a cliff in an unfortunate misadventure when she had gone out to play with a few of her female relatives. The body was difficult to find, and so they closed the case quickly. Thereafter, the Cheng family was murdered, and no one mentioned Cheng Jiazhen¡¯s death any more. Deaths and murders were common in this dynasty that was effectively ruled by the martial arts sects; these sects often took the law into their own hands and exacted justice or took revenge as they saw fit. The local governments were largely ineffective to prevent the martial arts sects from doing as they pleased. The Empress tapped the record in front of her contemplatively, the turquoise ring on her finger gleaming as she did so. The women offered to the Emperor by the various sects when he was roaming the country were mere playthings. It was not originally envisioned that they would be received as Imperial wives. That was why the Cheng family had decided to offer up the daughter of a concubine who was of little value to the family. The Suxin Sect, however, had always held itself out to be an upstanding, righteous sect, and when it did something as shameless as offer up a girl to service the Emperor, it naturally wanted to cover up this act and also compensate the Cheng family. This took the form of accepting the girl who was offered to the Emperor as a direct disciple. To the Cheng family, being able to have a family member accepted as a direct disciple of the great Suxin Sect was an incomparable honour. It was akin to being promoted to the nobility, and there was definitely a lot of temptation there¡­ ¡°If my guess isn¡¯t off the mark, the Cheng family killed off the real Cheng Jiayao, and gave Cheng Jiazhen the opportunity to be a Suxin Sect disciple instead,¡± the Empress said, frowning. She herself was born in a major martial arts sect, and highly despised these common peasants. They were like flies and dogs to her. She slammed a hand down forcefully on the table. ¡°How dare they think they can get away with acting in this unscrupulous manner? They boldly deceived the Emperor and everyone else!¡± Chen Ziqi was told of this discovery by the Second Prince, and when he returned to the Qingyun Palace, he stared blankly into space for a long time. ¡°Tweet.¡± Dan Yi climbed out of his clothes and hopped onto the table. ¡°Divine Chicken, this thing about being born in a famous martial arts sect ¨C is it really so important?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, resting his chin on the table. He blew out a breath of air at the little red bird. ¡°Everything seems to be about your birth or which sect you come from. If you¡¯re not born to or accepted by a good sect, you¡¯ll just get bullied by those who are¡­¡± Things in the world had their own simple, natural order; it was human desire that made things complicated. The little red bird rearranged the feathers that had been blown into disarray by Chen Ziqi, then pecked at the hair at his temples. ¡°Tweet tweet,¡± it called. Chen Ziqi told everything to Chen Zimo. Chen Zimo¡¯s eyes reddened immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. At least, now you know that that witch isn¡¯t your mother,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He didn¡¯t really know how to comfort him, and could only pat him on the shoulder. Chen Zimo nodded slowly. If his mother was still alive, she certainly wouldn¡¯t treat him the way Cheng Jiazhen had. He wiped his tears and suddenly looked more lively than he had before. ¡°So, that means that I¡¯m not someone that even my own mother hates,¡± he said. Beansprout: Nuuu Chen Zimo that is too heartrending ¡°How could a mother hate her own child? Your mother would definitely have been like my little fairy, protecting you with her life. In summer, she¡¯d fan you when you felt hot, and in winter, she¡¯d make ginger soup for you¡­¡± As Chen Ziqi spoke, tears also started falling from his eyes despite his best efforts to keep them in. Some time ago, his little fairy had been very ill and nearly died. Back then, he had wondered what would happen to him if he lost his mother ¨C who would make clothes for him with such care, and who would bother about whether he was feeling hot or cold? When Chen Ziqi got home, he hugged Chang Er for a very long time and refused to let go. ¡°Little bratty bastard, did you do something naughty again?¡± Chang Er said, pulling at his ear. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Tweet!¡± Before Chen Ziqi could speak, the little red bird that was squashed between them couldn¡¯t take it any more and struggled out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The good atmosphere was ruined. Chen Ziqi hugged the little fluffball to his chest, made a face at Chang Er and ran off. Two days later, Chen Ziqi went to look for the Second Prince, asking him to help investigate Cheng Jiazhen¡¯s alleged fall off the cliff. ¡°If you can find that out, Berry Brown will be in your camp for sure. I¡¯ll make sure of it,¡± Chen Ziqi said, patting his chest confidently. The Second Prince pressed his lips together in a thin smile and agreed. This wasn¡¯t anything difficult. Half a month later, the investigations revealed that the mountain cliff in question was called Wangchuan Cliff. It was on Bailu Mountain, and was situated near the Cheng family¡¯s mansion. Chen Ziqi hauled Chen Zimo over to the Fengyi Palace to kowtow to the Second Prince. ¡°I can¡¯t accept your kowtow,¡± the Second Prince said, hurriedly pulling Chen Zimo to his feet. ¡°We are brothers of the same generation ¨C you shouldn¡¯t greet me as if I were an elder.¡± ¡°Thank you, Brother Second Prince. I will remember your kindness,¡± Chen Zimo said. He spoke in a slow manner that made him seem very sincere. ¡°No worries, no worries!¡± the Second Prince said, beaming. He was very pleased with Chen Zimo¡¯s behaviour. ¡°Brother Second Prince, in future, we will both listen to you. I¡¯ll tell you another secret ¨C Zimo is currently learning martial arts from Cheng Zhou. It¡¯s called¡­ umm¡­ anyway, he¡¯s very good at it,¡± Chen Ziqi said, elbowing Berry Brown. ¡°Yes, if Brother Second Prince wants someone beaten up, he can send me to beat him up!¡± Chen Zimo said, speaking in his usual direct manner. The Second Prince had originally thought that he¡¯d only got a regular person into his camp, so this was a nice surprise. He was delighted, but outwardly, he pretended to scold Chen Zimo for secretly learning martial arts other than the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl. Thereafter, he promised to help them cover up the fact that Chen Zimo was learning martial arts, and also encouraged him to learn it well. After Chen Ziqi left Fengyi Palace, he dipped his head and gave the little red bird that had peeked out of his clothes a kiss on the head, then skipped along in front of Chen Zimo. Chen Zimo followed behind him, and after they¡¯d walked for a long time, he suddenly spoke up. ¡°Chen Ziqi. From now on, I will only listen to you,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi stopped in his tracks, turned around, and bounded back toward Berry Brown. He clapped Berry Brown on the shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s right! If you follow this gege, your future will be bright!¡± he said exuberantly. ¡°You¡¯re my younger brother, not my gege,¡± Chen Zimo corrected. ¡°That won¡¯t do. I¡¯m the boss, you should call me gege!¡± Chen Ziqi said, spouting nonsense since Chen Zimo¡¯s logic couldn¡¯t be refuted. ¡°Alright then, Seventh Ge,¡± Chen Zimo said, giving in. ¡°Yes!¡± Chen Ziqi was very pleased. ¡°Seventh Ge¡± was a good form of address ¨C it sounded like it referred to a fierce character. *T/N: I¡¯m not sure why this sounds fierce. It doesn¡¯t sound fierce to me in Chinese either. Berry Brown had obtained the answer he sought, but the Empress had not obtained a satisfactory outcome. It was going to be New Year¡¯s Eve very soon, and the Emperor asked her about the preparations for the New Year¡¯s Eve family banquet. ¡°I originally wanted to let Cheng Jieyu perform a sword dance, but the Guifei felt it was inappropriate, so I have engaged a performing troupe to perform instead,¡± the Empress said, smiling beatifically. ¡°Oh? What performance are they putting up?¡± the Zhenlong Emperor asked curiously. ¡°Your Majesty will know when the time comes,¡± the Empress said, hiding a smile behind her sleeve. Such an exciting performance certainly had to be put on in front of everyone. ¡ª Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Seventh Ge Roams the Martial Arts World Qiqi: I, the Seventh Ge, have wandered the martial arts world for many years, and have relied on my little brothers for help Berry Brown: I am the little brother who beats people up, my worth is in my fists Ah Mu: I am the adorable little brother, my worth is in my cuteness Birdie Gong: I am the Laogong¡­ my worth is in my little brother* *T/N: His ¡°little brother¡± refers to his dick. Qiqi: ¡­ ¡­ CH 32 The palace was brightly lit with lanterns on New Year¡¯s Eve. The Emperor and Empress sat at the hosts¡¯ seats on a raised platform, smiling at the Imperial wives and princes seated before them in the main hall. They both raised their winecups in unison, signalling that the banquet could begin. The concubines sat facing the east, and the princes sat opposite them, facing the west. The princesses were allowed to sit with their mothers. They were all seated according to their rank, and within their ranks, their age. The lower ranked or the younger one was, the further away they were seated from the Emperor and Empress. As one of the youngest few princes, Chen Ziqi¡¯s seat was close to the main door. It was customary for the Imperial family to bestow New Year¡¯s gifts to the nobility in the Capital, and the first part of the New Year¡¯s banquet was dedicated to announcing the gifts and sending them out. The palace door was kept open whilst this was happening because the gift-bearing couriers kept moving in and out. The cold wind gusted in through the open door, turning the dishes on the table to ice. The dishes were not the only things that were frosting over. Ah Mu sat on the very last seat, the one nearest to the door, and he was shivering uncontrollably in the cold. Chang Er sat opposite them, and when she saw the two children¡¯s plight, she instructed Fuyuan to bring two thick cloaks to them. ¡°Niangniang, it¡¯s not proper to wear cloaks in the main hall,¡± Fuyuan cautioned quietly. ¡°The children are freezing to death! Is this the time to care about what¡¯s proper or not? They¡¯re going to fall sick if they carry on like this. Go on, get the cloaks ¨C I¡¯ll take the responsibility if the Emperor gets angry,¡± Chang Er said vehemently, her eyebrows raised. Fuyuan had no choice but to obey. Before long, he returned carrying two thick foxfur cloaks. Chen Ziqi was hugging the little red bird close as he shivered violently from the cold. He thought he was going to freeze to death. His eyes rolled in their sockets as he seriously considered saying that he was having the runs so that he could escape to the side palace for a short while. Dan Yi pressed his fluffy little body to the shivering Chen Ziqi and transferred some warm neili into Chen Ziqi¡¯s meridians. ¡°Eh?¡± Chen Ziqi exclaimed softly, surprised at this sudden warmth. He looked down at the little red bird at his chest. This divine chicken even had the ability to repel the cold ¨C it was really quite the useful creature! At this moment, Fuxi thrust a thick, fluffy cloak on him from behind. Chen Ziqi immediately pulled the cloak close, wrapping it tightly around himself as if the cloak were a blanket. Dan Yi looked on a little helplessly; he had originally thought to induce Chen Ziqi to use his own neili to warm himself up, but now that Chen Ziqi had a cloak, was he just going to treat him as a hand warmer?! Dan Yi stopped transferring neili to Chen Ziqi and poked his head out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes. The grey foxfur coat was so thick that his little head couldn¡¯t poke out of it fully, and all that could be seen from the outside was his pastel yellow beak. Chen Ziqi pinched some cake and fed it to the little bird. ¡°Achoo!¡± The Eighth Prince sneezed, shivering. He was sitting next to Chen Ziqi, and looked enviously at his warm cloak. He then turned to look pleadingly at his own mother. The Eighth Prince¡¯s mother was Hui Pin. She glared at her son, silently telling him to sit still. The Seventh and Eleventh Princes were all raised by that village bumpkin Chang Er, so of course they didn¡¯t have any sense of propriety. Her own son absolutely could not follow their terrible example. She was sure that in a bit, the Empress would see that the two boys were clad in cloaks and would throw a fit; she and the Eighth Prince would certainly have the last laugh. Meanwhile, the Empress was waiting with bated breath for something else to happen, and didn¡¯t notice what was happening at the end of the main hall at all. When the gifts were all sent out, the banquet proper began. ¡°At today¡¯s family banquet, we have a theatrical troupe here to perform for us. I was originally hoping that some of the consorts could put up a sword dance, but it seems that they are indisposed, so I arranged for a performing troupe to come instead,¡± she said, smiling. Everyone sat up on hearing that a theatrical troupe was here to perform for them. This was much more interesting than just listening to musicians or watching a dance. ¡°Could I ask which play they are performing?¡± the Guifei couldn¡¯t help asking. She felt that there was something very suspicious about the way the Empress smiled. ¡°This play is called ¡®A Peach Masquerading as a Plum¡¯. It¡¯s also my first time watching it,¡± the Empress said, throwing a meaningful look at Cheng Jieyu, who was sitting a seat down from Chang Er. She raised a hand to indicate that the troupe could start their performance. Cwlvra atf rbecv bo yfjalcu vgewr, j mbraewfv jmabg rjrtjsfv obgat delmxis klat wlcmlcu ilaaif ibaer rafqr. ¡°P tfjg atf cbyifwjc lr lc atf jaglew, jcv atf wjrafg bo atf tberf jrxr wf ab ub jcv wffa tlw. P gjlrf ws tfjv rtsis jcv alwlvis, jcv rff j tjcvrbwf ufcaifwjc rajcvlcu atfgf,¡± atf jmabg rjlv, qeaalcu bc j vfilutafv fzqgfrrlbc jr atf rmglqa gfdelgfv. The first half of the play was about a girl named Red Plum, who went to serve a nobleman on the master of house¡¯s orders. The young girl was besotted with the nobleman at first sight, and was utterly dismayed when he left. She then discovered that she was pregnant, and prepared to raise this child on her own. Chang Er found the premise of this play rather distasteful. She pursed her lips, and whispered to Cheng Jieyu next to her. ¡°What¡¯s there to be happy about in serving a nobleman¡­¡± she began, before trailing off abruptly. She realised that this Cheng Jieyu very likely wasn¡¯t the same girl who had been sent to service the Emperor, and probably didn¡¯t understand how she felt at all. She decided not to continue, and remained silent after that. Cheng Jieyu didn¡¯t respond. The fabric of her sleeves twisted as she gripped them tighter and tighter, her hands hidden within the sleeves. Why did the events in this play seem rather familiar? ¡°Meimei, I¡¯ll give you this opportunity to enter the aristocracy. My only request is that you raise this child properly on my behalf,¡± Red Plum said, her originally joyful face now reduced to tears as she pleaded with her younger sister, Red Peach. ¡°On this earth, there¡¯s only one Red Plum, and if you¡¯re still alive, they will be able to see through me,¡± Red Peach said, flicking her sleeves dismissively. She was wearing a colourful, elaborate theatrical costume. ¡°Wealth, honour and glory are easy to get. Passing off a plum as a peach is the best solution. You are of lowly birth, why try to fight with me? It¡¯s best if you go to sleep at the bottom of the cliff. I¡¯ll burn three sticks of incense for you during the Qingming Festival.¡± Cheng Jieyu¡¯s face was suddenly as white as sheet. She clasped her hands together tightly, trembling uncontrollably. In the end, Red Plum was strangled to death in her home, and Red Peach stepped into her place, taking the bright future that should have been Red Plum¡¯s. ¡°We¡¯re celebrating the New Year ¨C why is this troupe performing a tragedy? How inauspicious,¡± the Guifei said, very displeased. She didn¡¯t reward the theatrical troupe at all. ¡°Guifei doesn¡¯t understand. There¡¯s a big issue being portrayed in this play,¡± the Empress said, carefully enunciating every syllable. Her gaze fell on the pale, stricken-looking Cheng Jieyu. ¡°Cheng Jieyu, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Pinqie¡­¡± Cheng Jieyu stammered, her voice trailing off. She didn¡¯t want to answer, but the Empress had directed the question at her personally, and she couldn¡¯t very well remain silent. She began to get to her feet, but before she had fully stood up, her eyes suddenly rolled back in her head, and she keeled over in a dead faint. There was chaos in the main hall after that. The Empress instructed servants to carry Cheng Jieyu to the side palace to rest. The Zhenlong Emperor noticed that something was amiss, and he turned to face his Empress. ¡°What is going on here?¡± he asked. The Empress had originally wanted to show up Cheng Jieyu on the spot so as to disgrace the Qi sects, but on seeing Cheng Jieyu¡¯s reaction, she suddenly thought of an even better idea. ¡°Chenqie also isn¡¯t very sure, but this play is from Cheng Jieyu¡¯s hometown. It might have triggered some memories of home,¡± she said. This New Year¡¯s Eve saga thus drew to a close in an abstruse fashion. The next day, Cheng Jieyu went to the Fengyi Palace and knelt before the Empress. ¡°Does your Shifu, the Abbess Wuyin, know that she took in such a heartless, unscrupulous disciple?¡± the Empress asked in a lofty manner, slowly sipping her tea. ¡°This position was indeed given to me by Cheng Jiayao, but I know nothing of why or how she died,¡± Cheng Jieyu said. There were dark circles under her eyes. She had probably spent a sleepless night thinking about how to explain herself. ¡°I took her place, and therefore had to carry out her duties, including entering the palace. My martial arts powers were dispersed, but I haven¡¯t complained even once¡­¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t complained even once?¡± the Empress sniffed derisively, then unceremoniously splashed the tea in her teacup onto Cheng Jieyu¡¯s face. ¡°If you really have no complaints, where did the injuries on the Sixth Prince¡¯s body come from?¡± Cheng Jieyu resisted the urge to wipe the liquid off her face. She took a deep breath, then kowtowed. ¡°I am ever grateful that you didn¡¯t expose me in front of everyone yesterday. I believe that Niangniang did so because I am still of some use to you. If there is anything I can do for you, please don¡¯t hesitate to say so. I will walk through hell and high water for you if you give the command. I only ask that you do not tell the Sixth Prince about this,¡± she said. Now, Chen Zimo was her only hope. He was the only one who could take revenge for the Cheng family. The Empress looked at her and smiled in a cold, jeering manner. She threw a document down in front of her. ¡°Sign this. As to how I will use you, I still need to think about it,¡± she said. The document was a statement of admission, and its contents set out clearly how the Cheng family had caused Cheng Jiayao¡¯s death, as well as how Cheng Jiazhen had taken all of the benefits due to Cheng Jiayao. It was more or less accurate, even though there were some minor factual discrepancies. Cheng Jieyu had no choice but to sign the statement of admission with a shaking hand even though she had not received any confirmation from the Empress that what she asked for would be granted. In response to her request, the Empress¡¯ non-committal reply was, ¡°We¡¯ll see how you perform.¡± Which also meant, if she did not behave herself and do as the Empress demanded in future, she would tell all to the Sixth Prince. After Cheng Jieyu left, the Empress summoned the Second Prince over, and gave that signed confession to him. ¡°Take this and go to the Suxin Sect. Make a copy as well, and give the copy to the Qi Confederate Leader, Luo Hongfeng. Don¡¯t say anything when you send it over,¡± she instructed. If news of this got out, the Suxin Sect would lose face big time. That old abbess heading Suxin Sect certainly had to show some sincerity. The Second Prince¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Mother is most wise,¡± he said. The most frightening thing in the world was not being given a death sentence; it was living in constant fear and not knowing when you would be killed off. Cheng Jieyu suffered like this for a few days and eventually fell ill from the strain. In her nightmares, everything was pitch black, and she was running frantically in the darkness. Her body grew weaker and weaker, and her legs felt heavier and heavier as she ran. ¡°Aunty, why are you running?¡± the adult Chen Zimo asked her, hefting Cheng Zhou¡¯s huge axe on his shoulder. He looked ominously at her, then raised the axe and brought it down on her head. ¡°Return my mother to life!¡± ¡°AH!¡± Cheng Jieyu screamed. She came fully awake in that instant and looked around, trembling, trying to collect herself. In the shadows of her room, someone watched her from under the window. She couldn¡¯t see the facial features of that person clearly. ¡°Aunty¡­¡± ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± Cheng Jieyu shrieked like a banshee when she heard the shadowy person address her this way. A few palace maids and eunuchs scurried in to see what was wrong. ¡°Jieyu niangniang, are you alright?¡± the palace maids asked. They were also frightened by her screams. ¡°Chen Zimo!¡± Cheng Jieyu shouted, staring at the shadows in her room. ¡°What did you call me just now?¡± Chen Zimo walked out of the darkness, his face expressionless. ¡°Concubine-mother,¡± he said flatly. Cheng Jieyu glared at him, then exhaled suddenly. ¡°What weird form of address is this? Who did you learn it from? You¡¯re not to call me that in future,¡± she snapped. Shrill screams from Cheng Jieyu¡¯s room continued to pierce the night over the next few days. The palace staff all whispered that she had gone mad. The Second Prince suggested that it was best for the Sixth Prince to move into Chaoyang Palace, as she had gone insane and constantly beat the Sixth Prince. The Zhenlong Emperor didn¡¯t think that Cheng Jieyu was crazy, but the Empress coaxed him into looking at the Sixth Prince¡¯s injuries. The shocking black and blue bruises criss-crossed all over Chen Zimo¡¯s body. The Zhenlong Emperor threw his teacup down in a rage. ¡°This mad woman! Get the Imperial Physicians to look at her, and if she¡¯s really unwell, lock her up in Yeting Palace,¡± he ordered. Yeting Palace was in the remote northwestern corner of the palace grounds. Very few people went there ordinarily. Chen Zimo got his wish to stay in Chaoyang Palace, and was finally able to eat his fill and dress warmly. It was also convenient for him to go to the external palace to learn martial arts from Cheng Zhou when he stayed at Chaoyang Palace. He looked visibly healthier and livelier. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep her alive. When I¡¯ve grown up, I¡¯ll bring her to my mother¡¯s grave to admit her wrongdoings,¡± Berry Brown said. He offered some new snacks he got to Chen Ziqi. ¡°Everything really worked out as you said it would. How did you manage to frighten her to this extent, though?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying that if you don¡¯t have a guilty conscience, you won¡¯t be afraid of ghosts knocking on your door at night. She has a guilty conscience, so of course she¡¯s scared,¡± Chen Ziqi said, raising his chin arrogantly. Dan Yi perched on Chen Ziqi¡¯s shoulder and pecked some of the snack that Chen Ziqi held up to him, thinking to himself that this round, the saying was certainly spot on. Winter turned into spring, and seven years passed, just like that. ¡ª Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Qiqi: What? Seven years have passed just like that? Birdie Gong: What? Only seven years? Qiqi: I haven¡¯t fully enjoyed my childhood yet! Birdie Gong: You still can¡¯t do X-rated things at fourteen years old! Qiqi: ¡ú_¡ú CH 33 The Zhenlong Emperor was in the prime of his life, and even though he wasn¡¯t particularly gifted at anything, in the very least, he was able to maintain the peace between the major martial arts sects, and also ensure that the unstable Imperial Court didn¡¯t completely fall apart at the seams. The princes who were still children were largely shielded from political struggles, and Chen Ziqi¡¯s life in the palace was considered pretty good. At the time when spring turned into summer, the Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi would come to the Imperial Palace and stay in the Danyang Palace until the autumn winds blew, as if he were a migratory bird that came to spend the summer. Whenever he was around, Chen Ziqi would go to the Danyang Palace and mooch off Dan Yi. However, since last year, Dan Yi had not come. Chen Ziqi had grown into a youth in the intervening period. He wore the dark yellow robes of an Imperial prince, and stood in front of the Danyang Palace gates. He heaved a long sigh. It was already the beginning of summer, and if Dan Yi hadn¡¯t arrived by now, he wasn¡¯t going to come at all. Was Dan Yi so angry with him that he intended to cut ties for good? This matter concerned something that happened two years ago. At that time, Dan Yi had just turned fourteen, and the lanky Dan Yi was now even better looking than he had been as a child. The two of them were lying on the jade mat, and in the moonlight, Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help reaching out to touch Dan Yi¡¯s beautiful phoenix tail eyes admiringly. ¡°Dan Yi, you¡¯re really good looking. If you were a girl, I¡¯d do anything to marry you,¡± he said. Dan Yi grabbed hold of his wandering hands, his eyes snapping open immediately. ¡°You? Be my husband?¡± he said, amused. ¡°What, are you looking down on me?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He squirmed over and put his head on Dan Yi¡¯s pillow. ¡°You¡¯re slept with me for so many years now, and you¡¯re not chaste any more. You can only be mine.¡± As he said this, he copped a generous feel of Dan Yi¡¯s butt like a lecherous old man at a brothel. Dan Yi¡¯s face immediately turned a bright red. It was dark, but Chen Ziqi still saw the crimson flush on his cheeks. ¡°Haha! Your face is red again! Look at you, all red and bashful¡­¡± Chen Ziqi teased Dan Yi without pause, and suddenly, Dan Yi grabbed him and pressed him below himself. ¡°Ah¡­. Haha¡­ Don¡¯t.. Ah, don¡¯t¡­¡± Dan Yi pressed Chen Ziqi¡¯s hands down above his head and started to tickle him. He knew every last ticklish spot of Chen Ziqi¡¯s, and had him begging for mercy in a trice. ¡°I was wrong, I was wrong! Ahahaha! Save me, oh, let me go, hahahaha!¡± Chen Ziqi wriggled around like a live fish pinned to a chopping board, squirming violently as he struggled. After a moment, Dan Yi stopped tickling him, but continued to ¡°punish¡± him by wrapping his arms tightly around Chen Ziqi, not allowing him to move an inch. ¡°My good brother, you can let me go now. It¡¯s so hot, I could die,¡± Chen Ziqi said, a pained expression on his face. He wriggled a little, trying to escape. Dan Yi ignored him and turned over with him still held tightly in his arms. Chen Ziqi was now facing the outside of the bed, and wouldn¡¯t bother Dan Yi any more with his mumbling. Chen Ziqi¡¯s arms and legs were locked firmly in place by Dan Yi¡¯s embrace, so he could only continue to use his mouth to try and distract Dan Yi. ¡°Dan Yi, did you have a nickname as a child? I didn¡¯t, but my mum always calls me ¡®little bratty bastard¡¯ and stuff like that,¡± he said. ¡°Fengyuan,¡± Dan Yi said. He couldn¡¯t sleep with Chen Ziqi nattering on and on, so he decided to just answer Chen Ziqi¡¯s question. ¡°Fengyuan¡­¡± Chen Ziqi thought about it. Did the word ¡°yuan¡± in his nickname mean that Dan Yi was the firstborn son? He used the back of his head to nudge repeatedly at Dan Yi¡¯s collarbones. ¡°Fengyuan, Fengyuan, Fengyuan gege!¡± ¡°What?¡± Dan Yi adjusted Chen Ziqi¡¯s position and pressed down on his head with his chin so that he couldn¡¯t move his head. ¡°If I make you angry next time, I¡¯m going to call you ¡®Fengyuan gege¡¯, and when I do, you can¡¯t continue to be angry with me, okay?¡± Chen Ziqi said, unilaterally deciding this for Dan Yi. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡° Gjc Tl lucbgfv tlw. Lf gjlrfv j tjcv ab rfji Jtfc Ildl¡¯r rqffmt wfglvljc rb atja tf mbeivc¡¯a ajix, jcv atf gbbw yfmjwf delfa. Lf mibrfv tlr fsfr jcv ofii lcab j vffq riewyfg. Ktf cfza wbgclcu, Jtfc Ildl ofia rbwfatlcu tjgv qgfrrlcu lcab tlr yjmx. Pa kjr ecmbwobgajyif, jcv tf rdelgwfv j ilaaif. Lf ofia atja atfgf kjr rbwf kfacfrr ktfgf atf tjgv atlcu wfa tlr yjmx. ¡°Eh?¡± Chen Ziqi sat up in surprise. ¡°Dan Yi, did you wet the bed last night?¡± Dan Yi was awoken by the noise, and opened his eyes blearily. He saw Chen Ziqi flip the blankets off and stare at the lower half of his body. He instinctively reached out to feel the part that Chen Ziqi was staring at, and felt a patch of sticky wetness¡­ Dan Yi sat up immediately. His handsome face first turned as white as snow, then slowly became a deep crimson, the colour rising from the base of his neck all the way to the tips of his ears. Dan Yi raised his head and looked at Chen Ziqi, who was squatting on the bed and staring at him curiously with a tilted head. He pushed Chen Ziqi aside and fled as if a hundred dogs were chasing after him. The next day, Dan Yi left for the Cloud Palace and never returned thereafter. Chen Ziqi was fourteen now, and he understood what happened to Dan Yi that morning. He was annoyed with himself; he shouldn¡¯t have laughed at that proud fellow. Dan Yi was easily embarrassed and liked others to think well of him. It was entirely possible that Dan Yi now held a grudge against him for what happened that morning. Fengyuan gege, I was wrong. Chen Ziqi slumped down on his table, writing carelessly on the paper with his brush. He had been Professor Luo¡¯s student for many years now, and could recite and compose poems with ease. However, his handwriting remained as ugly as ever. ¡°Seventh Prince, what poem are you composing?¡± Professor Luo asked, walking to Chen Ziqi¡¯s side. He felt his spleen start to hurt when he saw the chicken scratchings Chen Ziqi had made on the paper. Actually, Chen Ziqi¡¯s messy handwriting could not be said to be truly ugly to look at. The avant garde style had become a recognised school of calligraphy as well. However, Chen Ziqi¡¯s lettering had no character, and it was obvious at first glance that it was written by an uncultured person. Chen Ziqi quickly balled up the paper in his hands and laughed sheepishly. ¡°I thought of a beauty whilst I was daydreaming. Nonsensical sentences don¡¯t make a poem,¡± he said. ¡°You were thinking of a beauty?¡± Professor Luo said, raising an eyebrow. Did Chen Ziqi think that he hadn¡¯t seen that paper that had been full of the words ¡®Dan¡¯ and ¡®Yi¡¯? ¡°Oho, Brother Seventh Prince has started to notice girls! I wonder which family she¡¯s from?¡± the Ninth Prince jeered. The older princes had all left the palace. Princes who had reached fourteen years of age were all required to move out of the hougong. Chen Zimo had left last year to the small fief the Emperor bestowed on him, which was near the Cheng family¡¯s ancestral home. Chen Zimo went there directly once he turned fourteen. In Chunxi Hall, Chen Ziqi was currently the eldest prince. ¡°It¡¯s a secret,¡± Chen Ziqi said, stuffing the paper ball into his clothes. ¡°In autumn, this brother of yours will be leaving the palace, and when that time comes, you¡¯ll know.¡± The Ninth Prince couldn¡¯t find anything to say in response to this, so he just sniffed derisively and turned his head away. The younger princes all yearned for the day they were able to leave the palace, and he couldn¡¯t help but be envious of Chen Ziqi. ¡°Seventh Brother, if you go to your fief, you¡¯ll bring me along, right?¡± Ah Mu asked, pulling on Chen Ziqi¡¯s sleeve as they walked back home. Ah Mu was eleven this year. He had been taken care of very well by Chang Er ¨C perhaps a little too well, as he was a fat little creature. Two of the Tenth Prince would have made one of him. ¡°Why would I bring you? You need to wait in the palace, and when you¡¯re fourteen, Father Emperor will also give you a fief,¡± Chen Ziqi said, pinching his plump little cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t want a fief, I want to follow you¡­¡± the little fatty said. He obediently let Chen Ziqi poke and press at his cheeks as he wished while he spoke, and his words were distorted as a result. ¡°You useless creature,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smacking him on the back of his head. He took him by the hand and led him back to Qingyun Palace for Chang Er to deal with. Just as he reached the end of the palace road, a young eunuch blocked his path. ¡°Greetings to the Seventh Prince. The Crown Prince invites you to go over for a bit,¡± he said. The Crown Prince¡­ Chen Ziqi frowned slightly. Starting last year, the Zhenlong Emperor¡¯s health was not what it had been before. He fell ill very often, and most matters of state were given to the Crown Prince to manage. As for the Crown Prince, he had become very volatile, as if he were practising to become a tyrannical Emperor. Going to the Eastern Palace for an audience with him was like walking on a bed of nails. Chen Ziqi told Ah Mu to go back home himself. He thrust two gold pieces into the young eunuch¡¯s hands. ¡°Please lead the way, Gong gong,¡± he said. ¡°Dianxia is too courteous,¡± the young eunuch said, smiling as he accepted the gold. His attitude toward Chen Ziqi became one of utmost helpfulness. ¡°I heard the High Priest wants to be relieved of his duties, but the Crown Prince is unwilling to let him leave, and is in a fit of anger because of it.¡± Chen Ziqi understood. The High Priest said that he was only required to work for the Imperial family for ten years, and now that the ten years were up, he wanted to resign from his post and leave the Imperial Palace. However, the Crown Prince had just taken over the reins of government, and it didn¡¯t look good for the High Priest to leave now, even though it was just coincidental timing. The Crown Prince probably wanted Chen Ziqi to help persuade the High Priest to remain for another year. The government offices in the Eastern Palace had been built now, and the whole place was much livelier than before. Chen Ziqi followed the young eunuch down a path to the back garden. The Crown Prince was sitting in a pavilion, looking at a chessboard in front of him. ¡°Greetings, Brother Crown Prince,¡± Chen Ziqi said, bowing in a half-greeting. The Crown Prince looked up from the chessboard and waved him over. ¡° Little Seventh, you¡¯re here right on time ¨C come have a round of chess with me,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi went over to sit opposite the Crown Prince. He picked up a smooth white chess piece, then dropped it back noisily into the box. ¡°I can¡¯t play chess to save my life,¡± he said. ¡°How about we play dice instead? Whoever has the larger number wins, ten taels of silver per round. How¡¯s that?¡± The Crown Prince shot him a look, then threw down the chess piece in his hand as well. ¡°The last time you gambled with the guards, Father Emperor grounded you for three months. Haven¡¯t you learnt your lesson?¡± he asked. ¡°Hehe,¡± Chen Ziqi laughed, grinning in a thick-skinned manner as he called a palace maid over. ¡°Come, take this chess set away, and serve us a pot of good tea.¡± The palace maid smiled as she brewed a pot of Junshan Yinye tea. Chen Ziqi held the teacup with both hands and took a sip. ¡°Brother Crown Prince, your tea is the best,¡± he said. The tea the Crown Prince had was the best and freshest in the palace, and this tea was always more fragrant than any other tea he had elsewhere. ¡°You¡¯re the one who finished all the Junshan Yinye tea in my palace,¡± the Crown Prince said, watching Chen Ziqi drain his cup. He started talking about the real reason he invited Chen Ziqi over ¨C it was indeed regarding the High Priest¡¯s wish to leave his post and return home. ¡°When the High Priest entered the palace, the agreement already was that he would only stay for ten years. It¡¯s not right to force him to stay,¡± Chen Ziqi said. His face was neutral, but internally, he rolled his eyes. This High Priest was formerly the head of the Peacock Wing, and had to give up that prestigious position because he was chosen to serve as the High Priest. He had been trapped in the Taizhen Palace reading the stars for a good ten years now. Even his readings of the heavenly portents had been completely ignored by the Emperor, and all he could do was thread pearls mindlessly in his palace. It was no wonder he couldn¡¯t wait to leave. ¡°It¡¯s not that I need this particular High Priest. If he leaves, then the Lan family should give me another High Priest, but they refuse to. What is the meaning of this?!¡± the Crown Prince said irritably, a dark expression on his face. He stared intently at Chen Ziqi. The Lan family actually refused to send a new High Priest over? Chen Ziqi was rather shocked. ¡°What did the Lan family say?¡± he asked. The Crown Prince was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled faintly, as if he had just thought of something. ¡°Do you know why the Phoenix King¡¯s Shizi has not come this year?¡± he asked, not answering Chen Ziqi¡¯s question. ¡°Nn?¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand which was holding the teacup faltered. ¡°I heard that something¡¯s happened at the Cloud Palace,¡± the Crown Prince said, a cunning look in his eyes. Chen Ziqi¡¯s heart gave a small squeeze. He wanted to ask what happened, but the Crown Prince refused to elaborate further on this topic. He changed the subject back to the High Priest. ¡°Someone who has submitted to two masters will rarely have a good fate when he returns back to his first master. Help me go and persuade the High Priest to think twice about leaving,¡± he said. Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Crown Prince: The Cloud Palace is in trouble Qiqi: What happened? Crown Prince: Hurhur, why don¡¯t you make a guess? Qiqi: I¡¯m not going to guess, I¡¯ll ask instead Crown Prince: ¡­ ¡­ Qiqi: What happened? Birdie Gong: My dad stole my jade bamboo worm, and I am going to rebel, tweet tweet tweet! Birdie Dad: That worm is already in my tummy! Come get me, bwahaha! Martial arts world: Breaking news! The Cloud Palace Master and his son are at each other¡¯s throats! The outcome is unknown Qiqi: ??? CH 34 After agreeing to do this task for the Crown Prince, Chen Ziqi left the Eastern Palace and headed straight to the Taizhen Palace. The High Priest was packing up his things. Or rather, it was more accurate to say that he was standing around and directing people to pack up his things. ¡°That Seasoul organza robe cannot be folded! Roll it up.¡± ¡°Be careful, those glazed cups break easily.¡± ¡°Leave the screen. It¡¯s too bulky to carry.¡± ¡­ ¡­ The servants assisting with the packing were as busy as bees. Well, not all of them were servants; Lan Shanyu was in their midst, scurrying about while dressed in an expensive-looking wide-sleeved huafu. ¡°Gods above, can¡¯t you stop giving so many instructions?¡± Lan Shanyu complained. He was carefully placing some trinkets made by the High Priest into a small box. There were lotus flowers made of fine silver wire, bracelets made of luminous pearls, and metal armlets inlaid with blue sapphires. The High Priest looked at Lan Shanyu. ¡°No,¡± he replied simply. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Lan Shanyu shut his mouth and resigned himself to packing. When Chen Ziqi entered, it looked like the entire Taizhen Palace was being demolished. Everything had been packed up, wrapped carefully and stowed on the carriage, like the set of jade tables and stools in the water pavilion. Heck, even the Chinese pagoda trees in the garden were being dug up! ¡°You¡¯re even bringing the trees with you?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, feeling an odd sense of respect for the amount of effort the High Priest was putting in. He thought to himself that when he went to his fief, he would also do the same, and bring everything he wanted along with him. ¡°Ktf agffr jgf qjga bo j Rjcxf agjmxlcu jggjs. Vtbeiv P ifjnf atfw tfgf ab agjq eckjgs qfgrbcr?¡± atf Llut Uglfra rjlv, rwlilcu ojlcais. ¡°Ct, P obguba jybea atja,¡± Jtfc Ildl rjlv, rwjmxlcu tlwrfio bc atf obgftfjv. Ktf obgas-clcf Jtlcfrf qjubvj agffr kfgf qijcafv ab obgw jc fluta aglugjwr agjmxlcu jggjs mjiifv atf ¡°Rjcxf agjmxlcu jggjs¡±, ktlmt rfgnfv ab rabq eckjcafv qfgrbcr ogbw agfrqjrrlcu lc atf Kjlhtfc Ujijmf. Jtfc Ildl tjv nlrlafv rb boafc jcv kjr rb erfv ab cjnlujalcu jgbecv atfw atja tf¡¯v mbwqifafis obgubaafc jybea atf jggjs. Lf gjlrfv j obba ab kjix oegatfg lcab atf Kjlhtfc Ujijmf, bcis ab yf rabqqfv ys Ojc Vtjcse¡¯r ibev sfii. ¡°Stop!¡± A blue shadow flashed past and quickly swiped a small golden bell that Chen Ziqi had nearly stepped on. Chen Ziqi retracted his foot and stood outside the door. Lan Shanyu sighed with relief, then polished the bell on his clothes and put it into his sleeve. ¡°Dianxia, why are you here?¡± he asked, smiling amiably at Chen Ziqi. ¡°I heard the High Priest was leaving, and wanted to come and have a look,¡± Chen Ziqi said. Since Lan Shanyu was here, he could ask for news about Dan Yi at the same time. However, directly asking what troubles the Cloud Palace was facing seemed rather inappropriate. Chen Ziqi thought about it, and decided to ask something different. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Dan Yi come this year?¡± he asked. ¡°This was the Master¡¯s decision. This subordinate doesn¡¯t know,¡± Lan Shanyu said, shaking his head. He suddenly remembered something, and pulled out a royal blue peacock feather from his sleeve. ¡°Dianxia, you¡¯re here just in time. Take this peacock feather. There are some matters in the Cloud Palace that I must attend to personally, and I won¡¯t be in the Capital for three months.¡± Chen Ziqi looked at the peacock feather in his hands. It was a real feather, not a throwing knife disguised as a feather or a lingpai. It was literally just a feather that was about the size of his palm. Was this really an authentication token that would be recognized by the Peacock Wing? However, Lan Shanyu said that this was indeed the Peacock Wing¡¯s highest level lingpai. It was difficult to believe, but it was more difficult to refuse a gift given with such sincerity. Chen Ziqi accepted the bird feather, ruminating on what Lan Shanyu had said earlier. ¡°What happened at the Cloud Palace?¡± he asked, his expression serious. If Lan Shanyu had to attend to something personally, it was likely to be a very serious and difficult matter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dianxia, the Young Master is safe and well,¡± Lan Shanyu said perceptively, answering the real question Chen Ziqi wanted to ask. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a mess here right now, so if you want to send Qinghan off tomorrow, go to Zhanghua Pavilion.¡± When the High Priest completed his term of service, he had to inform the Protector-God of the same at Zhanghua Pavilion. The Emperor was unwell, and the Crown Prince went in his stead to send the High Priest off. The important government officials and a few of the younger princes also attended the ceremony. ¡°When you went to Taizhen Palace yesterday, what did the High Priest say?¡± the Crown Prince asked Chen Ziqi in a low voice. They were standing next to each other. Chen Ziqi sighed, then shook his head. His silence spoke louder than words. The Crown Prince understood, and smiled coldly. ¡°Fine. Since he wants to walk towards his own death, I¡¯m not going to stop him,¡± he said. Given that the Lan family didn¡¯t send a new High Priest over, it meant that the Phoenix King didn¡¯t select a new candidate, and in these circumstances, it made sense that Lan Jiangxue should have continued to serve as High Priest. The Cloud Palace was in upheaval now, and it was not beneficial to the High Priest to return at this time. Today, the High Priest wore a sumptuous, elaborate robe. The long train extended three feet behind him, and a complex cloud pattern was embroidered on the outermost robe. An exquisitely wrought silver guan set with nine pearls the size of lotus seeds sat elegantly on his head. Two tassels of silver chains as thin and delicate as silk threads hung down from both sides of the guan, flowing down and contrasting beautifully his black hair. The years were always particularly kind to good-looking people. Even after many years, Lan Jiangxue¡¯s aloof, handsome face hadn¡¯t changed much. He in fact looked no different from when Chen Ziqi had first entered the palace. After the ceremony, Lan Jiangxue was no longer the High Priest. He bade farewell to the Crown Prince. ¡°Mr. Qinghan, do take care of yourself. This is a little something from the Imperial family, I hope you won¡¯t look down on our humble gift,¡± the Crown Prince said as a servant came forward with a box full of gold and silver ingots. Lan Qinghan accepted it and said his thanks in a quiet voice. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t have the same standing as before in the Cloud Palace after this,¡± the Ninth Prince whispered to the Eighth Prince. The Crown Prince smiled spitefully when he heard this. As they were speaking, what looked like a white cloud descended from the heavens. On closer examination, this ¡°cloud¡± was in fact a white palanquin carried by four white-clad palanquin bearers. They moved so gracefully that they seemed to float onto Zhanghua Pavilion. No matter how many times one saw the Cyclone Step in action, it always left one in awe; the skill looked so impossibly otherworldly. The one at the head of the palanquin was Lan Shanyu, who was clad in his signature blue robes. He landed gracefully on Zhanghua Pavilion, then clasped his hands together in greeting, his jade fan held in one hand. ¡°Wing Leader Lan, why are you here personally?¡± the Crown Prince said, surprised. Lan Qinghan didn¡¯t have any position in the Cloud Palace now, and Lan Shanyu was the Peacock Wing¡¯s leader. The Peacock Wing was the most prestigious division of all the Twelve Wings. Wasn¡¯t it demeaning to ask the Peacock Wing Leader to come and fetch this unemployed fellow? Lan Shanyu smiled gaily. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up my superior,¡± he said. The moment he finished speaking, the four palanquin bearers knelt in greeting, and Lan Shanyu himself also bent at the waist. ¡°This subordinate is here to escort the White Cloud Envoy back to the Cloud Palace,¡± he said. The White Cloud Envoy¡­ The Crown Prince was dumbstruck. The Cloud Palace had Twelve Wings, and above these Twelve Wings, there were two superiors called the White Cloud Envoy and the Dark Cloud Envoy. These two Envoys oversaw the workings of all twelve Wings, and they took orders directly from the Cloud Palace Master. Chen Ziqi pressed his lips together, trying to stop himself from smiling. Lan Jiangxue wasn¡¯t retiring; to the contrary, he had clearly been promoted! CH 35 ¡°Hold it!¡± the Crown Prince said. He felt extremely disgruntled watching Lan Qinghan leave in glory, and suddenly spoke up to stop him from leaving. Lan Qinghan stopped and turned back to look at the Crown Prince. ¡°Crown Prince Dianxia, do you have a question?¡± he asked. ¡°Since you¡¯ve been made the White Cloud Envoy, can you remind the Lan family to quickly send the next High Priest over?¡± the Crown Prince asked, his expression icy. The White Cloud Envoy was a powerful position within the Cloud Palace, and he did in fact have the power to select the next High Priest. Despite this, he had dragged his feet on the selection, and had only revealed his promotion just as he was about to leave. Was this Lan Qinghan trying to show his displeasure with him, the Crown Prince? ¡°I¡¯ve just assumed responsibility as the White Cloud Envoy, and have yet to formally pay my respects to the Cloud Palace Master in this capacity. Qinghan does not dare to act without orders. However, I will certainly convey your request to the Cloud Palace Master,¡± Lan Qinghan said, smiling calmly. He bowed to the Crown Prince, then walked at a measured pace toward the palanquin before boarding it. ¡°Farewell,¡± Lan Shanyu said, clasping his hands once more in the direction of the audience. He leapt into the air and floated away with the rest of the convoy. ¡°Hmph!¡± The Crown Prince watched the palanquin shrink into a small white dot in the distance, clenching his fists so tightly that the green veins on his hands stood out. Chen Ziqi glanced at the Crown Prince, his lip curling inwardly in disdain. What was the point of chasing the Cloud Palace to send another High Priest over? It¡¯s not like the Imperial family listened to anything the High Priest said. ¡°Old Seventh, after the ninth month, you¡¯ll be leaving the palace to build your own residence. Are you intending to stay in the Capital or go straight to your fief?¡± the Crown Prince asked Chen Ziqi after they had descended from the Zhanghua Pavilion. The Crown Prince had finally calmed down, and his face was back to normal as he spoke with Chen Ziqi about coming of age and being appointed as a King. When an Imperial Prince reached the age of fourteen, he was appointed as a Wang, and after being so appointed, he could choose to remain in the Capital for two more years before leaving for his fief at the age of sixteen. He could also choose to go straight to his fief after leaving the palace. ¡°On this¡­ I¡¯ll follow what Brother Crown Prince says,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling disarmingly. The Crown Prince was very pleased with Chen Ziqi¡¯s answer. ¡°I would love for you to remain in the Capital because you¡¯re still young, but the Imperial Court is very busy now, and I don¡¯t have that many good people I can use. There are some things I need you to do for me this year,¡± he said. In essence, the Crown Prince was saying that he wanted Chen Ziqi to go straight to his fief. Chen Ziqi ruminated on this. The Crown Prince had been scheming hard for seven to eight years now, and it was extremely difficult to believe that he didn¡¯t have ¡°good people¡± he could use. What could the Crown Prince want done that specifically required him to do it? None of his internal suspicion and distrust showed on his face however; he continued to smile at the Crown Prince in a most sincere manner. ¡°I await Brother Crown Prince¡¯s instructions,¡± he said. The Crown Prince nodded, gratified. He led Chen Ziqi to the Eastern Palace to have tea. Chen Ziqi slowly drank a cup of Junshan Yinye tea, then heaved a sigh. ¡°I¡¯d be quite happy to leave the palace too, if not for my mother. These few years, she¡¯s grown older and isn¡¯t as attractive as before. I¡¯m afraid that Father Emperor has grown tired of her. It won¡¯t be easy for her to remain in the palace alone,¡± he said, watching the Crown Prince¡¯s reaction carefully. If you wanted a donkey to pull your rice mill, you¡¯d have to feed the donkey first. Similarly, if the Crown Prince wanted him to go straight to his fief, he had to give him some benefits first. However, whilst the Emperor was still alive, his consorts and concubines were not allowed to leave the palace, let alone go to their son¡¯s fief. Chen Ziqi knew this, and his motive in saying this was really to make the Crown Prince give him a rich and fertile land for his fief. The Crown Prince brooded for a while, then suddenly spoke. ¡°You can bring Yue Pin with you to your fief,¡± he said. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Chen Ziqi put down his teacup and looked suspiciously at the Crown Prince. ¡°This is completely against the rules. Father Emperor won¡¯t agree, will he?¡± he said. ¡°Lft.¡± Ktf Jgbkc Uglcmf ijeutfv bcmf lc j mbiv, fcluwjalm wjccfg, jcv cfjgis rjlv rbwfatlcu yfobgf atlcxlcu aklmf jcv ylalcu yjmx tlr kbgvr. Jtfc Ildl¡¯r ygbkr ribkis xclaafv abufatfg. Qtfc atf clcat wbcat jgglnfv, Jtfc Ildl olcjiis aegcfv obegaffc. Dfobgf atf fvlma jqqblcalcu tlw jr j Blcu kjr qjrrfv, atf Itfcibcu Swqfgbg revvfcis qjrrfv jkjs! At the time this happened, Chen Ziqi was making osmanthus cakes with Chang Er in their residence. Suddenly, the great bell in the palace chimed sonorously. ¡°Dong¡­ dong¡­ dong¡­¡± It chimed a total of eighty-one times, announcing the Emperor¡¯s death. ¡°Why are they ringing the bell for no reason? It sounds so inauspicious,¡± Chang Er complained, putting the freshly steamed osmanthus cake onto a plate. She was dressed in plain robes, but was as beautiful and charming as ever. Even though she was already past her prime, there were no wrinkles on her face, and Chen Ziqi¡¯s description of her as ¡®old and unattractive¡¯ didn¡¯t do her justice at all. Chen Ziqi pursed his lips. ¡°The Emperor has passed on,¡± he said. ¡°What?¡± The Zhenlong Emperor had suddenly taken ill two years ago and his health had never been the same again. He was always running a fever and coughing. The Imperial Physicians couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong with him, and could only treat him as if he had caught a cold. Medicine alleviated the symptoms, but after two months or so, he would be seriously ill again. Illness had often plagued the Emperor the last two years, but they were minor afflictions; why had he suddenly passed away just like that? Because his death happened without warning, the princes who had left the palace were unprepared, and they needed to travel a few days to come to the Capital to pay their last respects. On the first night of the funeral, it was just the Crown Prince and a few young princes keeping vigil at the Emperor¡¯s wake. Forty-nine monks were chanting sutras outside the mourning hall, and the princes knelt within the hall itself. White cloth had been hung everywhere in the mourning hall, and white candles had been lit as well. The Emperor¡¯s coffin sat solemnly in the very centre of the hall. Ah Mu was easily frightened, and after kneeling for a while, he couldn¡¯t help scooting closer to Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t scared, and after checking to make sure that no one was watching, he leaned over the coffin to look at the recently deceased Emperor. The Zhenlong Emperor was in his early forties this year. His face had been covered with a bright yellow silk cloth, so Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t see what he looked like, but he could see the Emperor¡¯s hand. His fingertips were purple, and had stiffened into a claw-like position, as if he wanted to grab hold of something. The Imperial Physician said that the Zhenlong Emperor had died of a heart attack. The Crown Prince reprimanded the Imperial Physician harshly for not being able to detect the Emperor¡¯s heart condition earlier, then sentenced him to death. Now that the Zhenlong Emperor was dead, the Crown Prince was now the new Emperor. He named himself the ¡°Tiande Emperor¡±. ¡°Tiande? He¡¯s got really thick skin, doesn¡¯t he?¡± the Second Prince snorted. He had previously been appointed as King Wan, and couldn¡¯t help laughing derisively when he heard what the Crown Prince had called himself. ¡°Shh¡­¡± Chen Ziqi said, gesturing for him to watch his mouth. The Crown Prince was now the Emperor, after all; it wasn¡¯t wise to criticise him openly. Berry Brown had returned to the Imperial Palace to keep vigil on the seventh day of the ninth month. He walked over to where Chen Ziqi was kneeling and knelt next to him without a word. Berry Brown didn¡¯t care much for whether the Emperor lived or died, so after kneeling for a while, he started speaking of other things. ¡°Can you get in touch with the the Cloud Palace¡¯s people?¡± he asked. ¡°Why?¡± Chen Ziqi said, turning to look at him. ¡°Wangchuan Cliff is too deep. Nobody can get all the way down. I was hoping to ask the Cloud Palace for help. Their Cyclone Step can probably get them to the bottom of the cliff. I want to look for my mother¡¯s remains,¡± Chen Zimo said impassively. Chen Zimo had turned fourteen at the beginning of spring, and he had gone to the Zhenlong Emperor to ask for the city that the Cheng family¡¯s former residence was in as his fief. Cheng Zhou thought he had done so because he wanted to restore the Cheng family to its former glory, and was very gratified. As the Jinwu Guards¡¯ martial arts instructor, he had spared no effort to cajole and coax the Emperor into agreeing to Chen Zimo¡¯s request. According to the local government¡¯s records, Chen Zimo¡¯s mother should have died at Wangchuan Cliff in Bailu Mountain. Chen Zimo¡¯s request wasn¡¯t a difficult one, so Chen Ziqi nodded in response. After the seventh day of the funeral, Chen Ziqi brought Chen Zimo out of the palace to visit the Peacock Wing¡¯s chapter in the Capital. The Peacock Wing¡¯s chapter in the Capital was situated in the very middle of the busiest street. It was a three storey building that immediately attracted attention, with depictions of peacock feathers on the main door and walls. The Twelve Golden Wings of the Cloud Palace had chapters in every part of the country, and each of the Wings performed different roles. The Peacock Wing enjoyed a high status in the hierarchy of the Twelve Wings, but Chen Ziqi wasn¡¯t sure what exactly the people of the Peacock Wing were responsible for. They stepped through the main door on the first floor, and saw that the main hall had many open shelves decked with treasures and jewels. If he didn¡¯t know better, he¡¯d have thought that this was an antique shop. ¡°How may I help you, good sirs?¡± a woman wearing a tricoloured wide-sleeved robe asked. She was sitting on a Baxian chair, and lifted her chin slightly in their direction as she spoke. Chen Ziqi smiled and walked over. ¡°Good sister, how may I address you?¡± he asked. Chen Ziqi was now a fourteen-year-old youth, and the promise his looks had shown in his childhood had been fulfilled. His huge, adorable puppy eyes were now beautifully defined, perfectly shaped peach blossom eyes that made him look like he was always smiling. He looked very handsome and charming. The woman¡¯s expression immediately softened when she looked at Chen Ziqi¡¯s handsome face. ¡°I¡¯m L¨¹ Er, and I¡¯m the manager of this chapter of the Peacock Wing. The people in the martial arts world all call me Manager L¨¹,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Nice to meet you, L¨¹ jiejie,¡± Chen Ziqi said. ¡°I¡¯m the Seventh Prince, and Lan Shanyu gege asked me to come here if I needed something done.¡± As Chen Ziqi said this, he took out the blue feather from his sleeve. His face betrayed none of the nervousness he felt. That feather just didn¡¯t seem like a token of authentication at all ¨C what if Lan Shanyu was just pranking him? Would the Peacock Wing¡¯s martial arts masters come out and beat him to a pulp? L¨¹ Er¡¯s expression changed immediately when she saw the feather. She stood up and bowed respectfully. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you, Seventh Prince. Come this way, please,¡± she said. Chen Ziqi blinked in surprise. He then gathered himself and made to bring Brown Berry up to the third floor with him, but L¨¹ Er stopped him. ¡°Only you can go to the third floor,¡± she said. Brown Berry didn¡¯t mind, so he remained on the first floor. The third floor was a tearoom. L¨¹ Er personally brewed a pot of tea for them and poured out two cups. ¡°Dianxia, please don¡¯t hesitate to give me your orders,¡± she said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it orders, exactly. My sworn brother ¨C the one downstairs ¨C he needs someone to help him¡­¡± Chen Ziqi kept the blue feather carefully in his sleeve as he explained the situation to L¨¹ Er. This thing was actually a token of authentication, just as Lan Shanyu had said. ¡°Your request isn¡¯t difficult. However, this type of task is usually done by the Fengling Wing,¡± L¨¹ Er said. She explained that the Twelve Golden Wings were divided into the Upper Six and Lower Six Wings. The Lower Six Wings carried out the more basic, menial tasks, such as using the Cyclone Step to go and retrieve a corpse. Chen Ziqi was astonished. There was actually a Wing specialising in using the Cyclone Step to go pick things up? ¡°Anyway, since Dianxia is already here, the Peacock Wing will ask the Fengling Wing to do this task. Will you or King Lu be the one paying for this?¡± L¨¹ Er asked. She looked all businesslike, as if she were a seasoned merchant. King Lu was Chen Zimo. His fief was Lu City, and so he was given a title with a similar sounding name. I don¡¯t have money! Chen Ziqi thought to himself. He smiled at L¨¹ Er nonetheless. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just carry the task out. King Lu will take care of the payment,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi said goodbye to L¨¹ Er after going back down the stairs, then left the Peacock Wing with Brown Berry. ¡°How did it go?¡± Chen Zimo asked him anxiously. ¡°Sigh, the Cloud Palace people aren¡¯t the friendliest, as you know,¡± Chen Ziqi said, putting on a pained expression. When he saw Brown Berry frown with worry, he suddenly grinned. ¡°However, there¡¯s nothing your Seventh Brother can¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Chen Zimo¡¯s eyes brightened immediately. ¡°Naturally. As if they¡¯d dare to say no, given my great relationship with their Young Master,¡± Chen Ziqi boasted shamelessly, slinging an arm around Brown Berry¡¯s shoulders. He continued to brag all the way back to the palace. The instructions given to the Peacock Wing¡¯s people were to wait for Brown Berry to return to his fief after the Emperor¡¯s funeral was over before sending people down to do the task. The previous Emperor had passed on, and so the new Emperor ascended the throne. Chen Ziqi had also been appointed as a King, and after the funeral, he would be able to go to his own fief. As the Crown Prince had predicted, he really was able to bring his little fairy along with him¡­ Whenever he thought back on how the Crown Prince had wanted to say something more but stopped himself, he felt a great sense of unease in his heart. Chen Ziqi¡¯s fief wasn¡¯t far from Chen Zimo¡¯s, so he and Chen Zimo decided to make the journey together. Just as he had finished packing his luggage, the Tiande Emperor suddenly appeared. ¡°Brother Emperor, you have further orders for me?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. The Tiande Emperor brandished a letter in his hand. ¡°I just got news. The Cloud Palace has changed masters,¡± he said. Sixteen-year-old Dan Yi had become the new Phoenix King! ¡ª Author¡¯s note: Mini-theater Qiqi: ( ¡Ñ o ¡Ñ ) You really did your Dad in? Birdie Gong: Nn Qiqi: Why? Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re just like the Crown Prince¡­ Birdie Gong: There was only one bamboo worm, and he said that whoever became the Cloud Palace Master could eat it Birdie Dad: I didn¡¯t say that! I said you could only get married after you became the Cloud Palace Master Qiqi: ¡ú_¡ú CH 36 When a new Phoenix King came into power, the Emperor had to send a special envoy to the Cloud Palace to witness the appointment ceremony. This special envoy was usually the Crown Prince, and if there was no Crown Prince at the material time, then the Emperor had to attend this personally. The reason for this was that the rest of the Princes and Kings ranked lower than the Phoenix King in the empire¡¯s hierarchy, and thus did not have the standing to bear witness to his appointment. The new Emperor had only just ascended the throne, and naturally, no Crown Prince had been appointed yet. The Tiande Emperor had no choice but to make this trip to the Cloud Palace personally as such. ¡°I really don¡¯t know why the Taizu Emperor gave the Phoenix King such a high rank!¡± the Tiande Emperor fumed, narrowing his eyes. The Phoenix King not only enjoyed a high status, but had also been given all sorts of irritating privileges. How could the Emperor be the one to go over to the Cloud Palace to witness the ceremony, instead of the new Phoenix King coming to the Imperial Palace for the appointment? Who was the Emperor, and who was the subject here?! ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down¡­¡± Chen Ziqi said in a perfunctory manner. Inwardly, he rolled his eyes; if the Emperor didn¡¯t want to go, then could just not go, really. However, knowing Dan Yi¡¯s personality, he would never come to the Imperial Palace and beg for the appointment. Not in this lifetime. ¡°You¡¯ll come with Zhen,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, heaving a long sigh as he looked at Chen Ziqi. ¡°You and Dan Yi have had a good relationship since young. Help Zhen to persuade him to send another High Priest over.¡± Because the position of High Priest was currently empty, all sorts of rumours were spreading in the palace. The Imperial family¡¯s power came in a large part from divine recognition by the Protector-God. Only the Lan family knew how to call forth the Protector-God¡¯s holy signs on the Zhanghua Pavilion, and the Lan family took orders only from the Cloud Palace. This was also the main reason why the Emperor absolutely had to go to the Cloud Palace this round. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Dan Yi in many years, and we¡¯re just childhood playmates, really. I doubt our history of playing together will go very far to persuade him,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He was very reluctant to go along. He had just received his fief, and all he wanted to do was bring his little fairy to the fief, where he would live out his life peacefully raising chickens. He didn¡¯t want to get involved with these political battles. ¡°Hmph. Whether or not you can persuade him ¨C this will only be known after you¡¯ve tried,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, looking darkly at Chen Ziqi. This fellow was the Emperor after all, and what he gave, he could easily take back. This applied to Chen Ziqi¡¯s fief as well. It was said that people had no choice but to bow their heads when passing under low eaves, and Chen Ziqi was also not someone who would take a hit if it could be avoided for the time being. He immediately put on a most obedient and humble look. ¡°If Brother Emperor wants me to go, then I will certainly do so even if it costs me my life!¡± he declared. The Tiande Emperor nodded in satisfaction, then dismissed him with a wave of his hand. When Chen Ziqi left, a grey-cloaked, middle-aged man stepped out from behind the screen. His face was a pasty, unhealthy shade of greyish-white. ¡°Do you have any way of controlling Dan Yi?¡± the Tiande Emperor asked the grey-clothed man. The latter thought in silence for a while. ¡°No,¡± he said in a raspy voice. ¡°Hmm,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, frowning. ¡°Then what about inconveniencing him a little?¡± ¡°¡­ Not possible,¡± the grey-clothed man said, shaking his head. The Tiande Emperor was stunned. ¡°Is the Danyang Divine Martial Arts that powerful? How about Lan Jiangxue? If you can¡¯t control Dan Yi, controlling Lan Jiangxue is good too. You¡¯ll come with me to the Cloud Palace.¡± Ktf ugfs-mibatfv wjc rtlnfgfv lwqfgmfqalyis. Lf ibkfgfv tlr tfjv jr tf rqbxf. ¡°Cybea atlr¡­ Uifjrf obgulnf wf, yea P mjccba byfs atlr mbwwjcv. Ktf Jibev Ujijmf lr jcjatfwj ab ws rfma, jcv kf mjccba rfa fnfc tjio j obba lcab la.¡± Now that the new Emperor had ascended the throne, even the princes that had not reached fourteen years of age could be appointed as Kings, just that they didn¡¯t have fiefs. Ah Mu was particularly happy as he packed up his things with Chang Er. As a Wang, he could leave the palace, which also meant that he could follow his mother and gege to Chen Ziqi¡¯s fief. ¡°Cgf sbe vewy? Po sbe obiibk er, atf Swqfgbg wluta obgufa ab ulnf sbe j olfo lc atgff sfjgr¡¯ alwf,¡± Jtjcu Sg rjlv, qbxlcu Ct Ze¡¯r tfjv klat j olcufg. ¡°I don¡¯t want a fief. I only want Mother and gege,¡± Ah Mu said, beaming like a Cheshire cat. ¡°You don¡¯t want your jiujiu any more?¡± Chen Ziqi teased, popping in and pinching Ah Mu¡¯s plump cheeks. Ah Mu let him do as he wished. ¡°I still want my jiujiu, but¡­ I¡¯ve already forgotten what he looks like¡­¡± he whispered softly. When he said the second part of the sentence, he looked rather forlorn. Chang Er smacked Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand away and reached out to pinch Ah Mu¡¯s cheek comfortingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if you don¡¯t remember what your jiujiu looks like, your jiujiu will certainly still remember you. If he still misses you, he will definitely come to look for you.¡± ¡°Mmhmm!¡± Ah Mu immediately brightened on hearing this. ¡°The Emperor asked me to do something for him, so I can¡¯t go with you both to the fief,¡± Chen Ziqi said, picking up the little jade horse that had just been put into the luggage. He toyed with it for a bit, then shoved it into his sleeve. ¡°I¡¯ve told Brown Berry already. The two of you will travel with him.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Chang Er asked, frowning. This Emperor was really a slave-driver; Chen Ziqi hadn¡¯t even set foot in his fief before he ordered him off on an errand. ¡°To the Cloud Palace. It probably won¡¯t take too long.¡± The Cloud Palace was in the Southwest, and Chen Ziqi¡¯s fief was in the Southeast. They would be travelling to the south of the Capital for either destination, and he could head to Jianyang directly from the Cloud Palace, so it wasn¡¯t very inconvenient. Before they left, Chen Ziqi accompanied Chen Zimo to the Yeting Palace. Seven years ago, Cheng Jieyu had been locked up in here, and had not been released since then. A woman with messy, untied hair flowing down her back sat on the steps of the desolate Yeting Palace courtyard, staring blankly into space. When she heard footsteps approaching, she turned listlessly in their direction, and gazed at them for a few moments before she recognised the people who had arrived. ¡°Xiao Mo, Xiao Mo!¡± she exclaimed, getting to her feet and running quickly toward Chen Zimo. In her haste, she tripped and fell flat before Chen Zimo¡¯s feet. ¡°You¡¯ve finally come to see me. Tell them, tell them I¡¯m not mad, tell them to let me out!¡± Cheng Jieyu cried, on the verge of tears as she gripped a corner of Chen Zimo¡¯s robes. ¡°I¡¯m here to take you away,¡± Chen Zimo said. His face was bland, betraying no emotions at all. ¡°Lu City is now my fief, and I am bringing you to the Cheng family home.¡± The moment he finished speaking, he used the edge of his hand to chop the back of Cheng Jieyu¡¯s neck in one swift motion. She fainted immediately. ¡°Whoa, how far along are you with ¡®Open the Heavens¡¯?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, looking a little enviously at him after seeing this flawless move. ¡°I finished,¡± Chen Zimo said. He picked Cheng Jieyu up with one hand as if she weighed nothing at all. He was only fifteen, but was already unspeakably strong. ¡°I said I¡¯d teach you, but you didn¡¯t want to learn.¡± ¡°That gongfu is way too difficult to master. I don¡¯t want to learn it at all,¡± Chen Ziqi said, his lip curling. In truth, because he had mastered a bit of the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl, he couldn¡¯t learn any of the other martial arts any more. There was once he accidentally started using the techniques in the Tianyan Wanxiang Gong whilst he was practising martial arts, and the neili in his veins suddenly went out of control. He nearly went insane. After this incident, Dan Yi scolded him soundly, and forbade him from even remembering any of the other martial arts sects¡¯ techniques. He sighed inwardly. Even though the legends said that the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl was very powerful, he had only just managed to master the first level of it, and it probably counted for absolutely nothing in the martial arts world. Speaking of gongfa made Chen Ziqi think about Dan Yi. That fellow hadn¡¯t even attained the third level of the Danyang Divine Martial Arts when he left two years ago, and he had suddenly become the Cloud Palace Master. The Cloud Palace had many first-class martial artists, and he wondered if Dan Yi would be able to hold sway over them all, since his martial arts level might not be as high as theirs. ¡°Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi?¡± the Tiande Emperor¡¯s voice sounded from beside his ear, jolting Chen Ziqi out of his thoughts. ¡°I was napping just now. My apologies, your Majesty,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling disarmingly. ¡°Brother Emperor, what were you saying just now?¡± ¡°I was saying, we¡¯ll be in Jade Mountain in four hours,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, looking at the scenery flashing by them outside the horse carriage. Jade Mountain was where the Cloud Palace was situated. ¡°Finally! I feel like the bones in my body are all disassembling after being bumped around in this horse carriage,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He rubbed at his chest. Perhaps it was because he had been closeted in this carriage for too long, but his chest felt a little tight and painful. ¡°Is your chest hurting? Drink some Junshan Yinye tea, it¡¯ll be better after that,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, lifting his chin in the direction of the teapot. ¡°Thank you, Brother Emperor,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling as he poured himself a cup of tea. As he brought the tea to his lips, his hand suddenly paused, and he suddenly looked up at the Tiande Emperor suspiciously. These two days, the Emperor had often called him into his carriage to chat and drink tea, but the tea he served had been Longjing tea, not Junshan Yinye tea. The Tiande Emperor didn¡¯t react to the change in Chen Ziqi¡¯s facial expression. He looked out the window instead, watching the passing scenery. ¡°I knew since we were little that you were the smartest out of all my Imperial brothers,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s in this tea?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, putting down the teacup. His face was calm as he asked this question. ¡°It¡¯s not poison. In fact, it is able to soothe the thing in your heart, which is why I¡¯ve always kept Junshan Yinye tea leaves for you every year. Don¡¯t fail to repay my good intentions,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, smiling faintly at him. There was a threat inherent in that faint smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try pressing on the spot an inch to the left of your central meridian.¡± Chen Ziqi found the spot, then grit his teeth and pressed hard. ¡°Ah!¡± A heart wrenching pain suddenly exploded in his chest, and Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help but curl up and cry out. When he raised his head again, his handsome face was covered in cold sweat. ¡°You must be careful of anything the Crown Prince gives you¡­¡± Chen Ziqi suddenly recalled what Dan Yi had told him when they were children. However, the Crown Prince had always drunk this tea with him in the past. If Junshan Yinye tea wasn¡¯t poisoned, then what on earth was it? ¡°So long as you¡¯re obedient, you can live to a hundred, and Zhen will give you all the wealth and power you want,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, smiling superciliously. He wasn¡¯t ten years older than Chen Ziqi for nothing. He knew all about how this little fellow had pretended to be on his side, but at the same time acted all cozy with the Second Prince. He wasn¡¯t able to get into the Cloud Palace Shizi¡¯s good books, but he now had Dan Yi¡¯s good friend Chen Ziqi under his thumb. Everything was still within his control. ¡°Haha, Brother Emperor, you¡¯re really thinking too much. You¡¯re already the Emperor. If I don¡¯t pledge my allegiance to you, who can I possibly pledge my allegiance to?¡± Chen Ziqi said, wiping cold sweat off his chin and smiling amiably despite the pain. The horse carriage stopped at the foot of Jade Mountain. Everyone got off and looked up at the buildings high up the mountain. The Jade Palace towered high above the clouds, and its sides sloped steeply downwards. There was no road leading up to the mountain top at all. Higher up the mountain, the harsh incline evened out into a gentle slope, and countless pavilions and buildings peeked out from beneath lush green leaves. A huge waterfall could also be seen, the white, foamy water thundering down from the mountain peak. ¡°Your Majesty has personally travelled a great distance to get here. May your Majesty pardon this shabby welcome,¡± a cold, clear voice sounded from above. A figure in snow-white robes descended gracefully, bringing with him subordinates dressed in brown work clothes. It was Lan Qinghan. There was no road up to the Cloud Palace, and to get up there, one had to use the Cyclone Step. The twelve palanquin bearers could bring three people up the mountain ¨C the Tiande Emperor, Chen Ziqi, and the Master of Ceremony from the Ministry of Rites that had accompanied the Emperor. ¡°Zhen should be allowed to bring a few Jinwu Guards in the very least,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, doing his best to contain his temper. ¡°It takes four people to send one person up the mountain. The Cloud Palace is very busy now, and we¡¯re quite shorthanded. We could only spare these twelve palanquin bearers. Your Majesty, you can go up first, and later, I¡¯ll get them to collect your guards. Is that alright?¡± Lan Qinghan said calmly. His arrogant tone indicated that what he really meant to say was, ¡°Get on if you want, and if you don¡¯t, you can go back home. We don¡¯t care.¡± The Tiande Emperor sniffed coldly, then seated himself on the largest palanquin. Chen Ziqi had previously sat in this palanquin before with Dan Yi. The Cyclone Step was truly amazing; the palanquin bearers looked like birds flying toward the clouds, and didn¡¯t seem to need to push off anything solid at all. They flew up the mountain and reached the mountainside high up the mountain in no time. The author has something to say: Second Watch~ Lalala~ Mini-theater: Qiqi: Boohoohoo, I¡¯ve been had Birdie Gong: Don¡¯t be scared, come here, come to Laogong Tiande: Pfft, you think giving him a little hug will save him? Birdie Gong: Nope Tiande: Then what are you doing? Birdie Gong: Dog abuse Tiande: (vomits blood) CH 37 The palanquin descended onto a flat platform, and when Chen Ziqi looked out, he suddenly felt like he had landed in paradise. Beautiful pavilions and Chinese-style buildings peeked out between the lush greenery of Jade Mountain, and a light mist softened the colours of everything in view. Golden light spilled out from between the clouds, casting a warm glow on the rooftops scattered between the trees, making them look like they were gilded with a layer of liquid gold. The flat ground beneath their feet was a circular area about ten metres in diameter, and was made of high quality Han white jade. It symbolised the full moon. It didn¡¯t have any ostentatious embellishments. There was only the words ¡°ÆŲ̈¡±, which meant ¡°Roosting Platform¡±, carved in huge letters in the very centre of the stone. One side of the Roosting Platform was a steep cliff, and the other side of it had a curved bridge that was built over the natural terrain of the mountain. After passing over this bridge, the landscape suddenly opened up. A magnificent memorial archway stood at the head of the bridge, and on it was carved the following words, ¡°The jade returns to the clouds; the twelve wings appear behind the golden flag¡±. Beyond the archway was a flat piece of land, on which was planted a patch of luxuriant green bamboo. Many brown-clad workers walked into this forest, carrying boxes and baskets in all shapes and sizes. Chen Ziqi looked at them curiously. There were small red sandalwood boxes, large camphor-wood boxes, and screens made of jade and silk, just to name a few. In addition to these items, the workers also carried several sedans used to transport people. ¡°As you know, the fact that the Cloud Palace has a new master has not been officially announced yet. Nonetheless, some of the sects were anxious and sent over their congratulatory gifts in advance,¡± Lan Qinghan said, by way of explanation. He led them into the main palace. The Tiande Emperor was displeased. The Master of Ceremony standing to his side noticed this. ¡°Why is it that the representatives of the martial arts sects can disembark here directly?¡± he asked. Meanwhile, the Emperor, the Son of Heaven and the overlord of all the martial arts sects, had to walk here on his own two feet! Lan Qinghan glanced at the sedans. Silk curtains shielded the interior of these sedans from view. He smiled rather sarcastically, then lifted a corner of the curtains with a flourish of his sleeve, revealing the scantily clad boys and girls sitting inside. ¡°These are the beauties offered to the new Palace Master by the major martial arts sects, and they¡¯re also considered part of the congratulatory gifts. Lord Master of Ceremony, surely it would not be appropriate for you to be brought to the storehouse on this sedan?¡± Lan Qinghan said, a contemptuous note in his voice. The Master of Ceremony immediately went red in the face. ¡°Ah¡­ my mistake,¡± he said. As Chen Ziqi looked at those pink-coloured sedans, he felt an odd tightness in his chest. He figured that that sinister thing in his chest must be acting up again, and regretted not drinking more of the Junshan Yinye tea whilst he was in the horse carriage. The Cloud Palace¡¯s main palace had high ceilings that stretched about ten metres above them, and the floor of the entire hall was covered in a plush, sky blue carpet. The Wing Leaders and the Deputy Wing Leaders of all the Twelve Golden Wings were standing at attention in the hall, twelve on each side. Lan Shanyu stood at the head of the column on the left, and he winked surreptitiously at Chen Ziqi. Lan Qinghan led them into the hall, and all twenty-four people bowed in unison. The Tiande Emperor raised his chin slightly as he waited for the person sitting on the raised platform to greet him. The Master of Ceremony was a little nervous as he shouted, ¡°Announcing the arrival of his Majesty the Emperor!¡± A few breaths later, there was still no movement on the raised platform. The Master of Ceremony stood in place awkwardly, sweat running in small rivulets down his face and falling off his chin onto the floor with a clear ¡°plop¡± sound. Chen Ziqi¡¯s gaze travelled beyond the group of Wing Leaders, looking at the person on the raised platform. In a flash, he felt that all the light in the room had been sucked toward the person sitting on the throne there. Ktja kjr¡­ Gjc Tl? Llr ojmf kjr ralii atf bcf tf gfwfwyfgfv, yea atf jlg tf ujnf boo kjr fcalgfis vloofgfca. Po bcf vfrmglyfv atf Gjc Tl bo j ofk sfjgr jub jr j ygluta oeii wbbc, atf Gjc Tl bo abvjs mbeiv bcis yf vfrmglyfv jr j yijhlcu rec. His brilliant red huafu was secured by a black belt at his waist, and the long folds of his clothes cascaded elegantly toward the ground, spreading out on the sky blue carpet like lava from a volcano. He looked dangerous and bewitching all at the same time. Those beautiful phoenix tail eyes were no longer the clear and calm ones Chen Ziqi remembered; they now bore an imposing, savage look, bringing to mind a dragon diving into a dark abyss to collect its kill. It gave one chills just to look at him. ¡°You¡¯ve come a great distance. Please, sit.¡± The regal voice that came out of those slender lips was captivating, and had a hypnotic quality to it, striking straight into one¡¯s heart like the sound of Kunshan jade shattering. Chen Ziqi was a little stunned. Two years ago, Dan Yi¡¯s voice was breaking, and it sounded very gruff and gravelly. He¡¯d laughed at Dan Yi a lot back then. His voice now was so lovely that he couldn¡¯t even recognise it. Attendants came forward to place two chairs on the raised platform. Lan Qinghan raised a hand slightly, gesturing to the Emperor and Chen Ziqi to go up and sit. ¡°Outrageous! How could you not get up and bow to greet the Emperor?!¡± the Master of Ceremony said. He sensed the Emperor¡¯s fury boiling next to him, and had no choice but to grit his teeth and voice this out. ¡°In this Cloud Palace, no one dares to ask me to bow in greeting,¡± Dan Yi said. He leaned his head on one of his hands, then released the full intimidating power of his aura. The unbearable pressure made the Master of Ceremony collapse on the floor in fright. The Tiande Emperor¡¯s temples also broke out in cold sweat. He steeled himself, then concentrated on walking steadily up the raised platform and sitting down in the prepared chair. Chen Ziqi did the same, sitting in the chair that was furthest to the side. ¡°Zhen has personally come here to appoint the new Phoenix King. Is this how the Cloud Palace treats honoured guests?¡± the Tiande Emperor said, his expression furious. ¡°The Chen family ancestors and the Dan family ancestors agreed that they would follow the rules of the place they were in. When I was in the Imperial Palace, I followed the rules set by the Imperial family. Now that you¡¯re here, you will follow the rules of etiquette set by the Cloud Palace,¡± Dan Yi said coldly. He didn¡¯t look at Chen Ziqi even once during this whole exchange. Lan Qinghan walked up the platform and stood to the left of the throne. Another man stood to the right of the throne. He wore a black, narrow-sleeved martial arts outfit, and silver vambraces set with black onyx stones. He was very tall, and the aura he gave off was frighteningly powerful. His eyes, which were as piercing as an eagle¡¯s gaze, were currently looking fiercely at the Master of Ceremony standing behind the Emperor. This Minister had ascended the platform with great difficulty, and his legs were now trembling like jelly. Right now, he felt like he was some sort of tasty live prey that the man in black was about to fall upon and rip apart any minute. He was so frightened that he nearly fainted dead away right then and there. ¡°Th¡­ the appointment ceremony should be held on an auspicious day. I¡¯ve checked, and tomorrow is one such auspicious day,¡± the minister said, shaking as he took out the edict appointing Dan Yi as the Phoenix King. Dan Yi glanced at the minister, then raised a hand slightly. The Wing Leaders and their deputies all bowed in unison. ¡°We take our leave!¡± they said as one. Twenty three people filed out of the hall, leaving only Lan Shanyu standing in place. A servant girl came forward to place small tables in front of everyone. Lan Shanyu personally brewed a pot of tea and poured out three cups for the Emperor, Chen Ziqi and Dan Yi. ¡°You may leave,¡± the Emperor said, dismissing the Master of Ceremony when he saw that Dan Yi had also dismissed subordinates. The minister heaved a sigh of relief and gladly followed the servant girl out of the hall. The hall suddenly became plunged into silence. Dan Yi brought his white jade teacup to his lips and took a sip. ¡°I am not in a hurry to be appointed as the Phoenix King. Your Majesty just ascended the throne not too long ago, but has come here in such haste; I believe you¡¯re not just here because of the appointment ceremony?¡± he said perceptively. The Emperor had originally intended to take things slow, and didn¡¯t think that Dan Yi would broach the issue in such a direct manner. The Emperor thought deeply for a brief moment. ¡°There are many matters of state to attend to because I¡¯ve just ascended the throne, and I would not ordinarily be able to receive the High Priest personally. Since I am here, I intend to take the next High Priest back with me,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi looked at the Tiande Emperor, who was sitting ramrod straight in his seat. He had to give it to the Emperor ¨C even in this kind of situation, he could still speak in such a haughty, imperious manner! One could say that he really did have the constitution of an Emperor. ¡°Ha,¡± Dan Yi laughed coldly. ¡°Your Chen family has refused to respect the commands of the Protector-God all these years. What¡¯s the point of having a High Priest?¡± The Tiande Emperor nearly choked. He had previously thought that it wasn¡¯t necessary to have a High Priest either, and it was only after he became Emperor that he knew how important the Protector-God was to the Imperial family. Thinking this, he couldn¡¯t help but ask a question that had bothered him since he was a little boy. ¡°Does the Protector-God on Zhanghua Pavilion really exist?¡± he asked. He didn¡¯t believe in the Protector-God before, but after he became Emperor, he saw how the important families of the empire continued to fear the Protector-God. These were the same families that had become harder and harder to control with the Imperial family¡¯s power alone; he needed at least the semblance of the Protector-God¡¯s approval in order to make them fall in line. That was when he started to suspect that perhaps his disbelief in the Protector-God was misplaced. Dan Yi lowered his eyes and refused to reply. The Tiande Emperor ground his teeth. ¡°Dan Yi, you¡¯re being too much!¡± he said angrily. All his martial artists had been refused entry and were still at the foot of Jade Mountain. He had no choice but to endure Dan Yi¡¯s rudeness given the situation, but he absolutely could not endure Dan Yi treating him as if he did not exist! ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯ve asked a heaven-class question. If you wish to know the answer, you can use one of the sandalwood tablets you received previously,¡± Lan Shanyu said, smiling affably at the Emperor. Chen Ziqi¡¯s heart thudded in his chest as he turned to look at the Tiande Emperor. This was such a frivolous question ¨C surely the Emperor wouldn¡¯t use one of those three precious heaven-class tablets on it? To his surprise, the Emperor impulsively pulled out a wooden tablet from his sleeve and slapped it down on the table. Lan Shanyu went forward and inspected the wooden tablet. The back of it had the word ¡°Heaven¡± carved on it, and the front had the Cloud Palace¡¯s signature cloud pattern. It was unmistakably authentic. He smiled, kept the tablet in his sleeve, then nodded towards the White Cloud Envoy, Lan Qinghan. ¡°A heaven-class question has been asked: Does the Protector-God on Zhanghua Pavilion exist?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lan Qinghan replied, his voice measured. ¡°The Protector-God has always existed. The Chen family has not been able to master the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl for generations because it has offended the Protector-God.¡± The Tiande Emperor¡¯s hand quivered, spilling the tea in his teacup onto his sleeve. ¡°How could it be¡­¡± he muttered, though in his heart, he fully believed it. When the Cloud Palace answered a heaven-class question, the answer was always true. ¡°Actually, when I was the High Priest, I said this very often, but the previous Emperor refused to listen, and the new one didn¡¯t believe me,¡± Lan Qinghan said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. The irony. Free advice was not heeded, and it was only when one had paid a huge price to get the exact same information did one believe it. The Tiande Emperor was rather flustered. He now understood why previous generations of the Imperial family had obeyed the Cloud Palace without question. Having a High Priest was the equivalent of having free access to heaven-class answers! ¡°Father Emperor was muddle-headed. Zhen knows it¡¯s difficult to compensate Mr Lan for past wrongs, but asks that he forgive and forget,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, standing up and clasping his fists respectfully in Lan Qinghan¡¯s direction. He turned to look at Dan Yi. ¡°Cloud Palace Master, I hope you will be magnanimous and give me another High Priest. This round, I will certainly give the High Priest the honour and respect he deserves.¡± As he said this, he shot Chen Ziqi a meaningful look. Chen Ziqi got to his feet reluctantly. He was basically the Emperor¡¯s puppet now, and had no choice but to do as the Emperor commanded. He coughed lightly, then opened his mouth to speak. ¡°It is said that the country cannot be without the High Priest even for a day. Please let us know what conditions you have in order to send another High Priest to the palace,¡± he said. Dan Yi looked long and hard at Chen Ziqi, then turned to the Emperor. ¡°That year, when your Father Emperor asked Lan Jiangxue to be his High Priest, he gave five cities in exchange for this request,¡± Dan Yi said. ¡°What have you to offer this round?¡± Five cities¡­ The Tiande Emperor¡¯s face darkened immediately. There were fewer and fewer cities that the Imperial family had not already given out as fiefs, and asking him to give up five cities now was like asking him to cut out a part of his heart. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked in a barely audible voice. Dan Yi raised a slender, fair-skinned finger, then pointed it at Chen Ziqi. ¡°Him,¡± he said simply. The author has something to say: Mini-theater Tiande: ( ¡Ñ o ¡Ñ ) I never thought that it¡¯d be more valuable to sell a brother than to sell off land! Qiqi: Are you dumb? I was yours to begin with, why don¡¯t you at least ask him for some money? Birdie Gong: What did you just say? Qiqi: Are you dumb Birdie Gong: No, the part after that Qiqi: Why don¡¯t you at least ask him for some money Birdie: No, the middle part Qiqi: (hides his face) CH 38 Him? The Tiande Emperor looked in the direction that Dan Yi was pointing at, and saw a stunned-looking Chen Ziqi. This was an official visit to the Cloud Palace by the Imperial family, so Chen Ziqi wore a set of formal Qinwang robes. The powder blue, wide-sleeved robe was embroidered with a dragon pattern, and secured with a teal-coloured belt at the waist. He didn¡¯t wear any outer cloak, and his slender body and narrow waist were plain to see. A pair of captivating peach blossom eyes set off his fresh, young face perfectly. Chen Ziqi was truly the best looking out of all of the Emperor¡¯s younger brothers. The year Dan Yi first visited the Imperial Palace, didn¡¯t he say that he only wanted to play with Chen Ziqi because he was good-looking? The Tiande Emperor thought back on the pink-coloured sedans he¡¯d seen earlier. In addition to pretty young girls, there were handsome young boys amongst the meiren sent as tributes. It seemed that this new Phoenix King¡¯s preferences included beautiful young boys¡­ As the Master of the Cloud Palace, Dan Yi had his pick of meiren. However, if he wanted to bed an Imperial prince, that would be a lot harder. The Imperial family might not be well-respected in the empire, but they were still royals at the end of the day. ¡°Is that a joke? Ziqi is my younger brother, and a Qinwang, at that!¡± the Emperor bit out. Actually, to the Emperor, trading Chen Ziqi for a High Priest was a pretty good deal. He had control over Chen Ziqi anyway, and having him stay by Dan Yi¡¯s side as his mole was definitely beneficial to him. Plus, he wouldn¡¯t have to give up five cities¡­ However, if word got out that he¡¯d tossed someone of royal blood cavalierly to the Cloud Palace for the Cloud Palace Master¡¯s enjoyment, he¡¯d definitely be criticised as a shameless Emperor. Perhaps Dan Yi¡¯s real motive was to humiliate the Imperial family? Dan Yi ignored the Emperor. He took a languid sip of his tea, then looked up in an unhurried manner at Chen Ziqi, who had shot to his feet in shock. Chen Ziqi was still stunned. What had Dan Yi said earlier? Dan Yi wanted him? He had no illusions as to what Dan Yi wanted him to do; it certainly wasn¡¯t to run errands for the Cloud Palace, so that meant¡­ Chen Ziqi¡¯s breath caught in his throat, and his fingers twitched involuntarily. He was really caught off-guard and didn¡¯t know how to react. He looked over at Dan Yi with eyes full of doubt, and coincidentally met Dan Yi¡¯s gorgeous phoenix tail eyes, which were also looking in his direction. Chen Ziqi felt his heart pound a little faster and scolded himself inwardly. He should not be charmed by Dan Yi¡¯s looks; he was about to be given away as a bedslave to this fellow! ¡°The Cloud Palace has never used intimidation to close deals,¡± Dan Yi said, pulling his eyes from Chen Ziqi and turning his sharp gaze on the Emperor. ¡°If your Majesty doesn¡¯t wish to give your younger brother to me, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not keen on sending any member of the Lan family to the Imperial Palace anyway.¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± the Emperor said hurriedly, becoming tongue-tied in his haste. He took a deep breath. ¡°Zhen can allow you to have Little Seventh, but you cannot let outsiders know of this.¡± ¡°Brother Emperor!¡± Chen Ziqi protested, shocked. He stared at the Emperor in disbelief, and couldn¡¯t help rolling his eyes inwardly. He really wanted to make a small effigy of the Emperor and give it a sound beating. This man¡¯s shamelessness was on a whole new level! ¡°Your suffering will be for the greater good of the Chen family,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, gripping Chen Ziqi¡¯s wrist tightly. He stared long and hard into Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes, then spoke in a deliberately slow manner. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you promised me on the way here.¡± You motherf*cker¡­ Chen Ziqi nearly cursed out loud at the Emperor, but he somehow managed to keep it in and force out a stiff smile instead. ¡°This brother will not forget your Majesty¡¯s kindness,¡± he said through clenched teeth. The Tiande Emperor nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at Dan Yi. He found that the latter was staring dangerously at his hand, which was still holding on to Chen Ziqi¡¯s wrist. With a frightened shudder, he released Chen Ziqi¡¯s wrist immediately. Dan Yi¡¯s face was cold as he set down his teacup. He got up and cast a glance at Chen Ziqi, whose head was still lowered. He had no idea what Chen Ziqi was thinking. ¡°Send him to my bedroom tonight,¡± he instructed. With that, he left with a grand flourish of his sleeves. Ktf yijmx-mijv Gjgx Jibev Scnbs jcv atf ktlaf-mijv Ojc Aljcuzef ybat obiibkfv tlw bea lwwfvljafis. Ktf qfbqif bo atf Jibev Ujijmf jii kjixfv nfgs ilutais, jr lo atfs kfgf oibjalcu. Gjc Tl¡¯r ygliiljca gfv gbyfr yliibkfv fifujcais jr tf kjixfv jkjs, vgjklcu ugjmfoei jgmr lc atf jlg. Lf ibbxfv ilxf j qtbfclz vjcmlcu lc atf mibevr, jcv atf rluta kjr ageis yfjealoei ab yftbiv. Lan Shanyu stayed behind to attend to the guests. ¡°Your Majesty, Wang ye, may I invite you to rest in a guest room? There will be a banquet held tonight, and you can stay there until then,¡± he said, smiling genially at Chen Ziqi. Lan Shanyu was also confused by Dan Yi¡¯s request for Chen Ziqi earlier, but was able to keep a straight face thanks to his training. ¡°Master, how could you do that to Chen Ziqi?¡± Lan Jiangxue asked. He was following behind Dan Yi, and they both descended gracefully onto a water pavilion. The Dark Cloud Envoy twisted lightly in the air, then landed firmly next to Dan Yi. ¡°Why?¡± Dan Yi asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re saying I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Lan Jiangxue¡¯s voice trailed off. He was also at a loss for words, and turned to shoot a meaningful look at the Dark Cloud Envoy. The latter didn¡¯t get it at all, and just stared blankly back at him with his twin eagle eyes. After a bit, he suddenly tilted his head to the side. The dark-clad man who had been standing next to Lan Jiangxue behind Dan Yi earlier was the current Dark Cloud Envoy ¨C Diao Lie. Diao Lie was a man of few words. He had a fierce, impatient personality, and was loyal only to Dan Yi. Lan Jiangxue sighed. Expecting him to persuade Dan Yi was hopeless. It looked like he could only rely on himself. Lan Jiangxue had no choice but to continue. ¡°It¡¯s just- today, there was no need to¡­¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t they chasing me to start having carnal relations? I¡¯ll relate carnally for them to see!¡± Dan Yi said, sniffing coldly. Lan Jiangxue pressed his lips together and didn¡¯t say any more. ¡°If Master finds them annoying, I¡¯ll just go kill them,¡± Diao Lie said seriously, straightening his head. Lan Jiangxue rubbed his temples, trying to soothe the pounding headache brought on by these two. ¡°Stop adding oil to the fire,¡± he said, glaring at Diao Lie. In the guestroom, the Tiande Emperor personally poured a cup of Junshan Yinye tea for Chen Ziqi. The Cloud Palace people had refused to bring the Jinwu Guards up the mountain, but they¡¯d brought all their luggage up. Everything was in order when they both arrived at the guestroom. ¡°You¡¯ve drunk this tea for two years now. Don¡¯t you find that it tastes better and better?¡± the Tiande Emperor said, smiling as he pushed the cup toward Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi made no move to accept the cup. ¡°Relax. It¡¯s not poison. If you drink the tea regularly, and I don¡¯t activate the thing, it won¡¯t act up,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, his voice becoming cold. ¡°If it¡¯s not poison, then, is it a venomous blackworm?¡± Chen Ziqi said, equally coldly. He picked up the cup in the end; he wasn¡¯t one to make himself suffer if it could be avoided. He drained the cup, then found that the throbbing pain around his heart became less pronounced. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the Tiande Emperor admitted. He didn¡¯t seem ashamed of himself at all, and in fact, seemed to be slightly arrogant as he continued. ¡°This blackworm was raised by a Venom Master and fed with the Venom Master¡¯s own blood. It can only be purged by the Venom Master. You don¡¯t have to tire yourself out looking for another method to remove or cure it. Even if you went to beg the leader of the Thousand Poisons Clan to save you, it would be useless.¡± Chen Ziqi gripped the teacup in his hand tightly, then slowly set it down. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise how important I was to Brother Emperor. I¡¯m surprised to be held in such high regard,¡± he said. A blackworm cultivated using a Venom Master¡¯s blood was very rare, and it was difficult to obtain one even if you had the money. It went without saying that they were also extremely expensive. For the Emperor to use one of these on Chen Ziqi¡­ what was the Emperor after? ¡°You¡¯re certainly worth it. Look at what happened today,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, smiling sinisterly. As they were speaking, Lan Shanyu knocked on their door. ¡°The Palace Master invites your Majesty the Emperor to attend the banquet in the front atrium,¡± he said. The two in the room opened the door and saw Lan Shanyu smiling gaily in front of them. Behind Lan Shanyu were two green-clad servant girls. The Tiande Emperor followed Lan Shanyu to the banquet, and Chen Ziqi was asked to go with the two servant girls. ¡°The Palace Master has instructed that he wants to see you immediately after the banquet,¡± the green-clad servant girl said. Her face and tone were bland, and her chin rose slightly toward the end, as if she were speaking down to him. Chen Ziqi smiled at her nonetheless. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you two jiejie to lead the way, then,¡± he said amiably. His beautiful peach blossom eyes sparkled in the setting sun in a most captivating manner. The servant girls stared blankly at his handsome face for a while, and after that, their attitude toward him also became somewhat warmer. Chen Ziqi got a good look at the Cloud Palace¡¯s buildings as he followed the green-clad girls across the twisting and turning corridors. The Cloud Palace wasn¡¯t built like the Imperial Palace, set out in an orderly fashion on level ground. Its construction instead followed the terrain and attributes of the mountain; human intention and orderliness were secondary. Where there was a natural mountain pool, a water pavilion would be built on it, and if a waterfall was in the way, they¡¯d build an arched bridge around it. Wind pavilions were built on protruding rocks, and covered corridors wound through the dense bamboo forest. These wind pavilions dotted the mountain in a random fashion, rather like avant garde brushwork, and were all connected to each other by exquisitely designed covered corridors. There was no need to open an umbrella to get from one end of the palace to the other, even on rainy days. After passing by many airy pavilions, terraces and open halls, and walking through a dense Wutong tree forest, they finally arrived at an incredibly opulent palace residence. ¡°Wang ye, please take a bath first. The Palace Master is very insistent on cleanliness, and people who haven¡¯t bathed are not allowed near his person,¡± the taller of the two green-clad girls spoke. These words grated on the ear; he was being treated as if he was a mere chattel. Chen Ziqi took no notice of what they said, and smiled cordially at the two girls instead. ¡°How may I address you two pretty jiejie?¡± he asked politely. ¡°I¡¯m called Qing Ping, and this is my younger sister, Qing He,¡± the taller girl said. She pulled open thick silk curtains as she spoke. This palace had a bathing pool cut out of black quartz that was flecked with gold. The pool was as big as a room, and steam rose in great tendrils from the surface of the water. The water was real hot spring water, brought in from a hot spring elsewhere on Jade Mountain. It all looked very pleasant and comfortable. ¡°Wait,¡± Qing He said, shooting a look at Qing Ping before continuing to speak to her in a low voice. ¡°The Palace Master¡¯s bathing pool has never been used by anyone other than him. I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t appropriate¡­¡± Chen Ziqi had already mastered the first level of the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl, and even though he couldn¡¯t kill ten thousand men in a single blow yet, he had heightened sight and hearing. He could easily hear what Qing He said as such. He lowered his eyes, chuckled softly to himself, then walked to the side of the pool and started taking off his clothes right in front of them. ¡°Ah!¡± Qing He cried out loud in shock, and pulled her older sister around so that their backs were turned to the happily stripping Chen Ziqi. ¡°Wang ye, you¡­¡± Whilst they weren¡¯t paying attention to him, Chen Ziqi had taken off all his clothes except one last piece, his underpants. Chen Ziqi turned to look at the two servant girls and narrowed his eyes. He¡¯d seen a large number of servant girls from the Cloud Palace when he spent time with Dan Yi in the past. They had all been cut from the same cloth as Lingguan and Linghe, humble and polite, with a warm and obedient demeanour. These two, in contrast, didn¡¯t seem like servant girls at all; they behaved much more like spoiled young ladies of the nobility. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you ask me to take a bath? Come over and wash my back,¡± Chen Ziqi said, acting all high and mighty. He jumped into the warm pool and hooked a finger at the two girls, beckoning them over. When Dan Yi returned to his sleeping quarters, he saw the two girls standing in front of the door, and one of them had bloodshot eyes. ¡°Palace Master,¡± Qing He said, greeting Dan Yi politely. Dan Yi moved closer. Qing He smiled in satisfaction, but just then, Dan Yi looked right past her and pushed her aside, opening the door behind her and going straight into the room. He had used a bit of the Cloud Dispelling Fists technique in doing so, and that push nearly sent Qing He to the ground. She stumbled a few steps before regaining her balance, and when she turned around, the door had already been slammed shut. Linghe and Lingguan had returned with Dan Yi, and when they saw this little exchange, they both looked at each other and pressed their lips together to stop themselves from laughing. ¡°The Palace Master is busy. Why don¡¯t you keep watch elsewhere?¡± Lingguan said in a warm, sweet voice. She then pulled the two green-clad sisters off with her in a manner that brooked no opposition. Chen Ziqi had just changed into soft, sheer robes. He flopped down on the bed and rolled around in it. This bed was about one zhang wide. It was very different from the beds in the Imperial palace, which all had high legs and was enclosed by a bed frame. The bed Chen Ziqi was lying on now was about half as short as the ones in the Imperial palace, and had no enclosing bed frame at the sides. Instead, it had four high posters, and indigo silk curtains fell softly over the bed. A windchime made of pearls hung at the head of the bed. The whole setup looked very curious to Chen Ziqi. On hearing the door open, Chen Ziqi rolled over immediately and sat up straight. He saw that Dan Yi had come in, and his face was cold and distant as he walked toward him step by step. Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help swallowing as he looked at Dan Yi. ¡°Fengyuan gege, it¡¯s been a while,¡± he said nervously. The author has something to say: Mini-theater ¡°The Dark Cloud Envoy needs to improve his comprehension abilities¡± Lan Shanyu: (shoots the Dark Cloud Envoy a look) Diao Lie: (tilts head) Lan Shanyu: What are you tilting your head for? Diao Lie: I didn¡¯t get what you meant, so I¡¯m changing perspective Lan Shanyu: ¡­ ¡­ Birdie Gong: Chirp-hahaha, I¡¯m about to start eating meat*! *T/N: In Chinese, this is ¿ª»ç (kai jun), and whilst the literal meaning is to ¡®start a carnivorous diet¡¯, it¡¯s usually used to refer to having sexual relations. This dual meaning is important to understand the rest of the convo below! Diao Lie: Does Master wish to eat a jade bamboo worm or a plum flower snake? Birdie Gong: I¡¯m not talking about that Diao Lie: (tilts head) Then¡­ do you want to eat a bamboo rat? Birdie Gong: ¡­ Scram! CH 39 Chen Ziqi hadn¡¯t seen Dan Yi in two years, and he didn¡¯t know how Dan Yi felt about him any more. They were incredibly close as children, but in the past two years, all the letters he¡¯d secretly sent Dan Yi through Lan Shanyu had gone unanswered. Dan Yi heard Chen Ziqi call him ¡®Fengyuan gege¡¯, and amusement crept into his eyes as he looked at Chen Ziqi sitting obediently on the bed. He lifted his robes lightly, then sat down on the bed. ¡°What is this, you¡¯re acting close to me again? Earlier, I thought you didn¡¯t recognise me any more when you spoke up for the Emperor,¡± he said. His voice was as lovely and mesmerizing as before. Chen Ziqi felt his heart beat faster in his chest, and was so captivated that he didn¡¯t think to respond until a few moments later. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh with relief on hearing Dan Yi¡¯s words; Dan Yi was clearly just fooling around. He sagged with relief and flopped back down on the soft bed, then rolled toward Dan Yi¡¯s side. He then looked up at Dan Yi and rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the one who held a grudge. You gave me the cold shoulder for two years, then made fun of me the moment we met. I got such a fright,¡± he complained. ¡°Made fun of you?¡± Dan Yi asked, bending his head to look at Chen Ziqi. ¡°What, you¡¯re not admitting to it?¡± Chen Ziqi said, pursing his lips. He squirmed like a worm to the centre of the bed, and as he did so, he imitated Dan Yi during their first meeting in the Cloud Palace. ¡°I want him! Send him to my bedroom tonight! Hohoho!¡± A dark shadow suddenly appeared above Chen Ziqi, and he found that Dan Yi was looming over him. Then next thing he knew, Dan Yi had hugged him from behind, locking him tightly in an embrace. ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking around,¡± he said slowly. Chen Ziqi froze. He turned to look at Dan Yi¡¯s face, which was so close that their noses nearly touched. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up one by one, and he tried to push Dan Yi¡¯s shoulders away. ¡°Surely not. You can¡¯t be serious! Dan Yi, the saying goes that you cannot bully your friends¡­¡± ¡°No, the saying¡¯s that you cannot bully your friend¡¯s wife,¡± Dan Yi said. ¡°If the friend¡¯s wife can¡¯t be bullied, then it stands to reason that the friend also cannot be bullied!¡± Chen Ziqi protested loudly, struggling to free himself. Dan Yi caught hold of his wrists, his expression icy. He pushed Chen Ziqi¡¯s wrists above his head and locked them in place with one hand, then used a finger to poke at his chest. ¡°That good brother of yours has already given you to me. Since your allegiance is with him, you have to serve me to the best of your capability,¡± he said. ¡°Fengyuan gege, I was wrong, don¡¯t¡­ oh, nngh¡­¡± As Chen Ziqi was making his half-serious pleas to Dan Yi, the blackworm in his chest suddenly started moving. Chen Ziqi¡¯s face turned pale in an instant, and after groaning once in pain, couldn¡¯t speak any more. ¡°Qiqi?¡± Dan Yi was having fun teasing Chen Ziqi, but the moment he saw that Chen Ziqi was in real pain, he quickly released him. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Nngh¡­ it hurts¡­¡± Chen Ziqi gripped Dan Yi¡¯s clothes and forced these words out through gritted teeth. He threw back his head in agony after that ¨C the pain was nearly too much for him to bear. Dan Yi quickly gathered Chen Ziqi into his arms, cradling his trembling body. ¡°Lingguan! Linghe!¡± he called. ¡°Palace Master!¡± The two sisters immediately pushed the door open and came in. Chen Ziqi recovered from that bout of pain, panting as he regained his senses. ¡°That motherf*cker¡­¡± he swore. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Dan Yi asked, frowning deeply as reached up to caress Chen Ziqi¡¯s sweaty forehead. ¡°That bastard Tiande put a blackworm in me,¡± Chen Ziqi said, slowly getting his breath back. He leaned against Dan Yi. ¡°I don¡¯t know why it suddenly acted up out of the blue.¡± A blackworm? Dan Yi pressed his lips together and accepted the handkerchief Linghe offered to him, gently wiping the sweat off Chen Ziqi¡¯s body. ¡°Let me have a look,¡± he said. Jtfc Ildl ibbxfv eq ja atf qfgrbc mgjvilcu tlw. Pa kjr cb ibcufg atja lms mbiv jcv jibbo Gjc Tl ogbw atflg olgra wffalcu lc atf Jibev Ujijmf, yea atf Gjc Tl tf xcfk, atf bcf ktb tfiv tlr tjcv jr atfs kjixfv ab Jteczl Ljii obg ifrrbcr. Ktlr ojwliljg Gjc Tl¡¯r fsfr kfgf oeii bo kbggs jr atfs ibbxfv ja tlw. When Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t move, Dan Yi just went ahead to peel apart his clothes. The soft robes fell to the sides of his body, revealing a fair-skinned chest. The fourteen-year-old youth already had some muscles thanks to his regular martial arts practice, and his body was very pleasing to look at. On the surface, nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. Dan Yi stretched out a hand to touch Chen Ziqi¡¯s chest, but suddenly halted about one inch away, as if he wasn¡¯t sure if he should continue for fear of hurting Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi scrunched up his nose on seeing how cautiously Dan Yi behaved. He felt a sudden rush of grief in his heart. Actually, he had an idea as to how to get rid of the blackworm in his body. He¡¯d been thinking about this day and night since he knew the Emperor had put the creature in him, and thought he would be able to solve this on his own. However, after all these years, Dan Yi was the only person he dared to rely on other than his little fairy. He couldn¡¯t help but want to let Dan Yi help him settle his problems even when he thought he could resolve them on his own. He was also genuinely frightened by the thought of the blackworm, and wanted to make Dan Yi show some care and concern for him, especially as he felt that Dan Yi had played a mean trick on him on their first meeting after two whole years apart. No matter how intelligent Chen Ziqi was, he still was a fourteen-year-old boy at the end of the day. ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± Chen Ziqi said, grasping Dan Yi¡¯s hand and pulling it toward the part of his chest where the pain always radiated from, a point about an inch to the left of his central meridian. The moment Dan Yi¡¯s fingertip touched his warm skin, Chen Ziqi clearly felt something move vehemently in his chest. ¡°Ahh!¡± Chen Ziqi groaned in pain immediately. His body curled up and started trembling uncontrollably in Dan Yi¡¯s arms. ¡°It really hurts¡­ Dan Yi¡­ Nngh¡­¡± ¡°Qiqi!¡± Dan Yi pulled his hand away from Chen Ziqi¡¯s chest as if he had been burned, then used two fingers to quickly seal a few major meridians. He let go of Chen Ziqi immediately after doing so. The blackworm wriggling in Chen Ziqi¡¯s chest suddenly stopped moving. Chen Ziqi lay amongst the messy blankets, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His unfocused eyes slowly went back to normal, and he turned to look at Dan Yi, who was now standing next to the bed, afraid of coming too close to him. He drew in a breath weakly, finally feeling a little better. On Dan Yi¡¯s instructions, Linghe turned to retrieve a green porcelain jar from the cupboard. She tipped out some medicinal powder into a white porcelain bowl, poured in some hot water, then stirred it with a small spoon before handing the mixture to Dan Yi. ¡°Shall I go and call Elder Mu here?¡± she suggested. Dan Yi shook his head, taking the small bowl from her. Linghe looked at Chen Ziqi, whose face was drained of all colour, then looked back at her Palace Master. She wanted to say something, but in the end chose to hold her tongue and turned to leave. After a bit, she brought in a small bamboo canister filled with strong liquor. The alcohol content was so high that one could smell it even from far away. She placed the bamboo canister on the low table next to the bed, then lowered her head and left, closing the door behind her. Dan Yi gripped the small bowl and hesitated a bit before speaking. ¡°I can purge the blackworm in your body, but I need to¡­¡± His voice trailed off, and that bewitchingly handsome face slowly turned a bright crimson. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t notice this at all. All he heard was ¡°I can purge the blackworm¡±. ¡°Then purge it, quick, I really don¡¯t want to suffer any more,¡± he said immediately. Dan Yi pressed his lips together and sat back down on the bed. He pulled Chen Ziqi gently into his arms, then held out the mixture in the bowl for him to drink. ¡°Drink this first. It¡¯s a tea that can increase your qi and stop the pain,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi obediently took the bowl and downed the liquid inside. Dan Yi didn¡¯t show any signs of proceeding further even after he waited for a few moments, and Chen Ziqi looked at him, confused. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to purge the blackworm? What happens next?¡± he asked. A pair of slender lips suddenly pressed onto his, sealing off his half-opened mouth. ¡°Mmphhh¡­¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes widened. He was initially too shocked to do anything but let Dan Yi kiss him. When he got back his senses and wanted to start struggling, he suddenly felt a breath of Dan Yi¡¯s vital essence enter his body, and at the same time, a large, warm hand covered his chest just above his heart. That hand started to massage the area where the blackworm was. Chen Ziqi could feel something moving in his body, creeping upwards toward his mouth. Chen Ziqi suddenly gagged and pushed Dan Yi aside. When he raised his head to look at Dan Yi again, the latter held a black creature between his teeth. The thing was about the size of a finger, and was still wriggling furiously in Dan Yi¡¯s mouth. Chen Ziqi was rather freaked out as he watched Dan Yi casually toss the creature into the liquor-filled bamboo canister. After a bit, he got up and mustered up his courage to look at the creature closely. That small blackworm was struggling violently inside the liquor, sending small droplets of liquid flying out. Its body was as dark as night, and had cruel little spikes growing all over its body. Its mouth was full of tiny, ferocious-looking teeth, and Chen Ziqi got a good look at them when the worm opened its mouth to growl soundlessly at him. ¡°You¡¯re fine now,¡± Dan Yi said, walking over. He sealed the canister, then passed him a cup of water to rinse his mouth. Chen Ziqi gargled and spat out the water repeatedly. He couldn¡¯t help stealing a look at Dan Yi¡¯s slender, attractive lips. They were originally a pale shade of peach, but they were now a deep pomegranate red. He¡¯d just drunk some tea, and those red lips were moist. They looked extremely appealing. Chen Ziqi suddenly felt his mouth go strangely dry. He gave a dry cough, then quickly drained his cup of tea. Dan Yi called Linghe in to take the bamboo canister away. Chen Ziqi let himself fall back onto the bed and covered his face with a blanket. He didn¡¯t say anything for a while. He didn¡¯t know that purging the blackworm was done this way. If the two of them just acted the same way they had when they were kids, kissing each other actually was nothing; they¡¯d done far worse as kids, often pulling each other¡¯s little chickens for fun. It was just that, before this particular kiss, Dan Yi had spoken about having him ¡°attend to him¡± in bed. Although it was very likely that he¡¯d said it in jest, those words made this kiss take on a dubious, ambiguous quality. Chen Ziqi felt the thick mattress below him sink a little under applied pressure, and knew someone had climbed on the bed. The bedclothes rustled gently, and before long, a warm, slender body squeezed itself next to him beneath the blankets. At the same time, a pair of hands grabbed hold of his armpits and pulled him out. Chen Ziqi¡¯s face was now above the blankets, and his head was resting on a soft pillow. Chen Ziqi looked up at Dan Yi, and at this moment, Dan Yi also happened to lower his head to look at him. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Dan Yi asked, extending a hand to brush his forehead, which still had sweat beading on it. Chen Ziqi shook his head, then rubbed his chest. It didn¡¯t hurt any more, even when he pressed down hard. He was overjoyed. ¡°How is it that you know how to do everything? You even know how to purge blackworms!¡± he exclaimed. Dan Yi couldn¡¯t help raising his chin a little in pride when he saw Chen Ziqi¡¯s reverent look. He smiled quietly, then reached up to unfasten the guan on his head. His long hair immediately spilled down his shoulders like a dark waterfall. Ordinarily, boys could only wear a guan when they had reached twenty years of age, but Dan Yi was now the Cloud Palace Master, and was considered to have come of age as a result. It was similar to how the Crown Prince had been appointed to the position before he reached the age of twenty, and could therefore wear the guan earlier. It was only now that Chen Ziqi noticed that the person in front of him had already taken off all his clothes, save the very last layer of his underclothes. ¡°You¡¯re really going to sleep here?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, feeling a little awkward. ¡°These are my sleeping quarters. Where would I sleep if not here?¡± Dan Yi asked, amused. He leaned back against the headboard. Before long, Linghe and Lingguan came in together. Lingguan brought a warm, damp cloth over to wipe Chen Ziqi¡¯s face. Linghe held a small porcelain plate with green crackled glaze, and on it was a piece of something that was black on the outside and yellow on the inside. It looked like it had been fried to a crisp. Dan Yi picked up that thing on the plate and tossed it into his mouth. It crackled noisily in his mouth as he chewed. ¡°What are you eating?¡± Chen Ziqi asked curiously. ¡°A fried fish,¡± Dan Yi replied. He rinsed his mouth after eating, then accepted a towel to wipe his hands. ¡°I want some too,¡± Chen Ziqi said. Dan Yi looked like he¡¯d really enjoyed it earlier, and he wanted to try some. ¡°There isn¡¯t any more,¡± Dan Yi said, snuggling into the blankets and looking at Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi pursed his lips, then yawned. After exerting himself for such a long time, he was physically exhausted, but he was still mentally awake. ¡°If you sleep with me tonight, I¡¯ll really be known as your boy toy tomorrow,¡± he said. ¡°Who said you¡¯re my boy toy?¡± Dan Yi asked, frowning. ¡°Aren¡¯t I? Those two servant girls wanted me bathed and perfumed and all. I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t scrub my ass while they were at it, in preparation to receive your ¡®favour¡¯,¡± he said, unable to hold back another yawn. He yawned so deeply that tears came out of his eyes. Dan Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, then wiped a tear from Chen Ziqi¡¯s eye with his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just go to sleep. I guarantee no one will dare to say a word about you tomorrow,¡± he said. Satisfied with this answer, Chen Ziqi closed his eyes and buried his face in the soft pillow, smiling secretly to himself. As the saying went, good men didn¡¯t fight with women, so he¡¯d just make a little complaint. He wouldn¡¯t do anything else. The author has something to say: Mini-theater Qiqi: I really am a gentleman, the kind you¡¯d be hard pressed to find even if you waited a hundred years Birdie Gong: What¡¯s this about being a gentleman? Qiqi: I only made a little complaint, and didn¡¯t do anything else to those girls Birdie Gong: Absolutely, you¡¯re the ultimate gentleman Qing He and Qing Ping: Excuse me*? CH 40 The next morning, sunlight from the huge window filtered onto the bed through the thin silk bedcurtains, shining gently on Chen Ziqi¡¯s face. He¡¯d suffered quite a bit yesterday, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He was still deep in sleep even though the sun had risen, and had a peaceful expression on his face, his cheeks a healthy pink. Dan Yi supported his head with one hand on the bed, observing him quietly. That morning two years ago, he¡¯d fled from Chen Ziqi in embarrassment, but not because Chen Ziqi had laughed at him. The real reason was that, in his dreams the night before, the person lying beneath him was Chen Ziqi. The youth in his dreams was crying a little as he begged for mercy, and called him ¡®Fengyuan gege¡¯. After he awoke, he came face to face with the real life and incredibly curious Chen Ziqi, and he didn¡¯t know how to deal with it at all. After he returned, what had his dad said? ¡°Your dreams at night reflect your thoughts in the day. Whoever you see in your wet dreams is the person you want to lay eggs with!¡± Did he want to lay eggs with Qiqi? That was too absurd. Qiqi was a boy, and couldn¡¯t lay eggs for him. This question had puzzled him for a long time, until his father said something else to him. ¡°If your lower bird turns into a pillar reaching for the sky when you get close to someone, then that¡¯s the person you like¡­¡± So that was liking someone? He knew lots of things from the day he hatched, those were imbued in his memory from the time he was still in his shell. However, he was only just finding out what liking someone meant. He carefully moved closer to Chen Ziqi and planted a light kiss on his soft, warm cheek, then quickly shrank back, tilting his head to observe him. When he was assured that Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t show any signs of waking up, Dan Yi couldn¡¯t help pressing his lips together in a small smile, then reached out to gather Chen Ziqi gently into his arms. ¡°Mm¡­¡± Chen Ziqi mumbled. He nuzzled against Dan Yi¡¯s chest, opened his eyes blearily, and found that he and Dan Yi had tangled together in their sleep. He paid no mind to this, and rubbed his eyes as he raised his head to look at Dan Yi. ¡°What time is it?¡± he asked, his voice a little hoarse. The worm must have damaged the soft tissues in his throat yesterday. Dan Yi frowned a little. ¡°It¡¯s still early. You can sleep a while more,¡± he said, his voice gentle. ¡°Mm¡­ okay¡­¡± Chen Ziqi felt really fatigued, as if he¡¯d lost a lot of blood, but he couldn¡¯t fall back into sleep. His throat was too dry and painful. Lingguan, Linghe, Qing He and Qing Ping came in to wait on them. ¡°Zjxf j meq bo tbcfs kjafg,¡± Gjc Tl lcragemafv Olcutf. Olcuuejc kjr jrrlralcu ab vgfrr tlw. ¡°P¡¯ii vb la,¡± Hlcu Ulcu rjlv lc j ibk nblmf yfobgf Olcutf mbeiv gfqis. Vtf qlmxfv eq j ktlaf qbgmfijlc ybki, wlzfv tbcfs jcv kjafg lc la, atfc rwlifv jr rtf boofgfv atf ybki ab Gjc Tl. Qing He, on the other hand, was looking curiously toward the bed, trying to get a look at Chen Ziqi. Dan Yi took the small bowl and walked to the bed. ¡°Qiqi, get up and drink some water first. You can sleep again after that,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi was thirsty, so he sat up immediately and took the bowl, gulping the liquid down noisily. The sweet honey had the fragrance of flowers and was particularly delicious. When Chen Ziqi had drained the bowl, he couldn¡¯t help licking his lips. ¡°This honey¡¯s really good,¡± he said. ¡°This honey is made by bees raised in the Cloud Palace. They only eat bamboo flowers,¡± Linghe said, taking the empty bowl and giving Chen Ziqi a hot towel with a smile. Chen Ziqi took the towel and wiped his face with it. ¡°Bamboo flowers? Do bamboo produce flowers?¡± he asked. ¡°If you keep talking, you probably won¡¯t be able to sleep any more,¡± Dan Yi said, giving him a look. Chen Ziqi immediately put on an obedient expression, and on seeing this, Dan Yi¡¯s tone softened. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the front palace to deal with some matters. I¡¯ll be back in a bit to eat breakfast with you.¡± ¡°Nn,¡± Chen Ziqi acknowledged in a complaisant manner. He lay back down on the bed and drew the blankets over himself. Linghe smiled, then let down the bedcurtains at the corners of the bed to block out the sunlight. She didn¡¯t say anything as she followed the neatly dressed Dan Yi out of the room and closed the door behind her. After Dan Yi left, Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t resist rolling around on the big bed in glee, smiling happily to himself. Dan Yi seemed to care about him even more than before¡­ After rolling around a few times, he really couldn¡¯t sleep any more. He felt that everything was too quiet ¨C why weren¡¯t there any birds chirping? Just as he thought this, a cacophony of bird calls sounded from outside. Long screeches, short chirps, you name it, Chen Ziqi heard it. Since he couldn¡¯t get back to sleep, he decided to get up and walk around. Linghe was standing watch outside the house, and when she saw that he was up, she started looking for some clothes for him to put on. ¡°Your clothes from yesterday are being washed. You can wear some of the Palace Master¡¯s old clothes,¡± she said, pulling out robes from a clothes chest. These were the clothes that Dan Yi had worn when he was fourteen. The inner layers were narrow-sleeved and plain-coloured, and the outermost layer was a sky blue robe with wide sleeves. It fit Chen Ziqi like a glove, and he was very pleased with it. He walked out of the Wutong forest with his hands behind his back. The Tiande Emperor was also out and about exploring the Cloud Palace, and they met each other by chance at a covered corridor next to the waterfall. The Tiande Emperor looked Chen Ziqi up and down. He saw that his footsteps were a little shaky, and that his face was rather pale and wan. He immediately assumed that they¡¯d spent the night doing certain vigorous activities, and started to comfort Chen Ziqi. ¡°Little Seventh, you¡¯ve really suffered,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi blinked at him, then realised what the Emperor was getting at. He turned to look at the water flowing below the corridor, not wanting to speak to him. The blackworm in his body had been purged, and there was no reason for him to be afraid of the Emperor any more. This didn¡¯t sit well with the Tiande Emperor, and he awkwardly tried to comfort Chen Ziqi again. ¡°You and Dan Yi have been close since you were young. Zhen can see that he really likes you in that way. I¡¯m certain he will treat you well,¡± he said. ¡°This is for the greater good of the Chen family, so bear with it for now. In another two or three years, when you¡¯re older, he¡¯ll probably get tired of it.¡± The Chaofeng Palace in the Cloud Palace functioned as Dan Yi¡¯s office. It was the place where he conducted the Cloud Palace¡¯s usual business. Dan Yi sat on the throne at the front of the main hall, pointing at the two green-clad servant girls. ¡°I have no use for these two servant girls. The two of you can go back home,¡± he said. A green-clad old man walked out, and on seeing the two sisters clutching at each other and crying nonstop, he bowed respectfully toward Dan Yi. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they have displeased you, Palace Master, but I will pick others and send them over,¡± he said. ¡°Even if you picked another ten girls from your clan, the result would be the same,¡± Dan Yi said flatly. The Qing Clan did not have any responsibilities within the Twelve Golden Wings, but they had a privileged status in the Cloud Palace nonetheless. The only reason for their high status was the fact that the mothers of each generation of Palace Masters came from their clan. The old man speaking to Dan Yi was the current Clan Leader of the Qing Clan, Qing Jue. ¡°The old Palace Master¡¯s intent was for you to take in a few girls from the Qing Clan. The girls in my clan are a little prideful, and I humbly ask that you tolerate them patiently,¡± Qing Jue said, refusing to give in. Dan Yi¡¯s expression turned cold in an instant. ¡°I¡¯ve never known what it means to be tolerant,¡± Dan Yi said coldly. ¡°It has been thus since the day I hatched.¡± The moment Dan Yi finished speaking, the Dark Cloud Envoy, Diao Lie, flashed out from his position next to the throne. The next thing anyone knew, Diao Lie had caught hold of the two girls, one in each hand, and looked like he was about to strangle them to death. The two girls immediately started kicking and screaming, and the leader of the Qing Clan immediately fell to his knees before Dan Yi. ¡°Palace Master, have mercy! Please have mercy!¡± he pleaded in panic. ¡°Ha,¡± Dan Yi laughed once coldly, as if he didn¡¯t see Diao Lie holding the two sisters by their necks. ¡°Chen Ziqi is my Dragon, and if anyone dares to show him disrespect, you will suffer the consequences at my hand.¡± At this point, Diao Lie released one of the girls and took out a few sharp steel claws from his vambrace. The threat was as plain as day. Qing Jue didn¡¯t dare to say more as he continued to kneel before the throne. The other two frantically acknowledged what Dan Yi had said. Dan Yi raised his hand slightly, indicating to the Dark Cloud Envoy that he could let them all go. After the official business was done, the Qing Clan Leader trembled with anger as he watched the two sisters being carried off, but there was nothing else that he could do. Lan Jiangxue smiled blandly as he walked out of the palace with Qing Jue. ¡°The Palace Master is young and impatient, and doesn¡¯t have the best of temper. I strongly suggest that you leave him be. When he wants women, he will naturally ask your clan for them. There¡¯s no need to rush,¡± he said, trying to soothe Qing Jue¡¯s ruffled feathers. Qing Jue was indeed soothed, and his expression became much calmer. He clasped his fists respectfully toward Lan Jiangxue in thanks. ¡°Many thanks to the White Cloud Envoy. I¡¯ll be leaving now,¡± he said. After Qing Jue left, Diao Lie floated in as if out of nowhere. ¡°What¡¯s the point in advising him? People who misbehave should just be given a sound beating,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t you know why there¡¯s a White Cloud Envoy and a Dark Cloud Envoy? It¡¯s because one needs to look threatening, and the other needs to look friendly,¡± Lan Jiangxue said, smiling lightly. ¡°However, the saying goes that the one who looks friendly need not necessarily be a good person,¡± Lan Shanyu said, his head suddenly appearing between them. He was hanging upside down from one of the rafters. ¡°You¡¯re so clever, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lan Jiangxue said sarcastically, smacking at Lan Shanyu¡¯s head with annoyance. Lan Shanyu dodged nimbly, then jumped down to clasp the hand that Lan Jiangxue had tried to use to hit him, pulling Lan Jiangxue off to eat breakfast with him. The Dark Cloud Envoy was left behind, scratching his head in confusion. The author has something to say: Mini-theater Tiande: In two years, he won¡¯t like you any more Qiqi: Eh? You mean he actually likes me? Birdie Gong: Yeah, did you only realise this now? Qiqi: Ah, I¡¯m so embarassed Birdie Gong: Muacks Qiqi: Muacks Tiande: Hello?! CH 41 Dan Yi dealt with what he needed to in the front palace and went back to accompany Chen Ziqi for breakfast as promised. At this time, Chen Ziqi was wandering around in the Wutong forest. He really had nothing good to say to the Tiande Emperor. If it had been the Second Prince instead of the Tiande Emperor, the Second Prince would have used the carrot-and-stick method; he would have threatened him, but he also would have given him some benefits. This Tiande Emperor, on the other hand, didn¡¯t offer any carrots at all, and just kept smacking him hard with the stick. Not only did he fail to offer any benefits, he even insinuated that Chen Ziqi should help him get more benefits for the Imperial Palace from Dan Yi. Chen Ziqi was very annoyed by this, and the two parted on a bad note as a result. The patch of Wutong trees in front of Dan Yi¡¯s sleeping quarters were very tall and lush, so much so that they blocked out nearly all the sunlight. Chen Ziqi looked up, saw the little dots of sunlight dancing between the rustling leaves, and couldn¡¯t help sneezing. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± a rich voice said, sounding from behind Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi rubbed his nose, then turned to look at Dan Yi. ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any birds on this tree?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He¡¯d been staring at the trees for quite some time now, and finally figured out what was wrong. Such a big tree would ordinarily have many birds roosting on it, and walking under this kind of tree usually meant getting bird poop all over your clothes. However, this forest was extraordinarily clean. Not even a bird feather could be seen. ¡°If one doesn¡¯t want it to have birds, then it won¡¯t have birds,¡± Dan Yi said ambiguously. He led him to the pavilion to have breakfast. A wooden pavilion had been built in the Wutong forest, and the wood used for the pavilion was taken from the trees in the Wutong forest itself. Lingguan saw the two sitting there, and instructed the servants to serve breakfast in the pavilion. The servants came in and started setting out the dishes on the Wutong wood table. There was so much food that the whole table was filled. The delicious smell wafted up from the dishes into Chen Ziqi¡¯s nose, and his belly immediately started rumbling in anticipation. Chen Ziqi suddenly realised that he hadn¡¯t eaten dinner last night. Dan Yi¡¯s breakfast looked very plain. There were bamboo shoot dumplings, sliced bamboo shoots in a cold, sour sauce, a plate of steamed cake, and something that looked like stir-fried fish slices. Chen Ziqi looked at the bowl of porridge, then at the bowl of noodles. They were both green in colour. In fact, nearly all the dishes were green in colour. They looked more like bird food than something a human would eat. ¡°Try it,¡± Dan Yi said. He could tell what Chen Ziqi was thinking, and lifted his chin in the direction of the food, indicating that he should start eating. Chen Ziqi decided to try the only dish on the table that looked like it was made of meat. He picked up a snow-white slice of meat with his chopsticks and examined it carefully. It looked like stir-fried belly meat of a perch fish, which was the most tender part of the fish. He tossed the meat into his mouth and chewed, then suddenly opened his eyes wide. The meat itself had a delicious fragrance, and was fresh, tender and perfectly seasoned. It was even better than perch. ¡°Ooh, this is really good. What is it?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, his mouth full. He had shoved another two pieces into his mouth in quick succession. Gjc Tl rwlifv ojlcais yea vlvc¡¯a gfqis. Lf qlmxfv eq tlr qbgglvuf ybki jcv ribkis jaf tlr ugffc qbgglvuf. Jtfc Ildl jirb qlmxfv eq bcf bo atf yjwybb rtbba vewqilcur. Aera jr tf yla lcab la, atf atlmx rbeq lcrlvf atf vewqilcu lwwfvljafis oibkfv bea lcab tlr wbeat jcv cfjgis rmjivfv tlr abcuef. Snfc atbeut la kjr j nfufajgljc yec, atf rbeq lcrlvf kjr atlmx jcv oijnbegoei, jcv atf yjwybb rtbbar tjv jirb yffc rlwwfgfv lc atja rbeq obg rb ibcu atja la tjv ajxfc bc atf ajraf bo atf rbeq. Ktf yjwybb larfio tjv lar bkc gfogfrtlcu oijnbeg atja wfivfv nfgs kfii klat atf rbeq. Pa kjr lcmgfvlyis vfilmlber. Chen Ziqi no longer thought that the stuff in front of him was bird food. He held the bowl of green porridge in his hands and took a spoonful. He initially thought it was jade rice, but after eating two mouthfuls, he decided that it didn¡¯t taste like it at all. This porridge was in fact much better to eat than jade rice. It had the gentle fragrance of bamboo, and a deliciously refreshing sweetness to it. This kind of sweetness couldn¡¯t be achieved with rock sugar or malt sugar. ¡°It¡¯s bamboo rice,¡± Dan Yi said, finally deigning to explain. Bamboo rice? Chen Ziqi scooped a spoonful of porridge and examined it closely. The small little rice grains were rounder than normal rice, and the size was not as uniform as rice grains were. The grains varied quite greatly in size and it looked a little messy. Bamboo rice came from bamboo flowers, which produced bamboo seeds. These bamboo seeds were very small, like the size of rice grains, and were called ¡®rice¡¯ as a result. ¡°Bamboo rice is very precious. In the whole Cloud Palace, only the Cloud Palace Master has the privilege of eating it,¡± Linghe said, smiling as she refilled Chen Ziqi¡¯s bowl with green porridge. Chen Ziqi naturally wanted to eat a little more of these delicious things that he had never had before in his life. He ate up two bowls of porridge, five of the dumplings, and three pieces of steamed cake before he finally put down his chopsticks. The unfortunate consequence of this feasting was that he could no longer fit into his Qinwang robes. Today was the auspicious day that the Master of Ceremony had spoken of, the day that they were to have the ceremony to appoint Dan Yi as the new Phoenix King. The Tiande Emperor ordered people to send Qinwang robes over for Chen Ziqi to wear to the ceremony. This was a set of robes that was even more elaborate and grand than the formal ones he wore the day before. The long robes were the usual powder blue used by Qinwang, and were secured by a belt made of fine Yangzhi jade. The outermost robe was a wide-sleeved one with sapphire blue piping. The clothes were one thing ¨C they were robes that opened in the front, so Chen Ziqi was able to put them on, but that belt was made to measure and had a fixed length. His stomach now jutted out so much that it was nigh impossible to fasten the belt clasp. Linghe had no choice but to look for another belt. She finally pulled out one of Dan Yi¡¯s and fastened it around Chen Ziqi¡¯s waist. Dan Yi was dressed in brilliantly-coloured robes as usual, so bright that they dazzled the eyes. ¡°This can¡¯t be allowed. The King can only be appointed by the Emperor,¡± the Master of Ceremony protested, shaking his head violently. Lan Shanyu had just explained the order of events for the appointment ceremony. ¡°Wing Leader Lan, please get people to bring the Jinwu Guards up at once. We can start then.¡± ¡°Lord Minister, you may not know this, but our Cloud Palace Master has only recently achieved mastery of a divine-class martial art. As such, we do not allow random people to go near him, let alone crown him with the guan. Only people who are familiar with the Cloud Palace Master are safe near him; he might accidentally beat up unfamiliar people if he thinks they¡¯re a threat,¡± Lan Shanyu said with an expression of perfect seriousness. The Master of Ceremony paled, then turned to discuss this with the Tiande Emperor. ¡°You idiotic creature! If Chen Ziqi can crown him, what was the point of me coming all this way?!¡± the Tiande Emperor barked, throwing down his cup in a fit of anger. ¡°But your Majesty, the Danyang Divine Martial Arts is really powerful. The new Phoenix King has just attained full mastery and can¡¯t control his powers well¡­ what if he injures your Majesty?¡± the minister persisted. He was so anxious that he¡¯d broken out in a cold sweat. ¡°What about the Jinwu Guards? Where are they?¡± the Tiande Emperor asked. He needed the full complement of his honour guards present for the appointment ceremony. If they didn¡¯t bring the Jinwu Guards up, then the ceremony wouldn¡¯t go on. ¡°Lan Shanyu said that they¡¯ve got it covered,¡± the Master of Ceremony said, pointing at the Fengchan platform, which had been set up much earlier. Turquoise carpets had been laid out on a vast patch of flat ground. The Wing Leaders and their deputies, as well as other people from the Cloud Palace, were standing at attention in two straight rows. The necessary banners, royal umbrellas, and musical accompaniment had all been prepared. One could even say that they¡¯d done it better than the Jinwu Guards could have done. The Tiande Emperor¡¯s expression was dark as he sat on the throne on the Fengchan platform, listening to the Master of Ceremony intone the ritual phrases. ¡°May Heaven¡¯s blessings be on the Phoenix, and on the Great Yu Dynasty. Since the time of the Taizu Emperor, the Phoenix King and the Son of Heaven have stood side by side as equals, with the Phoenix King¡¯s title being one that is passed down in perpetuity¡­¡± Lan Jiangxue floated in from afar, wearing a white peacock-tail long-sleeved huafu, carrying a pure white seven-stringed qin in his arms. After landing, he settled himself in a cross-legged position, then balanced the qin on his knees and played a single note. The lone note resonated, seeming to ripple in the air and ascend into the very heavens. As the note faded, the drums, reed pipes and flutes sang out, playing the soul-stirring and yet stately music of a King¡¯s appointment ceremony. Chen Ziqi received the Phoenix King¡¯s guan from the Tiande Emperor and stood in the centre of the raised platform, looking at the crimson-clad Dan Yi walk regally step by step toward him. When Dan Yi reached him, he stopped, then slowly knelt down in front of him. The Phoenix King¡¯s guan was made to look like a phoenix¡¯s crown feathers, likely because they wanted the guan to match the name of the title. As Chen Ziqi looked at the guan in his hands, he suddenly thought of the little divine bird. He hadn¡¯t seen that little bird in a long while. The two little feathers on the divine chicken¡¯s head looked really cute and funny, but when Chen Ziqi thought about it, it actually looked very much like the two ¡°crown feathers¡± on this Phoenix King guan. Every time the first snows of winter fell, the divine chicken would appear like clockwork, snuggling into his arms for the whole winter. When the weather turned warmer and flowers started to bloom, it would disappear. Actually, now that he was thinking about it, he wasn¡¯t sure if the divine chicken would be able to find him now that he wasn¡¯t in the Imperial Palace. ¡°Qiqi?¡± Dan Yi said, snapping Chen Ziqi out of his reverie. Chen Ziqi came to, then grinned at Dan Yi. He raised his hands and placed the guan on Dan Yi¡¯s head. The feathery-looking golden guan was inlaid with red rubies, and matched Dan Yi¡¯s brilliant red robes perfectly. The robes Dan Yi wore today had a long, three-foot train, which brought to mind a phoenix¡¯s long tail feathers. With the guan on his head, Dan Yi looked like a regal, fiery phoenix in flight. The music from the qin suddenly became frenzied and turbulent, rippling out toward the forests in great waves of sound. Birds burst out of the trees following the direction of the wave, and flew toward the Fengchan platform where they were gathered. ¡°AHHHH! What on earth is this?!¡± the Tiande Emperor couldn¡¯t help screaming in fright. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: You ate my rice, so you¡¯re mine now Qiqi: What kind of logic is that? Linghe: When birds court their mate, they will give the mate some of their food Qiqi: Those fellows give their mates worms, and I didn¡¯t eat your worm ¨q(¨s^¨t)¨r Birdie Gong: You did (¡Ñv¡Ñ) Qiqi: Huh? o(>©n<)o CH 42 Chapter 42 ¨C Bamboo Honey ¡°This qin is the one of the Cloud Palace¡¯s treasures ¨C the Jiuxiao Huanpei. It is able to call forth a hundred types of birds. Your Majesty, please don¡¯t be alarmed,¡± Lan Shanyu explained, smiling. He turned back to look at the person playing the qin. Lan Jiangxue was wearing a lavish-looking robe today, and the robe¡¯s long train fanned out beautifully behind him. The top half of his long, dark hair was tied up, and the rest flowed gracefully down past his shoulders. He didn¡¯t wear any ornaments in his hair save a thin silver chain, which held a blue teardrop-shaped gemstone in the middle of his forehead. His long, slender fingers expertly plucked the strings of the qin, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, his motions as fluid as flowing water. The image he presented was as beautiful as a fine ink painting. The Tiande Emperor calmed down and looked up at the sky full of birds. His eyes narrowed. The Cloud Palace really had a whole bunch of good things, even a qin that could call birds forth. If his High Priest would perform with the qin just once, he¡¯d be able to stun all the officials of his Court into submission. The thousands of birds in the mountain circled in the air with the music. Dan Yi got Chen Ziqi to stand next to Lan Jiangxue, and he himself stood in the centre of the raised platform. He suddenly raised a hand, and slowly drew a yin-yang symbol in the air. He then placed his hands in front of his body, his left hand below his right, channeling his qi between his palms. A moment later, his arms moved apart abruptly, like a giant roc unfurling its wings. Fiery red qi rose into the air from the space between his palms. ¡°Tweet~¡± All of a sudden, a phoenix call could be heard, and Chen Ziqi clearly saw a scarlet phoenix made of pure light rising from behind Dan Yi¡¯s back. The movement of the thousands of birds in the sky suddenly became frenzied, circling round and round the raised platform at a frantic pace. ¡°Twang¡­¡± The song ended, and Dan Yi moved his palms together to stop the channeling of his qi. The birds in the sky scattered in all directions, and the sky was empty again, as if nothing had happened. The Tiande Emperor¡¯s hand gripped the armrests of his chair tightly. High-level martial artists could make their qi manifest as external force when they had achieved a certain level of cultivation. Examples of external manifestations of qi included palm winds and punching winds. However, in order to make your qi manifest visually, this required an extremely high level of mastery of a superior martial art. The leaders of Qi Confederate and the Sword Alliance were both able to do so only after many decades of hard training. Dan Yi, in contrast, was only sixteen years old, and was already able to make his qi manifest visually; this showed just how powerful he was. The Danyang Divine Martial Arts were truly as powerful as the legends said. The only other martial art in the world that could possibly rival it was probably the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl. The Emperors from a few generations ago were all said to be mighty pugilists, able to make their qi manifest as a shimmering green dragon. If he could only become a martial artist of this calibre, the Imperial family wouldn¡¯t continue its current downward trajectory. After the ceremony, the Tiande Emperor started asking for a new High Priest. He was due to leave today, and now that he had seen Dan Yi¡¯s power, he was even more determined to gain control over the Cloud Palace. ¡°The Lan family will only give up one member in each generation to be a High Priest. Now that Lan Jiangxue has gone over, the next High Priest should come from the generation below his, but¡­¡± Dan Yi¡¯s voice trailed off as he frowned. A servant girl carried a child in her arms as she walked over. The child was very adorable, with fair skin like white jade and beautiful facial features. He looked to be only about three years old, and had a confused expression on his face. ¡°Uncle, want carry!¡± the little child said happily on seeing Lan Shanyu, stretching out his arms. Lan Shanyu walked over and took the child in his arms. He carried him to where the Tiande Emperor was and bowed respectfully. ¡°The Lan family does not have many descendants, and this is the eldest child from the next generation. It¡¯ll probably be at least ten years before he can assume the position of High Priest,¡± he said. The Tiande Emperor nearly fell backwards in anger. ¡°Dan Yi! How dare you go back on your word!¡± he shouted. ¡°Ah, how is this going back on his word? He¡¯s agreed to give you a High Priest, it¡¯s just that you have to wait a few years before you get him,¡± Chen Ziqi said innocently, popping up in their midst. He had no qualms about fanning the flames now. ¡°You, be quiet,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, glaring at Chen Ziqi. He was so angry that his hands were trembling. He ground his teeth, then spoke to Dan Yi again. ¡°Zhen wants a High Priest that can assume the position today! Or else, Little Seventh will be coming back home with me.¡± Lan Jiangxue came over, carrying his qin in his arms. He spoke softly into Dan Yi¡¯s ear, and Dan Yi nodded slowly after a short pause. ¡°Po sbeg Zjpfras kjcar j Llut Uglfra atja mjc jrrewf atf qbrlalbc cbk, atf ufcfgjalbc yfobgf ijra lr jyif ab qgbnlvf bcf, yea tf klii bcis rfgnf obg afc sfjgr. Po sbeg Zjpfras klrtfr ab rfifma j Jgbkc Uglcmf joafg atf afc sfjgr jgf eq, sbe klii tjnf ab olcv rbwfatlcu firf ab fzmtjcuf obg atf cfk Llut Uglfra,¡± Ojc Aljcuzef rjlv. The Tiande Emperor considered this. The generation before last would be Lan Jiangxue¡¯s grandfather¡¯s generation. That generation would have accumulated many decades of power and experience, and to the Tiande Emperor¡¯s mind, would definitely be even better than a young man. This was clearly a very good deal. In respect of what would happen after these ten years were up, well, he would cross the bridge when he came to it. Lan Shanyu passed the child to a servant, then smiled as he led the Emperor forward to the banquet hall, where he would also introduce the new High Priest to him. When the new High Priest and the Emperor first met, the Phoenix King was usually not present. This was symbolic; it showed that the High Priest¡¯s new master was now the Emperor, and no longer had to answer to the Cloud Palace. It was a form of respect shown to the Emperor, and the Tiande Emperor was very pleased. Before he left, he looked at Chen Ziqi for a long time, thinking to himself that this move he¡¯d made had been the right one. Dan Yi led Chen Ziqi away from the platform, but before he¡¯d taken a few steps, he suddenly blacked out for a second, and was about to collapse onto the floor. Chen Ziqi caught him with quick reflexes, and gathered him into his arms. ¡°What happened to you?¡± he asked worriedly. Dan Yi rested on Chen Ziqi¡¯s shoulder, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°I used up all my neili earlier, and I¡¯ve got no energy left,¡± he said, his ears slowly turning red. Used up all his neili? Chen Ziqi rolled his eyes. ¡°You haven¡¯t reached the fourth level of cultivation, what were you playing at?¡± he said. He looked around. They were now standing in the corridor on top of the waterfall. Lan Shanyu and the rest of Dan Yi¡¯s subordinates had accompanied the Emperor, and there was no one in sight. Chen Ziqi found this a little dubious. He clearly remembered seeing the Dark Cloud Envoy just a moment ago. Where had he disappeared to? Without anyone to help, Chen Ziqi had no choice but to rely on himself. He tried to pick Dan Yi up, but his fourteen-year-old arms weren¡¯t strong enough. He tried putting Dan Yi on his back, but Dan Yi¡¯s legs were too long, and they dragged on the floor, making it impossible for him to carry him. He didn¡¯t know what else to do, so he just supported Dan Yi over to the wooden bench flanking the corridor so that he could rest for a bit and get his strength back. In the Danyang Divine Martial Arts, neili could only be externally manifested in visual form after one had reached the fourth level of cultivation. Dan Yi had only just mastered the third level of cultivation, and it took everything he had to successfully perform this fourth-level skill. ¡°This ceremony requires the external manifestation of neili, so I couldn¡¯t take over the reins of the Cloud Palace until I at least mastered the third level of cultivation,¡± Dan Yi said weakly. He was so exhausted that his head was lolling on the railing behind them. The ceremony for the appointment of the Phoenix King was a very important one to the Cloud Palace. The thousand birds flocking to the phoenix was also their recognition and acceptance of the new Cloud Palace Master. Chen Ziqi pulled Dan Yi over to rest on his shoulder. When he was feeling ill yesterday, this was what Dan Yi had done for him, and between good friends, there certainly had to be give and take. The waterfall thundered down on the rocks below, throwing up little droplets of water that each created a tiny rainbow of its own. Chen Ziqi felt like they were suspended in mid-air even though they were actually sitting on a wooden bench. The two chatted cosily on that corridor amidst this beautiful scenery. Meanwhile, the Tiande Emperor had been introduced to the new High Priest. ¡°This is my grandfather. He should have been the Mingzong Emperor¡¯s High Priest, but the Mingzong Emperor declined his services that year,¡± Lan Shanyu said, sighing a little as he gestured to the saintly-looking old man next to him. The Mingzong Emperor was the Tiande Emperor¡¯s grandfather, and it had been around fifty or sixty years since the Mingzong Emperor passed away. The Tiande Emperor looked the old man up and down. He had to be about eighty years old, surely? However, he looked to only be about fifty or so. He figured the High Priest probably had great martial arts capabilities, which allowed him to look young and have a long life, just like Luo Hongfeng and the other sect masters. ¡°My name is Lan Yu, and my courtesy name is Yunxian,¡± the Lan family elder said, stroking his long beard. He gave off a very learned air. The Tiande Emperor was ecstatic. He felt that he¡¯d just received a treasure. This old man had probably accumulated many decades of cultivation, and had to be even more powerful than Lan Shanyu. On the way back to the Capital, the Tiande Emperor specially invited Lan Yunxian to sit with him in the horse carriage, planning to have a deep conversation with him. ¡°Zhen has just ascended the throne, and my power base is still unstable. I really need you to assist me in this regard. After we return to the Capital, I do request that you demonstrate a miracle to impress the officials of the Imperial Court,¡± the Tiande Emperor said sincerely. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Lan Yunxian didn¡¯t reply, and merely continued stroking his beard. ¡°That year when the Mingzong Emperor declined to have a High Priest¡­ it was not a wise move,¡± the Tiande Emperor said, thinking that he should address what happened back then. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The Lan family elder took out a small comb from his sleeve and started combing his long beard carefully. ¡°High Priest! Zhen is speaking to you!¡± the Tiande Emperor shouted, finally unable to contain his frustration. He slammed his hand down on the table. ¡°Huh? What?¡± Lan Yunxian asked in confusion, putting one hand to his ear. He leaned closer to the Tiande Emperor. ¡°My old self is getting on in years, and my hearing isn¡¯t very good.¡± Tiande Emperor: ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Dan Yi regained his spirits after an afternoon nap. They had steamed bamboo rice for lunch, and it was so delicious that Chen Ziqi ate two bowls all by himself. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen bamboo produce rice before,¡± Chen Ziqi said, his face curious. Dan Yi was originally going to bring him to gallivant around the Cloud Palace, but on hearing him say this, he turned and walked toward the mountains behind the Cloud Palace instead. There was a smaller mountain behind the Jade Mountain, and it was covered in lush bamboo trees. A suspension bridge connected the two mountains. This was the only way to get from one side to the other, and it looked rather scary to walk on. Chen Ziqi had mastered the first level of cultivation of the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl, and was therefore able to use some qinggong, so running lightly across the bridge was not really a problem. However, looking at the deep ravine below the bridge still made his hair stand on end. Just as Chen Ziqi was preparing to grit his teeth and go for broke, he heard Dan Yi call out to him. ¡°Qiqi, come over here!¡± Dan Yi said. He was already seated in a sedan and was waving him over. So the Cloud Palace Master didn¡¯t have to walk over himself! Chen Ziqi bounded over in a few leaps and squeezed into the sedan with Dan Yi. The sedan bearers used the Cyclone Step to float gracefully across the ravine. ¡°Actually, you can use the Cyclone Step to leap over with me, right? Why bother with the sedan?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, turning to look at Dan Yi. Dan Yi¡¯s ears turned red, but he showed no outward change of expression. ¡°My neili has been exhausted,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi smacked his forehead. He had completely forgotten about that. The small mountain was called Jade Bamboo Peak, and it was where the Cloud Palace planted bamboo and other crops. The lush green leaves made a rustling sound as they rippled in the wind, and the pleasant sound of running water could be heard from the forest as well, making the area feel very peaceful. Every now and then, a patch of pastel pink could be seen in the sea of green, and the colour was so contrasting that one¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to it. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Chen Ziqi walked forward a few steps, and could just make out people carrying a pastel pink sedan into the bamboo forest. Pink sedans¡­ the scene in front of the Cloud Palace entrance yesterday surfaced in Chen Ziqi¡¯s mind. Those sedans were the ones that carried the beauties meiren gifted to Dan Yi by the various sects! Chen Ziqi frowned, then looked toward Dan Yi. ¡°Your hou yuan is also on this mountain?¡± he asked. Dan Yi stared at him in confusion. ¡°What hou yuan?¡± ¡°The beauties that other people gave you!¡± Chen Ziqi said, grinning mischievously, poking Dan Yi¡¯s chest with his elbow. After understanding what Chen Ziqi was saying, Dan Yi frowned for a second, then nodded seriously. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: I¡¯ve received beauties as gifts from other people, and I¡¯ve been found out by my wife! What do I do? This is urgent, hurry! Lan Shanyu: This subordinate will take the hit for you ¨C just say I¡¯m the one who accepted it without your knowledge Dark Cloud Envoy: This subordinate will go and dispose of them, so as to erase the evidence Qiqi: First, tell me, why did you put those beauties on the bamboo mountain? Birdie Gong: To plant bamboo! Qiqi: ¡­ and? Birdie Gong: To raise bees! Qiqi: And? Birdie Gong: I can¡¯t say Qiqi: (¨t_¨s)# Birdie Gong: Alright, they also dig for worms _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï)_ Qiqi: ¡­ ¡­ CH 43 ¡°Hiding beauties in a bamboo forest ¨C you sure are refined,¡± Chen Ziqi said, walking sedately into the forest with his hands behind his back. He felt a strange sense of discomfort in his heart. Was it because he was envious that Dan Yi already had a hou yuan of his own, but he was still all alone? He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He had already been appointed as a King and had his own fief. He could actually take a wife and concubines. When he returned to his fief, should he take in a bunch of beauties for himself? However, his little fairy had said that he was not to indulge in pleasures of the flesh too early, so¡­ perhaps he would get the beauties to massage his feet and wash his back instead? Dan Yi had no idea what Chen Ziqi was thinking about, but he could tell that Chen Ziqi was not pleased. He suddenly recalled an instance some years ago when his dad had lost a lot of feathers from his head, and when he asked his dad what happened, he had refused to explain, saying only that, ¡°The only problem with having a partner for life is that you can¡¯t accept gifts willy nilly.¡± Many sects had sent gifts over to Dan Yi¡¯s father at that time, and amongst these gifts, there were many beauties in pink sedans¡­ As the two were walking, they suddenly heard a woman¡¯s sharp scream. ¡°No! Let go¡­¡± Chen Ziqi frowned and quickened his pace subconsciously. He passed through a peaceful bamboo forest, and what met his eyes thereafter was a patch of short, young bamboo with thin stems growing on a hillock. Each of the thin bamboo stems were only about the height of a man, and many of them had flowered. The flowers were very tiny and white in colour, and had swarms of bees flying around them. An apiary could be seen on a ridge a little higher up, and two people wearing gauze protective clothing were busy working there. A girl wearing a pink luoqun was kicking and screaming as she was being pulled along by two brown-clad men toward the apiary. ¡°Put this on. You won¡¯t get stung by the bees that way,¡± one of the men said, handing a set of gauze protective clothing to her. The girl smacked away the clothes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take care of bees!¡± she screamed. This wasn¡¯t what her sect had sent her here to do. Her name was Lan Zhi, and she was one of the direct disciples of the Liuhe Sect. As the new Cloud Palace Master was only sixteen and had yet to set up his hou yuan or take a legitimate wife, the Liuhe Sect had decided to send a beauty as one of the gifts. After browsing through the many girls in his sect, he had decided to send Lan Zhi. Lan Zhi was born into a reasonably good family. She had studied and practised martial arts since she was young, but because her innate capabilities were lacking, she was unable to become one of the core disciples. Nonetheless, she still hailed from a famous sect. As she sat in her pink sedan, she had furtively drawn the curtains aside a little and looked around when the sedan paused on the Perch Platform. All the people who had been born to smaller, less famous martial arts sects were all scared out of their wits, and they all couldn¡¯t compare to her. Her confidence increased; was certain she would be able to win the Palace Master¡¯s favour. The sedan bearers did not let her alight there, but continued carrying the sedan deeper into the Cloud Palace. Lan Zhi saw incredibly exquisite pavilions and buildings, as well as luxuriously-clad palace servants, and her initial unwillingness to be sent here melted away, giving way to excitement and happiness instead. If she was able to win the Palace Master¡¯s favour, then power, wealth, glory, and access to a peerlessly powerful martial art would all be in the palm of her hand. However, the sedan did not stop in the Cloud Palace. It carried her past the ravine and into a part of the mountains that was thickly forested with bamboo. It was beautiful and peaceful, with birds chirping and the scent of flowers in the air. ¡°Is this the hou yuan?¡± ¡°Do we live here from now on?¡± All the beauties were whispering quietly amongst themselves after they got off their sedans. There were even two boys in their midst. ¡°Ah, finally some people have come! We were just shorthanded,¡± the person in charge of them said. He distributed clothes and tools as he spoke. Not everyone got the same tools ¨C some received hoes, some received baskets, some received protective gauze clothing and gloves, and yet others received wooden clips¡­ The clothes were all made of coarse material and had narrow sleeves, a far cry from what even the servant girls in the palace were wearing. After being given a day¡¯s rest, they were all called out, and they thought that it was to meet the Palace Master. Lan Zhi refused to wear the coarse luoqun she had received, and insisted on wearing her own wide-sleeved silk robes. But what had she come out to see? Bamboo forests and an apiary! Lan Zhi threw the protective clothing on the floor and stamped hard on it. ¡°Ktlr lr jmaejiis j gfjiis ubbv pby. P¡¯v ibnf ab vb atlr, yea atfs kbc¡¯a ifa wf,¡± atf ygbkc-mijv wjc rjlv, mbwqifafis mbcoerfv. Lf aegcfv ab ibbx ja atf jqljglra, atfc rkjiibkfv tlr vgbbi; atf jqljglra tjv kjixfv bea klat tbcfsmbwyr oeii bo tbcfs lc tfg tjcv. Ktf akb wfc rjk atja rtf kjrc¡¯a kliilcu ab ub cfjg atf yffr, rb atfs ujnf tfg j yjrxfa lcrafjv obg tfg ab qlmx yjwybb glmf. After going past the apiary, they came to a patch of short bamboo that was all withered and yellow. A few seeds could be seen sporadically between the dried leaves and branches. Dan Yi picked one that was a little bigger, then cracked open the shell and tossed the thing inside into his mouth. ¡°These are bamboo seeds,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi picked one to try as well. There was bamboo in the palace as well, but in all these years, he had never seen one flower and produce seeds. The bamboo in the Cloud Palace was really unique. ¡°Boohoohoo¡­¡± the pink-clad girl squatted between the bamboo, crying as as she picked bamboo rice. ¡°Miss, why are you crying?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He¡¯d always been inclined to treat women kindly since he was young, and on seeing this girl cry, he went forward to ask her what was wrong. He felt that she looked somewhat familiar. When he saw the peach blossom hairpin in her hair, he realised who she was ¨C she was the beauty he saw in the sedans the day before! Dan Yi really used his beauties to keep bees and collect bamboo rice?! Lan Zhi turned at the sound of the youth¡¯s slightly husky voice, and when her eyes met his, she was stunned. A handsome face, peach blossom eyes, brocade clothes and a jade belt ¨C even at first glance, this was clearly not a commoner. Her eyes moved behind Chen Ziqi, and she was suddenly thunderstruck. Brilliant red huafu, a feathery-looking guan ¨C Lan Zhi was quite well-read, and she knew that this person had to be the Cloud Palace Master. She quickly lowered her head and dabbed at her eyes daintily. So the people earlier weren¡¯t having a go at her when they asked her to keep bees and pick bamboo rice ¨C this Palace Master had a hobby of walking around the farming grounds! She raised her head again, putting on a doleful look this time. ¡°When a bamboo flowers, it means it¡¯s about to die. Bamboo seeds embody the very essence of the life of a bamboo. I cannot help but feel melancholy at the thought of death. You two gentlemen must find me very laughable,¡± she said in a soft, gentle voice. Chen Ziqi only knew then that the bamboo had to wither and die in order to get bamboo rice. He looked askance at the gigantic patch of withered bamboo. One stem of bamboo could only produce a few bamboo seeds, and to get enough to fill a bowl of rice, one had to harvest bamboo seeds from around five square feet of bamboo. Dan Yi ate bamboo rice every day, for every meal¡­ Life in the Cloud Palace really seemed to be a hundred times more extravagant than that in the palace. Thinking this, Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help looking at Dan Yi out of the corner of his eye. Dan Yi felt like the hairs on his head were standing up, and he frowned. ¡°Wheat also dies after it produces seed. Why don¡¯t you cry for the wheat as well?¡± he said. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The girl was rendered speechless and could only gape stupidly. Dan Yi sniffed derisively, then pulled Chen Ziqi away from the bamboo fields. ¡°How could you make these people do farming?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He had tried to hold in his laughter for the longest time but couldn¡¯t help it any more and laughed out loud. This was the first time he had seen anyone use concubines this way. ¡°The Cloud Palace people don¡¯t do this type of work well,¡± Dan Yi said seriously. If he got his Cloud Palace people to pick bamboo rice and collect honey, he probably would end up with only ten percent of the harvest! And if he ordered them not to steal any on pain of punishment, they would find it to be a real torture. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t get it, but he didn¡¯t pursue it further. He looked at the bamboo seed in his hand, and then at Dan Yi, who was dressed in red from head to toe. He felt a strange feeling rise in his heart. The sun set behind the mountains in the west, but the Cloud Palace people were still scurrying around busily. In a few days, the various sect heads would be coming to participate in the celebratory banquet, and there were many things that they needed to prepare in advance. Chen Ziqi had thought to stay a few days and rub shoulders with these sect heads. If he set up his own sect in future, he would definitely need to get along with these martial arts people, and it didn¡¯t hurt to start being friendly with them now. However, that night, Dan Yi suddenly received a piece of news. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chen Ziqi stood up at once. Chen Ziqi had been unable to go to his fief with Chen Zimo and Chang Er as planned because the Emperor had made him accompany him to the Cloud Palace. He had therefore entrusted Chang Er and Ah Mu to Chen Zimo, asking the latter to send them safely to his fief on the way to Lu City, Chen Zimo¡¯s fief. Dan Yi¡¯s Cloud Palace subordinates reported that Chen Zimo had failed to turn up to meet the Wind Wing staff at the appointed time regarding the matter of retrieving his mother¡¯s corpse. The Cloud Palace had investigated the matter further, and found out that they had been kidnapped along the way! ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± Dan Yi said, frowning. He signalled with his hand, and a black figure darted off on receiving his orders. Chen Ziqi saw that Dan Yi had already asked people to investigate the matter, and could only sit back down. There wasn¡¯t anything he could do to help; he didn¡¯t have any power or influence now, and he knew nothing about where his little fairy was, so he couldn¡¯t go and save her. He had no choice but to wait for Dan Yi¡¯s subordinates to bring news before deciding what to do next. Chen Ziqi¡¯s fief was in Jianyang, and it wasn¡¯t far from Chen Zimo¡¯s fief in Lu City. The most powerful sect near Lu City was the Suxin Sect, and the equivalent in Jianyang was the Lushan Sword Sect. The Lushan Sword Sect was one of the three great sword sects of the Sword Alliance. Its power and influence were comparable to that of the Suxin Sect¡¯s. Logically, there shouldn¡¯t have been any mountain bandits near their fiefs given the presence of these two big sects. Dan Yi laughed a little scornfully on hearing his reasoning, then shook his head. ¡°Hehe. These supposedly famous sects only sweep the snow in front of their doors. They won¡¯t bother about problems outside their jurisdiction, even if it¡¯s nearby. The parts that are not directly under their control have been in chaos for some time now,¡± Lan Shanyu said, smiling as usual while he spoke. Chen Ziqi pressed his lips together. He had always thought that Jiuru Town was in the mess that it was in because there weren¡¯t any major martial arts sects nearby, but he now realised that this was the case even if there were major sects in the vicinity. Four hours later, two pieces of news finally came back past midnight. ¡°There is nothing to worry about for now. King Lu has already dealt with the people who tried to take them away, but he got embroiled with infighting between the sects and is unable to extricate himself for the time being,¡± the black-clad subordinate reported. Dew clung in little droplets to his clothes when he came to deliver the news. In other words, his little fairy, Ah Mu and Chen Zimo were safe for now. Chen Ziqi heaved a sigh of relief. However, he still decided to leave the Cloud Palace at daybreak the next day so that he could look for Chang Er as soon as possible. Dan Yi waved his hands to dismiss the people in the room. Chen Ziqi watched as the black-clad man left the room. ¡°How did your subordinate go there and back so quickly?¡± he asked curiously. ¡°He flew,¡± Dan Yi said blandly. ¡°Bah. If you don¡¯t want to say it, so be it,¡± Chen Ziqi said, pursing his lips in dissatisfaction. He also recognised that he had asked a question that he shouldn¡¯t have asked. The Cloud Palace must have some secret methods of information gathering in order to know everything that happened in the empire, and these secret methods certainly would not be revealed to an outsider. It was already very late at night. Chen Ziqi was clearly very tired as he lay on the bed, but he couldn¡¯t sleep. He really wanted to leave immediately and journey through the night, but there were mountains all around them, and mountain roads were not safe to traverse at night. He closed his eyes. The events of the past few days flashed by in his mind¡¯s eye. Because of a little worm, he had been forced to subjugate himself. Because he didn¡¯t have power, he couldn¡¯t protect his own mother. And then there was that f*cking asshole of a Tiande Emperor¡­ ¡°I need to take in more subordinates,¡± Chen Ziqi said, flipping over. He was now face-to-face with Dan Yi. He originally wasn¡¯t an ambitious person; all he wanted was to have clothes to wear, food to eat, and be good at martial arts, but now it seemed like if he didn¡¯t have power, it was impossible to do anything in this world. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anyone you can use, I can lend you two¡­¡± Dan Yi said, before stopping himself abruptly. Giving a King two of his subordinates didn¡¯t seem appropriate; it was as if he was trying to spy on the Imperial family. ¡°Sounds great,¡± Chen Ziqi said, grinning widely. He was very keen on getting two highly-skilled subordinates to accompany him. His own half-baked Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl would be useless against a real martial arts master, and he¡¯d be done for in that situation. ¡°Give me two people with awesome skills. Even better if they can be gorgeous beauties!¡± Dan Yi¡¯s expression immediately went dark. The author has something to say: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: Dad, what happened to the phoenix crown feathers on your head? Birdie Dad: Shaved it Birdie Gong: Why? Birdie Dad: This is the most fashionable hairstyle now, it¡¯s called the crew cut Birdie Gong: I just saw Mum with two phoenix feathers in her mouth. Were they yours? Birdie Dad: Go away! Why do you have so many questions? Children who ask too many questions will become problem youths* *T/N: ¡®Questions¡¯ in Chinese is ¡®wen ti (ÎÊÌâ)¡¯, and ¡®problem youths¡¯ in Chinese is ¡®wen ti shao nian (ÎÊÌâÉÙÄê)¡¯. The pun is on the word ¡®wen ti¡¯. Birdie Gong: (¡Ñv¡Ñ)£¿ CH 44 Chen Ziqi thought that Dan Yi would give him two subordinates like Linghe and Lingguan ¨C pretty ladies who were gentle and affectionate but also had high martial arts skills. If not, he expected someone like Lan Shanyu, who perhaps might not help him with his daily ablutions or give him foot massages, but had great prowess in the martial arts and was good looking to boot. Having that kind of subordinate with him would certainly add greatly to his own prestige. The next day, Chen Ziqi went to meet the two subordinates Dan Yi lent him with these great expectations. The two persons he saw, however, were two solidly muscular men, one of whom was tall and the other of whom was short. The short one wore a black shirt and pants, had a pair of dull-looking eyes that drooped downwards at the corners, and a face that looked like it was permanently dejected. His name was Wu Bujian. The tall one didn¡¯t have the inauspicious air about him that Wu Bujian did, but he looked very fierce. His hair was worn loose and messy, held in place only by a piece of string at his forehead. He had a gleaming bald spot right in the centre of his head that was impossible to ignore. His neck was also particularly long, longer than the average person¡¯s, and from afar, he looked like a bamboo pole topped with a messy grass ball. His name was Tu Buxian. The two were highly skilled martial artists, and their skills complemented each other well. They had also worked together for many years and had great teamwork, so they were the ideal choice for Chen Ziqi¡¯s subordinates. However¡­ they were really ugly. Really, really ugly. ¡°So you¡¯re Wu Bujian, and you¡¯re Tu Buxian,¡± Chen Ziqi said, pointing at them in turn. He didn¡¯t say anything else for a long while. ¡°Wu Bujian is from the Crow Wing, and he is skilled at passing messages and pathfinding. Tu Buxian comes from the Vulture Wing, and is very skilled at combat. Wang ye, please use them as you will. If you find that anything is lacking, I can switch them out for you,¡± the Dark Cloud Envoy, Diao Lie said. He took his responsibility in introducing these two subordinates to Chen Ziqi and explaining their specialities very seriously. He also had great faith in these subordinates of his. Well, to begin with, I find their looks lacking¡­ Chen Ziqi pursed his lips as he looked at Wu Bujian. Just looking at that inauspicious looking face of his gave him a toothache. He quickly averted his eyes and looked at Dan Yi instead, soothing his eyes with Dan Yi¡¯s exquisitely handsome face. ¡°I¡¯m very tied up today, so I can¡¯t go with you. Please send my regards to niangniang,¡± Dan Yi said. He didn¡¯t see, or chose to ignore, the pained expression on Chen Ziqi¡¯s face, and walked him sedately to the palanquin. ¡°If anything comes up, get Wu Bujian to send me a message immediately.¡± These affectionate words were said in Dan Yi¡¯s magnetic, mesmerizing voice, and all of Chen Ziqi¡¯s misgivings immediately evaporated. Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°Got it,¡± he said. As he turned to get on the palanquin, he felt someone seize his wrist. ¡°Qiqi¡­¡± ¡°Nn?¡± Chen Ziqi stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Dan Yi questioningly. Dan Yi pressed his lips together and pulled him aside. ¡°If you have time, come to the Cloud Palace to¡­ uh¡­ practice your martial arts,¡± he said. Ugjmalmf wjgalji jgar? Jtfc Ildl revvfcis gfjilrfv atja atfs tjvc¡¯a qgjmalmfv wjgalji jgar abufatfg obg akb sfjgr cbk. Pclaljiis, tf obecv la qgfaas bvv; ktfcfnfg atfs qgjmalmfv abufatfg, tf lwqgbnfv ys ifjqr jcv ybecvr, yea atf wbwfca ifoa, tlr qgbugfrr kjr ribkfg atjc j abgablrf. Coafg rbwf alwf, tf gfjilrfv atja atflg wjgalji jgar meialnjalbc kjr mbwqifwfcajgs, jcv jr remt, qgjmalmlcu abufatfg wfjca atja atfs kbeiv lwqgbnf wemt wbgf delmxis. Lbkfnfg, tf kjr bcis jyif ab qgjmalmf abufatfg klat Gjc Tl obg akb wbcatr lc j sfjg ktfc tf nlrlafv atf Pwqfglji Ujijmf. Pa kjr cb kbcvfg atja joafg remt j ibcu alwf, tf tjv bcis pera wjrafgfv atf olgra ifnfi bo meialnjalbc. ¡°Sure. So long as you don¡¯t feel that you¡¯re wasting your bamboo rice on me, I¡¯ll definitely come over to mooch a meal,¡± Chen Ziqi said, grinning widely at Dan Yi. He slung a friendly arm over Dan Yi¡¯s shoulders by way of farewell. When Chen Ziqi got to the foot of the mountain, he found that the Cloud Palace staff were waiting for him there. They handed a horse¡¯s reins over to him, and Chen Ziqi got on the horse. He turned back to look at the Cloud Palace. He was too far away now, and could no longer see that familiar patch of scarlet clothing amidst the mists and trees. He suddenly felt like he couldn¡¯t bear to leave, then shook his head vigorously to clear it. Right now, he had to focus on saving his little fairy. That was what was most important. In future, when he had time, he¡¯d be back to have fun with Dan Yi. He flicked the horse¡¯s reins lightly and galloped away. The Cloud Palace¡¯s information was that Chang Er and company had been held against their will near Millstone Mountain. To get to Lu City, one had to pass by Millstone Mountain. As its name suggested, it was a small mountain shaped like a millstone. The road leading to Millstone Mountain was thickly forested on both sides, and it was easy to imagine that mountain bandits operated here with ease. The puddles in the road gradually increased in number the closer Chen Ziqi got to Millstone Mountain. Shining droplets of water hung from the leaves and grasses around him. It seemed like it had rained here last night. ¡°The messenger said that they were being kept in a Temple of an Earth God. Do you think they¡¯re still there?¡± Chen Ziqi asked Wu Bujian. Wu Bujian blinked his dull black eyes, which looked like black-eyed peas. ¡°Does Wang ye wish for them to still be there or not?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course I hope they¡¯re still there. Otherwise, where would I even begin to look for them?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, giving Wu Bujian a strange look. Wu Bujian scratched his head and looked like he was struggling to find an answer. ¡°This subordinate doesn¡¯t know,¡± he said, after a long pause. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ziqi raised his eyebrows. This fellow was really tactless! He already said that he hoped that they would still be at the temple, and everyone obviously didn¡¯t know what the situation was like now. Shouldn¡¯t Wu Bujian have just said something reassuring? Wasn¡¯t that the appropriate response in this situation? How was it appropriate to say that he didn¡¯t know?! ¡°Wang ye, he has a ¡®crow mouth¡¯. Whatever bad things he says will come true, and anything good that he says will go wrong. That¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t dare to say anything,¡± Tu Buxian said, bending his long neck toward Chen Ziqi as he explained this in a serious voice. ¡°Huh?!¡± Chen Ziqi turned his gaze toward Wu Bujian and found him nodding vehemently. He felt his temples start to throb. These subordinates that Dan Yi had assigned to him were just too weird! A run-down looking temple came into view in the distance. They could hear indistinct sounds of what sounded like people fighting. Shit! Chen Ziqi thought, spurring his horse to gallop faster toward the temple. In the dilapidated temple, Chen Zimo was surrounded by three women carrying nine-jointed steel whips. Their attacks were fast and furious, and they used so much force that when the whips contacted a small puddle, the water splashed up three feet into the air. Chen Zimo brandished a huge axe, holding them off all on his own using the axe techniques of ¡®Open the Heavens¡¯. Unfortunately, his unwieldy axe was not very effective against the lithe, snake-like steel whips, and his arms were already bleeding profusely from many wounds. The temple had no gates, and Chen Ziqi galloped straight in. ¡°Everyone, STOP!¡± he yelled. The people engaged in bloody battle stopped for a second to glance at him briefly, then continued fighting. Chang Er was hiding in a corner, and she peeked out from behind a broken door. When she saw Chen Ziqi, she immediately shot him a meaningful look. Two men leapt out and pointed their swords at Chen Ziqi. ¡°Identify yourselves!¡± they shouted. ¡°This is insubordination!¡± Wu Bujian said angrily. Tu Buxian leapt off his horse lithely like a roving dragon, almost seeming to fly. The two sword-wielding men saw something flash before their eyes, then heard two loud clattering sounds. They looked down at their hands and found that their swords had been stolen. When they looked up again, they saw their swords in Tu Buxian¡¯s hands, and that Tu Buxian was already standing unwaveringly next to Chen Ziqi¡¯s horse. The activity on Chen Ziqi¡¯s side drew the attention of the people battling, and the fighting stopped. Chen Zimo retreated and positioned himself in front of Chang Er with his axe at the ready. The three whip-bearing women also backed off a little. All eyes were fixed on Chen Ziqi. ¡°Are you from the Lushan Sect?¡± the leader of the three women asked, raising her chin and staring coldly at Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi got off his horse and raised his chin even higher than that woman¡¯s. ¡°I¡­ am the Sub-Wing Leader of the Crow Wing of the Cloud Palace, Chang Qi,¡± he said. Earlier, Chang Er¡¯s look had warned him not to reveal who he was. His status as a Wang Ye was likely to not only be useless, but might even bring him trouble in this situation. The Twelve Golden Wings of the Cloud Palace each had a Wing Leader and a Deputy Wing Leader, and below them, there were three Sub-Wing Leaders. A Sub-Wing Leader was not a particularly high-ranking position. The names and appearances of the Sub-Wing Leaders were not something people ordinarily paid attention to, and the only people who would know these details were people within the Cloud Palace itself. The moment Chen Ziqi finished speaking, Wu Bujian immediately displayed his black waist pendant, which had the picture of a cawing crow carved on it. Everyone present immediately looked flustered on hearing the Cloud Palace¡¯s name mentioned. Chen Ziqi looked at the three women. One of them was watching the space where Chang Er was hiding carefully. It was obvious that her target was the woman behind the door, and would strike the moment she was given an opportunity. The little fairy didn¡¯t know martial arts at all, and Ah Mu wasn¡¯t any better. They wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand even one blow. ¡°So you¡¯re Sub-Wing Leader Chang,¡± one of the sword-wielding men said. He seemed to be the leader of this band, and he stood forward and clasped his fists in Chen Ziqi¡¯s direction. ¡°We are disciples of the Changjian Sect, and these ladies are from the Suxin Sect. Brother Chang, what business have you here?¡± he asked. Changjian Sect was one of the small satellite sects of the Lushan Sect, and its headquarters were near Jianyang City. ¡°Ahem. My men and I accepted King Lu¡¯s business, but we were unable to meet up as planned for quite some time. When we found out that Dianxia was here, we came to ask him to settle the bill,¡± Chen Ziqi said in all seriousness. He led his two subordinates forward, walking toward where Chang Er was hidden. The author has something to say: Mini-theater Qiqi: Why do I suddenly feel like I can¡¯t bear to leave? Birdie Gong: This is called being lovesick (¡Ñv¡Ñ) Chang Er: No, this is called underage love (¨t_¨s)# Qiqi: Then what should I do? Birdie Gong: All will be well if you just marry me Chang Er: All will be well if I just give you a sound beating Qiqi: _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï)_ CH 45 Settle the bill? The Changjian Sect fellows were rather stunned. They originally thought that these were people hired by King Lu as reinforcements, and had never dreamed that they were actually here to ask him to pay up! However, it did make sense; the Cloud Palace did all sorts of funny business, but it never involved itself in seeking revenge. They usually pointed people who wanted help with getting their revenge to the Bloodblade Tower. The Cloud Palace never accepted any requests to kill someone. The leader of the sword-wielding camp was a swordsman who looked to be around thirty years old. He took a look at Chen Ziqi¡¯s two savage-looking subordinates, then clasped his hands respectfully in Chen Ziqi¡¯s direction. ¡°I am Ge Hong of the Changjian Sect. My companions and I have a private matter to settle with the other people here. If you do not intend to interfere, then I respectfully invite you to leave this place first,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi had already walked under the eaves of the house, and was very near to Chen Zimo. One of the Suxin Sect women¡¯s whips flashed out toward Chen Ziqi to stop him from going any closer. The nine-jointed steel whip looked like it was about to lash Chen Ziqi¡¯s face. He nimbly leaned back to avoid it, then countered by grabbing hold of the end of the whip. He used the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon to wrap the whip quickly around his arm and pulled hard on the whip. The sixteen-year-old maiden at the other end of the whip lost her balance and plunged forward toward Chen Ziqi. ¡°Miss, whips should not be used on people¡¯s faces. I still need this face of mine to find a good spouse,¡± he said jovially. Chen Ziqi¡¯s sparkling peach blossom eyes always made him look like he was smiling faintly, and up close, he was so breathtakingly handsome that the girl nearly forgot to breathe. Her face reddened immediately, and she loosened her grip on the whip before pulling it back into her hands. Tu Buxian had originally taken half a step forward to assist Chen Ziqi, but he stood back when he saw that the latter had it all under control. Chen Ziqi actually was having deep regrets about his rash actions earlier. He was very good at Roving Dragon Follows the Moon now, but his hand wasn¡¯t made of iron, and using it to catch hold of the whip earlier had been very painful. His whole arm was throbbing dully in pain even now, and he still had to maintain a relaxed, casual expression on his face. It was so hard. He hid his smarting hand in his sleeve and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t stay away from this matter. If you caused the death of my customer, who would I look for to settle the payment? Why don¡¯t you tell me what happened, and I¡¯ll try to mediate,¡± he suggested calmly. ¡°This has nothing to do with you, you little brat. Get lost,¡± the leader of the Suxin Sect women said. She was a woman who looked to be in her late thirties or early forties, and her clothes were the colour of yellow gosling down. The two ladies next to her looked much younger, around their late teens or early twenties, and they all wore pale pink luoqun. Chen Ziqi thought back to the first time he¡¯d met Cheng Jieyu. She had also been wearing a full set of gosling yellow robes. He guessed that the leader of the Suxin Sect women was probably from the same generation of disciples as Cheng Jiazhen. ¡°This aunty over here, how may I address you?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, clasping his hands politely in her direction. ¡°You¡­¡± Zhao Surou was so angry at being addressed as an ¡°aunty¡± that she was lost for words. She was one of the Suxin Sect¡¯s core disciples, and was accorded great respect wherever she went. She had dedicated herself fully to the pursuit of martial arts excellence, and had not married for this reason. The people in the martial arts world always addressed her as ¡°miss¡± or ¡°xianzi¡±. No one had ever called her ¡°aunty¡± before. ¡°I¡¯m Yu Quan, and this is my martial arts master, Zhao Surou. The people in the martial arts world usually address her as Wan Rou Xianzi,¡± the maiden right in front of Chen Ziqi said in her young, sweet voice. She was the one who had tried to attack Chen Ziqi earlier. Pa kjr bynlber ab Itjb Vegbe atja Jtfc Ildl kjr tfgf ab tfiq Jtfc Ilwb. ¡°Jtfc Ilwb, lo sbe tjcv bnfg Vesjb cbk, kf¡¯ii ifa atlr wjaafg ub abvjs,¡± rtf rjlv atgbeut mifcmtfv affat. ¡°Tbe mjc mbcalcef ab yf atf olgra-gjcxfv Blcu atja sbe jgf joafg atlr, jcv ifjnf Vesjb ab atf mjgf bo atf Vezlc Vfma.¡± ¡°Ha,¡± Chen Zimo laughed coldly. ¡°Why should I?¡± Cheng Jiazhen was still Chen Zimo¡¯s mother in name. Now that the previous Emperor had passed on, it was only right that Chen Zimo bring his ¡°mother¡± to his fief to live. The Suxin Sect had no right to stop him from doing so. ¡°You vicious, cruel creature!¡± Zhao Surou shouted, moving forward to lash him with her whip as she spoke. ¡°Shijie¡­¡± Cheng Jiazhen cried out weakly. She had been lying down on the straw mat in the temple, and was now trying to crawl toward the door. ¡°I see what¡¯s happening ¨C you¡¯re trying to kidnap the Taifei!¡± Chen Ziqi said, putting on a look of astonishment. He turned to look at the Changjian Sect fellows. ¡°Are you also here to try and take the Taifei with you?!¡± Kidnapping the Taifei ¨C this was a crime no one wanted to be associated with. The Changjian Sect men all shook their heads vehemently. Ge Hong¡¯s primary objective had been to stall for time, and he thus started talking about how this whole situation came about. Three days ago, Zhao Surou and company were in Jianyang City, and they had killed two of the Changjian Sect¡¯s people after having a small disagreement. By the time Ge Hong rushed there with his men, the Suxin Sect people had already left, and they had pursued the latter as such. He knew they were headed to Lu City, and wanted to waylay them on the road there. Berry Brown was just unlucky. Ge Hong had seen the two women in his carriage, and had mistaken them for the Suxin Sect¡¯s people, which was why he had taken Berry Brown, Chang Er and Cheng Jiazhen into custody. Thereafter, Chen Zimo had injured three Changjian Sect disciples with his axe whilst trying to escape. They were battling hard with Chen Zimo when the Suxin Sect people arrived. ¡°Our Changjian Sect is only a small sect, and we don¡¯t have any power to deal with the great Suxin Sect¡¯s revered disciples. That¡¯s why we asked them to go with us to Lushan Sect¡­¡± Ge Hong became angrier and angrier as he spoke. They couldn¡¯t defeat Zhao Surou with their level of skill, but they were also unwilling to let her get away scot-free. If they did, what reputation would the Changjian Sect have to speak of after this? They wouldn¡¯t have any face left in Jianyang City! After a few standoffs, neither sect was willing to give way, and the Changjian Sect men had no choice but to try to hold the Suxin Sect people in this dilapidated temple whilst waiting for the Lushan Sect people to arrive. Chen Zimo still couldn¡¯t leave because Cheng Jiazhen had awoken on the way here, seen Zhao Surou, and had desperately begged Zhao Surou to save her. As Chen Ziqi listened to Ge Hong¡¯s tale, his eyes swept over the scene, taking in everyone¡¯s relative positions. From where Zhao Surou was standing, she could easily barge into the temple building if she made a sudden move. She wouldn¡¯t care who she hurt with her steel whip in the process, and Chang Er would certainly suffer a few lashings. As such, Brown Berry couldn¡¯t move a step from where he was. If they waited for the Lushan Sect people to arrive, it might become even more complicated. Chen Zimo had injured the Changjian Sect¡¯s people, and would certainly not be able to walk away scot-free. With this in mind, Chen Ziqi suddenly let out a loud, clear laugh. ¡°Hahaha! Brother Ge, you are truly a man of loyalty and righteousness! If you killed someone, then you must prepare to be killed yourself ¨C this is the way of the world. Killing people willy nilly, and snatching other people¡¯s mothers just because your sect is powerful? I can¡¯t stand watching this injustice. Brother Ge, I will help you today,¡± Chen Ziqi declared. With that, he signalled to Tu Buxian. Tu Buxian suddenly produced two palm-sized hooks from his sleeves. The sharp metal gleamed coldly, then flew directly toward Zhao Surou¡¯s throat. Wu Bujian picked up the two swords that Tu Buxian had taken earlier and threw them back to the Changjian Sect men. ¡°Catch!¡± he shouted. Zhao Surou was caught off guard, and nearly had her throat ripped open by the twin hooks. She brought up her whip to defend herself just in time. The situation had turned around too quickly for Ge Hong to react. He was still staring blankly into space when his two shidi caught the two swords thrown at them. Ge Hong¡¯s body reacted faster than his mind, however, and moved subconsciously into battle. The two pink-clad girls immediately lashed out with their whips and started fighting furiously with the Changjian Sect¡¯s people. Chen Ziqi quickly slipped into the temple and pulled Chang Er and Ah Mu out. Chang Er weighed less than Ah Mu, and he gave her to Wu Bujian. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said. Wu Bujian held on to Chang Er firmly, then used the Cyclone Step and shot away in a trice. Chen Ziqi took Ah Mu¡¯s hand in his and they both ran for their lives. Ah Mu knew that the situation was dangerous and didn¡¯t dare to say a word. He just followed his gege and ran as fast as he could. Berry Brown grabbed hold of Cheng Jiazhen and retreated in the same direction Chen Ziqi went. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡± Zhao Surou shouted. She glared fiercely at Chen Zimo while lashing out with her whip, catching two of the Changjian Sect¡¯s men and tossing them to one side. She then hit out at Tu Buxian, and leapt forward to grab Cheng Jiazhen from Chen Zimo. Chen Zimo raised a hand, channeled his neili and countered her blow with his fist. ¡°Boom!¡± The force of the impact caused the muddy water around them to splash high into the air. ¡°Urk¡­¡± Chen Zimo vomited a mouthful of blood. Even though ¡°Open the Heavens¡± was a high calibre martial art that could be used to hold off three Suxin Sect people with his axe, there was no doubt that he would be the loser in a neili battle against Zhao Surou, who had been cultivating her skills for more than thirty years. At this critical moment, Tu Buxian charged over and kicked Zhao Surou away. He grabbed hold of Chen Zimo and Cheng Jiazhen and flew over the temple walls. Tu Buxian¡¯s strength was clearly much greater than Wu Bujian¡¯s. He could still move as if he were flying even when carrying two people whose total weight was more than his own. Right now, Chen Ziqi and Ah Mu were the slowest of the lot. Zhao Surou slammed her hands angrily onto the ground, pushed herself up, then lashed out at Ah Mu with her steel whip. ¡°Shing!¡± Swords flashed as a few men descended from the sky, blocking Zhao Surou¡¯s whip in a trice. A man dressed in a narrow-sleeved, indigo-coloured martial outfit landed firmly in front of Chen Ziqi and Ah Mu, a three-foot long sword gleaming coldly in his hands. ¡°Li Yuhan!¡± Zhao Surou exclaimed when she saw who the man was. She instinctively took two steps back, then grit her teeth before speaking again. ¡°I¡¯m dealing with an internal matter of the Suxin Sect right now. After I¡¯ve dealt with this, I¡¯ll speak with you regarding the Changjian Sect¡¯s complaint!¡± The blue-clad swordsman¡¯s sword hummed as he flourished it elegantly in the air, getting into position for the Lushan Sect¡¯s signature Three-Layered Sword Stance. The tip of his sword pointed toward the ground, and he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of giving way. ¡°I, Li Yuhan, greatly detest people who attack children!¡± he declared in ringing tones. Ah Mu stared at that person¡¯s back, thinking that it looked very familiar. Chen Ziqi, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t be bothered with who this person was, and dragged Ah Mu off to continue running away whilst Li Yuhan and Zhao Surou were having a standoff. Just as they were about to leave the temple gates, Ah Mu turned to look at the man. The swordsman had coincidentally looked in Ah Mu¡¯s direction, and he froze on seeing Ah Mu¡¯s face. ¡°Ah Mu¡­¡± he said in a low voice. The author has something to say: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: I didn¡¯t appear in this chapter. I¡¯m not happy Qiqi: What happens when you¡¯re not happy? Birdie: Poof, I¡¯m now an angry bird Qiqi: ¡ú_¡ú CH 46 Whilst Ah Mu¡¯s uncle was still gazing at Ah Mu in shock, Zhao Surou¡¯s whip lashed out, and the uncle quickly raised his sword to block. The two weapons clanged loudly upon impact. Chen Ziqi pulled Ah Mu and continued to run. ¡°Go!¡± he shouted at the group of people outside the gate. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to leave any more,¡± Wu Bujian said, his face even more dejected than usual. ¡°Keep quiet,¡± Tu Buxian said, landing a punch on his shoulder. ¡°We are the Lushan Sect¡¯s second generation of disciples. And you are?¡± the young-looking leader asked, stepping forward. Ah, so these people were from the Lushan Sect. Chen Ziqi retracted his gaze and rolled his eyes inwardly. The Changjian Sect was affiliated with the Lushan Sect, and now that the former had been bullied, they had asked the Lushan Sect to back them up. These Lushan Sect people were obviously here to help the Changjian Sect disciples. It probably wasn¡¯t too dangerous to continue to remain here whilst the Lushan Sect settled the matter with the Suxin Sect, but if Zhao Surou mentioned wanting to take Cheng Jiazhen with her, there might be conflict again. The Suxin Sect¡¯s people seemed to be very intent on taking Cheng Jiazhen back with them. It was best to just leave now, in case anything unexpected happened. Thinking this, Chen Ziqi put on a pitiful expression. ¡°We are residents of the Capital, and we came to Lu City to seek help from our relatives. We didn¡¯t think we would meet these Suxin Sect xian¡¯gu and be detained by them. Thankfully, a hero in a blue outfit helped us out. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to get away,¡± he said. When the Lushan Sect people heard this, their enmity toward Chen Ziqi immediately decreased, and the leader re-sheathed his sword. However, a disciple standing next to the leader was still suspicious of them. ¡°Since when has the Suxin Sect ever kidnapped or robbed people? Why didn¡¯t they let you go?¡± he asked. Chen Ziqi lowered his head, blushing deeply as if he were extremely embarrassed. ¡°That aunty over there saw that my brothers and I were very handsome, and said she wanted to bring us back to the Suxin Sect¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± the Lushan Sect people all exclaimed as one. They looked closely at Chen Ziqi and Chen Zimo. Chen Ziqi had the delicate features of a real beauty, and Brown Berry also had handsome features, even if he wasn¡¯t as good-looking as Chen Ziqi. The Suxin Sect was indeed full of unmarried old women¡­ In that moment, Chen Ziqi won the sympathy of everyone present. Chen Ziqi clasped his hands in their direction, then got on his horse. Berry Brown was injured, so he asked Wu Bujian to drive the horse carriage that Chang Er was in. He wanted to quickly get out of here. They initially headed for Lu City, but changed direction and went to Jianyang City instead because he was afraid that the Suxin Sect would look for them in Lu City. ¡°Shixiong, we¡¯re letting them go just like that?¡± a young Lushan Sect disciple asked. ¡°Xiao Shishu was the one who let them go. It should be fine,¡± the leader said. ¡°Shixiong, I still have a question,¡± the young disciple said, unable to contain his curiosity. He had a very perturbed expression on his face. ¡°If they¡¯re kidnapping them for that purpose, then what¡¯s up with that baldy?¡± Even if one ignored the fact that Wu Bujian looked like he was permanently dull and depressed, Tu Buxian¡¯s gleaming bald spot was just impossible to miss; who would find that attractive?! ¡°Perhaps¡­ some people have that sort of fetish¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Chen Zimo had suffered some internal injuries, but thankfully, they were not very serious. He leaned against the carriage wall, silently working his qi to heal himself. ¡°You unfilial creature! You filthy beast! This is how you repay me for all those years of care?¡± Cheng Jiazhen spat. She was sitting in a corner of the carriage and glaring at Chen Zimo as she raged. She had originally thought that leaving the palace meant that she would get back her freedom, and would be able to rely on this ¡°son¡± of hers to live a comfortable life as a Taifei. She hadn¡¯t thought that Chen Zimo would make her eat cold food, drink cold water and sleep rough in the open. When Chen Zimo looked at her, his eyes were cold and unfeeling, as if he were looking at a complete stranger. In contrast, he treated that lowborn Chang Er like his own mother. ¡°This is ¨C what¡¯s the saying again? You reap what you sow. He¡¯s just treating you the same way you treated him as a boy,¡± Chang Er said, cracking open a melon seed casually. ¡°He¡¯s already very kind to not beat you with a bamboo cane.¡± Vluclolmjcais, fnfc atbeut Jtfcu Aljhtfc xfqa fwqtjrlcu tbk Jtfc Ilwb bkfv tfg obg atf mjgf rtf tjv rtbkc tlw, rtf tjv cfnfg bcmf rjlv atja rtf kjr tlr wbatfg. Ktfs gfjmtfv Aljcsjcu Jlas ja recrfa. Ktlr kjr Jtfc Ildl¡¯r olfo, jcv jirb ktfgf tf kbeiv ilnf wbra bo atf alwf wbnlcu obgkjgv. The city gates weren¡¯t guarded, and people could just walk in and out freely. Then again, there weren¡¯t many people who came here. Chen Ziqi thought that since his fief was very far from the Capital, it might be as chaotic as Jiuru Town. However, when he stepped into the city, he was immediately disabused of this notion. The whole of Jianyang City was quiet, almost lifeless. There weren¡¯t even any shops open on the main street. It was impossible to create chaos even if you wanted to. After walking down half the street, Chen Ziqi finally saw two smithies. ¡°Old Uncle, why is it that Jianyang is deserted?¡± Chen Ziqi asked the blacksmith who was hammering hard at a piece of metal in front of the shop. ¡°Keep walking on, and there¡¯ll be people,¡± the blacksmith said, looking up at him. ¡°Are you here to buy a sword?¡± Chen Ziqi shook his head, then continued walking on. There were indeed many shops in this part of the street, but¡­ they were all smithies! There were no restaurants or brothels, and there was only one dilapidated guest house. The people on the street were all dirty-faced and had wooden expressions. Jianyang City was near a number of sects in the Sword Alliance. Everyone wanted to become a good swordsman in the hopes of being accepted into a good sword sect. The ones who couldn¡¯t practice swordsmanship went to work in the farms affiliated with the sword sects so that they could earn a bite to eat. ¡°The cities where martial arts sects are in power are mostly all like this,¡± Chen Zimo said, leaning on the carriage door and holding his chest. He looked to be in pain. ¡°Lu City is very poor as well.¡± The problem with the empire¡¯s obsession with martial arts was that nobody wanted to be farmers, and most people were very poor. As a result, every year, the taxes and tributes could not be collected in full. The Imperial family was becoming poorer and poorer, whilst the major martial arts sects were becoming richer and richer. The one bright spark on Chen Ziqi¡¯s horizon was that the Imperial Court had already built his mansion in Jianyang City. The instructions had been given a year ago at the time Jianyang had been allocated as Chen Ziqi¡¯s fief. At least, he and his companions wouldn¡¯t be reduced to sleeping on the streets tonight. The signboard above the main gate read ¡°King Jian¡¯s Mansion¡± in large gold letters, and two stone lions guarded the gate, one on each side. It certainly had the look of a mansion. A servant boy was sweeping in the front yard, and when he saw them, he stared blankly for a moment before throwing down his broom and going into the house to report their arrival. ¡°Wang ye, Niangniang!¡± Fuyuan and Fuxi greeted them in high spirits. They had left for Jianyang City before Chen Ziqi and Chang Er so as to get the mansion ready for their arrival. The mansion was fairly well-appointed. The things that Chen Ziqi and Chang Er used in the Imperial Palace had all been brought over. The palace maids couldn¡¯t be brought out of the palace, so Fuyuan had taken the initiative to buy a few young girls to serve as maids. The Imperial Court had given them twenty guards as was customary, and the whole mansion was quite a lively place with all these people bustling about. ¡°Jianyang City is deserted, and this subordinate spent a long time hunting for a place that sold vegetables and other produce,¡± Fuyuan said. ¡°I finally found one in the outskirts of the city, and that place is actually part of the Changjian Sect¡¯s farmlands. I had a hard time convincing them to sell a bit to us.¡± Now that Chen Ziqi had left the palace and set up his own household, he was considered the master now. As such, Fuyuan, who had previously taken orders from Chang Er as her head eunuch, now had to report to Chen Ziqi instead. ¡°You should first meet the Governor of this prefecture,¡± Chen Zimo advised. He had half a year¡¯s experience managing his own fief in Lu City, and without anyone to guide him, he¡¯d bungled his way along and suffered quite a bit. Jianyang City did have a Prefectural Governor in charge of it. Logically, the Prefectural Governor was now his subordinate. He was the King of this area now, and ranked higher than the Governor; all the lands in the fief were now his to manage. ¡°Send an invitation to the Prefectural Governor. Ask him to come and see me tomorrow,¡± Chen Ziqi said to Fuyuan. ¡°Certainly.¡± Fuyuan instructed a servant to write out the invitation and sent one of the guards to Jianyang Mansion with it. Chen Ziqi originally thought that becoming a King meant that he could live a comfortable life, but now that he¡¯d seen this impoverished fief of his, he started to worry. The Kings of the Taizong Emperor¡¯s time were all highly-skilled martial artists and commanded fearsome armies. The sects around the fief all had to pay tribute to the King of the area. However, right now, he even had difficulty getting a small sect to sell him some cabbages¡­ The next day, the Prefectural Governor came to visit. The Prefectural Governor¡¯s name was Ceng Shan. He was a scholarly-looking man around forty years of age, and he was born in the Duanjian Sect. It was pretty funny ¨C Jianyang got its name because it was located between the territory of two sects, one called Changjian Sect, and the other called Duanjian Sect. The two sects were satellite sects of the Lushan Sect, but because they disagreed on many principles of cultivation, they were at loggerheads and were always duelling with each other. ¡°The houses on the East Street ¨C those were destroyed when the two sects fought each other last year,¡± Ceng Shan said, his eyes lowered. ¡°And you didn¡¯t do anything about it?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, frowning. ¡°What happens in the martial arts world stays in the martial arts world. The government offices only deal with civilian matters,¡± Ceng Shan said, smiling shamelessly. He clearly felt zero responsibility despite taking no action amidst the destruction of a city under his care. He passed the register of Jianyang residents to Chen Ziqi along with the deeds to the land in the area, then left in a cavalier manner. He didn¡¯t take this fourteen-year-old King very seriously. A King had to have an army to be taken seriously. But right now, Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t even know how to feed the twenty guards in his residence, let alone raise an army. ¡°Is he looking down on me?¡± Chen Ziqi muttered, watching the Governor¡¯s retreating figure with his hands behind his back. ¡°Yes,¡± Wu Bujian said bluntly. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Chen Ziqi smacked Wu Bujian on the head and left in a huff. ¡°Well, he asked, and I answered,¡± Wu Bujian said, scratching his head in confusion. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times over. Keep that crow mouth of yours shut,¡± Tu Buxian said, walking over and giving Wu Bujian a noogie. ¡°Get lost! Are you trying to make me a baldy like you?¡± Wu Bujian huffed, slapping Tu Buxian¡¯s hand away. Chen Ziqi pored over the register of Jianyang residents. Jianyang had a lot of residents, but the taxes they collected every year were a pitiful sum. The people within the city were mostly blacksmiths and swordsmiths, and those outside the city¡­ The more Chen Ziqi read, the worse his headache became. He got up and went to look for Chen Zimo to pick his brain. ¡°Brother Second Prince¡¯s fief is near the Huangshan Sect, and Old Third¡¯s fief is near Yandang Mountain. Old Fourth¡¯s is right next to the Liuhe Sect¡¯s land¡­¡± Chen Zimo said, pointing them out in turn on the map. All the Imperial princes born to mothers of noble birth were allocated fiefs that were near their mother¡¯s sect. In this way, they could scratch each other¡¯s backs and prosper together very quickly. In the very least, the mother¡¯s sect would send some skilled martial artists over to their fief to protect the King. As to the princes without a good family background, they were all tossed into random, far-flung locations that even birds didn¡¯t care to shit in, without any concern for whether they survived or perished. ¡°You¡¯re saying I need to first get a strong backer?¡± Chen Ziqi said, grasping the main point immediately. Kings that had just assumed the position had no real power, and if they didn¡¯t enjoy any protection from a large sect, it was extremely dangerous for them. His own mansion was one such example. A martial arts master could easily break into his mansion as if it were made of paper. Speaking of strong backers¡­ Dan Yi¡¯s exquisitely handsome face floated up in Chen Ziqi¡¯s mind. Perhaps he should go and beg his Fengyuan gege to send more people to help him? ¡°You can try my Jiujiu¡­¡± Ah Mu said softly, poking his head in through the door. ¡°What Jiujiu?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, raising his head to look at him. ¡°The swordsman in blue from yesterday,¡± Ah Mu said hesitantly, as if he wasn¡¯t very sure of what he was going to say next. ¡°I felt that he looked very familiar¡­¡± Ah Mu had not left the palace since he was a very young child. There weren¡¯t many people whom he would recognise outside the palace, and his Jiujiu was probably the only person he would find familiar. Shortly after Ah Mu mentioned his Jiujiu, the latter really arrived at their doorstep. Three days after their encounter with the blue-clad swordsman, a man presented himself at the King Jian mansion gates seeking an audience. It was the same swordsman who saved them that day at the Temple of the Earth God. Chen Ziqi was still asleep when Li Yuhan arrived. Wu Bujian knocked on his bedroom door. ¡°Wang ye, that man from the Lushan Sect is here. This subordinate has looked into his background. He is the Lushan Sect Leader¡¯s highly regarded disciple, and his name is Li Yuhan,¡± he said. Wu Bujian¡¯s voice grated on one¡¯s ears. His strong neili and excellent lung power made this even more discordant than it would ordinarily have been. Chen Ziqi pulled up the blankets, flipped over and hid his head, the better to block Wu Bujian¡¯s voice out. ¡°Tweet!¡± A short bird call caused the half-asleep Chen Ziqi to be shocked into full wakefulness immediately. He reached into the blankets and felt about. A warm and fluffy thing was in there! He pulled it out to have a look, and it was the little red bird that he hadn¡¯t seen in a long while. ¡°Divine chicken!¡± Chen Ziqi exclaimed happily. He sat up and held the little red bird carefully in both hands. He had actually asked Lan Jiangxue before the latter left the palace whether the divine chicken would still be able to find him after he left for his fief. What had Lan Jiangxue said then? ¡°You are the Protector-God¡¯s Chosen One. He will be able to find you no matter where you are.¡± Chen Ziqi leaned down and tried to rub his face against the little fluffball, but it refused to cooperate. It turned around and stuck up its fluffy little backside into his face. ¡°You naughty little creature¡­ eh?¡± Chen Ziqi was about to flick its bum, but suddenly saw that a long, scarlet tail feather had grown out of that fluffy backside. It might have only been about as long as a finger, but it was very beautiful. It was very much like a peacock¡¯s tail feather, with fine, soft feathers along the main body and an eye at the end, save that the eye was a pale red colour. The spine of the feather was flexible, and the whole feather swayed with the movements of the little chicken¡¯s backside. When the bird wasn¡¯t moving, the feather was held in a very perky raised position. ¡°You¡¯ve grown tail feathers!¡± Chen Ziqi said, examining the little bird curiously. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird was very proud of his tail feather, and strutted back and forth on the blanket, striking different poses to show it off. His dad had said to him before that he had to display his good-looking tail feathers to the person he liked, so that that person would like him back. Outside the door, Wu Bujian observed the tiny snowflakes floating down from the sky, and started chit-chatting with Tu Buxian. ¡°Since it¡¯s snowing now, the Arcane Sects¡¯ formal visit should have ended. I wonder if the Palace Master will¡­¡± As he was speaking, Tu Buxian suddenly clapped him on the back. ¡°What was that for?!¡± Wu Bujian said, annoyed. He turned around and saw that Chen Ziqi had come out. He was about to say something when he suddenly spotted the red bird head poking out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes. ¡°Caw!¡± Wu Bujian squawked in surprise. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: Come, come. I¡¯ll let you see something good Qiqi: What? Birdie Gong: (opens his robes) Look! Qiqi: (covers his face) Omg you disgusting flasher Birdie Gong: Asking you to look at my tail makes me a flasher? (¡Ñv¡Ñ) Qiqi: Oh, so you were asking me to look at your tail =.= CH 47 Wu Bujian¡¯s reaction to the little red bird was abnormally strong, and Chen Ziqi gave Wu Bujian a strange look. ¡°You know the divine chicken as well?¡± he asked dubiously. Chen Ziqi had always assumed that only Dan Yi and the Lan family knew about the divine chicken, but based on Wu Bujian¡¯s reaction, it seemed that everyone in the Cloud Palace knew about it as well. ¡°Ch-chicken?!¡± Wu Bujian looked blankly at his Palace Master, then at Chen Ziqi¡¯s face, which had suspicion written all over it. He swallowed hard. ¡°Wang ye, this isn¡¯t¡­ owch!¡± Before he finished his sentence, Tu Buxian gave him a hard slap on the back, causing him to stagger. ¡°What¡¯re you hitting me for?! That¡¯s the second time today!¡± Wu Bujian slapped back at Tu Buxian, but the latter caught hold of his hand. They started fighting with each other right then and there, completely forgetting about Chen Ziqi¡¯s presence. Chen Ziqi narrowed his eyes and looked down at the little red bird. The small creature looked up innocently at him. As birds¡¯ eyes were on the side of their head, the little bird had to cock his head to one side and stare at him out of one eye. The two crown feathers on his head swayed gently with the movement. Chen Ziqi pulled gently at the two crown feathers on the bird¡¯s head and used his fingers to measure them. They seemed to have grown out a bit as well. One feather was longer than the other, and the longer feather had become very fluffy, like a dandelion that was about to bloom. Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t resist blowing at it. ¡°Puff~¡± ¡°Wang ye, there is a guest waiting for you in the front atrium,¡± Fuxi said, coming in to report. He had also brought Chen Ziqi¡¯s cloak with him. Jianyang¡¯s weather changed very rapidly. Just yesterday, it had rained nonstop, which was characteristic of autumn; today, snowflakes were flying down from the sky, and Fuxi¡¯s nose was red from the cold. A tall man stood quietly in the front atrium. He wore an indigo robe with wide sleeves, fastened at the waist with a powder blue belt. He didn¡¯t wear any accessories at his waist, and only had an old, unadorned sword hanging from his belt. The only embellishment on the sword was the Lushan Sect¡¯s signature three-layered tassel hanging from the hilt. He breathed in a calm, relaxed manner, and his posture was even and balanced, as if he were a great pine tree that wouldn¡¯t sway even in the strongest winds. Just looking at his back, Chen Ziqi could already tell that he was a highly-skilled martial artist. ¡°The weather is very cold, and I¡¯ve only just arisen from bed. I came as soon as I knew that an honoured guest had come to call. Please forgive my tardiness,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He had lived in the palace for a good seven years, and the one thing he had learnt well was how to say these polite little pleasantries. The man turned. He saw Chen Ziqi¡¯s earnest face, and immediately clasped his fists together in greeting. ¡°It is I who came out of the blue and disturbed Wang ye,¡± he said, He had straight eyebrows that slanted upwards, and a calm, unsmiling face. It was indeed the swordsman who had saved them that day at the Temple of the Earth God. Chen Ziqi¡¯s smile became much more sincere. ¡°I am very grateful for the help you gave us that day. How may I address you?¡± he asked. Ah Mu had said yesterday that this man might be his Jiujiu, and Chen Ziqi had conveniently examined his features whilst they were speaking. There really was some resemblance. Their eyebrows and eyes in particular were very similar. ¡°Ktlr bcf lr mjiifv Ol Tetjc. P jw bcf bo atf Oertjc Vfma¡¯r vlrmlqifr,¡± Ol Tetjc rjlv. Lf kjr jirb byrfgnlcu Jtfc Ildl. Ktlr mtliv tjv j qjlg bo fzqgfrrlnf qfjmt yibrrbw fsfr atja wjvf tlw ibbx ilxf tf kjr jikjsr rwlilcu. Pa kjr tjgv ab offi jcs fcwlas abkjgvr tlw. Chen Ziqi instructed servants to serve them tea, and they drank it together slowly. Chen Ziqi had overslept this morning and missed his breakfast, so the warm tea soothed his empty tummy well. Dan Yi perched on Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes, looking suspiciously at the swordsman opposite them. Li Yuhan didn¡¯t seem to be good at making conversation. He hesitated for some time before finally speaking up, as if he weren¡¯t sure of what to say. Chen Ziqi, on the other hand, was very good at making people feel comfortable. He set down his teacup and started to make small talk. ¡°That day, there were women in the carriage, and they were very distressed after we were attacked. We were worried that more untoward things might happen if we dallied there for too long, so we didn¡¯t have time to say our thanks to you. I had actually planned to go to Lushan to visit¡­¡± ¡°It was right for you to leave. Knives and swords have no eyes, and it¡¯s easy for people to be accidentally injured in the conflict,¡± Li Yuhan said. He didn¡¯t seem to want to linger on this topic, and pressed his lips together awkwardly. ¡°I came here today because I have a request to make of Wang ye.¡± ¡°Please, speak,¡± Chen Ziqi said with a smile. ¡°That day, there was a child with you. Who is he?¡± Li Yuhan said, slowly clenching his hands into fists. An official Imperial announcement had been made at the time that the lost princes were being brought back to the palace. When Ah Mu was taken away, Li Yuhan had managed to follow Ah Mu all the way to the Capital, but had fainted thereafter because he had sustained serious injuries along the way. When he awoke, he saw that the notice board on the city gates bore an announcement about ¡°The Eleventh Prince, Chen Zimu¡± in huge letters. Since that day, he had been trying to get news about Ah Mu, but the palace walls were a hundred feet high, and he had heard nothing after that day. Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyebrows twitched. This man was actually Ah Mu¡¯s Jiujiu? ¡°That¡¯s my brother,¡± Chen Ziqi said. Li Yuhan¡¯s breath caught in his throat. ¡°Is he¡­ the Eleventh Prince?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± a childish voice said from the door. He had been standing with his hands clutching the door frame for some time now, and only half his face could be seen. The other half was hidden bashfully behind the door frame. Li Yuhan¡¯s eyes widened. He was so surprised that he couldn¡¯t speak for a moment. ¡°Ah Mu¡­¡± he said, his voice thick with emotion. Chen Ziqi beckoned to the little fatty to come over. Ah Mu obediently ran in and stood next to Chen Ziqi, looking nervously at the person opposite them. He couldn¡¯t remember what his Jiujiu looked like any more, but he still remembered that he had a Jiujiu. Chang Er had brought up his Jiujiu frequently over the last seven years so that he wouldn¡¯t forget that he still had a Jiujiu who loved him dearly on this Earth. However, a whole seven years had passed, and Ah Mu¡¯s memory of what happened before he came to the palace was not very clear. He had been very young then, after all. Now that Li Yuhan was finally before him, he didn¡¯t really know how to behave; he was practically a stranger to Ah Mu. ¡°Ah Mu, I¡¯m your Jiujiu. Do you not remember me?¡± Li Yuhan said. There was some pain in his eyes as he looked at Ah Mu. Having Ah Mu snatched away from him had been the greatest regret in his life. Every day, in the dark of night, his heart ached with agony and guilt. He had failed his sister¡¯s request on her deathbed to take good care of her son. He was a failure as a brother. Before, he had not been a disciple of the Lushan Sect, but had belonged to a small sword sect. His parents died early, and he and his younger sister, Li Yuqing, depended on each other for survival. Later on, his sister had given birth out of wedlock, and when he asked her who the father was, she had refused to say. Their sect had criticised and punished her severely. ¡°The words ¡®mu¡® and ¡®zi¡¯ make up our surname ¡®li¡¯. Let¡¯s call this child Zimu,¡± his pale-faced sister had said as she gave the baby in swaddling clothes to him. ¡°Ge, I¡¯ve let you down. I always cause problems for you¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Li Yuhan pulled out a small dudou. It was clearly made for a baby to wear, and it had the word ¡°mu¡± embroidered on it. ¡°When we gave you the name ¡®Zimu¡¯, it was so that you would remember your mother. I never thought that your name would remain exactly the same after you were accepted into the Imperial family. Perhaps your mother already knew then that you were a prince¡­ Jiujiu failed to protect you, so if you don¡¯t recognise me as your Jiujiu any more, I don¡¯t blame you,¡± Lu Yuhan said somberly. These were the most words he had strung together since he entered the mansion. Ah Mu looked at Li Yuhan, and tears cascaded down his cheeks, falling to the ground with a plop. His mouth was twisted when crying as he called his uncle. ¡°Jiujiu,¡± he said, running over to hug his uncle tight. Chen Ziqi tsk-ed disapprovingly to himself. He¡¯d originally thought to try and get some benefits out of this Jiujiu before trotting Ah Mu out ¨C he and Chang Er had taken great pains to bring Ah Mu up well after all. It was only right that they get something in return for that! But this silly Ah Mu just ran over without more, and now, he couldn¡¯t even boast about the good job he¡¯d done taking care of Ah Mu. He pursed his lips in annoyance as he looked down at the divine chicken and exchanged a look with it. ¡°Tweet tweet!¡± I said this right from the start ¨C don¡¯t bring other birds¡¯ young to your nest and take care of them! Dan Yi opened his little beak to speak, but all that came out were bird chirps. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have a fief, come with me to Lushan,¡± Li Yuhan said without hesitation after listening to Ah Mu¡¯s tale of what had happened since leaving the palace. ¡°About that¡­¡± Chen Ziqi stopped this conversation from progressing further, and quickly signalled to Fuxi. ¡°Ah Mu has been brought up by my mother all these years. If you want to take him away, you need to seek her consent,¡± he said, wearing an expression of utmost sincerity. ¡°Who is trying to steal my son?!¡± A bright, confident voice sounded from within the residence, and before long, Chang Er came in, holding her skirts up so she could walk more quickly. Her expression was fierce as she strode into the main hall where Chen Ziqi was. The author has something to say: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: Eh, your mum¡¯s really fierce Qiqi: Nah, not really. She¡¯s normally very demure. This is an exceptional circumstance Birdie Gong: What exceptional circumstance Qiqi: Someone¡¯s trying to steal her child! Birdie Gong: Umm¡­ Qiqi: Why are you trembling all of a sudden Birdie Gong: Nothing, nothing. Just a reaction caused by a guilty conscience, that¡¯s all Qiqi: ¡ú_¡ú CH 48 When Li Yuhan first saw Chang Er, he could only stare blankly at her. He then got up and clasped his hands in her direction politely. ¡°Young miss, how may I address you?¡± he said. ¡°Bah. Who¡¯s a young miss?¡± Chang Er sniffed, raising her eyebrows and looking at the man holding on to Ah Mu. He had a tall, slender frame, and his features were refined and handsome. There was a deep worry line in the middle of his brows, and he looked rather awkward after she came into the room. One look at him and you could tell that this was a fellow who lived and breathed martial arts to the extent that he ignored all worldly matters, save his little nephew. He was obviously an old bachelor. Li Yuhan was rendered speechless by Chang Er¡¯s unexpected reply. He turned to look at Chen Ziqi helplessly. Chen Ziqi stood up. ¡°This is my mother, Yue Taifei,¡± he said by way of introduction. As Chen Ziqi and the new Emperor were on friendly terms at the time, the Tiande Emperor appointed Chang Er as Yue Taifei after the previous Emperor¡¯s death. ¡°Jiujiu, this is my Mum,¡± Ah Mu said rather excitedly as he ran over to tug Chang Er over. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re Taifei niangniang. My apologies if I was discourteous earlier,¡± Li Yuhan said, bowing with his hands clasped. ¡°I am Ah Mu¡¯s Jiujiu, Li Yuhan.¡± When Ah Mu called Chang Er ¡°Mum¡±, Li Yuhan was quite surprised. He thought that Ah Mu had followed Chen Ziqi to his fief because he had a good relationship with Chen Ziqi, and didn¡¯t know that he thought of Yue Taifei as his own mother. Jiujiu¡­ Chang Er frowned. She pulled Ah Mu by the collar to one side and whispered to him. ¡°He¡¯s really your Jiujiu?¡± she asked. ¡°Mmhmm.¡± Ah Mu nodded earnestly. ¡°Does he want to take you away with him?¡± Chang Er asked, glancing back at Li Yuhan. Her back was facing Li Yuhan, and before Ah Mu could reply, she started scolding Ah Mu in a low voice. ¡°You ungrateful little brat, you¡¯re gonna abandon your mum now that you¡¯ve got your Jiujiu now, is that it? This old mum here has raised you for seven years! I feel like I¡¯ve raised you just to give you away to someone else!¡± ¡°No!¡± Ah Mu shook his head vehemently. ¡°I¡¯m not going with Jiujiu.¡± Dan Yi poked his head out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes and looked at Li Yuhan. This man had very strong neili. He could probably hear everything that the mother and son pair were whispering fiercely about. Dan Yi suddenly found the whole situation hilarious. Chen Ziqi also realised this, and he stole a glance at Li Yuhan¡¯s face. There was indeed some awkwardness there, albeit so slight that he¡¯d have missed it if he weren¡¯t looking out for it. Chen Ziqi coughed lightly. ¡°This matter has quite a long history. Ah Mu entered the palace at three years old, and his palace staff were ill treating him. He rarely ate well, so much so that he lost a lot of weight and turned into a bag of bones even though he was quite plump when he first came in¡­¡± As Chen Ziqi spoke, he started to embellish the story flagrantly. Ah Mu was the pitiful young child whom no one cared about in the palace. Everyone who heard about his plight felt sorrowful, and anyone who saw his tragic state would cry a river. He, Chen Ziqi, had expended great efforts and gone through much hardship in order to bring Ah Mu over into Chang Er¡¯s care. He had schemed to make his mother rise up the ranks of the concubines, so that she could earn the right to adopt another prince. After she adopted Ah Mu, they had both taken great pains to nurse him back to health, and that was why this chubby little boy was standing before them hale and whole today. When Chang Er finished reprimanding her younger son, she saw her own little brat start to boast shamelessly about how he got Ah Mu over. She didn¡¯t expose his half-truths and simply sat down in the host¡¯s seat. Li Yuhan was very touched on hearing Chen Ziqi¡¯s story. He got up and kowtowed to Chang Er. ¡°Please accept my humble thanks for all you have done for Ah Mu all these years,¡± he said sincerely. ¡°He¡¯s my son. I don¡¯t need you to thank me for raising him,¡± Chang Er said. Ah Mu was trying to help his Jiujiu up, and Chang Er pulled him over with a sharp glare. Ah Mu scratched his head. He wasn¡¯t sure what he should do anymore. ¡°Sigh, you don¡¯t need to be so formal,¡± Chen Ziqi said, taking advantage of this situation to go forward and help him up. ¡°I have yet to thank Wang ye,¡± Li Yuhan said politely. ¡°You¡¯re Ah Mu¡¯s Jiujiu, so you¡¯re also my Jiujiu. In future, you can just call me Ziqi,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He made full use of this opportunity to get on his good side and simply recognised him as his Jiujiu. ¡°Great,¡± Ah Mu¡¯s Jiujiu said. He actually looked rather pleased. ¡°Jiujiu, have a seat,¡± Chen Ziqi said, the new form of address coming as easily to him as a duck took to water. ¡°The day before last, we saw a group of Lushan Sect people outside the Temple of the Earth God. Are they all your disciples?¡± ¡°They¡¯re my Shixiong¡¯s disciples,¡± Li Yuhan said in a warm voice. He was the Lushan Sect leader¡¯s youngest core disciple of that generation, and had only been in the sect for seven years. He had yet to take in any disciples. Jtfc Ildl mjgglfv atf mbcnfgrjalbc cjaegjiis, jcv jrxfv jybea ktja tjqqfcfv klat atf Vezlc Vfma. Pa agjcrqlgfv atja j ofk bo atf Jtjcupljc Vfma¡¯r vlrmlqifr tjv obecv atf Vezlc Vfma ijvlfr nfgs jaagjmalnf jcv tjv wjvf rbwf mgevf pbxfr jybea atfw. Itjb Vegbe kjr ijaf lc pblclcu tfg Vezlc Vfma rlrafgr, jcv jgglnfv pera lc alwf ab tfjg ktja atf Jtjcupljc Vfma vlrmlqifr rjlv. Itjb Vegbe kjr cba bcf ab ifa tfg rfma reoofg atfrf lcreiar, rb rtf xliifv akb bo atf Jtjcupljc Vfma vlrmlqifr lc delmx remmfrrlbc. One could see why both sides acted the way they did, but it was also plain to see that neither sect had the moral high ground here. Zhao Surou was considered an elder, and it was within her rights to discipline her juniors, but she had gone overboard and killed people. In the end, Lushan Sect mediated in this matter, and the Suxin Sect compensated the Changjian Sect with ten thousand taels of silver. The matter was thus considered closed. ¡°Eh? You can settle things with money?¡± Chen Ziqi said, his eyes lighting up. He never thought that disagreements in the martial arts world could be resolved using money. Had he known this earlier, he would have just recognised Li Yuhan as his uncle right then and there, then asked his Jiujiu to get justice for him and make Suxin Sect compensate him with a nice bit of silver. Li Yuhan pressed his lips together and smiled faintly. In the course of their conversation that morning, Chen Ziqi agreed with his new Jiujiu that he would go to Lushan Sect to formally visit their leader. As to the matter of Ah Mu, Chang Er refused to budge. ¡°This boy is the kind that will just deflate when you hit him with a stick. He¡¯s not martial arts material at all! If he went back with you to Lushan, he¡¯d just be bullied,¡± Chang Er retorted. ¡°If you miss your nephew, then just come here to visit him. I won¡¯t stop you. However, if you want to take him away, it¡¯ll be over my dead body!¡± Chang Er was standing protectively in front of Ah Mu, and the little boy was very happy about his mother¡¯s protectiveness. Chang Er had often reminded Ah Mu about his Jiujiu, and he had always been worried that one day, if his Jiujiu came to call, his mum would just hand him over to his Jiujiu. He¡¯d never thought that his mum would be as protective of him as she was of Chen Ziqi. ¡°My Imperial Uncle has said this before too. My body isn¡¯t suited to learn martial arts,¡± Ah Mu said pleadingly. ¡°I¡­ I want to stay with my mum.¡± Li Yuhan sighed. ¡°So be it,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi walked his new Jiujiu out of his residence personally, and many of the passers-by saw him do so. The Lushan Sect¡¯s three-layered sword tassel was very distinctive, and the news of how Chen Ziqi had been seen walking with a Lushan Sect swordsman spread very quickly to the Prefectural Governor¡¯s ears. The Prefectural Governor was born in a sword sect, and naturally had heard of Li Yuhan¡¯s good name before. He was a swordsman of peerless talent in the Lushan Sect, and right now, he was the most favoured disciple in that sect. This King Jian, who he had originally thought had no backer to count on, had actually managed to forge a connection with this important figure in a major sect! ¡°This servant heard King Jian call him Jiujiu,¡± the person who brought this news to him said. The Prefectural Governor couldn¡¯t sit still any more. He went to King Jian¡¯s Mansion with a gift in hand. This time, Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t bother hurrying out to meet him. He just left the man to cool his heels in the front atrium whilst he played with his bird in the study. ¡°Divine chicken, I really need money,¡± Chen Ziqi said, reaching up to touch the little red bird¡¯s tail feathers. ¡°This tail of yours looks like a divine phoenix¡¯s.¡± Dan Yi raised his head, then strutted around the table in a circle, proudly displaying that one tail feather of his. ¡°If I sold it, I think I could get quite a bit of money,¡± Chen Ziqi said thoughtfully, pinching the tail feather as it brushed past his hand, as if he was considering whether to pluck it off and sell it. The little red bird chirped in alarm and quickly leapt away, making great efforts to hide his tail from sight. ¡°You silly bird. I¡¯m just teasing you,¡± Chen Ziqi said, flicking its bum. This little creature treated his tail feather like its most precious treasure. Even when it snuggled in Chen Ziqi¡¯s arms to sleep, it would first arrange the tail feather carefully around itself, as if it were afraid Chen Ziqi would press on it in his sleep. If he really plucked it off, he would probably lose the favour of the Protector-God. He casually flipped through the ¡°Compendium of Gods and Spirits¡± that was next to him and looked for the entry on phoenixes. In the past, he had always thought that the divine chicken was a young chicken that couldn¡¯t seem to grow up, but now that he¡¯d seen its tail feather, he suddenly realised that it might actually be the mystical bird of lore. The image of the Protector-God in Zhanghua Temple depicted a phoenix and a dragon, after all. The book had a traditional line drawing of a phoenix. The picture showed a bird with two flowy crown feathers and a long, slender tail that was tipped with something similar to the eye of a peacock¡¯s feather. The lower part of the feather was short, neat and fluffy; much more dignified and exquisite than a peacock feather. He then read the accompanying description next to the picture, trailing a long, slender finger down the page. The finger stopped at a certain sentence. Phoenixes will not roost on any tree other than Wutong trees, and will only eat food derived from the bamboo plant. Wutong trees and bamboo¡­ Images from his time in the Cloud Palace flashed before his eyes, and an absurd notion entered his mind. Dan Yi slept in a Wutong forest and ate bamboo rice! ¡°Wang ye, the Lord Prefectural Governor has been waiting for quite a while,¡± Fuxi said, reminding him of the time. Chen Ziqi put down the book in his hand, then picked up the little red bird and stuffed it into his clothes. He raised his chin, put on an arrogant expression, then walked imperiously into the front atrium. The Prefectural Governor had already been waiting for more than two hours. He paced back and forth in the front atrium anxiously. He guessed that his attitude at the last meeting might have offended the Wang ye. He had to make it up to him properly this round. ¡°Lord Ceng, I¡¯ve kept you waiting,¡± Chen Ziqi said in an unhurried manner as he seated himself on the host¡¯s seat. The maids came in to pour tea for them. Chen Ziqi took a slow sip of his tea, then suddenly slammed the teacup down on the table, as if he were either displeased with the tea he drank or the person sitting in front of him. Prefectural Governor Ceng¡¯s heart jumped violently in his chest at the sound, and he smiled nervously at Chen Ziqi. ¡°If Wang ye doesn¡¯t like this tea, this official has brought an excellent Longjing with him. Perhaps you¡¯d like to try it?¡± he said. As he said this, he signalled to his servants to offer the giftboxes to Chen Ziqi. There were seven or eight of them in varying sizes, and it wasn¡¯t clear what their contents were. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t even look at the proffered gifts. He lowered his eyes and thought back on what the Second Prince had taught him years ago. If you want to rap a subordinate official across the knuckles, you need to use the thing that he cares about most. ¡°I only got here recently for the first time, and there were many things I didn¡¯t know. I only understood a number of things after seeking guidance from my Jiujiu. The biggest problem facing Jianyang City right now is the conflict between the Changjiang and Duanjian Sects. Since this place is mine to manage now, I will also be taking action in this matter,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He paused at this point for a bit, picking up his teacup and taking a languid sip. ¡°I am an acquaintance of Ge Hong of the Changjian Sect. When we spoke, he promised me that if one of his Shidi were to be made the Prefectural Governor, he would make sure the conflict was resolved asap.¡± Ge Hong was the leader of the Changjian Sect men who were fighting with the Suxin Sect ladies at the Temple of the Earth God that day. The Prefectural Governor broke out in cold sweat on hearing this. He pulled out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve and passed them to Chen Ziqi. ¡°Wang ye, please exercise your brilliant judgment in this matter. People from the Changjian Sect have been appointed as the Prefectural Governor before, but the outcome was no different. This situation can only be resolved by a wise and powerful King such as yourself. Just give the command, and this humble official will spare no effort to make sure your orders are carried out perfectly.¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s face was cold as he accepted the stack of silver notes. ¡°First, get the city¡¯s defences in order. They¡¯re a joke right now,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, certainly!¡± Ceng Shan said, his expression brightening instantly. He clasped his hands together and bowed repeatedly to Chen Ziqi. After he got back to his residence, he immediately got the city¡¯s defences in order. Now, Jianyang City at least had someone guarding the gates. Shortly after the Prefectural Governor left, Chen Ziqi picked up the silver notes and counted them. There were eight thousand taels in total ¨C neither a very large nor a very small sum. This money was enough to pay for his most pressing needs ¨C in the very least, maintaining the expenses of his residence weren¡¯t a problem any more. However, in order to make his fief a prosperous one, he would need to raise an army, and this sum was nowhere near enough for such an undertaking. Chen Ziqi thought hard, then sent his Brother Emperor and his Brother Second Prince a letter each. The contents of the letter were plain; it was a simple request for money. However, even if those two were willing to give some to him, the fastest it would reach him was a good ten days or half a month later. Right now, he still needed to entertain the Lushan Sect¡¯s disciples and give the Lushan Sect leader a respectable gift. Water from a faraway river was unable to quench an immediate thirst. Chen Ziqi looked at Wu Bujian and Tu Buxian, who were having a snowball fight in the yard. He would have to borrow some money from Dan Yi first. Chen Ziqi stroked the little red bird, who was sleeping soundly in the folds of his clothes. A thought suddenly came into his head. He¡¯d always wanted to show the divine chicken to Dan Yi, but somehow he¡¯d never been able to. Now he finally had the chance to show it to Dan Yi! Chen Ziqi decided to leave that very day. Brown Berry¡¯s injuries had also taken a turn for the better, and he wanted to head back to his fief in Lu City, which was in the same general direction as the Cloud Palace. They set off together as such. ¡°Why are you going back to the Cloud Palace again?¡± Chen Zimo asked. ¡°I want to let Dan Yi see my bird,¡± Chen Ziqi said proudly. ¡°What?!¡± The author has something to say: Mini-theater Qiqi: C¡¯mere, I¡¯ll show you something good Birdie Gong: What? Qiqi: My bird Birdie Gong: (/¡Ñ/v/¡Ñ/) Um¡­ let¡¯s go to my bedroom for that Qiqi: Why do we need to go to your bedroom? Here¡¯s fine Birdie Gong: Here¡¯s¡­ not very appropriate Qiqi: ??? CH 49 The weather was so bitterly cold that they couldn¡¯t travel on horseback. The two of them each rode in a horse carriage instead, and parted ways at a fork in the road. Chen Zimo was bringing Cheng Jiazhen back with him to Lu City, and Chen Ziqi headed toward the Cloud Palace. He left Tu Buxian back in his residence to protect his little fairy, and only brought Wu Bujian out with him. There was a hot brazier inside the horse carriage, and the interior of the horse carriage was nice and toasty. The little red bird hopped around energetically on the cushioned bottom of the carriage whilst Chen Ziqi leaned lazily against the backrest and extended a finger to play with the little bird. Wu Bujian tried to make himself scarce in a corner of the carriage, not daring to look at the interactions between Chen Ziqi and his bird. Chen Ziqi reached out to touch the little bird¡¯s tail feathers. The small red bird shied away initially, probably still worried that Chen Ziqi wanted to pluck it off. It flared out its little wings and hopped to one side, tilting its head as it looked at Chen Ziqi. ¡°I just want to touch it. I won¡¯t pluck it off,¡± Chen Ziqi said, his expression brimming with sincerity. The bird scratched at the fabric of the cushions. He noticed that Wu Bujian had turned a strange shade of green out of the corner of its eye, and decided that he couldn¡¯t lose face in front of his subordinates. Furthermore, the person he liked wanted to touch his tail, and that was a good thing¡­ he¡¯d let him touch it once then. Just once. The little red bird slowly walked over to Chen Ziqi¡¯s side and put his feathery tail next to his hand. Chen Ziqi was as good as his word, and only extended a finger to stroke the feather gently. He did, however, cop a feel of the little bird¡¯s fluffy butt. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird¡¯s feathers ruffled up angrily. Wu Bujian quickly stuck his head out of the carriage curtains on the pretext of giving the driver some directions, only pulling his head back into the carriage after a while. ¡°Wu Bujian, you recognise this bird, don¡¯t you?¡± Chen Ziqi said, glancing at Wu Bujian. He had a very odd, constipated expression on his face. Wu Bujian¡¯s breath caught in his throat. He looked up and met Chen Ziqi¡¯s questioning gaze, then wrung his hands and grit his teeth before answering. ¡°I do, this is the divine bird¡­¡± he said. ¡°How is it that everyone in the Cloud Palace knows?¡± Chen Ziqi wondered, pouring himself a cup of tea. He discovered it was Junshan Yinye tea, and suddenly lost his desire to drink it. He poured the whole lot out the window and made himself a fresh pot of tea. According to Dan Yi, the Junshan Yinye tea given by the Tiande Emperor was worm feed for the blackworm. The tea leaves were roasted personally by the Venom Master, and people who were blackworm hosts had to drink this tea very often in order to ensure that the blackworm in them didn¡¯t get hungry. If the blackworm was sated, it wouldn¡¯t do anything to its host unless the Venom Master ordered it to. Nonetheless, the blackworm would continue to grow inside the host¡¯s body, and after ten or twenty years, the host would die if it was not removed. Thinking this, Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help shuddering involuntarily. He wanted to quickly meet up with Dan Yi and let him check his body to make sure that he hadn¡¯t somehow picked up another blackworm along the way. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Wu Bujian stole a glance at the little red bird, trying to ask it if he could answer Chen Ziqi¡¯s question.The bird stretched out a claw and scratched its tummy. ¡°Since your Palace Master has already assigned you to me, that must mean that he doesn¡¯t intend for you to keep anything from me,¡± Chen Ziqi said, picking up the teapot from the coal brazier and making himself a pot of Longjing tea, which had been a gift from Prefectural Governor Ceng. Wu Bujian took the teapot Chen Ziqi held out, filled it with cold water and put it back on the brazier to boil. He stared at the glowing coals as he ruminated on what Chen Ziqi had said. ¡°The people of the Cloud Palace are all servants of the Protector-God, and that¡¯s why¡­ that¡¯s why we all know of this,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Servants of the Protector-God?¡± Chen Ziqi said, lowering his gaze. Lan Jiangxue had said something similar in the past. ¡°Then, Dan Yi is also the Protector-God¡¯s servant?¡± ¡°The Palace Master is different from us,¡± Wu Bujian said, his head dipping. He had told the truth, but as to how Dan Yi was different, he refused to say. The roads were long and icy, and by the time they reached the base of Jade Mountain, the sky had turned dark. Wu Bujian jumped off the horse carriage and went to call the palanquin bearers over. Chen Ziqi put the little red bird in the folds of his clothes, opened the carriage curtains and looked up at the palace on the mountain. Ktf Jibev Ujijmf kjr jigfjvs yglutais ila klat mjcvifr. Ktf kjgw olgfiluta gfoifmafv boo atf qjnlilbcr jcv atf ktlaf wjgyif bo atf Jtlcfrf-rasif yelivlcur, wjxlcu atf qijmf ibbx ilxf rbwfatlcu bea bo j ojlgsajif. C rwjii ktlaf qjijcdelc oibjafv vbkc ogbw atf wbecajlc jcv ijcvfv lc ogbca bo Jtfc Ildl. The small palanquin was carried by six people. It no longer had the thin, gauzy curtains that Chen Ziqi remembered, but thick cotton curtains that were able to block out the cold. Two men stood in front of the palanquin with covered lanterns to guide the palanquin¡¯s path. At first glance, this scene looked rather like that of a Demon King coming to collect his bride¡­ The corner of Chen Ziqi¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t use a white palanquin to carry me. It has a rather ominous feel,¡± he said. They floated up Jade Mountain on the palanquin and landed on the Roosting Platform. The arched bridge leading from the Roosting Platform to the Cloud Palace proper was covered with a layer of grass to prevent slips and falls. The ones carrying the lanterns walked ahead, leading them all into the Palace. ¡°Wang ye, you arrived very late today. Dinner is already over,¡± Lan Jiangxue said, coming out to welcome him. A servant girl stepped forward and put a foxfur cloak on Chen Ziqi¡¯s shoulders. ¡°The roads were slippery, and we couldn¡¯t go very fast,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling. He stretched out his arms to make it easier for the servant girl to fasten the cloak on his person. ¡°Where¡¯s Dan Yi?¡± Lan Jiangxue led Chen Ziqi toward a warm chamber. ¡°Wang ye, please warm yourself up and have something to eat first. The Palace Master will be with you shortly,¡± he said cordially. Warm air swirled out of the room the moment Chen Ziqi pushed open the doors. A coal brazier was burning brightly in the small room, and a few servant girls were at the side of the room, setting out plates and adding coals to the brazier. A person in brilliant scarlet clothes sat in front of the table, looking over at Chen Ziqi with a pair of mesmerizing phoenix tail eyes. Who could it be but Dan Yi? Lan Jiangxue seemed to be rather stunned, but he recovered quickly and smiled. ¡°Ah, the Palace Master is already here,¡± he said. ¡°Wang ye, please have a seat.¡± ¡°Dan Yi!¡± Chen Ziqi said happily. He couldn¡¯t help grinning when he saw Dan Yi and scooted over to sit with him. He thrust his icy cold hands into Dan Yi¡¯s clothes. ¡°Oof, I nearly froze to death,¡± he said. Dan Yi froze. Chen Ziqi¡¯s action was quite intimate, and his hands were very cold. An icy sensation spread over his body from Chen Ziqi¡¯s hands, and he reached out to pull those two wildly pawing hands out of his clothes, covering them with his hands instead. The Danyang Divine Martial Arts was a martial art based in warming yang energy, and Dan Yi¡¯s body was always warm no matter what season it was. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Dan Yi asked. He felt rather restless as he held Chen Ziqi¡¯s slender, fair-skinned hands, his heart and mind both racing like a galloping horse. He furtively extended a thumb to caress Chen Ziqi¡¯s soft palm as he warmed his hands. ¡°Definitely hungry,¡± Chen Ziqi said, turning to look at the food on the table. It wasn¡¯t just green-coloured stuff today. There was meat fried with bamboo shoots, spicy fish and dumplings ¨C all the food he loved best. His eyes lit up immediately, and he was about to pull his hands away to start eating when he suddenly remembered something. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s something I wanted to show you!¡± ¡°What?¡± Dan Yi asked, picking up the wine jar, pouring himself a cup and sipping it slowly. ¡°My bird!¡± Chen Ziqi said, reaching into his clothes to pull out the bird. ¡°Pfft-¡± Dan Yi sputtered, choking on his wine. A servant girl immediately came forward to wipe him clean, but Dan Yi waved her away. He dismissed all the servants, then took out a silk handkerchief to wipe his mouth and poured himself another cup of wine. ¡°Why did you ask the servant girls to leave?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, blinking in confusion. He then realised what Dan Yi must have thought, and punched him on the shoulder. ¡°What were you thinking? I wasn¡¯t talking about that bird.¡± Dan Yi choked again, and put down the winecup with a long-suffering look. ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°Eh?¡± Chen Ziqi patted himself all over, but couldn¡¯t find that little fluffball. He started to panic. ¡°Crap, did I drop it in the mountains on the way here?!¡± The little bird had still been in his clothes when he got off the carriage, which meant that the bird must have been lost while he was on the palanquin. The Cloud Palace¡¯s palanquin was made of bamboo, and there were only a few sticks of bamboo forming the base of the palanquin seat. There were gaps between the bamboo stems, and a small bird like his divine chicken could have fallen through them. Dan Yi saw how worried he was and had no choice but to comfort him. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said. The divine chicken always appeared in a mysterious manner every year, and disappeared equally mysteriously. Logically, it was true that there shouldn¡¯t be a problem, but why had it escaped all of a sudden for no rhyme or reason? Chen Ziqi pressed his lips together. ¡°I originally wanted to show it to you. I¡¯ve talked about it for so many years but I¡¯ve never been able to let you two meet,¡± he said. The two of us are never ever going to meet¡­ Dan Yi lowered his eyes and picked up a piece of bamboo shoot with his chopsticks to eat. Chen Ziqi looked gloomy as he picked up some meat with his chopsticks and shoveled a spoonful of bamboo rice into his mouth. The fragrant bamboo rice set off the oiliness of the meat dish and complemented it perfectly. That line from the Compendium suddenly sprang into his mind. Phoenixes will not roost on any tree other than Wutong trees, and will only eat food derived from the bamboo plant¡­ ¡°Dan Yi, is the divine bird a phoenix?¡± Chen Ziqi asked in between mouthfuls of food. ¡°You could say that,¡± Dan Yi said. He didn¡¯t really eat the meat, picking out the bamboo shoots to eat with the bamboo rice instead. Chen Ziqi looked at him and pressed his lips together. He ate a big mouthful of rice and swallowed the words he wanted to say along with the food. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, stay a few days more,¡± Dan Yi said after dinner. He held Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand as they walked toward his sleeping quarters. ¡°The martial arts world is dangerous, and it¡¯s best that you improve your martial arts skills.¡± The Cloud Palace seemed to be warmer than Jianyang, especially in Dan Yi¡¯s sleeping chambers, which were as warm as spring. Chen Ziqi rolled around in the bed, finally ending up by Dan Yi¡¯s side. Dan Yi was still looking at official documents. ¡°Is it that the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl and the Danyang Divine Martial Arts can¡¯t be mastered unless they¡¯re practiced together?¡± he asked. ¡°The Danyang Divine Martial Arts can be practiced on its own, but you can¡¯t do that for the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl,¡± Dan Yi said, not looking up from the documents he was perusing at warp speed. No wonder Dan Yi¡¯s cultivation was progressing much faster than his. Dan Yi had mastered the third level of cultivation, but he had just started learning the second level of his. ¡°The martial arts world is in turmoil lately,¡± Dan Yi said, closing the documents in his hands and frowning slightly. ¡°Get the matters in your fief settled, then come and stay with me in the Cloud Palace long-term. You should at least master the third level of cultivation before you come of age.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Chen Ziqi said absently. He slid down beneath the blankets until only half his head was showing. ¡°Also, um, Fengyuan gege¡­¡± Dan Yi¡¯s hand that was holding the document shook slightly when he heard Chen Ziqi call him by this name. He put down the document and turned to look at Chen Ziqi. ¡°Nn?¡± he said. ¡°Lend me some money,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He bit down on the edge of the blanket, showing a line of small white teeth. ¡°How much do you want?¡± Dan Yi said sliding into the blankets and extinguishing the candle flame. Chen Ziqi counted on his fingers. He didn¡¯t know when the Emperor and the Second Prince were going to lend him money, and so decided that he had better ask Dan Yi for a bit more. ¡°I need to give the Lushan Sect Leader a gift when I first meet him, and I also need to start a chicken farm¡­¡± ¡°¡­ What are you starting a chicken farm for?¡± ¡°To make money! You have no idea how poor I am right now. I might be a great first-ranked Qinwang, but I won¡¯t even be able to afford a chicken leg if I carry on this way.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The next day, Dan Yi gave Chen Ziqi a long sandalwood box. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, shaking the box a little as he hugged it to his chest. It was pretty heavy. ¡°A gift for the Lushan Sect. A treasure sword will be much better received than gold or silver,¡± Dan Yi said, looking a little displeased. ¡°Why are you trying to suck up to Lu Xiuqi?¡± Lu Xiuqi was the leader of the Lushan Sect. ¡°I¡¯m forced by circumstances¡­¡± Chen Ziqi muttered as he opened the box to have a look. A sword that was made entirely of gleaming silver lay inside. A fine blue gemstone was embedded in the pommel, and the words ¡°Õ¿Â¬¡± were carved in small letters on the sword blade. Chen Ziqi wasn¡¯t an expert on swords, but even he could tell that this sword was worth a lot of money. As they were speaking, a black-clad man suddenly came in and knelt in front of Dan Yi. ¡°Palace Master, the Wind Wing got into some conflict with the Suxin Sect on Bailu Mountain. There¡¯s one death on Suxin Sect¡¯s side, and three injured from Wind Wing. Bailu Mountain? Chen Ziqi frowned. Wasn¡¯t that where Berry Brown¡¯s mother had allegedly fallen off the cliff? The whole reason Chen Zimo was anxious to rush back to Lu City was because he had made arrangements with the Wind Wing to look for his mother¡¯s corpse in Wangchuan Cliff. The author has something to say: Mini-theater Birdie Gong: Come stay here long-term Qiqi: But I don¡¯t have money to pay the rent Birdie Gong: You can pay by other means Qiqi: What? Birdie Gong: Guess Qiqi: (hides his face) Birdie Gong: (/¡Ñ/v/¡Ñ/) CH 50 The Suxin Sect¡¯s appearance in Lu City again could only be for one thing. They were here to take Cheng Jiazhen away by force. The day before, Chen Zimo met the Wind Wing¡¯s people by chance on the way back to Lu City with Cheng Jiazhen. They passed by Bailu Mountain and went to have a look at the Wangchuan Cliff. The winds were cold and the roads were icy now, and the Wind Wing people had actually only come to tell him it wouldn¡¯t be possible to go down the cliff with the weather like this. He would have to wait until early spring for them to do the task he had hired them for. Unexpectedly, they met some Suxin Sect people, and the two groups somehow started fighting¡­ ¡°Why are the Suxin Sect people so hell bent on getting Cheng Jiazhen?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, frowning. If the Suxin Sect didn¡¯t know that Cheng Jiazhen was a fake, then how Chen Zimo wanted to treat his own mother was none of their business. It was Chen Zimo¡¯s own personal matter, and it was not their place to tell him what to do. ¡°I¡¯ll bet they know something.¡± Could it be that they were afraid the Suxin Sect would be disgraced if their dirty deeds were exposed? Dan Yi dismissed the black-clad men with a wave of his hand. ¡°Perhaps,¡± he said. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ziqi turned to look at the calm and composed Dan Yi. ¡°Is there something else afoot?¡± ¡°Reputation is certainly very important to the well-known and well-respected sects,¡± Dan Yi said, taking off the wide-sleeved outer layer of his clothes and revealing the narrow sleeved martial outfit underneath. He was preparing for martial arts practice. Chen Ziqi set down the box containing the sword and followed Dan Yi out. ¡°And?¡± he asked, deliberately asking this question in a very innocent, natural fashion. And¡­ Dan Yi stopped in his tracks and looked at Chen Ziqi, who had a most ingenuous look on his face. He had very nearly let his guard down and answered that question. Some amusement crept into his eyes despite himself. ¡°That¡¯s a heaven-class question,¡± he said. Damn, he didn¡¯t buy it! Chen Ziqi pursed his lips in annoyance. ¡°You¡¯re so petty. What do you want in exchange for the answer?¡± he asked. ¡°I want¡­¡± Dan Yi¡¯s gaze came to rest on Chen Ziqi¡¯s tender, pink lips. The bewitching feel of those lips was still vividly emblazoned in his mind, and he couldn¡¯t forget it no matter how hard he tried. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone. I¡¯ll be the only one who knows, so give me a discount,¡± Chen Ziqi said, shamelessly nuzzling against Dan Yi. ¡°Absolutely not. If the Return Tablet is someone¡¯s life, then can you kill him halfway?¡± Dan Yi said. He pulled Chen Ziqi toward the Wutong forest as he spoke. ¡°No, in that case, you should reduce it to killing that person¡¯s dog.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much of a discount.¡± ¡­ ¡­ They continued bantering in this nonsensical manner, straying further and further away from the original question in the process. The target Dan Yi set for Chen Ziqi was that he had to master the third level of cultivation by the time he was twenty. Chen Ziqi had been progressing slowly thus far, and had to be really hardworking from today onwards if he intended to reach that goal. Channel qi. Strike the opening stance. Chen Ziqi first used the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon to counter Dan Yi¡¯s Cloud Dispelling Fists as a warmup exercise. They now used neili to attack each other, and their duels were no longer the dumbed-down, neili-free version of the moves they did when they were children. The dragon wound around the phoenix, which in turn spread its wings wide and flew high into the sky. Their bodies were a blur, moving faster than the eye could see. Their moves became faster and faster. Chen Ziqi¡¯s neili was far less than Dan Yi¡¯s, and he slowly fell behind, suffering a few blows when he couldn¡¯t keep up. He bared his teeth and suddenly changed how he used the move, winding up Dan Yi¡¯s arm to jab straight at his eyes. Dan Yi countered this quickly, and Chen Ziqi immediately moved his other hand swiftly to¡­ grab his crotch! Gjc Tl uba j rtbmx. Lf lwwfvljafis mjeuta tbiv bo atf tjcv atja kjr agslcu ab qijs j vlgas aglmx, jcv qlccfv la yftlcv Jtfc Ildl¡¯r yjmx. ¡°Yk bk bk, la tegar!¡± Jtfc Ildl mglfv bea. Llr jgw kjr aklrafv yftlcv tlr yjmx, jcv Gjc Tl tjv erfv remt obgmf atja tlr ktbif ybvs tjv rqec jgbecv. Gjc Tl delmxis ifa ub atf wbwfca Jtfc Ildl sfiifv lc qjlc, jcv lc atja rfmbcv, Jtfc Ildl ktlgifv yjmx jcv ugjyyfv Gjc Tl¡¯r mgbamt. Cheep! Bullseye. ¡°Nngh¡­¡± Dan Yi groaned softly. Thankfully, he had reacted very quickly and caught hold of Chen Ziqi before he had done any real damage. However, that very mischievous hand was still clutching on to that all-important part of the male anatomy. ¡°Hehe, all¡¯s fair in love and war! I¡¯ve told you this a hundred times ¨C don¡¯t be soft-hearted when fighting,¡± Chen Ziqi said, grinning wickedly as he groped Dan Yi through his clothes. Dan Yi¡¯s breath caught in his throat, and he pushed Chen Ziqi away vehemently. ¡°Aiyo!¡± Chen Ziqi exclaimed, falling over and hitting his head against a Wutong tree root that poked out from the ground. He wasn¡¯t prepared for Dan Yi¡¯s push at all. He clutched at his head as he sat up. ¡°I didn¡¯t even use much force! What¡¯s with the big reaction? You petty creature¡­¡± Dan Yi took a deep breath. That part that Chen Ziqi had just groped was now hard, and his breath was a little ragged¡­ He didn¡¯t know what to say as he looked at Chen Ziqi, who was still crying blue murder over the whole incident and refusing to get up. He stared stiffly at Chen Ziqi for a moment, then walked over to pull him up. Dan Yi couldn¡¯t continue practicing his martial arts in this state, so they headed to the pavilion to have some tea. Dan Yi¡¯s ears were red. Chen Ziqi looked at them and grinned mischievously. He draped himself over Dan Yi¡¯s shoulders and let the latter drag him along, blowing out warm air at one of those little red ears. ¡°Your ears are red from the cold. I¡¯ll help you warm them up,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi¡¯s warm breath brushed against Dan Yi¡¯s ear and made it turn a deep shade of crimson. Dan Yi couldn¡¯t endure this any more. He pulled the human taffy off his back, slung him over his shoulders, then walked in great strides toward the pavilion. ¡°Oof, put me down! You¡¯re digging into me, ow¡­¡± Lingguan was hanging wind-blocking curtains in the pavilion, and Linghe poured two cups of freshly brewed tea for them before passing them hot towels that had been nicely wrung out. Chen Ziqi put a piece of dianxin into his mouth, then supported his chin with a hand as he silently watched Dan Yi sip at his tea elegantly. He then looked away, picked up a piece of green bean cake, broke it, and put a small piece next to Dan Yi¡¯s mouth. ¡°Eat some dianxin,¡± he said. Dan Yi nodded instinctively, lowering his head and eating the little piece of cake from Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand. He seemed to be very familiar with this mode of eating¡­ Chen Ziqi frowned slightly and was about to pull his hand back when he felt a warm tongue slide across a fingertip. His hand shook a little at the touch. Dan Yi froze after he licked that warm little finger. He realised then that he wasn¡¯t in bird form, and looked over at Chen Ziqi in a bit of a panic. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary with Chen Ziqi; he had already retracted his hand and was drinking tea noisily with his head down. The pavilion became quiet, and the atmosphere turned a little strange. The only sounds came from the kettle on the coal stove, which rattled a little as the water inside started to boil, and the sound of softly falling snow outside the pavilion. ¡­ ¡­ It wasn¡¯t urgent for Chen Ziqi to go to Lushan to formally greet the Lushan Sect leader, so he stayed a few more days in the Cloud Palace, thinking to leave when it stopped snowing. Two days later, the Suxin Sect¡¯s Zhao Surou suddenly appeared at Jade Mountain with a group of younger disciples to demand an explanation. They shouted angrily at the foot of the mountain for some time before Lan Shanyu happened to pass by on his way back from a mission. Lan Shanyu wore a thick royal blue robe with wide sleeves edged in white foxfur. His hands were folded elegantly in front of him, and one of his subordinates followed behind him carrying an umbrella. He walked slowly toward the noisy group of ladies. From afar, he looked like someone who had stepped out of a fine brush painting. ¡°Wanrou xian¡¯gu, are you here to present New Year¡¯s gifts to the Cloud Palace on behalf of the Suxin Sect?¡± Lan Shanyu said, smiling as he spoke to Zhao Surou. ¡°Pei! Your bloody Cloud Palace killed my beloved disciple for no rhyme or reason, and you still have the gall to celebrate the New Year?¡± Zhao Surou spat, glaring fiercely at Lan Shanyu. ¡°It¡¯s very inauspicious to seek revenge this close to the New Year,¡± Lan Shanyu said, still speaking in a calm, languid manner. There was actually still more than a month to the New Year. A blue sedan floated down from the mountains above. Lan Shanyu didn¡¯t bother with Zhao Surou any more, and he turned to get on the sedan. Zhao Surou blocked his path, refusing to let him leave. ¡°Xian¡¯gu, your actions are rather improper. I have to go back to report to the Cloud Palace after finishing my task. If you let me through, I can also help to report that you¡¯re here,¡± Lan Shanyu said politely. He was a gentleman, and he didn¡¯t want to attack a woman. ¡°Shifu, let Lan gongzi go and report then. Refusing to let him through doesn¡¯t seem to be a solution anyway,¡± Yuquan said softly to Zhao Surou. She was standing to Zhao Surou¡¯s side. Zhao Surou scowled at Lan Shanyu. ¡°If there¡¯s no response after we let you through, tomorrow, the whole of the martial arts world will know that the Cloud Palace people are a bunch of cowards who shrink their heads back into their shell like frightened tortoises and didn¡¯t dare to give an answer when we, the Suxin Sect, came to call,¡± she said menacingly. Lan Shanyu smiled and didn¡¯t say any more as he sat down on the sedan and floated up the mountain. After he arrived at the Roosting Platform, he channeled his qi and used the Cyclone Step to move quickly into the Cloud Palace. Lan Jiangxue and the Dark Cloud Envoy were discussing a matter in front of the Qingyun Palace when they saw Lan Shanyu speed in. ¡°Qinghan, eat this, quick,¡± Lan Shanyu said, pulling out a hot oilcloth packet and thrusting it into Lan Jiangxue¡¯s hands. ¡°That old hag was such a nag. This will get cold very soon, so eat up.¡± Lan Jiangxue opened the oilcloth packet, and the fragrance of roasted chestnuts immediately wafted out, steaming in the cold air. The contents of the oilcloth bag were still very warm, almost too warm to hold comfortably. ¡°Zhao Surou tried to stop you?: Lan Jiangxue said, offering a chestnut to the Dark Cloud Envoy, who promptly refused. ¡°I don¡¯t eat this,¡± Diao Lie said, frowning. He only liked to eat meat. Lan Jiangxue had only offered to be polite, and he cracked open the offered chestnut himself, popping it into his mouth without more. ¡°The Palace Master has already given orders. I¡¯m looking for someone to give our reply, so your timing is just perfect,¡± he said. ¡°I just got back, and you¡¯re sending me off again?¡± Lan Shanyu said, a little displeased. Just as he finished speaking, Lan Jiangxue put a peeled chestnut next to his lips. He opened his mouth and ate it. The sweet taste immediately lifted his spirits, and after warming his hands for a bit, he ran off happily to do the task. ¡°Your younger brother¡¯s very easy to please,¡± Diao Lie said, tilting his head as he looked at Lan Shanyu¡¯s retreating back. ¡°Easy to please? You try pleasing him,¡± Lan Jiangxue said, giving Diao Lie a sideways glance. He turned elegantly, still holding the bag of warm chestnuts, then walked off at an unhurried pace, the long train of his robes trailing behind him. Diao Lie scratched his head, not knowing how he had offended this fellow again. ¡°Is it okay to give this kind of response?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, looking at the nonchalant Lord Palace Master next to him. He¡¯d heard with his own ears what Dan Yi had instructed the White Cloud Envoy to do, and felt that how Dan Yi dealt with it might cause some trouble. ¡°I¡¯m already being very polite,¡± Dan Yi said, making a snowball and tossing it at Chen Ziqi¡¯s neck. ¡°Oy! A sneak attack!¡± Chen Ziqi said, shivering from the cold. He shook out the snow that had collected between his neck and collar, then grabbed a handful of snow and chased after Dan Yi to counter-attack. At the foot of the mountain, Zhao Surou had already been waiting for an hour in the wind and sleet. They finally got a reply from Dan Yi, which was repeated verbatim to her by Lan Shanyu. ¡°According to the rules of the martial arts world, it is entirely appropriate for us to kill your disciple, because you provoked us first.¡± The author has something to say: Mini-theater Birde Gong: You¡¯ve damaged it with your groping. You need to take responsibility Qiqi: I didn¡¯t use any force at all Birdie Gong: But now it¡¯s scared stiff Qiqi: How can that thing even get scared? Birdie Gong: Look, it¡¯s actually scared stiff Qiqi: ¡­ you pervert CH 51 When Zhao Surou heard this, she was so angry that she nearly keeled over. She lashed out at Lan Shanyu with her steel whip. Lan Shanyu raised a hand swiftly and flicked a golden peacock needle at Zhao Surou¡¯s face. The whip changed course abruptly to block that peacock needle, and Lan Shanyu took advantage of that opening to charge at her. ¡°Bam!¡± A solid punch landed on Zhao Surou¡¯s shoulder, causing her to slide back about three feet. She had to use her whip to grab hold of a tree trunk to stabilise herself, and a trickle of blood flowed out the corner of her mouth. ¡°Shifu!¡± ¡°Shibo!¡± A group of female disciples immediately moved forward to support her. ¡°Go away!¡± Zhao Surou said, batting away the younger disciples¡¯ hands. She stood up straight, glaring at Lan Shanyu fiercely as she held her wounded shoulder. Lan Shanyu elegantly retracted his offensive stance, then casually flicked snow off his sleeves. He hadn¡¯t become the Peacock Wing¡¯s leader at this young age simply because of his glib tongue. He had real martial arts prowess. ¡°I am but a messenger of the Palace Master¡¯s intentions. Why vent your anger on me?¡± Lan Shanyu said coldly. The smile on his face had completely disappeared. ¡°I would strongly urge you to leave at once. Jade Mountain is not the place for you to behave in this wanton manner!¡± With that, he flicked his sleeves, turned and leapt up lightly like a great peacock in flight. He didn¡¯t need a sedan this round, and he led his subordinates away, disappearing into the mountain mists. A few of the younger female disciples looked mesmerized by this sight. A handsome, powerful young man, floating effortlessly into the wintry clouds ¨C it was truly a sight for sore eyes. ¡°Shifu, who is he?¡± Yuquan asked. She had been pushed forward by some of her sister disciples, and had no choice but to lower her head and ask this question in a small voice. ¡°Hmph,¡± Zhao Surou said. She thought that her disciples were angry on her behalf and wanted to remember this villain¡¯s name. She ground her teeth, then continued speaking. ¡°The Peacock Wing¡¯s leader, Lan Shanyu. He¡¯s also known as Lan Qingchen.¡± ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s Qingchen¡­¡± ¡°Rain and light dust in the city of Wei¡­ that must be where the courtesy name comes from!¡± ¡°It sounds so lovely!¡± Zhao Surou unfortunately heard the whispered conversation between her disciples. She turned and slapped one disciple across the face. ¡°He just insulted your Shifu, and you still have the nerve to say his name sounds lovely? Have you no shame?!¡± she snapped. ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± The girl who got slapped was only about fourteen or fifteen years old. Tears ran down her cheeks as she held her face, but she didn¡¯t dare to make any complaints. She turned to look at the older female disciples who had also praised Lan Shanyu, but they all looked down, refusing to meet her gaze. The injustice rankled. They had all been talking about the same thing; why was she the only one being punished? Just because she was the youngest? The Suxin Sect people left, just like that, but Chen Ziqi felt that they wouldn¡¯t let this slide so easily. As expected, three days later, they received news that the Suxin Sect¡¯s highly skilled martial artists had laid waste to the Wind Wing¡¯s building in Lu City. ¡°The Suxin Sect disciples who attacked the Wind Wing were very powerful ¨C they were from the eldest generation of disciples. Unfortunately, the head of the Wind Wing¡¯s chapter in Lu City was out that day. Two people on our side died, and one was injured. The Lu City chapter has been burned down as well. This subordinate is incompetent and asks Palace Master to punish him,¡± the Wind Wing Leader said, kneeling before Dan Yi as he reported this. Each of the twelve Golden Wings had its own special function. The Wind Wing was part of the lower six Wings, and it had the greatest number of chapters throughout the empire. Its purpose was to buy and sell things from martial artists and the commoners, take on odd jobs, such as looking for things in the mountain, and sending messages at high speed. Its members did not engage in combat at all. As such, the Wind Wing¡¯s people were not very skilled at martial arts ¨C one only needed to master the Cyclone Step in order to work for the Wind Wing. Degclcu atf Qlcv Qlcu kjr bynlberis j wbnf jlwfv ja qgbnbxlcu atf Jibev Ujijmf. Ktlr rbga bo atlcu tjv cfnfg tjqqfcfv ktfc atf biv Ujijmf Zjrafg kjr lc qbkfg. ¡°Ktfs¡¯gf pera ajxlcu jvnjcajuf bo atf ojma atja P¡¯nf gfmfcais ajxfc bnfg atf gflcr bo atf Jibev Ujijmf,¡± Gjc Tl rjlv, tlr ujhf lms. ¡°Ktfs¡¯gf afralcu ws ilwlar.¡± To the old martial artists who had lived more than a hundred years, a sixteen-year-old Palace Master was but a little child whom they could bully at will. Chen Ziqi looked at Dan Yi¡¯s hand. The graceful bones of his hand always stood out prominently, but right now green veins could be seen jutting out because he was so angry. Chen Ziqi raised a hand and patted him on the back. ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± he asked. Dan Yi lowered his gaze and retracted the hostility in his eyes before turning to look at Chen Ziqi. He saw that Chen Ziqi was actually excited, and he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry at this reaction. ¡°Do you have a suggestion?¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m thinking, it¡¯s freezing cold right now, and it¡¯s not worth it for you to bring a bunch of people to go and hit back physically at the Suxin Sect,¡± Chen Ziqi said, an evil grin spreading across his face. He hooked a finger at Dan Yi, beckoning him to come closer, then whispered into his ear. ¡°Since the Cloud Palace knows all the secrets of the empire, why don¡¯t you get your revenge by releasing their most embarrassing secret to the world? Like, if their Abbess Wuyin has a little boy toy somewhere outside the Sect, that sort of thing.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The Wind Wing Leader nearly lost his balance when he heard Chen Ziqi say this. The Suxin Sect¡¯s Abbess Wuyin was a nun, and if she really was keeping a boy toy, the Suxin Sect would never live this down. They would probably have to pull out of the martial arts world entirely if that were true! ¡°The Abbess Wuyin doesn¡¯t have a boy toy,¡± Dan Yi said, looking slightly amused. His tightly clenched fist had now relaxed as well. ¡°I was just giving an example. I¡¯m sure you guys have something even better on them,¡± Chen Ziqi said, showing a line of white teeth as he grinned. He winked at Dan Yi. Dan Yi pressed his lips together, then smiled and reached out to ruffle Chen Ziqi¡¯s hair. ¡°Sounds good,¡± he said softly. Chen Ziqi hadn¡¯t come of age yet, and so he didn¡¯t wear a guan in his hair, but bound it together with a strip of cloth. His hair was becoming increasingly messy as Dan Yi mussed it. He slapped aside that playful hand, patted down his hair, and went off to do his own thing. Dan Yi would be dealing with official Cloud Palace matters after this, and he didn¡¯t have the patience to sit through it. After Chen Ziqi ran off, Dan Yi¡¯s expression became serious once again. He looked at the Wind Wing Leader. ¡°Go to the Qingyun Palace and receive your punishment. Also, call the White Cloud Envoy over,¡± he said. ¡°Certainly,¡± the Wind Wing Leader said. He bowed and left. The Qingyun Palace functioned as the White Cloud Envoy and the Dark Cloud Envoy¡¯s office. It was also a place where Wing Leaders were disciplined when the need arose. The Wind Wing Leader had a doleful look on his face as he entered the Qingyun Palace to look for the two Cloud Envoys. ¡°The Wind Wing is a merchant wing to begin with ¨C why didn¡¯t your people run when they couldn¡¯t defeat the Suxin Sect?¡± Lan Jiangxue said. He stood up and smoothed out the creases in his robes. ¡°They even tried to battle those old Suxin Sect nuns. Did they think they were geese?!¡± ¡°This subordinate knows he is at fault. When I return to the Wind Wing, I¡¯ll be sure to make this clear to them,¡± the Wind Wing Leader said, finally understanding what punishment the Palace Master had asked him to receive today. ¡°If you know you¡¯re at fault, then come over here,¡± Diao Lie said, smacking his right fist into his left palm with ominous-sounding thwacks. After Lan Jiangxue walked out of the Qingyun Palace, he heard a shrill shriek coming from the building behind him, but he didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid. His face was calm and peaceful as he continued walking toward Danfeng Palace. Three days later, the Cloud Palace announced that it would make a Tianwen public. This news spread all over the empire like wildfire. Not all the Wings in the Twelve Golden Wings had chapters in cities. The Wind Wing had the largest number of chapters, followed by the Crow Wing. The Crow Wing was part of the Upper Six Wings, and they had a chapter in nearly all of the larger cities. They were the voice of the Cloud Palace, responsible for answering questions posed to the Cloud Palace. On the day before the appointed day, all the chapters of the Crow Wing banged their gongs and beat their drums with great fanfare to advertise that the Tianwen would be broadcast the next day. A Tianwen was essentially the answer to a Heaven-class question. A Heaven-class question was one whose answer could not be bought with money, and now, the Cloud Palace was releasing an answer to one such question for free. This was an ultra-rare event, and all the sects that were situated near a Crow Wing sent people to listen to the Tianwen. The commoners were also attracted by the crowd and fanfare, and they gathered around the Crow Wings in the various cities to listen. Lu City and Jianyang didn¡¯t have a Crow Wing chapter because they were too remote. Lu City was a bit better than Jianyang ¨C it at least had a Wind Wing. Chen Ziqi¡¯s fief, on the other hand, was really a place that birds didn¡¯t care to shit in; it didn¡¯t even have a chapter of the Wind Wing. The Crow Wing nearest to the Cloud Palace was in Xunyang City, which was a large city under the jurisdiction of the Lushan Sect. Coincidentally, Chen Ziqi had to go to the Lushan Sect to formally visit the Lushan Sect leader, and so he dragged Dan Yi with him to Xunyang to watch the fun. The Crow Wing was surrounded by crowds of people early in the morning. All sorts of people were there ¨C martial artists from famous sects, religious persons, and even hooligans and scammers were all gathered there, looking forward to the juicy news that the Crow Wing was about to release. Chen Ziqi sat in the teahouse opposite the Crow Wing with Dan Yi. He didn¡¯t know how Dan Yi¡¯s subordinates had managed to wrangle it, but they had been able to get them the best seats in the house, at a table next to a floor-to-ceiling window nearest to the Crow Wing. It looked right into the Crow Wing¡¯s second storey, in fact. The Crow Wing looked very different from the buildings around it. Its walls and tiles were all black in colour. Even the door and window frames were black. ¡°Why did they make their entire building black?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, leaning on the railing and looking around curiously. ¡°Wang ye, you¡¯ve never heard of the saying that ¡®all the crows in the world are equally black¡¯?¡± Diao Lie said. He leaned back casually against a pillar, a strand of grass between his teeth, and raised his chin in Wu Bujian¡¯s direction. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you say that¡¯s why?¡± Wu Bujian was from the Crow Wing, and his lips twisted a little in irritation when he heard Diao Lie say this. However, he didn¡¯t dare to argue back, and so could only lower his head and reply reluctantly. ¡°¡­ Yes,¡± he said, after a pause. The Palace Master came out to play today, leaving the White Cloud Envoy in charge of matters in the palace, so the Dark Cloud Envoy had accompanied them, acting as the Palace Master¡¯s bodyguard. Whenever the Dark Cloud Envoy was around, all the Cloud Palace subordinates became as docile as doves. ¡°The Crow Wing ¨C does it actually mean the wing of a crow?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, blinking in confusion. The naming conventions of the Cloud Palace were really unique. Two cups of tea had made their home in Chen Ziqi¡¯s belly before the black building opposite opened its doors. The door that opened, however, wasn¡¯t the one on the first floor, but the door to the balcony on the second floor. A man in black wide-sleeved robes walked out in an unhurried manner and stood in front of the balcony railings, clasping a fist politely at the people gathered below. ¡°Respected martial artists, ladies and gentlemen, I am the leader of the Crow Wing¡¯s chapter here in Xunyang. Today, I have the honour of announcing a Tianwen¡­¡± The leader of this chapter had proportionate, pleasant looking facial features, but they were arranged into a permanently dejected look. ¡°Are your subordinates posted into the different Wings based on their looks?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. Dan Yi had come over to stand beside him at the window railing, and he scooted over to whisper this question into his ear. Based on his observations thus far, the Wind Wing¡¯s people were short and small-sized, and the Crow Wing¡¯s people all had dejected-looking faces. On the other hand, the Peacock Wing was full of really good-looking people. Dan Yi coughed lightly into a loosely clenched fist. ¡°Ahem. You could say that,¡± he said. ¡°Just tell us, quick! Stop being so long-winded!¡± ¡°What exactly is the question you¡¯re answering today?¡± The crowd had zero patience for this verbose preamble. They clamoured for the chapter leader to get to the point immediately. ¡°Ten years ago, the Cheng family of Lu City was massacred in a single night. Everyone knows that that family had eighty-six members, and that they were killed by the Bloodblade Tower. The Bloodblade Tower is a mercenary group, and they do not kill anyone unless someone paid them to do so. The person or persons who hired the Bloodblade Tower to kill the Cheng family will be made public today.¡± After this was said, the crowd went silent; everyone was afraid to make a sound for fear of missing out on the answer. The massacre of the Cheng family was a real mystery to the martial arts world. That family was only a small one with no real accomplishments or influence. Its martial arts was not particularly powerful, and it hadn¡¯t made enemies of anyone important. The whole martial arts world was stunned when they had suddenly been wiped out in a single night by the Bloodblade Tower. The Invincible Duo had investigated this matter for many years but had not been successful in getting an answer. Nobody knew who the person behind the Cheng family massacre was, save the Cloud Palace. The Suxin Sect had also sent a few young disciples to listen to the news. Their faces all turned white on hearing the topic of the Tianwen. They knew it was highly likely that the publication of the Tianwen was very likely to be aimed at the Suxin Sect, but they hadn¡¯t thought that it would involve digging up the Cheng family murder. Without further ado, the Crow Wing chapter leader announced the answer to the Tianwen. ¡°The one who hired the Bloodblade Tower, who is the same person that personally killed the head of the Cheng family, is the Sect Leader of the Suxin Sect, the Abbess Wuyin,¡± he said. The crowd broke into an uproar the moment the chapter leader finished speaking. The Cheng family was one of the satellite sects of the Suxin Sect, and it in fact gave tribute to the Suxin Sect every year in exchange for the Suxin Sect¡¯s protection. No one would have guessed that the one who ordered the murder of the Cheng family was the Suxin Sect itself! ¡°Nonsense!¡± A few of the Suxin Sect disciples screeched their protests, their faces pale. However, they couldn¡¯t be heard over the racket the crowd was making on hearing this earth-shaking news. The author has something to say: Mini-theatre ¡°The Qingyun Palace¡¯s Punishments are Truly Frightening¡± Qiqi: What happened to that Wing Leader? What punishment did he receive? Birdie Gong: A very scary punishment Diao Lie: Take off your clothes Wing Leader: I¡¯ve taken them off Diao Lie: Revert to your original form Wing Leader: Chirp chirp Diao Lie: Mwahaha, today¡¯s punishment will be: The Old Eagle Catches the Little Bird Wing Leader: o(>©n<)o Then what¡¯s tomorrow¡¯s punishment? Diao Lie: Tomorrow¡¯s punishment menu will be: The Old Eagle Plucks the Bird¡¯s Feathers Wing Leader: QAQ Then I pick being punished today CH 52 ¡°The Cheng family has always been loyal to the Suxin Sect, and it was wiped out, just like that¡­ that¡¯s just too cruel!¡± ¡°This really makes my blood run cold.¡± ¡°But I think the real question is ¨C why?¡± Now that one question had been answered, many more questions followed. However, the Cloud Palace was only announcing one Tianwen today, and the Crow Wing didn¡¯t say a single word more. ¡°That¡¯s what happened?!¡± Chen Ziqi exclaimed in real shock. He suddenly remembered that back when Cheng Zhou had tried to kidnap Dan Yi, he had said that the Return Tablet conditions stipulated by the Cloud Palace had been to kill the Abbess Wuyin. At the time, Cheng Zhou had thought that the Cloud Palace was deliberately trying to be difficult because it knew that the Cheng family was a satellite sect of the Suxin Sect. This was really karma. What went around, came around. This Tianwen was announced at the same time by the Crow Wings throughout the Empire, and everyone was stunned by this piece of news. Immediately following this, the small satellite sects of the Suxin Sect all started being very fearful of the latter, and the large sects were simply dumbfounded. As to why the Suxin Sect wanted to kill off the whole Cheng family, the Cloud Palace didn¡¯t say, and all sorts of wild guesses started circulating. Some people said that the Suxin Sect did it because they wanted a peerless treasure kept by the Cheng family. Some others said that the Abbess Wuyin and the Cheng family head were old flames, and the former harboured a deep hatred for him because he married women other than her and had children with them. Yet others said that the Cheng family¡¯s men were all the exclusive bedslaves of the Suxin Sect, and when Cheng Zhou started making a name for himself, the Abbess Wuyin was afraid that he would reveal this to the world. That was why she massacred the whole family to keep this secret safe. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°When the Abbess Wuyin was young, she was known as Wuyin Xianzi, and she was considered one of the most beautiful martial artists in the world. Later on, she suddenly became a nun, and everyone assumed she had done so in order to be the leader of the Suxin Sect. Now, the rumour in the martial arts world is that she did so because of a man¡­¡± Xunyang City was under the Lushan Sect¡¯s control. The Lushan Sect was a sword sect, and the people in Xunyang could therefore talk bad about a Qi Sect with impunity. These few days, the storytellers in the teahouses started spinning tales based on the rumours about the Suxin Sect. The more raunchy and incredible the tale, the more popular it was, and these salacious stories became more and more widespread in the empire. This particular tale was called ¡°The Secret of the Suxin Sect¡¯s Kept Man¡±, and it was very much a crowd-pleaser. It was told practically every day in the teahouses, and often more than once a day. Chen Ziqi sat in the private room, enjoying the story as he cracked roasted watermelon seeds between his teeth. He didn¡¯t really like to eat these seeds, but he liked to crack them for fun. When the little red bird was with him, he would feed the seeds to the little bird. Today, the seeds all went into Dan Yi¡¯s mouth. He cracked one open, pulled the seed out of the cracked shell, then put it into a small plate to his side. A hand with graceful bones would then reach out and steal that little seed. ¡°Telling people part of the answer to the question and making them guess the remainder was brilliant. The effect is even better than telling them the full answer,¡± Chen Ziqi said, grinning as he watched the expressive storyteller continuing the tale. ¡°The full answer was given,¡± Dan Yi said, picking up a cracked seed and popping it naturally into his mouth. The answer to this question was exactly what was announced. Why the Abbess Wuyin wanted to wipe out the Cheng family was another question altogether. ¡°Then, why exactly did she do it?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He stopped cracking watermelon seeds, and turned to look at Dan Yi. The latter remained silent, and Chen Ziqi pouted. ¡°I got it. This is a Heaven-class question again, isn¡¯t it?¡± Gjc Tl qgfrrfv tlr ilqr abufatfg, atfc rklqfv j wfibc rffv jcv qea la lc Jtfc Ildl¡¯r tjcv. ¡°Jgjmx bcf wbgf, jcv P¡¯ii afii sbe,¡± tf rjlv. Ktf jcrkfg ab j Lfjnfc-mijrr defralbc obg j mgjmxfv wfibc rffv? Qtja j ojcajralm vfji! Jtfc Ildl lwwfvljafis rfa ab kbgx, jcv ys atf alwf atf rabgsafiifg tjv olclrtfv afiilcu atf ajif bo ¡°Qeslc¡¯r Vfmgfa Obnf Coojlg¡±, tf¡¯v oliifv j ktbif qijaf oeii bo rffvr. Dan Yi stretched out a slender finger and ran it through the seeds on the plate. ¡°It was because of a secret book,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Even the Cheng family has a secret book? If it¡¯s such a great book, they¡¯d have become a famous sect a long time ago,¡± Chen Ziqi said disbelievingly. ¡°Perhaps it wasn¡¯t a secret book, but some treasure. I¡¯m not very clear on this point either,¡± Dan Yi said, munching on the seeds. At that time, the Cloud Palace had investigated this matter in detail, and found out that the Abbess Wuyin coveted something that was kept in the Cheng family¡¯s Jiuyin Mountain Villa. That thing couldn¡¯t be made public, and that was why she had secretly killed off the entire family. ¡°There are things that even the Cloud Palace doesn¡¯t know?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, astonished. ¡°We¡¯re not gods, and we can¡¯t possibly know everything that happens in the empire. Our reputation for omniscience is really just hyperbole,¡± Dan Yi said earnestly. Hyperbole? Chen Ziqi was dumbfounded. ¡°It¡¯s like how people talk about ¡®the foremost beauty in the world¡¯ or ¡®the most powerful sword in the land¡¯. It¡¯s just an appellation,¡± Wu Bujian explained. It wasn¡¯t as if the Cloud Palace got their news by divining the stars. Even if they had spies all over the empire, there would always be things that they couldn¡¯t find out about. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Chen Ziqi had no response; the explanation actually seemed to make sense. They got someone to send a message to Li Yuhan, after which, Chen Ziqi made Dan Yi accompany him in listening to stories in the Xunyang teahouses for another two days as he waited for Ah Mu¡¯s cheap uncle to come look for him. Because the Cloud Palace had publicized this piece of news about the Suxin Sect, the Lushan Sect was very busy of late. They had to soothe their own satellite sects¡¯ ruffled feathers, and assure them that they would never betray their own satellite sects, and at the same time, they also went to Suxin Sect¡¯s side to try to fan the flames, the better to get some small sects to change their allegiance to the Lushan Sect. When the Lushan Sect leader heard that Chen Ziqi was going to pay a formal visit, he had originally intended to decline because they were so busy. However, he changed his mind after Li Yuhan said what Chen Ziqi had told him to say. ¡°This King Jian is connected to the new Palace Master of the Cloud Palace,¡± he said. The Lushan Sect leader ruminated for a moment before speaking. ¡°We may be busy, but we should meet with a King who wants to pay a visit. Invite him here at once,¡± he said. When Dan Yi saw that Chen Ziqi wanted to go to Lushan on his own, he was rather worried. ¡°That Wife-Divorcing Lu pretends to have high morals¡­¡± ¡°What did you call him?¡± Chen Ziqi put down the sword box and dug his ear with a finger. ¡°Wife-Divorcing Lu. He¡¯s already divorced two of his principal wives,¡± Diao Lie said. This was the nickname that the Cloud Palace had given to the Lushan Sect leader. The Lushan Sect Leader, Lu Xiuqi, had always been held in high regard by the people of the martial arts world because he was known to be an upright, virtuous person. He had divorced his first principal wife because she had been discovered to be abusing the disciples of his sect, and as to his second wife, he had terminated their marriage because she had implicated the Lushan Sect in the conflict between the various sects. The people of the martial arts world called him a gentleman because every time he divorced his wives, it had all been to uphold justice and the honour of martial artists everywhere. Divorcing your wife was something that could also be said to be done for the ¡°honour of martial artists everywhere¡±? Chen Ziqi pursed his lips. The fellow was just pushing all the blame for what happened onto his wives; could he really be called a ¡°gentleman¡± for doing that? It sounded more like he was an incredibly irresponsible person. Dan Yi sent Chen Ziqi to the foot of Lu Mountain. As he watched Li Yuhan approach from some distance away, he still was unable to set his heart at ease. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come along with me?¡± Chen Ziqi asked suddenly, turning his head back toward Dan Yi. This was the first time he was going to greet a sect leader formally after leaving the palace, and he was rather nervous. If Dan Yi was by his side, he¡¯d feel a lot better. ¡°Absolutely not. The Palace Master cannot show his face so easily,¡± Diao Lie said, vetoing this suggestion immediately. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± As such, Dan Yi, Diao Lie and Wu Bujian used cloth masks to hide their faces and pose as guards. They left with Chen Ziqi, following behind him to go up the mountain. Lu Mountain¡¯s scenery was exceptionally beautiful, with many natural springs and a massive waterfall thundering down from the peak. The name of the waterfall was the Three-layered Springs. ¡°Cascading down three thousand feet into a silver river that flows for nine days.¡± This poetic phrase referred to the Three-layered Springs, and that was also where the Lushan Sword Sect¡¯s Three-layered Sword Style got its name. They climbed up the grey stone steps, and when they got to the Lushan Sect¡¯s gate, they saw a man in indigo robes leading a group of young disciples in practicing their swordsmanship. Another man wearing grey coloured robes stood on a raised platform, watching these disciples with a face full of fatherly affection. This man was the Lushan Sect leader ¨C Lu Xiuqi. ¡°Wang ye, you¡¯ve come a great distance to visit us. Please pardon my shoddy welcome,¡± Lu Xiuqi said, smiling as he walked over to greet Chen Ziqi. ¡°You¡¯re most courteous, Sect Leader Lu. I arrived in Jianyang not too long ago, but I should have come sooner. The roads were too cold and icy, which was why I put it off for a while. I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling back as he replied glibly. He was an expert in making this sort of polite conversation now. ¡°Hahaha! You flatter me. Wang ye, thank you for your kind regard of the Lushan Sect,¡± Lu Xiuqi said. He invited Chen Ziqi into the main hall to sit. Four indigo-clad men were waiting for them in the main hall. They looked to be in the same generation of disciples as Li Yuhan ¨C the eldest generation of disciples. There were also two grey-clad men in the room, likely the elders of the Sect of slightly lower rank than Lu Xiuqi. Chen Ziqi sat down in the host¡¯s seat, then raised a hand, signalling to Wu Bujian to bring the sword box forward. ¡°I¡¯ve just assumed responsibility in my fief, and I don¡¯t have anything good to give, but I managed to find a good sword. I hope you won¡¯t look down on my gift,¡± Chen Ziqi said. When the two elders saw that Chen Ziqi had only brought a treasure sword with him, their lips curled slightly in disdain. This King was really poor ¨C didn¡¯t he know that gifts should be given in pairs? ¡°Oh? What treasure sword is this? Can I have a look?¡± Lu Xiuqi asked. He might have been a morally suspect person, but he was still a swordsman at heart, and was very much obsessed with swords. The moment he heard that the gift was a sword, he couldn¡¯t wait to have a look at it. Chen Ziqi smiled as he gestured to Lu Xiuqi to do as he pleased. Wu Bujian put the sandalwood box down on the table and opened the lid. He lifted the red silk cloth covering the sword to reveal a bright silver hilt set with a brilliant blue jewel on its pommel. For many famous swords, the only thing authentic about them was the blade; the hilt was usually made more recently by someone other than the person who first forged the sword decades ago. As such, one usually couldn¡¯t recognise a sword by its hilt. Lu Xiuqi came closer and held the sword up for a look. When he saw the two words etched on the blade, his hands suddenly shook with emotion. ¡°Zhan Lu¡­ It¡¯s actually Zhan Lu!¡± ¡°What? Zhan Lu?¡± The two elders were shocked. They rose to their feet immediately and crowded round to have a look. One of them had risen so quickly that his chair had fallen over in the process. Lu Xiuqi pulled the sword out of its sheath, and the treasure sword hummed with a metallic sound. He flourished it fancifully in the air. The three old men were huddled together and crying with joy at this sight. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Chen Ziqi saw their reactions and cursed inwardly. Did that silly Dan Yi give him some really rare and famous sword for him to present to the Lushan Sect? He elbowed Dan Yi, who was right next to him. The person being elbowed didn¡¯t react at all, as if he hadn¡¯t seen Chen Ziqi grinding his teeth in frustration. ¡°Wang ye, did you get this sword from the Cloud Palace?¡± Lu Xiuqi asked, turning to look at Chen Ziqi. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. ¡°Uhuh,¡± Chen Ziqi said vaguely. Lu Xiuqi looked at Chen Ziqi with newfound respect. This sword, Zhan Lu, was the Lushan Sect¡¯s most precious treasure. A previous sect leader had traded it for the answer to a Heaven-class question three generations ago. Lu Xiuqi had assumed that Chen Ziqi¡¯s connection to the Cloud Palace was just a superficial one, but his ability to obtain this sword proved otherwise. Lu Xiuqi instructed people to take the sword into safekeeping, then put on an even warmer and more welcoming expression than he had before as he declared Chen Ziqi to be a guest of honour. ¡°Wang ye, you have already been made a King, and you can learn the martial arts of other sects now. Would you be interested in learning the Lushan Sect¡¯s sword techniques?¡± he asked. Chen Ziqi¡¯s brows twitched. He knew that Lu Xiuqi was trying to get on his good side, and he certainly wasn¡¯t going to miss this golden opportunity. He put on a sincere look. ¡°My innate abilities are too poor, and I¡¯m afraid that I would spoil the good name of the Lushan Sect. However, I really do admire the Lushan Sect¡¯s swordsmanship. I wonder if I could be an honorary disciple instead? That would make it easier for me to come and call upon you as well,¡± he said. The two hit it off as they exchanged these polite pleasantries for a while more. Lu Xiuqi waved a large hand. ¡°Wang ye is of royal blood. If you want to be an honorary disciple, then you should be my honorary disciple,¡± he said. ¡°Shifu¡­¡± Li Yuhan spoke up after having been silent all this while. He highlighted that he was Chen Ziqi¡¯s uncle, and if Chen Ziqi also recognised Lu Xiuqi as his master, it would not be appropriate, generation-wise. Chen Ziqi rubbed his chin. If he was to be given a generation-appropriate discipleship, then he would effectively be in Lu Xiuqi¡¯s grandson¡¯s generation of disciples. He didn¡¯t want that at all. ¡°Let¡¯s not conflate the two issues. When we¡¯re in the sect, I¡¯ll address you as Shixiong, but otherwise, I¡¯ll address you as Jiujiu,¡± he said, smiling. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theater Qiqi: I¡¯m taking advantage of your powerful reputation and using it for my benefit. Is that okay? Birdie Gong: Of course Qiqi: You know that I¡¯m hugging your thigh, right Birdie Gong: (extends leg) Here, hug this Qiqi: Why are you giving me a chicken drumstick? Birdie Gong: = v = CH 53 Lu Xiuqi drank the ceremonial tea offered to him by Chen Ziqi that was a necessary part of the ceremony to recognise the latter as his disciple, then brought him to meet the other disciples in the sect. With this, Chen Ziqi was now officially recognised as an honorary member of the Lushan Sect. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the¡­¡±A group of second-generation disciples came to greet Chen Ziqi, and one of them recognised him. He had been one of the disciples who went to the dilapidated temple near Lushan that day. ¡°Ling Fei, is this how you speak to your Shishu?¡± Lu Xiuqi said, glaring at that disciple. Ling Fei immediately retracted the hand that was pointing at Chen Ziqi, then clasped his hands together in apology. ¡°I acted inappropriately. Shishu, please don¡¯t be offended,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi might be a mere honorary disciple, but Lu Xiuqi held him in high regard, and the other disciples didn¡¯t dare to treat him disrespectfully. They accorded him the same respect as their other core disciple Shishus. ¡°Shifu, there¡¯s no need to walk me down the mountain. Please don¡¯t trouble yourself. I¡¯ll come to visit again at the New Year,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling as he pulled Lu Xiuqi back to stop him from accompanying him. Lu Xiuqi halted reservedly at the top of the steps as requested, and on hearing that Chen Ziqi would visit again over the New Year, his smile broadened considerably. ¡°If you meet with any difficulties, just tell Shifu. Jianyang has not been peaceful of late. I¡¯ll get Li Yuhan to bring some of our disciples and make a few rounds there,¡± he said. ¡°That would be fantastic. Please let my fellow Shixiong and Shizhi know that when they come to my fief, I will certainly entertain them with good food and wine,¡± Chen Ziqi said, flashing a brilliant smile. His purpose in coming today was precisely to get martial artists from the Lushan Sect to help patrol Jianyang and stabilise the situation there. The plans he had would go more smoothly with the Lushan Sect helping to ensure that his fief was secure. The elders remained where they were, and Li Yuhan led five or six younger disciples to escort Chen Ziqi down the mountain. Lu Xiuqi stood at the top of the steps, stroking his beard as he watched the little company disappear into the distance. ¡°Shixiong, why are you so good to that little whippersnapper?¡± one of the old men standing next to Lu Xiuqi said, frowning. ¡°Look at the guards by his side. Did you notice anything?¡± Lu Xiuqi said, smiling enigmatically at the old man. ¡°Their footsteps are unusually light, and their breathing is long and measured. The three of them are all highly skilled,¡± the two old men said, exchanging a look with each other as they tried hard to remember what those three guards had been like. ¡°Especially the one standing right next to him¡­¡± His tall, slender frame had exuded an extraordinary sense of presence. Even with his face covered and his eyes lowered, that overwhelming aura was impossible to ignore. ¡°Fluttering like clouds chasing the wind, stepping lightly like birds on snow,¡± Lu Xiuqi said. He turned to leave after throwing down this ambiguous phrase, leaving his two foolish Shidi standing there in confusion. ¡°What on earth is Shixiong saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it. It¡¯s the Cyclone Step!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The three guards with Chen Ziqi had moved in a manner that only people who had mastered the Cyclone Step could, and the two of them had actually not realised this. Only the Cloud Palace people knew how to use the Cyclone Step. Chen Ziqi managed to obtain Zhan Lu from the Cloud Palace to give to the Lushan Sect, and his guards were from the Cloud Palace¡­ this could only mean that Chen Ziqi¡¯s relationship with Dan Yi was truly exceptional. The Cloud Palace¡¯s revenge on the Suxin Sect this round was swift and sharp, like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, stunning the whole martial arts world. Everyone finally woke up and smelt the coffee; the Cloud Palace¡¯s new Master might only be sixteen years old, but he was no less ruthless than his father ¨C perhaps more so, in fact. No one on this earth was completely clean; everyone had a secret or two that they couldn¡¯t tell anyone about, and all the secrets in the world were in the palm of the Cloud Palace Master¡¯s hand. If the Cloud Palace decided they disliked you, they could just broadcast a dirty little secret of yours to the whole world ¨C there wasn¡¯t a single person who didn¡¯t feel threatened by this. The thing that was foremost in everyone¡¯s minds, therefore, was making sure they were on good terms with the Cloud Palace. The Lushan Sect disciples walked ahead, leading the way. Chen Ziqi hung back a few steps and sidled over to where Dan Yi was to whisper in his ear. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not mad that I made use of your name and reputation to get around,¡± he said a little guiltily. Dan Yi turned to look at him. ¡°If you didn¡¯t make use of my name and reputation, I¡¯d actually be offended then,¡± he said, in that lovely, mesmerizing voice of his. He gave Zhan Lu to Chen Ziqi precisely to shock the Lushan Sect into submission. Jtfc Ildl¡¯r tfjga rxlqqfv j yfja bc tfjglcu atja yfklamtlcu nblmf. Lf rajgfv yijcxis lcab rqjmf obg j wbwfca jcv gjlrfv j tjcv ab gey tlr fjgr, ktlmt ofia j ilaaif cewy jcv alcuis. Mbg bcmf lc tlr ilof, Jtfc Ildl ygbxf klat tlr ereji mtjgjmafg jcv ofia j ilaaif fwyjggjrrfv. Lf kjcafv ab rafji j ibbx ja Gjc Tl, yea gfjilrfv atja kbeiv yf oealif, rlcmf tf kjr meggfcais wjrxfv. The cloth mask on Dan Yi¡¯s face was the same shade as his clothes, and it hid the bottom half of his face completely, revealing only a pair of eyes. Those beautiful phoenix tail eyes were thrown into even sharper relief because his elegant chin and pink-tinged lips were hidden from view. Dan Yi was really, really good looking, Chen Ziqi thought to himself. Only a god or saint or fairy could be this beautiful, surely¡­ Chen Ziqi chatted with a few of the younger disciples as they journeyed on, and the reserved young swordsmen slowly started to open up. They hadn¡¯t got enough of each other¡¯s company when they got to the foot of the mountain, so they continued escorting him all the way to Xunyang City. When they got there, Chen Ziqi offered to treat them to a good meal at Zuixian Restaurant. The swordsmen lived strict, ascetic lives up on the mountain, and the moment they heard that there was good food to be had, their eyes lit up, and they practically charged toward Zuixian Restaurant with Chen Ziqi. ¡°Blim blam bam!¡± ¡°Clatter! Crashhh!¡± Just as they got to Zuixian Restaurant, they heard the raucous sounds of a fight going on. The Zuixian Restaurant¡¯s owner stood outside, looking absolutely wretched as he watched the violent scene unfold inside his restaurant. When he turned and saw the people in the Lushan Sect¡¯s signature attire walking up, he immediately ran over to beg them to help. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you still dare to talk nonsense!¡± A few female disciples of the Suxin Sect were shouting as they chased a storyteller out of the restaurant. Chen Ziqi could guess what happened with one look. They had probably heard the storyteller tell the tale of ¡°The Abbess Wuyin Meeting Her Secret Love¡±, ¡°The Kept Men of the Suxin Sect¡± or other stories of similar ilk¡­ ¡°Cease and desist!¡± the Lushan Sect¡¯s disciples shouted. They stepped forward immediately and started exchanging blows with the Suxin Sect disciples. The disciples from the Suxin Sect were three young ladies, and they were very quickly subdued by the six Lushan Sect disciples. ¡°Xunyang is at the foot of Lu Mountain, and it¡¯s not a place for you Suxin Sect disciples to kick up a fuss!¡± the restaurant owner said angrily, leaping forward and pointing at the girls with an accusatory finger. The storyteller had been shocked out of his wits, and was slumped in a corner near the door, gasping for breath. ¡°This old bag of bones is just a storyteller. I don¡¯t know how I have offended you lady martial artists?¡± he asked when he finally got his breath back. ¡°You¡¯re not to talk nonsense!¡± the youngest girl said heatedly. She was only thirteen or fourteen years old, and her young cheeks were puffed out in anger. When the passers-by understood what had happened, they started pointing and whispering amongst themselves. ¡°Ah, they¡¯re like that because they¡¯re from the Suxin Sect.¡± ¡°Oh, so they¡¯re not ashamed to keep boy toys, but they¡¯re ashamed to let people know about them?¡± ¡°What do you know? The Suxin Sect leader is supposed to be a nun, but¡­ tut tut¡­¡± The young girl couldn¡¯t move as one of the Lushan Sect disciples was holding a sword to her neck, and she was so angry and frustrated that she started crying. Her two Shijie also had very ugly looks on their faces. This was Xunyang, the Lushan Sect¡¯s territory. When other sects caused trouble here, the Lushan Sect would certainly not look the other way. With the Lushan Sect people present, the commoners also became bolder, and the things they said became more and more unpleasant. ¡°The nerve of them to show their faces at this time.¡± ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d have just jumped into a river and drowned myself long ago! I wouldn¡¯t be so shameless as to come and make trouble here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so pretty ¨C why do you need to keep little boy toys? I¡¯d sleep with you even if you didn¡¯t pay me. How about that?¡± one of the local rogues said, smiling lecherously at them. The people around him laughed uproariously at this. The young girl was sobbing even harder now. Chen Ziqi frowned slightly. He didn¡¯t like the Suxin Sect either, but humiliating a girl this way was really too much, and he decided to speak up. ¡°If you want to fight, then fight; you¡¯re not a decent man if you denigrate young girls with this kind of vulgar language,¡± he said. Li Yuhan, who had remained motionless until now, suddenly unsheathed his sword. A few of the rogues turned tail and fled, and the rest of the commoners also got a shock. The Zuixian Restaurant¡¯s owner saw that things were about to take a turn for the worse, so he quickly tried to get everyone to leave. ¡°The Lushan Sect heroes are here now. You can leave now, off with all of you,¡± he said. In the end, the Suxin Sect¡¯s people compensated the restaurant owner for the damaged tables and chairs, and the matter was considered closed. After putting the only two tables that weren¡¯t damaged together, Chen Ziqi and company feasted on the Zuixian Restaurant¡¯s excellent food. Under the influence of their sated bellies, the disciples present all readily promised to go to Jianyang in a few days¡¯ time to settle the situation there. Chen Ziqi bade farewell to the Lushan Sect people after the meal and had just left the Zuixian Restaurant when he heard a sweet, girlish voice call out behind him. ¡°Young sir¡­¡± Dan Yi turned and saw the young girl from before, the one from Suxin Sect whom Chen Ziqi had spoken up for. She was staring unblinkingly at Chen Ziqi. Dan Yi frowned subconsciously, then pulled off his mask in a single tug. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked, his tone slightly hostile. ¡°I¡­¡± the young girl looked at Chen Ziqi¡¯s guard and suddenly forgot what she was about to say. That gorgeous countenance of Dan Yi¡¯s was not a sight one saw every day, and anyone who saw him for the first time couldn¡¯t help being stunned. Chen Ziqi turned around. For some reason, seeing that girl staring vapidly at Dan Yi¡¯s unmasked face soured his mood immediately. ¡°Miss, were you calling me?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, ah, yes,¡± the girl said, looking at Chen Ziqi now. She couldn¡¯t help blushing. ¡°Thank you, young sir, for speaking up for me. You must be from the Lushan Sect, and I don¡¯t know how to address¡­ Um, I.. my name is Yuhu, Liao Yuhu. I am one of the Suxin Sect¡¯s second generation disciples. Actually, what those people said just now¡­¡± She herself wasn¡¯t sure what she was saying any more. She had wanted to explain that those rumours were untrue, but she started tripping over her own words and mixing everything up. She started crying again because she was so nervous and embarrassed. ¡°My name is Chang Qi, and you can consider me a member of the Lushan Sect,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling warmly as he offered a black-coloured handkerchief to the girl. ¡°The world is a difficult place, and there will always be problems that you cannot solve. Don¡¯t cry any more. You had better go back with your Shijie.¡± Liao Yuhu accepted the handkerchief and wiped the tears off her face. She stared at Chen Ziqi¡¯s smiley peach blossom eyes and nodded dumbly. Chen Ziqi turned and left in a grandiose manner. Dan Yi, on the other hand, had a dark expression on his face. ¡°How can you just give out your handkerchief to someone so easily?¡± he asked in a foreboding tone. A personal item like a handkerchief should not be given to others randomly, especially not to a girl. ¡°That¡¯s Wu Bujian¡¯s handkerchief,¡± Chen Ziqi said, an innocent look on his face. When he finished eating earlier, Wu Bujian had given him a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, and he¡¯d given that handkerchief to that girl after wiping his mouth with it. That handkerchief probably still had the smell of roast meat on it¡­ The world was a difficult place, and there would always be problems that you couldn¡¯t solve. That was something Xiaoru told him in the past. Earlier, one of the reasons he had taken pity on that girl was because she had looked a little like Xiaoru. He wondered how the people in Jiuru Town were getting on these days¡­ Chen Ziqi paid the Wind Wing and got them to look in on Xiaoru of Jiuru Town¡¯s Scarlet Robe Court, just to know how she was doing. Those two fellows he used to associate with ¨C Da Chen and Xiao Chen ¨C they didn¡¯t have a fixed place to stay, and he didn¡¯t know their real names, so they would be very difficult to find. Xiaoru was the lowest hanging fruit since she was always at the Scarlet Robe Court, so he decided to focus on her. Before the Wind Wing reported back on Xiaoru, the Second Prince¡¯s reply to his letter arrived. The Second Prince, Chen Zijian, the present King Wan, was much more pleasant to associate with than the Tiande Emperor, as usual. The messenger was a disciple from the Huangshan Sect, and he personally handed over a wax-sealed letter and a small box to Chen Ziqi. There were silver notes worth fifty thousand taels in the box. The letter spoke briefly about his current situation. Chen Zijian¡¯s fief was very near the Huangshan Sect¡¯s lands, and he had his maternal grandfather, who was the leader of the Sword Alliance, looking after him, so his life was fairly comfortable. The letter then spoke about recent events in the martial arts world ¨C the news about the Suxin Sect and the Cheng family. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s public knowledge now that Cheng Zhou left the palace before the ten years were up. Be careful about this Suxin Sect business¡­¡± When Cheng Zhou found out that his personal enemy, the one who massacred his family, was precisely that supposedly noble and virtuous Abbess Wuyin, and also the one whom the Cloud Palace had asked him to kill in exchange for the answer to the question he asked, he screamed as if he were possessed by the devil himself. The Tiande Emperor didn¡¯t dare to keep him, and thus consented to release him before the agreed period of service ended. King Wan¡¯s motive in telling Chen Ziqi this was to get him to pay attention to Cheng Zhou¡¯s movements, and also see if Chen Ziqi knew anything about why the Suxin Sect had exterminated the Cheng family. Chen Ziqi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡±This Second Prince has a really long arm,¡± he mused. The Second Prince knew in excruciating detail what had happened in the palace, which meant he was still very well connected to the people there. ¡°Tweet.¡± The little red bird chirped lazily as it napped on the table. Chen Ziqi narrowed his eyes and looked at the little fluffball. The little creature had appeared shortly after he and Dan Yi split ways. He had returned to Jianyang, and Dan Yi had said he was heading back to the Cloud Palace. He couldn¡¯t believe that this was mere coincidence any more. He raised a hand and put the fifty thousand taels of silver notes in front of the little bird. ¡°Divine chicken, I¡¯ve got money to open a chicken farm now, but I¡¯m lacking a stud rooster, don¡¯t you think you could¡­¡± ¡°Tweet?!¡± ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre ¡°The Catfights of the Martial Arts World¡± Commoner A: The Suxin Sect actually dares to do this sort of thing Commoner B: That¡¯s right, I hear they have a boy toy for every member of their sect Suxin Sect: It¡¯s not like that! Only our Shifu has one, the rest of us are innocent Commoner C: You still dare to argue in this situation? Stop putting on an act Commoner D: Exactly! In this sort of situation, you should be as quiet as mice CH 54 Chen Ziqi caught the little red bird that was feigning ignorance and flipped him over on his back so that he was belly-up on his palm. He poked that soft little tummy with a finger. Old Second¡¯s letter had said that he should preserve his good relationship with the Cloud Palace, and that he hoped that Chen Ziqi would introduce him to Dan Yi when spring came round. Introduce him¡­ Chen Ziqi chuckled as he fed the letter to the candle flame, burning it to ashes. It was not as if the Second Prince hadn¡¯t met Dan Yi before. What sort of ¡°introduction¡± could he give in the circumstances? What Old Second really wanted was to use Chen Ziqi¡¯s friendship with Dan Yi to get Dan Yi to do some things for him. ¡°If you didn¡¯t make use of my name and reputation, I¡¯d actually be offended then!¡± The words Dan Yi said previously rang in Chen Ziqi¡¯s mind. Everyone coveted Dan Yi¡¯s power and influence, and was trying to find ways and means to suck up to him, but Dan Yi had unconditionally offered to let Chen Ziqi make use of him. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird squirmed on his palm, wanting to go down and play. Chen Ziqi put it down and let it hop around on the table. The weather was becoming colder and colder, and the little red bird only had a thin layer of down feathers covering it. The stone table was very cold, and the little bird¡¯s feet started feeling rather frozen. It jumped on the rice paper on the table and tried to lift up one foot, but its body was too round and its legs were too short, so when it retracted one foot, the other couldn¡¯t balance its weight, and it swayed a few times before falling over. Chen Ziqi reached out to pick up the little fluffball again, then pulled gently at its skinny little bird feet. He couldn¡¯t help feeling some pity for it ¨C it was just a little chick after all¡­ Wu Bujian appeared at the door. ¡°Wang ye, the Lushan Sect people are here,¡± he reported. Chen Ziqi put the little red bird into the front of his clothes, then pushed open the door and walked out. The little creature was very pleased now that it was warm again, and it burrowed around excitedly in his clothes. ¡°Don¡¯t move so much, or you might break your tail feather,¡± Chen Ziqi said, patting the little fluffball through his clothes. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird suddenly remembered its precious tail, and immediately stopped wriggling about. It nestled into its usual sleeping place, arranged its tail carefully, and didn¡¯t move after that. Now that Chen Ziqi had dealt with the little bird, he arranged his clothes neatly, then walked imperiously into the main hall. Today was the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. If the previous years were anything to go by, the Changjian Sect and the Duanjian Sect, which were situated near Jianyang, would have a great battle in the city today. To ensure that their fight didn¡¯t cause the destruction of the entire street, Chen Ziqi had to get ready to intervene now. ¡°Shishu!¡± the Lushan Sect disciples greeted Chen Ziqi. They were all neatly attired in the Lushan Sect¡¯s uniform. Chen Ziqi smiled and returned their greeting. He took out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve and gave everyone a hundred taels. ¡°Come, take this,¡± he said. ¡°Shishu, we can¡¯t accept this,¡± a few disciples said staunchly. ¡°I¡¯m putting you to trouble on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, so Shishu has to give you some hongbao,¡± Chen Ziqi said, waving a hand and looking every bit the part of an elder. He was only fourteen though, and it was hilarious to see someone with such a fresh, young face saying something old-fashioned like this. A few of the disciples repressed their urge to laugh, exchanged looks with each other, then accepted the silver notes. The large sects were very rich, but this money wasn¡¯t usually given to their disciples to spend. The core disciples had a monthly allowance, and this was around ten taels of silver per month for the second generation of disciples. As such, a hongbao of a hundred taels was considered a very generous gift to them. Any residual misgivings about being asked to keep the peace in Jianyang immediately disappeared, and they were filled with a great enthusiasm for the job. ¡°Shishu, whom are we fighting with today?¡± one of the fat little disciples asked excitedly. ¡°Qf¡¯gf cba olutalcu jcsbcf. Tbe pera cffv ab rajcv yftlcv wf jcv ibbx wfcjmlcu,¡± Jtfc Ildl rjlv, kjnlcu jc jgw ygbjvis. Lf ifv atf ilaaif ugbeq bo sbecu vlrmlqifr bea, jcv atflg ilaaif fcabegjuf kjixfv ugjcvis abkjgv atf Qfrafgc Vagffa bo atf mlas. Cii atf rtbqr rlaejafv bc atf Qfrafgc Vagffa tjv jii mibrfv atflg vbbgr. Ktf ragffa kjr fwqas, rjnf obg akb ugbeqr bo qfbqif uijglcu olfgmfis ja fjmt batfg. As its name suggested, the Changjian Sect was one that used a longsword in its martial arts, and everyone from that sect carried a four-foot long sword on their backs. Their leader, Zhan Yuan, was known as the ¡°Heaven-Shattering Swordsman¡± in the martial arts world. The Duanjian Sect used short swords with two-foot blades, and they were known for their nimble, lightning-fast swordwork. Their leader, Wang Jing, was nicknamed the ¡°Flying Feather Swordsman¡±. ¡°Every year, on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Changjian and Duanjian Sects will have a mighty duel in Jianyang City,¡± Zhan Yuan said. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man in his thirties, and was full of confidence as he started hurling battle taunts. ¡°One day, the world will know that the Changjian Sect is the home of true swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Pah! There¡¯s no martial art under the heavens that cannot be defeated by speed. As long as we¡¯re fast enough, our short swords can defeat a thousand martial arts!¡± Wang Jing said, smiling coldly. ¡°Zhan Yuan, you should stop blowing your trumpet. Last month, you just lost to me, and you still dare to talk big today. Aren¡¯t you afraid lightning will strike your tongue?¡± ¡°Shing!¡± The Changjian Sect people unsheathed their swords, and the two sects started battling in earnest. ¡°Alright!¡± A bright young voice rang out. Everyone turned their heads in unison to see Chen Ziqi dressed in the daily-wear robes of a King, sitting on a rooftop and clapping languidly as he looked on with great interest. ¡°Who are you?¡± Zhan Yuan asked, frowning. He pointed his sword at Chen Ziqi. ¡°I am Chen Ziqi, and I¡¯m the King of Jianyang City,¡± Chen Ziqi said, leaping off the roof gracefully. The ten people wearing Lushan Sect uniforms suddenly came forward and stood behind him in a single row. Wang Jing got a shock when he saw the Lushan Sect people appear. He¡¯d heard that this King had a relationship with the Lushan Sect, but he hadn¡¯t thought it was good enough to get so many Lushan Sect disciples to come to Jianyang City. He sheathed his sword, then clasped his fists in Chen Ziqi¡¯s direction. ¡°Greetings to Wang ye. I am the Duanjian Sect¡¯s leader, Wang Jing.¡± ¡°My name is Zhan Yuan!¡± the Changjian Sect leader said. He didn¡¯t want to lose out and introduced himself as well. ¡°I have been looking forward to meeting you both,¡± Chen Ziqi said, returning a martial artist¡¯s greeting to both of them with a smile. ¡°I only recently arrived in Jianyang, and this is my first time meeting the two of you. It is my honour to do so.¡± They made polite conversation for a short while. The two sect leaders weren¡¯t sure what exactly Chen Ziqi had come here to do. The Changjian Sect thought that Chen Ziqi was friendly with the Governor, and was probably here to help the Duanjian Sect; conversely, the Duanjian Sect remembered what the Governor had told them ¨C that Chen Ziqi had said he was close to an important disciple in the Changjian Sect, and thought he might be here to help the Changjian Sect. The three of them all looked at each other guardedly. ¡°Why don¡¯t the Changjian Sect and the Duanjian Sect go to Changduan Hill to duel?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, a curious look on his face. ¡°Changduan Hill?¡± Zhan Yuan and Wang Jing exchanged a confused look. They had never heard of this Changduan Hill in all their years of existence. ¡°I¡¯ve looked at the map of Jianyang, and there¡¯s a small hill named Changduan Hill five li outside the city, where the ancestors of your two sects used to have their duels. I originally thought you two would have it out there. I never thought you¡¯d use the Western Street of Jianyang instead,¡± Chen Ziqi said, giving them a sympathetic look, as if they were missing out on something amazing. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of this before?¡± Wang Jing asked suspiciously. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right ¨C Changduan Hill is in the Lushan Sect¡¯s village, and ordinarily, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to go there,¡± Chen Ziqi said in a regretful tone, pretending to have only just remembered this detail. He indicated that he could bring them there to have a look. There really was a little village five li away from the city which was in the Lushan Sect¡¯s territory. The soil in Jianyang City had a high sand content, and it was not very good for growing food crops, but beans and yellow ginger could be grown in this kind of soil. There was a small, sandy slope there that was very eye-catching. Wu Bujian walked forward and brushed away some sand at the base of the hill, revealing a stone tablet with words carved on it. The words looked to have been eroded by the passage of time, and the stone tablet had also fallen over and become buried in the sand. The words ¡°Changduan Hill¡± could be faintly seen inscribed on the stone. ¡°There really is such a place!¡± Zhan Yuan and Wang Jing were beside themselves with emotion. They both honoured their sect ancestors greatly, and were very pleased to have found the place where their ancestors had their duels. They were only following the usual practice they knew when they dueled in Jianyang. Today, they discovered that the ¡°Jianyang¡± their ancestors spoke of was actually this small hill outside Jianyang City. For the Changjian and Duanjian Sects to duel on Changduan Hill ¨C nothing could be more apt or appropriate. ¡°I have already spoken with the Lushan Sect leader, who is also my benefactor, and I have bought this village from the Sect. This Changduan Hill now belongs to me,¡± Chen Ziqi said, lifting his chin slightly in an arrogant manner. Zhan Yuan frowned. ¡°Now that we have found this place, our sects will have all our duels here moving forward. Wang ye, if you have any conditions for our usage of this place, please state what they are,¡± he said. Wang Jing narrowed his eyes but didn¡¯t speak. He waited for Zhan Yuan and Chen Ziqi to bargain with each other. ¡°Haha, since I¡¯m getting along so well with you two Sect Leaders, why don¡¯t we become sworn brothers? If we do that, what¡¯s mine is yours, and your sects can come here anytime to have your duels,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling. ¡°I may be young, but I am also a disciple of the Lushan Sect, and my master is the Lushan Sect Leader. I trust that becoming sworn brothers with me will not sully your good names.¡± Eh? The two sect leaders were stunned. They looked at the group of Lushan Sect disciples lined up behind Chen Ziqi, then at the long-disused Changduan Hill. The word on the street was that the Lushan Sect Leader held this new disciple in very high regard, and that the genius swordsman Li Yuhan was also his relative. Chen Ziqi himself was an Imperial Prince, and there were many benefits to becoming sworn brothers with him. ¡°Dear brother, we both are willing, so long as you do not disdain us,¡± Wang Jing said, quickly recognising Chen Ziqi as his brother before Zhan Yuan could object. The Western Street was thus saved. They lopped off a chicken head, burnt yellow paper, and performed the ritual to become sworn brothers. From this day forward, Jianyang City would be at peace, and he could start building up the City¡¯s capabilities. ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird stuck its head out and chirped in dissatisfaction. How could Qiqi just randomly make sworn brothers everywhere?! ¡°Yo, why is this chick red?¡± Zhan Yuan asked in surprise, moving in for a closer look. He heard that Chen Ziqi intended to open a chicken farm in this small village, and both he and Wang Jing heartily approved of this plan. Currently, there were many people who practiced martial arts, but very few who planted crops and reared livestock. Even though they both were sect leaders, they weren¡¯t able to eat meat on a regular basis. ¡°This is a good idea. Food is in short supply right now,¡± Wang Jing said, sighing. ¡°There are some large sects that are rearing chickens though, and if you suddenly barge in on their business, they might take offence.¡± There were rules to rearing chickens?! Chen Ziqi pursed his lips disapprovingly. The Jingang Sect¡¯s chicken farm seemed to operate fine, and even sold its chickens to commoners ¨C how could it possibly be that serious? It was the middle of winter right now, and it wasn¡¯t too late even if he bought chicks at the start of spring. Chen Ziqi gave Changduan Hill over to the two Sect Leaders, telling them to use it at will before the New Year. If they dueled a bit more, they¡¯d even help to loosen the soil in the area, the better to open his chicken farm. ¡°What a great coincidence that there¡¯s a hill there called ¡®Changduan Hill¡¯,¡± Ah Mu said curiously to Chang Er. Chang Er rapped her younger son¡¯s head. ¡°You silly wooden block,¡± she said. Ever since Chen Ziqi heard about the annual duel between the two sects, he immediately spared no effort to buy over this village. He had then commissioned a stone carver to inscribe the stone and bury it near the hill. Since there wasn¡¯t actually a Changduan Hill, Chen Ziqi simply made one. The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Birdie Gong: We can also discuss swords on Changduan Hill Qiqi: What about swords would we be discussing? Birdie Gong: We can discuss how long and short the swords are, and the speed of the swords¡­ for example, my long sword right here Qiqi: Why do you need to take off your pants to show me your sword? _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï*)_ Birdie Gong: My sword is hidden in my crotch. It¡¯s coming at you now Qiqi: Mm¡­ it¡¯s too deep _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ïo)_ Birdie Gong: It can¡¯t be helped, my sword is long Qiqi: Then what other types of swords do you have? Birdie Gong: There¡¯s a faster sword, a slower sword, and seven swords in one night! Qiqi: ?(? ???¦Ø??? ?)? CH 55 In the blink of an eye, it was the New Year. There were definitely some people who would not be having a good New Year this year. It was customary for the large sects to give New Year gifts to their Alliance and Confederate Heads. The Abbess Wuyin went personally to Liuhe Sect and met with the Qi Confederate Head, Luo Hongfeng. ¡°The Suxin Sect has become a laughingstock in the empire, and all sorts of nasty rumours are being spread about us. The Sword Alliance, in particular, is laughing fit to kill themselves,¡± the Abbess Wuyin said. She was wearing a silvery white Buddhist cassock, and she was sitting in the Liuhe Sect¡¯s main hall, asking the Qi Confederate Head to help quell the rumours and suppress the matter. Provoking the Cloud Palace in retaliation had been Luo Hongfeng¡¯s idea to begin with. Now that they¡¯d gotten themselves into deep trouble with the Cloud Palace and suffered the Cloud Palace¡¯s brutal counter-attack, it seemed only right to her that Luo Hongfeng should help to fix the problem. Luo Hongfeng sat on the host¡¯s seat, sipping languidly at his tea. ¡°They¡¯re only baseless rumours. People will forget this in time, and it will die down naturally. If you take some positive action, it will actually be counterproductive,¡± he said. ¡°Baseless rumours? These ¡°baseless rumours¡± you speak of are far from ordinary rumours ¨C my Suxin Sect disciples don¡¯t even dare to step out of our sect grounds any more!¡± the Abbess Wuyin said angrily, slamming her hand down on the table with force. She fixed Luo Hongfeng with a cold glare. It wasn¡¯t just about those ugly rumours. More importantly, the Suxin Sect¡¯s satellite sects were all starting to show tell-tale signs of defecting to other sects. Luo Hongfeng frowned slightly. He ruminated on this for a while before replying. ¡°Well it¡¯s not that difficult to fix the situation. First, tell me, what exactly did you get from the Jiuyin Sect¡¯s mountain mansion?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s an internal matter of the Suxin Sect. Confederate Head, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overstepping?¡± the Abbess Wuyin said, somewhat offended. The Qi Sects may have originated from the same source, but they had separated into their own separate denominations for centuries now, and there were some things that the Qi Confederate Head had no power over. ¡°Hmph. If you won¡¯t say anything, how am I supposed to fix this for you?¡± Luo Hongfeng said, smiling coldly. He walked over to the Abbess Wuyin and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Tell the truth. Did the thing you obtained have to do with the Grandmaster¡¯s Will?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The Abbess Wuyin glared back fiercely, refusing to back down. She bit out her reply, enunciated every word with sharp precision. ¡°This nun has said many times before ¨C the Suxin Sect does not have any Will in its possession!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The Abbess Wuyin and Luo Hongfeng parted on this bad note. There was no resolution on the issue of the rumours being spread about the Suxin Sect, so the latter could only close its doors and decline receiving visitors. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go down the mountain! Those people look at me as if I¡¯m some kind of prostitute!¡± Yuhu protested. She was the youngest, and was always being bullied by her Shijie. They wanted her to go down the mountain to buy supplies again, and she refused to do it this time. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a baby. The villages below the mountain all belong to the Suxin Sect. Who dares to say anything bad about you?¡± one Shijie said, trying to coax her to do as they wanted. ¡°You¡¯ve never been down the mountain. What do you know?¡± Yuhu said. She started to cry. ¡°Enough!¡± Zhao Surou snapped. She happened to walk by and saw these few disciples quarrelling, and immediately went to stop them. ¡°If you¡¯re all so free, then go and sweep the snow in front of the front atrium!¡± Everyone went quiet immediately. Yuhu sniffled, her head down. Every time her Shijie bullied her, her Shifu always just let the matter slide and never looked into the specifics of the matter. She secretly clenched her hand around a black handkerchief. These Shijie that she spent practically all her waking moments with didn¡¯t treat her even half as well as a complete stranger had. The Heavenly Fairy Peak was covered in white snow, making the roads slippery and icy. This was where the Suxin Sect was located. No other sects came to visit, and it was a very cold and desolate New Year for them. Chen Ziqi¡¯s New Year celebrations, in contrast, were very lively. He had just made two new sworn brothers, and he had to send them New Year¡¯s gifts as well as go to the two sects to drink wine with them. Of course, he received gifts in return from them as well. Chen Ziqi took out some of the treasures that he had brought with him from the palace to give to his two sworn gege. The Changjian Sect¡¯s return gift was two carts of carrots and cabbages, and the Duanjian Sect gave him a live pig and two huge jars of preserved salted vegetables. Jtjcu Sg ibbxfv ja atf ylu oja qlu klat j ugjalolfv fzqgfrrlbc. ¡°Ktfrf vjsr, la offir ilxf kf¡¯nf gfaegcfv ab atja alwf ktfc sbe kfgf j xlv ¨C ktfc wfja kjr gfjiis tjgv ab mbwf ys,¡± rtf rjlv. Aljcsjcu kjr j vfrbijaf qijmf, jcv fnfc lo sbe tjv atf wbcfs, sbe wluta cba yf jyif ab olcv wfja ab yes. Chen Ziqi felt rather ashamed of the whole situation. ¡°In spring, I¡¯ll open a chicken farm, and things will get better. You can have chicken soup and chicken legs at every meal,¡± he said. ¡°Do I look like I really need meat to you?¡± Chang Er asked, rolling her eyes at Chen Ziqi. What she was worried about were her children ¨C if they didn¡¯t get enough meat to eat, they might not grow up tall and strong. ¡°I don¡¯t lack meat either,¡± Chen Ziqi said, grinning. He pulled out the sleepy little bird from his clothes. ¡°I bring some wherever I go.¡± ¡°Tweet!¡± The little red bird immediately came fully awake. ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see you eat it,¡± Chang Er said, her eyes rolling even more violently now. This son of hers had a little red chick with him every winter, and she had no idea where it came from. Chen Ziqi looked at the fluffy little red bird. He then opened his mouth and slowly stuffed the bird¡¯s head in. ¡°Tweet tweet tweet!!!¡± The little red bird chirped frantically, fluttering its little wings in shock. ¡°Thwack!¡± A sharp smack landed on Chen Ziqi¡¯s skull. ¡°You¡¯re not to play with the chick like that! Bird heads are very dirty!¡± Chang Er said, her brows raised so high that they nearly disappeared into her forehead. She pulled the little bird from Chen Ziqi¡¯s hands and took out a hanky to clean the bird¡¯s feathers, which were wet with saliva. ¡°Spit out the feathers in your mouth at once.¡± Chen Ziqi grabbed the little bird back and put it back into his clothes, then made a face at his mother. Wu Bujian was standing at the side, and he was completely shell-shocked by this whole exchange. If Chen Ziqi had accidentally bit down on the little bird¡¯s neck¡­ he had better persuade his Palace Master to return to the Cloud Palace as soon as possible. That was probably for the best. The little red bird disappeared that night. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t know if it was because it had left in a temper after his little stunt earlier that day, but it didn¡¯t appear again for that whole month. The little bird only came back the next month, and at that time, Chen Ziqi had bought newly hatched chicks to start his chicken farm. The whole area around Changduan Hill had been fenced up, save that slope on Changduan Hill where the two sects had their duels. As the days became warmer, flowers started blooming, and the whole village was carpeted with newly sprouted green grass. Chen Ziqi had negotiated with Prefectural Governor Ceng to buy over the stale grain in the government warehouses at a low price to feed his chickens. ¡°Tweet tweet cheep cheep chirp chirp¡­¡± a group of fluffy little yellow chicks were gathered in a pen and cheeping noisily. He had about three hundred little chicks, a number that was neither large nor small for a chicken farm. Chen Ziqi leaned on the fence and felt very pleased as he looked at the little yellow chicks. When he had collected chicken eggs in the farmlands as a little boy, he had always wondered when he could have a chicken farm of his own. He thought it would be so great to be able to eat all the chicken he wanted. ¡°Where did you manage to buy so many chicks?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, turning to look at Wu Bujian. ¡°Jingang Sect, Wuying Sect, Stone Corpse Clan ¨C all these sects have chicken farms. I asked the Wind Wing people to help me purchase them,¡± Wu Bujian replied honestly. This sort of simple task was best given to the Wind Wing to perform, especially as it involved buying goods from a few places. ¡°Having this Wind Wing is really convenient. Can you ask your Palace Master to set up a Wind Wing in Jianyang as well?¡± Chen Ziqi said. He pulled the little red bird out of his clothes and bent down to put the red chick amongst the little yellow ones in the pen, thinking it would find it fun to play with fellow chicks. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask the Palace Mas¨C ahh!¡± Wu Bujian exclaimed in horror in the middle of his sentence when he saw what Chen Ziqi was doing. ¡°Wang ye, you shouldn¡¯t do that!¡± Dan Yi didn¡¯t have time to react before he was deposited into the chicken pen, and the dour stench of chicken faeces nearly made him keel over. ¡°Tweeeeeet!!¡± he chirped loudly. That clear, crisp sound was very different from the cheeping of the yellow chicks. In a trice, all the yellow chicks moved back in unison, giving the little red bird a wide berth. ¡°Cheep cheep cheep cheep¡­¡± All the little yellow chicks huddled together, shivering in fright as they looked at the little red bird. Chen Ziqi looked impassively at this scene. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re really the King of Birds ¨C even the chickens are afraid of you,¡± he said softly. The little red bird was tilting its head and staring at Chen Ziqi. When he heard this, he suddenly stiffened, then lifted his little head proudly. If you knew that I¡¯m the King of Birds, then how dare you toss me into a chicken pen?! Chen Ziqi chuckled as he took the little red chick out of the pen and instructed Wu Bujian to pass him a handkerchief so that he could wipe the bird¡¯s little feet. ¡°I was only pulling your leg. Don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll crack some melon seeds for you in a bit,¡± he said. He returned the handkerchief to Wu Bujian. As he was leaving with the little bird in his arms, he saw a crowd of people gathered in front of the chicken farm and asked Wu Bujian who they were. He then found out that these were all commoners who had responded to their call for farmhands. In addition to the chicken farm, Chen Ziqi had bought a large plot of land that could be used to plant crops, and they had put out an advertisement for farmhands to work the fields. The salary he offered was high, and the area around the chicken farm enjoyed the protection of the Changjian and Duanjian Sects, so it was very safe and secure. These were good conditions in which to work, and many people came forward to apply for the job. ¡°I can till ten mu of land single-handedly! I am also very good at clearing land for farming and working the plough. I don¡¯t need a salary ¨C I only need three square meals a day!¡± a burly man said, squeezing to the front and making this fervent plea. ¡°If you¡¯ve got so much strength, why don¡¯t you plant your own fields?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, walking over. He¡¯d seen the register that Prefectural Governor Ceng had given him previously ¨C all the commoners had land to their name, and he was confounded as to why they all looked like they hadn¡¯t had a meal to eat in ages. ¡°There¡¯s no way to plant on our own land¡­¡± a middle-aged lady behind the burly man cried. ¡°The world is in a mess ¨C how can commoners like us farm in peace? Whatever we grow gets stolen or snatched by other people!¡± These people did not know that Chen Ziqi was the vassal King of their area. They saw that he was well-dressed, and thought he was a manager or butler of some sort that was close to the King, so they spoke their minds frankly. Of the people who practiced martial arts, about half of them were in recognised sects, and the other half were wandering martial artists that didn¡¯t belong to any organisation. In truth, these wandering martial artists were no better than robbers and thieves. They took advantage of their martial arts prowess, using it to snatch food and steal money from commoners who didn¡¯t have any martial arts ability or a strong backer protecting them. When they lodged complaints against these wandering martial artists with the local government offices, the answer they got was always that ¡°what happened in the martial arts world stayed in the martial arts world¡±, and there was never any investigation into the matter. Those wandering martial artists were never punished for their misdeeds. As time went by, nobody wanted to plant the fields any more, and the farmlands they owned were no better than wasteland. Everyone went to work for a sect instead, with the result that there were vast tracts of arable land that weren¡¯t being farmed. This was also why Jianyang¡¯s population had shrunk so greatly over the years. Chen Ziqi sighed. If this trend continued, then the parts of the empire that were still controlled by the Emperor would slowly turn into empty cities, and the power of the Imperial family would one day be reduced to nothing. ¡­ ¡­ Now that the weather was warm and the flowers had bloomed, it was also time to return the debts that had been accumulated over the winter. King Wan, Chen Zijian sent another letter to Chen Ziqi, saying that he hoped Chen Ziqi could introduce him to the Cloud Palace Master soon. Chen Ziqi pressed his lips together, looked at the little red bird dozing off next to his hand, then started writing a reply. ¡°¡­ this younger brother has not seen Dan Yi in many years. We aren¡¯t that close any more. When I last saw Dan Yi, his personality had changed greatly, and he¡¯s quite difficult to get along with¡­ the Emperor¡¯s actions have angered the Cloud Palace. It has been three months since I last met the Phoenix King, so I think it¡¯s better to proceed with caution in this matter¡­¡± In short, Chen Ziqi¡¯s point was that he was no longer close to Dan Yi and wasn¡¯t able to make the introduction. He would only be able to do so after he had fixed his relationship with Dan Yi. ¡°Hmph. This good brother of mine only knows how to take my money, but he doesn¡¯t give me any returns on my investment,¡± Chen Zijian said, smiling coldly as he burnt Chen Ziqi¡¯s return letter. He directed his next question at the subordinate standing behind him. ¡°What has he been doing recently?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been clearing land for farming and buying chicks for his chicken farm¡­¡± the spy said, reporting back honestly on what he had found. ¡°A chicken farm?¡± King Wan was flabbergasted. That fellow wanted fifty thousand taels from him to start a chicken farm?! The fifty thousand taels certainly wasn¡¯t just to start a chicken farm. Chen Ziqi also needed to return Dan Yi the money he had borrowed. In the Cloud Palace, Dan Yi looked at the twenty thousand taels of silver notes and didn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°This is part repayment for the silver I borrowed from you previously, and also the money I owe you for the treasure sword, Zhan Lu,¡± Chen Ziqi said, a little distracted by the feathery crown on Dan Yi¡¯s head. Dan Yi pushed the stack of silver notes back to him. ¡°Keep it. You can repay me slowly later,¡± he said. ¡°What, you find this amount too little?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, raising an eyebrow. He had borrowed ten thousand taels from Dan Yi previously, and added in an extra ten thousand for Zhan Lu. That was why he had returned twenty thousand taels of silver to Dan Yi. ¡°Zhan Lu is worth ten thousand taels of gold,¡± Dan Yi said blandly. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre ¡°So long as your gongfu is powerful, you can grind a steel sword into a sewing needle¡± Qiqi: Dafuq, why are all the things you give worth ten thousand taels of gold Birdie Gong: I have money Qiqi: I have no money Birdie Gong: Then pay back in instalments Qiqi: How will the instalments be like? Birdie Gong: Practice sword skills with me (/¡Ñ/v/¡Ñ/) Every day, we¡¯ll practice once, and your debt will be paid in twenty or thirty years¡¯ time Qiqi: ??? CH 56 He shouldn¡¯t have forgotten this. This fellow Dan Yi had piles and piles of money and was probably richer than God himself. He¡¯d received a gift of a little jade horse from Dan Yi as a child, and that had already been worth ten thousand taels of gold, let alone an ancient treasure sword¡­ Chen Ziqi silently took back the twenty thousand taels of silver notes and kept them in his sleeve. ¡°Actually, you can return me the ten thousand taels of silver first,¡± Dan Yi said after thinking for a bit. He was worried that Chen Ziqi wouldn¡¯t dare to borrow money from him any more if he didn¡¯t accept at least a bit of repayment. He stretched out his hand to accept the money. ¡°Thwack!¡± Chen Ziqi smacked his hand down on Dan Yi¡¯s palm. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say I could slowly pay it back? What, are you regretting that now?¡± Chen Ziqi said. Dan Yi: ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The situation in Chen Ziqi¡¯s fief was stabilised for now, so he stayed at the Cloud Palace to focus on cultivating his martial arts skills. The Cloud Palace in spring was a truly beautiful place. Brilliantly coloured flowers and lush greenery could be seen everywhere, and birds of all kinds chirped charmingly in the trees. The snow at the mountain peak melted, and the runoff turned into little streams that meandered down the mountain stones and moistened the newly sprouted grass. The little droplets of water clung to the leaves and glittered prettily in the warm sunlight of spring. ¡°Why do I feel like there are more birds on this mountain than usual?¡± Chen Ziqi said. They had eaten their lunch and were having a stroll along one of the covered corridors. He saw a gorgeous white peacock next to the edge of the stream, and couldn¡¯t help pausing and leaning over the railings to have a closer look at it. ¡°Nn,¡± Dan Yi acknowledged vaguely. He stopped when Chen Ziqi did. That peacock was pure white from its crown feathers to the tips of its tail. Its long tail feathers extended gracefully behind it like a long train on a formal robe, brushing gently against the little wildflowers growing by the stream. The smooth lines of its body cut an elegant figure as it walked languidly by the edge of the stream. The clear water reflected that beautiful bird perfectly, and the whole scene looked like one depicted in a fine ink painting, so breathtaking that one couldn¡¯t take one¡¯s eyes away from it. It suddenly spread its wings and flew to a stone in the centre of the stream, its feathers falling prettily over the bare grey rock, turning that otherwise nondescript stone into a highlight of the beautiful scenery. Chen Ziqi had seen peacocks in the Imperial palace before, but they weren¡¯t as good-looking as this one. Every little feather on its body was exquisite beyond belief. On the opposite bank of the stream, a few dark-coloured peahens that didn¡¯t have tail feathers looked adoringly at that fairy-like white peacock. If the white peacock opened its tail, these few peahens would probably fight over who would get to lay eggs with him. However, that white peacock merely perched on that rock, preening its feathers and ignoring all the looks directed at it. ¡°Awoo~¡± A long peacock call rang out in the distance. Chen Ziqi looked up and saw a brilliant blue peacock fly down from rocks to the southwest of the stream. The beautiful eyes on its tail feathers gleamed handsomely in the sunlight, truly a sight to behold. When the peahens saw the blue peacock arrive, they found new hope, and stretched out their necks as they waited for the blue peacock to begin its mating dance. The blue peacock was indeed more enthusiastic than the white one. It leapt to the side of the stream and checked its reflection in the water, then started preening itself vigorously. It had many layers of thick tail feathers, and if it were to open its tail, it was likely to display a full set of beautiful tail feathers. The peahens looked on expectantly. As females, they had to remain reserved and dignified, and so they pretended to look around aimlessly, as if they didn¡¯t care about the arrival of the blue peacock. Chen Ziqi found this very interesting. He sat down on the wooden bench flanking the corridor to watch what was happening down below. ¡°The third month is when birds court their mates,¡± Dan Yi said simply, sitting down beside him. ¡°Shh.¡± Chen Ziqi put a finger to his lips to ask Dan Yi to keep quiet, afraid that the noise would scare the peacocks away. Ktf yief qfjmbmx olcjiis olclrtfv jggjculcu lar ofjatfgr. Pa rageaafv jgbecv fifujcais ys ragfjw, jr lo la kjr qeaalcu bc j rtbk obg atf ylgvr bc atf bqqbrlaf yjcx. Coafg rageaalcu ilxf atlr obg j ktlif, la revvfcis rabqqfv, ojmfv atf ragfjw, jcv bqfcfv lar ajli lc j oijrt. Ktja fifujca ylgv rajgafv lar wjalcu vjcmf lc atf kjgw rqglcu reciluta, agslcu ab jaagjma atf jaafcalbc bo atf ylgv la ilxfv. Par yief jcv ugffc ajli ofjatfgr ojccfv bea jcv rkjsfv klat atf qfjmbmx¡¯r wbnfwfcar, gfoifmalcu atf kjgw reciluta boo lar mbibegoei, uifjwlcu ofjatfgr. ¡°Kyaa! Kyaa!¡± The peahens opposite started calling out in excitement. The white peacock perched on the stone looked disdainfully at the blue peacock that was dancing the mating dance with all its might, then continued to preen its feathers as if it hadn¡¯t seen anything at all. ¡°Ah! He¡¯s too handsome! I want to lay a nest of eggs with him ¨C no, make that ten nests of eggs!¡± ¡°Such beautiful tail feathers! I haven¡¯t seen anything like it in ages!¡± ¡°Ahhh!!!!¡± The white peacock found the noise made by the peahens very irritating, and it slowly got to its feet, spread its wings, and flew back to the grass beside the stream, preparing to leave. When the blue peacock saw this, it immediately leapt in front of the white peacock, blocked its path and fanned out its tail feathers. ¡°Are they fighting over mates?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, watching the scene in great fascination. He heard that when two peacocks were fighting over peahens, they would compete to see whose tail feathers were more beautiful. ¡°No¡­¡± Dan Yi said, pressing his lips together. The white peacock didn¡¯t seem to want to have anything to do with the blue peacock. It turned and tried to move off in the other direction, but the blue peacock blocked it again. The blue peacock did its best to show off how handsome it was, dancing in a circle around the white peacock while fanning out its tail dramatically. ¡°Kya¡­.¡± The peahens on the other side of the stream were stunned into silence. The blue peacock danced vigorously for some time more, but it finally got tired. It saw that the white peacock didn¡¯t seem to be moved by its efforts, and it looked rather despondent as it gave up, the nine crown feathers on its head drooping dejectedly. At this very moment, the white peacock shook out its feathers and slowly opened its snow white tail. ¡°Awoo!¡± The blue peacock called excitedly, fanning out its tail again and hopping over to the white peacock, stretching out its neck for a nuzzle. The two huge fans created by the open peacock tails came together, blocking the two peacocks¡¯ bodies from view. No one could see what was happening behind those two tails. A moment later, both peacocks closed their tails and spread their wings, flying into the air together. They circled each other in mid-air as if they were dancing, then slowly disappeared into the distance. The peahens by the stream could only gape in astonishment as they watched them fly off. ¡°Uh¡­ why are two male birds¡­¡± Chen Ziqi began uncertainly, pointing at the two birds that had disappeared into the mountain mists. ¡°Two male birds can also be mates. Nothing odd about that,¡± Dan Yi said, his face expressionless. ¡°Eh?¡± Chen Ziqi blinked in surprise. He felt like something had just been torn open in his head¡­ Dan Yi¡¯s eyes were amused as he pulled him off toward the Wutong forest. Chen Ziqi¡¯s martial arts skills had not improved in the days he¡¯d been apart from Dan Yi. He couldn¡¯t progress further without Dan Yi¡¯s Danyang Divine Martial Arts, and he was too lazy to revise the things that he had already learnt. Now that he was at the Cloud Palace, the martial arts cultivation monster Dan Yi dragged him to the Wutong forest to practice martial arts every single day, and Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t slack off even if he wanted to. ¡°For the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl, once you¡¯ve got your cultivation to the second level, you can manifest your neili externally, or transfuse your neili into other people,¡± Dan Yi said. He asked Chen Ziqi to start circulating his power and try pushing his neili out of his palms. Chen Ziqi followed his instructions, circulating neili in his body and then focusing them in the palms of his hands. His hands started to get warmer and warmer. Dan Yi stood behind Chen Ziqi and pushed outward with him. The two did movements that were opposite to each other, but it produced an unexpectedly harmonious effect. The second level of the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl was called the Withered Wood Dragon Howl, and the highlight of this move was to meet all change with unswerving consistency. ¡°Standing firm like an old, withered tree, not moving even if the eight winds blow, turning yang energy into yin energy, a dragon dancing in the spring breeze.¡± As they were performing this move, Dan Yi used his mesmerizing voice to recite the formula of the second cultivation level of the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl. Chen Ziqi concentrated all the neili in his body in his palms, stood firm on his two feet, then pushed out his neili with his arms moving like a roving dragon. ¡°Fwoosh!¡± He managed to manifest his neili by¡­ making a little leaf flutter. Chen Ziqi curled his lips in disgust and retracted his qi. He turned to look at Dan Yi. ¡°What¡¯s this about turning yang energy into yin energy?¡± he asked. The Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl was all about harmony between yin and yang energies. However, the Roving Dragon moves were all heavier on yin energy. There wasn¡¯t much yang energy to begin with, so what was this about turning yang energy into yin energy? ¡°Negative yin embraces positive yang, and the mixing of the two energies brings harmony,¡± Dan Yi said, pulling him down to sit cross-legged on the floor facing him. He reached forward with one hand and pressed his palm against Chen Ziqi¡¯s, their fingers pointing up, then transfused some of his neili into Chen Ziqi through their connected hand. ¡°Try it.¡± The neili of the Danyang Divine Martial Arts felt much hotter than that of the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl. Chen Ziqi felt his whole body heat up immediately, as if he had suddenly found himself in a hot, dry place. He regulated his breathing and accepted this warm energy into his meridians, then used his own neili to wrap around Dan Yi¡¯s. Yin and yang balanced each other out, and that hot, dry feeling disappeared. ¡°Return me some of the harmonised neili. I want to see how it is,¡± Dan Yi said. The hand that had been pressed against Chen Ziqi¡¯s had not moved away during this whole process. When he saw that Chen Ziqi had harmonised the neili, he asked him to transfuse some of it back to him. ¡°Okay!¡± Chen Ziqi said. He found this very interesting. The harmonised neili felt very soft, supple, and gentle, and he pushed it back into Dan Yi¡¯s body in one go. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Dan Yi groaned, frowning. He pulled back his hand immediately and panted as he pressed his hands to his chest. ¡°What happened?¡± Chen Ziqi asked in shock. He quickly went over to support him. Dan Yi slowly drew in a breath, then gave him a pained smile. ¡°Do it slowly. Are you trying to give me internal injuries by pushing the neili over that quickly?¡± he said. ¡°Ah¡­ so sorry about that,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He scooted over behind Dan Yi to let him lean on his body, then rubbed Dan Yi¡¯s chest to try and make him feel better. Actually, Dan Yi had only felt a brief stab of pain when the neili entered his body. Their two neili were complementary to begin with, and it was not that easy for Chen Ziqi to hurt Dan Yi with his neili even if he wanted to. Dan Yi pressed his lips together in a smile, leaned on Chen Ziqi and continued to teach him. ¡°Let¡¯s try something else. Try sucking out some of my neili,¡± he said. ¡°Huh? You can even suck someone else¡¯s neili?¡± Chen Ziqi asked in surprise. Ordinarily, neili had to be given willingly, and it wasn¡¯t that easy to suck away someone else¡¯s neili against his will. There were techniques of passing neili to other people in various martial arts disciplines, but there weren¡¯t any techniques for forcefully extracting neili. ¡°You can only extract my neili,¡± Dan Yi said, taking one of Chen Ziqi¡¯s hands and putting it between his collarbones. ¡°Remember to go slowly. Don¡¯t suck me dry.¡± Chen Ziqi raised his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m milking you. How could I suck you dry?¡± he asked. As he spoke, his face suddenly broke into a wicked grin, and the hand on Dan Yi¡¯s collarbones moved away, reaching naughtily into Dan Yi¡¯s clothes and pinching a little bean on his chest. ¡°Nn¡­¡± Dan Yi¡¯s face immediately turned bright red, and he pushed Chen Ziqi aside as if he had been scalded by hot water. He stood up and glared at Chen Ziqi with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Chen Ziqi had fallen over as a result of that hard push and he used his hands to break his fall. He grinned mischievously at Dan Yi, laughing without any sense of shame whatsoever. ¡°Why are you behaving like a girl? I just touched you a bit. There¡¯s no need to have such a big reaction,¡± he said. ¡°Hmph!¡± Dan Yi flicked his sleeves disdainfully and turned to leave. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t go,¡± Chen Ziqi said, climbing to his feet and chasing after Dan Yi. ¡°Look at you, all huffy again. Can¡¯t you take a little joke?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I was in the wrong, okay? I¡¯m sorry. How about I let you touch me back?¡± Chen Ziqi offered, doing his best to soothe Dan Yi¡¯s ruffled feathers. He was genuinely afraid that Dan Yi would react the same way he did three years ago and ignore him for two years in a fit of anger. ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°What¡¯s good?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Birdie Gong: It¡¯s the third month, and the mating season for birds again Qiqi: You¡¯re also a bird. Aren¡¯t you going to engage in courtship? Birdie Gong: I am courting someone Qiqi: (stares) Using just one feather? Birdie Gong: It may only be one feather, but it¡¯s very durable Qiqi: (plucks) How do you use it? Birdie Gong: QAQ CH 57 Chen Ziqi was dead beat after being forced to spend a whole day practicing martial arts. When they got back to Dan Yi¡¯s sleeping quarters, Chen Ziqi was so tired that he didn¡¯t even feel like moving a single finger. ¡°Wang ye, the bathing pool is ready. Would you like to take a bath?¡± Linghe said, smiling. ¡°Mm¡­ maybe later,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He was lying prone on the bed, and flipped himself over lazily, not wanting to move a muscle. However, his body was sticky with sweat, and it wasn¡¯t comfortable to sleep in that state. He dawdled for quite some time, but in the end, he had no choice but to climb out of bed, pull off his outer clothes and head into the bathroom. The bathing pool was situated in the room next to the bedroom. Chen Ziqi walked over on bare feet. The two servant girls weren¡¯t there, and the only thing that could be heard was the gentle sound of water gurgling into the pool. He pushed aside the layers of curtains at the entrance and saw Dan Yi there, his long hair fanning out behind him as he sat in the water with his back to Chen Ziqi. His broad, solid shoulders and a pair of graceful shoulder blades could be seen. Chen Ziqi stripped naked in a trice, then leapt exuberantly into the water, making a big splash. Dan Yi got splashed all over, and after he shook the water off his head, he saw a certain someone wriggle over to his side like a slippery little fish and burst out of the water violently. Droplets of water slid down that youth¡¯s fair-skinned neck, running down his lightly muscled shoulders and arms. He looked particularly alluring in the candlelight that illuminated the bathroom. Dan Yi¡¯s body suddenly felt hot. He frowned, then moved his body a little awkwardly in the water. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to wait a bit before bathing?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s so boring to bathe alone,¡± Chen Ziqi said, sidling over and sitting next to Dan Yi. They¡¯d always bathed together as kids, so Dan Yi probably wouldn¡¯t mind this, right? The two of them sat next to each other quietly, with only the bubbling sound of the little stream that fed water into the bathing pool breaking the silence. ¡°How about I wash your hair for you?¡± Chen Ziqi suggested, leaning against the stone wall and reaching out a lazy hand toward Dan Yi to play with his hair. Recently, he was addicted to flirting outrageously with Dan Yi. This fellow went red in the face at the drop of a hat, and it was just too much fun to tease him. Dan Yi turned to Chen Ziqi and frowned. Chen Ziqi looked incredibly mischievous right now. He thought back on what his dad had said to him previously. ¡°You have to present yourself as cold and powerful, and use your aura to overpower the other party. You¡¯ll be able to achieve your desired outcome easily if you do so.¡± Dan Yi suddenly caught hold of the hand that Chen Ziqi was using to play with his hair. Chen Ziqi turned to look at Dan Yi, and found that his expression had changed significantly. His eyes were dark, his face was cold, and he looked exactly as he had when Chen Ziqi had first seen him in the main hall of the Cloud Palace after three years. His overwhelming aura made anyone in his presence gasp for breath. He swallowed hard. In truth, he was actually quite afraid of this version of Dan Yi. ¡°Fengyuan gege, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, sounding absolutely obedient and submissive. The corners of Dan Yi¡¯s mouth couldn¡¯t help but curve upwards slightly. This fellow always called him Fengyuan gege the moment he got scared. He pulled Chen Ziqi toward him, his arms passing under Chen Ziqi¡¯s armpits and locking firmly behind him, trapping him between his arms. ¡°When will you be letting me do the thing you promised today?¡± he asked. ¡°What did I promise?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, feigning ignorance. ¡°That you¡¯d let me touch you back¡­¡± Dan Yi said. His ears couldn¡¯t help but turn a little pink when he said this, but he did his best to suppress it. He circulated his qi to force down the blood that was threatening to rise onto his cheeks, compelling himself to remain a calm and aloof appearance. ¡°Mlcf olcf olcf. P¡¯ii ifa sbe abemt, sbe qfaas mgfjaegf,¡± Jtfc Ildl rjlv, qegrlcu tlr ilqr. Lf qertfv tlr mtfra obgkjgv abkjgv Gjc Tl klat j ibbx bc tlr ojmf atja rjlv atja tf kjr yflcu bqqgfrrfv ys j asgjcclmji Blcu. Ktja rifcvfg, sbeatoei mtfra kjr cbk gluta yfobgf Gjc Tl¡¯r fsfr. Gjc Tl ribkis gjlrfv j tjcv jcv qijmfv la ja atf yjmx bo Jtfc Ildl¡¯r cfmx, ktlmt ibbxfv fnfc wbgf ibcu jcv rifcvfg atjc ereji yfmjerf bo atf kjs tf kjr rajcvlcu. Ktf offi bo atja rwbbat, reqqif rxlc wjvf tlr olcufgalqr agfwyif, jcv tf ribkis wbnfv tlr batfg tjcv abkjgv atf alcs mtfggs bc Jtfc Ildl¡¯r mtfra¡­ Chen Ziqi wrinkled his nose. This fellow¡¯s slow and deliberate actions were starting to make him feel weird. The sound of a sweet little moan made the both of them stiffen. Chen Ziqi raised a hand to cover his mouth, stunned. He then pushed Dan Yi aside, climbed out of the bathing pool and fled. Dan Yi got pushed hard before he could react. He fell backwards and choked on some water that went down the wrong passageway. He got out of the bathing pool, shook the water out of his ears, then put on his clothes and used his neili to blow-dry his hair as he walked toward the bedroom. When he got to the side of the bed, he found Chen Ziqi hiding in the blankets with his hair all wet. The whole pillow was soaked through with the water from his hair. Chen Ziqi felt someone climb onto the bed, and after that, a warm hand supported his head. Hot neili flowed out of Dan Yi¡¯s palms as his fingers moved back and forth in his hair. After Dan Yi ran his hands through Chen Ziqi¡¯s hair once, Chen Ziqi¡¯s hair was completely dry. He poked a head out of the blankets, saw that Lingguan and Linghe had both left, then quietly heaved a small sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t uncurl from the foetal position he was in. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dan Yi asked, burrowing into the blankets and reaching out to pull Chen Ziqi into his arms. Chen Ziqi had curled into a little prawn in bed and tried to cover his crotch awkwardly with his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t move. It¡¯s hard¡­¡± he mumbled. Youths who had just hit puberty were always oddly embarrassed by the changes in their body. Chen Ziqi only dared to say this much because he and Dan Yi had been childhood friends. Dan Yi stared blankly at Chen Ziqi for a bit, then realised what Chen Ziqi was talking about. Because of his touch earlier, Qiqi was¡­ Dan Yi felt his whole world brighten up at this realisation. Dan Yi put out the candle with a single finger, and after taking a deep breath, slowly pressed his chest against Chen Ziqi¡¯s back. He spoke quietly, trying to calm Chen Ziqi down. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. This isn¡¯t anything to worry about¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± Chen Ziqi mumbled in a small voice. He wasn¡¯t an idiot, and he knew that he¡¯d be okay after resting for a while. He just found it embarrassing that he¡¯d had a reaction to his good friend touching him. ¡°How about¡­ I teach you?¡± Dan Yi said, his ears turning red again. Thankfully, the lights were out now, and nobody could see anything in the darkness. His hands extended toward Chen Ziqi¡¯s nether regions as if his hands weren¡¯t his own any more, and were possessed by something else. It wasn¡¯t as if Chen Ziqi hadn¡¯t done things like this before by himself. He was a curious youth after all. However, the feeling of having it held by someone else was very different. Dan Yi¡¯s fingers were strong, slender, and warmer than an average person¡¯s hand. Chen Ziqi tried to resist initially, but he soon was overcome by his own desire. Afterward, he felt that just having his own member pleasured wasn¡¯t enough, so he flipped over, buried his face in Dan Yi¡¯s chest and gripped Dan Yi¡¯s. Well, they said that it was rude to receive without giving something in return. The bright moon climbed up past the tops of the Wutong trees and shone into the quiet sleeping quarters through the window, illuminating the two youths beneath the gauzy curtains in the midst of exploring a pleasure that they had never experienced before. The next morning, Chen Ziqi opened his eyes and felt some stickiness on his body. He couldn¡¯t help frowning, trying to recall if he had bathed last night. And then¡­ BOOM. The room was quiet, but Chen Ziqi felt something explode inside his head. He wriggled about in bed for a bit, then sat up. He turned stiffly, looking at the part of the bed next to him. The person who usually slept there was long gone. Dan Yi had to get up early to deal with official matters in the Cloud Palace and had left when he was still sound asleep. For some odd reason, Chen Ziqi felt relieved. He exhaled quietly, then lay back down on the bed and covered his face with one hand. He thought back on the previous night. He seemed to have done something rather inappropriate. He could still feel that strange sensation in the palm of his hand. Dan Yi¡¯s voice had been so mesmerizing, and his body temperature had been much higher than his, probably because of the Danyang Divine Martial Arts he practiced¡­ As he thought about this, his thoughts started to stray in a strange direction. Chen Ziqi rubbed his face, then got up to wash up and put on his clothes. He strolled out casually, and without meaning to, ended up next to the little stream where he¡¯d seen the peacocks yesterday. ¡°Wang ye, why are you up so early?¡± Lan Shanyu asked, flying down from the direction of the Jade Bamboo Peak, a little bamboo box in his hand. He smiled as he greeted Chen Ziqi. ¡°Big Brother Lan,¡± Chen Ziqi said, looking curiously at the little box Lan Shanyu was holding. ¡°What¡¯s that in your hands?¡± ¡°Ah, Qinghan was tired out last night, so I¡¯m bringing him something good to eat,¡± Lan Shanyu said, grinning widely. Goodness knows what Lan Shanyu was thinking about, but his grin got wider and wider, and if it got any bigger, the corners of his mouth would probably reach his ears. Chen Ziqi stared at him suspiciously. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Lan Shanyu asked. Chen Ziqi¡¯s intense stare was giving him goosebumps all over. He shut that grinning mouth of his, then looked carefully at Chen Ziqi¡¯s expression. ¡°Wang ye, you look a little troubled. Is something bothering you?¡± Chen Ziqi did actually have a question to ask him, and now that Lan Shanyu had broached the topic, perhaps he might as well¡­ He hesitated for a while before speaking up. ¡°Big Brother Lan, have you¡­ um¡­ have you and Qinghan gege ever¡­ um¡­ done this for each other before?¡± He made an up-and-down motion with his hand as he spoke. Lan Shanyu got it immediately. A wicked smile spread over his face, and he wiggled his eyebrows at Chen Ziqi. ¡°Hehe. Of course,¡± he said. Eh? Chen Ziqi scratched his head. So, this was a common thing to do between good friends? He felt his mood lighten considerably on hearing this answer. By the time he went to look for Dan Yi to eat breakfast, he didn¡¯t feel awkward any more. ¡°Qiqi, about last night¡­¡± Dan Yi picked up a piece of bamboo rice steamed cake with his chopsticks and held it out to Chen Ziqi, then stopped speaking. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s perfectly normal for good friends to do that. Don¡¯t mind it,¡± Chen Ziqi said, clapping Dan Yi on the shoulder. He stretched his neck forward and bit the offered steamed cake, eating it with great gusto. Who told you this is normal?! What do you mean by ¡®don¡¯t mind it¡¯?! Dan Yi¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°I have to say though, when you do it for me, it¡¯s even better than when I do it myself,¡± Chen Ziqi whispered, after looking around to check that no one was around. ¡°Let¡¯s play again like that another day.¡± Dan Yi¡¯s despondent mood suddenly brightened considerably. He looked at Chen Ziqi for a moment, then sighed helplessly. ¡°Qiqi, grow up quickly, okay?¡± he said. ¡°I also want to grow up quickly,¡± Chen Ziqi said, putting half a piece of steamed cake into his mouth. If he ate a bit more, he¡¯d grow faster. ¡°You talk as if you¡¯re a grown up, but you¡¯re only sixteen yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m seventeen this year.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m already fifteen this year!¡± This childish exchange continued until the meal was cleared and tea was served. Wu Bujian came forward to make a report. ¡°Wang ye, one of the ministers who reports to King Wan has arrived in Jianyang with gifts. The gifts seem to be two women, and he wants to see you,¡± he said. ¡°Women? What women?!¡± Chen Ziqi asked, frowning slightly. ¡°Apparently, they were sent to enter your houyuan¡­¡± Wu Bujian started. After he said the words ¡®houyuan¡¯, he felt an indescribably overpowering aura press down on him so hard that he could barely even breathe, let alone continue speaking. Wu Bujian felt his Palace Master¡¯s cold stare on him, and couldn¡¯t help breaking out in a cold sweat. He raised a hand and slapped himself lightly across the face. He didn¡¯t know what was wrong with what he said, but he was certain that crow mouth of his was to blame again. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre ¡°A Crow Mouth Always Gets Itself Into Trouble¡± Wu Bujian: It¡¯s bad, someone gave Wang ye some beauties! Birdie Gong: Shut that crow mouth of yours Wu Bujian: It¡¯s bad, the Palace Master has gone insane and is vomiting blood! Qiqi: Shut that crow mouth of yours Wu Bujian: It¡¯s bad, the toilet bowls in the Cloud Palace are all clogged up! Diao Lie: Shut that crow mouth of yours Wu Bujian: You can¡¯t blame me for clogged toilet bowls, can you?! Diao Lie: If I don¡¯t blame you, then who am I to blame? Do I blame the toilet bowl, then? Wu Bujian: QAQ CH 58 ¡°Do you intend to go back?¡± Dan Yi asked, lowering his gaze and swirling the tea in his cup slowly before looking up at Chen Ziqi again. ¡°I¡¯ll probably go back for a bit to see what Old Second is up to,¡± Chen Ziqi said, after some consideration. He had better return quickly so that the Second Prince didn¡¯t find out about his habit of living outside his fief for long periods of time. If the Second Prince discovered this, things wouldn¡¯t look very good for him. ¡°What are you planning to do with those two women?¡± Dan Yi asked, pressing his lips into a thin line. ¡°I¡¯ll just take them in, I guess,¡± Chen Ziqi said nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯d be a waste to turn them away.¡± Dan Yi put down the cup in his hands abruptly and left the room without another word. Chen Ziqi gulped down his tea in two mouthfuls then chased after Dan Yi. ¡°Hey, wait for me¡­¡± Linghe came over to clear the cups. Just as she picked up the Palace Master¡¯s cup, the white porcelain shattered into a dozen pieces with a tinkling sound. Dan Yi accompanied Chen Ziqi to the Roosting Platform. His gaze turned icy as he watched the little sedan floating away into the distance. ¡°Get people to keep an eye on King Wan, and also¡­ keep an eye on Qiqi. If anything happens, report to me immediately,¡± he said. ¡°Certainly,¡± the Dark Cloud Envoy Diao Lie said immediately. If the White Cloud Envoy had been here, he would definitely have asked why the Palace Master had a change of heart; wasn¡¯t he the one who said that the Cloud Palace subordinates were not to conduct surveillance on Chen Ziqi? When Lan Jiangxue found out about this, the spies had already been sent out. Lan Jiangxue yawned deeply as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was wearing a brand new, snow-white spring robe, and he let his hardworking younger brother put a blue belt on him. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Lan Jiangxue asked, looking at the blue belt. He had always used silver or white-coloured belts in the past. ¡°Exchanging feathers,¡± Lan Shanyu said happily as he fastened the silver belt on himself. ¡°This way, other girls won¡¯t look at you with covetous eyes any more.¡± Which girl would look at me covetously? Lan Jiangxue snorted derisively, but he didn¡¯t object to what Lan Shanyu was doing. ¡°Wang ye has reached the second level of cultivation?¡± Lan Shanyu asked his Palace Master. He had walked all around the Cloud Palace before finally locating Dan Yi in the Wutong forest, standing in the pavilion there. ¡°He¡¯s only about halfway there,¡± Dan Yi said. He folded his hands behind his back as he looked up at the tall Wutong trees around him. ¡°If Wang ye isn¡¯t by your side, then you cannot start practising the fourth level of cultivation,¡± Lan Jiangxue said, his brows creasing slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell Wang ye about this?¡± Gjc Tl rtbbx tlr tfjv. Lf aegcfv ab ibbx ja Ojc Aljcuzef, jcv tlr fsfr lwwfvljafis ofii eqbc tlr yfia. ¡°Pr atja Hlcutjc¡¯r ajli ofjatfg?¡± tf jrxfv. ¡°Ctfw,¡± Ojc Aljcuzef mbeutfv, offilcu j ilaaif jkxkjgv. Lf ygbeuta tlr tjcvr obgkjgv, erlcu tlr ibcu ktlaf riffnfr ab yibmx atf raglxlcuis yief yfia ogbw nlfk. ¡°Ktf Zjgalji Cgar Jtjwqlbcrtlq klii yf tfiv lc atgff sfjgr¡¯ alwf. Ujijmf Zjrafg, sbe rtbeiv rajga wjxlcu qgfqjgjalbcr cbk. Ildl lr j ubbv ybs, kts vbc¡¯a sbe fzqijlc atlr ab tlw mifjgis¡­¡± ¡°I have my own plans,¡± Dan Yi said, waving away Lan Jiangxue¡¯s concerns. Chen Ziqi returned to his mansion and met with the envoy sent by the Second Prince. He was a civil official dressed in scholarly robes, and his head was wrapped in a turquoise silk scarf. ¡°My name is Jiang Liangcai, and my courtesy name is Maogong. I am the Minister of General Affairs in King Wan¡¯s mansion,¡± Jiang Liangcai said. He was a bookish-looking man in his thirties, and he spoke in a very polite, refined manner. Chen Ziqi sat casually with an ankle over his knee in the host¡¯s seat, looking this Lord Jiang up and down. The Minister of General Affairs in a King¡¯s mansion was equivalent to the Zhongshu in the Imperial Court, and was a powerful official whom the King would listen to. Old Second¡¯s actions in appointing someone to this post was actually quite dangerous ¨C wasn¡¯t he afraid that the Emperor would think he was making preparations to rebel? He glanced at the sword on Lord Jiang¡¯s belt, then looked over at Wu Bujian and Tu Buxian who were standing by his side. ¡°Lord Jiang, you¡¯re also a swordsman?¡± he asked, rubbing his chin. ¡°It¡¯s merely a custom of the Huangshan Sect to carry a sword. I¡¯m no good with the sword, and certainly cannot call myself a swordsman,¡± Jiang Liangcai said with a smile. Tu Buxian gave a low chuckle, then leapt lightly off the dais with his fingers stretched out like claws, pouncing toward Jiang Liangcai. Jiang Liangcai instinctively drew his sword and blocked Tu Buxian¡¯s attack skillfully. He looked rather embarrassed after that, and moved back a few steps. ¡°Tu Buxian, you¡¯re not to be rude!¡± Chen Ziqi said immediately, leaping down from his chair to support the Minister of General Affairs, who looked like he was about to keel over. He continued speaking in an apologetic tone. ¡°This guard of mine likes to challenge people who have weapons on them. I¡¯ve tried to counsel him otherwise but to no avail. Lord Jiang, you must have had quite the shock.¡± Jiang Liangcai turned to look at the burly fellow who had attacked him. Tu Buxian rubbed the bald spot on his head and grinned toothily back, his eyes fixed firmly on his neck, as if he would leap forward and rip his throat out at any moment. Jiang Liangcai secretly broke out in cold sweat, but forced out a casual laugh nonetheless. ¡°Guard Tu is also very passionate about his job,¡± he said. After suffering this shock, Jiang Liangcai became much more straightforward, and started talking about why King Wan had sent him here today. ¡°Vassal Kings cannot leave their fief willy nilly, but my Wang ye was thinking about you, so he sent me to visit,¡± Jiang Liangcai said, gesturing to his servants to bring in the two girls. Two girls dressed in pure white dresses appeared. The sound of bells tinking prettily could be heard as they walked in from behind the screen. Chen Ziqi was unpleasantly surprised; these two girls had been behind the screen for quite some time, but he hadn¡¯t felt their presence at all! Their slender bodies could be faintly seen through their sheer clothing. Their faces were half covered with the same translucent material, revealing only two almond-shaped eyes. ¡°Greetings to Wang ye. Our names are Yu Linglong and Yu Furong,¡± they said in soft, girlish voices that reminded Chen Ziqi of the songbirds on Jade Mountain. Chen Ziqi stared at them for a moment. These two girls had a very similar build, walked in pace with each other, and their eyes and voices were exactly alike. ¡°Are they a pair of twins?¡± he asked. ¡°Wang ye is most astute,¡± Liang Jiangcai said, laughing. ¡°They are indeed twins, and apparently very beautiful. This official has never seen their faces, however. King Wan said that this is a gift to congratulate you for moving into your fief, and I pray that Wang ye will not find this disagreeable merely because it has arrived late.¡± Now that Chen Ziqi was fourteen and had a fief of his own, he could marry a wife and take in concubines if he wished. There was nothing out of the ordinary in an elder brother gifting his younger sibling with two concubines. Chen Ziqi could only smile and accept. He politely invited Jiang Liangcai to rest in his residence, then went to have a good look at the two girls. ¡°Take off your veils and let me have a look,¡± Chen Ziqi said, scooting over and sniffing at the two girls like a lecherous old man. An overpowering, sickly sweet smell immediately filled his nostrils, and he nearly gagged. He rubbed his nose unhappily, thinking that Dan Yi smelt much, much better. The latter always had a clean, green scent on him, much like the smell of freshly cut grass. He always had a good night¡¯s sleep when his nose was buried in Dan Yi¡¯s chest. The two girls didn¡¯t move a muscle. The one with bells on her wrist was called Yu Linglong, and the one with a lotus flower in her hair was Yu Furong. Yu Furong looked at Wu Bujian and Tu Buxian. ¡°My sister and I are only willing to let our husband see our faces. Wang ye, if you wish for us to remove our veils, please ask your servants to leave,¡± she said stubbornly. Chen Ziqi raised his eyebrows. ¡°So many restrictions? Are you two actually ugly to look at?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡­¡± Yu Linglong¡¯s temper seemed hotter than her sister¡¯s, and she immediately became angry on hearing this. She wanted to say something, but her older sister pulled her back. ¡°My sister and I have sworn upon our lives to only let our husbands see our real faces,¡± Yu Furong said earnestly. That definitely meant that they were a pair of uglies! Chen Ziqi¡¯s lips curled disdainfully. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d seen girls try this sort of trick. Back in Jiuru Town, there had been a top courtesan in the Scarlet Robe Court who went by the name of Lady Tanhua, who had always worn a veil, saying that she would only let her future husband see her face. The people of Jiuru Town had all assumed that she was a great beauty, and had spent money like water to spend time with her. One day, when Chen Ziqi snuck into the brothel for fun, he had seen her face clearly. Under that veil that hid the lower half of her face, she had two huge buck teeth, and he had been shocked out of his wits. ¡°You two ladies are like fine jade, and I am only a little stripling. I can¡¯t be your husband, so if you don¡¯t want to remove the veil, so be it,¡± Chen Ziqi said. After his disgust had passed, he put on the look of a righteous gentleman and invited them to rest in his houyuan. The two girls were stunned. They looked at each other in confusion. Yu Linglong spoke up first. ¡°We have already been given to Wang ye, and we¡¯re now considered your people. Wang ye, you can look if you want,¡± she said. ¡°There are plenty of days ahead,¡± Chen Ziqi said with a smile, as if he weren¡¯t the least bit curious. He politely brought them to meet Chang Er. ¡°This is my mother, and in this mansion, she makes the decisions. You¡¯ll be fine as long as you listen to the Taifei.¡± The two girls greeted Chang Er, who looked at them suspiciously, then gave a cold sniff. ¡°These two look so sultry. I can tell with just one look that they aren¡¯t ladies from a good family. If the two of you want to live peacefully in this mansion, then make sure you remain squarely inside your own residence. You¡¯re not to come within ten feet of Wang ye until he hits sixteen. If I hear that Wang ye lost his virginity because you seduced him, I¡¯ll sell you into prostitution!¡± she threatened. The two girls¡¯ first impression of the beautiful Yue Taifei was that she was a naive, soft-hearted creature, and were absolutely stunned when they heard her spout these threats and coarse language. Yu Linglong and Yu Furong could only stare blankly at Chang Er after hearing this spiel. Yu Linglong felt very wronged, and wanted to speak up, but her older sister pulled her down onto her knees to kowtow to Chang Er. The two then followed the maids to their residence. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The corners of Chen Ziqi¡¯s mouth twitched in amusement. He had originally wanted to play good cop and bad cop with these two girls and find out the real reason why Old Second had sent them to him, but they were really scared stiff by his mother now. ¡°How did I do? Didn¡¯t I act the part of an evil mother-in-law well?¡± Chang Er said proudly. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to act; you are one,¡± Chen Ziqi said, lowering his eyes as he spoke. ¡°You little brat, I think you¡¯re asking for a beating!¡± Cheng Er said, grabbing hold of one of Chen Ziqi¡¯s ears. ¡°I warn you, succumbing to feminine wiles will harm your body. If you¡¯re feeling restless, go to the Cloud Palace and play with Dan Yi. You¡¯re not to go to your houyuan.¡± In the past, Chen Ziqi and Chang Er lived in a place that was under the Jingang Sect¡¯s jurisdiction, and she had often heard the people of that sect say that losing one¡¯s virginity early was harmful to one¡¯s physical development, and would also shorten one¡¯s life. For this reason, she had watched Chen Ziqi very closely in this regard. She had also heard that Dan Yi was pressuring Chen Ziqi to practice his martial arts, and she thought that was a good thing, which was why she pushed him to go and look for Dan Yi more, the better to avoid falling prey to some woman¡¯s seduction. Dan Yi had been a child she¡¯d watched grow up. He was hardworking, polite, good-looking and good-tempered. She always felt very much at ease when she knew Chen Ziqi was at the Cloud Palace. Chen Ziqi scratched his head, muttering in his heart that when he stayed with Dan Yi, he would probably also lose his virginity, so what was the difference, really? The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Birdie Gong: Listen to your mum, come to Laogong Qiqi: What¡¯s the difference between going to you and going to my houyuan? Birdie Gong: You¡¯ll harm your body if you go to the houyuan Qiqi: Then I won¡¯t harm my body if I play with you? Birdie Gong: Of course! When you play with me, you don¡¯t need to move, so you won¡¯t injure your back! Qiqi: That sounds legit ¡­ ¡­ Qiqi: You liar! My back hurts QAQ CH 59 ¡°Wu Bujian, can you find out where these girls came from?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, standing in front of the entrance to the houyuan and looking at the closed doors of the West Wing, which was where his concubines were to live. ¡°As to this¡­ this subordinate can only look into things that are nearby. If you want to find out where these girls came from, I have to ask the Peacock Wing to make the arrangements¡­¡± Wu Bujian said rather awkwardly. He watched Chen Ziqi¡¯s expression carefully, afraid that he would take offence. Chen Ziqi understood. This sort of complicated investigation was probably the kind of thing that the Cloud Palace would require payment for. ¡°Ask the Peacock Wing how much they charge for this request, then,¡± he said. ¡°Certainly,¡± Wu Bujian said, heaving a sigh of relief. He left for the Peacock Wing in high spirits. ¡°Lord Jiang¡¯s horse carriage has already been checked through. The horse is a Qiaoyan horse of Huangshan stock, and the carriage driver has a Luyang accent. He brought along a total of two pages and two guards. That is all,¡± Tu Buxian said, reporting everything in detail. ¡°Earlier, this subordinate tested him out with a few moves, and he responded accurately and methodically even though he felt embarrassed afterward. He definitely has martial arts skill, and he¡¯s fairly adept at it.¡± Chen Ziqi nodded slightly. He drummed two fingers on the table. ¡°Let him see whatever he wants to see. No need to stop him from going anywhere,¡± he said. This fief didn¡¯t hold any secrets anyway, since it was newly allocated to him. Now that things were in order, Chen Ziqi stood up and walked out languidly to look for that Minister of General Affairs. ¡°Lord Jiang, you¡¯re from Huangshan?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He had instructed his chefs to make a feast so as to entertain Lord Jiang, and was presently drinking wine with him. ¡°Yes, this lowly official grew up in Huangshan. Unfortunately, my innate capabilities are not great, and I was unable to become really good at swordsmanship,¡± Jiang Liangcai said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re too humble, Lord Jiang. Whatever it is, you¡¯re still better than I am,¡± Chen Ziqi said, raising his winecup and clinking it against Jiang Liangcai¡¯s. It was already an open secret that the Imperial family couldn¡¯t master the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl, and Jiang Liangcai naturally knew what Chen Ziqi was getting at. ¡°You¡¯ve already been appointed as a King and have your own fief. Wang ye, you can actually start learning the martial arts of other sects,¡± Jiang Liangcai said, smiling. There was a hint of a question in those words, probably because he had already heard that Chen Ziqi had become a disciple of the Lushan Sect. Chen Ziqi lowered his gaze and poured another cup of wine for Jiang Liangcai. They clinked their cups together again, and Chen Ziqi gestured to him to drink up. He watched as Jiang Liangcai downed the whole cup. He himself only took a small sip. ¡°My esteemed mother doesn¡¯t allow me to drink wine ¨C I hope Lord Jiang will not begrudge me for this,¡± he said. ¡°Wang ye is not of age yet, so of course you cannot drink wine,¡± Jiang Liangcai said. He would never dare to insist that the Wang ye empty his cup as well, and naturally didn¡¯t object to what Chen Ziqi said. Jiang Liangcai had originally thought that Chen Ziqi was trying to change the topic, but surprisingly, Chen Ziqi himself went back to the question he had asked earlier. ¡°This fief of mine is surrounded by sects in the Sword Alliance, and it¡¯s all thanks to my Second Brother¡¯s good name that even the Lushan Sect is willing to entertain me. My days here haven¡¯t been so hard as such,¡± he said. Jiang Liangcai smiled again. Chen Ziqi had made his position clear with those last two sentences, and it would appear that he was someone who knew what was good for him. After that, Chen Ziqi started asking about his Second Imperial Brother¡¯s situation, playing the part of a concerned younger brother perfectly. He also told Lord Jiang that he could go anywhere he wished in his fief. ¡°Jianyang is very poor. I hope Lord Jiang will not judge it too harshly,¡± Chen Ziqi said, his expression brimming with sincerity. ¡°Oh, of course not! Wang ye is much too polite.¡± Both the host and his guest enjoyed their meal greatly. Lord Jiang remained in Chen Ziqi¡¯s mansion for two days, then took his leave and headed for Lu City. Chen Ziqi had not accompanied him in those two days and allowed him to go wherever he pleased. He saw how barren and desolate Jianyang City was, and also had a look at the chicken farm at the outskirts of the city. After he sent Jiang Liangcai off, Chen Ziqi originally intended to return to the Cloud Palace, but after thinking about it, decided to pay a visit to his houyuan. Ktf Te rlrafgr tjv gfjiis gfwjlcfv lc atflg gfrlvfcmf byfvlfcais, jcv tjvc¡¯a qea rb wemt jr j obba bea bo la. ¡°Wang ye,¡± the two girls said, rising to greet him in a ladylike manner. They were still wearing their veils, and when they saw Chen Ziqi come in, their eyes lit up with anticipation. ¡°Cgf sbe mbwobgajyif tfgf?¡± Jtfc Ildl jrxfv. Lf tjv jikjsr yffc rbwfbcf ktb agfjafv ulgir kfii, jcv tf vlv rb klat atfrf akb fnfc atbeut atflg lvfcalalfr kfgf rerqfma. ¡°Things are good here. We thank Wang ye for his concern,¡± Yu Furong said in a sweet voice. ¡°Wang ye, why don¡¯t we speak more inside the house?¡± Yu Linglong said, getting up and holding on to Chen Ziqi¡¯s arm in a most natural manner. Chen Ziqi smiled faintly and entered the house with the two girls. A few small sparrows could be seen perched on a shrub outside the house. One sparrow flew off, and the rest remained on the shrub. In the Cloud Palace, Dan Yi heard the news that the messenger brought, and his hands balled up into fists. ¡°That girl held his arm?¡± he bit out. ¡°Yes¡­¡± The subordinate kneeling on the floor had difficulty breathing after being subject to Dan Yi¡¯s sudden killing aura. She started shivering slightly. ¡°Wang ye went with them into the house, and I don¡¯t know what happened thereafter¡­¡± ¡°Crack!¡± Dan Yi brought his hand down forcefully on the small table next to him, smashing it to smithereens. ¡°Continue watching him,¡± Lan Jiangxue said, waving a hand to indicate that the messenger could leave. He looked at the cold-faced Dan Yi and sighed. ¡°Wang ye is already suspicious about the identities of those two girls, and he¡¯s probably just testing them.¡± Dan Yi pressed his lips together and left Chaofeng Palace without another word, forbidding anyone from following him. Of course he knew that Qiqi was probably just trying to test those two girls, but he couldn¡¯t help being angry nonetheless. His Qiqi was so young, so naive. He would probably be easily fooled by other people, just as he had managed to fool him¡­ His feet brought him to the Wutong forest even though he hadn¡¯t specifically intended to do so. The mountain winds blew past the tree boughs, and the rustling sound made him feel cold and empty. Dan Yi shut his eyes, then started circulating his neili in his body. The Danyang Divine Martial Arts were the epitome of yang energy. It gathered the spiritual fire of heaven and earth and pierced the heart of all things with its flames. Dan Yi allowed that fiery neili to move in his veins and pass through his meridians, then struck the starting pose and started to practice his martial arts from the first level of cultivation. As he practiced, a scene from his childhood floated up in his mind. It was the time when he had first met Chen Ziqi. His dad had said that he was a peerless talent not seen in a thousand years, and he could start cultivating the Danyang Divine Martial Arts at a very young age. However, this gongfa was too powerful, and he had to look for a suitable Dragon in order to ensure that nothing would go wrong when he practiced this martial art as a child. That was why he had been tossed into the Imperial Palace ¨C to find his Dragon. The princes that had been born in the Imperial Palace were all not people he would bother looking at twice. Lan Qinghan had said then that there were still a few princes scattered amongst the commoners of the Empire, and he could try picking one again after they had all been found. That day, he had been whiling his time away catching grasshoppers when a stone had descended from the sky and landed on his head with a thump. A warm, fair-skinned little hand had picked him up. That hand belonged to a really pretty child, with soft, pale cheeks and a pair of peach blossom eyes that had yet to fully blossom. Those eyes had been sparkling beautifully, like a pair of black onyx gemstones glittering in the sunlight. Every summer, when the weather became hot and sultry, he had to practice his martial arts with Chen Ziqi by his side. The Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl had a cool and soothing aura, and it made the fiery neili flowing through his veins much more bearable. Originally, he only needed to be with Chen Ziqi every summer, but in the winter, he couldn¡¯t help wanting to be in those warm little arms. He was a proud phoenix, and he shouldn¡¯t have debased himself for a human this way. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to hold my hand any more? This road is so long¡­¡± ¡°If I make you angry, I¡¯ll call you Fengyuan gege¡­¡± ¡°Fengyuan gege¡­¡± Time slipped by unnoticed as he continued to practice his martial arts. He went through the stances more and more quickly, gradually going from the first level of cultivation to the third level. After the third level, he naturally transited into the fourth level. Ever since Dan Yi understood his own feelings for Chen Ziqi, he had never considered the possibility that Chen Ziqi might like someone else. Today¡¯s events had been like a sharp blow to the head, and had awoken him to that very real possibility. Qiqi¡­ ¡°Urk!¡± Fresh blood sputtered out from Dan Yi¡¯s mouth, and he suddenly lost control of the strong neili flowing in his body. It started churning wildly in his veins without any method to the madness. ¡°Ah!¡± Dan Yi groaned in pain and fell to the ground. His own neili was now like a dangerous weapon that was attacking him, and the pain he felt was like that of every bone in his body breaking. He broke out in a cold sweat, writhing in agony amidst the dry leaves on the forest floor. He bit his tongue in an attempt to clear his head with the pain and tried to retract his neili, but he hadn¡¯t learned to control this fourth-level neili properly yet. His efforts were not only in vain; they seemed to make the situation even worse. When Chen Ziqi returned to the Cloud Palace and didn¡¯t see Dan Yi around, he figured he was practicing martial arts in the Wutong forest, and thus headed in that direction. Before he reached his destination, Linghe suddenly flew down from the sky, looking at him as if she had just seen her saviour. She took Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand and flew off toward the Wutong forest with him. ¡°Wang ye, please save our Palace Master¡­¡± Linghe cried, unable to stop tears from sliding down her cheeks. She was putting everything she had into getting Chen Ziqi to Dan Yi as quickly as possible. In the Wutong forest, withered brown leaves were flying everywhere, and a person dressed in red was twitching violently in pain amongst them. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chen Ziqi recognised that suppressed groan as Dan Yi¡¯s voice and got a real shock. He flew over in a few steps and gathered Dan Yi into his arms. ¡°Dan Yi, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, caressing his sweaty forehead. It was frightfully hot. When he held Dan Yi¡¯s wrist, he found that his veins were standing out so much that they looked like they were about to burst. He couldn¡¯t imagine the pain Dan Yi was going through. ¡°Qiqi¡­ Qiqi¡­¡± Dan Yi forced his eyes open and saw the vague silhouette of Chen Ziqi¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me!¡± Chen Ziqi said, hugging him tight and looking around in a panic. ¡°Go get someone ¨C go get Lan Qinghan and the rest!¡± he shouted at Linghe. ¡°Certainly!¡± Linghe said, leaping away immediately. ¡°Qiqi¡­¡± Dan Yi grabbed hold of Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand and pressed it between his collar bones. Just then, a wave of pain washed over him. It hurt so badly that he threw his head back in agony, and he bit his lower lip so hard that it bled. When the intense pain finally passed, he panted out, ¡°Help me¡­ suck it out¡­ mmph¡­¡± ¡°Suck it out?¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s brain worked even faster in times of disaster, and he immediately understood that Dan Yi wanted him to suck out his neili. Previously, Dan Yi had wanted to teach him how to suck out his neili, but due to various things that had happened, the lesson had been delayed. ¡°How do I suck your neili out?¡± ¡°Reverse the flow of neili¡­ urgh¡­ to the Shaoyang meridian¡­¡± Chen Ziqi followed his instructions, and a burst of fiery hot neili immediately flowed into his body from the part where their bodies were connected. It practically scalded Chen Ziqi, and he shivered in pain, but he was still able to bear it. He grit his teeth and continued to extract neili from Dan Yi¡¯s body. That powerful, overflowing neili suddenly stopped surging everywhere in his body, and Dan Yi felt much better. Chen Ziqi, on the other hand, felt more and more uncomfortable. ¡°Urgh¡­ it¡¯s hot¡­¡± Chen Ziqi said, biting his lip and pressing on with the extraction. ¡°It¡¯s enough,¡± Dan Yi said weakly. He covered Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand with his own. ¡°Use your neili to harmonise the extracted neili and return it to me.¡± Chen Ziqi had learnt this before, and he nodded immediately. He used his neili to wrap around the power surging hotly within him, and once he felt it calm down, he transfused it back to Dan Yi. ¡°Mm¡­¡± Dan Yi moaned softly in pleasure. That mesmerizing voice was a little hoarse from the terrible exertions he¡¯d been through earlier. Chen Ziqi felt his heart quiver a little, as if there was a little feather brushing across his heart. He swallowed hard. For some reason, he felt like his mouth was strangely dry. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Qiqi: It¡¯s over, it¡¯s hard now Birdie Gong: Need help? Qiqi: Hoho, you can¡¯t move anymore, and I can have my way with you! Birdie Gong: Oh sure, come, sit up here, you can move around as you please Qiqi: ¡­ ¡­ CH 60 Dan Yi was exhausted after this ordeal. He leaned tiredly on Chen Ziqi and didn¡¯t say anything for quite some time. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, stroking Dan Yi¡¯s face. There was still a thin sheen of sweat on it. ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± Dan Yi said, trying to push himself into a sitting position. His limbs were too weak, however, and he collapsed back onto Chen Ziqi¡¯s body. This was the first time he had experienced having his neili go out of control, and he hadn¡¯t thought that the effects would be this severe. Even though it had been fixed, he still felt extreme fatigue, as if his arms and legs were all made of immovable lead. Plus, he was currently held in Qiqi¡¯s arms, and it was very comfortable. He wanted to remain like this for a while more. When Lan Jiangxue and Diao Lie arrived, Dan Yi was nearly asleep. Chen Ziqi had a pained expression on his face as he beckoned the two over to help him carry Dan Yi. He thought to himself that he really had to eat a little more and quickly build more muscle. Dan Yi could easily lift him onto his shoulder with one hand, but he couldn¡¯t carry Dan Yi at all even after trying with all his might. They set Dan Yi down gently on the bed in his sleeping quarters. Linghe brought a hot towel in and was about to wipe Dan Yi down when Chen Ziqi suddenly spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he said, surprising even himself. As such, Linghe and Lingguan both left. Lan Jiangxue also started walking off, then realised that Diao Lie was still standing where he was, looking worriedly at their Palace Master. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Lan Jiangxue said, elbowing Diao Lie in the ribs. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Chen Ziqi asked Diao Lie and Lan Jiangxue as he looked at Dan Yi. The latter was still fast asleep. ¡°He probably met with a bit of an accident when he was practicing his martial arts,¡± Lan Jiangxue said, surreptitiously signalling to Diao Lie to be quiet. ¡°You can ask the Palace Master directly when he wakes up.¡± Chen Ziqi still had many questions, like whether the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl and the Danyang Divine Martial Arts had a peculiar relationship. ¡°This subordinate will be keeping guard next door. Wang ye, if you need anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask,¡± Diao Lie said. He looked anxious and clearly didn¡¯t want to leave, but Lan Jiangxue kept pulling him away, and he had no choice but to settle for this. Chen Ziqi nodded and gestured his agreement for them to leave. He waited for the heavy, carved wooden doors to close behind them before unfastening Dan Yi¡¯s robes and wiping him down gently. Dan Yi¡¯s body didn¡¯t look like a sixteen-year-old¡¯s at all. He had a strong, symmetrical bone structure and solid muscles under his skin. He looked to be very strong in a lean, lithe kind of way, with his muscles flowing smoothly into each other. It didn¡¯t look like the thick, meaty muscles that one usually built from practicing external martial arts. Chen Ziqi moved the warm, damp towel slowly over Dan Yi¡¯s skin, and as he did so, he licked his lips, which had suddenly gone rather dry. He craned his neck to look at Dan Yi¡¯s face, and on confirming that he was still fast asleep, reached out a hand to stroke the firm muscles on his chest. Those muscles felt incredibly alluring to the touch. Chen Ziqi was addicted from the get-go, and he started having a good time touching and pinching Dan Yi all over. ¡°Qiqi, if you keep going, we¡¯ll both be in trouble.¡± C tjcv klat j kfii-vfolcfv ybcf ragemaegf ragfamtfv bea jcv mjeuta Jtfc Ildl¡¯r tjcv, ktlmt tjv kjcvfgfv jii atf kjs vbkc ab tlr ibkfg jyvbwfc. Jtfc Ildl ijeutfv rtjwfifrris ja tjnlcu yffc mjeuta lc atf jma bo ajxlcu ilyfgalfr klat Gjc Tl¡¯r ybvs. Lf abrrfv atf abkfi bc Gjc Tl¡¯r ojmf jcv rajgafv klqlcu la wfgmlifrris, xcfjvlcu la atgbeut atf kfa mibat. Gjc Tl vlvc¡¯a tjnf jcs fcfgus ab gfrlra jcv mbeiv bcis ifa Jtfc Ildl yeiis tlw. ¡°What happened to you today?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, after having had his fill of teasing Dan Yi. He started towelling Dan Yi down in earnest. The sky was dark now, and he burrowed into the blankets, squeezing his head onto the same pillow as Dan Yi. ¡°I accidentally started practicing the fourth level of cultivation,¡± Dan Yi said. He still felt incredibly exhausted and couldn¡¯t really open his eyes. He nodded off to sleep after saying this. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t say any more. He silently observed Dan Yi¡¯s side profile. This fellow was really, really handsome. He had never seen anyone else who was better looking than Dan Yi. If he kept being in close contact with his face, he probably wouldn¡¯t find anyone else attractive, and might end up a bachelor for life. He moved his face close to Dan Yi¡¯s neck and took a deep breath. He¡¯d nearly been knocked out by that sickly sweet smell from the two sisters earlier today, and he needed to clear his nasal passages with Dan Yi¡¯s pleasing scent. That clean, green scent was probably the smell of Wutong trees. The little red bird¡¯s feathers also smelt exactly the same¡­ Dan Yi tossed and turned a little that night, probably because he still felt under the weather. At one point, he flipped over and snuggled against Chen Ziqi. The latter came half-awake, then subconsciously reached out to pull Dan Yi into his arms. The next morning, when Chen Ziqi opened his eyes, he discovered that Dan Yi had disappeared, and a fluffy little red bird had taken his place! Dan Yi felt very refreshed after a night¡¯s sleep. His strength was fully replenished now. He looked up and saw Chen Ziqi lying on the bed with one hand supporting his head, smiling faintly at him. He opened his mouth to greet him. ¡°Tweet!¡± Tweet? Dan Yi flared out his wings in an instant. He stood up and turned around on the spot, then lifted his little feet and flapped his little wings. He finally realised that he had turned back into a little chick. He lowered his head and scratched at the blankets anxiously with a small foot, trying to think of a way to explain this. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Do you feel fine?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, reaching out a finger to poke the little red bird¡¯s fluffy butt. Dan Yi cocked his head at Chen Ziqi, feigning ignorance. ¡°Sure, keep pretending,¡± Chen Ziqi said, poking at the empty underclothes on the bed. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that Dan Yi walked out stark naked?¡± The little red bird turned a full circle on the spot, then sat down on the bed in a little puff of feathers. Brilliant red light flashed, and a human-shaped Dan Yi appeared wearing scarlet robes. Chen Ziqi looked very surprised. He thought that Dan Yi would be in his birthday suit when he changed from a chicken to a human. That was what the stories said, after all ¨C there was a scholar who once took in a fox, who was actually a fox spirit, and hugged it to sleep every night. One day, he woke up to find that the fox had suddenly turned into a naked beauty lying in his arms. The scholar had immediately wrapped his arms around the beauty and did certain things involving the birds and the bees¡­ ahem. Chen Ziqi was strangely disappointed that he didn¡¯t have a naked beauty in front of his eyes right now. He scratched his head in confusion. Had he actually been anticipating doing things that involved the birds and the bees with Dan Yi? Dan Yi pressed his lips together when he saw that Chen Ziqi remained silent. ¡°When did you realise this?¡± he asked. ¡°Last winter,¡± Chen Ziqi said, sitting up. He pulled at Dan Yi¡¯s sleeve. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t very sure at that time. I just had a vague notion that you and the divine chicken were related somehow.¡± The scarlet sleeve Chen Ziqi was pulling on was made of a very soft and silky material that somehow also had a feathery feel at the same time. It felt very different from any sort of cloth Chen Ziqi had felt before. Last winter¡­ Dan Yi¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. When he had gone over in winter to look for Chen Ziqi, how had Chen Ziqi treated him? Flicked his bum¡­ Plucked his feathers¡­ Stuffed his head into his mouth¡­ Dan Yi was originally concerned that Chen Ziqi would be scared, but his emotions suddenly became far more complicated. He didn¡¯t know what to say any more, especially when a certain fellow snuggled into his arms, the better to cop a feel of that bewitchingly soft material that Dan Yi¡¯s robes were made of. ¡°Wow, are these robes made of your feathers?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, burying his face in Dan Yi¡¯s chest and nuzzling him all over. That fluffy feeling was exactly the same as the little red bird¡¯s feathers. ¡°Nn,¡± Dan Yi said. He looked helplessly at the fellow in his arms. The Emperors that had come before Chen Ziqi were all either shocked, afraid, or a combination of both when they first found out about the Dan family¡¯s secret. His Qiqi, on the other hand¡­ he was really a different kettle of fish. ¡°Where did your wings go?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, feeling Dan Yi up and down. ¡°They¡¯re my arms,¡± Dan Yi said, catching hold of Chen Ziqi¡¯s hands, which were still making free with his body. ¡°Huh? Your hands aren¡¯t your legs?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, looking confused for a bit before realising how silly that sounded. He lowered his head and suppressed a laugh. ¡°Then, when you said you were a fenghuang, were you for real?¡± Dan Yi reached out stealthily and circled his arms around Chen Ziqi before replying. ¡°Nn. I¡¯m a feng,¡± he said slowly. He was a male phoenix, a feng, not a fenghuang. There was an ancient divine bird called the fenghuang. A popular belief amongst the people of the Empire was that the fenghuang was a five-coloured bird, but that was actually incorrect; only a divine bird that had red feathers from crown to tail as a true fenghuang. The males were called feng, and the females were called huang. The Dan family never had any huang born to it. In every generation, there was only one feng. The Chen family, on the other hand, had ancient draconic blood of the Dragon God running in their veins. That was also why they were able to practice the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl. However, these two gongfa had to be practiced together in order for both to reach their full potential. Chen Ziqi kind of understood what Dan Yi was saying, but there were some things he still didn¡¯t get. How could a bird turn into a human? And was Dan Yi a heavenly fairy or some kind of bird-man? Dan Yi refused to answer these questions and dragged him off to eat breakfast instead. After eating breakfast, he made Chen Ziqi accompany him to the front palace as he dealt with the Cloud Palace¡¯s official matters. His neili was still surging a bit in his body, and he felt much better when Chen Ziqi was by his side. He refused to let go of Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand and held it wherever they went. Chen Ziqi thought it wasn¡¯t very appropriate for him to listen to the Cloud Palace¡¯s secrets and tried to refuse. ¡°You already know the biggest secret in the Cloud Palace. There¡¯s nothing left to hide,¡± Dan Yi said, a serious expression on his face. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Well, Chen Ziqi had to admit that that did sound logical. Chen Ziqi sat on a small stool next to Dan Yi and looked at the Wing Leaders assembled below the dais. These people didn¡¯t look in the least bit surprised that he was there and simply bowed to Dan Yi as per normal, reporting to him without any hesitation whatsoever. ¡°Cheng Zhou has surfaced in Jiangnan, and he¡¯s stirring up resentment against the Suxin Sect. He spread word that the Suxin Sect had massacred his family in order to obtain the manual for ¡®Open the Heavens¡¯, and he¡¯s promised to share the gongfa of ¡®Open the Heavens¡¯ with anyone who goes forth with him to kill the Abbess Wuyin,¡± Lan Shanyu said. He had consolidated the recent reports and sieved out the most important ones to highlight to Dan Yi. Cheng Zhou had left the Imperial Palace before the New Year, and nothing had been heard from him until now. So that was what he¡¯d been up to. ¡°Didn¡¯t Cheng Zhou try to recruit Berry Brown?¡± Chen Ziqi asked Dan Yi quietly. ¡°He did,¡± Dan Yi said, turning slightly towards Chen Ziqi. He then schooled his face back into a cold, aloof expression and looked down solemnly at the subordinates gathered below the dais. Cheng Zhou had actually gone straight to Lu City immediately after leaving the Imperial Palace and asked Chen Zimo to join him in seeking revenge. Chen Zimo, however, had looked calmly and coldly into Cheng Zhou¡¯s bloodshot eyes and said, ¡°I owe nothing to the Cheng family. However, I will repay you for teaching me martial arts.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?!¡± Cheng Zhou practically shouted, slamming his fists violently onto the table. ¡°The blood of the Cheng family runs in your veins!¡± ¡°Uncle, if you¡¯re not in a hurry, perhaps you want to wait in Lu City until early spring?¡± Chen Zimo said with an icy smile. When the last of the winter snows melted and the flowers started blooming, Chen Zimo knelt at the edge of Wangchuan Cliff as he accepted a thin, white bone from the Wind Wing. CH 61 The bones had been left there for years with only a green mountain as its headstone, and a complete set could not be found, probably because wild wolves had taken some away. Chen Zimo knelt on the ground and picked them up one by one. ¡°Jiugong , do you recognise these bones?¡± he asked. Cheng Zhou looked at the stack of white bones, and his fingers trembled despite himself. ¡°Zimo, you¡­¡± ¡°Cheng Jiayao, the non-legitimate daughter of the Cheng family, was given to service the previous Emperor when he visited the Suxin Sect in the eighth year of the Zhenlong Emperor¡¯s rule. She gave birth to a son the following year and named him Cheng Mo. In the eleventh year of the Zhenlong Emperor¡¯s rule, a daughter of the Cheng family was accepted into the Suxin Sect as a core disciple in recognition of her contributions. In the eleventh lunar month of the same year, the legitimate daughter of the Cheng family, Cheng Jiazhen, fell to her death in Wangchuan Cliff, and her body could not be found,¡± Chen Zimo said, tonelessly reciting the records he¡¯d seen in Lu City¡¯s family register. He then took a piece of green cloth from his guard¡¯s hands and wrapped the bones in it. Cheng Zhou¡¯s lips trembled. He couldn¡¯t say anything. That year, he had been travelling the world, and he wasn¡¯t very clear about the things that happened then, but he knew for certain that the one who had been sacrificed to the Emperor was Cheng Jiayao, not Cheng Jiazhen. After their family¡¯s massacre, he had been surprised when he saw Cheng Jiazhen in the Suxin Sect instead of Cheng Jiayao, but she refused to give him an explanation when he asked her about it. It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess what had happened, however. So the one who died at Wangchuan Cliff really was Cheng Jiayao. ¡°You¡­ when did you know about this?¡± Cheng Zhou asked with difficulty. ¡°A long time now,¡± Chen Zimo said, standing up. He put the wrapped bones into a coffin he had prepared in advance. ¡°Around the time I was seven or eight. I don¡¯t remember precisely when.¡± He¡¯d known since he was seven or eight? Cheng Zhou was stunned. That meant that he had known this even when Cheng Zhou had started teaching him martial arts. At that time, Cheng Jiazhen had been judged insane and locked into the Yeting Palace. He involuntarily took a few steps back. He¡¯d always thought of Chen Zimo as a simple, honest and taciturn child, but knowing that he¡¯d kept a secret like this in his heart all this time suddenly made him change his impression. Chen Zimo¡¯s ability to endure, and his ability to scheme in silence ¨C these were things to be feared. ¡°When I was young, I really just wanted Mother to treat me a little better. It didn¡¯t matter if she beat me, or scolded me, or starved me. I didn¡¯t hate her, because she was my mother. But in the end, she wasn¡¯t. She was in fact the murderer who killed my mother. She killed the person who would never scold me or hit me, the person who would always let me eat, and ask me whether I was feeling hot or cold. And this was where she killed her,¡± Chen Zimo said, his tone dark as he caressed the bones in the coffin with loving hands. Mother, your son came too late. You¡¯ve slept under this cliff for much too long. If you were still alive, you¡¯d definitely be like Chang mufei, making clothes for me, putting food on my plate, rubbing my bruises when I fell down, and cuffing my ears when I was naughty. Even when you got really angry and gave me a good beating, you¡¯d turn around and cry secretly when I wasn¡¯t looking¡­ ¡°Jiugong, tell me what my mother was like,¡± Chen ZImo said, looking up at Cheng Zhou. Cheng Zhou turned away, feeling embarrassed. However, he had nowhere to hide. He remained silent for a while before speaking. ¡°Jiayao was a very timid girl. Every year, when I went home, I always saw her standing right at the very back.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Chen Zimo¡¯s eyes were rather red now. ¡°Jiugong, have you ever thought about how scared and pitiful she must have been when her own family members pushed her over the cliff?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°I beg you, don¡¯t kill me! I promise I¡¯ll never say anything¡­ or, I¡¯ll leave with Xiao Mo ¨C we¡¯ll both go somewhere else, change our names completely ¨C I beg you! Please¡­ boohoo¡­¡± ¡­ ¡­ In the chill of the early spring air, the mountain winds howled, and a young girl¡¯s sobbing could be heard echoing in the mountains. The Wind Wing had sent five people, and Chen Zimo had brought ten of his guards with him. Everyone was now listening to this secret part of the Cheng family¡¯s history. Cheng Zhou covered his face, feeling like he had been stripped naked in front of all these people, with everyone pointing accusing fingers at him. Chen Zimo gave his mother an honourable burial, then dragged the half-crazed Cheng Jiazhen to the front of the grave, intending to make a blood sacrifice out of her to his mother when Cheng Zhou snatched her away. ¡°Ktja sfjg, ktfc Aljsjb ofii boo atf miloo, Aljhtfc kjr cba atf bcf ktb qertfv tfg¡­¡± ¡°Vtf wluta cba tjnf yffc atf bcf ab qert tfg, yea la kjr lcrlrafcmf bc fcafglcu atf Vezlc Vfma atja ifv tfg ojatfg ab vb atlr,¡± Jtfc Ilwb rjlv. Lf ibbxfv ja Jtfcu Aljhtfc klat yibbvatlgras fsfr, tlr teuf jzf lc tlr tjcv. Cheng Zhou saw that things were not looking good. He had no choice but to take Cheng Jiazhen and run. He fled all the way to Jiangnan with her, looked for a group of his previous associates, then started to rally the martial artists against the Suxin Sect. ¡°Given that the Abbess Wuyin can do something as vicious as massacre an entire family, I doubt she¡¯s the kind of person who would commit suicide just because a few people are screaming insults at her,¡± Chen Ziqi said, his lips curling in disdain as he walked out of Chaofeng Palace. ¡°Those sects are always prattling on about having the moral high ground, and their reputation is very important to them. Cheng Zhou¡¯s methods will have some effect,¡± Dan Yi said, taking Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand in his and walking slowly along the covered corridor with him. These people behaved so shamelessly, but they still wanted to preserve their good reputation? Chen Ziqi found this very difficult to understand. Dan Yi laughed lightly. ¡°This so-called reputation is something they cherish very dearly. You could say that it¡¯s their Achilles heel,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi understood now. ¡°I understand that. Whatever someone cares about is precisely what you use against that person,¡± he said. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Dan Yi¡¯s lips twitched in mirth. That actually did sound right. ¡°Awoo~¡± A few peahens were walking around languidly on the grassy banks of the small stream, but no peacocks came to display their tail feathers. ¡°They haven¡¯t been married off?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, leaning on the railing and looking curiously down at them. He thought about the two peacocks he saw the other day, then turned to look at Dan Yi. ¡°Since male birds can be together with male birds, are you planning to get yourself a male bird or a female one?¡± He suddenly felt a prick in his heart as he asked this question, but he didn¡¯t know why. After he thought about it for a bit, he figured that he was probably upset because the little red bird probably wouldn¡¯t let him touch his tail any more if he ran off with some unknown bird. Dan Yi looked at him. ¡°Men can also be together with men. Are you looking for a man or a woman?¡± he asked. Was he looking for a man? When Chen Ziqi heard this, Dan Yi¡¯s gorgeous face immediately came to mind. He was surprised despite himself. ¡°Greetings to the Palace Master,¡± a sweet, girlish voice said. It came from behind them, and Chen Ziqi turned to look. A slender girl with a pretty face stood behind them, bowing in Dan Yi¡¯s direction. She wore a green-coloured dress. Dan Yi nodded coldly. ¡°Qing Luo is about to leave for the Crane Wing. What dance would the Palace Master like to see at the Yangchun Banquet?¡± the girl said. She had two servant girls trailing behind her, and seemed to be very familiar with Dan Yi, since she stayed to make conversation even after greeting him. ¡°If you can¡¯t do the work of the Crane Wing, then get the Qing Clan to send another person here,¡± Dan Yi said, his face and gaze icy cold as he glared at her. Qing Luo quailed a little. ¡°This subordinate apologises for having given the Palace Master offence,¡± she said, kneeling down immediately. Dan Yi didn¡¯t bother looking at her any more, and simply left with Chen Ziqi. ¡°Oh dear, the concubine wants some love but her husband has none to give. Such a pity,¡± Chen Ziqi teased, grinning at Dan Yi. Dan Yi gave him a sideways glance. ¡°She was just trying to get you to talk to her! Look at you, totally blind and deaf to her intentions,¡± Chen Ziqi said, still laughing gaily as he draped himself over Dan Yi¡¯s shoulders and let himself be dragged along by Dan Yi. He had to say, though, that Dan Yi¡¯s blindness and deafness to that girl¡¯s intentions made him very happy for some reason. The Qing Clan had the blood of the divine bird, the Green Phoenix, running through their veins, though their blood wasn¡¯t pure. They were always slacking around, and Dan Yi had recently decided to give them a position within the Crane Wing, telling the Clan Leader to pick someone to work there, the better to shut them up. Chen Ziqi stared blankly at Dan Yi on hearing this. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be very compatible with those who have Green Phoenix blood?¡± he asked. Dan Yi pressed his lips together and didn¡¯t answer. ¡°However, if you want to talk about blood compatibility, then I have divine dragon blood in my veins. I¡¯m even more compatible than they are!¡± Chen Ziqi laughed. He took a deep breath right by Dan Yi¡¯s ear, then watched as that ear slowly turned crimson. Before Dan Yi could move to retaliate, he kicked up his heels and fled. The weather slowly turned warmer, and that part of spring that birds dedicated to finding mates passed as well. The female birds hadn¡¯t found a good male bird to match with them, but the male birds had found mates in each other. During Chen Ziqi¡¯s stay in the Cloud Palace, he received the answer to the thing that he¡¯d asked Wu Bujian to look into some time back. Dan Yi was the one who personally gave him this news, and at the time that he told Chen Ziqi this, Chen Ziqi had been faithfully practicing his martial arts. It transpired that the two veiled beauties in his residence, Yu Linglong and Yu Furong, were both disciples of the Suxin Sect! Chen Ziqi was stunned. No wonder their surnames were Yu! The third generation of Suxin Sect disciples were all Yu-something. He stopped practicing immediately and took the piece of paper with the information he requested from Dan Yi. These two sisters had originally been beauties specially raised by the Suxin Sect for the purposes of becoming the Emperor¡¯s concubines. The Tiande Emperor had, for reasons unknown, sent them on to King Wan, and King Wan had then sent them on to Jianyang without touching a single hair on their heads. ¡°This is a hot potato that no one wants,¡± Chen Ziqi said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. King Wan definitely wouldn¡¯t want these two girls. They were the disciples of a Qi Sect, and on top of that, they were presents from the Tiande Emperor. They were obviously sent to be thorns in his side, and one day, they might even stick the sharp end of a hairpin into his throat! Chen Ziqi, as King Wan¡¯s loyal and unaspiring younger brother, was the perfect choice to send these two girls to. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he give them to Berry Brown instead?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, frowning. Lu City was closer to the Suxin Sect¡¯s lands, and if they were sent there, they were more likely to be spotted, which also meant a higher chance of word getting to the Abbess Wuyin. If the Suxin Sect found out that the girls it had specially given the Emperor had been unceremoniously re-gifted to someone else, this could easily create a rift between the Emperor and the Suxin Sect. That rift would have been useful to the Second Prince. ¡°Your Second Brother is burning with ambition,¡± Dan Yi said, giving Chen Ziqi a meaningful look. Now that Chen Ziqi knew that the two girls were from the Suxin Sect, he started to feel rather worried. The Suxin Sect¡¯s core disciples were all trained in martial arts, and it was very dangerous for Chang Er to remain in the mansion with them. If the two girls lost their temper after Chang Er scolded them, they could easily hurt his little fairy if they acted in concert. ¡°If you¡¯re worried, send them here. I¡¯ll just make them plant some bamboo,¡± Dan Yi said, sneakily advancing his own agenda. ¡°That sounds good!¡± Chen Ziqi nodded. He was now in a hurry to get back to his fief. There were the Yu sisters in his houyuan to deal with, and he expected the little chicks to have grown into young chickens by this time. He had to return to speak with the chicken sellers about selling his chickens to them. Just as Chen Ziqi got back to his mansion in Jianyang, the manager of his chicken farm sent a letter to him, with a message that he didn¡¯t know who this letter was from. Chen Ziqi took the letter and broke the wax seal. ¡°Clang!¡± A crisp, metallic sound rang out as something fell out from the envelope and fell onto the stone floor. Chen Ziqi bent down to pick it up. His expression changed into one of shock the moment he saw what the thing was. It was a thin blade made of refined steel, with no handle, and a groove running along one of its edges. ¡°Wang ye, what is this?¡± the chicken farm manager asked curiously. ¡°A bloodblade¡­¡± Chen Ziqi said, his brows were knitted tightly together. Sending a blade in the morning, then murdering you and your entire family that same night. This was the modus operandi of the Bloodblade Tower! ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre ¡°The Bloodblade Tower¡¯s Advertisement¡± Wuyin: I¡¯ve been the leader of my sect for so many years, but I¡¯ve never been able to conceive. When I went to the Bloodblade Hospital¡­ Director: Ahem. Abbess, I think you¡¯re mistaken. This is about murdering people, not about fertility issues Wuyin: Ahem. I¡¯ve been the leader of my sect for so many years, and I¡¯ve always wanted to murder some people, but I can¡¯t do it because we go way back [The autumn wind blows, and the Abbess stares into the distance with a conflicted look on her face. She is having a professional dilemma] Wuyin: Ever since I went to the Bloodblade Tower, I got them all killed in a flash! My status in the martial arts world has never been the same again (£þ¦á£þ) Passer-by: I can¡¯t stay in this treacherous martial arts world any more QAQ CH 62 Chen Ziqi held the thin blade tightly between his fingers for a moment, then looked up at the sky. It was already sunset. The blade had probably been received in the morning, which was to say, the Bloodblade Tower would act tonight. This was not the time to sit and think carefully about the possible reasons why or the potential persons who wanted him dead. He needed to leave with Chang Er and Ah Mu before dusk! The assassins were already hidden along the road, and he would certainly encounter a number of them if they made a run for it now, but the alternative was waiting around like pigs in a slaughterhouse for a whole horde of assassins to descend upon them in the mansion. Chen Ziqi waved a hand to dismiss the chicken farm manager, then walked toward the houyuan without another word. Chang Er was sitting in the houyuan teaching the two girls to make clothes. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that she was trying to teach them how to make clothes. The two couldn¡¯t even thread a needle properly, and she was irritated to death by these two students. ¡°The two of you are idiots! How can you not even know how to do this?!¡± she said. Yu Linglong poked around any old how with her needle in a very petulant manner. Yu Furong was a slightly better student ¨C she at least put effort into trying to do things properly, but the things she sewed didn¡¯t look like anything on earth. Chen Ziqi walked over, pulled Chang Er to her feet, then started leading her away. ¡°Hey ¨C hey! What¡¯re you doing?¡± Chang Er asked, quickly stuffing her feet into her shoes and staggering a few steps after Chen Ziqi. ¡°People are coming to murder everyone in the mansion. We need to leave quickly,¡± Chen Ziqi said calmly, showing Chang Er the blade in his hand. Chang Er got a real shock. She had heard Chen Ziqi talk about this blade before. This was the Bloodblade Tower¡¯s calling card, the one they sent just before they set about killing people. After staring blankly into space for a while, Chang Er suddenly slapped her thigh, pulled her hand out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s grasp and turned to take a small box out of the sewing basket before turning back to Chen Ziqi. ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡± she said. The two Yu sisters exchanged a look, then ran up together to block Chen Ziqi¡¯s path. They fell to their knees with a plop. ¡°Wang ye, we implore you to bring us along. We don¡¯t want to die!¡± they said. ¡°Are you trained in martial arts?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, looking coldly at the two girls kneeling in front of him. These two were specially brought up as concubines for the Tiande Emperor by the Suxin Sect, but the Tiande Emperor didn¡¯t want them. There was definitely more than met the eye here. For example, it could be that these two were highly skilled martial artists, such that dispersing their martial arts ability would be a real pity¡­ ¡°We¡­¡± Yu Furong said, clenching her teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank. We are the Suxin Sect¡¯s core disciples, and we¡¯re very good at martial arts.¡± Chen Ziqi pressed his lips together in thought. They were very likely to meet with the Bloodblade Tower¡¯s assassins along the way. Wu Bujian and Tu Buxian were but two people, and they might not be able to handle them all. If he brought these two along, he could toss them out as human shields if push came to shove. He gestured his approval, then turned to go to the side wing of the mansion. Ah Mu was reading a book when Chen Ziqi got there, and he was unceremoniously pulled out of his room and thrown into a horse carriage. ¡°Is there any way to tell Dan Yi to send people to help us get to the Cloud Palace safely?¡± Chen Ziqi asked Wu Bujian as he got on his horse. Wu Bujian¡¯s eyes followed a few small sparrows that had shot off from the bushes. He nodded. ¡°This subordinate has already found a way to inform the Palace Master,¡± he said. There were still about two hours until sunset. They had to get on their horses and go right now. However, the journey from Jianyang to the Cloud Palace took six hours even on a fast horse, and if they had a horse carriage in tow, they would need to travel for at least a day. Chang Er didn¡¯t know how to ride on horseback, and Ah Mu¡¯s horse riding skills were terrible, so the two of them could only be put in a horse carriage. The sky was darkening, the journey was long, and the road was filled with hidden assassins. It was incredibly dangerous. Jtfc Ildl cbvvfv rilutais. Lf xcfk atja atf Jibev Ujijmf tjv rqfmlji wfjcr bo agjcrwlaalcu lcobgwjalbc. ¡°Lbk ibcu klii la ajxf obg atf qfbqif ab ufa tfgf?¡± tf jrxfv. ¡°Cr ab atlr, P¡¯w cba rb regf,¡± Qe Depljc rjlv, mbecalcu boo tlr olcufgr. Vqjggbkr qgbyjyis cffvfv jybea akb tbegr ab ois ab atf Jibev Ujijmf, jcv jr ab ktfc gflcobgmfwfcar kbeiv jgglnf¡­ lo bcf erfv jc fjuif¡¯r oislcu rqffv jr j ujeuf, atfs kbeiv ralii cffv ja ifjra jc tbeg bg rb bo oiluta. ¡°Ugbyjyis jgbecv atgff tbegr lo atfs¡¯gf ojra, jcv obeg tbegr lo atfs¡¯gf cba.¡± ¡°If we meet with the Bloodblade Tower¡¯s assassins, can you two hold them off for at least an hour?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, directing Fuyuan with hand gestures as he spoke. He wanted Fuyuan to cover the horse carriage with ragged-looking green cloth. ¡°The Bloodblade Tower¡¯s assassins have their own weaknesses. If there aren¡¯t more than five people coming at us at any one time, it won¡¯t be a problem at all,¡± Tu Buxian said, patting his bald head confidently. ¡°Good,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He was very pleased with this answer. These two were a big part of the reason why he dared to leave immediately. The two guards that Dan Yi lent him certainly wouldn¡¯t be of mediocre skill. Assassins usually specialised in striking in a fast, vicious manner, and a real martial arts master was very likely to be able to give them a run for their money. That was why the Bloodblade Tower had never taken on any jobs that involved wiping out a major sect. Unfortunately for them, the Lushan Sect people happened to not come today, and Ah Mu¡¯s Jiujiu also wasn¡¯t around. He couldn¡¯t hide in the Changjian Sect or the Duanjian Sect ¨C he might cause those small sects to get wiped out as well. Also, those two ¡°sworn brothers¡± of his would probably just throw him to the Bloodblade Tower¡¯s assassins the moment they appeared. Their relationship didn¡¯t have strong foundations to begin with. In times of real crisis, the only one he could count on was Dan Yi. Chen Ziqi removed the expensive riding outfit that he wore, switching it out for a nondescript-looking green shirt and pants, then leapt onto his horse. Tu Buxian also rode on a horse, whilst Wu Bujian rode on a horse carriage. Their little entourage quickly left Jianyang and headed for the Cloud Palace. The road was quiet and peaceful. Not a single hidden assassin leapt out at them. Chen Ziqi was extremely suspicious of this state of affairs, and the lack of assassins had the reverse effect of making him even more nervous. After passing through a forest, Chen Ziqi suddenly called them all to a halt. He looked around him with vigilant eyes, then spoke in ringing tones. ¡°I believe the few of you have been hiding for a while now. Won¡¯t you come out and say hello?¡± he said. ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± A woman¡¯s shrill laughter suddenly echoed all around them. ¡°Shit, this is Wuyin¡¯s Laughter!¡± Wu Bujian exclaimed in horror. ¡°Stop talking!¡± Tu Buxian yelled, glaring at Wu Bujian in annoyance. ¡°Quick, use your neili to counter it!¡± Wuyin¡¯s Laughter was the Abbess Wuyin¡¯s juezhao. The laughter was filled with powerful neili, and if you didn¡¯t counter it immediately using your own neili, you would be knocked out in seconds. Chen Ziqi immediately called forth his neili to block out that demonic sound. He could feel how powerful it was, like the relentless waves in a tsunami. The waves pounded relentlessly against his eardrums, trying to find a way to get into his meridians. The moment he let down his guard, that was exactly what would happen. Chang Er and Ah Mu, who didn¡¯t have any neili at all, had already fainted inside the horse carriage and were dead to the world. The laughter stopped abruptly. Before Chen Ziqi could even start rubbing his throbbing ears, a strong palm wind raced towards him. Tu Buxian immediately leapt in front of Chen Ziqi to block, then countered the palm wind strongly. ¡°Bam!¡± The sound of the two martial artists¡¯ neili crashing together was thunderous. Their sneaky attacker had to backflip in the air to escape the impact, and Tu Buxian was thrown off his horse. He landed easily on his feet like a cat, and the two of them immediately charged at each other. Chen Ziqi took a good look at their attacker. It was the Suxin Sect¡¯s first generation disciple, Zhao Surou! The Suxin Sect? Chen Ziqi was stunned. Why was the Suxin Sect here? ¡°Linglong, Furong, take her away!¡± Zhao Surou shouted. Linglong and Furong suddenly burst out of the side of the horse carriage, taking the unconscious Chang Er with them. Wu Bujian immediately moved to cut off their path, but the two sisters each pulled out a silk sash from their waist and infused their neili into it. The soft, formless silk immediately became lithe and supple, undulating in the air like two ghostly snakes. The Suxin Sect¡¯s martial arts was called the Wuxin Gong, and its philosophy was using softness to wrap around hardness. All their weapons were therefore made of soft, supple material. The two sisters¡¯ martial arts abilities were not lacking at all, and it wasn¡¯t easy for Wu Bujian to deal with both of them at once. Wu Bujian stiffened his fingers into claws, grabbed hold of one silk sash in a single, swift move, then used his neili to shatter it. As the bits of torn cloth rained down like confetti, a sharp blade suddenly pierced through Wu Bujian¡¯s palm. ¡°Ah!¡± Wu Bujian shouted in pain. He kicked out hard at Yu Linglong¡¯s chest. Yu Furong leapt away with Chang Er, leaving her younger sister to fight with Wu Bujian. ¡°My dear concubine, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, springing in front of her and glaring at her with bloodthirsty eyes. He snatched the unconscious Chang Er from her grasp and slapped her hard across the face, sending her flying back from the impact. ¡°Ah!¡± Yu Furong screamed, clutching at her face. That slap had also dislodged Yu Furong¡¯s veil, revealing her lovely, youthful face. To Chen Ziqi, however, there was no way he could see her as anything more than a monster now, no matter how pretty she was. A red handprint now appeared on that fair-skinned face, and it started swelling up rapidly. At this moment, Chen Ziqi really regretted not killing those two girls the moment they arrived. Yu Furong slammed her hands to the ground and sprang back to her feet. Chen Ziqi dodged her attack, holding on to Chang Er tightly with one hand and using his other hand to counter with the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon. His hand snaked forward and landed a solid blow on her chest. The moment his hands came into contact with the soft fabric, he clenched his fingers around it and tore the front of Yu Furong¡¯s robes. ¡°AHHHH!¡± Yu Furong covered her chest with her hands, screaming even more vehemently now. She couldn¡¯t attack any more in this state. Chen Ziqi pulled out the dagger at his waist and prepared to take her out with a single blow. Suddenly, he felt a strong palm wind charge at him from behind, and he immediately spun around, pushing Chang Er protectively behind his body. ¡°Wang ye, be careful!¡± Wu Bujian said, leaping over to his side in an instant and blocking the blow. ¡°Bam!¡± The sound of human flesh taking a solid hit shocked Chen Ziqi to the core. When he looked up again, he saw an old nun dressed in a cassock exchanging blows with Wu Bujian, who was coughing up blood nonstop. She finished off the critically injured Wu Bujian in about ten moves. Tu Buxian had his hands full with Zhao Surou and couldn¡¯t assist. He howled in rage when he saw that Chen Ziqi was in danger, then stiffened his huge, coarse hands in a peculiar motion. They suddenly turned into great black reptilian bird claws with sharp, cruel-looking hooked ends. Zhao Surou cried out in shock and was stunned for a moment. In that very instant, Tu Buxian grabbed hold of her shoulder with one of those great claws, leaving five deep red gashes in it. He tossed Zhao Surou aside like a rag doll, then flew over to Chen Ziqi¡¯s side. ¡°I cordially invite the Taifei niangniang to the Suxin Sect in my capacity as the Sect Leader. Taifei niangniang, please be my guest for a few days,¡± the bald old nun said, holding a hand erect at her chest in the Buddhist fashion and bowing in greeting. Her eyes met Chen Ziqi¡¯s calmly after she did so. ¡°Abbess, this is what you call a ¡°cordial invitation¡±? It doesn¡¯t look like one to me,¡± Chen Ziqi said, looking coldly at the old nun as he held the dagger in front of him. ¡°Ha!¡± The Abbess Wuyin laughed once coldly, then suddenly attacked. Tu Buxian sprang forward to counter her, but was in turn countered by the Abbess Wuyin. She flicked the long sleeves of her cassock and wrapped them around Tu Buxian¡¯s sharp claw-hands. ¡°Demons from the Cloud Palace!¡± the Abbess Wuyin hissed. She didn¡¯t seem surprised to see Wu Bujian¡¯s claw-hands; to the contrary, her fighting spirit seemed to have been raised as a result. As the leader of a sect who had practiced martial arts for decades, the Abbess Wuyin¡¯s neili was very much stronger than Tu Buxian¡¯s, and the speed at which she moved was therefore also much faster. Chen Ziqi attempted to launch a sneak attack whilst she was occupied with Tu Buxian, slashing out at the Abbess Wuyin¡¯s waist with his dagger, but the Abbess suddenly turned around and aimed a blow right at Chen Ziqi¡¯s head. As Chen Ziqi leaned his head backward to avoid the first blow, the Abbess Wuyin followed up a second blow, and Chen Ziqi had no choice but to counter her attack. He put everything he had into the second cultivation level of the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl, which he had only just mastered, threw Chang Er onto a huge pile of dead leaves, grit his teeth and hit out at his attacker. ¡°BOOM!¡± The sound of their neili clashing reverberated through the forest, sending the withered leaves and loose dirt on the ground flying as the shockwave travelled out from the epicentre. ¡°Wang ye!¡± CH 63 ¡°Pfft¨C¡± An intensely strong blast of neili crashed upon Chen Ziqi like an enormous tidal wave, and he felt as if all the bones in his body were breaking. Bright red blood sprayed from his lips, and his whole body went limp. He felt like a tiny leaf floating aimlessly in the wind, unable to control the direction in which he travelled. Chen Ziqi¡¯s maxed out neili glowed green in his palm, and the faint sound of a dragon howling could be heard. The Abbess Wuyin got a shock on seeing this. She herself had been pushed back a good distance by the impact, and had to grab on to a large tree nearby to steady herself. ¡°The Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl?¡± the Abbess Wuyin said in disbelief, retracting her offensive stance. ¡°You actually succeeded in cultivating this?¡± ¡°You disgusting old nun!¡± Tu Buxian roared in fury. He pushed off hard from the ground, sending his body flying like a swift arrow toward the Abbess Wuyin. He was moving so fast that it was nearly impossible to see with the naked eye. The Abbess Wuyin raised an arm to block. Tu Buxian was holding a small, sharp throwing knife in his hand, but because he was moving so quickly, the Abbess Wuyin didn¡¯t notice the tiny weapon he held. He threw it hard at his opponent, and the little knife pierced right through the Abbess Wuyin¡¯s palm and lodged itself in her shoulder. Tu Buxian used his neili to push it all the way into her flesh. ¡°AH!¡± the Abbess Wuyin bellowed angrily. She used her other hand to attack Tu Buxian, sending him flying. ¡°Shifu!¡± Zhao Surou ran over immediately to support the Abbess Wuyin. The Abbess Wuyin used her neili to force the little knife out. She accepted the handkerchief Zhao Surou held out to her, quickly bound up her wounds and walked to Chen Ziqi¡¯s side. ¡°Who did you learn the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl from?¡± she asked. Chen Ziqi glared coldly at the old nun, holding his chest in pain. He refused to answer her question. ¡°Shifu, we should leave quickly. The demons from the Cloud Palace will be here any minute now,¡± Zhao Surou said anxiously. Everyone in the martial arts world knew how quickly the Cloud Palace was able to send messages, and their travelling speed also could not be estimated by ordinary means. The Abbess Wuyin considered this for a moment, then sniffed coldly and left. Yu Linglong and Yu Furong followed her, taking Chang Er with them. Zhao Surou kicked the unconscious Wu Bujian once, then turned to look at Chen Ziqi. ¡°Pei!¡± Chen Ziqi spat out the blood in his mouth. ¡°What did you take my mother for? What are you going to ask for as ransom¡­ cough cough¡­ you need to tell me that, at least!¡± he said in a hollow voice. The Abbess Wuyin stopped in her tracks, but then continued on as if she hadn¡¯t heard that question. All of them channeled their qi and used qinggong to sprint away, disappearing into the darkness in a trice. ¡°Bring Cheng Jiazhen to the Suxin Sect on the third day of the sixth lunar month. We¡¯ll exchange your mother for her. Come alone.¡± This instruction was transmitted using neili from the dark depths of the forest, and it gave everyone who heard it an ominous feeling. Chen Ziqi pushed himself up into a sitting position and tried to chase after them, but a wave of intense pain exploded from the centre of his chest. He collapsed onto the ground again. Mother¡­ All was silent, and the only sounds that could be heard in the dark forest were the fluttering of bird wings. Wu Bujian and Tu Buxian were both unconscious. One of Tu Buxian¡¯s arms was bent in an unnatural position, and he looked to be very severely injured. Chen Ziqi forced himself to stay awake. He channeled his neili to the parts of him that were injured, then thought back carefully on the events that had led to this moment. Ktf Vezlc Vfma¡¯r qfbqif tjv mifjgis tlvvfc atfwrfinfr tfgf rlcmf wemt fjgilfg lc atf vjs. Ktfs xcfk tf kbeiv qjrr ys atlr qijmf klat Jtjcu Sg jcv Ct Ze lc abk. Po rb, atfc ktja kjr eq klat atf yijvf rfca ys atf Dibbvyijvf Kbkfg? Ktf ijra alwf tf jrxfv Ojc Vtjcse ab wjxf atfrf yijvfr obg tlw, Ojc Vtjcse tjv abiv tlw tbk ab vloofgfcaljaf yfakffc gfji yijvfr jcv ojxf bcfr. Lf tjv fzjwlcfv atf yijvf atja tjv yffc rfca ab tlw mjgfoeiis atja vjs, jcv la kjr j gfji bcf, klatbea j vbeya. The Bloodblade Tower¡¯s fees for killing people were charged per head. There were at least fifty people in his mansion when one took into account the guards, maids and eunuchs. Who would bother spending such a huge sum of money hiring the Bloodblade Tower just to force him out of his mansion? If the Suxin Sect¡¯s ambush had been entirely coincidental, then the Bloodblade Tower¡¯s assassins would attack him very shortly. This forest was still teeming with unknown dangers. Chen Ziqi heard the sound of dry leaves being trampled underfoot nearby. He shivered. The assassins were probably here. He couldn¡¯t move at all, so he decided to just play dead. ¡°They¡¯ve left. Come over here ¨C let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got,¡± someone said. It sounded like a middle-aged man¡¯s voice. Chen Ziqi frowned, then opened his eyes. He saw two short, grey-clad men searching the area furtively. When one of them got to Tu Buxian¡¯s body, he shouted in fright. ¡°Oh my god! It¡¯s a demon!¡± he screamed. Tu Buxian¡¯s broken arm didn¡¯t look human at all. It was black, thin and scaly, like the claw of a predatory bird. ¡°Keep quiet!¡± his companion hissed, covering his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s just a freakish creature, right? The things created by the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan and the Stone Corpse Clan are even weirder than this. Stop being a wuss.¡± That person calmed down when he heard this, but he still didn¡¯t dare to touch Tu Buxian, afraid that whatever poison had caused him to become that way would also make its way into his own body. He turned his attention to Chen Ziqi instead. Chen Ziqi immediately knew what these two were here to do. There were vulture-like ruffians in the martial arts world who specialised in hanging around battle sites, waiting for the fight to end, so that they could rob the greatly weakened losers of their valuables. ¡°Yo, this one isn¡¯t dead,¡± the ruffian said. He got a shock when he saw that Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes were open, but when he realised that he couldn¡¯t move, he wasn¡¯t afraid any more, and reached out a hand to search Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi had changed out of his huafu before embarking on this journey, and the only thing of value he had on his person was the little jade horse. Chen Ziqi frowned, wanting to slap aside those dirty hands, but his internal injuries had become more and more severe as time ran on, and he was rendered completely immobile by this point. He could only plead with them in a barely audible voice. ¡°Good sir, the silver notes are in the horse carriage, and they¡¯re all yours. This little horse was gifted by my lover¡­¡± he said. Chen Ziqi himself was stunned when he said the last few words. ¡°Aww, look at that. You¡¯ve got a lover even at this tender young age of yours. How romantic,¡± the middle-aged ruffian said jeeringly. He brought the flaming torch closer to Chen Ziqi to get a good look at his face, A pale-faced, handsome young man lay weakly on the floor, a thin trail of bright red blood at the corner of his lips. He looked very alluring, in a pitiful, downtrodden kind of way. The hooligan swallowed hard, then reached out to grab hold of Chen Ziqi¡¯s collar, tearing the coarse green cloth away and revealing a fair-skinned chest. ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± the middle-aged man laughed lewdly. ¡°You¡¯re so good-looking, it¡¯d be a pity to just sell you off as a corpse. Let me have some fun with you first.¡± Chen Ziqi got a shock and couldn¡¯t help cursing his mother for being too beautiful. He had spoken up with a view to delaying time until Dan Yi arrived, but he hadn¡¯t thought this fellow would be a pervert who liked to play with young boys! ¡°Old Wang, come here, quick. Have a look at this,¡± the man said, fondling Chen Ziqi all over as he called his companion over. When his companion saw Chen Ziqi, he also swallowed hard, then squatted down to pull Chen Ziqi¡¯s pants off. Chen Ziqi struggled hard, and a large amount of blood ran out the corner of his mouth. His internal injuries started hurting again, and he had to give up the fight. ¡°I¡¯m having diarrhoea today,¡± he said weakly. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The two who were excitedly undoing Chen Ziqi¡¯s pants suddenly stopped what they were doing. ¡°Tweet~~¡± A crisp, clear phoenix call sounded, and an overpowering, reddish aura washed over them. ¡°Bam! Bam!¡± Two blows landed heavily on the two ruffians¡¯ bodies, sending them flying into the distance. The force of the blow sent them crashing through three trees, knocking them down flat, before they finally came to a halt. Their bodies were twisted into very strange, unnatural positions when they landed, and they died on the spot. Dan Yi retracted his offensive stance and the bloodthirsty look in his eyes, then gathered Chen Ziqi gently into his arms. ¡°Qiqi¡­¡± ¡°Dan Yi!¡± Chen Ziqi relaxed the moment he felt Dan Yi¡¯s familiar embrace. He pulled on Dan Yi¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Mother¡­ my mother¡¯s been taken away by Wuyin¡­ quick¡­ urk¡­¡± he said in a low, hoarse voice, blood rising into his mouth at the end of his sentence. Dan Yi¡¯s brows knitted together tightly, and he placed a hand palm-down on Chen Ziqi¡¯s back, transfusing some neili to him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will get people to chase after them,¡± he said gently. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t know that every time he spoke, a gush of blood ran out the side of his mouth, and Dan Yi¡¯s heart broke at the sight. ¡°Nn¡­¡± Chen Ziqi acknowledged. Finally at ease, he gave himself to the beckoning darkness and fainted. When he next awoke, it was bright outside. Chen Ziqi narrowed his eyes, slowly getting used to the piercing sunlight. It took quite a while before he was finally able to open his eyes fully. Green silk curtains and a pearl windchime ¨C he was in Dan Yi¡¯s huge bed in the Cloud Palace. The windows were open, and the fresh, woody scent of Wutong trees wafted in. Chen Ziqi took a deep breath, feeling refreshed. He raised a hand to rub his chest. It didn¡¯t hurt any more, but his whole body still felt lifeless and lethargic. He didn¡¯t have a stitch on, and he was rather stunned when he realised this. He looked around, then saw the little jade horse sitting quietly on the bedhead. The wooden door opened with a small creak. Chen Ziqi turned and saw Dan Yi walking slowly over, dressed in his usual scarlet robes. Linghe and Lingguan followed behind him, with the former carrying a bowl of black medicinal soup in her hands. ¡°Qiqi!¡± Dan Yi exclaimed, happiness creeping into his eyes the moment he saw that Chen Ziqi was awake. Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help smiling faintly at him in return. He had wanted to see Dan Yi so badly in that dark forest. He had never wanted to see Dan Yi so much in his life before. That feeling had continued right until the present, when Dan Yi was standing right in front of him. Dan Yi had a faint smile on his handsome face, and exuded an incredibly powerful air about him. Chen Ziqi suddenly felt like his heart was beating faster than usual. ¡°Wang ye, you¡¯re awake!¡± Linghe was also delighted. She set the medicine bowl down on the bedhead, then turned and left to get a doctor to check on Chen Ziqi¡¯s condition. Dan Yi picked up Chen Ziqi¡¯s limp body and leaned him against his own body, then took the medicine bowl and brought it to the side of Chen Ziqi¡¯s mouth. ¡°Drink this medicine,¡± he instructed. Chen Ziqi wanted to say something, but his throat felt so parched that it felt like it was about to crack. He couldn¡¯t speak, so he could only nod obediently and drink up the medicine. The black-coloured liquid was so bitter that Chen Ziqi felt his tongue was about to wither away, but it also moistened his throat, and he was able to speak after drinking it. ¡°What happened to my mother?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, wrinkling his nose as he looked up at Dan Yi. From this angle, Dan Yi¡¯s angular jaw could be clearly seen, and he felt a sudden impulse to crane his neck upwards and bite it. ¡°We didn¡¯t manage to catch up with them that night before they entered the Suxin Sect. My people have looked into it, however ¨C she¡¯s safe and unharmed,¡± Dan Yi said, turning to put the empty bowl back on the bedhead. He felt Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes on him and felt a little uncomfortable. When he thought about the method he had used to heal Chen Ziqi¡¯s injuries last night, his ears also couldn¡¯t help but turn a little pink. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Qiqi: Why are Tu Buxian¡¯s hands his bird feet? Your hands are wings Birdie Gong: When birds of prey are in human form, their wings are their human legs. That¡¯s how they can fly so fast Qiqi: Aren¡¯t you a bird of prey? Birdie Gong: Usually I¡¯m a dignified divine bird, but sometimes I¡¯m a bird of prey Qiqi: And when is that Birdie Gong: When I¡¯m in bed (¡Ñv¡Ñ) Qiqi: You pervert CH 64 Chapter 64 ¨C Healing Wounds When Chen Ziqi had first been brought back to the Cloud Palace, he was covered in blood all over, and Dan Yi had been beside himself with worry. It was only after Linghe and Lingguan removed Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes and wiped him clean that they realized the blood had all been vomited out, and he didn¡¯t have any external injuries at all. The Cloud Palace¡¯s doctor was an energetic old man surnamed Mu. He wore a long white robe with black edging, and his footsteps were light as he entered the room. ¡°Elder Mu,¡± Linghe and Lingguan said, getting up to greet him. Dan Yi rose and pulled Elder Mu over to the bed to read Chen Ziqi¡¯s pulse. Elder Mu reached out and placed two fingers on Chen Ziqi¡¯s wrist. He paused for a second, then raised a finger and started tapping it lightly. Elder Mu didn¡¯t take a pulse reading the same way that other doctors did ¨C he usually tapped his patients¡¯ meridians to diagnose what was wrong with them. ¡°The injuries were caused by the Suxin Sect¡¯s Wuxin Gong. His breathing is disordered, and his internal injuries are quite serious. The good news is that his important meridians aren¡¯t damaged,¡± Elder Mu said, stroking his beard. ¡°This subordinate will write out a prescription. He has to take it for three months, and in this period, his chest also has to be rubbed daily to get rid of the congested blood. He¡¯ll be well after that.¡± His chest had to be rubbed? Dan Yi frowned. When he¡¯d been injured as a child, he¡¯d had his chest rubbed by Elder Mu. The pain was intense, and there were times when he thought that death might be better than having to have his chest rubbed again. Qiqi had always been afraid of pain, and was quite unlikely to be able to tolerate this treatment. ¡°Is there no other way to treat him?¡± he asked. Elder Mu looked at Dan Yi, then lowered his eyes. ¡°Wang ye is your Dragon, and I assume he has already mastered some level of cultivation of the Dragon¡¯s Divine Howl. Palace Master, you can use your neili to heal his wounds,¡± he said. The Danyang Divine Martial Arts manual had one section on healing called the ¡°Phoenix Returns to the Heavens¡±. Dan Yi¡¯s eyes lit up, then waved a hand to dismiss Elder Mu. ¡°Umm¡­ this subordinate hasn¡¯t written out the prescription yet,¡± Elder Mu said. ¡°Give it Lingguan after you¡¯ve written it out.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Everyone left the room. Dan Yi removed his shoes and climbed onto the bed, gathering the unconscious Chen Ziqi into his arms and letting him lean against his body. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Because this movement had impacted his internal injuries, Chen Ziqi groaned in pain. In the Phoenix Returns to the Heavens, one had to transfuse Danyang essence through the Lingtai and Zhiyang acupoints to gather yang energy. To do this, they had to have their bare skin touching each other. Dan Yi took off his outer robes, thought for a bit, then removed his inner robes as well. He cradled the naked Chen Ziqi, allowing their bare skin to touch, but it didn¡¯t seem to produce any effect even after a while. Dan Yi tilted his head as he ran through the instructions for the Phoenix Returns to the Heavens in his head. He suddenly realized what he had to do. The bare skin that had to touch each other probably meant using his hand to transfuse neili into Chen Ziqi¡¯s body, not hugging each other while naked. Dan Yi rubbed his nose, then arranged Chen Ziqi into a sitting position. He pushed his neili out through his right palm, then pressed his palm against the centre of Chen Ziqi¡¯s back. ¡°Mmph¡­ it¡¯s hot¡­¡± The fiery Danyang divine energy coursed through Chen Ziqi¡¯s meridians, made a circuit around his chest, then followed his spine down all the way to his tailbone. Chen Ziqi¡¯s body suddenly felt very warm, and a sheen of sweat appeared on his skin. Dan Yi closed his eyes, then placed both his palms on Chen Ziqi¡¯s back and focused the neili on the congested blood in his chest. ¡°Ct¡­ la tegar¡­¡± Jtfc Ildl bqfcfv tlr fsfr jcv mglfv bea lc qjlc. Lf agfwyifv jr tf jgmtfv yjmxkjgv. Pa vlvc¡¯a rffw atja tf tjv gfujlcfv mbcrmlbercfrr fnfc atbeut tlr fsfr kfgf bqfc ¨C la kjr qegfis j qtsrlmji gfjmalbc ab atf qjlc tf kjr fzqfglfcmlcu. Dan Yi caught his body as it collapsed, his brows knitting together slightly. Why was it that using this method still caused Chen Ziqi so much pain? Had he missed out something? ¡­ Transfuse Danyang essence¡­ Danyang essence! That was it! Danyang essence was Dan Yi¡¯s own life essence. There was only one way to transfuse life essence ¨C mouth-to-mouth. He retracted his neili and cradled Chen Ziqi in his arms again, looking down at him. His eyes were closed again. Dan Yi pressed his lips together, channelled his essence, then slowly inched over. He pressed his lips to Chen Ziqi¡¯s pale, bloodless ones, transfusing some of his Danyang essence into his body. Jtfc Ildl¡¯r rboa ilqr kfgf j ilaaif mgjmxfv yfmjerf tf tjv ibra abb wemt yibbv, jcv atf offilcu bo atfw jujlcra Gjc Tl¡¯r ilqr kjr atja wemt wbgf qgbcbecmfv yfmjerf bo atf ecfnfc rxlc. Coafg agjcroerlcu tlr Gjcsjcu frrfcmf, Gjc Tl mbeivc¡¯a yfjg ab qeii jkjs, jcv tf ilmxfv Jtfc Ildl¡¯r ilqr ab wblrafc atfw. Lf mbeivc¡¯a mbcajlc atf fzmlafwfca tf ofia kfiilcu eq lcrlvf tlw. Lf aliafv tlr tfjv, ujhfv ja Jtfc Ildl obg j wbwfca, atfc ifjcfv vbkc jujlc. Lf mjeuta tbiv bo atbrf rboa ilaaif ilqr klat tlr bkc jujlc, atfc remxfv ja atfw ufcais. Like a kid who had just secretly eaten some candy, Dan Yi couldn¡¯t resist burying his face in Chen Ziqi¡¯s neck and laughing quietly to himself. Even though they¡¯d mutually assisted each other with a certain biological function, he didn¡¯t dare to kiss Qiqi then, afraid that he would scare him off. He had simply kept his body exactly where it was and let Chen Ziqi use his head to nuzzle all over his chest. Today, he finally got his kiss. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°How long was I out?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, his brows creasing slightly as he leaned on Dan Yi¡¯s chest and looked up at him. From this angle, he could see not only Dan Yi¡¯s beautifully angular chin, but also a slowly reddening ear. This fellow was definitely thinking about something embarrassing. ¡°A day and two nights,¡± Dan Yi said, sighing. That was quite some time. Chen Ziqi pursed his lips, eyeing Dan Yi¡¯s chin, which had started to show some signs of stubble. He couldn¡¯t resist moving his head up and biting that chin. Dan Yi froze. ¡°Um¡­ Qiqi?¡± he asked. That gentle gnawing wasn¡¯t painful at all. To the contrary, Dan Yi¡¯s heart started to flutter wildly in his chest, and he swallowed subconsciously, his Adam¡¯s apple moving up and down. ¡°Did you do something to me when I was unconscious?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, releasing Dan Yi¡¯s chin. He leaned down beside Dan Yi, then cocked an eyebrow at him. ¡°No!¡± Dan Yi said immediately, sitting up straight. His reaction was exactly like the little red bird¡¯s when Chen Ziqi caught him secretly eating something he shouldn¡¯t. All that was missing were the flared wings and indignant chirps. ¡°Oh?¡± Chen Ziqi said, pressing his lips together and smiling. He exhaled gently, then suddenly thought about his little fairy and how she might still be in danger. He didn¡¯t have the mood to continue teasing Dan Yi after that. After the Abbess Wuyin brought Chang Er to the Suxin Sect, she had treated her well ¨C she wasn¡¯t being starved or anything. The only thing she was not allowed to do was leave the sect. She was largely given free rein otherwise, as if the sect didn¡¯t really care that she was their prisoner. This news did settle Chen Ziqi¡¯s anxious heart a little, but it also created more doubts in his mind. What was this Suxin Sect up to, really? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve asked Diao Lie to bring people to force their way into the Suxin Sect,¡± Dan Yi said, narrowing his eyes. That disgusting old nun Wuyin had pushed her boundaries with him one too many times, and he was getting sick of it. ¡°Don¡¯t get involved yet,¡± Chen Ziqi said, frowning. There was something very odd about this whole matter, and there was definitely more than met the eye. He felt that this whole thing was a setup to get Dan Yi to respond. Dan Yi didn¡¯t say anything. He raised a hand, then twitched his fingers slightly. The teacup on the table flew into his hand, and he put it next to Chen Ziqi¡¯s lips. Chen Ziqi drank noisily from the cup in Dan Yi¡¯s outstretched hand and finished all the tea inside. He licked his lips, looking unsatisfied. ¡°I want more,¡± he said. His tone of voice sounded like he was acting cute, and it went straight to Dan Yi¡¯s heart. The hand holding the teacup shook ever so slightly. He coughed lightly, then got up and went to physically pour a cup of tea. His powers could only move a cup into his hand, but weren¡¯t strong enough to move a teapot full of liquid. ¡°Oh, right ¨C was my mansion really wiped out by the Bloodblade Tower?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, swinging his legs nonchalantly as observed Dan Yi¡¯s nearly imperceptible little bout of panic. Dan Yi¡¯s expression became a little strange. He held out the refilled cup to Chen Ziqi before he answered. ¡°The Bloodblade Tower did go to Jianyang, and they wiped out the whole chicken farm,¡± he said. The chicken farm? ¡°Pfft¨C¡± Chen Ziqi spat out a whole mouthful of tea. Chen Ziqi¡¯s chicken farm had chicks that had just grown into young chickens, and they were about to be released from their cages at that time. The chicken farm manager and his workers were very pleased about that. Yesterday, when some of the workers went to collect eggs in the early morning, they all yelled in fright. Fresh blood covered the whole floor, and the entire chicken farm looked like a murder scene. Three hundred chickens all had their throats skillfully slit ¨C each chicken¡¯s throat only bore one thin cut that was just big enough to make the chicken bleed to death very quickly. They¡¯d been more skillfully slaughtered than they would have been at a chicken abattoir. Chen Ziqi patted his chest, feeling like he was about to vomit blood again. That blade had been sent to the chicken farm, not the mansion, which meant that the Bloodblade Tower was going to take action in the chicken farm, not the mansion. Their target in the chicken farm, therefore, was the chickens. ¡°Who¡¯s so free as to hire the Bloodblade Tower to kill my chickens?!¡± Chen Ziqi exclaimed angrily. ¡°The Bloodblade Tower doesn¡¯t just kill people. They kill anything, so long as you pay the price they ask,¡± Dan Yi said blandly. Of course, killing chickens was much cheaper than killing people ¨C one assassin would be sufficient for the job. The Bloodblade Tower, killing chickens, sending a blade, Suxin Sect, his little fairy, the Cloud Palace¡­ Chen Ziqi pressed his lips together and linked all the events in his head. His hands slowly clenched into fists. There was definitely something afoot here. Someone hired the Bloodblade Tower to kill the chickens, and their purpose likely was to scare him into leaving the mansion with his little fairy and Ah Mu the moment he saw the blade in the envelope. He wouldn¡¯t have stopped to think too hard given the urgency of the situation. And then, the Suxin Sect had conveniently appeared right at this time, on the path he was travelling, to kidnap Chang Er. ¡°Oh, my goodness, what about Ah Mu? What happened to him?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, suddenly realising that he¡¯d forgotten all about his younger brother in the horse carriage. ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Dan Yi said, lowering his eyes. He hadn¡¯t liked Chen Ziqi¡¯s ¡°brothers¡± since he was young, in particular, this very sticky little Ah Mu. ¡°Send him to the Lushan Sect then ¨C I don¡¯t have time to take care of him right now,¡± Chen Ziqi said, rubbing his throbbing temples. ¡°Nn. I¡¯ve already sent him off,¡± Dan Yi said, natural as could be. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s mouth twitched. This fellow didn¡¯t need to make his likes and dislikes so clear, did he? Chen Ziqi¡¯s internal injuries weren¡¯t fully healed, and even talking for a while tired him out. He didn¡¯t want to lie down though. His back hurt from sleeping too much, and he wanted to go out for a bit. Dan Yi got people to set up a bamboo bed in the Wutong forest, then carried Chen Ziqi out with him to bask in the sun for a bit. After confirming Chang Er¡¯s safety a few more times, Chen Ziqi steadfastly refused to allow Dan Yi to bring people to the Suxin Sect to make a fuss, and asked that he continue to get information related to this matter. ¡°Did you manage to find out who hired the Bloodblade Tower?¡± he asked. ¡°The Bloodblade Tower gives a lot of money as tribute to the Cloud Palace every year, and finding out the person or persons who hired them for any job is a Heaven-class question,¡± Dan Yi said, pushing a plate of freshly washed cherries into Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand. ¡°What¡¯s the price of the answer, then?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, picking up a cherry to eat. He gave Dan Yi a pitiful, puppy-eyed look. ¡°Won¡¯t you give me a discount?¡± ¡°You can have the answer on credit,¡± Dan Yi said, watching him eat another cherry. ¡°The one who hired them is the Jindao Sect.¡± The Jindao Sect was a Sword Sect under the jurisdiction of the Huangshan Sect. There wasn¡¯t anything special about them, save that they had the largest chicken farm in the Empire. Was this just an act of eliminating a business rival? Chen Ziqi frowned and wanted to ask some more, but Dan Yi had disappeared. In his place, there was a fluffy little red bird, which was presently standing on his knee and eating a cherry with his little yellow beak. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre ¡°How Elder Mu Diagnoses Illnesses¡± Birdie Gong: Come quick, tell me what happened to Qiqi Elder Mu: Don¡¯t be in such a hurry. I use an ancient method of diagnosis passed down to me by my ancestors. I first have to tap tap their wrists and see if they¡¯re still alive Birdie Gong: Bullshit, of course he¡¯s alive Elder Mu: And then, I tap tap again, to confirm that place is hollow Birdie Gong: Hollow? Elder Mu: Finally, I tap tap to check the position of the worm, and then I peck at that spot and eat it up Birdie Gong: What kind of ancestral method is this?! Elder Mu: A woodpecker¡¯s method of diagnosing a tree¡¯s illness (¡Ñv¡Ñ) Birdie Gong: ¡­ Drag him out and feed him to Diao Lie Elder Mu: QAQ CH 65 The little red bird, which hadn¡¯t been seen in some time, didn¡¯t look to have grown significantly since the last time Chen Ziqi saw him. He still only had one tail feather, and that feather was raised high and held proudly as always. Chen Ziqi picked up a red cherry in his fingers and put it next to the little red bird¡¯s mouth, waited for it to try and take a bite, then pulled back at the very last moment so that the little yellow beak snapped at nothing. ¡°Tweet!¡± Dan Yi chirped unhappily. Chen Ziqi chuckled to himself. Every time he remembered that this little creature was Dan Yi, he felt very mischievous and wanted to bully him a bit. He stuffed the cherry in his hand into the little bird¡¯s mouth, then watched it open and close its little beak twice with its head tilted back to squeeze the seed out. It then ate the entire cherry in one gulp. ¡°If you just swallow it whole, can you actually taste anything?¡± Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°Tweet chirp!¡± Dan Yi answered. He opened his mouth again, wanting to eat some more. Perhaps it tasted better when he was in bird form? Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t quite understand, but he nevertheless picked up another cherry with a stem and wiggled it in front of the little bird. It flapped its small wings and hopped a bit to chase after the cherry before grabbing hold of it with its beak. As Chen Ziqi teased the little bird, his mind continued to work, thinking about the events that had happened recently. That the chickens in his chicken farm had been killed seemed to be a coincidence, but what wasn¡¯t a coincidence was how the Abbess Wuyin had known about this in advance. Her purpose in taking the little fairy away definitely wasn¡¯t just to make him capture Cheng Jiazhen for her. Who was the person behind this dark scheme, and what was he or she trying to achieve? Was the mastermind trying to get something from him? He was just a vassal King, and a poor one at that. His most valuable possession was his chicken farm, and other than that¡­ there was only Dan Yi. Dan Yi¡­ If Dan Yi had arrived just a little sooner, he would have started fighting with the Abbess Wuyin. If he arrived later, the outcome would be similar to the present ¨C saving his little fairy meant asking Dan Yi for help, and if Dan Yi agreed, then he would send his people to attack the Suxin Sect¡­ ¡°Tweet tweet!¡± The little red bird pecked at Chen Ziqi¡¯s empty fingers, asking him to pick up another cherry. Chen Ziqi came to, looked down at the little bird for a second, then smiled wickedly as he picked up the entire plate of cherries and ate a handful. ¡°I¡¯ve been serving you all this time and I haven¡¯t eaten any myself. Let me touch your tail feather and I¡¯ll continue to feed you,¡± he said, chewing as he spoke. Dan Yi was always pleased to let Chen Ziqi touch his tail, so he turned around and wiggled his fluffy little bum, pushing that long feather into his hand. Chen Ziqi stretched out a finger and stroked it very carefully. ¡°Palace Master¡­¡± Diao Lie rushed over hastily, but when he saw what the two were doing, he immediately covered his eyes and turned his whole body around. See no evil, see no evil! The corners of Chen Ziqi¡¯s mouth couldn¡¯t help twitching when he saw Diao Lie skidding to a halt. He was just petting a bird ¨C what was up with his overreaction? It was as if he¡¯d seen the two of them petting and necking in broad daylight. Dan Yi turned back into his human form, arranged his clothes neatly, then spoke in a calm voice. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. Diao Lie only dared to turn around when he heard his Palace Master speak. However, he kept his head lowered, and he refused to look up from the ground. ¡°King Wan, Chen Zijian, is currently on the road to Jianyang. He has a few people travelling with him ¨C a civil official, two first-generation disciples of the Huangshan Sect, and four second-generation disciples of the same sect. Cheng Zhou has also gathered more than a hundred martial artists and is moving toward the Suxin Sect. He¡¯ll get there in about seven days,¡± he reported. ¡°Yiv Vfmbcv?¡± Jtfc Ildl jrxfv, ogbkclcu. Mbg atf Vfmbcv Uglcmf ab mbwf cbk, la rffwfv j ilaaif abb mblcmlvfcaji. ¡°Tbe rjlv fjgilfg atja atf Alcvjb Vfma kjr ecvfg atf Lejcurtjc Vfma, gluta?¡± ¡°Rc,¡± Gjc Tl rjlv, ajxlcu atf cbaf ogbw Gljb Olf jcv gfjvlcu la bcmf atgbeut. Lf atbeuta obg j ktlif yfobgf rqfjxlcu. ¡°Xb jcv ufa Jtfcu Aljhtfc,¡± tf rjlv. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Diao Lie said. As usual, he didn¡¯t ask for any reasons why. ¡°It¡¯s no use getting her,¡± Chen Ziqi said through gritted teeth, his brows knitting together. At the outset, when the Abbess Wuyin asked for this ransom, it had obviously been thought of on the spur of the moment. Getting Cheng Jiazhen was something she could easily achieve on her own. Why would she bother to expend so much effort to tangle with him, a King with no power or influence? ¡°We¡¯ll get her first, and see if she¡¯s of any use,¡± Dan Yi said, unperturbed. He waved a hand to dismiss Diao Lie. He also wanted to know what secrets Cheng Jiazhen held that would make the Suxin Sect so obsessed with her. On receiving permission to leave, Diao Lie took two steps back with his head still in its lowered position, then turned and fled, disappearing in a trice. Chen Ziqi looked at Diao Lie¡¯s retreating figure, which looked very much like a frightened rabbit fleeing from some dangerous predator. His lips twitched in mirth as he thought back on what Diao Lie had said earlier, then turned to drape an arm over Dan Yi. ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet. I¡¯m guessing that Old Second will come to the Cloud Palace in the next two days to ¡®visit his injured little brother¡¯, and at the same time, take the opportunity to reminisce on old times with you,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m thinking along the same lines,¡± Dan Yi said, nodding slightly. ¡°We¡¯re making a bet here,¡± Chen Ziqi said petulantly. ¡°You need to bet the opposite of what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Things were extremely likely to go as Chen Ziqi had said, so what was there to bet on? Dan Yi looked at him rather helplessly. ¡°Okay, fine. Then I¡¯ll bet that he won¡¯t come to the Cloud Palace,¡± he said, resigned to his fate. Chen Ziqi reached out to bump his fist against Dan Yi¡¯s, indicating that their bet was on. ¡°I¡¯ll say it now ¨C the one who loses has to listen to the one who wins and do something for him,¡± he said, grinning gleefully. Dan Yi just smiled. That smile probably constituted his agreement, right? As expected, two days later, King Wan, Chen Zijian, appeared at the foot of Jade Mountain. Dan Yi allowed him up the mountain, and King Wan automatically left the Huangshan disciples who accompanied him at the bottom of the mountain, going up only with his civil official. Chen Zijian was appointed as a King when he was fourteen, and had remained in the Capital until he was sixteen, when he went to take control of his fief. Chen Ziqi hadn¡¯t seen him since he left the Capital about five or six years ago. Chen Zijian was now very different from what Chen Ziqi remembered. He no longer had the callowness of youth. He had already come of age, and he wore pale blue robes embroidered with sky blue dragons. A three-foot sword hung from his hip, and he looked like a refined, elegant swordsman who at the same time had the slight arrogance of the nobility. ¡°Lord Phoenix King, I trust you have been well,¡± Chen Zijian said, smiling as he greeted Dan Yi, who was sitting on his throne on the dais. Dan Yi was leaning back on the throne, and his eyes darkened slightly as they looked at Chen Zijian. After a brief moment, he lifted his chin slightly. A servant came forward and placed a seat on the dais for Chen Zijian, then indicated that he could sit down on it. Diao Lie and Lan Jiangxue stood to the left and right of Dan Yi respectively. Diao Lie stared unblinkingly at Chen Zijian, and Lan Jiangxue lowered his eyes in a cold, reserved manner. The main hall was completely silent, and it all felt rather foreboding. Even the usually unflappable King Wan couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart thud ominously in his chest. He didn¡¯t know how Dan Yi felt about him, and so decided to tread carefully and make some polite conversation first. ¡°Vassal Kings are not allowed to leave their fief unless they¡¯re summoned, so I was unable to congratulate you personally when you took over the reins of the Cloud Palace last year. I could only ask Old Seventh to bring some presents over,¡± he said. Chen Zijian¡¯s carefully chosen words were rather verbose, but they were not annoying. Dan Yi usually had no patience for long-drawn speeches, but this time, he didn¡¯t lose his temper. Chen Zijian gave the rare treasures he had brought with him as gifts to Dan Yi, then asked to see Chen Ziqi, as if he was actually a good older brother who was concerned about his didi, and not someone who had just taken advantage of this situation to try and curry favour with Dan Yi. Chen Ziqi was basking in the sun in the Wutong forest. He was actually perfectly fine now. He didn¡¯t know if it was because Elder Mu¡¯s medicine was particularly effective, or because Dan Yi held him in his arms every night and transfused neili to him, but nothing hurt any more. He had been his usual bouncy self earlier that morning, even accompanying Dan Yi to the Jade Bamboo Peak to dig for bamboo shoots. However, when King Wan came over, he saw a pale, wan-looking Chen Ziqi lying on the bamboo platform, looking like he would give up his ghost at any moment. Chen Zijian¡¯s brows knitted together immediately upon seeing him. ¡°Little Seventh, are you alright?¡± he asked. ¡°Second Imperial Brother,¡± Chen Ziqi said, raising a hand weakly in greeting. King Wan caught hold of that hand immediately. ¡°My injuries are rather severe, and I can¡¯t get up to greet you¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal. We¡¯re brothers, after all,¡± Chen Zijian said, sitting down next to him and asking what had happened. When he found out that Chen Ziqi was injured by the Abbess Wuyin, and that Chang Er had been kidnapped as well, he flew into a rage. ¡°By the gods, this Suxin Sect is getting too bold!¡± he exclaimed. An Imperial Prince had been randomly attacked and seriously injured, and they¡¯d just carted off a Taifei at their whim and fancy ¨C the Suxin Sect was really out of line. Chen Ziqi sighed, then looked up at his Second Brother. ¡°Thankfully, Dan Yi arrived in time and saved my life. It¡¯s only¡­¡± his voice trailed off. King Wan became much more attentive when Chen Ziqi mentioned ¡°Dan Yi¡±. This was clearly a topic that he was interested in. ¡°Gege will help you in respect of the Taifei¡¯s kidnapping. The Sword Alliance will try to reason with them ¨C the Suxin Sect will at least listen to what they have to say. The only thing is¡­¡± Chen Zijian said, looking very worried. ¡°The Suxin Sect is still a Qi Sect at the end of the day, and there are limits to how much pressure the Sword Alliance can exert on them. It may be some time before this matter is resolved. I don¡¯t know how the Taifei is getting on whilst she¡¯s in the Suxin Sect¡¯s clutches¡­¡± These words were clearly aimed at arousing Chen Ziqi¡¯s natural sense of concern for Chang Er by suggesting that she might be ill-treated in the Suxin Sect. He was obviously trying to get Chen Ziqi to suggest something else. Chen Ziqi¡¯s brows creased. This ¡°something else¡± was Dan Yi, wasn¡¯t it? After speaking with Chen Ziqi for some time, King Wan went to look for Dan Yi again. He said that he had a good deal that he wanted to discuss with Dan Yi. ¡°I¡¯ll be upfront. I came to Jianyang this round because there¡¯s something I want done,¡± Chen Zijian said, looking around meaningfully to signal to Dan Yi to dismiss his servants. Dan Yi raised a hand slightly, and the servant girls pouring tea left the room. Chen Zijian and Dan Yi were now alone. ¡°I heard my maternal grandfather say that the Grandmaster of the Qi Martial Arts, Zhao Hetian, left a Will, and in this Will, there is a secret about attaining the highest level of cultivation. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard about this before?¡± King Wan said, smiling enigmatically at Dan Yi. All of the Qi Sects originated from the same Grandmaster, and his name was Zhao Hetian. He was a martial artist who lived a thousand years ago, and he was the one who had first founded the Qi martial arts cultivation methods. He was a true genius of unparalleled talent. The Qi Sects¡¯ foundational martial arts manual, the Tianyan Wanxiang Gong, was created by Zhao Hetian, and it was still being actively used by all the Qi Sects even now. This fellow had appeared out of nowhere, and had also suddenly disappeared into nothingness. To this day, no one had found his grave. The legends all said that he had broken through the highest levels of cultivation to become an immortal. Zhao Hetian¡¯s Will? Dan Yi lowered his gaze, then swirled the tea in his cup. A dark eagle face was reflected in the water, staring unblinkingly at him. If he wasn¡¯t already used to this, he would certainly have gotten a rude shock. Dan Yi¡¯s mouth twitched, then shot a look at the big black eagle that was perched, motionless, on the rafters of the room. Dan Yi might have dismissed the servants, but he had not dismissed the loyal Dark Cloud Envoy. The dark-feathered eagle noticed the look his master shot him and immediately shuffled further into the shadows, hiding his great bird body more carefully. CH 66 ¡°Huang Huacan asked you to come here so that you can try and steal this Will?¡± Dan Yi asked, sipping at his tea. Stealing¡­? Perhaps that was what it was, but to have it put so bluntly¡­ Chen Zijian couldn¡¯t help but feel rather awkward. He coughed once into a loosely clenched fist. ¡°Grandfather wants to borrow it for a read, but the Suxin Sect is very unlikely to agree, so he was thinking of asking you, Palace Master, to help look for it. I just need to have a look and make a copy, that¡¯s all,¡± he said. ¡°The Sword Alliance doesn¡¯t cultivate using ¡®Tianyan¡¯,¡± Dan Yi pointed out, glancing sideways at Chen Zijian. Even if Zhao Hetian¡¯s Will contained some great martial arts secret, it would be completely useless to the Sword Sects. The Qi Sects¡¯ gongfa all originated from the Tianyan Wanxiang Gong, which was a completely different method of cultivation from the Sword Sects¡¯. Chen Zijian understood what Dan Yi was getting at. ¡°Things that have reached their zenith often share many similarities. Lord Phoenix King, aren¡¯t you interested to know what a martial art that has reached the pinnacle of cultivation is like?¡± he asked with a smile. People often said that there was no limit to martial arts cultivation, but there was another school of thought that held that when one reached the pinnacle of cultivation, you would break through the void and become an immortal or a god. Dan Yi silently caressed the white jade flute hanging at his waist with his thumb for a moment. ¡°If Zhao Hetian¡¯s Will really exists, it would be a treasured artifact of the martial arts world. What are you intending to exchange with me for access to it?¡± he asked. Chen Zijian smiled faintly, then took out a small porcelain bottle. He opened the cap and held it out to Dan Yi for him to see. In the sunlight, a small white worm could be seen inside. It lay still and silent at the bottom of the bottle until it saw the light come in from the top of the bottle. It then raised its head and opened its mouth, revealing fearsome-looking teeth. It closed its mouth again, then stared up at the people peering at it with two eyes that looked like small black beans. ¡°A bloodworm,¡± Dan Yi said. He recognised it immediately. ¡°Lord Phoenix King, you are indeed very well-read. It is, as you say, a magical bloodworm from the Western regions. It specialises in sucking human blood, and the blood it consumes remains fresh in its body for ten days,¡± Chen Zijian said, sealing the bottle again and keeping it in his clothes as if it were a fine treasure. Dan Yi wasn¡¯t the least bit interested in this. He didn¡¯t really eat worms other than the jade bamboo worms and specially cultivated blackworms ¨C those were particularly delicious. Other worms all had a rather gamey taste to them. This type of high-level bloodworm was particularly disgusting when eaten ¨C it tasted of blood, and the mouthfeel of its flesh also wasn¡¯t very pleasant¡­ Chen Zijian saw that Dan Yi wasn¡¯t very interested in this bloodworm, but he wasn¡¯t fussed at all. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re aware, but the Emperor put a blackworm in Little Seventh,¡± he said. Dan Yi subconsciously clenched his hands into fists at the mention of Chen Ziqi. Chen Zijian¡¯s keen eyes took in this small movement, and his confidence increased. He could take it slow. The Tiande Emperor¡¯s grey-clothed mystery man had been by the Emperor¡¯s side since before the Second Prince had left the palace. After investigating the fellow for a long time, he¡¯d finally discovered that he was actually an expert at cultivating blackworms. He wasn¡¯t able to find out where the grey-clothed man was from, however. These few years, the Tiande Emperor had planted blackworms in all of the princes whom he thought were a threat or of use. This included the Second Prince himself. The Second Prince had able people assisting him, so he found this out very early on. He¡¯d looked for a bloodworm then so that he¡¯d be able to preserve his life. ¡°The Emperor used the blood essence of nine people to cultivate that blackworm. He did that to make it extremely difficult to get rid of. If you don¡¯t manage to gather the blood of all the nine people whose blood essence was used to cultivate that worm, even the Supreme Venom Master of the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan won¡¯t be able to remove the blackworm. And if you use the wrong person¡¯s blood, the blackworm will act up and kill its host instantly,¡± Chen Zijian explained. He had expended a great deal of effort to find out who those nine people were. They were all ordinary eunuchs and palace maids, and it had been very challenging to find out their exact identities. He had only succeeded because he¡¯d spent many years in the palace and had forged many connections then. ¡°Ha,¡± Dan Yi laughed coldly. His lovely phoenix tail eyes took on an icy cast. ¡°Using Chen Ziqi to threaten me ¨C you think that¡¯s what would get my attention?¡± Jtfc Ilpljc ogbhf. Coafg rb wjcs vjsr bo afralcu atf kjafgr, tf kjr nfgs mfgajlc atja atlr cfk Jibev Ujijmf Zjrafg mjgfv jybea Jtfc Ildl nfgs wemt. Ljv tf uefrrfv kgbcu? ¡°Gb sbe xcbk ktja tjr tjqqfcfv ab atf qfbqif ktb vjgfv ab atgfjafc wf ater ojg?¡± Gjc Tl jrxfv, atja mglrq, wfrwfglrlcu nblmf bo tlr yfmbwlcu vffqfg jcv wbgf wfcjmlcu klat fnfgs kbgv. Just as the words left Dan Yi¡¯s mouth, a black shadow leapt down from the rafters, and a large, coarse hand grabbed hold of Chen Zijian¡¯s neck like an eagle¡¯s talons would grip its prey. ¡°Those who disrespect the Palace Master shall die!¡± Diao Lie declared. He was wearing black from head to toe, and half his face was hidden by the shadows. One fierce eye was fixed on Chen Zijian¡¯s neck, as if he were trying to decide where exactly on his neck to strike. Chen Zijian immediately turned pale. One of his hands instinctively went to the treasure sword at his hip, and he had to suppress a strong impulse to unsheathe the sword. Pulling out a sword in front of Dan Yi was an extremely dangerous thing for him to do. Huangshan¡¯s sword style was a restrained and moderate one, and cultivating it required a great deal of time. Even though the Second Prince had practised it for more than ten years, he had only made very minimal progress. On the other hand, the Danyang Divine Martial Arts was the kind that was very powerful even at the first level of cultivation. In addition to that, Dan Yi had this big, burly fellow standing guard in front of him, and he too looked to be a master martial artist. If they actually got down to fighting, the Second Prince would certainly be very much worse off. Even the Suxin Sect now dared to attack a King. It went without saying that the Cloud Palace, which was much more powerful and influential, would kill a King without a single thought. ¡°It is I who was too hasty. Palace Master, I ask that you do not be offended,¡± Chen Zijian said, softening his tone immediately. When Diao Lie released him, he didn¡¯t bring up blackworms again and tried to discuss the terms upon which the Cloud Palace would obtain Zhao Hetian¡¯s Will for him. Dan Yi didn¡¯t care to discuss anything with the Second Prince any more. He refused to agree to take on the Second Prince¡¯s business and unceremoniously tossed Chen Zijian and company out of the Cloud Palace. King Wan stood with his hands behind his back at the foot of Jade Mountain, looking up at the Cloud Palace, which was shrouded by mists and foliage. He was fuming. To say nothing of having failed to squeeze some benefits out of the Cloud Palace ¨C he¡¯d offended Dan Yi on top of that! Dan Yi actually didn¡¯t care about whether Chen Ziqi lived or died¡­ Was the Tiande Emperor right, after all? Was Chen Ziqi nothing but a plaything to Dan Yi? After getting Chen Zijian out of the Cloud Palace, Dan Yi walked casually to the Wutong forest to look for his Qiqi. The bamboo platform was empty, save for a half-open novel lying face-down on it. Dan Yi picked it up. It was a book about the legend of the ¡°Feathered Ones¡±. A long, long time ago, there lived magical creatures called the Feathered Ones. They had long wings growing from their backs and could fly in the sky. A farmer was working diligently in the fields one day when he saw a Feathered One descend from the sky. The Feathered One was a man, and when he saw that the farmer was very handsome, he immediately pressed the farmer down and did things associated with birds and bees. After that, the Feathered One flew back to the heavens. The farmer¡¯s belly grew bigger and bigger with each passing day, and half a year later, his stomach hurt so badly he thought it would split open. It felt like something hard was going to come out of it. The farmer was in such great pain that he cut his lower body open, and gave birth to a little snake. Dan Yi pressed his lips together, then went off to look for Chen Ziqi. As he expected, Chen Ziqi was in the room where Wu Bujian and Tu Buxian were nursing their injuries. At this time, Chen Ziqi was sitting by Tu Buxian¡¯s bed, and one of his hands was grasping Tu Buxian¡¯s bird claw-hand, which had yet to change back into a human one. ¡°What kind of bird are you?¡± he asked. Based on that claw-hand, it looked like he was some kind of eagle or other predatory bird. Tu Buxian had been completely shell-shocked by Chen Ziqi¡¯s actions, and it took a while for him to collect himself. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ a vulture,¡± he said, a little embarrassed. His claw-hand couldn¡¯t turn back into a human hand for the time being because the bone was broken and had yet to heal. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Dan Yi said that wings were hands,¡± Chen Ziqi said, scratching his head. ¡°My hands are claws, but Wu Bujian¡¯s hands are wings,¡± Tu Buxian said, heaving a sigh of relief now that he knew his Palace Master had already told Chen Ziqi the truth about their kind. Since this was the case, he happily sold out his partner Wu Bujian. Chen Ziqi understood. ¡°Then, do you two also go to the farmlands to¡­¡± he began. ¡°Qiqi!¡± Dan Yi hurriedly interrupted, stopping him from finishing the question. Chen Ziqi threw down Tu Buxian¡¯s claw the moment he saw Dan Yi and scampered over to his side. ¡°Old Second¡¯s gone?¡± he asked. ¡°Nn,¡± Dan Yi said, tugging him away from this room that reeked of medicine. Just as they were leaving, they met Elder Mu, who was here to check on his patients. Elder Mu greeted the both of them politely, then walked into the room in a leisurely manner. They heard Tu Buxian immediately say, ¡°Elder Mu, my internal injuries aren¡¯t serious. Can¡¯t you let me go back and recover on my own?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. Lie down. If you try and recover on your own, it¡¯ll take forever.¡± ¡°Ow ow OW OW!¡± Anguished yells could be heard coming from the room. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to rub it? Why are you pounding ¨C OW OW OW OW!¡± ¡°Pounding on it makes it heal faster.¡± After that, the thudding sound of a palm hitting someone¡¯s chest repeatedly could be heard. Chen Ziqi listened to these frightful sounds and couldn¡¯t help rubbing his chest self-consciously. Thankfully, Dan Yi had healed his internal injuries, or he¡¯d be suffering the same fate. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dan Yi asked. He saw that Chen Ziqi was holding his chest and immediately wanted to know what was wrong. ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Chen Ziqi said, looking at Dan Yi. He saw that Dan Yi¡¯s eyes were looking intently at him, and his heart couldn¡¯t help fluttering a little. He draped his arms over Dan Yi¡¯s shoulders playfully. ¡°I don¡¯t want to walk any more.¡± The place where the Cloud Palace subordinates were treated for injuries was quite out of the way, and there were no waterfalls here. The air was dryer here, and injuries generally healed better where the air was dry. Dan Yi looked curiously at Chen Ziqi. He somehow felt that Chen Ziqi had become more sticky recently¡­ was it a side-effect of using the Phoenix Returns to the Heavens to heal his injuries? Whatever it was, Dan Yi was very happy about it. He set Chen Ziqi on his back, then piggy-backed him up the mountain path. ¡°What did Old Second want with you?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, leaning forward comfortably on Dan Yi¡¯s back as he looked around in a leisurely fashion. He reached out to pluck a long strand of foxtail grass and held it between his teeth, using the fluffy end to brush Dan Yi¡¯s chin. Dan Yi felt very ticklish, and he couldn¡¯t help shying away. ¡°He wanted me to look for Zhao Hetian¡¯s Will. He said it¡¯s hidden in the Suxin Sect,¡± he said. ¡°A Will?¡± Chen Ziqi said, chewing thoughtfully on the foxtail grass stem. He couldn¡¯t help cursing. ¡°F*ck your granny, Chen Zijian. I don¡¯t believe you weren¡¯t involved in this fiasco!¡± ¡°You know your paternal granny is the same as his, right?¡± Dan Yi said blandly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll f*ck his maternal granny!¡± Chen Ziqi declared. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Dan Yi didn¡¯t know what to say. That foxtail grass started wiggling again, this time at his ear. Dan Yi shook the naughty creature on his back, then smacked him on his bum. ¡°Behave!¡± he admonished. ¡°We had a bet, remember? Old Second came ¨C that means I won, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, rubbing the part of his bum that got smacked. As they were talking, the Wing Leader of the Crane Wing came forward to speak with Dan Yi. The Crane Wing Leader was wearing robes like a Taoist master¡¯s in black and white. She was tall and thin, and walked in a languid, elegant manner. When she saw that the Palace Master was carrying Chen Ziqi on his back, she froze, then bent at the waist in greeting. ¡°Palace Master, the arrangements for the Yangchun Banquet are all in order. Do you have any instructions for the event tomorrow?¡± she asked. The Yangchun Banquet? Chen Ziqi jumped down and stood on his own two feet, then thought about that arrogant Qing Clan woman who said that she would be showcasing a dance at the Yangchun Banquet. ¡°Add a seat next to mine. Qiqi will be going as well,¡± Dan Yi said, holding Qiqi tight to make sure he didn¡¯t fall off the stone steps they were on. The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Qiqi: Are you one of the Feathered Ones? Birdie Gong: Guess Qiqi: I suspect not Birdie Gong: Why not? Qiqi: The Feathered Ones can get a guy pregnant, but you can¡¯t Birdie Gong: You and I haven¡¯t done anything relating to the birds and the bees, so how do you know I can¡¯t? ¡­Birds bees birds bees birds bees¡­ Qiqi: Now that we¡¯ve tried, what¡¯s the answer? Birdie Gong: The answer is, you need to try it a few more times to find out Qiqi: ¡ú_¡ú Scram CH 67 Even though the Cloud Palace had never openly admitted that it had control of the Arcane Sects, the Arcane Sects still came to pay tribute to the Cloud Palace on an annual basis. The Yangchun banquet was held to entertain the leaders of the Arcane Sects when they gathered at the Cloud Palace every year. The name ¡®Yangchun¡¯ might have meant ¡®Spring Sun¡¯, but the banquet was actually held in early summer every year, because the Cloud Palace was usually very busy in the spring. ¡°I heard that you found a good man for yourself on the Pinghu lakeshore?¡± a young lady said softly to her companion. They were both in the Chaofeng Palace laying out brocade tablecloths on the banquet tables. The two of them wore black and white luoqun, and their hair was held in place by a scarlet hairpin. They were subordinates in the Crane Wing. The Crane Wing was in charge of the logistics and entertainment for the Cloud Palace¡¯s big ceremonies and banquets, and the Yangchun Banquet was no exception. ¡°Yes, I did,¡± the other young lady answered. ¡°His mouth was very sharp and good-looking, and his legs were the longest out of all the other guys. He could dance in the lake¡­¡± ¡°Sigh, I, on the other hand, got sent to Jiangnan on an errand, and I didn¡¯t manage to make it back for the spring festivities,¡± the first young lady said regretfully. ¡°You¡¯re younger than me ¨C there¡¯s no rush! Our clan has so many men. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qing Luo stood behind the pillar, listening to the two girls talk. Her lips curled in disdain. Those long-legged male cranes were nothing to look at ¨C they were just low-class birds. She was a member of the Qing Clan, a descendant of the divine bird, the Green Phoenix! She was far more noble and valuable than these stupid common birds. Only the people of the Qing Clan, who had the divine blood of the Green Phoenix flowing through their veins, were qualified to mate with the divine Phoenix. This had been drilled into her since she was a little girl, and Qing Luo believed this with all her heart. She raised her chin and walked out from behind the pillar, looking coldly at the two girls who were chatting openly without any regard for propriety. ¡°You know, you¡¯re not here in Chaofeng Palace to make idle chatter! It¡¯s so late now, and the dance floor in the main hall isn¡¯t even ready yet! How do you expect us to practice the dance for tonight¡¯s banquet?¡± Qing Luo said harshly. The two girls from the Crane Wing were completely taken aback by this outburst. After Qing Luo spun around arrogantly to leave, they collected themselves, exchanged a look and then laughed out loud. ¡°What on earth? She¡¯s just the lead dancer ¨C does she think that makes her the Palace Master¡¯s wife?¡± ¡°The people of the Qing Clan are always looking down their noses at everyone. They think that they¡¯re all that just because they¡¯re the descendants of the Green Phoenix ¨C please, they should check their butts to see how many Green Phoenix feathers are growing out of it! They can¡¯t even change into bird form, let alone into a Green Phoenix. Pei!¡± The Qing Clan didn¡¯t have pure Green Phoenix blood. They were actually the descendants of children of the Green Phoenix and humans. Because they were half-humans, they didn¡¯t have the ability to change into birds like the rest of the people in the Cloud Palace. ¡°Those two girls who said I was a boy toy that day ¨C weren¡¯t they from the Qing Clan as well?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, lying beneath the blankets as he listened to Dan Yi explain the various types of birds that made up the people of the Cloud Palace. Their conversation had eventually touched on the Qing Clan. ¡°Nn,¡± Dan Yi said, pressing his lips together. He didn¡¯t want to continue talking about this. Lbkfnfg, Jtfc Ildl, vlvc¡¯a kjca ab vgbq atf wjaafg. Lf rdelgwfv bnfg ab Gjc Tl jcv raemx tlr tfjv bc atf rjwf qliibk. ¡°Ktfc, lr sbeg wbatfg jirb ogbw atf Hlcu Jijc?¡± tf jrxfv. ¡°Zs wbatfg lrc¡¯a atf rjwf jr atfrf Hlcu Jijc qfbqif,¡± Gjc Tl rjlv, rwlilcu j ilaaif jr tf rqbxf bo tlr wbatfg. ¡°Vtf lr j gfji Xgffc Utbfclz.¡± A real Green Phoenix? Chen Ziqi was befuddled now, but the one thing he did understand was that baby phoenixes were only begotten out of unions between Phoenixes and Green Phoenixes. ¡°Oh no, then doesn¡¯t that mean that I angered your potential mates into leaving?¡± he asked. He was smiling on the outside, but he felt his heart ache uncomfortably on the inside. It was one thing to like another guy, but the guy he liked was also a bird-man! Ah, the road to romance was long, hard and full of obstacles¡­ ¡°Nn,¡± Dan Yi acknowledged blandly, looking down at Chen Ziqi. ¡°Hmph. Let me see ¨C since you sleep with me every day, are you just high and dry all the time?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, pursing his lips. He mischievously reached out and ran a frisky hand over a certain part of Dan Yi¡¯s body, fondling it through his clothes. Little Fengyuan immediately raised its head. Dan Yi made a suppressed sound in his throat, then caught hold of Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand. He looked deep into Chen Ziqi¡¯s innocent-looking peach blossom eyes and suddenly felt like he needed to do something. He blew out the candle, then pressed down that cheeky fellow beneath him. ¡°Your chest doesn¡¯t hurt anymore?¡± he asked in a husky voice. Dan Yi¡¯s hot breath brushed against Chen Ziqi¡¯s neck, and Chen Ziqi¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help beating faster. ¡°It hurts. My internal injuries aren¡¯t fully healed yet. You can¡¯t hit me,¡± he whined. Dan Yi didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or to cry on hearing this. He lay down on his side next to Chen Ziqi, pulled him into his arms and took a deep breath. ¡°I won¡¯t hit you,¡± he said softly. ¡°Then, let¡¯s touch each other¡­¡± Chen Ziqi said shamelessly. Ever since they had ¡°helped¡± each other the last time, they hadn¡¯t done it again. He was a hot-blooded youth after all, and he had repeatedly thought back on that time, wanting to experience it again. Dan Yi certainly wasn¡¯t going to refuse this request. He hesitated for a very brief moment, then reached out to unfasten Chen Ziqi¡¯s belt. They were nose to nose now, so close that they were breathing in each other¡¯s breath. Chen Ziqi could see Dan Yi¡¯s slender lips in the pale moonlight. He really wanted to taste them, but he resisted that impulse with all his might. Touching each other could still be passed off as something that good friends did to help each other, but kissing¡­ that was something else entirely, and he didn¡¯t want to scare off this little chick. It got hotter and hotter beneath the blankets, but neither of them wanted to leave. The heat subsided after a while, and their ragged breathing slowly became calm. This fellow¡¯s stamina was really incredible. Chen Ziqi told himself that he had to find some way to sleep on Dan Yi¡¯s bed every night, the better to prevent other people from doing something similar with Dan Yi. He closed his eyes in a bit of a daze, then snuggled more deeply into Dan Yi¡¯s embrace, falling into a satisfied slumber. Dan Yi silently held the sweaty Chen Ziqi in his arms for quite some time, until the fellow snuggled at his chest started emitting cute little snores. He then lowered his head slowly and planted a soft kiss on those moist little lips. Chen Ziqi slept very deeply that night, and the next day, Linghe had to dig him out of the blankets before using a hot towel to wipe his face once over. Chen Ziqi yawned as he sat up, then rubbed his eyes. He saw that Dan Yi was already fully dressed. He wore a scarlet narrow-sleeved inner robe, and the ends of his sleeves were secured by vambraces set with red gemstones. His wide-sleeved outer robe was a deeper shade of red, and embroidered with a pair of phoenix wings in golden thread. When he moved, he looked like a great fiery phoenix in flight, bewitching and yet dignified all at once. Chen Ziqi wore a sky blue wide-sleeved robe fastened at the waist with a waistband made of pale blue silk that had Yangzhi jade sewn on it, as was befitting of his status as a Qinwang, a King related by blood to the Emperor. ¡°Are we going out right now? I haven¡¯t had my breakfast yet¡­¡± Chen Ziqi said, pouting a little and holding his empty belly as Dan Yi tugged him out of the room. ¡°It¡¯s already noon,¡± Dan Yi said, raising his chin to get him to look up at the sky. Chen Ziqi realised that the sunlight filtering in between the Wutong tree leaves was indeed very strong and piercing, and that it was fairly late in the day. Playing with each other at night did make him very tired, which in turn resulted in him oversleeping. He didn¡¯t say any more, and just followed Dan Yi obediently to the Chaofeng Palace. Chen Ziqi did not actually need to attend the gathering of the Arcane Sect leaders, but Dan Yi said that they needed some of the Arcane Sects¡¯ help in order to save Chang Er, so he thought that he should familiarise himself with them first. That was why he had tagged along. The Arcane Sects were not set up like the Sword Alliance or the Qi Sects, where big sects had little satellite sects paying tribute to it. Each of the Arcane Sects was an independent entity. For this reason, a large number of Arcane Sect Leaders would be present today. Differently attired men and women of all ages sat on two sides of the banquet hall. ¡°Why is there a table next to the Palace Master¡¯s seat?¡± the leader of the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan asked the Thousand Poisons Sect Leader in a low voice. The Thousand Poisons Sect leader was a fat old man, and he was in the midst of surreptitiously sprinkling itching powder on the seat next to him. He got a shock when the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan leader suddenly spoke to him, and his hand slipped, dropping a good amount of itching powder into his own sleeve. He quickly pulled out the antidote and threw some of that powder into his sleeve. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the Palace Master¡¯s wife¡¯s seat,¡± he said distractedly. ¡°The Palace Master is only sixteen. As if he¡¯d have a wife at this age,¡± the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan Leader said, frowning at the Thousand Poisons Sect Leader and giving him a smack on the shoulder. The revered Thousand Poisons Sect Leader was just about to close the bottle of itching powder antidote, and that smack spilled more of the antidote powder onto himself. The antidote to itching powder was numbing powder, and now that so much had been sprinkled, he started to lose sensation in his arm. The Thousand Poisons Sect Leader clenched his teeth in irritation, trying to hold in his temper. He smiled, raised an arm and patted the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan Leader on the shoulder. ¡°You never know. Perhaps he¡¯s just showing his wife off before they¡¯re officially married,¡± he said. The Ten Thousand Venoms Clan Leader nodded. He wanted to raise a hand to rub his chin, but found that his arm was completely numb. He couldn¡¯t move it at all. As it turned out, the seat next to the Palace Master¡¯s was filled by an unfamiliar-looking young man. ¡°I wonder which sect gave that beauty to the Palace Master?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. That¡¯s the Palace Master¡¯s good friend, the Seventh Wang ye,¡± someone who was better informed said. That pale blue belt adorned with jade immediately gave Chen Ziqi¡¯s rank and status away. Ah, so that was what it was. Everyone let out the breath they¡¯d been holding, then went to their assigned seats. Dan Yi sat on the throne on the dais, his eyes sweeping calmly over the persons gathered below. They were all bowing to Dan Yi formally in greeting. Dan Yi raised a hand, and it was only then that they straightened and sat down in their seats. ¡°There¡¯ll be no official business discussed at tonight¡¯s Yangchun Banquet. Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest,¡± Dan Yi said, raising a jade winecup in toast to his guests. The people below the dais raised their cups in unison and drank with Dan Yi. Now that a cup of wine had entered their bellies, drums and music sounded, and an elaborately dressed Qing Luo descended from the ceiling with six dancing girls. They started dancing gracefully to the beat of bamboo musical instruments. They moved in a supple, fluid manner, as if they didn¡¯t have any bones in their bodies, and their faces were as beautiful as flowers. The audience was entranced by their dance. Qing Luo heard the clamorous applause from the Arcane Sect Leaders, and the corners of her mouth lifted in a proud smile. She was the girl who had the greatest amount of Green Phoenix blood in her generation, and that was why the Clan Leader had given her the one and only opportunity to enter the Crane Wing. She was the one with the greatest claim to the position of the Palace Master¡¯s Wife! She swirled her sleeves gracefully, then covered her face with a translucent gauze belt, following the steps of the dance. Her pretty almond-shaped eyes looked toward the godlike young man sitting on the dais. That godlike young man was, at this very moment, staring intently at a plate of chicken wings in front of him. He reached out with his chopsticks, picked one wing up, then put it in Chen Ziqi¡¯s bowl. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± ¡ª Beansprout: The Arcane Sect Leaders¡¯ shenanigans are such a hoot! I love them Also, there is no mini-theatre for this chapter, more¡¯s the pity¡­ CH 68 Chen Ziqi picked up the chicken wing and bit into it. This chicken wing was really well done. It had first been fried to a crisp in boiling oil, then stir fried with a savoury sauce. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and it left a delicious fragrance on the tongue even after it was swallowed. Chen Ziqi suddenly felt a sudden burst of curiosity. This Cloud Palace was full of birds, wasn¡¯t it? That included the chefs. Didn¡¯t the bird-chefs feel disgusted or scared when they fried chicken wings? ¡°Some birds also eat chickens,¡± Dan Yi said, pointing at the Dark Cloud Envoy. The Dark Cloud Envoy and the White Cloud Envoy both sat just below the dais. Lan Jiangxue was drinking a cup of wine elegantly, and he didn¡¯t eat very much. On the other hand, Diao Lie was taking big bites out of a whole roast chicken. No wonder Wu Bujian and the rest were afraid of Diao Lie. Chen Ziqi grinned, the chicken wing dangling from his mouth. He cast his eyes around the room, and his gaze so happened to meet Qing Luo¡¯s passion-filled one. There was a carpet with a huge red peony design in the middle of the dance floor. Qing Luo was dressed in robes of red in many shades, and she led a group of more plainly dressed, long legged girls in a dance. The Green Phoenix was a subspecies of the Phoenix, and when it was born, it looked exactly like the bright red phoenix. It was only after it reached maturity that the colour of its feathers would change to green. The colour red had special meaning to the people of the Qing Clan. It was their proof that they were indeed closely related to the real Phoenixes. Qing Luo, as a descendant of the Green Phoenix, danced really beautifully and gracefully. Chen Ziqi saw that Qing Luo was looking expectantly at them, and he felt bad for her, so he winked casually at her. Qing Luo was startled when she saw this wink, and she tripped on the hem of her long dancing skirt. She nearly fell, but was supported at the very last moment by one of the Crane Wing girls next to her. She hadn¡¯t fallen flat on her face, but she looked very clumsy indeed, and everyone who was watching the dance couldn¡¯t help but gasp in surprise when they saw her trip. Even the Palace Master looked up on hearing the audience¡¯s collective gasp. ¡°Ehehehehe¡­¡± A sinister-sounding laugh came from the seated guests. Qing Luo thought that the person was laughing and her, and she immediately stopped dancing. She stood stock still where she was and her eyes turned red. The music continued to play, and the Crane Wing girls continued to dance right on the beat. They danced in a circle around Qing Luo, and it actually looked like this was all part of the choreography. Qing Luo waited for the Palace Master to notice that she had been wronged, but at this moment, no one was looking at her. Everyone¡¯s attention had been attracted by that burst of sinister laughter, and were looking in that direction. The Stone Corpse Clan Leader had always been a solemn man of few words. His pale, bloodless face was usually nearly indistinguishable from the faces of the corpses he controlled. Right now, however, this usually blank-faced Clan Leader was rolling on the ground, convulsed with laughter as he scratched hard at his backside. ¡°Ljtjtj! Yiv Gfjvqjc tjr olcjiis ifjgcfv tbk ab ijeut!¡± atf Ktberjcv Ublrbcr Vfma Ofjvfg rjlv, uglcclcu ogbw fjg ab fjg lc jc bvvis aglewqtjca wjccfg. ¡°Gejcmtjcu Xgjrr ¨C sbe biv yjrajgv! Tbe¡¯gf jrxlcu ab yf wjvf lcab j mbgqrf!¡± atf Vabcf Jbgqrf Jijc Ofjvfg megrfv, rmgjamtlcu ogjcalmjiis ja tlr yew. The Thousand Poisons Sect Leader¡¯s name was Huang Teng, which was the proper name for duanchang grass. Because of this, Huang Teng¡¯s nickname in the martial arts world was ¡°Duanchang Grass¡±. Dan Yi set his winecup down with a clink. This sound wasn¡¯t a loud one, but because the bamboo music instruments had stopped playing, the hall was quiet, and the sound carried even to the far ends. The fat, old Thousand Poisons Sect Leader realised that the Palace Master was watching them intently now, and he didn¡¯t dare to create any more trouble. He quickly sprinkled a handful of the antidote powder on the Stone Corpse Clan Leader¡¯s buttocks. ¡°Palace Master, we were just having a bit of fun with each other. Please don¡¯t mind us,¡± he said with a smile. Dan Yi didn¡¯t say anything in response as he looked at them with a bland expression on his face. ¡°Hmph!¡± the Stone Corpse Clan Leader sat up and sniffed coldly, but he also didn¡¯t dare to kick up a fuss, and indicated to the Palace Master that he was fine now. These little bits of trickery were very common when the Arcane Sect Leaders got together. Dan Yi had accompanied his father to Yangchun Banquets in the past, and he was used to their antics. Dan Yi looked at the two of them for a few moments, then raised a hand to indicate that the banquet could continue. Once the music started again, the plainly-dressed dancing girls started dancing again. Only Qing Luo remained exactly where she was. This earned her a sharp glare from the Crane Wing Leader, and it was only then that she reluctantly began to dance again, a hurt look on her face. ¡°Who¡¯s that lady?¡± Lan Shanyu asked, turning slightly toward the Crane Wing Leader. ¡°She¡¯s the one from the Qing Clan,¡± the Crane Wing Leader said with a pained expression. He stole a surreptitious look at Diao Lie, but thankfully, he was concentrating hard on eating his roast chicken and didn¡¯t notice him at all. ¡°Oh so this is the ¡®future Palace Mistress¡¯,¡± Lan Shanyu said, patting the Crane Wing Leader¡¯s shoulder in commiseration. The one good thing in this whole situation was that the performance wasn¡¯t a long one, and Qing Luo finished it fairly quickly. After they left the dance floor, Dan Yi raised his winecup to toast all his guests. ¡°Three days from today, the Invincible Cutter, Cheng Zhou, will be bringing a group of martial artists to the Suxin Sect. You should go and observe what happens,¡± Dan Yi said casually, as if he were telling them to remember to go to the market in two days¡¯ time. ¡°Yo, there¡¯ll be some excitement for sure. Excellent! I¡¯ll go and have a look,¡± the Thousand Poisons Sect Leader said spiritedly. ¡°There¡¯ll probably be quite a few deaths that day. We should go too, and see if there are any good corpses for the taking,¡± the Stone Corpse Clan Leader said to his second-in-command. The latter¡¯s eyes shone, and he nodded vehemently. Chen Ziqi looked curiously at this motley crew. He found them incredibly interesting. Even though these Arcane Sects were technically also martial arts sects, they were completely different from the famous sects he¡¯d known since he was little. ¡°The one carrying a sharp sword on his back ¨C which sect is he from?¡± Chen Ziqi whispered to Dan Yi. ¡°The Sword Stabbing Clan,¡± Dan Yi said calmly. He extended his chopsticks and swiftly stole a piece of fish that Chen Ziqi had just finished removing the bones from, then stuffed it into his mouth. ¡°Then what about the ones who are dressed like doctors?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. His eyes were roving excitedly over the gathered sect members, and he didn¡¯t notice that his fish had been stolen at all. ¡°The Hundred Grasses Valley,¡± Dan Yi said, swallowing the fish and licking his lips. Of the Arcane Sects, the five largest were the Bloodblade Tower, the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan, the Stone Corpse Clan, the Thousand Poisons Sect, and the Hundred Grasses Valley. The rest were very much smaller. Even so, these small sects were independent of each other, and enjoyed a great deal of freedom. The Sword Stabbing Clan was an example of one such small sect. ¡°Palace Master, the Thousand Poisons Sect and the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan love to engage in this sinister sort of play ¨C they even brought poisons with them to the Yangchun Banquet. They can¡¯t have any good intentions, and this subordinate must protect you,¡± the Sword Stabbing Clan Leader said. He was really naggy, and he stuck to Dan Yi like glue even when he wanted to speak privately to the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan Leader after the banquet ended. Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help wanting to laugh when he looked at the fellow. He had the face of an honest, upright gentleman, but he backstabbed everyone the moment he opened his mouth. Chen Ziqi found this contrast extremely amusing, and he couldn¡¯t resist speaking up. ¡°How may I address you, Sect Leader?¡± he asked. ¡°My name is Geng Yan, and my courtesy name is Zhijun,¡± the Sword Stabbing Clan Leader said, clasping his fists toward Chen Ziqi in greeting. He had seen how well Dan Yi treated Chen Ziqi and didn¡¯t dare to show him any disrespect. ¡°Clan Leader Geng, you¡¯re a really interesting person. I¡¯d like to get to know you better,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling as he held on to Geng Yan¡¯s arm to provide an opportunity for Dan Yi and the Thousand Venoms Clan Leader to move forward without him. Dan Yi looked at him, but didn¡¯t say anything. He turned to go to the small atrium where he usually discussed things with his subordinates. Chen Ziqi dragged Geng Zhijun off with him to walk aimlessly along the covered corridors. As the two chatted, they found that they had many things in common and got along very well indeed. At some point, Geng Zhijun revealed that the Sword Stabbing Clan¡¯s ultimate move was stabbing someone in the back, and Chen Ziqi surreptitiously hung back a little to allow the fellow to walk ahead of him. Just at this moment, Qing Luo appeared with a few Crane Wing girls in tow, walking toward Chen Ziqi and Geng Zhijun. She had changed out of her dancing clothes. When she saw Chen Ziqi¡¯s carefree manner, she bit down on her lip, then walked over toward Chen Ziqi. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Qing Luo: My loving gaze was not reciprocated; the Green Phoenix has intentions, but alas, the Phoenix has none Qiqi: It¡¯s so sad to not get any response; let me give you one Birdie Gong: The two of you can respond to each other all you want, I¡¯m gonna steal a piece of fish right now Qing Luo: ¡­ ¡­ Qing Luo: I¡¯m already promised to the Palace Master. Wang ye, don¡¯t flirt with me Qiqi: What a coincidence! I¡¯m promised to the Palace Master too Birdie Gong: What a coincidence! This bird is also promised to Qiqi Qing Luo: ¡­ Director, I can¡¯t continue filming anymore CH 69 ¡°Qing Luo humbly greets Wang ye,¡± Qing Luo said, bowing to Chen Ziqi as etiquette required. Dan Yi had expressly stated that she was not to be disrespectful to Chen Ziqi, so she had no choice but to do so. A few of the Crane Wing girls also followed suit, bowing respectfully to Chen Ziqi. They were about to leave when they realised that Qing Luo was still standing in place, and had no choice but to remain there as well. They looked at each other in confusion, not sure what Qing Luo was up to. ¡°Miss Qing Luo, was there something you needed from me?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He¡¯d been interrupted in the midst of an interesting conversation with Clan Leader Geng, but he still smiled politely at Qing Luo as he spoke to her. The warm sunlight of early summer shone down on that young, handsome, far-skinned face of Chen Ziqi¡¯s, throwing his thick eyelashes and the charmingly pink corners of his peach blossom eyes into sharp relief. He looked like a peach blossom that had bloomed in spring, one that could make you drunk just by looking at its beauty. Qing Luo froze for a second. She looked down, not daring to look at Chen Ziqi¡¯s face any more. ¡°Qing Luo is the one the Qing Clan chose to attend to the Palace Master. Wang ye, your flirting with me earlier was very inappropriate, and I ask that you behave in a proper manner,¡± she said. Huh?! Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise. This woman was the one who had looked at him with smouldering eyes at the banquet, and he had only smiled back at her out of kindness. So, that coquettish smile of hers was not actually meant for him to see; it had been meant for Dan Yi instead! Chen Ziqi folded his arms, then raised a hand to tap at his temple. ¡°Did I¡­ see you today?¡± he asked, deliberately feigning confusion. ¡°Pfft!¡± the girls behind Qing Luo couldn¡¯t contain their laughter. Qing Luo turned red at once. She¡¯d come here to give her admirer a warning, but her so-called admirer didn¡¯t even know who she was! A thick fog of awkwardness settled over the people standing in the corridor. ¡°Ah, wasn¡¯t she the dancing girl from the banquet? The one wearing red robes?¡± the good-hearted Sword Stabbing Clan Leader said, trying to defuse the situation. He unwittingly made it worse however; he had now reduced a noble born girl of the Qing Clan to a mere dancing girl. ¡°Ah! Brother Geng, now that you mention it, I do remember her from the banquet. My apologies,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling as he clasped his hands in her direction. Qing Luo felt bile rising in her throat. She grit her teeth and took her leave, then spun on her heel and left. If she continued the conversation, she might actually get an internal injury. ¡°Pah, what¡¯s the world coming to? Now even a mere bedwarmer of the Palace Master dares to be this insolent,¡± Clan Leader Geng said quietly to Chen Ziqi as he watched Qing Luo go. Qing Luo¡¯s martial arts skills were pretty good, and she was able to hear this clearly even though she was about ten feet away. She suddenly felt like she¡¯d been stabbed hard in the back and nearly tripped and fell. ¡°Sigh, Brother Geng, we shouldn¡¯t say things willy nilly. Perhaps that girl will one day be the Palace Master¡¯s furen,¡± Chen Ziqi said, feeling a sour taste in his mouth as he said these words. Damn this Phoenix blood! How was he supposed to get Dan Yi like this? ¡°The Palace Master¡¯s furen? I highly doubt it. The Palace Master has never even looked at her even once. Compared to her, you seem more like the Palace Master¡¯s furen,¡± Geng Zhijun said, not mincing his words in the least. From the start of the banquet right up to the end, the Palace Master had only drunk wine, put food in Chen Ziqi¡¯s bowl, and stolen food from Chen Ziqi¡¯s bowl. He had also looked at everyone with cold, unfeeling eyes, and his gaze only softened when he looked at Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi liked to hear things like this. He elbowed Clan Leader Geng in the chest playfully. ¡°Hehe, thank you for your kind words,¡± he said. Kind words? Clan Leader Geng had actually regretted saying those words the moment they had left his mouth ¨C it didn¡¯t seem appropriate for him to say that Chen Ziqi, a boy, was the Palace Master¡¯s furen. He hadn¡¯t expected Chen Ziqi to be happy about it, and was completely confused now. Before he could figure things out, he was dragged off by Chen Ziqi to look for the Thousand Poisons Sect Leader. Meanwhile, in the small atrium, Dan Yi was in the midst of asking the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan Leader some questions. The leader of the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan was named Ren Zongmie, and he wore all-black robes with a black cloak over them, which was the usual mode of dress for a Venom Master. His skin was an unhealthy-looking greyish-green shade. Ren Zongmie stood in front of Dan Yi. He couldn¡¯t help swallowing hard when those phoenix tail eyes were trained intently on him. ¡°I don¡¯t have any blackworms on me when I visit the Cloud Palace,¡± he said, shivering slightly. Dan Yi looked away when he said this. He lifted his chin slightly to indicate that Ren Zongmie could sit. Cr atf Veqgfwf Nfcbw Zjrafg bo atf Kfc Ktberjcv Nfcbwr Jijc, Efc Ibcuwlf kjr mbcrlvfgfv atf kbgiv¡¯r wbra qbkfgoei Nfcbw Zjrafg. Lbkfnfg, cb wjaafg tbk qbkfgoei tf kjr, tf kjr ralii qbkfgifrr yfobgf atf Jibev Ujijmf qfbqif. Lf kbeiv cfnfg vjgf ab yglcu tlr qgfmlber yijmxkbgwr lcab atf Jibev Ujijmf ¨C obg atf yijmxkbgwr¡¯ bkc ubbv. ¡°The Tiande Emperor has a Venom Master in grey Taoist robes by his side. Do you know who that is?¡± Dan Yi asked. He still felt angry when he thought back on the time when Chen Ziqi had been unwittingly made a blackworm host. ¡°What were his blackworms like?¡± Ren Zongmie asked. There weren¡¯t many Venom Masters from the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect who went out to set up their own clans or sects. As long as one could say what the defining features of his blackworms were, he could easily guess who it was. Dan Yi thought for a bit. ¡°It tastes like peanuts when deep fried, and it was crispier than your blackworms,¡± he said. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Ren Zongmie really didn¡¯t know what to say as he stared helplessly as Dan Yi. ¡°Ahem!¡± Lan Jiangxue coughed politely, unable to continue watching the exchange between these two any more. He took out a small ink painting from his sleeve and offered it to Ren Zongmie. Ren Zongmie took it and opened it for a look. He recognised the blackworm¡¯s Venom Master the moment he set eyes on the picture. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this must be my Shixiong¡¯s blackworm. His name is Yan Feijue,¡± he said. ¡°Yan Feijue?¡± Dan Yi frowned. This name sounded very unpleasant. Yan Feijue was the head disciple of the previous leader of the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan. However, when he was fighting for the right to succeed as the next Supreme Venom Master, he¡¯d lost to Ren Zongmie, and had left the Clan in a rage thereafter. Ren Zongmie had actually been looking for him all this while, but hadn¡¯t heard any news about him. ¡°He has flouted the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect¡¯s rules by participating in affairs of state. I will bring him back and punish him,¡± Ren Zongmie said, clenching his fists tightly. He¡¯d originally assumed that the fellow had just retreated into seclusion somewhere in the mountains, and had never thought that he would go to the Imperial Palace to stir up trouble. Dan Yi didn¡¯t care about the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect¡¯s internal power struggles. He was only concerned with Chen Ziqi¡¯s safety, and after thinking for a bit, he spoke up again. ¡°If the blackworm has been removed and fried to a crisp, would the mother blackworm be aware of this somehow?¡± he asked. Fried? To a crisp?! The corners of Ren Zongmie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°No. It¡¯s only if the mother blackworm is killed that the spawned blackworms will die. When the spawn blackworm dies, the mother isn¡¯t affected. If you¡­ erm¡­ fry the spawn blackworm, Yan Feijue is very unlikely to know,¡± he said. ¡°Good,¡± Dan Yi said, nodding. He changed the topic after that. ¡°Go with Diao Lie to the room at the back of the mountain. I want to know the answer before tonight.¡± Ren Zongmie followed Diao Lie down the winding corridors until they finally came to the front of a steep cliff. Diao Lie grabbed hold of the back of Ren Zongmie¡¯s collar and flew up into the sky with him. They dove straight into a cave halfway up the cliff. This was the ¡°room at the back of the mountain¡± that Dan Yi had referred to earlier ¨C the Cloud Palace¡¯s prison. In the dim light of the prison, a woman with dishevelled hair and a dirty face could be seen. It was Cheng Jiazhen, who should have been by Cheng Zhou¡¯s side in Jiangnan. ¡°This woman is a real tough nut to crack. She completely refuses to say what the Suxin Sect made her do. The Palace Master does not allow us to beat women, so we can only ask you to assist,¡± Diao Lie said, using his eagle eyes to stare intently at Ren Zongmie. Ren Zongmie swallowed hard. ¡°I really didn¡¯t bring any blackworms with me,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t eat worms,¡± Diao Lie said. Sharp cracks sounded as he clenched his fists, echoing ominously in the hollow cave. He continued speaking in a more sinister tone. ¡°However, I will eat Venom Masters who don¡¯t do as I say.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Ren Zongmie shivered in fright as he felt around inside his clothes. He finally found what he was looking for ¨C a small white porcelain bottle. ¡°This is called a Befuddling Blackworm, and it makes people tell the truth,¡± he said. Back at the Cloud Palace, Chen Ziqi was pestering the old Thousand Poisons Sect Master, trying to get him to accept him as a disciple. ¡°This is Itching Powder, and it makes people itch so bad that they start dancing. This one is called Crotch Brightening Cream. It causes men to be unable to get it up for a month ¨C this one is really fun,¡± Huang Teng said excitedly. It wasn¡¯t every day that he got to meet someone who appreciated his poisons, and he was happily showing off his latest inventions to Chen Ziqi. Geng Zhijun, who had been dragged here by Chen Ziqi, couldn¡¯t help backing away a few steps. ¡°Wang ye, you¡¯re a noble person, and you shouldn¡¯t be learning these underhanded things. However, I can make a gift of a few fun items to you. If you like them, you can buy them from the Thousand Poisons Sect, and I¡¯ll give you a discount then,¡± Sect Leader Huang said, grinning from ear to ear as he pulled out a few little bottles and thrust them into Chen Ziqi¡¯s hands. There were six small bottles in total ¨C Itching Powder, Crotch Brightening Cream, Spicy Eye Water, and the antidotes to these three poisons. ¡°You can¡¯t use too much of the antidote,¡± the fat old man cautioned Chen Ziqi. ¡°The antidotes are actually poison as well, after all.¡± He couldn¡¯t help adding this on as he looked into Chen Ziqi¡¯s adorably covetous peach blossom eyes. The antidote to Itching Powder was Numbing Powder ¨C this was self-explanatory. The antidote for Spicy Eye Water would cause a person to lose his eyesight if used on its own and not as an antidote, and the Crotch Brightening Cream¡¯s antidote was a strong aphrodisiac for male use. At night, when Chen Ziqi got back to the room he shared with Dan Yi, he couldn¡¯t resist excitedly showing off his loot. Dan Yi gave him a sideways glance, then continued reading the confession in his hands. This had been sent from the room at the back of the mountains. Cheng Jiazhen had spilled her guts under the influence of the Befuddling Blackworm, and Diao Lie had instructed someone to write it all down. Lan Jiangxue had been asked to look over it before it had been sent on to Dan Yi. The dense words on the paper had a few parts that had been circled out by Lan Jiangxue in red cinnabar ink. ¡°What are you reading?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, scooting over with a curious look. Dan Yi pulled him onto his lap, then reached his arms around him to point at one of the cinnabar markings. ¡°The Abbess Wuyin once asked Cheng Jiazhen to learn a certain music score,¡± she said. ¡°A music score?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, frowning. He would have never guessed that that fierce old nun had such refined hobbies. ¡°You think that the reason the Abbess Wuyin was looking for Cheng Jiazhen was because of this music score?¡± That seemed too incredible for words. ¡°This music score was a prized treasure of the Jiuyin Mountain Sect that had been passed down for generations. Its name is Xiao Shao Jiu Cheng. After the Cheng family was murdered, this book fell into the Suxin Sect¡¯s hands,¡± Dan Yi said, enunciating every word slowly and clearly, ruminating on what he said even as he spoke. He had a habit of rubbing the little jade flute at his waist as he thought, but right now, the only thing within reach was Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand, so he used his thumb to gently massage Chen Ziqi¡¯s palm. Chen Ziqi felt a strange tingly sensation emanate from the palm that Dan Yi was caressing. He felt elated, however, and didn¡¯t want to pull away from Dan Yi¡¯s touch. He simply relaxed and leaned into Dan Yi¡¯s embrace. ¡°Then, the Abbess Wuyin killed the Cheng family just so she could get this music score?¡± he asked. ¡°Nn. Probably,¡± Dan Yi said, nodding. He rested his chin on Chen Ziqi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll go to the Suxin Sect the day after tomorrow. I¡¯ve asked the Arcane Sects to arrive ahead of Cheng Zhou to draw out that old nun Wuyin. After that, the palanquin bearers will fly in and get the Taifei out.¡± The Suxin Sect was a large martial arts sect, and would be guarded by powerful, experienced martial artists. They could not simply force their way into the sect; if possible, they had to sneak in and get Chang Er out. ¡°I¡¯ll go in together with the palanquin bearers,¡± Chen Ziqi said immediately. His little fairy wouldn¡¯t recognise the palanquin bearers, and he was afraid she would make a fuss, thinking that she was about to be kidnapped again. If the Suxin Sect people heard the racket and came over to check on her, things would get really ugly. ¡°Absolutely not. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to go in alone,¡± Dan Yi said disapprovingly. ¡°Then you¡¯ll come with me,¡± Chen Ziqi said, turning to look at Dan Yi with puppy eyes. ¡°I cannot appear in person,¡± Dan Yi said, shaking his head. He was the Palace Master of the Cloud Palace, and if he made an appearance, this would turn into a feud between the Cloud Palace and the Suxin Sect. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to appear in person,¡± Chen Ziqi said, grinning widely. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Two days later, the martial artists of Jiangnan made their way up the Heavenly Fairy Peak with great fanfare, beating their drums and waving their battle flags. Chen Ziqi wore a martial arts outfit made of coarse cloth and hid amongst the crowd, shouting along with the other martial artists. ¡°Abbess Wuyin, blood for blood!¡± the crowd cried. A fluffy little red bird lay in the folds of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes, extending a foot to scratch lazily at its belly. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Qiqi: Blackworms sound like they¡¯re very powerful Birdie Gong: I know this trade very well, you can ask me anything Ren Zongmie: This is a Befuddling Blackworm, it makes people speak the truth Birdie Gong: This tastes like sesame Ren Zongmie: This is a Heartbreak Blackworm. A person who has a Heartbreak Blackworm inside him cannot ever meet his lover, or he will suffer incomparable pain Birdie Gong: This tastes like cucumber Ren Zongmie: ¡­ ¡­ Don¡¯t test me, or I¡¯ll bring out the Super Blackworm! Birdie Gong: (¡Ñv¡Ñ) Oh this is the best tasting of them all, this tastes like braised beef Ren Zongmie: QAQ Qiqi: ¡ú_¡ú CH 70 This crowd was mostly made up of martial artists from Jiangnan. Cheng Zhou was very familiar with Jiangnan; that was where he had first met Xue Lang and where they had become sworn brothers. They¡¯d gone on to roam the martial arts world together after that. Cheng Zhou might not have been the brightest of the bunch, but he had always placed a high value on friendship, and had a wide circle of friends as such. Even though he¡¯d left the martial arts world for many years, he was still able to garner many supporters for his cause. Of course, his promise to publicise ¡®Open the Heavens¡¯ was also a very good hook. This group of people walked to the Heavenly Fairy Peak from Jiangnan, and more people joined them along the way. Many of these were roaming martial artists that didn¡¯t belong to any sect. They weren¡¯t really interested in the cause, and merely hoped to get a bowl of soup in return for their participation in this excitement. ¡°Hey, brother, what¡¯s the plan for later?¡± Chen Ziqi asked quietly, tapping the person next to him. That person saw that Chen Ziqi was a clean-shaven young man who looked rather unfamiliar, and assumed that he was one of those who had just joined. As one of the ¡°old-timers¡±, he took it upon himself to give him a rundown of what was about to happen. ¡°Warrior Cheng wants to get his revenge on Abbess Wuyin. We just need to make a din outside the Suxin Sect¡¯s entrance to force the Abbess Wuyin to come out. She will self-destruct in front of the crowd.¡± That sounded easy, but the Abbess Wuyin was an immoral, unscrupulous person who had not batted a single eyelid when she killed off an entire satellite sect. She wasn¡¯t someone who would self-destruct just because you wanted her to. Chen Ziqi pursed his lips in disapproval of this plan. When he turned his head, he saw another group coming up the mountain road. That group of people had about fourteen people, and their leader was a middle-aged man in brocade huafu. ¡°Halt!¡± Cheng Zhou barked. He was walking right at the front of their group, and he motioned to everyone to stop. He looked up at the second group of people, then moved to cut off their path. ¡°Family Head Zhang, I trust you¡¯ve been well?¡± The Zhang family was similar to the Cheng family in that they were also a satellite sect of the Suxin Sect. This middle-aged man was the head of the Zhang family. ¡°Cheng Zhou¡­¡± the Zhang family head looked at Cheng Zhou and sighed wearily, looking rather haggard. He saw that one of Cheng Zhou¡¯s legs had become disabled. He reached out to pat his shoulder. The Zhang family¡¯s relationship with the Cheng family wasn¡¯t the best, but all the satellite sites were united in that they were in the same boat. Now that it was known that the Suxin Sect had destroyed the Cheng family for no good reason, all the satellite sects were in a panic. Chen Ziqi looked around. No one was watching him, and he took advantage of the fact that Cheng Zhou was making polite small talk with the Zhang family head to squeeze in front and poke Chen Zimo, who was standing towards the front of the group. That idiot Brown Berry had come along for this endeavour because he¡¯d promised Cheng Zhou that he would repay him for teaching him martial arts. Chen Zimo turned and got a shock when he saw Chen Ziqi winking at him. He pulled him further into the group. ¡°Why did you come here?¡± he asked quietly. ¡°Ktja yibbvs biv cec Qeslc xlvcjqqfv ws wbatfg. Vtf rjlv P tjv ab ulnf tfg Jtfcu Aljhtfc lo P kjcafv tfg yjmx,¡± Jtfc Ildl rjlv, uglaalcu tlr affat. ¡°Jtfcu Aljhtfc vlrjqqfjgfv j ofk vjsr jub,¡± Jtfc Ilwb rjlv, tlr ygbkr mgfjrlcu. ¡°Gbc¡¯a kbggs. Qtfc atlcur ufa wfrrs lc j yla, sbe mjc ajxf jvnjcajuf bo atf mbwwbalbc ab rcfjx lc jcv ibbx obg tfg.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Chen Ziqi said, grinning toothily at Chen Zimo. He knew exactly where Cheng Jiazhen was. He¡¯d give that old nun a nice surprise today. After muttering a few instructions to Brown Berry, Chen Ziqi thrust a bag of grey-coloured powder into his hands, then slipped back into the crowd again. They met a lot of other sects as they made their way up the road that led to Heavenly Fairy Peak. It wasn¡¯t just the Suxin Sect¡¯s satellite sects that joined them ¨C even large martial arts families and large sects like the Lushan Sect also came along. The Suxin Sect¡¯s grounds were built on the side of the mountain. There was a wide open space covered with thick, solid greystone slabs in front of their main entrance. The Suxin Sect¡¯s motto was inscribed to the left and right of the huge, black-painted double doors that blocked their entry into the Suxin Sect¡¯s grounds. ¡°Clear in thought, pure of heart.¡± These principles that the Suxin Sect¡¯s disciples were supposed to follow were laid down by the founder of their sect. The Suxin Sect¡¯s founder was a female martial artist of upstanding character. She was not only very powerful, she had strong ideals and a great sense of justice. She couldn¡¯t stand seeing girls getting bullied by boys, and so she built the Suxin Hall on top of Heavenly Fairy Peak to take in women who had been abused by their husbands, and to care for female babies who had been thrown away after birth. She taught them martial arts, taught them how to read, and also kept them safe. Later, the Suxin Hall became the first martial arts sect that accepted only women ¨C the Suxin Sect. ¡°The Abbess Wuyin is utterly devoid of a conscience! She massacred an entire family just to obtain their treasure!¡± This beautiful, sacred place was now filled with martial artists screaming for the Abbess Wuyin¡¯s blood. The Suxin Sect¡¯s current leadership had clearly forgotten their founder¡¯s teachings long ago. Of the Jiangnan martial artists shouting energetically in front of the Suxin Sect¡¯s main entrance, some were actually from the Arcane Sects. ¡°The Abbess Wuyin has hairs on her chinny chin chin!¡± the fat old man who was the head of the Thousand Poisons Sect shouted exuberantly, brandishing a fist in the air in excitement. ¡°Sect Leader, that¡¯s not how you do it,¡± the Thousand Poisons Sect¡¯s Left Hufa said awkwardly, pulling on his Sect Leader¡¯s robes. ¡°Huh?¡± Sect Leader Huang¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and he threw a handful of Sneezing Powder at his Left Hufa. ¡°I¡¯m having fun, stop lecturing me!¡± The Left Hufa waved his arm in a circle to fend off the powder, but he still caught a whiff of some and sneezed a few times without stopping. He held his nose as he silently pulled out an antidote and ate it. A few people around him breathed in the powder as well and started sneezing their heads off. Chen Ziqi reached out and pulled the fat old man towards him. ¡°Uncle Huang, when they start fighting later, throw some smoke powder or something, so that I can sneak in easily,¡± he said. ¡°No problem,¡± the fat old man said, grinning. This was what he was best at. Chen Ziqi looked around. The Lushan Sect had sent around fifteen people, most of which were second generation disciples, save for one first generation disciple who seemed to be their leader. That first generation disciple wasn¡¯t Li Yuhan, and it wasn¡¯t convenient for Chen Ziqi to go and say hello, so he just remained where he was. The Lushan Sect¡¯s people hadn¡¯t participated in the shouting. They just stood to one side holding their swords, as if they were just here to watch the fun. The Suxin Sect¡¯s satellite sects all heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that the Lushan Sect had come along. After the Cheng family¡¯s matter had been broadcast by the Cloud Palace, these small sects had all secretly contacted the Lushan Sect. If things took a turn for the worse, they would immediately change their allegiance to the Lushan Sect. That the Lushan Sect was here today was a real confidence booster for these sects, and they became more daring in creating a fuss. ¡°My name is Cheng Zhou, and today, all of you martial arts warriors are gathered here to seek justice for the ninety-three people in my family who died that fateful day. I thank you sincerely for your support!¡± Cheng Zhou said, standing on a tall stone in front of the Suxin Sect¡¯s tightly closed doors. He bowed respectfully to the audience. ¡°The Cheng family was originally the Suxin Sect¡¯s satellite sect, and we never thought that one day, our entire sect, our entire family, would be exterminated. I have wasted ten years trying to find the culprit, and I finally know now that the mastermind is the Abbess Wuyin of the Suxin Sect¡­¡± Meanwhile, the mob was using their neili to project their voices as they shouted, and the racket could be heard even in the part of the Suxin Sect that was furthest from the entrance. Chang Er walked out of the house and stood on the balcony, stretching her neck to try and see what was going on. ¡°What¡¯s happening outside?¡± she asked the old nun who was sweeping the floor. ¡°It¡¯s a martial arts affair. Taifei, you need not worry yourself about it,¡± Yu Linglong and Yu Furong said, suddenly appearing at the entrance to Chang Er¡¯s residence. ¡°Yo, I was wondering who it was, and it turns out that it¡¯s you two,¡± Chang Er said, giving these two girls the side-eye. They had removed their veils and looked very much alike, though they weren¡¯t completely identical. Yu Furong was more mature and sultry-looking, whilst Yu Linglong looked more lively and innocent. Even though Chang Er was now a hostage in the Suxin Sect, she still looked at those two girls as if they were shameless trollops. Yu Linglong really hated it when Chang Er looked at them that way. She gave a cold sniff. ¡°There¡¯s unrest in the sect, so the two of us are here to protect the Taifei. You¡¯re not to set even one foot out of your residence,¡± she said. Chang Er¡¯s lips curled in irritation. She turned to lie down on the bamboo easy chair. ¡°Laoniang can¡¯t be bothered to move, really. Come here and massage my legs,¡± she said. Protect her, her ass! They were probably just afraid that she¡¯d try to run off amidst the commotion. Her little brat had probably arrived or was on the way ¨C that was why these people were so anxious. ¡°You¡­¡± Yu Linglong saw that Chang Er was pointing at her, and she grit her teeth in anger. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re still in King Jian¡¯s mansion? You¡¯re in the Suxin Sect right now!¡± ¡°And so? So what if we¡¯re in the Suxin Sect? Laoniang is still your mother-in-law, and you¡¯re nothing but my son¡¯s concubines. You¡¯ve slept in King Jian¡¯s mansion for so many days ¨C you can¡¯t possibly deny that now!¡± Chang Er retorted. She stuck one hand on her hip and pointed the other at the two of them accusingly. She hadn¡¯t seen these two cheap hussies in the last few days, and now that she¡¯d seen them, she really wanted to vent her anger. On hearing this, a few of the younger second generation disciples who were passing by all stopped in their tracks. Even the old nun who was sweeping in the yard stopped what she was doing. The author has something to say: Mini-theatre ¡°The mother-in-law is too fierce¡± Qiqi: Mother, someone sent me two concubines Little Fairy: If those two little hussies dare to seduce my son, Laoniang will scold them to death Birdie Gong: Yes, scold them to death Qiqi: Mother, recently, I¡¯ve realised that I like someone Little Fairy: Which asshole is this? Who seduced my son? I¡¯ll scold him to death Birdie Gong: Yes, scold him to death Qiqi: It¡¯s Dan Yi Birdie Gong: Exactly, it¡¯s¡­ me? Huh? Little Fairy: Oh, so it¡¯s Dan Yi. Then I won¡¯t scold him Birdie Gong: (¡Ñv¡Ñ) Does Mother-in-Law approve of me? Little Fairy: We¡¯ll have braised chicken tonight! (¨t_¨s)# Birdie Gong: QAQ CH 71 Whilst Chang Er was in full voice scolding the two sisters, the main door to the Suxin Sect still remained closed, and more and more people from other sects trickled in to watch the situation unfold. The big black doors remained firmly shut even as noontime approached. Continuing this way didn¡¯t seem to be a solution. Chen Ziqi frowned, then squeezed about in the crowd with difficulty until he finally found Geng Zhijun, the head of the Sword Stabbing Clan, who had been going around talking to people all over the place. ¡°Brother Geng, how many of your disciples did you bring with you today?¡± Chen Ziqi asked quietly, looking around. ¡°Five,¡± Clan Leader Geng said, signalling to his disciples to come forward. Chen Ziqi looked around once more, then whispered something to Geng Zhijun. The latter¡¯s eyes shone brightly after hearing what Chen Ziqi had to say, and he nodded vigorously in assent. This was going to be fun. The crowd had shouted itself hoarse by now, but the Suxin Sect refused to respond at all. The anger building in their hearts naturally increased as a result. At this very moment, a small thin man dressed in coarse robes leapt onto the tall stone that Cheng Zhou had been standing on earlier. ¡°Ah, Cheng Daxia, there¡¯s something that I don¡¯t quite understand,¡± the man said smilingly. ¡°What is it?¡± Cheng Zhou asked, turning around. ¡°The master of the Cheng family ¨C was he the Abbess Wuyin¡¯s kept man?¡± that man asked. His smile was rather lewd now. On hearing this, the tired crowd immediately perked up and pricked up their ears. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Cheng Zhou said, going red in the face. The martial arts world was rife with these rumours about the Suxin Sect, and he had naturally heard about them as well. ¡°Oh come on, I¡¯m just saying!¡± the short man said. Even though he looked very thin and weak, his voice carried quite a distance, and he started yelling at the Suxin Sect¡¯s closed doors. ¡°Abbess Wuyin, your little uncle is here to collect a debt!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± The crowd couldn¡¯t help laughing out loud. Cheng Zhou raised a hand to chase that person away, but four people suddenly sprang up and started shouting as well. ¡°All the people under the Abbess Wuyin are a bunch of whores! The door is closed, so let¡¯s kick it down ¨C we¡¯ll sell the old ones as slaves, and kidnap the young ones to be our concubines!¡± they yelled. These words were very vulgar, and the Lushan Sect people couldn¡¯t help frowning when they heard it. Some of the martial artists from famous sects also looked quite offended. Cheng Zhou opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He really, truly hated the Suxin Sect with the very core of his being, and if he were honest with himself, he actually felt sadistic glee when he thought about making what those ruffians said a reality. ¡°Well said!¡± the Thousand Poisons Sect Leader shouted in approval. A few of the people from the Arcane Sects blindly cheered along, and when the younger martial artists saw that other people approved of what the ruffians said, they also started shouting their approval. ¡°CREAK!¡± The heavy wooden doors suddenly opened, and a steel whip lashed out at the five people who said those vulgar words. ¡°Oh my, they¡¯re so embarrassed that they¡¯re angry now!¡± the five people shouted as they ran off. They disappeared quickly into the crowd, leaving only Cheng Zhou standing exactly where he was. He couldn¡¯t move quickly because of his bad leg, and he got whipped soundly by that steel whip. ¡°Piak!¡± the nine-jointed whip made contact with Cheng Zhou¡¯s chest, and the tip of the whip lashed past his face, leaving a bleeding wound there. Everyone finally saw who the attacker was ¨C it was the Suxin Sect¡¯s first generation disciple, Zhao Surou. ¡°Tbe yeiilfr jgf pera abb wemt!¡± atf mgbkv rmgfjwfv, fcgjufv cbk. Snfgsbcf tjv mbwf tfgf ab rffx peralmf, yea atf Vezlc Vfma vlvc¡¯a rjs rb wemt jr akb kbgvr yfobgf yfjalcu qfbqif eq. ¡°Shing!¡± The metallic sound of weapons being unsheathed rang out, and the two leaders of the Lushan Sect group flew down in front of Cheng Zhou. They stood in front of him with their swords drawn. ¡°Wanrou xianzi, there¡¯s no need to get violent!¡± they said coldly. ¡°Yc ktja yjrlr jgf sbe tlaalcu qfbqif?¡± ¡°Qtja, jgf sbe agslcu ab xlii tlw ab rlifcmf tlw?¡± Cries and yells sounded from the crowd, and everyone rushed forward with their weapons held aloft. When Zhao Surou realised that the person she had whipped was Cheng Zhou, she herself froze in shock for a moment. Before she could speak, a sharp sword flew at her, and she immediately raised her whip to block. The second generation Suxin Sect disciples saw that their Shifu was in difficulty and quickly rushed forward to help. The two sides started fighting in earnest without another word. In this commotion, Chen Ziqi was only waiting for the Thousand Poisons Sect Leader to send up a smoke signal. The moment he did so, he would rush in with the palanquin bearers to look for Chang Er. Sect Leader Huang took out a light blue pill and was about to pour wine on it when a deafening laughter sounded all around them. ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡± It was the Abbess Wuyin¡¯s juezhao ¨C Wuyin¡¯s Laughter! ¡°Urk!¡± The people standing in the frontmost row immediately vomited blood. Sect Leader Huang immediately kept the pill and covered his ears, using his neili to fend off the laughing attack. Chen Ziqi¡¯s head hurt badly from that attack, and he quickly gathered his neili, but unfortunately, it was only enough to prevent him from getting seriously hurt. It wasn¡¯t enough to make himself feel better, and his ears continued to ring painfully. At this moment, he felt a warm burst of neili enter his chest. He stroked the little fluffball in thanks, then channelled the new source of neili. His ears stopped ringing, and his head stopped feeling like it was about to explode. Others weren¡¯t as lucky as Chen Ziqi. Many of the less skilled martial artists had all fainted. The laughter suddenly stopped. Chen Ziqi, who had prior experience fighting with the Abbess Wuyin, immediately pulled Brown Berry and dodged to one side. ¡°Bang!¡± As expected, the moment the laughter ceased, the Abbess Wuyin charged out and attacked them with a strong palm blast. That blow produced a muffled sound when it contacted something solid, and the person who¡¯d been hit flew back, knocking down a whole row of people. Silence reigned over that flat expanse in front of the Suxin Sect¡¯s entrance. The Abbess Wuyin looked around with cold, arrogant eyes. ¡°Who wants to seek justice from this poor nun?¡± she asked menacingly. ¡°Wuyin, you hired the Bloodblade Tower to murder all ninety-three people in the Cheng family. I am here to seek justice. Even in these circumstances, you dare to kill wantonly ¨C there¡¯s really no hope for you!¡± Cheng Zhou snarled, glaring at the Abbess Wuyin with bloodshot eyes as he pressed the wound at his chest with his hands. ¡°Abbess, your actions are a disgrace to the entire martial arts world. If there has been any misunderstanding, why don¡¯t you clarify it right now? The Lushan Sect can bear witness to it,¡± one of the Lushan Sect people said. ¡°Exactly! The Cheng family hadn¡¯t done anything wrong as a satellite sect, and you killed them off just because you wanted to. If you don¡¯t make things clear today, our Zhang family will defect to the Lushan Sect!¡± the Zhang family head said. He couldn¡¯t stand to keep quiet any more. ¡°Ha! That Cloud Palace ¨C it¡¯s made up of a bunch of demons! This poor nun saved the only living issue of the Cheng family, and the Cheng family was not just ungrateful, it actually listened to the words of demons and came to surround the Suxin Sect! I am offended beyond words!¡± the Abbess Wuyin said angrily, her tone righteous. Everyone was surprised by this statement. They looked at each other in confusion. Perhaps the Suxin Sect was innocent after all? ¡°Shifu! Quick, save me!¡± Just then, the ragged, dirty-faced Cheng Jiazhen suddenly ran out from behind the rock formation toward the dais that the Abbess Wuyin was standing on. The Abbess Wuyin¡¯s face relaxed the moment she saw Cheng Jiazhen. She grabbed hold of her. ¡°This is the Cheng family¡¯s eldest legitimate daughter. You can all ask her how this poor nun treated her and her Cheng family,¡± she said. The moment she heard Cheng Jiazhen call to her for help, she knew this stupid girl still believed that she was her benefactor. The Abbess Wuyin had lived for a long time, and she certainly knew how to seize the moment. So long as Cheng Jiazhen testified for her, she could whitewash all of the suspicions surrounding the Suxin Sect. ¡°Shifu¡­ shifu is very good to me!¡± Cheng Jiazhen said, leaping into the Abbess Wuyin¡¯s arms. As she did so, she pulled out a dagger and plunged it deeply into the Abbess Wuyin¡¯s abdomen. That dagger was a bloodblade that was slightly rusted. Chen Ziqi had thrust it into her hands before they left earlier today. Wuyin looked at Cheng Jiazhen in shock and disbelief. She raised her arm and slammed a powerful blast of neili into her, sending her flying. ¡°Jiazhen!¡± Cheng Zhou shouted in horror. He hobbled over quickly and managed to catch her before she hit the ground. She was vomiting blood nonstop. Cheng Jiazhen pushed Cheng Zhou aside and laughed like a maniac. ¡°Hahahahaha! Wuyin, did you think I wouldn¡¯t know the truth about that secret music score you asked me to learn? Hahahahaha¡­¡± She actually didn¡¯t know much about the music score, but Chen Ziqi had told her to say this in order to create more trouble for the Suxin Sect. When the Cheng family was massacred, the Suxin Sect had sent people to deal with the burial and funeral rites, and had also taken in the Cheng family¡¯s valuables for safekeeping. The only thing that had been kept in the Abbess Wuyin¡¯s personal custody was that bit of the music score for ¡°Xiao Shao Jiu Cheng¡±, and the Abbess Wuyin had asked Cheng Jiazhen to play it for her. At that time, she hadn¡¯t thought much about it; she had focused all her energies on improving her martial arts so as to get revenge on the people who killed her family. Unfortunately, her innate abilities were poor, and when she wasn¡¯t able to progress in her martial arts, she became very frustrated, and when she was frustrated, she took it out on Chen Zimo. Her neili had already been dispersed eight years ago, and her body simply could not withstand such a powerful blow. She looked up at Chen Zimo, who was standing to one side, his face expressionless. She wanted to call out to him, but blood wouldn¡¯t stop gushing out of her mouth, and finally, she was simply unable to speak at all. The Befuddling Blackworm¡¯s power was that it was able to make a person say everything that he knew, regardless of whether it was related to the question being asked or not. Everything that the person had experienced, everything the person could remember ¨C that blackworm would make that person go through these memories one by one. When Cheng Jiazhen was forced to reflect on the arrogant, wanton way she had lived in the first half of her life, the only thing she regretted, the only thing she truly felt sorry for, was the way she had treated that tanned, thin little boy who wanted to cut off her head as a sacrifice to his deceased mother. Right now, she didn¡¯t think that his wish was that unreasonable. They said that people were at their kindest and most honest at the brink of death. Chen Zimo looked at Cheng Jiazhen, who was forming words with her mouth that she couldn¡¯t vocalise. ¡°Your aunt has wronged you.¡± She went limp the moment she finished mouthing these words. ¡°Jiazhen!¡± Cheng Zhou wailed. Other than Chen Zimo, Cheng Jiazhen was the only relative he had left on this earth. Chen Zimo¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he turned his head away. If apologies were enough, there wouldn¡¯t be any anger and resentment in the martial arts world. Sorry wasn¡¯t enough where his mother¡¯s murder was concerned. When the crowd saw that the Abbess Wuyin was injured, they immediately became braver. Chen Ziqi gave a hand signal, and the four palanquin bearers who were hiding in the shadows immediately sprang into action. ¡°Everyone! Let¡¯s go forth together and capture this evil old nun!¡± the Sword Stabbing Clan Leader suddenly shouted. He gave the Jiangnan martial artists in front of him an encouraging push, then charged forward with them. The people in the crowd had originally not been sure what to do with themselves, and when they saw a group of people charging forward, they instinctively followed blindly as well. The Thousand Poisons Sect Leader quickly tossed a smokescreen bomb, and as Chen Ziqi reached up, two palanquin bearers caught hold of him. They flew quickly into the Suxin Sect¡¯s grounds. Chen Ziqi flipped over the wall and caught hold of a young maiden. He covered her mouth neatly, then slipped into the shadows and pressed her against the wall. ¡°Where is Yue Taifei?¡± he asked in a low voice. The maiden widened her eyes as she looked at him and gestured that she wouldn¡¯t yell. ¡°Chang Qi gege, do you remember me?¡± the young maiden asked. She was Yuhu, the one Chen Ziqi had given a handkerchief to in Xunyang City. ¡°Tweet!¡± The moment the little red bird heard that sweet, girlish voice call Chen Ziqi ¡®gege¡¯, it sat up, popped its little head out and chirped its disapproval. The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Qiqi: Oh my! I finally have a person who secretly admires me! Birdie Gong: You had one long ago Qiqi: Where? Who? Birdie Gong: Me! Qiqi: (covers his face) You don¡¯t count Birdie Gong: Why? Qiqi: You¡¯re my secret admirer bird (not a person) Birdie Gong: Nonsense. I don¡¯t just secretly admire your bird, I also secretly admire your chrysanthemum Qiqi: _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï*)_ Communication between different species is always a problem CH 72 Chen Ziqi had a good memory for faces. He studied her face for a moment, then remembered that she was the girl who had blocked his path in tears back in Xunyang City. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you,¡± Chen Ziqi said. He didn¡¯t remember what this girl¡¯s name was, so he just said this to be polite, and released the hand he was using to press her neck against the wall. Y¨¹hu was delighted when she saw that Chen Ziqi still remembered her. ¡°What are you here for?¡± she asked. She remembered that Chang Qi gege was from the Lushan Sect. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone,¡± Chen Ziqi said, looking at the Suxin Sect¡¯s many winding paths. ¡°Do you know where Yue Taifei is? The one that the Abbess Wuyin brought back with her.¡± Y¨¹hu was a core disciple, but she was always being bullied by her shijie and shimei; they made her fetch this and carry that, so she was very familiar with the paths in the Suxin Sect. She knew exactly where Chang Er was. Y¨¹hu hesitated for a moment before replying. ¡°Come with me,¡± she said, reaching out to pull at Chen Ziqi¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Tweet tweet!!!¡± Dan Yi was protesting even more vehemently now. Chen Ziqi thought that the little red bird was chirping because he had gotten his feet caught on a loose thread or something. He pulled back the hand that Y¨¹hu was tugging on, then took the little fluffball out to check what was wrong. When he found that the bird was perfectly fine, he used a finger to flick his little bum, then set the bird down on top of his head. The little bird had a good view from atop Chen Ziqi¡¯s head, but it wasn¡¯t warm and cosy like it was when he was snuggled in Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes. The Suxin Sect was in a real mess today, and Chen Ziqi was anxious about Chang Er¡¯s safety, so he walked incredibly fast. The little red bird could only clutch tightly at the strip of cloth that tied Chen Ziqi¡¯s hair up to stop himself from slipping and falling to the ground. Chang Er¡¯s residence was in a secluded corner of the sect¡¯s grounds. Both sides of the residence faced the side of a mountain, and there were vegetable plots all around it. A fence had been built all around it using firewood. ¡°Pant¡­ it¡¯s over there,¡± Y¨¹hu said. She had originally been pulling Chen Ziqi along, but eventually, it had been Chen Ziqi who dragged her along in his haste. She could barely speak now, she was panting so hard. Chen Ziqi¡¯s breathing was still regular even after running all this while. As he looked around, he felt that something wasn¡¯t right. It was too quiet in here. Anywhere Chang Er was should have been bustling with activity, but this place was completely still and silent. Chen Ziqi¡¯s heart thudded ominously. Had this little girl deceived him? Or, had something bad happened here? He pulled Y¨¹hu into the residence with him. Chen Ziqi figured that if it was an ambush, or if there were traps that were set for intruders, he¡¯d toss her out as cannon fodder. The wooden fence gate was open, and the yard was in a mess. A small wooden table had been split in half, and melon seeds were scattered all over the food. The old sweeper nun lay motionless on the ground. ¡°Aunty Yun!¡± Y¨¹hu exclaimed in shock. She immediately ran over to the old nun¡¯s side to check on her. Every last muscle in Chen Ziqi¡¯s body was tense now. He strode forward two steps and picked up a pearl hairpin that had fallen onto the ground. It was a phoenix hairpin with dangling detail. A Taifei could not ordinarily wear a phoenix hairpin ¨C that was beyond what her rank allowed, but she could wear it because it had been a gift from Dan Yi. The phoenix was the symbol of the Cloud Palace, so Dan Yi could use it and could also make a gift out of things with a phoenix on it. This hairpin had been gifted by Dan Yi to Chang Er as a New Year present. There were bloodstains and deep sword marks in the ground around the house. The sword marks were made in threes, with the middle mark being deeper than the two beside it. The Three-Layered Jianfa¡­ they were from the Lushan Sect! Dan Yi recognised the sword cuts and chirped twice, but Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t understand his birdcalls. ¡°Mum!¡± Chen Ziqi called out anxiously. He touched the bloodstains on the ground. They were still wet! The four palanquin bearers who had followed Chen Ziqi into the residence suddenly sprang out. ¡°Wang ye, there are people coming our way. We have to leave quickly,¡± one palanquin bearer said. Two of them pulled at Chen Ziqi, trying to fly out of the residence with him immediately. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± an old, hoarse voice demanded. An old nun wearing dark blue robes made of coarse cloth suddenly rushed into the residence and hit out strongly at Chen Ziqi with her palm. The two palanquin bearers held on to Chen Ziqi and fell back gracefully, moving about five steps away. They only just managed to dodge that powerful blast. ¡°Chen Ziqi!¡± Yu Linglong shouted. She ran in, holding on to her shoulder with one hand. She had been stunned when she saw that the intruder was Chen Ziqi, and she grit her teeth angrily. ¡°Shishuzu, catch him! He¡¯s King Jian, Chen Ziqi!¡± King Jian, Chen Ziqi?! Y¨¹hu was still cradling the old sweeping lady in her lap when she heard this, and she was stunned. When she saw the blue-robed old nun charge at Chen Ziqi, she shouted instinctively. ¡°Shishuzu, don¡¯t hurt him!¡± Ktf obeg qjijcdelc yfjgfgr Gjc Tl tjv ulnfc Jtfc Ildl atlr gbecv vlvc¡¯a rffw ab yf gfueijg qjijcdelc yfjgfgr. Ktfs kbgf yijmx gbyfr lcrafjv bo atf qjijcdelc yfjgfgr¡¯ ereji gbyfr, jcv atfs wbnfv lc j qgfafgcjaegjiis rkloa wjccfg. Qtfc atfs rjk atf biv cec ifjq obgkjgv, atfs rabbv lc ogbca bo Jtfc Ildl jcv rajgafv olutalcu klat tfg, cba ifaalcu tfg ufa mibrfg ab Jtfc Ildl. Yu Linglong really hated Chen Ziqi. She pulled out the soft silk sash at her waist and lashed out at him. Chen Ziqi immediately bent his waist, dodged nimbly, then used the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon to catch hold of the silk sash. He wrapped it quickly around his own arm and pulled hard. Yu Linglong couldn¡¯t help toppling forward with the momentum, and she fell into Chen Ziqi¡¯s arms. Chen Ziqi lifted Yu Linglong¡¯s chin with a finger. ¡°Little beauty, did you miss your husband?¡± he asked tauntingly. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Yu Linglong bit out. She was furious now, and she tried to use the silk sash to strangle Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi obviously wasn¡¯t going to let her have her way. He counter-attacked by clapping a hard blow to her injured shoulder, which was still oozing blood. The wound immediately became even bigger, and fresh blood gushed out of it. Chen Ziqi could clearly see that the wound was made by a sword. In that case, the blood on the ground must have been Yu Linglong¡¯s, and not his little fairy¡¯s. Chen Ziqi heaved a sigh of relief. He used the silk sash to pull Yu Linglong towards him whilst she was still pressing the newly opened wound with her hand. ¡°Tsk. Now that I¡¯ve seen you without your veil, you can only be mine from now on,¡± he said. Yu Linglong got a shock. It was only now that she realised she wasn¡¯t wearing a veil, and she was so angry that her eyes turned red. ¡°Meimei!¡± Yu Furong ran in, followed by two old nuns. Shit! Chen Ziqi cursed internally, then gripped Yu Linglong¡¯s throat with a hand. ¡°This King orders you to stop right now!¡± he shouted. The four palanquin bearers who were fighting with the blue-robed old nun disengaged and floated back to Chen Ziqi, standing behind him. ¡°This King mistakenly barged in here. Please accept my apologies. I ask that the abbesses here do not take offence,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling politely as he gripped Yu Linglong¡¯s neck hard. ¡°Wang ye, these three are the Suxin Sect¡¯s Shishuzu, and all of them are at the very peak of martial arts cultivation. You have no hope of winning against them. Let go of my meimei, and we can have a talk after that,¡± Yu Furong said, staring intently at Chen Ziqi. In the days that she hadn¡¯t seen Chen Ziqi, he seemed to have grown taller, and his face looked more mature and dignified. He looked even more dashing than before. ¡°Hmph! You really don¡¯t know where you stand!¡± the blue-robed old nun said, sniffing derisively. The three old nuns attacked simultaneously, their palms moving out to deliver a powerful palm blast to Chen Ziqi as one. Chen Ziqi knew he couldn¡¯t withstand or block this blow, so he just kicked Yu Linglong forward. The girl was trussed up like a dumpling in her own silk sash, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from plunging forward. At the same time, Chen Ziqi tossed out a big handful of Stone Grey Powder. ¡°Urk!¡± Yu Linglong got hit by the full force of the palm blast, and blood sprayed out from her mouth like a fountain. The two old nuns who were right in front got a whole faceful of the Stone Grey Powder and couldn¡¯t open their eyes. The one behind these two nuns didn¡¯t slow down, however. She pulled the two old nuns aside and charged at Chen Ziqi with her fingers extended like claws. ¡°Pei!¡± Chen Ziqi used a single hand to block that blow, then spat Spicy Eye Water at her. ¡°AHH!¡± the nun screamed. This Spicy Eye Water had been made personally by the Thousand Poisons Sect Leader, and was far more potent than the Stone Grey Powder. The old nun fell to the ground and rolled about in agony, rubbing frantically at her eyes. The Stone Grey Powder¡¯s effects would wear off very soon. Y¨¹hu had been silent all this while as she stood to the side, but she suddenly stood up and tugged at Chen Ziqi. ¡°Let¡¯s go, quick,¡± she said softly. Chen Ziqi pressed his lips together, then ran out of the residence with her without hesitation. In a corner, Yu Furong bit her lip hard as she cradled her gravely injured sister in her lap. Her eyes swept over the old nuns who were rubbing frantically at their eyes, and her eyes flashed with hatred. Earlier, these people had not given a damn about whether Linglong lived or died. It seemed that King Wan Dianxia was right. The Suxin Sect treated her and her sister as sacrifices, and didn¡¯t give two hoots about them. With this thought in mind, she had no desire to go to the kitchen to get some vegetable oil to help these old nuns wash out their eyes. She just continued cradling her sister silently. After passing through a small road, they came to a small spring that was flowing out of the rock wall of the mountain. Chen Ziqi immediately threw Y¨¹hu¡¯s hand aside and dashed toward the spring. He took in a huge mouthful of spring water and swished it around his mouth, trying to clear the stuff on his tongue. The water that he spat out was bright red. Y¨¹hu jumped in shock. ¡°Big Brother Chang, are you hurt?¡± she asked. ¡°Pei pei pei!¡± Chen Ziqi gargled and spat out a few times. He finally felt like the intense burning sensation caused by the Spicy Eye Water was going away. This concoction didn¡¯t just burn the eyes; it burned the mouth as well. Chen Ziqi really didn¡¯t know what this Thousand Poisons Sect was thinking when they made this poison in liquid form. He could only spray it with his mouth, and after he did so, it was so spicy that he felt like his tongue was going to burn to ashes. As Chen Ziqi wiped his mouth, the little red bird popped its head out of his clothes and looked at him worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling placatingly at the little bird. He bent his head to plant a kiss on the small red bird¡¯s fluffy head. The little red bird¡¯s head immediately turned even redder. It was¡­ spicy hot. ¡°Tweet tweet tweet!¡± Dan Yi protested, using all his might to rub his head against Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes. He gave Chen Ziqi a dissatisfied little peck. ¡°You little f*cker!¡± Two of the abbesses¡¯ furious shouts could be heard not too far away. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t dare to delay any longer. He quickly pulled Y¨¹hu into the forest that was a few steps away. The palanquin bearers could fly off with him, but these two nuns were very powerful martial artists, and once they were in the sky, they¡¯d basically become live targets. They had to put a good distance between themselves and the nuns before they could fly off. ¡°The Hidden Library is ahead. You can go there and hide for a bit,¡± Y¨¹hu said, pointing to a three-story building in the depths of the forest as she ran. The Suxin Sect had a tradition of teaching its girls to read. The founder had not only expected her female disciples to practice martial arts, she also wanted them to be literate. It was only when girls could do both that they could stand up to men as equals. As such, the Suxin Sect¡¯s library was a particularly large one. The Hidden Library¡¯s main door was wide open, and the two second generation disciples who usually guarded the entrance had disappeared. Y¨¹hu felt that something was off, but they could hear the two abbesses behind them hot on their heels. There was nothing they could do but grit their teeth and dash into the Hidden Library. The first floor was very large and filled with bookshelves. Chen Ziqi quickly pushed down one of these bookshelves to the entrance to block it as he ran. The books on the bookshelves all fell to the ground with loud thuds as the bookshelf toppled over. They ran straight up to the second floor and looked for a more secluded corner to hide in. As they were doing so, they crashed into someone, and both sides shouted in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Chen Ziqi recognised the fellow who was rummaging roughly through the books. It was that fellow Jiang Liangcai, King Wan¡¯s Minister of General Affairs, who had visited him in his mansion! Before the chicken farm had been destroyed, this fellow had come to his mansion. Shortly after he left, all the chickens in the chicken farm had been killed, and right now he was in the Suxin Sect¡­ Chen Ziqi narrowed his eyes. This Jiang Liangcai was definitely in cahoots with the Yu sisters. ¡°Mr Jiang, what a coincidence,¡± Chen Ziqi said, looking nonchalantly at the book in Jiang Liangcai¡¯s hand. He heard the old nuns¡¯ footsteps on the first floor, and his mind spun quickly, trying to decide what move to make. He had Y¨¹hu with him, and he also couldn¡¯t ask Dan Yi to turn into human form to fight the old nuns¡­ At this very moment, Jiang Liangcai suddenly pulled out his sword and charged at Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi got a shock. He pulled out the dagger hidden at his waist to block the blow. Jiang Liangcai, who had pretended to be weak in martial arts all this while, was presently using a high level jianfa from the Huangshan Sect! ¡°This official is the one who found the book. I will not let Wang ye steal the fruits of my labour,¡± Jiang Liangcai said as he struck again and again with his sword. Who the f*ck wants to steal the fruits of your labour?! Chen Ziqi cursed inwardly. He stole a look at the book Jiang Liangcai had stuffed into the folds of his clothes. The words ¡°Jiu Cheng¡± could be seen printed on its cover. Could this book have something to do with the ¡°Xiao Shao Jiu Cheng¡± music score? ¡°Bang!¡± The old nuns blew away two bookshelves with a single palm blast and rushed onto the second floor. They weren¡¯t after Chen Ziqi just because he¡¯d intruded into the Suxin Sect anymore. Now, it was personal; they wanted to beat to death the asshole who dared to throw Stone Grey Powder at them! Chen Ziqi used the Nanke Mizong Step, which he¡¯d learnt a bit of from Lan Jiangxue, and swooped behind Liang Jiangcai in a flash. He kicked the fellow right in the buttocks. Liang Jiangcai immediately plunged forward and got hit by the old nun¡¯s palm blast right in the chest. At this very moment, the windows behind Chen Ziqi opened, and four palanquin bearers shouted at Chen Ziqi from outside. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t stop to think. He pulled Y¨¹hu and leapt out of the window. There was nothing underneath them but thousands upon thousands of feet of empty air. They hung motionless above the ravine for a split second. ¡°AHHH!¡± Chen Ziqi and Y¨¹hu screamed in terror. What the hell, wasn¡¯t he supposed to be running for his life? Why did these fellows make him jump off a cliff?! The curses didn¡¯t have time to leave Chen Ziqi¡¯s mouth before he started free falling into the ravine. AHHHHHHH! The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Qiqi: AHHH! Wasn¡¯t I supposed to be running for my life? Palanquin Bearer: That¡¯s correct. This is running for your life Qiqi: Why am I jumping off a cliff to save my life Palanquin Bearer: You¡¯re the MC. It¡¯s a rule that MCs won¡¯t die when they jump off cliffs Qiqi: But you¡¯re just extras without names! You¡¯ll definitely die if you jump off a cliff Palanquin Bearer: We have wings! Qiqi: Oh right, okay Yuhu: What about me then? Qiqi: All the best Yuhu: QAQ CH 73 The wind howled in their ears as they fell toward the bottom of the ravine. That stomach-churning feeling of free-falling was horrible, and the awful knowledge that they were plummeting to their deaths turned their bones to water. Even as Chen Ziqi screamed, he remembered to hold on tightly to the front of his clothes so that the little red bird wouldn¡¯t fall out. Suddenly, two pairs of hands grabbed hold of his arms and slowed down the speed of his descent. The black-clad palanquin bearers had their feet perpendicular to the mountain wall, running down it as if they were on flat ground. Chen Ziqi only saw small shrubs and grasses disappearing behind them as they plunged into darkness at the bottom of the ravine. If the palanquin bearers today had been the usual ones, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to lift Chen Ziqi with just two people. Today, the ones who had been sent to escort Chen Ziqi were all birds of prey, and they had outstanding martial arts ability, so catching Chen Ziqi as he fell down a cliff wasn¡¯t a problem at all. ¡°AHHHHH!¡± Even after touching down on solid ground, Y¨¹hu was still screaming her lungs out. Chen Ziqi rubbed his cheeks, which had turned stiff and cold from the wind, then pulled out the little red bird for a look. Dan Yi flapped his little wings and chirped excitedly nonstop. Young birds really did seem to love this type of flying game. Chen Ziqi stroked his feathers to arrange the ones that had been blown askew back into place, then set the little bird on his head and walked over to pat Y¨¹hu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re safe now. Stop screaming,¡± he said. ¡°AHHHHH¡­ Ah?¡± Y¨¹hu¡¯s mouth was half-open as she looked around, then used her hands to feel her own arms and legs. She was in one piece! ¡°We reached the ground?¡± she asked in surprise. ¡°Nn,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling at her. He then looked up in the direction they had fallen from. This was a ravine between two peaks, and they were surrounded by sharp precipices on all sides. The back of the Hidden Library was at the top of the cliff. Y¨¹hu had finally accepted the fact that she wasn¡¯t deceased. She followed Chen Ziqi to check out the place. ¡°This is bad ¨C we¡¯re in the Four Corners Ravine!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°The Four Corners Ravine?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, tensing up immediately. ¡°Does it have traps or something?¡± ¡°There are no exits from it,¡± Y¨¹hu said, sitting down on the floor and hugging her knees with a pained expression on her face. The Four Corners Ravine was so called because it was surrounded on all sides by sharp cliffs, and there was no way out. The older generation of disciples had refused to let them come near this place because they were afraid the young ones would slip and fall into it. When she was young, she¡¯d heard many frightening stories about the Four Corners Ravine, and she¡¯d been so scared then that she couldn¡¯t even sleep at night. ¡°Qtja rabglfr?¡± Jtfc Ildl jrxfv. Lf ralii ibbxfv jr cbcmtjijca jr fnfg. Qlat obeg qjijcdelc yfjgfgr klat tlw, atfs mbeiv vfolclafis ois bea bo atlr qijmf. Pc atf kbgra mjrf rmfcjglb, tf mbeiv pera xcbmx T¨¹te bea jcv jrx atf obeg ab aegc lcab atf teuf ylgvr atja atfs kfgf jcv ois atfw bea. ¡°The stories I¡¯ve heard say that there¡¯s a frightening beast in the ravine with a green face and long fangs. Every time there¡¯s a full moon, it will crawl up the cliff on the west side¡­¡± ¡°Oho~~¡± Y¨¹hu hadn¡¯t finished speaking when a strange sound came from a distance. It sounded like the hoarse howling of an old woman, and it echoed ominously in the ravine. ¡°AHH!¡± Y¨¹hu screamed. She was so frightened that she instinctively thrust herself into Chen Ziqi¡¯s arms. Chen Ziqi had also gotten a huge shock, but he patted Y¨¹hu on the back comfortingly. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Let¡¯s go over and have a look,¡± he said. This ravine was very small and narrow, and Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t believe that there was any strange beast that would be able to climb up its steep sides. ¡°It might be the sound of the wind blowing through hollow parts of the cliff,¡± one of the black-clad men said. ¡°Whose subordinates are you?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, looking at the serious-faced palanquin bearers. The real question he wanted to ask was what kind of birds they were. ¡°The four of us are from the Eagle Wing,¡± the palanquin bearer replied. The Eagle Wing¡­ Chen Ziqi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. During this time, he¡¯d more or less figured out how the Cloud Palace was structured. Tu Buxian was a vulture and was from the Vulture Wing. Wu Bujian was a crow from the Crow Wing. It would follow that if these black-clad fellows were from the Eagle Wing, then they were probably eagles, rocs, hawks, or some similar large bird in this family. ¡°Tweet!¡± the little red bird suddenly leapt out and pecked hard at Y¨¹hu¡¯s hand, which was holding on tightly to Chen Ziqi¡¯s sleeve. That peck hurt, and Y¨¹hu instinctively withdrew her hand. Chen Ziqi grabbed the little bird. A bird beak was still a mouth, and that peck was technically a kiss! What was Dan Yi doing, kissing some girl¡¯s hand?! The little red bird put on an innocent look and bobbed its little head at Chen Ziqi, its two long crown feathers swaying jauntily. Chen Ziqi placed the bird on his shoulder so that it couldn¡¯t go near Y¨¹hu, then continued walking in the direction from which the strange sound came. If there were hollow parts in the mountain, then there might be caves or gaps in the cliff wall. If there was a gap, they would be able to just walk right out of this place. That strange ululating sound could still be heard, and it sounded particularly sinister and frightening in this desolate ravine. Chen Ziqi saw that Y¨¹hu was afraid and took the initiative to take hold of her hand. ¡°Have you read the book called ¡®Tales of an Amazing Warrior¡¯?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Y¨¹hu said, her eyes lighting up as she nodded vehemently. ¡°Tales of an Amazing Warrior¡± was a book that told of the legends in the martial arts world. The storytellers in restaurants and teahouses often based their stories on it. Actual practitioners of martial arts all sniffed at this book ¨C they took the view that the legends were a load of fanciful rubbish without an ounce of truth in them. The Suxin Sect was very strict with its disciples and did not allow them to read trashy books like these, so Y¨¹hu had secretly read it when she went down the mountain to run errands for the sect. ¡°Amazing Warrior Zhou once got thrown off a cliff when he was duelling with someone. He somehow managed to survive, and he found a cave when he was exploring the area,¡± Chen Ziqi said, bobbing his head up and down as he summarised the story. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! There were strange treasures and lost manuals in that cave!¡± Y¨¹hu said excitedly. It was very rare for her to meet someone whom she could talk about this book with, and she forgot her fright in her excitement. Before they knew it, they had walked over to another side of the cliff. That strange howling sound now could only be heard on and off. Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes followed the direction of the sound, and saw that there was a huge opening the cliff face about ten feet from the ground. About the opening, there were clear signs that the place had been civilised by man before, but that it had fallen into disrepair a long time ago. Cut greystone blocks that had a thick layer of moss growing on them were scattered messily all about. ¡°Ohohuhuuu~¡± A gust of wind blew past and made the same spine-chilling sound they¡¯d heard earlier. A black-clad man immediately leapt lightly up and touched the rockface. He knocked on it with a hand, and the rockface immediately produced a ringing sound like a clap of thunder. ¡°It¡¯s phonolite,¡± the black-clad man said with a serious face. ¡°Phew, so it was just phonolite,¡± Y¨¹hu said, patting her chest in relief. Phonolite was a type of rock that produced a ringing sound when struck. It was sometimes found on secluded cliff faces. This phonolite was right next to a hollow opening and would definitely produce a loud sound when the wind blew past. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t say a word as he looked at the strange cave in the mountain. A ravine that was supposed to have no exit now had a man-made opening in the cliff-face ¨C this was very much like the story in that legend. They all climbed up to the cave entrance and found that it was a very shallow cave ¨C they could see the back of the cave right from the entrance. It wasn¡¯t even ten feet in depth. Even a bear wouldn¡¯t bother living in such a shallow cave ¨C there certainly wouldn¡¯t be any treasures, lost manuals or white-haired elders passing on their secret gongfu in here. Which idiot would bother wasting his time chiselling out such a shallow cave? Dan Yi tilted his head, then gave a derisive little chirp. ¡°Perhaps a sect elder wanted to carve an image of Buddha here in the past¡­¡± Y¨¹hu said rather awkwardly. They looked at the smooth back of the cave, and could see in their mind¡¯s eye a devout old nun chiselling away at the mountain wall with a stone hammer, reciting a line from a Buddhist sutra with each stroke. After years of chiselling, she discovered that she had no talent for stone carving, and all she could do was make this gigantic hole in the rock. She howled vulgar curses upon realising this, then tossed down her chisel in anger, deciding that it was better to just go back and chant her sutras in peace. The corners of Chen Ziqi¡¯s mouth twitched. He felt that things weren¡¯t that simple. If an old nun had really come here to chisel at the cliff face back then, how had she come down, and how had she gone back up? He raised a hand and brushed against the mossy green phonolite rock. The part at the bottom felt rather strange ¨C there were fairly regular depressions in the rock that didn¡¯t seem natural. Chen Ziqi used more force to brush away the moss, and found that there were ancient-looking characters carved into the rock that read ¡°ÄýÐÄ¡±. These two words were written in a vigorous, powerful manner. Every stroke seemed to have the strength of profound Buddhist teachings behind it. This calligraphy¡­ Dan Yi jumped up and looked at it carefully, scratching at it with his claws. This ancient style of calligraphy probably dated back around a thousand years or so, and this place¡­ ¡°Did you notice something?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He pressed down on the stone with one hand and cupped the little bird in his other hand. Suddenly, the rock was depressed downward. With a loud grinding sound, what appeared to be a smooth rock wall started moving. That dead end suddenly turned into a cave entrance, and the path it opened to sloped downwards gently. CH 74 The path inside the cave seemed to stretch on endlessly. It was lit by strange bluish light that came from a special luminous stone embedded in the rock walls of the cave. The light was very weak and only illuminated things about a hand¡¯s length in front of it. Chen Ziqi went closer to have a look and discovered that there were tiny words written densely on the rock walls. ¡°I know what this is!¡± Y¨¹hu exclaimed. Her fingers brushed carefully against the carvings on the walls. The words etched there was something that every member of the Suxin Sect knew ¨C it was the instruction manual for the Taisu Wuxin Gong. On closer inspection, she realised that the instructions on the wall were slightly different from what they learned ¨C there appeared to be some additions to it. ¡°What is this place?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He hadn¡¯t wandered into the interior of the cave, but remained cautiously near the entrance. If he wasn¡¯t familiar with something, it was likely that the thing was dangerous, and he was someone who always acted cautiously where his personal safety was concerned. He valued his life greatly, after all. ¡°This is the Suxin Sect¡¯s forbidden area. It¡¯s where the Supreme Abbess has retreated to cultivate in seclusion. But why is it in the Four Corners Ravine? Didn¡¯t Shifu say that it was on the side of Luoyan Peak?¡± Y¨¹hu mused as she studied the carved words on the wall. The Supreme Abbess was the founder of the Suxin Sect. Y¨¹hu had heard many tales about this Supreme Abbess since she was a little girl, and she knew that the Suxin Sect had a secret cave on its grounds, and that it was where the Supreme Abbess cultivated on her own. ¡°What¡¯s the name of the mountain we¡¯re on right now?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, looking outside. This Four Corners Ravine was formed by the steep sides of four different mountains. They¡¯d fallen off the Heavenly Fairy Peak earlier, and the mountain that this cave was on had to be a different one. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it ¨C we¡¯re at the back of Luoyan Peak!¡± Y¨¹hu exclaimed. Her eyes hadn¡¯t left the words on the rock wall, and her voice became more hopeful. ¡°Chang Qi gege, we¡¯re saved! This cave definitely has an exit at the front of Luoyan Peak!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we on a preci¡­ pice?¡± Chen Ziqi hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Y¨¹hu suddenly channeled her qi and used qinggong to run into the depths of the cave. He immediately felt that something wasn¡¯t right. ¡°Y¨¹hu!¡± he shouted. He tried to catch hold of her, but it was too late. Y¨¹hu¡¯s qinggong wasn¡¯t anything to speak of, but her current speed was like that of a speeding falcon. ¡°She¡¯s lost control of her neili,¡± Dan Yi said, his voice suddenly sounding beside Chen Ziqi¡¯s ear. Chen Ziqi turned and saw that the little red bird, who had originally been perched on his shoulder, was now standing next to him in human form wearing scarlet robes, casually reading the words carved into the stone wall. ¡°Don¡¯t read it!¡± Chen Ziqi exclaimed, quickly reaching out to cover Dan Yi¡¯s eyes. He pulled Dan Yi over. Y¨¹hu had been staring intently at these words for a long time before she lost control, and Dan Yi¡¯s Danyang Divine Martial Arts wasn¡¯t stable ¨C what if he also lost control of his neili? ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Dan Yi said. Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand was comfortably cool against his eyelids, and Dan Yi felt a sense of reluctance as he slowly pulled Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand away. His lips accidentally brushed against the latter¡¯s soft palm as he did so. ¡°This is the last chapter of the Taisu Wuxin Gong¡¯s instruction manual.¡± Chen Ziqi trembled a little when those warm lips brushed against his palm. He stole a quick look at Dan Yi¡¯s slender, well-formed lips, and he felt his heart flutter like crazy in his chest. He started trying to think of a good reason to give Dan Yi as to why they had to be intimate that very night after they got back to the Cloud Palace. If he kissed Dan Yi in a moment of passion, Dan Yi probably wouldn¡¯t mind¡­ right? Dfmjerf Jtfc Ildl¡¯r wlcv kjr gbiilcu jgbecv lc atf ueaafg, tlr fzqgfrrlbc jirb yfmjwf gjatfg ifmtfgber. Gjc Tl vlvc¡¯a xcbk ktja cbcrfcrf Jtfc Ildl kjr atlcxlcu jybea jujlc, jcv tf gjqqfv atf ijaafg bc atf tfjv ab yglcu tlw yjmx ab fjgat yfobgf fzqijlclcu kts T¨¹te tjv ibra mbcagbi. The Taisu Wuxin Gong was one of the most powerful martial arts in the martial arts world, but it had a lower barrier to entry than most. This low barrier to entry meant that all the Suxin Sect disciples could cultivate it to some degree, but gongfa that had low barriers to entry always suffered from the same issue ¨C it took a very long time to reach the higher levels of cultivation, and many Suxin Sect disciples never attained more than the third level of cultivation during their lifetimes. ¡°Even that old nun Wuyin hasn¡¯t tried to cultivate this last chapter of the Taisu Wuxin Gong. Her martial arts ability is too weak, and she would lose her mind if she even tried to recite the first few lines,¡± Dan Yi said in an unhurried manner. He signalled to the black-clad men to copy down the writing on the rock wall, then took Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand in his and walked deeper into the cave. ¡°They even brought brushes to write with?!¡± Chen Ziqi asked, turning back to look at them curiously. One of the black-clad men had pulled out brushes, paper and a little bottle of black ink, and they were studiously copying every word down. ¡°The Eagle Wing is in charge of carrying messages, so of course they all carry brushes and paper with them,¡± Dan Yi said blandly. Eagles and falcons were the means by which the Cloud Palace obtained information and passed information at high speed. Some messages were very complicated and had to be written down; it wouldn¡¯t be accurate to rely solely on the messenger¡¯s memory. Even after they walked deeper into the cave, they didn¡¯t start feeling suffocated, which meant that there had to be another exit from the cave somewhere further in. This knowledge didn¡¯t make the cave any less frightening to walk in, however ¨C it was dark, and water dripped ominously from some unknown source. ¡°Y¨¹hu! Y¨¹hu¡­¡± Chen Ziqi yelled into the dark depths of the cave. He didn¡¯t receive any reply other than the echo of his own voice. After turning two corners, it suddenly became brighter. Natural light filtered in from an opening high up on the cave ceiling, shining down on a stone door in front of them. The stone door was ajar, and it seemed that someone had already slipped inside. The black-clad men went forward to push the door open, revealing a spacious stone room behind the door. There was a table and chairs inside the room which were all made of stone, and beautiful floral patterns were carved into the stone furniture. This place must have been where the founder of the Suxin Sect locked herself into seclusion a hundred years ago. Chen Ziqi looked all around and saw Y¨¹hu slumped in a corner. He was about to go to her when Dan Yi pulled him back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, turning to look at him. Dan Yi extended two fingers and brushed them hard against the tabletop. He then lifted them for Chen Ziqi to see. There was no dust on his fingers at all. Chen Ziqi got a shock. If there was no dust, then someone must have lived here until very recently, or was still here right now! However, other than them and the unconscious Y¨¹hu, it didn¡¯t seem that there was anyone here, nor did there appear to be a second exit. In that case¡­ Every last hair on Chen Ziqi¡¯s body stood up suddenly. He slowly raised his eyes toward the ceiling, and his pupils suddenly shrank in fear. ¡°Dan Yi!¡± he screamed. An old woman with pure white hair and thin, gnarled limbs was hanging upside down from the uneven domed ceiling of the cave, staring at them unblinkingly with bright eyes. The moment Chen Ziqi screamed, that old witch suddenly extended her arms like a bat and flew at them. Dan Yi took a half-step forward at once, putting himself between her and Chen Ziqi. He raised an arm to block the old witch¡¯s blow. ¡°BAM!¡± The old witch¡¯s body somersaulted backward, and she leapt onto the stone table as fast as lightning. Dan Yi retreated a half-step back and somehow managed to steady himself. He pressed his lips together, trying to push down the qi and blood that was roiling in his body and threatening to spurt out of his mouth. He looked down at his palm and slowly clenched his hand into a fist. The two appraised each other for a moment, and the old witch suddenly laughed in a strange manner. ¡°Hyak hyak hyak! Where are you from, little brat? Did you know that men are not allowed in the Suxin Sect?¡± she said. ¡°We fell into the ravine by accident. We had no intention of barging into the sect. Qianbei, please forgive us if we have given offence,¡± Chen Ziqi said, tugging on Dan Yi¡¯s hand and transfusing some neili into him to try and settle the roiling qi in his body. He could tell that Dan Yi wasn¡¯t able to defeat this weird old witch, and they couldn¡¯t take a tough stance with her. ¡°Hahaha, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you had intentions or not. Since you¡¯re here now, don¡¯t even think about leaving!¡± the old witch cackled. She waved a hand, and the half-open stone door suddenly shut behind them. She slunk over to Y¨¹hu¡¯s side, moving so quickly that her motions seemed ghostly. She examined Y¨¹hu carefully for a moment and saw that she was wearing the uniform of a third-generation Suxin Sect disciple. She looked back up at the young men. ¡°Why are you people with one of my Suxin Sect disciples?¡± she asked. This old witch seemed to be off her rocker. Her hatred for men was plain for all to see, and Chen Ziqi and Dan Yi had to tread very carefully. Chen Ziqi inhaled sharply through his teeth as he tried to think of how to answer this question, and as he did so, Y¨¹hu suddenly woke up. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Y¨¹hu pushed herself up groggily, then looked around her. When she saw the old witch squatting next to her, she subconsciously drew back in shock and looked at Chen Ziqi. ¡°Chang Qi gege, what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked. Chen Ziqi cursed inwardly. That old witch indeed fixed her gaze on him immediately, then caught hold of Y¨¹hu¡¯s chin. ¡°My good child, I am Wuyin¡¯s Shifu and your Supreme Abbess. Tell me, is that your lover?¡± she asked, pointing a withered finger that looked like a chicken claw at Chen Ziqi. Y¨¹hu was frightened out of her wits and couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Qianbei, this must be a misunderstanding. She is my younger sister,¡± Chen Ziqi said quickly. To prove his point further, he circled an arm around Dan Yi¡¯s waist. ¡°This is the one who¡¯s my lover.¡± ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Birdie Gong: She won¡¯t believe you no matter what you say Qiqi: Then what should I do? Birdie Gong: You should kiss me to prove it Old Witch: Uh, no, that¡¯s not¡­ Qiqi: (¡ª3¡ª£© Birdie Gong: She probably still won¡¯t believe it Old Witch: I believe it Qiqi: Then what should we do? Birdie Gong: Let¡¯s take it one step further Qiqi: Oh-kay~ _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï*)_ I¡¯m ready Old Witch: Hello?! CH 75 ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Both the old witch and Y¨¹hu were rendered speechless. Dan Yi was stunned as well. He stared blankly at Chen Ziqi for a moment, then the corners of his lips lifted bit by bit, very, very slowly. He pulled Chen Ziqi into his arms, then stood in a relaxed manner, even though his body was as tense as a pulled bowstring. His eyes didn¡¯t leave the old witch, watching her every movement carefully. This old witch said that she was Abbess Wuyin¡¯s Shifu. The masters of the Qi Sects usually only took in disciples after the age of thirty-five, and Wuyin was presently seventy or eighty years old. Her master had to be at least 120 years old! Neili that had been cultivated for 120 years was not something that Dan Yi¡¯s fourth level Danyang Divine Martial Arts could compete with, not by a long shot. ¡°Hahaha, so you prefer men to women¡­¡± the old witch cackled madly. Some greed appeared in her eyes as she looked at Y¨¹hu¡¯s young, fresh face. Y¨¹hu couldn¡¯t help shivering in fear. Hadn¡¯t the Supreme Abbess died long ago? She had never seen any Supreme Abbess since she entered the Suxin Sect, but she didn¡¯t dare to say this out loud. She grit her teeth, trying to make her trembling less obvious. ¡°Qianbei must be the Suxin Sect¡¯s previous leader, Abbess Liaoji?¡± Dan Yi said in his usual calm, unhurried manner. One of his hands was placed behind his back, and he signalled to the three black-clad men with it. ¡°So there are still houbei who remember me,¡± the old witch said softly, as if she was reminiscing about events of old. Her eyes fell on the small white jade flute hanging from Dan Yi¡¯s waist, and all of a sudden, she threw Y¨¹hu down, charging at Chen Ziqi without another word. Dan Yi grabbed hold of Chen Ziqi and leapt back several feet. The three black-clad men behind him rushed forward and attacked the old woman, causing her to veer sideways. Those withered fingers with long, unkempt nails nearly scratched Chen Ziqi¡¯s nose, but he leaned back as far as he could and threw some Stone Grey Powder at her. Unfortunately, this old witch¡¯s martial arts were on a totally different level from the old nuns they¡¯d met earlier at the top of the cliff, and this Stone Grey Powder had no effect on her whatsoever. She raised a hand and sucked every last bit of the powder into one of her sleeves, then blasted it back at them. The Stone Grey Powder that had been thrust out with the force of that old witch¡¯s neili became a deadly weapon. Dan Yi somersaulted a few times with Chen Ziqi in his arms and managed to avoid the Stone Grey Powder attack. The tips of his toes touched lightly on the cave walls, and he leapt up strongly to a higher position. ¡°Danyang Divine Martial Arts!¡± the old witch cackled. Killing intent emanated from every pore of her being now as she crouched on the ground on all fours like a rock rat. She then sprang into action, moving as quickly and easily over the cave walls and ceiling as if they were nothing more than flat ground. She appeared in front of them in an instant, moving so quickly that her movements couldn¡¯t be seen with the naked eye, then grabbed hold of Chen Ziqi¡¯s collar and slammed a hand down on the top of Dan Yi¡¯s head. Dan Yi raised his arms to counter, then snatched Chen Ziqi back from the old witch¡¯s clutches. Chen Ziqi used the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon to wind his arm up the old witch¡¯s arm, aiming for her eyeballs. However, the old witch was much faster than that; her hands disappeared in a blur, and Chen Ziqi suddenly felt two of his fingers break with a loud cracking sound. ¡°AH!¡± Chen Ziqi shouted in pain. Dan Yi got a shock. His movements halted momentarily, and the old witch landed a solid blow on his shoulder, throwing him back several feet. Meanwhile, Chen Ziqi plunged squarely into the old witch¡¯s arms. He was covered in cold sweat now; his two broken fingers were firmly in the old witch¡¯s grasp. ¡°Qiqi!¡± Dan Yi gripped his injured shoulder and trained his anxious gaze on the old witch¡¯s hands. ¡°Tsk! So you two really are a pair of lovers,¡± Abbess Liaoji said, laughing that unpleasant cackling laugh of hers. She continued gripping Chen Ziqi¡¯s broken fingers hard as she looked toward Dan Yi. ¡°You must be the current Cloud Palace Master. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Dan Yi¡­¡± Dan Yi replied, taking a deep breath to regulate his breathing as he tried to estimate this old witch¡¯s neili. ¡°Ljr sbeg vjv vlfv?¡± atf biv klamt jrxfv. Ktf fzqgfrrlbc bc tfg ojmf kjr j ragjcuf wlz bo fnli lcafca jcv meglbrlas. Gjc Tl¡¯r ygbkr mjwf abufatfg ribkis. ¡°Zs ojatfg lr kfii,¡± tf rjlv, vlrqifjrfv ja atlr lcjerqlmlber defralbc. ¡°Lf¡¯r ralii cba vfjv?¡± atf biv klamt jrxfv lc rtbmx. Vtf ibbxfv ilxf rtf tjv yffc vfjia j rfglber yibk, jcv tfg tjcvr alutafcfv wbgf obgmfoeiis jgbecv Jtfc Ildl¡¯r ygbxfc olcufgr. ¡°Lbk mjc la yf? Lbk mjc tf cba yf vfjv sfa?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chen Ziqi¡¯s face had originally been pale and bloodless with pain, and now that force was being applied to his injury, he couldn¡¯t help speaking out. ¡°Hey, Abbess, what¡¯s it to you if his dad isn¡¯t dead?¡± ¡°He must be more than 150 years old now. How can he not be dead?¡± the old nun mumbled to herself jealously. Understanding suddenly dawned on her face, and she gripped Chen Ziqi¡¯s fingers hard. ¡°Out with it. What secret methods of cultivation does the Cloud Palace have?¡± she asked, directing this question at Dan Yi. Dan Yi saw that Chen Ziqi was in agony, and his brows furrowed into a deep trench. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him. I will tell you whatever you want to know,¡± he said. ¡°You two really are a pair of lovebirds,¡± the old witch cackled. Chen Ziqi bared his teeth, violently cursing the old witch in the silence of his heart. He looked up at Dan Yi and saw that those beautiful phoenix tail eyes were full of worry for himself. Dan Yi simply couldn¡¯t hide those emotions of his, and Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help being surprised by the depth of the emotion there. That look in Dan Yi¡¯s eyes¡­ Abbess Liaoji had the advantage of a hundred over years of cultivation and was very relaxed. She walked over to the bookshelf carved out of stone, still gripping Chen Ziqi by the fingers. She opened an ancient-looking painted box and took out a yellowed bamboo scroll. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± the old witch asked, giving the bamboo scroll to Dan Yi. Dan Yi took it and lowered his gaze to read it. The calligraphy style looked ancient, and it was written with strength and vigour. It was identical to the words ¡°ÄýÐÄ¡± written outside the cave; both sets of text probably had the same author. ¡°There is no limit to martial arts cultivation. The mortal body is but a temporary vessel. Leave this earthly vessel and be reborn into emptiness; break the barriers and achieve eternal life¡­¡± These few words seemed to be casually thrown out there, and they spoke of martial arts being limitless. Most people found it difficult to progress further after achieving a certain level of cultivation, and this text said that that was due to the constraints of the mortal body. If one managed to break past this cultivation impasse, one would transcend the mortal body and achieve eternal life as a god or immortal. Such theories had always existed, but no one had ever managed to do it in practice. This bamboo scroll was a little different, however, because the name ¡°Zhao Hetian¡± was inscribed in tiny letters at the very end of this lengthy dissertation. ¡°Is this Zhao Hetian¡¯s Will?¡± Dan Yi asked, pressing his lips together. King Wan had spoken to him about this before. He quickly read through the contents. The bamboo scroll wasn¡¯t complete. There were two bamboo slats missing in the middle. ¡°¡­ Jiu Cheng, which can assist in breaking the barriers.¡± What this ¡°Jiu Cheng¡± referred to was unclear. However, everyone could see that this was a thing that could assist with transcending the mortal body and achieving eternal life. ¡°I¡¯ve meditated on this for many years, and I believe that the ¡°Jiu Cheng¡± this scroll refers to isn¡¯t about attaining the ninth level of cultivation in some gongfa, but the music score, ¡°Xiao Shao Jiu Cheng¡±. Unfortunately, the Jiuyin Mountain Villa only has three parts of this ancient relic,¡± Abbess Liaoji said rather regretfully. Chen Ziqi was getting impatient listening to all this. His broken fingers were hurting so much that his whole hand was numb. He signalled to Dan Yi with his eyes. Dan Yi shook his head almost imperceptibly. This old hag was too powerful, and he didn¡¯t dare to risk Chen Ziqi¡¯s life. ¡°Do you want me to look for the remaining six parts of the score for you?¡± he asked. ¡°Xiao Shao Jiu Cheng¡± was a very old music score that was divided into nine parts. The legends said that if one managed to finish playing all nine parts of the score, one could summon a phoenix. However, due to the passage of time, only three parts of the score remained with the Jiuyin Mountain Sect. This had been passed down from generation to generation in the Cheng family as a family heirloom. It was originally kept in their ancestral hall. Abbess Liaoji had asked her disciple Wuyin to take the three remnant pieces of the music score, and when Abbess Wuyin found out the secret behind this score, she killed the whole Cheng family because she was afraid that the secret would get out. There wasn¡¯t a single person who didn¡¯t hope to achieve eternal life. If this was made known in the martial arts world, it was entirely possible that a bloodbath would ensue. Chen Ziqi¡¯s heart thudded in his chest. This was a very high-level secret, and this old hag probably told it to them for one very simple reason ¨C she had already decided to kill them all. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Abbess Liaoji said, cackling again. ¡°Your dad is still alive even now, so pray tell, what means did he use?¡± She assumed that the omniscient Cloud Palace definitely had the complete score for ¡°Xiao Shao Jiu Cheng¡±. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Well, that¡¯s because he¡¯s a phoenix, and unless something extraordinary happens to him, his natural lifespan is around three hundred years¡­ Dan Yi pressed his lips together, refusing to answer the question. ¡°You¡¯re not going to say? Alright,¡± the old witch said, her expression cold. She extended a clawlike hand and pressed it to Chen Ziqi¡¯s chest, forcing a spurt of neili into his body. ¡°Urk¡­¡± Chen Ziqi felt like all his internal organs were being squeezed hard by some freakishly strong hand, and it was so painful that he nearly fainted. This method of forcing neili into one¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t cause that person any injuries, but would put him in unbearable agony. ¡°Stop!¡± Dan Yi shouted, unable to stop himself from taking a step forward. He forced his feet to stop moving with a burst of willpower. ¡°The Cloud Palace doesn¡¯t have a copy of ¡°Xiao Shao Jiu Cheng¡±. The reason why my dad can live for so long is because of the Danyang Divine Martial Arts.¡± Abbess Liaoji stopped what she was doing to Chen Ziqi. She glanced at Dan Yi for a moment with narrowed eyes, trying to assess whether what he said was true. Someone who had lived for a hundred years could tell quite easily if Dan Yi was lying. She found that Dan Yi was telling the truth, and told him to write out the manual for the Danyang Divine Martial Arts for her. ¡°Your little loverboy here will accompany me for a year. In that time, make sure you get the full score of ¡®Xiao Shao Jiu Cheng¡¯ to exchange it for him,¡± she said. That useless Wuyin hadn¡¯t anything to show for her efforts even after so many years. She was already 135 years old and couldn¡¯t wait any longer. The Cloud Palace Master¡¯s barging into her cave was really heavensent. Chen Ziqi¡¯s face bore a pained expression as he listened to the old hag nag on and on. He looked at Y¨¹hu, who was curled up in a corner, not daring to make a sound, and he suddenly had a flash of inspiration. This old hag didn¡¯t seem to be as crazy as when they had first entered. It seemed that she could be sane so long as she didn¡¯t hear anything to do with Y¨¹hu¡­ ¡°Umm, Abbess lady,¡± Chen Ziqi said, pretending to want to have a casual chat with her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let Y¨¹hu find a nice man?¡± Y¨¹hu had just been minding her own business in a corner and got the fright of her life when she heard Chen Ziqi suddenly say her name. ¡°Men are all disgusting creatures!¡± Abbess Liaoji shrieked. ¡°Just like that person ¨C a cheat, a liar¡­¡± Dan Yi was writing out the Danyang Divine Martial Arts manual from memory, and he looked up when he heard Abbess Liaoji shriek. ¡°Not all men are bad. If I fell in love with someone, it would be forever,¡± he said, looking straight at Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi felt his heart flutter like a little bird in his chest. He tore his gaze away from Dan Yi¡¯s, then mouthed something to Y¨¹hu. Y¨¹hu swallowed hard, then said what Chen Ziqi mouthed to her. ¡°Ab¡­ Abbess, I¡¯ve already¡­ already slept with a man¡­¡± she stammered. ¡°What did you say?!¡± Abbess Liaoji said, going crazy again. She threw Chen Ziqi aside and shrieked wildly as she flew at Y¨¹hu. Dan Yi immediately reached out to catch hold of Chen Ziqi. The black-clad men next to him moved faster than the eye could see and scooped Y¨¹hu up. ¡°BAM!¡± the old witch¡¯s hands slammed hard into the floor, sending broken rock chips flying into the air. The dark, solid stone now had two deep palm prints on it. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chen Ziqi groaned. In the moment when he¡¯d been tossed aside, that old witch had forced more neili into him again, and he collapsed on Dan Yi¡¯s shoulder, panting heavily. ¡°Qiqi, I can¡¯t fight her off alone. Do you remember that move we practiced when we were kids ¨C the Roving Dragon Chases the Phoenix?¡± Dan Yi asked, holding him tightly in his arms as he ran and dodged in the cave. He spoke directly and steadily into Chen Ziqi¡¯s ear even as he leapt around. ¡°I remember,¡± Chen Ziqi said, gritting his teeth. He pulled out a scarlet handkerchief from the folds of Dan Yi¡¯s clothes and bound his broken fingers together. ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± Dan Yi put Chen Ziqi on his back, dropped to the floor, then stretched out his arms slowly. One of Chen Ziqi¡¯s hands wound up Dan Yi¡¯s shoulder like a roving dragon as he yelled, ¡°GO TO HELL, YOU DISGUSTING OLD WITCH!¡± ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Qiqi: Your dad¡¯s more than a hundred years old ¨C why are you only sixteen? Birdie Gong: I was born in his old age Qiqi: What on earth was your dad doing for the first hundred years? Birdie Gong: He hadn¡¯t found a wife yet Qiqi: The Cloud Palace has so much money, and you¡¯re telling me he had a problem finding a wife?! Birdie Gong: He didn¡¯t have a property ownership certificate Qiqi: Huh? Why didn¡¯t he go get one made? ¡­ ¡­ XX: Sir, please put your thumbprint here Birdie Dad: Tweet (A wing-print) XX: ¡­ ¡­ CH 76 The ¡°Roving Dragon Chases the Phoenix¡± move was a combination of the ¡°Roving Dragon Follows the Moon¡± and the ¡°Danyang Cloud Dispelling Fists¡± moves. It had a high emphasis on speed, with all four hands moving as one to deliver a solid impact. In fact, the moves in the Danyang Divine Martial Arts and the Divine Dragon¡¯s Howl could be combined at all levels of cultivation, but Chen Ziqi had only managed to master the Roving Dragon Follows the Moon at this time. Dan Yi¡¯s toes tapped lightly on the ground, and his body shot forward like an arrow toward the insane old woman. He was two cultivation levels up from Chen Ziqi, and as such, he was the primary attacker in this formation. He pushed his third-level cultivation neili to the limit, and a resonant phoenix call could be heard as he charged at the Abbess Liaoji. ¡°Ha! You¡¯ve got a death wish!¡± the old witch said, laughing disdainfully. She channeled her powerful, hundred-year-old cultivation energy into her palms. If Dan Yi really tried to land a blow on her, she¡¯d smash all his meridians to smithereens. Dan Yi wasn¡¯t dumb enough to meet her head on. Just as they were about to make contact, he suddenly hung back and threw Chen Ziqi at her. Chen Ziqi¡¯s body was like a roving dragon in flight, snaking behind the old nun and landing a few loud slaps on the back of her head with satisfying ¡°smack smack smack!¡± sounds. Those slaps were infused with neili and contacted the unprepared old witch¡¯s head with full force, stunning her for a few moments. Dan Yi pulled Chen Ziqi back by his ankles and arranged him on his back again, leaping up at the same time and kicking hard at the old nun¡¯s ribs. ¡°You little brats are quite interesting, hehehe!¡± the old witch cackled. The third level of cultivation in the Danyang Divine Martial Arts was sufficient to injure her, and she backed up a few steps, cackling wildly as she pressed down on the part that Dan Yi kicked with her hands. ¡°Get me right in front of her eyes,¡± Chen Ziqi said, taking a mouthful of the Spicy Eye Water. His words were bold, but between them, they both knew that the six of them present here weren¡¯t nearly enough to defeat this old nun. It was imperative that they find a way to flee. Dan Yi didn¡¯t say anything. He signalled with his hand, and the three black-clad men leapt up, flying in three different directions. They raised their hands and shot three small arrows out their sleeves at the old nun¡¯s vital points. Y¨¹hu had finally collected herself by this time, and crawled toward the stone door as fast as she could. Y¨¹hu pushed hard with all her might, but the stone door refused to budge. It probably had some mechanism one had to work in order to open it. She felt about the area and found that there were movable stones carved with words next to the door. There were about twenty of these square movable stones, all with different words carved on them. The words carved on the stones didn¡¯t make any sense at all when put together. ¡°What on earth is this?¡± Y¨¹hu muttered to herself, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes at the stones. ¡¾Ó¯£¬Îò£¬×¨£¬Èñ£¬Ç壬¶ø£¬Ö®£¬ºõ¡­¡­¡¿ The twenty words were arranged in a totally random manner. Meanwhile, the old nun suddenly released her neili and shattered the three wooden arrows in mid-air. In the midst of the flying splinters, Chen Ziqi whipped out, got close to the old nun¡¯s face and sprayed Spicy Eye Water out of his mouth. Chen Ziqi was too close and there was no way for the old witch to dodge. She got sprayed full in the face and immediately hit back at Chen Ziqi with her palm. Dan Yi pulled Chen Ziqi back with greater force on seeing this. The move had been a whiplike one to begin with, so Chen Ziqi was already on the way back when he started spitting the spicy water out of his mouth and didn¡¯t get hit by the old nun. He fell back into Dan Yi¡¯s embrace. ¡°AHHHH!¡± the old witch screamed. The Spicy Eye Water was incredibly potent. Abbess Liaoji released her neili in an explosive blast and started hitting out wildly, sending palm blasts in all directions. ¡°Be careful!¡± Dan Yi yelled, holding Chen Ziqi tight as he fell to the ground and rolled. He managed to dodge a powerful palm blast and leapt toward the door with all his might. ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± Y¨¹hu exclaimed. She had a sudden burst of brilliance. Eight of the characters made up the one of the lines in the first chapter of the Taisu Wuxin Gong: ³Ö¶øÓ¯Ö®£¬´§¶øÈñÖ®! Lfg tjcvr rtbbx jr rtf qgfrrfv atf rabcf mtjgjmafgr lc bgvfg. C ugjalcu rbecv mjwf ogbw atf rabcf vbbg, jcv T¨¹te qertfv jujlcra la fzmlafvis, yea¡­ atf vbbg gfoerfv ab yevuf. ¡°Qtja¡¯r ublcu bc?¡± Jtfc Ildl jrxfv, gecclcu bnfg klat Gjc Tl. ¡°P atlcx atlr vbbg tjr rbwf wfmtjclrw atja cffvr ab yf jmalnjafv rlweiajcfberis bc atf batfg rlvf jr kfii!¡± T¨¹te kjlifv. Vtf kjr rb vlragjeuta atja rtf kjr bc atf nfguf bo afjgr. ¡°You will all die today!¡± the maddened old witch screamed. She was holding her eyes with one hand, and she used her other hand to send a strong palm blast in their direction. Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t speak; his tongue was still suffering the painful aftereffects of the Spicy Eye Water. He passed the Spicy Eye Water antidote to Dan Yi and gestured to him to speak quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the antidote. Don¡¯t kill us!¡± Dan Yi said loudly. He picked Chen Ziqi up in his arms and leapt in front of the stone table, picking up the teapot and handing it to Chen Ziqi. Chen Ziqi quickly took in a few mouthfuls of cold water and spat them out. ¡°The antidote¡­ bring it here now!¡± the old witch shrieked. She was really in high dudgeon now, and she smashed the stone table to smithereens in one blow. This drug was just too potent ¨C she was so old that her eyes hadn¡¯t produced tears for years, but now, tears flowed unceasingly down her cheeks, and her entire face was swollen. She looked absolutely frightful. Dan Yi threw the bottle over to her. The old witch couldn¡¯t wait to use the antidote, and after opening the bottle, she poured all of its contents into her eyes. The burning sensation in her eyes disappeared immediately, but it was suddenly replaced by an intense pain that was even worse. Chen Ziqi suddenly remembered what the Thousand Poisons Sect Leader said ¨C the Spicy Eye Water antidote would cause blindness if used in too great a quantity! Crap, he¡¯d forgotten to tell the Abbess Liaoji how much of the antidote to use! ¡°AHHHH!¡± the old nun fell on the ground and rolled around in agony. The neili in her body started to expand. It seemed that, if it didn¡¯t stop expanding, it would soon be enough to blast this cave into nothingness. ¡°Careful!¡± Dan Yi shouted, pulling Chen Ziqi into his arms and using his body to block a shockwave of neili that emanated from the old nun. Y¨¹hu¡¯s neili wasn¡¯t enough to block this, and she fainted right away. ¡°Dan Yi!¡± Chen Ziqi screamed, his eyes widening as he saw the old witch¡¯s neili start to manifest physically behind Dan Yi. ¡°CREAAAAK¡­¡± The stone door suddenly ground open. Everyone in the cave didn¡¯t stop to think; they just leapt right out of the newly opened door. The person standing outside the door was Dan Yi¡¯s black-clad subordinate who had been left behind to copy down the words carved into the stone wall. ¡°Close the door!¡± Chen Ziqi yelled. The black-clad man quickly operated the closing mechanism, and the stone door closed with a grating sound. Before they could even heave a sigh of relief, there was the sound of a huge explosion, and a few cracks appeared in the thick stone door. ¡°Shit!¡± Chen Ziqi swore. The four black-clad men sprang into action without another word. They caught hold of him and flew upwards as fast as they could. The empty space in front of the stone door had an opening above through which light shone, and it was just enough for one person to pass through. Dan Yi immediately changed back into a little red bird and hopped into Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes. Chen Ziqi felt like his world was spinning, then suddenly he found himself tossed out of the hole they were flying towards. The old witch¡¯s furious roar sounded from behind them. Chen Ziqi¡¯s body hung in the air for a fraction of a second after being tossed out of the hole, and in that very instant, two big black birds grabbed hold of his arms with their claws and went into a sharp nosedive. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t help screaming in fright. He¡¯d never flown so fast before, and he swallowed many mouthfuls of air with his screaming. Before he knew it, he was at the foot of the mountain, and the two birds set him down gently on the grassy bank of a small stream. ¡°Tweet!¡± Dan Yi chirped. He wriggled out of Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes and turned back into human form. Chen Ziqi immediately made a beeline for the stream and started rinsing his mouth vigorously. The small amount of water from the teapot earlier had not gone very far in quenching the fire in his mouth. ¡°Is it really that hot?¡± Dan Yi asked curiously. He was squatting beside Chen Ziqi and patting his back comfortingly. Chen Ziqi gave him a sideways glance, then grinned wickedly. ¡°Of course! If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you try it for yourself?¡± he said. The moment the words left his mouth, he slung an arm around Dan Yi¡¯s neck, pulled the latter towards him and planted a firm kiss on his lips. Dan Yi was completely caught off guard by this fiery kiss. He stared blankly at Chen Ziqi for a few moments, not knowing how to respond. Y¨¹hu had been unconscious when she was taken out of the cave and had been set down on the grass next to Dan Yi and Chen Ziqi. She was awakened by the droplets of water thrown up by the gurgling stream, and the first thing she saw was the two handsome young men kissing each other. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Y¨¹hu blinked hard. Surely she was dreaming? The effects of the Spicy Eye Water had been lessened by Chen Ziqi¡¯s rinsing, and it was only slightly spicy now. That kiss, however, had made that slight spiciness fiery hot, and the heat spread from Dan Yi¡¯s lips all the way into his heart. He felt like he was going to burn up. Before Dan Yi could say anything, Chen Ziqi suddenly yelled in pain. He lowered his head and grabbed hold of his fingers with his other hand. ¡°Qiqi¡± Dan Yi exclaimed. He pulled Chen Ziqi into his arms and took hold of his injured hand, wanting to take off the handkerchief binding his fingers together to have a better look. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time,¡± Chen Ziqi said, stopping Dan Yi from doing so. He looked around. ¡°We should leave asap. That old nun is going to run out any minute now.¡± Dan Yi nodded briefly. ¡°Tell Diao Lie where this cave is,¡± he instructed one of the black-clad men. That old witch was a disaster waiting to happen, and she couldn¡¯t be left alive. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the black-clad men said in unison. They used the Cyclone Step to fly swiftly away. The loyal Dark Cloud Envoy would never remain behind when his Palace Master went to the Suxin Sect. However, Dan Yi had ordered him to stay at the foot of the mountain so as not to attract attention. Chen Ziqi looked at the stunned-looking Y¨¹hu and felt a little sorry for her. He had originally thought that she would be fine because the three old nuns who had originally been chasing them hadn¡¯t seen her face and wouldn¡¯t know who she was, but the old witch in the cave had seen her features clearly. She would be finished once that woman complained about her to the Abbess Wuyin. Chen Ziqi sighed. ¡°Y¨¹hu, the Suxin Sect is in chaos now. Why don¡¯t you come with me for now and return when things have settled down?¡± he said. This girl really looked like Xiaoru, and that made him feel a bit more for her than he ordinarily would have. ¡°Go with you? To the Cloud Palace?¡± Y¨¹hu asked, looking at Dan Yi. This person had not been by her Chang Qi gege¡¯s side earlier and had materialised out of nowhere when she woke up in the cave. Yu Linglong said that Chang Qi gege was King Jian, so could he be the Cloud Palace Master¡¯s lover? ¡°Nn,¡± Chen Ziqi said, rubbing his nose. They¡¯d only ever seen each other twice, but she had really helped him out this time, and he couldn¡¯t just leave her be, not when he knew she was very likely to get into trouble. ¡°It¡¯s not too late for you to come back after Liaoji dies,¡± Dan Yi said. ¡°D-dies?!¡± Y¨¹hu exclaimed in shock. She then realised what Dan Yi was really saying. ¡°You guys are going to kill the Supreme Abbess?¡± ¡°She¡¯s gone insane because of the last chapter of the Taisu Wuxin Gong, and she¡¯s no longer the great and honourable Abbess Liaoji you revere,¡± Chen Ziqi persuaded. In the past, Chen Ziqi¡¯s teacher in the palace, Professor Luo, had spoken of the famous people in the martial arts world, and one of them was Abbess Liaoji. It was said that she had a strong sense of justice and often helped the weak and downtrodden. She was really a great female warrior back then, nothing at all like the raving old woman they¡¯d seen in the cave who seemed more demon than human. Despite her insanity, the Suxin Sect had continued to put her on a pedestal; its disciples were faithful by nature, and even if their founder was mad, the Abbess Wuyin still followed her instructions unswervingly. The only thing they did do on account of her insanity was to lock her up in the cave. Before long, two palanquins floated over, and Diao Lie came towards them in great strides, kneeling before Dan Yi. ¡°Palace Master,¡± he said. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini- theatre Y¨¹hu: Director, this script seems rather off Director: What¡¯s wrong? Y¨¹hu: Didn¡¯t we agree that after surviving this life and death situation, the male lead and his female companion would live happily ever after? Qiqi: This is considered a happily ever after Y¨¹hu: Bullshit! This is obviously a live-action GV! Birdie Gong: (Takes off his pants) We just had a little kiss, how is this a GV? Qiqi: Exactly, how is this a GV? _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï*)_ Y¨¹hu: ¡­ I need the antidote for Spicy Eye Water right now CH 77 ¡°Kill Liaoji,¡± Dan Yi said shortly, carrying Chen Ziqi onto a palanquin. Chen Ziqi¡¯s bones were broken and his hand needed to be treated immediately. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Diao Lie said smartly. He didn¡¯t ask for any explanation. Yuhu listened to their exchange and felt her heart start beating faster and faster. Chen Ziqi was already seated in a palanquin, leaning on the side railing and shooting her a meaningful look. He obviously wanted her to get on the palanquin behind theirs. ¡°Bring her along,¡± Dan Yi said. He then put down the curtains and pulled Chen Ziqi into his arms. He refused to let Chen Ziqi move a muscle after that. Having received his orders, Diao Lie knocked Yuhu unconscious with a single chop to her neck, then picked her up bodily and tossed her into the palanquin. He made a hand signal, and the palanquin bearers immediately used the Cyclone Step to fly the palanquins away. At the same time, fierce, strong-looking grey eagles flew in from all directions, and they followed Diao Lie toward the cave that the Abbess Liaoji was in. ¡°Can Diao Lie kill that old witch?¡± Chen Ziqi asked curiously, burrowing into Dan Yi¡¯s chest. ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily have to have a neili contest to kill someone,¡± Dan Yi said, holding on firmly to the hand that had the two broken fingers. He felt very anxious; if they delayed treating his injury for too long, it was possible that the bones wouldn¡¯t heal properly. ¡°Could you get someone to go and look for my mum?¡± Chen Ziqi asked. He couldn¡¯t help frowning on thinking that Chang Er hadn¡¯t been found yet. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the Lushan Sect was the one that took her away,¡± Dan Yi said, explaining the sword marks he¡¯d seen earlier. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to look into this, and we should have some news when we get to the Cloud Palace.¡± ¡°Nn,¡± Chen Ziqi said, nodding his head. He nuzzled Dan Yi¡¯s chest. Dan Yi was only a young man who¡¯d just turned seventeen, but he was so reliable and capable. He really was worthy of being the object of his romantic attention! When they returned to the Cloud Palace, Elder Mu had already been dragged to the Palace Master¡¯s bedroom and was waiting to treat Chen Ziqi. ¡°Why were you still fighting when your bones were broken?¡± Elder Mu sighed, shaking his head as he saw the blood seeping out of the handkerchief binding the two fingers together. ¡°Take the handkerchief off.¡± Chen Ziqi grit his teeth and was about to pull the handkerchief off when Dan Yi reached around him from behind and lightly tapped the scarlet handkerchief. The soft, silky handkerchief immediately turned into a few soft red feathers. He¡¯d forgotten that Dan Yi¡¯s clothes were made of his feathers, and his handkerchief was no exception. Chen Ziqi reached a curious hand into Dan Yi¡¯s clothes and started feeling around. ¡°Do you still have any more?¡± he asked. ¡°Stop messing around,¡± Dan Yi said, grabbing hold of Chen Ziqi by the waist to stop him from moving around. When he bent his head to look at Chen Ziqi¡¯s injured fingers, his heart ached painfully. Those two long, slender fingers were bent at an unnatural angle, and the middle finger was so badly injured that white bone poked out of the bleeding wound. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Dan Yi asked, pressing his lips together and covering Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes to stop him from looking at the horrible injury. ¡°P¡¯w cewy ab la cbk, rb la¡¯r cba,¡± Jtfc Ildl rjlv, qeiilcu ja atf tjcv atja mbnfgfv tlr fsfr jcv uglcclcu abbatlis eq ja Gjc Tl. This was a difficult injury to heal. Elder Mu studied it for a while, then took out a few thin bamboo strips and a roll of silk. ¡°This subordinate is about to begin. Wang ye, this is going to hurt. Please bear with it,¡± he said. ¡°Yxj- CEXL!¡± Jtfc Ildl tjvc¡¯a olclrtfv gfqislcu ktfc Sivfg Ze rajgafv ab olz tlr lcpegs. Pa kjr qjlcoei atja tf mbeivc¡¯a tfiq rmgfjwlcu bea ibev. He hadn¡¯t felt the pain when his fingers had been broken in the heat of battle, but now that he was in a warm, clean and safe environment, lying in his lover¡¯s arms, he felt the pain keenly. He threw his head back in agony and bit his lip so hard that it started bleeding. Dan Yi pried his mouth open and stuffed a wad of cloth inside. ¡°Pei!¡± Chen Ziqi spat the cloth out and bit Dan Yi¡¯s arm, which was just passing by his mouth. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Dan Yi groaned softly. He didn¡¯t, however, pull his arm back, and allowed Chen Ziqi to continue biting it. Thankfully, Elder Mu had swift hands and he set the broken fingers quickly. He applied a thick layer of medicine on the wounds, then used the silk ribbon to bandage the wound and splinted it with thin bamboo strips. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Dan Yi said, looking rather helplessly at the fellow who was still biting him and refusing to let go. He used the wad of cloth that Chen Ziqi spat out of his mouth to wipe the sweat off his face. Chen Ziqi released Dan Yi¡¯s arm. He saw that there was a round bite-mark on Dan Yi¡¯s arm, and that blood was slowly seeping out of the teeth-marks. He stretched out his tongue and licked the blood off. The skin and muscles felt warm and toned, and tasted faintly of blood. ¡°Ouch¡­ don¡¯t lick it!¡± Dan Yi pulled his arm back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, raising his eyebrows. He looked up and saw that Dan Yi had a slightly panicked look on his face. His gaze looked complicated, as if a thousand thoughts were running through his mind. At the same time, however, Dan Yi was smiling. Chen Ziqi was somewhat confused. ¡°There¡¯s still Spicy Eye Water on your tongue,¡± Dan Yi said, frowning now. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Damn that Spicy Eye Water. After Chen Ziqi¡¯s injuries had been attended to, the spies who had gone to look into Chang Er¡¯s whereabouts came back. She had indeed been taken to the Lushan Sect, having been rescued by Li Yuhan. This was probably the result of Ah Mu having been sent to the Lushan Sect ¨C he likely pestered his Uncle to let him see his Mother daily, and Li Yuhan had no choice but to take a risk and barge into the Suxin Sect to rescue her. ¡°How¡¯s the situation in the Suxin Sect?¡± Dan Yi asked, taking the bowl of medicine that Linghe brought in and placing it next to Chen Ziqi¡¯s mouth. Chen Ziqi drank a mouthful of medicine from the bowl Dan Yi held. It was so bitter that his brows knitted together involuntarily. He went for broke and just gulped it down. After that, he couldn¡¯t help sticking out his tongue because it was too bitter. ¡°Cheng Zhou and Abbess Wuyin died in the battle in front of the Suxin Sect¡¯s gates. A whole bunch of people took advantage of the mess and forced their way into the Suxin Sect¡¯s grounds.¡± Cheng Jiazhen had risked death to stab Abbess Wuyin, and that knife had pierced very close to the Abbess¡¯ elixir field. This made it very difficult for the Abbess Wuyin to channel her neili. Cheng Zhou then took the opportunity to pounce on her and used a secret method in ¡®Open the Heavens¡¯ to cause all the neili he had gathered over the years to implode within himself. Both of them died in the resulting explosion. This was really karma; what went around came around. The Abbess Wuyin had used the Bloodblade Tower to massacre the entire Cheng family, and now the Cheng family had used a bloodblade to kill her. One could say that things had come full circle. The only thing was, with Cheng Zhou¡¯s death, the ¡°Jiangnan Warriors¡± that he had gathered no longer had a leader, and they started clamouring to force their way into the Suxin Sect. Chen Ziqi pursed his lips. This group of so-called ¡°warriors¡± weren¡¯t much different from the vulture-like martial artists who had tried to rape him in the forest. With Abbess Wuyin¡¯s death, the whole of the Suxin Sect would be in chaos for a good while. He suddenly remembered Lord Jiang, whom he¡¯d last met at the Hidden Library, and he couldn¡¯t help frowning. How much involvement did the Second Prince have in this Suxin Sect affair? He was deep in thought when another bowl of medicine appeared in front of him. He didn¡¯t stop to think; he simply opened his mouth and had already taken a mouthful of the medicine when he heard Linghe exclaim, ¡°Palace Master, that¡¯s your medicine!¡± Dan Yi had also suffered some internal injuries, so Elder Mu had prescribed medicine for them both. The first bowl was Chen Ziqi¡¯s, and this second bowl was Dan Yi¡¯s. Dan Yi didn¡¯t know this, and he simply fed it to Chen Ziqi the moment he received it. Chen Ziqi¡¯s mouth was full of the dark liquid which was so bitter that he felt his tongue was about to wither away. He turned to glare at Dan Yi, who had a perfectly innocent expression on his face. Slightly annoyed, Chen Ziqi scooted over, planted his lips over Dan Yi¡¯s and pushed the medicine directly into Dan Yi¡¯s mouth. Dan Yi was stunned. Chen Ziqi licked his lips, then grinned. ¡°This is your medicine. Drink it yourself!¡± he said. Dan Yi¡¯s eyes darkened. He silently drank the bitter medicine, then waved a hand to dismiss the servants. He knew that Chen Ziqi might just be fooling around, but every time Chen Ziqi behaved intimately towards him, his heart couldn¡¯t help fluttering wildly, and he hoped against hope that Chen Ziqi had behaved that way because he liked him. Dan Yi looked down and stared at Chen Ziqi for a moment. ¡°Qiqi, do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± he asked. ¡°Giving you a kiss,¡± Chen Ziqi said, smiling gaily at Dan Yi. Dan Yi pressed his lips together. ¡°You should know that this¡­ isn¡¯t normal behaviour between two guys,¡± he said. ¡°You mean it¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, looking confused. Dan Yi felt a prick of pain in his heart, and he slowly lowered his gaze. ¡°Nn. Only¡­ only lovers will kiss each other,¡± he said. ¡°Oh. Then perhaps it could be because my body hasn¡¯t been feeling alright recently ¨C as if I can¡¯t control it properly,¡± Chen Ziqi said. Dan Yi looked really defeated now, like a little chick that had just been knocked over by a snowball. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ve been infected with another blackworm.¡± ¡°A blackworm?¡± Dan Yi exclaimed in shock. He looked up at Chen Ziqi. ¡°Where?¡± He tried to think back on when Chen ZIqi had last left his sight. There would have been no way to infect him with a blackworm otherwise. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not sure either,¡± Chen Ziqi said, sidling over. Dan Yi was sitting cross-legged on the bed, and Chen Ziqi stuck an elbow on his knee, supporting his chin with that arm. He looked up cutely at Dan Yi. ¡°Why don¡¯t you kiss me and find out?¡± Dan Yi looked down at the bright-eyed youth. His heart, which had been languishing in the eighteenth pit of hell, suddenly flew right up to the very pinnacle of the Lingxiao Pagoda in Heaven. ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Yuhu: Why is it that I¡¯m always fainting? I disagree with this Birdie Gong: So noisy Diao Lie: Karate chop! Yuhu: @[email protected] Qiqi: Why am I always getting injured? I disagree with this Birdie Gong: So noisy Diao Lie: Do I also knock him out? Birdie Gong: A kiss on the lips will solve it Qiqi: £¨£þ3£þ) Yuhu: Discriminatory treatment! I disagree with this Diao Lie: Karate chop! CH 78 Dan Yi reached out a hand to caress Chen Ziqi¡¯s smooth, fair-skinned face. Just as his fingers made contact with his skin, he couldn¡¯t help pulling back a little, his fingers curling inward. He was intensely afraid that this was just a hallucination of his. Qiqi had still been a clueless little boy only yesterday ¨C how had he matured overnight? Dan Yi only collected himself again when Chen Ziqi couldn¡¯t keep it in and grinned widely at him. His eyes, which had originally shown a mixture of elation and panic, returned to their usual cold and aloof mode. ¡°Then, we should check that very carefully¡­¡± Dan Yi said softly, moving forward very slowly toward Chen Ziqi. He kissed those soft, warm lips gently, tenderly, sincerely. The lips he kissed still had the bitter taste of medicine on them, but to Dan Yi, this tasted like the sweetest heaven. Chen Ziqi simply remained exactly where he was, holding his head in place as he let Dan Yi inch closer to him. He¡¯d originally thought that he would have to pester this little red bird who was predestined to lay eggs with a Green Phoenix for a very long time before he could win him over. He¡¯d never imagined that his little chick had the same kind of feelings he had long ago. I like you, and was trying a thousand ways and means to get you to be mine, but at the very same time, you were also stupidly in love with me. This kind of feeling was just too incredible, too unbelievable. The two of them exchanged a long, passionate kiss, and their young hearts started beating like drums in their chest. Dan Yi gathered Chen Ziqi into his arms. The latter still had his head tilted back with his lips pressed to Dan Yi¡¯s, and Dan Yi deepened the kiss. Heaven only knew how hard it was for him to restrain himself when he¡¯d secretly kissed Chen Ziqi before. Chen Ziqi held his injured hand out of the way and used his good hand to wrap around Dan Yi¡¯s waist, caressing the solid, toned muscles there. After a long time, they slowly broke apart, panting a little raggedly. ¡°Did you find the blackworm?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, using his thumb to rub at the corner of his mouth. He was grinning widely, like a fox that had just stolen a farmer¡¯s chickens. ¡°Not yet,¡± Dan Yi said, unable to stop the corners of his lips from curving upwards into a slight smile. He put Chen Ziqi back onto the bed and pressed him down under himself. ¡°I need to try looking for it again.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve kissed me, you¡¯re my bird. You¡¯re not to lay eggs with other birds, you got that?¡± Chen Ziqi said arrogantly, pinching Dan Yi¡¯s chin with his thumb and forefinger. Unfortunately, the effect of this move, which was supposed to look overbearing, was diminished significantly by the fact that he was underneath Dan Yi. ¡°I won¡¯t lay eggs with other birds,¡± Dan Yi said seriously, taking hold of Chen Ziqi¡¯s hands and pressing them down above his head. He bent his head and kissed Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes. ¡°I only want to lay eggs with you.¡± ¡°Scram! Who wants to lay eggs with you?¡± Chen Ziqi laughed, raising a leg to kick him. ¡°Spill, have you liked me since ages ago?¡± ¡°Nn,¡± Dan Yi acknowledged. He caught hold of the leg that was attempting to kick him. ¡°Then, when you said that good friends ¡®help¡¯ each other that way, were you just shitting me?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, raising his eyebrows and using his toes to rub at little Fengyuan. The latter had already been standing proud since much earlier, and when Chen Ziqi rubbed at it, Dan Yi felt a hot rush of embarrassment. Dan Yi pressed his lips together and refused to reply, choosing to tickle Chen Ziqi in revenge instead. The two rolled around on the bed, their limbs intertwining. As they rolled and rolled, they somehow found themselves kissing each other again. It was as if they had just discovered an interesting new game. The two of them didn¡¯t tire of showing their feelings for each other again and again. No matter how many times they kissed, it just didn¡¯t seem to be enough. Dan Yi couldn¡¯t help reaching his hands into Chen Ziqi¡¯s clothes as they kissed. As his hands explored the inner folds of Chen Ziqi¡¯s robes, he suddenly felt a hard object at his waist. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s this?¡± he asked. Chen Ziqi smacked his head. ¡°Ah! I nearly forgot about this,¡± he said, laughing merrily. He reached into his robes, fished out a thin little notebook and handed it to Dan Yi as if he was handing over a precious treasure. The little book had a dark blue cover, and the words ¡°Xiao Shao Jiu Cheng¡± were written neatly on it. Dan Yi flipped it open. The book was covered in beautiful handwriting. Someone had copied out a music score earnestly. This music score only had the first three parts filled in, and the rest of the book was just white paper. It would appear that this was a handwritten copy of the remnants of the ¡°Xiao Shao¡± music score. ¡°Where did you get this from?¡± Dan Yi asked suspiciously. ¡°I stole it from that old witch¡¯s clothes,¡± Chen Ziqi said proudly. When Abbess Liaoji was gripping his fingers tight, he felt a strong urge to take revenge, and thus stole something from her person. Gjc Tl¡¯r ojmf vjgxfcfv. ¡°Qtja firf vlv sbe rafji?¡± tf jrxfv rfnfgfis. ¡°Ktja¡¯r la,¡± Jtfc Ildl rjlv, gbiilcu tlr fsfr. Lf¡¯v yffc lc remt ugfja qjlc ogbw atja biv tju¡¯r gbeut wlclragjalbcr, jcv la kjr jigfjvs jwjhlcu atja tf¡¯v wjcjufv ab rafji bcf atlcu. Qtja, kjr Gjc Tl fzqfmalcu tlw ab rafji tfg qegrf jr kfii? ¡°Men and women shouldn¡¯t come into intimate contact unnecessarily. Don¡¯t do that in future,¡± Dan Yi admonished. Huh? Chen Ziqi looked at him in shock. ¡°My friend, my dear friend, she¡¯s more than a hundred years old. You know that, right?¡± he asked sarcastically. Dan Yi¡¯s vinegar eating really knew no bounds! Dan Yi harrumphed in disagreement, then tossed the notebook aside and pounced on Chen Ziqi again. ¡°Hey, hey, it hurts! Don¡¯t press on my hand!¡± This beautiful morning would have been made perfect if they could both kiss and touch each other all over, but Chen Ziqi¡¯s fingers were bound together in an ungainly lump, so they had to give up on this idea. The two of them talked excitedly into the night until they were too tired to open their eyes, then slept until the sun was high in the sky the next day. Diao Lie came back to report. ¡°This subordinate regrets that he has disappointed the Palace Master. I was unable to kill Abbess Liaoji,¡± he said. When the Eagle Wing people had arrived at the stone room, they¡¯d found it completely empty. Both the doors that led into the cave were open. The first was the one that Chen Ziqi and company had used to enter from the Four Corners Ravine, and the second one led to some building in the Suxin Sect. A group of grey eagles patrolled the mountain all night, but didn¡¯t manage to find out where the Abbess Liaoji had disappeared to. They¡¯d missed yesterday¡¯s golden opportunity to kill her, and it¡¯d be hard to find any more opportunities like that. Dan Yi used a wooden spoon to scoop up some porridge and fed it to Chen Ziqi. ¡°Forget it. She¡¯s just gotten a little extension on her life, is all,¡± he said. Diao Lie had been unable to accomplish the task he was set and should have been punished. He lowered his head and waited for a moment, but that nonchalant statement was all he got from Dan Yi. He couldn¡¯t help raising his head in confusion. The scene that met his eyes was Dan Yi smiling as he held a little baozi, luring Chen Ziqi to eat it from his hand. It seemed that the Palace Master was in a good mood. Diao Lie lowered his gaze again. ¡°This subordinate will go and receive his punishment,¡± he said. When the Dark Cloud Envoy committed a transgression, he had to ask for a punishment from the White Cloud Envoy if the Palace Master did not himself set a punishment. The next day, the White Cloud Envoy Lan Jiangxue appeared with a fan made entirely of eagle feathers in his hand. ¡°Say, this Wang ye only injured two fingers ¨C it¡¯s not like he injured both his arms. Why is it that the Palace Master is even feeding him tea?¡± Wu Bujian mused, leaning on the corridor railings and looking at the lovey-dovey couple in the pavilion in confusion. ¡°Perhaps human fingers aren¡¯t the same as ours,¡± Tu Buxian said, examining his newly healed claws. ¡°Tsk. You ignorant little fools just don¡¯t understand,¡± Lan Shanyu said imperiously, walking over to them. ¡°Wing Leader Lan,¡± the two said, getting up to greet him respectfully. ¡°What is it we don¡¯t understand?¡± Tu Buxian asked. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you have a significant other,¡± Lan Shanyu said, grinning a proud little grin. He swished the sparkling blue wide sleeves of his outer robe and slowly walked into the pavilion the Palace Master was in to report on the latest news he¡¯d received. The Suxin Sect situation was still ongoing. The Abbess Wuyin had died, and those in the martial arts world who had thought to take advantage of the chaos to loot and steal had been beaten to a pulp by the three old nuns who had rushed out to protect their sect. This fiasco also got the Qi Confederate to sit up; Luo Hongfeng personally brought his Liuhe Sect people to restore order. The Cheng family¡¯s massacre was well-known to all. There was nothing much to argue about that. Luo Hongfeng insisted that the Suxin Sect return the Cheng family¡¯s treasure to Cheng Zimo for safekeeping. The gold, silver, pearls, antiques, jade, precious weapons and other treasures had all been kept in the Suxin Sect¡¯s storehouse after the Cheng family was wiped out. When Berry Brown received these valuables, he didn¡¯t bring them back to Lu City, but instead distributed them amongst the ¡°Jiangnan Warriors¡± as compensation for their efforts in this matter. Those who had wanted to continue kicking up a fuss immediately became obedient upon receiving their share of the money, and also didn¡¯t pursue Cheng Zhou¡¯s original promise to publicise the instruction manual of ¡®Open the Heavens¡¯ since Cheng Zhou was already dead. The Cheng family matter was thus considered closed. Chen Zimo sent off the martial artists, then dealt with Cheng Zhou and Cheng Jiazhen¡¯s corpses. He buried Cheng Zhou in the Cheng family grave, and as to Cheng Jiazhen, he tossed her body off Wangchuan Cliff. ¡°The Suxin Sect wants to hold a funeral for the Abbess Wuyin. Also, her successor is Zhao Surou,¡± Lan Shanyu said, opening his fan and fanning himself languidly. It was already the middle of summer and the weather was sweltering hot. Lan Shanyu was wearing six layers of clothes despite the heat, and sweat ran in little rivulets down his face even though he had only been standing for a short while. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wear less layers?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, drinking a mouthful of iced sour plum tea. He felt hot just looking at Lan Shanyu. ¡°These are the robes Qinghan made for me. I want to at least wear them for one day more,¡± Lan Shanyu said, smiling merrily as he spoke. He saw how his Palace Master was hugging Chen Ziqi protectively and refusing to let go. The way those two stuck together looked hotter than his six layers of clothes. Weren¡¯t they afraid of getting a heat rash? At this juncture, Linghe led Yuhu into the room. ¡°Yuhu, how are you getting on here?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, motioning her over to sit. ¡°Big Brother Chang, I¡¯m going to go back to the Suxin Sect,¡± Yuhu said, her eyes reddening as she spoke. She had woken up to find herself in the Cloud Palace, and everyone here treated her so well that she was starting to see the people whom her martial arts master called ¡°the demons of the Cloud Palace¡± in a new light. She was actually very willing to stay here long-term. However, she¡¯d found out today that her master had died, and that her funeral was being held in the Sect. She absolutely had to go back and pay her last respects to her master. No matter what, she was still her master¡¯s loyal disciple. ¡°The Supreme Abbess isn¡¯t dead yet, you know. If you go back, it might be dangerous for you ¨C the whole sect might be under her control now,¡± Chen Ziqi said worriedly. ¡°My master has passed away, and the Supreme Abbess is insane. No one will listen to her. Moreover¡­ I can say that I was kidnapped by the Cloud Palace,¡± Yuhu said, saying the last few words very quickly. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from glancing furtively at Dan Yi after that. ¡°That works,¡± Dan Yi agreed calmly. He waved a hand to signal to his subordinates to send Yuhu down the mountain. He¡¯d brought this girl back so that Chen Ziqi wouldn¡¯t worry, but now that she wanted to leave of her own free will, he was quite happy to let her go. Chen Ziqi wanted to say something, but he realised that he didn¡¯t have any standing to stop someone from attending her own master¡¯s funeral. As such, he instructed Wu Bujian to go with her and come back only when he¡¯d seen her safely to the Suxin Sect. When Yuhu returned to the Suxin Sect, the first thing she saw was the thin white silks that were draped all over the mountain to mourn her master¡¯s passing. Her heart felt very heavy. Zhao Surou was very busy attending to the funeral matters at this time, but she was very pleased to see her young disciple return safely. ¡°You stupid girl, where did you run off to?¡± she exclaimed, smacking Yuhu¡¯s back hard as she spoke. ¡°I¡­ I was kidnapped by the Cloud Palace people,¡± Yuhu whispered, her neck shrinking into her shoulders. ¡°Those demons again,¡± Zhao Surou said, grinding her teeth. She didn¡¯t ask any more, and told Yuhu to change into funeral attire quickly. Yuhu was bone tired after kneeling at the funeral for a whole day, and she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow in her room. In the middle of the night, she was rudely awakened when someone threw a basin of cold water on her. Before she had fully come to, she got dragged off to one of the side halls by two of her Shijie. The candles burned brightly in the side hall, making the room as bright as day. All the first and second generation disciples were present. Zhao Surou stood in the centre of the room, her face cold and severe as she glared at Yuhu. ¡°Shifu?¡± Yuhu asked, frightened. She wiped off the beads of water on her face. ¡°Clack, clack, clack¡­¡± The sound of a wooden staff tapping on the floor came from one side of the room, and before long, three of the old nuns who had been trying to kill Chen Ziqi came forward, supporting an old woman with snow white hair who was holding a wooden staff in her hand. They walked slowly, step by step, towards Yuhu. ¡°Kneel down!¡± One of Yuhu¡¯s Shijie kicked the back of her knees, forcing Yuhu to fall to her knees on the floor. That old witch was brought to the host seat, and she sat down slowly in it. She opened her mouth to speak in a hoarse, raspy voice. ¡°Did you bring that unclean disciple here?¡± she asked. ¡°Supreme Abbess¡­¡± Yuhu¡¯s voice faltered as she looked at the old witch, and she started trembling violently. Abbess Liaoji had not only survived, she was now in control of the Suxin Sect! Was she the ¡®unclean disciple¡¯ Abbess Liaoji was referring to? ¡°Hmph! Being overly friendly with men, and colluding with outsiders against your own masters ¨C is this how you have been teaching the Suxin Sect disciples in the years that I was in seclusion?¡± the old witch asked, banging her staff down with force. The three old nuns immediately knelt in apology. ¡°I wasn¡¯t overly friendly with any men. That day, we had mistakenly gone into the cave and offended you, Supreme Abbess¡­¡± Yuhu said. Before she could finish speaking, the old witch used her neili to slap her with a palm wind. Neili that had been cultivated for more than a hundred years was no trifling matter. That slap threw Yuhu halfway across the room. The other disciples didn¡¯t dare to help her up and just stared at her in shock. ¡°From today onwards, the Suxin Sect¡¯s rules are to be strictly enforced! Anyone who has more than a passing contact with a man shall be punished according to the Sect¡¯s rules!¡± the Abbess Liaoji snarled, using her blind, milk white eyes to glare fiercely at the gathered disciples. She was completely blind now, and this seemed to have made her become even more vicious and violent. Yuhu lay chest down on the ground, listening to one of the Sect Elders proclaim that she was to be put to death. She couldn¡¯t help speaking up to defend herself at that point. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in the Sect rules to say that we can¡¯t speak with men!¡± she protested. This wasn¡¯t a nunnery, and quite a few of Sect Elders and her Shijie had gotten married. ¡°Shamless wench!¡± one of the blue-clad old nuns shouted, slapping her face. As they were speaking, some Liuhe Sect people knocked on the main door, saying that Confederate Head Luo had seen the bright light in the Sect and was concerned that something was happening. Zhao Surou waved a hand, signalling to two of her disciples to lock Yuhu up in the firewood storeroom so that she could deal with her personally later on. It was very embarrassing to have to discipline one¡¯s own disciple in front of an outsider, and that was why the Suxin Sect had chosen to do this secretly in the dead of night. Zhao Surou went out to placate the Liuhe Sect people, and two of the Shijie gave Yuhu a sympathetic look. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t have been so careless. Running off with a man is really a slap in our Sect¡¯s face.¡± Yuhu curled up in a corner, tears running silently down her face. When she had attained enlightenment, she had been reading the words of the Supreme Abbess, which said that the Suxin Sect was founded to protect weak women from being bullied and to give women a place to stand on their own two feet in the martial arts world. But now? What had the Suxin Sect become? Yu Linglong and Yu Furong were raised specially as sacrifices to please the Emperor, and they had to hide their faces since they were little, so that no other man could look at them. Yuhu herself had only left with Chen Ziqi for a few days, and she was now being sentenced to death. This place was no longer the Suxin Sect whose mission was to protect weak women anymore¡­ ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Old Witch: This disciple is unclean. Drag her out and chop her head off Qiqi: Saying a few words to a man is unclean? Old Witch: She didn¡¯t just speak, she also held his hand Qiqi: Then if a man touched her chest, would that also be considered unclean? Old Witch: That is downright filthy Qiqi: Oh, when I stole the book, I touched your chest Old Witch: ( ¡Ñ o ¡Ñ ) Yuhu: This Supreme Abbess is unclean! Drag her out and chop her head off! CH 79 ¡°You¡¯d better start saying your prayers. Shifu said she¡¯s going to deal with you personally,¡± Yuhu¡¯s two Shijie said, looking at her with pity. Yuhu was curled up into a defeated ball in a corner of the firewood shed, and they couldn¡¯t help feeling sorry for her. They¡¯d grown up together, after all, and they couldn¡¯t possibly feel happy about her impending doom. ¡°Shijie, how about we¡­¡± the Third Shijie Yuquan said, biting her lip as she looked at the eldest Shijie, Yuzhuo. ¡°Don¡¯t be dumb. Do you want to die with her?¡± Yuzhuo said, glaring at her Shimei. She pulled her out of the shed and locked the shed door. Yuquan couldn¡¯t hold back her tears and started sobbing out loud. She kept looking back at the shed as she was dragged off by her Shijie. Things around the firewood shed quietened down. Yuhu sat on a pile of firewood. Her tears had stopped falling now; there was no use in crying. At midnight, her Shifu would come and ¡°cleanse¡± the Sect by dealing with her. Should she blame herself for having helped Chen Ziqi in a moment of foolishness? When Yuhu thought carefully about it, she concluded that even if she could turn back time, she would have made exactly the same decision. The Sect was holding on to his mother for no good reason, and she had to be returned to him. That official from King Wan¡¯s residence ¨C the one called Jiang Liangcai ¨C shortly after he came to the Suxin Sect to pay his respects, the Sect Leader Abbess Wuyin had gone out, and when she returned, she had that beautiful and feisty women in her clutches. During Chang Er¡¯s stay in the Suxin Sect, she scolded everyone she¡¯d come into contact with, and all her sect sisters were deathly afraid of her. The extremely unpopular task of sending food to Chang Er¡¯s residence therefore often fell to Yuhu. ¡°Bah, this Suxin Sect is nothing more than a brothel full of prostitutes! Sending your disciples to be my son¡¯s concubines ¨C do you lot feel no shame?¡± she said, insulting Yuhu and her fellow disciples as she ate the food Yuhu brought. ¡°The best part is, you lot don¡¯t even want to admit that you¡¯re just a bunch of harlots! Instead, you pretend to be some high and mighty female warriors. If I were you, I¡¯d leave this place as soon as possible, so that I won¡¯t find myself dead at the hands of my own sect members!¡± That Taifei niangniang had really hit the nail on the head. Yuhu smiled bitterly. She was about to die, that was certain. The metallic clang of the lock being unlocked sounded from outside the shed. Yuhu tensed up, all the hairs on the back of her neck standing as she stared at the shed door. ¡°Creakkk¡­¡± The old, broken-down door made a sharp, unpleasant sound as it opened. Slanted rays of moonlight shone into the shed, outlining the person standing at the door and making that person look particularly fearsome. It was midnight now. All was calm and quiet. Zhao Surou said that she was going to deal with her disciple personally, and she was as good as her word. ¡°Shifu,¡± Yuhu said, getting to her feet slowly. She looked at this woman who had raised her since she was a little girl. Zhao Surou was like a mother to her. Zhao Surou¡¯s face was cold and hard as she walked over to Yuhu step by step. Moving forward, she would be the Sect Leader of the Suxin Sect, and she needed to be as decisive and ruthless as the Abbess Wuyin. That was the only way she could keep this large, powerful sect within her control. She looked silently at her little disciple for a few moments. ¡°Yuhu, how old are you now?¡± she asked, finally breaking the silence. ¡°Thirteen,¡± Yuhu said softly. ¡°It¡¯s the tenth year since you accepted me as your disciple.¡± Zhao Surou didn¡¯t say anything. She merely raised her hand slowly. Kfc sfjgr bo j wjrafg-vlrmlqif gfijalbcrtlq ¨C vlvc¡¯a Itjb Vegbe tjnf jcsatlcu ab rjs ab tfg yfobgf rtf vlfv? Tete mibrfv tfg fsfr jcv jkjlafv atf xliilcu yibk rtf kjr regf kbeiv obiibk. C ibcf afjg rilv vbkc tfg mtffx. Vevvfcis, rtf ofia tfg mbiijg alutafc, jcv tfg fsfr oifk bqfc. Itjb Vegbe kjr vgjuulcu tfg delmxis jkjs ogbw atf rtfv, jcv atfs rbbc jgglnfv ja bcf bo atf rlvf fcagjcmfr ab atf Vezlc Vfma. Zhao Surou used a key to open the side gate and pushed Yuhu out of it roughly. Yuhu fell to the ground; Zhao Surou had exerted a great deal of force. She stared in confusion at Zhao Surou. ¡°Shifu?¡± she asked uncertainly. ¡°Shifu didn¡¯t raise you for so many years just to kill you,¡± Zhao Surou said, her tone still cold and hard. ¡°Go, and don¡¯t ever come back.¡± When she finished speaking, she shut the gate with a clang. Yuhu stared blankly into space for some time before realising what had happened. Tears flowed freely from her eyes now as she kowtowed respectfully three times in the direction of that side gate. ¡°Little Miss Yu, let¡¯s go now,¡± Wu Bujian said, appearing as if out of nowhere. He pulled Yuhu away with him immediately. ¡°Big Brother Wu, why are you here?¡± Yuhu asked in surprise. ¡°Wang ye asked me to follow you. He was worried something bad would happen to you,¡± Wu Bujian said. He was still experiencing some trauma from the stress he¡¯d been under earlier; he¡¯d been watching the two of them since they were at the firewood shed, and he had been vacillating about whether to just strike Zhao Surou down. It had all been touch and go, and he wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to save Yuhu. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. If someone sees us, we won¡¯t be able to leave,¡± he said. After the words left his lips, he remembered that he had an unlucky crow mouth, and spat two times for good measure before tugging on Yuhu and breaking into a run. Thus, Yuhu found herself back in the Cloud Palace. Chen Ziqi felt very sorry for her when he saw her red eyes, which were swollen from crying. He accompanied her for about half a day, chatting with her and trying to make her feel better. ¡°The Suxin Sect has fallen very far from its original ideals. It¡¯s no loss to you if you don¡¯t go back, really. Look at me ¨C the Imperial family¡¯s also in a terrible state now, and frankly, I think I¡¯d be better off if my surname wasn¡¯t ¡®Chen¡¯,¡± Chen Ziqi said. When she stopped crying, he gave her a copy of the Taisu Wuxin Gong that Dan Yi¡¯s black-clad subordinate had copied out in the cave. ¡°Dan Yi says that this last chapter has a tendency to make people lose control of their qi and go insane. I¡¯ve stuck them together for now so you won¡¯t look at it. Read it when you¡¯re done with all the previous chapters.¡± Yuhu looked at the last few pages of the book. It had indeed been stuck together like Chen Ziqi said, and she looked at him with gratitude in her eyes. ¡°Chang Qi gege, thank you,¡± she said. Chen Ziqi sighed. When he walked out of Yuhu¡¯s residence, he saw Dan Yi standing on the field outside with his hands behind his back. Yuhu was a human, so she couldn¡¯t stay on Jade Mountain, and had been given a small residence on Jade Bamboo Peak instead. The scorching sun of summer beat down on Dan Yi¡¯s scarlet wide-sleeved robe, bathing his tall, toned frame in a golden glow. That beautiful Phoenix looked noble and dignified even when he was standing in a lowly field. ¡°Palace Master!¡± A few of the beauties who were working in the fields called out when they saw Dan Yi. They couldn¡¯t resist coming forward to greet him. They were all gifts sent by the various sects, but they had not been able to obtain the Palace Master¡¯s favour. All they did every day was plant the fields. Some of the beauties had already gotten used to this worry-free lifestyle, but some others were still scheming to get the Palace Master¡¯s attention. Dan Yi gave them a noncommittal glance, then turned his gaze back to the young bamboo in the field without changing his expression. When everyone saw that the Palace Master didn¡¯t respond at all, they all didn¡¯t dare to say more. They bowed respectfully, then left quickly to continue doing their farm work. Only two of the new arrivals remained behind, walking closer to Dan Yi. ¡°Palace Master¡­¡± the two were a brother-sister pair, and they looked very much alike, even though they each also had their own charm. ¡°We are Medicine Men cultivated by the Hundred Grasses Valley, and we can be of much more use working for you than farming the fields.¡± ¡°Medicine Men?¡± Dan Yi said, frowning slightly. He actually had never heard of such a thing before. The Hundred Grasses Valley often sent gifts over, and he vaguely recalled the White Cloud Envoy mentioning these two creatures to him before. ¡°Ahem ahem!¡± Chen Ziqi coughed loudly, and the three of them looked over at him. Chen Ziqi raised his chin and walked grandly over to Dan Yi¡¯s side, looking interestedly at the brother-sister pair. ¡°How does one use Medicine Men?¡± The siblings looked at each other, then blushed and lowered their eyes. Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyebrows shot into his forehead. The storybook he¡¯d read had talked about some dark methods of practicing martial arts which relied on fornication to progress in cultivation. Perhaps these Medicine Men were such vessels of sexual cultivation? ¡°Perhaps they have to be eaten,¡± Dan Yi said, after thinking for a bit. Eaten?! The siblings¡¯ eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and their jaws fell open. Chen Ziqi nearly choked on his own saliva as well. ¡°Eat them? How would you eat them?¡± he asked. ¡°Some years ago, the Hundred Grasses Valley sent my dad a mosquito-repelling Medicine Man. He just needed to sleep at the door, and mosquitoes and other insects wouldn¡¯t enter the room at all. The type of Medicine Man that assists in cultivation probably needs to have his blood let and then boiled into a soup,¡± Dan Yi said matter-of-factly. It was true that in that case, putting these two to do farm labour was a waste. He signalled to the brown-clothed man standing watch to come over, instructing him to send the siblings to Elder Mu to see how best they could be cooked. The two Medicine Men looked horrified as they were dragged off. The rest of the beauties who looked like they had been about to make a move of their own all lowered their heads fearfully, afraid that they would also be noticed by the Palace Master. The corners of Chen Ziqi¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°I say, what on earth are you planning on eating?¡± he asked, grinning. ¡°I don¡¯t eat humans,¡± Dan Yi said. He knew exactly what Chen Ziqi was thinking. He gave him a benign smile. ¡°The things I eat are all right here ¨C bamboo rice, bamboo shoots, jade bamboo worms¡­¡± Worms? When Chen Ziqi heard this, he showed his white teeth in surprise and was about to ask when Dan Yi inched closer to his face, then whispered in his ear in a slightly embarrassed manner. ¡°¡­ and you.¡± ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre ¡°The Many Uses of Medicine Men¡± Birdie Dad: The mosquitoes have been swarming of late. Get the Hundred Grasses Valley to send over a mosquito-repelling Medicine Man! Hundred Grasses Valley Master: That¡¯s not the point of the mosquito-repelling Medicine Man! Birdie Gong: The bamboo rice has been attacked by worms lately. Get the Hundred Grasses Valley to send some worm-killing Medicine Men here! Hundred Grasses Valley Master: There¡¯s no such thing as worm-killing Medicine Men! Birdie Gong: This ice silk shirt is too small. Get the Hundred Grasses Valley to send over some silk-spinning Medicine Men! Hundred Grasses Valley Master: There¡¯s no such thing as silk-spinning Medicine Men! Birdie Gong: Oh, in that case, find a few worm-killing medicine men Hundred Grasses Valley Master: There¡¯s no such thing as worm-killing Medicine Men! Birdie Gong: Then find a few silk-spinning Medicine Men Hundred Grasses Valley Master: ¡­ ¡­ (vomits blood) CH 80 And you¡­ and you¡­ These last two words echoed in Chen Ziqi¡¯s mind as he stared at Dan Yi in surprise. Dan Yi¡¯s ears were bright red now. This fellow was now flirting outrageously with him! Chen Ziqi found this quite exciting, and he sidled over to the red-eared fellow. ¡°How are you planning to eat me?¡± he whispered. Dan Yi pressed his lips together. ¡°As for this, we¡¯ll have to ask Elder Mu,¡± he said in all seriousness. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ziqi asked in confusion. Why did they have to ask Elder Mu about this sort of thing? Chen Ziqi thought he¡¯d heard wrongly. ¡°Why do you need to ask Elder Mu about this?¡± After the words left his mouth, he felt a little foolish. Perhaps Dan Yi wasn¡¯t talking about those activities that were done on the bed? Dan Yi reached out and stroked Chen Ziqi¡¯s slightly parted lips, inched closer, then bit his ear gently. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll get hurt,¡± he said softly. Now that the two of them had laid their hearts bare before each other, they could do all sorts of things now, but Chen Ziqi was still very young, and he felt it better to consult Elder Mu before proceeding further. This horny little bird had actually put so much thought into this? His warm breath curled into Chen Ziqi¡¯s ear canals, bringing with it a tingly feeling that was difficult to describe, and his ears couldn¡¯t help reddening as well. He pushed Dan Yi away a little, then stood up straight. ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re really different from the Dan Yi I knew before?¡± he muttered. Dan Yi just smiled, then tugged Chen Ziqi¡¯s hand and walked toward the bamboo forest, skirting the planted fields. The things he knew when he was hatched far outstripped Chen Ziqi¡¯s human knowledge. He¡¯d hidden it well in the past because he was afraid he¡¯d scare him off. The Jade Bamboo Peak was divided into a few districts. Some districts specialised in planting bamboo rice. In those districts, the crop they planted was a thin, slender type of bamboo that grew very quickly. Other districts planted only bamboo shoots, and the people in charge of those districts had to dig for bamboo shoots every day. Yet other districts planted a particularly thick and coarse looking type of bamboo. Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t know what that type of bamboo was for. ¡°Are these thick bamboo stems used for making tools or something?¡± Chen Ziqi asked curiously, running a hand over the bamboo trunk. Its girth was so large that it would take two people hugging it to fully encircle it. Before Dan Yi could reply, a shrill cry of terror came from one side. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to do this!¡± the voice screamed. About five steps away, a few people were chopping down a thick bamboo stem. With them was a girl who was very obviously new to the work. She tossed aside the gloves that she had just been given and backed away quickly, as if she¡¯d seen something horrifying. Chen Ziqi walked over to have a look. He considered himself to be quite a daring person, but even he got a shock when he peered into the cut bamboo stem. A fat, snow-white worm about the size of a child¡¯s arm squirmed slightly in the empty space between the bamboo walls. Other than the girl who¡¯d screamed, the other people didn¡¯t seem perturbed by the creature at all. One person pulled on a pair of gloves in a practiced manner, then used both hands to pick up the fat white worm and put it into a bamboo basket next to them. Two more worms that looked exactly like this one could be seen inside it. Those worms were very docile, and they didn¡¯t try to escape at all. They just lay quietly in the bamboo basket. ¡°What is this?¡± Chen Ziqi asked, swallowing hard. ¡°Jade bamboo worms,¡± Dan Yi said, waving a hand to indicate that the workers didn¡¯t need to greet him and could continue harvesting worms. A certain type of bamboo produced bamboo worms, which were the cleanest type of worms in the world. They only ate bamboo and drank condensed dew. These jade bamboo worms that the Cloud Palace farmed were an even higher grade of bamboo worm, and they were even pickier than the regular bamboo worm. They only ate this particular bamboo ¨C the Sapphire Moso Bamboo. Sapphire Moso Bamboo was not an easy plant to cultivate. It only grew in places where phoenixes appeared regularly, and as such, Dan Yi had to come here fairly often. ¡°This bamboo only grows in places where the phoenix appears? What a snobby bamboo,¡± Chen Ziqi said, not really believing this. Plants weren¡¯t sentient after all, so how would they know whether or not there was a phoenix around or not? Did the phoenix really have some auspicious aura that the plants could feel? Gjc Tl vlvc¡¯a rjs jcsatlcu, jcv rlwqis aeuufv tlw vffqfg lcab atf yjwybb obgfra. Ktfgf kjr j rwjii yjwybb tea atfgf atja kjr nfgs fzdelrlafis wjvf ¨C la fnfc tjv j ilaaif kjafg qjnlilbc lc ogbca bo la. Jtfc Ildl fzjwlcfv atf ilaaif tea mjgfoeiis. Pa ibbxfv ilxf rbwfktfgf ab gfra bcf¡¯r algfv offa. Pipes made of bamboo that had been hollowed out carried spring water from somewhere further off here. There were two lines of bamboo pipes, one leading into this hut, and the other circling around the outside of the hut. The steady stream of spring water made a pleasant gurgling sound as it flowed into a bluestone trough, juxtaposing beautifully with the peaceful, quiet forest. This was a good place to cultivate one¡¯s martial arts. ¡°Come in,¡± Dan Yi said, opening the hut¡¯s bamboo door and inviting Chen Ziqi in for a look. The interior of the hut was spick and span. It was completely empty save for a Sapphire Moso Bamboo that was about five feet long. This bamboo had been cleaved into two, and the two halves were embedded in the ground. The fresh spring water brought in by the bamboo pipes splashed noisily onto the large, broad Sapphire Moso Bamboo troughs on the ground. Dan Yi opened his robes and started taking his pants off. Chen Ziqi got a shock. ¡°What on earth are you doing?¡± he exclaimed. He looked around quickly and noticed that this little hut didn¡¯t have any windows, so he shut the door as fast as lightning. It was rather embarrassing to do that sort of thing whilst the sun was high in the sky, and also¡­ Chen Ziqi looked mournfully at his two splinted and bandaged fingers. ¡°Peeing,¡± Dan Yi replied innocently. He aimed at the elegant-looking bamboo troughs and emptied his bladder quickly. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± So this exquisitely made little hut was a toilet?! Chen Ziqi didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°I have to come here often so the bamboo grows well,¡± Dan Yi said, amusement playing about his eyes. ¡°What were you thinking about earlier?¡± ¡°I want to pee too,¡± Chen Ziqi harrumphed irritably. He moved closer to Dan Yi and stood next to him. ¡°Wait,¡± Dan Yi said. He finished doing what he was doing, washed his hands in the clean flowing water, then came over to help Chen Ziqi take his pants off. Dan Yi tried to help Chen Ziqi hold his lower bird, and the latter smacked his hand away. He used his own uninjured hand to do the deed and continued chatting with Dan Yi as he relieved himself. ¡°What are you farming these worms for?¡± he asked. ¡°Jade bamboo worms are an unparalleled delicacy,¡± Dan Yi said honestly. The Phoenix¡¯s staple food was bamboo rice, and the other dishes that it ate also had to be made of bamboo or closely associated with bamboo. Before the advent of blackworms, the jade bamboo worm was the only worm that the Phoenix was able to eat. ¡°This is for eating?!¡± Chen Ziqi asked in surprise. The dots suddenly connected in his head ¨C this fellow was a bird, and birds liked to eat worms! ¡°Nn,¡± Dan Yi confirmed, nodding. He hesitated for a moment, then continued speaking. ¡°You¡¯ve eaten it before, too.¡± Bam! These last few words hit Chen Ziqi like a ton of bricks. Him? Eat a worm? No wait, had eaten a worm?! He quickly scanned his memory for the things that he¡¯d eaten in the Cloud Palace. Stir-fried bamboo shoots, mixed green bamboo shoots, chicken drumsticks, chicken wings, vegetable buns¡­ all of these couldn¡¯t be it. The only thing that was suspect was that plate of tender, delicate white ¡°fish slices¡± that often appeared on Dan Yi¡¯s table. It tasted very much like boiled fish slices, and had a particular ability to absorb the taste of whatever it was cooked in. Chen Ziqi remembered it to be incredibly delicious. However, no matter how good it was to eat, it was, at the end of the day ¨C a WORM! Chen Ziqi¡¯s breath caught in his throat. He felt like he couldn¡¯t even continue peeing any more. On the way back from the Jade Bamboo Peak, Chen Ziqi refused to allow Dan Yi to kiss him. ¡°Tell me the truth. That day, when you sucked out the blackworm from my body, where did it go?¡± he asked. ¡°¡­ I ate it,¡± Dan Yi replied honestly. What? That disgusting thing could be eaten? Chen Ziqi thought about that fierce, disgusting little creature trapped inside the bamboo container in a bath of strong liquor, and his stomach turned. ¡°It¡¯s great when it¡¯s deep fried,¡± Dan Yi said, exhaling audibly. He thought that Chen Ziqi wouldn¡¯t have any issues with him eating worms now that he knew that he was a bird. Chen Ziqi¡¯s shocked reaction today had really surprised him. ¡°I only eat these two types of worms, and they¡¯re all cooked worms. Don¡¯t you like to eat insect pupae as well?¡± Pupae¡­ that¡¯s right. In his impecunious childhood, he¡¯d often caught crickets and grasshoppers to grill and eat. If he thought of the blackworms as these insects, and the jade bamboo worms as pupae¡­ actually, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference. Chen Ziqi felt rather apologetic toward Dan Yi, who looked like he¡¯d been done a great injustice. He knew full well that the person he liked was actually a bird, and as his lover, he should respect his habits. He scooted over and planted a kiss on Dan Yi¡¯s lips. ¡°You¡¯re right. If you want to eat worms, then eat them. You don¡¯t begrudge me for eating chicken wings, so we¡¯re even,¡± he said. Dan Yi was appeased, but he still gave a huffy little sigh. Chen Ziqi gave him another placatory kiss, and this time, Dan Yi turned the tables and took control of this kiss. The issue of the worms was thus resolved. Chen Ziqi quickly cast this to the back of his mind, and what took its place was going to the Lushan Sect to pick Chang Er up. He had delayed doing so because his internal injuries weren¡¯t properly healed yet, and he was afraid that Chang Er would worry unduly about him if he showed up before he was fully healed. His condition had improved greatly in the last two days, and he wanted to bring his mother home quickly. It certainly wasn¡¯t a good thing to leave his mother in the Lushan Sect for too long. Also, the King Jian residence was still in chaos because of the chicken farm massacre, and he had to go back and deal with matters there. The thick, gamey smell of blood filled their nostrils the moment they stepped into the chicken pens, which were covered in loose chicken feathers. The bloody scene in the chicken farm had been very terrifying, and King Jian himself had disappeared during this time. The workers had been so frightened that they all ran off, leaving the chicken farm untended to. The dead chickens had all been sold off by the farm manager, and all that remained were a bunch of chicken feathers and dried chicken blood. The weather was hot now, and countless houseflies were attracted to the chicken blood. Maggots were also festering inside the decapitated chicken heads. It was a very disgusting sight. Dan Yi had started frowning even before they got close, and he held Chen Ziqi back, refusing to let him go forward to see this scene. He signalled to his subordinates to clean the mess up. Because he had lost the bet with Chen Ziqi earlier, he agreed to set up a Wind Wing in Jianyang City. The ones who came with Dan Yi this round were the Wind Wing members who were going to stay in Jianyang long-term. The members of the Wind Wing were all small-sized birds, and the chicken pens littered with severed chicken heads looked like hell on earth to them. ¡°Palace Master, we should just burn the place,¡± the head of the Jianyang chapter of the Wind Wingpractically pleaded. Even though all that was left of the chickens was their severed heads, it was best to return them peacefully to the earth. ¡°Burn it, then,¡± Chen Ziqi said, waving a hand. There was nothing of value in the pens, just some wooden fencing and straw nests that the chickens roosted in. He could just replace these after the place was burned. The great fire burned everything into ashes, glowing orange against the dark night sky. Chen Ziqi¡¯s eyes were dark as he watched the flames consume the chicken pens. This hard world was one in which he couldn¡¯t even protect three hundred chickens unless he was able to amass great power. The Cloud Palace people did their work very efficiently, and the chicken farm was cleared up in less than a day. They even found the time to rent a suitable building in Jianyang City to use as the Wind Wing chapterhouse. Now that Jianyang City had its own chapter of the Wind Wing, it wouldn¡¯t be as desolate and shut off as before. Chen Ziqi went to the Wind Wing chapterhouse on the first day it opened for business and became its first customer. ¡°Send a letter to the Bloodblade Tower for me. I have something I want to hire them for,¡± Chen Ziqi said imperiously. At the Yangchun Banquet, Chen Ziqi had met the Bloodblade Tower Leader, and he was a surprisingly easygoing person. He didn¡¯t seem anything like an assassin. ¡°Assassinations, theft, massacres of whole families ¨C we do them all. The only jobs we don¡¯t take are the ones involving the Imperial family and the large martial arts sects,¡± he said. Chen Ziqi put down a silver note as payment, then turned to leave. He pulled Dan Yi off with him to the Lushan Sect to pick up his little fairy, leaving behind a group of curious onlookers who were standing at the door of the Wind Wing to be part of the excitement. ¡°Wang ye, what are you hiring the Bloodblade Tower for?¡± Wu Bujian asked quizzically. ¡°Revenge,¡± Chen Ziqi said. His face was hard as he leapt onto his horse. He was going to teach every last person who dared to bully him a lesson they wouldn¡¯t forget! ¡ª The author has something to say: Mini-theatre Tower Leader: We¡¯ve got a job, who¡¯s up for it Assassin A: Me. I¡¯m the Bloodblade Tower¡¯s Golden-class assassin. I have a 100% hit rate Assassin B: Me. I¡¯m the Bloodblade Tower¡¯s King-class assassin. My stats for group attack are maxed out Tower Leader: Alright, alright, let¡¯s go with the group attack fellow. The job is to kill three hundred chickens Assassin B: This subordinate will not disappoint you Chickens: Cluck? Assassin B: I am but a mercenary who gets paid to extinguish other people¡¯s problems. Ladies and gentlemen, don¡¯t blame me for this violent death that is about to befall you Chickens: This fellow doesn¡¯t seem quite right in the head