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墨書 Inktalez
Li Hong began to sense the prowess of Li Xiaolou.
This woman possessed exceptional cunning, intelligence, and skill. She never acted without purpose; every move was carefully considered, and everything was interconnected. Li Hong thought he had removed all the pieces of her game from the outskirts of the Demon Sect in Lin'an, but who knew how many steps she had planned? It was conceivable that she even disguised herself as the unfortunate Consort Minister, lurking in the deep mansion, waiting quietly for an audience in the palace, ready to strike against Zhao Gou at any moment.
Perhaps the Consort Minister was just one of many identities she used to conceal her true self. With her level of skill and strategy, it would be easy for her to have multiple substitutes. Moreover, she was very adept at concealing her cultivation level and her Demonic Cultivation Technique. Li Hong could almost guess that when he saw her by West Lake that day, she intentionally released the aura of her Demonic Cultivation Technique to lure him away from Lin'an and Jiang Xuanzi, making it easier for her to attack him.
Why did she want to assassinate Zhao Gou? Why did she wait until after Li Hong and the other National Guardian Masters appeared in the palace to act? Wouldn't it have been easier to strike before they arrived in Lin'an?
Thus, Li Hong felt that Li Xiaolou was quite abnormal; she was not someone who played by the rules.
Additionally, she was very skilled at acting. When they first met, she pretended to be pitiful, evoking a sense of protectiveness in both him and Chuxuan. In hindsight, it was all an act. But why did she choose to portray herself as such a talented yet fragile woman? What was her true purpose behind this?
Li Hong could not fathom Li Xiaolou's intentions, just like he couldn't decipher the meaning behind this plain letter despite its clear wording.
"Chu Hongjun sees this letter as seeing a servant:
Since our parting by West Lake a month ago, your demeanor must surely surpass that of the past. Hearing your melodies reveals your refined intentions; though I am unworthy, I know your heart lies not with the Song Dynasty or the court but with me. A mere floating weed adrift on the waves, I am deeply grateful for your profound affection; tears fall repeatedly as I think of you. In the realm of Immortal Sect and Dao Sect alike, worldly affairs are like a chess game. With your elegant love guiding my hand in black and white, planning for our Nation is merely a matter for us to discuss over laughter. Why not turn enemies into friends? Plum and Willow—a song between kindred spirits—wouldn't that be delightful?
Li Xiaolou bows."
If one were unaware of the truth, they might think this letter was a playful exchange between two friends or a correspondence filled with romantic undertones between lovers; it would be hard to see it as communication between two mortal enemies.
After reading it, Li Hong could only smile bitterly. At the same time, he noted phrases like "planning for our Nation" and "worldly affairs are like a chess game."
Could it be that in Li Xiaolou's mind, stirring up chaos in the Song Dynasty was merely a game to prove her abilities or just for amusement?
Li Hong felt a headache coming on. Was all this effort merely to deal with a madwoman? Was it all just for her entertainment?
At this point, safeguarding the Song Dynasty had become imperative. If she truly wanted to play games, he would accompany her to the end! A flicker of anger began to ignite within him. Li Hong spoke solemnly: "What other clues are there besides this letter?"
"There is a piece of tanned woman's skin lying next to the letter. I brought it back in a box; it must belong to the replaced Consort Minister. We can have her husband identify it later. As for the Consort Minister herself, since her skin has been removed, she must have been killed by Li Xiaolou," Shui Qingzi said with a frown.
"Are there any clues about Empress Wu?" Li Hong persistently asked the Way.
"There are indeed signs that another woman lived there, but that woman is not Empress Wu," Shui Qingzi replied with certainty.
Li Hong nodded. Shui Qingzi belonged to the Jingwei clan, and many Beast Cultivators had this ability; once they caught a person's scent, it was almost impossible to forget. If he said it wasn't her, then it definitely wasn't.
"Does Li Xiaolou have other subordinates similar to Autumn Maiden?"
"That woman has no skills; the footprints left at the scene are very deep."
At this point, the lead had gone cold, leaving Li Hong perplexed. If Li Xiaolou only wanted to kill Empress Wu, he could have done so directly at Kun Ning Palace, but he clearly only took Empress Wu away. This suggested that Li Xiaolou did not intend to kill her but rather to use her as a pawn.
At this stage, all they could do was wait for Li Xiaolou's next move.
Just then, Zhao Ding came again to request an audience, and his words were almost shocking: "Prime Minister Qin says he knows the whereabouts of Empress Wu, but he said he will only tell one person."
Li Hong sneered, "Good, then let's go meet him. Yuan Zhen, we will go together."
********
The Qin Grand Chancellor's Residence was now pitifully desolate. The guards had stripped even the Grand Master's python robe away; there was simply nothing left to squeeze out of it. The soldiers' spirits were low, and no one bothered them anymore.
Qin Hui often begged for food behind the tightly closed doors, while a few soldiers with some conscience threw in some moldy rice and rotten noodles. Qin Hui and Wang relied on these scraps that even servants wouldn't eat in the past to survive. The two were so hungry that they felt dizzy and weak all day long. Wang no longer had the strength to cry or make a fuss; she now just held Qin Hui's hand, softly pleading for him to find something to eat.
After several days of closure, the doors of Qin Manor opened again. Li Hong and Zhao Ding stepped inside and were greeted by a scene of desolation; the courtyard was overgrown with weeds up to their waists. All the rooms were empty; anything of value had been looted by soldiers, leaving only a few rough benches in the Grand Master's main hall—likely moved there by Qin Hui from the servants' quarters.
Qin Hui sat on one of the benches in the center. Wang's half face peeked out from behind the Corner Gate. Her hair was a messy nest of gray and white, her eyes flickering with fear; she no longer had her former fierceness.
Qin Hui was not much better off; he was gaunt and skeletal, dressed in a servant's coarse brown cloth robe. His gray hair was hastily tied up with a wooden hairpin, and he looked utterly miserable. He sat upright with his hands on his knees facing Li Hong and Zhao Ding, seemingly trying hard to maintain some semblance of Grand Master authority, but the fear in his eyes betrayed him.
Zhao Ding felt a bit reluctant and sighed silently. He still bowed deeply in the manner of a subordinate greeting a superior and said, "Grand Master, how have you been?" After speaking, he suddenly felt it was inappropriate; this sounded almost like a mockery of Qin Hui. His old face turned slightly red, and he quickly covered it up by sitting on the stool that Qin Hui had specially pulled out for him.
Li Hong, however, was quite cheerful. The sight of Qin Hui in this state was exactly what he wanted to see. He casually clasped his hands towards Qin Hui and sat down on the left stool, crossing his legs and adjusting his robe, smiling as he said, "Grand Master, please speak. If you can truly help us find Empress Wu, I will report to the Emperor and ensure you can retire in Lin'an without worrying about food and clothing."
Qin Hui did not respond immediately, but Wang Shi behind the Corner Gate's eyes lit up as she prepared to speak.
Though Li Hong did not turn around, Wang Shi's movement could not escape his Divine Consciousness. Frowning slightly, he waved his hand behind him. The Corner Gate slammed shut with a loud noise, nearly hitting Wang Shi in the face. She yelped in surprise and ran away.
"We are discussing matters here; what kind of decorum is it for a woman to eavesdrop from behind? I have already closed the door; Grand Master can speak now. However, if you are just causing trouble again, you might as well take your own life," Li Hong said coldly.
"I wouldn't dare." In this short time, Qin Hui had regained his composure. His sudden statement nearly shocked Li Hong: "Actually, just now Celestial Master should have killed my wife. She is the real traitor; Xie Er is not."
"How do you figure that?" Before Li Hong could respond, Zhao Ding asked urgently.
Qin Hui looked directly at Zhao Ding and spoke frankly: "In the second year of Jingkang, my wife and I became captives of the Jin people; this is known throughout the court. In the fourth year of Jianyan, my wife and I were released by the Jin people. At that time, Yuan Zhen, you also had your suspicions. Yes, your suspicions were correct; I am indeed a spy sent by the Jin Kingdom to the South. But the real spy cannot be said to be me; it is my wife. She feared death and urged me to agree to all of the Jin people's demands, including informing them after returning South and waiting for their instructions. At that time, I wanted to die for my country, but I did not want to implicate her. Over the years, my relationship with my wife cannot be said to be perfect; at least we had deep feelings for each other. I couldn't bear to let her die with me, so I agreed to the Jin people's demands and was thus allowed to return South."
By this point, Li Hong was no longer surprised. Chuming had heard Wang Shi talking about an escape route; it turned out that was what she meant! He sneered: "This is the first time I've heard someone use a fierce wife as an excuse for treason; it's truly refreshing!"
"Believe it or not, but after returning South, aside from reporting some trivial matters that almost everyone knew about, I actually told the Jin people nothing at all. Only regarding Yue Fei do I truly feel guilty. But ultimately, if the Emperor does not agree to kill Yue Fei, can I do anything alone?" Qin Hui said as he trembled slightly while supporting himself on his knees.
Zhao Ding pondered: "What does your confession have to do with Empress Wu? To be honest, I'm not surprised by what you've said; I only want to know where Empress Wu is."
"I have conditions," Qin Hui's eyes flickered.
Li Hong sneered: "Do you know that based on what you've just said, I could kill you right here? You still have the audacity to negotiate with us? I don't want to hear another word from you. Yuan Zhen, let's leave now. I don't trust this man's nonsense at all." With that, he stood up.
Zhao Ding followed suit and said solemnly: "Grand Master, you have made contributions to the country; however, if you think you can use this to threaten us, you are gravely mistaken. Yuan Zhen agrees with Celestial Master's words; we will return and draft a memorial announcing what you've just said to the world. We have no interest in your ramblings."
The two turned around and left.
Qin Hui grew anxious and stood up loudly: "Actually, my conditions are very simple: just plain food and a peaceful life in retirement. Can such a small request not compare with the great merit of saving Empress Wu?"
Li Hong had already stepped out of the threshold when he and Zhao Ding exchanged glances. After a moment, Zhao Ding gave a very slight nod, almost imperceptible.
Li Hong hesitated; Qin Hui's condition was not unreasonable, but it depended on whether the clues he provided could truly save Empress Wu.
The two understood each other well. Zhao Ding turned and said, "Alright, you go ahead and tell us what you know. If you really can save Empress Wu, I will guarantee your peaceful old age with my life. However, it won't be the same as before with luxurious clothes and food; just a simple meal and two books is all I can offer."
Qin Hui sighed deeply and bowed down to the ground. "That's all I need. Thank you, Zhao Xiang, thank you, Celestial Master!" Just as he was about to speak, Li Hong interrupted, "Wait." He took out some talisman paper and a Spell Pen from his pocket and began to write furiously. Before long, he completed a mid-level Soundproof Talisman. After igniting it with Awareness, a flash of Azure Light passed by, and Li Hong said, "Now you can speak."
Zhao Ding looked at him with admiration, thinking how meticulous the Celestial Master was. The two listened as Qin Hui recounted his story.
After finishing, they exchanged glances. Zhao Ding said solemnly, "If what you say is true, then I will certainly report this to the Sovereign. However, first you need to perform a little act for us."
A moment later, the gates of Qin Manor swung open wide. Zhao Ding and Li Hong stormed out angrily, followed by the desperately pleading Qin Hui. Qin Hui cried out pitifully, "Please say a few good words for me in front of the Emperor! Please!"
"Bah! You old fool still trying to deceive us even at death's door? Get back inside!" Li Hong kicked him hard in the chest.
"Ah!" A long and piercing scream escaped Qin Hui as his body flew backward through the large courtyard and crashed into the main hall, knocking over several rough benches in a chaotic tumble. He then spat out a mouthful of blood and continued to cough up blood in rapid succession, his white hair and beard stained red, cold sweat covering his pale face. His miserable appearance made even the Soldiers outside feel pity.
Li Hong shouted at the guards at the entrance, "If you dare to pass on this old fool Grand Master's nonsense to us again, go report to the commander and take your punishment!"
The Soldiers dared not speak up and all replied in unison.
Zhao Ding frowned and said, "After all, he is still a Grand Master; this isn't right." He took out some silver coins from his pocket and handed them to a young soldier. "Get him some medicine for his injuries and buy him some food as well; we were once colleagues after all."
Li Hong raised his eyebrows in surprise and retorted, "Zhao Xiang, you're being too kind! When he sent me off to Quanzhou back then almost costing me my life, where was his kindness then? Truly meddlesome!" With that, he lifted his robe and strode away until he disappeared from sight.
Even after sitting in the sedan chair, Zhao Ding was still puzzled. The Celestial Master's kick to Qin Hui seemed too realistic; it didn't seem like acting at all...
Once the gate was tightly closed behind them, Qin Hui lay on the ground gasping for breath. Wang Shi rushed in with tears in her eyes and cried anxiously, "My lord! What happened to you? Don't leave me! What will I do if you die?" She sat on the ground pounding her thighs while wailing loudly.
Qin Hui lay there with his eyes closed as Wang Shi cried for what felt like an eternity before he finally whispered, "I'm fine; help me into the back room to lie down. There will be food today."
"Master?" Wang was stunned.
Looking at his old wife, Qin Hui felt a bit impatient. "Don't just sit there, help me inside." Supporting Wang, Qin Hui limped into the side room.
While Wang went to fetch water, Qin Hui trembled as he lifted his short coat, glancing at his emaciated chest. A footprint was clearly imprinted on his chest, a deep bruise that showed even the pattern of the boot sole.
Qin Hui forced a smile, thinking to himself that although Celestial Master’s kick did not injure his internal organs, the flesh wound was very real, and the size was perfectly measured. He exhaled deeply and suddenly realized that the stagnant anger in his liver seemed to have eased a bit; his chest and abdomen no longer felt so constricted.
It turned out he had expelled the Stasis within him! Although Celestial Master’s kick had caused him to spit blood violently, it was actually helping him eliminate the Stasis from his body. This meant that he had finally preserved his life.
Perhaps there was still a chance for a turnaround? Qin Hui silently grinned.
********
On the way back to the palace, Li Hong sneered inwardly; that kick of his certainly had its significance.
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