Xi Linyu smiled faintly, lowering his head and glancing at him sideways: “What do I want? Don’t you know already?”
The old man sneered coldly, a trace of mockery flashing in his eyes: “Demonic clowns dare to run wild here in Penglai—truly ignorant of life and death. For a thousand years, whatever Penglai wishes to protect, others cannot even dream of touching. I still advise you to go back and tell your master to abandon this idea completely!”
Xi Linyu raised an eyebrow and sneered: “Truly brainwashed by Penglai. It seems thirty years of imprisonment taught you nothing. Time is merciless, kingdoms age and change—do you think these are still the glorious days of Penglai’s Ministry of Works from thirty years ago?”
Xi Linyu’s eyes turned cold as he continued: “Moreover, for someone like you who was cast out—a discarded disciple of Penglai—you dare call yourself a Penglai disciple? Back then, Penglai Valley announced to all Seven Departments, removing your name from their registers. You committed eighteen major crimes including murder, adultery, deceiving teachers and destroying ancestors, and inciting war. Now among the Seven Departments, you’ve truly become one whose name will stink for ten thousand years. What face do you have to return to the world?”
The old man’s face grew increasingly pale as he suddenly roared in fury: “They’re lying! I didn’t do it! I didn’t kill the Valley Master!”
“Of course you didn’t kill him.” Xi Linyu sneered and lightly pursed his lips. “If you had such capability, could you have been suppressed here in Hongtian Water Prison by that green boy Tan Mianzhi back then?”
Suddenly the old man excitedly shouted: “You know! You actually know?”
Xi Linyu sneered: “So what if I know? Do you think the people of the Seven Departments would believe it? Believe that Tan Bian, the Valley Master they revere as virtuous and respected, was the one who set up conspiracies to frame the other six departments, wanting to confuse everyone and elevate his own son to become Liang Sihuai’s successor? And that Zhu Qinghe, who has been cursed in the Seven Departments for decades, is actually an innocent lamb who was framed? Haha! What an amusing joke!”
Seeing that Chu Zheng, the only one who knew the method of activation, lay on the ground like a corpse without any sign of life, suddenly a delicate laugh rang out. Rustling sounds came from the corridor as Ousi Lanya walked in with swaying steps, laughing loudly: “Young Master Xi Lin’s strategy of removing the firewood from under the cauldron came at just the right time! We’ve been busy for many days and nearly made wedding clothes for others. This truly makes Lanya admire you completely.”
Only then did Qing Xia notice that Ousi Lanya had somehow already entered this stone chamber. Her face immediately changed drastically as she shouted sternly: “Witch! Where is Yang Feng?”
Xi Linyu laughed softly: “I’ve been guessing who was hiding in the shadows. I never expected it to be Saintess Lanya of Nanjiang’s Wuxian Tribe. The Saintess has commanded wind and clouds these years, dominating Nanjiang. I have long admired you, and never expected to meet the Saintess’s golden countenance here today. This is truly a blessing of three lifetimes.”
Ousi Lanya immediately burst into laughter, laughing until her body shook like flower branches before stopping: “Young Master Xi Lin is so amusing. Nanjiang isn’t far from Wucang Mountain. If the young master wanted to see Lanya, you needn’t go to such trouble seducing Lanya’s allies to defect just to meet Lanya. When you have time, you could visit Nanjiang, and Lanya will certainly serve the young master with the most enthusiastic attitude.”
Xi Linyu laughed heartily: “Young Master Chu Zheng said the Saintess was waiting outside the secret chamber and would definitely not enter. It seems Young Master Chu clearly misjudged the Saintess’s character and underestimated the Saintess’s curiosity. They say women are the most curious creatures in this world—it seems the rumors are indeed true.”
Ousi Lanya looked coldly at Chu Zheng with disdain: “I could tell long ago this man would amount to nothing. I just didn’t expect to encounter Senior Zhu Qinghe here. Senior comes from Penglai, yet your beast-controlling and poison techniques are unmatched in the world, which truly earns Lanya’s deep admiration. This attempt to open the Heavenly Mechanism Lock stems from dissatisfaction with how Penglai treated Senior back then. I never expected to see Senior’s true face here today—this couldn’t be better. Once the Heavenly Mechanism Lock is opened and the elite forces of various nations on Bailu Plain are flooded, the people of the Seven Departments will surely think it was caused by the collapse of Hongtian Water Prison. When Senior closes the water gate again and appears as a descendant of Liang Sihuai to lead the Seven Departments, why worry about not obtaining wealth, honor, and worldly power?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Xi Linyu suddenly laughed heartily: “What the Saintess calls ‘announcing to the Seven Departments, overthrowing the Tan family’s rule, and letting Senior take charge of Penglai’—all of this is nothing but lies to deceive people. Once Senior opens the Heavenly Mechanism Lock and floods Xichuan, along with the Northern Qin and Southern Chu forces remaining on Bailu Plain, they will immediately become enemies of the entire world again. Then they’ll be too busy avoiding you to stand up and speak for you. Senior has lived so many years—can’t you see through such a simple truth?”
Xi Linyu continued with a light smile: “I come from Wucang Mountain. You should know the grievances between our master and Penglai’s Seven Departments. Cooperating with us would be far more reliable than cooperating with them. You’ve been sealed for thirty years, suffered unjust wrongs, and been spat upon by the Seven Departments—haven’t you learned anything? Consider carefully which approach would be most beneficial to yourself. I’ve said all I can—think it over carefully.”
The old man’s expression changed drastically. He took a deep breath and asked in a heavy voice: “Are you a disciple of the Great Way Mohist?”
Xi Linyu laughed heartily: “Senior has good eyes. Indeed I am.”
Qing Xia’s eyebrows rose as the frenzied, burning face of Zhuang Dianru flashed before her eyes. Could Xi Linyu also have become one of their faction? But Zhuang Dianru and others had painstakingly planned for decades just to elevate Chu Li to the position of ruler of the world. Xi Linyu and Chu Li had deep enmity—how could he submit under Chu Li’s feet? Could there be open rivalry and secret struggles within the Great Way Mohists, with different factions as well?
She heard Zhu Qinghe say in a deep voice: “What do you want to do? Don’t you also want to unlock the Heavenly Mechanism Lock, flood Penglai Valley, and destroy the million-strong allied army on Bailu Plain?”
Xi Linyu saw that this old man, despite being imprisoned underground for over thirty years, could deduce the general situation and events above from just a few of his words. He couldn’t help but admire him inwardly. Seeing him soften, he smiled faintly: “The procedure is similar, but the purpose is very different. The Heavenly Mechanism Lock must be opened, but not to destroy Bailu Plain. Rather, I want you to slightly adjust the direction of the water gate like this.” He gently pointed eastward with his hand.
Qing Xia, Ousi Lanya, Zhu Qinghe and others were all shocked simultaneously. The old man cried out in alarm: “You want me to flood Penglai’s Nine Great Main Valleys and the sacred land Xuantian Ming Mansion?”
Xi Linyu nodded: “Penglai was heartless to you—why should you show them old sentiment? Since they could imprison you in this barren place for over thirty years, don’t you have the courage to flood their Xuantian Ming Mansion? Where did the spirit that made Zhu Qinghe dominate the Seven Departments go? Has it really been worn away by these thirty years?”
Xi Linyu’s voice was stern, and by the last sentence, he was almost roaring, his voice reverberating and causing the Heavenly Cauldron to emit slight rumbling sounds.
Having reached this point, if Qing Xia still didn’t understand the identities and positions of these people, she would have lived in vain. The Seven Departments of Qingpeng originated a thousand years ago, established single-handedly by an supremely skilled man named Liang Sihuai, divided into departments for grain, money, military, engineering, and others. He said that at an appropriate future time, descendants of the Liang family would be sent into the world to lead the Seven Departments, seize control of the world, and establish a harmonious society. But for unknown reasons, Liang family descendants never appeared over the thousand years. The Seven Departments governed themselves separately, hidden in markets, Nanjiang, or deep mountain valleys, yet maintaining potential relationships with each other.
Liang Sihuai was also a man of exceptional foresight. After a thousand years of development and foundation-laying, each department had become leaders in their respective fields, completing monopolies over various goods across the continent. Until three hundred years ago, this monopolistic structure was fully formed. Driven by commodity economics, it caused the Great Qin Empire to fragment. In the days that followed, various states depended on each other but could not unify. This result was completely contrary to Liang Sihuai’s original vision—whether he failed to foresee this or did it intentionally is unknown.
However, the people of the Seven Departments didn’t realize their position in this chaotic world. The Great Way Mohist Society, which had always aimed to unify the world, overthrow tyranny, and establish their dreamed-of free nation, was first to recognize this point. Thus, they sent Xi Linyu to employ conspiracies and destroy Penglai’s Ministry of Works, the sharpest blade among the Seven Departments.
Nanjiang’s Wuxian Tribe was a branch of the Poison Department. It seems that over a thousand years, people’s hearts changed, no longer submitting to the long-dead Liang Sihuai. They attached themselves to powerful nobles and revealed the Seven Departments’ secrets. Now it appears that powerful noble was very likely Prince Qi’an of Qi State. Ousi Lanya’s conspiracy to flood Bailu Plain and elevate Chu Zheng to head of the Seven Departments was to eliminate dissidents and absorb the Seven Departments’ formidable strength to strengthen Qi State. Otherwise, given Qi’an’s nature, why would he lead Qi soldiers to withdraw from Bailu Plain first in such precarious circumstances? It was to avoid being trapped and swallowed by floods.
From this perspective, Chu Zheng was a double-sided, two-headed snake. After losing power in Southern Chu, he was rescued by Qi’an, deliberately came to Penglai Valley, seduced Miss Tan Suning, deceived her into revealing the method to open the Heavenly Mechanism Lock, and sought the Valley Master position. If Qing Xia hadn’t arrived, he might have succeeded long ago. But he wasn’t a fool either, knowing that after destroying Southern Chu’s elite forces on Bailu Plain, this bare commander would inevitably be coerced by Qi’an. So he secretly connected with Xi Linyu’s faction of the Great Way Mohist Society, reaching some private agreement. He would help them destroy the Seven Departments of Qingpeng, and afterward, with their help, regain the throne of Southern Chu.
It’s also possible he never intended to flood anywhere at all, but merely wanted to create chaos, then personally close the water gate, show favor to the Seven Departments, impersonate a Liang family descendant, and strengthen his own power. In essence, he remained a despicable person who only thought of himself.
Now a wild card had appeared—this old man named Zhu Qinghe was actually a clansman imprisoned here by Penglai thirty years ago, and seemed to have suffered unjust wrongs, harboring resentment against the Seven Departments, Penglai, and the entire world. Moreover, he was the only person besides Chu Zheng and Miss Tan who knew how to open the Heavenly Mechanism Lock, instantly becoming the key to this entire affair.