Because of Gui Yuanshu, Gan Daode never gave serious consideration to inspecting Li Chi’s group more closely.

Because no matter how he thought about it, he could not conceive that all these people were impostors — that Prince Ning Li Chi had disguised himself as a member of the Shanhai Army and come here to stage a fraudulent marriage.

Because any sane person would not be capable of even imagining it — much less actually doing it.

For a reigning Prince to do something like this — and to have a whole group of people who were willing to go along with him — this was not something one eccentric person could pull off. It required an entire group of eccentrics.

If you swapped in any other faction leader, you could probably hold a blade to his throat and he would still refuse to agree.

Yet outside, Li Chi’s reputation was nothing like this.

What did the outside world say of him? That he was wise. Perceptive. Humane. Upright. Not a single person called him unhinged.

So this trip into the Qingzhou King’s residence came and went without so much as a close call.

“Are you alright?”

On the way back, Li Chi noticed that Little Zhang Zhenren seemed somewhat dejected, and so he asked.

Little Zhang Zhenren looked at Li Chi with a wounded expression, opened his mouth as though to say something, then stubbornly swallowed it back.

Li Chi said by way of consolation: “I know this really was asking too much of you. This sort of thing is genuinely… genuinely uncomfortable. I thought about this matter before, actually. Generally speaking, young women who enjoy dressing as men find it rather fun — and honestly it does look quite charming. Not just charming either, but also rather… compelling.”

“But… people who enjoy dressing as women — the large majority of them have a problem. The smaller remaining portion is both nauseating to look at and has a problem.”

At these few words, Little Zhang Zhenren’s expression became even more wounded.

Li Chi hurriedly continued: “You’re definitely different — it’s not as though you wanted to cross-dress as a woman. This was a sacrifice you made for all of us.”

Little Zhang Zhenren said: “Cross-dressing as a woman is one thing… but that son of a — he took one look and didn’t even want me.”

Yu Jiuling said: “I told you not to cover your face — your face is good-looking, even if you’re a bit… actually wait, you’re upset because Gan Daode didn’t fancy you?”

Little Zhang Zhenren: “I don’t want to answer that. But thank you for trying to comfort me.”

Li Chi said: “I tried to comfort you too.”

Little Zhang Zhenren: “You call that comforting?”

Yu Jiuling sighed: “I myself simply lack the opportunity. If I had the opportunity, I would never put you through this — I would step up and shoulder this burden myself.”

Li Chi said: “You still can.”

Hearing these words, Yu Jiuling’s back immediately went cold — because he had a fairly good sense that when the boss said something like this, it was never going to lead anywhere good.

In the boss’s eyes, he could see that clearly.

Li Chi said: “A young mistress going to be married naturally needs her attendant maids. On our side…”

Yu Jiuling said: “There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for me to agree to this.”

Li Chi said: “How could you be an attendant maid? You’ve mistaken my meaning.”

Yu Jiuling exhaled in relief: “Thank goodness, thank goodness.”

Li Chi said: “You couldn’t pass for an attendant maid no matter how you dressed up — you’d have to be the old wet-nurse. Think about it — a maid would be so dangerous, but a wet-nurse is safe. No risk of being called to serve Gan Daode’s bed.”

Yu Jiuling looked at Little Zhang Zhenren: “Did you hear that? What the boss just said means you’re the one getting called to serve the bed.”

Little Zhang Zhenren looked at Old Zhang Zhenren: “Shifu!”

Old Zhang Zhenren: “Ah… poor child.”

Little Zhang Zhenren: “Shifu, please don’t laugh.”

Old Zhang Zhenren said: “Do you think I want to? I simply cannot hold it in.”

Li Chi smiled and said: “Let’s talk about real matters. Gui Yuanshu and I discussed it — he will find an opportunity to persuade Gan Daode to combine the investiture ceremony and the wedding into a single event. If that can be arranged, our opportunity grows considerably.”

Little Zhang Zhenren tilted his head back and looked at the sky. In all his years, he had never felt such aggrieved fury.

Yu Jiuling patted him on the shoulder: “It really will just be sitting in the bridal chamber with a red veil over your head, waiting. There can’t possibly be any real incident.”

Little Zhang Zhenren glared at Yu Jiuling: “If something really does happen, how will I ever face anyone again.”

Yu Jiuling said: “Well… if something really does happen — how will Gan Daode ever face anyone again?”

They bantered and joked their way back to their lodgings. Li Chi kept his manner easy and light the whole way — because he did not want to give his friends cause for worry, and he did not want Gao Xining to worry.

When he returned to his own room and closed the door, Li Chi let out a long, slow exhale.

With injuries like his, how could it possibly not hurt?

But he could endure more than nearly anyone in this world — and that endurance was something he had learned from a lifetime of hardship, traveling the jianghu from childhood at his master’s side.

After shutting the door, Li Chi’s brow furrowed at last. The injuries would affect the plan that lay ahead — but he could not abandon the plan.

They had come to Wulai City in Qingzhou, and from the outside it might look like all joking and high spirits, all cheerful nonsense.

But they had come here for vengeance.

The joking and high spirits were simply their nature — just as answering every wrong done to them was equally their nature.

Gan Daode had led hundreds of thousands of Qingzhou rebel troops into Jizhou, driving in from the south in one continuous push to the very walls of Jizhou City, then pressing onward all the way to Dragon’s Head Pass.

Along that entire route — had they been suddenly seized by compassion?

The villages they had passed through, the dead and wounded beyond count. The homes they had put to the torch. These were the real reasons Li Chi had come to Qingzhou — not because he was unhinged.

Killing Gan Daode was a target that had to be achieved.

Just then came a knock at the door. Li Chi immediately composed himself back into that easy, relaxed manner, and called out toward the door: “Come in.”

Yu Jiuling entered, turned, and latched the door shut behind him.

“Boss — I think I’ve figured out what your plan is.”

Yu Jiuling looked at Li Chi, the worry in his eyes unmistakable.

Li Chi smiled. “How could you know my plan? No one knows my plan but me.”

Yu Jiuling said: “I just know. Let me go instead.”

Li Chi was startled.

*Let me go instead.*

The moment those four words came from Yu Jiuling’s lips, Li Chi knew — Yu Jiuling had truly guessed his plan.

But Li Chi shook his head: “You’re not as good at fighting as I am.”

Yu Jiuling said: “I’m fast enough.”

Li Chi shook his head again: “Gan Daode’s martial ability is likely on par with the man in black I fought before — the Holy Blade Sect’s second disciple, Tiger Hidden. You are not his match.”

Yu Jiuling said: “Boss — your plan relies entirely on surprise. So as long as you’re fast enough, it will work.”

Li Chi walked over to Yu Jiuling and clapped him on the shoulder: “Brother — four days remain until the ceremony. If I believe I truly cannot manage it, I will tell you.”

Yu Jiuling gave a deep, heavy nod. “But if something really does happen to you — have you thought about what it would mean for everyone? From that moment on, every piece of joy would be gone. Every person, for whatever years they had left, would never again be able to smile at anything.”

Li Chi’s eyes grew faintly moist. He gave an equally deep, heavy nod. “So I will try my best to live a little longer.”

—

In the Qingzhou King’s residence.

Gan Daode looked at Gui Yuanshu, hesitated, then asked: “Combine the wedding with the investiture ceremony and hold them together?”

Gui Yuanshu replied: “First — for the King’s safety. Having both great events on the same day leaves those with ill intentions one fewer opportunity.”

He said gravely: “Second — if anyone is truly planning something for that day, they will certainly try to move their attempt from the investiture ceremony to the wedding.”

For the investiture ceremony, though Gan Daode would appear before a vast crowd, the circumstances of such an occasion actually made it harder to act. The wedding was different — far more opportunities.

Gan Daode frowned and thought it over at length. “A double blessing — that does have its appeal. But…”

He looked at Xu Ru: “If someone truly intends to act that day, it would be impossible to guard against everything.”

Xu Ru smiled: “My King, rest assured. In truth, resolving this is not so difficult.”

Gan Daode’s expression lit up: “Advisor Xu already has a stratagem?”

Xu Ru smiled and laid out his idea. When Gan Daode had heard it through, he immediately broke into laughter, heaping praise on Xu Ru’s scheme.

And Gui Yuanshu, having heard those same words, felt his expression change noticeably. Fortunately, Gan Daode had been looking at Xu Ru the entire time and did not notice.

In this moment, the look with which Gui Yuanshu regarded Xu Ru had changed entirely.

Only four days remained until the investiture ceremony, and within those four days, it seemed everyone had a great deal to do.

For instance, Gan Daode not only had to prepare for the ceremony — he also had to root Yuan Jianli out of hiding, by whatever means necessary.

And at the same time —

—

In the northwest of Jizhou, outside the Cloud Hidden Mountains.

Jingya Scholar Li Shangong descended from the carriage and looked at the unbroken sweep of emerald mountains before him. Scenery so exquisite it seemed removed from the mortal world.

He had been on the point of leaving Jizhou when it suddenly came back to him: Teacher Li, in the course of imparting learning to him, had mentioned in passing once that the most beautiful place he had seen in all his life was the Cloud Hidden Mountains.

He and Cao Lie had come simply to try their luck. Either way, it was a pleasure outing — if they found nothing, it hardly mattered.

Standing amid scenery of this caliber, a person became one more elegant detail within it.

Cao Lie drew a long, deep breath and took in this place that seemed no less than a realm of immortals. He could not suppress the urge to cry something aloud.

But he only gave voice to a single sentiment: “If it were me, I think I would choose to live in seclusion here too.”

Joy was plain in his eyes. A man who travels the world comes to know the beauty of the world.

The praises heaped upon the landscapes of the realm in poems and songs were beyond counting — but what those words could express was less than one part in a hundred of what the eye beheld.

“You?”

Li Shangong smiled faintly. “I’ve talked with you at length along the way, and I’ve long since seen what kind of person you are.”

Cao Lie smiled and asked: “And what kind of person am I?”

Li Shangong said: “A person like you will never truly live a life of seclusion. You cannot settle your heart.”

At these words, Cao Lie offered no rebuttal. He could not.

Li Shangong smiled: “I came for the pleasure of mountain and water.”

He glanced at Cao Lie and went on: “But you did not. You are escaping something — or rather, giving yourself a period of escape. Though I do not know what you are escaping from, I know this: however deep the jianghu’s waters run, you love the jianghu. However fierce the winds and clouds, you love the storm.”

Cao Lie smiled faintly, still neither affirming nor denying.

Li Shangong said: “Which is exactly why I wanted to bring you to meet my master. Only a man such as him could untangle the knot in your heart.”

Cao Lie said: “Then what do you think — if I were to return to the jianghu, and stir the winds and clouds once more, what kind of man would I ultimately become?”

Li Shangong considered for a moment before answering: “A powerful minister.”

Cao Lie was startled, then smiled and asked: “Why not a sovereign ruler?”

Li Shangong answered directly.

“Because that is simply not what you are.”

Cao Lie sighed: “I am not worthy of it…”

Li Shangong said: “What sovereign ruler runs from things the way you do?”

Cao Lie’s expression changed.

Thinking back to the things he had done before leaving Dragon’s Head Pass — he could not honestly call that the conduct of a sovereign ruler.

Yet he did not grow angry. Instead, Li Shangong’s words brought a relieved smile to his face.

“A powerful minister, then… we’ll see whether I feel like it.”

Cao Lie gave Li Shangong a tug: “Come on — let’s go try our luck. What if your master is right here?”

And then — they saw it. At the mouth of the valley ahead: a group of pigs, ambling along without a care in the world.