Ye Qi smiled with proper courtesy and immediately stepped into the hall, about to lift his robe. “I didn’t know Your Majesty would grace us with your presence late at night. This subject failed to welcome you from afar…”
“Enough. We’re not in the palace. What need is there for such formalities between us as sovereign and subject?” Shen Yao raised his hand in a gesture and stood up, walking directly to Ye Qi. He looked him up and down. “You seem much more spirited than when you left last time. And here I was in Jinling, constantly worrying about your health…”
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s great fortune, during this trip I happened to obtain a century-old scrophularia root. Combined with Elder Xiao’s prescription, after a few doses of medicine, there has indeed been some improvement.”
He Song remembered that last time the version was “a divine expert descended from heaven,” and in the blink of an eye it became “century-old scrophularia root.” This deceiving the emperor without drafting—spouting lies off the cuff—there was no one in Jinling City except Young Marquis He.
“That’s good, that’s good.” Shen Yao revealed a smile as if a great weight had finally lifted from his heart. He patted Ye Qi’s shoulder. “This time you led the He family army to block the Yan army from advancing south and rescued the eight sect leaders, resolving an urgent crisis for Eastern Xia’s martial world. You truly rendered great merit. I’ve already had the Ministry of Rites draft an imperial edict of rewards, but I haven’t seen you enter the palace…”
He paused here. He Song and Seventh Uncle heard the reproach in these words and were frightened into a cold sweat. Ye Qi didn’t mind and only smiled, “It’s not that this subject didn’t want to enter the palace. Before leaving, I left a suicide note that made Your Majesty worry and fear, but then I came back perfectly fine. For a moment I felt guilty. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”
It would have been better not to explain. This explanation nearly scared He Song’s face green. Shen Yao seemed accustomed to it and laughed twice. “You, your words are still so unreliable as ever. Forget it. That you could return safely makes me very happy. This time I won’t hold it against you…”
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s favor.” Ye Qi raised his sleeves properly. “If Your Majesty wanted to summon this subject, you could have just sent someone to say so. Why this sudden visit tonight…”
“This was originally an incognito visit. I happened to pass by your gate and on a whim decided to come in and look around. I haven’t waited long. No need to be nervous.” As Shen Yao spoke, he pulled him toward the seats on the side. Ye Qi showed no sign of nervousness at all and very naturally had Seventh Uncle go down to prepare a fresh pot of tea. Seeing He Song neither staying nor leaving, he said, “This time when I went out, I brought back quite a few interesting things. I was thinking of bringing them into the palace. What perfect timing. Big Brother, quickly go fetch them to show His Majesty.”
“Oh, alright.”
Upon hearing this, He Song flew away as if oil had been applied to his feet. Ye Qi saw that most of the people in the hall had been sent away and turned his head back. “Your Majesty, please speak plainly.”
Shen Yao was taken aback at these words, then pointed at Ye Qi and smiled with lowered head. “You, there really is nothing that can be hidden from you… I do indeed want you to handle something.”
“What matter?”
As soon as Changling returned to the residence, the first thing she did after closing the door was take out those two bottles of Soul Numbing Powder.
The red bottle was the poison, the white bottle was the antidote. She poured them out one by one to examine carefully. After smelling them for a while, the scent of the antidote basically matched what she had taken at the Five Poisons Sect.
She wasn’t naive enough to just swallow it. In the middle of the night, the night watch staff were all leaning against railings sleeping soundly. Changling came and went like the wind, conveniently capturing the guard dog outside the kitchen back to the north wing. She fed it the red bottle’s pills mixed with meat scraps. In just a moment, that black dog with eyes like copper bells became listless, drooling and unable to bark, its four legs pointing skyward—much like the symptoms they had experienced that day.
Changling was in no hurry. She gave the big black dog a pillow to rest its head on, then washed up and went to sleep on her own.
The next morning, seeing that the dog was still alive and well, she fed it an antidote pill. In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the big black dog stood up as if rejuvenated. At first it twisted a few steps in disbelief. Finding it could move, it raised its head and stared wide-eyed at the perpetrator for a moment, then took off running without a trace.
Changling: “…”
Basically, it was confirmed it wouldn’t kill anyone.
She finally stopped hesitating and immediately swallowed an antidote pill, sitting cross-legged on the bed to try circulating her qi. Miraculously, that internal power sealed away for so long actually showed signs of revival. Bit by bit, like tadpoles, it gathered in her dantian. In a moment, the true qi began flowing like water.
Changling’s heart leaped with joy. Only now did she completely believe that little girl called Qin’er hadn’t deceived her. However, one antidote pill only restored ten percent of her power. Clearly, the person who drugged her that day had practically grabbed handfuls and stuffed them in her mouth—
Fortunately, there were still ten antidote pills remaining.
She calculated on her fingers and in one breath swallowed eight more pills. Circulating her internal breath again, in less than the time to burn a stick of incense, she suddenly felt true qi surge turbulently like birds returning to their cage. In an instant, it broke through the blockages in her four limbs and hundred bones. Changling closed her eyes, her palms moving back and forth before her chest, retrieving the Shimo True Qi layer by layer.
The bed curtains and brocade drapes floated uncertainly in this sudden windstorm. The pearl curtain in the partition was also blown, jingling and chiming. Fortunately, it was still early. If someone outside had seen this, they would mostly think some ghost or demon had appeared in the room to stir up evil winds.
However, Changling only practiced halfway when her hand movements suddenly stopped.
Something was wrong.
The true qi stopped abruptly at the fourth level, as if climbing a rock face only to reach halfway and be unable to continue forward.
She had practiced the Shimo True Scripture to the ninth level, but at this moment, less than fifty percent of her internal power had returned.
Changling’s brow furrowed slightly. Could it be that she still hadn’t taken enough antidote?
“Just how much Soul Numbing Powder did those wretched girls feed me…” Changling said with a dark expression as she swallowed another pill. After waiting a good while, she tried gathering true qi several times again. The result was the same.
Too strange.
She could feel the remaining internal breath still shackled in the depths, not disappeared.
The antidote was real, and the dosage should be correct. So where was the problem?
By now the sky had brightened considerably, and the servants outside were beginning to move about. Changling was bewildered for a moment without result, then tossed the last pill back into the bottle—now she didn’t dare waste them carelessly. When she had time, she’d need to find a reliable famous physician to study this.
No matter what, having some recovery was better than being like a weakling before, constrained everywhere. Though fifty percent power couldn’t defeat grandmaster-level figures, beating up ordinary experts would be more than sufficient. At the very least, when Tianhun and Tianpo stood before her, she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage again.
Thinking of Tianhun and Tianpo, Ye Qi inevitably popped into her mind. That day when escaping from Dazhao Temple, he had mentioned that ring-jade, saying Big Brother wanted him to give it to her. There was also the relationship between that half-broken fan and Fu Liujing. Currently, only he knew the details most clearly.
Unfortunately, this young marquis was now convinced she was Nanxu. Trying to clarify would probably take some effort.
Changling spent the entire meal pondering “how to meet with Grand Marquis He.” The serving maid saw her distracted, uncharacteristically not even finishing a chicken leg, and spoke up, “Miss, is the food not to your liking?”
“Oh, no.” Changling put down her chopsticks. “Has anyone come to the residence looking for me today?”
“No. Why does Miss ask?”
“It’s nothing.” It seemed Ye Qi had no intention of coming to the door “seeking revenge” for now.
Changling hastily gulped down the soup, wiped her mouth, and was just preparing to “attack” the He residence again when, before her front foot had even stepped out of the north wing, Fu Yanyang, that little plague god, suddenly came looking for her.
“Sister Nan… judging by that look in your eyes… you didn’t forget your promise with me, did you?”
Changling: “…”
She really had forgotten.
“Only seven days left! Seven days!” Fu Yanyang anxiously circled around Changling. “Are we really going to give up?”
“Be quiet first.” Changling sighed and asked, “Is there a secluded place in Jinling City suitable for practicing martial arts, the kind that’s not easily disturbed?”
“A secluded place?” Fu Yanyang blinked. “Yes, there is!”
Bamboo grows in the empty wilderness, its tips reaching a hundred xun into the clouds.
Changling hadn’t expected there would be such a bamboo forest realm within Jinling City. From the mountain’s base to its peak, at a glance, it seemed entirely submerged by a bamboo sea.
She raised her head, watching the sparse scattered sunlight shine on the vigorous moso bamboo. Somehow, she thought of that dense bamboo forest where she first met Fu Liujing.
Just like this, when a breeze passed through, bamboo waves rose and fell, serene and profound.
“The imperial gardens are just ahead. These mountain peaks are all private estates of high officials and nobles. Ordinary common folk can’t enter. Usually very few people come here…” Fu Yanyang said with considerable pride as he hopped about. “Practicing martial arts here is absolutely perfect.”
“Oh? So this mountain belongs to your family?”
“Not exactly…” Fu Yanyang tied both horses to bamboo stalks. “But my big brother had people plant this mountain full of bamboo…”
Changling raised an eyebrow. “Your big brother likes bamboo forests?”
“If he didn’t like them, why would he have the leisure to fuss with so much bamboo… He even built a summer house on the mountain…” Fu Yanyang pointed toward the mountaintop. “Right there. But I find climbing the mountain too tiring, so I rarely go. Only when I want to eat bamboo shoots or bamboo rice do I make the trip… Alright, Sister Nan, shall we start now? What kung fu are you planning to teach me?”
“Where’s your sword?”
Fu Yanyang hurriedly drew his sword from its sheath. Changling casually plucked a slender bamboo strip and glanced at him coolly. “Watch carefully.”
As soon as the words fell, her right hand angled the bamboo branch downward. With a flip of her wrist, the bamboo tip pierced through the air with a hissing sound. Fu Yanyang’s eyes widened. He saw that branch dance with her arm. At first glance, it was like a bouquet of brocade flowers, each move dazzling to the eye. The further it went, the more elegant and transforming it became. He felt the sword dancer possessed an unrestrained divine charm and flowing spirit, displaying ultimate brilliance.
Changling stopped after dancing five sword moves. Seeing Fu Yanyang stunned, she asked, “Did you see clearly?”
“What, what sword technique is this?” Fu Yanyang exclaimed in wonder. “I’ve never seen anyone use a sword so beautifully… It’s, it’s like a lone crane taking flight, so carefree…”
“Lone crane taking flight?” Hearing him say this, Changling couldn’t help but smile. “That’s a good name. Let’s call it the Lone Crane Sword Technique.”
Fu Yanyang was dumbfounded. “Ah? So… you just came up with the name?”
“Stop the nonsense. Of those five moves I just performed, how many did you remember?”
“Uh… this, I didn’t see clearly just now… If I watch a few more times, I should… be able to understand…” Fu Yanyang swallowed somewhat guiltily. “But, just five sword moves—can they match Young Master Wang?”
“These five moves emphasize neither force nor winning through surprise…” Changling said. “They’re meant to confuse Wang Xun.”
“Huh?”
“At Kaiyun Hall, the first few moves Fang Zhuyi used were unremarkable, but Wang Xun met each move with a countermove without rushing to break them. From this, it’s clear he’s cautious. Before weighing his opponent’s strength, he won’t strike easily,” Changling said. “The requirement for Qingcheng Academy scholar students is to last ten moves. So for the first five moves, he’ll most likely hold back… He’s Qingcheng Academy’s head disciple. He must be familiar with orthodox sect techniques. What you learned at Taixu Sect won’t fool him. So, as long as you execute these five sword moves, he should temporarily have difficulty discerning your style…”
“I see!” Fu Yanyang had a sudden realization. “Sister Nan, you’re too amazing… So after I perform these five moves, because he temporarily can’t figure them out, he’ll continue testing my moves, right?”
“Of course not. The more elusive you are, the less mercy he’ll show.”
Fu Yanyang gaped. “Then, then wouldn’t that be even worse? I, I might as well not learn…”
“If you don’t learn, you’ll be exposed within two moves. If you learn, at least you can get through five moves…” Changling casually executed an elegant sword flourish. “After five moves, just dodge. After all, isn’t the rule to last ten moves?”
Fu Yanyang’s mouth twitched. “But, but what if I can’t dodge?”
“Then fight again next time.” For once, Changling had said so much her mouth was dry. “Still learning?”
Fu Yanyang of course wouldn’t pass up such a good opportunity.
Forget whether he could pass the martial examination—this Lone Crane Sword was so elegant and free. After learning it, just using it to show off would be more than enough. He didn’t know that the profundity of this sword technique was by no means limited to “looking good,” but Changling had no spare effort to elaborate. Time was limited. If he could practice these few showy moves until familiar within a day, that would be thanks to Buddha.
Changling felt her thinking was still too naive.
Fu Yanyang truly was a rare flower in the martial learning world. Just five sword moves took him a full five days to learn—the kind where he practiced non-stop from morning to night except for eating and sleeping.
Previously, seeing his Taixu Sword so hollow, she had mocked the Taixu Sect. Now it seemed it probably wasn’t Yang Xuzi’s problem.
For better or worse, Fu Yanyang barely managed to smoothly perform the five sword moves in sequence once. Thinking that in the next two days she’d still have to teach him how to disrupt the original order and transform form into formlessness, Changling immediately felt her brain ache. She opened the water pouch cap, tilted her head back, and discovered the water was all gone.
She let Fu Yanyang continue practicing alone while she went to fetch water.
The stream wasn’t far. The mountain spring water was clear, with a sweet taste upon drinking. Changling washed her face and finally felt refreshed. Just as she was pondering whether to catch one or two wild birds to roast, she suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves striking the ground. Her brow furrowed slightly. She walked a few steps and climbed up a high slope. Below in the valley, she saw two people each riding a horse, stopping across a gurgling clear stream.
Changling recognized one of them at a glance—it was Guo Si, the attendant at Jing Wuwei’s side.
The other person… wore a gray outer robe, his profile blocked by a thick hat brim, unclear.
After those two people made contact, neither dismounted. They seemed to be plotting something. Across this distance, she couldn’t hear clearly. Changling’s form flashed. Using the cover of wild artemisia, she leaped down and pressed against the mountainside halfway down—this position was perfect for hearing the conversation.
Changling concentrated and held her breath. That Guo Si’s voice faintly drifted over with the wind: “Hall Master should be clear about the importance of this matter to my general. If we still cannot eliminate him today, it will surely bring endless trouble in the future.”
The other person smiled faintly. “Mister Guo, rest assured. In all these years, my Seven Kills Hall has never failed…”
Seven Kills Hall?
Hearing this, Changling couldn’t help but be startled.
Over ten years ago, Seven Kills Hall was called a “ghostly assassin” organization by jianghu people. It was said that as long as one could pay the price, there was no failed transaction—the only failure was probably at her hands.
Back then, someone had paid ten thousand taels of gold to have Seven Kills Hall assassinate Yue Changsheng. This kind of scoundrel who schemed in the shadows was quite troublesome. If she hadn’t had an upset stomach that day and avoided food, she probably would have been caught too.
Later, in her fury, she summoned the Martial Alliance to hunt down Seven Kills Hall, finally making those poisonous rats in the gutters quiet down for a while. Who would have thought that after so many years, this thing was still jumping around?
“The martial examination is approaching. The city is full of experts,” Guo Si said. “This person previously rendered service to the eight sect leaders and has also been busy these days courting various sect masters coming to Jinling. If we’re not careful, even Hall Master you might have difficulty preserving yourself…”
“It seems the general still doesn’t trust me enough…” That Seven Kills Hall Master chuckled twice. “Please tell the general that the assassin Seven Kills Hall sent out this time is among those invited distinguished guests. So there will absolutely not be a failure like that year… After all, this young marquis doesn’t have someone like the Second Young Master protecting him closely…”
“Good. Before the sun sets, it must be done.”