The chiefs thought about the words in that letter, listening to these sharp accusations that pierced the heart. All exchanged glances, their faces losing color.
If this mother wolf who brought blood and fire in the Living Buddha’s prophecy truly was a court spy, coming with the purpose of seizing the grassland, then she indeed had motive to kill the Great King.
Now everything seemed to align perfectly with the Living Buddha’s prophecy.
“It’s not like that, is it?” Feng Zhiwei said nothing. Instead, Liu Mudan spoke up, saying dazedly, “Zhiwei discussed this matter with me. She only said the grassland might have heavy snow this winter, and since our grain stores are currently sufficient, we might as well temporarily keep the grain in Yuzhou. She didn’t say anything beyond that.”
“Great Consort, you’ve been deceived.” Someone sneered coldly, tossing the letter to her. “It’s only spring now—who can predict heavy snow in winter? Moreover, who says our current grain stores are sufficient? This woman is deeply scheming. Great Consort, you’re an honest person. You mustn’t listen to her.”
Liu Mudan opened her mouth. Before so many people, it was difficult to say that the heavy snow was just an excuse to withhold grain, difficult to say the stores were sufficient only if not counting the twenty thousand royal troops Jiade refused to hand over. This was her private decision with Feng Zhiwei to reclaim military authority from the former chiefs’ hands—impossible to explain clearly in this setting.
She turned the letter over and over, also frowning.
Out of the corner of her eye, Feng Zhiwei glanced at that letter. Her gaze flashed slightly. The letter was indeed hers. The person was also indeed her person. The accent of Imperial Capital guards was vastly different from grassland people—impossible to fake.
However, that letter had been cleverly altered.
She didn’t know where Kele had found an expert to perform layering, adding and removing characters from the letter. By adding and removing just a few characters, the entire meaning had been led in another direction.
Her silence appeared to everyone as guilty conscience, further confirming their suspicions. Liu Mudan sat beside Heilian Zheng, looking up and reaching to pull her sleeve. “Zhiwei, you—”
As she reached to pull, someone behind Feng Zhiwei suddenly swayed sideways, bumping into her so her body tilted. Liu Mudan’s grasp on Feng Zhiwei’s sleeve lost its aim. With a ripping sound, she tore open her waist belt.
A trace of faint mist rose up. Kele’s expression changed drastically. He shouted, “Step back!” Like lightning, he swept over and pulled several people away from Feng Zhiwei’s side. That mist fell on the grass on the ground—the grass tips immediately turned slightly yellow.
“Poison!”
“No wonder it couldn’t be found searching where she lived—the poison used on the Great King was hidden in her waist belt!”
“Someone—” The Blue Bird and White Deer chiefs gave a sharp command, pointing directly at Feng Zhiwei.
The royal army surged up like an iron-armored flood, surrounding Feng Zhiwei completely. Blades drawn from sheaths, arrows nocked on strings. In the ringing clang, people crowded forward, blocked at a distance by the royal army with blade edges facing outward.
“Deal with the spy. All family members disperse—” Kele’s long, drawn-out call was heard clearly across the entire grassland.
A royal army squad captain rushed forward, shaking out the cowhide rope in his hand.
Kele stood with hands behind his back watching, seeing Gu Nanyi’s fingers move slightly behind Feng Zhiwei. A trace of a smile swept across his lips.
Today, as long as one person died at Gu Nanyi’s hand, the chaotic situation would become utterly uncontrollable.
The rope came whistling through the air, looping down toward Feng Zhiwei.
Feng Zhiwei suddenly stepped forward.
Rather than retreat, she advanced. The squad captain who didn’t know the details was momentarily stunned. In that moment of confusion, Feng Zhiwei said, “Deal with the spy. Unrelated persons disperse.”
Then with a wave of her sleeve, that squad captain immediately staggered backward. Not understanding what had happened, commotion arose again in the crowd. Several more people were seen approaching.
Leading was Hua Qiong, belly protruding, wearing a slight smile as she led another pregnant woman—Nata.
Behind them came Zong Chen and Chunyu Meng, dragging Meiduo.
Seeing such a group approach, everyone was somewhat surprised. Nata’s eyes widened as she looked at Kele, her face pale. Kele’s sleeve moved. His long, flowing seductive eyes narrowed as he smiled. “Great Consort, the Central Plains has a saying—a cornered dog bites wildly. Are you desperate now?”
“Desperate? That would be you.” Feng Zhiwei’s lips curved with mocking smile. No longer looking at him, she turned to the chiefs. “Lords, you must surely remember that when Nata originally used her unborn child as grounds to save Hongjile’s life, she told the Great King this pregnancy was conceived in Ganzhou.”
Everyone nodded. Nata’s mouth opened. She stepped back, protecting her belly.
“The Great King stayed in Ganzhou around last May, receiving the old king’s summons to rush to the Imperial Capital at the end of June. If Nata became pregnant after that, the child should now be eight months along with over a month until delivery. However, in fact, Nata’s delivery should be this very month. If the chiefs don’t believe me, have your own shamans check her pulse and you’ll know.”
“You’re lying!” Nata clutched her belly, her face white as she shrieked. “I definitely became pregnant after Ganzhou! You want to frame me. Even if I deliver this month, it could be premature birth, or you forcing early labor on me!” She threw herself toward Blue Bear and several chiefs. “Uncles, you watched me grow up. You can’t let that mother wolf harm me right before your eyes!”
Feng Zhiwei didn’t even glance at her. She extended her hand. Hua Qiong handed her a square brocade pouch of yellow and black.
“Your uncles can’t let you be harmed before their eyes, yet you can lie before their eyes.” Feng Zhiwei smiled lightly, shaking the pouch in her hand.
Nata pursed her lips. A trace of smug smile appeared at the corners of her mouth. “Why are you shaking that? I don’t recognize it.”
“You think you already switched the protective amulet under the shrine?” One statement from Feng Zhiwei successfully wiped away her smug, secure expression. “My apologies. I forgot to tell you—Miss Hua never placed that protective amulet under the shrine. What you switched was another item that looks exactly the same but is actually completely unrelated.”
Nata stepped back. She raised her hand instinctively to feel her bosom, but was stared at fiercely by someone at her side. Immediately her hand froze there, not daring to move.
“No need to feel for it. I’m not bluffing anyone.” Feng Zhiwei unhurriedly extracted a paper slip from the yellow-and-black-bordered pouch.
“Great Consort, what is this about?” The chiefs watched in complete confusion, asking in bewilderment.
Feng Zhiwei drew out a paper slip from the pouch and handed it to the Blue Bird Chief. “Lords, please look. This is the protective amulet Nata wrote for her child, with the approximate birth date and name. Calculating backward from this date, Nata was already pregnant in early May. In early May, the Great King hadn’t yet reached Ganzhou, nor had he visited the Golden Peng tribe’s territory.”
Hua Qiong stepped forward, using her particularly clear articulation to briefly explain the process of tricking Nata into revealing the child’s true birth month. But Nata shrieked, “You’re lying! You’re lying! There’s no such thing! This isn’t what I wrote! It’s not!”
“Search her!”
At this command, Zong Chen’s hand flashed like lightning. He immediately pulled an identical yellow-and-black pouch from Nata’s waist, smiling. “This is the protective amulet you switched from under the shrine, right? You thought you switched it for a protective amulet blessed by Living Buddha Dama? What you switched was the Great Consort’s seal!”
He drew out the paper slip inside, took out an extremely thin small folder, extracted from the paper slip an even thinner small slip of paper bearing a red relief seal mark—precisely the seal belonging uniquely to Feng Zhiwei.
“If we fabricated this matter, how could you have Princess Shengying’s item on your person?”
“Nata! You actually passed off an illegitimate child of unknown origin as royal offspring!” Before everyone could react, the one shouting in fury was Kele.
Nata froze in place, staring directly at Kele. Suddenly her body swayed and she collapsed backward.
Someone beside her supported her. Touching a hand under her nose, they immediately cried out in alarm, “What happened? She’s stopped breathing!”
The crowd erupted with an uproar. No one expected Nata to simply die. Kele quickly stepped forward, checked her pulse, and repeatedly tested her breathing. He lowered his head slightly toward Nata. His long hair fell down, concealing the expression on his face. After a long while, he flung his hand away and sneered coldly. “Suicide from fear of punishment? Just as well!”
Feng Zhiwei looked at him and smiled leisurely. “Chief Kele is too heartless. After all, I heard you and Nata grew up together. How can you have no trace of old affection?”
“Crime is crime, affection is affection. Only you women would mix them together, right?” Kele narrowed his eyes slightly. “Moreover, Great Consort, rambling is also you women’s specialty. You say Nata passed off a child as royal offspring—that’s just a private matter of the royal tent. It seems unrelated to the matter of betraying the Khuzhuo tribe I asked about earlier, doesn’t it?”
“Related? Related.” Feng Zhiwei smiled at him. “Trouble often begins with internal ghosts. Household matters can’t be guaranteed not to become matters of the realm… Chief Kele, I have one thing I don’t understand. May I ask for your instruction?”
Kele looked at her, his gaze flickering without answering. But the others also sensed something amiss. The clamoring voices of the crowd gradually lowered.
Feng Zhiwei hadn’t planned to wait for Kele’s answer anyway. She smiled. “I just don’t understand—the grassland has always had sparse population. How could you bear to let your first son acknowledge someone else as his father?”
The crowd listening intently erupted in commotion again. Kele sneered coldly. “This is what’s called ‘dead men tell no tales, slander at will.’ Nata has already committed suicide. Naturally you can pin that child on anyone’s head as you please.”
“Kele!”
With a sharp cry, Nata, who had “stopped breathing,” suddenly sprang up from the ground and lunged directly at Kele. “You wolf who would kill his wife and exterminate his son!”
She lunged forward with her protruding belly, her sharp ten fingers clawing fiercely in mid-air. From the force, she seemed to want to tear Kele to shreds. A trace of shock swept through Kele’s eyes. His brow furrowed. Without answering, he flew backward in retreat.
The Blue Bird and White Deer chiefs exchanged glances and made a gesture to the royal army below. The royal army rushed to intercept. Kele’s figure flew and tumbled. In the blink of an eye, he swept past the crowd.
But a heaven-water-azure figure flashed—fast as a trace of azure wind. Just arising, it crossed thousands of mountains and rivers. Starting later yet arriving first, Jade Diao blocked Kele’s path.
Kele swept left—he moved left. Kele dashed right—he moved right. His movements seemed leisurely and unhurried, yet he always maintained a distance of three steps before Kele, blocking all his escape routes completely.
Light flashed in Kele’s eyes. He glanced ahead, then looked back hatefully at Nata. A trace of confused expression flashed through his eyes.
“Don’t understand how Nata died and came back to life, right?” Feng Zhiwei smiled leisurely. “On the day of the Golden Alliance Conference, seeing the situation turning unfavorable, you instructed Nata to pin her bastard son on Heilian Zheng. Fearing Nata would expose the truth, you planted the grassland shaman’s Black Bone Death Curse in Nata’s body at that time. When necessary, with a move of your fingers, she would die. Unfortunately, this thing was discovered early on by a friend of mine skilled in all types of medicine, witchcraft, talismans, and curses. The curse was switched. Nata’s ‘stopped breathing’ just now was merely a Central Plains acupoint-sealing technique. Your martial arts probably come from the grassland Snow Mountain Wandering Witch sect, so naturally you don’t understand the vast profundity of Central Plains medicine.”
She smiled at Zong Chen. Zong Chen, who had been standing behind Nata all along, smiled faintly.
“You were probably wondering all along—you saw Nata appear and already knew things were going badly. When you pinched the death curse in your sleeve, Nata didn’t die, yet died only after the deception was exposed. Now do you understand? Nata’s life and death aren’t controlled in your hands, but only in mine.”
“Perhaps her entire will is controlled in your hands—who can say?” Kele remained calm, actually even smiling. “You talk on and on, yet still cannot explain that letter, can you?”
“Great Consort, since this matter has other hidden circumstances, please explain everything clearly. We will handle the matter of Nata and Kele passing off a child as royal offspring separately.” The Blue Deer Chief inquired in a deep voice.
The implication was that even if passing off a child as royal offspring was true, it was still just a matter of royal succession—still insufficient to clear Kele’s earlier accusation.
Feng Zhiwei stood calmly with hands behind her back, looking ahead. There, a fast horse gradually appeared. She smiled with relief.
“Regarding that letter, I can now explain. The letter Kele produced was indeed mine. That messenger was also mine.”
Facing everyone’s shocked and questioning expressions, Feng Zhiwei beckoned with her hand. Everyone’s eyes followed her gesture to see the travel-worn Chunyu Meng approaching rapidly.
“The messenger Kele intercepted was indeed my subordinate, but actually I sent two messengers. Besides the one Kele intercepted, the other was my dowry escort captain Chunyu Meng. He brought back a reply from the Yuzhou grain route official. Please, everyone, have a look.”
The letter was handed up. The chiefs passed it around again, their brows gradually furrowing.
The Yuzhou grain route official’s reply stated that grain allocated to the Khuzhuo tribe was ready. Since the Khuzhuo tribe requested grain storage in Yuzhou, they would wait until autumn grain came in before transporting, and so forth. The letter used official government documents. Both letter paper and seal were complete. The Blue Bird Chief usually specialized in dealings with various levels of inland government offices and naturally recognized them.
“So that’s how it is.” The Blue Bird Chief was the first to change expression. He returned the reply letter, saying apologetically, “We nearly misunderstood the Great Consort. Please forgive us, Great Consort.”
“Misunderstanding me doesn’t matter. Just don’t let go of those with malicious intent to frame others.” Feng Zhiwei’s manner was leisurely, her smile not quite a smile as she looked at Kele.
Kele raised his eyebrows. Only now did he show a trace of regret. Glancing at Nata, he shook his head and sighed softly. “Women… why are some so clever, and some so stupid…”
His expression suggested regret that she hadn’t died successfully.
“Kele—you wolf-hearted dog-lunged beast—may you die a horrible death—” Nata, hair disheveled and eyes bloodshot, struggled in Zong Chen’s grasp trying to pounce on Kele. Her shrill shouts had extreme penetrating power, as if they could tear open the entire grassland.
“I think so too.” Feng Zhiwei smiled lightly. “Not just him, but also you—”
She whirled around, pointing at Living Buddha Dama!
“You’re mad, Great Consort!”
“No disrespect toward Dama Ala!”
Rebukes immediately exploded. This time everyone reacted very quickly. The chiefs whose expressions had just relaxed all turned iron-blue in an instant, shouting furiously one after another, “Great Consort, cease your wild talk!”
With a cold laugh, Feng Zhiwei completely changed from her earlier leisurely manner. Her raised finger never lowered, pointing directly at Dama. “I believe everyone has seen today that someone set up a scheme—first to kill the Great King, then frame and expel me, then seize royal authority, take the throne, and plunge the grassland, not yet fully stable, once again into strife and bloodshed.”
“What does that have to do with Living Buddha Dama?”
“If not for someone backing Kele, creating that prophecy targeting me, why would everyone so easily believe I would harm the Great King?” Feng Zhiwei sneered coldly. “Your god in the clouds, enjoying all your incense and worship, refuses to shine his light universally upon all tribal children, instead bestowing it only atop your Fire Fox Chief’s head!”
Without waiting for anyone’s reaction, she quickly stepped forward, suddenly grabbed the small lama holding copper ritual implements behind Dama, seized those implements, pulled out the dagger stuck in the roasted sheep beside her, and scraped the yellow copper color, immediately revealing the black interior beneath.
That color was darkly lustrous and brilliant, different from ordinary iron core. Everyone exclaimed “Eh!” in surprise. Their eyes couldn’t help but turn to the piece of black gold Kele had presented earlier. Very obviously, it was the same material.
Black gold mines were extremely rare, existing only in Fire Fox tribal territory. To produce such a large piece of black gold for ritual implements—besides Chief Kele, who else could it be?
Yet the entire Khuzhuo tribe knew that Living Buddha Dama practiced frugality and simplicity, never accepting private offerings from tribespeople, much less using such precious black gold implements. Moreover, even if using black gold, he should use it openly and honestly, yet he secretly covered it with a layer of copper paint to conceal it. The sneakiness within—as everyone thought about it, they were already stunned.
Dama suddenly raised his head, staring at those implements. In his murky eyes, shock appeared. His lips wriggling, just about to speak, Feng Zhiwei had already swept past like wind, walking to the golden basin containing cream cheese. Using that silver knife from the roasted sheep, she lifted the pure white cream cheese and raised it toward everyone.
Under the sunlight, the silver knife holding cream cheese slowly turned black!
People opened their mouths in disbelief. For an instant, extreme shock and speechlessness instead created extreme quiet. Feng Zhiwei glanced sideways at Living Buddha Dama, slowly saying, “Dama Ala, if Heilian Zheng hadn’t been poisoned just now, he inevitably couldn’t have escaped your killer move of dotting foreheads with cream cheese, could he? To kill him, you truly went to painstaking effort.”
“You… you…” Dama’s lips wriggled. He desperately tried to say something, yet his body shook violently. His entire person appeared increasingly withered, as if shrinking into his robes.
“You accepted Fire Fox’s bribes, slandered the Great Consort for him, blocked the Great Consort from participating in the celebration to facilitate their murder of the Great King—Dama, do you also count as a precept-keeping disciple? Also count as a monastic? Are you worthy of the worship and offerings of a million Khuzhuo children over the years? Worthy of raising your head to the bright blue sky and lowering your eyes to the vast grassland?”
“You…” Dama seemed to want to use his hands to prop up his body to refute Feng Zhiwei. His withered, aged, tree-root-like fingers clawed powerlessly at the ground. His long nails scraped dirt flying everywhere, yet still couldn’t move a single bit.
“You claim to practice asceticism in this life, with oil lamps in small temples, pure and simple, and thereby gained the love of a million grassland subjects. But unfortunately you’re a hypocritical Buddhist disgrace, one who fishes for fame and deceives the world!”
Feng Zhiwei stepped forward and tore off a section of Dama’s sleeve. Her fingers forcefully ripped open the cloth, revealing similarly glittering gold-threaded black gold within. She unfurled that half-sleeve in the air, saying loudly, “My grassland brothers and sisters, were you moved by Living Buddha Dama’s frugality and thrift for wearing this dharma robe for thirty years without changing? Today let you see clearly—thirty years without changing because no other garment can match this one’s true value!”
The dharma robe woven from fine black gold threads glittered brilliantly in the sunlight. In an instant, everyone closed their eyes—whether their eyes were stabbed by that black gold light, or their hearts stabbed by this unacceptable reality.
Like seeing the god who had stood majestically in the grassland clouds for years suddenly collapse, or like the fortress of faith deep in their hearts suddenly cracking, people all felt somewhat confused. Not daring to believe, unwilling to believe, they all cast hopeful gazes toward Living Buddha Dama—as long as he defended himself, they would believe!
But there was nothing.
Living Buddha Dama continued trembling. Low moans issued from his throat. His murky eyes rolled powerlessly. He could make no response whatsoever to Feng Zhiwei’s relentless accusations.
Kele’s eyes flickered. He opened his mouth to speak. Gu Nanyi across from him pulled out his little walnuts, eating calmly and unhurriedly, occasionally aiming the little walnuts at Kele’s mouth. Kele believed that if he truly uttered a single word, a walnut would definitely be immediately stuffed into his throat.
He glanced slightly backward. His expression showed some anxiety. Yet with this plague god blocking in front, even moving a single step was impossible.
“Dama Ala.” Feng Zhiwei stood at a distance, looking down from above at him. “You are the sacred son of the Eternal Heaven, foreseeing heavenly mandate, protecting the grassland. The Eternal Heaven’s light tolerates no demons or monsters. Nor can anyone deceive your wise eyes and pour dirty water over your head. Therefore, what is right and wrong, correct and incorrect—Feng Zhiwei stands here waiting for our father’s answer.”
Her expression was clear and bright, righteous and stern. Between her brows was upright and open. Her snow-white fingers gripping the black gold sleeve stood in the wind like a snow mountain cold stone statue, resolute and strong.
The grassland men looked up at her, suddenly feeling this Han woman they had always looked down upon now appeared noble with imposing dignity.
In one day, they had seen her accused, besieged, insulted, yet throughout remaining unhurried, calm and composed. With a raise of her hand, she overturned the unfavorable situation. Her sharp edges fully revealed yet not aggressively pressing. Daring to act yet leaving room for maneuver. Even at this moment, facing Living Buddha Dama who had always targeted her, she still openly and honestly gave the other party a chance to defend himself.
What grassland men most admired were upright and open people. By comparison, Living Buddha Dama, always god-like, shrinking on the felt mat with no response—his posture was too disappointing.
Though the destruction of faith wasn’t accomplished overnight, as long as seeds were planted, germination was possible.
The grassland men fell silent. Though their eyes still showed half-belief and half-doubt, obviously under Feng Zhiwei’s such fierce accusations, not a single person cursed and accused as before. The meaning within was self-evident.
Dama raised his bloodshot, murky old eyes, looking at Feng Zhiwei. In those eyes appeared not a woman solemn in black dress, but a mother wolf walking toward the grassland draped in blood.
He no longer tried to wriggle his lips—from the moment Feng Zhiwei stood forth, all the blood in his body seemed suddenly bound by something, viscous and heavy, restraining all his speech and movement.
Hazily he recalled Feng Zhiwei’s visit last night… she went to light the oil lamp… she sat across from him in shadow… two men standing at the door in the upwind position… Vaguely, like startled thunder flashing in his heart, thunderously splitting open his confused consciousness.
She indeed came prepared. Though he didn’t know how she accomplished it, obviously last night she attracted all his attention while having people switch his copper implements and dharma robe, casually also poisoning him.
The most critical issue was—she definitely had supremely skilled poison masters at her side, actually able to completely control the timing of his poison’s onset, making him unable to speak only at this moment. Yet before this, with so many people present, seeing his previous normalcy yet now “unable to respond,” was equivalent to acknowledging the accusations.
This move both dispelled and struck—she not only resolved her own danger, casually also pushed him down from the throne of divine authority. This mother wolf had long begun suspecting Kele, suspecting Nata’s child. She deliberately created false trails, lured the enemy deep, not stopping there, even dragging him in, sweeping up in one net all enemies unfavorable to her.
The Living Buddha accepting bribes, colluding with the Fire Fox chief, framing the Great Consort and conspiring to assassinate the Great King… Truly unimaginably ruthless!
Dama lowered his eyes, breathing heavily… Would the grassland’s future truly be destined to be manipulated by this woman… No… no…
“Great Consort, the Fire Fox Chief has no right to inherit the throne. Even if Nata’s child is his child and inherits the throne in the future, our grassland’s throne succession has many variables. It’s not easy to wait for a child to grow up. He wouldn’t take such risks.” The White Deer Chief suddenly raised an objection. “The Living Buddha has even less need to do this for the Fire Fox Chief.”
“Indeed… can’t wait for the child to grow up. So now, who should it be?” Feng Zhiwei smiled meaningfully, then suddenly said, “Eh, where did Jiade go?”
Everyone paused, only then realizing that Jiade, who had appeared earliest discovering the Great King was poisoned and reminded Great Consort Peony to investigate the culprit, had disappeared at some point.
The Blue Bird Chief’s expression changed. He quickly waved his hand ordering subordinates to investigate. After a while, that subordinate rushed over, saying a few words in the Blue Bird Chief’s ear. The Blue Bird Chief’s expression immediately changed.
“No need to worry.” Feng Zhiwei looked at his expression, smiling. “My guards have already sealed the outer perimeter. Additionally, we’ve mobilized part of the royal army to watch Jiade’s movements at all times. As soon as he mobilized his twenty thousand troops to leave camp, we met them with the Great King’s command arrow.”
Following her words, distant sounds of commotion and clamor could faintly be heard. The Blue Bird Chief’s brow tightened. He and the White Deer Chief hurriedly rushed down from the high platform to direct the royal army in suppressing Jiade.
“Everyone should be very clear now.” Feng Zhiwei signaled the guards below the platform to make way. She slowly walked a circuit on the platform. “Jiade, son of former Chief Kuercha, plotted for the position of Great King, colluding with Fire Fox Chief and seeking Living Buddha Dama’s protection with heavy gold. First, the Living Buddha fabricated prophecies putting me in an unfavorable position. Then they framed me for betraying the grassland, attempting to expel me to avoid court intervention in grassland affairs. Then they conspired to assassinate the Great King. Once the Great King died, Jiade would immediately mobilize his twenty thousand Yinji royal troops under his command to surround the venue by force, seizing the Shunyi King position with his identity as a close-branch brother, then rewarding Kele—however, the mantis stalks the cicada while the oriole waits behind. Even Jiade probably didn’t know that Kele’s ambition absolutely wasn’t limited to a new king’s small reward. What he wanted was the throne—when Nata’s child was born under his protection, he could work together with his father-in-law Hongjile to kill Jiade, support Zhadalan Great King’s only heir to ascend the throne. Legitimate and proper, natural and right—neither court nor grassland could oppose. From then on, through a thousand autumns and ten thousand generations, Lord Kele would unify the grassland.”
This dizzying conspiracy, explained by her clearly and plainly—the thousands of people all around showed expressions both enlightened yet incredulous. Grassland men had straightforward hearts. These twists and turns were exhausting even to hear about. How remarkable that this Great Consort, being in the midst of the scheme, could see everything so clearly.
“I said that Kele kid was no good. People from the Snow Mountain evil sect are just different from us—for a throne he could scheme up so many tricks.” Someone played Monday-morning quarterback, muttering in a low voice.
“Sigh, no matter how many tricks, he couldn’t hide from Central Plains people. Look at Central Plains women—truly formidable.” Someone was thinking the Great Consort was truly astonishing. Kele was called the grassland’s number one fox, yet in her hands he still wasn’t enough.
“What about the poison in the Great Consort’s waist belt…” The Earth Badger Chief raised a new question.
“What about it? Frame-up, obviously.”
The voice came from the ground, sounding somewhat familiar. Everyone turned to look—Heilian Zheng, who earlier had been on death’s door from poisoning, had somehow already sat up, lazily resting his hand on his knee, smiling at Feng Zhiwei.
“Great King!”
The chiefs’ voices held much joy, though Feng Zhiwei still detected some complexity in them—among ten tribal chiefs, hearts inevitably weren’t unified. But after today, they would surely settle down.
Gently undoing her waist belt, Feng Zhiwei raised her hand and tossed it, tossing it at someone’s feet.
That someone was the iron-faced Meiduo.
“This morning, our proud and noble Aunt Meiduo.” Feng Zhiwei smiled faintly. “Very rarely grasped this Great Consort’s waist belt to plead. At that time, many people were around us and can testify.”
“So what?” Meiduo stuck out her neck. Though her expression was ugly, her mouth wouldn’t yield an inch. “Just because I touched you means I poisoned you? I once risked my life to protect the Great King. When I saved him, you didn’t even know where you were! How could I collude with Kele to harm you and harm the Great King?”
“Could you mention your life-saving grace to the Great King fewer times?” Feng Zhiwei’s lips lazily curved. “Please. I’ve only been here a few days and have already heard you say it over ten times. I can practically recite it from memory. We in the Central Plains have a saying: ‘Bestowing grace without expecting reward.’ Now coming to the grassland, I finally understand—here, bestowing grace must be repaid many times over.”
People below the platform giggled with laughter. Meiduo had relied on her life-saving grace to the Young Prince years ago to act arrogantly on the grassland. Many people found her tiresome. Only because Liu Mudan and Heilian Zheng said nothing did others naturally dare not mock her. Now Feng Zhiwei spoke without leaving any face, and many people found it extremely satisfying to hear.
“You stop mocking people!” Meiduo was both ashamed and angry. “I didn’t do it, so I didn’t!”
“You say you couldn’t possibly harm the Great King, but I also didn’t say you harmed the Great King.” Feng Zhiwei said lightly. “What you wanted to harm was only me. If I don’t die, how can Aunt Meiduo become Great Consort Meiduo?”
“You…”
“Better ask your newly made friend!” Feng Zhiwei sneered coldly, pointing at Nata who was being held by Zong Chen, whose eyes remained bloodshot glaring at Kele. “Ask her what exactly she gave you!”
Meiduo whirled around abruptly, staring at Nata. Nata completely ignored her, pursing her lips. “Why look at me? You have what you want. I also have what I want. We do things together, bear consequences together. Nothing to say!”
She turned her head to Feng Zhiwei. “What you said—she won’t admit but I will. Meiduo hated you that day over the room-switching matter. I taught her to poison you. The child in my belly isn’t Heilian Zheng’s. The Ganzhou matter—Kele told me. You can kill or flay me as you wish. I have just one request—make that bastard die too!”
She pointed at Kele, her eyes fierce as a wolf’s. She truly hated him venomously, willing to drag this heartless, ungrateful scoundrel to hell together.
“Everyone will be in their place. Everyone should have their judgment.” Feng Zhiwei smiled.
“That requires you to be able to render judgment.” Far away, Kele, who had been looking up at the sky, also suddenly smiled.
Then the sky suddenly darkened.
This wave of darkness came extremely heavily, like an iron pot suddenly covering the grassland. In the moment darkness descended, the meat fragrance and grass-and-wood fragrance originally flowing through the air suddenly disappeared without trace, leaving only a strange fishy smell, faintly assaulting the nose.
Commotion arose in the darkness. Someone cried out in alarm, “Great Hell Divine Power!”
Feng Zhiwei didn’t understand what this meant, but suddenly recalled what someone earlier said about Kele coming from the grassland Snow Mountain evil cult. Moreover, they had been watching Kele all along. The origin of this person’s entire body of strange martial arts had remained unsolved. Could this be Kele’s life-saving technique?
But listening to the cries of alarm below rising and falling, it seemed grassland people held some fear of this evil cult. Some seemed to have already fled in the chaos. The chiefs on the high platform were also very panicked. Some leaped down from the platform.
Heilian Zheng chased over, heading straight for Feng Zhiwei’s direction. Feng Zhiwei stared at that patch of darkness. Her eyes flashed, feeling this was actually a good opportunity. While calling out to Young Master Gu, “Brother Gu be careful, don’t pursue a cornered enemy—” she waved her sleeve.
Amidst the chaos, someone soundlessly swept onto the high platform, sweeping past the oblivious chiefs, heading straight for the collapsed Living Buddha Dama on the ground.
Moments later, the darkness suddenly dispersed, like a raised curtain being whisked away. Even that iron-fishy smell vanished completely. In the grass-wood fragrance and wine-meat fragrance, only a handful of people remained on the platform.
Nata was gone. Zong Chen was also gone. Meiduo was held in Heilian Zheng’s grasp. Heilian Zheng’s other hand still tightly gripped Feng Zhiwei.
Of the eight chiefs present, only five remained. The other few had fallen somewhat disheveled into the center of the royal army below the platform.
Further away, where Gu Nanyi had blocked Kele, both men had disappeared.
“Dama Ala!”
A cry of alarm awakened the still-dazed crowd. Turning back, they saw Living Buddha Dama’s head had somehow already drooped limply to one side.
“Ala!”
At the horizon’s edge, golden light flashed, sweeping above the clouds. Everyone looked up, only seeing a soaring eagle fly high and far.
All around, a strange fragrance faintly arose. Living Buddha Dama suddenly shifted his body slightly, moving in a different direction. Then one hand slowly raised, pointing toward that direction.
Everyone’s face turned white as they thunderously knelt down. Everyone knew—the Living Buddha was about to enter nirvana.
Throughout history, Living Buddhas entering nirvana had all shown unusual signs and would indicate the location of the next Living Buddha through dharma body or prophecy before death.
According to the Eternal Heaven doctrine worshiped by Khuzhuo, generational Living Buddha succession was divided into two types: one was the previous Living Buddha’s reincarnation after death, the other was the previous Living Buddha’s soul entrusting a new master. Regardless of which, the Living Buddha’s indication before death was required.
The strange fragrance in the air grew increasingly strong. The chiefs on the high platform all knelt uniformly. Throughout history, Living Buddhas had all entered nirvana at Huyin Temple. Dama would become the first Living Buddha to enter nirvana under the gaze of ten thousand people. Yet at this moment, no one’s heart held feelings of honor or worship. Most were even secretly celebrating—the Living Buddha entering nirvana at this moment spared everyone the difficulty of dealing with the Great Consort’s accusations of the Living Buddha’s crimes. Quite appropriate.
As for why he entered nirvana at this moment, no one thought much about it. Dama had originally been a candle in the wind. Everyone predicted he wouldn’t live to next spring. Now with this incident, his spirit crushed, entering nirvana at this point was completely normal.
Strange fragrance rich, all around holding breath. The vast grassland fell utterly silent, waiting for an old man’s era to thus pass away.
People prostrated before Dama, foreheads touching ground. Small lamas chanted scriptures. Someone lit Sanskrit incense. In the dense pale white smoke, Feng Zhiwei watched Dama with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, like a strange statue.
You lived your life relying on the name of god, remotely dwelling in these grassland clouds. Today I will make you know—those who control others will ultimately be controlled by others. Life and death are mine to decide, not your heaven’s.
In the pale white smoke, Dama made one final effort to lift his eyelids. In a hazy, swaying field of vision, he stared at Feng Zhiwei.
The lifelong peaceful son of the Eternal Heaven, leader of Eternal Heaven doctrine, in life’s final moment, finally showed resentful light in his eyes.
Uncontrollable resentment…
He struggled to move his fingers, trying to turn his fingers and body in a different direction… This wasn’t the direction he wanted to point to. His reincarnation or possession… wasn’t there…
Across from him, everyone deeply pressed their faces to the ground, not daring to desecrate this most sacred passing on the grassland. Only that woman raised her head, lips slightly curved, watching him so interestingly.
Like watching a monkey show in a cage—scratching ears and cheeks, exerting all effort, yet merely a plaything in another’s hands.
She even wanted to exploit another’s death…
Dama curled his fingers, bit by bit trying to draw back the fingers pointing toward a certain direction of the royal court.
But then he heard a slight “crack.”
An extremely faint sound, like someone in the high heavens playfully casting dice, casting out another’s final fate.
Or perhaps his deity soundlessly plucked the terminal string of destiny—
Something was collapsing. Something was breaking. Something was sinking. Something, in unwillingness, turned eternally to ash.
Dama’s fingers froze in place.
His head silently fell to his chest.
All around, fragrance rose in waves.
“Ala!”
Weeping and cries instantly flooded the afternoon grassland like a tide. In a patch of brilliant golden light, countless people knelt and turned, looking in shock and bewilderment at the direction Living Buddha Dama’s body faced before death, the direction his fingers pointed.
The royal court. The rear hall.