Chapter 32 032 (Includes 1w nutrient solution plus additional updates) [VIP]

"In other words, regardless of whether Fu Zongshu was truly assassinated, the

finger of blame is now pointed at... Sikong Zhaixing and Wuqing?" Lengxue nodded in response.

"So what does the Divine Marquisate mean now?"

Everyone present, even needing no discerning eye, could clearly sense that Shi Qingruo's tone had instantly turned cold.

She appeared to take a step forward, as if questioning Lengxue further, but invisibly, she was shielding Sikong Zhaixing behind her. Almost simultaneously, the usually cynical Lu Xiaofeng made the same move.

Lengxue's eyes flickered, and he resumed his usual businesslike tone: "We would like to ask Sikong Zhaixing to bring the Nine Heavens, Ten Earths, Nineteen Divine Needles and accompany us to the Prime Minister's Residence." "

That's not the proper procedure for handling cases," Shi Qingruo's eyes were cold. "The Nine Heavens, Ten Earths, and Nineteen Divine Needles are also nicknamed the God and Demon Flying Needles. Not only are the mechanisms rare, but the magic needles are equally exceptional. With Sikong Zhaixing's abilities, it's impossible to replicate a new tube. He still has the same number of flying needles as he obtained from Wen Xue'an. You can't blame him. Besides, the theft of the God and Demon Flying Needles from Wen Xue'an was my own arrangement; it has nothing to do with my friend."

"I know," Lengxue replied. "I also know that while he's a master thief, he's one who steals, not kills. But this matter demands an answer, lest Fu Zongshu continue to exploit it. The best solution is a public confrontation."

"My senior brother is also implicated in this case; he's already arrived at the Prime Minister's residence. So, I hope Madam Shi won't make things difficult for us at the Six Gates."

His meaning was clear.

In other words, if Shi Qingruo didn't want Sikong Zhaixing to appear before the public, he would have no choice but to bring him to justice. It would be better to lay both tubes of flying needles out on the table for a detailed comparison.

There will always be a conclusion as to the origin of the flying needles of gods and demons that appeared in the Prime Minister's Mansion.

However, Shi Qingruo was not convinced by this, and his expression became more solemn: "I can make things easier for you Six Gates, but you Six Gates may not satisfy me. Fu Zongshu has commanded his subordinates to do evil over the years, and righteous people have been sacrificed many times. Even Zhuge Shenhou couldn't protect his adopted son. Why should I believe that if the crime of suspected assassination of the Prime Minister is withheld, he can stop the so-called court rules!"

Lengxue's face turned pale.

The adopted son of Zhuge Shenhou mentioned by Shi Qingruo was named Xiao Jianseng. He was once sent by his uncle to go undercover to Ling Luoshi, a disciple of Fu Zongshu, to collect evidence of his crime, but he eventually died an untimely death. This is a scar that will never be erased for the Shenhou Mansion.

The unsheathed sword he practiced is even more of the same lineage as Lengxue's unsheathed swordsmanship.

If someone else had uncovered this scar, Lengxue would have drawn his sword and fought to the death.

But in a situation like today, he couldn't say. If Sikong Zhaixing were his friend, would he have stood in the way as decisively as Shi Qingruo?

He had seen clearly what Shi Qingruo had done over the past few months. She never shied from exploiting the rules to protect herself, yet she often defied them. It was this flexibility that had sent the evildoers of Bianjing City to hell one after another.

This made him question himself. Perhaps... perhaps some of the rules of the Divine Marquisate were indeed pedantic.

He couldn't answer, and for a moment, he didn't dare meet Shi Qingruo's eyes.

Suddenly, a voice from outside interrupted the silence: "Madam Shi, I'll have someone inform Divine Marquis Yu as soon as possible. With Divine Marquis on hand to oversee the matter, no one will be trapped in the Prime Minister's residence. I wonder if Madam Shi would be willing to bring your friend along to cooperate?"

Shi Qingruo looked in the direction of the voice and saw the man who had entered the hall with a hint of age in his features, but his eyes were surprisingly bright and deep. Looking at his left sleeve, one hand was missing. How could one not recognize him?

Ever since Tie Shou left for Lianyun Village at the beginning of the year to become the bandit leader, Qi Shaoshang had temporarily taken over his position as the head of the Six Gates. This wasn't just a matter of seeking an audience with Fu Zongshu.

Shi Qingruo had ascended to the position of Saint Leader of the Misty Heaven Alliance, earning himself the reputation of the One-Armed Divine Constable. He

must have just returned from outside the capital, and his face still wore a lingering look of dust.

Shi Qingruo's mind raced as she replied, "Then let's see if the Divine Marquisate is sincere."

She took a step back, and the tense atmosphere in the hall dissipated considerably.

Qi Shaoshang whispered a few words to Leng Xue, who then turned and left. Shi Qingruo also turned and took a seat nearby.

Turning, she saw Sikong Zhaixing staring at her with a gleaming gaze. The sense of threat had diminished somewhat, almost as if she had sworn an oath to the heavens because of what she had just said.

Shi Qingruo was both angry and amused. "Why don't you go get those Nineteen Divine Needles? I told you to hide them before, and now they need them. Don't let some thief steal them and end up like you, the ancestor of thieves. If they find out, it's really your fault that the assassination at the Prime Minister's Mansion was caused by your stuff. Look how embarrassed I was with that scene just now."

Sikong Zhaixing quickly pleaded for mercy, but the smile on his face widened a little. "I'll go right away. Don't worry, that thing is dangerous, I won't let anyone else find it."

Before he finished speaking, he had already flashed away and quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.

Shi Qingruo was not idle either. She turned around and gave orders to Wang Xiaoshi, asking him to bring some men with her and leave later, and to tell Yan Hefa and Zhu Xiaoyao to protect the Misty Heaven Alliance.

Qi Shaoshang listened to these arrangements, turned his head and asked, "It seems that Madam Shi is very sure that the Divine Marquis will make this trip?"

Shi Qingruo smiled politely, "The water in this Bianjing city is not a good thing if it is still. If you emphasize checks and balances and evidence everywhere, you will only be entangled by water plants and may even be drowned. I think the last case of Fang Yingkan, Bai Choufei and others has made the Divine Marquis realize something, otherwise he would not have agreed to my invitation and sent the cold-blooded captain here. But he has been upright for so many years, and sometimes he still needs someone to push him to do things."

"I don't mind being this pusher, and I think he doesn't mind changing himself."

Qi Shaoshang sighed suddenly, "You are right."

The Holy Lord of the Misty Heaven Alliance seems to have a shallow foundation and an overly gorgeous appearance, but in fact he is meticulous and decisive in his work, which is far more outstanding than most gang leaders in the capital.

Even when faced with someone from the Divine Marquisate who came to do business, he dared to fight for enough protection for his friend. It was only a matter of time before the entire Mi Tian League would be loyal to him.

With such a person as his enemy...

Fu Zongshu was afraid that he would be in big trouble!

...

But when Shi Qingruo brought people, along with Leng Xue and Qi Shaoshang, into the Prime Minister's Mansion, Fu Zongshu obviously didn't think that he would be the one in trouble.

Even Fu Kang, who was in charge of leading the way, acted like a spoiled and arrogant young master of the Prime Minister's Mansion, wearing fine clothes and eating delicious food. It almost made people suspect that the farce about his life experience that had occurred in Bianjing City before was nothing but an illusion.

He waved his folding fan and led everyone through the flowery and wooded paths of the Prime Minister's Mansion Garden while introducing: "The six swordsmen over there were once known as the Seven Deadly Swords. Unfortunately, their junior brother wanted to challenge a master and got caught in a melee and died. I wonder what Madam Shi thinks about this?"

As Fu Kang closed his fan and looked back, the other six malicious gazes instantly fell on Shi Qingruo.

However, the beautiful woman, dressed in a royal blue gown, raised her eyes and smiled faintly, seemingly oblivious to the murderous gazes. "Why should outsiders judge the worthiness of a warrior's death after challenging a master? Actually, I have another matter to ask Young Master Fu."

"More than twenty years ago, there were seven swordsmen with outstanding swordsmanship. They were collectively known as the Seven Swordsmen. However, these seven people had no idea what it meant to be chivalrous, nor did they know how to use their great skills to serve the imperial court. Instead, they joined Nong Zhigao, who commanded the southern barbarians, and did foolish things that helped the tyrant to commit atrocities. At that time, Zhuge Shenhou was still young. In order to assassinate Zhigao, he defeated six of the seven people by himself. He was also the master of these six people. I wonder what is there to brag about for the disciples taught by such a master?"

Fu Kang paused and wanted to refute, but he heard Shi Qingruo continue calmly: "But since they are just the kind of people who guard the house as Mr. Fu said, there is no need to comment too much. It's good enough that you can ensure that no thieves will steal the flowers in the prime minister's mansion."

Wenrou tightened the corners of her lips and almost couldn't help laughing.

She already disliked Fu Kang, the slick, white-faced Fu Kang, and the information Lengxue had revealed made it clear that Fu Zongshu, after suffering heavy losses, was seeking to blame the Mitian Alliance and was treating today's mission as a tough battle.

Now that her senior sister had defused the enemy's pretense with a casual chat, she felt a sense of relief.

However, she pondered, still feeling uneasy, and approached Shi Qingruo again, asking, "Are these six people really so useless? The young Zhuge Shenhou could handle six on one, and Zhuge Shenhou's current apprentice..."

shouldn't he be able to do the same?

But judging by the aura of these six, it seemed more complicated than that.

"If we can't handle six on one, we can handle two on one." Seeing that Fu Kang had already stepped forward, suppressed his anger, Shi Qingruo softly explained to Wenrou. "But these few, despite their titles of sword demons and sword ghosts, are at best mere pawns of the Prime Minister's residence. The real trouble lies with the others."

Fu Zongshu was a major threat to the court. Not only did those he had oppressed seek revenge against him, but Zhuge Shenhou's faction also sought to find evidence against him. Shi Qingruo speculated that if the young emperor ever considered ruling the country himself, he would undoubtedly seek to remove this enormous obstacle.

Yet, his actions hadn't been successful to date, and it couldn't simply be because Fu Zongshu practiced the hard Qigong known as the Pipa Divine Art.

He had far too many bodyguards...

"Did you see those six people?" Shi Qingruo's lips twitched, her voice almost twisted into a thread as it reached Wenrou's ears.

Wenrou followed Shi Qingruo's gesture and saw that six people were indeed following their gazes.

Judging only by their appearance and the objects they held, they looked like ordinary retainers of the Prime Minister's residence, the kind responsible for literary prowess.

She nodded and asked, "See? Are they masters too?"

"If those six earlier dared to call themselves the Six Absolutes, these six could almost be called the Six Gods," Shi Qingruo teased, then added a note of seriousness. "Those six are considered fellow disciples of Fu Zongshu, Yuan Shisanxian. Yuan Shisanxian, resentful of his defeat to Zhuge Shenhou, specifically trained six disciples to cultivate the Six Harmonies Azure Dragon formation, designed to counter Zhuge Shenhou." Wenrou's

face froze. If this so-called Six Harmonies Azure Dragon hadn't been cultivated to any significant degree, Shi Qingruo wouldn't have emphasized it so much. Perhaps even if it didn't truly defeat Zhuge Shenhou, it would certainly have made a significant impact.

She was just about to take another look at whether these six were truly so extraordinary when Shi Qingruo added, "Also, have you seen that Taoist?"

Wenrou cautiously used Shi Qingruo's cover to glance in that direction, then abruptly looked away.

The Taoist priest seemed to be merely strolling through the courtyard, yet he resembled a whirlpool so deep that even sunlight could barely reach him. He sent a chill down one's spine, similar to how his senior brother, when wielding a knife, couldn't be looked at directly.

Wenrou lowered her head and asked, "Who is that?"

Shi Qingruo replied, "When the late emperor was alive, he not only enjoyed calligraphy and painting, but was also obsessed with the true meaning of Taoism. After building the Shangqing Baolu Palace, he invited several Taoist masters to oversee it, enjoying royal tributes. After the new emperor ascended the throne, the Shangqing Baolu Palace was abandoned, and some of these people became guests of the Prime Minister's Mansion. The one just now was Master Heiguang."

Wenrou counted on her fingers. If what Shi Qingruo said was true, then there would be no shortage of people with backgrounds like Master Heiguang in the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Even individually, these individuals were rare masters of the martial arts world, yet now they were all working to protect Fu Zongshu's safety...

Suddenly, the seemingly elegant Xiangfu Garden became fraught with danger.

The surrounding high walls were like a steel barrel, clearly forming a protective umbrella for Fu Zongshu along with these experts.

Only someone who has committed sins and fears being called upon to account would resort to such a display.

"That old coward!" Wenrou shouted angrily.

As soon as she said this, she suddenly realized that she was no longer in the Misty Heaven Alliance, but in the Xiangfu itself, and that she shouldn't have spoken so loudly.

Fu Kang in the front turned around immediately: "Who is Miss Wen talking about?"

Shi Qingruo answered before Wenrou in a gentle voice: "She saw a turtle in this garden pond before, but the turtle didn't give her face, spitted and sank. She was unhappy and cursed a few words. Will Mr. Fu be offended? Her father Wen Songyang has spoiled her, and she has no manners outside. She should ask her senior brother to help discipline her."

Fu Kang slowly unfolded his folding fan again and laughed loudly: "Miss Wen is innocent and naive, how can I blame her. The room where my father was assassinated is just in front. To avoid keeping people waiting, we should not waste time." Shi

Qingruo did not comment, and motioned Wenrou to stand back, and led a few people and Fu Kang into the courtyard.

Her eyes quickly scanned the several damaged bonsai trees in the courtyard, memorizing the sword marks and footprints on the ground. Then, she headed for a corner of the courtyard near the rear bedrooms, stopping beside the young man in the wheelchair.

"Captain Wuqing."

In another corner of the courtyard, a table missing a matching stone bench sat behind a purple-faced man. He seemed oblivious to the intrusion of the group, who ignored him. He simply stared at them with a cold expression, a faint smile on his lips.

Wuqing had already heard Fu Zongshu's sarcastic remarks, and now, understanding the more pressing matter, he gestured to the child behind him to push him into the room without even bothering to introduce him.

Seeing Shi Qingruo had caught up, he pointed to a barely visible hole in the bed curtain and said, "Madam Shi, please look here! This is where the divine needle went in."

"Where's the needle?" Shi Qingruo leaned over to examine it, then lifted the curtain to peer at the needle holes behind it. Then, turning back, he asked.

"Here." As Wuqing spoke, a child passed him a tray, along with a specially made glove. While

Wuqing's hidden weapon wasn't poisonous, he still had to be wary in the martial arts world, and it just so happened that it came in handy today.

Shi Qingruo donned gloves and carefully lifted one of the small, turquoise-tinged needles, examining it closely.

He then casually asked, "What does Chief Constable Wuqing think of this?"

Wuqing frowned. "Before you came, I compared the Divine Demon Flying Needle I have with this one, and there's absolutely no difference."

Disassembling the Divine Demon Flying Needle required extreme care, and even Wuqing, a master of concealed weapons, spent considerable time on it. However, the result was not encouraging.

"Yes, this is indeed a magic needle," Shi Qingruo replied.

"Well, Madam Shi is the Holy Leader of the Misty Heaven Alliance for a reason," Fu Zongshu clapped his hands in praise, rising from his seat and entering the room. "Even if your friend is suspected of involvement, you haven't lied to cover up at such a critical moment. Since you say this is a magic needle, then..." "

But when did I ever say it was one of the nineteen magic needles from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths?" Shi Qingruo sneered, interrupting his "compliment."

Before Fu Zongshu could speak, she turned to Wuqing and asked, "How did the Quanli Gang craft the Nineteen Divine Needles?"

Although Wuqing was puzzled by Shi Qingruo's question, he quickly replied, "The spring pattern for the hidden weapon came from the Black-Faced Cai Clan. The needles for the magic needles came from the Tang Clan in Shuzhong. The poison within the needles came from the Nineteen Human Demons. Finally, Benjamin, a renowned master of mechanical devices, pieced them all together."

The Black-Faced Cai Clan resided in southern Guangdong. Their disciples rarely roamed the martial arts world, but the weapons they crafted were renowned, including the Wanliu Sword in Wang Xiaoshi's hand. A

delicate artifact like the needles, intended as a birthday gift, should have been entrusted to the Tang Clan.

Each family had their own strengths in poison, but to ensure the artifact was impenetrable to outsiders, the gift-giver ultimately had to figure it out themselves.

The person responsible for assembling the weapon was also a leading figure of the time.

This is how the Nineteen Divine Needles of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths became a weapon everyone feared.

However, few had actually seen it.

Shi Qingruo met Fu Zongshu's stern gaze with a resolute reply, "So, this is, at best, a magic needle, but not one of the Nineteen Divine Needles."

Fu Zongshu's expression grew even colder, "What grounds do you draw for such an assertion?"

"Indeed, I also wonder why Madam Shi could make such a judgment, having just arrived here."

Upon hearing this, Fu Zongshu's domineering expression froze for a moment, but then quickly calmed down as he recalled his current location. Turning, he saw Zhuge Shenhou, with a cold heart, arrive, seemingly to support his suspected disciple.

But before Zhuge Shenhou could even enter, Shi Qingruo had suddenly pulled a golden tube from her sleeve and pulled the trigger of a spring crossbow.

No one had expected her to act so suddenly.

Fu Zongshu's expression changed, and he was enveloped in a black light.

Master Black Light's sudden surge of true energy transformed into a wave of air, sweeping the string of hair-thin silver needles aside. They brushed past Fu Zongshu's ear and lodged in the doorframe behind him.

Fu Zongshu, visibly furious after escaping death, roared with rage, "Capture her!"

"Wait!" Zhuge Shenhou shouted immediately.

Before the Prime Minister's retainers could respond to the order, Zhuge Shenhou had already transformed and extended his hand to block Shi Qingruo's path.

Fu Zongshu gritted his teeth and shouted, "Zhuge Xiaohua, this gangster leader assassinated an imperial official over a disagreement. It's clear to both you and me. What else do you have to say?"

He had only intended to eliminate two of the Misty Heaven Alliance's ally, but since Shi Qingruo was willing to take such a risk to attack him, he wouldn't hesitate to cut off the source of the trouble!

"Give it to me—"

"Why are you so anxious, Prime Minister Fu? I just wanted to verify for you that this thing is indeed not a magic needle from the Nineteen Divine Needles. I haven't pulled the trigger on your head, so why are you so anxious?"

Facing the blades pointed at her, Shi Qingruo even leisurely blew a breath at the cylinder that emitted the magic needle before continuing.

"You don't have to be so wary of me. Everyone in the martial arts world knows that the Divine Demon Flying Needle is flawed and can't fire a second one in a short time. Since the Prime Minister was able to dodge the flying needle attack last night, and I can't fire a better one, why should I gamble my life on such a thankless task?"

She raised her chin. "Please, retrieve the needle from the door."

Because Lengxue arrived later and was closest to the other end, he had already pushed aside the guards in front of Fu Zongshu and walked to the door. He quickly retrieved the flying needle and presented it to Shi Qingruo.

Shi Qingruo nodded and said, "Thank you."

Lengxue responded silently. He seemed to have more to say, but thinking about the situation, he swallowed it all back and stood aside.

He watched as Shi Qingruo handed the newly retrieved flying needle, along with the ones he had found in the Prime Minister's Residence, to Wuqing.

"In your opinion, Chief Constable Wuqing, what is the difference between these two flying needles?"

Wuqing examined them intently.

The deadly poison from the Nineteen Human Demons clung to the needles' surfaces. Despite the violent collisions and impacts, it showed little sign of fading.

This made the two silver needles appear virtually identical.

But upon closer inspection...

he let out a soft "Huh!" and his gaze shifted.

He noticed that the tip of the newly launched Divine Demon Flying Needle had a few barely visible black dots, clearly different from the other two.

Seeing that he had made a discovery, Shi Qingruo explained, "Since I possess a hidden weapon like the Peacock Feather, I naturally have some knowledge of various renowned mechanics, including Benjamin, the maker of the Nineteen Divine Needles."

She suddenly looked up again, meeting Fu Zongshu's gaze. "If Fu Xiang knew more about the affairs of the martial arts world, he would have heard of him. His nickname is 'One Line to See the Sky.' It's not because his hidden weapon can blind people, but because his eyes are so small that they look as if they're constantly squinting."

Fu Zongshu's face darkened slightly, but perhaps the original purple color wasn't attractive. "So what?"

"Some say this man has lightning-fast eyes, able to piece together hidden weapons at lightning speed, even in the dark. But I've also heard that, precisely because of his limited vision, he often leaves a tiny flaw when crafting his hidden weapons—" "A

seemingly insignificant flaw."

Even the Nineteen Divine Needles of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were no exception.

Because so few people have witnessed the divine needles in action, this flaw is largely unknown. But Shi Qingruo, an outlier who had come into contact with them, happened to be one of them.

She knew the power of the Nineteen Divine Needles and asked Sikong Zhaixing to steal them from Wen Xue'an in advance. She also knew what the most likely mistake would be if someone wanted to disguise themselves as this thing and attack.

She put aside the golden tube in her hand that could no longer fire continuously, and said to Fu Zongshu with interest: "I think the Prime Minister has understood what I mean. Otherwise, he is not worthy to stand in front of the ministers. The flying needles that appeared last night were at best made according to the standards of magic needles, and perhaps they were made by the same family, but they could never have been shot out from the nineteen magic needles held by Wuqing or Sikong Zhaixing. In that case--" "

So what?" Fu Zongshu was startled by Shi Qingruo's swift action, and was caught off guard by this well-reasoned excuse, but when he saw that she wanted to use this to get rid of the crime, he immediately retorted.

"Magic needles are not easy to forge. I'm afraid only two people in Bianjing possess this skill."

Fu Zongshu smirked. "One is Chief Constable Wuqing, a master of hidden weapons, and the other is none other than the master's wife who previously commissioned the Misty Heaven Alliance to forge the Peacock Feather. Who knows if this flaw was left behind just to exonerate her right now?"

Shi Qingruo's previous use of the hidden weapon had thoroughly offended him. So why wouldn't he, after all this detour, still pin the blame on the Divine Marquisate and the Misty Heaven Alliance?

But even as he spoke, he couldn't help but curse inwardly.

The woman who had sought their cooperation, who clearly claimed to be the Tang Sect's foremost expert and hadn't slacked off in her skills even after defecting, had left such a significant flaw?

Shi Qingruo curled her lips. "You're trying to convict us with a story like this, nobody knows. We'll be laughed at if you tell anyone. With a figure as renowned as the Prime Minister, the assassin wouldn't mind bringing weapons from outside Bianjing, would they?"

She emphasized the words "renowned," and though her tone wasn't unusual, her expression seemed to reveal a hint of sarcasm.

Although the situation was supposed to be serious, Lu Xiaofeng suddenly felt the urge to laugh, even chuckling softly.

Fu Zongshu was furious. "You..."

"What do you mean by 'I'? It's easy to find a pretext to accuse someone. If the Prime Minister's Mansion has invited the Divine Marquisate to assist in the investigation, and you still maintain this attitude, I think the late emperor should seriously consider why he chose you to assist him."

Shi Qingruo's words pierced Fu Zongshu's heart.

Before he could speak, however, a voice drifted closer from outside, until a rather plump figure stood between Shi Qingruo and Fu Zongshu.

"Hey, hey, hey, can you guys listen to me first?"

Shi Qingruo glanced at Zhuge Shenhou and saw no unusual expression on his face. He probably expected the sudden appearance of Zhu Yueming, the Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Justice.

Zhu Yueming was known for his ruthlessness, and even when working in a place as offensive as the Ministry of Justice, he was rarely blamed. Now, with a kind smile on his face, squeezing in between them with his plump figure, he seemed to be playing a mediating role.

He stroked his chin, glanced at both sides, and said with a smile, "Since this case has yet to be concluded, the Prime Minister is an official appointed by the imperial court, and Madam Shi is the leader of the Misty Heaven Alliance. They each hold considerable status in the court and underworld of Bianjing. Why don't we—"

"How about both sides take a step back?"

...

Ye Gucheng raised his eyelids, watching the figure pacing before him

. He felt annoyed and warned, "When I taught you swordsmanship, the first step was patience. You seem to have taken my advice completely to heart." "How dare you say that?" the young man stopped in his tracks and demanded angrily.

But when he met Ye Gucheng's frosty gaze, he shuddered and abruptly shut his mouth.

Considering that they were, after all, master and disciple, his question was truly rude. To prevent their grand plan from being disrupted by Ye Gucheng's lack of cooperation, he suppressed his anger and apologized to Ye Gucheng.

But after his apology, he muttered grimly, "I wasn't wrong. Previously, we needed you, Master, to pay a visit to the Misty Heaven Alliance. Either to gain insights from the items left by Guan Qi, so we could stop Zhuge Shenhou and the others when necessary, or to direct everyone in Bianjing's attention there, distracting them from our actions. But you failed to do either."

Ye Gucheng, easily persuaded by Shi Qingruo's two choices, returned with the news like a slap in the face.

If it weren't possible to remedy the situation, the young man pacing the room earlier would have wanted to ask what kind of face the Misty Heaven Alliance's Saint Master's wife had, to have tricked Ye Gucheng into such a situation.

The fading light streaming in from outside illuminated the young man's features, but it couldn't dispel the calculation and gloom.

If it weren't for their distinct temperament, one might almost suspect the man standing before Ye Gucheng was none other than the young emperor sitting on the dragon throne!

But a closer look revealed that, while their facial features were similar, the young man before Ye Gucheng lacked the bearing of a superior. Furthermore, his impatience and arrogance at the moment marred the handsomeness visible between his features.

This was undoubtedly a completely different person from the young emperor, who simply happened to bear a face resembling his own.

And the presence of someone with such a face in Bianjing City... represented a conspiracy.

He paced the room again, his hands behind his back. "Fortunately, Prime Minister Fu doesn't mind Master's defeat. He believes that choosing a duel with Ximen Chuxue would also achieve our goal."

"Now, due to the assassination of Fu Xiang, the Ministry of Justice has intervened. Both the Divine Marquisate and the Misty Heaven Alliance are under surveillance. At least during the month-long investigation, we can detect any activity ahead of time."

Although he hadn't been able to imprison Wuqing and Sikong Zhaixing directly as Fu Zongshu had originally planned, being able to temporarily place Prime Minister Fu's retainers under surveillance in both places wasn't a complete failure. At most, the results were slightly worse than expected.

It wasn't like Ye Gucheng...

The young man was about to get angry again. "Master, what on earth were you thinking, asking such a question right in front of the Misty Heaven Alliance?"

Was he crazy? He actually asked Guan Qi's wife, the leader of the Misty Heaven Alliance, if she had any intention of remarrying?

If he hadn't known that Ye Gucheng had spent the previous thirty years obsessed with swordsmanship, possessing Baiyun City in the South Seas without showing any signs of indulging in women, he would have suspected that the master's wife, who had convinced a madman to marry, possessed some power far beyond mortal comprehension, and had already incited Ye Gucheng to rebellion.

Yet, faced with this inevitable question, Ye Gucheng's expression remained untouched by worldly detachment. He replied coldly, "I don't need to answer your question. You have what you want, and I have what I pursue. We are merely partners, not superiors or subordinates."

The young man choked again, flicking his sleeves and leaving. If he stayed any longer, he feared Ye Gucheng would either piss him off or freeze him to death.

Before leaving, he uttered only one sentence: "Just know what you're doing."

He felt annoyed, and could only console himself. If Ye Gucheng truly had his eye on that master's wife, and if he made his marriage proposal known to everyone, perhaps he could attract the attention of the experts in Bianjing City in another way, which would also be another way to achieve his goal.

But this... this was truly too absurd!

Ye Gucheng clearly didn't take the young man's outburst to heart. In the silent hall, he slowly drew his black-sheathed longsword from his side.

The gradually sinking sunlight shone on the hair-splitting sword blade, reflecting his jade-white face, as if it were a banished immortal, on the blade.

But suddenly, he seemed to see another face in the shimmering light and shadow like the water surface at dusk.

Ye Gucheng sheathed his sword abruptly and stood up from his original seat, with a flash of surprise and doubt in his eyes.

He was sure that he was not mistaken, that was indeed Shi Qingruo's face. He

had seen her yesterday, and he was not a face-blind person, so he would never forget such a beautiful face.

But the face that flashed in the fleeting light and shadow seemed a little different from yesterday.

He couldn't see her clothes clearly, he could only vaguely see that she had her hair tied up high with a bright red headband in her hair, and the sharpness between her eyebrows was more like a qualified swordsman than what he saw yesterday!

Ye Gucheng closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to see this appearance clearly, but he could only feel that this strange illusion slowly disappeared from his mind.

The servants guarding the door dared not utter a word, merely peering cautiously inside. They watched as the swordsman, a figure resembling a white jade beauty, suddenly opened his eyes and walked out.

"City Lord Ye, you..."

"No need to follow," Ye Gucheng said coldly. Seeing the servant's trembling expression, he added, "Even if the prince asks, I'll tell you so."

He was going out for a walk, and it had nothing to do with anyone else.

Only the swordsman himself knew whether his mind had been disturbed when he held his sword and gazed.

Yet, as he walked through the encroaching night of Bianjing, the wind that had melted the day's heat caressed his cheeks, and his mind gradually calmed, he still couldn't explain several things.

For example, what had been the fleeting vision he had just witnessed?

And why—

as he was about to follow the Prince of the Southern Kingdom to Bianjing City, he instinctively used another sword move, in addition to the Heavenly Immortal Sword Technique he had mastered.

This strike had no power to calm waves; it was even gentle, like the whispers of lovers. Yet, it unexpectedly gave him a glimpse into a realm unlike any he had encountered before.

And when he encountered that unfamiliar face before the Misty Heaven Alliance, the longsword in his hand seemed to tremble silently, clamoring to aid him in striking that blow.

And an emotion, utterly unfamiliar to him, instantly swept through his heart.

It was hard not to instinctively ask, "

Would she be willing to marry again?"

Whether he had grandiose ambitions or wanted to retrace Guan Qi's steps, he was a decisive swordsman and would never let this vexing question linger until the next day.

...

The moon's shadow in the puddled water beneath his feet wavered for a moment,

as if shattered by his careless step, then pieced together again.

Ye Gucheng looked down, and within the swaying ice-white, the face that had repeatedly troubled him emerged once more.

No, almost the moment he saw this scene, he heard a soft laugh from above.

He quickly looked up and saw a figure leaning against the two-story building he was passing. A large royal blue sleeve rested on the railing, and a dazzling face rested on the arm half-exposed within the sleeve. The moonlight made it seem even more unearthly, casting a blue reflection in the puddle of water.

Ye Gucheng finally realized that his casual stroll had led him into the Misty Heaven Alliance.

He had no intention of going deeper, but he didn't know why Shi Qingruo happened to be there and caught him red-handed.

Then, a clear, laughing voice reached his ears: "Did City Lord Ye sleepwalk here, or, having failed to propose marriage, is he seeking murder in the middle of the night?"

The author has something to say:

If Fu Zongshu could be killed so easily now, it wouldn't be such a hassle. The current positioning of this character is similar to the original Fu Zongshu and Cai Jing combined, with the buff of being a trusted minister.

The old turtle who gently scolded him and the young emperor used the turtle to refer to him. It is obvious

. It will be solved, it will be solved slowly.

I will also add more chapters today, see you tomorrow night at 6 o'clock.