SS CH42

Lu Mingyuan felt this girl was not simple.

They had been fumbling around blindly like blind cats, nearly exposing themselves several times, deeply feeling that if they kept rushing about frantically, they would likely become dead cats before ever stumbling upon a dead mouse, so Lu Mingyuan took action when no one was looking and dragged back a live prisoner.

The lackeys of the Soul Burial Palace must have been tortoises in their past lives; even when the scholar worked himself into a rabid dog, he couldn’t bite open their tightly clamped shells. At the critical moment, Qin Lanchang had to step in herself, yanking the man’s chin up, forcing him to look her dead in the eye.

Standing behind her, Lu Mingyuan couldn’t see exactly what she did, only knowing that within a few breaths, the man who had just been unyieldingly brave acted as if he were possessed, spilling everything about the layout of the underground palace like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube, not even omitting the guard rotations.

The girl is only in her early teens, hardly old enough to bewitch a man with seduction, Lu Mingyuan pondered, suddenly thinking of a specific martial arts technique—The Soul-Absorbing Method.

Though he lacked extensive experience roaming the martial world, he had grown up in the Martial Arts Division of Sanmei Academy, which possessed no shortage of records regarding the martial community, the Soul-Absorbing Method only warranted a few brief mentions in those texts, and it was a wonder he even remembered it from a fleeting glance while hunting for leisure reading years ago.

This technique was classified as an unorthodox art and was divided into three layers, the first layer merely offered the power of suggestion, the second could hypnotize a person’s consciousness and take the opportunity to extract information, the third completely beguiled the mind, capable of forcing others to be used at one’s whim.

Though the Soul-Absorbing Method had only three layers, it was not exclusive to a single lineage, many sects in the martial world possessed its manuals in their collections, however, achieving success in it was no easy feat, looking across the entire martial world, those who could reach the second layer were few, and those at the third layer could be counted on one’s fingers.

This girl was merely a youth, yet she had already caught a preliminary glimpse of the second layer, he could not begin to guess what kind of supreme master could have raised such a descendant.

As these thoughts whirled in his mind, Qin Lanchang finished her interrogation, out of mercy, knocking the man unconscious and hiding him in a corner, saying, “This guy doesn’t know where your Master is locked up either, what do we do now?”

“They went to such immense lengths to capture my Master, they will naturally keep him in the most critical location,” Lu Mingyuan said, “Miss Qin, are you afraid?”

Qin Lanchang had been wild and lawless since childhood, even though she had learned to be more cautious after suffering losses, she was still brimming with courage, she lifted her chin immediately: “Afraid of what? Speak your mind.”

“We go to the gunpowder depot, take out the thunder-fire bombs and blow the place up,” Lu Mingyuan said nonchalantly, as if he were merely talking about accidentally overturning a table, “Once chaos erupts in the underground palace, their only options will be to hunt for the intruders or rush to report to their leader, if I’m not mistaken, that Hall Master White Tiger should currently be engaged in a deep conversation with my Master, otherwise, with us knocking people out all along the way, it’s impossible that we haven’t run into any formidable experts.”

For all of Qin Lanchang’s audacious boldness, she was utterly stunned on the spot by this scholar’s astonishing proposal.

Looking at her pale face, Lu Mingyuan assumed the young girl had finally learned fear, so scratching his face through his mask, he spoke in a gentle, warm tone: “This is highly dangerous, I will go blow up the thunder-fire bombs in a moment, you should take advantage of the chaos and run away immediately. I can see your martial arts are quite good, and your insights and courage aren’t things an ordinary, small household could cultivate, as long as you can escape this underground palace and reunite with your family, Xiao Yangu won’t trouble you in the short term. This place of peril is no place to linger, you…”

This incessant nagging snapped Qin Lanchang back to reality, she kicked Lu Mingyuan’s leg and said, “Shut up, let’s go!”

Lu Mingyuan: “Uh, do you need me to escort you?”

Qin Lanchang was thoroughly helpless against this scholar who fluctuated between brilliance and stupidity: “I’ll go steal the thunder-fire bombs and stir up trouble, you take the opportunity to find your Master.”

Lu Mingyuan immediately objected: “No, how can a proper man allow a young lady to face danger at the forefront?”

Qin Lanchang curled her lip, she wasn’t particularly keen on giving Lu Mingyuan an easy task either, but the truth was, even wrapped in these black guard clothes, she looked completely out of place, unless Xiao Yangu was blind, she would recognize her at a single glance, that wouldn’t be looking for a person, it would be looking for death.

Too lazy to argue with him, Qin Lanchang crouched low and darted out, leaving behind only a single sentence: “Just get lost already!”

…

When Xiao Yangu stepped into the room, Ruan Feiyu was in the middle of writing.

Under the shifting shadows of the candlelight, against the white paper and black ink, the elderly man of cold and elegant demeanor calmly dipped his brush, looking closer, Xiao Yangu realized that what he was writing were all names.

To be precise, they were the names of the dead, from the implementation of the reforms until now, countless people had died for the cause, among them were those who opposed him, and those who had sacrificed their lives and property for him. Every single event, every single person, regardless of the scale of the matter or the height of their status, he surprisingly knew them all inside out, remembering them with absolute clarity.

Xiao Yangu’s gaze landed on the top two names—Qin Hebai, Gu Zheng.

She smiled radiantly and said, “You have an excellent memory, Sir, with so many lives on your hands, you actually still remember their names.”

Ruan Feiyu set down his brush, saying, “As one grows old, one always likes to reminisce about the past, it is better this way, lest one doesn’t even know who they are dreaming of when they wake from a nightmare.”

“You remain deeply attached to old acquaintances, Sir, but do you care nothing for the people currently around you?” Xiao Yangu glanced at the food and soup on the table, which had already been touched, “Seeing how well you’ve adapted here, Sir, I almost feel a bit of pity for that young gentleman trapped in the dungeon.”

The food had been laced with a debilitating drug, lacking strength in his body, Ruan Feiyu didn’t bother to stand up, smiling faintly: “Your esteemed palace went to such immense lengths, surely it wasn’t just to stew a pot of bone soup for me. Since that is the case, Mingyuan should currently be safe from mortal peril.”

Xiao Yangu laughed: “You are a clever man, Sir, in that case, shouldn’t you proffer your thanks first?”

Ruan Feiyu lifted his eyelids slightly: “To thank you, young lady, for slaughtering the Lingying Guards who came to escort me, as well as my twelve disciples?”

“I wouldn’t dare claim that.” Xiao Yangu tapped her lip with a single finger, “What I want you to thank me for, Sir, is the grace of saving your life.”

Ruan Feiyu raised an eyebrow: “Oh?”

“To tell you the truth, ever since the imperial edict was proclaimed to the world, the enemies you’ve accumulated over the years have all stirred upon hearing the wind, along the main roads and small paths leading back to the Imperial Capital, people are waiting with drawn blades for you, Sir. If my Soul Burial Palace hadn’t struck first to secure you, you likely wouldn’t have lived to see today.”

Ruan Feiyu lowered his gaze, his tone faltering slightly: “To think there would be such unbridled audacity?”

Scanning his expression, Xiao Yangu pressed on, saying, “You possess a mind of seven apertures, Sir, you see things more clearly than anyone, I won’t speak in riddles then, but I must first ask one thing… Sir, do you truly believe the young Emperor genuinely intends to reinstate you?”

Ruan Feiyu expressed surprise: “The Son of Heaven’s words are golden, and he has issued an imperial decree to proclaim it to the world, how could it be false?”

“Proclaimed to the world… Heh, therein lies the rub.” Xiao Yangu’s eyes gleamed: “If the Emperor truly intended to heavily employ you, why would he make such a massive fanfare out of it, placing you at the absolute center of the world’s storms and drawing hidden arrows from all four directions to hunt you down?”

Ruan Feiyu watched her without speaking, Xiao Yangu continued: “Now that the implementation of the New Law has passed its most treacherous phase, everything merely awaits refinement and the handling of aftermaths, furthermore, you are already advanced in years, Sir, to the Emperor, you are no longer an indispensable pillar of the state, his actions are merely…”

“Hall Master Xiao possesses exceptional perception and remarkable eloquence, but it is a pity you were born a woman and cannot enter the court to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the hundred officials,” Ruan Feiyu suddenly interrupted her, “However, people of the martial world had best not blindly debate court politics, lest they invite ruin upon themselves.”

Xiao Yangu covered her mouth and giggled: “People like us are already plagued by trouble, what is there left to fear? On the other hand, you, Sir, knowing full well that you’ve been turned into a decoy by the sovereign, can still remain completely at ease, it truly forces one to admire you.”

A gust of wind blew past, causing Ruan Feiyu to cough twice, saying, “Knowing full well the gravity of what lies behind this, why does the Soul Burial Palace still choose to meddle?”

“The Soul Burial Palace is a place that executes tasks on behalf of others, and this time is naturally no exception.” Xiao Yangu picked up the piece of paper covered in names and brought it close to the candle flame, her eyes reflecting the burning glow, “The Emperor wants to use your bones as a stepping stone to consolidate his New Law, but naturally, there are also those who revere you, Sir, and cannot bear to watch a hero meet his end.”

“There are many in this world who wish for this old man to die, but few who want to keep me alive.” Ruan Feiyu pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled, “Is it… Second Master?”

A corner of the paper had already caught fire, Xiao Yangu blinked: “You truly have an excellent memory, Sir. It is precisely that old friend of yours.”

“I dare not claim such high status, I dare not!” Ruan Feiyu waved his hand, his coughing intensifying.

Xiao Yangu said, “Second Master said, ‘The birds are gone, the bow is hidden; the hounds are cooked once the hares are dead—this has been the truth since ancient times. Yet, returning kindness is also basic human nature,’ he received your favor all those years ago, and now he does not wish to see you meet a tragic end in your old age, he asks that you grant him an opportunity to make amends for the errors of these past years.”

With that, she placed a jade pendant on the table, it was made of the finest mutton-fat nephrite, but it had clearly been shattered in the past, though it had been painstakingly repaired by master craftsmen, fine, intricate fracture lines could still be seen upon closer inspection.

Ruan Feiyu picked up the piece of jade and fell into a long silence, until Xiao Yangu assumed he would not answer, before he finally spoke slowly, letting slip a deep sigh: “Second Master is a mindful person.”

A surge of joy rose in Xiao Yangu’s heart, but before she could let out a smile, she heard him continue calmly: “…Just as he was all those years ago.”

Her unborn smile froze solid on her face, as though someone had rudely painted an awkward stroke across a beautiful mask.

After a moment, the corners of her mouth twitched, saying, “Sir, you have always been one who understands how to adapt to current circumstances.”

Ruan Feiyu put away the jade pendant and looked at the paper that had already reduced to ash, saying faintly, “The living will die, the past becomes wind, among the figures under heaven, there is none who does not change.”

The smile entirely vanished from Xiao Yangu’s face, she said gloomily, “Sir, just as you said, there are many who want your life. But right now, the only one willing to protect you—and capable of protecting you—is Second Master.”

Ruan Feiyu smiled slightly: “This old man also said: the living always die.”

Xiao Yangu clenched her fists secretly, though she forced another smile onto her face after a moment: “Do you not worry for your disciple, Sir?”

“Mingyuan has already passed the age of twenty, it is the time for him to stand tall between heaven and earth.” Ruan Feiyu’s fingers brushed over the ashes that were gradually losing their warmth, his expression completely indifferent, “When this old man was his age, I already dared to pluck whiskers from a tiger’s head.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yangu’s expression twisted drastically, her glamorous features erupting with murderous aura, she glared fixedly at Ruan Feiyu, then suddenly barked, “Someone, come!”

A man in black pushed open the door and entered, bowing: “What are your orders, Hall Master?”

“Where is Lu Mingyuan? Bring him here!”

The man in black hesitated for a moment, saying, “Replying to the Hall Master, this subordinate already dispatched men to retrieve him. It’s just… for some reason, they haven’t returned yet…”

Before his words could completely fall, a massive explosion echoed from outside, it sounded as though gunpowder had detonated, causing the entire underground palace to shudder violently twice. Immediately following the blast, a massive uproar erupted, the faint sounds of shouting and fighting echoed down the halls, indicating that someone had launched a sudden ambush, throwing the entire place into chaos.

Xiao Yangu’s eyes turned freezing cold, causing the man in black’s spine to go rigid, he hurriedly turned to go outside to investigate the situation, only to slam directly into another masked man rushing in headlong.

The masked man who had burst in was in a wretched state, his clothes ripped open by several deep gashes, he gasped frantically, “H-Horrible news! The two prisoners brought back by the Hall Master have escaped, they somehow located the gunpowder depot and detonated over a dozen thunder-fire bombs!”

Xiao Yangu’s expression warped violently, this place was built entirely underground, relying solely on corridors and load-bearing walls for structural support, detonating gunpowder in such a tightly enclosed subterranean space would bring catastrophic consequences.

“Damn it! Keep a close eye on him!” Xiao Yangu violently shoved her subordinate aside and stormed out the door.

Once she had gone far enough, the first man in black opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly felt a fierce wind rising at the back of his head, in the absolute nick of time drawing his sword to parry, the incoming palm struck the sword blade, the blade remaining completely still while the bare palm was sliced, drawing a line of blood.

Yet, from beneath the black cloth masking his face, fresh blood erupted from his mouth, his eyes bulging out, instantly bloodshot.

Though his body appeared entirely unharmed on the outside, the force of the palm strike had used the sword as a medium to surge directly into his meridians, completely shattering his internal organs.

Striking the cow across the mountain—there was no saving him.

The corpse collapsed silently to the ground, the masked attacker didn’t give him a second look, turning immediately to Ruan Feiyu, speaking in an urgent tone: “Master, quick, follow me!”

The elderly man’s constantly lowered eyes finally lifted, clear and bright as a mountain spring, the attacker was none other than Lu Mingyuan.