Jiu Yin Sect, secret chamber.
The energy cocoon roiled violently, and Duan Fangyu curled up inside it, softly whimpering.
On the sacrificial altar, beneath the statue of the Jiu Yin Ghost Mother, a pair of blood-red embroidered shoes suddenly clattered down onto the floor all on their own.
A cold, eerie female voice softly echoed, “Useless men… to think they actually died? That Precious Flame Essence Pill might as well be fed to dogs.”
The embroidered shoes flew up and landed beside Duan Fangyu.
A wisp of azure smoke rose, revealing a pair of exquisitely beautiful, yet translucent and slightly sinister, half-transparent eyes slowly materializing within it, looking down at Duan Fangyu from above with a commanding gaze.
“The more handsome the man, the more deceitful he is. Heh, heh heh!”
“But, for now, they’re still useful.”
“When strength isn’t enough, rely on external means. Let me see… it seems there’s something that can be of use right now!”
One of the embroidered shoes tumbled, and from inside it, a tiny jade vial shot out.
The cork popped off, and a drop of thick, pitch-black blood serum about the size of a thumbnail slowly writhed as it oozed from the bottle’s mouth bit by bit.
The blood serum fell onto the energy cocoon surrounding Duan Fangyu’s body.
Instantly, the cocoon blackened, then strands of it began fading and merging into Duan Fangyu’s flesh.
Duan Fangyu let out a painful groan.
His body twitched slightly.
Beneath his pale skin, patches of black-gold scales gradually surfaced.
Soon, his entire body became covered in scales, and a single horn slowly grew out from his forehead.
“Men are still unreliable,” the embroidered shoes mumbled resentfully. “Women, women filled with deep hatred. Where can such a woman be found?”
“Hmm?”
“I sense it.”
“Not far off—twisted, jealous, extremely deep hatred… and carrying a pregnancy?”
The two embroidered shoes spun rapidly, their sinister laughter filling the entire secret chamber. “Such good materials, so interesting, hmm?”
Threads of azure smoke floated out from the embroidered shoes, quickly tracing vast intricate runes in the air.
Soft and melodious immortal voices drifted from the runes, stirring a slight whirlwind inside the secret room.
The azure smoke runes flickered, tearing the void bit by bit, revealing a tiny tear about an inch wide.
A snow-white jade flute, with only the blowing end faintly stained crimson, played itself as it flew out from the tear in the void.
The embroidered shoes whirled excitedly, laughing: “Heh heh heh, sister, you’re here?”
The jade flute spun in the air: “I’m here.”
Its tone was extremely cold, exuding a desolate indifference towards all things: “How is the situation?”
Just as the embroidered shoes prepared to speak, a beautifully crafted hairpin composed of seven exquisite rare flowers suddenly shot out from the tiny void slit with a ‘pop’, trailing a faint blood glow.
“Heh heh heh, men? Kill!”
The wondrous hairpin, seemingly made of jade but transparent as glass, flew sharply, its pointed tip aimed straight at the energy cocoon surrounding Duan Fangyu, turning into a streak of blood light plunging down.
The embroidered shoes blocked the hairpin.
With a muffled thud, a burst of chilling energy scattered.
The secret chamber’s heavy stone walls cracked with thousands of fine fractures.
“Little sister, listen to me,” the embroidered shoes whispered softly.
The three sinister objects, exuding cold evil energy, gathered close together, softly whispering to each other.
Within the Nine Curves Courtyard, under bright daylight, inside a grand hall with a white jade pool large enough for a hundred people to bathe in, Yin Yuan and a few of his most favored concubines relaxed in the steaming geothermal hot spring waters.
Bathing in the warm spring, sipping fine wine, with palace maids continuously feeding him various melons and fruits grown in the greenhouses nearby.
Yin Yuan shivered with comfort, “Ah, this is the life a Son of Heaven should have... going ghost hunting in the middle of the night—never ask me to do that again.”
“Hmph, with wind and rain in harmony, the country prosperous and the people at peace, what else do I need besides eating and drinking?”
“Hey, Lao Yu, Lao Yu, the chief inspector of Anle District, have you talked over the price with the General yet?”
Yu Changle quietly entered the hall, standing behind a curtain, whispering with a smile, “Your Majesty, this old servant has agreed on the price with the General. Right now, the General is out in the city searching for interested buyers.”
Just as Yu Changle finished speaking, a young eunuch in purple robes darted in holding a delicate brass tube.
“Your Majesty, Supervisor, news from Duke Tianyang’s side.”
“You little monkey still can’t sit still,” Yu Changle glared at the young eunuch, then snatched the brass tube, withdrawing a small paper scroll and carefully unfolding it.
“News from Duke Tianyang? What happened?” Yin Yuan swallowed some wine and asked casually. “He’s been quiet these past days—has he given Bai Changkong any trouble yet?”
“I heard Bai Changkong is marrying off his granddaughter today. A few days ago, Yu Sandou added his granddaughter’s name to the Imperial Succession Register.”
“I was planning, when his granddaughter shows signs of pregnancy, to spread word far and wide about it.”
“If Bai Changkong really marries off Bai Lu, then about the Succession Register—how will Bai Changkong explain this to me, to the Empress Dowager, and to the world?”
Yu Changle chuckled, “Your Majesty, wishing Bai Lu into the palace is hopeless now. The General probably took money from Bai Changkong, and Bai Lu’s name was changed to Bai Shuang, saying she’s Bai Changkong’s distant niece.”
Yin Yuan cursed under his breath.
With a splash, Yin Yuan angrily stood up, “My uncle is truly good for nothing but trouble... Eh? He took money from Bai Changkong? Bai Changkong’s money makes him change his tune? That can’t be right—Bai Changkong’s known for his incorruptibility…”
Yu Changle smiled knowingly, “Apparently Bai Changkong emptied his family fortune. After all, his legal earnings these years—selling calligraphy, writing books, lecturing—have been substantial. In Haijing City’s Yanzi District, he owns several small estates he’s slowly built up, but he’s pawned them all at the pawnshop. These are all verifiable facts.”
As he spoke, his pupils contracted sharply, his eyes fixating on the paper.
After reading the intelligence three times carefully, Yu Changle slowly said, “Your Majesty, Luo Prefect Shi Wuyou is actually the leader of the Jiu Yin Sect. He infiltrated the Yushun District Investigation Bureau office to assassinate Lu Jian but was killed in turn by Lu Jian. Both his head and the Jiu Yin Sect leader's token were seized by Lu Jian.”
Yin Yuan stood frozen in the jade pool.
“The latest gossip... out now on the Sixth Six Nine Novel Forum!”
“What? What did you say?” Yin Yuan suddenly exploded in rage, slapping the jade pool and sending a giant splash flying. “Send people to Luo Prefecture immediately, as fast as possible. Capture Shi Wuyou’s entire family—I want them wiped out... no, bring them here alive for harsh interrogation!”
Yu Changle hastily responded, waving his hand, causing several young eunuchs to bolt out instantly.
“Also, Lu Jian may have found the place where Bai Changkong hides his stolen funds—uh, those sums Bai Changkong sent to the General’s mansion recently came from there.”
Yu Changle’s expression grew strange.
“Bai Changkong is cautious and formidable in cultivation. Our palace watch has many skilled trackers following him, but they’ve either lost him, found nothing, or he simply vanished.”
“Lu Jian wouldn’t be relying on his agility to personally trail Bai Changkong, would he?”
Yin Yuan shouted, “What did Lu Jian say?”
Yu Changle’s voice dropped low, “He’s leading men to make the most of Bai Changkong’s granddaughter’s ‘Virtuous Gathering and Elegant Harmony’ ceremony—when he’s distracted—and plans to seize all his stolen funds.”
Yin Yuan’s eyes lit up and he laughed heartily, “Excellent! Someone, come change my clothes—I want to see some action.”
Lu Jian, his cultivation spiking and spirit energized, donned the General’s mansion cloak, a deep purple robe embroidered with silver Kunpeng patterns.
He left three hundred elite palace guards to secure the backyard and took out his full retinue: thirty-six Divine Warriors and nearly two thousand palace guards mobilized in all.
As a side note, after being granted a dukedom and three thousand private guards by the Son of Heaven, when Lu Jian visited the Yushun District Investigation Bureau office, homes of dozens of neighbors nearby were forcibly requisitioned by the palace guard.
The three thousand guards and their three thousand blood-hoofed Wuzhui horses were garrisoned in those neighbor’s backyards.
Most neighbors were government officials themselves—who would willingly lend their yards for strangers to camp? But with Lu Jian’s great influence, who dared to disobey?
The cavalry thundered eastward along the main street, passing the Ink Cloud Tower and crossing the big stone bridge over the canal.
After the bridge lay Wuyin District.
The horsemen turned north, galloping less than a quarter-hour to the student’s residence that Bai Changkong had visited that day.
Zhao Yao, monitor at the Ministry of Imperial Household, was an eighth-rank minor official.
In Haijing, there are countless such low-level officials; one stomp and you don’t even know how many you crush.
Zhao Yao had diligently worked at the Ministry for nearly thirty years.
Considering his seniority—and that he was an apprentice of Bai Changkong—among his senior brothers in the court were many high officials at third and fourth rank.
With a little effort, he could have reached fifth rank, or easily sixth or even regular sixth rank.
Yet all these years, Zhao Yao quietly held his eighth-rank post without stir or fuss.
Whenever assigned a task, he never failed.
But don’t expect Zhao Yao to take initiative beyond that.
So for thirty years, Zhao Yao remained an eighth-rank monitor.
His house wasn’t even his own—it was a Ministry public residence.
Lu Jian’s cavalry arrived at Zhao Yao’s gate.
A piercing crane call echoed high above.
A great flock of at least three or four hundred large white cranes spread their wings, blotting out the sky as they surged down to land messily on the street beside the cavalry.
Yin Yuan leapt down from one white crane, excitedly calling out to Lu Jian, “Lu Jian, cut the small talk. The money... no, the stolen funds—where are they?”
Dressed in plain clothes, cracking his knuckles, his eyes shining at Lu Jian, only his good looks kept him from looking like a common highway bandit clutching a torch and a big knife.
Seeing Yin Yuan like this, Lu Jian could only shake his head helplessly, waving forward, “Break through quickly. Win fast and clean—don’t give them a chance to resist or escape!”
With a loud shout, Ah Hu grabbed his Demon-Subduing Mace and charged ahead.
Holding the mace like a battering ram, Ah Hu slammed it hard against Zhao Yao’s large gate.
The whole door with the adjacent seven or eight zhang-long section of wall crumbled with a thunderous crash, bricks and debris pouring into Zhao Yao’s front yard like a torrential rain.
Lu Jian’s legion of palace guards and cavalry whistles blew, rushing in behind Ah Hu.
Suddenly, Yin Yuan’s eyes lit up upon seeing Ah Hu.
He clapped his hands in admiration: “What a mighty man… but I wonder, is he still a virgin?”
(End of chapter)