“Caw!”
With an unpleasant screech, the huge vulture nearly crashed flat onto the ground.
Lu Qian trembled as he jumped down from the bird’s back, shooting a fierce glare at the vulture, which was twisting its neck in return, glaring just as viciously.
From the northeast corner of Yushun Ward, flying all the way to the Imperial City—that’s about two hundred li.
Throughout the journey, Lu Qian and this massive bird harbored mutual disdain, each filled with the impulse to kill the other.
Lu Qian hated how bumpy the flight was—sometimes rising, sometimes falling—and every few flaps of the wings, the bird would let out some harsh cries, as if Lu Qian had done something to it.
His internal organs felt like they were about to be shaken out.
What kind of unreliable mount was this?
And the big vulture?
It wanted nothing more than to use its butcher’s hook-like massive beak to deal a deadly bite to Lu Qian’s vital spots.
In its entire life, it had never carried such a heavy rider.
Ah, those young eunuchs from Jiuquyuan were much better—each one looking fresh and delicate, with small bodies that seemed almost boneless and fragile.
Carrying them was as light as carrying nothing—how much effort that saved!
“This way, Lord Lu, this way,” a young eunuch in purple robes smiled brightly, easily leaping down from the back of a grand white crane.
He gently patted the crane’s graceful long neck and praised, “Lord Lu looks mighty and imposing; paired with the dignified aura of the Red-topped General, it’s a perfect match!”
Lu Qian and the old vulture both froze for a moment, exchanging a glance before simultaneously turning their heads away, too lazy to respond.
The northeast corner gate of the Imperial City led to the canal bridge that connected to Jiuquyuan.
Long strips of purple brocade silk hung alongside the woods to form a windbreak curtain.
More than two hundred burly men stood outside the curtain, each holding seven or eight iron chains, leading fierce dogs that were fat and muscular, guarding the perimeter.
There were over a thousand ferocious dogs, of quite complex varieties.
Some were wolf-dog hybrids, others purebred mastiffs; some were swift greyhounds, while others were the oldest, traditional native dogs.
Besides these, there were also specially bred or hybrid fierce dogs infused with exotic beast bloodlines—which Lu Qian couldn’t fully recognize.
But no matter their breed or size, all one thousand to nearly two thousand fierce dogs shared one thing in common: jet black coats, without a single stray hair of a different color.
Lu Qian’s mouth twitched.
He recalled that a few days ago at the palace banquet in Jiuquyuan, the Lancang King had boasted about using a mixture of black dog blood and boy’s urine to severely injure a female ghost.
Black dogs ward off evil...
Here, almost two thousand black dogs were gathered—were they preparing to collect the blood on site?
Apart from the men leading the fierce dogs, nearly ten thousand tall soldiers over eight feet in height, clad in heavy armor and holding long spears and halberds, stood around the woods.
They were the elite Yulin army.
What left Lu Qian dumbfounded was that all these Yulin soldiers’ weapons were smeared with fresh, dripping blood.
The cold wind blew, freezing the blood into sheets of bloody ice.
Tsk...
Could this blood all be from black dogs?
The wind-blocking curtain had a doorway veil lifted.
A round-faced official fish, Yu Changle, beamed happily and poked his head out.
“Hey, Lu Qian is here! Come inside, come inside. ‘Drink a few cups’ of hot tea before heading out. His Majesty has been anxiously waiting.”
Lu Qian hurried inside the windbreak curtain.
Inside the enclosure made of brocade silk, Yin Yuan was wrapped in a thick silver bear fur coat, wearing a tall bear fur hat.
Surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids, he sat on an embroidered stool sipping tea.
Four large braziers inside the curtain burned charcoal shaped like various exotic beasts, emitting a fierce red glow.
Inside, there wasn’t a trace of cold air; if anything, it felt oppressively warm, like late spring heat.
Lu Qian quickly walked over and saluted Yin Yuan: “Your Majesty!”
Yin Yuan pointed to a brocade-covered stool beside him: “Sit, Lu Qian. I have questions for you!”
Lu Qian sat down steadily on the brocade stool, accepted a teacup shyly offered by a palace maid, and said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, please ask whatever you wish.”
Yin Yuan blinked rapidly, dragging out his words: “This question concerns my safety tonight. You cannot hold back any secrets and must answer truthfully. Hmm, first, drink tea.”
Lu Qian’s heart sank slightly.
He hastily took a sip of tea dregs and stood up: “Your Majesty, ask freely. I will not hide anything and will speak frankly.”
Yin Yuan nodded satisfied: “A few days ago, when you raided the two coffin shops at Fengdiao Ward, you shot and injured a female ghost... You told Luo Qingzhou that you are a boy with child’s purity and that you smeared your boy’s blood on the spearhead to severely injure that ghost? Hmm, drink tea, fill it up!”
The palace maid hurriedly refilled Lu Qian’s cup.
Lu Qian gave a dry laugh, gulped another large mouthful, and nodded: “Yes, that is so. I did use my own blood to smear the spearhead, so...”
Yin Yuan’s gaze grew extremely subtle.
Inside the curtain, Yu Changle, the young eunuchs, palace maids, and several heavily armored Yulin generals all looked at Lu Qian with strange expressions.
Yin Yuan sipped his tea, pursed his lips: “Now, is that still true? Oh, don't just sit there. Drink tea, drink tea, it’s good tea.”
Lu Qian’s face flushed slightly as he chuckled dryly: “Your Majesty, I still am.”
He took another large sip, and the palace maid quickly refilled his cup.
“Good!” Yin Yuan put down his cup, clapped his hands excitedly: “I said it—though the Great Yin Dynasty has fallen into moral decay, the nobles indulge in extravagance, and the soldiers run wild—among the vast Haojing City, there really isn’t a single good person. Hmm, drink tea!”
Lu Qian drank.
Yin Yuan stood up, pacing around the embroidered stool excitedly: “Ah, Lu Qian, I was not wrong about you. The great Haojing, so huge in scale! Fill it up, drink tea.”
Lu Qian drank.
“The forty-two founding duke houses, the twenty-six rising duke houses, as well as the founding marquises and later marquises, three hundred seventy-five marquises in total, over a thousand counts, viscounts, and barons, plus so many royal clans, princely houses, and even princess residences after marriage... drink tea, drink tea, it’s bitterly cold, have more.”
Lu Qian drank.
“Oh yes, and also the deputy agencies and the Yulin army I control. Drink.”
Lu Qian drank.
“About the deputy agencies, I can’t say if Old Yu and the others are truly pure boys, I dare not bet. Drink.”
Lu Qian drank.
“The underworld contacts recruited by the deputy agencies—Old Yu checked recently, unsurprisingly, none of them are clean! Eh, don’t just sit there, drink.”
Lu Qian drank.
“The Yulin army... I never expected this either. With over a million Yulin troops, and when I pay their wages, it’s for them to support their parents and families, not to gamble and debauch themselves! Drink tea.”
Lu Qian drank.
“In this massive Haojing City, with so many noble families and the soldiers under my command, you’re the only one who’s truly usable! Fill it up.”
Lu Qian drank.
“Never expected, truly never expected. Old Yu secretly checked everything—among all these royal and noble households, direct and collateral relatives over thirteen years old who have cultivation at the Broad Pulse stage—no, more precisely, among the boys with child’s purity, you’re the only one! Drink again.”
Lu Qian...
“I thought, with such a huge Haojing, we could at least find some noble heirs useful tonight! Oh, drink tea.”
Lu Qian...
“Never expected, really disappointing, so disappointing! Hmm, have another cup.”
Lu Qian’s teacup wobbled in his shaking hand as he twisted his face toward Yin Yuan.
Was this a compliment?
It had to be.
Also, his stomach felt a little full.
No matter how good his martial cultivation or how miraculous his visualization charts, that’s just how big his belly was!
“You, Lu Qian, are the unique oddity among all the noble families of Haojing City! Drink tea!”
Lu Qian sipped.
Turning around, Yin Yuan looked at Lu Qian with fervent eyes and a happy smile: “Among all noble heirs in Haojing with cultivation at the Broad Pulse stage who are still boys, there’s only you! Drink tea... Oh, this pot is empty? Keep on brewing!”
“There are all those noble heirs—too young or too weak to be useful, no use.”
“Those older and cultivated to Broad Pulse stage are no longer pure boys—no use.”
“Only you, Lu Qian, you’re the one and only shoot in Haojing. In the future, keep yourself pure. Remember? Stay away from brothels, pleasure boats, and shady places.”
Yin Yuan smiled brightly: “When you get older, I’ll help you pick a good princess from the royal family to marry. Until then, maintain purity. What should be maintained, must be maintained!”
Lu Qian’s mouth twitched fiercely—he felt that Yin Yuan’s words were off.
“Your Majesty, you summoned me today just for this…”
The boy with child’s purity, Lu Qian, pondered Yin Yuan’s words, feeling the tone was strange.
“Well, the Empress Dowager set a big operation tonight—ghost hunting,” Yin Yuan’s face twitched.
He folded his hands behind his back, glanced at the sky, and murmured, “If she wants to catch ghosts, fine. Probably now she’s scared at the last moment and wants me to sit with her.”
“She says she’ll use the Son of Heaven’s energy to suppress the evil spirits.”
“I’m scared myself, trembling inside. Do I really have the Son of Heaven’s energy on me? Haven’t noticed. Can any of you see the Son of Heaven’s aura on me?”
Yin Yuan whispered in complaint: “I think she’s thinking—if she can catch those female ghosts tonight, then peace reigns. If not, she wants the whole family to fall together.”
Yu Changle cleared his throat: “Your Majesty!”
Yin Yuan shrugged and crooked his mouth dismissively: “So tonight, Lu Qian, you’re my personal bodyguard. Don’t leave my side for even a step. If there’s a ghost, immediately protect me and get me out.”
“Hmm, drink tea, drink tea!” Yin Yuan laughed, pointing to Lu Qian’s teacup.
A pot of freshly boiled, piping hot tea was brought over.
Lu Qian took a sip.
Yin Yuan hurriedly ordered a palace maid to refill Lu Qian’s cup and continued urging: “Drink tea, drink tea. This tea is from wild mountain tea of the great wetlands of the Southern Barbarian Province, quite rare. Good for strengthening the body. I drink it often. The concubines at Jiuquyuan say it’s very effective.”
“Drink more, drink more. Here, there’s still a big pot—drink it all.”
Lu Qian looked at the cup nervously and glanced at Yin Yuan, dry laughing: “Such a big pot of tea? Your Majesty, this is...”
Yin Yuan looked straight at Lu Qian and said frankly: “Drink more tea, feel the movement in your belly, and hold it in!”
“Afterwards, come with me into the palace. If you see a female ghost, first pour a fresh hot cup of boy’s urine in her face. Your Royal Uncle has personally tested this—definitely miraculous.”
“Outside we have those black dogs, ha!”
Seeing Lu Qian’s face twist in bewilderment, Yin Yuan quickly added, “Haha, it’s better to be prepared, a backup plan. What if the female ghosts are especially fierce tonight, and even black dog’s blood won’t work?”
“Your Royal Uncle prepared dozens of vats of boy’s urine, but I think freshly made is stronger than pre-collected, right?”
Yin Yuan laughed awkwardly.
Lu Qian felt awkward too.
If what Yin Yuan said really happened, Lu Qian would have to, in the palace among countless nobles, relieve himself in a torrent...
This might be unprecedented, probably a unique historical record.
Who knew how the official histories would record it?
The northeast corner gate of the Imperial City slowly opened.
Yin Yuan’s face twisted as he watched the palace gates swing wide open.
He let out a heavy sigh, then lowered his head and, looking like a defeated general of a routed army, reluctantly trudged through the gate.
(End of Chapter)