Chapter 1207: The Little Flower Hairpin

Chapter 1207: The Little Flower Hairpin

At a private garden called Old Oriole Lake in the outer city, the crowd today was a real mixed bag.

A yellow-clad youth wearing a green jade crown feigned surprise, letting out a "wow," and praised in Haoran Elegant Speech: "Truly a beauty emerging from a bath. Oh, I'm mistaken, it's a guy with the goods."

Wei Jia, looking like a drowned rat, had been hauled out of the water by the head steward. Putting aside his family background, he was just an ordinary young man who, among commoners, could be considered physically strong—neither able to endure the hardships of martial arts training nor blessed with the fortune to cultivate immortal arts. Lucky it wasn't winter, or it would have been even worse. Wei Jia waved his hand, refusing the old man's help and not bothering to change into dry clothes. The other party had shown some restraint in making their move, but a piercing pain still twisted in his abdomen like a churning sea. Still, Wei Jia could grit his teeth and bear it.

Wei Jia stared fixedly at a burly man beside the yellow-clad youth, who carried a long knife in a green sheath. That bastard was the one who had suddenly attacked him.

The other party merely glanced sideways at Wei Jia. The burly man curled his lip slightly. "What, do you ordinary folks in the Great Li capital think you can kill with just a glare?"

Wei Jia was so furious he laughed instead.

The yellow-clad youth didn't take Wei Jia seriously at all. While Young Master Wei was floundering like a wild duck, he broke off a few willow twigs and wove them into a ring, twirling it on his finger as he chuckled. "Among you lot here, besides this Great Master Wei, is there anyone who can speak Haoran Elegant Speech? We don't know the Great Li official language, and we're worried that Master Wei might fabricate slander. Don't all hide yourselves. If you want to watch the excitement, just come out of your rooms. If you're bold enough, don't just stay in the waterside pavilions. Walk along the willow-shaded lake path and come over here for a closer look."

Silence all around.

The yellow-clad youth curled his lip. Wasn't it said that the people of the Great Li Dynasty were fierce and martial?

An ancient-looking Taoist standing in the willow shade on the opposite side of the lake cast a glance toward the yellow-clad youth.

The burly man used sound condensation to warn him: "Your Highness, this Taoist is at least at the Jade Pure Realm."

The yellow-clad youth frowned slightly. "There are only so many Upper Five Realm cultivators in Bottle Gourd Continent. Could he be a Taoist from Cloud Soaring Palace? That could be troublesome."

In the south of Bottle Gourd Continent, within the borders of the former White Frost Dynasty, there was Cloud Soaring Palace. Its Heavenly Lord, Cao Rong, had now reached the Flying Ascension Realm. More importantly, Cao Rong seemed to be a direct disciple of that Lu Sect Leader of the White Jade Capital.

The yellow-clad youth asked with a smile, "Gao Shi, never mind the old Taoist's lineage background for now. If you were to fight him one-on-one, what are your chances?"

The burly man named Gao Shi pressed his palm against the knife handle, spread his fingers, and gently twisted his wrist. With a cold smirk, he said, "If that Taoist isn't an immortal, then whether we live or die will depend on how good his escape arts are."

Li Ba, whose Taoist name was Cuizhang, didn't care about the youth at all, and he wasn't even concerned about the knife-wielding martial grandmaster. What he cared about most was a woman with lifeless eyes.

She stood at the back of the group, yet she still drew attention, for she had an unusual appearance: tall stature, coiled serpent hair bun, wearing a palace robe with wide sleeves.

Her sleeves hung past her knees, and she stood with a loose, relaxed posture.

Her face was abnormally pale. To put it bluntly, her complexion was almost like that of a hanged corpse. But if you overlooked her sickly skin, she was actually quite striking.

Although Li Ba kept a calm expression, he was inwardly shocked. If it really was her... how could she have left the mountain?

As for the knife-wielding man's Summit Realm, Li Ba wasn't particularly wary. He often dealt with Xi Man, another retainer of their master, by using spells against him. Huang Man didn't bother with Xi Man, and Gong Yan wasn't willing either, so Xi Man had to come to Li Ba. Thus, Li Ba felt he had some experience dealing with Ninth Realm martial artists.

What truly made Li Ba stop in his tracks was that woman. He still couldn't figure out why she had appeared.

Nowadays, the most criticized thing about Li Ba was his friendship with Wanyan Laojing. So much so that even though he was the nation's master and founder of the Qingzhang Taoist Academy, Li Ba still had to resign from his post as national master and leave his homeland in disgrace. It was precisely because Li Ba was too deeply entangled with the mundane world that he understood the true meaning of "many tongues can melt metal, accumulated feathers can sink a boat." He had no choice but to leave Golden Armor Continent. After much deliberation, he finally decided to take refuge in the Eastern Sea Water Mansion. Li Ba happened to be proficient in an ancient Taoist secret art called the Dragon Supporting Technique.

Because of this, Li Ba could tell that the yellow-clad youth was of royal blood, with a hefty amount of dragon aura on him. Even if a master had used secret techniques to conceal his aura, it was still hard to completely hide it.

Could she possibly be here for their group?

Earlier, Hong Chongben, styled Mr. Yu Lu, and the "youth" Xu Mi, who was actually from the Shangzhuguo Yuan clan, had exchanged glances with Liu Xianyang and Gu Can. They happened to be here too. The moment they heard the commotion outside, Xu Mi immediately left the room and went to the waterside pavilion to "view the scenery." Xu Mi, with her delicate features, dressed as a young man—it couldn't fool Gu Can and Liu Xianyang, but it was more than enough to deceive the capital's maidens.

Hong Chongben sat on a goose-neck chair. Xu Mi looked toward the Yi number courtyard and sneered, "That youth speaks with such a sarcastic tone. He's truly repulsive. Some overbearing dragon from who-knows-where dares to show off in our Great Li capital?"

She had been studying and cultivating in the mountains with her master for some years, so she naturally understood Haoran Elegant Speech.

Hong Chongben warned, "Speak with mind voice."

Not far away, the garden didn't have a specially built waterside pavilion; there was a relatively simple viewing platform. An extremely beautiful woman, holding a round silk fan, leaned on the railing and fanned herself gently.

Gong Yan glanced at Xu Mi and gave her a charming smile. Xu Mi blushed slightly. Had she just been flirted with?

Xu Mi gathered her thoughts and spoke with her mind voice: "Master, can you guess the true identity of that group?"

Hong Chongben was the pioneer of border region studies in the Great Li Dynasty, having immersed himself in it for nearly a hundred years, so he naturally had sharp eyes. He said, "Judging by their attire, there's no clue. But from their speech, with a slight ancient Western Qiang accent, along with the youth's audacity and the mix of official aura, battlefield aura, and immortal aura among his retinue, I suspect they are likely royal descendants from the Great Shou Dynasty."

Xu Mi asked, "From the Central Earth Divine Continent's Great Shou Yin clan?"

Hong Chongben nodded. "As long as they don't cause trouble near the imperial city, that youth can be considered an overbearing dragon."

Xu Mi was puzzled. What was the Great Shou Dynasty doing here? Hong Chongben smiled. "Try a divination. Consider it today's lesson."

Xu Mi withdrew her hand into her sleeve and smiled. "Alright! First divination: I'll calculate whether Wei Jia of Yichi Lane will fly into a rage and fight them."

Hong Chongben suddenly clapped his hands. "Good heavens! That scholar is actually Liu Xianyang."

The old man then had a sudden realization and laughed with delight. Earlier, he had wondered how Liu Xianyang could know the Embroidery Tiger. It turned out his friend wasn't Cui Chan, but the current national master, Chen Ping'an.

Hong Chongben went inside to fetch a jug of wine and a cup, then sat in the pavilion drinking alone. Xu Mi concentrated, mentally calculating, fingers moving busily within her sleeve, performing the "Cage Countermove" that her master had privately taught her.

Hong Chongben nodded. This disciple had potential.

Han Yi didn't go out to the waterside pavilion. Instead, he walked shoulder to shoulder with Fatty Wei to the window of the house.

Wei Xian, his face flushed red from drinking, wiped the grease off his mouth and said in a low voice, "Wei Jia has completely lost face today."

Han Yi squinted, quickly scanning the appearances and attire details of that group. He closed his eyes, memorized everything, then opened his eyes and turned to leave.

The knife-wielding man instantly looked in their direction. Wei Xian felt a chill down his spine, his hair standing on end, and instinctively retreated a few steps.

Han Yi remained motionless.

The imposing knife-wielding man smiled, slightly surprised, but after quickly confirming that Han Yi was neither a martial artist nor a cultivator, he withdrew his gaze.

Startled, Wei Xian lifted his arm, rolled up his sleeve, and said in amazement, "A master, definitely a master. Damn, my hair really did stand on end!"

Han Yi returned to his seat, picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks, and chewed slowly. Wei Xian dared not look over there again and scurried back to his seat. He drank a cup of wine. "To calm my nerves."

Wei Xian suddenly put down his cup. "Han Six, what did that youth say?"

Han Yi only said, "Haoran Elegant Speech."

Wei Xian jumped up immediately, cursing as he walked back to the window. "Fuck these outlanders, acting so arrogant?"

The fat man didn't care that he wasn't on good terms with Wei Jia. Since they weren't speaking the Northern Juju Continent's Elegant Speech, they were all outsiders!

Among the nine continents of Haoran, only three had a single official language across the continent. Central Earth Divine Continent used so-called Great Elegant Speech. Northern Juju Continent also made travel convenient for cultivators with its unified official language. Bottle Gourd Continent, after the Great Li Song clan unified the continent into one country, the Great Li official language naturally became the continent's Elegant Speech. The other continents each had their own official languages. This had always been a minor nuisance for cultivators who enjoyed traveling abroad.

Han Yi hesitated whether to tip off Wang Yongjin. As a sixth-rank official, he had some clever immortal methods that allowed even a non-cultivator like him to perform some immortal tricks.

The capital had two counties: Changning County and Yongtai County. The latter's magistrate was Wang Yongjin, who was about the same age as Han Yi but had already served as magistrate for nearly four years.

Moreover, their personalities were completely opposite. Aside from official duties that required frequent contact, they had no personal relationship. Han Yi, from Yichi Lane, was pragmatic and capable, known in official circles for his steady and mature demeanor. Wang Yongjin, who came from the lowest rungs of society, had served as the capital's magistrate for nearly four years and was extremely decisive in his actions. He had offended many powerful figures and made many public harsh statements. For instance, Han Yi would at most say something like "let them know who's the boss" to close friends like Fatty Wei when in a good mood, and even then only inside a carriage. But Wang Yongjin was a ruthless man. In the capital's officialdom, there were several "official maxims" about him, such as, "Beat both sides fifty times? If they fall into my hands, I'll beat them a hundred times!"

Of course, this also had much to do with Changning County's "nobility" and Yongtai County's "wealth."

Regardless, Wang Yongjin of Yongtai County had all the advantages—right time, right place, right people. Under National Master Cui's leadership, the Great Li Dynasty had begun to deliberately promote scholars from humble backgrounds who had passed the imperial examinations and officials with battlefield military merits. Wang Yongjin was a jinshi graduate with a good official reputation. In his position as Yongtai magistrate, he had accumulated ample prestige.

Once Wei Jia and the others reached a private settlement behind closed doors, if Han Yi then called Wang Yongjin over, it would be an extremely awkward and even dangerous situation.

Wei Jia, thinking of smoothing things over, had swallowed his pride. Then Magistrate Wang Yongjin, as the parent official, stormed into Old Oriole Lake with yamen runners and constables. Would Wang Yongjin interfere or not? Should the Yongtai County yamen enforce the law impartially and get to the bottom of it? Once they investigated, would the entire Yongtai County be held accountable by both the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Justice? Even if not, Wang Yongjin would hold a grudge against Han Yi. As for Wei Jia, his uncle had been trying to climb the ranks in recent years. If that fell through, not only Wei Jia but the entire Wei clan of Yichi Lane would bear a grudge against Han Yi and the Han family.

Just the question of whether to alert Wang Yongjin was already so troubling. Han Yi dared not casually send a message to Hong Ji of the Northern Office either.

Hong Ji, as the commander of the Patrol City Military-Men Office with the rank of third-grade deputy, was a true confidant of the emperor. Earlier, Liu Laocheng had caused a stir at Book-Seeing Lake, and now another disturbance in the outer city? Han Yi was from the neighboring county, but Hong Ji had to be responsible for the security and patrol of the entire capital. Since Hong Ji was deeply trusted by His Majesty, shouldn't he maintain a distance from the National Master's residence?

Han Yi suddenly slammed his chopsticks heavily on the table and cursed.

If our Great Li Dynasty still had the Embroidery Tiger as national master, and if today weren't such a special day, I wouldn't bother with this damn mess!

Han Yi slumped back against his chair and rubbed his temples. He knew that even if that person entered officialdom, he would certainly not be a novice. But the problem was, Han Yi didn't dare gamble. He couldn't act on impulse.

Wei Xian had no idea how many twists and turns Han Yi's mind had gone through in such a short time.

Han Yi picked up his chopsticks, looked up at Wei Xian.

Wei Xian felt a chill down his spine. At that moment, Han Yi seemed utterly unfamiliar.

Han Yi tugged at his collar, looking tired. He pointed at Wei Xian. "Fatty Wei, this meal... turns out I'm paying more."

Wei Xian asked cautiously, "Han Yi, have I caused you big trouble?"

Han Yi shook his head with a smile, poured himself a cup of wine. "Just watching the excitement from afar. How could that cause trouble? Drink."

But inwardly, he kept comforting himself: No trouble, given Wei Jia's character, he'll only swallow his pride and say nothing. What happened today will never leak out... hopefully.

Wei Xian felt alarmed because he sensed a strange kind of... fear in Han Yi.

Although Wei Xian wasn't in the official world himself, he was very familiar with the aura of officialdom figures through his experiences.

The burly man let out a soft "eh" and said via secret whisper, "Your Highness, the woman holding the round silk fan is also a Jade Pure."

"Whether she's Jade Pure or an immortal, as long as she doesn't step into the muddy water, what does it matter if she's Flying Ascension?"

The yellow-clad youth sent a mind voice to his retainer. Seeing that no one dared to interfere, he found it a bit boring. He had to settle for second best and looked at Wei Jia, asking, "Public settlement or private settlement? It's up to you. As the guest, I'll follow the host's convenience."

Though the youth spoke in an ordinary tone, his voice could be heard clearly throughout Old Oriole Lake.

Wei Jia said grimly, "What does 'public settlement' mean, and what does 'private settlement' mean?"

"Public settlement is simple. You go to the yamen and beat the drum to lodge your grievance. Beg grandpa and grandma. As a local snake, you must have some connections. Let the runners arrest us and throw us in jail."

The yellow-clad youth said, "As for private settlement, there are many possibilities. For example, I compensate you with a few taels of silver, and you can go to any secondhand clothing store to buy a bunch of clothes and boots."

"Or we draw a line, each of us mobilizes our own forces, set up a ring, sign a life-or-death pact—that's fine too."

"Or we simply have a group brawl. Whoever can call more people, it's up to each's ability. I only have this many people here. You can call as many as you want. Within an hour, the more the merrier. Any longer than that, I can't really—we still want to visit the Flower Temple and the Glazed Tile Factory. Whoever's standing is the boss. The ones knocked down don't need to get up. Just kowtow a few times, and it's settled."

Wei Jia knew his own suffering well. Go to the yamen and beat the drum? Then tomorrow, he would be the biggest joke in the entire capital. And that wasn't even the core issue. Today was the celebration of the new national master. Before dawn had even broken, the Old Oriole Lake garden in the outer city had already stirred up a storm. Wei Jia was afraid that if he went back to the mansion in Yichi Lane, his grandfather would beat him half to death with a cane and drag him to kneel in the ancestral hall! Now was a critical time for the Great Li's performance evaluation. Whether his uncle could eventually sit in the imperial study's small court session depended on this. If this evaluation went smoothly and he successfully stepped up a level, transferring from the Ministry of Works to the Ministry of Rites, then after another five or six years of seniority, there would be some hope.

Wei Jia knew very well that the secret sentinels from the Ministry of Justice and the Patrol City Office around Old Oriole Lake had suddenly increased in number at the beginning of the year. At the time, he was both puzzled and alarmed—had he been targeted? Later, when a small rumor spread, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Why hadn't he continued to argue with that damn Dong Bancheng back then? Instead, he let him buy land elsewhere to build an immortal inn? Partly because a good friend had privately told Wei Jia that Dong Shuijing might have connected with Guan Yiran. That alone was already very troublesome. But another reason was that it had scared Wei Jia half to death. Some time later, his friend said that the reason Dong Shuijing and Guan Yiran could come together might, just might, be because "that person" had initially made the connection.

The yellow-clad youth said, "Huh, so this is the Great Li Dynasty's aristocratic scion? I heard that Young Master Wei is a talented figure from Yichi Lane?"

A middle-aged scholar smiled. "Even within a single clan, people vary in quality. Let alone a big place like Chi'er Street in Yichi Lane. That said, such a disparity in quality still exceeds my expectations. From small signs, it seems the Great Li Dynasty's rulers might need to take note."

The scholar looked into the distance. Judging by the posture, could the owner of this garden have arrived? But from what he could see, aside from one martial artist who was barely passable, the rest were nothing formidable.

It turned out that a group had finally appeared, swaggering along the lakeside path toward the Yi number courtyard.

Huang Lian led the way. He had smashed the ganoderma lucidum ruyi scepter earlier. No matter, broken pieces bring peace.

Huang Lian clicked his tongue in wonder. "Wei Jia, that bastard, is actually tough. Impressive. I wonder when he learned Great Elegant Speech."

He turned to look at Lu You, Liu Shui, and the others, and smiled. "Qu Shuai, Chief Shen, among us, you two are the ones with martial skills. Can you beat them?"

Liu Shui was a newly broken-through Golden Body Realm martial artist. He shook his head with a bitter smile. "Sixth Master, aside from that youth, almost all of them are tough nuts."

The Great Shou Dynasty. Shen Zheng, this bumpkin, had never heard of it, but Liu Shui was thunderstruck. Among the ten great dynasties of the Haoran World, the Great Shou was only one rank lower than the Great Li Dynasty.

If the well-informed Sixth Master hadn't guessed wrong, and this really was a prince from the Great Shou Yin clan, who had come to the Great Li capital—whether to coincidentally attend the celebration or for sightseeing—then the quality of the personal retinue of this young prince was easy to imagine.

The only thing that could barely be considered good news was that the Great Shou Yin clan's emperor had many children. Moreover, the Great Shou Dynasty had long established a crown prince, who was not young, so it absolutely couldn't be this yellow-clad youth.

Unlike our Great Li Emperor, who currently only had two sons and one daughter. For some reason, he had never appointed a crown prince. However, this hadn't caused any waves in court or among the people, because the emperor was still very young.

The most dangerous thing Liu Shui had ever encountered in his life was a few years ago when some damned person said he was a close confidant of a certain Great Li prince? Close confidant my ass!

Liu Shui even felt that someone as noble as Sixth Master, with his mysterious identity, might not have even caught a distant glimpse of the eldest prince.

After all, no matter how powerful the wealthy families of Yichi Lane and Chi'er Street were, and even if you were from a Shangzhuguo clan, how could you get to see Prince Song Geng? Only people like Cao Gengxin, Yuan Zhengding, and Guan Yiran, who had earned illustrious official positions through their own abilities, had some chance? As for the second prince, Song Xu, he never showed himself at all.

Huang Lian certainly wouldn't really make things difficult for Qu Shuai and Chief Shen. He habitually made another joke. "Dou Yu, since martial combat is out of the question, want to take over?"

Dou Yu said, "I'm still quite confident in literary combat. But the problem is, that guy doesn't seem like someone who only wants literary combat. Sixth Master, if you want to see me with a bruised face, you could just do it yourself."

Huang Lian laughed heartily, unrestrained. Tsk tsk, he had to meet this young prince of the Great Shou Yin clan.

The middle-aged man said in a deep secret whisper, "Sixth Master, these are tough opponents."

Huang Lian sneered. "Chu Pan, tell me, how tough?"

Chu Pan said, "The kind that will stab you in the heart without warning."

Huang Lian hesitated, then sent a mind voice: "Brother really didn't bring any attendants this time? Neither overtly nor covertly?"

Chu Pan replied helplessly, "Sixth Master, who was it that insisted on having a clean meal with you? Besides, is it easy for your brother to go out? Your family has strict rules. Apart from me, who seems like a top-tier expert, there's probably no one secretly protecting your brother."

Huang Lian's expression darkened. "Then go accompany my brother. Don't worry about this side."

Huang Lian's face changed drastically as he realized, "At this moment, my brother is alone in that room?!"

Chu Pan retorted, "What else?"

Huang Lian's face paled. "Chu Pan, you bastard! Why didn't you warn me earlier? You could have stayed there—"

This "Sixth Master" couldn't even be bothered to show off anymore and was about to rush back immediately.

Chu Pan laughed. "Alright, it was your brother himself who wanted to be alone there. Let's not interfere."

Huang Lian suddenly burst with murderous intent. "Chu Pan, this isn't something to joke about! Hurry back! If you can't enter the room, at least guard the corridor!"

Chu Pan was slightly startled. Even though he had been freeloading around Sixth Master for years, the occasional aura he exuded still made people uncomfortable.

Chu Pan could only say bitterly, "Sixth Master, tell me yourself—should I listen to you or to your brother? You decide!"

Huang Lian roared, "On this matter, you listen to me!"

Chu Pan took a deep breath and nodded.

Huang Lian turned and left. The others had no choice but to follow.

Liu Shui and the others didn't know what "conversation" Sixth Master was having with his retainer, but even a blind man could see Sixth Master's loss of composure.

Could it be that Sixth Master had heard some "mind voice warning" from that group of outlanders and chose to back off?

The yellow-clad youth continued twirling the willow ring on his finger and said with a smile, "My name is Yin Miao. I don't have a style name yet. The one who threw you into Old Oriole Lake is Gao Shi."

The knife-wielding burly man yawned. Truly boring. Was it because this was just the outer city?

After waiting a moment, the yellow-clad youth looked at Wei Jia's expression and shook his head. "Sure enough, a waste of the lowest order from Yichi Lane and Chi'er Street. Good for nothing except taking crooked paths."

Yin Miao called out, "Hey, Young Master Wei, don't space out. Don't you understand human speech?"

Wei Jia lowered his voice to the barest whisper and said bitterly, "Honored guest, you shouldn't casually talk about... about him. Some of the things you said were really too harsh."

Yin Miao looked confused. "What was too harsh? Please enlighten me, Young Master Wei. If what you say makes sense, I can even sincerely apologize."

Wei Jia remained silent, utterly frustrated in his heart. Damn it! Mud on the crotch—even if it's not shit, it looks like shit.

Wei Jia glanced around with the corner of his eye. Nearby, a delicate young girl trembled, tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms in the rain, her cheek swollen, lips tightly pressed. A good-for-nothing who fails at everything!

Were the guests in the Yi number courtyard ordinary people? Whatever they said, you should have let them speak. Why were you the only one to get slapped?

The garden had rules: the maidservants had to keep their eyes open and speak sweetly, but they must not bring ears! Whatever the guests in the rooms said, don't listen, don't remember.

Beside the girl stood a plump young woman. She absolutely hated this little wench! She had tugged at her sleeve several times and even pinched her arm, but she just had to talk too much! Now trouble had been stirred up, and even the master had been beaten. Why didn't they just beat this troublemaker to death? Was she the only one who understood Haoran Elegant Speech?!

The girl had worn a flower hairpin on her own initiative. The stewards had seen it but didn't interfere. She had been very happy today, specially asking a friend to buy it from the Flower Temple area and pinning it in her hair bun.

Although she was extremely scared, she still stubbornly looked at those big shots who seemed like celestial beings. She, who could probably live peacefully even in the mud, felt that she was not wrong!

Yin Miao said impatiently, "Hurry up and call for reinforcements! Don't the novels say, 'A signal arrow in the sky, a thousand troops come to meet'? Heh, isn't your Great Li cavalry supposed to be unrivaled in Haoran?"

Wei Jia's face turned white instantly. When he heard "Great Li cavalry," he immediately signaled the head steward of his garden to use an immortal technique. The old man would have helped cover up the conversation even without the master's reminder.

Over at the waterside pavilion, Xu Mi withdrew her hand from her sleeve and said with a smile, "Master, how about it? I was right, wasn't I? People like Wei Jia rarely surprise."

Hong Chongben said calmly, "Calculate again."

Over there, Yin Miao seemed completely unaware and sneered, "At first glance, Young Master Wei is clearly an aristocrat used to bossing people around. What, only you are allowed to speak overbearingly? Outsiders can't even be confidently in the right?"

Wei Jia was deeply bitter. Usually, it was the overbearing dragon that stirred up a hornet's nest with the local snake. But today, it was the opposite—this little bastard had screwed him over royally.

For some reason, just as this thought crossed his mind, the youth struck like lightning, slapping Wei Jia hard across the face.

Not only Wei Jia was stunned, but the old Observing Sea Realm head steward beside him was also caught off guard.

Yin Miao looked annoyed. As soon as he raised his hand, a young maidservant beside him handed him a handkerchief. Yin Miao wiped his hand and threw the handkerchief away.

Seeing this, Wei Jia's forehead veins bulged instantly, and he trembled with rage.

Yin Miao said, "I was just speaking some private thoughts with friends behind closed doors, mind you—inside a room, at a dinner table, in the outer city, not on the street, not in Yichi Lane or Chi'er Street! Back then at Book-Seeing Lake, that certain ledger-keeper was the type to be strict with others but lenient with himself. Just a neighbor he grew up with—why not kill him? He never hesitated when killing others, did he? What, was he trying to seem righteous? Oh, I said it wrong at the table earlier—I realized it doesn't even touch the word 'righteousness'..."

Hearing just these few words, Wei Jia looked as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. His eyes filled with immense terror, and he said in a trembling voice, "Shut up!"

Wei Jia roared, "I said shut up!"

The Observing Sea Realm head steward beside him also felt his scalp tingle.

Yin Miao, however, remained unperturbed and said, "Lucky that the Central Earth Confucian Temple didn't give him any 'gentleman' title. Otherwise, it would've been interesting. If they directly gave him 'righteous gentleman' for his achievements—haha, that would be even more amusing."

Wei Jia had exhausted all his courage and spirit just by speaking twice. He was ashen-faced and muttered, "I beg you, stop. Don't say any more."

Yin Miao laughed. "Ah, Young Master Wei, I misjudged you again. I thought you had some balls, but it turns out you don't. So, it's certain there won't be a fight?"

Wei Jia shook his head like a rattle-drum. "There was never anything to begin with. Not even a misunderstanding. Why would there be a fight?"

Yin Miao said in sudden understanding, "So that's how it is. That's right. And I did add later—that ledger-keeper isn't a hero or a great man, but a warlord, that's for sure. But to say the least, I didn't name names. It was your girl in the garden who got angry immediately, like a firecracker. You, Young Master Wei, have maidservants, and I have a maidservant too. Each serves her own master. So she argued a few words with the girl. That girl was much braver than you. She insisted that so-and-so, the one with the surname..."

Wei Jia's knees went weak, and he almost fell to the ground. Without another word, he strode over and slapped the delicate girl hard across the face.

The force was immense, the slap loud and clear. The girl stumbled and fell to the ground, half her face turning red and then purplish-blue.

The flower hairpin she had saved up for so long and reluctantly spent money on also fell to the ground.

The girl sat on the ground, looking dazed as if beaten silly. She shook her head, came to her senses, but didn't say anything to Master Wei. Instead, she tried to pick up the flower hairpin from the ground.

Yin Miao squinted, seeming somewhat angry. He lifted his chin. Wei Jia, who had slapped the girl and then stopped looking at her, followed the yellow-clad youth's gaze and saw the girl clutching the flower hairpin.

Wei Jia was furious, his face full of killing intent. He strode toward that ungrateful wretch.

The girl hid her hand clutching the hairpin behind her back. With both cheeks swollen, her face covered in tears, she looked at Wei Jia and shook her head vigorously.

Wei Jia said, "Let go!"

The girl only shook her head.

Wei Jia roared, "I said let go!"

The girl still shook her head.

Wei Jia kicked her hard, knocking her to the ground. He took another step and raised his foot to stomp down, wanting to crush both her hand and the hairpin into the mud.

All worthless whores—people of low birth, and the trinket in her hand even lower. Why don't you just die?!

Wei Jia seemed to have gone mad, his eyes bloodshot, stomping down heavily again and again.

The girl curled up, gritting her teeth. She didn't know what she was holding onto, but this girl from a bitter background refused to cry out.

Yin Miao coughed a few times, seemingly offering a well-meaning reminder, "Young Master Wei, Great Master Wei, enough, enough. If you stomp any more, you'll break the girl's wrist. Don't be like that. It's really not worth it."

Wei Jia stopped. He saw that the wretch's hand was bared to the bone, covered in blood, and the flower hairpin was shattered.

Panting heavily, Wei Jia walked back to the yellow-clad youth. Yin Miao extended his arm, palm open.

While Wei Jia was puzzled, the middle-aged scholar smiled and took out a snowflake coin, slapping it into the youth's hand. "You win. I admit defeat."

Yin Miao shifted the willow ring up his wrist, picked up the snowflake coin with two fingers, held it high, and smiled brightly as he looked at it.

The girl curled up on the muddy ground, her cheek pressed against the earth. Her hand hurt so much she whimpered softly, but she still gently gathered the broken flower hairpin.

Her father and mother had once said: If the Great Li Dynasty hadn't driven back those demon clans, we wouldn't have survived. Nuan Nuan, once you go to the capital, you can have a better life.

The girl whose personal name was Nuan Nuan had come to the capital, full of novel and interesting things. In her spare time, she had heard about many lofty figures—the national master nicknamed the Embroidery Tiger, the feudal prince Song Mu of the Great Li secondary capital, and many generals who led troops. Then today, she heard from a friend a surname and a name, and that person had many identities.

She heard he was very young. Wow, he must be incredibly powerful. So young, and already had such a formidable new identity—a big official like the Embroidery Tiger Cui Chan. Haha, when she first arrived in the capital, she had asked people how to write the character "Chan" in Cui Chan's name...

At this moment, curled up on the ground, the delicate girl could only think: Can this flower hairpin still be repaired?

Yin Miao quickly glanced toward the courtyard gate. He was immensely pleased inside. Haha, Cao Lüe, Cao Lüe, this is the Great Li Dynasty you yearn for, the Great Li Dynasty you so highly praise!

Was I just toying with a Wei Jia?

I was toying with all the capital nobles in this Old Oriole Lake garden!

Yin Miao tossed the snowflake coin into Old Oriole Lake. Hah, a year's national master salary is just one snowflake coin?

The Embroidery Tiger deserves it, of course. But that mud-legged who couldn't even handle a tiny Book-Seeing Lake—does he deserve it?

"Young Master Wei, whether you manage your household poorly or well, you've confused me. Never mind. Your chef's private dishes are quite good. Maybe I'll come back tomorrow for another meal here."

Yin Miao put away some of his thoughts and smiled. "Especially that plate of drunken shrimp—I heard it's a rare item transported from the Dragon Path? It's really delicious. Even my... family elder thought it tasted excellent."

Yin Miao pointed at the plump woman beside the girl. "You said that, right? I didn't misremember?"

She performed a curtsy, smiled charmingly, and nodded vigorously.

Yin Miao looked around, stretched lazily, and especially glanced at the Jia number courtyard. "So boring. I thought it would be as interesting as the Great Duan Dynasty. Let's go, let's go."

Over at the waterside pavilion, Xu Mi's eyes widened. She was so angry her face turned green. She could no longer care about the third divination. She was about to say something.

The old master said via mind voice, "Endure it."

Xu Mi said in a trembling voice, "Master, I can't endure..."

Hong Chongben asked, "If you can't endure, what then? Those outlanders made a few remarks behind closed doors at a dinner table. Is that a big deal or a small one? Hasn't Wei Jia already given you the answer?"

Xu Mi, red-eyed, slammed her fist against the pavilion pillar.

Hong Chongben hesitated but didn't say that sentence.

Over the past hundred years, this was how our Great Li Dynasty had come this far.

Hong Chongben inexplicably recalled a private conversation in the study with his old friend Yuan Chong.

Gentle and refined, hesitant and indecisive. Though flawed, the flaws didn't obscure the virtues. Ultimately, he could become a broad-minded ruler.

Moreover, the so-called lack of decisiveness was precisely because his father and grandfather were too ambitious and too dazzling.

Besides, now that the world situation had initially settled, even if there were major reversals, they couldn't happen within the next ten or so years.

Whether or not Song Geng was the crown prince, whether the Great Li Dynasty had a successor, actually didn't matter much. His Majesty was only in his early forties now. So what was Yuan Chong waiting for? Even if he couldn't wait, he had to wait, right?

Yuan Chong, as both the head of the Shangzhuguo Yuan clan and the head of the Great Li's Censorate, had given a very simple reply to Mr. Yu Lu: He himself couldn't wait, but the younger generation could.

Hong Chongben sighed. Whether it was making a mountain out of a molehill or seizing on a pretext, someone had to step forward.

Just then, from the Jia number courtyard, another youth walked out. He was simply dressed in a green shirt and cloth shoes. He stared wide-eyed at Yin Miao. "You, named Yin Miao, whose mouth is so foul—who taught you? Did Young Master Wei just bring you a table full of shit, piss, and farts? Is that why you're acting like a demon?"

The youth in cloth shoes was accompanied only by a middle-aged man in a Taoist robe, not as imposing as Yin Miao's entourage.

He grinned. "Yin Miao, don't understand human speech, right?"

It turned out this youth was cursing in the Great Li official language.

Yin Miao's eyes lit up. He could also speak Bottle Gourd Continent's Elegant Speech. If Wei Jia was just an appetizer, then this peer who spoke Great Li official language so fluently had some real substance.

The middle-aged scholar beside him warned via mind voice: "He comes from the Dayuan Dynasty of Northern Juju Continent. Guess his specific identity yourself, Your Highness."

Yin Miao replied via mind voice: "Cai Yushan, don't be cryptic. Is his surname Lu or not? I don't want to blow this up big and drag the Dayuan Lu clan into it. So far, everything is under control. You know I hate the word 'unexpected.'"

Cai Yushan said, "His name is Lu Jun."

Yin Miao thought for a moment and said, "The crown prince of Dayuan Dynasty? What's he doing here? Since it's Lu Jun, then the guy beside him must be a Taoist from the Chongxuan Office's Cloud Sky Palace. I hope it's not Yang Qingkong, who also serves as Dayuan's national master. That old true immortal did participate in the Central Earth Confucian Temple's deliberations after all. No matter, as long as Gan Qinglü is here, even if the sky falls, not a single mistake can happen."

Cai Yushan didn't turn to look at the unusually tall woman. She went by the alias Gan Qinglü, and her Taoist name was a single word: Xian.

Yin Miao spoke in Northern Juju Continent Elegant Speech: "I know you. Do you know me?"

Lu Jun blinked. "Then you've found your daddy."

Yin Miao's face instantly darkened like water. "Say that again?"

Yin Miao's personal maidservant was about to make a move when Gao Shi stopped her with a mind voice. The knife-wielding man stepped forward two paces, but instead of looking at Lu Jun, he stared at the middle-aged true immortal from Dayuan's Chongxuan Office. "Your surname is Yang, right? Since both sides know each other's identities now, and your young master is so loose-tongued, what do you have to say? You have to give an explanation, don't you?"

One wave after another?

Actually, it wasn't that complicated with Lu Jun's side. They had met on the road and chatted casually. His Highness's side had no issues. It was this Lu Jun who couldn't keep his mouth shut.

No matter how much your Chongxuan Office argued, even if you took the case to Central Earth Divine Continent, your Dayuan Dynasty wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

That "middle-aged Taoist" simply removed several layers of illusion, revealing his true appearance—a young man's face. He said calmly, "I am Yang Houjue, Taoist name Tuanni. My aptitude is dull, only at the Jade Pure Realm."

Gao Shi said, "Get to the point."

He had certainly heard of this name. Even across the entire Haoran World, Yang Houjue was an extremely young Jade Pure Realm cultivator, a true genius of the Dao.

In Dayuan Dynasty, there was a saying: The Lu clan's Chongxuan Office, the Yang clan's Cloud Sky Palace.

This showed the transcendent status of the Chongxuan Office's Yang clan. And Yang Houjue was sure to be the next Dayuan national master and leader of the Chongxuan Office.

It was said that Yang Houjue was an extremely elegant and refined Taoist...

But Yang Houjue spoke: "Yin Miao found his daddy, and you, his lackey, also found yours. What a coincidence. Double happiness!"

Lu Jun burst into laughter.

The cloth-shoe youth's laughter echoed by the lake. A few white egrets dotted the blue sky. Willow branches swayed in the wind.

At Old Oriole Lake, most people felt a bit relieved, but a very few found it a bitter irony.

Han Yi suddenly stood up. "Fatty Wei, dare to bet with me?! Don't worry, I'm the one betting. You're guaranteed to win. Maybe tomorrow, or even tonight, everyone with good connections in the capital will know that Wei Xian is a real character. From now on, people like Wei Jia will toast you at the dinner table! Wei Jia and his ilk will take the initiative to toast you!"

"But you must guarantee me one thing: Don't say a single word. Just stand behind me."

"Remember, no matter what happens, you stand there. Do not move!"

Wei Xian didn't hesitate. "What's so hard about that? Han Six, I'm with you!"

Han Yi strode out of the room and headed straight for the Yi number courtyard. Fatty Wei quickly followed, then suddenly turned back, picked up the wine jug, drained the remaining half jug, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and caught up with Han Yi, Han Yi!

Han Yi's face was somewhat ferocious. I might as well risk losing my position as Changning County magistrate today. Even if my official career ends here, I'll see if you bastards dare to be tough with me!

Seeing the grinning cloth-shoe youth appear, followed by a young Taoist confronting the knife-wielding man, Xu Mi slammed her fist against the pillar again. Wasn't there a single native of Great Li?!

She suddenly froze, spotting a somewhat familiar figure. Hong Chongben nodded and stood up. As expected of Han Yi. This kid finally dared to be unstable for once.

Nearby, the beautiful woman who had been leaning against the railing, waving her silk fan, sent a mind voice with a smile: "Xi Man, Li Ba seems to be cowed by someone. He hasn't said a damn thing. And you, also a Ninth Realm martial artist—itching for a fight?"

Xi Man replied via secret whisper: "The King of Luo glanced at me again, so I didn't dare move. I'm not much better than Li Ba."

Gong Yan asked in confusion: "Why did he change his mind? Wasn't it agreed that you would punch through several walls in a row to fake an assassination attempt on Huang Lian?"

Xi Man answered: "A'wu, you asked the right person."

Gong Yan was speechless.

Xi Man was silent for a moment, then said: "Just now, the King of Luo had Huang Man write a letter and sent it to the Yongtai County yamen through a unique Great Li secret channel."

Gong Yan asked in bewilderment: "What does that mean?"

Xi Man said: "Still asking?"

Gong Yan slapped her forehead with her fan.

Just as Han Yi was quickly walking over there with Fatty Wei—

A cavalry troop actually charged straight into the Old Oriole Lake garden.

It was clear that besides yamen runners and constables, there were several elite armored warriors wearing official robes over their armor.

Leading the charge was none other than Yongtai County Magistrate Wang Yongjin. His face was gloomy. He glanced from afar at the seemingly surprised Changning County Magistrate Han Yi. The cavalry took a shortcut from the other side of the lake.

Arriving outside the Yi number courtyard, Wang Yongjin dismounted. Although he was originally a civil official from the pure stream of scholars and had never been on a battlefield, he was exceptionally skilled in horsemanship.

He walked steadily toward Yin Miao's group, raised the waist token in his hand, and said, "Yongtai County Magistrate Wang Yongjin here. Wei Jia, speak."

Wei Jia felt as if struck by lightning. His legs immediately went weak. Fortunately, the head steward beside him supported the master. Wei Jia's mind went blank. Who leaked the news? Who?!

Wang Yongjin said calmly, "Wei Jia, speak."

Wei Jia was both drenched in sweat and shattered with fear. His mouth trembled. He tried several times to speak but couldn't utter a single word.

Wang Yongjin no longer looked at him. He turned to face Yin Miao's group, neither harsh nor smiling, and said calmly, "Who among you can explain the ins and outs of this matter?"

But Lu Jun spoke first: "That kid, surname Yin, given name Xian—I think it's Yin Xian—he drank a bit and started talking about my shi... slandering your Great Li national master."

Yang Houjue suddenly said, "Your Highness, that's enough."

Lu Jun said "oh," drooped his face, and looked listless.

Wang Yongjin's heart shook. Slandering the national master?! Hadn't Han Yi said in his secret letter that there was a fight here, with weapons and injuries?

Because this was in Yongtai County, and he happened to be eating with friends here, after much thought, he felt it necessary to give a warning?

Wang Yongjin smiled. Good heavens. Daring to slander the newly appointed national master on today of all days, on my turf?!

I really thank you all, down to your eighteenth generation ancestors!

The girl clutched the broken hairpin in one hand and held her belly with the other. She tried several times to stand up but couldn't, so she had to sit up with difficulty.

Her eyes suddenly brightened.

Cai Yushan took out a travel permit and said with a smile: "We come from the Great Shou Dynasty in Central Earth Divine Continent. My name is Cai Yushan. I am an official of the Great Shou Dynasty."

The Great Li Dynasty and the Great Shou Dynasty had had several conflicts on the Barbaric Wasteland battlefield. Those incidents had been suppressed, and the Confucian Temple's reprimands were not light. The reason they were suppressed was that, in both courts and among the people, the number of people aware of these matters was still limited.

Wang Yongjin not only took Cai Yushan's travel permit but personally verified the identity of each person. For everyone, including Yin Miao, there was a clerk from the household section responsible for checking one by one.

Wang Yongjin intentionally or unintentionally softened his tone, returned the permit, and said, "Academician Cai, speak. What exactly happened?"

Damn, he was even a Palace Academician!

Cai Yushan then described the general process. Wang Yongjin's face was expressionless. Lu Jun was dumbfounded. A scholar with a belly full of bad tricks—that's what this guy in front of him was!

Yang Houjue frowned slightly. Cai Yushan's account was ninety percent true and one percent false. The trouble was that one percent false. And with a coward like Wei Jia, who would later have his own set of rhetoric...

Yang Houjue imperceptibly shook his head. This magistrate of Yongtai County clearly showed signs of wanting to smooth things over.

Cai Yushan made a bow. "His Highness was indeed not good at holding his liquor and offended many. As for the girl's medical expenses, we have already discussed it with Master Wei just now."

Beside him, Yin Miao stood with his hands behind his back, smiling.

The girl opened her mouth, about to speak, but Wei Jia stepped in front of her, blocking her from Wang Yongjin. Without the master's order, the head steward had already silenced the girl.

Wei Jia bowed his head, cupped his hands, and said: "Magistrate Wang, we have indeed discussed it. We will compensate her with one hundred taels of silver."

Yin Miao asked with a smile: "Wasn't it one thousand taels of silver?"

Wei Jia slapped his forehead and laughed. "Indeed, it was one thousand taels."

Just a snowflake coin—what did it matter?

Wang Yongjin stared at Yin Miao. The yellow-clad youth hesitated, then twitched the corner of his mouth. "Magistrate Wang, we'll do as you say."

Wang Yongjin was silent for a moment, then asked: "Who struck the blow?"

Yin Miao remained unmoved, as if he hadn't heard.

Cai Yushan said: "It was the maidservant Cui Ji."

Wang Yongjin said loudly: "Yin Miao, I am asking you, not Academician Cai!"

Yin Miao suppressed a smile. Interesting, very interesting. He immediately pretended to cower slightly, even deliberately stepping back half a step, and said: "Reporting to Magistrate Wang, it was indeed Cui Ji."

Gao Shi rolled his eyes. Your Highness, you're overacting. Why not throw a little tremor into your voice while you're at it?

Wang Yongjin said: "Then let Cui Ji go and apologize to Chen Xi."

The maidservant's name recorded on the travel permit as "Cui Ji" was certainly fake, but the garden's maidservant was named Chen Xi, which was definitely real.

One surnamed Cui, one surnamed Chen? What a coincidence!

Cai Yushan sighed inwardly. In fact, last night, His Highness had taken about an hour to arrange today's "coincidence."

Yin Miao waved his hand. "Hit someone, so you have to apologize, right? Go."

The maidservant Cui Ji walked unhurriedly toward the girl who had been "silenced." With her back to Wang Yongjin and the Yongtai County officials, she cupped her hands, bowed her head, and said fluently in the Great Li official language: "Miss Chen Xi, I was wrong. I apologize to you. If you are truly angry, you can return the slap."

But the girl saw in that person's eyes a look full of mockery.

She shook her head vigorously.

She didn't want money!

She just wanted to return that slap!

But Wei Jia had already said: "Chen Xi, accept the apology. That's fine."

Wang Yongjin seemed to be concluding the matter: "Yin Miao, Academician Cai, even if you've had too much to drink, you must still choose your words carefully!"

Yin Miao nodded and said: "I have great admiration for the Hidden Official. But no one is perfect. The more I admire someone, the less I believe there is anyone in this world without flaws. On the contrary, that's what makes a person truly human, not just a clay statue."

Official clichés—who was the real expert here?

Wang Yongjin waved his hand and said with a frown: "If you like drinking, go back to your table and drink."

Yin Miao smiled.

Gao Shi, most familiar with His Highness's temper, immediately sent a mind voice: "This magistrate absolutely cannot be touched."

Wei Jia walked toward the girl, crouched down, helped her up, and with a gentle expression mixed with deep guilt, said softly: "Chen Xi, I'm sorry. You've been shocked today. I still need to verify the documents with Magistrate Wang. Let the head steward take you back to rest first. There's medicine in the garden. You'll heal soon..."

The girl's face was covered in tears. She looked at the magistrate in the official robe. She couldn't speak, only making inarticulate sounds, shaking her head vigorously the whole time. She clutched the broken hairpin tightly, blood dripping onto the earth.

Wang Yongjin glanced at her.

Then he turned to Wei Jia and began questioning him. He couldn't just take Cai Yushan's word alone. Fortunately, Wei Jia's testimony matched.

The girl suddenly felt dizzy, as if the whole world had turned white.

Without realizing it, she loosened her grip. The already shattered flower hairpin fell softly to the ground, truly broken.

In a certain room, Liu Shui and others stood outside the corridor. People kept coming to report on the situation at the Yi number courtyard.

Shen Zheng didn't feel much. That's just the way the world worked.

He was more interested in looking down at the Caiyi Kingdom rug under his feet. I wonder how much it could sell for?

Liu Shui's heart pounded because from inside the closed door, sounds of things being thrown and broken came intermittently.

At first, it sounded like low murmurs, then some arguing, and then "Sixth Master's" voice got louder and louder. But that taciturn man was truly admirable—he seemed almost not to have said a few words from start to finish.

Huang Lian finally had nothing left to smash and shouted angrily: "Brother, do you know who you are?!"

The taciturn man sat cross-legged in the seat where "Sixth Master" had been sitting. He lowered his head, peeling a tangerine, and looked up.

Huang Lian had been afraid of this older brother since childhood, so he was instantly cowed. But his face was red, and he decided this time he didn't care about anything—family rules, regulations... He raised his voice again and repeated: "Brother, do you know who you are?!"

The taciturn man nodded, chewing the tangerine slowly.

Huang Lian said with a sob: "Since you know, why be afraid of that damn Yin Miao of the Great Shou? I'm not afraid—what are you afraid of..."

Shen Zheng rubbed his thumb against his index finger.

Sure enough, "Sixth Master" was a woman!

For some reason, no sound came from the room after that. Liu Shui knew someone had used an immortal technique to isolate the space.

Dou Yu, who was said to be from an academic clique, squinted at Shen Zheng. The frail-looking young scholar sent a mind voice: "Shen Zheng, be careful. Some thoughts can get people killed."

Shen Zheng shuddered.

In the waterside pavilion, Xu Mi gritted her teeth and said: "Master, I'm going back to the room! If I watch any longer, I'll gouge out my own eyeballs..."

The old master, who had already returned to his chair, sighed and stood up. "Let's go."

Even as she said that, Xu Mi couldn't help turning to look over there. Suddenly she said: "Han Yi rushed over."

But Hong Chongben said calmly: "It doesn't matter. Let's go back."

Xu Mi didn't move. The old man had already gone back into the room, sat down in his original seat, and silently picked up a piece of cold dish with his chopsticks, putting it into his mouth. It tasted like chewing wax.

Han Yi walked quickly toward Wang Yongjin and asked: "Magistrate Wang, what's going on?"

Wang Yongjin gave him a sidelong glance. "Case closed."

Han Yi asked: "How was it closed?"

Wei Xian kept reminding himself in his heart: Don't talk, don't talk, just stand behind Han Six...

Wang Yongjin asked: "Is there such a regulation?"

Han Yi held back for a moment, then said: "Magistrate Wang, I think we need to be more careful."

Wang Yongjin retorted: "How is it not careful?"

Han Yi said angrily: "Wang Yongjin, don't you know yourself?! Do I need to teach you?!"

Wang Yongjin said: "You can notify Commander Hong of the Patrol City Office. You can continue to shout and fuss. But don't overstep your authority."

Han Yi pointed at Wang Yongjin, then at Wei Jia, and finally stared at that group from the Great Shou Dynasty. He reached into his sleeve. "Fine. Everyone wait."

In an instant.

Except for Gan Qinglü, who still stood dumbly in place, everyone around Yin Miao—including Gao Shi and Cai Yushan—sensed a heavy killing intent.

A sound of horse hooves rose in a peculiar rhythm. It sounded in the distance, then nearby, and finally crashed into Old Oriole Lake.

This elite cavalry of over a hundred men were all armored, carrying swords and crossbows. Their bright armor was completely exposed.

On the walls, on the rooftops, armored figures appeared. Most of them were accompanying military cultivators of the Patrol City Office.

Commander Hong Ji led the charge, a long halberd slanted in his hand. His horse didn't stop until it was only five or six paces from Yin Miao's group. The hundred cavalrymen behind him stopped instantly.

Hong Ji sat high on his horse, not dismounting. He looked down, turned his horse around in a circle, and finally squinted at them. "Wang Yongjin, move aside. Han Yi, get out of the way."

Hong Ji glanced at the fat man, then shifted his gaze back to Yin Miao. Expressionless, he said: "All of you will come with me to the Northern Office."

Wang Yongjin was deeply shaken inside but still remained silent. He led the county yamen officials to make way.

Han Yi and Wei Xian also left, but in the opposite direction from Wang Yongjin.

Yin Miao curled his lip.

Cai Yushan laughed. "This general of the Northern Office, there doesn't seem to be such a rule, does there?"

"Rule? What rule?"

Hong Ji raised his halberd and pointed it at him. "In the Great Li capital, besides His Majesty the Emperor and the National Master, my rules are your rules!"

Cai Yushan seemed to laugh in anger. He extended a finger and demanded: "Hong Ji? Do you know what it means to arbitrarily arrest a nation's prince?"

Hong Ji used the halberd tip to push aside that effeminate finger and sneered: "It means you're going to eat prison food! And whether the food's got any piss in it depends on my mood!"

Cai Yushan shook his head. "Since you're here, don't your Great Li Ministry of Rites and Court of State Ceremonies have anything to say?"

In fact, at the same time, a group of officials from the Ministry of Rites and Court of State Ceremonies had also arrived, also on horseback, only slightly later than the Patrol City Office troops. But a young commandant, also on horseback, following the commander's instructions, asked them a few questions. The answers were all wrong, so he told them to wait outside and not enter.

Gong Yan leaned against the railing, looking toward the room, and sent a mind voice with a smile: "King of Luo, did you also call Hong Ji here?"

"No."

Gong Yan found it even stranger. "He shouldn't have come that fast. The Northern Office isn't close to here."

In another room, "Huang Lian," who called herself "Sixth Master," spoke in a sharp voice: "You are Song Geng! The eldest prince of the Great Li Dynasty, His Majesty's legitimate eldest son!"

Song Geng threw away the tangerine peel in his hand and asked softly: "Do you know who else is in the Yi number courtyard besides Yin Miao at the door?"

Huang Lian, or rather Princess Song Lian, was dumbfounded. "Him?"

Song Geng sighed, looked at the messy room, was silent for a moment, and then said: "He personally traveled across continents to discuss an alliance between our two countries with His Majesty."

Song Lian seemed to have all her strength drained away. She leaned against the wall, pressed her hand over her heart, and felt empty.

A knock on the door. Song Lian immediately composed herself and sent a mind voice: "Chu Pan, what's going on? Didn't I say..."

The door opened. Song Lian rubbed her eyes vigorously.

Song Geng showed a momentary lapse, then immediately got down from the sleeping platform.

Song Lian timidly called out, "Second Uncle."

But Song Geng cupped his hands and said, "Song Geng pays respects to the King of Luo."

Song Jixin couldn't even be bothered to step over the threshold. He said calmly, "No wonder Song He hasn't established a crown prince."

Song Geng raised his head quickly and lowered it even faster.

Song Jixin said, "What the eldest prince of the Great Li Dynasty dares not manage, I, as his second uncle, will help you manage."

Song Lian wanted to say something for her brother. Song Jixin glanced at her sideways. "That's what you call mixing in the martial world? A child's game, messing around."

Song Lian was so wronged that tears instantly covered her face.

Last time they met, Second Uncle wasn't like this.

Song Jixin went straight to the Yi number courtyard, not even looking at Yin Miao and the others, just saying to the courtyard, "Come out and talk."

In fact, three people inside the courtyard had already walked out. A man around fifty years old, behind him a tall old man with white hair, and a young man named Cao Lüe.

The man smiled and said, "I am surnamed Yin, given name Ji. Greetings to the King of Luo."

Song Jixin asked, "What's your proposal?"

Yin Ji used the exact same tone and words, smiling. "What's your proposal?"

Hong Ji hesitated, then still dismounted.

If this wasn't a "mixed bag," what was?

If not for the appearance of the feudal prince Song Mu, Hong Ji wouldn't have been afraid of causing a stir—even if he poked a hole in the sky, so what? Did he think that afternoon tea was free?!

Song Jixin squinted. "Since you can't manage him well, let me help you manage your son? No need to thank me. We're almost allies."

Yin Ji said, "Whether we're allies—can you, a feudal prince of the secondary capital, make that decision? If you can, then from this moment on, the Great Shou Dynasty and the Great Li Song clan are allies."

Song Jixin was momentarily speechless.

Huang Man, Gong Yan, and Xi Man, these temporary retainers, all felt they had learned something today. Only Li Ba kept his attention on that tall woman with the coiled serpent hair bun.

Passing by a waterside pavilion quite far from the Yi number courtyard, Han Yi frowned, deep in thought. Fatty Wei Xian was easygoing, looking left and right. He was sharp-eyed. According to the agreement, he didn't speak. He just secretly tugged at Han Yi's sleeve. Han Yi looked up, followed Wei Xian's pointing finger, and found that in the pavilion, the two "acquaintances" were still there. Actually, he had only just met them. When Han Yi was about to risk his official hat for a different outcome, Wang Yongjin's men had already burst into Old Oriole Lake, so he had stopped and brought Fatty Wei to this pavilion. There, they had encountered a man who seemed a bit unclear-headed.

At the time, Wei Xian followed Han Yi into the pavilion. Seeing Fatty Wei's tight-lipped expression, Han Yi said helplessly, "We didn't go over there. We can relax a bit."

Wei Xian let out a long breath, but he still didn't dare speak casually. He was like a bird startled by the twang of a bow. What he had seen and heard today was damn exciting—and even more infuriating.

Wei Xian saw a seated man in the pavilion, and a standing beautiful woman. She was truly beautiful; compared to any woman he had seen before, they were all just common beauties.

Han Yi remained silent, staring into the distance.

Who in the world didn't like to watch a commotion? Fatty Wei didn't dare look at the woman too much, but looking at a grown man was fine. The man in the green shirt seemed to be in a bad mood too.

Well, it was too depressing. Wei Xian felt this guy couldn't be a bad person, and he looked wealthy.

The man in the green shirt spoke first, asking with a smile, "Your name is?"

Seeing his impressive demeanor, Wei Xian plucked up the courage to ask back, "And you are?"

The man thought for a moment and said, "I know Assistant Minister Cao from Yichi Lane. We're on good terms."

Wei Xian was instantly amused. "What a coincidence! I know Assistant Minister Cao too. We grew up together. Brother, I win this round, don't you think?"

On the outer city wall, Song Yunjian was extremely nervous, his voice trembling. "Young Master Mo?"

For a few moments, Song Yunjian felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his Dao heart frozen. Especially when the young national master, who had been silent the whole time, shrank the mountains and rivers.

Song Yunjian felt like he had just returned from the gates of death.

Xiao Mo said, "Just wait."

Song Yunjian remained uneasy, his Dao heart unable to calm.

He was still standing within the Great Li capital, but why was his nearly-Flying Ascension heart so disturbed? Simple—his Dao heart was completely being led!

Over at the pavilion, Fatty Wei saw the man nod. The beautiful sister beside him seemed to smile. Wei Xian, always observant, felt encouraged. He suppressed the suffocating frustration that had been building up inside him, pretended to be relaxed, and said cheerfully, "Brother, I feel a connection with you at first sight. What's your name? I'm Wei Xian. 'Xian' with a 'wei' radical plus a 'yun' meaning balanced, not the 'qiong' meaning poor. I run a tavern at Calamus River. When you have time, brother, come and grace us with your presence? I can give you a twenty percent discount."

The man had his hands tucked into his sleeves, his back to the Yi number courtyard the whole time. He smiled. "With a twenty percent discount, how many meals can a snowflake coin buy?"

Wei Xian slapped his thigh. "Well, well, I've been blind. Brother, you're an immortal master who uses immortal money when traveling?"

The man shook his head. "Like your friend here, I also work in the yamen and eat imperial grain."

Inside the imperial city, at the National Master's residence, Xie Gou was unusually solemn. The short sword in her sleeve stirred restlessly.

The man in the green shirt continued, "My name is Cao Mo. It's a pseudonym used in the martial world."

Wei Xian, a veteran of countless drinking sessions, was still thrown off by this guy's "honesty."

Han Yi glanced at the man but ultimately said nothing.

On Fallen Mountain, at the Sword Worship Platform, where clear qi rose as if ascending to the emperor's throne, Mi Yu's Dao heart trembled. He turned to look at Qi Tingji.

Qi Tingji said calmly, "Since Ning Yao hasn't gone, we don't need to draw legs on a snake."

Han Yi was about to leave the pavilion. He hesitated, then still warned: "Friend, don't get involved. For now, it's just the Yongtai County yamen. You should leave while the garden isn't sealed. I suspect more troops will arrive soon. Today is certainly a good day for drinking, but there's no need to get into trouble just for a bit of excitement. After seeing what you've seen, you've already gotten your money's worth."

The man in the green shirt said nothing.

Did he get his money's worth?

The woman quickly said, "It's fine. My master has connections in the Ministry of Justice. Thank you for your concern."

Han Yi frowned slightly. One after another, they didn't have a clue? Were they out-of-towners with no understanding of officialdom?

Rong Yu felt like if she didn't say something soon, she might suffocate from the atmosphere.

After that, Han Yi had taken Fatty Wei over there.

Now, back at this pavilion, the man in the green shirt and the richly dressed woman were still there, one sitting and one standing, but their positions had swapped: the woman was sitting, and the man was standing.

Han Yi immediately stopped outside the pavilion. Wei Xian, not paying attention, bumped into Han Yi's back.

Because there was now an extra person in the pavilion: the girl named Chen Xi. She was curled up on the long bench. The young woman moved gently, softly stroking the girl's head and murmuring.

The girl's cheeks and hand, wrist, had already been smeared with a secret healing ointment. Flesh was visibly regrowing over the bone. Usually, cultivators and martial artists could endure this, but the girl was an ordinary person, yet she showed no change in expression. Earlier, her eyes were empty, but now there was a tiny bit of color. She seemed to be trying hard to thank the sister, but couldn't speak, so she remained silent.

Near Fallen Mountain, at the private Dao field opened on Immortal Capital Peak, Lu Shen, the head of the Yin-Yang school Lu clan, a great cultivator who had been at the peak of Flying Ascension for three thousand years, actually looked somewhat tense.

At the Sword Return Lake, Zhu Su almost had her Dao heart collapse. She had to exit seclusion again and walk out of her thatched hut.

Han Yi and Wei Xian exchanged a glance, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Where had the garden's old head steward gone?

Wei Xian muttered to himself: Could this couple be in cahoots with that bastard Wei Jia? But then he looked at the young woman's expression and thought that didn't seem right either.

The man in the green shirt had his hands tucked into his sleeves. The entire pavilion was its own world.

His sleeves trembled slightly.

Even Han Yi, who wasn't a qi refiner, had an illusion: The whole world, the whole mortal realm, was his.

Ning Yao sat on a bamboo chair under the eaves.

On the outer city wall, Xiao Mo looked toward Old Oriole Lake. If earlier, due to his true destiny materials being emptied out and the scene inside his body being one of primordial chaos at the dawn of heaven and earth, it was a weak Flying Ascension in the eyes of the fourteen-sword cultivator Xiao Mo.

Then what came next might be different.

Rong Yu said softly, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Everything will be fine. My master is... We will protect you. Believe me."

The girl looked at Rong Yu. She seemed to regain a little life, her eyes brightening slightly. She forced a smile and said in a trembling voice, "Sister, I'm fine. Don't worry. This little injury is nothing. When I used to walk north with my parents, the journey was much harder."

Rong Yu's eyes reddened. She softly hummed in agreement, rubbing the girl's head. "It'll get better."

The man in the green shirt rolled his neck and turned around.

Rong Yu immediately stopped speaking.

The man in the green shirt crouched down and looked at the girl. She instinctively shrank back. The man immediately moved back a little, hesitated for a long, long time, as if he had finally thought of a way to start without making a mistake. His voice was slightly hoarse as he said, "I also have the surname Chen."

Chen Xi remained silent.

The man slowly continued, "In my hometown... there was a Dragon Tail Creek. Later, it was renamed Dragon Whisker River..."

Chen Xi looked at the unfamiliar, tightly furrowed face.

The girl didn't quite understand. Why are you sad too?

The man said softly, "You were right. They were wrong."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Cui Chan, and I—neither of us was good enough."

The girl blinked.

Maybe this man didn't often talk to people? So when he did, he always stumbled?

The man continued, "Maybe we weren't just 'not good enough.' Right?"

Chen Xi struggled to sit up. Rong Yu quickly helped her. She said, "You've earned a thousand taels of silver. Why are you like this?"

Chen Ping'an stood up. "Do you still want that hairpin?"

Chen Xi shook her head.

In an instant, the girl felt her eyes blur. She saw that the man's entire face, like a piece of porcelain that had shattered and exploded, was forcibly pulled back together, thousands of fragments returning to their places.

Chen Xi looked at him again. It seemed she had just been seeing things. She didn't know what to say, then suddenly sobered up and said urgently, "You should leave quickly! Don't stay with me. You'll get into trouble."

Wei Xian was surprised to find that at some point, Han Yi had bowed, keeping his hands cupped toward the pavilion.

Wei Xian then saw the man in the green shirt walk toward them and say, "Han Yi, watch over this area."

Han Yi kept his head down, hands cupped. "Understood, subordinate."

The moment Chen Ping'an stepped out of the pavilion, he shrank the mountains and rivers to that mixed bag of a scene.

His form seemed to cross a... Dao barrier of a river of time. Tens of millions of tiny golden light ripples swept over him.

Weak Flying Ascension.

Between strong Flying Ascension and weak Flying Ascension.

Strong Flying Ascension.

Chen Ping'an slapped Cai Yushan's mouth to pieces with one blow, then grabbed Yin Miao by the neck, lifting him single-handedly.

But he was looking at the Great Shou Dynasty emperor Yin Ji. "What did you say your name was? Why don't you say it again? Say it! Louder!"

Before Yin Ji could change his expression and tell this Great Li national master to stop, it was too late. With a crack, Yin Miao's neck was snapped on the spot.

Chen Ping'an asked, "Well? Still want to be allies?"

The tall woman with the single-character Dao name "Xian" had already stepped in front of Emperor Yin Ji. Her coiled serpent hair bun suddenly loosened, and her black hair fluttered wildly, making her already tall figure look like a hanged ghost who had been dead for countless years.

The knife-wielding martial artist at the Ninth Realm felt as if struck by lightning. He looked at Yin Miao, who had fallen dead on the spot. Gao Shi unconsciously rubbed his own neck. Why was it still there?

Almost at the same moment, the entire Great Li capital—or rather, the entire Northern Peak region of Bottle Gourd Continent—was shrouded in a deep night by the woman's immense, unmatched Dao power.

But.

Higher up in the blue sky, a huge hole split open. An incredibly pure golden sword light fell straight to the ground in a single line, instantly piercing the thick night. The black hair, the treasure, and her... head, neck, human body! It split through everything like a hot knife through butter.

That single sword light connected heaven and earth.

Chen Ping'an walked forward slowly. Between him and the woman, countless strands of hair like tiny flying swords pointed straight at him. But each time Chen Ping'an took a step forward, they melted away like snow under the scorching sun's fist energy. Chen Ping'an swept his arm sideways, sending the woman, who had been pinned in place by the sword light, flying. Her neck snapped with a loud crack, her head separated from her body.

Chen Ping'an's face was expressionless. His fingers hooked like claws, gripping Yin Ji's neck. "Tell me, what's your name!"