Sensing that things had gone awry, the two maidservants hurried to relax their bodies, but Xu Jingfeng had already lost all interest. He rose and wandered about the courtyard before finally pausing in the study, where he picked up a celadon teacup he once cherished and examined it.
A lingering fragrance still clung to the cup.
He casually set it down to the left of the desk. The two maidservants exchanged glances, their faces blanching. Only now did they recall that Xu Jingfeng was accustomed to holding his teacup with his left hand.
The desk had not yet been wiped, and a faint film of grease coated the lacquer. Xu Jingfeng drew a finger across the tabletop, brought it to his nose, and caught the scent of cosmetics.
With a flick of his sleeve, the teacup shattered across the floor, and he swept out in cold fury.
Leaving the courtyard, Xu Jingfeng made straight for the dungeons in another compound. A sinister fury burned fiercely in his chest, demanding an outlet.
The guards at the prison were all familiar faces. Catching sight of Xu Jingfeng now, several looked surprised, yet they still bowed respectfully. Xu Jingfeng let out a scoff, singled out two to lead the way, and strode into the prison toward the high-security ward.
The dungeon was damp and chilling, but the high-security ward was clean and tidy, even featuring a small lightwell that let in a sliver of sunlight. Having visited many times before, Xu Jingfeng headed directly toward the cells deep within.
Yet the jailer leading the way suddenly blocked his path, offering a propitiating smile. "My lord, right now... it isn't quite convenient."
"What, is that slut no longer here?"
"No, she is still here. It truly is just... inconvenient at the moment."
The jailer kept a deferential smile, yet his body remained planted across the walkway, barring Xu Jingfeng from passing.
Just then, strange, muffled noises drifted from the cell at the end of the corridor. Xu Jingfeng glared at the jailer before him, and without warning, struck him with a backhand slap!
The jailer flew back dozens of paces, his facial bones shattering. Spitting out a mouthful of teeth, he collapsed unconscious on the spot.
Xu Jingfeng marched into the corridor, his heavy footsteps echoing continuously. In the past, only he and Xu Zhiyuan were permitted in this section of the prison; it was also where they entertained important figures visiting from the main clan.
Yet now someone had dared to enter and touch his private plaything!
The corridor was not long, and in just a few strides, Xu Jingfeng arrived before the cell door. At that moment, the door swung open, revealing a tall, heroic young man whose features were seven-tenths identical to Xu Jingfeng's, though his brow held a sharper edge of ruthlessness and resolve.
Xu Jingfeng's expression twisted with dark rage. Glancing past Xu Jingzhe, he could see a stretch of pale, bare flesh inside. In the past, that body had belonged almost exclusively to him, and Xu Jingzhe had never possessed the right to touch it.
Xu Jingzhe showed not the slightest panic. Leisurely fastening his belt, he smoothed out his robes and said, "You made it back rather quickly, Eldest Brother."
Having adjusted his clothes, Xu Jingzhe started to walk out. Intimidated for an instant by his presence, Xu Jingfeng unconsciously stepped aside.
Xu Jingzhe sneered. "Eldest Brother truly is useless! Go on in, then. Try to recapture the feeling of being the big brother. Starting tomorrow, this won't be a place you can just walk into."
"So it was you pulling the strings from the shadows!" Xu Jingfeng's eyes blazed with fury.
"What if it was? You were missing for a mere ten-odd days, and every last one of your people became mine. Everything you failed to accomplish over the past few years, I managed to do! When I heard you were coming back, do you know why I didn't send men to kill you?"
Xu Jingfeng asked reflexively, "Why?"
"Because your return changes nothing. Having a useless wretch like you around as a foil only makes me look all the more capable!"
Xu Jingfeng finally lost control, roaring, "Impossible! Father has always favored me the most! He would never let you run wild like this!"
"What Father favors is power, and what he favors is wealth! Out of all our brothers and sisters, whoever can bring him those things is the one he favors. And in that regard, I am far stronger than you," Xu Jingzhe mocked.
"Impossible!!"
"I'm taking my leave. Enjoy yourself," Xu Jingzhe said, patting his elder brother on the shoulder. Then he added, "Oh, I forgot to mention—sleeping in your courtyard wasn't particularly comfortable, but those two maids of yours are truly wild!"
Xu Jingfeng staggered out of the prison like a man who had lost his soul, hardly knowing how he found his way back to his courtyard.
The two maidservants were busy sweeping and tidying, and they hurried forward when they saw him return.
"Get out! All of you, get out!" Xu Jingfeng bellowed like a madman, lashing out with kicks and blows. Taking several hard hits, the two maidservants fled in terror. Soon after, heavy crashes echoed from the courtyard as he smashed everything to pieces.
A short while later, Xu Jingfeng hurried out the gate. Along the way, no one dared to stop him, nor did anyone dare ask a question.
At the Lie-Flat Inn, a mysterious figure wrapped head to toe in a long cloak slipped inside. There were eight hundred if not a thousand such people in Quliu Town, so the patrons paid him no mind, continuing to drink, eat, and boast among themselves.
The cloaked figure went straight to the rear courtyard and knocked on a gate. The gate opened, let him in, and promptly shut behind him.
Within the small courtyard, Wei Yuan sat leaning against a low table, engrossed in a storybook. Seeing Xu Jingfeng enter, he finally said, "You came even earlier than I anticipated."
"They have gone too far! I was only gone for ten-odd days, and I lost everything! Father is biased too—he won't listen to a single word I say!" Xu Jingfeng's speech was frantic and disjointed.
Wei Yuan said placidly, "That younger brother of yours is quite capable. He had already won over many of your subordinates in secret; your capture merely handed him the opportunity. Even if you hadn't fallen into my hands, you would never have been his match."
Xu Jingfeng suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud and gritted his teeth. "I have thought it through! As long as I can take back everything I lost, I will do whatever you say! No—from this moment on, I take you as my master! If I violate this oath, may heaven strike me down!"
Wei Yuan set down the storybook. "Oh? You're truly certain?"
"There is no turning back!"
Xu Jingfeng's reaction had long been within Wei Yuan's expectations. The young man had never faced true hardship; only upon losing everything did he frantically reach out for something to cling to. At such a time, he would clutch desperately even at a stray straw.
Wei Yuan nodded. He reached out and tapped a finger against Xu Jingfeng's forehead, sending a wisp of black qi into his body, before saying, "I now bestow a measure of karmic luck upon you. Not only will it bless you with good fortune and grant your desires, but it will also neutralize many plots directed against you. There is a feng shui formation in your family residence, is there not?"
"There is one bestowed by the main clan, in place for over a century."
"When you return, pass through that formation once more and re-register your identity. Claim you fear lingering impurities cling to you."
Xu Jingfeng nodded in assent, then remembered another matter and said hurriedly, "Father ordered me to visit Master Mu Shang for an examination of my body."
"No matter. Let him look, and we will deal with whatever he finds." Wei Yuan was not particularly concerned. The rank of otherworldly fortune was exceptionally high; back then, even True Monarch Xuanyue had been helpless against it. How could a mere so-called master of the Western Regions possibly see through it?
Wei Yuan continued, "In two days, the caravan transporting tribute to the main clan will set out. Find a way to secure that assignment and accompany them. If your father insists on asking, say you wish to travel inside the Pass to clear your mind."
Having received the karmic luck, Xu Jingfeng's mind had grown noticeably sharper, and he instinctively sensed something amiss. "Is something going to happen to this caravan?"
Wei Yuan said placidly, "Trouble will likely arise once you go. When the time comes, pay no heed to anything else—just protect the caravan."
Wei Yuan then produced a small vial, placed it on the table, and said, "Inside is a single drop of clear water. Once everything is done, find an opportunity to add a drop to your father's tea or food."
Xu Jingfeng's eyelid twitched. His hand reached out, yet it trembled incessantly, hesitating to take the small vial. Lowering his head, he asked, "Must it really come to this?"
Wei Yuan said, "I can help you deal with one Xu Jingzhe, but there will always be the next. Your father has so many women; you already have countless brothers and sisters, and there will only be more in the future. If you do not wish to do it, it matters not. I can always find someone else."
With that, Wei Yuan reached to retrieve the vial from the table, but Xu Jingfeng suddenly pressed both hands down over it.
Chapter 162