"I'm certain."
Xu Yuan gave Mister Jiu a firm answer, then angled his body slightly. "Allow me to make the introduction. This is His Highness, the Third Prince. He must secretly travel toward Houting County to seek reinforcements."
"The Houting County area?"
Mister Jiu pondered briefly, then cupped his hands. "Since the Third Young Master insists, this old man will dissuade you no further."
Pausing, he cupped his hands to the Third Prince as well. "May I ask if Your Highness intends to depart the city tonight?"
Seeing this, Li Junqing immediately returned the courtesy. Though the man wore plain commoner's garb, an expert commanded respect. "If it is possible to leave the city tonight, that would be ideal."
"Very well," Mister Jiu readily agreed, looking back to Xu Yuan. "Third Young Master, please, both of you come inside and have a seat. There are a few matters within the pawnshop this old man must attend to first."
"Please, suit yourself."
Xu Yuan nodded with a smile, and Mister Jiu's figure flickered, vanishing on the spot.
For a moment, silence hung over the doorway.
Xu Yuan stepped into the pawnshop, glancing at Li Junqing, who still stood rooted to the spot like a dazed fool. "Your Highness, aren't you cold out there?"
"..."
A thoughtful glint flashed across Li Junqing's eyes, and he crossed the threshold.
The layout of Tianxia Pawnshop's main hall was no different from what Xu Yuan had seen in period dramas in his past life, except it was considerably larger, with additional seating areas for waiting guests.
The two of them sat down in one of the rest areas.
Because the pawnshop had already closed for business, only a few dim lights remained lit, leaving the vast main hall feeling somewhat hollow and shadowy.
After the time it took to finish a cup of tea,
Li Junqing gazed toward the inner hall and suddenly chuckled softly. "He hasn't returned after so long. It seems this Mister Jiu's status is by no means low."
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "I'm not clear on that myself. What makes you say so?"
Li Junqing offered an ambiguous smile. "I wager Mister Jiu has gone to dispose of some confidential intelligence. Otherwise, it couldn't possibly take this long."
The experts within great powers fell into two categories: those who managed affairs, and those who did not.
Those who managed affairs, like Hua Hong and Lou Ji, held terrifyingly high status and would dare beat the boss's son.
As for those who did not manage affairs, while their status remained high, without administrative talent, they were essentially just top-tier muscle.
Mister Jiu was clearly the former, likely an important subordinate of Lou Ji.
As the thought flashed by, Xu Yuan chuckled helplessly. "Your Highness certainly has a meticulous mind."
Li Junqing then abruptly asked, "Third Young Master, if the weather doesn't clear, this Beifeng City will become a dead city. If you lend me your only Origin Realm expert, what will you do?"
Xu Yuan spread his hands. "I have my own ways. Why? Does the Third Prince wish to purchase that intelligence from me? I'll sell it to you for a million taels. Interested?"
Li Junqing rolled his eyes. "The more one knows, the more troubled one becomes. Better to remain ignorant."
Xu Yuan scoffed. Just as he was about to speak, two figures walked out leisurely from the pawnshop's rear hall.
Glancing sideways, Xu Yuan showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Well, look at that—another old acquaintance.
Zhou Chen.
He still sported stubble and carried a sword on his back, though an extra scar now marked his face.
It seemed he had fought quite a few tough battles since being assigned to the Northern Border.
The moment Zhou Chen saw Xu Yuan, his expression turned solemn, as though he were working up his emotions.
Just then,
Li Junqing rose from the cushioned couch and asked, "Mister Jiu, who is this gentleman?"
"..."
Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched.
Hadn't this bastard claimed earlier that he had met Zhou Chen?
Spouting nonsense off the cuff again.
Drawing a breath, Xu Yuan chuckled sinisterly. "This is Zhou Chen. Has the Third Prince forgotten?"
Li Junqing blinked, opened his mouth, and burst into laughter. "Ha! So it is Mister Zhou! I had a close friend who shared your name, but sadly, after he provoked a Second Rank Origin Realm cultivator, we were forced to part ways."
A look of complete bewilderment spread across Zhou Chen's scruffy face. "Shared my name? A Second Rank Origin Realm?"
Xu Yuan waved his hand and smiled at Zhou Chen. "The Third Prince is teasing you. Long time no see, Mister Zhou."
"..."
Zhou Chen gathered his wits and immediately began working up his emotions again.
A moment later,
he sniffled, hurried before Xu Yuan, dropped straight to his knees, and spoke with reddened eyes:
"Th-Third Young Master! To think I would see you here after our parting in Jingjiang Prefecture!"
"..."
Xu Yuan felt a touch of surprise.
The Third Rank Grandmaster who had once stubbornly offered only cupped hands no matter how hard Xu Yuan schemed now fell straight to his knees upon reuniting.
After a beat,
Zhou Chen continued, "Mister Jiu instructed me to follow you. On this journey, even if it means losing my life and cultivation, Zhou will see you through safely!"
"What journey?"
"..."
Silence fell.
Zhou Chen stiffened. He looked up at Mister Jiu beside him, then back at Xu Yuan, probing hesitantly, "Third Young Master, this city is already a dead city. Aren't we... heading north to leave the city?"
"Who told you I was leaving the city?"
"..." Zhou Chen was speechless.
Right now, Beifeng City was a dead city. And what did a dead city mean? Everyone left inside would be slaughtered down to the chickens and dogs.
Yet this Third Young Master wasn't leaving?
He was finished...
He had been hoping to follow this young master back to the Imperial Capital fair and square.
Xu Yuan paid Zhou Chen no further mind. Although Mister Jiu had assigned Zhou Chen as his guard, he had no intention of keeping him around. Turning his gaze to Mister Jiu, he said, "Mister Jiu, since you've settled your business, I leave the Third Prince in your hands."
Hearing this, Zhou Chen looked on with longing eyes.
Mister Jiu ignored his subordinate's gaze entirely and nodded. "Naturally. This old man can set out with His Highness immediately."
As the words fell,
the joy of escaping brought a grin to Li Junqing's face, but before he could speak, a thunderous roar suddenly shattered the air from a neighboring block.
*Boom!*
True to form, an unexpected accident occurred without fail.
Firelight illuminated the pitch-black sky. Xu Yuan glanced out the window, then turned his gaze back to Mister Jiu inside the room.
He could only sense a surge of Source Qi in that direction; someone was evidently locked in battle.
Mister Jiu glanced toward the blast and chuckled softly. "Sect people and members of the Secret Investigation Bureau. But it's already over."
"The Secret Investigation Bureau?"
Xu Yuan murmured.
It couldn't be that woman, could it...?
"Xu Mengxi, reassigned here from the capital,"
Mister Jiu chuckled softly and explained. "The Third Young Master might not know, but not long after that woman was transferred to Beifeng City, she seized many of the sects' smuggled goods and arrested numerous scions of high-ranking sect officials. If not for this sudden turn of events, that woman likely would have suffered an 'accidental' death soon."
"..."
It really was her.
Xu Yuan wasn't particularly surprised by Mister Jiu's words.
The intelligence Lou Ji had given him had detailed the situation inside Beifeng City.
This city could essentially be described as the Great Yan version of Gotham, perhaps even more chaotic.
Factions were intricate, interests entangled; tugging on a single thread would disturb the entire tapestry.
For her to do so much without being "suicided," her cultivation and backing had to be quite formidable.
After a moment's thought, Xu Yuan asked, "Mister Jiu, why did Xu Mengxi make a move tonight?"
Mister Jiu paused, sensed outward for a brief moment, and said offhandedly, "The son of Lingshui Palace's Grand Elder broke into a home to abduct a commoner woman. She killed him. Just now, that profligate's guard was fighting her. He has been killed as well."
"Lingshui Palace?"
Xu Yuan murmured, "I recall that's the largest sect across the three northern provinces?"
Mister Jiu nodded. "Indeed. Before the blizzard disaster struck, they were the ones driving the vast majority of setbacks in the northern war."
Xu Yuan grinned. "It must have been long-standing resentment finally finding an outlet. Hating evil like an enemy, unyielding and steadfast, yet still possessing a measure of tact. Not bad, not bad at all."
Mister Jiu smiled faintly. "If the Third Young Master knew our losses, you probably wouldn't think that way."
The Chancellor's Manor was a primary target of Xu Mengxi's attention.
In the eyes of the imperial faction, they were thieves stealing the state.
Because of that woman, many of the informants under his command had been thrown into prison. Had it not been for Lou Ji's comprehensive oversight and vast intelligence network, their losses to Xu Mengxi might have far exceeded those of the sects.
At those words, Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment, letting the topic drop.
The Chancellor's Manor was not an upright, noble power, and his old man was an idealist who used any means necessary.
To achieve his ultimate goal, he would stop at nothing.
Li Junqing departed, vanishing into the snowy night alongside Mister Jiu.
Xu Yuan, meanwhile, boarded his carriage and headed toward the commandery office.
Just as it had been back in Jingjiang Prefecture, Zhou Chen drove up front while he rested inside the carriage.
Through the wind and snow, the specially crafted wheels rolled smoothly.
Passing the adjacent block, Xu Yuan had thought he might catch a glimpse of that old acquaintance from the Imperial Capital here in the north, but sadly, she had already left, leaving only patrolling soldiers cleaning up the rubble.
To tell the truth, Xu Yuan genuinely liked Xu Mengxi.
Not because she was beautiful, nor because of allegiances, but because the world needed people like her.
Time ticked away, minute by minute.
Suddenly,
Zhou Chen's chuckling voice drifted from the front of the carriage:
"Third Young Master, are you truly not leaving the city?"
Xu Yuan felt a faint sense of amusement. "Why? Do you want to leave?"
Zhou Chen gave a sheepish laugh, his voice floating back again: "Is Zhou not merely worried for your safety, Young Master? Beifeng City faces the imminent peril of falling. If we don't leave now, it may become impossible to escape."
Xu Yuan dispensed with pleasantries and said bluntly, "I am the prince consort. With Wuyuan still in the city, how could I simply leave?"
"The Third Young Master speaks truly." Zhou Chen went quiet.
"..."
The carriage traveled in silence for several li.
Xu Yuan's voice drifted lazily from the carriage compartment once more:
"Mister Zhou, if you wish to leave the city, I can arrange it for you. Lou Ji didn't leave me with just a single retreat path."
"..."
Hearing this, Zhou Chen's hand on the reins tightened abruptly, only to loosen immediately as he chuckled. "The Third Young Master jokes. Back in Jingjiang Prefecture, Old Zhou grew accustomed to driving your carriage. It will be the same from now on."
He kept his posture remarkably humble.
Though barely half a year had passed, their dynamic was no longer what it once was.
Back in Jingjiang Prefecture, Xu Yuan had to do so much and expend vast effort just to earn the loyalty of this Grandmaster Zhou Chen.
Now, he didn't need to lift a finger, and Zhou Chen would flatter him shamelessly.
Because Zhou Chen wasn't blind.
In a single year, he had gone from zero cultivation to the Fifth Rank.
If Zhou Chen dared put on airs now, how could he ever hope to get by in the Chancellor's Manor in the future?
Moreover, if he walked away now, all the camaraderie he had previously built with the Third Young Master would go right down the drain.
Inside the carriage,
Xu Yuan smiled faintly, resting with his eyes closed. "Since that is the case, then Mister Zhou shall temporarily remain within the Beifeng Commandery Office."
Had Zhou Chen agreed, he genuinely would have arranged it for him. After all, their time together in Jingjiang Prefecture had been relatively pleasant.
And Zhou Chen would likely have been able to leap clear of the doomed chessboard that was Beifeng City.
Yet by the same token, had he agreed, Zhou Chen would never again have had the chance to enter his inner circle.
One's vision determined many things.
Though he remained at the very bottom of the power scale within the Chancellor's Manor, more than a few Third Rank Grandmasters had already died by his hand.
Furthermore, his old man had shoved him straight into this position, so he naturally would no longer treat any random Grandmaster he encountered as a once-in-a-millennium treasure as he once had.
Still, this Zhou Chen was just as he had been in Jingjiang Prefecture.
Very clever, and exceptionally adept at judging the situation.
The three Grandmasters who had initially followed him were all experts who didn't manage administrative affairs, serving as the first core team his old man had arranged for him.
Yet Xu Yuan would likely choose only Zhou Chen and Ying'er.
Si Ziyu would most likely continue serving as high-tier muscle for the Chancellor's Manor.
Yes, even Grandmasters were just high-tier muscle.
In the eyes of commoners, Grandmasters were godlike figures, but in the eyes of Lou Ji and his old man, these Third Rank Grandmasters—and even Second Rank Origin Realm cultivators who held no administrative duties—were merely premium hired muscle.
Because the major powers of Great Yan held a monopoly over cultivation resources.
To grow stronger, one needed sufficient resources to cultivate, and to obtain resources, one could only rely on a great power.
Of course, nothing was absolute.
All things in this world operated on the principle of seeking wealth amidst danger.
If they wanted to plunder, these experts could certainly rob others; after all, killing and arson brought golden belts.
Yet the price was being hunted down by a coalition of experts from all across Great Yan.
It broke the rules.
If a precedent were set and left unchecked, the world would fall into chaos. Neither the court nor the sects could tolerate such a thing.
To deal with rogue experts causing havoc, Great Yan had already developed a comprehensive defense system.
The Burial Village where Qin Mo, the protagonist of the original plot, had grown up was forced into existence this way, and eradicated the same way.
Aside from the few who had seen through the mortal world, most of the great demons and thieves holed up there had simply been driven into hiding because they could no longer survive in Great Yan.
His thoughts drifted for a moment, and by the time he returned to his senses, the carriage had already entered the Beifeng Commandery Office.
Stopping at the drill grounds before the council hall, Zhou Chen chuckled softly and pulled open the carriage door for him. "Third Young Master, we have arrived."
Xu Yuan nodded to him and tossed over a medallion. "Thank you. You may step down for now. Find the commandery steward, and he will arrange a courtyard for you. Stay here for the coming days."
Zhou Chen caught it and cupped his hands. "Understood! Zhou shall await the young master's orders here."
As the two spoke,
Zhou Chen's gaze suddenly sharpened. He glanced sideways, his hand reflexively gripping the hilt of the sword on his back. "Young master, be careful!"
"..."
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow.
He wasn't worried about an assassination attempt inside the commandery office; rather, he was surprised that Zhou Chen could sense something like intent.
Looking back, blood-red flames ignited in Xu Yuan's eyes. On the flagstone path not far away stood a woman clad in official robes embroidered with a red qilin, her fists clenched tight, staring dead at him...
Chapter 235