Night

For Di'an City, tonight was destined to be a sleepless night. Although those who had orchestrated everything already knew that the moment the Emperor of Sien died, everything tonight had returned to dust, that did not mean everyone else was aware of it. For the first time since the founding of the dynasty more than a millennium ago, the capital of Great Yan had faced a crisis of total destruction. Everything demanded a thorough investigation. Mobilizing from their barracks, the Imperial City Forbidden Army, the Heaven-patrollers of all ranks under the Directorate of Celestials, and the demonic beast officers of the City Defense Bureau belatedly imposed martial law on every street. It was not that their reactions were too slow, but rather that the earth-shattering duel on the dome of heaven had ended too quickly. Like a meteor streaking across the sky. Brilliant, yet brief. Yet Xu Yuan was completely oblivious to everything unfolding outside the manor. Because Lou Ji had cut off his Wi-Fi. The instant the spiritual link was severed, Xu Yuan's lucid, near-omniscient perspective vanished immediately. Silently gazing at the streak of sword-light that still spanned the firmament, Xu Yuan held rather mixed emotions in his eyes. What he had witnessed tonight had dealt a tremendous shock to him. As a Body Integration expert who had once slain a Saint, Xu Yuan realized a reality for the very first time. Even between Saints, there was a vast gulf. If his aberrant ghost body were placed into tonight's battle, he probably wouldn't have lasted three breaths before meeting a violent death. The Barbarian King? Merely the disgrace of Saints. Thinking this, Xu Yuan gently shook his head again. Nothing was absolute, of course. After all, in *Cangyuan*, while the Barbarian King wasn't considered difficult as a world boss, he was still around average. Slaying him with Li Qingyan earlier had largely been possible because the Barbarian King had only just broken through to his new realm. "What are you spacing out for?" His train of thought was interrupted by a slightly chiding voice. Hearing it, Xu Yuan lifted his eyes and saw a fair, jade-like hand already hovering before his forehead. Lou Ji flicked her finger. With a crisp thud, Xu Yuan landed flat on his buttocks. Rubbing his aching brow, Xu Yuan was just about to grumble a few words when he saw Lou Ji let out a soft huff, turn right around, and walk away. Her slender waist swayed gently, the translucent silk draping over the lush curve of her hips. Xu Yuan scrambled to his feet in a hurry, dusted himself off, and caught up. As he walked, he asked in a low voice, "Sister, did you see that last sword strike clearly?" Even through Lou Ji's vision, he hadn't been able to discern how his uncle had unleashed that final strike, so he wanted to ask. Lou Ji slanted her powdered apricot eyes at him and casually replied, "Everything I saw, you saw too." Xu Yuan pondered slightly and said softly, "With different realms of cultivation, even with the same vision, what is perceived should still differ, right?" After a brief silence, Lou Ji let out a soft chuckle. "I couldn't see it clearly either." "Ah?" Xu Yuan was astonished. "Even you couldn't see it clearly?" Lou Ji gave a faint, wistful sigh. "If I could see Feng Jiuxuan's final strike clearly, it would mean I stood a high probability of dodging it. Unless I can break through to become a Saint, it's impossible for me to see his sword clearly." Hearing this, Xu Yuan fell silent. He remembered that the reason his older sister couldn't break through to Saint was the hidden injury she had suffered on his behalf. Lou Ji was emotionally delicate and acutely sensed the boy's mood beside her. She reached out and patted his head. "I'm no martial fanatic; cultivation is fine as long as it's enough to get by. Alright, your uncle's work is done, but tonight has only just begun." "Mm." Xu Yuan gave a quiet assent, suppressing the stirrings in his heart for the moment. With his thoughts back on track, Xu Yuan weighed his words and whispered, "Sister, tonight's events were somewhat out of our control." Xu Yuan was being very tactful. It wasn't merely 'somewhat.' The moment that curse array condensed from golden holy blood took shape, the situation had completely spiraled beyond the Chancellor's Manor's control. If Di'an City had been reduced to ruins, the resulting political fallout would have been nearly catastrophic for his father's grand plan for the realm. The Emperor of Sien had emerged straight from the Chancellor's Manor. No matter how immense his father's authority was as Chancellor, he would have had to pay the price. Within the existing framework, that was how power operated. Unless the Chancellor's Manor outright rebelled and flipped the table, making enemies of everyone under heaven, they would have had to accept it obediently. And from what Xu Yuan knew, the Chancellor's Manor was not prepared at this stage to play the role of 'King Xuan of Qi.' The Chancellor's Manor did not operate like a localized warlord setting up an independent court; rather, it had permeated every facet of Great Yan like the roots of a plant. While this had allowed the manor to grow immensely strong within a few decades, it also meant that a large portion of its subordinates were bound to it through various exchanges of interests. Once they became enemies of the entire realm, that faction would most likely sever ties at lightning speed. When that time came, it would turn into a gluttonous feast for everyone except the Chancellor's Manor. And compromising... That would mean the internal conflicts between the imperial court and the sects would be redirected toward external conflicts. The Great Yan Empire would fully intervene in the war on Dongying Island, investigations into Sien would commence, and an overseas expedition would be placed on the agenda. Once that happened, his father's grand reform plans would be postponed indefinitely. Thinking of this, Xu Yuan felt a sudden stroke of fortune. The timeline in his mind had been merely a hair's breadth away from becoming reality, averted only by Feng Jiuxuan's astonishing strike. Lou Ji remained quiet for a moment, then shook her head gently. "A blessing in disguise. Just remember this lesson." Humanity never learned lessons from history, but an individual could. Xu Yuan sighed softly. "After tonight, quite a few people will probably begin taking those Sienese on Dongying Island seriously." Lou Ji glanced at Xu Yuan, her tone returning to a relaxed air. "Don't you have a good personal relationship with the Third Prince? This counts as helping him indirectly." Although Di'an hadn't suffered actual damage, a Sienese Saint had caused such a massive disturbance in the very heart of Great Yan that, if only for the sake of appearances, the court would devote far more attention to the Sienese forces entrenched on Dongying Island. Xu Yuan grinned. "Next comes the bureaucratic squabbling. But after tonight, I imagine the people from the sects will become very interested in Sien." The cultivation methods of Great Yan were continually evolving, and the Emperor of Sien's strength had been laid bare tonight. The sects would inevitably covet that kind of power. Lou Ji waved her hand and murmured, "It's still too early to talk about this. We'll have to wait until after New Year's Eve at least. For now, let's stick to the plan and deal with those people." Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. This had been the plan from the very beginning. Saints clash in battle; retained elders meet sudden ends. The list prepared by Ran Jianli had already been delivered. Within Di'an City, the Chancellor's Manor would assassinate the senior members of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion named on that list. Within the Chancellor's Manor, the Black Scale Guards would seize this opportunity to dispose of several old retainers who had grown disobedient. A dark and windy night, prime for murder. Fatty Zhou had not wanted to come to Di'an City, but he had no choice. As one of the survivors of the assassination attempt against Xu Changtian, Fatty Zhou should have been malingering at the Iron Black Sect to enjoy an easy life. Yet fortunes were fickle; his act of fleeing the battlefield had been reported to the Pavilion Master by that Semi-Saint named Luo Bingli. To preserve his standing within the Iron Black Sect, Fatty Zhou had no choice but to reluctantly take the initiative and come to this turbulent Di'an City to redeem himself through merit. Tonight was the final day of the Chancellor's Manor's grand banquet. Originally, it should have been his last day in Di'an City as well. Yet, true to form, another unexpected mishap had occurred. He had watched a streak of sword-light suddenly erupt from within the Chancellor's Manor into the sky. He had watched the two figures race and clash high in the firmament. He had watched that terrifying golden light envelop Di'an. And he had watched one of them sever the other's head. And now, Inside this decadent, opulent ancient pavilion, Fatty Zhou, with a glamorous concubine in his arms, stared as that bloodstained, white-robed man stepped toward him at an unhurried pace, clutching a severed head... In the outer city of Di'an, a river eighty yards wide rushed past, dividing the bustling prosperity of the capital from the rural tranquility outside. A quiet Xiang-style pavilion stood upon a mountain recess by the river. As drifting snow cascaded down, wrapping the world in silver, the river, city, and countryside blended into a single panorama. Beneath the brilliance of the aurora-like sword-light, the swirling snow appeared extraordinarily dazzling. Such fine scenery ought to be paired with a beauty. Yet within the serene pavilion, there was no beauty—only a strikingly handsome young man dressed in revealing clothes. He stared toward the riverbank with terrified eyes, Watching wisps of blood dye the clear river surface red, only to be washed away an instant later by the rushing current. The Second Elder of the Bamboo Mountain Sect was dead. The handsome young catamite dared not make the slightest sound, terrified of alarming the ruthless killer by the water. Xu Changge stood quietly by the riverbank, gently using a silk handkerchief to wipe the longsword in his hand, which bore faint traces of chilling emerald poison. At his feet, an elderly man with a purplish complexion and a snow-white beard murmured dying pleas for mercy. Around them, there was not the slightest trace of a struggle. By the time he had arrived, the poison carried by the young male favorite had already entered the old man's body. With the first strike, Lou Ji's disorienting poison had disrupted the target's nerves. With the second strike, the old man had been reduced to his current state... Death and assassinations unfolded quietly across the martial-lawed Di'an City, descending upon overlooked corners in an orderly manner like a tightening net. Looking at the tranquil and elegant surroundings, Xu Yuan felt a sense of familiarity mixed with estrangement. Familiar, because this was the Chancellor's Manor. Estranged, because the manor was simply too massive; even as a native, he had rarely visited this area. The Northern Xuan Courtyard, Xiangqin Pavilion. The residence of the female retained elders of the Chancellor's Manor. Indeed, Lou Ji's courtyard was here as well. As he pondered this, Xu Yuan suddenly realized he didn't seem to be wearing his human-skin mask. He reflexively paused. Before he could extend his soul sense into his Sumeru ring, Lou Ji's smiling voice drifted over: "Are you trying to bury your head in the sand by putting on that mask while walking right beside me?" "......" Smiling awkwardly, Xu Yuan asked softly, "Should I head back to the inner courtyard first?" "To go through there, you'd have to pass the Heart of the Lake Pavilion. Ran Jianli is over there." "...The Imperial Preceptor came to see Ran Qingmo?" "Yes." "......" Xu Yuan grew somewhat tense. He had witnessed the might of a Saint tonight. Even though the Chancellor's Manor was vast, with that old swordsman's cultivation, a casual sweep of his soul sense would likely detect him. Lou Ji giggled softly, pressing her red lips together. "Don't worry, your father has already gone over to keep an eye on him. Just don't wander right under his nose." Xu Yinhe had sought out Ran Jianli not merely to prevent him from interfering, but more importantly because the Chancellor's Manor was cleaning house tonight. And family shame, naturally, could not be aired in public. With that, a trace of meaningful melancholy tinged Lou Ji's eyes. "Besides, Changtian, the ones being dealt with today are all veteran figures of the manor. There should be people among them whom you recognize." The first person Lou Ji visited was an elderly woman known as Granny Long. Xu Yuan did not recognize her, but for her to remain inside the Chancellor's Manor tonight, she had to be an important high-ranking figure. Vigorous in spirit with a straight back, every movement she made carried nobility and elegance. From her bone structure, she must have been a woman of peerless beauty in her youth. Even with her prime long gone, the charm of her past could still be faintly glimpsed in her brow and eyes. Granny Long opened the courtyard gate. Upon seeing Lou Ji outside, a faint smile immediately curved her thin lips. Gentle, carrying a hint of pleasant surprise. The expression on Lou Ji's face was almost identical. They seemed like old, intimate friends. Without a word, Granny Long moved to usher Lou Ji inside, but the motion came to an abrupt halt when her gaze fell upon Xu Yuan. Granny Long recognized the identity of the young man beside Lou Ji. Yet, According to the intelligence she had received, he had already died in an assassination. Snowflakes like goose feathers drifted gently into the courtyard. Granny Long silently lifted her eyes to gaze at the sky. What she was thinking was impossible to tell. When she lowered her head, she silently turned and walked back into the courtyard. Lou Ji glanced at Xu Yuan, gesturing for him to wait outside. The courtyard gate closed, cutting off everything within. The snow continued to fall. The gate swung open, and Lou Ji walked out calmly. Xu Yuan looked at her, but asked nothing. The two walked toward the next courtyard in silence. The mist of snow kicked up earlier by the sword Qi had already accumulated into a fresh layer on the ground, crunching softly beneath their steps. Suddenly, "If you want to ask, just ask." "Heh." Xu Yuan looked at his older sister's calm profile, a trace of contemplation in his eyes. "Was she a friend of yours?" Lou Ji tilted her head in thought, seemingly weighing how to answer. After a long while, she spoke softly: "I used to address her as Young Miss." Xu Yuan fell silent at once. Lou Ji chuckled softly, her voice wistful. "I remember telling you before—I, too, was once considered an untouchable in the eyes of those sects."