Conscience

The homicide at Yuezhou University's academic symposium had severe repercussions. What made it so terrible was not just the killing itself, but the series of complications that followed. The Outer States were not Puluo Province. The use of dark abilities was not out in the open here. Ninety-nine percent of people in the Outer States had no concept of dark abilities, and even some low-level enthusiast circles could not confirm whether they truly existed. For the experts, professors, and students who believed in science, what they had witnessed in the academic lecture hall was a direct challenge to the worldview of the entire Outer States. Fortunately, the situation was brought under control swiftly. Yu Yaoming had killed only Yan Youjun, and the act had happened so fast that most people had not seen it clearly, giving the authorities an opportunity to devise a plausible explanation. In the end, Yan Youjun's death was explained as a laboratory accident. As for why an experiment had been conducted at a symposium or what kind of experiment it was, there would be plenty of time later to smooth over the details. For now, the higher-ups decided to move quickly and investigate two people. One was Yu Yaoming: how exactly had he acquired dark abilities, and what was his reason for killing Yan Youjun in a public venue? The other was Li Qi. It was he who had promptly subdued Yu Yaoming and prevented the situation from escalating further, but why had he been present in the lecture hall in the first place? Had he foreseen trouble brewing, or were there deeper secrets and conspiracies at play? To this, Li Qi offered a remarkably sincere answer: "I love science. With a humble desire to learn, I went to Yuezhou University to observe the academic discussion, and I just happened to run into this incident." Though this omitted a few details, everything Li Qi said was the truth. Yet when he told the truth, nobody believed him. The higher-ups issued an urgent directive demanding that interrogation proceedings begin immediately, with a heightened focus on investigating Li Qi. The directive was assigned to Deputy Director Wang. Wang took it very seriously. Spending an entire afternoon putting together an operational plan, he went to Shen Jingye to report. "Chief, our work plan is divided into three phases. In the first phase, we will directly deploy the interrogation equipment and strive to have Li Qi lay out the full picture of the case tonight. "In the second phase, we will organize a special task force to conduct a targeted investigation into Li Qi, combining the findings with the results of tonight's questioning to map out the entire case. "In the third phase, we will cross-reference the details against the confessions of the suspect, Yu Yaoming, and other eyewitnesses, ensuring Li Qi hasn't concealed anything. "According to the schedule, we can obtain preliminary findings and draft an investigative report within three days." Shen Jingye glanced over the plan, set it aside, and asked, "Have you gotten Yu Yaoming's statement?" "Yes." Deputy Director Wang handed the transcript to Shen Jingye. Shen Jingye flipped through it, nodded, and said, "Leave it at that." *Leave it at that? What did that mean?* Deputy Director Wang didn't understand what Shen Jingye meant. Assuming Shen Jingye approved of his operational plan, he said, "I'll go notify the interrogation room staff right away so they can prepare." Shen Jingye checked his watch. "It's already six-thirty." Thinking he had been too slow, Deputy Director Wang hurriedly stood up. "I'll make the preparations right now." Shen Jingye shook his head. "It's six-thirty. Time to clock out. Lao Wang, go home." Wang was stunned. "Chief Shen, the directive specifically instructs us to begin interrogation immediately—" "Leave the plan with me. I'll handle this matter. You go on home." Utterly bewildered, Deputy Director Wang returned to his office. Even though Shen Jingye had told him to go home, he didn't dare leave. He sat beside the telephone, waiting for Shen Jingye's next instruction. Shen Jingye picked up his phone, had his secretary order takeout, and brought the food over to Li Qi's office. Sitting behind his desk, Li Qi smiled. "Xiao Shen, here to interrogate me?" "I haven't eaten yet," Shen Jingye said, setting the food and drinks on the desk. "Keep me company for a bite." Li Banfeng had already eaten in his companion dwelling, but with Shen Jingye's repeated invitations, he drank a couple of cups with him. Baked chicken, beef tripe, tossed jellyfish, fish with pickled greens—Shen Jingye had put together quite a hearty spread. Li Banfeng said, "I'm the prime subject of an investigation right now. Isn't this treatment a bit too generous?" "What kind of special treatment is this?" Shen Jingye shook his head. "They want to investigate you? On what grounds? Do they have the right?" Li Banfeng looked Shen Jingye up and down, suspecting that the man before him wasn't real. "Xiao Shen, did those words really just come out of your mouth?" "They came from me," Shen Jingye said, passing Li Banfeng a chicken leg. "Do you think I'm just muddleheaded and understand nothing?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "You understand everything. You just like playing dumb." "Yeah, playing dumb. In some matters, you have to," Shen Jingye said, taking a sip of beer. "But you can't play dumb about everything. You can't play dumb about this Yu Yaoming business. Why did you go to Yuezhou University? Why did you attend the symposium? Does that even matter? If you hadn't been there today, everything would have gone to hell. Who knows how many people Yu Yaoming would have killed? If he'd butchered a river of blood and made a run for it, who could bear the consequences? You didn't just save the people in that room—you saved those bastards up top, too. And now they turn around and want to investigate you? Where do they get the nerve?" Li Banfeng grew even more surprised. He still suspected someone was impersonating Shen Jingye, but he couldn't spot any flaw in him. Shen Jingye set down the beer can. "I'm speaking from the heart, and only to you. I've already arranged it so all the surveillance in this room has been shut off. Once I step through that door, I won't acknowledge a single word I've said." Now that sounded like Shen Jingye. Li Banfeng asked, "Have you figured out Yu Yaoming's side of things? Where did his dark abilities come from, and why did he kill Yan Youjun?" Shen Jingye sighed. "You might not believe it when I say it. Here's his confession—read it yourself." Li Banfeng took the document. "Can I read this? Aren't you worried I'll collude on our stories?" "Not at all!" Shen Jingye shook his head. "Showing it to anyone else would just be wasting time. Showing it to you might actually be useful." As Li Banfeng flipped through the pages, Shen Jingye explained, "According to Yu Yaoming's statement, he has no concept of dark abilities. He's not a cultivator, nor is he a dark ability enthusiast. His special powers came from experiments." "What experiments?" The record was somewhat fragmented, making it difficult for Li Banfeng to locate the specifics quickly. Shen Jingye said, "He claimed they were experiments simulating the environment around wormholes. He placed himself in extreme simulated environments to observe his vital signs, and found that his body evolved, granting him special abilities. Because his powers originated from scientific research, he calls them the 'power of wisdom.' This was corroborated by the statements of several of his students." Li Banfeng recalled Fang Yufei. She had consistently insisted to him that her mentor possessed wisdom and power beyond human understanding. "Are his students all right?" "One female student isn't mentally stable. The hospital said it was severe shock. The other students are doing fine." Li Banfeng continued skimming the transcript. "Which pathway does his ability belong to? Or rather, which profession?" Shen Jingye shook his head. "None of them. He's quite agile, but he lacks the speed of a Wanderer. He knows a fair amount of combat techniques, but he doesn't possess a Fighter's command over weapons." Li Banfeng said, "He used a fountain pen to kill someone. That doesn't count as commanding a weapon?" "The origin of that pen is hard to explain. I suspect it's a dark-energy carrier, but testing didn't reveal the characteristics of one. Yet if it truly were an ordinary fountain pen, there's no way Yu Yaoming could have pierced a human skull with it so easily. He doesn't have that kind of strength." *The pen was that special?* *It seemed he would need to find a chance to have a chat with it.* "What was Yu Yaoming's motive for killing Yan Youjun?" Shen Jingye sighed. "If I hadn't read the confession with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either. Yu Yaoming's motive for killing Yan Youjun was pure rage." "Just rage?" "Yes. A Judge—what Puluo Province calls a Virtue Cultivator—was present during the interrogation. With Yu Yaoming's abilities, it would be impossible for him to resist a Virtue Cultivator, so what he said should be the truth. Yu Yaoming had been suppressed by Yan Youjun for a long time; many in academia knew about it. Before attending the symposium, Yu Yaoming had already disclosed to his students that he intended to punish Yan Youjun severely at the venue, perhaps even taking his life." Li Banfeng set down the confession. "He told his students beforehand that he intended to murder Yan Youjun, and then chose to commit the crime right at the academic symposium?" Shen Jingye nodded. "Do you think he's lost his mind?" Judging from Fang Yufei's reaction at the time, Yu Yaoming was likely telling the truth; she hadn't seemed surprised by Yan Youjun's death. As for whether Yu Yaoming was mad, that depended on the setting. In Puluo Province, killing someone after declaring war was nothing new. But in the Outer States, doing so was indeed unhinged. Shen Jingye continued, "We brought in specialists to give Yu Yaoming a comprehensive examination and evaluate his mental state. Although they found no physical lesions, his psychological state is intensely paranoid and obsessive. He admitted himself that his mental state underwent changes, which were also caused by his experiments. His students are similarly obsessive, likely related to those experiments as well. If you hadn't caught that madman, what he might have done in the future is unthinkable." The two shared a few more drinks. Shen Jingye lit a cigarette. "My heart has been in my throat these past two days, but now that this whole mess happened, my mind is actually at ease. The higher-ups kept telling me to investigate the black market, and I felt something was off about it. How many years has the Cultural Palace black market been around? Why would the brass suddenly care so much? Old Liao caught wind of something. Someone named Hua has a grudge against you, and he seems to have ties to the Outer States. I wonder if this whole thing has something to do with him." *Someone named Hua?* *Hua Manchun?* *The black market incident was connected to him?* Li Banfeng stared at Shen Jingye for a moment. Whether the rumor was true or false, Shen Jingye wouldn't normally disclose it. He was someone who never got involved in matters outside his jurisdiction. Why was he acting so out of character today? Shen Jingye continued, "Now that such a massive mess has blown up, the black market matter can be put on hold for a while. Take my advice: you'd better stay here at the bureau for the next couple of days. If you really can't get used to sleeping here, staying at home is fine too. But under no circumstances should you go to the black market. As for the Birch Hermitage and the Ferry Gang, don't look into them for now either." It matched Li Banfeng's deduction. Teacher Song's sudden push for him to attend the symposium had been to keep him clear of the black market investigation. That operation was very likely a trap aimed squarely at him. Yet how much power did Hua Manchun have? Could his reach truly extend into the Outer States, reaching all the way to the upper echelons of the Dark Astral Bureau? "Xiao Shen, why are you telling me so much?" Li Banfeng laid the question bare, wanting to see Shen Jingye's reaction. Shen Jingye drained the rest of his canned beer and took a bite of shredded jellyfish. "In everything I do, I've always answered to my conscience." Li Banfeng took a sip of liquor. "Has there ever been a time you went against your conscience?" Shen Jingye fell silent. He lit another cigarette, popped open another can of beer, took a long swig, and didn't speak for a long time. He glanced around Li Qi's office, looking for a way to change the subject. Catching sight of a wind-up gramophone on the bookshelf, he asked, "Is that just an ornament?" "Not an ornament," Li Banfeng shook his head. "It's a gramophone. I brought it from Puluo Province. It plays tunes." "Really?" Shen Jingye sounded skeptical. "Why not play a song for me to hear?" Li Banfeng wound the spring and set the stylus onto the record. *Hiss—crackle—* Shen Jingye shook his head slightly. "Quite a bit of static." Li Banfeng replied, "For a shellac disc, that's already fairly quiet." After a brief prelude, a sorrowful voice began to sing: "The butterfly flutters away, the heart no longer stays; Through the bleak, desolate night, who comes to wipe tears from my face? Longing for a bit of reliance, craving a bit of love, Old ties should end yet linger on, trading all for a heart of sorrow..." Shen Jingye listened with rapt attention. The cigarette between his fingers had burned down more than halfway, yet he forgot to smoke it. "What's this song called?" "'Wild Grass and Stray Flowers Bloom in Spring.'" "Who's singing?" "Jiang Mengting, a diva of Puluo Province." In truth, the record hadn't been made by Jiang Mengting; his lady had recorded it. But Li Banfeng couldn't speak her name, so he could only attribute it to Jiang Mengting. "It's beautiful," Shen Jingye murmured, savoring the melody's lingering sorrow. He turned to Li Banfeng. "Can you play it once more?" Li Banfeng nodded and returned the needle to the beginning. When the singing rose again, Shen Jingye's hand gave a tremor. Ash dropped onto his trousers. The cigarette had burned down completely, and he lit another. Under cover of the music, Shen Jingye murmured, "If you want to talk... talk about things that go against my conscience, there are some. What happened to Datou... I failed him." Li Qi asked, "Just Datou?" "There are others," Shen Jingye took a deep drag of smoke. "There's Mijiener, Zhuizi, Huajia... The previous director failed them, and so did I. Maybe it's because... it's always been this way. I didn't want it to be like this, yet it ended up like this anyway. But even if that's just the way it's always been, I still failed them." Shen Jingye spoke in halting fragments, the cigarette trembling between his fingertips. "The woodland flowers have withered, burying the heart deep inside; When the spring swallows return one day, where will this soul abide?" As the song drew to a close once more, Shen Jingye stubbed out his cigarette, grabbed his jacket, and rose. "I'm heading home. My wife gets anxious easily. If I don't give her a heads-up before staying out, she'll worry. I'm off." Reaching the doorway, Shen Jingye turned back. "That song... is really beautiful." Li Banfeng nodded. "We'll listen to it some more another day." Shen Jingye was indeed acting abnormal today, but Li Banfeng was certain he was not an imposter. This was the real Shen Jingye. His unusual emotional state was likely related to Yu Yaoming; he had been present during Yu Yaoming's interrogation. Yu Yaoming had the power to infect others with his emotions. Back in the lecture hall, many people had been swayed by him, including his students and the symposium organizers. Infected by that influence, Shen Jingye had spoken words to Li Banfeng that he would never have uttered under normal circumstances. Yet his rationality had remained; whenever crucial topics arose, he found ways to sidestep them. Only after listening to the lady's song had his emotions been magnified once more, to the point of nearly losing control. *Oh, Xiao Shen, what am I supposed to say about you...?* Li Banfeng patted the projector, which exchanged greetings with the room's surveillance equipment. Shen Jingye had indeed ordered the cameras and microphones in Li Banfeng's office turned off, but there was no telling when they might be reactivated. Even if they were turned back on now, the watchers wouldn't discover anything amiss. Leaving the projector on guard in the office, Li Banfeng returned to his companion dwelling to study Yu Yaoming's presentation slides with his lady. *** In Puluo Province, Huaxian Manor. The master of the manor, Hua Manchun, was listening to Yuan Chunping relay news from the Outer States: "The situation has changed. Li Qi is still alive for now, but he won't be able to leave the Outer States anytime soon." Hua Manchun nodded. "Keeping him tied down is enough." He looked at another woman and asked, "Any news on He Jiaqing?" This woman was named Liancui, one of the manor's own people. Before Hua Manchun, she was naturally far more deferential than Yuan Chunping. "Master, we haven't found his whereabouts yet." "Still haven't found him?" Hua Manchun asked casually, but the words frightened Liancui so badly she could barely stand. "This servant will immediately dispatch more people to look—" "Send all of them," Hua Manchun pinched Liancui's cheek. "I'll wait until tomorrow. By this time tomorrow, I must hear news of He Jiaqing." Liancui was indeed fortunate. By dusk the next day, she had actually located He Jiaqing. "Master, He Jiaqing just arrived in Chu Yaoxian's territory." "Splendid!" In high spirits, Hua Manchun said to Yuan Chunping, "Please notify our friends from the Puzi. Tonight is the night Hua takes his revenge. If they remember Hua's contributions to the Puzi, and our fellowship together, I ask them to lend me a hand." Yuan Chunping replied, "Rest easy, Manor Lord. Two seniors from the Puzi are nearby." Hua Manchun turned back to Liancui. "Take your people and guard the manor. If anything goes wrong, don't blame me for showing no mercy." Liancui nodded frantically. Just as she stepped out of the hall, a spiderweb brushed against her face. *Spider silk in the master's main hall?* *No wonder the previous maids were killed. They couldn't even clean up a spider. How utterly useless.* Rubbing her face clean, Liancui hurried to rally her subordinates and reinforce the manor's defenses. Sensing the vibrations along the spider silk, Daboynes said to Feng Daiku, "Lady Feng, Hua Manchun has taken his people to Chu Yaoxian's territory. There will be a bitter battle between him and He Jiaqing. The intelligence is solid." Feng Daiku nodded and handed Daboynes a pearl hairpin. It was a spirit object, the payment they had agreed upon in advance. Daboynes accepted the hairpin. "Lady Feng, I have history with both Li Qi and Ma the Fifth. Please keep your word and do not reveal my whereabouts to them." Feng Daiku said, "Within twenty-four hours, I will not reveal your whereabouts to anyone. Once today passes, we are strangers. If your intelligence proves false, I will not let you off. Even if it is true, I have paid you your reward, and our slate is clean. Should Young Master Li or Wulang wish to kill you in the future, I will show you no mercy." Daboynes nodded and melted away into the depths of the forest. Feng Daiku relayed the news to Ma the Fifth. Ma retrieved his makeshift telephone and, using Luo Zhengnan as a relay, called Li Banfeng. "Old Seven, Hua Manchun has entered Chu Yaoxian's territory. War is on." The projector exchanged farewells with the cluster of cameras, and Li Banfeng walked out of the Dark Astral Bureau, heading for Huahu Park. *** Inside a mansion in the newland, Chu Yaoxian was pouring tea for He Jiaqing. "Brother He, what brings you to my humble abode today? What orders do you have for me?" He Jiaqing smiled. "Sister, don't say that. I came specifically to visit you today, and there's a matter I wanted to consult you on." "No need for consultation. Just tell me what you need, Brother, and I'll listen." He Jiaqing sighed. "Sister, if you're this courteous, I won't know how to speak. I've had my eye on a plot of land lately, but it lies in Lu Huowang's territory. If you're acquainted with him, could you introduce us so I can speak with him face to face?" "Brother, you came to the right person," Chu Yaoxian said with a smile. "Lu Huowang and I are indeed well-acquainted. When he had a clash with Tao Xuehong back then, it was I who mediated and got Tao Xuehong to spare him. Speaking of which, he owes me quite a debt of gratitude. Brother He, if you want to reclaim land in his territory, just go ahead. If he dares give you trouble, I'll slap him across the face myself. If you want to take a plot directly from his hands, I'll go with you to see him. As long as it isn't too large, Lu Huowang will definitely agree." He Jiaqing shook his head. "I wouldn't take his land for nothing. I will pay every coin he's due." Lowering her head, Chu Yaoxian murmured, "Whatever Brother wishes is fine. I'll do whatever you say." As she spoke, she leaned closer. Startled, He Jiaqing took a small step back. Blushing, Chu Yaoxian took He Jiaqing's hand. "Brother, am I being too forward?" He Jiaqing pulled his hand back. "I appreciate Sister's goodwill, but let's settle the previous matter first." "All right, let's settle it then," Chu Yaoxian threw her arms around He Jiaqing. To be honest, she felt she was losing her composure. He Jiaqing was young and accomplished; that Chu Yaoxian felt some affection for him was only natural. But one had to act according to one's station. Chu Yaoxian was the spirit of a territory, well-known among local spirits. Even if she had feelings, she shouldn't abandon all decorum and act so brazenly. Realizing something was wrong, He Jiaqing quickly rushed out of the residence. Looking into the courtyard, he saw Hua Manchun waving a feather fan, admiring the blossoms in the center of the yard. Chu Yaoxian followed him out. Her earlier lapse in composure was because she had fallen under Hua Manchun's technique, which had stirred her amorous desires toward He Jiaqing. Seeing Hua Manchun now, Chu Yaoxian felt a wave of panic. But with He Jiaqing present, she gritted her teeth and asked, "Manor Lord Hua, what are you doing in my home?" Hua Manchun chuckled. "Can I not visit your home?" Chu Yaoxian said, "Coming uninvited and using techniques on me—that hardly seems proper etiquette." "Why don't you ask your Brother He whether I ever invited him when he visited my manor?" Hua Manchun retorted. With a grim expression, He Jiaqing looked at Hua Manchun. "Senior, regarding what happened back then, He has already explained everything clearly." "Explained clearly, and that makes it water under the bridge?" Hua Manchun shook his head. "Young Master He, you overestimate Hua's magnanimity. Do you truly believe I could swallow that insult?" "Then in Manor Lord Hua's opinion, how can this grudge be resolved?" He Jiaqing appeared calm, his eyes drifting as he searched for an opening to strike. Hua Manchun adjusted the feather fan in his hand. "Seeing that you're still young, I shouldn't be too hard on you. Kneel down, give me three loud kowtows, get the hell out of this territory, and never return. Then we'll call the matter settled." He Jiaqing asked, "If my matter is settled, what about Miss Chu?" Hua Manchun glanced at Chu Yaoxian and shook his head. "She won't get off so easily. I'm taking her into my manor to discipline her for a few years." Chu Yaoxian was ready to fight Hua Manchun to the death, but unexpectedly, He Jiaqing lifted the hem of his robe. Hua Manchun was taken aback. What was he doing? Was He Jiaqing really going to kneel? "Senior, let me apologize to you first!" He Jiaqing actually assumed a posture to kneel. Hua Manchun remained impassive, watching He Jiaqing quietly. He Jiaqing had no intention of actually kneeling. Two dharma treasures were concealed beneath his hem; the moment Hua Manchun became slightly distracted, He Jiaqing could seize the initiative and deliver a lethal blow. Yet the two dharma treasures remained dormant, because He Jiaqing never issued the command to attack. At that moment, another thought crossed He Jiaqing's mind. *Hua Manchun is on high alert. Striking right now might not be wise.* *Chu Yaoxian has been hit by a technique; whether she can help is dubious, and she might even hold me back.* *Kneel first. Kneel down, and then we'll see. Once I'm on my knees, Hua Manchun's guard will drop. Ambushing him then will offer a much higher chance of success.* He Jiaqing's knees slowly sank until they met the ground. He Jiaqing actually knelt before Hua Manchun. Hua Manchun nodded and chuckled. "A teachable pupil. A fairly proper kneel. Now let me hear the sound of your kowtow. The louder it is, the more sincere you are." Kowtowing wouldn't be necessary; He Jiaqing was already primed for the ambush. He touched the dharma treasures and commanded them to strike, but the treasures didn't budge. He looked down and saw that both dharma treasures were stuck fast to the ground along with the hem of his robe. He tried to stand up, only to find he couldn't rise. Hua Manchun sighed. "They don't call you a thief for nothing—you never play clean. Trying to pull a dirty trick on me? You haven't even grown all your teeth yet." An elderly man leaning on a walking stick stepped into the courtyard. "Mind Cultivator Ren Antian." He Jiaqing recognized him: the local spirit of Yinian County. An old woman followed closely behind the elderly man, also emerging into the yard. "Glue Cultivator Sun Peiying." He Jiaqing recognized her too: the local spirit of Niantangouzi. He Jiaqing's hesitation to strike earlier, choosing instead to kneel before Hua Manchun, had been the result of Mind Cultivator Ren Antian's technique. And after he knelt, it was too late to ambush: he had fallen under Glue Cultivator Sun Peiying's technique. Hua Manchun flicked his folding fan. An unholy fire surged from He Jiaqing's heart, scorching his internal organs. "Young Master He, did you think a mere kneel would settle things?" Hua Manchun sneered. "From the day you set foot in Huaxian Manor, your life was already forfeit." PS: Three proper land local spirits—He Jiaqing's chances looked grim.