A Letter from the East

After the elixir of immortality case concluded, He Xiao had traveled south with Fu Shanyue, the Crown Prince of Chiyan. Later, when upheaval shook the Heavenly Palace and Lingxu City was trampled by the Thunder-Wielding Behemoth, National Preceptor Shuangye had been occupied for a long time. With the fall of National Preceptor Qingyang, he had become the head of the Four Great National Preceptors, bearing greater responsibilities and heavier burdens. Once the dust finally settled, he remembered He Xiao once more. But inquiries dispatched to Chiyan revealed that He Xiao had not actually accompanied Fu Shanyue back to his homeland. The world was vast; He Xiao leaving Lingxu City had been like a droplet slipping into the boundless sea, vanished without a trace. National Preceptor Shuangye had never expected to hear news of him again from ten thousand li away—and linked to Beijia's second-ranked fugitive on the Heaven Ranking, no less! "What do you make of this?" The contents of the letter were truly rich. Yu Zecheng had detailed the entire process of hunting down the spider demon on the island. Among the papers, the spider demon's confession was written on a separate sheet. Even with Xi Yunhe's intellect, he pondered for quite a while. "Thinking back now, He Xiao seems to be harboring many secrets. He did so many things, yet his motives remain unclear." Why take on the courier case from Fu Shanyue? Why go head-to-head against Cen Boqing and Zhongsun Mou? Why dare to join Xi Yunhe in playing a two-man act? Why dare to socialize so conspicuously and hold court in public after surviving two assassination attempts in Lingxu City? What on earth drove this youth to do so many perilous, thankless things? The motive driving him to take such risks had to be both secretive and intense. National Preceptor Shuangye glanced at Xi Yunhe. "Doesn't he resemble you quite a bit?" Xi Yunhe was startled, then nodded. It was true. "Could he have changed his face as well?" "His gaze is very youthful, carrying the vitality of a young man. He cannot be some old fellow in disguise." The unique vitality and sharpness of youth were things the middle-aged and elderly simply could not fake; National Preceptor Shuangye could tell at a single glance. He picked up the teacup from the table and took a sip, his fingers longer and fairer than a woman's. Xi Yunhe looked at the letter and said, "Yu Zecheng suffered quite a setback at his hands. That certainly fits He Xiao's style." "A setback does him good; it will teach him a lesson for next time." National Preceptor Shuangye skimmed the froth from his tea. "I did not expect He Xiao to present me with such a difficult problem." Among the three major fugitives who had wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the great fire spirit Juju had already made peace with the Heavenly Palace and Lingxu City. The Burrow Spider Queen's whereabouts had finally been uncovered after great effort, yet she was being sheltered by He Xiao. The problem facing National Preceptor Shuangye was all too pragmatic: What should be done next? Xi Yunhe pondered. "Its location is unique; we cannot bear down with an army." The Yangshan Archipelago lay right in Mou Kingdom's rear. If Beijia dared to send troops there, wouldn't Mou Kingdom hit the ceiling? "If we send a small squad to capture her, Yu Zecheng has already tried. He Xiao holds the advantage of the host. The right time, the right terrain, the support of the people—we have none of them. Not to mention that there are actually two Burrow Spider Queens!" Confronting two prehistoric great demons at once was far harder than one plus one equals two. Furthermore, "capture" meant taking her alive. Beijia still wanted to pry the whereabouts of her accomplice from the Burrow Spider Queen's mouth. The upper echelons of the Heavenly Palace and Lingxu City knew very well that powerful though she was, the Burrow Spider Queen was ultimately just an enforcer. That masked man who destroyed the Mount Xu Grand Formation was the true mastermind and wrecker! He was the figure Chief Duyun Emissary of the Heavenly Palace most wanted to get his hands on and slice into ten thousand pieces! Considering the geography of the Yangshan Archipelago, simply killing the Burrow Spider Queen would be hard enough for the Beijia people, let alone capturing her alive! Arriving at this point, Xi Yunhe also felt a headache coming on. "My Lord Preceptor, the key to breaking this impasse still lies with He Xiao. Either he hands over the Yangshan Archipelago, or he hands over the Burrow Spider Queen. Otherwise, no one else can do much of anything." "Yu Zecheng thought so as well." National Preceptor Shuangye sighed. "He matched wits against He Xiao and lost. Whom do you think I should send next to secure a victory?" Xi Yunhe shook his head. "Your subordinate does not know." "You—" Xi Yunhe rubbed his nose. "Your Lordship has no shortage of talents under your command; those superior to Yu Zecheng are beyond counting." He did not want to go. National Preceptor Shuangye gave a faint, mocking smile. "You certainly concede defeat without hesitation." He seemed to speak to himself: "Who could have absolute certainty? Even True Lord Musu's avatar came to grief." He indeed had people under his command, capable people. But whom could he send to guarantee success? Not to mention the current situation... Xi Yunhe muttered vaguely, harboring a thought he dared not voice: If National Preceptor Shuangye intervened in person, only then would success truly be guaranteed. How long had the Yangshan Archipelago even existed? Defenses like theirs would be practically nonexistent before a National Preceptor. However, National Preceptor Shuangye was now exalted as the head of the Four Great National Preceptors. He had to coordinate the source power of all Beijia and could no longer easily depart Lingxu City. Moreover, if the foremost of Beijia's Four Great National Preceptors personally slipped into the rear of Mou Kingdom, the ramifications and hazards would be immeasurable. All for a mere spider demon? The National Preceptor Shuangye he knew would certainly never do such a thing. National Preceptor Shuangye also sank into deep thought. During this time, Xi Yunhe replaced his tea with a fresh, hot cup before speaking: "My Lord Preceptor, could He Xiao be... the principal culprit behind the upheaval in the Heavenly Palace?" Even though a barrier protected this room, he still unconsciously lowered his voice for those last few words. National Preceptor Shuangye picked up his paintbrush again. "He passed Celestial God Miaozhan's touchstone test, proving he had no connection to either the Dafang Pot or Mou Kingdom. Are you suggesting Celestial God Miaozhan's divine arts made an error?" Xi Yunhe immediately said, "I wouldn't dare." In Beijia, who dared question the gods? "While pursuing the fugitive, both National Preceptor Qingyang and Celestial God Baizhan witnessed source power radiating from the masked man." National Preceptor Shuangye painted a maple tree on the scroll. "Otherwise, why would the officialdom of Lingxu City have been drenched in blood these past few months? He Xiao isn't even from Beijia—where would he get source power to wield?" When the gods grew furious, blood flowed deep enough to float shields. Needless to say, during this massive purge, some officials had been falsely accused or implicated, but far more cases of malpractice, corruption, and bending the law had been dragged into the light. Entangled and deeply rooted, the more they investigated, the more inside dirt surfaced, growing increasingly astonishing until it rivaled last year's elixir of immortality case. Fortunately, this time there was no massive crowd of commoners looking on as spectators, nor was divine blood involved. Problematic officials were arrested in ever-growing numbers—endless, simply endless. If the arrests continued, the normal operation of the royal court would likely be crippled. The Emperor had suffered headaches for over half a year, and ultimately a whole pile of cases was shelved for the time being, to be dealt with later. Someone had to actually do the work in the royal court, after all. Now that this foul wind had finally blown past and the gods had quieted down somewhat, the entire court breathed a sigh of relief. Anyone who dared dredge up the old matter at a time like this would truly be blind; monarch and ministers alike would probably join forces to make life miserable for him. Having hidden in the Autumn Palace for the past half year and watched the turmoil of the outside world, Xi Yunhe understood the mindset of the Lingxu royal court all too well. Those two points alone were basically enough to clear He Xiao of suspicion. "The spies planted in Lingshan also report having never heard of such a figure. Of course, they cannot break into Lingshan's upper echelons." National Preceptor Shuangye outlined the leaves. "Therefore, He Xiao is naturally not the mastermind who threw the Heavenly Palace into chaos." His tone was calm, yet Xi Yunhe knew that every word he uttered carried immense weight— National Preceptor Shuangye had already set the tone for this matter. He Xiao could not be, should not be, and would not be the culprit who had wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace. Otherwise, where would that leave National Preceptor Shuangye, who had ties and transactions with He Xiao? During the elixir of immortality case, the critical evidence that brought down National Preceptor Qingyang had been entrusted by National Preceptor Shuangye to He Lingchuan to pass on to Bai Ziqi. To repay that favor, National Preceptor Shuangye had even borrowed troops from the Baling Kingdom on Nian Zanli's behalf and served as witness for Nian Zanli and Li Qingge. Intentionally or not, He Xiao's past was bound to National Preceptor Shuangye, turning into a secret that could never be uncovered. If He Xiao was the culprit behind the Heavenly Palace upheaval, wouldn't National Preceptor Shuangye be considered colluding with him? How could the people and factions once purged by National Preceptor Shuangye ever pass up such massive leverage, such a golden opportunity? If their counterattack proved fierce and violent, what would Beijia do with National Preceptor Shuangye? Deal with another National Preceptor? Not long ago, the elixir of immortality case had felled National Preceptor Qingyang, triggering a massive earthquake across the entire Lingxu royal court whose aftershocks had yet to subside. If the Demon Emperor were to pursue National Preceptor Shuangye as well, what kind of tempest would strike Lingxu City? These two National Preceptors were the longest-serving, their connections throughout the royal court like the deep roots of ancient trees. If both were pulled up, Lingxu City would suffer far worse than just depleted vitality. To investigate He Xiao's past meant dredging up past affairs, reopening the elixir of immortality case, exposing the secret feud between Shuangye and Qingyang, and unearthing the conflict between the Emperor and the Heavenly Palace... Thinking of these secrets submerged in a bottomless pool, Xi Yunhe shuddered. Therefore, He Xiao was simply He Xiao: the Chiyan special envoy appointed by Fu Shanyue and the initial handler of the elixir of immortality case. Nothing more. National Preceptor Shuangye picked up the second letter and opened it. This time he read very quickly, scanning it from beginning to end in just two glances before handing it to Xi Yunhe. Xi Yunhe took it and looked—to his surprise, it was a letter written by He Xiao's own hand. In the letter, He Xiao recounted in detail the whole sequence of his contest with Yu Zecheng, including mediating the conflict between Yu Zecheng and Zhu Erniang early on, luring Yu Zecheng into a trap later, and so on. Every detail was accounted for, even more comprehensive than Yu Zecheng's own report. The contents of the two letters corroborated each other, their details matching up, showing that He Xiao had neither exaggerated nor distorted the facts. His phrasing was extremely sincere and respectful, stating that he was filled with trepidation, but knowing that a man cannot stand without keeping his word, he had been forced to act; though he had used a stratagem to capture Captain Yu and his squad, he treated them as honored guests, daring not neglect their food, lodging, or needs in the slightest. He expressed reverence for National Preceptor Shuangye, deep respect for Beijia, and repeatedly offered apologies to the National Preceptor. In phrasing, it was indeed brimming with sincerity, without a single fault to be found. Halfway through, Xi Yunhe could not help clicking his tongue. "What a piece of work." National Preceptor Shuangye asked Xi Yunhe, "What do you think?" "Wishful thinking," Xi Yunhe laughed. "This kid wants to protect the Burrow Spider Queen without offending Lingxu City; he wants to pin Yu Zecheng to the ground and pummel him without making you angry." Wanting to have it both ways was naturally exceedingly difficult. "Do you think he can have his wish?" "Your subordinate does not know," Xi Yunhe answered honestly. "It all hinges upon a single thought from Your Lordship." "All hinges upon a single thought of mine?" National Preceptor Shuangye's long brows knitted slightly, tightening into a flicker of murderous intent.