Who Is the Chicken?

Zhongsun Ce's voice grew louder and louder. "Mou's whereabouts are unknown, and he's likely dead, yet he's being mocked relentlessly throughout Lingxu City! Even the outcastes in the lower city dare point fingers and whisper about us! Who do they think they are?!" Zhongsun Chi's hand trembled with rage, but this time he raised his cane and struck him. "I asked you a question! What were you doing just now?!" "Going to teach Fu Shanyue a lesson!" Seeing the old man glare, Zhongsun Ce hurried to add, "I didn't lay a hand on him. I just gave that guy named He by his side a taste of hardship—to kill the chicken and frighten the monkey!" He knew that Fu Shanyue had entered Lingxu City on orders from the Ruler of Chiyan and was here on official business, making him difficult to target directly. However, that so-called "special envoy" by Fu Shanyue's side—the very person who had exposed in Baishaqu that his second brother had conspired with Cen Boqing to fabricate false testimony—was far more detestable and deserved death all the more! If that scoundrel hadn't meddled, his second brother would have brought Fu Songhua back to Lingxu City long ago to report on his mission. How could all these subsequent disasters have happened? Killing him would also show Fu Shanyue that they were not to be trifled with. "That He ruined my second brother..." "How could my Zhongsun clan produce an idiot like you?!" In utter disbelief, Zhongsun Chi began raining blows with his cane before Ce could even finish speaking. One strike slipped, smacking directly across Zhongsun Ce's nose bridge and causing blood to gush from his nostrils. "Call it back! Hurry and recall your people!" In his fury, panic, and exertion from beating his great-grandson, the old man found himself short of breath. After all, he was old. It was only because Zhongsun Mou had bought the elixir of immortality from Qingfu Temple to extend his life that his decrepit body had not already been buried at sea. The maidservants at his side hastily patted his back and stroked his chest, feeding him a medicinal paste to restore his breath and soothe his vitality. Zhongsun Ce lowered his head at the side, remaining silent. Only after a long while did Zhongsun Chi let out a long breath. "Do you think I don't know how awful the rumors are out there? But the more it comes to times like this, the less Fu Shanyue and that brat He can be killed! If anything happens to them, all fingers will point straight at us! Emissary Bai has made slow progress investigating the elixir of immortality case, and he is already watching us like a hawk. If the Chiyan Crown Prince gets hurt, do you think he'll spare us from scrutiny?" Zhongsun Ce hesitated, looking as if he wanted to speak. "The Demon Emperor has always suspected that I secretly used the elixir of immortality. What good does it do our family to deepen his displeasure at a time like this?!" Zhongsun Chi was so angry that his beard quivered. "If you go kill Fu Shanyue's subordinate, will that bring Mou'er back? Are you certain that avenges Mou'er?" Zhongsun Ce asked suspiciously, "Great-Grandfather, did you really take the elixir of immortality?" "Of course not!" Zhongsun Chi flatly denied it, a chill seizing his heart. If that matter were ever proven, catastrophe would befall the Zhongsun clan. The Demon Emperor might still show some regard for past sentiment, but the celestial gods had never possessed a shred of mercy. "Still..." Zhongsun Ce swallowed the rest of his words and finally relented. "I'll go call off the arrangements right now." Zhongsun Chi continued, "Fu Shanyue has indeed gone too far. You can go look for the Fan brothers later." Zhongsun Ce's eyes lit up slightly. "Great-Grandfather is right. Fan Sheng and Fan Bao were defeated by that He in broad daylight, which was far more humiliating than what we suffered. Head Commander Fan certainly won't swallow this insult!" "There's no rush; we'll plan it carefully," Zhongsun Chi urged him. "First, recall your people. Go, hurry!" Alas, if only these younger generations possessed even twenty percent of humanity's cunning and deceit, he wouldn't have to worry himself sick like this. Unable to endure any more, Zhongsun Ce could only bow and head outside. Yet before he even cleared the second courtyard gate, he nearly collided head-on with a household servant rushing in. His face darkened. "Where are your eyes?!" "This servant was wrong, this servant has no eyes, this servant was in a rush!" The servant hastily rattled off three frantic apologies, craning his neck toward Zhongsun Chi behind him. "Old Master, urgent news!" What urgent news could Zhongsun Chi possibly have? Still, he said, "Speak." "An important report just came up from the lower city—the southern district guesthouse exploded!" The servant panted heavily. "It's the guesthouse where the Chiyan Crown Prince is staying! It... it blew up!" "What did you say?!" Zhongsun Chi shot to his feet, abandoning even his cane. "Who was killed in the blast?" "I haven't heard of anyone dying." The servant's words made Zhongsun Chi let out a sigh of relief, but the servant immediately added, "However, someone among the Crown Prince's retinue seems to be injured." Zhongsun Chi grabbed his cane and swung it right onto Zhongsun Ce with a backhanded strike. "You wretched creature, get down on your knees!" Zhongsun Ce was aghast. "Great-Grandfather, it wasn't—" Before the word "me" could leave his mouth, he remembered the servant standing beside them. He immediately pointed outside and barked, "Get out!" Only after the servant scrambled far away did he drop to his knees with a thud. "Great-Grandfather, this definitely wasn't my doing!" "Either it was or it wasn't! How can there be a 'definitely'?" Zhongsun Chi glared fiercely. "Whom did you tell to deal with He Xiao, and how were they supposed to deal with him, huh?" "Two men I recruited from the Yinsong Gambling Den in the lower city. Even if they get caught, it won't lead back to me," Zhongsun Ce said hurriedly. "Word has it that Cen Boqing hired a curse master to deal with He Xiao, only for the curse to backfire, and sending Fan Sheng to beat him up ended in failure too. I figured he doesn't fear curses and has high martial prowess, so I told them to use poison. "Great-Grandfather, you know me! A method like an explosion attracts far too much attention. I would never use something like that!" Zhongsun Chi snorted, considering that his great-grandson's words made some sense. "Not a single omission from what you just said?" "None at all, not a single detail!" Zhongsun Chi's eyes flickered. "Then who could have done it?" The Cen clan? Or Yao Xingning? Zhongsun Ce shook his head. "Even if nobody on Fu Shanyue's side died, this still gives them a lesson. They'd better not walk around Lingxu City with their tails held high!" Zhongsun Chi said in a chilling voice, "Who gave whom a lesson? Do you think Fu Shanyue will just swallow this grievance? You argued and came to blows with him at Dun Garden just a few days ago. Who do you think he'll suspect?" "Uh..." "If he suspects you, the government office investigating the case on his behalf will suspect us too!" Zhongsun Chi pressed a hand to his forehead. "Did those two men you hired from the gambling den make a move yet? Don't let anyone catch them together with this!" "I'll go check immediately." "If they've already made a move—" Zhongsun Chi turned his wrist and made a sweeping slashing gesture. "Your great-grandson understands." *** A few hours earlier. Flames rose skyward at the guesthouse grounds. In the dead of night, the explosion resounded like thunder through the nine heavens, startling nearby residents whether demon or human. This was the guesthouse district where foreign envoys gathered! The last time trouble occurred in the guesthouse district was when two petty thieves sneaked in to pilfer valuables. A citywide manhunt ensued, with several hundred constables cornering and blockading them, ultimately flushing them out with overwhelming numbers. Afterward, the authorities handed down severe punishments, chopping off one hand from each thief. Everyone knew that picking fights or stirring up trouble here was forbidden. Yet now, a midnight explosion? The county lieutenant of the Southern District Office lived nearby and was awakened by the blast. Throwing on his clothes, he rushed over as fast as his legs could carry him. By the time he arrived, the flames at the guesthouse had just been doused. Gray smoke curled into the air, and black and white debris drifted on the wind, stinging eyes and mixing with the choking smell of sulfur to draw tears and snot from everyone present. The lieutenant was more anxious than anyone. "What happened? Was anyone hurt?" Any incident at the guesthouse put his official post on the line. "The special envoy of the Chiyan Crown Prince and two guards were injured. The blast occurred in the east wing on the second floor, the room closest to the street corner," a subordinate reported, pointing it out. "It sits at a distance from the other rooms, so no other guests were harmed. Below it are a kitchen and a woodshed, which were empty at the time." Walking inward, the lieutenant asked, "Was His Highness the Crown Prince injured?" "No, he was quite far from the blast point," the constable replied. "We have men searching through the debris to see if there is any unexploded gunpowder left." The lieutenant let out a long breath and stepped toward another wing of the guesthouse. The original quarters were no longer safe, so Fu Shanyue and his retinue had been temporarily relocated here following the explosion. Upon seeing the Chiyan Crown Prince, the lieutenant bowed at once, inquiring with utmost concern after his well-being. Fu Shanyue's face was frosty. "It's been eight years since I last visited Lingxu City. Has public order deteriorated to such an extent that people dare strike at a guesthouse?" In the chilly late-autumn air, cold sweat instantly broke out across the lieutenant's back. "This humble official will thoroughly investigate and get to the bottom of this!" He went to check on the injured. The two guards had suffered only minor wounds—one had his face scratched by flying debris, while the other had been knocked down by the shockwave, feeling dizzy and disoriented after clambering to his feet. However, the Crown Prince's special envoy had sustained far worse injuries. His face was covered in blood, and his coughs brought up crimson spray. A physician who checked his pulse declared that his internal organs had suffered trauma. According to the envoy, he had returned with the Crown Prince after drinking out on the town. Just as he was about to enter his room, he suddenly felt a pressing urge to relieve himself and turned back outside. He had barely stepped out the door and taken two paces before the room erupted. The blast threw him several fathoms away, crashing through a wall and landing inside the room of another delegation, sending men and women shrieking in panic. Fortunately, he hadn't been at the epicenter of the blast and wore defensive magic artifacts, which saved him from being blown to bits. Even so, he felt groggy, his head throbbing with excruciating pain. As he spoke, blood trickled from the envoy's nose once more. The lieutenant hurriedly urged him to rest well. Just then, a subordinate arrived to report that an eyewitness had spotted a suspicious trace of the culprit! The lieutenant strode outside. No sooner had he left than Fu Shanyue walked in, looking down at He Lingchuan. "Are your internals really fine?" He knew how tenacious this brat's vitality was. The Wind Demon hadn't killed him, Fu Shanyue himself hadn't killed him, and Fan Sheng hadn't killed him either. Could a tiny explosion actually finish him off? "Won't die," He Lingchuan said, rinsing his mouth with water and spitting red-tinged foam into the spittoon. "Though that blast was pretty nasty." He casually wiped away the blood under his nose. A fierce gleam flashed in Fu Shanyue's eyes. "Who do you think did it?" If the ambush had been aimed at him instead of He Lingchuan, Fu Shanyue didn't think he would have died either, but being targeted like this left a thoroughly sour taste in his mouth. "If we're listing suspects, that list is going to be very long," He Lingchuan said with a wry smile. "How many people have I offended along the way?" Fu Shanyue patted his shoulder. "They were aiming at me, using you to send a message." Otherwise, why wouldn't the explosives have been planted in his room? He understood the underlying politics all too well. Jiao Yu bounded inside. "To kill the chicken and frighten the monkey?" He Lingchuan glared at the tiger. "Who's the chicken? You think you're cultured just because you know a couple of idioms?" Jiao Yu gave a low chuff, then said to Fu Shanyue, "The guesthouse groom happened to get up in the night. Less than ten breaths after the blast, he saw a figure in black vault over the wall from the courtyard beneath the envoy's room, heading toward Baishi Street with great agility."