The guards here were no different from those outside. Moreover, prisoners sent into the Yang Palace rarely left alive, so shortchanging them on provisions and meals was commonplace.
Yet toward National Preceptor Qingyang, even the warden maintained a measure of courtesy, let alone the underlings.
National Preceptor Qingyang lifted her food box, walked to the table, and sat down to eat.
Most people spent their first few days locked in the Yang Palace sick with worry and fear, unable to stomach anything. She, however, ate well and slept soundly, as though she had put everything behind her.
Today's prison meal consisted of two large yellow-flour steamed buns, each bigger than her hand, steamed soft and fluffy, stuffed with savory braised pork belly—half fat and half lean—and stir-fried bean sprouts.
There was also a bright red apple and a bowl of chicken soup stewed with lion's mane mushrooms.
Were any other prisoner to see this meal, they would drool all over the floor. But for National Preceptor Qingyang, she had not eaten food quite so... humble in many, many years before entering this prison.
The chicken soup had been filled too high. Perhaps the attendant or the guards had jostled it too much on the way in, but broth had splashed all over the bottom of the food box.
National Preceptor Qingyang had just taken a bite of the pork-filled bun when she noticed the spilled broth at the bottom of the box beginning to contract.
This might have been a natural phenomenon, since the bottom of the box was coated with waterproof red lacquer.
Even so, her gaze swept across the back of the guard outside the cell, and flickered casually past the candle along the wall. With an easy motion, she propped the lid halfway over the box, precisely concealing what was happening at the bottom.
The movement was entirely natural; many people rested box lids that way.
To National Preceptor Qingyang, the candle flame on the wall was far more concerning than the guards. The Heavenly Palace's ever-burning candles had many wondrous uses; the most basic among them was surveillance and true-sight.
Now that she was in the Yang Palace, her every move was closely monitored by the celestial gods.
At this moment, however, National Preceptor Qingyang was likely the only one to witness the secret at the bottom of the box:
The broth rapidly gathered together, forming several dozen characters:
*Snail-toad sighted at Nian Zanli's Nanxinzhuang freight depot. Large supply of prunella spikes found. Receipt records and eyewitnesses present.*
Few words, but momentous implications.
In particular, the words "snail-toad" and "prunella spike" caused even someone as unshakable as National Preceptor Qingyang to narrow her pupils slightly.
A mere few breaths later, the broth dispersed and the characters vanished.
This small divine art had been performed without a single trace.
National Preceptor Qingyang unhurriedly chewed her bun, blew on the chicken soup to cool it, and drank, thoughts spinning swiftly through her mind.
As the mastermind behind the demon-hunting and bead-extracting ring, she naturally knew very well that Nian Zanli had nothing to do with the snail-toad, the prunella spikes, or the entire elixir of immortality case.
The sudden appearance of the snail-toad and prunella spikes in Nian Zanli's depot was almost certainly a frame-up.
Why choose this moment?
Was it because moving the snail-toad was easier after the torrential rain?
No, it could not be so simple. Only a few days after she was arrested, the snail-toad—which had vanished for two months—suddenly surfaced in Lingxu City?
Wait... could it be because she had confessed Dong Rui's name?
In the eyes of outsiders, the snail-toad's appearance in Nian Zanli's depot at most proved that General Nian was connected to the elixir of immortality case.
Yet to National Preceptor Qingyang and other insiders, the crux of the matter right now was the source of the divine blood!
She had already explained to the Heavenly Palace that the source of the divine blood was Dong Rui, and that the man was likely lurking within Lingxu City.
And the snail-toad was Dong Rui's proudest creation.
Now the snail-toad had turned up in Nian Zanli's depot, gorging on prunella spikes.
Could this chain of logic not be drawn straight across: divine blood was linked to Nian Zanli?
Do not forget, just a few days ago, an old oak tree in a residence on Xiangmai Street had abruptly mutated. A neighbor's sheep demon had grazed on its leaves, gone mad, killed people, wrecked the street, and caused an enormous commotion.
Two things had been uncovered afterward:
First, the oak's mutation had likely been triggered by divine blood.
Second, the root of the disturbance was that servants cleaning the residence had handled belongings left by the previous owner and accidentally broken a container against the tree roots.
In other words, the previous owner had privately possessed divine blood.
And who was that person?
Nian Zanli.
Both cases pointed to Nian Zanli. Plainly put, divine blood and the elixir of immortality—two deathly nerves that even the highest nobility dared not touch—were now pinned squarely upon Nian Zanli.
Her first thought was that National Preceptor Shuangye was behind this. After all, Dong Rui and Xi Yunhe were under his thumb, were they not?
Should she play along with his wishes?
Yet that felt strange, for she knew deep down that National Preceptor Shuangye desperately wanted to use this opportunity to unearth the god backing her.
Having gone to such trouble to orchestrate this trap, how could he abandon it halfway?
Or rather, with the advantage on his side, why would he raise his hand high only to let it fall gently?
Furthermore, National Preceptor Shuangye had a god standing behind him as well. With this unexpected twist, was he acting on his own initiative, or was the god behind him seeking reconciliation?
The struggles among celestial gods were just like her relationship with National Preceptor Shuangye—sometimes mild, sometimes tactful, and sometimes to the bitter death!
When she finished her meal, a guard came in to clear away the leftovers.
National Preceptor Qingyang wiped her mouth with a soft cloth, walked over to the glazed window, and sat down facing the mountain view.
Or perhaps other factions within Lingxu City had joined the fray?
Should she seize this opportunity?
She had cultivated the art of reading the situation for nearly two hundred years. Yet at this moment, she remained deeply conflicted and torn.
Was dragging National Preceptor Shuangye down into the mire more important, or was closing the case as quickly as possible to regain her own freedom more vital?
Unless this page was turned, her next chapter could never begin.
***
Two shichen later.
Bai Ziqi walked deep into the Yang Palace and saw National Preceptor Qingyang sitting facing the setting sun, offering him only her back.
He made his footsteps heavy, yet she seemed not to notice.
As Bai Ziqi approached, the guard promptly unlocked the door for him.
He stepped into the cell, stopping only once he reached the prisoner's side, and gave a light cough. "National Preceptor Qingyang."
Only on the second call did National Preceptor Qingyang slowly open her eyes and slightly turn her head.
"Emissary Bai."
"Have your quarters been comfortable these past few days?" Bai Ziqi glanced outside. "Has the Yang Palace neglected you in any way?"
"All is well." National Preceptor Qingyang looked at him and asked, "Has something happened?"
Bai Ziqi raised an eyebrow. "You know?"
"If nothing had happened outside, why would a busy man like Emissary Bai find the time to visit a useless old woman?" National Preceptor Qingyang offered a self-deprecating smile.
Bai Ziqi studied her closely.
Even with the glow of the sunset gracing her, this world-renowned master of the Azure Palace had lost her former healthy complexion, and a couple more wrinkles seemed to have gathered at the corners of her eyes.
The beauty that once belonged to her was fading away in step with her halo.
Bai Ziqi, of course, felt no pity. What he wondered was whether National Preceptor Qingyang, trapped here though she was, truly had no contact with the outside world.
"Speaking of the customer list for the elixir of immortality..."
"My apologies, but as I have already confessed, it burned alongside Qingfu Temple." National Preceptor Qingyang sighed softly. "Why would I leave behind evidence that incriminates me?"
"Did you not remember the major clients on it, National Preceptor Qingyang?"
National Preceptor Qingyang smiled. "Those trivial matters were left to Qingfu Temple. Where would I find the time to flip through page after page?"
Bai Ziqi smiled as well. "A great pity. A memorial from the Jeweled Tree King arrived just today. It mentions several names as a suspicious list of those who may have consumed the elixir of immortality, asking that the Emperor help cross-check them once the mastermind was caught."
With that, he produced a memorial, spread it on the table, and pointed to several lines marked in vermilion ink for National Preceptor Qingyang to see.
National Preceptor Qingyang walked over, and a glance at the names gave her a quiet shock.
What a move from the Jeweled Tree King—kicking people when they were down.
Bai Ziqi looked composed and at ease. "I am conveying the Emperor's words to ask if you have any recollection of these names."
National Preceptor Qingyang's gaze flickered slightly.
The Emperor's words?
She did not doubt that this was truly the Demon Emperor's will; the matter was of great consequence, and Bai Ziqi would not dare fabricate imperial orders.
Indeed, there were many buyers of the elixir of immortality. If a few were not seized to account for it, neither the common folk nor the celestial gods would be satisfied.
Countless thoughts raced through her mind. After weighing the options several times, she pointed to a few names on the list. "Now that you mention it, I truly do recall. Yes, these households bought it, and more than once."
Bai Ziqi questioned her closely on the details of their purchases, and National Preceptor Qingyang answered everything without reservation.
The Duyun Emissary personally recorded the testimony and slid it before her. "If all is correct, affix your signature."
Once National Preceptor Qingyang signed her name and pressed her thumbprint, someone in the royal court was bound for disaster.
The wealth, authority, and illustrious prestige accumulated by these prominent clans over decades or centuries were about to be washed away like eastward-flowing water by a few casual finger-points from National Preceptor Qingyang.
This feeling of wielding ultimate power... National Preceptor Qingyang exhaled softly. A pity that this would be the last time she tasted it.
"Coming here today, I also wished to ask you about someone." Bai Ziqi drew a jug of wine and two silver cups from his storage ring. "A drink or two?"
National Preceptor Qingyang offered a faint smile.
Bai Ziqi poured her a full cup. She lifted it, sniffed it twice, and said, "Courtyard Fragrance, aged at least thirty years."
As the master of the Azure Palace, she was naturally particular about her daily fare. Courtyard Fragrance was one of her favorite fine wines—soft and mellow on the tongue, with a lasting aftertaste, an exclusive tribute from the East.
Going forward, she would likely never drink it again.
Naturally, National Preceptor Qingyang remained calm as still water as she tasted the wine, showing not the slightest hint of emotion. Bai Ziqi, sitting across from her, was a smiling tiger—affable on the surface, but in reality a sharp blade of the Heavenly Palace.
The two had clashed over the elixir of immortality case for several rounds.
Before uncovering the temple keeper Kong Jiaxiang—the one fish that slipped through the net of Qingfu Temple—National Preceptor Qingyang had stayed one step ahead of Bai Ziqi in every matter, scouring away almost all leads and leaving him nowhere to make headway, bearing immense pressure trapped between the Heavenly Palace, the Emperor, and public opinion.
Now that she was ensnared, Bai Ziqi's visit was in itself an act of flaunting his victory.
She would not bother bringing up whether Kong Jiaxiang was real or fake; it was meaningless now.
"Regarding General Nian Zanli, how much do you know, National Preceptor Qingyang?"
He was indeed here for this. Cup in hand, National Preceptor Qingyang replied, "I know him."
"I heard he has always wanted to launch a counteroffensive against the Yuan Kingdom, and you acted as a lobbyist for him on several occasions to borrow troops."
"The man possesses a resolute will and is an expert at moving and drilling troops."
Bai Ziqi smiled. "They say our Beijia possesses generals in abundance."
National Preceptor Qingyang cast him a glance. "An army of thousands is easily found, but a true general is hard to come by. What state would be so arrogant as to turn down more formidable commanders?"
Chapter 674