Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio 

  It was after midnight on this autumn evening. The moon was gone, but the sun had not yet risen, leaving a grey blue shroud for a sky. In the back of Fan Manor, there were strong coughing sounds echoing with little reprieve. It had been going on for a while and the sounds had rattled the slumbering servants from their dreams. Out in the yard, it began to get busy. 

  Perhaps it was because of the weather, but it wasn’t just Minister Fan who had a cold. Some of the servants were suffering from the illness as well, and those with snot dribbling down from their nostrils had already been sent away to the countryside. The people that remained did not dare to drop their guard and risk infection, so they made sure to drink the medicine Fan Xian had made. It was an effective serum, so the cold did not spread. The coughing noises were coming from Fan Xian’s home. In the past two days, the master had been the recipient of a strange disease and had been coughing like crazy. Still, he did not visit the palace visit the royal doctors for their medicine, as he was of the firm belief that his own medicine would be more efficient. But after a few days, the coughing had not yet lessened. The servants in the manor began growing concerned over the welfare of their lovely employer; they feared for his health – and his life. 

  The lead maid Sisi had a red cloth wrapped around her forehead to tie up her messy hair. She looked slightly annoyed as she stood in the kitchen, smelling the nauseating scent of medicine in the air. She yelled at her subordinates to work faster. She was a woman who came from Danzhou, and the future of her status was pretty obvious. So, in the Fan Manor, whatever she had to say was quite important. The sleepy maids around her knew that the mister was suffering a nasty sickness, and hearing Sisi’s orders , they gritted their teeth and continued on working. 

  Sisi had been watching them for a while, but she was still worried, so she moved a stool to sit near the stove, held a fan in her hand and fanned it gently. Her eyes did not even blink to stare at the medicine, which was steadily boiling and producing steam. Slowly, it steamed her eyes and they became red. She was still on guard and did not want to pull away, however. When making medicine, the fire and the heat it produced was the most important aspect of correct calculation. Since the curative that was currently being created was for the mister, she would not trust him to consume it if she wasn’t one hundred percent sure that it had been made perfectly. 

  Inside the bedroom, Lin Wan’er was wearing a common, cotton-made robe. She felt sorry and rubbed Fan Xian’s chest, carefully telling him, “Shouldn’t we try the formula given to us by the royal doctors?” 

  Fan Xian’s face was all red from his coughing. He waved his hand and with a faint, strained smile replied, “I am not that high-born. Besides, I know how my body works. I am not going to die; so I will make the medicine myself.” 

  Wan’er knew that her husband’s medical skills were most proficient, otherwise she wouldn’t have been healed and be relieved of her lung sickness which she had struggled with for fifteen years. But to hear him keep coughing like mad in the past few days, she couldn’t help but worry. She bit her bottom lip and said, “Even Eunuch Hong could not decipher what this sickness is. Yet you say you know. Uh-huh……” She rolled her eyes before proceeding to say, “How about I write a letter to Master Fei? Maybe I could ask him.” 

  Fan Xian coughed twice. He knew his wife’s worry could not be quelled and so he sighed and said, “That teacher of mine? It isn’t like you don’t know what’ll happen. In one year, he spent half of it just wandering about. Even if he did choose to return here and tend to me, who knows when that could be?” Fan Xian then laughed. “It could be as long as three to four months. I could very well be a dead man by then. And you……” He lightly prodded her tall nose in a jest and said, “.……you will become the most beautiful young widow in the capital.” 

  Wan’er started spitting on the floor. She said, “Don’t say something like that!” 

  Fan Xian laughed in amusement. He wasn’t like the others in the manor, all nervous about what was going on. He knew what was happening to his body. The medicine that was cooking right now was to just calm his mind and ease his body, and to soothe the effects of the sickness. And in regards to the real, underlying issues that brought this on, he would have to deal with that by himself, alone. While the two were chatting, he made sure to comfort Wan’er; but as he did so, he made sure to conceal his right hand beneath the blanket. 

  His right hand sometimes shook. Ever since the fight outside the capital government, it had been the same. It had not improved one bit. 

  From outside the room, someone knocked on the bedroom door. Sisi then came through, carrying the medicine precariously. The big maid, Siqi, who slept in the same room as her was also awake. She lit the lamp on the desk and placed it in front of Fan Xian’s bed. She took the medicine and put the spoon in the bowl, stirring the mixture. She did this to disperse the heat and bring it to a more comfortable temperature. After she did this for a while, and she had hit the perfect temperature, she brought a spoonful to Fan Xian’s lips. 

  Fan Xian drank the bitter concoction and waggled his tongue in response. Sisi quickly brought a sugar cube to his mouth which he accepted, and this helped to wash away the rancid taste. He could not help but laugh and say, “I am just a master. Is this service all that necessary?” 

  Sisi laughed and responded, “Master, when you were young, taking medicine was your most despised thing.” Fan Xian was thinking, The medicine in this world is not as if it were coated in sugar. Of course I initially disliked the medicine here! 

  Siqi pulled a cloth out from her sleeve and gently dabbed and wiped the corner of Fan Xian’s lips. With seriousness in her tone, she told him, “Mister, you are being quite patient right now. Do not push yourself too hard.” 

  Seeing these two maids behave like this, even Wan’er felt compelled to avert her eyes. She laughed and said, “Do not spoil him too much!” As she said this, however, her hands were stroking and rubbing Fan Xian’s back to bring him greater comfort. 

  Fan Xian had grown accustomed this life and enjoyed it very much, and he thought being sick and being able to feel this good was a marvelous thing. He shook his head and reached for the bowl and downed it all in a few gulps. Then, he used his sleeves to wipe his lips and smiled. He said, “I am a part-time doctor, not some little kid.” 

  The two maids near the bed looked at each other and laughed. They looked out the window and saw the sky, acknowledging the late time. Fan Xian realized that his coughing had kept the servants up and had made the quite busy, as well. For this, he felt somewhat guilty. He told them, “Since I have taken this medicine, I should no longer be coughing. You no longer need to tend to me; you girls should go to sleep. Tell this to the other maids and servants who are up, too. Tell them to get some rest. The nights of autumn can be quite chilling; what are we to do if you all get sick?” 

  “It will be dawn soon. There is no point in going back to sleep.” 

  “More sleep is always a good thing.” Fan Xian responded. 

  This master was being extremely compassionate towards his servants, and the two were well aware of this, but being under his gentle service for so long, they knew he would not change his mind despite their please. So, Sisi and Siqi did not object any further. They agreed to rest and then left the room. 

  \r \r \r 

  Fan Xian got off the bed and poured some tea to rinse his mouth. Wan’er saw him do this and could not help but say, “You are sick and yet you are still drinking cold tea? That is not good for the body.” Fan Xian laughed in response. He sat back down on the bed and said, “I have already told you that this sickness is different from the norm.” Then, the both of them continued chatting for a while. He did not cough anymore and this made Wan’er feel more at ease. Comforted somewhat, she began to feel sleepy, but did not go back to sleep because Fan Xian didn’t show any signs of wanting to sleep. Fan Xian could not watch this any more, so he quietly reached out his hands to rub and massage her shoulders. With his fingertips, he crawled up her head and she eventually fell asleep. 

  Seeing his wife, who was now deep in slumber, he knew how just how much she had been concerned for his well-being in recently. It was because of her constant fretting that she had become incredibly fatigued. He could not help but shake his head. He knew that his sickness was not going to be cured by some extra sleep and attentive care, unlike the cold his father was suffering from. The cold Minister Fan had, under Fan Xian’s treatment, was already being alleviated. He guessed that after another two days, he would be fully healed once more. But his father was getting on in age and his body wasn’t as strong as the youth’s, so it took a little longer than it should have. 

  He waved his hand and turned off the lamp on his table, which was five feet away. The whole bedroom was enshrouded in darkness, but still he could not sleep. And lying there, he opened his eyes wide. For the past few days, he had done little but lounge around resting, and it was because of this that he found it difficult to become tired and sleepy. 

  He used his fingertips to peel at the leftover medicine bits that had been caught between his teeth, and he mentally reviewed the concoction that he had selected. He could feel the activity of the curative mending his lungs already, and he was able to feel the irritation quell. He looked slightly complacent, and he then lifted the blanket to cover his wife, afterward reaching hand beneath his pillow and pulling out a satchel of drugs. Inside the pouch were a few big round and rough pills. 

  Although the room was dark, Fan Xian knew that these pills were red. Ever since he was small, Mister Fei Jie ordered Fan Xian to carry this medicine around with him. They were for a failsafe against the possibility there was a problem with the nameless skills Fan Xian had adeptly trained with. If the powerful zhenqi proved to be too much and threatened to burst through his veins and destroy his body, these pills were to be a last resort. 

  When Fan Xian was young, and still living in Danzhou, Fei Jie noticed a critical problem the boy had. With the nameless skill he had received from either his mother or Wu Zhu, he would have truly become the ultimate zhenqi master if he had kept on training his proficiency and dexterity. If ordinary people tried training with this skill, their bodies would not be able to handle such zhenqi, and so their veins would burst and their bodies would be brought to permanent paralysis. 

  But comparing Fan Xian to the people of this world, there isn’t a grand difference, save for the size of his veins. They seemed to be much wider. Perhaps this was why, ever since he was a baby, he already started learning these skills. By the time he was four, the zhenqi had already reached the top level and yet his veins did not rupture. 

  Fei Jie did say it once, however, that the zhenqi in his body would eventually stack and coagulate inside his body. It was only a matter of time before the veins could not manage the zhenqi any more and that would be a cause of great distress for him. 

  A decade had past since he was told this, and after so much time, he had not been given a reason to fear or anticipate this happening. Although the zhenqi inside him was always powerful, it had always remained under his control. When he was 12, he even finished the first phase of the nameless skill. The zhenqi inside his body was like a hurricane on a leash; as wild as it was, it was tamed and under control, never bringing him harm. 

  So, over time he dropped his guard and almost forgot about these words. He never even brought the pills out with him, and usually just left them at home. When he left for the Northern Qi kingdom, he did recall the existence of the pills, though. As he would be gone for a long time, unsure of what may transpire in his time there, and so did bring one, but that was it. 

  Trouble always comes when people least expect it. 

  Going through the Northern Qi Kingdom, the journey itself may have seemed safe. In actuality, it was pretty dangerous. The zhenqi inside Fan Xian’s body combined with his skills to accelerate and give them the strength equivalent to a ninth-ranked. It had started to reach the highest ceiling of power possible in this world, and the ascension of zhenqi had finally peaked. He could even do battle with Ku Hei’s student Lang Tao. He never expected that after his combat with Xie Bian, the zhenqi inside him would actually start to break down and inhibit him. 

  In his back, coursing all the way up through his veins, there were two paths of zhenqi that were like circles. They would keep channeling up and down his body ceaselessly. Right now, it seemed as if the zhenqi noticed something different ailing the masters body and it was beginning to rage. They were not quietly remaining within the veins as they should have. They were misbehaving and streaming through places they should not. 

  Fan Xian’s hands were where he could control the zhenqi perfectly, but it was now where the zhenqi seemed most likely to leak from. Right now, his hands were occasionally being made to shake. The reason this was happening was because the muscles in his body were contracting and not co-operating with the zhenqi inside him as they should. 

  It wasn’t a grave situation, yet Fan Xian still had things under control, more or less. After his periods of meditation these past few days, he forced his mind to suppress the zhenqi that was wreaking havoc inside his body. But both of these forces came together and damaged his lung; this is what brought on the cough these past few days. If he let this continue, it was only a matter of time before he lost total control of his zhenqi. 

  Fan Xian tried to learn the second phase of the nameless skill, but he had not made any progress yet. When he was coughing badly, he even thought to hate Wu Zhu, who was always so mystic and obscure. In his mind, he said to himself, Even if you told me about a skill I could learn, one with which I could absorb power, at least give me a clue. 

  He gently handled the medicine bag inside his hand and furrowed his eyebrows. In the past few days, he had been analyzing and observing what the exact contents of these pills were – these pills given to him by his teacher. It was like a tiger battling a lion; the teacher wanted to help him learn, control and harness the zhenqi within him. This was a great force of effort and took a lot of power to do. The medicine, which served as a failsafe, was equally as powerful. He had no confidence in what would happen if he took those pills. The only thing he was sure of, was that the pills contained a large amount of mayflowers. But this component would scatter and dilute the inherent power of the other ingredients inside. They were curious things. 

  Was Fan Xian really willing to let his zhenqi go? He had been training and increasing the power of his zhenqi for over a decade, after all. Even if it was not entirely gone, it would mean he would have a considerably less amount within him. 

  But if he did not eat it…… was this zhenqi he treasured so much going to make him blow up like a balloon? It could happen within a month, but it could also happen a year from now. Even if this did not come to pass, to have his right hand shake like this was no good either. He was still so young; was he going to let himself walk around as if he had Parkinson’s Disease? 

  To eat or not to eat; that was the question. 

  In the distance, a rooster crowed to greet the arrival of a new day. Everyone else was fast asleep, but only now did Fan Xian realise he had been on the bed, lost in thought for the past half an hour. He laughed to himself a little, admitting to himself that he was still afraid to die. He was caught between a rock and a hard place; and the doubt wracked his mind. 

  Perhaps it was an opportunity? He comforted himself. 

  “No matter how broken the pond is, and how much I use the water to wash my body……” He slowly said this out loud and then started meditating once more. He carefully placed the scattered, misbehaving zhenqi that was rampaging inside him back in his veins. He returned them to his back, which was like a broad, snow-capped mountain. He let them sit there, melting the snow. 

  His heart jumped all of a sudden. Fan Xian opened his eyes and gathered a few random articles of clothing. He rushed to the bedroom door, pushed it open and ran out. He walked to the quietest corner in the yard, where he had tried the poisonous needles for the very first time back in the day. He did not have to search long, but that was where he caught a glimpse of the creepy uncle who veiled his face with a black cloth. He was standing near the fake mountain. 

  He could not help but shake his head and start complaining. He said, “So you do know how to come back?”


  Chapter 301: There is a Swing on this Side of the Wall, and there is a Street on the Other 

  Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio 

  The sky was turning white, and the early winds of morning began to blow and skirt through the yard. The light was still dim. The person standing near the fake mountain was garbed in thick, rugged clothing. A steel pike was affixed to his waist, and a black cloth masked his face. The sight of him seemed as if he was a part of some motionless artpiece of a serene yard. Not a single sound could be heard, and his being there was almost ethereal. If a servant were to walk by, it’d be surprising if they took notice of the figure. 

  Fan Xian, now seeing this family member before him, someone he had known for 16 years, thought about how long it had been since they last saw each other. His heart was clutched by an unfamiliar feeling. He wanted to strike this person down, but he knew doing such a thing would be impossible, and he wouldn’t have the talent to beat him. He also wondered if he wanted to run into his arms and cry. But this Wu Zhu was not a person of sentiments. 

  Fan Xian simply shook his head and strained to subdue any feelings of happiness he was feeling. He walked towards the man and noticed that Wu Zhu’s hand clutched a small knife. He was carving something. As he walked closer, he noticed it was wood that he was carving. 

  “Luckily, it is not the statue of a woman. Otherwise, I’d be keen to believe you had become Mang Tanhua, that villainous character Li Xunhuan.” The yard was quiet. Fan Xian suppressed his desire to laugh and said, “I would throw up!” 

  Wu Zhu nodded in surprise. He responded, “Li Xunhuan; that person truly is obscene.” 

  Now, Fan Xian was the one who was surprised. A while of silence elapsed between them, but then he said, “You know Li Xunhuan?” 

  Wu Zhu placed the wooden figure into a pocket with the knife and coldly replied, “The lady used to tell me this tale, and she always hated that character.” 

  Fan Xian laughed and said, “It seems like I really am my mother’s son.” ……

  After a while, they both retreated to the most hidden of the three study rooms. There was nothing particularly intriguing about the place, which would spark curious snoopers to go poke about there, but everyone knew not to get close unless they had been summoned by Fan Xian. Even Minister Fan abided by this rule. 

  “Let’s talk. In this past half year, what have you been up to you?” Without a doubt, Fan Xian was overwhelmed with curiosity over what Wu Zhu had been up to since his disappearance and what he had been doing over the course of that time. Although he confirmed his suspicion when he caught sight of the wooden chip he was carving, shocking news such as this should come from the horse’s mouth. It would be an exciting tale to hear of, for sure. At this time, it seemed as if he forgot the zhenqi that was running around his body like a bunch of blind, terrified rats. It also seemed as if he had forgotten to ask what he could do to stay alive with this rampant zhenqi. He stared into Wu Zhu’s eyes. 

  Fan Xian poured himself some more leftover tea from the night before. He did not offer a cup to Wu Zhu because he did not drink tea. 

  “I have been up north.” Wu Zhu stopped to think about it, almost as if he had to recall the places he had been. “And then I went to the south.” 

  Fan Xian had long gotten used to his uncle’s abnormal mind and mannerisms. Therefore, this vague and lame answer did not bother him too much. Patiently, he asked for a little more detail by saying, “What were you doing up north? And what were you doing down south?” 

  “I went to the north in order to find Ku Hei.” Wu Zhu said this quietly, as if he sought to evade unfriendly ears. He thought that if this news spread, it would shock a lot of people. “I fought him and then went down south to find someone else.” 

  Fan Xian started laughing. He acknowledged that it must have been his blind uncle who injured the grandmaster. He then thought of a question to ask. He furrowed his eyebrows with concern and caringly asked, “Are you okay?” 

  Wu Zhu looked at his left shoulder and said, “I was injured there. The wound has healed now, though.” 

  What he said came as no surprise, but Fan Xian felt a certain tone of gravity to what was spoken. He had fought Haitang before, so he could imagine what sort of power one of the four legendary grandmasters possessed. Although Wu Zhu sounded slightly arrogant about the affair, particularly due to the fact he had managed to injure his opponent, he knew that a price would have had to have been paid for the opportunity. He did pay a price with the injury he incurred, but as long as he was fine now, everything was okay. 

  “Why did you do this?” Fan Xian frowned. 

  Wu Zhu responded, “If he was in the Northern Qi Kingdom. I thought he may have posed a hindrance to you.” Fan Xian nodded to these words. If Ku Hei was still in the capital when Fan Xian was there, gauging from his power, it would have been impossible for him to bring down the power of the Northern Qi Kingdom and gather as much useful information as he did before Xiao En died. 

  Wu Zhu continued by saying, “I think I used to know Ku Hei quite a bit. So I also went to visit him in the hope I could catch up on what occurred back in the day.” 

  Fan Xian all of a sudden raised his head. He looked at his uncle with a profound look of shock. His mind quickly flashed back to the memory of when Xiao En was telling him about the Temple of the Eternal Night, before his death. He furrowed his eyebrows once more and quietly said to himself, Maybe my uncle really does know Ku Hei? Or at least he did back when they were younger. 

  Fan Xian then told Wu Zhu about everything that happened with him and Xiao En back in that cave, hoping to trigger the recollection of certain important memories his uncle may have lost. In particular, the connection between Wu Zhu and the Holy Temple. When Fan Xian was young, he heard Wu Zhu say that he and his mother managed to escape from the house. Was the house…… in fact the Holy Temple? 

  Wu Zhu then returned to silence and remained that way for some time. He did not hold his head in a meditative fashion like a novel would usually describe. He looked to be in pain, and he scratched his head, looking as if he could not remember anything. After a while, all he could say was, “I do not remember.” ……

  Now it was Fan Xian’s turn to scratch his head. He lowered his head and mumbled, “What is this called?” He shook his head and forcefully removed the feelings of disappointment in his heart and asked, “Why did you not return to the capital following your injury? If you were already injured, why did you continue on down south in search of someone else? Is Ye Liuyun down south?” 

  Wu Zhu coldly shook his head and said, “There are problems in the south. After I made sure Ku Hei knew about me, I went south to try and look for that person who has problems. But I could not find him.” 

  Fan Xian felt even more perplexed. For the past half a year, Fan Xian had been busy in the north and south, unaware that his uncle had been just as busy and not resting as he should have been. He had gone to the Northern Qi Kingdom to fight a grandmaster in hopes of triggering his wiped memories. He had also traversed across the south in search of a family member. But if Ku Hei knew Wu Zhu…… Xiao En once said what Ku Hei has today must bear a connection to his trip to the Holy Temple. Back then, Ku Hei knew Fan Xian’s mother. But at that time, his mother was with Wu Zhu. 

  That “person with a problem” in the south? Who could that be? Fan Xian’s mind was spinning, a hurricane of thoughts on who this enigmatic character might be. He recalled a certain case that he received whilst in Fanjing. To the south of the Qing Kingdom, there were reports of a cold-blooded serial killer, and it was something that Yan Bingyun took seriously. He was even prepared to request the assistance of numerous Tiger Guards from the Emperor to join him in a hunt for the murderer. But if this was the person Wu Zhu was also after, a person who he failed to find, he could only assume Yan Bingyun’s own search would be just as fruitless. 

  He took a deep breath and put aside his thoughts and musings of topics that could not affect him at this moment. He then proceeded to tell Wu Zhu of what he had been up to for the past half a year. He even disclosed to Wu Zhu the secret agreement he made with Haitang, but was disheartened by his lack of response to this. 

  Fan Xian also knew, ever since he was young, that Wu Zhu was not one to give compliments. But so many things had happened, from the death of Xiao En to the ruin of the second prince; shouldn’t he have at least give some sort of reaction? 

  Wu Zhu seemed to acknowledge Fan Xian was a little demoralized by his lack of response, and decided to say something. He said, “These are but small matters.” 

  He was right. The fight with the second prince was little more than a schoolground quarrel when compared to the affairs of Wu Zhu and the Emperor, and that is how they saw it. But in regards to the secret agreement, it may have been something that would have interested the Emperor, but it meant nothing to Wu Zhu. Fan Xian understood this eventually, and he began to laugh in self-mockery. He reached out his right hand and said, “Recently, my right hand has been shaking like mad. I need you to take a look at it.” 

  Wu Zhu already knew that the zhenqi inside Fan Xian was raging fiercely, but despite the threat this posed, his calm composure was not disrupted. He then said, “I haven’t learnt about an issue such as this before; I don’t know what to do.” 

  This was a matter of life and death for Fan Xian, and this reaction finally tipped him over the edge. He was made mad and with a deepened voice, he told Wu Zhu, “This problem of mine has is anything but safe. I was a newborn when you made me learn it. What if this kills me?” 

  \r \r \r 

  “The lady said that this would be for the best.” Wu Zhu continued coldly, “And someone had successfully learnt it before.” 

  “That means someone failed, as well!” Fan Xian picked up the sentence Wu Zhu had conveniently dropped. But Wu Zhu was not one to mask his words. 

  Wu Zhu did not deceive with his speech, saying plainly, “It is no big deal. The worst case scenario will result in you losing all your zhenqi; if this comes to pass, you will just become a commoner. Unless you are stupid enough to hold onto this zhenqi, of course…… right up until the end.” 

  Fan Xian was incredibly angry. In his heart he thought, You are a monster! Of course you don’t know how important zhenqi is to a normal fighter. If I lose the zhenqi inside my body, how will I deal with the numerous amounts of people that hate me in this world? These people could come and kill me any second. It’s not as if I want it just so I can fool around with Haitang. 

  “Then what am I supposed to do?” He raised his right hand that was trembling as if in protest. With an annoyed look, he wailed, “Do I have to keep letting it shake like so, and end up learning Wu Wei Da? Right now, it’s only my hand that is shaking; but if this goes on long enough, I can only suspect that it will be my ass shaking next.” 

  Wu Zhu raised his head. The black cloth over his eyes looked as if it was mocking Fan Xian. He said, “If you stop training, then the zhenqi will cease to accumulate, and there will be no more problems ……

  A word to wake up a dreamer. 

  Fan Xian was used to meditating and training twice a day. The thought of reducing the time he spent doing this never crossed his mind. Only now did he realise that before he found a solution to his current plight, he would have to stop adhering to this routine and improving the powerful zhenqi of the nameless skill. Although his zhenqi would improve during a fight, its ascension in power would at least lessen by cutting down the training. 

  He nodded, sighed and said, “That will have to do. I can let the big boom come a little later.” 

  Wu Zhu all of a sudden said, “Fei Jie left you some pills, didn’t he?” 

  Fan Xian froze, surprised that he would remember something from so long ago in his youth. He explained, “But this medicine is so powerful. I am afraid that if I take these pills my zenqqi will extinguish.” 

  Wu Zhu lowered his head as if he was trying to remember something. All of sudden he said, “That must come in useful; although it is only temporary.” 

  At this time, Fan Xian wasn’t ready to completely place faith in the words his uncle spoke. After all, this deadly nameless skill was pinned upon Fan Xian by him. He gave a wry smile and said, “Let us talk about these matters in the future. For now, let’s discuss you. In the future, if you plan on going missing again, could you at least inform me of where you will be going?” 

  “Is that really necessary?” Wu Zhu asked with a serious tone. 

  “Yes.” Fan Xian nodded. “When I was ambassador to the Northern Qi Kingdom, I thought you were beside me the entire time. And that box was with me; so I was brave enough to go and bully Haitang. I did not expect that you weren’t there at all. If this happens again, someone might die.” 

  Wu Zhu gave a delayed response. “Oh. Understood.” 

  Fan Xian felt a sense of relief. He was used to Wu Zhu always being by his side, such as being in the carriage, in the grocery store or even on a cliffside. After he entered the capital, however, the time he had spent with Wu Zhu had lessened. Although Fan Xian’s power had reached a point where he could protect himself from most combatants, he knew that if he continued on his path to develop this world further, then he would only face greater challenges and fiercer foes. To have an uncle such as his protecting him, he thought no matter what challenge the world posed, he was safe by his side. 

  “I was planning to move out.” Fan Xian slightly coughed. “Living behind the residence lacks convenience. There are too many people, though, so you cannot live with us.” 

  Wu Zhu slanted his head, wondering why if he was to move in, Fan Xian had to move out. 

  “Wan’er still hasn’t seen you yet.” Fan Xian said with a serious tone. “You are the dearest person to me in this world, so you should come and meet my wife.” 

  Wu Zhu slowly said, “I saw her.” 

  “But she hasn’t seen you yet.” Fan Xian had a wry smile, and he continued by saying, “And you were always alone outside the house; I don’t know where you are going to live. What do you usually get up to? These thoughts make me uncomfortable.” 

  Wu Zhu slanted his head once more, but it seemed as if he now understood what Fan Xian was trying to imply. He raised the corners of his lips, but it was not a smile. He slowly spoke and said, “You go and handle it. But I don’t want anyone else besides your wife to know that I am around you.” 

  Fan Xian nodded gladly, but then he thought of something. He felt awkward to ask this, but he did so anyway. “Not even Ruoruo? I always wanted her to see you, as well.” 

  “No.” Wu Zhu coldly declined. “This is it. You go and do your things and do what you always do. Pretend that we never had this conversation and that you never saw me.” 

  Fan Xian sighed. Hearing the people outside the study room start waking up, he held his wrist and walked out. 

  Inside the study room, the motionless face that appeared to be deprived of expression and emotion changed to smile. This was something that had not happened in 500 years. And this smile looked as if it was at the behest of a joke, as if he were amused by the fact Fan Xian did not not know something. 

  Inside the yard, in the autumn, the grass glittered with the morning dew; warmed by the early sun. Fan Xian was covered by a thin cotton blanket as he lay on a sofa in the yard, resting. He coughed every now and then, but it was far better than what it was like the night before. Inside the yard, there was a swing. A few brave maids played on it merrily. The light-color dresses they wore looked like flowers upon the wooden seat that swung at the command of the rope’s momentum. Near the swing, Sisi and Siqi watched them with faces that appeared envious. But due to their elegant identity, they were not willing to play on them. 

  Fan Xian squinted his eyes at the scene he observed. Seeing the dress of a maid inflate like the blooming of a flower with each swing, he compared it to a parachute from his past life. The cream-colored pants beneath her skirt were showing sometimes, and that reminded him of a movie called “Peacock”. 

  A hand reached out to feed him part of a prune. It was light and had been cut delicately, suiting his taste perfectly. He was chewing, so the words came out in a mumble. “Ah, you aren’t there to treat your father? Why have you come all the way over here for me?” 

  Wan’er and Ruoruo sat beside him, serving their patient. Ruoruo smiled and responded, “I am stuck in the room at all times with him; so it gets quite boring. But you? You are sick and still have the motivation to watch the maids play on the swing?” 

  Wan’er looked humiliated and clarified to Ruoruo by saying, “He is not here to watch the swing itself. He is here to merely watch the women who ride it!” 

  Fan Xian did not bother to explain, and so he laughed and said, “A view is always made prettier when it is occupied by others.” Then he loudly shouted, “Sisi, don’t be a snowflake. If you want to play on it, hop on!” 

  The words he yelled were said to propagate ambiguity. After he said these words, though, he was the first to freeze. Fortunately, the ladies did not hear what he said. It was only him awkwardly laughing, and so he quickly changed it to a fake cough in an attempt to conceal his failed gag. He then thought of something and turned to ask Wan’er. “The autumn is getting colder and colder. Look, the chrysanthemums in the yard are getting shrivelled. The palace said the flower event was supposed to take place soon, so when is it going to happen? If we wait much longer, the snow might come and freeze them all. If that occurs, won’t the people be disappointed?” 

  Wan’er rolled her eyes and laughed. She said, “It is indeed later than usual, but the latest word says that we will most likely go to the floating temple to observe the gold chrysanthemums. Those chrysanthemums can withstand any cold, so there is nothing to fear.” 

  Fan Xian could not help but shake his head. He knew that the flower observation event was delayed due to the recent turmoil within the capital. In the past two days, the capital had been relatively calm, however. Although a lot of people thought that Fan Xian should keep up his sick image to keep the second prince suppressed, in his heart, he understood that the Overwatch Council was able to do their job and that he did not have to worry too much. All the plans had been settled, and Yan Bingyun was there watching with his all-seeing eye. Everything was under control, so there needn’t be any problems. 

  His body was indeed recovering, but he still kept up his facade of grievous illness. This excused him from visiting court, the First Bureau or staying in the council. He was only hiding in his backyard, being a patient of much pandering as he watched the second prince sweat under his mounting pressure. He thought it was like watching a movie. 

  “Higher! Higher!” 

  Fan Xian was lying on the sofa, being served upon by his wife and sister. He watched Sisi bravely ride the swing, going higher and higher. It looked as if she was preparing to launch out from the manor and over the highwall to look down from the skies and observe the capital. He could not help but giggle to himself.