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

  The first two rains of autumn came suddenly and left suddenly, carrying a sense of mystery. It seemed that the first bout of rain was to welcome Chen Pingping’s return while the second was to send Chen Pingping away. Once everything was concluded on the execution field in front of the Royal Palace, the misty rain came to a stop. The dark clouds scattered in the sky, revealing a tall, light, and clear sky. Other than the rainwater left in the streets, alleys, and bricks, everything returned to normal. 

  The commoners of Jingdou had seen a startling scene, but no one dared to discuss it. Silently, they followed the various streets and dispersed. The officials in front of the palace gates looked at each other and did not know what they should do next. The Emperor had already returned to the palace, and the little Duke had left carrying the old Director’s body. The water flowing everywhere on the ground did not gather into an idea, leaving them perplexed. 

  In this headlong charge back to Jingdou, Fan Xian and the 500 Black Knights had already broken countless Qing laws and Overwatch Council regulations. Furthermore, when he had broken into Jingdou, he had casually killed many court officials. Additionally, he caused a disturbance in the execution field in front of the Emperor. Logically speaking, these were unforgivable crimes, but the Emperor did not speak. Who could condemn Fan Xian? Who dared to condemn Fan Xian? 

  Hu the Scholar came down from the top of the palace walls. Many officials greeted him. This Scholar had remained silent throughout the entire event. He looked at the blood stains on the wooden stage that had become diluted by the rainwater. His brows suddenly twitched. Turning back, he saw Scholar Shu Wu, who seemed to have aged decades in an instant, follow the foot of the palace walls and leave alone. He did not greet any of them. 

  Hu the Scholar’s heart dimmed. He knew he could not become controlled by these emotions. Sir He had already entered the palace. He had to stay and make sure the aftermath was dealt with clearly. His gaze swept slowly across the officials of the six ministries, three temples, and three departments. Calmly, he said, “The execution is over. Open the city gates. Everything is as usual.” 

  Hearing these words, the officials in front of the Royal Palace couldn’t help but let out a big breath. They had been frightened about how they would deal with Sir Fan junior. It looked like, at least for a short time, the Emperor was still able to control his anger and would not give such a dangerous job to his officials to deal with. 

  Hu the Scholar did not care about these officials’ reactions. He narrowed his eyes. There were no Overwatch Council members among the six ministries, three temples, and three departments. This was expected. The heads of the eight Overwatch Council bureaus were currently shut up in prison. However, it seemed that Sir Yan junior had quietly left earlier. 

  It was not only the Overwatch Council that was controlled through internal and external coordination. A heavy expression flashed across Scholar Hu’s brows. He knew that there were also people in the Royal Palace that had been controlled, such as Lady Ning and King Jing, who had risked death to make a last attempt to ask for mercy. They were both under house arrest in the palace. Their situations were unclear. 

  The young lady of the Fan family, who had tended to the Emperor last night, seemed to also not have come out. Thinking of these things, he thought of the 10,000 Qing elite troops still stationed outside the Overwatch Council. A chill rose in Scholar Hu’s heart. He knew he had to immediately find Fan Xian and say something to the little Duke who had the powerful and daring to oppose the Royal Palace. ……

  The noon sun shone brilliantly on the Liujing River outside Jingdou. The river water was clear and cold. It had warmed slightly, but there was no lively fog rising from it. Across the river was an elegant courtyard separated from the world. It had gray-white walls, yellow bamboo, and an imposing coldness. The sun had reduced the water on the roof tiles into spots of wetness. It gave off a sense of warmth that seemed to turn back time. 

  Amidst this stifling heat at the beginning of autumn, a black carriage drove quickly across the bridge on the banks of the Liujing River and came to a steady stop outside the gate to the courtyard. 

  This courtyard was were Ye Qingmei had once lived, where the Eldest Princess had died, and where Fan Xian had kowtowed to many times across the river. After the Ye family incident, it had been absorbed into the royal family’s palace treasury and become an alternative residence. Through the years, the Emperor rarely came there. Additionally, there wasn’t a concubine or prince who dared to be so tactless as to ask to live there temporarily. So, it sat empty for over 20 years. Three years ago, when the Eldest Princess was planning the Jingdou rebellion, for some unknown reason, she had temporarily lived there for a few days. 

  Since the courtyard was quiet and rarely visited, and because of the cold weight of history that the place sustained, it made everyone feel the urge to maintain a respectful distance. Thus, the internal court’s care of this place was not very particular or exacting. Only four members of the royal family guard were stationed there regularly. 

  Seeing this black carriage disregard the mark of the royal family outside the courtyard and charge straight in, the expressions on the guards’ faces changed as they walked forward. They had no time to say anything before they were subdued with crossbows held by a group of people who had surged out from behind the carriage. They were disarmed and bound. 

  An official of the Overwatch Council walked up and silently pulled open the curtain on the carriage. 

  The sound of footsteps rang out faintly. Covered in rain and with a pale face, Fan Xian walked down from the carriage holding Chen Pingping’s body. The water on his body followed his black underclothing and Overwatch Council robe over the old man’s body in his arms and dripped down, making a tapping noise. 

  The door of the Taiping Courtyard opened. Fan Xian did not glance at the subordinates as he walked in sternly. With a squeak, the large door closed tightly behind him. The Overwatch Council officials immediately scattered. They took control of all the important positions at the head of the bridge and kept a cautious watch all around them. 

  After a while, the sound of hurried and slightly messy hooves rang out. Hundreds of exhausted Black Knights rode toward them by the side of the Liujing River. 

  Immediately following, a thunderous wave of hooves stopped further away. It was perhaps either the Jingdou Garrison or imperial soldiers. 

  Finally, a black carriage arrived and stopped right across the bridge. An icy-faced official walked down from the carriage. It was Yan Bingyun. He didn’t cross the bridge. He just calmly looked at the Overwatch Council officials outside the courtyard. 

  The Overwatch Council officials who had followed Fan Xian to Taiping Courtyard were mostly officials of the First Bureau. There were a few members of the Qinian Unit who had been scattered in Jingdou. With the help of the palace, Yan Bingyun temporarily had control of the situation in the Overwatch Council’s square and sinister building. He was unable to control the eight bureaus of the Overwatch Council, particularly the First Bureau. When Fan Xian had been in the First Bureau, he had been strong and glorious. The officials of the First Bureau all treated Fan Xian like their lord. Now, once the curtains fell on the show in front of the Royal Palace and not long after Fan Xian had left the execution field holding Chen Pingping’s body, officials of the First Bureau came to pick him up in a black carriage. 

  Yan Bingyun narrowed his eyes and looked at his colleagues on the other end of the bridge. He was not surprised by Fan Xian’s lofty reputation within the Council, particularly within the First Bureau. He just found it strange that the Emperor had sent people to keep an eye on the First Bureau. Their communications were not smooth. Fan Xian had just arrived back in Jingdou, so how did the officials of the First Bureau know? Furthermore, they had just happened to come to the rescue. It was truly incomprehensible. 

  Yan Bingyun did not know that the young mistress in the Fan manor had already reacted the first moment the news of Chen Pingping assassinating the Emperor came out. She had prepared everything for her husband ahead of time and had maintained contact with the First Bureau the entire time. When Fan Xian rode alone into the execution field, the people of the First Bureau had already begun to move. 

  As for the hundreds of exhausted Black Knights, they had orders from Fan Xian earlier and had agreed to regroup at Taiping Courtyard. Fan Xian had thought everything through before entering the capital. Regardless of whether or not he could rescue the old cripple, he and his people would eventually need to meet at Taiping Courtyard. 

  Yan Bingyun stood at the bridge in silence for a long time. After straightening his soaked uniform, he walked along onto the bridge. Squeaking endlessly, he finally arrived at the other end. Bowing under the alert, hostile, and disdainful gaze of the officials of the First Bureau, he said in a deep voice, “Yan Bingyun of the Fourth Bureau requests to see the Director.” ……

  Fan Xian did not know that Yan Bingyun had already appeared outside Taiping Courtyard, but he was certain that someone would come to see him and advise him. He could even accurately guess that as he walked stepped by step out of Jingdou, countless people followed behind him and countless elites of the Qing army were, at this moment, gathered outside the Taiping Courtyard, waiting for the advising to be successful or not. This was all ordered by that Emperor, right? 

  He did not think about all this and couldn’t be bothered to think about it. He just felt very tired and exhausted. He felt empty inside. The zhenqi that usually filled his body in abundance seemed to have all been spewed out with the cry earlier. He had spat out the impure air in his chest as well as the zhenqi, leaving behind only emptiness. 

  Fan Xian felt that his footsteps had never been as heavy as they were now, and his body had never been so weak. The old man in his arms was clearly very light, so why was he becoming heavier and heavier? He was becoming so heavy that he almost couldn’t hold on anymore. 

  A strand of slightly wet hair lay on his forehead. He held Chen Pingping as he walked by the grassy plain passed the flowering tree and little lake and came to an isolated place. There were flowers on the wall. He gently picked a shrinking and blooming little yellow flower. 

  He stretched out his hand and gently pressed it against the corner of the wall. With a squeaking sound, a hold slowly appeared on the ground with stone steps leading down. It was not very deep. The sunshine in the sky was completely able to reach the dry paving stones below. 

  Presumably, the secret rooms in the Taiping Courtyard were not secret to those old folks. Even the much younger Eldest Princess had once found one in the courtyard. After the Ye family incident, the Emperor should have checked the courtyard for the whereabouts of the chest. However, he did not find it. Since he always held a strange emotion toward this courtyard, he had never come again. 

  For Fan Xian, this secret passage was very familiar. Many years ago, after he had opened the chest, Uncle Wu Zhu had once brought him to Taiping Courtyard. They had followed this passage to find the bullets necessary for the burning stick. 

  Step by step, he walked down as if entering the netherworld. In reality, it was only a secret room 29 feet beneath the ground. The room was clean and tidy. It did not have any decorations or treasures other than a few chairs and a few coffins. 

  Fan Xian placed a hand on the side of the coffin and lifted open the lid. Then, he carefully placed the thin body of the old man in his arms into it. He picked up a small porcelain pillow and carefully placed it behind his head. Looking at the silk lining inside the coffin, Fan Xian tilted his head slightly but did not close the lid. 

  Chen Pingping’s eyes were tightly closed. His naked body was only covered by the Overwatch Council robe Fan Xian had taken off. Fan Xian stood by the coffin and looked quietly at his thin face and deeply sunken eyes. Suddenly, he felt that this entirely black clothing was far more appropriate than those beautiful silks. 

  The black clothing was the uniform of the Overwatch Council. It had come from Fan Xian’s body, so it was in the style of the Director of the Overwatch Council. In Fan Xian’s opinion, Chen Pingping’s life was difficult to speak of. Presumably, he would have liked to die as the Director of the Overwatch Council. 

  Fan Xian stood quietly by the coffin and looked at the deeply sleeping Chen Pingping. He thought that on the execution field earlier and in the autumn rain, the old man had seemingly gradually drifted away in his arms. Before he left, he had held his hand tightly. He shouldn’t be afraid of anything, right? 

  Looking at the old and pale face, Fan Xian suddenly remembered many things. When he was very little, this old man, who liked to cover his legs with a woolen blanket, had asked Teacher Fei Jie to come teach him so that he had the ability to protect himself in this dangerous and evil world. He made him grow familiar with all of the regulations and structures of the Overwatch Council from a very young age. Probably from the day he was born, the old man had already decided to leave the Overwatch Council, which he considered his greatest treasure, to him. 

  Fan Xian thought of the first time he saw Chen Pingping. It had been in that dark room in the Overwatch Council. Although it was the first time they had met, seeing the old cripple on the wheelchair was like seeing an elder he had not seen for a long time. A natural sense of closeness twined between the two of them. 

  That day, Fan Xian had bent his head down and gently hugged the thin and weak Chen Pingping. He had placed his face next to his just like how he did it now. 

  \r \r \r 

  Watching fish and discussing the world by the shallow pond, gently messing around with the flowers, the dance of two wheelchairs chasing around Chen Garden…… These things would not happen again. He had to stop thinking. Fan Xian tightly closed his eyes. He then opened them shortly after. Bending down, he gently placed the shrinking yellow flower in his hand in the white hair by Chen Pingping’s temple. 

  Fan Xian was silent for a long time and didn’t say anything more. He closed the lid of the coffin and picked up the large nail beside him that had been prepared. Aiming at the edge of the coffin lid, he circulated his zhenqi into his palms and struck down. 

  A series of muffled thuds rang out. Silently, Fan Xian struck again and again, hammering in all the large nails and tightly sealing the entire coffin. He shut the old man in another world. One in which he could never see him again. 

  After doing all of this, Fan Xian looked at the black coffin in a daze. This was only a temporary solution. One day, Fan Xian would send the old man home or to a beautiful place no one knew about. He would not allow him to remain forever in this darkness close to Jingdou. Although this was Taiping Courtyard and Chen Pingping would presumably lie to live here, it was still too close to Jingdou and the Royal Palace. 

  Fan Xian’s body swayed slightly. He felt boundless and endless exhaustion surge into his mind and body. He sat down in the stool beside him and pulled both his legs up. He then buried his head deep between his knees. His hands hung weakly by his side. 

  The places on his right palm that had been cut open by the nails began to bleed. The blood dripped onto the floor. 

  Fan Xian sat with his head buried for a long time. The water collected in the grassy plain in Taiping Courtyard above his head began to flow down the stone steps. It wet one layer and then another. It then froze one layer and then another. ……

  The sunlight in the sky slowly moved. The light brightened and dimmed in the secret room beneath the ground. It was either the angle of the sunlight or the thickness of the clouds that brought all this. A sliver of sound entered Fan Xian’s consciousness. He slowly raised his head from between his knees. Coming down from the chair, he glanced again at the silent and dark coffin. He then went up along the wet stone steps. 

  After a strange sound, the secret door to the stone room closed tightly. Not a sliver more of sunlight or a trickle more of water would seep in. The place recovered its calm and darkness. 

  Fan Xian followed the small path in the grass by the lake toward the door of Taiping Courtyard. When he was not far from the wooden door, he heard the low voice of a subordinate of the First Bureau making a report. A complicated expression flashed across Fan Xian’s cold face. He quietly said something and then sat down beneath a broken tree inside the courtyard. 

  The wooden door opened. Yan Bingyun walked in. He stood in front of Fan Xian with his head down and did not speak for a long time. Perhaps he didn’t know how to begin. 

  “Start from the day there began to be movement within the Palace. You should have participated from beginning to end, so I don’t want any details to be left out.” Fan Xian sat tiredly on the broken tree root. His right hand rested on his knee. His face was an unhealthy white. 

  Yan Bingyun glanced at his right hand and found that it was bleeding. His heart jumped slightly, but he didn’t say too much in explanation. Instead, he calmly said, “On the second, I was summoned into the Palace and received my orders. Then, I began to make arrangements. As for Scholar He capturing Gao Da in Dazhou and the Emperor using this matter to keep the Director at Dazhou and the Jingdou Garrison to seize them, I only have an approximate idea and not the details.” 

  “Tell me the details you do know.” 

  Yan Bingyun looked at Fan Xian’s bowed head and found that Sir Fan junior was not the same as in the past. His expression was very calm. It was so calm it made one feel fear. It was not a reaction that normal people should have. 

  From the morning that the Jingdou Garrison escorted the black carriage into the capital, to the argument in the royal study, to the Emperor being heavily injured, to Chen Pingping being injured by the porcelain cup, to him being sent to the Overwatch Council’s prison, Yan Bingyun did not hide any details. He even clearly laid out the ugly role he played in all of it. 

  Fan Xian was silent for a moment. He then slowly raised his head. Looking at him, he said, “Why are you here? Do you want to drag that old cripple back to be cut a few more times? Must you have him meet a tragic end?” 

  Yan Bingyun did not have to control his emotions in front of him. A sorrow that could not be acted appeared on his face. In a raspy voice, he said, “I had to come see you. I had to ensure that you wouldn’t go crazy.” 

  “Go crazy? Rebel?” The corners of Fan Xian’s lips quirked. His laugh was very cold. “Are the Jingdou Garrison and imperial soldiers outside the courtyard not here to do this?” 

  Puffs of dust rose faintly around the outside of the courtyard. It had clearly just rained on the land, yet there were signs of dryness. No one knew how many soldiers were ambushed outside the courtyard, or how many aces there were to subdue Fan Xian. 

  Yan Bingyun forcefully controlled his state of mind. He looked at Fan Xian and coldly said, “No matter what, the old Director is gone. No matter how angry you are, you cannot change this. Even if you can escape Jingdou, what can you do? Yes, Deng Zi Yue is in Xiliang. Su Wenmao is in the palace treasury in North Min. Xia Qifei is in Suzhou. The capable people of the Qinian Unit and the most powerful Overwatch Council officials had all been sent out by me, scattered where you have the strictest control. Once you leave Jingdou, you can reconvene 60 percent of the Overwatch Council’s strength, but what can you do?” 

  Fan Xian looked at him coldly and did not say anything. 

  “Alright, presently, you are the Master of Dongyi’s Sword Hut and have countless swordsmen under your command. Additionally, there are the 10,000 elite troops led by the Great Prince stationed in Dongyi. But, the Great Prince may not be able to control all 10,000 soldiers. Besides, would the Great Prince turn against the Emperor just for you or the old Director?” Yan Bingyun’s lips were dry. His throat was swollen, but he continued firmly. “Hongcheng is in Dingzhou, and he is your good friend. Even if he was willing to raise troops for you, will the Dingzhou army listen to him?” 

  “I have to say, only you have the strength to stand against the Emperor. But…… You are still not a match for him.” 

  “Done talking?” Fan Xian looked at him with narrowed eyes and tiredly shook his head. “If you want to convince me, shouldn’t you take out the letter Chen Pingping left you?” 

  Yan Bingyun’s body shook. He had thought everything he had done these few days in the Overwatch Council would certainly anger Fan Xian. He had not thought that he would know everything from the very beginning. 

  Fan Xian looked at him. “Even if you take it out, I don’t want to see it. It is nothing more than looking after the big picture and preventing the Overwatch Council from losing control for a moment before being wiped out by the Emperor. You had to become the Emperor’s second dog to forcibly protect this Council. In order to gain trust with that man, you had to do some things.” 

  “I know you’ve suffered,” Fan Xian looked at the despondent Yan Bingyun and coldly said. “But, this is something you’ve brought on yourself. Did you think there was a joy in enduring humiliation as part of an important mission? Wrong. You were still out of your mind. Were you going to do whatever Chen Pingping told you to do? If he wanted you to kill him, would you do it?” 

  “The old Director was concerned with the thousands of lives in the Overwatch Council and for the common people of the world,” Yan Bingyun said in a raspy voice. “Even if I misunderstood and became an eyesore in the eyes of the Overwatch Council officials, so what? Do you want me to watch the world fall into chaos?” 

  “Why can’t the world fall into chaos? Concerned with the lives of the common people?” Fan Xian suddenly laughed strangely. There was a cough in his laugh. He coughed up some blood and said, “How many people of this world have been concerned with them?” 

  “I do not forgive you.” Fan Xian looked at Yan Bingyun calmly, but each word he said was chilling. “Everything for the Qing Kingdom, everything for the Emperor, everything for the world. This is your attitude, but it is not mine. For the people I care about, so what if tens of thousands of people die? But, you did not do this for me. So, I do not forgive you.” 

  Yan Bingyun knew that there was a heart that loved and hated to the extremes under Fan Xian’s gentle exterior. After a long silence, he suddenly said, “I don’t need anyone’s forgiveness. The old Director’s choice and my opinion aligned, so I did what I did. For the Qing Kingdom, I can do anything.” 

  “Very good, only this way can you become a good official to the Emperor. For those damned commoners, he might be a decent Emperor.” Fan Xian slowly stood up. “For me, neither you nor he are people I can entrust a sliver of trust to. In your hearts, there are things more important than friends.” 

  “King Jing and Lady Ning are both under house arrest in the Palace. Young lady Fan is also in the Palace,” Yan Bingyun hurriedly said, suddenly feeling a little cold. 

  Fan Xian’s voice in replying to him was mocking and cold, “For the Emperor, this is natural.” 

  Seeing Fan Xian take tired steps toward the door, Yan Bingyun’s heart suddenly tightened. Fear surged into his heart. It was not fear for himself, but concern for Fan Xian. In a loud voice, he shouted, “Where are you going?” 

  Fan Xian’s hand on the wooden door froze slightly. He didn’t turn his head as he tiredly said, “Home, to sleep.” ……

  Walking out of the wooden door of Taiping Courtyard, he looked at the officials of the First Bureau at the head of the bridge who seemed to be on guard against all possible dangers. He looked at the hundreds of exhausted and dust Black Knights, who had barely managed to form into a defensive formation, and sighed in his heart. On the other side of the bridge, on the other side of the green and yellow forest, were the troops the Emperor was using to subdue him. They were not a force the subordinates he had hurriedly brought back to the capital could stand against. 

  The bright sun blinded him briefly. It was only now that he felt the extent of the damage tiredness and sorrow could bring to humankind. He walked lightly to the bridge and gave a few orders to the subordinates, who continued to follow him despite the tense situation. 

  The deputy commander and First Bureau officials were silent of a long time. They knew that the little Duke was acting in consideration of their lives. They didn’t say anything more and took a knee uniformly. It was uncertain whether they were kneeling to the young Director in front of them or to the old Director buried in Taiping Courtyard. 

  After they knelt, hundreds of people mingled together and retreated west following the beautiful and quiet river. 

  Yan Bingyun, who had been silently following behind Fan Xian, glanced at them with a complicated gaze. He followed Fan Xian across the bridge and onto the road. He then saw the thousands of fully armored riders spread over the fields. These riders were lined up densely. Their aura was imposing. 

  Fan Xian looked at this powerful martial force without expression. Holding both hands behind him, he slowly walked over and approached the Commander under countless alert eyes. In a raspy voice, he said, “Call off the scouts and ambushes. I want none of my people injured.” 

  Ye Zhong narrowed his eyes. A cold light flickered in his eyes.

  Chapter 689: Unwilling To Wake From A Long Sleep In Fan Manor

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

  The head of the Qing Bureau of Military Affairs, the foremost person in the military below the Emperor, Commander Ye Zhong, personally led the elite troops outside of Taiping Courtyard and was responsible for subduing, overseeing, and controlling Fan Xian. It had to be said, the Qing court and Royal Palace had maintained a high level of respect and alertness toward Fan Xian. 

  Fan Xian’s face was sallow and slightly pale. Streaks of murky colors appeared to stand out brightly on his handsome face. It was marks left by the rain and dust from his thousand-li ride. He looked at Ye Zhong’s slightly cold gaze on top of his horse. He appeared somewhat wooden and indifferent. It was as if he did not see Ye Zhong himself or the thousands of armored riders. 

  For someone as powerful as Fan Xian and Ye Zhong, they knew that no ace, no matter how powerful, would be able to escape the pursuit of thousands of elite cavalry while on a plain unless one had already entered the realm of a Great Grandmaster. However, this was just on the outskirts of Jingdou with dense forests, clear rivers, and private residence. If Fan Xian did actually abandon everything in Jingdou and turned to escape like a bird flying into the woods, these thousands of cavalry would probably not be able to catch him for a while. 

  However, the Emperor had given orders for Ye Zhong to personally lead troops to handle this matter, so he had thought of this. Among the thousands of elite cavalry, there were many military aces. Most importantly, there was Ye Zhong, one of the few martial artists of the Qing Kingdom ranking above the ninth-level who could oppose Fan Xian face to face. 

  Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and looked at Ye Zhong on the horse. Suddenly, his mind turned and he thought of another matter. Involuntarily, he began to laugh self-mockingly. 

  Initially, there were three kingdoms under heaven. Going by the number of ninth-level aces, Dongyi had the most. But, the Qing Kingdom had conquered the world on horseback and had no lack of aces. In particular, there were the most aces between the seventh- and eighth-levels. There were also a number who were about to enter the ninth-level in Jingdou. 

  All of this had become history. The Tiger Guards, which had gathered the most seventh and eighth-level aces, had all become sacrifices to the sword of Dongyi because of the Qing Emperor’s cautiousness toward the previous Minister of Revenue. The powerful figures in the military had almost been wiped out during the Jingdou rebellion three years ago. Qin Ye and his son had both died in front of the Royal Palace. Additionally, there was old Eunuch Hong, who had been lost at Dong Mountain, and the Great Priest and Second Priest of the Qing Temple who had died one after another. 

  Because of the Emperor’s schemes and paranoia, the top aces of the Qing Kingdom had been reduced unwittingly. Now, there was a massive vacuum. In order to subdue Fan Xian, a superior ninth-level figure, there was no one to send. The foremost person in the military, Ye Zhong, had to be sent forth personally. 

  “I am very surprised you can still laugh,” Ye Zhong said calmly. He had slowly restrained the coldness in his eyes. 

  “I am just thinking of a problem. If you and Gong Dian both died, does the Emperor…… still have any trustworthy and powerful people by his side?” Fan Xian asked in a raspy voice as the corners of his mouth quirked. 

  Ye Zhong’s heart trembled. He knew Fan Xian had seen the gap present in the Qing Kingdom’s military strength. Although the Qing Iron Riders were still without equal in the world, regardless of whether it was the Dingzhou Army, Yanjing Camp, or old subordinates scattered across the border of the Western Expedition Army that the Great Prince commanded, each of them was a ferocious tiger and wolf on the battlefield. If it came to a small elite group led by a powerful figure for direct clashes, the Qing Kingdom was hard pressed to find an ace that could be relied on. 

  “All the powerful figures in the world are in my hands,” Fan Xian slowly said as he looked at Ye Zhong. “I don’t care what order the Emperor gave you earlier. I only know that if you do not immediately call back the scouts and riders you sent out, many things you do not want to see will appear.” 

  It was an arrogant phrase. The earth under heaven belonged to the Emperor. The subjects under heaven belonged to the Emperor. As the most powerful Emperor in the world, the Qing Emperor should have the loyalty of the most powerful figures in the world. However, times had changed. Regardless of whether it was luck or happenstance, Ye Zhong had to admit that the truly powerful aces under heaven had mostly landed in Fan Xian’s hands. 

  Although Ye Zhong did not know about the truth of the assassination in the Hanging Temple, the scene on the execution field confirmed for him that the true aces of the Overwatch Council, such as the mysterious head of the Sixth Bureau, who legend said was the younger brother of Sigu Jian, the Shadow, was certain to follow Fan Xian’s orders blindly. 

  Most importantly were the 13 disciples of the Sword Hut. Except for Yun Zhilan, who had already taken the position of Master of Dongyi, there were still 11 ninth-level aces. 

  “The Emperor gave no clear orders concerning you,” Ye Zhong said in a heavy voice, “but the Black Knights and First Bureau officials who followed you out of the capital have broken Qing laws and committed treason. Do you think the court will leave them their lives?” 

  “It is me who wants to protect their lives.” Fan Xian lowered his head tiredly. He felt that it was very tiring to stand there and discuss this with Ye Zhong. Slowly, he said, “You are a clever man. You know how to do it. The Emperor is in the midst of his anger. I hear he has also been injured. I’m afraid that the orders he is giving right now are not that wise.” 

  “I am controlling my emotions with difficulty. I think that you don’t want to really drive me crazy. Once I lose control, it will not be beneficial for you, me, the officials, and people of the Qing Kingdom, or even to the one in the Palace.” Fan Xian’s body was bent. He shook his head and said, “You know what my bottom line is. Starting from the old cripple until me, the style of the Overwatch Council has always been to protect their own. We cannot tolerate our own being hurt.” 

  “I understand, but defying the edict……” Ye Zhong calmly looked at the messy hair on Fan Xian’s forehead. “I am an official of the Qing Kingdom, I have an obligation to capture and kill all traitorous officials and those who break the law.” 

  “Don’t say such pointless things.” Fan Xian waved his hand tiredly. “There is no one else here at the moment. If you want to ensure a thousand years of peace for the Dingzhou Army, then you best make up your mind quickly.” 

  Ye Zhong and Fan Xian stood far in front of the cavalry. No one could hear their conversation. Even Yan Bingyun, who had followed Fan Xian the entire time, stood quietly by the black carriage and did not approach. 

  Ye Zhong thought silently for a long time and then said, “Even if I let them go now, the Black Knights under your command are already mentally and physically exhausted. Regardless of whether you are having them go to Xiliang to join Hongcheng or to Dongyi to join the Great Prince, the soldiers stationed in the provinces all along the way……” 

  Ye Zhong suddenly stopped and sighed in his heart. Well-informed of the situation, he knew what the court had planned these few days. In the intelligence reports, Fan Xian was still clearly far away in Yanjing a few days ago. Who knew he would have rushed back to Jingdou by now? Thinking of this, the heart of this powerful military figure couldn’t help but be shocked. He could not understand how Fan Xian had flown across thousands of li and led hundreds of Black Knights back to Jingdou. 

  “As long as you don’t personally take action, those provincial soldiers will not stop my people,” Fan Xian said in a raspy voice. “As long as I am willing to go with you, the Emperor will not be angry at you letting them go.” 

  Ye Zhong was silent for a long time. He then suddenly said, “That’s true. As long as you are willing to return to the capital, the Emperor’s rage will decrease greatly.” 

  “See, is this not a very simple matter?” Fan Xian said this without expression. He turned his head and walked straight into the black carriage led by Yan Bingyun. Putting down the curtain, he closed his eyes and began to rest. 

  The carriage shook slightly and began to move down the road. Thousands of Qing elite cavalry seemed to be either escorting or guarding as they followed the black carriage slowly toward Jingdou. 

  They entered through Zhengyang Gate and once again moved along the quiet and severe street. Fan Xian, who had eyes his eyes closed the entire time in the carriage, suddenly asked, “Are we entering the Palace?” 

  “No.” Ye Zhong rode on the horse and straightened his smallish frame and calmly replied, “The Emperor has not given an order. You are just not allowed to leave the capital.” 

  “Very good, then I will go home,” Fan Xian said quietly. He then closed his eyes again. Responsible for driving the carriage, Yan Bingyun’s expression tightened slightly. Pulling on the reins, he followed the split at the salt market to the south. 

  All around, people secretly followed the black carriage closely. Ye Zhong’s subordinate cavalry also sent a group after him while Ye Zhong himself stayed at the intersection and did not make any movements. 

  There were already pedestrians on the streets. Although the scene on the execution field in the rain had already traveled hotly among the common people, it was, after all, a distant matter and could not truly impact the lives of the people. Thus, following the end of the rain, life in Jingdou returned to normal. 

  The people walking below the eaves and to the sides had long been chased to either side of the wide street by soldiers. They stared woodenly at this sight and watched the black carriage surrounded by soldiers. Very easily, they guessed the true identity of the person in the carriage. Nervousness, excitement, confusion, and worry flashed through their eyes. 

  On his horse, Ye Zhong watched with an indifferent expression as the black carriage slowly drove toward the south side of the city. His heart felt unusually heavy. Logically speaking, he fulfilled his orders to bring Fan Xian back to Jingdou and strictly prohibit him from leaving, but he still could not relax. Under Fan Xian’s naked and calm threat, he had no choice but to give up pursuing the Black Knights riding through the Qing Kingdom’s fertile lands and those First Bureau officials who dared to oppose the Emperor’s edict. When he entered the Palace later, who knew what kind of anger from the Emperor he would be met with. Yet, the coldest, hardest, and heaviest rock weighing on his heart was the attitude Fan Xian had demonstrated all along the way. 

  Ye Zhong knew that it was not he who had captured Fan Xian back to Jingdou. Rather, it was Fan Xian who had followed him back to Jingdou. What chilled his heart was that Fan Xian had no intention of entering the Palace to see the Emperor. Regardless of whether Fan Xian angrily accused the Emperor or explained something to the Emperor, it would all be more comforting than his present indifference. 

  \r \r \r 

  That indifference actually hid within it an anger toward the Emperor and a suppressed coldness, as well as a disregard for imperial authority. Ye Zhong did not know why Fan Xian had the daring to do this, but he knew that the cold war between the Emperor and Fan Xian had just begun. 

  The Emperor, currently being tended to, was perhaps waiting, at this moment, in the Palace for his illegitimate child to enter the Palace and explain something or rage about something. However, Fan Xian disappointed all of the Emperor’s hopes and estimations. 

  Ye Zhong slowly lowered his head. Thinking about Fan Xian’s calm and powerful words in Taiping Courtyard earlier, he could not help but shake his head gloomily. He had been forced to retreat under Fan Xian’s cold coercion. This proved that Fan Xian now had the power to openly contest against the Qing army. Such power would, without a doubt, cause many changes in the relationship between the Emperor and Fan Xian. 

  Ye Zhong could even guess the Emperor and Fan Xian’s thoughts. The Emperor would never voluntarily send an order to have Fan Xian enter the Palace. He would wait until Fan Xian entered on his own. However, Fan Xian would never voluntarily enter the Palace. He would wait until the man on the throne spoke first. 

  This was a so-called test of attitude, intention, and willpower. The basis of such a test was in the power each side held, and more so in each side’s powerful and icy heart. Who would jump up first? 

  Ye Zhong took a deep breath. The expression on his face returned to being severe and calm. Squeezing his heels, he prepared to enter the Palace to debrief on his orders. When it came to the battle between this father and son, it was not something he could interfere in as an official. The reason he had interfered in the Dingzhou Army back then was because of the Emperor’s orders. It was clear that the Emperor’s attitude toward Fan Xian, his illegitimate child, was completely different to that of his other sons. 

  As the head of the Qing military, Ye Zhong only hoped that this battle would be able to end peacefully or end as quickly as possible and not be like the autumn rain these two days, always leaving one cold and uneasy. ……

  The carriage stopped outside the Fan manor’s doors in the south of the city. The street was silent. The two stone lions being rained on at the manor doors had their eyes opened wide, staring angrily and uneasily at the people walking past. The tightly closed main doors immediately opened. A few knife-wielding manor guards surged out and stood beneath the carriage. 

  Fan Xian walked down from the carriage and did not glance at Yan Bingyun on the shaft of the carriage. He only lightly swept his eyes around his surroundings and easily saw the many staring spies. They were probably sent by the Palace. They could be nothing but people of the 13 city gate guards or the Supreme Court. 

  Further up the street at the intersection, the Overwatch Council’s secret agents were still there. A warm smile rose to the corners of Fan Xian’s lips. When it came to surveillance, the entire court added together probably still wasn’t a match for the Overwatch Council. It looked like the secret agents in his hands remained in his hands and had not been taken by the Emperor. 

  He walked up the steps. Sitting on the shaft, Yan Bingyun sighed. As he prepared to leave, he suddenly heard him speak. 

  “I probably won’t be in charge of the Council for much longer.” Fan Xian did not turn his head. One of his arms was being held by a woman of his household. Tiredly and with some self-mockery, he said, “I hadn’t been in charge long anyway, but I hope that you will not make the mistakes you have before. The reason the Overwatch Council can be so united is not because of a clear distinction between reward and punishment. Rather, it is protecting our own.” 

  “A lot of people are probably already in prison. It will be impossible for these old folks to continue in their positions in the eight bureaus.” His back slowly straightened. “If they lose their posts, then so be it. But, you have to ensure they can live. If they die, no matter how much you protect this damn Council, it will not have any meaning. Do you understand?” 

  Yan Bingyun was silent for a moment. He then nodded his head, not caring about whether Fan Xian could see him. Fan Xian sighed and stepped over the high threshold of the Fan manor supported by the woman. 

  The moment he entered the Fan manor, a familiar air washed over him and enveloped his exhausted body. It made him instantly feel sleep. This was probably the supposed effect of home. Fan Xian forcefully straightened his body and walked on the stone path, even leaving the support of the woman. 

  There were spies hidden everywhere in the manor. Guards walked around sternly. Everything was well organized with an abundant air of severity. This was the tradition of the Fan manor. No matter what storm raged on outside, there would not be any large flaws inside. During the Jingdou rebellion three years ago, the Fan manor had prepared sufficiently. Now, the Fan manor was prepared again. 

  This tradition was a rule laid down in his father’s time. Regardless of what mess Jingdou was in, it would take an attack by at least a few hundred soldiers to drag the Fan manor down. Fan Xian looked with satisfaction at all of this and knew that Wan’er had prepared adequately. He had to maintain his strength to let the people of the Fan manor, who saw them as their mainstay, know that their young master had not fallen. 

  Passing the flower hut, he came to the back garden. At the door of the Flower Hall, he saw that gentle woman. Fan Xian looked at her and forced a smile with great difficulty. “I’m back.” 

  Mist rose in Lin Wan’er’s eyes but was forcefully pressed down. She had also come back not long ago from the Palace. Walking forward a few steps, she caught Fan Xian’s icy cold hands. Smiling sweetly, she said, “It’s good that you’re back. Sleep first, you probably haven’t slept in days.” 

  “Haven’t slept in six days, I also didn’t think I would be able to do it.” Fan Xian’s heart twinged with pain as he forced a smile. Putting the weight of his body on his wife’s shoulders, they walked toward the bedroom. As they walked, he said in a warm voice, “Presumably, these two days have been hard on you.” 

  “Not hard.” Lin Wan’er helped him into the bedroom but found that there were traces of blood on his palm. Her heart dimmed, but she didn’t say anything. She only had him sit on the edge of the bed. She then ordered servants to quickly bring hot water to wash his face with. She also placed the copper feet-washing basin beneath his feet. 

  Lin Wan’er sat on a little stool and helped him take off his shoes and socks. Only then did she discover that the days of hard traveling, although it was on horseback, had made it so that Fan Xian’s feet seemed to have become joined to his shoes. Particularly the balls of the feet where it pressed against the stirrups, there were deep and bloody cuts. 

  Lin Wan’er heart clenched. She carefully placed Fan Xian’s feel into the basin of hot water. Fan Xian sighed. It was uncertain whether it was from the comfort or sorrow. 

  “The Council was surrounded by people. It was impossible to get in,” Lin Wan’er said with her head down as she gently rubbed his feet. 

  “When I went out of the capital earlier, some daring men from the First Bureau followed me out,” Fan Xian said with a gentle smile as he looked at his wife’s head. “I know it was you who told them. I’ve already arranged for them to leave, so don’t worry. As for the Council, at least it’s under our eyes. Of course, the Emperor would not allow me to contact it.” 

  Lin Wan’er’s hand froze for a moment. On one hand, she was worried about Fan Xian. On the other, she was wondering if she should speak about that matter. After a moment, she said with her head down and in a trembling voice, “Sister went into the Palace yesterday to tend to the Emperor and has yet to come back.” 

  “That’s normal,” Fan Xian said calmly. He had already heard this news from Yan Bingyun. “The Emperor always holds one’s weakness tightly. Only the old cripple didn’t have any weaknesses for him to grasp, so he ended up like he did.” 

  Speaking of Chen Pingping, Fan Xian’s face dimmed. In reality, Chen Pingping’s only weakness in this life was Fan Xian. However, in this stalemate, the old cripple had still severed his connection to Fan Xian, leaving the Emperor with nothing to grab, and finally walking into a stalemate he was certain to die in. 

  After saying this, Fan Xian fell asleep. With both his feet in the water basin and his head on his chest, he fell deeply asleep. Having not slept for a long time, he finally relaxed in front of his wife. With an unshakeable sorrow on his face, he fell asleep deeply. 

  Lin Wan’er gently stopped the movements of her hands and looked at the sallow and sorrowful face. For some reason, a sorrow rose in her heart as a few tears slid down her cheek. She gazed at Fan Xian and wondered when that bright and charming youth had become so pitiful. ……

  Fan Xian slept for an entire day and night. When he slowly awoke, he found that it was already another dusk. The slightly dim dusky light shone through the window and enveloped everything familiar in the room with a strange light. 

  Wan’er’s voice came faintly from outside the window. She seemed to be ordering the servants to do something. Fan Xian’s didn’t want to disturb her and remained quietly lying under the warm and thin blanket, unwilling to rise. Perhaps he knew that once he rose from this soft blanket, he had to face everything that had happened and would happen. 

  His gaze moved slightly. He saw a towel draped over the side of the bed. He stretched out his hand and pulled it toward him. He then carefully wiped the dirt from the corners of his eyes. Immediately after, he looked at his body and found that it was clean and fresh. It looked like Wan’er had wiped down his body while he had been sleeping. 

  With just these two simple movements, he triggered aches and pains throughout his entire body that were difficult to endure. The thousand-li dash, his valiant killing, and marrow-deep sorrow had indeed weakened him to the extreme. It was not something a simple night of sleep could fix. 

  Fan Xian lay quietly on the bed and slowly activated the two bouts of zhenqi in his body, particularly Tianyi Dao’s natural zhenqi, to recover his yuanqi. He gazed straight ahead at the complicated motif on the ceiling and wondered what the man in the Palace was thinking.

  Chapter 690: Snowy Mountain In Dreams, Bloody Water In Basin

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

  The vast expanse of whiteness was very clean. The sky and the ground were covered in snow of unknown depths. The snowy plains reached the horizon and covered an unmeasurable area. On the horizon line, a snowy peak abruptly rose straight into the clouds, just like an upside-down sword piercing into the sky. This snowy mountain was very tall and made one sigh in admiration at the sight and not dare go near it. 

  Fan Xian lowered his head and saw that his naked feet were stepping in the snow. Strangely, he could not feel any coldness or pain. He could only feel the sensation brought by each flake of snow. He narrowed his eyes at the tall mountain in front of the snowy plain but was dazzled by the light reflecting off the snow and ice on the sides of the mountain. 

  It was very bright between heaven and earth. It was as if there were nine suns above the snowy clouds. Fan Xian did not know how long he had been walking on this snowy plain. Five days? Six days? He had not slept the entire time. This day had not darkened, like there was no difference between day and night in this godforsaken place. 

  “When I came last night, it was night all the time at first. Later, the sky eye opened and it became day.” 

  A voice rang out beside Fan Xian’s ear. He twisted his head to look. He saw a face he had not seen in a long time. The old face wore an unhealthy red flush. It was clear that it was the residual effects of taking an ephedra pill. Fan Xian tilted his head and looked at Xiao En strangely, thinking, Aren’t you dead? How could he have appeared in front of him and speak so clearly? 

  He felt that this was somewhat strange, but an unconscious mental energy stopped him from thinking about this strange question. Instead, he asked, “The Temple is in that snowy mountain?” 

  “Yes, that is a sacred land in the mortal world, a place that mortals cannot touch.” Xiao En sighed. His face then turned into countless spots of light and shattered pieces, landing on the snowy ground, never to be found again. 

  Fan Xian crouched down and used his red hands to dig in the snow. It was as if wanted to pull back the already dead Xiao En to continue asking questions. After digging for a while, the snowy pit grew deeper and deeper. There was still not a single trace of him. On the contrary, he saw a shadow by the gradually deepening pit. 

  A hemp-clothed man wearing a straw hat sat beside the snowy pit. His eyes were as deep as oceans. He looked quietly at the snowy mountain. 

  “Where did your shoes go? Where did my shoes go?” Fan Xian jumped out of the snowy pit and glanced at his naked and red feet. He then glanced at the hemp-clothed man’s similarly naked feet. His gaze pierced through the straw hat. He saw the man’s bald head. With a smile, he said, “I know you are Ku He. You’ve also been to the Temple. You and Xiao En have both eaten human flesh.” 

  Ku He, sitting on the snowy ground, smiled and said, “The Temple is not holy. It is just a rundown temple.” 

  “Everyone in the world knows that you have boundless respect toward the Temple. You once knelt on the stone steps in front of the Temple for months before receiving the blessing of an absolute skill.” 

  “You know the truth of the matter is not like this.” Ku He turned his head and looked calmly at Fan Xian. “How could there be an unbeatable power in this world?” 

  After saying this, Ku He disappeared like he had never appeared. In a flash, right where Ku He disappeared, the small and short Sword Saint Grandmaster suddenly appeared. Staring with bulging eyes, he roared with anger at Fan Xian, “Where are my ashes? Where are my ashes?” 

  Fan Xian stared in fright. Only now did he remember that he seemed to have forgotten something. He seemed to have promised Sigu Jian that if he went to the Temple, he would bring his ashes and scatter them on the stone steps of the Temple so that he could see what amazing creatures in it. 

  Fan Xian was greatly distressed and said, “The mountain is so tall and cold. I can’t get near it. Even if I brought your ashes, it wouldn’t do anything.” 

  “That is an excuse!” Sigu Jian roared in anger. “That is just an excuse!” 

  Sigu Jian struck out with his sword, sending up a flurry of snow into the air. It was wondrous, beautiful, and completely unstoppable. Fan Xian’s face paled. He used all the strength in his body. His naked feet scrabbled desperately on the soft snowy plain, to charge toward the tall and seemingly impossible to conquer snowy mountain in front of him. 

  Then, he saw a black spot moving slowly but firmly up the snowy mountain. Fan Xian was overjoyed and cried out in a high voice, “Uncle Wu Zhu, wait for me.” 

  With his eyes covered by a black cloth, it seemed Wu Zhu had not heard any sound. He continued to coldly and firmly move up the mountain. The strike behind Fan Xian had arrived. There was only one strike. In an instant, it bloomed into countless petals, each one slicing off a piece of flesh from Fan Xian’s abdomen. 

  Boundless and endless pain made Fan Xian cry out wretchedly. He lay on the ground. His blood flowed into the snowy ground. It was immediately frozen into bloody snowflakes, like precious agate filled with a desire kill. 

  Fan Xian watched as Uncle Wu Zhu walked up the tall and snowy mountain. It was still so large and icy. He felt an unendurable pain at his heart and felt his mind fill with hopelessness and fear. 

  Then, he woke up. 

  Fan Xian grunted and sat up in bed with a struggle. His body was covered in sweat. He had soaked through all of his under clothing. He unconsciously touched his chest and found that other than the aching pain, there had not been countless pieces of flesh sliced away. 

  It was already late in the night. It seemed that after he woke up at dusk, he had stared quietly at the ceiling of the bed and fallen asleep again. For some reason, he had dreamed such a nightmare. Those top figures, who had once scattered their elegant manner all under heaven, appeared one by one in his dreams and told him things about the snowy mountain. They then had advised him, encouraged him, and abandoned him. 

  Fan Xian took a heavy breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he stared in a daze at the blanket on his body. Thinking of the large and snowy mountain in his dreams, he still could not help but shiver. He knew what the large snowy mountain in his dreams represented in real life. He also knew that man may be even more powerful than that large snowy mountain and even colder. But, the snowy mountain was in front of him. He would eventually climb it. ……

  Inside the royal study in the Royal Palace, the Emperor slowly opened his eyes as he awoke. He looked at the candles on the table beside him. Only then did he realize that it was already late in the night. His gaze was cold and a bit strange because he had just had a dream. He dreamed that he stood on a lonely and snowy mountain, enjoying the worship and respect of countless common people down on the snowy plain. However, there was not a single person by his side. He was just as lonely as the snowy mountain. 

  The commoners were almost frozen solid. Perhaps there was not much joy to be obtained from the worship of such creatures. The Emperor slowly closed his eyes and thought of the eyes that looked at him coldly in the dream, the eyes of familiar friends, and did not speak for a long time. 

  “I want to wash my face in hot water,” the Emperor said. 

  Eunuch Yao, who had been waiting to the side, bent his body and accepted the order. He pushed open the door of the royal study and quietly reported before he left, “Sir Ye Zhong has been waiting outside. 

  \r \r \r 

  The Emperor didn’t say anything. He waved his hand irritably. The door to the royal study was closed. Although the Emperor had a bedroom in the back palace, he had worked hard at state affairs for all these years. Additionally, he possessed powerful mental fortitude. He was used to staying up the night in the royal study, annotating memorials. There was a set of bedroom furniture set up in the royal study, so he rarely returned to his palace to rest. 

  If one said that a large part of the Qing Emperor’s life was lived in the royal study, it would not be a lie. Usually, after night had fallen, only his most trusted eunuchs, other than him, could enter the quiet study. After Eunuch Hong died and Hong Zhu lost power, the only person who could stop in the royal study at night was Eunuch Yao. 

  However, there was now a woman in the quiet royal study. This woman had a natural and immoveable calm between her brows. Her face was delicate. She wore a thin half-fur robe. Quietly, she sat on a round pillar across from the soft couch. There was a chest by her feet. 

  The Emperor glanced at the woman and gently said, “You haven’t rested much these two days either. Go to the back palace and rest later.” 

  Fan Ruoruo calmly bowed and did not say anything. Ever since she had been taken into the palace and helped tend to the Emperor’s wounds, her movements had been greatly limited. Although no one had said anything explicitly, she knew she had to remain in the palace. 

  During these two days, the Emperor had kept her constantly by his side. Even when he was discussing things in the royal study and subordinates reported back about matters concerning the Fan manor, Fan Ruoruo was always listening to the side. The Emperor seemed to not be hiding anything from her. 

  The Emperor glanced at her lightly and easily saw a sliver of deep worry from between this woman’s calm brows. He knew what she was worried about. Most miraculously, the Emperor had not kept young lady Fan by his side these two days just to suppress Fan Xian or for her to tend to his wounds. The Emperor felt that this woman, who was like a niece to him, had straightforward and indifferent nature that was very suited to his temperament. When he chatted casually with her, she could always make a reply or two regardless of whether they were talking about astronomy, geography, or the beautiful sights in the world. 

  “There is nothing to worry about.” The Emperor gently coughed. Although Fan Ruoruo was a brilliant doctor and had already taken out most of the metal shards in his body, the killing power of Chen Pingping’s wheelchair was too powerful. No one knew how heavy the injury he took was. 

  The Qing Emperor was a Great Grandmaster, which was why he could survive. If it had been anyone else, they would have long died in front of Chen Pingping’s twin guns. 

  “An Zhi…… Your brother has a misunderstanding toward me. Once these misunderstandings are cleared, everything will be fine.” The Emperor went against his nature to explain. For some reason, he didn’t want to see young lady Fan be worried. 

  The Emperor was speaking from his heart. In his opinion, An Zhi had always been a person who valued friendships and relationships. It was inevitable that he would not be able to accept Chen Pingping’s wretched death for a while and wrap his mind around it. Once Fan Xian learned of the various ills Chen Pingping had committed against the royal Li family and the multiple times he had attempted to kill Fan Xian, he would understand. 

  “Your Majesty is right,” Fan Ruoruo responded with her head down. 

  The Emperor’s expression became dark. He didn’t like young lady Fan’s tone. After a long time, he did not get angry. He only closed his eyes slowly and took a deep breath. “An Zhi has already slept for an entire day and night. It seems that he was really tired out on the road.” 

  Fan Ruoruo raised her head and gently bit her lip. She looked at the Emperor in front of her, who she could not fathom no matter what, and had no idea what to say. Her brother was probably sleeping in the manor. Presumably, his rest was not very peaceful. But, what emotions did the Emperor’s words represent? 

  “Tell me about your situation in Qing Mountain when you first went to study. I’ve never stepped foot in the territory of the Northern Qi people. It has long been one of my regrets.” The Emperor very naturally turned the topic of conversation. For some reason, he was following Fan Ruoruo’s thoughts. He knew that if he discussed Jingdou and Fan Xian, a coldness would grow in this girl’s heart. 

  “Of course, before too long, I will be able to personally go to Qing Mountain and have a look.” The Emperor smiled slightly. 

  Fan Ruoruo respectfully replied, “The scenery of Qing Mountain is very good, and the brothers of Tianyi Dao are very good to me.” 

  “You are, after all, a citizen of the Qing Kingdom. Although I don’t know what tricks Fan Xian used to force Ku He, that old baldy, to take you as his last disciple, presumably, the Northern Qi people don’t look well on you.” The Emperor spoke casually as he smoothed the hair at his temples. 

  Fan Ruoruo smiled and said, “Your Majesty’s gaze is as bright as a torch. In the beginning, the situation was indeed like that. Afterward, the teacher spoke. Additionally, sister disciple Haitang returned to the mountain, so naturally things were better.” 

  “Speaking of that woman, Haitang, how exactly did Fan Xian deal with her?” the Emperor asked as an emotion flashed through his eyes. 

  Fan Ruoruo felt that the Emperor was not using this matter to inquire about something. Instead, he was just curious about the rumors of the romantic story that spread like wildfire. She stared fixedly at the Emperor’s slightly pale face. She suddenly thought that this matter concerned her elder brother, and he would certainly not discuss the details of these matters with the Emperor. 

  It could be considered family gossip. Fan Ruoruo suddenly realized that the Emperor was just old, alone, lonely. He was a father but could not receive the treatment of a father, so he kept her in the palace and wanted to talk to her for a while. He wanted to know more about the common affairs of the world and matters concerning her brother. 

  The Emperor and young girl’s domestic conversations continued in this calm and strange manner. It was clear that the Emperor’s mood was improving. A rare glimmer of warmth and energy appeared on his slightly pale face. 

  The door of the royal study was pushed opened. Eunuch Yao led in two little eunuchs holding copper basins. There was hot water with rising steam inside the basins. The Emperor accepted the hot towel from Eunuch Yao’s hands and used his gaze to indicate for Fan Ruoruo to continue speaking. He then placed the hot towel on his face and rubbed vigorously at his eyes. 

  Below the towel, the Qing Emperor slowly closed his eyes. No one could see his expression. No one knew that a moment earlier, he had suddenly thought of the Third Prince’s trembling hand in his as he led him back to the Palace after the autumn rain. Li Chengping’s eyes were full of fear as they looked at him, very much like Chengqian’s many years ago. 

  A cold anger suddenly surged in the Emperor’s heart. He tore the towel off his face and threw it to the ground. After taking a few deep breaths, he finally suppressed his temper. Looking at Eunuch Yao, he said, “How come it has been so long?” 

  Eunuch Yao knelt and replied in a trembling voice, “Earlier, the internal court had something to report, so I was slightly delayed.” 

  “Speak.” 

  “The internal court’s spies outside the Fan Manor……” Eunuch Yao glanced unconsciously at young lady Fan, who was staring at him in a daze. He quickly lowered his head. “A total of 14 people have been killed.” 

  The Emperor’s expression suddenly froze over like ice. He slowly sat up straight on the bed and looked at Eunuch Yao without speaking. 

  Sitting to the side, Fan Ruoruo’s face paled gradually at suddenly hearing this news. She was unable to say anything in explanation. These two days, she had been in the royal study the entire time by the Emperor’s side, so she knew that her brother had returned to the capital and had the manor. Although the internal court and military had, on the surface, relaxed their suppression on the Fan manor, they still left countless spies outside the manor for surveillance. 

  Those spies had all died? What was brother thinking exactly? Did he not know that the Emperor was allowing him to sleep peacefully in the manor because he was waiting for him to come into the Palace after he woke to confess to his crimes? Yet, he killed all the people the Emperor had sent out? Was he not afraid of angering the Emperor? 

  The icy expression on the Emperor’s face gradually melted. The corners of his mouth quirked. He smiled with a sliver of mockery. Calmly, he said, “Keep sending people. I have millions of people. Can he kill all of them by himself?” ……

  The front doors of the Fan Manor were open wide. The lights burned brightly, lighting up this half of the street in the south of the city like it was daytime. Fan Xian was covered in blood. He walked out of the shadows the lights did not reach. Under the startled and fearful gazes of the uniformed people with their identities clearly showing, he slowly walked to the front doors of his own home. 

  He sat down on the long bench in front of the Fan Manor’s front doors and tossed the bloody sword of the Wei Emperor to his feet. Stretching out his hand, he rinsed it a few times in the basin of hot water a servant brought out. The clear water in the basin immediately turned bloody.