Arc 1 - High Winds At The Outskirts Of The Capital

Table of Contents
NOTE: Tap on the chapters below to go to said chapter.
Table of Contents
NOTE: Tap on the chapters below to go to said chapter.
Translator’s Notes:
Chapter 1 – Jade guan and white robes, wide sleeves billowing in the air
Chapter 2 – Cui Buqu
Chapter 3 – When He is Here, It is As If God Himself Is Here.
Chapter 4 – My Name is Feng Xiao. I hail from the Jiejian Bureau
Chapter 5 – It Does Not Matter Whether One is Crippled, As Long As There is Still Breath in Him
Chapter 6 – Does This Name Sound Nice?
Chapter 7 – A Stubborn Body That Even Naihe Xiang Drug Is Unable To Tame
Chapter 8 – All The Sufferings In The World, To Him, Is Only Honing His Character
Chapter 9 – You Motherfucker You Wouldn’t Even Let Me Eat, And You Want Me To Work For You?
Chapter 10
Chapter 11 – Relax, I Am Even More Vengeful Than You Are
Chapter 12 – This Is A Very ‘Intimate Friend’ Of Mine, His Surname Is Cui, Name Buqu
Chapter 13 – The Emperor’s First Move
Chapter 14 – Do You Want To See My Most ‘Invaluable Treasure’?
Chapter 15 – Feng Xiao: I Played Myself
Chapter 16 – Fool, That Was Just Mulberry Juice
Chapter 17 – Accursed Show-off Oleander
Chapter 18 – How Will The Oleander Fairy Solve This Now?
Chapter 19 – You Whose Surname Is Feng, You Motherfucking Bastard!
Chapter 20 – He Wanted To Kill Feng Xiao
Chapter 21 – You Took My Lover, Can I Choose Not To Be Quick On My Feet?
Chapter 22 – You Are Not Lying Convincingly Enough
Chapter 23 – Even If You Would Have Me To Warm Your Bed….
Chapter 24 – In This Episode, Peacock Feng And Little Cui Did Not Show Up
Chapter 25 – Lord Feng You Certainly Don’t Look Like Someone Who Is So Benevolent!
Chapter 26 – Call Me ‘Dad’ Three Times, Then I Will Pull You Up
Chapter 27 – Dad~~ Dad~~
Chapter 28 – My Surname Is ‘Zhangsun’, Given Name ‘Bodhi’, I Am One Of The Vice-Commanders Of
The Zuoyue Bureau
Chapter 29 – How Did I End Up In A Situation Like This
Chapter 30 – Is Your Heart Moved?
Chapter 31 – I Will Be Struck By Thunder And Drink Rancid Water Everyday, When I Leave My House,
I Will Break My Leg Running
Chapter 32 – You Know Each Other Really Well
Chapter 33 – I, From The Jiejian Bureau, Would Not Be Afraid Of You!
Chapter 34 – Would The Jiejian Bureau Have Someone As Crafty As Myself?
Chapter 35 – Feng Xiao’s Face Turned Green In Colour
Chapter 36 – After All, He Would Never Touch It Again If He Was Beaten To Death
Chapter 37 – No One Can Ever Replace Me As Cui Buqu
Chapter 38 – Me, And You, It Means Us
Chapter 39 – It’s Not Like Being Born Handsome Is My Fault
⮕Book 2 - Strange Case In Qiemo

Translator’s Notes:
Wushuang was initially just a casual project for a total of 2 friends, when I just started out with
translating work and went in blind. It was mostly rough translations until I took it more seriously after
the first book was done. Therefore, I don’t doubt there would be mistakes riddled all over the first two
books as well as inconsistencies due to inexperience, so… please be nice.
In the meantime, if you notice any errors, please don’t hesitate to drop me a DM on twitter or drop an
email to me here! That being said, whenever I get notified about an error, don’t be too surprised when
I pop in to modify the translations a little :)
This novel is free until Chapter 30, so if you enjoy it, please consider supporting the author whose
link you can find here! On the other hand, if you are not enjoying the novel, please do not force yourself
to read it. There’s no rule about it being compulsory to read Wushuang if you’ve read
QianQiu/Thousand Autumns. Place your comfort first!
EDIT (8/4/2020): I am beginning the edit of Book 1 at the moment. Those in spectral font (this font)
are edited, and those in Monserrat are not. Thank you Cherry_MxTx for helping me out with the edit!
Project Page here

Chapter 1 – Jade guan and white robes, wide sleeves billowing in the air
The Northern wind bellowed, the Spring wind grew with restlessness.
In these recent three months, the frontier pass remained quiet.
For a moment, a glint of blue was still visible in the sky. Yet, in the blink of an eye, chill winds arose as dark
clouds gathered, forming a blanket of darkness above one’s head, like a dark shadow that couldn’t be dispersed,
weighing on the hearts of the people.
Yuchi Jinwu was feeling the obvious diminishing speed of his travelling company, couldn’t help sweeping the
curtains aside, reaching his head out to take a look.
Winds swept in, bringing with it grains of sand. His beloved concubine let out a gasp and hugged his shoulders
immediately.
“My Lord, would we be able to reach the city before nightfall?”
The melodious voice soothed the worry in Yuchi Jinwu’s heart. He patted his concubine on her thigh in a
symbolic way, feeling the richness of her tender skin through the thin robes. One could imagine tearing away that
annoying fabric and touching the smoothness underneath it. However, currently, he had no desire to flirt with his
beloved concubine.
“I suppose so.” Yuchi Jinwu furrowed his eyebrows, answering in uncertainty.
He was a member of the royal family of the Kingdom of Khotan. Acting upon the orders of the Khotan King, he
came forth to the Central Plain to offer tribute to the Emperor there.
At this moment in the Central Plains, the Great Sui had just been established, becoming the new monarch of the
Northern Imperial Dynasty.
Emperor Yang Jian’s ambitious and intriguing efforts made the vitality of this new dynasty just like the infinite
brilliance of the rising sun, and even the southern Chen Dynasty also sent forth an ambassador to congratulate
them.
Although Khotan was situated in a place outside the Plains, posing only as a small kingdom, they were often
harassed by the Göktürks. Once the King of Khotan heard tidings of the Sui Empire moving into the new capital
this year and proclaiming a general amnesty, he did not hesitate to grab this chance to send forth Yuchi Jinwu as
an ambassador with a hefty gift to Daxing City to meet the Sui Emperor. His first goal was to cultivate a good
relationship, and his second goal, — to implore the Sui Empire to send out troops to protect Khotan.
Who could’ve known that this trip was ill-fated?
When they left Khotan, the men of his group fell ill all of a sudden when they were passing through Qiemo,
vomiting incessantly. It took them a good few days to recover before embarking on the journey again. Then, they
got caught up in terrible weather such as this; Yuchi Jinwu felt irritated and worried. He wished from the bottom
of his heart to put on a pair of wings and just fly to Daxing City immediately.
He couldn’t help but glare at the corner of the carriage.
Two chests sat there, used to store Yuchi Jinwu’s belongings and clothes. Since the carriage was quite spacious
and the chests weren’t large, Yuchi Jinwu purposely ordered the servants to bring them into his carriage so that
they needn’t be placed at the rear of the group.
His concubine noticed his trail of sight, and giggled, “My Lord, could it be, that you’ve hidden a beautiful woman
in that chest?”
Her words lifted the anxiety in Yuchi Jinwu’s heart. “If it is a great beauty, what would you do?”
She teased, “Then I would have no choice but to share you!”
Yuchi Jinwu laughed and took her into his arms. They were stuck skin to skin, flirting about. Yuchi Jinwu could
feel his worries dissipating.
“If I told you, you must not disclose it to anyone. At the very least, before we arrive in Daxing City, do not breathe
it to another soul.”
The more secretive and serious he was, the more his concubine grew curious, pulling at his sleeves as she coaxed
him while grumbling now and then.
Only then did Yuchi Jinwu say softly, “In that chest, there is a tribute.”
She asked, “Aren’t tributes usually placed inside the last carriage?”
Yuchi Jinwu replied, “Those are only for ordinary tributes. With merely gold and silver treasuries, how would
they be considered anything in the eyes of the Sui Emperor — the monarch of a large nation?”
The concubine asked curiously, “We are only a small kingdom. What treasuries would we have that would appeal
to the Sui Emperor so much so that he must have it? Unless it’s some sort of a rare jade?”
Yuchi Jinwu pinched her cheek, “Smart. It is related to jade, but it’s not just any jade, it is the Jade of Heaven’s
Lake.”
His concubine squealed, “That legendary jade that can make one immortal?!”
Before she could finish, Yuchi had already covered her mouth. She acted quickly upon seeing the serious glare in
his eyes and apologized, “I forget my manners. This is one of the Kingdom of Khotan’s treasures. How could his
Majesty bear to give it away?”
Yuchi Jinwu shrugged, “So what if he could not bear to give it away? If his Majesty wants an alliance with the Sui
Emperor, he needs to present something of worth; only then would it be regarded as showing the utmost
sincerity.”
Although the Jade of Heaven’s Lake contained the words ‘Lake of Heaven’, it had nothing to do with heaven. It
was unintentionally discovered by a woodcutter of Khotan who mistakenly entered a cave and discovered that
unusual piece of jade stone. According to the legends, it was as clear as morning dew with a pool of azure blue in
its centre, similar to Heaven’s Lake that was surrounded by snow, hence its given name.
The woodcutter presented it before the Khotan King, whose mother at that time, was diagnosed with a strange
illness and failed to recover. However, after she was treated with medicine made from a shard of the jade, she
was not only fully recovered, but it was as if her body was wrought anew. This king’s mother then lived until she
was over ninety years old and passed away only just recently.
Because of this incident, the fame of the Jade of Heaven’s Lake spread across the lands to many, it returned not
only one’s youth but could also cure any strange disease in existence and was extremely powerful for people who
were trained in the martial arts. A treasure such as this was coveted by many, but the Khotan King treated it like
a national treasure. No one knew where he had hidden the Jade. The Göktürks also kept a close watch on Khotan,
perhaps hoping to take the Jade of Heaven’s Lake for themselves one day.
The Khotan King was no fool. He understood the value of the jade but, compared to the destruction of his
kingdom and family, the jade meant nothing. He was willing to give it away if it meant protection for his people.
At the very least, it was better than allowing it to fall into the hands of the Göktürks.
The concubine listened as she thought and said, “But My Lord, is it really alright for just a few people to protect
such a valuable treasure on the road?”
Yuchi Jinwu smiled, “Don’t underestimate the people outside. They are his Majesty’s most skilled bodyguards.
Practically all of them were assigned to this expedition. The fact that they don’t look skilled is an advantage.”
As he thought, he reminded her again, “Only you and I know of this matter. Do not repeat this to a third person.”
The concubine nodded her head. “I understand the consequences of this. If the information is leaked, we would
be endangered. So fewer the people who know, the better.”
Yuchi Jinwu playing with a strand of her hair, pleasingly said, “You have followed me for four to five years, and I
have always known you were the most understanding one. But you needn’t worry too much. When we enter the
city, the Sui Emperor will send forth men to protect us. When that time comes, we no longer need to worry.”
As they both spoke, the wind grew harsher and stronger. The horse carriages rattled, creating an unsettling
sound.
Yuchi Jinwu lost all his interest in conversing but instead bit on his lip and stopped talking.
His concubine held his robes tightly, too afraid to even move.
Amidst the sound of violent winds, Yuchi Jinwu heard a wave of noises that sounded like the hooves of horses.
In this wretched weather, whoever the traveller was, they would not be merchants. This could only mean that it
was the soldiers sent by the Sui Emperor.
Yuchi Jinwu shook his head and turned towards his concubine. "Let me go out and take a look... "
The curtains were suddenly withdrawn; a bodyguard peeked in from the outside and said quickly, "My Lord, the
windstorm is too hectic. Let us move forward to take shelter—"
Then everything happened all at once.
The way Yuchi Jinwu felt irritated at being interrupted by the bodyguard to the shock wide in his eyes.
He could only stare at the blood spluttering as the bodyguard's head flew into the air, hitting the roof of the
carriage before falling heavily to the ground, rolling in circles on the white mat before finally rolling to the side of
his foot.
From the side of his ear, his concubine screamed, but her voice sounded far away. He felt a cloth slip over his
ears. He couldn't hear anything but muffled sounds.
A cold feeling washed over him, and he tensed. His heart had long told him to shy away, but his body could not
react in time. From his chest, a sharp pain spread as something pierced his chest and ribcage.
Different shades of red soon coloured Yuchi Jinwu’s vision.
In the end, for one to be alive in one second and be dead in the next only took such a brief amount of time.
Such was his thought as he collapsed to the ground.
…..
Snow particles flew in the air, enough to cover up all the stains of the world.
Yet covering up was only temporarily. Once the cloud disperses and the snow melts, those stains would resurface
once more.
Dried blood blackened, mixing among the blocks of snow. From a distance, they looked as if they were stones
merely enveloped by the gathering snow.
Among all the dead horses that lay on the ground, there were also overturned carriages and a few severed heads
buried in the snow. Gazing upon the sight, one could tell some time had passed since the incident took place.
From afar, the sound of horse hooves got louder as a company of men drew near.
A few dozen men approached from the wintry background, their horses kicking up piles of white as they trotted
forwards, their breaths forming puffs of smoke in the air.
Among them, their leader wore a black coat, effectively covering up his neck. The only sound he exuded was
when the wind picked up, his coat billowing beneath the wind.
Behind him, dozens of men followed tightly, their coats buttoned up to the neck in a similar fashion. No one was
willing to expose their skin to such horrendous weather.
They looked as if they’d expected such a gruesome scene. Their faces showed no signs of shock or disgust.
Instead, they acted quickly, dismounting their horses to move forward to take a look.
One corpse lay sprawled on the ground, practically covered by the snow, exposing only a shoulder and neck as
white as snow. A wound stretches across his throat to the back of his neck. From this point of view, one could see
how deep the wound was. His neck was pretty much snapped in two — a demonstration of the strength of his
murderer.
A hand reached out from under a black coat.
That hand was fair, slender and so pale that it looked almost as if the skin was a sheet of glass over white bones
like fine white jade. It was not necessary to flaunt any stylish moves; people would have already stopped and
stared. A pair of hands like these were not hands that commoners would have.
But the owner of these hands did not feel disgusted by the bloodstains. He took a handful of snow tainted with
blood into his fingers, before releasing them and watching the snow particles fall through his fingers.
The man lowered his head, an eyebrow gradually rising.
The guard on duty who stood by his side was sighing over the fact that he’d missed the chance to bribe this
important guest who came from the capital. Watching the scene, he quickly took out a clean cloth and mustered a
smile on his face.
“Sire, I have a clean cloth here, you—”
Before he finished talking, his speaking adversary shed his coat and tossed it behind him!
The guard watched with his mouth agape when the man’s coat was caught by a young man.
Pei Jingzhe smiled bitterly. “My Lord...”
“Hold on to it,” said the man flatly.
Without the coat, he was practically exposed to the harsh winds and storm. Clad in Jade guan and white robes,
the wide sleeves billowed in the air as the tails of his robes fluttered in the wind.
The men who came with him watched the scene as they trembled, while he alone remained unfazed and
unmoved. Bending his waist and head he continued to examine the corpse.
======
Göktürks: This is the same population of people ‘Tujue’ (突厥) used in Thousand Autumns/Qianqiu written by the same
author as Peerless/Wushuang. Both works share the same universe. Göktürks.
Daxing City: This is the capital city of the Sui Dynasty in Wushuang. For Thousand Autumns/Qianqiu fans, the previous
capital is Chang’an. Wushuang is set 3 years after Yang Jian took the throne and became the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty.
Chapter 2 – Cui Buqu
It went without a doubt in regards to the extreme complication of investigating everything that happened
throughout an entire night in such terrible weather.
The place of the unfortunate incident was not far off from City of Six Crafts, so news of the Khotan ambassador’s
murder while he was on his way here spread throughout the city. The County Magistrate was scared out of his
wits, terrified that he would be looped in.
Coincidentally at this time, from the capital, came a few people on the Emperor’s orders to receive the Khotan
Ambassador. Who could’ve guessed that before they could receive him, they had run into a murder case instead?
The County Magistrate of the City of Six Crafts was trembling with fear, posing inferiority, and he wanted nothing
more but to toss the responsibility away like a hot sweet potato. Yet, what surprised him was that this important
guest from the capital wasn’t easy to get along with at all! He said nothing about it, but accepted the case and
brought people out to investigate.
The County Official Liu Lin raised his head, watching as the wind gradually died down and the snow coming to a
halt. He exuded a breath.
As a County Official of the City of Six Crafts, it would be difficult for him to avoid taking responsibility if the
Imperial Court wanted to investigate the death of the Khotan ambassador outside their city. As he mused over it,
he had no idea which bandit was so bold as to murder the ambassador of another country. But so to speak he had
never heard of any bold bandits in City of Six Crafts. Those who only seek fights would not have dared attempt to
create such a big scene.....
He thought nonsense as he flipped the corpse around to take a look.
The guards were all busy sweeping away the snow that had gathered, revealing seven to eight corpses that were
buried underneath the snow. Most of them looked like the previous corpse, having their throat punctured was
the wound that claimed their life.
Only the man dressed luxuriously in the horse carriage had a hole punctured in his chest.
Liu Lin naturally bent down to pull out a knife from the snow and abruptly exclaimed: “A long knife of the
Göktürks!”
“There’s a long knife here too!” another constable shouted.
As the knife was being lifted, blood was still present on it. This was a weapon that had killed many people.
Could it be the Göktürks who did it?! Liu Lin felt astonished.
The more he thought about it, the more likely he felt it was a possible theory.
Everyone knew that if the Göktürks and the Great Sui engaged in a war, those who were at the sidelines would
dare not sleep in peace either. For a long time, the Göktürks were displeased at the fact that Khotan decided to
flee and hide under the banners of the Sui Dynasty, so they might have used this opportunity to murder the
ambassador to cause a dispute between Khotan and the Sui Dynasty, turning them into enemy countries.
Many people came to the same conclusion as Liu Lin.
At this moment, the case was nearing its conclusion, ready to be wrapped up and determine the cause and reason
of the ambassador’s murder, but Liu Lin could not brace himself for the next headache that was to come: If the
Göktürks appeared near the City of Six Crafts, they might have also entered the city by now. The Linlang guild
recently wanted to hold their annual auction event in the City of Six Crafts. People across the lands—the wealthy,
pugilists from all clans and sects—would gather there. Yet at this moment, they had to deal with a murder case.
He could already foresee the fate that awaited him. If he did not handle his duties well and allowed the
responsibility of Göktürks infiltrating the city to clamp down on his head, he would be doomed.
As he humoured the idea of losing his job soon, Liu Lin could see a foreboding black cloud before his eyes. He felt
his hands and legs weaken.
Among the important guest’s subordinates, there was a young man by the surname of Pei. He got out of the
carriage, holding a small cabinet.
The model of that cabinet was one that was growing popular in the capital as of late. It was small and had three
layers. Behind the third layer, eight columns were present. It was convenient to put things such as cosmetics and
little titbits inside. Placing it in the carriage was indeed convenient and loved by women. Some wealthy women
would even place jewellery and expensive treasuries in them.
Pei Jingzhe held the chest in his hands. Although it was not as lavish as the ones they saw in the capital, it was
still made of good wood and crafted with excellence. Looking closer, one could even see an engraving of a woman
dressed in Khotan traditional clothes dancing.
The third drawer was pulled out.
In the first drawer dried peaches and apricots were placed. In the second, some jewels and hair ornaments. They
discovered some veneer used by women as they opened the third drawer. There were patterns of fishes, insects,
stars and moons cut out using a golden foil.
It would seem like there were women among this company, Liu Lin thought.
This was not surprising. According to rumours, the ambassador of the Khotan Kingdom was a relative of its
king. It was perfectly natural for them to bring a concubine or two when they travelled out of the kingdom.
However, it was regretful that before they could even witness the grandiose of Daxing City, they had already lost
their lives.
“Look around for female corpses.” At the same time, the man also spoke.
When he gave the order, everyone listened to him immediately, dismounting their horses to embark on the
search.
The expensive coat that previously belonged to the man, at this moment, was discarded on the ground amidst the
snow. Liu Lin watched in heartache and muttered to himself, before gathering his attention and joining the
search.
Among this company, except for the mounted bodyguards, there were four carriages present. The Khotan
ambassadors shared one. One was used to carry provisions. Another contained tributes meant for the Sui
Emperor. The last, a smaller carriage, must have been for the female servants of the ambassador. Soon they
discovered two female corpses buried deep in the snow near that carriage. The very same deep gash across their
throats that claimed their lives was observed.
The two maids were quite beautiful. Liu Lin thought that they might both have been the ambassador’s bed
warmers as well as his servants.
But as the man knelt over, his nose nearly touched one of the deceased female maids, almost as if he was going to
kiss her. Watching such handsome features near the face of a deceased that had splotches of green and black, Liu
Lin could not help but shiver.
But the man didn’t seem to care much and remained in that position. He examined the corpse closely, sniffing all
the way down and even reached out to undo the corpse’s collar with his fingers. He looked exactly like a
perverted man! The young man who previously looked very calm also could not bear the sight before him and
shouted, “My Lord!”
“What are you shouting at?” the man replied and walked over to the other corpse and knelt once again, sniffing
for a long time before declaring, “There is another woman. Search for her.”
Was there an extra person like that? Liu Lin was stunned.
The man, a little impatiently, explained, “Inside the carriage, I smelt a scent that I did not find on the body of
these two women. They are not the same. So, there is another woman around. Find her!”
Everyone quickly moved to search, but in the end, they only managed to uncover twenty-one bodies; other than
the two female corpses, the rest were males.
The man spoke to Liu Lin, “Leave one team here to attend the crime scene. Bring the rest of the bodies back.”
So, is it done already?
The Khotan king would want to investigate the murder of his ambassador here. If the bodies were removed and the
sun rose again, all evidence would be wiped out. Then, how would they still investigate the case?
Liu Lin looked confused. He wanted to ask but dared not to, so he could only look at Pei Jingzhe and gave him a
few hints with a few glances.
Pei Jingzhe sighed. He picked up the expensive coat that was discarded to the ground and braced himself for a
good scolding. “My Lord, are we going to leave? We’re not bothering with the carriages and the horses?”
The man asked him back, “Tell me, by remaining here, what more can be done?”
Liu Lin was stammering as he intercepted, “Shouldn’t we bring the carriages and the weapons back to be solid
evidence? In the future, if people asked, at least we have something to show them.”
The man replied, “There is no need for the carriages, but the weapons can be brought back together with the
bodies.”
He did not explain himself much as he got up on his horse and turned around. His white robes fluttered in the
wind as he went. The remaining men looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
The constables situated in small regions were not as trained and skilled as those in the capital. To compare them
with men from the Jiejian Bureau, even lesser things could be said. Pei Jingzhe could only remain behind and give
Liu Lin instructions on how to clean up the crime scene. A team of men would send the bodies and weapons back
to the city before returning to Qiushan Manor.
Qiushan Manor was situated in the Southeast of the City of Six Crafts and surrounded by mountains and bodies of
water, offering a sense of quiet amongst restlessness. County Magistrate Zhao’s wife belonged to a very wealthy
family among the locals; thus, this manor had been his wife’s wedding gift. Every spring break, he would bring
his family there to live for a few days. This time, before the ambassador from the capital had yet to arrive, he had
already assigned servants to tidy up the manor. Once the important guest arrived, they could lead him here
directly. If the guest was comfortable, he would also have fewer troubles to face.
Pei Jingzhe quite enjoyed being in Qiushan Manor, especially when the snow hadn’t fully melted and branches
and new leaves were already beginning to sprout. It had an elegance which he could not find in the capital, so
every time he visited, his mood would automatically turn for the better.
Even if he knew that the Second Commander of the Jiejian Bureau’s mood would be foul for the next few days.
The copper bell chimed as the man who moved ahead and went back to Qiushan Manor first, arrived. He looked
drawled and lazy, yet his fingers were deft and skilled as they rolled up a letter before inserting it into a bamboo
tube.
Pei Jingzhe could not help lightening his steps, but the other man’s eyelashes quivered as if he already noticed his
presence.
“Send out some men to investigate the woman that ambassador brought with him.” Feng Xiao said as he passed
the bamboo tube containing the letter to Pei Jingzhe.
The county of Qiemo was a place situated between the City of Six Crafts and the Khotan Kingdom. On the surface,
it belonged to the Sui Dynasty. However, the Göktürks and Southern Dynasty were at war with the county of
Qiemo. Hence they had not given much thought to this place.
From the Central Plains to the Western Regions, Qiemo County was a place they inevitably had to pass. After a
long time, this had become a place to restock supplies. People from all across the lands would gather there to
take a breather. The Jiejian Bureau had long since placed a stronghold there so they could send letters containing
information conveniently.
Pei Jingzhe taking the bamboo tube could not help but ask, “Do you have a lead on this case at the moment?”
Feng Xiao taking a document tossed it towards him.
Pei Jingzhe catching it clumsily opened it. The ambassador’s name was Yuchi Jinwu, the nephew of the Khotan
King. In the letter, the Khotan King expressed his sincerity and admiration for the Sui Dynasty, hoping that they
could form an alliance and help each other defeat the Göktürks.
The truth was finally out: The Khotan King had wanted the Sui Dynasty to assist them in dealing with the
Göktürks, yet they were also afraid that the Sui Dynasty would impose their rule upon them. So on one side, the
Khotan King strived to form a relationship with the Sui Dynasty, but on the other hand, they were also wary of
the Sui Dynasty.
The royal edict was only meant for the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty, but since the ambassador was now dead, to
solve the case, it had become part of the evidence; therefore, it was entrusted to their care.
The assassination of Yuchi Jinwu and his company was neither for riches nor belongings. Yet the imperial edict
was still left in the carriage. Everything was in its place.
Pei Jingzhe closed the royal scroll and after finishing reading spoke to Feng Xiao: “My Lord, a Khotanian was
murdered within Sui lands. This would bring shame to the Sui Dynasty’s pride as well as creating a discourse
between Khotan and the Sui Dynasty. This does seem like something the Göktürks would do.”
Feng Xiao twitched an eyebrow, “They came into our lands and murdered someone. Why did they have to use a
long knife? If they had just used a sword made in the Central Plains, we would not have a lead to work on.”
Pei Jingzhe touched his chin, “Göktürks have always been impulsive and violent. If they had murdered under
broad daylight, it wouldn’t be unusual. Other than that, now the Göktürks and the Central Plains are crossing
swords. So if they took our weapons, we would’ve known?”
Feng Xiao: “Did you not notice, in that carriage, something else was missing?”
Pei Jingzhe thought long and hard. The royal scroll, which was the most important evidence, was still left there.
What else could have been missing? The tributes brought in by the Khotan ambassador were all there as well….
Suddenly, a light of knowing flashed across his eyes, “The tribute list! We did not find any list concerning the
tributes.”
Feng Xiao let out an ‘Mn’ as if he felt that Pei Jingzhe wasn’t entirely beyond hope.
Pei Jingzhe had long since gotten used to the Second Commandant’s queer mannerisms, so he was surprised to
receive approval from Feng Xiao. He added further, “The murderer took away the tribute list, could it be that
they took one of the tributes and didn’t want us to know? But then we only need to ask the Khotan King, and all
will be clear.”
Feng Xiao, “The time which takes for travelling to and fro would be enough for a lot of things to be done. Fetch
me that cabinet you found earlier.”
Pei Jingzhe obeyed and brought out the cabinet, pulling each drawer open.
Feng Xiao, “Something is missing.”
Pei Jingzhe looked shocked. He hadn’t noticed anything missing even though he looked for a few times now.
But if he dared speak that thought out loud, he would certainly be scolded. So Pei Jingzhe only answered
honestly, “I apologize for my slowness. My Lord, please enlighten me.”
Feng Xiao, “Cosmetics.”
People who were able to remain by the Second Commander’s side would never be too stupid. Pei Jingzhe
immediately connected the dots.
“There are veneers in the cabinet, so there should also be lipstick and perfume. But the perfume and fragrance in
the carriage are not of the same scent found on those two maidservants. Thus there should’ve been another
woman; in fact, it is likely a beloved concubine of Yuchi Jinwu. Was she kidnapped? No, that’s not right. The
cabinet is neither messy nor haphazard. Everything is neatly placed. When she was taken, it surely wasn’t out of
force…”
When he reached at the end of his analysis, he exclaimed, “The murderer is the missing woman?!”
Feng Xiao flipped his sleeves, “She might not be, but she is certainly related to the case. The murderer used long
knives, but they might not be Göktürks. Look into the matter and report to me in three days.”
Pei Jingzhe nodded in shock, “Yes, sir.”
…..
Three days is not a long time, but it’s not a short time either. The days went by lazily, and it was arduous to sit
through them.
Pei Jingzhe knew Feng Xiao’s mannerisms. Three days meant precisely three days. He would not stand a delay of
even an hour. So at Feng Xiao’s order, he sent messenger pigeons and at the same time sent out men on horses.
The pigeons he sent out in Qiemo were met with a windstorm and never returned. Thankfully, he had prepared
backup plans. On the third day, the men he sent out returned with letters.
Feng Xiao spoke with half-lidded eyes, “Speak, speak.”
Pei Jingzhe replied with sincerity, “Yuchi Jinwu came to the Central Plains a few years ago; he met a woman in
the City of Six Crafts by the surname of Qin. After many pursuits, he took her as his concubine and brought her
back to Khotan. Yuchi Jinwu highly treasured Maiden Qin. Whenever he came to Central Plains to offer tributes,
he would bring her along. After the travelling group was annihilated, it is very likely that it was this Maiden Qin
who went missing.”
Feng Xiao, “Is that all?”
Pei Jingzhe continued, “As to where this Maiden Qin lives, we have investigated into it. It was a long journey
there, but I’ve managed to find something. Her parents are both deceased; thus, she lived in the house of her
aunt. After she left with Yuchi Jinwu, her aunt also moved with her. According to her neighbours, she’s very
religious. Before she got married, she would always go to the Jade Buddha Temple and Zixia Daoist Temple.
Every month on the first lunar day and the fifteenth lunar day, she would go there to pray in person.”
Feng Xiao finally widened his eyes, “Ha! After speaking for so long, this was the only useful information!”
Pei Jingzhe replied, feeling wronged, “Then, I also need to finish saying the first part before I can proceed to the
last part! The Jade Buddha Temple has been greatly welcomed and usually always crowded, but the Zixia Daoist
Temple is a bit strange. Abandonment has filled this temple for quite a long time. You would seldom see any soul
there. If this Qin lady wanted to pray, why not look for a more rowdy temple?”
Feng Xiao remained quiet, so he continued on, “It’s quite strange though that two months ago the Zixia Daoist
Temple received a new Temple Master. Immediately after, it became crowded again. Everyone says that the
healing arts of the Zixia Temple are excellent, and the new Temple Master there is generous and kind. As long as
there's a call for help, he would answer it.”
Feng Xiao, “What is the name of this new Temple Master, and what of his background?”
Pei Jingzhe, “His surname is Cui, his full name is Cui Buqu. I heard he’s a travelling Daoist, although his real
background remains unknown.”
Cui Buqu1.
To refuse to go where? And why?
The earth beneath the heavens is vast, is there a place forbidden to go?
Feng Xiao clicked his tongue at the name, the corner of his lips curved upwards in a smirk.
Indeed, this is very interesting.
======
[1] Cui Buqu: Cui is a surname. Buqu (不去) literally means ‘refuse to go’ or ‘not going’. It’s a very unusual / strange way to
name someone in that manner.

Chapter 3 – When He is Here, It is As If God Himself Is Here.

Opposite to the Qiushan Manor, Northwest of the City of the Six Crafts, there was a Daoist Temple.
This temple came into existence during the former dynasty, but when the old Temple Master died, all the Daoists
of that temple left. The years passed with no prayers or incense offered, and its name faded slowly. The young
might not have even heard of the name.
All was gloomy until the new Temple Master arrived.
On the third day of the third month, it was the birthday of the Jade Emperor of Heaven.
Visitors surrounded Zixia Daoist Temple on this auspicious day. Practically half of the entire population in the
city had gathered there. Inside the temple, everyone held three incense sticks. On the outside, hawkers who
received news were selling various foods and fresh fruits for those who had come to pray.
Had it been two months ago, nobody would have imagined that this nearly abandoned temple would rise again
similar to a wilted tree whose life had been restored, welcoming so many audiences and visitors. There was even
no need to refurnish. At most, it was solely changing some old tiles from the roof that was leaking water when it
rained and removing all the dead plants scattered around the place. However, to the local citizens, the smoke of
joss sticks was as thick as ever, and incense filled every corner of the temple. It seemed as though it grew holier
compared to before.
The mountains need not be so high, as long as Immortals reside in it; the waters need not be so deep, as long as
dragons live within it. All this had happened only because of the arrival of the new Temple Master.
Madam Zhang was holding tightly to an oil lamp she had just put on the altar, before proceeding to make her way
with great difficulty through the crowd of people. All for the sake of placing her incense within the pot in the
centre of the courtyard and praying for the safety of her family.
Although the people were many, she never thought of retreating. Instead, she blamed herself for coming late, and
perhaps the gods above were displeased with her behaviour. She told herself that after she placed the joss sticks,
she would ask for prosperity, and convince that little Daoist with the best of her ability to have the Temple
Master himself read her fortune.
After an hour, finally managing to place her joss sticks, she expressed her gratitude to the gods and offered her
tribute. At this time of the day, the sun was already high up in the sky. The Zhang woman’s makeup ruined by the
steamy air within the temple was starting to fall apart. Boisterous noises continued to surround her, shoulders
brushing against one another. A lot of people were similar to her—they never intended to back out, all the more
they experienced excitement, feeling as though they were accomplishing a holy achievement.
She lived in the East of the city with her husband who owned two shops. Her situation was arguably pleasant;
moreover, she shared a good relationship with her husband. Alas, they were unfortunate as they only bore a son
when they were both in their middle ages. They treated their son like an invaluable piece of treasure, but who
could have guessed that two months later, their son had a fever and almost passed away. Both husband and wife
visited every single temple and burned innumerable joss sticks, yet it was futile. Soon they heard of the peerless,
unrivalled physician that became the new Temple Master of Zixia Daoist Temple. Even prayers from citizens who
went to the temple came true. She was desperate and did not care which doctor she invested her money in, so
she had rushed to his doorstep to ask for help. In the end, he saved her son, and from that day onwards, the
money she would usually donate to the Jade Buddha Temple, she now gave to the Zixia Daoist Temple.
The City of the Six Crafts was not vast, so news of the Zhang family’s son spread far and wide. An increasing
number of people came to Zixia Daoist Temple, and within a single night, it became well-known, rivalling the
Jade Buddha Temple in terms of popularity and became the most famous temple in the city.
She took out a cloth to wipe her sweat. It wasn’t easy to squeeze into the temple, but she was told that the
Temple Master would not be reading fortunes today; instead, he would be in the courtyard relaying the lore of
Daoism. The woman was illiterate, but due to her trust in the Temple Master, she still decided to attend his
speech.
A she went into the courtyard, she was shocked.
It was practically filled with people, some were even standing outside. Yet they weren’t creating a ruckus, only
few mutterings here and there were heard, but their voices were hushed.
From a distance, she could finally see the Temple Master Cui.
He was sitting underneath an eave and on top of a stage, his eyes smiling as he watched the crowd of people
gathered there. Madam Zhang was stunned. She remembered the Buddha statues in the temple—his eyes shared
the same look as those statues. The same look of kindness and gentleness.
Temple Master Cui’s complexion looked paler in comparison to the last time she saw him. It could also be
because he was sitting outside in the open, and it was the doing of the sunlight.
Madam Zhang often came to offer prayers and once, she overheard that Master Daoist Cui’s health was not
actually in its optimal state. However, no one knew the reason behind it. Madam Zhang, as a married woman, had
decided not to pry.
Even though there was some distance between them, nobody was interrupting his words. So Temple Master Cui
was heard clearly throughout the hall by everyone.
He did not sound sickly, just patient and gentle.
Similar to a cup that was neither too cold nor too hot and that could hold the tea inside of it just right, allowing its
fragrance to fill the room.
When he was here, it was as if God himself was here.
“The topic today is about causality.” Madam Zhang heard Temple Master Cui say.
Everyone gasped lightly, showing a look of concern on their faces.
Temple Master Cui continued to smile as he spoke. “Most people might think that only Buddhists speak of
causality, but Daoists like us also speak of causality. The book ‘Treaties of the Response of Dao’ speaks of Dao. It
conveys the meaning that regardless of a blessing or curse, it is never fate or destiny. It is solely related to you
and your conduct. The kindness you show shall come back to you.”
It didn’t matter whether she knew what he was saying at all. She had never so much touched a book. Usually, the
most she’d do was go to taverns to listen to storytellers speaking of life in the Jianghu. But the talk of moral
principles of the world gave her a headache.
However, right now, it was unknown whether it was due to many people listening together, or owing to the fact
that Temple Master Cui was speaking in deep volumes with laymen terms, she not only understood what he was
saying, but she also did not feel it was irritating. Instead, she felt enlightenment in her heart.
“Let us use Madam Zhang as an example.”
Hearing her surname, she immediately paid attention. Initially, she thought that someone else shared the same
surname as her, but as she looked up, Temple Master Cui was looking at her, as well as the entire courtyard of
people.
Her ears grew red. She had never been put in a position where she was the centre of attention; she didn't even
know where to put her hands and feet.
“A while ago, Madam Zhang’s son was plagued by a serious disease. It was practically incurable. I believe
everyone has heard of it. If not for her usual kind deeds, accumulating merit for the Zhang family, how would a
terrible incident like that end so well?”
Madam Zhang had never expected Temple Master Cui to praise her so. She could not help but blush madly. Even
when she spoke, her voice stammered, “My husband and I only followed our hearts. We do not deserve such
praise from the Temple Master! When my son was ill, it was all thanks to Temple Master’s brilliant skills. The
entirety of the Zhang family, from top to bottom, will be forever grateful!”
Temple Master Cui’s smile deepened, “Such a brilliant example of ‘follow your heart’, you speak of it as if it was
so simple, and yet how many people in this world can achieve that? If we should discuss this fact at length, wasn’t
it because I also received the guidance of numerous tutors, that I have come to the Zixia Daoist Temple in the
end?”
Everyone agreed with him, once more, impressing Madam Zhang. From doubt, she found envy.
Madam Zhang’s face was red all over. In all the years she had lived, this was the first time someone had praised
her for her kindness, and the one who complimented her was a famed Daoist from a famed temple. She could not
wait to return home and share the story with her husband. She decided in her heart that the next time she would
visit Zixia Daoist Temple, she would offer more fragrant oil money.
In the corner of her eye, Madam Zhang suddenly felt a prick of pain. She assumed it was some gold or silver item
that was reflecting the sunlight.
As she gathered her focus, she realized it was something flying across her view, like a bird flapping its wings.
Madam Zhang who could not help but blink, saw a grey shadow lunging itself at Temple Master Cui, a long sword
in its hands giving the impression of wanting to kill Temple Master Cui with a single strike!
The sword was only half an inch away from his heart. Even if the people standing around him acted quickly, they
would not be in time to save him. Nevertheless, it all happened so fast. Nearly no one was able to react.
Attacked by the wind of the sword, Temple Master Cui could not help leaning backwards, but his actions were of
little help to thwart the assassin. In less than a second, the sword would pierce his heart and turn him from a live
man to a corpse.
Madam Zhan could not see any hope for Temple Master Cui. She was so terrified that she promptly shrieked!

Chapter 4 – My Name is Feng Xiao. I hail from the Jiejian Bureau

The assassin was determined to achieve what he came to do.
Before the sword pierced between his target’s eyebrows, he was already imagining the victory of
having the other’s head in his hands.
This sword could shatter gold and slice jade. Even if the bones were strong, they were nothing in
comparison to the sword’s unyielding steel.
The assassin formerly did not want to deal with this individual personally: a vulnerable and fragile
ailing life. However, he could not refuse the orders of his superiors. If this sickly man does not die, then
it would be him who does.
If nothing went wrong, then in the next moment, the sword would pierce the spot between that
person’s eyebrows with fresh blood rolling down the wound, trickling like a little river down his nose.
This person’s face was as pale as a ghost. No doubt, he had been ill for many years. But as the colour of
blood and his pale skin would contrast each other, it would unquestionably be a view to admire.
The assassin thought secretly to himself: He had seen these types of scenes far too many times. It was
only because this Cui person’s looks weren’t bad, that it made him eager for the aftermath of finishing
his job.
Yet, all his plans failed in the next second.
The assassin’s eyes widened as he glared at the hand that came out of nowhere.
This was an undoubtedly resolute hand - its nails clean and elegant, the bones flawless and healthy.
The colour of the skin was even and fair. Had it been any other day, the assassin would have severed
such a hand and admire it for a few days before throwing it away.
But as of now, he did not have the desire to admire the hand because it had become a curse to him.
With a twitch of two fingers, it split his sword in half! The assassin gaped in disbelief, but he was swift
in his actions. Trusting their instincts was innate for those whose life hanged by a thread. And so, he
managed to avoid a fist aimed towards him.
Furthermore, this was only the beginning. His adversary was clad in white, pursuing him relentlessly.
With only his hands, he could spar with the assassin on equal grounds, despite the later holding a
sword. As both of them engaged in a fight, their moves were too swift for the commoners to follow
with their eyes. Nevertheless, as their conflict intensified, it threw many people to the ground.
Initially, people had crowded the temple, but presently everyone had run away. The only few people
left were the junior Daoists, but even they had to run to hide behind a pillar. Master Daoist Cui was
scared stiff, sitting where he was, unable to move.
With only one look, the assassin knew that he would not win against the man before his eyes.
With this thought in mind, the assassin gritted his teeth and made a decision.
He used the broken sword and tossed it against the man using one-tenth of his strength. At least, he
could delay his adversary and buy time for himself.
But this time was not enough for him to escape, so the assassin lunged himself at the person sitting on
the ground.
He was as swift as a shadow. Master Daoist Cui widened his eyes, pressing both hands on the ground.
He wanted to get up, but due to his body not responding after the shock, he could not avoid the
assassin in time.
“You traitor! Today, you will certainly die!”
He was not sure whether it was his actions or those words, but Master Daoist Cui’s face turned pale all
the more, even letting out a few coughs.
Suddenly, the assassin could no longer move. Turning his gaze downwards, he saw that a broken
sword has pierced through his chest. Blood trickled down, and in that drop of blood, were words of
ridicule said against him, not allowing him to die in peace.
Using a foot, Feng Xiao rolled the assassin’s corpse to the side. Glaring at the bloodstain on the ground,
he took a detour around it and appeared before Master Daoist Cui who had yet to recover from his
shock.
“Are you Cui Buqu?”
He stood, tall and mighty, his back against the light, looking as if he was questioning a prisoner.
The junior Daoists finally returned to their senses and ran out of their hiding place.
Cui Buqu coughed for a few times and stood as the juniors helped him up. He wore a simple robe, his
gaze levelling with the adversary.
“Yes, I am Cui Buqu. Much obliged for saving me. Pray tell me, may I ask for your name?”
Feng Xiao walked a few steps forward, walking up the dais. The sun shone atop his head, bringing out
his handsome features.
Cui Buqu had travelled everywhere. He had met more people than the number of grains he ate, but
Feng Xiao managed to make him lose his focus for a second.
The other had sharp eyes as if they could materialize themselves in front of him and burn two holes
into his body. Cui Buqu could feel that very feeling on him.
“May I ask if anything I’ve spoken was out of place? If that is the case, I am still grateful for your timely
rescue.”
Feng Xiao, “Why did he desire to kill you?”
Cui Buqu shook his head, “I have no idea who he is.”
Feng Xiao, “Before he died, he claimed that you were a traitor.”
Cui Buqu, “I have undoubtedly never met him. I do not know why he said that either, perhaps he
mistook me for someone else.”
Feng Xiao smiled faintly, “Zixia Temple is not the only temple in the city, and you are neither the only
Daoist. Why did he not mistake others, but you?”
Cui Buqu’s complexion paled, “Then you should ask him. How would I know?”
Feng Xiao replied coldly, “It’s absurd to ask a dead person. Therefore, I can only ask those who are still
alive. Guards!”
As soon as he spoke, seven to eight men surrounded the entire courtyard.
Two men walked forth and captured Cui Buqu, as well as all the juniors present in the area.
There was no resistance. It was futile.
Cui Buqu said sharply, “Who are you people; how can you naturally capture anyone you wish?! Has the
Sui Empire become so anarchic?”
“You are correct. As long as I suspect anyone, I can capture them. Do you not want to know who I am?”
Feng Xiao took a step forward, holding Cui Buqu’s chin before lifting it upwards to look at him in the
eye.
“I will only say this once, so remember it well. My name is Feng Xiao. I hail from the Jiejian Bureau.”
…..
When the Sui Emperor ascended the throne, he created the Three Departments and the Six Ministries.
Other than that, he felt that the Central Plains and the Göktürks were in a state of chaos. So to secure
his power, he established the Jiejian Bureau, together with the six ministries; they would only answer
to him. Even though their tasks were highly confidential, and few people knew of them, the Jiejian
Bureau held immense power to the degree that they were allowed to take action first before seeking
approval from the emperor.
Within the Jiejian Bureau, there was a Blade Stone gifted by the Sui Emperor himself. Those who held
no position in court — sometimes, even the princes themselves — were not allowed to enter the Jiejian
Bureau without first relieving themselves of their swords. Such was the significance of the Jiejian
Bureau.
The incident of the Khotan ambassador’s murder in the Central Plain held a special priority. They
feared that people at court would conspire among themselves, so they assigned a special ambassador
from the Jiejian Bureau to retrieve the Khotan royalty. Because of this, Feng Xiao was sent here, but he
hadn’t expected to be one step too late—the Khotan royalty was murdered outside the City of the Six
Crafts; a woman with him went missing, and so did a tribute list.
The culprit had stolen the tribute list; the person must have also taken one item recorded on it.
Khotan possessed many beautiful jades and rare jewels. Whatever that valuable item was, it had
something to do with jade. Feng Xiao operated within the Jiejian Bureau and knew of many strange
worldly matters. He knew of the Jade of Heaven’s Lake of the Khotan Kingdom. He suspected that was
the missing tribute they were after.
However, this only made the case more complicated.
The culprit had plotted this for quite some time. Perhaps it could have been the Göktürks, but it could
also be someone getting the Göktürks mixed up solely to create a smokescreen.
A response was yet to be sent by the man sent to Khotan, so Feng Xiao directed his attention to the City
of Six Crafts, on the Daoist who became famed within two months of moving here.
“May I ask what alliance is the Jiejian Bureau in the Jianghu province? I am a man with no power or
money, and I seldom interact with people from the Jianghu world. What have I done to offend you?”
Cui Buqu had been taken to Qiushan Manor. The other man did not interrogate him harshly, and he did
not lock him up — of course, he didn’t need to. Cui Buqu was just an ordinary person with no martial
art skills.
He sat opposite to Feng Xiao, face to face. Between them, there was even a pot of hot tea, almost as if
two friends were catching up on old times. Cui Buqu was shocked just moments ago, the fact that he
was almost killed felt like a dream.
Feng Xiao told him lazily, “As a disciple of the Liuli Academy Palace in Fangzhangzhou, you have no
idea what the Jiejian Bureau is?”
He took out a jade pendant as big as two fingers and tossed it before Cui Buqu.
“This was found under your pillow. I imagine, Master Daoist Cui, you can cut out the feigned
innocence?”
The Liuli Academy Palace in Fangzhangzhou was an independent alliance. Its disciples did not engage
in Jianghu worldly matters. A few of them had also taken their place in the Central Plains, living as a
vagabond among common men. The most important thing was that the Liuli Academy Palace’s
disciples knew practically everything beneath the skies. Since Cui Buqu was a disciple of the Liuli
Academy Place, even if the Jiejian Bureau was a secretive agency, it was impossible that he hadn’t
heard anything about it.
Cui Buqu sighed. “To be honest, I have heard of the Jiejian Bureau, but I am a simple man, and I do not
deal with imperial officials. I feign ignorance to save me a lot of trouble. Furthermore, you are
mistaken. I am not a disciple of the Liuli Academy Palace. I have a senior who is, though. He was
formerly a tutor of mine. He gave me the jade pendant for the sake of practicality, so I could visit him
freely.
Feng Xiao raised his eyebrows. “In that case, from which alliance do you hail? You are a Daoist,
learning how to play as such with words, do you not feel that you’ve shamed your ancestors?”
Cui Buqu replied honestly. “What choice do I have? Daoists also need food to survive. If my speech isn’t
convincing enough, how would Zixia Daoist Temple have the glory it has today?”
Feng Xiao, “Who is Qin Miaoyu to you?”
Cui Buqu, “Who is that?”
Feng Xiao, “The Khotan ambassador was murdered. His concubine—Qin Miaoyu is now missing.
Before she was wedded, she was a citizen of the City of the Six Crafts. She loved to visit the Jade
Buddha Temple and the Zixia Daoist Temple. Two months ago, you came to Zixia Daoist Temple and
brought it back to its glory. Judging by your abilities, you could’ve gone to any temple you wanted to,
but why Zixia Daoist Temple?”
He was forceful as he spoke, and his body kept moving forward, getting closer and closer to Cui Buqu.
Cui Buqu wanted to move backwards, but he was held down on his shoulder.
“The scent of Plum Blossoms.” Feng Xiao’s nose was near the other man’s neck. He spoke in a low
voice, “This was the same scent in Yuchi Jinwu’s carriage. What is your relationship with his
concubine? Or let’s say, you masqueraded as a woman, and murdered him?”
Cui Buqu laughed, “Look at me. Even if I masqueraded as a woman, no one would believe it, would
they? If you wear a woman’s outfit, it might suit you more than it does me. As to your plum blossom
scent, today, there were a lot of people at the temple. I don’t even recall how many people I’ve spoken
to, so how should I know if their scent lingered on me?”
Feng Xiao glared at him.
Although the other man pushed all his responsibilities away cleanly, and feigned innocence, Feng Xiao
currently did not have any evidence against him. The way Cui Buqu reacted was too calm. It was a bit
suspicious.
What did Cui Buqu do before he came to Zixia Daoist Temple, and where did he come from? How does
he share a relationship with a member of the Liuli Academy Palace from Fangzhangzhou? Everything
was blurry and made little sense.
“I see that Master Daoist Cui, you’ve decided not to be frank?”
Feng Xiao pushed him away, allowing the other man to be caught off guard, before turning around.
He brushed his clothes as if he was afraid that the dust on Cui Buqu’s body would stain his clothes.
“Do you know why I brought you to this manor?”

Chapter 5 – It Does Not Matter Whether One is Crippled, As Long As There

is Still Breath in Him
The manor, compared to the others, did not look any different.
At most, the window papers were thicker, and the roof was lower than the other houses. The sunlight inside the
manor was so dim that even in daylight, candles were lit all over the place. It evoked a strange feeling of being
oppressed.
Other than that, the furniture was complete. If inspected, it still exhibited freshness. Even the gap between the
wooden planks did not gather dust.
Cui Buqu cast a glance over the entire place. “No one lives here, do they?”
Feng Xiao smiled gently, “Merely the servants and maids. I allowed people to refurbish this place so that it could
be a temporary torture chamber of the Jiejian Bureau.”
Being faced with such a threat barely intimidated Cui Buqu, “What you mean is, right now you’re going to enforce
punishment on me?”
Feng Xiao bent slightly, levelling his gaze with Cui Buqu’s, “Just look at yourself—your reaction. You don’t act or
look like an innocent person at all. How can I not be suspicious of you?”
Cui Buqu responded helplessly, “Could you be more unreasonable? If I were to lament of being framed, would
you have let me go? Even if Lady Qin had any relationships with the Zixia Daoist Temple, it is in the past. I do not
know that woman! I presume you have already searched the temple from top to bottom, have you found
anything to be suspicious?”
Feng Xiao, “The grander White Cloud Temple is in the city, why, did you not go there?”
Cui Buqu, “I would rather lead a pack of chickens than live at the tail of a phoenix. Zixia Temple was deserted. If I
could raise it back to its former glory, would that not bode well for me? Furthermore, it was better than living
under the orders of someone else. Surely, you accept this reason?”
Feng Xiao shook his head. “No, it does not make sense. Two months ago, Linlang Guild sent out news that they
would be carrying out an auction in the City of the Six Crafts. At the same time, you arrived. That coincidence is
suspicious in itself. The Khotan ambassador died, Lady Qin and the jade went missing. For all we know, the jade
might even appear at the auction hall. Why did you come? Lady Qin? Or is it the jade? Where are the things
hidden? Zixia Daoist Temple, or the Linlang Guild’s auction?”

Cui Buqu. “The more you speak, the more I fail to understand you.”
Feng Xiao, “That is fine. You can take your time here contemplating. When you’ve made your decision, you can
come to me.”
Cui Buqu, “My health has never been well. I’m afraid I won’t be able to stand any form of punishment.”
Feng Xiao spoke with meaning, “Did you think that physical pain was the only unbearable pain in the world?”
That was all he said. Not even awaiting a reply from Cui Buqu, he walked out.
Pei Jingzhe casting a glance at Cui Buqu, left as well.
In the blink of an eye, everyone in the house vanished.
The few candles present were left extinguished. The door closed, plunging the manor into darkness.
Consequently, the curtains outside were also pulled down. No one knew what orders Feng Xiao gave, for every
window was sealed from the outside and covered up with a black cloth, sealing out every single trace of light.
Presently in the manor, one could not even see their fingers should they extend their hand. From the
outside — never mind if someone was walking around — the one inside would not be able to hear even the
sound of insects or birds.
The calm of the night brings with it deep, saddened thoughts, as well as the sorrow of scholars, but this particular
silence was one that was accompanied by the gentle breeze and the bright moon. Once silence reached its peak, it
could morph into something extremely terrifying.
Cui Buqu’s face paled the moment he walked towards the closed doors. The helplessness and anger he had
expressed before were no longer present.
When the black curtains were pulled over the windows just now, he even snorted.
Cui Buqu knew what the other man wanted to do.
For one to lose all their senses, to exist in a void of emptiness, one’s mind could drift into uncharted territories,
allowing themselves to be consumed by their thoughts.
Without the sounds of people, even if they shouted and screamed, the only voice they would hear was their own.
To not know if it was broad daylight or midnight — be it two days or even longer, by the fourth or fifth day,
perhaps even after ten days or half a moon, they would soon forget time. Finally, they would indeed not know if
they were still alive or dead, whether they were still in the world of the living or the underworld.
Even the toughest of men would cower and weep for forgiveness with such consistent tortures.
Cui Buqu had once seen a martial artist with two long swords from the famed Jiangdong Wulin1 living under a
similar environment for half a month. When he finally emerged, his body was riddled with scars that he had
carved himself. He had been injuring his own self to remind himself that he was still alive.
Methods that could kill, such as this, but yet not drawing even one speck of blood were the ways of the Jiejian
Bureau.
Now, this sort of method was used on him, Cui Buqu.
He thought that Feng Xiao had been prepared prior. Even if Cui Buqu had tricks up his sleeves, to live in this
manor for half a month, it was impossible that he would make it. When that time came, he would answer all the
questions he asked without exception. How sublime.
Cui Buqu picked up the mat and walked around the house. He found a pillar and sat next to it, crossing his legs.
He had no knowledge or skills in martial arts, but he had learned some techniques about meditation in the past.
As he closed his eyes, he began to release his mind, feeling his environment and excluding himself from all
unnecessary thoughts.
Although some monks and Daoists could sit like this for a dozen days, those were the people who had trained
since they were very young. They went on expeditions often and could even fight a winning match against ten
normal people using less than ten moves.
Cui Buqu did not even know how long he could stay like this, but the one thing he knew was that Feng Xiao
would never let him off easily.
Those of the Jiejian Bureau only knew how to use these methods to get what they wanted.
…..
“My Lord, it has been three days.” Pei Jingzhe placed a container of new tea leaves down as he spoke.
“En, three days. So what of it?” Feng Xiao’s head was tipped down, reading the reply he had just gotten from
Qiemo as he answered Pei Jingzhe calmly.
“That Master Daoist Cui has been in the manor for three days. He does not know martial arts. If this continues,
I’m afraid something bad will happen.” Pei Jingzhe reminded cautiously.
“Your own hands are stained with as much blood as all of us. Why are you suddenly feeling sympathy for a
Daoist?” Feng Xiao raised his head to look at him.
Pei Jingzhe exclaimed, “I am simply worried this would hinder your advancement in the case. If he is suspicious
as you say, after he is dead, would you not have lost an important lead?”
Feng Xiao did not respond to him. Instead, he gave him the letter in his hand.
Pei Jingzhe accepted the letter and read it carefully, “It is the Jade of Heaven’s Lake! To gain the trust and favour
of the emperor, his Majesty would send soldiers, to solve the Göktürk problem, this Khotan king truly did give his
everything!”
Feng Xiao said, “Yuchi Jinwu is dead. The Khotan King would send more ambassadors here to deal with the case.
It is expected for the Jade of Heaven’s Lake to be found as well.”
Pei Jingzhe gave a stiff smile, “If this case is solved, I fear you would no longer avoid Princess Lanling. Is this also
not compromising your original intentions of leaving the capital…?”
Before he could finish his sentence, Feng Xiao cuffed him lightly. Pei Jingzhe almost bit his tongue. Quickly
gathering himself, he once again put on a serious look, “According to my judgement, the disappearance of Lady
Qin is related to the Jade of Heaven’s Lake. If we can find her, then we would be able to find the jade.”
The jade was lost on the outer skates of the city. Carrying the jade, the culprit could only go to two places: The
City of Six Crafts or Qiemo County.
However, Qiemo leads to Khotan, going there would mean going back. The culprit would certainly not bring the
treasure and hide in the wild all the while. So the only possible conclusion was that they were still in the City of
Six Crafts hiding, and making use of the Linlang Guild’s auction event to send it away in secrecy.
Pei Jingzhe, “Now that we know it is related to Lady Qin, there are three clues altogether. The Jade Buddha
Temple rings no alarms as of now. That might just be the place for Lady Qin to appear normally, blending into
society. At Zixia Daoist Temple, I have brought a few people to search the place and nothing suspicious is there
either. Lastly, there is the house of the aunt that Qin Miaoyu used to live in. Her family — all six of them, old and
young — died in a fire a while ago. The coincidence was that when they died, it was the same time Yuchi Jinwu
departed from Khotan.”
After a while, Feng Xiao did not interrupt him, so Pei Jingzhe continued, “So I suspect that this Qin Miaoyu might
be a false identity from the beginning. She accumulated and lay in hiding so she could wait for the day that Yuchi
Jinwu got interested in her, and so she could go to Khotan with him and get near to the Jade of Heaven’s Lake.”
Feng Xiao, “She was his concubine for four to five years. How could she anticipate this would happen, a whole
four years ago, that Yuchi Jinwu would be travelling to the Central Plains?”
Pei Jingzhe, bewildered, realized the mistake in his trail of thoughts, “Then, could it be that the real Qin Miaoyu
was switched out even before Yuchi Jinwu was elected as the ambassador?”
If they were planning to frame the Sui Empire for the ambassador’s murder, the best course of action would be to
murder Yuchi Jinwu in the Sui Empire’s palace and steal the jade there. This was the most effective way to turn
Khotan and the Sui Empire into enemies.
However, should they have chosen this method, as Jinwu’s concubine, Lady Qin would have had to enter the
kingdom and interact with her old acquaintances in the City of Six Crafts. Her identity could have been revealed.
It would be a matter of time for her cover to be blown by her most beloved aunt and her family. This was why
her aunt had to die.
Perhaps there were some changes to the original plan that forced Lady Qin to carry her plan out much earlier
than intended. Conceivably the ones who did the murder were not allied with Lady Qin. With all these loopholes
in the mystery, it would be impossible for them to find answers at the drop of a hat.
Pei Jingzhe said, “I’ve followed your orders and allowed Magistrate Zhao to monitor those who enter the city
every day, inspecting them personally to ensure they carry nothing suspicious in or out the city. However, there
are some issues on the side of the Linlang Guild.”
Feng Xiao’s forehead wrinkled, “What troubles?”
Pei Jingzhe gave a bitter smile, “The Linlang Guild holds the support of the Longxi Li Clan and the Boling Cui Clan.
They also have the support of the Princess Leping. His Majesty often feels guilty towards the princess and has
tolerated her on many occasions — you know this. If the culprit is making use of this fact, then it would not be
difficult for them to smuggle the jade out of the city.”
Feng Xiao rose to his feet, “So what if there is the princess? Wouldn’t she have to kneel before her father and
brother, and follow their orders? When will the auction of the Linlang Guild begin?”
Pei Jingzhe replied, “Tomorrow. I have given orders for scouts to keep an eye on the activities going on in the
auction. If there is anything suspicious, immediate action will be taken.”
Feng Xiao said, “Yuchi Jinwu’s murder took place outside the city. This is a serious issue. They would not be so
careless in the future. Caution, for them, is only natural. You…”
Before he could finish his words, a man from the Jiejian Bureau rushed in.
“My Lord, there is a brawl in Ruyi Tavern, someone died! Magistrate Zhao has already sent for people to invite
you to take a look.”
On the usual, no one would dare to bother members of the Jiejian Bureau. If Magistrate Zhao sent people for him,
it could only mean that he dared not offend both parties involved in the incident and wanted him to secure the
fuss.
Feng Xiao hummed, “I will be there.”
Pei Jingzhe quickly stopped him, “My Lord, don’t be in a haste! If that Master Daoist Cui refused to bend the knee,
what should be done?”
Feng Xiao, “Use the naihexiang drug on him.”
Pei Jingzhe’s shocked expression was obvious, “What if he could not stand it…”
Feng Xiao, “It matters not if he becomes crippled, as long as there is still life in him.”
His face was calm, expressionless, with a coldness that seemed to linger.
======
[1] Jiangdong Wulin: The name of a Jianghu alliance/sect.

Chapter 6 – Does This Name Sound Nice?

The Linlang Guild’s branches spread with prevalence across Nanbei. Every year, an auction simply made their
business even more eventful. Although the Linlang Guild executed the auction in different locations annually —
sometimes in Jiangnan, sometimes in Haibei — today, they were doing it in the City of Six Crafts. Regardless of
whether it was the wealthy, the rich, or commoners and scum, people from every corner of the world would
come to participate.
Watchers would not be able to understand what was going on, they could only understand that there were a lot
of valuable treasures being sold. The truth was, however, while there were a lot of expensive treasures, there
were also goods such as medicine that were difficult to purchase on the market and manuscripts that were long
lost to history and spices that came from Western Regions. For those who did not want to travel to all corners of
the country to purchase them, the auction was a fabulous marketplace; therefore, it received many welcomes.
Due to Linlang Guild’s affluent and powerful background, those from the pugilist world dare not offend them.
There were little bickerings here and there, but nothing too serious. Every year, the auction went well.
This year was an exception.
When the Linlang Guild decided to make the City of the Six Crafts their auction place, anticipation filled the
people. The City of Six Crafts was not grand, nor was it a wealthy place; it was not big or famous like Daxing City.
Although it was a city that many travellers would pass by no matter where they were heading, this was a place
near to the Göktürks. It was far from any capitals and did not have many people. The rich and wealthy did not
like coming here, so the participants of this year were a lot lesser than the last. Most of them were Jianghu
pugilists and merchants from Nanbei.
The incident happened outside the branch established in the City of Six Crafts. One man had just walked out, and
among the group of peasants who were simply passing by, someone flew out of the group with a sword,
intending to stab the man. The two men fought. In the end, the attacker bled to death. At this moment, a woman
came out and lunged herself at the man, crying out loud about the murder of her brother.
In a public place like that, the murderer and the victim were both surrounded by the crowd and were unable to
leave. Men from the bureau rushed there promptly and found the murderer’s identity tedious to deal with, so
they quickly called for Magistrate Zhao who begged for Feng Xiao to come and have a look.
When Feng Xiao arrived, the body was yet to be taken away. The young lady was crying next to him. Seeing two
black shadows moving closer, she stopped crying but did not raise her head. Her eyes were brimmed with tears
as she remained silent.
But Feng Xiao, paying her no attention, instead, moved his gaze away from her to the murderer.
“Was it you who killed this man?”
The young man looking shocked and surprised, naturally, responded darkly. It was clear that he was in a bad
mood, but he couldn’t do much or shout at Feng Xiao since there were many eyes on them.
Magistrate Zhao saw the situation and quickly said, “This is Lord Feng from the capital, Daxing City, by the orders
of —“
He looked at Feng Xiao once. At first, he wanted to name the Jiejian Bureau, but he wasn’t positive if Feng Xiao
wanted his identity revealed, so he changed his words quickly and instead said, “— by the orders to investigate
the assignation of the Khotan ambassador. He came here to help.”
He turned to Feng Xiao and introduced both parties, “This is the chairman of the Linlang Guild, Wen Liang. The
deceased is Ying Wuqiu. The other is his sister.”
Wen Liang took a step forward and said, “I am Wen Liang, you two better know that just now, I was exiting this
building with my subordinates and that man came out of nowhere as he planned to take me out. Thank god, I am
skilled in the martial arts, and could avoid it, preventing myself from being injured. He indeed died on the spot,
but I was not the one who killed him.”
The woman said in anger, “Under broad daylight, everyone saw it! You fought with my brother, and my brother
died after you hit him a few times. A life for a life, what do you say?!”
Compared to the young woman’s temper, Wen Liang looked very calm. “This man schemed against me first, I,
was only defending myself. The few hits I had landed were all non-fatal. Once examined, the truth will be clear.”
The young woman shrieked, “If it wasn’t for you who murdered our father, how would Brother be so apathetic
about his own life and come to kill you!?”
Wen Liang smiled, “Do not frame others. Since when have I murdered your father? You have got the wrong
person, from the very beginning, everything is a joke!”
The young woman glared at him, holding hatred in her heart, “Wen Liang, even if you turned to ash, I would still
be able to recognize you!”
It was evident this case was complicated. Feng Xiao happened to be the judge, so he made a gesture, and a few
men came forward to bring the related witnesses back for questioning.
The young lady refused to leave but had no choice when she was held by her left and right arm. She could only
look back at Wen Liang with reddened eyes. For one to describe it, if there were indeed vengeful spectres in this
world, she would have run against a pillar and have herself killed, turning herself into a vengeful ghost to take
revenge on Wen Liang.
Yet Wen Liang did not look at her, but approached Feng Xiao and bowed. “Lord Feng, may we speak for a
moment?”
Feng Xiao, “Speak.”
Wen Liang said cheekily, “These few years the Linlang Guild has been fairing well, and there are bound to be
envious people. I have succeeded my parents, and have become the chairman, perhaps this is the reason so many
troubles were drawn to me; so please, I implore Lord Feng and Magistrate Zhao to investigate this to the very
end.”
Feng Xiao, “This matter took place in the City of the Six Crafts. The respective magistrate will take care of the
matter. You may relay this to him, no need to tell me.”
The corpse had been taken away, leaving a trail of blood on the ground, its shade of crimson turning darker as
the seconds ticked by.
Feng Xiao stared at the ground and felt a sudden wind against his ears. As someone who practised the martial
arts, his reflexes were naturally quick and accurate. A needle flew past his body and flew towards Wen Liang,
who was just a few steps away from him!
Wen Liang had not managed to react quickly enough, and his skills were only just moderately above the average,
the reason why he could not avoid such a sneak attack.
Feng Xiao rolled his sleeve, and after a moment, he cast the needle to the ground.
Wen Liang only saw Feng Xiao making a move and even thought that he wanted to hit him, so he took a few steps
back, “You!”
Feng Xiao, “There is a needle on the ground.”
Wen Liang gathered himself and looked on the ground, and saw that there was indeed a needle there. There was
a bluish substance on the needle, perhaps being poison. He raised his head, staring at Feng Xiao with a
judgemental look.
“I have no idea who hates me so much that he wants me dead!” Wen Liang laughed bitterly.
Feng Xiao told Magistrate Zhao, “You may take him back to the bureau first and allow me to question him
personally.”
Wen Liang, “I am no criminal……”
Feng Xiao interrupted his words, “Anyone related to the case, be it innocent or guilty, all suspicious people will
be questioned by me first before any judgements are made.”
Wen Liang, “But I have to be here for the auction tomorrow!”
Feng Xiao, “Aside from you, is there no one else? If that is so, Linlang Guild should just shut down!”
His words were unreasonable, yet it allowed no retortion. Wen Liang looked shocked and wanted to say
something, but Feng Xiao’s men were already holding him down. He laughed coldly as he spoke, “What is so great
about the capital? If I refuse to allow you to take me, what can you do?”
Feng Xiao turned around and stared at him, the light shone in the lines of his face, his eyes as sharp as needles,
enough to pin a man to the ground. “From which corner of the world did you sprout from?”
Only then did he notice that the other man had turned from calm and impassive to irritated and angry. His nose
seemed to have become crooked.
“I am from the house of the Princess Leping, don’t tell me you have not even heard of the princess! If you have
the balls, go to the court and offer your name and place. When I return to the capital and ask for the princess’
favour, the emperor will surely come to my aid!”
People from the princess’ house would mean that they were simply her servants. When one wants to punish a
dog, they must also regard the identity of their master. If their master was just any ordinary person, that was
fine, but this was the Princess Leping, she was not only the eldest daughter of the emperor, Yang Lihua, but also
the preceding dynasty’s empress and empress dowager. As Yang Jian tore down the former regime and wrought
it anew, declaring Sui for its name, he took the country from his daughter’s husband and remade the former
Empress a princess.
Yang Liuhua was a strict and proper person and disapproved of her father’s actions. However, she was only a
woman on her own, so there was nothing she could do. Yang Jian and his wife wanted to make up for their
daughter; so they treasured, loved, and tolerated her, even more so than a few of their other sons. Whatever
Princess Leping requested, as long as it was not treason, the Emperor and Empress would not refuse her. Using
the princess’ identity was sometimes indeed more effective than naming any officials in court.
Princess Leping had taken some dividend from the Linlang Guild, and naturally, she became their shield. Anyone
who wanted to threaten the Linlang Guild, when they heard of the princess, they would quickly retreat. Other
than that, the Linlang Guild also had some other support at their backs.
But when Feng Xiao heard the words ‘Princess Leping’ uttered from the other man, not only did he refuse to
grant what he wanted, but the colour on his face had even darkened. His eyebrow twitched, and he forced a
smile, “I am Feng Xiao, I hail from the Jiejian Bureau. Is this name music to the ears?”
The servants from the princess’ house turned deathly pale when they heard Feng Xiao’s name. Minutes before,
they were prideful and stuck up, but presently looking like they had just seen a ghost, they felt like a thousand
needles were pricking their feet. All they wanted to do at that moment was sprout some wings and fly away.

Chapter 7 – A Stubborn Body That Even Naihe Xiang Drug Is Unable To

Tame
Amidst the grand city of the capital, rich folks wandered here and there, low-ranking staffs no better than dogs,
and even some princes who did not gain the favour of the court were even more worthless than pennies.
However, the current Emperor was an exception. From the time since the current Emperor was still an official of
the court, with only his wife, Lai Dugu, by his side, she wasn’t like other women who only knew how to hide
behind her husband for protection. Many conquests achieved by Yang Jian were thanks to Lai Dugu’s
contribution. After Yang Jian’s ascension, Lai Dugu ruled by his side and became Empress Dugu, supporting her
husband behind his back and ruled over the court together. Everyone saw her as the second in power next to the
Emperor.
Many people also deducted that, between the Emperor and the Empress, not only were they loving, but also very
in sync and helped each other often. Between them, none could be without the other. Because of Empress Dugu,
the current Emperor’s position as the Emperor was more secure than any Emperors before him. Additionally, the
Emperor had pledged an oath that he would never take in another wife. Thus, every current prince and princess
were all sons and daughters of the current Empress.
Princess Leping’s situation was slightly unique. Not only was she the Empress’ daughter, but also her eldest, and
because she experienced a lot of things at a young age, both the Emperor and Empress loved her dearly. They
would never refuse any of her wishes. When Princess Leping’s people walked out in the streets, everyone treated
them with at least three degrees of respect.
Princess Leping had a daughter with the former Emperor, Yuwen Yun. Her daughter’s name was Eying. Since she
lost her father at such a young age, she had the protection of her mother and grandfather who did not mind the
identity of her father, she was also deeply loved. The milkmaid who took care of her had risen the ranks due to
her care, gaining some acknowledgement. Half a year ago, the milkmaid’s son got involved in a case and was held
by the Jiejian Bureau. The milkmaid pleaded Yuwen Eying, and so Yuwen Eying went to her mother for help.
The princess only had one daughter and could not bear to see her daughter in pain, so the princess took the
lieutenant from her house to the Jiejian Bureau and demanded them to release the milkmaid’s son.
The Jiejian Bureau had three Commanders. The First Commander was the head of the Ministry of Justice. He did
not care much for what happened within the Jiejian Bureau. The one who held real power over the Jiejien Bureau
was its Second Commander, Feng Xiao.
On that day, there weren’t many people. Later on, someone spread rumours that the princess had brought people
to the Jiejian Bureau. Since the princess was there, the lieutenant refused to relieve himself of his sword despite
the Blade Stone being present. The princess also tolerated him, and then both parties quarrelled. Feng Xiao did
not say much, solely taking the lieutenant’s sword and snapping it into three pieces.
The lieutenant was shocked beyond words. Before he could even react, he was pinned against the Blade-
Relieving Stone1 with all the three broken pieces of his sword. Thankfully, the swords only pierced his clothing
and under his thighs, holding him in place. He stood there, stunned, too afraid to move.
Everyone was shocked and stiff. Princess Leping could not believe that someone in this world still dared to do
this in her face, humiliating her people. She complained to the Emperor. Who could have guessed that the one
who got the short end of the stick was not the Jiejian Bureau and certainly not Feng Xiao. The Sui Emperor only
laughed and said, “Aye, this is the queer temper of the Second Commander Feng.” That lieutenant was sent out of
the country, the princess merely comforted with a few words, and everything put behind them.
After that time, not only the Princess Leping but the other commoners could also see that the Jiejian Bureau was
no small matter in the eyes of the Emperor. Feng Xiao so treasured as a subordinate of the Emperor that he even
made Princess Leping unable to do anything against him.
Feng Xiao’s name travelled across the capital. Even when others did not speak of it, there was no doubt that the
people from the princess’ house would know about this incident.
As a result, when this person heard ‘Jiejian Bureau’ and ‘Feng Xiao’, his face changed immediately. All he wanted
to do at that moment was just to run away, entirely losing his previous haughty behaviour.
“Perhaps there is a mistake. Since this is the Jiejian Bureau, I will not interfere in your investigations, please!”
The person laughed unpleasantly; his tone quietened down a bit.
Nonetheless, it was not easy to get rid of the Second Commander of the Jiejian Bureau. He raised his hands and
gestured an order, turning to Magistrate Zhao, “These people are related to the case. Bring them all back for
questioning.”
Magistrate Zhao, “This…”
Feng Xiao did not wait for him to finish talking before immediately getting up on his horse, bringing Wen Liang
and the rest of the people who were involved away.
The people from the princess’ house were not willing, but they could not do anything as they were taken away,
glaring at Feng Xiao with an angry look as they obeyed. Even if they were in the capital, and if Princess Leping
came herself, she would not be able to do anything as well, never mind in a place such as this, yet if Feng Xiao
killed him right here, he could still walk away as if nothing happened.
Feng Xiao did not question Wen Liang himself; instead, he handed over the case to Magistrate Zhao.
During this one month, one thing after the other happened in the City of Six Crafts, and so, Magistrate Zhao could
feel his headache getting more and more severe. He could only give it his full attention, fearing Feng Xiao’s fury if
he did his job nonchalantly. He did not dare to question the men of Princess Leping’s house too much, yet he
managed to get the information from the sister. Swiftly, he found the answer.
A few decades ago, there were two families involved. One was the Ying family, and the other was the Wen family.
They were both businessmen of many generations, and their relationship was great. In the beginning, there was
nothing much about them. They were around the same level and were purely trivial merchants. However,
because the Wen family conducted business honestly, they quickly gained many networks and business allies;
and in the end, became wealthy and powerful. On the other hand, the Ying family had no such luck. Thus, as they
bore greed in their hearts and schemed with thieves, when the Wen family’s father and his eldest son went out
on an expedition, they were both murdered in cold blood. Since the Wen family only left behind children and
women, the Ying family took their business and became wealthy themselves.
The second little Lord of the Wen family, sickly and ill since he was young, lived with his grandfather to be taken
care of. Hearing this story, he grew suspicious and investigated in secrecy, finding the answer in the end. Wen
Liang knew that during that time, he could not do anything to the Ying family because of their wealth and power,
so he left home and founded a business on his own, getting to know many rich and powerful people, and also got
involved in the Linlang Guild, finding more and more about his father and brother’s death.
At the same time, a new Minister of Justice was appointed. Wen Liang took all the evidence he gathered towards
the Ying family and went to him, from the thieves to the schemes, he showed them everything. Immediately, the
Ying family was under house arrest and investigation. All their riches and wealth were confiscated, and the Ying’s
father was sent out to the outskirts of the country. He died on his journey there.
The young Ying siblings escaped their fates as they were still young. However, they grew to hate Wen Liang, and
they knew that, for who Wen Liang was now, it was difficult to plot anything against him. Since they could not kill
him, they thought of a method that would bring both of them down at once. Ying Wuqiu drank some poison at
first then tried to fight with Wen Liang in a public place. He allowed himself to be injured by Wen Liang, the
poison took effect, and he died on the spot. Wen Liang, naturally, could not escape a murder charge.
This case was incredibly complicated, but Magistrate Zhao saw the way Feng Xiao treated the princess’ people
and was afraid a small magistrate like him held no value at all, so he worked day and night non-stop;
investigating everything and anything. Finally, they found the poison within Ying Wuqiu’s body and proved that
Wen Liang was innocent.
The Ying family schemed against the Wen family first, and the Wen family repaid in kind. Wen Liang told Feng
Xiao that he did not know the Ying sibling, obviously lying to his face; however, the relationship between the
Ying and Wen family was too complicated. When Magistrate Zhao finally reported it to Feng Xiao, a long time had
passed.
But Feng Xiao was not very interested in the case. His attention was on Wen Liang himself.
“The Wen Family, except for Wen Liang, was there no one left?” He asked.
Magistrate Zhao shook his head, “Wen Liang still has a mother who is sick for many years. He is very obedient
towards his mother. His mother is a Buddhist and was not permitted to use such cruel methods. So during that
time, Wen Liang only targeted the father of the Ying family and allowed the young siblings to live. I’ve sent men
to question his mother; it seems everything fits in just right. The physician also said that Wen Liang’s mother is
very anaemic, even medicine ceased to work for her. She might not live for long.”
He held intentions to get close to Feng Xiao, but he was also afraid. Since he had nothing more to say, he quickly
excused himself, imagining how he would ask Feng Xiao’s servants and the people around him what he liked, so
he could send some gifts and earn his favour. If he could get the great and mighty Second Commander to his side
and speak a few good words for him before the Emperor, then he indeed didn’t need to worry for his future.
Once Magistrate Zhao left, Pei Jingzhe said, “My Lord, that Wen Liang is indeed suspicious!”
Feng Xiao could not deny it, so he responded with an ‘En’. His voice was soft and gentle, enough to cause one’s
heart to quiver involuntarily.
Some people are beautiful on certain features, but Feng Xiao was the type of beauty that was exquisite in every
angle.
But of course, he was sharp, beautiful, and powerful. Such beauty was indeed rare in this world. When others
gazed upon him, they could only bow down in admiration and envy.
Pei Jingzhe was lost in his thoughts for a few moments. He was wondering if Feng Xiao’s parents knew what their
son would become when he grew into an adult, which was why they gave him such an odd and ethereal name.
After a while, Feng Xiao clicked his tongue impatiently. Pei Jingzhe quickly gathered his thoughts.
“That Jade of Heaven’s Lake could make one immortal according to the legends, or even bring one back to life.
Wen Liang’s mother is incurable, and he is incredibly filial to his mother. Since his mother spoke up, he let the
Ying siblings go free, only so they could return now for vengeance. If he is so loyal to his mother, then there is his
motive.”
Feng Xiao, “Continue.”
Pei Jingzhe, “Today outside Linlang Guild’s hall, if it hadn’t been for you, Wen Liang would have died without a
doubt. Perhaps it is because he was exposed and that his accomplices were afraid he would expose them, so they
took action first.”
“Also, in a place like the City of Six Crafts, it was never an essential branch for the Linlang Guild. All the auctions
that were done in the past were never done in a place so far out like this. It could be because it is more
convenient for them to go unnoticed here.”
“A few people were involved in this altogether. In my opinion, Wen Liang is more or less related to the Khotan
murder case and is definitely linked to the Jade of Heaven’s Lake.”
Feng Xiao listened, but said, “Do you not feel this is too much a coincidence?”
Pei Jingzhe looked surprised, “Your meaning is?”
Feng Xiao, “We are investigating Linlang Guild, but Wen Liang came to us himself. It is as if someone brings a
pillow just as you want to fall asleep. I cannot help but be suspicious that someone is giving us a smokescreen.”
Pei Jingzhe blinked. He felt that Feng Xiao might be thinking too much into it.
“I will order men to keep an eye on Wen Liang to gather more information from his side.”
Feng Xiao turned and suddenly he asked about Cui Buqu, “Have you used the Naihe Xiang drug? How was the
effect?”
Pei Jingzhe answered with a strange look on his face.
“I did, but…”
He wasn’t able to finish his sentence.
Only when Pei Jingzhe went to take a look, was he surprised that there still existed someone in this world who
could be immune to the Naihe Xiang drug.
======
[1] Blade-Relieving Stone: This is an indication that anyone who isn’t a member of the Jiejian Bureau would have to disarm
themselves before entering the bureau. It’s a sign of respect as it is considered rude to bring weapons into the territory of a
well-respected host. It’s also a sign of how important the Jiejian Bureau was to the Emperor.
Chapter 8 – All The Sufferings In The World, To Him, Is Only Honing His
Character
The name Naihe Xiang, once heard, elicited the feeling of bringing out a thousand sufferings all at once. The
aroma smelled like early summer — bright and soothing; however, in truth, it was a drug used to provoke a man
into becoming irrational, a drug that messed with the mind.
Its lethality was not enough to claim a person’s life, but as the effects took place when continually inhaled into
the body, the victim would be drowned within the haze and become addicted. A day without the drug, their
breath would be ragged, and their body would go weak, their minds would start having hallucinations. Three
days without the Naihe Xiang drug, and they would feel knives in their bones. Five days without the Naihe Xiang
drug, it could be said that they were due an appointment with the afterlife.
That was how the Naihe Xiang drug got its name.
Cui Buqu waited in that void of a place for five whole days.
The other chose an opportune moment. If he was incredibly tired, bouncing between consciousness and
unconsciousness, only then would they send him food and water. When Cui Buqu regained his consciousness, he
reached out to feel his food and water beside him.
He was merely given a little bit of food and water, just enough to keep him alive. However, lack of food and water
was not the worse form of torture, but the infinite quietness, not knowing whether it was day or night.
After the darkness, there was more darkness and a void of eternal silence.
Cui Buqu could only use four fingers and twelve finger joints to count the hours; and make himself comfortable.
He recited Daoist scripts, from Confucianism to Daoism, then from Daoism to Buddism, to expel all the dark
thoughts from his head.
However, his sense of hearing gradually grew better. If rats scampered around, or even if there was water
leaking somewhere, he could hear it as clear as day. However, he knew not what methods Feng Xiao had used to
make this manor feel as if it was abandoned. If it hadn’t been for constantly receiving meals, Cui Buqu would
have wondered if he had been forgotten.
An average person would not have been able to withstand torture like this. Three to five days would be enough
to drive one mad, let alone half a month, and let alone the fact that Cui Buqu possessed a weak body. Every time
the season changed, he would fall ill. When the third day came, it was apparent to him that he was starting to be
affected — his mind falling into a frenzy, his stomach hurt from starvation, and his arms and legs were beginning
to feel weak, his body becoming cold. He knew that after this was over, he would fall ill again. He stopped reciting
Daoist scripts, solely using his mind to keep himself sane.
At that moment, a sweet aroma drifted into the room.
It gave off the feeling that it was both present and not at the same time. It smelled like the lotus garden when he
visited the capital a year back. Faint and sweet, clean and pure, fragrant like the lotus.
After a while, the capital became crowded. The rich and wealthy would decorate their homes to welcome
important guests. They loved keeping cooked lotus and white fungus in urns and storing them for at least half a
day to be taken out once the guests arrived. First, the guests would sip something warm to allow it to sit in their
stomach, before drinking a bowl of cooked lotus and white fungus soup. The warmness and flavour would spread
from their throats to their stomach, expelling all the heat energy from their body.
Such a manner of treating guests was something Cui Buqu had gotten used to.
He blinked extensively.
His eyes adjusted from the darkness back to the lightning.
The fragrance was still there, but this time, it was not a hallucination.
Amidst the darkness, his eyebrows twitched; he gave a stiff laugh.
The Naihe Xiang drug.
Although this drug was poisonous and terrifying, it was also challenging to find. It was difficult to believe that
Feng Xiao would use such a thing on him, what a waste.
Within this manor, he could not leave. He could not stop breathing either. He could only imitate a drug addict,
inhaling the scent.
If one possessed excellent martial art skills, perhaps they would have manipulated their energy and suppressed
their breathing for some time, but in the case of Cui Buqu, the Naihe Xiang drug would only escalate the process
of breaking his body, making him plead for death.
It seemed that Feng Xiao did not have the intention to kill him. He was only using the drug to get sincere answers
from him. However, this was like using a surgery knife to kill a cow.
Nonetheless, the members of the Jiejian Bureau would not have guessed that he was used to this sort of scent.
Truth be told, Cui Buqu had managed to live past ten days without the drug. Even though during that time, he
was essentially half-dead, he still managed to remain conscious and did not allow himself to succumb to the
enemy’s favour. Even his tutor at that time, Fan Wei, was shocked beyond words. His body was incompatible for
training in any form of martial arts, but he was determined in his heart.
Although he was incredibly smart, Fan Wei also knew that even though Cui Buqu did not know martial arts, he
was still capable of being above the world.
Some people were not meant to live a regular life.
All the pain in the world, to him, was only honing his character for his future.
When all the soil was removed, the only thing that was left would be gold.
Cui Buqu continued to close his eyes.
The Linlang Guild’s auction was still ongoing. He refused to believe that Feng Xiao would be patient enough to
wait for ten days before he would hurry back.
…..
“So what of it?” Feng Xiao stared at Pei Jingzhe who had not uttered a word since and felt a little impatient.
Linlang Guild’s auction had begun four days ago and would be going on for six days. Tomorrow would be the
final day, and during the first few days, particularly rare medicine and exquisite materials would be sold.
During these few days, everything was very crowded, and there were many successful barters; many people
filled their cargos as they returned home. Yet, a lot of people also had their eyes on the last auction. Even though
they might not be able to afford the treasures, they wanted to see them for themselves so that their trips would
not be in vain.
However, Feng Xiao was incredibly dissatisfied.
Because these few days; their plans were not going smoothly. Wen Liang and his people were still in prison, so
the Linlang Guild dared not create any mischief. On the other hand, there were myriads of crowds of people
appearing every day before his doorstep; begging for mercy. Feng Xiao refused them all. He made Pei Jingzhe
check on Cui Buqu frequently so he could attend the auction. The Qin family did not show up, as if amongst the
crowd, the Jade of Heaven’s Lake was utterly lost.
Feng Xiao knew that even if the jade reappeared; it would be on the last day of the auction. On the contrary, as he
thought and thought, he felt as if he had missed something and felt unsettled.
Ever since he succeeded the Jiejian Bureau, everything he did had gone well. He did not remember the last time
he was met with such a difficult situation. It was as if he was a chess piece being placed where the player wanted,
among the others. Initially simply watching, he now felt as if he was lured into a mind game himself…
Feng Xiao was stunned for a moment as if he figured out something, but then it was gone in an instant.
Pei Jingzhe said, “Earlier, you had ordered me to give that person five days’ worth of the Naihe Xiang drug, I was
afraid that he would not be able to stand it, so I dared not use much. Presently, when I went to take a look, he was
already in a daze. I used a bucket of well water to wake him up and made use of the interval to ask him some
questions, but he insisted that he had nothing to do with the Qin family. So I think that Master Daoist Cui has to
be innocent.”
If this person was not innocent, then he had a heart of steel, achieving a degree that even the Naihe Xiang drug
could not do anything to him.
But is this possible?
Let alone such a sickly and weak person, even if he was a master of the fighting arts, Pei Jingzhe had also never seen
any of them able to withstand the power of the Naihe Xiang drug.
Feng Xiao asked, “Where is he now?”
Pei Jingzhe replied, “Sleeping in the East Wing.”
Feng Xiao furrowed his eyebrows, “Has he been released?”
Pei Jingzhe laughed bitterly, “My dear Second Commander, do you think that everyone is just like you,
withstanding the Naihe Xiang drug for so many days and still being able to stand up? He has a fever, and let alone
speaking, whether he can recover from his current situation is still being discussed at length.”
Feng Xiao snorted, “As long as he is still useful, make sure he remains alive. Use any form of medicine.”
Hearing this, Pei Jingzhe immediately thought Feng Xiao was going to use another drug and quickly said, “The
physician said that right now, he cannot withstand any more forms of torture!”
Feng Xiao did not counter this response.
He followed Pei Jingzhe to the East Wing and saw for himself the sight of Cui Buqu sleeping on the bed. A few
days ago, those two cheeks that were distinctly pale; were now even paler. His fingers stuck out from underneath
the covers; looking vaguely green.
Feng Xiao stood next to the bed and looked at Cui Buqu for nearly half a day. Cui Buqu felt that he was being
watched, his eyebrows rose as he slept uncomfortably.
Pei Jingzhe, “My Lord, are you planning to expel the poison from his body? If not, he will never be alright.”
Feng Xiao shook his head, touching his chin; his gaze never left Cui Buqu, who looked as if he was fighting in his
dream, and he found it rather fascinating.
After a while, he said abruptly, “Do you think he might be a member of the Zuoyue Bureau?”
Chapter 9 – You Motherfucker You Wouldn’t Even Let Me Eat, And You
Want Me To Work For You?
The word ‘Zuo’ and ‘Yue’ forms part of the Chinese character ‘Sui’. Therefore, it was natural to assume that it had
something to do with the Sui Empire.
After Yang Jian succeeded the throne, he made the title he used to own as the Prime Minister of the county and
named the era ‘Kaihuang’. On the second year of the Kaihuang era, after the Jiejian Bureau was established for
half a year, another agency by the name of ‘Zuoyue’ appeared.
They were similar to the Jiejian Bureau and wielded a power outside of the Three Departments and Six
Ministries; however, they were not under the orders of the Emperor. They were under the command of the
Empress.
This Empress contributed to the country, as well as shared the burdens with the Emperor, who was loved and
respected: Empress Dugu. She made something her predecessors never did, that was to establish a system to
work under her orders.
Sometimes called Her Holiness, this was not utterly an empty name. The power Empress Dugu held surpassed
any previous Empresses before her time, including Empress Lu. What made her different from Empress Lu was
that Yang Jian both feared and respected this Empress.
Ever since the establishment of the Zuoyue Bureau, their power was no less than the Jiejian Bureau. Their
mission was the same: trading and sending coded messages across the Northern and Southern Dynasty. There
were no restrictions for them. However, since both Emperor and Empress were loving and respectful of each
other, Empress Dugu knew her place and would not surpass the Emperor’s authority. So she gave the Zuoyue
Bureau a slightly different duty: they will take care of anything related to the Jianghu province.
The Zuoyue Bureau had one Commander and two Vice-Commanders. Their ranks were fewer and thinner, but
they carried out their tasks in secrecy, often not appearing in front of the public eye. Even the most trusted
advisors of the Emperor only knew of the Zuoyue Bureau’s name, yet did not know who its members were, or
what they were doing.
However, during their missions, they would sometimes clash with the Jiejian Bureau. Although they held no
animosity towards each other and belonged respectively to the Emperor and Empress, they often wanted to fight
for the achievement of claiming the glory.
Because of a few cases in the past, Pei Jingzhe crossed paths with the Zuoyue Bureau; he knew how difficult it
was to determine who they were.
Pei Jingzhe worked under the Jiejian Bureau, so he knew a little about the Zuoyue Bureau. He never saw the
alliance’s Commander, but he saw both its Vice- Commanders. One was delicate and slim, like a wealthy man’s
daughter; the other was silent and quiet, like a monk in mediation. Although the Jiejian Bureau and the Zuoyue
Bureau were agencies hiding incredibly skilled people, people like those two Vice- Commanders were rare to see
in a place like this.
That also went for the Commander of the alliance who never showed himself. Pei Jingzhe never saw him with his
own two eyes, but regardless, it was difficult to link him with a sickly man like Cui Buqu.
Women may be skilled in martial arts. And quiet people may be capable of claiming one’s life with only a single
move. However, this Cui Buqu who could not even pick a fight, how could he be a spy of the Zuoyue Bureau?
Since his health was not good, and him using the identity of a Daoist to back himself up, would it not be
convenient for him to lay low?
Pei Jingzhe contemplated out loud, “Are you considering that the Zuoyue Bureau placed spies among those who
attended the Linlang Guild’s auction, where all the pugilists would gather? If he indeed is someone from the
Zuoyue Bureau and knew that we are people from the Jiejian Bureau, why did he not say so?”
Feng Xiao, “The old Zixia Daoist Temple might be allying with Qin Miaoyu, but this man only came to the Zixia
Daoist Temple two months ago. The time interval between the time of his arrival and when Qin Miaoyu left the
City of Six Crafts is four to five years. I had never assumed he was related to the case, but two months before
now, the Imperial Court seemed to be determined to make a move against the Göktürks.”
Pei Jingzhe suddenly spoke, “So, since the beginning, you merely desired to find information regarding his
background? If he is genuinely from the Zuoyue Bureau, did we not just make enemies out of our people?”
Although both agencies often bickered, they were still subjects of the crown and the Imperial Court. To go all out
like this towards one of their own, surely that was not a wise course of action?
Feng Xiao looked indifferent, “If we become enemies, then so be it. There are more than a handful of those that
despise me. Adding him into that category does not affect the situation much. Did you think that they were not
thinking of getting involved in this case of the Khotan ambassador’s murder?”
Although their existence was faint, they had eyes and ears spread out all over the capital and were updated with
all kinds of news and happenings that were going on.
A few days ago, the Emperor and his officials had just moved into the new capital, Daxing City, and preceding
that, the citizens had already moved into it. The old capitol had been there for many generations and had become
incredibly stuffy; when it rained, drains and sewers were flooded everywhere. So after Yang Jian ascended the
throne, he ordered the old capital to be set aside for a new one to be built. Two years later, the new capital was
built. The Sui Emperor made orders that the scrolls and manuscripts which had been forgotten and scattered due
to the war, to be recollected and relocated in the imperial library, so that they would not be lost again.
These actions were noble and modest as expected of an exemplary ruler. Right now, Emperor Yang Jian decided
to push his forces towards the Göktürks to solve the issue once and for all. Nobody would question the
determination of the Emperor. The Three Departments and Six Ministries immediately got busy; bringing both
the Jiejian Bureau and the Zuoyue Alliance, both of them received respective orders and began working.
Whoever could achieve the most conquests in this mission would be the ultimate winner. The Zuoyue Bureau
had always wanted to surpass the Jiejian Bureau, so of course, they wouldn’t have let such an opportunity to slip
by.
Cui Buqu stirred in his dreams and coughed a few times.
Pei Jingzhe looked at him. Before this, he was oblivious that he might be a member of the Zuoyue Bureau, so he
did not feel anything, but right now, he could not help but feel a bit of sympathy.
“Then, should I neutralize the poison in his body?”
Feng Xiao looked at him like he was the stupidest person in the world, “Why should you? If he refused to admit
anything, it would be a good opportunity to make him work with us. Even if he admits it, you should keep
pressing that it is a lie so he would do our bidding. In the City of Six Crafts, whatever I say is the law.”
Pei Jingzhe twitched his lip and nodded.
He knew that his master was not a person who was soft and empathetic.
…..
Feng Xiao and Pei Jingzhe were discussing Cui Buqu right in front of him — the one who lay on the bed in pain
and agony and having no idea what was going on.
Cui Buqu had been walking on a very long road, and this road was endless. However, this road would sometimes
grow thorns so he would quickly withdraw his legs. He wanted to continue walking forwards, even if he had to
bend down to pluck those thorns away with his hands. However, even with both his hands stained by blood,
those thorns did not grow lesser; instead, it had multiplied.
Those thorns hurt to the bone and left deep scars. His mind reflected all kinds of pain, but Cui Buqu continued
pulling those thorns away with an expressionless face.
Since he was little, whatever he wanted to do, he would achieve it no matter the price, no matter how difficult it
was. Nothing could stop him. If he wanted to move forward, he would move forward to see the end.
Those thorns could not hinder him, and after that, it wilted and faded away. Cui Buqu did not stare at his bloody
hands, because before him, a grand mansion had appeared.
This mansion possessed a history that went back to thousands of years.
Before the Sui Empire established its rule, the Northern Dynasty was in a mess, yet the mansion’s owner was
unyielding. Its house blossomed and thrived, becoming a place no one was able to forget.
Cui Buqu finally stopped walking.
The doors of the mansion were locked, but atop the stage stood two people. One had long white hair and looked
grim; the other had short hair and looked much younger. He spoke to the old man, his hands carrying a baby
wrapped up in a blanket.
“Father, please, give him a name!” The young man said.
The old man responded coldly, “Whatever. A-Da or A-Er1 would be fine. Then be over with it.”
The young man begged, “Considering that both his parents had died, could you spare some sympathy?”
The old man, “He is weak, and I fear he might not even survive for the next few days, so what if he has a name?”
The young man, “…even if it is true, in the future, would it not be part of a memory?”
The old man snorted, “Since his parents are dead, who will remember him in this world?”
The young man, “I would.”
As the two spoke for a long time, the old man finally said, “Let us name him something simple, like a stepping
stone — something that everyone steps on. It would be easy to raise him like this.”
“What about the genealogy —“
“He is not worthy.”
He is not worthy.
These three words had always been in Cui Buqu’s mind, refusing to leave, repeating itself in his mind like clouds
and mist.
Cui Buqu laughed bitterly.
His laugh startled the old man and the young man. They turned, but the fog thickened and spreads around them.
Everything turned dark.
The abyss was hidden within peace, and had never left; but after so many years, he had already walked into a
place even more dangerous than the abyss.
His chest radiated a sharp pain, blood gathered at his throat. He wanted to laugh, but he only let out a bitter, raw
taste in his mouth.
Then, he woke up.
Through puffed up eyelids, even a little bit of sunlight could cause his eyes to water. Cui Buqu adjusted to the
brightness for a while, before he could clearly see the gauze blanket in front of him.
It was replaced by a face that was handsome and beautiful, moving into his central vision.
“You woke up.” Feng Xiao looked at him, “How do you feel?”
Cui Buqu was too lazy to reply to him, so he closed his eyes and rested.
Feng Xiao continued talking, “You have the Naihe Xiang drug in your body, earlier on, and the poison took effect.
In two days, it will take effect once more, if you would work alongside me and cooperate, I can consider
neutralizing the poison for you. What do you say?”
Cui Buqu blinked slowly and answered with a hoarse voice, “Do I have a choice to refuse?”
Feng Xiao: No.
Cui Buqu: I have no knowledge of martial arts. There is nothing much I can help you with.
Feng Xiao hummed, “Do you not hail from the Liuli Academy Palace of Fangzhangzhou? I have heard that people
born from that place are knowledgeable about all things in the world. For the Linlang Guild’s auction, I need such
a man. You can assist me in recognizing everyone on the way; tell me who everyone and anyone is.”
Cui Buqu went silent for a moment, “No problem. However, I have a request.”
Feng Xiao responded, “Neutralizing the poison is not a valid request.”
Cui Buqu coughed, “…I am hungry. You motherfucker, you would not even let me eat, and you want me to do
something for you?”
He glared at the bowl of white congee and a plate of fermented vegetables, practically unable to control the look
on his face.
Feng Xiao was looked at him from one side ‘lovingly’, “Please eat, why are you not eating?”
Cui Buqu, “Although I am a prisoner in your eyes and am free to let you do as you please, in the end you need my
help. I have yet to recover from my illness, and you want me to eat this?”
Feng Xiao asked curiously, “What’s not good about this? You know you couldn’t eat anything heavy. I’m afraid
you might have digestion issues, and then you wouldn’t be able to wake up tomorrow.”
Cui Buqu; I don’t want any exquisite dishes; I only want fresh vegetable soup. Surely you have something like
that?
Feng Xiao: My apologies. I am a poor man, so there is none.
Cui Buqu: …
He really wanted to pour this bowl of congee on top of the other man’s head and slap the plate of vegetables onto
his face.
He was not sure what Feng Xiao was thinking about, but it was definitely nothing good. Feng Xiao was not in a
hurry, and he didn’t want to leave; he even thought that Cui Buqu was very interesting, he was not afraid that he
would provoke Cui Buqu. He wandered here and there, looking at the windows and flowers, turning the books on
bookcases around and around, as if he was waiting for Cui Buqu to slam the table and exclaim that he was from
the Zuoyue Bureau.
However, after a long time, Cui Buqu said nothing. He simply took the bowl silently and drank all the congee
which flowed down his throat.
Feng Xiao knew that he would not have chosen the wrong person. This Master Daoist Cui had a fairly good
control over his temper. The last time they met, he proclaimed himself innocent and hid a lot of secrets from him.
He only could not believe that despite having a weak and fragile body, the Naihe Xiang drug had been unable to
do anything to him.
A man such as this, even without the skills of martial arts, could hold an esteemed position in the Zuoyue Bureau.
Feng Xiao grew even more interested.
Cui Daozhang swallowed carefully. He used an entire hour to finish the congee. Feng Xiao was patient, waiting at
his side until he put down the bowl.
“May I ask what is expected of me, my lord?”
Feng Xiao said, “No need to be so formal. I’ve already relayed my name to you. I am the second among my
siblings; you can call me Feng-er2 or Er Lang3.”
Cui Buqu did not care to respond; instead, he answered, “I have been in the City of Six Crafts for two months. I’ve
heard of a few things. However, if you want me to assist you in the Linlang Guild’s auction, surely you need to tell
me a few things first?”
Feng Xiao smiled, “That is a given.”
After obtaining Feng Xiao’s approval, Pei Jingzhe told Cui Buqu everything about the Khotan ambassador’s
murder, which was discovered by a travelling merchant, who fled to the city to report his discovery.”
Cui Buqu listened closely. After Pei Jingzhe finished talking, he asked, “Then, the plum blossom scent in the horse
carriage. Was it investigated?”
“Yes.” Pei Jingzhe could not help but glance towards Feng Xiao. Despite himself, he speculated that these two
followed the same trail of thoughts. Feng Xiao, too, thought that the plum blossom was a crucial clue of the case,
but the truth had let them down.
“We have asked every perfume stall in the city and checked everything in their stock. In the end, we could not
find the plum blossom perfume in the horse carriage. That perfume…” Pei Jingzhe thought for a long moment
before he managed to say something, “It is similar to the scent of the Naihe Xiang drug. As long as you smelled it
once, you will never mistake it for anything else.”
After he finished speaking, only then did he realize that something was not right. Cui Buqu had just experienced
the Naihe Xiang drug’s torture. If he said something like this, would it not be equivalent to pressing salt onto
someone else’s wound?
Nonetheless, Cui Buqu showed no expression. He only nodded and coughed two times; he didn’t ask more.
======
[1] A-Da or A-Er: These are very common and ‘simple’ names. It means ‘A-big’ or ‘A-second’ like the eldest or second child. It
indicates that the old man was quite apathetic to the baby.
[2] Feng-er: Feng as in Feng Xiao, and Er mean ‘Second’. This can mean that he might have an older brother, thus he is named
Feng-er, or, ‘Second Feng’.
[3] Er-lang: Er here also means ‘second’ and Lang is usually used to address a male.

Chapter 10
Although he had managed to live through it with determination alone, the Naihe Xiang drug still damaged his
body, especially when Cui Buqu’s body was never in prime health in the first place, so this was equivalent to
adding salt to the wound. A day later, when he woke up and touched his forehead, he knew that he had caught a
fever again.
He breathed out some warm air. Cui Buqu had long been used to such a feeling, but it did not mean that he
enjoyed it.
No one would be willing to endure pain, but since there was no way of escaping, he could only choose to get used
to it.
On the bed lay a clean set of clothes and a thick robe. It had to be items that Pei Jingzhe ordered for someone else
to take them here. Feng Xiao would not bother about such trivial matters; hence Cui Buqu did not say anything
but put them on and wrapped himself up until he looked all strict, dignified, and proper. In the room, someone
had also prepared a pail of water, so he used it to freshen up before walking out of the room.
Feng Xiao waited impatiently outside, making Pei Jingzhe come in to urge him to be quicker.
Pei Jingzhe had previously thought that Cui Buqu was always very slow, but when he saw that the other’s face
was even paler than before, he coughed into his fists and felt a little guilty, his voice was also low when he spoke.
“Master Daoist Cui, are the clothes comfortable enough for you?”
“They are just right, thank you.”
Pei Jingzhe laughed coldly, “Today, we are not eating in the manor. My Lord has said that we are dining outside.”
Cui Buqu, “That is hard to come by. Just as I have woken up, there is a fresh meal waiting for me.”
Pei Jingzhe laughed awkwardly, “You just woke up yesterday. You cannot eat too many oily dishes.”
Cui Buqu looked at him: This person’s skin isn’t even half as thick as Feng Xiao’s.
He did not move, not wanting to make it difficult for the other.
As soon as Feng Xiao saw the other two emerging from the manor, he could not help but snort a little bit, “You
are even more delicate when wearing those clothes compared to a little maiden riding her carriage!”
When ordinary people had a fever, their faces turned red, but Cui Buqu’s face radiated paleness as he wore a
white robe, making the colour of his entire person similar to the snow falling at his feet.
Cui Buqu said blandly, “My host is abusing. I’m poisoned and left with no food, what can I do?”
Feng Xiao seemed as if he was in a good mood and smiled, “Then you are in luck today. There is a tavern in the
city that just opened, and they’ve employed the famed Lady Hong. You have lived here for two months; surely
you would have known her name?”
Cui Buqu, “Lady Hong from the Hong Baked Pastries Family?”
Feng Xiao, “That is correct.”
This Hong Baked Pastries Family made baked pastries which were famed in the city. It was run by the Hong
father and daughter. Both father and daughter were skilled in the arts of culinary and made delicious dishes.
Their name travelled across the city. It was said that people who came here from Qiemo had to visit them at least
once.
Cui Buqu also visited them once. The taste was not bad, the soup boiled from bones, the noodles were as fine as
silver strands. After the noodles were cooked in the soup and taken out, they were mixed with some braised pork
sauce and sprinkled with spring onions. Eating one bowl of such delicacy could warm one’s stomach; making
their entire body feel comfortable and relaxed. The dish was no different than those from the biggest chefs in the
capital.
However, a while ago, the father had passed away, leaving his daughter alone in the world. Discussions regarding
the remaining successor took place and everyone agreed that it was difficult to manage the business alone. They
were certain that Lady Hong would marry into a rich family and become a concubine, and then it would be even
more difficult to taste her dishes any more.
Yet contrary to public opinions, Lady Hong refused that kind of luxurious life, instead, she went ahead and
accepted the job of a master chef.
Because of the Linlang Guild’s auction, martial artists carrying swords were seen everywhere on the streets.
Ordinary people could not help being intimidated, yet Feng Xiao pretended as if he could not see them, taking
both Pei Jingzhe and Cui Buqu, as he walked through the streets towards the restaurant.
Those who knew martial arts often with themselves carried some amount of pride. These people from Jianghu
were no exception. They displayed a sort of arrogance and walked with their heads high.
Some people formed groups of three and five, even if they were not wearing the same uniform, but the jade
pendants on their swords were the same. Usually, this meant that they were from a famed Clan: some were
loners and travelled solo, carrying either a cold or a threatening expression. Most of the time, the latter would
not have a good temper.
There were also some men and women who walked side by side, laughing as they spoke. The woman was high-
spirited and confident; her steps fast and light. These were most probably young juniors who had just joined a
sect.
Cui Buqu’s gaze swept over them. With only one look, he could analyse where they came from, and vaguely know
who they were, and their current set of mind.
“Do not forget what I brought you out for, Master Daoist Cui, it is about time you show me what you are capable
of.”
Cui Buqu rolled his eyes after hearing what Feng Xiao had to say, “I have yet to eat breakfast, I have no strength
to speak.”
Feng Xiao smiled lightly, “If you are good and cooperate so I can solve the case early, you can leave early as well.
Is there any meaning in trying to spar words with me now?”
Cui Buqu laughed coldly, “Forgive me if I am wrong, but yesterday you said that if I am willing to cooperate, you
would consider neutralizing the poison, but you will certainly not do it. Yesterday I was plagued by the poison,
unable to fight back. With merely these sorts of ambiguous promises, what are you trying to expect from me?”
Feng Xiao took out two bottles as thick as the width of two fingers from his robe and raised them in front of him.
“I will give you a chance. Among these two bottles, one is empty, and the other contains the remedy that can help
you be at ease for three days. Whether you get it or not, depends on your choice. Do not say I was not nice to
you.”
Cui Buqu felt like his heart was burning right now as if someone lit a fire to his chest, but the fire had not spread
out yet. Even the bones felt agony, similar to a thousand invisible hands holding onto his body. It was both itchy
and numbing, but he understood that this was the effects of the poison. Although it was not as painful as when
the poison was reacting, it was enough to make one sit uncomfortably.
However, he did not choose from those two bottles. Without even looking at them, he took a detour and pressed
his lips, walking ahead.
Feng Xiao gasped, “How can you be so stubborn, there goes my kindness to waste!”
Cui Buqu smiled coldly and did not respond.
The remedy was simply a temporary solution; it would not heal him completely. Was Feng Xiao showing
kindness? Not really. He solely wanted to wait until the poison took effect before demanding him for answers
again.
Seeing that the other refused to take the bait, Feng Xiao put the bottle back into his robes.
Not far off from them, there was indeed a new restaurant that had opened. Above it wrote: ‘Five Tastes’. Before
its doors, many people were wandering here and there. It seemed that it was quite crowded.
Pei Jingzhe had booked a table earlier on. This way, once they arrive, they need not wait for the others, they
could simply get a table for themselves.
The waiter led them in.
From the outside, it did not look like much, but inside, there was a skylight. After Pei Jingzhe walked behind their
waiter for a while, he noticed that this restaurant bought down the few stalls next to them and merged them.
Creating two sections — a big common hall and a VIP area. Once they entered the VIP area, it was
peaceful. Flowers and trees were everywhere, and it was quite interesting.
“This tavern hails from a rather impressive background. Who was it who invested in it? Was it the Boling Cui
Clan, or the Longxi Li Clan?” Pei Jingzhe asked in shock.
The City of Six Craft had always been a small city from the beginning. It could never compare to the grandness of
the capital. If it had not been for the Linlang Guild’s auction event, there would not have been so many
merchants, businessmen that come here to live for a few days and barter for resources while purchasing some
goods. Opening such a big restaurant here, Pei Jingzhe thought, eighty percent of its investment was a waste.
The waiter smiled and told them, “Then you have guessed wrong. It’s not the Li Clan or the Cui Clan. Our Young
Master is a local and has been working for the greater half of his life. You young Lords are very fortunate. I have
heard that Lady Hong has even invented a few new dishes!”
The three of them were invited into the VIP area. There, one hall had four tables altogether. On one table, there
was a young man and woman with a few servants standing behind them.
Although they did not have a whole room to themselves, the four tables were not so close to each other. They
were far apart and did not stand in the way of the other.
Feng Xiao ordered the dishes and not long after; they were served one by one. Although the cooking crew was
not just Lady Hong alone, her style could be seen on them.
“Silver strand noodles with braised pork sauce, Cauliflower Soup, Fresh Vegetable soup, Hong Baked Pastries,
you can choose what you want to eat, do not say that I was mean to you. Now, I’m truly treating you well, right?”
He used his chopsticks to poke at the dishes, and then three more bowls of lotus soup were served.
This was not the season for lotuses to bear fruit. The City of Six Crafts was never a place to produce lotus either.
These lotuses were brought from a thousand miles in the south, dried and stored throughout winter. The price of
these three bowls of lotus soup could be said, was more expensive than all the other dishes added together.
For the sake of the lotus soup, Cui Buqu finally opened his mouth. “That woman’s surname is Lu. She is from a
very wealthy family, and it is said that they are related to the Fanyang Lu Clan. However, they have not been
exchanging messages for a while now. The father’s name is Lu Ti and is the owner of an antique shop. It is said
their branches were open all over Jiangnan. He is one of the top wealthiest men in the City of Six Crafts.”
His voice was neither high-pitched nor heavy; it was audible for Feng Xiao and Pei Jingzhe to listen, but not loud
enough for the couple to hear.
Feng Xiao was very content with his initiative to act without being told. It was rare that the two were not
bickering and were speaking calmly.
“And the man? Is he also part of the Lu family?”
Cui Buqu shook his head, “His surname is Su, named Xing. He is a cousin of the Lu family. A few years ago, both
his parents died, and his home fell apart. He came here to live under the roof of his cousin sister’s family. Lu Ti
funded him to study, and it is said that he has the intention to make Su Xing his son-in-law if nothing goes wrong,
they are to be wedded within these two years. Lu Ti has no sons, so the one who succeeds his business would
most likely be Su Xing.”
Feng Xiao, “And this restaurant? Is it opened by Lu Ti?”
Cui Buqu said blandly, “I am unsure. After all, I have been locked up for a few days; I could have missed a lot
during that time.”
He was using the opportunity to roast the other; however, the other did not respond to it. Feng Xiao picked up a
pastry, breaking a small piece from it, putting it in his mouth. He ate as he spoke, “The taste isn’t bad. The feel in
my mouth is great; usually, someone who just recovered from their illness or had been poisoned wouldn’t have
the chance to taste such a delicious thing. Buqu, wouldn’t you want to try?”
Cui Buqu: …
Pei Jingzhe almost let out a laugh, but quickly turned his head away.
Then he saw that young man picking up a fried fuchok with his chopsticks and putting it into the woman’s mouth,
“Miao Miao, is this not your favourite dish? Come, eat more of it!”
“Thank you; cousin brother.” Her voice did not hide her glee.
The people of this era were very open, especially those in the North. Unmarried men and women, if accompanied
by family, and if they were in public venues, would be intimate with each other most of the time. Pei Jingzhe
turned his gaze back and heard Feng Xiao speaking to Cui Buqu in a high pitched voice.
“QuQu, is this not your favourite dish? Come, eat more of it!”
Pei Jingzhe had some baked pastry in his mouth, but he almost spat it out.
However, the one genuinely suffering right now was Cui Buqu. The latter had just picked up some vegetables and
froze on the spot, the corner of his lips twitching, a murderous look on his pale and elegant face.
Upon hearing that someone was copying his actions and words, the young man’s face turned irritated.
“We do not know each other. Sire, why are you deliberately provoking?”
Chapter 11 – Relax, I Am Even More Vengeful Than You Are
“You are such a strange man. This isn’t your home, and you are not involved in the conversation. Is there no law
and order if I cannot even speak in a public place like this?”
Feng Xiao did not even turn his head to glare at the man. He insisted on putting the piece of meat in his
chopsticks into Cui Buqu’s bowl. Cui Buqu extended his hands to pull his bowl away, but as if those chopsticks
had eyes, it flew into the same direction and still placed the meat into the bowl.
Cui Buqu glared at that piece of meat as if he was looking for any traces of Feng Xiao’s saliva on it. He did not
even feel like touching the bowl right now.
But it was far from over. Feng Xiao picked up a plate of green beans from the table and brought it towards him.
“You dislike the taste of chives? No matter, there are still cooked beans. Come, I’ll remove the skins for you. They
are white and tender. Quick, take a bite, or would you prefer if I fed you?”
Cui Buqu: …
His hands looked attractive; therefore, it looked like he was picking flowers when he peeled the beans. In the
blink of an eye, a bunch of cleanly peeled beans appeared in front of Cui Buqu’s plate, lined up neatly in several
rows.
Pei Jingzhe: …
Feng Xiao, “Eat.”
Cui Buqu knew that there was a motive behind his actions, but he still twitched the corner of his lips, turning his
head to look outside the window, only to see that there was no one.
The one who was annoyed was someone else.
“You!”
Su Xing’s face had become incredibly red. He wanted to stand up and argue with him, but was stopped by the
woman next to him.
“Cousin brother, let it slide!” The young woman’s voice was soft and low. Her expression looked embarrassed. “I
know that Master Daoist Cui, the one next to him is surely his friend.”
“It is he who provoked me first. I have to give him a piece of my mind!”
Su Xing’s face was full of irritation. He turned to Feng Xiao and spat, “Such a shame you look like a gentleman, yet
you act like a simpleton who doesn’t think before he talks. Utterly disgraceful!”
The young woman walked towards Cui Buqu and curtsied, “Good to see you, Master Cui.”
Cui Buqu, of course, recognized her, “May blessings come your way1, Young Mistress Lu, how is your mother
faring?”
The young woman smiled at him, “It is thanks to your medical aid that my mother has healed much from her
illness.”
Cui Buqu nodded, “My method can only ease her condition a little bit, but it does not suffice to heal her
completely. The Lu family still needs to look for better physicians for her.”
The young woman gave him a nod of acknowledgement.
At that moment, Su Xing also said, “So the one who helped heal aunt is this Master Daoist Cui. My aunt’s health
has truly improved these days; please accept my gratitude.”
He turned towards Cui Buqu; put his hands together and bowed before changing the topic, “Forgive me, but this
friend of yours is really unreasonable and unmannerly. Master Daoist Cui, you have a good reputation; you
should not acquaint yourself with such a man.”
Cui Buqu replied flatly, “You have misunderstood. He is not my friend, and I do not know him either.”
Su Xing stared at Feng Xiao with a questionable look, his face evidently betraying the fact that he did not believe
a single word.
Feng Xiao laughed, “What are you looking at me for? Although I am handsome, powerful, and strong, that isn’t
something you can level with. You can’t afford to envy me, young man.”
Cui Buqu: …
The colour of Su Xing’s face switched from blue to white, then white to blue again, as if he was poisoned from
what he had just eaten a while ago.
With Cui Buqu and Little Maiden Lu present, Su Xing could not punch Feng Xiao even if he wanted to, so he
simply walked away.
Feng Xiao watched both of them leave — a flippant look on his face, divulging a shadow of deep thought.
“There is something wrong with this Su Xing; you purposely did that to introduce them to me?”
Cui Buqu, “Lu Ti has no sons. After Su Xing fled to his house, Lu Ti treated him as though he was his son. Although
Su Xing enjoyed studying, his talents were only average. Instead, he followed Lu Ti out on job trips and showed
some talent there instead. This made Lu Ti very happy, at this present moment; two shops are now under Su
Xing’s supervision.”
“That is indeed very suspicious.” Feng Xiao said, “As a businessman who converses with many different sorts of
people, he should be charismatic and smooth, yet why did he get provoked so easily just because I was
mimicking him?”
Cui Buqu laughed coldly, “Perhaps it is because Lord Feng, your face is one that everyone wishes to beat up when
they see you. No matter where you tread, everyone is annoyed.”
Feng Xiao laughed, “How can that be? Just now, you should have looked at the way Little Maiden Lu gazed at me.
She was incredibly envious.”
Cui Buqu had met many narcissistic people before, but for one to be so narcissistic to this sort of level was his
very first experience. Taking a look back, he also saw that Feng Xiao’s expression had a vague look of disbelief.
“Lord Feng, are you often so self-contained, praising yourself so in your own lonely shadow?”
Not ‘often’. He has always been like this. Pei Jingzhe answered in his heart.
Feng Xiao wriggled his eyebrows, “Is that not the truth?”
Cui Buqu snorted. He was too lazy to continue bantering with him, so he resumed the topic from a while ago,
“The only possibility is that he acts differently towards the Lu family.”
“The Lu family loves certain specific attitudes, so he acts accordingly in front of them. Lu Ti liked intelligent
people, so when Lu Ti is close, Su Xing appears to be an intelligent, crafty young man that is eager to learn. How
interesting is this!”
Feng Xiao changed the topic suddenly, “QuQu, you were only in the City of Six Crafts for two months, yet you
have done the background search of practically everyone here. You did not spare even the female members of
the Lu family. Ah, to think that those who only knew your identity of a Daoist surely would think you are plotting
something shady!”
Cui Buqu coughed twice and faked a laugh, “Even if that is the case, have I not fallen into the hands of you, the
Second Commander of the Jiejian Bureau’s evil hands?”
Feng Xiao replied, “Of course not. The Jiejian Bureau acts under the orders of the Emperor. Are you not criticizing
our present Emperor with your words? I am a very vengeful person.”
Relax; I am even more vengeful than you are. Cui Buqu answered in his heart and coughed again, intending to
spare his strength.
After they had their lunch, the three of them went to the Linlang Guild’s shop.
What Feng Xiao and Pei Jingzhe were unaware of was that, after they had left, two people—a man and a
woman—stepped into the VIP area.
“Just now, I saw that the Commander did not look too well. I don’t even know if he fell ill again!”
The woman who spoke had a voice clear like ice. She was utterly beautiful. Both features of hers blended well on
her body.
The man did not speak. He simply walked towards the table that Cui Buqu and the rest had sat a moment ago;
lowered his head to take a look, and suddenly spread the beans apart.
“What did the Commander leave behind?” The woman approached him.
“Plum Blossom.” The man answered.
The woman looked at him, questioningly.
“The Commander wants us to investigate plum blossoms?”
The man’s words were brief and curt, “Khotan murder case.”
He loved words like gold and spoke as sparingly as he could. Thankfully, the woman had worked with him for
many years; she followed his words and picked up several hints.
“These plum blossoms are related to the Khotan murder case, but if it was that easy to investigate, then the
Jiejian Bureau would have already investigated them. The Commander would not have left it behind for us.
Regardless, we should go to the perfume stall to inquire.”
==============
[1] 福生无量天尊 originally from the Daoist Pantheon. It sort of just means ‘May you be blessed with endless luck and
goodness that even you wouldn’t have imagined yourself.’

Chapter 12 – This Is A Very ‘Intimate Friend’ Of Mine, His Surname Is Cui,

Name Buqu
On the wooden sides of the table, formerly on the spot where Cui Buqu sat, two words were carved by
fingernails: Plum Blossom.
“Judging by the strength the Commander asserted, to write those words, it seems as though he is much weaker
than last time. I am afraid that he is carrying some sort of wound on him.”
The man never liked talking much; however, he could not help but feel the necessity to remind her. “Qiao Xian;
the Commander knows his boundaries.”
Qiao Xian was not as tame as him, “You have served the Commander for so long, how can you still not know him?
He knows boundaries when it comes to matters, but he never knew his own when it came to himself!”
Zhangsun Bodhi said nothing but looked at her with a ‘But what can you do about it?’ look.
Qiao Xian was feeling distressed, but there was genuinely nothing that she could have done.
Cui Buqu had always been someone who refused to stop until he achieved his goals. Right now,unless they ran
off to Feng Xiao and told him Cui Buqu’s identity and bring him back home, their only other option was to obey
his orders. However, if she messed up his plans, she knew Cui Buqu would dismiss her from the Zuoyue Bureau.
Qiao Xian only let out a sigh.
“It is late. Let us go to the perfume shop.” Zhangsun Bodhi reminded her.
“Let’s go.” Qiao Xian brushed the surface of the table, and those words disappeared. The side of the table was
clean as if nothing had ever happened there.
There was no shortage of perfume stalls in the City of Six Crafts.
Because it was a city that travellers from the west and east often met, there were a lot of things in the perfume
shop that could only be found in the west. The variety of products were even more numerous than those in the
capital. Zhangsun Bodhi and Qiao Xian previously had thought that investigating the plum blossom scent would
be a piece of cake; but after they ran around for a whole afternoon, practically asking every stall that existed in
the city, they could only manage to find three formulas that were related to the plum blossom.
“It is a coincidence now that I think about it. Before you, there was also a young lord who came here asking about
plum blossoms. He was thin and tall, seemingly young and handsome.” The perfume shop owner made a gesture.
Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi exchanged glances and could guess who the perfume shop owner was talking
about: it was Feng Xiao’s subordinate, Pei Jingzhe.
Since the Jiejian Bureau had already traced this clue, it could be said that there was nothing more they needed to
do. Why did the Commander go out of his way to give this order?
Cui Buqu would never do such a meaningless thing. Both of them felt that there might be something that they had
not thought of yet.
“I would not dare comment on other aspects, but within the City of Six Crafts, the formulas in my stalls are
assuredly the most organized. If you want formulas related to plum blossoms, there are three types. One of them
was gifted by a young lady from the west, whom I saved; she gave it to me.”
The perfume shop owner spoke; taking out three scented strips.
The sense of smell of martial artists was incredibly sensitive. To leave perfume on oneself would give them away
effortlessly if they were found out. Qiao Xian held a distinctive identity, so she would never carry any sort of
scent on her. For people like her who interacted as less as possible with perfumes, she was even more sensitive
to the odour of perfumes. Almost at once, she could tell how many different scents there were altogether.
“These are plum blossoms and apricot flowers?” She smelled the scented strips and asked, before passing them
to Zhangsun Bodhi.
The perfume shop owner nods. “You are right. This is called the Three Moons Spring Snow; it is the most popular
perfume in the capital. The young maidens all love it, especially those from wealthier households. Come spring,
they like to put on fresh-coloured clothing; then putting these perfumes on, they say it makes you look like a
goddess. It is guaranteed that a group of suitors would want to stomp your doorstep!”
He was a smooth talker. Even when questioned by his customers, he was still trying to persuade them to
purchase from him.
“This type is called ‘The Quiet Waters Runs Deep’; it has the smell of sandalwood and plum blossom. It is
excellent for giving you peace of mind and suppressing any foul smell of the body.” He said as he took up another
scented strip.
Zhangsun Bodhi smelled it and shook his head.
Qiao Xian said, “This is not the plum blossom scent that we want.”
The perfume shop owner took the third scented strip and gave it to them, “This is the only one with a pure plum
blossom smell.”
Zhangsun Bodhi held it in his hand and felt that the plum blossom fragrance was too strong, filling in his nostril;
however, it lacked the real cold, icy smell of a plum blossom. Instead, it smelt like peonies.
Qiao Xian, watching Zhangsun shake his head, took the scented strip.
“Sir, you are knowledgeable and have seen many things. This mixture of plum blossom scent, is it indeed that
difficult to get?”
The owner of the perfume shop answered, “Usually, the thicker the essence of the smell, the better. But because
this is slightly different: at first the smell should be a bland, cold, icy smell; only after an hour would the
fragrance of plum blossom slowly emerge, yet you can still smell its faint, icy cold scent. It is neither strong, and it
does not dissipate quickly, lasting up to a few days.”
Qiao Xian thought about the fact that after the murder took place, Feng Xiao and his company were able to go to
the venue and obtain the clue. The owner’s answer fits in with this fact perfectly, so she nodded and agreed.
“This means that surely whoever uses this perfume is no ordinary person?”
The owner, “There are also different types of ‘cold perfume’. For example, the lotus blossom, the bamboo, but
because plum blossoms only bloom during the cold winter, it brings with it the icy-cold essence of winter. This
type of ‘cold’ is different and very rare. A few years ago, I obtained a particular type of lotus blossom perfume,
and I was reluctant to sell it, desiring to leave it as a wedding gift to my daughter, but this plum blossom is even
rarer. Whoever could make this type of perfume would indeed treasure it so, and would not have given it away
easily. Otherwise, everyone on the streets would know how to manufacture it, and if that is the case, then how is
it still special?”
Qiao Xian, “Then do you know anyone who knew how to manufacture this perfume?”
The owner of the perfume shop laughed bitterly, “If I knew such a person, I would have hired them with gold
pieces. Would I still be standing here saying so much to you? Strange wonders can be encountered unexpectedly
but cannot be requested. I have spent half my life in the perfume business, so if you find someone who knows
how to manufacture that sort of perfume, please be a generous person and introduce them to me.”
He stopped for a moment to pat his head, “Right, last month, Lady Yunyun from the Spring Moon astounded half
of the city with her dance. I have heard that she uses a different perfume every day, yet she has never sent
anyone here to purchase from me. Perhaps she might have someone teaching her how to make her perfume.
Nevertheless, you can head over there and inquire about it!”
Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi’s eyes sparkled.
“Have you spoken about this to the one that came before us?” Qiao Xian asked.
The perfume shop owner shook his head, “At that time, it did not cross my mind. Naturally, I had forgotten about
it.”
Qiao Xian, “That Spring Moon place, is it a place of entertainment?”
The perfume shop owner gave a dubious smile that all men knew.
Qiao Xian immediately understood and felt that the question she had asked was quite ridiculous.
Broadly speaking, spices used to make perfumes were also a type of medicine. Since Cui Buqu was familiar with
the arts of healing, he was naturally accustomed to spices, and he knew that the plum blossom perfume was very
rare. From this piece of information, he was able to spread out, further finding clues. Qiao Xian and Zhangsun
Bodhi knew their Commander very well. Others may underestimate him, seeing how he was often sick and that
he lacked physical strength. However, if a person like that could summon winds and storms, making a place for
himself in the world, then he would certainly have something that ordinary people would not be able to guess. In
the Zuoyue Bureau, even if Cui Buqu spent eight out of ten days lying in bed, no one would dare underestimate
him.
“Would the members of the Jiejian Bureau vomit blood if they knew that the ‘Five Tastes’ restaurant is our
stronghold?” Qiao Xian felt better after obtaining a possible lead for the case. Although her face was still
expressionless and cold, her voice sounded less tense.
Zhangsun Bodhi did not respond but asked her a question back, “The Spring Moon, should you or I go?”
Qiao Xian, “Of course it should be me. With a face like yours, people would think you are there to collect debts,
certainly not one looking for entertainment.”
Zhangsun Bodhi held the prayer beads in his hand and did not say a word.
Because, towards Qiao Xian’s words, there was nothing he could refute.

……

Linlang Guild’s Hall.

Today was the final day of the auction, compared to the last few days, there were even more people. However,
the threshold was also higher than before. Other than an invitation, customers also needed to give some amount
of deposit before entering. If they managed to purchase something they like, then the deposit would be added to
the amount they had auctioned for. If nothing caught their eyes, then their deposit would be returned.
Therefore, it filtered out a lot of people who had other intentions; or those who did not really want to make a
purchase, simply wanting to come for the crowd.
Feng Xiao brought Cui Buqu and Pei Jingzhe and entered, just as someone immediately exclaimed from behind,
“Is this not Feng-er?”
That person immediately ran up to them, both surprised and happy to see Feng Xiao. “Feng-er, long time no see.
To think I would see you here!”
The other man looked around twenty-five to twenty-six, wearing a tall headpiece and red robes. He looked like
an elegant gentleman, but Cui Buqu’s sharp eyes were able to tell that the way he behaved around Feng Xiao was
different from the norm.
Meeting old friends was a common thing, but this manner of attentiveness and welcoming was a little off.
To think of him as someone who wanted to bribe Feng Xiao was not exactly accurate either.
Just as Cui Buquwas was contemplating; Feng Xiao had already raised his brows and smiled “Young Master Lin, it
has been some time.”
When these words left his mouth and judging by the other’s age; his background and history were slowly
emerging in Cui Buqu’s mind.
The Yandang Estate. Among the Jianghu province, their main profile was doing business. Both rich and wealthy,
their family also possessed the Yandang thirteen sword styles. The head, Lin Leng, only obtained a son, Lin Wei,
in his late years; therefore it was natural that he spoiled this child rotten. Even towards his son’s bewildered and
queer habits, Lin Leng simply remained silent but never obstructed him. The reason that the Yandang Estate was
so famous was not because of their wealth, and not because of their sword style, but because of Lin Wei.
Seeing that Lin Wei was all giddy and happy, practically lunging himself forward to hold Feng Xiao’s hand, the
latter naturally stepped a few inches away from him, his hand reaching up to place it on Cui Buqu’s shoulder
instead. Before Cui Buqu realized it, he was already pulled towards Feng Xiao’s body, their shoulders clashing
against one another.
Feng Xiao, “Come, let me introduce you. This is a very ‘intimate friend’ of mine. His surname is Cui, named Buqu.
QuQu, this is Young Master Lin of Yandang Estate, Lin Wei.”
He purposely put more emphasis on the words 'intimate friend’, his lips curling into a strange and unusual smile.
It was incredibly suggestive, and clear; that anyone could have seen it.
Cui Buqu:???

Chapter 13 – The Emperor’s First Move

As soon as the words ‘intimate friend’ merged, Lin Wei immediately looked at Cui Buqu with hostility.
Since Cui Buqu knew of the rumours concerning Lin Wei, of course, he knew what was going on. Without even
thinking twice, he wanted to move Feng Xiao’s hand away from his shoulder, but who knew that the other man
had his hand clasped tightly on him. No matter what he did, he could not move it an inch.
Lu Wei’s gaze flashed, and he smiled, “To be able to be Feng-er’s intimate friend, I believe Lord Cui must surely
be a man with commendable abilities. May I ask if Lord Cui is from the Boling Cui Clan or the Qinghe Cui Clan?”
Cui Buqu looked at him, blankly, “Neither. I am just an ordinary person from no prominent clans.”
The more he spoke in such a way; the more Lu Wei was unable to determine his intentions.
Cui Buqu’s footsteps were weak and light; his face looked pale and cold, his eyes looked burnout. It was very
apparent to the eyes that he was not trained in martial arts. Instead, he seemed like he was ill. It was confusing as
to how someone like him could gain the interest of someone like Feng-er.
A few years ago, when Lu Wei met Feng-er, owning to the latter’s willingness to be less strict on the matter; he
was able to avoid some troubles.
At that time, it was as if Feng-er descended from the heavens, causing him to be bedazzled. From then onwards,
he had found no one else more attractive. However, Feng-er was not interested in him in the same way;
additionally, his martial arts were unparalleled, so even if Lu Wei wanted to force himself onto him, he did not
have that opportunity. If he did not deal with it properly, he might not be able to save himself. So all he could do
was restrain his feelings and desires while doing all he could for Feng-er, hoping he would reconsider it.
However, Feng-er was unpredictable, and Lu Wei knew very little of his identity. Even if he wanted to search for
him, he did not know where to look. So being able to see him in a place like this had been a pleasant surprise.
Lu Wei thought of himself as being handsome and gentlemanly, yet to imagine that he could not compare to a
sickly person like Cui Buqu in Feng-er’s eyes, of course, he felt unhappy about it.
He wanted to say something, but Feng Xiao did not give him that opportunity. He merely smiled and said, “Let us
proceed.” before bringing Cui Buqu inside.
Cui Buqu was half-dragged, half-pulled into the hall. On the exterior, Feng Xiao looked very intimate and gentle,
but in truth, he did not allow him the chance to revolt.
The Linlang Guild’s Auction Hall had two floors shaped like a patio. In the centre was where the auction would be
taking place and around it were tables and chairs for its bidders. From the second floor, one could glance down
and see everything that was happening in the centre. Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu’s seats were located south of the
second floor. In the morning, there was already a few dumplings and tea. The employees also did not yap and
talk loudly as usual. Even when they walked, their footsteps were silent. Following their example, the guests
themselves also spoke softly. The melody of the lute filled the hall, creating a soothing rhyme. It did not seem like
the usual way the Linlang Guild would conduct business. It was as if one had entered a pub.
Cui Buqu roughly scanned the place with his eyes. He realized that at most, those who sat on the first floor were
typical businessmen and pugilists, on the second floor were either relatives of the Emperor or sons of officials of
the Imperial Court. Compared to the quietness on the second floor to the first floor, the latter was far rowdier.
The reason the Linlang Guild separated the two floors was that they were trying to avoid unnecessary troubles.
Just as they walked up the stairs and took a turn, entering behind the screen and completely out of Lin Wei’s line
of sight, Feng Xiao almost immediately released his hand, practically shoving Cui Buqu to the side, as if he was
afraid that if he continued touching him for a moment longer, some sort of dust would cling onto him.
Cui Buqu: ……
He quietly gave Feng Xiao another mark in his book before sitting down expressionlessly.
Feng Xiao acted as if he felt nothing, laughing, “Judging by your look, I wager you know of Lin Wei’s queer
habits?”
Cui Buqu was displeased, “This is the reason you used me to make a fool out of him? Does our agreement include
this sort of arrangement?”
Feng Xiao faked a look of innocence, “Regardless, I brought you to here to witness a rare sight today, as
compensation, it does not hurt you to sacrifice a little. In my presence, he will not be able to do anything to you.”
Cui Buqu responded blandly, “Although Lin Wei is absurd, he is no fool. Using me as your excuse, would not Pei
Jingzhe be more convincing?”
Pei Jingzhe who had been quietly drinking his tea coughed suddenly.
Feng Xiao laughed, “Impossible. He is not as good looking as you are.”
As his voice died down, Lin Wei’s shadow emerged from behind the screen.
“How rowdy is the floor below, it makes one unable to attain a moment of quietness. Feng-er Lang1, you surely
would not mind if I came here?”
There was only a foot of distance between Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu, but the moment Lin Wei’s voice was heard,
Feng Xiao grabbed Cui Buqu’s wrist at the speed of light, the upper half of his body leaned down towards him,
and spoke in a very intimate voice, “QuQu, there is dust on your nose. Come; allow me to wipe it away for you.”
Cui Buqu: ……
Lin Wei glared at Cui Buqu with a gaze that looked as if it would burn. Cui Buqu, no doubt caught his glare and
killing intent, but the other quickly withdrew his gaze, as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.
In the Jianghu province, although the Yandang Estate was only a moderately ranked family, because of Lin Leng’s
open personality, everyone would tolerate him and gave him some face when they were conversing with Lu Wei.
However, when it came to Feng Xiao, this was practically useless.
“My apologies, I fear there is no space left on my table.” Feng Xiao smiled, but his refusal was straightforward and
clear.
Lin Wei refused to budge. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but Pei Jingzhe immediately interrupted,
“Young Master Lin, this way.”
“Then we may converse at a later time.” Lin Wei could only leave.
Feng Xiao was smiling daggers.
He gave no face to Lin Wei, but Lin Wei did not even show his displeasure. To Lin Wei, Feng Xiao was like a
mysterious, grand, and otherworldly figure. He was unable to find out his name or background. He came and
went like a shadow that was untraceable. With this trait alone, it was enough to make Lin Wei faint; otherwise,
he would not have been unable to forget him until this moment.
Before he left, Lin Wei could not help but look at Cui Buqu again. The latter’s hand was still held by Feng Xiao; his
eyebrows were low. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking about.
He gave a faint smile as if he thought that Cui Buqu was merely a temporary plaything for Feng Xiao; flipped his
sleeves and left.
After Feng Xiao’s fingers let go of his wrist, Cui Buqu did not show the displeasure that he had shown just before,
in fact, he was deep in thought.
With Feng Xiao’s position as the Second Commander of the Jiejian Bureau, there was no need for Feng Xiao to be
so concerned about Lin Wei’s feelings. It was unnecessary to use Cui Buqu as a defensive mechanism. Even
though Lin Wei kept coming and harassing him, Feng Xiao seemed as though he had no intentions of cutting off
his ties with Lin Wei. This act alone deserved its reason.
“What are you thinking? Want me to help you ease your worries?” Feng Xiao’s voice rang in his ears.
Cui Buqu thought of one possibility, “Is the Jiejian Bureau investigating Lin Wei in secret?”
Feng Xiao blinked in surprise, “What makes you think that?”

Cui Buqu did not respond, but thought instead: Could it be that Lin Wei is related to the Khotan ambassador’s
case? No, that’s certainly not right. The Yandang Estate is a thousand miles away from the City of Six Crafts, on
regular days; the Khotan kingdom also did not have much to do with the Linlang Guild. The reason Lin Wei came
here was definitely for the crowd. However, among the things the Lin family sold was a type of silk called the ‘Sky
Blanket’. It was manufactured in the South and had colours like that of daylight. That silk is similar to glass and is
well received by its customers. It soon became a tribute. Every year, the Lin family would provide the silk to the
palace. According to rumours, it’s said that they wanted to get close to the Crown Prince through this fact.
Feng Xiao allowed him to think whatever he wanted, but said leisurely, “QuQu, it is such a waste for a man of
your capabilities to be a small nobody in the Zuoyue Bureau. If you are willing, there are now three Commanders
in the Jiejian Bureau; I could offer a recommendation, and make you the fourth Commander of the house.”
From the side, Pei Jingzhe opened his eyes wide. As if he wanted to say something, but refrained from doing so.
The Jiejian Bureau held power that surpassed even the six ministries; additionally, Feng Xiao also had the
privilege of making decisions without needing approval from the Imperial Court. Although Cui Buqu was very
likely a member of the Zuoyue Bureau, as of now, they were still unsure. For his lord to offer the position of the
fourth Commander of the Jiejian Bureau like this, how can it not be bewildering? For a moment, Pei Jingzhe could
not tell whether Feng Xiao was genuinely recruiting talents, or he was simply testing Cui Buqu.
Cui Buqu was expressionless, raising his head, “Zuoyue Bureau? Why is it that I understood nothing of what you
are talking about?”
Feng Xiao held his hand, “Your body is fragile. It is unbearable for you to run around the city like that,
strategizing your next moves, and yet no one cared. I felt pity for you. The Jiejian Bureau needs someone with
your intelligence and sharpness. If you would only nod, I will deal with the Zuoyue Bureau myself and guarantee
your transfer. What do you say?”
He used a very earnest gaze on Cui Buqu, sincerity all over his smile. It was as if dead trees would blossom, and
pebbles would weep at the sight.
This was the first time Cui Buqu met someone who could lie so convincingly by solely using a handsome face. It
was enough to make one faint, dropping everything they were thinking about. Although Cui Buqu was not
seduced, it was impossible for him to not admire the beautiful sight before him.
“Lord Feng, although your words are quite convincing, I am not certain what you are talking about. I am only
interested in being a Daoist. After all this is over, I implore you to keep your promise and let me go.”
Seeing that his seduction had failed, Feng Xiao smiled and released his hand, leaning back and returning to his
normal posture.
“Since when did I promise to let you go? That time, I said I was willing to consider it, but whether you can
convince me or not, that is up to your performance.”
Even though a playful, douche bag look from Feng Xiao was also very attractive, Cui Buqu could not help but call
him despicable in his head.
Just as the two of them were bantering, a clear sound rang across the halls. A young man walked to the centre of
the hall and sounded the bell.
Everyone present immediately turned their gaze towards him.
The real show was about to begin.
==============
[1] Feng-er Lang: A way to call Feng Xiao in a way that seems intimate, almost like flirting.

Chapter 14 – Do You Want To See My Most ‘Invaluable Treasure’?

Ever since the Linlang Guild became famous, many businesses also copied its methods, creating auctioning
events. However, when compared, the Linlang Guild was still the grandest. Every year, the Linlang Guild only
needed to issue invitations, it would be received as something even more invaluable than gold. Many people
would view the invitation as an identity significance, and take it to attend the auction with pride.
If Feng Xiao wanted an invitation, he didn’t need to flaunt his title to get one. However, it was not so easy for the
others.
“Today is the last day of the auction. We thank everyone who took the time to attend; it is the pride and honour
of the Linlang Guild to receive you. Let us not waste time bantering; we know that everyone is both eager and
excited to begin. Let us bring the first item forward, everyone please be patient.”
The middle-aged man did not care to suppress his words, shouting in a deep rumbling voice that resonated
across the place. This man was certainly a martial artist with high capabilities. However, at a glance, the Linlang
Guild was a dominant business; naturally, it would attract a lot of envious people. To invite a few highly skilled
martial artists here to sit around as bodyguards was not strange at all.
Just as the orders were given, a beautiful waitress brought a tray forward with two young waiters on her left and
right. Once the golden cloth was pulled away, a jade green copper wine vessel was revealed before the audience’s
eyes.
“This is the very same vessel used by the Duke Han of Qi during the Spring-Autumn period. On the vessel, there
are inscriptions that prove its authenticity. This item is brought to us by our Lanling Guild’s Master Dong Yang.
The beginning price is ten guan. The auction ends if there is no higher bidder after three calls. Please begin.”
The waitress moved promptly, ringing the bell, and immediately someone said, “Eleven guan!”
“Twelve guan!”
“Thirteen guan!”
Once the auction had begun, the entire hall became rowdy. Not long after, someone called for thirty guan.
These people may not be too interested in the wine vessel itself, but as long as the item was from the Linlang
Guild, it was almost certainly valuable. Even if they did not want it for themselves, they could use it to give to
others. They merely needed to say that it was from the Linlang Guild’s Master Dong Yang, it was enough to
impress anyone.
“Who was the one who offered thirty guan?” Feng Xiao asked Cui Buqu with deep interest.
He did not shout for a price. Compared to the wine vessel, Feng Xiao was more interested in its bidders. He knew
that Cui Buqu would know this.
As he expected, Cui Buqu answered, “The man’s name is called Leng Dou. He is the adopted son of the Group
Leader of the Nine Groups of Caoyun1. As of late, the leader, Ning Shewo, gifted a beautiful woman to the
Emperor of the Southern Dynasty, Chen Shubao. The woman obtained the love and attention of Chen Shubao and
became an important person by his side. Because of this, Shubao was willing to allow Ning Shewo to conduct the
business of all the canal transports in the south. The reason Leng Dou bid for the item, is most likely because he
wants to give it as a tribute. Except that Chen Shubao is an Emperor, he would not be interested in something like
this. So this tribute is simply for someone close to him, a servant or attendant. If not mistaken, he is determined
to get the item. Others would not place such a heavy bid on merely the first item.”
The Nine Groups of Caoyun was not only just a group; it formed from the merging of nine different groups. They
did business on water and were one of the vital forces in the Southern Wulin that could not be underestimated.
Among the Nine Groups, the Jinhuan Ganghad the highest power; thus, the Jinhuan Gang’s leader, Ning Shewo,
became the leader of all nine groups.
It was not a difficult task for the Jiejian Bureau to investigate whoever they wanted to, but it was not as
convenient as having Cui Buqu by their side who knew the entire worldly matters of Wulin and Jianghu in his
heart. With a few words, he would recite the other person’s origins and background. This was an ability that Pei
Jingzhe would not even be able to manage. Only the Zuoyue Bureau could produce such a talent.
After Cui Buqu finished talking, the exchange was done. The wine vessel was bought by Leng Dou, completely
aligning with Cui Buqu’s prediction.
This person looked pale on the surface; he also looked sickly with a large robe over him that practically covered
half his face. People who sat near him could feel the tiredness radiating from him, but when he opened his mouth
to speak, there was optimism in his voice. It made one not help but to admire it.
Feng Xiao clapped his hand and complimented, “A-Cui, you are truly brilliant! From all the guests before my eyes,
you’re the only one who got distinguished by thirty percent!”
Cui Buqu kept his mouth shut, refusing to respond to him.
But Feng Xiao refused to let it go, “Will you not ask where the other seventy percent went?”
Cui Buqu replied coldly, “There is no need to ask for me to know.”
Feng Xiao laughed, “It seems you also think the same way. Of all the heroism in the world, they are the same. I
have taken seventy percent, so the remaining thirty percent is offered to you!”
Cui Buqu rolled his eyes in reply.
Pei Jingzhe asked in curiousity, “Does Ning Shewo have any sons?”
Cui Buqu shook his head, “Ning Shewo and his wife were married for nineteen years, but they were blessed with
no children except for an adopted son, Leng Dou. They treat him like one of their own. Ning Shewo already
spread the word that he would be retiring next year, if not mistaken, the position of the leader would be
succeeded by Leng Dou. However, Leng Dou is still young; he cannot even dominate the Jinhuan group yet. All
has yet to be set in stone; there are still things left to be observed.”
Pei Jingzhe only knew a little of it from the rumours, but he had smiled and dismissed them. The reason being
that he felt like those related to the Jianghu province were matters concerning the South and had nothing to do
with the Sui Empire2 whatsoever.
It was as if Cui Buqu understood what he was thinking, saying blandly, “If the Emperor wants to cut down the
Chens, he would have to head down the Southern river. The Nine Groups of Caoyun is indispensable in the South;
therefore, if things can be done within to avoid conflicts when the time comes, the situation would not have been
worse than watching the Nine Groups of Caoyun allying with the Southern Dynasty to go against the Sui Empire.”
Feng Xiao only smiled and remained silent. He had already long thought of this matter.
But Pei Jingzhe had not. Listening to this, he was shocked and immediately clasped his hands together, “I
understand.”
At first, when Cui Buqu had started coughing before he could even speak two sentences, although Pei Jingzhe had
never said it on the lips, he could not help but look down on Cui Buqu. After all, the Jiejian Bureau and the Zuoyue
Bureau were different from the Three Departments and Six Ministries. The two often traveled across lands. The
knowledge of martial arts was not a must, but if they did not know how to defend themselves and were
ambushed by skilled martial artists, it would hinder their tasks. Cui Buqu was a unique case. This person came
from the Glass Palace and knew the world of Jianghu like the back of his hand, yet he did not even have a single
ounce of martial arts on him. Although right now he was under the control of Feng Xiao, the way he spoke did not
show a hint of cowardice or intention of giving in, he neither begged for his life.
Pei Jingzhe felt that this person, even if he did not know any martial arts, it was not a weakness. If his lord could
make this man work beneath him, the Jiejian Bureau’ power will have increased dramatically.
The next one was two ancient instruments. One was a zither called Green Dragonfly, the other a famous sword
called White Rainbow.
Both were exemplary weapons. Therefore, it was natural that many people went out of their way to fight for
them. Even Feng Xiao seemed to be interested in the Green Dragonfly, participating in the auction as well.
However, in the end, someone bought it for three thousand silver taels and acquired the zither. Feng Xiao did not
seem like he absolutely needed to own it, so he gave up midway.
Cui Buqu could tell that the other had no doubt really wanted the zither, but had given up half-way; he could not
help but glare at him a few times.
Feng Xiao, realizing, curled up the corners of his lips, “I do not want the Green Dragonfly because I have
something that is even more invaluable. Do you want to see my most ‘invaluable treasure’?”
Cui Buqu, “……”
Cui Buqu was not someone who fought with words. If he so desired, he could argue with the other and make his
face cease all form of light. Previously, when he was faced with someone despicable like Feng Xiao, there was no
need for him to open his mouth; someone else would clean up these sorts of people for him. However, as of now,
trapped under the banner of the other, he needed to make his move personally. He fixed his eyes on the other
and spoke.
But since Cui Buqu was not a shy lady, there was no expectation for him to blush madly after hearing something
so suggestive. He merely replied flatly and calmly, “Please bring it out and enlighten me.”
Feng Xiao sniffed, “A-Qu, how could you be so frivolous? A ‘holy’ item like this, can you not use the word ‘bring it
out’? It should be ‘presented’.”
Cui Buqu, “I am afraid that when you bring out your ‘invaluable treasure’; in less than a minute it would shrink to
the size of a finger, then I will be very disappointed.”
Feng Xiao was shocked, “I am speaking of a zither, were you not speaking of one?”
Cui Buqu laughed coldly, “I am also speaking of a zither, how do you not know I am speaking of one?”
Pei Jingzhe, “……”
He could no longer tolerate listening to these two talk; his only option being to raise a cup to his lips to hide his
twitching mouth.
Feng Xiao used a ‘keep talking’ look and glared at Cui Buqu, “In that case, QuQu, what zither in this world can
expand and shrink as it pleases?”
Cui Buqu replied, “Tiangong Pavillion’s Li Xuanji just made a fold-up zither. When folded up, it is as big as a palm,
when expanded; it is as big as a lute. Lord Feng, you are a member of the Jiejian Bureau, yet you did not know of
this?”
Feng Xiao smiled, “Li Xuanji possesses god-given haves, but my skills with the zither are definitely better than
his, and better than the Green Dragonfly. Except the Green Dragonfly is a famous zither, it is difficult to come
across. If I can have it for a few days, it would be excellent.”
Cui Buqu spoke, “The one who bought the Green Dragonfly is called Cui Hao. He is the eldest son of the second
wife of the leader of Boling Cui Clan. Next month on the eighth day, it will be his father, Cui Yong's birthday. Cui
Yong loves the zither like life itself, and he also loves Cui Hao.”
Judging by his meaning, this zither was bought as a gift for his father.
The rest of the auctioned items were all purchased as well.
Those who are able to attend the Linlang Guild’s auctioning event were naturally people who had no money
problems. When they bought something, it could alleviate their position and significance, creating an illusion of
someone at a higher place. So no matter how expensive the items were, there was bound to be someone who
bought it. However, some of the participants were people that not even Feng Xiao or Pei Jingzhe knew, yet Cui
Buqu could recite their background one by one. From his introduction of them, Feng Xiao vaguely knew that they
had nothing to do with the case.
When the day drifted towards the afternoon, half the auction was already over with. The Linlang Guild served its
customers with a variety of desserts, so they could fill their stomachs with something. The people were not too
hungry; instead, they were excited for the next half of the auctioning event.
Pei Jingzhe could no longer sit for another moment. He suspected that the Jade of Heaven’s Lake might not even
appear here, however, Feng Xiao seemed as though he intended to go with his decision in the end, so Pei Jingzhe
could only sit properly back.
After a while, he heard a young man say, “The next item is a jade stone, it has no name or origin. It only arrived
here yesterday, given to Linlang Guild. It has not gone through Master Dong Yang’s approval, so it is impossible
to determine whether it is a genuine or bogus item. This sort of thing, if bought by the customer and regretted,
the Linlang Guild will not take any form of responsibility. Just as a heads up.”
This rule was already spoken once, but was repeated again. People, who originally were not too interested,
looked discouraged.
The waiter brought a chest with cravings and took out the item inside. From outside the window, sunlight shone
through. Everyone gasped in wonderment.
Pei Jingzhe practically could not sit still. He immediately straightened his body and glared at the item in the
waitress’ hands.
It was the Jade of Heaven’s Lake!
================================
[1] Nine Groups of Caoyun: 漕运九帮 the name scheme of this group is strange, but it seems like they’re in charge of
transporting merchandise through the canals. It’s called the Caoyun system.
[2] Sui Empire: The Sui Dynasty will now be called the Sui Empire to avoid confusion with the Northern and Southern
Dynasties.

Chapter 15 – Feng Xiao: I Played Myself

Just as Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu were in the Linlang Guild’s hall waiting for the Jade of Heaven’s Lake to appear,
the Spring Moon received an unusual guest.
The reason as to why the guest was strange was because he had shaved all his hair and held prayer beads in his
hands. To say that he was a monk was not right, as he was wearing the usual clothes, yet it was also not correct
to not call him a monk because his face looked like a well that had dried up. He did not look like he was here to
entertain himself; instead, he looked like someone who came here to spread Buddist teachings.
The mistress of the place, Lady Xue, received a lot of guests in the past years, but this was the first time she had
seen someone so strange. She heard that the guest has disregarded all propriety and busted himself inside, so
she could only simply grab a hairpiece, yawn, and walk down the stairs with a few guards by her side.
When both gazes met, Lady Xue had to suppress her anger and switch to a smiling face.
“My Lord, in the Spring Moon, we do not receive guests during the day. If you want, you can come back in the
evening.”
Zhangsun Bodhi, “I heard there is a Lady Yunyun; whose dance has astounded half the city, I came here to see
her.”
Lady Xue covered her lips and laughed, “I fear that Lady Yunyun hasn’t even woke up yet at this hour!”
If regular customers of the Spring Moon were here and witnessed how Lady Xue acted so aggressively towards a
customer that did not know the rules, their jaws would have fallen out right away. However, to Lady Xue, she had
interacted with many different people in the past, so Zhangsun Bodhi’s handsomeness was enough for her to
relieve her disgust, and put on a smile and welcoming façade.
Zhangsun Bodhi’s eyebrows furrowed, “But I am only travelling past the City of Six Crafts, tonight I will be
leaving. Can I not see her even once?”
He took out a pouch and gave it to Lady Xue.
Once Lady Xue opened it,she was stunned on the spot.
Inside the pouch were numerous large, round pearls from the Southern Sea, gleaming under the sunlight.
With Zhangsun Bodhi’s handsome face added with this bag of pearls, let alone asking Lady Yunyun to accompany
him, even if he had asked for Lady Xue herself, she would not have declined.
“My lord, please come this way. I will call for Yunyun at once!”
Zhangsun Bodhi nodded his head slightly, his gaze mildly moving to the house in front. With a light movement
and a shadow, he swiftly disappeared.
If they wanted to avoid suspicion, of course, it was best if they came at night, but after much discussion with Qiao
Xian, they still decided that it was more convenient to come in the morning. It would be easier to catch them off
guard, and it might even lure the culprit out.
The Spring Moon’s building was very complex, consisting of many turns and allies; it was as if it had hidden many
mysteries inside. Zhangsun Bodhi walked behind Lady Xue, thinking that this was indeed a place that was easy to
hide a person, especially when the one was skilled in martial arts. As long as one remained quiet, and hid behind
flowers and trees, no one could find them.
“This is Yunyun’s place. You may go up yourself, but she might not have woken up.” Lady Xue laughed.
Although Yunyun was someone who sold both her skills and her body, she was not someone just anyone could
have. It was only because Zhangsun Bodhi was simply too generous, taking out a bag of pearls like that. It was
not only enough for one Yunyun, even if he wanted ten Yunyuns, it was also adequate.
After Lady Xue spoke, she turned and left. Zhangsun knocked on the door twice, and the door opened quickly
afterwards. A young woman staring at him stood outside.
Zhangsun Bodhi, “I am here for Yunyun.”
The young woman got angered, “You do not know the rules, do you? The lady does not accept guests during the
day. Leave now, or I will call the guards.”
Zhangsun, “It was Lady Xue who allowed me to come.”
The young woman was stunned for a moment, her anger turning to sorrow, but after a moment, she peacefully
said, “My lord, this way. Please take a seat, Yunyun has yet to wake up, but I will call for her now.”
Zhangsun nodded, “Thank you.”
The place was meticulously decorated. Among Zhangsun’s surroundings, he could see there was a pot of lamei
flowers in front of the window. He was thinking of how they were able to get blossoms during spring, so he got
up to take a look only to realize it was silk flowers. Solely because it was presented remarkably well, did it seem
to be real. Its colour was evenly spread out, and deeply attractive, it could pull off the look quite well.
“Do they look nice?” Behind him, the voice of a woman sounded.
“They do.” Zhangsun Bodhi turned around, “Did you make this yourself?”
Yunyun smiled but did not reply. She was only wearing a thin outer robe that hung loosely on her body, looking
leisurely and relaxed.
“It is good if it looks nice. Does it matter where it came from? My lord, why did you come here so stubbornly in
the day, that even Lady Xue was unable to stop you?”
Zhangsun Bodhi said simply, “A bag of pearls.”
Yunyun listened and understood immediately; she laughed, “No wonder she was willing to make you an
exception.”
After she spoke, she immediately held Zhangsun’s hand and leaned close to him.
It did not matter that Lady Yunyun’s dance was beautiful and alluring; many wealthy men willingly threw their
money to her. Beautiful women were easy to get anywhere, but everyone tended to be in a hurry to act.
Yunyun knew this, so she did not imitate the other girls from other entertainment taverns.
However, Zhangsun Bodhi pushed her hand away.
“I want to see you dance.”
Yunyun laughed, “My lord, are you feeling shy, so you wanted to see a dance instead? It is possible, but there are
no instruments here, I can only let my maidservants play the lute.”
Zhangsun Bodhi, “I am not shy, neither am I pretending to be a gentleman. I truly just want to see you dance.”
His expression was pale, and neither was he smiling, the way he spoke was almost convincing.
“Do you remember this golden hairpiece?” Zhangsun Bodhi took out an ornament from his sleeves and gave it to
her.
At first, Yunyun looked confused, but then the colour returned to her face as she remembered something.
“Are you that… from the western ally…”
Zhangsun nodded his head, “Eight years ago, a young man wandered the streets nigh starvation, and it practically
claimed his life. It was you who gave him a golden hairpiece and allowed him to pawn it for money. Later that, he
strived hard in life, with enough money, he purchased this hairpiece back and carried it on him at all times, only
to return it to you. To draw an end to the kindness that you began.”
Yunyun stared at the golden hairpiece for a long time, tears slowly filling her eyes. In the end, they fell onto
Zhangsun Bodhi’s palms.
“Eight years. You are already a man, and I have grown old.”
Zhangsun, “If you are willing, I can redeem you from this place.”
Yunyun wiped her tears and shook her head, “I enjoy days like this, to be able to perform before many eyes on
the stage. You need not be worried about me. You can keep this hairpiece as a form of a memoir. What dance
would you like to see? I will dance for you.”
After that brief conversation, Lady Yunyun’s attitude towards Zhangsun Bodhi changed. She acted incredibly
familiar with him, no longer awkward and distant like she was before.
Zhangsun looked at her intently before putting the golden hairpiece back into his sleeves.
“Then, please dance ‘Zui Dong Feng’.”

……

Within the Linlang Guild’s stall, practically no one managed to sit still. The quiet atmosphere was heated up at
once. A few people stretched their necks to look at the waitress’ hands that were holding the jade, round and
beautiful and perfect.
There was no need for the Linlang staff to introduce the item. Whoever held knowledge of gemstones would
know that this was a valuable piece of treasure.
“The Jade of Heaven's Lake looks like that?” Pei Jingzhe could not stop himself but speak.
They had tried to estimate the facts before. It was very likely that the Jade of Heaven’s Lake would appear in the
Linlang Guild’s auction event, but no one thought that it would come in such a glorified manner. If the Jiejian
Bureau came out now and took the jade away, would not the other party’s schemes fall apart right then and
there?
“Could this be a fake?” Pei Jingzhe thought of this possibility.
Since the Linlang Guild took it out, it would be too late for them to keep it. Regardless of whether it was the real
one or a fake one, they could only determine it if they owned it.
“This item’s origins are unknown. The Linlang Guild would not bestow upon a conclusion. So, the starting price of
the item will be set to five guan, whoever wants to bid for a higher price, please help yourselves.”
The middle-aged man’s voice rang throughout the halls. Someone shouted six guans, and the prices kept building.
Not long after, it became fifty guans, and the crowd was still in the heat of the moment. The prices kept rising,
until it was impossible to predict that it would end any time soon. Even Lin Wei who had been silent also joined
the bid and straightaway shouted a whole one-hundred guans before someone pushed the price higher.
Pei Jingzhe could not help but ask Feng Xiao, “My lord, what should we—”
With a jade like that, even if it was not the Jade of Heaven’s Lake, it would still draw commendable attention from
the crowd. Adding to the fact that news of the Jade of Heaven’s Lake being lost was spread throughout the place,
many people who kept close to winds knew of it. It was because of this reason that this jade now looked familiar
to more people when compared to the few items before it.
Feng Xiao, “Wait for a little while.”
That waiting lasted until the price finally reached three thousand and two hundred silver taels. Seeing that the
bidders had begun to slow down now, under Feng Xiao’s orders, Pei Jingzhe shouted five thousand silver taels,
added with the price of ten pearls from the Southern sea.
The place immediately quietened down.
Everyone stared in Pei Jingzhe’s direction.
Cui Buqu pulled the brim of his robe loose around his neck, moving away slightly sideways avoiding the gazes of
everyone.
Feng Xiao purposely moved closer to him, “You’re no little lady, why be so shy? Are you not willing to see this?”
Cui Buqu answered coldly, “For you to grab attention like that, I fear that if I am seen with you, even if someone
murdered me in my sleep tonight I would not even know what happened.”
Feng Xiao laughed, extending a hand to put it on his waist and said in a suggestive voice, “Then you can share a
bed with me. I guarantee you will sleep soundly until the next sunrise!”
Cui Buqu rose to his feet. Raising a hand, at the blinding speed of thunder, he slapped Feng Xiao across the face. It
all happened in the blink of an eye that even Feng Xiao himself, who was unparalleled in martial arts, could not
respond to it. He wobbled a little before finally taking a step back.
“You shameless, despicable, unscrupulous lecher! After taking my sister, you would not even let me run free? I
even left for the City of Six Crafts, yet you refuse to cease pursuit. Has this world become lawless?!”
Under the eyes of everyone, Cui Buqu looked terrified, the fact that his face was pale made him look even more
convincing. It made them think of bamboo amidst of snow, brittle yet refusing to break.
Feng Xiao: ……
Never in his life would he have thought that Cui Buqu kept holding it in, refusing to speak; only to wait until he
was under the eyes of the public. The way everyone looked at Feng Xiao changed immediately.
Feng Xiao thought to himself, that this time, he really did play himself.

Chapter 16 – Fool, That Was Just Mulberry Juice

After Cui Buqu stopped talking, he covered his mouth and started coughing.
His coughs followed one after the other, sounding increasingly severe, causing him to bend down slightly. His
whole body shook when he coughed, like a bamboo in the midst of a tremendous wind.
During these two months, the Zixia Daoist Temple’s name rose within the City of Six Crafts. Not everyone present
here were locals, but there were still a few who knew Cui Buqu, so they shouted, “Master Daoist Cui, are you
alright? Do you need any help?”
“In broad daylight, I cannot believe there are still people who would do these kinds of disgusting things. Master
Cui, please come down here, let us call the bureau!” Someone else shouted.
Cui Buqu coughed a few more times and laughed bitterly, “This is Feng Xiao from the Jiejian Bureau. He came
here to investigate the case of the Khotan ambassador’s murder. He insisted that I had something to do with the
case, so he held me under custody. Even if you went to the magistrate, it would be pointless. I appreciate your
kindness. Just now, I just… could not hold it in anymore!”
He had coughed quite violently, so his eyes were brimmed with tears, yet no one was concerned for him.
Everyone simply saw that Cui Buqu’s face was pale and weak, the tears making him look very pitiful.
Even Lin Wei who held romantic feelings towards Feng Xiao could not help but grow suspicious: Could it be that
Feng Xiao was only gentlemanly on the surface, but in reality, his hobbies were eccentric and beyond horrifying.
Not only did he sleep with both men and women, but he also desired for the sickly and ill types?
If he thought about it in this manner, then as to why Feng Xiao was not interested in him… it all made sense.
Lin Wei was beginning to wonder about the last time he tried to act in front of him to get his attention, yet he did
not know Feng Xiao’s background or origin, it made him stunned for a moment. The Lin family was very close
with the people in the palace. Lin Wei’s network was also often quicker than others. He knew what to imagine
when he heard the words ‘The Jiejian Bureau’. He did not know who Feng Xiao was at first, and he even dared to
have sexual thoughts about him? Now that he thought about it, he felt that he had gone a little out of his place.
The Linlang Guild’s auction was cut off in the middle. The middle-aged man panicked a little and did not know
how to respond until Feng Xiao laughed loudly.
“I said it myself; I insisted that I would want both. Your sister is fragile and beautiful, and you are intelligent. So
what if I owned both of you? With the power the Jiejian Bureau holds in front of the Emperor, these sort of trivial
matters do not suffice to flaunt the imperial laws! A-Cui, I’ve trained your sister, and now, all that is left is you. If
you are willing to follow me, I guarantee that from now on, regardless of what you want, I can give it to you!”
He flashed an evil laugh at Cui Buqu as if Cui Buqu truly had such a sister who had married into Feng Xiao’s
house.
You have a plan, but so do I. Is this not merely throwing stones at each other? Who is afraid of whom? Cui Buqu
laughed coldly, “But are these the habits of a gentleman? I have told my sister before, that when she is with you,
you seem to have some sort of weird hobby. Yet she refused to listen to me and loved to take off everything to let
you spank her. She also said she loved it when it hurt; the more painful, the better. You tortured her until she is
half dead. I wager these are things you are too cowardly to let others know!”
The entire hall gasped.
Pei Jingzhe: ……
He was thoroughly immune to it, his entire face was expressionless, as he watched these two ruin each other’s
reputation, stomping the other’s name down into the mud.
Lin Wei opened his mouth widely, shocked beyond words.
In his heart, he spoke: Who knew Feng Xiao looked all proper and gentlemanly, yet he hid such a hobby. On the
other hand, while he himself was a cut-sleeve, and was considered unusual, at least he is still normal in other
aspects…….
The corner of Feng Xiao’s lips twitched.
He thought that he was cruel enough to himself and that he was also swift to think of a backup. Who knew that
someone else was even quicker than he had been. That Cui Buqu was even crueller than him.
Both of them glared at each other, big eyes glaring at smaller eyes. After a while, Feng Xiao decided to let go of
the matter and deal with the serious one at hand.
He flipped his sleeves and spoke to the middle-aged man, “This is a personal matter. There is no need for
everyone to be so concerned. If you hold any curiosity, you may come forth to the Jiejian Bureau. Today the
auction has yet to come to an end; we cannot dally here, can we?”
The middle-aged man looked as if he had woken up from a dream, “Y-yes! No one has claimed this piece of jade
yet. Everyone, please take your seats!”
Cui Buqu sat back down again and looked perfectly calm. Presently, even though he was in the hands of Feng
Xiao, and it had all begun with an accident; it had also been a part of his plan. Since he was now playing his own
game, of course, he could not leave the place. At the very least, he could disgust Feng Xiao a little bit.
From the uproar before, everyone seemed to find it tough to sit in peace. No one else bid for the jade, so it was
ultimately owned by Feng Xiao. After that, there were a few more treasures; and naturally, it resumed to being
fought for by everyone. Feng Xiao did not participate again and only waited for the auction to come to an end. He
took Pei Jingzhe and Cui Buqu and left the place, turning to the Qiushan manor.
“Master Cui, your mouth is so powerful. With just two or three sentences, you ruined our lord’s name!” Pei
Jingzhe exclaimed as he thought about the incident just now and felt a little frustrated. His tongue was not as
sharp as Feng Xiao, at that time, he could not think of anything more to refute. If he had attacked Cui Buqu, it
would just prove that Cui Buqu was right.
“I still have the Naihexiang in my system. That cannot make up for merely saying a few sentences. Just now, I did
not vomit blood in front of the audiences, and that is already being kind to you two.”
Cui Buqu looked pale, no longer having the terrifying shade of colour he had put on just now. He sat there
peacefully, calm like mountains and seas.
Pei Jingzhe felt unhappy, “Then vomit a mouthful of blood for me to see!”
Before he even finished talking, Cui Buqu opened his mouth and coughed. A mouthful of blood-coloured liquid
fell onto his robes, creating a red stain.
Pei Jingzhe: ?!!
He was in for a shock. Immediately he leapt three foot into the sky, almost running forwards to check on Cui
Buqu.
Feng Xiao’s light voice travelled to his ear, “Fool, it is just mulberry juice.”
He locked his eyes and looked. That colour did not seem dark red like human blood, but a shade of red that
looked purplish.
Pei Jingzhe: ……
Cui Buqu raised his sleeve to wipe the juice off the corner of his lips, showing no guilt at being called out.
“I choked.”
Pei Jingzhe’s mouth twitched as he recalled. A while ago in the Linlang auction event, the waitress did bring them
a few drinks and Cui Buqu had indeed ordered a cup of mulberry juice. But for him to keep the juice in his mouth
until now simply to spit it out, he thought, it was not an easy thing to accomplish.
Feng Xiao smiled, “QuQu, you look even more pleasing to the eye now. Would you honestly not consider coming
to the Jiejian Bureau? The position of the Fourth Commander of the Jiejian Bureau awaits you. With a word from
me, a gentleman, the best horses of the lands would not be able to compare in value no matter their speed or
might.”
Cui Buqu, “Are you considered a gentleman?”
Feng Xiao, “Fine, I am not a gentleman, I am a vile man. A word from a vile man could at least be worth two swift
horses. Or should I just say; your place in the Zuoyue Bureau is even higher than I had imagined?”
Cui Buqu, “I have said it before, I have never heard of the Zuoyue Bureau.”
Feng Xiao, “Then let us talk about the jade.”
Pei Jingzhe placed the jade on the table.
Under the sunlight, the jade reflected rainbows. They practically saw their reflections on the jade.
“Of the men who participated in the bidding just now, including me, there were six people. Do you know who
they are?”
Cui Buqu responded, “Lin Wei from the Yandang Estate. Zhou Pei, one of the top wealthiest businessmen of
Khotan. Boling Cui Clan’s Cui Hao. Gao Ning, a Goguryeoian man. Anlu Zhang Clan’s Zhang Yingshui.
It was as though he had long expected Feng Xiao to ask such a question and answered everyone’s name without
even stopping to think.
Feng Xiao, “Among them, whom do you think is the most suspicious?”
Pei Jingzhe formerly thought that Cui Buqu would not know how to answer, perhaps something along the lines
of, “How would I know?”, but this time he was incredibly cooperative.
“Zhou Pei. His father is a Göktürk. According to rumours, he is a cousin to Khan Ishbara’s number one martial
artist, Fo Shou. And that, Goguryeoian man, Gao Ning.”

Chapter 17 – Accursed Show-off Oleander

Zhangsun Bodhi was not a man who sought entertainment.
His personality, from the eyes of spectators, looked a little bitter. When he was in the Zuoyue Bureau, he would
recite menu scripts or make tea. His life was even dryer than that of normal monks. However, to him, it did not
feel bitter; it felt natural.
At that moment, every man in the city would have loved to be in his position. Watching Yunyun dance to the slow
music, her legs long and fair and soft. As they moved, the golden bells on her legs jingled. However, Zhangsun did
not act unnaturally. He sat with his back straight and relaxed, both hands on each other, the prayer beads sitting
in his palm. All his attention was given to the performance in front of him as if he was watching one of the best
martial artists performing.
Lady Yunyun had experienced many different kinds of situations; hence she could finish a dance flawlessly even
under his gaze.
“Was it perfect?” She took the cloth given to her by her maidservants and replied as she laughed.
“It was.” Zhangsun merely replied with two words. However, they sounded more sincere compared to a
thousand compliments in her ears.
“Then tonight, you…” Yunyun only said four words and did not continue.
Originally it was not the first time she let a guest stay overnight, but she knew not why, this time, it was difficult
for her to express her words. Perhaps because Zhangsun’s expression looked too formal; he did not look like a
man who would share a bed with prostitutes.
Although the people outside praised and glorified her and spoke of her as though she was even more difficult to
be bought than gold, Yunyun knew in her heart that, at the end of the day, she was just another person who had
no choice in life, a fish struggling fruitlessly in a fisherman’s net.
Suddenly, the man got closer to her and the façade that she had put up immediately crumbled. Her shoulders
became stiff, and her body suddenly refused to listen to her. She wanted to step back but was unable to. She
could only let the other’s nose drift near her.
“The scent of you is truly exceptional.” Zhangsun said.
Yunyun’s ears turned red. “Yes, it’s the smell of mandarins, added with a little bit of the smell of trees and grass.”
Zhangsun, “It is a pleasant smell.”
Both of them were practically stuck close to each other. Yunyun’s waist and shoulders were held by strong arms,
she could not move, but her heartbeat gradually became faster.
This man, to her, was even more handsome than any other man she had met. He was filled with energy, and they
had shared such an obscure fate.
Zhangsun, “Are you the one who made this perfume?”
Under his seduction, Lady Yunyun seemed to have lost all her guard, “No. Someone made it for me.”
Zhangsun Bodhi, “Could you make one for me too?”
“Sure…” Yunyun stuttered before feeling herself being let go suddenly. Confusion appeared on her face.
Zhangsun, “It is not yet dark.”
Yunyun’s face turned red. It was not that appropriate to do that in the morning. Besides, the place they were in
was not like the rest. In front of this man, she wanted to give a good impression.
“Then, my lord, what would you like to do? Should I dance once more for you?” She combed her hair and smiled
gently.
“I want to make a painting on you.” Zhangsun Bodhi said.
Yunyun was stunned.
Zhangsun Bodhi, “I have watched dances in the palace. You do not fall behind compared to them. I want to put it
onto paint and paper, so you can see for yourself.”
Had it been any other person who said those words, she would only offer a smile, but presently the man who said
these words was someone who paid a lot of attention, and his look was severe. She trusted his words completely.
No one had ever said they wanted to paint her.
Yunyun raised her head and gave a very exuberant laugh, “Of course!”
Outside the room, Hong Zhu had brought some food with her, but the room’s doors were closed, and there
remained silence.
Her footsteps stopped, bringing with it a little bit of excitement, using a shoulder she parted the doors a little,
looking through the translucent veil. However, it was not as she has imagined it. There was neither music nor
action. Yunyun’s back was turned towards her, unmoving.
Looking at the man who just barged inside just now, they were not kissing or hugging, but he was standing in
front of the study, drawing something.
Hong Zhu looked at Zhangsun Bodhi’s drawing for a good while; the envy blatant in her eyes. However, the two
people in the room were oblivious, as if they did not notice the maidservant eavesdropping outside.
In the end, she felt disinterested; twitching her lips, she quietly left, bringing the wine and food back to her own
room. She was not aware that behind her, a white shadow had appeared.
Qiao Xiao had first wanted to question Hong Zhu, but after observing her, she decided against it.
Everyone had their faults. The scariest thing was not being able to find out your enemy’weakness.
Hong Zhu’s weakness was already apparent to the eye.
Or, if they changed the way they questioned her, Qiao Xiao’s inquiry would be answered far more effectively.
…….
In the Qiushan manor, Cui Buqu stared at the Jade of Heaven’s lake and spoke warmly, “The present King of
Goguryeo is its fifty-second ruler. The surname ‘Gao’ is the imperial surname of the Goguryeoians. Although few
in the Central Place know of Gao Ning; in Goguryeo, he is no small matter. They say his sword style is nigh
unparalleled. Once, he defeated the top twelve martial artists from Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. The king was
satisfied with his performance and knighted him as the number one martial artist of Goguryeo. He was permitted
to carry his sword and mount horses within the palace.”
After being deceived by Cui Buqu, Pei Jingzhe felt a little salty in his heart; so he could not stop himself saying,
“Goguryeo is a small kingdom. It is rare to even to meet the people from there. I fear that the so-called ‘top
martial artist’ is simply just for their standards; but within the Central Plains, they are probably no match for
anyone.”
It was odd to find Cui Buqu agreeing with him, “Not bad. However, this time, Gao Ning indeed had the intention
of taking the Jade of Heaven’s Lake. There are no martial artists in this world that would refuse an opportunity to
improve themselves. Many others are cornered like a bottle’s neck, unable to move up or down, but with the
jade; they might have a chance at a breakthrough.”
Pei Jingzhe, “But this is just assuming, there is no way for anyone to know whether it is real or a bogus.”
“A sliver of hope would suffice. People will take the chance.” Feng Xiao knuckled the table, “Now back to the main
topic. Do you all feel that, if you wanted to steal something, would allow it to appear in front of the eyes of the
public, so it would garner the attention of everyone else?”
Pei Jingzhe, “I would use the Linlang Guild’s influence, let it become one of the auction items, and take it away
just like that. Since it came from Linlang Guild’s auction event; it would also be a lot more convenient to vanish
with the jade. The chairman of the Linlang Guild, Wen Liang, is still in prison now, so it is possible for such a thing
to take place. Could it be that because Wen Liang was captured by us, their plans failed, so the jade was able to
fall into our hands?”
Feng Xiao shook his head. He thought that the whole matter would not have been so simple. There had to be
something that he must have left out.
This case looked simple on the surface: a murder and robbery case. However, it could be dissected from within,
and then one would find that it was even more complicated than before. It was as if they had found a clue, but
were immediately thrown back into the chaos.
Feng Xiao could feel that someone was playing the chess with an invisible hand. Some hands that had the
intention to cover its goals; some hands that wanted to observe from the side.
As he thought of this, he turned towards Cui Buqu.
The latter felt his gaze on him, so he looked towards his way, looking impassive.
Damn sly fox, Feng Xiao muttered in his heart.
Accursed show-off oleander, Cui Buqu smiled darkly.
Oleander, beautiful on the outside and poisonous within; using it to describe Feng Xiao, he thought, was
undeniably far from inappropriate.
Pei Jingzhe did not realise the intense stare between the two men in front of him. He contemplated for half a day
and said, “Could it be, that there was originally two Jade of Heaven’s Lake: one bogus and one that is the real?”
Chapter 18 – How Will The Oleander Fairy Solve This Now?
It was challenging enough to look for one treasure of this standard, where would one find another?
Cui Buqu reached out and rested his hand on top of the jade stone, feeling a tingle of coldness radiating from his
palm.
All three of them present had never seen the real Jade of Heaven’s Lake; therefore, they naturally did not have
any means of identifying it.
Feng Xiao, “What did they say on the Lanling Guild’s side?”
Pei Jingzhe, “I have asked people from the Lanling Guild. Yesterday, an old servant with grey robes came along
and gave them the jade placed in a very common looking chest. He claimed it to be a family heirloom, but because
they were facing dire circumstances, he came here to pawn it. Usually, the Linlang Guild would not have accepted
these things that had no backing to them. They fear it might be stolen property; destroying the Linlang Guild’s
name. However, since it came at the right time, Wen Liang reconsidered it and decided that if it was indeed
stolen, he could still simply bring it to the auction, so when the owner recognizes it, they could return it to him;
so he decided to accept the jade.”
Cui Buqu, “If they were to decide against auctioning it, what would they do with it?”
Pei Jingzhe, “According to their rules, they would keep it for a year. If there was still no one who came to claim it,
they would release it to be auctioned. This time, however, they immediately auctioned it.
Cui Buqu, “Would the Khotan kingdom send another ambassador here?”
Pei Jingzhe looked at Feng Xiao. With a nod from his Commander, he told Cui Buqu, “Yes. The Khotan kingdom
would send a new ambassador, and he is already on his way. We have men waiting at Qiemo to receive them.
However, at the very least, it might take the ambassador three to five days before they could arrive in the City of
Six Crafts.”
That would also mean that within these three to five days, no one would be able to verify whether presently the
jade in their possession was the authentic Jade of Heaven’s Lake.
Cui Buqu caressed the jade and said, “Today when you claimed the jade, at least ten people were glaring at you
for a long time. Three of them were displeased; two of them had killing intentions.”
He had even noticed this?, Pei Jingzhe felt a little shocked and could not help but ask, “Who?”
Cui Buqu proceeded to honestly spill his analysis, “The three who furrowed their brows in displeasure were:
Jinhuan group Leng Dou; Khotan top millionaire, Zhou Pei; Anlu Zhang Clan’s Zhang Yingshui. The two that held
killing intentions: one is a black-clad Göktürkish; the other is a man wearing grey robes, around twenty-five to
twenty-six, and wearing a bamboo hat. I have never seen these two men before; therefore, I am unable to
determine their identity.”
“Göktürks?” Pei Jingzhe reacted sensitively to the word.
On the other hand, Feng Xiao looked amused, “Whether this jade is the real one or not, once it is in my hands, it
would not be surprising if a handful of people would come to our doorstep.”
Cui Buqu, “That is correct.”
Pei Jingzhe said in agitation, “Would they be willing to go against the Jiejian Bureau?”
Cui Buqu laughed in ridicule, “The Jiejian Bureau may have the Emperor’s blessing, even the Three Departments
and Six Ministries would have given you people face; but what are they in the province of Jianghu? This jade is
ethereal; possessing the ability to raise one from the dead, why is it not worth it for them to fight over?”
Pei Jingzhe’s jaw fell wide open. He wanted to retort, but he could not think of anything to say.
Feng Xiao gave a light laugh.
“The weather is bitter and cold. After standing outside for so long, why won’t you come in and have some tea?”
Is there someone outside?
Pei Jingzhe immediately twitched his ears. His martial arts were not dreadful, but just now, he did not even
realize there was someone outside.
Suddenly, at this moment, the feather-light voice of a woman, like glistening water, sounded.
“I only fear that the house is too crowded with there being not enough space.”
There it was!
Pei Jingzhe stood up at that instant.
Feng Xiao simply took the jade’s chest and threw it against the room’s door.
Of course, it was not his intention to drill a hole into the door to throw the chest outside the room. Once the chest
hit the door, it bounced back, and so did the door, opening widely by itself. This was a technique that only high-
level martial artists knew.
The wind followed, flowing into the room from the opening. The shadow of a yellow-clothed woman
instantaneously filled the gazes of the three of them. The woman was sitting on the roof of the residence opposite
of them, with both her legs hanging down freely.
She looked quite ordinary without a hint of fear or nervousness. When compared to Feng Xiao, it was like the
cloud and the earth. Once their mouths open, it is impossible to recognize the wrong person.
“It is rather late in the night; I would feel so shy to disturb you at an hour like this. However, if Lord Feng would
allow me to take a look at the jade, I will leave once I have caught a glimpse of it.”
Pei Jingzhe followed Feng Xiao out of the room and immediately realized that the yellow-robed woman was not
alone. On the top of the left and right roofs, and under the tree on the left, there were three others.
One was wearing a white veil, clad in all white from head to toe. It was impossible to even tell their gender.
Another was tall and had tints of yellow in his hair. With a glance, it was evident that he was an exotic man.
With so many elite martial artists standing outside, he himself did not even realize something was wrong. What
did that mean?
It meant that if anything happened, he would not be able to serve Feng Xiao the way he wanted.
Pei Jingzhe felt his body drenched in a cold sweat all of a sudden.
The yellow-robed woman noticed his nervousness and laughed lightly, “Little Lord, do not be afraid. I am not
with them.”
Cui Buqu coughed in a low voice before walking out slowly.
Compared to the way those outsiders were dressed, Cui Buqu was wrapped tightly around his body. The colour
of his face looked white as snow; at once glance, it was easy to tell that he was sick all his life as if he could not
even manage to live past the next few days. His footsteps were also light, showing that he knew nothing of
martial arts.
Everyone’s gazes fell upon him, and then turned away, not thinking of him much.
Feng Xiao approached confidently without even a trace of being nervous. Instead, he looked as if he was waiting
for this to happen for a very long time. His eyes glowed excitedly, blinking like a dazzling array of stars.
“There are two more. Why don’t you all come out?”
Everyone present said nothing as if they were waiting for the last two to emerge from the shadows.
The silence lasted for a long while. Only one shadow came out in slow steps. From their figure, they looked like
two tall women, but half of their body was still hidden by shadows.
Pei Jingzhe spoke in a low voice, “Who else is there? What good will hiding yourself do?
The yellow-robed woman said, “That person has left, and if I am not wrong, it should be one of the assassins from
the organization, the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai..
As soon as they heard the name, Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu’s gaze shook a little.
Yunhai Thirteen Stories was a recent secret organization in the Jianghu province. Their profession was
murdering people for gold. In this world, there were bound to be some people whose existence was a threat to
another; so if it was not convenient for them to dirty their own hands, or if they were in no power to kill them,
they would employ the Yunhai Thirteen Stories.
It was said that Yunhai's business was not bad at all; but they were growing bolder by day, even daring to
assassinate imperial officials. Last month, within the ministry of justice, one official had fallen dead. After an
investigation by the Jiejian Bureau, it was discovered that his death was suspicious and related to the murder. So
the Yunhai Thirteen Stories had been on the Jiejien Bureau’s tracking records ever since.
The things did by assassins were mostly illegal; therefore, when they saw that Feng Xiao was not an amateur and
that there were so many other highly skilled martial artists present, they knew that they could not take
advantage of the situation, so naturally, they hid in the shadows.
However, merely one had left, five still remained.
Cui Buqu’s gaze swept the area, and he coughed twice, but it was simply to cover his amusement.
It would be interesting to know how that oleander would deal with a kind of situation such as tonight.

Chapter 19 – You Whose Surname Is Feng, You Motherfucking

Bastard!
Qiao Xian sat in the tea house, watching the amber-coloured liquid in her bowl, daydreaming as the tea reflected
the colour of the sunset.
Gradually, the light of the sunset disappeared, and the owner of the house lit the candles, walking over to ask
Qiao Xian if she wanted a bowl of hot noodle soup.
Qiao Xiao declined.
She was not used to bitter tea that brought with it a little saltiness. In the Zuoyue Bureau, everyone knew that the
Commander’s subordinate, Qiao Xiao, loved sour plum tea.
But in a place like this, where the cold had yet to retreat, there was not a single trace of sour plum tea.
Qiao Xiao raised the teacup to her lips for the fifth time; once she savoured it, her eyebrows wrinkled. Finally,
Zhangsun Bodhi appeared.
Slowly, the other walked out of the Spring Moon, as if they had long agreed to wait here for the other. He was
walking towards the tea house casually.
“You are an hour late.” She said as Zhangsun sat down.
Zhangsun, “It is you who is early.”
Qiao Xian, “What did you find out?”
Zhangsun spoke a bit too late, “The scent on her body was made by someone called Lady Miao. The lady
supposedly knew a lot about perfumes and could make whatever scent she wanted. The reason Yunyun could
make a name in the Spring Moon was also because of her.”
If either Feng Xiao or Cui Buqu was present, once they heard of the name Lady Miao, they would have made the
connection with the concubine of the Khotan ambassador, Qin Miaoyu; but they were not here, so Zhangsun and
Qiao Xian both were clueless.
However, even so, Zhangsun and Qiao Xiao both managed to understand the reason why Cui Buqu wanted them
to investigate the plum blossom scent.
“This Lady Miao must be a hint to the person the Commander wants to find.” Qiao Xian said, “But you were with
her a whole day, you only managed to find out about this clue?”
Zhangsun Bodhi looked at her silently, which meant that he asked her back with ‘Then what did you find out?’
Qiao Xian, “Originally I was tailing her handmaid, but who knew I saw her outside, looking enviously at you and
Lady Yunyun; so I pretended to be a wounded martial artist from Jianghu who accidentally came into the Spring
Moon and let her save me, then feigned pity and managed to ask a few things.”
Qiao Xian had some scent on her that made her smell like a sharp beauty; but if she swapped into the body of a
male, it turned into something elegant. It would make women go mad with craze. After staring for a long while,
one would feel that Qiao Xian even felt manly.
For the first time, Zhangsun Bodhi’s gaze lingered on Qiao Xian for a long while, confusion showing in his eyes.
“You — are you a male or a female?”
Qiao Xian replied plainly, “After reading Buddhist scripts for so long, don’t you understand that ‘looks are only
the mind’s perception’, and are meaningless’?”
Zhangsun replied silently, turning the Buddha beads in his hands, and muttered amitabha under his breath.
“You are right. I have strayed.”
Qiao Xian, “Nothing took place between you and Lady Yunyun?”
Zhangsun said calmly, “After I asked what I wanted, I put her to sleep and left.”
After waking up, perhaps she might remember Zhangsun Bodhi, but she would certainly not recall why she had
fainted. It was as if it was all a dream.
From then on, they would walk their separate ways, never to meet again.
Zhangsun Bodhi quickly brought himself back to reality.
“What did you manage to find out?” He parted his mouth to ask.
Qiao Xian, “From the handmaiden, I managed to ask the location of Lady Miao. She said that Yunyun secretly
bought a manor and originally wanted to move there when she could redeem herself. Since Lady Miao helped her
back in the Spring Moon, she wanted to repay her, so she offered to let Lady Miao live there for some amount of
time. I also wanted to see what sort of deity is Lady Miao.”
Zhangsun Bodhi raised his head and asked, “It is almost dark; why are we still not moving?”
Qiao Xian did not answer, calling for the owner, she asked for two bowls of soup noodles.
“It is still early. Let’s eat before leaving.”
Zhangsun Bodhi nodded his head.
He was not a man of many words. If he could choose, he would have taken a sword and fought his enemies to
death. Just now, although Lady Yunyun was incredibly cooperative; after he walked out of the Spring Moon,
Zhangsun Bodhi’s lips gave away his nervousness.
Only now did he manage to make himself relax.
Qiao Xian stared at him for a moment before suddenly saying, “Compared to the Jiejian Bureau, the Zuoyue
Bureau is still short of men.”
If only the Commander could have someone who was both intelligent and skilled in martial arts, perhaps this
time he would not have needed to set out himself.
“Compared to watching the Commander lie down on a bed half a month, I would rather he expose himself more
to the outside. It helps his illness.” It was rare to see Zhangsun speak a moderately long sentence.
Qiao Xiao furrowed her brows, “But in Feng Xiao’s hands, he would not be comfortable.”
As the conversation approached this end, the noodles arrived. Both of them no longer spoke and simply ate their
meal silently.
The noodle soup was no more than regular vegetarian noodles. The soup, naturally, was cooked using well water.
On top of the noodles were a few spring onions and wild lettuces. This was enough to make a full meal for the
citizens of this marketplace.
This sort of noodle soup, compared to what Zhangsun and Qiao Xian used to eat, was vastly different. However,
due to their hunger added with cold weather, once the soup washed into their stomachs, they felt a warmth that
was enough to spread throughout the body, chasing away all fatigue.
Qiao Xian and Zhangsun both thought of the same thing.
If only the Commander was here, how nice would that be? They did not know if he could even drink a bowl of
soup at this moment.
……
Naturally, Cui Buqu was not drinking soup. Not only that, but he still had to stand out in the snow, enduring the
cold, and refraining himself from coughing too much.
However, he was in a particularly good mood.
Since presently before him, Feng Xiao was in a battle of one against five.
“Bring the jade from the manor.” He heard Feng Xiao ordering Pei Jingzhe.
Pei Jingzhe did not know what Feng Xiao had in mind, but he obeyed nevertheless and quickly brought the jade.
The moonlight was not weak; the jade glowed in Feng Xiao’s hands like crystals in the night. One could also see a
tint of green light illuminating from it.
Regardless of whether this was the Jade of Heaven’s Lake or not; it was, without a doubt, a beautiful jade.
Everyone present glanced at the jade stone, and their eyes shone.
Feng Xiao pushed himself upwards, and said in a loud voice, “Did all of you come for the jade?”
Among the five uninvited guests, only the yellow-robed woman wanted to simply take a look at the jade. The
other four remained silent and did not state their purpose.
Amidst the awkward silence, no one dared to speak; it was as if they were having a battle of silence.
Feng Xiao was not in a hurry; Cui Buqu was even more patient. The only one who was currently shivering in
anxiety was Pei Jingzhe.
He knew he had not trained adequately, and he was unwilling to embarrass Feng Xiao; so he inhaled deeply,
suppressing his feelings and put on a façade.
The yellow-robed woman was the first to break the silence, “I was the first to appear, and I have no intentions to
defy the Jiejian Bureau. I am only a weak woman, and here, cold winds have been bellowing for the entire night.
Please pity me, Lord Feng, let me have a look, so I will have something to tell when I return.”
Her smile was shallow. At first, it was because she had quite a normal face that would leave no impression; but
because her voice was melodious, everyone present could not help but turn towards her.
Cui Buqu surveyed the place and realized two people did not look at the yellow-robed woman. One was the
person wearing a bamboo hat, the one that he was unable to determine whether he was male or female, and the
other was the Göktürk.
The Göktürk’s attention, since the beginning to the end, had been on Feng Xiao.
Only high-level martial artists would not allow anything to distract them from their mission.
As for the man in black who hid in the shadows…
The other’s body was leaning sideways, standing very far away; his left hand holding his right, pressing on it
from time to time.
Cui Buqu’s eyes squinted a little.
Feng Xiao did not observe the others. He had been looking at the yellow-robed woman as if within this manor,
she was the only one present.
Seeing the other smiled, he smiled as well. “Since you are well-mannered, I should give the jade to you first.
However, I don't even know your name. What if you took it and ran away; how should I know where to find you?”
The yellow-robed woman said, “I am Bing Xian.”
Feng Xiao twitched his eyebrows, “Your surname is Bing? How rare.”
Bing Xian, “Names and the like are nothing but addresses. Just like Lord Feng yourself, is not your name also
unusual and unparalleled, bringing with it the elegance of a generation?”
Feng Xiao laughed loudly, “Compared to those unmannerly fools, you have earned my favour! The Jiejian Bureau
needs people like you who are understanding, why not consider joining me? I will guarantee you will be well
taken care of; you definitely need not stand out here outside the manor enduring the cold winds!”
Bing Xuan smiled as if she wanted to say something; but suddenly, Feng Xiao snatched the jade from Pei Jingzhe’s
hands and threw it towards her.
“Since I like you the most, I shall lend you the jade first!”
Bing Xuan was caught by surprise. She had never thought that Feng Xiao would just surrender the jade without
warning; so without hesitation, she lunged herself towards the jade.
However, even if she was quick, there was someone more agile than her.
The man clad in white with a bamboo hat and the man in grey flew towards the jade at the same time.
The Göktürk did not even look at the jade. Taking out a long knife in his hand, he flew towards Feng Xiao in a
deadly motion with the force of crumbling mountains and violent waves.
The gesture was so impactful that Cui Buqu, who stood behind Feng Xiao, could also feel the gust of wind coming
from it. He could not help but take a few steps back. He almost hit the wall with his back, but suddenly someone
pulled him to the side. He blinked and realized Feng Xiao had pulled him into his arms.
However, the Göktürk’s knife came from above. Cui Buqu felt his hair come loose, and suddenly his hair fell all
around him.
High-level martial artists such as Feng Xiao would know that just now, with how the Göktürk’s intended to take
someone by surprise; it would at least have pulled off the jade hairpiece in his hair. In order to stop his hair from
becoming messy, Feng Xiao used Cui Buqu to block the wind for him.
Cui Buqu did not need a mirror to know that he looked like a psychopath now with the messiness his hair had
become. A wave of disgust rose from his chest, and he scolded loudly, “You whose surname is Feng, you mother
fucking bastard!”
In the next moment, he realized the Göktürk indirectly avenged him, because Feng Xiao was provoked by the
other, he had no time to bicker with Cui Buqu.
The jade was just touched by the man in grey, but before he could revel over it, he realized the jade was suddenly
beginning to crack in his palms, turning into dust that was blown away by the wind.
All the three, who were after the jade, stared at it in bewilderment.

Chapter 20 – He Wanted To Kill Feng Xiao

The man in grey swore that he had never done anything to the jade, and definitely did not intentionally destroy
it.
But as to why the jade turned to dust in his hands, he really had no explanation behind it.
The other two suddenly got in sync, surrounding him, killing off any path he could run away from.
Bing Xuan smiled, “Sir, you have such a temper. If you cannot obtain it, you have decided to destroy it, so others
cannot have it as well.”
The man in the bamboo hat said nothing, but his body language plainly showed that he would not let the man in
grey get away easily.
“I did not do anything to it. It crumbled to dust on its own.” The man in grey said coldly.
“We are two people with four eyes, and we have seen it ourselves, could there be any misunderstanding?” Bing
Xuan twitched her brows.
Cui Buqu leaned against the door and coughed in a low voice. Just now, when the grey man took his first move, he
immediately knew who he was. However, it was not wise to show-off at this moment. His body was riddled with
illness, and everyone present did not think of him as a threat. He would not do anything that might put himself in
danger.
Additionally, he might not be the only one among these people who saw who he was.
As he expected, the man with the bamboo hat said suddenly, “Your sword style heavily resembled the katana
technique, passed down by the Wajin people to the Suwo Clan, yet it is also modified in a way. I heard that
Goguryeo welcomed a new martial artist after Gao Ning. The martial artist claimed to have a Japanese as his
tutor and is innovative. If I am not wrong, you are him.”
The way he spoke was alluring, almost gentle. If this was any usual day, it would surely make one feel as if the
spring wind had just washed over them. However, with the situation now, it was absurd to assume it that way.
Bing Xuan could not help but glare at the man in white.
She felt that since the other man could tell the background of the man in grey at the blink of an eye, he was
certainly not a nobody. However, when she pondered over it, she could not figure out who among the famed
Jianghu figures could have been him.
Unless he was not from Jianghu?
Bing Xuan twitched her eyebrow. Although she came for the jade tonight, she did not have the intention of taking
it. She knew that the Jiejian Bureau was no mere fool, so she could not have taken it with ease.
Needless to say, there were so many skilled martial artists here today. The Göktürk was already a handful.
As she thought, Bing Xuan smiled and combed the strands of her hair that had fallen loose.
“Lord Feng, there are too many honoured guests at your place. I wager you would not have time to entertain me,
so this is goodbye. I will come another day.”
Without waiting for Feng Xiao to respond, she kicked herself into the air, as light as a feather, and leapt onto the
roof, disappearing into the darkness.
The Göktürk that was branded by Bing Xuan as her number one enemy, at this moment, was taken by surprise.
The reason was none other than the fact that Feng Xiao’s looks did not match his combat abilities. Since he
looked handsomely pretty and delicate on the outside, when he fought, it caused one to be even more shocked.
The Göktürk had never stepped into the Central Plains before, yet he had come here carrying an ample amount of
confidence. For even if he demonstrated his skills in the Wulin of the Central Plains, there were very few who
could match his skills. He was enough to surpass an entire generation of top martial artists.
Until he met Feng Xiao.
Feng Xiao’s moves were not bombastic like Fo Er, but it was swift and light, fluttering loose sleeves, extending
like a blanket of snow. From the sidelines, he looked like a flower that was smiling. Every move drew imagery of
beautiful aesthetic from the heart.
However, to the Göktürkish man, in those aesthetically beautiful views, they were concealing the intention to kill.
Every move of his was light, but each held a trap.
He had already recoiled his initial moves that were slow and light, taking his current opponent now seriously.
Even if the jade had crumbled into dust, it was unable to distract him.
As two masters of the martial arts faced-off, it was indeed a rare sight to see. Even the man in white and the
Goguryeoian stopped to watch them.
Cui Buqu coughed twice and said in a low voice, “This man did not come for the jade. He wanted to kill Feng
Xiao.”
These words, naturally, were meant for Pei Jingzhe.
Pei Jingzhe was taken by surprise, “Why do you say that?”
Cui Buqu laughed, “Did you not notice? From the moment he appeared, he only looked at Feng Xiao, he did not
even spare a glance at the jade, and he did not participate in the fight for it.”
Pei Jingzhe, “Do you know who he is?”
Cui Buqu, “I have never seen him in my life, but if I am not wrong, this man is Fo Er, the number one martial artist
under Khan Ishbara’s banner. He was the disciple of a great master and gathered the pros of all techniques. Since
he stepped into the Central Plains, he has never lost a fight, so he had been proclaimed a master of his
generation.”
Pei Jingzhe took in a breath of fresh air. He had never thought that a quiet night such as this would attract such a
martial artist.
“Between him and my Lord, who is stronger?”
Cui Buqu, “I do not even know how to fight, and you are asking me?”
Pei Jingzhe, “……”
He observed for a while but realized that as those two flew into the air, their shadows were impossible to see
because their speed was too fast. Even Pei Jingzhe could not see who was currently at an advantage.
Pei Jingzhe feeling a little nervous turned around to rush back into the manor.
After a short while, he carried something heavy and ran out, shouting towards Feng Xiao, “My Lord! Your zither!”
“Bring it.”
Feng Xiao’s voice came like the wind, without any hint of unsteadiness or anxiousness. Pei Jingzhe’s eyes shone
brightly as he tossed the thing in his hand into the air.
A sound could be heard, like the sound of a golden mount, like the sound of a hundred thousand soldiers being
killed. It made one feel as though the hairs on their hands were standing in a cold, eerie feeling.
The men of Jianghu held many weapons, some had knives, and some had guns, but this was the first time Fo Er
saw someone using a zither as a weapon. The zither that looked ashen and heavy, but Feng Xiao managed to
make it look as if it was weightless, like the fragile toy of a child. It could be used for offensive measures, as well
as defensive measures, leaving one unable to predict his moves.
“Such excellent craftsmanship!” The man in white could not help himself but exclaim.
But Gao Ning was not as free as the other. His eyebrows tightened and turned away from Feng Xiao and Fo Er’s
battle, instead, he turned his attention towards Pei Jingzhe and Cui Buqu.
In the blink of an eye, he lunged himself towards Pei Jingzhe and Cui Buqu, knives as sharp as the breath of the
sea swept towards both of them. As Pei Jingzhe pulled Cui Buqu backwards, he suddenly changed his moves,
using one hand in the form of a claw; he reached out to Pei Jingzhe.
Pei Jingzhe had initially thought that he was after Cui Buqu, intending to make him a hostage, so he had pushed
Cui Buqu away and drew his sword to face off with the enemy. Who knew that Gao Ning was never interested in
Cui Buqu; instead, he had been after Pei Jingzhe all along. As the sword fell onto Pei Jingzhe, he could feel only a
numbing pain, his sword almost falling out of his grasp. Gao Ning held on to him, posing his knife on the side of
his neck.
“Surrender the jade, or I’ll kill you!” Gao Ning said in a low voice.
“The jade was destroyed by you just now!” Pei Jingzhe said bitterly.
Gao Ning laughed, “Spare your breath; it was unmistakably a fake!”
He then turned towards Feng Xiao, “If that jade was authentic, how would you people give it out so easily? If you
refuse to bring out the real jade, I will kill him here and now!”
Although he was now between life and death, Pei Jingzhe still could not help asking, “Why did you choose me?”
In normal circumstances, why did he not choose Cui Buqu who did not possess any fighting skills?
Gao Ning said coldly, “Do not even think of fooling me. Since Feng Xiao’s lover travels with him often throughout
Jianghu, he is sure to harbour some secret techniques himself. You, on the other hand, are dispensable, and your
skills are only mediocre. If not you, then who?”
Pei Jingzhe, “???”
Currently, Gao Ning’s words did serious damage to his pride. But what hurt him the most was Feng Xiao’s voice
that came floating from above.
“Since you know that he is dispensable, why did you take him? Why not take my lover, perhaps I will feel
threatened!”
As the voice dissipated, the man in white laughed, “Is that so? Then let me try.”
He moved and immediately went to Cui Buqu’s side.
Cui Buqu felt a sharp pain, finding himself unable to move.
=======================
[1] Wajin: An ethnic group that was mainly active at sea between Mainland China, the Korean Peninsula and the
Japanese archipelago.
Chapter 21 – You Took My Lover, Can I Choose Not To Be
Quick On My Feet?
In the blink of an eye, Cui Buqu fell into the hands of the man in white. The man in white placed a hand gently on
his shoulder, yet it was also heavy at the same time, causing Cui Buqu to felt that half his shoulder had gone
numb.
His throat was itchy; it felt like a feather was tickling the same spot over and over again, causing him to be unable
to hold it in, he coughed. Once he coughed, it affected his shoulder and pain spread throughout his body,
radiating throughout his abdomen and limbs.
When the man in white saw how he exuded cold sweat, he could not help but extend a hand to hold him.
“Are you still all right?” His voice was gentle and soft as if he was speaking to an old friend. “Judging by the way
you walk, its the symptoms of being poisoned. Tch, what benefits you to drag a sickly body like that while still
intending on helping the Jiejian Bureau to look for the jade? Why not consider joining me? I will neutralize the
poison for you and reinstall your freedom. It will save you the unfortunate position of needing to choose.”
Cui Buqu raised his head, his sharp gaze penetrating through the night and its veils, glaring at his adversary in
the eye. The man in white did not avoid his gaze; he looked back at him frankly with a smile, kind and gentle.
On the other side, Feng Xiao exclaimed an ‘aiya’, “With both my lover and subordinate being caught, who should I
save first? This is deliberately making me choose!”
Fo Er did not allow himself to be distracted by his speech. He continued to deliver one attack after the next,
carrying an aura of viciousness and surrounding Feng Xiao, killing off any opportunity for him to escape. As for
himself, he leapt into the air and threw a punch at Feng Xiao with the palm of his hand.
His fist came like the strong winds and rolling waves, like the shore returning to take vengeance of men on land.
It would be practically impossible for one to step back or avoid it, putting them in a very crucial position. In front
of them was a bottomless abyss, and the earth was crumbling behind their backs. At that moment they could fall
into a pit of no return.
This technique had been the very first technique that Fo Er invented shortly after becoming a martial artist, and
it was also his most famous technique. He gave it a name, Qiluo, which meant ‘unsurpassed’. It was Qiluo that has
beaten many high masters from the Central Plains. Today, using this technique, he was determined to claim
victory, wanting to take Feng Xiao’s life on the spot.
“It would seem like Lord Feng would be unable to come to your aid.” The man in white smiled, taking Cui Buqu’s
arm and raised it into the air. Cui Buqu felt a sharp pain surging through his entire upper body, and suddenly he
was lifted into the air.
Seeing this, Gao Ning snorted briefly, took Pei Jingzhe and left as well.
Just as Fo Er’s palm was aiming towards Feng Xiao, Feng Xiao raised his sleeves and flourished, the zither flew
into the air and held Fo Er’s hand in the air. The sound of its string rang, and the zither shook violently, yet it
showed no signs of cracking apart; instead, the sound of the zither slowed down Fo Er’s advancement. Feng Xiao
took the chance as the zither fell, allowing it to fall into his arms as he leapt into the air and stopped directly in
front of Fo Er, using the zither to slap it right into the other.
Fo Er was taken by surprise and immediately stepped back, but the zither was like a rolling storm. In the blink of
an eye, it dissolved the power in his core, spreading through his limbs and internal organs, washing away any
form of flowing energy. Fo Er tasted something in his mouth, and suddenly blood spilt from the corner of his lips.
He wiped away the blood and glared at his opponent coldly.
Feng Xiao looked like he had not taken any damage. Not only that, but he did not even spare a glance in Cui Buqu
and Pei Jingzhe’s direction. He resumed to push himself up with his hand and locked his gaze with Fo Er.
“Your martial arts are not bad; it is considered akin to a master’s level; however, it is indeed unfortunate that you
ran into me.” Feng Xiao laughed slyly, “If everyone is destined to cross paths with an enemy, then I am he who is
sent by God to test you. Although you are talented, when you meet someone like me who is a genius, then you
can only admit to fate. Go back to your grassy lands and train for another three to five years, then perhaps we
might have a closer match?”
Fo Er breathed slowly. Just now, Feng Xiao’s retaliation had given him some internal wounds, even now; his chest
was still aching severely. He knew that Feng Xiao was also wounded a little, but it was most likely a moderately
faint external wound. If compared, he had already lost this match.
He knew he could certainly not kill Feng Xiao that night.
At first, since everyone had come today and that there would be other people to disturb the night, his goal could
have been achieved easily; yet those people only cared about the jade. They merely stood at the sidelines and
observed, or when the situation was not to their favour, they would just get up and leave, or in another
circumstance, they would just grab hold of Feng Xiao’s people and held them hostage; but ultimately none of
them wanted to fight head-on with Feng Xiao.
In the end, he only had himself to blame — that he was not as powerful as his opponent.
“A fighter should have no distraction in his heart; only then could he achieve the highest level of martial
arts. However, tonight, your heart is not in it. I refuse to fight an opponent such as this.” Fo Er replied coldly,
turned around and left. Although his martial arts were mainly dense and explosive, they could also be light. In the
blink of an eye, he was already miles away, quickly swallowed up by the night.
The reason he said those words was simply to save his pride. The number one martial artist of Khan Ishbara of
the Göktürks definitely needed his pride.
Feng Xiao did not pursue him.
As he watched the other disappear from his sight, concealing the flippant look on his face, he turned and swiftly
ran into the manor.
Not surprisingly, the Qiushan manor was in a complete mess. The servants had all hidden themselves, not daring
to say anything. After they saw Feng Xiao return, only then did they crawl out from beneath the table shivering,
and complained to him.
“My lord, just now when you were outside, two men forced their way in and tore down everything. We had no
idea what they wanted to find, but when they left, they held nothing in their hands, as if they did not manage to
find it!”
Feng Xiao responded with an ‘En’. It could just be that the others concluded that the jade that was destroyed just
minutes ago had been a bogus item, so they wanted to look for the real jade.
As for the real Jade of Heaven’s Lake…
Feng Xiao’s lips turned downwards, flaunting a sardonic smile.
No matter what expression was on the face of someone beautiful, it would be undoubtedly different from the
others. The servants, although they were filled with fear and shock, could not help but raise their heads and stare
at him.
…...
The man in white took Cui Buqu with him, yet he did not move in a hurry. Cui Buqu had injured his shoulder and
with his old illness acting up, he felt as if the other was simply taking a companion for a light jog.
The sound of the night gong came from the distance, everywhere little candles were being lit up and the dark
dawned upon them. The night was slowly rising in temperature, and although Cui Buqu was wearing enough
clothes, he still felt cold, and could not help himself sneezing.
“You are not a man of Jianghu.” Cui Buqu coughed twice, his voice was hoarse.
He guessed that a fever was settling in for him, for his entire body felt sore and painful. He felt the need to look
for a bed and lie down for a while.
Yet the world was unrelenting. His miserable situation being — following someone he did not even know and
playing a game with him.
The man in white smiled, “If I am not, are you?
It was as if Cui Buqu could not hear what he said, replying with, “Tonight you came for the crowd; so naturally,
you also came for the jade. However, if you are not a man of Jianghu, then you have no need for its powers. They
do not interest you. For someone like you, pleasant and kind on the surface; you carry an air of arrogance, you
are not someone who would serve just anybody. However, for you to come here on your master’s behalf, it could
only mean that the man behind you is quite powerful. Therefore, the reason you want that jade is probably to
bring it back to this master of yours.”
The man in white, “Did anyone tell you before that intelligent people have short lives.”
Cui Buqu replied blandly, “You need not tell me so much nonsense. Just four words will do: Normal people envy
geniuses.”
The man in white laughed, “Master Daoist Cui, you are too, too interesting. If only you and I had not met at such
an inconvenient time, I think I would bring you out to tea and watch the scenery.”
Cui Buqu, “Then I might not be able to drink that tea, nor see that scenery.”
The man in white did not respond, but he said suddenly, “Are you hungry? At this hour, is there anything in the
city to eat? Let me bring you to look for a nice bowl of hot soup.”
Cui Buqu, “My shoulder hurts. I am not hungry.”
The man in white smiled, “If you refuse to come with me, your shoulder would hurt even more.”
The way he spoke was incredibly polite without a hint of anger, but his techniques were far crueller than anyone
he had met.
Cui Buqu, “If I refuse to come with you, someone else would accompany you.”
The man in white smiled, “Who?”
“Me, of course.”
Following the words, a man walked out. He was tall, and his footsteps stopped a long distance away from there
they stood, his back straight and upright.
“Lord Feng, how quick are you to have arrived. The number one fighter of Göktürk was chased away by you so
easily?” The white-robed man replied in surprise.
Feng Xiao, “Of course not. You took my lover, how could I not act faster?”
Chapter 22 – You Are Not Lying Convincingly Enough
The man in white looked a little taken aback.
From the way he saw it, with Fo Er’s determination and skills, even if it was not sufficient to kill Feng Xiao
tonight, it would still be enough to hold him down. Who knew that the number one fighter of Göktürk was only
an empty name? It had not even been two hours, and Feng Xiao had already caught up.
“Lord Feng, your martial arts are par with excellence, but you have indeed surpassed my expectations.”
Feng Xiao, “It was never your intention to go far in the first place. Tonight, of all the people that came, your
background is yet a mystery. Would you not consider introducing yourself before you leave?”
The man in white, “Names are but only something to be called by. After a hundred years, all return to dust and
earth. Lord Feng, there is no reason for you to be so persistent.”
Feng Xiao, “The more people speak that way, the more they care about dignity. You wear white all over, but
beneath you undoubtedly are someone who picks faults with others and themselves. How could you be similar to
the elegance and grace that you show on the outside?”
The man in white, “I am not interested in your judgement of my character. What I am interested in is that you
have poisoned Master Cui and imprisoned him by your side, yet why is it that he still hopes for your rescue?
Could it be possible that there are people in this world who enjoy being tortured?”
Cui Buqu responded coldly, “I do not like to be tortured, but I know that I am better off in Feng Xiao’s hands
compared to yours.”
The man in white felt strange, “Other than being rough when I took you away, when have I not treated you with
care?”
Cui Buqu replied, “When he does things, he knows his boundaries and his goals; yet as for you, you do not value
the lives of others.”
“QuQu, it’s so rare to hear you complimenting me in front of others, my heart, truly, is astonished— “
When the world ‘truly’ was spoken, Feng Xiao’s shadow immediately disappeared, dashing towards them.
The man in white’s reflexes was quick. He quickly held Cui Buqu and moved backwards, going as far as pushing
Cui Buqu in front of him slightly, intending to use him to block Feng Xiao’s attacks.
Who knew that Feng Xiao had no intention to hit his vital spots in the first place; instead, he extended his hand
and swept the top of his head.
The man in white was taken by surprise. He could not hold his hat even if he wanted to when it flew off. His head
was bare, the cold winds surging above it.
Cui Buqu coughed twice, not caring to veil his laugh.
Feng Xiao laughed even louder than him. “It would seem even monks nowadays are so dishonest. Instead of
staying in their temples, they came here to fight for a jade. Who is your master? Let me enlighten him with the
ways of Daoism!”
The moon reflected its light on the man in white’s bald, shiny head. Feng Xiao could not help but think of an egg,
especially hard-boiled eggs without its shell.
As Cui Buqu coughed, Feng Xiao cast him a glance and realized that Cui Buqu was actually trying to hide his
giggle. He could not help feeling that this sickly man and he were actually quite in sync.
Upon being exposed, an angry look flashed across the face of the man in white, but it was very quickly replaced
with calmness.
“I am a wanderer with no master or host.”
Feng Xiao responded with an ‘Oh’, “So you are but a wild monk, then you cannot call yourself a man of the cloth.
Who knows whether or not you are faking your identity as a monk? I am in the mood to bring you back for
questioning.”
As he spoke, he reached out to grab the man in white, yet the latter was incredibly cautious. He moved
backwards, covering the distance of about ten steps or more the moment the other opened his mouth.
But Feng Xiao did not stop; he leapt into the air, seemingly not willing to give up unless he had caught the man.
The man in white furrowed his brows. He was not opposed to fighting with Feng Xiao, but he did not want to
waste his time, and he was even more unwilling to use his skills in case he was recognized, so he was relentless
and pushed Cui Buqu forward and towards Feng Xiao, before leaping into the air, intending to leave.
Who knew that at that moment, a black shadow descended from the sky; his sword, long and clanking, drifting
towards him.
The moonlight was bright, and the clouds faint, it was enough for the man in white to see his face.
It was the man who was held hostage by Gao Ning just before, Pei Jingzhe!
Feng Xiao alone was already challenging enough to fight; now Pei Jingzhe was joining the battle. Even if the latter
was not strong enough for him to consider an opponent; having a fly continually buzzing by his ear and being an
annoyance was enough to make him leave. The man in white knew that today, he would not be able to take
something back to his master. Just as he avoided the sword, using a branch as his stepping stone, he bounced off
onto the roof and left. Pei Jingzhe wanted to give chase, but he was already gone.
“Let him go.” Feng Xiao said.
Pei Jingzhe descended from the tree and said guiltily, “My apologies, it was my mistake that Gao Ning was not
captured.”
Feng Xiao, “His martial arts are above you. You saved me the trouble of rescuing you when you escaped from
him. I should be thanking you.”
Pei Jingzhe could not tell whether his lord was praising him or ridiculing him, but after a while, he responded,
“I… I… thank my lord for your praise?”
Cui Buqu, “He is ridiculing you. Did you think he was praising you?”
Pei Jingzhe, “……”
Feng Xiao, “This kid is a little silly, my apologies.”
Cui Buqu, “I’m accustomed to it.”
Pei Jingzhe kept shut, his mouth twitching, but he still asked, “My Lord, that monk just now, do you need us to
investigate his identity?”
Feng Xiao turned towards Cui Buqu, “Master Cui should already know who he is.”
Cui Buqu, “I have my guess, but I do not know if it is him.”
Feng Xiao, “Speak and let us see.”
Cui Buqu, “The Monk, Yu Xiu.”
Who was that?
Pei Jingzhe felt a little lost, in his mind, he searched for that name, but he knew no one from Jianghu that went by
that alias.
Cui Buqu, “This is a master of intellect. He seldom roams the Jianghu, so he is not considered a man of Jianghu.
Most of the time, he serves royalty, remaining behind to strategize and devise plans.”
As he heard the two words ‘royalty’, Pei Jingzhe felt as if something clicked in him, but he dared not open his
mouth to ask.
But Feng Xiao already spoke, “Prince Jin.”
It was not a question; it was an answer.
Cui Buqu, “That is correct.”
Prince Jin, Yang Guang, was the second son of the current Emperor. He and the Crown Prince Yang Yong shared
the same mother: Empress Dugu, but he was even more bubbly and proactive than the Crown Prince. Similar to
the fact that children who cried would often be given candy, compared to his elder brother who was silent; Yan
Guang earned his parent’s favour more than his brother. This was no secret among the imperial court.
Pei Jingzhe had even heard that the Emperor intended to unite the Northern and Southern dynasty and were
appointing capable men to be its Commander. The Empress held the intention of making Prince Jin the second in
power, following the first in command on this journey. If this fell into his hands, who would still dare to say that
Prince Jin, who was spoiled rotten by the Emperor and Empress when he was young, was only a naughty child?
Prince Jin would only be accumulating his conquests on the battlefield, surpassing even the Crown Prince.
To be a strategist for someone like this, Yu Xiu would naturally become a future minister of the country.
Pei Jingzhe inhaled sharply.
He was not afraid of Yu Xiu, but the man behind Yu Xiu.
“As someone of Prince Jin’s house, did he not know about the Jiejian Bureau? Why would he send someone to do
shady work?”
Feng Xiao, “Naturally, it was because he wants the jade.”
Pei Jingzhe, “He took it for…. for his master, Prince Jin?”
Feng Xiao responded with an ‘En’, “This time the loss of the jade is because the Jiejian Bureau has failed its duty.
Whoever can lay their hands on the Jade is the one with the achievement in the Emperor and Empress’ eyes. The
reason Prince Jin wanted to interfere is not strange at all. Even Master Cui’s Zuoyue Bureau could not resist and
had to interfere, had it not?”
Cui Buqu, “I have no idea what you are saying.”
Feng Xiao, “You are not lying convincingly enough.”
Cui Buqu, “Then I will act better next time.”
After saying that, he made a slightly shocked expression, “What are you saying? What Zuoyue Bureau? I do not
understand.”
Feng Xiao nodded his head, “Your tone is still out of place, but your expression is better now.”
Pei Jingzhe, “…”
Suddenly, there was a sound that broke the awkward silence.
Cui Buqu abruptly said, “I’m hungry.”

Chapter 23 – Even If You Would Have Me To Warm Your

Bed….
The City of Six Crafts did not practice curfew. They only closed the gates when night dawned upon the city,
forbidding anyone from going in and out as they pleased. However, a small country was not the same as large
cities such as Beijing. During the extreme cold weather, other than the night patrol, the streets were deserted, let
alone anyone coming out for supper.
The three of them roamed the place for half a day, finally slipping into a restaurant from the kitchen at the back.
From behind, Pei Jingzhe knocked out the kitchen maid that was guarding the kitchen before searching for
firewood to start a fire. From the cabinet, he took out some noodles and eggs and made three bowls of egg
noodles — of course, this was not because Feng Xiao was suddenly kind to Cui Buqu, but because he himself was
also hungry.
Cui Buqu made himself home. The word ‘shy’ did not exist in his vocabulary, let alone his behaviour towards
someone who poisoned him before. Seeing Pei Jingzhe approaching them with noodles, he took the fullest bowl
and buried his head into it and ate.
Feng Xiao clicked his tongue, “A-Cui, have you ever read the story of ‘KongRong yielding the pear’?”
Cui Buqu did not raise his head, “Are you my elder brother?”
But his cockiness rapidly faded. He had chewed the noodles a few times, but after swallowing it, his eyebrows
furrowed tightly.
“Why is it so bland? Did you not put salt? Why are the noodles so tough? Did you scoop it back up after you just
put it into the pot?”
Pei Jingzhe looked like he was wronged, “This is my first time in the kitchen.”
What he meant was it was good enough that that thing could not kill you.
Feng Xiao only added fuel to fire, “Why do you think I chose the one with the most soup and fewer noodles? The
fact that he could make sure the egg was thoroughly cooked is already commendable; just tolerate it a little won’t
you?”
Minutes before, when Yu Xiu kidnapped Cui Buqu, although they looked like they were travelling at a slow speed,
the truth was that they had already reached the other side of the Qiushan manor. Cui Buqu could not wait to
return to the manor to eat, so the three of them had to walk around the place for half a day simply to find
something to fill their stomachs.
Pei Jingzhe was filled with questions so much so that he could not even care about the egg; he asked, “My lord,
did the jade truly shatter?”
Feng Xiao, “It did. Did you not see it yourself?”
Pei Jingzhe, “What if, what if that jade was the real one?”
Feng Xiao put down the bowl and said slowly, “The people who stole the jade might belong to two different
groups.”
Pei Jingzhe was taken aback, “How do you know?”
Cui Buqu said coldly, “Your brain is like your culinary skills: difficult to describe. In order for the culprit to kill the
Khotan ambassador, he had no other choice but to hide in the city. For him to do that, he would need assistance
from an insider.”
After being mocked, not only did Feng Xiao refuse to help him, he even agreed with Cui Buqu, “If there was
someone in the city that belonged to their group, it would be even more difficult for us to search for the real jade.
At first, I thought that the culprit had allied with the Linlang Guild’s Wen Liang, so I wanted to catch the culprit
red-handed in broad daylight; however, after Wen Liang’s capture, the jade was still put out for auction. So it
would seem that whoever was behind this wanted to use a bogus item to divert our attention, sending the real
one away. However, after the auction today, all the spies of the Jiejian Bureau in the city did not manage to find
any traces of jade being delivered, so there is only one other possibility.”
“What possibility?” Pei Jingzhe, following the trail of thoughts, asked.
Cui Buqu could not stand the noodles anymore. Even at the egg, he made a disgusted face before swallowing it
and thereafter continuing Feng Xiao’s words.
“The ones who murdered and committed the robbery of the jade might be on bad terms with each other. The real
jade was stolen by one group, and the other group wanted to use the bogus jade to lure the other group out, so
they could snatch the real jade back.”
Pei Jingzhe did not understand at all, “But how would the one who took the real jade be lured out?”
Cui Buqu, “I heard that when other countries from the West brought treasuries to the Central Plains, to avoid
being robbed, they would usually send another item that heavily resembled the real one and send them along the
road together.”
Pei Jingzhe finally understood. Cui Buqu meant that this time, the Khotan King had sent two jades: one real and
one fake. Tributes were naturally tributes, but they were also of significance; otherwise, it was impossible to be a
resemblance of the genuine item. Only Yuchi Jinwu knew which jade was the real one and which was fake. So
when he died, the culprits took the jade, one group each. Naturally, both parties would be suspicious that the one
they were holding was the fake and the one the other group held was the real one.
This theory was a bit complicated, but when Pei Jingzhe thought more carefully, he felt that it could be plausible.
After three to five days when the Khotan’s new ambassador came, they could finally conclude whether the truth
was the way Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu had theorized.
But as of now, they still needed to find the jade.
Contemplating, Pei Jingzhe said, “Master Cui, you mean that, no matter what, since the jade resurfaced in the
Linlang Guild, the other group would surely send men to see how the outcome is?”
Cui Buqu nodded his head and felt like the other man was not as stupid as he thought.
“So of the people who came tonight, it is of certainty that one of them has connections to the culprit. I could even
say that one of them was the culprit himself.”
Pei Jingzhe began to recall, “If I remember correctly, there are six people who came for the jade. As the Yunhai
Thirteen Stories’ man left, he can be excluded. Other than the monk and the Göktürk top martial artist Fo Er, the
Goguryeo man Gao Ning, that woman in yellow robes; there is one more…”
As for the last one, Cui Buqu’s recollection of them was incredibly blurry. He merely remembered that the other
was wearing a black suit. Whether they were male or female, Cui Buqu could not even tell; he vaguely
remembered that when Fo Er moved, the other had already left.
Feng Xiao took out three pairs of chopsticks and moved them to face outside the door of where there were
sitting.
“Fo Er’s goal is to kill me and not the jade. Although we do not know why he wants me dead, we can set him aside
first.”
“Gao Ning and Yu Xiu both came for the jade, but they do not hold any meaning deeper than that, so it is not them
either.”
“As for the woman named Bing Xuan…”
Feng Xiao turned to look at Cui Buqu.
Cui Buqu, needless to say, knew who she was. “In Jianghu, there is a sect called the Hehuan Sect that practices the
shuangxiu technique. Bing Xuan is a disciple of the current sect leader, and according to hearsays, she is
incredibly well-received, perhaps she might even succeed as the future sect leader.”
He noticed that when Feng Xiao heard of the Hehuan Sect’s name, his expression yielded a slight change.
Although it was very mild, Cui Buqu somehow managed to catch it.
“It would seem like Lord Feng Er knows something about the Hehuan Sect?”
“To be frank with you, actually the aunt of my eldest uncle of my cousin’s aunt of the wife of my cousin brother is
a disciple of the Hehuan Sect. So I’ve heard of the name and felt it a little familiar.” Feng Xiao smiled as he said.
Cui Buqu did not yield any emotions, “So the aunt of your eldest uncle of your cousin’s aunt of the wife of your
cousin brother harvests men as a technique to increase their abilities?”
Feng Xiao, “Well, after all, it is said that women of thirty are like a wolf, and women of forty years are like a tiger.
Since she joined the Hehuan Sect, it is like releasing a fish back into its waters.”
Pei Jingzhe twitched the corner of his lips, refusing to listen to them talk any more nonsense and immediately
diverted the topic to something else.
“So according to what both of you said, Bing Xuan and the other mysterious person are the most suspicious?”
Cui Buqu, “Although the jade is useful for people of Jianghu, and Bing Xuan has sufficient motives, if she was one
of the culprits and came to investigate whether this is was the real or bogus jade; then there was no need for her
to present herself and declare her name. She could have hidden in the shadows completely.”
Pei Jingzhe thought this was quite plausible, so he watched Feng Xiao turn the second chopstick to face the other
way as well. Now, only the last one remained. He knew that Feng Xiao completely agreed with Cui Buqu’s
analysis.
The most suspicious one would be the mysterious person in black. They did not even know if they were male or
female.
Feng Xiao rose to his feet, “When that person left, I sent spies in their pursuit. News awaits us once we return to
the manor.”
Pei Jingzhe just now knew that Feng Xiao had taken such measures.
Suddenly he remembered something important.
“But my Lord, the jade has already crumbled into dust. If that was the real jade, then wouldn’t we…”
Wouldn’t they have run around in circles for nothing?
Feng Xiao spared him a glance but said nothing.
Cui Buqu, “I reckon that you should bring a smarter one next time, to avoid wasting so much saliva explaining.”
Feng Xiao smiled, “With an intelligent person like me present, would not another intelligent fellow just be
another firefly in the dark?”
Cui Buqu, “Since you put it like this, Lord Feng, why do you still keep me here? Why not let me go?”
Feng Xiao, “That cannot do. Although you are not like me, luminous like the sun and the moon; but at my side,
you are akin to a glistening star. A-Cui, if only you would consider joining the Jiejian Bureau, let alone as the
Fourth Commander, even if you would ask me to warm your bed, I would not decline it.”
He even went so far to take Cui Buqu’s hand while speaking seductively.
Cui Buqu was utterly disgusted by him, little hairs standing on the back of his hand. He immediately pulled his
hand away, as if he was tainted with specs of dirt.
“It does not matter whether that crumbled jade was the real or the bogus one, if we pursue the other one now,
then that is the real one!”
As he listened to this, Pei Jingzhe’s gaze flashed and suddenly understood.
He did not care whether he was a sly old fox or not. Whoever Feng Xiao showed interest in, would definitely be
someone with rare and worthy capabilities.
The three of them returned to the Qiushan manor. The spy who pursued the mysterious person had indeed
returned.
“My apologies, when pursuing them, midway, they discovered my presence, so I could only retreat. However, I
think they disappeared near the Lu manor.”
Within the city, more than a handful people carried the surname ‘Lu’, but there was only one Lu family that
owned a manor. According to rumours, the Lu family was distantly related to the Fanyang Lu Clan.
Speaking of it, was it not a coincidence that just this morning, Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu met the Lu cousins in the
restaurant?
Both of them exchanged glances when they listened to the spy’s report.
Feng Xiao, “A-Cui what was the name of her cousin again?”
Cui Buqu, “Su Xing.”
Feng Xiao, “From another perspective, it seems likely to be the Lu family. Let us take a look.”
It was cold in the middle of the night, but he immediately got up and began heading towards the Lu manor to
investigate.
Cui Buqu said coldly, “Lord Feng, I have just eaten the egg noodles your subordinate made, I sense a stomach
ache coming, and I feel like vomiting blood. Could you not give a little way and pity me?”
An attempt to beg for mercy had to involve him, so Pei Jingzhe could only remain silent as he got shot by the cold
arrow one after the other; he took a few steps back, refusing to participate in the war.
Feng Xiao, “When have you become so delicate? You could even endure the Naihexiang, but cannot stand just a
meagre bowl of egg noodles? Jingzhe, go to the kitchen and get a few dumplings for Master Daoist Cui to warm
his stomach, then we are heading to the Lu manor.”
Who knew that Cui Buqu really opened his mouth and vomited on him.
Both of them stood incredibly close, so Feng Xiao was unable to move away. He could smell the stench rushing
towards him, but what Cui Buqu vomited was not blood, it was the egg noodles that he ate just now.
This was even worse than blood.
At that moment, the colour on his face drained completely.

Chapter 24 – In This Episode, Peacock Feng And Little Cui Did

Not Show Up
The manor hid in the city and out of plain sight with no one noticing it.
Its doors were shut most of the year, only occasionally would a half-deaf old couple leave the estate to purchase
some vegetables and meat. When the neighbours asked, they found out that the person living in the mansion was
diagnosed with severe diseases, so they could not leave the manor. Under the sympathy of others, and the fear of
whether such an illness was contagious, after some time, no one dared to ask more. Whoever lived within that
manor finally attained some peace with no one to disturb them.
Now, it was already late with silence reigning the night. Every household had put out their candles and slept; so
the manor, sandwiched between them, had become quieter still. Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi hid near the
corner and exchanged glances.
Zhangsun asked silently; Are sure this is the place?
Qiao Xian did not want to converse with him. Impatiently, she leapt onto the roof.
Zhangsun shook his head from the back but followed her nonetheless.
The two of them fell on top of the roof silently. Bending her waist, Qiao Xiao had almost lifted a tile, but her hand
was held down by Zhangsun.
The latter indicated upwards at the moon, and Qiao Xian instantly stopped her movements.
The moon and stars shone luminously tonight. If the manor was shrouded in darkness inside, the light shining
from above would have given them away. Perhaps ordinary people might not have noticed it, but a skilled
martial artist would certainly have been alerted.
Although Qiao Xiao did not sense anyone in the manor, she was still cautious. Better to be safe than sorry.
Qiao Xiao descended to take a look and discovered that one of the windows had a hole in it. There was a pillar
next to it, so it could conceal both her and Zhangsun’s shadows, allowing them to peek inside the manor.
Was there anyone in the manor?
Qiao Xian hid under the tree and gestured to him.
Zhangsun discreetly observed the place and gave her a surprising answer: There was.
Qiao Xian's face became grim.
The one in the manor was separated from them by merely a wall. If they could not sense their presence inside, it
simply meant that they were quite skilled.
This was no easy matter.
Could it be that they knew they were coming, so they had prepared themselves beforehand?
At that moment, a clanging noise sounded from behind the manor.
It was incredibly faint, but it could not evade Qiao Xian and Zhangsun’s ears.
And of course, it would not escape the one inside the manor either.
“You have all come, so why act so secretive?”
The woman in the manor snorted lightly, although it did not veil her subtle anger, her tone was charming and
delicate. It made one want to see her face.
Qiao Xian and Zhangsun exchanged glances and shifted towards the darkness, wanting to watch the third person
reveal themselves.
“Come out!” The woman in the manor could not hear a response and shouted again, her voice cold and sharp like
knives.
Behind the manor there was a soft clang. A black shadow emerged and broke open the window and came in,
commencing a battle with the woman in the manor.
Qiao Xiao’s ears were alert; she listened closely. The battle took place a little distance away, so she could only
hear that the woman in the manor used something akin to a whip as her weapon. The other person used a sword;
it rang and made vibrations, carrying an intention to kill. Every move it made aimed for the woman’s fatal spots.
Although the woman could not take advantage of it, for now, she managed to escape all those attacks.
But these sorts of scenes tend not to last long; if not mistaken, when the woman finally seemed to have run out of
patience, and her strength was weakened, it would be the appropriate moment to take her life.
Of course, Qiao Xian and Zhangsun could not let Lady Miao die. They still needed to question her about the case,
so both of them rushed into the manor without hesitation.
The woman was battling a masked man. Qiao Xian then discovered that she was not using any whip, but instead
used her sash. It was unknown what that white sash was made of; it was soft yet firm; even a sword could not
slice it in half. The masked man used an assassination technique — every move he made exposed him wide open;
he merely concentrated on taking the other’s life. If not for the weapon in her hand, the woman would have
already fallen to his sword.

When Qiao Xian and Zhangsun rushed in, the woman’s expression changed as though two more enemies had
appeared. Distracted, the masked man aimed his sword towards the spot between her brows. Naturally, Qiao
Xian and Zhangsun would not allow it to happen. Zhangsun shot a Buddist bead towards the masked man’s
temple, while Qiao Xian drew her sword to slash his wrist.
Who knew that the other did not even care for his own life and continued to move forward, determined to kill
Lady Miao.
When the sword almost landed, Lady Miao bent backwards with her toes tip-toed into an impossible position,
avoiding the blade that would have otherwise claimed her life. The masked man’s sword went right past her.
As for what the sword caught, strands fell to the ground. Lady Miao only felt her scalp stinging in pain and
reached out to touch it, stopping it from being exposed.
Since the sword had just now sliced off a part of her hair that even her scalp bled, if she had depended on the two
newcomers to help her, and did not try to save herself; her corpse would have been on the ground by now.
The masked man showed a look of anger through his eyes, seeing that he failed and so many others present were
hindering him; every move of his became even fiercer and deadlier. Zhangsun shot out one bead after the next,
aiming towards the other’s sword. The enemy could not help but move backwards, making him unable to get
close to Lady Miao.
Qiao Xian was afraid that Lady Miao would use the opportunity to escape, so she left Zhangsun with the masked
man and went after Lady Miao, intending on capturing her.
At that moment, Lady Miao parted her lips to speak, her tone stern.
But Qiao Xiao could not understand her words and refused to slow down.
Lady Miao gave a strange look, switching to Chinese, “Who are you?!”
Qiao Xiao, “Someone that can help you out of this; if you do not want to die, follow us back.”
Lady Miao snorted, “There are a lot of people who want me dead, but I have still lived until now.”
As they spoke, Zhangsun did not want to fight the other anymore; so he quickly took out a short pestle, and with
a flick of his wrist, it grew from an inch to something as long as two feet, striking it against the masked man’s
chest. The masked man counterattacked with his sword with no hesitation, but Zhangsun had infused all his
inner strength into the strike. Not only did the sword fail to block it, but it snapped in half, injuring the masked
man as well.
Zhangsun Bodhi wanted to take hold of him, so they could find out who in the world wanted to take Lady Miao’s
life; but the masked man, seeing that his mission had failed, immediately bit the poison pill in his mouth and died
on the spot.
Qiao Xian spoke to Lady Miao, “You have seen how powerful this man is. The Yunhai Thirteen Stories does not
own merely a single skilled martial artist such as him. If he is gone, there is someone else to replace him, but we
can guarantee your safety.”
The beautiful eyes of Lady Miao flashed, “Who are you? Why should I believe you?”
Qiao Xian, “Because of this.”
She took out a token from her sleeve. When Lady Miao looked closely, four words were written on it: Kaihuang
Zuoyue.
The token looked like gold yet it was not gold. One look and one could tell it was something of importance.
Qiao Xian, “We are subjects of the Zuoyue Bureau under the Sui Empire’s Emperor; our positions are equivalent
to that of the six ministries. It does not matter what danger you are in, if you ally with the Zuoyue Bureau, you
can be safe.”
Lady Miao asked suspiciously, “I only knew that the Emperor sent the Jiejian Bureau to investigate. I have never
heard of the Zuoyue Bureau.”
Qiao Xian, “The Jiejian Bureau was established by the Emperor. The Zuoyue Bureau was established by the
Empress. Presently, both the Emperor and Empress stand shoulder to shoulder in court. This, I am certain you
have heard of?”
Seeing that Qiao Xian was patiently trying to convince her, she knew that the other was not someone who came
here for to kill, so she relaxed, twirling her hair with her finger, speaking in a relaxed manner, “But the ones I
have offended are not your match.”
Qiao Xian, “The Zuoyue Bureau’s Commander is akin to that of the Minister of Justice. As of now, he is within the
City of Six Crafts. If you agree to cooperate with us and find the Jade of Heaven’s Lake; even if you kill the Khotan
ambassador, our Commander can guarantee that your life will not be at risk, and send you away. From what I
understand, it would be better if you choose to trust us, compared to being hunted after.”
Lady Miao could only blink. Although the bleeding on her scalp stopped, the wound still looked serious. It was
only because she was indeed extremely beautiful that it would allow one to overlook the awkward wound.
“So in that case, you already know my relationship with Yuchi?”
Yuchi? Yuchi Jinwu? The Khotan ambassador who died?
Qiao Xian and Zhangsun exchanged glances, and both of them suddenly managed to connect everything, but their
faces did not betray their thoughts.
“That is correct. We are aware of it.”
Lady Miao, “Fine, then. I shall tell you. The one who murdered the Khotan ambassador and the one who stole the
jade are the same people. Right now, he is within the city.”
Qiao Xian, “What is his name, and where is he now?”
Lady Miao, “He is—“
But before she could finish, she immediately disappeared!

Chapter 25 – Lord Feng You Certainly Don’t Look Like

Someone Who Is So Benevolent!
It was precisely because she parted her lips to speak, that Qiao Xian and Zhangsun naturally leaned forwards
slightly; however Lady Miao raised both her sleeves suddenly, and two slender arrows flew out from them, their
tips coloured with something blue and black as if tipped with poison.
Both of them received a shock and immediately leapt away. Zhangsun’s reflexes were swift as he shot out a bead,
intending to stop Lady Miao, but the latter was more agile than he had imagined. Drifting into the air, she rapidly
disappeared from where she stood, and in the blink of an eye, she was already a few miles away.
“Stop her!” Qiao Xian urged.
Without needing to be told, Zhangsun Bodhi flew over and threw a palm, infusing all of his power. Lady Miao’s
back was facing him, so she was wide open. The palm that Zhangsun threw, containing a hundred per cent of his
strength, hit her square on her back, but surprisingly she did not fall; instead, she continued forwards.
Zhangsun’s attack failed, so he caught his breath again to give chase once more, but he had lost the opportunity.
The other was already out of his sights.
“What happened?!” swiftly, Qiao Xian rushed to him.
Everything happened in an instant, but both of them never thought that something they thought was already in
their hands would just fly off like that.
“Just now she was hiding her true strength,” Zhangsun said in a low voice. Ever since the other took his palm just
like that, he had already guessed the reasoning behind it.
“It cannot be!” Qiao Xian said without even thinking twice, “If that is the case, why could she not win against the
assassin?”
“There are two reasons. First, she knew about our presence and wanted to bait us into exposing who we are and
our origins, and who sent us to save her, so there was no need for her to be afraid. Lastly, we can be conversed
with, and that we are not here to take her life, so she would have leftover strength to escape from us.”
It was rare to see Zhangsun speaking so much, but Qiao Xian would rather him be scarce with words. At least
they would not have to watch such an essential lead running away like that.
But since Lady Miao ran away, it would be even more challenging to look for her.
“Now we can only report back to the Commander.” Qiao Xian said.
Zhangsun remained silent because he did not have a better plan.
He said, “Just now she took a hit from me, although she had escaped, she is certainly injured.”
Qiao Xian, “Even if she wanted to slip out of the city, it would not be easy. If we wanted to arrange soldiers to
patrol the city, we would need to relay our identities to the Jiejian Bureau. It would affect the Commander’s
scheme.”
Zhangsun Bodhi, “It would not.”
Qiao Xian, “And why is that?”
Zhangsun Bodhi, “I heard that Khan Ishbara’s number one fighter, Fo Er, came here. He unmistakably came for
the Commander.”
Of course, they did not know that just tonight, minutes before, Fo Er and Feng Xiao had recently fought a battle.
Qiao Xian, “Then we need to protect the Commander!”
Zhangsun Bodhi, “No need. With the Jiejian Bureau present, the Commander should be safe. But with Fo Er
present, the Khan’s men would have also arrived. We cannot give more trouble to the Jiejian Bureau.”
Qiao Xian inhaled sharply, “You mean that—”
The Jiejian Bureau and the Zuoyue Bureau had always minded their own business. This time there would not be
an exception. Since Cui Buqu brought people from the Zuoyue Bureau to the City of Six Crafts; naturally, he had
no intention of getting in the way of the Jiejian Bureau. On the other hand, it was only after hearing of the murder
of the Khotan ambassador and the jade’s disappearance, did Cui Buqu changed his plans and got involved in Feng
Xiao’s investigation. If the Zuoyue Bureau could find the jade, then they would have earned another score in their
book.
However, ever since Fo Er’s appearance, there had been a change of situations. The pressing matters needed to
be prioritized, and the jade could be briefly set aside. Although Lady Miao had escaped, this was still a lead.
Instead of letting the Jiejian Bureau walk around in circles, Cui Buqu would positively choose to use this piece of
information to trade terms with Feng Xiao and earn his cooperation.
What Zhangsun Bodhi meant was that, with Cui Buqu’s cunningness, it would be unquestionably more beneficial
for the Zuoyue Bureau.
Qiao Xian nodded, “Then we should send word to the Commander.”
Zhangsun Bodhi raised his head and saw wisps of grey clouds screening the luminous light of the moon.
Dark shadows concealed their faces.
In front of them, their mission lay. Without speaking further, they went their separate ways.
……
There were very few people who could wound Feng Xiao. It was shocking that Cui Buqu, who did not know any
martial arts and might not even have the same strength as an ordinary person, could accomplish such a feat. It
made Pei Jingzhe open his eyes.
Feng Xiao could ignore whether Cui Buqu was hungry or not, but he could not ignore the fact that he would be
going with such a stain on his clothes. In the end, he had no choice but to send Pei Jingzhe ahead to the Lu manor,
while he brought Cui Buqu back to the Qiushan manor to change into a set of clean clothes.
On the way, Feng Xiao’s footsteps were seemingly floating in the air, as if he used all the skills he had learned in
his life to rush back. He was not even so determined back then when battling with Fo Er.
The gengfu prepared to hit the gong only saw a black shadow passing by. He had not even managed to see
clearly, and it was already gone, leaving him shocked and astonished, feeling like he had just seen a ghost.
Cui Buqu also did not feel any better. Just now he was held hostage by the Yu Xiu Monk, earlier he had half his
shoulder numb, and now he was held on his other side as they rushed on the road. He practically lost all feeling
on his other shoulder.
But in this kind of situation, being able to disgust Feng Xiao, Cui Buqu felt that it was worth it.
“Looking very happy about yourself, aren’t you, Master Cui?” Feng Xiao smiled stiffly as his voice floated into his
ear.
Cui Buqu took back the curl at the corner of his lips, “I am simply happy for Commander Feng. You have found a
new lead on the case, needless to say; it will be solved soon.”
Feng Xiao snorted and felt lazy to pay him any more attention.
But to Cui Buqu, the snort sounded like it could mean a few meanings.
First: Once I have changed my clothes, I will have my revenge.
Next: Now that you are in my hands, how dare you do this, are you tired of living?
Lastly: I will make you beg for death and cry for your parents, and make you regret that you rambled in the
mortal world.
But so what?
Cui Buqu smiled lightly, not feeling the slightest bit afraid.
Once they arrived at the Qiushan mansion, Feng Xiao threw him aside and quickly rushed into the manor to
shower and change his clothes.
Cui Buqu did not know any martial arts, possessing merely a sickly body; indeed if he wanted to escape, he could
not go far. Additionally, there were patrols of the Jiejian Bureau within the manor. Feng Xiao did not even need to
worry that Cui Buqu would be so foolish as to try to run away — Cui Buqu, of course, would not escape either. He
went back to his own room, washed himself and asked for some dumplings from the maids.
The fire was already put out, so it would be difficult to start another fire. However, it was simple to make a few
dumplings. The maids were swift and skilled, and soon she brought the dumplings as well as a piece of
information for him.
“The lead you gave, Lady Qiao and the rest were unable to catch the person; please give us new orders on what to
do.”
The maid was called Tang Li. It was after she joined the manor that the housekeeper changed her name.
Incipiently, she was called Lady Tao. It suited her looks, one that did not make her stand out among the others.
After Feng Xiao was sent by the capital to escort the Khotan ambassador, Cui Buqu could speculate that the
Country Magistrate Zhao would empty this manor for Feng Xiao to use. So Tang Li also feigned poverty and was
conveniently sold into the manor to serve as a maid.
At first, she was not the maid for Cui Buqu, but because the maid that usually took care of Cui Buqu had stomach
pain and vomited to the point of not being able to leave her bed, the housekeeper reassigned Tang Li, who was
always dutiful and obedient, to Cui Buqu.
As to whether she was loyal and obedient only in front of the housekeeper, or whether she had always been
dutiful and obedient, was no longer relevant.
Feng Xiao and Pei Jingzhe were busy investigating the case; they would not have paid any attention to meticulous
matters such as a change of servant, so Tang Li could effortlessly bring news from Qiao Xian to Cui Buqu.
As Cui Buqu contemplated, an ice-cold glimmer reflected on his face, as if the news was quite attractive to him.
Tang Li only spared a glance before lowering her head.
Although the guests that came to this manor were elegant and graceful, compared to thousands of phoenixes or
peacocks, she had instead found that people like Commander Cui were more pleasant to the eye.
Although he looked a little sickly on the face.
“Did you sustain a wound? Do you want me to fetch some medicine?” Tang Li asked.
Cui Buqu, “Do you know how to massage? Both my shoulders are a little sore.”
Tang Li, “I can try.”
As she walked behind Cui Buqu, she tried to press her fingers lightly on different spots of his back.
“You hurt your tendons, as for your bones, they are alright. The massage would hurt a little bit.”
“You only need to massage. I will take care of standing the pain.” Cui Buqu said in a relaxed voice.
Tang Li did not hesitate and began to massage for him as she relayed the report.
She reached the point where Lady Miao said something strange to Qiao Xian and Zhangsun, before figuring out
that they did not understand and switching to Chinese when Cui Buqu told her to pause.
“What did she say, did she tell you?”
“She did.” Tang Li nodded her head. People who can become a member of the Zuoyue Bureau were intelligent to
a certain extent, so she repeated the words that Lady Miao had said. Although the sentence had been passed from
Qiao Xian to her, she managed to repeat almost eighty to ninety per cent of it.
Cui Buqu suddenly straightened his back, even when Tang Li accidentally pressed too hard he had simply
ignored it.
“Commander?”
“That is the language of Goguryeo.” Cui Buqu said, “Qin Miaoyu is a Goguryeon, and the Jade of Heaven’s Lake is
definitely with her.”
Why would he think so?
Tang Li was very curious, but she did not continue asking, because everything Cui Buqu did would have a reason,
and if it was not her place to ask, she would not ask in the first place.
Cui Buqu did not continue speaking. On the other hand, Feng Xiao had finished showering and sent people to call
for Cui Buqu. After Cui Buqu ate a few dumplings and felt better about his shoulders, he stood up and headed to
where Feng Xiao was.
But Feng Xiao’s face did not look any better just because he had changed into a new set of clothes.
He held a letter in his hand and a token. In the letter, only a few words were written, mentioning that Pei Jingzhe
was held hostage and wanted Feng Xiao to head to the Huyang Forest. The token was something carried by all
members of the Jiejian Bureau; the same one Pei Jingzhe took with him at all times. If the token was lost, then it
could only mean that the other party was not lying.
It was quite apparent that the enemy’s target was not Pei Jingzhe, but Feng Xiao, and perhaps even the Jade of
Heaven’s Lake.
“Never mind about failure, this is giving me trouble!” Feng Xiao could not help but scold.
“Fo Er?” Cui Buqu offered.
“Perhaps.” He swirled his fingers, turning that letter into dust and let it disappear in the wind.
Cui Buqu, “You are planning to go?”
Feng Xiao, “Why not?”
Cui Buqu looked surprised, “Lord Feng you certainly don’t look like someone so benevolent; who knew, you
would even care about the life of a subordinate!”
Feng Xiao, “His father saved me once.”
Cui Buqu shook his head, “It still does not seem like you.”
Feng Xiao, “Then what should I do according to you?”
Cui Buqu, “Write a reply: If you want to kill him, do it.”

Chapter 26 – Call Me ‘Dad’ Three Times, Then I Will Pull You

Up
Feng Xiao, indeed, would not write a reply. Although Pei Jingzhe failed his task, he was still a member of the
Jiejian Bureau by the end of the day. He would not allow an outsider to punish him. So, Feng Xiao ordered a few
people to watch over the surroundings of the Lu manor, refusing to allow any of the people inside to leave, while
he brought Cui Buqu and headed towards the outskirts of the Huyang forest.
Cui Buqu was curious, “If you wanted to save Pei Jingzhe, why are you bringing me along for?”
Feng Xiao, “With a hostage in their hand, they are fearless. In such a situation, I might perish in battle or left with
no ideas of what to do, but a crafty man like you could surely assist me in yielding a few strategies.”
Cui Buqu stared at that calm, steady look of his. No matter how he looked at him, Feng Xiao did not seem as if he
would ‘left with no ideas of what to do’.
As expected, the other’s next sentence was, “Just in case we encounter any dangers, with you here, I feel a little
safer.”
Cui Buqu replied coldly, “I bet you want to use me as a meat shield.”
Feng Xiao, “Clever.”
His footsteps were like the wind; his qinggong1 as smooth as the flowing waters and clouds. To avoid Cui Buqu
slowing him down, Feng Xiao grabbed his waist and heaved him into the air as well.
Cui Buqu simply felt both of his feet floating above the air, it did not require him to use any strength, and
suddenly he had already arrived at the destination.
The moon revealed itself from behind grey clouds and brought light to the mortal world. Under the moonlight,
the Huyang forest looked like it was practically glowing, yielding a sort of calmness and peace that did not exist
during the morning.
But this peace was merely an illusion. Perhaps Cui Buqu could not sense it, but Feng Xiao could already sense the
stir in the air.
He stopped his footsteps.
“You have invited me, so then why are you hiding?”
The grassy fields weren’t considered dense with just patches sprouting from the sand few and far between each
other, but Cui Buqu hadn’t even heard anything, when a man was already standing under a tree not far off.
It was that Goguryeon man, Gao Ning.
Although Gao Ning used the surname of the country, Gao, and was also one of the top fighters in the Central
Plains, his attire looked worn and old, almost shabby.
He wore grey all over and looked like he had travelled a long way, but he could care less about it. He kept his eyes
on Feng Xiao the moment he showed himself and did not even spare a glance at Cui Buqu.
This was, of course, not because Feng Xiao was handsome, it was because he had decided that Feng Xiao was his
one true nemesis and wanted to defeat him.
Feng Xiao, “What about the man you caught?”
Gao Ning was straightforward about it, “Not here”.
His Han was not fluent; his tone and words were stiff, even cringer than the icy night breeze that bellowed.
Feng Xiao chuckled, “I knew that Pei Jingzhe would not have been so stupid that he’d still be caught even after
you’ve taken his token. Speak, who else are your accomplices? The high and mighty number one fighter of
Goguryeo is using such underhanded methods. It seems that the Goguryeons are merely just chicken and dogs,
cowards and ghosts!”
Gao Ning’s face showed a hint of anger, his hands rested on his sword, but beside him, someone else spoke.
“He is using the provoking technique; there is no need to pay him attention.”
Another person appeared behind a large boulder; he had been keeping his breath low on purpose before,
unmoving, that even Feng Xiao could not sense where he was.
There was little room to guess who it could be when a high-level martial artist that could rival even Feng Xiao
had coincidentally appeared in the City of Six Crafts.
“Is this not the number one fighter of Göktürk? Did you drop something? Want me to find it for you?” Feng Xiao
mocked him with feigned surprise.
Fo Er, “Tonight, you weren’t concentrated. I want to fight a new battle with you.”
Cui Buqu, “This is the first time I am seeing someone who lost speak in such a refined way. You people are not
from the Central Plains, so I wager you would not happen to know how to write the words dirty, underhanded,
shameless, and calculative?
His voice was passive, but he had said everything in one go, obviously carrying a mocking tone.
From the way Gao Ning and Fo Er looked at them, they might at least understood a little of what he meant.
Feng Xiao happily said, “QuQu, I have never seen you being this adorable and loveable.”
Cui Buqu, “Lord Feng, please refrain from being so self-centred. Resume addressing me as Master Daoist Cui; do
not call me anything that makes my heart feel disgusted.”
“Men of the Central Plain, tch!” Gao Ning laughed coldly, interrupting their conversation, “They are all bark and
no bite!”
After he spoke, he drew his sword and flew towards Feng Xiao.
The glare of the sword was blinding, almost like the arrays of a rainbow, a few times the speed compared to how
he held Pei Jingzhe hostage minutes before.
At the same time, Fo Er attacked from the other side. With one on Feng Xiao’s left and one on his right, it seemed
they intended to go for the kill right away.
However, Feng Xiao showed no fear. He did not move until both of them were within reach, only then did he push
himself off the ground with his foot and rose into the air, avoiding both of their combined moves.
The zither rolled out from his hand, and he landed on the ground; the wind cooperated with the zither and sent
an attack towards the other two. Under the combined attack of Gao Ning and Fo Er, he wasn’t at a disadvantage.
Although Cui Buqu was not on good terms with Feng Xiao, from this moment onwards, they were on the same
boat. If Feng Xiao was defeated, it wouldn’t be beneficial for him.
Fo Er and Gao Ning together were indeed powerful, but Feng Xiao was certainly not a pushover either. Between
the three of them, it was impossible to tell who would win. Even if Feng Xiao grabbed hold of all the
opportunities given to him, he might not be able to defeat them.
After Cui Buqu observed for a moment, he relaxed and began walking to a nearby boulder to sit on it before
continuing to slowly monitor the battle.
At that moment, he suddenly felt his hairs standing in a cold sweat as if someone was blowing mouthfuls of air at
the back of his neck.
In reality, there was no one blowing air at the back of his neck; it was only the instinct of humans warning him of
danger. Cui Buqu did not know anything about the martial arts, but perhaps since he was often sick and his body
had accepted various kinds of medicinal affects, his five senses became more alert and sensitive; at that moment,
he did not even hesitate and bent forwards to sprawl on the ground.
The moment he sprawled onto the ground, something wheezed past the top of his head, and in the next moment,
Cui Buqu saw that not far in front of him, a few long needles were sticking out neatly from the ground.
Needless to say, poison stained those needles.
Cui Buqu felt that his movement was too sudden as his back ached and his knees hurt. He did not have enough
strength to stand up again and run while the threat that would claim his life was already right behind him. He
could only roll to the side to save himself in a sorry way, but at least he could keep his life.
As he rolled to the side, two people in black rushed at him with one at the back, and one in front. Swords shone in
their hands, and while he could escape the attack from before, no doubt, he could not escape this one.
No good comes from standing close with that oleander!
While Cui Buqu had considered everything, he couldn’t have guessed that his death would be the cause of not his
enemies killing him or dying of his illness, but because he had got involved with Feng Xiao! He did not have time
to open his mouth to shout curses, but he was already doing it in his heart. He cursed Feng Xiao’s ancestors
through a few dozen generations before himself until the time of the Xia, Shang, Zhou and Three Sovereigns and
Five Emperors periods.
He closed his eyes, accepting fate.
He did not know whether it was because his curses to Feng Xiao’s ancestors in his heart was taking effect, for
those sword never landed on his back, and the anticipated pain never came. The sound of fighting sounded next
to his ear; Cui Buqu opened his eyes and saw that Feng Xiao had managed to arrive on time, standing in the way
of those assassins that wanted to kill him.
At that moment, two more people joined the enemy’s ranks. It had become one against four.
Feng Xiao did not have the energy to retaliate against Cui Buqu. It was obvious that he had begun to feel wore
down.
One he was out of danger, Cui Buqu spoke, “These two men are from the Yunhai Thirteen Pavilions, they even
have poisoned needles!”
The Yunhai Thirteen Stories had emerged once tonight, but they had left when the woman in yellow, Bing Xuan,
exposed them. No one knew that they would appear so soon here again and join arms with Fo Er and Gao Ning.
Feng Xiao, “Why did I not know that the Yunhai Thirteen Stories do not only assassinate people now, but have
also resorted to robbery?”
Of course, those two people in black would not respond to him, infusing all their strength and attention at
attacking Feng Xiao. They did not even look at Cui Buqu, as their target, since the beginning, had always been
Feng Xiao.
In the dead of the night the wind rose and the sandstorms gradually got stronger. As the few shadows fought
each other on the highlands, they did not realize that they had reached a cliff. Looking downwards, although it
wasn’t an abyss of a thousand zhangs deep, it was similarly dangerous. It would claim the life of a normal person
if they fell down.
A mouthful of sand filled his mouth and nose, Cui Buqu nearly coughed it out, but he refrained himself from
doing so. He knew that between battles of highly skilled martial artists, even one mistake was not permitted. If
Feng Xiao lost because of a distraction, then the fate that awaits himself would not be a good one.
He moved slowly to a dark spot in the corner where nobody would notice him, using the large boulder to conceal
his presence. Added with the sandy winds that arose, the few people surrounding Feng Xiao wouldn’t have
noticed that Cui Buqu went missing.
Ever since the two assassins from Yunhai Thirteen Stories participated in the battle, the situation had taken a
turn for the worse. With four exceptionally skilled fighters battling with the best of their capabilities at the same
time, even if Feng Xiao was number one beneath the sky, he could not escape unscathed. Also, considering that
two of these people were not from the Central Plains, and the other two were assassins; they would indeed not
follow the regulations of martial artists within the Central Plains. With numbers by their side, and after a few
more exchanges of fists, Feng Xiao’s stomach and shoulders finally took the hit, and his moves became slower. Fo
Er grasped the opportunity, striking a palm to his chest, sending him rolling down the cliff as Gao Ning kicked his
zither into the other direction.
Feng Xiao fell down the cliff, darkness consuming him. The Yunhai Thirteen Stories were assassins who would
pursue until the end. They did not hesitate about jumping down the cliff in pursuit. At that moment, sandstorms
flew all around, mixing with a little rain and snow; even high levelled fighters would not have been able to stand
it. Gao Ning and Fo Er formerly did not know each other, but because of Feng Xiao, they had agreed to become
temporary allies. Yet once the enemy was defeated, they quickly held their guard towards each other, and seeing
how terrible the weather was, they were not as obsessed as the assassins, so both of them left, one heading the
west, the other to the east, disappearing into the snowstorm.
Cui Buqu waited for a moment, coming out to investigate only after feeling that those two were far enough.
His vision was not bad; even so, it was difficult to see anything in darkness such as the one before him.
Even if Feng Xiao was fortunate enough to be alive after his fall, he could not say what would happen if those two
assassins had found him.
Cui Buqu said in this heart: ‘Tsk, tsk’. He felt it a pity that someone with good looks like Feng Xiao would be
reduced into ashen bones, but at the same time, he was glad that Feng Xiao was gone. The Jiejian Bureau would
be dull for a while, and that would be the chance for the Zuoyue Bureau to rise.
As he was thinking, a weak voice filled his ears.
“Pull me up.”
Cui Buqu moved to the side of the cliff and squatted, reaching out to feel around the edge.
As he fumbled here and there, he indeed found a hand!
That hand swiftly grabbed onto him, practically dragging his entire person down with it. The latter instantly
grabbed onto the edge to prevent himself from being yanked down.
“Pull me, up!”
Feng Xiao’s voice was weak, it was apparent that he did not want others to hear it, but it also seemed that he was
wounded quite severely.
“How lucky you are!” Cui Buqu helplessly shouted back.
Feng Xiao snorted, “The Heavens naturally offer their protection to someone of peerless elegance and grace like
myself. How could those little nobodies be able to wound me?”
Cui Buqu, “But now you want me to save you.”
Feng Xiao, “When we get back, I will reinstall your freedom and let you go wherever you please.”
Cui Buqu spoke in his heart. If this old man wanted to leave, you would not even be able to lock me up.
“That is nothing to me. If you agree to do something, I will pull you up.”
Feng Xiao said impatiently, “I will agree to anything, just pull me up first!”
He kept his voice low so the Yunhai Thirteen Stories would not be able to hear him.
Cui Buqu, “Call me ‘Dad’ three times and I will pull you up.
Feng Xiao, “……”
=======================
[1] Qinggong: Qinggong is a technique in Chinese martial arts, in which martial artists can move swiftly and lightly at
superhuman speed, and perform gravity-defying moves such as gliding on water surfaces, scaling high walls and mounting
trees.

Chapter 27 – Dad~~ Dad~~

Whether dignity or pride was more important, perhaps some people would rather live a punishing life to keep
their dignity; but these were indeed not the ways of Feng Xiao, so he ultimately chose the latter.
Feng Xiao, “Dad…”
His voice was very soft with barely any resonance; it was brought by the light wind up to Cui Buqu’s ears, like a
groan.
Cui Buqu, “I cannot hear it properly.”
Feng Xiao, “Pull me up first, I have no strength left.”
Cui Buqu snorted coldly, “‘I have no strength’ are so many words strung together, yet you could not even say
‘Dad’?”
Tang Li had massaged his shoulders for him a little while ago, so presently, Cui Buqu felt that both his shoulders
had already regained their strength. Feng Xiao seemed like he was also stepping on a slope of stone down below,
for if not, Cui Buqu might not have been able to pull him up.
Feng Xiao, “Dad~~Dad~~”
The first ‘dad’ has a raised tone, but the second one was hushed. This wasn’t because Feng Xiao’s voice was
crooked by the miscellaneous sounds from their surroundings. It carried a tone that sounded as if he had been
truly embarrassed.
If it had been a weak maiden screaming like that, one would have felt pity for her, but with how Feng Xiao
pinched his nose and shouted in a high pitched voice, it only made Cui Buqu’s skin stand on its ends; in fact, it
practically made him startled enough that he would have dropped Feng Xiao.
As if he had expected this to happen, Feng Xiao held his hand and suddenly pulled him down with a tremendous
amount of strength just as a gust of wind whipped past and blinded his eyes. He could not even grab onto the
edge on time, and just like that, he was pulled down by Feng Xiao.
There were a lot of things that were difficult to predict in this world even with intelligence; for example, he could
never have expected that Feng Xiao failed to hold on.
Feng Xiao knew martial arts, so he might not die if he fell, but that amount of height to a regular person like Cui
Buqu would claim his life. The moment he was pulled down, Cui Buqu practically owned up to fate.
But soon he discovered that Feng Xiao was not falling; in fact, his foot swiftly reached the ground, pulling him
into a cave.
Both of their breaths were ragged as they glared at each other in the dark. Outside, the storms and winds grew
more powerful, covering any last traces of light.
Following the sound of the winds outside, Cui Buqu inhaled, “So you…”
Just as he said three words, his mouth was immediately silenced. Feng Xiao’s body pressed close, squeezing him
against the cave until he could not move.
The cave existed midway down the cliff. Judging from the way it looked, it was created from the whirling winds
after some period of time. The cave was narrow on the inside, so when both of them were pressed together, it
was even tighter.
However, Cui Buqu knew that Feng Xiao doing such pointless actions was not solely just to pull his leg, so he did
not move and did not struggle against him.
As expected, after a while, a black shadow swept past outside.
Cui Buqu’s eyes were sharp; he recognized them as one of the assassins that went down to look for Feng Xiao just
now.
From Feng Xiao’s current situation, he might not win in a fight of one against two. If they were still lingering
above the cliffs like before, they would have been discovered by now.
The shadow suddenly stopped, both legs stepping on a stone that stuck out outside, looking around downwards.
The small cave was pitch black; it was impossible to see anything at all.
There was no need for Feng Xiao to point it out, Cui Buqu had long held his breathe, and the only thing he didn’t
hold was his beating heart.
The man furrowed his eyebrows for a while, contemplating whether or not to continue searching. Cui Buqu felt
Feng Xiao’s body move slightly. He only heard a hushed, soft sound of something brushing against the rock, and
as something above their head seemingly exploded, before an immediately series of flapping followed.
The searching assassin was startled. He did not expect such a big group of bats to fly out of the cave. He reached
out a palm to slap it, but it only drew more bats flying towards him, leaving little claw marks on his face. He lost
his balance and fell.
Cui Buqu could not have guessed that bats were hibernating in the cave. Another wave of bats flew down from
above their heads, and he felt that this was not any less threatening than facing death itself. Needless to say,
considering mysophobic Feng Xiao who had just taken a shower not long ago, he estimated that when Feng Xiao
returned home, he would certainly shred off one layer of skin. The thought made him happy. Even if he was in
danger right now, he felt that it was not so bad.
Feng Xiao finally removed his hand from his face.
But before Cui Buqu could release a breath of air, he heard the other man say, “There is still one more.”
Before he finished his words, a shadow flew in from the outside in a destructive force with sword gleaming in
hand, aiming directly at Feng Xiao!
Feng Xiao’s zither was long gone, he rose from his position and attacked with a palm towards the opponent,
turning his body sideways slightly when the tip of the sword almost touched his shoulder, allowing the sword to
slice open his clothes and the surface of his skin lightly as his palm hit the assassin’s neck square.
As Cui Buqu listened, he heard the breaking of bones and that man being flung out of the cave.
“Let’s go?” Cui Buqu said.
Naturally, now was the best time to escape. Fo Er and Gao Ning were long gone and the chances of them
returning were slim. Of the two Yunhai Thirteen Stories assassins, one was killed by Feng Xiao, and the other fell
down the cliff, probably half-dead by now. Even if he was not dead, he was probably unconscious.
“I can no longer move.” Feng Xiao breathed quietly.
Cui Buqu, “This cave is not far from the surface. I can go up and bring help.”
Feng Xiao answered with an ‘Oh’, “Then go.”
Cui Buqu twitched his lips, “…then let me go.”
But the other person still held tightly to his wrist.
Feng Xiao answered innocently, “I want to let go, but my hand refuses to listen to me, there is nothing I can do.”
This man was, no doubt, worried that once Cui Buqu left, he would never return. Even if Pei Jingzhe found him, it
would already be the next morning. The night was still long, and there were a lot of things that could happen.
Cui Buqu, “We can work together.”
Feng Xiao, “Speak.”
Cui Buqu, “I know something related to the case you are investigating now; it may help you gain a breakthrough.
I can tell you what it is.”
Feng Xiao, “Then why did you not say it earlier?”
Cui Buqu, “I too only just knew about it.”
Feng Xiao, “I should have guessed you were plotting something and pulling strings behind my back.”
Cui Buqu did not budge an inch, “Do you want to know or not?”
Feng Xiao knew they would remain here for a little while, so he relaxed, allowing himself to completely forget the
situation he was in at the moment, leaning against the rocky walls. Only, he refused to let go of Cui Buqu’s hand,
“Why should I trust you?”
Cui Buqu, “Did you not guess my identity earlier?”
Feng Xiao raised his voice a little, “Oh? Finally admitting it now, are you?”
Cui Buqu, “That is correct. The Zuoyue Bureau and the Jiejian Bureau, although they do not have a good
relationship, they are both subjects of the crown. Since we are now all in the City of the Six Crafts, we are on the
same boat. Even if I have displeased you, we should defeat the enemy first, and then we can talk about other
things.”
Feng Xiao, “Why are you here? Was it for the jade?”
Cui Buqu remained silent for a while, “No. Two months ago, I was already in the City of Six Crafts; how would I
know that the jade would be stolen? The Zuoyue Bureau had something we needed to do.”
Feng Xiao sighed, “Until now, QuQu you refused to be honest with me; it will be very difficult to convince me that
you are trustworthy!”
Cui Buqu rolled his eyes, “The Khan Ishbara is on the move and has set his eyes upon the Central Plains.
However, although there are many Göktürk tribes, the Khan’s powers are not enough to conceal all that he did.
My mission is to aid the imperial court to foil the Göktürk’s plans. This is a secret of the utmost confidentiality. All
who are not involved are not permitted to ask, so I can only tell you until this point. With your intelligence, it is
not difficult for you to guess the rest. I need not tell you more.”
Feng Xiao remained silent. In the dark, Cui Buqu could not see his expression; he only felt that Feng Xiao was
trying to determine how much of his words were true.
Who knew that the other would suddenly ask, “So if what you said is true, then Wen Liang is also a distraction
you created?”
Cui Buqu said nothing.
His silence meant that he did not deny it. With such a lead, Feng Xiao could guess the rest of the story and
everything he encountered in this case. Cui Buqu had been by his side all this while, even being drugged with the
naihexiang until he looked weak and sickly, but Feng Xiao was unaware of being led by the nose and walking
around in circles. He could not help feeling his fingers itch, and that he truly wanted to take the other’s head,
throw it down onto the ground and kick it around.
And then he reflected on himself, who thought that he was on the winning side, yet was fooled so easily by the
other. It was not easy for him to hold himself in place and curb his temper.
Feng Xiao laughed, “Then can I trouble Master Daoist Cui to clarify yourself? Of the few people who accused Wen
Liang, were they also people you had planted to mislead me?”

Chapter 28 – My Surname Is ‘Zhangsun’, Given Name ‘Bodhi’, I

Am One Of The Vice-Commanders Of The Zuoyue Bureau
Since the Wei and Zhou Dynasties, the shadows of the Göktürks had always plagued the Northern Dynasty.
Through the generations of Emperors, they had always been considerate in order to sustain the peace of the
Northern Dynasty. Yet, wolves would always be wolves, they would not stop hunting just because someone had
temporarily satiated their hunger and forget their wild nature. Once the feeding stopped, their natural
personality would resurface once more, rolling back their snouts and leaping into the hunt once more.
When the former Northern Zhou reigned, Princess Qianjin had married the Khan Ishbara to sustain peace
between the Central Plains and the Göktürk, and both sides were at peace. But ever since Yang Jian became
Emperor of Zhou, Princess Qianjin despised him for the treason he caused — the murder of her entire family and
her parents — so she convinced her husband to go against the Central Plains. The Khan Ishbara was also no
coward, so he promised his wife and commanded his soldiers to assault Sui.
Since two years ago, the war had lasted over a year. Khan Ishbara united all the Khans of various tribes near his
kingdom and raised an army of one hundred thousand people, splitting ways as they marched onto the long
city. From Mayi, Khan Ishbara ventured into the South. The Sui soldiers fought fiercely, and both won and lost
wars. However, as Emperor Yang Jian wanted to preserve his strength in keeping Goguryeo and the Southern
Chen from attacking, he was unable to spare all his soldiers to battle with the Göktürks. So he had no choice but
to come into good terms with Princess Qianjin while sustaining his relationship with the Southern Chen Imperial
Court, he intended to use the strife between all tribes in Göktürk to spilt them apart.
It was because of this situation, Cui Buqu was sent to the outskirts of the city.
By the orders of the Emperor, General Zhangsun Cheng and Yuan Hui from the Court of the Imperial Stud was
sent out to the Yellow Dragon Ally and the Yiwu Ally to discuss terms with Khan Ishbara as well as Khan Bagha
and Khan Tardu. On the other hand, Cui Buqu was responsible for receiving the Khan Apa’s ambassador to
convince him not to ally with Khan Ishbara to achieve their goals of separating the tribes of Göktürk.
However, Khan Ishbara’s forces were too powerful. Even if Khan Apa agreed to ally with the Sui Empire, they
were not brave enough to flaunt it, so they decided to hold a secret meeting in the City of Six Crafts.
More than a month ago, not long after Cui Buqu arrived in the City if Six Crafts, Khan Apa had already sent out an
ambassador; however, before the ambassador had reached the city, he ate something spoiled, vomited and died.
Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi, who had followed Cui Buqu to the City of Six Crafts, went to investigate as they
felt that the ambassador’s death was suspicious, but managed to find no leads. But due to this, it made people feel
more wary.
Time were wasted for news to travel back and forth, until a little while ago, when Khan Apa had sent out another
ambassador, taking precautions to be all the more secretive. Only after the ambassador reached Qiemo, did they
inform the Zuoyue Bureau’s scout. According to the information, they would arrive within three to five days.
At first, Cui Buqu was originally bound to his duty and would not have crossed paths with the Jiejian Bureau.
However, because of the murder of the Khotan ambassador and the loss of the Jade happened while he was
coincidentally in the City of Six Crafts, if he did nothing about it, it would not have been the style of Cui Buqu.
So he scouted for information on Feng Xiao’s side, discovered the lead of the plum blossoms and sent news back
to Qiao Xian and Zhangsun to investigate, he wanted to get to the jade first and claim the glory of solving the case.
Feng Xiao, on the other hand, could not guess that while Cui Buqu had been by his side all along, the Five Tastes
restaurant had been the stronghold the Zuoyue Bureau had set up in the City of Six Crafts.
Cui Buqu had intentionally misled Feng Xiao, allowing Zhangsun to set up a pit for Wen Liang while being
captured by Feng Xiao at the same time, convincing him that Wen Liang was a pivotal figure in the case.
Out of the of working together, Cui Buqu had only vaguely told him some truths, meticulously picking out the
contents of what he wanted to say, merely telling him what he thought he needed to know.
Feng Xiao listened and heaved a long sigh, “Master Daoist Cui, you are obviously beside me, and you have not left
for a second, but the fact that you can plot such a huge scheme to mislead me is truly commendable!”
Although they were sitting in a very tight, dark, and smelly place, Cui Buqu’s mood was not bad at all; a wicked
smile even curled up his lips.
“Did you not also guess that Wen Liang was only a smokescreen?”
Feng Xiao sighed again. “If I am not wrong, Fo Er’s target was not supposed to be me, but you.”
Since the Khan Apa held the intention to side with the Sui Empire, even if they were not allies, they would still
become partners. All across Göktürk, the other countries would become aware and spread the news all around. It
was impossible for Khan Ishbara to not hear of these rumours. Fo Er, the number one fighter under the banner of
Khan Ishbara, this time, his mission regarding the Central Plains was evident.
He was completely uninterested in the jade but put all his strength into killing Feng Xiao. There could only be one
explanation — his misunderstanding that Feng Xiao was the ambassador sent by the Sui Empire to Khan Apa. His
given mission was to prevent the meeting, and inorder to do that, clearly, he had to kill Feng Xiao. Once Feng Xiao
was dead, it would startle both the Sui Empire and other tribes of Göktürk, warning them of the abilities of Khan
Ishbara and not to act hastily.
However, he had never guessed that the ambassador sent to meet with Khan Apa’s ambassador was not Feng
Xiao, but Cui Buqu.
Second Commander Feng of the Jiejian Bureau was bombastic in his actions, so he was mistaken for the target
instead.
Cui Buqu, “Since we are both subjects of the Crown, what is the difference of targeting you or me? If we truly
want to discuss it, Second Commander Feng you drugged me with Naihexiang and caused me endless suffering;
so, how would this strike be calculated?”
Feng Xiao gave an innocent wave of hand, “If you told me your identity early on, would you have gone through
such suffering?”
Cui Buqu, “If I had told you earlier, you would have been even more suspicious of me and thwart me in every
way, how then could I get the important leads from you?”
They both glared at each other.
After a while, Feng Xiao finally said, “How would you like to work together?”
Cui Buqu, “These few days, Khan Apa’s ambassador would arrive in the City of Six Crafts. You will help me stall
Fo Er and other assassins that might come and not let them disrupt this meeting.”
Feng Xiao, “Done. Now, about the lead you were saying?”
Cui Buqu went through with him once of Qiao Xian and the others and their discovery of Lady Qin, “Qin Miaoyu is
most likely a Goguryeon, and the jade is with her.”
Feng Xiao, “How did you find out?”
Cui Buqu, “If she was skilled in martial arts from the beginning, she would have already escaped when she
murdered the Khotan ambassador, there is no need to hide within the city. Both my subordinates fought her
together, and yet she still managed to escape. This could only mean that her martial arts enhanced greatly within
a short amount of time, and she wanted to give it a shot.”
Feng Xiao, “The Jade of Heaven’s Lake.”
Cui Buqu nodded, “Only the jade possesses the legend of being able to greatly amplify a person’s martial arts
within ten days. Now, since she carries a wound, it would be impossible for her to exit the city during the night.
Once you return, gather your people and search the entire city. It should not be difficult to find her.”
Feng Xiao pondered over it for a moment, “Considering the level of her skills a few days ago; she would not be
able to assassinate Yuchi Jinwu and his company.”
Cui Buqu, “However, she took the jade and ran away alone. This proves that her accomplice might also be looking
for her. The jade that the Linlang Guild sold, is very likely put out by her accomplice, but not to bait us, the bait is
for Qin Miaoyu.”
Feng Xiao added, “Since Qin Miaoyu has already discovered that the jade can exceedingly increase a person’s
martial arts level, she knows that the one she has with her is the real one, and will not take the bait.
With one sentence following after the next, they managed to complete the whole story rapidly.
Not only did they have to find Qin Miaoyu, but also had to search for her accomplice so as to conclude the case
altogether.
Feng Xiao, “How about that Gao Ning? What is his background?”
Cui Buqu, “That man might have no connections to the case, perhaps someone did trust Qin Miaoyu and her
accomplice fully, so they sent a third person. If you are suspicious, it does no harm to investigate him.”
“En.” Feng Xiao changed the subject, “Ah, QuQu, since you were under orders to receive the Khan’s ambassador,
surely your place in the Zuoyue Bureau is not low? Since you already know my identity, shouldn’t you also be
truthful to me? After all, we are familiars.”
Who is familiar with you? Cui Buqu couldn’t help giving a cold snort inwardly, admiring Feng-er’s face to his
fullest.
However, he looked calm and peaceful on the surface, as if he was pondering deeply, “Since we are here now, I
will tell you. In reality, my real surname is not Cui, and my real name is not Buqu.”
“Oh?” Feng Xiao’s interest rose expectantly.
Cui Buqu, “My surname is Zhangsun, name Bodhi, I am a Vice Commander of the Zuoyue Bureau.”
In a certain place in the city, Zhangsun Bodhi could not stop himself from sneezing.

Chapter 29 – How Did I End Up In A Situation Like This

As Feng Xiao listened, the corner of his eyes turned upwards as if he was smiling yet it also looked like he wasn’t.
“How inconvenient. I happen to have seen the Zuoyue Bureau’s Vice-Commanders before — a man and a
woman — do not tell me you are one of them.”
His tone was filled with the meaning of “Go on, keep lying, let’s see how your story goes.”
Cui Buqu, “How do you know that the Zhangsun Bodhi you saw was the real Zhangsun Bodhi?”
Feng Xiao, “Oh?”
Cui Buqu’s expression did not change, he continued to say nonsense, “A cunning rabbit would have three
burrows, so let along the Zuoyue Bureau; we often have to hide our identities. It is very normal to use one or two
doubles. After all, I only have my brain to earn myself a living, unlike Second Commander Feng who excels in
martial arts and can do whatever he pleases.”
Feng Xiao suspected that Cui Buqu was mocking him for being a simple-minded bloke despite having well-built
limbs, but Cui Buqu’s tone was very natural and calm, it was impossible to see what he was thinking.
“Then who is the Commander of the Zuoyue Bureau? What is his surname, and name?”
“Even I have not seen him. He has never shown himself. Every time, he stands behind a screen when he speaks to
us. He sounds elderly; perhaps he is already an old man.” Cui Buqu babbled on, speaking as if what he was saying
was indeed true.
Feng Xiao’s forehead wrinkled as he pondered; in his heart, he said, Could it be that General Zheng who always
stood by the Empress and carried her trust?
“Is his voice gentle and dark?”
Cui Buqu, “Other than sounding old, there was nothing special about his voice.”
Feng Xiao sighed, “Master Daoist Cui, you are such an elegant and promising man with peerless intelligence. It is
such a pity that you are beneath another and had to be controlled, in the end, it wouldn’t it be better if you were
the one in charge?”
Despite being in such a situation, they couldn’t help jabbing at each other with words.
Cui Buqu, “Is it not? Just like Lord Feng yourself, with the Minister of Justice above you.”
Feng Xiao smiled, “The Minister of Justice is simply for show. In the end, the Jiejian Bureau is different from the
Zuoyue Bureau. Although, the Emperor and Empress are praised as Twin Holiness; in the end, this country
belongs to the Emperor. Between taking orders from the Emperor or the Emperor’s wife, there is still a stark
difference. Listen to me; that Vice-Commander of yours is nothing. Come to the Jiejian Bureau and I will let you
be the Fourth Commander, granting you the authority to take action before an imperial decree. The Jiejian
Bureau can give you anything the Zuoyue Bureau could give you, as well as those the Zuoyue Bureau could not.”
Cui Buqu asked curiously, “If I defected to the Jiejian Bureau, then I would still be under you the same way I am
under the Commander in the Zuoyue Bureau, so what is so different about it?”
Feng Xiao, “Of course that is different. How could an old man compare to an elegant, beautiful, unsurpassed
talent like myself that gladdens the heart?”
Cui Buqu, “……”
Feng Xiao, “Looking at me every day, your mood will turn good. When your mood turns good, your health would
improve without the aid of medicine. Isn’t that the greatest benefit?”
After a moment of silence, Cui Buqu suddenly spoke, “Second Commander Feng, you truly are the most good-
looking man I have ever seen.”
Feng Xiao raised an eyebrow, “That goes without saying, did you only acknowledge this today?”
Cui Buqu then added honestly, “You are also the most thick-skinned man I have ever seen.”
Feng Xiao laughed, “Hahaha! Of those who can achieve great conquests in this world, who would be thin-
skinned? Pride is only something that restrains you and thwarts you from moving forward. Just look at that Fo
Er. He clearly lost to me, but he insists that I wasn’t paying attention so he could save his pride. This is someone
who loves reputation too much; so, be it on powers or abilities, he will never be able to achieve his full potential.
For the Khan Ishbara to have someone like him to do his bidding, I fear it would be difficult for him to achieve
anything as well.”
Cui Buqu, “From what I know of, although Fo Er is the number one fighter of Göktürk, these years Göktürk has
also nurtured many highly skilled fighters that we have lost count. Putting Hulugu, who has passed, aside. The
Khan Bagha from Eastern Göktürk is one himself. Even Khan Apa has someone by the name of Yelouhe who looks
delicate and pretty, but moves extremely deadly. These are not people to be belittled….”
Feng Xiao was listening very intently, but before the other could finish his sentence, he had already begun
coughing.
Although Cui Buqu covered his mouth, the sound of his coughs still seeped between his fingers, and soon he was
unable to suppress it. His coughing became more and more violent. If the assassins from the Yunhai Thirteen
Stories were not taken out by Feng Xiao earlier, they would have discovered them.
Following his coughs, mild soreness and pain began to radiate from his bones, rapidly spreading to the rest of his
body, the tips of his fingers and all of his organs. Even his temples were beginning to hurt. These were the
symptoms of the Naihexiang drug taking effect within him. And since his body was already ill, the pain he
experienced was a hundred more times more painful felt than healthy people.
Yet, even if this is the case, Cui Buqu never said anything else other than pained groans.
The Jiejian Bureau had used the Naihexiang drug on others before. Feng Xiao once saw, with his own eyes, a
supremely skilled martial artist pushed to tears by the drug. Whatever someone asked him, he answered. Even
after the poison was neutralized, half of his will was grinded away. His body has also slowly come to worsen. He’s
not handicapped yet, but he looked like one.
Yet, Cui Buqu who had no martial arts on him had travelled half the City of Six Crafts carrying the poison,
withstanding it until now.
In the end, Cui Buqu was from the Zuoyue Bureau; they were not mortal enemies, wasn’t it too much for them to
use the drug on Cui Buqu?
For the first time in his life, Second Commander Feng reflected on himself over the period of a few breaths.
But very quickly he pacified these useless sentiments, convincing himself that it was also because he was
wounded and poisoned, that he pitied the other man.
“There is some Naihexiang on me.” He told Cui Buqu.
“…Don’t need it.” Cui Buqu curled up into a ball to minimize the cold and at the same time, gathered more heat.
There was no remedy for the Naihexiang drug. The only antidote was to endure it throughout the process and
allow the poison to neutralize itself, expelling itself out of the body. People who trained in the martial arts could
use their inner strength to suppress the poison, and another way was to battle poison with poison, using more
Naihexiang to suppress itself; but after suppressing it once, the next time it took effect would be even more
painful. However, the poisoned person would drink the Naihexiang to quench their pain. They would preferably
seek temporary, short-term comfort, and risk more in the long-term.
Feng Xiao, “The cave is cold and damp. Your body is already weak, to begin with; it will be even more painful
when it takes effect. Take this opportunity now. The next time the poison takes effect, you may rest in a more
comfortable place. At least, you would be more comfortable than now.”
Cui Buqu only felt himself heating up. His consciousness was already beginning to slip; even Feng Xiao’s voice
was nearly out of reach.
“If I allow this first exception, there would be a second time. If I want to end this, the best way is to refuse even
the first exception to take place.” He closed his eyes shut, knitting his brows tightly together to balance out the
persistent aching pain. He laughed, “I have endured things more painful than this… this is nothing.”
Feng Xiao brows twitched. Just as he wants to ask for details, the sound of howls ran outside. The wind that was
mild some time ago picked up once more, sweeping into the cave with snow and rain. Suddenly, there was a
piercing chill. Upon opening the mouth, one would feel as if a gust of cold air poured into their body. Added with
the poisoned wound on his shoulder, Feng Xiao also found that he himself had begun coughing.
Once he started coughing, it was as though he could not stop. The night was long, and both of them were stuck
against each other; coughing in unison as if they were singing some kind of song.
Once the tiger leaves the mountains, even dogs could bully it in its terrible situation. All they lack now is the
sound of wolves outside.
As he thought of this, as if his voices were heard, Feng Xiao truly did hear the sound of wolves coming from the
snowy cliffs in the distance.
He twitched his lips and looked at Cui Buqu who sat a little distance away.
Feng Xiao, “Hey.”
Cui Buqu was fighting the poison with all the consciousness left in his body, so he did not pay him any attention.
Feng Xiao coughed twice, “I am also injured. Do you want to come closer? We can sit together and give each other
warmth.”
Cui Buqu barely opened his eyes and thought for a moment; only then did his brain register his words.
“Scram over here.” He said.
Feng Xiao, “???”
He saw that Cui Buqu wasn’t moving at all, so he could guess that the other did not have much strength left, so
putting down his dignity for a split moment, he pulled the other into his arms. In his heart he cursed, How did I
end up in such a situation?
As he thought, it was all because of one person.
Pei. Jing. Zhe.
……
Pei Jingzhe stood at the gate of the Lu manor and sneezed thrice in one go.
He could not figure out whether he had caught a cold, or someone was cursing him because he also encountered
an incident.

Chapter 30 – Is Your Heart Moved?

On Pei Jingzhe’s side, once he arrived outside the Lu manor, he encountered a problem.
He could not supervise the entire Lu manor on his own. Even if someone sneaked inside, as long as he was
familiar with the place, it would not be difficult for him to use a false identity. The only thing Pei Jingzhe could do
was to announce his identity to the Lu manor’s owner, then mobilize some eagleriders from the Jiejian Bureau to
surround the place, ensuring that not even a fly could sneak inside.
However, this would undoubtedly alert the culprit and ruin a crucial lead.
Pei Jingzhe had become trapped between a rock and a hard place.
He had always thought of himself as immature, unlike Second Commander Feng, who smiled as his mind worked
quicker than anyone, solving every issue they came across. Even the Third Commander who was unsurpassed in
martial arts would not have stood here not knowing what to do. At the very least, when the person left the
Qiushan manor, he would have already had him captured.
As Pei Jingzhe decided to sneak in, a sharp voice came from the Lu manor and pierced the night, sending
twitching anxiety down his heart.
After that splitting sound, the Lu manor lit the candles and lanterns as people rose from their sleep from room to
room. Pei Jingzhe could also feel a ruckus rising.
It was impossible for him to sneak into the manor now, Pei Jingzhe’s forehead wrinkled.
The sound of horse hooves sounded in the distance. Pei Jingzhe turned his head around to see six eagleriders
from the Jiejian Bureau riding near.
Pei Jingzhe, “Were you not supposed to remain at the Qiushan manor?”
The leader among then clasped his fists together and bowed, “By orders of the Second Commander, we are here
to assist Master Pei!”
It took Pei Jingzhe a while to come back to his senses. Feng Xiao knew that this would happen — that he would
be standing here, hesitating, and not knowing what to do — so he sent people to aid him, giving him the boost of
confidence to make a decision.
He said, “Spilt yourselves up and have the Lu manor surrounded. Without my orders, do not let anyone out!”
The eagleriders obeyed.
Although the Lu manor was huge, the members of the Jiejian Bureau were all exemplary fighters, so six of them
were more than enough.
Pei Jingzhe approached the door and knocked before feeling a sudden wind rushing against his back. He
instinctively avoided it, glaring from the corner of his eyes, a white light whirled past him — immediately
piercing a hole in the wooden door in front of him!
If the enemy was so ruthless, Pei Jingzhe needed to use even more precaution. He took a step back and drew his
sword before immediately engaging in a fight with the person who came to attack him.
As both of them faced off, only then did he realize that his opponent was wearing long white flowing robes, as if
they were a goddess from the Moon Palace.
Pei Jingzhe, “Who goes there?!”
Qiao Xian laughed coldly, “You took one of our people, and you dared to ask who we are? Give Cui Buqu back to
us!”
Pei Jingzhe, taken aback, “You?!”
As his voice spreads into the night, he saw another person emerging slowly from the darkness, wearing a
bamboo hat and bluish-green robes, holding Buddha beads in his hands. He was certainly a sight.
“Vice-Commander Zhangsun?”
Qian Xian asked again, her attacks getting fiercer, “Where is he?!”
Pei Jingzhe calmed himself down, “I do not know what you are talking about!”
Although chaos was happening within the Lu manor, the people in the manor were nowhere near deaf. The noise
at the door brought them up, running in a hurry immediately to open the door only to see Pei Jingzhe and Qiao
Xian fighting right at their doorstep. They did not interfere but urged them, “Stop this nonsense quickly! Who in
the world are you people? How dare you fight in front of the Lu manor? Quick, get the people here!”
Not far away, the men from the Jiejian Bureau heard the commotion and rushed here immediately, surrounding
Zhangsun and Qiao Xian. All of a sudden, it turned into a deadly scene.
Pei Jingzhe, left with no choice, shouted, “Everyone stop!”
He took a step back first to imply his intentions, and after he saw that no one was trying anything, he let out a
sigh in relief.
The people from the Lu manor did not utter a word upon seeing such a strange scene.
Pei Jingzhe was the one who broke the silence, “Vice-Commander Zhangsun, may I ask why you are here in the
City of Six Crafts?”
It was impossible that Jiejian Bureau and the Zuoyue Bureau had never met. At the very least, Pei Jingzhe had
seen the two Vice-Commanders before. Although now is not an appropriate time to talk about the old days, he
could not pretend that he did not recognize Zhangsun.
Zhangsun Bodhi, “To find someone.”
Pei Jingzhe smiled, “I am bounded by duty as of now, once I am done with this and organized a banquet for both
of you, I will search with you; how does that sound?”
Qiao Xian said coldly, “Give him back.”
Pei Jingzhe knew what she meant, but still feigned ignorance, “Who am I supposed to give back?”
Qiao Xian, “Cui Buqu!”
Pei Jingzhe coughed lightly, stomping his guilt down, “I apologize, I have not heard of such a person.”
As Qiao Xian’s face brimmed with anger, she took a step forward and wanted to attack again, but was held back
by Zhangsun Bodhi.
“Give him back or do not even think of leaving tonight.”
Pei Jingzhe was not angered, instead, he smiled, “Vice-Commander Zhangsun, you make such a threat! But even if
you are undefeatable, surely you cannot win against the seven of us!”
Zhangsun Bodhi, “I can try.”
As the last word left his mouth, his body moved swiftly and lunged at Pei Jingzhe at the speed of lighting!
The six eagleriders that surrounded them were not quick enough. Zhangsun was already at Pei Jingzhe’s side and
held his shoulder.
Pei Jingzhe managed to avoid the attack, but he only managed to draw his sword halfway out of its sheath before
it was pushed back into its sheath by Zhangsun.
Even after three times, the same thing happened thrice!
Pei Jingzhe’s face reddened.
When it came to martial arts, he knew he was no match for the Vice-Commander of the Zuoyue Bureau; but he
did not expect himself to lose every shred of dignity at this moment that he could not even draw his sword.
It was the utmost shame for someone who practised martial arts.
But strictly speaking, Zhangsun Bodhi was already showing mercy. Otherwise, even with six other eagleriders
present, he could have easily killed Pei Jingzhe on the spot.
“Hand him over!” Zhangsun Bodhi slammed his palm on his head.
Pei Jingzhe, ultimately cornered, could only close his eyes as he gave in, “Qiushan manor!”
The men all around him gasped before swooping in, but they were already a step too late.
An immense rush of wind swept past them, yet but was gone an instant. Pei Jingzhe opened his eyes wide and
realized that the other man had already stopped, his palm freezing in the air.
Having just climbed back from the gates of Hell, he had yet to recover from his earlier shock, but Zhangsun Bodhi
had already flipped his robes, leaping into the air, pushing the eagleriders aside with both his palms.
None of the eagleriders from the Jiejian Bureau were amateurs, even if released into the Jianghu, they were easily
top-tier martial artists; yet, they were so easily pushed aside by Zhangsun without any opportunity of retaliating.
Watching this scene unfold before him, Pei Jingzhe could see that even though Zhangsun’s martial arts were still
behind Feng Xiao, the difference would not be vast. Attempting to fight him just now showed how ignorant he
was.
Qiao Xian shot him a cold glare, “Minutes before, were you saying you had heard of no such person?”
Pei Jingzhe laughed bitterly, “I did not know your intentions before. It’s better for me to be wary, surely?”
Qiao Xian, “You already knew that Cui Buqu belonged to our Zuoyue Bureau, yet you still withheld him and made
it difficult for him. The Zuoyue Bureau will, no doubt, remember this debt. Once we take him back, we will be
coming back for you.
Pei Jingzhe felt a headache coming up, “Although we have held Master Daoist Cui under our custody, we did not
do much to him. My Lord practically brought him along with him no matter where he...”
When he spoke up until that point, he could not help feeling guilty. Of course, he could not tell them that they
used the Naihexiang on Cui Buqu and that it would take effect every three to five days. He had felt ill this morning
and yet was taken by their lord to the crime scene before he even recovered!
Qiao Xian glared at him, promptly noticing that he was hesitating. She took a step forward and grabbed him by
the collar, “What did you do to him?!”
Pei Jingzhe could not believe that someone like her, who looked like an angel, would grab him like that. He nearly
could not breathe.
“Truly, he is fine. If you do not believe me, I can take you to him. But for now, we need to take care of the matters
here…”
“Who are you people, and why are you behaving like brats in front of the Lu manor? Leave this place instantly!”
An angry voice interfered Pei Jingzhe’s conversation.
The master of the Lu manor fumed at them angrily, both his eyes red and puffy, but it was not out of anger that
someone had disturbed them in the middle of the night; it looked more like something huge had happened
within the household
Remembering the sharp scream he had heard earlier, Pei Jingzhe set aside Zhangsun and Qiao Xian temporarily
and ordered his eagleriders, “Surround the Lu manor immediately, and do not let anyone leave!”
Then he turned towards the master of the manor, “I, from the Jiejian Bureau, came forth by orders to investigate
the murder of the Khotan ambassador, a suspicious figure has been reported to be hiding within the Lu manor,
please bear with it and allow us entry to search your place!”
Lu Ti’s expression rapidly changed as if injured by his words, but after listening to Pei Jingzhe’s words, a nerve in
his brain popped.
“This is the Lu manor; it is not some place you can enter as per your will! The Lu family have always been honest
businessmen who abide by the law. So what if you are the Jiejian Bureau? Does that give you the privilege to do
whatever you please? I heard that you people even arrested men from the Linlang Guild’s place. Today, as long as
I, Lu Ti, am here, do not even think of stepping into my manor!”
He spoke like a wounded lion, guarding his den with all the strength he has left, refusing to let the enemy into his
home. Pei Jingzhe could take his men and force his way in, but if he did that, the Lu manor would descend into
chaos, allowing the culprit to escape.
“Everyone, tonight our Lord has suffered enough. An unfortunate incident transpired our Lady, for she had
drowned. As of now, the physician is still trying his best to save her, please grant us this favour, show some
mercy, and come back in a few days!”
The one who spoke was someone who stood next to Lu Ti, who looked just as miserable, judging by the looks of
it, he must be the manager.
Pei Jingzhe’s heart pitied them.
They had just managed to follow their lead here, and immediately something happened within the Lu manor. It
was too much of a coincidence.
Now, there was no need for him to barge in, the Lu manor was undoubtedly already in chaos.
But that also meant he could not leave now.
He struggled a little, but as he recalled Zhangsun Bodhi, he dared not move. Qiao Xian glared at him coldly before
finally releasing his collar.
Pei Jingzhe let out a breath and told Lu Ti, “Host Lu, I am sorry to hear of your daughter, but tonight we have just
discovered a lead, and in the blink of an eye, something happened to your daughter. The sheer coincidence is far
too suspicious, so please let us investigate everything.”
Lu Ti, “There is no need! Right now, I simply desire peace!”
Pei Jingzhe did not heed him. He turned around and ordered his eagleriders to look for County Magistrate Zhao
so that he could allow him to send more people to surround the Lu manor. He insisted that no one should leave
the mansion tonight.
Lu Ti roared in rage, “You indeed want to make an enemy of me tonight!”
Pei Jingzhe, “I fear it is you who is unwilling to cooperate. The Jiejian Bureau is doing its duty; anyone irrelevant
who interferes will face the consequences accordingly!”
He waved a hand; the eagleriders rushed forth. The people of the Lu manor were not able to stop them as they
watched their master held down.
Watching the Lu manor’s servants wanting to fight his eagleriders for Lu Ti, Pei Jingzhe shouted again, “Who else
dares to rebel? I shall kill Lu Ti on the spot!”
This shot made everyone froze in their places, no longer dared to move recklessly.
Lu Ti’s face switched in between different shades of green; he bellowed, “You people are lawless! Do you not
know what relationship I share with the Fanyang Lu Clan? I want to sue you for mistreating an aristocratic
family!”
Qiao Xian laughed coldly, “Nevermind the many generations that are between your Lu family in the city and the
Fanyang Lu Clan, even if you were a direct relative of the Fanyang Lu Clan, in the “Kaihuang Law” there is no such
crime as mistreating a family of aristocracy. After all, all the wealthy and royalty think too highly of themselves;
otherwise, how would they die just because of offending someone they shouldn’t?”
Pei Jingzhe did not expect Qiao Xian to speak up for him like that. He could not help but glance at her.
Lu Ti, angered, rolled his eyes and did not utter a word.
Tonight, something was bound to happen.
As Pei Jingzhe prepared to bring the men inside, something indeed ensued.
“Young Master Pei! Why are you here? Dread has befallen us!”
A man flew to his side, panting heavily; Pei Jingzhe recognized him as a servant from the Qiushan manor.
When County Magistrate Zhao offered the Qiushan manor for Feng Xiao to be his residence in the City of Six
Crafts, he had also brought a few servants to attend to the guests. These people were quite intelligent. They
would not pry into things they should not be concerned. Even Feng Xiao who had always been incredibly picky
was unable to find fault with the servants.
But as of now, the servant had practically lost his breath; with a look of panic, he told Pei Jingzhe, “Lord Feng
received a letter that said you were a hostage, the other person wanted him to meet them in the Huyang forest.
He allowed me to come here to pass message to the eagleriders so they may seek out County Magistrate Zhao to
surround the Lu manor and not let anyone out, so he can deal with it when he comes back. But you — why are
you here? Unless… they deceived Lord Feng?!”
Pei Jingzhe, taken aback, said, “Did he go on his own?”
The servant shook his head, “He brought… he brought Master Daoist Cui!”
At that moment, even Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi’s faces turned white.
Pei Jingzhe, “How long has it been since they were gone?”
The servant, “From the moment I left the manor, they have been gone for around an hour!”
“If he wants to die himself, it is fine, but he wants to take one of us with him. If anything happened to Cui Buqu, I
won’t let any of you off!” Qiao Xian and Zhangsun could not care more and immediately headed to the outside of
the city, not forgetting to give a threat.
Pei Jingzhe watched them leave; finally experiencing what Lu Ti felt a moment ago. Thankfully, County
Magistrate Zhao did not procrastinate, for immediately both men and horses arrived. They were dressed
untidily; even their hair ornaments hastily were worn. It was evident that they came in a hurry, but Pei Jingzhe
was in no mood to praise them, so he merely gave an order, immediately brought two eagleriders and headed
towards Huyang forest.
……
The snowstorm had quietened down, but the cave was already freezing for quite a while. Feng Xiao used his
inner strength to expel most of the poison from his body, but there was still some amount of poison left in him, so
he felt all four of his limbs go numb, even his body felt a little cold.
But more shockingly, Cui Buqu’s body was radiating so much heat; it was a little worrisome. Holding him in his
arms, Feng Xiao felt like he was holding a hot iron, although it was great to warm him up, Feng Xiao suspected
that if he continued to stay in his condition with no backup, he might indeed die.
It was not easy to meet a soul mate, but it was even more difficult to meet a nemesis that rivalled yourself, the
latter was rarer and more precious than the former. Naturally, Feng Xiao did not hope for Cui Buqu to die, he
could imagine that if this person died, he would not just go like that, but he would leave a bunch of traps and pits
waiting for Feng Xiao to fall into them.
So Feng Xiao thought that no matter what, he would not let Cui Buqu die.
“Hey, say something.” He patted the other’s face lightly — not too lightly — but Cui Buqu did not open his eyes.
“Don’t sleep. You won’t be able to wake up.” Feng Xiao said, holding his hand as he transferred some energy to
him.
Perhaps transferring energy did help, because, after a while, Cui Buqu stirred slightly from his slumber, wrinkles
appearing on his forehead.
Giving a response was a good thing, Feng Xiao continued, “QuQu, what do you think of my looks?”
Cui Buqu’s lips quivered, but he did not yield any sound.
Feng Xiao, “I know, my looks are unparalleled, you do not need to praise me. I am long used to these sorts of
praises I have gotten bored of them, but it appears you are no different from the other mortal people. However,
today what I wanted to tell you, is a story that happened when I was young.”
Cui Buqu closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh as if responding to his words.
“When I was young, I went to explore the Southwest and heard a story. It was about a man who came from the
local tribe and a woman who was beautiful but was from an underprivileged family. The man fell in love with her
at first sight and wanted to marry her regardless of what. The maiden originally didn’t believe that the man was
genuine to her and she only wanted to marry someone suitable for herself in life. However, after that, she was
moved by the man’s sincerity, seeing how he did many things for her, even convincing the elders in his tribe and
ironing out all the obstructions. She too was moved.” The more Feng Xiao spoke, the more excited he sounded,
“By chance, I met that woman, and because she saw how beautiful, elegant, and peerless I am, she begged me to
do something for her. Could you guess what it is?”
Cui Buqu looked tired, but he wrinkled his eyebrows and finally opened his eyes.
Feng Xiao, feeling him move in his arms as if wanting to leave his hold, laughed, “I bet you are also curious, why
don’t you guess what she begged me to do. If you guess correctly, I will let you stay with me for a few days, giving
you more opportunities to admire my looks.”
Cui Buqu, “…”
Even a dead man would have twitched hearing that sentence, and to think that Cui Buqu was not even dead yet.
“Can you…”
“Hm?”
His voice was weak, and even in such a close distance, Feng Xiao had to lower his head and bring his ear close to
Cui Buqu’s lips to hear what he wanted to say.
Cui Buqu seethed with mild strength, “Shut up your dog mouth!”
At first, he was only half awake, his consciousness hanging by a thread. He did not want to think about anything
but simply desired to sleep for long stretches of hours; but, who knew, there was someone rambling nonsense in
his ear like a fly buzzing around, refusing to leave him alone whether he swatted it or smacked it. Cui Buqu truly
wanted to grab this ‘fly’ and to wrench his head and bury it somewhere where it would never be found, letting
him reincarnate into a muted fly for the next eighteen generations.
Feng Xiao raised his eyebrows, “How could you say that? My mouth cannot be called a ‘dog mouth’; it should be
‘jade mouth’. Everything I say is elegant and pleasant to the ear, others only want to hear me say one sentence,
but here you sit in my arms wrapped around you in a hug, a privilege only granted by three lifecycles of doing
kind deeds. It is something to be cherished.”
Cui Buqu, “…”
He admitted that Feng Xiao’s face was enough to capture anyone in the world and make them fall to their knees.
No matter men or women, they would be seduced by it, but it the most important thing was: if he refrained from
opening his mouth, it would be for the best.
The other man refused to give up without finishing his story; Cui Buqu sighed and struggled to open his eyes, but
all he saw was darkness. He felt that he needed to muster all his strength and the consciousness he had left, to
fight against this sickening feeling.
“…She wanted you to seduce her fiancé, to see that whether he would be seduced by someone with your looks.”
Feng Xiao, “As expected of someone who interests me, I suppose you can also guess the result.”
Cui Buqu answered passively, “With someone of your looks, even if you masqueraded as a woman, you would, no
doubt, look attractive. Who of this world would not allow their heart to be moved by seeing such a beauty? Those
who would not are few. Nevertheless, your target is merely an ordinary person; how could he resist your
persistent and perpetual seduction? Originally, the woman only wanted to test his faithfulness, but in the end,
she shot herself in the foot.”
“Then, what about you? Has your heart been moved?” Feng Xiao lowered his head; his breath brushed against Cui
Buqu’s cheek.
If it had been before, Cui Buqu would have raised a hand to push him again or leave on his own; but at this
moment, there was no strength left in him, so let alone raising an arm, he could not even move his head.
“My heart is moved, although it does not mean my feelings are also moved.” Cui Buqu said, his voice soft, “Feng-
er, with a face like yours, anyone — anyone at all — would find their hearts moving, but not everyone’s heart
would allow themselves to be played by you.”
Feng Xiao replied innocently, “I was begged by someone else to test another person’s faithfulness. That man
could not resist my seduction; how could that be a fault of mine? The hearts of people withstand being tested. If
they could, then it means the tests have not reached their limits. Whether as husband and wife or as parents and
child, it is all the same concept. That woman was unable to understand this, and in the end, she was unable to
accept the truth, thinking that she would be an exception, is that not hilarious?”
Cui Buqu, “What happened to that woman in the end?”
Feng Xiao, “Guess.”
Cui Buqu, “At the last moment, the man had a change of heart, and fell in love with someone else. The woman
refused to believe the truth, other than leaving the place for good, she could only take her own life; aside from
these options, the world would not give her a third option.”
Feng Xiao, “Clever. That woman leapt into the well and committed suicide. The man was sad for a while, but after
another two years has passed, he married someone else. From then on, they lived happily forever. Honestly say,
isn’t this story of mine fun?”
Cui Buqu did not utter a word.
Feng Xiao felt this was a little unexpected, “I did not believe someone cold-hearted like Master Daoist Cui would
believe that true love existed in this world.”
Cui Buqu replied coldly, “If the world is heartless, that has nothing to do with me. I am only interested to know
when you can shut your mouth and let me have a good sleep.”
Feng Xiao, “Then, you are bound to be awake for the entire night; because I want to tell you a new story.”
Cui Buqu, “…”
Feng Xiao did not stop talking for the entire night, but later on, no matter how loud his voice was, Cui Buqu could
not help drifting into slumber.
He was formerly half-unconscious because of the Naihexiang taking effect; but right now, his body temperature
had already dropped a considerable amount, his body was no longer hot in the way that made Feng Xiao worried.
Feng Xiao felt that his capability had also reached its limit, for he had talked until his throat and tongue was dry,
and he no longer wanted to move even an inch.
The snowstorm outside had already stopped, and clouds filled the sky. From inside the cave, layers of clouds
were seen. It seemed that a new dawn was awaiting them.
Feng Xiao sighed and muttered to himself, “One night has gone by. Pei Jingzhe’s salary for the next three years
will be decreased by half.”
He got up slowly and put Cui Buqu’s arm around his neck, half carried and half dragged him out of the cave, his
fingers pinching the other’s waist, wanting to wake him up.
“I want to carry you up, move a little on your own. At the very least, don’t fall off when I carry you on my back.”
Through the haze of his sleep, Cui Buqu responded with a soft ‘En’ and listened to Feng Xiao’s orders, both hands
reaching up to his neck as he heaved himself onto the other’s back, obeying the entire process obediently.
This also meant that he had lost all judgement of his own.
Feng Xiao sighed again. He quite liked the Cui Buqu that was conscious — the way he could weave all sorts of
schemes the moment his brain was free to think — that Cui Buqu was more fun than the one now.
But the most important thing was that he needed to carry a grown man and climb back to up the cliff.
As he thought of this, Feng Xiao muttered to himself again, “Pei Jingzhe’s salary for the next three years are all
waived, this can save the Jiejian Bureau some expenses.”
Author’s Notes:
Feng Xiao: The wind rose again, Pei Jingzhe’s monthly salary is decreased by ten per cent.
Pei Jingzhe: ??
Feng Xiao: It is now raining, Pei Jingzhe’s monthly salary is decreased by twenty per cent.
Pei Jingzhe: ?????

Chapter 31 – I Will Be Struck By Thunder And Drink Rancid

Water Everyday, When I Leave My House, I Will Break My Leg
Running
All his life, Feng Xiao had rarely encountered a situation where he was in a difficult position.
Ever since he was young, he stood out from his peers due to his talents. He excelled in both martial arts and
academics with little efforts. He obtained easily what normal people begged yet failed to obtain. Even in the
Jiejian Bureau, he was incredibly favoured by the Emperor, who granted him the sort of power to do whatever he
wished no matter where he went. No one could make him bend the knee. Even during difficult situations, with
someone of his intelligence and wit, it would not have proved challenging for him to solve.
Only at this time and this time alone, he was overestimated himself; because of a moment of carelessness, he fell
into a pit someone laid for him. Although this was not as dangerous as to cause him to lose his life, it was enough
to stomp on his pride, allowing the Second Commander Feng to realize he was not all-powerful.
Luckily, the most unfortunate victim from this was not him.
When someone was in a foul mood, and then they think about someone more unfortunate, their own mood
would take a turn for the better.
So as Feng Xiao looked at an unconscious Cui Buqu, he could not help but begin to hum a small melody.
“If you still refuse to wake up, I am going to leave you here and go back to the city myself.”
“Indeed, when I look closely at your face, even though you aren’t one of a million of me, your looks would have
stood out in a crowd.”
“Cui Buqu, Cui Buqu, no matter how people urge you, you refuse to go1. This shouldn’t be your real name.”
Feng Xiao leaned against a rocky cliff, squinting his eyes as he watched the sunrise in the east, layers of clouds
tainted by its radiant gold. At this height, the scenery was truly marvellous, like a gathering of golden cotton
balls, soundlessly illustrating thousands and hundreds of meadows and valleys.
He used the tip of his foot to nudge Cui Buqu who lay sprawled by his side.
“Isn’t it a pity for you to miss a beautiful scenery like this?”
Cui Buqu, of course, did not respond to him.
If there was still some consciousness left in him, he would have picked up a rock and shoved it into Feng Xiao’s
mouth to prevent him rambling further.
But, presently, he could only sleep peacefully next to Feng Xiao. If it was not for the sunlight that shone upon his
face, drawing the wrinkled lines on his forehead, he looked like someone who was in a deep sleep that refused to
wake up.
Even though Feng Xiao had practically deducted all Pei Jingzhe’s salary for the next five years, Pei Jingzhe had not
appeared. He let out a sigh and began to consider relocating Pei Jingzhe to one of the strongholds the Jiejian
Bureau had in Qiemo.
“You do not look so well, let me help you.” Feng Xiao said. There was no clue to what he was thinking, but a look
of excitement passed on his face, “In the past, they used to enjoy drawing eyebrows 2, and now we exercise the art
of face painting, these two are quite similar.”
Cui Buqu felt something on his face and wanted to open his eyes, but he did not have the strength.
But he was never someone who gave up so readily. Many times, when the Heavens wanted to take his life from
him, they somehow still gave him a sliver of hope. He would then climb back up from the gap, even if he was on
the banks of the Yellow Spring, even Heibai Wuchang’s chains would not be able to pull him back into Hell’s gate.
Not once had he lost before.
This time, it would be the same.
What greeted his eyes were the tall, azure-blue, lofty sky, stretching on ten thousand li without a single cloud.
The yellow-coloured sand and the white snow blending into a magnanimous world.
And also, an incredibly handsome and beautiful face.
“You are awake.” Feng Xiao said, he sounded happy, “How are you feeling now?”
Cui Buqu tried to move his fingers, but felt it was like the usual — weak and lacking strength — so he could only
remain laid on his back like a corpse.
Perhaps it had something to do with the sunrise as he did not feel cold now. With the clear breeze sweeping on
the surface of his skin, his face felt refreshed, and his heart was at peace; this was something he had not felt
before.
If a certain person was not by his side, it would have been perfect.
“Are you thirsty?” asked Feng Xiao.
Of course, he was. After one day and one night without water, Cui Buqu could feel his throat burning.
But he knew that Feng Xiao would not grant his wish so easily.
As he expected, the other laughed slyly, “Call me three times ‘Dad’, and then I will melt some snow for you.”
Cui Buqu would definitely avenge himself for this, but he’ll wait until that opportunity comes for now. He opened
his mouth and called ‘Dad’ three times quickly, finishing it before the other could blink.
His voice was hoarse and it was not melodious to the ear, but he still did it.
Feng Xiao used a hand to scoop up the snow from the ground, holding it before using his inner strength to melt it
into water and dripped it into Cui Buqu’s mouth.
Cui Buqu was not as picky as Feng Xiao, who would not have consumed this water that contained sand. As he
took a few mouthfuls, he felt his throat a lot better.
“My dad is dead.” Cui Buqu said.
Feng Xiao, “…”
Seeing how deathly the other looked, Feng Xiao decided that he would not argue with him.
After all, if Cui Buqu indeed died, he would not find another person as intriguing as him.
“Give me more.” Before, Cui Buqu found that he could sustain the thirst, but as the water was fed to him, he
craved for more.
“It’s so dirty. How can still stand to drink it?” Feng Xiao twitched his lips; nevertheless, he scooped a handful of
snow and gave it to him.
“I’ve consumed water dirtier than this.” Cui Buqu said passively, “After a heavy rain, the water at the side of the
road, have you seen those? People walking here and there, their shoes bringing sand, all sinking into that water,
even that kind of water, I have swallowed before.”
Compared to that, snow water really was a hundred more times cleaner.
When a person reached their limit, never mind muddy water, even if it was someone’s leftover food, they could
still bare to swallow it.
But Cui Buqu never thought that was something to brag about, so when he spoke of such thing, it was as if merely
entertaining a normal conversation, as if he was talking about what he ate today.
Feng Xiao suddenly said, “Commander Cui.”
Cui Buqu blinked, but his face yielded no emotions.
However, because of that blink, it was enough for Feng Xiao to confirm his theory.
“The great Commander of the Zuoyue Bureau is spying at my side for so long. In order lead us around in circles,
he even willingly lets us use the Naihexiang on him; this truly made me see you in a whole new light!”
Cui Buqu, “Would the Commander of the Zuoyue Bureau put himself in danger and allow you to drag him here,
that could have even cost him his life?”
Feng Xiao smiled knowingly, “Had it been others, perhaps not, but you definitely would. Someone like you would
never bow your head under any circumstances, nor would you bend to the knee to anyone. With someone like
you, no one in the Zuoyue Bureau would rule over your head. Master Daoist Cui, how long did you have me
fooled. You truly are capable!”
Since there was no room for him to look for an excuse, Cui Buqu did not forcefully look for one.
“Even the patriarch of the Jiejian Bureau came to the outskirts of the city himself; with the ailing invalid I am, is
this anything special?”
Feng Xiao smiled, “If I killed you here, no one would even find out or know. By that time, when your corpse is
dumped and allows itself to be blown by the sand and wind, even if someone found you, they would not be able
to find any evidence. From then on, the Zuoyue Bureau would no longer fight the Jiejian Bureau for the absolute
power. What do you think of that?”
Cui Buqu, “It is not a bad idea. But I am not the only one with talent in the world. If the Zuoyue Bureau loses me, a
new Commander will show up. If you killed me, it would be pointless.”
Feng Xiao, “But not quite everyone is nearly as intelligent as you are. Even with your body’s condition, you still
could dig such a pit for me to fall. If you are gone, I am a lot better off.”
As he spoke, he reached out to hold Cui Buqu’s neck.
Cui Buqu looked indifferent, watching the other’s face; he looked like he was even calmer than the sky itself as if
the other’s actions were unrelated to him.
……
After Qiao Xian and Zhangsun found out that Cui Buqu was taken by Feng Xiao, they stopped at nothing to rush to
the Huyang forest. Naturally, Pei Jingzhe followed behind them, but once they arrived at the Huyang forest, the
place was practically barren. They could only find traces of a fight taking place.
As present events progressed, they were on the same boat and could no longer care about their disagreements.
Everyone went their separate paths searching.
At this moment, the storms and snow still blew. Although Qiao Xian and the others knew martial arts, they were
not immortals. The longer the snow blew in the night, the more anxious they were. Qiao Xian was even worried
that Feng Xiao would use Cui Buqu as a meat shield, and that a misfortunate had already befell upon him.
The forest was overgrown and wild, and stretched as far as the eye could see as if there was no end to it. They
searched from dusk to dawn as the snow storm gradually quietened down. At long last, Qiao Xian managed to
find traces of people behind a boulder that was covered in white snow.
Feng Xiao looked fine, sitting upright, although tired, yet he looked awake. He looked at them lazily, utterly
unsurprised that Qiao Xian and Zhangsun showed up.
“It’s about time you people show up. Another step late, I fear your Master Daoist Cui was going to freeze into a
corpse.”
Qiao Xian felt that it was better if she did not look at Cui Buqu, but once she did, her expression changed, and her
heart skipped a beat.
Cui Buqu’s forehead, temples, even his neck, was filled with words.
The brushstrokes used was quite powerful, with elegant and stylish curves as if a famous artist had written it,
but that was not the point.
The point was the content.
“I, Cui Buqu, owe Feng Xiao a favour for saving my life. From today onwards, I will call him ‘Dad’, and as proof, if I
refuse to abide by this promise, I will be struck by thunder and drink rancid water every day, and if I leave my house,
I will break my legs running.”
Before Qiao Xian could wipe off those words, behind her Pei Jingzhe had already read them out loud.
Zhangsun Bodhi’s eyebrows and lips all twitched like they were in a cramp.
He bent down, wanting to rub the words off Cui Buqu’s face, but he quickly discovered it was incredibly difficult
to wipe them off.
Feng Xiao stood at the side and laughed coldly, “Don’t waste your strength. The sort of soil that can be found
everywhere here, if melted down and used to write, it makes it immensely challenging to come off. Just now, I
even tried a few times to make sure it would stay for a while; only then did I write them on his face. If the fact
that I saved his life is so easily rubbed off, how could I emphasize how privileged he is?”
To that, Cui Buqu rolled his eyes.
Qiao Xian did not say a word, drawing her sword; she aimed it at Feng Xiao before she was swiftly stopped by Pei
Jingzhe. The two eagleriders with him rushed forward to defend Feng Xiao when they saw that a scene was about
to erupt.
“Bring me back.” Cui Buqu said, “Zhangsun, give me your bamboo hat.”
Zhangsun removed the bamboo hat that he always carried with him, and quietly helped Cui Buqu put it on before
carrying him onto his back.
Feng Xiao did not stop him; he even waved his hand. “Master Daoist Cui, take care. Two days later, I will visit you.
Do not forget about me, the one who saved your life.”
Cui Buqu snorted, “I won’t ever forget it, even after eight lifecycles!”
Whatever happened between these two, it seemed that it would take some time to sort them out.
……
Qiao Xian could feel that, after herself and Zhangsun had found him, Cui Buqu looked a lot more relaxed. Perhaps
it was difficult for outsiders to notice, but she had followed Cui Buqu for so long now, she knew what he liked and
hated. For someone who held his guard at all times like Cui Buqu, it was incredibly difficult for him to lower
down his guard. She and Zhangsun were both fortunate exceptions.
They did not bother about the Jiejian Bureau. Once Zhangsun and Qiao Xian found the man they wanted, they left.
Feng Xiao did not stop them; he also needed some time to recover himself.
Presently, the case of the Khotan murder was still unsolved, and the Jade of Heaven’s Lake was yet to be found.
The Göktürk who went after Cui Buqu, after much of his manipulation, had turned his focus onto Feng Xiao but
was chased out of the city by the same person. Yet on his way out of the city, he was surrounded on all three
corners, he practically lost. Between the Zuoyue Bureau and the Jiejian Bureau, none of them won; at the
moment, both sides retreated, engraving this mark into memory to avenge it on a later date.
On the way back, Cui Buqu fell asleep on Zhangsun’s back.
Zhangsun Bodhi walked steadily on the way, carefully keeping his shoulders steady so Cui Buqu could sleep
peacefully.
“The Commander seemed to have been poisoned.” Qiao Xian said in a low voice.
Zhangsun replied with an ‘En’; he had already smelt the strange smell in the air. “It is Naihexiang.”
Qiao Xian displayed a look of surprise, and then it turned into anger, “The Jiejian Bureau is responsible. How dare
they!”
Zhangsun did not utter a word.
Feng Xiao’s actions were often inexplicable, whether he was virtuous or evil, it was difficult for one to say. Such
hearsays of him were already prevalent and widespread. So the fact that he used such methods to deal with the
Commander was not strange at all.
“Don’t go around causing a scene. Wait for the Commander to wake up before discussion. He might have plotted
something for this matter.”
However, Cui Buqu slept for a whole two days.
When he woke up, he felt his body weak all over — there was not a single place he did not feel sore.
Only his brain was awake; perhaps it also meant that he had rested enough. Once he opened his eyes full of
energy, he called for Qiao Xian and Zhangsun.
“Within these two days, did anything happen? Had Khan Apa’s ambassador arrived?”
A female servant came with some chicken soup. Cui Buqu refused to be fed, so he sat up and ate on his own as he
asked.
The two of them had long investigated everything they wanted, so they were only waiting for him to wake up to
report to him.
Qiao Xian, “The ambassador sent by Khan Apa arrived in the city yesterday night. We have already settled them
down. Once you wake up, a meeting can be arranged.”
Cui Buqu nodded, “Is the Jiejian Bureau on the move?”
Qiao Xian, “Feng Xiao ordered County Magistrate Zhao to lock down the entire city to search for the Goguryeon
woman that fought with us that night, Qin Miaoyu; on the other hand, something happened to the Lu manor, it
was on the night you and Feng Xiao went to the outskirts of the city, Lu Ti’s daughter drowned and passed away.
Her body is now still in the city’s bureau. Feng Xiao is looking for Qin Miaoyu, so he let people surround the Lu
manor, forbidding them to take a step out. It is said that Lu Ti was incredibly furious and had written a letter to
his distant relative in the Fanyang Lu Clan to ask for their help against the Jiejian Bureau.”
Speaking up to this point, she stopped for a while, “There is something else, yesterday night I saw the number
one fighter of Göktürk, Fo Er, in the city. He noticed me, so I did not follow him.”
Even though the city was currently in a lock down state, but with top martial artists like Fo Er and Gao Ning, it
was not difficult for them to sneak in.
Cui Buqu, “He must have been aware of the Khan’s ambassador’s arrival and discovered that he was tricked. You
can bring Khan’s ambassador to my place to Clive with me, to avoid Fo Er attacking.”
Qiao Xian approved.
At first, she thought that Cui Buqu would immediately arrange a meeting with Khan Apa’s ambassador, but who
knew that he was more interested in the matter concerning the Lu manor.
“What happened to Little Maiden Lu? Tell me.” Cui Buqu said.
Qiao Xian, “It is a long story.”
Lu Ti had simply one daughter; naturally, she was well-loved and was seen as an invaluable pearl. He could not
help but desire to give her all the good things in the world, so when the time came when she was of age to be
wed, Lu Ti was slightly unwilling. He wanted her to be older before arranging a marriage for her, so he could give
the Lu business to his son-in-law.
Little Maiden Lu had a cousin brother, who was the one that bickered with Feng Xiao a few days ago in the “Five
Tastes” restaurant, Su Xing. Su Xing’s parents were both dead, and he was a ward of the Lu family. His age was
incredibly close to Little Maiden Lu, and he was quite handsome, so they both fell in love. Although Lu Ti thought
Su Xing did not have a good life, since both his parents are dead, but his daughter loved him, and Su Xing did not
have any family members to object, he was ideal to marry into the Lu family and become one of them. Formerly,
he wanted to wait for another two more years to arrange a marriage for them.
A while ago, because of business issues, Lu Ti was reunited with his distant relative in Fanyang Lu Clan. As they
exchanged letters, the other party had an elder that liked Little Maiden Lu and wanted to arrange a marriage for
her with a young man from his family who was related to the Taiyuan royal family.
Lu Ti acknowledged that the young man was only one to two years older than Little Maiden Lu and he excelled in
academics; his father was also a subject of the Imperial Court, so he would definitely have a bright future; in fact,
his future had endless potential.
Towards such a good candidate, he was, no doubt, a hundred times better than Su Xing. It was difficult for Lu Ti
to not be moved, so once Little Maiden Lu heard about it, although she had always been obedient and gentle, she
fought with her father that night. After they fought, that unfortunate incident happened to her.
It also meant that it was the same night that the Jiejian Bureau was pursuing that mysterious person from the
Qiushan manor and had seen him leap into the Lu manor. After that, something happened to Little Maiden Lu.
Author’s Notes:
Alright, Little Cui’s second layer is about to be shed.
Cui Buqu: That is fine. I still have many more layers. I’m not afraid that I will not be exposed, only that you are
being too merciful.
Feng Xiao: …
=============
[1] (崔)不去, (催)不去: 崔(cui) doesn’t mean much as a surname, but 催(cui) means ‘urging/pestering [someone]’. ‘Buqu’
means ‘refuse to go’. It is not really a common name anyone would have, and it definitely does not sound like a real Chinese
name. That is why Feng Xiao suspected it was an alias.
[2] It is a saying that originated from a myth that ancient Chinese husbands enjoyed drawing the eyebrows for their wives. It
is seen as a romantic activity between husband and wife.

Chapter 32 – You Know Each Other Really Well

After he finished listening to the Lu family’s story, Cui Buqu gave a profound thought.
Once Qian Xiao caught that look, she knew that he was thoroughly interested in the matter, “You want to
interfere in the Lu family’s matters?”
Cui Buqu, “This is an exceptional opportunity to make the Jiejian Bureau split the glory.”
Qiao Xiao hadn’t expected him insist on clinging to Khotan ambassador’s murder case, but she did not utter a
word.
“But Feng Xiao is not a good encounter.”
Cui Buqu, “There is no need for me to ask, compared to the Lu family, of course, the most suspicious person to
hold the Jade of Heaven’s Lake, Qin Miaoyu, is more important right now. He needs to busy himself with
searching for Qin Miaoyu in the city; he has no time to meddle with the Lu family’s affair. However, Feng Xiao
knows that Pei Jingzhe is not capable of taking care of the Lu family’s matter; he will definitely order Pei Jingzhe
to seek our help.”
After he finished speaking, he suddenly felt that his appetite was quite good. Not only did he consume the
chicken soup, he even ate a large bowl of Yangchun noodles.
As he put the bowl down, news of Pei Jingzhe’s arrival came.
Qiao Xian could not help but give in, “Commander, nothing really escapes you!”
“Feng Xiao has the guts to pick things up as much as he knows how to put them down; he is someone who holds
big ambitions, compared with fighting with the Zuoyue Bureau — to him — solving the case and finding the jade
is his top priority.” As he stopped here, Cui Buqu felt something was a little suspicious, “Those noodles, just
before, why does it feel similar to the ones I ate in the Zuoyue Bureau?”
Qiao Xian smiled, “In that case, is it delicious or not delicious?”
Outsiders had always thought that she was cold and difficult to approach; they would not have had the
opportunity to see her smile gently like this.
Cui Buqu, “Of course it is delicious. The Yangchun noodles from the Zuoyue Bureau are the only noodles I am
used to eating.”
Zhangsun, “Qiao Xian made it.”
Cui Buqu showed a look of surprise, “Since when did you learn how to cook?”
Qiao Xiao, “Before I set out, I learnt it from the chef. I’m afraid you are not used to eating outside, who knew you
also…”
When she thought of what Cui Buqu went through the last few days, she truly wanted to kill Feng Xiao.
“I am the one who willingly allowed myself to be caught; staying by his side, naturally, I expected this.” Cui Buqu
replied passively.
He seldom told others what his intentions were, but since Qiao Xian was utterly loyal to him; towards her, he was
more willing to reveal more.
In the middle of their conversation, Pei Jingzhe was invited inside by the servants.
When he saw how Qiao Xian glared at him coldly, he felt a little undeserving.
“Good day, Lord Cui.” Pei Jingzhe greeted him politely. He already knew Cui Buqu’s identity from Feng Xiao, and
thinking back about how they treated him these past few days, he could not help feeling guilty.
“Where are the presents?” Cui Buqu extended a hand towards him.
“What?” Pei Jingzhe was taken aback.
Cui Buqu answered lazily, “Since you came here to ask for my help, how could you come empty-handed? Is this
the ways of your Jiejian Bureau?”
How did you know that I came to ask for your help? When those words reached his mouth, he swallowed them
back down and smiled, “As you said, our Lord knew you were unwell, and after going through such hardship,
you, no doubt, needed to rest, so I came here today to pay you a visit. As for the gift, I have already passed it to
the servants of your house.”
When Qiao Xian and Zhangsun came to the City of Six Crafts, they bought a little manor and employed two to
three servants that were deaf or mute. Compared to the Zixia Daoist Temple and the Five Tastes restaurant, this
was more peaceful and quiet and could be used as a place for resting.
However, after Cui Buqu’s real identity as the Commander of the Zuoyue Bureau was exposed by Feng Xiao, with
his intellect, he could surely guess the location of this manor. He even found out that the “Five Tastes” restaurant
was one of the Zuoyue Bureau strongholds.
“I am tired, send him away.” Cui Buqu did not care about his nonsense and proceeded to lie down, turning his
back away.
Pei Jingzhe wanted to step forward, but Zhangsun Bodhi had already taken a step forward and barred his path.
“I do have something to ask of you.” Pei Jingzhe thickened his skin and honestly spoke.
Qiao Xian glared at him coldly, “Is it you who asked for help, or was it, Feng Xiao?”
Pei Jingzhe, “Is there a difference?”
Qiao Xian, “The difference is huge.”
According to what she said, it meant that Pei Jingzhe was nothing to them; if Feng Xiao had not made him come,
then he would have already been chased out by them.
Pei Jingzhe felt cornered all of a sudden, like he was a sheep that walked into a wolf’s pack, unable to fight back.
Now he understood why before he came here, Feng Xiao told him to be completely honest, no need to hide
anything because he knew that Pei Jingzhe was never a match for the Zuoyue Bureau.
When he thought until this point, he was a little bit dissatisfied, but he could not help saying, “Truth be told, I
came here by orders of my Lord.”
Cui Buqu did not even turn around to look at him, his back still facing him as he lay on his bed.
Pei Jingzhe could only continue, “My Lord wishes for Lord Cui to interfere in the matter of the Lu manor, to
search for Qin Miaoyu’s accomplice.”
Cui Buqu, “So, where are the presents?”
Pei Jingzhe was taken aback, now realizing what the other meant by presents.
If he wants to ask for help, it was expected to offer something back in return.
“My Lord says he is willing to split the contribution this time. After this matter is done, he will send an edict to
the Emperor prove that the Zuoyue Bureau has contributed in kind.”
Of course, Feng Xiao would not have put it so politely; he could imagine, minutes before, the Second Commander
Feng would have placed a foot on the table, saying in a frivolous way: Do I look like I would be cheated so easily?
For now, give him half the contribution; I will definitely take it back in the near future. Just go in reassurance; if his
appetite is like a lion and bargained endlessly, I will reclaim twice the amount in future.
Listening to how this sounded like a stage play, Pei Jingzhe could only rephrase his words.
Cui Buqu snorted, “He would never speak in such a way; instead, he would have said: ‘See what that Cui Buqu
wants before he would be willing to help; if he is absolutely greedy, I will return the favour tenfold in the future.’”
Pei Jingzhe’s lips twitched as he heard, in his heart, he added, You both really know each other well.
Cui Buqu, “I can offer my assistance, but I have one requirement. I want Fo Er’s head on a spike.”
Pei Jingzhe, “This…”
Cui Buqu, “If you refuse, we can forget about working together; you can leave now.”
Pei Jingzhe immediately said, “Lord Cui, please be patient; I will agree to this on behalf of my Lord!”
The Lu family’s case was indeed urgent; one might not say that Lu Ti had already written a letter to get help.
Surrounding the Lu manor was only a temporary solution; but, to avoid more problems piling up, it was still
better to solve it as quickly as possible.
“If you had agreed to it earlier, I would not have needed to lie down right after I had just eaten and feel stuffy.”
Pei Jingzhe twitched his lips, “It’s all my fault!”
He brought Cui Buqu and the rest to the Lu manor, on the way Pei Jingzhe could not help observing Qiao Xian, yet
she only glared at him coldly, so he turned his head back.
“Lord Cui, how should I address this lady?”
Cui Buqu half-heartedly laughed, “Are you interested, or is Feng Xiao interested?”
Pei Jingzhe, “How is this different?”
Cui Buqu, “If you are interested, you go ask her yourself, if Feng Xiao is interested…”
Pei Jingzhe waited for him to finish his sentence, but the subject abruptly changed.
“Then I would definitely not tell you.”
Pei Jingzhe, “…”
He finally noticed that no one in the Zuoyue Bureau treated him like a friend.
But, of course, who asked his Lord to be so cruel, using the Naihexiang on someone on their first meeting. At first,
Pei Jingzhe thought that the Zuoyue Bureau and Jiejian Bureau would not have considered each other outsiders;
but now, this was even more difficult than he thought.
A miserable grey cloud hung over the Lu family.
Lu Ti’s treasured daughter was dead, originally, he was already upset, and now his manor was surrounded
heavily by outsiders; this was simply spreading salt over his wound.
Eagleriders under Feng Xiao did not suffice, so he took a few people from County Magistrate Zhao — pretending
not to acknowledge that County Magistrate Zhao was quite unwilling — not only because he refuse to risk
offending Lu Ti, but he was also unable to defy Feng Xiao’s orders. He was trapped in a predicament. So he could
only give the case to County Official Liu Lin, telling him to be a bit more merciful if he could.
To hold a burial for Little Maiden Lu, they needed to purchase a few items. Liu Lin brought people to the Lu
manor, but by orders of County Magistrate Zhao, he allowed the Lu family to leave through the back door and
pretended not to see. Who knew that Cui Buqu, Pei Jingzhe and his group of people ran into them.
“Stand there! Who let you out!” Pei Jingzhe was both surprised and furious, stepped forward to hold them down.
The housekeeper of the Lu family suppressed his fury and begged, “Our Lady passed away, we need to hold a
funeral, we cannot just leave her like that, please show us some mercy!”
Pei Jingzhe, “We can let Liu Lin send a few people to purchase whatever you want; however, people from the Lu
family are not allowed to leave!”
At long last, the housekeeper could not stand it and shouted, “You people are really bold! Our Lady has not even
got married, and she was met with such an incident. Our mistress wants to hold a more extravagant funeral for
her; to avoid her feeling lonely on the road, she wants the best of everything. If we ask outsiders to buy for us,
how would they do their best?! Are you people so demented that you would not even spare a dead person?!”
“The ones who would not let go of the dead are you yourselves.” Cui Buqu glared at them coldly as he pointed at
the person standing behind the housekeeper — a female servant with her head low. “He is a man in the disguise
of a woman, detain him.”
Pei Jingzhe was taken aback, yet Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi acted without thinking twice; as Cui Buqu’s
words were beginning to dissipate in the air, they were already on their feet, holding down the tall female
servant.
The female servant could not help raising her head. Pei Jingzhe found that she looked familiar, and immediately
recognized her on the spot. It was the cousin brother of Little Maiden Lu, the man who almost married into the
Lu family — Su Xing.
Coming back to the current situation, Su Xing himself looked quite prim and proper; this time he hid behind the
housekeeper and among a few tall servants. From afar, he did not look obvious at all; if they had not met each
other on the road and being exposed by Cui Buqu, he certainly could have simply gone unnoticed.
Pei Jingzhe, “Su Xing?”
Su Xing was exposed, yet he did not panic. He slowly spoke, “She is my cousin sister. Whatever she liked, hated,
even Uncle and Aunt might not know. I followed the housekeeper out, so I could buy her the things she liked so
that she would not feel lonely down there, can I not do this?”
His eyes were swollen and puffy, and his face looked skinny, short hairs of beard sprouting under his chin as if he
had just been through a round of pain. Whoever saw this face could not call him cold-blooded; instead, they
would have said that they were ill-fated, separated by life and death.
Pei Jingzhe, “Why did you masquerade as a woman?”
Su Xing, “My cousin sister and I were betrothed once; since she had not married yet if I used the name of the Lu
family to buy her funeral things, would that not sully her name? My cousin sister is clean, and she should leave
cleanly as well.”
Cui Buqu looked at him silently for a while and told the housekeeper, “The matter will conclude today, after that,
I will return your freedom. I consider myself and the Lu manor to have met by fate, so please let me offer my
prayers to Little Maiden Lu.”
The housekeeper knew Cui Buqu; due to the Zixia Daoist Temple, his medical abilities were widespread and
heralded in the city. The housekeeper’s mother was one of the people who were treated by him.
He sighed and extended a hand towards the back, “This way.”
The hall held three generations of the Lu family. Lu Ti still had a mother that was alive; in the year before the last,
a coffin was already made for her to allow her to rest here. Who knew that his mother was ultimately not the one
to use it; instead, it was his daughter.
The coffin was there, but there was no cenotaph or candles and paper money. It was why the Lu housekeeper
wanted to go out to purchase them.
Once Liu Lin saw Pei Jingzhe and the others come in, the colour on his face drained, afraid that Pei Jingzhe would
inquire about the people who went out.
But Pei Jingzhe did not pay him any attention and allowed the housekeeper to take them to the hall before
inviting Lu Ti to come over.
The coffin was already shut, and the hall that was used to welcome visitors had now turned into a funeral hall.
The pot used to burn paper money was already prepared, yet there was nothing inside. Mistress Lu, Madam Li
wore white all over, looking devastated as she sat in the hall, looking at the coffin with a lost expression. Two
female servants were at her side convincing her, yet she paid them no attention. The Lu manor was utterly silent
and morose.
Cui Buqu stepped over the threshold and took the joss sticks from the female servant and bowed towards the
coffin, before approaching the incense to place the joss sticks there, and then he came before Madam Lu.
“Be at peace.”
Madam Li had been upset for many days, her face was worn, and she could not even care for her usual
appearance.
She did not respond much even after hearing those words, so the old lady at her side could only respond in her
stead, “Many thanks, Master Daoist Cui.”
Cui Buqu, “I wish to examine the body in the coffin.”
Once he said those words, all eyes within the manor fell upon him.
Not only did the Lu family’s servants gasp, even Madam Li, who was lost in her thoughts, raised her head to look
at him.
The housekeeper shouted in anger, “Did you not come here merely to give your prayers?!”
Cui Buqu, “I came to give my prayers, but also to investigate, I suspect the death of Little Maiden Lu is not a
suicide.”
The housekeeper, “Master Daoist Cui, although you have done a favour for our Mistress, a dog of the Jiejian
Bureau cannot do whatever they want!”
Pei Jingzhe silently spoke in his heart; The Jiejian Bureau absolutely cannot afford this man.
Cui Buqu had just woken up; he had not fully recovered yet, so he felt tired. Without waiting for the housekeeper
to offer him a seat, he went to find somewhere to sit down.
“Stop talking nonsense, when I say open, do I need to open the coffin myself?” He told Pei Jingzhe impatiently.
“Step over my corpse first before you open the coffin!”
As Lu Ti rushed to the hall, he heard Cui Buqu’s last sentence and became furious; he wanted nothing more than
to beat up Cui Buqu at that moment.
Qiao Xian saw this, so she immediately moved forward to push Lu Ti. White robes fluttered in the air, seemingly
light and weightless, yet somehow managed to push Lu Ti five to six steps back; the latter needing to hold on to
the wall before he could hold his ground.
Cui Buqu did not pay them any attention but uttered three words.
“Open the coffin!”
Before Pei Jingzhe came, Feng Xiao had ordered him to obey all Cui Buqu’s orders. No matter what he asked for,
as long as Cui Buqu agreed to help, Pei Jingzhe followed his orders completely.
Right now, since the other party spoke, although it sounded very ominous, the Jiejian Bureau already had a
strained relationship with the Lu family, so they could not care less to offend them one more time. At that
moment, he did not hesitate; walking to the coffin, he mustered his strength and pushed the cover right off.
As Little Maiden Lu’s parents watch the scene unfold, they could not help but cry.

Chapter 33 – I, From The Jiejian Bureau, Would Not Be Afraid

Of You!
The weather at this time of the year was cold; therefore, even though Little Maiden Lu had slept in the coffin for
two whole days, her corpse had yet to rot. However, separated by life and death, to let her corpse see the light
once again, all the people of the Lu family could not help but take two steps back, all but Su Xing who did not take
a step back; in fact, he moved forward to look at the person sleeping in the coffin.
Seeing this, Madam Li’s eyes suddenly brimmed red.
Lu Ti could not suppress his regret. If he had not been so blinded, how would this pair of lovebirds fallen into
such a state?
His heart was both pained and regretful, but he could not find an outlet to vent them, so he only glared at Pei
Jingzhe and Cui Buqu’s backs angrily, furiously wanted to fight him, but he was easily held down.
Cui Buqu walked towards the coffin, looking at the young lady lying in it with both her eyes closed.
Her face was already wiped clean and had makeup put on; her clothes were also new. It was impossible to
imagine the sorry state when she was fished out from the river.
Under everyone’s eyes, Cui Buqu reached out a hand and touched Little Maiden Lu’s face for a moment, he even
opened her collar and flipped the corpse over to examine a few more places.
Lu Ti’s eyes almost cracked; if someone had not held him down, he would have rushed forward and thrown a fist
at Cui Buqu.
Even if he could not do that, he, along with the Lu family people, scolded him in thundering, enraged voices.
Cui Buqu did not even raise his head, but he said impatiently, “Aside from Lu Ti and Su Xing, silence the rest.”
Lu Ti angrily, “Do not think I will be grateful for this! My daughter is already dead, do you want her to die without
peace?! I will not let you off, Jiejian Bureau!”
Pei Jingzhe almost choked, he coughed twice, “This Lord Cui is from the Zuoyue Bureau; he is not of the Jiejian
Bureau!”
Cui Buqu’s back was facing him; he said slowly said, “I am displeased to hear that; if Feng Xiao had not given me
the authority to investigate, how would I be standing here? Old Lu, you are right to pin this blame on the Jiejian
Bureau.”
Lu Ti, “I do not care whether it’s the Jiejian Bureau or the Zuoyue Bureau, in the end, the shame I have received
today will definitely be remembered!”
Cui Buqu, “Do not get over yourself, even if people from the Fanyang Clan came; I, from the Jiejian Bureau, would
not be afraid of you!”
Qiao Xian, Zhangsun Bodhi, “…”
Pei Jingzhe twitched his lips, feeling wronged at Cui Buqu’s manner of ‘investigating’ the corpse; he felt that he
was only using the opportunity to sully the name of the Jiejian Bureau. He wanted to stop him but could not help
widening his eyes.
Cui Buqu bent down and inserted a hand into Little Maiden Lu’s mouth, stretching his fingers down her throat!
“You…”
He squeaked a word out before Cui Buqu recoiled his fingers and looked at him as if nothing out of the ordinary
was happening, “Do you have a napkin?”
Pei Jingzhe reluctantly took a napkin out from his sleeves and passed it over to Cui Buqu. The napkin was
something he had found cute while shopping the day before; he had bought it so he could give it to someone else
as a gift.
Cui Buqu took the napkin and wiped his fingers.
Pei Jingzhe felt sick as he saw Cui Buqu wiped the grease on the napkin.
Yet Cui Buqu acted as if it was nothing strange; instead, he told Lu Ti, “Your daughter did not drown, someone
murdered her.”
Fury had already brimmed in Lu Ti; he could not believe what he had just heard, “Don’t you just say whatever
you want!”
Cui Buqu extended a hand; on top of the napkin, there was something yellow.
“Before Little Maiden Lu died, what did she eat?”
Lu Ti did naturally did not know, he turned to his wife, and Madam Li, too, did not know. Wealthy families like
them did not often live with their children; other than every evening, they were seldom together.
At that moment, Madam Li called for her daughter’s nursemaid and maidservant for questioning.
The nursemaid was around forty years old and looked like an honest woman; the servant looked fifteen or
sixteen, and she looked like any young female wearing pink. She did not have any makeup on her, and she wore
no ornaments either, but on her clothes was a big lotus flower sewn onto it, this was enough to make her shine.
Cui Buqu allowed them to speak about what happened to Little Maiden Lu on the night she died, and what they
were doing at that moment.
The nursemaid said that she was in the kitchen brewing a bird’s nest soup for her, and that soup needed up to
two shichen to boil; it was meant for her to drink before she slept, so at night she did not show up and had no
idea what Little Maiden Lu ate.
The maidservant said, “That night, my lady ate green beans cake; I am the one who served it to her.”
Since Little Maiden Lu was the only daughter of the Lu family, she was addressed as ‘my lady’.
Cui Buqu, “Was anything different with her?”
The maidservant looked at Lu Ti, “In the morning, my Lord summoned for my Lady, she looked unhappy when
she came back, so I asked, she refused to speak; Master Su invited her to see some flowers, she refused, and
remained in her residence alone.”
The nursemaid added, “Lotus is right, that morning, my lady went to greet my lord in the morning, as she always
did, but even after almost two shichen were up she was not back yet, so I felt strange and even sent someone to
urge them, but my lord said my lady had already left his place.”
Just now, Lu Ti was blinded by anger and felt a little dizzy, but as he heard the servants speak, he suppressed his
fury and struggled to recall, “That’s right. That day my daughter and I discussed about Taiyuan royal family, my
daughter refused to marry him, said she and Su Xing loved each other; I…if I knew this would happen, I would
not have forced her!”
Cui Buqu, “How long was the duration of the discussion?”
Lu Ti, “Around half a shichen; her mother came to make peace, so I allowed her to go back and think for herself,
who knew she would….”
Cui Buqu asked again, “From your manor to hers, how long does the journey take?”
The one who answered was the nursemaid, “The servants are swifter, we can reach in less than half a cup of tea 1,
but my lady walks rather slowly; she would need around one cup of tea.”
Cui Buqu, “You discussed for half a shichen, added with the time of half a cup of tea, where was she during the
other half a shichen?”
Everyone turned towards the servant that was always by Little Maiden Lu’s side, who stuttered, “My Lady said
she wanted a breath of fresh air, so she walked a little slower.”
Cui Buqu asked her back, “Is that so? Did she go elsewhere, and you are refusing to say where?”
Lotus shouted, “I would dare not lie!”
Cui Buqu said coldly, “Bring all the servants of this manor here, ask them who had seen Little Maiden Lu that day,
and then we would know whether you lied!”
Pei Jingzhe did not understand why Cui Buqu jumped from examining bodies to questioning Little Maiden Lu’s
servant girl. He could see that Lotus panicked and stuttered, seeming as though she was hiding something; so he
did not stop him and just watched silently.
Lotus really yielded and knelt to the ground, “Little Maiden Lu went to look for Young Master Su!”
Lu Ti knotted his eyebrows, without waiting for Cui Buqu to ask, he asked himself, “Why did she go to look for Su
Xing? Why did you lie?”
Su Xing, “Uncle, I was drawing when cousin sister suddenly barged in, crying, she told me that you wanted her to
marry someone else, so I tried to convince her, it was not easy to calm her down, and then I let her go back; at
first, I thought she had already got over it, but I never expected her to just…”
He could not continue his words, his breath was dark and sullen, and he looked tired and lifeless.
Lu Ti’s eyes were red again with tears practically flowing out, “I have failed you both…”
“Do not despair yet.” Cui Buqu cut him off, “Lotus, Su Xing had formerly lived in the Lu manor, and he also often
hung out with them. If Little Maiden Lu wanted to vent to him, it was rather normal for her to do so, why then did
you conceal the truth?”
Lotus began stuttering, so Su Xing confessed himself, “I am the one who allowed her to hide the truth. Since
cousin sister and Uncle were fighting, if Uncle knew that she came to look for me after, he might think that I am
persuading her to oppose the marriage, I wanted to avoid suspicion.”
Pei Jingzhe could not help saying out loud, “She argued with her father because of you, but you wanted to save
your skin?”
Su Xing laughed bitterly, “You people do not know the hardship of living under someone else’s roof. Cousin sister
and I were in love, but I am a man with no achievement, no business, and had nothing in life. Compared to me,
the Taiyuan royal family is more suitable for her than I can ever be. If I am in Uncle’s place, I would have also
wished for my daughter to marry into a good house!”
Lu Ti did not know what to say, but regret flashed over his face.
Madam Li was worse off; she lowered her head and cried bitterly.
But Cui Buqu was unmoved.
“You said you were painting. What were you painting?”
Su Xing, “A picture of ‘Autumn Lotus’.”
Cui Buqu, “Bring the art to me to take a look.”
Su Xing’s eyebrows furrowed, “Master Daoist Cui, this seems to be unrelated to my cousin sister’s death.”
Pei Jingzhe also thought that Cui Buqu’s question was rather far-fetched, but Cui Buqu remained firm, “Bring all
the art from your room to me, even the Autumn Lotus, bring them all here.”
Madam Lu could not bear it anymore and said, “Master Daoist Cui, my daughter…”
Cui Buqu, “It is related to your daughter’s death.”
Lu Ti did not know what to think, so he simply gestured for the servants to follow his orders.
The art pieces were all brought to the hall swiftly.
The art pieces filled an entire chest. These were what Su Xing painted on normal days. Cui Buqu allowed Qiao
Xian to unroll them one by one, and inside them were mostly different types of lotus flowers, there were fresh
lotuses and even lotuses that had wilted.
Pei Jingzhe was unfamiliar with art, but even if that was the case; at the very least, he knew a little bit. He could
tell that Su Xing’s artistic abilities were quite average; in other words, he had some charm, but perhaps not that
much talent. Otherwise, he would not have been a ward under the Lu family for so many years. He would have
made his way into the world.
With the coffin as the centre, more than ten scrolls of different lotus flowers were opened, yet Little Maiden Lu
slept peacefully in the coffin, making the scene look like an extraordinary sight.
“Lotus.” Cui Buqu asked suddenly, “Does your Lady treat you well?”
The maid servant was taken aback; she quickly said, “The Lady treats me very well.”
Cui Buqu, “Then why would you betray her, and help the man who killed her keep a secret?”
As he said that, everyone present let out a sharp breath.
Lu Ti said disappointedly, “Master Daoist Cui, what are you talking about?”
Cui Buqu, “Your Lady’s death, is not an event for you to wear pink, and to think you even wore a pink robe with
lotus flowers sewn onto them, and your name is also Lotus, is it not a coincidence that Su Xing also liked to paint
lotus flowers? Speak for yourself, would there be anything that happened so coincidentally?”
Su Xing said coldly, “Master Daoist Cui, watch your tongue! Lotus likes lotus flowers, only because her name is
Lotus, how does that have anything to do with me!”
“Is that so?” Cui Buqu laughed and asked the housekeeper and Madam Lu, “Was Lotus called lotus even before
she became a servant of the Lu family?”
Madam Li shook her head, she still cared a lot for her daughter’s servants, “She used to be called Ten because she
was the tenth among her siblings, her family was poor, so she was bought when she was six years old, just two
years ago and Little Maiden Lu changed her name to Lotus.”
Cui Buqu turned towards Su Xing, “Then, two years ago, you were already in this mansion.”
Su Xing, “What does that prove?”
Cui Buqu, “Just now when I put my fingers into Little Maiden Lu’s mouth, she ate green beans cake on the night
she died, some leftovers of it remained in her mouth. If she drowned, water would enter her mouth and nose and
would have washed away all those leftovers, but her mouth had no water or dirt, even the leftovers of her food
were still present, this meant that she was already dead before she was tossed into the water, so her mouth and
nose were shut, and the water could not enter.”
Lu Ti started struggling suddenly, under Cui Buqu’s orders, he let him go. Lu Ti fell to the ground but rose again
and bent over the coffin to look.
Cui Buqu turned towards Su Xing, “On the night Feng Xiao brought the jade back from the auction, and all the top
martial artists gathered in the Qiushan manor, the one that wore black and hid in the dark was you, was it not?”
Su Xing said coldly, “Master Daoist Cui if you wanted to frame me; of course, you would push everything onto my
head!”
Cui Buqu, “You were the one who brought that jade to the Linlang. Your goal was to test the response of
everyone, draw your accomplice out, so you were not the same with the others; you weren’t there for the jade,
but you were hiding in the dark and observing. Once you acknowledged that your accomplice was not present,
you left immediately. You did not stop even for a second. Do you know why I was able to recognize you? Because
that night, that man used his left hand to hold the wrist of his right hand, the same as you are doing now. You can
hide your face, but the actions of your body would never lie!”
Su Xing was unmoved by his words, “That was because I paint too often and used my wrist too much, so
sometimes it hurts a little. Scholars are also mostly like this; if you do not believe me, you can simply look for any
scholar and ask!”
Once he finished speaking, Zhangsun promptly attacked him from behind; the wind from his palm strong and full
of force. He used eighty per cent of his strength as if he wanted to kill Su Xing on the spot.
Su Xing knew he was in danger, but he remained where he stood and did not move, allowing Zhangsun to do
whatever he wanted, but at the last moment, the latter retreated his palm.
Su Xing knew he did the right thing. They just wanted to test him.
But Cui Buqu would not let him off so easily today, “No need to keep pretending, just now when you wanted to
avoid it, it already proved that you knew martial arts and are a very skilled fighter.”
Su Xing laughed coldly, “You are only adding more blame onto me. Why should I remain here to be humiliated by
you people? Goodbye!”
He flipped his sleeves and turned around to leave, but Qiao Xian moved, sword thrusting towards his back, killing
intent brimming in the air, bringing the wrath of a thousand soldiers on the battlefield.
This sort of killing intent was easy to detect and was different from Zhangsun Bodhi’s method of attacking. Su
Xing could no longer bear to pretend, so he could only leap into the air and avoid it.
Once he moved, he had already exposed the fact that he was a practitioner of the martial arts!
Since he was already exposed, he no longer hesitated, his hand reached to his waist, pulling out a long blade into
sight. Su Xing turned around and turned towards Qiao Xian, but switched his direction midair and took Lu Ti as a
hostage instead, the soft blade gloating over Lu Ti’s throat.
“Do not come here or I will kill him!”
Cui Buqu shook his head, “So what if you held him hostage? Anything that my Jiejian Bureau wished to solve will
be solved; no one shall come in our way!”
Pei Jingzhe, “…”
Second Commander, this man is using a feather and treating it like a sword, putting all the blame and bad
reputation on the Jiejian Bureau; why did you ask him to help? Are you afraid that the Jiejian Bureau did not have
enough enemies yet?!
Author’s Note:
Cui Buqu: I, Jiejian Bureau, trying to farm gold.
Pei Jingzhe: Help me.
==========================
[1] One cup of tea equals 15 minutes.
Chapter 34 – Would The Jiejian Bureau Have Someone As
Crafty As Myself?
Lu Ti was completely held hostage with his life hanging by a thread. His face was even more shaken with the look
of surprise, fear, and disbelief.
“San Lang1, let go of your Uncle!” Madam Li cried.
“You animal! When did your Aunt and I ever treat you badly? Why did you kill our daughter?!” Lu Ti trembled all
over that he paid no attention to the sword on his neck; blood trickled down, following the edge of the blade.
Madam Li was unable to accept this truth, a wave of darkness washed over her eyes, and she suddenly fell to the
ground.
Su Xing, “My apologies, even if you people treated me better, I have not forgotten the family I have in my own
hometown, so I cannot become the real Su Xing!”
Not only Lu Ti, even Cui Buqu and his companions, could not help the look of shock that spread across their faces.
Pei Jingzhe, “If you are not Su Xing, then who are you?”
Su Xing remained silent.
Lu Ti was felt even more wounded, “Even if you are not Su Xing, you were in the Lu manor for a few years; I have
no sons, I had viewed you as one of my own, and my daughter was faithful and devoted to you — her love never
wavered. This time, the marriage to the Taiyuan royal family was by fault by the end of the day. It had nothing to
do with my daughter. Even if you were furious, why did you not take vengeance on me, but killed her instead?!
You! Do you not have any conscience!?”
Su Xing sighed a breath, “You are mistaken. It was not for that I chose to kill her. Her death was because of her
own fault for being at the wrong place at the wrong time that got herself killed!”
Cui Buqu suddenly said, “Did she find out that you were a Goguryeon? Or did she find out that you were the
murderer of the Khotan ambassador, the one who stole the Jade of Heaven’s Lake?”
Su Xing squinted his eyes at him for a moment and suddenly said, “As expected of the Jiejian Bureau. I originally
thought no one would find out, and I could leave quietly; who knew that murdering a wealthy lady would draw
so much trouble?”
Cui Buqu laughed coldly, “Would the Jiejian Bureau have someone as crafty as myself? I am from the Zuoyue
Bureau; remember that, the two characters that form the right half of the word ‘Sui’, don’t recognize your enemy
wrongly and become a clueless ghost when you arrive in hell!”
Pe Jingzhe: …
He could see that the ‘Jiejian Bureau’ was a name used to offend others and make enemies all around the world,
and the ‘Zuoyue Bureau’ was a name used to establish his dominance upon his enemies and send fear down their
spines.
But why did he have to make the Jiejian Bureau sound low and sleazy? And the Zuoyue Bureau sound high and
mighty like they were a tier above others?
He felt this was unfair and despicable, but this was not the time to throw a fit, so he could only suppress his
displeasure, swallow it down, and make a note in his mind to return to the Jiejian Bureau later to repeat
everything back to Feng Xiao.
Since he was in this situation now, other than Pei Jingzhe himself, no one could discern all the words going
around in his heart, because everyone was captivated by the conversation between Su Xing and Cui Buqu.
Lu Ti especially, was shaking all over, “You… You are a Goguryeon?! Where is the original Su Xing?!”
“He was dead a long time ago.” Su Xing said, “Six years before, Su Xing and his family met with a plague, all five of
them died from the incident. I happened to pass by, so I used his identity and pretended to flee for my life; hence,
I came to the Lu manor.”
Lu Ti inhaled sharply, “Why! Why the Lu family?! The Lu family has nothing to do with Goguryeo!”
Su Xing, “Whether as the Lu family’s son-in-law or Su Xing, it is but an empty shell, an identity. Wherever they
want me to be, I will be there; who they want me to be, that person I will be.”
Pei Jingzhe quickly asked, “Who is they?”
Su Xing did not pay him any attention as he continued saying, “After I settled down in the Lu family, no one
contacted me; at first, I also thought that if I could marry Lady Lu and become Su Xing for real, it would be quite
blissful. But it was a pity; the Khotan ambassador came forth and wanted to see the Sui Emperor. News arrived
here quickly, and they finally contacted me, so I am unable to stay away.”
Pei Jingzhe, “Then what has it to do with you murdering the Little Maiden Lu Si? She is just a girl who is worth
nothing to you!”
Lu Ti wailed, “I also want to know! Su Xing, I care not whether you are called Su Xing or not. These years, you
were never badly treated in the Lu family; your Aunt even thought that people would look down on you, so she
even ordered them to treat you like they would to Little Maiden Lu, and my daughter felt towards you is even
more… why, why, why!”
Cui Buqu said coldly, “Does this need to be asked? Little Maiden Lu and the Khotan ambassador shared no
connection. It must be that she had found out about it which forced Su Xing to exterminate the witness!”
Su Xing, “That is correct. That day Little Maiden Lu came from her father’s place and immediately searched for
me. Coincidentally, I was not in my room. She had always been very respectful, but at that time, before she got
my permission, she rushed into my study.”
Cui Buqu, “People like you always needed to be meticulous and careful; otherwise, it is impossible for you to be
under guise for so many years and go undiscovered. After Little Maiden Lu Si entered your study, what did she
see that she was not supposed to see?”
“I have a book, written full of codes; with these codes, I can read the encoded messages sent by my accomplices.
That book was not very obvious; usually, no one would even look at it, but that day she happened to take it from
so many other books from the shelf.”
Su Xing blinked. He could have chosen not to say much and remain silent instead, and then Cui Buqu and his
people might not have been able to find out what happened to Little Maiden Lu that got her killed. But as he
spoke, it was apparent that Little Maiden Lu’s love for him was not utterly one-sided.
But she was already dead, so he could only use this opportunity to vent, soothing that little regret in his heart.
“After I returned and saw her look of panic, I went to check on the book and realized it really had been flipped
open before. With her cleverness, she might have already known what it was. I have yet to find the jade, so I
cannot afford my identity to be discovered; therefore, Little Maiden Lu had to die.” He inhaled a breath.
Lu Ti’s face has long since become splotchy with tears, and these tears were that of extreme fury, it was the face
of a father facing his beloved daughter’s murderer, but also a face of someone completely helpless.
“My daughter loved you with her whole heart, that she could reject even a betrothal to the Yuantai royal family.
Whatever happened, she would not have betrayed you, why couldn’t you let her live!”
Su Xing insisted, “I cannot afford to take this risk. If my identity is exposed, my mission shall fail; my only relative
in Goguryeo would die. This love that Little Maiden Lu entrusted to me is a debt I could only repay her in another
life.”
He turned towards Cui Buqu and the others, “By now, you should already know that the Jade of Heaven’s Lake is
not with me. If I use Lu Ti’s life and important information as an exchange for my freedom, would you let me go?”
Pei Jingzhe snorted, “You mean information regarding your accomplice? She is heavily injured, and we are
searching for her throughout the city. She will be caught in the blink of an eye.”
Su Xing shook his head, “Only I know where she would hide; without me, even if you searched the city for three
days and night, you would not find her. Do not forget, the jade is with her right now, with her intellect, she would
have already discovered that the jade can enhance one’s martial arts and even heal any injuries she had. Once her
injuries are healed, she can blend in and leave the city. If you want to catch her, by then, it would only be more
difficult.”
As he spoke, his gaze never left Cui Buqu; it was obvious that he knew Cui Buqu was the one in charge.
Cui Buqu, “Deal. If your information is genuine, I can drop the case of Little Maiden Lu’s murder; if you do not
believe me, you can keep Lu Ti first, and release him at the end of the deal.”
Lu Ti tore his throat coughing; “Impossible! Even if he drops the case, I will never let you go. I will definitely kill
you!”
Su Xing did not put his words to heart, sealing Lu Ti’s throat so he would shut up.
“I need something to secure this mutual agreement.” Su Xing told Cui Buqu.
Cui Buqu turned towards Zhangsun Bodhi, “You go help Feng Xiao, no need to come back first; I will call for you
when I need you.”
Zhangsun nodded, did not ask further, turned around and left.
Su Xing watched the other leave with his own eyes and released a breath of relief.
He himself was a master of the martial arts; among everyone present, Zhangsun Bodhi was the only one that he
was wary of. Once Zhangsun left, no one present was his match, so Su Xing had no need to fear.
Cui Buqu reached out to Pei Jingzhe, “Give it to me.”
Pei Jingzhe, ???
Cui Buqu said impatiently, “Your Lord requested me to help you; surely he would have given you something as
proof that you bring his word? Now is the time to use it; give it to me!”
Pei Jingzhe was displeased and unsatisfied, he couldn’t help but ask, “But are you not the Zuo…”
As he was speaking, midway, Cui Buqu glared at him with a gaze so intently dark; Pei Jingzhe paused and said
nothing more, his hand reaching into his pocket to fish out a small and exquisite seal, throwing it over to Cui
Buqu.
Cui Buqu lowered his head to inspect the seal and then tossed it over to Su Xing.
“This is the seal of the Second Commander of the Jiejian Bureau. It is recognized by people across the city and the
Sui Dynasty; you can gain entry no matter where you go. With such an item in your hand, it should suffice, should
it not?”
Su Xing had a deep history, and had lived in the Lu manor for five to six years; he knew the seal was the real thing
and fiddled with it as it sat in his hands, at the very least he knew that the other wasn’t lying to him. Placing the
seal into his pocket, he held Lu Ti and walked cautiously out of the room.
All the Lu manor’s inhabitants shouted at him like he was a mortal enemy of theirs, but Su Xing put none of that
to heart.
He had no idea why, but even though Cui Buqu did not know any martial arts and therefore could not fight, from
this distance, he felt like the other’s threat was even greater than Pei Jingzhe and Qiao Xian who were both
capable fighters.
This was the instinct of one who practised the martial arts.
It was impossible to explain, and it could not be understood, but it was more accurate than anything could
compare.
Once he and Lu Ti were far enough from Cui Buqu and from where he could leave on his own, he said, “Qin
Miaoyu has three places she often goes to in the city: The Spring Moon, the Ronghe Zai, and another place is the
Blue Bricks Manor, a phrase ‘Green Willow Autumn Light’ is pasted on the door, with red bricks that look new
and fresh.”
Qiao Xian did find Qin Miaoyu in the Spring Moon, so once she heard Su Xing’s words, she knew that he wasn’t
lying.
Su Xing inhaled, and Lu Ti was unwillingly dropped on the roof.
“I have said what I promised to say, so I am leaving now.” Su Xing laughed.
He was not extraordinarily handsome, but once he escaped danger, a charisma seems to fill his entire person.
From this angle, the reason Little Maiden Lu fell for him was not completely unfathomable. It was a pity that fate
would not have them together, and she had misplaced her trust.
Cui Buqu, “I still have a question.”
Su Xing, “Master Daoist Cui, you are too greedy. I will not answer you.”
Cui Buqu, “Since you are not called Su Xing, how should I address you?”
Su Xing remained silent for a moment, “Yin Zairong, from the phrase a man’s value is in his efforts, not his looks.”
“Perhaps it meant ‘in morals not in looks’!” Qiao Xian laughed coldly, “Did you know? Last time when we fought
her, and when caught, she would rather take the risk and escape instead of selling you out.”
By ‘she’, she did not mean Little Maiden Lu, but Qin Miaoyu.
Su Xing looked taken aback.
At that moment, the wind blew against his back.
He wanted to capture Lu Ti again, but he did not have enough time to do so, so he could only push him aside and
used that strength to leap aside.
But it was as if the man behind him knew his intentions as he also leapt to the other side.
Su Xing was afraid of being surrounded by Qiao Xian and the others, so he refused to attack and only focused on
escaping.
Who could have guessed that his opponent was incredibly skilled, he rushed to his front and raised a palm, ready
to strike; Su Xing was forced to draw his sword, and as he did, his head rose to see a handsome face smiling
before him.
“Why are you in such a rush? Why don’t you return my seal to me first?” Feng Xiao smiled.
========
[1] 三郎[san lang]: ‘San’ means ‘three’ and ‘Lang’ as spoken before, is used to address a male. So San Lang can mean that Su
Xing is the third child among the siblings.

Chapter 35 – Feng Xiao’s Fa ce Turned Green In Colour

Of course, Su Xing would not entertain Feng Xiao with his nonsense, and he did not
have the mood to fight with him and compare their abilities as martial artists. To him,
the most important thing now is to escape, everything else can be seconded.
He hid in the Lu family for so many years, yet his skills were not dulled. Compared to
that year when he left Goguryeo, his skills were even better than before. When an
animal is cornered, he would only throw away everything and fight to the death, so Su
Xing is the animal, with every move he wanted to force Feng Xiao to take a step back.
Pei Jingzhe tossed the long sword in his hand towards Feng Xiao, to which the latter
caught it in a light and smooth motion and countered the sword that Su Xing sent
flying towards him. As the swords clashed, Su Xing felt a little shaken, his wrist went
numb, and the soft sword in his hand vibrated slightly and swayed.
As he saw that the situation is not to his favour, he immediately turned to leap into the
air, his figure was like light feather floating into the air, and it was really a sight to be
seen. Even Qiao Xiao could not help but said suddenly, “His foundation in qinggong is
solid, unlike a Goguryeon!”
“How do Goguryeons practice their qinggong?” Pei Jingzhe asked.
Qiao Xian’s face looked like an iceberg, and she shut her mouth, refusing to say
anything.
Pei Jingzhe twitched his lips and felt a little guilty, in his heart, he said: The one who
poisoned your Commander is not me, the one who tied him up and brought him
everywhere is not me either. It’s all my Lord, I am only listening to his orders, why do
you keep targeting me?
Yet the one who responded to him was Cui Buqu, “Goguryeons and Fusang people are
close relatives, the way of their martial arts are also similar. They emphasize on sneak
attacking and stealth, either lurk in the dark, or take their target’s life with a single
attack, or act quick and swift to overcome their enemies. Few of them would use these
sort of methods. Most of the time, only women would practice these type of qinggong.”
Pei Jingzhe looked taken aback, “Could it be that Qin Miaoyu was the one who taught
him? But he sold her off!”
Qiao Xian lets out a cold laugh.
Even though she didn’t say anything, but Pei Jingzhe could feel what she wanted to
express: That all the men in the world are cold-hearted and that they forget sentiment
easily.
Pei Jingzhe couldn’t help saying, “They were both originally on the same boat. Qin
Miaoyu deceived Su Xing, took the jade for herself, now Su Xing betrayed her, isn’t this
a dog eat dog!?”
Qiao Xian said coldly, “Qin Miaoyu is not a good woman. Towards Lady Lu, Su Xing
could repay her with such treatment, so what is selling off Qin Miaoyu mean to him?”
As Lady Lu was mentioned, Pei Jingzhe turned towards the coffin and immediately
shut his mouth.
After these few sentences were spoken, Su Xing leaped into the air and left the Lu
manor, far away from reach.
He suddenly found it strange that he did not feel a pursuit behind him, but as he
thought about that, someone flashed before his eyes, he felt his shoulder pricked with
pain and his entire person suddenly fell to the ground. Even if he was holding a sword
now, he might also not have won.
The moment he fell to the ground, his energy ga tes were suddenly sealed by
someone. Su Xing watch Feng Xiao land in front of him and blinked.
“If you want to kill, then kill me! I only beg for a swift death!”
Feng Xiao, “My seal.”
Pei Jingzhe knew what he should do. He walked towards and took the seal from Su
Xing’s pocket, presenting it back to Feng Xiao.
Feng Xiao, “Master Daoist Cui’s words are equivalent to my own, I shall keep his word. If
she could be found in the places you’ve given, the Jiejian Bureau will keep its promise
and lighten your sentence.”
Su Xing looked up in disbelief, as if he did not expect that Feng Xiao would keep to his
promise. On the other side, Lu Ti could care less that his neck was still bleeding, he
rushed over to send a fitting slap over Su Xing’s face. His face immediately swung to
the side, and one side of his face was swollen.
“Return my daughter back to me!” Lu Ti grinded his teeth, his face twisted in fury, all he
wanted was to strangle the man to death, but he was pulled away by Pei Jingzhe, “You,
don’t stop me!”
“It’s best if you take care of Lady Lu’s funeral. This man will be taken care of by the
Jiejian Bureau.” Pei Jingzhe said before aiming an elbow towards the back of Lu Ti’s
neck, putting him into a sleep and allowed the Lu servants to take him away.
This matter is over, but the same could not be said for the case.
“I have assisted Lord Feng to solve the Lu family’s case, and aided you in capturing Su
Xing. May I also know when is the Lord Feng going to fulfil his part of the deal, bring Fo
Er’s head before me?” Cui Buqu did not invest in beating around the bush and went
straight to the point.
Feng Xiao tapped forehead, as if he had just thought of something, “Forget to tell you,
when I was on my way here, I saw Fo Er from a distance, he seemed like he was
heading towards your residence. If I did not remember wrongly, Khan Apa’s
ambassador, is currently living there?”
The colour on Qiao Xian’s face changed, “Why didn’t you say so just now!”
Feng Xiao said innocently, “You did not ask just now, and wasn’t I busy trying to pin
down Su Xing, for a moment it slipped past me, but if you head over now, you might
still make it!”
Cui Buqu gave Qiao Xian a look, the latter acknowledged it immediately, without
saying another word, she turned and ran.
“Lord Feng, are you really planning to go back on your promise?” Cui Buqu laughed.
Feng Xiao smiled happily, “I said I would help you kill Fo Er, but I did not promise when.
To kill him now, or in future, is the same. The fault lies in you who did not make it clear,
if we added new requirements now, do we not need to discuss the deal again?”
Cui Buqu, “Your requirement.”
Feng Xiao, “The discussion of terms with the Khan’s ambassador, I want half of it. Half
the contribution and half the honour.”
Cui Buqu said without even thinking twice, “No way!”
“There’s no other way, then.” Feng Xiao sighed regrettably, “You heard it. Cui Buqu is
the man you want, this time don’t go for the wrong person.”
Cui Buqu: ???
As Feng Xiao’s voice dissipated, someone appeared on the roof.
The other leaped onto the ground, a knife appearing as quickly as wind, and ran
towards Cui Buqu!
Of the two people by his side, Zhangsun Bodhi was already sent away by him, and Qian
Xiao had ran after Fo Er, at that time, there was no one to defend him.
He only heard Feng Xiao cackling at the side, “This is Fo Er’s disciple, Song Ji. Although
his abilities are not extraordinary, it is all he needs to kill you.”
As he spoke, the knife was a hair’s out of reach from its target. Pei Jingzhe’s expression
changed. He wasn’t as cold-blooded as Feng Xiao, but from his distance, it was
impossible. The only one who can rescue Cui Buqu was Feng Xiao.
At that moment, Cui Buqu shouted loudly, “The discussion, you can have half!”
“Isn’t it better to agree earlier?” Feng Xiao smiled, and moved along with his voice,
appearing by Cui Buqu in the blink of an eye.
His robes fluttered, effortless as Song Ji felt a rush of energy towards him, and he
couldn’t help but fall backwards, hands pinned against his back by Pei Jingzhe.
This man was originally the youngest disciple of Fo Er, he was latest to join his sect and
his martial arts was the lowest among everyone, yet Fo Er loved him the most. This
time Fo Er came to the Central Plains to kill Khan Apa’s ambassador, he brought his
littlest disciple along, wanted to allow him to be exposed to a new environment and
train his martial arts while in the Central Plains. At first, he only made him stay at a
distance away to spy on Khan Apa’s ambassador so he wouldn’t be put in a dangerous
position, but Song Ji was young and brimming with desire to prove himself. Although
his tutor ordered him to stay hidden, when he listened to Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu’s
conversation, he could not help but leaped out, wanting to take Cui Buqu.
Who knew that Feng Xiao keep switching sides. A moment ago he was still glaring at
Cui Buqu, as if he wanted him dead, in the next he was helping him. Song Ji grinded
his teeth, he lost a chance to take Cui Buqu, in fact he was taken himself.
In Feng Xiao’s eyes, Song Ji was nothing to him, so he snickered and laughed
mockingly, “The gentlema n’s word is a s if a s a whipped horse, QuQu, you are the
great Zuoyue Bureau Commander, better not foil this matter.”
That means, if you play dirty, I can play dirty too, so we can both dig pits for each other,
but neither could take advantage of or use the other.
Cui Buqu, “I am not a gentleman, but I will honour my word, though one ought to help
the other until the end. Qiao Xian is not Fo Er’s match, you need to follow me back, kill
Fo Er for me.”
Feng Xiao smiled cheekily, “Just now I was just speaking nonsense. I have not seen Fo
Er at all. If you want to know where he is, no harm in asking his disciple, with this man
in hand, there’s no need to worry that the tutor himself wouldn’t show up.”
Cui Buqu, …...
Feng Xiao, “You’ve pitted me a few times, so let us consider that we are even now. We
ought to shake hands and be allies instead.”
Cui Buqu said in his heart: Shake your goddamn hand. However, on the outside, he
agreed and nodded his head, “Correct. We are even.”
Both of them shot each other a glare, with smiled that looked like daggers and make
one’s skin tingle.
Pei Jingzhe’s lips twitched: …..This really is enough!
Feng Xiao, “Right now, I am going to search for the whereabouts of Qin Miaoyu, QuQu
do you want to come with me?”
Cui Buqu, “Tonight I will be discussing with Khan Apa’s ambassador, if Lord Feng
desires to be involved, you may partake the discussion as well.”
Feng Xiao listened and knew that Cui Buqu really decided to keep his word and work
together, he felt a little surprised, “I thought that you would recalculate the benefits
before agreeing to it.”
Cui Buqu gave a sharp laugh, “Do I look like someone who procrastinates?”
Feng Xiao smiled submissively, “In that case, it is my fault for thinking poorly of you.”
The Lady of the Lu family’s death being unravelled, too the Lu couple, is that their
daughter was murdered by a Goguryeon that masqueraded as a family members for
years. They did not feel better towards their daughter’s passing compared to when
they assumed Lady Lu had drowned herself. Madam Lu woke up from her
unconsciousness, and when everything came pouring back, she felt incredibly
regrettable. However, Lady Lu is already sleeping in the coffin, everything was too late.
In the other world, it was unknown whether Lady Lu Si felt regret for choosing the
wrong person.
The most painful thing in the world is that time cannot turn back, broken mirrors
cannot be fixed, and water that has been poured out cannot be gathered back.
The Lu family were all in a despairing situation. Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu have no
business remaining there for too long, so they went their separate paths after leaving
the Lu manor.
Cui Buqu suddenly remembered something and called Feng Xiao, “Ah, I just recalled
something related to you, but I am unsure whether I should tell you.”
Feng Xiao saw how badly Cui Buqu was pretending to look troubled, he felt his
instincts tingling like a bad omen, “Then don’t say it.”
Cui Buqu said it anyways. “Just now when I was inspecting the corpse, I put my fingers
into Lu Si’s mouth and touched the green bean cakes that she ate. After that I’ve
forgotten to wash my hands before taking the seal from Pei Jingzhe. I recall you are a
person of cleanliness? I am absolutely sorry.”
Feng Xiao: ……
Pei Jingzhe did not look ‘sorry’ like Cui Buqu, but he could see that Feng Xiao’s face
had turned green in colour.
Cui Buqu did not wait for Feng Xiao to take his revenge, he vanished shortly after he
confessed at the speed of light, as if he wasn’t ill or sickly the same way he was
coughing just that morning.
Pei Jingzhe stared at the colour on Feng Xiao’s face, and said carefully, “My Lord, then
should we, search for Qin Miaoyu first, or…… return and take a shower?”
“Search. Qin Miaoyu.” Two words seethed through Feng Xiao’s teeth.
Pei Jingzhe suspect that Qin Miaoyu is going to be a very unlucky victim.

Author’s Note:
A short scene unrelated to the story.
Feng Xiao: We agreed not to pit each other.
Cui Buqu: No problem.
As they both turn around to walk, they fell into the pits dug by each other for
themselves.
Energy ga tes: Operating on traditional Chinese concepts of Qigong, energy gates are
spots in the body where the Qi (energy) flows through. To seal them usually prevents a
person from using the energy (Qi) in their body to perform martial arts until those
energy gates were released. One can seal an energy gate by tapping on the exact spots
on the body.
The gentlema n’s word is a s if a whipped horse: A Chinese proverb. It doesn’t make
much sense translated, but you just need to know that Feng Xiao is trying to tell Cui
Buqu to keep his word since he’s said it, even if the latter is reluctant.

Chapter 36 – After All, He Would Never Touch It Again

If He Was Beaten To Death
Qin Miaoyu was born in Goguryeo and grew up there, in fact, this wasn’t her original
name.
In Goguryeo, from the King himself to those of the wealthy, everyone was familiar with
the culture of the Central Plains. She was adopted when she was little, and as someone
who was born ambitious, it was transferred towards the desire to learn martial arts,
including how to seduce men. At twelve, she was told that there would be a mission
waiting for her, and it was to disguise as a local in the Central Plains, and wait until a
new mission was given to her.
Since the Qin and Han Dynasty, Goguryeo has always been a powerful vassal of the
Central Plains. In fact, they were even crowned by Emperors of many generations, and
following that, Goguryeo’s power grew, war spread out in the Central Plains, and the
relationship between both countries grew more and more awkward. Goguryeo was no
longer willing to obey the Emperor who ruled the Central Plains, and the awkwardness
turned to distaste. Under this situation, Qin Miaoyu, along with Su Xing, became spies
planted into the City of Six Crafts. She also knew that the Central Plains would plant
spies in Goguryeo. People like them might never be noticed their entire lives, but they
could also lose their lives at any moment.
The City of Six Crafts is a small city in the outskirts, but it was a much needed path to
pass by from Khotan to Qiemo or other cities situated in the west. On its north was
Göktürk, so it was an incredibly strategic place. Goguryeo chose that place because it
was special, even more so than Luoyang and other wealthy and luxurious places.
On the fourth year since she came to the Central Plains, she had slowly got used to the
life there. She lived with a family named Qin. The mistress of that family believed
everything about her fake identity and treated her like a daughter of her own. This
family also had a son whose age was incredibly close to Qin Miaoyu, and she called him
her cousin brother. He was honest and upright, and he was very nice to Qin Miaoyu.
The Qin mistress even wanted to marry both of them, but Qin Miaoyu had kept
rejecting it. She knew that it was impossible for her to live like a normal person, to
marry and give birth.
At last, the Khotan King’s nephew, Yuchi Jinwu, came to the City of Six Crafts. Su Xing
weaved a plan for Qin Miaoyu to marry Yuchi Jinwu, so that she could accompany him
back into Khotan; because Su Xing thought that, with the influence of the Prime
Minister at that moment, he could really take the throne and become Emperor. Once
the new Dynasty is established, Yang Jian would propose an improvement, to avoid
countries around them conflicting with each other. As a small kingdom in the west,
Khotan is most likely to become an important chess piece for the new Dynasty.
Qin Miaoyu did not oppose to this. At that time, she was alone in the City of Six Crafts.
No matter when it came to martial arts or identity, she was below Su Xing, so she could
only obey his orders from the beginning to the end, creating a chance so that she
‘coincidentally’ met Yuchi Jinwu. The other was captivated immediately and wanted to
take her as a concubine. Her family opposed to this strongly and thought that Yuchi
Jinwu was not a very suitable man to wed. Her ‘cousin brother’ even chased Yuchi
Jinwu away when he came to ask for her hand. However, Qin Miaoyu insisted that she
wanted to marry him, so in the end they could only think that she was greedy and
money-minded and wanted to rise up in the world, so they could only watch as she got
married.
After that time, she never returned to the City of Six Crafts to see the Qin family that
had treated her extremely well.
Yuchi Jinwu is the nephew of the King of Khotan, so he was essentially a member of
royalty. Qin Miaoyu’s life in Khotan was a hundred times better than when she was in
the City of Six Crafts, she had enough to wear, eat, and plenty of treasuries. However,
she would always think of the family that she had left behind in the City of Six Crafts.
Regardless, Qin Miaoyu knew that she could never go back. In secret, she had never
put down her martial arts, even though her abilities were still very weak, in the Central
Plains she was also considered an average practitioner, but this ability was her only
connection to the pugilist world and her dignity, it was also her only way to free herself
of any bindings.
Yuchi Jinwu already has a wife, and a few beautiful concubines, but because Qin
Miaoyu was both beautiful and unrivalled in talents, she was extremely loved until
Yuchi Jinwu was offered the chance to be an ambassador to bring tributes to the
Central Plains. After a few words of convincing from Qin Miaoyu, he immediately
agreed to bring her along with him, but he could never have thought that he would
perish in this journey.
At that moment Su Xing slit Yuchi Jinwu’s throat, fresh blood sprayed onto Qin
Miaoyu’s face. She couldn’t stop herself from opening both her eyes wide, and squealed
in a low voice, but she was stopped by a very impatient Su Xing, “Be silent! Do you want
to attract attention?! Go take care of those two maidservants!”
As he spoke, he left Qin Miaoyu and went to take care of the other bodyguards that
accompanied the ambassador.
Those were bodyguards of the Khotan King, even in Khotan, they were not men with
poor skills, but in vast places like the Central Plains that brimmed with talented people,
they were no match. Qin Miaoyu quickly discovered that all those years she used to
practice her martial arts, in reality, was only enough to take out the more mundane
people in the company. If she wanted to go against Su Xing, she could not even make
it past ten moves.
As she realized this truth, she threw away the guilt she felt towards Yuchi Jinwu and a
desire to own the Jade of Heaven’s Lake grew in her.
Yuchi Jinwu loved and cherished her, so he took her a secret once: This time they
brought not one Jade of Heaven’s Lake from Khotan, but two of them.
Before anyone saw the real jade, they would trust the bogus jade to be the real one
completely, but in reality the bogus jade was also a beautiful jade on its own, only that
it was discovered not far from the real Jade of Heaven’s Lake, but it was still a little
incomparable to the real jade. The Khotan King gave these two jades to the Sui
Emperor as proof of his sincerity in joining forces and becoming allies. Before the
assassination took place, Yuchi Jinwu even told Qin Miaoyu where those two jades
were placed.
Under the circumstances of knowing something like that when Su Xing did not, she
blatantly kept him in the dark and gave him the fake jade, on the other hand, she took
the real jade and hid it, then pretended to return to the city with Su Xing, after that she
slipped out, retrieved the real jade, then went back into the city and hid anonymously.
Qin Miaoyu has never forgotten the legend of the Jade of Heaven’s Lake, it could
strengthen one’s bones and enhance their martial abilities, and that had been too
tempting for her. She couldn’t withstand it and had to try it out herself. In the process,
she discovered that during the full-moon, exposing the jade in the moonlight and
using her palms to absorb its energy would make the jade yield some sort of respond.
She could feel trickles of energy flowing into her. After a few times, Qin Miaoyu had
fully discovered the secret of the jade and cherished it like an invaluable gem, using it
to train herself for a few nights straight. When Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi found
her through their lead, and the fact that an assassin from the Yunhai Thirteen Stories
appeared wanting to take her life, Qin Miaoyu kept low on purpose, waited for Qiao
Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi to force the assassin away, only did she take the chance to
escape from them.
With her level of skill at that time, it was really shocking indeed. Had it been a few days
before, she was only a third ranking martial artist, now that her inner strength had
increased, it could be seen the effects of the jade was unsurpassed. If she had more
time, she could really absorb the jade’s powers completely and emerge as one of the
top martial artists in the ranking boards.
But the amount of time left for Qin Miaoyu is not much. Although she escaped from
Zhangsun and Qiao Xian, she was injured heavily, she had no choice but to hide in the
city longer to treat her wounds. In the third place Su Xing had told Feng Xiao, she was
there hiding. Other than Su Xing, no one knew to enter the manor from the backdoor.
Qin Miaoyu wanted to take the risk of disguising as a widow leaving the city, blending
into a company of merchants and leave together.
Qin Miaoyu had decided earlier, that if she succeeded escaping this time, the world is
vast, she would not be a spy for Goguryeo any longer, and she would never again take
orders from anyone. She wants to live proudly in the light, upright and dignified, she
wants to be herself. Whether she was called Qin Miaoyu, or any other name, it was fine,
but she would not live for anyone else other than herself. With the jade in her hands,
even Su Xing would be unable to command her anymore. It was the other way around,
she could convince Su Xing to free himself from everything as well, and leave the place
with her together.
But her plans, at the moment she saw a man standing not far off from the backdoor,
smiling as he stood under a tree, was ruined.
This was an incredibly handsome and beautiful man.
Qin Miaoyu considered herself to have seen many people, but this is the first time she
had saw someone as handsome as this man that stood before her.
However, the feeling he gave her, was not the sort of fluttering heartbeat that
teenagers have for men they admire, but it was one of fear.
That is an instinct from a practitioner of martial arts when faced before an incredibly
strong enemy.
The Jade of Heaven’s Lake amplified her strength, but also raised her sensitivity
towards potential dangers.
The handsome man snickered a laugh, “Lady Qin, as I’ve heard from the rumours, the
opportunity to meet today, proves that you are indeed a natural beauty, a flower
among the world of men.”
Qin Miaoyu was stunned, but also lets out a laugh, “Your name, my Lord?”
The man, “Although your name sounds beautiful, but my name sounds even more
beautiful than yours.”
This is the first time Qin Miaoyu met someone that spoke in such a way to her. The way
the man looked at her held admiration, but it was not the sort of admiration that men
used to look at beautiful women, it was simply as if she was just a nice looking flower in
front of him.
“I am Feng Xiao.” She heard the other said.
Qin Miaoyu felt her heart went cold. She did not feel that the name sounded beautiful,
but it was the identity of the man that gave her a warning.
“I see, it’s one of the Lords from the Jiejian Bureau.” Qin Miaoyu was fully informed
before the other would say it out loud, “I supposed you have already found Su Xing, and
he had told everything to you? The jade is indeed in my hand, and I could give it back, I
ask for nothing, I only beg my Lord for one thing.”
Feng Xiao pushed himself up, displeased. “No one can qualify to bargain with me.”
Qin Miaoyu laughed bitterly, “My Lord, you are mistaken, Miaoyu’s life is in your hands
now, how would I dare to speak of bargains? Miaoyu only wants to tell my Lord, that
day in the outskirts, the lives of Yuchi Jinwu and his company were all murdered by Su
Xing. I only killed those two maidservants, at that time, even if I refused to kill them, Su
Xing would kill them, so if I hadn’t take the Jade of Heaven’s Lake, the jade would have
already been delivered to Goguryeo by Su Xing by now.”
Feng Xiao looked at her in the eyes for the first time.
He discovered that this woman is indeed intelligent. She did not beg for her life, and
did not beg for her freedom, instead she repeated the events that happened that day,
hoping to use reason to move him, to clear her misunderstanding.
Perhaps she long knew that Feng Xiao was not the sort to be seduced and tempted by
beauty, and that he would not let her go easily, so she could only search for other ways.
Feng Xiao, “Why does Goguryeo want the jade?”
Qin Miaoyu did not hesitate to respond to him, she said without thinking. “I am not
sure myself, but according to Su Xing, the King of Goguryeo is ill and could not be
healed for some reason, perhaps this is related to it.
Feng Xiao was completely satisfied with her behaviour, compared to Su Xing, this
woman was a lot smarter. She knew to cooperate with him, if she wasn’t betrayed by
her accomplice, perhaps she really could have escaped and leave the city, like a fish
swimming back to the sea.
“The jade?” Feng Xiao asked.
Qin Miaoyu took the pouch hanging from her waist and took out a jade, carefully, she
gave it to Feng Xiao.
The jade was only as large as one’s palm, its curves were crystal clear, and it was jade-
green. Under the sunlight it looked lively, like it was alive.
Before seeing this, Feng Xiao perhaps would have thought that the jade he auctioned
from the Linlang Alliance’s hall is the real jade, but after seeing this, it was impossible to
believe that the bogus one was the real jade.
The one before his eyes, is truly the real Jade of Heaven’s Lake.
Feng Xiao, “Why is it so small?”
Qin Miaoyu looked at him carefully and said, “I heard that it has a way to amplify one’s
strength, so I tried it.”
She could’ve kept the truth, but Feng Xiao might have guessed, since her life is in his
hands now, why shouldn’t she just be honest?
Qin Miaoyu was unaware that her behaviour and intelligent was current being rated by
Feng Xiao, she saw that Feng Xiao refused to accept the jade, as if she had put some
poison onto it, she quickly said, “Lord Feng, Miaoyu is like a piece of meat waiting to be
butchered, I dare not do anything shady at this moment.”
Feng Xiao twitched his lips, but he took the jade from her in the end.
As the jade fell into his hands, he felt a chilled feeling penetrating his bones.
This is a very unbelievable feeling, as if his entire person was submerged in water, yet
there was no feeling of discomfort. On the other hand, that chilled feeling filled all his
limbs and even his heart, as if he was aided by god and knew everything in the world.
At that moment, all Feng Xiao thought that was not how magical and mysterious the
jade was, but the fact that he needed to submit this jade to the Imperial Court
anyways, whoever liked to touch the jade that was touched before by his hand—that
had touched the seal that Cui Buqu touched that touched the green beans cake from
a corpse—then they can touch as much as they pleased. There would never be another
time he would hold this jade anyways.

Qiemo: Referring to Qiemo City, it will now be called just Qiemo to make the story flow
smooth.
Sui Emperor: In real history, Yang Jian was called Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty. Even
Joan only knew this when she started reading about that period in history concerning
Wushuang. xD In Chinese, Yang Jian was simply called ‘Sui Emperor’. I will be keeping
this method of addressing Yang Jian, the reigning Emperor of Sui Dynasty, to avoid too
much change. This is just FYI for those interested in it and wants to research on their
own.
Chapter 37 – No One Can Ever Replace Me As Cui
Buqu
Qiao Xian hurried back to the manor and discovered that Fo Er was not here at all, and
immediately acknowledged that she was tricked by Feng Xiao.
When she thought of how Cui Buqu was still at Feng Xiao’s side, she hurriedly ran back,
but who knew that she met up with Cui Buqu as he returned, following behind him,
was even a man from the Jiejian Bureau and another person.
“This is Fo Er’s disciple. He was captured by Feng Xiao. Keep him so that when Fo Er
appears, we can use him to our advantage.” Cui Buqu said.
He spoke about a living person as if he was a tool, yet Qiao Xian looked as if this was
completely normal and obeyed, allowing others to lead Fo Er’s disciple away.
Originally, Song Ji was prepared to be interrogated and had planned to remain silent to
the death, but he had not expect the other party to not even ask him a single thing,
instead, he was being brought away. This instead made him panicked and yelled in his
not fluent Chinese, “Where you want to bring me go? My teacher will never let you off!”
Just as Cui Buqu wanted to step into the manor, he stopped and turned around,
approaching him.
“You have a way to contact your tutor, do you not?”
Song Ji shut his mouth, his face riddled with displeasure.
Cui Buqu turned towards Qiao Xian, “Tell him about the torturing methods of the
Zuoyue Bureau.”
“Yes, sir.” Qiao Xian replied emotionlessly, “Bosha Touyue, using layers of cloth soaked
in water and put it onto your face, forbidding you to breathe and suffocate until death.
Other than that, we also remove your kneecaps and tendons in your hand, strip you
naked and throw you into a body of water, allowing a few hungry snakes to feast on
your flesh. You can watch with your own two eyes how your hands and legs were slowly
being beaten until they ate all your flesh and snap your throat. This is called the
Ba inia o Cha ofeng. There are also Jixia ng Ruyi and Ba mia n Linglong. Which one do
you fancy? I can explain them to you one by one.”
Song Ji’s expression was quickly turning deathly while, feeling his entire body shivering.
His spoken Chinese is not excellent, but he had no problem understanding the
language. At this moment, Song Ji felt that people from the Central Plains were indeed
scary, they could even give such beautiful names to a torture sentence that was cruel
unlike any other. Whatever Jixiang Ruyi and Bamian Linglong was, he only needed to
hear their names and immediately knew that they were filled with horrors and terrors
that he could not even begin to imagine.
“What you all want!” His tone gave away his fear.
Qiao Xian, “Contact your tutor, ask him for help, so that he comes.”
Song Ji stubbornly said, “You sure want to kill him. I won’t let you do it!”
Cui Buqu, “We are not going to kill him, but since you refused to say, we can also use
other ways to let him know that you are here.”
He told Qiao Xian, “Hang him on the bamboo tower.”
Near that manor, there was a bamboo tower that was a lot taller than the residences
around it, on top one can see almost half of the entire City of Six Crafts. If Song Ji was
hung on top of it, it was guaranteed that Fo Er would receive the news very soon.
Qiao Xian obeyed and allowed people to take Song Ji away, but she asked Cui Buqu,
“Fo Er is still the number one fighter of Göktürk……”
Even if she allied with Zhangsun Bodhi, they might not be able to take him down.
Cui Buqu looked at her, “It is fine. When the time comes, someone will help you both.”
Qiao Xian, “Feng Xiao?”
Cui Buqu suddenly asked, “From where you learned the names of so many torture
methods?”
The Zuoyue Bureau is a place of investigation, not a place that executes interrogation
or sentences. Never mind whatever was Bamian Linglong or Jixiang Ruyi, even if it was
the Ministry of Justice, they might not have even heard of such a thing.
Qiao Xian felt shy all of a sudden, “Just now I was just simply saying nonsense, just to
scare him.”
Cui Buqu coughed twice and said in admiration, “Very good. This is knowing how to
speak depending on the person that is faced before you. This indeed brings the same
air similar to myself. I originally thought that you were too stubborn and did not know
how to change, and that you could only cheat honest people like Pei Jingzhe, but if you
met someone like Feng Xiao, you would definitely be taken advantage of.”
Qiao Xian remained silent, “Do you feel stuffy on your chest again? I happened to invite
the physician here, he is already in the hall, you can go over so he can check up on you.”
Cui Buqu was originally heading towards the hall, but as he heard that the doctor was
there, he quickly turned his footsteps towards another direction. Qiao Xian even heard
him speaking to himself, “I just remembered that I touched a corpse and has yet to
wash my hands, I should go wash them now.”
Qiao Xian: …….
She walked forward and grabbed Cui Buqu, pulling him towards the hall.
“I will order servants to send you water and soap. First you were poisoned with the
Naihexiang, before the poisoned was expelled you spent a night in the wilds. You really
need to let the doctor check up on you!”
On normal days, Qiao Xian would obey Cui Buqu unconditionally. It was only on this
specific matter she was incredibly insistent.
Because in the past, she had witnessed Cui Buqu sick on his bed that he was unable to
get up before, even to the extent that he vomited blood. After that, across the Zuoyue
Bureau, everyone swore that if they were present, they would never allow that to
happen to Cui Buqu again.
Cui Buqu is not a man with a very good temper, at this moment it was rare that he did
not lecture his subordinates with a cold glare, he even kept his mouth silent and
allowed Qiao Xian to drag him to the hall.
But Qiao Xian could not help saying, “That thing from last year……I do not want to see it
again.”
Cui Buqu remained silent for a while, and said, “You won’t.”
Last year, Cui Buqu suddenly fell deathly ill and practically lost his life, scaring every
single member in the Zuoyue Bureau to death. One of the Vice Commanders, Song
Liangchen, even strictly forbade Cui Buqu to get down from the bed, arranging doctors
to take turns guarding in front of his bed so that Cui Buqu could not get himself sick.
Who knew that Cui Buqu is someone who is naturally unrestrained. Once his illness
improved, he would immediately get up and jump around, couldn’t help but want to
just leap from Beijing to the end of the world. So once the task to negotiate with Khan
Apa’s ambassador was given to them, the Zuoyue Bureau were filled with black faces,
all but Cui Buqu being the only one who was happy and excited. He immediately begin
plotting a huge scheme that lasted two months, not only did he placed Feng Xiao as
one of his chess pieces, but he also made himself his own chess piece.
As she thought of these, Qiao Xian couldn’t help but sighed, her grip on Cui Buqu was
even stronger.
“If the doctor gave you medicine, you are not allowed throw it away.”
Cui Buqu twitched his lips, “I really am fine.”
Qiao Xian, “Then you run one round around that cherry blossom tree, if you can do it
without coughing, then you don’t need to take your medicine.”
Cui Buqu’s face immediately blackened, “Ridiculous. What is my identity, to allow you
to order around like that!”
They glared at each other, Qiao Xian refusing to take a step back.
Cui Buqu: ……
“Whatever. I’ll just take the medicine!” He couldn’t help rolling this eyes.
The tips of Qiao Xian’s liped arched.
The female servants of this manor were just seasonal workers with clean backgrounds.
They were not members of the Zuoyue Bureau and did not understand Cui Buqu and
Qiao Xian’s conversation. As they saw this, they only thought that Qiao Xian felt
something towards Cui Buqu—a young woman’s crush—but they were not aware of
what Cui Buqu truly meant to Qian Xian.
To her, he was like a teacher, a father, a friend, and a brother.
Many years ago, she wasn’t like this. At that time she was in the most despairing
moments of her life, she had been through countless sleepless nights, lying on the
snow pitifully. She thought that it was fine if she had just died like that, the world would
not change with or without her. It was Cui Buqu who had passed by and took her
home.
Qiao Xian knew that at that time, she was just someone troublesome that Cui Buqu
has taken back, so he had never put it to heart, but without Cui Buqu, there was no her.
After being with him for a while, she discovered that Cui Buqu didn’t only has a weak
body, but he was weak to the point that if the wind had been stronger, he would
immediately fall ill and could not get up from his bed for around three to two days. He
would fall ill easily even if he was moving more than usual, had it not been for the fact
that they were able to find a doctor each time, the grasses of his tomb would have
already grown taller than the height of humans.
But a Cui Buqu like this, who had a photographic memory is truly a treasure to the
Jianghu province, as if he did not even need to leave his house and he was able to
know everything that happened under the skies.
She even remembered that Cui Buqu once told her: If even you feel that your existence
does not matter, then no one would take you seriously. I am different from you. I am
me, even if I met with a serious illness and passed away just like that, all my limbs are
paralyzed, no one can ever replace me as Cui Buqu.
That type of Cui Buqu, even though he would lose his life at any time of his life, he
would have lived a life that people who has met him would never be able to forget him.
No doubt, within the Zuoyue Bureau, the one in charge is not Zhangsun Bodhi who
had the best martial arts, and it was not the best defender and planner like Song
Liangchen, it was definitely not Qiao Xian, but it was Cui Buqu. Zhangsun’s fighting
ability might be able to protect a lot of people, but Cui Buqu was the one who
stabilized the peace within their hearts.
In this world, there are a lot of problems that could be solved with fighting, but there
are also a lot of problems that could not be solved with fighting, yet when they all fall
into Cui Buqu’s hands, these troubles will all be solved.
Although it seemed like Qiao Xian and the rest were protecting Cui Buqu, in reality, Cui
Buqu was the one protecting them.
As long as there is Cui Buqu, the Zuoyue Bureau would be as stable as a sitting boulder,
allowing everyone to be at peace.
However, although Cui Buqu’s heart is as determined as iron, in his life there is one
thing he hated the most.
That is to drink his medicine.
Even if he drank frequently and was already used to the bitter taste, no one in this
world would love the taste of medicine. Cui Buqu would have drank a few bowls every
three to five days. Compared to pinching his nose and drinking these bitter medicine
that would make one feel like vomiting, he would rather let Feng Xiao drug him with a
few more doses of the Naihexiang, then using pure determination to withstand them.
Qian Xian, of course, would not let him off that easily. So when Khan Apa’s ambassador
first saw the Imperial Court’s ambassador that was going to negotiate with her, she
realized that he was not in a very good mood.
From the past to present, when both countries negotiate, their ambassadors were
always males, and these seemed to have become the common rule.
In the Kingdom of Göktürk, the wife of the Khan is called the Kedun, although they
have power over the Khan’s army, the Kingdom of Göktürk is not a nation that took
women seriously, so this time the fact that the Khan sent out a female to negotiate, the
first reaction of the Zuoyue Bureau was to be suspicious of the woman’s identity.
This female ambassador brought forth two guards and they had lived here for two days
now, they were never impatient and wanted to step out and explore, and they had
never voluntarily offered to see Cui Buqu, merely waiting quietly and patiently for Cui
Buqu to call for them. This patience alone, was already dissimilar from the norm.
The other wore a dark red and carried an intense fashion of a Göktürk, even her braid
were exotic and different. Her face looked slightly yellow and the tails of her eyes
looked contradicting, it was a different sort of exotic beauty.
This beauty was not the sort of tender beauty admired by the people of the Central
Plains, not like the eyebrows that looked like distant mountains and eyes that looked
like spring water. It was the sort that weathered through winds and heavy rain, difficult
for one to forget.
But Cui Buqu had just drank a large bowl of medicine, so he was in no mood to admire
the beauty of the female ambassador. Both parties sat down and went right into the
topic, “You are the ambassador sent by Khan Apa?”
He was never too welcoming to others, but this sort of speech made him look as if he
looked down on a woman’s identity.
“I am. My Chinese name is Jin Lian, May I also inquire the name of your Lordship?”
“Cui Buqu.” Cui Buqu raised an eyebrow. “Your name, is from the meaning of ‘golden
lotus from the meadows’?”
Jin Lian looked surprised that he knew the meaning of her name, “That is correct. My
Göktürk name means ‘Golden Lotus’ so my Chinese name is Jin Lian.”
Cui Buqu, “Who are you to Khan Apa, why did he sent you to represent him? How can I
believe that everything you said would be accepted by the Khan himself?”
Jin Lian answered in displeasure, “I am the Kedun of the Khan.”
She paused for a moment, and added, “The small Kedun.”
Cui Buqu had inquired and understood Khan Apa in prior, so he knew that Khan Apa
has two Keduns, the small Kedun is the similar as having a secondary wife. Because the
big Kedun was quite elderly, the one who usually takes care of matters with him is this
small Kedun. This time, Jin Lian coming forth, from another perspective, had proved
the sincerity of Khan Apa’s desire to negotiate with them.
Of course, if Jin Lian would come here on her own, she also brought similar courage
and persuasion.
It was difficult for her to not feel disappointed that the Imperial Court of the Central
Plains had sent a sickly man as an ambassador.
Seeing the look of displeasure on her face, Qiao Xian couldn’t help saying, “Our Lord is
the Commander of the Zuoyue Bureau, his rank is equivalent to that of the Six
Ministries. If you have not heard of the Zuoyue Bureau, you might have heard of the
Dougua n, it is also the present Minister of Justice.”
In this year, the Douguan was just renamed to be the Ministry of Justice, it was not long
enough for the news to reach the Kingdom of Göktürk yet, but Jin Lian knew what a
Douguan is. For Cui Buqu to be levelled with the Six Ministries, it can be seen that his
rank as an officer is quite high.
As she listened, Jin Lian finally put down the displeasure in her heart, “So, this is Lord
Cui, I apologize for my ignorance.”
Cui Buqu nodded his head slightly, unwilling to go around in circles, “For the small
Kedun to come forth, I suppose Khan Apa has an important message for you to pass?”
Jin Lian was also not someone who liked to go around in circles, so she continued his
sentences very fast, “That is correct. As of now, Khan Ishbara’s ambitious heart is
growing, he wants to overturn the entire world and sow distress. I am here for the sake
of peace for both our countries. I’ve yet to know how your Emperor thinks of this?”
The way she spoke was obvious that Khan Ishbara’s power grew as they spoke, earning
the displeasure of Khan Apa who was oppressed. At the convincing of Jin Lian, he
acknowledged that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so only did he sent Jin Lian to
negotiate an alliance with the Sui Empire.
Cui Buqu, “Our Emperor naturally also wants eternal peace for the people. Even if Khan
Ishbara wants to disrupt the peace of the Sui Empire, we can only return a tooth for
tooth. If Khan Apa wishes to work together, it is not impossible for us to give you a
piece of land from Khan Ishbara once it is done. You only need to offer horses, tributes,
and provisions to Daxing City on an annual basis.”
Jin Lian did not even think twice before rejecting it, “We are not vassals of the Sui
Empire!”
Cui Buqu smiled a smile that didn’t look like a smile, “Small Kedun, would you not
consider it?”
Jin Lian said with a little bit of resent, “We thought that you were sincere, but it’s
unexpected that people of the Central Plains would take every advantage they can. We
are obviously the ones helping you to fight against Khan Ishbara, but it seemed as
though we need to pledge submission to you people!”
Cui Buqu looked as if he had all the time in the world, “Because our people have
already spilt their paths. The difference is that the other has went to negotiate with
Khan Tardu, according to what I know, they were already on bad terms with Khan
Ishbara, so they would most likely accept it. At that time, if they have really accepted it,
yet Khan Apa is the only one who rejected, the one in charge is you, and does that not
make you an enemy to your own people?”
Jin Lian’s expression changed.
Cui Buqu, instead, laughed, “Small Kedun, since you came to the Central Plains, if your
duty was fulfilled beautifully, and you’ve taken the heavy risk, of course you can raise
higher within the ranks. But if you failed, what awaits you can only be losing the Khan’s
love and and trust, at that time, can your dream still be achieved?”
Jin Lian stared at this man before her.
At first she did not take this pale looking man seriously, compared to men of the
Kingdom of Göktürk, he did not look tall or mighty, she had even been displeased that
the Sui Emperor sent such a pale looking sickly man to represent his country.
But now, his gaze were like arrows piercing her heart, hiding secrets behind them, now
she held no doubt about him.
Jin Lian’s back begin to be rippled with cold sweat.
“I don’t know what are you talking about.” She calmed herself down.
“That is fine.” Cui Buqu looked at her pitifully, “After tonight, perhaps you no longer
have the chance to say it.”
“What does that mean?” Jin Lian suddenly grew alert, “You want to kill me?”
She could not think of a reason why Cui Buqu would do that.
Cui Buqu shook his head, “Not me, but someone else.”
Who?
As if to satisfy Jin Lian’s confusion, the roof above them crumbled. Jin Lian only felt
something heavy fell onto her head, so she didn’t think twice before leaping aside. In
the next moment, the place she was sitting on and the table in front of her crumbled
into dust.
The two female servants that followed her shouted loudly, before rushing forward to
fight with the infiltrator.
When Jin Lian saw the enemy that came for her, the colour on her face became very
ugly.
Cui Buqu held his sleeve together as if he didn’t care that the infiltrator did not only
want to kill Jin Lian, but also himself. He even told Jin Lian excitedly, “Once we speak of
Caocao, then Caocao himself arrived. The number one fighter of Göktürk, Fo Er, I am
confident he is no stranger to you. Tonight really is a night when all the most
interesting people gather, it’s only short of a cup of good wine!”

Bosha Touyue: It literally translates to “Thin Cloth Revealing Moon”. An ancient

Chinese sentence where the convicted is tied onto a wooden bed and thin wet cloth
were placed one by one on their faces until they eventually suffocates to death. I tried
looking up online but I couldn’t find anything about it, perhaps I will bring this topic up
again when I found something.
Ba inia o Cha ofeng: It’s translated into ‘Song of the Pheonix’ and in reality, it’s just a
children’s song sang among the common people.
Jixia ng Ruyi: It’s a greeting used between Chinese people that wishes one to be
blessed with immeasurable good fortunes.
Ba mia n Linglong: It is used to describe a person who is witty, smart, intelligent, and
knows his worth. Used to describe a capable talented person when doing this job.
Jin Lia n: In Chinese, ‘Jin’ is gold, and ‘Lian’ is lotus. So her name is essentially Golden
Lotus.
Dougua n: The Minster of Justice used to be called Douguan (which kind of means
officer). This occurred during the Tang Dynasty.

Chapter 38 – Me, And You, It Means Us

Under orders of the Khan Ishbara, Fo Er came to the City of Six Crafts with only one
goal, and it was not the jade, but it was to prevent the meeting between Khan Apa’s
ambassador and the Sui Empire.
To kill the Sui Empire’s ambassador before Jin Lian arrive in the City of Six Crafts is of
course the most effective method, but after killing Jin Lian when she arrive, the
meeting could also be prevented, and nevermind that Khan Apa would not be able to
find another courageous soldier who is willing to come forth as his ambassador, even if
someone was willing to, they would even feel estranged, and the relationship of both
their countries would eventually be fractured.
So when Jin Lian and Cui Buqu appeared at the same thing, Fo Er did not hesitate to
abandon Cui Buqu and immediately attempt to take Jin Lian’s life.
Jin Lian was trained in the martial arts—shooting arrows on horseback, fighting one to
one on foot, even among the Göktürks, she was considered a heroine, but her skills still
fall behind the number one fighter of Göktürk. After ten moves she was thoroughly
suppressed, both her subordinates went forward to rescue her, but one was hit on the
chest on a fatal spot, vomited and died on the spot, the other had her arm broken and
could not fight for a while.
Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi had hurried back, standing on Cui Buqu’s left and right,
they guarded him but did not make an attempt to rescue Jin Lian.
Jin Lian panicked, she couldn’t help shouting in a loud voice, “He wants to kill me, are
you all just going to watch?!”
Cui Buqu said slowly, “Jin Lian Kedun, at the present your Khan is being forced up the
corner by Khan Ishbara, even without you, the Sui Empire will have allies like Khan
Bagha and Khan Tardu. Without or without you, the results are not very much different.
My rank as an officer of the Crown would not be promoted because of you, but it would
not be demoted because of you either. Why don’t you consider it a little more?”
Faced before death, and before a top fighter like Fo Er with nothing to fight back, she
could only sucked in her breathe and defend herself to the death. After fifteen moves,
she kept taking a step back, her shoulder was wounded and the pain was
incomparable, but Fo Er remained as such, he really had every intention to kill her on
the spot.
Although the Göktürks were more straightforward in addressing matters unlike the
Chinese, but members of royalty who schemed among themselves in politics—that
sort of bloody result it brings, were not very much different from others who fought for
the throne. Ever since she was married to Khan Apa when she was a teenager, the fact
that she could live until today is proof that she has given the sort of hard work and
courage others would not have been able to imagine. She would never be satisfied for
her life to end in this way, for her death to be so comical.
“If Cui Buqu refuses to save you, I will.”
A light little laugh rang in her ear, and immediately she felt the pressure in front of her
lightened, a light shadow was already in front of her, shielding her from Fo Er before a
palm rushed towards his direction.
As both martial artists engaged in a battle of strength, Jin Lian was immediately
pushed out of the ambit.
Since she had just escaped death, Jin Lian could not care much for the pain on her
back, she felt her heart thumping like thunder, even her temples could feel the
pressure of her heart, both her legs felt like she was stepping on cloud, and her body
and limbs lacked strength. At this moment, she was no different from anyone who had
just escaped death.
Before her panic had quelled, Jin Lian’s gaze swept over her dead and wounded
subordinates, landing instead on the man that was currently battling with Fo Er.
Their shadows were quick like phantoms, with Jin Lian’s level of martial arts, it was
impossible to clearly see their fight. She only felt that she was incredibly far from them,
but she still felt the wind of their battle and was forced to take a few more steps
backwards.
“Jin Lian Kedun, I wonder how is your consideration going on?” Cui Buqu said slowly,
“According from what I know, Khan Ishbara does not lack top fighters. Other than Fo
Er, there are two more martial artists that have achieved top-tier mastery, if he sent
more of them, I fear you could not even return to the Kingdom of Göktürk.”
Jin Lian grinded her teeth. She knew very well that Cui Buqu was unwilling to save her
was because of this exact goal.
However, she couldn’t not bend the knee, because the other had voiced out her exact
weakness. She came forth to the Central Plains and hid her name and identity,
changed her looks, even on the journey her she had met with many dangers, although
she had managed to live through them all, but on her journey home, she might not be
so lucky. Originally Jin Lian wanted both countries to become allies, and when she
returns, the Sui Empire would send their soldiers along with her, but who knew that
she fell into a trap, and if she could not settle the negotiation, she would have to return
empty handed.
“The provisions can be negotiated; the alliance of both countries, was decided a long
time ago. The Khan will not reject it, I can offer on his behalf. However, as for the
tributes to the Imperial Court, I cannot make that decision. Why don’t Lord Cui follow
me back to the Khan’s encampment and see the Khan for yourself, perhaps it might be
more effective than I going back alone.”
Cui Buqu remained silent, knowing that this is already Jin Lian’s bottom line, so he did
not say anything more to force her. He nodded his head, “May I request a letter from Jin
Lian, as proof that I could deliver back to Beijing and allow His Majesty to read through
it?”
Jin Lian quickly said, “No problem, when I departed from Göktürk, I already brought a
letter from the Khan himself with me, we only need someone who can read Göktürkish
to go through it.”
Cui Buqu, “I could.”
It was impossible for Jin Lian not to be amazed by such a simple sentence.
On the other hand, Feng Xiao and Fo Er’s battle has not ended.
When it came to martial arts, although Fo Er was slightly below Feng Xiao, but at his
level, if he couldn’t win against the fight, it was not difficult for him to escape either.
However, tonight he came for two goals, the first was to kill someone, the second was
to save someone. Both of his tasks has yet to be completed, so he naturally couldn’t
leave so easily like that.
When Fo Er became famed, he was the top of the martial artist’s world, those top
martial artists of his time, either they were already masters themselves, or they were
hidden deep within the forests, it was difficult to track nor find them. Ever since he
came to the Central Plains, Fo Er had battled many top martial arts, his own unrivalled
abilities made him think that the martial artists of the Central Plains were none other
than weak, until he met Feng Xiao.
Feng Xiao was a nemesis Fo Er has seen very few in his life. The other’s moves were
light, quick and unpredictable, yet he possessed a solid foundation of his inner
strength. This is not the level of martial arts someone so young could achieve. Fo Er had
always suspected that behind him, an unnaturally high-level master was tutoring him,
or perhaps Feng Xiao is an old man who had found a way to make himself young
again. Last time in the Huyang forest, he had retreated because he was defeated, and
now it seemed like he had no choice but to leave in defeat again.
One Feng Xiao alone is already difficult to deal with, never mind that Qiao Xian and
Zhangsun was also there. Both of them haven’t made their moves yet, but they
seemed to purposely blocking Fo Er’s escape route, making him feel restrained left and
right, unable to utilize his strength.
He saw, from the corner of his eyes, Cui Buqu who was standing from a distance away,
and his heart delivered a plan.
At the speed of lightning, Fo Er immediately leaped into the air. Although he is tall and
broad, this leap was like a crane flying into the air, completely silent and nearly
soundless.
Feng Xiao naturally pursued him, but Fo Er’s figure suddenly dropped onto the roof—
he wasn’t running for the sake of running, yet he wasn’t aiming to save his disciple
either, he was aiming to slap a palm onto the roof so that it collapse.
Feng Xiao uttered “Not good” in a low voice, he could not hurry in time and could only
yell for those under the roof: “Run, quickly!”
The entire roof collapsed, even bricks and pillars, everything shattered under Fo Er’s
strength to crush on those underneath it.
In the blink of an eye, the place became a flat land.
Those who were trained in martial arts could still save themselves, just like Jin Lian,
although she couldn’t completely avoid it, and there were many injuries on her, she
would still escape. But her subordinate that was wounded wasn’t so lucky—she was
crushed by the pillars in a horrible sight.
The colour of Feng Xiao’s face sank. The usual look of playfulness on his face
immediately disappeared, and he turned around to go back for rescue.
Pei Jingzhe was almost crushed by a pillar, although he successfully escaped, his face
sustained a few scars and gashes, his back was also wounded and was radiating
searing pain.
Yet when he looked around him, the colour of his face changed as well as he thought
of Cui Buqu who did not know martial arts at all. “My Lord, Cui……”
Feng Xiao flew over like a shooting star, bending down to kick away a pillar. He looked
as if he wasn’t inflicting any strength, but the pillar rolled over and landed on the other
side of the pile.
Under the pillar was a hand.
Pei Jingzhe was so shocked he immediately went over to help. It wasn’t easy to sweep
all the debris off the other’s body before discovering that that hand didn’t belong to Cui
Buqu, but Qiao Xian.
Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi was protecting Cui Buqu under their bodies, so they
were all dragged out altogether. They both sustained a few physical wounds, but Cui
Buqu looked completely uninjured.
“With Lord Feng’s capabilities, even Fo Er was able to escape?” Cui Buqu raised an
eyebrow in question.
The response he got was Feng Xiao’s usual playful voice, “Isn’t this because I saw you
were buried underneath all those debris, my heart was thumping like fire, and I could
only think of saving you? Oh QuQu, your vengeance is indeed too much, come, touch
my chest, you can still feel my heart beating!”
Pei Jingzhe, Unless you are dead, otherwise whose heart isn’t beating?
But he didn’t forget that he belonged to Feng Xiao’s side, so he couldn’t open his
mouth to expose his own Lord, that was why he remained silent.
Cui Buqu was also too lazy to entertain Feng Xiao’s nonsense, he immediately told Jin
Lian, “The Khan’s written letter.”
Jin Lian’s arm was wounded, so she had to use a lot of strength to pull out the letter
from her chest. Qiao Xian received it and after examining it for poison, she passed it
over to Cui Buqu.
Cui Buqu swept the dust off his clothes and lowered his head to flip open the letter.
A head suddenly slipped next to his without warning, and Cui Buqu practically slapped
the letter onto the other’s face.
“Ei, what is written in this? Göktürkish? Master Daoist Cui you really are incredible to
even be able to read Göktürkish.”
The way Feng Xiao called Cui Buqu, from QuQu, to A-Cui, to Master Daoist Cui, he used
them all interchangeably and unpredictably, completely according to his own mood,
so Cui Buqu was long used to it.
Cui Buqu read all ten lines at a glance, and verified that this indeed is personally
written by Khan Apa himself, he tucked the letter into Feng Xiao’s hand and told Jin
Lian, “We can follow you to the Kingdom of Göktürk, and meet with Khan Apa in
person.”
Jin Lian looked delighted, but she had to emphasize, “This is wonderful! Please choose
a date, Lord Cui, so we can depart earlier. Since Fo Er has escaped now, Khan Ishbara
will receive news very quickly, at that time I’m afraid he will send someone to ambush
us again!”
The fact that Cui Buqu was willing to follow her back, not only did it mean that she
would have bodyguards on the way back, but it also meant that she would be bringing
a Commander of the Sui Empire home, Jin Lian’s recognition will definitely be
increased insurmountably.
“However, we still need to discuss about this matter for a while. It is late, tonight the
Kedun has received shock, so please take some rest, I will send a physician over to tend
your wounds.” Cui Buqu said.
Jin Lian nodded her head, “Many thanks, Lord Cui. Please bury the subordinates that
came with me.”
She was then led away by a servant.
Feng Xiao saw that Cui Buqu also wanted to turn around and leave, he didn’t think
twice before grabbing him by the wrist, earning a deep inhale from the other.
Although he was protected by Zhangsun and Qiao Xian and was able to emerge
unscathed, his wrist was sprained, so when Feng Xiao grabbed him, it immediately
showed.
Qian Xiao glared at Feng Xiao angrily and attacked him, so the latter quickly released
his hand and took a step back.
“Wait, you said ‘us’, what is the meaning of that?”
Cui Buqu arched a corner of his lip, “Me, and you, meaning ‘us’.”
Feng Xiao: ……
Author’s Note:
Feng Xiao: Since when I said I would go with you???
Cui Buqu: I will wait for you no matter wind or rain.
Tra nsla tor’s Note: There is now a Spanish and Bahasa Indo fan translation for
Wushuang!

Chapter 39 – It’s Not Like Being Born Handsome Is My

Fault
There were stars and there were moons, there was tea and there was wine.
Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu sat facing each other. The scenery outside the pavilion was
clear, and fresh grass had just sprouted from the soil.
Avoiding the fact that the building next door had just collapsed not long ago, and the
fact that Fo Er had rescued his disciple and escaped, this would have been indeed a
perfect night.
Feng Xiao looked at Cui Buqu who sat not far off from him.
The other did not drink any tea, nor did he drink any wine, but in his hands sat a bowl
of medicine and he looked really hesitant, then with a disgusted look as he closed his
eyes, he drank the bowl of medicine in one gulp. On-lookers would have thought that
he was drinking poison to commit suicide.
Even if he had drunk many bitter medicines before, Cui Buqu could not help but felt as
if this physician wanted to take revenge on him, because that kind of bitterness that
remained on his tongue was enough to make him unable to speak.
As he pulled himself back from reality, he saw Feng Xiao looked at him interestingly.
“How did it go with Qin Miaoyu?” Cui Buqu asked.
“The jade has been returned.” Feng Xiao answered simply. What he didn’t say was that
Qin Miaoyu had absorbed some of the jade’s powers so the jade is now only half of its
original size, the jade also looked paler than before, but these sort of matters were
irrelevant to Cui Buqu, the case of the jade had always been Feng Xiao’s duty, so these
troublesome matters, and how to explain them to the higher-ups, Feng Xiao would
take care of them himself.
At the present, the Khotan ambassador’s case is considered solved, but there was
something that was still unclear. Su Xing and Qin Miaoyu were caught, and the jade
was retrieved, according to their agreement, when Feng Xiao writes his report for the
case of the jade and the Khotan ambassador’s murder, he needed to include the
contribution given by the Zuoyue Bureau.
Cui Buqu asked curiously, “So, Qin Miaoyu is still alive? I am curious, what secret does
she have that she could convince you to let her go?”
Feng Xiao, “Am I really just a killer in your eyes? Because of your words, my heart is
shattered into pieces, even if it was fixed, it would be difficult to heal fully.”
Cui Buqu, “Speak human language.”
Feng Xiao immediately answered in one smooth motion, “A woman like her, as a spy of
Goguryeo, the fact that she could remain hidden undercover for so long proves that
her sort of patience is quite admirable.”
As his words flowed, the moment Cui Buqu heard one sentence, he would guess what
Feng Xiao meant completely.
The Khotan King had no children, and Yuchi Jinwu is the nephew that he most looked
down proudly upon, if he hadn’t died, he might have been the future Khotan King.
With consideration to Qin Miaoyu’s capabilities and Yuchi Jinwu’s love for her, if she
wanted to become the most beloved concubine of Yuchi Jinwu, it would not be
difficult at all, she could have become one the person who held power over the
governance of Khotan.
For Gorguyeo to place a chess piece in a place so far away from themselves, of course,
what they wanted isn’t simply just for Qin Miaoyu to become the concubine of a small
country, they wanted her to be their vassal to influence the governance in the West, so
when the Sui Empire and Kingdom of Göktürk battles, Goguryeo would be sitting afar
and gaining from it. From this perspective, the one who created such a scheme had
indeed given this a thorough thought. Even though Goguryeo is a small country, they
might not be short of talented people.
Only it was a pity that the King of Goguryeo had a strange illness. The birth of the Jade
of Heaven’s Lake made the Goguryeons unable to sit there, so they had to make use of
Qin Miaoyu and Su Xing earlier, otherwise, both of them may never have been
discovered.
As he thought until this point, Cui Buqu asked, “Who is the one who sent Qin Miaoyu
and Su Xing to the Central Plains? Other than them, who else is there?”
When an intelligent person spoke to another intelligent person, not much needs to be
said for the other to understand, Feng Xiao looked at him admiringly.
Although Cui Buqu’s existence gave the Jiejian Bureau many troubles, there is only one
life for each person, and it was difficult to meet such a rival. If one can live through their
lives with complete peace, then their life would have been dull.
Feng Xiao once estimated that with Cui Buqu’s capabilities, even if he had no
knowledge of martial arts, he was enough to shake the hearts of men. Someone like
Cui Buqu who knew his goals, knew his targets clearly, and who is passionate about
creating his own world and carve a place for himself, if he was given a high ranking
position, the other would have been persuaded, but who knew that Feng Xiao himself
had tried to recruit talents until he found the very Commander of the Zuoyue Bureau.
Cui Buqu, of course, would not give up the position of Commander of the Zuoyue
Bureau to come to his place and become the Forth Commander of the Jiejian Bureau.
Not only would he refuse it, he might have even come to the conclusion that Feng Xiao
wanted to hook talented people up from his agency for himself, and make another
mark for Feng Xiao in his book.
But Feng Xiao did not care how many marks he had earned in Cui Buqu’s book, he was
fine with owing a huge debt.
“The one who sent them here is the master of Gao Ning, Gao Yun. This man is the
brother of the Goguryeon King, Gao Tang. According to leads, he is also the only top-
tier martial artist of Goguryeo.” Feng Xiao said.
According to the news he received, although Gao Yun held no court position, he is
quite influential towards Gao Tang, he even established his own sect: The Fuyu
Sect. The purpose of this sect is similar to the Jiejian Bureau, to plant spies into other
countries and gain inside information through sending encoded messages, so that
those information may be of use to their own country.
Without a doubt, Su Xing and Qin Miaoyu were also definitely from the Fuyu Sect.
“Qin Miaoyu’s position in the Fuyu Sect is not high. Gao Yun has never thought of
females as equals, they only wanted to make use of her beauty to do lowly tasks such
as sending messages. Only Su Xing can contact the Fuyu Sect, but what he knew isn’t
much, they only know that the one who sent them here that year was called Master
One.”
Women like Qin Miaoyu, young and with little life experiences, were easy to frighten, so
that she would dare not act without thought. But these years after she was married to
Yuchi Jinwu, on one hand she needed to be lovey dovey with him to stabilize her place
by his side, on the other hand she needed to scout for information and contact Su Xing,
bringing more benefits to Goguryeo, so she had learned much over those years, how
could she remain someone who can be restrained by the Fuyu Sect? The fact that her
heart had betrayed them was nothing strange at all.
“One?” Cui Buqu was not concerned with how Feng Xiao took care of Qin Miaoyu, but
he was very interested in the ‘Master One’ mentioned by Feng Xiao just now.
Feng Xiao used his finger, dipped into the tea, and drew a line on the table.
It is ‘One’.
One as in the beginning of all things, the starting point of any number, yet it could also
be very powerful.
As the old saying goes, Less is More.
All under the sky begins with ‘one’, to create worlds, and morph into a thousand things.
For one who knew how to use words like that is definitely not any normal person.
This Master One is not only the same person that contacted Su Xing in the Central
Plains, in fact he might be someone incredibly high ranking in the Fuyu Sect.
If there was someone like that, hiding in the Central Plains for many years, even
someone like Qin Miaoyu almost became the concubine of the Khotan King, then how
high ranking would Master One be aiming for?
The little one hides in the wilderness in a small forgettable city, the big one hides in the
bustling town such as the capital.
They have solved one case, yet they’ve found a hidden string leading to something
even deeper.
If they took the string and followed it, what would be waiting for them at the end?
He believed that Feng Xiao would have achieved the same conclusion, and similarly felt
interested, he even suspects that Feng Xiao wanted to pull him down with him, which
is why he had told him so much.
But Cui Buqu was never someone who followed the rules. The more complicated the
matter, the harder it is to solve, the more he feels like it has meaning.
Feng Xiao, “I’ve told you so much, are you not supposed to return the favour?”
Cui Buqu smiled and said, “Of course, so did I not just invite Lord Feng to accompany
me on the voyage to the Kingdom of Göktürk and meet with Khan Apa?”
Feng Xiao couldn’t help raising his eyebrows, “This is what you call returning the
favour? Isn’t this just giving me something to do when I have time on my hands?”
Cui Buqu smiled, “How can you think in such a way? Allow me to ask you, before this
you promised me to give me Fo Er’s head, did you not?”
Feng Xiao, “I promised to kill Fo Er for you, but I did not say when. If I killed him today or
tomorrow or next year, wouldn’t it be the same?”
Cui Buqu smiled, “Of what I’ve told Jin Lian tonight, you’ve heard it too, although she is
the Khan’s Kedun, in reality she has very little power on decision-making, her task was
only to bring the Khan’s written letter to me. If we want to negotiate more, and achieve
more benefits for the Sui Empire, then I need to make this trip to Göktürk. Fo Er
escaped from your hands, he would definitely ambush me and Jin Lian on the way. If
we are dead, what can you get from it?”
Feng Xiao, “So what you are saying is that I definitely couldn’t avoid not going?”
Cui Buqu, “Is there such things as getting something for free without working for it in
this world? Lord Feng if you want to be part of the contribution, you must accompany
me on this voyage.”
Feng Xiao snorted and smiled, “Aren’t you afraid that I would kill you on the returning
journey, and take all the contribution to myself?”
Cui Buqu also smiled, “If that is the case, then I can only curse myself for having an
unfortunate fate. But if I die, Lord Feng you might miss a lot of valuable information.”
Feng Xiao, “Such as?”
Cui Buqu, “Such as the identity of the two Yunhai Thirteen Stories’ assassins that
wanted to kill you, and who they’re sent by. I also know that Yu Xiu, as Prince Jin’s
number one strategist, came to the City of Six Crafts by himself not solely because of
the jade, but there are other motives. After all, while the Zuoyue Bureau’s members are
not as many as the Jiejian Bureau, we still have our own secret ways to achieve
information, otherwise how could we live?”
Feng Xiao suddenly became incredibly welcoming to him and said, “Oh QuQu, I only
just asked one question, why did you suspect that I was unwilling to accompany you to
Göktürk? Everyday, I only need to see your face, I have the appetite for one additional
bowl of rice!”
Cui Buqu, “In that case, I’ll take it that Lord Feng has agreed to come. On behalf of Jin
Lian Kedun, I thank you.”
Two of them glared at each other, smiling but not smiling at the same time.
As to what they scolded each other in their hearts, it was something only they
themselves would know.
Feng Xiao, “Why call me Lord Feng? Didn’t I say before, you can call me Feng-er, if
you’re willing, you can also call me Er La ng, that would be even better.”
Cui Buqu coughed twice and omitted that sentence completely, “On the journey to
Khan Apa’s encampment, we need to pass by Qiemo, Kucha, the wind is strong and
the road is long, please rest early.”
As he spoke, he rose to his feet and swept his cloak, leaving under Qiao Xian’s
company.
As he watched their figures disappear behind the door, and the sound of footsteps
gradually disappearing, Feng Xiao retreated his gaze and kept his smile, and spoke to
himself, uttering: “Whoever wants to kill me, why don’t you just do it yourselves instead
of sending the Yunhai Thirteen Stories to do it? Surely you just don’t know how to fight,
but you’re jealous of my peerless beauty and graceful looks, sigh, it’s not like it’s my
fault that I was born handsome, what can I do about it?”
Outside the door, originally Qian Xian had returned to eavesdrop just to see what Feng
Xiao was scheming, but as she heard what he said she almost vomited the meal she
had eaten last night.
How can anyone be so thick-skinned in this world? She can never understand it.
Cui Buqu still overestimated his own body, after what happened that night, he
returned and fell ill and had to sleep on the bed for a few days, until the third day only
his situation took a better turn. Even Jin Lian who was injured on that night recovered
faster than him.
As she saw Cui Buqu’s situation, Jin Lian couldn’t help worrying that before they even
arrived in the Kingdom of Göktürk, Cui Buqu’s spirit had already left his body.
“Kedun, you needn’t worry.” Cui Buqu was wrapped in blankets as he sat on top of the
bed. Because he had just drank a bowl of medicine, the colour on his face didn’t look
very good. “Although I am often ill, I am still able to travel to the Kingdom of Göktürk,
needless to mention, Qiao Xian would be accompanying me. She is skilled in the
medical arts, so there is no need to worry during the journey.”
As he spoke, he waved his hand, allowing Qiao Xian to bring him a scroll and open it
before Jin Lian.
“This is…..an atlas?” Jin Lian looked at the little markings on top of it, suddenly she felt
familiar, but was unable to tell what it was.
Cui Buqu, “This is the atlas of Western Göktürk, from the South all the way to Qiemo,
from the North to the Sanmi Mountains, from the West to Shule, from the East to Gao
Chang, although this is not completed yet, this atlas can be offered to Khan Apa, it is
more valuable than gold and treasure, and innumerable livestock. Kedun, for you to
come here, is not completely a waste.”
Jin Lian first received a shock, then she found it unbelievable, “This map, you want to
give me, for me to, offer a flower to the Buddha ?”
Even as a Göktürk woman, her Chinese was fluent, that she even knew how to use
Chinese proverbs.
Cui Buqu arched the corner of his lips, “I know Kedun, you strongly support the alliance
of the Sui Empire and your country, otherwise you would not have taken this journey
and put yourself in danger, coming from a thousand miles. But the Khan may have
people by his side that does not wish to see this alliance established, so they would do
anything in their power to prevent it. With this, wouldn’t you, Kedun, do things much
easier by the Khan’s side in future?”
Jin Lian found it difficult to hide her glee.
She isn’t a women who is short-sighted, she knew the ways of military and its secret, so
being able to have something like this in possession, of course it was much more
valuable than jewels, gold and pearls.
Feng Xiao watched this coldly from the side, he saw something much deeper. Cui
Buqu was earning Jin Lian’s trust and favour, but he was also using this chance to warn
the Göktürks that held nefarious intentions: The Sui Empire is long aware of your maps,
we can ally with you, but we can also defeat you.
This way of killing two birds with one stone was an incredibly intelligent move.
Once again he sighed to himself: Such a talented man like this, why couldn’t he belong
to the Jiejian Bureau?
Author’s Note:
A small scene unrelated to the plot
Feng Xiao: Call me, Er Lang (Second Gentleman).
Cui Buqu: Er Lang (Hungry Wolf).
Feng Xiao: ??? Where are you from?
(Second Gentleman and Hungry Wolf shared the same pronunciations, but they are
different words with different meanings.)

Feng-er: As mentioned before, it translates into ‘Second Feng’, as Feng Xiao mentioned
he was the second child of his house.
Er Lang: Er means ‘Two’, and ‘Lang’ means male. Feng Xiao asking Cui Buqu to call him
Er Lang meant that he implies wanting them to sound like they’re close, since usually
only someone incredibly close to that person can call them in such a way.
Flower to the Buddha : A Chinese proverb that meant, borrowing something from
someone, in order to win a favour from another person. In this case, Jin Lian is using
the atlas from Cui Buqu, to win Khan Apa’s heart, to show that she didn’t return empty-
handed with no achievements.
⮕Arc 2 - Strange Case In Qiemo