Chapter 6: Each Holds a Perfect Plan |
Fangcun could contain puppets, and those puppets could also descend once more into the mortal world.
However…
The price to be paid was unimaginably severe.
At this moment, Li Shun felt as though his soul had been split in two by a rusted, blunt blade, cleaved straight down from the crown of his head. One half remained within his original body, while the other was forcibly stuffed into that illusory vessel.
The pain was like thousands of poisoned steel needles stabbing into his brain at once, causing his entire body to tremble uncontrollably. The tearing sensation of dividing his mind into two uses made his thoughts sluggish and mired, as if sinking into thick mud.
“A Fangcun puppet manifesting in the real world possesses only about half the strength it has within the space. Fortunately, puppets neither live nor die. Even if it is blasted into dust in the real world, it won’t truly damage the source within Fangcun.”
“It only needs time to gradually repair itself.”
“More importantly, with a single thought, I can recall it back into Fangcun at any moment…”
Li Shun endured the overwhelming dizziness surging through his mind, forcing his thoughts to move.
At the same time, he split off a strand of his consciousness to control the newly descended puppet, guiding it silently into the underground refuge cave.
At first, the puppet’s movements were somewhat stiff and unnatural. But as Li Shun’s main body gradually absorbed the medicinal effects of the Lengshan Grass, the puppet’s actions rapidly became indistinguishable from those of a normal person.
Meanwhile, Li Shun’s true body collapsed onto the ground, sitting limply as he closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
With the nourishment of the grass, he managed to recover slightly.
About half an hour later, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside.
Li Shun abruptly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through his deep pupils.
The one who pushed the door open was none other than Sun Wu, the supervisor of all laborers in the county.
“Supervisor Sun, why have you come personally? Just now…” Li Shun immediately put on the fearful and bewildered expression expected of a lowly laborer.
Sun Wu swept his gaze around the room without leaving a trace, then waved his hand, interrupting Li Shun’s probing.
“The magistrate has already learned of your report. The situation is urgent. To prevent leaks and avoid alerting the enemy, you will come with me to the county office.”
Li Shun’s face turned pale. “This…”
Sun Wu forced a smile that appeared as gentle as possible.
“Rest assured. Reporting the rebel faction is a great merit in defense of the region. Once the rebellion is suppressed, rewards will naturally follow. Bringing you in now is merely for your protection, to ensure everything proceeds smoothly.”
As if reassured by these righteous words, Li Shun nodded nervously and followed behind Sun Wu in silence, dragging his lame leg.
Not long after the two departed, the puppet “Li Shun” hidden within the underground cave slowly stepped out from the shadows.
Those emotionless eyes quietly gazed toward the true location where the Lengshan Venerable was hidden.
…
Li Shun followed closely behind Sun Wu, passing through streets and alleys until he was led into a secluded side chamber in the rear hall of the county office.
Pushing the door open, he saw that Old Feng had already been waiting there for quite some time, pacing anxiously like an ant on a hot pan.
“You two, stay here and wait. Without summons, you are not to step outside this door,” Sun Wu said coldly before shutting the heavy wooden door tightly behind him.
“Cripple! You finally made it. See? I didn’t forget you when such a huge merit fell from the sky!” As soon as the door closed, Feng Guan hurried over, lowering his voice with a proud expression.
Yet he did not see the expected excitement on Li Shun’s face. Instead, he froze in confusion.
“Cripple, what’s with that expression?”
Li Shun did not respond. His gaze remained deep as he stared out the window, suddenly asking, “Old Feng, what time is it now?”
“Probably… around eleven in the morning? Why?” Feng Guan scratched his head, puzzled.
Li Shun still gave no answer, lowering his head as he pondered something.
Meanwhile, after securing Li Shun, Sun Wu did not delay for even a moment. Moving quickly, he headed straight toward the hidden underground prison at the northwest corner of the county office.
The bloodied, mangled bodies of Liang Zhou and Sun Bo were suspended midair at the center of a strange black-and-red web.
Countless threads as fine as silk pierced into the vital points across their bodies. Under the pale light, one could clearly see those threads writhing beneath their skin like living creatures, gnawing and burrowing.
As their bodies convulsed like broken sacks struck by lightning, stiff and toneless confessions were forcibly squeezed from their throats by the web:
“The Sect Master has ordered… an assault at the third hour of the afternoon. We lie in wait within the city… to incite chaos from within…”
“Who exactly is your Sect Master?!”
“The rightful heir of Great Xiang… Xiong Jin…”
A trace of clarity seemed to remain within them. Their faces twisted into inhuman shapes from extreme pain and resistance. Yet the threads embedded deep within their organs ruthlessly stripped them of control over their bodies, prying out every secret hidden in their hearts.
Standing one zhang away before the torture web were two figures with hands clasped behind their backs.
They were the absolute rulers of Lengshan County, Magistrate Fang Xun and County Commandant Cheng Yishu.
They did not interfere with the two officials’ personal interrogation. Sun Wu simply stood to the side like a breathless shadow, head lowered in silent stillness.
Only after Liang Zhou and Sun Bo had been drained of the last shred of strength and fainted did Magistrate Fang Xun slowly step out from the shadows. His gaze lingered on the torture rack, his tone carrying an indescribable complexity.
“I once thought that being exiled to this Lengshan County meant I would never return to the Sacred Capital in this lifetime. Who would have expected that Heaven would suddenly drop such a heaven-shaking merit right into my lap at a time like this?”
“The remnants of Great Xiang… heh heh…” Fang Xun softly savored the words, his laughter tinged with chilling greed.
At his side, County Commandant Cheng Yishu immediately stepped forward, cupping his hands in flattery. “Esteemed Hall Lord has always possessed the bearing of a hidden dragon. How could such a barbaric place possibly confine you? Now that the rebels are about to be captured, your rise to the clouds is just around the corner!”
Fang Xun, however, did not lose himself in the praise. Turning around, he asked with a faint smile, “Yishu, do you know what reward is granted under Great Qian law for capturing a legitimate heir of a former royal house alive?”
Cheng Yishu’s breathing quickened. Suppressing the heat in his chest, he replied, “Reporting to Esteemed Hall Lord, according to the Great Qian Code, capturing a former royal alive grants a thousand taels of gold and… the eleventh-rank noble title, Sub-Minister (Yaqing).”
Even someone as composed as Cheng Yishu could not suppress the flush that rose to his cheeks when he uttered the words “Yaqing.”
“The title of Yaqing comes with a fief of three hundred households. It marks the true beginning of Great Qian’s aristocracy. Even without holding office, one need not bow upon meeting a commandary governor.” Fang Xun’s voice was cold, yet laced with longing. “Among the twenty ranks of nobility in Great Qian, countless people struggle their entire lives without surpassing the tenth rank. Such a heaven-sent merit…”
His tone abruptly shifted. His gaze sharpened like a blade as it fixed on Cheng Yishu.
“…is not something you and I can swallow alone.”
Cheng Yishu felt as if struck by lightning, his head snapping up in shock. “Esteemed Hall Lord means…”
“Failing to report the presence of rebels is punishable by death. But if we do report it…” Fang Xun let out a cold laugh. “That Xiong Jin is an expert of the Grotto Mystic Realm. With just the few hundred Black Armored troops in Lengshan County, what do we have to capture him? Will you go, or shall I?”
“If he escapes, the charge of ‘negligence leading to disaster’ alone would be enough to sentence us both to death. Who could bear that responsibility?”
The fervor in Cheng Yishu’s heart was instantly extinguished, as though doused with icy water. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, his voice trembling. “Then… then according to Esteemed Hall Lord, we should report immediately and request reinforcements from the Prefect?”
“We will report, of course. But… who we report to, and how we report it, requires careful consideration.” Fang Xun slowly adjusted his sleeves. “The Prefect of Lengshan, Yin Fengshuo, has never been on good terms with this office. If the report follows proper channels and reaches his desk, how much of this unparalleled merit do you think will fall into our hands?”
“This… what should we do?” Cheng Yishu was completely flustered now, at a loss.
Fang Xun smiled faintly, offering no direct answer. “Do not worry. I have a flawless plan.”
After a pause, he added meaningfully, “Yishu, you are capable. But in Great Qian’s officialdom, ability alone is far from enough. Sometimes, you must observe more, think more, and act less.”
Cheng Yishu seemed to grasp something. He lowered his head deeply, both respectful and fearful. “This subordinate is dull-witted. Many thanks for Esteemed Hall Lord’s guidance.”
Their exchange ended for the moment. Only then did Fang Xun shift his gaze toward Sun Wu, who stood nearby like a motionless statue.
“Sir, the two laborers who reported the matter have been brought to a side room and are under strict watch. As for the next step…” Sun Wu stepped forward and bowed, speaking in a low voice.
“Sun Wu, what do you think of these two?” Fang Xun asked, his expression unreadable.
“Reporting to Esteemed Hall Lord. Feng Guan and Li Shun both have clean backgrounds and well-documented histories. They have served in Lengshan County for over thirty years, with no irregularities in their annual evaluations. This subordinate believes that precisely because they have been here so long and fully adapted to the life of laborers, they are more perceptive than most, which allowed them to notice Liang Zhou and the others’ abnormalities…” Sun Wu chose his words carefully.
Fang Xun nodded slightly, his tone still casual. “Even so, caution is best. Go interrogate them again thoroughly. If they truly have nothing to hide, and if they can endure it… when the time comes to reward merit, they will not be forgotten.”
A chill ran down Sun Wu’s spine. He hesitated. “Esteemed Hall Lord… these laborers already suffer from depleted blood and vitality. If the hidden punishments of the prison are applied…”
Fang Xun did not even spare him a glance as he walked straight out of the dungeon, leaving behind only a cold, cutting sentence: “If they cannot endure it, then it is simply their bad fate.”
“Yes!” Sun Wu felt a chill in his heart and dared not say another word, accepting the order at once.
To Fang Xun, they were nothing more than two ants that could be crushed at any time, not worth a second thought.
Leaving the dungeon, Fang Xun returned directly to his study in the rear residence of the county office. He washed his face, cleaned his hands, and straightened his attire, every movement meticulous.
Then, from a hidden compartment, he took out a stick of pitch-black incense. With a solemn expression, he lit it.
Thin wisps of smoke rose and gathered in midair without dispersing, forming something like a shimmering water mirror.
The room fell into silence for a long while. At last, an aged yet authoritative voice slowly emerged from within the mirror.
“So, it is Shensi…”
Hearing the voice, Fang Xun immediately lifted his official robe and knelt on both knees, performing the most respectful salute. “Your student, Fang Xun, pays his respects to Teacher.”
“Since your reassignment to that bitter and remote Lengshan, it has been years since you last contacted me. Lighting incense today… have you suffered some grievance?” The voice carried the calm kindness of one long accustomed to high authority.
Fang Xun pressed his forehead to the ground, his voice filled with sorrow and excitement. “This student is incompetent and has tarnished Teacher’s reputation, and thus dared not seek you. However… today, a calamity has descended upon Lengshan County. Even if it costs me ten thousand deaths, I would not dare conceal it!”
“I have just obtained confirmed intelligence. At the third hour this afternoon, the remnant of the Xiang royal line, Xiong Jin, will lead an assault on the Lengshan County office!”
“Oh?” The voice beyond the mirror finally stirred with interest.
“Cripple, why does your face look worse and worse? Are you feeling unwell?”
Inside the side room, Feng Guan watched Li Shun pacing restlessly like a trapped beast ever since they arrived. Unable to hold back any longer, he spoke up.
Li Shun’s expression was as still as water. He gave no reply.
Suddenly, his ear twitched. From outside the door came the faint sound of synchronized, heavy footsteps.
His expression changed abruptly, his thoughts racing.
Without hesitation, he took out a stalk of Lengshan Grass and swallowed it whole.
Then he turned sharply, grabbed Feng Guan by the collar, and forcibly stuffed another stalk into his mouth. Leaning close to his ear, he spoke in a harsh whisper: “Old Feng, endure it, and there will be boundless wealth and honor. Fail to endure…”
“Then we will meet again in the next life!”
“Remember, tell the truth. Everything.”
Before his words even finished—
With a thunderous bang, the heavy wooden door of the side room was kicked open with tremendous force.
Sun Wu stood outside, expressionless. Behind him followed five or six prison guards, fierce as wolves and brimming with killing intent.
Looking down at the two of them, he waved his hand coldly and uttered three words devoid of any warmth:
“Take them away!”
Comments 1