Chapter 12: Subtly Altering Another’s Fate |
“Go seek protection from the County Magistrate?”
Out of an instinctive fear of authority ingrained deep in his bones, Feng Guan shuddered subconsciously. The trace of courage he had just mustered instantly withered, and thoughts of retreat surfaced.
Li Shun’s brows shot up. “What are you afraid of? You’re now a First-Class Noble of Great Qian!”
Feng Guan froze for a moment, then suddenly slapped his thigh as realization struck. “That’s right! I’m now a Gongshi!”
Even so, he paced back and forth inside the house for quite a while before finally gritting his teeth, gathering his courage, and heading once more toward the county office.
Perhaps it truly was because of his newly elevated status. After hearing Feng Guan’s concerns, County Magistrate Fang Xun did not berate him like a mere servant. Instead, he pondered for a moment before nodding.
“What you say is not without reason. The remnants of Xiang Kingdom’s rebels have indeed not been fully eradicated. Some still lurk in the wilderness. As a newly appointed Gongshi, traveling home with only two postal escorts is indeed insufficient.”
Fang Xun lightly tapped his fingers against the desk and gave a calm order. “Yishu, dispatch a squad of Black Armored troops and personally escort Gongshi Feng. Ensure he returns safely to his place of origin.”
At the side, County Commandant Cheng Yishu was visibly stunned. “My lord, this…”
“Bring Swiftstride Talismans. Go and return quickly,” Fang Xun added indifferently.
“Yes, sir.”
At nine in the morning,
Under the escort of a squad of Black Armored cavalry, Feng Guan rode out of Lengshan County.
Li Shun remained hidden among the crowd, watching him leave. Only then did he return to his wooden hut and patiently wait for nightfall.
This time, with the ironclad protection of the Black Armored Army, the journey seemed smooth. Even deep into the night, no news of mishap arrived.
Li Shun finally felt at ease.
[Threefold Self-Reflection] activated once more.
Time rewound again to the seventeenth day of the second month.
Li Shun repeated the same process as before. Everything unfolded just as it had previously.
Escorted by the Black Armored cavalry, Feng Guan set out on his journey home.
Watching Feng Guan atop the horse, still somewhat timid from riding for the first time yet flushed with an unusual excitement, Li Shun faded into the morning mist and thought to himself: “Old Feng, this is as far as I can help you.”
“As for what lies ahead, it all depends on your own fate.”
The mounts of Great Qian’s Black Armored Army were famed steeds known as “Moonlit Whites,” capable of traveling three thousand li in a single day. Combined with Swiftstride Talismans and the geomantic support unique to Great Qian’s official roads, their gallop felt as though they were soaring through clouds.
At first, Feng Guan clutched the reins tightly, nervous and stiff. But as he gradually adapted, watching the scenery blur past and feeling the fierce wind howl by his ears, he experienced a sense of exhilaration and freedom unlike anything in his life. A surge of boldness rose within his chest, and he nearly let out a long howl of excitement.
Yet when his peripheral vision caught sight of the solemn, tower-like armored soldiers beside him, he swallowed that impulse and behaved himself.
Hooves thundered across the land. By evening, the escort team had already reached the border checkpoint of Lengshan County.
As they needed to undergo inspection to pass through, the group finally slowed down.
A group of tall, powerfully built elites clad in black armor suddenly appeared, their overwhelming killing intent instantly stirring whispers among the merchants and common folk along the official road.
“Where are these Black Armored troops from? Such heavy killing intent… could it be that war is about to break out at the border again?”
“Heh, not quite. Did you see that spirited young man in the middle of the formation? I heard he was originally nothing more than a lowly laborer from Lengshan County. By sheer luck, he uncovered a rebel plot and reported it first, earning great merit. He ended up seizing this enormous achievement and was granted the rank of First-rank Gongshi! Right now, he’s returning home in full glory.”
“A First-rank Gongshi!”
The crowd erupted into envious exclamations upon hearing this.
Yet among them, a well-informed onlooker let out a faint scoff. “Just a first-class rank. How could that count as some heaven-defying achievement? The one who truly benefited this time is Magistrate Fang Xun of Lengshan County. I hear he was originally demoted from the Sacred Capital and sent here to this bitter frontier to bide his time. This time, he even captured a legitimate descendant of the Xiang royal lineage alive. If you ask me, Lord Fang’s return to the central court and meteoric rise is only a matter of days.”
Hearing the full story, the crowd fell into another uproar, most of them wearing expressions of deep envy.
Amid the bustling throng stood an unremarkable old woman. Beneath her cloak, however, her face churned with emotions entirely different from those around her.
It was Yu Niang, disguised and on the run.
“Fang Xun…”
She clenched the hem of her clothes so tightly that her nails nearly dug into her flesh.
“All these years, how many times did you confide in me in bed, pouring out your frustrations, lamenting your lack of success, saying you would likely be trapped in this remote Lengshan County for life?”
“And now you’ve accomplished a world-shaking feat. You’re about to return to the capital in glory, rising in rank and status. While I… I have to skulk around like a sewer rat, hiding in the wilderness for the rest of my life just to escape your pursuit!”
“I gave you the best, most beautiful years of my life… and now you’re going to cast me aside without hesitation…”
The overwhelming sense of disparity was like a vicious, unseen curse, instantly igniting the flames of jealousy deep within her heart.
Bloodshot veins spread across Yu Niang’s eyes, filled with jealousy and hatred. Under the violent distortion of her emotions, even her delicately disguised face twisted into something ferocious and terrifying.
Her mind was completely consumed by jealousy. At this moment, she seemed to have entirely lost her reason.
At the same time, she selectively forgot the fact that she had lost the [Lengshan Venerable], leaving only a single, maddened thought in her mind:
She would never allow that heartless man to enjoy such immense wealth and glory alone.
Watching the line ahead being inspected at the checkpoint, Yu Niang turned back to glance in the direction of Lengshan County.
She no longer hesitated. Turning sharply, she quietly moved against the flow of people, retracing her steps.
…
The undercurrents stirring at the border of Lengshan County were, of course, unknown to Li Shun.
At this moment, his primary consciousness was immersed within the [Fangcun] space, methodically controlling stalk after stalk of Lengshan Grass to repair the half-damaged stone statue.
Watching the faint blue light continuously seep into the cracks of the statue, Li Shun’s brows knit slightly.
“This activation of the divine ability alone consumed nearly eighteen stalks of Lengshan Grass for repairs. The total stock in Fangcun is now down to only eighty-seven stalks.”
Though nearly ninety stalks could still be considered a sufficient reserve for now, the rate of consumption, with almost no replenishment, stirred a faint unease within Li Shun, who always preferred to plan ahead and keep everything under control.
His gaze subtly shifted toward the brocade box not far away that contained the [Lengshan Venerable].
The frost seal covering its surface had already thinned considerably compared to before.
“Almost there. Give it another ten days or so, and the seal should be completely broken.”
February 19th.
Li Shun’s official reward finally made its way through the bureaucratic process and was formally delivered into his hands.
Ten years of labor duty in Lengshan were waived, along with a reward of three hundred thousand copper coins, and a relatively secluded private residence within the county.
The first two meant little to Li Shun, but the last, a private residence, was of utmost importance to him. A space entirely his own, free from the risk of others barging in at any time, was nothing short of a blessing for someone harboring a secret as profound as Fangcun.
After receiving the keys, Li Shun dragged his crippled leg and moved into his new home.
He did not rush to store the official property deeds in the Fangcun space. Instead, he carefully placed them beneath his pillow.
Then, he conducted a thorough inspection of the residence.
“The methods of the Great Qian authorities are impossible to guard against. And Fang Xun is an especially suspicious man. There’s no way to be certain whether this residence hides any detection arrays or surveillance measures.”
“Even if I haven’t drawn suspicion, it’s best to remain cautious. For the time being, the puppet must not be sent out again.”
Seated in the empty main hall, Li Shun’s gaze flickered as he forcibly suppressed the urge to immediately dig an underground escape tunnel.
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