Thinking oneself always right, it became difficult to see right and wrong
Cheng Jingchuan neither spoke nor moved, showing not a trace of surprise.
This handsome and upright young man lowered his brow and stood by like a servant, refilling the teapot on the table.
This gave Mo Li a deep sense of incongruity.
He had no time to think it through. Suddenly, he stood up and walked quickly out of the pavilion.
Outside, the guards drew their blades in unison, yet they did not approach within three steps of Mo Li.
Seeing the situation turn bad, the sand rat instinctively leaned forward——
“Pa”
An iron, three-edged cone-headed dart plunged into the grass.
It was a rope dart, a sharp iron dart tied with a thin cord at the back.
Mo Li was shocked. He raised his palm and deflected the rope dart, causing a gust of wind that parted the leaves in the grass, leaving it empty and devoid of anything.
Cheng Jingchuan took the opportunity to retrieve the rope dart, plucked a tiny strand of hair from its iron tip, and looked suspiciously.
Mo Li finally noticed an unusual sluggishness in his internal meridians and qi. It emerged after he used his true energy. His hands and feet gradually grew numb and weak, albeit slowly.
——Poison? A narcotic? How did he get hit?
Mo Li’s shock contained immense confusion. As a physician who knew all the properties of herbs, and having seen countless methods of poisoning under the poisonous sage Xue Ting, he had remained vigilant every moment since entering this pavilion. Even so, he still fell into the trap?
If not for the wrong place and timing, Mo Li would have wanted to ask how they achieved this.
He secretly circulated his qi to neutralize the poison’s effects, and his gaze swept unobtrusively over the shadows cast by the surrounding flora.
The sand rat was not injured.
This Cheng Jingchuan was truly innately keen…
Mo Li knew that some people were born with senses more acute than ordinary folk. This differed from having good aptitude for martial arts. They could immediately sense anomalies around them and quickly find what was amiss in the situation. On a small scale, such people suited medicine or cooking. On a grand scale, they were naturally gifted strategists or commanders.
Mo Li did not know Cheng Jingchuan’s level of learning, but from this reaction alone, he was already a rarity in the world.
Especially since Cheng Jingchuan was no master of martial arts. He practiced horsemanship and combat skills on horseback, and his gait and posture made this abundantly clear.
Without supreme inner power, relying solely on intuition, he could detect that they were being watched along the way. He even caught a trace the moment the sand rat emerged out of nervousness——what kind of talent was this? Mo Li had seldom seen such a person in his life. If there had been many such talents roaming about during the chaotic end of the Chen Dynasty, Mo Li could easily imagine how intense the warlord conflicts had been back then.
Thus, that sense of incongruity grew even stronger.
A phoenix chose the tree in which it would nest, and a worthy official chose the master he served.
But from head to toe, Qiu Si did not resemble a “wise lord.” Could it be that Cheng Jingchuan was a highly capable yet spiritually blind person?
“You were provoking me.”
Mo Li steadied his breathing and spoke in as calm a tone as possible, “Those words you said just now were all meant to anger me, to make me strike and kill you.”
——Unable to figure it out, he might as well not think about it and just probe with his words.
Mo Li’s face remained expressionless, composed, and calm. By observing only his gaze and demeanor, it was impossible to judge how much the “poison” had taken effect.
Qiu Si still sat inside the pavilion, not approaching Mo Li.
Cheng Jingchuan placed that tiny strand of hair into a pouch and smiled at Mo Li: “It seems Doctor Mo keeps a clever little creature. The previous secret reports from Fengxing Pavilion actually missed that detail. King Ning’s royal gardens have many stones and cold water, and at night you cannot see your hand in front of your face. Let’s hope it does not get frightened and run off.”
As if it could run off!
Mo Li guessed that Meng Qi was surely out there attacking palace guards by now, stripping them of their clothes and boots.
The drug he had inhaled was probably a sedative, causing no damage to his meridians and organs, only making his limbs weak and his head slightly dizzy.
If he truly needed to fight, Mo Li would not be afraid.
Although there were over twenty armed guards before him, plus Cheng Jingchuan who could use a rope dart, they could not possibly stop Mo Li.
Yet the entire meeting tonight was bizarre from beginning to end.
“You were provoking me to kill you?”
Mo Li fixed his gaze on Qiu Si in the pavilion, repeating the question in disbelief.
Rage and confusion were concealed by a chilling tone, causing the guards on the stone steps to gather nervously closer.
Cheng Jingchuan immediately raised a hand, and everyone halted, though their faces still showed utmost vigilance.
“You—”
Mo Li suddenly came to a realization and blurted, “You are not actually Mr. Qiu?”
The Mr. Qiu in the pavilion did not move, the corners of his mouth carried a smile, and that gaze, both lucid and mad, remained flawlessly intact.
A hint of astonishment appeared on Cheng Jingchuan’s face. Although he quickly masked it, he could not escape Mo Li’s eyes.
Just as Mo Li concluded that the “Mr. Qiu” before him was fake, a stand-in deliberately sent here to anger him and serve as a scapegoat, his head grew even heavier. He did not lose consciousness, but the symptoms of the narcotic’s onset became more apparent.
What was going on?
Clearly, as soon as he sensed something was amiss, he had held his breath. Mo Li felt as though he had fallen into an invisible trap.
What had he overlooked?
“…That Doctor Mo could persist until now truly surpassed my expectations…”
Mr. Qiu’s voice sounded very distant. Mo Li knew this was the effect of the drug. He tried stopping the circulation of his inner breath, and the dizziness eased slightly.
Suddenly, someone rushed out from the side. Cheng Jingchuan’s guards had no time to see clearly before smelling a strong, exotic fragrance.
“Pa.”
A tray of miniature rockery was rudely toppled to the ground.
The miniature landscape contained a small pine, with water beneath the stones, floating a tiny carved walnut-shell boat.
There seemed to be ice placed in the stone’s holes, emitting wisps of white smoke. Approaching it felt exceptionally cool, and there was a continuous waft of fragrance.
Such miniature landscapes also existed in the Taijing imperial palace, but King Ning’s version looked even more exquisite. Mo Li had not paid it much attention. Besides, the miniature landscape had been placed far away, at least a hundred paces from the pavilion, upon a viewing terrace for admiring flowers. Even if the miniature landscape had problems, it could not possibly spread so far as to affect Mo Li.
Seeing Meng Qi suddenly appear, and the deliberately brought miniature rockery being smashed to the ground, Mo Li’s pupils contracted. He thought of a very terrifying possibility.
But now he had closed his breath and could not immediately confirm.
“National Preceptor Meng?” Mr. Qiu was startled and stood up abruptly.
Cheng Jingchuan reacted extremely quickly, discarding the rope dart and snatching the saber from a guard beside him.
Meng Qi wore the light armor and brocade robe of a palace guard, his face calm as still water, his eyes filled with anger, as if he had long been lurking in the palace and only revealed himself when the situation turned dire.
Qiu Si soon regained his composure. He glanced at the broken miniature landscape and sneered, “National Preceptor Meng truly has keen eyes.”
Only then did Meng Qi realize that, due to his haste, he had shown his “normal appearance” when knocking out a guard and changing clothes. Yet this normality was truly abnormal in the eyes of others. Claims of disguises or martial arts longevity might fool others, but not the clever ones here.
Originally, Meng Qi had not intended to conceal anything. Let them guess as they pleased.
One who understood manners like Qiu Jing did not even bring it up.
Qiu Jing’s father, Mr. Qiu, was definitely not one who knew his place. Meng Qi’s expression turned grim, and he stepped on the miniature rockery.
—With internal energy imbued at his toe, the stone was ground into powder.
“Ah, National Preceptor is displeased. Why vent anger on these objects? Spirit stones are hard to find. The small piece hidden in that miniature landscape was worth at least a thousand guan.” Qiu Si pulled his cloak tighter and shook his head in regret. “If it were of excellent quality, with holes and channels forming a scene, it would be priceless. Even in the Taijing imperial city, there are not many such treasures.”
Meng Qi’s face remained stern, saying nothing.
He reached out to support Mo Li, then simply carried him on his back and strode away.
The guards wanted to chase, but Cheng Jingchuan stopped them.
The madness and strangeness in Qiu Si’s eyes quickly vanished. In no time, he looked no different from a destitute old scholar.
“Go and take out the items.” Qiu Si ordered.
Immediately someone entered the furnace room beneath the pavilion and carried out many stones.
Some were large, some small. Some had been carefully carved, while others remained in their freshly quarried state, with unwashed soil clinging to them.
Without exception, all these stones had holes that emitted faint, visible mist, which quickly faded into nothingness. These were the “spirit stones” favored by aristocratic families and nobles. They came from deep mountains and forests; some even dug up from underground mineral deposits. When encountering cold or heat, these stones naturally produced mist, considered a wondrous spectacle.
According to historical records, Emperor Li of Chen once received a tribute of a spirit stone. Whenever rain approached, the strange stone’s mist would envelop the entire miniature landscape, creating a vision of cloud-shrouded mountains.
Qiu Si tilted his head slightly, covering his nose and mouth with his cloak.
Those guards who went to carry the stones covered their faces with cloth. Even from such a distance, the strong fragrance drifting out after opening the sealed room was choking. If Mo Li had still been here, he would have recognized it as the fragrance of the mountain cardamom flower, the main ingredient of Monghan medicine.
All the stones were stored in a completely sealed room, and the chimney was blocked in summer, so no one outside could smell anything. The only miniature rockery had been placed far away on the viewing terrace. Unless one drank the juice of the mountain cardamom flower, simply inhaling its scent dispersed by the wind would not normally have any effect.
Such an arrangement, which by all logic should not have made anyone fall victim, almost trapped Mo Li.
“Unexpectedly, it actually worked…”
The speaker was Cheng Jingchuan, his expression strange, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable.
Qiu Si curled his lips into a peculiar smile: “Originally, these items were prepared and ‘nurtured’ with mountain cardamom flower day and night to deal with Ancestor Qingwu, Zhao Cangfeng. He boasted that the highest martial arts were to seize the workings of Heaven and Earth, to absorb the essence of the sun and moon. It sounded so absurd as if he wanted to become a monster or demon. But what if he could? After all, no one could explain the places where these stones were found. There was a natural, pure aura. Perhaps this was exactly the spiritual energy that Ancestor Qingwu yearned to integrate into himself…”
Poisoning spiritual energy was undoubtedly a wild fantasy.
Anyway, it cost nothing—just the mountain cardamom flower.
They even had someone check feng shui, searching for a fine “earth cavity” to cultivate it, day after day for years, letting the mountain cardamom flower juice soak into the stones until they were inseparable.
If truly there was someone who constantly inhaled and exhaled spiritual energy, circulating it ceaselessly…
Then let him experience it properly.
“Ever since I read all sorts of secret reports from Fengxing Pavilion, I have always suspected that the rumored National Preceptor Meng… Meng Qi had already found a way to use this pure energy. That allowed his martial arts to be so high that he could flatten Mojieti Temple. Those Xiliang people seemed to guess something too. Although they were stupid, that Ayanpuka fellow was somewhat capable.” Qiu Si pondered for a while, then tilted his head and asked, “Is there any news from Feihe Mountain?”
“No. Those Xiliang people have already dispersed without waiting for Ayanpuka to appear,” Cheng Jingchuan paused, then hesitated, “He probably died at National Preceptor Meng’s hands.”
“Heh.”
Qiu Si sneered, and seeing Cheng Jingchuan’s unease, he reprimanded him, “What are you afraid of? Whether it’s absorbing spiritual energy or generating internal force in the dantian, it’s all a kind of martial art, a martial art very difficult to master. They have not become immortals or devils; they are still flesh and blood, with the seven emotions and six desires. What is there to fear?”
Cheng Jingchuan shook his head, “Mr. Qiu, we only saw that the Doctor Mo was affected. National Preceptor Meng showed no abnormality.”
“He merely held his breath.” Qiu Si said indifferently, “This is far more troublesome than ordinary narcotics. Merely holding one’s breath is not enough. One must refrain from using internal force. A martial arts master without internal force is like a tiger without its fangs. Though it still has sharp claws and can fight, it would not wish to prolong the battle. As long as we line up a hundred archers who never miss, they will find it difficult to retreat unharmed.”
Cheng Jingchuan wanted to say more but hesitated.
Sure enough, he then heard Qiu Si sigh with deep regret, “Doctor Mo is one thing; a physician’s heart is soft. National Preceptor Meng was already angry, yet he still did not kill me.”
Cheng Jingchuan felt a chill run down his spine.
Though he had long known Mr. Qiu’s plan, truly facing it still filled him with a profound cold dread.
A person who did not even care about his own life—how terrifying was that?
***
Meng Qi carried Mo Li over the palace wall and searched for a secluded, deserted palace garden.
Once they left the area tainted by that problematic spiritual energy, Mo Li gradually recovered.
“A Li?”
“I am fine.” Mo Li suppressed his anger and blamed himself for his carelessness.
Meng Qi stepped forward, took him into his arms, and whispered a comforting word, “It’s my fault. I did not pay attention to the situation on the side of the miniature landscape.”
“No.” Mo Li uttered just one word, then met Meng Qi’s eyes. Both fell silent simultaneously.
They did not need to shirk responsibility or compete to admit fault. The fact was that today, no matter who it was, they all underestimated Qiu Si.
That inconceivable method of administering a narcotic—
Mo Li had inadvertently exposed a secret: he needed spiritual energy as if it were breathing. His body naturally exchanged spiritual energy with the outside world.
“How did he achieve it? Why would he think like this?” Countless questions crowded Mo Li’s mind. Coupled with the just-expired drug effect, he felt dizzy for a moment.
Meng Qi helped him sit beneath the corridor, placing his palm against Mo Li’s back and using his own spiritual energy to help expel the anomaly.
Herbs grew underground, and herbs also worked on the dragon veins. The good and the bad were the same.
The potency of this narcotic far exceeded Mo Li’s estimation.
“There should not be such a powerful narcotic. Perhaps after mixing with spiritual energy, it had a particularly pronounced effect on us.” Mo Li regained his clarity and said in a deep voice, “This was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment plan. He had prepared for this beforehand, probably to deal with you.”
News that National Preceptor Meng had regained youth and changed appearances several times must have reached Qiu Si’s ears.
How much did Qiu Si know? Could it be that Ayanpuka revealed the matter of the dragon veins to him?
“It was also thanks to A Li, otherwise…”
Meng Qi did not finish his sentence. If he had not turned into a sand rat today, by the time he discovered that he could not use spiritual energy, he would have likely fallen into the same predicament as Mo Li.
He could have run away, but it would have been more embarrassing.
Face did not matter, but what if A Li got hurt?
“That was a lunatic.” Meng Qi said through gritted teeth.
Mo Li very much agreed, but he still had doubts: “Not a stand-in, truly Qiu Si?”
“Yes.” Meng Qi took a deep breath, pushed aside his irritation, and solemnly said, “A Li, have you ever thought that the predicament of Fengxing Pavilion could be completely resolved by one incident, making Qiu Jing lose without a fight and voluntarily retreat?”
“You mean…”
“If her father died, no matter how much Master Qiu of the pavilion disapproved of restoring Chu, she would not be able to subdue and suppress those who held different positions from hers. The strength of Fengxing Pavilion, while not enormous, was by no means small. If used well, it could determine the outcome of the battle to some extent.” As Meng Qi spoke, he became irritated again. The opponent he hated most was a madman, because they could do things no one else would ever imagine.
When Mr. Qiu carried out a normal strategy, there were clues to follow. Once he went mad, it truly gave one a headache.
“He must have a successor, probably Cheng Jingchuan, so there is no need to worry about whether his plans would proceed smoothly after his death.”
Meng Qi rubbed his forehead and spoke to Mo Li about an opponent the Chu army had encountered in the chaotic years at the end of the Chen Dynasty.
That person was even more outrageous than Qiu Si, and yet he had countless followers under his command.
People like Li Yuanze feared most that after dying in battle on the field, no one would succeed them, causing their forces to fracture. But from the start, a madman would consider that possibility. All their schemes would only activate after their death. Sometimes, it was harder to deal with them after they died than when they were alive.
The Chu army had gone through untold hardships to defeat that person, yet they were tripped up by the endgame the enemy had set. They had to withdraw from the territory they had conquered, almost never recovering. Fortunately, there were talents like Yin Qingheng and Deng Shusheng who excelled at internal affairs, allowing them to recuperate and rebuild their troops.
“Such a person did not care about fame or fortune, nor victory or defeat, and was even indifferent to their own life, yet delighted in seeing others struggle on the brink of death. Now that I held back and did not strike, he would probably fake his death.”
Author’s note:
In more fashionable terms, Qiu Si had a bit of an antisocial personality disorder.
To be more exact, he was lawful evil. In order to achieve his goals, he could establish a well-regulated and systematic organization and manage it very well, but at heart, he did not care about others.
He did not care about human lives or emotions.
But he was very good at using human lives and emotions.
——————
Sand rat: How dare you touch A Li, *stomps feet* jpg
After dodging the rope dart, it ran out, changed back into human form, put an arm around a guard’s neck, dragged him into the bushes, and stripped off his clothes.
