Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The sedan chair slowly left Chang Street. The man with the longbow also followed it and disappeared. All that was left was snow and thick, white fog.
Following the departure of the sedan chair and the gradually fading coughs, the fog on Chang Street gradually dissipated. Although the surroundings were still dark, it appeared much brighter than before. Snowflakes quietly fell down from the blue dome of heaven, softly swaying as if there was an immortal in heaven gently shaking a flowering tree.
The clouds parted. A sudden split appeared in the dark layers of cloud and revealed a silver crescent moon. The clear light gradually gathered and clearly lit up the street.
The repeated corner eaves of the private residences behind the street that extended into the street cast some strange shadows onto the ground because of the illumination of the moonlight.
A streak of shadow suddenly quivered and twisted like some kind of living thing. It then slowly and silently retreated, shrinking back into the large patch of shadow and was impossible to discern anymore.
…
…
Fan Xian lay on the corner of a building in the distance. He wore a black snow coat with a hint of white. He pulled back his gaze from the corner that was hidden by the stone creature and gently let out a breath, puffing out white fog in the dark night. The threads of ice on his eyebrows cracked and broke off. He lay on his back tiredly and relaxed his tense and sore muscles. He gazed at the silver crescent moon in the night sky in a daze.
He stroked the hard chest beside him, unconsciously shaking his head and narrowing his eyes. He had put in a great deal of effort tonight and had prepared sufficiently. Just as he was about to succeed, the situation had been broken by Eunuch Hong. What a failure.
He wasn’t planning to use the chest, after all, it was too sensitive. Until the last moment, it couldn’t be used lightly. Only, to kill someone like Yan Xiaoyi, who still stood at the peak of human aces, he didn’t have the confidence without his palm touching that hard chest. This was an increase in his confidence and the last resort.
Fan Xian lay in the snow on the roof of the building and took two big breaths, calming the emotion of failure and a rage of unknown origins.
Someone crawled over. Fan Xian lifted the snow coat and hid the item. A complicated emotion flashed through his eyes.
Wang Qinian moved closer to his side and said,
It was Eunuch Hong.
Fan Xian nodded,
You’ve worked hard tonight.
Everyone in the Overwatch Council had been busy with bloody matters while Fan Xian’s most trusted aide, Wang Qinian, appeared to have nothing to do. Only Fan Xian knew that the task he had given to Wang Qinian was to watch Yan Xiaoyi’s movements.
He knew that Yan Xiaoyi would not pass up this opportunity, so he also didn’t want to pass up this opportunity. Furthermore, Wang Qinian’s actions had not disappointed him. The ninth-level ace did not even notice that his movements were all under the watch of Wang Qinian.
The Overwatch Council was multi-talented, as expected. The reputation of the most famous tracker in the world was not undeserved.
Wang Qinian’s face was very white, even whiter than the snow on the roof and the silver moonlight in the street. Without a question, following Governor Yan was the most terrifying mission of his life. The 40-year-old middle-aged man almost couldn’t hold up under that kind of pressure. His state of mind had long been stretched to breaking point.
Furthermore, he wasn’t sure whether or not he had seen something he shouldn’t have seen.
Fan Xian calmly said,
I trust you, or more accurately, many of my things are built on my trust for you.
Wang Qinian understood what these words meant. Sir Fan junior had run into him when he first entered the capital. With this at the center, they had begun to build the Qinian Unit. With the gradual expansion of the Unit, he gradually controlled the Overwatch Council in his hands.
Furthermore, he was, without question, the person who knew the most of Sir Fan junior’s secrets. For example, that night in that year, after he had recited poems in front of the palace, that key…
The next day came the news that there was an assassin in the Palace. Of course, Wang Qinian knew who this assassin was. As for that key, it must be used to open some item.
Wang Qinian was surprised and moved that Fan Xian didn’t kill him to keep him silent. He was truly moved. He had an impulse that gentlemen would die for close friends. Clearly, this kind of impulse was dangerous and not worthwhile for him. However, he still kept this wonderful feeling at the bottom of his heart.
Two owl cries came from below the building. Fan Xian listened. After confirming it was clean, he made a hand gesture to Wang Qinian beside him.
A streak of terror flashed through Wang Qinian’s eyes because he had vaguely heard of that legend. He also knew the connection between the legend and Sir Fan junior’s mother.
He knew that, from today, his life had already completely been handed to Sir Fan junior. This was the trust between them. This kind of trust had always been terrifying and dangerous.
He flipped his palm, and his entire body slid down from the building. His sliding motion was strange and funny. He was like a large praying mantis with long hands and long feet but without a single sound. In a moment, he landed on the ground and walked to the center of the street. He crouched down and checked the breath of the person in disguise. After confirming they were still alive, he made a hand gesture toward the air.
This hand gesture was for Fan Xian to see. Fan Xian looked at this scene and couldn’t help but smile. Lao Wang did indeed have some ability. With this qinggong at hand, no wonder the men in the Brocade Guards were unable to pin anything on him despite living in the North for a year.
The person in disguise that had been injured by Yan Xiaoyi was the double Fan Xian often brought along with him when he went on a diplomatic trip to Northern Qi. Back then, the double had been of great help to him. On this day, he brought him out to tempt the enemy.
A few more strange bird cries rang out from below the building. A few black-robed secret agents came out with Fan manor’s carriage and took Wang Qinian and the double into the carriage. All of this appeared quiet and natural. The layers of clouds in the sky gathered again. The clear light disappeared, and Jingdou once again sank into darkness.
…
…
It was the darkest time before dawn. Snow began to fall again. Fan Xian, by himself, came to a stall in the west of the city. All of the private residences were still deep in sleep. Shops had not begun their preparations. Even the noodle shop that was up the earliest hadn’t started preparing the minced meat. Only this stall opened, the alluring bean fragrance spread out in the predawn darkness, waiting for the arrival of the new day.
Under the snowflakes, Fan Xian sat at a small table outside the store with a bowl of bean curd in his hands and slowly drank it. The bean curd tasted pretty good. It did not have a pulpy texture, and the bean smell was not very strong. The light fragrance washed over his nose. It was even better than the one in Danzhou that Dong’er made.
This made a great deal of sense because this tofu shop was the most famous one in Jingdou. This was the young master of Count Sinan’s manor’s first business after arriving in the capital.
This tofu shop was Fan Xian’s.
Fan Xian slowly drank the bean curd. His expression was calm, but he laughed bitterly in his heart. He had been reborn for 20 years and was truly a useless second generation. He had not brought any kind of change to his world. The biggest change was probably how to make tofu.
Mother was too capable and too extraordinary. In that short amount of time, she had fought to do everything that was possible. What was left for him to do?
Just like all those powerful officials in history, playing with power, enjoying the wealth, and not caring about the lives and deaths of those below, was he to pass his life in such a muddled way?
Just like when he thought about this before, Fan Xian’s expression gradually became worried. He always felt that there was a great desire deep in his heart, but he was still unable to grasp just what that desire was.
He was irritated and depressed. Thinking of the incident at the end of the street and the longbow on Yan Xiaoyi’s back, his mood fell lower.
Fck…
Fan Xian cursed with a very gentle and soft tone.
It was actually not good that there was fog tonight. Although this was the environment the Shadow had long predicted, he had not thought that Yan Xiaoyi’s state of mind had reached such an extent to be able to accurately judge his position without fearing the layers of fog.
Furthermore, the medicine hidden in the fog seemed to not have any effect at all on this ninth-level extraordinaire. After one’s zhenqi had reached a certain thickness, normal medicine did indeed have little effect. Fan Xian smiled self-mockingly. There was indeed nothing perfect in this world. The flavorless white medicinal fog was indeed much less effective.
Even so, Fan Xian would still try to kill Yan Xiaoyi in the environment he had taken great pains to create.
He was not the Emperor. His self-confidence came from his power and the world’s best luck, not like the Emperor’s mysterious source. He was used to taking the opportunity to strike first, getting rid of all the powerful figures who may be able to threaten him. Naturally, Yan Xiaoyi was at the top of this list.
If there was some great unrest in the Qing Kingdom in the future, Fan Xian still persisted in believing that if he was able to weaken the other party’s strength, it would be a wonderful thing for his side. Yan Xiaoyi was not in the military. He was in the capital. Furthermore, he had taken the opportunity to act first, which was a perfect opportunity. If he allowed the other party to return to the camp in the North and then try to kill him, then that would be nothing but a pipe dream.
Thus, Fan Xian felt very disappointed and angry sitting at the table.
Why would Eunuch Hong come out to ruin the situation?
Fan Xian’s right hand that was holding the bowl trembled slightly. He furrowed his brows and smashed the bowl in his hand on the ground. The porcelain bowl shattered into countless shards. He rarely showed these angry behaviors when he couldn’t control his emotions. From this, it was clear that Eunuch Hong’s sudden appearance had indeed angered him to the extreme.
Why?
He furrowed his brows very deeply. He still did not understand this point. It was clear that Eunuch Hong leaving the palace to break up the situation was the intention of either the Emperor or the empress dowager, but what were the most powerful pair of mother and son in Qing Kingdom thinking? Did they not see the present situation clearly? If he could kill Yan Xiaoyi and wipe out all of the Second Prince’s power, the Eldest Princess’ side would become weaker. This would, on the contrary, calm down the entire royal family situation.
That rather terrifying fluctuation might also gradually become calm.
Clearly, the Emperor knew about this. Why would he agree to have Eunuch Hong come out and stop his confrontation with Yan Xiaoyi? Was the Emperor a lunatic who liked that his sister was walking step by step down the road to rebellion?
A masochist?
Fan Xian thought rather angrily, and a bitter smile rose to the corners of his lips. Looks like the imperial family is just a bunch of weirdos who think the world isn’t crazy enough.
But…was the Emperor not afraid that…he would be chased down from the dragon chair? Repeated questions. The question that had worried Fan Xian for a long time made his expression very ugly. Just what was the Emperor thinking?
Whatever the Emperor was thinking only he and Chen Pingping knew. Just as Chen Pingping said before, depending on what position a person is in, they would judge and make choices that most aligns with their position based on their perception.
Currently, Jingdou was still in the fermenting stage. Fan Xian wanted to brave the dangers to put a stop to this process to prevent the situation from suddenly rising up. However, the appearance of Eunuch Hong showed that the Emperor did not need Fan Xian to worry about this.
Thus, Fan Xian was very vexed.
…
…
The first new batch of fresh tofu was brought out. It was still steaming. The workers in the tofu shop respectfully scooped out two bowls. On each, they placed white sugar and threads of hot pickled mustard tuber along with sesame oil, chopped spring onions, and soy sauce. It was fragrant while both sweet and salty. They brought it to the little table and then retreated.
The people in the tofu shop all know about Sir Fan junior’s strange habit. The owner did not toss aside this tofu shop without a care because it didn’t earn much money, but he never came to visit during the daytime. Every month or two, he would come in the darkest hour of the morning and order two bowls of tofu. Not many people knew about this hobby of Fan Xian’s.
Fan Xian was very tired and had a sense of being both mentally and physically exhaustion. He used the porcelain spoon to randomly pull at the tofu and brought a spoonful to his mouth. The sweetness was very textured. Snowflakes fell into his bowl and made him suddenly think about shaved ice, a noun he had forgotten for a long time. He felt a bit better and ate a few more mouthfuls. It seemed that he had recovered a great deal of spirit suddenly.
There was another bowl that he didn’t touch at all.
Three carriages broke the peace of Jingdou and slowly drove to the tofu stall. The swordsmen on the first and last carriages jumped down. They looked cautiously in all directions and set up a defense.
Yan Bingyun lifted the curtain and came down from the middle carriage. After being busy all night, this brain of Fan Xian was clearly very tired. His white face was wan and sallow.
He walked to Fan Xian’s table and was clearly shocked that Fan Xian was sitting there eating tofu.
Fan Xian nodded and indicated for him to sit. At the same time, he pushed across that bowl of tofu with spring onions and slivers of pickled mustard tuber.
Yan Bingyun didn’t eat. He took out a file and began to speak about the night’s situation in a low voice. After hearing that the people he wanted to kill and capture had mostly been carried out, Fan Xian nodded, pleased.
Huang Yi didn’t die.
Yan Bingyun glanced at him.
Fan Xian raised his head and asked,
What happened?
The agent used a powerful poison, but it seemed that there were some master antidote makers at the Eldest Princess’ side manor,
Yan Bingyun said.
So, Huang Yi survived.
Huang Yi was the strategist in the Eldest Princess’ manor. Up until now, he had not hurt Fan Xian and did not appear to excel in any way. Since Fan Xian was going to make a move, then he would remove the hidden threats so Huang Yi was also one part of the plan.
Fan Xian did not want some melodramatic situation where a hostage was taken or something because of his momentary benevolence.
It’s not a master of antidotes.
Fan Xian shook his head.
I am very familiar with the methods of the brothers in the Third Bureau. The great poison master from Dongyi is not of the same faction as us. It looks like the Eldest Princess’ involvement in the past with the Overwatch Council was very effective. Other than the dead Zhu Ge, she also prepared a number of anti-poison pills.
Yan Bingyun said,
The agent hidden in the Eldest Princess’ side manor had not been exposed. I acted on my own initiative and had him pulled out.
Very good.
Fan Xian nodded approvingly.
You can make your own decisions in these things. Don’t let those below us brave unnecessary danger. It’s best if they can survive.
Although he said this, Fan Xian knew in his heart that this was the night’s second failure.
Yan Bingyun opened his mouth again and said,
The survivor you wanted a confession from died.
Fan Xian raised his head and glanced at him. He knew he was talking about the only survivor in the valley attack, that private soldier of the Qin family. There still weren’t any clues and evidence in the valley case. The only hope was that survivor. Since he was kept in the Overwatch Council’s prison with the Seventh and Third Bureau protecting him at the same time, it was impossible for him to just die like this.
He forcefully suppressed a thread of strange emotion in his heart and gave Yan Bingyun a not-quite-there smile. Very strangely, he didn’t become thunderously angry.
Eunuch Hong came earlier,
Fan Xian said to Yan Bingyun.
What do you think of it?
Yan Bingyun was slightly startled and said in a quiet voice a moment later,
One, master thinks you crossed a line tonight. Two, neither your death nor his death is something the master wants to see.
Don’t say master otherwise I’ll think of the old cripple’s damned tone of voice,
Fan Xian furrowed his brows and said.
Yan Bingyun smiled and said,
Although His Majesty had given his consent for this matter, you’ve taken the opportunity to make this into a much greater matter. The Council will certainly be attacked by groups of officials tomorrow on the court conference. I’m afraid that Shu the Scholar and Hu the Scholar will both speak under such pressure. Mas—His Majesty will certainly let off some of his attitude. You are best to be prepared.
What’s there to be afraid of?
Fan Xian glanced at Sir Yan’s pale face and asked self-mockingly.
The Emperor has long wanted to reduce the Overwatch Council’s power, so isn’t this giving him a good opportunity? If it wasn’t for this, I wouldn’t have rushed to attack in all directions tonight…before my power is weakened, I have to clean out my enemies.
With a crash, he threw the spoon into the slightly cold porcelain bowl. His expression was icy.
Nothing I really wanted to do succeeded today, what a loss.
Yan Bingyun said,
In a few hours, it will be the court conference. Today, you have to go to court and debrief. You should prepare yourself for the Emperor’s criticism.
Fan Xian closed his eyes and slowly said,
A few days ago, the Emperor had you young officials enter the Palace. His intention is clear. However, which of those old people are willing to make way? Tonight, the Overwatch Council carried a thorough investigation. Even if we are punished later, a few of those unclean fellows will have to back down. With some space cleared up in the court, only then will the Emperor be able to place in new people. We are working for the Emperor, so he’ll have to admit to this favor.
Yan Bingyun furrowed his brows slightly. He was still not used to Fan Xian referring to the Emperor in this way and was also slightly unhappy. He could only maintain his perfect silence.
However, Fan Xian couldn’t be bothered to gauge his reaction and said to himself,
Tonight’s matters are almost over. I just feel that it is a pity that the family I’ve been waiting for still hasn’t taken action.
Yan Bingyun knew which family he was talking about, but he had to pretend otherwise. For a moment, his expression was hesitant. He then forced a smile and said,
Do you think this is not enough trouble? You don’t have a single person beside you right now. You should be careful of your safety.
Fan Xian glanced at the Overwatch Council swordsmen scattered around and shook his head.
I am not the same as you. You have to bring these people along. For me…whether I have them or not, the difference is not very big.
If I bring people with me, how will those people dare to take action? They are all a group of cowards who only dare to assassinate people,
Fan Xian said mockingly.
I’ve been sitting by myself in this shop for half an hour, yet still no one dared to come. It’s making me look down on the iron-blooded military.
Yan Bingyun shook his head speechlessly. Fan Xian turned his head and glanced at the little alley in the dark. He knocked on the side beside the tofu bowl with his finger and said,
Eat, it won’t be good when it’s cold.
…
…
In a little alley not far from the Fan family’s tofu store were three people wearing night walking clothes. They were moving bodies into a carriage. There was blood slowly dripping from the carriage. It landed in the snow and gave off a faint fishy smell.
Three bodies had been chopped into a dozen large pieces of meat. It was clear that these terrifying injuries were done by a long knife. The leader of the seven nightwalkers sat in the coachman’s position. He glanced at the faint and distant firelight of the tofu store and rubbed the reins on the old calluses between his index finger and thumb. He cracked his mouth in a smile and lightly said,
Young master, eat slowly.
