Within the subterranean palace, now reduced almost to rubble, a horrifying scene unfolded. Corpses lay scattered in disarray, a dense, unsettling arrangement of the dead.

Shattered skulls, severed limbs, charred remains… woven together with the ruins to form a bizarre and grotesque tableau. All was still, save for the vivid red blood that flowed across the ground. It moved with a strange vitality, like crimson serpents slithering through the dim gloom, hungrily searching and devouring.

Amidst the debris of broken walls and shattered stones, Zhang Linchuan sat upon the sole surviving chair, a large and imposing seat. She was clad in black garments, the color echoing the oppressive darkness that had once shrouded the sky. It was a darkness that had erased all evidence, a darkness that had witnessed her last remaining kin perish in the vast ocean. That time, and in the many years prior, everyone connected to that incident – not a single soul was trustworthy, not one was free from suspicion!

The Four Great Blue Card Families, whose legacy stretched from the era of Qi Wudi to the present day, though their influence had waned and their power dwindled, how extensive were their connections? Yet, in that moment, scouring the entirety of the Qi Kingdom, one could not find another soul upon whom to rely.

Could this not be considered a form of sorrow? Beneath the weight of immense power, human hearts were treacherous.

In the ceaseless flow of the long river of history, how many tales, originally destined for greatness, had ended prematurely, unfinished? This was the cruelty of history. And its weight.

Immersed in the world of Dao techniques, time always seemed to slip away quickly. The sun shifted across the sky, and before one knew it, dusk had arrived. The portly, large-eared new Marquis of Bo Wang, Chongxuan Sheng, hurried to the manor. He pushed open the study door, and the room, not overly spacious to begin with, immediately felt crowded.

He was still adorned in the lavish ceremonial robes of a national Marquis, and upon his head rested the specially crafted jade crown of his rank. In attire alone, bearing the same title, he could command several more court yuan stones than others.

Close behind, her steps rapid and small, followed none other than Yi Shisi, also in ceremonial garb.

When clad in heavy armor, she was cold, hard, and solid as a statue. Without the armor, she was fragile, slender, and timid. Now, her name was enshrined in the court council’s register of esteemed families, and having married into the Marquis’s household, she had finally acquired a touch of dignified grace.

Only her manner of following Chongxuan Pang’s every step still hinted at her past self.

This couple, to all appearances, had rushed here directly after the investiture ceremony.

Jiang Wang rose to greet them, but before he could speak, Chongxuan Sheng waved a hand. With the bearing of a leader, he declared, “Sit, sit and let us talk.”

He settled in as if he had returned to his own dwelling, like a lord receiving his uneasy, poorer relatives waiting at home.

With practiced ease, he strode to the front of his custom-made grand chair, leaned back comfortably, and grumbled, “This title of Marquis, I truly did not desire it. What is this talk of ‘hereditary and perpetual’? Does it not mean my descendants must all toil for the court? To say that the capable are given more burdens – is that not infuriating?”

With a touch of impatience, he removed the jade crown from his head and carelessly placed it on a nearby side table. “Too cumbersome! This crown is too large, and I have received too many gifts on its behalf. I cannot store them temporarily, so I shall leave this here for a few days.”

Jiang Wang sat down silently, his eyelids twitching.

In the past, he had never noticed. But now, seeing Chongxuan Sheng so boldly take his seat, he realized that the position Chongxuan Sheng occupied was, in fact, the master’s seat in this study.

As the opulent, brocade-clad Marquis of Bo Wang settled there…

The stone screens on either side, carved with dragons vying and tigers contending, seemed suddenly to come alive. Sitting at the desk opposite him, Jiang Wang felt very much like a mere clerk!

In ordinary circumstances, how could he have maintained a pleasant expression?

But today, these people had come to assist him.

After much thought, he could only inwardly grit his teeth and say, with forced pleasantness, “I will certainly safeguard it well.”

Chongxuan Sheng waved a hand dismissively. “There is no need to be overly cautious. This crown, ah, its interest lies not in the words ‘hereditary and perpetual,’ nor is it worth much wealth. Maintain a normal heart, Xiao Jiang, a normal heart in treating it.”

Jiang Wang pretended not to hear, only squinting his eyes into a smile as he turned to Shisi. “Little sister, you also sit, sit down and let us talk.”

Initially, he had asked Yi Xingchen to adopt Shisi, one reason being to establish Jiang Wang as a close friend to Shisi.

However, Yi Huimin later spread the word everywhere that the Marquis of Wu An was Yi Shisi’s adopted brother, and thus his, Yi Huimin’s, own brother – how he arrived at this relationship, Jiang Wang did not know.

But Jiang Wang did not mind playing the role of a big brother in front of Chongxuan Pang. Especially as both Shisi and Chongxuan Pang were older than him, it brought an extra measure of amusement in gaining such an advantage.

After removing her armor, Shisi was no longer as taciturn as before. She smiled and replied, “Okay, Jiang big brother.”

“Alright, enough with the pleasantries.” Seeing that the atmosphere was not to his liking, Chongxuan Sheng immediately changed the subject. His face turned exceedingly grim as he looked at Jiang Wang. “Why did you not inform me of Lin Youxie’s disappearance?”

Jiang Wang explained, “I thought it was simply a matter of finding someone, nothing complicated.”

Under the scrutiny of Chongxuan Sheng’s sharp, piercing eyes…

He could only sigh and confess, “I did not wish to involve you.”

Chongxuan Sheng eyed him askance. “Are you so certain that Lin Youxie’s disappearance is related to the current Empress?”

Jiang Wang shook his head. “I am not entirely certain, but there is at least a possibility.”

Chongxuan Sheng narrowed his eyes. “I just arrived and happened to encounter Bao Zhongqing. He was quite enthusiastic in his greeting. I sent him away.”

Jiang Wang naturally would not blame Chongxuan Sheng because of Bao Zhongqing. He merely asked, “How did you send him away?”

“I told him to get lost,” Chongxuan Sheng said. “My grandfather passed away. He came to the manor to perform, and I fully entertained him. If necessary, to reconcile old family grievances with him, to give him face and inside, there would have been no great issue. But he should not have, absolutely should not have, at this juncture, still harbored such thoughts. I have no time to scheme with him, so I simply chose the most direct method.”

Jiang Wang pondered for a moment. “He came over yesterday and told me he wished to use the power of the Bao family’s carriage and horse company to help me find someone. I said that if he found traces of Lin Youxie, I would owe him a favor.”

Chongxuan Sheng sighed. “You are actually a clever person. How is it that you become so muddled when friends are involved? I implore you to think carefully. What clues can Bao Zhongqing give you? What clues will he give you?”

Jiang Wang was silent for a moment. “I thought that even if I let him utilize me a bit, then so be it. I can always distinguish between true and false clues.”

This time, Chongxuan Sheng sighed even more heavily. “I do not know if you overestimate your own wisdom, or underestimate the depth of Bao Zhongqing. Even I would not dare say I can distinguish the truth from falsehood within his schemes. How dare you claim such? Furthermore, are true clues guaranteed to point to the true truth?”

Jiang Wang frowned, puzzled. “What can he gain in this matter?”

“He can gain too much! For a person like him, if you give him an opportunity, he will certainly not squander your price,” Chongxuan Sheng said. “You are a good chess piece, a good sharp sword, and you are not even aware of it. Jiang Wang, have you considered that if Bao Zhongqing and the Bao family behind him wish to bring down the Empress? If he wishes to overthrow the current Crown Prince? Are you prepared to involve yourself in the struggle for the imperial succession?”

Jiang Wang’s eyelids twitched. “How could I possibly do that?”

“You certainly cannot do it, but you will become a banner, a symbol, and you will die a miserable death as the flag of the new Qi people!” Chongxuan Sheng’s anger was hard to suppress. “And your death itself will become an even sharper weapon! Your value will be utterly depleted! Jiang Wang, Lin Youxie’s identity is so sensitive. Yet you dare to easily step into someone’s trap in this matter. Do you think you can bear all the consequences? You are offering up your head!”

“Some information, from someone I placed by his side a long time ago,” Chongxuan Sheng tapped his own forehead. “And I used this to think.”

Jiang Wang said, “It seems I did indeed underestimate Bao Zhongqing.”

“Are you the only one who underestimated Bao Mazi?” Chongxuan Sheng sighed. “My situation and his are similar. Neither of us were favored in our youth, but I always felt that one day when I took charge of the Chongxuan family, he would be my opponent. So, I began cultivating people around him very early on. Over the years, I thought I understood him very well. I always felt he had more schemes than courage. Until the campaign against Xia, where he greatly surprised me.”

“In this matter, although I have not obtained concrete evidence, for a person like Bao Zhongqing, speculating with the utmost malice is not excessive. You are currently in a mess, and I am also entangled in affairs. I have no time to slowly dismantle his moves, so I simply told him directly to roll away. With his depth, he will only smile and endure, and not pester you further.”

Chapter 104: Unfettered Boat

Jiang Wang only said, “Although Bao Zhongqing may only wish to utilize me, what if Lin Youxie’s matter is truly related to the current Empress?”

Chongxuan Sheng pressed his forehead, genuinely feeling a headache.

He understood Jiang Wang too well. This fellow was not actually stupid, and he was not entirely without vigilance towards Bao Zhongqing. But for some inexplicable stubbornness, he had still stepped into the trap. Chongxuan Sheng believed that in his heart, this guy had already made some terrible preparations.

Otherwise, why in this matter had he not contacted him, nor Li Longchuan, Yan Fu, or the others, yet accepted Bao Zhongqing’s help?

He was afraid of implicating himself before that most terrible outcome, yet he was willing to go all the way with Bao Zhongqing!

Chongxuan Sheng took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotion and a sense of disappointment in iron that fails to become steel. “That one did not do it. You have a prejudice against her, and you think the mother of a country is too foolish!”

The new Marquis of Bo Wang’s tone was quite certain. “The Son of Heaven’s words at that time, ‘A national scholar is not to be taken lightly,’ already indicated his attitude. Even if the Empress harbored deep hatred for Lin Kuang and could not tolerate others, she would not openly defy the Son of Heaven’s will. Consider, what need would she have to deal with a single Lin Youxie? Would it benefit the current Crown Prince’s position in the East Palace in the slightest? At such a critical juncture for the heir, she would not create trouble out of nothing!”

“It is indeed very difficult for me to forget what she did.” Jiang Wang paused, then asked again, “But if it was not that person, Lin Youxie was doing well and had no other grudges, who would deal with her?”

“Firstly, she is only missing, not necessarily dead. Secondly, even if she is dead, it is not due to enmity.

Her father’s generation of grudges has already vanished into smoke along with the Four Great Blue Card Families. After Li Youjiu was dismembered, everyone was eager to sever all ties with the Four Great Blue Card Families. Apart from you, who would be willing to stir up this trouble? Her network of connections is actually very clear, one can see it to the end.”

Chongxuan Sheng said calmly, “Among the forces related to Lin Youxie, the Empress and the Crown Prince are definitely not involved. This matter should also not be related to the Tian family. They lack both the drive of self-interest and emotional motivation.”

Speaking of this, he couldn’t help but frown again. “But the Tian family has a Tian Anping. How he will act is truly difficult to judge.”

Tian Anping was too unpredictable. His actions were utterly self-contained, and it was fundamentally impossible to speculate on him through logic of interest or emotion.

Jiang Wang recalled the information confirmed from Tian Chang at that time.

Wu Lie was personally killed by Tian Anping, who then threw the corpse into the sea, deliberately leaving some clues.

At that time, he had asked Tian Chang the purpose of Tian Anping’s actions.

Tian Chang’s reply was – “Do you think Tian Anping’s behavior could be deduced by logic? Would he still be so mad?”

Whether within the Tian family or outside, no one could see through Tian Anping’s thoughts.

Precisely because he was such a lunatic, even someone as clever as Chongxuan Sheng fundamentally did not know if he could be excluded from the matter.

Jiang Wang said, “Actually, during the Seven Stars Tower secret realm, I had an unexpected gain. In the Hidden Star world, I disrupted Tian Anping’s plan and seized that flower to supplement lifespan. In the process, I had interactions with a member of the Tian family named Tian Chang—”

At that point, he recounted to Chongxuan Sheng his interactions and utilization of Tian Chang and Tian He in the Hidden Star world.

He particularly emphasized the news he later received from Tian Chang, namely that Tian Anping had personally killed Wu Lie.

Chongxuan Sheng pondered for a moment, then lifted his head and said, “Tian Chang’s move was truly excellent. Your luck was good to gain such an opportunity in the Seven Stars secret realm. Hereafter, unless absolutely necessary, do not contact him. Such a chess piece should only be used when one strike decides the outcome.”

“Do you have any ideas about Tian Anping?” Jiang Wang asked.

The phrase “one strike decides the outcome” made him a little sensitive.

Chongxuan Sheng shook his head. “As long as he doesn’t drive us completely insane, I have no reason to have any ideas about him.”

He suddenly said with certainty, “Not Tian Anping.” Jiang Wang asked, “Why do you say so?”

“He threw Wu Lie’s corpse into the sea, that is proof.” Chongxuan Sheng murmured, “That itself is a declaration. He is informing those who can see the clues through Wu Lie’s corpse that he is the murderer. He is taking responsibility for the Tian family’s actions in the case of Concubine Lei. He is waiting for those seeking revenge to come. He is anticipating a glorious revenge!”

Jiang Wang originally wanted to say that this person was not well, but considering this person was named Tian Anping, he then felt it was very reasonable. He thus said, “He is waiting for Lin Youxie to prepare fully to kill him, so he would not take the initiative to find Lin Youxie?”

Chongxuan Sheng rose from the unusually wide chair and clapped his hands together. “Correct.”

“Then where does the matter of Lin Youxie fall?” Jiang Wang’s voice finally held a hint of bitterness. Chongxuan Sheng was certainly smarter than he, and his analysis was thorough. But now that all other clues were ruled out, where could one still search for Lin Youxie?

Chongxuan Sheng said as he walked, “I had Qing Zhuan tell you that this matter might not be complicated. In fact, Bao Zhongqing has already given you the answer.”

Jiang Wang’s eyebrows furrowed tightly. “Bao Zhongqing?”

“Do you still remember how I chatted with you about how Bao Bozhao died?” Chongxuan Sheng asked.

Jiang Wang shook his head. “That was merely your private speculation, without evidence.”

“Many things do not require evidence,” Chongxuan Sheng said.

“Even dying amidst ten thousand troops, trampled into a bloody pulp, one can still find some traces, it will not be silent. In the battle of Sheshan, Tai Yin stirred the Dao principles and killed so many people, yet eyewitnesses remained. But what of Bao Bozhao’s death? The Wu Yang city soldiers and horses, and then the person was gone. If he was pursued and killed by Tai Yin, where is his head? Where is his corpse? Where are the Xia Kingdom’s military merit records? Nothing. He died so cleanly. This itself is the problem. Of course, as long as Bao Zhongqing refuses to budge, no one can force him to confess. Returning to the matter of Lin Youxie’s disappearance, do you not feel that she also disappeared too cleanly?”

He emphasized the word “cleanly.” Jiang Wang seemed to be deep in thought, his expression grim.

“So Lin girl’s disappearance was Bao Zhongqing’s doing!” Shisi, who had been silently listening for a long time, suddenly realized.

Chongxuan Sheng finally sighed, feeling a bit weary. “The answer should still be in Lu Shuang County.”

He walked to the bookshelf, beckoned with his fat hand, and pulled out a volume of the Great Qi Kingdom’s map. Turning back, he spread it open on the desk.

Using his fat fingers, he drew a large circle along the boundary of Lu Shuang County.

And after time passed, Lin Youxie never again mentioned the nameless book she had sent out.

Regrettably, Jiang Wang only opened it today.

Lin Youxie, ah, Lin Youxie, where did you go?

The lamp in the study of the Marquis of Bo Wang’s manor burned throughout the night.

Steward Xie Ping rose early in the morning to arrange the day’s affairs for the manor. He specifically instructed the servants passing near the study to be quiet. The group of dancers in the backyard, said to be from Chu land, were also told to cease their rehearsal early.

Speaking of these beauties the Marquis had brought back from the grassland, they had not actually been appreciated even once, merely kept.

Perhaps he was not inclined that way?

Of course, this question Xie Ping only dared to contemplate in his heart, never voice. Even a maid with a loose tongue, who truly voiced such a doubt, was driven out of the Marquis’s manor that very day.

When Zhu Yao rose early to practice his fists, his master was still in the study. He quietly, without disturbing, continued to practice yesterday’s fist routine.

He was a countryside child who did not fear hardship. Asking him to read books gave him a headache, but he was not afraid of sweating. In his early years, he would work hard to earn a living.

Knowing that his master treated him very well, he would occasionally be willfully playful.

Whether the entire Marquis of Wu An’s manor was quiet or not, it would not affect Jiang Wang at this time. He was completely immersed in the world of the Nian Chen technique.

Initially, it was just a sudden whim, wondering if by cultivating “Nian Chen,” he could find the traces left by Lin Youxie through this secret technique.

He roughly understood the principles of Nian Chen technique. It began with a person’s “thoughts,” leaving a mark on the target’s body using “divided thoughts,” formless, ethereal, and traceless.

And starting from one’s own main thought, one could induce a connection with the divided thoughts at any time, thus capturing traces.

This Nian Chen could be left not only within the target person’s thoughts but also entrusted to objects. Initially, he and Lin Youxie jointly captured Wu Yiyu precisely by relying on Lin Youxie’s Nian Chen entrusted to Cui Fangluo.

If one cultivated the Nian Chen technique oneself, could there be a connection between one’s own Nian Chen and another’s? Could one’s own main thought sense Lin Youxie’s main thought?

Having flipped through the nameless book to the end, Jiang Wang vaguely felt that the Nian Chen technique might be the key he had overlooked.

Only when he truly invested himself in the study of this secret technique did he increasingly feel its preciousness.

Lin Kuang was indeed worthy of his reputation. This set of unique secret techniques was truly ingeniously original. In Jiang Wang’s understanding, it was completely on par with Yan Hua Fen Cheng. The development of “thoughts” held significance that was difficult to estimate.

If Zuo Guanglie’s Yan Hua was the highest standard for reforming basic fire element Dao techniques, and the foundation for his own Dao technique system, then Lin Kuang’s Nian Chen had almost forged a new path.

Human hearts are one, and in an instant, a thousand thoughts arise. From ancient times to the present, there have been many cultivators who began with emotions and thoughts. But Lin Kuang’s Nian Chen was the first to analyze thoughts and apply them.

Such a person, if he had not been involved in the case of Concubine Lei that year, who knew what he would have achieved by now!

Du Fang was Lin Kuang’s half-disciple, yet he personally threw Lin Kuang’s corpse before the young Lin Youxie.

The Four Great Blue Card Families, how many years had they operated in the Qi Kingdom?

When they completely vanished into smoke, who even sighed?

Just like Lin Youxie had asked that day—

“How many trustworthy people are there in this world? How many people can I trust?”

Only Jiang Wang.

At that time, she had entrusted everything to Jiang Wang, giving him her last trust. Besides believing that Jiang Wang could make good use of the clues left on her body after her death, she probably also wanted to leave an inheritance for her father.

In the end, it was Jiang Wang who knocked her out, stepped forward, did what he could, and then journeyed far to Chu land.

But to this day, Jiang Wang still did not know whether he had betrayed her trust or not.

He did not ask, and Lin Youxie did not say.

“These days, Zheng Shangming should have checked the places that needed checking. Traces cannot be found in any of the border counties; there are completely no records of her travel,” he glanced at Shisi. “Very familiar, isn’t it?”

The fatty tapped the map twice with his finger and said to Jiang Wang, “Have you considered that Lin Youxie might not have left Lu Shuang County at all?”

When Shisi left home at that time, Chongxuan Sheng was too anxious and overlooked the obvious, stubbornly not realizing that Shisi had not even left the Qi Kingdom.

But Shisi was a road idiot and had never traveled far alone, which might not be the case for Lin Youxie.

As an excellent blue card and expert at tracking and apprehending thieves, from any perspective, she had no possibility of getting lost.

Jiang Wang said slowly, “But the Patrol Inspection Office went to check, and I also went to check. There were no clues in Lu Shuang County. More than three months have passed now, even if there were originally clues, now they would be—”

“Don’t be anxious yet,” Chongxuan Sheng looked at him and said, “The day we found Shisi was the last time you and Lin Youxie met. Since then, you have had no contact, right?”

“Yes.”

“Did she tell you she was going to the Three Punishments Palace?”

“Yes.”

“Besides this, think carefully, was there anything else unusual about her?”

“Are you saying there’s a possibility she hid her tracks and quietly went to investigate the Tian family?” Jiang Wang shook his head. “She is a very stubborn person with strong principles, but she is not foolish.”

Lu Shuang was adjacent to the Great Marsh, and it was indeed difficult to avoid such a guess.

However, that case that year had already concluded for the Empress. As for Tian Anping, he didn’t mind being hated. As for Lin Youxie, she had already obtained the best possible outcome – the restoration of her father’s and Grandpa Wu’s reputations.

Even if she truly investigated the Tian family thoroughly, it would be impossible to gain more.

The highest will of the Qi Kingdom had already drawn a red line with its gaze. Lin Youxie would not fail to understand this, and she would certainly not be foolish enough to challenge Tian Anping, who had already become a contemporary True Person, after the matter had settled.

“Then the outcome is already very clear,” Chongxuan Sheng said slowly. “I am now very certain that Lin Youxie has fundamentally not left Lu Shuang County!”

March, early spring.

Content. Blood-colored rain, laden with sorrow, fell upon the mortal world.

The earth was hazy. A ruined city stood silently in the dim red rain, without a trace of life.

Within the city’s broken walls and rubble, all things were withered. Collapsed houses could be seen everywhere, and greenish-black corpses, minced flesh, like broken autumn leaves, withered silently.

Once bustling streets were now desolate.

Once busy and crowded sand roads were now silent.

Only blood-soaked mud remained, mixed with minced flesh, dust, and paper, indistinguishable from one another, a shocking sight.

Not far away, a damaged carriage was deeply embedded in the mud, filled with sadness. Only a discarded rabbit doll on the carriage shaft hung there, swaying in the wind.

Its white fur was already soaked in wet red, full of gloom and strangeness.

Its turbid pupils seemed to retain some resentment, staring alone at the mottled stones in front of it.

There, a figure lay.

This was a youth of thirteen or fourteen, his clothes tattered, covered in dirt, a damaged leather pouch tied around his waist.

The youth squinted his eyes, motionless. The biting cold penetrated his tattered clothes from all sides, attacking his body, gradually taking away his body temperature.

Even when the rain fell on his face, his eyes did not blink, his hawk-like gaze coldly staring into the distance.

Following his gaze, about seven or eight zhang away, a thin, bald vulture was gnawing on a wild dog’s rotten carcass, periodically observing its surroundings with vigilance.

It seemed that in these dangerous ruins, any slight movement would cause it to instantly take flight.