Death Sutra

They had written down the names of King Dari and King Rizhu . Gu Shenwei chose the former, while Fang Wenshi the latter .

"We should have written down the same name," Fang Wenshi said with a bitter smile, shaking his head . He thought that a counselor and his master were supposed to write down the same name, look at each other with a satisfied smile, and then suddenly be on more intimate terms .

However, the Dragon King and Fang Wenshi had different ideas .

"Why do you think that King Dari is the Central Plain"s hidden traitor? He"s the first rightful heir to the throne," Fang Wenshi began .

"King Dari has a yellow-faced servant named Fu Yuan . Have you heard of him?" said Gu Shenwei .

"Yes . He seems to be a yes man . He should take some responsibility for King Dari failing to sit on the throne," replied Fang Wenshi .

"Fu Yuan is not just a yes man . He is controlling King Dari . If my guess is right, King Dari is just a puppet who has lost his ability to think properly . It is Fu Yuan who tells him how to act," said Gu Shenwei .

"So the rumor is true? King Dari is only around fifty . How could he suffer from senile dementia earlier than the Khan?" asked Fang Wenshi .

"Yes, the rumor is true . But more importantly, Fu Yuan is from the Central Plain," replied Gu Shenwei .

After thinking about it for a while, Fang Wenshi was still not convinced . "That doesn"t prove that King Dari is the hidden traitor," Fang Wenshi retorted . "It"s risky to use a servant from the Central Plain to control a lord of Norland, because he"d be too unreliable . If I worked for the Central Plain, I would never choose such a hidden traitor," said Fang Wenshi .

"Tell me your reason . Although King Rizhu acts suspicious, he could not be the hidden traitor of the Central Plain . Have you forgotten? His son died at the hands of the Emperor of the Central Plain," argued Gu Shenwei .

"His enemy is the former Emperor, not the current one . Your Highness, your words have reminded me . Perhaps the reason that King Rizhu intends to win the three most important compet.i.tions is to spoil something else . I have a hunch that the Central Plain will be the largest beneficiary if King Rizhu wins these matches," said Fang Wenshi .

Both of their guesses were based on weak foundations . Fang Wenshi regarded this as an interesting game . He patted his thigh and continued, "What about us making a bet? We spend three days looking for evidence, and then see whose guess is right . "

"What if both of our guesses are wrong?" asked Gu Shenwei .

"If that"s the case, you should make a concession since you are my master . If it turns out that both of our guesses are wrong, you still lose the bet," said Fang Wenshi .

Gu Shenwei became interested in the bet, so he asked, "Okay, so what are the stakes?"

Fang Wenshi replied, looking awkward, "The stakes need to be within my reach . Your Highness, I promise you that I am not rich, so I don"t have much money . "

Gu Shenwei looked at the fat Fang Wenshi, and he knew that his money must have been spent on food . After thinking for a while, he said, "Then, ten taels of silver . We can both afford that . "

Fang Wenshi couldn"t help bursting into laughter . He returned, "The stake is too small . " After awhile, he proposed, "How about this? If you win, I will not be paid for the work I"ve done for you in Norland . It would save you a lot of money . "

"What if you win?" asked Gu Shenwei .

"Hehe . I will receive my pay . On top of that, I need you to make me a promise," Fang Wenshi said, looking at the Dragon King with a sly smile . "If I offend you one day, I hope — you will spare my life . After all, it"s dangerous to keep a king"s company . I might displease you some day . No one knows what will happen in the future," he said .

This stake was bigger than Gu Shenwei had expected . Besides, Fang Wenshi"s stake was also suspicious . He had chosen an optimal time to propose it . Gu Shenwei mused for a while, and then nodded yes . So far, he believed his Military Counselor, and also he knew that death was not the only form of punishment . He said, "Okay . Whatever crime you commit in the future, I will spare your life -- but only once . "

It was midnight when Fang Wenshi left the tent . He walked back to his tent elated . He wasn"t planning to betray the Dragon King, but the deal he"d made was a counselors" rule to guarantee his safety . He took a chance in proposing it, and he took pride in his success .

Gu Shenwei was not sleepy at all . Now that he was in a foreign environment and faced unknown challenges, he was much more excited than usual .

Gu Shenwei stayed calm in front of others . When he was alone, he preferred to let his mind wander . He a.n.a.lyzed several lords of Norland he had met, trying to detect any suspicious signs . Still, he could not decipher who the hidden traitor was .

He wanted to discuss it with Maid Lotus, but she was not around . She was busy in a secret location making a poison that would cause the same symptoms King Rizhu"s son had after his death .

All of sudden, the tent was. .h.i.t with a small stone .

To Gu Shenwei"s surprise, someone dared to provoke him the first day he moved into his new encampment . He immediately pulled out his Five Peaks Saber, stood still and listened closely . It was unwise to leave the tent to see what was happening .

Then another stone was thrown into the tent . It seemed that this person was trying to attract the Dragon King"s attention .

Gu Shenwei did not move, listening carefully . There was no noise outside the tent, though, proving that this person excelled in Lightness Skills . Gu Shenwei silently made a large slit in the tent and wormed his way through the hole . Then, he turned right, walked forward and stopped where the stones were being thrown .

The third stone flew towards him, and he caught it . Gu Shenwei found that the stones were not being thrown with much force .

The person who flung the stones stood beyond several tents, covered with a cloak . Suddenly, she waved her hands at Gu Shenwei, turned around, and disappeared instantly .

Soldiers of the Dragon Army were sound asleep after their long journey . Several guards on night duty did not notice what had happened near the Dragon King"s tent .

Gu Shenwei followed the person . He felt no danger, for he knew whom he was pursuing .

Flinging stones was one of his methods, and this person had obviously learned it from him .

It also seemed that she was not familiar with this place . She frequently leapt to high places, looking around . However, she had excellent Lightness Skills, and moved freely in the air, as if she were a bird . She leapt and jumped with ease, as effortlessly as ordinary people walked on the ground .

Gu Shenwei made great efforts, but was barely able to catch up with her . Although he had made progress in Lightness Skills these past few years, they were still his weakness, and they lagged behind hers .

Shangguan Ru paused behind a suburban hill, her lower body camoflauged with gra.s.s . Under a faint, starlit night, her dark eyes twinkled with concern .

Gu Shenwei was ten steps away from her .

The atmosphere surrounding them was awkward . Since their meeting on the gra.s.slands, Gu Shenwei felt Shangguan Ru was a stranger every time they met since . Some people changed with time, while others always remained the same .  Shangguan Ru was like the former, seeming to have transformed into a completely different person from years ago .

Gu Shenwei could hardly connect the woman in front of him with that bossy, kind, smart and gullible maid who had always dressed like a boy . In his eyes, the Tenth Young Master he had known had disappeared .

Gu Shenwei tried, but couldn"t see Shangguan Ru as anything other than her former self .

Even so, he still felt embarra.s.sed . For him, Shangguan Ru was a temptation that he was trying to resist . Eventully, he failed to resist his impulse to approach her .

Shangguan Ru opened her mouth first, looking awkward . It was not the scene she had imagined . She said, "I hope you will do me a favor . "

"Yes, of course," said Gu Shenwei .

Despite the fact that she had thrown stones into his tent, they were excessively polite to each other in this open gra.s.sand, which suddenly felt crowded .

"Save Shaomin," said said, simply .

"Who is Shaomin?" Gu Shenwei asked in surprise . It never occurred to him that Shangguan Ru would seek him out to beg him to help a stranger he had never even heard of .

"My eldest brother"s daughter," she replied .

Gu Shenwei remembered this girl . Han Xuan had discovered women in the Golden Roc Fort"s team when they left the Tongtian Pa.s.s . Shangguan Fei had investigated these women and found that one was Shangguan Chui"s daughter . He told Gu Shenwei that perhaps she was going to wed to some dignitary in Norland to solidify the Golden Roc Fort"s alliance with Norland .

Marriage was a common means to consolidate two parties" alliance . Gu Shenwei had married the Princess for that reason . At that time, he had not paid much attention to this girl, nor did he ask his men to further investigate her .

Shangguan Shaomin was two or three years younger than Shangguan Ru . They had known each other since they were little girls . When Shangguan Ru had been kept indoors, she always played with Shangguan Shaomin .

All of the Shangguan family members learned a lesson: never try to take revenge on family . Otherwise, you"d get yourself killed fast .

Shangguan Chui"s children had received good care since his death . If everything went well, they would return this kindness back to the Supreme King, and Shangguan Shaomin would be the first one to do so .

"Why are you asking me to save her?" Gu Shenwei asked, looking confused . "It"s this maid"s best fate to wed to someone important in Norland," he thought .

"Do you know who the Golden Roc Fort intends to give her to?" asked Shangguan Ru .

"I have no idea," Gu Shenwei replied .  He did notice, however, that Shangguan Ru mentioned "giving" instead of "marrying" .

"A servant of King Dari," she replied .

"King Dari is the Golden Roc Fort"s most important supporter, so it"s natural for the Supreme King to try to please his trusted follower," he mused . Besides, Gu Shenwei did not like the tone Shangguan Ru used when mentioning "servant" . "Are you referring to Fu Yuan? He"s King Dari"s favorite servant . It does her no harm to marry him," he replied .

Shangguan Ru flushed and said, "You don"t know . They aren"t going to marry Shaomin to him, but give her to him as a gift . It"s not a big deal . If she is sent to him, she can live a better life there than in the Stone Castle . But . . . but . . . " After pausing for a while, she finally went on, "Fu Yuan is a eunuch, and he has . . . many eccentricities . Shaomin would be at his mercy once she was sent there . "

"How do you know this?" Gu Shenwei asked as he thought, "Shangguan Ru just arrived here today . How did she get this private intelligence that I do not know?"

"I asked Old Man Mu to investigate Fu Yuan . He . . . he saw many things . When he came back, he told me that it was better to kill Shaomin than to let her live with that man," she said .

Shangguan Ru flushed redder as she thought, "Old Man Mu has a big mouth . He must have told me everything he heard and saw . "

All of a sudden, Shangguan Ru seemed to have turned into the Tenth Young Master that had asked Slave Huan for help . When Gu Shenwei noticed her tone and expression mixed with command and trust, he almost nodded yes .

"You saved Parro . Do you remember her?" Shangguan Ru asked as she softened her voice . "This man is my biggest hope . Only he can think of the perfect plan to save her," she thought .

"She was killed later," replied Gu Shenwei .

"Yes, she was . But that was not your fault . This time, I will send Shaomin to the Land of Fragrance privately, and not let anyone know it," Shangguan Ru said .

Shangguan Ru"s words reminded him: "The Land of Fragrance is far away from Norland . If they need to reach the Land of Fragrance, they must pa.s.s the area under the Golden Roc Fort"s control . It"s impossible not to alert the Golden Roc Fort . "

"The current situation in Norland is more complicated than I have foreseen . I do not want to cause more problems,"  he thought and then said, "Forget about it . It"s her fate and no one can change it . Since her father"s death, she was doomed to suffering . There are people who are worse off than her . So many people suffer from pains and hardships, but we cannot save them all . "

"But you changed your own fate . I always thought that you would understand these things better than others," responded Shangguan Ru as she stared at the Dragon King with shock in her eyes .

Gu Shenwei found it difficult to refuse someone"s request for the first time in his life .