Heavenly Soul

Strong gusts of wind erratically blasted over the procession that was slowly making its way down the forest path. The tall, black shadows of the trees swayed threatening on either side, the frenzied rustling of the branches and leaves sounding almost angry.

The procession consisted of a couple of carriages―one containing a person and the other filled with luggage―surrounded on all sides by vigilant guards on horsebacks. The dull glint of metal flashed occasionally in the gloom as the guards kept their weapons half-unsheathed in fear of a sudden attack.

Inside his carriage, the official sent from the Ministry of Agriculture gulped nervously. He had a bad premonition that something would happen tonight. As an old and experienced officer who had survived in the scheming imperial court while retaining his prominence all this while, the official knew to listen closely to his gut when it came to such matters.

After all, it had been an imperial decree that had brought him and his guards out despite such terrible weather. The emperor had insisted that he make haste to return to the capital, traveling through night and day to return to his side.

And so, the official had had to cut short his important visit to the distant provinces where he"d been sent to study the virulent outbreak of a certain disease currently spreading through rice crops. Instead, he and his procession were now rushing through this forest and hurrying towards the capital despite such dreadful weather conditions. It wouldn"t surprise him one bit if there was an ambush set up somewhere to capture or kill him, which was why he had mobilized such a large contingent of guards to accompany him on the way back.

But he simply couldn"t have expected that there would be an even larger group of a.s.sa.s.sins waiting for him.

The first to notice were the horses as they whinnied and shifted restlessly, flicking their tails and ears as if to warn their riders. Sensing that something was amiss, the guards reacted immediately as their leader shouted, "Guard the carriages! Group around while facing outward! Weapons and shields up!"

Within moments, the area around the official"s carriage was packed with guards standing shoulder to shoulder, weapons and shields facing outward towards whatever threats that might come their way.

Inside, the official"s face went pale, yet he maintained his composure and lied down stably on the floor of the carriage in an experienced manner so that no errant arrows or strikes would land on him. After all, he knew that it was as much his duty to protect himself as it was the guards".

Soon, the rustlings of the leaves intensified, almost unnoticeable amid the sharp whistling of the wind. Black-clad figures with masks over their faces poured out of the shadows and fell over the guards like a wave crashing over sh.o.r.e.

The official trembled at the violent sounds of battle raging outside. The clash of metal against metal, the strained grunting of those fighting and the pained cries of the wounded, along with the stamping of feet against ground and flesh thudding as it was impacted with blows, all melded into a violent cacophony that resounded in the carriage"s closed s.p.a.ce.

From what the official could hear, the situation outside was not too good. It seemed that the enemy had conscripted a larger amount of people against him. Since things were like this, the official knew that losing his life was an almost certain thing.

The carriage began to rock as the fighting neared it, the a.s.sa.s.sins gaining ground and pushing closer as they tried to find a way in.

The door was suddenly kicked in as a black-clothed a.s.sa.s.sin with bloodied blades in both hands forced his way into the carriage.

Spotting the hapless old official quivering on the floor with wide eyes staring fearfully at the intruding figure, the a.s.sa.s.sin felt a burst of satisfaction. Not willing to engage in any small talk, he directly raised one of his blades and brought it down on the scrawny neck of the official who had already gone stiff from terror.

But the blade never reached its destination.

Sudden cries of alarm rang out from the people outside and the discordant noise of battle abruptly halted. The sounds of bodies continuously hitting the ground one by one could be heard, feeling especially loud and inexplicable in the ensuing silence.

Meanwhile inside the carriage, the a.s.sa.s.sin looked down dumbly at his unmoving blade that had halted a mere finger"s breadth from his target"s neck.

The next moment, the a.s.sa.s.sin felt his breath leaving his lungs. As he gasped and clawed frantically at his chest while trying in vain to gulp down air, he felt his vision darkening and his sight fading before he finally lost consciousness.

Hearing the thump of the a.s.sa.s.sin"s body falling out of the carriage, the official opened his eyes and looked up with hope coloring his gaze.

Standing by the ruined doorframe of the carriage was an ethereal figure clad in white, his face too beautiful to behold. The sharp and clear eyes set under those gracefully arched brows focused on the official, making the old man almost faint from the irresistible magnetism exuding from them.

The official immediately bowed down to show his sincerity while proclaiming loudly, "This one thanks Your Excellency for saving his pitiful old life. If there is anything Your Excellency wants, then this one shall strive to do his utmost to fulfill it!"

Following his words, a heavy hush seemed to fall inside the carriage, softly smothering the sounds of the frantically rustling leaves and the sharply whistling wind that filtered in from outside.

Then in a pleasant voice that sounded like the trickling of cool water, the young man clad in white finally spoke, "I cannot accept your grat.i.tude, for I am merely here at the behest of another. If you wish to thank someone for this rescue, then please do so directly."

Rising up, the official looked at this dazzlingly attractive young man and asked eagerly, "Then may Your Excellency please enlighten this one as to the ident.i.ty of this generous benefactor."

But rather than immediately answering, the young man stepped further into the carriage and waved his hand in an elegant gesture. And as if in response, the broken door lifted off the ground and forced itself to fit into the warped frame, closing off the carriage from the outside world.

A slip of paper suddenly appeared between the slender fingers of the white-clad man, and he flicked it towards the door in a casual motion. The paper flew in a straight line and stuck itself neatly to the center of the door. Precisely drawn characters flashed with a bright glow and a ball of brilliant golden flame hovered near the paper, casting the inside of the carriage in a warm and mellow light.

The official watched all this with his mouth agape.

This person…he must be one of those legendary cultivators! One of those elusive immortals who flew in the air and battled vicious demons and fantastical monsters! And such a person was actually here, right in front of him!

Unmindful of the worshipful gaze being directed towards him, the young man seated himself on one side of the carriage with poise, then signaled the official to settle himself on the opposite side.

After the old official dazedly did so, the young man began in his soothing, calm voice, "The one who requested me to aid you was the head of the Ping household, Ping Nian. You might not know him personally, but Lord Ping does not wish to see the innocent blood of his fellow official shed due to dirty schemes concocted just for the sake of desperately holding on to power. Thus, he wished me to help you."

The official flinched at these words. How could he not realize by now whom the other person meant?

Gritting his teeth, he bit out, "So the imperial family was the one behind this after all. That emperor…" Then the official"s gaze suddenly dulled as he continued to mutter to himself, "But…no, it"s best to just hide away until this matter blows over. A single old official like me, what can I even do? I can"t even protect myself. Even though the emperor is supposed to be the one to protect his people… No, no, I mustn"t think of that. The important thing is to find someplace remote and hide―"

"Are you sure that will work?" came a tranquil interjection.

Looking up, the old official found that the white-clad man"s gaze was fixed on him, a glint of faint amus.e.m.e.nt visible in those eyes.

In a placid tone that conveyed mild indifference, the young man continued, "No matter how much you lie low, as long as you still hold power, you will keep being targeted."

Hearing this, the old official"s back slumped dejectedly. Honestly speaking, he already knew that what the other man said was the truth, but he at least had to try to preserve this life of his, didn"t he?

Tilting his head, the young man shed his apathy and began speaking in a firm and rousing tone, "Are you really willing to so easily let go of all your hard-won achievements and renounce your position? Do you wish to bow down and let the imperial family trample over your back?"

The official looked up with startlement, then frowned thoughtfully.

The white-robed man continued, his words growing heated, "Who is the one who has worked hard and slaved unceasingly to come up with solutions to the endless problems constantly besieging the various agricultural areas? Who was it who proposed a more effective irrigational system? Who implemented the new crop harvesting method to increase the annual yield? Do you really not mind all these painstaking efforts of yours going to waste? All your years of backbreaking hard work…can you really bear to let it all amount to nothing?"

Just hearing this incited the official"s blood to boil with rage and the unwillingness to surrender. That"s right! He had put in so much effort to come this far in his career! Yet, after he did so much work for the emperor, he was treated like this! This was patently unacceptable!

The white-robed man"s lips curved into a small smile as his eyes deepened with a mysterious light. In a considering tone, he spoke, "If this Lord Official also thinks of it as unfair, then I have a proposition that I think will interest you. Not only does it guarantee your safety in the meantime, but your position in the court will also rise significantly when all"s said and done."

The old man perked up his ears in attention. "Oh? Please, do tell."

As the two men discussed various things, the wind outside slowly began to die down. The stars shone brightly again, twinkling as if in wicked amus.e.m.e.nt.

The door to the carriage was finally pushed open, and the figure in white stepped out composedly. Turning to the occupant of the carriage, he smiled as he said, "Then I"ll count on you, my lord."

The sound of excited rea.s.surances and words of grat.i.tude spilled from within.

The young man nodded his head as he looked around. Surrounding the carriage were the unconscious bodies of both the guards and a.s.sa.s.sins. After all, if only the a.s.sa.s.sins were incapacitated, the guards might take this chance to kill them all and save themselves the trouble. To minimize the lives lost, this was really the best choice.

Thankfully, the young man had the foresight to have already called for people to come and detain the a.s.sa.s.sins, as well as to escort the official and his guards to a safe place. With this, everything that should be taken care of was taken care of.

After giving one last greeting to the exuberant official and closing the carriage door, the young man clad in white appeared as if to have drifted away, seeming to disappear into the bleak scenery outside.

After walking into the forest, Qinghe rested his back against a tree and sighed in relief. This particular official had been far easier to convince that the others. Though he hoped that the others would be just as simple to persuade, he knew that it would be asking for too much.

Oh well, he"d just have to keep working hard like he had been for the last couple of days. Thankfully, he didn"t need all that much sleep, or he"d have long since dropped down out of sheer exhaustion.

Retrieving the folded paper boat that Master Kai had sent him, Qinghe injected a bit of spiritual energy into it, and the plain-looking paper boat turned into a small scroll made of expensive-looking materials.

Unfurling the scroll, Qinghe took a look at the next person on the list before putting it away.

Just a few more and he"d finally be done.

...

A scrawny middle-aged courtier hurried down the halls of his courtyard with hasty steps while praying for someone, anyone, to come save him.

G.o.d or deity or demon, he didn"t care! He just needed someone to tell him what to do!

Now that the emperor was targeting his household, what the heck was he supposed to do to keep himself and his family safe?!

He had supported that dratted old man on the throne through thick and thin, staying loyal no matter what. In return, he had gained many favors and monetary rewards, most of which he used for the welfare of the common people. After all, he himself was someone from the slums, taken in by this household and raised as one of their own.

And to make sure that he kept his foster family safe, the courtier had done everything he could to stay in the emperor"s good graces while also mitigating the damage wrought by that capricious old man"s laws and decrees. He had tried his best to make sure that the suffering of the people was minimized while faithfully working for his egotistical master.

But now, that very same master he had served with all his might had turned against him! It wasn"t like he hadn"t seen this coming, but all his preparation had turned out to be for naught, all his escape routes being cut off in the end.

That old fogey was way too wily! How was he supposed to safeguard his family now?!

He really wished some pa.s.sing G.o.d or deity would take pity on his miserable self and descend to solve all his troubles. Ah, how nice that would be!

Thinking such unrealistic thoughts to escape from the brutal reality staring him in the face, the middle-aged courtier turned yet another corner in a muddle. He ended up walking into the open s.p.a.ce between buildings as his feet automatically took him towards his room.

Steeped in his musings, he looked up absentmindedly and froze, his steps abruptly halting.

On the roof of the building in front of him was the otherworldly figure of a man clothed entirely in white. His robes fluttered in the wind, looking pure like untrodden snow, the pale color striking against the pitch black night sky. The man"s eyes looked cold and aloof, a corner of his lips quirked up. With his hands clasped behind him, this unreal-looking person stood there as if in answer to his prayers.

The courtier wasted not even a moment as his knees. .h.i.t the ground. Laying his palms flat, he gave a deep kowtow, his forehead banging against the earth with an audible thump.

On the rooftop, Qinghe blinked. What the heck?!

"Oh, Great Deity! I thank you sincerely for heeding my call and coming to my aid in this time of need! Please hear my prayer—keep me and my household safe from this cruel, vicious, back-stabbing son of a b.i.t.c.h that is the current emperor! If you can permanently retire him from this world, then that works too… But more importantly, please keep us safe!"

Unseen by the bowing courtier, Qinghe"s mouth twitched.

He"d thought that the official he"d previously spoken to had been easy to recruit, but this man really broke that record.

Sighing inwardly, Qinghe decided to just take this as his good luck and began speaking to the kneeling man, giving him the same instructions that he"d given to the old official before.

The prostrating courtier was overjoyed. So he still had a way to get out of this! His prayers had really been answered!

Looking up, the middle-aged courtier wanted to thank this descended deity, but all he saw was the empty rooftop. The figure clad in white had vanished.

It truly was a miracle, the work of G.o.ds!

Thinking so, the courtier cheerfully set off for Ping Nian"s mansion to offer his loyalty just as he was told to do.

...

The garden, though meticulously maintained, looked desolate. St.u.r.dy trees with rich brown bark lined the pathway in neat rows on either side, their withering leaves rustling gently as if in polite greeting.

A n.o.ble-looking madam in her forties slowly strolled down the path, her back straight and her expression calm, yet her eyes showed her deep anxiousness.

It had been many days since her friend had contacted her through their usual methods, which could only mean one thing―the emperor had finally aimed his greedy eyes in the direction of her friend"s family. They were in trouble, yet the n.o.ble madam couldn"t help even though she very much wanted to. After all, her own family was under fire as well. She had no resources to spare.

And so, she worried. So much so that she chose to take a walk at this time of the night rather than lay comfortably tucked in her bed to sleep.

With a soft exhalation filled with the weight of her hopelessness, the madam looked up at the sky as if seeking answers in the stars.

That was when she noticed that something seemed to be floating towards her. As the object neared, she could see that it was a white flower, gliding gently in her direction as if guided by the hands of careful wind currents.

The madam held her hand out with a disbelieving expression, and the flowed landed precisely in the center of her palm as if that had been its destination all along.

As she carefully studied the flower, the madam noticed that two of its petals were missing. Carefully counting through the rows of petals to understand the exact position of the missing petals, the madam looked shocked.

This was no random coincidence! This was the secret code that she and her friend had developed, a code that only the both of them knew!

And the meaning behind the message this time was indicated by two characters represented by the two missing petals. The two characters that made up the entirety of the message were: "person" and "trustworthy".

So, was her friend telling her that a certain person was trustworthy? Who was that person?

But wait… For the flower to appear like this all of a sudden, it couldn"t be a coincidence. Someone must be nearby to send it to her, which meant that her friend had trusted this message to that person. So shouldn"t it mean that this messenger, or at least someone the messenger knew, was the trustworthy person that her friend meant?

Her gaze firming, the madam looked up and spoke to the seemingly empty garden, "Thank you for delivering the message. May I ask how my friend is doing and why she sent you here?"

From behind one of the trees, a young man casually emerged. His white robes flowed gracefully around him, the strands of his gleaming black hair waving freely in the wind. His shining black eyes looked dark and deep as if filled with unfathomable thoughts, while his lips were bent slightly in a smile that added a touch of warmth to his cold beauty.

With a carefree laugh, he spoke, "Your Ladyship is very clever to have figured it out so quickly. I see that your friend"s praises were justified. To answer your questions, your friend is doing perfectly fine. She is currently safe and well, staying in a safe place along with her family. As for why she sent me…"

The young man tilted his head, his smile growing brighter as he continued, "Your friend wishes for you to join her in changing the current situation for the better. I am here to offer you that opportunity."

The madam frowned. Was there really a way out of this mess? Could she and her friend really change anything about their inescapable predicament?

In a firm tone, she demanded, "Tell me the details."

And so, Qinghe explained.

After hearing everything, the madam sighed. If it was really as this young man said, then this was an operation taking place in a scale far larger than anything she could"ve ever predicted. And yet…a faint hint of excitement and antic.i.p.ation sprouted in her heart.

After being cornered to a dead end, she had felt endlessly frustrated at her own powerlessness. Yet now, she had the chance to flip the tables on that oppressive imperial family and finally regain control over her fate. Not only that, but taking part in this would also be greatly beneficial for all parties involved. By the end of this, the prestige of all contributing families would rise greatly.

So how could she refuse?

Therefore, another supporter was duly added.

...

The study in the Ping household was dark and gloomy, the faint flicker of flame that still remained in the lamp on the verge of extinguishing.

Ping Nian sighed and ma.s.saged his forehead while leaning on the simple-looking wooden desk. He did not know from where this new wave of allies had come from, but he really was grateful for their support. Nevertheless, coordinating between them and discussing an alliance with so many people was still really tiring.

Sighing deeply once again, Ping Nian wished that this mysterious, behind-the-scenes benefactor of his that all his allies spoke so highly of would just show up already and tell him what he wanted him to do. Worrying over this was causing his already heavy burden to weigh more on his shoulders.

A light breeze gusted in through the open window, blowing out the dying lamplight and leaving nothing but the radiance of the stars to illuminate the study.

An amused voice suddenly spoke into the room from the vicinity of the window, "Lord Ping, you look like you have a lot on your mind right now."

Ping Nian"s head shot up to gaze at the newly arrived person.

A sword suddenly whooshed out of nowhere, aiming for the intruder"s neck. But the blade was forced to halt mid-air as it impacted an invisible wind barrier, yet the weapon kept stubbornly straining against the shield.

Qinghe didn"t even turn his head to look at the hidden guard as he lifted a finger and flicked it lightly against the sword. With a loud, ringing sound, the blade shattered into jagged pieces from the place where Qinghe"s fingertip had impacted it.

In a casual tone, Qinghe said, "I"m not here to harm your master, I only want to bother him for a bit."

His mouth twitching, Ping Nian motioned for his hidden guards to withdraw.

In a disgruntled voice, Ping Nian queried, "Feng Qinghe, why are you here?"

In order to be recognized by Ping Nian, Qinghe had very considerately applied an appearance changing talisman onto himself once again, changing his face to that of the mildly handsome one he usually wore.

Blinking his eyes all wide and innocent, Qinghe replied, "I heard that there was a splendid fruit orchard nearby that supplied oranges to the imperial palace, so I went to get myself some of the fruits. But while I was heading there, I suddenly happened to notice that the venerable Lord Ping"s manor was just on the way. Truly, what a delightful coincidence! So I thought I"d just drop by to give my greetings."

Ping Nian remained unamused. "Are you the one who keeps sending all those people to swear allegiance to me?"

With a wide smile, Qinghe unhesitatingly nodded. "Yes. All you need to do is keep playing nice with them like you are doing now. I"ll tell you what instructions you should give them and you can take care of the rest easily enough."

Frowning, Ping Nian asked thunderously, "Just what are you planning, gathering so many prominent people in such an extravagant manner? What type of insidious scheme are you plotting using my name?!"

Letting out a light chuckle, Qinghe simply said, "Lord Ping, to prevent being caught unawares, you should prepare soon."

Not expecting this vague non-answer, Ping Nian scowled, "What do you mean? Just what should I prepare for?"

His lips curving up and his half-lidded eyes hiding sharp amus.e.m.e.nt, Qinghe opened his mouth and spoke four words with crisp distinction.

Shocked beyond belief, Ping Nian gaped at him disbelievingly.

Uncaring of the reaction his words had elicited, Qinghe laughed with his clear voice that flowed like moonlight and swept out the window, disappearing from sight.

Ping Nian slumped onto the desk, his mouth agape and eyes rounded. Then his body began shuddering with suppressed laughter. He really shouldn"t have underestimated this person that his Great Uncle Lu had spoken so highly of.

This man had really gone beyond expectations! They had only asked him to help the Ping household retain some prestige, but who would have known that he would go this far just to fulfill their request?!

Because when Ping Nian had asked what he should prepare for, the four words that Qinghe had answered him with were—to become the emperor.

...

Unfurling the list once more, Qinghe cheerfully noted that there was only one more person left to recruit before he could be a.s.sured that everything would go smoothly. But since it had already been a couple of days since he had last been back to their room in the palace, Qinghe was missing his lover terribly.

Deciding to leave this last person for later, Qinghe chose to head back for now.

After all, he didn"t want to keep his Xiang waiting for too long.