Chapter 5: Boiled Wine
All these years, Shen Xuan had wanted to extract the secrets of these people from Lin Zhujiu.
Lin Zhujiu had been recognized as the strategic advisor of Ba Mountain Sword Field. He had set up many matters, even though that person’s death and the betrayal of many people caused the state of affair to fall into uncontrollable chaos.
But everyone still believed he had control of some things, and preserved some of that person’s things. He himself was a treasure h.o.a.rd.
But when Lin Zhujiu told him these things, Shen Xuan felt colder all over, even colder than Lin Zhujiu who was in the dark waters.
“The palace attendant who has followed Zheng Xiu for many years and never betrayed her is dead.
“Liang Lian, who helped her kill many dissidents, is dead.
“Xu Fenqin, who a.s.sa.s.sinated many people for her secretly, is dead.
“You are also someone close to her. You feel you can escape such an ending?”
Seeing Shen Xuan silent, Lin Zhujiu gave a small smile. “You want to know my secrets. But if I speak my secrets, are you sure you dare to hear them?”
Shen Xuan slowly looked up at Lin Zhujiu in the center of the water and did not speak. Then, he turned and walked away.
“Either die for secrets or stay here forever and never see the sun again like the criminals here.”
Lin Zhujiu looked up at his back and said, “You want to leave here and take the place of some people outside. Not unless I also leave here.”
Shen Xuan did not respond at all. He silently walked out of the innermost cell, and thought for a long time standing by a metal bridge. He knew that some of Lin Zhujiu’s words were an attack on the heart, but he also knew that some of Lin Zhujiu’s words were correct.
“You should believe this. The Nine Death Silkworm has never been defeated. w.a.n.g Jingmeng was defeated because he believed in Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu.”
“But now, the Nine Death Silkworm is still here. The targets are now Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu. You are sure that Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu will win in the end?”
Lin Zhujiu’s voice sounded again.
Lin Zhujiu’s voice had never been so loud as it pa.s.sed through to his ears from the deepest cell.
“My promise is more effective than Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu. Do you want to listen to my promise?”
**
Ye Zhengnan sat on the stairs of the medical clinic. A carriage appeared in his sight, his eyes suddenly became alert.
Yet when this carriage stopped, and he sensed the dark and rotting presence coming off the person who walked out, his wariness turned into shock and reverence. He did not speak, just stood up and moved out of the way with his head bowed.
This person could not be stopped. He could not stop the other.
This person was the bureau chief of Divinity Bureau.
Even in summer, Bureau Chief Chen came out of the humid carriage in thick robes. The robes were red, but they could not conceal his ashen complexion.
The dark and rotten presence spread inside the clinic as he walked until it reached Ding Ning’s room.
Sensing this presence, Ding Ning was in slight discomfort. He coughed, but still struggled up and grabbed a cushion to lean on, waiting for this bureau chief to arrive.
Bureau Chief Chen ordered the two doctors guarding the door to open the door and then indicated for them to stay away.
He slowly pushed open the door. When he took a few steps in and saw the youth on the bed with his unchanging expression, his eyebrows rose slightly. He believed the other knew his ident.i.ty, but the youth still had a calm expression, so calm he could not see any emotions.
So he did not waste words and said, “I come to see you for a routine inspection.”
“Many things have happened in Changling, including you killing that palace attendant. So I must come to see you as a matter of routine.” After a slight pause, he looked at Ding Ning and continued. “I must guarantee that there are no problems with you. If I guess correctly, Wen Houling will come see you next.”
Ding Ning nodded and said, “As Bureau Chief pleases.”
Bureau Chief Chen nodded. The rotten odour in the air suddenly grew stronger, and some mildew spots appeared in shadowed corners. An extremely unpleasant presence came off of the man and fell on Ding Ning.
He felt carefully. Dozens of breaths later, he nodded.
The mildew in the dark corners of the room quickly dried up into a layer of grey-white dust.
“This method is really wonderful. As expected of the number one in the world,” he said and turned, preparing to leave.
Ding Ning looked oddly at him and said, “How are you sure it is me?”
Bureau Chief Chen did not look back and said in a cool voice, “I understand Ye Celeng.”
Ding Ning frowned slightly and said, “Why help me?”
Bureau Chief Chen had already walked out of the room. He looked up at the sky and said, “I am only helping Ye Celeng.”
“It is more than that.” Ding Ning shook his head and said, “Otherwise, with your cultivation … Bai Shanshui could not have escaped that day.”
Bureau Chief Chen stilled. He knew that the other had learned his true cultivation from the presence he had just displayed. He shook his head and a mocking smile appeared on his lips. “That is still to help her and myself. Changling needs some powerful enemies. Otherwise, there is no meaning in our existence.”
Ding Ning also smiled mockingly. “It appears that she and Yuanwu being too strong is displeasing to people.”
“One mountain cannot hold many tigers.” Bureau Chief Chen continued to walk and said calmly, “The strongest emperors in history, those that open new worlds, will not have many people close to themselves by the end, only people who looked up and see their toes. This is a natural process. Even though that person is dead, the thoughts of destroying the six dynasties, creating one unified country and making a dynasty for ten thousand years have never stopped. When ambition is enough to kill their most beloved, to kill their friends, then the ambition cannot be stopped.”
Ding Ning said after some silence, “People always hope to put their thoughts above everyone else’s thoughts.”
Bureau Chief Chen did not speak as his figure disappeared from the courtyard.
“The heavenly mandate is in Changling because Changling has many astounding experts … but Changling is the hardest to manage because there are too many smart experts …”
Ding Ning thought of the words and laughed somewhat bitterly.
Actually, what was needed the most now was to go with the flow. Yet some people always wanted to twist nature.
In a small quiet courtyard, the tea stove was cooking wine. Boiled wine was the strongest.
So Bai Shanshui looked at Ye Celeng who put down the winecup in front of the stove like she was looking at a lunatic.
Ye Celeng’s face was exceptionally red, and a flush that usually did not appear, one that only appeared during her youth, came onto her face. So she looked like a lunatic.
“This is wedding wine.”
Ye Celeng was slightly drunk. She looked slightly blearily at Bai Shanshui and said, “He told you the Great Floating Water Prison still lacks a realm seven. We have all we need.”
Bai Shanshui stilled.
Then her face also flushed as well. She smiled, and reached out to a winecup. After drinking the heated strong wine, she felt a line of fire burn in her body. Her personality was bold to start with and she praised. “Strong as expected, so delicious.”
Ye Celeng gave a dimpled smile and said, “This is how that person drank with them when he was in Changling.”
Bai Shanshui stilled. “I have to admire that.”
Ye Celeng laughed out loud.
Bai Shanshui could not help her curiosity and asked, “Who is that realm seven?”
Ye Celeng looked at her and said, “An orphan girl from Fish Market.”
Bai Shanshui praised again. “Really wonderful.”