Chapter 466: A Royal Decree 11
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Si Jin stayed in the room for a long time. He surmised that he could not stay here any longer. The consumption of his spiritual energy had been overly severe the last time and he had to return to the spiritual spring in the upper reaches of the Jiuli River to recuperate for some time so that he could appear in a human form in front of her again. Otherwise, he would gradually revert into a fish if this continued…
Thinking about this, Si Jin was a little depressed, but there was no other choice.
He locked himself in the room the entire day and did not come out. Although Qi Qingyao found it weird, he was still a young boy so it was likely that there were some thoughts and changes that he would have to go through alone because of p.u.b.erty.
So she did not question it much and simply planned to drag him out if he still did not come out the next day.
Night.
Si Jin had put on a black cloak and hood; he wrapped himself up completely in black.
Behaving like a human, he carried a small bundle which carried some trinkets that Qi Qingyao had bought for him, such as the dagger inlaid with jewels and the small carp purse embroidered by Qi Qingyao herself.
After leaving the courtyard with his small bundle, the servants who were on night duty were a little shocked when they saw Si Jin all wrapped in black clothes, but they did not dare ask him questions.
Si Jin walked all the way to the door of Steward Zhang’s room and knocked on it.
Steward Zhang opened the door.
He realized that the person clad in black was Si Jin and hurriedly saluted him.
Si Jin’s face was shrouded in darkness underneath the hood. He said a little dully, “Steward Zhang, I have something to do and will be away for some time.”
“Ah. Master you…” Is he leaving? He was leaving now? Steward Zhang remembered the large number of major events that happened to the Missus when he left last time.
Si Jin could not explain too much, so he said, “I am going back to my hometown.”
“Have you informed Missus?” Steward Zhang asked somewhat cautiously.
Si Jin stammered, “I…anyhow, you tell her, I’ll be back soon.”
“Understood.” It seemed that he did not bid Missus goodbye. As for his reason, if Master Si Jin did not intend to tell Qi Qingyao he was leaving, it definitely was a reason that he could not share.
Steward Zhang could not report to Qi Qingyao at this time either.
So, he decided to personally see off Si Jin at the door. Si Jin told him there was no need.
Steward Zhang was shocked.
Did he not want to leave?
For him to not allow someone to send him off. Was it because he did not need to be seen off or…
Si Jin snorted. “I do not want the people outside who have their eyes on this mansion to know that I’m leaving, so…” After saying that, a particularly calm smile appeared on the corners of the mouth under the hood. Immediately after that, he released a powerful force.
In the blink of an eye, Steward Zhang could feel that the youth who was cloaked in black in front of him had instantly disappeared.
Steward Zhang was surprised.
It was like he met a ghost.
He reached his hand out and grabbed the s.p.a.ce in front of him.
He did not feel anything.
Steward Zhang was so frightened he gulped. He was insanely scared. He wanted to scream out loud but immediately recalled that this was how the youth abruptly appeared the last time…
Could this be the power of someone who was above grand masters.h.i.+p?
Steward Zhang pinched his thigh forcefully. Ascertaining that he was not dreaming, he hurriedly ran toward Qi Qingyao’s courtyard. The moment he arrived, Steward Zhang knocked on the door loudly.
Qi Qingyao had not gone to sleep yet. She was also shocked by the unexpected knocking.
She went over and opened the door.
Steward Zhang was panting heavily from running and said, “Missus, Master Si Jin just asked me to inform you that had to leave for his hometown…”
“What and what?” ?? Return to what hometown? Did Si Jin not have a hometown?
Steward Zhang shook his head and collected himself before replying, “That’s what I said. Master Si Jin wants to leave for a while and told me to tell you that. I even saw the master carrying a bundle.’
“…” Qi Qingyao was stunned.
Immediately, Steward Zhang repeated what Si Jin told him word for word and then described the situation when Si Jin disappeared.
Qi Qingyao was panic-stricken. “Alright, I understand.”
She waved her hand and dismissed Steward Zhang.
After Steward Zhang left, Qi Qingyao closed the door and returned to her room with a feigned calmness. Her heart was not actually at peace, however.
She contemplated her current situation for a bit and decided to quickly look for Lu Yan and discuss it with him.
Exiting the room, she made her way to Lu Yan’s courtyard.
Lu Yan was currently still looking at ledgers. When the door was opened, he noted that her expression looked serious and knew something had happened.
He invited her in and asked the little maid to pour them tea.
Tea and refreshments were soon served.
Without waiting for Lu Yan to question her, Qi Qingyao took the initiative and said, “Si Jin left again.”
Lu Yan nodded.
Qi Qingyao repeated what Steward Zhang told her to Lu Yan word for word.
After listening to everything, he finally said, “He likely did not bid you farewell because he was afraid it would make him reluctant to leave…”
Qi Qingyao was silent for a moment. “But he doesn’t have a hometown at all.”
“Which meant that he had lied to you before,” Lu Yan pointed out.
Qi Qingyao was silent. “…”
Lu Yan picked up the teacup but had no intention to drink the tea. “If his power is really above a grand master’s, then it’s possible he learned that the people of his hometown were in danger through some abnormal method of his. Or maybe he has personal matters that require him to make a trip back.”
Personal matters? Hometown? These words formed an image in Qi Qingyao’s heart…
“Little Yan, Gu Shanshan went out of her way to come looking for me before she left. She told me a theory she had.”
“Go on,” said Lu Yan.
Qi Qingyao said, “She told me that she received a missive from Eastern Ling summoning her to return. It also said that some people in Eastern Ling are guessing that Si Jin belongs to the Ghost Organization. It even claims that only the Ghost Organization’s resources could cultivate a powerhouse who exceeds grand masters.’
“I didn’t even think of this.” Lu Yan’s hand trembled and the teacup in his hand almost dropped onto the floor. Fortunately, his reflexes were quick and he caught it. He put the teacup on the table and said, “The talents of Eastern Ling are truly prolific. To think they’re even able to think about something like this.”
Qi Qingyao was sullen. “I was just sharing what I heard but how did it end up with you seemingly agreeing with them.”
Lu Yan said calmly, “You had no choice but to share this and the trajectory of their theory seems very reasonable. Is it not?”
Qi Qingyao shook her head. “…I don’t think it’s possible, but he’s disappeared all of a sudden now. This is too weird.”
“It’s not just weird, it’s extremely bizarre.” Lu Yan brought up the other matter evenly. “You might not know of the Ghost Organization’s reputation on the continent, but as the saying goes, when our enemies are in the light, we in the dark are able to pivot against them without their knowing. The four nations are in the light and the Ghost Organization is in the dark. I think the w.a.n.gyue Administration has long infiltrated the families of the imperial palace and the officials of the four major nations. Few people can escape their infiltration so the problem arises. In such a situation, the four major nations do not actually have anyone who is able to locate the Ghost Organization or even Wushuang City. It is this mysteriousness that led to the growth in power of the Ghost Organization.”
“I suddenly have the strangest feeling,” Qi Qingyao muttered to herself after listening to what he said.
Lu Yan said, “Speak.”
Qi Qingyao said, “This Ghost Organization you all speak of is powerful and mysterious. It feels like it is not so much an organization as it is a religion.”
“What do you mean?” Lu Yan frowned.
Qi Qingyao shook her head, her gaze deep and quiet. “Based on what you said, n.o.body knows where Wushuang City resides and neither does anyone who knows where the Ghost Organization is.”
“Yes…” Was there a problem with this?
“Are you telling me you guys are so stupid that you’ve never caught a planted agent and properly interrogated or tortured them for information?” As soon as Qi Qingyao said this, Lu Yan tried to answer, but she interrupted him. “You don’t have to be in a hurry to answer me. The answer, I think, is that torture had been done to extort information but these people were tough as nails and would rather die than give in. Under high pressure and heavy torture, they chose to commit suicide or be tortured to death without revealing even half of their secrets about the Ghost Organization. Therefore, the four major nations were unable to obtain any important information about the Ghost Organization.”
“More or less.” She was not wrong.
Qi Qingyao continued, “There is also another possibility. You mentioned that the Pili Hall exists within the Ghost Organization and they seem to be in charge of extorting information through torture and quelling rebellions. So here is where a serious problem crops up. These people might not be tough to begin with, but if they reveal the secrets of the Ghost Organization, they would be hunted and killed by the Xuanwu Administration, or be imprisoned till death by the Pili Hall! It’s a situation where the ending always ends in death, so they would naturally choose to keep secrets.”
“About this…someone had indeed discussed it before.” The courts of the various nations had definitely discussed it too…
Qi Qingyao suddenly smiled a little strangely. “The last possibility is what I mentioned—religious belief.”
“??” Lu Yan looked at her curiously.
Qi Qingyao said in a leisurely tone, “n.o.body would be able to endure intense torture even if they were typically the type to keep their mouths shut. There will always be someone with a weaker will who would break down during torture and reveal something. But in the end there is nothing. So I was thinking that it’s not as simple as they would rather die than surrender. We have to use a dialectical approach to the problem.” After a pause, she narrowed her eyes and said, “You call it a Ghost Organization, but I prefer to call it a nameless religious sect.”
“A religious sect…” Was it something like Buddhism? However, it was the Ghost Organization.
Qi Qingyao nodded. “After entering the organization, they would first brainwash everyone with specialized psychological hints. Especially since the Ghost Organization is so mysterious and powerful, this adds some sense of religiousness. This huge underground empire naturally turns all their partic.i.p.ants into fanatical converts.”
“What are fanatical converts?” asked Lu Yan.
Qi Qingyao racked her brains for a bit and said, “They’re basically people who have been starving, and the moment they get food, they devour it till the point they die. They are people who have never been trusted, and once they receive proper trust, they’re willing to walk through fire for them. They are those who have just reached the tiger’s mouth of the capital but we’re then unreasonably excluded. They are those who think that they are superior and would take the initiative to attack even when no one provokes them…”
“Even though these metaphors are outrageous, they are very real. You are referring to when extreme needs are being met.” Was this the reason why the Ghost Organization only recruited orphans from all around the world? Those orphans who have been redeemed and given the warmth of a home, and who willingly worked for the ghost organization ever since.
“More or less. These people will think that they are not paying them back enough, and so a kind of emotional overflow occurs. They feel they must do something, with the intention of repaying their savior. All they could do in this case was to be resolutely loyal and exclude people outside the organization completely.”
Qi Qingyao shrugged and said calmly, “Moreover, the Ghost Organization should have already established a complete set of rules of conduct to educate their believers.”
Lu Yan looked at her as she spoke with fervor and a.s.surance. He once again thought of her past.
How was she supposed to be a fool with how knowledgeable she was!!
Then again, did she conduct some specified research into religion?
Lu Yan was a little puzzled.
Qi Qingyao noticed that Lu Yan was looking at her with a scrutinizing gaze and knew she said a little too much.
She had been an undercover agent in the past and, naturally, she had done some research into organizational behavior and social psychology.
Their leader had said that they were afraid that their undercover agents might incite a defection… So they had to master this knowledge to prevent themselves from being brainwashed!
Si Jin…
Si Jin did not seem like someone from the Ghost Organization.