Witch God Abyss (Lily) - Chapter 4
The falcon circled twice and landed beside Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan lay down on the roof and asked, “Little General, when are you going back to Wubei? Don’t you miss Bujian Tian? I miss him already. I wonder if he’s lonely without me to play with.”
“You miss me?” A voice above whispered.
Shen Yuan sprang up, kicking off two tiles.
“Bujian Tian?”
Bujian Tian’s figure was already before her, crouching beside the falcon.
Bujian Tian wasn’t tall, shorter than Shen Yuan.
He looked like a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy.
His hair was short, tied up with the ends barely reaching his neck.
But his eyes held no childlike innocence, only cunning.
Dressed in black night-travel clothes, his face mask hung around his neck.
The falcon, massive in size, made Bujian Tian, crouching beside it, seem almost as tall.
Bujian Tian was, of course, not human but a wolf demon who didn’t even remember how many centuries old he was.
Shen Yuan muttered, “You scared me to death. When did you come to Zhongdu?”
“With you all.”
“How come I didn’t see you the whole way?”
“If you saw me, my skills would be too poor. Naturally, I came in secret, handling secret matters.”
Shen Yuan stood, crouching beside Bujian Tian.
“Heh, liar. There were no secret matters on this trip. I’d know. You just didn’t trust me Little General.”
Bujian Tian’s gray eyes shifted.
“You noticed something off about Jingtan too, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but I couldn’t pinpoint what.”
“She’s cultivating something on her body.”
“Eww…”
Shen Yuan made a disgusted face.
“What’s she cultivating?”
“Not something good. And she plans to let Zhao Beijin bring it into the palace.”
“She’s targeting the Emperor?”
“No, the crown princess hasn’t been chosen. Killing the Emperor now benefits her none. The target is likely the other two princesses.”
“I’ll tell the Master!” Shen Yuan said, about to leap down.
Bujian Tian grabbed her.
“Wen Li already knows.”
“Can Master handle it?” Shen Yuan asked.
“Hah, Wen Li can’t handle human hearts. But demons and ghosts? I’ve never seen him fail.”
Shen Yuan thought and asked, “Zhongdu’s prestigious sects cultivate gu?”
“That’s exactly why she had someone bring it to Zhongdu, so no one would suspect her.”
“So sinister. Little Princess Zhou won’t stand a chance against them in the palace…”
Bujian Tian said, “Zhao Beijin is tough, but Duan Yule from Yudong is on our side.”
Shen Yuan said, “But Master said he visited the Wood Clan in Yudong several times, and Li Mushang never met him.”
Bujian Tian explained, “Duan Yule’s grandmother is Duan Yuanhe.”
“I know.”
Bujian Tian continued, “Thirty years ago, His Majesty attacked Yudong, captured the Seventh Prince and his sons, but spared Yuanchong and Yuanhe. Wen Li also saved Yuanchong’s lover, Jiang Su.”
“Oh… Jiang Su, that sounds familiar.”
Shen Yuan recalled, “I remember now. On the way, in the booklet you gave me, it mentioned him—the scholar who wrote essays cursing His Majesty and the Holy Lord.”
“Right.”
Shen Yuan suddenly realized, “Right, the question His Majesty gave the three princesses is related to this!”
“What’s the question?”
“His Majesty asked, since a female emperor ascending is unprecedented, if ministers disobey or scholars write polemics cursing you, what should be done?”
“That was the greatest resistance he faced as a barbarian ascending the throne. Winning battles is easy; securing the empire is hard.”
“But why do I feel His Majesty cares especially about Jiang Su’s opinion?”
Bujian Tian said, “Jiang Su was raised with orthodox Confucian education. His views represent those of all scholars. Ministers can be killed or replaced, but scholars can’t be eradicated. Besides, scholars are the court’s foundation. An unstable foundation means an unstable empire.”
Shen Yuan listened, half-understanding, and asked, “Is Jiang Su’s view right or not?”
“I don’t understand the court. I only know that even Taoists accept same-s3x partners. But Jiang Su nearly killed himself because he read too many books…”
“Books can kill you?”
“He didn’t dare love. He’d rather die before his lover.”
Shen Yuan asked, “Die? Did the Master save him?”
“Sigh, not just saved… too well saved…”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
From the courtyard, Wen Li shouted, “Can’t you two chat inside?”
“Master, the air’s better up here, and the view’s great,” Shen Yuan retorted.
“No wonder Bujian Tian always squats on roofs.”
“Yuan, a girl like you, always on roofs—what propriety is that? Bujian Tian, get down here too!”
Bujian Tian shrugged, grinning.
“Oh, a crazy Taoist now lectures on etiquette… Should I tell your disciple about your behavior when you met the Holy Lord?”
Shen Yuan’s eyes lit up.
“Yes, tell me! I haven’t heard of it!”
“Bujian Tian!”
Wen Li’s blue mist rose, but Bujian Tian flipped and vanished…
The falcon followed, screeching and disappearing into the clouds…
Shen Yuan looked longingly at the sky.
“They’re so great…”
Shen Yuan leapt down from the roof.
“Master, that thing Jingtan’s cultivating…”
Wen Li walked into his room, saying, “Handled.”
“Wow, Master’s amazing. So what was it?”
Shen Yuan followed.
“You’ll know in two months.”
“Oh, still so secretive…”
Shen Yuan pulled out the arrow and handed it to her master.
“Master, how do I counter ‘Arrow Never Misses’?”
Wen Li looked at it and asked, “Where’d you get this?”
Shen Yuan lowered her head and recounted her trip to Prince Duan’s Mansion…
Wen Li sighed, “Reckless.”
He examined the arrow’s spell.
“This wasn’t created by Jingtan; she’s not skilled in attack. Though this spell doesn’t require core formation, it’s hard to master. But once mastered, the arrow can hit any enemy she’s seen—truly never missing.”
Shen Yuan craned her neck to see the spell.
“That powerful?”
Wen Li said, “It’s not that powerful yet. The trouble is, if magic is infused into the arrow, the spell could be adapted for common soldiers. On the battlefield, it’d be unstoppable.”
Shen Yuan grew anxious.
“Master, how do I counter it?”
“No rush. You have a year. Go back to your room and think it over.”
“Huh? Me? Fine…”
Shen Yuan took the arrow, started to leave, then stopped.
“Master, why didn’t you tell me you’re the National Master?”
“A mere title. Does it matter to you if I’m the National Master?”
“Well… I used to think it didn’t.”
Shen Yuan thought.
“But today in the palace, seeing you, your presence was different. No wonder everyone craves high positions, scheming to be officials or even emperor. In the court, it’s truly imposing.”
“Changed your mind after one palace visit? Didn’t you say you hate restrictions? Do you know how many rules the palace has?”
Shen Yuan immediately recalled the layers of clothes and endless rules, then asked, “Master, why don’t you wear court robes in the palace?”
“Thirty years ago, His Majesty asked me to be National Master. I didn’t agree and never truly managed the Imperial Observatory. These years, I only presided over imperial rituals. I’ve been in Yudong and Wubei for over twenty years, so it’s just a title.”
Shen Yuan didn’t see it that way.
“His Majesty grew up under your watch. He won’t care if you skip the rules.”
“The court doesn’t work that way. Especially in the future, if Little Princess Zhou becomes crown princess, you’ll be the next National Master. Every rule must be followed.”
“Ah…”
Shen Yuan wailed.
“Master, my feelings are so complicated now. Zhongdu is too complex. My head hurts. I’ll go study spells—that’s what I’m good at.”
Wen Li laughed.
“You’ll have plenty more headaches in the future.”
Prince Duan’s Mansion, northern courtyard, Zhao Beijin’s quarters.
Fu Fengli followed Zhao Beijin to the study in the northern courtyard.
Zhao Beijin pulled a small scroll from her bosom.
“I just learned from Father. Though the Divine Sect is far in Wubei, National Master Wen Li is its Sect Leader.”
“Isn’t Bujian Tian running the Divine Sect?”
Fu Fengli looked at the scroll’s intelligence.
“So, National Master Wen Li is Shen Yuan’s master?”
Zhao Beijin said, “Yes. My mother sent people to investigate several times. We thought Bujian Tian was Shen Yuan’s master, but though his magic is strong, he doesn’t use Taoist spells or arrays. We assumed he was hiding his strength.”
Fu Fengli said, “I see. My senior brother said Bujian Tian’s magic is robust, his skills exceptional, but in several encounters, he never used Taoist spells or arrays.”
Zhao Beijin asked, “What did the National Master say outside the hall today? Tell me every word.”
Fu Fengli recounted the entire process in detail.
Zhao Beijin tapped the desk lightly, listening carefully.
“So, only after Shen Yuan announced herself, the National Master said nothing.”
Fu Fengli replied, “Yes. Just ‘Next.’”
“Hmph. He spoke of the Wind Sect and Wood Clan but not the Divine Sect, which controls water. And Shen Yuan—what an arrogant name, like a god at the abyss’ edge, no retreat. It seems this intelligence is correct.”
“But the National Master resides in Yudong? He only returned to Zhongdu these past two years. We thought he’d allied with Li Mushang, so we didn’t guard against Shen Yuan. No wonder Li Mushang held back today—she was probing Shen Yuan too?”
“Yes, and she was probing you. We know little about the Wood Clan, but Li Mushang keeps herself isolated and knows little about other sects.”
Zhao Beijin continued, “This next year is critical. With three sects in Zhongdu, it’s a perfect chance to spy on each other.”
Fu Fengli said, “The Emperor is cunning, inviting those two sects here to make us enemies.”
“After a year, when the crown princess is chosen, no matter who it is…” Zhao Beijin’s voice lowered.
Fu Fengli nodded, whispering, “Understood.”
Seventh Prince’s Mansion, Duan Yule’s chambers.
Li Mushang looked at the question on the paper.
“Unfair. Zhao Beijin is sixteen, Zhou Yizhi is eleven. You’re only six. Even studying in the palace for a year, you might not answer this question.”
Duan Yule, six years old and unable to read, didn’t even know what the question was.
“His Majesty said this question tests not knowledge, nor strategy, nor policy, but the heart.”
“The heart?”
“Yes, His Majesty said you can answer with one word, as long as you follow your heart’s choice and give a reason.”
Li Mushang asked, “Reason?”
“The reason for killing or sparing.”
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