Chapter 84

When Helian Cheng spoke of Helian Yong, his eyes showed not only disappointment but also anger, and his voice was deep: "He should know that even if he really killed someone and took out their heart, we will never let him have his way."

“He knows.” Those involved are often blinded, while bystanders see things clearly. Xue Jin’an, not being an insider, could not see things clearly, and he never hesitated to assume the worst about Helian Yong.

Helian Yong's killing of people and taking their hearts may have been driven by a sliver of wishful thinking, believing that the dead should not have died in vain and that his heart could be used to save his own life. However, more than that, it was an act of revenge, a way of indiscriminately attacking innocent and vulnerable groups because he himself could not survive.

Yes, he clearly harbored hatred and resentment, but he dared not lay a hand on Helian Cheng, Xue Jin'an, or Doctor Chang. Instead, he chose an inconspicuous soldier.

Humanity has a set of summaries for this, which Xue Jin'an pulled from his memory: "The brave are angry and draw their swords against the stronger; the cowardly are angry and draw their swords against the weaker."

Helian Cheng was slightly taken aback, a brief, small smile appearing on his dejected face as he praised, "That's very well said."

"This isn't what I said," Xue Jin'an said, revealing the original author of the quote—the name of a famous writer from the Republic of China era.

Helian Cheng had long forgotten the literary knowledge he had learned under the pressure of his father. He had also spent too long at the border and knew little about the literati of Daqi. He was not surprised to hear unfamiliar names and even sincerely praised them before getting down to business.

Helian Cheng specifically called Xue Jin'an aside to talk about what happened last night, mainly because he wanted Xue Jin'an to be the arbiter in this case.

Helian Yong's actions have crossed Helian Cheng's bottom line. Helian Cheng will not protect him and will even punish him more severely because of their past relationship. Helian Yong is doomed to die.

Moreover, Helian Cheng will also disclose the details of the case to the entire Northwest Army, which means that the entire process of the case, from trial to judgment, must be reasonable, legal, open, and transparent.

Of course, Helian Cheng was a person who was strict with others and even stricter with himself. After the incident, he wrote a memorial of apology overnight, which would appear on the emperor's desk in less than five days and would become evidence for the court and political parties to attack him. Although Helian Cheng was far away in the Northwest, there were many people watching him, all waiting for him to make a mistake so that they could take away the power of the Northwest Army in his hands.

One can only imagine how lively the court will be five days from now. Xue Jin'an noted down the time and even set an alarm, eagerly awaiting the dramatic turn of events at the morning court.

There was still time to wait for the emperor's reply, but Helian Cheng did not let himself off the hook. He punished himself with thirty strokes of the military rod, and no amount of persuasion could change his mind. He also quickly completed half of the mission's progress.

The reason it was only half was because February was the Emperor's birthday, and envoys from all sides would soon be going to the capital to congratulate the Emperor. Qizhou, as the gateway to the Great Qi, was a necessary passage for the Rongdi, Western Regions, and even the Russian Empire beyond the desert to reach the capital.

As for the Rongdi and the Western Regions, the former are basically enemies, and the latter are all small vassal states. Daqi doesn't need to be too polite to them. However, the Russian Empire is the hegemon in the north and a country on equal footing with Daqi. There is also a fifty-year peace treaty between the two sides, making them true friendly neighbors and allies. If their envoys come to the capital, Helian Cheng must send someone to escort them. If necessary, he can even go to the capital with them.

In short, at this critical juncture when the envoys were about to enter the pass, Helian Cheng had to do everything in his power to ensure the safety of the envoys and their gifts, which is why he had them beaten with military rods in batches.

One reason why Helian Cheng was so ruthless to himself was his relationship with Helian Yong. As the saying goes, "If a son is not taught, it is the father's fault," and he had to take responsibility for not teaching his son well. The second reason was that after receiving Xue Jin'an's warning, he did not immediately strengthen his supervision of Helian Yong. Although he arrived in time to stop Helian Yong from taking action, the crime of harming his comrades would not be forgiven just because the outcome was a failure.

Helian Cheng had been reflecting on the incident ever since it happened. He realized that he had ultimately been mindful of his friendship with Helian Yong, which almost led to the tragedy.

"No wonder you smell faintly of blood." Xue Jin'an thought it was from Helian Yong, but it turned out to be from injuries sustained from being beaten with military rods.

While court floggings can be staged, military rods are different, especially those of the Northwest Army. They are made with rods the size of bowls, and the blows are real. A few blows will leave the skin torn and bleeding. Fifteen may not sound like much, but if you really beat someone like that, even Helian Cheng would need a while to recover.

“You are the best commander of the Northwest Army, and you have the authority to handle this matter entirely.” Xue Jin’an believed that Helian Cheng would not show favoritism and would be able to handle the matter well.

Helian Cheng shook his head. "After all, I am his master and godfather. I have paid homage to his ancestors and am listed in the family genealogy. According to the law, I should voluntarily avoid participating in the trial of the case."

Xue Jin'an said "Oh" to indicate that he understood. The principle of kinship avoidance in law has existed since the Western Han Dynasty and is still widely used today. For example, in the imperial examination in March, if a family member has a nephew or apprentice taking the exam, the official cannot hold important positions such as setting questions or grading papers.

This year's imperial examinations are a relief for the students. Cui Zhuo from the Cui family is participating, and Cui Pengfei, as a relative, must recuse himself. Otherwise, the people from the Ministry of Rites will definitely refer to the famous "Perfect Prince's" examination questions that have been circulating in the capital.

“I can see that you have neither ill feelings nor good feelings towards Helian Yong. You treat him like a stranger, and it’s always been him who is hostile to you. I believe in your abilities.”

There's another point Helian Cheng didn't mention: no one could provoke Helian Yong's emotions; he simply pursed his lips and pretended to be deaf and dumb, making it impossible to pry him open his mouth.

After much thought, Helian Cheng realized that his most intense emotions came from seeing Xue Jin'an yesterday.

"Please." Helian Town said seriously.

"Alright." Xue Jin'an didn't understand why Helian Yong had so many feelings towards him, but since he had already been asked to do this, it wouldn't be a problem for him to take a look.

As it turns out, Helian Cheng did know a little about his adopted son.

Helian Yong was still in that remote tent, but his treatment today was different from yesterday. His hands and feet were shackled, all the furniture was removed, and the carpet on the floor was taken away. He could only sit on the cold ground, shivering from the cold, his cheeks and lips white.

When they entered, Doctor Chang was also there, squatting in front of Helian Yong, earnestly persuading him not to remain silent and to cooperate with the interrogation and give a proper account. Behind him was a soldier holding paper and pen, but no words were left on the paper.

No matter who came or what they said, Helian Yong just stayed there curled up without saying a word.

Upon seeing Xue Jin'an enter, his gaze immediately fixed on her, the negative emotions emanating from him so intense that Xue Jin'an could discern a portion of them.

"Heh, did you come here to laugh at me? Are you very pleased and happy to see me in such a sorry state?" Helian Yong said in a hoarse, cracked voice, his expression mocking.

Upon hearing this, Xue Jin'an tilted his head, genuinely puzzled, and asked, "Why should I be happy because you're so proud?"

Xue Jin'an never took Helian Yong seriously; he never let go of this person in his eyes.

Helian Yong was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then flew into a rage. He became extremely agitated and suddenly sprang to his feet. His eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was ferocious and twisted. "It's all your fault! It's all your fault! You ruined my life! You ruined everything I have! You should die! Why don't you just die?!"

He uttered foul and offensive words, all of which were vulgarities circulating in the streets and were simply unbearable to hear.

"Helian Yong!" Helian Cheng, who had originally decided to avoid the conversation, had no choice but to interrupt. His face was extremely ugly, and he warned in a stern tone, "Don't continue with your foul language and ungrateful behavior, you—"

Helian Yong, however, completely disregarded everything and interrupted him sharply: "Do you think I don't know anything? The person you truly favor is him!"

“Clearly, I am your apprentice, I am your adopted son. Everyone said I would inherit your mantle, I would become the next commander of the Northwest Army, a junior general of the Northwest Army… But what was the result? You were never satisfied with me, you only praised him, praised him for doing everything better than me, and said I was inferior to him…”

"How many times have you said in private that it would be great if he were the one chosen? I heard it all! If you didn't want me at all, why did you take me as your apprentice? And then you even wanted to adopt me as your godson..."

"And the name 'Yong' (庸), the name you gave me, how ridiculous! You thought I was worthless from the start, so why did you choose me? You lifted me up to the clouds and then let me fall and shatter into pieces. Isn't that what you wanted to see? Well then, I'll show you how badly I can fall. Are you satisfied now?"

Helian Yong criticized everything that had happened to him, blaming heaven, earth, and everything else. Finally, he shouted, "No matter how hard I try, you can't see it. I've become like this because you all forced me to!"

After he finished venting his anger, only his panting breaths could be heard in the tent.

Helian Cheng looked at him silently, his eyes reddening, but he ultimately said nothing. He simply stepped back, giving Xue Jin'an space, demonstrating his compliance with the law and relinquishing all initiative.

Instead, it was Doctor Chang who stood up and looked at Helian Yong with a cold expression. The anger and disappointment surging in his heart finally turned into one sentence: "Just because you shout doesn't mean you're right. No one has ever wronged you. If it weren't for Helian Cheng, you would have been dead long ago."

Doctor Chang had treated Helian Yong's health before, so he knew best what Helian Yong's condition was like at the time. If Helian Cheng hadn't taken him in as a disciple, he wouldn't have survived the winter.

With a clang, Doctor Chang threw the dagger he had hidden in his sleeve to the ground. It was a habit he had developed after being tricked by Helian Yong last time.

Dr. Chang said coldly, "Since you think we're all wrong, then you can leave with a clear conscience."

Helian Yong stared at the gleaming dagger, his shoulders hunching slightly. "You want me to kill myself?" he asked incredulously.

"I know you wouldn't dare," Doctor Chang said with a sneer. "If you really picked up the dagger and stabbed yourself to death, I might think more highly of you."

Even at this moment, Doctor Chang still showed some compassion. He knew that if Helian Yong died now, it would be the most painless thing for him, and every day afterward would be more painful than now.

Did Helian Yong dare to die? Was he willing to accept it? Of course not. He wanted to stand up for himself, but his outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and he hastily withdrew it.

Dr. Chang's expression was one of utter sarcasm, as if he had just expected it. He chuckled and, too lazy to even look at him again, turned and left.

Xue Jin'an walked forward slowly, picked up the dagger, played with it in his hand, and suddenly twisted his wrist, stabbing the dagger directly into his heart.

Helian Yong gripped his wrist tightly, preventing the knife tip pressed against his chest from getting any closer. His lips trembled, and his expression betrayed his fear. "Long Aotian, are you going to kill me?!"

"Yes, if you don't confess honestly, I'll have you executed by slow slicing." Xue Jin'an tossed the dagger into his other hand and waved it around, saying calmly, "Want to experience what it feels like to have your flesh cut off piece by piece?"

"Don't worry, my hands are very steady. You definitely won't die before I slice all your flesh off," Xue Jin'an said, giving him a friendly, standard smile.

Helian Yong turned pale and shuddered.

*

The subsequent interrogation went smoothly. In fact, Helian Yong had been keeping an eye on Long Aotian ever since he first came to Helian Cheng's side.

At the time, the entire Northwest Army was spreading rumors that Helian Cheng was looking for the next successor of the Northwest Army. Helian Yong, who was chosen to be by his side, was naturally delighted and would also pay attention to the people with him, regarding them as rivals.

However, Helian Yong was in poor health and was still a greenhorn, so he couldn't keep up with the training of Helian Cheng's personal guard. At that time, he was ignorant and fearless, thinking that he was no worse than Long Aotian.

Needless to say, he overheard Helian Cheng and Doctor Chang's conversation and realized that in their eyes, he was no match for Long Aotian at all.

Helian Yong had overheard many conversations and inquired about Long Aotian from many people, but had not obtained any concrete information. He then secretly went to look through Helian Cheng's booklet that recorded the information of the new recruits...

"The more I understand you, the more terrified I become, terrified that you will take everything away from me. My mentality begins to become unbalanced, and without realizing it, I have begun to hate you." Helian Yong twitched the corner of his mouth, as if he wanted to laugh, but it was unclear whether it was self-mockery or something else.

He then laid out his mistakes in a straightforward manner—yes, he still believes that he only made mistakes, and he even analyzed his thoughts in detail, trying to give his behavior a reasonable label.

This completely disappointed Helian Cheng, making him realize that this person was beyond saving.

Xue Jin'an's final verdict was execution in three months.

In the first month of the lunar calendar, the procedures were to be followed. Helian Cheng wanted to make a big deal out of this case and set an example for others. So, the case had to be reported up the chain of command. Only after the capital stamped the case report could the verdict be executed. By the time the report was issued, it would be around February. February was the emperor's birthday, and it was not appropriate to see bloodshed. Although Xue Jin'an didn't think it was a big deal, it was a matter for the Northwest Army, so it was still necessary to be discreet.

March is a good time, as the Gu worms inside Helian Yong's body should be fully mature and ready to break free of their cocoons. He will experience the physical pain and the fear of impending death. Perhaps only then will he realize where he went wrong.

After Xue Jin'an delivered the verdict and Helian Cheng confirmed its accuracy, he left without looking at Helian Yong again.

Helian Cheng made one last eye contact with Helian Yong, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Those who have no merit dare not occupy high positions. This is the origin of your name."

This means that those who have not made contributions should not be placed in high positions or enjoy generous salaries. This was Helian Cheng's earnest advice to him, as well as his high expectations for him.

Unfortunately, he was ultimately let down.

Helian Cheng ignored his expression and simply said, "Take care of yourself."

Helian Cheng walked out of the tent and saw Doctor Chang and Xue Jin'an standing not far away, so he walked over.

He spoke first to Xue Jin'an, "I'm sorry, it's my fault for not teaching him well. You don't need to take his words to heart. You're not wrong, it's his own problem."

Helian Cheng was referring to Helian Yong's strange and absurd remarks earlier. He wouldn't normally say something like that, but since someone had already lost their composure and ruined their life, he was worried that Long Aotian, being young, might take those words to heart.

Long Aotian was originally a ghost, and it would be terrible if a ghost had too many negative emotions and became a vengeful ghost.

It's not that he's afraid Long Aotian will harm people like Helian Yong. To be honest, that method is too low-level. Helian Cheng is still not very willing to admit it. He thinks that if Long Aotian becomes a vengeful ghost and opposes humans, he will definitely form a ghost army to conquer cities and territories and unify the Yin and Yang realms, rather than just engaging in petty gains and losses.

In response to Helian Cheng's words, Xue Jin'an replied confidently, "Of course I'm not wrong."

"Even without me, the despicable are still despicable. You misjudged him and ruined the Northwest Army." The exact details of Helian Cheng's death in the original text are unknown, but it is true that Helian Yong did a terrible job after becoming the new commander of the Northwest Army.

Helian Cheng lowered his head in remorse and admitted his mistake.

Dr. Chang couldn't help but sigh. With Helian Yong's fate settled, too many emotions welled up in his heart. He couldn't help but ask, "Tell me, is human nature inherently good or inherently evil?"

The Helian Yong he first met was not like this. He didn't know whether Helian Yong had hidden his true nature too well or whether, as Helian Yong said, his true nature had been eroded by his environment and he had become unrecognizable.

Helian Cheng and Doctor Chang were more inclined to believe the latter, so they both looked at Xue Jin'an.

Xue Jin'an wasn't interested in philosophical questions about humanity, so it was impossible for him to offer any opinions. He simply treated it as an essay topic, extracting relevant viewpoints that the novelist had expressed between the lines, and then stated a few of them, letting them judge for themselves.

Since he was just expressing his opinion or summarizing what others had said, and didn't actually need to write it into an article, the sentences he uttered were still quite fluent.

At first, Helian Cheng and Doctor Chang thought it was his own idea, but as they listened, they realized something was wrong. Why did his ideas keep changing, sometimes criticizing current affairs and making a profound impact, and sometimes starting strong but ending weakly and being childish and ridiculous?

Finally, they realized that Xue Jin'an was talking about someone else's opinion. They were amazed that Long Aotian was a literary genius with a photographic memory, and they were also quite amused and exasperated.

Dr. Chang made a gesture to stop him and said helplessly, "I want to hear your opinion."

“I have no objection,” Xue Jinan added after a pause. “This question is meaningless.”

Whether human nature is inherently good or evil has been a debate in Confucianism for thousands of years. Ultimately, human beings are complex and multifaceted. Birth, experiences, education, etc., can all have an impact on them. If even characters in novels are like this, how much more so real people?

In any case, Xue Jin'an had never understood those emotional changes in humans.

Xue Jin'an doesn't understand, nor will he force himself to understand; he only ever looks at the results.

Doctor Chang didn't understand Xue Jin'an's meaning at first, but Helian Cheng, with his pure heart, quickly figured it out.

Helian Cheng gave an example he could understand: "If a hypocrite does charity all his life, how can those who benefit from his kindness say he is not a good person? Similarly, if a chivalrous person robs the rich to help the poor and helps many ordinary people, how can he not be evil to those wealthy merchants who suffer unjustly?"

"I was being too attached to appearances." Doctor Chang suddenly realized and teased Xue Jin'an with a smile, "You have a very Taoist spirit. I'll have to set up a longevity tablet for you tomorrow so that you can achieve your goal of merit soon."

Dr. Chang thought he was a ghost, so these words were the best wishes he could receive.

Xue Jin'an was unaware of his thoughts. Before leaving, he suddenly remembered something. He took out a bamboo tube, which Fu Lu had made when he was at Qifeng Courtyard. Back then, they were so poor that they didn't even have all the necessary pots, pans, and utensils, so they had to make them themselves.

Fu Lu came to Zhaoyang Palace with a heavy heart. He had heard that his master was under house arrest and thought that life would be even more difficult. So he packed up all his junk and brought it with him. Unexpectedly, with Su Mama from the Empress Dowager's side in charge, Zhaoyang Palace was completely renewed inside and out. There was nothing lacking at all, and life was much better than in Qifeng Courtyard. They were so happy that they didn't want to leave.

Life at Zhaoyang Palace became much better, so these bamboo tubes naturally became useless, and Xue Jin'an just grabbed one and used it.

"Helian Yong will die before the Gu worm matures and breaks out of its cocoon. That Gu worm is only a little short of being able to break out of its cocoon, so it will definitely be unwilling to give up. There is a 74% chance that it will break out of its cocoon early and find a new host."

Xue Jin'an handed the bamboo tube to Doctor Chang, saying, "There's an attractant in here. The Gu worms will either go berserk or crawl inside."

The Soul-Separating Gu is quite rare; it might be useful in the future.

The attractant Xue Jin'an mentioned was the insect pheromone that had twice harmed the Third Prince. He took the cane and stained his fingers with the scent. He also knew the specific ingredients, so he found some spices with similar effects and tried to mix them, creating a low-grade version.

“Send this to Jiu Tian Yi in the capital, and I will have someone pick it up,” Xue Jin’an said.

As for why Xue Jin'an didn't allow the captured Gu worms to be delivered directly to him, it was because he couldn't use his magic to transfer living beings.

Doctor Chang also felt that the Gu worm was too hot to handle. When he heard Xue Jin'an's offer, he nodded without hesitation. His only thought was: "I didn't expect you to have acquaintances among ghosts in the capital. Your ghost connections are quite extensive."

"Boss Jiu Tian Yi is a human being." Xue Jin'an planned to have Cui Zui accept the package first, and then bring it into the palace later. This would be better than sending it directly to the palace.

Sending it directly to the palace would inevitably mean it would first reach the emperor, which would be too troublesome to explain. Xue Jin'an didn't want to say anything more to the useless emperor, so he would save himself the trouble.

Doctor Chang felt that Jiu Tianyi sounded familiar, but before he could remember what it was, he was surprised to hear this and said, "You actually know people in the capital? Could it be that when you were still alive, you were actually the son of an official in the capital?"

"I've never heard of anyone with the surname Long... Wait, I remember now, isn't Jiu Tianyi the one who played cards?" Gossip and entertainment spread the fastest in this world.

The playing cards are simple to make and easy to play, with virtually no learning curve, which naturally led to their rapid spread.

Previously, when the Rong and Di tribes attacked the city, some wealthy merchants, seeing the situation was not good, moved their entire families away. Not long after they left, they heard the good news from Qizhou. People of this era had an extraordinary attachment to their hometown, so they hurriedly moved their entire families back to celebrate the New Year, bringing the playing cards with them, as well as related gossip.

Bored in the army, these playing cards quickly became popular, and gossip naturally spread like wildfire. Doctor Chang had heard a bit of it, and now he couldn't help but fall into deep thought: How come he remembered only recently looking at this shop? And the owner behind it seemed to be…

"The Perfect Young Master?" Doctor Chang murmured to himself.

Xue Jin'an's intelligent voice assistant responded: "I'm here."

A question mark slowly appeared above Helian Cheng's and Doctor Chang's heads: "...?"

Wait, is this ghost the legendary mathematical genius, the "Perfect Ten Masters"? The Perfect Ten Masters is actually a ghost?!

The two gasped, thinking: No wonder everyone says humans can't solve such problems, they can't, it's ghosts who did it!