Xiao Zhun paused, stood up and walked to the box.
It was an octagonal lacquered wooden box covered in copper, with no decorations and not even a lock.
A strange smell lingered in his nose. Xiao Zhun paused, but still opened the lid of the box.
Even though he was mentally prepared, his pupils still shrank when he saw the bloody head.
The person behind the gauze screen picked up the thing he had been fiddling with on the table. It turned out to be an incense burner. He walked around, letting the wind passing through the hall carry the scent of incense and dispel the fishy smell in the air.
"Can Lord Qinghuai still recognize him?"
The head in the box was swollen and rotten, and it was stinking. One could only barely make out that it was a man with disheveled hair.
"I cannot tell."
"Never mind. The weather is getting hotter faster than I expected. When the box was first delivered, I could barely make out King Kang's appearance."
This was the assassinated King Kang. His killers were so bold as to send his head to the capital, a clear provocation.
Xiao Zhun pursed his lips slightly and said, "Your Majesty, may I ask, was this action... done by the Bai family?"
The man behind the screen put down the incense burner and took a few steps toward Xiao Zhun. The shadow loomed above the screen, seemingly gazing down at him. "Whether it's true or not, it won't change my determination to razed Bijiang." He paused, then continued, "I want to know, according to what Qinghuai Hou saw, what kind of weapon killed King Kang?"
The body in the box was cut cleanly at the neck, and the spine, severed in half, was faintly visible on the cross section. Apart from the oozing bone marrow and blood, the cross section appeared to be very neat.
Xiao Zhun didn't rush to answer. "There's only a skull here. I can't tell if there are other fatal wounds on the torso. But..." Xiao Zhun's eyes fell on the sharp edge of the flesh. "The cut on Prince Kang's neck is very rare. It must not be an ordinary sword."
"Oh?" A meaningful sound trailed off behind the veil. "If it's not a sword, what kind of weapon is it?"
Xiao Zhun paused for a moment before replying calmly, "I'm not a coroner, so I can't tell for now."
"Well, I'm just asking casually. But I once heard someone say that there's a weapon in the martial arts world made of thin wire that can break metal and stone when applied with gravity. I wonder if Lord Qinghuai has heard of it?"
The calmness on Xiao Zhun's face slowly shattered, but his body remained motionless. No one could see his emotions at the moment unless they were face to face.
In my mind, I could hear a flock of crows whistling past, mixed with the chaotic sound of horses' hooves, the heavy breathing of a young man, the strong smell of water before a heavy rain, and the silver net that pursued me relentlessly and pierced my heart...
"Marquis Qinghuai?"
Xiao Zhun lowered his head again, his voice as calm as ever: "Your Majesty, I have never heard of it."
"Oh? It seems they are just rumors." The person behind the screen seemed to lose interest for a moment. He turned back to the desk and his voice became cold. "I have a lot of files that I haven't read yet. What else does Lord Qinghuai want?"
In reality, Xiao Zhun hadn't had the chance to explain his purpose since entering the courtyard, and he didn't know if it was the Emperor's fault. He collected his thoughts, but still spoke, "My adopted daughter, Xiao Nanhui, is still young. I fear she can't handle the responsibility of Right General and will cause trouble for Your Majesty."
"Does Lord Qinghuai know that the three bandit leaders at Zongshan were killed by Xiao Nanhui?"
Xiao Zhun was visibly stunned for a moment, then replied, "I don't know. She never mentioned it. I guess she saw it when I went to Huozhou a few days ago to make trouble."
A deep laugh rang out. Xiao Zhun rarely heard this person laugh, and he always felt that the laughter did not contain any joy.
"Why should Lord Qinghuai be so modest? A tiger father will have a dog daughter. In my opinion, she is a very good person."
This sounded a bit strange. Before Xiao Zhun could comprehend the deeper meaning, the voice rang out again: "A month ago, you came to the side hall to solve the exquisite niche. Did you make any progress?"
This was the topic that Xiao Nanhui didn't want to talk about anymore. Xiao Zhun knew that it was useless to talk more, so he could only answer the question at hand: "I have been able to crack seven or eight layers. In another hour or so, I should be able to break it."
"Very good."
The emperor knocked lightly on the table, and the black-robed attendant who had disappeared like smoke before floated out from somewhere again, holding something in his hand. It was the Nine-Turn Exquisite Niche.
"This exquisite niche was left by my mother. I took it out earlier just to pass the time. If you can decipher it, I will do you a favor to please my mother. But have you thought about what it is you want from me?"
Xiao Zhun's eyes were fixed on the exquisitely crafted, fist-sized object. After a long pause, he finally nodded and said, "I have made up my mind. I ask Your Majesty to consider appointing me as the commander-in-chief of the mission to recapture the Blue Frontier."
The emperor's figure swayed behind the gauze curtain, like a shadow changing with the waves in the lake.
"Gu, it's approved."
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