Chapter 447 The Joy of Struggling with Others
Inside the courtyard, a Yin-Yang formation was being meticulously set up.
While Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen were chatting casually.
Yan Zhang, busy setting up his formation, glanced at the beautiful figure of the cold, palace-dressed girl.
Although a handsome but annoyingly pretentious toad suddenly appeared beside Rong Zhen,
Fortunately, she was indifferent and seemed somewhat unwilling to engage with Ouyang Lianghan, who was asking questions like a curious child.
It seems the relationship wasn't as close as he initially imagined... mainly because Ouyang Lianghan suddenly arrived, acting like a familiar stranger and interfering in the case.
Now it seems that it was only Ouyang Lianghan who was overly familiar with Rong Zhen. As for the reason for his enthusiasm, need I say more? Every man understands.
Yan Zhang sneered inwardly, glancing at the Xuanhuang Earth Dragon's whiskers that Lian Qing was carefully placing, and the golden four-eyed fierce mask in Rong Zhen's hand.
Compared to the ignorant and clueless Chief Secretary, he felt a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings) upon seeing these things.
Rongzhen is one of the eight ladies-in-waiting by His Majesty's side, but she is not an ordinary lady-in-waiting, unlike Miaozhen and other ladies-in-waiting who can only rely on His Majesty.
If it were Miaozhen and other female historians in colorful robes, where would they have the power to secretly summon the Bai Ze Diagram, Fang Xiang Face, and even the Xuanhuang Earth Dragon's whiskers, which are rare and precious even in the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, from the Luoyang Astronomical Bureau, which serves as His Majesty's eyes and ears and monitors the court, from thousands of miles away?
Furthermore, this group of Qi cultivators from the Imperial Observatory, including Yan Zhang and Lian Qing, with their red hair and white robes, were not people that ordinary female officials in colorful dresses could mobilize.
While Yan Zhang was in prison, he vaguely heard from his teacher that the elusive Grand Master of Fate secretly intended to groom Rong Zhen as his successor.
Besides Rong Zhen's extraordinary talent in cultivating Qi, which allowed her to advance to the sixth rank of the Yin-Yang School at a young age and maintain her youthful appearance, there were also some hidden reasons that her teachers kept to themselves.
Yan Zhang's guesses were only vague. Moreover, among the eight ladies-in-waiting in this year's court, the emperor, whose mind was unpredictable, favored this cold-blooded girl in palace attire the most.
Therefore, compared to Miaozhen, the Imperial Observatory was so lenient with her relentless pursuit of the case, even somewhat ignoring the "little whims" of the Donglin Buddha.
Even Miao Zhen's complaints were useless; they were submitted but never heard from again...
So, aside from the fact that possessing the cauldron and the sword is a crime, why did that thief have to mess with Rong Zhen, one of the most untouchable people in the Imperial Observatory? He was truly cursed for eight lifetimes.
Although Yan Zhang was also a little puzzled as to why Rong Zhen harbored such inexplicable hatred for that thief.
However, upon reflection, it can only be attributed to the fact that, as a proud and privileged woman, she lost her pride and self-esteem after being suppressed in her first encounter at Dagushan.
What else could it be? Anyway, Yan Zhang felt that his guess was pretty much correct.
So upon closer reflection, this was also an opportunity for him to step forward and demonstrate his abilities.
Once we pinpoint the thief's location, everyone will use this earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic) to teleport there. If he can personally take the thief's head, Rong Zhen might look at him differently...
In the center of the courtyard, Rong Zhen was unaware of Yan Zhang's ulterior motives.
After chatting with Ouyang Rong for a few minutes, she stepped forward and surveyed the scene of preparations underway in the courtyard.
His gaze swept over Bai Ze Tu, Fang Xiang Mian, Xuanhuang Dilong Gen Xu, as well as Ouyang Rong, Yan Zhang, Lian Qing, and others.
Finally, it landed on the red paper in my hand, which had the words "Butterfly Loves Flowers" written on it.
She took a deep breath.
After being so busy for so many days, I've been almost obsessed, unable to sleep or eat, and even a little ecstatic.
Rongzhen finally gathered all the helpers and treasures.
Just as Ouyang Rong just said, a net has been set up.
They were just waiting for the moment they would meet again, to capture the silhouette of that scholar wearing a bronze mask.
In fact, Rong Zhen did not have conclusive evidence to prove that the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower was still in Xunyang City.
All the clues found so far only indicate that before Zhao Rushi was killed in the street, the owner of Butterfly Love Flower was living in hiding in Xunyang City.
But Rong Zhen always had a gut feeling, a sense that the thief was right here, lurking in the city.
He wasn't just involved with Li Zhengyan and secretly spying on the Donglin Buddha; he might also have occasionally passed by her, watching her serious investigation with amusement.
The latter would make her feel as if she had been stripped naked and thoroughly examined by that person in broad daylight, with various strong emotions surging through her mind.
Although this intuition had no basis in reality, it lingered in Rongzhen's mind and wouldn't go away.
This is more like... a tacit understanding between intelligent people.
It is also a case of a clever person arrogantly provoking another clever person.
Even if it's just a possibility, Rongzhen will not allow it to happen.
She wanted to catch him.
This is Rongzhen's biggest selfish desire at this moment...
"This formation is so powerful, doesn't it have a name? What's it called?"
Suddenly, Ouyang Rong's question came from behind her. Rong Zhen's fist, which had been clenched unconsciously in her sleeve, suddenly loosened. She turned around and glanced back. He was looking around.
"The moon beneath the pond."
"ah?"
"Formation name".
"The Moon Under the Pond? The person who created this formation and named it means that those who fall into it, whether swordsmen or Qi cultivators, are like the moon in the water or a flower in a mirror, unable to be retrieved, ending up with nothing."
Rong Zhen glanced at Ouyang Rong again, remaining noncommittal.
"The second generation of the Grand Master of Fate of the Imperial Observatory created the formation to deal with a military strategist and swordsman who was famous throughout the world and had a notorious reputation."
Ouyang Rong noticed the stubborn and resolute curve of her lips, and her words were firm and resonant:
"The sword wielder is indeed terrifying, and the sword wielder who possesses the Ding Sword is even more unparalleled in killing power. However, no sword wielder is invincible forever. Qi cultivators all over the world will try one after another, and there will always be a genius who can figure out the way to break his new Ding Sword supernatural power."
"And every new Sword Breaker is a legend revered by the world, such as the second generation of the Grand Master of Fate in this academy."
Ouyang Rong nodded. Standing in the center of the courtyard, he glanced at the people setting up the formation around him, then lowered his eyes and straightened his sleeves.
“That makes sense. The broken swordsman who solved the problem of the new Ding Sword’s divine power, huh? Fighting with others is endlessly enjoyable, that’s true… Wait, this ink spirit… the ink fairy.”
He abruptly changed the subject, turning his gaze towards the young woman in Confucian robes and a Taoist priest's headdress:
"Wasn't the matter of Hanlei Ink Studio losing its inksticks before..."
"That's right, it's because it's greedy."
Do you like to eat ink?
Ouyang Rong glanced at Miao Si a few more times.
The latter also took the opportunity to look up and glance at him.
The two, one big and one small, stared at each other for a moment.
Ouyang Rong suddenly said to her, "So it was you who ate it. How interesting."
Miao Si subconsciously thought he was talking about the fifty ink sticks from Hanlei Ink Studio, but then she glanced at the handsome Chief Clerk who had arrived at the perfect time and realized that he seemed to be talking about something else...
(End of this chapter)
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