Chapter 390 One's Life Ends
"Senior brother, you've come at the perfect time. Could you help me put away these books and then create the illusion that they've been burned?" Jiang Ziya seemed to have found a savior.
Although he could ask his fellow disciples in the Chan Sect for help, those disciples only cared about breaking through the Tong Pass formation on weekdays and didn't concern themselves with anything else, let alone interfere in King Wen's family affairs; they were too busy avoiding him.
Shen Gongbao didn't ask any further questions. With a flick of his sleeve, he collected all the bamboo slips in the room. "Junior brother, what illusion do you intend to create?"
"Let's just burn this academy down," Jiang Ziya sighed, as it would be difficult to explain otherwise.
“Alright, junior brother, you come out first. I’ll unleash a Samadhi True Fire and I guarantee this academy will be reduced to ashes.” Shen Gongbao rubbed his hands together, thinking, “Junior brother Jiang Ziya, you’re so considerate.”
I was just worried about not being able to do you a favor, and you handed it over yourself.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ziya walked straight out of the academy, with a raging fire behind him.
The servants saw that Prime Minister Jiang had an otherworldly air about him, with his robes fluttering even without wind, white hair and a youthful face, and flames shooting into the sky behind him. They realized that he was indeed a person of the immortal path, and their hearts were filled with even greater awe.
Ji Chang saw smoke billowing from the East Garden and rushed over. When he saw that it was Bo Yikao's study that was on fire, the images of him teaching Bo Yikao stroke by stroke flashed through his mind, and he was immediately heartbroken.
The one who died was his beloved son; how could a parent not be heartbroken to lose their child?
"Someone, put out the fire! Put out the fire quickly!" Ji Chang was furious. What were these servants doing standing there like idiots?
“Your Majesty, this is the Samadhi True Fire. Once it is ignited, it cannot be extinguished by ordinary means,” Jiang Ziya said calmly.
"Prime Minister," Ji Chang took a deep breath and forced a smile, "then I'll trouble you to put out this real fire." In truth, Ji Chang's dissatisfaction with Jiang Ziya was growing day by day, and he always felt that Jiang Ziya was not truly serving him as his master.
“No rush. The king ordered me to burn all of the eldest prince’s bamboo slips, and I am already doing so,” Jiang Ziya explained.
"I told you to burn the bamboo slips, but did I tell you to burn down my son's study?" Ji Chang pointed to the study to remember Boyi Kao. If it were burned down, wouldn't he have no place left to remember him?
Ji Chang was extremely anxious, but Jiang Ziya was taking his time, which was infuriating.
As for reminiscing about Boyi Kao's dormitory? Ji Chang rarely visited Boyi Kao's dormitory, so there were hardly any fond memories of their time together there.
“Your Majesty, burning books is detrimental to your reputation, and the eldest son’s suicide is something that cannot be spoken of. If it were merely a case of the library accidentally catching fire, and the eldest son, heartbroken over the books, went into the fire to rescue them and tragically died, it would be beneficial to both the eldest son and Your Majesty,” Jiang Ziya casually remarked.
Ji Chang was furious. Did he need this? What was even more unacceptable to Ji Chang was that in the short time it took Jiang Ziya to say those few words, the entire academy turned to ashes before his eyes. With a gust of wind, nothing was left.
Ji Chang's lips trembled. Boyi Kao... His strong will faltered, and Ji Chang fell straight backward. Gone, all was gone.
Shen Gongbao, observing Ji Chang from the shadows, seemed to be deep in thought. "Ji Chang, your lifespan is nearing its end..."
Hmph, this short-lived ghost is like a firefly in the bright moonlight, unbearable to behold.
"Thank you, Senior Brother." Jiang Ziya returned to his residence, locked himself in his study, and then bowed solemnly to the air.
Shen Gongbao revealed himself, saying, "I am your senior brother. Helping you is only right."
"Of course, of course." Jiang Ziya was almost in tears. His fellow disciples were the best. Hearing their words warmed his heart and lungs, unlike the other disciples of the Chan Sect, who were as cold as ice.
Hey, although the fellow disciples of the Chan Sect all belong to the Three Pure Ones, they are ultimately separated by a layer.
"Where should I put the books you want?" Shen Gongbao didn't want to keep any mundane things on him.
Jiang Ziya glanced at the empty bookshelf, and Shen Gongbao immediately understood. With a wave of his hand, the bamboo slips automatically jumped onto the bookshelf and were arranged neatly.
Jiang Ziya was overjoyed, "Thank you very much, Senior Brother." He couldn't be more envious of Shen Gongbao's magical skills.
If he were to organize these bamboo slips himself, he would have to go through each one one by one, which would be a huge amount of work. His senior brother used magic, which saved him a lot of effort. How come all his years of cultivation have been in vain?
Shen Gongbao glanced at his work, his gaze suddenly lingering on a pile of bamboo slips for a moment.
Jiang Ziya looked over and said, "Senior brother, do you like this volume? If you do, please feel free to take it."
"That's not the case. Senior brother just felt that the materials used in these volumes were extraordinary, seemingly from the royal palace of the Yin and Shang dynasties," Shen Gongbao said casually.
"I heard that the eldest son once went to Chaoge as a hostage, so this must be what he brought back then," Jiang Ziya thought to himself.
"Just now, Senior Brother saw that the Marquis of Xibo's eyebrows and eyes were surrounded by dark energy, which may indicate that his lifespan is coming to an end. Junior Brother, you should be prepared." Shen Gongbao was now trying his best to gain Jiang Ziya's trust as soon as possible and to bring him into Xiqi so that he could carry out what he wanted to do.
"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother." Jiang Ziya had a bit of a headache. He was now under the command of King Wen of Xiqi, yet he couldn't predict these things accurately.
"Junior brother, perhaps you can inform the successor of the Marquis of Xibo of this matter as soon as possible. Some things should be prepared for early." Shen Gongbao considered all aspects of Jiang Ziya's situation from Jiang Ziya's perspective.
Just as Shen Gongbao said, Ji Chang fell ill after returning home, suffering from both major and minor ailments.
The incident involving Boyi Kao dealt a heavy blow to Ji Chang. Furthermore, the guilt of betraying the suzerain state plagued his mind when he was ill. When he was delirious from illness, he would always see the former kings of the Shang Dynasty surrounding him, wanting to take his life.
As the saying goes, a mental illness requires a mental cure, but once Ji Chang's mental illness began, there was no cure.
Ji Fa was initially skeptical of what Jiang Ziya said, but seeing that his father's condition was indeed not good, he realized that some things could not be delayed any longer.
"Prime Minister, you are right. We cannot hide my elder brother's death." Ji Fa was extremely anxious. If his father died, his elder brother would be the heir apparent. Only after his elder brother was gone could it be his turn.
But if his father and elder brother were to die one after another, his enemies and brothers would surely fabricate stories and smear him.
A fire broke out in the East Garden of the Marquis of Xibo's residence, and news of Boyi Kao's death was leaked by Ji Fa, causing turmoil in Xiqi.
Ji Chang, despite his illness, had to rack his brains to figure out how to capture Tongguan as soon as possible, constantly appease the people, and deal with the subtle tensions between his sons. He was exhausted.
He died within half a month.
Shen Gongbao coldly observed the two consecutive funerals at the Marquis of Xibo's mansion, and sneered, "This is it? It dares to dream of the King's kingdom?"
"Senior brother, we owe you a great debt this time. I am already aware of your situation in Chaoge. I wonder if you are interested in joining Xiqi?" Jiang Ziya asked Shen Gongbao for his opinion.
"Then thank you very much, Junior Brother. I am different from other cultivators; I aspire to be like Grand Tutor Wen Zhong." Shen Gongbao hinted to Jiang Ziya that he would not accept any position other than a high one.
“Good,” Jiang Ziya knew that his senior brother was capable and worthy of being Ji Fa’s Grand Tutor.
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