Chapter 1272: One Battle Secures the Southwest (Part 9) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Why are you in your possession?
Qi Shan reacted quickly and grabbed Lin Su by the neck.
Answer me!
The veins on his fingers bulged, and his knuckles were taut and white from the tension he was building up. He felt the beast trapped in its cage within him struggling, pounding against the bars of the cell, as if it might break free at any moment. His surging killing intent was on the verge of collapse.
"What are you doing? Do you want to kill Anzhi?" The Taoist-robed phantom cried out nervously, floating up to try and pry open Qi Shan's fingers.
"Get out of my way!" Qi Shan suppressed his surging emotions, his scarlet eyes closing in on Lin Su, his knuckles tightening little by little, his murderous aura so heavy that even the phantom of the Daoist robe trembled. "Lin Anzhi, if you don't want to die, confess here—why are his things in your hands!"
This jade pendant was part of the dowry of Qishan's mother.
Years ago, the head of the Kang family acquired a beautiful piece of jade. Seeing that its color resembled the rosy cheeks of a beautiful woman, he ordered it to be crafted into a jade pendant and added to her dowry. This jade pendant passed into the hands of "Qi Shan," where it was meticulously crafted and carved by artisans, adorned with a double-fish tail motif and the Qi family crest. "Qi Shan's" biological father was incompetent and squandered the family fortune, losing seven or eight tenths of the dowry assets.
There are not many items left for "Qishan" to remember him by.
This jade pendant is one of them.
You can imagine how much he treasured it!
He wore it all the time, never letting it out of his sight. It was brought to the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas by "Qishan," and it also rests there with "Qishan." As time passed, Qishan couldn't even gather enough items to build a cenotaph for his most cherished possessions.
After the establishment of the Kang Kingdom, the sacred land of mountains and seas was opened to select talents. With Shen Tang's tacit approval, Qi Shan secretly smuggled his own things into it. He secretly spread rumors that if he was lucky, he could get the help of scholars to bring back "Qi Shan's" body, so that the young man could return to his roots.
Whoever it is, the other person will be his great benefactor!
Qi Shan didn't know how vast this sacred land of mountains and seas was, or how small the probability was of stepping onto the same mountain of books. He just stubbornly clung to a tiny sliver of hope, never giving up even when that hope was dashed time and time again.
He can wait!
If once doesn't work, try twice!
If it doesn't work twice, then try three times!
As long as Kangguo prospers, lucky ones will always emerge!
He hadn't expected that before the lucky one even appeared, his dear friend's belongings had already fallen into Lin Su's hands. Lin Su's ability to obtain the jade pendant proved that she had reached the Mountain of Books and met her dear friend who lay buried there. This realization made Qi Shan's breathing quicken, and he was in a state of extreme excitement and rage. Excitement stemmed from hope, anger from the fact that Lin Su had even taken the deceased's belongings, disturbing their peace!
"Lin Anzhi, are you really not afraid of death?"
The two were breathing very close together.
Lin Su could feel the scorching, violent aura emanating from him. Even though his neck was in Qi Shan's hands and Qi Shan had choked him until it was bruised, he showed no panic whatsoever. He even smiled at Qi Shan, his composure sending chills down the spines of onlookers.
"So, does this mean the Prayer Society has acknowledged it?"
Lin Su's question was vague and ambiguous.
The jade pendant is engraved with the Qi family crest, so it should belong to Qi Shan. When Lin Su said it was "a close friend's possession," this Qi Shan priest referred to it as "his thing." There are two possibilities here.
The first possibility is that the Qizhu Society gifted the jade pendant to a close friend.
The second possibility is that the owner of the jade pendant is the one who truly prays for good.
If Qi Shan still possessed reason, he would surely have noticed the trap in her words. However, his mind was currently too busy to think of anything else, and his reason had been completely consumed by the sudden appearance of the jade pendant. At the same time, his dwindling patience also vanished: "You're really asking for death!"
The palm continued to apply force.
That force is enough to snap an ordinary person's neck.
When Qi Shan launched his attack, Lin Su was sitting opposite him, separated only by a desk. Now, the desk had overturned, scattering books, ink, and brushes all over the floor. Lin Su was pinned down by Qi Shan, unable to move. Given how unfavorable the situation was, how could he possibly court death?
"So, it's Tan Qu?"
Does "Tan Qu" refer to the person in front of us, or the owner of the jade pendant? The question remains vague and ambiguous.
Lin Su was satisfied to see Qi Shan's ferocious expression.
"Interesting, haha, truly fascinating." Lin Su couldn't help but mock Qi Shan. "Ever since I learned that Qi Shan's Society had also accessed the 'cloning technique,' I've developed a great interest in it and couldn't resist investigating your past. You truly live up to your reputation as a notorious 'schemer,' even your past is so interesting. Qi Shan and Tan Qu were bosom friends, entering the Mountain and Sea Holy Land in the same year. Qi Shan survived, while Tan Qu perished. Qi Shan, are you pleased with the appearance of this jade pendant, or are you afraid of its arrival?"
The phantom of the Taoist robe floated anxiously to the side.
"Anzhi, just shut up!"
A loud bang suddenly echoed in Qi Shan's mind.
The beast imprisoned within finally broke free.
His murderous intent surged to an unprecedented level!
"Le Zheng, what are you doing?"
Just as Qi Shan was about to kill someone, a clear, youthful voice suddenly came from outside the door, tinged with confusion.
Those six words struck Qi Shan like a thunderbolt, his limbs stiffening so much he couldn't move, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to explode. He swallowed hard, trying to turn his neck to see where the voice was coming from, but his neck felt like a rusty metal part, completely immobile, and he broke out in a cold sweat. The boy's voice drew closer, and a right hand was held up in front of his face, waving.
Then came a face tilted close to the camera.
"Le Zheng, snap out of it."
Qi Shan subconsciously released her grip on Lin Su's neck.
Once free, Lin Su clutched her neck and coughed violently.
He pushed off the ground with both legs and slid backward until his back was pressed against the pillar. Looking at Qi Shan, who was trapped in the illusion, he said, "Chief Qi, perhaps I should call you Chief Tan? I never imagined that you had managed to deceive everyone for so many years using the identity of Qi Shan."
The members of the Pantheon knew that Qi Shan's current identity was fake, and there was no definite conclusion about his true identity. There was too much information that was confusing and misleading. In addition, since it did not affect the interests of the Pantheon, the internal members did not care about him, and the members of the external members were too lazy to investigate the truth. It was only because Lin Su needed to know how much information Qi Shan had investigated about "cloning techniques" over the years that she made an effort.
The Taoist robe-clad phantom said helplessly, "You've caused trouble."
Lin Su had obvious purplish-blue finger marks on his neck. If Qi Shan had hit him any harder, it could have been fatal. The moment Lin Su's fingertip touched him, a sharp pain shot through him. He gasped, his voice hoarse, "Is this something to be afraid of?"
The phantom in the Taoist robe said, "After all, he is a high-ranking official who oversees the country."
A high position and great power mean the ability to mobilize force at any time to suppress others and hunt down Lin Su to the ends of the earth. Lin Su came alone, and even if her scholarly ways had merit, once captured, she would have no chance of escape. An Zhi's audacity is truly astounding.
Lin Su said, "That's exactly right."
The higher one's position and power, the easier it is to get things done.
What he couldn't do alone was much easier for Qi Shan. Seeing that he was stubborn and unrepentant, the Taoist robe-clad figure stopped trying to persuade him.
"Hiss—why is Le Zheng pinching me?"
Young Qi Shan was still dressed in the same clothes he wore when he entered the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas, his newly grown body appearing somewhat thin. Unlike Tan Qu, whose eyes were dark yet dull and lifeless, giving him the air of a seasoned office worker devoid of any masculine energy, young Qi Shan had bright, expressive eyes that shone even in the dark. Being gazed upon by such eyes seemed to warm even a corpse several degrees.
Tan Qu snapped out of her daze and reached out to pinch his cheek.
The left side of her face was noticeably more red, swollen, and slightly raised than the right side.
He was puzzled by his friend's strange behavior, and as expected, his friend put his finger to his nose, muttering, "He's breathing, and his breath is warm. How could this be... how could you..."
He recalled the sensation of pinching the other person's face.
His skin was warm and soft, not the icy, stiff feeling of almost drained blood he remembered. Tan Qu looked around and was startled to find himself in the Qi family's old mansion from many years ago. Because so few people lived there, the house was rarely maintained, and a faint smell of decaying wood lingered in the air. He looked down at his hands, which were several sizes smaller than when he was an adult. He rubbed his fingers together, the touch was real.
"What's wrong with Le Zheng today? Why is he so dazed?"
Tan Qu knew that time could not be reversed, and that the dead could not be brought back to life. The lifelike young man Qi Shan before him was merely an illusion created by outsiders. While he was furious and wanted to tear the culprit to pieces, he also greedily wanted to look at Qi Shan a few more times.
Scholars who are proficient in illusion to this extent are few and far between.
"Nothing much, just had a nightmare."
"Missing your mother again?"
Tan Qu guessed that the time in the illusion was close to the anniversary of his birth mother's death, which was why the young Qi Shan asked this question. He gave a vague answer, and the young Qi Shan pulled him to the study with a mysterious look: "I recently borrowed a fragment of a scroll, and I guessed that Le Zheng would like it. Come and take a look."
"What fragment?"
Tan Qu couldn't remember what it was for a moment.
Young Qi Shan opened the wooden box containing the fragments of the Word of Power scroll, which were wrapped in silk: "It was a gift from an elder who came to arrange a marriage."
Which female ruler?
The contents of the Qishanjian surviving scroll are detailed, and the secret passages and illusions are realistic.
That Lin Su does have some skills.
The young man prayed: "A female ruler surnamed Ning."
Tan Qu's expression was numb; he guessed who it was and also concluded that this illusion wasn't a real memory, but most likely someone trying to trick him into revealing his true feelings. Tan Qu was previously unaware of Qi Shan's engagement to Ning Yan; he only learned of this connection from Ning Yan during their first meeting, which led to his exposure.
What is her given name?
"I've heard that the character is Tu Nan."
Tan Qu thought to himself, "What a load of rubbish."
Ning Yan's given name was given to her by her father, but her courtesy name was given to her by Yan An after their marriage. There are also many flaws in the illusion.
Tan Qu relaxed and looked at his old friend with a smile: "As for marriage, Yuanliang, have you seen what the woman looks like? After all, this is a matter of lifelong importance, and you can't tell whether she is beautiful or ugly just from a portrait."
The young man, Qi Shan, showed a hint of shyness: "I've met you before."
Where are they?
"In the front hall."
Tan Qu closed the tattered scroll with a complicated expression.
Although it was called a fragment, it was actually a rare book of spiritual writings that he had acquired by chance a few months ago, and the content was indeed interesting. Tan Qu admired it for a while, then deliberately controlled his thoughts. The style of the content after the fragment changed abruptly, and it was all melodramatic romance novels.
The illusion's realism stems from its foundation in Tan Qu's memories. When he deliberately alters those memories, the illusion's logic changes accordingly. Thus, when Tan Qu stirred up trouble to see the appearance of the Lady of the Imperial Clan, he saw his master, Shen Tang, disguised as Ning Yan.
Yes, the other person has a face like Shen Tang's.
A face that reveals the shyness of a young girl named Shen Tang.
Tan Qu covered his face and said, "Amitabha, please forgive me, my lord."
The young Qi Shan looked at him suspiciously, and Tan Qu sighed, "The illusion you fabricated was very realistic, and I haven't seen Yuan Liang for many years. This debt is settled, and it ends here. If you still desecrate Yuan Liang's remains, be careful, I will go to heaven and earth to kill your Lin clan!"
Just keep it discreet, so Lin Feng doesn't find out.
Since they had already been separated, it was normal for them to perish in the war.
The once vibrant and bright expression on young Qi Shan's face suddenly froze, the color draining away bit by bit, and the Qi family's front hall became blurred, replaced by snow-white. A biting wind howled past his ears, turning them red with cold, and the snow quickly rose above his knees.
The young Qi Shan stood about ten feet away from him.
His eyes were dull and his skin was pale.
He lowered his head slightly, pursed his lips, and the cold wind almost blew away his voice as he said, "Le Zheng, do you really think I'm dead?"
The young man, Qi Shan, raised his hand to cover his chest.
The jade pendant that had been in Tan Qu's hands was now in his. He lowered his eyelids and murmured with a sigh, "But I really want to live."
Those few words almost shattered Tan Qu's psychological defenses.
"Don't use his face to say such absurd things." Tan Qu's eyes passed through the boy Qi Shan and looked at the caster, his tone icy. "How would you feel if I used your own flesh and blood to fool you like this? Don't push me to the extreme!"
After speaking, the young man Qi Shan sighed and turned into a thin mist.
When Qi Shan opened her eyes again, the environment was normal.
Between reality and illusion, someone seemed to sigh: "Stubbornness."
Lin Su, sitting opposite, looked as if she had swallowed a fly, her face contorted in disgust.
"The Prayer God Society is truly impervious to reason! Although the illusion is false, once you are resurrected, everything you see will become real!"
Qi Shan said, "It can't become real."
It's terrifying that Ning Yan, with her dignified demeanor, is discussing marriage with her best friend.
He circled back to the original question.
"Tell me, where did you get the jade pendant?" After a long day at work, Qi Shan felt more sinister than a ghost. He really didn't want to dwell on this anymore. He just wanted to sleep and give himself time to calm down his thoughts of "reviving Qi Shan at all costs."
Lin Su's answer almost made Qi Shan lose his composure.
"I received it unexpectedly from a friend."
"Friends? And where did you get your friends from?"
“Naturally, it came from the owner of the jade pendant.”
Qi Shan's gaze suddenly sharpened: "The owner of the jade pendant?"
Lin Su said, "You are, after all, a high-ranking official in charge of the state, so please don't be so alarmed. I sincerely wanted to persuade you to cooperate, and there's no need to play games with you on this matter. You probably know my friend. He is a man from the Cloud Realm, and I can't reveal much else, but he gave me a jade pendant as a token, saying it would be helpful. I just didn't expect—"
He didn't know at first that the Qi Shan in front of him was Tan Qu.
"This person who follows the clouds, is he related to dragons?"
Lin Su smiled but remained silent, knowing that saying anything would ruin the point.
Qi Shan gritted his teeth, his knuckles cracking.
"So... Yuan Liang's remains are in this person's hands?"
"I don't know."
But judging from Lin Su's expression, he clearly knew something.
Qi Shan turned around and said, "Come with me."
Beneath the study was a secret room, or rather, a library, with hundreds of bookshelves crammed with a dazzling array of books. Qi Shan pointed to a locked box at the very back: "Inside are all the secret scrolls and records I've collected related to 'cloning techniques.' Take them if you're interested, but I can't help you with the rest, I really can't."
Why?
Lin Su could tell that these words were not just a perfunctory response.
Qi Shan said, "Because that doesn't belong to this era."
That was the technology of the previous human civilization.
Perhaps, when the power of words develops to a certain stage, it can replace and achieve a similar effect, but at the current level, it really cannot.
This is also one of the main reasons why Qi Shan chose to give up.
Otherwise, he would be willing to clone a newborn, even if the baby is not the real Qi Shan, but at least it has the same bloodline as Qi Shan, which can be considered as continuing the Qi family's heritage, and he would not need to adopt Qi Miao from the Kang family.
Lin Su silently opened the box and quickly flipped through the pages.
The above content was indeed more detailed and obscure than what he had investigated.
He wasn't afraid that Qi Shan would falsify the content.
Besides the written records, there were also several tattered scrolls of illustrations, though the general process was still vaguely discernible. Combining the illustrations and text, Lin Su had to admit that Qi Shan hadn't lied. The illusory figure in the Taoist robe also came closer, sighing, "Let go of your obsession."
"Excuse me, I'll take my leave now."
Lin Su was in low spirits and bowed to take her leave.
Qi Shan rubbed his temples, his attention completely focused on the fact that his close friend's body had been left outside, and he couldn't be bothered with Lin Su at all. After all this commotion, he couldn't sleep, and went to court with a face even more haggard than yesterday, looking like he had crawled out of a coffin.
Several piles of official business lay before him, and the sun was high overhead. Hungry and exhausted, he opened a report from the front lines. A familiar name appeared before his eyes, and he murmured, "Lin... Anzhi?"
Lin Feng's second elder brother, an inside agent of the Central Branch.
Qi Shan: "..."
At this moment, his urge to curse the Lin family ancestors reached its peak.
"Lin Su is wanted nationwide!"
P.S.: The stock market has been crazy lately, and I'm about to go crazy too. Last month, I finally made the tough decision to cut my losses and redeem my heavily invested funds that had plummeted. I swallowed my pride and accepted the losses of more than a dozen funds. But this month, the stock market has gone completely mad.
The remaining half of the fund recovered more than 3%. _(:з」∠)_
I can only console myself that minimizing the losses is a good thing.
Waaaaah, I'm so heartbroken.
"Drunken Golden Cup" by Jiu Shiliu
Lu Nian, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Dingxi, who had been married off to Sichuan for nearly twenty years, returned to the capital, bringing with her her only daughter, Yu Ruwei, who had just come of age.
Despite the distance between the two places and the difficulty in communication, the nobles in the capital had gradually heard about the situation of the mother and daughter, which was truly bizarre.
Even before she was married, Lu Nian was extremely domineering. Her biological father was difficult to manage, and her stepmother dared not discipline her. The Marquis's family had no choice but to marry her off far away before she caused any trouble.
Unexpectedly, his daughter surpassed him in virtue, causing the Yu family to be almost wiped out, forcing them to return to the capital and rely on the Lu family.
The noble ladies of the dukes and marquises were all on high alert; they absolutely could not allow this Yu Ruwei, who surpassed even her mother, to monopolize their fine sons!
Born to be the granddaughter of a Grand Tutor of three dynasties, Awei was still the most beloved little dumpling in the clan even though she went to take up her post with her parents and brothers.
As the political winds shifted, the Grand Tutor's mansion became embroiled in the struggle for the throne, ultimately leading to its downfall.
Awei managed to escape and struggled to make a living until she met Lu Nian, who was on the verge of going insane.
She became Yu Ruwei, Lu Nian's medicine, and even more so, Lu Nian's knife.
She helped Lu Nian take revenge, and also took revenge for herself.
——
A story of a fake mother and daughter joining forces to seek revenge.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
