Chapter 894: You don't want our lord to be harmed, do you? [Seeking monthly votes]
"Isn't my lord worried that something might happen to Qi Yuanliang?"
This is Kang Shi, who rushed over to see what was going on after hearing the news.
“What’s the use of my worrying? When he’s stirring up trouble himself, doesn’t he think things through? Gong Su is honest by nature, so he can play games with him as much as he wants. Even a clay figure has some temper.” Shen Tang was also in a dilemma. As the lord, she shouldn’t get involved. Taking sides now would only add fuel to the fire. Helplessly, she said, “Think about what he did in the past. It’s only right that he suffers some physical pain now.”
Kang Shi also thought about the debt behind the label of "evil scheme".
He nodded in agreement: "That's true."
He shook his head again: "A scourge can last for a thousand years."
Given Qi Yuanliang's... no, Tan Lezheng's character, since he dared to play tricks on Qin Gongsu twice, he must be confident he could escape unscathed. These two aren't just simple political enemies; they were enemies and friends at the same time, and the more complicated the situation, the harder it is to unravel.
Shen Tang wholeheartedly agreed: "...Actually, I think Yuan Liang is quite like Duan Zhengchun sometimes! The essence of a playboy is that after messing with someone, he can still shamelessly play the emotional card and coax them back. If they refuse to forgive, he's seen as heartless, ungrateful, and unreasonable. Several people have always disliked him, but they haven't really done anything to him over the years. There's an old saying that goes..."
Kang Shi asked three questions.
"What old saying?"
Who is Duan Zhengchun?
"Yuanliang can't swim, how did he become the King of the Sea?"
Shen Tang said, "A 'sea king' is someone who flirts around everywhere. Duan Zhengchun is a 'sea king' who can only have daughters and raise sons for others, but he is very responsible. As the old saying goes, 'Without love, there is no hate.' I bet Yuan Liang can get away unscathed."
Kang Shi choked on his saliva: "Oh, he's finished."
The lord might win bets with others, but he'll always lose when betting in front of him. Qi Yuanliang is in deep trouble this time.
Shen Tang had obviously thought of this as well, and his expression twisted.
Take a deep breath: "...Will Gong Su go easy on me?"
No one knew where the two had gone to settle their personal grudges, and Shen Tang didn't see Qi Yuanliang until the next day, his face bruised and swollen. Whether he was truly badly injured or Qi Shan had deliberately avoided using his spiritual energy to treat the bruises, he looked quite pitiful.
It inexplicably reminds one of the image of a businessman suffering a defeat.
Fur flying everywhere, the cat looked disheveled and limped over to Qi Shan, rubbing against him for comfort. It would be even better if its owner, Qi Shan, could stand up for it. Even though Qi Shan knew Su Shang had started it, he still felt sorry for his feline darling; the fault ultimately lay with the stray cat. Su Shang had become increasingly arrogant and reckless over the years, and its owner bore more than 80% of the responsibility.
"Yuanliang, did Gongsu break your bones?"
Qi Shan snorted, "Does Qin Gongsu dare to come and see our lord?"
The unspoken meaning—
Qin Gongsu's injuries are only getting worse!
Despite Qin Li's swordsmanship being inherited from a master swordsman and his talent surpassing Qin Li's, it's mostly just for show. Qi Yuanliang, on the other hand, has made countless enemies throughout his travels, and his swordsmanship was painstakingly honed from his foes. The outcome between them is evenly matched.
"So, you two are even?"
Shen Tang was speechless, not understanding what he was so proud of. He could tell from the bruises that they were caused by a fist or something.
Some of them even look like burns?
Qi Shan said awkwardly, "No, I let him win. Seeing how resentful he was, I let him vent his anger so he wouldn't hold a grudge against me later. I don't know how much anger he's been holding in under Wu Zhaode's command, he's become even more petty."
This was truly a case of false accusation before the fact. Shen Tang didn't believe Qi Shan's words at all and asked him, "...Where did you two fight?"
"He just randomly went into the mountains and found a secluded place. I must say, he was quite ruthless. I was caught off guard and he ambushed me... Qin Gongsu has really gone bad these years. He actually hid a round dagger in his pipe and stabbed me in the shoulder while pinning me down."
Their swordplay competition escalated into a brawl.
His physical strength was declining rapidly, and Qin Li was a scoundrel who lacked martial ethics.
He first feigned weakness, then took advantage of Qi Shan's momentary carelessness to kick him into the water. The stream was shallow, barely reaching his calves, but Qi Shan disliked water and, in his panic, lost his balance, unfortunately choking on some water. How could Qin Li miss such a golden opportunity?
He grabbed the round dagger from his pipe and pounced.
He stomped on Qi Shan's chest, stabbed him in the shoulder, pulled out and shoved him in the other side, achieving a symmetrical aesthetic.
Blood gushed from the wound, staining the stream red.
This injury is nothing to a scholar with a literary mind.
Qin Li's pipe and round dagger didn't really hurt him, but the shallow stream nearly killed Qi Shan. It was only because that damned Qin Gongsu saw the danger and grabbed his foot, dragging him ashore. Many of the bruises on Qi Shan's face were from that time. He lay there like a stranded salted fish, feigning death.
This sight infuriated Qin Li.
He kicked Qi Shan's butt in annoyance.
He used a lot of force, leaving a bruise on his foot with just one kick.
Qi Shan was in a sorry state, and Qin Li was in no better shape. His clothes were mostly soaked from the fight, and he was nowhere to be seen with his usual dignified demeanor.
[What are you trying to prove by playing the victim now? And lying to people?] Qin Li just couldn't stand Qi Yuanliang's attitude, his complete lack of remorse. The more he looked at him, the angrier he became. [How deep is this mess?]
Coming to her senses from the panic of nearly drowning, Qi Shan coughed violently: "Who says shallow water won't kill you? I remember there was a ditch in front of my house that would fill with water after it rained, though it wasn't deep. Once, when I went to deliver a raincoat to my father, I accidentally fell in and nearly drowned."
Qin Li: [...]
Qi Shan clutched her bleeding shoulder: "See, there are still people who told you the truth. I'm really not a good swimmer."
The two had also gone boating on the lake, at Qin Li's invitation.
Qi Shan laughed and said that he was not good at swimming and might die if he accidentally fell into the water. Qin Li thought he was joking because Qi Shan boarded the boat even faster than him, with half of his body leaning out of the cabin, casually splashing the lake water.
As I've mentioned before, my father was a sandal maker.
Qin Li also felt that he was lying.
Qi Shan was skilled in calligraphy and painting, knowledgeable in everything, and possessed an air of refinement and poise that could only be cultivated in a wealthy and powerful family. Even Qin Li was often amazed by his erudition. It wasn't that Qin Li looked down on people of humble origins; if such a gifted and talented person could be raised from such humble circumstances, his aptitude and perseverance would be even more astonishing. Moreover, Qi Shan was well-versed in certain rules of aristocratic families.
Qin Li chuckled: [You also said that you and I hit it off immediately, that you felt like I was an old friend. Is that true?]
Qi Shandao: 【Really.】
Qin Li then asked, "Who is this old friend?"
Qi Shan paused for a moment: "It's Qi Yuanliang."
Qin Li: 【…Then who are you?】
Qi Shan smiled casually again: 【Qi Yuanliang.】
Qin Li wished he could pull the round dagger he'd stuck back in and tear Qi Shan's mouth apart with his bare hands: "You said your name was Tan Qingguang before, then you made up another name, Tan Lezheng. You're going back on your word. I really can't tell what's true and what's false from your story. But I've learned my lesson; when I can't tell the truth, I'll just treat it as falsehood."
"Your method isn't very clever, but we're colleagues now, serving the same master, so I certainly won't lie to you again." Qi Shan rolled over, panting, his wet hair sticking to his face, his eyes as bright as ever. Qin Li didn't believe his nonsense.
"[Shared lord?]" He sat beside Qi Shan, savoring the words with a cold laugh, tapping Qi Shan's face with his pipe, and maliciously reminding him, "[Important people have short memories! Who killed the last shared lord? Back then, how much nonsense did you spout?]"
Qi Shan: […Sigh, it's not so easy to fool me anymore.]
In the words of his lord, his credibility had long been ruined.
But he didn't care, and even shamelessly reached out to Qin Li: "Gong Su, give me a hand, lend me a push."
After he finished speaking, Qin Li smoked him with his pipe.
Exhausted and with little energy left, both men, bruised and battered, stumbled their way back to the main camp after midnight. Qi Shan complained and shifted blame the whole way: "Look at you! If you had just shown some mercy, we would have been back long ago."
Qin Li wished he could kick him and send him tumbling down the mountain.
Just then, the night wind brought the roars of wild beasts from the mountains.
(Annoyed) [Say one more word, and I'll catch you and feed you to the wolves.]
[Haha, Gongsu, I suddenly remembered that when I was young, Yuanliang and I accidentally wandered into a secluded mountain village. In the middle of the night, a village girl climbed through our window, and we almost lost our virginity. We ended up running away in the middle of the night, just like now. On the way down the mountain, we encountered a pack of wolves...]
Qin Li said quietly, "[A wolf like that?]"
He raised his hand and pointed to the faint green lights in the distance.
The lights were blinking.
Praying for good: [...]
They lacked literary flair and their alertness had also decreased.
He smugly spread rumors to Shen Tang: "Sigh, that scoundrel Qin Gongsu even tried to keep a facade of safety when he ran away. He got caught by wolves and had his butt bitten. Now he's crying and wailing, holed up in the camp cursing people..."
Shen Tang: "..."
Qin Gongsu went too far.
but--
"Gong Su and Yuan Liang are very similar?"
This Yuanliang is not that Yuanliang.
Qi Shan thought for a moment: "The appearance is not similar at all, but the temperament and personality are somewhat similar. Honest and simple-minded. You can fool someone easily, and you don't learn your lesson. You can be fooled repeatedly with just a few words of coaxing. However, if Qin Gongsu were in the Mountain and Sea Holy Land, he would probably kick me away and then kick me again if he thought I hadn't gone far enough. He is heartless and ungrateful."
Shen Tang: "..."
It's all because you pushed Qin Li to that point!
Shen Tang shook her head and spoke up for Qin Li: "Gong Su has always valued etiquette; he would never do something so uncouth."
Chasing after someone and kicking them is something only Tan Qu could do.
Qi Shan was so angry at these words that he almost had a heart attack—Qin Li really did chase and kick him last night! Not only did he kick him, but he also used his literary energy to heat up his pipe, leaving a red mark with each puff. His lord, blinded by lust, thought that Qin Gongsu was well-mannered and wouldn't resort to such thuggish fighting tactics.
That guy is good at putting on a show, humph!
"How did you convince Gong Su to help you go to the Pantheon?"
Given the many schemes and plots the Pantheon has engaged in over the years, Qin Li, with his personality, would likely avoid them. Even though Qi Shan let him beat him up to vent his anger, it's only a matter of the two of them having reconciled; it's good enough that they haven't come to blows again, but it's impossible for them to return to their former state.
Qi Shan said, "Just let them know."
Shen Tang: "???"
Qi Shan said smugly, "Isn't Qin Gongsu easy to control? Just tell him that this matter concerns the lord's future plans, and he will agree to cooperate no matter how unwilling he is. After all, he doesn't want his lord, who is in line with his wishes, to be harmed by the Gods, right?"
Qi Shan could use the banner of "Lord" to make Qin Li cooperate obediently, and the same reasoning could be used to morally blackmail other enemies. This was his private matter, but it also concerned public affairs. As long as the Lord still harbored ambitions to unify the continent, the Gods' Alliance would be an unavoidable stumbling block. Qi Shan's ability to infiltrate the enemy and know them well was enough to allow him to avoid countless conspiracies and schemes in advance.
Shen Tang: "..."
"What kind of expression is that, my lord?"
Shen Tang took a deep breath and spread her hands: "Madam, you don't want your husband to know about this, do you? Hehe..."
That final string of "hehe" laughs had a distinctly thuggish quality.
Qi Shan: "..."
What exactly did our lord learn during the year he was away? Was Chu Wuhui dead? How could we not have been on guard against him?
"How do you plan to handle this with Shan Xiao? He's not Gong Su; you can't just beat him up and that will solve the problem." Shen Tang hadn't seen Qi Shan for a year, and she missed him terribly. It would have been better if he hadn't caused so much trouble and didn't have so many enemies.
Qi Shan: "Our lord is indeed the Son of Heaven."
Cui Xiao's way of dealing with scholars was quite strange, and Qi Shan was somewhat afraid of him back then—this guy could suddenly stab himself to death, and more importantly, he held grudges! Under normal circumstances, he would not think of him at all, but the lord always remembered him. What else could he be but the true Son of Heaven?
Shen Tang almost punched him when she heard that.
"Are you still being sarcastic with me?"
"I will handle Cui Shanxiao's matter properly. His weakness is his wife and children. I've already found an excuse to have the Gods' Society's informant look for them. We'll have a lead soon." Qi Shan's expression changed from relaxed to somewhat dark and unfathomable. If Cui Shanxiao doesn't know his place and refuses to listen to reason, well, then his whole family will have to go to the underworld to reunite.
Shen Tang: "..."
Don't think she can't see the murderous intent emanating from Qi Shan.
Qi Shan revealed: "Cui Shanxio also bears a great deal of responsibility for what happened back then. Otherwise, how could he have been abandoned by his wife and children at the same time? It can only be said that there is always something hateful about a pitiful person. He deserved it. My lord, please do not interfere in this matter."
Shen Tang was curious about the inside story, but she also knew that she shouldn't get too involved before the matter was resolved: "As long as you know your limits."
A little while later, she rubbed her temples, her head aching again.
Qi Shan put on the "Tan Shao" alias right in front of her. According to him, he created a character design for each virtual alias without a real-life counterpart to facilitate immersive performances. His ordinary-looking eyes gleamed with smugness: "My lord, do you believe that the dead can be brought back to life?"
Shen Tang asked expressionlessly: "Is this for Tan Qu? Or is it an experience fabricated for Tan Shao? Le Zheng, the dead cannot be brought back to life."
Even if there were a miraculous way to bring someone back to life, who could guarantee that the person he was hoping for would return?
Shen Tang's seriousness made Qi Shan restrain herself somewhat.
A hint of sorrow appeared on his lips: "My lord, do not worry. I am perfectly lucid. I merely stumbled upon a fragment of a scroll in the library of the Pantheon. It says that long ago, the ancestors of the Pantheon possessed a wondrous method to create identical people. However, this method is only accessible to members of the Pantheon, so..."
Shen Tang raised an eyebrow: "Cloning?"
Qi Shan: "..."
"That's not resurrection. To put it simply, this technology makes you give birth to a version of yourself with the same bloodline. Blood-wise, this should be your brother, but ethically, it's like your son. It's just a newborn with no memories..." Shen Tang ruthlessly extinguished Qi Shan's hope, then paused in her steps. "By the way, how did you get this fragment? Don't blame me for being suspicious, but could this fragment be a trap set by someone to lure you in?"
It seemed like it took Qi Shan a long time to process all this information.
His expression was enigmatic: "Perhaps it's a setup."
An alarm sounded in Shen Tang's mind.
The alarm was turned off by Qishan the next second.
He said, “The internal relationships of the Pantheon are complicated and full of intrigue. I did reveal my idea of resurrecting people back then, and some people wanted to curry favor with me and use it to coerce and win people’s hearts. In return, I made him young again.”
Shen Tang: "..."
"Does my lord feel like this is the first time he's met me?" In the past, he would always be so angry and roar in front of Shen Tang that his image was completely different from today. Anyone who stood in his way would be killed without hesitation, even his colleagues could be wiped out by him.
Shen Tang retorted, "There are no wrong names, only wrong aliases. Am I the first person to know you're plotting something? I just hope you can discuss things with me more. I don't like being kept in the dark. Shen Youli doesn't like it, and neither does your lord."
Qi Shan suddenly broke into a smile.
"That's natural."
Perhaps knowing that the Gods would be holding their meeting right under their noses, the previously relaxed New Year's atmosphere took on a tense, stormy feel. When Jiang Sheng and the others were informed by Qi Shan that their pseudonyms had been used, they were so angry they wanted to punch him.
Xun Zhen was also well-versed in the principles of Yin and Yang: "He has been using my name and receiving a salary without working for many years. Shouldn't we settle accounts with him?"
|ω`)
(End of this chapter)
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