Chapter 60 Attendants Twenty-Five
Xi Luo spoke a step too late. After hearing what Zhen Su said, he frowned and swallowed the rest of his words.
Masakuni noticed that she hadn't finished speaking, so he looked at her curiously, waiting for her to continue.
However, Xi Luo remained silent for a long time, then suddenly pressed down on the hilts of his twin swords. Without mentioning that the apprenticeship banquet had been prepared, he simply said softly, "How about watching me demonstrate the Seven Kill Fist before you leave?"
Mayuko could sense her cautiousness; this demeanor was completely unlike her usual proud and straightforward nature. Although he didn't understand why, he wouldn't refuse her anyway.
With Shinju's nod of approval, Xiluo's petite yet resilient body danced through the forest, her punches fierce and powerful, each strike accompanied by a chilling gust of wind. The image of her young master, who practiced the Seven Kill Fist, clearly appeared in her mind, and Xiluo imitated him flawlessly, every move a reflection of her master.
Shinju frowned slightly, then lunged forward, cutting off Xiluo's punching path and preventing her from following her predetermined routine. Xiluo hesitated for a moment before understanding Shinju's intention. She then swung her arm and elbow back, twisted her heel, and spun around to deliver a powerful hook punch from the other side, completing a beautiful change of move.
Shinju curled his lips into a smile, then stepped on Xiluo's footing, pressing forward step by step, forcing Xiluo to retreat continuously. Xiluo's steps became increasingly disordered, and he could no longer muster any momentum. Just maintaining his balance was almost exhausting.
If Shinjuku were to actually make a move, it would surely be a fatal blow.
Xi Luo's youthful face was tense, but a dark glint of excitement flickered in his eyes.
In the exchange of blows, Xi Luo gradually unleashed a Seven Kill Fist technique completely different from before. The moves were completely disrupted, but the transitions between them were still smooth and agile.
A hint of amazement flashed in Shinju's eyes, and his smile deepened. He had only given her a little guidance, relying more on her exceptional comprehension.
Finally, the two exchanged a glance and ended their exchange.
Xi Luo's heart pounded like a drum, her mind filled with the moves she had just made, unable to shake off the afterglow of the punches. It wasn't until Zhen Su mounted his ponies and spoke to her that she snapped out of her daze.
Xi Luo didn't look at Zhen Su, but coolly gazed out of the mountains, pursed her lips and said, "I will definitely go to the capital to find you." At that time, she would never let her master escape the apprenticeship banquet again, Xi Luo added in her heart.
Upon hearing this, Shinju lowered his eyelids, the curve of his lips remaining unchanged, but the smile in his eyes faded, and he said in a very soft voice, "Is that so? Then you'd better hurry up." Before he leaves this world.
Xi Luo didn't hear clearly. As soon as she looked up, her head was rubbed, and then all she could see was the back of the man being carried away by the ponies.
As I watched that figure disappear, a sudden emptiness filled my heart, and a strange panic welled up inside me, as if this might truly be the last time I saw him.
The funeral procession also came down from the mountain. Xi Luo's mother walked to Xi Luo's side, but unexpectedly, Xi Luo, who was staring blankly ahead, suddenly turned her head and bumped into her clothes.
"Hmm? What's wrong? What's wrong with Luo'er?" Xi Luo's mother asked hurriedly. Upon hearing this, the Xi family members all gathered around, their faces tense.
Xi Luo didn't say anything, just held tightly to her mother's sleeve.
Just as everyone looked at each other, at a loss, the thin shoulders trembled violently, and the suppressed sobs could no longer be contained. Instead, the child burst into loud wails, which pierced through the sleeves of the clothes, adding a touch of desolation to the early autumn.
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Most of the generals did not understand why the Prince of Zhen was in such a hurry to return to the capital. Although the thirteen border cities had not yet reached the point of chaos, new officials were taking office and derelict officials were being demoted or punished. Everything seemed to be proceeding in an orderly manner, but in reality, this kind of purge and transformation without any buffer was full of hidden dangers.
Only the Silver Scorpion Guards, who possess the core clues, can uncover the truth.
Upon hearing the report from the secret guards who had come to report the results of the interrogation, even though the King of Zhen had expected it, he still couldn't suppress his surging anger and smashed the solid wood table in front of him with a palm strike.
Chen Ruoxin, the former General of the Cavalry of Yuncheng; Yin Niangzi, the bandit leader; the rebellious former subordinates of General Yu; and the mysterious person lurking beside Xi Tongzhao—all of them are connected to that person in the palace. If he doesn't return to the capital soon, those greedy men might actually start plotting to seize the throne. Although he doesn't think they can succeed, with wolves surrounding him, it's better to avoid trouble; seizing power is the priority.
"All of you, step back." The King of Zhen pinched the bridge of his nose, waved the crowd away, and then habitually called out, "Little Qingzi, come and massage my front gate."
After saying this, King Zhen suddenly remembered that Shinju was not by his side. From that day on, he rarely allowed Shinju to get close, and even deliberately omitted him from his entourage.
At this moment, Shinju was outside grooming his ponies. Having been repeatedly ignored, he guessed that the King of Zhen would certainly not allow him to ride in the carriage on the return journey tomorrow. Fortunately, the return to the capital did not require traveling through the night, so riding these ponies would not be a problem.
There was only one small problem: he was much taller than before, and this horse had been chosen for him by the Prince of Zhen before the victory banquet, only to be given to him afterward. The Prince of Zhen had suggested that he change to another horse, but he refused and chose this short-legged horse instead. However, after riding it, he discovered that because of its low stance, if he dangled his legs, they were only two or three palms' width off the ground. Riding alone was fine, but when he returned to the capital, mixed in with a group of tall horses, the scene would probably be quite "impressive".
It would damage his image. After pondering for a moment, Shinju decided to ride King Zhen's Ferghana horse instead. If King Zhen objected, he would ride on General Yan's horse—oh, no, he should be called General Yan now.
General Yan was promoted to General of the Guards for his meritorious service, a position second only to the Grand General and the General of the Cavalry.
Mayuki brushed the horse's mane listlessly, occasionally losing control of his strength, causing the ponies to wince in pain, but they neither cried out nor struggled, standing obediently and focusing on chewing the apple slices Mayuki fed them.
Rewards were given based on merit, and compensation was made according to losses. General Yu had distinguished himself in battle, and his counterattack in defending the city was truly brilliant, reducing our casualties to a minimum. Therefore, he was promoted to the highest rank of general.
General Chen committed treason by secretly sending troops from Wucheng to support Yuncheng to the enemy, further widening the gap in combat strength between the two sides and causing heavy casualties among his soldiers. In addition, he had been colluding with his son-in-law in Feng Kingdom for many years, abusing his power for personal gain, and committing numerous crimes, too many to list. Ultimately, the Chen family was raided, all direct descendants were exiled, and Chen Ruoxin was paraded through the streets as a public spectacle, with his crimes read aloud before being publicly executed. His body was dumped within the territory of Feng Kingdom.
The whereabouts of the former Grand General Xi Tongzhao were unknown. King Zhen sat in silence for a whole night because of this. Then, in accordance with the previous agreement with Tongzhao, after learning what Feng Shuo wanted, he allowed him to stay and guard Yongshun City, and granted him the position of Langjiang, starting from the middle level.
Xi Luo was assigned to the women's military camp. Although she was underage, the King of Zhen made an exception and allowed her to join because of her strong insistence. She would be given no title or real position, and her future achievements would depend on her own efforts.
As for Xi Chu, he made no demands whatsoever. After careful consideration, the King of Zhen personally bestowed upon him a title that was neither too high nor too low, but with real power. It could be inherited for one generation, but the next generation's descendants would have to apply to the reigning emperor for permission to inherit the title, and only with the emperor's consent could they inherit it. Many people felt that being feared by the emperor and subject to imperial power was not as good as having real gold and silver treasures, or even an official position.
However, precisely because King Zhen keeps a close eye on the nobility, there are only three people with titles in the Nian Kingdom, and it is unlikely that any more will be added. Scarcity increases value, not to mention that these are titles with real power. Even without real power, the land and stipend alone would be enough to ensure the Xi Chu lineage's wealth and status for generations. Furthermore, hereditary succession guarantees that the Xi Chu family will not be ostracized because of their disability, or even find it difficult to have an heir.
King Zhen rewarded and bestowed titles upon a group of people, and suddenly remembered that Masakatsu had not asked for any reward from him.
He stroked the light blue sachet hanging from his waist, caressing the faint traces of black hair inside, and a plan formed in his mind.
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The next day at 9:00 AM, the sun shone brightly, and the sky was cloudless—perfect weather for travel.
After the main force returned to Beijing and completed its reorganization, it gradually departed from the temporary camp where it had been stationed for many days. In fact, less than half a month had passed since they left Beijing, and the rapid reversal of the war situation was astonishing whenever I thought about it.
Returning from this great victory, the generals were all beaming with joy and pride, their spirits high. The magnificent convoy slowly traversed the grasslands and drove into Yuncheng.
Yuncheng is rich in supplies, so the team took a short break here to make purchases.
Shinju stepped onto the stirrups and slowly dismounted from the Akhal-Teke horse. He then shuffled to the front of the imperial carriage, bowing his head and waiting for the rider to disembark. After a short while, a hand with distinct knuckles reached out from behind the curtain, but instead of taking Shinju's outstretched arm, a long leg strode directly to the ground. The King of Zhen's gaze swept over Shinju, then he stepped onto the Akhal-Teke horse behind Shinju.
The dark cloak swept past without pausing. Shinsuke's fingers clenched and unclenched, before he silently lowered his hand.
"Where is Your Majesty going?" General Yan asked curiously.
"Yan Qing, please stay here and guard the troops. I need to go and retrieve something. I will be back in half an hour."
"Objects? What objects?" The King of Zhen spoke vaguely, and General Yan did not dare to ask further. He simply clasped his hands in acceptance of the order. When he looked up and saw the trust in the King of Zhen's eyes, he blurted out, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly take care of Attendant Haoqing and everyone else."
"..." The King of Zhen paused for a moment, glancing sideways at General Yan.
Shinjuku heard their conversation but remained silent, his face expressionless. He didn't even lift his head, staring at the ground as if deep in thought.
The King of Zhen controlled his gaze, no longer glancing at the place where Zhen Su was. He twirled his fingertips and lightly touched the water-colored sachet. Then, he spurred his horse and, with dozens of guards, broke away from the resting group and galloped off in a certain direction.
On the outskirts of Yuncheng, at the Fujin Taoist Temple.
The King of Zhen sent his Silver Scorpion bodyguards to scout the area first. When they reached the side gate of the Taoist temple, the King of Zhen received an unambiguous signal from the Silver Scorpion hidden in the shadows before stepping inside.
The Taoist temple was not exactly secluded. Although most worshippers gathered in the front and middle courtyards, the area where the Poison King was located was not usually open to the public. However, the constant clanging and knocking sounds were quite disturbing.
The abbot of the Taoist temple, who came to greet him, wanted to raise his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, but hesitated for a moment and put it down. He nervously gripped his whisk and said, "Your Majesty, the sachet you requested has been prepared, but this... the blessing and consecration ceremony will probably have to be moved underground."
"Underground?" The King of Poison stopped in his tracks, his sharp gaze sweeping over the abbot.
The abbot was startled by the sudden gaze and his voice became shaky. “Yes, yes, this place was formerly the Yun Guang Taoist Temple. After His Majesty ordered the demolition of Yun Guang, we from Fujian moved here. Reconstruction is underway everywhere. This prayer altar has not yet been completed. Fortunately, we found one underground, with all the necessary ritual implements, so it should not be a problem.”
Upon hearing the words "Yun Guang," the King of Zhen inevitably recalled the experience of personally digging up Shinjuku from the ground. His brows furrowed, and a deep, sinister aura gathered in his dark eyes.
The abbot waited anxiously for a reply, thinking that the Poison King would definitely refuse, but to his surprise, the Poison King suddenly nodded.
"Then let's go down."
The guards behind him followed the Poison King, up the stone steps, through the narrow passage, past a small alchemy room, and then turned left before finally arriving at the huge altar.
The eight pillars of the altar are carefully positioned, the water and land paintings in the upper and lower halls are symmetrical, and the flags are also precisely aligned. The offering table on the altar and the four rectangular tables are aligned with the feng shui principles, and all the ritual implements are complete on the tables. As the abbot said, the consecration and blessing ceremony can indeed be performed.
The abbot picked up a wooden tray, from which the Poison King took a scarlet sachet embroidered with gold thread, and then picked up his own light blue sachet. Gazing at the embroidered twin lotus flowers with similar postures, his eyes shone with a light like black diamonds.
"This is it," said the King of Poison.
The abbot silently let out a long sigh, then smiled and said, "Then I will now consecrate His Majesty's sachet!"
Unexpectedly, the King of Zhen took off his cloak and threw it to the guards, then picked up the heavy ritual implement himself and said, "No need, I will do it myself."
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Author's Note: Abbot: ? ? You're a Taoist priest and I'm a Taoist priest?
The Poison King was a cultivator; if he were to bestow a precious sachet, he would naturally consecrate it himself.
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