Gu Chengming looked at the exquisite storage pouch in his hand, embroidered with mandarin ducks frolicking in water; his fingertips could still feel the faint warmth lingering upon it.
Though his heart held no end of confusion, seeing the state Fu Xiaoxiao was in, in the end he still didn't ask anything further, and silently tucked it away into his bosom.
"My thanks, Senior Sister Fu, for the gift of treasure?"
Off to the other side, Li Suizhuang wore a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, those eyes of hers flowing back and forth between Gu Chengming and Fu Xiaoxiao. Though she could see her own senior sister's predicament, she hadn't the slightest intention of speaking up to smooth things over; on the contrary, that expression of one enjoying a good show grew ever more obvious—indeed, in order to hide the curve of her lips, she had no choice but to tactically lower her head.
As the storage pouch changed owners, the taut lines of Fu Xiaoxiao's body finally relaxed a little.
She drew in a deep breath, as if to forcibly press down that surge of shame and indignation in her chest.
"Hooo——"
Fu Xiaoxiao closed her eyes, her right hand's fingers held together, and lightly pressed her fingertips against the ancestral aperture between her own brows.
In that instant's flow of qi-mechanism, Gu Chengming clearly recognized that this was precisely the "Red Dust Art" Fu Xiaoxiao had just taught him.
Only this time, she was casting it in reverse, intending to sever her own deluded thoughts.
A moment later, Fu Xiaoxiao slowly opened her eyes, lifted her head, and stared at Gu Chengming with a gloomy gaze.
She truly hadn't expected it.
Having steeped herself in the Red Dust Dao for several hundred years, priding herself on a Dao-heart hard as iron and on toying with people's hearts as easily as fishing something from a pouch, today she had actually capsized in a gutter.
"Senior Sister Fu?"
Gu Chengming felt a little creeped out under her stare, and on top of that, a certain cultivation method that kept yelling "Heavenly Emperor Gu, this time it's my turn to be on top" was giving him a splitting headache—so he could only be the first to break the silence, probing as he asked:
"What was that just now...?"
Fu Xiaoxiao's body stiffened, and only then did she snap out of it.
Right—although this kid had cast the Red Dust Art, he himself hadn't fallen victim to it, so naturally he had no idea what exactly had happened inside that Red Dust Illusion.
"It's nothing."
Fu Xiaoxiao gave a dry cough, trying to once more take up the dignity of a senior sister and Elder, though her voice still carried a few notes of bluster that lacked any real confidence:
"I was merely testing your comprehension, that's all."
"Testing?" Gu Chengming arched a brow.
A soft chuckle came, exceedingly abruptly, from off to the side.
Li Suizhuang set down her teacup, seeming at last unable to watch any longer. She straightened her sleeve-cuffs and said warmly, "Just now Senior Sister Fu fell victim to your Red Dust Art—her mind lost its hold, and she sank into the Red Dust Illusion. It ought to be—"
Before Li Suizhuang had finished speaking, she felt a nearly substantial gaze glaring fiercely over at her.
Fu Xiaoxiao was glowering, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster's, and she had already pinched a magic formula in her hand—that posture saying plainly: You dare speak it aloud, and we sisters are through!
Li Suizhuang's voice paused, and with utter naturalness she changed course, going along with the flow:
"...It ought to be that she took you for a karmic object that absolutely had to be settled. And so, these five hundred spirit stones are meant to sever that karma."
"Karma?" Gu Chengming grew even more puzzled.
"Surely you don't think that my Harmonious Joy Sect's Red Dust Art is just that sort of low, unpresentable sleight-of-hand and charm-technique?"
Seeing his bewildered look, Fu Xiaoxiao recovered a measure of her confidence.
"If it really were like that, on what grounds would my Harmonious Joy Sect rank among the Great Qian's top sects? On nothing but the flesh-trade of those who only know how to lounge in pleasure-houses listening to tunes?"
"The so-called 'red dust' is not lust or appearances, but karma; and the Red Dust Art is likewise a Daoist technique able to draw upon the karmic Dharma-station."
Hearing this, Gu Chengming's heart stirred—the law of karma?
"I would ask Senior Sister Fu to explain in detail."
Seeing his attitude of humble inquiry, the pent-up resentment in Fu Xiaoxiao's heart dispersed quite a bit.
"Dummy."
She rolled her eyes at Gu Chengming, yet still patiently explained: "For the myriad methods of this world, most have cause first, then effect. For instance, your swinging the sword is the cause, the sword-qi wounding someone is the effect; your cultivating is the cause, the rise in your realm is the effect."
"But what my Harmonious Joy Sect's Red Dust Dao cultivates is the inversion of effect into cause."
"The so-called Red Dust Illusion is, in fact, only the shallowest—and also the crudest—way of employing red dust qi... The principle is to use the red dust qi to directly plant an effect."
"Once this effect is established within the spirit-soul, then in order to make this absurd effect reasonable, it will automatically go and fill in that cause."
"And so, within the Red Dust Illusion, the mind will automatically generate countless scenes of acquaintance, intimacy, and lifelong companionship with that person."
Gu Chengming listened in astonishment—first establish the result, then let the other party's brain automatically fill in the process?
No wonder the Harmonious Joy Sect was one of the top sects. At the beginning he'd been baffled as to why the Harmonious Joy Sect method he'd labored to learn had been utterly useless—so it turned out he simply didn't know how to use it?
"So, Senior Sister Fu, what you mean is that, cultivated to great accomplishment, the Harmonious Joy Sect's method can rewrite reality?"
"The lad is teachable."
Fu Xiaoxiao nodded with satisfaction, sitting back down on the cloud-couch and crossing her legs:
"A true great cultivator can, in a single thought, use red dust qi to first set down the effect that 'you have already been defeated'—and then, no matter how you struggle, the karma of heaven and earth will push you toward the outcome of failure."
"Of course, that is an exceedingly profound realm. Even for this seat..."
At this point, she seemed to recall something; her expression dimmed a touch, but very quickly she recovered that carefree, devil-may-care look.
Gu Chengming was digesting this astonishing information when a flash of insight suddenly struck his mind—he connected it to what he had seen and heard earlier at the Yayuan and aboard the Drunken Dream Boat, and to that line Fu Xiaoxiao had spoken just now while handing over the money: "settling the karma."
"So the Harmonious Joy Sect's rules are strict, and when disciples travel abroad, if they engage in dual cultivation they must pay spirit stones or something of equivalent value—this isn't merely a flesh transaction, nor is it for the sake of livelihood, but because..."
Fu Xiaoxiao took up the thread, praising him: "Your mind does turn quickly."
She extended a finger and lightly tapped on the table:
"Dual cultivation is, in essence, the merging of qi-mechanisms. If the two parties are Dao-companions, then that karma is a bond of affection, to be borne together as a matter of course. But if it's merely for the sake of cultivation, for the sake of replenishment-harvesting, then that karma is a 'debt.'"
"Those cultivators who are harvested have given up their essence-qi and cultivation—that is the cause. If they aren't given an effect in return, the karma will tangle, and their Dao-foundation is bound to collapse."
She pointed at the storage pouch in Gu Chengming's bosom: "So, giving money is giving that effect."
"Goods and payment settled, neither owing the other."
Gu Chengming was suddenly enlightened, but then, as if recalling something, he opened his mouth and asked: "So the five hundred spirit stones Senior Sister Fu gave me just now were because...?"
Off to the side, Li Suizhuang could hold it in no longer, and laughed right out loud.
Fu Xiaoxiao's complexion, which had only just returned to normal, instantly reddened at a visible-to-the-eye speed, and she made to clamp a hand over Gu Chengming's mouth.
"That was this seat rewarding you for your fine talent! Do you understand or not?"
After a bout of commotion, Fu Xiaoxiao shot Gu Chengming a glare and said with a serious face:
"Enough—jokes aside."
"Since you've already grasped the true essence of the Red Dust Art, then you should also understand that this technique is not easy to cultivate."
"You can use it to plant karma upon others, and others can use the very same means to deal with you."
"You are by nature a constitution that attracts karma. If you don't learn to control this red dust qi, then never mind five hundred spirit stones—even fifty thousand spirit stones might not settle that account."
Gu Chengming put away his joking frame of mind and cupped his hands: "My thanks for Senior Sister Fu's counsel. This junior brother shall certainly keep it firmly in mind."
He knew that these words of Fu Xiaoxiao's were no alarmist exaggeration.
"All right."
Fu Xiaoxiao waved her hand in a shooing posture, though the tips of her ears were still a little flushed:
"I've taught you the thing, I've given you the money—it's about time you scrammed."
"Remember, don't go casting the Red Dust Art recklessly out there. And those five hundred spirit stones—you're not allowed to give them back! That's karma! You must keep them!"
Holding back a laugh, Gu Chengming saluted once more: "This junior brother understands. Then this junior brother shall take his leave, and not disturb Senior Sister and Senior Li in catching up."
With that, he turned and walked toward the hall's exit. Only once Gu Chengming's figure had completely vanished at the end of the corridor did Li Suizhuang set down her teacup, look at Fu Xiaoxiao—who was still over there fanning herself to cool down her flush—and say with a soft laugh:
"Senior Sister Fu, this time you've not only passed your method out, emptied your money pouch, but lost your face along with it."
"Less of your prattling!"
Fu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at her in exasperation, then flopped backward limply, sprawling spread-eagled on the ground, both eyes gazing at the sky, her expression somewhat vacant.
After a long while, she suddenly reached up and covered her face: "Aaahh—!!"
Leaving behind the Imperial Academy's solemn vermilion gates, the din of the long street came flooding back into his ears.
Gu Chengming was in no hurry to return to the small courtyard, but instead strolled at leisure along the bustling streets of the East Market, his mind still savoring the sensation of that single finger-point from before.
"Effect first, cause after, hm..."
Gu Chengming murmured to himself under his breath, his gaze falling upon an old fellow by the roadside who was selling candied haws.
That old man was staring with a knitted brow at the fast-dwindling daylight, with more than half of his unsold candied haws still stuck onto the straw bundle—clearly he was fretting over his livelihood for the day.
Gu Chengming's heart stirred. He did not use spiritual power to bewitch the other's mind, but instead tried to mobilize that exceedingly faint thread of pink "red dust qi" within his body, which he had only just condensed.
Within his sea of consciousness, he conceived an extremely simple "effect"—[The strings of candied haws will sell out.]
As his fingertip lightly pinched within his sleeve, that thread of red dust qi instantly dispersed, sinking into the old man's brow.
The next moment, Gu Chengming felt a distinct resistance.
That sensation was like using a single thin, frail strand of hair to drag a thousand-catty boulder—it was the resistance of reality's logic and an individual's karmic instinct.
"Snap."
That "strand of hair" broke.
"Failed."
Gu Chengming frowned slightly, and tried several more times.
Such as trying to make a running stray dog suddenly stop, or making a fallen leaf drift against the wind into his own palm—but the results mostly fell short of his wishes.
"It seems that at my current level, trying to interfere with reality's karma through red dust qi is still a bit too much of a stretch."
Gu Chengming sighed, and couldn't help but feel a touch of self-doubt rise in his heart: "Perhaps my realm is still too low? The spirit-soul strength of the second realm simply can't support this kind of high-dimensional operation."
Just then, a lazy yet somewhat haughty voice came from within his sea of consciousness.
[The «Yin-Yang Creation Strategy», watching you in your battered-and-dejected state, couldn't help but speak up to remind you.]
[To be able to do this much at the second realm is already quite impressive. The you of right now is worth at least ten female leads!]
Gu Chengming felt this was rather subtle. Although he knew the Yin-Yang Creation Strategy was consoling and praising him, why was the manner of it so very strange?
[What's more, the red dust qi you've accumulated through cultivation right now is simply far too little. When ordinary Harmonious Joy Sect cultivators duel, that's a consumption of red dust qi measured in months.]
Hearing this explanation, the sense of frustration in Gu Chengming's heart finally dispersed quite a bit.
True enough—if one could freely rewrite karma at the second realm, then this Harmonious Joy Sect would have unified the Nine Provinces long ago; what need would there be to run pleasure-houses to make money?
Just as Gu Chengming was reining in his mind,
the cultivation methods that had been dragged into the Red Dust Illusion earlier finally came to their senses one after another.
[The «Huiyuan Sword Formula» opened its eyes in a daze, its gaze still somewhat unfocused, clearly not yet fully extricated from that lovely dream.]
[In that dream, it seemed to have at last gained a physical body, and was softly curled within a warm embrace, listening to someone speak the sweet words "you are the only one."]
[It instinctively spread open its two arms: Mmm... want a hug...]
[However, when it gradually came to its senses—]
["Eh?"]
[The «Huiyuan Sword Formula» abruptly froze.]
Gu Chengming: "..."
It seemed Huiyuan's dream had indeed been very heartwarming.
[The «Qingxin Formula» forced two composed coughs, attempting in this way to cover up what it had just gone through in the illusion.]
[This Red Dust Art really does have some tricks to it; a slight lapse in attention and one easily loses one's composure. Mm. That is all.]
Last of all was a line of deep regret.
[The «Hundred Bones Resonance» smacked its lips, unsatisfied, its gaze full of wistful loss.]
Gu Chengming found it funny inside, and at the same time was a little curious about what the Qingxin Formula and the Hundred Bones Resonance had experienced within the Red Dust Illusion.
The result, however, was one keeping its mouth shut, the other hemming and hawing.
Qingxin Formula, the current you can't salvage your image even by staying silent!
[The Qingxin Formula gave a "hmph" and paid him no further mind.]
Hundred-Bones-Emperor, the way you're scrambling to save face right now is really pathetic!
[The Hundred Bones Resonance flared up in a fit of fury for a moment, but in the end still furled its banners and fell silent.]
Dusk closed in from all sides, mirroring the lamplight that lit up one after another along the street.
It was about time to head back.
Just as Gu Chengming was pondering whether to pick up some braised beef or the like on the way home—
"Hummm——"
That jet-black Night-Patrol Token at his waist suddenly trembled violently without any warning. Gu Chengming's brow furrowed slightly, and his divine sense swept over the token, only to see displayed upon it nothing but a rough location—Xuande Ward, the mouth of the marketplace.
"Another demon-fiend?"
Gu Chengming felt a touch of surprise in his heart.
After the Drunken Dream Boat case, the remnants of the Longevity Sect had gone to ground; by rights the Capital ought to have a few days of peace. But his feet did not hesitate—he soared off along the ridges of the rooftops.
Only, by the time he rushed to Xuande Ward, everything seemed already to have "settled into dust."
There was no sinister ghostly aura here, nor any trace of an evil cultivator having laid out a formation.
What there was, was only a street in utter disarray, a civilian dwelling that had been smashed half to collapse, a ground strewn with shattered tiles and wood splinters, and that strange rank, fishy stench mixed into the muddy water.
Both sides of the street had long since been packed tight by yamen runners clad in black garb, dispersing the onlooking commoners.
And at the very core of that encircling ring, there was no scene of shouting and slaughter to be seen; on the contrary, it gave off a suffocating, deathly stillness.
Gu Chengming alighted upon a soaring eave not far off. He did not rush to show himself, but instead opened his Piercing Insight and gazed down below.
He saw, in the center of those ruins, a colossal, supremely lavish palanquin-carriage parked there.
That carriage was wrought of aloeswood, its curtains hanging low, through which one could faintly make out several figures seated within, their faces not revealed.
And in front of the carriage was a beast of immense build, its whole body covered in blue-black scales.
It was a mixed-blood jiao beast.
It was born with a dragon's head and a horse's body, its four hooves like hooks. Though at this moment it was clamped down by several thick black-iron chains, it still snorted coarse breaths laced with sparks. Those dark-golden vertical pupils were full of savagery and irritability, and a few glaring crimson cloth strips still hung between its teeth.
And not far beneath that jiao beast's hooves, the corpse of an old man was already mangled beyond recognition.
A youth of perhaps sixteen or seventeen was kneeling in that pool of blood, clutching the old man's corpse for dear life.
His whole body was trembling, yet he could not make a single sound—only from those bloodshot eyes flowed tears like blood.
Before him stood two middle-aged men dressed in official robes.
One wore the red robe of the Ministry of Justice, the other the blue official garb of the Court of State Ceremonial.
That official of the Court of State Ceremonial looked to be around forty, with a fair, clean face and a neatly trimmed long beard. At this moment he was slightly bowing, holding in his hands a heavy brocade pouch, and on his face there was not the slightest air of overbearing arrogance—on the contrary, it was written all over with helplessness and sincerity.
"The dead cannot be brought back to life, but the ways of the world are simply thus. Some accidents are things no one wishes to see."
The youth stared fixedly at him, a "gurgling" sound coming from his throat, his gaze passing over the official to look toward that jiao beast which was still snorting through its nose.
The official sighed, yet did not grow angry at the youth's discourtesy; instead he crouched down, heedless of the muddy water on the ground staining his official boots, and forcibly stuffed that brocade pouch into the youth's stiffened hands.
"Inside this are five hundred spirit stones." The official's voice was pressed very low, so only the two of them could hear: "Take it, give your grandfather a proper burial, buy a few mu of spirit-fields, take a wife, and live out this one life peacefully and securely."
The youth's body shuddered; he made to fling that money pouch away, but was pinned down fast by the official's pair of hands—seemingly frail and scholarly, yet in fact powerful.
"Don't do anything foolish." There was admonition in the official's eyes and tone: "That is the envoy delegation of the East Sea Whale-Shark Family—honored guests of the court. Their coming to the Capital this time is to present tribute of water-vein spirit-materials, for the sake of the century-old alliance between the Great Qian and the East Sea."
"That jiao beast is their auspicious beast. Though its temperament is a bit violent, and it startled the carriage, what it represents is the face of the East Sea."
"If you insist on seeking justice, insist on making this auspicious beast pay with its life..."
The official paused, lightly patting the back of the youth's hand, his words earnest and weighty: "Setting aside whether you could even do it—even if you really did make a scene today, you wouldn't come to a good end."
"I'm saying this for your own good. Take a step back and the sea and sky grow boundless. Take the money, live on—that is the greatest comfort to the departed. Don't, for a moment's pride, ruin your own future."
These words were spoken without a single leak, full of genuine feeling and sincerity.
Were an uninformed bystander to hear them, they would likely sigh that this lord was truly a good official who loved the people as his own children—able, even amid such a thorny diplomatic dispute, to win such a generous compensation for a lowly commoner.
The yamen runners maintaining order all around likewise lowered their heads, as if tacitly accepting this "best" outcome.
That jiao beast even shook its head and snorted a gust of fishy breath from its nostrils. Gu Chengming stood high above, watching this scene with an expressionless face.
Within his sea of consciousness, there was deathly silence.
Ordinarily, when encountering this kind of human tragedy, the «Qingxin Formula»—while it wouldn't gloat over misfortune—would for the most part be cracking melon seeds, taking the posture of a bystander to gripe a few words like "the ways of the world are hard" or "this official really is no good thing."
But contrary to Gu Chengming's expectations,
[The «Qingxin Formula» watched this scene somewhat blankly, feeling only as though its chest were blocked up by something.]
Something was off...
Gu Chengming sensed that the Qingxin Formula seemed to be particularly shaken by this matter.
Shaking his head and pressing down the doubt in his heart, Gu Chengming looked toward the scene below.
That lord of the Court of State Ceremonial was perhaps truly a "good official"; within the framework of the system, he had achieved what he considered the optimal solution. While safeguarding the overall situation, he had indeed given that youth a way to live.
But Gu Chengming found it sickening.
If even this kind of "evil" could be crowned with the name of "for your own good" and exist openly and brazenly, then what use was there in cultivating the Great Qian's laws?
What's more... Gu Chengming felt that emotion of the «Qingxin Formula» that had never appeared before.
[The Hundred Bones Resonance watched this scene, terse and to the point.]
[It deserves to die, Heavenly Emperor Gu.]
"Hooo——"
Gu Chengming slowly exhaled that breath of turbid air, his palm pressing onto the sword-hilt at his waist.
The next moment.
Without any sign, without the slightest hesitation.
A blue-robed figure, like a startled swan, leapt down from the high soaring eave.
"Boom!"
The instant Gu Chengming landed, the bluestone slabs beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, and a peerlessly biting sword intent swept outward with him at its center, forcibly driving back the yamen runners encircled all around by several zhang.
That official of the Court of State Ceremonial, who had just been about to rise and leave, was startled by this sudden turn of events; his foot slipped, and he nearly fell back into the muddy water.
He steadied himself and looked at this young man who had suddenly appeared before him, clad in the brocade garb of the Night-Watch Bureau. His brow instantly knit into the shape of the character "川," and his tone took on a few notes of official authority and displeasure:
"Who are you? Can't you see that the Ministry of Justice and the Court of State Ceremonial are handling a case?"
Gu Chengming paid him no heed.
He didn't spare the official so much as a glance, nor did he look at the youth still kneeling on the ground.
His gaze passed over everyone and fell directly upon that mixed-blood jiao beast, which was lowering its head and chewing on something with a contemptuous look in its eyes.
Early second realm, its demonic aura a muddled mess—aside from being a bit thick-skinned and tough-fleshed, utterly worthless.
"Roar?"
That jiao beast too seemed to sense the killing intent emanating from Gu Chengming.
It stopped chewing, its huge head jerking up, fierce light bursting forth in its dark-golden vertical pupils. A threatening low growl issued from its throat, the scales over its body bristling up one by one, and a rank wind belonging to a demon beast rushed at his face.
The official of the Court of State Ceremonial, heedless of his bearing, rushed in a few strides before Gu Chengming, lowering his voice, his tone urgent and severe:
"This is the auspicious beast of the East Sea Whale-Shark Family—do not show off a moment's reckless courage!"
Gu Chengming sneered: "A man-eater, and it's fit to be called an auspicious beast?"
The official choked, and then flew into a shame-fueled rage.
"Zheng——!!!"
A clear, impassioned sword-cry cut off the words the official had not yet spoken.
It was simply the drawing of the sword, and a slashing cut.
The instant the [Wave-Listening] left its sheath, that mixed-blood jiao beast didn't even have time to let out a wretched scream before it was slain by the second-tier top-grade Dharma Sword and Gu Chengming's sword intent, condensed to the utmost.
"Squelch."
A huge, ferocious head, still spouting hot steam, shot up into the sky.
Scalding demon-blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly dyeing that official of the Court of State Ceremonial's blue robe—the one representing "diplomatic etiquette"—a sheet of crimson.
"Thud."
That enormous headless corpse crashed to the ground, splashing up muddy water all around.
That rolling head came to rest right in front of the dazed youth. Those dark-golden vertical pupils were still wide open, within them lingering the savagery of life and a trace of as-yet-undispersed astonishment.
That official of the Court of State Ceremonial held the posture of one with mouth open to rebuke, a few drops of warm jiao-blood still on his face, the whole man utterly stunned.
The yamen runners all around exchanged glances; though their hearts were in dread of that single sword of Gu Chengming's, they nonetheless steeled themselves, drew the sabers at their waists, and pressed in encircling him.
That official of the Court of State Ceremonial was all the more beside himself with fury. He wiped a handful of blood from his face and, pointing at Gu Chengming, cursed at the top of his lungs: "Do you know what you've done?!"
Gu Chengming twirled a sword-flourish backhanded, gave it a light flick, and the blood droplets on the blade-edge were flung to the ground, leaving a glaring red line.
He drew a token from his bosom—this was the Great Qian Hall of Punishment and Law token that Elder Kong of the Enforcement Hall had given him back when he was at the sect.
"Clack."
Gu Chengming casually tossed that token down at the feet of that official of the Court of State Ceremonial, producing a crisp sound.
The official instinctively lowered his head, and when he saw clearly the characters upon that token and its distinctive pattern, the face originally flushed red with rage instantly turned pale as paper.
Gu Chengming spoke: "Great Qian law, Volume Three, Article Seven: those who kill in the open street shall be beheaded!"
"If you have any objections, by all means come find me at the Night-Watch Bureau."
"Night-Patrol Guard, Gu Chengming."
Only once that blue-robed figure had completely vanished around the street corner was the deathly stillness of Xuande Ward broken.
"Well slain! Ah, well slain!"
"That's Lord Gu of the Night-Watch Bureau? So young! What tremendous killing-aura!"
The commoners' discussions surged up like a tide, mixed within them a long-suppressed exhilaration and awe.
And that official of the Court of State Ceremonial, barely managing to rise to his feet with the support of his attendants, knew in his heart that today's assignment had been botched.
Not only botched—he had also crossed someone he absolutely could not afford to cross.
"Gu Chengming..."
Wenjian Sect, Hall of Punishment and Law, Night-Watch Bureau...
He was well versed in the way of officialdom, and knew deeply that these three identities stacked together could not be fobbed off with the old "smooth-things-over and muddle through" approach.
Having already drafted in his mind how to lay out his own faults in a memorial, he gritted his teeth, stood up, and said to the yamen runners beside him:
"Back to the Court of State Ceremonial."
After leaving Xuande Ward, Gu Chengming slowed his steps.
The night wind after the rain carried a few notes of chill, blowing away that faint smell of blood upon him.
Within his sea of consciousness, the system's notification chimes sounded one after another.
[The «Zhouli Heavenly Harmony Righteous Heart Method» states: The root of punishment and reward lies in making no distinction.]
[A beast committing violence in the open street, throwing the order of the Capital into chaos, is precisely the corruption of the very root of "ritual." Those officials attempting to use power for private ends and to muddle right and wrong are truly the source of lawlessness.]
[This sword of yours not only slew a demon-fiend, but moreover rectified the law and pacified the people's hearts—this is the true "Great Ritual"!]
[Favorability +5]
[Current favorability: 73 / Fond]
[The «Hundred Bones Resonance» laughed all the louder: Heavenly Emperor Gu is mighty!]
[What East Sea auspicious beast? If they really dare send people, then we'll exterminate its whole clan! This kind of thing that only dares to bully the weak and small—killing ten thousand of them wouldn't be too many!]
[Favorability +5]
[Current favorability: 190 / ∞ (Through Life and Death, Never Forsaking)]
[Fixed attributes gained: Constitution +2, Strength +1]
Gu Chengming gave a faint smile and said nothing, instead placing his attention upon that cultivation method in the corner.
[The «Qingxin Formula», recalling the instant that sword fell, suddenly felt somewhat dazed.]
[For some reason, the falling of that sword had not made its mood feel relieved; on the contrary, it grew even more lost.]
[It blankly felt out that inexplicable emotion within its heart, long without a word.]
[At last it slowly let out three words...]
[Well slain.]
Gu Chengming drew in a deep breath, having already reached a reckoning in his heart.
Presumably, this was the Qingxin Formula's heart-knot.
Since the heart-knot had revealed itself, then there was the possibility of resolving it.
It's finally here... the Qingxin Formula's bond event.
Without a doubt, the emotion the Qingxin Formula had let slip in that moment was quite worth deliberating over.
Walking on the road home, Gu Chengming pondered to himself.
Back at the Wenjian Sect's Scripture Library, he had specially looked into the origins of the «Qingxin Formula».
But this cultivation method seemed to have appeared out of thin air; aside from knowing that its creator was a sword-cultivating senior of solitary and eccentric temperament, the remaining records were scant in the extreme—even that senior's name was vaguely glossed over.
Since the person couldn't be traced, then he could only start from the events.
Gu Chengming recalled the instant that sword had fallen just now, and the «Qingxin Formula»'s rare loss of composure within his sea of consciousness, and that line afterward—"Well slain"—as if it had been pent up for a very long time.
Was it because of the demon beast?
No.
Back when he was tempering himself in the rear mountains of the Wenjian Sect, the demon beasts that had died beneath his sword numbered, if not a hundred, then eighty—and he'd never seen the «Qingxin Formula» have any special reaction.
Since it wasn't because of the broad category of "demon beast," then it could only be because of that specific "race," or that specific "place."
The jiao clan, or else... the East Sea?
Gu Chengming narrowed his eyes slightly, and into his mind surfaced the glorious combat record of his own Elder Yu that he had seen earlier on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
[On the shores of the East Sea, slew one rampaging jiao-demon.]
Perhaps he could just go back and ask little Elder Yu?
Carrying this doubt, Gu Chengming pushed open the wooden door of the small courtyard in Jishan Ward.
The courtyard was brightly lit. Yu Wenqiu was not sprawled on the swing as usual, but instead sat by the stone table, fiddling under the lamplight with two exquisite little objects.
Seeing Gu Chengming return, she immediately held up the thing in her hand as if showing off a treasure, and called out to him with a smug face:
"Little Gu, come quick! Look at what fine treasure this Elder has brought you!"
Gu Chengming drew near for a look—they were two purple-gold bells only the size of a thumb, exceedingly fine in craftsmanship, their surfaces carved full of intricate spirit-rousing runes, yet they made not the slightest sound when shaken.
"What are these?" Gu Chengming was a bit curious.
"These are called 'Dongdong Bells'!"
Yu Wenqiu happily stuffed one of them into Gu Chengming's hand and explained:
"This cost me a great sum of money—I had someone specially custom-make it from an artifact-refining master at the Tianji Pavilion. It's a pair of mother-and-child magic treasures: as long as you ring the bell in your hand, my bell here will immediately give off a clear tone that pierces straight to the spirit-soul, and vice versa."
At this point, she puffed out her chest, wearing a "hurry and praise my cleverness" expression:
"This bell-sound specially breaks all manner of illusions and spirit-soul bindings—its effect is who-knows-how-many times better than those passive soul-protecting magic treasures on the market."
"I figured—didn't we suffer a loss from that grand formation aboard the Drunken Dream Boat last time? With this, from now on, if you get controlled, I'll frantically ring the bell to wake you, and if I carelessly... ahem, if this Elder is momentarily careless and falls victim, you can ring the bell to save me too."
"This way, aren't the two of us in an invincible position? This is what's called a double safeguard!"
Looking at Yu Wenqiu's full-of-confidence manner, Gu Chengming toyed with that icy "Dongdong Bell" in his hand, and a warmth welled up in his heart.
Though this Elder usually seemed unreliable, regarding the matter of failing to protect him last time, she had in fact been gnawing on it in her heart the whole while—so much so that she'd specially gone to seek out this kind of obscure magic treasure for it.
Only...
Gu Chengming looked at her and asked out of nowhere: "Then what if both of us get controlled—who rings the bell then?"
"Uh..."
The smile on Yu Wenqiu's face instantly froze.
She blinked, looked at the bell in her hand, then looked at Gu Chengming—clearly she had completely failed to consider this possibility of total annihilation.
"This... uh... that..."
She hemmed and hawed for a long while, and finally, in a fit of embarrassed irritation, slapped the bell down onto the table:
"As if such rotten luck could ever happen! Can't you wish for something good? This Elder is a third-realm sword cultivator—how could I possibly fall victim every single time!"
Gu Chengming found it funny inside, but didn't go on dismantling her act.
In fact, this magic treasure was indeed extremely well-suited to him, since illusions were basically useless against him.
In his hands, this bell could serve perfectly as a divine artifact dedicated to waking up this "easily-sleeping-constitution" Elder.
"The Elder is thorough in her considerations; this disciple admires it."
Gu Chengming smiled as he tied the bell at his waist, then took the chance to sit down across from her and, with utter naturalness, switched the topic:
"By the way, while I was flipping through the past editions of the Hidden Dragon Ranking today, I happened to see a familiar name."
Hearing the three words "Hidden Dragon Ranking," Yu Wenqiu's originally somewhat awkward expression was instantly swept clean away.
She cleared her throat, struggling to keep the smile at the corners of her mouth in check, and asked with feigned reserve: "Oh? You saw that ranking too?"
"I did."
Gu Chengming nodded, his tone carrying just the right measure of amazement:
"Past Hidden Dragon Ranking, ninety-third place: Yu Wenqiu, on the shores of the East Sea, at mid-second-realm cultivation, slew one rampaging jiao-demon of the late second realm."
"Elder, back in the day you truly were impressive."
These words were like scratching Yu Wenqiu right where she itched.
She cheerfully puffed out her chest, the whole of her practically floating up, and said with dancing brows and beaming eyes:
"Of course! Didn't I say I wasn't lying to you? Back in those years, this Elder was famed far and wide too. It's only because I later became an Elder and took to cultivating my temperament that I didn't act much. Otherwise, this Capital's Hidden Dragon Ranking—what room would there be on it for that pack of youngsters?"
Watching Yu Wenqiu, coaxed into a happy daze and all but humming a little tune on the spot, Gu Chengming smiled and casually tossed out his next line:
"By the way, I made the ranking too."
"Hm?"
Yu Wenqiu was immersed in the glory of bygone days; hearing this, she was stunned for a moment, then reacted:
"Oh right, you've stirred up such a big commotion lately—making the ranking is only proper."
She asked offhandedly: "What place? Did you make the top hundred?"
"Sixty-fourth."
"Pfft——cough cough cough!"
Yu Wenqiu had just lifted her teacup intending to take a sip to soothe her throat; hearing this, she nearly choked herself to death.
She went wide-eyed, looking at Gu Chengming as if at a monster: "What?! Sixty-four?!"
She knew Gu Chengming was formidable, and knew this kid had been riding high lately. But back in the day she had fought tooth and nail for her life, and even with the guidance of Senior Sister Luo, she had only barely squeezed into ninety-third place.
How long had this kid been in the Capital? Not two months even by the most generous count!
And he'd dropped straight in at sixty-fourth?!
Savoring Yu Wenqiu's delicious expression—shock, astonishment, and finally a touch of gratification—Gu Chengming did not keep dwelling on this topic.
The groundwork had been laid sufficiently.
He poured himself a cup of tea and, as if inadvertently, steered the conversation toward the direction he truly cared about:
"It's nothing but empty fame. Compared to the Elder's real achievement of slaying a jiao-dragon back then, it still falls far short."
"Speaking of which..."
Gu Chengming set down his teacup and looked at Yu Wenqiu with clear eyes, the very picture of humble inquiry:
"This disciple is rather curious about this matter of the East Sea. When the Elder slew the jiao on the shores of the East Sea back then, what sort of scene was it exactly? The situation in the East Sea seems not as simple as it appears on the surface?"
"And also... what exactly is the status of this jiao clan within the Great Qian?"
Yu Wenqiu did not perceive the implication behind Gu Chengming's words.
She merely took it that her disciple had just read some miscellaneous book, grown curious about this jiao clan, and wanted to ask his teacher about the ins and outs of the East Sea.
"The East Sea, hmm..."
Yu Wenqiu's expression grew a bit more serious. She gently rubbed the teacup in her hand, as if sinking into some memory:
"The waters of that place really are deeper even than the Capital's."
Yu Wenqiu organized her words and slowly recounted:
"The East Sea is vast, with myriad races standing in profusion. The greatest power among them is the jiao clan, who style themselves descendants of dragon-blood. By rights, they belong to the demon races, and ought to be the mortal enemies of the human race."
"But about three hundred years ago, the Great Qian and several Dragon Lords of the East Sea jiao clan signed a "Sea-Land Pact". From then on, the East Sea jiao clan became auspicious beasts enfeoffed by the Great Qian, enjoying the shelter of the Great Qian's national fortune, and becoming the guardians of the Great Qian's maritime trade."
At this point, Yu Wenqiu curled her lip, her tone carrying a few notes of disdain: "With this hide of an 'auspicious beast,' so long as they don't openly rebel, the Great Qian's cultivators cannot slay members of the jiao clan at will; otherwise it counts as breaking the pact, and one would be held to account by the court."
"But..."
Yu Wenqiu's tone took a sharp turn, her gaze becoming somewhat cold:
"Rivers and mountains may shift, but a nature is hard to change. That pack of scaled-and-horned beasts is, at the bone, savage and bloodthirsty after all."
"The jiao clan's bloodlines are mixed within, its branches many. Those core Dragon-Lord offspring might still restrain themselves somewhat, but those collateral lines below, or the mixed-blood mongrels, often can't hold their temper—they go ashore to devour blood-food, or stir up trouble."
"Toward this kind of thing, the court's attitude has always been ambiguous."
"If it isn't done too excessively, those above usually turn a blind eye and settle it with a bit of compensation."
"But if it's done too far..."
Yu Wenqiu gave a cold laugh, extended her palm, and made a slicing gesture across her neck: "Then they directly strike it from the jiao registry, designate it a rampaging demon beast, and it becomes something anyone may rightfully slay."
Gu Chengming nodded thoughtfully.
"Then that one the Elder slew back in the day..."
"That one I slew back then, ah."
"That one I killed back then..."
Yu Wenqiu lifted her teacup and took a sip, as if recalling that not-so-pleasant bygone affair:
"That jiao-demon was a mixed-blood jiao beast. Relying on its status, it stirred up trouble in a fishing village on the shores of the East Sea. The local officials, afraid of offending the East Sea, actually really did intend to deliver people over to it."
"At the time I happened to be traveling through there."
Yu Wenqiu's fingers gripped the teacup tightly, her knuckles going slightly pale:
"My head got hot in that moment—what damned pact, what auspicious beast, I flung it all to the back of my mind."
"And then, I drew my sword."
Yu Wenqiu spoke of it lightly: "That jiao beast did have some skill, but this Elder is no pushover either. Bearing some wounds, I forcibly slew it before it could devour the people."
Gu Chengming listened quietly.
Though Yu Wenqiu omitted many details—she didn't mention the pressure she faced at the time, didn't mention the recriminations she might have met afterward and the retaliation from the East Sea, nor mention how she preserved herself in the cracks between multiple powers—
he could nonetheless imagine it.
Hidden behind that one line of dazzling combat record—"Hidden Dragon Ranking, ninety-third place"—was what sort of peril and hardship.
"Well slain," Gu Chengming said earnestly.
"Of course!"
Yu Wenqiu once again broke into a smile, her brows and eyes curving, then suddenly seemed to realize something: "What? Did you run into this kind of rotten business out there today too?"
Gu Chengming did not deny it, only nodded.
"Mm, slaughtered one."
Yu Wenqiu's eyes lit up. She didn't ask about any consequences, nor speak of any overall situation: "You've got the bearing of this Elder back in the day! This kind of beast wearing the hide of an auspicious beast—it ought to be killed!"
"Come, come, come, tell the Elder about it—what breed was it?"
Within the small courtyard, the lamplight was dim and yellow.
The two of them, one asking and one answering, spoke of the satisfying grudge-settling of slaying demons and banishing evil, and chatted about that bit of conscience within the cracks of this world.
And that "Dongdong Bell" tied at Gu Chengming's waist swayed gently in the night wind, giving off a few exceedingly faint yet crisp sounds.
As if it were responding to something.
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