72 Chapter 71 - Heaven Has Eyes
After hearing Consort Li's statement, Jing Wen's eyebrow furrowed deeply, and his breathing became coarser. Those familiar with him, such as Jing An, would know that he was extremely angry. Without any emotions in his voice, Jing Wen asked, "How can Consort be so sure?"
Naturally, Consort Li was not familiar with Jing Wen, and did not know his emotional fluctuations, nor would she care. Finding Jing Wen's question a little amusing, she asked, "How many have entered the 'shen' state?"
Jing Wen parted his lips, about to answer that 'shen' only appear in the world every millennium, but realised answering her was meaningless, he closed his mouth.
Consort Li observed him interestingly, then continued, "How many have entered the 'xian' state?"
Jing Wen's mouth had already tightened into a thin line as he refused to answer. Although he was a genius that entered Qi Manifestation state at sixteen years old, the sect leader of Zijin Sect and Ximo Sect had done the same, yet both had remained at the peak of Qi Manifestation after all these years. Excluding Consort Li, only two and a half people have entered the 'xian' state. Zhou Aimin's tao master Guo Xiling was one, the saintess Shen was one, and the half was general Xiahou, who relies on a secret technique to reach that state temporarily. Excluding general Xiahou, Guo Xiling and saintess Shen are a hundred years apart.
Consort Li chuckled, "You are indeed a rare genius that is seldomly seen, but to go beyond Qi Manifestation requires talent that appears once a century, once a millennium… don't think too highly of yourself. Sparrows, even if given ten thousand years, cannot become an eagle."
Consort Li brushed her sleeve and said, "Zhou Aimin has been with Consort Ru since Yesterday. But upon hearing your injuries, he rushed to this consort's palace and has been waiting since. This consort will not keep you any longer."
Jing Wen had no intention of staying with this strangely tempered woman anyway and quickly left Changchun Palace."
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It was midday, but Jing Wen did not feel any vitality. He had barely struggled back to life, and was tired physically and mentally. Still, upon remembering that today was the day that Hua Quanfu returned, he could only circulate the Qi within his body to stimulate his mind before meeting Zhou Aimin.
His pale complexion highlighted by the sunlight, Jing Wen slowly emerged from Changchun Palace like a sickly man that had just left the clinic. He gradually descended the stairs before Changchun Palace, and onto the grounds of the garden.
Just outside of Changchun Palace stood a youth in Taoist robes, who had been waiting for quite a while, his head lowered tiredly and eyes half-closed due to the lack of sleep. His face appeared like those women that applied makeup to appear frail and sickly like Xi Shi.
Zhou Aimin had been discussing with Consort Ru on collaborating with Jing Wen to seize the elixir of immortality. Anyway, she was a cultivator that had been at Heart Purification state for a decade. But upon hearing the movement of the emperor's personal forces to Jing manor, he realised something was amiss, quickly leaving the Imperial Palace to visit Shen Yanlin.
Hearing from Shen Yanlin that Jing Wen was sent to Changchun Palace, Zhou Aimin returned to the Imperial Palace once more without hesitation, not even hiring a carriage in his journey to and fro. From there, he silently stood before Changchun Palace.
He was then informed by the servant girls that Consort Li required absolute concentration, but that essentially confirmed the severity of Jing Wen's injuries. After all, Consort Li was the strongest cultivator in the world; few things required her complete attention.
Zhou Aimin stood by the paved path, watching Changchun Palace from being shrouded in darkness, to vibrantly displaying itself beneath the sun; the faint, supernatural light created by the Earth Refining Flower continuing to illuminate; watching the servant girls coming and going, and hearing the chirping of that magpie. Nonetheless, Jing Wen did not appear.
Changchun Palace was typically void of guests except for the Emperor - who was still in his study. Only the guards could see Zhou Aimin standing beside the path, but they had no intention of interacting with the Taoist.
At last, Zhou Aimin saw that person and confirmed that he was no longer under the threat of death.
His legs gave out and he collapsed onto the soft grass. His sore eyes blinking a few times before the curious and lively nature of the person returned. He tried to get up, but because his body was too stiff from standing for such a long time, he fell down once more.
Jing Wen gradually walked next to Zhou Aimin, and reached out his hand to the person, whose body were evidently exhausted from running from the Imperial Palace to Shen Yanlin's clinic and back before standing still for so long. Recalling the first time he properly met Zhou Aimin was in Wang manor, Jing Wen felt that the two of them seemed fated with life and death experiences.
Gripping Zhou Aimin's hand, Jing Wen found that it was as soft as a girls' hand. Thinking that the little Taoist probably have never suffered in his life, Jing Wen felt Zhou Aimin was really worthy of admiration.
With Jing Wen's help, Zhou Aimin returned to his feet.
Walking on the footpath, Jing Wen, although still weak, supported Zhou Aimin until they reached a carriage.
Yang'er's head emerged, her hair messy from just waking up after a nights worth of makeshift sleep in the carriage. She rubbed her face before raising her horsewhip and smacking the hair. The horse begrudgingly started heading forward, slowly pulling along the carriage.
In the carriage, Jing Wen looked at Zhou Aimin and gave a weak smile. He said in a coarse voice, "If you want to know what happened, I'll tell you later. Let me sleep a bit first."
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Arriving at Jing manor, Jing Wen continued to sleep without any worries (高枕无忧). Eventually, with the help of the other servants, they carried their young master like a bag of rice through the manor and tucked him into a quilt. During the whole process, Jing Wen's eyelid did not move in the slightest.
Although it was in the coldest months of winter, Jing Wen did not sleep for long at all. Before the sun had set, Jing Wen had woken up.
Sending out his perception, Jing Wen recognised that he had returned home. Exhaling a breath of fatigue, Jing Wen circulated Qi throughout his body once more, before finally allowing himself to relax.
'Staring' at the broken walls at the front of his manor and the carriage that blocked it, Jing Wen was quiet for a while. Then, he suddenly said, "Hire someone to repair the wall before Hua Quanfu can cause any damage in the capital."
Mingzhu was mixing cold and boiling water in a basin to wash Jing Wen's body. Upon hearing Jing Wen speak, she was slightly startled but obediently answered while continuing to measure the temperature of the water. "This servant will find someone while young master takes a bath."
Jing Wen gave a soft 'en' and did not continue on the topic further. Then, he asked, "Where is Fellow Zhou?"
"Still asleep, but this servant has overheard Venerable Zhou tell Yang'er to wake him before evening." Peering at Jing Wen's pale face, Yang'er secretly thought that both people were indeed workaholics.
"It seems Hua Quanfu will enter Lin'an just before the city gate closes. I will meet up with Fellow Zhou then."
Although Jing Wen was still tired from Yesterday's incident, his mind remained exceptionally clear. Lin'an's city gate closes at the beginning of Xu Shi (19:00) - by then, the merchants who want to take advantage of Lin'an's vibrant nightlife would be crowded in the city gate. With such a large crowd, it would be rather challenging to detect the disguised Hua Quanfu.
Waving his hands, Jing Wen plans to continue thinking about the matter after Zhou Aimin had woken up. Anyway, no one would want to offend all of Lin'an without confirming if the elixir of immortality is real or not. There should still be plenty of time left.
Looking at Mingzhu, he said, "Bring something from the kitchen. I haven't eaten in a day."
Mingzhu pushed the basin and brought Jing Wen's foot into the temperate water. Wiping her tender red hands on her apron, she then walked towards the kitchen.
Before she left the door, Jing Wen calmly reminded, "Something like a pancake is best. If Fellow Zhou wakes in time, maybe we can catch Hua Quanfu enter Lin'an on the city walls."
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Lin'an has a strict rule that merchants were only allowed through the Yangping (陽平) Gate and hand over one-tenth of the goods it carried. Of these merchants, many were foreigners, so to display the splendour of the Great Zhu, the grandeur of Yangping Gate and the roads surrounding it was only beneath that of the Fenghuang (凤凰) gate, which was exclusive for the royal family.
Hua Quanfu stared out at the capital of the world with a hint of admiration. Whether Nanwang, Nanhu, Yuelin, Northern Sea or Anbei, none of them had a city as majesty as Lin'an.
Within in the faint twilight, the ashen city wall seemed to completely absorb the lustre of the setting sun, appearing everlasting and extraordinary.
Though he was the heir to the Hua family that was rather influential in Lingnan, Hua Quanfu had spent most of his life in Nanwang and the Northern Sea. After so long in those lands, he had forged an enduring bond with the king of Nanwang and the khan of the Northern Sea tribes.
Now, he had finally returned to the civilised land of Zhongyuan, bringing with him only a small entourage. Yet for someone who carried with him the supposed elixir of immortality - even under disguise - and safely arriving at Lin'an meant each of these individuals was experts rarely found in jianghu.
According to his current identity, he was a merchant who had returned from Anbei with many furs and precious gems. His 'family' were ordinary people who migrated to Lin'an two decades ago and managed to establish a small reputation selling pickled vegetables.
His identity was that of the family's youngest son, who took half of the family wealth in a gamble to make it big. He and Li'Tonger were green plums and bamboo-horse (青梅竹马 - childhood sweetheart) whilst Qi Qi and the rest were family servants.
Li Tong'er walked behind Hua Quanfu and quietly cursed. She stared through the city walls, as if peering into the Jing manor that she had lived in for so long before saying with a cold voice, "I heard young master Jing Wen is living quite well after master and her highness's death. But as they say, you reap what you sow (自食其果)."
She was an insignificant servant of the Jing household that happened to accompany Princess Kang on the night of their death. Aside from Jing Wen, she was the only person that had seen the entire assassination from beginning to end.
After the assassination, she only managed to survive by crawling beneath a mountain of dead bodies. She was well aware that even if Jing Wen had not killed her in order to preserve the integrity of the Jing family, those cleaning up after the assassination would have captured her and interrogated her for the truth, before disposing of her to prevent anyone else knowing the Great Zhu's greatest secret.
She lifted her head, and immediately caught the youth whose eyes were covered with a piece of white cloth.
Fortunately, heaven have eyes, and Jing Wen is already blind.
