One Method Subdues the Hundred Schools

That night, Li Shun lay on his brand-new bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep a wink.

For one thing, he had long grown accustomed to the hard solid-wood plank bed he had slept on for twenty-six years. Having suddenly switched to a spacious, comfortable bedroom, he instead felt somewhat ill at ease.

For another...

Thinking of how this residence bestowed by the authorities was very likely under the close surveillance of the Great Qian Court, where every movement he made—even every breath he took—might fall under someone else's gaze, Li Shun felt as though thorns were pressed against his back. The sensation of being naked beneath the blazing sun left him almost unable to eat or sleep.

The next morning, Li Shun, with two dark circles under his eyes, limped back and forth through the courtyard.

"Only a thief can steal for a thousand days; no one can guard against thieves for a thousand days."

"Rather than worry about whether this courtyard holds surveillance methods, I should take the initiative and expose them to test it. In any case, I have the [Threefold Self-Reflection] divine ability. I need not fear plunging directly into a bottomless abyss of calamity."

"Although only a little over ten days remain until Cold Mountain Venerable's seal is undone, it was only recently stolen. I absolutely cannot simply hand it over in exchange for merit. Cold Mountain County Magistrate Fang Xun is no easy opponent."

"For the short term, I should still lie low in Cold Mountain County..."

"Besides, there are still more than eighty stalks of Cold Mountain Grass in reserve. That will be enough for emergencies."

After carefully calculating in his heart and weighing the pros and cons, a ruthless glint flashed through Li Shun's eyes. At last, he made up his mind.

He pushed open the door and entered the study. Taking up a brush, he unhesitatingly wrote a line of large characters upon the snow-white plaster wall: "Should I one day fulfill my soaring-cloud ambition, I would dare mock Emperor Gan as no true man."

But Li Shun felt that was not enough. Fearing that any surveillance formation that might exist could have blind spots, he simply dragged his crippled leg through every room in the small courtyard, covering all four walls with shocking, treasonous words that struck at the heart:

"Heaven shall destroy Great Qian."

"Though Xiang has but three households, it shall be Xiang that destroys Qian."

After dashing off the writing in one breath, Li Shun quietly sat upright in the grand tutor's chair in the study, his hands folded over his abdomen. He closed his eyes to rest and waited patiently.

If this residence truly contained surveillance methods laid down by the authorities, then before long, the thunderous fury of the Cold Mountain County yamen would descend. Great numbers of Black-Armored Army soldiers and constables would smash through the doors and seize him, this "rebel," on the spot.

In the deathly silence of his wait, Li Shun casually played with the brush he had just used to write those rebellious verses.

The brush had not been bought by him. It had already been provided in the study of this small courtyard.

He had written dozens of lines on the walls in one breath without adding ink even once, yet the ink at its tip remained as abundant as before, showing no sign whatsoever of drying up.

The entire brush was carved from a strange wood with a pale golden sheen. Four tiny characters, "L-County Thousand-Bristle," were engraved upon its shaft.

At the end of the handle was an exquisitely made wooden knob that could be rotated. Li Shun unscrewed it and leaned close to peer inside.

The inexhaustible source of black ink turned out to be a cubic crystal embedded deep within the brush handle, emitting a dim black radiance.

The light around it seemed to be silently swallowed by the crystal, then transformed within into a strange supply of ink.

Li Shun had already noticed the brush's mystery while using it: when he naturally held it upright in midair, not a drop of ink would fall from its tip.

Only when the bristles made contact and he wrote with force would the ink seep forth according to his will.

From a glimpse through a tube, one could see the leopard—the strength of Great Qian was clear enough, Li Shun thought to himself.

One hour passed. Then two.

The sun rose three poles high, yet outside the small courtyard, all remained deathly silent.

"Looks like I was overthinking it."

"After all, no matter how one looked at it, in the eyes of the Great Qian authorities, I was merely a lowly laborer. No matter how suspicious Fang Xun was, he would not waste his energy on me."

Li Shun secretly let out a sigh of relief.

"Still, since I have already activated Threefold Self-Reflection, I cannot let this opportunity go to waste."

Li Shun's gaze flickered. He casually tossed the L-County Thousand-Bristle in his hand onto the table and strode out of the small courtyard.

At the same time, he did not forget to lock the main gate tight, lest outsiders barge in.

Before long, Li Shun made his way with practiced ease to the bookstore in Cold Mountain County called "Jixia."

It was still dim and chilly inside. Other than him, not a single customer was in sight.

"Freed from ten years of corvée labor—your complexion has indeed become much rosier." The bookstore's owner, Zhou Xunzhen, sat behind the counter. He raised his head and glanced at Li Shun, smiling without quite smiling.

"What is it? Have you come to exchange for fragments of the Book of Imperial Exegesis again?"

Li Shun said nothing. He merely turned his head without leaving a trace and glanced at the bookstore's half-closed door.

Zhou Xunzhen chuckled, immediately understanding.

With an almost imperceptible flick of his large sleeve, the bookstore's two heavy wooden doors silently shut tight, completely sealing off the noise outside.

Only then did Li Shun drag his crippled leg forward and brace both hands against the wooden table. Lowering his voice, he said word by word, "This time, I am not exchanging for the Book of Imperial Exegesis. I want to..."

"Exchange for exact information about [Borrowing Longevity from Heaven, Twelve Longevity Realms]."

Hearing those eight words, not much of a ripple seemed to appear on Zhou Xunzhen's face, which was as still as an ancient well. He gave a derisive smile and spoke evenly. "The method of the Twelve Longevity Realms is no unspeakable secret among Great Qian's upper ranks. Its confidentiality is even lower than that of the Book of Imperial Exegesis you exchanged for previously. Anyone in Great Qian granted a noble title may know it and practice it."

"But..."

Zhou Xunzhen's tone abruptly shifted, and his gaze became sharp as a blade. "Beyond that, not one word may be passed on!"

"This method was personally created by His Majesty. Should it be privately leaked without authorization from the authorities... even I would suffer backlash." Zhou Xunzhen offered reasoning similar to Feng Guan's.

At those words, Li Shun frowned slightly, unable to keep disappointment from rising in his heart.

"However... I can give you five words. Perhaps they will help you glimpse more of this method's mysteries." After a moment of silence, Zhou Xunzhen suddenly said.

"Which five words?"

Zhou Xunzhen did not answer. He merely smiled and raised a hand, making a gesture for "five."

Li Shun shook his head with a bitter smile, but his movements were exceedingly practiced as he reached into his robe and pulled out a stalk of Cold Mountain Grass glowing with a dim blue chill. He carefully pinched off five crystal-clear leaves and pushed them before Zhou Xunzhen.

This time, the usual pretense of heartache was absent from his face. Instead, he wore the self-mocking air of a man with nothing left to lose. "Hehe, Heaven has blessed me by sparing me ten years of labor, and my purse has suddenly become much fuller. But at my age, if I still fail to learn a Longevity Realm method within ten years, these old bones of mine will probably be left behind in Cold Mountain County. Five leaves it is, then."

Zhou Xunzhen swept his large sleeve and tucked the five Cold Mountain Grass leaves into his pocket. Then, using his finger as a brush, he forced a faint glimmer of golden light from his fingertip and began writing upon the wooden table with the flowing ease of drifting clouds and running water.

In the dim bookstore, the golden light traced seven great characters, forged in iron strokes and silver hooks, lingering without dispersing.

Li Shun focused his eyes upon them, and his pupils suddenly contracted:

"The Emperor used this method to subdue the Hundred Schools!"