Heaven-Questioning

Four guards surrounded him as well.

Dressed in a brocade robe, he carried himself with sharp vigor. He stood there with his eyes closed, practicing his cultivation, diligent indeed.

Hearing the commotion, he opened his eyes and turned to face Chu Zhiyuan.

The two groups met, the guards fanned out, and the two walked shoulder to shoulder.

"Fourth Brother, the Supervisory Department has already received its instructions. Just go there and find Leng Nanfeng, Division Master Leng."

"Many thanks, Third Brother."

"Why be so polite with me? You do not need me to accompany you, do you?"

"Third Brother, go tend to your affairs. I will head over myself this afternoon."

"If there is anything you want to know, just tell Division Master Leng. He will do his utmost to oblige; Imperial Grandfather has already issued an oral decree."

"Alright."

The two parted ways on the bustling street, each surrounded by guards as they returned to their respective princely residences.

After Chu Zhiyuan returned to the residence, he found Chu Yi wearing a look of utter hopelessness, like an eggplant beaten by frost, completely wilted.

With a smile, he took a small purple box from his sleeve and handed it to Chu Yi.

Chu Yi accepted it suspiciously and opened it. Inside lay a seed intertwined in black and white, and her spirits immediately soared anew.

Chu Zhiyuan noticed that Bai Ningshuang had begun abandoning her former plain adornments in favor of bright jewelry, making her already beautiful self radiant and noble, like an immortal consort.

Chu Zhiyuan secretly shook his head.

Though he had displayed sufficient talent, too little time had passed for the effects of that talent to truly show.

Thus, he had failed to fundamentally change their way of thinking or give them enough confidence.

During lunch, Bai Ningshuang grumbled a few times, complaining that he had not returned to the residence to sleep last night. She warned him not to fool around outside or indulge among flowers and willows.

He said he had been practicing outside, but he was at the age when his blood ran hot. Who knew whether some seductive vixen might beguile him if he was not careful?

Chu Zhiyuan occasionally nodded and murmured in agreement, letting her words go in one ear and out the other.

After a brief rest, he went to the Supervisory Department.

The Supervisory Department was not well known in the martial world, and the people of Great Jing knew little about it; most had not even heard of it. Yet among Imperial Court officials, its name was like thunder in their ears, inspiring deep fear.

The Supervisory Department's duty was to oversee all under Heaven.

The common people knew that the officials of the Imperial Court were restrained by Censors who reported matters upon hearing them, but they did not know that what truly frightened court officials was the Supervisory Department.

The Supervisory Department's eyes and ears were everywhere, impossible to guard against.

It not only monitored all officials under Heaven, but also the Town Martial Division. Its most important duty lay beyond the Imperial Court: Great Meng, Great Zhen, and the various smaller states, where its eyes and ears were everywhere.

The Supervisory Department lay west of the Heavenly Treasure Department, not far from the Ministry of Rites.

When he arrived at the Supervisory Department, he was stopped by the cold-faced guards at the entrance. After he announced his name and they sent word inside, a middle-aged man with a horse-like face soon emerged.

His long, narrow face was pockmarked, and though his eyes were small, they gleamed brightly. Smiles piled across his face as he greeted him warmly. "Young Master, this humble one is Ma Tianhe. Forgive me for failing to welcome you from afar. Please, come inside."

"Lord Ma, thank you for your trouble." Chu Zhiyuan smiled and clasped his fists.

"It is this humble one's greatest honor to serve the Young Master."

"Division Master Leng, he...?"

"What unfortunate timing. The Division Master happened to leave on official business. Before departing, he specifically instructed this humble one to serve you like a dog or horse. The Division Master has already spoken: the Young Master may inspect whatever you please."

"Mm, then I will trouble Lord Ma." Chu Zhiyuan nodded with a smile.

Perhaps Division Master Leng did not wish to see him. Of course, he might truly have business to attend to. It was best to be wisely muddled; there was no need to pursue the matter to the bitter end.

Guo Chi remained outside the government office, while Zou Fang followed Chu Zhiyuan like a shadow.

Ma Tianhe knew the rules concerning Princes and Heir Apparents. Eunuchs were always kept at their side, scarcely leaving them even for an instant, so he pretended not to see Zou Fang. He led Chu Zhiyuan through the main gate, around the screen wall, across two spacious courtyards, and finally to a room in the third courtyard.

Inside stood row upon row of bookshelves, filled with case files.

Pointing to one bookshelf, Ma Tianhe said with a smile, "Young Master, these are all case files concerning Wentian Cliff."

He took down nine boxes of files from a nearby shelf and placed them on a long table by the window. "These are all case files concerning Cheng Tianfeng."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded with a smile. "There are this many on Wentian Cliff?"

"These are merely records from the last century," Ma Tianhe said with a smile.

Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

If he were Great Zhen, he would never permit such a powerful sect to exist. He would have long since found a way to dismantle Wentian Cliff.

But he still did not understand Wentian Cliff. He would decide after reading through the files.

"I will take a look first." Chu Zhiyuan did not hurry to read Cheng Tianfeng's intelligence, instead beginning with Wentian Cliff. "Are there any records on Wentian Cliff's structure?"

"Yes." Ma Tianhe walked to that shelf, quickly drew out a file, and handed it to Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan rapidly flipped through it.

He read at an astonishing speed, taking in ten lines at a glance and imprinting them directly into his mind, while simultaneously analyzing what he saw.

After finishing, he requested information on Wentian Cliff's past Cliff Masters, followed by other materials.

Ma Tianhe knew every document on that shelf like the back of his hand. Whatever Chu Zhiyuan wished to find, he could immediately retrieve it.

This was an enormous help to Chu Zhiyuan.

Though he could have read them one by one and organized them in his mind after finishing, it would have been far less efficient.

By evening, as dusk rose, he finally finished reading all the files.

Ma Tianhe had remained respectful and diligent throughout.

Chu Zhiyuan could tell that he was an ambitious man. Given sufficient backing, his future would be boundless.

"Lord Ma, has anyone else come recently to consult these materials?"

"...To this humble one's knowledge, no. Young Master is the first. These are all top-secret documents; outsiders are not qualified to inspect them."

"Would they be provided to the generals on the northwestern border?"

"These are all Third Grade top-secret files. One copy will be transcribed for General Zhenbei's Manor, but only the General may read it. It must not be leaked."

"Other than General Zhenbei, no one else can see them?"

"That is correct."

Chu Zhiyuan fell into thought.

Through these files, he saw that Wentian Cliff was indeed astonishing.

Wentian Cliff's inheritance spanned more than a thousand years, yet there were only a dozen or so people on Wentian Cliff. They resided upon the cliff year-round and never descended the mountain.

Yet Wentian Cliff's influence was immense.

Every generation's Cliff Master served as the Imperial Preceptor of Great Zhen, and each generation of Great Zhen's imperial clan had several disciples who entered Wentian Cliff.

He found this astonishing.

The Four Great Sects were the strongest forces in the Great Jing Dynasty. Their disciples entered the Town Martial Division and the Supervisory Department, while their Grandmasters entered the Imperial Court as Attendants.

Yet even tied together, the Four Great Sects likely did not possess as much influence in Great Zhen as Wentian Cliff.

This influence was direct influence over the Emperor and imperial clan, even direct influence over the Emperor's authority.

The Emperor of Great Jing would never permit the existence of such a sect.

Yet the emperors of the Great Zhen Dynasty throughout the ages had all been wise rulers, and still allowed Wentian Cliff to occupy such a transcendent position. Either Wentian Cliff was far more powerful than imagined, or there was some other reason.

This Cheng Tianfeng was the Imperial Preceptor's final disciple. He had always cultivated in seclusion within Wentian Cliff and rarely descended the mountain. The Supervisory Department assessed him to be at the Eighth Layer.

Aside from that, the Supervisory Department had been unable to determine what Martial Skills Cheng Tianfeng practiced or what style they followed.

This time, Cheng Tianfeng had personally set out for two reasons: to challenge the Heir Apparent of the Great Jing Dynasty, and to seek a Heir Apparent's Consort.

Clearly, he was the chosen candidate for a marriage alliance.

Chu Zhiyuan rose and paced with his hands behind his back, his expression grave.

Cheng Tianfeng would not be easy to deal with. If he was not careful, he might truly lose to him.

The many files all recorded Wentian Cliff's deeds: how Wentian Cliff disciples acted to punish evildoers and reward good, and how they aided the Imperial Court.

They also detailed the achievements and conduct of Wentian Cliff's various disciples, including the imperial clan disciples they had accepted.

As for Wentian Cliff's inheritance and martial arts, there was no useful information.

For an inheritance so ancient to remain so mysterious was truly strange.

He looked at Ma Tianhe. "Is there not even the slightest useful information regarding Wentian Cliff's martial arts?"

Ma Tianhe gave a bitter smile. "Wentian Cliff disciples do not enter the secular world until their cultivation reaches Grandmaster level. Moreover, Wentian Cliff commands extremely high prestige in Great Zhen. Whenever people encounter a Wentian Cliff disciple, they often surrender without fighting."

"...Are there any other case files on Wentian Cliff?"

"Files from earlier times have been sealed within Tongtian Pavilion."

"Division Master Leng has the authority to access them, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then ask Division Master Leng to have someone find all the files concerning Wentian Cliff's martial arts. I will come to read them tomorrow."

"...Yes."

The next morning, after roll call, Chu Zhiyuan came to the Supervisory Department. Ma Tianhe once again came out to welcome him warmly.

"Lord Ma, does Division Master Leng still have business elsewhere today?"

"...Yes. Division Master Leng has major matters to attend to these days and has been outside the department the whole time."

"Very well." Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

This was to avoid suspicion, and also because he did not wish to lower himself. It was understandable.

He entered that room and read through the more than thirty selected files, then shook his head.

At last, he found some vague records concerning Wentian Cliff's martial arts.