Once certain things were exposed, verifying the truth became a simple matter.
Especially in this world of mighty martial arts.
The Heavenly Sword keenly noticed the fluctuations in Lin Xiangwen's vital energy and the changes in his expression.
Anger born of humiliation differed from frantic rage, just as the reaction to being falsely accused differed from the reaction to being caught.
As one of the Nine Heavens and a spymaster, the Heavenly Sword's judgment was beyond question.
He believed Lianshan Xin almost instantly.
Then he was at a loss for words.
All he wanted was for Lin Xiangwen to disappear from his sight immediately.
Once the Heavenly Sword spoke, Lin Xiangwen dared not resist, however unwilling he was.
He could only shoot Lianshan Xin another humiliated, furious glare before all but fleeing in defeat.
After Lin Xiangwen closed the Imperial Library's door, both the Heavenly Sword and Qi Shiyun turned their attention to Lianshan Xin.
The Heavenly Sword's expression returned to normal, and he nodded slightly. "Your powers of observation are indeed keen. You deserve to be called a worthy talent."
Qi Shiyun voiced a doubt. "My lord, perhaps the Kong Family investigated Lin Xiangwen and informed Lianshan Xin beforehand."
The Heavenly Sword instructed her, "First, he comes from an ordinary background. If he could persuade the Kong Family to do so much for him, that in itself would demonstrate his talent and ability."
Qi Shiyun nodded, taking the lesson to heart.
"Second, even if the Kong Family could discover that Lin Xiangwen dislikes women, they couldn't discover that he..."
The Heavenly Sword did not finish, but both Qi Shiyun and Lianshan Xin understood what he left unsaid.
Qi Shiyun's doubts gave way to amusement. "My lord, does Lin Xiangwen really have designs on you?"
The Heavenly Sword did not want to speak.
Lianshan Xin hurriedly changed the subject. A Fun-Seeker he might be, but that did not mean he should dance on someone's grave.
"A mosquito or gadfly may toil all day and never rise beyond the steps, yet clinging to a fine steed's tail, it can travel a thousand miles; grasping a wild goose's wings, it can soar across the four seas. This student sincerely sought an audience and wishes to cling to your steed's tail, my lord."
The Heavenly Sword looked at Lianshan Xin's earnest manner and humble demeanor, then shook his head slightly. "You are no mosquito."
Lianshan Xin said sincerely, "This student comes from an ordinary background. Even with a little talent, I cannot climb over those great houses and noble clans. By comparison, the Nine Heavens values ability more than birth. Your fame resounds across the four seas, my lord, and you appoint people solely on merit. Surely you can see this student's sincerity."
The Nine Heavens wielded enormous power, but in essence, it could actually be called a vastly enhanced intelligence organization.
Promotion in such a department was far easier than in the conventional bureaucracy. Of course, it was also far more dangerous, and its reputation was hardly pleasant.
The Heavenly Sword said much the same thing. "Both at court and beyond it, the Nine Heavens is called a pack of hawks and hounds. With the Kong Family's support, obtaining an academy background would be easy for you. Later, whether through recommendation or the imperial examinations, you could take the orthodox path into officialdom. Why insist on becoming a hawk or hound?"
He doubted Lianshan Xin's sincerity and motives.
Lianshan Xin offered sincerity in exchange for sincerity. "I dare not deceive you, my lord. This student also aspires to the martial Dao, and even the legendary Dao of immortality."
The Heavenly Sword did not laugh. Instead, he agreed. "Who in this world doesn't?"
"But this student's aptitude is limited. If I cultivate martial arts step by step, I would struggle to break through the Body Tempering Realm in this lifetime. With only Body Tempering Realm cultivation, however excellent my academic results, the Imperial Court would find it difficult to entrust me with important duties. Only by rendering great service and obtaining a Qi Condensation Pill would I have any hope of climbing higher, or even catching a glimpse of the legendary immortal arts. Rumor has it that the Nine Heavens possesses an immortal's legacy."
Everything Lianshan Xin said was true.
The Nine Heavens was one of the Imperial Court's strongest martial forces, and its legacy had never been broken. Many suspected that its greatest backing was not imperial authority, but immortals capable of continually producing experts on the Heaven Ranking.
This was also one reason many experts from the martial world joined the Nine Heavens.
The Heavenly Sword detected no sign that Lianshan Xin was lying. He beckoned him forward, then personally took his pulse.
A moment later, the Heavenly Sword looked at Lianshan Xin with a hint of regret. "Your meridians are blocked. It should be a congenital deficiency. Was your mother injured while carrying you?"
Lianshan Xin said admiringly, "You are exactly right, my lord. My mother suffered an injury while pregnant with me, disturbing the fetus. As a result, this student now finds it very difficult to break through the Meridian Opening Realm on my own."
"It is indeed difficult. The best method would be to use a Qi Condensation Pill to skip the Meridian Opening Realm and advance directly to the Qi Condensation Realm. I understand now. You wanted to join White Deer Grotto Academy because its chief disciple receives one Qi Condensation Pill each year."
Lianshan Xin nodded. "That was this student's original intention, but becoming the academy's chief disciple would be extraordinarily difficult. Rather than that, this student believes that by rendering great service and joining the Nine Heavens, I would have a better chance of receiving a Qi Condensation Pill as your reward."
The Heavenly Sword smiled. "To you, a Qi Condensation Pill is indeed a priceless treasure. To me, however, it is hardly worth mentioning. If you truly render great service, I certainly won't begrudge you a reward. But merely seeing through Lin Xiangwen is not enough to qualify you to lay a finger on a Qi Condensation Pill."
"What if this student could help you capture a fiend from the Demon Cult?" Lianshan Xin asked.
The Heavenly Sword's gaze suddenly grew grave.
Qi Shiyun's heart tightened as well, and she spoke solemnly. "Lianshan Xin, catching those demonic wretches is nothing to joke about."
Lianshan Xin gave Qi Shiyun a grateful look.
The word "joke" was clearly meant to protect him.
An intelligence organization did not take jokes lightly. If the Heavenly Sword took him seriously and he failed to catch a Demon Cult fiend, given the way such organizations operated, his fate would be miserable.
But defining it as a "joke" made it a far lighter matter.
"This student is willing to pledge my life on it," Lianshan Xin said earnestly. "If I truly help you capture a Demon Cult fiend, please take me into your service, my lord. This student will do everything in my power to assist you and bring the Nine Heavens to even greater glory."
The Heavenly Sword narrowed his eyes.
Recalling that Kong Ningyuan was the deputy academy head's student, he suspected that the Kong Family was severing its ties with the Demon Cult. Yet they did not dare offend the Demon Cult openly, so they were using Lianshan Xin as a channel to pass him information.
Viewed that way, Lianshan Xin's intelligence was quite credible.
But if the Kong Family was deeply entangled with the Demon Cult, this could very well be a trap aimed at him.
Far too many people in the world wanted him dead, and far too many wanted the Nine Heavens to fail. On that point, there was no distinction between friend and foe.
Hidden arrows from behind were even harder to guard against. He had to be cautious and suspicious, or he would have died long ago.
Lianshan Xin noticed the Heavenly Sword's lingering doubts. That was perfectly normal, and he understood.
Dispelling the Heavenly Sword's suspicions was simple, too: speak the truth and deliver results.
"My lord, you need not suspect this student of harboring malicious intentions. Leaving aside that I neither dare nor have the ability to harm you, the mere fact that I need your help and the help of the Nine Heavens should be enough to put my sincerity beyond doubt. This student's family is not poor, but I have practiced martial arts since childhood, and my aptitude is limited. Over the years, I have nearly drained my family's resources. Only the children of noble clans can afford to pursue fame. As I am now, this student can only pursue tangible benefits."
After a pause, Lianshan Xin spoke a plain truth. "Most importantly, who would become a rebel when they could become a lord official?"
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