Fortune-Born Boundless Celestial Venerable

Prince Jing's Manor.

Elder Xu stood with his hands behind his back, his face dark.

Another grand secretary, Huang Qing, sat with his eyes slightly narrowed, his fingertips tapping the desk from time to time.

"Who took it upon themselves to attack and kill a Thousand Household of the Principal Fifth Rank?"

Elder Xu's tone was icy, carrying a chill.

Prince Jing rested both hands on his knees, repeatedly forcing himself to stay alert as Elder Xu spoke.

The several Embroidered Uniform Guards kneeling on the floor trembled even harder.

"Elder Xu, it was my idea."

After hesitating, Prince Jing slowly spoke.

Elder Xu turned his head and looked straight at Prince Jing, his tone growing heavier.

"Your Highness, that was rash!"

Startled by such bluntness, Prince Jing wore a complicated expression.

After a moment, he explained:

"That Western Depot Thousand Household belongs to the Lin faction. If we let him take charge of the Eastern Depot, I'm afraid it will fall into the Lin faction's hands again, and all our years of effort will be destroyed overnight.

"Once he dies, Song Tong can serve as Acting Depot Lord. He belongs to no faction or party, making him the best choice. It would also make it easier for us to win over the Directorate of Ceremonial."

Prince Jing would have been better off saying nothing. Once he finished, Elder Xu's face turned livid.

His hair and beard quivered as he said outright:

"But we failed to kill him. Your Highness, have you considered the consequences of failing?"

Questioned this way, Prince Jing replied in displeasure:

"So we failed. He's just a Western Depot Thousand Household. Can he overturn the heavens?"

Elder Xu slammed the desk and shouted:

"We are not the heavens!

"In this world, only His Majesty is the heavens, and only the empress dowager is the heavenly mother!"

His words seemed to shake the entire hall, which instantly fell deathly silent.

After a long while, Huang Qing, who had been pondering all this time, finally spoke.

"Now that things have come to this, we can only clean up the mess."

Huang Qing said calmly:

"Make a clean job of it. Get rid of him."

Prince Jing perked up at this and raised his eyebrows.

"Send a... fifth-rank expert?"

Elder Xu started to speak, then stopped.

Huang Qing glanced at Prince Jing, somewhat amused.

"Your Highness, if Prince Jing's Manor strikes repeatedly at a time like this, do you think the Empress Dowager and His Majesty might have something to say? Even if you won't consider the Empress Dowager, you must consider that grandmaster in the palace."

"Every expert of the fifth rank or above in Capital City is registered with the Directorate of Celestial Observations. A single drop of Essence Blood can track the soul and lock onto the spirit. There is no room for reckless action."

Prince Jing's expression grew complicated, and he asked:

"Are we supposed to just watch him take charge of the Eastern Depot?"

Huang Qing shook his head and said slowly:

"Has Your Highness forgotten the Prayer Daoist Grounds?"

A flash of delighted surprise crossed Prince Jing's eyes.

"Demon-Quelling Day, when demons and ghosts walk among men at night."

Shangqing Dao and Yinjian Mountain would soon join forces to establish the Prayer Daoist Grounds.

The Prayer Daoist Grounds would last several days. During that time, daylight would be no different from usual, but at night, the city would become a netherworld. Evil spirits would emerge, the barrier between humans and ghosts would break down, and both would walk the mortal world together. Once night fell, Capital City would strictly enforce a curfew. Everyone had to remain indoors, or vengeful ghosts would come knocking and wronged souls would claim their lives.

Shangqing Dao and Yinjian Mountain would summon divine generals and ghost soldiers to vanquish bandits and purge demons throughout Capital City, cleansing sinister filth and praying for Great Yu's blessings.

"Once the Prayer Daoist Grounds begin, every manner of fiend and monster will emerge. If a Western Depot Thousand Household dies then, no one can trace it back to us. Send Huang Liuqing. Like Xue Youge, he's a fifth-rank martial artist."

Elder Huang spoke indifferently, as though discussing something unrelated to him.

Prince Jing nodded slightly and was about to rise when footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall. A figure in blue robes patterned with flames slowly entered. Though she had only just reached marriageable age, glimpses of peerless beauty were already apparent. Her bright eyes held restrained pride, and she looked radiant. A Daoist's crescent crown bound her hair, and a peachwood sword hung at her waist, golden threads dangling from its hilt.

At the sight of the young woman, Prince Jing frowned in distress, instinctively thinking that this was bad.

"Father, esteemed elders, whom are you discussing?"

Prince Jing's daughter asked with interest.

"Who warrants such wariness that you would kill him during the Prayer Daoist Grounds?"

Prince Jing cleared his throat and said sternly:

"Weiying, this is not something you can meddle in."

Yin Weiying pressed her lips into a smile and said casually:

"Father, I simply don't want you to add needlessly to your burden of killing.

"Lord Lao said, 'Harbor a murderous nature, and rebellious qi surges into the liver. The liver's qi grows fierce and strong, bringing calamity upon your own body. Thus it is called harm.'"

Elder Huang rose and gave Prince Jing's daughter a wry smile.

"Your Highness is a cultivator, the Taihua Jade Maiden. Unfortunately, ordinary men like us, moving through the imperial court, cannot avoid committing acts of killing."

Yin Weiying did not answer, but asked instead:

"What exactly is the name of this Western Depot Thousand Household who is taking charge of the Eastern Depot?"

Unwilling to involve his only daughter in this affair, Prince Jing refused to answer.

"You needn't concern yourself with his name. He's nothing but a dead man."

Yin Weiying did not take offense. Seeing that her father had lost patience, she stated her purpose directly:

"Father, I had no wish to involve myself, but there is someone in the Eastern Depot whom I care about a great deal.

"The ones mentioned in the prophecy: Min Ning, Min Moon Pond."

"Though I have never met him, this boy has a deep affinity with the Dao, both dragon and phoenix. If he follows me up the mountain to cultivate someday, he could become the Taihua Golden Lad."

The Golden Lad held aloft purple medicine; the Jade Maiden offered a blue lotus.

Across these central plains, Daoist sects were as numerous as hairs on an ox. But how many possessed true methods capable of producing golden immortals? So few they could be counted on two hands. Mount Taihua was one of them.

Besides being Prince Jing's daughter, Yin Weiying was also Mount Taihua's Jade Maiden. As the ancient saying went: "Bear the Jade Maiden of Taihua, summon Fufei of the Luo's banks." Every sixty years, Mount Taihua opened its altar and cast divination blocks, letting a High God choose a Jade Maiden. The Jade Maiden would then choose a Golden Lad, and the two would ascend the mountain to cultivate together until they ascended to heaven in broad daylight, gaining eternal life.

After hearing his only daughter's words, Prince Jing lowered his head in thought. A long while later, he sighed.

"If you insist, then both elders have heard you. During the Prayer Daoist Grounds, you may kill that Western Depot Thousand Household, but take care not to harm the Min descendant."

Yin Weiying lowered her head, her black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, and chanted:

"Fortune-Born Boundless Celestial Venerable, inconceivable merit."

Morning came the next day.

The Min Household, outside Donghua Gate.

Min Ning gazed at the Cangshan Fist on the desk, her eyes unreadable.

When she had returned home last night and pushed open the door, she had found this Fist Manual beside the gap beneath it.

Opening the Fist Manual, she found a note tucked beneath its cover.

[You don't need to repay me. I'm only returning something to its rightful owner.]

Min Ning stared at the Fist Manual in silence.

She had never expected Chen Yi to do something like this.

She suddenly recalled the Infant Tower, then everything that had happened before. The worst thing he had done, when it came down to it, was threaten her older sister. She could tell he desired her sister, but in the end, hadn't he done nothing at all?

When she had fallen into his hands before, he had neither killed nor touched her. That night, when her sister had fallen into his hands, her sister said he had only kissed her, even though he clearly could have done more.

This man... he always seemed to be forcing himself to do bad things. Did he still have some... conscience left?

After a long while, she took a deep breath, put away the Fist Manual, changed into her official uniform, and strode toward the Eastern Depot.

When Yin Tingxue awoke, Chen Yi had already left.

She put on the clothes he had left on the bed. While changing, she noticed the reddish stain on her trouser leg and hazily remembered that her monthly bleeding had begun today. The thought that he would have to wash these bloodstained clothes made her clench her fists in shame and humiliation.

Before long, Yin Tingxue composed herself. After briefly washing up, she began leafing through the Zhiguai Novels Chen Yi had bought. She had rarely read such books before, since they were miscellaneous reading unfit for her, the Xiang Prince's Daughter. Whenever there were any, they generally circulated only among the maids. The servants would never have dared expose them to her.

Apart from the Four Books and Five Classics, the books Yin Tingxue had read most often were Buddhist Sutras, owing to her mother's influence. She also frequently visited Silver Terrace Temple for brief periods of quiet cultivation. She wondered how Silver Terrace Temple was doing, her thoughts drifting.

She wanted so badly to go back. Though she had only been away a few days, she truly wanted to return. Her mother often teased her, saying she was Silver Terrace Temple's daughter, picked up and brought home.

She was Silver Terrace Temple's daughter.

But how could she get back?

Yin Tingxue immediately thought of Chen Yi.

Perhaps... I could beg him... I'm ill anyway. If I just act a little weaker, perhaps...

Before the thought had even completed a circuit, Yin Tingxue remembered that detestable face and snorted.

She muttered:

"I won't. I'll never beg him!"

If she begged him, he would have another hold over her.

Whenever he wanted to humiliate her, he would bring up Silver Terrace Temple at every turn.

She feared she would have to live by begging him from then on...

Her thoughts circled around. Thinking of Silver Terrace Temple beneath that vast blanket of snow, Yin Tingxue began wondering again.

Really... not beg him?

But now... who else could I rely on besides him?

Thinking of this, thinking that she might have to live by begging him in the future,

Yin Tingxue grew troubled and gazed silently out the window.

The following afternoon, having formally assumed the position of Depot Lord, Chen Yi walked slowly into the Eastern Depot.

The instant he stepped through the entrance, he felt the Eastern Depot Agents' curious, still-frightened gazes upon him.

Yesterday's events had already spread throughout the Eastern Depot. More than that, perhaps even the Western Depot, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the streets had heard the rumor that he had killed over a dozen Embroidered Uniform Guards before taking office.

"This Acting Depot Lord... fought fifteen men alone, and only five survived. One was so badly injured he'll never serve again. No wonder he became Acting Depot Lord."

"He's coming. Keep your voice down. If he thinks we don't welcome him and finds an excuse to chop off our heads, we're finished."

"Surely not? On the day the Eastern Depot was attacked, he even spoke up for Director Xue. He doesn't seem like that sort."

Whispers rippled through the drill ground, but Chen Yi's heart was as still as water, and he paid them no mind.

He walked briskly toward the main hall and spoke directly:

"Summon the two clerks. Go to the File Room and take stock of the files. Bring me anything connected to Prince Jing's Manor."

After last night, Chen Yi had already quietly made up his mind.

Since the Ding'an faction wanted to get rid of him, he naturally could not let them have an easy time either.

Didn't you of the Ding'an faction pride yourselves on being an unsullied stream? Didn't you pride yourselves on refusing to wallow in the mire with the Lin faction?

Among officials, how many were truly clean?

Originally, I only wanted to trap the Lin faction.

Now, I'll trap your Ding'an faction along with them.

With the Prayer Daoist Grounds fast approaching, Chen Yi, who had long since decided to achieve a perfect dungeon clear, began pondering how to trap both the Lin faction and the Ding'an faction to their deaths at once.