Chapter 0083: Dead End

Chapter 0083: Dead End

Xiao Rong's strike lasted only an afternoon. Since he had taken a nap at dusk, he was even more energetic as night fell, which made things difficult for the monk. On the eve of a campaign, it was rare for him to be unable to sleep; most of the time, his schedule was very regular—a habit he had developed since he was a novice.

Yawning slightly, Mi Jing tried hard to keep his eyes open and continued to stay up with Xiao Rong. ...

Time rewinds to the noon of that day.

In a civilian house in Xia Kou, Chen Jiancheng finally stopped beating around the bush. He chatted amiably with Zhou Liang and even preached about the beliefs of the Breeze Sect—eliminating those tainted by impure energy to restore peace and clarity to the world.

Zhou Liang listened with a smile, nodding occasionally at Chen Jiancheng’s words. In reality, he thought to himself, "We’re all foxes with a thousand years of experience; why play these games? If there were truly pure and impure energies, your Breeze Sect would be the first to be eradicated."

Just as Chen Jiancheng didn’t think much of Zhou Liang, Zhou Liang also didn’t think much of Chen Jiancheng, the leader of the Breeze Sect.

After leaving Huang Yanjiong, Zhou Liang quickly joined He Tingzhi’s camp. He Tingzhi had three thousand guests, accepting anyone who came. Zhou Liang believed this was a good practice, regardless of whether He Tingzhi himself was as inclusive. What mattered was the attitude he displayed, and people valued that.

So when he escaped this time, Zhou Liang’s first reaction was to go to He Tingzhi. If it worked out, he’d stay; if not, he’d leave.

However, he was unlucky. This time, his defection wasn’t as smooth as in history. He killed one of Huang Yanjiong’s subordinates before fleeing hurriedly. The Northern Pacification King, for some reason, had his portrait drawn and posted in Chenliu and surrounding towns, forcing him to hide for quite a while until the situation cooled down.

Later, when he finally returned to Southern Yong, he intended to go directly to Dongyang. However, before he could reach Dongyang, he heard that the Dongyang King had already left, leading his troops to respond to the Northern Pacification King’s call.

Zhou Liang: “...” Sycophant!

Anyone could see that the Dongyang King’s journey would take at least half a year. If Zhou Liang went to Dongyang to wait, he’d have to prepare for a long battle and hope the Dongyang King wouldn’t die fighting the Xianbei.

With the rapidly changing situation in the world, even two months could bring significant changes. Zhou Liang, not knowing that He Tingzhi was his destined ruler, believed his time was precious.

Since the Dongyang King was unavailable, he decided to look elsewhere. As a scholar, despite his narrow-mindedness, Zhou Liang still had connections. Like fish finding fish, shrimp finding shrimp, and turtles seeking other turtles, his true friends were no saints either.

Through a friend’s recommendation, Zhou Liang learned that the leader of the Breeze Sect was also looking for advisors. After pondering for a while, he decided to check it out.

The Breeze Sect was wealthy and deeply entrenched, making them untouchable by ordinary means. However, their weaknesses were clear: they were disliked by various factions, lacked a professional and large army, and their success and failure hinged on their fanatical followers. While these followers helped them rise, they weren’t entirely obedient. Once they discovered any selfish motives among the leaders, their backlash could be more terrifying than an army.

Of course, these were Zhou Liang’s thoughts before meeting Chen Jiancheng. After meeting him, Zhou Liang added another weakness: the leader was selfish and delusional, yet somehow the Breeze Sect hadn’t fallen apart. It was truly strange.

Chen Jiancheng tested Zhou Liang, and Zhou Liang tested Chen Jiancheng. Honestly, they were evenly matched, but if forced to choose, Zhou Liang had the upper hand.

Regardless of how Chen Jiancheng embellished himself, he was essentially a charlatan. Though he wanted to be a capable ruler, he wasn’t as effective as Huang Yanjiong in achieving greatness.

Zhou Liang, on the other hand, was a natural politician. Despite his obvious character flaws, his abilities were undeniable.

After chatting with Chen Jiancheng for several days, Zhou Liang had a peculiar idea: he could replace Chen Jiancheng or turn him into a puppet, thereby gaining control of the Breeze Sect’s assets.

Thus, they became increasingly aligned, each believing they could use the other. On this day, Chen Jiancheng finally revealed his true intentions. He smiled mysteriously at Zhou Liang and said he knew what happened in Chenliu and understood Zhou Liang’s hatred for Xiao Rong. He offered to help Zhou Liang eliminate Xiao Rong. If Zhou Liang succeeded, it would be a contribution to the world’s clarity and a pledge to the Breeze Sect, allowing him to become one of Chen Jiancheng’s guardians without starting from the bottom.

Chen Jiancheng’s number of guardians varied, depending on his mood.

Thinking his offer was generous, he didn’t realize Zhou Liang was secretly resentful.

This was the most humiliating moment of his life, and Chen Jiancheng knew about it?! Bastard, you should die! When I gain power, I’ll kill everyone who knows about this! ...

But he didn’t refuse the offer. To gain trust, he needed to accomplish something significant. Killing Xiao Rong would prove his ability, and the Breeze Sect’s secretive nature appealed to him. At least the Northern Pacification King wouldn’t know who killed Xiao Rong.

Zhou Liang began planning how to kill Xiao Rong, even outlining a framework. Then, a member of the Breeze Sect entered with a letter for Chen Jiancheng. After reading it, Chen Jiancheng’s expression changed slightly.

A moment later, he burned the letter in front of Zhou Liang and smiled, saying, "Sir, you may not know, but the situation outside has changed. We need to put our plans on hold."

Zhou Liang felt it was understandable, given the ever-changing dynamics of the world. But Chen Jiancheng’s next words unsettled him.

"To the world, Xiao Rong is merely a harmless louse. The real troublemaker is the Northern Pacification King."

"The world has suffered under the Northern Pacification King for too long. Do you have any strategies to help remove him?"

Zhou Liang looked at him silently, realizing he wasn’t joking.

"..."

Crazy, you really think like that?!

Time returns to tonight.

While Xiao Rong and the monk were working overtime in Chenliu, Qu Yunmie hadn’t gone to bed yet.

The army had gathered at the foot of Yanmen Mountain and would depart for Sheng Le tomorrow.

Years of longing were finally coming to fruition. If anyone else would be excited, Qu Yunmie was not. Instead, he was painfully awake. There was nothing left to write.

Headache-ridden, he stared at the blank letter paper. Everything he could write had been written in previous days. Tonight, he was truly drained.

After sitting in silence for half an hour, Qu Yunmie decided not to torment himself further and sought help.

He initially planned to find Yu Shaoxie, the only literate person he trusted in the army. However, before reaching Yu Shaoxie, he saw Jian Qiao’s room lit up. Curious, he pushed the door open.

Jian Qiao was writing a secret letter to Xiao Rong, filled with his opinions on Yuan Baifu. Qu Yunmie’s sudden entry startled him, and he glared back angrily, "How dare you enter my room without knocking?!"

Qu Yunmie kicked his chair, holding back enough force to only make Jian Qiao wobble but not fall.

"How dare you call yourself 'this general' in front of me?!"

Jian Qiao: "..."

His demeanor immediately wilted. Bowing his head, he used the opportunity to hide the letter under a pile of papers.

Qu Yunmie didn’t notice his actions but saw Jian Qiao writing something. He asked, "What are you writing?"

Jian Qiao quickly grabbed another letter, "A family letter. I promised my wife to write every half month to let her know I’m well."

Qu Yunmie sneered, "Only half a month."

Someone who truly cares about you wouldn't let you write just one letter every half a month; they would make you write every day!

Jian Qiao: "......"

He could hear the unspoken words in Qu Yunmie's tone, but he really wanted to say that half a month was already quite good. Not everyone was like Your Majesty, who could mobilize hundreds of people to set up relay stations just to send a single letter.

Being able to stay by Qu Yunmie's side for years without much conflict wasn't due to the friendship they had since childhood, but rather because Jian Qiao never engaged in verbal disputes. ...

Whenever this happened, he would obediently lower his head and agree with whatever Qu Yunmie said, never contradicting him. But today, Qu Yunmie didn't press the issue. He merely looked at Jian Qiao's thick envelope and asked curiously, "What did you write in your letter?"

Jian Qiao blinked. Instead of explaining, he directly showed the letter to Qu Yunmie.

After all, it was just household matters. He and his wife had been married for several years, so there was no need to write mushy love letters. Thus, he handed it over without hesitation.

As Qu Yunmie read it, his expression grew increasingly sour.

Jian Qiao thought he hadn't written anything inappropriate, but in Qu Yunmie's eyes, this was blatant bragging. Look at the first sentence— "My dear wife, upon reading these words, may you feel my presence."

Alright, alright, I get it, you have a wife. ...

The beginning of the letter was filled with concern for Zhang Shi, such as reminding her to wear more clothes when it's cold, to close the windows at night, and to let the servant (XX) handle tasks so she doesn't tire herself. He also reminded her to take the medicine prescribed by the doctor on time, not to be stingy with money, and to buy whatever she wants. He heard that a merchant caravan had arrived in Chenliu, so he suggested that Third Lady should go out more, but remember to bring Zhang Biezhi along and always be cautious.

This already took up two pages. The remaining two pages were concerned with others, including Jian Qiao's brother-in-law, the servants at home, the old comrades recuperating in Chenliu, and Xiao Rong and Gao Xunzhi from the palace.

Having learned from Jian Qiao, Qu Yunmie knew how to write his own letter. Then he coldly hummed at Jian Qiao, "Letting a woman bewitch you, you've really made something of yourself."

After saying this, he slapped the letter onto Jian Qiao's chest. Jian Qiao reflexively caught it. By the time Qu Yunmie had left, Jian Qiao finally remembered how to retort.

"That's my wife! What's wrong with me caring for my wife?!"

But Qu Yunmie had already gone, and instead, Gongsun Yuan passed by and almost felt his teeth rot from hearing that.

Thinking about it, Jian Qiao had become less sociable ever since he got married. Tsk, wives shouldn't be limited to just one. Learn from me; marry ten at once. They'll be too busy fighting among themselves to think about the master of the house. Seeking favor? Asking me to write letters? No way. These women are too ruthless; they've even argued about who will kneel in front during my funeral. ...

On the other side, Qu Yunmie returned to his quarters and immediately began writing a letter to Xiao Rong.

But he struggled with the opening. Jian Qiao had written, "My dear wife, upon reading these words, may you feel my presence." The phrase "my dear wife" was intimate yet simple, which he liked, but he couldn't use it. If he wrote "Xiao Rong, upon reading these words, may you feel my presence," it would sound too formal.

After pondering for a while, Qu Yunmie had an idea. For some reason, he looked around to make sure no one was nearby before carefully writing six characters on the paper.

—Ah Rong, upon reading these words, may you feel my presence.

Even this simple greeting made Qu Yunmie's palms sweat. The pen felt sticky in his hand. Staring at those two characters, his heart raced, unsure if it was from nervousness or excitement.

It turned out that writing letters had such benefits. Things he dared not do in person, he could now express across the vast distance, without fear of rejection by Xiao Rong.

Pausing for a moment, he continued writing. With the opening settled, the rest flowed smoothly. He criticized Jian Qiao for being verbose, but when it came to him, he was no different, especially since Xiao Rong's health was far worse than Zhang Shi's. If he focused on expressing concern, he could write until morning. ...

Fortunately, he didn't write that much. Two pages later, Qu Yunmie put the letter into an envelope. Looking at the letter that would be sent out tomorrow morning, he sat quietly for a while, then stood up and walked outside.

In ancient times, with no pollution, the sky should look the same everywhere, but Qu Yunmie felt that the stars above Yanmen Pass were denser, and the moon larger and brighter.

The moon in the sky would accompany him every night, visible whenever he looked up, whether full or crescent.

But the moon in his heart, he would only see again after a long time. *

The next morning, just as this letter was sent out, the letter Qu Yunmie had written three days ago arrived.

Xiao Rong opened it expressionlessly, and as expected, it contained only two sentences.

Summarized, it read: "Everything is going according to plan. I am still alive."

Xiao Rong thought, "You might as well die."

Throwing the letter aside angrily, he opened Jian Qiao's. Ever since Jian Qiao met Yuan Baifu, he seemed to have developed a mindset of constant suspicion. Whatever Yuan Baifu did, Jian Qiao found problematic and insisted on writing it down to inform Xiao Rong, expecting him to make a decision. If Xiao Rong said there was a problem, Jian Quo would likely rush to apprehend Yuan Baifu the moment he received the letter.

But honestly... Yuan Baifu's behavior was perfectly normal.

Being in the army, especially with Jian Qiao watching him closely, if Yuan Baifu had met anyone else, Jian Qiao would have noticed. Moreover, the timing was wrong. The army hadn't engaged the Xianbei yet, and everything was uncertain. If Yuan Baifu were to betray them now, Qu Yunmie would focus solely on dealing with him before turning to the Xianbei.

So it wasn't him. The person or event affecting Qu Yunmie's fate was still lurking beneath the surface.

Feeling like a headless fly, Xiao Rong couldn't pinpoint where the hidden malice lay. He didn't want to sit idly by, though. Although the incident only caused him to faint, it was serious enough to warrant attention. However, the system's warning mechanism wasn't very sensitive, and its purpose was merely to alert him to the drop in his fortune. It wouldn't continue to torment him, so whether he fainted or spat blood, he would recover eventually.

But that didn't mean the issue was resolved. It might still be brewing, and the system wouldn't remind him again.

There was no way to guard against every possible threat forever. Even if Xiao Rong wanted to, his energy was limited. After all, he was just a fake shaman with no real ability to predict or foresee events beyond his control.

Although his resignation had improved, his anxiety remained. Knowing his efforts were minimal, Xiao Rong still went through a list of potential threats to Qu Yunmie and investigated each one. ...

For someone like Huang Yanjiong, he conducted thorough investigations to uncover any potential plots. As for large forces like Southern Yong and the Breeze Sect, Xiao Rong couldn't investigate their activities.

Their spies and informants had been operating for decades, making them far more formidable than tiny Chenliu.

So Xiao Rong decided that if he couldn't investigate them, he would prevent them from investigating him. He quickly printed a collection of excellent articles and sent them south to be posted in major cities, teahouses, and restaurants in Southern Yong. He also contacted local gentry and aristocrats, proposing to open theaters in the south and asking if they were interested in joining.

After the Thousand Scholars' Collection ended, the scholars who returned to the south continued discussing it. Jinling was already in turmoil, and hearing these discussions only added to the chaos. Sun Renluan even ordered them to stop talking about Chenliu, but controlling the mouths and pens of scholars always led to fierce criticism. They had been quiet for a while, not criticizing Sun Renluan's governance, but now they resumed their attacks. ...

As for the Breeze Sect, Chen Jiancheng wasn't affected much since he was in Xia Kou, and Xiao Rong's reach didn't extend that far. However, the agents he had placed in Chenliu were suffering. Xiao Rong launched a spy-catching operation, and most of Chen Jiancheng's agents in Chenliu were captured. The Breeze Sect had many followers, and local believers usually protected these spies. They pleaded with officials to release them, but with thousands of people begging, no official could resist the pressure.

However, Chenliu was different. There was a Buddha's son and a staunch Taoist believer, Gao Xunzhi. The former had a large following, which was growing, and the latter supported local Taoist temples, viewing the Breeze Sect as heretical and driving them away without mercy.

This left little room for the Breeze Sect to grow in Chenliu, despite the spies' efforts to recruit more followers.

This wasn't what infuriated Chen Jiancheng the most. Hearing that Xiao Rong had imprisoned the captured spies and interrogated them one by one, he finally lost his patience.

In his room, Chen Jiancheng was jumping with anger, cursing Xiao Rong nonstop, losing all semblance of a sage. At this moment, he looked like a street thug, raging helplessly.

After venting his fury, Chen Jiancheng ordered his subordinates to immediately go to Chenliu and bring back their people who hadn't been exposed yet. As for those already caught, they were to be left behind.

After giving these instructions, Chen Jiancheng tidied himself up and hurriedly went to find Zhou Liang. He put on a good act, appearing as if nothing had happened, but Zhou Liang could see through his bravado. Last time, when it came to killing Qu Yunmie, he seemed calm, but this time, Zhou Liang sensed his genuine urgency.

Zhou Liang couldn't understand the source of his change, but after some thought, he concluded that it wouldn't harm him either way.

If successful, his position in the Breeze Sect would be solidified; if not, he was just the one suggesting ideas, and Qu Yunmie couldn't retaliate against him.

After a moment's contemplation, Zhou Liang asked Chen Jiancheng, "The Sect Leader knows everything without leaving his quarters. Do you know that Huang Yanjiong attacked his nephew, Huang Keji, after leaving Chenliu?"

Chen Jiancheng nodded. "Yes."

Zhou Liang smiled. "Huang Yanjiong claimed that Huang Keji fell off a cliff and his fate is unknown. But knowing Huang Yanjiong, if he acted, it was to kill. If he truly killed Huang Keji, he wouldn't announce such an ambiguous result. His actions suggest that Huang Keji is alive, and he doesn't know where he is, fearing his eventual reappearance. This gives him plausible deniability. May I ask, how could a mere youth like Huang Keji escape from Huang Yanjiong and remain hidden until now?"

Chen Jiancheng looked at Zhou Liang sincerely. "We have members of the Breeze Sect in Yanmen County. I know Huang Keji has been there for a while. Stop beating around the bush and tell me what to do."

Zhou Liang: "…………"

Silently, he reaffirmed Chen Jiancheng's name on his kill list before tersely saying, "The solution lies with these two. Qu Yunmie spared Huang Keji, likely to use him against Huang Yanjiong. However, regardless, Huang Yanjiong is family, and Qu Yunmie won't personally kill him. This is his fatal flaw, bound by familial loyalty, unaware of the beast Huang Yanjiong truly is. This plan wasn't Qu Yunmie's, but Xiao Rong's. Xiao Rong shares the same weakness as others, believing in leaving a margin, so as not to push someone to the brink."

Just like back then, if their roles were reversed, he would have killed everyone involved the moment he discovered Huang Yanjiong's intentions, sparing neither Huang Yanjiong nor Huang Keji. Reputation is important, but if it becomes a burden, it must be eliminated without hesitation.

This is what Zhou Liang despises most about Xiao Rong and feels superior about. He believes Xiao Rong is too merciful, far less ruthless than himself, making him inferior.

Thinking this, Zhou Liang felt quite pleased, even more cordial towards Chen Jiancheng. He chuckled lightly, "What Xiao Rong is unwilling to do, the Sect Leader can do for him. Trust me, no one understands Huang Yanjiong better than I do. His ambition is immense and has persisted for years. For Huang Yanjiong, destroying his grand plans is worse than death. A mad beast cannot be easily resisted."