Chapter 5: Scheming Against Zhao Lan

Deep in the night.

The Lin'an Governor-General's Office lay in perfect silence. A dark shadow swept past in a flash — grass and branches bent in its wake, yet not a single guard noticed a thing.

Inside the main hall of Zhuyang Tower, a black-robed figure appeared without warning.

"Elder Wu?"

Pei Su's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected Elder Wu to return in less than half a day.

"Young Master, I found him."

The old man's voice was cold and sharp, the corners of his lips curling into a sinister smile.

"Oh? Who is it?"

Pei Su lifted a fine cup of Mengding Shihua tea, gently stirring it as the fragrance drifted through the air.

"The man you asked me to investigate, Young Master — his name is Zhao Lan. He has no father or mother, only a blacksmith who raised him as an adoptive father. When I stepped into that blacksmith's shop, there wasn't a soul in sight, but in the rear courtyard I discovered…

"…traces left behind by the blade intent and blade qi of the Eight Wilds Blade Canon."

Pei Su raised his eyes and took a quiet sip of tea.

That young guard named Zhao Lan had shown real cultivation progress at his age, and on top of that he carried the aura of one Favored by Fate — enough to arouse Pei Su's suspicion. But it had only been a guess, something he'd pursued on a whim. He hadn't truly expected to…

…catch hold of a real lead.

He let out a soft sigh.

"The Eight Wilds Blade Canon — a top-tier blade technique restricted to the imperial palace guard units. To think that the once-renowned Deputy Commander of the Imperial Forest Army would end up hiding in this small Bingzhou, living as a blacksmith."

"It seems Zhao Lan tipped him off about your presence, Young Master, putting Xiao Lin on guard. He slipped away one step ahead of me. But please don't worry — we had already handed the [Heavenly Palace Stone] over to the Lin'an Commandery checkpoint. As long as he dares to leave the commandery with his identity concealed… heh heh!"

The black-robed elder bared his teeth like a beast that had spotted its prey.

The Heavenly Palace Stone was one of the rarest stones in the world, extraordinarily sensitive to the nine-tiered Heavenly Palace within the body of a Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator — it would blaze with light the moment one drew near.

With the Heavenly Palace Stone in place, the moment Xiao Lin dared approach the commandery checkpoint, his identity would be exposed.

Of course — with Xiao Lin's strength, forcing his way through would be no problem at all. But the instant he revealed himself, he would never escape the elder's pursuit.

Thinking on this, the elder felt a quiet surge of satisfaction.

He had originally planned to stay for a month, sweeping through the commanderies one by one. He hadn't expected that less than half a day into Bingzhou, he would find traces of Xiao Lin right here in Lin'an Commandery, practically under their noses. What extraordinary luck…

No!

He should say — thank goodness for the Young Master's help. He had heard before that the Young Master had cultivated some unfathomably mysterious Qi Sight art, but he hadn't imagined it would be this terrifying — to pick out the anomaly from a crowd with a single glance.

"Xiao Lin won't escape the commandery in the short term. He doesn't know we brought the Heavenly Palace Stone, but he'll certainly guess there's a trap waiting at the checkpoints. So for now, he'll keep hiding within the commandery and wait for an opening."

"Then we deploy soldiers to sweep the commandery from end to end. It's only one commandery — within a week at most, he'll have nowhere left to hide!"

Pei Su lowered his head in thought.

Why would Xiao Lin hide not in some remote temple or deep mountain, but right here in the provincial capital? What made this place more concealed than the wilderness?

Somewhere within Lin'an Commandery, there must be a place no one could find — that was the only reason Xiao Zhongyong would have the nerve to hide in the commandery city.

If that were the case…

"Elder Wu, haven't you forgotten someone?"

"Young Master means… Zhao Lan?"

"I don't know how much Deputy Commander Xiao truly cares for him, but it's worth a try. Who knows — we might just reel him in."

A faint smile played on Pei Su's lips, his face still wearing that graceful, refined young lord's expression.

The world knew the Heir of the Northern Marquis as humble and courteous, as warm and smooth as fine jade.

But only a select few at the highest levels of the Pei Clan knew — how they had raised and shaped the Pei Clan's heir from childhood.

What the Pei Clan needed had never been a kind-hearted person.

* * *

The following morning.

Beside the Willow Pond in Lin'an's provincial city, a small and elegant ancient pavilion stood amid the mist. Liu Zhi had brought several young ladies from noble families to enjoy the morning and try their hand at fishing.

Suddenly, a young lord in a dark serpent-patterned robe appeared in the distance, walking toward them alone. Every young lady present exchanged a glance, their faces lighting up with delighted surprise.

"The Heir of the Northern Marquis! It's the Heir of the Northern Marquis — is he coming this way?"

"He is! He's coming this way!"

"Dear sister, quick — check my rouge, is there any flaw in it?"

The young ladies whispered in hushed excitement. As their gazes swept over Pei Su's face, each felt a flutter in her heart, the tips of her ears flushing pink.

This was the Heir of the Northern Marquis, whose name resounded across all of Great Jin. Countless noble daughters of marriageable age harbored tender feelings for him — his family background, his looks, his cultivation, and his character were all the finest of the finest.

Even now, with the Emperor having been in seclusion for twenty years and the court's power held jointly by the Empress and the Pei faction, the status of the Pei Clan's legitimate son was no lesser than that of the Crown Prince or any Imperial Prince.

To earn his favor — even as a concubine — would mean stepping through the gates of Duke Pei's Manor, soaring to the heights overnight like a phoenix on a branch, able to laugh and chat as sisters with the princesses of the Imperial Capital.

And if one were fortunate enough to bear the Young Lord's child — all the more so. A mother's status rises with her son's. To give birth to a little lord carrying the Pei bloodline would be to stand above the entire Great Jin Dynasty from that day forward.

What woman of noble birth could resist such a temptation?

"Young Lord!"

The moment Pei Su stepped into the pavilion, the young ladies turned and curtsied in unison, their voices soft and melodious, their eyes shimmering like autumn waters.

They all understood perfectly — the Heir of the Northern Marquis spent his days in the ancient imperial capital, and this might be the closest any of them would ever come to him in their lifetimes. How could they let the chance slip by?

Pei Su's gaze swept across the faces of the noble young ladies and finally settled on Liu Zhi.

"I have an important matter I wish to discuss with Miss Liu. Would everyone else be so kind as to excuse us? Jiumu offers his thanks."

In an instant, every pair of eyes turned to Liu Zhi.

Today she wore a soft crimson dress embroidered with golden peonies, her face adorned with vivid rouge and powder, the noble air of a wealthy young lady heightened threefold.

At this moment, her cheeks flushed crimson all at once, as though struck by a sudden joy, leaving her dazed and at a loss.

And the gazes fixed upon her shifted from astonishment to envy, then to jealousy…

There was nothing to be done — the Young Lord himself had spoken, and none of them dared linger. They curtsied and withdrew one by one, though even at a distance they stole glances back, grinding their teeth in secret at the two figures left behind.

That Liu girl — what extraordinary luck!

* * *

"Miss Liu, do you happen to know a person by the name of Zhao Lan?"

Pei Su came straight to the point, giving Liu Zhi no time to continue her daydreaming.

"Zhao… Zhao Lan?"

Liu Zhi quickly waved her hand and rushed to explain.

"He's just one of my guards. I'm not close to him at all. Perhaps he has some… feelings toward me, but I absolutely have no interest in him whatsoever…"

Pei Su: "……"

"When did he enter the Governor-General's Office?"

"A little over a year ago, I think — I can't quite remember clearly."

"Miss Liu," Pei Su's expression turned grave, "you may not yet be aware — Zhao Lan has been secretly in contact with a fugitive the court has been hunting for twenty years, passing information on his behalf."

Liu Zhi covered her mouth with a gasp.

She thought of that guard who always seemed honest and straightforward, with a resolute character — and felt a chill of belated fear run through her.

To think — she had actually brought such a dangerous person into her household!

"But… but he's right there in the compound now. I — I'll go call Father immediately and have him arrested!"

"To be frank with you, Miss Liu, I came to Bingzhou bearing a mission from the court. Arresting a Zhao Lan is easy enough — but the real difficulty lies in drawing out the fugitive behind him."

Liu Zhi grew anxious.

"Then what should I do, Young Lord?"

"I've heard that you were the one who personally promoted him. How about this…"

Pei Su stepped forward and leaned close to Liu Zhi's ear, murmuring a few quiet words.

The sudden warmth of his breath so close to her sent Liu Zhi's heart pounding and her head spinning. Only when Pei Su stepped back did she regain her composure.

"No problem! That Zhao fellow has always done whatever I say — he's even more obedient than the mastiffs I keep in the compound. Whatever I tell him to do, no matter how difficult, he goes and does it like a fool, tail wagging the whole way!"