Fang Xian Ye approached his sedan chair to depart for Jin'an Temple, his hand lifting the curtain when his steps suddenly arrested. The servant He Zhi positioned at his side inquired with evident curiosity, "Sir, what troubles you?"
Just as He Zhi moved forward, Fang Xian Ye waved dismissal. "Merely nothing of consequence."
With those words, he stepped into the sedan and drew the curtain closed. He Zhi called out in extended tones, "Lift the sedan!"
The conveyance rose with swaying motion. Within, Fang Xian Ye regarded the uninvited guest clad in black with obscured face, his brow furrowing as he whispered, "What purpose brings you here?"
The visitor descended the cloth concealing his visage, revealing a handsome young countenance—Duan Xu himself.
With eyes brimming with mischief, he spoke, "A matter of urgency has materialized—someone awaits to ambush you beyond the city gates. Permit me to inquire: among your four sedan bearers outside, do you harbor particular favor toward any whom you would prefer remain unharmed?"
Fang Xian Ye replied, "The one positioned front-left. Why?"
"Excellent. Then I shall protect you, He Zhi, and him. Those dispatched for assassination hail from Wensheng Pavilion—where Luo Xian once resided. Though insufficient to challenge me, I cannot guarantee protection for excessive numbers."
"Who orchestrates my assassination?"
"Naturally, my father, who regards you as considerable threat." Duan Xu smiled and snapped his fingers with deliberate casualness.
Recently, he had commissioned Chen Ying with surveillance of his father within the household. Chen Ying possessed meticulous observational tendencies and innocent countenance, though lacking capacity for analytical reasoning, he provided invaluable clues nonetheless.
For instance, the housekeeper had inadvertently mentioned that his father withdrew substantial silver from the treasury, claiming ancestral home renovation, yet nothing subsequently occurred.
For instance, his father had recently exchanged communications with an unknown correspondent via carrier pigeons.
Following such threads, Duan Xu discovered his father had finally resolved to attempt Fang Xian Ye's assassination once more—precisely as he had orchestrated five years prior—hiring assassins from Wensheng Pavilion for the task.
Fang Xian Ye's gaze darkened considerably. After contemplation, he said, "Then I shall return to my residence immediately and refrain from departing the city."
"Should Wensheng Pavilion prove determined to strike, escape proves impossible indefinitely. Moreover, having failed twice before, they will not accept such a contract a third time. Knowing my father's nature intimately, he would never expand the circle of conspirators. Should he fail again, he will finally achieve tranquility."
Fang Xian Ye released a cold laugh. So long as his life persisted, his former "father" would never experience peace.
Duan Xu folded his arms and pronounced, "You commence establishing reputation in court. Henceforth, dangers will multiply. You require skilled bodyguards. Before procuring suitable protection, why not extract Luo Xian from Yucao Tower temporarily to safeguard you?"
"Such measures prove impractical. Court turbulence currently necessitates Luo Xian's continued intelligence gathering from Yucao Tower." Fang Xian Ye immediately refused. Then, as if remembrance struck, he spoke with sudden gravity, "I sought you specifically. The horse administration corruption case has undergone dramatic reversal—the witness has recanted his testimony."
"Sun Chang De, the Secretary of the Court of the Imperial Stud? Does he now claim those three thousand war horses died from epidemic rather than becoming ghost soldiers?"
"Beyond such claims, he alleges his previous corruption testimony resulted from threat and coercion, with intent to frame the Imperial Stud Director and Minister of War. The recantation presumably originated from Duke Pei's directive, though specifics remain obscure. Currently, Sun Chang De remains detained at the Court of Judicial Review, awaiting trial under Justice Jin Yan's custody."
"Jin Yan lacks factional affiliation—he represents an incorruptibly upright official. He has monitored this case extensively and cannot easily suffer Sun Chang De's deception."
Yet Fang Xian Ye shook his head, saying, "You and I both comprehend the horse administration corruption's veracity, but certain evidence Sun Chang De possesses originated from your fabrication. Though Sun Chang De remains unaware such false evidence came from your hand, Jin Yan's investigation will likely trace back to you eventually. With truth and falsehood intertwined, complications will inevitably emerge."
Duan Xu pressed his hands together before his lips, overlapping them with careless grace.
When they initially discovered the horse administration corruption and identified the witness, Fang Xian Ye had mentioned that the witness lacked reliability and warranted precaution. Insufficient evidence had prevented exposure at that time.
Even during Shuo Prefecture's recovery, evidence remained inadequately collected—the moment proved inopportune. Yet missing this opportunity would cause the Yun and Luo Prefectures' battle plans to collapse entirely. Before departing Southern Capital, Duan Xu had deliberately forged evidence as precaution, engineering circumstances to transfer such "evidence" into Sun Chang De's possession, ensuring that when horse administration corruption broke, it would shake the emperor's heart profoundly.
Now, with Sun Chang De's recantation under Duke Pei's pressure, obstructing investigation, this fabricated evidence had transformed into substantial liability.
Following momentary silence, Duan Xu smiled and pronounced, "We shall counter whatever emerges. My father, Minister Du, and my future father-in-law will not stand passively idle. Better to render these waters sufficiently murky."
Upon hearing inquiries from city gate guards, Duan Xu stretched with deliberate languor and said, "I comprehend the situation, yet preserving your life proves more immediately urgent."
Duan Xu's intelligence proved accurate. Shortly after departing the city, the sedan shuddered violently, accompanied by urgent footsteps and cries of alarm emanating from without. He instructed Fang Xian Ye to remain within the conveyance, then covered his face, lifted the curtain, and slipped outside. The next moment, He Zhi and the sedan bearer Fang Xian Ye had selected tumbled into the sedan. The two men, still trembling with shock and paralyzed by terror, nearly embraced one another for mutual comfort.
Outside erupted chaotic sounds—clashing blades, spraying blood, bodies collapsing—violent as a tempestuous assault. Fang Xian Ye could nearly envision the scene transpiring beyond the barrier.
He had never encountered anyone superior to Duan Xu in lethal artistry, not even assassins from Wensheng Pavilion who earned their livelihood through killing could compare. One could scarcely designate it martial artistry, because Duan Xu's methodology lacked patterns or established movements—only the art of harvesting lives.
Sometimes Fang Xian Ye sensed that Duan Xu actually savored this direct and violent killing.
Five years prior, when Fang Xian Ye naively journeyed toward Southern Capital, all servants accompanying him fell slaughtered en route. Hunted relentlessly and approaching beheading, he encountered Duan Xu for the first time.
This man materialized as a war god incarnate, slaughtering all assassins who had been decimating others. Fang Xian Ye retained crystalline memory of how, amid crimson sunset, he clutched his hemorrhaging left hand while watching this blood-drenched figure rotate to regard him—visage resembling an Asura demon—experiencing terror and desperation simultaneously.
Yet that man approached him, crouched down, and casually pronounced, "I am not here to kill you—I arrive to preserve you."
The man took his hand and skillfully administered bandaging, smiling as he said, "Pleasure to meet. I am Duan Xu—the 'Xu' from 'conquering the wolves' den.' The person attempting your assassination is my father, Duan Cheng Zhang."
That represented their first meeting—this person whose identity Fang Xian Ye had borrowed and whose persona he had inhabited for seven years.
An extraordinarily peculiar person.
Duan Xu had brought him to Southern Capital, frequently remaining awake throughout endless nights, conversing along their journey's path.
Beneath brilliant starry skies, Duan Xu prodded at campfires with his blade. With firelight reflecting within his eyes, he spoke with sincere earnestness, "I have read your compositions—they possess exceptional quality. Such writing should not vanish from this world. You should, as the ancients proclaimed, 'establish the heart for heaven and earth, establish the people's destiny, continue the interrupted teachings of past sages, and create eternal peace for future generations.'"
"It has been said that weapons constitute inauspicious instruments, unsuitable tools for gentlemen. Permit me to become that inauspicious instrument, and you remain the gentleman's tool. What say you?"
He Zhi's trembling voice interrupted Fang Xian Ye's reminiscence. This youthful servant, curled within terror, inquired, "That warrior beyond possesses incredibly fierce prowess. Who is he?"
Fang Xian Ye remained silent momentarily, then answered simply, "A friend."
Had they not shared ideological alignment, they should have become enemies.
Just as he completed this utterance, a black-clad assassin crashed face-upward into the sedan chair, a sword transfixing his chest, eyes staring wide with final surprise. Blood gushed as his life departed. The two men beside Fang Xian Ye shrieked in terror. The sedan bearer summoned courage to raise his hands protectively before Fang Xian Ye. Then they witnessed the masked Duan Xu step onto the sedan threshold, regarding them with apparent entertainment. With one leg bent and one hand resting upon his knee, he reached forward to extract the blade from the corpse's chest, cleansed the blood with deliberate care using his sleeve, and leisurely resheathed it, pronouncing, "All matters concluded."
Fang Xian Ye's taut frame finally relaxed as he expelled a prolonged breath, but then heard Duan Xu command, "There exists something else I must convey. Accompany me briefly."
Upon speaking, Duan Xu indicated the two men beside Fang Xian Ye with a smile, "You two remain here. Lower the curtain presently. Do not observe what requires concealment, do not hear what warrants silence—understood?"
The sedan bearer and servant exchanged uncertain glances, hesitating whether trusting this man proved wise, while simultaneously fearing his blade. Fang Xian Ye gestured dismissal, assuring them this man harbored no lethal intentions toward him, then stepped from the sedan chair, lowering the curtain behind.
The roadside beyond the sedan door lay littered with corpses—perhaps more than a dozen—blood saturating the earth. Duan Xu stood amid these bodies with utter composure, appearing thoroughly accustomed to such scenes. Fang Xian Ye glanced toward the sedan chair, wandered slightly further away, and spoke in low voice, "What message do you bear?"
"I wish to introduce someone to you."
Fang Xian Ye inquired with surprise, "Now? Here?"
Duan Xu nodded, his eyes curving into crescents of amusement as he stepped back and deliberately called out, "He Si Mu."
"Should you encounter misfortune or require assistance after returning to the mortal realm, simply invoke my name and I shall materialize to find you."
Shortly after his words fell, azure smoke curled through the air, carrying the familiar fragrance of agarwood. A pair of light purple embroidered slippers descended upon the blood-soaked ground. The maiden who materialized possessed pallid complexion, willow-leaf eyebrows, and phoenix eyes—beautiful yet profoundly cold.
This represented He Si Mu's authentic form.
Observing the corpses strewn about, she rotated her gaze toward Duan Xu, extending her hand to examine his shoulder.
Duan Xu released a soft hiss but refrained from avoiding her touch.
He Si Mu frowned with inquiry, "You sustain injury?"
Duan Xu nodded, then shook his head, smiling, "Merely flesh wounds upon my shoulder and below my ribs—nothing grave. The majority of blood belongs to my enemies. Are you concerned for my welfare?"
He Si Mu released gentle laughter and pronounced, "Should my covenant-bearer suffer injury affecting his five senses, how could he continue trading with me?"
A subtle transformation flickered through Duan Xu's eyes. He abandoned this conversational thread and instead gestured toward Fang Xian Ye, inquiring, "Could you permit my friend to witness your authentic form as well?"
He Si Mu directed her gaze toward Fang Xian Ye and readily snapped her fingers. Fang Xian Ye, whose complexion had already suffered deterioration, immediately widened his eyes dramatically.
He had grown astonished observing Duan Xu apparently conversing with empty space, yet now a deathly pale young woman draped in crimson garments materialized instantaneously before him, regarding him with frigid expression.
For a moment, he comprehended not whether experiencing dream or reality, shock rendering him incapable of speech. Thus Duan Xu provided simple introduction between the silent pair, "Simu, this represents my cherished friend Fang Xian Ye. Xian Ye, this is Ghost King Her Majesty He Si Mu."
"Ghost King?" Fang Xian Ye murmured uncertainly.
He Si Mu disregarded him entirely, pivoting directly toward Duan Xu as she inquired with cold precision, "Why have you summoned me? I did not grant you such power to invoke me according to momentary impulse."
"I naturally intend to execute a trade with you."
"What constitute your terms?"
Duan Xu blinked, his smile radiating innocent charm as he pronounced, "Attend my wedding. Simu—I request your presence at my wedding ceremony. That represents my condition for the trade."
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