Since ancient times, in literature, there is no first; in martial arts, there is no second.
Chun Qiong came from the Imperial City this time, and all the people accompanying him were personally hand-picked by him. Wu Xie, in particular, was an old Guest Elder who had served the Family for over twenty years, so Chun Qiong was very clear about his true strength.
He couldn't understand why a remote place like Ku Hai County would have such a terrifying master. For a moment, his heart was stirred, and he began to think in the worst possible direction—perhaps a noble person in the palace had discovered some clues and secretly sent one of the three instructors of the White Dragon Guard to investigate this place.
According to rumors, one of the three instructors of the White Dragon Guard was a woman, whose martial arts were unfathomable. She once single-handedly fought a thousand eight hundred bandits in the Western Frontier, ultimately killing the bandit leader and retreating unharmed!
Could it be that the person who came to examine Liu Jinshi's corpse this time was the female instructor of the White Dragon Guard?
Chun Qiong's mind was in disarray, many details were discarded, and at this moment, he only felt as if his feet were filled with steel needles, every step making his whole body numb.
Wu Xie, who was beside him, sensed Chun Qiong's disordered aura and hoarsely comforted him:
"My Lord, do not panic. Worrying only muddles the mind. Today, I observed that the woman was dressed shabbily, like a refugee, and had many shocking scars on her body. It seems she herself carries great trouble. Such a person is likely unrelated to the palace. Once one enters the Jianghu, all major matters become minor ones."
Wu Xie's narration gradually calmed Chun Qiong's chaotic mind. He took a few deep breaths, turned to face Liu Jinshi's corpse, and said:
"What you said makes sense..."
"Today, when Lu Chuan and I were discussing the events of the night before at Yuanyang Brothel, he told me a secret: he said that a major bounty had appeared recently on Wangchuan's Heaven-rank bounty list, worth one hundred thousand gold, and it was also a woman, eight feet tall, covered in injuries. Now that I think about it, the person who came to the county yamen to examine the corpse today was most likely her."
"It's just, why would she be so concerned about Liu Jinshi's life and death?"
The light in Chun Qiong's eyes flickered uncertainly. He was still uneasy. Liu Jinshi's corpse and all related documents must ultimately be submitted to the judicial authorities of Guanghan City, the major city it belonged to. Only after confirmation there, and all procedures are sent back to the Imperial City, would this matter be considered thoroughly resolved.
If he showed any obvious abnormality, there was no guarantee that the White Dragon Guards accompanying him wouldn't notice him.
Chun Qiong was not afraid of the White Dragon Guard.
He came to Ku Hai County this time, on one hand, to seek an Opportunity to help him complete Langan Pavilion's examination this year, and on the other hand, to help That Lord, a great figure high up in the clouds, deal with some minor troubles.
As long as he needed it, Lu Chuan would always extend a helping hand, mobilizing all the power he could to assist him.
What truly made Chun Qiong feel apprehensive was the power behind the White Dragon Guard, and the possibility of bringing undue disaster to That Lord in the clouds if any clues were leaked.
If this matter was not handled well, not only would he be unlucky, but it would even implicate his entire Family.
Although Qi has respected Confucianism and the Dao for centuries, those who can reach the clouds certainly do not rely on a few scholarly phrases to defend their status and power. Chun Qiong believed he understood this more profoundly than anyone else. Seventy-six years ago, a political coup occurred in the Qi royal Family, leading to an unprecedented turmoil. At that time, the court was unstable. His grandfather, due to his excessive belief in the vastness of Confucian Dao and his insistence on not taking sides, not forming factions, and not engaging in illicit gains, was eventually ostracized by all parties, lost his life, lost his official position, and his Family declined, falling to its current state.
"If My Lord wishes to know, why not cooperate with Lu Chuan's investigation?"
Wu Xie also didn't understand. A minor county magistrate like Liu Jinshi, from a remote borderland, couldn't possibly know such powerful Jianghu figures.
The motive behind her actions today, coming to examine Liu Jinshi's corpse, was too strange.
Chun Qiong clasped his hands behind his back, his fingertips gently rubbing, seemingly in a dilemma. After a long while, he let out a long breath:
"Today, I originally did not agree to Lu Chuan's suggestion. That Lord whom he serves is truly too dangerous; I cannot afford to offend him. I don't want to do anything that might cause extraneous complications."
"If I were to needlessly stir up trouble with him, it wouldn't just implicate me personally."
"But now, it seems I have no choice."
"Wu Xie, tomorrow I will write a letter, and you help me deliver it."
...
Wen Chaosheng sat in the Loquat Garden, engaging in the second round of competition with Lu Zhiming on the chessboard.
This time, he became like Lu Zhiming, distracted and unfocused while playing Go. After seventy moves, Lu Zhiming suddenly asked:
"Chaosheng, why have you become like me today?"
Wen Chaosheng came back to his senses, sighed, and said with a bitter smile:
"Yes, after a night's sleep, I have something bothering me."
Lu Zhiming looked at him with interest:
"What's bothering you?"
Wen Chaosheng took a sip of tea and retorted:
"Shouldn't you know, Mr. Lu?"
Lu Zhiming smiled and said:
"I'm not a worm in your stomach. If you don't say anything, how would I know?"
Wen Chaosheng sighed and shook his head:
"Mr. Lu, I don't have a Qihai."
"Without cultivation, I am destined to live an ordinary life."
Lu Zhiming also took a shallow sip of tea.
"Who says you can't cultivate without a Qihai?"
"I don't have a Qihai either."