Book 12: Chapter 16: Summer Rain in Imperial City, Grand Secretary's Conversation
Book 12: Chapter 16: Summer Rain in Imperial City, Grand Secretary’s Conversation
A great rain that represented the height of midsummer’s arrival swept through all of South Tomb Province and half of Yunqin Empire.
While making the various paths muddy, the great rain would also wash away a lot of smells and signs of human activity. When the storm descended, while many Great Mang cultivators let the rainwater drench them, letting this water wash away the dirt and dust covering their bodies, they also knew that after these two weeks or so of rain, finding any more signs of Lin Xi would be something unlikely.
Lin Xi, Gao Yanan and more than two hundred strong-willed Yunqin soldiers walked under the violent rain.
The black Yunqin armor that would only make more noise in the rain, the weight also becoming even more cumbersome after being drenched, was left behind. Everyone only wore cloth clothes, their weapons also wrapped under cloth strips.
This type of weather where visibility was extremely low, the rain even washing away all traces of activity, was actually most suited to the movements of a Windstalker like Lin Xi.
However, even cultivators were still humans in the end.
The continuous battles before made it feel as if the moss normally growing in humid weather was spreading through their bodies, their bodies recovering slower and slower. Moreover, even though they continuously killed Great Mang cultivators these past few days, the frequency at which they ran into Great Mang cultivators also became higher and higher. In addition, formidable cultivators who were harder and harder to deal with appeared more and more often, making Lin Xi and Gao Yanan sure that the Great Mang cultivators they killed definitely numbered less than the Great Mang cultivators who recently entered South Tomb Province. Moreover, if this trend continued, even Sacred Expert level cultivators would appear.
Even though the number of Sacred Expert and State Master level cultivators Great Mang dynasty lost in the last two years was extremely high after interfering with Jadefall City’s matters and using them to kill Li Ku, Sacred Experts usually carried more important responsibilities… However, when Great Mang’s military and Purgatory Mountain discovered that not even so many State Masters could kill Lin Xi, then Great Mang Dynasty and Purgatory Mountain would be equivalent to being forced to desperate straits by Lin Xi, at that time possibly squeezing out a Sacred Expert level cultivator to deal with Lin Xi.
However, there were always bottom lines to everything.
A great boom sounded.
A clear streak of lightning rapidly extended from the sky, hacking apart a tree at the foot of a mountain. That large tree was hacked apart, actually lit on fire, but was then quickly extinguished by the falling rain.
“You are trying to say that in your previous world, this type of lightning was made use of, even directly stored to activate machinery?” Gao Yanan struggled to keep her eyes open in the rain, quietly asking Lin Xi.
Curiosity was the innate nature of anyone, even more so the natural right of a young lady.
Along the way, Gao Yanan already had Lin Xi tell her many things about that world she could only understand by interpreting it as a ‘dream’.
Right now, when she saw the natural power of this summer thunder, she even more so felt that what Lin Xi spoke of was inconceivable, but could still be treated as interesting stories to listen to.
“That’s right.” Lin Xi hadn’t spoken about the things hidden at the bottom of his heart freely for a long time, so he was more than happy to have an audience like Gao Yanan. At this time, while looking at Gao Yanan whose face seemed exceptionally fair and tender after being washed by the rain, he smiled while raising his head slightly. His hands formed a curtain above his eyes as he looked into the sky, saying, “This type of lightning can only be conducted through metal. Just now, an idea just came to me, during this type of thunder rumbling weather, if we had some hot air balloons connected to some iron chains and iron nets, when they are cast downwards into enemy forces, if we are lucky, we might really be able to shock many people to death. Only, even if I control it myself, it is still extremely dangerous… It is because the power of this thunder really is too great. I have to think a bit more, try to find a way where I can use those hot air balloons connected to iron nets to attract lightning, but I have to be completely separate from it. Should I use an extremely long piece of rubber? Or maybe I should have a great craftsman make an airtight set of colloid armor?”
“I reckon there isn’t a single great craftsman in this world who is bored to the point of helping some random sky gazing daydreamer.” Gao Yanan laughed, “Unless you can make it so that lightning descends whenever you want it to.”
Lin Xi stared blankly, and then suddenly moved by Gao Yanan’s ears in an embarrassed manner. “Actually, there is one more secret I didn’t tell you… My soul force can produce golden lightning just like Changsun Wujiang. In Jadefall City, when I was hit by an arrow together with him…”
Gao Yanan stared blankly, turning around to look at him. “…just like soul merging?”
“You are the true heaven’s choice, just too smart. It is instead me who finds it a bit hard to keep up with your way of thinking.” Lin Xi revealed a bit of a forced smile, and then said this with a bit of a sigh of admiration.
Gao Yanan took a deep breath, extremely concentrated and serious as she said, “This secret definitely cannot be told to anyone, or else it will definitely be hard for the emperor to accept. He definitely wouldn’t allow you to have something only the Changsun Clan possesses, he’ll definitely pay any price to kill you.”
“Of course, he obviously wouldn’t want me to become a crown prince or a noble.” Lin Xi shook his head with a bitter smile. “That is why even when I was facing that Purgatory Mountain Divine Adjudicator, I still never revealed this secret.”
When Gao Yanan saw that Lin Xi understood, she didn’t say any more either. After remaining quiet for a moment, she calmed down and said quietly, “That is why according to the message left on the stele, Principal Zhang most likely traveled behind Heaven Ascension Mountain Range?”
“This should be the case.”
Lin Xi remained silent for a bit, and then said, “Only, I thought that since Principal Zhang didn’t even tell Vice Principal Xia and the others, he definitely has his own thoughts. Perhaps he doesn’t want the academy’s people to face the same dangers as him, especially since he hasn’t appeared even now… I also thought that perhaps he felt that even someone like me, would only be relatively safer after reaching the Sacred Expert level. That is why I felt like it was better to respect his thoughts, to still keep this secret.”
Gao Yanan nodded. Under the rain, she placed her hand in Lin Xi’s again, calmly saying, “If you are going in the future, I want to go with you.”
Lin Xi turned around, looking at this exceptionally pure and beautiful face under the rain, inwardly thinking that even with only her being with him in this kind of world, it was already worth it. As such, he only smiled warmly, nodding his head seriously. “Alright. In the future, if we are going, we’ll go together.”
…
When the summer rain swept through a larger half of Yunqin Empire, news of Great Mang’s crown prince Zhantai Shouchi being assassinated was proven true, it also already spread through a larger half of Yunqin Empire, reaching Central Continent Imperial City.
In reality, Lin Xi’s thinking from the beginning was extremely simple, and he also reflected on himself in an extremely simple manner.
He was only a fish in a large river, he didn’t have the ability to prevent or alter many events in this world. That was why he didn’t hold any great hopes for himself, not doing anything that brought him a lot of suffering.
He only wanted simple revenge, to kill Xu Qiubai and Wenren Cangyue.
If he could save some people during this type of revenge and cultivation that made himself stronger, then he would definitely do his utmost to save them.
The reason he could kill Xu Qiubai was because Xu Qiubai challenged him without knowing his secrets.
As for killing Great Mang’s crown prince, this was purely an unexpected coincidence.
However, the things he unknowingly did, together with the fact that he was still alive… during this time of crisis when all of Yunqin Empire was in danger, the feeling it gave all of Yunqin’s people was completely different.
Most people naturally treated him as a hero who didn’t care about glory or honor. In the hearts of Yunqin’s people, he became more and more like the symbol of radiance.
He precisely represented glory and radiance.
Within Grand Secretary Wen’s official residence.
Yunqin Empire’s most influential subject Wen Xuanshu calmly looked at the banana tree under the rain, watching as silver thread-like raindrops pattered against the banana tree’s verdant leaves and released a pleasant sound.
“Behind Heaven Ascension Mountain Range?”
His bright and clean forehead produced some wrinkles because of his slight frown, looking as if they were several ice-cold sword tips.
“Yes.”
Xu Zhenyan who sat at his right hand position nodded coldly, “According to the recording in Hanlin Academy’s records, back then, the books Consecrator Zhang[1] borrowed just happened to record some stories related to the things behind Heaven Ascension Mountain Range.”
Wen Xuanshu calmly said, “This is probably not a coincidence?”
“Probably not.” Xu Zhenyan nodded and said, “Among all of those Imperial Court Consecrators, the current most powerful is Great Consecrator Ni Henian. However, the one who is closest to his majesty, and also the one his majesty is closest to, is precisely Zhang Qiuxuan who personally watches at his side. Zhang Qiuxuan can also be equivalent to a half teacher for his majesty. Moreover, I already looked into this matter, there is a lot of proof showing that after Zhang Qiuxuan borrowed those books, he had a meeting with his majesty.”
“When there are this many coincidences, when some slight traces are associated together, it instead becomes certain.” Wen Xuanshu lowered the records in his hands and looked at Xu Zhenyan. “Do you understand what I am implying?”
Xu Zhenyan’s expression didn’t show much changes, cold and calm as he said, “Sir’s intentions is that something else happened that year… Principal Zhang left the academy and then never appeared again.”
Wen Xuanshu smiled. He didn’t say anything else, only looking at Xu Zhenyan.
Xu Zhenyan continued to say slowly. “However, because there were no detailed explanations regarding those ancient texts in the archives, that is why if we want to know the exact inner details of these ancient texts, as well as if it has anything to do with Principal Zhang’s disappearance, we have to deal with Zhang Qiuxuan.”
“The major events that took place that year weren’t only restricted to Principal Zhang leaving the academy and then never appearing again.” Wen Xuanshu nodded his head in satisfaction. His brows relaxed, but the expression on his face was even colder, more dignified, the corners of his lips carrying a trace of mockery as he said, “The dozen or so True Dragon Guards the late emperor left behind went missing. Also, I also know that there were several Grand Court Consecrators who never got involved in worldly affairs who all disappeared together at the same time. That is why his majesty was in such a rush to expand his own strength in the following years, even trying to carry out secret transactions with Great Mang.”
Xu Zhenyan’s breathing became a bit sluggish.
1. Imperial Consecrator Zhang Qiuxuan. Those who could become the Grand Court’s Consecrator has cultivation strength already recognized by Yunqin’s people.