Book 15: Chapter 82
Missing Memories and Confusion
Ling Jialan thrust towards Bu Xusan’s throat without hesitation. The lanky thief ducked under her sword with his arms clamped down by his side. As she learnt her martial arts underneath a waterfall, her Flying Thrust was different to others and was her most polished skill. Before her sword made contact, she had fired a drizzle of sword qi from it, reducing her target’s movement options.
Due to the effects of the poison, Bu Xusan was able to contort his body beyond human limits to dodge the barrage of sword qi and main thrust. As soon as he was out of danger, he sprung at her with his claw-like fingers, generating a vacuum that could cut comparably to a burst of blades if the borders were touched. Ling Jialan held her breath as she froze in place.
“Tang Clan’s Dark Sword Prison?”
“You’re dead!” Bu Xusan charged towards Ming Feizhen for calling out his swordplay origin with more aggression than he charged at Ling Jialan with. Every inch of the floor beneath him split as he crossed it.
“Perfect timing!” From a not-eight not-nail stance, Ming Feizhen shifted two steps forward, two steps back, laterally, and then slipped to the side. At the same time, he took out a banana from his shirt and stabbed at the sword prison that passed by. The sword prison cleanly peeled the banana peel without shaving any of the banana itself.
“As expected.”
Compared to Bai Ju’s tornadoes, Bu Xusan’s was child’s play. However, if Ming Feizhen stabbed Bai Ju’s tornado with a banana, he’d lose half of his banana, and it’d look hideous. Bai Ju actually copped a few beatings over those, which motivated him to improve his control of his true qi in order to peel bananas properly for Lord San Shen.
After taking a bite out of his banana, Ming Feizhen shut his eyes and praised, “You’re the best banana peeler I’ve ever met!”
For a moment Bu Xusan was stupefied.
“Is this the right time for eating a banana?! Back off!” Ling Jialan yelled.
Ling Jialan fell back on her best skill since she had no alternative for dismantling Dark Sword Prison on the spot. Even though ten blades sliced her as her sword grazed against the border of Bu Xusan’s sword prison, she was able to force her blade through and reach for Bu Xusan’s skull.
The man with hair covering his face roared as he grabbed a random chair to smash into Ling Jialan’s sword. The impact that induced nausea prompted her to disengage. Bu Xusan threw the shattered chair to the ground, then roared again as he cracked the ground with his head, creating a veil of dust. As he was unable to control the tremendous power inside him, his eyes turned golden.
“Ming Feizhen, get back!” warned Ling Jialan.
“Sure, I was hungry anyway. I’m going to go buy a cake. Let me know once you’re done.” Ming Feizhen walked off without a care for all the sounds behind him.
As a man of his word, Ming Feizhen bought twenty cakes from a hawker on the street to eat then and there. He was mid-thought when he started looking around and then tried to run, only for someone to grab his shoulder.
“What are you running for? Would I eat you or something?“
Ming Feizhen sighed. “If you did, I’d arrest you to get you off my back. Long Zaitian, aren’t you supposed to be at the barrack outside the capital? What are you back in the capital for?”
“I’m doing something while I’m providing a debrief, happy?”
“Okay, take your time. I won’t get in your way.”
“Get back! I’m looking for you to do it. I’ve made a reservation at the restaurant’s VIP spot. Follow me.”
“Sure, you’re paying even if I’m eating blades.”
“Good to hear. Let’s go, Brother Ming.”
“After you, Brother Long.”
Once the wine and two plates of peanuts were served up, Long Zaitian instantly got to talking. After hearing him out, Ming Feizhen was so speechless that he nearly forgot to swallow the peanuts.
“Brother Cheng… is revolting again?”
“Not exactly. There’s no proof that His H-, he is responsible. I just can’t deal with him. It’s been less than two months since he joined the barrack, yet there have already been three revolts in that timespan.”
Ming Feizhen nearly lost his liquor. “We just received word yesterday that there have been two riots. There’s a third one already?”
“Today was fine. There was a small riot before the first one, but it wasn’t reported because it ended without any consequences.”
“What consequence was there supposed to be?”
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“All the month’s rations being burnt.”
Ming Feizhen couldn’t help blasting alcohol from his mouth this time. “That’s not enough to report?”
“We can’t!” Subsequently, Long Zaitian softened his volume. “That’s the death penalty. If the superiors find out, how many people will lose their heads? The general is having a headache over preparing supplies at the moment. He’ll even have to sell all his assets if that’s what it takes to cover for the losses. The soldiers starving is the last of his concerns.”
“Never knew you were so reasonable.”
“I don’t want to be. Problem is, His H-, he is in the barrack and is involved with this.”
“So you can’t file a report because you need to protect him. He’s a commoner, though. What are you fretting for? Oh, you’re worried about Her Majesty, yeah? Wait, you’re not just concerned about dragging him down; you’re basically sheltering him. Didn’t you sell him out? Oh, I get it. He joined the barrack, and His Majesty dispatched you there. In other words, His Majesty is entrusting him to you.”
“You’re pretty clever, huh? Like me.”
“Don’t insult me. Get to the point. What do you want.”
Long Zaitian had a drink before responding, “I only turned to you because I have no choice. Sending me to the barrack is like sending a man among men to the castration room.”
“Cut the crap. Get to the point, blabbermouth.”
Long Zaitian let out a big exhale. “I was once one of the most handsome men alive, the guardian beside the dragon. A momentary lapse of judgement caused me to drown a dragon… and planted the seeds of destruction. Thankfully, His Majesty was willing to continue trusting me. How could I let down such a great man? The man in the barrack, however, is not one man I can report. It has only been a short time, yet there has been a plethora of problems. If I continue getting involved, my whole family may be exterminated, while he’ll still be laughing. How can I let His Majesty down, though?”
“And that’s why you came to me?”
“I thought of you.” Long Zaitian draped his arm over Ming Feizhen’s shoulder. “Brother Ming, I know you’re a man who cherishes the brotherhood, are handsome, and most importantly, it was Liu Shan Men who foiled his plans.”
“Stop. You were just a good spy.”
“You don’t need to be so modest. My point is, His Majesty entrusted him to me, not you. You won’t help him, so how about…”
“Put him in his place?”
“Sh!” Long Zaitian frantically looked around. “No. Just help me stop him for a while. You’re a professional at this.”
“… He is a Prince at the end of the day. Going after him is…”
Who in their right mind would want the trouble? So, of course Long Zaitian was ready to handle objections.
“As long as you agree to lend a hand, I promise to never bother Miss Shen again.”
“Your words, not mine! No going back on your word!”
“A man’s word!”
“Is worth pork shoulders!”
Ming Feizhen and Long Zaitian: “Deal!”
The two of them continued chatting away, sharing information to help Ming Feizhen. Long Zaitian proved himself to be a truly elite brown noser.
Out of nowhere, Ming Feizhen frowned and remarked, “Oh damn.”
“What?”
“I think I forgot something… I was in the middle of a fight. Brother Long, stay in touch. I’m going to get moving first.”
“Eh? You’re leaving? I will pay the bill. Hey, slow down. Hey! Hey! … How did he know I was going to dine and dash? He truly is adept at shamelessness. Looks like this deal is worth it.”
***
“Tsk, tsk… How sad…” Ming Feizhen could tell what the outcome was based on the fact that the proud swordswoman was lying unconscious on the ground, battered, cut, and breathing faintly. “Hey, you dead?”
Ming Feizhen couldn’t tap her awake. Her internal injuries were bad, but not fatal. The most troubling part was that she was also poisoned now – quite heavily, too. More than likely, she forced Bu Xusan’s hand with her extraordinary swordplay. If Ming Feizhen left her there, her death was inevitable.
Ming Feizhen hoisted Ling Jialan onto his shoulder, causing her skin in certain places to be revealed due to her the new holes in her clothing, so he threw a coat over her. As he headed to an inn, he remarked, “Now this development is getting more and more interesting. Don’t let me down now.”