305-307

Chapter 305: Chrysanthemum, Ancient Swords and Alcohol (2)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Fan Xian swung his whole body lightly and effortlessly upwards while gripping the cracks between the cornices of the temple with his fingers and stepping on tiptoe on the outside of the wooden cornices. His special climbing method and little tricks used in this climbing were almost perfectly combined to create a breathtaking spectacle of climbing, and he had already reached the top floor of the Floating Temple in the blink of an eye.

On the ground by the mountainside below, the situation was under control, and the fire there was by and large quelled. These nobles and chancellors of the Qing Kingdom were the tough lot who had experienced many wars and disasters, so they were soon able to pull themselves together after some brief chaos, with some of them even throwing themselves into action immediately, creating one more layer of defense that was in addition to the royal guards, in order to guarantee the safety of the Floating Temple. As the crowd craned their heads anxiously, they saw Fan Xian fly upward like a lightning and arrive on the top of the building. Nobody had expected Commissioner Fan's climbing skills to reach such an amazing level, and they couldn't help but gasp in unified surprise.

Lightly holding onto the cornice below the top floor with his right hand, Fan Xian bent his left leg slightly and placed his left hand on the hilt of the black dagger hidden in his boot. It was rather quiet on the top floor; but Fan Xian didn't dare go in recklessly, so he yelled toward the top floor, "This is courtier Fan Xian."

It seemed that someone said something on the top floor. Fan Xian squinted toward the top floor, enwrapped by walls and windows for letting in breeze, and he felt relieved after having seen the countless chilly lights had gradually vanished. Somebody inside said, "Come in."

The wooden window had been pushed open, making a creaking sound.

Fan Xian didn't dare to respond too slowly, and by contracting his muscles in his core, his entire body sprang up and went in the top floor of the temple gently and quietly along with the mountain wind, out of fear to scare the Emperor. As soon as both of his feet touched the floor, he noticed through his peripheral vision that the nervous elite guards slowly stepped back a pace, realizing that he would have faced many thrusting swords if he didn't report his presence before coming up.

Fan Xian swept the entire floor with his eyes and didn't see the expected assassination happening here. So he let out a relaxed sigh, after which he came to the entrance to the corridor and noticed a passing figure looking like the Empress Dowager, disappearing from view in the blink of an eye. Wan'er, whom he worried about the most, was supporting the old woman by holding her arms, and the mysterious Eunuch Hong was following them close behind with his hands in the sleeves, his back hunched.

The Empress Dowager and the women of the palace had already left due to the fire downstairs.

"How come you're here?!"

An intimidating but peaceful voice rang out. Fan Xian was startled for a brief moment before regaining his senses. Spinning around, he bowed to the middle-aged man standing on the left side by the railing, saying calmly, "A fire started downstairs, which someone obviously started. I was worried about Your Majesty's safety, so I came."

The Emperor of the Qing Kingdom that day wore a casual bright-yellow robe. He looked at the outside through a window, his hands behind his back. They were at a high elevation, so one could see a great deal from where they were. The yellow chrysanthemums covering the whole mountain gave viewers a chilly feeling of upcoming threats. However, the Emperor didn't seem too worried about his own safety, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly while peacefully watching the wonderful rivers and mountains that belonged to him. He looked, with a mocking expression, at the officials at the bottom of the temple, who acted nervously, as if they had encountered a powerful enemy.

The Empress Dowager and the royal concubines had all left the top floor of the building, and they met the royal guards who had just come up to help them on the third floor, walking carefully down to the bottom of the temple. On the top floor of the Floating Temple, which had many windows for letting in wind, three male royals, the Crown Prince, the Second Prince and Third Prince, were also there in addition to the extremely calm the Emperor, with a dozen sword carrying royal guards, and a few personal young eunuchs.

It took but a quick glance for Fan Xian to learn of the protective strength in the building. He couldn't help but furrow his brows briefly to show his uneasiness. The fire downstairs was obviously suspicious. It was lucky that he discovered it early enough to quell it so that nobody had the opportunity to carry out any assassination amid the chaos. Yet it was quite certain that the assassins were still hiding in the temple. However, it was unfathomable that the enemies could sneak into the Qing Kingdom who was so powerful in strength. As the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, he was confident in the protective strength of the Qing Kingdom. The hidden assassins had to be the top-level swordsmen who had the ability to disturb the world with a swing of their swords, and there couldn't be more than three.

Gong Dian wasn't in the building. Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat after learning this. The fact that Eunuch Hong had helped the Empress Dowager go downstairs caused Fan Xian another slight headache. Was the purpose of setting the fire by the assassins to draw the best fighter of the palace downstairs?

At that moment on the top floor, besides those sword-carrying royal guards, it seemed that he himself was the only real high-level fighter. Fan Xian evaluated the situation in the building somewhat arrogantly. In his mind, the second prince was probably a good fighter on horse, but he might not be able to thwart an elite assassin in such close-range combat.

The Emperor, based on his expression, didn't seem to worry too much about the event. Perhaps as a ruler of the land, he had to show a calm and dominating aura. Yet Fan Xian didn't want this middle-aged man to be hurt accidently, causing many innocent people in Qing Kingdom to die. He furrowed his brows slightly, signaling the crown prince with his eyes, who pretended to be calm and stood behind the Emperor.

The crown prince was slightly perplexed at first, but realized what was on Fan Xian's mind, bowing to the Emperor, "Father, since the cause of the fire is still unknown, please leave here for now."

However, the Emperor didn't pay attention to the request of the east palace's crown prince. He turned around slowly, and with a faintly mocking expression on his distinctive face, he asked Fan Xian, "Has the fire been quelled?" Fan Xian was taken aback a bit, nodding, "It's been quelled."

"Why do we have to leave then?"

Holding the railing with his left hand, the Emperor said slowly, "I haven't retreated that much in my life."

Fan Xian appeared calm on the surface, but he started cursing inside his mind, thinking how the Emperor wanted to show off his courage under the threat, but Fan Xian wasn't interested in such a show, as he pressed in a deep voice, "Though there isn't any suspicious movement right now, it's hard to provide defense, as we are atop the peak…I beg Your Majesty to consider the safety of the kingdom, and return to the palace immediately."

To advise an emperor to act in the name of the country was the most effective method in those imperial court plays of his previous life. Yet it was obvious that this method didn't work so well with the emperor of the Qing Kingdom. He turned around and said coldly, "Fan Xian, you are the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. If someone dares assassinate this emperor…it's your fault. Should I be punished by not being able to observe the flowers because of your mistake?"

Fan Xian felt wronged, thinking he was merely a Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, and the council wasn't asked to get involved in this chrysanthemum observation, though his Sixth Bureau was indeed in charge of collecting such information. How could he predict the enemies' intentions all the time? But soon he thought that they hadn't heard anything lately even though the Overwatch Council had a network of intelligent agents all over the world. There were only two or three forces that dared harm the royal family of Qing Kingdom and who had been quiet and showed restraint recently; but it was hard to understand how Dongyi City remained tranquil. Sigu Sword had been the top surveillance target and he had been staying in Dongyi City for certain.

Having seen the peaceful expression on the Emperor's face, Fan Xian started wondering if the fire actually…was a prelude for the assassination?! Was he too nervous and overreacted?

Upon seeing Fan Xian fall silent, the three princes present thought Fan Xian was a bit embarrassed after being reprimanded by the Emperor. Crown Prince coughed softly once, ready to say something favorably on behalf of Fan Xian, but he suddenly thought of the second prince, who had been demoralized by Fan Xian recently. Though he was pleased with the result, the strength of this courtier had become formidable enough to be out of his control. To put down Fan Xian at the moment, their father might have some other purpose; so he kept his mouth shut, instead shooting a comforting glance at Fan Xian.

The second prince didn't think so much, saying with a serious tone, "Father, what Commissioner Fan said makes some sense. Though no enemy in the world would dare assassinate you, you should go downstairs for the sake of your safety and to lessen the anxiety of those chancellors at the bottom of the building."

Though it seemed that the Emperor appreciated the second prince's straightforward attitude, he still didn't treat Fan Xian differently, saying coldly, "Fan Xian, as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, you acted so nervously. I'm really disappointed."

Fan Xian cursed in his mind a few times more, but his expression became even more self-effacing, as he said with a self-mockery smile, "Your Majesty is right to reprimand me."

Looking at Fan Xian questioningly, the Emperor asked suddenly, "Don't you feel bad?"

"Yes," Fan Xian responded as he quickly thought of a way to deal with the situation.

"This courtier thinks that Your Majesty should cherish your own life since your safety is related to the safety of the land, meaning your safety is crucial. One can never be too cautious to do so. The scenery of the yellow chrysanthemums will reappear every year, but the emperor of Qing Kingdom is only one person. Regardless of whether this courtier is called as nerve-wrecked a coward as a mouse, he still begs Your Majesty to go downstairs and return to the palace."

Everybody remained silent in embarrassment, as no one thought Fan Xian would dare talk back to the Emperor in front of the group and dared argue about the Emperor's life and death. Fan Xian actually refuted the blame the Emperor laid on him earlier!

"You are too bold…"

Yet for some reason, the Emperor's expression had become somewhat relaxed upon hearing this remark. He said while looking at Fan Xian, "If anybody says you're as cowardly as a mouse, I really wouldn't know about that. Where on earth could we find such a large mouse?"

This was supposed to be a joke. All the people on the floor, besides the Emperor himself, were in a nervous mood, so nobody dared laugh at the joke. Fan Xian was the only one who laughed slightly, and bitterly.

All of a sudden, the Emperor's voice became deeper and his eyes were even closed, letting the mountain wind from outside tousle his slightly wrinkled mid-aged face.

"In my lifetime, I have encountered many assassinations. It's impossible for you kids to know how dangerous and exciting the world was back then," said the Emperor with a soft smile. "This was a sloppy assassination attempt. Starting a fire that has no possibility to spread is not going to force this emperor to leave, not that easily."

Fan Xian thought to himself that the ruler of the land was unnecessarily playing a brave role, but he paid attention mostly to the surroundings. Gong Dian and Eunuch Hong were both not there, and the Tiger Guards were not there either. What we had here were those elite guards and three princes…or was it four? Though the personal eunuchs of the Emperor were loyal and their relatives of past three generations were under the control of the imperial court, it wasn't enough to rely on these people to protect the Emperor. Especially after Eunuch Hong had left with the Empress Dowager, and all that made Fan Xian grow worried.

Suddenly he had a shocking thought: If the Emperor were assassinated just then, he, as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, would be most responsible for the incident. Why didn't his father think of this when they met downstairs?

Eunuch Dai said loudly, "His Majesty has encountered assassinations forty-three times in his life and has never retreated one step before."

Fan Xian was startled briefly and then thought of Wang Qinian in the far north, amused that the successful men all had one or more exceptional supporting players to back them up.

The Emperor slowly opened his eyes, his expression tranquil but full of self-confidence, "Northern Qi, Eastern Yi, Western Hu, and Southern Yue, plus those who were defeated by this Emperor and lost their families and countries, all want to kill me with a swing of the sword. With twenty years gone, who has achieved it?" He continued with a soft laugh, "When one has become used to being assassinated, Fan Xian, you will understand why this Emperor doesn't pay too much attention to such matters anymore."

So you have experience with this! Fan Xian cursed in his mind. He had cursed that day more than he ever had. Yet, as he was the Commissioner of the Overwatch, he had no choice but to take the responsibility. He was responsible for the Emperor's safety. More importantly, he didn't want to be blamed for the biggest mishap in the world. So he kept on advising the Emperor shamelessly and bravely to return to the palace.

The Emperor was finally annoyed by his begging, yelling angrily, "How could Fan Jian educate a useless person like you?! How could Chen Pingping choose you?!"

Fan Xian responded by smiling excessively, though he cursed in his mind: you could teach me if you thought you were so capable, which was your responsibility anyway.

The situation had been under the control. The assassins, no matter how skillful they were, had perhaps already fled; otherwise they would end up badly hurt when the royal army started searching the mountain like a spreading net. So everybody in the building felt relieved slightly. They couldn't help but think it funny that His Majesty, who rarely showed his emotions, reprimanded Fan Xian. The crown prince still tried to comfort Fan Xian with his gentle gaze. Great Prince couldn't bear the scene and turned his head away. The youngest, the third prince, was beaming with a smile on his face, probably feeling happy upon seeing Fan Xian's misfortune.

Nobody knew why His Majesty was so angry that day. He reprimanded Fan Xian just like he would his own son. As Fan Xian was a famous person and an important courtier in the imperial court, it was extremely rare for a courtier to be humiliated publicly when Qing Kingdom emphasized on managing the land with civility.

Fan Xian listened with a bitter smile on his face. Yet he figured out something else. Fan Xian was afraid that His Majesty suspected the same thing as he did, which is why the Emperor became so angry. If this drama was staged by the old cripple or his father in secret, he could only praise their courage, but still it was shameless and stupid. To stage a show of "saving the emperor" for the Emperor to watch—the Emperor wasn't an idiot, at least his IQ wasn't lower than Fan Xian's, so he could figure it out easily. Perhaps the Emperor believed Fan Xian was kept in dark as well.

He sighed inside, thinking it was merely a ridiculously staged play, no real assassins involved.

Yet the problem was that Chen Pingping wasn't a student in kindergarten and Fan Jian wasn't a little girl who was scared to cry outside the school by the iron-gate her first school day. It was even more impossible for His majesty to believe his two most trusted subordinates could do such a ridiculous thing to help Fan Xian gain his favor. Perhaps the reason for the Emperor's angry had nothing to do with Fan Xian.

The Emperor finally stopped talking, turning around and smacking the railing heavily with his hand, startling everybody in the building. Fan Xian was someone who was accustomed to figuring out what others had on their minds. He gestured to Eunuch Dai using the side of his mouth, indicating the Emperor was probably thirsty after all that reprimanding.

Eunuch Dai had been assigned to the Taiji Palace not long ago, and Commissioner Fan's reminder was a welcome opportunity for him, so he was to serve tea to Emperor.

"Change it to alcohol." The Emperor didn't turn his body around, but somehow knew what Fan Xian was doing behind his back. Gazing at the expansive scenery outside the window and the following clouds in the sky, he couldn't help saying mockingly, "Praise the autumn scenery with a thousand poems, and drink a cup of fragrant cold alcohol. Since I'm observing the chrysanthemums in the distance on the top of a high-rising building, how can I do so without alcohol?"

The participants of the Chrysanthemum Observation Meeting that took place every three years had always enjoyed the chrysanthemum wine each time, so the wines were prepared beforehand. As the strange fire started in the Floating Temple, causing uneasiness among the participants, the servants almost forgot to bring out the wines. Upon hearing what the Emperor had just said, a handsome young eunuch who was responsible for this job hurriedly brought the alcohol plate to the railing, making sure he would only step on the floor with his tiptoes, so no sound would be made this way.

Fan Xian's heart skipped a few beats after hearing the poetic lines. These lines were recited from a chrysanthemum poem written by Jia Baoyu in chapter thirty-eight of Story of the Stone. The purpose of reciting this poem was to let Fan Xian know that Emperor was actually aware of everything. Fan Xian understood that he couldn't conceal this matter from people all the time, so he was prepared for it.

"As the book of Story of the Stone talks mostly about the love affairs between men and women, it's low-class literature; but its wording is not bad…these poems, however, are not so presentable."

The three princes in the building and the servants didn't know why Emperor suddenly started discussing the literature, and were slightly surprised. As Fan Xian knew he couldn't hide it anymore, he bent his body forward and said with a bitter smile, "This courtier wrote it just for fun, but I didn't expect Your Majesty would read it. It's very fortunate."

"Oh. I thought…you didn't want the readers to know it was written by you in another name, so you wrote those poems poorly on purpose; the more naïve, the better."

Fan Xian sighed and didn't know how to respond. Those present in the building finally knew the book Story of the Stone that was circulating among the commoners and in the palace was actually written by Master Fan. After the initial shock, they then thought it obvious. This book was published only by the Danbo Bookstore, and the writing style of the book was unique. If this popular book weren't written by the famous Master Fan, it would be hard to find another capable person in the world for the work.

Taking the wine cup, the Emperor smelled the fragrant flavor of the wine, and sipped the wine with a faint smile, ignoring the uncomfortable Fan Xian and his surprised sons.

There were two cups of wine on the plate prepared for the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Emperor took one cup to drink. The other cup was left on the plate. Since Empress Dowager had already gone downstairs, so it was hard to decide how to distribute this remaining cup of wine. The Emperor looked at the crown prince, and then the second prince. As he furrowed and then unfurrowed his brows, the Emperor subconsciously pointed his finger at Fan Xian; but he suddenly realized it was inappropriate, so he turned his finger mid-air to point at the surprised and smiling third prince hiding in the corner.

The third prince was still very young, so he said bitterly, "Father, I don't like drinking alcohol." This kind of remark, uttered by a small child, could avoid being regarded as a crime against a royal decree.

With a gloomy expression, The Emperor said coldly, "You dared do things more harmful than alcohol; how can you be scared of a cup of wine?"

The third prince, with a sulky face, was so scared that he almost cried. Facing such icy cold energy, he had no choice but to thank his father and walk over slowly to the railing. Then he extended his arm, taking the cup from the plate and bringing it to his mouth.

Dong!!!

With such a crisp sound, the wine cup in the third prince's hand fell to the floor, rolling away. He looked at the incoming chilly light, stunned. And confused. All he was doing taking a drink from a cup of wine; why did this guard want to kill him?

As a prince, he had grown up under extremely dangerous and complicated circumstances, and so soon this small child realized—it was an assassination!

Since the Emperor was standing right behind him, if he ran away, the swinging sword would have fallen upon the Emperor like lightning. However, he didn't have the footwork like the grandmaster Ku He who could step on the snow without leaving any imprint behind, nor did he possess sanshou as strong as coffin used by Ye Liuyun. No matter how bravely he stood in front of the Emperor, this swinging sword would likely cut him in half, along with the Emperor.

Whether or not he chose evasion, it would lead to the same result. The third prince chose the correct reaction, which was to stand in the same spot. Staring through the sword light into the assassin's blurryface with shivering legs and a wet crotch, the third prince shrieked with all his might!

Ahhhhhh!!!

The loud and ear-piercing shout echoed throughout the entire building. All people present learned of the ongoing assassination attempt. Since nobody expected an assassin could be hidden among the royal palace guards of Qing Kingdom, nobody could react quickly enough to prevent the powerful sword from breaking through the elite guards' defense line and thrusting toward the Emperor by the railing with a small wine cup in his hand.

Fan Xian was the exception. He twisted his wrist, exhaling, and threw his fist at the assassin. This deeply hidden assassin acted so suddenly and thrust his sword so powerfully that Fan Xian didn't dare to hold back his energy in his fist. The xueshan meridian on his back shone abruptly, causing zhenqi to flow out like a river along his right arm to his fist; then he struck at the sword light a few steps away.

This striking fist was so powerful that it cut open the air with a faint buzzing sound like dull thunder exploding in the midst of the sword light, blowing the snowy sword light into pieces!

Yet it wasn't so simple.

Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat as he found out this swordsman was a ninth-ranked fighter. On the other hand, he thought that the assassin had to be a ninth-ranked swordsman to assassinate the most powerful ruler in the world, otherwise he wouldn't dare to. Along with the sound of a thrusting fist, Fan Xian had already arrived at the third prince's side, twisting his left hand and pulling out the black dagger from his leg, thrusting it into the assassin's stomach stealthily.

The sword in assassin's hand had been broken in half, but the remaining half was thrusting even more forcefully and quickly. It seemed the assassin was willing to sacrifice his own life to take another's. The elite guards finally realized what was going on, and they came over while yelling, attacking from behind while Fan Xian was attacking in front. Even though the assassin was a ninth-ranked swordsman, he couldn't do very much against so many opponents.

However, it was then that the cloud right over the Floating Temple drifted away, letting the hot sun shine through.

The sunshine filled the building with a dreadful white color. Next an assassin in white clothes appeared from nowhere, holding a plain ancient sword. Nobody knew how this assassin arrived at the top of the building. He snuck close to the front of Emperor, undetected, under cover of the blinding sunshine.

Two elite guards nearby Emperor reacted first, after having heard the buzzing sounds, and pulled Emperor back. Their throats, however, were cut, blood gushing out as they fell to the floor before they had the chance of drawing their swords.

The man in white held an ancient sword and thrust it straight at the Emperor's face!

The Emperor who boasted he had never retreated in his life was finally pulled back a few steps more by his daring elite guards while facing a menacing incoming sword.

Though the tip of the incoming sword was still one foot away from the Emperor, everybody thought the tip of the sword had already pierced his throat.

All the people knew the Emperor of Qing Kingdom wasn't skilled in martial arts; so more elite guards wedged themselves between Emperor and the assassin while shouting loudly. It happened so suddenly that these elite guards chose the most direct method, to use their bodies to block the incoming sword in order to protect the Emperor.

Even though the blood was spattering around the Emperor, his eyes somehow appeared calm and tranquil, staring into the advancing assassin in white, who seemed to become one with hi sword.

The elite guards' strength as a whole was great enough to protect Emperor. Yet they needed to win time for Eunuch Hong at the bottom of the Floating Temple and two ninth-ranked swordsmen from Ye family and Qing family to come to the rescue. As long as they could delay the assassin in white for a second, Emperor's life would be saved.

Who could delay the assassin? The elite guards had already done their duty adequately. They knew one of their colleagues was the assassin, so they had no chance of living after this incident. For the safety of their families, they had done their hardest to protect Emperor. Next the Emperor's sons should do something to protect Emperor…

The attacks had happened in an extremely short period of time.

At the moment, the wine cup falling down from the hand of the horrified third prince was still spinning on the floor. The second prince, with a shocked look on his face, was about to rush to the front of Emperor to block the murderous ancient sword; but he had merely moved two steps, his heel still in mid-air.

It was then that Fan Xian felt the surprisingly powerful sword energy behind him as his black thin dagger was inches away from the elite guard assassin's stomach.

The blood was sprinkling in the air, like blooming chrysanthemums all over the mountain. The elite guards' bodies were flying through the air as well. Yet until they died, these guards couldn't understand how the assassin in white hid on the top of the Floating Temple, which had been inspected thoroughly beforehand.

All of this displayed in front of Fan Xian like a slow-motioned action movie scene.

Fan Xian could even see clearly with his peripheral vision that Crown Prince rushed to Emperor with a miserable expression on his face. His brave and loyal behavior was very touching; but it was a pity that the crown prince happened to step on his young brother's fallen wine cup, so his whole body fell down onto the floor in a ridiculous style.

Fan Xian was the closest person to Emperor and the first person to react, so it was a heavenly opportunity for Fan Xian to be the loyal courtier and filial son…The hair on Fan Xian's neck stood on end as he felt the sword behind him was even more murderous, pure and strong than this ninth-ranking assassin in front of him. The atrocious energy deep inside him had been stimulated in an instant, and he had the confidence to save both the Emperor and the third prince at the same time; but…it was certain that he would be injured by the swordsman in white severely from behind.

However, Fan Xian had decided to gamble. He didn't want to miss such a good opportunity, as he was a miser who liked to take well-calculated risks. He didn't want to miss the chance of defeating a strong enemy, as he was competitive.

But it was then that the assassins' last resort revealed itself, chilling Fan Xian to his core.

The enemy this time used the mole who had been hidden among the elite royal guards of Qing Kingdom for ten years and probably paid a great price to get the help of the swordsman in white. The enemy created this situation by drawing Eunuch Hong away at the expense of losing their long-time spy operation in Qing Kingdom; but their fatal attack wasn't from the ninth-ranked assassin, nor from the swordsman in white whose thrusting sword was very terrifying.

The fatal attack came from behind the Emperor of Qing Kingdom!

The young handsome eunuch who had served the chrysanthemum wines earlier stood right behind Emperor who was forced back a few steps by the thrusting sword of the swordsman in white. The young eunuch dropped the wine plate and reached into the pillar, producing gray-colored dagger as if from a magic show, thrusting the dagger into the Emperor's back with all his might!

The dagger was hidden in the wooden pillar of the Floating Temple, and its hilt was painted the same color as the pillar. After many years, nobody would discover that a weapon was hidden in there. Nobody knew how long the dagger had been placed there, and nobody knew how long ago they had been planning this assassination of the Emperor of Qing Kingdom.

From their long-time preparation and the water-tight arrangement, one could tell that the enemy was determined to succeed—to kill a ruler of the land doesn't need might more than it did determination and courage.

At the moment, there was an ancient but formidable long sword in front of Emperor of Qing Kingdom; and there was a very old but extremely treacherous dagger behind him. It seemed that the Emperor had no chance of surviving this assassination!

Fan Xian knew full well that this was the most perilous test he had been confronted with since his reincarnation. It was much more dangerous than his fight with Haitang on the grassland. Yet, before he could get sentimental, Fan Xian had already made a decision subconsciously. His black dagger reached out, piercing at the eyes of his opponent.

Fan Xian knew that he wasn't an immortal, and even Uncle Wu Zhu or four grandmasters in his position wouldn't be able to beat the assassin in front of him to save third prince's life, fight the swordsman in white, and finally to have enough time and strength to help Emperor deal with the young eunuch from behind.

The young eunuch of the palace didn't have much training in martial arts, but that old dagger in his hand was very lethal.

Fan Xian chose to save the third prince first, then the emperor. Though this choice could be considered later as being disloyal and not filial, Fan Xian believed it was a right choice since the third prince was only eight years old, still a small child.

It's natural to save the youngest first.

His black dagger, like a black snake, struck at the center of the first assassin's eyes.

The enemy had planned this assassination meticulously; so Fan Xian knew the most terrifying method was this thin black dagger, which was rumored to be an unlucky object personally sharpened by the old weirdo, Fei Jie. That ninth-ranked assassin didn't dare ignore Fan Xian's incoming dagger, and he twisted the remaining half-length sword to knock Fan Xian's dagger out of his hand and dropping it toward the downstairs.

The assassin wanted to find out what this famous Commissioner Fan, who was skilled in both literature and martial arts, would do without his weapon when facing his half-sized sword.

As his dagger was flying over the railing, Fan Xian had already turned around with his back facing the assassin. In the process of turning around, Fan Xian reached into his hair at a speed so fast that nobody could even notice what he was doing, and then he threw his hand backwards by using s turning force.

A thin embroidering needle pricked into the assassin's pinkie. It wasn't a deep penetration, so that no even a drop of blood came out from the wound.

However, the assassin groaned, feeling his meridians being instantly blocked. He immediately cut off his own pinkie with the broken sword.

As the assassin lifted his head again, Fan Xian was gone.

At the moment, Fan Xian had already arrived in front of the swordsman in white, moving as fast as a ghost, and wedged himself between Emperor and the assassin. As he reached the current position, his three deadly black arrows along with a bunch of mixed poisonous smoke had also arrived.

A large patch of yellow, green and white colored smoke was scattering in the top floor of the Floating Temple. It was eerie beyond description, just like the fireworks seen once a while in the capital.

Unexpectedly, the swordsman in white knew full well what Fan Xian's fighting methods, and he dodged the three flying arrows and held his breathing. Meanwhile his sword pierced through the smoke and all the obstacles at Fan Xian's head.

By now Fan Xian had already used up his methods. He was blocking the incoming sword in front of Emperor. All he could do right now was to let the incoming sword pierce his body to sacrifice his life for his father, the emperor. As for the young eunuch behind Emperor, he could do nothing about it…it was up to the Emperor's own luck now!

A sword to the head!

The dominating zhenqi inside Fan Xian became agitated. It was currently unknown whether his mind was directing his zhenqi or his zhenqi was controlling his mind; after a loud scream, Fan Xian reached out both his palms, with zhenqi inside his body being squeezed into solid mountain rock concentrated in his arms, receiving the incoming chilly sword.

The swordsman in white furrowed his brows, realizing that his chest and bones inside would be broken into pieces by Fan Xian's horrifying palms if he kept on thrusting his sword into Fan Xian's chest.

With a hissing sound, the ancient sword, like a green tree branch being plucked by an immortal, turned its tip slightly and pierced into Fan Xian's shoulder!

In this instant, the swordsman in white abandoned his sword and chose to meet Fan Xian's palm with his own palm.

Bloom!!!

The impact force was so powerful that the dust rose up and the smoke dispersed. No matter how talented the swordsman in white was, he couldn't match Fan Xian's zhenqi vigor on which he had worked since his infancy. With a creaking sound, the swordsman's left wrist had been broken.

Yet, to Fan Xian's surprise, the swordsman in white pulled out the ancient sword from his shoulder as this man was hit by his palm. How fast his hand was!

To retreat if one hit doesn't kill the opponent is the style of the first-class assassin. The swordsman in white tiptoed on the railing and jumped off to the bottom of the temple, without even glancing at Fan Xian. His cloth, blown by the mountain wind, was spreading like a white crane dancing in the air.

As the swordsman in white and Fan Xian were fighting, two unnoticeable sounds occurred in the building.

The ninth-ranked assassin, who had given Fan Xian a headache earlier, was covered in blood from his face and shoulders; with both of his shoulders broken, he fell to the floor, disappointment and despair expressions in his eyes.

As the assassin was falling down, a trickle of black blood oozed out from the corners of his mouth. He had already been completely dead when his body touched the floor. It was Eunuch Hong who stood behind the assassin.

Eunuch Hong stood there silently, with his back hunched and his hands in the opposite sleeves, as if he hadn't done anything.

Thinking of the fatal attack of the assassination, Fan Xian turned around in despair; but instead he witnessed something so shocking that he couldn't forget the scene many years later.

The young eunuch who tried to assassinate Emperor was lying on the floor, having passed out, surrounded by wood chips.

The Emperor of Qing Kingdom, who was the target, was holding half of the plate that carried the wine cups. This plate was the only weapon Emperor could find in the chaotic environment. He looked at the young eunuch lying by his foot and said coldly, "Though this emperor isn't Ye Liuyun, someone like you can never kill me!"

Indeed, though Emperor of Qing Kingdom didn't practice martial arts, he gained the land by fighting on horseback. So he should be able to fight effectively in regular brawls.

Seeing the remaining half of the wooden plate held in Emperor's hand, Fan Xian, who was still in shock, somehow thought of a Hong Kong funny movie in his previous life…Good Use of a Brick!

At the bottom of the Floating Temple shouting and cursing blared out. It seemed that the swordsman in white had already reached the bottom floor, and the nobles of Qing Kingdom were brave and angry enough to surround him when they figured out he was the assassin.

The sounds of screams and grunt at the bottom came up to the top floor.

It wasn't the time for rewards and punishments. Fan Xian looked down over the railing, and he saw Ye Zhong, commander of the capital, stand on the ground with a hand covering his mouth. With his special vision, Fan Xian could see clearly that he was spitting blood. He must have fought hard with the swordsman in white.

Ye Zhong was the rare ninth-ranked fighter in the capital of Qing Kingdom. Since he was hurt so much by mounting a sneak attack, it could be imagined that the swordsman in white would be injured even more. It was really the case. A slow moving figure in white could be seen among the chrysanthemums on the distant mountain.

"It's rumored that Sigu Sword has a young brother, who left home at a young age. Nobody knows where he is," the Emperor said coldly, standing behind Fan Xian. "Fan Xian, catch him for this emperor. I'd like to see if these two brothers are both idiots!"

After encountering several dangers in a row that day, the Emperor of Qing Kingdom, who was usually calm and composed, finally became irritated.

Fan Xian knew he wasn't in the position to comment on what Emperor had just said. Since Eunuch Hong had already come up, Emperor's safety wasn't his responsibility anymore. Though his shoulder was still bleeding, Fan Xian had already jumped off the railing, rushing downstairs like a black bird.

Another barrage of screams at the bottom of the temple.

"It's like watching a play!" said Fan Xian with an icy cold expression. He had no choice but to follow Emperor's order.

Soon after Fan Xian passed by, Ye Zhong, commander of the capital, had finished rejuvenating energy, and ran in the direction of the fleeing swordsman in white, with an emotionless expression. Gong Dian was his Little Brother. If he couldn't catch the assassin that day, the whole Ye family would probably be in trouble, as he had no chance of proving his innocence. Even if it meant he might lose his life in the pursuit, he still had to catch the assassin with his own hands, alive!

In the next moment, the fast runners among the elite guards darted toward the mountain and the wilderness like countless arrows.

The royal guards had surrounded the mountain at its foot. On the mountain, two ninth-ranking fighters, Fan Xian and Ye Zhong, were leading a bunch of revengeful elite guards, chasing the assassin. It was unknown whether the assassin in white would successfully flee or not.

Chapter 306: Dagger, Seeing the Dagger Again

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Inside the Floating Temple, the anger in the Emperor's expression had already faded away. His face was calm, just like the wood chips under his feet; just like the blood in the temple; just like the bodies of the guards and assassins; just like the ones who were injured and unconscious. The sweet fragrance that once permeated the atmosphere here did not exist anymore. Still, his appearance was as if he hadn't been subject to an assassination attempt, one that had been planned by the enemy for years, almost as if they were indeed having that flower observation event they all enjoyed once every three years.

Someone began cleaning up the mess in the temple. There were many elites in the palace, all gathered up on the top floor. Their numbers were enough to believe they'd make the entire place collapse. The guards that were in charge of the Emperor's safety looked incredibly pale. And the eunuchs, including Eunuch Dai, were trembling. They did not know if the Emperor's suffering of an assassination attempt would have a bearing on their own fate in his service. Would these events change their course in life? Or would their lives be ended after all was said and done?

The crown prince had managed to bring himself up, tears running from his eyes. He and the eldest prince were both on their knees before the emperor, saying, "We are so useless! We made our father afraid!"

The eldest prince spoke these words gravely. He had killed countless enemies in the west, but he did not expect that when an assassin came here to attack, he could barely react. And toward Fan Xian, a person he never looked kindly upon, he displayed tremendous prowess in battle with the speed and agility he had rarely seen.

"He was 9th rank; no ordinary fellow. You are the Emperor's son, and to be unable to react in the face of such adversity is normal." The Emperor did not seem to lay blame upon his sons, though looked towards the ninth-rank assassin that was killed by Eunuch Hong's subordinate. He then looked at the broken chalice that was stepped upon by the crown prince, and his eyebrows furrowed a little.

He gently hugged the third prince, who was still in shock. His eyes turned back to gaze upon the chrysanthemums that paved the land below. On the hillside, he was able to see some further movement as the leaves were rustled.

"Let me go," said Eunuch Hong modestly as he stood behind the Emperor. He didn't think he should remain by the Emperor's side after the assassination attempt. "Fan Xian has been sick lately; let me go tend to him."

The medicine bag that Fan Xian threw upon the floor before he left was eye-catching. The toxic smoke was all over the temple, and there must have been someone who had inadvertently breathed it in. He had left for them an antidote. Seeing the bag lying there on the floor, the Emperor thought that that kid was truly attentive. A guilty look entered the Emperor's eyes as he thought of this. And now he recalled that Fan Xian had been suffering from some sickness recently. Eunuch Hong had been to visit Fan Xian to confirm the sickness he had, and it was troublesome.

His fingertips lightly tapped the rails of the Floating Temple. It made some noise. Down below, Fan Jing, who had been behind all the nobles this entire time, felt the gentle reverberations and looked up.

"You don't have to go." The Emperor coldly said to Eunuch Hong. "I can send someone else."

After that sentence was spoken, strange noises could be heard from the col below the Floating Temple. A few more shadows appeared from the darkened alcoves, bearing longswords. They followed along the dangerous gap of the mountain and ran into the fields of chrysanthemums. Not long after, they went past the palace guards that had already started moving in the same direction in an attempt to intercept. They were chasing the trails of three people.

Before this temple lay a ravine, and its inclines were steep.

Fan Xian was running across the ravine and through the flower fields that decorated them. He reached out his hand to pick up a branch that was directly in front of him. Smelling the flowers that had been crushed, he breathed in a pleasant smell. It was as if he had just taken opium. The zhenqi in his body was coursing and channeling through him quickly, and the scent aided his recovery of energy and power. His legs were as if they possessed their own pair of eyes as he raced across the stones with dazzling accuracy like a rampaging dragon. With unbelievable speed, he ran down the mountain.

When it came to jumping cliffs, none in this world but Uncle Wu Zhu was faster. Besides, after fighting with the white-clothed swordsmen, the zhenqi inside him had increased by a lot from the shock and adrenaline. With the power he had, and the mental fortitude he possessed, he thought he had reached his zenith. The injuries he had incurred were nothing.

There was a white shadow in front of him that was about a dozen metres ahead. It showed him the way, appearing and disappearing every now and then. The way it moved was with exquisite grace, like flowers petals in the breeze. It softly guided his feet, with each step having a gentler landing; all without the sacrifice of speed. But still, it could not escape Fan Xian's greater pace - one that was given the benefit of gravity.

The distance that separated them was closing.

The palace guards behind Fan Xian, who were still searching, had no idea of how far he had gone and how behind they truly were. Master Ye Zhong, of renown reputation for being trained in the ways of Zhong, was left following at a great distance.

The tea was still not cold, and both of them had arrived at the foot of the mountain, one after the other. Fan Xian could see the flag of the Royal Guards from afar, and it brought some ease to his mind. But he found out that the white-clothed swordsman had turned around, changing the direction Fan Xian was initially following. He went to the edge of the woodland on the foot of the mountain, heading west. They had now reached flat ground, and the speed Fan Xian possessed was not as good as the man in white. But, the white-clothed swordsman had been punched by Ye Zhong, and that provided him an advantage. Without the culprit's ability to go full speed, Fan Xian was able to follow him.

But seeing the direction that the opponent chose, Fan Xian felt a chill grasp his heart.

It was difficult to have contact between the top of the mountain and the base of it. The news about the assassination attempt of the Emperor had finally been sent out. The Royal Guards that were at the foot of the mountain were afraid that it was impossible for them to do anything. The white swordsman had selected a way that would make it the most difficult for the guardsmen to get to. It was a wild woodland area; it may not have been the largest, but its canopy and tangled underbrush would provide an effective place for the white-clothed assassin to hide.

Fan Xian was quietly chasing him, hoping that the Royal Guard would not fail in their task because of the mismanagement of the palace and their neglect to cover the forest.

But what made him happy was that outside the woodland area, there was much protection as well. The white-clothed swordsman made a sharp turn at a great speed, barrelling down at a 2 o'clock direction.

Fan Xian was following closely.

The white-clothed swordsman turned around once more.

Fan Xian was following intently.

After a few quick turns and realignments, the white-clothed swordsman managed to maintain his speed and keep a distance from the Royal Guards, but Fan Xian could not spare the energy to call out for aid. A strange noise pierced the air. The white-clothed swordsman appeared to have received a second wind, as he sped up and ran towards the direction of a lake.

…

Fan Xian gritted his teeth, rushing as fast as he could. And then, he took notice of something quite frightening.

The assassin that he had been following had already passed the gathering of Royal Guards.

The field in front of him was empty, without a single guard there. Fan Xian's heart was shaking, unable to fathom how the white-clothed swordsman had managed to elude the gaze of all the Royal Guards. Aside from the fact that the both of them were traveling at great speed, the only other explanation could be that this swordsman was well-versed in, well-understanding of, and incredibly familiar with the Qing Kingdom's government, its military, and the inner workings. It was a scary prospect to think of.

Fan Xian thought of Gong Dian, who hadn't appeared at the Floating Temple today. A chill ran down his spine at the thought of this, but he told himself that this was not the time to contemplate such conspiracies. Ye Zhong was too heavy, and the guards were too slow - there was no one around to slow the culprit's pace. If he let this assassin disappear right before him, he knew he would have a grave amount of trouble headed his way.

He could not return; he could only give chase. This was his only option.

When it came to his tracking skills, Fan Xian was confident in his dexterity in that regard. Especially when he was in the north of the river alongside a few Tiger Guards. He was able to chase Xiao En, who was well-known around the world. He did not believe that, aside from the four grandmasters, someone was capable of evading him wholly.

But today, many unexpected events had transpired, and his heart had experienced a chilling feeling. First, the culprit was able to bypass the Royal Guards' lockdown with ease, and then, this felon had managed to display a surprising proficiency in eluding Fan Xian's grasp. From the foot of the mountain to the lake, he went beyond it and cut through the fields and farms. The white-clothed swordsman had managed to disappear from his vision quite a few times, and if it wasn't for his incredible vision - and a modicum of luck - he feared that the assassin would have escaped quite some time ago.

The white-clothed swordsman was calm the entire time. It was as if it was a natural ability of his to hide, and it was something that Fan Xian quite admired. He had contact with the Overwatch Council ever since he was small, so he was well aware of how many years and how much training one would need to become as precise as the assassin was.

Fan Xian noticed that the method he used to erase the trail as he went was remarkable, and obviously the work of a professional. It was a gloomy thing to behold, and one that was frighteningly familiar. His mind jumped to the thought that this person was extremely comfortable of being in the dark. The white clothes that the swordsman wore did not match his traits.

Fan Xian thought that this must be the real side of the white-clothed assassin. He was calm, composed, decisive, and wholly evil. These were the best attributes a person could possess.

That slash of the sword in the Floating Temple, although it was powerful and bright, Fan Xian thought it was not as shocking as the dark perception his fleeing enemy was revealing right now. The true strength of this person was now on display, and he was only afraid that it was greater than Xiao En himself. It may have even been greater than his own power.

Fan Xian's heart was growing more anxious and afraid with each passing second. When he was in the temple, he knew that he was being too impetuous and too excited. Right now, he was calm, reviewing the strength this opponent had displayed there. If it wasn't for Ye Zhong injuring him, perhaps the only thing Fan Xian would have had to do was stop and stay as far away from the white-clothed man as possible.

…

Both of them were in clear view of the city and its high walls. The momentum was intimidating, and a whooshing sound was heard, the white-clothed assassin's movement somewhat lagging in finesse. He discarded his long white clothing with one hand, and it revealed plain clothing; the type an average civilian might wear.

The white clothing hit the soil, and a second later, the tip of Fan Xian's foot landed on them, and he sprinted forward like the wind.

Fan Xian saw that this assassin was already so far away, and he was disguised as a civilian. His feelings toward him were ones of adoration right now. He was unlike any other assassin he had ever seen, one who could avoid populated areas like the plague and instead head out into the wild. It was almost as if he desired to hand himself in, entering the city so brazenly. There were a dozen thousand people in the city, and if he went into the crowds, his identity would blend in with the others to conceal himself in plain sight. Even if the Overwatch Council exhausted all their assets, they may have trouble locating this man once more.

Today, the royal family had gathered up in the Floating Temple, and because of this, the security of the capital itself had slacked. The soldiers near the gate only saw a blur pass them by, and so they rubbed their eyes in bewilderment.

Fan Xian could see it clearly, of course. And now, he could see that the person of his pursuit had already blended in with a crowd of people. Fan Xian was not afraid of shocking anyone, and so he ran through the gate.

No one stopped him from entering, so he was still able to follow the assassin loosely. The capital had a complicated landscape, and it proved to be a tough task for the shadow assassin's abilities. Fan Xian used everything at his disposal in a bid to not lose sight of the shadowman he was in pursuit of. Luckily, his state of mind was excellent, and so his own speed had not yet waned.

One was quietly hunting, and one was anti-tracking. It was happening within the narrow alleys that coursed between the residential areas of the capital. The danger may not have been as much as last time in the northern river side, but the tension was nearly suffocating.

In the corner of the buildings, a shadow fluttered at the end of a street. He used his cloth shoes to lightly skate across the floor, passing by a lively marketplace in a flash. The shadow knocked down a merchant who was selling candied fruit. Because of this hit, Fan Xian was able to see that the assassin was badly injured. It looked as if he was unable to hold on much longer or control his body.

…

A dead-end appeared in front of them. After the sound of gasping and an extra run, Fan Xian had finally cornered the person at the back of an alley. Following their arduous trek, they had both exhausted much of their energy. Fan Xian's own face was quite pale, the only color being in his reddened cheeks. His eyes, however, were shining bright. This was the show of the zhenqi in his body that had charged to reach maximum capacity.

The assassin at the end of the alley looked worse. He was in poor shape. The white clothes were long gone, and from the ordinary clothing he now wore, blood seeped through the fabric.

The assassin turned around to reveal a face Fan Xian was totally unfamiliar with. This face was pale as well, as if he had not seen the sunlight in a very long time. He did not know if this was part of his disguise, however. He used a hoarse voice to speak to Fan Xian, who was roughly ten steps away.

"Master Fan, are you not yet tired?"

Fan Xian was surprised, and he quietly said, "I never expected you to run this far."

The assassin smiled, and he gently used his hands to reach into his clothes and bring out a cold-looking, ancient sword. As he handled this sword, his temperament completely changed. He had changed from a dark assassin fleeing for his life to an arrogant swordsman.

"I never planned to kill you."

Fan Xian did not say anything in response. He knew that if his opponent had not gotten injured, he would have said something far more ruthless. He felt the chill of his blade from the other end of the alley. Fan Xian gently laid his finger on the trigger of his crossbow, prepared himself to grab the dagger concealed in his boots and readied to throw a vial of the toxic smoke he was quite proficient at using… but when he reached for the dagger it was not there, the toxic smoke had depleted, and the crossbow was gone.

"You are naked." The nameless assassin coldly mocked. "You only had three bolts, one dagger and fourteen smoke bombs. And now? Now you are bare."

Fan Xian slowly looked down to the ground and his face grew dark. He knew he was running into the city bare. The three weapons he cherished and used frequently were now not there to aid him. With those weapons, he would be willing to take on Haitang in a fair fight. But to now face this person without his brilliant weaponry, what could he do? He was hoping that the injury inflicted upon his foe would hinder his abilities and that perhaps Wu Zhu would arrive a little faster.

The zhenqi in his body had reached maximum capacity however, and his resolve had not weakened. The zhenqi was twirling around in his veins like countless naughty children, convincing him to unleash it on his opponent. But unexpectedly… he just took a deep breath and suppressed his desire to do battle. He looked at his enemy, stood there with no emotion save for a smile, and said, "Tell me your identity. If it satisfies me, I will cease this chase."

He had risked his life to pursue this elite fighter into the capital, only to try strike a bargain. The attempt of assassination in the Floating Temple was too strange. Gong Dian not attending to his duties today, which made for the perfect arrangement for an assassination, the appearance and disappearance of the assassin, and the knowledge of the inner-workings of the Qing Kingdom's management and arrangements, all were curious elements of this event. But these revelations were wretched facts. This assassination was not only influenced by one opposing faction, but someone from inside the Qing Kingdom's bureaucracy, who must have been in league with the enemy to be able to relay so much intel.

Fan Xian only needed to know how this entire affair had started. He wanted the facts, not petty retaliation against a certain fighter in retribution for the Emperor's humiliation. He wasn't a naive royal chancellor. He cared about the connections shared between him, his father and the Overwatch Council to the assassination, most of all.

"Do not talk about integrity." Fan Xian was still looking down to the floor. "You and I are the same. We both know that promises are meaningless. Give me the information that I need and I will let you go."

The assassin was silent, but gave a subtle gesture of hesitant agreement. But when Fan Xian thought he was going to accept this win-win solution, the assassin said, "Ah, but there is a problem. You see, I could also kill you now; and that would allow me to leave as well."

This world was truly wonderful. Fan Xian had strongly rejected the second prince's proposition for a truce, whereas everyone else thought he should have done otherwise. Now, someone was rejecting him in very much the same way.

By what? The power. (?)

…

A flash of light blazed out from the assassin's sword, brightly illuminating the alley. The leaves on the floor were picked up and carried between the two opponents by the twirling atmosphere brought on by the power of the sword. The leaves accompanied the rise of the ancient sword, which was now pointed at Fan Xian.

Just like on top of the Floating Temple, the zhenqi in Fan Xian was difficult to keep suppressed and it clotted in his palm. As if he desired to tear the skies apart, he raised his palm and aimed it towards the foe's face. He unleashed a powerful and condensed gust of wind without batting an eyelid to the longsword that was now bearing down on him.

The wind from the palm was so strong that the swordsman's hair was blown backwards, the back of his head resembling a shrubbery of thorns.

Fan Xian was not as proficient in the arts of combat as his opponent, so he had to risk his life to make a single move. He knew that the more powerful the assassin was, the prouder and protective of their life they were. For this, he knew that his opponent would believe himself capable of killing Fan Xian with relative ease and was not choosing to risk his life by attacking.

The swordsman, as he anticipated, guided his sword toward Fan Xian's hand. Then, with unbelievable speed, Fan Xian withdrew his hand and his palm split into two shadows which fisted the enemy's temple. The fist was quick and relatively simple, but it was insanely powerful.

At this moment, the assassin he was battling with did something Fan Xian could never have predicted.

The swordsman rescinded his artistry with the blade, and opted to discard it.

The longsword disconnected from his hand and went flying towards Fan Xian's throat. The assassin's body shrunk strangely, as he managed to evade the stream of fistwind Fan Xian had cast. He then put his hand into his left shoe.

He pulled out a matte-looking dagger.

…

Fan Xian groaned and pulled back his fist and staggered backwards. He used his zhenqi to punch the soul-harvesting sword away. The ancient sword flew backwards like an arrow in the opposite direction and…

Ding!

It powered right through and stuck into the back wall of the alley as straight as its initial flight.

The most shocking thing was that the opponent had pulled out a dagger from his shoes and was attempting to stab Fan Xian at the same time. Fan Xian was all too familiar with this move.

When the swordsman had his ancient sword in hand, he fought fairly with a clear moveset. For all accounts and purposes, the attacks were honorable. So, Fan Xian used his zhenqi to do battle with him. But when the sword had left the assassin's hand, all honor was gone, and he became a writhing shadow in the autumn wind. His hand was holding a sharp dagger, and it was on its way to strike.

While this situation unfolded in a mere moment, Fan Xian barely had the time or ability to react. His left arm was cut.

All of a sudden, the two black shadows in the alley were tangled in one another. The closed-quarters combat was strange to behold. Despite the movements, there were no sounds to be heard, and it was a spooky sight. It was insidious. In this small area, both of their movements escalated in speed as time went by during the fight. Their arms were thrown against each, and legs were kicking. They fought towards a corner and even climbed against walls in evasion of each other's strikes. The sounds of punches were repeatedly heard, and it was scary.

If Fan Xian hadn't been trained by Wu Zhu when he was younger, or if he didn't receive training from the Overwatch Council for years, he feared that the dagger his foe wielded would have left numerous holes in his body by now. Even if he dodged at a faster rate, the soul-taking dagger was still unfathomably quick, and his body had been nicked more than a few times.

The opponent must have known a lot about the Overwatch Council's uniform. All of his attacks were aimed at the areas which had the least protection.

What shocked Fan Xian the most was the opponent's ability to gauge his next move every single time. With this foresight, he was able to deflect or evade every attack Fan Xian attempted. Every time he tried to do something, it was guessed and subsequently eluded. Whenever he spied an opening, however, Fan Xian would follow it up with the attempt of a cheap shot; like the twisting of his enemy's pinkie; the poking of the eyes; the squeezing of the testicles; and the use of his elbows. All these shameless and dirty moves were still all useless though.

A great light suddenly shone from within Fan Xian's eyes. The end of the dagger was tied, and it reminded him of Wu Zhu's staff. He recalled a few words that were once spoken to him. "Straight, cruel and accurate."

The reason Fan Xian was remembering these things whilst at the risk of dying is because he remembered his own fierce skill, the "Coffin Breaker". And in the tip of his shoes, he had a concealed blade.

When Fan Xian's hand loosened, the zhenqi in his body erupted. The sleeves of the Overwatch Council's uniform he wore were torn to shreds, and his right hand shook violently – tempered by the raging zhenqi. The entire scene was reminiscent of Ye Liuyun's style, the man from the Danzhou coast. A slapping sound clapped the air.

The assassin, who was like a phantom near his left arm, felt an overwhelming force targeting his face. Fan Xian's hand was wide, his fingers wide apart like dead branches.

The assassin felt an ache in his chest, and the force sent him flying. He used the tips of his feet to step on Fan Xian's shoe, which hid a blade and then jumped away.

Fan Xian made a noise. He held his left arm, which had sustained a knife wound. Facing this wretched opponent, only now did he notice that he too was bleeding. Seeing this, his confidence to fight him increased.

But Wu Zhu had yet to arrive.

The assassin raised his elbow and placed a grey dagger directly in front of Fan Xian's eye and with a weary, breaking voice said, "I learnt this move from you."

Fan Xian's face turned dim. Feeling his own energy begin to sap from his exposed wound, he coldly replied, "You are welcome."

He hadn't been given enough time to recover, and it was quite apparent that his opponent was able to withstand his wound more than Fan Xian could. Faced with this, Fan Xian did not say another word. He used his fingertips to raise himself up the walls of the alley and as he climbed, he kicked down a few bricks. He then propelled himself through the air like a tiger, pouncing forward.

The assassin took a step back and then leaped, trying to deliver the dagger into Fan Xian's temple.

Fan Xian's body was sluggish, and his power turned from cruel to soft. His whole body then spun 180 degrees to bypass the dagger that was heading towards him. In between his right hand, two fingers shone, and they sneakily extended past his neck. In that moment, he was putting a poisonous needle inside the opponent's hand holding onto the dagger.

What he did not expect, was for the dagger being wielded by the assassin to be an illusion. When the poisonous needle reached its destination, the hand had already been pulled back three inches. When the poisonous needle poked the dagger, the needle was too short and weak to do much of anything.

Then, the assassin used his knee to kick Fan Xian's back. This pain made Fan Xian turn around, and when he did, he saw the image of the poisonous dagger bearing down towards his chest.

Seeing this dagger, he lost all hope. He did not think his opponent could be so well-prepared. He even expected Fan Xian to prepare three poisonous needles for his final attack.

And Wu Zhu was still gone.

Then, his waist felt heavy. His sigh turned to a scream.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

Between this life-or-death moment, he gathered the greatest of the strength in his body into the snowy mountain that was his back. He channelled his zhenqi into his arms and brought them up to press both sides of the dagger.

When the dagger scraped against his palms, a horrible squeaky sound pierced the air. It was like burning steel roughly carving someone's foot.

The distance between them was so close, so much so that he could see the pleased smile hidden in the eyes of his opponent.

There is this thing called "misfortune," and it happened instantaneously. Fan Xian had reached the most critical point of the battle, and the biggest hidden sickness in his body was now unleashed. That is why he released his death scream.

The wild zhenqi was like uncontrollable children, or ferocious and untameable beasts. For what seemed like no reason, it leapt about his veins without stability. The zhenqi gathered up his snowy mountain, as if it were following the events of the fight, and it now reached the top.

It exploded.

In this short period of time, Fan Xian felt a surging pain like he had never experienced before. Every nerve in his body was set-off like an alarm, as if they were being torn apart, and Fan Xian was overwhelmed by soul-shattering pain. The zhenqi inside his body burst out of the veins they ought to have coursed through, and then it was gone. Its presence could no longer be felt.

The zhenqi had disappeared and his palm was now depleted of its power. Out of the silence, a quiet sound was heard. The dagger that was once unable to strike Fan Xian now did; it simply, and perhaps even ridiculously, pierced into his chest.

Fan Xian dropped his arms and as if he could not believe it, watched in bewilderment as a dagger embedded itself in his chest. As it thrust through, all he could now see was a handle.

Even the elite assassin seemed surprise. He just looked at the dagger sticking out of Fan Xian's chest and didn't do anything else.

A while later, the pain reached Fan Xian's brain. And now he realised it was a truly deep strike. He was afraid that his life was to be lost, in the blink of an eye, in a shade-wrapped alley of this other world.

It wasn't fair. There were still many things he had yet to do. He had not conceived a child; Dream of the Red Chamber had not received its 78th chapter; he still hadn't been to the palace treasury to look at Ye Qingmei's work; he still hadn't taken a peep at the Holy Temple; and he still hadn't stood in the palace to inform people of his true identity.

But the greatest thought on his mind took the form of a question: Why had the blind guy not arrived yet?

"That was unexpected."

Surprisingly, the person who said this, aside from Fan Xian, who was thinking about Zhou Xingxing in his past life before his death, was the assassin in front of him, the difference was; Fan Xian said it because it was unfair, and the assassin said it because he did not mean to do that.

The assassin finally let go of his hand which clutched the dagger. Fan Xian's legs went limp, and he dropped to the ground.

The most elite Tiger Guards of the Emperor finally arrived in the alley. They could not arrive in time to join the fight. They saw a person who looked like an ordinary civilian let go of a dagger which was inside Fan Xian, then turn into a black shadow and disappear behind the back wall of the alley.

And Fan Xian, who had been described as really powerful by the Tiger Guards, was like a man who had become inebriated and had then passed out on the floor of the alley.

"Go after him!" One Tiger Guard called out.

"Split into two groups and save the wounded first!"

The leader of the Tiger Guard, Gao Da, possessed a murderous look that was drowned in depression. He kneeled near Fan Xian, and seeing this young officer who had brought him along when he was an ambassador for the north, his heart was overtaken by nerves and worry.

A while later, a voice sounded in the alley.

"I won't die." Fan Xian lay gasping in Gao Da's arms. Seeing his chest drenched in red, he said, "He did not strike deep enough. But quickly, I implore that you find me a royal doctor. Also, go to the manor and ask my sister to bring along my antidote pills. And please ask the Emperor to bring Fei Jie back to the palace. My life is important."

After he said this, Fan Xian's eyes closed and he fell unconscious. Before he fainted, though, he caught sight of a blurry light. He saw the wall the assassin had managed to jump over. This strange scene that he saw following his injury, made him guess the true identity of the assassin. But it was just too complicated and too scary, scary enough for him to remain unconscious than think about.

Chapter 307: The Injured in the Palace

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The curtain in the carriage wailed in the wind that was blowing, parting to reveal the green fields the carriage trotted by. Combined with the long rocky road, it was a timeless picture flick playing, rewinding and playing again.

In the corner of this picture, there was a black cloth that waved on. It turned into a black light that consumed the entire image.

The picture became bright, and the light revealed a scene of familiar flowers. When the petals unfurled, they opened to reveal Danzhou's cliffsides. A rough but warm hand reached down and picked one up.

The flowers on the rooftop of the residence were dried up by the forces of the sun and seawind. It also flavoured the tea leaves that they poured water on. The tea leaves and dried flowers twirled in the water, which darkened into a deep gold and amber color. Another hand reached out to pick the cup up and bring it to a pair of lips.

"Master, drink this new cup of tea that was crafted by Sisi. This was the first time she entered this place." Dong'er, who he had not seen in a long time, was bearing a warm smile.

I am not sure why she isn't being a beautiful tofu-merchant today.

I shake my head and take the tea and set it down on another surface. I see Wan'er sitting down beside me, nibbling on a chicken drumstick. Thinking that it is a strange sight, I say, "That is so oily. How can you eat this? Drink some tea and clear your throat."

Wan'er did not respond. Instead, my sister who was also present began laughing. The worry that perpetuated her eyebrows had disappeared, and it made me pleased to see her.

Wu Zhu, who had a black cloth upon his face coldly said, "You should go."

"Where?" I asked.

"Go see the lady."

"Good." I did not have any objection, and with excitement, I stood up. I walked to the bedside and picked up the luggage that was on it. There was… a black box. I was unsure why, but the box was extremely heavy. Despite trying my hardest to pick it up, I couldn't. Instead, I just made myself all sweaty.

…

…

Sweat rolled down Fan Xian's forehead, in his state of blurred consciousness. It dropped onto the pillow. He was drowsy and and his eyelids were only partially open. As if his mind was not all there, he stared at the painting on the ceiling. He knew that he was in a strange room that he had not been in before. Feeling chilled by this revelation, he spoke.

"Is it… over again?"

If dying meant he would have go through all this once again, he would have preferred to remain dead. To go through that world, tirelessly working to improve and survive against the odds that were put against him felt pointless. So much emotion had been spent, and he did not want to let go. And to remember it when he left.

Fan Xian's vision was scattered and strained, but after a while, it adjusted to the light of the room. He was like a baby, learning how to focus. He was finally able to see who was next to him, clearly. Wan'er's eyes were swollen and looked to have been burnt out by tears. Pulling the corner of the bedsheets, Fan Xian bit his teeth and did not say anything. It looked like he was still alive, and still in the world that contained the Qing Kingdom. He was just unaware of where he was lying in, exactly.

He found it difficult to lower his head. He felt a great pain in his chest and he knew that the wound he had sustained had not mended yet. There were several Eunuchs around the room who looked kind and thoughtful. They did, however, look frightened as well; as if they were searching for something. They were so busy and sad. At the door, a group of old men had gathered. They wore the clothing of the royal doctors, and they were talking to a middle-aged man in a solemn way.

"Emperor, there is nothing we can do."

The middle-aged man angrily responded, "If you cannot save him, then you die with him!"

Fan Xian was still hovering above a plane of consciousness, viewing this scene. He felt compelled to laugh, but the corners of his lips could not react to the commands of his mind.

His heart thought that this was a familiar sentence. The Emperor would only become made when Fan Xian was dying. He didn't seem to be a very kind person. When contemplating the scene, however, he had hoped that it was his father in the Emperor's stead.

He wanted to reach out his hand and touch Wan'er's, but he lacked the strength to even do that. His entire body was in pain, and all strength had been exhausted. He forced himself to focus and use his mind, but his brain began to buzz, and he passed out again.

While Fan Xian still had the time to play tricks on the Emperor and comfort his wife, the entire city was in chaos.

The Emperor was almost assassinated.

This was an event that could not be hidden from the rest of the world, and it showed. By dusk, everyone was talking about it. But the Emperor had emerged unscathed, and this brought relief and comfort to the worried populace. Not long later, word had spread of the Overwatch's Council's commissioner, Fan Xian, who bravely defended the Emperor through the strength of his loyalty. He prevented the would-be kingslayers from killing the Emperor. And despite a sickness that plagued him, he exerted all the strength he had in chasing the assassin all the way back into the capital on foot. Overwhelmed with fatigue, he was injured by the enemy and collapsed. No one knew whether or not he would survive.

Fan Xian's reputation in the Qing Kingdom had always been good, so when this news was heard, many civilians delivered food to show the sincerity of their worry. Long queues of people had lined up near the temples, so each person could light a lantern and offer a prayer for his ability to pull through.

In the southern streets, the Fan Manor lit no lantern, and darkness veiled it. With bated breath, the people waited for further news with great fervor. After Fan Xian was injured, the Tiger Guard brought him to the palace. After the Emperor returned to the capital, he kept the heavily wounded Fan Xian there and had the royal doctors tend to him for every hour of the day. In regards to how the Emperor responded, the Fan Manor believed his behavior reasonable. Fan Xian's wife and sister had stayed there to be with him, but no news was yet to be heard. The rumors spoke of how he had suffered a severe stab wound, and whether or not the doctors could fix him was still up in the air.

Beyond the expectations of all, the Ministry of Personnel's Minister Fan Jing did not enter the palace. He had simply remained in his study room with a dim face. No one could surmise what thoughts occupied his mind.

When something big like this occurred, Chen Pingping would not remain where he was to watch pretty girls dance. He made a hasty return in his wheelchair to the Overwatch Council and immediately began the investigation into the assassination. They took custody of the young eunuch who was captured, and the body of the ninth-ranked elite.

King Jing went to the palace, while Princess Roujia remained crying in her bedroom.

Swathes of women must have been crying across the capital this night.

…

…

The second prince closed his manor's doors tight. He forbid anyone from trying to obtain information. He knew that his situation was quite precarious right now, for this had been an eventful autumn. All these inappropriate actions could very well bring him disaster.

The eldest prince was guarding outside the Guang Xin palace where Fan Xian resided, being mended. He walked back and forth ceaselessly.

Yi Gui Pin was leading the third prince, and stood in front of the Guang Xin palace. Today, Fan Xian had saved the third prince's life. It was not due to the relation Yi Gui Pin shared with the Fan Manor. As a woman in the palace, she knew what the Emperor was experiencing after this event and how she should behave in his presence.

The Empress did not come. The prince of the eastern palace came to the Guang Xin palace, pretending that he cared, to comfort Wan'er and Ruoruo a little. Before he returned to the eastern palace, he also asked that the Emperor tend to himself.

It was whispered that the Empress Dowager also learned of what happened, but that she only sent Eunuch Hong to take a look. As an old woman, however, she used incense sticks in the Han Guang palace to pray.

For the news that Fan Xian was heavily injured and had almost been killed, it made everyone in the Qing Kingdom display a reaction most true. It may have looked rather ridiculous, but it was kind of cute.

…

…

Guang Xin palace was where the eldest princess once lived. It was also the first place Fan Xian had received the privilege of staying during the nighttime. He had never slept in the palace before, and this is why he was confused and did not know where he was when he woke up.

Although Fan Xian was heavily injured in service of the Emperor, allowing a chancellor to remain in the palace and be tended to by royal doctors was not a very appropriate thing to be done. It was fortunate that he still possessed the identity of the eldest princess' son-in-law.

The doors of the Guang Xin palace creaked open. The Emperor had a stern look on his face as he walked through. He looked towards Fan Ruoruo, who was still crying, and his eyebrows drooped into tired depression. Eunuch Yao, with a shaky voice, said, "My Lord, you should rest. Fan Xian has these royal doctors to take care of him; he will be fine."

The Emperor's eyes flashed coldly. He replied, "Pah! They are but useless!"

"My Lord, I want to take a look." Fan Ruoruo tried to keep her mind composed, and she bowed before the Emperor. "But… the royal doctor will not let me inside."

"Hm?" The Emperor furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Why?" He noticed that by this lady's foot rested an ordinary-looking box.

Fan Ruoruo bit her lips and said, "My big brother hasn't woken up. But the Tiger Guards had me bring some antidotes that he himself always used. Before he slipped into his coma, I can only suppose he would have known and accepted their usage. I just don't think the doctors are willing to believe my words."

The Emperor was standing on the staircase in silence. The royal doctors had their own programme to follow in the tending of the wounded. For them to refuse Fan Ruoruo's medicine was nothing out of the ordinary, but the Emperor right now was different from those in the past. He now seemed to realize that out of all the sons he had, it was the one inside that room that impressed him the most. It was he who selflessly thrust himself into this position in a bid to secure the Emperor's safety.

In the floating temple, within those desperate moments, if Fan Xian had not elected to save the Emperor, he would undoubtedly continue to give him the cold shoulder. But because of this act, perhaps this was Fan Xian finally being given the opportunity to prove his loyalty to the Emperor. And being an Emperor meant you always had to doubt the faith and service of others.

The problem was, Fan Xian chose to save the third prince first.

If they wanted to investigate this deeply, the Imperial Censorate could use this minor detail to impeach Fan Xian for neglecting to prioritise the safety of the Emperor first and foremost. On behalf of the Emperor himself, and how he viewed the situation, he was not like the rest. He could see from this initial act that beyond his strong facade, Fan Xian possessed a kind and compassionate heart within. Just like that woman, back in the day.

The funny thing was, at that moment, Fan Xian did not think of things the way the Emperor was believing them to be. The Emperor did not know the real truth.

When he learnt that Fan Xian was heavily injured and had almost died, that of his, one that had not been moved for several years began to vibrate with emotion once more. He even started to doubt whether or not he had oppressed Fan Xian too much in recent times. Doubting himself, he found himself feeling an un unreasonable jealousy towards Fan Jing. It was an envy he could not allow anyone else to know of. Such a smart and excellent young man.

How could it be his son, he would ask himself.

To judge his own sons, the eldest one was too straight. The second son was too fake and the third was too small. And in regards to the crown prince? The Emperor laughed coldly in his heart, thinking if that little bastard was aware that the Emperor saw him step on the wine cup deliberately.

And so, the Emperor chose to keep Fan Xian in the palace. First and foremost, he wanted to save Fan Xian's life, yes, but it was spurred by the negative emotions he mulled in his mind - and his envy. Fan Jing, who grew up with him, perhaps he knew his heart really well. So, when his own son was heavily injured, he did not enter the palace. He just quietly stayed in the Fan Manor's study room.

The Emperor ordered one of the royal doctors to exit the room. The doctor, with a bitter face, said, "My Lord, the bleeding on the outside has stopped, but the knife has punctured Mister Fan's organs."

The Emperor lifted his open, agape jaw, and introduced Fan Ruoruo. He said, "Why don't you allow Miss Fan to enter?"

The royal doctor was still firm in his resolve to defend his stature and routine. He frowned and responded, "I do not know what the ingredients of those pills are, and the assassin's sword was coated with a poison. A poison that I cannot analyze and whose origins I thus cannot determine! I could not allow the patient to accept this medication blindly. I am afraid…"

"Afraid, my ass." King Jing, who was sitting on a chair below the steps, was now running up them. There was a noise.

Pah!

He slapped the royal doctor's cheek and yelled, "I have given you two hours! Even if you cannot save him, at least wake the boy up. With his medical skills, he could fix himself. He's better than you wretched old men."

The royal doctor had just been slapped. He was feeling dizzy, humiliated and angry. Of course, there was nothing he could say in retaliation. The Emperor desired to tell off King Jing's inappropriate behavior, but hearing these few words, his heart jumped to believe that perhaps his actions were reasonable. Fei Jie was not in the capital anymore. Besides him, no one was better than Fan Xian when it came to the elimination of toxins and poison. He furrowed his eyebrows and said, "I do not care what it takes, just find a way to wake Fan Xian up."

After he said this, the Emperor realized Fan Xian was a total genius. If he wasn't worrying for the safety of the Emperor and the prince's inhalation of toxic smoke by throwing down the antidote bag upon the ground, he was only afraid that even if he was poisoned by the assassin's sword, things would not be so grave as they were. He thought of some of Fan Xian's other great deeds, and his heart could not help but sigh once more. He was thinking, if this kid's mother was not her… that would be tremendous.

He shook his head, and, led by the eunuchs, returned to his study room.

They got the Emperor's permission, and King Jing led Fan Ruoruo beyond that palace door. They passed by the guards and disregarded the plights of the royal doctor as they marched towards the bed.

Wan'er's eyes were red and swollen, and she did not say anything. She continued to hold Fan Xian's hand with a dull expression and looked at his pale face. It seemed as if she did not realize who had just come up from behind her.

Fan Ruoruo's viewing of this scene made her heart tremble. But her resolve was strengthened in the belief that it would take more than this to kill her brother.

"Wake him up." King Jing was no flower gardener today; he was more like a general at war. He squinted his eyes and said, "If taking these pills ends up being useless, I will remove one of your fingers!"

Fan Ruoruo acted as if she did not hear those words. She took out a few smaller wooden boxes that varied in size from the big box she brought in.

King Jing said, "Do you know which ones he should take?" He had to be cautious with the pills. After all, the royal doctors weren't stupid, and what they pleaded did make sense. If he took the wrong pill, who knew what could happen? Maybe Fan Xian, who was barely alive, would die right away.

Fan Ruoruo nodded and calmly removed light yellow pills from one box. The pills emitted an extremely spicy fragrance.

She passed the pills to her sister-in-law. Both of the women were smart, and when Wan'er accepted the pills, she asked no questions. She put them in her mouth and began chewing. She took a sip of the warm water provided by the eunuch and diluted the medicine in her mouth.

The royal doctors who were stood beside them watched the events with great curiosity, knowing that the two brave ladies were preparing to give the medicine. There was nothing they could do to halt it, so one of them approached Fan Xian and used a wooden tool to open Fan Xian's mouth.

Wan'er lowered her head above Fan Xian and fed him the medicine.

King Jing, who was quietly watching the whole time, reached out his hand and padded Fan Xian's chest to rub it down. When it was consumed, everyone waited nervously.

A while later, Fan Xian's long eyelashes quivered. Although the eyelids were heavy and visibly tired, they at long last opened.

…

…

"Master Fan woke up!!!"

Several eunuchs sprung to action and began shouting, running back into the palace to inform the Emperor. The interior and exterior of the palace quickly livened up.

After Fan Xian was injured, the first thing he thought of after waking up was that a lot of people must be disappointed.

Then, he took notice of many familiar faces gathered around him. They each wore an expression that suggested nervousness, happiness and shock all combined in one. He softly said, "Pillow."

Wan'er held her fist and kept her lips shut. She appeared too nervous to say anything. She grabbed the pillow beneath her neck, knowing that Fan Xian would like to see his wound, and so she grabbed another one to help elevate his neck higher.

Ruoruo already brought a bright candle closer, to illuminate the wound on his chest.

Fan Xian closed his eyes and let the spicy medicine do its work and course throughout his body to restore the energy that had escaped him for this entire bed-ridden duration. He then slowly opened his eyes and took a look at his chest.

The wound was not too deep, and its location was a little low. It looked like it had struck his chest, but it was just a little above the stomach. The royal doctors had done a fine job in its treating and dressing; Fan Xian had no qualm with their work on the exterior.

But he knew that on his stomach, there would be a stab wound that was slowly bleeding. The zhenqi inside him had depleted, and so he could not use it to heal himself. He thought that if the internal bleeding was not treated promptly, he would not survive the night. The medical advancements in this world was not yet high enough, and for internal injuries, there was little that could be done. He could not fault the royal doctors for this.

"Wipe it." He used his limited strength to make a short command.

Fan Ruoruo did not even think twice. She took a cloth that had been boiled, to wipe off the medicine on his chest. At the sight of this, the royal doctors were all shocked.

As expected, the wound on his chest was bleeding again.

"Needle." Fan Xian softly spoke this one word. The hand that could barely be moved was holding his wife's trembling hand.

Fan Ruoruo took out a few long needles. Fan Xian's eyes looked to his side and met with King Jing. He said to him, "Tian Tu, Qi Men, Yu Fu, Guan Yuan. Puncture these locations with the needles, two inches deep."

Using the needles required zhenqi. For the people present, it seemed as if only King Jing possessed this ability. After Fan Xian woke up, he had guessed it clearly. Earlier, when King Jing rubbed his chest as he consumed the medicine, he could sense that he too possessed a powerful zhenqi, and it was one that had been practiced and honed for many years. King Jing was surprised, he never thought he would be of aid in the medical realm. He followed Fan Xian's instructions and collected the needles, placing them in the spots Fan Xian had asked him to.

The needles pierced the skin, and the bleeding stopped. The royal doctors around him were speechless and could not believe their eyes.

…

…

"The Third Bureau." Fan Xian was struggling to tell King Jing.

King Jing immediately understood. The Overwatch Council's Third Bureau was the most proficient in the formulation of poisons. He and the Emperor had been too caring, and so they had forgotten to ask them for their assistance in curing Fan Xian. So, he quickly ran out of the palace to call for the Third Bureau's leader and their officers to arrive posthaste and save Fan Xian.

Unexpectedly, the Third Bureau's people were already waiting for this call and had gathered up outside the palace. The leader had even requested entry a few times for the purpose they were now being summoned for. But tonight, the palace had been in chaos. The royal guard's leaders had been vigorously questioned by the Overwatch Council. No one had dared to inform the Emperor in the leaders' absence, and it was because of this that no one was granted access.

At this time, King Jing had replaced the Emperor and given the order. The people of the Overwatch Council were relieved, and as soon as the gates opened for them, they ran inside frantically, in the direction of the Guang Xin palace. The Third Bureau's people had brought with them many things, the clanking of metal objects accompanying their steps. Fan Xian, who was lying in bed, heard these sounds, and he compared it to the sound of jade. It was music to his ears.

The Third Bureau's leader was a student of Fei Jie, and Fan Xian's classmate as well. He got along with him really well in the Overwatch Council, and now, to see his junior friend lying poorly in bed, his face darkened. He walked up to Fan Xian and placed his fingers on his waist.

Everyone's eyes focused on him, especially the doctors'.

After a while, the Third Bureau's leader gave a firm nod. He looked at Fan Xian and said, "The pills you took were excellent, but the poison that afflicts you is from Dongyi City. Try this pill from the council."

Fan Xian's heart leapt. He followed his peer's suggestion and consumed it. It may have been placebo, but he immediately felt renewed with energy and vigor.

There were three poison-producing masters in this world. Fei Jie was one and Xiao En was the second. The third was a creep that resided in Dongyi. Out of the three of them, Fei Jie's poisons saw the most widespread use. But between them all, the methodology and ingredients used by each differed greatly. Like Xiao En for example, who used animal fat and toxic glands mostly. Fei Jie used plants and trees, something which Fan Xian followed in his own formulation of poisons. The poison that coated the assassin's dagger was extracted from poisonous rocks and minerals such as saltpeter. Their methodology in the formulation of poison differed greatly, and as such, the creation of curatives for ailments incurred by such poisons was difficult. And since this poison's usage wasn't as widespread, the Overwatch Council rarely stored large quantities of them.

Fan Xian knew that someone was using his classmate's name to send this medicine to the palace to cure him. Because his classmate was quite simple-minded, and only revelled in the research of poisons, so he never thought of this.

The poison was fading. All that was left was the internal bleeding caused by a wounded organ. The royal doctors were in great admiration of the skills the Overwatch Council possessed in the curing of these ailments, but they were still curious how the Third Bureau and Fan Xian planned to fix the wound on the inside.

"Brother, the tools that you requested the council to craft are here with me. How do I use them?" The Third Bureau's leader seemed as if he did not know how to use them, either.

Fan Xian looked at the wound in his lower chest and he gasped to say, "I need someone who is extremely brave, and someone who has steady hands."

The Third Bureau's leader frequently dealt with poisonous crops, and he had viewed many gory scenes over the years as well; needless to say, he had the courage. And as for a person who had extremely steady hands, there were many officers in the Third Bureau who were capable of filling that role.

But Fan Ruoruo bravely stood in front of the bed and said, "I will do it."