Chapter 2.10

Ling Xia watched the carriage from the imperial palace fade into the foggy distance, feeling accomplished and sleepy.

The night before, he had said good riddance to Chen Er and saved Liu Zhaofa simultaneously. By keeping him alive, he had guaranteed his own survival because Liu Zhaofa wouldn't want his just returned brother to die so quickly. By having Chen Er killed, there was one less traitor he had to deal with.

And then he went to sleep. Or at least he thought he had time to. However, he was awakened far too soon, only getting in thirty meager minutes of sleep, much to his dismay.

The reason for that servant barging into his room, as told by the servant himself, was because he didn't want to offend Yao Ze. At these words, Ling Xia instantly realized that Yao Ze had come to visit and jumped out of bed to get ready. After hastily throwing in his clothes and somehow making himself look presentable, he rushed to the entrance of the manor to greet the eunuch.

There, Yao Ze stood, alone. He stared off into the distance, the cold wind blowing through into his face with fearsome ferocity. As Ling Xia approached, Yao Ze caught sight of him, and his grave features seemed to loosen a tad.

"Eldest Young Master Liu," he called out, quickly following that greeting with more. "Marquis Liu. Third Young Master Liu."

The three moving people from all different directions converged at Yao Ze, eager to know why he was here. "His Majesty has sent me to ask after the Second Young Master's health. He worries about one of his most capable subjects. Is he well?"

"We thank His Majesty for his care. Yes, my son is healing. He is expected to fully recover by the winter solstice," Liu Cai swiftly answered with a bow, never one to forget about formalities.

Ling Xia and Liu Zhaoren followed his example, clasping their hands in front of them and bending their backs forward. "We thank His Majesty for his care."

Yao Ze smiled at the subservience displayed by the three. He didn't want to have to abandon his ally so soon, so he was glad Ling Xia had bowed.

"His Majesty has also sent me to inquire after the Eldest Young Master marriage." He faced Ling Xia, staring into his eyes. "His Majesty has heard you have not yet visited your wife's ancestral home. Are you dissatisfied with His Majesty's arrangement?"

Ling Xia got the message hidden between the words. Yao Ze was trying to change this into a private conversation. Otherwise Yao Ze would have asked everybody present because they were all technically at fault.

Ling Xia faked a sweat. His eyes darted around, never once meeting Yao Ze's until they finally fell to the ground. He wanted Yao Ze to take charge of the situation because Liu Zhaoning would never do such a thing.

"It seems this requires a more direct approach. Marquis Liu, if you would please allow me to converse with your son behind closed doors. I have reason to believe that he has traitorous intentions."

From the corner of his eye, Ling Xia caught the blatant unwillingness on Liu Cai's face, but what could he do? The emperor's will was law, and Yao Ze represented the emperor. Liu Cai could only show that he would remember this transgression in the future on his face and hope it would scare the eunuch away.

They stood at a deadlock like this for a few moments, and both refused to back down. Finally, Liu Cai relented, as was predetermined, and allowed Yao Ze to do as he wished. "Of course." A tight smile played on his lips for the entire walk into the manor, and as he opened the door into the room he would be leaving Yao Ze and Ling Xia in, a menacing glare transformed his face for just a second before it vanished into the cold, weathered exterior he always wore.

The door slid closed and the lock fell on the outside, and suddenly Ling Xia and Yao Ze were alone in the dark room. Yao Ze had asked for a private room, and he had gotten a private room. The whole place screamed creepy and eerie. Cobwebs littered the corners, and suspicious squeaking sounds echoed through the room. Even Ling Xia, with Liu Zhaoning's extensive memories of the manor, wondered when such a room existed and why it was unused for so long.

While they groped around for a candle to somewhat brighten the room, they talked. "Have you learned anything?" Yao Ze asked.

"Feng Lian is spying for the emperor. He may be reporting our every move to him." Ling Xia felt something blocking his movements on a flat surface, and he wrapped his hand around it. It was a cylindrical object with a little tip at the top, and Ling Xia's expression lit up. A candle.

He lit it quickly, letting the light bounce off all the objects inside. There weren't many though. The room was sparsely furnished, much like the medical tent on the hunting grounds. There was one table and two chairs in the middle and nothing else.

Cold, dark, empty, just like an interrogation room, Ling Xia noted.

"Is he worth any worry?" Yao Ze continued, this time his voice lowered. His words sounded more like breaths than sounds produced from Yao Ze's throat, and the way the dust that had settled on the table flew into the air as he sat down proved it.

Ling Xia chuckled. "Yes, but perhaps not that much. His awareness of this room's existence is questionable." He took a seat as well, finding the chair to be uncomfortably cold. Yeah, definitely an interrogation room. He supposed it would have been used in the past dynasty, when the Lius were a powerful military-oriented family and were actually trusted by the imperial family.

"Do you have any information for me?" Ling Xia shot back. His legs were crossed underneath the table and his arms crossed above, giving off an air of a squad leader asking a scout for information. It fit him, considering that he had held that post at one time. Those times seemed so shiny and full of fun.

Yao Ze shook his head, unbothered by the display of intimidation. "His Majesty has not revealed anything. However, I believe His Majesty's intentions for the Liu family will be reported by me from now on."

Ling Xia's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. For a long moment he stared at Yao Ze before letting a puff of air out. "Let me set things straight. If you come to me for information, I expect some information from you in return. This is a cooperation, not you leeching off of me in hopes of surviving the emperor's wrath."

He probably should have minced his words. Yao Ze's flinch back told him that much, and the way the surprise transformed into passive aggressiveness only solidified that notion.

No, actually, he shouldn't have sugarcoated anything. His mistake was made long ago, when he chose Yao Ze as his ally, but he was also the easiest to sway to his side. The harder ones to bring over were usually the best allies, and if Ling Xia thought he had more time, he would have aimed for a better ally.

However, things did not go as he figured, and the emperor was slow in taking action. Ling Xia had originally thought the circumstances lay closer to the ones in the previous world, but it seemed souls could never be truly recreated…! Or matched, he hastily corrected himself. He refused to believe Ji Shengge existed. There wasn't even that much evidence, only a feeling he could not shake.

"Of course," Yao Ze answered, adjusting his position uncomfortably. There was subtle indignation in his expression, like he was trying to hide it.

"Good. I have a gift for you," Ling Xia completely changed the topic, catching Yao Ze off guard. "I planned to give it to you during the fall hunt, but realized that we should put on a front of hostility toward each other."

Ling Xia stuffed his hand into his pocket and immediately felt cold metal under his fingers. He pulled the object out, sliding it onto the table. It reached Yao Ze, and he picked it up with wonder. While he inspected the L-shaped object, Ling Xia explained. "It's called a gun. Once learned in its uses, it is a weapon whose destruction will shock."

Yao Ze looked a little skeptical, which was reasonable, seeing as he had never laid eyes on such a weapon before. "How is it used?"

Ling Xia gently pulled the gun out of the other's grasp. "Cover your ears," he instructed as he moved one hand to cover his ear and one shoulder to cover the other. He pointed the gun at the ground and then pulled the trigger. Immediately, the recoil was evident, even after all of Ling Xia's experimentation, and his right arm began to feel numb. He lifted the gun and placed it on the table with weak hands.

Yao Ze, meanwhile, stood at the loud noise, not expecting it to pass through his hands and into his ears. He shot out of his chair to see what had happened and instantly sighted a smoking hole in the floor. Tendrils of smoke also rose from the tip of the gun which lay innocently on the table as if it hadn't created such a gaping hole.

Yao Ze's eyes wandered between the two objects of his fascination before somehow landing on Ling Xia. "How?" he wondered aloud.

Before Ling Xia could answer, a torrent of questions followed, leaving Ling Xia no space to intervene. "Where did you get this? Who made it? Why has this stayed hidden for so long? Why do you know about this?"

"Calm down," Ling Xia finally stepped in. "I'll answer all of your questions."

Yao Ze fell silent immediately, although the eagerness in his eyes could not be hidden as he stared intently at Ling Xia.

"I received it from a friend that I can't name. It hasn't been hidden; It's just been invented. It contains a material that is usually used for fireworks, but has never been thought to be used in this situation."

All of that, of course, was a lie. It was just what Ling Xia had spent the last few weeks creating. He wanted to learn something new in every world, and in this world he wanted to learn how to make a gun. Such a goal also aligned with his interests because it helped to deter the invaders from the north.

"You can't name him? But he's a genius!" Yao Ze was clearly disappointed, making Ling Xia chuckle inside. "At least reveal how such a small weapon could create such a huge hole."

That caused some confusion in Ling Xia. The hole wasn't that big. The size was reasonable for a gunshot, just a little wider than the bullet Ling Xia had loaded the gun with.

Ling Xia's eyes widened. He lifted himself off his chair to crouch next to the hole, hearing a loud creak with his movements. Suddenly aware of the shakiness of the floor, he pressed his foot down to test it. The wooden board underneath bent under the pressure, stable enough to go unnoticed, but unstable enough to arouse suspicion when noticed.

He filed this observation away, focusing again on the hole. It had been hard to see before because of his perspective, but the hole seemed to exceed six feet. "What?" he murmured as it all sort of came together, "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Ling Xia reached up for the candle on the table, only to have it handed to him by Yao Ze who wore the same serious expression as him. Apparently Yao Ze had recognized his perplexion. Ling Xia thanked him quickly, then pushed the light source closer to the hole so he could see inside.

The light seemed to hit a wide expanse of dirt inside, too much for just a bullet to cause. Something glinted in dim light. Ling Xia narrowed his eyes and moved his face closer to the tiny hole to figure out what it was. It was like a tiny circle…

His eyes widened the moment he pinpointed what it was and the realization that came with it.

The object was a bullet, embedded in the dirt surrounding it. From the looks of it the space around it was hollowed out intentionally...

Which meant Ling Xia had uncovered a hidden entrance into the heart of the Liu Manor.