Ye Han’s mind was a complete blur. His eyes swept over the unfamiliar room as he sat stiffly on the bed, not moving a muscle.
Slowly, images of Fangyuan Village flashed through his mind.
After a long silence, Ye Han lowered his voice. "Aren’t you afraid of a backlash from my Fate Grid?"
"Backlash? Have you forgotten your oath? As long as I didn’t harm you, even if I did something that hurt you, you wouldn’t pursue the matter. I took the Qiankun Ring, but I didn’t harm you. That oath is now over."
Ye Han recalled the oath, a chill running through him. He couldn’t believe Li Qingxian had been plotting to get his Qiankun Ring even back then.
He felt a slight pain in his wrist and glanced down. A deep red mark was etched into his skin like a crimson cord.
"Did you do this?" Ye Han glared at Li Qingxian.
"I had to draw a little of your blood to resolve the Deceit," Li Qingxian said seriously.
Ye Han’s face paled. "What else did you do to me while I was unconscious?"
Li Qingxian smiled and patted Ye Han’s shoulder but didn’t answer. He just said, "From now on, let’s go our separate ways. Sound good?"
Ye Han recalled the scenes from the Deceit Village, a chill rising in his heart. ’He’s become more and more convinced that Li Qingxian also has a mysterious old master backing him.’
"Fine!" Ye Han said through clenched teeth.
"Good."
The very next moment, Ye Han regretted it. He pleaded in a low voice, "There’s a page from the Golden Book in there. It’s useless to you, how about..."
"I’ve already used it," Li Qingxian said, his expression completely frank.
"You..." Ye Han was dumbstruck.
Li Qingxian spoke in a sincere and earnest tone. "I wasn’t the one who took the Qiankun Ring; the Deceitful Mother was. I got it from her, so naturally, it’s mine now. You, Ye Han, are a kind and benevolent person, so I’m sure you understand that this item has a new owner. If you try to force the issue, our paths will clash again, and that’s bound to be unpleasant. Don’t worry. Although I’m disappointed in you, I still consider you a friend. I won’t sell you out to the Black Lamp Bureau people. I’m leaving."
Li Qingxian turned and walked away.
Ye Han reached out and grabbed Li Qingxian’s sleeve. "There’s a Treasure Map inside," he said in a low voice. "I won’t fight you for it, but I’ve been working to decipher it for days and have made some progress. I’ll just take one item, and you can have the rest."
Li Qingxian shook off Ye Han’s hand and smiled. "You’re crossing the line."
With that, Li Qingxian turned and left the room.
Ye Han stared at Li Qingxian’s retreating back, his gaze bleak.
Ye Han looked down at the white mark on his left middle finger, his heart bleeding with regret as he swore a silent oath. ’I underestimated him! From now on, I will bide my time and hide my strengths. I’ll learn from the Heir of Prince Yuann: a man of noble birth should not court danger. Unless I am absolutely certain of victory, I will not personally enter the fray! It seems being lucky isn’t enough; you need brains, and you need to be as vicious as Li Qingxian! I, Ye Han, will get back up from where I have fallen...’
Li Qingxian had just returned to his room when Zhou Henn walked in. Without speaking aloud, he sent a mental message.
"Lord Zhou sent me a message. He said he promised that if the other party acted against you again, he would tell you who the mastermind is. The one who harmed you is the former Heir of Prince Yuann, the current Assistant General, Tang Enxuan."
"So it was him..."
Li Qingxian had a flash of insight. ’Among the members of the Royal Family I suspected, I even considered Prince Yuann, but I never thought it would be his son, Tang Enxuan.’
As the nephew of Emperor Taining, son of Prince Yuann, and the conferred Heir, Tang Enxuan had been the first in line to inherit from Prince Yuann. Barring any mishaps, even with a reduction in rank, Tang Enxuan would have inherited the title of Commandery Prince or Duke.
Because of his numerous crimes, Tang Enxuan was impeached by Li Gangfeng, stripped of his title as Heir, and demoted to Assistant General, completely losing his right of inheritance.
Li Qingxian had heard that Tang Enxuan was confined for a long time, and before his confinement, he had been beaten until his skin split open.
"Tang Enxuan..." Li Qingxian thought quietly.
After a long while, the door opened, and Wang Buku walked in, followed by two Daoist priests.
One of the Daoists held a Copper Alms Bowl in his left hand. Inside the bowl stood a colorless crystal pillar as thick as a thumb.
The other Daoist carried a woven bamboo cricket cage. Through the gaps, a green, grasshopper-like insect, about an inch long, could be seen, its long antennae twitching.
Li Qingxian stood up. "Please, have a seat."
Wang Buku’s gaze swept over the Qiankun Bracelet on Li Qingxian’s wrist before he sat down in a nearby chair.
The Daoist holding the Copper Sound Bowl lightly flicked the crystal pillar. The pillar flashed with light, and a faint mist began to churn inside the copper bowl, resembling a sea of clouds.
Li Qingxian looked at Wang Buku with composure.
Wang Buku said, "Captain Li, you are a Fate Master and the primary person who resolved the Deceit. Your memories should be more complete than others’."
"That is true," Li Qingxian said.
"Good. Then tell us your experience in detail." As Wang Buku spoke, he took out a white, glazed board about a foot square, with a writing brush hovering above it.
Li Qingxian gazed out the window, his voice following the rhythm of the night breeze as he slowly recounted the events, omitting certain details.
"I’ll never forget that afternoon. In the bright waters of the Small River, my brothers were laughing and splashing around..."
"It wasn’t until the cowherd and the man who went to relieve himself vanished that we suddenly snapped to our senses..."
"We went through so much... Seeing the lanterns... eating the pork... stealing melons for the autumn festival... picking up ’Fu’ characters... touching the Hundred Blessings Warehouse... seeing the Deceitful Mother... becoming Deceitful Infants... entering and splitting the gourds... the good-news bearers... sharing the eggs... planting the tree... the first-birthday-grab ceremony... Finally, I used my Fate Skill, combined with Ye Han’s powerful Fate Grid, to disperse the Deceitful Mother..."
As Li Qingxian spoke, the brush above the white glazed board automatically recorded the key points.
Wang Buku and the two Daoists would periodically stare wide-eyed, their expressions constantly shifting.
When Li Qingxian finished, the three of them let out a long sigh of relief.
The Daoist holding the Sound Bowl sighed. "We heard before that you partially resolved a Deceit in the Imperial Prison West Courtyard, and we didn’t believe it. Now, we do. The level of detail you’ve provided about this Deceit incident is truly rare, and its value to the Black Lamp Department and Qii Country is unimaginable. We will report to the Disciplinary Officer and request a commendation for you."
The other Daoist glanced at the motionless Lying Insect and nodded. "Everything the others said combined wasn’t as detailed as your account. If our brothers in the Black Lamp Department encounter the Deceitful Mother or a similar Deceit in the future, their chances of survival will be greatly increased. On behalf of all our brothers in the department, let me thank you first."
Wang Buku nodded. "Indeed. What you’ve told us today is of life-saving importance to our brothers in the Black Lamp Department."
"I just said what needed to be said," Li Qingxian replied.
"Is there anything else?" Wang Buku stared intently into Li Qingxian’s eyes.
Li Qingxian answered frankly, "Yes. Some things I felt were useless, so there was no need to say them. Other things, I was afraid of misspeaking, so it was better not to say them at all."
"Is there anything else you *want* to say? About the other Night Guards, for example."
Li Qingxian thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "We’re all ordinary people. When suddenly caught in a Deceit, it’s inevitable that we’d all act in various ways to protect ourselves. I don’t want to judge others. I can only say that I did my best. Those of us who survived may have said or done the wrong things, but we all share the merit of resolving the Deceit."
"I have a few questions for you," said Wang Buku.
"Please, ask."
"Why did you choose to become a Deceitful Infant?"
"I’ve already made it clear. It wasn’t my choice; I was forced into it. Of course, I also made a private exchange with Ye Han to get his full support. It involves an oath, so I can’t disclose the details."
"In the end, why did you drain so much of Ye Han’s blood?"