The matter of the Rong Mansion back then was shrouded in mystery. Some said they plotted rebellion, but there was no concrete proof. Others claimed they weren’t involved, and those rumors were just as vivid and detailed.
All signs indicated that Duke Rong had not participated in the rebellion. Otherwise, given Emperor Taining’s ruthless nature, Wang Buku wouldn’t be alive today.
"And the third reason?" Li Qingxian asked.
Guo Xiang’s expression turned solemn. "We’re desperately short on manpower."
Li Qingxian was long accustomed to these people not speaking plainly. "You mean to say that Deceitful incidents are on the rise, Deceitful monsters are multiplying, and there aren’t enough Fate Masters to go around?"
Guo Xiang nodded helplessly. "To be precise, it’s not a shortage of Fate Masters in general, but a shortage of Fate Masters who can resolve Deceit. You’ve resolved two such cases in a row. No matter how you slice it, you have a talent in this area."
Li Qingxian was about to refuse again, but he blinked and offered a slight smile. "Lord Guo, to be honest, I also wish to serve the nation, to dispel Deceit and slay monsters. But as you know, I hail from the fallen Fate Measuring Sect and never received a complete inheritance of Fate Skills. I’m afraid I’m not fit for such a great responsibility."
"That’s no issue. As long as you’re willing to join the Black Lamp Department, I can bring you into my Mountain Fate Sect. I could even recommend you to the Sect Leader and the Elders. Before you know it, I might be calling you Junior Brother," Guo Xiang said.
Li Qingxian had heard of the Mountain Fate Sect. If the Celestial Fate Sect was in an undisputed class of its own, and the mainstream major Fate Sects were considered first-class, then the Mountain Fate Sect, with its ability to create Floating Mountains, was a top-tier second-class sect. In its prime, the Fate Measuring Sect had also been a second-class Fate Sect.
Li Qingxian shook his head. "I was born a man of the Fate Measuring Sect, and I will die a soul of the Fate Measuring Sect. I cannot change my sect."
’He was mostly afraid the Celestial Destiny Instrument would run off.’
"That’s not a problem, either. Once you join the Black Lamp Department, you can go to the Astronomical Bureau and borrow Life Books to read. Whenever you have time, all the Fate Masters in the Black Lamp Department will be willing to guide you. If you’re lucky, you might even run into Master Li Xuzhong and have the chance to ask for his instruction."
Li Qingxian’s heart pounded. Li Xuzhong was one of the most powerful Fate Masters in the world, and even Emperor Taining treated him as a mentor. ’If he could receive his guidance...’
Li Qingxian shook his head. "Ultimately, the Black Lamp Department’s main purpose is to resolve Deceit. I just want to be an ordinary Fate Master; I have no desire to get tangled up with Deceit."
"The Black Lamp Department can guarantee your safety for three years," Guo Xiang said with a cryptic half-smile.
Li Qingxian thought for a moment. "How about this? Give me some more time to consider. Even if we can’t make a deal, the goodwill remains. In the future, if there’s a situation where you need me—and it isn’t too dangerous—I’d be willing to cooperate with the Black Lamp Department. After all, we’re all serving the Emperor and the common folk."
Guo Xiang stood up. "Very well. When you decide you want to join the Black Lamp Department, you know where to find us."
Li Qingxian’s face suddenly broke into a boyishly innocent smile. "Lord Guo, the Black Lamp Department must have some Life Books, right? Since I’ll very likely be working with you in the future, and those books are just sitting on a shelf... why not lend me a few?"
"If you join the Black Lamp Department, you can read any book you want. As for now... I’m afraid I can’t help."
"You don’t have any in-name-only positions?"
"The Black Lamp Department has no sinecures," Guo Xiang stated.
"Alright, I’ll think it over some more..." Li Qingxian said.
"Farewell." Guo Xiang took three steps, then turned back. "Since you’ve officially entered the ranks, have Lord Zhou find an old Fate Master to take you for a walk across the Beast Bridge. It’ll broaden your horizons."
"Thank you for the advice, my lord," Li Qingxian said.
The two departed, and Yu Ping came in.
"Where’s Brother Han?" Li Qingxian asked.
"A friend came looking for him. He’ll be back in a moment," Yu Ping said, his gaze lingering enviously on the black wolf patch on Li Qingxian’s green official robe.
A moment later, Han Anbo returned. He closed the door and said in a low voice, "Qingxian, you need to be careful these days."
"What is it?"
"Didn’t you ask me to have someone tail Ye Han? I assigned four of my best men to watch him. Guess who he met last night?"
Li Qingxian shook his head.
"One was Wei Yong. The other was Tang Enxuan, the Heir of Prince Yuann—though he’s only an Assistant General now, of course. I’m almost certain he’s the one who put Ye Han up to harming you."
"You also know about what happened between Tang Enxuan and my father?"
"I know a little. A friend of mine was personally involved in the investigation of Prince Yuann’s Mansion back in the day. He told me a few things," Han Anbo said.
Li Qingxian thought for a moment. "Just a while ago, Eunuch Jingg Guan came to see me. He said Tang Enxuan has been asking about the distillery and suspects he’s after my shares..."
Li Qingxian repeated what Eunuch Jingg Guan had told him.
Han Anbo considered this for a moment. "You know the Night Guard monitors all officials, including the Royal Family. I’ve read the file on Prince Yuann’s Mansion. That Tang Enxuan has always been vicious and direct. Back then, he was the type to either frame an innocent person to take the fall or brazenly threaten people with a sword. He’s incredibly domineering, which is how Mr. Gangfeng was able to find ironclad proof against him."
"What about now?"
"He was confined for so long, yet he never came after you personally, only sending others to do his dirty work. I doubt he’ll confront you directly now, either. My guess is, he’s wary of Lord Zhou, so he’ll first put on a show of peace. He’ll find a respected intermediary and pretend to want to reconcile with you. Then, he’ll start probing for weaknesses and trying different schemes. If none of that works, I’m afraid he’ll try to dig up dirt on you."
"What dirt could he possibly find on us?" Li Qingxian asked.
"Where do you think the silver coins you’ve occasionally received these past six months have come from? Captain Zheng is reasonably discreet, but if you refuse to take your cut, it makes other people uneasy. It makes the higher-ups uneasy."
Only then did Li Qingxian recall that roughly every two months, Zheng Hui would hand out some silver—part of the Night Guard’s under-the-table income.
"What’s more, we Martial Artists tend to be rough in our methods. Who can claim they’ve never left behind a handle for someone to grab? Remember how Captain Cao of Team B6 was transferred four months ago? He just forcefully separated two people who were arguing. One of them got worked up, threw himself into a river, and died. The family then knelt at the Night Guard’s gates, accusing Captain Cao of bullying the man and driving him to his death. The other family involved in the argument wouldn’t speak up for him, and the Night Guard was in a precarious position at the time. They had no choice but to smooth things over and had Captain Cao transferred."
Li Qingxian’s scalp prickled. "If I’d known there was this much trouble, I might as well have joined the Black Lamp Department."
"Dealing with Deceit is probably simpler than dealing with people," Yu Ping commented.
"Drop the ’probably’," Han Anbo said.
"What are the chances he’ll make his move while Lord Zhou is away?" Li Qingxian asked.
Han Anbo pointed to Li Qingxian’s Qiankun Bracelet. "One hundred percent."
Li Qingxian glanced at his Qiankun Bracelet in a flash of understanding. This item was worth no less than his twenty-percent stake in the distillery.
Han Anbo said, "The good news is, the most he’ll do this time is frame you. He definitely won’t dare try to kill you again."
"Brother Han, if you were in my shoes, how would you handle this?" Li Qingxian asked suddenly.
Han Anbo frowned. "There are two ways. First, get transferred out of the Divine Capital. Wait until you’ve achieved success in your Cultivation, then come back for revenge. Second... he wants to dig up dirt on you, right? So you find more dirt on him and expose it. But—and this is a big but—unless that dirt is enough to completely destroy him, he’ll still come after you once he weathers the storm."
"Dirt enough to destroy him..." Li Qingxian murmured, as if trying to remember something.
Han Anbo sighed. "That’s going to be extremely difficult. Your father already exposed his crimes back then. Even if some were missed, they probably aren’t that serious. And he isn’t an idiot; he’s not going to commit some heinous crime right after being released. You have to remember, he’s a member of the Royal Family, the son of Prince Yuann. For him, even killing someone isn’t considered a major offense. So, finding dirt that can truly destroy him... it’s going to be incredibly hard."