Chapter 30 : Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Showdown

“No one in the coffin?”

“Truly no one,” Jiaotu said. “I opened it—no clothes, no burial items. Old Master Liu’s not dead, probably still in the Liu family compound.”

The Liu compound, on Luocheng’s southern Dragon Gate Mountain, spanned hundreds of acres. Locals jested that a woman marrying into its high walls and gray tiles might never leave, dying within.

Jiaotu removed my blindfold, and we three sat on Scholar Mountain’s peak: “What now?”

Yunyang hesitated: “The Liu family dares defy the world, faking that old man’s death to pressure the Secret Spy Division? Does that mean the whole family, like Liu Shiyu, is colluding with the enemy?”

Jiaotu tied her hair: “The Liu family’s run the Central Plains for ages, controlling eighty percent of land and officials. Even imperial taxes depend on their mood. Clans like Liu, Xu, Hu, Chen, Qi, and Yang put family above nation—collusion’s no surprise.”

“But the Emperor’s Ten Thousand Years Army is near Yuzhou—how dare they?” Yunyang was stunned.

Jiaotu mused: “What if Prince Jing’s Mansion is tied to the Liu family? I’ll send a pigeon to the Inner Minister. This is beyond us—we need troops!”

“Yes, summon troops to surround the Liu family!” Yunyang agreed.

I interrupted: “Lords…”

Yunyang’s eyes lit up: “What, another idea? Speak—you’re full of them!”

I said: “Please settle the payment. Lord Jiaotu’s fifty taels are still due—total one hundred fifty taels.”

Jiaotu’s face darkened: “Always money, money, money.”

I desperately needed funds. I estimated the icy currents in me would take over ten ginseng roots to handle. More currents remained in the Inner Prison—thousands of taels might not suffice.

My cultivation path was too costly!

I smiled: “Lords, discovering an empty coffin is a monumental merit. The Inner Minister will be thrilled. Compared to that, one hundred taels is nothing.”

Jiaotu reluctantly removed a rosewood bracelet: “Here, Buddhist treasure coins. Redeem one hundred taels at Tuoluo Temple.”

I examined the bracelet, each bead covered in tiny, dizzying script.

“This can be cashed?” I asked curiously.

“Never seen Buddhist treasure coins?” Jiaotu explained. “The beads have Buddhist codes. Take them to their incense kitchen, and someone will read the code and pay.”

I grew curious: “If I carve an identical bracelet, could I cash it too?”

Jiaotu chuckled: “Drop that thought. Many in the martial world tried scamming Buddhists—all got ‘transcended.’”

Yunyang handed over five small silver ingots: “Here.”

I smiled sincerely: “Thank you for your patronage. I’ve been out too long—please take me back. The Liu matter’s beyond my reach.”

My savings: two hundred taels, zero, one hundred seventy-three copper coins.

Not counting the fifty taels under the bed.

…

…

At midnight, Chou hour, the carriage dropped me at Taiping Clinic.

Yunyang and Jiaotu, stung by their loss, left without pleasantries, driving off.

As the carriage faded, Dark Cloud leapt from its roof into my arms: “I memorized the Inner Prison’s location… Wow, you’re freezing.”

“Too many icy currents from the prison. Did you see Jiaotu’s cultivation path?” I carried coins in my left hand, Dark Cloud in my right, heading to the clinic.

“I saw—a shadow spirit shot from her brow, fierce!” Dark Cloud said.

I pushed open the clinic door. At Chou hour’s third quarter, the icy current surged as expected.

This moment seemed special—the dormant current always erupted then, relentless.

I struggled toward the medicine cabinet. A herb merchant came this morning; Master likely restocked ginseng.

But before reaching it, I couldn’t move.

“Dark Cloud… ginseng,” I gasped.

Dark Cloud leapt from my arms, nimbly opened a cabinet drawer, and brought a new ginseng to touch me.

Clink, clink—the ginseng turned into ten transparent beads, bouncing on the floor. Dark Cloud chased and swallowed them.

The molten flow returned, igniting my left and right Taiyi acupoints outside my dantian!

Exhausted, I leaned on the counter, petting Dark Cloud: “Thank you.”

Dark Cloud raised its head: “No need for thanks… What if Master notices the ginseng’s gone?”

I frowned: “Gotta buy a replacement before he checks.”

Dark Cloud pondered: “How about I beat that fat white cat again to cover the bill?”

I looked awestruck: “…Great idea!”

Old Man Yao’s flat voice came from behind: “Sent to deliver medicine, and you’re gone from morning to night.”

I spun, blocking the open drawer: “Master? You walk so silently?”

Even Dark Cloud hadn’t noticed him!

Old Man Yao stood in the main hall, hands behind his back, sneering: “You remembered to return? Why’re you standing there? Come here!”

I didn’t move—the drawer was still open!

As I scrambled for an excuse, Dark Cloud leapt from my arms, bounding to Old Man Yao.

He froze, catching Dark Cloud instinctively. The fluffy cat meowed, blinking golden slit eyes.

Old Man Yao paused, then held Dark Cloud, petting its head, sneering at me: “It’s more sensible than you… Come, Dark Cloud, grandpa’s got pastries for you.”

I:

Huh?

Dark Cloud’s antics made him forget to scold me.

As he turned, I quietly closed the drawer.

But his airy voice drifted: “Hiding what? Buy a replacement tomorrow. Check the ledger—not one tendril less.”

I followed awkwardly to the courtyard, changing the subject: “Master, where’re my brothers?”

Old Man Yao said flatly: “She Dakang’s third brother’s hosting a banquet for a big household. He took Liu Quxing to sneak in and watch the show. Back tomorrow. They meant to bring you, but you were late.”

He brought out the purple wooden box—pastries in the first drawer, candied fruit in the second.

Dark Cloud, not eating all day, stuffed its mouth.

I glanced at the drawer, earning Old Man Yao’s glare.

“Want food? Cook in the kitchen,” he said coldly.

“Oh.”

I grabbed a coarse grain pancake, nibbling, and asked: “Master, is the third quarter of Chou hour special?”

Feeding Dark Cloud a pastry, he frowned: “Chou hour, third quarter… your birth time.”

“Hm?” I was stunned. The icy current surged then because it was my birth hour?

Strange—did that grand battlefield consciousness need my birth hour to seize my body?

I hesitated, then asked frankly: “Master, what’s an Enforcer?”

Old Man Yao glanced: “Why should I tell you? You trade intelligence for money but want free info from me?”

Dark Cloud stopped eating, nuzzling his hand.

He huffed: “Cunning little thing.”

He said slowly: “Enforcers are cultivators. Their paths vary wildly, doing all sorts.”

I asked: “Why don’t commoners know they exist?”

Petting Dark Cloud, he said: “Most don’t. Most Enforcers hide their paths, or peers covet them.”

“Why?”

“Each path’s goal is like a bowl of water. There’s only so much—more people, less per person. To reach the ultimate path, you must drink it all alone. One extra sipper won’t do.”

I froze. Energy conservation?

I realized why Yunyang said cultivation was life or death. On the same path, cultivators were natural enemies.

I asked calmly: “Master, are you an Enforcer?”

He smiled, beckoning the sky. Wings fluttered, and a huge crow landed!

I stood abruptly. That crow was Master’s!

It was there when the icy current struck, when I investigated Liu Shiyu’s house!

“Master, you knew everything,” I said hesitantly.

“Know or not, what’s it matter?” He stroked the crow’s wings. It looked at me, silently laughing, mocking my ignorance.

Master’s crow was as sharp as him.

The crow glanced at Dark Cloud eating, then at Old Man Yao, cawing.

He said patiently: “Meet your new friend.”

The crow looked at me, then back at him.

He added patiently: “Not this one.”

I: “…”