Chapter 94: The Imperial Preceptor

Hearing the old beggar identify him by name, the old man was slightly surprised. “You’ve heard of me?”  

The old beggar respectfully stood up and replied, “I am Wen Songmo, once a top scholar and the magistrate of Jiangling Prefecture. If I knew the name of Master Qi yet couldn’t deduce your identity, I’d be an utter fool.”  

“Wen Songmo, a top scholar and magistrate of Jiangling Prefecture…” The old man furrowed his brow, pondering for a moment before speaking. “No wonder Jiangling Prefecture has fallen into such disarray. It seems even its magistrate has been secretly replaced.”  

“Sit down and explain everything to me in detail, from beginning to end.”  

“Yes!”  

Overcome with emotion, the old beggar’s hands trembled slightly as he placed the evidence, wrapped in oil paper, on the table. He then recounted the key points of the story to the old man. By the time a stick of incense had burned, he finished.  

The old man suddenly slapped the table with a loud bang. “Oppressing the people and disregarding the law—they deserve to be executed!”  

The old beggar cupped his hands and asked, “Master Qi, Jiangling Prefecture is now sealed off. Leaving the city requires body searches. Can you find a way to get this evidence out?”  

“Get it out? Why bother?” The old man chuckled lightly. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll go to the prefectural office myself. If they resist, we won’t even need the evidence—I’ll just crush them directly.”  

“Crush them?” The old beggar hesitated before speaking. “Master Qi, Sun Hong has been operating in Jiangling for twenty years. Even my trusted bodyguards were turned against me. If you go alone, I fear it won’t end well.”  

The old man waved dismissively. “You needn’t worry about that. If I dare to go, I naturally don’t intend to die.”  

“Well… in that case.” The old beggar bowed deeply. “If Master Qi can also bring down the people backing Sun Hong, that would be ideal. If not, I hope you can at least restore peace to Jiangling Prefecture.”  

“Rest assured, Lord Wen. I’m not afraid of those behind the scenes. The parasites of Great Qian will not escape my grasp.” As he spoke, the old man drained the strong liquor from his jug in one gulp.  

The old beggar bowed again. “On behalf of the people of Jiangling, I thank you, Master Qi!”  

“You keep mentioning ‘the people behind the scenes.’ Who exactly are they? Even if they’re related to the royal family, can you act against them, Master Qi?” Wei Hai asked curiously.  

Alarmed, the old beggar quickly interjected, “Do not speak carelessly of the royal family!”  

“It’s fine,” the old man said, waving it off with a smile. “The so-called figure behind the scenes is none other than Grand Duke Tu.”  

“Consort Tu is the emperor’s favored concubine, so naturally, Grand Duke Tu holds an exceptional position among the emperor’s brothers-in-law. For him to commit such atrocities aligns well with his insatiable greed.”  

Hearing this, the group suddenly understood. Wei Hai clicked his tongue and remarked, “Ah, so it’s the brother-in-law. No wonder.”  

Seeing Wei Hai’s indiscreet demeanor, the old beggar shot him a glare, but Wei Hai merely shrugged, clearly unbothered and unapologetic.  

The old man shook the empty wine bottle in his hand and smiled. “So, are you all planning to return tonight, or will you stay here?  

“It’s safer here, but the smell of blood is quite strong, and more assassins will surely come tonight. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to sleep soundly.”  

Wei Hai frowned and asked, “Master Qi, how exactly did you manage to make the Sun family hate you this much?”  

“It wasn’t much,” the old man said nonchalantly. “After I killed their first group of assassins, I paid a visit to the Sun residence. At the time, Sun Xuan was abusing a maid. I couldn’t stand it, so I castrated him on the spot.”  

Feeling the old man’s gaze, Wei Hai shivered, instinctively crossing his legs. “Yikes. Turning that young master into a eunuch, and the Sun family still hasn’t sent soldiers after you? They’ve got remarkable restraint…”  

“Wait! If trouble happened here, doesn’t that mean Yue’er and the others might be in danger too?”  

“My friends, I must leave first!”  

With that, Li Xunshan didn’t wait for a response. He bolted out of the room.  

Since they’d come together, they naturally had to leave together. After bidding the old man a quick farewell, Gu Ning’an and the others hurried toward the Ren family’s courtyard.  

Watching their anxious departure, the old man chuckled. “Among the four of them, Mr. Gu is the calmest. It seems the Ren family must be safe and sound…”  

…

“Why does this calligraphy look more beautiful the longer I stare at it?” The patriarch of the Ren family couldn’t help but smile as he traced the words “Peace and Safety” with his index finger, mimicking the strokes in the air.  

Earlier, when Hou Si and his traitorous followers made their move, the glowing light from the scroll had caught his eye.  

To him, the sudden gust of wind that swept through the room, sparing him entirely, had to be the work of this calligraphy.  

As a businessman, he believed in such extraordinary phenomena.  

After all, if wild beasts could gain sentience, why couldn’t humans wield mystical powers?  

“Damn it, sometimes I really envy that Li Xunshan kid.  

“Even from miles away, he’s got my precious daughter utterly devoted to him. And in this supposedly hopeless situation, he still managed to encounter a master willing to lend a hand.”  

He clicked his tongue and added, “Still, my luck isn’t bad either. To have a master’s calligraphy protecting my family’s safety is a blessing indeed.”  

Bang!  

The unlocked courtyard gate was pushed open forcefully as a panting Li Xunshan rushed in.  

Seeing Patriarch Ren safe and sound, Li Xunshan scanned the surroundings.  

The faint scent of soap powder and a barely perceptible trace of blood hung in the air, causing him to frown slightly.  

“In such a hurry—what are you looking for?” Patriarch Ren asked.  

“Oh… Uncle Ren.” Li Xunshan greeted him instinctively, then continued, “After we left, was there any unusual activity at the residence?”  

Hearing this, Patriarch Ren understood his concern and chuckled. “There was. Some of my people defected to the Sun family and tried to kill me.”  

“What?” Li Xunshan drew his short blade, his voice sharp. “Where are they now?”  

Seeing his reaction, Patriarch Ren gestured for him to calm down. “Steady yourself. Acting rashly is the worst approach… They’ve already gone to the Yellow Springs. By now, they’ve probably finished their soup and reincarnated as livestock.”  

“Phew…” Li Xunshan sank into a chair with a sigh of relief. Bowing slightly, he said, “Uncle Ren, your composure in such a perilous situation is truly admirable.”  

“Spare me the flattery—I nearly died.” As he spoke, Patriarch Ren spotted Gu Ning’an approaching. He quickly stood up to greet him. “Mr. Gu, those three words of yours are truly extraordinary!”  

Noticing the meaningful look in Patriarch Ren’s eyes, Gu Ning’an responded with a modest smile. “You’re too kind, Patriarch Ren.”  

It seems Mr. Gu doesn’t wish to reveal his identity… Patriarch Ren tactfully shifted the topic. “Was your mission successful?”  

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