Chapter 120: Undercurrents (Part 1)

Chapter 120 Undercurrents Surging (I)

The brightly lit Chengdu County Yamen had flocks of birds with bloodshot eyes circling in the sky above.

The sharp beaks of the Night Owls flashed with the cold metallic glint of firearms; thumb-sized bombs hung beneath the Night Owls' wings.

Distinct from one another, yet seemingly fused into one beneath the black curtain.

In the main hall of the county yamen's rear courtyard, a banquet had already been laid out, the spread appearing rather meager.

Yet on the faces of the three high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Personnel's Office of Merit Evaluation, led by Zhang Xian, not a trace of disdain showed; their smiles were even more radiant than usual.

As if these home-cooked dishes were more mouthwatering than the delicacies of mountains and seas from days past.

"Lord Zhang, please take the seat of honor."

Huang Yaozong spoke with great deference, inviting Zhang Xian to sit in the main seat facing the door.

"This seat is reserved only for Lord Pei."

Zhang Xian shook his head in refusal, turning to look at Pei Xingjian, only to see the old man casually pull out the seat by the door.

"The seat of honor naturally belongs to the protagonist; I am but a foil today, this seat will suffice for me."

"Lord Pei speaks the truth; in that case, this seat indeed belongs to neither of us today."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xian laughed heartily, lifting his leg to sit beside Pei Xingjian.

The highest-ranking Zhang Xian wouldn't sit in the main seat, and the eldest Pei Xingjian wouldn't sit either; then who would?

Now it was the turn of the three still standing to be in a bind, all wearing expressions of difficulty, frozen in place.

Seeing this, Zhang Xian laughed loudly, "Master Feng, Master Yao, though I was the team leader for this recommendation, the specific evaluation falls to you two; therefore, you two are the protagonists today, and the seat of honor should be yours."

Hearing these words, Feng Huang and Yao Chongli felt their hearts tremble almost simultaneously, thoughts racing through their minds.

There were two Masters, but only one seat of honor; who would take it?

What did Zhang Xian mean by making them vie for the main seat?

Along the way, both Feng Huang and Yao Chongli had subtly expressed to Zhang Xian the scholars they favored; was this now a hint that whoever took the main seat would gain the upper hand?

The two, Feng and Yao, originally standing shoulder to shoulder, subconsciously shifted a step apart to the left and right, a faint scent of gunpowder seeming to emanate.

Pei Xingjian watched the food cooling on the table with regret, and held even more contempt for Zhang Xian's clumsy power plays reeking of showing off; he immediately tapped the tabletop lightly with impatient displeasure.

"Since the two Masters are mutually yielding, Lord Huang, as the host, you shall take the main seat."

"Me?"

Huang Yaozong's face was full of astonishment; since when did a mere County Lieutenant become the host?

"Lord Pei speaks well; County Lieutenant Huang must not decline."

Feng and Yao's eyes lit up simultaneously, and they stepped forward in unison, sandwiching the bewildered Huang Yaozong between them, pressing him into the main seat without a word of refusal.

At the large round table, only seven chairs were placed; after everyone was seated, two remained empty.

Zhang Xian asked the ill-at-ease Huang Yaozong, "County Lieutenant Huang, are there other guests?"

Huang Yaozong, who had barely perched half a buttock on the chair, shot up with a 'whoosh', cupping his fists, "Your Excellency has sharp eyes; there are two local gentry scholars, currently waiting on the side."

Zhang Xian smiled, "Are they Gu Xi and Wu Gong? When I passed through Jiankang on this journey south, I heard their elders mention them often. Let them in."

Huang Yaozong cupped his fists in assent, lifted his robes, and strode out quickly.

Moments later, Huang Yaozong returned, followed by Gu Xi and Wu Gong, dressed in blue and white Confucian robes respectively.

"Students pay respects to the various Lords."

Zhang Xian's gaze swept over the two, praising, "Worthy of scions of great clans; their bearing is indeed far stronger than that of ordinary students. Sit quickly."

"Thank you, Lord."

Gu Xi and Wu Gong took one look at the seating arrangement and immediately understood several things in their hearts; they no longer concealed anything, sitting down beside Feng Huang and Yao Chongli respectively.

"A round table, seven chairs. The schemes in their hearts add up to more salt than in the dishes."

Pei Xingjian muttered, picking up his chopsticks, wiping them with his official sleeve, and eating on his own.

Huang Yaozong, seated at the head, forced out a smile uglier than crying, "Since everyone has arrived... shall we... begin?"

"Eight million! Sister, where did you get so much money?!"

A youth with a moustache on his upper lip, yet retaining a trace of childishness in his eyes, looked at Qi Zhu in utter disbelief.

In his outstretched palm lay an anonymous bank card gleaming with golden light.

"Don't ask so much, take the money and leave Chengdu Prefecture immediately, go straight to Guangnan Prefecture; once there, someone will send you to the Annan penal colony."

"Why go to a godforsaken place like the penal colony? With this much money, why don't we go to Nanzhili? I heard it's..."

Smack!

A crisp, loud slap cut off his words.

"Sister—"

Smack!

Qi Zhu's phoenix eyes held not a shred of pity, only a coldness the youth had never seen before.

"I told you to go, so you go. I warn you, if you dare disobey me this time, I will absolutely not let you off!"

The youth, having taken two slaps, still had cheeks smooth as ever.

"I understand."

He looked at Qi Zhu's red, swollen palm, whispering, "Sister, don't be angry; I am a mechanical body, it hurts you to hit me."

The coldness in Qi Zhu's eyes suddenly faded, her reddened rims shimmering with crystalline tears.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart, "Qi Cheng, listen to me. On the way, you must absolutely not show off, nor use the money on this card. Only after the storm passes may you use it. Understand?"

"Storm? What storm?"

Qi Zhu bit her lip, "You'll know when you reach Annan."

The youth let out a confused 'oh', then seemed to suddenly realize something, asking in surprise, "I'm going alone? Then what about you, Sister?"

Qi Zhu forced a smile, "The weather in Annan is too humid; I don't like it. Besides, I've been overworked these past few years; I want to go to the Wokou penal colony to relax. I'll come find you when I return."

Though Qi Cheng had always lived sheltered under Qi Zhu's protection, this time he could still sense his sister was lying.

"Sister, did something happen? Tell me, I'm now a Sequence Disciple of Soldier Nine; I have the ability to help you resolve it!"

"Alright, alright, who in Chengdu County doesn't know our Qi Cheng is a Sequence Disciple? With you around, no one dares bother me."

Qi Zhu raised a hand to ruffle the youth's head, but discovered to her surprise she could only reach his shoulder; she instantly beamed, her voice gentle, "Sister has just been under too much pressure lately, so I was distracted and hit you. Don't hold it against Sister, okay?"

The youth shook his head, "Never."

"Ah Cheng, when you get to Annan, remember to build me a house in the mountains. Doesn't need to be big, or luxurious, just enough to shelter from wind and rain."

Qi Zhu's face was full of longing and anticipation, "Sister just wants to live quietly alone from now on, undisturbed by outsiders, accompanied only by mountains and waters."

Qi Cheng nodded, "Okay, Sister. By the time you come find me, I'll definitely have the house built for you."

"Mm, worthy of the only Sequence Disciple of our Qi family; truly capable."

Qi Zhu smiled, brushing away the moisture at the corner of her eye. "Alright then, go on. Don't waste any more time."

The young man remained rooted to the spot, head bowed, utterly silent.

Qi Zhu's eyebrows shot up, her voice sharp as a whip. "Go!"

"Sister, I know I can't be of any help, so I won't stay here to burden you. But one day, I swear I'll be the one to shield you from the wind and rain."

The young man's perpetually open palm slowly curled into a fist. He turned and strode away in long, decisive steps.

"Sister, I'll be waiting for you in Annan."

He didn't see, as he turned his back, that Qi Zhu was already streaming with tears.

Outside, a black SUV sat quietly at the gate.

The moment Qi Zhu's figure appeared, a security staff member hurried forward, opening the door with practiced efficiency. In a low voice, he said, "Sister Qi, Qian Zhongxiao just called looking for you. He wasn't very polite about it."

What was coming had finally arrived.

Qi Zhu let out a cold laugh, her brows and eyes sharp as blades. "Then let's go see just what kind of posture this Supervisor Qian intends to strike."