Chapter 654: Repaying Favors

Chapter 654: Repayment of Favors

As March drew to its close, the interminable winter of the borderlands finally came to a definitive end.

The vast earth shed its pristine winter garb of stark white, replacing it with a fresh vestment of pale green.

Traces of residual snow hid in the dark crevices untouched by the warm spring sun, putting up a desperate last stand. Baked and melted by the gradually warming weather, they congealed into crystalline sheets of ice, casting a thin glaze over the pale-black mountain crags.

When a person raised a foot and stepped upon it, a crisp, crunching sound would instantly ring out.

This majestic peak, standing deep within the Ü-Tsang Commandery, had been renamed from its original title of Nanga to Sangyan, and was now affectionately referred to by the devout border folk as Potala.

In the local tongue, these two characters signified the dwelling place of the Bodhisattva.

The path up the mountain remained as rugged as ever, yet Zhang Fengyue paid it no mind. Holding a straight, withered branch as a walking stick, he ascended the mountain alone and on foot, his gaze focused intently on the beautiful scenery along the way.

"Grand Secretary, Yan Dongqing's whereabouts have been discovered."

Zhang Fengyue was not surprised by the voice that suddenly sounded behind him. He continued to climb the steps, asking without turning his head.

"He should have gone up to Mount Longhu, correct?"

"Your wisdom is discerning, Elder; indeed he has."

"It is not that this old man possesses any discerning wisdom, but rather that a young man like him simply delights in seeking wealth and honor amidst peril. Even knowing full well that he is negotiating with a tiger for its hide, he does not care in the least."

Zhang Fengyue asked with a smile, "Sigu, why do you think that is?"

"An overestimate of his own abilities."

The man following behind him with lowered hands replied softly, his tone exceptionally certain.

Hearing this, Zhang Fengyue could not help but burst into a wry laugh. "You, your words always leave others so little dignity. Yan Dongqing is, after all, the grand leader of the Spring and Autumn Society. Is he truly so worthless in your eyes?"

"Had it not been for your benevolence in turning a blind eye to the minor maneuvers they made, giving them ample opportunity, there would be no Spring and Autumn Society in this world at all."

"There is no such thing as giving or not giving opportunities."

Zhang Fengyue paused in his steps, stretching his back as if a bit fatigued.

Shang Sigu, following from behind, rushed forward a step, intending to offer an arm for support, but the old man waved him off, interrupting the gesture.

"Each Emperor brings his own ministers. This empire has been controlled by us old relics for long enough; it must eventually be yielded to the next generation. Only in this way can Confucian thought achieve a healthy evolution, rather than degenerating into a stagnant, rotting pool of dead water."

"Yet none of them understand your intentions, Elder. Each and every one of them still believes that their present status is entirely due to their own capabilities."

Shang Sigu gave a cold snort. "Even when facing imminent death, they will likely only blame fate for its injustice, lamenting their own poor fortune!"

"The sky holds unpredictable storms, and humans bear sudden fortunes and misfortunes. A centipede has a hundred feet, yet cannot outrun a snake. A rooster has two wings, yet cannot outflank a crow. A horse may possess the stamina for a thousand miles, but without a rider, it cannot journey of its own accord. A man may harbor aspirations that pierce the heavens, but without luck, he cannot achieve fulfillment. To attribute failure on the verge of success to poor fortune is only human nature; it is of no great consequence."

Zhang Fengyue resumed his ascent. "In truth, I did not think highly of Yan Dongqing before, but his decisive choice this time has indeed given this old man a bit of a surprise. To wager a decade of forbearance for a single chance at survival from a desperate plight—such audacity is truly rare!"

"Had he not taken that wrong step, he might actually have used this opportunity to establish the Spring and Autumn Society as an independent house, becoming a true Confucian faction, thereby gaining the chance to advance to Sequence Two and possessing the ability to play a game across the board with this old man."

Zhang Fengyue sighed with regret, "What a pity, however, that he chose to direct his schemes toward Li Jun."

"Yan Dongqing's choice to ascend Mount Longhu must surely be to leverage Zhang Xiji to deal with Li Jun."

Shang Sigu said in a deep voice, "Mount Longhu and the Eastern Emperor Palace already hold an unresolvable enmity with Li Jun. If Yan Dongqing can successfully persuade them to strike, it may not entirely be a lost cause."

"Sigu, you have not understood Zhang Xiji, nor have you understood Li Jun. They are webs of intricate, overlapping complexity, whereas Li Jun is an invincible blade. The current Sequences are a narrow path; only those who charge forward without looking back—"

Zhang Fengyue's voice cut off abruptly at this point.

He clearly had no intention of continuing the discussion on this topic, turning instead to ask, "Now that Yan Dongqing has rebelled, that student of mine should also be unable to sit still, correct?"

"On the day the Wu Family Citadel was bombed, Zhu Pingxu also appeared in Quzhou Prefecture. By the looks of it, he seems prepared to step forward to preserve the Spring and Autumn Society."

"Alas."

Zhang Fengyue let out a soft sigh. "Once the Sequences cease to exist, the current noble houses will also disintegrate. At that time, the sovereign will be the sovereign, and the ministers will be the ministers. Noble houses and political factions will be nothing more than constraints upon an enlightened ruler, possessing no value for existence. Why must he remain so obsessed with this?"

"He is likely afraid that losing the Spring and Autumn Society would make you feel he is unequal to great responsibilities, which is why he pinches his nose to swallow this bitter fruit. A force he raised with his own hands, yet it nurtured so many treacherous ingrates. He failed to learn even a fraction of Longwu’s true essence, absorbing only a smattering of Yizong’s superficial traits—"

Shang Sigu reached this point, but his voice suddenly faltered.

After a moment of hesitation, he spoke tentatively, "Grand Secretary, I feel he might have done this deliberately..."

"You wish to say that since Yan Dongqing chose to accelerate the progression of the situation in an attempt to fish in troubled waters, he simply turned their own trick against them, feigning protection of the Spring and Autumn Society while actually provoking Li Jun into a slaughter."

Zhang Fengyue spoke placidly, "As long as this turmoil spins out of control, the outsiders currently watching the fire from the opposite bank will seize the opening to infiltrate, causing the entire situation to rot completely. At that time, he can seize the chance to shed that skin of the Confucian Sequence and don the vestments of the Vertical and Horizontal?"

Shang Sigu nodded heavily.

"If he dares to do so, he would at least not disappoint this old man's years of hand-holding guidance and personal instruction. My only fear is that he still merely wishes to grasp that tiny handful of secure, immediate benefits, lacking even the audacity to place a wager like Yan Dongqing did."

"It is merely my speculation, but every single action of his up to this point proves that he is unwilling to follow your teachings to become a benevolent, kingly monarch."

With a hint of worry, Shang Sigu reminded him, "The bloodline of the Zhu family carries the genes of the Vertical and Horizontal, and a chaotic world is precisely the ritual that the Vertical and Horizontal requires. The sinking of mountains and rivers, and the contention among rivals, have already brought about the opportunity for a Vertical and Horizontal Two to emerge."

"Eight or nine times out of ten, life does not go as one wishes. If he truly does not wish to listen, then let him be. For this old man to have reached this step is enough to clear the debts of kindness I have owed to the Zhu family over these years. So long as the common people of the world no longer suffer the torment of the Sequences, whether this empire bears the surname Zhu or another is no longer important."

Zhang Fengyue suddenly turned his head to look back, offering a slight smile to the grave-faced Shang Sigu.

"Sigu, if one day this old man asks you to relinquish the Huangliang Law Realm and the Great Ming Code that you command, changing from the current leader of the Legal Sequence into an ordinary judicial clerk, would you be willing?"

"My Lord, I wish to ask whether on that day, laws will still exist within this world?"

"Rites and moral teachings transform the human heart, while laws regulate human conduct. If rites and laws are absent, humans are no different from beasts."

"Then I ask further: after the Sequences are severed, will the people be willing to abide by the law?"

"At that time, everyone should yearn for the law and respect the law. A person's nobility or baseness will no longer be determined by Sequence, but judged by the code."

"If that is the case, what harm is there in being a minor judicial clerk? Sigu would find it sweeter than nectar!"

"What a fine 'sweeter than nectar'!"

A burst of clear, heroic laughter left Zhang Fengyue's mouth, a yearning light gleaming within his eyes.

"Then this old man might as well become a schoolteacher here in these borderlands. The tuition shall be set as a single sack of freshly harvested highland barley from that year, paired with a pot of sweet yak butter tea—that will be quite enough."

The old man looked at Shang Sigu with a smile, teasing, "When the time comes, if this old man suffers any unfair grievances, you must secure justice for me."

"That goes without saying. But if you commit crimes or break the law, I will certainly show no mercy either!"

Shang Sigu spoke with righteous severity, his expression completely solemn.

"Hahahahaha, no need, no need. This old man will certainly teach honestly and behave properly as a law-abiding man."

Zhang Fengyue raised his palm to wipe away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes, turning back to gaze up at the towering mountain path that seemed to pierce straight into the clouds.

"Idle boast the strong pass is a wall of iron... The perilous barriers and passes of this old man's life are finally drawing near their end."

As his words fell to the ground, the old man actually cast away the wooden staff in his hand, lifted the front hem of his robe, and strode forward with great steps.

Shang Sigu did not continue to follow, but instead gazed fixedly at that thin silhouette, which could no longer fully fill out the robe.

No bamboo staff in hand, no straw sandals on feet, yet still his form was like a clear breeze, lighter and swifter than a fleet horse!

At the far end of the long mountain path, Yuan Mingfei, dressed entirely in white, had already been waiting for a long time.

Behind her, upon the vast plaza at the mountain summit, were countless prayer flags and pristine white hada scarves. Encircled in their midst stood a small temple of golden bricks and red tiles.

"Yuan Mingfei of the Heavenly Palace greets the Grand Secretary."

"Do not be so formal. Just like Li Jun, call this old man 'Uncle'."

Zhang Fengyue held both hands behind his back, nodding with a smile as he looked around at the scenery.

His demeanor resembled that of a kindly elder, coming to visit his prosperous younger relatives.

“Oh, I almost forgot to ask you.”

Zhang Fengyue seemed to suddenly recall the purpose of his visit, smiling narrowly as he gazed at Yuan Mingfei.

“If you achieve the complete Buddha Sequence Two, would you then be able to leave this place?”

Yuan Mingfei’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly: “What did you say?”

“What did you say?!”

Zhu Pingxu, hearing this question laced with anger, repeated his earlier words.

“Li Jun entered Zhili alone and killed Wei Sheng of the Spring and Autumn Society in Daming Prefecture.”

“Well, it seems our warning to the Eastern Bureau not only failed to make him retreat, but instead utterly enraged him?”

Emperor Jiaqi’s face darkened, his handsome brows knotted tightly together.

“He will undoubtedly continue to target Zhao Ke and the others; if we cannot stop Li Jun, once Zhao Ke and Zhou Changji are also slain, the hearts of the Spring and Autumn Society will scatter.”

“How can we stop him?”

Jiaqi raised his brow: “Should I send you to duel Li Jun to the death, or should I bring them into this palace? To sacrifice a few hot‑headed traitors, would you lay bare all my trump cards?”

“Li Jun is not easily dealt with, but the Eastern Branch of the Ink Sequence—”

Zhu Pingxu had not finished speaking when Jiaqi waved his hand to cut him off.

“That is the final shackle placed upon him; our previous probes have already touched his bottom line, and Wei Sheng’s death is his retaliation. Therefore, unless we are absolutely certain, we must not act rashly against the Eastern Bureau.”

Zhu Pingxu’s brow furrowed slightly; Jiaqi’s displayed hesitation and concern made him feel a faint irritation, coupled with a deep‑seated dissatisfaction.

Jiaqi, unaware of his unease, paced back and forth, his steps heavy, each footfall on the palace’s gold‑laid bricks sending out muffled thuds.

“There is one more piece of news: Yan Dongqing has appeared within the jurisdiction of Jiangxi Province.”

Jiaqi’s steps halted abruptly; his cold gaze swept over: “What do you wish to say?”

“Your humble servant wishes to suggest informing Li Jun of this. Given our understanding of him, the person he most desires to kill now is Yan Dongqing; once he learns that Yan Dongqing is entangled with Longhu Mountain, Li Jun will likely turn his course immediately and head straight for Jiangxi.”

Jiaqi pressed his brows together, seemingly weighing the possibility.

Yet after a brief pause, he shook his head.

“We already know this news; do you think Zhang Fengyue would be unaware? Given his current relationship with Li Jun, he could hardly suppress such information.”

“Your Majesty means Li Jun already knows?”

Zhu Pingxu asked, bewildered: “Then why does he not go after the true culprit, Yan Dongqing, instead of clinging to a few unrelated cadres of the Spring and Autumn Society?”

Jiaqi’s icy stare fixed on him for a moment, then he remained silent.

He too wondered why, yet he could not discern Li Jun—a man who weighs neither profit nor loss, only gratitude and grudge—a brutish warrior.

Could Li Jun’s actions truly be merely to fulfill that idle, vicious slogan of eradicating the Spring and Autumn Society?

Or does the solitary Martial Sequence possess some special quality that makes his killing more than simple venting?

“When the world first divided the martial paths, the former emperors ought to have sought, at any cost, to seal this sequence forever; then we would not now face a monster whose promotion is lightning‑swift and whose combat power is ferocious, blocking my way.”

Jiaqi harbored silent resentment; his situation was extraordinarily awkward.

On one hand he must pretend not to see through Zhao Ke and the others’ disguises, holding his nose; on the other he must devise a means to protect them, lest the entire mid‑ and high‑rank of the Spring and Autumn Society be swept away, leaving it fractured and scattered.

Know that these young Confucian scholars lack the former generation’s austere virtue and unyielding tenacity.

In the heat of passion they can die generously for their lofty ideals.

But should their leaders perish, they would instantly become a rabble driven by private motives.

Without the Spring and Autumn Society, to continue maneuvering left and right among the Confucian paths would no longer be easy.

This is the favor Zhang Fengyue owes the Zhu family; if we fail to seize it, the execution of our later plans will become far more difficult.

After much thought, only two options lie before us: either abandon the Spring and Autumn Society, or find a way to resolve the Li Jun predicament.

Jiaqi is caught between these two, unable to move, torn left and right.

“The Spring and Autumn Society cannot simply be relinquished; at the very least we must preserve Zhou Changji!”

Jiaqi remained silent for a long while, then erupted in a low, deep roar.

Like an angry young tiger, his roar echoed through the vast, grand hall.

“Yan Dongqing, Yan Dongqing—if I do not grind your bones to ashes and scatter them, how can I quell the hatred in my heart?!”

Standing bound beside him, Zhu Pingxu nodded lightly, yet his gaze toward Jiaqi was unusually complex.

In his view, Zhang Fengyue’s sudden departure from Zhili, returning the Zhu family’s accumulated debts of favor in one fell swoop, had upset Jiaqi’s equilibrium.

It was as if a dragon long suppressed had finally found the chance to leap from the abyss; yet confronted with the expansive heavens before him, he momentarily stood helpless, caught in bewildering indecision.

Zhu Pingxu could comprehend this, and the Zhu family could bear such loss.

Yet deep within his heart, an uncontrolled self‑questioning voice arose.

“Are you theirs, or merely yourself?”

Zhu Pingxu, who once held the answer to that question with absolute certainty, now found himself slipping into doubt.