CH 69

“Qing Luo humbly greets Wang ye,” Qing Luo said, bowing to Chen Ziqi as etiquette required. Dan Yi had expressly stated that she was not to be disrespectful to Chen Ziqi, so she had no choice but to do so.

A few of the Crane Wing girls also followed suit, bowing respectfully to Chen Ziqi. They were about to leave when they realised that Qing Luo was still standing in place, and had no choice but to remain there as well. They looked at each other in confusion, not sure what Qing Luo was up to. 

“Miss Qing Luo, was there something you needed from me?” Chen Ziqi asked. He’d been interrupted in the midst of an interesting conversation with Clan Leader Geng, but he still smiled politely at Qing Luo as he spoke to her.

The warm sunlight of early summer shone down on that young, handsome, far-skinned face of Chen Ziqi’s, throwing his thick eyelashes and the charmingly pink corners of his peach blossom eyes into sharp relief. He looked like a peach blossom that had bloomed in spring, one that could make you drunk just by looking at its beauty.

Qing Luo froze for a second. She looked down, not daring to look at Chen Ziqi’s face any more. “Qing Luo is the one the Qing Clan chose to attend to the Palace Master. Wang ye, your flirting with me earlier was very inappropriate, and I ask that you behave in a proper manner,” she said.

Huh?! Chen Ziqi’s eyebrows rose in surprise. This woman was the one who had looked at him with smouldering eyes at the banquet, and he had only smiled back at her out of kindness. So, that coquettish smile of hers was not actually meant for him to see; it had been meant for Dan Yi instead! Chen Ziqi folded his arms, then raised a hand to tap at his temple. “Did I… see you today?” he asked, deliberately feigning confusion. 

“Pfft!” the girls behind Qing Luo couldn’t contain their laughter.

Qing Luo turned red at once. She’d come here to give her admirer a warning, but her so-called admirer didn’t even know who she was! A thick fog of awkwardness settled over the people standing in the corridor.

“Ah, wasn’t she the dancing girl from the banquet? The one wearing red robes?” the good-hearted Sword Stabbing Clan Leader said, trying to defuse the situation. He unwittingly made it worse however; he had now reduced a noble born girl of the Qing Clan to a mere dancing girl.

“Ah! Brother Geng, now that you mention it, I do remember her from the banquet. My apologies,” Chen Ziqi said, smiling as he clasped his hands in her direction.

Qing Luo felt bile rising in her throat. She grit her teeth and took her leave, then spun on her heel and left. If she continued the conversation, she might actually get an internal injury.

“Pah, what’s the world coming to? Now even a mere bedwarmer of the Palace Master dares to be this insolent,” Clan Leader Geng said quietly to Chen Ziqi as he watched Qing Luo go.

Qing Luo’s martial arts skills were pretty good, and she was able to hear this clearly even though she was about ten feet away. She suddenly felt like she’d been stabbed hard in the back and nearly tripped and fell.

“Sigh, Brother Geng, we shouldn’t say things willy nilly. Perhaps that girl will one day be the Palace Master’s furen,” Chen Ziqi said, feeling a sour taste in his mouth as he said these words. Damn this Phoenix blood! How was he supposed to get Dan Yi like this? 

“The Palace Master’s furen? I highly doubt it. The Palace Master has never even looked at her even once. Compared to her, you seem more like the Palace Master’s furen,” Geng Zhijun said, not mincing his words in the least. From the start of the banquet right up to the end, the Palace Master had only drunk wine, put food in Chen Ziqi’s bowl, and stolen food from Chen Ziqi’s bowl. He had also looked at everyone with cold, unfeeling eyes, and his gaze only softened when he looked at Chen Ziqi.

Chen Ziqi liked to hear things like this. He elbowed Clan Leader Geng in the chest playfully. “Hehe, thank you for your kind words,” he said.

Kind words? Clan Leader Geng had actually regretted saying those words the moment they had left his mouth – it didn’t seem appropriate for him to say that Chen Ziqi, a boy, was the Palace Master’s furen. He hadn’t expected Chen Ziqi to be happy about it, and was completely confused now. Before he could figure things out, he was dragged off by Chen Ziqi to look for the Thousand Poisons Sect Leader.

Meanwhile, in the small atrium, Dan Yi was in the midst of asking the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan Leader some questions. The leader of the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan was named Ren Zongmie, and he wore all-black robes with a black cloak over them, which was the usual mode of dress for a Venom Master. His skin was an unhealthy-looking greyish-green shade. 

Ren Zongmie stood in front of Dan Yi. He couldn’t help swallowing hard when those phoenix tail eyes were trained intently on him. “I don’t have any blackworms on me when I visit the Cloud Palace,” he said, shivering slightly.

Dan Yi looked away when he said this. He lifted his chin slightly to indicate that Ren Zongmie could sit.

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“The Tiande Emperor has a Venom Master in grey Taoist robes by his side. Do you know who that is?” Dan Yi asked. He still felt angry when he thought back on the time when Chen Ziqi had been unwittingly made a blackworm host. 

“What were his blackworms like?” Ren Zongmie asked. There weren’t many Venom Masters from the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect who went out to set up their own clans or sects. As long as one could say what the defining features of his blackworms were, he could easily guess who it was.

Dan Yi thought for a bit. “It tastes like peanuts when deep fried, and it was crispier than your blackworms,” he said.

“… …” Ren Zongmie really didn’t know what to say as he stared helplessly as Dan Yi.

“Ahem!” Lan Jiangxue coughed politely, unable to continue watching the exchange between these two any more. He took out a small ink painting from his sleeve and offered it to Ren Zongmie. 

Ren Zongmie took it and opened it for a look. He recognised the blackworm’s Venom Master the moment he set eyes on the picture. “If I’m not mistaken, this must be my Shixiong’s blackworm. His name is Yan Feijue,” he said.

“Yan Feijue?” Dan Yi frowned. This name sounded very unpleasant.

Yan Feijue was the head disciple of the previous leader of the Ten Thousand Venoms Clan. However, when he was fighting for the right to succeed as the next Supreme Venom Master, he’d lost to Ren Zongmie, and had left the Clan in a rage thereafter. Ren Zongmie had actually been looking for him all this while, but hadn’t heard any news about him.

“He has flouted the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect’s rules by participating in affairs of state. I will bring him back and punish him,” Ren Zongmie said, clenching his fists tightly. 

He’d originally assumed that the fellow had just retreated into seclusion somewhere in the mountains, and had never thought that he would go to the Imperial Palace to stir up trouble.

Dan Yi didn’t care about the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect’s internal power struggles. He was only concerned with Chen Ziqi’s safety, and after thinking for a bit, he spoke up again. “If the blackworm has been removed and fried to a crisp, would the mother blackworm be aware of this somehow?” he asked.

Fried? To a crisp?! The corners of Ren Zongmie’s mouth twitched. “No. It’s only if the mother blackworm is killed that the spawned blackworms will die. When the spawn blackworm dies, the mother isn’t affected. If you… erm… fry the spawn blackworm, Yan Feijue is very unlikely to know,” he said.

“Good,” Dan Yi said, nodding. He changed the topic after that. “Go with Diao Lie to the room at the back of the mountain. I want to know the answer before tonight.” 

Ren Zongmie followed Diao Lie down the winding corridors until they finally came to the front of a steep cliff. Diao Lie grabbed hold of the back of Ren Zongmie’s collar and flew up into the sky with him. They dove straight into a cave halfway up the cliff. This was the “room at the back of the mountain” that Dan Yi had referred to earlier – the Cloud Palace’s prison.

In the dim light of the prison, a woman with dishevelled hair and a dirty face could be seen. It was Cheng Jiazhen, who should have been by Cheng Zhou’s side in Jiangnan.

“This woman is a real tough nut to crack. She completely refuses to say what the Suxin Sect made her do. The Palace Master does not allow us to beat women, so we can only ask you to assist,” Diao Lie said, using his eagle eyes to stare intently at Ren Zongmie.

Ren Zongmie swallowed hard. “I really didn’t bring any blackworms with me,” he said. 

“Don’t worry, I don’t eat worms,” Diao Lie said. Sharp cracks sounded as he clenched his fists, echoing ominously in the hollow cave. He continued speaking in a more sinister tone. “However, I will eat Venom Masters who don’t do as I say.”

“… …” Ren Zongmie shivered in fright as he felt around inside his clothes. He finally found what he was looking for – a small white porcelain bottle. “This is called a Befuddling Blackworm, and it makes people tell the truth,” he said.

Back at the Cloud Palace, Chen Ziqi was pestering the old Thousand Poisons Sect Master, trying to get him to accept him as a disciple.

“This is Itching Powder, and it makes people itch so bad that they start dancing. This one is called Crotch Brightening Cream. It causes men to be unable to get it up for a month – this one is really fun,” Huang Teng said excitedly. It wasn’t every day that he got to meet someone who appreciated his poisons, and he was happily showing off his latest inventions to Chen Ziqi. 

Geng Zhijun, who had been dragged here by Chen Ziqi, couldn’t help backing away a few steps.

“Wang ye, you’re a noble person, and you shouldn’t be learning these underhanded things. However, I can make a gift of a few fun items to you. If you like them, you can buy them from the Thousand Poisons Sect, and I’ll give you a discount then,” Sect Leader Huang said, grinning from ear to ear as he pulled out a few little bottles and thrust them into Chen Ziqi’s hands.

There were six small bottles in total – Itching Powder, Crotch Brightening Cream, Spicy Eye Water, and the antidotes to these three poisons.

“You can’t use too much of the antidote,” the fat old man cautioned Chen Ziqi. “The antidotes are actually poison as well, after all.” He couldn’t help adding this on as he looked into Chen Ziqi’s adorably covetous peach blossom eyes. 

The antidote to Itching Powder was Numbing Powder – this was self-explanatory. The antidote for Spicy Eye Water would cause a person to lose his eyesight if used on its own and not as an antidote, and the Crotch Brightening Cream’s antidote was a strong aphrodisiac for male use.

At night, when Chen Ziqi got back to the room he shared with Dan Yi, he couldn’t resist excitedly showing off his loot.

Dan Yi gave him a sideways glance, then continued reading the confession in his hands. This had been sent from the room at the back of the mountains. Cheng Jiazhen had spilled her guts under the influence of the Befuddling Blackworm, and Diao Lie had instructed someone to write it all down. Lan Jiangxue had been asked to look over it before it had been sent on to Dan Yi.

The dense words on the paper had a few parts that had been circled out by Lan Jiangxue in red cinnabar ink. 

“What are you reading?” Chen Ziqi asked, scooting over with a curious look.

Dan Yi pulled him onto his lap, then reached his arms around him to point at one of the cinnabar markings. “The Abbess Wuyin once asked Cheng Jiazhen to learn a certain music score,” she said.

“A music score?” Chen Ziqi asked, frowning. He would have never guessed that that fierce old nun had such refined hobbies. “You think that the reason the Abbess Wuyin was looking for Cheng Jiazhen was because of this music score?” That seemed too incredible for words.

“This music score was a prized treasure of the Jiuyin Mountain Sect that had been passed down for generations. Its name is Xiao Shao Jiu Cheng. After the Cheng family was murdered, this book fell into the Suxin Sect’s hands,” Dan Yi said, enunciating every word slowly and clearly, ruminating on what he said even as he spoke. He had a habit of rubbing the little jade flute at his waist as he thought, but right now, the only thing within reach was Chen Ziqi’s hand, so he used his thumb to gently massage Chen Ziqi’s palm. 

Chen Ziqi felt a strange tingly sensation emanate from the palm that Dan Yi was caressing. He felt elated, however, and didn’t want to pull away from Dan Yi’s touch. He simply relaxed and leaned into Dan Yi’s embrace. “Then, the Abbess Wuyin killed the Cheng family just so she could get this music score?” he asked.

“Nn. Probably,” Dan Yi said, nodding. He rested his chin on Chen Ziqi’s shoulder. “We’ll go to the Suxin Sect the day after tomorrow. I’ve asked the Arcane Sects to arrive ahead of Cheng Zhou to draw out that old nun Wuyin. After that, the palanquin bearers will fly in and get the Taifei out.”

The Suxin Sect was a large martial arts sect, and would be guarded by powerful, experienced martial artists. They could not simply force their way into the sect; if possible, they had to sneak in and get Chang Er out.

“I’ll go in together with the palanquin bearers,” Chen Ziqi said immediately. His little fairy wouldn’t recognise the palanquin bearers, and he was afraid she would make a fuss, thinking that she was about to be kidnapped again. If the Suxin Sect people heard the racket and came over to check on her, things would get really ugly. 

“Absolutely not. It’s too dangerous for you to go in alone,” Dan Yi said disapprovingly.

“Then you’ll come with me,” Chen Ziqi said, turning to look at Dan Yi with puppy eyes.

“I cannot appear in person,” Dan Yi said, shaking his head. He was the Palace Master of the Cloud Palace, and if he made an appearance, this would turn into a feud between the Cloud Palace and the Suxin Sect.

“There’s no need for you to appear in person,” Chen Ziqi said, grinning widely. 

“… …”

Two days later, the martial artists of Jiangnan made their way up the Heavenly Fairy Peak with great fanfare, beating their drums and waving their battle flags. Chen Ziqi wore a martial arts outfit made of coarse cloth and hid amongst the crowd, shouting along with the other martial artists. “Abbess Wuyin, blood for blood!” the crowd cried.

A fluffy little red bird lay in the folds of Chen Ziqi’s clothes, extending a foot to scratch lazily at its belly.

— 

The author has something to say: Mini-theatre

Qiqi: Blackworms sound like they’re very powerful

Birdie Gong: I know this trade very well, you can ask me anything

Ren Zongmie: This is a Befuddling Blackworm, it makes people speak the truth 

Birdie Gong: This tastes like sesame

Ren Zongmie: This is a Heartbreak Blackworm. A person who has a Heartbreak Blackworm inside him cannot ever meet his lover, or he will suffer incomparable pain

Birdie Gong: This tastes like cucumber

Ren Zongmie: … … Don’t test me, or I’ll bring out the Super Blackworm! 

Birdie Gong: (⊙v⊙) Oh this is the best tasting of them all, this tastes like braised beef

Ren Zongmie: QAQ

Qiqi: →_→