The purple mist spread like a living thing, creeping across the snow-covered earth. Wherever it touched, grass withered, ice melted, and the ground cracked.
The remains of the inn - a pile of broken bricks and shattered tiles – lay in the mist's path. Wood rotted and dissolved, tiles crumbled to dust.
Gao Gong watched in horror.
Chen Yiqin, unable to contain his fear, warned, "This is a Unity Realm poison master! Be careful!"
Even without his warning, Gao Gong and Yin Shidan, having witnessed the mist's potency, were well aware of the danger.
A Unity Realm cultivator wasn't frightening. They were all at that level.
But an enemy hidden in the shadows, capable of launching an attack at any moment, from any angle - that was truly terrifying!
"Who is there?!" Gao Gong shouted.
"Gao Gong, Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Cabinet, stands before you! Do you dare show yourself?!"
His voice echoed through the forest, but there was no response.
Within moments, the area was engulfed by the purple mist.
The three men flew into the air, using their senses to search for the enemy.
"Grand Secretary Gao," Yin Shidan said calmly, after a moment's thought, "I believe this attacker's cultivation is lower than ours. They are only able to launch such a potent attack because they possess a powerful treasure."
"A cowardly rat, hiding in the shadows!" Gao Gong said, grinding his teeth.
He was already at the eighth rank of the Unity Realm, just a step away from Great Perfection. He considered ordinary Unity Realm cultivators insignificant.
"It must be a Heaven-grade spiritual treasure," Chen Yiqin said.
He was a renowned scholar, known for his vast knowledge, especially his expertise in appraising treasures.
Hearing his assessment, Gao Gong and Yin Shidan's faces darkened. They knew he was likely right.
"How many Unity Realm medical cultivators are there in the Great Ming?" Gao Gong demanded.
The arts of medicine and poison were closely related. Even a cultivator specializing in poison would likely disguise themselves as a physician.
The Great Ming's laws were strict. All medical practitioners had to be registered.
Yin Shidan pondered the question for a moment.
"Our nation's most skilled physicians are all in the Imperial Hospital. Most are members of the "clear stream."
Even if there were a few Yan faction physicians among them, they wouldn't possess such power."
No official in the Jiajing era had reached the Great Vehicle Realm.
Unity Realm was the highest level attainable for a Ming official. The Great Ming Dynasty valued Confucianism and scholarship. Medicine was considered a minor art, a heretical path.
Truly talented cultivators all pursued Confucianism or, in rare cases, martial arts, like Hu Zongxian. Medical experts were incredibly rare.
Gao Gong, however, didn't accept Yin Shidan's assessment.
"The Great Ming's most skilled physician is no longer in the Imperial Hospital," he said coldly. "Have you forgotten Li Shizhen?"
Chen Yiqin immediately shook his head.
"Grand Secretary Gao, do not accuse an innocent man! Li Shizhen is a renowned physician, known for his compassion. He has saved countless lives. Have you ever heard of him harming anyone?"
His words were intended as a gentle reminder, but Gao Gong snorted.
"Humph! Just because he hasn't harmed anyone in the past, doesn't mean he won't do so in the future! We can only judge a person by their actions! Perhaps he has been secretly recruited by the Yan faction? We wouldn't know, would we?"
His words, based on nothing but suspicion, made Yin Shidan and Chen Yiqin wince.
They had once served as tutors alongside Gao Gong. They knew his personality.
He was a brilliant and ambitious man, but he believed that human nature was inherently evil. He treated all outsiders, those who weren't his allies, as enemies.
A significant reason for their participation in this ambush was to avoid antagonizing Gao Gong. They had nothing to gain from helping him. But if they refused, they would surely make an enemy of him.
"Enough, Brother," Chen Yiqin whispered to Yin Shidan. "Once we find this poison master, we can clear Li Shizhen's name. It's not worth arguing with Gao Gong. Let's not ruin Junior Grand Secretary Xu's plans."
Yin Shidan reluctantly agreed. He sighed and said to Gao Gong, "Grand Coordinator Hu's life is at stake. We must not delay. Let us work together to disperse this mist. We need to find his body and report back to Junior Grand Secretary Xu."
"Humph! If we find Hu Zongxian, we'll simply kill him. What's the point of reporting to anyone?"
It seemed Gao Gong didn't want to remain subordinate to Xu Jie for much longer.
Hearing his words, Chen Yiqin and Yin Shidan exchanged glances. They both had the same thought.
"Let's move!"
Gao Gong issued the command, then struck out with his palm. A giant handprint, formed from pure spiritual energy, swept towards the mist.
Chen Yiqin and Yin Shidan also attacked, their combined palm strikes powerful enough to disperse the mist.
Three Unity Realm experts' strength was undeniable.
The mist cleared, revealing scorched earth and a barren road. All vegetation had withered, and the skeletons of small animals lay scattered about.
The three men gasped.
The poison was truly terrifying!
"Look! There's Hu Zongxian!"
Chen Yiqin pointed.
A skeleton lay where Hu Zongxian had been standing.
They quickly descended, noticing a few items scattered around the bones. They were undamaged by the poison and they were clearly part of Hu Zongxian's attire.
"Is… Is he dead?" Yin Shidan asked, astonished.
He had been gravely injured and engulfed by the poison mist. It was plausible that he had died.
But they were all experienced officials, learned scholars. They couldn't shake off the suspicion that this was a ruse.
"Using poison to conceal his escape, then leaving behind a skeleton as a decoy?"
Gao Gong sneered.
"Gentlemen, I suggest we split up and search the area. If we find anything, we'll communicate through sound transmission. If not, we'll return here in an hour."
He didn't wait for their agreement. He immediately chose a direction and flew off.
Chen Yiqin and Yin Shidan smiled wryly and also began their search.
Time passed quickly.
An hour later, they returned to their meeting point, empty-handed.
"What happened?!" Gao Gong said angrily. "I found nothing! He must be hiding somewhere in your search area! Were you not diligent enough? You let him escape?!"
Even a clay statue would be angered by his accusations. Chen Yiqin and Yin Shidan had endured his arrogance for far too long. They couldn't hold back any longer.
"How dare you accuse us of being negligent?!" Chen Yiqin shouted. "There are countless possibilities! Perhaps he escaped while we were distracted by the poison? How could we possibly find him?"
Yin Shidan added, "Perhaps this was an act of revenge by one of Hu Zongxian's enemies. Grand Secretary Gao, do you have any proof that this skeleton truly belongs to Hu Zongxian?"
"You…!"
Gao Gong was furious. He wanted to lash out. But he couldn't forget that he was outranked by both Yan Song and Xu Jie. And recently, even the young Zhang Juzheng had surpassed him.
If this continued, would he ever become Grand Secretary?
He was on friendly terms with Chen Yiqin and Yin Shidan. If he offended them today, he would have no allies in the court.
"Forgive me, gentlemen," he said, forcing himself to apologize. "I was overcome with anger. Please don't take offense."
What a surprise!
This was the first time Chen Yiqin and Yin Shidan had ever heard Gao Gong apologize. They were both reasonable men, so they readily accepted.
"Ahem. Grand Secretary Gao, we admire your dedication. We wouldn't dare be angry with you. Perhaps… we should examine this skeleton. Is it truly Hu Zongxian?"
Yin Shidan knelt beside the bones, enduring the stench. Scholars valued cleanliness. Tasks like cooking or examining corpses were beneath them. They inspected the skeleton for a while, but they were merely pretending to be experts. They looked at each other, none the wiser.
"The height and build… They seem similar to Hu Zongxian's," Yin Shidan said hesitantly.
"The bones are thick and strong. It's definitely a man," Chen Yiqin added.
Their words, though lacking certainty, seemed to reassure them. They were gradually becoming convinced that the skeleton belonged to Hu Zongxian.
Gao Gong listened to them, feeling a growing sense of unease.
"Oh!" Chen Yiqin suddenly exclaimed, "Where are the three young officials from the auxiliary capital? They've disappeared! Could it be… they were melted by the poison?"
"What?!"
Gao Gong was shocked.
Although he looked down on Yang Jisheng, Shen Liangcai, and Tan Lun, they were still officials. If they died here, he, as their superior, would be held accountable!
He hadn't achieved his goal of becoming Grand Secretary yet. How could his career end like this?
"Quickly! Find them!"
Thankfully, they were soon found.
Yang Jisheng, Shen Liangcai, Tan Lun, and the thirty-six warriors, lay unconscious beside the road.
"They're alive!"
Yin Shidan checked their breathing and found no injuries. Their lips were purple, as if they had been poisoned.
The thirty-six warriors were also unconscious.
"There's a letter!"
A letter was tucked inside Tan Lun's collar.
Chen Yiqin reached for it, but Gao Gong snatched it first.
"Let me see what this scoundrel has written."
He was so arrogant that Chen Yiqin almost exploded. Thankfully, Yin Shidan discreetly tugged at his sleeve, calming him down.
The letter was unfolded, revealing a single line of clumsy handwriting: A million soldiers will fight to the death! How can a disgraced general live alone?
Yin Shidan was puzzled. "What does this mean? Could it be that the defeated soldiers from Yunzhou, blaming Hu Zongxian for abandoning the city, came here to kill him?"
Chen Yiqin nodded. "That's what the letter seems to be saying."
But Gao Gong sneered. "This was clearly written with the left hand, to disguise the handwriting! They're pretending to be defeated soldiers, but this was an inside job!"
In terms of scholarship, Chen Yiqin and Yin Shidan were Gao Gong's equals.
But when it came to political maneuvering, they were no match for him.
Gao Gong had spent years battling the Yan faction in the court. He was acutely sensitive to schemes and conspiracies. He could see through lies that would take the two scholars hours to decipher.
Thankfully, the three young officials were alive. But what about Hu Zongxian? Was he truly dead?
"Grand Secretary Gao, perhaps we should report this to Junior Grand Secretary Xu?" Yin Shidan said.
"We've done our best. The rest is up to Heaven."
Gao Gong, after a long silence, finally nodded.
"Take that skeleton. Bring it to the Junior Grand Secretary."
His order almost made Yin Shidan and Chen Yiqin laugh.
"Ahem, ahem, ahem!" Chen Yiqin coughed dramatically. "I apologize, Grand Secretary, but both Brother Shidan and I were injured by the poison mist. We are weak and exhausted. We cannot carry heavy objects."
Yin Shidan added, "Grand Secretary Gao, surely you wouldn't mind taking this important evidence back to the capital yourself?"
Gao Gong imagined himself carrying a skeleton. The thought made him shudder.
"Forget it. It's useless anyway! Let's return to the capital. And bring those three idiots with us."
…
Ming capital, Home Inn.
The Home Inn chain had hundreds of branches throughout the Great Ming, in every prefecture, county, and even small villages.
With its standardized service and affordable prices, it was incredibly popular among the lower classes.
For decades, the Home Inn had operated quietly, diligently paying taxes and obeying the laws. It never attracted any unwanted attention.
Gradually, even the local officials forgot that the Home Inn was a foreign business.
The owner was the Great Chu's Fan Clan.
Fan Li stood by the window of the "Heaven's Blessing" room, the inn's most luxurious suite. Even so, its furnishings paled in comparison to the private rooms on the Smoke and Waves Pleasure Barge.
"My ancestor truly knew how to play the long game."
He wasn't the architect of the Home Inn chain. These low-profit businesses, forbidden from engaging in any espionage, were merely pawns placed by the Fan Clan in various nations.
Their purpose – to serve as safe houses in times of need.
"Divine Physician Yu, how is he doing?"
Hu Zongxian lay unconscious on the bed.
This had been a guaranteed victory. Fan Li had proven that there was no place for Hu Zongxian in the Great Ming. He should have surrendered and pledged his allegiance.
But Fan Li hadn't expected that after Gao Gong, Chen Yiqin, and Yin Shidan appeared, Hu Zongxian would choose to die!
He could understand why. The three scholars were the Crown Prince's tutors. Their actions represented Wanli's will.
If even the Crown Prince wanted him dead, Hu Zongxian truly had no future in the Great Ming. But why choose to die by their hands?
"Damn it! They promised they wouldn't attack! Liars!"
Even he, Fan Li, the infamous traitor of Great Chu, had always kept his word.
But Hu Zongxian, the Grand Coordinator of the Great Ming's northern territories, had broken his promise.
"Divine Physician Yu, you must save him! I want to see if he has the audacity to die a second time!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Yu Shenzi bowed.
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, Grand Coordinator Hu has cultivated the 'Spirit Armor' technique to a high level. Its effects have permeated his very being. Even though his armor was shattered, his defenses are still far superior to those of ordinary cultivators.
His injuries are severe, but he will survive. After all, those three scholars were weaker than him. But…"
"But what? Speak freely," Fan Li urged.
He had risked his life, infiltrating the Great Ming Dynasty, maneuvering between Emperor Jiajing, the Yan faction, the Xu faction, and even the Painting Sage. He wouldn't allow his efforts to be wasted.
"Grand Coordinator Hu's cultivation… It might drop by six or seven ranks."
Fan Li was relieved.
That was all?
Cultivators consumed a vast amount of resources. To train a single Divine Transformation expert could bankrupt a small family.
As for Unity Realm cultivators, even powerful clans could only afford to support a few.
If Hu Zongxian's cultivation truly plummeted, it would take a fortune to restore it to its former glory. But for Fan Li, that wasn't a problem.
"As long as he pledges his allegiance to Great Jin, I will help him recover. He might even surpass his former strength!"
Yu Shenzi, hearing this, felt a pang of envy. Having become a subject of Great Jin, he was well aware of Fan Li's wealth.
The Great Chu's intelligence network was now under Fan Li's control. He was the Emperor of Great Jin, wielding absolute power. Even among the Emperors of the Central Plains, he was the wealthiest.
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will do my best to ensure Grand Coordinator Hu's speedy recovery."
Hu Zongxian's vitality was indeed strong.
Three days later, he awoke. But his injuries were severe. He couldn't move his limbs. He sat up in bed, staring blankly ahead.
Yu Shenzi personally prepared medicinal soups for him, each bowl a concentrated elixir, brimming with life energy.
"Hu Zongxian, do you still wish to remain in the Great Ming?" Fan Li asked suddenly.
The man, still and silent, resembled a puppet. But his gaze slowly shifted upon Fan Li.
His eyes spoke volumes. There was no longer any trace of attachment to the Great Ming in Hu Zongxian's gaze.
But Fan Li was worried. He could also see that Hu Zongxian had lost his will to live.
This was not a good sign. Fan Li sighed and recited a poem:
"Ten miles of cloud-wreathed mountains, a single path winding through,
Heaven's gate stands open, five clouds swirling above.
Wine cup in hand, amidst the clouds, my spirit soars,
I ascend the peak, riding a rainbow of jade."
As if a miracle had occurred, Hu Zongxian reacted. He straightened slightly, his lips moving as he tried to speak. His voice was barely audible.
Fan Li knew he had something to say. He waited patiently.
Finally, Hu Zongxian spoke.
"Duke Jin… No, Your Majesty… Have you also read my poems?"
Fan Li nodded. "Your poem, 'Rotten Axe Mountain,' it is filled with vigor and ambition. A true man, living in this chaotic world, should strive to leave his mark, to achieve greatness, to be remembered for his deeds. Only then has he truly lived."
Hu Zongxian's eyes brightened. A kindred spirit. He had no desire to become Emperor.
But a true hero, living in a time of turmoil, should leave behind a legacy, a testament to his courage and his achievements. He refused to live a meaningless life.
The "clear stream" faction had denied him power. He had sought it from the "muddy stream." But whether "clear" or "muddy," all power ultimately stemmed from the Emperor.
The Emperor had abandoned him. Only one path remained.
A dead end.
But this… Fan Li… He had offered him a new path?
"Grand Coordinator Hu, if you yearn for greatness, why cling to the Great Ming? The Great Jin kingdom is young. Everything is still in its infancy. But its potential is limitless. I offer you the position of Grand Marshal. Train an army for me. Conquer the world!
Are you willing?"