When Yang Lianting descended the mountain, Mu Qingxie did not see him off. He stood beneath the statue of Shennong as the clear spring water flowed away. Nie Shan, a Protector of the sect, returned to report, "Sect Leader, I sent men to investigate. Yang Lianting has no family or kin in Jinyang; in fact, no one can even say where his hometown is."
With that, he presented a reply from a local branch. Mu Qingxie took it slowly, flipped through a few pages, and said, "From now on, members of the Baiyu Sect are forbidden from having any contact with this man. However, you are also not permitted to provoke or harass him."
"Understood," Nie Shan replied. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Sect Leader, our sect currently enjoys His Majesty's deep reliance. This Yang Lianting is but a youth in his teens. Your solemnity regarding him leaves me somewhat perplexed."
Mu Qingxie sighed. "Nie Shan, tell me—in the current Great Yan, who exactly is training hawks and falcons?"
"Huh?" Nie Shan was baffled.
Mu Qingxie lowered his voice further. "And what, exactly, is their goal?" He paused to think before adding, "Continue the investigation. I will give you a direction: six years ago, Yang Jiling—the son of Yang Xuanhe of Jinyang—was accused of privately possessing dragon robes and using imperial wares. His entire clan was executed. He had a grandson who would be roughly the same age as this man."
Nie Shan asked, "Does the Sect Leader suspect that this Yang Lianting is Yang Xuanhe’s grandson?"
Mu Qingxie replied, "I only hope he is not."
While Mu Qingxie pondered the answer, Yang Lianting was walking the road back to Jinyang. He knew his mission had failed, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Mu Qingxie was clearly a man of strong convictions; he had left Yang no room for maneuver.
Yang Lianting gripped the jade box containing the Nine Needles. Suddenly, a voice spoke beside him: "You're walking so slowly, you're going to step on a tortoise and kill it!"
Startled, Yang Lianting quickly turned his head. He saw Leng Feiyan following behind him, though he had no idea when she had arrived. He was secretly alarmed—while his martial arts were inferior to hers, since when had she been able to get so close without him noticing?
Leng Feiyan asked with a grin, "What are you thinking about so intently?"
Yang Lianting replied helplessly, "Didn't you see? I was kicked off the mountain by the Baiyu Sect."
"I saw," Leng Feiyan said. "But hearing you say it again makes it even more satisfying."
Yang Lianting: "..."
He was momentarily speechless. Leng Feiyan was already peering at the Nine Needles in his box. "What kind of bug is this? How strange. Lend it to me to play with for a few days!"
Yang Lianting quickly pulled it back. "Stop messing around. I still don't know how I'm going to explain this to the Lord when I get back!"
Leng Feiyan shrugged. "A pity A-Zuo isn't here." Yang Lianting sighed and snapped the jade box shut.
Upon returning to Jinyang, Yang Lianting waited for several days in a state of nervous apprehension. However, Murong Yan gave him no further instructions.
One morning, just as Yang Lianting was preparing to open his doors for patients, a squad of government soldiers suddenly burst in. The leader asked, "Are you Yang Lianting?"
Yang Lianting was slightly stunned. "I am. Has something happened?"
The leader said nothing more. With a wave of his hand, the soldiers rushed forward like wolves and tigers. They bound Yang Lianting and marched him out the door.
The news of Yang Lianting’s arrest spread almost instantly. By then, Yang Lianting was famous not only in Jinyang but throughout the entire Great Yan. The commoners were immediately abuzz with discussion. However, a few days later, another rumor began to circulate—someone leaked that the reason for Yang Lianting’s arrest was that he was the grandson of the famous physician Yang Xuanhe and the son of Yang Jiling!
This news was like water hitting a vat of boiling oil, exploding through Jinyang in an instant. Years ago, Yang Xuanhe had been in his twilight years when he was framed and imprisoned, leading to the execution of the entire Yang family. Now that the old case was being brought up again, the imperial court had arrested a descendant of the Yang clan!
Inside the palace, Murong Yuan was also furious. A condemned criminal who had escaped years ago had actually appeared brazenly in Jinyang and become a highly respected physician. The plaque the King had personally inscribed for him now felt like a massive mockery.
He immediately ordered: "Make him confess! I want to know who helped him escape his sentence of exile back then, and what his purpose is for appearing in Jinyang now!"
Thus, within the Zhaoyu—the Imperial Prison—Yang Lianting was subjected to various forms of torture to force a confession. He had seen those instruments many years ago. Back then, his father and brothers had been covered in blood, their fingers swollen, their very forms broken beyond recognition.
Eight years had passed, yet every time he closed his eyes, he could still see the cold glint reflected off those torture devices in the dim cells. Now, the blood and the light overlapped with the past. He gritted his teeth and did not utter a single word.
Late into the night, the prison door creaked open a sliver. A woman wrapped in a black hooded cloak slipped inside. Behind her, a jailer whispered, "Please be quick, My Lady. If something goes wrong, I won't be able to take the blame."
The woman whispered her thanks and pressed a piece of silver into his hand. Seeing the silver, the jailer tried to decline. "The Saintess need not be so polite. If it weren't for you last time, my wife and child would have likely both perished."
In the firelight, the woman revealed half her face; it was indeed A-Fei, the Saintess of the Baiyu Sect. She said softly, "Do not refuse. Take it."
The jailer had no choice but to accept the silver and went outside to keep watch. A-Fei hurried to Yang Lianting’s side. He was wearing heavy stocks and could not lie down to sleep. But he did not wake; several days of torture had left him unable to maintain consciousness.
A-Fei knelt down, hardly able to believe that the man before her was the high-spirited Yang Lianting of a few days ago. Her fingers, white as jade, brushed over the bloody welts on his face. At that moment, Mu Qingxie suddenly entered from outside. Without a word, he grabbed her and dragged her away!
Once they were out of the Zhaoyu, Protector Nie Shan was already waiting. A-Fei finally wrenched herself free. "Let go! Adoptive Father, you were the one who verified his identity, weren't you? You were the one who informed His Majesty, weren't you?!"
Mu Qingxie’s face was ashen. He said, "Do you know what his current status is? He is the son of a rebel, a fugitive for years who suddenly appeared in Jinyang with a set of formidable skills! You actually went to the prison at night to visit him. If the King finds out, what will he think?"
A-Fei stared into his eyes. "Back then, Uncle Yang had many heart-to-heart talks with you; you were the best of friends! Do you not know what kind of man he was? Do you not know how Wen Weishu set fire to the Yang house? Adoptive Father, are you truly so heartless that you must send the son of your old friend to his death as well?"
Mu Qingxie pressed his lips tight, the muscles in his cheeks twitching slightly. He said, "I only know that I am the Sect Leader of the Baiyu Sect. I absolutely cannot harbor a fugitive with ill intentions."
A-Fei asked, "So even an innocent person can be sacrificed?"
Mu Qingxie said, "A-Fei, the affairs of this world are far more complex than you imagine. Our Baiyu Sect cannot afford to wade into these muddy waters! You are to return to Mount Gusha immediately. From this day forward, without my permission, you are not to step a single foot off the mountain!"
A-Fei’s eyes were clouded with tears. She said, "I do not understand other things. Just as I never imagined you possessed such a cold and heartless soul!"
Mu Qingxie barked, "Begone!"
A-Fei turned around and disappeared into the dark night without looking back. Mu Qingxie turned to glance once more at the grey-blue Zhaoyu. The torches burning on either side of the gate looked like the twin eyes of a vicious beast—cold and sinister. Mu Qingxie walked forward slowly, with Protector Nie Shan following in silence.
After a long while, Mu Qingxie said, "Nie Shan, follow the Saintess. Do not let her do anything foolish."
"Yes," Nie Shan replied. After thinking for a moment, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Sect Leader, actually... why was it necessary to expose Physician Yang’s identity? When you gifted him the Nine Needles, was that not a sign of your appreciation?"
Mu Qingxie said, "Nie Shan, I am afraid." When he uttered those words, Nie Shan was stunned.
Mu Qingxie did not explain further and walked on alone. He was afraid. That was why, despite being on good terms with Yang Xuanhe and knowing the Yang family had been wronged, he had chosen self-preservation. When Yang Lianting appeared, the mere sight of that face had cast a dark cloud over his heart.
But that child was truly so outstanding—only fifteen, yet already brimming with talent. He said slowly, "How I wished he had nothing to do with Yang Xuanhe. But I did not place my bets six years ago, and I cannot do so six years later. Nie Shan, I have only failed my old friend."
Leng Feiyan sent three successive waves of people to scout the situation in the prison. These hoodlums and ruffians managed to strike up friendships with the jailers; after a few drinks, she knew Yang Lianting was still alive. But what kind of torture would a young master from a noble family be suffering?
Leng Feiyan tried to see Murong Yan several times, but he refused to see her.
In her desperation, Leng Feiyan rushed to Suye City in the northwest overnight. Zuo Canglang was in the middle of feeding pigs in the army when she saw the secret signal. Carrying the pig feed, Zuo Canglang sighed. *What major event has happened now? Can't you see I'm busy feeding pigs!*
She wiped her hands haphazardly and slipped out of the camp. From a distance, Leng Feiyan already had her nose covered. "Good grief! What is that smell!"
Zuo Canglang looked helpless. "The Tower Leader summoned me too urgently. This lowly one didn't have time to bathe or scent herself. I hope the Tower Leader will be magnanimous and not take offense."
Leng Feiyan was amused. "You haven't stayed in this camp for nothing; you've learned how to be sarcastic. Anyway, I didn't come to talk about that! Something happened to Yang Lianting!" She recounted the events to Zuo Canglang and added, "I went to see the Lord three times, but Wang Yunzhao blocked me every time! What do you think he means by this?"
Zuo Canglang said, "Congratulate Yang Lianting."
Leng Feiyan could hardly believe her ears. "What?"
Zuo Canglang said, "If the Yang family case can be overturned because of this, I think his ordeal in prison will be worth it."
Leng Feiyan said, "I don't understand. You're saying the Yang family case is going to be overturned? But with which eye did you see His Majesty intending to do that? The King wants to kill him!"
Zuo Canglang said, "Go back. The Lord should have orders for you very soon." Leng Feiyan grew angry. "Are you all bullying me because I don't understand? One won't see me, and the other speaks in riddles!"
Zuo Canglang chuckled and said, "A catalyst. You will know soon enough. Hurry back. Have your people re-investigate the Yang family bloodbath from back then, as well as Wen Weishu’s private trafficking of military horses. The more evidence, the better; the wider the involvement, the better."
Leng Feiyan was somewhat disgruntled but went back nonetheless. Cang Ge had accompanied her to Daji City to search for her relatives, but since she had none, she naturally failed to find them. This wasn't strange, however; after the war and the subsequent plague in Daji City, the dead and the displaced were countless. It was perfectly normal not to find one's kin.
Cang Ge had no choice but to bring her back to Jinyang and buy her a small courtyard. Fortunately, he was busy himself; after Cang Feng went missing, the Hidden Sword Manor had to designate a new heir, so he no longer had the leisure to travel for pleasure.
With Yanzi Nest and Yan Tower hidden around Cang Ge, no one had managed to find any clues.
On the day Leng Feiyan returned to Jinyang, she looked up to see two suns appearing in the sky.
In the streets and alleys, many old matters were being brought up again. The bloodbath of the Yang family, the oppression by West Jing, the tragic deaths of the loyalists in the palace, the Crown Prince seizing his younger brother’s wife—piece by piece, the accumulated grievances of the people were slowly fermenting. In the shadows, an invisible hand seemed to be pushing things forward. At some unknown point, children began to quietly sing that nursery rhyme again:
*"The Celestial Strategy dims, the Dragon's Tail hides the dawn.*
*The Abyss yields no moisture, fire fills the thoroughfare.*
*In valiant uniforms, they rise to save the people."*
Leng Feiyan tilted her head, her eyes narrowing into slits. She suddenly remembered the two words Zuo Canglang had spoken—the catalyst.
