Chapter 85: Chapter 85: An Experience with a Ghost, Being Naturally Suspicious Is an Advantage

Three years ago, after an argument with his father, Yan Sichen left the city to hunt and vent his frustration. While chasing his prey on Trapped Dragon Mountain, he stumbled into a cave.

Inside the cave, he encountered a ghost. The spirit claimed to be a trusted Eunuch of the former Great Yu Dynasty’s Emperor, who had survived after death as a Soul Body by relying on one of the dynasty’s Royal Treasures.

However, this also meant he was trapped inside the cave, unable to leave.

Two hundred years had passed, and the treasure’s Spiritual Qi was nearly exhausted. He could finally leave the cave, but without the Spiritual Qi to nourish it, his Soul Body would be difficult to sustain.

Therefore, unless he could find a new source of Spiritual Qi, he would have to constantly devour living human souls to strengthen himself and extend his time in the mortal realm.

And so, he made a deal with Yan Sichen.

Yan Sichen would supply him with living souls and gather the materials needed for the Taiyin Soul-Inviting Technique. In return, once the ghost’s Soul Body was strong enough, he would lead Yan Sichen to the lost treasures of the Great Yu Dynasty.

He would help him raise an army, stage a rebellion, and ascend to the imperial throne.

Over those three years, the ghost also taught Yan Sichen many peerless Martial Arts as a sweetener. The Evil Skill that allowed for a massive, short-term surge in power was one such technique.

"Does that Evil Skill have any side effects?" Pei Shaoqing asked, curious. He could see that Yan Sichen showed no signs of discomfort.

He had personally witnessed the Kaiyang Saint Heir use a similar Evil Magic, and the backlash from its side effects had been devastating.

It was a classic case of inflicting a thousand wounds on the enemy while suffering eight hundred yourself.

Yan Sichen shook his head. "Not in my experience. That’s one of the reasons I was willing to work with him. And setting aside the lost treasures of the former dynasty, the old ghost himself is an inexhaustible treasure trove."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "On top of that, the old ghost taught me an exceptionally powerful Cultivation Technique. Once mastered, it allows one to practice any Martial Arts with twice the result for half the effort.

"Even though I’ve loved martial arts since I was a child, practicing to the point of forgetting to eat or sleep, my natural talent was merely average. But by relying on this Cultivation Technique, I advanced from the Qi Condensation Realm to the Wandering Dragon Realm in just three short years."

’Damn, an old man in the house truly is a treasure.’

"Are you familiar with the expression ’a ghost’s tale’?" Pei Shaoqing asked, his tone calm. "Did you never suspect that the so-called lost treasures and the promise to help you ascend the throne were all just lies to trick you?"

Yan Sichen stared at him, silent.

After a moment, he chuckled. "You’re better than me, Brother Pei."

"How so?" Pei Shaoqing looked puzzled.

Yan Sichen exhaled. "I was beside myself with excitement when the old ghost told me about those two techniques. Yet you, Brother Pei, can hear me describe them—and even witness the results firsthand—and still remain completely calm and unmoved."

’Back then, my head was completely turned. After getting a taste of the technique’s benefits, I couldn’t stop. I suspected the old ghost might be lying to me, but I couldn’t help but wonder... what if it was all true?’

’The temptation of the imperial throne!’

’How could someone from the Royal Family like me possibly refuse?’

’Besides, even if there were no lost treasures, I could still squeeze plenty of benefits out of the old ghost himself.’

"Unlike you, I harbor no lofty ambitions of becoming an emperor," Pei Shaoqing said, putting on the pompous air of a loyal official of the Great Zhou. "I only wish to serve His Majesty in peace. My Martial Arts are sufficient for my needs; I never force the issue."

’In truth, he was tempted too.’

’But he was naturally suspicious.’

’Even if Yan Sichen or that ghost gave him the Cultivation Technique, he wouldn’t dare practice it for fear of being set up.’

Yan Sichen smiled and shook his head. "To be honest, Brother Pei, I told you all this hoping to tempt you into cooperating with the old ghost, just as I did. Then, perhaps you’d end up in the same predicament as me, and I could call that my revenge.

"A pity I underestimated you. It makes my dark intentions seem rather laughable. Not everyone in this world is as insatiably greedy as I am, willing to ally with a ghost and cause mayhem."

’See? This is why being suspicious is a virtue,’ Pei Shaoqing thought. ’You always have to assume some villain is out to get you. Question everyone’s motives equally.’

’That’s how you live a long life and get the last laugh.’

"Thank you for your cooperation," Pei Shaoqing said, returning the favor. "Just tell the prison guard what you’d like to eat. I don’t mind making your stay a little more comfortable." Then he called out, "Men! Escort him to the main prison. Guard him well and see to his needs."

"Yes, sir!" two subordinates called out as they entered.

Flanked by the two men, Yan Sichen was led away, his shackles clattering against the floor. Unhurried and composed, he called out, "You’d better hurry, Brother Pei! I, the Heir, simply can’t wait to be reunited with my parents and brothers in prison! HAHAHAHA!"

That night, Pei Shaoqing wrote a letter in his own hand, ordering Sun Youliang to ride with haste and deliver it, along with the confessions of Wang Wu and Yan Sichen, to the Northern Garrison Command’s office in the Capital City.

A matter involving treason by the Royal Family was far too significant for a small Hundred Households post to handle on its own.

Besides, if he acted rashly and drove King Shu to a desperate act, he wouldn’t just risk dying at the king’s hands—he could also be branded with the crime of having forced a member of the Royal Family into rebellion.

’Truth be told, he was quite interested in the ghost himself.’

’However, to secure a conviction for Yan Sichen’s treason, the ghost’s existence couldn’t be concealed. It had to be reported.’

’After all, Yan Sichen and his men, who all knew about the ghost, certainly wouldn’t cover for him before the Court. If the Court discovered he had deliberately hidden the truth, his career would be over.’

’Still, he could take the opportunity to check on the ghost before the officials from the Court arrived. He’d post guards, too, to prevent the ghost from getting suspicious and fleeing when Yan Sichen failed to return.’

’From Yan Sichen’s description, the ghost’s power was currently mediocre. It posed little threat; otherwise, it wouldn’t need to rely on someone else to feed it living souls.’

’Even its manipulation of Yan Sichen relied on a mix of coaxing and luring, rather than brute force.’

Pei Shaoqing exhaled, his expression grim. "Men," he ordered, "pass this down: not a single word of tonight’s events is to be revealed. Violators will be executed. And remind everyone not to forget the lesson of Old Zhao."

’Throughout the night, he had intentionally avoided using Yan Sichen’s name or revealing his identity. He had to prevent the news from reaching King Shu’s ears before the officials from the Capital City arrived.’

"Yes, sir! Your subordinate obeys!"

「By the time Pei Shaoqing returned home, it was the fifth watch, just before dawn.」

He was about to get some sleep.

"Young Master, you’ve returned."

Zhao Zilan, wearing only a silken bodice and underpants, climbed out of bed to greet him, enduring the lingering pain of having lost her virginity.

"Did you use your Inner Strength to force out what I left inside you?" Pei Shaoqing asked, looking at her.

’This world didn’t have an Infant Eraser.’

’But thankfully, it had the far more convenient Inner Strength.’

’He had no desire to become a father at such a young age.’

’And even if he did want to be a father, he could just have Zhao Zilan call him ’daddy’. Why go through the trouble of actually making a baby?’

Zhao Zilan’s face flushed. "I forced it out."

’Last night had been overwhelming. Her womb had been filled to capacity, and her only option was to use her Inner Strength to... deport the contents.’

"Mm, then let me check," Pei Shaoqing said with a straight face, another wicked fire kindling within him.

Zhao Zilan looked utterly baffled. "Huh?"

’How was he supposed to check that?’

She soon found out, to her utter mortification.

.............

The Holy Envoy didn’t sleep well after returning to his residence late that night.

As soon as dawn broke, he went to find County Magistrate Wang and voiced his confusion directly. "Captain Wang, during the predawn ambush on the second Wandering Dragon Realm Martial Artist, you clearly had a chance to use our enemy to get rid of Pei Shaoqing. Why did you step in to save him?"

"You didn’t ask me this morning, Holy Envoy. I assumed you had already figured out why I saved Pei Shaoqing."

County Magistrate Wang said, feigning surprise and bewilderment.

The Holy Envoy froze, a little embarrassed.

’How embarrassing. He really hadn’t figured it out.’

County Magistrate Wang didn’t leave him hanging for long. "Holy Envoy, why is it that we want to kill Pei Shaoqing?"

"To avenge the Kaiyang Saint Heir, of course, and to restore the Holy Sect’s honor. The Shaking Light Saintess is still missing because of him," the Holy Envoy answered without a moment’s hesitation.

"Exactly. The most important reason for killing him is to restore the Holy Sect’s honor," County Magistrate Wang nodded, then pressed on. "But if we had let him be killed last night, would we have achieved that goal?"

The Holy Envoy froze again. He felt a tingling on his scalp.

’It was as if a brain was about to sprout.’

"No," County Magistrate Wang answered his own question, his voice calm. "If he had died last night, outsiders would not have connected his death to our Holy Sect. On the contrary, if he had died then, we would have lost our chance to kill him ourselves, avenge the Kaiyang Saint Heir, and restore our honor."

"I see," the Holy Envoy said, finally understanding. He looked at the other man with admiration. "You’re far more thorough, Captain Wang. I nearly ruined things with my good intentions."

"You flatter me, Holy Envoy. You were simply occupied in battle and had no time to think it through. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be the one standing here pontificating," County Magistrate Wang said with a sincere compliment. What a disgusting, hypocritical adult.

The Holy Envoy grunted and nodded slowly, convinced this was the case. "Well, I won’t disturb you any longer. I’m going to take a walk, see if there’s any news of the Saintess."

"Take care, Holy Envoy." County Magistrate Wang rose to see him out.

He sighed as he watched the Holy Envoy’s back disappear from view. ’How did I end up like this?’

’Completely untrusting of Pei Shaoqing—my partner, friend, and rival—saying one thing to his face and another behind his back.’

’And feeding a stream of lies to the Holy Envoy, my own sect brother.’

Pei Shaoqing was oblivious to Old Wang’s mood. He slept soundly until late in the afternoon, holding a naked Zhao Zilan in his arms.

He awoke feeling refreshed and invigorated.

After washing up, he went to see Ye Hanshuang.

"Big Brother," Ye Hanshuang said, welcoming him into the room.

The moment he stepped inside, Pei Shaoqing saw the *Women’s Secret Play Painting* lying open on the table. Ye Hanshuang had clearly been studying. "I’m not interrupting, am I?"

"No, I’ve already finished it. I was just reviewing," Ye Hanshuang said, her face flushing slightly.

Pei Shaoqing expressed his admiration for her studiousness. "Ah, reviewing the classics to achieve new heights of... erudition. Well done."

"Big Brother, I learned some new techniques from the book for... what we did last time. Would you like to try them out?" Freshly praised, Ye Hanshuang was eager to demonstrate her progress.

’She found this sort of thing fascinating.’

’Especially watching the expressions change on Big Brother’s face while she was... busy. It gave her such a sense of accomplishment.’

But Pei Shaoqing was in a state of post-coital clarity, his mind pure and his desires quelled. "A young person should devote their precious time to their ambitions," he lectured her sternly, "not indulge in the affairs of men and women. Such dalliances sap one’s will. Understand?"

"Yes, I was wrong. I will take your teachings to heart, Big Brother." Ye Hanshuang hadn’t expected a lecture. Her face went pale, and she quickly lowered her head in apology.

Pei Shaoqing grunted softly, then stated his reason for coming. "You’re coming with me to the Prefecture City tomorrow."

’He planned to have Ye Hanshuang and Liu Yuheng stay behind on Trapped Dragon Mountain to guard the old ghost while they awaited the imperial envoy from the Capital City.’

’This task had to be entrusted to the most reliable people.’

’Ye Hanshuang was a given.’

’And Liu Yuheng was practically his master’s widow now. She was an upstanding woman with a clear head, so she was certainly trustworthy as well.’

"Yes, Big Brother," Ye Hanshuang answered obediently.

Pei Shaoqing then turned to find Liu Yuheng.

Meanwhile, Zhao Zilan was already in Liu Yuheng’s room, recounting the details of her night with Pei Shaoqing.

Liu Yuheng listened, her face flushed and her ears burning. She never would have guessed Pei Shaoqing was the type to... explore both the front and back doors.

’She tried to picture it, but her mind recoiled at the thought.’

’The games these young people played... just hearing about them made her blush with shame, her cheeks burning as if she had a fever.’

’At the same time, she couldn’t help a faint, secret yearning.’

’A pity her late husband had been so proper. In all their years together, he had only ever used a single position, leading her to believe that was how all men and women in the world made love.’

’Only after entering the Pei Mansion had her eyes truly been opened.’

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

"Madam, may I come in?"

Suddenly hearing Pei Shaoqing’s voice, Liu Yuheng felt a strange flutter of panic. She straightened her posture primly. "Come in."

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