[Wushuang] Chapter 106 – This Whore Is Done For!
Cui Buqu sneezed a few times.

Ever since he woke up today, his coughing hadn’t stop, and his handkerchief never left his side.

He felt a little dizzy, perhaps because he had been drenched in rain last night. However, for most of the year he would spend his time like this, so he was long used to it.

The county’s magistrate who walked next to him felt a little alarmed, because he only noticed the profound look of sickness on Cui Buqu when he stood close. By the end of May, the season was already moving into Summer, and the ice-cold hand with jade bones reaching out from beneath the mantle was jagged and skinny; it made one worry that it might snap under the lightest touch.

He couldn’t help wanting to ask, but Prefecture Magistrate Yuan was a step ahead.

“Why don’t we have a doctor see you through? It would not be too late to inquire about the details of the case after that.” This tone wasn’t one of an official who was simply fulfilling his daily routine, it sounded more like an elder speaking out of concern for his junior.

The county’s magistrate couldn’t help casting him a few glances.

“It is fine.” After Cui Buqu finished speaking he sneezed again, and in his heart, he said: ‘It must definitely be that fellow Feng-er badmouthing me behind my back.’

He took out a ceramic bottle from his sleeve and placed the medicine pellet into his mouth, swallowed, and the colour of his face returned to normal. It was so natural it was if he did this on a daily basis.

If Qiao Xian was here, watching him use a medicine that was meant to recuperate one’s body to nurse his cold, she would have been so furious she would vomit blood on the spot.

Yet now, there was only Prefecture Magistrate Yuan and the county’s magistrate present. Both of them knew nothing about pharmacology. Once they saw that he’d stopped coughing after taking the medicine, they stopped persuading.

Once the three of them arrived at the county’s bureau, the assistant county magistrate brought everyone back and kept them temporarily in the prison, waiting for the county’s magistrate to begin the trial.

With Cui Buqu and Prefecture Magistrate Yuan present, naturally, the county’s magistrate dared not delay them. He immediately allowed his assistant to summon the victim’s family.

The victim’s family was her husband. They were a well-off family from this county. She was pregnant and had been frequently at unease, and thus she had originally gone seeking Doctor Sun for some antiabortifacient, but who could have guessed that after she drank two bowls, when night came, to her stomach hurt and blood seeped out from beneath her body, leading to a miscarriage and abnormal bleeding from the uterus, causing the death of both mother and child.

The pregnant woman was still perfectly fine at first but died after she drank that medicine. The cause of her death was very easily connected to the prescription of her medicine by everyone. Her husband went to the bureau to file a lawsuit, and thus the county magistrate’s assistant brought men to arrest Doctor Sun and the employees of the medical hall.

With the death of his wife and child, rendering what was supposed to be the welcoming of his child to the world into a funeral, of course, her husband’s face was filled with sadness. Once he saw Doctor Sun being brought up, he lunged forward immediately, gripping his lapels, “Doctor Sun! Our family trusted you so much all these years, why would you cause us harm!”

Doctor Sun’s beard and hair were unruly. In such a difficult situation, he only shook his head as he listened, “Impossible. I have trodden the path of a physician for decades, never once have I given a wrong prescription!”

The husband lamented, “We still kept the medicinal herbs from the container. We even had someone look over it. It was obvious there was some toad venom in it! That toad venom is a toxicant! How can it be given to a pregnant woman?!”

Doctor Sun was shocked, “That is impossible. I have never given pregnant women toad venom! Four qian of fructus aurantii, three qian of magnolia officinalis, three qian of nutgrass, two qian of fructus amomi, two qian of rhizoma atractylodis, two qian of tangerine…”

He recited all everything in the prescription, and finally in the end, “This prescription is divided into three packages. Pregnant women of five months can ingest it. I remember very clearly this, there are no toad venoms in this prescription.”

The county magistrate’s assistant said, “Three packages. The victim only used one; the leftovers after boiling from the first package and two other packages remained untouched. Does the magistrate wish to survey them?”

The county magistrate said, “Bring them up.”

Not long after, someone brought the leftovers from the container and the medicine itself. After extended periods of being treated by doctors, Cui Buqu became quite the doctor himself. Even if he couldn’t treat himself, it wasn’t difficult for him to tell the medicines apart. Very quickly, he found the toad venom from both the leftovers and the other two packages that haven’t been cooked yet.

One by one, Cui Buqu picked the medicine out, “Other than toad venom, there’s still hyoscyamus niger. Was this hoping for the patient to have a swifter death?”

Doctor Sun shook his head, “Impossible! Impossible! These are not the prescriptions given by me!”

Cui Buqu asked the county magistrate, “Where are the written prescriptions?”

After the patient visited the doctor, took the medicine home to cook, the written prescriptions should be kept in the medical hall as evidence. These had been the old rules and regulations.”

The county magistrate’s assistant had always handled affairs appropriately. He has already ordered someone to store all the prescriptions that were found, so he said, “They’re all here!”

He took out the prescriptions. Cui Buqu asked nothing, he allowed them to be brought to Doctor Sun first.

The county magistrate’s assistant spoke to Doctor Sun, “I have crosschecked all the previous prescriptions that you have written. Judging by the parchment, they definitely belonged to Baoning Hall. The handwriting is also similar to yours. What else do you have to say?”

Doctor Sun took one of the prescriptions into his hand, took a look, before divulging a look of disbelief, “This prescription …”

The county magistrate’s assistant studied the change of his expression before he resumed questioning, “Did you want to say that these do not belong to you?”

“That’s not right, let me think…” Sun Jiming murmured, and suddenly, he gave a snap, “This prescription is wrong! This prescription was originally meant for Maiden Lu. Everything else matches, except the toad venom!”

The county magistrate’s assistant ordered someone to bring up an employee. The other was around seventeen to eighteen of age, carrying on him a smart and intelligent look, only that he looked a little nervous at the moment, his gaze couldn’t help looking around.

“Tell everyone everything that you know. Honestly.” The county magistrate’s assistant said.

“Alright, alright!” The employee bowed and said, “Yesterday early morning the mistress had a stomach ache again, so she allowed someone to send word, to invite Doctor Sun over to take a look and give a prescription as usual, before allowing me to bring the medicine over once it’s assembled. The mistress’ maidservant waited outside the gate to receive the medicine.”

The ‘mistress’ he mentioned was the wife of Cui San, Maiden Lu.

Cui San was the most useless one among all four sons of Cui Yong. He was an idle bummer who had never succeeded once in his life, but in these years of being held under house arrest in Boling, his father and brothers kept an eye on every move he made. It could be said that it would be impossible for him to commit grave wrongs, yet when it came to academics or martial arts, he was not made for that field. To avoid him completely wasting his life away, Cui Yong allowed him to manage Baoning Hall, a business under the name of the Cui family. Any gains or losses that came from it was his own responsibility. It wasn’t necessary for him to split the gains for his father. It was considered giving it to Cui San completely, it was also for the sake of giving him something to do.

In reality, with a famed doctor like Doctor Sun to serve as a mainstay in the hall, along with the employees and manager, there was no need for the boss to do much at all. It could be said that the so-called boss could just sweep his hands together and live a life of leisure.

Once Doctor Sun listened up to his point, he continued, “That’s right. Although hyoscyamus niger contains toxic, it is taken orally in little amounts, and along with other medicines, it can slow down stomach diseases and regulate the stomach. However, using toad venom along with it would be incorrect. The toad venom was not written by me!”

The employee gave a shocked look, “Doctor Sun, when you wrote that prescription, I was just standing right beside you. I watched you write every single one of them. How could you not remember it yourself?”

Doctor Sun rejected it flatly, “I would never recall it wrongly. Surely it must be you! In fact, that prescription was meant for Maiden Lu, how can it reach Maiden Chen in the first place?”

The county magistrate’s assistant raised his jaw, gesturing towards the employee, “Continue speaking.”

The employee said, “Maiden Chen also came around the same time. Her prescription was also written by you. Very quickly, the medicine was assembled and when I was carrying them as I left, I ran into a servant of the Chen family. Both medicines had three packages in total, and the paper used to wrap them was also similar. I think it was that time I didn’t take a closer look, so the medicine that was originally meant for Maiden Chen was mixed up!”

This way, everything was clear.

Doctor Sun consulted two patients and wrote two different prescriptions. The employee mistakenly ran into someone and mixed up the medicines. Maiden Lu who should originally be poisoned to death escaped by fate, yet it costed the life of the innocent Maiden Chen and her unborn child.

The county magistrate asked, “Doctor Sun, what else do you have to say?”

Doctor Sun took a look at the prescription before his eyes and laughed bitterly, “For decades I trade the path of a doctor, and I have never once written a prescription wrongly, nor misused a single type of herb. This toad venom was definitely not from my hands.”

The county magistrate sighed, “You have passed the age of seventy. Your eyesights have dimmed. You have mistakenly written a prescription and misused a type of herb. This is not completely implausible. Even if you refuse to admit it, the evidence is all present. You cannot escape from being sentenced for manslaughter. Spoken by the laws of Sui, it is one of the six categories of murder. The sentence would be one degree lighter compared to intentional murder. However, on behalf of the people you have saved in the past years, I will beg for mercy on your behalf and lay out the causes. In the end, it would be decided by the Ministry of Justice. Do you admit guilt?”

What he didn’t say was, with the age Doctor Sun is at, even if he wasn’t sentenced to death and was instead flogged and banished, it would be enough to claim his life.

Doctor Sun shook his head, “I did not write a wrong prescription, I will not admit guilt.”

At this moment, constables rushed in from the outside.

“Sir, Cui San Lang’s wife, Maiden Lu, begs for an audience. She said that it’s heavily significant to the case.”

Once the county magistrate cast a glance at Cui Buqu and Prefecture Magistrate Yuan, verifying that they showed no objections, he said, “Let her in.”

Not long later, a woman in a red dress walked into the hall and bowed.

“Greetings to everyone present.”

County magistrate, “Rise. What case do you wish to report? Make haste.”

Maiden Lu said, “Please call forth my husband. This matter needs to have him questioned directly.”

Cui Buqu spoke plainly, “Then send for Cui San.”

One he spoke, Maiden Lu’s gaze unwittingly fell upon him.

Regarding Cui Buqu’s background, although it had struck Cui Yong and the rest like lightning from the sky, he had forbidden it to be spread. Even Ninth Lady Cui was kept in the dark. All the members of the Cui family only knew that Cui Buqu was the imposing Commander of the Zuoyue Bureau who arrested Cui Da Lang, yet they were oblivious to the fact that he was the child of Maiden Yu that was humiliated and degraded by the Cui family many years ago.

Although Maiden Yu was not willingly raped by Cui San, her name was still tainted, so after her death, Cui Yong did not allow her entry to the ancestral cemetery. Many from the younger generations of the Cui family also bullied Cui Jie when they were young, however, they were ignorant to Cui Jie’s background, and as they grew into adulthood, these trivial matters were gradually forgotten within their memory. Many of them had thought that Cui Er died young and that he was never married.

To Maiden Lu, she never forgot the humiliation given to her by Maiden Yu and her son. During that night, when Cui San returned from Cui Yong’s, she noticed that he looked unusually disturbed, and after ceaseless questioning from her, Cui San finally spilled out everything that transpired. Thus, Maiden Lu not only knew that Cui Jie was still alive, but that he had also returned with a wholly different identity wrought anew.

The county magistrate realized that she kept her gaze fixated on Cui Buqu, and wondered why a woman from such a respectable family like the Fanyang Lu clan would behave so inappropriately. He coughed twice, “Maiden Lu, this is the court, and both of them are high-ranking officials. One is forbidden to stare when they are not being questioned.”

Maiden Lu, “My apologies, sir, Lord Cui looked a little familiar, so I stared for a while.”

Cui Buqu lowered his head to hold the jade ornament that hung by his waist as if he heard nothing of what she said.

Maiden Lu felt a little strange in her heart. She couldn’t tell whether she felt lucky, or disappointed.

In the middle of their conversation, Cui San was finally brought here.

When he saw Maiden Lu also present, he was stunned, and then when he saw Cui Buqu, the colour of his face changed.

The county magistrate urged Maiden Lu, “Now, you can speak.”

Maiden Lu adjusted her dress, “Bear witness, my Lords, as Doctor Sun had said: he has tread the path of a doctor for decades, how would he issue a wrong prescription that took someone’s life? The truth is that it was not manslaughter, but intentional! Originally, Doctor Sun didn’t intend to kill just anyone, for that person was me; it was only because his employee had an accident and took the wrong medicine that I could escape from the gates of Hell!”

Her words shocked everyone.

The county magistrate cast a glance at Prefecture Magistrate Yuan and Cui Buqu, yet the latter two did not meet his gaze, so he could only retreat and turn towards Maiden Lu, he said, “Do not raise an alarm. To claim a false accusation will earn you time in prison!”

Maiden Lu, “It is not a false accusation. I have evidence!”

County magistrate, “Speak.”

Maiden Lu, “My husband had a mistress hidden outside, and I have always known this. Only because the family’s harmony is the basis of success and happiness, I turned a blind eye to it. That mistress is the child of a respectable family, thus she was promised by my husband that if I died, he would take her as his new wife, proudly marrying into the Cui family aboveboard.”

When Cui San heard of it, he jumped and said, “Nonsense! There is no such thing!”

Maiden Lu laughed coldly, “When you said these words to her, both of you were beneath the grape stand doing a lover’s talk. Under broad daylight, even you both don’t fear that it was offensive to decent morals, yet you could never have guessed that these words were heard by the maidservants, before reaching to my ears?”

Cui San was shocked, “Yu Song was spying for you?!”

Maiden Lu snorted coldly and did not pay him any attention. She continued, “Three days ago that mistress of his sent a trusted servant to seek out Doctor Sun. What was said was unknown, but I only know that when that mistress’ trusted servant went, they brought a bag of silver ingots with them, and when they returned, their hands were empty. Recalling it today, it is definitely because Doctor Sun has accepted their bribe, so he issued those medicine to attempt murder!”

“That’s nothing but nonsense!” Sun Jiming’s beard was quivering, emotions refuting, “All my life, I bear clear conscience when I look at the sky, and I bear no guilt when I look at the ground. How would I do such a thing?!”

Maiden Lu, “If sir refuses to believe me, you may send someone to search Doctor Sun’s house, perhaps you can still find that bag of silver ingots.”

When she spoke, there was a perpetual feeling of someone’s gaze on herself; it was razor-sharp like a knife, a knife that cuts into skin and flesh, peeking at what’s inside.

Maiden Lu couldn’t help raising her head and met Cui Buqu’s gaze.

It was unknown why, when that ice-cold gaze looked at her, she felt three points of emptiness.

As if that deep in her memory, there was also a pair of eyes like that; indistinguishable whether they were happy or angry, chaotic or tranquil.

As that pair of eyes gave rise to fury within her, words spilt themselves from her lips, “You can also send for the mistress to be brought forward, and all will be clear when asked. Her looks even resemble an old friend, perhaps Lord Cui can recall who it is!”

Regarding the last sentence, perhaps everyone was confused when they heard of it, but this wouldn’t be the case for Cui Buqu and Prefecture Magistrate Yuan.

Prefecture Magistrate Yuan’s look had finally grown sullen, “Everything that was needed to ask has been asked. Show Maiden Lu the way out. A clamorous woman makes one feels vexed!”

Yet Cui Buqu said, “There is no need. Let her remain, perhaps she can witness herself the comeuppance that comes to a murderer.”

The corners of Maiden Lu’s lips were originally angular, for she had a well thought out plan, but hearing these words, for some reason without cause, she felt an inauspicious feeling.

However, thankfully, it was as if the Heavens were on her side, the people who were sent to search Doctor Sun’s house returned very quickly.

With them, they had also brought Cui San’s mistress.

The other’s looks were not overly bright like Maiden Lu, but she was still a delicate beauty like weak willows in the wind. Her brows were charming yet shy, and no matter how one looked at her, she looked familiar.

Prefecture Magistrate Yuan suddenly recalled that those eyes, brows, and mouth looked vaguely like Yu Mo from many years ago.

He swiftly glared at Cui San, fury rising within him.

Maiden Lu laughed in silence, her back straightening.

For Cui San to have a mistress that looked a little bit like Cui Buqu’s birth mother, who was he humiliating now?

Naturally, it was Cui Buqu.

For Cui Buqu to see that face, the first feeling he felt, of course, wasn’t to recall the memory of his mother, but he should be in a furious state similar to Prefecture Magistrate Yuan.

So, that Cui San’s whore is done for.

However, in the next moment, Maiden Lu could no longer feel pleased with herself.

Because there was no anger on Cui Buqu’s face.

Not only was he not angry, but his plain-looking gaze also swept past the mistress before falling back upon Maiden Lu.

Maiden Lu felt a bit panicked. Could it be that this method of ‘murdering someone with a burrowed knife’ wasn’t working?

Author’s note:

This case is more important. It is not only a medical case, but it will also bring out the mastermind at the back. Tomorrow, Feng-er will come out and conquer the scene as usual.

A small theatre unrelated to the main plotline

Cui Buqu sneezed: It’s definitely Feng-er badmouthing me behind my back.

Cui Buqu sneezed again and laughed coldly: It seems like Feng-er really put his effort in creating stories about me.

On the other hand, Feng Xiao was writing furiously. He wrote:

Cui Buqu, original name Cui Jie, aged twenty-nine.

Virtues: His hands are arguably beautiful, his face reluctantly pleasant to the eye.

Shortcomings: Poisonous tongue, poisonous tongue, poisonous tongue. Even when he is about to die, he still refuses to consult a doctor. Often gives cold laughs. Liking pitting people. Refuses to be taken advantage of. Taking revenge even for the smallest grievances…

At great length, he wrote practically a hundred shortcomings. Feng Xiao looked and looked at it again, and still felt dissatisfied, yet in the end, he sighed a breath and added another word under ‘virtues’—

Cute.

Antiabortifacient: It’s any substance that prevents miscarriage.
Sir: Raws used ‘明府’, an address for an official of higher rank. It’s simplied to ‘Sir’.
Toad venom: Traditional Chinese medicine called Chan Su used to cure cancer.
Qian: Unit of measurement in China that roughly equals 0.2 grams.
Had a well thought out plan: 胸有成竹 means having a well thought out plan and was confident of its success.

[Wushuang] Chapter 107 – In The Remnant Light Of Dusk, A Pretty Face Dropped And Hung Upside Down
That mistress had been in a family of poverty ever since she was little. When she caught Cui San’s eyes and was kept as his mistress, she had managed to experience better days. How could she have experienced a scene like this before? Once she was brought here, her legs have already gone weak.

Everyone waited for an hour before the assistant county magistrate returned from his search, and truly brought back a bag of silver ingots.

Maiden Lu spoke once she saw it, “That’s right. As others speak of Doctor Sun being unsoiled by corrupted practices, having nothing but bare walls in one’s house, where could he get such a hefty sum of money from?”

The county magistrate weighed it in his hand. It was around thirty ingots in total, even more than his annual wage. If they only contained medicine fees, it really should not have been this much.

That woman exclaimed in protest with flowing tears, “A few days ago, I fell ill and truly did send for Doctor Sun, but I have only given what I was charged. I have never seen this bag of silver ingots in my life!”

The assistant county magistrate was not moved by this, “It would take one to detour around the entire Anping city to travel from your manor to Baoning Hall, and there were two other medicals by the Cui family in between. Yet you’ve chosen to travel so far just to see Sun Jiming. Why is that?”

The woman mumbled to herself, then paused, before cowardly looking up at Cui San.

His wife’s imposing methods had caused a fire in Cui San’s stomach, so he couldn’t stop himself from saying aloud, “Because she is pregnant! Doctor Sun specialized in obstetrics. I am the one who asked her to make that trip!”

As Maiden Lu listened, she gave a cold laugh, “Then isn’t everything clear now? She’s pregnant, thus she decided to make use of the fact that she is loved to get rid of the wife. She made arrangements with Doctor Sun, beguiled him with money and oppressed him with power, to coerce him into harming me!”

Cui San said angrily, “You are speaking nonsense!”

The woman cried and said, “I did not! How dare I?!”

“You wouldn’t dare? Didn’t you once try to instigate Cui San to bring you back to the Cui family?!” Maiden Lu raised her head, “Sir, Lord Commander, once I knew that this woman was conversing with Sun Jiming, I sent people to investigate them in secret. I found that Doctor Sun and this whore’s father used to be old friends. With this relationship, added with some money, are they still insufficient to prove everything?”

The county magistrate looked at the elder, “Is this true?”

Doctor Sun sighed, “Her father was once my patient, and after that, we became chess friends and often kept in contact. That is all there is.”

Maiden Lu laughed a cold laugh, “Often came in contact, and that’s all there is?”

The county magistrate said in a gentle voice, “Doctor Sun, ever since I succeeded the post of magistrate, I’ve heard of your name. If you said that you’ve misjudged and issued a wrong prescription, it would still be possible; however, Maiden Lu claimed that you are harming lives for money, this is not just manslaughter. If you are found guilty, you would be taken care of as murderers would. You will receive a death penalty. What more do you have to say?”

Doctor Sun laughed bitterly, “Matters have progressed to this state, what more is left to be said? Only, I find it difficult to believe that, all this time I have cured illnesses and cured people, but in the end, the illnesses have certainly been cured, yet the hearts of people were not!”

The county magistrate furrowed his brows. This statement was incomplete, and a cloud of confusion was upon it. In the venue of the court, one speaks of evidence. Sun Jiming’s statement brought with it his vexation and frustration, yet he could not explain himself. To put it in another way, he had seen that all the evidence that had been gathered, and there was nothing more left for debate, thus he gave up.

“Is that supposed to mean that you admit guilt?”

Doctor Sun closed his eyes and did not utter a word.

The county magistrate made a request at Cui Buqu and Prefecture Magistrate Yuan, “Both my Lords, is there anything else that needs to supplement? If not, I will allow someone to bring them to the cells.”

Cui San immediately said, “Lady Zhou is pregnant, can parole be granted to her?”

The county magistrate replied in displeasure, “Your mistress is involved in a murder case, yet you still wish for parole?”

Right then, it seemed as if Cui San wanted to say something else, but Cui Pei rushed in a hurry, yet his entry was forbidden by those who manned the entrance, not allowing him into the chaos.

“Please forgive me for being late!” Cui Pei panted as he said.

Ever since he heard of this case evolving from manslaughter to murder, he had been running around looking for ways to relief Sun Jiming of his sentence.

“These are written prescriptions I’ve found from both Baoning Hall and Doctor Sun’s house, more than one thousand in total, these were the prescriptions he issued for these patients all these years, they haven’t—haven’t fully collected. Yet these prescriptions have never been wrong. Also, just now when I heard Doctor Sun got himself involved in a murder case, I wrote a letter to appeal for mercy, and on it are fifty handprints of the people of this county. They have all been recipients of Doctor Sun’s kindness. As matters are pressing, I have only managed to gather this many. Please give me more time, at least half of the people of Anping city will be willing to give their handprints!”

Within only an hour, fifty handprints were already his limit. Cui Pei did not rest for even a second, and now sweat has drenched his back and clothes.

The county magistrate sighed, “Fourth Young Master Cui, I will not be the judge of this murder case, it should go through the Three Bureaus and then reported to the Emperor, only then will the final verdict be deemed.”

Cui Pei said, “I know, however with these written prescriptions and letter of appeal, it should bring some benefit to Doctor Sun, and perhaps the sentence will be more merciful!”

As Doctor Sun looked at the thick stack of issued prescriptions and red-coloured handprints, those old eyes reddened for a moment as he remained in silence.

Maiden Lu spoke angrily, “Fourth Uncle, Sun Jiming and Maiden Lu schemed to cause me harm, how dare you still beg for mercy on his behalf!”

Cui Pei, “Third Sister-in-law, I have trust in Doctor Sun’s character. He would have never done such a thing!”

Maiden Lu was provoked by his words that she looked up, yet gave a cold laugh, “Fine! Fine! Every one of you from the Cui family is ganging up against me!”

Cui San warned her in a low voice, “Have you had enough? Once you’ve had enough, go home!”

He attempted to take Maiden Lu’s hand but was flung aside.

“If I am making a scene, then what are you doing?!” Maiden Lu hissed these words through her teeth.

Cui San was stunned by the veins that spread over her eyes and could say nothing for a moment.

The county magistrate pondered and said, “The inside information within this case is complicated. Once I have rearranged the evidence, on another day…”

Personally, he pitied Doctor Sun, but pity cannot help one to relief themselves from their sentence, so he could only do what was within his abilities, which is to procrastinate the case for a few more days.

“There is no need to pick another day.” Cui Buqu suddenly interrupted.

He cast Maiden Lu a look, something that looked like a smile that wasn’t a smile, “There is something I do not understand, so I wish to ask you.”

Maiden Lu bit her lips and straightened her back, her hands that rested on her front tightened their grip on her handkerchief.

Cui Buqu, “This man Cui San, had great ambitions but lacked capability, possesses an endless amount of resentments, he is strict to others but lenient with himself. In past years, he had committed many acts of disgrace which you bear shame for, and now he has gotten himself a mistress who is with child. He went so far to the point of wanting your life. So why are you still speaking for him, and rounding up his lies?”

Maiden Lu’s face turned pale.

Cui Buqu pointed at Cui San, “Is a leech like him worthy enough for you to abandon justice for unjust, to abandon your life for his?”

Cui San was utterly out of breath, “Speaking in such a way about me, you unfilial…”

Before he could finish, Cui Pei raised his foot and delivered a kick, sending him to the ground.

The county magistrate barked angrily, “In the court, how dare you create such insolence! Lock them all up!”

Prefecture Magistrate Yuan spoke coldly, “Cui San disobeyed the rules and roared in court. How will he be taken care of by the law?”

The county magistrate replied to him readily, “Thirty whips!”

On the left and right, Cui San was pressed to the ground and whipped without a second word.

His cries rang in the hall. The county magistrate waved his hand, and the constables used a cloth to gag Cui San, allowing him to just wail through cold sweat.

Cui Pei looked away, pretending that he’d seen nothing.

After thirty whips, let alone shouting, Cui San lost the strength to even speak. He could only groan.

Yet no one spoke to allow a doctor to see to him. Cui San could only drag his badly mutilated ass and sprawl on the ground of the court, half-dead.

Both of Maiden Lu’s eyes were watery as she turned away and avoided his gaze.

Cui Buqu took the piece of prescription that claimed someone’s life, before randomly taking another piece from the other stack of prescriptions.

“Sun Jiming had treaded the doctor’s path for decades and not once has he erred. Otherwise, the people of Anping city would have long drowned him in their spits. Is this the case, County Magistrate He?”

As County Magistrate He watched Cui Buqu asking himself, he nodded, “That is correct.”

Cui Buqu laughed briefly, “The handwriting on this issued prescription is certainly similar to the handwriting of the past prescriptions issued by Doctor Sun. No differences could be seen, yet within perfection lied an imperfection. From one aspect, there is a burst seam.”

County Magistrate He immediately asked, “Where?”

Tapping the written prescriptions, Cui Buqu spat a word out, “Ink.”

Prefecture Magistrate Yuan took both those prescriptions and smelled both of them, before asking in confusion, “They truly smell different.”

“The past prescriptions that Doctor Sun issued were all written in Shenyan Ink, a low-quality ink. Although this type of ink is similar to high-quality and middle-quality ink, manufactured with a kiln, Shenyan Ink was made from soot, and it’s different from the other two. For a medicinal hall’s usage, they would not need decent quality ink to write prescriptions, so other than these usual prescriptions, the other prescriptions from Baoning Hall should have also been written with Shenyan Ink.”

“This piece of written prescription,” Cui Buqu shook the piece of prescription that claimed someone’s life, “used high-quality ink. Although the handwriting is closely similar, the ink’s colour is rich, and its strokes are smooth, the smell of rosin is evident. Would it make any sense to purchase a high-quality ink on purpose just to research in handwriting, so that it would make everything grander?”

County Magistrate He also saw through it, “That’s right. Go, send people to the Sun residence and take the ink that Sun Jiming uses on a daily basis, take them all here!”

Cui Buqu took his time saying. “After you have taken them, don’t rush back, go instead to the Cui manor and take the ink grind from Cui San’s study and bring them all here as well.”

Cui San immediately raised his head!

He who had been beaten until his life was hanging by a thread like a dead duck with a withering neck straightened all of a sudden, stretching long with both his eyes brimming with fear.

Especially when he was watching the deep, meaningful smile Cui Buqu was giving him, that look of his that was like watching a demonic ghost sprawling up at him yet could not, for the time of its death was near.

Cui Pei glared at Cui San with a look of disbelief. The latter didn’t try to disguise himself, thus his expression proved everything.

Let alone Prefecture Magistrate Yuan and County Magistrate He, even if it had been Cui Pei himself, they could all catch a glimpse of the truth from Cui San’s reaction.

Cui Buqu smiled faintly, “From what I am aware of, Cui San’s manor was never in peace. The couple did not get along and bickered as often as they ate. Yesterday, when I was a guest in the Cui family, I witnessed both of them pushing and shoving as they entered, simmering in resentment with each other. Cui San kept a mistress outside, and surely it would be very difficult to keep it a secret from Maiden Lu. Arguments between both of them are unavoidable. This written prescription that has claimed someone’s life was not written by Sun Jiming, but it came from the hands of Cui San. The person he wanted dead also wasn’t the innocent Maiden Chen, but his very own wife Maiden Lu!”

Even if Cui Pei was emotionally prepared, as usual, he was stunned wordless and became as idle as a wooden chicken.

Cui San wailed, vaguely saying things like “You are spouting nonsense” or something like that, but his mouth had been gagged, and he could not speak clearly.

“According to Sun Jiming’s confession, he said that he did, in fact, write such a prescription before. However, it did not have that medicine made from toad venom on it. This also means that someone had received orders to add the toad venom in the prescription in secret, and he didn’t realize that an accident by the entrance would have exchanged those medicine packages, finally killing Maiden Chen. After Cui San knew of the incident, he was terrified, and thus allowed someone to destroy the original prescription, before imitating Sun Jiming’s handwriting and made a wholly new one, hoping to cast the blame all onto Doctor Sun.” Cui Buqu’s gaze met Cui San’s, and smiled as he asked, “Am I correct?”

Cui San could not speak, so he could only shake his head wildly.

Cui Buqu turned towards the employee who was currently shivering now and hadn’t said a word, “Seen it all, didn’t you? If Cui San refused to admit guilt, then you would be pushed out by the Cui family to be their scapegoat. Do you think that your head can be reattached after it has been chopped down?”

The employee immediately sprawled to the ground and shouted in a loud voice, “It’s the master’s family! It was San Lang who ordered someone to add toad venom into those packets of medicine. I am oblivious to everything!”

County Magistrate He pressed on, “Why would he do that?”

The employee rambled on his own, “I don’t know, I don’t…He wants to kill the mistress!”

County Magistrate He pressed even more, “After it was done, the handwriting on the prescriptions were your doing?”

“No, no! No! This prescription was written by him before it was passed to me. He even reminded me time and time again that this matter cannot be leaked!” The employee bowed repeatedly at Doctor Sun, “Doctor Sun, I am not a decent person, but it was not my choice! If I lost my job in the medical hall, then my family will be left homeless!”

Doctor Sun sighed a breath and closed his eyes, neither looking nor speaking.

The assistant county magistrate who left to search Cui San’s study had returned.

Following him was the eldest grandchild of the Cui family, Cui Fei. Likely it was because of the change of events in the Cui family, added with the assistant county magistrate reaching their doorsteps, Cui Yong knew that the case of Doctor Sun was not so simple, so he had sent Cui Fei over to listen. However, Cui Fei was forbidden entry, and he instead waited with the rest of the people outside.

The assistant county magistrate was skilled in his duty, for not only did he bring the brush and ink grinder from Cui San’s study, but he had also even brought the papers and scrolls that were on his bookcase, as well as papers that he had thrown away.

He laid everything in categories so that everyone could see them clearly. Among the papers that Cui San hadn’t managed to throw away, more than half of them were copied medicine prescriptions, and if one were to take a closer look, they were prescriptions of Doctor Sun’s. As for his usual exercises, they were mostly copies of calligraphies from famed aristocratic families of each dynasty.

In these years that Cui San was held in Boling, not allowed even a step out, he was idle and loafing about, passing each day by wasting his time away. The only hobby he could show was this set of skills to make flawless imitated copies of other books.

As he witnessed everything to this point, Prefecture Magistrate Yuan shook his head, “A pity you were careless and wasted Maiden Lu’s attempt of borrowing someone else’s knife to commit a murder. Had you been more discreet, perhaps you could have lived in disavow for a little while longer.”

Cui San’s face was as deathly as ash, and finally, he gave up struggling. Seeing that he had calmed himself down, County Magistrate He allowed someone to ungag him.

County Magistrate He spoke in a dull voice, “Maiden Lu, as things have progressed to this point, do you still wish to persist your lies?! How did you find out that he wanted to kill you?”

Maiden Lu laughed all of a sudden, and said in a despairing voice, “When someone who sleeps on the same bed with you suddenly wishes you dead, pray tell which husband or wife would not be able to tell? After all, I have already said just now, that the maidservant Song Yu who served Maiden Zhou was spying for me. That day was a comedy of errors, he failed to kill me, and hearing that the medicine packages were switched, what was given to me was simply ordinary medicine, then I would have known that something would happen to someone else. He was terrified, and sought out a secret meeting in his study with the employee, thinking I would not have heard of it.”

County Magistrate He asked angrily, “You knew that an innocent man was involved, yet you did not file a report and instead elected to help a criminal to victimize innocents by concealing the facts about him!”

“To be husband and wife a day is a hundred days of grace. I have always thought of giving him another chance, to let him see clearly the good in me, then perhaps he would look back.” Two trails of warm tears flowed down her face, Maiden Lu cried in silence, “If the incident this time was exposed, then the third line of the Cui family would be finished. Our children would never be able to raise their heads, so I thought that I would help him for one final time, help him to conceal this lie of his…”

“I don’t need your help! You poisonous woman, you are only using this chance to murder Maiden Zhou!” Cui San strained his neck to accuse her, “Don’t feign anything, I care nothing for it!”

“Excellent!”

Cui Buqu clapped thrice, feeling not even a single ounce of pity. He laughed instead, “Maiden Lu, once Cui San is brought to trial, you may then die out of love for him. In the yellow springs of the afterlife, both of you can follow each other in life and death. There’s no need to disgust all of us here.”

As he finished speaking, he turned towards County Magistrate He, “Cui San has committed murder, Maiden Lu is an accomplice, the Chen family lost one person and two lives. According to the laws of Sui, how would this be judged, and how will the statement be presented, I wager you already have a clear idea about it?”

County Magistrate He put his hands together and said, “Commander, be at peace, I will definitely deal with it with the utmost impartiality.”

Cui Buqu nodded and left together with Prefecture Magistrate Yuan.

“Young Master Cui, may I have a moment of your time?” Cui Pei called after him.

“No.” Cui Buqu did not even turn around, his footsteps never stopped.

Outside of the county’s bureau, Zuoyue guards and a horse carriage awaited.

Prefecture Magistrate Yuan made Cui Buqu stay for a moment, “The kindness of the Yu family has made me a new man, although I haven’t returned for many years, not a single day has gone by where I’ve forgotten about it. About junior apprentice sister’s matter, I only got to know afterwards. However, during that time I was simply a commoner with no status, thus I couldn’t go against the Cui family, and therefore was unable to avenge junior apprentice sister.”

As he spoke until this point, he laughed bitterly, “Even with the status I possess now, perhaps I could just make things a little difficult for them, but I definitely could not do it as thoroughly as you did. The younger generations have surpassed the older, and you finished the things I could not. Thank you.”

Yuan Sansi bowed towards Cui Buqu.

Cui Buqu said expressionlessly, “One can only have oneself to blame. I couldn’t have anticipated that Cui San would attempt to kill his own wife and try to shift the blame onto others when he failed, dragging out such a case itself.”

Yuan Sansi laughed bitterly, “Cui San is but only a leech on a huge tree. Cui Da only was the true successor of the Cui family. Once Cui Da’s crimes are sentenced, the entire Cui family won’t be going anywhere. Junior apprentice sister can now rest peacefully in the afterlife. For today’s wish, I hoped to go to junior apprentice sister’s grave, but the Cui family forbade her entry into their ancestral tomb. After I arrived here, I’ve yet to even find her grave, could Young Master Cui lead the way?”

Cui Buqu nodded, “This way.”

The other had answered him so readily, Yuan Sansi was a little taken aback. He had originally thought that since Cui Buqu’s methods were merciless and cruel, he would have held a grudge towards him for not being able to return on time to avenge the Yu family.

Maiden Yu’s grave was not far from here, and as both of them took a horse carriage, they arrived very quickly.

Yuan Sansi looked at the overly simple grave before his eyes, and he couldn’t help saying, “Do you have the intention to relocate? I can help you find a place where the scenery is prime, or the Yu family’s very own ancestral grave. I think junior apprentice sister would be willing to return home to accompany her parents.”

Cui Buqu replied plainly, “Death is like an extinguished flame; the so-called spirits of the deceased are simply for people to delusion or comfort themselves. If she had not led a pleasant life when she was alive, then what use is there to do these things when she is no longer consciously aware? If you had abide by the betrothal during that year and hadn’t left without a word, it would have been better for her to marry you compared to Cui Er.”

Yuan Sansi knelt next to the burning pot of fire, and piece by piece he burned the paper money he bought on the way. The light from the flames illuminated half of his face and also engulfed all the words he wanted to say.

The fire burned vigorously.

For a brief moment, he imagined that Yu Mo’s spirit would offer him a little hint of comfort through the fire, but in the end, Yuan Sansi could not avoid admitting that Cui Buqu’s words were right. Yu Mo was dead, and that he was just meaninglessly deceiving himself.

She needed no reparations.

What she needed was something he would never have been able to achieve.

“All these years, I have remained unmarried.” Yuan Sansi said in a harsh voice as if he was saying it for Maiden Yu, and as if he was saying it for Cui Buqu.

“Because of your identity as the descendant of the Yuan Wei Royal family? Or was it because you carry a priceless treasure map on you, and on your shoulders you carry the heavy weight of resurrecting your nation?”

Colour drained from Yuan Sansi’s face as he raised his head abruptly!

“You! You…” His voice was pitched, yet he suppressed it all of a sudden. He found it difficult to control his emotions, for even his tone had changed.

Cui Buqu rolled back his hands and stood, watching him silently and did not utter a response, as if those words did not come out from his lips.

“Right, you command the Zuoyue Bureau, what is there that you wouldn’t already know? If you know, then I suppose the Emperor knows it as well. Was your trip to Boling this time to arrest me upon orders?” Yuan Sansi put the pieces together, and gave a smile that looked uglier than crying, “If I said that I have never bared the heart for treason, would you believe me?”

Both of them stared at each other, Yuan Sansi sat down on the ground flat and wiped cold sweat off his head, “You’re going to scare me to death!”

Cui Buqu, “I wouldn’t have guessed that Prefecture Magistrate Yuan was so timid.”

Yuan Sansi said helplessly, “Anyone tasked with such a burdensome secret for decades would have also turned into a sparrow that feared the mere twang of a bow, alright?”

As the Han Dynasty came to an end, the Three Kingdoms rose, and after the Three Kingdoms, it was the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

The great unification of the Jin Dynasty did not last long. Western Jin moved east and became Eastern Jin, but Eastern Jin was only a small southern part of Shenzhou in the Central Plains. Another great piece of land was divided into sixteen governing regimes, historically called the Sixteen Kingdoms of Eastern Jin.

Long divided, must unite; every regime in the midst of battle welcomed the establishment of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Among them, the Wei Dynasty whom the Yuan clan had established was the predecessor of the Sui Empire.

Within that chaotic period in history, very few people were willing to reminisce it. In the process of the Wei Dynasty’s destruction, it was like any other dynasty unwilling to decline. It had experienced its subject’s fights for power, and the moving of capitals by its Emperors. As for Yuan Sansi, he was from the collateral branch of the Yuan clan, the descendant of the Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei.

“Once it reached my generation, the Yuan family had already declined. Even if there still exist someone who posts as an official in court, it was impossible to form any relations. Before I went to the Yu family, my mortally ill late father summoned me to his deathbed, and he told me that the Yuan family has left behind a treasure stove, and in it were armours made of gold and silver, made to be used in the future once an army rises. Even if my generation could not make use of it, or neither could the next, this secret must be passed from generation to generation. This is the code of the Yuan family, it cannot be betrayed.”

Yuan Sansi sighed, “For me to suddenly know such a grave secret, I have not been able to sleep or eat in peace, day and night I live in fear. When I was in the Yu family, I had a teacher who was willing to teach me patiently, and received warmth from apprentice mother and junior apprentice sister; but my heart still weighed down, and I felt even more terrified of telling that secret to anyone. Finally, there came a day when sire divulged his intention of betrothing junior apprentice sister to me. I thought for a while and finally decided to leave because I was afraid that I would drag them down. I was afraid that one day someone will know of this secret and reach our doors, and when that time comes, let alone me, junior apprentice sister and her family wouldn’t be able to escape. If junior apprentice sister and I got married and had children… Why should another person bear the burden of this secret?”

Cui Buqu, “From the beginning of history, he who is king is often fickle and suspicious, you fear that if you had told this secret, the Emperor would become partially suspicious, and if he came to the conclusion that you still have a card up your sleeve, it would be even more difficult to save your life.”

Yuan Sansi, “That is right. As someone by the Emperor’s side, you are familiar with this way of thinking. Every man of power under the sky is the same. If the secret was unknown, then there would have been a sliver of hope. However, I wouldn’t have guessed that you knew of this secret.”

Cui Buqu said, “Someone betrayed you, and that person had once saved your life in your moment of despair. Both of you became sworn brothers and forged a relationship of close attachment. Once when you were drunk, you mistakenly told him about the Yuan clan’s treasure stove. He engraved it to heart. After that, because he had offended someone from the Jianghu province, he begged for protection from the Liuli Palace and found my teacher, thus he told him.”

Yuan Sansi laughed bitterly, “I guessed it was him. From that day onwards, I never touched wine again.”

Cui Buqu, “Originally, I only knew about this; but only this time after you came to Boling and I was investigating your identity, did I manage to link the mysterious treasure of the Yuan family and you.”

Yuan Sansi remained silent for a moment, “I have never been to the treasure’s whereabouts. Thus I do not even know whether it exists or if it was fake. I could give both the location and maps to you. By taking junior apprentice sister into consideration, when you report it to the Emperor, could you perhaps avoid mentioning me?”

Cui Buqu nodded, “Deal.”

Yuan Sansi released his breath, “Many thanks.”

He burned the last piece of paper money before rising to his feet and patted both his legs that have gone sore.

“Rest assured. Presently, I am taking the post of an official in Boling. I will pay junior apprentice sister visits frequently, and send people here to pay her respects and protect her grace. I won’t allow Cui San to do anything to it.” Yuan Sansi laughed on his own, “This is what I can do for her. The only thing I could ever do.”

Cui Buqu said, “In a while, I will seek you out. I wish to remain here for a little while more.”

Yuan Sansi sighed lightly and patted his shoulder before leaving on his own.

Once Yuan Sansi left, all that’s left was the carriage driver and two Zuoyue guards. All of them stood afar, not moving forward to disturb him.

Cui Buqu knelt down and took out a handkerchief, and little by little he wiped the tombstone clean.

His face was expressionless, but he certainly had the most absolute patience. Even as the sky dimmed, he would not descend into disconcertment.

There are many fools in this world.

Maiden Yu for example, and Doctor Sun. They were kind people who often helped others, yet they did not have the same strength to protect themselves.

Himself, however, who was Cui Buqu, was different.

He had a heart of steel, and many schemes hidden up his sleeves. He could help these people eliminate all forms of predators, and annihilate all thistles and thorns.

Cui Buqu gave a cold laugh.

“Be free; reincarnate well. In the next life—“ He paused for a moment and said gently, “in the next life, let us not be mother and son again.”

As his words dissipated, a trail of silk fell before his eyes.

It was light blue in colour and incredibly familiar.

Cui Buqu raised his eyes.

Between the branches where the remnants of dusk’s light sat, a pretty face dropped and hung upside down.

Feng Xiao smiled and said, “Hey to this pleasant brother, what a coincidence to meet you in a place like this?”

Cui Buqu: “…”

Long divided, must unite: From the complete sentence, The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been. This is a quote from Romance of the Three Kingdoms

[Wushuang] Chapter 108 – Cui Buqu Found It Difficult To Swallow In His Mouth, His Heart Was In Despair
The feet that hung themselves on the branch loosened, yet the person didn’t fall down. Feng Xiao skilfully did a flip and landed upright and once again he was that wayward graceful Commander Feng, as if everything that was seen just now was just an illusion to Cui Buqu.

“I never knew that Commander Feng has the habit of eavesdropping. In the future, if you no longer wish to remain in the Jiejian Bureau, you can consider becoming a little thief who runs along the walls, surely, that could also earn you a comfortable and luxurious living.” Cui Buqu told him coldly.

Feng Xiao was shocked, “I am listening proudly and upright in broad daylight, it’s just that you both failed to notice me, so how can this be called eavesdropping? I couldn’t have thought that you were so concerned over me, to think that you have even prepared arrangements for my future livelihood. How about this: once that treasure stove is found, it can be divided between us, then I will pretend nothing ever happened.”

Cui Buqu coughed, “After the treasure is found, I will report its finding to the Imperial Court and return it to the national treasury. You can ask the Emperor for it.”

Feng Xiao hit his fan against his palm, and said suddenly, “Now I understand; before this, you told me your past by initiative to bring up Yuan Sansi’s identity, and the goal was to make me let my guard down so I wouldn’t be suspicious when you two will acknowledge your past relationship, and that was to conceal the truth of the treasure stove?”

Cui Buqu was expressionless, “Yes.”

“Outrageous duplicity!” Feng Xiao laughed and seized his shoulder, ignoring the other’s cold and declining face, “You were obviously just looking for someone to talk to. When one is atop a high mountain, they cannot bear the loneliness alone; in your eyes, I am the only one who is worthy to converse such things with you. Alright, you needn’t say more, I understand everything!”

Cui Buqu looked up at the sky wordlessly, and in his heart, he questioned; was it because his voice wasn’t loud enough and the other had allowed it to get over his head, or that Feng-er’s ears were faulty and he could only hear what he wanted to hear?

Just now he had said a bunch of things to Yuan Sansi, and his head began to hurt. Cui Buqu was too drawled to speak more, preparing to lie down for a good while in the horse carriage. Who could have known that once he got up the carriage, a shadow flew in faster than himself, and in the blink of an eye, it is already sitting upright in the carriage.

Cui Buqu’s expression darkened a little more.

Feng Xiao thumped his leg as he sighed, “Both of you were talking for so long, my legs hurt when I was on the tree. What are you standing there stunned for? Come up quickly, don’t let the driver wait too long! They have also waited here for a similar amount of time and had waited painfully, Master Taoist Cui, please spare him a thought!”

Watching the driver’s carefully and slight fearful expression, Cui Buqu twitched the corner of his lips before getting up the carriage slowly.

Feng Xiao smiled as he reached out to pull him in, but instead, he was cruelly hit on the back of his hand. He even exclaimed in an over-exaggerated way, “Taking my kindness and feeding it to the dogs, aren’t I just afraid that you will trip and fall?”

It was fine if he had remained silent, but once he opened his mouth it was like the beak of a crow. Yesterday it rained, and the soil was slippery. As he got up the carriage, Cui Buqu felt his foot slipping and thankfully he managed to grab the side of the carriage, avoiding falling head-on.

Feng Xiao couldn’t help but chuckle out loud.

Cui Buqu felt even more inclined to remain silent.

However, if he said nothing, it didn’t mean that Feng Xiao would say nothing as well. As long as his mouth wasn’t stitched up, Feng Xiao could keep making annoying noises.

“Look at you. You said that you wanted to come to Boling, and it’s because I saw how heavily wouned was Qiao Xian while Zhangsun needed to serve as the mainstay in the capital, no one reliable was accompanying you, thus I came myself to guarantee your safety…”

Cui Buqu might as well interrupt, “Did you manage to get your hands on Yu Yin?”

Feng Xiao spoke in high spirits, “How could it be only just that? Your grandfather even wanted to offer his granddaughter to me as my concubine!”

Cui Buqu replied sorrowfully, “Then congratulations are in order for Commander Feng, for good news to come in pairs!”

Feng Xiao moved closer, “I feel that, with Cui Yong’s look at that time, looking entirely like he was grasping at straws, let alone giving me his granddaughter for a concubine, even if I wanted to marry his very own wife, eight out of ten he would have agreed to it.”

Cui Buqu did not bulge. His lips crooked a little, and immediately this gesture was caught by Feng Xiao. He even pointed it out slyly, “If you wanted to laugh, then just laugh. No one is here to stop you, so why are you suffocating yourself?”

“Cui Da Lang colluded with the Southern Dynasty and committed a grave offence, but the Emperor will take into his consideration the Boling Cui clan and will not bestow a death penalty upon him. He will not be able to succeed the patriarch of the collateral branch of the Cui family, and he needed to make a quick decision in order to save himself. Although Ninth Lady Cui is a daughter of the third son, she still belongs to the collateral branch. Thus let alone Cui San who had harmed the life of an innocent, he would not be able to escape the penalty of a murderer. The people of this family were unfortunate through and through. How much on earth did Cui Yong put into consideration before he made you this offer to buy your interference?” Cui Buqu smiled in contempt.

“When someone had been on a high plateau for too long, watching over that three mu of land, and there was no one around to stand against him. In time, their worldview on the horizon would narrow. Cui Da’s ambitions were loftier than the skies, and he wished to ravish another path for the collateral branch of the Cui family so they may live in luxury for a few more centuries, it was a pity that he had allowed it to go to his head.”

Feng Xiao chuckled and changed the topic, “I knew that Master Taoist Cui’s setup was not so shallow, to come from a thousand miles to the Cui family just to take revenge. Your goals were to bring Cui Da’s crimes to light for public eyes while contacting Yuan Sansi in the dark and make him confess the locations of the treasure stove himself. You even used the zither Yu Yin to distract me. With all that meticulous plotting, had I been just a little bit uncareful, I really would have let you lead me on like a fool.”

Master Taoist Cui did not smile on the surface, “Didn’t you find another path to walk in the end? You even found one on the tree!”

With Feng Xiao’s shamelessness, his face would not redden from just a mere sentence like this, “See, you know me so well, we could just make shift with what is on hand.”

Cui Buqu raised an eyebrow, “Make shift of what?”

Feng Xiao, “Make shift of an alliance together again. That treasure stove will certainly contain many trap mechanisms engineered. Even if you are the number one most intelligent man beneath the Heavens, it would still have been very difficult for you to manage your way through, but with me, things will be different.”

Cui Buqu replied with a “Mhm,” and continued, “Originally, I might have died in the trap mechanisms, but if I brought you along, it’s estimated that I might be pushed into the trap mechanisms instead.”

Feng Xiao laughed, “How would I be willing to part with you? Days without you would have been lonely!”

Cui Buqu gave a cold laugh, “Before getting to know me, how did all your subordinates manage to stand you?”

Feng Xiao waved a hand, “Are you referring to Pei Jingzhe? The one who often travels with me is him. This child is slow in his head, eight out of ten times I ridiculed him, he would not be able to get it in time. It was no fun at all.”

So the reason behind gluing himself to him was because he was more fun?

Cui Buqu felt his head hurt even more now. He pinched the bridge of his nose, “We can no longer stay in the Cui manor. I have ordered someone to search for an inn. In two more days, once the cases regarding the Cui family have been settled and handed over to people sent by the capital, we will move to seek out the treasure stove.”

Feng Xiao was surprised, “Cui Da fell under suspicion for treason, Cui San has committed murder, Cui Er has long been dead. Three out of the four sons of Cui Yong fell into unfortunate states; only the fourth one Cui Pei remained, though an orphan was entrusted to him by Maiden Yu before her death, he dared not act against the orders of his father, he was indirectly the reason you were harmed each time following the last, and you’re just letting him go like that?”

Cui Buqu propped his head, “Every injustice has its perpetrator; although he had not done his best, he never harboured the intention to harm, and to me, if I never obtained even that little bit of kindness, I would have died more than once twenty years ago. This time, consider the favour a means to sever our ties. This carriage’s wobbling is making it uncomfortable for me. I will lie down for a while, call me when we’ve arrived.”

As he finished speaking, he laid down with his back facing towards Feng Xiao, yet the jade ornament on his head was jerked off by surprise, his raven-black hair scattering all over his shoulder.

Cui Buqu wanted to turn around and glare at the other, but a hand had already placed itself on the meridians of his head and began massaging tenderly.

The degree of force it infused was controlled. Inner strength turned into warmth and flowed into his veins from his head. He squinted his eyes and for a moment, he had forgotten to denounce the culprit for his crimes.

These had always been done by Qiao Xian, and now that Qiao Xian wasn’t here when Cui Buqu’s headaches triggered, he could only endure them in silence.

At the same time, Feng Xiao’s voice that was filled with disgust sounded from behind him, “Was your hair not washed yesterday? Ah, right. The cushions of this carriage were taken by me the day before to use at the posthouse outside the city. Once we return to the city, remember to order them to change these into a new set. I do not wish to use the same set when we leave the city. Best buy an entirely new set…”

Forget it. Taking into consideration that his head was being massaged comfortably, he could stand the noisiness for a while. Cui Buqu recited a few sentences of ‘Unlimited Blessings of the Buddha’ and pretended that Feng Xiao’s voice was the chirping of birds that came from the outside of the carriage, and felt a lot more satisfied.

Not long after, Feng Xiao could feel that the muscles in Cui Buqu’s shoulders and eyes had loosened, and his breathing was deep and slow as if he had already fallen into slumber.

He retreated his hand and watched as the other’s back gradually curved with a lack of guard and he thought: This person’s body is cold from top to bottom, even his bones are especially colder than others, but he’s forgotten that he has a soft and warm heart.

Cui Buqu felt that it’s been a long time since he had been able to sleep peacefully like this. When he woke up, his headache was completely gone, even all the discomfort he felt these days turned for the better. His mind was confused, wondering if he had lost track of time. He sat up and was greeted by the furnished displays around him, but then he suddenly remembered—

“What time is it? Is this place the inn?”

“What else could it be? You slept like a pig, so in the end, I was the one who carried you in.”

Feng Xiao was sitting at the table in his room munching in delight. The table was filled with steamy dishes, their fragrance filling the entire room. Cui Buqu believed that he was woken up by their delicious smell.

“Why aren’t you eating in your own room?” Cui Buqu stared at him.

Feng Xiao did not raise his head, “The smell would latch itself onto my blankets and pillows, and if I spilt anything, it would draw the mice at night. However, to eat at your place would be no big deal at all.”

Cui Buqu: “…”

“What are you staring at for? Come and eat. If you’re not hungry, I can take care of them all at once.” Feng Xiao urged him with a strange look when he realized he was staring off.

Cui Buqu sighed, bent over to put on his shoes, and sat down opposite of Feng Xiao.

“Cui Pei came looking for you.” Feng Xiao said, his tone bringing a hint of ridicule, “Even at present, the Cui family still covets unrealistic hopes.”

Cui Buqu, “Did he come to beg mercy on Cui Da’s behalf?”

Feng Xiao, “No. They are now a little smarter, knowing that Cui Da committed a grave offence and is bearing unforgivable crimes, they no longer dare to beg for mercy on his behalf. However, he hoped you could lift your hand high in mercy, and spare Cui Fei.”

Cui Buqu raised an eyebrow, “Oh? The most outstanding eldest grandson that Cui Yong spoke of?”

Feng Xiao smiled, “Perhaps he is the eldest, but if you wanted to acknowledge your ancestors, the most outstanding one is you.”

Cui Buqu gave a forced smile, “So they’re still harbouring this idea.”

Feng Xiao, “Right now, let alone if you wanted to move Maiden Yu next to Cui Er’s tomb. Even if you wanted to become an elder of the Cui clan, they would agree to it.”

Cui Buqu gave a cold laugh but did not answer him.

Just by listening to this laugh, Feng Xiao knew that Cui Buqu held not even a tiny bit of interest in the Boling Cui clan. Not only that, but he might have even thought of more ways to pit them.

“This laugh of yours is terrifying me.” Feng Xiao rolled his eyes and smiled cheekily as he grabbed a mushroom with his chopsticks, “After listening to the Zuoyue Bureau Commander’s past, should I offer up my own past to you so that you will not harbour bitter resentment for me?”

“I have no interest in it.” Cui Buqu buried his head eating.

Feng Xiao, “Don’t be like that. I really want to say it. Only that when I was young, I really do not have any stories of being bullied then taking revenge. I am from a wealthy family, never having to worry about clothes or shelter, and because I was devastatingly adorable, I was incredibly likeable by everyone. Even as I walk on the streets, countless young ladies would turn around and give their attention. Once…”

Cui Buqu, “Silence. I don’t want to hear it.”

Feng Xiao pretended that he had heard nothing, “Once, those kidnappers specialized in abducting children set their target on me. Taking advantage of the Lantern Festival, they drugged and kidnapped me in the midst of the crowd. That time I was only pretending to pass out, wanting to penetrate deep into the kidnapper’s den. Yet in the end, when onlookers saw us, they all rushed forward. Those little ladies even boxed the kidnappers to death. Sigh, you see, when someone is so pretty to this degree where he astounds the Heavens and earth and causes gods and demons to cry, it really is difficult for a hundred evils to take advantage of me. There is another time…”

Cui Buqu found it difficult to swallow in his mouth, his heart was in despair.

He really wished for the Heavens to send a thunder down and strike this oleander fairy to death once and for all!

Author’s Note:

PS, yesterday someone asked about QuQu’s identity as a disciple of the Liuli Palace. QuQu is not a disciple of the Liuli Palace. He is a rogue. It was only mentioned before that his teacher Fan Yun was a guest of the Liuli Palace, he is not a member of the Liuli Palace either. A guest would be like an honourable tutor, and that is all there about his origins linked with the Liuli Palace.

Beak of a crow: Crows are believed to be bad-omens, so when someone said something bad and it came true, it’s usually viewed as them having the beak of a crow.
mu: Chinese unit of measurement. One ‘English mu’ (acre) is equal to 6.0702846 Chinese mu.

[Wushuang] Chapter 109 — For The Entire Night, Cui Buqu Had A Dream About Feng Xiao
It was unknown if this happened because his ears had their fill of torture, because after that and for the entire night, Cui Buqu had a dream about Feng Xiao.

There was nothing else in the dream; all of it was that person flying around in high spirits, repeatedly saying:

“There was once… And another time…”

There was a murky sky and dark earth, where the sun and moon did not shine.

Until Cui Buqu woke up, the words, ‘there was once’ continuously resounded in his ears. There they remained, stubborn like troublesome march willows, once they stuck to one’s clothes, they were incredibly difficult to get rid of.

He got up clumsily to change his clothes and then got down to change his shoes. The knocking of the door sounded, and Cui Buqu seriously contemplated whether or not he should jump out of the window and be done with it. Thankfully, in the next moment, the other’s voice was his saving grace, permitting him to avoid the tragic scene of leaping down from the second floor and endure a broken leg.

“Young Master Cui, my apologies for the interruption, but might I inquire if you’re free for a chat? If not, I can come again later.” It was Cui Pei.

Cui Buqu loosened his breath, “Go to the teahouse next door and look for a single unit. I will be there in a while.”

Cui Pei knew what to do; what followed was the sound of his footsteps travelling far away.

The view without Feng-er was incredibly pleasant if one were to ignore the odds and ends of the meal from last night that hasn’t been cleaned.

That man’s incredible fuzziness over cleanliness has reached a degree where Cui Buqu was willing to candidly admit defeat.

To think about it: who would have trained themselves in the art of combat using a zither just so they won’t need to fight their enemies up close and just so they could use their inner strength and send their enemies flying with the waves of music?

There was no one, only Feng-er.

So to speak, Feng-er willingly carried him down the carriage and into the inn in person was already an unprecedented treatment.

There was a sliver of something lingering in the air that had an unpleasant smell, it made Cui Buqu speed up his steps and leave the place, not willing to remain there any longer.

Cui Pei was a little perturbed.

Had it been just a few days ago, if someone had told him that Cui Jie was still alive and that he could decide the fate of the Cui family, he would have thought it was very absurd.

For in his permanent memory, the impression of that child was someone silent, someone who would never complain to him even if he had endured all the bullying and fell ill.

Afterwards, when Cui Pei had children of his own, he finally understood the hearts of parents, and every time he thought about that child, the more guilt he felt.

Within two short days, the Cui family’s lives had turned upside down. The Boling Cui clan was like a bumpy boat in the midst of a hurricane that would overturn at any moment.

Members of the Cui family all found themselves in perilous situations. The women wet their face with tears and even some of them cussed and swore at Cui Buqu, cursing him to die a terrible death.

However, Cui Pei knew that Cui Buqu would never take these cusses and swears to heart.

From the moment the other left the Cui family, he had severed the last ties he shared with the Cui clan.

The verdict has yet to come from the Imperial Court. Cui Yong had already contacted the Fanyang Lu Sect to discuss a letter of mercy. Cui Pei did not know how much these actions will help their case, but as the only member of the Cui family who wasn’t directly involved and at the same time had an orphan entrusted to him before Maiden Yu’s death, of course, Cui Yong sent him here hoping to convince Cui Buqu to be merciful.

Before he left the door, Cui Yong reminded him, again and again, to be careful of what he says. It was important not to provoke Cui Buqu, and regardless of what conditions the other requested, he only needed to agree before returning to ponder over them.

As he thought to this point, Cui Pei couldn’t help laughing bitterly. He wasn’t afraid of what conditions the other will request, his only fear was that Cui Buqu will not request any conditions at all.

Boling Cui clan was one of the aristocratic family clans that everyone flocked to. How many people whose surname was Cui brewed plans to leech off the name of the Boling Cui clan? However, towards these temptations, Cui Buqu was completely uninterested in them.

“The reason I brought you here is because you met Young Master Cui and the rest outside the city and forged a good relationship. Later on, even if there is the need to kneel down and beg him, don’t hesitate. Without my orders, do not say anything rashly.” Cui Pei reminded the young girl next to him.

“I understand.” Ninth Lady Cui gave him a look of uneasiness.

Within the span of a single night, her father became a murderer and her mother had been a murderer’s accomplice. Both of them were doomed. Ninth Lady Cui and her other siblings felt like they had been hit from the clouds down to the sawdust on earth, receiving a hard impact on the head. They were stunned for the whole day, at a loss of what to do.

She should have hated Cui Buqu, but as she watched that tall and thin shadow entering from the outside, she could not bring herself to hate him a single bit. As for those complicated feelings left in her, it was too convoluted to narrate in words.

It was the same as the first time they met; Cui Buqu’s complexion was pale, and he did not display any look of happiness or anger when he saw them.

“I hope you are not here to beg for mercy.” Cui Buqu went straight to the point.

“With the way things have progressed now, how could we still dare? Today, I only wish to take a look at you.” Cui Pei laughed bitterly.

Cui Buqu nodded slightly, hinting that he was waiting for his next words.

Cui Pei was at a loss of how he should continue. As a man over the age of fifty, he had roamed the world and visited many places. He had even seen the Emperor himself before, yet at this moment, he felt anxious.

“That year, it was I who betrayed second sister-in-law’s trust.” He thought over his words, not willing to provoke the other, “I know that you bear resentment in your heart, and regarding this matter, it was the Cui family who had wronged you. Father himself also has regrets.”

Cui Buqu laughed all of a sudden, “If I had died out there that year, would Cui Yong still have regrets now?”

Naturally, he wouldn’t. Cui Pei had nothing else to say in return. He thought about his father’s behaviour from the beginning until just before his elder brother was being dragged away; he was still regretting that he hadn’t killed him all those years ago, and not regretting the fact that he had never been kind to him.

As he thought to this point, he felt a little downhearted. All of a sudden he no longer wished to speak.

Cui Pei sighed, “Is there anything I can do for you? If it’s to move second sister-in-law into the Cui clan’s ancestral burial site…”

Cui Buqu replied expressionlessly, “If she had never been buried, how could she move in?”

It was impossible to continue conversing like this. Had it been for someone else, they would have risen to their feet and slammed a hand on the table. Yet Cui Pei had always been meek, so regardless of what Cui Buqu says, he would shoulder it all upon himself.

“It was all my fault, had I been more determined in the past…”

“Do you want to be the elder of the Cui clan?” Cui Buqu asked all of a sudden.

Cui Pei suddenly looked up at him.

Cui Buqu expressed a long and eloquent laugh, “Before you, there are three elder brothers. Thus no matter what, the opportunity would never fall upon you. However, right now, it is different. Even if the Cui family was not affected by Cui Da’s sentence and could save themselves, members of the Cui clan would object to either of them taking up the post of the elder. Yet, if it was you, there might still be hope.”

Cui Pei’s throat was dry, “I have never thought about this.”

Cui Buqu, “If one were to protect themselves and the ones they love, they would need strength. As of now, the collateral branch of the Cui family is in fragments. If even you were unwilling to stand out, then it would give the opportunity to others to step all over you.”

Cui Pei did not say a word, but Cui Buqu knew that he had listened to everything he said.

Cui Pei’s abilities were not bad, but as years and months passed, with his father and brothers on top of him, he never had the chance to prove himself. Even as a scholar with a reputable name outside, when people spoke of him, they would not neglect to mention that he was from the Boling Cui clan.

Cui Buqu had managed to walk out, but he didn’t and was doomed to be strapped by the three words, ‘Boling Cui clan’ for life.

Glory was also sometimes shackles.

From the outside, someone entered. It was a servant from the Prefecture Magistrate’s manor.

“I will go immediately.” Cui Buqu nodded.

Cui Pei knew that the other had no heart to continue speaking, so he immediately said, “I will visit second sister-in-law’s grave frequently. When you travel outside, please take care of yourself!”

He took out a written prescription and gave it to Cui Buqu.

“You might also know that centuries-long aristocratic families like us would certainly have kept valuable medical formulas. Since your body is unwell, this is what I have managed to find in the Cui family that could help regulate your body. Doctor Sun has also looked over it himself.” Cui Pei urged, “I know that right now, with your present identity, there is nothing you lack, but if you ever need it, just write a letter home, and I will try my best to do it for you.”

Cui Buqu paused faintly and accepted the prescription.

Cui Pei certainly let out a breath of relief. Speaking with this nephew of his made him incredibly pressured, perhaps even more nervous compared to speaking with the Emperor.

“Of what I have said before, give it some thought. If you succeed the Cui clan as its elder, perhaps I will consider begging for mercy on behalf of the Cui family in front of the Emperor, to avoid involving innocent women and children.” Cui Buqu gave Ninth Lady Cui a look, “And to also save Cui Yong from offering Ninth Lady Cui to Feng Xiao as his concubine.”

Ninth Lady Cui gave a stunning look filled with disbelief, “Did grandfather…really say that?”

She turned to look at Cui Pei, and the latter avoided her gaze, not willing to meet her eyes.

“Young Master Cui!”

Ninth Lady Cui called out to Cui Buqu who was walking outside and finally said the words she had been holding in since forever, “Are you really as they said, my elder brother?”

Cui Buqu’s footsteps did not stop, he spoke expressionlessly, “Even if the Cui family is not finished, it would still cost them a hefty price. If you wish to pursue Sun Jimin in being a practitioner, this is the best chance. Do not be all words with no actions, proving yourself similar to those women who are timid and hesitant. Don’t make it so that I cannot be proud of you.”

The colour on Ninth Lady Cui’s face changed for a moment, and just as Cui Pei thought that she would rush forward to confront the other, all of sudden she fell on her knees before Cui Buqu and bowed to him.

“I am sorry.”

Cui Buqu was stunned for a moment.

Ninth Lady Cui said in a low voice, “I am sorry. I have heard of your past from onlookers and I know that I am not worthy enough to speak for my father and mother, but I am born a daughter of theirs, and regarding what they have done to you in the past, it’s impossible for me to be completely absolved of it. Regardless of how they are now, I am unworthy to beg for mercy on their behalf, so all I can do is to say ‘I am sorry’. Please lead a good life in the future, sail a smooth journey, and be free from hardships.”

She parted her lips as if to address him as an elder brother, but in the end, those words did not make it past her lips.

As Cui Buqu walked further away, Cui Pei helped her to her feet. He watched tears trickle down her face and couldn’t help but sigh.

“Why would you bring such a thing upon yourself?”

“I should have hated him.” Ninth Lady Cui rubbed her now fully reddened eyes, but her tears refused to stop, “But when I recall how well I was fed and sheltered when I was little and received all the love I needed, yet he was out there enduring all the suffering, I cannot bring myself to hate him.”

Cui Pei spoke dejectedly, “It was not your fault.”

Ninth Lady Cui, “But it was not his fault either. Although he came back to arrest uncle and father, these were matters with reasonable cause and not enforced bullying with the oppression of power. Members of the Cui family still cussed at him terribly. I…I don’t know why in my heart, I feel stuck in panic.”

Cui Pei patted her head but said nothing.

He thought that perhaps because of Ninth Lady Cui, Cui Buqu could see that there was still a trickle of warmth that existed in the Cui family, which ultimately contributed to his decision to take a step back. Or perhaps, Cui Buqu was taking into consideration the late Maiden Yu and Cui Er. However, regardless of which it was, things have stopped here, and this was already the best ending they could have had.

……

Cui Buqu was led to the Prefecture Magistrate’s rear garden, thus he witnessed Feng Xiao and Yuan Sansi happily conversing with each other in absolute delight, practically as if they already have sacrificed the chicken, burned the yellow paper, and recognized each other as sworn brothers in the next moment.

He couldn’t help sighing, and in his heart, he said that prior to this, he had never witnessed Feng-er and Prefecture Magistrate Yuan being this close with each other. However, who could have guessed that once he knew that the other carried with him the location of the treasure stove, he was like a weasel who smelled food and refused to let go of it, insisting on bulging in and getting involved no matter what.

When Yuan Sansi saw him, on his face divulged a smile as he rose to his feet and bowed, familiar yet not lacking the necessary mannerisms.

“Buqu, Commander Feng here said that you have already told him of the matter, and that both of you were prepared to look for the treasure stove together.”

Cui Buqu gave Feng Xiao a glare which meant: You truly know how to wind yourself around the stick that beats you.

Feng Xiao returned his expression with a look of innocence as if he understood nothing from his expression.

As Yuan Sansi saw that Cui Buqu wasn’t objecting, he told them both, “Both of you, follow me.”

He brought both of them to his study and took out a book from the shelf, before taking out a bookmark made of bamboo.

The bookmark was quite old, but if one were to take a closer look, it was two bamboo pieces stuck together, and if a knife was used to split them, in the middle was a thin cloth.

Carefully, Yuan Sansi took that cloth out and meticulously spread it open, turning it into a cloth as big as half a palm.

On it was drawn, with special ink, a scenery from someplace.

There was snow on top of a mountain, a cave in the heart of its split, and turquoise rocks with gurgling water.

Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu stared at it for a moment, but they could not tell what place it was.

Most of the landscapes beneath the sky would have more or less a look like this.

If the Wei Dynasty really did leave behind a treasure stove, saving it for future use, it was not possible for them to just leave behind a vague clue like this to their descendants.

This wasn’t a riddle at all, this was pulling their legs.

Yuan Sansi said, “It was also my first time disassembling the bookmark and seeing something like this.”

Cui Buqu, “Was there a pointer?”

Yuan Sansi replied in determination, “Yes, there is. Hengzhou, Tiannan Mountain!”

Sacrificed the chicken, burned the yellow paper: The process between people who wished to become sworn brothers/sisters.

Wind yourself around the stick that beats you: In Chinese, it was 打蛇随棍上, which practically illustrates how a snake would wound up a pole that [someone] uses to beat it, referring to a person who knows how to take advantage of the situation they were in.

Translator’s Notes: As usual, Black Lotus and I will be taking a short break after every book. This time we’ll be only taking a shorter break since I feel that Book 5 and Book 4 are somewhat connected. The next chap will be posted within a few days!

[Wushuang] Chapter 110 – Are You Just Being Concerned Of Me?
Hengzhou was the old capital of the former Wei Dynasty. Before Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei moved capitals, the Wei Dynasty’s capital was located here.

Although it was an old capital, it remained as the place that Emperors of a few generations had lived in before. As an old abode of Emperors, the essence of the dragon remained; thus, even though it cannot compare to the adjacent flourishing city of Luoyang, it was still considered a big city on its own.

If one were to travel north, after leaving the city and excluding the main road, flora filled the path and formed forests. During midsummer, an air of elegance warped themselves around leaves as they swayed in the breeze.

At the foot of the mountain next to the main road, there was a teahouse. A few bamboos supported a roof made of hay and a few mats made of cattail, without even a table, it was only meant for passing woodcutters and hunters to stop for a short rest once they entered the mountain.

On usual days it was difficult to even see a few presences, yet right now four people sat there, occupying all the cattail mats. It made the woodcutter at loss of what to do, and he wanted to take a detour around it to pass through but was called after.

“Mister, please stop!”

The Zuoyue guard took a step forward and passed a bowl of hot tea.

Both the hot tea and the bowl were bought along the way from the city. Cui Buqu was determined not to waste money on extravagance, so he had refused to use them on purchasing new bowls. Thus, the money used to purchase them naturally came from Feng Xiao.

The woodcutter accepted the bowl and asked curiously, “Are the few of you intending to enter the mountain?”

He looked at those few people who wore clothing that looked better than others, thus he thought that they were from prestigious families who travelled out for sightseeing, so he conveniently added a warning, “The colour of the sky does not look good. It seems like a windy rain is coming. I suggest the lot of you enter the mountain after some time has passed.”

The Zuoyue guard laughed and said, “Many thanks to the warning. We wanted to ask if a Tiannan Mountain exists around this place?”

Originally, the woodcutter nodded his head, but suddenly he said, “There is indeed such a mountain. Us locals usually call it the Ruyi Mountain, but I’ve heard it has another name—Tian-something. I heard of it from a scholar back in the county, but I do not recall it. Not sure if it’s the one you people are talking about.”

Zuoyue guard, “Then where is that mountain?”

The woodcutter pointed at the front, “There, it’s just over there!”

Everyone turned to look, and certainly, the peak of a mountain stood right ahead after the slant of the peak in front of them. It was much taller than the one before it, like beads of abacuses standing up, its highlands surrounded by mist and clouds as if there were hidden immortals within them.

Feng Xiao looked at Cui Buqu.

The latter shook his head, meaning that even he himself could not be certain for sure.

After the woodcutter finished speaking, he watched the others rising to their feet and bidding him farewell before heading towards the mountain. The woodcutter couldn’t help but warned again, “When the wind and rain comes, the road will be slippery, it is not a matter to be taken lightly.”

Feng Xiao smiled and said, “So we need to hurry up the mountain before the rain comes, many thanks.”

He waved his fan and took the lead, while the two Zuoyue guards stood in front and behind Cui Buqu each, guarding him. It was impossible to drive a horse carriage here. Cui Buqu held a bamboo stick in his hand and followed after Feng Xiao as they walked step by step up the mountain’s path, although his footsteps were much slower.

As the woodcutter watched their backs and how they refused to heed his advice, he couldn’t help shaking his head and sigh, ‘Young people these days’, before he carried his axe and basket and left for another mountain.

He didn’t know that on the other side, Feng Xiao also asked Cui Buqu.

“Dark clouds gathered at the peak. Are you sure that there won’t be any rain today?”

Cui Buqu lifted his eyelids, but too lazy to lift his head, “The rain won’t hail here.”

It hadn’t taken long before he finished when a windstorm arose. Cui Buqu was standing just at the turning. His foothold was unstable and he was practically blown down.

Before the Zuoyue guard could reach out, Feng Xiao already caught Cui Buqu’s shoulder and pulled him back to his original standing. He didn’t refrain himself from jeering, “From the way I see it, you should wait at the bottom of the mountain. How burdensome!”

Cui Buqu did not pay him any attention, he only raised his head and squinted at him for a long time before pointing at somewhere.

“Let us go there and take a look.”

Dark clouds were blown to the adjacent mountain’s peak; from the east, the sun rose and from the west, the rain fell. Atop their head was completely sunny.

Feng Xiao didn’t know how Cui Buqu managed to cultivate such a skill, being able to identify something simply from standing afar. However, when they were going through untold hardships climbing up the mountain—mainly Cui Buqu enduring the most, for right now his face was pale like paper, and with every step, he needed to stop a while for rest; Feng Xiao even had a feeling that the other would be shattered by the blowing of wind in the next moment—everyone noticed that under the shade of a verdant and luxuriant tree, the entrance of a cave peaked out. It looked deep and dark; even with the glaring sunlight from the outside, it could not even penetrate into the darkness within.

The clue Yuan Sansi gave had been from many years before. The forest surrounding it was denser compared to the one in the picture. No matter how one looked at it, it was difficult to determine whether this place was the treasure stove of the former dynasty that Yuan Sansi had mentioned.

Feng Xiao asked curiously, “How did you recognize it?”

“The contour of the landscape was unique.” Cui Buqu tapped the landscape on the picture, before pointing at their feet, “Additionally, did you notice that this mountain was obviously steep, but on our way up, the journey was smooth and we didn’t encounter any dangers.”

Feng Xiao added, “You almost falling down aside.”

Cui Buqu listened but paid it no attention and continued, “On my way up just now, I realized that the tracks of that year were still retained on the stone path. This proved that a path up here once existed in order to make it convenient for the soldiers and craftsmen to transport materials for construction.”

He allowed the Zuoyue guards to move the adjacent rock away and cut away a few grass blades in the entrance of the mountain, before reaching out with a leg to wipe away some sand, and truly, some scratches were uncovered.

These scratches were definitely not done by blowing wind or beating rain.

Feng Xiao knelt and used fingers to gloss over it, “The scratches are neat. They should be left behind by dragging something across the ground.”

Cui Buqu raised his gaze to study their surroundings, “They must have been looking for very long before they found such a place. This place is situated halfway up the mountain and the landscape around it is flat. All the tools were delivered from the foot of the mountain, inside is fully furnished, and grasses and trees grew aplenty outside, it would not be easily discovered. Even if woodcutters and hunters passed by, they would not enter just out of curiosity, even if they entered—“

He waited for a while, “They most likely wouldn’t be coming out.”

Feng Xiao raised a brow, “Are you certain entering inside such a small place will lead us to the treasure stove of a former dynasty? Even if it was true, with such a small cave entrance, how would those armours be brought out? Could it be that the Wei Dynasty never thought about this in the first place, and Yuan Sansi was misleading you?”

Cui Buqu shook his head, “Yuan Sansi’s background is something I’ve sent people to investigate for a long time. It is impossible to be mistaken. Something is definitely down there. We should go and take a look first before saying anything.”

The Zuoyue guard opened the way. Cui Buqu rolled up his sleeve wanting to go down, yet his wrist was caught by Feng Xiao.

The other man shot him a glance, behind it lurked unknown meanings, “You can just wait outside. For a sickly man like yourself to go in, do you want me to go through all that trouble saving you?”

Cui Buqu sighed, “Did you think I would be willing to add to the trouble going down? There are definitely booby traps below. Although I am not completely familiar, I know a thing or two. Without me, I fear that even if your martial arts are unsurpassed, it would be very difficult to escape completely unharmed.”

Feng Xiao very quickly returned to his usual casual and playful façade and edged closer to him, “Master Taoist Cui, are you just being concerned for me?”

Cui Buqu replied blandly, “That is right. After all, Commander Feng is crucial to our safety on the returning journey.”

The Zuoyue guards have vanished within the cave, thus he didn’t say more but followed and entered.

As soon as he entered, dark and dense energy surrounded them from all eight cardinal directions, as if they’ve entered another world.

[Wushuang] Chapter 111
[DB: I did not realize creating too many pages would affect the performance of the blog, so here we are back to posts, although I admit I liked the custom URL pages can make :x]

It was you.

“Try your best to walk in the middle, don’t touch the stone walls.” Cui Buqu repeated once more.

“What is that?” On the stone walls where mosses were fully grown over, there were silver spots shining beautifully yet they looked uncanny. Feng Xiao used the torch held by the Zuoyue guard to inspect it closely for a moment, “It’s quite the strange beauty.”

Cui Buqu said, “Left behind by caterpillars of Silver-powder Butterflies. This breed of butterfly can be found in dark places where the silver-powder on their bodies will glow. They are harmless on their own, but the silver-powder contains poison.”

Feng Xiao, “Can they also be found in damp caves?”

Cui Buqu understood what he meant; originally, he was shaking his head, but he realized that he was walking behind and after shaking his head the other was gone. Still, he said in a low voice, “This breed of Silver-powdered butterfly would usually only appear in Xinan; it’s scarcely found in the north. However, their lifespan is incredibly short, and they enjoy gathering in groups. After passing this section, they should be gone.”

This was only the first mechanism imposed upon them. They know that compared to what dangers lay ahead, poisonous silver-powder would be nothing compared to them.

A damp, rotting smell erupted; he couldn’t help coughing twice, and a voice came from afar in an echo. Yet the contours of the lay of the land beneath his feet gradually became flatter, no longer were they slippery wet. Cui Buqu’s walking bamboo stick fell on the ground, resounding in a deep and dull voice, just like an old monk knocking on a wooden fish bit by bit, knocking on everyone’s hearts.

Leaving the paved path, the area broadened. Vines hung down from up above, dangling closely from atop their heads. The dampness and slippery scent unique to the cave rode along with a gentle breeze that came from nowhere, brushing across their faces.

Cui Buqu could smell a hint of danger.

He lowered his head.

Lending the light of the fire, the stone terrain wasn’t covered in green moss. Other than some sands and dust, the surface of the stone terrain could still be seen clearly.

Aristocratically beautiful peonies wrapping themselves complicatedly around a stalk of lotuses.

Usually, treasure stoves were simply backdoors built by Emperors for their descendants and later dynasties. It was unnecessary for them to go through so much trouble to pave a stone path and engrave patterns of flowers. It could be seen that the Emperor of the Wei Dynasty not only intended to turn this place into his treasure stove, but he had even anticipated that there would come a day when his descendants, should they be on the run, could temporarily—

His gaze suddenly froze, and turned around as he shouted—

“Halt your steps and retreat!”

Feng Xiao’s reflexes were the quickest. Before he retreated, he conveniently held onto Cui Buqu’s arm and pulled him back as well.

Both of the Zuoyue guards were not quick enough and were a step too late.

One of them felt cold wind hammering down his head, there was a sharp pain to his nose. They were knives emerging from the ground upwards, cutting a piece of flesh off the tip of his nose and causing blood to trickle!

Feng Xiao immediately tapped the guard’s meridians to quickly stop the bleeding, using the torch to take a closer look, “No poison.”

A bloody wound like that was truly hideous. Thankfully all of them had brought medicine for knife wounds. The other Zuoyue guard rushed forward to bandage his companion but, unfortunately, even if the wound fully healed, there would be a part of his nose missing.

Cui Buqu said, “You can descend the mountain for the time being, wait for us outside.”

The wounded Zuoyue guard was unwilling, “Commander! This little exterior wound will not affect my performance!”

Feng Xiao did not join in their conversation. He knelt half-way and looked at the razor-sharp knife that was half-an-inch thrust into the stone ground and said curiously:

“The sharp edge of this knife should be cast from ancient methods. On our way out, remind me to bring this back and have them forge a new one, I guarantee that it would be even more efficient than the one Fo Er has. However, how did you know this was a trap?”

“These bricks do not look much different from the others, but in truth, there’s a difference in their unevenness. In fact, there is a regular pattern that’s reoccurring.” Cui Buqu also walked over there, reaching out with a hand to press on top of a brick with twinning lotus patterns, before slowly pressing it down and drawing it to starboard. “Look. Starting from this piece and all the way here, it gradually flattens. When it reaches here, the height reverts to its previous one. Touch it.”

Feng Xiao, “I am not going to touch it. The ground is filthy. I’m fine listening to you speak.”

Cui Buqu: “…”

He silently smoothened a green vein that was popping from his forehead and calmly concluded, “I have seen these sorts of occult arts before. As for the pattern, it was to warn their own people to avoid it, however, were they infiltrators, they would have fallen for it.”

Feng Xiao waved his fan and said, “The configurations of the engraving on these bricks are incredibly complex. Was it also to misdirect infiltrators?”

“That’s right!” Cui Buqu said impatiently, “The place here is very cold, can you not wave your fan?”

Feng Xiao watched his face that was pale like snow and shook his head as he said, “There’s still time for you to be on your way out now!”

Even though he said these words, he still kept his fan away.

There was a sound of water droplets splatting above their heads, drizzle falling down through the mist.

Once the mist got near to Feng Xiao, it was repelled by a shapeless form of energy. His clothes didn’t even catch a bit of dampness.

“Would it rain in the cave?” He nudged through the mist with his fan, “Is there no poison?”

Cui Buqu shook his head, “I took a look before we came in. The dark clouds are thick outside the mountain, there should be another layer above it, in fact, it’s linked to the exit facing outside. So, it would absorb the clouds outside and turn it into a mist. If I am not wrong, this is the layer of traps, and the layer above should be the one where the treasure stove is hidden. The entrance should be just in front.”

The Zuoyue guard’s nose had stopped bleeding. He insisted on remaining. Cui Buqu no longer tried to make him leave. He walked forward alone.

Cui Buqu turned into the leading party. He walked extremely slowly, examining each step taken.

Of course, to fly to the opposite side using qinggong would be the quickest, but no one would know whether the moment they landed they would land onto a trap. However, if one were to be like Cui Buqu, although this way was slower, it was definitely safe.

The Zuoyue guard who was wounded took the rear. His companion was in front of him.

The vines above their heads got longer and longer, blocking their view. The Zuoyue guard who walked in front couldn’t help but had to use his hand to push them away.

Other than these vines, there were stone pillars all around, reaching up from the ground in various diameters. Judging by the looks of it, they were formed by nature inside the cavern.

In a spacious cavern like this, infinite possibilities could be hidden within. Let alone a few people settling in, it could even contain an entire army of royal guards; there was no doubt why the Emperor of the Wei Dynasty had chosen this place to be their backdoor.

Even the sound of the faintest rustling of leaves would make one extremely nervous in a dead-silent cavern such as this one. Yet, while accompanied by Cui Buqu’s coughing sounds, it made one feel rather peaceful instead.

It was not their first day being in the Zuoyue Bureau; those Zuoyue guards had been on many escapades before and could be considered to have plenty of experience, thus they hadn’t worn their feelings on their sleeves as both of them followed behind Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao, taking a detour around the stone pillar in front of them.

In front, there was a turning, a ray of light hiding behind.

Could it be an exit?

The guard couldn’t help feeling happy in his heart.

Yet at this moment, a groan sounded behind him.

It was slow and brief.

He turned his head around abruptly and realized that everyone behind him was gone!

“Commander, Jiang Song is missing!”

There was no response.

Because both Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao in front of him were gone as well.

The Zuoyue guard was shocked.

Behind the turning, there was not a single soul. The light he saw just now seemed as if it came from his own imagination, the road before his eyes was obviously still deep, its end unable to be determined. It was unknown where the path was leading to, the only source of light coming from the torch in his hand.

However, after walking for so long, the torch had almost finished burning, its light wavering, like an old man who is crippling from age barely struggling to breathe, yet could do nothing as he was engulfed by the darkness.

Suddenly, darkness claimed his vision!

He reached into his bosom with a hand, hoping to take out another torch, but before his hand could touch his chest he felt his body spinning around as if both his legs had sunk into deep sand, his entire person being pulled down!

Cui Buqu stood where he was, unmoving.

He wasn’t falling and he hadn’t gone far.

In reality, he noticed something was wrong the moment he took a detour around the first stone pillar.

However, these types of instinctive feelings didn’t come from real threats, but from feelings that were practically imaginary. These sort of senses weren’t distinct, so he hoped to seek out more clues by just moving forward.

Stone pillars were like forests within the cavern. Torches were unable to brighten up the entire scene. As far as the eye could see, there would be at least a few of them.

Was it because something was off with these stone pillars?

He raised his eyebrows slightly, divulging a rarely seen look of curiosity, yet it was a pity that Feng Xiao who was walking behind did not have the chance to see it.

“I feel that something might be amiss with these stone pillars.” He said.

At this moment, he has already reached the side of the fourth stone pillar, so these words were naturally meant for Feng Xiao to hear.

However, no response came from Feng Xiao.

He turned around and discovered that all three of them were missing.

Cui Buqu sighed. The uncanny feeling he felt really was effective.

With a hand on the stone pillar, he stood there for a while, recalling the scenery on the way since they first entered.

“I was wrong.” Cui Buqu mumbled.

At first, he thought that the traps here were arranged one after the other and each one maintained some distance from the last. The Silver-powdered Butterflies and the stone terrain traps from before had affirmed his estimation, but in truth, from the moment they entered the cavern, they have already stepped into a massive trap made out of an array.

The Twin Jade Compass Array.

Just as its name implied, the array referenced the arrangements of the constellation the Big Dipper. Seven traps were engineered outside the array and once they interacted with one of those traps, they would enter the territory of another subarray of the Big Dipper.

Just now, when they were placing all their focus onto avoiding the traps in the stone terrain, in reality, they have already stepped into a small ‘Big Dipper array’ made from these stone pillars.

At this moment of being in the array, even if the distance wasn’t far, it would still feel like one was at the horizon of the sky and at the edge of the sea as if the light of the Tianshu star was completely beyond reach.

As for this sub ‘Big Dipper’ array, it referenced the final phase of the strategy in Chinese chess when all the seven stars aligned. Even normal people would be able to see that this array was unique. If one cannot find its principle, they could only be sitting ducks walled-off within a city of grief.

Those who were caught in the array would lose track of time while struggling to live, but even so, they still wouldn’t be able to survive.

Cui Buqu had no idea how to rescue the others, so he could only save himself first.

He closed his eyes and silently recalled the solution to this array.

From vague memories in the past, hoping to uncover a single corner.

If one corner could be lifted, then what else would be waiting for him beyond it?

Cui Buqu discarded his torch, tightened his grip on the bamboo stick, helping himself using the stones pillars, and step by step he moved forward fumbling for clues.

After going back and forth a few steps, he took a detour around the stone pillar next to him and walked all over again.

If there were onlookers, they would think that he was blindly taking detours, but Cui Buqu snaked his way through the dark and really did walk himself out of that place.

Once he opened his eyes, there was a glint of light in front of him. The light of candles flickered, melting the ice-cold chill in the cavern.

Cui Buqu turned around. Behind him, there was still a curtain of darkness.

Feng Xiao and the Zuoyue guards—they were still in the array.

Should he move forward, or turn back to look for them?

Cui Buqu turned around to go back into the array.

Yet behind him sounded the voice of a person.

It should be impossible to have someone else here other than the four of them.

However, the voice of that person was incredibly familiar—

“Since you found your way out, why return? The Cui Buqu I knew was not someone who is soft-hearted and hesitant.”

Cui Buqu violently turned his head around!

The other was standing at the entrance where the light was coming from. His figure was blurry, not even his face could be identified.

However, it was impossible for Cui Buqu not to recognize that voice.

Because it hadn’t been long since the last time they spoke to each other.

“Yuan Sansi, it was you.” Cui Buqu said lightly.

Wooden fish: An old Chinese instrument. Image below.

Big Dipper: Because beidou (北斗) can mean either the ‘Big Dipper’ or a compass (as the Big Dipper is also used to point to the North Star), I’ve taken liberties with both translations so the name of the array isn’t too much of a mouthful.

Tianshu star: Alpha Ursae Majoris, formally named Dubhe, is, despite being designated “α”, the second-brightest object in the constellation of Ursa Major.