Death Scripture

They had written down the names of King Dari and King Rizhu. Gu Shenwei chose the former, while Fang Wenshi the latter.

“We should have written down the same name,” Fang Wenshi said with a bitter smile, shaking his head. He thought that a counselor and his master were supposed to write down the same name, look at each other with a satisfied smile, and then suddenly be on more intimate terms.

However, the Dragon King and Fang Wenshi had different ideas.

“Why do you think that King Dari is the Central Plain’s hidden traitor? He’s the first rightful heir to the throne,” Fang Wenshi began.

“King Dari has a yellow-faced servant named Fu Yuan. Have you heard of him?” said Gu Shenwei.

“Yes. He seems to be a yes man. He should take some responsibility for King Dari failing to sit on the throne,” replied Fang Wenshi.

“Fu Yuan is not just a yes man. He is controlling King Dari. If my guess is right, King Dari is just a puppet who has lost his ability to think properly. It is Fu Yuan who tells him how to act,” said Gu Shenwei.

“So the rumor is true? King Dari is only around fifty. How could he suffer from senile dementia earlier than the Khan?” asked Fang Wenshi.

“Yes, the rumor is true. But more importantly, Fu Yuan is from the Central Plain,” replied Gu Shenwei.

After thinking about it for a while, Fang Wenshi was still not convinced. “That doesn’t prove that King Dari is the hidden traitor,” Fang Wenshi retorted. “It’s risky to use a servant from the Central Plain to control a lord of Norland, because he’d be too unreliable. If I worked for the Central Plain, I would never choose such a hidden traitor,” said Fang Wenshi.

“Tell me your reason. Although King Rizhu acts suspicious, he could not be the hidden traitor of the Central Plain. Have you forgotten? His son died at the hands of the Emperor of the Central Plain,” argued Gu Shenwei.

“His enemy is the former Emperor, not the current one. Your Highness, your words have reminded me. Perhaps the reason that King Rizhu intends to win the three most important competitions is to spoil something else. I have a hunch that the Central Plain will be the largest beneficiary if King Rizhu wins these matches,” said Fang Wenshi.

Both of their guesses were based on weak foundations. Fang Wenshi regarded this as an interesting game. He patted his thigh and continued, “What about us making a bet? We spend three days looking for evidence, and then see whose guess is right.”

“What if both of our guesses are wrong?” asked Gu Shenwei.

“If that’s the case, you should make a concession since you are my master. If it turns out that both of our guesses are wrong, you still lose the bet,” said Fang Wenshi.

Gu Shenwei became interested in the bet, so he asked, “Okay, so what are the stakes?”

Fang Wenshi replied, looking awkward, “The stakes need to be within my reach. Your Highness, I promise you that I am not rich, so I don’t have much money.”

Gu Shenwei looked at the fat Fang Wenshi, and he knew that his money must have been spent on food. After thinking for a while, he said, “Then, ten taels of silver. We can both afford that.”

Fang Wenshi couldn’t help bursting into laughter. He returned, “The stake is too small.” After awhile, he proposed, “How about this? If you win, I will not be paid for the work I’ve done for you in Norland. It would save you a lot of money.”

“What if you win?” asked Gu Shenwei.

“Hehe. I will receive my pay. On top of that, I need you to make me a promise,” Fang Wenshi said, looking at the Dragon King with a sly smile. “If I offend you one day, I hope — you will spare my life. After all, it’s dangerous to keep a king’s company. I might displease you some day. No one knows what will happen in the future,” he said.

This stake was bigger than Gu Shenwei had expected. Besides, Fang Wenshi’s stake was also suspicious. He had chosen an optimal time to propose it. Gu Shenwei mused for a while, and then nodded yes. So far, he believed his Military Counselor, and also he knew that death was not the only form of punishment. He said, “Okay. Whatever crime you commit in the future, I will spare your life — but only once.”

It was midnight when Fang Wenshi left the tent. He walked back to his tent elated. He wasn’t planning to betray the Dragon King, but the deal he’d made was a counselors’ rule to guarantee his safety. He took a chance in proposing it, and he took pride in his success.

Gu Shenwei was not sleepy at all. Now that he was in a foreign environment and faced unknown challenges, he was much more excited than usual.

Gu Shenwei stayed calm in front of others. When he was alone, he preferred to let his mind wander. He analyzed several lords of Norland he had met, trying to detect any suspicious signs. Still, he could not decipher who the hidden traitor was.

He wanted to discuss it with Maid Lotus, but she was not around. She was busy in a secret location making a poison that would cause the same symptoms King Rizhu’s son had after his death.

All of sudden, the tent was hit with a small stone.

To Gu Shenwei’s surprise, someone dared to provoke him the first day he moved into his new encampment. He immediately pulled out his Five Peaks Saber, stood still and listened closely. It was unwise to leave the tent to see what was happening.

Then another stone was thrown into the tent. It seemed that this person was trying to attract the Dragon King’s attention.

Gu Shenwei did not move, listening carefully. There was no noise outside the tent, though, proving that this person excelled in Lightness Skills. Gu Shenwei silently made a large slit in the tent and wormed his way through the hole. Then, he turned right, walked forward and stopped where the stones were being thrown.

The third stone flew towards him, and he caught it. Gu Shenwei found that the stones were not being thrown with much force.

The person who flung the stones stood beyond several tents, covered with a cloak. Suddenly, she waved her hands at Gu Shenwei, turned around, and disappeared instantly.

Soldiers of the Dragon Army were sound asleep after their long journey. Several guards on night duty did not notice what had happened near the Dragon King’s tent.

Gu Shenwei followed the person. He felt no danger, for he knew whom he was pursuing.

Flinging stones was one of his methods, and this person had obviously learned it from him.

It also seemed that she was not familiar with this place. She frequently leapt to high places, looking around. However, she had excellent Lightness Skills, and moved freely in the air, as if she were a bird. She leapt and jumped with ease, as effortlessly as ordinary people walked on the ground.

Gu Shenwei made great efforts, but was barely able to catch up with her. Although he had made progress in Lightness Skills these past few years, they were still his weakness, and they lagged behind hers.

Shangguan Ru paused behind a suburban hill, her lower body camoflauged with grass. Under a faint, starlit night, her dark eyes twinkled with concern.

Gu Shenwei was ten steps away from her.

The atmosphere surrounding them was awkward. Since their meeting on the grasslands, Gu Shenwei felt Shangguan Ru was a stranger every time they met since. Some people changed with time, while others always remained the same. Shangguan Ru was like the former, seeming to have transformed into a completely different person from years ago.

Gu Shenwei could hardly connect the woman in front of him with that bossy, kind, smart and gullible maid who had always dressed like a boy. In his eyes, the Tenth Young Master he had known had disappeared.

Gu Shenwei tried, but couldn’t see Shangguan Ru as anything other than her former self.

Even so, he still felt embarrassed. For him, Shangguan Ru was a temptation that he was trying to resist. Eventully, he failed to resist his impulse to approach her.

Shangguan Ru opened her mouth first, looking awkward. It was not the scene she had imagined. She said, “I hope you will do me a favor.”

“Yes, of course,” said Gu Shenwei.

Despite the fact that she had thrown stones into his tent, they were excessively polite to each other in this open grassand, which suddenly felt crowded.

“Save Shaomin,” said said, simply.

“Who is Shaomin?” Gu Shenwei asked in surprise. It never occurred to him that Shangguan Ru would seek him out to beg him to help a stranger he had never even heard of.

“My eldest brother’s daughter,” she replied.

Gu Shenwei remembered this girl. Han Xuan had discovered women in the Golden Roc Fort’s team when they left the Tongtian Pass. Shangguan Fei had investigated these women and found that one was Shangguan Chui’s daughter. He told Gu Shenwei that perhaps she was going to wed to some dignitary in Norland to solidify the Golden Roc Fort’s alliance with Norland.

Marriage was a common means to consolidate two parties’ alliance. Gu Shenwei had married the Princess for that reason. At that time, he had not paid much attention to this girl, nor did he ask his men to further investigate her.

Shangguan Shaomin was two or three years younger than Shangguan Ru. They had known each other since they were little girls. When Shangguan Ru had been kept indoors, she always played with Shangguan Shaomin.

All of the Shangguan family members learned a lesson: never try to take revenge on family. Otherwise, you’d get yourself killed fast.

Shangguan Chui’s children had received good care since his death. If everything went well, they would return this kindness back to the Supreme King, and Shangguan Shaomin would be the first one to do so.

“Why are you asking me to save her?” Gu Shenwei asked, looking confused. “It’s this maid’s best fate to wed to someone important in Norland,” he thought.

“Do you know who the Golden Roc Fort intends to give her to?” asked Shangguan Ru.

“I have no idea,” Gu Shenwei replied. He did notice, however, that Shangguan Ru mentioned “giving” instead of “marrying”.

“A servant of King Dari,” she replied.

“King Dari is the Golden Roc Fort’s most important supporter, so it’s natural for the Supreme King to try to please his trusted follower,” he mused. Besides, Gu Shenwei did not like the tone Shangguan Ru used when mentioning “servant”. “Are you referring to Fu Yuan? He’s King Dari’s favorite servant. It does her no harm to marry him,” he replied.

Shangguan Ru flushed and said, “You don’t know. They aren’t going to marry Shaomin to him, but give her to him as a gift. It’s not a big deal. If she is sent to him, she can live a better life there than in the Stone Castle. But… but…” After pausing for a while, she finally went on, “Fu Yuan is a eunuch, and he has… many eccentricities. Shaomin would be at his mercy once she was sent there.”

“How do you know this?” Gu Shenwei asked as he thought, “Shangguan Ru just arrived here today. How did she get this private intelligence that I do not know?”

“I asked Old Man Mu to investigate Fu Yuan. He… he saw many things. When he came back, he told me that it was better to kill Shaomin than to let her live with that man,” she said.

Shangguan Ru flushed redder as she thought, “Old Man Mu has a big mouth. He must have told me everything he heard and saw.”

All of a sudden, Shangguan Ru seemed to have turned into the Tenth Young Master that had asked Slave Huan for help. When Gu Shenwei noticed her tone and expression mixed with command and trust, he almost nodded yes.

“You saved Parro. Do you remember her?” Shangguan Ru asked as she softened her voice. “This man is my biggest hope. Only he can think of the perfect plan to save her,” she thought.

“She was killed later,” replied Gu Shenwei.

“Yes, she was. But that was not your fault. This time, I will send Shaomin to the Land of Fragrance privately, and not let anyone know it,” Shangguan Ru said.

Shangguan Ru’s words reminded him: “The Land of Fragrance is far away from Norland. If they need to reach the Land of Fragrance, they must pass the area under the Golden Roc Fort’s control. It’s impossible not to alert the Golden Roc Fort.”

“The current situation in Norland is more complicated than I have foreseen. I do not want to cause more problems,”  he thought and then said, “Forget about it. It’s her fate and no one can change it. Since her father’s death, she was doomed to suffering. There are people who are worse off than her. So many people suffer from pains and hardships, but we cannot save them all.”

“But you changed your own fate. I always thought that you would understand these things better than others,” responded Shangguan Ru as she stared at the Dragon King with shock in her eyes.

Gu Shenwei found it difficult to refuse someone’s request for the first time in his life.