Fang Xun recognized the visitor at once.
Both were disciples under Dong Chunqiu. The man before him was Shen Qinghe, who held the post of Supervising Censor.
After coldly reading out the imperial decree, Shen Qinghe looked at Fang Xun. Yet his expression suddenly softened.
“Junior Brother Fang, there is no need to lose heart. This assignment to Dongshan may yet present an opportunity to redeem yourself through merit.”
Hearing this, Fang Xun abruptly raised his head, forcing a trace of spirit back into himself.
“What does Senior Brother Shen mean?”
“You should know that the Imperial Mausoleum was constructed for His Majesty. It spans an entire commandery, replicates the terrain of the thirteen provinces, gathers the rarest treasures of all living beings under heaven, and imitates a world of its own. Construction began at the founding of the dynasty and remains unfinished even now.”
“Mohists oversee its construction, Military strategists guard it, Legalists supervise it, Yin-Yang practitioners nurture its vital currents, and Historians inscribe its legacy. There is even a clan tasked with guarding the mausoleum…”
“A place of such importance should have been impregnable.”
“Yet half a year ago, a group of thieves attempted to break into the mausoleum. Although they were repelled, they managed to escape.”
“In these past six months, they have not given up and have repeatedly tried to infiltrate it. The Dongshan garrison failed to capture them and has already been dismissed.”
“If Junior Brother Fang can capture these criminals on this trip, you may be able to atone for your crimes through merit.”
After hearing the full account, Fang Xun cupped his hands in gratitude. “Thank you, Senior Brother Shen, for the guidance. It’s just…”
He let out another sigh.
It seemed that the calamity at Lengshan had dealt him a devastating blow. The ambition he once carried was nowhere to be seen.
Seeing this, Shen Qinghe spoke again in a gentler tone. “If you truly cannot capture them, it is not the end of the world. Your senior brothers in the court can still offer some protection. You will not be dismissed and investigated outright.”
“But remember this. Under no circumstances can you allow those thieves to enter the Imperial Mausoleum. At the very least, they must not break through from Dongshan.”
“Otherwise…”
“Even Master will not be able to protect you.”
Fang Xun’s expression sharpened as he nodded solemnly.
“The appointment has been delivered. Junior Brother Fang should set out as soon as possible.”
“As for Yin Fengshuo…”
Shen Qinghe glanced in the direction of Shuofang County and let out a cold laugh. “Rest assured, Junior Brother. On this trip, I will make sure to take good care of him.”
After handing over the necessary documents, Shen Qinghe wasted no time. He departed swiftly, riding the wind.
“This Senior Brother Shen is as kind-hearted as ever.”
“Of course, only toward his own people.”
Li Shun nodded inwardly.
However, he did not set out immediately.
Taking advantage of the final remaining time of the Second Reflection, Li Shun continued to deliberate and deduce his plans for “tomorrow.”
“It’s impossible to guarantee absolute perfection. I can only minimize the risks as much as possible.”
“But… it’s worth trying.”
His decision was already made.
Third Reflection.
As the new day arrived, the Fang Xun puppet that had been stored within the Fangcun space quietly disappeared.
At the break of dawn, Fang Xun exited the city gates.
Soon after came the matter of Cheng Yishu pursuing while carrying Yu Niang.
Li Shun repeated the same method, having the puppet “Li Shun” follow from afar.
As for himself, he headed alone to the rear residence of the county office.
Because of the events that had taken place that morning, the entire yamen was in a state of panic and chaos.
No one paid any attention to a mere Lengshan laborer like Li Shun.
He first went to the flower room and, in plain sight, collected three stalks of Lengshan Lord Grass and fifteen stalks of Lengshan Grass into the Fangcun space.
Then, with practiced familiarity, he made his way to Fang Xun’s bedroom.
After some searching, he found a hidden compartment beneath the bed.
Unfortunately, it was protected by a seal set by Fang Xun.
For the time being, Li Shun had no way of opening it.
“The two hundred taels of gold and two hundred thirty taels of silver rewarded by the Marquis of Changle are all here. There are also some treasures Fang Xun collected over the years.”
“To avoid suspicion, Fang Xun did not carry them with him this time. He only sealed them away, intending to retrieve them after everything unfolded.”
“Even with greed clouding his mind, he still arranged things this thoroughly. His will isn’t all that weak.”
A faint glimmer flickered in Li Shun’s eyes. With a single thought, he directly stored the entire bed before him into the Fangcun space.
Afterward, he strode out openly, not forgetting to close the door behind him.
The county yamen was still in utter chaos. No one would have imagined that Fang Xun’s inner residence had already been completely looted by Li Shun.
“The calamity of mountain collapsing and earth splitting may look terrifying, but if one knows of it in advance, preserving one’s life is not difficult.”
“Even if I were buried underground, once Fang Xun becomes my puppet, he could still come and rescue me.”
Leaving the county yamen, Li Shun swiftly returned to his own residence.
He hid within an underground passage, then began transplanting Lengshan Grass along the surrounding rock walls.
At the same time, he activated the technique Spirit Division and Life Transformation.
The roots of the Lengshan Grass intertwined and spread rapidly. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they had completely entangled together, forming something like a densely woven cage.
“This should be enough.”
Li Shun sat cross-legged within the cramped space, his mind settling.
“Zhou Xunzhen may have laid out a grand scheme here in Lengshan to pass his tribulation, but he is not omniscient. Otherwise, I would have been exposed long ago over the past twenty-six years.”
“Especially now, as he remains within the Greed for Wealth Corrupts the Seal tribulation, with the Sixth Stage urging repayment. He has even less attention to spare for the outside world.”
“My only concern is after his breakthrough. Fang Xun was nearly a hundred li away from the county city, yet he was still discovered in an instant…”
The scenes of yesterday once again flashed through Li Shun’s mind as he reassessed the feasibility of his plan.
“I possess two hundred years of lifespan, yet no cultivation whatsoever. In Zhou Xunzhen’s eyes, I am nothing more than an ant. Especially hidden deep underground.”
His gaze flickered slightly.
“The Lengshan Grass around me…”
With a thought, Li Shun withdrew all the blades of grass into the Fangcun space, leaving behind only the dense network of roots.
“The stabilizing effect should still remain. It ought to be enough to keep me alive through the calamity.”
“Now… everything depends on Fang Xun.”
Everything proceeded just as before.
The gnats sustained his life. The puppet “Li Shun” successfully turned Fang Xun into a puppet.
The moment it was done, it immediately returned to the Fangcun space.
“Countless ants of the mortal world—knock upon the gate in my stead!”
“When the tribulation of ashes are exhausted, ascend the altar of immortality!”
At the very instant Zhou Xunzhen stepped into the Creation realm, Yin Fengshuo arrived in a streak of light, not yet having the chance to speak—
When from afar came a furious roar filled with boundless resentment:
“Zhou Xunzhen!”
Yin Fengshuo was instantly shocked.
“Fang Xun? He’s still alive?!”
Zhou Xunzhen’s gaze, which had originally fallen upon Yin Fengshuo and Zhou Chongguang, suddenly shifted away.
In the next instant, his figure flickered and vanished without a trace.
Yin Fengshuo opened his mouth, yet the speech he had prepared in advance did not have the chance to leave his lips.
An empty hollowness spread through his heart, as though he had lost something of great importance.
Zhou Chongguang was also momentarily stunned. “Sir, what should we do next? Should we pursue him?”
Yin Fengshuo took a deep breath. “Forget it. It seems our luck this time was truly poor. Not only did Fang Xun survive, we also failed to secure Zhou’s favor.”
“Let’s return and make preparations early.”
With that, he did not wait for Zhou Chongguang to respond, and departed in a streak of light, carrying a trace of resentment.
Zhou Chongguang knew that the “preparations” Yin Fengshuo spoke of referred to dealing with the retaliation from Dong Chunqiu’s faction.
If Fang Xun had perished in the calamity, it would have been one thing.
But he had not died.
Then the corresponding accusations and attacks would naturally be unavoidable.
A bitter taste filled Zhou Chongguang’s mouth as he hurriedly followed.
Meanwhile, the puppet Fang Xun was staring fixedly at Zhou Xunzhen, his eyes bloodshot.
Zhou Xunzhen paid no mind to the hatred filling Fang Xun’s gaze.
He observed him for a long while, and in the end, calmly gave a single evaluation, his expression as still as an ancient well: “You… are quite remarkable.”
His figure then faded and disappeared.
Fang Xun immediately let out a hysterical roar, venting his fury.
The sound echoed across the snowy expanse.
Only after a long time did he finally seem to calm down.
The course of events once again returned to the rehearsal of “yesterday.”
He went back to Lengshan, where he burned incense and kowtowed amid the ruins.
The response he received was no different from before.
By the time Shen Qinghe had conveyed the imperial decree and departed, night had already fallen.
Within the silent snowfield, faint and intermittent cries for help suddenly rang out.
A trace of surprise flashed across Fang Xun’s face. Following the sound, he dug Li Shun out from beneath the snow.