Chapter 5: Tossing the Elephant into the Human Realm
The Third Awakening.
Startled awake once more from the agonizing pain of being consumed by fire, Li Shun gasped for breath. He completed the ritual of "Three times a day, I reflect upon myself" as usual, then quickly forced himself to calm down and began his final machinations.
"Unlike the illusory experiences of the previous two times, everything that happens now is the reality that settles the universe; there is no longer the slightest room for reversal. If I die this time... I know not what the outcome would be. I must be cautious, and cautious again!
"Fortunately, the harvest from the previous awakening was substantial. Not only did I discover the true hiding place of the Lengshan Vessel, but I also uncovered the background of the rebel leader.
"The orthodox line of Great Xiang, the direct descendant of the Xiong clan... Xiong Jin."
The reflection of the sky-swamping flames seemed to linger in his mind, and the arrogant, cold eyes of the Xiang remnant leader seemed to stare back at him across time and space. Li Shun let out a cold snort.
"In the past, when the Emperor of Qian trampled the Seven Kingdoms and stabilized the world, the fates of the old royal houses varied. Some wagged their tails and begged for mercy, submitting to become high officials; some fought to the death and were exterminated to the ninth generation; others changed their names and vanished without a trace.
"The royal house of Great Xiang was the kind decreed to be pulled out by the roots. Although rumors have always circulated in the streets that a small amount of their bloodline still lingers on, it was never confirmed. I never expected to encounter it today!
"I only wonder... if one could capture or slay such an orthodox descendant of the Xiang royalty, exactly what kind of reward could it bring?"
Of course, this thought only flashed through Li Shun's mind for an instant.
Xiong Jin's strength was unfathomable. Even the elite Black Armor Army that guarded the county was easily crushed before him like clay chickens. He was certainly not someone Li Shun could covet at his current level.
"However, if he didn't have this heaven-reaching ability, it would be truly difficult for me to plot for that Lengshan Vessel!"
In the cold night air, Li Shun performed one last deduction of the bloodbath that was about to erupt today.
"Taking chestnuts from the fire indeed carries considerable risk. But, time waits for no man!"
Li Shun paced back and forth in his cramped room, hesitating for a long time until a look of ruthless determination finally flashed in his eyes.
"Today is the 2nd day of the 2nd month in the 572nd year of the New Calendar of Great Qian.
"The Xiang remnants learned of the Lengshan Vessel's appearance from somewhere and, under the leadership of Xiong Jin, launched a bold raid on the Magistrate’s office. Lengshan County, its defenses hollowed out, was slaughtered, and the Lengshan Vessel was successfully stolen.
"That was the original trajectory of history.
"In the face of a catastrophe that topples a city, I, a laborer of the lowest status in Great Qian, am indeed like a blade of grass or a mere ant; a single stray ripple could crush me to powder.
"But… With the power of foresight, even an ant can summon the wind and rain!"
...
When the first rays of dawn pierced the gloom once more, Li Shun dragged his crippled leg as usual into the dark Jixia Bookshop.
This time, he did not mention a single word about the Lengshan Vessel, nor did he reveal that he already knew the shopkeeper’s name.
Li Shun simply followed the procedure and exchanged for a new fragment of The Emperor’s Records.
[When Jiang Ta'e first arrived in the Holy Capital, he wore short, coarse cloth and straw sandals. He was as thin and haggard as firewood, his face dark and sallow, resembling a vulgar laborer. At that time, the capital was prosperous; the scions of the nobility were all dressed in silks and rode in carriages. Seeing Ta'e’s crudeness, many covered their mouths and laughed, or pointed and mocked him, saying: "What manner of withered pole is this, that dares to step into the Holy Capital?"
Ta'e heard this, but his expression did not change: "When the Great Peng plans to journey south, it must first lie low among the mugwort; when the Hidden Dragon has not yet shone, it often dwells among the mud-crawlers. Though I am lowly now, I am like the Ta'e sword submerged in silt, the startling thunder hibernating in the dark valley, or the kalpa-fire hidden in cold ash. Divine things obscure themselves, seeking no fame; a good merchant hides his wares deep, envying no hollow prestige. You gentlemen see only the skin and cannot fathom the depths; such is the way of the world, so why should I complain?" Having spoken, he raised his head, made a long bow, and departed. The nobles lining the street were all robbed of their spirit, staring at one another in shock.]
...
Whether it was a coincidence of fate or the pull of destiny, the story of the Right Chancellor of Great Qian recorded on this fragment perfectly matched Li Shun's current state of mind.
He chewed over those few words repeatedly, his eyes flashing: "The current Right Chancellor was once shaped like a laborer. Who is to say that I, Li Shun, cannot achieve great things!"
Regulating his mind, he returned to his wooden house and woke Feng Guan, who was still dreaming next door.
"Cripple, it’s early morning; what are you fussing about again?" Feng Guan rubbed his bleary eyes and muttered groggily.
Li Shun ignored his grumbling and instead asked a question with a burning gaze: "Old Feng, do you know... if one reports rebels to the government, how great would the reward be?"
"Rebels? Ill intent?" Feng Guan yawned. "What kind of rebels? Even if you report petty thieves, it won't count as a great merit."
"Remnant kindgom's."
Those two light words were like a basin of ice water poured over Feng Guan’s head, making him shiver and wake up completely.
He swallowed in terror and instinctively looked around. "Cripple, don't scare me in the early morning! In broad daylight and under a clear sky, where would remnants come from in this backwater?!"
"Think carefully: does Liang Zhou have anything strange or suspicious about him usually?" Li Shun did not answer but continued to guide him.
"Liang Zhou?" Feng Guan wrinkled his aged face in memory.
Liang Zhou was also one of the many laborers in Lengshan County. Normally, he wasn't very close to "old-timers" like them.
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have thought so, but now that you say it..." A trace of suspicion rose in Feng Guan’s murky eyes. "That kid... he really does seem a bit sinister!"
"He usually likes to snoop around and ask about everything when he’s idle. Moreover, toiling in this godforsaken place, I’ve actually never heard him complain a single word about the hardships of labor!"
Such is the human heart. First, set up a target, then shoot the arrows of suspicion. Even if Liang Zhou himself had no suspicion, under this biased scrutiny, his every word and action seemed eerie.
The more Feng Guan thought, the more he felt a chill down his spine. "Should we... should we hurry and report it?"
"Foolish!" Li Shun barked in a low voice, interrupting his thought. "As the saying goes, to catch a thief you need the loot. We have no proof right now; if we report it without a shred of substantive evidence... aren't you afraid they'll turn around and accuse you for false accusation?"
"Then... then let's forget it." Hearing this, Feng Guan’s body shrank back. The small spark of greed that had just risen was instantly extinguished, and he immediately began to retreat.
"Don't you have the methods of a Novelist(Xiaoshuo school)? Send an insect to secretly watch him. If we can truly find some real evidence..."
Li Shun lowered his voice, his tone filled with a mesmerizing power: "Then, that would be a heaven-sent fortune for us brothers!"
"Fine... I’ll do it!" Feng Guan agonized for a long while before his desire to escape labor finally overcame his fear, and he nodded fiercely.
A moment later, an unremarkable midge wobbled into the air and flew silently toward Liang Zhou’s residence.
Li Shun waited patiently.
About an hour and a half later, Feng Guan’s closed eyes snapped open. His face was filled with a feverish mix of shock and joy. "Cripple, you guessed right! That dog Liang Zhou really is harboring a treacherous heart!
"As soon as I flew into his room, I saw him looking tense and restless. He kept looking out the door as if waiting for someone. Not long after, that kid Sun Bo also slunk in. The two huddled together and whispered. I faintly heard things like 'it's soon' and 'be ready'...
"Arresting them will definitely be right! Even if they aren't rebels, they absolutely have secrets that cannot see the light of day!"
The more Feng Guan spoke, the more excited he became. His withered old face flushed red, as if he had already seen the grand road to pardon and reward.
Li Shun’s expression suddenly turned solemn. "Since we have grasped the situation, set out immediately to report it! Remember, you must absolutely NOT go directly to the Magistrate’s office. Instead, go secretly to find Captain Sun!"
"I understand! It's to avoid being noticed by the rebels' spies, right!" Feng Guan realized, nodding repeatedly. He grabbed his robes and rushed out in a flurry.
Just as he reached the door, he suddenly braked and looked back. "By the way, Cripple, what about you?"
Li Shun smiled bitterly and waved his hand, pointing to his crippled leg. "The situation is urgent. My crippled body moves slowly and will only hinder progress. Just go quickly!"
"Cripple, rest easy. I won't let you miss your share of this heaven-sent merit!" Feng Guan patted his chest solemnly, then turned and vanished into the street.
Watching Feng Guan’s back disappear completely, the helplessness on Li Shun’s face vanished, replaced by extreme coldness and gravity.
His consciousness was like a falling star, crashing into the Fangcun Realm, looking down upon the puppet that was still tirelessly performing the Soul-Splitting Transformation Art.
"Mind rises from the Fangcun..."
Li Shun’s consciousness let out a low roar and plummeted toward the body of the puppet below. In an instant, the two seemed to merge seamlessly.
At the same time, the real Li Shun in the physical world snapped his eyes open. An eerie light surged in his deep pupils. He suddenly raised his right hand, his fingers joined like a sword, pointing toward the empty space ahead as he shouted:
"Toss the Elephant into the Human Realm!"
Woom—!
Accompanying this shout, the space ahead was like the surface of a lake into which a giant stone had been thrown; ripples of intense, transparent distortions suddenly radiated outward. A heavy and strange presence was tearing through the invisible barrier, struggling to descend into the mortal world.
When the ripples of space finally settled and dissipated, a figure identical to Li Shun stood tall before him!
Height and build were exactly the same as his original self. However, the face and body were shrouded in a thousand layers of mist, existing somewhere between the real and the illusory, making it impossible to see clearly.
At that moment, within the Fangcun Realm in Li Shun's body, the puppet "Li Shun," which had worked day and night without rest for years, had ceased all movement. It stood still as if completely sealed by eternal ice. Even its originally solid body had become visibly translucent and ghostly.
In reality, Li Shun's original body was as pale as paper, devoid of all color. Cold sweat the size of beans poured down his forehead like rain.
But, looking at this perfect substitute he had forcibly dragged from the Fangcun Realm to descend into the human world, a faint, lingering smile curved at the corners of his pale, cracked lips!