The afternoons of summer were the sleepiest time of the day.
One of the turret tower guards walked down and slowly advanced along the straight alley. Although he was alone, the soldiers and lower-ranking officials in the vicinity followed him with their eyes, but no one sensed anything different.
This guard of the turret was Mu Fengyu. Just like all the other turret guards, he was the highest ranking official around the turret. But unlike the other commanders of the turrets who had outstanding accomplishments, his cultivation and past appeared extremely mediocre. Most soldiers did not know how he had managed to become a commander here.
Mu Fengyu usually had a simple life. His residence was not far from this turret. During rest times, he would go back to his residence to rest for an hour before returning.
Mu Fengyu was used to leaving under the gazes of these soldiers and lower-ranking officials. Thinking about the confusion of these people, a scornful smile appeared at the corners of his lips.
He knew why he had become the commander of this turret.
Among the dozens of Changling’s turrets, his was in the center-most area of Changling. It appeared to be the center, but it was not close to the perimeter or the imperial palace. In reality, it was one of the least important areas. When this turret discovered something happening, the other turrets would have discovered it long ago.
So this became the most boring place. No incidents meant safety and a lack of responsibility. This also meant boredom. So he, like many of the noble ladies of Changling, owned a dog.
This dog was an ordinary black dog, but extremely intelligent, obedient and cute. One important reason that he would return to his residence at this time each day was to prepare some food and water for this dog and play with it for a while.
Just like usual, when he opened the bamboo door and walked into the courtyard, this dog with its shiny fur joyfully welcomed him. It circled around him and jumped joyfully as it followed him into the rear courtyard.
Yet, the moment he entered the rear courtyard, the black dog’s head fell off.
There was no spray of blood. The black dog remained standing. A thin layer of light seemed to seal the cut at the neck. It was possible to see the numerous blood vessels, white bones, and flesh.
Mu Fengyu’s body immediately froze, yet his expression turned cold. He did not move and sneered. “I do not know who you are, but you should know, if there are disturbances in primal energies of the universe here, at least three turrets will notice.”
No one responded. But soft footsteps sounded.
When he saw the touch of white out of the corner of his eye, Mu Fengyu’s cold expression changed. He gasped in disbelief. “Bureau Chief Ye?!”
Ye Celeng held a cup of cold tea as she looked quietly at him from the shadows of the eaves.
Mu Fengyu’s body instantly soaked in sweat. He forced a smile and said, “Bureau Chief Ye, what are you intentions?”
“In the third year of Yuanwu, I investigated you and have wanted to meet you since then.” Ye Celeng looked at the green tea in her hand rather than at him. There were only green leaves in the tea, suspended in the water. “I did not think that my wait would take until today.”
Mu Fengyu sweated even more. His throat felt paralyzed. He said, “This lowly official does not understand Bureau Chief Ye.”
Ye Celeng said in a calm voice, “If you did not pass false information, and change the military order, at least the Changmen Army would have reached him. Even if he died in battle, he would not have died so easily. Who would have thought a minor little herald dared to open and fake military members, killing at least seven experts above realm seven?”
Mu Fengyu’s body trembled. He finally realized that the matters of the past had not been hidden from everyone.
“The most important thing was you left me out of your falsified military order.” A self-mocking coldness appeared at the corners of Ye Celeng’s mouth. Her eyelashes trembled. “When I learned about it, everything had finished. Almost everyone thought that I knew, and that I intentionally did not let my army move. Even Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu thought that I stood on their side in the end.”
The pale Mu Fengyu knew that any evasion was useless. He laughed with a hint of madness and said coldly, “If so, Bureau Chief Ye should thank me. Since nothing can be changed, and you survived due to my mistake and became the bureau chief of the Qin, then you should let the mistake rest. Not anyone can reach your position if they wanted to!”
“Changing and forging military orders is not something that you could have done back then. There must be more important people above you.” Ye Celeng did not look at his mad smile, and just focused on the tea in her hand. “Tell me that person’s name.”
“If you are determined to kill me, what is the difference whether I tell you or not?” Mu Fengyu’s eyes narrowed. He said, “I just do not understand, since you have endured for so many years, why you cannot do so now.”
Ye Celeng looked up to glance at Mu Fengyu.
She did not speak but Mu Fengyu suddenly thought of something. His voice became strange. “You … you confirmed that person’s heir …”
Ye Celeng did not answer his question and said, “There is a great difference in dying comfortably or not.”
“I know you are one of Changling’s strongest cultivators right now, but you cannot kill me silently without those three turrets noticing.” Mu Fengyu forced himself to be calm and looked at Ye Celeng. “I am insignificant. I cannot understand why you would risk danger to kill someone like me.”
“You have no talent in cultivation, and are only just realm five right now. But you are a smart person. Since you are smart, you can understand.” Ye Celeng sneered and showed two faint dimples. “I know you have a Yellow Rhinoceros Horn on you.”
The Yellow Rhinoceros Horn was not the horn of a rhinoceros, but a yellow spirit medicine shaped like a horn which came from overseas. This kind of spirit medicine only had one effect, greatly increasing the cultivation of a cultivator below realm six.
Ye Celeng had reached realm seven long ago, and this kind of spirit medicine was useless for her.
Mu Fengyu’s breathing completely stopped. He could not believe that that person really had an heir.
“Since you are determined to have me die, then let’s die together.”
Mu Fengyu naturally would not just sit and wait. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak the words as his vital energy started to flow quickly through his body.
But before he could say a word, the tea in Ye Celeng’s teacup had dried up.
The green tea in her hand disappeared without warning, including the water in the tea leaves which turned to dry leaves at the bottom like they had never been brewed.
As the tea disappeared, Mu Fengyu felt his skin suddenly grow heavy. His body grew extremely stiff. His crazy eyes only held terror.
All of the sweat he had produced before was controlled by a powerful force to form a membrane of water around him. It absorbed the water essence in the surrounding primal energies of the universe and grew into a transparent water ball.
He could not breath or move. Even his vital energy and primal energies of the universe could not get out of his body.
Ye Celeng just looked coolly at him.
He was unable to move.
There were no violent primal energies of the universe vibrations. This courtyard was very calm as though nothing had happened.
The water ball silently swelled. Some small water droplets produced a gap. Fine bubbles slowly entered, and pressed into Mu Fengyu’s lungs along with fine water droplets.
Water filled his lungs like he was drowning. He felt extremely uncomfortable. Yet his body just received some air to maintain his life so he could not die. Because of the intolerable pain, his face convulsed and twisted together.
“I said there is a great difference between dying comfortably or not.”
“You have no sons or nephews. I do not fear retribution from anyone. I do not understand why you persist.”
“If you say that person’s name, I will let you die cleanly like your dog.”
After Ye Celeng said these things, she looked at him and waited.
Mu Fengyu’s mouth moved. He could not make a sound but Ye Celeng could clearly see what he said through the shape of his mouth, “Even if you kill me, people will see that you were the one who did.”
Ye Celeng laughed again, this time even her chest trembled. “I did not kill you, Bai Shanshui killed you. I am in the Zhou Family Ink Garden right now.”
Mu Fengyu was a smart enough person just like she said. He thought of a certain possibility. The last thread of hope in his eyes disappeared, leaving behind only terror.
