Seeking Truth with a Sword

Chapter 712 - 642: Launch

"Move aside!"

Song Shaoyuan pushed through the crowd to the prisoner’s side, reached out to pull open his collar, and turned his head to the side so that the death-row prisoner could cough out the vomit and avoid suffocation.

A moment later, the prisoner gradually stopped convulsing and resumed normal breathing. His eyes, however, were still rolled back, and he was in an unconscious state.

Song Shaoyuan stood up with a grim face and quietly inquired of the group of prison guards about what had happened.

According to the guards, the prisoner had suddenly fallen ill, showing no prior symptoms. During the days of solitary confinement in the cell, all his food and drink came from within the prison; he had no visitors nor was he subjected to torture or beatings.

Song Shaoyuan scanned the fearful expressions on the faces of the guards but did not completely believe them.

This middle-aged prisoner was a somewhat famous scholar from Chang’an, who had a wide network of connections, including friendships with many prestigious scholars and even court officials.

Perhaps he was overwhelmed by his belief in Haotian and convinced of Yu Country’s inevitable defeat. He wanted to show loyalty to Taihao Mountain to secure a future of nobility. Consequently, he joined the Haotian believers and nearly led people to the Great Ming Palace. Their goal was to force an audience with the Crown Prince, who was supervising the country, to make him "return to the right path" and lead Yu Country on the correct road.

With such madness, it was certain that some people from the outside did not want him to speak out of turn and stir up more trouble. Bribing officials from the Ministry of Justice to secretly poison him was also a possibility.

"Huo Erlang, go and call the Doctor. Ding Liulang, clean up this place. You two, set up a clean cell, and don’t allow occupancy in the adjacent rooms."

Song Shaoyuan instructed. He sighed internally. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to go home tonight.

The prison guards dispersed. Ding Liulang, who was tasked with cleaning the scene, brought a broom, a dustpan, and a bucket, grumbling to himself about why he had to deal with such things.

No one noticed that a small part of the muddy vomit quietly seeped into the cracks in the floor tiles and slowly vaporized, disappearing.

「 」

"To live is not joyful, to die is not suffering. All come from dust, all return to dust. Burn this body, in the Pure Land of Light, the soul returns to Haotian."

In an unnamed residence in Victory Square, over three hundred Haotian believers—men and women, young and old—knelt on the ground and sincerely bowed to a bronze bell symbolizing Taihao Mountain.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG—

The bronze bell swayed on its own without any strike, releasing a magnificent and sacred reverberating sound that mixed with the city’s bell tones.

HUM—

The bronze bell emitted a holy radiance, causing everyone to instinctively shield their eyes and squint as two figures emerged from within the light.

The former Head of Chang’an City’s Haotian Taoist Temple, Ji Xuezhen,

and the Faith Cultivation Vice Envoy of Taihao Mountain, Gong Jinghao.

The former was over seventy, his hair and beard white. His face, full of age spots, radiated exceptional benevolence and gentleness.

The latter, just past thirty, wore a white robe embedded with fine golden thread and a jade coronet on his head, holding a Ganlu Bowl in his left hand and a horsetail whisk in his right.

"Greetings to the Temple Master, greetings to the Divine Envoy."

The believers bowed more devoutly, some so overwhelmed with excitement that they nearly fainted.

Ji Xuezhen had served as the head of Chang’an’s Haotian Temple for nearly thirty years, commanding high respect among the common folk. He had retired only a few years ago to live a secluded life in the countryside. No one expected him to appear at this time.

As for Gong Jinghao, he was the only direct disciple of the Faith Cultivation Cardinal among the four vice-envoys of the Faith Cultivation Institute. He was highly likely to succeed the Cardinal’s position in the future and was considered one of the people closest to Haotian in this world.

They were the most significant reserve force that Taihao Mountain had left behind within Yu Country after the Mountain and River Guardian Talisman was erected.

"The time has come; the Mandate of Heaven is ours. Rise! Together, starting from Chang’an, let us make Haotian’s glory shine anew upon the Central Plains."

Gong Jinghao swept his horsetail whisk and handed out the Ganlu Bowl, whispering to the foremost Haotian believers, "This is Azure Spring Water, drink it."

"Yes!"

The believer, trembling with fear and excitement, took the Ganlu Bowl and drank it all in one gulp. He then oddly handed the Jade Bowl, which hadn’t lost a drop of water, to the next person.

From every pore of all the believers who drank the Zhanquan Water, faint Light Dust drifted out. The intense fluctuations of Spiritual Energy made the Sealing Talismans on the courtyard walls tremble violently.

"What’s that smell?"

A patrolling Imperial Guard, seemingly having caught a scent, stopped in his tracks and sniffed. "Why does it smell like incense from a Taoist temple?"

"There’s no smell, you must be mistaken. Look, even the fine dog isn’t reacting."

His companion was dismissive, leading the dog on its leash and continuing onward.

Soon. Very soon.

Gong Jinghao and Ji Xuezhen exchanged glances with perfect tacit agreement and then both averted their gazes.

Everything for Haotian, all return to Haotian.

「 」

Everything returns to Haotian. Cui Yixian sat alone at a corner of a long table. He expressionlessly crumpled the note in his palm and crushed it.

"This document appeared too coincidentally! How could it be so coincidental? Old Gao, your student went back to Zhao Jun to acknowledge his ancestry, and someone just happened to find it while flipping through the document vault? There must be a conspiracy behind this!"

"Coincidental or not, after verification, this document is real. You must admit this."

"I trust Danqiu. He would not betray us, betray Yu Country."

The room was incessantly noisy, as a group of lifelong Doctors, most with at least thirty years of teaching experience, debated fiercely.

The content of the debate was a document.

A document about Chen Danqiu’s Jing Country lineage.

"Senior Brother Chen was the person designated by Mountain Master Lian, and at the funeral, everyone acknowledged this," said Chao Wenyuan, the Doctor of Mathematics. "How can a coincidentally found document overturn this acknowledgment?"

"It’s true that everyone tacitly agreed at the funeral, but Wenyuan, you’ve forgotten there was no vote. That’s against the rules," replied an old Doctor who taught painting, national history, and Magic Skill, shaking his head. "Additionally, if Danqiu had a clear conscience, why didn’t he disclose this at that time?"

Wei Shanjun, the Doctor of Beastology, rubbed his palms together and said softly, "This is something from decades ago. Whether Senior Brother Chen even knew about this is another matter. I trust the Mountain Master’s judgment."

"The Mountain Master is not always right; he has also misjudged people, like Jun Qianzi."

The old Doctor still disagreed. "Danqiu is currently in retreat in our Academic Palace Ancestral House, where Cultivation progress is doubled. Danqiu hasn’t been in retreat long. There’s still time to open the door and ask him for clarification; it won’t disrupt the bigger picture."

"Teacher," intervened Du Qinyin, the Dr. Danqing, as a disciple of the old Doctor. "The more pressing issue for the Academic Palace currently lies with Taihao Mountain."

"With external threats looming, we must first manage our internal affairs."

The old Doctor shook his head, his gaze shifting toward Cui Yixian. "Yixian, Yang Yu, what do you think?"

The room fell silent momentarily as everyone’s gaze turned towards the two.

In the absence of Xue Che and Tantai Leshan, they held the highest authority in the Academic Palace.

Xi Yangyu frowned deeply, remaining silent for a long time. Then, Cui Yixian suddenly opened his eyes and calmly said, "Let me go ask him."