Fang Jie missed the spectacle of His Majesty's impassioned speech at Keshengju, and His Majesty also failed to notice the young border soldier who had been quickly taken back by Zhuo Buyi after losing consciousness. Watching His Majesty converse happily with the border soldiers, even Hou Wenji seemed to have temporarily forgotten the person who had caught his eye. But no one knew that while watching His Majesty drink with the border soldiers, he had already overturned his carefully laid plans.
He had no choice but to overturn them.
Because His Majesty had suddenly come to Keshengju, he knew some things could no longer be hidden.
The carriage moved slowly and comfortably along the flat, cobblestone street.
The young man lying in the carriage seemed to be asleep, but his tightly furrowed brows betrayed the intense pain he was enduring. Zhuo Buyi looked down at Fang Jie, seemingly unable to comprehend the strange state of the young man's body. When Zhuo Buyi first met Fang Jie in those mountains, only two of Fang Jie's 128 acupoints were open. But just now, while taking his pulse, he suddenly discovered that the young man had seven open acupoints.
While seven open acupoints might not seem like much to an ordinary person, for Fang Jie, it was simply unbelievable.
Zhuo Buyi frowned, deep in thought, but couldn't understand it.
He had initially thought Fang Jie might be similar to General Luo Yao of the Left Vanguard, someone who didn't rely on acupoints for cultivation. But now he realized he was wrong. Luo Yao's acupoints had been shattered in that incident, yet he survived, reaching the supreme level of the ninth rank through pure physical cultivation. This was beyond everyone's comprehension; even Dean Zhou of the Martial Arts Academy and Master Xiao of Qing Le Mountain couldn't reasonably explain why Luo Yao was immortal and could become one of the strongest in the world.
Fang Jie's physique seemed even more bizarre than Luo Yao's.
Dean Zhou had once speculated that Luo Yao hadn't truly focused solely on physical cultivation. Before his Qi Sea was shattered, his cultivation had already surpassed the eighth rank, possessing formidable internal energy. After the Qi Sea shattered, his internal energy didn't disappear but dispersed into his limbs and bones. Luo Yao might have somehow acquired a unique cultivation method that allowed him to continue using the internal energy dispersed into his body.
Logically, cultivators store their internal energy within their Qi Sea, and when using it, the internal energy in the Qi Sea merges into the limbs and bones. In modern terms, the Qi Sea can be understood as an engine; a car without an engine cannot run. Luo Yao's later cultivation method was likely a technique never before seen by anyone. Dean Zhou speculated that after his Qi Sea shattered, he most likely transformed his entire body into a larger Qi Sea, rather than the typical dantian of a cultivator.
After his dantian Qi Sea shattered, he forged his physical body into a larger Qi Sea. In this way, the internal energy dispersed into his limbs could continue to circulate.
And because he used his body as his Qi Sea, he was stronger than ordinary people.
Of course, this was just Dean Zhou's speculation; even he himself laughed and said it was nonsense. If someone in the world could truly transform their body into a sea of qi, they would be invincible.
The fundamental difference between Fang Jie and Luo Yao is that Fang Jie doesn't have a sea of qi at all.
Although he has opened seven of the 128 acupoints on his body, without a sea of qi as the foundation for storing internal energy, what's the point of opening these acupoints? Simply put, the sea of qi can be seen as an ocean, and the 128 acupoints are like many rivers connected to it. When internal energy is needed, it flows from the sea of qi into the various acupoints. If a person has no acupoints, then even if their sea of qi is vast, they cannot unleash the power of their cultivation. And if a person has no sea of qi… then they cannot have any strength.
They don't even have the strength to eat or drink.
Therefore, Fang Jie and Luo Yao are not the same.
Opening acupoints seems to have no practical significance, so the more Zhuo Buyi thought about it, the more confused he became. Fang Jie's body inherently contained a huge contradiction. Without a Qi Sea (energy center), how could he have Qi Acupoints? And what use are Qi Acupoints if they don't connect to the Qi Sea? Yet his body was as strong as a cheetah, and it was obvious that his strength had quietly increased significantly in the six months since he left Fan Gu.
Back in Fan Gu, Fang Jie had jokingly said that he couldn't even beat the squad leader, Li Gandang. Li Gandang was barely a second-rank martial artist, yet Fang Jie had single-handedly slaughtered a fourth-rank Qingya Feiyupao on his way to the capital. While that was a great deal of luck, without sufficient strength, even luck wouldn't be able to hold onto.
Looking at Fang Jie, Zhuo Buyi couldn't help but shake his head slightly and sigh, "Could it be that Luo Yao, as Dean Zhou speculated, is actually cultivating internal energy rather than physical strength? And you… are the one who simply tempers the body?"
Zhuo Buyi wasn't sure, but he knew that Fang Jie himself was definitely not familiar with his own body, nor had he used any cultivation methods; otherwise, he wouldn't have lost control of himself to the point of unconsciousness. Inside the Guest House, this young man recklessly broke free of the "drawn circle on the ground" prison. If Zhuo Buyi hadn't sensed his resistance at the last moment and loosened the prison slightly, the backlash from the prison might have already ruptured his meridians.
Even so, this guy was still quite remarkable.
If Fang Jie knew that Zhuo Buyi had actually let him off the hook when he forcibly broke free of the prison while somewhat delirious, he would be utterly astonished. Controlling everyone in the Guest House was already extremely difficult, but for someone like Zhuo Buyi to be able to control each person individually—how extraordinary was that mental strength?
The terrifying power of talent was evident.
Sometimes, no matter how hard one tries, it can't compare to talent.
Just as Zhuo Buyi was somewhat lost in thought, at a roadside snack stall, the old cripple glanced at the passing carriage, and a smirk involuntarily crept onto his lips.
"Zhuo Buyi, others say you've long since transcended worldly affairs, but in my opinion... there's no one in this world more deeply involved than you. Aside from His Majesty the Emperor, you escorted an insignificant nobody home... among all officials in this world, only you could do such a thing."
He sighed inwardly, then picked up a piece of cooked meat and put it in his mouth, followed by a swig of Northwest-style roasted meat, feeling utterly delighted.
...
...
When Fang Jie woke up, it was already completely dark. He opened his eyes and looked around, his vision a little blurry, but he recognized everyone gathered around him.
Shen Qingshan, Mu Xiaoyao, Daquan, and Qilin.
All four were there.
Besides the four of them, there was another person looking at him with concern. Fang Jie looked closely for a while before recognizing him; it was Cui Lüshang, whom he hadn't seen for some time.
"Awake! Awake!"
Daquan couldn't help but laugh when he saw Fang Jie open his eyes. The smile aggravated his injuries, causing him to involuntarily wince in pain. Yet, the smile in his eyes remained as bright as ever.
Mu Xiaoyao sat beside Fang Jie, helping him sit up and feeding him some water.
"Why did you faint again?"
She asked.
Fang Jie shook his head and smiled, saying, "Something happened at Keshengju, or perhaps I overdid it by forcing myself to exert my strength. You know, none of the experts in the room could move, only I incredibly managed to climb to the second floor."
The pain in his body had lessened considerably, but even the slightest movement caused sweat to bead on his forehead. The twisting sensation in his lower abdomen had disappeared, but every part of his body ached. It wasn't just the pulling pain in his internal organs; every muscle in his body ached.
This feeling was like someone who had never exercised before running ten kilometers and then gritting their teeth to do dozens of push-ups.
"Fang Jie, are you alright?"
Cui Lüshang leaned closer and asked with concern, then said somewhat apologetically, "After arriving in the capital, I was only focused on visiting the names on the list my father gave me, going to this house today and that house tomorrow. Later, when I wanted to look for you, I didn't know where you were. I had to go to Hongxiuzhao to ask, and that's when I found out you rented this place."
"I'm fine."
Fang Jie smiled and said, "Visiting your family friends is the important thing. Our friendship doesn't need to be about these things."
"The exam is the day after tomorrow, you..."
Cui Lüshang looked at Fang Jie worriedly and asked, "Can you go?" "?"
"Of course!"
Fang Jie said, "You've worked so hard to get to the capital. If you give up the exam because of these minor injuries, wouldn't all your efforts be wasted? Even if you weren't fully recovered, you'd crawl to the exam hall."
Cui Lueshang hummed in agreement, then remained silent for a moment before saying, "Actually, the reason I came here is this."
He pulled a thin stack of papers from his pocket and handed it to Fang Jie, saying, "When I visited an elder friend a couple of days ago, I heard that the exam questions for the Arts, Mathematics, and Music subjects at the Martial Arts Academy this year have been leaked. It came from a high-ranking figure who participated in drafting the exam questions." "It's hard to get without some connections. Even with some backing, it still cost me a full thousand taels of silver!"
Cui Lue said, "I bought one copy, then copied another overnight and rushed to deliver it to you."
Fang Jie felt a warmth in his heart, but still couldn't help shaking his head, saying, "Brother Cui, I'm afraid you've been deceived... Would a big shot who could participate in drafting the martial arts academy's exam questions commit such a capital offense for a mere two thousand taels of silver? Moreover, to be somewhat disrespectful, if even you can buy it, how many people in Chang'an can? If that big shot is after a large sum of silver accumulated from many people buying it, then..." "Isn't he afraid this will get leaked? The more people who know… the greater the danger."
"Huh?"
Cui Lueshang was startled, subconsciously glancing at the exam questions in his hand and muttering, "Could this be fake?"
Fang Jie shook his head slightly, saying, "I don't know if it's real or fake, but I advise you, just throw away this thousand taels of silver and forget about it. Don't tell anyone else about this. Don't use these exam questions anymore. If they're fake, it's useless whether you look at them or not. If they're leaked real questions… I'm worried about a major upheaval in the capital."
Cui Lueshang was somewhat dumbfounded, unsure whether to believe Fang Jie's words.
"But, it wouldn't hurt to look, would it? What if it's real questions?"
"Like I said, even if it's real questions, it's more of a curse than a blessing."
...
...
Changchun Garden.
The yurt.
Emperor Yang Yi's gaze swept coldly across Hou Wenji's face, but he remained silent. He held the bowl of porridge in his hands, drinking the carefully simmered jujube and lotus seed porridge while flipping through the memorials on the table. The glance he gave Hou Wenji seemed unintentional, yet also deeply meaningful.
"Your Majesty…"
Hou Wenji knelt down with a thud, bowing deeply, and said, "Your subject is guilty."
The Emperor put down the porridge bowl, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and said calmly, "Of all the officials in the court, only you address me as Your Majesty. I have always treated you as my most trusted servant, not an outsider. You say you are guilty, then… tell me, what have you done to offend your master?"
"Your subject met with Luo Wen in private."
"It's not that I forbid officials from having private relationships. A meeting, a few drinks, it's fine."
"Your subject… has a confession."
Hou Wenji took out Luo Erlang's confession from his sleeve and held it above his head with both hands. Su Buwei glanced at the emperor, then quickly walked over and took the confession.
The emperor held it but didn't look at it, casually tossing it aside and saying, "You speak."
"This confession is from the criminal who tried to kill Fang Jie that day. I initially thought he was just making baseless accusations. Because it involved General Luo Yao of the Left Vanguard, I dared not easily believe him. So today, I arranged to meet Luo Wen at Keshengju, intending to test him, using the opportunity of congratulating him on winning first place at the Martial Arts Academy to probe what was hidden behind it. This is my first fault… Secondly, I was at Keshengju, yet I failed to stop the conflict between that ignorant junior from the Wang family of Jiangnan and the border troops."
"Oh?"
The emperor sat on the earthen bed, leaning down, looking at Hou Wenji and saying, word by word, "Firstly, it's not a crime. Secondly, his intentions deserve to be punished!"
The phrase "his intentions deserve to be punished" made Hou Wenji tremble violently. "Don't think I don't understand what you're thinking!"
The Emperor stepped down from the earthen bed, hands clasped behind his back, and circled Hou Wenji, who was kneeling on the ground. "You're hoping for some minor trouble to happen frequently, so the Imperial Guards won't be idle, aren't you? Especially in the capital, if everything is always peaceful, the Imperial Guards and the Intelligence Bureau will seem to have nothing to do, making them seem nonexistent, right? You want me to praise you from time to time, Hou Wenji, you've been doing a good job lately! Isn't that right?"
"Your subject... knows his crime!"
The Emperor coldly snorted. "Do you know what angers me most? It's not that you held onto a confession of deceit, not that you tolerated that Wang family brat's evil deeds, but that you and Luo Weiran have started to distrust each other! Did I entrust the Imperial Guards and the Intelligence Bureau to you two to watch you scheme against each other?!"
This question struck like a thunderbolt.
Hou Wenji remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to raise his head.