NABC #420 - Something is wrong
#420 - Something is wrong
Lu Jing knew there would be problems the moment the Painting and Calligraphy released the Grievance Infant.
Because the Sitianjian had been monitoring the human realm for over a thousand years, and had long since confirmed one thing: there were no demons, monsters, or ghosts in this world, only various kinds of strange objects, and all strange objects were unique.
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Strange objects might have similarities, but they were never exactly the same.
Painting and Calligraphy spoke at length about the origins of the Grievance Infant, deliberately describing it as a kind of ghost, but the more eloquently he spoke, the more it showed he was lying.
However, Lu Jing didn't expose him on the spot, partly because he wanted to see what tricks this guy was playing, and partly because, judging by Zhu Xie's appearance, even if he said something, Zhu Xie probably wouldn't listen, so he didn't waste his breath.
It wasn't until later, when Zhu Xie angrily rebuked the Grievance Infant, that Lu Jing felt that something was increasingly wrong.
How could the Zhaozong mentioned by Zhu Xie be so much like Han Shan Ke, who was single-mindedly refining pills in Mirror Lake Valley? Moreover, the Grievance Infant's subsequent words were tantamount to directly confirming this point.
Lu Jing had long suspected Han Shan Ke's identity, guessing that he should be a member of the imperial family, but firstly, he wasn't very familiar with the Chen Dynasty's bunch of princes and princesses, and secondly, although Han Shan Ke didn't look very old, he was, after all, a figure from more than forty years ago, and Lu Jing found it difficult to match him up.
In addition, he had a pile of things to do himself, and he didn't want to get involved in such palace secrets, so he didn't even listen to Princess Fu'an finish her words that day.
But he didn't expect that tonight's events would ultimately revolve around Han Shan Ke, and after learning Han Shan Ke's true identity, Lu Jing also understood many things.
At first, he did indeed think, like others, that the Dongxuan master and disciple were targeting their Sitianjian, but at least now it seemed that they were not the only protagonists at tonight's banquet.
Painting and Calligraphy called it 'catching demons and exorcising evil,' but in reality, he was simply putting on a double act with the Grievance Infant, the two of them leading Zhu Xie into the pit with their words, successfully convincing the vast majority of people present that Zhu Xie's father had illegitimately seized the throne, while also secretly releasing the news that Zhaozong was still alive.
It was conceivable that once this explosive news spread, it would inevitably make the already precarious Chen Dynasty even more turbulent.
Of course, Zhu Xie was not a young emperor who had just ascended the throne; he had been in power for twenty-six years, and even if the world was in turmoil, at least his base in the capital was still very solid.
Not only those princes and princesses, but also many civil and military officials were on the same boat as Zhu Xie, and both sides had common interests. It was impossible for everyone to defect en masse just because the old emperor from more than forty years ago suddenly appeared, coupled with a few rumors.
But what about outside the capital?
Those border areas where the central influence was already weak, or those states and counties ravaged by natural and man-made disasters, the local tyrants and Jianghu outlaws there were probably already lurking, waiting for the change in the world.
What they lacked now was just a banner, and Zhaozong Zhu Zhen was that banner.
Thinking of this, the unease in Lu Jing's heart grew stronger and stronger.
He wasn't worried about Zhu Xie's throne becoming unstable; to be honest, he didn't care who became the official in this world. The key was, if Han Shan Ke ran over to play a real war with Zhu Xie, who would refine poison pills for him?
Especially since Lu Jing was watching his secret power cultivation about to break through again and become a Second Palace cultivator, he had high hopes for the poison pills that Han Shan Ke had promised to refine for him, and he was counting on this thing to prolong his life.
No way, judging by that guy's appearance, he had always been uninterested in things other than longevity, otherwise he wouldn't have stayed in Mirror Lake Valley for forty years.
Why did he suddenly have the idea of getting a job again? Or were the Dongxuan master and disciple planning to directly kidnap Han Shan Ke, forcing him to become a puppet? However, although Han Shan Ke's own skills were mediocre, he lived in the academy.
In addition to Huang Jianyuan and other teachers and students, there were also many senior experts. Lu Jing found it difficult to imagine anyone being able to sneak in without anyone knowing and kidnap Han Shan Ke.
Or was he overthinking it? The Dongxuan master and disciple didn't intend to let Zhu Zhen, the old emperor, return to his post; they just wanted to use his tiger skin to pull a tiger's skin, gather a force, and give the already riddled Chen Dynasty two more stabs.
Lu Jing now couldn't wait to return to the academy immediately and find Han Shan Ke to ask him clearly.
However, at the moment, he had to concentrate on the trouble in front of him.
Zhu Xie, the official of the Great Chen, hadn't completely lost his mind. After seeing the Grievance Infant, he obviously realized something, and hurriedly cried and shouted, throwing himself back into the arms of the Sitianjian.
Although Lu Jing was also a little unhappy with his two-faced behavior, he still stepped in to save him. There was no way; who told him he was rich?
Of course, the matter of remuneration could only be discussed later.
Painting and Calligraphy sighed upon hearing this, "Why is the official doing this? If you don't like what the Grievance Infant said, just let the common people kill it. Why must you vent your anger on our master and disciple? You put your hand on your conscience and tell me, haven't my master helped you do a lot of things during this time? Not only have we recruited so many strange people and strangers for you, but even we brothers have come to serve the official."
"But as a result, the official suddenly turned his face. How can such actions win the hearts of the world's talents? Or have you already made up your mind and want to kill all of us so that tonight's events will not be leaked out."
Painting and Calligraphy's words immediately made the atmosphere in the hall tense again, especially the rest of the people besides the Sitianjian, and their eyes towards Zhu Xie became unkind. Most of them were not good men or women.
The reason why they came to join Zhu Xie was just for wealth and glory. As a result, seeing that they couldn't get wealth and glory, and might even lose their lives, the ferocity in these people's hearts was also aroused, and many people were even prepared to break the pot.
Fortunately, Zhu Xie was not stupid and immediately said, "You must not speak nonsense! Today, everyone in the hall is a guest invited by me. I will not stop anyone from leaving or staying. I… I will issue an order."
Zhu Xie said these words with a stiff head, because according to his original intention, it would be best to kill these people, but he also knew that if he didn't say that, it would be difficult to say who would die first tonight.
So even though he knew that those fatal rumors would spread in the capital tomorrow, he could only choose to swallow this bitter fruit.