Song of Adolescence

Chapter 196 Ruler of Beili

As soon as the words were spoken, Mingde Emperor, dressed in a golden dragon robe, was already walking in. Behind him was a man dressed in a purple python robe with his long white hair loose on his back. He was the head of the Five Grand Eunuchs, Jin Xuan Gonggong.

"Our respects to Your Majesty." Qi Tianchen and Lanyue Marquis saluted hurriedly.

Mingde Emperor nodded, walked forward and sat down on the seat at the head of the table. Jin Xuan Gonggong followed and stood behind him. He glanced at Lanyue Marquis, a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, which seemed to carry a hint of rejoicing in other people’s misfortune.

"Little brother, after returning to Heavenly Revelations, why didn\'t you come to the Hall of Calming Purity to see us, but instead visited the State Preceptor here at the Hall of Azure Clouds?" Mingde Emperor asked slowly, and there was neither joy nor reproach in his tone.

"Well…" Lanyue Marquis laughed awkwardly. "I had a slightly difficult problem, and had to seek the State Preceptor’s answer before I dared to meet huang-xiong."

"Oh? Then, has the State Preceptor answered your difficult problem?" Mingde Emperor looked at Qi Tianchen.

Qi Tianchen smiled slightly and did not reply.

Lanyue Marquis sighed. "The State Preceptor is profound in his knowledge. It seems like he has answered, but it also seems like he hasn’t answered."

"Little brother!" Mingde Emperor suddenly raised his voice, stern with the domineering manner of a ruler. "You only have to tell us, did you see Chuhe!"

"I saw him," Lanyue Marquis replied hurriedly.

"You saw him?" Mingde Emperor’s face lit up with joy. "Where is he?"

"He’s in Lei Clan Fort, in Jiangnan’s Thunderbolt Hall," Lanyue Marquis said.

"Lei Clan Fort?" Mingde Emperor was no stranger to this name and he frowned slightly. "Since you saw him, why didn’t you bring him back."

"This brother also wanted to bring him back, but… there were a few people around Chuhe who stopped me…" Lanyue Marquis let out a small sigh. After all, they were just a bunch of kids. Talking about getting stopped by them was quite an embarrassment for him.

"Who would dare!" Mingde Emperor said angrily.

"One has the surname Lei, Lei Wujie. He’s General Lei Mengsha and--" Lanyue Marquis stopped himself, as he knew the other name was a taboo which must not be mentioned, so he paused and continued, "I mean, he’s General Lei Mengsha’s son, whom Your Majesty knows. The other one has the surname Tang, Tang Lian, and he’s Tang Lianyue’s disciple."

"Tang Lianyue\'s disciple?" Mingde Emperor glanced at Jin Xuan Gonggong and asked, "Do you know of this person?"

Jin Xuan Gonggong replied, "Head disciple of Snow Moon City Tang Lian. Even though he’s still very young, he has already gained a good reputation in the martial world. He is Tang Lianyue’s only disciple, and later, he joined Snow Moon City, and is also Baili Dongjun’s only disciple."

"Lei Clan Fort, Tang Clan, Snow Moon City." Mingde Emperor’s eyes held a tinge of fury. "These people are from the martial world. After so many years, are they involving themselves with my Xiao imperial family?"

"It\'s not just them," Lanyue Marquis continued to say. "Chuhe himself didn’t want to come back."

Mingde Emperor was stunned at the words, and he sighed deeply. "Does he still blame us?"

"No, Chuhe is willing to come back, but he needs to wait another year," Lanyue Marquis said.

"He’s willing to come back?" Mingde Emperor was overjoyed at first, and then asked, "Then why does he need to wait another year?"

"Chuhe’s martial arts and his meridians seem to have been destroyed on the day he left Heavenly Revelations all those years ago. This time, when he was in Lei Clan Fort, his injuries were aggravated when he fought against assassins from the Hidden River. Fortunately, the successor of the Medicine King and the Confucian Sword Immortal Mister Xie, among others, were able to combine their efforts to save his life. However, Mister Xie said, Baili Dongjun once visited an immortal island, and on that island was an immortal who lived accompanied only by heaven and earth and aged with the sun and the moon, and only he can cure Chuhe’s meridians. Although the journey is dangerous, Chuhe insisted on making the trip to visit the island." Lanyue Marquis reported all this while he watched Mingde Emperor’s expression carefully.

Mingde Emperor\'s expression was full of anger at first, then dissipated a little, and finally, revealed a bit of sorrow. He sighed. "Among our many sons, Chuhe has the most talent, but also the most stubborn temper. He has been missing for so many years, and we always assumed he held a grudge. Even though we appointed him as Yong’an Prince and summoned him back to Heavenly Revelations, he did not obey. We didn’t know all this happened to him. No wonder little brother came to see the State Preceptor. When it comes to matters about immortals, it is indeed a huge matter and only the State Preceptor can explain it clearly."

Qi Tianchen flicked his horsetail whisk and shook his head. "This Penglai Island, and the immortal beyond the sea, is also something I’ve only heard of. Whether or not he really exists, and whether or not he can cure Yong’an Prince, is a question with no answer."

"Indeed." Lanyue Marquis nodded. "And the State Preceptor just explained to me that, in a way, whatever is on that island may not even be an immortal, but a Ghost Immortal. Although they’re called immortals, they’re actually ghosts. That doesn’t sound good."

Mingde Emperor turned his head when he heard this and looked at Jin Xuan Gonggong. "Jin Xuan, what do you think?"

Jin Xuan Gonggong asked, "This immortal mountain beyond the sea that Lanyue Marquis mentioned, where is it?"

"From the Three Snake Islands, travel further east past a strong undercurrent, then you will see Penglai Island. It is said that the island is surrounded by fog, and that it’s illusory, fantastical, and indescribable," Lanyue Marquis said.

Jin Xuan Gonggong thought for a while, and said, "Every year, some merchant ships will sail to Three Snake Islands to harvest snakes. The snake gall from the poisonous snakes on the islands are brought back to Beili, and they can be sold at a high price. There is also a kind of snake on the islands, called gold line snakes. These snakes are very venomous, but the snake venom can also be used as an anti-venom for other snake venoms. Every year, some merchant ships will go there, but the Three Snake Islands are extremely dangerous and there are also pirates in the area. Surviving a trip to the Three Snake Islands is already a one in ten chance. What’s more, to travel past the undercurrent there is even more dangerous."

Mingde Emperor nodded. "All of this, we have also heard. Dare we ask, State Preceptor, can you cure Chuhe’s injuries?"

After a brief thought, Qi Tianchen replied, "I can keep him alive."

"Very well." Mingde Emperor nodded. "Since the State Preceptor has made this promise, we are relieved. Little brother."

Lanyue Marquis suddenly felt an oncoming headache, and helplessly replied, "What are huang-xiong’s orders?"

"If you rush to the east from Heavenly Revelations now, will you be able to stop them?" Mingde Emperor asked.

"When I left, they’d just managed to suppress Chuhe\'s injuries. So, they shouldn’t be travelling very fast. Even if they’d set off then, with a fast horse, we can still catch up," Lanyue Marquis replied.

"Very well. Then, we shall trouble little brother," Mingde Emperor said with satisfaction.

Lanyue Marquis’s handsome face, on the other hand, was on the verge of tears. "Huang-xiong, this servant has just returned to Heavenly Revelations. I haven’t even stepped into the Lanyue Marquis Residence. Do you have to be so cruel?"

Jin Xuan Gonggong suddenly said, "Your Majesty, this servant has someone who can help take care of this matter. And he happens to be on the way to the east."

"Oh? Who is it?" Mingde Emperor asked.

"Eunuch of Sword, Jin Wei," said Jin Xuan Gonggong.

When the Beili Emperor held the Ceremony of Offering Sacrifices every year, there would be four eunuchs who stood behind him. One of them would hold the treasured sword which guarded the country, one would hold the country’s Jade Seal, one would hold the records of law, and the last would hold the blue-green jade incense burner. These four Grand Eunuchs, together with the study companion eunuch who grew up with the Emperor, were collectively referred to as the Five Grand Eunuchs. The Eunuch of Sword was responsible for guarding the imperial palace on usual days, and Mingde Emperor was naturally familiar with him. The Eunuch of Sword handled matters with a scrupulous attention to detail, without adding anything superfluous. He was indeed…

Mingde Emperor nodded and said, "Very well."