Chapter 26: The Assassination Case (Part I)

"Chief Steward, the envoys from the Dwarf Nation have been accommodated in various official post stations throughout the city."

"The logistics, servants, cooks, as well as overt and covert sentries within a radius of ten miles, have all been deployed."

"Since entering the city, the Dwarf Nation delegation has made no unusual moves. At the reception banquet, representatives from ten powerful Dwarf clans were in attendance."

"According to the schedule, they will stay in Yuezhou for seven days before heading north."

"Following the Chief Steward's instructions, we have been keeping an eye on the top-tier martial artists of the Dwarf Nation, but none of them have shown themselves. Only when treating the injured Hateshou Hao did the Overlord Hao and God-Tooth Hao of the Four Great Heroes of Guanzhong go to visit, which was discovered by our men."

Inside the Feng Estate, a Feng Guard dressed as a servant was reporting to Kou Li. Seated in two rows on his left and right were the martial artists and assassins of the Feng Estate: the Toad-faced Man, Hong Tielin, Human Butcher Ba, the Luan brothers, Ruan Mingxiu, Yue Gang, Daoist Qixing, and the Four Heroes of the Feng Guard. One could say it was a gathering of exceptional talent and formidable masters. These people were the reliance for countering the powerful martial artists of the Dwarf Nation.

"Heh, heh, heh. Ever since the Chief Steward smashed their ship in broad daylight, these little Dwarf pups have been as docile as lambs. Looks like they're scared of us," Ruan Mingxiu laughed gloomily.

"Old Ruan is right about that. After pulling off that fierce stunt during the day, I went drinking with some of the brothers and said I was from the Feng Estate, and I didn't even have to pay for the wine," Hong Tielin said with considerable pride.

"The martial artists of the southeast coast are full of praise for the Chief Steward's performance, calling it the epitome of chivalrous boldness."

"That's right. Some of the brothers were even asking me if Princess Feng is still taking people in. Tsk tsk, and earlier they used to curse me as a government lackey."

The martial artists of the southeast coast, much like government soldiers, had almost all risked their lives against pirates. In particular, the martial artists previously recruited by Grand Marshal Hong had fought a pitch-dark, blood-soaked battle to the death against Meng Tianban's large horde of rogue samurai and bandits. Although the imperial court's attitude was becoming increasingly ambiguous, this hatred could not be wiped away in a short time.

Kou Li shook his head. He was not as optimistic as his subordinates. Win, and you are a hero and champion; lose, and you would likely become a street rat loathed by everyone on the southeast coast.

Moreover, the Dwarfers were aggressive this time, attempting to emulate the "Bodhidharma incident," and they must have made sufficient preparations. When Kou Li swung his wooden pole to split the ship in broad daylight, he had felt at least three substantial gazes piercing into him. Judging by Central Plains standards, their strength was most likely that of Grand Martial Artists.

Naturally, the foundation of the Dwarf Nation could not compare to the Central Plains, where martial arts circles in any given region had at least one or two Grand Martial Artists holding down the fort. But this was no longer a matter of Dwarf swordsmen fighting the martial artists of the six southeastern provinces; it was ten factions of Dwarf powerhouses pitting their magic against a single Feng Estate. In terms of surface strength, he was at a disadvantage.

Furthermore, he doubted whether those officials with their cowardly nature in broad daylight would intentionally suppress Princess Feng and drag them down; that was an extremely high possibility.

Over the next two days, as if to prove Kou Li's judgment, the delegation represented by the Dwarf powerhouses and the monks of the Fragrant God Dao began visiting officials everywhere, and a considerable number of officials expressed goodwill.

During this process, the monks even offered a certain miraculous elixir said to restore youth. After taking it, some officials saw their white hair turn black on the spot, and their faces became extremely youthful.

"An elixir of youth?" Kou Li looked at the strange, red-tinged, longan-sized pill in his palm and muttered to himself.

"It's precisely this thing. It's driven me half to death, playing nursemaid every day to those phony Dwarf monks wandering around everywhere until my legs are practically numb." Ever since she poured her heart out to Kou Li, Princess Feng had shed more and more of her imperial airs, her words and actions resembling those of a spoiled little girl.

Given the special nature of this world, Kou Li did not doubt the existence of immortal pills and divine medicines—he had eaten more than one himself—but he did not believe the Dwarfs were powerful enough to give one away to everyone. While probing it slowly with the ability of the Wordless Scroll, he asked, "Is there anything fishy about this miraculous medicine?"

Young Master Feng curled her lips and said, "Those Dwarfers actually put in some effort, claiming that Emperor Shi Huang once sent Xu Fu out to sea in search of the elixir of immortality. They say the elixir was found, but halfway through, they encountered a massive tsunami that capsized the ships, leaving the immortal medicine behind in the Dwarf Nation. They make it sound just like the real deal."

"Oh?" Kou Li's heart suddenly stirred. Within this pill, he actually sensed a wisp of dark Qi, and this dark Qi resembled the aura of a fiendish demon.

"Call Ruan Mingxiu here."

A dark shadow flashed outside the window, and a moment later, Ruan Mingxiu, the notorious fugitive from Jiaozhi, appeared with a bow, offering a false smile and paying his respects to the two of them.

"Take a look. Is this the same as your method?"

Regarding the giant ape-demon arm that this fellow had grown, Kou Li had once specifically inquired about the principle behind it. According to the other party's statement, this method was a secret transmission of the Ruan imperial family of Jiaozhi, and legend had it that their ancestors had once worshipped a giant ape demon god, leaving behind a sliver of divine consciousness. As long as one used special means, the power of this sliver of consciousness could be awakened.

However, this method also had a flaw: after the split soul entered the body, it would instinctively drain the host's vitality and spirit, accelerating aging. Kou Li had originally thought this old ghost was around sixty or seventy, but after asking, he learned that Ruan Mingxiu was only in his early forties and was already reduced to this ghostly appearance.

Ruan Mingxiu scraped off a bit of the pill powder and stuffed it into his mouth. During this process, Kou Li could clearly see a rotting tongue stirring inside.

After a moment, Ruan Mingxiu slowly nodded and said, "Your Highness, Chief Steward, there is indeed the aura of a fiendish demon. However, contrary to the methods of worship, this should be a medicine that overdraws life force to make up for one's own deficiencies. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it an evil drug."

"You call it an evil drug, but the people of the Dwarf Nation certainly won't admit to it. And with such obvious effects, I'm afraid anyone with slightly wavering willpower will be seduced by it. After all, it's eternal youth," Kou Li said with a self-deprecating smile. False immortality was already this alluring, let alone true immortality.

"Do you mean the delegation intends to present this item to His Majesty?" Young Master Feng furrowed her brow deeply. "The Daoist officials raised by the imperial court should be able to see through this medicine. No, I must submit a memorial to His Majesty."

"It doesn't necessarily have to be His Majesty. As long as certain high-ranking officials of the court are seduced, they can still achieve their goal," Kou Li thought for a moment, then turned to ask, "Is there a way to expose it?"

Ruan Mingxiu shook his head and said, "People like me are, after all, a minority. Moreover, since the Dwarf Nation dares to present this item, they must be confident—either the side effects are not obvious, or they won't manifest until a dozen years later."

"By then, I'm afraid it will be too late for anything," Kou Li said flatly. "This move is indeed brilliant. How can famous swords and sharp guns compare to the sinister nature of sugar-coated cannonballs?"

"Shall we find a few censors to impeach them, directly stealing their 'elixir of immortality,' or artificially manufacture some side effects?" Young Master Feng's beautiful eyes rolled, hatching one malicious plot after another.

"Let's wait and see for now," Kou Li vetoed. "To beat a snake, you must strike its vital spot. Let's first see what kind of fish they can hook with this bait."

"I'll listen to you," Young Master Feng said sweetly. Then, turning her pretty face stern, she said, "Ruan Mingxiu, within three days, this princess commands you to figure out the hazards of this medicine, otherwise your three-year salary will be docked."

Old Ghost Ruan's face instantly turned bitter. To others, this Princess Feng was quite willful, but he didn't dare to talk back, hurriedly acknowledging the order with a stutter.

Over the next two days, in addition to visiting officials, the Dwarf Nation delegation also began making contact with wealthy merchants along the coast. For locals, who didn't know the truth behind the "sea disaster"? This had originally stemmed from the coastal merchants of the southeast, who, in order to break the maritime ban, hired and even disguised themselves as pirates, escalating step by step from smuggling into a massive coastal rebellion.

From a certain perspective, maritime merchants and Japanese pirates truly had an inseverable, ambiguous relationship.

In the eyes of outsiders, the Feng Estate had gone completely underground ever since its stunning opening move of blocking the ships. Rumors were circulating everywhere questioning whether the official circles of Fujian and Zhejiang had jointly pressured Princess Feng to stop her from "interfering in state affairs."

For a time, opinions in Lingnan were in an uproar, carrying the momentum of a single spark that could set a prairie on fire.

Of course, there was no lack of covert instigation by certain individuals behind this.

"It's driving me to death! You told me to wait and see, and those people really thought I had softened up. External rumors are spreading everywhere, saying that this Princess Feng is a phony, completely lacking the pride of the king of birds, and even the officials under my command have recently started paying lip service while defying orders in secret," Young Master Feng said, her residual anger still burning.

"Oh, those messages you mentioned? I was the one who had them spread," Kou Li tapped his teacup. The rising steam of the tea obscured his expression.

"What?!"

Young Master Feng was so angry she wanted to smash the teacup in Kou Li's hand. Who would have known that from within the mist, two golden eyeballs seemed to peer out—majestic, cold, arrogant, and carrying an indescribable pressure. Like an electric current, it instantly swept through her entire body, making her hair stand on end and freezing her in place.

"Someone is bound to make an issue of this matter. Rather than letting outsiders stir up trouble, it's better to keep public opinion in our hands," Kou Li said faintly.

"You've mastered the Secret Sect's Divine Eye Technique?" Young Master Feng asked uncertainly. As far as she knew, apart from the monks of the Secret Sect, no outsiders had ever mastered this technique; even her arch-nemesis in the capital was no exception.

Because this involved the Secret Sect's most profound and mysterious Demon God Visualization Method.

Kou Li did not answer, instead changing the subject: "Based on my deduction, certain people definitely do not want things to remain so calm and quiet. Something is bound to happen next."

As his words fell, the Wicked Ghost circled out from behind a pillar as if he were truly a ghost, and whispered, "The top master of the Togawa family's *Kongoshu* and the elderly General Liu of Jiuhuwan have both been assassinated simultaneously."