Messenger of Calamity

Chapter 93: Scheme to Steal the Heaven-Reliant Sword

After finishing their noodles, the two returned to the Ministry of Appointments. Shang Xuanwen was taking a noon break at the Administrative Hall, while Yan Qing strolled around the Ministry of Appointments. He even spotted the side gate Shang Xinlei had mentioned and calculated the distance—it was indeed possible to dash to the Administrative Hall within five minutes.

In the afternoon, Yan Qing switched back to Jiang Ten's account and continued grinding Secret Realms. How should one put it—Gai Louxian seemed to have left Jiang Ten and Ye Si to their own devices. Now, they could grind the Secret Realm seven or eight times a day. The Auxiliary Troops only needed to carry away the most valuable supplies during their breaks, and the pair could continue on. Back in the day, Gai Louxian strictly forbade such "wasteful extravagance."

After three runs, Yan Qing was feeling a bit tired. On an open field, holding dual blades—Bingzi Pepper Forest in his right hand and Autumn Ink in his left—he attempted to comprehend the Basic Dual Blade Technique. Since the dual blade technique was derived from blade techniques, and with the Martial Arts Prodigy milestone buff, even though he had trained for two days and still hadn’t mastered it, at least the dual blade control was now far smoother than at the beginning.

Feeling somewhat hungry, Yan Qing first checked what Jiang Ten was eating, then switched to the Rat Monk’s account and found that Shang Xuanwen was still at the Administrative Hall and hadn’t gotten off duty.

He didn’t bother indulging Shang Xuanwen and directly entered the room and asked, “It’s time for dinner.”

“You go ahead, I don’t eat after noon.”

“Didn’t you have a family dinner last night?”

“Exceptions are made only for family banquets.”

With that said, Yan Qing left the Administrative Hall on his own, thinking that if the noodle shop from earlier was still open, he’d have the Rat Monk wear a hat and go buy a bowl of Beef Fried Sauce Tossed Noodles.

But before long, Yan Qing returned to the Administrative Hall again. Perhaps Shang Xuanwen was just too easy to talk to, or perhaps Yan Qing was genuinely curious. He said directly to Shang Xuanwen:

“I know about the matter regarding Miss Shang Si’s friend, Qian Gongyu.”

Shang Xuanwen set down his brush and looked up. He glanced at the sky outside, turned the turquoise lamp on his desk, and it lit up instantly—it was evidently a mysterious item from the Secret Realm.

“A Prime Minister of a nation really has to resort to such underhanded tricks? Do you really think Qian Gongyu will never realize it?”

“I’m not afraid of her realizing it,” Shang Xuanwen replied. “She’ll resent me, but she will also rely on Xinlei, and everything Xinlei helps her with. So-called grievances and hatred can all be made up for later. People are, after all, very forgetful.”

“But don’t you realize this method of yours will cause your family to become estranged from you?” Yan Qing asked. “With your intelligence, can’t you think of a better way? Qian Gongyu is your daughter’s friend.”

Shang Xuanwen glanced at the Rat Monk, a hint of mockery showing on his face. “You discussed national affairs with me at noon, and now you’re questioning my decisions at night? Has the Big Monk already started assuming the role of a State Minister of Great Liang so soon?”

After a brief pause, he asked, “Do you want to know why I value you so highly?”

Yan Qing’s heart stirred. Shang Xuanwen’s shift in topic was deft—he indeed wanted to know. Just being a “lifesaver” wasn’t enough to explain the mentoring-level treatment he’d received.

Shang Xuanwen touched his right ear, revealing an earring with a tiny bell hanging behind it, one that made no sound.

“Soul-Seeking Bell, a common token. Its function should only be detecting whether someone harbors hostility, but when I wear it, I can faintly hear the unspoken meanings in others’ words, even hear the true thoughts beneath their speech.”

Yan Qing’s eyes widened. To think there was such a token in The Messenger? The intelligence from Shang Xinlei last night had been spot-on, but—

“Why tell me this?”

“Because, Big Monk, you are among the few from whom I can detect no hostility whatsoever—no dissonance between speech and heart. Your soul is pure, like glazed crystal,” Shang Xuanwen said calmly. “In all these decades, I’ve met only a few like you. They all knew this secret of mine and have kept it to this day. So I believe you will also keep it.”

Yan Qing blinked and mulled it over. He roughly understood the situation now.

Of course Shang Xuanwen would find the Rat Monk sincere—that was because the soul (Yan Qing) and the body (Rat Monk) weren’t in the same place!

To Shang Xuanwen, looking at the Rat Monk was like looking at a puppet without a soul—of course he couldn’t detect any internal conflict.

No wonder Shang Xuanwen valued the Rat Monk so highly. After all, most people in this world say one thing and think another. Only children say what they truly feel. Interacting with others for Shang Xuanwen was like browsing a webpage full of endless pop-ups and ads—annoying and unclosable. But being with the Rat Monk was like opening a clean, uncluttered webpage. Naturally, he valued people like the Rat Monk more.

“After so many years of hearing others’ true thoughts, I no longer have any expectations for so-called ‘shared hearts and minds.’ Parents, siblings, spouses, children—no matter how close the relationship, resentment and distance will eventually arise,” Shang Xuanwen said flatly. “I only do what I believe is right.”

Yan Qing felt another stir in his heart. Shang Xuanwen had said last night that he was looking forward to a peaceful family dinner—it had been sincere.

“So your idea of ‘right’ is knowing full well your daughter’s friend is being framed, and using the opportunity to seek benefits for your family?” Yan Qing asked.

“Framed?” Shang Xuanwen raised an eyebrow. “How are you so sure it was a setup? Wasn’t the missing Lin Yuan a guard of the Qian Family? He’s linked to a murder case—how can the Qian Family distance themselves from that?”

“Because it was clearly—”

"The noble clans enjoy many privileges in Great Liang, but they must also bear many responsibilities. Disciplining household servants is the least of them," Shang Xuanwen interrupted him. "Do you really think the Qian Family is blameless?"

"But what about the truth? What about the real mastermind behind the framing?" Yan Qing frowned. "Punishing only the Qian Family without going after the culprit—how is that different from unjust laws?"

Shang Xuanwen stared coldly at him. Yan Qing didn't look away from the screen, meeting his gaze through the Rat Monk.

Suddenly, he stood up. The turquoise lamp cast a huge shadow of him on the wall, startling Yan Qing into thinking he had lost control and was about to lash out. But Shang Xuanwen merely turned back and pulled a booklet from the bookshelf, tossing it into the Rat Monk’s hands.

"Page thirteen."

Yan Qing flipped it open and saw it was the roster of the Left Xiaoqi Army. Page thirteen contained information on a soldier named Hero Yang, a Second-Stage Messenger with multiple scouting tokens, skilled in tracking. This man came from a noble family but had been imprisoned for murder. It was only due to the new emperor's accession and the ensuing general amnesty that he escaped punishment. Logically, with a blemished record, he shouldn't have been able to join a vital unit like the Left Xiaoqi Army, but he had been promoted all the way up.

Yan Qing thought to himself that Shang Xinlei had been right—Shang Xuanwen liked using people with past wrongs. Instead of leveraging merit, he preferred to leverage faults.

"I’ve already sent him to search for the fugitive Lin Yuan. Once he’s found, the truth will naturally come to light. Even if we only find a corpse, we’ll know who killed him," Shang Xuanwen said. "But I already know who the mastermind is—the Qun Family and Lin Family are preparing to pay compensation. They’re just waiting for me to grab their tails."

"What?" Yan Qing thought he had misheard.

"For the aristocratic clans, the law is just a clearly priced menu. As long as they pay, they can break the law," Shang Xuanwen stood before the window, looking out at the Ministry of Appointments. "Just like Qian Gongyu only had to pay a year’s time and lend out some tokens—they too can pay higher costs to compensate the court. They’re even willing to negotiate with the court in this way."

"That kind of law doesn’t sound just."

"What do you think law is? A heavenly decree that everyone will follow without question once announced?" Shang Xuanwen shook his head. "Do you think anyone really cares about the truth? Officials just want to get off duty quickly. Constables just want to line their pockets. Noble clans just want to stay above the rest. Without benefit, why would they uphold the law?"

"Back when Emperor Taizu of Liang issued the Twelve Jade Laws, they were meant to serve as the keel of the great ship that is Great Liang. And I, using those laws, these nails, barely patch the holes in the boat. From Emperor Taizu to me, all we’re doing is reminding the Messengers that the law still exists. As for making them fear the law—that’s not something a southern state barely holding on can manage."

"You think I’ve wronged Qian Gongyu, but after this event, won’t she be more attentive in managing her servants?" Shang Xuanwen looked at the Rat Monk. "I restrained one person, and in the future, she may restrain many. That way, countless commoners might suffer slightly less under the Qian Family. The Qun Family and Chen Family are the same—if crime costs them, they’ll start considering whether it’s worth it."

The Rat Monk fell silent, seemingly pondering a rebuttal. Shang Xuanwen didn’t press him and waited for a long time without hearing a response. Then he said, "You’ve only been in my residence a day and already uncovered this. Your intelligence-gathering ability isn’t bad."

"Just a coincidence."

"You’ve earned my approval. In a few days, I’ll arrange for you to join the Secret Realm Garrison for training."

Yan Qing froze and couldn’t help but say, "Is it because this humble monk talks too much? Better to send me far away and out of sight?"

Shang Xuanwen ignored Yan Qing’s jest and said calmly, "You can feel compassion for the commoners and also feel indignation for the noble clans."

"When you one day hold power, I hope you can still keep your original heart."

...

...

In the dead of night, at the Thieves' House.

Due to mission timing, the meetings over the next three days would all be held in the middle of the night. The thieves adjusted their routines accordingly.

Last night, Shang Xinlei had proposed the plan to steal from the Imperial Secret Treasury. Medicine Master Wen and Ying Ru Shi had not agreed rashly but returned to their residences to consider it further. Tonight, they planned to discuss the details again. If they could ensure over eighty percent chance of success... they intended to go through with it.

However, Yan Qing opened the session with something that left everyone stunned.

"I might be able to steal the Heaven-Reliant Sword directly."