Chapter 22
Jiang Shang oversaw the entire Ministry of Works, and his subordinate, Zhao Xiang, used his position to smuggle gunpowder. Therefore, regardless of whether or not Jiang Shang was aware of it, he was already caught up in the game.
Someone was using this smuggling route to stockpile large quantities of gunpowder. If this gunpowder fell into the wrong hands, it could threaten Emperor Chengjing’s safety and plunge the nation into chaos. While Emperor Chengjing and Empress Dowager Jiang were currently at odds, it didn’t mean the empress dowager truly wanted to replace the emperor. Even if she harbored such thoughts, now was not the opportune moment.
The mastermind behind this scheme had insatiable ambitions. By targeting the Ministry of Works, they aimed to drag Empress Dowager Jiang into it as well. If they secured her support, they could achieve twice the result with half the effort. If she refused to cooperate, and the Ministry of Works was charged with treason for smuggling gunpowder, it would deal her a devastating blow.
An empress dowager who could be easily threatened would never have maintained her position for so long. Instead of choosing sides or feigning ignorance, she suppressed the matter at its source. When Zhao Xiang’s case reached the Court of Judicial Review, she had the official presiding over it arrested on trumped-up charges. In the end, it was concluded that Zhao Xiang had committed suicide to escape punishment, and the case was officially closed.
Since the smuggling route involved the Qingyi Gang, Yu Qin was dispatched to join the bandit suppression campaign. Of course, Yu Qin’s purpose wasn’t just to suppress the bandits, but to monitor Yan Yunhe’s every move and ensure that he wouldn’t pursue the matter further. If he did, the simplest solution would be to eliminate him, the same way Zhao Xiang had been dealt with.
No wonder Yu Qin tried to stop him as soon as they arrived in Yunzhou, insisting on going to Kaiping to mobilize the troops. Yan Yunhe knew that any military action against the bandits would require an investigation first. How could Yu Qin fail to consider that?
It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered it; he simply didn’t want him to investigate.
Luring him to Wei Zhili’s residence, where he would find nothing of use, was a calculated move to dispel his suspicions and convince him the Qingyi Gang were merely bandits. But as the saying goes, man proposes, heaven disposes.1 Chen Qing happened to confront Wei Zhili that very night, and they overheard their entire exchange.
The truth was bound to come to light, and thus, there was no choice but to resort to the worst possible measure.
Only the dead could keep secrets.
Yan Yunhe gripped his sword, gazing at Yu Qin with a smile. “Hanchu has been so kind to me these past few days. You even bought those peach blossom pastries specially for me. It turns out you were afraid I’d go on my journey with unfulfilled desires, so you indulged my appetite.”
Yu Qin said nothing. He drew his golden saber slowly, the blade emitting a chilling hum as it scraped against the scabbard.
No further answer was needed.
“The empress dowager ordered you to kill me, but she didn’t tell you to sleep with me or seduce me.” With a flick of his wrist, Yan Yunhe channeled internal energy into the flexible blade, making it rigid. “It seems this is Hanchu’s usual tactic. No matter who you’re dealing with, you’ll always use your looks for your own gain.”
His smile vanished. The moment his words trailed off, he charged forward. In a sudden leap, the distance between them closed rapidly. Gripping his sword with both hands, Yan Yunhe brought it down in a vertical strike with the force of a thunderbolt.
Yu Qin raised his sword to block with all his might, but the sheer power of the blow sent him staggering back several steps. The skin between his thumb and forefinger split open, bleeding instantly, yet his expression remained unchanged, his gaze fixed intently on Yan Yunhe.
It was then that the soft sword’s unpredictable nature revealed itself. Just as Yu Qin thought he had fully parried the strike, the blade bent in an unnatural arc and slashed toward his throat. Had he not been completely focused on his opponent’s attacks from the moment Yan Yunhe drew his sword, his throat would have been sliced open.
The wind surged violently at the cliff’s edge, while the relentless clash of steel echoed through the forest.
Yan Yunhe’s blade moved like lightning, its form shifting between whip and sword. Before long, Yu Qin’s body bore multiple wounds. His arms, shoulders, waist, abdomen, chest—each strike drew blood, leaving him injured all over. Even a lock of hair from his temple had been severed, drifting lightly to the ground.
The internal energy unleashed during their duel swept away the withered leaves on the desolate battlefield. The blood dripping from Yu Qin’s body was stark and vivid against the barren earth, burning Yan Yunhe’s eyes.
Yan Yunhe just stood there, sword poised. “You can’t defeat me.”
That was the simple truth. Had they been present, the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s elite forces would have been a tidal wave2 that might actually take him down. Yu Qin must have been mad to think he could meet him here alone, without a single man for backup.
Yu Qin raised a hand to wipe the blood from his lips, the result of a palm strike from Yan Yunhe. The crimson stains brought a strange vitality to his perpetually pale complexion.
“The victor is yet to be decided,” he declared.
Yan Yunhe frowned warily. By all logic, after this flurry of attacks, including a direct palm strike, Yu Qin should be too weak to continue fighting. Yet the more serious his wounds were, the more viciously he fought. Not only did he attack faster than before, but his internal energy flowed like an endless stream. It was bizarre beyond belief.
What should have been a quick fight had dragged on, to the point Yan Yunhe found himself on the verge of defeat. The saber repeatedly grazed his neck, failing to claim his head every time. The relentless assault was like a deadly net of blades descending upon him, and Yu Qin… did not show him the slightest mercy.
Before the duel began, Yan Yunhe knew deep down that he needed to fight seriously this time. However, when he could have taken Yu Qin’s life, he hesitated, costing him the perfect opportunity and leaving him vulnerable to Yu Qin’s counterattacks. He retreated step by step, finally stopping at the edge of the cliff—one more step would send him plummeting into the abyss.
At that moment, Yu Qin’s blade slowed, as if his strength were failing him, or perhaps the backlash from his heaven-defying cultivation technique had finally caught up with him. Seizing the opening, Yan Yunhe struck with his sword once more, deflecting Yu Qin’s blade. The saber flew through the air and embedded itself into a nearby boulder.
In the blink of an eye, Yan Yunhe’s blade was at Yu Qin’s throat. One thrust, and Yu Qin would die by his hand.
From then on, there would be no one beneath the peach tree; the one whose memory got him through those endless nights on the frontier would be gone forever. Nor would there be any strands of hair to hold in his palm, as on the night they shared a bed.
Out of the corner of his eye, Yan Yunhe saw that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already arrived and were rushing toward them from a distance. Yu Qin suddenly lunged forward, the sharp blade slicing through his flesh. Blood gushed forth, splattering onto the back of Yan Yunhe’s hand. In that instant, the blood felt like molten lava, searing through his skin and seeping into his bones.
His hand trembled, he hesitated, he froze for just a second, and Yu Qin was already before him. He watched as the other man’s face approached, as those bloodstained lips fell upon his own.
It was a kiss tainted with blood, something Yan Yunhe had never dreamed of.
He was utterly astonished, so stunned that he could not move for a moment.
And that moment proved fatal.
A palm strike landed on his shoulder, the force sending Yan Yunhe over the edge of the cliff, his body briefly suspended in mid-air before falling into the void.
Only then did he see Yu Qin looking down at him, his lips faintly upturned, his eyes curved slightly, showing him an affectionate smile.
Lust is a gentle blade, deadly with every strike.
Yu Qin had already warned him.
It seemed this person had realized it far earlier than he had—the truth hidden deep within his heart, the feelings he'd never dared to say aloud.
He and I are like fire and water,3 and yet… I have impure intentions toward him.
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