Chapter 7, When the Pot is Broken, Let it Fall Apart

Hua Lingyao was rendered speechless by Pei Qian's twisted reasoning. After a moment, she slowly sheathed her short knife and said: "Regardless, you should not have killed him. Including this righteous man, your hands are already stained with too much blood."

Who exactly is this girl? The old ghost mentioned that she has another identity, but what is that identity?

When Pei Qian finished his cold shower, Hua Lingyao was no longer in the room. She left a note for Pei Qian, which read: "Lord Duan, I have gone to Yunchong Town to buy some things and will return in the evening"

Fedexing snorted angrily: "Stop wasting words, if you have the guts, put your fingerprint on it!"

He is called Wu Xiangguo, and he is indeed a student of our Military Academy, having been here for two years. You Ruohua's answer left Pei Qian somewhat disappointed, as he thought, "On ordinary days, he appears so refined and gentle, yet unexpectedly he is a member of the Red Alliance bandits"

Pei Qian heard her helpless yet slightly reproachful voice echoing in his ears, saying: "Little brother, you cannot only think of yourself..."

Slowly, a tear trickled from the corner of his eye. He raised his hand as if sensing something, wiped it away, and opened his eyes to gaze at the faint green mountains outside the door, murmuring softly to himself: "In the capital, I must stir things up no matter what"

Hua Lingyao said: "By tomorrow noon at the latest, Mo Da will bring people to settle accounts with you. You have only been at the Cloud Military Academy for a few days, yet you have already made countless enemies, causing chaos and unrest. How can you complete your mission like this?"

Pei Qian seemed oblivious, repeatedly banging the thin, tall figure's head against the table more than twenty times before grabbing his hair and forcing him to face him, their faces mere inches apart, resembling a swollen pig's head, and softly said: "Stop messing around, alright?"

Pei Qian waved his hand and said: "I have no intention of doing so; after all, where there is a will, there is a way. Besides, you wouldn't let me fail so easily before I achieve my goal."

Before long, You Ruohua arrived upon hearing the news. After examining the corpse, he requested Pei Qian and several students who witnessed the incident to go to the public office for investigation and inquiry. Upon seeing You Ruohua, Pei Qian shouted angrily: "How arrogant, how detestable! How dare they assassinate a court official and a lecturer in broad daylight... Sir You, have you found out where this bastard came from? Is there anyone behind the scenes orchestrating this?" He secretly hoped that You Ruohua would think of Fei Dexing.

Pei Qian was taken aback; this was the first time he had heard a student inquire of him with such heartfelt sincerity

Strangely, Hua Lingyao actually knows her, and they seem to be quite familiar with each other. This is almost impossible, but in this absurd world, what is there that cannot happen

He walked towards the main house with a slight sense of surprise, hesitating for a moment with his hand on the door before quickly opening it. As soon as he stepped inside, a short knife was pressed against Pei Qian's neck, forcing him to sit down at the table in the small hall

Pei Qian was taken aback and looked up, saying: "Who has been gossiping and telling you about the matters of Shuyi Hall while you stay at home all day?"

The sounds of wailing, screams, and pleas... so distant yet so familiar, drifted into Pei Qian's ears, causing his heart to turn icy with tremors. He remembered how she had carried him on her back, facing the onslaught of assassins like a tidal wave, wielding her sword to carve a bloody path, rushing into the dark wilderness.

Tang Chao was both resentful and fearful of Pei Qian, unable to speak, and looked at this exemplary teacher, Deputy Duan, with eyes full of resentment.

Hua Lingyao avoided answering and said: "It is understandable that you deliberately provoked Fei Dexing, enticing him to sign a death warrant. But why did you have to provoke the grandson of the old thief Tang?"

Make a proper statement. You Ruo Hua personally escorted Pei Qian out of the public office and whispered, "Master Duan, I heard that today at the Shuyi Hall, you struck a student and even signed a life-and-death contract with Master Fei"

If he does not care for himself, who else can he care for? Pei Qian's lips slowly curled into a bitter and somewhat astringent smile as he stretched his legs and leaned back in the chair, eager to know the feelings she had when she said those words.

Hua Lingyao did not expect Pei Qian to fly into a rage. She quietly looked at him and said: "We will remember the evil deeds you commit; we will also remember the good deeds you do"

Pei Qian seemed to suddenly realize that he had overstepped his bounds, and with an awkward smile, he said: "That's fair, that's fair"

Pei Qian suppressed his immediate impulse to find Old Gui and slowly closed his eyes. On this leisurely and cool autumn afternoon, sunlight streamed into his residence, lazily illuminating his face

Hua Lingyao stood behind Pei Qian and said coldly, "Did you just personally kill a righteous man of the Red Alliance?"

Pei Qian cast a glance and saw students approaching from a distance, exclaiming in surprise. He thought to himself: "This kid is from the Red Alliance; the bandits in the mountains wouldn't send such clumsy assassins to deal with me. Moreover, they are still counting on me to steal the blueprints and formulas of the Cloud Thunder."

Hua Lingyao discovered that the Buddhist meditation she had diligently practiced often became ineffective in front of this scoundrel; not only could it not suppress his malevolent energy, but it also involuntarily stirred up her own anger.

Hua Lingyao said: "With your current peculiar temperament, you won't even need to wait for our people to take revenge; you won't survive much longer."

Tang Chao shook his head and sobbed, saying: "You, with the surname Duan, you hit me... my grandfather will not let this go unpunished"

Pei Qian leaned forward slightly, supporting himself on the table with both hands, and squinted as he said: "Hurry up, hurry up. I really don't want to be this damn deputy lecturer, thanks to Lord Fei for his support"

"Lord Liu Yun must have known about this long before I did," You Ruohua shook his head and said, "Brother Duan, this matter is not easy to handle"

The young man expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Mr. Duan." While accompanying Pei Qian forward, he continued, "Mr. Zhao, who used to teach us, once mentioned that if dragon orchid grass is ground into powder and mixed with an appropriate amount of sea pearl heart, it can create a tasteless, pale yellow poison. However, after the students experimented several times according to Mr. Zhao's formula, the resulting powder consistently turned black and had a foul odor, and we do not understand the reason for this."

The guard hurriedly bowed to Pei Qian and inquired, "Lord Duan was startled; you are not injured, are you?"

I carefully searched the body of Minister Wu and also sent someone to ransack his residence, resulting in the discovery of numerous items related to the Red Alliance

Hua Lingyao's tone remained icy as she said, "At the very least, you could try to escape; I believe he won't be able to catch up."

Jing Shi, a place that is遥不可及 from Yun Zhong Shan, a place he longs to visit once

Pei Qian, invigorated, said: "Is there any code for communication or a list of accomplices?" Seeing You Ruohua looking at him with a hint of confusion, he chuckled and said: "Lord You, this time you must investigate thoroughly. Using this little thief's clues, we will uproot all the infiltrators of the Red Alliance in our military academy and eliminate them completely! I... I can also vent my frustrations.

The young man, having failed in his assassination attempt, did not flee. Instead, he drew his dagger and thrust it towards Pei Qian's chest, shouting, "Traitor, die!"

"How can I not take action?" Pei Qian was also enraged, and the pent-up anger from morning to afternoon suddenly erupted. "This kid doesn't have anything written on his face; who knows he is from the Red Alliance? If I let him go, regardless of whether I saw anything or not, what if he is a spy sent by Liu Yunsha or Fei Dexing to test me? Wouldn't that be revealing my own hand?"

The youth, having gained his freedom, shouted loudly: "Long live the Great Wei, long live our Emperor!" Without a care for anything else, he thrust the dagger into Pei Qian's lower abdomen. Pei Qian's expression turned fierce as he sidestepped and seized the youth's right wrist, applying force to push inward, causing the poisoned dagger to graze his chest. Although the cut was shallow, the deadly poison that sealed the blood with a title took the youth's life in an instant. By the time the guards arrived, he was already blackened all over, with blood flowing from his seven orifices, clearly on the brink of death. Although the cut was shallow, the deadly poison that sealed the blood with a title took the youth's life in an instant. By the time the guards arrived, he was already blackened all over, with blood flowing from his seven orifices, clearly on the brink of death

Pei Qian's head suddenly felt larger than two heads combined, and he blinked his eyes and said, "Lord You, may I take all my annual leave for the next ten years at once"

Pei Qiansong released his foot and sneered: "Kid, you can't escape. Surrender obediently!"

Pei Qian smiled and said, "Shouldn't you be happy that I took the liberty to give that old thief's grandson a good beating?"

After finally emerging comfortably from the restroom, I had not walked far when I heard a respectful voice from behind, saying: "Mr. Duan, I have a question for you."

The young man pursued relentlessly from behind, and Pei Qian cursed inwardly, "Idiot!" Guards from the Cloud Military Academy had already arrived in response to the commotion.

During the two hours of lectures, Pei Qiandong spoke at length, yet his attention was entirely focused on a few attractive young women in the crowd

This time, everyone sat in silence, sitting upright and fully aware of the formidable skills of Deputy Speaker Duan.

Pei Qian felt a surge of humiliating anger. He stood up abruptly, intending to thump his chest, but suddenly realized that this was most likely Hua Lingyao's provocation. His tone shifted sharply as he said: "If you don't trust me, then I don't trust you either! It's just as well that we part ways here. You go your mountain path, and I'll take my Naihe Bridge."

Hua Lingyao fell silent, watching Pei Qian disappear through the moon gate leading to the backyard, her eyes misting over.

Over the course of seven years, he asked the old ghost more than once where she was. The only two words that the old ghost uttered were: "Capital City"

Hua Lingyao did not respond, but said: "I understand that you are unwilling to help us at all. That is why you create various troubles, hoping to be expelled from the Cloud Military Academy. Perhaps the lives of others are worthless in your eyes, but I still want to advise you: what you do, she can see; what you think, heaven knows"

"The people of the Red Alliance?" Pei Qian confirmed his earlier inference and asked, "How did you know, my lord?"

Pei Qian listened without much reaction, only turning his back to Hua Lingyao and raising his right hand to shake it twice, as if to say: "Don't bother me, I will live better."

Hua Lingyao was completely disappointed in Pei Qian and softly said: "She is right, you only care about yourself"

Bang! Pei Qian pressed Tang Chaosheng's head against the desk and rubbed it vigorously, speaking in a calm tone: "Because you are foolish, you were sold and still had to pay him. Is your grandfather a founding hero? Tell him that I did this to you. If he has any objections, let him come at me; if I am afraid, then I will consider him my son!" After saying this, he slowly released his grip and stepped back.

Pei Qian smiled lightly and pressed his handprint on the life-and-death document. Fei Dexing wanted to step forward to retrieve it, but Pei Qian casually tucked the document into his sleeve and said, "I will pass it on to Lord Liu Yun later, to prevent anyone from tampering with it."

Pei Qian couldn't help but look at Hua Lingyao with newfound respect. As a second-generation disciple of the Ancient Sword Pool, even if her potential was rare in a millennium, it was still impossible for her to mobilize a large army for a night raid on Yunchong Town overnight. Moreover, the purpose of doing so was merely to restrain Mo Dake, preventing him from diverting his attention to settle accounts with her

"Task, you only know the damn task, not caring at all about my life or death!" Pei Qian cursed loudly, "How was I supposed to know he was Tang Laogui's grandson? Fine, even if I guessed that this kid's background was extraordinary, so what? The more I shouldn't provoke someone, the more I will. I can't do things that bully the weak and fear the strong"

Pei Qian got out of bed listlessly and did not ask Hua Lingyao what she was going to Yunzhong Town for, suspecting it had something to do with Mo Dake.

Pei Qian surveyed the hundreds of astonished students below and sighed, saying: "You all must bear witness for me; it was Lord Fei who used his power to bully me into signing this life-and-death contract. If anything were to happen to Lord Fei during the duel, you must speak on my behalf."

He shouted at the top of his lungs: "Help! There is an assassin!" He pushed aside the boy's dagger and fled for his life

Pei Qian stared intently at Hua Lingyao's rather unremarkable face, yet under her calm and clear gaze, he felt somewhat deflated. He sulkily sat back in his chair and said, "It's easy for you to say, but in the end, you still want my life."

With a sharp pain in her neck, Hua Lingyao gently pushed her short dagger inward by three points and said coldly: "How can you bring yourself to act against a young scholar who is unwaveringly loyal to his homeland?"

He sat at the table, eating the dinner prepared by Hua Lingyao, and was surprised to find that the girl's cooking skills were quite good. Therefore, he decided that he could have dinner at the residence more often in the future

Fei Dexing's expression slightly changed, clearly not having anticipated that Pei Qian would dare to do such a thing. After all, most of these students have backgrounds, and many of their parents are not individuals he would easily provoke.

Pei Qianxin said, "This old You really knows how to keep his composure." He had never liked this fellow who followed Liu Yunsha around like a sycophant, but he understood the saying that it is better to offend a gentleman than a petty person. Thus, he sighed and said, "Thank you for your concern, my lord. I am indeed troubled by this matter. Should I go report to Lord Liu Yunsha right away?"

Finally, the school day has ended, and the students, as if granted a great pardon, hurriedly packed their pens, ink, paper, and inkstones to make their escape. To everyone's surprise, the one who fled the fastest was not a student but a teacher. Pei Qian pushed through the crowd and dashed out of the Suyi Hall, clutching his stomach and shouting, "Where is the restroom? Where is the restroom?"

Pei Qian was taken aback and looked up. She stacked the empty bowls and dishes and said, "Tonight, the Red Flag Army will launch a surprise attack on Yunchong Town." After speaking, she turned and walked towards the kitchen

While collecting the bowls and chopsticks, Hua Lingyao suddenly said in a low voice: "Mo Da will not be coming tomorrow"

Duan Min, you are being too outrageous! Fei Dexing's anger was evident on his face, yet he felt joy in his heart. "The military academy's regulations strictly prohibit teachers from hitting or scolding students. Not only did you hit them, but you also insulted the founding fathers of this dynasty! You need not continue your lectures; come with me outside!"

Fei Dexing angrily said, "I doubt you dare to play tricks!" He flung his robe sleeve and stormed out of the Number One Arts Hall

He turned around and saw a fair-skinned, delicate-looking young man standing in front of him. Dressed in a faded blue shirt, he appeared clean and tidy, suggesting that he was not a child from a noble family

Pei Qianyi was taken aback, noticing that the young man possessed considerable skill, likely having reached the realm of marrow cleansing. He stepped back two paces and questioned, "Speak, are you a thief sent by the bandits in the mountains or a member of the Red Alliance?"

Pei Qian smiled and said with a hint of mockery, "Are you afraid that I will die, or that I will slip away without a trace?"

He thought that upon hearing the background of this young man, Pei Qian would at least change color, if not tremble. To his surprise, Pei Qian merely responded with a faint "oh" and said to Tang Chaosheng: "Do you know why I don't hit others but only you?"

Pei Qian turned sideways as he spoke, only to see that the student suddenly drew a glimmering green dagger from his sleeve and thrust it directly towards his left waist. The dagger pierced through his clothing but was blocked by the leather belt around Pei Qian's waist, preventing it from penetrating his flesh

Pei Qian no longer fled; he suddenly bent down and kicked backward, striking the young man squarely in the chest. The young man, caught off guard, fell to the ground, and his dagger was pinned under Pei Qian's foot. Several guards rushed over in a flurry, blowing their bamboo whistles.

You Ruo Hua was momentarily taken aback and said with a bitter smile: "General Tang indeed has limited reach, but he is a pillar of the court and has numerous subordinates. For instance, General Mo Dake, the commander of the Tianhu Cavalry stationed near the military academy, is a trusted aide whom General Tang personally promoted. Moreover, General Tang's niece has married the cousin of General Mo, becoming his legitimate wife. I advise you to find a way to leave the military academy for a few days to avoid the limelight."

Those students were all stunned, and some timid ones nodded in agreement, fearing that their heads might also collide with the desk.

Hmm, Pei Qian happily patted the boy's chubby face and smiled, saying: "You are truly too polite."

Hua Lingyao patiently said, "I do not wish to argue with you; I only want to ask how you plan to resolve the matter concerning Tang Chaosheng"

Pei Qian shook his head and said: "That cannot be easily concluded. For instance, this little thief's roommates, or close classmates from the past, as well as his parents, wife, and ancestors for three generations, or the girls he keeps outside, the taverns and brothels he frequently visits..."

Pei Qian pushed open the courtyard door and called out, "Yao Hua, this official has returned!" However, there was no response from Hua Ling Yao.

Pei Qian took it over and lazily glanced at him, saying: "Lord Fei, would you consider this to be a case of personal vendetta?"

The tall, thin boy's face was covered in snot and tears, mixed with bright red blood flowing profusely from his nose. He looked like a frightened little rabbit, staring in terror at Pei Qian's smiling eyes, desperately nodding his head and crying out: "Father—"

"You! I want to impeach you, Dean Qiu!" Fei Dexing shouted at Pei Qian, "If he dares to be partial and cover for you, I will directly submit a memorial to the Imperial Academy—you can just wait to be imprisoned!"

He hummed a tune all the way back to his residence. Along the way, he encountered several colleagues who all hurriedly stepped aside to let Pei Qian pass. However, the way everyone looked at him was no different from how one would gaze at a dying monster

Perhaps it is known that this fellow will not live much longer. The entire afternoon passed without anyone disturbing Pei Qian's nap. As dusk approached, Hua Lingyao returned, carrying a bamboo basket in her arm, filled to the brim with items bought from Yunchong Town.

As he spoke, he suddenly adjusted his clothing nonchalantly and continued, "Secondly, it could also be an issue with the quality of the Longlan grass. High-quality Longlan grass has a soft color, with a hint of white in the blue... just like this piece of clothing you are wearing"

Pei Qian held the note for a long time, slowly folded it, and put it away in his pouch before returning to the inner room and falling asleep.

Pei Qian slowly returned to his seat, looking at Fei Dexing with a sarcastic tone: "Lord Fei, if you have an issue with me, there's no need to use an ignorant student as a pawn, right? It seems you don't have the authority to drive me away either"

"Only you would consider such a fool a hero." Pei Qian rolled his eyes and took the opportunity to sneak a glance at Hua Lingyao's well-developed bosom, saying, "Indeed, it was I who killed him. Should I have let him stab me instead?"

Now it was You Ruohua's turn to be stunned. After a long while, he shook his head and said, "I fear that it cannot be done. Brother Duan, take care!" He cupped his hands in salute and returned directly to the government office.

Pei Qianduansheng's expression was serious as he said, "If there is anything you do not understand, feel free to ask."

Hua Lingyao did not express her opinion and said, "If I were you, the most pressing matter right now would be the life-and-death battle with Fei Dexing the day after tomorrow"

"Wait a moment," he called from behind, "How do you know her?" After a pause, he added, "I believe we are talking about the same person this time."

I do not understand how Pang Dashuai and Qing Erbo could be so utterly convinced by your unfounded claims. She said slowly, "In this manner, it is truly impossible for me to believe that we have any hope of success."

Pei Qianzhi stared intently at her expressionless face and whispered, "Has she arrived at Yunzhong Mountain?"

The youth, undeterred by two failed assaults, lunged at Pei Qian with a dagger in hand, declaring: "Traitors to the country should be punished by all!"

Pei Qianman was unconcerned and said: "What does it matter? Old Tang is far away in the capital; it would take him several thousand miles to cause me any trouble."

Hua Lingyao said: "I fear you will not be able to see her alive again!" The person had already entered the backyard

Pei Qian shook his head, staring intently at the boy's corpse, and said with a cold laugh: "If you want to kill me, you should consider your own strength."

Pei Qian's thoughts suddenly returned to the past, back to that dark and windy night.

Deputy Duan stood up with a pale face and said, "You have gone too far! Do you know whose child this is? He is none other than the direct grandson of General Tang, a founding hero of our dynasty, Tang Chaosheng!"

Hua Lingyao turned around and said softly, "If it weren't for her persuasion, I would never have come to the Cloud Military Academy."

Pei Qian was taken aback, looking at the refined young man and asking, "Why?"

Pei Qian sent Fei Dexing away, lazily scanning the circle of students, and said: "Please be quiet"

You Ruo Hua said with a bitter smile: "I have disappointed Lord Duan; at present, we have not found any clues related to the same faction in these materials."

Pei Qian walked towards Baode Mountain Villa with his head down, resembling a frostbitten eggplant. However, once he reached a secluded area, he lifted his head again, a strange smile appearing at the corners of his lips as he murmured: "Come on, everyone, the more the merrier. I was just thinking of giving up. After all, if the pot is broken, let it shatter; let's see in the end who will be the unfortunate one"

That was the last scene in which Pei Qian saw her. By the time he awoke from his stupor, the person before him had already changed to the old ghost

Pei Qian subconsciously touched the summary of poison techniques hidden in his bosom, pretended to ponder for a moment, and said: "There are many possible reasons that could lead to the failure of your concoction. First, the sea huang heart must be thoroughly dried of its moisture. If your cultivation reaches the Condensation Realm, you can also carefully roast it using the Yang Palm technique, which would yield even better results..." If your cultivation reaches the Condensation Realm, you can also carefully roast it using the Yang Palm technique, which would yield even better results..."

He was very much inclined to let this ignorant fool kill that tall, thin youth. Thus, he would not need to act himself, yet Pei Qian would not have many good days left. Helplessly, he found himself in the Shuyi Hall at this moment; if he turned a blind eye, he would find it hard to absolve himself in the future. While regretting that he should have secretly hidden away to watch the excitement, he coughed and said: "Deputy Duan, please continue with your lecture—"

Pei Qianman smiled nonchalantly and said, "Miss Hua, what joke are you playing on me this time?"

"Why didn't I escape? The most I have done these past few days is run away!" Pei Qian said with righteous indignation, "But he is desperately chasing after me, drawing the guards over. If I don't kill him, he will fall into the hands of Liu Yunsha. Under the torture of the three woods and five punishments, if he confesses everything in a panic—this kid will be fine, but you and I will be in trouble. Miss Hua, has anyone ever taught you the principle of a warrior severing his own wrist?" Under the torture of the three woods and five punishments, if he confesses everything in a panic—this kid will be fine, but you and I will be in trouble. Miss Hua, has anyone ever taught you the principle of a warrior severing his own wrist?

As You Ruo Hua listened to him becoming increasingly absurd, she had no choice but to politely interrupt, saying: "Lord Duan, we will verify all of this one by one. For now, could you please cooperate with us and provide a statement"

Hua Lingyao stood by the door, weaving her words into a bundle and sending them into Pei Qian's ear, saying: "I indeed came for the blueprint and formula. But we both know that to accomplish the task, the first priority is to ensure that you stay alive"

Pei Qian's gaze lingered on Hua Lingyao's face for a long time, and suddenly, with a lazy smile, he said: "I am going to take a shower." He hummed a little tune as he walked towards the water room in the backyard

Pei Qian's body trembled violently, and he slowly turned around and asked, "Who is she? Who is she?"

Fedexing trembled with rage, several times wanting to rush forward and beat the scoundrel to the ground, even to kick him to death. Yet, he ultimately suppressed his anger and coldly laughed, "You wish!" He reached for a student's paper and pen beside him, quickly bent over to write, dipped it in ink, and pressed his handprint on it. With a flick of his hand, it floated steadily towards Pei Qian, saying, "This is the death warrant for the duel the day after tomorrow; you should also press your handprint on it!"

Nonsense! Pei Qian saw that Hua Lingyao had put away the knife, and realizing he was safe, his courage grew even bolder. He jumped up high and said: "You keep sending people to kill me, calling it revenge and punishing traitors, as if I deserve it. I kill one or two in self-defense, and suddenly I'm burdened with blood debts and labeled as a villain. Bah, I accept that! But you still want to force me to risk my life to steal some blueprints and formulas, while every day a girl stands there with a knife to my neck and stomach, is there any way to live?"