odessanovel Chapter 229
Chapter 229
Xie Yi had gone to the Northwest garrison camp the previous night.He met with all the generals and soldiers but found no trace of the general.
Then, he learned that Qi Yanzhou’s men had taken the garrison commander and a hundred soldiers.
Originally, Xie Yi had planned to come to Dayang Town that very night, but he heard that a plague might break out at the garrison.
He didn’t actually believe it.
Because Qi Yanzhou would never allow anyone possibly infected with the plague to leave the garrison and endanger the people.
Still, worried about the slim chance it could be true, he stayed at the garrison for the night.
Today, Zhao Meng sent word to the garrison, ordering the deputy commander to lead two thousand soldiers to Dayang Town.
Then, Xie Yi realized the plague was a fabrication.
He wanted to go to Dayang Town to see Qi Yanzhou, but the shadow guards disagreed.
Later, the truth about the plague was exposed.
He used the pretext of relieving the emperor’s concerns to go to Dayang Town, accompanied by the shadow guards.
Xie Yi didn’t wait long before Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang emerged from the town.
Looking at the two, who were noticeably sunburned, he cupped his hands in a formal bow.
“Greetings, Young Master Qi and Madam Qi.”
As he spoke, his gaze fell on Ye Chutang.
This was his first time seeing this remarkable woman.
Although she appeared dazzlingly beautiful, her facial features carried a trace of bitterness.
By conventional divination, she bore the face of one plagued by misfortune, a fate of early death.
Yet, her body radiated boundless merits, forcibly altering her destiny, turning death-aura into vitality.
In his fifty-plus years in the mystical arts, Xie Yi had never encountered such a peculiar phenomenon.
Ye Chutang, unruffled under his scrutiny, smiled and asked, “Master Xie, is there something amiss with my face?”
“Madam Qi, this old man was rude.”
Qi Yanzhou asked directly, “I wonder why Master Xie wishes to see me?”
“I want to discuss the plague in Dayang Town with Young Master Qi.”
“That’s fine, but you must enter the town, and alone at that.”
The emperor’s shadow guard immediately refused.
“No. We are under imperial orders to protect Master Xie. We cannot leave his side!”
Qi Yanzhou, having already burned bridges with the emperor, saw no need to feign loyalty. He let out a cold laugh.
“This is Dayang Town, not the imperial palace. Here, you follow my rules!”
“Young Master Qi! Every inch of land under heaven belongs to the emperor!”
“So, are you suggesting I turn all under heaven into the Qi family’s domain?”
The shadow guard knew Qi Yanzhou had the capability and ambition to rebel, and his face paled in fear.
“Young Master Qi, watch your words. I never meant that.”
The Qi family could rebel, but not because of something he said!
Qi Yanzhou stepped forward, locking eyes with the shadow guard who had spoken. “I’m going to leave all your lives here in Dayang Town!”
No sooner had he spoken than he attacked the shadow guard.
Zhao Meng, seeing a chance to prove himself, immediately joined the fight.
Han Chong, hearing the commotion from inside the town, called out the national defense forces to deal with the shadow guards.
The shadow guards were similar to the former imperial guards.
Seeing that they had defected to Qi Yanzhou, they burned with rage and fought with reckless abandon, as if purging traitors for the emperor.
Xie Yi had some martial arts skill, but it was nothing impressive.
Seeing Ye Chutang standing as steady as a mountain, even watching the shadow guards’ techniques with interest, he quickly edged closer to her.
Ye Chutang ignored Xie Yi and instead used spoken instructions to help Qi Yanzhou coordinate his attacks.
“Step back one pace, strike diagonally to the right, three inches down.”
“Step right three paces, kick backward.”
“Ambush from the northwest; the man to the northeast has an opening.”
With twenty shadow guards facing forty-plus opponents, they were already struggling.
Ye Chutang’s interference quickly put them at a disadvantage.
They knew that if the fight continued, they would all die here.
The leader shot a resentful glance at Xie Yi and shouted, “Retreat!”
Ye Chutang blocked the only path, holding a storm of needle-throwing weapons, cutting off their escape.
“Trying to run? No way!”
Killing one more of that bastard emperor’s men would weaken his power a little further—why not?
The shadow guards knew Ye Chuntang was skilled, but they didn’t take her threat seriously.
“Since you want to die, I’ll grant your wish!”
He ordered ten men to hold off Qi Yanzhou’s group while another ten surrounded Ye Chutang.
Watching the group charging at her, Ye Chutang sprinkled poison on the ground and kicked up the dust.
The dust turned into toxic weapons, flying at the shadow guards at breakneck speed.
The shadow guards dismissed the dust as trivial, but wary of Ye Chutang’s poison, they tried to use their inner energy to deflect it.
Some underestimated the danger of the dust and didn’t use their full power.
Six dodged; four were hit.
The sharp dust pierced through their clothes, entered their skin, and the poison killed on contact.
The struck shadow guards felt a slight sting but collapsed before they could counterattack, bleeding from all seven orifices.
No one expected Ye Chutong to kill four shadow guards with just a kick of dust.
Qi Yanzhou was astonished but also puzzled.
Turning dust into a lethal weapon required profound inner energy.
Yet, Ye Chutang clearly didn’t have such power.
But now wasn’t the time to ponder. After killing one shadow guard himself, he flew to Ye Chutang’s side.
With their retreat cut off, the shadow guards tried to flee into the town.
If Qi Yanzhou pressed them so relentlessly that they had to die here, they would take the civilians down with them!
Han Chong, seeing the shadow guards’ intent to enter the town, immediately blocked the entrance.
“Dayang Town is now Young Master Qi’s territory. Without his permission, no one enters.”
The shadow guard leader glared at Han Chong.
“Traitor!”
“The dragon-guarding force swore to protect the realm, not imperial power. I have never betrayed.”
With that, Han Chong launched his own attack.
Two quarters of an hour later, the last shadow guard fell.
Han Chong suffered a minor injury; one soldier from the national defense force died; Zhao Manng was severely wounded, and six of his personal troops perished.
Compared to the lives of twenty elite shadow guards, these losses were minimal.
Xie Yi looked at the corpses scattered everywhere and cleared his throat.
“Young Master Qi, are you planning to confront the emperor head-on now?”
Qi Yanzhou threw his bloodstained blade to the ground and took Ye Chutang’s hand, heading into the town.
“Commander Zhao, throw the shadow guard corpses into the burial pit and burn them. As for your fallen men, I’ll give fifty taels each for burial expenses.”
Zhao Meng’s leg had a deep gash, and his chest had taken a heavy blow, leaving him with severe internal injuries.
Leaning on his bloodied blade barely able to stand, he spoke weakly.
“Young Master Qi, you don’t need to go to such expense. Since I chose to serve you, I knew there would be casualties. The burial money for my men—I’ll cover it myself.”
Ye Chutang pulled a stack of banknotes from her space, selected three hundred-tael notes, and handed them to Zhao Meng.
“Commander Zhao hasn’t passed the trials yet, so he’s not one of us. We’ll keep accounts clear.”
If an ordinary soldier died, reporting it to the court would give his family ten taels for burial.
If the death was honorable, the amount could be twenty to thirty taels.
Qi Yanzhou offering fifty taels was quite generous.
Zhao Meng hesitated, unsure whether to take the money, but Ye Chutang shoved the notes into his arms.
“Commander Zhao was injured helping my husband. Come to the apothecary later, and I’ll treat your wounds.”
“Thank you, Madam Qi.”
Ye Chutang reached the town gate and, seeing that Xie Yi hadn’t followed, turned her head and called out.
“Master Xie, if you’re not afraid of death, come into town with us to talk.”
She knew Xie Yi was Qin Muyun’s master and meant him no harm.
But he had been ordered by the emperor to find the Star of the General, so he had to be on guard.
Xie Yi smiled and said, "I am already half-buried in the ground. There is nothing left for me to fear."
With that, he followed Ye Chutang and Qi Yanzhou into Dayang Town.
As soon as the three entered the town, the commoners knelt down.
"Please, Master Qi, rebel!"
"Please, Master Qi, overthrow the tyrant!"
"Please, Master Qi, give the people a way to live!"
Every resident of Dayang Town had turned out, begging Qi Yanzhou to change the dynasty and become the new emperor.
They could endure the emperor's tyranny, but they could not tolerate a ruler who would slaughter entire cities!
Qi Yanzhou understood the people's desire to overthrow imperial power.
For the sake of his own selfish desires, the emperor ignored the lives of the common people and the stability of the kingdom, already stirring widespread anger.
"Dear fellow townspeople, please rise. I am already planning to rebel. Please bear with me for a while longer."
He had no intention of rebelling.
He said this only so the words would reach the emperor's ears.
He wanted the emperor to know that if he was truly pushed too far, the throne would change hands immediately!
When the people heard Qi Yanzhou's words, joy lit up their faces.
No matter when the rebellion came, as long as they had hope to cling to.
"May Master Qi triumph and secure the kingdom!"
Qi Yanzhou helped the commoners around him to their feet.
"The weather is hot. Go back and rest. The peace and prosperity you long for will come one day."
"We believe in you, Master Qi!"
After saying this, the people kowtowed three times to Ye Chutang.
"Your grace, Madam Qi, your life-saving kindness is unforgettable. If we ever get the chance, we will repay it as best we can!"
Ye Chutang lifted the corners of her lips. "Living well is repayment enough."
She had saved the people of Dayang Town and earned tens of thousands of merit points—she had already received her reward.
The people looked at Ye Chutang with gratitude, kowtowed three more times, then rose and left.
Xie Yi watched their hurried retreat and called out, "Everyone, the northern lands are prone to drought. Please stock up on water."
Qi Yanzhou caught the deeper meaning of those words.
The drought would last a long time!
So he added, "Fellow townspeople, it has not rained for over two months. Please prepare for drought and store grain early."
The people ignored Xie Yi's words but heeded Qi Yanzhou without question.
"Thank you for the warning, Master Qi."
With that, they rushed home to store water.
The once-crowded streets cleared.
Ye Chutang and the two men returned to the pharmacy.
Concubine Xu quickly said, "Second Young Master, Madam, the cold noodles are ready. You may eat."
Though she had grown closer to them, she still maintained the distinction between master and servant.
Ye Chutang said, "Concubine, we have a guest. Please prepare another set of bowls and chopsticks."
The Qi household did not have extra set, but the pharmacy did.
Concubine Xu fetched a bowl and chopsticks from the back kitchen and served Xie Yi a portion of cold noodles.
"I did not know an honored guest was coming. There is only a simple vegetarian meal. I apologize."
Xie Yi took the bowl with a smile. "A simple meal suits me fine."
Throughout his journey northwest, his meals had been provided by shadow guards—almost always flatbread and water.
In his eyes, this bowl of noodles was a delicacy.
After lunch, Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang took Xie Yi to their private quarters.
Qi Yanzhou got straight to the point. "What brings you, Lord Xie, to risk danger and come to Dayang Town to find me?"
Seeing Qi Yanzhou’s directness, Xie Yi did not beat around the bush.
Instead of answering, he asked, "Do you truly have plans to rebel?"
Qi Yanzhou likewise did not answer his question.
"Are you a loyal minister, Lord Xie?"
"I am loyal to no one. I speak only the truth and follow divine will."
In other words, he was not the emperor’s man.
Qi Yanzhou relaxed and poured Xie Yi a cup of cold water.
"I never planned to rebel. It was the emperor’s overreach that made me say I would seize power."
Xie Yi downed the water in one gulp and sighed.
"The emperor is no wise ruler. He is selfish and controlled by eunuchs. The Northern Chen Kingdom is doomed to fall."
Qi Yanzhou refilled Xie Yi's cup, this time with tea.
"When I was first exiled, Huai Xuan told me that the Star of the Emperor had descended. Is that true?"
"It was, but the star flickered once and never shone again."
Xie Yi had used every method possible but found no clues related to that star.
"Do you have anyone in mind to be the new emperor, Lord Xie?"
"No."
The school of esoteric arts follows the will of heaven and speaks only facts. They never speak recklessly or make assumptions.
But the fortunes of the Northern Chen Kingdom had declined sharply ever since Ye Chutang returned to the capital.
Thinking of this, Xie Yi turned to Ye Chutang.
"Madam Qi, would you honor this old man by letting me read your palm?"
Ye Chutang knew nothing of divination or palm reading but was very curious.
She turned her wrist over and placed her hand openly before Xie Yi. "Please, Lord Xie."
Xie Yi studied the lines on her palm carefully, his expression gradually growing grave.
The lifeline, less than half the length of a normal person's, showed that her life span had already ended.
The woman before him was a dead person of boundless merit!
Xie Yi could not understand.
Then a phrase came to mind—"An immortal descends to the mortal world, walking from death toward life."
And then he thought of the "Ghost Thief" who had appeared in the capital around the same time as Ye Chutang.
The deeds of the Ghost Thief were beyond human capability—like a ghost or an immortal.
With this thought, he quickly withdrew his gaze.
"I cannot read Madam Qi’s palm."
Qi Yanzhou asked in surprise, "Why do you say that, Lord Xie?"
"Master Qi, I am only speaking the truth."
With that, Xie Yi changed the subject.
"Might I meet the young gentleman who went to the northwest garrison in Bingzhou last night?"
Ye Chutang withdrew her hand and asked, "Do you believe he is the Star of the General you seek?"
"I can only answer that after meeting him."
"What is your purpose in finding the Star of the General?"
Seeing Ye Chutang’s wary expression, Xie Yi smiled. "I have no purpose. I only wish to confirm it."
"And after that?"
"Then I will go find my disciple, Qin Muyun."
The shadow guards watching him were all dead. He was free.
Hearing this, Qi Yanzhou asked, "Where is Huai Xuan?"
Xie Yi calculated using Qin Muyun’s birth date and time.
"He is in Tongzhou."
Then he added, "May I meet that young gentleman now?"
He only wanted to confirm the identity of the Star of the General and cast a fortune for him.
Qi Yanzhou looked to Ye Chutang, leaving the decision to her.
After all, Sun Chu was someone she had subdued.
Ye Chutang stood up. "I will ask him. Whether he agrees is up to him."
Xie Yi bowed. "Thank you, Madam Qi."
Ye Chutang went to Sun Chu’s room.
He was still using the Turtle Breath Technique to heal, with no breath or pulse and a body temperature far lower than normal—as if he were dead.
She inserted a silver needle into his Baihui acupoint and twisted it.