So It Begins

The spear was thrust through without any intention of stopping. Even though it wasn’t thrust with so much force that I couldn’t stop it, it was so sudden that I’d have been scratched even if I dodged. Luckily, I was still hiding in the passage leading to He Shi’s room. Correct, I dug a hole from my own room to He Shi’s, as well. It was a hassle to run to the toilet every time, after all.

After the spear failed to feel flesh, the wielder shook it, then gently pulled it back.

The lack of force behind the thrust indicated that the assailant hadn’t developed their internal energy, meaning it was delivered purely using arm strength. What it lacked in force was compensated with in the element of surprise. I never expected an attack as the patrol proctor wasn’t trained in martial arts.

I hit the trigger, sending a shuttle flitting. The shuttle that nearly slew a dragon slew plunged through the proctor’s body, but no guards were alerted when he dropped to the ground. He didn’t choose now of all times to assassinate me without reason. The old fart naturally had to send the guards away when he wanted to visit He Shi, so it was also the prime opportunity to have me assassinated.

I wasn’t surprised about how easy it was to take out the proctor since he wasn’t a martial artist. What had me scratching my head was the fact that he didn’t bring along help or have a backup plan in case his first attack failed. To the contrary, he stood in place after missing. Who’d hire such a stupid assassin?

I scouted the surroundings for a while through my ears before dragging the proctor into my room. As I thought, he was the proctor from earlier in the day. I flipped his eyelids to see his lifeless eyes. His breathing traces were abnormal, so I suspected someone had used a martial art of some sort to distort it. You’d assume he was just ill if you didn’t check meticulously. All the clues pointed to one person – Yan Liren.

The Yan brothers’ father was an expert on brainwashing arts. While Yan Jiangnan left me be since I spared him, Yan Liren had no reason to spare his eldest son’s killer. I expected his eventual wrath, but I didn’t expect him to brainwash a patrol proctor to assassinate me.

Yan Clan’s Soul Stealing Palms was a branch of Sinister Soul Breaking Palms, so it didn’t have the ability to erase memories or install false memories. However, it was still capable of controlling weak-minded people who didn’t practice martial arts, which wasn’t to suggest that it was easy.

Whether by coincidence or not, Yan Liren’s decision to not come after me himself was a wise call. Never did I stop listening for any strong people in my vicinity, including the imperial guards. For that reason, my vigilance against non-trained individuals was extremely low. Even if it was by sheer luck, he would’ve succeeded if I wasn’t hiding in the passage.

Based on the fact that Yan Liren was able to refrain from personally taking action, he certainly lived up to his reputation as a sly and ruthless person. He was the type to never quit after just one attempt.

When I heard voices in the distance, it dawned on me that the goal from the beginning was to frame me! I didn’t know how he did it, but people were already talking about a proctor going missing after coming this way from the toilet. Confining me to prison would make assassinating me significantly simpler!

There was no way I was going to be a sitting duck. Therefore, I picked up the proctor and raced into the third exam room from my room. Like a flash of lightning, I took out a pill from my boot and shoved it into the mouth of the sleeping examinee, knocking him out cold before he could yell. Next, I placed the proctor next to the examinee, stripped the two of them and then bolted back to my room. Once I entered, I covered the passage entrance, took off my shoes and climbed into bed.

The guards shouldn’t have left their posts, so they would be held responsible if an incident occurred during their absence. However, the old fart reacted even faster than them because he sent them away, and it was his subordinate who was now missing. That being said, his calm pace suggested he already had a plan. He told the commander walking alongside him, “Chen Lin is a weak, spineless scholar. An examinee must have put him up to no good. There is no need to show lenience when you find him; you can arrest him on sight. As for his conspirators, this old one will personally make sure they pay.”

While the guards started their search from the toilet, the old fart made a beeline for my room. He entered and used the flame to scan my room without reservation, then snorted. Far be it from me to be fearless when he had a dozen imperial guards behind him. If they searched carefully enough, they’d discover my hidden passage.

I yawned, sat up and feigned startlement. My reaction put a grin on the old fart’s face.

“Ming Feizhen.”

“Yes, Old Fart?”

“What did you just call me?!”

“Slip of the tongue! Slip of the tongue!”

But what was his name again?

“Hello, Sir Fart. How can I help you in the middle of the night?”

“Who are you calling a fart?! This old one’s surname is Wang!”

He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but the old fart was an experienced scoundrel, so he was able to regain composure. “A proctor has gone missing. We suspect he has colluded with an examinee, which is why we have entered the exam venue at this hour. Have you seen him? I heard you and Proctor Chen Lin had an argument during the day. Was that a secret code of yours to meet at night?”

The grin and tone were evidence that the old fart planned to frame me from the very start.

I curled my lips. “I have not. Sir Fart, you are being unfair. Why would he want to collude with someone lacking education, like me? If he was going to collude with someone, he would collude with the talented prospects.”

“Wh-why?”

“For the answers of course, so that he could then sell it to the kids of rich families he struck a deal with prior. That way, he earns from two sources and earns in every way possible. What do you think?”

“H-h-how could a mere patrol proctor pull it off?”

“Incredible insight. He would not have what it took. Based on your vast knowledge and veteran status, who would you say could?”

“The answer is written on the wall. In terms of prestige and abilities in Hanlin, that would be… Wh-what are you trying to imply?”

“Nothing at all. I am merely curious who would be able to pull it off. What say you?”

The longer he looked at me, the more uneasy the old fart felt. “Guards, this is the examinee who colluded with Chen Lin. Arrest him! Once Chen Lin is arrested, as well, this old one will leave them to His Majesty.”

Two imperial guards stepped into my room. They only had one foot in when the commander hurried to the old fart’s side and whispered, “We found him.”

“So be it. I have found his conspirator, too.” In a soft voice, the old fart informed, “He is the scapegoat.”

“That is not what I mean! We found him, but… he was found in an examinee’s room.”

In a publicised search, no matter how much authority the commander wielded, he wouldn’t be able to stop rumours from spreading since many imperial guards were witnesses to where Chen Lin was found. Plenty of the imperial guards were descendants of big-name households who were signed up for experience. Thus, they didn’t need to fear their superior. If they still tried to frame me, there was a high risk of their agenda leaking, rendering it impossible to frame me.

Although disappointed, the old fart was already thinking of his next plan to frame me. “Forget it, then. The scapegoat is no longer useful. Arrest whoever owned the room.”

“That is the very source of the problem!” In a quiet voice, the commander said, “He was found in Young Master Feng’s room.”

“Feng?!”

Young Master Feng was the individual the old fart set up to place first in the exam. Feng Jiutian, also called Feng Shanshan, was the only legitimate inheritor of the richest family in Luoyang – and the Central Plain.

“Neither of them were dressed,” the commander added.

The old fart froze up as his jaw dropped.

I should’ve been entertained, but I couldn’t find it in me to laugh because, at the same time the old fart fossilised, the two imperial guards in my room stealthily drew their blades. One of them had the same lifeless eyes as Chen Lin; suffice to say, Yan Liren had brainwashed him. The other one was emotionless for he was a genuine assassin. I was in a situation where I couldn’t resist.

The breeze was clear. The sky was dark. So it began…

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