Chapter Ninety-Two: Pines Arrayed Across the Mountain Face, the Moon Dappling the Heart of the Waves

The moon lies cold upon the chilled spring, which has congealed and ceased to flow; from where does the boatman’s song drift upon the returning boat?
White duckweed and red smartweed sway beneath the west wind, while the lake’s radiance stretches across ten thousand acres, all steeped in autumn.

The beauty of Qiantang Lake was no shallow, vulgar charm, but a thousand moods and graces cultivated deep within its bones. Standing by the water, one could look nearby upon pines arrayed across the mountain slopes, and far away upon the moon resting in the heart of the waves. A gentle breeze would rise, soft as water, making it impossible not to linger until one had forgotten to return.

“I wonder whether Bao Xi will be able to seize Xi Yuanda…”

Xu You snapped off a willow twig and toyed with it lightly in his hand, gazing at the villa across the lake, its upturned eaves soaring into the clouds.

“Xi Yuanda is no fool. We were delayed at the boat pavilion for a while, and then Liu Mingyi stirred the common people to go to the county office and demand justice. Nearly two hours passed in between—more than enough time for him to make proper arrangements and destroy every trace. Bao Xi is an old fox as well. He will not loose his hawk until he sees the rabbit; without definite certainty, he certainly will not move against anyone. I expect this journey will end in failure.”

Zhan Wenjun had been troubled by the same concern. Looking at Xu You’s profile, she asked in puzzlement, “Since you knew this from the outset, my lord, why make this move at all?”

“Xi Yuanda is impetuous and hot-tempered, a violent man by nature. What we must do is force him, little by little, to lose his reason, until he reveals a fatal flaw in his panic. Bao Xi may appear to have achieved nothing, but he can drive Xi Yuanda into a desperate corner. If Xi Yuanda does not strike back, he can only sit and await death, trembling day and night. If he does strike back, knowing neither the circumstances nor the depth of the danger, he will have no choice but to seek aid from Mount Linwu…”

Zhan Wenjun exclaimed, “So you stationed Ziyu outside the Guest Pavilion precisely to prevent Xi Yuanda from escaping Qiantang?”

“Yes. Either tonight or tomorrow morning, Xi Yuanda will certainly try to leave. So long as Zhu Rui can stop him, we can force him to make another mistake…” Xu You’s gaze was cold and sharp. “The Celestial Master sect has immense power and influence. Against them, we have no recourse but to advance step by step, waiting for an opportunity.”

Zhan Wenjun was filled with admiration. “My lord conducts affairs like a game of chess. It is truly impossible for gods or spirits to predict your moves!”

Xu You shook his head. “When one is weak, stratagems are merely a necessity. If I truly had a choice, I would charge into the Guest Pavilion this very moment and take Xi Yuanda’s head for you!”

Zhan Wenjun’s beautiful eyes were limpid as autumn waters. They lingered on Xu You’s face before she turned away, no one could say what she was thinking. Yet the skin at the roots of her ears had plainly reddened.

Xu You regretted his words the instant they left his mouth. After that intimate contact a few days earlier, Zhan Wenjun had avoided him for three days before their ordinary dealings returned to normal. Now, in a moment of careless speech, he had plunged them into awkwardness once more. What had possessed him?

Just as he was considering how to ease the atmosphere, Wan Qi came flying toward them and said, “Bao Xi has left the Guest Pavilion with the yamen runners. He did not find Xi Yuanda!”

Zhan Wenjun gave a soft cough and turned back, her expression betraying nothing. “My lord truly can foresee everything!”

Xu You did not answer. He walked a dozen paces along the lakeshore, probing the water’s depth with the willow branch. Then he used it to draw a long line through the mud beside the bank and fell into thought.

Bao Xi returned to the county office empty-handed.

“Where is the prisoner?” Gu Yun asked.

“We arrested no one.”

“Hmm? Did you discover some doubt—that Xi Yuanda was not the true culprit?”

“Not that!” Bao Xi said heavily. “Xi Yuanda must be connected to the case of the two merchants and Liu Mingyi being abducted. Or, to put it more precisely, he is certainly the culprit behind it.”

Gu Yun frowned. “Since you have identified the culprit, why did you not bring him back for questioning?”

“The merchant who was captured has already perished, leaving not even bones behind. Liu Mingyi has only his word, which is insufficient to convict Xi Yuanda.” Bao Xi urged him, “My lord, dealing with Xi Yuanda is no simple matter. Behind him stands Du Jingzhi. You must think carefully before proceeding.”

“Sir, I know what you are thinking. But do not forget: under Heaven, there is no land that does not belong to the sovereign; within the borders, there are no people who are not his subjects. Du Jingzhi or Xi Yuanda—so long as they did not commit crimes under my jurisdiction, I would not provoke them. But now there are two lives…”

Gu Yun slowly rose to his feet. His tall, upright figure and beautiful, almost womanly features seemed to recede in that moment. Only each word of his voice remained, filling heaven and earth.

“Two lives! In broad daylight, before the eyes of the whole world, they dared abduct a man in public, kill him afterward, and then abduct another after the killing. They treat the laws of the court as a child’s game. Men who recognize neither father nor sovereign—let alone one petty Disaster-Dispelling Official, even if Sun Guan himself came in person, I would still seize him and hold him accountable!”

“Feiqing!”

This was the first time Bao Xi had called him by his courtesy name since arriving in Qiantang to assist Gu Yun. He lifted the hem of his robe and slowly knelt, his voice utterly earnest.

“Xi Yuanda must indeed be seized. But as for how, I beg you to remain calm and wait until I have met someone before deciding what to do.”

“Whom do you intend to meet?”

“An old friend from long ago.” Bao Xi’s gaze passed through the layers of mountains and fell upon the distant peak of Bright Jade Mountain. “I want to know what he truly intends.”

Bright Jade Mountain had lost the liveliness it usually possessed. Most of the household troops had been sent out, leaving only a portion of the elite to guard the estate. When Bao Xi reached the foot of the mountain, the patrolling guards stopped him. He displayed his official tablet, and someone recognized the Qiantang assistant magistrate and immediately reported his arrival uphill.

Upon receiving the news, Shishu, despite his injured leg, sat in a four-man sedan chair and personally came down to meet him halfway up the mountain. Ordinarily, a minor Qiantang assistant magistrate such as Bao Xi would not have earned so much as a second glance from the proud Shishu. But these were extraordinary times. The Guo clan was weathering storm after storm, and the county government’s support was of immense importance. Everyone knew Bao Xi was Gu Yun’s trusted confidant; offending him was out of the question.

Bao Xi explained the reason for his visit. Shishu was greatly surprised, but said nothing. He ordered someone to escort Bao Xi to He Ru.

He Ru seemed to have anticipated Bao Xi’s arrival. He was warming wine in his room and waiting with a smile.

“Danya, the mountain nights are cold. Come and have a cup of wine to warm yourself!”

He Ru’s preemptive welcome caused Bao Xi’s momentum to falter. Though he knew perfectly well that this was one of He Ru’s tactics, his intention to demand an explanation faded somewhat. He took a seat opposite him, lifted the wine, and inhaled its fragrance.

“Excellent wine!”

“Snow-Mud Startled Swan, Gu Da’s favorite. Naturally, it could not be better!”

“I have been in Qiantang many days, yet have never had the fortune to taste this famous wine. Today I owe the pleasure to Qiyi.”

“Knowing you enjoy good wine, I shamelessly asked Zhan Wenjun for several jars of Snow-Mud wine. There is more than enough for the two of us to drink our fill and not return until we are drunk!”

Bao Xi leaned toward the cup and smelled it again, his face full of longing. Yet he still set the cup down and sighed.

“My magistrate has already set one foot into a swamp. Though I would gladly reminisce with Wenchang, my mind is too unsettled to enjoy myself.”

In former years, He Ru had used the name Wu Fei, with Wenchang as his courtesy name, while serving as an aide in the provincial governor’s office of Jiangzhou. Bao Xi deliberately mentioned the old name both to revive their former friendship and to issue a veiled threat.

“Oh?” He Ru said mildly. “With your intelligence, Brother Danya, what could possibly place you in such difficulty? Tell me. Perhaps I can offer you a plan or two. And another thing: my name is He Ru now, and my courtesy name is Qiyi. Brother Danya, take care not to get it wrong.”

Bao Xi and He Ru had been close in Jiangzhou, making Bao Xi one of the few people in the world who truly understood him. He knew He Ru was extreme by nature and might turn murderous at the slightest disagreement. Hearing the distance and guardedness hidden in his words, Bao Xi dared not be careless. After weighing his phrasing, he said, “Today, a crowd of commoners gathered before the county office and caused a disturbance. Their cries shook the heavens. Do you know the details, Qiyi?”

“A disturbance?” He Ru lowered his eyelids. “Two people died unnatural deaths, and one escaped the knife. The county office exists to uphold justice for the people. Their gathering to plead their case is entirely proper. Why call it a disturbance?”

“So you do know!” Bao Xi stared directly at He Ru and yielded not an inch. “If they have suffered injustice, they may seek justice. They can submit a petition or beat the complaint drum. After the magistrate has gathered testimony, investigated the facts, and judged the case according to law, if anything has been mishandled, they may cry out again. But I fear ignorant commoners have been manipulated by others to satisfy private desires that cannot bear the light of day. Do you still consider such conduct proper?”

“Brother Danya’s tongue has always been sharper than mine.”

He Ru could make a ghost speak seven parts like a man; in a true debate, ten Bao Xis would not have been his match. But on this occasion he needed to borrow Gu Yun’s authority and had no desire to cross swords, so he smiled.

“Very well, let us say the commoners caused a disturbance. But is it true that three people were killed or injured? If it is true, why have you not gone after the murderer, but instead come here to seek me?”

“That is easy for you to say! Xi Yuanda is Du Jingzhi’s adopted godson. If Xi Yuanda is arrested, how will Du Jingzhi be appeased? I await your instruction, Qiyi!”

He Ru raised his cup. “Drink this cup, and then I will tell you how to appease Du Jingzhi.”

Bao Xi loved wine. Having refused once, it was difficult to refuse a second time. He lifted the cup, took a small sip, then drained it in one swallow.

“Good, good, good!”

The echo of the three praises had not yet faded when He Ru offered him another cup. Bao Xi accepted it and drank it down as well. In the blink of an eye, the two jars of Snow-Mud wine on the table were empty.

The wine settled in Bao Xi’s belly, his breath turning turbulent, yet his eyes grew ever brighter.

“Qiyi, tell me. What should Du Jingzhi do?”

He Ru straightened, folding his hands over his chest and abdomen. His eyes suddenly burst into dazzling light.

“I can tell you plainly, Danya: Xi Yuanda will not leave Qiantang alive this time. If Du Jingzhi remains upon the seat of Provincial Libationer of Yangzhou, he will sooner or later settle accounts with Gu Yun. If one strikes a snake without killing it, one only invites its revenge. Since that is so, why not join us and strike first?”

Bao Xi’s body shuddered. “What are you planning?”

“If Xi Yuanda dies, then the office of Provincial Libationer of Yangzhou may as well be given to someone else.”

Bao Xi stood frozen. His right hand trembled as he pointed at He Ru.

“Is this Xu You’s idea, or yours?”

He Ru folded both hands into his sleeves.

“Does it matter whose idea it is?”

Bao Xi had no answer. For a long while, he could not utter a word.

By the shores of Qiantang Lake, Xu You discarded the willow twig and used a stone to mark the ground.

“We will choose this place. Tonight, instruct our men to avoid the eyes and ears of the night patrols and quietly dig out a snake’s nest here. Make it look as though it has existed for many years. The exact details will be handled by the snake-catcher brought from Baling. It must be flawless.”

Zhan Wenjun examined the ground, but could see nothing mysterious about it.

“My lord, there are so many places along Qiantang Lake. Why choose this one?”

“The moisture here is moderate. It is roughly twenty or thirty paces from the villa opposite—not too far, and not too near. It will make it convenient for Qiyi to perform his rite and draw the white snake there. From this point onward, there are many woods and village houses along the route, making it easier for him to conceal himself and avoid attracting notice.”

Zhan Wenjun remained deeply troubled.

“Lord He says he can make the white snake obey his commands. That sounds almost like a jest. If you had not vouched for him repeatedly, I would never believe it. Should we not devise another plan?”

Though Xu You did not know what method He Ru possessed to make a white snake obey, he knew that the Four Forms of the Hidden Talisman contained many secret arts never revealed to outsiders. Since He Ru dared make such a claim, he must possess absolute confidence.

Besides, in his former life Xu You had once seen snake charmers make snakes dance to the sound of a flute, directing them east or west and making them obey every command. There ought to be some logic behind it; it was not merely pseudoscience.

“Very well. To set your mind at ease, we can station two men beneath the lake as well. If Qiyi’s rite fails, they can secretly drive the snake into the water, swim with it to the villa, and release it onto the bank.”

“Can a white snake swim?”

Many snakes could swim, but even more could not. Xu You had always followed the principle of never being ashamed to ask questions, so he nodded.

“Do not worry. I asked the snake-catcher. The white snake is also called the Sharp-Snouted Viper, and it has no trouble entering water. The key is to find two men who are skilled swimmers…”

The white snake had been discovered by Guo Mian in the mountains, at an elevation of seven or eight hundred meters. It was probably a mutated Sharp-Snouted Viper, also known as the Valley Viper. Such snakes hibernated for the three months between the first heavy snow and the Waking of Insects. The smaller ones were slightly over a meter long, while the larger could exceed three meters. They had large, triangular heads and armored scales at the tips of their tails, giving them a particularly imposing appearance.

They favored mountain streams and shaded places beneath the trees. In spring and winter they preferred dryness; in summer and autumn they preferred water. At present, the snake still had enough energy to cooperate with Xu You’s performance, rather than lazily ignoring everything around it.

“Good swimmers will not be hard to find. Many of the Guo clan’s troops are skilled in the water, though even the best swimmer may not be able to hold his breath for long…”

Xu You thought of the Water Dragon Draw hanging proudly at Shan Zong’s waist and smiled.

“No matter. Tonight, find a clever craftsman and bring him up the mountain. Have him make two small devices.”

After nightfall, Qiantang City gradually sank into silence beneath the drums announcing the curfew. The Guest Pavilion was pitch-black. Xi Yuanda finished making his preparations, dressed entirely in black, and pushed open the window to look at the moonlit sky.

The full moon hung overhead, and the earth shone as brightly as day.

Tonight was not a good time to leave the city. But Xi Yuanda trusted in the depth of his cultivation and did not regard the patrolling yamen runners as a threat. With several swift leaps, like a startled hare or darting sparrow, he reached the wall.

He had originally planned to leave at dawn. Yet as night descended, his thoughts became increasingly unsettled. Scene after scene from the day rose in his mind, and the more he considered them, the more uneasy he grew.

The sudden, overwhelming condemnation from the streets and markets. The man and woman who had appeared when he went to seize someone. Then Bao Xi had openly brought men to the pavilion to question him. Had he not made arrangements beforehand, he would probably already be languishing in the prison of Qiantang County.

All of it resembled an invisible net, enclosing heaven and earth so tightly that he could scarcely breathe.

Leave. Leave tonight!

Xi Yuanda did not yet know that, in the mouths of others, he was already a dead man. He lightly touched the wall with the tip of his foot and soared into the air. But just as he reached the highest point, he suddenly heard a voice that filled him with terror.

“Xi Yuanda! Where do you think you’re going?”