Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector
Chapter 39 - 37: Malicious Intent

Chapter 39: Chapter 37: Malicious Intent

When Master Xuanji followed the Little Eunuch to Yangxin Hall, he saw Yang Zhao sitting upright on the Throne, his expression serene, betraying no emotion.

Master Xuanji didn’t dare act presumptuously. He stepped forward and performed a proper Daoist School salute. "This humble Daoist greets Your Majesty. For what reason has Your Majesty summoned me so late at night?"

Yang Zhao smiled and waved his hand, dismissing all the attendants. He then stepped down from the Throne, his voice laced with excitement.

"Immortal Master, dispense with the formalities. I have summoned you here on a matter of grave importance that I wish to discuss with you."

"Too many eyes and ears here. Immortal Master, please follow me."

With that, he turned and walked toward the inner bedchamber.

Although Master Xuanji was a bit surprised, he suspected nothing and hurried to follow.

One after the other, they passed through a beaded curtain and entered the inner chamber.

The moment he stepped inside, Master Xuanji caught the faint scent of blood. Before he could process it, he glimpsed something on the floor out of the corner of his eye.

On the thick carpet, a man stripped of his outer clothes lay curled up in a pool of darkened blood.

When he got a clear look at the man’s face, Master Xuanji looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. He stumbled back several steps, his legs gave out, and he nearly collapsed.

"You... you... Who are you?!" he stammered, pointing at the "Emperor" before him, who looked identical to Yang Zhao. His voice trembled uncontrollably.

He even wondered if he had encountered some legendary Painted Skin Demon Fiend.

But Chen Ye couldn’t be bothered to waste words on him.

Before Master Xuanji’s terrified eyes, Chen Ye’s figure blurred, closing the distance between them like a phantom.

Master Xuanji had some rudimentary fighting skills. Letting out a strange cry, he raised his hands to resist.

But to Chen Ye, his movements were snail-like.

With a sharp CRACK, Chen Ye snapped Master Xuanji’s wrist at an unnatural angle.

A wave of excruciating pain hit him. Just as Master Xuanji opened his mouth to scream, a hand clamped down on his throat, forcing all sound back down.

"I ask, you answer. Utter a single lie, or hesitate for even a moment..."

Chen Ye’s voice was ice-cold. With a flick of his free wrist, his Small Knife sliced off the tip of Master Xuanji’s pinky finger.

"Ah... urgh!"

Master Xuanji convulsed in pain, tears and snot streaming down his face. His gaze toward Chen Ye was filled with pure terror.

"Who recommended you to the Imperial Palace?"

Overwhelmed by the pain, Master Xuanji didn’t dare hide a thing. He whimpered and forced out two family names from between his gritted teeth.

"The Cui Family... the Wang Family..."

"Why did they have you bewitch Yang Zhao and gather a thousand young maidens for Alchemy?"

Terrified, Master Xuanji trembled like a leaf and confessed everything in a torrent of words.

It turned out he was no enlightened master at all, just a Magician from the Martial World who ran scams and knew a few Blinding Techniques.

Some time ago, men from the two most powerful Noble Families in the Capital City—the Cui Family and the Wang Family—had found him. They promised him a fortune to enter the Imperial Palace and bewitch the Emperor.

Their goal was to make Yang Zhao commit outrageous acts, inciting the wrath of both Heaven and the people, until he utterly lost all popular support and authority.

Chen Ye listened, and it all clicked into place.

’The Cui and Wang Families are powerful clans that have weathered several dynasties, their roots running incredibly deep.’

’Now that the Great Zhao Dynasty is on the verge of collapse, they’re securing their own escape route.’

’First, make the Emperor sabotage himself. Then, use the ensuing public outrage to make their move, drag him off the Throne, and install an obedient Puppet in his place.’

’Then, when the barbarians on the grassland invade from the north, the question of whether to fight or make peace, to kneel or surrender, will be decided by a single word from these Noble Families.’

’What a brilliant scheme, cutting the legs out from under the entire enterprise!’

’These high and mighty Noble Families would truly stop at nothing to preserve their own wealth and glory.’

"Hero, spare me! I was only following orders! This has nothing to do with me! I beg of your great mercy, let me go this one time! I swear I will leave the Capital City, leave Great Zhao, and never return!" Master Xuanji knelt, kowtowing so rapidly his head was like a pestle grinding garlic, tears and snot streaming down his face as he begged for his life.

His tone was so sincere and his attitude so earnest, it was almost moving.

But Chen Ye didn’t hesitate for a second, swinging his blade.

SHUNK!

The Small Knife plunged deep into Master Xuanji’s throat, silencing him forever.

’I don’t buy that bullshit about it having nothing to do with him. The masterminds must be eliminated, but their accomplices can’t be spared either.’

Master Xuanji convulsed a few times, then went still.

Chen Ye stripped off his outer clothes, then used his knife to mutilate both Master Xuanji’s and Yang Zhao’s faces until they were a bloody, unrecognizable mess.

Once that was done, he dragged the two bodies into a garden behind the bedchamber. This was the Emperor’s private garden, which commoners were forbidden to enter, making it the perfect place to dispose of the evidence.

Chen Ye found a flowerbed and used his knife to dig through the soft soil. He tossed the two bodies in, buried them, and then rolled a heavy decorative rock on top.

By the time he finished, the eastern sky was already brightening with the first light of dawn.

Chen Ye returned to Yangxin Hall and announced in a low voice to the Little Eunuch waiting outside, "I am feeling unwell today and require quiet rest. No one is to disturb me without my express command. In addition, Immortal Master Xuanji has departed the palace under my secret order to attend to an important matter for me. He will not be back for some time, so you need not make a stir."

The eunuchs wouldn’t dare ask any questions and quickly assented.

After dismissing the eunuchs, Chen Ye went back into the inner chamber to clean the scene. He then removed the Dragon Robe and put on the dark purple Eunuch Robe.

With a ripple of his facial muscles, he transformed back into the grim-faced old eunuch.

He slipped out of Yangxin Hall without a sound and made his way to the rockery where he had hidden the old eunuch’s body. He disposed of this corpse as well, ensuring no trace was left behind.

As for the Little Eunuch he had knocked out, he awoke to find only his outer robe missing. Nothing else seemed amiss, and fearing punishment, he didn’t dare report it.

And so, the incident passed without notice.

Under the guise of the old eunuch’s Identity, Chen Ye strode brazenly out of the heavily guarded Imperial Palace without anyone stopping him.

Once he found a deserted corner outside, Chen Ye reverted to his true appearance, stowed the Eunuch Robe, and slipped back to the large courtyard compound.

By this time, it was broad daylight. Fang Tao and the others were already awake and bustling about the courtyard.

This posed no problem for Chen Ye, however. He snuck around to the back, slipped silently through his window, and then emerged with a yawn, feigning that he had just woken up.

Fang Tao and the others noticed nothing amiss. After breakfast, Chen Ye sought out Fang Tao.

"Young Monarch, it’s chaotic out there right now. We can’t continue our Fujia’Er work for the time being. I was thinking of leaving the city to lay low in the countryside for a couple of days."

Fang Tao was taken aback. Seeing Chen Ye’s slightly haggard expression, he assumed he was still heartbroken over Miss Xiaorui from the Colorful Character Sect and couldn’t help but sigh.

"That’s a good idea. It’s chaotic out there, and business is slow anyway. Getting away to clear your head and lie low for a while is a good thing. Try to look on the bright side. Life goes on."

With that, he pulled a handful of copper coins from his breast pocket and pressed them into Chen Ye’s hand. "Take these. You might be poor at home, but you need to be well-off on the road. Don’t be too hard on yourself."

Chen Ye didn’t refuse. He silently accepted the copper coins and nodded.

And at that very moment, a magnificent carriage pulled to a stop outside the Imperial City.

The Grand Minister, Patriarch of the Wang Family, Wang Yuanzhi, arrived at Yangxin Hall to request an audience.