CHAPTER 546: CHAPTER 320: OH, IT’S STILL AN ACQUAINTANCE_2

Song Yi stopped in his tracks, thought for a moment, and decided to tell the truth to Wang Shan, this country bumpkin who had just arrived in Bianjing.

He initially wanted to set a trap for Wang Shan with this matter, but thinking about needing him as cover soon, he had no choice but to speak honestly.

"You don’t know, Lord Liu is a man with many taboos. Because he was born in a humble background despite now having reached the Golden Core stage, he occasionally hunches over, which looks unattractive. Additionally, during a duel with someone in the past, his eyes were damaged by divine light, so his eyesight is failing.

"So, you understand, there are two things Lord despises the most."

"One is being called blind, and the second is being called..."

Before Song Yi could finish his sentence, a tea lid was suddenly thrown and hit his head.

Song Yi held his head and saw that Taoist Liu, Lord Liu, was standing at the door watching the two of them, "Age is catching up, my hand slipped. You’re not hurt, are you?"

"’Thanks’ to your blessing, I’m not hurt..."

Before Song Yi could finish his words, he was hit with another tea lid.

"My hand slipped again, you’re not hurt, are you?" Taoist Liu straightened his back and smiled at Song Yi.

The teat lids in his hand seemed endless, and it was not clear where he was conjuring them from.

Wang Shan looked at the tea lid in Taoist Liu’s hand and understood the meaning behind Song Yi’s previous words.

This Old Ascender bore grudges, and the junior eunuch who was just feeding the ox dared to act like that seemingly because he was quite familiar with Taoist Liu’s Cyan Ox.

It’s likely that this junior eunuch is actually Taoist Liu’s confidant.

The waters in Bianjing run really deep.

Thinking of this, Wang Shan lowered his head and remained silent, not wanting to draw Taoist Liu’s ire.

Taoist Liu saw their demeanors, coldly snorted, and turned back into the room.

"Come in."

When the three sat down in the room, Taoist Liu nonchalantly asked, "How is the situation in the city now?"

Realizing they were talking business, Wang Shan composed himself and spoke earnestly.

"To report to Lord, the Market areas in the southeast of the city have been completely destroyed, casualties are still being counted, and the Laundry Bureau in the southeast of the Imperial City was also affected but not severely.

"Several marquises have already taken charge of the site, beyond that, I am unaware."

Taoist Liu nodded after listening, then looked at Song Yi, "What about outside the city?"

"To report to Lord." Song Yi, still drenched in tea, replied, "The commoners who escaped the city have been driven to designated locations, and all have been settled. General Bai is overseeing there."

"And the pit?"

"It’s been dug."

"Hmm, understood." Taoist Liu glanced up at Song Yi, but instead of throwing another lid at him, he gave him a piece of advice, "You need not worry about the matters following this. I know your family isn’t shallow, but there are some things you should not know."

"Yes." Song Yi quickly nodded in agreement.

As the three continued chatting, the topic naturally shifted to Zhang Ze, the one who was feeding the ox.

"Just now, my brother and I saw a junior eunuch whom we were not familiar with at the animal pen, was that your arrangement?" Wang Shan couldn’t help but ask.

"Indeed, I arranged for him to feed the ox. Why, was it not to your liking?" Taoist Liu asked, puzzled.

Wang Shan thought to himself that the young man was feeding blindly, but recalling the scent of tea wafting from Song Yi, he resisted the urge to speak up.

"That eunuch fed quite well, quite well..." Wang Shan replied awkwardly.

Taoist Liu glanced at Wang Shan and continued, "Hmm, let’s not mention that person, I have other matters to instruct you two on..."

After it became clear that it was indeed Taoist Liu who ordered Zhang Ze to feed the ox, Song and Wang dared not inquire further and mentally regarded Zhang Ze as one of Taoist Liu’s confidantes.

As for the spirit plant fodder consumed into the Cyan Ox’s stomach, they considered it as offerings to the Old Ascender.

Once Taoist Liu finished arranging all matters and saw Song and Wang off, he clapped his hands, and from the shadow behind him emerged a child in the appearance of a scholar boy.

"What does Master wish of this disciple?" The true confidant of Taoist Liu spoke up.

"Go check on that junior eunuch who was feeding the ox for me, see if he’s from the Laundry Bureau. If he is, eliminate him immediately. If not, capture him and bring him here."

"Yes."

With that, the child stepped back and disappeared into the shadow behind Taoist Liu.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea passed, the child returned to Taoist Liu’s side and whispered softly.

"The Laundry Bureau suffered heavy casualties, and most of the survivors have been distributed throughout as labor. This disciple is incompetent; many areas I dare not tread, thus failing to find anyone familiar with that eunuch.

"Checked the roster?" Taoist Liu asked.

"Reporting to Master, I could not find the roster. The roster of Laundry Bureau eunuchs is missing," the child responded.

"And the junior eunuch, where is he now?" Taoist Liu inquired with a frown.

"He headed towards the red walls of the inner palace."

Hearing this, Taoist Liu fell silent for a moment, then instructed his disciple, "Stop investigating, pretend this never happened."

...

At this time, Lu Chen transformed into the appearance of a young girl, wearing a palace maid’s skirt, wandering around the inner palace, pretending to be busy.

The eunuch roster from the Laundry Bureau had long been torn to shreds and fed to dogs by her. Additionally, with Zhang Ze entering the inner palace as well, it should hopefully fool Taoist Liu.

Suddenly, she noticed a group of palace maids hurrying towards a palace building; she put down the watering can in her hand and silently followed behind them.

Yet upon reaching a moon gate, Lu Chen suddenly stopped her footsteps.

In her perception, Zhang Ze had disappeared.

...

Inside the red walls of a certain place in the inner palace.

Zhang Ze looked up at the high heavens beyond the red walls, feeling a bit speechless.

He hadn’t found the concubine who fancied him, intending to keep him as a pet, and somewhat brashly voluptuous.

Instead, he was intercepted by someone and brought into a palace enclosed by red walls on all sides.