Chapter 803: Dungeon, Black Armor

BANG!

The ball flew into the air, tracing a beautiful arc before landing and rolling a long way across the grass on its remaining momentum.

Zheng Fan rested the club across his shoulders.

Beside him, the Blind Man immediately swung as well.

More relaxed.

More elegant.

More stylish.

There was an insult among the common people:

Why don’t you take a good look at what the hell you were in your previous life?

It was a kind of contempt without any specific target.

Because even the strongest Qi Refiner in the world had no way to calculate a person’s previous life.

At least... all the way to where Zheng Fan stood today, he had never heard anyone claim that so-and-so was the reincarnation of so-and-so.

Unfortunately... in this place, with these two men holding golf clubs... their previous lives did have very clear implications.

The Blind Man was obviously more refined.

He played with more attention to detail.

Most importantly... with class.

As for Zheng Fan... if one excluded “drawing,” which had been how he made a living in his previous life, then his hobbies had probably looked like the standard three everyone wrote down:

Reading.

Watching movies.

Travel.

And even “travel” would have required a pause to consider whether his finances allowed him to include it.

“Master, Little Eunuch Zhang’s duties have been taken over by Zhao Cheng.”

“Mm. I arranged it.”

“This subordinate understands.”

The Blind Man asked only that much.

Once he knew Zheng Fan had ordered it, there was no need to inquire further.

Siniang was the chief steward over the Residence’s money and goods.

The Blind Man was the chief steward over general affairs.

Maintaining peace and order inside the Residence also belonged within his responsibilities.

If Zhao Cheng had tried to advance himself on his own initiative... then he could not be kept.

Of course, replacing Little Eunuch Zhang with Zhao Cheng also demonstrated Master’s absolute caution on this matter.

Especially when it concerned affairs inside his own home.

This was only a small thing.

A minor interruption in daily life.

At that moment, Sun Ying approached in his wheelchair.

Chen Xianba pushed him from behind.

“Master,” Sun Ying said.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

Zheng Fan and the Blind Man began walking forward with their clubs.

Chen Xianba pushed Sun Ying along beside them.

“My younger brother Sun Liang wrote to me. He says his virtue and ability are insufficient for the post of Prefect of Yupan City.”

“So you plan to go help him?”

“Yupan City is too important to eastern Jin, to the Residence, and to Master. This subordinate believes it must be held firmly in our hands. After that, we should use Yupan City as a gateway to expand our influence far more broadly into Yingdu and the lands of the Three Jin.”

Zheng Fan glanced at the Blind Man.

The Blind Man smiled slightly.

No need to guess.

A scheme laid out this far into the future had to be the Blind Man’s handiwork.

As part of the exchange, Sun Liang had been transferred from Transport Commissioner of Yingdu to Prefect of Yupan City.

Everything east of Wangjiang was tacitly recognized as the territory of Marquis Pingxi Residence.

Naturally, Yupan City needed to be managed well.

Its geographic conditions were excellent to begin with.

During Great Cheng, Yingdu had been the political center.

Yupan City had practically been the economic and cultural center.

But the kind of “management” envisioned by the Blind Man and Sun Ying was very different from ordinary administration.

Now that the “territorial boundaries” had been formally drawn, Yupan City could serve during peacetime as the bridgehead through which Prince Pingxi Residence interacted with the outside world.

Cultural influence.

Secret agents.

Countless other methods could be developed there.

It could even be used to remotely corrode and influence Yingdu itself.

And once war broke out...

Yupan City could transform directly into a military strongpoint, supporting campaigns against Chu in much the same way Yingdu served as a logistics and supply-transfer hub.

Zheng Fan had no intention of rebelling now.

Nor was this the best moment to rebel.

But Zheng Fan was hardly some inflexible moral purist.

There was nothing wrong with planning ahead.

“Then I’ll trouble you,” Zheng Fan said.

“Master may rest assured.”

Zheng Fan had met Sun Liang several times.

How to put it... the man possessed considerable self-awareness.

Never mind that Sun Liang was already aboard the Residence’s ship.

Even if he were not, once Sun Ying went over, the elder brother could immediately suppress the younger and take firm control over Yupan City’s true authority.

The younger brother could stand in front as a puppet.

The elder brother could plan from behind.

It was a very good combination.

Zheng Fan swung again.

Afterward... he found himself losing interest.

The Blind Man noticed.

He smiled.

“Master, should we take a break?”

“I really don’t have the fate for this kind of wealth and leisure,” Zheng Fan said with a laugh.

Before Fengxin City expanded, military defense had always taken priority.

So when the city was first planned, enormous stretches of empty land had deliberately been reserved outside the walls.

Once a city’s population kept expanding... once inner and outer cities kept being added ring after ring... all its other urban functions would certainly improve.

But from a military-defense perspective, it would become riddled with holes.

That was exactly how Prince Jingnan had once taken Yingdu in a single battle after his forced march.

Unless a great city contained enough soldiers... there was simply no way to defend every section of it.

And that itself created a paradox.

If you had enough troops... why bother relying on the city walls in the first place?

You would usually form your battle lines outside the walls and meet the enemy directly.

Spring had begun.

Green grass covered the ground.

The Blind Man had invited him.

So Zheng Fan had agreed to come play a little golf together.

“It’s only a game,” the Blind Man said. “Master, it looks like Qian and Chu really are going to form an alliance this time.”

“Let them form one. The Sun-Liu alliance ended eventually too.”

Sun Ying, seated in his wheelchair, blinked.

He had no idea what historical alliance Zheng Fan was referring to.

The Blind Man replied:

“But Sun and Liu did not lose to Wei in the end.”

Zheng Fan tossed the club onto the ground and cursed with a laugh:

“I’ll take that as you wishing me a long life.”

At that moment, a mounted general approached.

Liang Cheng.

Zheng Fan clapped his hands.

“All right. A’Cheng is back. Let’s begin.”

After returning from war, Liang Cheng had needed to coordinate the settlement and reassignment of troops from every route.

Now that he had finished... he had returned.

Because inside Fengxin City, there was still one extremely important matter that had been postponed for far too long.

Everyone returned to the city.

As they prepared to enter the Residence, the Blind Man asked:

“Master, when do we replace the plaque?”

“After the investiture procession arrives and the imperial decree is formally announced. If we change it early, it’ll make us look like we’re desperate for the princely title.”

“Yes.”

Inside the Residence, Tian Tian was running drills together with Liu Dahu and the Crown Prince.

“Son.”

“Father.”

“Take your little brother back to the courtyard. Dad has something to do.”

“Yes, Father.”

Tian Tian obediently took the Crown Prince’s hand and led him toward their courtyard.

Zhao Cheng, now finally dressed once more in the eunuch robes he had been longing for, followed behind them in quick little steps.

“Dahu.”

“This subordinate is here!”

“You go home too. Oh, right. Call your father over. I need him.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“Xiao Yibo.”

“Here!”

“Arrange guards around Second Madam and Third Madam’s courtyards.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

After that... several hundred Brocade-Clad personal guards entered the Residence.

They deployed around the entrance to the secret chamber.

Crossbows and heavy shields were brought in as well.

Zheng Fan stood before the secret chamber entrance.

Liang Cheng and the Blind Man stood beside him.

Before long...

Xue San arrived carrying a bundle.

Metal clinked and rattled inside it.

A’Ming came over from the wine cellar carrying a flask.

He stretched lazily.

Behind him came Kashir, also carrying a flask of wine.

Fan Li arrived too.

Both axes were in his hands.

The Sword Saint came over still wearing his apron.

Longyuan rested in his hand.

Siniang came as well.

“You should rest,” Zheng Fan murmured as he stepped toward her.

“Master, this servant is curious too.”

“But you’re pregnant.”

Siniang looked at Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan looked back at Siniang.

Siniang reached out, lightly gripped the front of Zheng Fan’s clothes, and tugged.

“All right, all right. But you stand farther back.”

“This servant understands.”

“Fine. Let’s go down.”

Marquis Zheng descended first.

Everyone else followed.

Once they reached the bottom of the secret chamber, Zheng Fan first lit three sticks of incense for Sha Tuo Queshi.

With this many people present... he did not bother saying anything private.

“Fan Li. Open the door.”

“Got it, Master.”

Fan Li stepped forward.

The stone door had a mechanism.

The mechanism itself was not complicated.

But even if you knew exactly how to unlock it... you still needed strength on Fan Li’s level to make it move.

Before long...

Fan Li turned the locking disk back into position.

A succession of crisp sounds came from behind the stone door.

Then the stone slowly descended into the ground, revealing a passage leading farther below.

Years ago, a Censor in Qian had wanted to make a name for himself and submitted a memorial to the Qian Emperor asking for a thorough investigation of the underground cellars beneath every great household in Shangjing.

The larger the cellar... the greater the household’s disloyal intent.

The court did not actually carry out a complete inspection.

The Emperor could hardly search every minister’s residence at random.

But during the next two months... far more bricks and packed earth than usual were transported into Shangjing.

Presumably, quite a few powerful households were busy filling holes.

That Censor’s suggestion would actually have suited Zheng Fan rather well.

Across history, plenty of people built hidden chambers beneath their residences.

But most dug them later, only after the need arose.

Zheng Fan, by contrast... had planned his secret chambers from the very beginning, when the Residence itself was first constructed.

Fan Li stood to the side after opening the door.

He looked toward Zheng Fan.

“Master. Please.”

Zheng Fan stepped forward.

Then kicked Fan Li once.

He cursed:

“Your hide is thick. You go first.”

Fan Li nodded.

And went down first.

A’Ming, whose blood was thick, followed behind him.

From the descending passage, thick chains could be seen hanging vertically downward.

A massive stone had been suspended in the center as another layer of suppression.

At the very bottom... stood a cage.

The person inside had all four limbs chained.

Even his neck was locked tightly in place.

Ever since the black-armored man had been captured... he had been treated as a taboo.

During the journey back from the snowfields, no one had examined him.

They had feared an accident.

Now outside affairs had temporarily settled.

It was finally time to sit down and properly “reminisce.”

In Hu Bamei’s prophecy... this man was one of the true Demon Kings.

Xue San took out a key and handed it to Fan Li.

Fan Li walked forward.

He opened the smaller lock first.

Then followed the pattern and began turning the great lock.

The heavy cage slowly opened.

Zheng Fan spoke:

“Everyone be careful. There are nails driven into him, talismans and other things applied as well, but no one knows whether they actually work. He hasn’t eaten or drunk anything all this time, but no one knows whether he secretly recovered a little anyway. He can launch mental attacks. Focus your minds and stay on guard. Blind Man.”

“Yes, Master.”

The Blind Man stepped in front of everyone.

He closed eyes that were already blind.

An invisible mental barrier spread outward.

Everyone else moved a little closer together.

The black-armored man’s armor had long since been damaged beyond recognition.

Long black hair covered his face.

He hung there like a dried corpse.

The Sword Saint held Longyuan in his arms and studied the opponent he had once fought personally.

Xue San opened the bundle he had brought.

Or rather... spread it out.

Inside were all kinds of tools.

“Tsk-tsk. Da-da. Cricket-cricket...”

Third Master kept making strange noises.

They echoed continuously through the empty dungeon.

“Ah. My youth is back. My youth is back.”

He loved doing this kind of experimentation.

The stronger and more mysterious the subject... the more excited he became.

Then... everyone else stood outside the cage.

Only Xue San walked inside carrying his tools.

“Where should I cut? Where should I cut?”

Xue San bent down first.

Using a small knife, he scraped at the black-armored man’s lower leg.

Then... he began tapping it.

The sound was crisp.

He knocked out a whole rhythm.

The tune of “Little Newspaper Seller.”

“A’Cheng, I’ve always felt this bastard’s physique is a lot like yours.”

Xue San called out.

DING!

He stabbed the point of his knife against the leg.

A clear metallic ring sounded.

Liang Cheng entered the cage as well.

He reached out and lifted the black hair covering the man’s face.

The other man’s eyes remained closed.

As though sleeping.

His complexion was blue-green, like frozen flesh.

Liang Cheng opened one palm.

A wisp of baleful qi gathered in it.

He looked ready to test the captive.

Xue San immediately shouted:

“Hey, hey, hey!”

Liang Cheng looked at him.

Xue San said:

“One step at a time. Don’t skip steps. Understand?”

Liang Cheng nodded.

He withdrew his hand.

Xue San took a small pouch from his pocket.

Inside was white powder.

He smeared it across the black-armored man’s lower leg.

Then he shouted toward A’Ming:

“Wine!”

Standing outside the cage, A’Ming looked at the flask in his own hand.

“I believe water would also work.”

“I didn’t bring any.”

“Why not?”

“Because I knew a drunkard like you would definitely bring wine. Come on. If he bleeds later, I’ll collect a flask for you.”

A’Ming handed over the wine.

Xue San poured it over the white powder coating the black-armored man’s lower leg.

Immediately...

SIZZLE...

A continuous sizzling sound spread through the dungeon.

The muscles that had originally been hard as stone began visibly softening.

“What is that?” the Sword Saint asked.

The Blind Man answered:

“Corpse-Dissolving Water.”

“So once that white powder is mixed with water, it activates?” the Sword Saint asked.

“Yes.”

The Sword Saint nodded.

The Blind Man said:

“It may produce surprisingly good results against Martial Artists with exceptionally powerful physiques.”

The Sword Saint shook his head.

“That violates the morality of the jianghu.”

“We’ll prepare a packet for you later.”

“I don’t want it.”

“There isn’t much of this powder. The more of it you keep in your hands, the less of it circulates outside. Then there will be more morality left in the jianghu.”

The Sword Saint nodded.

“Fine.”

Once the muscles softened, Xue San began cutting with his dagger.

Before long... he sliced off a piece of flesh.

He wrapped it carefully in silk.

Then he used the wine flask to collect some of the black blood seeping from the wound.

There was not much blood.

It flowed briefly, then stopped.

But it was enough.

Xue San finished his work.

He carefully tucked the silk-wrapped flesh into his clothes.

Then he rose and returned the flask to A’Ming.

A’Ming accepted it.

“Why did you choose to draw blood from the foot?”

“What the hell? You really plan to drink it? This blood is probably poisonous.”

“You can soak centipedes in liquor too. It shouldn’t be a major problem. It’s just too close to the foot.”

“I was afraid that if I cut somewhere else, I might accidentally kill him completely.”

Xue San left the cage.

Only Liang Cheng remained inside.

Zheng Fan said:

“A’Cheng, try using baleful qi and see whether he reacts.”

There was a certain feeling... this thing might be some variant of a zombie.

Perhaps not a pure zombie.

But in the way it expressed itself... it was simply too similar to Liang Cheng.

During the pursuit, there had been that priestess-like woman who repeatedly used her own blood as a sacrifice, supplemented by the fresh blood of others, to awaken him.

That method of summoning an evil thing... was simply far too familiar.

Liang Cheng raised one hand.

He placed a palm filled with baleful qi against the black-armored man’s forehead.

The baleful qi began flowing inside.

But the black-armored man still kept his eyes shut.

No response.

Liang Cheng turned.

Looked toward everyone behind him.

And shook his head.

No effect.

Liang Cheng walked out.

A’Ming put down his wine flask.

Then took a waterskin from Kashir.

One look at Kashir’s fiery red lips was enough to know that the skin did not contain wine.

A’Ming entered.

He poured blood across the black-armored man’s forehead.

The captive still did not move.

A’Ming studied him carefully for a while.

Then confirmed that he was not absorbing the blood.

Kashir asked with some confusion:

“Could he already be dead?”

Xue San immediately said:

“No. While you were away, I noticed him move before. The one guarding the door reacted too.”

At that moment...

Fan Li scratched his head and walked inside.

Zheng Fan glanced at the Blind Man.

The Blind Man frowned.

They had not assigned Fan Li any particular task beforehand.

But Fan Li occasionally produced miracles simply by applying enough brute force.

So there was no harm in letting him try.

Once inside the cage...

Fan Li stretched his arms and waist.

Then... he clenched one fist.

And aimed it at the black-armored man’s face.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

A whole chain of heavy blows landed.

The blue-green color in the black-armored man’s face faded somewhat.

Bruised red began appearing.

The muscles and bones in his face shifted as well.

But... he still did not wake.

Fan Li rubbed his own fist.

Then bared his teeth.

It hurt.

Zheng Fan cupped his chin in one hand.

He sank into thought.

At that moment, Xue San said:

“Master, should we bring...”

“No.”

Zheng Fan rejected the idea immediately.

Xue San had meant bringing Tian Tian down.

That night, Xue San had noticed that Tian Tian seemed to share some kind of resonance with this thing.

But Tian Tian was Zheng Fan’s reverse scale.

Old Tian had entrusted his child to Zheng Fan.

Not so Zheng Fan could use him for experiments.

“I’ll try once more.”

Zheng Fan took out the Demon Child.

Then slowly entered the cage.

“Son. Try it. See if you can wake him.”

The red stone floated.

The Demon Child’s figure appeared beside it.

He looked at Zheng Fan.

Then shook his head.

Zheng Fan nodded.

He signaled for the Demon Child to return to the stone.

But... just as Zheng Fan turned and prepared to leave the cage... black shadows suddenly spilled from the black-armored man’s body.

They spread along the chains and raced across the entire cage.

The cage door seemed to be seized by some force.

It slammed shut.

“ROAR!”

Fan Li bellowed.

Both arms immediately caught the cage door.

The Sword Saint reacted almost simultaneously.

Longyuan flashed from its sheath and wedged itself into the gap.

The door... failed to close.

The black shadows instantly retreated.

Vanished without a trace.

Zheng Fan dusted some ash from his sleeve.

He forcibly suppressed the trembling in his calves.

Then forced a smile onto his face.

Trying his best to keep his voice from shaking... and to sound relaxed and cheerful... he said:

“Oh? Trying to play ‘capture the king first’ with me?”

[End of Chapter 803]