Chapter 804: Bastard!

“Master, the phrase is ‘capture the bandit by first capturing the king.’”

Fan Li, still bracing the cage door from the side, did not forget to correct him.

Zheng Fan glanced at Fan Li.

He had no time to deal with that idiot right now.

Instead... he looked seriously at the black-armored man tied up before him like a dumpling.

The man’s eyes remained closed.

He still appeared to be “asleep.”

But everyone present understood perfectly well.

He was “awake.”

Zheng Fan reached into the front of his clothes and pulled out his iron cigarette case.

He took out one cigarette.

Then searched himself.

No firesteel.

Siniang entered carrying one and prepared to light it for him.

Zheng Fan put the cigarette away.

“I have a suggestion,” Zheng Fan said.

Everyone looked toward him.

“If this bastard wants to play the vegetative-patient game with us, then we’ll play it even more thoroughly. I don’t want to keep coming down here again and again just to beg him to open his eyes and say a few words. I’m busy. All of you are busy too. I’m sick of it.”

Zheng Fan pointed toward Xue San.

“Build a furnace inside the Residence. I want molten iron. We’ll melt him down directly.”

Xue San froze for a moment.

But he still nodded.

“Yes, Master.”

“How long?”

“Three days.”

“Fine. Three days from now, we melt him. If he wants to keep pretending with me, I’m done playing.”

Zheng Fan left the cage.

The others followed, each carrying away whatever “samples” they had collected.

Once they returned above ground, the Sword Saint wiped his hands on his apron.

“You’re really going to deal with him like that?”

Zheng Fan looked at him in confusion.

“What I mean is... after all the effort it took to capture him and bring him back, you’re just going to execute him?”

Zheng Fan understood.

He nodded.

“I do want to dig out more secrets from him.”

“I know.”

“You know about the prophecy too.”

“Yes. I know,” the Sword Saint said.

“The purpose of investigating him isn’t knowledge for knowledge’s sake. I want more complete information. The prophecy contains the number seven. So there’s a very good chance this one has companions.”

“And then?”

“I eliminate all of them. For the future of all Xia. For the peace and stability of every living soul beneath Heaven.”

“So?”

“So if we confirm one has already been eliminated, we can count that as finishing one small target ahead of schedule.”

“Why do I feel like the real reason is that he nearly shut you inside the cage and pissed you off?”

“Am I really that emotional a person? Fine. Don’t answer that question. Old Yu. Want to eat together?”

The Sword Saint pointed at the apron he still had not removed.

“I was cooking at home.”

“I know. That’s why I’m going to your house to eat with you.”

“That works too?”

“Why wouldn’t it?”

“I didn’t cook that much.”

“Steam a few more buns. Perfect chance to taste your cooking. Siniang, let’s go together.”

“All right, Master.”

The Sword Saint sighed.

If Zheng Fan alone had wanted to come, he would simply have refused.

There was nothing embarrassing about it.

Whenever Zheng Fan visited his home, the whole family became flustered.

But Siniang was pregnant now.

That changed things.

“Come on,” the Sword Saint said.

The Sword Saint’s home stood very close to Prince Pingxi Residence.

There was no need to turn a corner.

No need to detour.

There was not even... a door.

The Sword Saint had once suggested that the Blind Man install a gate between the two properties.

The Blind Man refused.

His reason was that if something happened, he was afraid the Sword Saint might not arrive in time.

The Sword Saint had replied:

If I’m so injured that I can’t even climb over a wall, what makes you think I’ll be useful after arriving?

The Blind Man answered:

That’s exactly why there shouldn’t be a gate. If you’re hurt badly enough that you can’t climb a wall, at least you can still rush over and scare people.

Of course... there might be no gate.

But plenty of guards remained hidden nearby at all times.

There was another place where a door existed but was never closed.

The entrance to the secret chamber containing Sha Tuo Queshi.

The deeper door leading downward remained sealed.

But the upper entrance, the one leading to Sha Tuo Queshi’s coffin, had a proper gate and mechanism.

Yet that gate was never lowered.

Because everyone worried that if something really happened to Old Sha... he might not know how to “turn on the light.”

They reached the Sword Saint’s home.

The moment Liu Dahu saw Zheng Fan arrive, he immediately became excited.

He saluted.

Then hurried to move chairs and stools.

In the courtyard, the duck had been cornered by an old hen.

The hen kept pecking at it until the duck looked utterly hopeless.

The Sword Saint walked over.

With one hand, he grabbed the old hen.

With the other, he held a bowl.

“Longyuan.”

Longyuan left its sheath.

The blade swept perfectly across the hen’s neck.

Chicken blood flowed into the bowl.

The duck, which had been happily watching its enemy suffer... went silent instantly.

“Not keeping it for eggs?” Zheng Fan asked.

“I’ll stew a tonic soup for your wife,” the Sword Saint said.

Far from appreciating the gesture, Zheng Fan complained:

“Ah, how long are we going to have to wait before we can eat?”

“I’ll use internal force to speed it up. It’ll be quick.”

Marquis Zheng was satisfied.

“Oh. Then I’ll trouble you.”

The Sword Saint’s mother-in-law was not home.

She managed several streets and ate lunch outside.

On the public dime.

The Sword Saint’s wife took the initiative to brew tea and serve it.

Then she went inside and took over the cooking to add more dishes.

Their child had been placed outside to sun himself.

He crawled around inside his crib without fear of strangers.

Zheng Fan found the crib extremely familiar.

Only after looking at it for a moment did he remember...

Tian Tian had used it before.

“When your child outgrows this, I’m taking the crib back,” Zheng Fan said.

Siniang laughed.

“Master, I never knew you were this frugal in daily life.”

“That’s different. With everything else, you have more experience than I do. But giving birth and raising a child? This is your first time too, isn’t it? Things used by children are all about accumulated blessing. Look how solid Tian Tian grew up. Our child should grow up healthy and strong too.”

In truth... the Demon Kings had already analyzed the matter.

Siniang’s child was destined to be extraordinary.

Even with Master dragging the bloodline down as hard as humanly possible.

But Siniang would never say that to Zheng Fan.

She liked watching the man before her imagine limitless possibilities for their child.

They sat.

Drank two bowls of tea.

At last, the dishes were ready.

Originally there had been:

Potatoes braised with pork.

Stir-fried greens.

Egg-drop soup.

To those were added:

Old-hen soup.

A plate of peanuts.

And sausage stir-fried with garlic shoots.

Zheng Fan accepted a bowl of rice.

Without the slightest politeness... he started eating.

The food tasted excellent.

Perfect with rice.

After Zheng Fan finished one bowl, Liu Dahu immediately rose eagerly and refilled it for him.

Zheng Fan laughed.

“Heh-heh. Food always tastes better when you’re eating at someone else’s house.”

The Sword Saint shook his head.

The meal was deeply satisfying.

Zheng Fan did not linger afterward.

He rose and said his farewells.

But instead of returning to the Residence with Siniang by the way they had come... the two turned down another street.

They had eaten their fill.

Naturally, they needed a walk to help digest the meal.

After wandering two streets, Zheng Fan suggested visiting the temple outside the city.

Siniang agreed.

The temple beyond the walls was still packed with people.

But compared with the period immediately after it was first built... everything was far more orderly now.

The crowds had swelled lately because armies were returning from campaign one after another.

Many families came to fulfill vows they had made before their men departed.

Everyone entered through one side gate.

Everyone exited through the other.

The main gate remained closed.

The temple was divided into a front courtyard and rear courtyard.

In the front stood a great incense burner facing the Mahavira Hall.

Inside the hall, rows of Bodhisattvas and Buddhas filled three levels of the shrine.

One path led in.

One led out.

Beyond that lay the rear courtyard.

Inside the main hall at the rear... stood a longevity tablet dedicated to Marquis Pingxi Zheng Fan.

Beside it stood a statue.

The sculpture depicted Marquis Zheng riding his Pixiu, Wuya in hand, majestic and awe-inspiring.

The statue itself was simple enough.

But the Ever-Victorious Tablet had been carved directly from a huge piece of stone.

Unfortunately... the Marquis had now become a Prince.

That tablet would have to be replaced.

Everyone who entered the temple basically followed the same route.

Enter through the side gate.

Burn incense.

Place it in the great burner.

Worship the Buddhas.

Then... without exception... worship “Marquis Zheng.”

Gods and Buddhas were too far away.

They lived in Heaven.

The Marquis was near.

He lived inside the city.

You could choose not to believe in gods and Buddhas.

But the Marquis?

He lived right there.

“Sometimes I really feel Wei Zhongxian might not have been as unbearable as the histories make him sound. If people below built living shrines to him on their own, what did that have to do with him?”

Siniang asked:

“Master, what does it feel like seeing your own statue placed here?”

“What could I possibly feel? I can’t borrow incense power from it to fight or protect myself. I can’t even melodramatically shout, ‘Fuck, incense is poisonous!’ Hahahahaha.”

Zheng Fan laughed.

Together with Siniang, he continued walking.

Monastic quarters stood along both sides of the temple.

Two monks lived there.

A number of helpers lived there as well.

Most were disabled veterans who did whatever work their bodies still allowed.

The incense money collected by the temple went first toward its own expenses.

Anything left over... was handed to the Residence.

The common people donated incense money to pray for peace and safety in their homes.

With the money ending up here... one could at least say it had fallen somewhere useful.

Even Zheng Fan occasionally felt a little embarrassed.

It was one thing for Prince Pingxi Residence to practically monopolize every trade in Fengxin City.

The red tents belonged to the Residence.

Fine.

Understandable.

Now even the temple... was part of the family business.

In short... inside and outside Fengxin City, there was practically no part of ordinary life that did not somehow pass through the Residence.

That remained possible only because the territory was not yet too large and the population not yet too great.

More importantly... the Blind Man and Siniang were both essentially maxed out in administration.

Once the population expanded further... or the territory grew larger... they would no longer be able to keep playing the game this way.

But that was a problem for the future.

Little Monk Liaofan had gone into the city today to conduct a vegetarian memorial rite for one household.

So he was not here.

Monk Kongyuan was.

Zheng Fan and Siniang passed by just as the old monk sat cross-legged on a cushion.

Before him lay a small sack of rice.

He kept grabbing handfuls of rice and letting the grains slowly trickle through his fingers.

Zheng Fan stopped in front of him.

Monk Kongyuan raised his head.

He looked toward Zheng Fan.

Whether he recognized him or not... no one could tell.

He simply kept smiling foolishly.

But gradually... the old monk’s gaze shifted toward Siniang.

More precisely... toward Siniang’s belly.

“Blessing and health. Blessing and health. Blessings upon blessings, health upon health.”

The old monk prostrated himself.

He chanted as he kowtowed.

Zheng Fan noticed several copper coins scattered beside the monk’s rice sack.

Apparently... this was another method of “begging alms.”

The Emperor in Yanjing remembered to bring money when he took the Empress out for a walk.

But Marquis Zheng taking his wife through Fengxin City?

He genuinely had no awareness that he should carry money.

Still, after hearing those auspicious words, he had to give the old monk something.

Marquis Zheng’s reputation for “charity and generosity” had spread all the way into Chu.

There was no reason to be stingy toward his own people.

But before Zheng Fan could remove some ornament from his body...

Monk Kongyuan suddenly shouted:

“Many children do not mean much fortune! Many children do not mean much fortune! Many children do not mean much fortune...”

Zheng Fan’s face darkened instantly.

Back then... this same old monk had scattered gourds across the street while shouting “many children, much fortune.”

That was how the Gourd Temple had come into existence.

Now... the old monk’s words alone were enough to have this temple trampled flat before the day ended.

But...

Monk Kongyuan kept shouting while kowtowing.

His forehead slammed hard against the bricks again and again.

Blood appeared.

Zheng Fan stepped forward.

He hauled the old monk upright and stared at him.

“What exactly do you mean?”

The old monk tilted his face and looked at Zheng Fan.

Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth.

He muttered several times.

Then shouted:

“Never born to receive incense, yet forcing the thread of descendants to continue; Affection is debt. Deep affection means heavy debt. Much affection means endless debt; Many children mean much affection. Many children mean much debt. Too much debt wounds the body. Heavy debt grinds down the man! Cough... cough, cough... cough...”

The old monk suddenly began coughing blood.

His entire body wilted.

Zheng Fan released him.

The old monk collapsed onto the floor.

Still smiling.

This monk had a hard life.

He would not die easily.

This should have been a warning.

A reminder.

But Zheng Fan... did not want the favor.

He pointed at his own face and shouted at the old monk:

“I, Zheng Fan, have so many lice I no longer fear itching! I have so much debt I no longer feel the burden!”

Then... he laughed again.

“I carried a thirty-year mortgage in my last life. You think I’m afraid of this shit?”

He turned.

Took Siniang by the hand.

And left the Gourd Temple.

...

Construction of a furnace began inside Prince Pingxi Residence.

Under Xue San’s direction, everything proceeded smoothly.

The first day passed without incident.

The second day passed without incident.

One more day... and the furnace would be complete.

No one cared whether it would be sturdy or durable.

They only needed it to produce one batch of molten iron.

Enough to give that thing downstairs a proper bath.

Then... that night...

Tian Tian poured some water for his little Crown Prince brother.

After watching him drink and fall asleep again, Tian Tian climbed back into his own bed.

The moment he lay down... he seemed to hear something.

Then... he rose.

Tian Tian opened the door and walked into the courtyard.

He began moving slowly forward.

A small sachet hung around his neck.

Inside it... lay a red stone.

When they had gone onto the snowfields before, Zheng Fan had placed the Demon Child with Tian Tian for protection.

Now... in the darkness behind Tian Tian...

Zheng Fan’s figure emerged.

Behind Zheng Fan stood the Sword Saint and the other Demon Kings.

“I knew that thing wouldn’t be able to hold back.”

The Blind Man said:

“Master, this subordinate suggests we let Tian Tian continue. We should not interrupt him. The real secret may reveal itself this time.”

“He is my son. I already told you. I will not use him as bait. A’Ming. Bring the child back. Later we’ll go down there one last time. If that thing still pretends to sleep, then as soon as the furnace is ready I’ll pour molten iron over it until I roast relics out of the bastard!”

A’Ming shrugged.

His figure glided forward.

But... just as A’Ming’s hand was about to touch Tian Tian’s small shoulder... a cloud of black mist suddenly wrapped around the child.

Tian Tian shot forward.

That was... the Demon Child’s power!

For the past several days, Zheng Fan had deliberately kept the Demon Child with Tian Tian precisely to prevent an accident like this.

And yet... the accident still happened.

The Demon Child had actually placed his power on Tian Tian... allowing the child to evade A’Ming.

Tian Tian landed before the secret chamber entrance.

Then turned around.

The Demon Child floated beside him.

Tian Tian had not been possessed.

His eyes remained bright.

Clear.

Pure.

He smiled toward Zheng Fan and the others.

“Dad. Your son will go ask the secret out for you.”

With that...

Tian Tian turned and ran straight into the secret chamber.

At the same time... the door that had always existed yet never once been lowered suddenly triggered.

The secret chamber gate slammed down!

Zheng Fan turned.

He glared furiously at the Blind Man.

The Blind Man looked deeply aggrieved.

“Master... if I say I didn’t teach him that, will you believe me?”

[End of Chapter 804]