Chapter 1396: A Disciple of the School of Logicians

Jiang Wang, following the carriage laden with provisions for the Marquis of Bowang’s manor,safely slipped out of Linzi City.In truth, he encountered no significant checks.However, the Shadow Guard dispatched by Chong Xuan Sheng to guide the waywas a familiar face that left a deep impression on Jiang Wang.It was none other than the one who, at the opening of the Taixu Pavilion in Tianfu City,had loudly proclaimed that he had seen the true meaning of the Dao...His outward appearance was one of honest simplicity, otherwise,Chong Xuan Fatty wouldn't have selected him back then.When actually performing his duty, he was remarkably taciturn,acting solely as a guide throughout, without a single extraneous word.Chong Xuan Sheng had mentioned that these Shadow Guards were trainedwith the assistance of his uncle, Chong Xuan Zhuliang.Jiang Wang held considerable trust in their abilities and loyalty.Biyu County lay to the east of Linzi, not far distant.With a swift journey, they soon reached their destination—a manor outside the county seat of Red Phoenix City in Biyu County.It was a night of a hazy moon, with only a few scattered points of light in the sky.The spacious manor, like a colossal beast lurking in the shadows,occupied a vast area.“Gongsun Yu and Yang Jing are close friends. After leaving the Longevity Palace,he has been living in seclusion here,” the Shadow Guard explained. Seeing Jiang Wang's bewildered expression, he added,“Yang Jing is the younger brother of Yang Luo, the County Governor of Biyu County.”What Jiang Wang didn't know was that Yang Jing had also participated inthe selection for a spot in the Yellow River Grand Meeting. At a young age,he had already achieved the Outer Chamber realm, possessing formidable combat prowess,and could be considered the foremost genius of Biyu County. However, within the scopeof the entire Qi Kingdom, he was not among the top ranks and didn't even have theopportunity to participate in the Great Master's Ritual.Of course, he also understood the Shadow Guard’s reminder and explained,“I merely seek to ask Gongsun Yu a few questions; there will be no conflict.”The Shadow Guard said softly, "Presumably, you will not be visiting with a formal calling card."“Yes... my journey requires secrecy.”“Then it will be difficult to avoid conflict.” The Shadow Guard was clearly very experienced.He reached out and handed over a layout map of the manor: “After Gongsun Yu came here,he has barely stepped outside the door. He doesn’t receive outside guests,and few people know he is here. This manor is Yang Jing's property, and he usually onlycomes to stay for a while during the hunting season, so it is very quiet.Gongsun Yu's room has already been marked on the map. When you visit,just keep the noise to a minimum.”Jiang Wang accepted the map. The information was indeed exceptionally detailed;considerable effort had been expended on intelligence gathering.As he looked, he asked, "I still do not know your name. How should I address you?"“Qing Zhuan.” The Shadow Guard did not explain the meaning of this name,only saying, “I will stand watch for you outside. Every quarter-hour,two bird calls signify that all is normal. Three consecutive bird calls meanan unexpected event has occurred and you need to leave. If there is no soundfor more than two quarters of an hour, it means I am dead.”This warning was certainly proper, but the word "dead" was spokenwith such ordinariness...As if he were saying, when I am hungry, I will eat a meal myself.One can only say that the soldiers trained by the Fierce Butcher are indeed extraordinary.Jiang Wang was inclined to say, I'm just going to have a chat, there's no need to be so nervous.But after thinking for a moment, he remained silent, took the manor layout map,and flipped over the wall into the grounds.Having gone to such great lengths to secretly come to Biyu County,how could one say there was no need to be nervous?Yang Luo, the County Governor of Biyu County, is at the peak of the Outer Chamber realm.One who can serve as a county governor in a dominant state like Qiis naturally not comparable to ordinary cultivators of the same realm.With the aid of the Biyu County Seal, his combat strength should not be underestimated.Only in places like the Three Yang Regions, due to their recent annexation,did individuals with the strength of Huang Yixing have opportunities.Of course, he had always been a镇抚使 (Pacification Envoy),and had not yet officially assumed the position of county governor.However, for the current Jiang Wang, a county governor at the peak of the Outer Chamber realmmeant that there was no one else among the officials of the entire Biyu Countywho could contend with him.Therefore, Jiang Wang's mindset as he slipped into this manor was quite relaxed.It's not that no one in Biyu County other than Yang Luo was his match.Like Bei County with its former prime minister, Shimen County with the Li clan,and Daze County with the Tian clan... Biyu County certainly also had some reclusive figures,but those individuals would not be found here.This manor, which Yang Jing used for leisure during hunting seasons,was designed with considerable thought. The rockeries and corridors displayed fine craftsmanship.The decorations were not extravagant but were just right.Jiang Wang had no intention of admiring it. Following the map,he quickly found the courtyard where Gongsun Yu resided.This courtyard was quite small, with a simple and unadorned layout style.At a glance, it was straightforward, without any superfluous elements.The manor under the night sky was exceptionally quiet,only the light in Gongsun Yu's bedroom was lit.Jiang Wang thought for a moment, and without any pretense,he directly pushed the door open and entered.A man with a high headdress and broad belt, possessing an antique and elegant temperament,was seated cross-legged on a stone couch.Unlike many places in the Qi territory, there was a custom of sleeping on stone couchesin Biyu County, though it was unknown how this practice had formed.As the Qi Kingdom expanded, achieving dominance in the Eastern Region,it had annexed countless states, resulting in a diverse array of local customswithin its borders, many of which had no discernible origin.This stone couch was quite large, roughly divided into two halves.The half where Gongsun Yu sat had a rolled-up pillow and bedding,while a low table was placed before him. To the right of the low table was a stack of books,all showing signs of age, indicating that reading by lamplight was a habit,not just for this one night.In the upper left corner of the low table stood a candle holder shaped like a pine tree,of no ordinary quality. The candlelight was still, giving a sense of warmth and tranquility.Jiang Wang had not concealed his entry, so he naturallysensed the movement and looked up.He still held a scroll in his hand, its pages open, faintly yellowed.He recognized Jiang Wang.On Mount Yunwu, Jiang Wang had shattered the sea of clouds with a single Eight Tones Fiery Sparrow,astonishing everyone. He could not possibly forget that.But he seemed not at all surprised, merely gazing quietly at Jiang Wang,with a questioning look in his eyes.Under the control of the Sound-Listening Immortal State,not a single sound from the entire room would leak out.“How long have you been here?” Jiang Wang asked.Gongsun Yu merely looked at him, not speaking.Jiang Wang realized he had asked a pointless question.If he could ascertain where Gongsun Yu was currently residing,how could he not find out when he had moved in?“I have come to seek you, as I have some questions to ask you.I hope you can help me find answers,” Jiang Wang said directly.Gongsun Yu still just looked at him.Not even the scroll in his hand stirred, silent as a statue.He was a disciple of the School of Names.Among the Hundred Schools, they were renowned for their eloquence,hailed as "Lip Spear and Tongue Sword."A taciturn disciple of the School of Names could truly be considered a讽刺 (sarcasm).He recalled how eloquent and garrulous this man had been on Mount Yunwu.How long had it been, and he was already so silent?What on earth had happened?Jiang Wang vaguely felt that the answer he sought might lie within this.Could Gongsun Yu be entirely unaware of the secrets that Feng Gu knew?“Can you tell me a little about why you left the Longevity Palace?” Jiang Wang asked.Gongsun Yu's eyelids drooped slightly, but he still did not respond.Jiang Wang did not want to give him any sense of oppression. He sat down on the tea stool,flipped over the overturned teacup, poured himself a cup of cool tea, and spoke slowly,“I did not see you at the funeral of the Eleventh Prince.”Gongsun Yu remained expressionless.Jiang Wang took a sip of tea and continued,“You were the Eleventh Prince’s confidant, the one he trusted most...”He put down the teacup and looked at Gongsun Yu:“Do you think the Prince had any regrets when he departed?Do you wish to help him fulfill those regrets?”Gongsun Yu suddenly smiled, a bitter smile, and he shook his head with that smile.Jiang Wang for a moment did not understand whether he was shaking his head for the former questionor for the latter.“Although the Eleventh Prince has departed, I believe, perhaps we can do something...”Jiang Wang said, “Are you willing to share what you know with me?”Gongsun Yu quietly looked at Jiang Wang, and suddenly opened his mouth.He opened his mouth extremely wide, so wide that it was unseemly,allowing one to see within his mouth... only a severed half-tongue!His tongue was severed!A disciple of the School of Names losing his tongue was like a swordsman losing his sword.This was the part he should have been most proud of, and also the part he most relied upon.Who had cut off his tongue?“Who did it?” Jiang Wang heard his own voice sound a little dry.But Gongsun Yu merely looked at him.His mouth was already closed.The scholar with the high headdress and broad belt behind the candle holder seemedto have had all his desire to communicate taken away by that severed half-tongue.Jiang Wang asked, “Can we communicate by writing?”Gongsun Yu shook his head.“Or I can ask you a few questions, and you can just nod or shake your head.”Gongsun Yu's head no longer moved either, he only looked at Jiang Wang.In his eyes, there was only silence that pushed others away.He did not want to say anything, and he would not say anything.Jiang Wang sighed and said, “Do you know that Feng Gu is dead?A three-foot white silk, hanged himself in the Eleventh Prince’s mourning hall.”This sentence seemed to finally touch Gongsun Yu. He reached into his sleeve...And took out a dagger, tossing it gently to Jiang Wang's feet.He lifted the cuff of his right sleeve with his left hand,and made a gesture of invitation.This was his final expression tonight.His meaning was very clear.He would say nothing.Either leave, or kill him.Jiang Wang was silent for a while, picked up the dagger from the ground,and stood up to walk forward.This bedroom was no more than twelve paces long and wide.The distance between him and Gongsun Yu was no more than six paces.It would not take more than an instant for him to kill Gongsun Yu.Whether Gongsun Yu resisted or not would not affect this time.One was a young heavenly talent famous throughout the world,the other was a high disciple of the School of Names, and once a figure who had made a name for himself in Linzi City.Before today, they had only met once.They had almost no other interactions with each other.Since their parting on Mount Yunwu, each had experienced so much that was different.In this world, each person is living their own life.It was only Jiang Wang's turbulent and magnificent journey that was sung throughout the land.While his, Gongsun Yu's, storms and waves, were all contained in that severed half-tongue,swallowed down into his gut.Over and over again, chewed alone.Gongsun Yu gently closed his eyes, very peacefully.Without regret and without resentment.But he only heard a soft sound, the sound of the dagger lightly tapping the low table.He opened his eyes, and there was no figure before him.Only the dagger placed on the low table indicated that the person had indeed been there.Leaving the courtyard where Gongsun Yu resided, he casually lifted the sound封锁 (seal).There was no expression on Jiang Wang's face. He simply returned along the original path,leaped out of the manor, and went to meet the Shadow Guard named Qing Zhuan.Bird calls sounded every quarter hour, without interruption,indicating that under Qing Zhuan's surveillance, nothing abnormal had occurred outside the manor.Not far to the south of the manor was a patch of mountain forest.Qing Zhuan was hidden within it, manipulating the bird calls without them seeming out of place.Jiang Wang moved like the wind, sweeping through the night,but suddenly stopped before the mountain forest.His hand rested on his sword.“I come without ill intent, merely seeking an old acquaintance.I have harmed no one, nor caused any damage to the manor.If you do not believe me, you can return to the manor and check now,”he said in as gentle a tone as possible, “Please do not harm the person I brought.”“Your skill at controlling birds is good, but the calls are too regular; that won’t do.”From the shadows of the mountain forest, a young man of medium build emerged,carrying a bow and sword. His sharp eyes looked at Jiang Wang:“Allow me to introduce myself, I am Yang Jing.”The bird calls naturally stopped.The moon was dim, and the long night was windless.“I am Jiang Wang.” Jiang Wang maintained his distance and voluntarily cupped his hands in salute,“My uninvited visit tonight was presumptuous; I ask for your understanding, Young Master Yang.If there is anything I can do to compensate, please feel free to say so.”Yang Jing looked at him and said, “I have long admired your name!”In the forest, two cultivators in tight-fitting clothes,escorting the bound Qing Zhuan, walked out.Seeing Qing Zhuan's bruised and swollen face, it was clear he had suffered a little.But thankfully, he was not injured or disabled, and his cultivation was unaffected.“My humble name is not worth mentioning,” Jiang Wang said,“There are twenty-eight other friends in the forest; perhaps they could also come out,so that I may become acquainted with them all.”So, one by one, dark figures emerged from the forest.Each carried a saber at their waist, their aura cold and stern, subtly forming a military formation.The Yang clan's ability to be rooted in Biyu County for so long,though not a renowned family, indeed possessed aspects that should not be underestimated.Yang Jing smiled carelessly, “How did you guess it was me,and not some other trouble you stirred up?”“If it were other trouble I stirred up, there would likely be no possibility of me sensing it,”Jiang Wang explained lightly, then added, “Please give me an opportunityto make amends for my intrusion.”“There is no need.” Yang Jing raised his chin, and his subordinates unbound Qing Zhuan.He looked at Jiang Wang and said, “My friend is fine, and your person is also fine.”Jiang Wang said sincerely, “I thank Young Master Yang for his magnanimity.”“My friend is unwilling to see guests. I hope there will be no next time.”“If there is a next time, I will first present a calling card,” Jiang Wang said.“Farewell.”“Then we shall not disturb further.” Jiang Wang cupped his hands in salute,and left with the Shadow Guard named Qing Zhuan.“Are you just going to let them go like that?” Looking at the backs of the two men,a subordinate stepped forward and asked.“Otherwise?” Yang Jing sighed, “That is Jiang Qingyang!”“But this is Biyu County,” the subordinate said.“Biyu County is very small; the world is very large!” Yang Jing shook his head,“It seems it’s time to find Gongsun brother a new place to live...”“Does it still hurt?” Walking on the road, Jiang Wang asked.Qing Zhuan grinned, “It’s nothing. It’s just because of me... your whereabouts were still exposed.”“He won’t say anything,” Jiang Wang said with certainty,“From Young Master Yang’s posture tonight, it truly wasn’t easy for you to find this place.”Qing Zhuan said calmly, “Young Master Sheng’s instructions, we will do our best to complete.”Jiang Wang thought again of his exaggerated shout about the true meaning of the Dao...He couldn’t help but ask, “Are you all from a military background?”“Ah, yes,” Qing Zhuan said, “Trained under... Lord Fierce Butcher.”“Truly, under a renowned general, there are no weak soldiers!” Jiang Wang praised.Qing Zhuan was likely not accustomed to being praised and changed the subject:“Are we returning to Linzi now?”Jiang Wang glanced at the sky.He sighed, “We can only return to Linzi now.”