Chapter 19: Watching the Tigers Fight from the Mountain
Chapter 19: Watching Tigers Fight from the Mountain
In the days that followed, the upper echelons of the capital were thrown into chaos.
His Majesty had passed away.
The ailing Empress Dowager had astonishingly enthroned a mere two-year-old child.
Such reckless disorder was unthinkable.
Within the heavily guarded Governor’s Mansion, Wei Ting, clad in mourning attire, studied the intelligence reports he had painstakingly procured from within the palace walls.
Many of these reports conflicted with one another.
Wei Ting stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Should he venture into the palace to investigate?
With his current martial prowess, entering and exiting the palace should pose no problem.
Go or not go?
He retrieved a newly minted copper coin.
Heads meant go; tails meant stay.
He flipped the coin.
Before it landed, he already knew the answer.
It was time to prepare.
Dressed entirely in black, Wei Ting slipped quietly out of the Governor’s Mansion, moving stealthily and soundlessly into the imperial city.
Though the palace teemed with experts, none detected his presence.
At last, Wei Ting halted outside the Empress Dowager’s chambers.
Strangely, there were no royal guards patrolling nearby.
He sensed an odd impression, as if they were deliberately waiting for him.
He shook his head.
Impossible.
“You’ve come.”
The familiar voice of an elderly woman was soft, yet to Wei Ting it sounded like thunder.
He had long suspected that within the palace resided a grandmaster at the pinnacle of power, or perhaps even beyond.
Yet he had never imagined it was the Empress Dowager herself.
Wei Ting’s expression grew grave as he cupped his hands respectfully. “Since Your Majesty is well, this humble servant will take his leave.”
“You’ve come all this way; stay and talk with me,” the Empress Dowager’s voice was gentle yet carried an unyielding command.
“As you wish.”
“Throughout the vast empire, only Lord Wei is a worthy match for me.”
“You flatter me, Your Majesty. I am but a mere speck of rice, how dare I compete with the bright moon?” Wei Ting replied humbly.
At the same time, his hand rested on the hilt of his blade, ready to strike at the Empress Dowager if necessary.
“I have a proposal: shall we rule the realm together?” she offered enticingly.
“This humble servant has never harbored disloyal thoughts,” Wei Ting quickly responded.
Believing the Empress Dowager’s deceit was exactly what he had done all these years in officialdom.
“Hmph, you don’t trust me?” she seemed slightly displeased.
“I—I do,” Wei Ting stammered.
“Enough,” she said.
“I will take my leave.”
“Why the rush? Tell me, what is it that people fight for in this life?”
Wei Ting pondered for a moment and shook his head. “Everyone is different; I do not know how to answer.”
“And you?”
“Power,” he said.
Afterward, he looked puzzled. “Or maybe not.”
“You are an untruthful man, challenging fate itself, seeking eternal life… cough, cough…” The Empress Dowager began to say but then coughed violently as if cut loose like a kite.
Wei Ting did not act rashly.
It was hard to tell if this was a trap.
“Have you heard of the method of immortality?”
“No.”
“Then I will let you witness it.”
Suddenly, a terrifying force of suction appeared.
The palace seemed to transform into a black hole, engulfing everything.
Wei Ting struck simultaneously.
A forty-meter blade wave instantly severed the suction.
The palace partially collapsed in the aftermath.
“Dominating Blade, do you know how the previous Dominating Blade met his end?”
In the next moment, a fifty-meter blade wave cleaved through the palace.
...
On the rooftop of his own home, Qin Yuan poked out half his head, gazing toward the palace.
The battle of grandmasters at the pinnacle of skill was naturally not hidden from him.
One of the two combatants was the familiar Wei Ting.
Who was the other?
Qin Yuan was very curious.
Yet he had no intention of approaching.
As long as he stayed away from danger, there was no danger.
As for waiting until both were mortally wounded and then swooping in to pick up the spoils, he only entertained the thought in his mind.
A high-level hunter often appears in the form of prey.
Who knew if this was a trap set for him by the two?
Even if it was not, who could say if they had more tricks up their sleeves?
He would wait; time would help him eliminate all great enemies.
Long after, the battle disturbances within the palace ceased.
It was clear who had won.
Qin Yuan glanced down at the pile of spiced melon seed shells he had spit out, then quietly descended from the rooftop.
The next day, the sky hung heavy with clouds.
At the Left Historical Institute.
Qin Yuan was busy sorting through documents he had gone over countless times.
Lü Yunfei hurried in.
“The Empress Dowager has passed away.”
“What?”
Qin Yuan’s mind raced swiftly.
Wei Ting had fought a grandmaster at the pinnacle within the palace, and the very next day, the Empress Dowager died.
The identity of that grandmaster was obvious.
The Empress Dowager herself.
He had never imagined she could survive so long by sheer cunning.
“The Emperor is gone, and now the Empress Dowager too. I fear the empire is entering a turbulent era,” Lü Yunfei said with concern.
Just then, a thin middle-aged man entered without looking where he was going.
He was none other than Wei Tong, who had become head of the Left Historical Institute seven years earlier thanks to his brother Wei Ting.
“Head of the Institute.”
“Head of the Institute,” Qin Yuan and Lü Yunfei saluted.
Wei Tong merely grunted and found a chair, continuing to stare intently at the painting he held.
Like many officials, Wei Tong’s true occupation was simply to idle away the days—growing bamboo, painting, enjoying theater and music.
He rarely remained at the Left Historical Institute.
His sudden arrival today signaled something was amiss.
After a while, Wei Tong suddenly said, “I intend to select one of you to be chief editor.”
Lü Yunfei’s breathing quickened instantly; he had coveted that position for a long time.
Wei Tong looked up and glanced at Qin Yuan but said nothing. Then he turned to Lü Yunfei: “You.”
“Thank you, Head of the Institute!” Lü Yunfei immediately expressed his gratitude.
“Next time,” Wei Tong said.
“Uh.” Lü Yunfei was embarrassed, wishing he could disappear into a crack.
“Thank you for your kind offer, Head of the Institute, but I only wish to be a recorder,” Qin Yuan politely declined.
Being chief editor meant endless responsibilities and exhausting tasks; recording was far more pleasant.
He could ask a few questions and then be free to enjoy himself.
Wei Tong looked up, surprised to find someone under his command uninterested in promotion.
He reminded, “At your age, if you miss this chance, there may be no next time.”
“I only wish to be a recorder,” Qin Yuan smiled.
Wei Tong looked at Lü Yunfei: “Then you shall take it.”
“Thank you, Head of the Institute!” Lü Yunfei was overjoyed and shot Qin Yuan a look of endless gratitude.
(End of chapter)