Chapter 166 - 98: Stealing From My House? Lao Mo, I Feel Like Eating Fish

Chapter 166: Chapter 98: Stealing From My House? Lao Mo, I Feel Like Eating Fish

This was an old tradition of the competition between the mansions. After all, the Prefecture Examination was a two-way street. Civilian Mansion Officials who passed the exam needed to evaluate the strength of each mansion before making their choice.

Of course, the scions of major clans interested in joining a mansion could also use this as an opportunity to put themselves forward.

In short, the period before the Prefecture Examination was a time for mansion officials from various houses to challenge one another.

These challenges could be refused.

But sometimes, refusing a challenge was more humiliating than getting thoroughly thrashed.

Over the past few days, Zhu Li had been writing to him daily, urging him to return quickly and stick up for Feng Kucha and Yang Mo.

"I see!"

Kan Luotang seemed lost in thought.

Zhao Ci glanced at her delicate profile, a tempting thought stirring within him.

This fiancée of his was usually unassuming, but she was, in fact, already one of the geniuses of her generation.

There were few in all of history who could wield lightning arts with such proficiency at her age.

Although her lightning arts had never actually killed anyone in the Black Fog Space, the paralysis they induced lasted long enough for her to stab a person to death several times over, even if she had zero skill in Swordsmanship.

’If I could just snatch her up to be one of my Mansion Officials...’

But on second thought, better not. The Kan Mansion had existed for many years and had never taken a side in the conflicts between the princely mansions.

For all its high prestige, only a grandfather and his granddaughter were left, relying on each other to survive.

’The competition between mansions is a dangerous game. There’s no need to drag her into it.’

Zhao Ci smiled. "Once this batch of elixirs and herbs is distributed, it should significantly alleviate the pressure from the autumn plague in the Northern Three Prefectures. You’re going to be busy for the next month.

But don’t rush. Get a good night’s rest. It won’t be too late to start once you’ve recovered your strength.

Feel free to order around the Junior Officials here. I’m sure they’ll be on their best behavior for the next month."

"Mm-hm!"

Kan Luotang nodded gently. ’An assassination attempt on a Prince would never be made public,’ she thought. ’It would damage the Royal Family’s dignity.’

’Still, many of these Junior Officials had been running around with them all night. They must be nervous wrecks. And with Zhang Delv scared half to death, they’ll certainly give me their full cooperation at a critical time like this.’

Zhao Ci leaped directly off the high platform, turning to wave at her over his shoulder. "I’m off! See you around!"

Kan Luotang instinctively took a step forward, as if to follow, worried that danger would befall him as soon as he was out of her sight.

But she stopped herself from jumping down. Clutching the fabric of her tunic, she waved back at him.

"Have a safe journey!"

A gentle breeze stirred.

The autumn sun cast a warm, hazy glow.

She still wore the same coarse, blood-stained clothes, her pretty face smudged with dirt.

Yet somehow, she seemed to bathe the entire scene in a warm light.

Even the perpetually gray sunlight of the Northern Three Prefectures seemed to shine a little brighter.

"Go on, get some rest!"

Zhao Ci waved, then cracked his whip on his horse’s flank.

The elixir escort was traveling light on the way back, just a dozen or so riders. Freed from the burden of the carriages and Elixir Bottles, they could make it back to Lingge in a single day and night.

He decided they would ride through the night.

The troop of riders headed south.

Kan Luotang stood watching for a long time. Only when the riders had shrunk to a blurry dot on the horizon did she finally look away.

"Sigh..."

She let out a soft sigh. Ever since he’d mentioned the competition, she had been wondering what she would say if he asked her to become a Mansion Official in the Tenth Prince’s Mansion.

But he hadn’t even brought it up.

A complicated mix of relief and shame swirled within her.

’So, what am I supposed to do?’

Kan Luotang glanced down from the high platform. She saw a few commoners waving their elixir vials at her, their faces beaming with joy.

’They... wouldn’t have gotten these otherwise.’

She seemed to have come to a realization. She smiled and waved back at them, then hurried down from the platform.

...

"Lord Zhang, that’s far enough!"

"Any further and you’ll be escorting me all the way to Lingge."

"Please, go back!"

Zhao Ci urged his horse onward, giving the adjacent Zhang Delv a speechless look.

Zhang Delv looked reluctant to part. "Your Highness! I’ve hardly escorted you any distance at all. Please, allow me to accompany you a little further!"

Zhao Ci: "..."

Zhang Delv no longer looked as pathetic as he did when he was desperately banging his head on the floor.

But his eagerness to please was simply impeccable.

Zhao Yong glanced at Zhang Delv before silently looking away again. ’He knew Zhang Delv must be in a terrible bind right now.’

’His dead nephew, Zhang Qi, hadn’t officially joined the Demon Sect, but he had been completely taken in by them. The Imperial Clan Court’s investigation won’t turn up anything useful.

On the contrary, the fact that Zhang Delv had been grooming this nephew as a trusted subordinate was bound to cause him significant trouble.

If the Demon Sect were to plant a few misleading pieces of false evidence, it was entirely possible they could pin the whole mess on him for good.’

’But none of that had anything to do with me!’

Zhao Yong had just met with Zhao Huan and Zhao Qing to get the details of Zhao Ci’s situation last night. Once he confirmed that nothing had gone wrong, he was finally able to relax.

Heh...

’The Demon Sect?

What a bunch of useless fools.

For all their boasting, they sent in a hundred puppets and couldn’t even manage to kill one Zhao Ci.’

"Brother Huang? What’s on your mind?"

"Oh!"

Zhao Yong forced a smile. "It’s nothing. I’m just a bit dazed from the near-death experience. We should hurry back to Lingge and get some proper rest."

Zhao Ci smiled faintly and said no more.

’Right now, Old Deng’s attention is fixed on the Demon Monarch, so it’s unlikely Zhao Yong will catch any heat for this.

But I’m the type who holds a grudge.

It doesn’t matter if Zhao Yong was the mastermind or not. Just by being involved, he crossed a line.

Once I’m back in Lingge, I’ll have to find a chance to teach him a lesson.’

In the end, he didn’t try to send Zhang Delv back again. And so, the man actually escorted them all the way south, not turning back until they reached the gates of Lingge City.

"So damn tiring!"