"A fox spirit and a dragon-headed lion caused a ruckus at Jade Dragon Lake? Not only did they bathe in the lake, but they also beat you up?"
Gu Linuan had just returned from the imperial palace. The Daoist guarding Jade Dragon Lake came to report the incident, and Gu Linuan was greatly shocked. He exclaimed in disbelief, "The fish king among the red dragon carp was also taken by that dragon-headed lion? Whose fox spirit and dragon-headed lion are so daring? I've only been in office for just over a month, and this has happened. Who is trying to sabotage me?"
Before he could even digest this news, someone else came to report: "Chancellor, the fox spirit kept by Imperial Scholar Qin Mu of the Scholars' Residence chopped down the Advancement Tree to roast fish. That fish seems to be the fish king from Jade Dragon Lake, and it was roasted and eaten! Imperial Scholar Qin Mu and Scholar Wei Yong are now cleaning up the fish bones, trying to destroy the evidence."
Gu Linuan was both shocked and delighted. He laughed, "This kid—I was just worrying about having no way to control him, and now he's practically delivering himself to my doorstep. This matter alone is enough to have him beheaded a hundred times. Now Chancellor Bashan, that blockhead, shouldn't have anything to say, right?"
He was invigorated and immediately rose to his feet. "Let's go! Come with me to arrest them immediately! We need both physical evidence and witnesses. We'll send them straight to the Court of Judicature and Revision for the Minister to interrogate, and sentence his entire family to execution! Then I'll submit a memorial to the palace to report this matter!"
"That scholar named Wei Yong..."
"Arrest him too! They'll be prosecuted together!"
Gu Linuan smiled. "I was just saying someone was trying to sabotage me. Now it seems these shoes fit perfectly."
Gu Linuan and his entourage barged into the Scholars' Residence, only to find Qin Mu was not in the courtyard. There was only a fox and a dozing dragon qilin. Gu Linuan awakened the dragon qilin and asked, "Where did that brat surnamed Qin go?"
The dragon qilin raised its head, glanced at them, and replied slowly, "He was here just a while ago. Someone from the palace came and invited him over."
"Could the emperor already know about this and have had him taken to the palace for execution?"
Gu Linuan chuckled. "That kid still has my Shao Bao Sword. Even execution would be letting him off easy. What are you standing around for? Seize the fox and the dragon qilin! I'm going to the palace to see the emperor and watch with my own eyes how this kid dies." With that, he hurried off.
The chancellors and the Daoist guarding Jade Dragon Lake who had come with him quickly used a chain to bind the dragon qilin. Hu Ling'er tried to run but was also captured.
Gu Linuan rushed to the palace and requested an audience with the emperor. After a moment, a guard announced, "His Majesty is in the Imperial Garden. Please come this way, Lord Gu."
Gu Linuan was surprised. "Beheading that brat surnamed Qin in the Imperial Garden? His Majesty must be truly furious."
When he arrived at the Imperial Garden, he heard laughter. Gu Linuan was puzzled, but as he approached, he saw Emperor Yanfeng supporting the Empress Dowager, with several officials following behind. Qin Mu was to the Empress Dowager's left rear, and she was laughing at something he had said.
Emperor Yanfeng caught sight of him and waved him over. "Does my good minister have business here?" he asked warmly.
Gu Linuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Scholar Qin allowed a dragon qilin to jump into Jade Dragon Lake and catch the fish king, which was then eaten. Jade Dragon Lake is the imperial drinking water source, and the red dragon carp are part of the imperial menu. Scholar Qin's audacious behavior constitutes a capital crime. Your minister dare not conceal this and has come to report it to Your Majesty."
"Is that so?"
Emperor Yanfeng looked at Qin Mu beside him. "What does Scholar Qin have to say?"
"I am an outsider, unaware of the capital's rules, and was therefore reckless," Qin Mu said. "I did not know that Jade Dragon Lake belonged to the imperial family, nor that the fish in it could not be eaten. I deeply regret my grave offense and submit to Your Majesty's judgment."
"This is a capital crime."
Emperor Yanfeng glanced at him. "Although I appreciate you, the law is the law. How would you have me deal with you?"
Gu Linuan smiled apologetically. "Your Majesty, according to the law, his entire family should be executed..."
The Empress Dowager laughed. "Emperor, I also think the young divine physician should be beheaded."
Emperor Yanfeng was slightly startled. "Why do you say that, Mother?"
The Empress Dowager walked forward unhurriedly. "Of course he should be beheaded. If the young divine physician is not beheaded, how will the world know that the emperor values fish over people? If the Imperial Scholar is not beheaded, how will the world know that the emperor values water over people? Execute him, and only then will the world know that the emperor killed the divine physician who cured me and is renowned throughout the court, all because of a sip of water and a fish. Only then will they know the emperor is a foolish ruler."
Emperor Yanfeng burst into laughter and waved his hand. "Lord Gu, such a trivial matter, and you come to bother me with it. You may withdraw."
Gu Linuan was stunned. "This..."
"Leave, leave."
Emperor Yanfeng waved him off. "You failed to guard Jade Dragon Lake, and I won't punish you for it, since you've just arrived at the Imperial Academy. What you've done today is already enough to give me a headache—you even got into a fight with Chancellor Bashan, making me lose face. If you had won, that would be one thing, but you were nowhere to be found. A Chancellor unable to defeat a Chancellor—my face has been completely lost because of you. Go back and reflect properly."
"Your servant obeys."
Gu Linuan felt utterly wronged and was about to leave when Qin Mu spoke. "Lord Gu, please don't trouble my fox and dragon qilin."
Gu Linuan's heart skipped a beat. The Empress Dowager laughed, "I dare say he wouldn't dare. Oh, by the way, Emperor, the young divine physician cured me, but you haven't rewarded him yet."
"Mother, he is already an Imperial Scholar, a sixth-rank official. He cannot be promoted further. After all, he is still young. Let's wait a few years to avoid criticism from the court officials that I'm favoring him."
"Young divine physician, tell me more interesting stories from your childhood..."
Gu Linuan walked away, left the palace, and returned to the Imperial Academy, seething with pent-up frustration. The Daoist who had been guarding Jade Dragon Lake hurried forward. "Chancellor, have the culprits been executed?"
"It's all your fault! You couldn't even guard your lake properly, and now you've dragged me into this mess!"
Gu Linuan glared at him and shouted, "Release the fox and the dragon qilin!"
The lake-guarding Daoist felt deeply wronged, not knowing what he had done to offend him. He could only release Hu Ling'er and the dragon qilin. "Chancellor, we've already sent people to arrest Wei Yong, but Wei Yong follows Chancellor Bashan, and Chancellor Bashan won't let us take him. What should we do..."
"What's Wei Yong's background?"
"He's from the Duke of Wei's family..."
"Don't look for trouble where there isn't any!"
...
In the Imperial Garden, the Empress Dowager spoke with Qin Mu for a while. Qin Mu took her pulse again and prescribed several medicinal preparations. "The Empress Dowager is recovering very well with no lingering issues."
"Good," the Empress Dowager smiled. "Thank you for your trouble, young divine physician."
Qin Mu rose to take his leave. Emperor Yanfeng smiled. "Please stay a moment, good minister. I have something to say to you."
Qin Mu stopped. Emperor Yanfeng walked to his side, waved away the eunuchs, guards, and palace maids, and led him toward the exit of the Imperial Garden. "My Imperial Scholar, the Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult, an abandoned citizen of the Great Ruins, the disciple of the Jade-Faced Poison King—Qin Mu, you have quite a few identities."
Qin Mu was slightly taken aback and instinctively slowed his pace. The State Preceptor of Yankang knew he was the new Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult, so naturally Emperor Yanfeng had means to find out as well.
Emperor Yanfeng had already walked ahead and looked back with a smile. "Why aren't you following, good minister?"
Qin Mu quickened his pace and smiled. "Your Majesty is blessed with great fortune."
Emperor Yanfeng laughed. "The Heavenly Demon Cult is the foremost demonic sect, the first holy land. Its Cult Master has become a student of the Son of Heaven. I am indeed blessed with great fortune. But it could be great fortune, or it could be a deadly threat. Good minister, which do you think it is?"
Qin Mu smiled. "Your Majesty, if the Dao Master of the Dao Sect submitted to Your Majesty, what official rank would you grant him?"
Emperor Yanfeng said solemnly, "The Dao Master of the Dao Sect, the leader of the righteous path under heaven. I would grant him the first rank, make him a king, and the title would be hereditary!"
Qin Mu continued, "And if the Tathagata of the Great Thunderclap Monastery submitted to Your Majesty, what official rank would you grant him?"
Emperor Yanfeng replied, "The Tathagata is the head of Buddhism. If he were willing to enter court as an official, I would grant him the first rank and make him a progenitor!"
Qin Mu said, "Among the three great holy lands of Yankang, the sect masters of the Dao Sect and the Great Thunderclap Monastery would be granted the first rank by the emperor, becoming kings and progenitors. The Heavenly Demon Cult is also a holy land, yet its Cult Master voluntarily submitted to Your Majesty, only to be granted a paltry sixth-rank position. And on top of that, Your Majesty asks whether this is great fortune or a deadly threat. Wouldn't that chill the hearts of loyal ministers?"
Emperor Yanfeng was slightly stunned and nodded. "I suppose you have a point. However, I cannot immediately promote you. You are too young. A direct promotion would invite speculation, and people might guess your true identity."
Qin Mu agreed.
Emperor Yanfeng was silent for a moment. "I know you have a grudge against Gu Linuan, and I know you took his Shao Bao Sword. You are the Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult—your mindset should be magnanimous. Don't keep giving him a hard time. He is someone I placed in the Imperial Academy. If you make things too difficult for him, I'll lose face as well."
Qin Mu felt somewhat wronged. "Your Majesty, when have I ever given him a hard time?"
Emperor Yanfeng smiled enigmatically. "Didn't you just give him a pair of ill-fitting shoes today, leaving him unable to step down? Rest assured—in terms of audacity, no one dares claim they can surpass the State Preceptor. I dare use him, and I dare use you. Don't harbor any doubts. Now, you may leave."
Qin Mu walked out of the imperial palace feeling refreshed and lighthearted, exhaling a long breath and relaxing completely.
The State Preceptor of Yankang knew his true identity. If Emperor Yanfeng didn't know, he would have been worried. But now that both the emperor and the State Preceptor knew, he was actually safer—there was no need to worry about these two powerful figures making a move against him.
More than ten days later, Qin Mu's west room was filled with Great Abundance coins exchanged for dragon drool. Chancellor Bashan took Wei Yong and Prince Minyue out for training, and upon arriving, he grabbed several bags of money and left. Qin Mu didn't mind—after all, he was now wealthy.
In his spare time these past few days, he had been refining Crimson Fire Spirit Pills and another type of spirit pill that supplemented the spirit. Because he used Buddhist techniques during the refinement, the pill emitted a Buddhist chant when completed, so Qin Mu called it the Spirit Buddha Pill.
He had been going to the treasury to purchase herbs these days, nearly buying out dozens of medicinal ingredients. The Imperial Academy was soon holding a large-scale training exercise, selecting scholars to go to the front lines under the leadership of the Guozijian from each hall to suppress rebellions.
Qin Mu was also named by Gu Linuan, who insisted on sending him to the front lines. Moreover, since Qin Mu held the sixth-rank position of Imperial Scholar, his treatment was almost equivalent to that of the Guozijian, so Gu Linuan even assigned several scholars to Qin Mu to lead.
These scholars were all in the Five Stars Realm from the Scholars' Residence, with limited combat strength. Their cultivation was far inferior to that of the divine cultivators in the Divine Cultivation Hall.