On Right and Wrong

Within the imperial court, three distinct factions had gradually emerged. While people did not openly address the divide, everyone knew the truth. Most officials supported the Crown Prince, yet as courtiers, they still prioritized the Emperor above all else. The second faction was led by the Chief Councilor, Xiao Qinha. Though he made no explicit statements, any discerning observer could see the Prime Minister’s desire for the Crown Prince to ascend the throne quickly—perhaps intending to exert influence from behind the curtain while the Prince’s foundation remained shallow, a move bordering on usurping the state. However, there was no concrete evidence, and as a veteran official of two reigns with illustrious contributions, even the Emperor found it difficult to provoke him without cause. The third faction lacked a visible leader; on the surface, it was headed by Lu Hongyan, the Minister of Rites. Despite their close private associations, their preferred successor remained a well-guarded secret. This was precisely why Meng Qixin’s father had instructed him to maintain ties with Lu Cheng—so that should things take a turn for the worse, he would have a path to self-preservation.

Meng Qixin lacked other talents, but he possessed enough discernment to see that the two men were merely settling a score with Lu Cheng, which allowed him to sit in relative peace. He only wondered if they would eventually silence him and Yang Li as well.

Every time Lu Cheng tried to push himself up from the floor, Zhang Ling would stomp him back down. Realizing he could not rise, Lu Cheng shouted, "Do you know who my father is? Offend me, and you’ll regret it! Kneel and kowtow to me now, and perhaps I’ll let this go. Otherwise, you’ll suffer the consequences!"

Zhang Ling replied with impatience, "For a pampered fop like you, do you have nothing else to say besides invoking your father? I dared to touch you today, which means I know your roots inside and out. Come on, give me a different threat; perhaps I’ll be terrified and let you go."

Seeing that his father’s name held no weight and realizing he truly lacked any capability of his own, Lu Cheng began to beg, his tone turning servile: "My good man, I truly don't know how I have offended you. Before you take further action, can you at least make things clear?"

Zhang Ling, thinking that the truth would have to come out eventually, gestured for Song Linjie to help him tear off their human-skin masks. The sight of the three men startled the onlookers. After peeling off his disguise, Zhang Ling leaned in close to Lu Cheng and smiled: "Do you remember us?"

Lu Cheng struggled to recall. His mind, unaccustomed to anything of substance, had already forgotten yesterday’s trivialities. He shook his head, "I truly don't remember. Why don't you two just speak plainly?"

Zhang Ling frowned, thinking the mask had been a waste of effort. "About five months ago, on your way back to the capital, a stuttering bandit blocked your path to rob you. You had Lu Xun kill him."

Lu Cheng was not so seasoned that he could forget such an act. He replied anxiously, "You were with those bandits? I didn’t kill that bandit! He was the one who tried to rob me; he deserved to die."

Zhang Ling narrowed his eyes, his voice low: "If you want to talk about right and wrong, let’s discuss that. When you were sixteen, a servant named Cheng Si was cleaning slops. You accidentally bumped into him, got covered in filth, and then blamed him for it. Cheng Si, being stubborn, refused to apologize. In a fit of rage, you grabbed a stone and beat him to death. Of course, with your status as a scion of the Lu family, such a trifle was easily swept under the rug. Later, you killed two passersby over six months. In total, seven innocent lives have been taken by your hand. They were mere nobodies, unlike your family’s retainer, Lu Keqing—though the man beside me went to great lengths to dispose of him."

Lu Cheng was stunned. "You killed Lu Xun?"

Song Linjie owned his actions with a nod. This simple gesture terrified Yang Li, who stood nearby. He knew the Lu family retainer had been a second-rank expert. To be killed by a youth who looked not even twenty years old—what kind of monster or genius was this? Yang Li suddenly grew solemn: "Are you disciples of the Chengdao Academy?"

Song Linjie nodded again. Yang Li no longer found it strange. The geniuses of the entire Chen Kingdom gathered there. Lu Cheng was simply unlucky to have provoked someone even the imperial court could not control.

Unlike Lu Cheng, who only knew how to carouse, Meng Qixin understood the world. Seeing the blade at Song Linjie’s waist and recalling his father’s tales of the imperial martial tournaments, he asked cautiously, "Are you Song Linjie? Is your grandfather the Dean of the Chengdao Academy?"

Song Linjie merely nodded in acknowledgment. Zhang Ling looked at him and smiled: "You really are famous!"

Yang Li gasped. That man was a martial arts titan whose fury could drench the world in blood. Even if he wasn't here in person, meeting his descendant was enough to stir the soul.

Upon hearing this, Lu Cheng realized he had kicked an immovable iron wall. "Those I killed were nothing but lowly servants! How can you compare me to them? If it's compensation you want, the Lu family will certainly provide a satisfactory sum."

This remark touched a nerve in Zhang Ling, who retorted coldly, "Lowly? In my eyes, aren't you the same?"

Lu Cheng dared not threaten them further, nodding submissively, intending to have his father handle it once he returned to the Lu estate. But as Zhang Ling’s anger flared, he delivered a punch to Lu Cheng’s head, knocking him unconscious instantly. Just as Zhang Ling was about to finish him, Meng Qixin intervened: "Brother, stop!"

Zhang Ling looked at him, his face icy: "What? You want to save him?"

Meng Qixin explained, "Not at all. We have no friendship with him; our association was merely arranged by our elders. I only stopped you for your own sake. You are so young—even if you are a genius, you cannot be a first-rank master, surely? I have heard the Lu family harbors a first-rank grandmaster. In the Academy, Minister Lu can do nothing to you, but once you are in the city, it will be difficult to move freely."

Zhang Ling gave him an eerie smile, leading Meng Qixin to fear that he intended to kill them both. "We have no desire to be your enemies," Meng Qixin said anxiously. "Please spare us. If you want favors, we will do our best to provide them, and we will never speak of today's events."

Zhang Ling asked, "Have you ever killed anyone?"

Meng Qixin bowed. "My father taught me from a young age to be kind. Even if there are minor frictions, I have never harmed anyone in the shadows."

Yang Li, unlike the timid Meng Qixin, replied firmly, "I have. But the people I killed were not innocent. If you don't believe me, you are welcome to investigate."

Zhang Ling did not immediately trust them; he looked at Wu Zhi, who had been standing silently by the side. Seeing Wu Zhi nod, he finally relaxed his grip.

Zhang Ling waved his hand. "The two of you, get out."

Once they had stepped out of the cabin, he took out a bamboo tube. He removed the lid, and a brightly colored, creeping worm crawled out, looking truly unsettling.

Song Linjie asked, "What is this?"

Wu Zhi, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke: "A medicinal gu."