Chapter 150: Ice Wall
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
After a while, Elder Wen finally spoke again.
"If that is the case, my lord, you can only afford to risk it one last time. You must host the wisdom component of the imperial examination. However, this has traditionally been hosted by the crown prince. By doing so, you will cause some havoc, so please think carefully!"
At this point, Elder Wen really wanted to say something, If no one knows who is behind this, then why does it matter?
However, he could not say it. He was a strategist, and he was not in a position to say this...
Lin Xinjue knew what Elder Wen was getting at. However, understanding was a separate issue. He always saw things to the end and he would not give up halfway.
This was a weakness, but it was also a great strength.
"If I arrange for someone else to be the host, then the crown prince will not agree. However, if I personally request to host it, then the chances are much higher. Then, if I cede the supervising role of the military exercise to the crown prince, this would be easily resolved!" Lin Xinjue was determined, but he also understood Elder Wen's intentions.
"This is the best way to do things. But if the Crown Prince finds out about Fang Zhengzhi being in their Heavenly Reflection state, then more issues would com up. If my lord wishes to be the host, then you must strike while the iron is hot!"
"Mm, then I will return to Yan Jing now, then go to the Eastern Palace!"
"The choice not to report higher and go straight to the Eastern Palace is a wise and humble one. I respect it!" Elder Wen nodded. Even though Lord Duan, who commanded the armies, could be brash at times, he was no barbarian. At the crucial moments, he could still display extraordinary wit. This was the reason why Elder Wen chose to stay with him...
...
Inside the HEavenly Treasure Hall, Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu were looking at the treasure as they walked. Yan Xiu only stopped after more than two hours.
Fang Zhengzhi sensed the temperature around him.
This place was even colder than the outskirts of the hall. Furthermore, there was no sign of any win. It was almost like a sealed freezer.
"It should be just up ahead!' Yan Xiu pointed in front.
"Fang Zhengzhi's gaze followed Yan Xiu's finger. He was slightly confused. Yan Xiu seemed to be pointing at a wall, a wall made of ice.
It was thick, and it glowed with an icy blue light.
"Here?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Yan Xiu.
"Mm." Yan Xiu nodded.
"What is this?" Fang Zhengzhi's gaze swept over the wall. He could not see any special treasure! The wall did not even have so much as a strand of fur?
Is it an engraving?
But where was the engraving?
"Look inside the ice!" Yan Xiu pointed to the ice wall and his expression turned solemn.
"Inside?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the wall again.
Then, he realized that there seemed to be nothing inside. However, there was a few small white dots. These dots were melded with the ice, and would look like snow on first glance.
Of course, these dots were truly formed by snow.
However, the more Fang Zhengzhi looked at the position of the dots, the more he felt like these dots were placed there on purpose. This looks like...
The Illustration of All Creation!
No, this was not the Illustration of All Creation!
Fang Zhengzhi remembered that the Illustration of All Creation had lines and irregular shapes over and above the dots. However, the ice wall only had dots.
"I heard that this wall records a battle, but, it doesn't look like it..."
"Battle?"
Fang Zhengzhi's curiosity was piqued. How can one record a battle using these white dots?
Yan Xiu did not say anymore, and Fang Zhengzhi did not continue to probe.
The two of them sat down at different spots and began to stare at the wall.
Two hours.
Four hours.
Nightfall.
...
The two of them continued to look at it.
It had been a two days since they had entered the treasure hall. They spent a day squatting in front of the ice wall, but they did not see anything special.
Yan Xiu had no intention to leave. He examined the wall closely, scribbling drawings on the ground sporadically.
Fang Zhengzhi really wanted to emulate Yan Xiu's concentration, but he was already blurry eyed. He didn't manage to figure anything out. Guess? He must have some leads at least?
Okay then....
Why put so much effort into understanding a war? The rewards did not warrant the effort. Fang Zhengzhi decided to take a nap. Even though this place was slightly cold, it did not mean he could not catch some shut eye.
Then, he lay out his clothes and found a comfortable place to lie down.
"The peaks of the mountain look like jade, the dense forest looks like millions of silver..." Fang Zhengzhi recited a poem as he serenely closed his eyes.
He did not fall asleep immediately, his leg shaking listlessly..
He kept thinking where to go after he got out.
In three months, the imperial examinations were beginning. Just the journey from Golden Scale City to Yan Capital took two months.
Without planes in this world, everything was so inconvenient.
Then, should he go straight to Yan Capital? Or should he stay in the Golden Scale City and relax? Forget it, he had better go to Yan Capital. If he stayed in the Divine Constabulary, he would be constantly reminded that Chi Guyan was his neighbor.
He would not be able sleep well.
When he thought of Chi Guyan, Fang Zhengzhi felt a sense of familiarity. He had seen that nose and lips somewhere before.
In my dreams?
Bleh!
Fang Zhengzhi would never dream of Chi Guyan unless it was a nightmare.
If he really beat her in two years, what was he going to do? Marry her? Haha... Chi Guyan... you are to naive!
You want me to marry you?
Dream on!
Mm...
An eye for an eye, he must humiliate her, then, he will call off the marriage in front of everyone. Then, when everyone doesn't want her, he will act like the nice guy and make her one of his servants?
But, Chi Guyan was quite pretty, making her someone who poured his tea and cut timber would be a waste.
What if she was a 'bed warmer'...
That was more like it!
"Master, the bed is warmed, please rest well!"
Thinking about Chi Guyan's bright eyes and chirpy voice after warming his bed, calling out to him, Fang Zhengzhi's mouth broke out in a lusty smile. He quite liked the thought of it.
At this point, Fang Zhengzhi remembered someone with similarly bright eyes.
"Gu(3) Yan!" [1]
Hold on...
Something is not right!
A person's eyes was the window to the soul. If a male and a female had the same kind of window, what did that mean?
Gu(3) Yan...
Gu Yan!
"F*ck... me!" Two faces appeared in Fang Zhengzhi's mind all of a sudden. These two faces quickly joined together.
Most importantly, they fit perfectly!
"If Gu(3) Yan is Chi Guyan, then why did she go to the Northern Mountain Village? To find me?" Fang Zhengzhi shook his head vigorously. He did not think this was possible.
Then, he thought about the books that Gu(3) Yan had left on his table.
Were they to teach him techniques?
Without considering the fact that Chi Guyan was unlikely to be that nice, those things, were not really techniques. They were just a combination of weird swords, spears, poles, blades...
If not for the fact that he was quite desperate, he may not have looked at them.
Those things were quite useless.
Hang on!
Those techniques may seem messy, but they had a special order to them. He did not really realize it then, but thinking about it now, it looked like...
The Illustration of All Creation!
"The ice wall!"
"And the messy techniques!"
"Could it be..."
"I understand now!" Fang Zhengzhi opened his eyes all of a sudden.
[1] This is a different Gu Yan