They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 19 Delivered to your door

The courtyard of the Chang'an post station was shrouded in the heavy darkness of night. The silence of curfew filled the market, with only the faint sound of the Imperial Guards arresting people outside, creating a tense atmosphere.

As soon as Chen Guangrui and Chen An stepped into the courtyard, the flickering lamplight clearly illuminated Chen An's anxiety.

"Brother, what exactly did Lord Wei say? Are we going to be high-ranking officials this time?"

Chen An hurried a few steps, keeping his voice extremely low, and couldn't help but glance back at the quiet street. Now that Wei Zheng was alright, Chen An's worries dissipated, but hearing the voices of the Imperial Guards still made him a little nervous.

Chen Guangrui didn't stop walking, a faint smile playing on his lips, a smile tinged with an indescribable weariness.

"Duke Wei is a very cautious man. He left no room for error from beginning to end."

Chen An's heart skipped a beat, and his face turned even paler.
"Then...then doesn't that mean they don't trust us? What should we do, brother?"

So what if we don't trust them?

Chen Guangrui pushed open the door, and the warm light of the oil lamp spilled out.

"His caution is his own business; we've done all we can. It's getting late; let's rest."

He offered no further reassurance.

Historically, Wei Zheng was known for his integrity, uprightness, and willingness to offer honest advice. However, meeting him today, my strongest impression is that he is overly cautious, always waiting for the most accurate information before making any decisions.

But this is good, Chen Guangrui thought. It's hard to gain the trust of such a cautious person, but once you gain his trust, you'll reap even greater rewards.

Fortunately, he remained calm because he knew all the answers were correct.

Upon hearing Chen Guangrui's words, Chen An opened his mouth, but looking at his brother's calm profile, a bellyful of worry stuck in his throat, and in the end, he didn't ask any more questions.

The silence inside was quickly broken by hurried footsteps. The inn's servant practically ran to the door, his voice strained.
"Scholar Chen! Scholar Chen! Someone is looking for you; they've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Chen An jumped to his feet like a startled bird, "Who? Are they from the Imperial Guard...?"

The servant shook his head, his expression strange.
"He wasn't an official. He was... an old Taoist priest dressed in tattered clothes, soaking wet, and looking like a fortune teller! He wouldn't say his name when asked, only that he wanted to see you, and kept trying to squeeze through the crack in the door!"

The servant described it with unbelievable exaggeration, "It looks terrifying!"

"fortune teller?!"

Chen An was stunned and subconsciously looked at Chen Guangrui.

The weariness on Chen Guangrui's face vanished instantly upon hearing the words "fortune teller." It was replaced by a strange, almost...joyful smile that silently spread across his eyes.

He even gave a very slight laugh. "Oh? An old acquaintance has arrived? I was just wondering where to look for him, and he's delivered himself right to my door. Please invite him in."

His tone conveyed a knowing "I knew it" attitude.

Chen An instantly noticed the change in his brother's expression, and upon hearing the words "old acquaintance," the tension in his heart suddenly eased!
Oh right, Yuan Shoucheng! How could I have forgotten about that!

These past two days, with the Imperial Guards and Wei Zheng causing him so much trouble, he's been quite flustered. Now that Yuan Shoucheng has come to him of his own accord, isn't this a wonderful thing? Isn't what they all want to know about this old Taoist priest?
A moment later, a disheveled figure was led in by a servant.

It was Yuan Shoucheng!
Where is the leisurely and composed man he was when he was telling fortunes at the West Market?
The once-empty hemp clothing clung tightly to his emaciated body, with muddy water dripping down and accumulating in a small puddle at his feet.

The moment he entered, Yuan Shoucheng's cloudy eyes locked onto Chen Guangrui. His chest heaved violently, he breathed heavily, seemingly burning with rage, his withered fingers pointing at Chen Guangrui, spittle almost landing on the latter's face, his hoarse, shrill voice filled with accusation and fury.
"Scholar! You, what a mess you've made!"

He took a few deep breaths and continued shouting.

"You...you commanded that wicked dragon...to chase me all the way! From the main street into the West Market, and from the West Market to the mass grave outside the city! Even my earth-遁术 (earth-遁术 is a type of magic that can be used to escape danger) was ruined nine out of ten times by that damned dragon energy! What exactly are you up to? Are you trying to drag me down with you?! My old life almost ended today in the wasteland!"

This "accusation" was filled with righteous indignation, as if the speaker had suffered a great injustice.

Before Chen Guangrui could speak, Chen An, standing behind him, couldn't hold back any longer. Looking at Yuan Shoucheng, covered in mud and drenched like a drowned rat, and then at his brother's calm, knowing expression, the gloom that had gripped him earlier from Wei Zheng and the Imperial Guards vanished instantly. He burst out laughing.

"Hey! This old Taoist priest, he ran away faster than a rabbit the first two times, but now look at him, he's come back here slamming his fist on the table and glaring at us! This blustering but cowardly act is really something to watch!"

Chen Guangrui seemed too lazy to pretend anymore, and the last remaining smile on his face blossomed completely. He sat steadily in his chair, watching Yuan Shoucheng's performance with leisurely ease, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, his tone carrying a hint of playful mockery.

“Mr. Yuan… your questioning… is quite novel.”

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as a knife, ruthlessly piercing through the other party's bluff.
"If I could truly command that wicked dragon, with the dragon race's power to move mountains and overturn seas, would you, Yuan Shoucheng, still be standing here right now? You would probably be a skeleton filled with silt at the bottom of the Jing River by now, wouldn't you?"

These words struck at the heart of the matter, and Yuan Shoucheng's face instantly froze, his previous aggressive momentum being severely dampened.

But he was clearly not one to give up easily; he stubbornly straightened his back, clinging to his neck.
"Hmph! A mere little dragon from the Jing River! If it weren't for... for the fact that he still has some cultivation to show for it, I would have already cast a spell and summoned the Nine Heavens Thunder to blast his mudfish body into ashes! How could I allow him to be so arrogant?!"

He raised his voice as high as he could, trying to regain some of the dignity of a reclusive sage.

"Oh?"

Chen Guangrui raised an eyebrow, his playful smile deepening, now tinged with a cold sharpness. He slowly stood up, approaching Yuan Shoucheng step by step, each step firm and steady, as if treading on the other's heartstrings.
"Summon the Nine Heavens Thunder? Strike the Jing River Dragon King?" He walked up to Yuan Shoucheng, each word clear as an ice bead falling to the ground.
“Mr. Yuan, you know better than anyone that he’s not supposed to die right now! Right?”

He deliberately emphasized the word "at this moment," meaning that since Yuan Shoucheng could calculate, he could also calculate the time of the Jinghe Dragon King's death.

Yuan Shoucheng's pupils suddenly contracted. It was as if Yuan Shoucheng had seen through some of his tricks.

Chen Guangrui gave him no chance to catch his breath, pursuing him with the speed and force of a storm.
"You're simply using the Heavenly Court to deal with the Jinghe Dragon King, but his time hasn't come yet. Mr. Yuan, what do you have to do with him? You don't have that kind of supernatural power, do you?"

Every word was like a heavy hammer blow, striking Yuan Shoucheng's most feared Achilles' heel: the terrible consequences of interfering with the workings of Heaven!
Yuan Shoucheng's face turned even paler, his lips trembled, and he wanted to refute but couldn't find any compelling words.

Chen Guangrui's voice suddenly turned sharp, like a solid icicle.

"Even if you have incredible luck and manage to kill this river dragon by sheer chance... hehe,"

He chuckled coldly twice, his voice low yet menacing.

"Do you think the dragon race is easy to deal with? The dragon races of the four seas are all of one blood! The Ao clan is the most protective of its own! Do you think they would just stand by and watch a fortune teller slaughter their descendants at will? At that time, even if you hide in the Kunlun Secret Realm or burrow deep into the earth's veins, can you escape the endless pursuit and overwhelming hatred of the countless aquatic creatures? If thousands of aquatic creatures come out in full force, even if you, Yuan Shoucheng, have nine lives, it won't be enough to fill the void!"

These words completely shattered Yuan Shoucheng's psychological defenses.

He staggered back a step, his back slamming heavily against the cold door with a dull thud. His withered, ashen face could no longer maintain its feigned toughness and mystique, revealing only a deathly pallor of fear and profound dishevelment.

They stopped questioning him, and for a moment only Yuan Shoucheng's heavy breathing filled the room.

Chen Guangrui, however, did not relax his gaze. He withdrew his piercing stare, sat back down in his chair, and resumed his calm demeanor. His gaze, however, remained fixed on Yuan Shoucheng, with an all-knowing scrutiny.

Mr. Yuan,

His voice returned to calm, yet it was even more chilling than his earlier shout.
"Since you are knowledgeable about the secrets of heaven and possess divine wisdom, why not do it right now, right here in this small room of the inn..."

He paused slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Calculate your fate tonight, whether you live or die!"

"If you can really figure it out,"

Chen Guangrui leaned forward, staring intently at Yuan Shoucheng's pupils, which contracted sharply in an instant, and slowly and clearly uttered the last half of the sentence:
"Why did you... come here like a stray dog, chasing the moonlight in such a sorry state? You could have just anticipated the enemy's moves and avoided them."

These words, like the final needle, precisely pierced Yuan Shoucheng's self-deceiving illusion!
Yuan Shoucheng was struck dumb, his whole body trembling violently! He raised his head, his dull eyes filled with disbelief and... the fear of being completely seen through!
Seeing his dejected state, Chen Guangrui's sharp glint returned to her lips, transforming into a soft sigh brimming with profound insight.
"Those who try to divulge the secrets of heaven...can hardly predict their own fate. Heaven's justice is impartial, and no one is exempt. Otherwise..."

His gaze suddenly became deep and distant.
"On the day you first met me in the West Market, why did you panic as if you'd encountered a plague god, resorting to earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic that allows one to escape)... just to flee in front of everyone?!"

"boom!"

It was as if a string in Yuan Shoucheng's mind had snapped completely!

"Hehe...hehe..."

He let out a broken, incomprehensible laugh, as if all his strength had been drained from his throat. He hunched over, barely managing to stay upright by holding onto the doorframe.

He tilted his head back and took a deep breath of the murky air in the inn, an air mixed with the stench of mud and his own fear.

He exhaled a long, slow breath, his voice dry and hoarse, filled with helplessness and a faint sense of resignation, breaking the deathly silence in the room.

"Enough... enough!"

Yuan Shoucheng tried to straighten his hunched back, as if trying to regain the last bit of dignity, but in the end he gave up in despair.

He raised his eyelids, his cloudy gaze passing over Chen An's astonished face, fixing fixedly on the depths of Chen Guangrui's calm, unwavering eyes. His dry lips trembled slightly.
"Chen Guangrui...you've gone to great lengths, planning every step with meticulous care..."

He took a deep breath, as if using all his strength: "What exactly do you want?!"

The dim, yellow light of the oil lamp flickered in Chen Guangrui's eyes, like two cold, eerie sparks. He slowly rose, not immediately answering Yuan Shoucheng's near-collapse-like questioning. Step by step, he walked to Yuan Shoucheng, who was almost cornered in the shadows of the doorway.

Finally, Chen Guangrui broke the silence.

His voice wasn't loud, but it penetrated Yuan Shoucheng's ears with exceptional clarity, carrying an unavoidable penetrating power:

"tell me……"

His gaze was like a sharp blade, seemingly trying to dissect all the secrets Yuan Shoucheng was trying so hard to hide.
"At our first meeting—under the locust tree shadows at the West Market intersection, what exactly did you see?"

He paused briefly, his sharp gaze fixed on every possible shift in the other person's emotions.

"What exactly is it... what makes you feel as if you've seen a plague, and you're willing to do anything to stay away from me?"

(End of this chapter)