The blade was slowly pushed into Wang Wei's lower abdomen, Fang Jie's hand unusually steady. Wang Wei could even feel the knife moving inch by inch within his skin; without a doubt, within a second, the blade would pierce his muscle and plunge into his lower abdomen. Back in the southwestern frontier, Wang Wei was known for his ruthless and cold-blooded nature, his killings merciless. He knew very well the consequences of a knife piercing the lower abdomen, having done so more than once.
For an ordinary person, the sudden release of pressure from the abdominal cavity after the blood-grooved blade is withdrawn would cause the intestines to spill out. If the intestines weren't damaged, a quick tactile maneuver to push them back in and a bandage to stop the bleeding would prevent death. But if the blade were to twist horizontally inside the lower abdomen, even a miracle wouldn't save them.
For cultivators, there is another fatal element in the lower abdomen: the dantian (energy center).
This is the weakness of all cultivators.
Of course, the inner strength of a great cultivator is extremely powerful and formidable, their physical body tempered by it comparable to steel. Ordinary swords and blades are simply ineffective against them. Wang Wei's cultivation level is naturally far from that, especially since Fang Jie wields the divine weapon, the Morning Dew Blade, capable of cutting through iron like mud.
"You also come from the border army; your understanding of death is certainly much deeper than that of ordinary people."
Fang Jie smiled slightly: "You should believe I'm not threatening you. If I don't get an answer from you, I will not spare your life, because I won't allow anyone to know I captured you; that would undoubtedly ruin my future. Besides, I don't want Prince Yi to know I killed his men, after all, I'm quite close to Prince Yi now."
Wang Wei gritted his teeth and sneered: "You think sweet words can deceive me? Even if I told you something, you would still kill me."
Fang Jie shook his head: "How could that be? If you told me, I would consider you one of my own. You should know I'm short-handed right now, although..." "Prince Yi values me, but I lack strong allies. I need help... If you tell me, I'll consider you one of my own. You can consider it, but give me an answer before my hands tremble."
"You're a smart man, otherwise you wouldn't have left the General's Mansion for Baishui City. Because you know Luo Yao's character, in the General's Mansion, you would definitely see and hear things you shouldn't know. And in that case, your life could be lost at any moment. So you simply begged Luo Yao to go to Baishui City... You're such a pragmatic person, you must understand that what I said before was the truth."
Wang Wei's expression kept changing. He couldn't be sure if Fang Jie was telling the truth. And from Fang Jie's words, he knew that Fang Jie seemed to be Prince Yi's man now. But he couldn't be sure if Fang Jie was trying to trick him. Fang Jie was a favorite of the Emperor; what reason would he have to side with Prince Yi?
Wang Wei lost his career because of the Keshengju incident. When he was desperate, a steward from Prince Yi's Mansion found him and helped him clear most of his name. He was told that if he was willing to work for the prince, he would rise to a high position. Wang Wei seized this opportunity and accepted a task from the steward: to guard the courtyard. But in reality, even he wasn't entirely sure what was hidden there.
The steward only told him that what was in the courtyard was extremely important. If it were discovered, not only would he be executed, but the prince would also be implicated. Wang Wei keenly sensed from these words that Prince Yi was definitely planning something big. And what was hidden in this courtyard was some evidence related to Prince Yi. Therefore, he was terrified, fearing he had boarded such a dangerous ship.
So he became paranoid, shouting erratically at the outside of the house every day.
He had no other choice but to rely on Prince Yi, but so far he hadn't even met him. Fang Jie was completely different; Fang Jie had a bright future ahead of him, so why would he also come to Prince Yi's side? If nothing unexpected happens, Fang Jie will undoubtedly hold a very important position in the court ten years from now. Fang Jie has no reason to take risks, which is precisely why Wang Wei doesn't trust him.
"Kill me."
Wang Wei took a deep breath and said, "No matter what you say, I won't believe you. And since you know I'm now Prince Yi's man, if the prince finds out I was killed by you, do you think you'll get away with it?"
Fang Jie smiled slightly, "Do you think if I directly tell Prince Yi that I killed you because of old grudges, will the prince blame me?"
He sighed, "I don't have the time for this pointless banter. Even if you don't tell me, I have other ways to find out… The reason I came to you is because it's the fastest way. If you insist on not telling me, I don't mind taking a longer route to find the truth."
"Why…"
Wang Wei looked at Fang Jie and asked, "Why are you so interested in Luo Yao's matter!"
"Because someone wants to know if Luo Yao is truly loyal to the Sui Dynasty. As for who wants to know, I won't tell you."
Fang Jie smiled. "The Emperor?"
Wang Wei paused, then shook his head. "Your Highness?"
Fang Jie said helplessly, "Dawn is approaching. I hope you won't hold a grudge against me in your next life."
With that, he thrust the morning dew blade forward a little further. With a soft "plop," the blade pierced Wang Wei's abdomen. A weak gust of air spurted out with blood, trickling down the blade like a stream, the sound of blood pattering onto the ground so clear.
"Don't kill me!"
Wang Wei pleaded desperately, "Please... don't kill me."
...
...
Wang Wei died because he told the truth.
In fact, he wasn't wrong at all. Whether he spoke or not, Fang Jie wouldn't have spared him. In the end, even Fang Jie thought he would gain nothing. Wang Wei was a ruthless killer; such people often don't have a strong fear of death.
Moreover, he wasn't easily frightened, so Fang Jie wasn't very confident.
But the moment the knife pierced Wang Wei's abdomen, Wang Wei broke down. Fang Jie then understood that even the most hardened person could be incredibly vulnerable when facing death. This made Fang Jie admire those legendary heroes who faced death without fear even more, but in reality, most people in this world don't want to die; they are afraid of death. Influence is something that only exists in legends, while perhaps only in the face of death is everyone truly equal.
Fang Jie didn't let Wang Wei die a painful death. His dew-covered blade easily severed Wang Wei's throat. A blister of blood appeared from his severed neck, but not much blood flowed. Fang Jie's speed and precision were sufficient. He cut his trachea but not his artery.
Watching the man gradually lose his life, Fang Jie looked at Chen Qingshan with a grave expression.
"Now I have to suspect that the person who coerced you back then might have been Luo Yao."
He swung his blade, severing the ropes binding Wang Wei. Wang Wei's body fell to the ground with a thud, splattering a small patch of blood. As the man lay dying, he looked at Fang Jie in terror, demanding to know why he had lied. Fang Jie simply shook his head and said, "I've already given my reason.
I won't let anyone know I captured you, because I still want to get close to Prince Yi." He looked at Wang Wei's corpse and sighed, "So Luo Yao really did keep barbarian sorcerers in his mansion. I didn't initially think Wang Wei would know so much. Now it seems the reason he went to Baishui City was because he accidentally saw these secrets and feared being discovered by Luo Yao and executed like his father. That's why he begged Luo Yao to let him go to the border army. The dignified Duke of Anguo, the Left Vanguard General Luo Yao, actually kept evil spirits in his mansion… This is very strange."
He sat down next to Shen Qingshan, frowning, and said, "Luo Yao's cultivation is strong enough. Master Qiu Yu once said that Luo Yao is definitely one of the most powerful ninth-rank cultivators in the world. He has the strength to intimidate your sect single-handedly, and he also has the strength to gather Da Quan and the others. Actually, when you told me those things, I was already suspicious. In the southwest, Luo Yao seems to be the most suspicious person who could do this… And the poison in my body is connected to the fact that he kept sorcerers in his mansion…"
Fang Jie With a pained expression, he asked, "Then... what is my relationship with Luo Yao? If he really did all this, why did he do it? Why did he summon you all to protect me? Why did he have the sorcerer plant a Gu poison in my body? Why have it always been the Buddhist sect that's been hunting me down, and what is the relationship between Luo Yao and the Buddhist sect? And what... what is my relationship with the Buddhist sect?"
Shen Qingshan could see the pain in Fang Jie's eyes. She reached out and took his hand, speaking softly, "We can't be certain until we've investigated things thoroughly. Our initial escape did begin in Southern Yan, and we hid in the southwest for over a decade. If it really was Luo Yao, he wouldn't allow anyone to hunt you down under his nose. Of course, that's assuming you really have some kind of relationship with him... Also, since it's always been the Buddhist sect hunting you, your relationship with them can't be close."
This reassurance made Fang Jie feel a little better. He really didn't want any connection with the Buddhist sect. He was growing increasingly fond of the Sui Dynasty, and if he truly had an inextricable relationship with the Buddhist sect, then he would have no choice but to flee again. Because Prince Zhong's actions in Fan Gu were likely merely a casual act of pity, Fang Jie thrived in the Sui Dynasty. He wouldn't allow his hard-won achievements to crumble because of the word "Buddhism."
However, based on the information he'd uncovered, Luo Yao was highly likely the one who had threatened Da Quan, Chen Qingshan, and Mu Xiaoyao to protect him. This deduction caused Fang Jie even more pain, because he couldn't recall any connection between himself and Luo Yao. If Luo Yao had orchestrated all of this, what kind of grand conspiracy was he plotting?
And what role did he play in this conspiracy? "If you have the chance, you must go to the southwest."
Fang Jie sighed, patted Shen Qingshan's hand, and forced a smile. "I'm fine. Think of it this way: if Luo Yao really arranged for you to protect me, wouldn't I have a powerful backer outside the court? A general guarding the southwest of the Sui Dynasty, a powerful regional official with a large army."
Shen Qingshan knew he just didn't want her to worry, so she smiled and said, "Yes, if things really get too tough in Chang'an, we can go to the southwest and seek refuge with Luo Yao."
"No good."
Fang Jie suddenly said solemnly, "No matter what the reason..." Therefore, he caused you and me to wander and live a life-or-death existence for fifteen years. If it really was him, this debt must be settled and repaid.
Shen Qingshan was taken aback, about to speak, when Fang Jie suddenly stood up: "You handle the body, but I still need to go back to the courtyard where Wang Wei is guarding. I have a feeling that there's some great secret hidden there. If we can find evidence of Prince Yi's treason, we can finish the task the Emperor entrusted to me ahead of schedule."
He stopped Shen Qingshan from persuading him, smiling, "Don't worry, I won't put myself in danger. There are too many secrets waiting for me to uncover; how can I not live cautiously?"