Chapter 352
Chapter 352
The scene of sons fighting tooth and nail over their father’s corpse, uncaring of its fate, was now replaying itself in the State of Kang, just as it had when the emperor died. In truth, such events occurred in every dynasty, in every dimension. After Duke Huan of Qi died, his five sons were so busy killing each other for the throne that they left their father’s body on his bed. They fought for a full sixty-seven days until one prince finally emerged victorious and became the new ruler of Qi. Only then could Duke Huan be buried, but by that time, his body had decomposed beyond recognition, and the maggots that had fed on him crawled everywhere.
The King of Kang, too, had been dead for over two hours, similarly abandoned. A dark figure secretly left the palace, entered a thicket of grass, and bleated like a sheep several times. He was a eunuch the King of Kang had trusted deeply—the very same one Shen Lang had once seen, making him wonder why the King of Kang would need a eunuch. After he bleated several times, another dark figure appeared a moment later.
“What in the world happened in the palace?”
The eunuch who had been by the King of Kang’s side said.
“Quickly, ride to the capital at top speed and report to the Grand Commander. The King of Kang has died suddenly, and the State of Kang has fallen into chaos.”
The eunuch swiftly handed him a piece of paper.
“This contains detailed information. You must deliver it into His Majesty’s hands.”
“Yes!”
The dark figure vanished in an instant, racing off to deliver the message to the capital with all his might. The eunuch by the King of Kang’s side was a spy for the Blackwater Terrace. Of course, one might ask why this eunuch wasn’t ordered to kill the King of Kang directly. But how could that be possible? Not everyone possessed Shen Lang’s abilities.
Besides, this eunuch was not the king’s most trusted attendant. The eunuch responsible for the King of Kang’s food and drink had grown up with him since childhood. The king was an extremely suspicious man; only someone as exceptionally cunning as Shen Lang or Master Zuo could have harmed him.
Although King Ning Yuanxian of Yue had his own trump card, having planted spies in the State of Kang, the Blackwater Terrace spy from Yue delivered the information a full four hours later than Su Jianting.
***
At the Marquis Zhenyuan's Estate.
Su Nan was plunged into an abyss of terrible agony, his mood foul. His plan had been just one step away from success. Why had it come to this? The King of Kang deserved to die, but not now. That wretched, vicious man had exploited Su Nan his entire life. He should have died only after Su Nan had squeezed every last drop of value from his long-term investment. Why did he have to die now? How could he continue his plot? How could the Su Clan’s plan to rise from the ashes like a phoenix proceed?
“Haaah…!”
Su Nan roared. His stooped body snapped straight in an instant, and as he stomped his foot, the solid ground shattered.
“Aaargh!”
A beastly cry tore from the depths of his throat. He clenched his fists and repeatedly punched the solid wall. The wall, built of massive stones, was riddled with holes from his blows as shattered fragments flew in all directions. Su Nan’s martial prowess was astounding.
‘Is all this effort going to be for nothing? No! Absolutely not!’
Su Nan forced himself to calm down and soon gave a quiet order.
“Begin!”
A subordinate, startled, replied.
“Yes.”
Instead of going to relay the order, the subordinate climbed the high platform in the Marquis Zhenyuan’s estate and lit the candle placed there.
***
“Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up!”
The sound of urgent hoofbeats echoed, but the capital’s gates were already closed.
“Who goes there?”
The rider raised a token and held up a secret letter with three crow feathers attached.
“Open the gate! Open the gate!”
At the command, a small gap quickly opened in the gate, and a fresh horse was waiting just inside. The Blackwater Terrace warrior charged through, leaped into the air, and landed squarely on the waiting horse before continuing his gallop toward the Blackwater Terrace Tower. The horse he had been riding collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth. Now on a new mount, he spurred it on, charging toward the tower at an even greater speed.
“Emergency! Secret intelligence from the west. Urgent report from the west!”
The moment he burst into the Blackwater Terrace Tower, the warrior cried out sharply.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.*
Four Blackwater Terrace masters leaped down from the tower and escorted him inside. A moment later, the Blackwater Terrace spy knelt before the Grand Commander, Yan E.
“Commander, the King of Kang has died suddenly, and civil war has broken out in the State of Kang.”
The spy held up the secret letter with both hands and then fainted on the spot. Yan E was greatly shocked but calmly gave an order.
“By my command, send the finest physicians to treat this brother. Spare no expense to restore him to his former self.”
“Yes!”
Before his subordinate could even finish his reply, Yan E had already vanished from the spot.
***
The King had already retired for the night. It was supposed to be his night to stay at Consort Su’s residence, but he remained in Consort Bian’s palace instead. Yet, no matter how he tried, he could not sleep. He was terrified that the worst-case scenario Shen Lang had spoken of would come to pass.
‘Will the calamity of Yanzhou happen again? No, it can’t. The Su Clan doesn’t share a border with the State of Chu. Should I arrest Su Nan immediately? No! I can’t! That would cause a world-shattering catastrophe. I must find out what the State of Kang will do. Whether the King of Kang will invade the western border of Yue.’
Just then, Lü Jun’s voice came from outside.
“Your Majesty, Grand Commander Yan requests an audience.”
Hearing this, the King shot up from his bed. The Black King had not left the Blackwater Terrace Tower in a long time. For him to come at this hour meant something monumental had occurred. The King didn't even bother to dress before rushing out of the room. The Grand Commander of the Blackwater Terrace, Yan E, immediately knelt.
“Your Majesty, the King of Kang has died suddenly, and civil war has broken out in the State of Kang.”
After speaking, he presented the detailed secret letter with both hands. The King was first shocked, then overjoyed.
‘Such a thing has happened? At such a critical moment, such a joyous event has occurred? Do the heavens truly favor me, Ning Yuanxian?’
The King unfolded the letter and began to read it carefully. At the same time, his inherent suspicion instinctively kicked in.
‘Could this information be false? Could the Blackwater Terrace spy have been deceived?’
Then, Grand Eunuch Lü Jun spoke.
“Your Majesty, news has just arrived. The candle on the high platform at the Marquis Zhenyuan’s estate, which has always been unlit, has suddenly been lit.”
The King’s expression changed from shock to delight.
“Is Su Nan still there?”
Grand Eunuch Lü Jun replied.
“He is still in the garden. He is said to be sitting there in a daze.”
The King’s voice trembled as he gave the order.
“Move immediately and capture Su Nan. Do not mobilize any other troops. Deploy three thousand Blackwater Terrace warriors to surround the Marquis Zhenyuan’s estate! Seal the four gates of the capital; no one is to enter or leave. No one! Lü Jun, Yan E, you will capture Su Nan yourselves!”
“Yes!”
***
Usually, when troops were deployed, the ground would shake as if struck by thunder. This was true for the elite cavalry of Yue and the King’s iron-clad guards. But when the Blackwater Terrace warriors moved out, they did so in absolute silence. They wore leather armor and soft-soled cloth shoes, walking on the balls of their feet, so their steps made no sound. Three thousand such stealthy warriors were deployed. They surged toward the Marquis Zhenyuan’s estate like a black tide, a truly spectacular sight. When the Blackwater Terrace had gone to arrest Shen Lang, they had numbered only a hundred. But now, three thousand warriors moved at incredible speed, yet made no sound at all.
Those who happened to be awake in the houses along the road felt an inexplicable unease and opened their windows to look outside. In that instant, they saw the street packed with black-clad warriors. They could only watch, not daring to move a muscle. Witnessing such a thing, even the slightest movement or sound could mean immediate death.
A moment later, the three thousand Blackwater Terrace warriors vanished around a corner as silently as they had appeared.
A quarter of an hour later.
The Blackwater Terrace warriors had surrounded the Marquis Zhenyuan’s estate without leaving a single gap. Grand Eunuch Lü Jun let out a long sigh.
‘The day has finally come.’
Lü Jun asked.
“Is Su Nan still inside?”
A Blackwater Terrace warrior on surveillance replied.
“He is in the garden. He was playing Go by himself, but he seems to have sensed something amiss and hasn’t made a move in a long time.”
“Go in and arrest him! Commander Yan, let us proceed!”
The Grand Commander of the Blackwater Terrace, Yan E, remained expressionless, even frowning slightly.
*CRASH!*
With a loud bang, the main gate of the Marquis Zhenyuan’s estate was forcefully smashed open. Grand Eunuch Lü Jun took two steps back and followed Yan E into the estate. Inside, they found Su Nan, still sitting with his body stooped, staring blankly at the Go board before him. Lü Jun said.
“Elder Su, though it is summer, the nights are cool. You shouldn't sit outside. We will escort you elsewhere.”
Su Nan asked in an aged voice.
“Eunuch Lü, where do you intend to take me?”
“The Blackwater Terrace? The Court of Judicial Review? Why don’t you choose, Marquis Zhenyuan?”
Su Nan raised his head, lit a candle, and spoke to Lü Jun and Yan E.
“I don’t understand what Eunuch Lü is saying. Is it a crime for me, Su Baidu, to play Go in my own home?”
Beyond the candlelight, his old face twisted into a strange smile at Lü Jun and Yan E. Grand Eunuch Lü Jun was stunned. The old man looked identical to Su Nan, but he was not Su Nan.
The old man before him looked exactly like the Su Nan he had seen at court. Not only had the Blackwater Terrace spies outside failed to notice, but even Lü Jun, standing this close, couldn’t distinguish them at a glance. Yet, Lü Jun knew instantly that this man was not Su Nan. He had met with Su Nan too many times; though their appearances were the same, their temperaments were markedly different. Su Nan was an incredibly dangerous man; getting close to him gave one the unsettling feeling of being near a viper. In contrast, this old man, though he looked sinister, lacked the intimidating aura that made Su Nan so fearsome.
Lü Jun’s voice trembled.
“You… you are Su Nan’s body double?”
The old man said.
“No. It’s quite the opposite. My master has always been imitating me.”
In that moment, Grand Eunuch Lü Jun felt a chill run down his spine, and at the same time, he was filled with admiration. Everyone knew that Su Nan disguised himself as an old man. He was actually only a few years older than the King, but he feigned old age, whitening his hair, drawing wrinkles on his face, and hunching his back to appear seventy or eighty years old. He had been doing this for so long that everyone began to think he had simply aged over time. Even knowing he was in disguise, it created a powerful suggestion in their minds. Everyone accepted his aged appearance and forgot his true face.
No matter how wide the world, finding a body double who looked exactly like oneself was incredibly difficult. Therefore, instead of finding a double, Su Nan had disguised himself to look exactly like his double. This old man was truly a remarkable figure.