Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Book lovers are all in the discussion area, chatting about the charm of Xianxia novels.

Li Fu's face remained expressionless.

Wei Ying did not turn around, as if talking to herself.

"The young lady's life... was actually quite tragic."

She only told you that when the princess gave birth to her, she saw the moonlight shining on the snow, which was both desolate and beautiful, so she named her Zhaoxue (meaning "shining on snow").

But what she didn't tell you was that after the princess chose this name... she suffered a postpartum hemorrhage during childbirth, and despite all medical help, she passed away.

This resulted in the young lady never experiencing a single ounce of maternal love from birth.

Li Fu paused almost imperceptibly as he drank his tea.

"And the root of all this..."

Wei Ying's voice trembled slightly.

"All because His Highness the Prince of Chu spoke out for justice back then, which angered the Emperor, resulting in his entire family being stripped of their titles and reduced to commoners, imprisoned in the palace, isolated from the outside world, and with a butcher's knife hanging over their necks."

At that time, even the imperial physicians couldn't be summoned!

That's why the Princess Consort didn't receive timely treatment... She gave birth to the young lady with her last breath... but she herself...

"As the young lady grew older, she was unable to grow up with normal fatherly love."

His Highness the King of Chu was placed under even tighter confinement, and later he became... half-mad and half-insane.

Even when he is lucid, he is disheartened by the drastic changes he has experienced and has long since given up hope for family affection.

From a young age, the young lady received neither maternal nor paternal love.

During those days of heightened tension and rumors that the emperor intended to execute the entire Chu royal family, life in the household was... even more difficult.

"In the past, His Highness the Prince of Chu offended people, and even some princes in the palace secretly exerted their influence, causing the entire Prince's mansion to suffer all kinds of bullying and mistreatment."

In the dead of winter, there wasn't enough charcoal for a fire.

Her daily meals consisted mostly of rotten vegetable leaves and moldy brown rice... As a noblewoman of the royal family, even a full meal and a warm coat were sometimes luxuries for her.

For a naive young girl like her to see her father, who was imprisoned in a separate courtyard, and even to exchange a few words, all she had to do was rely on the elders of the Prince's Mansion to use gold and silver to bribe the guards...

Other members of the royal family were pampered and raised from a young age, and they never had any interest in such mundane things as gold and silver.

However, she had to realize the importance of gold and silver, and even valued them more than other children.

Because only when she had enough gold and silver could she see her father, her only remaining close relative in the world.

As Wei Ying recalled the past, a look of heartache and sorrow flashed across her face.

"The joy that ordinary children outside can freely go out to buy sugar figurines and eat candied hawthorns is something that Miss has never experienced."

She grew up in the confinement palace of the prince, where she heard and saw mostly indifference, ridicule, whispers behind her back, and gloating.

Imagine, how would a little girl view the world if she grew up in such an environment?

She would naturally value what can protect her—power and wealth—more than her own life!

Only by firmly grasping these things could she feel a sense of security, and protect those old acquaintances who had suffered the same fate as the Prince of Chu's household.

Li Fu put down his teacup expressionlessly.

"When she gradually realized that all the suffering she and her mother had endured stemmed from the consequences of her father's righteous words and chivalrous demeanor..."

How could she not feel resentment?

Especially when I think of my mother, whom I never met and who died because of my father…”

Wei Ying sighed.

"Therefore, Miss made a vow from a young age never to become like His Highness the Prince of Chu!"

Never be the kind and righteous person who can't even protect their closest loved ones and ends up with a broken family!

When others praised her father's past as a chivalrous king, she felt it was a huge joke; she would rather die than become like that!

"but……"

Wei Ying turned around, her eyes slightly red, and looked at Li Fu earnestly.

"Officer Li, in my opinion, Miss... is not a bad person at heart."

Can we really blame her for her obsession with power and wealth?

She lost her mother at birth, and her father went insane. During her childhood, when she should have been cherished the most, she never received a trace of warmth or love... What did she do wrong?

She owes nothing to anyone; on the contrary, the world owes her a great deal for all the things it has dealt her.

Li Fu remained silent.

"As for eliminating the twelve malevolent spirits,"

Wei Ying said.

"While the young lady certainly had the intention to acquire wealth, part of the reason was indeed due to His Highness Prince Xiang."

The King of Xiang was the young lady's uncle, and after she fell into misfortune, he was one of the few elders who genuinely cared for her.

King Xiang once took a liking to an official who was upright and capable, but the official was assassinated by the Twelve Fierce Ministers. King Xiang was heartbroken by this, and the young lady kept it in her heart.

Her claim that she would eradicate the twelve malevolent spirits was not entirely unfounded.

"As for recovering the wealth accumulated by those assassins... what's the big deal?"

Wei Ying countered, "Miss did not harm anyone because of this."

She simply lacks a sense of security due to her childhood experiences, and therefore values ​​money and power more.

Does valuing these things necessarily make someone an irredeemably evil person?

Besides, that gold was ill-gotten gains. Rather than letting it scatter and disappear or be obtained by others, why not take it and make it useful?

After the Chu Prince's mansion fell into ruin, dozens of elderly, weak, and servants struggled to make a living, all relying on the young lady to support them.

Wei Ying paused, looking at Li Fu's still calm profile, and said.

"As for you... although Miss didn't say it explicitly, I could tell that she... felt somewhat sorry for you."

This journey into the martial world also marks the first time she has truly left the royal palace.

She always said that she wanted to be the opposite of His Highness the King of Chu, that only by being selfish and calculating could one live better and longer in this world.

In my opinion, the young lady is just being stubborn; she's not the type to resort to scheming at all. She is a person of the heart; she rejects being a good person, yet she can't even be a good one.

Otherwise, why would I feel sorry for you after using you?

Wei Ying's smile was bitter.

"Actually, you were originally the target of the Twelve Fierce Constellations. She just... concealed some things and did not harm you. On the contrary, she accompanied you all the way and fought alongside you."

None of this would have happened. If Chenlong hadn't betrayed you, Miss could have made you her friend.

But now…

She said nothing more, mounted her horse, and prepared to leave.

Li Fu's expression remained unchanged. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke again.

"Take the token back."

Since you say her situation is so difficult, she should need this gold medal even more.

Wei Ying glanced at Li Fu one last time, seemingly thanking him for saying those words, and said...

"Keep the token. Miss told me to give it to you, so I won't take it back."

The horse neighed and galloped away, disappearing quickly at the end of the official road.

Li Fu was left alone at the tea stall again. The tea in the rough porcelain bowl was still warm. The birdsong continued in the distance, and a gentle breeze rustled through the roadside weeds.

He sat quietly for a while.

In the end, Li Fu looked at it for a moment, then reached out and picked up the imperial gold medal, putting it into his pocket.

He stood up, tossed a few copper coins onto the table, nodded to the stall owner, and walked towards his mount.

He mounted the horse, flicked the reins, and the steed galloped off again toward Pingliang County.

……

Two days later.

Pingliang County, located on the banks of the Wei River, should have been a bustling place with convenient water and land transportation and a gathering place for merchants.

But as Li Fu rode his horse into the city and walked along the streets, he vaguely felt a sense of oppressive and stifling atmosphere.

The streets weren't exactly dilapidated, but most pedestrians looked distressed, hurried along, and rarely laughed or chatted.

Although the shops along the street were open, business was slow. The shopkeepers and employees were mostly putting on a brave face, but their eyes were filled with lingering worry.

Li Fu led his horse slowly, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat desolate street scene, his mind racing with thoughts.

He came here to settle the score with Wang Chongyu for the assassination attempt he had been offered a bounty for.

If it weren't for the imperial gold plaque that Song Zhaoxue sent Wei Ying to deliver, his original plan would have been simple and straightforward.

"Under the cover of night, I will sneak into the Prince's mansion, subdue Wang Chongyu, interrogate him to confirm the bounty, and then settle the score with one stroke."

Afterwards, they would disguise it as a feud between江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) figures or chivalrous thieves eliminating evil, thus leaving behind their famous names.

"Wang Chongyu, a magistrate of the gardens and rocks, is a bully in the local area. He is bound to make many enemies. The number of people who wish for his death could stretch from the east side of the city to the west side."

At that time, it would be reasonable for a "chivalrous hero" to stand by and do his duty to rid the people of this scourge, or for someone else with a deep-seated grudge to assassinate him, leaving their name behind and recounting their grievances.

As for why he came to Weizhou... he originally planned to visit Wang Chongyu first to make peace and clear up the misunderstanding, but before they could meet, Wang Chongyu died.

Who can be certain that it was him who did it?

With so many enemies, go ahead and investigate. There are probably no fewer than a hundred people in the area who want to kill Wang Chongyu.

Of course, Li Fu knew that such actions might fool people for a while, but they might not fool those truly shrewd veteran investigators.

Especially if the imperial court is furious, it will send down the Embroidered-Robe Divine Constable, who is in charge of handling major cases.

Unless the other party is an idiot, they will definitely list you as one of the prime suspects and start searching for any clues.

But so what?

He didn't care much.

"If I can get away with it, I will continue to be my constable, using my official position in the imperial court to solve cases, apprehend criminals, and punish the wicked."

If we can't hide it, it doesn't matter.

Now, he possesses over a hundred years of refined internal energy, and his inner strength is so profound that it is unimaginable to ordinary people.

Anyone who wants to take him is welcome to try!

In any case, he would never wrong himself and let the person who wanted his life live a carefree and comfortable life in the world.

As long as he has a clear conscience, what does it matter if he ignores the law? He can live a life of pleasure and revenge.

"However, now that I have this imperial gold medal in my possession, I can change my plans."

Walking in the dark while masked means operating in the shadows. While it may result in killing, it lacks the thrill of the action.

"Since Wang Chongyu has such a long list of evil deeds, why not openly and honestly go and kill him?"

They dragged him down from his high official position, exposed his crimes in public, and stripped him of all dignity and respect.

Trampling him, who was once high and mighty, into the mud would be more painful for him than killing him.

It also allowed the people of Pingliang County, who had suffered so much at its hands, to witness its trial and execution, and even allowed those victims to vent their anger themselves...

Only in this way can we truly speak out for the wronged souls and vent the anger of the people. Wouldn't that be far more satisfying than ending it all with a hidden knife?

Of course, before that, it wouldn't be difficult for Li Fu to collect some evidence about Wang Chongyu's misdeeds and oppression of the people in the village.

He stopped in front of a slightly busier noodle stall, tied up his horse, ordered a bowl of noodles, and casually chatted with the elderly owner with gray hair.

"Old man, Pingliang County looks quite big, so why do the people on the streets seem so listless?"

But has something been amiss lately?

Li Fuming asked the question he already knew the answer to.

The old shopkeeper was wiping the table with a dusty rag when he heard this. He paused, looked up at Li Fu, saw that he looked travel-worn and like a passerby, sighed, and lowered his voice.

"Are you from out of town, sir?"

Sigh, is our Pingliang County... peaceful?

That's an old Chinese calendar from many years ago.

"Now, it's the Wang family's world; we're lucky to even be able to breathe."

"The Wang family?"

"It's the residence of Lord Wang Chongyu, the Stone and Flower Envoy, whom even our county magistrate has to curry favor with."

The old shopkeeper looked around and lowered his voice even further.

"Please don't speak loudly, sir."

This Lord Wang... sigh, he holds the power of the Flower and Stone Tribute, supposedly to search for rare and exotic stones, famous flowers and trees from all over the world for the emperor.

But when this job fell into his hands... it became a tool for extorting money from the land!

Li Fu said, "That's not surprising. Which flower and stone envoy in the world isn't like that?"

"That's true."

In Pingliang County and several neighboring counties, anyone with an ancestral heirloom of a rare stone, an old tree, or a garden with unusual flowers and plants will have their eyes opened!

He pointed to a tightly closed door across from the teahouse, where a plaque used to hang above the door, now only two empty nail holes remained.

"See that?"

The Chen family had a piece of green Taihu stone, taller than a person, left by their ancestors. It was said to have been admired by a famous scholar of the previous dynasty and had been kept as a family heirloom in their backyard.

Lord Wang took a liking to it and sent his servants to the door, saying that he wanted to requisition the tribute. He left five taels of silver and was about to take it away!

Old Master Chen couldn't bear to part with her and tried to stop her by saying a few words. Guess what happened?

His leg was broken on the spot by a vicious servant of the Prince's mansion!

The stone was forcibly carried away. The old man was both angry and heartbroken, and he passed away before even half a month had passed away... A perfectly good family, just like that, fell apart.

A middle-aged man who was taking a break while carrying a load of vegetables overheard this and couldn't help but chime in, his eyes reddening.

"It's not just the Chen family!"

My cousin's family... has an orchard outside the city, with two ancient plum trees that are over a hundred years old, passed down from their ancestors. Their flowers are especially fragrant and their shapes are beautiful.

Lord Wang said that this plum tree has an ancient feel to it and that he wants to transplant it to his garden to present to the Emperor.

On the day the tree was moved, men from the Prince's mansion arrived like wolves and tigers, completely disregarding whether the owner agreed or not, and forcibly uprooted it!

My cousin's wife cried as she tried to stop her, but she was pushed to the ground, her head hit a rock, and she died instantly...

My cousin went to argue with them, but was accused of obstructing the tribute of rare stones and was thrown into jail. A few days later, news came that he had died suddenly from an illness...

They left behind an eight-year-old child who now eats leftovers at my house and cries for his parents every day…”

The man's voice choked with emotion, and he couldn't continue speaking. He wiped his eyes hard with the back of his rough hand.

At another table, a young man dressed in a worn-out long gown, looking like a down-on-his-luck scholar, couldn't help but chime in with a cold laugh.

"Because of the flower stones?"

That is still something that can be verified.

Wang Zheliu, the young master of the Wang family, relied on his father's power to run rampant in the county, forcibly taking women and committing all sorts of evil deeds!

The daughter of Liu, the tofu seller on West Street, was only sixteen years old. She was pretty and had caught the eye of that beast.

In broad daylight, he ordered his wicked servants to break into the mansion and subject them to all sorts of humiliation!

Old Liu went to the county government to file a complaint, but instead he was beaten forty times and thrown out, accused of falsely accusing an official's relative.

The old man died two days after returning home, and the girl... the girl returned unexpectedly and threw herself into the well that very night!

One life, two lives—in their eyes, they're not even worth as much as a stone in their garden!