Chapter 32
Xu Pingzhi was touched by his daughter’s concern for his nephew. After 20 years of mediation, he was glad to see the relationship among the younger generation had improved despite his wife’s persistent dislike for Xu Qian.
Xu Pingzhi took the sleeping Xu Lingyin from Xu Lingyue and said reassuringly, “Ningyan has been released. Everything’s fine now.”
Xu Lingyue did not believe her father—he would willingly lie to console his daughters.
With a hint of distrust, she turned to her brother.
Xu Xinnian said coolly, “It was a small matter.”
Xu Lingyue believed him. Her second brother was a proud man who would not lie about serious matters.
One of the low-level officials reported the news to Magistrate Zhu. who then quickly made his way to the side hall.
“How did you settle the issue with Nobleman Zhou?” The news came as a surprise to Magistrate Zhu. He figured Xu Qian was done for unless the young nobleman decided to rescind the charges, which was unlikely to happen.
Xu Xinnian said, “I asked my mentor for help.”
‘I see.’ Magistrate Zhu nodded. However, the courts were mostly made up of officials from the Imperial College. Everyone knew the Imperial College and the White Deer Academy were at odds with each other.
Although Xu Xinnian’s mentor was an established Confucian scholar, the Minister of Justice would not willingly release a prisoner at his behest. There would be a round of wrangling before Minister Sun would agree to a compromise.
“Elder Mubai was also there.” A pause. “And the Imperial Astronomers.”
“What?” Magistrate Zhu was shocked. Then, he schooled his face and said, “Like father and son. Congratulations! Your son’s intelligence impressed the elders of the White Deer Academy and also the Imperial Astronomers. He has a good future ahead of him. How I wish I had a son like him.”
‘Brother has dealings with the Imperial Astronomers?’ The thought comforted Xu Lingyue. She turned to stare at her brother.
An unmarried girl relied on her father while a married girl relied on her husband. These were the two main pillars of a girl’s life.
While at home, the older brothers were also a source of support.
Xu Xinnian shook his head and clarified, “Elder Mubai came on his own accord to meet my brother. The Imperial Astronomers were also my brother’s connections.”
Xu Qian and Elder Li Mubai from the White Deer Academy? Perhaps Xu Xinnian pulled some strings and arranged a meeting. What about the Imperial Astronomers? How did a lowly constable gain an ally there?
‘Impossible!’ Magistrate Zhu was perplexed.
Xu Qian had been working in the county courts for more than a year. The young man was quiet and predictable, with an average relationship with his peers at work.
He was good at roughhousing but nothing else.
However, a perceptible change had taken over the young man. He became a charming, smart talker who got along well with the other constables.
Nevertheless, it did not explain his connections with the Confucian elders and the Imperial Astronomers.
Magistrate Zhu wondered, ‘If all this is true, Xu Ningyan is not your average constable. I should treat him better. I’ll get some answers from him in tomorrow’s roll call.’
Xu Lingyue’s animated eyes widened in disbelief.
Her mind connected the dots—it was the goodbye poem he composed for Xu Xinnian that gained him a favor with the Confucian elders.
What about the Imperial Astronomers? Xu Lingyue found her eldest brother to be more mysterious as the days passed.
…
Xu Qian walked with Song Qing along the corridor. The walls to his right had holes that allowed sunlight in.
There were no windows in the Observatory which was regretful as the vantage point would have offered a good view.
Soon, they arrived at a hidden chamber. Song Qing unlocked the room with a key and proceeded to light the candles within.
A variety of artifacts were displayed in the chamber. Xu Qian could make out some to be weapons while others befuddled him.
Xu Qian entered the room and examined the artifacts. Suddenly, he jumped back in horror.
“What is that?”
Within a large glass bottle was a weird-looking creature submerged in clear water. The creature resembled a cat but its skin was covered with hardened tree bark—in its center was a bulging callus.
The thing was alive as evidenced by the soft pulsating callus in its abdomen.
Song Qing explained, “This was originally a cat, I fused it with a tree to grant it the ability to regrow. It was almost a success. If you cut off its head, it will regrow in three days. The only weakness is its heart. Unfortunately, the cat had morphed into a tree. It can’t move or think and has to be kept in water.”
Xu Qian stared at the man and thought, ‘Are you the devil?’
“What do you think of it?” Song Qing asked tentatively. When he saw the frown on Xu Qian’s face, he was disappointed.
“You disagree with my methods too?”
Xu Qian schooled his expression and shook his head. “Such practices have occurred to me. I’ve pegged them as hybridization techniques, though I have to admit, your methods are a bit different from mine.”
‘Hybridization,’ Song Qing processed the term. His eyes lit up.
“I believe we should start from the small things. Hybridize creatures of the same species. For example, we can crossbreed two different types of cats and see the results,” Xu Qian said.
“What will that produce? A different animal?” Song Qing questioned.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’ll be a better breed or a worse breed. But alchemy is all about the unknown, wouldn’t you say so?”
Something in Xu Qian’s words agitated Song Qing. “You called it alchemy! Alchemy!”
Xu Qian was startled by the man’s outburst. “What do you mean?”
“In my opinion, alchemy touches upon even the living. Hence, I performed the transformations on this cat. However, my mentor disagrees. He said life does not fall under the jurisdiction of alchemy and so, he forbids any practice that involves a living creature.”
‘A master stroke by the Principal Imperial Astronomer.’ Xu Qian put on a look of concentration and said, “I think the matter is not black or white and only time can tell.”
After a moment, Xu Qian continued saying, “If you wish to go against the Principal Imperial Astronomer but avoid punishment, I can give you some advice.”
At that point, Song Qing already regarded Xu Qian as his accomplice. “Go on.”
“You can begin with plants, they are living matter but possess less vibrancy. I came across something in the ancient text that will suit your practice…”
Xu Qian trailed off.
The dramatic pause made Song Qing anxious. He glared at Xu Qian with his swollen, bloodshot eyes. “Come on, spill it.”
“Brother Song has quite a collection here. The first law…” Xu Qian said.
“I know, I know. I can give you three items. Based on your alchemy skills, I believe these gifts are befitting.” Song Qing was not against the law of equivalent exchange.
He believed it even.
“This crossbow is handmade by me. The transmutation process was highly difficult, making it impossible to mass-produce despite being stronger and more resistant than its iron counterpart. The crossbow string is a weave of silks procured from the Poisonous Six-Eyed Spider of the southern borderlands and the Rainbow Silkworm. A stealth shot can take down a Qi expert’s Qi protection but not a martial artist at maximum Qi state.
“But the most priceless aspect of this crossbow is its enchantment. The enchantment will only sustain three shots but it’ll greatly boost your attack, allowing you to damage even a divine-class expert.” Song Qing ended his detailed explanation.
Xu Qian stared at the crossbow. ‘Was this a magic weapon?’