Noticing that Ye Fan had gotten serious, Su Yi realized this was no laughing matter. He straightened his demeanor and solemnly asked, "What news?"
Ye Fan set down his teacup, took out a bundle of tied-up dossiers from his sleeve, and began detailing recent developments. "A few days ago, the spies under the Storm Listening Pavilion reported that a group of mysterious and highly skilled martial artists suddenly appeared in the jianghu.
"At first, I didn't pay much attention. It wasn't until another report came in a few days later that I realized that this matter might not be so simple."
Su Yi took the dossier, unfolded it, and began reading carefully. Ye Fan continued, "Recently, several renowned martial artists in the jianghu have been targeted and killed.
"These include prominent figures from various sects, such as Liao Zhengfeng of the Cloud Hawk Sect, the Eight Heroes of Benlu Town, Wu Lan the Sword Immortal of Snow Ridge, Zhou Ersi the Master of Flying Dragon Stronghold, Wang Yanzhang the Lord of Flying Sand Fortress, and Lin Echan, the apostate of Jialan Temple."
"I'm not part of the jianghu," Su Yi interjected, "I'm not familiar with any of these people you just mentioned."
"These are by no means the only ones who have died." Ye Fan shook his head. "The ones I mentioned are all highly skilled figures in the jianghu. Lin Echan, in particular, was renowned for his abilities.
"Since you don't understand what this means yet, let me mention someone you might have heard of."
Hearing this, Su Yi looked up at Ye Fan expectantly, waiting for the spymaster to continue.
Ye Fan let the air still for a second and finally said, "Shi Wufeng, the Sectmaster of Xuanfeng Valley..."
Hearing a familiar name, Su Yi's expression finally changed and he cried out, "He was killed too?!"
Ye Fan shook his head. "Not quite... but he is still bedridden from his severe injuries."
Su Yi gasped. "Are these mysterious people really that strong?"
Ye Fan sipped his tea and said calmly, "To accomplish that, they are not to be underestimated. What makes them truly remarkable is their identity."
Su Yi raised an eyebrow. "You've already figured it out?"
Ignoring Su Yi's question, Ye Fan continued, "These people killed so many martial artists, yet they never did so through open challenges. They always struck from the shadows. As far as I know, Shi Wufeng was ambushed by an arrow while getting ready to sleep in his home.
"Fortunately, his martial prowess and the tight security of Xuanfeng Valley allowed him to capture the assassin alive. Unfortunately, the assassin committed suicide when escape was impossible. There was nothing on him that could prove his identity, but judging by his appearance... he was undoubtedly a native of Northern Qiang."
Su Yi slammed the table in shock. "A native of Northern Qiang?!"
Ye Fan nodded gravely. "Although I can't say for sure whether this is a coincidence, I prefer to consider the worst-case scenario... Could Northern Qiang be plotting something underhanded?"
A glimmer of calculation occasionally flashed in Su Yi's eyes, revealing his active thoughts. He muttered, "If this is truly Northern Qiang's scheme... what would they gain from killing these martial artists?
"You know more about matters of the jianghu than I do. What are your thoughts? Speak freely."
Ye Fan replied, "I can't yet discern Northern Qiang's intentions, but if these people were indeed sent by Northern Qiang... I suspect they are assassins from the Qihuang Society."
"The Qihuang Society?" Su Yi was puzzled as he had never heard of this name.
Ye Fan patiently explained, "They are private soldiers raised by the King of Northern Qiang. They are all highly skilled martial artists from Northern Qiang, and are unwaveringly loyal to the throne."
Su Yi pondered, "So they're Northern Qiang's hounds... If Northern Qiang is truly behind this, there must be a plot to harm our great Ruen Dynasty."
"Exactly." Ye Fan nodded. "That's why I came to see you today. The court is always slow to react to jianghu affairs, and this is a matter of great importance. I need your eloquence to bring this to their attention."
Su Yi suddenly turned to Ye Fan, looking at him with suspicion. "Your relationship with the court isn't exactly amicable. What good does this do for you?"
Ye Fan smiled slightly. "You're overthinking, Lord Su. After all, the Storm Listening Pavilion exists under the rule of the Chen imperial family. If Northern Qiang were to bring war here, it wouldn't benefit me in the slightest."
Su Yi snorted coldly, clearly unconvinced by his explanation.
Ye Fan didn't mind his attitude and changed the topic instead. "I've heard that things haven't been going smoothly for you in court lately?"
Su Yi abruptly turned and glared at Ye Fan. "You aren't the Storm Listening Pavilion Master for nothing! Do you have spies in the imperial court?!"
Ye Fan smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying anything. "Why must you be so wary of me, Lord Su? We both know that if I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't have personally escorted you out of the Storm Listening Pavilion back then."
Su Yi's expression wavered, as if uncertain of his thoughts. After a moment, his face relaxed slightly, and he sat back down.
Ye Fan sighed. "Studying and being an official are, in truth, two very different things."
Su Yi's gaze fell slightly as he said, "The court is like a deep pool. One misstep, and you end up drowning in its depths. It's ironic. I once thought that attaining a high position would finally let me realize my ambitions, yet I never expected the greatest obstacles to come from the very colleagues standing beside me in court."
Ye Fan chuckled. "If you have any grievances, Lord Su, feel free to share them. I'm all ears."
Su Yi turned to stare blankly at Ye Fan. After a moment, he sighed. "The court officials are divided into factions, and I rose to my position by luck, which makes many dismissive of me.
"They don't think I deserve the status of a first-rank minister. Every time I try to act, I feel constrained, unable to speak freely."
Su Yi took a deep breath. "The young Emperor is new to things, and many officials try to use their assistance as an excuse to monopolize power. Even with all my capabilities and the support of Eunuch Yue, we can't overcome the voices of the entire court.
"Some have even accused me of being a treacherous villain near the throne..." Su Yi let out a bitter laugh. "Heh... If they didn't see me as a fellow scholar, they would have already forced the Emperor to sentence me to death."
Ye Fan asked with some curiosity, "I didn't expect things to be this tough for you. But...what did you do to provoke such widespread animosity?"
A flash of sharpness crossed Su Yi's eyes. "It wasn't this bad at first. But a few days ago, I proposed during court that the emperor reclaim Qi Zongbi's military power."
Ye Fan suddenly understood. "No wonder!"
Su Yi's sharp gaze slowly dimmed. "Exactly. It started from that moment. As soon as I made the proposal, several officials immediately objected, claiming it would demoralize the frontier soldiers and risk rebellion.
"It was then that I truly realized Qi Zongbi, after more than a decade in the court, has entrenched his power deeply, weaving an impenetrable web."
Su Yi slammed his fist onto the armrest and said angrily, "But the military power must be reclaimed! Yesterday's military report said that Northern Qiang's forces have already reached Liangzhou Prefecture.
"Qi Zongbi might not return in time. If Liangzhou falls, troops must be sent to defend the capital. Who knows what Qi Zongbi might do if military power is still in his hands!"
Hearing Su Yi mention Liangzhou Prefecture, Ye Fan's expression also shifted slightly. He said, "I know a little about the situation in Liangzhou. Northern Qiang's main cavalry once tested the city's defenses, but it held."
"Then what if Northern Qiang's main army arrives? Can Liangzhou still hold?" Su Yi countered.
"Qi Zongbi has already sped up the pace of his army. As long as Liangzhou Prefecture lasts for a day—"
Su Yi waved his hand, cutting off the information broker. "Have you thought about it? Even if Qi Zongbi arrives in time, would he be able to defend Liangzhou either?"
Ye Fan opened his mouth but found that he didn't have an answer to the most important question.