Sitting beside Gewu in the small and dimly-lit room, Iron Guardian broke the silence: “Your Emin-”
“I know what you want to say,” Gewu flicked a hand up and stated. As he lowered his hand, he lamented, “No matter what you think, I can tell you he isn’t His Majesty Shaman Monarch. He admitted he’s an imposter.”
Besides Moyan Luohou, who sat in the corner to fiddle with his blade, Gewu’s two trusted aides on either side of his desk, in addition to the two clerics he summoned from the rear mountain, were confounded about Gewu’s reaction to Ming Feizhen’s deed rather than the deed.
Moyan Luohou didn’t have any restrictions placed on him, but he never involved himself in any of the faith’s affairs as usual. It was as if his only connection to the living was his next target.
“His admission is… It’s hard to sum it up in one sentence. Either way, you saw what he is capable of from his slash. If he can scar a mountain, imagine what he could do to human beings. He blackmailed me with the lives of Shaman Monarch Palace, so I had to capitulate.”
Gewu’s recount of what led to Ming Feizhen demonstrating his might had everyone frowning. “Although he is strong, he isn’t unimpeachable. The only concern is him taking over as Mount Wanyu’s legitimate administrator. My concern is that he will evangelise my followers. Know thy enemy and thyself, and thou shall be invincible. I promised not to interfere for the next three months, which means that we have three months to find his weakness. I summoned you two back for that reason.”
The erudite elder sporting white attire responded, “It has been twenty years since I set foot in the Central Plain. You have been the one keeping up with the news while I have been secluded on Mount Wanyu. You can infer what sect he is from according to his techniques.”
White Cleric spent fifteen years studying in the Central Plain on orders to expand their knowledge and establish an intelligence agency there. He could be considered Gewu’s intelligence section chief and decree centre.
“Based on your description, the young man with white hair’s style is unconventional, and he clearly possesses strength beyond human limits. It is unthinkably difficult to force someone in his league to reveal his true skills. Fortunately, this old one was able to glean something from the young man Moyan Changping fought.”
“Please enlighten us.”
“He utilised Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, a discipline passed down in Beggars Sect, and Empty Palms from Mount Daluo. In the Central Plain, they say, ‘Three fists, five palms, one sword, two broadswords.’ He can’t be a nobody if he is a practitioner of those two styles. The only person this one can think of in the Central Plain who could wield both disciplines is rank one of Seventeen Wyrms, Ten Thousand Miles Dragon Rider, Hong Jiu. He is the second disciple of Mount Daluo’s patriarch. Aside from being famous for his martial prowess, he is also respected for his strong sense of justice and major accomplishments. His whereabouts are often unknown as he is frequently moving about.”
“… Mount Daluo? That reminds me… In the ancient records that I read, one of the three places that was found happens to be Mount Daluo. That explains how he knows about what’s in Nieyao.”
“Your subject has an idea!”
“Speak.”
“People of the Central Plain refuse to modernise, so they are bound to not resonate with our various rules and regulations, but they will have to abide by them if they wish to run it. If he modifies them, he will incite conflict. We need only trap him in a dilemma to undermine his standing with our followers.”
“Oh? Tell me more.”
***
“Further in. Further in. I had to fetch the chair from afar, carry it down and then carry it back up. Show some respect, will you? Yes, right there. Ol’ Ge’s? Chuck it off the mountain, and see what happens for now.”
As the new ruler of Shaman Monarch, I had an obligation to ensure my throne was placed in the right spot. The desks and tables were thrown out. The spring poems and “joy” stickers needed to be plastered on the walls. Even when decorated, the palace couldn’t hold a candle to Liu Shan Men’s main courtyard. There were so many problems that I’d never get around to all of them. And don’t get me started on the darkness. We’re humans, not bats. Hence, I had the followers light up enough candles to recreate daylight.
“Don’t just pile up all the paintings and antiques in the throne room; it’s inauspicious. Send them all to my room. Just replace them with the “blessing” stickers. If you run out, go ask Second Boss for some more. He’s writing them up outside.
“Chef, what are these? They’re not sweet, not sour, not bitter… What is this? There’s not a single acceptable dish among these thirty-odd dishes. Do you know what delicacies are? Shoulders.”
“Shoulders?”
“Should-ers. Braised pork shoulders. To be a qualified chef for Shaman Monarch Palace, one must grasp the sublime dish. Go do some research on it.”
I kicked over a spittoon in my way: “Man, what’s a spittoon doing here? How much dung is stuffed in here? Don’t you empty this crap?”
“Your Majesty, it is a decoration ornament. Nobody has used it before.”
“Yeah right. How come it’s so heavy?”
“It is made from gold.”
“Say what?”
A spittoon made of gold?! You corrupt, thrifty scumbags!
“Did you just dispute my judgement? You think I’m stupid? Someone has clearly shat in it more than once! I’m not faulting you. Take it too my room. I’ll inspect it tonight. If it goes missing, the onus will be laid upon you.”
Once the follower had gone off to my “bedroom”, I shook my head and added, “What a disgrace.”
Glossary
“Joy” and “blessing” stickers – Image Link This is just the “blessing” stickers, but you get the gist of it (just different characters). This is just a few variations of the stickers. They could be just a yellow character against a white sheet, one with fancy borders and so forth. They’re most commonly seen during festive periods.
