Chapter 65: The Guardian Yin Deity of the Country!

My Lord... that fellow Zhang is completely impervious to reason.

After Zhang Rui and his companion left, in the inner hall of the Court of Judicial Review, the bodyguard by Deputy Minister Shen's side looked coldly in the direction where Zhang Rui had departed.

"It would be rather unlikely for him to confess upon mere questioning; I merely wanted to test the waters and gauge his background," Shen Yuan said, sipping his clear tea.

"Back then, he was clearly playing the fool. The princess consort died so miserably right at his feet, how could he possibly know nothing? At the time, we thought he was merely a useless piece controlled by the Lu family, but now it seems he has concealed his depths. Perhaps that past incident was related to him after all!"

"Yet there is no evidence," Shen Yuan said leisurely, taking a sip of tea. "Moreover, his behavioral logic is quite peculiar. He clearly possessed extraordinary methods back then, yet he deliberately feigned weakness, only to be banished to the northern frontier after receiving the Lu family's mark. To a typical reclusive clan, being assigned to such a remote place and wasting three years would mean their limited resources would have long been cut off to cultivate the next successor."

"The Crown Prince happened to meet his demise at Beihai, and the Painting Market is also located in that very region. Could that fellow have calculated all these events in advance?"

"Would My Lord like me to apprehend him for a secret interrogation?" the bodyguard lowered his voice to ask.

"When you went to invite him, did you catch a glimpse of the woman mentioned in the intelligence reports?"

According to the reports, by Zhang Rui's side was an expert capable of rivaling the palace's Eunuch Qin, someone even Martial Shepherd Yunzhou acknowledged was no match for.

"I wished to cross paths with her, but unfortunately, I did not encounter her," the bodyguard shook his head.

Shen Yuan sighed as he looked at him. "There are crouching tigers and hidden dragons in this world; you must never grow careless. Your intelligence is spotless, so avoid taking action unless necessary. Those sects participating in the Grand Tournament are no pushovers; the moment you make a move, the trajectory of your techniques will immediately be studied by numerous sects. The day of the Grand Tournament tests not only the abilities of the major sects' disciples, but also their intelligence-gathering capabilities."

"I know..." The other man smiled indifferently. "My Lord can rest assured; revealing a fraction of my skill will do no harm."

Shen Yuan shook his head. This fellow had everything going for him, except for being overly arrogant. However... he indeed had the capital to be arrogant.

"The miserable death of the princess consort is the greatest enigma of the top scholar case from those years. After all, it was initially believed that the case was a fatal trap designed by a certain noble family to seize the Grand Princess. The Emperor himself was so cautious at the time that he directly suspended the Grand Princess's marriage. Yet, the princess consort suffering the exact same manner of death seems to render this case far less pure. Perhaps many people were mistaken back then; that Cui Yan might truly be the key."

"Why do you say that?" The bodyguard sat casually in a nearby chair, picking up an apple and peeling it with a small knife.

"Word has it that the reason the princess consort appeared there back then was to meet Cui Yan."

"Pfft!!" The bodyguard laughed so hard he nearly spat out his apple. "And here I thought My Lord was giving Cui Yan the cold shoulder all this time—so that was the reason!"

Everyone knew back then that the princess consort had been betrothed to the man before him.

"I treat many people with this attitude," Shen Yuan glared at him. "Do not make it sound as if I am settling a personal score."

"Yes, yes, yes..." The other man laughed heartily. "Then, My Lord, did you manage to test anything out today?"

"I could not detect any flaws in Cui Yan. Aside from being overly handsome, all his manifestations were identical to those of a mortal. As for that fellow surnamed Zhang..."

"What about him?"

"His performance was likewise identical to that of a mortal..."

"Huh?" The bodyguard was taken aback. "Surely not?"

"Normal practitioners harbor evil spirits within their bodies, and those evil spirits are uncontrollable. Even if one transforms into a Yin deity, there will still be some fluctuations. But he has none. There is nothing on him—he is as clean as a mortal."

"That shouldn't be..." The bodyguard rubbed his chin. "Could the intelligence reports have been entirely wrong?"

"They shouldn't be entirely wrong..." Shen Yuan rubbed his chin as well. "It's just that his methods might be too profound, involving some secret arts unknown to us. There is one more point that concerns me."

"What is it?"

"Just now, while I was paying attention to him, the majority of his attention was not on me."

"Then on whom? Could he be wary of me?" The bodyguard asked in confusion. "I should have concealed myself quite well, shouldn't I?"

Shen Yuan did not speak. Instead, he glanced behind him. At that moment, the two of them were the only ones in the inner hall, and the space behind him was completely empty. Yet, the bodyguard felt his hair stand on end. "You don't mean..."

"In theory, it shouldn't be..." Shen Yuan looked toward the rear. He had observed several times just now, and that fellow surnamed Zhang kept glancing in that direction from time to time.

Others might not know what was in that spot, but he knew.

Every Nine Ministers' yamen possessed a Nation-Suppressing Yin Deity, and the Court of Judicial Review was naturally no exception. That was a true deity enjoying a millennium of national fortune; even at the rank of the Nine Ministers, once one stepped down, it would be impossible to perceive their existence. The reason the rank of the Nine Ministers was so sought after was precisely because, during their tenure, they could form a brief contractual relationship with the Nation-Suppressing Yin Deity, yielding immense benefits.

The true deity worshipped by the Court of Judicial Review was Tianlu, rumored to be one of the Ten Yama Kings of the Underworld. Its origins were likely known only to the founding Emperor. Over the millennia, it had suppressed countless evil spirits and was said to be the most difficult one to serve among the Nation-Suppressing Underworld deities. For two years, he had walked on eggshells, and the deity had never once cast a proper glance at him.

Yet just now, he clearly saw that Lord Tianlu kept staring at the fellow surnamed Zhang, and the fellow surnamed Zhang also seemed to look toward Lord Tianlu from time to time. When the two were exchanging glances at that moment, he felt like a neglected outsider.

Could it have been a coincidence?

Yet he felt that the other man truly seemed able to see it. And if seeing it wasn't enough, there was not a trace of awe in his gaze toward Lord Tianlu—it was as though he were appraising some novel artifact...

"Er'gou, I'm almost home..." Zhang Rui glanced at Cui Yan, who had been following him the entire way, and frowned.

"You dog, what on earth have you been up to all these years?" Cui Yan looked around in wonder. "This is Zhuzao Street! Back then, the two of us had to pool our money just to afford breakfast here, and you managed to rent a house in this place? Your wife truly is a master at business; she must have earned you a fortune over the years, right?"

"Ahem..." Zhang Rui looked at him suspiciously. This fellow had been tailing him the whole way—could it be that he still intended to freeload meals at his home?

"Hmm, renting a place like this must be for your wife's convenience so you can go to work at the yamen. The rent is exorbitant, so your family is probably stretched tight. But it's fine, I'm not picky; the two of us making pallets on the floor would do just fine."

Zhang Rui: "........"

He had still underestimated this fellow's shamelessness. Was he planning to sponge off him indefinitely?

"Didn't you rent a place of your own?" Zhang Rui asked with a dark expression.

"I originally planned to leave right after my official debriefing, but who could have foreseen running into this wretched mess? The court doesn't provide extra allowances, and living expenses in the capital are so exorbitant... You wouldn't plan on turning me away, would you?" Cui Yan looked at Zhang Rui with astonishment.

Should I be taking you in?

Zhang Rui's mouth twitched. With this devastatingly alluring appearance of his, who would dare lead him into their home?

"Husband?"

A familiar voice interrupted Zhang Rui's prepared refusal. Turning around, he saw his entire extended family of female relatives, with servants trailing behind carrying large and small bundles.

"Oh, Mother Feng, Sister-in-law!" Cui Yan immediately stepped forward with a smiling bow.

Zhang Rui was momentarily stunned. Cui Yan was smiling warmly, an expression completely different from the polite, artificial smiles he had worn earlier when facing those others. His bright, sunny disposition somewhat resembled how he used to be back then—and of course, amplified by this heaven-defying good looks, it made it even easier for people to feel favorable toward him.

"Oh my, is that Er'gou?" The old matron's eyes crinkled into smiles at once, as if she were genuinely delighted to see Cui Yan.

"When did you arrive?" Lady Luo also looked at Cui Yan with a smile.

"I only arrived yesterday, and today I ran into Big Brother at the Ministry of Personnel."

It is truly most comforting to stay with the Zhang family...

Looking at this family, Cui Yan's mood improved considerably.

The Zhang family was different from others. Ever since his appearance drastically changed, even his own stepmother looked at him with a infatuation that terrified him. Only the Zhang family remained entirely unchanged as before, including this Lady Luo who had married into the household later; she had never gazed at him with the foolish infatuation of other women, looking at him instead much like his eldest sister used to when he was a child.

Therefore, during those years when he returned to his hometown with Zhang Rui, he always liked to linger around their house. It seemed only within the Zhang family could he feel like he was once again the little Er'gou of his childhood.

"Mother..." Cui Yan lowered his voice. "I am a successful imperial scholar and an official now; I really shouldn't be called Er'gou anymore."

"Hahaha, yes, yes, yes! Our family's Er'gou is now Lord Cui!"

Lady Luo beside them covered her mouth with a light laugh, and young Zhang Meng chimed in to join the fun, "Brother Er'gou, what kind of official are you now?"

"Not as well off as your brother," Cui Yan said with a smile, tapping her forehead with his folding fan. "Your brother has managed to become a capital official, while I am still struggling as a wretched magistrate in some poor, desolate place."

"I knew it..." Zhang Meng curled her lips. "It seems you aren't qualified to marry this young lady after all."

"Hahahaha!" Cui Yan burst into hearty laughter, while the old matriarch beside them tapped her daughter lightly on the arm. "Such a young lady, speaking without a shred of modesty!"

Zhang Rui watched the scene unfold. While remaining outwardly nonchalant, his vigilance surged sharply.

This picture looked warm and harmonious indeed, yet it utterly defied logic.

Given Cui Yan's current appearance, even he found it somewhat difficult to endure, let alone female relatives. Along the way just now, even mares on the street had tried every means to sidle up to Cui Yan, yet his own family members seemed entirely immune to it.

He did not believe any talk of "getting used to it since childhood." Cui Yan had mentioned on the way here that even his own stepmother frequently pestered him. Why was it that only his own household remained so steadfast?

One or two might be dismissed as an exception, but even his fourth sister Zhang Meng, with her temperament, did not seem particularly enthusiastic about Cui Yan.

There was definitely something wrong here!

That junior minister of the Court of Judicial Review had said earlier that the so-called Princess Consort Jialin had died a tragic death right beneath the bridge where he and Cui Yan had been drinking.

At that time, he had been in an AFK state and naturally had no idea what had happened, but that did not mean the whole affair was unrelated to him.

He had a hunch that the deceased princess consort had been searching for Cui Yan, and her death was absolutely linked to him.

Cui Yan... was certainly not merely altered in appearance. There were other secrets hidden within him!