Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Seeking an Audience
Gu Mosheng didn’t want this medicine used on him in the slightest.
But Jiang Ran clearly wasn’t going to listen to his advice.
So, after Jiang Ran dabbed the medicine on his shoulder and gave it a light flick, he became remarkably compliant.
Jiang Ran toyed with the small vial in his hand and asked,
"How do you and Li Feiyun normally communicate?"
"Too many prying eyes. The three major gangs attract too much attention, so we generally don’t communicate.
"However, Feiyun Stronghold always has people keeping watch within the city.
"Take now, for instance... If I don’t return by dawn, Li Feiyun will know something’s happened to me, no matter how cleanly you dispose of the body and cover your tracks.
"When it’s absolutely necessary to pass a message, he will send someone to leave a letter under the third stone in front of Yongsheng Inn.
"And they’ll leave a graffiti mark on the wall of the third house on East Street as a signal."
Gu Mosheng answered obediently.
"However, this method wasn’t originally arranged with me, but with the Qinghe Gang..."
Jiang Ran nodded.
"What is the purpose of your cooperation?"
"On the fifteenth of the seventh month, Shopkeeper Wan is inviting many experts from the martial world to gather at the Wan family estate.
"On this day, Li Feiyun wants to take Cangzhou Prefecture.
"He wants me to act as his inside man, create chaos at the gathering, and then have his men surround and slaughter everyone.
"Taking control of this so-called Heroic Assembly is the first step."
Gu Mosheng’s voice was completely flat.
Jiang Ran’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"And the second step?"
"The second step... is to cause chaos in the city.
"Using Shopkeeper Wan’s Heroic Assembly as cover, many of his men from the mountain will mingle with the crowd. Li Feiyun himself will be there, personally entering Cangzhou Prefecture.
"Once they have control of the Heroic Assembly, they’ll rush out. First, they’ll kill the Prefect, then they’ll incite chaos throughout the city—arson, murder—to overwhelm Cangzhou Prefecture’s defenses.
"Simultaneously, the third step is for the men from the mountain, ambushed outside Cangzhou Prefecture, to launch a coordinated assault on the city.
"With our group inside, coordinating from within and without, there’s no reason Cangzhou Prefecture won’t fall."
Gu Mosheng said softly,
"As for the Prefect’s whereabouts, it goes without saying. We’ve had him under surveillance ever since he arrived in Cangzhou Prefecture."
"We..."
Jiang Ran suddenly remembered something Cheng Jimo had said before.
"The previous Prefects who took office these last few years... you were the ones who got rid of them?"
"Cangzhou Prefecture only needs an obedient Prefect. As for the disobedient ones... there’s naturally no need for them to remain."
A silence fell between them.
Jiang Ran casually poured a cup of tea. Gu Mosheng’s expression changed.
"You want to poison me too?"
"Relax. You’re not worthy."
Jiang Ran took a sip.
"But based on what you’ve said, something doesn’t add up.
"This isn’t the first time you’ve conspired with Li Feiyun. This means... you have people both inside and outside Cangzhou Prefecture.
"If you want to take this city, why wait for a Heroic Assembly?
"The three major gangs—the Qinghe Gang and the Sunset Gang are practically his. If he wanted to make a move, Cangzhou Prefecture would have fallen long ago."
"...Because our past accumulations weren’t enough."
Gu Mosheng said,
"Even with the Golden Cicada Dynasty’s power in decline, they would still send an army to crush us at any cost if something like this happened.
"Back then, Feiyun Stronghold wasn’t so powerful. Even if we took the city, we couldn’t have held it.
"Among the three major gangs, Fan Yumou and I could crush the Three-Point Hall at any time.
"But doing so would inevitably attract attention, and with the slightest carelessness, our connection would be discovered... Therefore, these past few years have been mainly about stabilizing the situation.
"We focused on stabilizing our positions within the city while expanding our power outside the walls. We were waiting for the right moment to strike like lightning."
"And now, the time is ripe?"
"I don’t know..."
Gu Mosheng shook his head.
"The Grand Chieftain says it’s ripe, so I suppose it is.
"Ever since he began cultivating the Blood Cauldron Scripture, Feiyun Mountain alone is no longer enough to satisfy him."
"After cultivating the Blood Cauldron Scripture?"
’A question suddenly surfaced in Jiang Ran’s mind.’
"How did he obtain the Blood Cauldron Scripture?"
"...I don’t know."
Gu Mosheng shook his head.
"One day, he suddenly summoned me and Fan Yumou to meet outside the city.
"And he gave the Blood Cauldron Scripture to us.
"Then he told us that whether we practiced it or not was our own decision.
"It’s a sinister martial art; I didn’t want to practice it at first... but Fan Yumou was incredibly interested.
"The next few times we met, he sang its praises and invited me to cultivate it with him.
"I couldn’t resist, so I secretly went to the Qinghe Gang to practice it with him and Fan Jiwu.
"That’s how I ended up with some of the Blood Cauldron Scripture’s power..."
At this, he looked up at Jiang Ran.
"The Blood Cauldron Scripture is extraordinary. You only beat me because my foundation in it is shallow.
"The Grand Chieftain, however, is far more skilled than me... If you insist on fighting him, you will surely die."
Jiang Ran nodded, noncommittal.
After a moment of thought, he scanned the room, then dragged a trunk out from a corner.
Jiang Ran opened the trunk and, to Gu Mosheng’s utter confusion, stuffed him inside.
"You... what are you doing?"
Gu Mosheng’s voice came from inside.
Jiang Ran sighed.
"I can’t handle this matter alone anymore. I need to take you to see someone."
With that, he took out a small vial, pried open Gu Mosheng’s mouth, and poured its contents inside.
Gu Mosheng’s eyes flew wide. ’You said you wouldn’t poison me! You said I wasn’t worthy!’
The thought had barely crossed his mind before his consciousness faded.
Once Gu Mosheng fell silent, Jiang Ran hoisted the trunk onto his shoulder and leaped away.
After a few twists and turns, he arrived near the Government Office in no time.
He closed his eyes and focused his hearing, quickly getting a grasp of his surroundings.
He carefully skirted the watchmen’s gazes and vaulted into the Government Office compound through an unguarded spot.
Having arrived here, his movements became much faster.
Navigating a twisting path, he soon found himself outside a particular room.
He pushed the door gently. It didn’t budge. Bolted from the inside.
Jiang Ran set the trunk aside, drew his saber, and slid it into the crack of the door. He guided the blade upward until he met resistance, then gave it a gentle flick.
With a soft CLICK, a gap appeared in the doorway.
A man was sound asleep on the bed, completely oblivious to what was happening at his door.
Jiang Ran stepped inside, walked to the bed, and clamped a hand over the man’s mouth.
The man, startled by the sudden attack, began to struggle.
Then, Jiang Ran’s voice sounded in his ear:
"Steward Liu, don’t panic. It’s me, Jiang Ran."
"Mmph mmph mmph?"
Steward Liu froze. He forced his eyes open and stared. Upon recognizing Jiang Ran, he relaxed slightly, but his gaze remained filled with confusion and wariness.
Jiang Ran gave a wry smile and released his hand.
"There are prying eyes everywhere. Please forgive my methods, Steward Liu. I’ve come to request an audience with the Lord Prefect."
Steward Liu sat dumbfounded on his bed... ’He’d never met someone who requested an audience by sneaking in at midnight and clamping a hand over his mouth.’
’Is that what you call a request?’
