Chapter 460: A Royal Decree 5
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Lu Yan asked calmly while stroking his cat, “Was there no response that could be considered out of the ordinary?”
“There was.” Dong Jing thought for a moment and retold the report he had received from his subordinate word for word, “A very ordinary-looking middle-aged man had quite an odd expression upon seeing the particular jade tablet. He seemed a little excited, then appeared sneaky immediately afterward. We thought that he intended to steal it, but he ended up buying it openly.”
“Did you ask someone to follow him and find out what he wass up to?” Lu Yan asked.
Dong Jing answered embarrassedly, “We followed him, but he seemed to just be an ordinary fabric shop owner…”
Oh.
How ordinary.
Hang on…!!
Lu Yan suddenly gave a strong reaction and said furiously, “Dong Jing, you’re so stupid sometimes you make me want to kill myself.”
“…!!!” Dong Jing felt hurt as he was scolded.
Lu Yan blew up in his face and continued reprimanding him.
“What fabric shop owner?!
“Why are you so useless?
“Aren’t you aware that the Zhaixing Administration has spies all around the continent?”
Dong Jing let out an ‘ah’. Only then did he respond, “You mean that that person may be from the Zhaixing Administration?”
Lu Yan lowered his eyes and pondered hard for a while.
When he raised his eyes, he glared at Dong Jing fiercely.
Then, he turned around hastily. He tossed the white cat aside and went to look for Qi Qingyao.
He did not know what Qi Qingyao was doing in her room. As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted with an intense medicinal smell. Lu Yan rubbed his nose and sneezed.
He took a moment to adjust to the smell before walking into the room.
Qi Qingyao removed her apron and poured him a cup of tea.
After taking a sip of the tea, he said, “One of the jade tablets might’ve been taken away by someone from the Zhaixing Administration.”
“Taken away? What do you mean ‘taken away’?” Qi Qingyao did not understand the meaning of that phrase.
“I mean, it was bought!” Lu Yan retorted.
Qi Qingyao said in surprise, “Then, did nothing happen in Qingzhou City?” There must be some reason that someone from the Zhaixing Administration bought the jade tablet. “If someone from the administration bought it, it indicates that the administration recognized the pattern on the tablet.”
“Maybe they intended on handing it to the Head.” Lu Yan was fairly calm. He thought about it and said, “The Head of the Zhaixing Administration is too well hidden. We don’t know who they are—so I’m afraid it’ll take a while. For example, what if the Head is in Capital City? Then it’ll take time quite some time to reach him.”
Qi Qingyao thought for a moment and responded in disagreement, “I have a feeling that the Head of Zhaixing Administration is in Qingzhou City.”
“Why do you think so?” Lu Yan asked. Was there evidence for this claim?
“Everd since Si Jin killed Pang Juan and severely injured Gongsun She, the focus of the entire continent has been on Qingzhou City. No matter how the commoners view it, anyone with a bit of understanding about the situation will focus their attention here. Not only that, but if old Mr. Shang also decided to come here incognito…” Qi Qingyao raised her eyes and said, “Besides, didn’t you mention that you saw the Head of Wangyue Administration at the auction house before?”
“Yes.” A cryptic smile crept onto Lu Yan’s face as he responded, “Despite the Wangyue Administration being an institution that heavily values secrecy, the Head still came. The Wangyue Administration and the Zhaixing Administration have a somewhat concomitant relationship. The Wangyue Administration group who handled infiltration, as well as the direct informants, report to the Zhaixing Administration.”
“Huh?” Qi Qingyao was so shocked that her jaw hit the floor.
Lu Yan asked, “Why so shocked?”
Qi Qingyao pinched her thigh hard and asked, “Why would people from the Wangyue Administration report information to the Zhaixing Administration?”
“I’m not sure how to explain this to you.” Lu Yan scratched his head and began slowly explaining the situation to her — rumors he had heard when he was very young. “There was once a heavily exaggerated rumor spread among people on the mainland. It claimed that there was a terrifying underground training center called the Huangquan Training Center in Wushuang City. The Huangquan Training Center is known as the talent cultivating base of the Ghost Organization. They specifically scout orphans from all over the mainland, recruit them, and teach them various skills.
“Skills like literacy and arithmetic—and when they grow a bit older, they train the children based on their individual talents. Children with the ability to cultivate will be trained to kill people. Once they grow into adults, they’ll join the Xuanwu Administration to become expert assassins.
“Those who can’t cultivate will be taught to become doctors. These people grow up to join the Wanhua Hall and eventually become the best physicians.
“Or they use Tianluo War Chess to test the children’s ability to look at the bigger picture. Those children who show talent in strategizing are chosen to be the greatest counselors.
“As for those who enjoy studying gadgets and strange machinery, they will join Pili Hall and specialize in researching and inventing concealed weapons, methods of punishment, and expelling rebels.
“Those who excel in mathematics will join the Qilin Administration and take on the responsibility of handling the Ghost Organization’s finances.
“Lastly, the children who are born with sharp minds who are good at reading and deceiving people will join the Wangyue Administration, one of the largest institutions within the Ghost Organization. The Wangyue Administration will teach them in detail how to disguise themselves, infiltrate places, and go undercover. In addition, the children will be taught many occupational skills based on their characteristics, so they can quickly integrate into new environments.
“Some of the remaining ones who look so ordinary they wouldn’t attract attention when thrown into a crowd and can carry out tasks calmly will join the Zhaixing Administration. This is because the intelligence division requires people to seem ordinary so they can become handlers of informants from the Wangyue Administration. Upon collecting the information, it will be consolidated and handed to the Zhaixing Administration.
“However, I’m not entirely sure how true these rumors are. These are merely what I heard from the teachers who taught me when I was very young.”
…
…
Qi Qingyao stroked her chin in confusion. Her pitch-black pupils suddenly flickered, like a lone star in the sky on a cloudy night. She said, “Then wouldn’t the Wangyue Administration be doing all the hard work for others?”
Lu Yan’s misty eyes were sole black. “The different institutions of the Ghost Organization have a symbiotic relationship, so it can’t be simply summarized as one doing all the hard work for others.”
Qi Qingyao thought about it for a moment before coming to a sudden realization and saying, “I think the main reason for them doing this is because the group trained by the Wangyue Administration are very clever but aren’t able to see the bigger picture — so they can’t organize information. People with clearer minds are needed to lead them. Another reason is that the Ghost Organization wants to use the Zhaixing Administration to contain the Wangyue Administration.”
“You… Are you sure it’s your first time trying to understand the Ghost Organization?” This analytical skill… Had she really been an idiot before? Even Lu Yan was left speechless.
“Didn’t you just explain to me all the main points?” As long as she had enough information, she could give the most accurate assessment.
“Your analysis is rather accurate for someone who has just heard about this for the first time.” Lu Yan was a little shocked, then continued, “If only the Wangyue Administration were in charge of infiltration as well as controlling all the information, then their intelligence and infiltration abilities would surpass that of several big nations. Therefore, what you said about balancing the power is correct. The Zhaixing Administration will not have the power to control those who infiltrate, while the Wangyue Administration will not have the power to control all the information experts placed around the continent. It forms a kind of containment alongside preventing hegemony.”
Qi Qingyao, “…”
It was clear that the Head of the Ghost Organization was an incredibly smart person.
However, here was the thing.
If the Head of the Zhaixing Administration was in Qingzhou City, supposing?that the counterfeit jade tablet had been ‘deliberately’ taken away by the Zhaixing Administration, and there had veen no response until now… Was that not a bit strange?
Qi Qingyao could not help but say, “Based on your analysis at that time, the origins of that jade tablet should be very special. You presumed that my biological father was a powerful person and sent me away forcibly when he was on the verge of death! But here’s the thing, don’t you think it’s very questionable that the Zhaixing Administration is continuing to not take any action?”
‘Doesn’t that directly refute all of Lu Yan’s previous presumptions? My biological father is an ordinary man! That jade tablet also has no special origin! I’m not the young heiress of some family that has suffered a reversal of fortune!
Lu Yan lowered his eyes. His eyes were extremely dark, and he began thinking..
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