The Price of a Corpse

“Clink!” The two cups knocked together, then quickly tilted as their contents disappeared down Hong Da and Li Huowang’s throats.

The table was a mess of scattered dishes, thanks not only to the two men but also to Li Sui, who had been the most dedicated participant.

She had only brought her mouth, and she was using it to full effect.

“Brother Erjiu, do you know why I helped you with this?” Hong Da’s face was flushed red as he leaned in, raising his cup.

“Because we’re brothers in the Supervisory Heavenly Office,” Li Huowang said, clinking his cup against Hong Da’s.

“Ha! We were brothers with that Heart-Goon monk once too. And how did that turn out?”

“The truth is, I could tell from your handling of the Heart-Turbid that you’re a man of true character. I, Hong Da, am determined to have you as a friend. There aren’t many like you these days.”

As he spoke, a flicker of melancholy passed through his eyes.

“But, Brother Erjiu, since you’ve chosen the imperial route, we’ll probably see less and less of each other. If you ever rise to great heights, don’t forget you had a drinking buddy.”

Li Huowang watched the changes flicker across his face—a play of the Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings. “That may not be the case. Once I’m done here, I might very well stay on with the Office.”

“Oh? Go back? Why?”

Li Huowang glanced at Qiu Chibao, who sat nearby in tattered clothes.

“I’ll have time on my hands anyway. It would be a waste to let all my power sit idle. It wouldn’t be so bad to keep contributing to the world’s well-being.”

He didn’t know if Great Liang was doomed to repeat Great Qi’s fate. But whether for his own peace of mind or for some other reason, once all his personal troubles were resolved, he wouldn’t mind becoming a true agent of the Supervisory Heavenly Office.

“Heh. I didn’t think you had it in you. I figured a young fellow like you would be after power and status, which is why you latched onto the imperial family.”

Serving himself some food, Li Huowang asked casually, “Brother Hong, is the Celestial Overseer currently at the Office?”

He wasn’t asking idly. Now that he had Dice’s location, he needed to find someone capable of dealing with him.

The Celestial Overseer who had fought Dice in the palace was naturally his first choice.

Time was tight. The sooner Dice was dealt with, the better. Every extra minute was torture.

And since Hong Da was right there, it was only natural to ask.

“Which Celestial Overseer? Don’t forget, after the merger with the four Qi offices, we have two now.”

The words lifted Li Huowang’s spirits. Another potential ally against Dice.

“The one from Great Liang.”

“Why are you asking about such a big shot out of the blue? I’ve only been in the capital a short time myself. If you want information, you’d be better off asking Liu Zongyuan.”

“He may not be in the capital, but he has a specialty. He’s from the Moon Gate—his information network is far better than mine.”

Li Huowang nodded in agreement. “Yes. How could I have forgotten about him? Come, let me toast you again, Brother Hong.”

That night, Li Huowang and Hong Da talked late into the hours, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

It was almost dawn when Li Huowang and Li Sui headed home, still turning the problem over in his mind.

As they neared the house, Li Huowang looked up at Zhuge Yuan walking beside him.

“Brother Zhuge… what if I used the secret of the Upper Extremity Injection to find Miao Miao? Saved her first, then dealt with the rest?”

“Right now, I’m afraid that even if I ambush Dice and kill him, I’ll still never find her.”

Zhuge Yuan shook his head. “That won’t do. If Dice is not killed, you cannot save her. Even if you managed to bring her back, you can’t guard against a thief forever. There is only protection for a day.”

“Besides, Dice has already set his sights on you, and he is far more powerful than you. If you don’t seize this opportunity to eliminate him once and for all, the consequences will be endless.”

“…True.” With a creak, Li Huowang pushed the door open and led Li Sui inside.

The next day, though Hong Da had only said he would “give it a try,” his speed was far faster than Li Huowang had imagined.

“Ten years.” Fo Yulu stood behind Hong Da, arms crossed, his face cold, speaking a single number.

“I trade a whole Heart-Element corpse, and all I get is ten years of use for the Taixu Sword? Are you kidding me?”

Frowning, Li Huowang slapped the large jar he had just dug up.

“What? Did you think one Heart-Element corpse was enough to trade for a Heart-Pan? Heart-Pans are far rarer than Heart-Elements. And don’t forget—you took that sword from me by force! You have no right to haggle!”

“Hah. And what if I do haggle? Counting time, you say? Fine. One hundred years.”

“You’re asking for death!” A gilded Buddha statue, no bigger than a thumb, crawled in and out of Fo Yulu’s robes.

“Lord Recorder, there’s no need for that. If we’re going to negotiate, let’s do it properly. We can talk things out.”

Seeing the situation turn sour, Hong Da quickly stepped between them, playing peacemaker.

Both men respected Hong Da enough to hold back, and though the atmosphere remained tense, it never boiled over into a fight.

Under Hong Da’s mediation, both sides eventually compromised: one Heart-Element corpse in exchange for twenty years of use of the Spine Sword.

To prevent Li Huowang from pulling any tricks, Fo Yulu had the transaction officially guaranteed by the Supervisory Heavenly Office.

Inside a screen partition at the Office, Li Huowang pressed his thumb into the red inkpad and then left his print on several sheets of paper.

Seeing the faint smile curling at the corner of Fo Yulu’s mouth, Li Huowang knew the other party had come out ahead in this deal.

But he didn’t care. Twenty years was fine. In twenty years, his cultivation would have long since reached its peak.

And if he was still alive by then, he’d probably be ready to retire anyway.

At worst, in twenty years, he could trade another Heart-Element corpse.

Taking the contract from the eunuch, Li Huowang clasped his hands toward Hong Da. “Brother Hong, until we meet again.”

Hong Da returned the gesture with a bitter smile and followed Fo Yulu out from behind the screen.

Left alone in the partitioned space, Li Huowang unstrapped the Spine Sword from his back and examined it closely.

“At least this problem is solved. Now I can use this sword openly in Great Liang without having to hide it anymore.”

Just as he began to unwrap the cloth bindings, his heart suddenly tightened. Someone!

In the next instant, he swung the Spine Sword to his left with full force.

“Clang!” Two fingers, their nails long and manicured, caught the blade as if made of iron.

When he saw who the fingers belonged to, Li Huowang’s brow furrowed slightly. “Eunuch. I trust you’ve been well.”

The man was the old eunuch from the palace, one of Ji Lin’s men.

The eunuch released the blade. “Aiyo! You’re the emperor’s favorite nowadays. How do you just disappear without a trace?”

“Where have you been lately? His Majesty has been looking for you all over. Couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“Ji Lin is looking for me?”