Chapter 1041: The Frostleaf National Master's Methods

Chapter 1031: The Grand Tutor Frost Leaf's Methods

“His letter seems respectful in its wording, but it’s actually quite brazen.”

Xi Yunhe dared not speak.

If even he could see it, how could Grand Tutor Frost Leaf not? He Lingchuan dared to protect the Spider Queen and subdue the Beijia team; wasn’t he banking on his “old acquaintance” with Grand Tutor Frost Leaf to de-escalate the conflict? No matter how respectful the letter’s wording, it couldn’t hide the fact that this young man had also manipulated Grand Tutor Frost Leaf.

Xi Yunhe thought for a moment, then coughed softly. “Speaking of which, he also went to great lengths to avoid a direct confrontation with Yu Zecheng. He didn’t want to put you in a difficult position.”

Yu Zecheng was sent by Grand Tutor Frost Leaf. He Lingchuan not laying a hand on Yu Zecheng himself, and maintaining civility on the surface, perfectly exemplified the principle of “hitting a dog requires looking at its owner.” He was careful about the boundaries. If he had also beaten Yu Zecheng black and blue, perhaps dislocating an arm or a leg, it would have been difficult for Grand Tutor Frost Leaf not to turn against him.

Grand Tutor Frost Leaf smiled faintly. “So, he did it to save my face?”

Xi Yunhe felt that Grand Tutor Frost Leaf’s words today were particularly difficult to respond to.

Fortunately, he didn’t need to rack his brains for a reply. Grand Tutor Frost Leaf briefly focused, then suddenly shook his head and chuckled. “Indeed. He Xiao is He Xiao; he always handles affairs so dependably.”

Even a clay Buddha has a temper, let alone the powerful and high-ranking Grand Tutor Frost Leaf. But this trace of anger faded in an instant, without clouding his judgment.

“Dependable?” This time, Xi Yunhe genuinely didn’t understand. Although He Xiao hadn’t killed Yu Zecheng, he had forced him to eat his own comrade and extorted a million taels of silver from him. So cruel, so brutal, so greedy—and yet Grand Tutor Frost Leaf praised him for being “dependable”?

Grand Tutor Frost Leaf glanced at him, as if seeing through the doubt in his heart. “Yu Zecheng’s humiliation was his own doing; he has no one but himself to blame.”

He thought he could throw his weight around everywhere, relying on Beijia’s prestige. Most of the time, acting like that might not be considered wrong. However, many Beijia people, including Yu Zecheng, failed to understand that respect must be earned. If he performed well, he brought honor to Beijia. If he performed poorly, he disgraced Beijia.

Grand Tutor Frost Leaf did not elaborate, merely telling Xi Yunhe, “Think it over; you’ll understand eventually.”

Xi Yunhe perceived cunning and humility in He Lingchuan’s letter to Grand Tutor Frost Leaf. However, combining it with He Lingchuan’s actions towards Yu Zecheng, Grand Tutor Frost Leaf discerned three additional layers of meaning:

‘On a foundation of mutual respect, I am willing to maintain relations with you.Yu Zecheng failed in his task and disgraced you. I knew it would be inconvenient for you to act, so I thoroughly taught him a lesson on your behalf.I also saved Beijia’s reputation, ensuring you weren’t too inconvenienced.Therefore, I helped you twice.Given all this effort and consideration, Grand Tutor, surely you’ll appreciate it?’

Grand Tutor Frost Leaf mused, “The young ones who’ve emerged in recent years are all quite interesting.”

Xi Yunhe pondered for a long time, then suddenly asked, “By acting this way, isn’t He Xiao afraid that someone in the Beijia imperial court will pursue this to the very end, no matter the cost?”

Grand Tutor Frost Leaf dipped his brush in ink. “There are a few people in this world who regard fear and worry as nothing, and traverse dangers as if on flat ground. They are not afraid of that ‘what if.’”

Always worry about the ‘what if,’ and you’ll never accomplish anything. The premise of mutual respect is, ‘I am not afraid of you.’

After completing the last stroke, he took a mouthful of tea and, with a puff, sprayed it onto the scroll.

That mist, imbued with centuries of cultivation, instantly brought the painting to life.

Xi Yunhe instinctively stepped forward, moved the scroll aside, and hung it to dry.

Grand Tutor Frost Leaf said casually, “Give this painting to He Xiao.”

“Ah, yes,” Xi Yunhe started. Sending a painting to He Xiao—did this mean...?

Grand Tutor Frost Leaf slowly paced to the window, gazing at the clear blue sky. “Begin the memorial.”

Xi Yunhe immediately went to the desk, took out a notebook, and dipped his brush.

This memorial was dictated by Grand Tutor Frost Leaf and written down by Xi Yunhe.

The beginning was elaborate and fluid, in Grand Tutor Frost Leaf’s usual style, detailing the various matters within his purview.

Then, it mentioned the Spider Queen.

“‘[She] has fled to the Yangshan Archipelago, residing deep within Mou Nation, where she received protection from Grand Tutor Wang Xingyi. However, before Wang Xingyi’s arrival, our side had already obtained Zhu Erniang’s testimony, candidly stating that the mastermind behind the scenes concealed their face and true appearance, and she did not know their origins or identity.’”

As Xi Yunhe heard this, his hand slowed. Grand Tutor Frost Leaf’s back was to him, but his dictation immediately ceased.

He quickly resumed writing, his brush flying, with only three words in his mind: How brilliant!

Grand Tutor of Mou Nation appeared in both Yu Zecheng’s and He Xiao’s personal letters. On the night of the hurricane, Wang Xingyi merely stood by, never personally intervening from beginning to end. But what did that matter? For Wang Xingyi, given his status, to appear in the Yangshan Archipelago at that specific time was in itself a strong endorsement for the archipelago, and in itself an obstruction to Yu Zecheng’s team’s pursuit of the Spider Queen! His attitude and stance were the key. What he actually did was, in fact, unimportant.

Having read both Yu Zecheng’s and He Lingchuan’s letters, Xi Yunhe was well aware that Wang Xingyi had provided no actual support to the Spider Queen. Yet, Grand Tutor Frost Leaf’s way of writing seemed faultless.

Wang Xingyi’s presence in the Yangshan Archipelago indicated he regarded He Xiao highly; and He Xiao, in turn, protected the Spider Queen. Didn’t that practically mean Wang Xingyi had shielded the Spider Queen?

What Xi Yunhe most wanted to applaud was that He Xiao’s name did not appear anywhere in the memorial—not once! It wasn’t even mentioned!

Grand Tutor Frost Leaf then instructed him to insert the Spider Queen’s testimony into the memorial—that single sheet of paper Yu Zecheng had written separately.

The mastermind behind the “Uproar in Heavenly Palace” wore a mask, and Ju Ju didn’t see his face. Since both Heavenly Palace and Lingxu City accepted this explanation, what was so surprising if the Spider Queen hadn’t seen him either? The person who orchestrated this operation was inherently defying convention, so it was normal practice for them to hide their identity.

Once this memorial was submitted, the responsibility for sheltering Zhu Erniang would fall upon Mou Nation and Wang Xingyi. Since they were an enemy nation and its Grand Tutor, how could the Demon Emperor possibly verify anything? As for He Xiao, he was completely extricated from this matter.

Xi Yunhe secretly gasped, having never expected Grand Tutor Frost Leaf to help He Xiao to such an extent.

However, upon reflection, only by shifting the blame to Wang Xingyi, the Grand Tutor of Mou Nation, could the Demon Emperor be prevented from further investigation. After all, Wang Xingyi was on the same level as Grand Tutor Frost Leaf, and not someone Beijia could easily control. Thus, the pursuit of the Spider Queen could be brought to an end. Grand Tutor Frost Leaf, who was originally responsible for this matter, could then dismiss it.

Truly, what brilliant tactics.

If one cannot resolve the person who created the problem, then resolve the problem itself.

Xi Yunhe also sensed a hint of helplessness in Grand Tutor Frost Leaf’s actions:

It had been less than a year since Grand Tutor Qingyang’s downfall. This woman had once held the top position among the four Grand Tutors, having painstakingly operated within Beijia for over a century. Her roots truly ran deep, and her factions were spread throughout the nation. Grand Tutor Frost Leaf had to fill the power vacuum she left and purge her “remnants.” A single year was hardly enough time.

Currently, Grand Tutor Frost Leaf was stirring up significant changes in the imperial court. Should he make even one mistake, a major one, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t face a backlash from Qingyang’s old factions.

Therefore, his immediate priority was to quickly consolidate his position.

What the future held was uncertain, but at this moment, Grand Tutor Frost Leaf most abhorred unforeseen complications. He needed to fully concentrate on overcoming his current challenges. This was a delicate juncture.

Had He Xiao, far away, also accurately grasped his situation and his psychology?

Xi Yunhe couldn’t help but ponder further.

Only after he had folded and put away the memorial did Grand Tutor Frost Leaf speak:

“He Xiao’s name should not be mentioned. He changed his name to ‘He Lingchuan’ in the Yangshan Archipelago. Do you know that over half a year ago, abnormalities reappeared in the Panlong Desert, and the Heavenly Palace’s Emissary He went to investigate, unfortunately perishing as a result? Afterwards, Lingxu City sent people to investigate the area and discovered that at the time, more than a dozen groups had entered the secret realm to compete for the Grand Square Flask. One of those groups was led by a general from Yuan Nation, and his eldest son died within the secret realm. Guess what his eldest son’s name was?”

“The deceased eldest son?” Xi Yunhe blurted out, “He... Lingchuan?”

Grand Tutor Frost Leaf gazed at the falling red leaves outside the window and nodded. “While there are countless people with the same name in this world, if this person’s name were to appear again in the memorial, especially in connection with Zhu Erniang, the Emperor would inevitably connect it to the Panlong Desert and the Grand Square Flask. Even if he couldn’t remember, someone would surely help him.”

In that case, the matter wouldn’t be easily dismissed.

Why would Grand Tutor Frost Leaf bother to make trouble for himself?

“However—” Grand Tutor Frost Leaf was about to say “but,” “although He Xiao will not appear in the memorial, we still need to investigate this person ourselves.”

If Grand Tutor Frost Leaf investigated himself, it would be flexible and adaptable.

Why did this person travel across the ocean to the rear of Mou Nation? Why did he purchase the Yangshan Archipelago? Why did he protect Zhu Erniang? All these questions could be investigated. It would simply require some time, effort, and manpower. These were precisely what Beijia and Grand Tutor Frost Leaf had in abundance.

Who would be suitable to send? Grand Tutor Frost Leaf already had an ideal candidate in mind.

He chuckled faintly. “Speaking of which, the explosion at the dock in the Yangshan Archipelago feels familiar.”

It was always moving before the enemy, preemptively striking by blowing up one’s own things before the opponent could act.

Xi Yunhe thought for quite a while before remembering the explosion that occurred just after Bai Ziqi returned to Lingxu City with He Lingchuan and others.

He had long suspected that He Lingchuan orchestrated it himself, and now, comparing the two incidents, he could largely confirm it.

“Interesting,” Grand Tutor Frost Leaf chuckled. “Under Wang Xingyi’s very nose, he still didn’t completely break ties with Yu Zecheng, indicating he still wants to play both sides and isn’t willing to fully commit to Mou Nation. Yu Zecheng has no idea that he’s already made a round trip to the gates of hell.”

“Such a person will not remain content and disciplined,” Grand Tutor Frost Leaf casually picked up He Lingchuan’s letter and burned it to ashes with a wisp of true flame. “His presence behind Mou Nation is far from a blessing for them. This is good. Ha, this is even better.”

There was now one more reason to keep He Xiao and the Yangshan Archipelago.

He changed the subject, speaking lightly, “Yunhe, where did Qingyang go?”

Xi Yunhe’s body stiffened slightly, but he quickly replied:

“It seems she went to a small nation in Beijia’s southeast to live in seclusion.”

“You haven’t let it go yet?” Grand Tutor Frost Leaf sipped his tea.

Xi Yunhe remained silent, rolled up the dried painting, and tied it with a thin string.

A maple leaf floated in through the window. Grand Tutor Frost Leaf picked it up and examined it closely:

“When you let go, you may leave.”

“...Yes.”

“And also, tell Yu Zecheng to pay the ransom and come back quickly. He’s just making a fool of himself there. He’s no match for He Xiao.”

—End of Volume One of ‘Bailie’.