Lord Ji listened carefully to Duke Wei’s doubts, then perused the documents seriously and said, “I mentioned Song Zining alongside the Marquis of Boxiang’s son because of this very reason!”
Duke Wei thought of Zhang Boqian and Lin Xitang, then his thoughts turned to Wei Qiyang and Song Zining. He recalled that someone had told him that Wei Qiyang seemed to have a tense relationship with Song Zining due to Yin Qiqi. Finally, he reviewed the relationships and positions of the Song, Wei, and Yin families in the court, drawing a sharp breath even with his status as a duke.
Master Ji finished reading the documents and said, “Song Zining has an unusual fortune, and even I find it hard to see through. Either he is exceptionally gifted, or he has practiced some kind of secret technique, or perhaps both. Since he entered the line of succession for the Song clan due to mastering the ‘Three Thousand Floating Leaves’, it must be the case.”
“Marquis Yiguang came specifically to see him, but it seems he wasn’t quite satisfied with Song Zining’s character.”
Master Ji sneered, “Though young, Song Zining has achieved success in his secret techniques; how could he be so easily seen through? Your Grace should have noticed that he never used his full strength, only showing himself in two areas: battlefield command and gambling.”
Duke Wei pondered and nodded, “What deeper meaning do you see in this, Master?”
Master Ji thought for a moment and said, “I hear that the direct descendants of the Song clan have always had difficulty producing heirs due to their bloodline, yet they have maintained their power for a long time, suppressing collateral branches. But look at Song Zining, being chosen to marry into the aristocracy shows his awkward position within the clan. I suggest that if Your Grace truly has plans, consider the marriage conditions carefully, and perhaps think about dividing the family!”
Upon hearing this, Duke Wei’s expression changed, and there was a moment of silence in the study.
Dividing the family is a matter of great importance for any family, and a clan like the Songs would need to report to the Imperial House. If Song Zining, a direct descendant, could grow strong enough to establish a new branch, this new line would certainly rank above the existing collateral branches. The path would be difficult, but the benefits would be significant.
Duke Wei slowly said, “It’s a pity that Song Zining is already engaged.”
Master Ji smiled silently, savoring another sip of tea. Duke Wei was clearly intrigued; this statement was just for show, for the aristocratic marriage was trivial compared to such benefits. Moreover, it would not be without benefit to the Song clan. In the long term, a separated branch might threaten the main family, but for the next few decades, if Song Zining could indeed grow to the point of leading the clan, dividing the family would minimize internal strife.
Duke Wei changed the subject, “You didn’t mention that Thousand Nights, who performed excellently in both combat and drills, and possesses the top-tier talent ‘Dawn’s Awakening’.”
Master Ji chuckled, “Is Your Grace testing me? This young man cannot be used, for three reasons. First, his high talent has been exhausted by the Thirty-sixth Cycle. Whether as a warlord or a normal person, his potential for growth is depleted. His original force glows like the Morning Star, but it lacks the true potential for further advancement. He will likely only become a general.”
Duke Wei nodded, deep in thought.
“Second, his wild nature, born in the abandoned lands, makes him unruly and unaware of proper conduct. He offended Zhao Junhong and sparked a conflict between the Yin and Song families. Regardless of their intentions, the matter started with him. Such a person might be a good blade, but at your position, finding a good blade is easy. The hard part is finding the hand to wield it.” Master Ji laughed, “And third, he is now under the Yin family, and the young people of the Yin and Song families are in dispute over him. You wouldn’t want to meddle in the squabbles of the young, Your Grace.”
Duke Wei joined in the laughter, bowing, “Well said, thank you, Master, for your wisdom.”
Thousand Nights woke up after a day and a night, but the feeling of depleted original force immediately changed his expression. It felt as if countless ants were biting every vein and organ, causing a constant itching, pain, and discomfort, and a sense of impending emptiness.
He had forcibly pushed the Thirty-sixth Cycle of the original force tide, and the aftereffects were clear. There were many small wounds in his body, but fortunately, his organs were not irreparably damaged, which was a fortunate misfortune.
All his blood energy was in a state of extreme weakness, with the golden blood energy reduced to about half its original size. The ordinary and purple blood energies were as fine as wisps, deeply dormant in the depths of his heart. Only the golden blood energy, accustomed to operating independently, moved listlessly around his heart.
After checking his body, Thousand Nights breathed a sigh of relief and slowly sat up.
“Are you awake?” A maid, napping by the bed, woke up and called out excitedly, “Captain Thousand is awake! Go notify Miss quickly!”
The maid helped Thousand Nights sit up and brought over a tray of food, kept warm, for him to eat.
A moment later, Qiqi rushed in.
Seeing Thousand Nights, her eyes brightened, and she climbed onto his bed unceremoniously, touching his cheek and praising, “Brilliant! You made me proud! I can’t believe your Dawn’s Awakening was so powerful, defeating Zhao Junhong’s Flowing Silver Sword Finger!”
Thousand Nights managed a wry smile and said, “If he hadn’t kept it at Level Five, I wouldn’t have won.”
“Of course, Level Five against Level Five. Zhao Junhong is much older, and it would be shameful to take advantage of you!” Qiqi said, matter-of-factly.
But Thousand Nights knew the truth. Apart from the golden light, his Dawn’s Awakening was nothing like it. What truly defeated Zhao Junhong was the Thirty-sixth Cycle of the original force tide.
Recalling the final blow, cold sweat broke out on Thousand Nights’ back. If not for the golden blood energy mixing with the original force tide, he would not have been able to push the powerful tide to thirty-six cycles, and the backlash alone would have injured him severely. But why did the golden blood energy enhance his control over the dawn original force?
Qiqi smacked Thousand Nights, asking, “What are you thinking? You look a bit dazed after your injury.”
Thousand Nights, unable to laugh or cry, said, “My victory was a stroke of luck. If he had blocked my final blow, I would have been severely injured. In truth, I couldn’t win him now.”
Zhao Junhong’s combat ability was comprehensive, with no obvious weaknesses. After observing Thousand Nights’ fighting style, he insisted on battling in Thousand Nights’ strongest area, leading to close combat and then a nearly immediate transition to an original force duel. From Zhao Junhong’s secret techniques, it was clear that his unarmed combat had the range advantage of short weapons, allowing for more tactical combinations.
Qiqi shrugged, “You’re too honest. You won, so stop thinking so much.” For her, once the rules were set, winning was winning.
She pointed to a pile of items the maid had brought in, saying, “Look at your reward!”
Qiqi handed over a crystal box and a plaque, saying, “Zhao Junhong left this morning. This is the second-place prize for the drill. You can collect your reward from Duke Wei’s treasury. The box contains medicine for injuries, better than what I have, and half of it has already been used on you.”
Seeing the crystal box, Thousand Nights’ expression changed. The transparent box, three fingers wide, could fit in his palm, with a delicately carved rose on its surface. He had once owned an identical one, containing three high-explosive silver bullets.
Qiqi, not noticing Thousand Nights’ reaction, turned and picked up a regular sealed box, saying, “This is an extra reward from Director Wen for your talent test, supposedly an original force potion chosen based on your condition. I didn’t dare use it, but I had it checked, and it’s safe, though caution is still best.”
Thousand Nights took the crystal box, which now held a transparent, wide-bottomed vial, half-filled with a blue mist. He touched the box, examining each detail, comparing it to his memory, and asked, “Is this a mark of the Zhao clan?”
Qiqi shook her head, “The Yan Yun Zhao family’s crest is the Iron Cavalry. This might be something prepared for Zhao Junhong by someone in his family?” Seeing Thousand Nights’ interest, she also looked closely, suddenly exclaiming, “Manjushaka?”
Thousand Nights leaned over, taking another plaque from the tray, asking, “Is this my drill reward?”
Qiqi, distracted, said, “Yes, you did well. You can choose guns, equipment, and attachments. The details are here.” She handed a thick stack of documents to Thousand Nights.
He flipped through them, seeing hundreds of original force gun designs and over a hundred tactical attachments, along with various original force weapons. It would take half a day to go through it all.
“Let me know your choice as soon as possible, ideally by tonight!” Qiqi said eagerly.
Thousand Nights looked outside, surprised to see it was already evening, and said, “Isn’t that too rushed?”
Qiqi waved her hand, “I’m dying of boredom here. Finish the plan tonight, and we’ll submit it to Duke Wei’s workshop tomorrow morning!”
Just as Thousand Nights was about to speak, a commotion began outside, growing louder, sounding like a fight involving original force.
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