(I've been sick lately and feeling really down, so I haven't been able to respond to reviews or give out badges as much. My apologies, everyone.)

After the Snowy Landscape in the Fields.

The scent of tea lingered in the room, drifting through the quiet space. After a long silence, Haitang said softly, "I understand, Master."

Ku He didn't look at her face, smiling as he said, "Didn't Fan Xian ask you for the Tian Yi Dao's manual in his letter? Give it to him."

Give it to him? These two simple words shocked Haitang into raising her head in astonishment, unsure if her teacher was joking or had lost his mind—the supreme manual of Tian Yi Dao? That was a secret not to be passed down, and he was just going to casually give it to a powerful official in the Southern Dynasty?

Ku He smiled and said, "This was something his mother gave me, so it's only right that I return it to him… Besides, the stronger Fan Xian is, the more headaches the Southern Dynasty's imperial family will have. It fulfills my wish and benefits our state. Why not do such a win-win thing?"

Haitang's lips parted slightly, unable to speak for a long time. She knew what her teacher's true intentions were, and a chill ran down her spine.

This master and disciple only suspected the relationship between Fan Xian and the Ye family but were unaware of Fan Xian's other identity. They mistakenly believed that Fan Xian, after having his identity exposed, would only be a fierce tiger within Qing. Since the Ye family had vanished like smoke in the past, the Qing royal family would have to bear the greatest responsibility. In the eyes of the Northern Qi people, the stronger Fan Xian was, the more trouble Qing would be, and their own country would naturally be safer.

"Master, what if Fan Xian can't withstand this?"

All of the Ye family's assets had been seized by the Qing royal family. Logically speaking, once the news that Fan Xian was a descendant of the Ye family spread, the Qing royal family would definitely assassinate him as quickly as possible.

But Ku He shook his head and sighed quietly, "Those princes and nobles who overthrew the Ye family seem to have all died in the Kyoto Bloodshed Night more than a decade ago. I really can't guess how things will develop later. Does the Ye family still have enemies lurking in the Southern palace? Perhaps that blind man wants to use this matter to force those people to show themselves."

As the National Preceptor of Northern Qi, Ku He's primary concern was naturally the interests of Northern Qi, and the fate of that mother and son in the palace. As for what kind of predicament Fan Xian would face, it was not in his consideration. The old man smiled and said, "Even if Fan Xian can't withstand the upcoming impact, with the blind man standing firmly behind him, even if he fails, it won't be easy for him to die."

Just using the Tian Yi Dao manual to gain such a powerful enemy seemed too risky, especially since her teacher's words indicated something terrifying—the Tian Yi Dao manual was actually given to her teacher by Fan Xian's mother!

"What kind of person was the Ye family's daughter?" Haitang looked shocked.

Ku He frowned slightly, thinking deeply for a long time before softly saying, "At first, I thought she was a fairy untouched by the mortal world, but later I realized that wasn't the case…"

"A Heavenly Pulse?"

"Not a Heavenly Pulse." Ku He continued to smile and said, "The Ye family's daughter was a magical woman who far surpassed ordinary geniuses."

…

…

After a long time, Haitang respectfully saw National Preceptor Ku He out of the room, watching her teacher's bare feet tread in the snow. The young woman gently said, "Master, what about Lord Xiao En?"

In the snow, Ku He's figure paused slightly, and after a moment, he said softly, "He's with Zhuang Dajia. These two brothers were strangers in life, but they travel together in death, which isn't bad."

Haitang lowered her head, speechless, concealing her surprise. She only learned this today.

"These are things of the older generation. You young people have your own world. The manual must be… personally delivered to Fan Xian's hands." After saying this, Ku He stepped away and disappeared into the snow, his bamboo hat turned down, hiding his old and smooth head.

————————————————————————

In Cang Mountain Valley of Qing, a misty vapor arose from a vast expanse of white snow, and dozens of beautiful red-crowned cranes were spreading their wings and dancing, rising only a few meters above the ground before gently falling again, cautiously testing the waters beneath the mist, the hot springs surrounded by snow pines.

The hot spring water was just the right temperature, slightly scalding. Fan Xian closed his eyes, his upper body naked, soaking in the hot spring, his neck tilted back, resting on the hard, wet black stone beside the spring. Most of his body was submerged in the water, and the exposed skin was tinged with a reddish hue. His arms, though not thick, felt very powerful as they lay outstretched on the stones.

Two slender fingers rested steadily on his right wrist. Fei Jie closed his eyes, his eyebrows twitching, and his disheveled hair, dampened by the spring water, became smoother than ever before.

After being recalled to Kyoto, Fei Jie learned that Fan Xian had brought his family to Cang Mountain to spend the winter, so he came over. Today, master and disciple were soaking in the hot springs surrounded by snow pines, a truly luxurious indulgence.

"Your figure isn't bad," Fei Jie slowly opened his eyes, withdrew his hand from taking his pulse, the ominous brown color in his eyes growing deeper, "You can't tell when you're wearing clothes."

Fan Xian also opened his eyes and said with a smile, "The brothers in the Third Bureau have long praised my figure." He paused, then asked, "Teacher, is there any way?"

Fei Jie took a white towel from behind his neck, wet it in the hot spring water, and vigorously rubbed the somewhat loose skin on his face, not speaking for a long time.

Fan Xian sighed. Looking at his teacher's appearance, he knew that he didn't have a good solution for the explosion and disappearance of the true qi in his body.

"You refuse to take the medicine I left for you," Fei Jie sighed worriedly, "Why be so stubborn? If you took it, at most your true qi would be greatly damaged, but at least it wouldn't explode."

Fan Xian shook his head: "What's the difference between greatly damaged true qi and no true qi at all for me?"

"There's a huge difference, at least you'd still have the power to protect yourself."

Fan Xian laughed, his delicate face full of confidence: "I still have many ways to protect myself… You also know that I've never been a brute who conquered the world with martial skills. In the past, I could use my little tricks to fight Haitang. Now, although my true qi is completely gone, I don't think that if I encounter anything, I'll just be helpless and waiting to die."

Fei Jie stared into his eyes, sighing only after a long time, "You really are a little monster. For a martial artist, the importance of true qi is self-evident. Even if you have the Tiger Guards protecting you and the Sixth Bureau watching over you, you should still show some sadness and disappointment."

"Those are superfluous emotions." Fan Xian's mind flashed back to Wu Zhu's teachings when he was young, and he said quietly, "If it can't be cured, then I have to accept this reality. Sighing and lamenting won't help change the situation."

Fan Xian in the Cang Mountain hot spring was unaware that in the distant north, that pair of unfathomable master and disciple had casually confirmed his identity and wanted to use the exposure of this identity to stir up the Qing court and push him to the opposite side of the Qing royal family.

Regardless of whether Haitang would delay this matter, just the distance between the two countries meant that even if rumors flew fast, it was at least currently impossible for them to reach the Qing border. So, the background of the Ye family's descendant was not his greatest danger at this time, but the most troublesome problem for the completely unaware Fan Xian. He was now only focused on trying to restore the true qi in his body and heal the riddled meridian walls.

"Let it recover first," Fei Jie said after thinking for a long time, "I'll prescribe a method for you. Take the medicine according to the prescription, and don't throw away those medicines I left for you when you were a child. They'll still be useful."

Fan Xian was slightly surprised, thinking, now that his true qi was gone, what was the point of taking that disaggregation pill? In fact, Fei Jie didn't know what use it would be either, he just mentioned it casually, not expecting that Fan Xian would actually use it a long time later.

"I've been in Cang Mountain for half a month. I wonder how things are in Kyoto," Fan Xian said with a smile as he gently patted the slightly hot surface of the hot spring water, "You came from Kyoto, so tell me about it."

Fei Jie cursed, "You receive at least a dozen intelligence reports every day. Why are you asking an old man like me?"

Fan Xian chuckled.

Fei Jie said coldly, "You used the excuse of recuperating to hide in Cang Mountain, but you attacked the Cui family… Kyoto is already in an uproar. Hundreds of people have been arrested in the north, and millions of taels of silver's worth of goods have been seized. The crimes you pinned on the Cui family are also substantial. It seems that a great clan will be overthrown from now on. You're really ruthless, kid."

Fan Xian explained with a smile, "It's all for the sake of the court."

The Supervisory Council's declaration of war against Xinyang came unusually fiercely and suddenly, and the methods were extremely ruthless. The dark agents spread throughout the world had already tightly choked off the Cui family's smuggling routes to the north. The Fourth Bureau, led by Yan Bingyun, took action ferociously, not giving Xinyang any time to react, and had already controlled most of the people, goods, and money.

After all, Fan Xian was seriously injured, and the people of Kyoto knew that he was recuperating in Cang Mountain. Who knew that the ailing Commissioner would strike so abruptly and ruthlessly? This plan had been brewing since the summer and only began quietly after receiving His Majesty's tacit approval. With meticulous planning against carelessness, Xinyang suffered a great loss, even if it had considerable power in various prefectures and counties.

The most crucial thing was that Fan Xian had kept his thoughts hidden deep enough. Princess Li Yunrui clearly underestimated her son-in-law.

"This time, you've really offended the Princess terribly," Fei Jie shook his head and sighed. "The Cui family is one of the Princess's hands. You've cut off her hand. Aren't you afraid that she…"

Before he finished speaking, Fan Xian understood what his teacher meant. After thinking for a while, he said softly, "At first, I was worried, but after fighting with the Second Prince, I suddenly realized that I didn't seem to have anything to worry about. With His Majesty's secret approval and the Supervisory Council's vast power… who else in this world can contend with me?"

Fei Jie knew that Fan Xian was not a complacent fool, so he listened quietly to his student's next words.

"The resources I have in my hands are too powerful," Fan Xian sighed. "Neither the princes nor the ministers in the court are my match anymore. Director Chen once told me to aim higher. I now understand that this not only represents the future direction but also requires me to cultivate this kind of confidence… even the pride of being the Commissioner of the Supervisory Council."

"Now, there are very few people in the court who can contend with me…" Fan Xian analyzed himself expressionlessly. "The court is, after all, a violent institution. Apart from the army, no other department can compare with the Supervisory Council, and His Majesty has always had a firm grip on the military. This time, driving the Ye family out of Kyoto is a clear signal. Although the Princess also has her own forces in the army, His Majesty transferred Yan Xiaoyi away from Kyoto as early as the beginning of spring. What does Xinyang have to compete with me?"

From Danzhou to Kyoto, it had only been two years. In accordance with the changes of the times, with the efforts of Chen Pingping and Fan Jian… the comrades of his mother in the past, and with the tacit approval of the Qing Emperor, that young and handsome young master had acquired power in a very short period of time that was unimaginable to the world. Even he himself hadn't felt this power too keenly until he easily defeated the Second Prince in Kyoto, and he suddenly realized that he had underestimated himself too much in the past.

As long as the Emperor's favor did not wane for a day, as long as that old woman in the palace still thought that the young man was, after all, of the royal bloodline, and as long as Chen Pingping remained in the Chen Garden to retire and threw all the power of the Supervisory Council to him to play with… Fan Xian would stand firmly in the Qing court without worrying about any problems.

Fei Jie suddenly said, "Yan Xiaoyi is in the north. Didn't he take action this time?"

"The Zhengbei Camp is far away from Cangzhou, with countless brave generals in the camp and hundreds of thousands of soldiers…" Fan Xian sneered, "But they simply couldn't react. However, a few elders of the Cui family should have fled to the camp. The Fourth Bureau couldn't completely choke off the Cangzhou line."

Fei Jie looked at him and suddenly laughed, "Not bad, really not bad."

Fan Xian was finally humble for once: "I'm just someone who makes decisions. The fact that things can be done so beautifully is all thanks to Yan Bingyun."

Fei Jie laughed: "In just half a year, you've managed to pull Ruo Hai's precious son into your camp, making him painstakingly plan for you. You… are really not bad."

Fan Xian was silent, suddenly thinking of that Miss Shen, who should be playing mahjong with Wan'er and the others in the Cang Mountain villa at this time. He thought that after the Cui family's matter was settled, should he invite young Master Yan to come to the mountain for the winter as well? Thinking of the villa half a mountain away from the hot spring, his mood suddenly improved, and he pleaded with Fei Jie, "Teacher, please give the matter we talked about yesterday some serious consideration."

Fei Jie frowned, coughed twice, and said, "Such a beautiful young woman, you want her to follow me and study medicine… wouldn't that be too pitiful? Even if I agree, the Minister won't allow it."

"I'll talk to my father," Fan Xian pleaded, "My sister really likes medicine, so please put in some effort, Teacher."

Fei Jie cursed, "My name is Fei Jie, not Fei Xin (费心, exert effort)."

Fan Xian smiled broadly, knowing that his teacher's anger meant agreement.

After a long time, a trace of worry suddenly flashed across Fei Jie's eyebrows, and he said, "But have you ever thought about it? The Director and I are getting old. There will always come a day when we're gone."

Fan Xian was silent, and after a moment, he suddenly said, "I think the Director must have told you that I guessed my own background."

Fei Jie nodded expressionlessly, "At least until now, His Majesty… has been good enough to you."

Fan Xian didn't deny this. For an illegitimate child, the Emperor was "generous" enough to give him the Supervisory Council and the Inner Treasury. This kind of power, which even the princes could hardly possess, was enough to make up for the so-called issue of legitimacy in the hearts of ordinary people.

But the problem was that Fan Xian was not originally from this world, and what he required was actually simpler. He saw the problem in a simpler way—these two huge institutions originally belonged to my mother, not to your Qing royal family. You giving them to me is what you should do. If you don't give them to me, then you are shameless.

Fei Jie didn't know his naked thoughts, and sighed, "When you said in Danzhou that you wanted to be a doctor or a chef, I was actually very happy, but also a little disappointed. Miss's family fortune always needed you to inherit it. But now, seeing that you are about to inherit everything from her, I am a little afraid. I don't know if you will regret it in the future."

Fan Xian understood that his teacher was worried about what would happen if one day, the Emperor suddenly felt that his strength was too strong and posed a threat to the future heir. He smiled and comforted Fei Jie, "Don't worry, Teacher. At least in the next few years, I think His Majesty will trust my loyalty."

He touched the scar on his chest, which was still a little itchy. It looked even redder and more ferocious after being soaked in the hot spring today.

"Don't forget that she is the Empress Dowager's most beloved daughter," Fei Jie warned, "And she is a madwoman. She is not your opponent on the battlefield and will resort to some crazy means, just like what happened on Niu Lan Street in the past."

Fan Xian suddenly fell silent, and after a long time, he said, "Wan'er is in the villa, so she naturally won't take action. As for inside Kyoto… even if she wants to go crazy, she has to be wary of His Majesty. If she really wants to vent her anger, the best opportunity would be to kill me while I am injured and not under the Emperor's nose in Kyoto."

Fei Jie sighed: "It's good that you understand this."

Fan Xian said with a smile: "I'm not that easy to kill now."

—————————————————————

With a 'chih' sound, it was as if a pageboy had taken a knife to carefully cut open a piece of Xuan paper.

One *li* behind the Cang Mountain hot spring, on the pure white and crystal clear snow in the pine forest, a streak of bright red liquid suddenly flashed past, falling to the ground and quickly spreading and seeping down, the color difficult to erase.

An assassin clutched his throat, making a 'ho ho' sound, and collapsed to his death in the snow, making a muffled thud.

A swordsman from the Sixth Bureau of the Supervisory Council slowly withdrew the cold sword from behind a tree, bowed to Gao Da, who was a dozen feet away, and disappeared into the snow again.

"Seventh," Gao Da said with a somber face, his long sword still carried behind him. He said to his subordinate, "Burn it on the back mountain later."

"Yes."

Gao Da was silent. Recently, more and more assassins had been infiltrating Cang Mountain, intending to assassinate Commissioner Fan, and he knew where these assassins came from. The Xinyang side was indeed a little crazy. After the destruction of the Cui family, they had chosen the most direct means of retaliation… but unfortunately, they had clearly underestimated the defense force around Commissioner Fan.

The seven Tiger Guards were His Majesty's personal bodyguards sent to Fan Xian.

But in this small war of assassination and counter-sniping, the truly terrifying ones were the swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Supervisory Council. These swordsmen's main job was assassination. They were the official assassins of Qing, and now that they were facing the assassins sent by Xinyang in the snow mountain, they were naturally killing with incomparable skill, defending without any loopholes. In just three days, they had already killed seven assassins without any damage to themselves.

Gao Da looked at the touch of blood red on the white snow and sighed. He was an Emperor's guard in the palace, but only today did he realize that these Tiger Guards of his were extremely strong for frontal enemy interception, but when it came to assassination and protection, they were still a little inferior to those in the Sixth Bureau of the Supervisory Council.

As the leader of the Tiger Guards, he certainly knew that if these Sixth Bureau swordsmen were to fight him head-on, no one would be a match for him, but the problem was that assassins… never fought head-on.

Gao Da thought silently that if the assassin leader of the Sixth Bureau were to assassinate him, he probably wouldn't have the slightest chance of surviving.

After Fan Xian was injured, the level of defense around him had been raised several levels. Especially after Chen Pingping had a fit of anger, the Sixth Bureau of the Supervisory Council finally reacted with shame and directly deployed twelve swordsmen around Fan Xian – a specification that was previously only available when His Majesty was traveling. After His Majesty commonly used the Tiger Guards, only Chen Garden in the entire world would be so tightly defended.

Fan Xian didn't make any comments after knowing about this, but ordered the people of the Qinian team to withdraw most of them, and no one from the First Bureau was allowed to enter the mountain with him, leaving only Deng Ziyue and Su Wenmao to be in charge of contact. He regarded Chen Pingping's "rage" as a joke – you old cripple had someone stab me, and now you're scolding your subordinates for not protecting me well. You're extremely shameless.

…

…

While Gao Da was secretly marveling at the strength of the Supervisory Council, there were also people who had similar thoughts to him. The leader of the assassins sent to Cang Mountain by Xinyang was now wearing white clothes, hidden in the snow, cautiously watching all the scenery in the mountains.

He was a loyalist of Xinyang and had long ago handed over his life to the Princess. But looking at the previous scene, he couldn't help but feel a little chilled. It had been a full three days, not to mention assassinating Fan Xian, the Xinyang assassins couldn't even see Fan Xian's face! The successive silent deaths of his subordinates made this assassin leader have the intention of temporarily retreating for the first time.

Even if His Majesty's Tiger Guards were defending Fan Xian, he had enough confidence to try. Xinyang guessed that Fan Xian's injury was a little strange and estimated that he wouldn't recover in a short time.

But the problem was, the Supervisory Council, the Sixth Bureau, the official assassins, were too powerful. They seemed to be able to instinctively smell every unusual breath in the snow mountain and find all lurking danger factors. With such a group of people protecting Fan Xian, unless Xinyang sent an army up the mountain, they could kill him!

The assassin leader frowned, deciding to slide down the tree trunk and report the details of this failure to Xinyang. He was quite confident in his martial skills. As long as he made detailed arrangements targeting the Sixth Bureau of the Supervisory Council, he would definitely be able to kill Fan Xian next time.

His body moved slightly, and a snowflake drilled into his neck, slightly cool, then extremely cold.

A black iron awl accurately pierced his neck through the thick snow.