“What do you idiots know? If those two really have hooked up, then this official is not far from his own death date.” County Magistrate Liu knew very well that Cao Xiaochan had been framed and thrown into prison by him. If Cao really had hooked up with that high-profile imperial fugitive and come looking to settle accounts, what on earth was he supposed to do?
“My lord, that death row inmate has already been poisoned with snake venom, so there is a nine-out-of-ten chance he won’t survive.” The advisor also thought of the problem County Magistrate Liu was worried about.
“Even if he doesn’t survive, there is no guarantee that the fugitive won’t avenge him. As the saying goes, it is better to be safe than sorry!” County Magistrate Liu was panicked. He never could have imagined that such a fool would hook up with such a formidable imperial fugitive. That man must have had terrible eyesight; why on earth would he take a fancy to a piece of trash like that?
The advisor and Chief Wang looked at the county magistrate in such deep anxiety, staring at each other in a daze, not knowing what to do. They could only lower their heads in silence and wait for County Magistrate Liu to make his own decision.
“Advisor, what do you think we should do next?” County Magistrate Liu couldn’t think of a foolproof plan for the moment, so he looked toward the advisor, who always claimed to be resourceful.
“This… this…” The advisor was momentarily at a loss for words and didn’t know how to answer. County Magistrate Liu watched the advisor’s expression grow darker and darker, right as he was about to fly into a rage, a flash of inspiration struck the advisor’s mind, and he was struck with a sudden brilliant idea.
“In this humble subordinate’s view, since that death row inmate has already been poisoned, the person trying to save him will certainly seek out a doctor and medicine. We can follow the vine to unearth the melon.”
“But Advisor, we are completely helpless against that man. Even if we manage to find their hideout, it will be extremely difficult to subdue him.” Hearing this, Chief Wang felt troubled. Between all of them combined, they were no match for that man. Wasn’t this just asking them to walk straight to their deaths?
“Chief Wang, don’t be hasty. Since this person cares about that death row inmate, we can capture the death row inmate first and then use him to force the other into submission. That way, we won’t lose a single soldier. Isn’t that brilliant?” The more the advisor spoke, the smoother it flowed, and the more viable he felt his plan was. He was truly the smartest man in this county.
“The advisor’s words make sense. Chief Wang, why haven’t you made arrangements yet?” Hearing the advisor’s suggestion, County Magistrate Liu deemed it feasible. If the man didn’t seek out a doctor, it would prove that the relationship between the two wasn’t as close as they imagined, meaning he wouldn’t have to worry about Cao Xiaochan’s case being exposed. As for a court-wanted fugitive escaping from prison, that was simply a matter beyond his control; at most, he would receive a reprimand and a pay cut, but since he didn’t rely on that meager salary to make a living, it wasn’t a major issue.
Chief Wang, however, did not agree with County Magistrate Liu and the advisor’s overly optimistic notions. Based on his experience over the past few days, both of those men exuded an indescribable strangeness, and he had a hunch that the plan wouldn’t go as smoothly as planned. But Chief Wang wasn’t stupid; he wasn’t going to voice his doubts and invite trouble upon himself. He just needed to do his own job well.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yu was having a dream. It was a very long story, and he dreamed that he was Cao Xiaochan, living right in this space. The early history of the space and time he lived in was very similar to Chinese history, having passed through dynasties such as Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han, but things began to diverge during the Sui Dynasty. During the Daye era, Emperor Yang of Sui was not in a hurry to push through political reforms centered around the enfeoffment and noble title system; instead, he patiently waited for the right timing, carrying out gradual reforms to establish a peaceful, prosperous, and united political landscape, ultimately achieving the goals of strengthening centralized imperial power and expanding the social base of his rule. The trajectory of history began to change from this point onward, and Zhao Yu couldn’t help but surmise that Emperor Yang must have been a time-traveler, or perhaps reincarnated.
Yet every dynasty reaches its peak only to decline, and the Sui Dynasty ultimately fell as well. After passing through three more dynasties, it arrived at the current Mu Dynasty. The reigning monarch was named Fuyu Jingyu, the third emperor of the Mu Dynasty, with his capital established at Beiyan. His era name was Jingyuan, signifying the realm united under one, peace and tranquility. He ascended the throne at the age of eighteen and had now been on the throne for thirteen years. This young monarch possessed grand strategies and exceptional governing talents. During Fuyu Jingyu’s thirteen-year reign, the realm enjoyed peace, foreign states paid court tribute, and the economy flourished; he was a rare and enlightened ruler. Under such an environment, the lives of Cao Xiaochan and his master were peaceful and tranquil.
From the time Cao Xiaochan had memories, he had followed Master Zhang to learn carpentry, as well as reading and writing. His master said he was an orphan whom the master had picked up outside the city in a potter’s field. His name was also given by his master without any special auspicious meaning, chosen simply because a lowly name made a child easier to raise. The master never married throughout his life, having only him as someone close. The master treated him like a biological son, and he treated the master like a real father.
His master’s carpentry skills were excellent, so their household lived in relative comfort. While teaching him carpentry, the master also instructed him in making various mechanical devices and hidden weapons. Small-scale concealed weapons like sleeve arrows, slingshots, crossbows, back-mounted flower crossbows, foot-draw bows, and thunderbolt drills were all part of this. Whatever Cao Xiaochan casually crafted was more exquisite, meticulous, and immensely more powerful than anything found in the outside world. There was also a concealed weapon known as Death’s Grasp, which was finely crafted and possessed formidable lethality. It was similar in principle to the pear-blossom needle in the rain from novels, except that Death’s Grasp could be fired three times consecutively, releasing forty-nine needles each time. The needle bodies were as fine as ox hair, making them difficult to detect when piercing the human body, and impossible to force out even with internal energy circulation. Paired with poison, these needles truly lived up to their name of chasing souls and claiming lives.
However, none of these were the main focus. The true marvels the master taught Cao Xiaochan were large-scale mechanical engineering arts, specifically designed for laying siege to cities and defending fortified walls. Among these were the multi-bolt carriage, a massive mechanical device placed atop city walls that could simultaneously launch sixty large crossbow bolts and countless small ones, requiring ten operators. The tail of the ten-foot-long bolt was secured with a rope, allowing it to be rapidly reeled back in by a windlass after firing. There was also the revolving catapult, a large launching machine placed atop city walls. Measuring six feet long, it could be operated by two people; unlike the multi-bolt carriage, the revolving catapult was more agile, allowing one person to shoot arrows while another rotated the machine base. Then there was the battering-ram vehicle, clad in iron on the outside and partially buried underground, capable of projecting burning charcoal. Operated by multiple people, it was used to defend against enemy siege units, and so on. These were the ultimate weapons of war that every monarch dreamed of possessing.
At first, Cao Xiaochan was naive and didn’t understand the use of what his master was teaching him. It wasn’t until before his master passed away from illness that he told him they were the last surviving lineage of the Mohist School. The Mohist tradition had spanned a millennium, historically renowned for its mechanical arts, making its followers the constant targets of eager imperial recruitment in every generation. Yet failing to serve the reigning monarch meant utter destruction for the clan. Through all those years of transmission, the Mohist School had fallen from having disciples all over the world to its current plight, weathering countless storms of blood. The master repeatedly urged him to pass down the Mohist heritage, but to maintain a low profile and avoid letting others discover it, lest it attract greedy covetousness and bring about fatal disaster. He was told to wait until he found an enlightened monarch to serve, allowing the Mohist School to flourish anew.
After his master passed away, Cao Xiaochan took over the carpentry business, making woodwork for others to earn a living. Life continued peacefully in this manner until Wealthy Benefactor Niu invited him to his home to do some carpentry work. Seeing that the offered wages were generous, he went. After he finished the work, Wealthy Benefactor Niu praised his fine craftsmanship and invited him to stay for dinner as a token of appreciation. Cao Xiaochan suspected nothing and readily agreed. After three rounds of drinks, however, he lost consciousness entirely. When he woke up again, he found himself inside Scholar Zhang’s residence, clutching a long saber while Scholar Zhang’s entire family lay slumped in pools of blood, having perished long ago. Before he could even react, the bailiffs rushed in, and he was arrested on the spot.
Following his arrest, he refused to admit to the crime, and County Magistrate Liu prepared to use torture to extract a confession. This was stopped by the advisor, whose intention was to directly poison Cao Xiaochan to death, press his handprint onto a pre-prepared confession, and arrange the scene to look like a suicide out of fear of guilt. That way, they wouldn’t have to worry about the prisoner requesting a retrial within three months and causing unexpected complications.
In the end, Cao Xiaochan died harboring deep resentment, and the wandering soul Zhao Yu from another time and space entered this body. Zhao Yu saw the murdered Cao Xiaochan appear before him, bowing respectfully and hoping that he would clear his name of the grievance while fulfilling his master’s dying wish.