Chapter 68. The Clash of Two Geniuses

Flash.

Fenhua Shichang (分化十枪) opened his eyes on the bed and immediately reached out to grasp his beloved spear.

Even when resting, one must keep a thread of awareness open.

This was not a choice but a necessity for those who lived in the Jianghu.

It was no different for him, the protector of Nanhua Academy, Mr. Mo.

A faint sound came from the window.

There were two.

He silently went outside and surveyed the surroundings.

He circled the residence and checked the rooftops, casting his gaze far and wide. But strangely, he could not find any suspicious shadows.

He furrowed his brows.

‘Why is there no trace, even though I didn’t delay? The sound was definitely clear…’

Was it due to the storm last night?

The flute music had swirled around the Medicine King Gate last night as well. The melody from last night stirred his heart, bringing up various old memories, and before he knew it, he had spent the night wide awake.

And again, the flute music.

The tune was different from yesterday, but it was still heart-wrenching.

While the Medicine King Gate seemed to have a certain charm, more importantly,

A thought flashed through his mind.

‘By the window.’

Out of caution, his figure moved to the outside of the window where he had sensed the sound, and there he confirmed that his guess was correct.

Sure enough,

A folded letter was placed beneath the window.

‘A letter…’

He quickly looked around, took the letter, and went inside. From the situation, it seemed the sender had intentionally made a sound. The important thing was the content of the letter.

He hurriedly unfolded the letter and read it.

- To Nanhua Academy.

The Medicine King Gate has a dual commission.

Nanhua Academy is not the only one invited.

Four days ago, the heir of Tianhua Library arrived at the annex of the Medicine King Gate.

The handwriting in the letter was filled with urgency.

Fenhua Shichang furrowed his brows.

"Why go to such lengths…"

He set aside his doubts and immediately reported to Mr. Mo of Nanhua Academy.

Mo Ying stared at the letter for a long time before a look of interest appeared on his face.

"Hmm…"

Mr. Mo, who usually never showed a smile, had a smile that grew deeper on his cold face, making Fenhua Shichang feel uneasy.

Mo Ying spoke lazily.

"The Medicine King Gate is making things interesting."

"I couldn’t find the person who left the letter. Do you have any idea who it might be, Sir?"

Mo Ying looked at Fenhua Shichang.

"Isn’t it obvious?"

"Obvious?"

"Someone who wants to cause trouble for the Medicine King Gate."

Fenhua Shichang's eyes widened in surprise.

"Could it be an internal power struggle within the Medicine King Gate…"

"Otherwise, there would be no reason to reveal something that should be kept secret. And the Medicine King Gate is not in a normal state right now."

"How do you know…"

Mo Ying's words were so definitive that Fenhua Shichang couldn't help but be puzzled.

It had been more than ten days since they arrived at the Medicine King Gate.

During that time, Mr. Mo had only met the chief and deputy head of the Medicine King Gate on the first day, and then immediately secluded himself to decipher documents.

Fenhua Shichang had not even thought about gathering internal information about the Medicine King Gate. There had been no instructions or reason to do so. Yet, Mr. Mo spoke as if he knew everything about the Medicine King Gate, which was quite strange.

Suddenly, a thought came to him.

"Have you finished deciphering the documents, Sir?"

Mo Ying looked at him silently.

Then,

"Rest. I need to rest too. I have to meet the heir of Tianhua Library tomorrow."

"…"

'Why does he suddenly need to meet the heir of Tianhua Library?'

But Mo Ying looked both tired and angry, so Fenhua Shichang had many questions but couldn't ask again.

Fenhua Shichang bowed and withdrew.

Alone, Mo Ying gazed at the letter.

'To meet here, of all places. Well, this is better than the Heavenly Dragon Tournament.'

The size of the characters in the letter was uniform, but the words "heir of Tianhua Library" stood out.

Why?

Was it a competitive spirit?

Perhaps.

Mo Ying wanted to meet him soon. He wished morning would come immediately.

People often said,

The three great libraries are amazing, but among them, Tianhua Library is the best.

And the heir of Tianhua Library is unparalleled.

When he wanted to verify the reputation of Tianhua Library, a tragedy struck. Later, he heard that the heir of Tianhua Library had become a cripple.

He thought the opportunity was lost, but the recent news from northern Anhui was unexpected and surprising. His expectations grew, and fatefully, they met here.

He smiled brightly.

'I should thank the head of the Medicine King Gate.'

Thanks to him.

Whether the head of the Medicine King Gate was dead or alive, he had met the heir of Tianhua Library thanks to the coded documents left behind.

He didn’t care about the internal conflicts over the treasures of the Medicine King Gate.

He just wanted to,

'Show who is the best.'

That was all that mattered.

***

The next morning,

Longhua Qing headed to the annex, using a visit as an excuse.

But unexpectedly, the annex was unusually quiet.

"Where has everyone gone?"

Strangely, not a single member of the Heavenly Palace Pill Hall was in sight, and only the heir was strolling in the courtyard.

"They all went to hunt wild boars."

"Really?"

It was an unexpected answer, so Longhua Qing blurted out a confused response. If the question hadn’t been about the Heavenly Palace Pill Hall, he would have laughed and asked if it was a joke.

He quickly regained his composure and asked again.

"Wild boars? Why are they hunting them?"

"Ahem… They’re not raising them, of course."

"…"

That’s true, but…

Longhua Qing was again confused and looked at the heir.

If they needed meat, they could have just asked him; there was no need to go hunting. But the heir’s response made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal, leaving Longhua Qing speechless.

Sometimes, it wasn’t just the Heavenly Palace Pill Hall that was strange; the heir was a bit eccentric too.

Putting that aside,

Longhua Qing shook off the thought of wild boars and spoke.

"Heir, how is the progress? I heard you stayed up all night the other night."

"I was just about to see you."

"You don’t mean you’ve solved it?"

"I’m sorry, but not yet."

Longhua Qing let out a small sigh, his expectations fading, and asked about the matter.

"Then why did you want to see me…"

"Well, I haven’t been reading books recently, and my mind doesn’t seem to be functioning properly. Sometimes, when I read, unexpected inspiration comes to me. And inspiration is a crucial factor in deciphering codes."

Longhua Qing sighed again.

'Reading books at a time like this?'

The lack of urgency in his approach to this commission was disappointing.

But the other party was who he was.

Considering the aspect of inspiration, it was hard to refuse or blame him.

"Can I bring you some books?"

"Better yet, I’d like to see a variety of books at the library or the script hall. Of course, the chief must ensure that Mr. Mo of Nanhua Academy doesn’t find out, and I will be careful too."

Longhua Qing thought for a moment and nodded.

"Hmm, the library has its limits, so the script hall would be better. I’ll arrange for you to use the main hall’s library. However, access is limited to the first floor. You understand the reason, I assume."

The library had four floors.

The first floor housed general books and miscellaneous writings, but from this floor onward, it was filled with pharmacological texts, the Medicine King Gate’s specialties.

Longhua Qing also understood this.

It was a satisfactory response.

The floor he actually needed was the first floor of the library.

"Understood."

"Let’s set a time considering both our schedules. I’ll take my leave now."

"Please go well."

As he left, Longhua Qing shook his head.

'Wild boars and books…'

Why did he feel so disoriented and detached every time he came to the annex? He had no time to feel depressed. This place was still part of the Medicine King Gate, but after welcoming the heir and the Heavenly Palace Pill Hall, it felt like a different world.

Just as Longhua Qing was about to enter his office,

Unexpected good news arrived.

"Chief, Mr. Mo of Nanhua Academy wishes to see you."

"Mr. Mo?"

Longhua Qing’s eyes lit up with excitement.

'He’s done it!'

He was certain.

After the commission, Mr. Mo’s only request was to be left alone to focus without any interruptions or formalities. Now that Mr. Mo had come forward, it was safe to assume he had found the answer.

Longhua Qing rushed to meet Mo Ying.

"Indeed, it’s Nanhua Academy. I knew you could do it."

"Hehe…"

Mo Ying cleared his throat and continued.

"I might have given you the wrong impression."

"Excuse me?"

"I wanted to see you for a different reason."

Longhua Qing’s disappointment was indescribable, but he quickly composed himself.

"I see. I apologize. I jumped to conclusions. Please speak freely."

"Is the heir of Tianhua Library here at the Medicine King Gate?"

"Wh-What? How did you…"

Longhua Qing was so surprised that he lost all composure. He stared wide-eyed and stammered, forgetting to maintain his usual calm.

"I found out by chance."

"Mr. Mo, that’s…"

"Ah, I’m not blaming you. From the Medicine King Gate’s perspective, it’s a wise move. Preparing various strategies and responses is both natural and correct."

"So, the situation has become complicated. It wasn’t the original intention of the main hall."

Longhua Qing hastily explained the circumstances of the dual commission.

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

"If only there hadn’t been a problem with the messenger birds, there would have been no need to call the heir of Tianhua Library."

But the explanation wasn’t enough.

He also had questions to address. Longhua Qing looked at Mo Ying, gauging his reaction.

"However… How did you find out about the heir of Tianhua Library, Mr. Mo?"

Mo Ying glanced at Fenhua Shichang, who was standing beside him.

'Ah…'

For Longhua Qing, it was as good as an answer.

'Fenhua Shichang’s abilities are better than I thought. He must have been gathering information secretly all along.'

Even with strict measures to prevent leaks, there are always rats that hear the night talk. But it wouldn’t be wise to accuse him of rat-like behavior in this situation.

At that moment, Mo Ying spoke.

"I wanted to see you to request a private meeting with the heir of Tianhua Library."

"Excuse me? There’s no need to…"

"Who knows? Perhaps a conversation could lead to cooperation between our academy and Tianhua Library to solve the problem."

It made sense.

Longhua Qing nodded.

He didn’t want to upset Mo Ying in this situation.

Since the Tianhua Library side already knew about Nanhua Academy, there was no need for a lengthy explanation.

"Mr. Mo, it’s not possible right now. We need time."

"Of course. The heir of Tianhua Library is unaware of my existence, so it will take some time to explain the situation to them."

"It won’t take long."