Chapter Ninety-Five: Beneath the Pure Moon, Above the Frosted Moon.

Even the colorful-feathered rooster emerged from the shade of the trees, fluttering up onto the wall and crowing loudly, as if celebrating the reunion of the three brothers.

Liang Yu grinned widely, patting Fei Dacheng’s belly with a laugh. “Well done, Big Fool. It seems the White Jade Capital’s provisions are excellent, fattening you up nicely. Have you gained another twenty pounds?”

Scratching his head, Fei Dacheng chuckled in response, “Not bad, every meal has meat!”

The two of them laughed heartily together.

Seeing Fei Dacheng in good spirits, Zhong Ming’s eyes shone with satisfaction, his smile growing warmer.

Fei Dacheng turned to look at Zhong Ming, his smile faltering as he frowned and asked, “Brother Ming, how are the injuries from your Dan Mansion affair?”

Zhong Ming shook his head with a smile. “My wounds are no longer a concern; I have fully recovered.”

Fei Dacheng felt deeply guilty, muttering, “Brother Ming, I only heard about your trip to the White Jade Capital afterwards. Had I known you went there with General Yang, I would have risked everything to protect General Yang’s Silver Dragon Spear!”

Zhong Ming laughed and patted Fei Dacheng’s shoulder. “It’s a good thing you didn’t know. If you had risked your life just for the spear, I would have felt guilty forever.”

“Well, at least you’ve got a conscience, worrying about me,” Liang Yu said, patting Fei Dacheng’s shoulder with a teasing grin. “Since the three of us are together, let’s not talk about those unlucky things! Wait here, Brother Hei will bring some wine. The three of us won’t leave sober tonight!”

Since Liang Yu had experienced the exquisite sensation of intoxication, he had grown fond of drinking. Several jars of green bamboo brew were stored at home, and he would have been reluctant to open them if it weren’t for Fei Dacheng’s return.

But before Liang Yu could climb over the wall, two figures stepped down from a carriage.

The first was the eldest son of the Tian family, Tian Xingjian; the second was his loyal follower, Yichong Tian, a disciple once under Zeng Li.

Yichong Tian clung to Tian Xingjian like a branch, following him wherever he went.

As they entered the courtyard, Tian Xingjian flicked open his peach blossom fan and smiled. “Mr. Zhong, while your brothers are eager to catch up, I think Fei Junior should first complete the task his senior uncle assigned him. You can all catch up later.”

Behind him, Yichong Tian remained silent but cast a disdainful glance at Zhong Ming. He held no respect for a mere mortal who had never cultivated immortal arts.

Yet, Yichong Tian was shrewd. Seeing how courteous Tian Xingjian was toward Zhong Ming, despite his disdain, he held his tongue.

As for that senior uncle Fei, he was a figure even Yichong Tian dared not provoke. Though these two junior uncles had joined the sect late, their status was above his.

Zhong Ming furrowed his brow slightly, knowing this was not the time for drinking.

Still, he had to show his presence and thought to give them a warning. Raising an eyebrow, he quietly said, “Hei, bring the wine!”

Liang Yu did not grasp all the subtleties but sensed Brother Ming’s intention, having lived alongside him for over three years.

“Alright! Brother Ming, watch me—I have plenty of wine here!”

Swiftly scaling the wall, Liang Yu soon returned with several jars of green bamboo brew.

Tian Xingjian, a person of considerable standing, naturally saw through Zhong Ming’s small ploy. Smiling, he waved his peach blossom fan and said, “If Mr. Zhong lacks wine, I have an aged brew at my residence. I’ll send someone to deliver it later.”

“No need to trouble you, Young Master Tian. Such generosity is beyond what I can accept!” Zhong Ming replied.

He invited Fei Dacheng and Liang Yu to sit, poured out the tea, broke the seal on the wine, and began drinking heartily with them.

The three laughed and chatted, paying no heed to Tian Xingjian and his companion.

Tian Xingjian watched with a calm smile, unhurried.

But Yichong Tian grew impatient. Though clever, he only had petty cunning. Before a grand strategist, his impatience and shallow insight were evident.

Frowning, Yichong Tian whispered, “Uncle Tian, shall we wait like this? This Zhong Ming fellow shows no respect to our White Jade Capital!”

A few days ago, Zhong Ming and Yang Yanlang had forcefully broken into the White Jade Capital residence, suffering losses that Yichong Tian witnessed.

A disgraced general banished by the court and an ignorant village youth—what threat could they really pose?

At best, they were mere mortals, insignificant as ants beneath Yichong Tian’s feet.

Tian Xingjian glanced at Yichong Tian and asked, “Can’t stand it?”

Yichong Tian nodded, visibly annoyed.

Tian Xingjian, however, did not reveal that it was Zhong Ming who had enabled the Hidden Crown Prince to escape the border—an act that only he could have accomplished.

And now, Zhong Ming might be the future ruler of a nation.

Even if he were a puppet emperor, he was no match for a few second- or third-generation disciples of White Jade Capital.

This play must continue, but someone must take the fall.

Having weighed the stakes, Tian Xingjian closed his fan and whispered, “I dare not speak ill to your senior uncle, but perhaps you should step forward and exert some pressure to demonstrate White Jade Capital’s authority.”

Reassured by Tian Xingjian’s words, Yichong Tian straightened his chest and stepped forward.

Meanwhile, Zhong Ming and the others had already exchanged several cups of wine.

Their drinking and laughter were a facade; Fei Dacheng’s secret whispering was the truth.

Zhong Ming leaned in with a smile, and Fei Dacheng raised his cup as if sharing a secret.

Fei Dacheng smiled but muttered curses, “Brother Ming, that dog immortal Yu Tu sent me to persuade you—they want to seize the Wu estate’s land. That dog immortal swore they’d stop at nothing. You mustn’t yield; we have to bite back hard!”

“All right, all right!” Zhong Ming smiled, clinking cups with Fei Dacheng, his eyes crescent moons of amusement.

Since Yu Tu recruited Fei Dacheng, it had been a grave mistake.

He could never understand that this chubby boy, who had struggled through famine and nearly starved to death, was forever loyal to the young man who had saved him.

Whether he lived ten, twenty, or even two or three hundred years, whether he wielded a brick or an immortal sword, this grateful boy would always serve the youth wielding the blade.

To White Jade Capital, Fei Dacheng was an ungrateful ingrate who would never fully align with them. His heart was forever with Zhong Ming, forever Liang Hei’s loyal man from Muddy Village.

Forever?

Perhaps that was far-fetched; no one could say for sure. At the very least, Yu Tu had yet to tame this white-eyed wolf.

Yichong Tian reached the stone table and bowed slightly. “Senior Uncle Fei, I have a few words for Mr. Zhong.”

Fei Dacheng set down his cup, adopting a grave expression, having learned well from Yu Tu some of his imposing demeanor.

Through narrowed eyes, Fei Dacheng glanced at Yichong Tian and said indifferently, “Speak.”

“Mr. Zhong, my two senior uncles and I have come regarding the Wu estate land. We ask you to give an answer.”

Zhong Ming seemed to ignore him, raising his cup to Liang Yu. “Come, Brother Hei, drink with me.”

Yichong Tian’s face darkened with fury. He glanced at Fei Dacheng, who appeared indifferent, watching calmly. Yichong Tian thought he understood the tacit disapproval.

Snorting coldly, his expression shifted sharply.

“Zhong Ming! Don’t think that calling you ‘Mr. Zhong’ means White Jade Capital fears you! Our White Jade Capital—”

Before he could finish, Fei Dacheng’s eyes snapped open. His brocade robe fluttered as if stirred by wind.

With lightning speed, Fei Dacheng turned and slapped Yichong Tian across the face!

The sharp smack stunned Yichong Tian.

Fei Dacheng’s usually gentle face revealed rare fierceness. “Does White Jade Capital teach you to speak to others like that?”

Yichong Tian’s eye twitched, and icy shards formed in his hands. His cultivation was far stronger than Fei Dacheng’s, and if he struck, Fei Dacheng would have no defense.

But Fei Dacheng was his senior uncle. Out of respect and hierarchy, Yichong Tian dared not act rashly.

If Yichong Tian dared retaliate today, he would face the punishment of having his cultivation stripped or even imprisonment upon return.

Disrespecting elders is a capital offense!

Facing Fei Dacheng’s stern gaze, Yichong Tian could only turn away in anger and look to Tian Xingjian.

Tian Xingjian still smiled gently, folding his fan. “Mr. Zhong, have you relieved some of your displeasure? Shall we now discuss the Wu estate land?”

Only then did Yichong Tian realize he had been used as a pawn by Tian Xingjian.

How pitiful, how lamentable!

A minor figure of White Jade Capital was but a discarded piece on a grand chessboard.

That slap was not only on Yichong Tian’s face but also on White Jade Capital’s honor.

Had Zhong Ming been the one to strike, Tian Xingjian would surely have turned hostile, as it would mean Zhong Ming’s disrespect toward White Jade Capital—a grave taboo.

But since it was Fei Dacheng, a second-generation disciple and one of their own, it was an internal affair.

In plain terms, White Jade Capital was slapping itself, putting on a show for Zhong Ming.

Perhaps Yu Tu, the ancient demon who had lived through countless cycles, anticipated this scene perfectly. How could he not see through Fei Dacheng’s small scheme?

This borderland game is a grand chess match.

Only seasoned, cunning old foxes with far-sighted vision can make moves here.

Since White Jade Capital had granted Zhong Ming this face, he could no longer put on airs.

Only then did Zhong Ming reveal a smile and raise his cup toward Tian Xingjian. “Young Master Tian, why not sit and share a drink?”

“Very well!” Tian Xingjian smiled and sat down, while Liang Yu and Fei Dacheng stood and moved behind Zhong Ming.

Only Yichong Tian was caught in an awkward position, neither able to advance nor retreat.

He gritted his teeth, ashamed to stay any longer. Forming hand seals, he summoned an ice lotus and prepared to leave.

But Tian Xingjian’s soft command stopped him. “Did I say you could go?”

“Yes, Uncle Tian,” Yichong Tian replied, bowing his head, his face twisted with rage. In his heart, he screamed: Zhong Ming! Zhong Ming! May you never fall into my hands!

A cry of ignorance and hatred, powerless to stir even a ripple in the ocean.

Tian Xingjian lifted his cup and drained it, then asked with a smile, “Mr. Zhong, what is your true intention?”

Zhong Ming sighed and gazed toward the border city, speaking softly, “This matter, Young Master Tian, is not yours to decide. I believe only the Pure Moon Immortal Officer in the city can settle it.”

Squinting, Zhong Ming pointed to Fei Dacheng behind him. “I want Big Fool to be placed below Pure Moon, yet above Cold Moon.”

Tian Xingjian was stunned, as was Fei Dacheng.

The Pure Moon Immortal Officer was a first-rank celestial official in the court, and Cold Moon below was second rank. There was only one Pure Moon Immortal Officer—Yu Tu himself.

The Cold Moon Immortal Officer oversaw local affairs, and so far only one existed—the junior uncle, Bo Nian, under Yu Tu.

In the future, there might be more, as White Jade Capital’s influence in the new Tang grew deeper. A single Cold Moon officer could not manage such vast territory.

Zhong Ming’s words were subtle—he intended for Fei Dacheng to hold a position of stature within White Jade Capital, not a meaningless title.

He wanted Yu Tu to value Fei Dacheng more, making him the most cherished disciple.

This would prevent Yu Tu from making things difficult and maximize profits from that land.

Zhong Ming smiled, “I trade what’s mine for White Jade Capital to invest resources in its own disciples. Isn’t that a fair deal?”

“You’re quite the strategist, Mr. Zhong,” Tian Xingjian laughed heartily, then stood, bowing. “Thank you for your fine wine!”

He turned and left, kicking the still-fuming Yichong Tian.

The Tian family’s carriage rolled away slowly. Zhong Ming narrowed his eyes, awaiting a message.

Fei Dacheng stood behind Zhong Ming, dazed for a moment before coming back to himself.

“Brother Ming, what do you mean? Such a good opportunity, and you trade me for a useless title?”

Fei Dacheng’s eyes brimmed with tears as realization dawned.

Zhong Ming did not dare look back, hearing Fei Dacheng sniffle; he feared seeing those tears.

Raising his cup, he smiled. “I’m securing a bright future for my brother. That land is worth it!”