Chapter Sixty-Two: Underlying Currents and Raging Tides

Walking along the road, the drizzle began once more.

The events inside the tent still felt like a distant dream.

The book of the Heavenly Fate Ritual somehow stirred a strange sense of familiarity in Li Zisheng, yet he could not recall where he had seen the name of this Heavenly Fate Ritual before, no matter how hard he tried.

Li Zisheng was well aware of his current standing and status, so he had not pressed the old man and his companions too hard inside the tent. After all, he did not yet know their true identities. Most importantly, Deng Qing had completely vanished without a trace, and almost no one knew where he was.

What troubled Li Zisheng most was that such a significant incident had occurred within the Lingzhou military camp, yet he had not seen a trace of Mr. Zhong. This was highly unusual.

Mr. Zhong was the type who liked to have everything under his control, but this time, there was no sign of him at all.

Li Zisheng headed toward Mr. Zhong’s tent, intending to see what was going on.

He walked slowly, feeling an inexplicable hesitation within. He sensed that visiting Mr. Zhong would likely be no different from going to Deng Qing—neither would be there in person.

This premonition was strong.

So, he did not hold much hope when entering Mr. Zhong’s tent, merely seeking any possible clue. Given the current circumstances, it was almost certain that Mr. Zhong had already disappeared.

Li Zisheng was absolutely confident of this.

Holding the copy of the Heavenly Fate Ritual in his hand, he noticed the seal script was exceedingly intricate. Even for him, it was difficult to decipher. On the way, he only glanced at it briefly before setting it aside.

Arriving outside Mr. Zhong’s tent, Li Zisheng knew no one would be inside, so he entered without announcing his presence.

As he had anticipated, the tent was completely empty. Both Mr. Zhong and Deng Qing had vanished overnight.

Such a development was utterly baffling. First, there was Ashina Zanghe’s treacherous banquet, then Deng Qing’s inexplicable disappearance, followed by Mr. Zhong’s sudden absence, and now a mysterious old man involved.

Li Zisheng sighed quietly, realizing his own abilities were inadequate and that he knew far too little.

After examining the tent, he was about to leave when something on the ground caught his eye.

It was another book. What drew his attention was the writing—it seemed somewhat familiar. Could it be the same seal script he had just seen in the Heavenly Fate Ritual?

Li Zisheng picked up the book. Though the pages were yellowed with age, the four characters on the cover were still clearly legible.

"Heavenly Fate Ritual."

Seeing this book shocked Li Zisheng deeply. He recalled how the old man had given him his copy of the Heavenly Fate Ritual with a pained expression. How strange, then, that an identical book was found here in Mr. Zhong’s tent.

However, there were subtle differences: Mr. Zhong’s copy appeared slightly newer, its pages less yellowed, and it was notably thinner than the old man’s.

Regardless of whether Mr. Zhong would return, Li Zisheng tucked the book into his bosom without hesitation.

The book’s conspicuous placement here seemed too deliberate, as if arranged specifically for him to find.

After another survey of the surroundings, finding no further valuable information, Li Zisheng left Mr. Zhong’s tent.

“How is it? Did Li Zisheng take the second copy of the Heavenly Fate Ritual?”

Unbeknownst to Li Zisheng, he was already being watched by General Zhang Ying—the same one he had recently encountered. The voice questioning him belonged to the old man whom Li Zisheng had diagnosed with pulmonary heart disease.

“Yes, sir. As you predicted, Li Zisheng did take the second copy. But I don’t understand why he wasn’t arrested immediately to force out the secrets behind Cheng Zhongliang. It would have saved us much effort.”

Zhang Ying voiced his doubts.

The old man glanced at Zhang Ying and smiled faintly. The signs of his pulmonary heart disease had vanished completely; instead, he now radiated a powerful aura of magnanimity.

Had Li Zisheng witnessed this scene, he would have been stunned. The old man’s mastery over his illness and the subtleties of his pulse was so perfect it had deceived even Li Zisheng.

“Zhang Ying, do you know why I had Zhong Bai and Deng Qing transferred away for just one day?”

The old man stroked his beard, maintaining a serene smile that lent him an air of refined elegance.

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t understand your meaning,” Zhang Ying admitted.

A maid standing beside the old man scoffed softly and glanced at Zhang Ying.

“General Zhang, don’t you know what our master treasures most? What he needs above all else?” The maid laughed lightly, arching her brow with playful disdain.

“Oh, I see now. I was foolish before,” Zhang Ying said, his expression shifting to one of sudden enlightenment as he joined in the laughter.

“Hmph. This time, that schemer Zhang Shuo persuaded His Majesty to journey to Mount Tai for the Fengshan sacrifice, aiming to become an unprecedented, unparalleled sage ruler. He fails to see the waves of turmoil and hidden dangers beneath this grand plan. It’s laughable that the old fox still dreams of becoming the premier counselor of the realm—it’s a death wish.

“Now, forces across the land are gathering. His Majesty has summoned all academies to compile treatises for this Fengshan ceremony. This is both a crisis and an opportunity for our academies. We cannot let that old fox Zhang Shuo reap all the benefits.

“This time, I have stepped out to manipulate these hidden dangers, turning them all against Zhang Shuo, so our academy may seize victory and claim our share.”