Chapter 35: The Serpent and the Rat Rescue the Prince of Qin

"Li Shimin?" Zhou Wuqing glanced at the young man snoring against the tree. "To be a commander at such a young age—he certainly has some ability."

He offered the comment casually, not giving the name "Li Shimin" much thought. In the centuries of chaos he had witnessed, he had seen far too many mortal heroes; they often flared like meteors, vanishing before they even had time to leave a name behind.

The two exchanged a few words and drifted into the air, ready to depart, when a strange sound reached their ears.

The rhythmic thud of hooves against the earth was faint. It would have been difficult for a mortal to detect, but as cultivators, both of them heard it with perfect clarity.

Moonlight pierced the canopy, revealing shadows moving silently through the twilight. It was a troop of cavalry, about a few hundred strong. Their armor did not match the style of the men by the tree; they were clearly the enemy "rebel soldiers."

They had evidently spotted the two figures on the hill. The troop split up, closing in to surround the mountain hollow. Within seconds, the distance between the two sides had shrunk to less than a hundred paces.

Zhou Wuqing glanced at the two figures on the hill. They remained completely oblivious, still lost in deep slumber.

If this continued, in a dozen seconds at most, the enemy would complete their encirclement and hack the two men to pieces while they slept.

On a whim, he flicked a finger toward them.

Where he pointed, the grass suddenly rustled. A gray mouse scurried out, squeaking, chased closely by a black-spotted viper.

The snake and mouse darted right in front of the two men, bumping into the attendant’s armor. The attendant jolted awake, breaking into a cold sweat the moment he opened his eyes. He scrambled to shake the young man beside him, and in their panic, they quickly mounted their horses.

"I didn't expect Brother Zhou to intervene," Ye Qiansheng remarked from the air as he watched the two horses gallop away.

"A trivial act," Zhou Wuqing replied, pulling back his hand. "With so many enemy soldiers surrounding them, if they manage to escape, it is due to their own capability."

With that, he turned and flew toward his sect, showing no interest in the outcome of the desperate chase. Ye Qiansheng said nothing more and followed him, the two of them stepping onto the clouds and disappearing into the distance.

Several miles away, the horses were racing at full speed. Suddenly, the young man in the saddle twisted his body, drawing his longbow into a full moon. In the blink of an eye, several arrows whistled through the air!

"Ah!"

A scream rang out in the twilight as the leading commander fell from his horse. The dull thud acted like a blow to the pursuers, slowing them for a heartbeat.

The young man spurred his horse, galloping hard to shake off the pursuit. As he lowered his bow, he habitually looked toward the sky. The moon hung high, and the moonlight seemed to faintly outline the silhouette of a person, the hem of a crimson robe fluttering in the night.

"Your Highness... Your Highness?"

The attendant’s urgent voice snapped him out of his trance. In a blink, the crimson-robed figure was gone; only the lonely moon hung in the sky, reflecting against thin, drifting clouds.

Years of experience as a military commander quickly restored his calm. He turned back and spurred his horse with practiced, heroic skill, though he could not hide the lingering contemplation on his face.

"I... I think I just saw an immortal in the sky."

"An immortal?" The attendant was stunned, then suddenly realized. "Your subordinate was just woken by a snake and a mouse... Could it be that an immortal saw that you, the Prince of Qin, possess the Mandate of Heaven, and intervened to help?"

He immediately changed the subject, saying, "But never mind that. There may still be pursuers. Your Highness, we must hurry back to the main camp."

The young man, known as the Prince of Qin, nodded in agreement and said no more. However, his lowered eyes remained deep in thought, as if he had sensed something profound.

An immortal under the moon, a crimson robe, and a long sword...

He savored the memory of that moment, etching it firmly into his mind as his horse galloped into the depths of the night.

...

[November, the day of Ji-Mao... The Prince of Qin, Shimin, led his troops across the river on the frozen ice at Longmen, garrisoned at Bai-bi, and held his ground against Song Jingang... The grand army fortified their walls and refused to engage, causing the enemy's momentum to decline day by day.]

[Shimin once led a light cavalry to scout the enemy. The riders scattered, and Shimin was left alone with one soldier, sleeping on a hill. Soon, the enemy closed in. They were initially unaware, but a snake chasing a mouse brushed against the soldier’s face. The soldier woke up in a fright, reported to Shimin, and they both mounted their horses. They rode a hundred paces when they were caught by the enemy. Shimin shot the enemy's valiant commander with a great feathered arrow, and the enemy cavalry retreated.]

— *Zizhi Tongjian, Annals of Tang, Volume 4*

In front of the search screen, Qin Jiajia’s finger, which had been scrolling the mouse, paused. After a moment of thought, she highlighted the passage.

Although there was no direct description of the supernatural, the mention of "a snake chasing a mouse" caught her attention.

That Li Shimin, then the Prince of Qin, happened to be saved by a snake and a mouse at a moment of life and death—the level of coincidence made it hard not to suspect a cultivator had intervened. Moreover, the background was the struggle for supremacy at the end of the Sui Dynasty, the founding of the Tang, and the rise of the Prince of Qin; the timeline aligned perfectly.

After marking the passage, she rubbed her sore neck and looked out the window to let her tired eyes rest.

At that glance, she saw the sky filled with red glow. Golden-red clouds engulfed the city, as if fire were burning above the horizon.

She wondered what Zhou Qing was doing right now... A bold thought popped into her head: instead of struggling to search like this, why not just call him and ask about the "Immortal under the Moon"?

Within a second or two, she suppressed the thought. To make a judgment just from seeing a vague, ancient painting would be too reckless. Even if she were to ask, she should wait until she had concrete evidence.

She stretched her body, sat back at the computer, and opened the next file.

...

"One bowl of paomo, regular mutton, add a side of garlic."

"Got it, Thirteen. Just scan the code here."

The crisp voice of the Alipay transaction for thirteen yuan rang out. Zhou Qing found a table and sat down, watching the owner, wearing a headscarf and apron, bustle about by the stove behind the glass counter. Steam rose by the window, reflecting the golden-red sunset outside, making it look as if the clouds were floating right there in the kitchen.

"The sky is quite beautiful today, all red."

The restaurant wasn't busy yet, and the owner had time to chat while he worked. "According to the legends from my hometown, that's the gods lighting a fire to burn away bad luck. People should go pray to the gods while the sky looks like this; it's very effective."

"Then these gods have a lot on their plate," Zhou Qing said, glancing at the red sky. "To me, it has nothing to do with praying. It’s just that when people have desires and work diligently, they eventually achieve their goals."

"Heh, it's just for peace of mind. What era are we in now? Who really believes in that kind of feudal superstition?"

The owner pushed a tray toward him. "Here, the bread and garlic are ready. The vinegar and chili are on the table, add them yourself."

He turned away to boil another pot of mutton soup. Zhou Qing sat down, peeled a clove of garlic, and a tiny spark flickered at his fingertip. The skin turned to ash instantly, revealing the snowy-white clove, which released a faint, roasted aroma.

He soaked the garlic in his spoon, eating it with the broth and bread. The bread had soaked up the mutton soup, and each bite was overflowing with flavor, relaxing his mood.

The sunset light spilled through the window, flowing like liquid gold between the steamer and the vinegar dish. Through the spiritual energy contained within that light, he could feel messages from the world pouring into his mind, giving him full awareness of everything happening in the city.

Forty miles to the northeast, thirty miles to the west, sixty miles to the southwest... Five locations around Liangzhou City were emitting intense spiritual fluctuations. It seemed a few hidden "rats" had been flushed out and were engaged in a fierce battle with the Sanitation Bureau.

Unlike in the past, the mortal masses now possessed the strength to stand on their own. Even when faced with threats from cultivators, they had the ability to respond independently.

Since they had their own methods and systems, and Lu Zhenhai had already made it clear that the Sanitation Bureau would handle such matters, he wouldn't interfere. He would provide appropriate assistance and then let them handle the rest.

His phone on the table vibrated; a new WeChat message had arrived.

[Peace and Prosperity: Little Brother Zhou, do you remember the antique market I mentioned? They’re planning a new event next weekend. Are you interested?]

This was from Wu Shian, the son of Old Man Wu, with whom he played chess. As expected of a busy businessman, he remembered the content of a single conversation.

Zhou Qing ate his paomo with one hand and slowly scrolled the screen with the other. Although he had learned Pinyin and Wubi, he was still more accustomed to handwriting input.

[Qing: Sure. Where is it?]

[Peace and Prosperity: Near the Jiaotong University. I'll send you the location later. If you go, I'll send you an admission ticket as a thank-you gift on behalf of my father.]

A QR code link was sent over, indeed an electronic ticket for the market. He thought for a moment and saved the image.

He had nothing better to do. He would head over to the market next weekend to take a look.