Chapter 1246: Niu Xiantong! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”That person…”
Zhang Que swallowed, his expression rather nervous.
”Was that the person who's been constantly opposing Milord and controlling everyone from behind the scenes?”
They had not even traveled one thousand meters, but it had taken more than five minutes, and in these five minutes, Zhang Que had never seen the true body of that person. However, for some reason, Zhang Que had this dreadful feeling that this person was like a nonexistent ghost but also omnipresent. It made his hairs stand on end and his body shiver.
”It's them!” Wang Chong calmly said as he began to think. By using the matter of Zhang Chaoshu, he had finally managed to draw the other person out from behind the curtain. Although they had only had an exchange of words and he had still not seen this person's true face, Wang Chong had managed to gather a great deal of information.
For the first time, Wang Chong had encountered someone in the Great Tang who had just as superb a mastery of Psychic Energy as he did. In the conversation just now, he had tried several times to use Psychic Energy to find this person's actual body, but this person managed to throw off his pursuit every time.
”This should be a one-time warning because you couldn't keep still! Alas, your opponent is me.”
As Wang Chong spoke, his eyes blazed with light.
”You were just a little too impatient!”
A faint smile appeared on Wang Chong's lips. Although the other person had done their utmost to conceal their identity, Wang Chong had still managed to pick up a few clues. Wang Chong had met with an old woman selling vegetables, a butcher, a little girl, a merchant coming out of a tavern, and a pedestrian. All of them had different identities and voices, and said different things, but the person speaking was the same.
A person could change their external appearance, but not their tone, wording, and way of thinking. In their very first exchange, Wang Chong had already guessed at his opponent's age.
”A young man! Twenty-six or twenty-seven, but definitely not over thirty!”
Wang Chong leaned against the wall of the carriage, his finger once more beginning to lightly tap.
The fog shrouding the capital had begun to fade a little, and Wang Chong already had a rough idea of his opponent who was controlling everything from behind the curtains. But upon learning of his opponent's age, Wang Chong felt even more confused, not less.
He had thought about much before this meeting. The Grand Preceptor, King Qi, Li Linfu—all of these people possessed exceptional status, and no normal person would be able to control them. Wang Chong had thought of many possibilities, but he had never imagined that his opponent would be a young man of twenty-six or twenty-seven.
This left Wang Chong utterly surprised!
Wang Chong couldn't think of how his opponent could have such abilities that would allow him to control the Grand Preceptor, King Qi, Li Linfu, and even the First Prince. This was truly absurd!
The carriage continued forward, and Zhang Que was uneasy for the rest of the journey. Meanwhile, Wang Chong sat in the carriage with his eyes closed, thinking silently.
……
Wang Chong did not return to the Wang Family Residence, but instead stopped in front of a restaurant.
Taibai Pavilion!
This place was now one of the most famous restaurants in the capital, not merely because it had gathered nearly one hundred of the best chefs in the Great Tang, but because the owner of this restaurant was the world-renowned King of Foreign Lands, Wang Chong!
Wang Chong had bought this restaurant not long after the Consort Taizhen Incident. It had later gone through several remodels, and Wang Chong had even purchased the surrounding restaurants for the remodeling. It was now four to five times its original size and was six stories high. It was sumptuously decorated within, and exuded a pure and elegant atmosphere.
One of the stewards was already waiting to welcome him at the door to the restaurant, and guided him to one of the rooms set aside for distinguished guests.
Business was booming at Taibai Pavilion. Every day, nearly ten thousand people would have their meals in this place, but no matter the occasion, the quietest, most secluded, and most elegant room in Taibai Pavilion would always be available for Wang Chong's use.
Wang Chong opened the door and entered. Waiting for him inside was a person wearing a scarf hat and civilian clothes. Although he had an Adam's Apple, this person had fair skin and a beardless face. Rather than a manly air, he had a more feminine one. In the Great Tang there was only one type of person with these traits: the eunuchs of the palace!
The moment this person spotted Wang Chong, he gave a deep bow, doing his utmost to appear subservient.
”This one is Niu Xiantong, paying respects to His Highness the King of Foreign Lands!”
Palace Steward Niu Xiantong!
Fifth Prince Li Heng was far more efficient than Wang Chong had imagined. He had only mentioned the matter of Niu Xiantong yesterday, requesting Li Heng's help in contacting him. While Wang Chong had seemingly appeared at Taibai Pavilion right when Niu Xiantong was having his lunch, he had actually arranged to meet Niu Xiantong here.
This was the first person to be executed through dismemberment?!
Wang Chong carefully examined this eunuch official, as this was his first time seeing Niu Xiantong. For some reason, the Great Tang had many treacherous eunuch officials, and the most famous and formidable had all appeared during the reign of the Sage Emperor.
There was the totally loyal and devoted eunuch who would eventually follow his sovereign in death, Gao Lishi; the crafty and shrewd master of deception, Li Jingzhong; the endlessly avaricious one who would even extort a Great General like Gao Xianzhi, Bian Lingcheng; and now there was one of the Sage Emperor's Palace Stewards, who frequently attended to the Sage Emperor, acting as an adviser and having an audience with the Emperor every day, Niu Xiantong.
Niu Xiantong was different from Gao Lishi or Li Jingzhong, but he was rather similar to Bian Lingcheng, who had used matters of the past to extort Gao Xianzhi. Both of them were intensely greedy, but unlike Bian Lingcheng, Niu Xiantong was observant of others and knew how to flatter and fawn. Moreover, he was more skilled in concealing his actions than Bian Lingcheng.
Wang Chong remembered him and had asked Li Heng to get in touch with him because this person was bold enough to deceive the sovereign, distorting the truth so badly that a major defeat became a major victory. This made him the first person so bold as to try and deceive the Sage Emperor.