Chapter 122: Cursed by the Grand Duke of Jupiter

Jiang Lan did not witness the events that unfolded outside shortly thereafter; by then, she had already returned to her bedchamber and lay down.

"Young Master, Young Master..."

Jiang Lan drifted into consciousness and looked at the steward standing in the room, confused. "Steward, why are you here?" She glanced around, adding, "Why am I lying in bed? I have absolutely no memory of how I got here."

"Sss—" Jiang Lan accidentally touched the back of her neck and gasped. "Ouch! That hurts!"

"What is wrong, Young Master?" the steward asked with concern, thinking to himself, *Could that scoundrel have truly laid a heavy hand on the Young Master?*

"I seem to have been injured on my neck, and it’s quite severe."

Fearing the worst, the steward stepped toward her. "Forgive me, Young Master." He gently lifted her collar to reveal a purplish-red palm print, standing out in stark contrast against the fair skin of her neck.

"Steward, what is this on my neck?"

"Young Master, do you have no recollection of where you were before this?" the steward asked.

Jiang Lan did not hold back and explained everything exactly as it happened. Although she had sensed the motives of the two men, she had taken that strike head-on. Vice-General Yuan was a military man who did not know his own strength; Jiang Lan’s neck was genuinely throbbing, requiring no acting whatsoever.

Hearing his Young Master’s account, the old steward’s suspicions were confirmed. The eunuch Hai and Vice-General Yuan clearly harbored malicious intent; otherwise, they would not have dared to strike the Heir Apparent so ruthlessly within the estate. It seemed they were determined to find evidence of demonic possession on the young master today.

"Do not feel aggrieved, Young Master. The Empress Dowager will surely seek justice for you," the steward promised. He specifically cautioned her, "No matter what that monk outside says, do not believe him. You are the Heir Apparent; your status is noble. No matter how grand that man’s reputation may be, he is nothing more than a monk greedy for fame and wealth. His words are not to be trusted."

Jiang Lan nodded, thinking to herself, *I never realized this old steward, who usually just tends to his own small affairs and treats people with such gentle sincerity, could see through a man like Master Kongkong—whom the whole world respects—calling him a hypocritical charlatan. It seems he is sharper than he looks. I should be more careful with him in the future; I might not be his match.*

Jiang Lan stretched and walked outside, looking unbothered and cavalier. She lacked the formal courtesy she had shown Eunuch Hai and Vice-General Yuan earlier, and her arrogant demeanor clearly showed she thought nothing of the newcomer. She offered only a casual nod of greeting.

Despite Jiang Lan’s attitude, Master Kongkong dared not be slighted. Even though they had agreed to pretend they were not well-acquainted, he dared not give a "Great Immortal" a cold shoulder. He had to steel himself and maintain his high-minded, compassionate facade.

"It has been quite some time. The aura of misfortune hanging over the Young Master’s head seems to have deepened."

Master Kongkong’s words startled everyone present. Eunuch Hai stepped forward. "Master, you know the Young Master?"

"Some time ago, the second young master of the Xue family brought the Young Master up the mountain for his grandmother’s birthday. I felt an immediate kinship with him then. Seeing that he possessed great spiritual roots, I even considered taking him as an outer disciple. It is a pity that he has no interest in Buddhist philosophy; otherwise, I would have had a successor."

Jiang Lan glanced at Kongkong, subtly signaling that his story was going too far. *Wasn't the plan to keep things low-key? Why are you singing my praises so loudly? Are you working for someone else? Is this the legendary 'killing with praise'?*

However, looking into the old man’s sincere eyes, she didn't think he was faking it. Besides, a thousand-year-old gold-devouring beast had no reason to sell his soul to a mortal just to target her.

"I never realized the Young Master had such spiritual roots." Eunuch Hai’s smile was strained; today’s events were truly overwhelming for him. He continued, "But Master, you just said the misfortune on the Young Master has deepened. What does that mean?"

"That is a long story."

Eunuch Hai smiled. "There is a stone table in the shade outside. Shall we go sit there, Young Master and Master?"

"Amitabha, that sounds excellent."

Compared to the monk’s easygoing nature, the Young Master was much more troublesome, only agreeing to sit down after Eunuch Hai’s persistent persuasion. As they walked over, Eunuch Hai deliberately passed by the group of attendants and gave them some quiet instructions.

Jiang Lan sat by the stone table, which held a chessboard. She recognized it immediately as one Old Man Xie had set up out of boredom the previous night after she had carried Gu Chengwu away. There were very few maids in the courtyard, and no one had come to clear it.

"A fine game, a fine game!" Master Kongkong clapped in admiration.

Jiang Lan, sitting to his side, glanced at him and sent a telepathic message: "You understand chess?"

"I know a little. I often have to play a game or two with the dignitaries I entertain, so I’ve picked up the basics."

Seeing through his false modesty, Jiang Lan continued to transmit privately, "I only realized today how impressive you are. Even the late Emperor couldn't summon you. He had to go up the mountain in person every time, and even then, he only managed to see you once."

Kongkong looked sheepish. "That fellow was a fool. He always thought that offering gold and silk was an insult to me, and he insisted on begging for an audience at the gate with 'sincerity.' If he had just come to insult me with wealth, he would have seen me long ago. Since I couldn't get any money out of him, I decided to use his presence to boost my own reputation, so I left him waiting in the cold for a few extra days."

Jiang Lan, who had been sipping tea, heard this and burst out laughing.

Eunuch Hai, standing nearby, was confused, assuming the tea was not to her liking.

"It’s nothing, I just thought of a joke."

"Oh." Eunuch Hai continued to serve the Master tea and asked Jiang Lan, "I wonder what joke the Young Master thought of? Perhaps you could share it so we may all enjoy it?"

"It’s nothing, just a story about a 'willing striker and a willing victim.'" Jiang Lan set down her teacup and continued, "That believer's 'sincerity' wasn't necessarily sincere, and the 'fool' wasn't necessarily a fool. They were just like that monk—both seeking fame and vanity. One wanted a reputation for being virtuous, and the other wanted to demonstrate his humility by not using power to suppress others. Both had their own agendas and were simply using each other..."

Listening to the Great Immortal’s explanation, Kongkong immediately realized that the man in question had gained immense popularity shortly thereafter, becoming a top contender for the throne before eventually ascending to it.

*Indeed, some people are craftier than foxes!*

Then, seeing the smile on the person across from her, he thought, *And some are craftier than a fox and a human combined!*

Jiang Lan sipped her tea while keeping a close watch on Eunuch Hai. She noticed he looked somewhat distracted, as if waiting for something, frequently glancing toward the group of attendants.

"..." Eunuch Hai clearly could not tell this was a joke. To avoid an awkward atmosphere, he quickly changed the subject. "Master, didn't you mention the Young Master’s recent misfortune?"

"Amitabha, the Young Master’s destiny has likely clashed with the Grand Duke Jupiter, leading to much injustice and suffering," Kongkong said, looking at Jiang Lan with compassionate eyes. "When I arrived today, I heard that the Young Master had recently suffered imprisonment and the danger of an assassination attempt?"

"Yes, that is true."