Chapter 13: One Method Subdues a Hundred Schools
That very night, Li Shun lay upon his brand-new bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
Part of the reason was simple. He had long since grown accustomed to the hard wooden plank bed he had slept on for twenty-six years. Now that he suddenly found himself in a spacious and comfortable room, it instead left him feeling oddly unsettled.
The other reason…
As he thought about how this residence, bestowed upon him by the authorities, was very likely under the strict surveillance of the Great Qian court, Li Shun felt a constant chill along his spine. Every movement he made, even every breath he took, could be observed.
It was as if he were standing naked beneath the blazing sun, completely exposed. The sensation left him unable to eat or sleep in peace.
The next morning, Li Shun walked back and forth in the courtyard with dark circles under his eyes, limping slightly.
“There is no such thing as guarding against a thief for a thousand days.”
“Rather than worrying about whether this courtyard is being monitored, I might as well take the initiative and test it myself. In any case, I possess the divine ability Threefold Self-Reflection. I need not fear falling into irreversible doom.”
“Although there are only a little over ten days left before the seal on the Lengshan Venerable is broken, it has only just been stolen. There is no way I can hand it over so soon in exchange for merit. That County Magistrate Fang Xun is no easy man to deal with.”