The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Chapter 133: Really Drunk or Pretending to be Drunk

As the setting sun cast its final golden glow across the walls of Linkang Prefecture, imbuing the ancient city with a unique hue. Within the city, the streets crisscrossed with people, a cacophony of activity resonating endlessly. The cries of vendors, the laughter of children, and the singing of taverns blended into a vibrant symphony of life. As the lights began to come on, the shops lining the streets lit lanterns. The dim glow cast across the bluestone pavement, illuminating the figures of those passing by and adding a touch of warmth to the night. Yet, beneath this bustling scene, an eerie silence lurked, like a desolate island about to be swallowed by darkness, a chilling feeling.

After leaving the city gate, we walked west along a rugged mountain road. The trees swayed in the night breeze, rustling as if whispering something. After about ten miles, we arrived at a canyon. The canyon, flanked by steep peaks and jagged rocks, seemed to have been cleaved by a giant's sword, exuding a chilling aura. At the canyon's entrance, three bright red characters were engraved on a massive bluestone: "Catching the Moon Gorge." Legend has it that on full moon nights, moonlight pours down, illuminating the entire canyon as bright as daylight, hence the name "Catching the Moon."

Deep in the canyon, a dilapidated temple known as Baohua Temple stands. Once a thriving Buddhist sanctuary, it was bustling with pilgrims, its morning bells and evening drums echoing with the lingering sounds of Buddhist chants. However, a sudden fire decades ago has reduced this ancient temple to mere rubble, its former splendor shattered. Today, only the broken tiles and rubble remain, silently testifying to the passage of time and the relentless fire.

The moon was dark and windy, and the cries of crows echoed through the valley, adding a touch of eeriness to the silent night. Inside the temple, under the dim light of an oil lamp, a group of figures swayed. The sounds of vulgar singing and finger-guessing games mingled, and the stench of alcohol permeated the air, jarring the desolate scene. Several drunks lay sprawled on the ground—the same group of assassins who had assassinated Cen Jiexiao that day.

Their clothes were disheveled, their hair unkempt. Some had even fallen asleep clutching their wine jars, mumbling to themselves, completely devoid of the ferocity they had displayed during the assassination attempt a few days prior. It made sense, considering these desperate criminals, who lived on the brink of death, naturally wanted to indulge themselves on this rare opportunity to relax. At a table not far from them sat a man in white, a stark contrast to the drunken crowd. He was neatly dressed and possessed a distinguished demeanor. He toyed with a white jade wine glass, yet remained untouched, seemingly oblivious to the clamor of the crowd before him. This man was none other than Chen Zigui, the inspector of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the abbot of Zhaoyin Academy.

He gazed at the group of people living intoxicated and dreaming, a complex expression flickering in his eyes. Ever since he learned of Cen Jiexiao's assassination, he had secretly resolved to thoroughly investigate the matter. However, the enemy's power was undoubtedly formidable, so Chen Zigui decided to join forces with Han Zhengxian, the prefect of Linkang Prefecture, to conceal the truth. The deeper he dug into the assassins, the more astonished he became. To uncover the truth and protect Cen Jiexiao's safety, he decided to take the risk and approach them.

Chen Zigui and Han Zhengxian had already arranged for the jailers and others to allow the assassins to escape seemingly unnoticed. To ensure a complete stunt and to keep them under control, Chen Zigui housed them in a deserted temple in the wilderness. He would visit daily to drink and chat with them, gradually gaining their trust.

"Mr. Chen, come and drink! Don't just stand there and watch!" A big man with a beard drunkenly raised a jar of wine and shouted at Chen Zigui.

Chen Zigui smiled slightly, raised the wine glass in his hand, and gestured to him from a distance, but did not drink. The big man saw this and did not care. He tilted his head back and gulped down a few big gulps of wine, then fell drunkenly to the ground and fell asleep.

Chen Zigui looked at the group before him and thought to himself: Although these people are rude, they don't seem to be ruthless. Perhaps the assassination of Cen Jiexiao was an accident. Their real mission must be something else! So who is behind them? What is their purpose?

Chen Zigui continued to deal with the assassins calmly. After drinking one glass of liquor after another, his face flushed unnaturally and his eyes became gradually blurred.

"Come on, drink! Master Chen has a real drinking capacity!" The burly assassin leader, Lü Menzhong, wobbled as he held the wine jar in his hand, praising Chen Zigui. The strong odor of alcohol mixed with bad breath hit him, making his stomach churn. He suppressed the discomfort and said with a laugh, "No, no, compared to you big brothers, my drinking capacity is just a show of skill."

After three rounds of drinking, Chen Zigui pretended to be drunk and fell on the table. He closed his eyes but pricked up his ears, listening carefully to the movements around him.

When the assassins saw him "drunk", they all showed contempt.

"Tsk, I thought you were some powerful character, but it turns out you're just a useless piece of shit, all good looking but useless!" The bearded man spat in disdain.

"That's right, that's how much he can drink!" Another skinny assassin also joined in the fun.

Lu Menzhong gestured for silence, looked at Chen Zigui, who was pretending to be drunk, and said in a low voice, "This time it can be considered a blessing in disguise. We originally thought that encountering the people from Zhaoyin Academy would ruin our mission, but we never expected that the division within their academy would help us brothers."

Hearing this, Chen Zigui was startled and focused more on eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Brother, who do you think our employer is this time? He is so generous! The key is that he wants to make such a big fuss!" The skinny assassin asked curiously.

Lu Menzhong took a sip of wine, wiped his mouth, and said sternly: "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask! We take money from people and help them avoid disasters. It's not good for us to know too much!"

"However, I heard that the young lady of the Cen family is a very kind person! If we do this, isn't it a bit..." The skinny monkey seemed a little reluctant.

"She's too soft-hearted! Those who accomplish great things don't dwell on trivial matters! Since she's hindering us from completing our mission, she must die!" Lu Menzhong interrupted him rudely. "Besides, we're just following orders. We'll do whatever the higher-ups say!"

"Yes, yes, big brother is right!" The skinny monkey nodded in agreement.

Chen Zigui memorized their conversation word for word, his doubts growing even more intense: What exactly was this mission? What was the so-called big commotion? Was Cen's sister Xiao's assassination just an accident? Who was the mastermind behind this?

Just then, the sound of footsteps reached Chen Zigui, startling him. He quickly held his breath and pretended to be asleep. An assassin approached him, seemingly observing him closely. Chen Zigui felt a chill running from his feet to his head. He tried hard to control his heartbeat, not letting the other party notice anything unusual.

"Brother, is this kid really drunk?" a hoarse voice sounded.

"Probably. Looking at him, he probably doesn't even know his own last name." Lu Menzhong's voice was a little drunken.

"Or... let's take him..." The hoarse voice was a little harsh.

Chen Zigui's heart tightened, and he knew he had to do something.