Over thirty years ago, the mysterious eagle...
Chen Yi stared at the gentle-faced Eunuch, recalling what Duke Xing had said—
When the Demon Court moved south, someone in the court accused Zhou Guanwu, and afterward, those people met tragic fates, either dying or going insane.
Lin Hansong didn't specify it directly, but hinted at a mysterious presence behind those people.
"That's right, the eagle!"
The Eunuch nodded slightly, dipped his finger in some wine, and drew a complex symbol on the table.
Chen Yi glanced at it and raised his eyebrows, saying, "Is this... the eagle?"
On the table appeared a symbol resembling the seal script for "eagle," but with far more strokes than the seal script he was familiar with.
For instance, within the "mouth" that served as the head of the eagle, there was an eye design, rather than the typical "round dot."
Moreover, the "eagle" character, which should have two claws, instead had five twisted "vertical lines."
"It looks... very unique. Does it represent a group of people, or does it have some other special meaning?"
A trace of seriousness emerged on the Eunuch's gentle face as he asked, "Does the Young Marquis understand the secrets of the battle at Beixiong Pass over thirty years ago?"
Chen Yi nodded and said, "Some days ago, I spoke with my grandfather, Chen Zhiwang, who mentioned some details about Beixiong Pass."
In fact, Xie Dongan was the first to inform him of the related secrets.
And after that, it was Duke Xing, Lin Hansong.
The Eunuch studied Chen Yi with surprise, a faint realization dawning in his mind.
If that's the case, Chen Yuan's succession as Duke Jingye may not entirely be due to Zhou Tiance's efforts.
Perhaps the Chen Family had intentions too?
Thinking this, the Eunuch hinted, "It seems the Young Marquis is highly valued by the Chen Family."
Chen Yi gave him a puzzled look, then lowered his eyes, hinting that he should continue discussing the "mysterious eagle."
The Eunuch chuckled, and proceeded, "Since the Young Marquis has heard from elsewhere, I shall spare excessive elaboration."
"Back to the main topic."
He pointed to the rapidly dissipating symbol on the table, saying, "The Demon Court moved south, and due to court turmoil, the Zhou Family suffered greatly."
"Naturally, the Holy Emperor realized somewhat he was deceived, hence ordered an investigation into who orchestrated it."
"However, it was already too late."
"Those people left no trace of their actions, aside from the ministers thrown to die and their families, no clues were found by the Night Watch Department."
A cold fierceness appeared in the Eunuch's demeanor as the sharp eyes stared intently at the symbol on the table.
"This 'eagle' symbol was discovered on the former Deputy Prime Minister Sun Tianlin."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi couldn't help but ask, "On him?"
"Exactly, on him!" The Eunuch nodded, "More precisely, it was imprinted in his eyes."
He gestured to his right eye, "Imprinted deep in the pupil, unnoticed even by the array within the Imperial City."
"Wait," Chen Yi understood, "You mean this symbol is not merely just a symbol? Does it possess some power?"
"Is it a Divine Skill, a cultivation technique, or some sort of 'artifact'?"
"A Divine Skill." The Eunuch's lips curled into a sinister smile as he unintentionally made an orchid gesture:
"Moreover, it's not just any Divine Skill, but one that covertly erodes a person's mind and controls all of their actions, yet goes undetected by the one being controlled."
"Sadly, Sun Tianlin was manipulated, which led to accusing Zhou Guanwu, resulting in the tragedy at Beixiong Pass."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi closely examined the symbol and asked, "Were other court ministers also controlled?"
The Eunuch shook his head, "Only very few."
"The ones behind this symbol don't need to control everyone; they only need to control key individuals like Sun Tianlin, such as the former Minister of Rites."
Chen Yi pondered and asked, "So you and the Holy Emperor merely regard 'it' as their personal mark?"
The Eunuch smiled gently, "I'm pleased the Young Marquis is a meticulous person."
Chen Yi frowned slightly, his eyes showing slight displeasure, saying, "Oftentimes, I'm not meticulous; rather, I can be impulsive."
"Pardon me," the Eunuch shifted the topic, "Actually, 'it' wasn't the first occurrence."
"Since my childhood days in the palace, spanning four hundred and thirty-two years, 'it' has appeared thrice."
Chen Yi's attention returned to the "eagle" symbol, calmly awaiting the continuation.
"The first occurrence was three hundred and thirty-two years ago, when this symbol appeared in the eyes of the Black Armor Guard's commander, Tuoba Yan."
"He was then investigating an age-old case... The detailed process is unsuitable for sharing, the Young Marquis might not be interested."
"The result was the West Continent Buddha Country's scripture reaching the Wei Dynasty."
"At the time, the Imperial Family was constructing Dakong Temple?" Chen Yi squinted slightly:
"The Eunuch might as well explain more."
"Oh, the Young Marquis even pays attention to such details?"
"Coincidentally heard about it," Chen Yi said lightly, "Moreover, Kyoto Prefecture recently received too many monks."
This time the Eunuch was genuinely surprised, "It seems the Young Marquis doesn't merely focus on cultivation."
Chen Yi glanced at him, calmly poured another cup of wine, saying:
"I dislike trouble, besides, I don't have much time."
Upon hearing this, the Eunuch instinctively scratched his neatly combed black hair, saying:
"Age has its way, pardon me, I tend to overthink."
"Is the Holy Emperor the same?" Chen Yi drank his cup calmly, asking without losing ground.