[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star":3,"chapter-after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-32":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After Fifteen Years of Secret Cultivation, I Start as a Top-Grade Ultimate Peak!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2282140,4464,"Chapter 32: Acquaintance","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-32",32,"\u003Cp>The grand hall of the Ji Guang Pavilion was immensely spacious, nine pillars carved with lifelike mythical beasts rising to support a ceiling painted like a cloud palace, exuding extreme opulence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wind blew through the latticed wooden windows, causing luxurious curtains to sway and flutter; the young men standing throughout the hall remained silent and solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, someone whispered a low remark, and when it reached Li Muxian’s ears, it gave him a general sense of recent events within the Ji Guang Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The deaths of those five were surely caused by Bei Qi Ming Qi—this suggests the Ji Guang Pavilion is far from peaceful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian withdrew his gaze from the woman in the hall, his peripheral vision flicking toward a corner, his mind deep in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After everyone had arrived, a middle-aged man clad in a black dragon-fish robe, along with four eunuchs in purple silk robes, hurried in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them came a group of junior eunuchs and armored guards, their footsteps clattering to a sudden halt at the center of the hall, the atmosphere instantly stern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the young men turned their gazes toward them; the atmosphere in the hall grew heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gentlemen, you are all aware of last night’s incident. We have now found leads to the killer. We ask for your cooperation with the Tian Jin Guard’s investigation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Fu Shi Yu Jin wasted no time; he spoke directly and bluntly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the crowd in the hall reacted with varied expressions; a young man in a Confucian robe stepped forward first to bow respectfully to Yu Jin:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We are grateful, my lord. As long as the killer is caught, we fully support any arrangement made by the Tian Jin Bureau.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, several others quickly spoke up, earnestly voicing their agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian scanned the men vying to speak—each carried an air of distinction, clearly of noble birth, and all possessed considerable martial cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the senior eunuch An Quan’s gaze swept past the others, subtly glancing toward Li Muxian in the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he saw Li Muxian’s face, An Quan’s eyes subtly narrowed, a flicker of surprise crossing his expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Yu Jin turned back and bowed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please, Your Excellencies, examine the Tian Quan acupoints of these young gentlemen—but be extremely careful not to be contaminated by the Bei Qi Ming Qi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, An Quan subtly withdrew his gaze and gave a slight nod to the other three senior eunuchs, then stepped forward toward the young men in the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the corner, Li Muxian silently raised an eyebrow:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That old eunuch was staring at me—he’s probably that junior eunuch’s adoptive father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled Xiao Anzi’s earlier questions and hoped the Tian Jin Guard wouldn’t be so foolish as to mistake him for the killer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Li Muxian suddenly noticed the woman disguised as a man was also watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And upon seeing him, she seemed to have discovered something delightful, walking straight toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, she stopped before Li Muxian and bowed with both hands, smiling:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Li Yuan. May I ask your name, brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian glanced at her—her face was handsome, but she had a faint beard shadow, a visible Adam’s apple, and a distinctly male voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he was certain: she was a woman. The qi between men and women differed, even eunuchs were unmistakably distinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others might not notice, but for Li Muxian, the difference was crystal clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, her disguise was extraordinarily refined—not merely changing clothes and appearance, but altering key physical traits to make deception flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Muxian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian gave her a slight nod, then lowered his voice and asked with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Li Yuan your real name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, the handsome young man froze, standing there stunned for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she showed no panic; instead, a spark of intrigue lit her eyes, and she silently transmitted a question via qi:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did you know my true identity?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was obvious at a glance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he glanced at her again, curious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You admit it so openly—aren’t you afraid I’ll expose you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the young man did not answer his question; instead, she fixed him with an intense gaze and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Would you do that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian stroked his chin thoughtfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I admit I’m handsome—but do I really look that much like a good-hearted fool?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Li Yuanling blinked, studying Li Muxian carefully from head to toe, then suddenly smiled, her features softening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Li, you’re quite interesting—unlike anyone I’ve met.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced around the hall and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Ji Guang Pavilion is too dangerous right now. Brother Li, you’d best stay by my side—I can protect you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Li Muxian was genuinely puzzled. He frowned and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss, have we met before?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We haven’t met before—but now we have.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yuanling pulled a folding fan from her waist, flicked it open, revealing a painting of sunset birds returning home—utterly elegant:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Li, I feel we’ve met far too late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Li Muxian fell into thought, then slowly nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riddles are interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he could clearly tell: this woman disguised as a man somehow “knew” him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had never left Shun’an City in over a decade—aside from Cang Yin Yue, how could he possibly know anyone in Shangyang City?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the most likely explanation: she recognized his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Muxian pondered this, a sudden outcry erupted in the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the senior eunuchs had detected Bei Qi Ming Qi in a young man’s body—soon, several others were found to harbor the same poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of commotion swept through the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The senior eunuch who checked Li Muxian was An Quan—he naturally found no trace of Bei Qi Ming Qi within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet when he examined Li Muxian’s meridians and discovered not a single speck of qi, he was visibly astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he said nothing, merely cast a startled glance at Li Muxian before returning to the center of the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, it was confirmed: ten individuals—including the first young man—had secretly been infused with Bei Qi Ming Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant these ten were likely to die suddenly tonight, just like the previous five, in their own rooms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We must find the killer quickly—otherwise, more will die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin’s face darkened. How dare someone kill so brazenly under the Tian Jin Guard’s very eyes? This was a direct challenge to him and the entire bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, one of these people in the Ji Guang Pavilion might truly be the Seventh Imperial Prince—if anything happened to him, Yu Jin’s own head might be forfeit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a guard rushed into the hall and reported:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, the Liu Shan Men have arrived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1129,"2026-06-20T01:43:38.503Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","551b7cf41cabb38c0854132599bf6ecb307ef23d5b24e5fea0cc1024ccbe85a8","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-33","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-31",259,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-cover.jpg"]