Chapter 45: Grandmaster

Li Zhi looked up toward the shadow’s direction, squinting his eyes, and said:

“I wonder which of my Master’s seven Shadow Guards you are?”

The black shadow trembled faintly beneath the torchlight, like a wisp of rising smoke:

“Your Highness has piercing eyes—I am the sixth among the Shadow Guards; you may call me Lu Ying.”

Li Zhi nodded slightly, studying the figure with a calm and composed gaze, then asked:

“What did my Master send you to find me for?”

At these words, a faint, ethereal voice emerged from the shadow:

“The Lord Director says the Emperor has agreed to let Your Highness leave the imperial prison within a month—but with one condition.”

“What condition?”

The shadow fell silent for a moment, then said:

“The Emperor says that within a year, Your Highness must destroy any one of the four great sects of the Great Li underworld. If you succeed, he will restore all your former rights.”

Hearing this, Li Zhi fell silent—longer than the shadow had—and though his face revealed no expression, he asked:

“What if I fail?”

The shadow beneath the torch flickered slightly, and replied:

“The Emperor did not say.”

“However, the Lord Director instructed me to tell you: out of respect for your master-disciple bond, if you can advance to the Realm of Martial Grandmaster within a month, we seven Shadow Guards may assist you.”

Li Zhi pondered briefly, then smiled faintly and said:

“My Master still understands me best.”

With that, he slowly raised his hand—and instantly, his entire aura transformed.

A powerful, dense stream of true qi surged from his meridians, coalescing before him into the spectral form of an ancient longsword.

An invisible blade intent emerged from the specter—sharp, chilling—making the air within the cell hum and tremble, echoing with suppressed metallic ringings.

The next instant, a vast, distant killing intent lashed toward the shadow beyond the cell; the spectral blade tore through space, crossing the distance in an instant and slashing downward at the shadow.

“Heaven’s Killing Blade Intent.”

The shadow beneath the torch gasped softly, and from behind it erupted countless shadowy tendrils, wrapping the blade specter in Cengceng layers.

A muffled sound of tearing cloth rang out; faint shards of brilliant blade-light escaped, carving inch-deep grooves into the brick walls.

The shadow itself shuddered several times before gradually settling still.

Then, from outside the cell, the shadow’s voice rose in awe:

“I had no idea Your Highness had already ascended to the Realm of Martial Grandmaster—truly unexpected. The Lord Director, upon hearing this, will be overjoyed.”

Li Zhi slowly retracted the thick, cloudlike qi surrounding him, and shook his head:

“Excessive praise—I merely gained insight within this prison and barely broke through.”

At this, the shadow beneath the torch bowed slightly and said:

“Lu Ying and the other Shadow Guards will henceforth obey Your Highness’s commands.”

“No need for such formalities.”

Li Zhi raised a hand lightly, then his gaze shifted, and he sighed deeply:

“I cannot fathom what the Emperor is thinking—ordering me to destroy one of the four great sects? It’s nearly impossible. I don’t even know how to begin.”

Hearing this, the shadow outside the cell remained silent; neither the Emperor nor the Lord Director were subjects for their kind to discuss.

“Your Highness, all things are possible with effort—there is no need to despair.”

The shadow shifted slightly and said:

“Lu Ying must return to report to the Lord Director; I shall not disturb Your Highness further.”

With that, the shadow slowly retreated into darkness beneath the torch, and the space it had occupied returned to normal.

Seeing the Shadow Guard of the Hidden Spy Bureau depart, Li Zhi’s earlier worry vanished instantly.

He frowned deeply, staring at the lamp on the table, his expression shifting between dark and uncertain:

“Suddenly ordering me to destroy one of the four great sects—this condition is nearly impossible. Could it be… they’ve discovered my secret?”

But the cell remained silent, and no one answered his question.

…

Jiguang Pavilion.

The grand hall below had been destroyed; in a smaller adjacent hall, a group of young men gathered in frantic haste.

“I heard the true seventh prince has already been confirmed—we’re all fakes.”

“What? Then what do we do? When I left home, the city lord personally escorted me a hundred li and promised to marry his daughter to me—if I’m not the prince, can I still marry her?”

“I don’t believe it. Isn’t there still five days before we’re screened? Why has the true seventh prince been decided so soon?”

“Belief doesn’t matter—this man bears an uncanny resemblance to Lady Jing. A eunuch from the Tianjin Guard recognized him at once. The matter has already been reported to the palace; news will spread soon.”

“Could it be someone who learned Lady Jing’s appearance and disguised themselves?”

“Foolish. This is treason punishable by clan extermination. No disguise can fool the palace’s experts, and no one would risk near-certain death.”

“Then what should we do now?”

“Let’s hope this man merely resembles Lady Jing—and fails the verification. Then we still have a chance.”

…

The young men in the hall, upon hearing this news, were both despondent and agitated, yet clung to a faint hope.

At that moment, three young men slipped away from the crowd and ascended toward the upper floors of Jiguang Pavilion.

One wore a Confucian robe, but his face was twisted with malice. He turned to the other two, dressed in brocade robes, and said:

“If we want the man to fail verification, the safest method is to kill him and destroy the body before the palace envoys arrive.”

Hearing this, one of them squinted and said:

“Today, the three of us swear together: whoever becomes the true seventh prince must never forget to uplift the other two.”

“Exactly. If we grow rich, we shall not forget each other!”

The third young man clenched his fist, his eyes filled with cruelty:

“I know who he is. I’ll pretend to speak with him; you two strike when he’s unprepared—this will succeed.”

The three exchanged glances, said no more, and silently moved toward the upper corridor.

Soon, one of them spotted Li Muxian standing in the corridor, lost in thought.

He immediately donned a gentle smile and walked slowly toward him.

But as he reached halfway, Li Muxian suddenly turned his head:

“If I were you, I wouldn’t take another step forward.”

The young man froze, then quickly bowed:

“Brother, what do you mean? I only saw you alone here and thought to keep you company.”

Hearing this, Li Muxian glanced toward the dark corner beside the stairs and raised an eyebrow:

“Your killing intent is so thick—do you think no one can tell you’re hiding there?”

(End of Chapter)