Chapter 69: Intruding the Palace to Kill the Consort

“Miss Cang, have you found out where the secret manual for Bone-Eating Yin Wind Finger is?”

Li Muxian turned and asked Cang Yin Yue.

Cang Yin Yue nodded, glancing at the nearby ruins of a house, and said:

“I’ll search for it shortly—I should be able to find it.”

Li Muxian gave a slight nod and said:

“Then I’ll leave the matter here in your hands, Miss Cang. Remember to come find me at the Tianjin Guard Headquarters tomorrow.”

With that, he turned to Shangguan Qingqing beside him and said:

“Miss Qingqing, we’ll talk another time. I have some business tonight—I’m leaving now.”

Hearing this, Shangguan Qingqing opened her mouth to speak—but the next instant, Li Muxian’s figure vanished from before their eyes.

“Where… did he go?”

Shangguan Qingqing scanned everywhere but found not a trace of Li Muxian.

“He’s too fast!”

Though Shangguan Qingqing already had a good sense of Li Muxian’s strength, this invisible, elusive martial art left anyone who saw it bewildered.

Cang Yin Yue, standing beside her, also narrowed her pupils sharply.

But soon, she took a deep breath and muttered to herself:

“Don’t compare yourself to him, don’t compare yourself to him—he’s not a normal martial artist; anything abnormal from him is perfectly normal.”

“Sister, why are you reciting a tongue twister?” Shangguan Qingqing asked curiously.

“That’s not it. Miss Qingqing, why did you just call him Eighth Imperial Prince?”

“Don’t you know? It’s all over the city…”

…

After leaving Cang Yuan Hou Fu, Li Muxian headed toward the Great Li Imperial Palace, standing at the very center of Shangyang City.

He was not a man who enjoyed meddling in others’ affairs.

But what could he do? He had encountered her—how could he let Ji Imperial Consort live, just to keep her for the New Year?

Meanwhile, under the night sky, the Great Li Imperial Palace loomed like a solemn, mysterious silent beast.

Tall vermilion walls rose majestically; beyond them, watchtowers stood at intervals, manned by soldiers who watched and patrolled day and night.

The palace gates were tightly shut at night, guarded by fully armed soldiers; squads of armored troops patrolled constantly throughout the palace, their clanking armor and synchronized footsteps echoing sharply through the silent night.

The Great Li Imperial Palace was heavily guarded—not only by visible sentries, but also by hidden spies and intricate traps.

More importantly, numerous powerful martial experts, invisible to the eye, stood guard within the palace; even a Heaven-Tier master could not infiltrate without being detected.

Deep within the inner palace, before a broad corridor stood a luxurious palace—Ji Imperial Consort’s residence: Yixin Palace.

Inside Yixin Palace, candle flames flickered; night winds stirred the curtains, casting the entire palace in a dreamlike glow.

Ji Imperial Consort, dressed in lavish court robes, sat cross-legged on a soft couch, palms upward, eyes closed.

Though nearly fifty, her skin was as white as snow, smooth and delicate, like lamb’s fat jade.

Even her wrinkles had vanished; her face remained unchanged from her youth, still resembling a woman in her twenties.

At this moment, streams of crimson qi circulated through her meridians, slowly stirring the air around her into a field several zhang wide.

Within the field, faint crimson blood-qi surged; bloody afterimages periodically burst from her body, then quickly dissipated in midair.

Ji Imperial Consort’s face alternated between faint pain and grimaces; finally, she snapped open her eyes, blood-red glimmers flashing in her pupils.

“Someone.”

Her cold voice rang out, and an old maid entered with a purple sandalwood tray.

On the tray rested a dark red pill; Ji Imperial Consort flicked her finger, sending a thread of blood-qi racing through the air to snatch the pill, swallowing it instantly.

Soon, her pain seemed to subside; she spoke slowly:

“How many Blood-Transformation Pills remain?”

“Not many left—only three remaining.”

The old maid’s voice was hoarse as she replied:

“Your Highness, should I urge Zhu Fenglan to prepare this month’s blood offering?”

Ji Imperial Consort waved her hand.

“No need. My sister handles things well—I trust her.”

She picked up a bronze mirror beside the couch, studying her reflection, and smiled:

“Fortunately, I had good fortune—I stumbled upon this miraculous art and regained my former beauty. The other concubines in the palace must envy me to death!”

Hearing this, the old maid’s face twisted into a cruel smile.

“Your Highness has only consumed blood offerings for a few years, yet already you’ve regained eternal youth—who knows, perhaps you’ll achieve immortality?”

“Immortality isn’t what I crave—Zhu has no destiny to become emperor.”

Ji Imperial Consort sighed, setting down the mirror, her expression filled with sorrow:

“I only wish His Majesty would spend more time with me. But alas—he’s obsessed with martial cultivation and hasn’t touched a woman in years. My only joy now in this deep palace is showing off before the other concubines!”

The old maid’s eyes gleamed, flattery dripping from her voice:

“Your Highness, don’t lose heart. Diligence never betrays the earnest—perhaps one day His Majesty will feel a sudden whim, and you’ll be the only woman left in the palace for him to visit.”

“Besides, Third Prince is both cultured and martially gifted, brilliant beyond compare—he may yet have a chance at the throne.”

Ji Imperial Consort’s gaze shifted, a sharp gleam flashing in her eyes; she paused, then murmured:

“You’ve reminded me—today His Majesty officially recognized Jing Fei’s son. New faces outshine old ones; in the coming days, he’ll likely receive more favor than the other princes. We should cultivate ties with him—he might become an asset to Zhu.”

The old maid’s eyes narrowed, opening her mouth to speak—

When suddenly, a man’s voice echoed through the vast palace:

“I heard you wanted to ally with me?”

At these words, Ji Imperial Consort froze in shock, leaping to her feet; crimson qi erupted around her, whipping the curtains into a frenzy.

The old maid’s eyes glowed with cold menace as she stepped beside Ji Imperial Consort, staring toward the center of the hall.

There, a young figure had appeared—dressed in plain robes, standing silently beneath the candlelight.

“Protect the Empress! Protect the Empress!”

Ji Imperial Consort cried out sharply, her voice echoing throughout the palace.

She knew well: though young, anyone who could break into the Great Li Imperial Palace was no ordinary man.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Dozens of maids and eunuchs leapt into Yixin Palace from outside—each formidable, their martial qi revealing at least Master-level cultivation.

They surrounded Li Muxian at the hall’s center, locking his aura with martial qi, their eyes brimming with unhidden killing intent.

Li Muxian acted as if he saw nothing, scanning them all, then spoke slowly:

“You’re all here. I don’t like killing innocents. I’ve sealed off this thirty-zhang radius with my aura—your fate now depends on whether you deserve to die.”

(End of Chapter)