Chapter 72: Treating the Branding

The Great Li Imperial Palace, Yixin Hall.

Li Tianyi, Senior Eunuch of the Imperial Court and Chief Clerk of the Office of Ceremonial, wore a golden-thread python robe, his face lean and pale, his hair entirely white as snow, yet showing no sign of age.

He gazed at the corpses littering the hall, his gaze finally settling on the body of Consort Ji, whose skin bore not a single unblemished patch, and whose eyes glowed with torment and terror like a demon’s.

“The method is truly cruel.”

He slightly pursed his thin lips, then closed his eyes gently.

In an instant, the faint morning breeze that had flowed in from the doorway vanished without a sound, as if the very space of the hall had frozen solid.

Only a chilling true qi remained, coiled like a colossal serpent hovering above Yixin Hall, motionless.

After a while, Senior Eunuch Li Tianyi slowly opened his eyes, his snowy brows furrowing:

“There’s not a trace of any unusual martial qi left behind—I can’t tell what martial art was used?”

Li Tianyi fell silent in thought, a flash of cold light passing through his eyes as he murmured:

“Was this done by someone within the palace? Or is there truly someone who can enter and exit the Great Li Imperial Palace at will, killing without a sound?”

At that moment, the clashing of armor and the heavy, earth-shaking footsteps of soldiers echoed outside Yixin Hall.

All the synchronized sounds came to an abrupt halt before the hall, and then rows of armored guards, their weapons glinting coldly, surrounded Yixin Hall like an iron wall.

“Your Excellency Li!”

A middle-aged general, clad in black armor engraved with cloud-dragon patterns and wearing a fearsome beast-headed helmet, stepped forward and bowed behind Senior Eunuch Li Tianyi.

His gaze swept quietly over the scene inside the hall, a look of shock crossing his face.

Though he had been briefed by the eunuch messenger before arriving, seeing it with his own eyes still unsettled him.

Such a massive tragedy within the palace—he had served in the Imperial Guard for over a decade and had never witnessed anything like this.

“Xiao Han, immediately seal off the palace. From this moment, no one is to leave. Also, send messengers to the Six Ministries and the Hidden Spy Office—send their best investigators and evidence specialists to the palace to assist in this case.”

Li Tianyi spoke without turning, his tone calm, yet his brows tightly knitted—he took this matter with utmost seriousness.

Hearing this, Xiao Han quickly bowed in assent, but after a brief hesitation, he asked:

“Should we inform the Third Imperial Prince and the Right Chancellor?”

Senior Eunuch Li Tianyi fell silent for a moment, saying nothing.

Consort Ji was not only the mother of the Third Imperial Prince, but also the daughter of the current Right Chancellor.

Now that she lay in such a horrific state, he could not decide whether to inform them immediately.

“I cannot make this decision myself. You must seek the Empress Dowager’s decree.”

Li Tianyi turned to glance at the Imperial Guard general behind him and added:

“However, I suggest letting the Six Ministries and the Hidden Spy Office examine the scene first. Otherwise, if those two become emotionally overwhelmed and act irrationally, they may complicate matters further.”

Hearing this, Xiao Han nodded slightly, cast one final look into the hall, and promptly withdrew.

…

Headquarters of the Tianjin Guard.

In the bird-song-and-flower-scented courtyard, early in the morning, Cang Yin Yue hurried to meet Li Muxian.

“This is the secret manual for Bone-Eating Yin Wind Finger that I found last night. Please, Your Highness, see if it’s useful?”

Cang Yin Yue pulled out a blue-bound, thread-stitched book, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Since learning from Shangguan Qingqing that Li Muxian’s identity had been recognized by Emperor Yuanwu, though stunned by how swiftly things had progressed,

she had readily accepted it, and without realizing it, her manner of addressing Li Muxian had changed.

“Cang Miss, you needn’t be so formal—I still prefer how you used to be.”

Li Muxian smiled, glancing at her, then reached out to take the martial arts manual.

A flicker of unusual emotion passed through Cang Yin Yue’s eyes, yet she still bowed firmly and said:

“There is order in rank and status; one must not overstep.”

Hearing this, Li Muxian shook his head and said no more.

His gaze fell upon the Bone-Eating Yin Wind Finger manual before him; he flipped through it quickly, and soon finished reading the entire text.

Behind her veil, Cang Yin Yue watched him intently, nervously asking:

“How? Your Highness, how certain are you that you can remove the branded characters on my face?”

Li Muxian shrugged, picked up the teacup on the stone table, took a sip, and smiled:

“Cang Miss, asking ‘how certain’ implies you doubt me. It’s not a matter of certainty—it’s a matter of how many hours it will take to restore your appearance.”

Hearing this, Cang Yin Yue’s face lit up with joy.

She reached out, her fingers brushing the veil over her face, drew a deep breath, and asked hesitantly:

“When do we begin?”

“We can begin right now.”

Li Muxian suddenly raised his hand lightly, and Cang Yin Yue felt the surrounding heavenly qi vanish instantly.

Soon, a blazing golden light appeared before her eyes, slowly advancing toward her face at a visible pace.

Cang Yin Yue instinctively tried to recoil, but after glancing at Li Muxian, she stood still, allowing the golden light to merge into her face.

Slowly, a warm energy penetrated her skin; the icy, poisonous qi clinging to her facial bones recoiled like snakes or scorpions, rising from her flesh—only to be extinguished in an instant by the golden energy.

Soon, all was still. The entire process took only a few breaths.

Cang Yin Yue gently touched her cheek; she could clearly feel the persistent icy pain from the branded characters had vanished, replaced by a tingling warmth—as if her skin were healing.

At that moment, Li Muxian pulled a porcelain bottle from his robe and handed it to Cang Yin Yue:

“This is a high-grade ointment I obtained from the Tianjin Guard for healing scars. Your branded characters have been healed by true qi to half their extent; apply this, and they will be fully restored within twelve hours.”

Hearing this, Cang Yin Yue took the bottle. Though she now had some confidence, she still found it hard to believe.

The branded characters that had haunted her like a nightmare for years—had Li Muxian truly removed them so easily?

And he had merely flipped through the Bone-Eating Yin Wind Finger manual—he didn’t even seem to need it.

Li Muxian seemed to sense her doubt and waved his hand:

“The manual was still useful—it told me this thing was useless. I’d overestimated this martial art and been overly cautious!”

Hearing this, Cang Yin Yue’s eyelid twitched.

Still, she had witnessed Li Muxian’s terrifying power before—she was no longer easily shocked.

She quickly thanked him and hurried off to a nearby courtyard to apply the ointment.

(End of Chapter)