Chapter 72: Treating the Tattoo

In the Great Li Imperial Palace, within the Yixin Hall.

Li Tianyi, the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Secretariat and the Grand Eunuch before the Emperor, wore a golden-threaded python robe; his face was lean, his skin Bai Xi, and though his hair was entirely white as snow, no sign of old age marred his features.

Gazing at the corpses filling the hall, his eyes finally settled on the body of Noble Consort Ji, whose skin was not a single inch intact, her expression one of agony and terror, like that of a demon.

"The method was truly cruel."

He slightly pressed his thin lips together, then gently closed his eyes.

In an instant, the cool morning breeze that had been blowing in from the doorway throughout the Yixin Hall vanished silently and without a sound; it was as if the entire space of the great hall had frozen at that very moment.

Only a chill, Yin true energy remained, like a giant python coiling above the Yixin Hall, hovering motionless.

After a while, the Grand Eunuch before the Emperor, Li Tianyi, slowly opened his eyes, his snow-white brows furrowing:

"There is not a trace of any abnormal Martial Way energy left around; how is it that I cannot discern which Martial Way cultivation technique was used?"

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

"Was this done by someone within the palace? Or is there truly someone who can come and go freely within the Great Li's inner palace, killing without a trace?"

At that moment, the sounds of clashing armor and heavy footsteps that shook the earth echoed from outside the Yixin Hall.

All the uniform sounds came to an abrupt halt before the Yixin Hall; immediately, squads of guards with cold, gleaming armor surrounded the entire Yixin Hall like an iron bucket.

"We pay our respects to Eunuch Li!"

A middle-aged general wearing black armor engraved with cloud-dragons and a helmet shaped like a beast's head, his demeanor solemn, stepped forward and bowed deeply behind the Grand Eunuch before the Emperor, Li Tianyi.

His gaze quietly swept over the scene within the Yixin Hall, and a look of shock flashed across his face.

Although he had heard the general situation from the eunuch delivering the order before coming to the Yixin Hall, seeing it with his own eyes still unsettled his mind.

Such a major tragedy occurring within the palace; in his more than ten years of service in the Imperial Guard, this was the first time he had witnessed such a thing.

"Xiao Han, seal off the palace immediately. From this moment on, no one is allowed to leave the palace. Additionally, send people to the Six Gates and the Hidden Intelligence Bureau, ordering the expert investigators among the Divine Captains and the evidence-gathering Commandants to bring their men to the Imperial Palace to assist in the investigation of this case."

Li Tianyi spoke without turning his head; his tone was calm, yet his brows remained tightly furrowed, clearly indicating how seriously he took this matter.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Han immediately clasped his hands and affirmed, but after a slight hesitation, he asked:

"Should we inform the Third Imperial Prince and the Right Prime Minister, my lord?"

The Grand Eunuch before the Emperor, Li Tianyi, pondered for a moment but said nothing.

Noble Consort Ji was not only the mother of the Third Imperial Prince but also the daughter of the current Right Prime Minister.

Now that Noble Consort Ji had met such a tragic end, he could not immediately decide whether to notify them right away.

"I cannot make the decision on this matter; you must go and ask for Her Majesty the Empress's decree."

Li Tianyi turned to look at the Imperial Guard general behind him, adding a reminder:

"However, I suggest we wait until the Six Gates and the Hidden Intelligence Bureau have investigated the scene. Otherwise, if those two become emotionally agitated and act irrationally, it may create further complications."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Han nodded slightly, cast one last glance into the hall, and then immediately took his leave.

The Tianjin Guard Headquarters.

In a courtyard filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, early in the morning, Cang Yin Yue could not wait to come and see Li Musheng.

"This is the manual for the Bone-Eroding Yin Wind Finger that I found last night; please, Your Highness, take a look and see if it is useful?"

Cang Yin Yue produced a blue-bound book with thread stitching, a look of expectation appearing between her eyebrows.

Ever since learning from Shangguan Qingqing that Li Musheng's identity had been recognized by Emperor Yuanwu, although she was surprised at how rapidly this matter had developed.

She still accepted it all easily, and her way of addressing Li Musheng had changed without her even noticing.

"Miss Cang, there is no need for such formality; I still prefer the way you were before."

Li Musheng glanced at the other with a smile and reached out to take the Wu Gong manual.

A strange expression surfaced in Cang Yin Yue's eyes, yet she still bowed with hands clasped, her expression resolute, and said:

"Order and hierarchy must be observed; one must not overstep."

Upon hearing this, Li Musheng shook his head and said no more.

His gaze fell upon the Bone-Eroding Yin Wind Finger manual before him; he flipped through it quickly, and before long, he had read through the entire martial art.

Cang Yin Yue, her face covered by a veil, watched him intently with some nervousness and asked cautiously:

"How is it? What are Your Highness's chances of solving the tattoo on my face?"

Li Musheng shrugged, lifted the teacup from the stone table before him, took a sip, and smiled:

"Miss Cang, the way you ask that question clearly shows a lack of respect for me. This is not a matter of what percentage of success I have, but rather you should ask me how many hours it will take to restore your appearance."

Upon hearing this, Cang Yin Yue's face immediately lit up with joy.

She reached out to touch her face through the veil, took a deep breath, and asked somewhat nervously:

"Then when shall we begin?"

"Of course, we can begin right now."

Li Musheng suddenly raised his hand slightly, and Cang Yin Yue felt the true energy of the surrounding heaven and earth suddenly vanish.

And very quickly, a blazing Jin Guang appeared before her eyes, slowly approaching her face at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Cang Yin Yue instinctively wanted to dodge, but after looking at Li Musheng, she ultimately stood still, allowing the Jin Guang before her to merge into her face.

Slowly, a warm energy penetrated her skin; the strands of Yin poison and cold qi originally attached to her facial bones immediately fled like snakes and scorpions, rising from between her flesh and skin, only to be utterly extinguished by that energy in the blink of an eye.

Before long, everything calmed down; the entire process had taken only a few breaths.

Cang Yin Yue gently touched her cheek; she could clearly feel that the cold, stinging sensation that had occasionally appeared from the tattoo on her face had vanished. Her skin felt itchy, as if it were gradually healing.

At this moment, Li Musheng took a porcelain bottle from his robes, extended his hand to give it to Cang Yin Yue, and said:

"This is a fine ointment for treating scars that I obtained from the Tianjin Guard. The tattoo on your face has already been healed by true energy to fifty percent; apply this, and it will be completely cured within twelve hours."

Upon hearing this, Cang Yin Yue took the porcelain bottle; although she already had a sense of certainty in her heart, she still found it hard to believe.

The tattoo that had plagued her like a nightmare for so many years had truly been resolved by Li Musheng just like that?

Moreover, the other party merely flipped through the Bone-Eroding Yin Wind Finger manual and seemed to have little need for it.

Li Musheng seemed to sense Cang Cang Yin Yue's confusion, waved his hand, and said:

"The manual is still quite useful; at least it let me know that this thing is utterly useless. Previously, I overestimated this Wu Gong and was overly cautious!"

Hearing this, Cang Cang Yin Yue's eyelid twitched.

However, having witnessed Li Musheng's terrifying strength before, she was already accustomed to such things.

Immediately, she hurriedly thanked him and could not wait to find a spot in the nearby courtyard to apply the ointment.

(End of this chapter)