Chapter 80: The Old Man of No Form

The Old Man of No Form hunched his back, his rough hand stroking the staff in his grip, and said:

“To be frank, Your Highness, this old man has come for only one thing—to kill!”

As he spoke, the Old Man of No Form’s face twisted into a mournful expression as he fixed his gaze on Li Que:

“Not long ago, I received word that one of my disciples had died. When I arrived, I learned that the very disciple I had intended to inherit my teachings was dead.”

“So I followed the trail of clues here, to Shangyang City.”

“Though I know the killer is a man and a woman, in this vast Shangyang City, finding their traces is no easy task.”

Hearing this, Li Que’s gaze shifted slightly, and he nodded:

“I understand your meaning, Elder. I will send men to find the killer of your disciple. But what can you offer in return?”

In an instant, the Old Man of No Form’s face sprouted three faces pressed together, speaking in unison:

“This old man will remain in Your Highness’s mansion for three years. Moreover, I’ve long heard that the capital of Da Li is rich in talent and qi, and I’d like to take this chance to find a worthy disciple to inherit my teachings.”

Li Que glanced at the elder seated on the armchair beside him; seeing the elder give a slight nod, he rose at once, smiling as he bowed to the Old Man of No Form:

“Then I wish you luck in finding a suitable disciple during your three years here.”

Upon hearing this, the Old Man of No Form’s faces returned to normal, revealing only the plainest, most ordinary old man’s visage, smiling warmly:

“That’s excellent, excellent.”

At that moment, a guard hurried in to report:

“Your humble servant greets both Your Highnesses. A eunuch from the palace has come seeking Third Prince, saying he has urgent news to report.”

Hearing this, Li Zhu, who had just been preparing to congratulate Li Que on gaining another heavenly-level expert, stirred slightly:

“A palace envoy? Could it be Mother is calling for me?”

He then turned to the guard and ordered:

“Bring the eunuch here at once.”

The guard bowed and hurried out.

Seeing this, Li Que smiled and teased:

“I suppose Imperial Consort Ji has missed Third Brother so much she’s finally sent for him?”

Li Zhu chuckled awkwardly, while the Old Man of No Form’s gaze now settled on the Elder of the Exiled Immortal, his withered hands rising slightly in greeting:

“The Exiled Immortal once carried great renown. I never imagined that after retiring from the Jianghu, you’d be hiding here. To meet you face to face today is truly an honor.”

The Elder of the Exiled Immortal, clad in gray robes, waved his hand:

“You flatter me. Your Wuxiang Divine Art has reached perfection. The Wuxiang Demon Scripture of the Ten Thousand Forms Demon Sect falling into your hands was no mistake.”

At these words, both Li Que and Li Zhu remained expressionless, unshocked by the man’s demonic affiliation—as if they had long grown accustomed to it.

Within the Second Prince’s mansion, tolerance for Jianghu figures was extremely high; any martial expert willing to join, even those of demonic sects, was welcomed without question.

Now, among the mansion’s Jianghu advisors, at least half were either from demonic sects or wanted by righteous Jianghu clans.

At this moment, the Old Man of No Form narrowed his eyes at the Elder of the Exiled Immortal, stroking his staff:

“Elder of the Exiled Immortal, you saw through my origins at a glance. Your martial cultivation has grown even deeper. If time permits one day, I’d like to seek your guidance.”

The Elder of the Exiled Immortal showed no emotion, merely nodding slightly:

“After you avenge your disciple, I will fulfill your request. I, too, would like to witness the Wuxiang Divine Art, lost to the Jianghu for so long.”

“Then it is agreed.”

The Old Man of No Form’s face stretched into an absurdly exaggerated grin, grotesque and unnatural.

Li Que watched it all, saying nothing. He always followed the principle that suppressing conflict was worse than letting it flow.

More importantly, he trusted the Elder of the Exiled Immortal. As long as the Elder was present, any problem would resolve itself.

…

Soon after, the guard returned with a eunuch to the viewing platform.

The eunuch bowed to Li Que and Li Zhu in turn, then whispered to Li Zhu:

“This matter is of great importance. Your Highness, may I speak with you privately?”

Li Zhu glanced at the eunuch, his eyes flickering subtly toward Li Que, then frowned and said sternly:

“Second Brother is family. Speak plainly.”

The eunuch hesitated a moment, then finally trembled as he spoke:

“Your Highness, please accept my condolences—Imperial Consort Ji… she… she has passed away.”

At these words, the entire viewing platform fell utterly silent.

Li Zhu stood frozen, then snapped back to awareness, his tiger-like eyes blazing at the eunuch before him.

He lunged forward, seizing the man’s throat and lifting him into the air, roaring:

“You dare!”

The eunuch’s face turned purple, struggling desperately to break free, but unable to move even a finger—unable even to cry out for mercy.

As the eunuch neared death, Li Que reacted and intervened:

“Third Brother, don’t act rashly—let him explain fully first.”

Though he found it unbelievable that Imperial Consort Ji had died suddenly, he also did not believe a eunuch would dare lie about the life or death of an imperial consort.

Hearing this, Li Zhu took several heavy breaths, calmed himself, and hurled the eunuch aside like a dead dog.

The eunuch, now alive, coughed violently but dared not delay, fearing Li Zhu might strike again. He scrambled up, kowtowing as he recounted everything that had happened in Yixin Palace.

Instantly, the viewing platform fell silent once more.

Seeing Li Zhu about to strike again, Li Que, his expression uneasy, suddenly blocked him:

“Under these circumstances, he dares not lie. Third Brother, you must go to the palace at once.”

Hearing this, Li Zhu froze, his face turning as white as paper.

Moments later, he bolted out, racing straight toward the Da Li Imperial Palace.

Watching Li Zhu’s retreating figure, Li Que’s gaze shifted. He glanced at the kneeling eunuch, then turned to the side and asked:

“What is your view, Elder?”

The Elder of the Exiled Immortal frowned slightly and shook his head:

“To enter and exit the palace undetected and kill—that is exceedingly difficult. Even I could not manage it.”

Hearing this, Li Que narrowed his eyes and mused:

“Then the killer must be inside the palace?”

But the Elder of the Exiled Immortal shook his head again:

“Not necessarily. I cannot do it, but that does not mean no one in this world can.”

Hearing this, the Old Man of No Form nodded:

“Indeed. Several years ago, the famed thief Bai Wuying infiltrated the Da Xuan Imperial Palace and abducted a consort without a soul knowing. But the incident was sealed by the Da Xuan court, so few know of it.”

Guys, I didn’t have time to write three chapters today because of the New Year holiday—only two. I’ll make up one tomorrow.

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(End of Chapter)