Chapter 93: The End

“They must have some special method to find us anytime—enough, no need to waste effort anymore.”

Han Meiyan’s expression was grim, while Zhang He frowned and asked:

“If that Eighth Imperial Prince keeps following us, how can we get the Qilin blood?”

Han Meiyan’s long, alluring eyes reflected deep thought as she murmured:

“We can only take it one step at a time for now. If all else fails, I’ll draw them away while you take the Qilin blood—we split up.”

Hearing this, Zhang He glanced at Han Meiyan, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes, then slowly nodded:

“Then that’s the only way!”

…

“Why haven’t we seen a single copper coin since we started this journey?”

Li Yuanling steered the wooden boat, her eyes scanning back and forth along the cave walls on either side, as if desperately searching for something.

“How would I know?”

Li Muxian shrugged, but soon waved his hand casually:

“But it doesn’t matter—let’s just get to the end first. If all else fails, we can always steal some?”

At this, Li Yuanling’s expression changed instantly. She extended a finger to tap her smooth chin, then exclaimed:

“Right! The rules carved on the stone tablet never said we couldn’t steal copper coins. We can just wait on the only path to the end, collect a copper coin from every passing boat—that shouldn’t be too excessive.”

Li Muxian nodded in deep agreement.

After all, this was just a trial game—slightly lower moral standards posed no real problem.

For the rest of the journey, Li Muxian and Li Yuanling stuck closely to Han Meiyan and Zhang He, weaving left and right through the caverns, constantly navigating the underground water maze.

Sometimes, sudden attacks erupted from hidden traps on the cave walls; other times, underwater mechanisms disrupted the waterways, surging up massive waves in attempts to capsize their boats.

Yet none of these could affect Li Muxian and Li Yuanling—their boat remained firmly behind Han Meiyan and Zhang He, arriving without incident at the maze’s end.

“These two Daoist devils are quite capable.”

Li Muxian nodded slowly; along the way, the pair had taken almost no detours, cutting straight through the maze—they truly had some skill.

Li Yuanling’s mood was also good. She glanced around—the maze’s end was a vast underground palace.

Inside, candles burned brightly; the foundation was built of granite, and dozens of massive stone pillars rose from the ground, carved with intricate, exquisite patterns of “wooden boats.”

Above the entire palace, stalactites hung like frozen waterfalls, shimmering with multicolored light in the candle glow.

The underground palace connected to the cave’s waterway; once the boat arrived, it could pass through an arched gate rising above the water to enter the palace.

At that moment, Han Meiyan signaled Zhang He to stop the boat, then turned to Li Muxian behind them:

“My apologies for my earlier rudeness, Young Master—please go ahead. This is my way of making amends.”

Hearing this, Li Yuanling immediately frowned and stepped forward to block Li Muxian, her expression wary.

Han Meiyan’s charm technique had worn off; she had now returned to her guarded stance toward Li Yuanling.

Li Muxian, however, gave a slight nod. This Daoist enchantress had mastered social maneuvering so precisely—he truly couldn’t refuse outright.

“Let’s go in and see—maybe we’ll find something to boost our cultivation?”

Li Muxian spoke to Li Yuanling.

After a moment’s hesitation, she said nothing more, then steered their boat past Han Meiyan and Zhang He, heading into the underground palace.

Seeing this, Han Meiyan and Zhang He exchanged a glance, then silently rowed behind them.

“Congratulations, esteemed guests—you are the first to complete the maze, with a total of two hundred ten marks.”

A middle-aged man in brocade robes, holding a scroll of records, walked up with a beaming smile and stopped before Li Muxian and Li Yuanling’s boat.

Hearing this, Li Yuanling sized him up, then waved her hand dismissively and spoke bluntly:

“Cut the fluff—just tell us: what’s the reward for first place? Is there a divine artifact that boosts martial cultivation?”

The brocade-robed man visibly paused, surprised by her bluntness. He chuckled awkwardly and bowed:

“Though I don’t know where you heard this rumor, the rewards offered by Floating Boat City to esteemed guests are typically powerful martial arts manuals, precious weapons forged by renowned masters, or rare treasures…”

“But there has never been a divine artifact capable of boosting cultivation!”

At this, Li Yuanling’s brows knitted tightly—she was done.

She pointed at the pile of jade tablets on their boat and said coldly:

“We’ve earned such a high mark—it must be a record. Is Floating Boat City really this stingy? Won’t you even show some appreciation?”

Yet the brocade-robed man shook his head and smiled:

“Madam, you misunderstand. Your mark of two hundred ten is high, but Floating Boat City’s current record is two hundred fifty.”

Li Muxian raised an eyebrow—this record number didn’t sound very impressive.

He glanced at the man, then stopped Li Yuanling, who was clearly ready to argue further, and narrowed his eyes:

“If we surpass your current record, will we receive a divine artifact that boosts cultivation?”

At this, the brocade-robed man wore a look of helpless resignation and bowed:

“Young Master, you misunderstand—Floating Boat City truly has no such divine artifact capable of boosting martial cultivation.”

Hearing this, Li Muxian turned to look at Li Yuanling, his eyes sharp with suspicion:

“Is your information reliable?”

“It should be.”

Li Yuanling blinked, then shrugged:

“But whether that artifact actually exists… I’m not sure.”

Li Muxian’s brow twitched. He stared at her without speaking.

Just listen to yourself—what nonsense are you spouting?

But after a moment’s thought, he turned to look behind him at Han Meiyan and Zhang He’s boat, and suddenly asked:

“You two came here for that artifact too, didn’t you?”

At this, Han Meiyan and Zhang He exchanged a glance. Zhang He’s expression shifted, then he used qi to form a thread and whispered silently to Han Meiyan—clearly asking how to respond to Li Muxian.

Li Muxian, having observed this, immediately turned his gaze away.

Their failure to deny it immediately, combined with their secretive whispering, confirmed the truth—Floating Boat City must indeed possess such an artifact.

But the current Floating Boat City clearly had no intention of offering it as a reward—and seemed to be actively concealing its existence.

“This thing must be more complicated than it seems,” Li Muxian muttered, stroking his chin.

(End of Chapter)