Chapter 115: Fushou Mansion

The guards at Fushou Mansion immediately reported the Zhiyu Guard’s encirclement of the estate.

Soon after, someone came out of the mansion to handle it.

“You Zhiyu Guard dare act so brazenly? Even the Donggong has no authority over my Fushou Mansion.”

“Get out now.” The man’s tone was extremely hostile—he demanded they leave at once.

Chu Danqing saw through the man’s bluster; his aggression was merely a facade.

“Throw him back.” Chu Danqing had no intention of arguing; before he finished speaking, Da Bao moved.

He grabbed the man and hurled him into Fushou Mansion.

The man was a smooth operator—he’d been waiting for exactly this opening.

After landing, he scrambled to his feet and sprinted into the mansion.

He had fulfilled his duty; what came next was beyond his capacity to handle.

All he needed to do was report the situation to the Fushou Prince.

Not long after, another person came from Fushou Mansion—but this time, his demeanor was far more respectful.

“Lord Chu, the Fushou Prince requests your presence.”

Chu Danqing shook his head: “No. Tell your Fushou Prince to stay put inside his mansion.”

He had no intention of entering.

He wasn’t Guan Yun Chang—why would he walk in alone with a single blade?

Bringing men inside was too risky; the Zhiyu Guard must remain stationed outside Fushou Mansion.

What if he triggered a signal, and a hundred swordsmen and axe-wielders burst out and turned him into minced meat?

“Lord Chu, rest assured—you won’t enter the mansion. The Fushou Prince awaits you in the side pavilion.” The man had anticipated this.

Hearing this, Chu Danqing considered it briefly—he was confident he could escape if danger arose, with only a wall between them.

Besides, he wanted to see what the other side was playing at; perhaps this would trigger a side quest or hidden event.

“Lead the way.” Chu Danqing said, then followed the man into the side pavilion.

The Fushou Prince was a young man, seated arrogantly in the main seat, flanked by two elite bodyguards.

“Does the Crown Prince want my life?” the Fushou Prince asked upon seeing Chu Danqing.

“The Crown Prince wants the Fushou Prince to preserve his dignity,” Chu Danqing replied.

The Fushou Prince pondered this, then guessed: “Has the Emperor passed away?”

While the Fushou Prince’s political acumen was inferior to Li Wanwu and others, his youth was understandable.

Yet in ability, he was undeniably a prince trained by the imperial elite.

The Qiutan Faction used him—but wasn’t he using the Qiutan Faction to pave his own path?

Chu Danqing did not answer the Fushou Prince’s question; instead, he asked: “Is there anything else?”

“You have no reverence for imperial authority,” the Fushou Prince smiled. “Sticking with the Crown Prince will end badly for you.”

“If you give me a path, whatever the Crown Prince offers you, I can offer you too.”

The Crown Prince was weak and suppressed, naturally suspicious.

Chu Danqing, a man from the modern world, had no reverence for imperial power—he had even killed Emperor Taichang.

Tonight’s upheaval had been sparked by him.

“No,” Chu Danqing declined casually.

He could forgo the trial mission’s reward—but failing the trial meant forced return, which he could not accept.

Just this one point meant he could not switch sides.

The Fushou Prince’s expression didn’t change—he had expected this.

He also confirmed one thing: as long as he stayed inside Fushou Mansion, Chu Danqing wouldn’t harm him.

The Crown Prince once gave you a five-colored jade flower, and it's rumored he plans to reward you with the Night Pearl of the Boluo Kingdom.

“Lord Chu, on your first visit, I’ve prepared a modest gift.” As he spoke, a servant opened two chests in the side pavilion.

Both were filled with gold, silver, and jewels—thick and substantial.

When asking for a favor, no one makes a request with empty hands.

Especially not for something like the throne.

“I advise you to stop wasting your time,” Chu Danqing said bluntly. “If you don’t step out of Fushou Mansion, it’s better for everyone.”

With that, he turned and left.

The moment he turned, the two elite bodyguards beside the Fushou Prince moved simultaneously.

They aimed to seize Chu Danqing as leverage.

The Fushou Prince had been ordered to confine himself, and his available forces had been drastically reduced.

So he could only resort to the tactic of capturing the leader to break the enemy.

Of course, if he could bribe Chu Danqing, that would be ideal—even better, gain the Zhiyu Guard’s aid.

But the Fushou Prince knew the odds.

Who could become the Left Commander of the Zhiyu Guard without being utterly loyal to the Crown Prince?

Da Bao moved faster—he spun and slashed both men’s throats in one motion.

Blood gushed out immediately—but no treasure chest appeared.

Probably only after wiping out the entire Fushou Mansion would one drop.

Chu Danqing didn’t even glance at them—he walked straight out of the side pavilion.

The Fushou Prince’s expression never changed; the outcome was exactly as he’d predicted.

Fushou Mansion’s martial strength was extremely limited.

Failure was inevitable.

“A pity,” the Fushou Prince sighed, knowing the matter was settled.

Now he must depart for his fiefdom—unless he rebelled, he would never touch the throne.

As long as he didn’t leave Fushou Mansion before dawn, he and the Crown Prince would remain brotherly, not rivals.

So he surrendered.

Chu Danqing exited the side pavilion, found a quiet spot outside, and began refining the Five Elements Spirit Flag technique.

With prior experience refining the Spirit Seal and Spirit Pearl, his efficiency had increased dramatically.

What once took fifteen hours now took only five.

An average of one per hour.

After all, they were all offshoots of the Five Elements Spirit Beast Technique—meaning the core remained unchanged.

Differences existed, but practice still made perfect.

Chu Danqing estimated the time—he’d finish before dawn.

Time passed second by second; the night began to fade.

Fushou Mansion remained calm, but the entire capital was in turmoil all night.

From civil to military, no one rested; Xiong Zhigang even sent five hundred soldiers to assist Chu Danqing, ensuring Fushou Mansion wouldn’t cause trouble.

When the five hundred soldiers arrived, Fushou Mansion shut its gates tightly—as if fearing Chu Danqing might attack.

At dawn, Chu Danqing completed refining the Five Elements Spirit Flags.

【Five Elements Spirit Flags (Offshoot) LV.MAX: Each flag provides 30 points of localized shield value; when all five are present, they form a full-body protective layer】

(Note: Reconstituting a broken Five Elements Spirit Flag requires 30 mana points)

(Note: Maximum of one full set may be held)

Chu Danqing watched five palm-sized spirit flags materialize around him, circling along the same path they had once followed as the Five Elements Magic Sphere.

The Five Elements Spirit Flags granted him 150 shield points—a colorless, odorless, invisible shield enveloping his entire body.

“Second, because of the strengthened connection, I can now move the three items over a wider range.”

Chu Danqing commanded the Five Elements Spirit Flags to fly away from their orbit, breaking the five-element synergy.

His shield dropped by 30 points—only the remaining flags offered localized protection, no longer covering his whole body.

“It seems the technique is incomplete.”

“The movement range appears identical to the Spirit Seal’s aura radius.”

Chu Danqing returned the displaced flag to its position, then tested the Spirit Pearl further.

After testing each individually, he reached a conclusion: within the thirty-meter aura radius, these three items could lock onto targets like a missile.

But it was useless—the Spirit Seal, Spirit Pearl, and Spirit Flags were not offensive offshoots.

To actually strike, perhaps a fully charged Spirit Pearl could explode?

But he had no way to trigger the detonation.

The Five Elements Spirit Pearl was designed solely as a mana reservoir and cultivation amplifier; how could his knowledge compare to its creator’s?

To optimize or enhance something, you need sufficient foundational knowledge—otherwise, anyone could succeed by just slapping their forehead and hoping.

“Still, at least I now have a permanent protective measure,” Chu Danqing was satisfied.

The shield value of the Five Elements Spirit Flags might be low, but they can be upgraded and are always active.

Even if shield value drops, it can be restored with mana at a one-to-one ratio.

You don’t need to wait until the flags shatter to replenish them.

As for offensive capabilities, future Spirit Scrolls or Spirit Runes should include an offensive offshoot technique.

Right now, he must raise the Five Elements Spirit Beast Technique to LV.5—otherwise, even if Guo Ming gave him the technique, he couldn’t cultivate it.

As Chu Danqing was adapting to the shield protection granted by the Five Elements Spirit Flags, a eunuch hurried over.

He ignored the Zhangyu Guards and soldiers entirely, shouting at the entrance to Prince Fu’s mansion: “Imperial edict!”

After one glance outward, the people inside Prince Fu’s mansion opened a side gate to let him in.

Chu Danqing did not fully understand what had happened, but since the trial mission had not failed, it meant the Crown Prince was unharmed.

After entering to deliver the edict, the eunuch came out and said to Chu Danqing: “The Crown Prince’s verbal order: escort Prince Fu into the palace.”

He then produced the Crown Prince’s token.

Chu Danqing recognized it as genuine, and nodded: “Alright.”

Without this token, Chu Danqing would never have obeyed.

Who knew if he was being set up to take the blame?

About fifteen minutes later, the main gate of Prince Fu’s mansion opened, and two sedan chairs were carried out, one following the other.

The front sedan chair stopped before Chu Danqing; the curtain was drawn back, revealing Prince Fu’s face: “Let’s go, Master Chu.”

Prince Fu’s face was full of smiles, showing no trace of distress—as if he truly rejoiced at the Crown Prince’s imminent ascension.

“After you,” Chu Danqing gestured for them to go first.

Prince Fu paid no mind, lowered the curtain, and the bearers lifted the chair and moved ahead.

Chu Danqing waved his hand; the soldiers closed in, tightly surrounding the two sedan chairs and “protecting” them in the center.

The Zhangyu Guards brought up the rear, to prevent any mishaps.

Thus, the entire procession marched grandly toward the imperial palace.

He guessed the purpose was to settle the victory outcome within the palace—namely, the Crown Prince’s coronation ceremony.

A nation cannot be without a ruler for a single day; thus, if the old emperor died today, the Crown Prince would ascend as the new emperor tomorrow.

Otherwise, it would trigger a cascade of troubles: political instability, shifting loyalties, and more.

(End of Chapter)