Chapter 107: Three Drops of Blood

The royal ancestor looked like a middle-aged man, with thick, flowing black hair, sharp sword-like brows that exuded heroic vigor, a sturdy body, a hardened physique, and his whole body emanated a vigorous aura — the kind of vibrant vitality only youths possess.

He is an old man who has lived for many years, yet how does he appear to be a middle-aged man?

When Chen Yi He decided to storm the imperial palace, he only considered Eunuch Zhang and the Western Depot, but he forgot that within the capital there existed such a figure as the royal ancestor.

The Great Zhou Dynasty commanded hundreds of thousands of troops and dominated ten thousand li, yet it could not match this one person, the royal ancestor. The royal ancestor is the dynasty's most important bulwark; the effect of countless armies might not equal him alone.

"You… hello…" Chen Yi He greeted with a bitter smile.

"Young friend, do you still remember me?" the royal ancestor asked.

"I remember, I remember, how could I forget?" Chen Yi He scratched the back of his head embarrassedly, unsure whether it was from fear or the pressure of the other's overwhelming strength, he found his body unable to move.

"Young friend, what brings you to the royal mausoleum?"

"None…"

"Oh?" The royal ancestor stepped before Chen Yi He, his feet landing lightly on the ground, the soles touching fallen leaves that did not sink under his weight, "Why not tell me the truth?"

"It seems nothing can be hidden from you; I came here for the ice jade." Chen Yi He admitted readily, facing absolute strength, he had no choice.

"Ice jade, what a fine thing — it can preserve a corpse for a thousand years without decay, ten thousand years without rot; a single piece is already a priceless treasure worth a city. You are very honest." The royal ancestor smiled at Chen Yi He, "Just now you were a hair's breadth from death."

The stone weighing on Chen Yi He's heart finally fell; had he spoken a lie just now, he would have been slain instantly by the royal ancestor, "If I have offended, please understand."

"Understand? Can over a hundred departed souls understand? Death is a terribly frightening thing!"

"It is indeed frightening, but everyone must face it," Chen Yi He countered the royal ancestor, "Can you not face it?"

"We will face it, but you have destroyed another's ancestral corpse — is that a good deed?"

Upon saying this, Chen Yi He could not help but feel ashamed; indeed, the royal house bore him no grudge, yet he had destroyed another's ancestral corpse, and he was in the wrong.

"All along, those targeting you have been the Western Depot and Zhang Huayu, not the emperor."

"What do you want?"

"I too am of the royal house; you have infringed upon its interests, so I cannot simply stand by." The royal ancestor's gaze never left Chen Yi He.

"My body, how could it hold your soul?" A voice sounded from within Chen Yi He's body, audible only to him. He did not know what this hint meant; he glanced over, confirming the royal ancestor could not hear, and said, "What do you want? I will not return the ice jade to you!"

"Once a corpse leaves the ice jade, it returns to its original state, irreparable; you have made a grave mistake — what difference does it make if I retrieve the ice jade?" The royal ancestor lightly patted Chen Yi He's shoulder; though the gesture seemed slight, it imparted a heavy force that nearly crushed half of his body.

"Then what exactly do you want?" Chen Yi He could no longer bear such immense pressure, "Whether to kill or maim — it's a matter of a single word; why drag out all this nonsense?"

"Kill or maim? At my age, should I still slaughter the innocent? Since you, young friend, have laid your cards on the table, I will no longer beat around the bush — regarding the ice jade, I can spare you and turn a blind eye, but you must give me something."

"Hehe, the Heavenly Secret Sword?" Chen Yi He had already prepared to surrender the Heavenly Secret Sword; before the royal ancestor, he had no choice.

"The Heavenly Secret Sword is merely an external object; I do not wield swords, what use would it be to me?"

Chen Yi He was astonished that the royal ancestor had not come for the Heavenly Secret Sword; he was puzzled, "Then what do you want?"

"What I want is your blood." The royal ancestor's words startled Chen Yi He.

"My blood?" Chen Yi He staggered backward two steps; to take his blood is tantamount to taking his life, is it not?

"Hehe, don't panic; I only need three drops of your blood, no more." Seeing Chen Yi He's flustered state, the royal ancestor smiled and said to him.

"What do you need it for?" Chen Yi He asked.

"You need not concern yourself with that." The royal ancestor gazed at Chen Yi He with deep meaning, waiting for his decision.

"All right." Chen Yi He drew the Heavenly Secret Sword and nicked the tip of his index finger.

The royal ancestor extended his hand; only to see Chen Yi He's fresh blood condense into droplets that flew into his palm.

Three crystal-clear, vividly red droplets of blood.

Clutched tightly by the royal ancestor.

Chen Yi He suffered no loss; three drops of blood are nothing to a master who has attained the Great Accomplishment of the Third Heaven.

"Is that enough?" Chen Yi He asked.

"It is enough." The royal ancestor stepped aside, making way for Chen Yi He, "I will pretend I saw nothing, but whether you can evade the Western Depot's pursuit is no longer my concern."

"Let fate decide." Chen Yi He said with a bitter smile, then added, "May I ask, what use do you have for my blood?"

The royal ancestor shook his head, gestured with his hand, "You may go."

"Thank you…" Chen Yi He strode away, anxious, fearing that Eunuch Zhang had already brought men to kill him.

Only when Chen Yi He turned back and could no longer see the royal ancestor did he break into a run!

He ran wildly!

He feared the royal ancestor would change his mind.

If the ancestor caught up, he would slap him to death with a single palm.

"How are you? So out of breath? Have you shaken them off?" At the agreed tavern, Chen Yi He met Qiu Yichen, who asked him.

Qiu Yichen was leisurely drinking and eating.

"So flustered…"

Chen Yi He regulated his breath for a long time before his qi settled.

"Sit, drink." Qiu Yichen appeared to have shaken off Eunuch Zhang without much effort.

Chen Yi He roughly recounted his ordeal in the royal mausoleum to Qiu Yichen.

"The royal ancestor… I have heard of him…" Qiu Yichen could understand why Chen Yi He was so out of breath.

"Too terrifying." Chen Yi He remained shaken. "How about you?"

"Eunuch Zhang is strong; he early on saw through my disguise, then gave up chasing me and returned to the palace." Qiu Yichen said lightly, but being pursued by Eunuch Zhang is no safe matter.

"This time I truly thank you. This cup, I offer to you!" Chen Yi He raised his glass in a toast.

Qiu Yichen clinked glasses with Chen Yi He, drained them in one gulp, and said, "Don't rush to thank me yet; I still have something to thank you for."

"Come on, spill it!" Chen Yi He urged eagerly.