Chapter 106: Ancient Affairs of the World, Seizing Its Qi, Fate, and Mandate

The Fire Qilin immediately reacted.

It looked at Li Guanyi, and its first reaction was agitation and worry; it let out a low growl, and the fire that had merely flowed and shifted across its scales now blazed fiercely. The Fire Qilin said: "What are you doing here?! This place is dangerous—those sorcerers could return at any moment!"

"Leave at once!"

Li Guanyi did not answer, but instead controlled the transformation of the array.

The array's inherent power covered an immense area, rivaling that of top-tier experts, but manipulating it was like pulling the trigger of a powerful crossbow—it required little Qi, and with Li Guanyi's current Moment's Realm, if he were to command this great array and fully activate it as a killing array,

he could not do it.

Yet using his own vital energy to manipulate the array's transformations, gradually weakening its power, was not difficult; establishing an array was profoundly mysterious, but dismantling it was far simpler.

Under the influence of Li Guanyi's Qi, the malevolent energy of the 【Four Symbols Sealing Array】 gradually diminished, and the array's restraint upon the Fire Qilin weakened; at first, the Fire Qilin had been pinned down by chains and Eight Trigrams bronze pillars, but now, as Li Guanyi moved, the array above grew weaker.

Li Guanyi exhaled in relief.

Although the core region of this array was far more complex, it still fell within the variations of the 【Four Symbols Sealing Array】, and had not escaped the scope of the Sixtieth Volume of the 【Imperial Supreme Classic of the Ages】.

As Li Guanyi delved deeper, he sensed four forces circulating and transforming within the array, mutually generating and countering each other like chains, together forming the core seal of this great array.

Dragon, Tiger, Phoenix, Turtle.

The Four Celestial Spirits.

Their transformations were profoundly subtle, aligning with the shifts of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases.

Li Guanyi responded to each in turn.

Just as Zuwengyuan had taught him daily, just as he had practiced and deconstructed them each evening with the silver-haired girl.

He did it effortlessly, almost without thought.

He could dismantle the array as easily as plucking a flower.

The Fire Qilin froze, watching the son of its old friend sit there, right hand raised, fingers like a sword, weaving Qi changes with perfect ease; the mysterious array it had spent ten years trying and failing to break was now slowly unraveling under his movements.

With a sharp crack.

One chain finally snapped loose!

The Fire Qilin's body, long pressed low, could now stand upright.

No longer forced to endure the most agonizing posture—unable to lie down or stand straight.

Moments later, the second chain loosened; flames surged and shifted violently across the Fire Qilin's body.

The Fire Qilin noticed Li Guanyi's complete focus, and though it had many questions, it held them back, not daring to disturb him.

Li Guanyi's eyes half-closed; as he deduced and dismantled the array, his Four Symbols Meridian Body also shifted—suddenly, the array's interior seemed to become his dantian; he adjusted his internal body according to the array's external changes.

Water countered fire.

Fire overcame wood.

Thus, the outer Four Symbols' sealing array slowly unraveled.

The inner Four Symbols' body transformations, however, matched perfectly.

The final, stuck step of the First Realm's Hunyuan stage—long blocked—now trembled, hinting at imminent breakthrough; when the Four Spirits unified and his body achieved complete Hunyuan, Li Guanyi would step into the Second Tower.

But his study time had been far too short.

And this array was far too complex.

Li Guanyi finally unlocked the portions he could dismantle, withdrew his hand, and said softly: "This array is extremely complex. I have learned its diagram."

"But I cannot unravel it all at once. Still, this will make you more comfortable."

"I've dismantled part of it, left the surface layers intact. When you lie dormant, it will be hard to notice the internal seals have been broken. I've recorded the subsequent changes—once I'm out, I'll understand this portion fully, then return to finish dismantling it."

The Fire Qilin nodded.

Li Guanyi was about to speak again when his expression suddenly froze.

Now seated at the array's main position, he sensed subtle shifts—ripples had formed in the southeast, rapidly approaching. It was the sorcerer; he had returned after only a quarter of an hour.

Li Guanyi frowned. "He's back."

The guardians of the main ward were all sorcerers above the Third Tower.

Sorcerers' cultivation was many times harder than warriors'.

Fewer people practiced it.

Thus, those who achieved mastery were rare, and each bore great renown in their region.

Their methods were strange, mysterious, and subtle.

Li Guanyi was merely a First Realm warrior; without his Golden Skin and Jade Bones, an ordinary First Realm warrior's body could not withstand even a Third Realm sorcerer.

He immediately planned to withdraw, but the man arrived too quickly; Li Guanyi erased all traces of his entry, caused the Fire Qilin to resume its usual dormant state, scanned the area, stepped forward, entered the array, and hid behind a thicket within it.

His right hand rested on his sword hilt, brows furrowed.

Why had this sorcerer returned so early today?

Was it true that what you feared most always came to pass?

Li Guanyi slowed his breath, calmed his spirit; he had dared to come precisely because he had prepared thoroughly, and he understood this array well enough to use it to withdraw gradually.

But the one who arrived was not just the sorcerer—there were two people.

One was the sorcerer in gray robes, with a goatee, around forty years old.

The other was a woman wearing a hood; her voice dripped with mockery: "The great sorcerer of the realm, Hou Zhongyu, dares speak to a weak woman only inside your own array? You're less brave than a mere warrior."

"Meeting a palace lady in secret within the imperial palace."

"Aren't you afraid the Son of Heaven's Imperial Guards will shout and drag you both away?"

The forty-something sorcerer smiled faintly. "Just caution."

"Moreover, this 【Four Symbols Sealing Array】 is the foremost array openly known in the realm today, located deep within the imperial palace—here, we may speak freely. Miss, rest assured: these days are precisely when the Gold Guard rotates."

"The new Gold Guard captain is a rebellious youth."

"I spent several days observing his movements."

At this very moment, he is practicing breathing and qi cultivation in the pavilion and garden of the Fire Qilin Palace, forbidding any disturbance, and never comes to patrol; though he is the Son of Heaven's personal guard, he was born into the ranks of high officials and noble families, imperial in-laws.

Even if he isn't one of those drunken wastrels, he doesn't strictly uphold his duties at all times.

Right now, as we chat, I guarantee you won't be detected by the Golden Guard.

Hearing these words, Li Guanyi silently cursed inside.

Truly, an ancient fox met a ghost.

Let's sing tales from the Liaozhai.

He had calculated every possibility, yet never imagined he'd met someone with the same cunning as himself.

While he was probing the other side, the other side was probing him too—thus they collided. Li Guanyi suddenly recalled what Master Zu had said: when variations are rarer than normal patterns, it proves the artificer controlling the array has divided loyalties—indeed, it was true.

But why, within the palace, does he secretly meet with a female official?

Li Guanyi gripped his sword, his expression calm.

Artificer Hou Zhongyu paused, then said: "After all, the Empress's confidante comes to seek out a man like me, speaking of another man—if discovered, even if I can kill the Golden Guard, you and I will both be executed."

The female official fell silent, then said coolly: "... You understand."

Hou Zhongyu said: "After all, it involves that man."

The female official seemed furious: "You can shut up."

Hou Zhongyu smiled and said:

"Here, there is only you, only me. If we discuss such matters, do we still need to tiptoe? If we won't be open and honest, then wait until the end—until the Emperor himself deposes the Empress, until she's cast into the Cold Palace, until you, her trusted confidante, lose this comfortable life."

"After all..."

"The Crown Prince is the bloodline of the Regent Prince—this the Emperor knows well."

Li Guanyi covered his mouth.

He instinctively suppressed his qi even further.

Even with his composure, his heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

The Crown Prince is the Regent Prince's bloodline?!

The Emperor knows?

He suddenly understood why Concubine Xue was so favored.

The female official seemed enraged, her teeth clacking sharply: "Shut up!"

Hou Zhongyu said coolly: "Shut up? Since the Empress refuses to provide me with what I need, then I need no longer conceal anything. Let us speak plainly."

The female official snapped: "You're asking for more and more!"

Hou Zhongyu retorted: "To obtain Fire Qilin blood for eternal life requires the strength of an entire nation!"

The female official said: "You!"

She calmed down and said: "The Emperor will not harm the Crown Prince."

Hou Zhongyu smiled again: "Yes, he won't—after all, the Regent Prince is still alive."

Hidden away, Li Guanyi gripped his sword hilt tightly, feeling he had stumbled upon something monumental: the Regent Prince, that overlord, hadn't been killed? The current Crown Prince is his bloodline?

Hou Zhongyu sneered: "The Emperor ordered the destruction of the records of Tai Ping Gong and the Regent Prince—was it merely to conceal the Regent Prince's past deeds and preserve the imperial family's dignity? Tai Ping Gong returned to punish the Regent Prince to safeguard Chen's security and ensure the people's peace."

"Therefore, he could never kill the Regent Prince as the Regent Prince killed previous emperors."

"Simply killing him would only make Chen have a second Regent Prince."

"Without legitimacy, words lack authority. He intends to expose the Regent Prince's crimes to all under heaven, punish him by law, and pacify the people's hearts."

"On that day of battle, he wounded and defeated the Regent Prince."

"At that time, the Regent Prince had not yet killed the last two emperors he had installed."

"It was the current Emperor who personally killed them, making himself the first legitimate heir."

"Everyone believes the Emperor is merely a master of balance—but only a few of us know it was he who guided others to choose him, to kill his brothers, then tacitly allowed his seized wife to bear the Regent Prince's bloodline and name him Crown Prince."

"To the civil officials and noble clans represented by Dan Tai Xianming, to Xiao Wu Liang left behind by the Regent Prince, to the military meritocrats, even to the faction represented by the Xue family."

"In the end, all factions realized they had only one choice left."

The various factions eventually realized they had only one choice left.

The artificer, who looked no more than forty, lowered his gaze.

He still remembered events from over a decade ago: the Regent Prince, his sinews bound, his power broken, sat quietly there—while the current Emperor, dressed in full imperial regalia, twelve-beaded crown and all, stood before the crippled prince like a beggar granted charity.

The Regent Prince lowered his eyes, still clutching the imperial seal, then tossed it out and said:

The Regent Prince lowered his gaze, still clutching the Jade Seal, then threw it out and said:

"Take it!"

Such a magnanimous bearing—such a true overlord.

The Emperor, after all, falls short.

I am not Wang Hou.

I am the Regent.

The artificer whispered: "As you said, why does the Emperor favor Concubine Xue so greatly? Because her son is his bloodline—once he is born, the Emperor will surely make him Crown Prince."

The alchemist whispered, "As you said, Your Majesty, why does he favor Consort Xue so much? Because Consort Xue's son is his bloodline—once he is born, Your Majesty will surely make him Crown Prince."

"Even though her father is Chancellor Dan Tai, her mother is the eldest daughter of the Lu clan; even though when the Regent Prince departed, he left behind his strongest divine general, Xiao Wu Liang, at court—still, the Emperor's heart is not with her, and her rival is the Xue family, one of the Three Great Merchants of the Realm."

"And the Xue family remains, to this day, the Xue Duke, officially recognized by the Emperor of the Central Realm."

"Concubine Xue is pregnant."

"She carries an Imperial Prince—a rare and noble fate."

"Yet she still fears."

"She must still be afraid, won't she?"

The female official fell silent; this was the current struggle within the Court of Chen.

Hou Zhongyu said: "But what if I told you that even Xue family's fierce tiger, and even Empress Dan Tai's father, were all deceived by His Majesty—what do you think?"

The female official's expression froze, then flared with agitation: "You—you mean—!"

Hou Zhongyu said: "His Majesty will not move against the Crown Prince, but neither will he allow the son of Consort Xue to become Crown Prince. In that year, a bastard son was born—and he has hidden that son exceedingly well."

"Balance cannot last forever; their contradictions will eventually explode."

"When the Xue family—wealthy foreign relatives—and the Empress's faction, led by aristocratic civil officials, clash until both are shattered, his true son will appear—and sweep up everything, reaping the benefits of others' strife."

"At that time, His Majesty will 'abdicate' the throne to this collateral descendant, who is not his 'own son.'"

"It will be abdication—something civil officials and pure-stream scholars will praise extravagantly as the act of a holy emperor. In the end, he will be remembered in history as the Holy Emperor, while his true son inherits a nation shattered by conflict, littered with achievements."

"And the Xue family and the Empress? Merely pawns in his eyes—"

"That is why Tai Ping Gong and Yue Pengwu—two men who witnessed the events of that time, yet whose integrity made them impossible to control—must die."

Hou Zhongyu said: "They fought for the people and the realm, to expand the borders."

"But how could they forget? How could they possibly forget?"

"As long as they live, His Majesty's throne will never be secure!!!"

"They will stain his legacy in history!"

"The young man who once drank wine with them, drunk beneath the moonlight, full of youthful ardor—died the moment he ascended the dragon throne."

"Whether the nation's borders grew, whether the people lived in peace—all these are good things. But the most crucial thing is: does the throne still bear the surname Chen? The vital matter is whether, after death, he may leave his name immortal."

"My hair is still black, yet I am already sixty-seven."

"I witnessed the Regent Prince's departure. That mighty lord paid the price of Xiao Wuliang remaining to guard Chen. When the Regent Prince left, he told Tai Ping Gong that his legs had been broken, his Wu Gong lost more than half, and the people believed him dead—cheering with joy."

"Yet he still had to live."

"The Regent Prince said: as long as he lived, Tai Ping Gong could live."

"Alas, even the ruthless Regent Prince never imagined—"

"The current Emperor's heart is so cruel. Even such a national general, he can discard. Surely, by the time all dust settles, the three-zhang white silk prepared for Empress Niangniang already lies within its box."

"The Xue family's wealth is the foundation upon which the next emperor will step into the world."

The female official's expression slowly turned ashen.

Her slender fingers trembled slightly.

Hou Zhongyu smiled: "So—will you cooperate with me?"

"I can tell Her Majesty who His Majesty's bastard son is—only if you prepare enough provisions for me to refine the Elixir of Immortality."

The female official gritted her teeth: "You threaten me with this—do you fear retribution?"

The alchemist said calmly: "If one cannot achieve eternal life, living seventy years or a hundred is the same—both are mere ants. Better to die in wild abandon than on a sickbed. In the end, we all return to dust."

This demeanor left the female official defeated.

The great bandits and mighty heroes of the world—whether righteous or evil—possessed an aura she could never match.

The alchemist said calmly: "Besides, stealing the Mandate of Heaven is not without precedent."

"The destiny of Tai Ping Gong's son—"

"I took it myself."