Chapter 118

Li Guanyi stared at these words and realized the cold princess had recognized him; his current concealment of aura and appearance relied on the method his aunt had taught him, and if Princess Chen Qingyan knew this same method and had cultivated for ten years, her realm must surpass his.

His concealment might be utterly useless in her eyes.

She might have seen through him at a single glance.

Yet this method was indeed the Murong family's direct lineage of "Twelve Layers of Mist and Rain in Jiangnan"; when his aunt left Jingcheng, she had passed this method to Princess Chen Qingyan—was it out of gratitude?

Or had his aunt already resolved to die on the road back then?

Had she passed this technique to the princess merely to prevent its lineage from ending with her?

The horror of those days was already plain to see.

Li Guanyi lowered his gaze.

He had recorded the names and methods of connection for these twenty-four generals.

All had once ridden beside his father across the land, rising from the southwest, dominating the Western Regions, surviving a direct clash with the realm's number-one divine general; Li Guanyi even suspected that if any of these twenty-four had not died in the past decade, they would all be on the Divine General List.

Even if not among the top ranks.

Even if all ranked beyond fiftieth, they were still twenty-four famed generals.

And likely covered cavalry, infantry, naval warfare, brute warriors, dueling warriors, mounted warriors, and strategists—these twenty-four represented an entire military system!

But ten years had passed; where were these generals now, and what side were they on? Li Guanyi could not be certain—human hearts change. Even if his father had been dead a decade, and he now stepped forward to speak, he did not believe these famed generals would immediately kneel and pledge loyalty.

Just as impossible as them all rebelling.

The records here were only this much; Li Guanyi resolved to return and find a way to uncover these generals' whereabouts.

Chen was vast; it could not hide all these generals' trails. Li Guanyi thought, recalling where the Jin Yu Guard stored their juan—Jin Yu Guard was the imperial household's elite, independent of the regular Ministry of Military Affairs.

The Jin Yu Guard maintained their own independent records.

It seemed he must return soon.

Besides the juan, he must retrieve the items he'd left in the Fire Qilin Palace, and the Mountain Marrow the Empress had placed in the pavilion, agreed upon with Hou Zhongyu—this must be taken quickly, for if Hou Zhongyu was dead, the Empress would surely seize the Mountain Marrow.

Mountain Marrow of Nanshan, and the sorcerer's art.

These two must complement each other.

Hou Zhongyu's undead vitality, Li Guanyi found deeply alluring.

Li Guanyi made his decision, noted these items, paused, then placed his hand on the bookshelf—appearing to search for divine techniques, but in truth, his third eye's aura swirled as he activated his aunt's "Twelve Layers of Mist and Rain in Jiangnan."

Then he raised his hand.

In his hand was "Wang Yang's Might," the text Chen Chengbi had instructed him to take—this art demanded qi flow like an ocean, capable of enveloping and controlling foreign true qi within the body.

After cultivating for a while, he could openly wield martial arts.

He intended to join the combat trials before the Grand Sacrifice.

Flowing light scattered and shifted; the Black Tortoise manifestation appeared on Li Guanyi's shoulder—but the Tortoise clung tightly to his shoulder, its tiny green eyes fixed on one direction.

Li Guanyi saw there a hidden staircase leading higher up.

The Tortoise's small eyes held an inner, unyielding longing, gripping the boy's shoulder fiercely; Li Guanyi hesitated, then walked toward it—when a voice stopped him, low and steady: "My lord, you cannot go there."

The voice was gentle.

Li Guanyi paused, instinctively turning—until then, he had not sensed this person's approach; when he looked up, waves of danger surged in his heart.

The speaker was a middle-aged man with a mild appearance.

His eyes were small, corners drooping, weary yet gentle; he bowed slightly when speaking, exceedingly courteous, clad in deep blue official robes, his rank clearly low—before this youth in crimson battle robe and white jade belt, he looked like a timid, low-ranking official.

Li Guanyi's bronze cauldron rang.

He saw the man's manifestation.

A hawk!

Aside from rare cases like Li Guanyi's, the world's heroes all bore different manifestations.

He had seen this manifestation before—not then so timid. Back then, the man wore armor, wielded a divine weapon, nearly stabbed Old Xue in the back—he was the assassin who killed Xue Daoyong outside Yicheng.

Li Guanyi spoke the man's name in his mind.

Si Tu Deqing, tenth-ranked assassin in the world.

Wielding the third-ranked assassination divine weapon, Cheng Ying Sword, the Black Dragon-Wrapped Concealment Armor, and—

The mask once owned by the Duke of Chen,

Later worn by Tai Ping Gong Li Wanli, who roamed the Western Regions.

Si Tu Deqing had seen Li Guanyi flee Yicheng and warn Xue Daoyong and General Yue Qianfeng; though publicly he claimed he acted for the old man, a man of Si Tu Deqing's caliber could not have missed what he saw.

If he suspected Li Guanyi had ties to Yue Qianfeng, then Yue Qianfeng's Crimson Dragon Qi assassination attempt on Li Guanyi became a flaw.

Why was this man here?!

Was the tenth-ranked assassin in the world a secret agent of the Chen imperial house?

Li Guanyi's nerves tightened, dread rising—but his expression remained calm, his voice cool: "Oh? Why?"

The man in deep blue robes smiled:

"Most of the library is open to imperial clan members."

"But this inner chamber? Only Imperial Princes, or those who have rendered great service, may enter."

"Didn't you already choose your technique?"

"Ah, 'Wang Yang's Might'? This art was created two hundred and forty years ago by a senior of the imperial clan—it can envelop foreign true qi in battle; when fully mastered, each punch hides a second transformation beneath—very powerful."

Li Guanyi said: "Chen Chengbi, the elder, told me to choose it."

"He said it could purge the Crimson Dragon Qi from my body. Who are you? You know this art well."

The middle-aged man's face lit with a servile smile; he bowed: "I am Si Qing, merely a librarian here, a lowly eighth-rank official with no authority. Your Majesty's grace permits me to read these martial arts, though I have no cultivation—just to satisfy my hunger for them."

"My lord, are you injured? I know some medicine—let me take a look."

Li Guanyi replied coolly: "Hmph. General Yue Qianfeng broke into the palace a few days ago."

"His Majesty bestowed upon you a jade belt and a crimson robe, and sent the Imperial Physician to examine you—do you understand medicine better than His Majesty's physician?"

Si Qing said awkwardly: "Then, then I am certainly inferior."

He seemed to accidentally brush against Li Guanyi, then said: "I shall register your name on the ledger. After you cultivate, return this original scripture to us." Li Guanyi took the scripture, strode out, and gazed at the inner chamber of the scripture hall.

The Xuan Gui manifestation on his shoulder stared fixedly at the inner chamber.

Something extraordinary inside seemed to draw it.

He could approach, but could not touch it.

Li Guanyi saw a human expression on the Xuan Gui's face.

This manifestation nearly seemed eager to speak in human words.

Previously, the Xuan Gui manifestation had moved only twice.

Once for the Eight Hundred Years Ago Dominator's creation, the Tiger Roar Bone Forging Scripture; once for Hou Zhongyu's unknown-length-refined Eternity-Cold-Moon Immortal Medicine. This third time—what could possibly be inside?

Was it a peerless divine art, or some rare treasure of opportunity?

Or, like Xue Shen had left behind a Mystical Realm, had Chen Duke, that famed general, also left something behind?

Li Guanyi's curiosity was stirred by the Xuan Gui manifestation's change.

But before him stood the hidden identity of the world's tenth assassin, smiling faintly; behind him stood Chen's regulations—he would show no sign of abnormality, only murmuring softly: "Very well."

"Thank you, Master Si."

He displayed the perfect bearing of noble dignity.

Si Qing nodded with a forced smile, when suddenly a voice came from the inner chamber, and a youth of about fifteen or sixteen emerged, dressed in brocade robes, golden-threaded hairpin, radiating unapproachable nobility—yet his eyes were sharp, faintly tinged with lethal aura.

Surrounding him were youths of similar age.

They exuded scholarly air, addressing him as "Your Highness."

The noble youth stepped out of the inner chamber, clutching a scroll in his hand.

He raised his gaze, casually yet condescendingly, sweeping over the bowing royal clan youths—then his eyes halted sharply on Li Guanyi. The prince looked at the young man clad in crimson robe and white jade belt and said: "Xue family's Li Guanyi?"

Si Qing immediately bowed repeatedly, face pale with panic: "Ah! Crown Prince, you've come out!"

"Did you choose a book?"

The Crown Prince waved his hand idly, his gaze calmly fixed on Li Guanyi.

In others' eyes, the fifteen-year-old Li Guanyi in crimson robe met the prince's gaze—between them, an inexplicable tension arose; the other royal youths grew uneasy, the air thick with silence.

This was the Crown Prince.

Son of the Regent, a pawn in the current Emperor's eyes.

Li Guanyi's mind flashed this thought.

Finally, he bowed slightly and said: "Your Highness."

The Crown Prince lowered his eyes and nodded slightly.

Li Guanyi thought: their fathers once raised swords and spears together, conquered this world, fought side by side in death, and once stood as enemies—yet now they met here again.

The Crown Prince shifted his gaze away, merely murmuring: "Hmm."

Then he said nothing—no overture, no suppression.

He simply left with his own circle of young aristocrats, who glanced at Li Guanyi with curiosity, coldness, and contempt—these were officials and aristocratic families; Li Guanyi, at this moment, was an imperial in-law, a merchant, a military officer.

This hostility came naturally.

It was the Emperor's subtle manipulation, casually planting seeds of mutual enmity in the younger generation's hearts. Li Guanyi raised his eyes, took the scripture from Si Qing's hands, and left calmly and composedly.

The Crown Prince went to pay respects to his mother. As he entered the palace, the door opened and a thick scent of sandalwood struck him—he pursed his lips, pushed the door open, and saw at the center a Buddha altar, where a woman knelt before it, lips moving as she chanted sutras.

The Crown Prince said: "Mother, today I met Li Guanyi of the Xue family."

But the Empress did not answer.

She continued chanting the remaining thirty recitations of the Diamond Sutra before opening her eyes and saying: "Li Guanyi? I've heard of him—fifteen years old, already Second Tower, and a Rank-8 Jinwu Guard Assistant Military Commissioner. Did you try to win him over?"

The Crown Prince replied: "No."

He looked at his mother and said softly: "He is a fine son of Chen. Radiant, spirited—but we are destined to be mortal enemies. This dragon-embroidered robe is on me, while Lady Xue's child has been confirmed as a boy of superior bone structure—my good younger brother."

"Li Guanyi is of the Xue family, of Lady Xue's faction."

"His bond with my good younger brother is nearly as close as a maternal uncle's—when my unborn brother grows, Li Guanyi will become his most trusted man, a future great general."

"With such allegiance, we are destined to clash with swords and spears."

"Since we are already enemies, why should I suppress him?"

"Since we can never be friends, why should I win him over? Better to remain enemies from the start than to feign mutual admiration now and suffer the pain of turning swords against each other later." The Crown Prince's lips curled slightly as he stepped closer.

But as he neared the Buddha altar, he saw the Empress shudder.

The beautiful Empress turned sharply and snapped: "Stop!"

The Crown Prince halted.

After a few breaths, she calmed, saying: "Don't. You must not approach the Buddha statue. This is a pure place—you should not come here." She rose, turned to face her son, and placed her hand over his, her eyes filled with tenderness, softly saying:

"Your father was a hero."

"You must become a hero no less than him. You must become Emperor of Chen—and treat your mother well. Do you understand? I bore you, I raised you—you must not betray me. You must not grow soft-hearted."

"Li Guanyi is your enemy. Your duty is not to avoid him or suppress him. Do not learn from the so-called heroes of chaotic eras. You are Emperor—you must kill him while he is still young, before he grows. Do you understand?"

The Crown Prince looked at his mother chanting sutras, and finally said: "... Yes."

The Crown Prince left. Behind him, the Empress rushed to a side chamber, plunged her hand that had touched her son into a golden basin of water, and scrubbed it fiercely, repeatedly—as if her hand had touched something filthy.

The sound of water grew louder and louder.

The Crown Prince stood quietly in the courtyard, listening to his mother scrubbing her hands, his eyes calm.

His father loved the child in Lady Xue's womb.

His mother prayed, yet acted thus. He raised his head, gazing at the sky, eyes slightly red, tears drawn back.

Then, gritting his teeth, he fell silent, dignified and composed.

He stepped out and said to his bodyguards:

"Find Mo Ke Xiao Wuliang, General Xiao Wu liang."

"I wish to learn my Chen Kingdom's divine art, and seek the general's guidance."

"Internally, I cultivate the Six Void Four Union Divine Art."

"Externally, I train the Mountain-Crushing, Peak-Shattering Spear Art."

"Only by cultivating both internal and external arts can I attain true divine martial skill—and only then can I, as a Crown Prince of the Chen family, wear such divine armor and weapons."

………………

In the Scripture Hall, Si Qing was organizing Juan Sect scrolls when he suddenly sensed a thread of coldness in the air; he made no reaction, and only after several breaths did he startle, turning to see a tall woman with snow-white temples.

Si Qing's face flushed with alarm: "Your Highness, the Long Princess!"

Chen Qingyan said coolly: "Fetch the book."

She had come here for ten years, often browsing these texts; Si Qing was not surprised. The Long Princess was not yet old, yet her martial skill was already exceptional. Chen Qingyan lowered her gaze and paced forward, walking toward the bookshelf. She did not know what scene she would encounter soon.

She did not know if this was merely an illusion, a one-sided wish.

Finally, she reached the bookshelf. The traces left by the Divine Art "Twelve Layers of Jiangnan Mist and Rain" had changed—clearly disturbed. Chen Qingyan froze suddenly, seeing a new line of text added after the original:

"Guanyi thanks Aunt Qingyan."

Her lips seemed to twitch slightly.

Thus, the old story resumed its course.

Bloodline inheritance is like this: in another boy, one sees nothing else.

One sees that person's youth, and the reflection of one's own youthful years.

Chen Qingyan stood quietly there.

She reached out and touched the bookshelf, and the entire passage—including the secret orders of the Twenty-Four Generals—shattered and vanished. Chen Qingyan walked out alone, sat inside the wooden cabin, poured a pot of wine, and drank alone beneath the clear moonlight all night.

Then she closed her eyes.

For a long, long time.

She whispered softly: "Wanli…"

"I found him."

………………

At the Xue family, after Li Guanyi returned home, he immediately went to his room, closed his eyes, and sat in meditation, focusing all his attention on the spot where Situ Deqing had touched him. Indeed, he felt a faint, nearly imperceptible qi entering his body.

Not much—just enough to disrupt Li Guanyi's cultivation and fake it as if he had suffered an accident himself.

It really was him, that old bastard!

But this time, you've missed completely.

Li Guanyi half-closed his eyes and activated his art, enveloping that thread of qi.

The Six Void Four Union Art!

Absorb it!