Chapter 124: Nan Yue Mountain Marrow, Goodbye, Auntie

According to Hou Zhongyu's research, strange beasts like the Fire Qilin and Dragon-Tiger are also formed from a pure essence of Heaven and Earth; strictly speaking, they belong to the same broad category as lifeless treasures like jade and mountain marrow, as well as plants such as divine trees and spiritual herbs.

Since, strictly speaking, they are all spiritual entities born and nurtured by Heaven and Earth.

Alter the internal nature of the Fire Qilin using celestial treasures, terrestrial gems, and rare mountain marrow.

Following the great Dao of the Five Elements' generation and restraint, fire generates earth, thereby transforming and ascending into the Auspicious Earth Qilin of Wu Earth.

It is entirely feasible.

Li Guanyi flipped through this scroll and grew increasingly convinced it could be achieved—at least, it could help conceal the Fire Qilin's obvious Fire-elemental Qi; the principle behind this method is to enable the Qilin to master the ability of fire generating earth, projecting the aura of the Wu Earth Qilin outward.

This at least ensures no one will link this Qilin to the Fire Qilin of Chen State.

Mountain marrow…

Li Guanyi thought of the agreement between the Empress and Hou Zhongyu.

But Hou Zhongyu is dead, and several days have passed—there may be changes.

Li Guanyi considered it, then decided to go see for himself first; using the Qi-Seeing Technique to glance once—if the Empress has already taken it, or if there's a trap there—he would go find Xue Lao.

Li Guanyi set down the scroll, then turned to practice the "Ten Thousand Ancient Crimson Moon Imperishable Divine Body" technique, consuming many pills, practicing breath control and cultivation, refining his blood and qi to extract vitality, and successfully forming a 【Jin Dan】 prototype in his lower dantian.

The threshold and difficulty of this divine art were far lower than Li Guanyi had expected.

But he quickly realized it wasn't that this divine art was easy to cultivate.

It was simply that he himself was perfectly suited for this divine art.

The true difficulty of this art lies in refining blood and vitality into a Jin Dan.

For a sorcerer like Hou Zhongyu, who cultivated Qi and spirit, this required immense effort.

It demands extreme physical conditioning—but for Li Guanyi, with his Golden Skin, Jade Bones, Dragon Tendons, and Tiger Marrow, it was as simple as eating and drinking; he estimated that even with this Jin Dan prototype, he still couldn't match Hou Zhongyu's ability to recover from injuries instantly after sixty years of cultivation.

But he did possess a continuous, unceasing vitality, and combined with his physique, his recovery speed was still impressive.

At least visibly so.

To fight Li Guanyi, an opponent must first expend all their strength to endure a storm of arrows and surging waves that crush mountains.

Then break through his armor, and still shatter his Golden Skin and Jade Bones.

Only then will they realize the wounds they inflicted with all their might are visibly healing before their eyes—and when they look up, a Triple-Force Shattered Jade Fist has already smashed into their face.

They'd probably despair on the spot.

Setting aside offensive combat, his toughness is maximized; throughout history, those mighty generals clad in heavy armor who roamed the battlefield all possessed similar abilities—a warrior who charges through battle unkillable has an immeasurable impact on the morale of both friend and foe.

Among peers, Li Guanyi suspected he was already among the hardest to kill.

"Primordial Charge-Through Sacred Body?"

Li Guanyi chuckled bitterly; the Azure Phoenix danced beside him, subtly resonating with this technique's aura—when the 【Jin Dan】 in his abdomen took shape, the Phoenix's feathers shimmered faintly with emerald light, clearly delighted.

The next day, Li Guanyi switched shifts with the Gold Guard, assigned to patrol duty; when changing posts, he took a slightly longer route—the pavilion was not far from the Qilin Palace; under cover of night, using the faint external influence of the Four Symbols Sealing Spirit Array, he concealed his presence and arrived quickly.

He half-closed his eyes and activated the Yin-Yang School's Qi-Seeing Technique.

And he gripped his weapon.

Inside the pavilion, someone was indeed present.

In the Qi-Seeing Technique's vision, Li Guanyi saw first a clear, mighty deep-yellow aura surging beneath the pavilion, like a mountain range standing firm; then he perceived the aura of a person.

Good news: the Nan Yue mountain marrow is still there.

Bad news: the other side is almost certainly fishing.

Indeed, Hou Zhongyu is dead—the Empress would surely want to take such a celestial treasure; but why haven't they taken it, and why are they stationing someone here? Do they know something?

Li Guanyi pondered, slowed his steps, and slowly approached using the faint external influence of the Four Symbols Sealing Spirit Array; even when he drew near the extreme limit, he still had to exert all his focus and calm his mind. He thought, then pulled out two silver needles and inserted them into the Er Sect point on the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian.

This benefits the ear orifices, clears wind and heat, and with internal force, enhances hearing.

Only then could he barely make out the voices inside.

If he were a martial cultivator whose second-level gate was the ears, he wouldn't need such trouble—he could hear clearly; if his primary gate were the eyes, he could see clearly even in darkness.

Thanks to Situ Deqing, Li Guanyi's internal Qi had accumulated enough to break through the orifices.

But he still hadn't decided.

He wasn't certain which orifice to break through first.

Now, using medical techniques to enhance his hearing, he calmed his mind and listened—the voices were two people, a man and a woman; the woman's voice was familiar—it was the Empress's lady-in-waiting who had met secretly with Hou Zhongyu that day; the man's voice was a steady middle-aged tone.

The lady-in-waiting sighed and said: "Are you certain someone will come here?"

The man laughed: "What else? But there's another thought besides that."

"What?"

The man's voice was gentle: "If not for this, how could I enter the palace to be with you?"

Then came the woman's coquettish pout, the man's soft laugh, as if he drew her into his arms; Li Guanyi, watching from afar, grimaced.

What a nauseating couple.

Looks like I'll have to leave today.

Li Guanyi prepared to slip away slowly, when the man added: "You asked who it is? Hah, today I'll tell you—if anyone comes, it's almost certainly the guard from the Qilin Palace that day: Li Guanyi."

Li Guanyi froze mid-step, his gaze sharpening.

He gripped his sword and crouched back down.

The lady-in-waiting said: "Huh? Him?"

The man replied: "Yes. The Chancellor said so—he was told by that old Xue man when he met with him that day."

The lady-in-waiting said: "That information—I reported it to Her Majesty immediately. No one else knew."

The man laughed: "Then how did that old Xue man find out?"

"Likely, that day, you two were overheard by Li Guanyi—hah, perhaps that's precisely why he uncovered Hou Zhongyu and General Yue Qianfeng's conspiracy and earned his merit. But we can't be certain it was him."

"It's also possible that the old Xue man has other channels."

"That's why the Chancellor ordered us to wait here for ten days—if Li Guanyi comes to take it, it means he overheard that day, and the Xue family has no other channels, so there's no need to worry; if he doesn't come, it's dangerous."

The female official said: "Then, should we kill him?"

The man couldn't help laughing: "What did you say?"

"That's the Gold Guard, the Son of Heaven's elite troops. Li Guanyi is one of their top warriors—a Second Layer Realm martial artist, clad in Full Body Weight armor, wielding a battle halberd and sword. Though we are the Chancellor's and the Empress's trusted confidants, our strength lies in trust and wit, not brute force."

"In turbulent times, talent is precious."

"A Third Layer Realm martial artist can command a thousand-man army as a ragtag general."

"The Chancellor has dispatched such people to every corner of the land. Even if any remain, none would be assigned to waste ten days on this. You and I together could easily defeat Li Guanyi—but we couldn't kill a fully armored Gold Guard inside the palace without being discovered."

"Here, the Chancellor only wants us to respectfully deliver this Mountain Marrow to Li Guanyi."

The female official was astonished: "Why?"

The scholar said: "Simple. If Li Guanyi comes here, it means he didn't tell the old man of the Xue family about the Mountain Marrow. That proves Li Guanyi isn't fully loyal to him. The Chancellor likely wants to sow discord between them, making Li Guanyi lean toward us in heart."

The female official said reluctantly: "Is it worth giving up a treasure like the Mountain Marrow for this?"

"Is it worth it?"

The man answered: "Li Guanyi isn't worth it."

"But Xue Daoyong is."

Li Guanyi frowned—he sensed this was an attempt to sow discord. That Dan Tai Xianming cared only for Xue Daoyong; to possibly damage the bond between Li Guanyi and Xue Daoyong, he was willing to sacrifice such a priceless treasure.

The scholar smiled: "How is this sowing discord?"

"The only word in espionage is 【Sincerity】."

"If the target is a hero, treat him as a hero."

"If it's a beauty, treat her as someone unattainable in youth—then it will succeed."

Li Guanyi was considering whether to swallow this bait and report it to the old man upon returning.

He ate the bait, but spat out the hook.

The scholar on the other side smiled faintly: "Still, I have a third idea."

"Someone like Li Guanyi probably won't come for a treasure like the Mountain Marrow."

"Why not take the Mountain Marrow ourselves, and flee during the Grand Sacrifice? We'll leave Chen State behind, live together in Ying State, far from this treacherous court, drinking wine and playing the zither every day—wouldn't that be beautiful?"

In the pavilion, the middle-aged scholarly man made his suggestion. The female official widened her eyes and whispered urgently: "Are you mad? How could the Chancellor and the Empress ever allow us to leave?!"

The scholar said to himself: "Li Guanyi hasn't come this long—he probably won't come."

"Or perhaps he's not even here."

"I specially sought out Mohist craftsmen to forge something similar to the Mountain Marrow. Look—isn't it identical?" He pulled out a box. Inside lay a palm-sized prismatic crystal, glowing with bright yellow luminescence, illuminating the surroundings—nearly indistinguishable from the Mountain Marrow.

"This is more than enough to pass as the real thing."

The scholar said: "In the Chancellor's mansion, we are trusted confidants, close ministers—but not his innermost heart."

"Our cultivation only reaches the Second Layer Realm. In this whirlpool of Jingcheng, we're nothing. These past few days, I've felt like sitting on needles, waking every midnight drenched in cold sweat—I must always touch my neck to check if my head's still there."

"We're confidants, involved in dangerous, death-penalty tasks—but we lack the strength to protect ourselves. But leave Jingcheng's whirlpool, go to any city, and a Second Layer Realm martial artist holds real weight. Wealth and honor are within reach."

"What are you waiting for?!"

The female official seemed swayed. After learning about the illegitimate child, she was terrified.

Knowing this secret, she would surely die.

The Empress fasted and recited sutras.

But the stench of blood on her hands could never be washed clean.

After long struggle, she whispered: "Don't betray me."

The scholar rejoiced: "We've shared the joys of love, you carry my child—how could I betray you? Don't worry!" He embraced the woman. Li Guanyi thought he was witnessing an elopement—then suddenly heard the clang of cold steel, followed by the sound of blades piercing flesh.

His eyes flashed. He crept closer silently—and saw both lying in pools of blood, each with a wound. The scholar held a short knife; the female official clutched a dagger. Both weapons were stained with blood, both wounded.

The scholar cursed: "Poisonous harlot!!!"

The female official shed her gentleness, coldly saying: "You're wrong too."

"There's a fourth option: I take the Mountain Marrow for myself—wouldn't that be freer, richer than sharing it with a second person?!"

The scholar said coldly: "Just like me."

"But you learned cruelty from the harem—you're not cruel enough. You should've poisoned the blade." The woman froze. Her face turned pale. The blood seeping from her waist turned black. She felt death approaching.

Knowing she would die, a trace of sorrow surfaced on her face. She watched her childhood companion walk toward her under the moonlight, gripping her dagger tightly—but at this moment, she suddenly remembered their youth, running together through alleyways and streets.

A faint ache of regret filled her eyes. She whispered: "Big Brother Minyi…"

"How did we become like this?"

The scholar froze. His eyes flickered with confusion, then he snapped back, retreating swiftly.

He raised his arm crossbow and fired, piercing the female official. He roared:

"You used emotion to move me—then betrayed me?!"

"You're a true poison harlot!"

But he'd already killed her. The female official lay still. The scholar fired two more bolts—one through her brow, one through her neck—then stopped. His lips moved. He reached out, stroking her eyelids with his finger, trying to close them. He tried several times, but they wouldn't shut.

His hand trembled. He gripped it tightly, forcing the shaking to stop, and said:

"Don't blame me. We both know this secret—we won't live long."

"The Chancellor underestimated me. He thought I had only petty cleverness."

"But he was wrong. I'm a small man, his pawn—but even a small man like me refuses to remain forever a pawn. Even a small man like me can make a great man like him suffer."

"I'm not after wealth and glory."

"I'm after survival. Do you understand? Survival."

"Don't worry—you won't die in vain. This crossbow is from the Gold Guard. You'll die at the hands of the Fire Qilin's guard, Li Guanyi. Your death will deliver the message to the Chancellor, completing the scheme of discord. Then Li Guanyi dies, I live—and I walk away unscathed…"

Li Guanyi: "…………"

Suddenly, a sound pierced the air; the scholar, dazed and unresponsive, felt a sharp pain in his lower back and collapsed forward. The next instant, his vision blurred as a figure clad in Heavy Gear approached with impossible speed. The scholar gasped in terror—the bolt pierced him, and the figure brought down a palm strike.

The next instant, his abdomen exploded in pain, and he was flung into the air.

He landed on the ground, mouth opening to spew blood.

He was defeated in just two strikes.

The scholar knelt there, staring at the armored figure wearing a Jinyuwei helmet and faceplate. "You! Li Guanyi… hey, you've come. You killed me with the Xue family's Shattered Jade Palm energy—you killed me, and now you've exposed yourself."

Li Guanyi did not respond.

The scholar suddenly realized something was wrong—he felt his meridians slowly shattering.

His face slowly hardened: "Rotting Heart Qi—Situ Deqing!"

"The Chancellor?!"

Li Guanyi's heart stirred slightly.

Situ Deqing… was he a man from Dan Tai Xianming's Chancellor's Mansion?

The scholar murmured for a long while, his expression bleak: "In the end… I still couldn't escape the Chancellor's chessboard?" He let out a bitter laugh, coughed up blackened blood, then collapsed, lifeless. Li Guanyi exhaled a slow, foul breath.

He did not linger to clean up—the scholar and the female official had killed each other; the evidence was complete.

He replaced the real Mountain Marrow with the one the scholar had prepared.

He shoved the item into his armor, watching the scene. For some reason, the boy felt a dull ache in his chest—human hearts were truly complex. Even Dan Tai Xianming, the great strategist of the world, could not fully control them.

Former friends could turn into enemies and kill without hesitation. The female official's suffering was real; the scholar's hollow despair after seeing the corpse was real—but neither had paused a single moment before striking.

Just over this one matter of Mountain Marrow, everyone had their own thoughts, their own positions—and yet in the end, they still ended up killing each other. If such a small thing could lead to this, how chaotic must the entire world be?

Li Guanyi took the Mountain Marrow, erased all traces of himself, then left.

He let out a breath of relief.

He had the item—yet as he stepped backward, he suddenly felt a chill.

Someone was watching him?!

He reacted instantly, lunging forward with a punch—but his vision blurred. A single Bai Xi finger tapped his forehead. The boy winced, looked up, and saw a tall woman standing quietly there, her temples like Bai Xue, her aura cold and serene, her gaze calm.

The Princess, Chen Qingyan.

Li Guanyi blinked.

The boy immediately chose the best response, retracting his fist and speaking meekly:

"Auntie Qingyan!"