After entering the city and arriving at the inn, Lu Guan waited for the emperor’s summons, while Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu, under the pretext of visiting an old friend, headed together to the bustling street.
Reflecting on his earlier battle with the Evil Monarch, Meng Qi was filled with confidence, determined to refine his own Heaven Severing Saber Technique, when suddenly Ruan Yushu casually remarked, “That slash you used earlier was one of the A-nan’s Broken Precepts Saber Techniques?”
“Yes,” Meng Qi did not hide it, eager to hear the evaluation from a direct descendant of the Ruan Clan of Langya regarding his saber skills.
Ruan Yushu walked steadily through the crowded street, eyes forward, maintaining his usual calm and composed demeanor, “Very strong. The Thunder Saber Crazy Monk truly lives up to his reputation.”
“Hehe,” Meng Qi could only respond with a dry laugh. Dispelling misunderstandings was no simple task! Fortunately, he hadn’t resorted to the Golden Bell Shield earlier—otherwise, the label “Foolish Vajra” would have been just as fitting.
The streets of the capital intersected like a chessboard. The Xiaoxiang Pavilion was far from the inn, and it took Meng Qi and his companion nearly half an hour, asking directions along the way, before finally reaching the district and spotting the brightly lit restaurant adorned with red lanterns.
As Meng Qi pondered how to inquire about Luo Shengyi’s group, he suddenly heard Luo Shengyi’s hearty voice from beside him, “Young Meng’s reputation has spread throughout the capital. Truly, there’s no one undeserving of such fame.”
He and Ge Huai’en stood by the steps of the restaurant, seemingly waiting especially for them.
“You guys?” Meng Qi was slightly puzzled.
Luo Shengyi smiled, “It’s noisy here. Let’s talk inside.”
Nodding, Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu silently followed Luo Shengyi and Ge Huai’en through the restaurant’s main hall, across small bridges and flowing water, finally arriving at a quiet courtyard at the rear.
“You had just entered the city when I received a message from the Master of the Sixfold Path of Rebirth,” Luo Shengyi explained after closing the door and carefully checking the surroundings.
That makes sense for a collaborative mission… Meng Qi realized.
Just then, the cold and distant voice of the Master of the Sixfold Path of Rebirth sounded again, “Main Quest Two initiated: Help Lu Guan regain the emperor’s trust, be appointed as a general, and command troops. Success grants 400 Virtue Points; failure deducts corresponding points.”
“Regain the emperor’s trust…” Meng Qi slightly furrowed his brow, glancing at Luo Shengyi, “Brother Luo, your Main Quest One must be related to this, right?”
Luo Shengyi nodded slightly, gesturing toward the table full of food and wine, “Let’s eat first, then talk.”
Without hesitation toward Luo Shengyi and Ge Huai’en, Meng Qi carefully inspected the food for safety and only began eating after watching Ruan Yushu take a bite.
“The Western Invaders have been victorious, stationing troops upstream along the Pei River and sending envoys to negotiate under harsh conditions,” Luo Shengyi said calmly. “The emperor, enraged, suffered a stroke and has since fallen into a coma. Our Main Quest One is to gain the trust of a certain prince and temporarily halt the peace talks. Now it seems that if we can help our supported prince ascend the throne, Main Quest Two will be completed smoothly.”
Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully, “May I ask which prince you support?”
This indeed seemed like a viable solution.
“Prince Three. He is the only one willing to accept us,” Luo Shengyi said indifferently, as if discussing something trivial.
Ge Huai’en sat quietly nearby without interrupting, showing excellent decorum. Meanwhile, Ruan Yushu focused on his meal, eating elegantly yet voraciously, causing even Luo Shengyi to momentarily pause in astonishment.
“How strong is Prince Three’s faction?” Meng Qi asked perceptively, roughly understanding that Prince Three must be the weakest contender; otherwise, he wouldn’t have accepted outsiders like Luo Shengyi.
Luo Shengyi toyed with his wine glass, “Not too strong, but not weak either. At least, the Moon-washing Cultivator of the Subtle Refinement Realm supports him, along with others of the same level, though I don’t know their identities.”
“And his rivals?” Meng Qi asked, managing to suppress his usual gluttony, unlike his companion beside him.
Luo Shengyi set down his wine glass and said, “The Crown Prince is the legitimate heir, supported by the National Preceptor, the Ruyi Monk, and numerous court ministers. The Fourth Prince, a disciple of the Sword Emperor, holds significant sway among martial artists and secretly allies with powerful officials in the court. The Seventh Prince is the emperor’s favorite, excelling in literature, archery, and horsemanship, but he lacks a foothold in the martial world. Previously, the Left Chancellor of the Political Affairs Hall favored him due to the emperor’s influence. However, with the emperor now in a coma and his recovery uncertain, the Seventh Prince has been increasingly sidelined.”
“However, recently he seems to have realized his shortcomings, reaching out to both court officials and martial experts. I suspect the Demon Queen has secretly arrived in the capital and is staying at the Seventh Prince’s mansion.”
Meng Qi pondered for a moment before asking, “To what extent can martial experts in this world influence court politics?”
“I once briefly clashed with someone suspected to be the Demon Queen and barely escaped. Except for the inability to summon celestial phenomena, her strength and cultivation level are close to the Semi-Exterior Scenery Realm. Such a figure could easily sway the political landscape if there were no high-level experts in the imperial palace or court, eliminating any opposition through assassination,” Luo Shengyi exhaled, clearly still shaken by the brief encounter.
He continued, “However, Confucianism is strong in this world, maintaining all six classical arts—ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and arithmetic. Renowned Confucian scholars possess formidable strength. For instance, the Right Chancellor ‘Reincarnated Star Monarch’ Wang Derang, and the National Preceptor Changle Immortal, who combines Confucian and Daoist teachings, both uphold the principle of primogeniture and reject heterodox practices, looking down upon those who abuse martial force. Even the Demon Queen or the Sword Emperor would need careful planning and opportunities to assassinate the emperor or the Crown Prince.”
“In that case, the Crown Prince is most likely to ascend the throne, with almost no one able to stop him,” Meng Qi frowned.
Luo Shengyi smiled confidently, “The emperor has ruled for many years and is growing old. He has long been wary of the Crown Prince, even harboring dislike and repeatedly suppressing him. If not for the National Preceptor’s protection, the Crown Prince might have already been deposed. Therefore, if the emperor leaves a will, other princes still have a chance to ascend. However, since the emperor fell into a coma, the Right Chancellor, who has always been loyal only to the emperor, has been staying overnight at the Taiji Hall, preventing anyone from altering the will.”
“This matter cannot be fully explained now. Tomorrow I will take you to meet Prince Three. Your reputation has already spread far and wide, and he will certainly value you highly.”
Meng Qi had slight reservations about this plan. It wasn’t necessarily Prince Three who needed to ascend the throne for Lu Guan to regain favor. With the deteriorating situation in the northwest, if those who held grudges against Lu Guan in court were removed, the new emperor would likely reinstate him. However, if things were that simple, the Master of the Sixfold Path of Rebirth wouldn’t have offered 400 Virtue Points.
“Alright,” Meng Qi thought for a moment and decided to meet Prince Three first to assess his character, demeanor, and talent. “What about Cao Zhan?”
He had been wondering earlier why only Luo Shengyi and Ge Huai’en were present while Cao Zhan was missing, and he hadn’t received any notification about a new death.
“He has gained Prince Three’s trust and is ready to serve at any moment,” Luo Shengyi replied calmly. To him, as long as Cao Zhan didn’t interfere, whatever he did was of little concern. “I heard you had a confrontation with the Evil Monarch? How was the Deathless Seal Art? And how strong is he?”
Clearly, he also had Side Quest Three and was concerned about the Evil Monarch’s strength and the unique aspects of the Deathless Seal Art. From Meng Qi’s previous battles, he judged that he and Meng Qi were evenly matched, with the outcome depending on who made a mistake first. Thus, he was equally interested in comparing his strength against the Evil Monarch.
Meng Qi considered his answer carefully, neither concealing nor exaggerating, “If we fought head-on and I used my full strength, I could barely survive.”
During their previous encounter on the river, although the Evil Monarch had used the river current, the warship, and shadow techniques to gain the upper hand in the clash of energies, Meng Qi had struck from above without touching the ground, limiting his ability to adapt, and managed to wound him with “Evil Calamity.” Surprised by “Falling into the Mortal World,” the Evil Monarch had cautiously retreated. If they met again, facing the Deathless Seal Art, Meng Qi’s chances of victory would be slim unless the weather conditions were favorable for gathering thunderclouds.
Regarding the Deathless Seal Art, Meng Qi had some understanding, knowing it was an exceptional technique for absorbing, neutralizing, and redirecting force. Without mastering the skill of highly concentrated energy, it would be difficult to harm the Evil Monarch, leaving Meng Qi reliant on the sharpness and uniqueness of “Evil Calamity.”
In this regard, the Yama Scroll surpassed A-nan’s Broken Precepts Saber Technique, as the first two forms of A-nan’s technique focused on dispersing force and confusing the senses, primarily targeting the opponent’s mind. In contrast, the Yama Scroll’s swordlight was pure and refined. With proper setup, Meng Qi might still have a chance, though killing the Evil Monarch, who mastered both the Deathless Seal Art and the Illusory Demon Body Technique, would be extremely difficult.
“If I fight him again, I’ll have to use the Golden Bell Shield, A-nan’s Broken Precepts Saber Technique, the Yama Scroll, and the Solitary Swordplay all at once. The image I’ve worked hard to correct will be ruined again, and this guy beside me will probably say, ‘Indeed, the Foolish Vajra lives up to his name…'” Meng Qi gazed out the window, feeling slightly “disheartened.”
“In other words, you were at a disadvantage but managed a draw. If we teamed up, perhaps we could kill the Evil Monarch…” Luo Shengyi began but quickly retracted his own conclusion, “It’s said the Deathless Seal Art is very special, not afraid of facing multiple opponents.”
“Yes, I’ve also heard such rumors,” Meng Qi naturally couldn’t reveal how deeply he understood the Deathless Seal Art.
After a few more exchanges and finishing dinner, Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu took their leave, agreeing to meet again early the next morning to visit Prince Three.
By now, it was quite late, and many streets were quiet. Walking side by side, Meng Qi finally couldn’t suppress his curiosity any longer, “Besides using your zither to assist and kill, do you have any direct combat techniques?”
Ruan Yushu glanced at him and calmly plucked the zither.
Clang! A sharp sound rang out as a string snapped upward, resembling a sharp sword.
“Oh,” Meng Qi was satisfied with the answer and felt delighted.
Ruan Yushu pressed the string back down and retied it, continuing forward with his usual cold composure.
As the two stepped onto a stone bridge and walked slowly, suddenly, an old man with white hair appeared ahead of them without warning.
He sat on the stone steps, his back to Meng Qi, leaning on a long sword in front of him. His presence was ethereal, as if existing between reality and illusion, giving an unusual impression.
Meng Qi’s expression immediately turned serious. He drew his sword and stood protectively in front of Ruan Yushu.
“I’ve heard that ‘Soul-shaking Sword’ Young Meng possesses formidable sword skills, attacking without defense. I’d like to test them,” the old man slowly rose, his aura shifting like a sword unsheathed, piercing Meng Qi’s heart with sharpness.
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