“Young Master, I can’t…” Su Cen hurriedly said, though she was just a maid, she knew full well that cultivating martial arts required a great deal of money. Those herbs were one more expensive than the next.
Lan Xiaobu said gently, “Su Cen, if you’d practised martial arts, would Steward Li have been able to stop you from making me something nice to eat? Would he have sold you to the slave market? If I’d been eating better all along, maybe I’d have woken up sooner, not just today.”
Su Cen opened her mouth, wanting to say this had nothing to do with her being bullied by Steward Li. But Lan Xiaobu continued, “Who knows how my condition might turn out in the future? If you knew martial arts, at least you could help me a little if something happened.”
These words struck Su Cen, she hesitated before saying, “Alright then, but I don’t need too many herbs to help.”
Lan Xiaobu smiled faintly, “My technique doesn’t require herbs.”
If it were true martial arts, herbs would indeed be necessary, otherwise, even the best techniques would leave severe consequences on the body. But what Lan Xiaobu offered was a cultivation technique, with minimal need for herbs.
He only hoped that after reincarnation, Su Cen’s aptitude hadn’t changed.
…
Tianyuan City, due to Tie Ran’s death, was like a taut string ready to snap at any moment. As Lan Xiaobu had predicted, though the search for Tie Ran’s killer raged outside, Tianyuan City itself remained eerily quiet.
The entire city was on edge, but many noticed something strange, recently, for some unknown reason, fewer people in Tianyuan City were falling ill. Not only that, minor ailments were healing on their own, and even some serious conditions were easing slightly.
This change kept people calmly in Tianyuan City, sparing the city lord any unrest.
In the royal hall of the Qiyuan Lordship, Lord Wang Zaiqian sat on his throne, his expression haggard, he knew a life-or-death trial for the Qiyuan Lordship was fast approaching.
By his reckoning, the Dakang Empire should have received the news by now and would soon send someone here.
“Has the State Preceptor not returned yet?” This was the question Zaiqian had asked most often lately.
With Tie Ran’s death, State Preceptor Zhong Qing had gone out to hunt the killer and hadn’t been in the city since.
Guard General Gai Xing stepped forward quickly, “Your Majesty, the State Preceptor hasn’t returned, likely because the case has reached a critical point, and he can’t step away.”
Zaiqian sighed, about to ask if anyone had good ideas, when Gai Xing spoke again, “Your Majesty, I’ve noticed something odd about the vital energy in Tianyuan City lately, those of us who practise martial arts are progressing more than twice as fast as before.”
“Is there such a thing?” Zaiqian asked, puzzled.
The First Minister Wu Li stepped forward, “Your Majesty, Tianyuan City has indeed been strange lately. Fewer people are getting sick, and not only that, those with mild conditions are healing on their own. I wonder if some extraordinary treasure has appeared in Tianyuan City?”
Zaiqian, however, felt a sense of unease, Tianyuan City, the capital of the Qiyuan Lordship, had always been stable with little incident. This sudden change only heightened his anxiety. If a treasure had emerged, combined with Tie Ran’s killing outside the city, it might not bode well for the Qiyuan Lordship.
“Your Majesty, State Preceptor Zhong has returned and seeks an audience outside the hall,” a guard’s voice rang out.
Zaiqian stood up in excitement, “Quick, quickly invite the State Preceptor in.”
Soon, a middle-aged man in a grey robe strode swiftly into the hall. Before he could bow, Zaiqian said eagerly, “Master Zhong, please sit.”
The man was Zhong Qing, the State Preceptor of the Qiyuan Lordship and its only Core Condensation realm expert. Though Zaiqian urged him to sit, he still offered a bow before taking a seat on the right.
In the Qiyuan Lordship, during court discussions, the State Preceptor was the only one besides the king allowed to sit, though he rarely attended political affairs.
“State Preceptor, how’s the investigation?” As soon as Zhong Qing sat, Zaiqian couldn’t help but ask.
Zhong Qing replied, “I’ve uncovered some details, seven guards who were with Tie Ran vanished, we found them, but they’d all been killed, their bodies hidden elsewhere. Beyond that, one person is still missing, the maid Tie Ran bought.”
“Just a maid is missing?” Zaiqian asked, confused.
Zhong Qing nodded, “Indeed, aside from that, there’s no trace of foreign enemies escaping or setting traps.”
“General Gai, do you know what’s going on?” Zaiqian turned to Guard General Gai Xing.
Gai Xing quickly said, “I know that maid, she was originally a servant of the Lan family, named Su Cen. She was sold to the slave market by the Lan family’s steward, and Tie Ran bought her. Oh, when Tie Ran bought Su Cen, he clashed with the Lan family servant Lan Qing, who also wanted to buy her, Lan Qing was taken to the county office but was bailed out with money.”
At this point, the hall fell deathly silent. Anyone with a brain could guess Tie Ran’s death was tied to the Lan family.
“Your Majesty, I’ll bring the entire Lan family here for questioning in the hall,” Gai Xing hurriedly offered to make amends.
“Very well, bring them here, along with Tianyuan City’s lord and everyone involved in Tie Ran’s case, all of them,” Zaiqian sighed, if it really was the Lan family, what audacity they had, this wouldn’t just be a clan purge, it could implicate the whole nation.
“Wait…” Zhong Qing stopped Gai Xing as he turned to leave.
“Master Zhong?” Seeing Zhong Qing halt the general, Zaiqian looked at him in confusion.
Zhong Qing took a breath and said slowly, “This is the second matter I wanted to raise today. When I returned to Tianyuan City, I felt an incredibly dense spiritual energy, so thick it’s likely drawn in the spiritual energy from hundreds of thousands of miles around, even forming a faint vortex. Only a supreme powerhouse cultivating could create such a phenomenon. I sensed it before entering the city, and once inside, I confirmed it, there’s a supreme powerhouse cultivating in Tianyuan City.”
“A supreme powerhouse?” Zaiqian stared at Zhong Qing, unsettled, “Stronger than you, State Preceptor?”
Zhong Qing gave a bitter smile, “I’m just at the Core Condensation realm, and my cultivation has stalled for ages, barely progressing. Compared to this powerhouse, I’m not even a firefly, while they’re the bright moon. Forget me, even when I was at my sect, the First Grand Elder’s cultivation didn’t have this kind of presence.”
Hearing Zhong Qing’s words, Zaiqian’s voice trembled, “Master Zhong, where is this powerhouse?”
Zhong Qing said gravely, “I deliberately traced the flow of that spiritual energy on my return, if I’m not mistaken, all the spiritual energy drawn from every direction is being pulled into the old Lan family residence.”
At this, not just Zaiqian, but everyone present sucked in a cold breath.
The truth was clear, a supreme powerhouse had appeared in the Lan family, and Tie Ran had dared to buy their maid, angering them, so the Lan family had gone out and killed Tie Ran’s entire group.
Zaiqian felt a chill of dread, if Zhong Qing hadn’t returned to warn him, he’d have already offended this powerhouse. Offending the Dakang Empire might mean his nation’s fall or his death, but there’d be a slim chance of survival. Offending a powerhouse like this, he’d be wiped out in an instant.
Zhong Qing continued, “What puzzles me is that this Lan family powerhouse could easily destroy a nation with a flick of their wrist. Why, after killing someone, would they create a diversion that took us over a month to unravel?”
No one could answer Zhong Qing’s question, but all understood that acting rashly against the Lan family without knowing the full situation could have dire consequences.
Just then, a voice came from outside again, “Report, the Dakang Empire’s Black Fiend Army has arrived outside Tianyuan City, demanding to enter by force, about a thousand strong…”
Hearing this, Guard General Gai Xing’s face paled, he said urgently, “Your Majesty, I’ll go check.”
“Good, hurry, if they insist on entering by force, then, then…” Zaiqian trailed off, unsure whether to say let them in or keep them out, letting them in would shred the Qiyuan Lordship’s dignity, and the Black Fiend Army were notorious killers, they’d slaughter anyone, even Tianyuan City’s civilians, once inside.
“Your Majesty, we absolutely cannot let the Black Fiend Army enter, or the Qiyuan Lordship’s face will be utterly lost,” First Minister Wu Li said anxiously.
Zaiqian let out a breath and told Gai Xing, “Allow their commander to bring a hundred men into the city, the rest must camp outside.”
“Yes,” Gai Xing replied, then hurriedly left.
The Black Fiend Army’s arrogance and brutality were well-known across the Dakang Empire, if he delayed, they might already start killing.
