Like Splitting Bamboo

"What's going on? What's going on? Why's the water boiling? Which expert went down to the pond bottom to forge a weapon?"

Colorful curtains swayed as painted boats drifted along the river.

A young master pushed aside a head, lifted a pair of large white underpants in one hand, and leaned out the window. At the southern corner of Accumulated Water Pond, white foam churned and the water surged in wheels, spraying outward like Baotu Spring.

Yet a column of white mist shot straight into the sky!

It was clearly a mass of boiling water! In Jiangnan, once Grain Rain passed and the season warmed, men with strong Yang energy would already be wearing single-layer shirts by midmorning. But this was the Imperial Capital; even at dawn, one could still see white vapor when breathing out.

With spring flowers in bloom, pleasure boats covered Accumulated Water Pond.

The young master was not the only one. Many painted boats and pleasure craft noticed this strange sight.

A breakthrough beneath the pond.

Why did it seem so familiar?

Hall of Diligent Governance.

Tortoises and cranes breathed out smoke.

The Sacred Emperor flipped through memorials. When he reached one of them, he paused slightly.

"Pingyang Prefecture, the twelfth day of the fourth month... less than ten days ago?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Earl Xingyi came to the Imperial Capital before the new year to seek pills. He is now coming to collect them, so the document was delivered by 'fast horse.'"

"Oh..." The Sacred Emperor looked outside. "So that's who is soaking in Accumulated Water Pond?"

"Precisely. After collecting the great pill from the Alchemy Workshop, he swallowed it in one gulp before the medicine boy, then ran and leaped all the way here before sinking to the pond bottom."

The Sacred Emperor