The Fourth Imperial Grandson Arrives to Demand a Person!

"The Fourth Imperial Grandson of the Imperial City has arrived! Requesting Li Sanshun to step out of the hall and present himself!"

Qi Shouxuan raised his hand to retrieve the Gold Blade, the Mystic Bird Old Token on the table also vanishing into his sleeve.

"Do not mention the matter of the Mandate Seal yet."

Li Sanshun nodded. The Imperial City delegation had arrived far too conveniently. Zhao Chong had entered the Ninth Floor of the Scripture Pavilion fifteen days ago, and today, someone had arrived with a portrait; it was highly likely that these events were connected.

Over twenty guards in golden armor stood outside the side hall. A Cyan Gold Flying Boat hovered above the plaza, the array patterns on its hull emitting a spiritual glow, forcing the main peak disciples to take a detour.

The young man in the lead was twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in a python-patterned robe with an imperial jade pendant hanging from his waist. This was Ji Jingyao, the Fourth Imperial Grandson of the Shunchang Imperial Clan.

The old attendant beside Ji Jingyao unfurled a portrait.

The child in the portrait appeared to be about seven years old, wearing tattered clothes with a faint scar at the end of his left eyebrow. His features were seventy percent similar to the current Li Sanshun.

"Are you Li Sanshun?"

"My sect registration was just completed; there shouldn't be a second one."

Ji Jingyao stepped closer, his gaze lingering on Li Sanshun's waist. Seeing no Gold Blade, his brows pressed down slightly.

"The lineage of the Third Imperial Uncle has been missing for many years, and the Imperial Grandfather has never ceased his search. Half a month ago, the Imperial City received a secret report claiming that one of the new disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect resembled the old portrait. I have come by imperial decree to inquire and bring you back to the Imperial City to verify your identity."

The old attendant presented a scroll of golden documentation to Qi Shouxuan.

"If you are truly the descendant of the Third Prince, the Imperial City will restore your name, grant you an Imperial Grandson Mansion, and provide monthly cultivation resources according to the standards of the imperial direct line. The pills required for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment will also be prepared for you."

The disciples at the edge of the plaza listened with envy.

An Imperial Grandson Mansion, direct-line monthly stipends, Foundation Establishment pills—any one of these things was far superior to the treatment received by disciples of the Xuan Chu Academy.

Seeing Li Sanshun remain silent, Ji Jingyao assumed the village boy was stunned into speechlessness.

"Pack your things. There are vacant rooms on the flying boat; you will depart with me today."

Two golden-armored guards walked toward the entrance of the side hall.

Li Sanshun reached out and took the Kin-Seeking Document, reading it line by line before flipping it over to the back.

"This document mentions inquiry, verification, and searching, but it does not mention apprehension, nor does it mandate a forced return. Did the Fourth Imperial Grandson bring the wrong document?"

The two guards halted.

A hint of scrutiny entered Ji Jingyao's eyes.

"Since you are related to the lineage of the Third Imperial Uncle, I am taking you home; this cannot be called apprehension."

"Whether we are family has yet to be verified. Right now, I only know that I am a disciple of the Tai Xuan Sect's Xuan Chu Academy. The sect has not expelled me, and the Imperial City has not established my identity. To ask me to leave with a stranger based on a single portrait—this does not make sense."

The old attendant scolded, "His Highness coming to the sect personally to find you is an immense grace. Many would beg for such an opportunity, yet you dare to nitpick the wording of the document?"

Li Sanshun pointed to the child in the portrait.

"Portraits can be forged, and news can be faked. If someone were to find a random orphan and plant them in the Imperial City to replace the old one, who would bear the consequences if something went wrong? This caution is to save the Imperial Clan trouble."

Qi Shouxuan took over the conversation.

"Li Sanshun has already ascended the Immortal-Asking Stairs and left his aura in the sect's jade registry. As long as the sect has not removed his name, he is protected by the sect rules. The Imperial City document only permits inquiry; the Tai Xuan Sect cannot simply hand over a disciple."

Ji Jingyao looked at Qi Shouxuan.

"Is the Grand Elder Qi intending to obstruct the Imperial Clan from seeking their kin?"

"I only act according to the document. If Your Highness brings an imperial decree to detain someone, the Tai Xuan Sect will naturally accept it. As it stands, this one is not enough."

The atmosphere on the main peak plaza was suffocating.

The golden-armored guards pressed their hands to their sword hilts, and the Tai Xuan Sect disciples guarding the side hall gripped their longswords tightly. There were still three attendants on the flying boat who had not yet appeared; if a conflict broke out, no one would come out unscathed.

Ji Jingyao raised a hand to signal the guards to step back.

"How do you wish to verify it?"

"The Imperial Clan must have a method for blood testing. The sect will also send someone to observe; both sides will acknowledge the result."

"Very well. Three days from now, we shall conduct a public blood test on the Questioning Dao Platform of the main peak. I will provide the Imperial Blood Appraisal, and the Tai Xuan Sect may inspect it."

Li Sanshun returned the document to the old attendant.

"Until the results are out, I will remain within the sect."

"I agree." Ji Jingyao smoothed his sleeves. "In these three days, I hope you think clearly. A village orphan and an imperial descendant live two very different lives. Some spend their entire lives and never reach the position you hold today."

"The higher the position, the more it hurts to fall. I will stand firm first."

Ji Jingyao did not try to persuade him further and turned toward the flying boat.

As the old attendant put away the portrait, a mountain breeze blew, causing the paper to flip. Li Sanshun saw a string of Imperial City archive numbers written on the back.

The preceding characters were covered by ink, leaving only the final digits.

Fifteen.

He took a half-step forward.

"Where did this portrait come from?"

Ji Jingyao looked back.

"The old imperial archives."

"A secret report was received half a month ago, and the portrait from the old archives was brought to the Tai Xuan Sect today. Who sent the secret report?"

"That has nothing to do with you."

"What does the 'fifteen' on the back of the portrait mean?"

The old attendant immediately rolled up the portrait and stored it in his storage ring.

Ji Jingyao stared at Li Sanshun for a few moments.

"Once your identity is verified in three days, I will allow you to consult the old imperial archives. The more you ask now, the easier it is to bring trouble upon yourself."

The flying boat lowered its boarding ladder, and the golden-armored guards boarded one by one. Ji Jingyao did not leave the Tai Xuan Sect but instead had his people stay at the Guest-Welcoming Peak.

After the delegation had moved far away, Qi Shouxuan took Li Sanshun back to the side hall.

"What did you see?"

"The portrait's serial number also ends in fifteen. Zhao Chong entered the Ninth Floor of the Scripture Pavilion fifteen days ago, and the Imperial City received news half a month ago; the two may not be a coincidence."

Qi Shouxuan took out a transmission jade talisman. The Law Enforcement Hall still did not respond.

The main peak disciple guarding outside hurried into the hall.

"Grand Elder Qi, the Law Enforcement Hall's transmission array has been restored. The guarding disciple said that someone used a high-level token to seal the array eye just now, preventing them from sending messages out."

"What about Zhao Chong?"

"We are currently verifying."

Qi Shouxuan took Li Sanshun and rushed to the Law Enforcement Peak.

The entrance to the underground prison was already surrounded by law enforcement disciples. The Spirit-Sealing Talisman on the prison door was intact, and the array lock was undamaged; the four disciples responsible for guarding were all at their posts.

Gu Changyue stood outside cell number fifteen, holding a broken Spirit-Locking Chain in his hand.

The cell was empty.

Half a bowl of cold rice remained by the wall, and the blood Zhao Chong had vomited during his interrogation was still on the floor. The array had not been forcefully breached, yet the prison door had been legally opened once before the shift change.

Gu Changyue handed the duty roster to Qi Shouxuan.

"The person who opened the door used an internal Law Enforcement Hall token; the authority recorded belongs to the elder level. There is no record of Zhao Chong leaving the underground prison, and the guards never saw anyone escorting him out."

Qi Shouxuan finished reading the roster.

"A Foundation Establishment cultivator cannot vanish into thin air. Seal the Law Enforcement Peak and conduct a headcount of everyone."

An array-testing disciple ran out from the prison, holding a shattered identity plaque in his hand.

"Hall Master Gu, the life plaque Zhao Chong left in the prison has extinguished, but the body is not here."

The portrait brought by Ji Jingyao remained in Li Sanshun's mind. Fifteen days ago, the Scripture Pavilion array malfunctioned. Cell number fifteen, Zhao Chong missing. On the back of the portrait, the number fifteen remained as well.

Someone else rushed in from outside the Law Enforcement Hall.

"Hall Master, the back mountain teleportation array has just been checked; someone left the sect with a token half an hour ago. The name registered to the token is yours!"

Gu Changyue took the array disk, his expression turning ugly after seeing the seal upon it.

"Seal the mountain. Investigate my Law Enforcement Token."

The guarding disciple stood before the prison door, his throat tightening.

"Hall Master Gu, Zhao Chong's cell is empty!"