Gu Yuanqing could smell the thick reek of blood. The world around him began turning blood-red, a distortion of his senses brought on by killing aura. It resembled the murderous intent he had felt in the Trial Realm, only far more intense.
"Yes. May I ask why you specifically summoned me here, Your Highness?" Gu Yuanqing asked softly, his expression calm.
"You can still speak freely before my Seven Kills True Intent. That differs somewhat from what I was told. Unfortunately, your character and methods are unworthy of respect. A crooked heart will never amount to anything great," Prince Qing said.
Gu Yuanqing knew what he meant and could offer no defense. He merely raised his brows slightly. "If you only wish to scold me, Your Highness, I can only accept it. But summoning me here expressly for that purpose is rather beneath the dignity of a War God of your generation."
"You certainly have some nerve. Is the Grandmaster behind you what gives you such confidence?"
"I don't understand what you mean, Your Highness."
Prince Qing said coldly, "You and I are only a zhang apart. If I want to kill you, not even a Grandmaster can save you." As he spoke, his aura grew more intense.
If what had come before was mostly a test, Gu Yuanqing now truly felt waves of danger washing over him. Every hair on his body stood on end, as though a thunderous wrath might descend at any moment.
This was murderous intent. Prince Qing really had entertained the thought of killing him, though he was still testing something.
"That nephew of mine... even after becoming emperor, his heart is still too soft, and he dotes on Miaoxuan too much. Some secrets can only be kept by the dead." Prince Qing slowly rose. Before, there had only been his aura. As he stood, illusory blood-red waves churned around his body, with terrifying figures vaguely visible within, seemingly struggling to escape.
"Do you truly intend to kill me, Your Highness?" Gu Yuanqing's expression grew grave. The Kunwu Sword had already risen from the rear mountain and was flying toward him like an arrow.
"Do not blame me for bullying a junior. All of this is for Great Qian's realm. Gu Yuanqing, your death will serve a worthy purpose!" As he spoke, he struck without hesitation, thrusting out a palm.
Gu Yuanqing shot backward. At the same time, the approaching Kunwu Sword abruptly accelerated, breaking the sound barrier as it pierced into the courtyard.
"Hm? What was that?" The steward waiting outside noticed something amiss and tried to draw his sword to intercept it. But it was too fast. Before he could react, the sword light had entered the courtyard. His expression changed drastically, and he roared, "An assassin! Protect the Prince!"
A commotion broke out throughout the courtyard and beyond. Those who had entered earlier might have looked like mere servants and ordinary guards, but many had served under Prince Qing years ago, following him through life and death and crawling out of heaps of corpses.
At that roar, almost everyone drew their weapons and converged on the main hall.
Bang! The doors shut on their own.
"Disperse. I am unharmed!" Prince Qing's voice came from inside.
The steward called again, "Your Highness..."
"I said disperse and return to your duties."
"Yes! I understand... everyone, disperse. His Highness is unharmed." The steward cast a worried glance inside.
Inside the main hall.
Prince Qing glanced at the hole torn through the roof, then at the sword hovering before the point between his brows. His pupils contracted, and cold sweat formed on his forehead.
Had it merely been a sword flying at him, that would have been one thing. But all his Gang Qi had been sealed inside his body, and his Profound Martial Wonderland could not manifest outside him at all.
A Grandmaster. There really is a Grandmaster on North Spring Mountain. No, not even an ordinary Grandmaster. An ordinary Grandmaster could never suppress me so easily when I once stood only a step from the Grandmaster Realm. And someone so powerful is actually guarding Gu Yuanqing.
Prince Qing retreated half a step and cupped his hands toward his surroundings. "Which esteemed Grandmaster is here? Why not show yourself? I merely intended to test him earlier. If I have acted improperly, please forgive me!"
Naturally, no one answered.
Gu Yuanqing fell silent for a moment. Before, he had only suspected it, but now he understood. Whether last time or this time, there had never been any Grandmaster protecting him on North Spring Mountain. He himself was the reason for it all.
As the North Spring Mountain Master, he was the owner of North Spring Mountain. On this mountain, he held supreme authority. His will was the mountain's will.
If someone dared attack him and he sensed their malice, they would naturally be rejected by this stretch of heaven and earth. His foundations on North Spring Mountain were still shallow, so he could only sever their connection to heaven and earth. Given more time, it would not be as simple as mere suppression.
Gu Yuanqing suddenly realized how little he understood about everything he possessed. Had Prince Qing not attacked today, who knew when he would have discovered these things?
With a thought, he sent the sword hovering before Prince Qing's brow arcing back toward him. It then remained suspended quietly above his head.
"There is no need to keep calling, Your Highness." Gu Yuanqing's tone was indifferent, as though he had not just hovered between life and death.
Prince Qing's palm strike had indeed been a test, but that thread of murderous intent had told Gu Yuanqing plainly that, if no one intervened, he would not mind killing him with a single blow.
Prince Qing noticed the sword hovering beside Gu Yuanqing, and a possibility he would never have considered surfaced in his mind.
"You..." Absurd as the thought was, the truth was right before his eyes. No wonder he had been unable to detect the Grandmaster's whereabouts, no matter how he tried.
"Your Highness, we are less than a zhang apart now. I wonder, are your fists and feet faster, or is my sword?" Gu Yuanqing threw his words back at him.
Prince Qing Li Cunguo felt his essence, energy, and spirit still being suppressed. Hidden shock filled his gaze as he looked at Gu Yuanqing. Suddenly, he gave a rueful smile, spread his hands, and backed away several steps.
"I misjudged you. To think you have already become a Grandmaster at such a young age. This old man has been trapped at the Profound Martial Ninth Layer for twenty years without making the slightest progress. I could only watch my qi and blood decline as I slipped from my peak, with no hope of a breakthrough left."
Meanwhile, he thought, No wonder the emperor merely confined him to North Spring Mountain after something like that happened. No wonder my grandniece insisted on giving birth to that child. If Gu Yuanqing is already a Grandmaster at such a young age, then everything makes sense!
Grandmasters were the pinnacle of power among the world's dynasties. One additional Grandmaster held enormous significance. The Great Qian Dynasty had only three Grandmaster Attendants, forcing it to endure the sects' disrespect at times.
Two hundred years ago, however, the Great Qian Dynasty had possessed seven Grandmasters, all of them high-ranking court officials or military generals. What sect had not bowed its head in submission before the Imperial Court?
Even setting everything else aside, Grandmasters lived for two hundred years. If a young Grandmaster advanced further in his cultivation and was willing to help safeguard Great Qian's Imperial Family, that alone would be enough to keep Great Qian from falling for at least two hundred years!
Gu Yuanqing knew he had been misunderstood, but naturally would not explain. He said mildly, "You are too kind, Your Highness. Had you not fought on the battlefield and suffered grave injuries so many times, the Grandmaster Realm likely would not have barred your way."
Prince Qing Li Cunguo withdrew his aura entirely, and his figure grew stooped. He returned to his seat and smiled. "If I failed to break through, then I failed. What use are all these ifs? Young Master Gu, please sit. Someone, bring tea."
The doors were pushed open, and servants came in with tea. The steward entered and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Prince Qing unharmed. Then he noticed the roof tiles on the floor. Looking up, he saw the gaping hole in the roof, then spotted a sword on the table beside Gu Yuanqing, who had entered empty-handed. Shock immediately filled his heart.
He went to Prince Qing's side and whispered a few words into his ear. Prince Qing nodded and waved him out.
Soon, only the two of them remained in the room again, but the atmosphere was utterly different. All these changes had come about because of Gu Yuanqing's strength.
Prince Qing seemed to have truly become an elderly senior. He asked only about trivial matters on the mountain and occasionally mentioned the Gu Family. Seeing that Gu Yuanqing did not seem particularly interested, he turned to stories of Li Miaoxuan's childhood.
"Miaoxuan is an unfortunate child, too. Her birth mother suffered grievous injuries that never healed and eventually died of illness. Miaoxuan was only three then. The situation both inside and outside the palace was unstable, and His Majesty feared something might happen to his only daughter. Otherwise, he would never have sent her to the Lingxu Sect at such a young age."
Since they were speaking of Li Miaoxuan, Gu Yuanqing finally could not resist asking the question that had weighed on his heart for several days. "Your Highness, I heard that Princess Miaoxuan is to be married in a few days?"
"It is a long story, but please do not misunderstand, Young Master Gu. This Miaoxuan is not that Miaoxuan."
Prince Qing's expression grew somewhat awkward, and a trace of anger stirred in his heart. Does the emperor distrust me so much? Had he told me about this, would I not have understood its importance? How could things have ended up like this? And he never even told Gu Yuanqing about it. If it causes a misunderstanding, won't his clever scheme only backfire?
Before you continue