Crimson Dragon Cult

"Your Highness, Wang specifically instructed us to leave this courtyard vacant for now," a steward from the Prince's Manor answered behind him.

"Grandfather ordered it left vacant? Is some distinguished guest still coming?"

"This servant does not know."

"Changyan, since the Prince has made arrangements, let us take the place we just saw." The young man beside him wore a Lun Scarf and held a folding fan, his smile as warm and gentle as jade.

Li Changyan frowned. "How could I allow that? You are my good friend. Since my grandfather is overseeing this place, I am your host and must fulfill my duties as one. Those courtyards we saw had terrible orientations and layouts. I will ask Grandfather who exactly this one is reserved for."

The other young man stopped Li Changyan and smiled. "It is only a temporary lodging. Why be so particular? If you trouble the Prince over something like this, he will blame me for not knowing better. Besides... this courtyard seems different from the others. Someone appears to have lived here for quite a while. Let us not snatch away another person's cherished place."

Li Changyan inspected the entrance and indeed noticed differences in both the ground and the door knocker.

"Someone has lived here for a while? Could it be..." A thought flashed through his mind, and his expression immediately darkened. As Prince Qing's grandson by the legitimate line, he happened to know certain things outsiders did not.

"Changyan, what is it?"

Li Changyan said coldly, "If that is truly the case, then I simply must stay in this courtyard."

With that, he strode toward the courtyard gate.

"Your Highness!" The voice of Qin Hu, the steward, suddenly rang out.

Li Changyan turned. "Steward Qin."

"The Prince wishes to see you. Young Master Qi, the Prince invites you over as well." Qin Hu stepped aside and extended a hand.

Li Changyan looked in that direction and only then saw Prince Qing standing with his hands behind his back, watching them from afar.

Li Changyan's heart lurched. He had revered and feared his grandfather since childhood. In his indignation, he had been about to defy the Prince's orders, only to be caught under his grandfather's gaze. Naturally, he felt uneasy, yet remembering that incident, he still felt he had done nothing wrong.

"Your Sun pays his respects, Grandfather."

"This junior, Qi Zizhong, pays his respects to Your Highness."

"You are that boy from Duke Qi's family, aren't you? I remember you coming to see me with your grandfather when you were little. Rise."

"Yes, Your Highness. I never imagined you would still remember me after so many years. I am deeply honored." Qi Zizhong bowed again before rising.

"Hahaha! Duke Qi is a hulking brute, yet he raised such a refined, scholarly child. You are at the true martial fourth layer now, correct?"

"Your Highness's eyes are as keen as a blazing torch. I was fortunate enough to break through recently. My grandfather heard about the matter below North Spring Mountain and sent me to see whether there might be an opportunity to temper my heavenly gang."

Qing Wang nodded slightly and instructed, "Qin Hu, arrange lodging for this child of the Qi Family."

"Young Master Qi, please follow this old servant."

Qi Zizhong bowed to Prince Qing, gave Li Changyan a look that said he could offer no help, and left.

Qing Wang raised his hand and waved it lightly. The guards around them withdrew, sealing off the area from a distance.

"Do you know where you went wrong?" Qing Wang asked calmly.

"Your grandson failed to obey your orders. I knew you had made arrangements for this place, yet I was..."

Qing Wang interrupted him. "Come somewhere with me."

"Where?"

"Aren't you so concerned about your Elder Sister's affairs? I will take you to meet the man himself."

"Grandfather, you mean Gu Yuanqing really is here on North Spring Mountain?" Li Changyan abruptly lifted his head.

Although he had rarely met Li Miaoxuan in person, both his parents and grandfather had held her up as an example throughout his childhood. In his heart, his Elder Sister, who had entered true martial at ten and possessed the potential to become a Grandmaster, was someone to idolize.

When he first heard about his Elder Sister's ordeal, righteous fury had filled him. Even now, he wanted to kill the man before he could feel satisfied. This affair was the Li Clan's Shame.

Qing Wang said nothing and turned to leave.

Li Changyan hurriedly scrambled to his feet and followed.

Gu Yuanqing opened his eyes inside the house. He had just emerged from the Spiritual Mountain Trial when, through Mountain Observation, he saw Prince Qing bringing Li Changyan through the gap.

He rose and walked outside, turning his head just in time to see Prince Qing approaching at an unhurried pace.

"Wang. Your Highness the heir." Gu Yuanqing cupped his hands in greeting.

"Young Master Gu, it has been quite some time. Have you been well?" Prince Qing laughed heartily.

At his first sight of Gu Yuanqing, Li Changyan's eyes had nearly spat fire. Yet his grandfather's manner left him stunned, confusion rising across his face. He had never seen his grandfather treat anyone with such warmth, much less a shameless scoundrel.

Gu Yuanqing smiled. "Since Your Highness arrived, my meals and daily provisions have improved considerably."

"Are you saying the previous supplies were too poor, Young Master Gu? Then I must have General Chen reflect properly on his shortcomings."

"Not at all. Your Highness is joking. It is windy outside. Let us talk indoors. Please, Your Highness. Brother Changyan, please."

Prince Qing stepped inside, while Li Changyan shot Gu Yuanqing a vicious glare.

Gu Yuanqing paid it no mind and called outside, "Aunt Feng, serve tea."

Feng Tao, who was busy outside, turned and quickly nodded. By now, she had accepted the fact that she could hear Gu Yuanqing speaking. Deaf since childhood, she was overwhelmed with delight. These sounds, unlike anything she had ever heard before, seemed to have opened another world to her.

A flicker of surprise passed across Prince Qing's face. As far as he knew, the Maid sent up here was supposed to be deaf and mute.

They sat down inside, and Feng Tao served tea as they exchanged a round of empty pleasantries.

Gu Yuanqing asked, "Surely Your Highness did not come merely to chat with me?"

"Why couldn't I?"

Gu Yuanqing smiled slightly. "It is just that you seem to have something weighing heavily on your mind, Wang."

At those words, Prince Qing's smile slowly faded. "There is indeed a matter. This time, we may need you to take action, Young Master Gu."

Gu Yuanqing was surprised. "You need me to take action?"

Li Changyan also looked at his grandfather in astonishment. Ask Gu Yuanqing to take action? What was going on? As far as he knew, Gu Yuanqing was merely an Origin Scholar.

With a grave expression, Prince Qing said slowly, "Last night, someone infiltrated the area around the Demon Realm Seal. He nearly destroyed the Sky Mending Array and damaged the Grandmaster Secret Artifact within it."

"Surely Your Highness is joking? With so many experts in the high true martial realm gathered on North Spring Mountain, and the Imperial Guard stationed here as well, how could something like that happen?"

"The intruder was an expert, his stealth arts bordering on the supernatural. Had Li Beiyan of the Demon Suppression Division not noticed something amiss, he would almost have succeeded. Even so, he escaped easily through our encirclement. No one could hold him back for so much as half a step. Instead, he killed two of our men. We suspect he has ties to the Crimson Dragon Cult and used its Hibernating Dragon Secret Technique. His cultivation should be at the Peak Profound Martial Ninth Layer, only one step away from the grandmaster realm."

"The Crimson Dragon Cult?" Gu Yuanqing's brows drew together slightly. He too loathed its members and would certainly strike them down if he encountered them. The crucial problem now, however, was that the Demon Realm Seal lay beyond North Spring Mountain. Once he descended the mountain, his cultivation would be nowhere near enough to contend with that man.

"Indeed. Such fiends are utterly deranged, stripped of all humanity. He must have heard that something had gone wrong with the seal here and intended to open the Demon Realm Passage."

Gu Yuanqing asked tentatively, "This place is less than six hundred li from Capital City. Why not invite a Grandmaster from the royal capital to hold the line?"

Prince Qing explained patiently, "For the princess's wedding, Grand Preceptor Yang Zhen of Great Zhou has come to offer his congratulations. Blood Blade Sect Leader Duanmu Xuanyue has also appeared near the royal capital. Both are Grandmasters. With them gathering there at the same time, they must be plotting something. His Majesty dares not let the Grandmaster Attendants leave the capital, so I can only ask you to act, Young Master Gu."

Gu Yuanqing was still weighing how to answer. It was not that he was unwilling to act, but the Demon Realm Seal was a matter of tremendous consequence. If Prince Qing truly believed him to be a Grandmaster, and something went wrong when the time came, the Demon Realm Passage might open wide and turn hundreds of li of land into a Demon Abyss. Then his sins would be grievous indeed.

Seeing Gu Yuanqing evade the subject, Li Changyan could no longer suppress his fury. "Grandfather, why must you ask him? I think he clearly lacks the strength and is afraid! A year ago, Gu Yuanqing was merely at the Origin Scholar realm. Could he have deceived you?"

Please vote with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. A new book needs your support~ Thank you, esteemed patrons!