Crimson Dragon Cult

"Your Highness, the Prince specifically instructed that this courtyard be left vacant for the time being," a steward of the Prince's Manor answered from behind him.

"Grandfather ordered it left vacant? Which distinguished guest is coming?"

"This servant does not know."

"Changyan, since the Prince has made arrangements, let's take the place from before." The young man beside him wore a scholar's headscarf and held a folding fan, his smile gentle as jade.

Li Changyan frowned. "How can that do? You are my good friend. Since this place is under my grandfather's charge, I am the host and must show proper hospitality. The orientation and layout of those previous courtyards were far too poor. I'll ask Grandfather whom this courtyard has been reserved for."

The other young man stopped Li Changyan and said with a smile, "It is only a temporary lodging. Why be so particular? If you take such a matter all the way to the Prince, he will blame me for being too lacking in judgment. Besides... this courtyard looks different from the others. It seems someone has lived here for a long time, so let us not take what another favors."

Li Changyan examined the entrance and indeed saw that both the ground and the door knocker differed from those elsewhere.

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

"Changyan, what is this?"

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

With that, he strode toward the courtyard gate.

"Your Highness!" Qin Hu, the manor steward, suddenly called out.

Li Changyan turned back. "Steward Qin."

"The Prince requests your presence. Young Master Qi, the Prince asks that you come as well." Qin Hu turned aside and extended a hand.

Following his gesture, Li Changyan saw Prince Qing standing with his hands behind his back, watching them from afar.

Li Changyan's heart skipped a beat. He had feared and respected this grandfather since childhood. Just now, carried away by indignation, he had been about to defy the Prince's order, only for his grandfather to witness it firsthand. Naturally, he felt uneasy, yet when he thought of that matter, he also felt he had done nothing wrong.

"Your grandson greets Grandfather."

"This junior, Qi Zizhong, greets Your Highness."

"You are the boy from Duke Qi's family, aren't you? I recall that when you were young, you came to see me with your grandfather. Rise."

"This junior is indeed Qi Zizhong. I never expected that after so many years, Your Highness would still remember me. I am deeply honored." Qi Zizhong bowed once more before rising.

"Haha, Duke Qi is a big, burly fellow, yet he raised such a refined child. You are at the True Martial Fourth Layer now, are you not?"

"Your Highness sees all. This junior was fortunate enough to break through some time ago. When my grandfather heard of the events beneath North Spring Mountain, he sent me here to see whether I might have a chance to temper my Heavenly Gang."

Prince Qing 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 helpless look, and departed.

Prince Qing lightly waved a hand. The surrounding guards withdrew, sealing off the area from afar.

"Do you know where you were wrong?" Prince Qing asked blandly.

"Your grandson disobeyed the Prince's order. Knowing this place was arranged by Grandfather, I still allowed myself to be..."

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

"Where?"

"Are you not so concerned about your imperial sister's affair? I will take you to meet the man at its heart."

"Grandfather, are you saying Gu Yuanqing is truly within North Spring Mountain?" Li Changyan suddenly raised his head.

Though he and Li Miaoxuan had not truly met many times, ever since childhood, whether his parents or his grandfather, all had used Li Miaoxuan as an example to discipline him. In his heart, his imperial sister—who had entered True Martial at ten and possessed the bearing of a Grandmaster—had always been someone he admired.

When he had first heard of his imperial sister's affair, righteous fury had filled him. Even now, he still wished to kill the man swiftly, for this was the shame of the Li Clan.

Prince Qing said nothing and turned to leave.

Li Changyan hurriedly got to his feet and chased after him.

Gu Yuanqing opened his eyes inside the room. He had just emerged from the Spiritual Mountain Trial when Mountain Observation saw Prince Qing leading Li Changyan through the gap toward him.

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

"Your Highness, Heir Apparent." Gu Yuanqing cupped his hands in greeting.

"Young Master Gu, it has been many days. Have you been well?" Prince Qing laughed heartily.

When Li Changyan first saw Gu Yuanqing, his eyes seemed ready to spit fire. Yet seeing his grandfather's manner, he stared in astonishment, confusion rising onto his face. He had never seen his grandfather treat anyone with such warmth, much less a shameless man like this.

Gu Yuanqing smiled. "Since Your Highness came here, the food and provisions have improved by quite a bit."

"Are you saying the previous supplies were too poor, Young Master Gu? Then I must have General Chen conduct a thorough self-examination later."

"Not at all, Your Highness jokes. The wind is strong outside. Let us talk indoors. Your Highness, please. 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, bring tea."

Busy outside, Feng Tao turned around and quickly nodded. By now, she had accepted the fact that she could hear Gu Yuanqing speak. Deaf since childhood, she was overjoyed. These sounds she had never heard before seemed to have opened another world for her.

A trace of surprise flashed through Prince Qing's eyes. According to what he knew, the maid sent here was supposed to be deaf and mute.

Once they were seated inside, Feng Tao served tea, and they exchanged a round of meaningless pleasantries.

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

"Why not?"

Gu Yuanqing smiled faintly. "It is only that Your Highness seems to be carrying heavy concerns."

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

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

Li Changyan also looked at his grandfather in astonishment. Asking Gu Yuanqing to act? What was this about? As far as he knew, Gu Yuanqing was merely an Origin Scholar.

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

"Your Highness cannot be joking, can you? So many True Martial high-level experts have gathered at North Spring Mountain, and the Imperial Guard is stationed here as well. How could such a thing happen?"

"The intruder was an expert, and his stealth technique was beyond perfection. Had Li Beiyan of the Demon Suppression Division not noticed something amiss, he would nearly have succeeded. Even so, under such a tight encirclement, that man escaped with ease. No one could hold him back even half a step. Instead, he killed two of ours. We suspect he is connected to the Crimson Dragon Cult. He used the Crimson Dragon Cult's Hibernating Dragon Secret Technique, and his cultivation should be at the peak of the Profound Martial Ninth Layer, only one step from the Grandmaster Realm."

"The Crimson Dragon Cult?" Gu Yuanqing's brows drew together slightly. He too loathed the people of the Crimson Dragon Cult. If he encountered them, he would certainly kill them. But the key was that the Demon Realm Seal lay outside North Spring Mountain. Once he descended the mountain, his cultivation was simply no match for such a foe.

"Correct. Such demonic fiends have lost all conscience and extinguished their humanity. They must have heard that the seal here had developed a problem and intend to open the Demon Realm Passage."

Gu Yuanqing asked tentatively, "This place is less than six hundred li from the Capital City. Why not invite the Grandmasters of the royal capital to oversee the situation?"

Prince Qing patiently explained, "At the Princess's Wedding, Grand Preceptor Yang Zhen of Great Zhou came to offer congratulations. Blood Blade Sect Leader Duanmu Xuanyue has also shown himself near the royal capital. Both are Grandmasters. Their gathering in the royal capital at the same time must mean they are plotting something. His Majesty does not dare let the resident Grandmasters leave the capital, so I can only ask Young Master Gu to act."

Gu Yuanqing was still considering how to reply. It was not that he was unwilling to act, but the Demon Realm Seal was of tremendous importance. If Prince Qing truly believed him to be a Grandmaster, then should something go wrong and the Demon Realm Passage open wide, turning hundreds of li of land into a Demon Abyss, his sins would be grave indeed.

Seeing Gu Yuanqing evade the issue, Li Changyan could no longer suppress the fury in his heart. "Why must Grandfather ask him? In my view, he plainly lacks the ability and is afraid. Gu Yuanqing was only at the Origin Scholar Realm a year ago. Could it be that you have been deceived by him, Grandfather?"