Changing the Foundation (Part 1)

Great Gan Imperial Palace.

Li Haotian held the secret memorial in his hand. Even as an emperor with deep, unfathomable schemes, he could not help but be stunned when he saw this news.

He had once guessed from Prince Qing's words that Gu Yuanqing might be above a Grandmaster, but Prince Qing was only in the Profound Martial Realm after all, and his judgment could have been mistaken.

But now, Old Man Tianzhu Jiang Hongguang had died beneath his sword. The implications spoke for themselves.

If he was not above a Grandmaster, how could he kill one with a single sword strike? Even if that person was not Gu Yuanqing, he must have been someone behind Gu Yuanqing. Otherwise, there was no reason for him to act several times.

Li Haotian pondered for a long while before asking, "Has Master Qin returned to the capital?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, he has not yet returned. He was likely delayed by some matters."

Li Haotian nodded.

"Chief Eunuch, summon Prince Qing to the Imperial Study."

"Yes, this old servant will go at once."

Half an hour later, Prince Qing arrived at the Imperial Study and bowed. "This old minister greets Your Majesty."

"Uncle Wang, please rise. Sit, and let us talk."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting me a seat."

Only after Prince Qing sat down did he ask, "Your Majesty summoned this old minister late at night. What urgent matter is it?"

"Uncle Wang, look at this first."

Li Haotian handed him the secret memorial.

Prince Qing accepted it with both hands. At a glance, he could tell that the secret memorial came from the Divine Eagle Guard. After reading its contents, his expression shifted slightly.

A moment later, Prince Qing set the letter down.

"Is Your Majesty prepared to tell this old minister the truth now?"

Li Haotian gave a look. Xu Lianying bowed and withdrew, dismissing everyone nearby before standing guard outside the Imperial Study.

Only then did Li Haotian smile bitterly. "Last time, Uncle Wang asked why I had not told you about Gu Yuanqing. Now I shall answer you: in truth, I did not know either. To be honest with Uncle Wang, regarding last year's matter, by my wishes, Gu Yuanqing could die ten thousand deaths and still not quell the hatred in my heart. It was Miaoxuan who insisted on sparing his life, which was why he was imprisoned on North Spring Mountain. It is called a Forbidden Ground, but in truth, it is merely a desolate, abandoned mountain. I only had the Imperial Guards stationed below the mountain to guard the Demon Realm Seal keep an eye on him as well. I had intended to let him grow old and die alone there, as punishment. But half a month later, Miaoxuan suddenly told me that she was with child. She was determined to seek the path of longevity and did not wish to remain in the Imperial Palace, so she wished to give birth to this child as a descendant of my Li Family. I initially refused, but in the end, I could not withstand her temperament. Now, Gu Yuanqing's name has spread throughout the realm. It can no longer be hidden. Whether Gu Yuanqing himself or the person behind him is above a Grandmaster, the word 'imprisoned' is no longer appropriate. But this concerns the face of the Great Gan Imperial Family, and I have no one else with whom to discuss it. That is why I summoned Uncle Wang."

Prince Qing pondered for a moment, then asked, "Has Your Majesty issued an imperial decree?"

"Of course not. It was only a verbal order."

"Then Your Majesty need not do anything else for now. I hear Gu Yuanqing enjoys reading. Perhaps you could have someone send some books up the mountain later."

"And the Gu Family..."

A Grandmaster had been slain with a single sword strike. This was the foremost event in the martial world. News seemed to grow legs, spreading throughout the realm in only a few days.

Linping County, roughly three hundred li from North Spring Mountain.

Inside a teahouse, a storyteller in his forties stood on the stage, his brows dancing and his tongue blooming with lotus flowers. As he spoke, he gestured with a folding fan. "No sooner had those words been spoken than it happened! A flash of silver light swept up a thousand layers of wind and ten thousand waves. Old Man Tianzhu fixed his eyes upon it, only to discover a streak of sword light hurtling toward him. It scared the wits out of him. In his desperation, he used Eight Directions in Night Battle, wielding the Ice Soul Cold Jade Bamboo in his hand so tightly that not even water could seep through..."

"Hahaha! Li Kangwen, you're going to kill me with laughter! That was a Grandmaster, and you're saying a Grandmaster used Eight Directions in Night Battle?"

The storyteller onstage was interrupted and greatly displeased. He snapped, "Qiu Lao Er, what do you know? This is called returning to simplicity! Do you think a Grandmaster's Eight Directions in Night Battle is the same as yours? It was so tight that water could not be splashed through and wind could not blow in."

"Fine, fine, let's say you're right. But why did I hear Hu Family's Third Brother say that when the Grandmasters fought, you had not even arrived? By the time all the Grandmasters had left, you were still on the road."

"Utter nonsense! After hearing the news, I personally hurried to North Spring Mountain. I braved wind and slept under the stars, waiting for three days and three nights before witnessing the Grandmasters' battle with my own eyes. How dare you slander me?" The storyteller glared furiously. Cutting off a man's livelihood was like killing his parents. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to kill Qiu Lao Er.

"Enough, hurry up and continue. I paid to come here and listen to a story, not to watch you two quarrel," said a gaunt old man unhappily.

"That's right. Either continue the story or give us our money back."

As soon as one person spoke up, the others joined in.

In an instant, the patrons throughout the teahouse began clamoring.

"My apologies, my apologies, honored listeners. I shall continue at once." The storyteller shot Qiu Lao Er a glare, then struck a pose and prepared to resume.

Suddenly, a group of constables pushed open the doors and entered.

The man at the front wore green robes and carried a Silver Shark Saber at his waist. His sharp gaze swept across the room before he waved a hand. The constables behind him pasted a wanted poster onto the wall.

"By order of Heavenly Policy Mansion: whoever provides verified information regarding the person in this portrait shall be rewarded one hundred taels of silver. Whoever assists in capturing and bringing him to justice shall be rewarded one hundred gold pieces."

Afterward, the group hurriedly left.

The people who had been seated listening to the story all gathered around to look.

"A hundred taels of silver just for reporting him? Let's see who they're trying to catch this time."

"Void Form? Isn't that the one ranked seventh on the Black List? Forget it. You might earn that money, but you may not live to spend it."

"What are you afraid of? If you see him, report it to the yamen and the hundred taels of silver are yours. How would he know who informed on him?"

The gaunt old man rose and glanced at the portrait from afar. He immediately cursed inwardly, Damn it, those bastards from Heavenly Policy Mansion are getting serious this time. They even sent men to this little city. I didn't catch the fox, but ended up reeking of trouble instead. Still, it's strange. Since they let me go, why are they in such a hurry to capture me again? Could I have been dragged into one of my old affairs? Fortunately, I am skilled in disguise and had prepared beforehand. Otherwise, once those eagle hounds of Heavenly Policy Mansion caught my scent, I would never shake them off.

North Spring Mountain.

The martial artists lingering nearby gradually dispersed at last. Some were unwilling to leave and waited outside to see whether any more Grandmasters would come.

But they had clearly miscalculated and wasted several more days in vain.

The Imperial Guards below the mountain finally breathed a complete sigh of relief as well. They already bore the heavy responsibility of guarding the Demon Cave Seal, yet they also had to watch North Spring Mountain day and night. During this period, nearly everyone had done nothing but cultivate or patrol. Now, they could finally rest a little.

Gu Yuanqing had also returned to his usual cultivation. After killing Old Man Tianzhu with one sword strike, his heart had completely relaxed.

Moreover, this meant that in Great Gan, on North Spring Mountain, he no longer needed to fear anyone.

His life and death would no longer be decided by others. Even if the emperor came... well, he was Miaoxuan's father after all. Gu Yuanqing still had to give him some face.

But the so-called imprisonment by the Imperial Family no longer weighed on his mind.

Once one's strength surpassed the level of a Grandmaster, all those so-called rules were no longer rules!

The complete relaxation of his mind began to affect his cultivation from within, and the True Qi in his body seemed to grow even more lively.

Cultivation was fundamentally the cultivation of the heart. A change in one's state of mind naturally reflected upon all things.

Whether it was Mountain Observation or Object Control, both had become more nimble and natural than before.

His longsword flew wantonly through North Spring Mountain like a wandering dragon. Even when the sound of air being torn apart occasionally rang out, he no longer needed to hold anything back.

Without realizing it, his cultivation had already traveled far along the Profound Martial Ninth Layer.

By now, he had placed most of his attention on deducing his Mental Method, because before breaking through to Grandmaster, he needed to change his foundation!

Dear bosses, do you still have any monthly votes in hand? It is already the end of the month, and they are about to expire. Letting them expire would be a waste, wouldn't it?

A bow, thank you~~