The Great Qian Dynasty had three Grandmaster Attendants.
Sword Saint Qin Wuya lived in seclusion within the academy, while Daoist Xuanqing secluded himself in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. Both remained in Capital City year-round and almost never involved themselves in outside affairs. It would be fair to say they answered calls to action, but not summons to court.
Only Divine Constable Zhou Yin had risen from humble beginnings. Carefully nurtured by the Great Qian Dynasty, he had climbed step by step from an ordinary constable to a Heavenly Catcher. Even after becoming a Grandmaster, he continued to serve in the Heavenly Policy Mansion, handling almost every major affair in the Martial World himself.
Divine Constable Zhou Yin was a large part of the reason the Imperial Court could still keep the Martial World in check and make the sects wary.
And now, the fate of such a pillar was unknown. How could Li Haotian not be shaken?
The officials in the hall also noticed the emperor's expression and knew something momentous must have happened. For a time, not a single person in the court dared speak, and the entire hall fell silent.
Li Haotian drew a deep breath and said gravely, "We feel somewhat unwell. Let today's court session end here. If any of you have matters to report, present them tomorrow."
Xu Lianying loudly announced the dismissal of court.
Li Haotian hurried behind the hall.
Xu Lianying hastened after him.
Li Haotian stopped and looked back. "Invite Grandmaster Qin Wuya and True Master Xuanqing to the Imperial Study."
"This old servant will have someone convey the decree at once."
Deep in the Red Rock Mountain Range, in Hexi Province, one of Great Qian's twelve provinces.
There lay a secluded valley, its surroundings shrouded in mist and miasma throughout the year, seldom visited by anyone.
A tall, burly man stood casually on high ground within the valley, his hair loose and disheveled, his chest bare, and a five-foot-long Ghost Head Broadsword resting on his shoulder.
He surveyed the valley from top to bottom and said with undisguised contempt, "I have to say, you lot are doing terribly. A mere secular court has chased you into scurrying everywhere like rats crossing the street. And this residence of yours is no better than a dog's kennel."
Several people followed behind him, all wearing hooded robes. At their head stood an old man with white hair and a white beard—Si Zhiyu, Crimson Dragon Cult Leader. He smiled bitterly. "We have made ourselves a laughingstock before you, Venerable. A great battle two hundred years ago severed our cult's inheritance. Even as its leader, this old man could only barely enter the Grandmaster Realm through other means."
The burly man scoffed.
"A Grandmaster? Someone like you can call himself a Grandmaster? Grandmasters here really are a dime a dozen."
Somewhat embarrassed, the old man said, "Naturally, our cultivation is unworthy of your regard, Venerable."
"If I'd known this place was like this, I'd never have picked it. Not only is vital energy scarce, but Spirit Materials are rare too. It's a place where even birds won't shit. I've really lost out this time."
The old man gave an awkward smile and said nothing.
The burly man plopped down on a nearby rock.
"Tell me, then. What experts does this Great Qian Kingdom have?"
"As far as this old man knows, there are nine experts at Grandmaster level or above remaining in the Great Qian Kingdom. The Imperial Court still has two: Sword Saint Qin Wuya and True Master Xuanqing. The Lingxu Sect has two: its head, Gong Daoxian, and its elder in charge of imparting techniques, Long Fangrong. Then there are Profound Heaven Sect Master Le Huafeng, Blood Blade Sect Leader Duanmu Xuanyue, Heavenly Fiend Sect Supreme Elder Chu Wusheng, Silver Moon Pavilion Master Jian Lanxian, and this old man himself."
The burly man asked in surprise, "Only that handful? Is there anyone beyond Grandmaster?"
"We suspect there may still be Grandmaster experts within the Imperial Palace. The Li Family has ruled the realm for over three hundred years, and its directly inherited Dragon Slaying Art is also a Grandmaster Cultivation Technique. The palace's Inner Treasury has collected quite a few Grandmaster Cultivation Techniques as well. As for anyone beyond Grandmaster, the Lingxu Sect may have someone. Recently, another person appeared who seemed to possess that level of cultivation."
The burly man was clearly not very interested in Grandmasters. "Who?"
"Six hundred li outside the Great Qian Royal Capital stands North Spring Mountain, once the residence of the North Spring Sword Sect. It is said that the North Spring Sword Sect possessed a secret sword art pointing straight to the realm beyond Grandmaster. A month ago, Old Man Tianzhu Jiang Hongguang of Star Sea Valley was slain on North Spring Mountain with a single sword strike, before everyone's eyes. Jiang Hongguang was also a Grandmaster. Though he was nearing the end of his lifespan and no longer at his former peak, he was a Grandmaster nonetheless. Without cultivation beyond Grandmaster, no one could possibly have killed him with one strike."
The burly man nodded in agreement. "You lot may be a little weak, but even I wouldn't dare say I could kill one of you with a single saber strike. It seems this person does have some ability. As for whether he has a Perfected Dao Embryo and condensed Dao Fire, I'll have to see him to know. Oh, right—what's his name?"
"This old man cannot be certain. Rumor currently has it that his name is Gu Yuanqing. But my subordinates investigated, and just over a year ago, Gu Yuanqing was only an Origin Scholar. He was imprisoned on North Spring Mountain for some unknown offense."
"He was still an Origin Scholar a year ago? How is that possible?" The burly man looked rather surprised.
"This old man believes it may simply be a rumor distorted in the telling. Even someone blessed with heaven-sent talent could not reach such a realm in little more than a year. There must be someone behind him who is unwilling to show himself."
A fly came buzzing around nearby. The burly man raised his saber, and two flashes of saber light severed the fly's wings at their roots. He lowered his head for a look and laughed. "Now that's a little interesting. As for whether it really is this Gu Yuanqing, I'll know once I go take a look."
He planted his saber in the ground and stretched lazily.
"It seems this Great Qian Kingdom isn't entirely without amusement after all."
On North Spring Mountain.
With his foundation fully established, Gu Yuanqing relaxed completely, spending each day however his interests led him.
The Imperial Guard at the foot of the mountain now delivered fresh ingredients every five days, occasionally bringing delicacies from Capital City as well.
Gu Yuanqing's life on the mountain no longer felt like imprisonment at all.
One day, he even followed the path down North Spring Mountain, and the Imperial Guard stationed there simply pretended not to see him.
It was as though no one would stop him if he wished to leave.
He visited Dangyan Mountain opposite to see its waterfall, went beneath the natural chasm to experience the rushing river, and walked through many places that had caught his interest when he gazed out from the mountain in the past.
He did not venture too far, however. Through experimentation, he found that once he left North Spring Mountain, his various empowerments grew faint, and even his thinking slowed somewhat.
Occasionally, he met people from the Martial World and chatted with them. One man, unaware that Gu Yuanqing was the very figure beyond Grandmaster he was talking about, went on and on about how he had personally witnessed Old Man Tianzhu being slain with a single sword strike on this mountain that day.
Gu Yuanqing smiled and played along.
Eventually, the novelty wore off, and Gu Yuanqing grew a little tired of it. He stopped going down the mountain. The sense of insecurity that came from losing the Spirit Mountain's empowerment always left him rather uncomfortable.
One day, while reading in the courtyard, he suddenly sensed the old man arriving empty-handed outside the gate, where he lingered hesitantly.
With a wave of his hand, the courtyard gate swung wide open. "Come in," he said calmly.
Hearing his voice, the old man grew somewhat flustered. At last, he took a deep breath, made up his mind, pushed at the courtyard gate, and entered.
He came before Gu Yuanqing and dropped heavily to his knees with a thud, knocking his forehead against the ground.
"I beg you, young master, teach me the path to becoming a Grandmaster. Whether I serve as your slave or servant, whether I live or die, it shall all be as you wish!" A voice emerged from the old man's belly.
Gu Yuanqing smiled faintly. "So you can speak after all."
"This lowly one once happened upon a ventriloquism technique."
"Stand up and speak. In this life, one kneels to heaven, earth, and one's parents. I don't much like others kneeling to me, especially when you're older than I am."
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