First Meeting

# Chapter 12: First Meeting

Under the night sky, Yujing's main avenue bustled with activity, carriages and horses flowing like a river, clusters of lanterns hanging high in every street and alley, illuminating the entire city of Yujing.

Pedestrians carried blades and swords at their waists, their bearing spirited and proud.

City Guards in dark robes patrolled the crowds in groups of three.

From shops and stalls on both sides, vendors' cries rang out without cease, while passersby walked in pairs, chatting and laughing, each finding their own pleasure.

Guo Chi and his seven men formed a circle, shielding Chu Zhiyuan at the center.

Chu Zhiyuan strolled as if on an idle walk, circulating the Dragon Transformation Technique as he moved, striving to complete the first layer as quickly as possible so he could begin the Qi Washing Art.

He detected no one following him and fully relaxed.

It seemed the Town Martial Division had already dealt with the tail.

As expected of the Town Martial Division.

--

The Flowing Cloud Tower stood three stories tall, its gatehouse stacked in three overlapping layers, eaves soaring in three tiers—majestic and imposing, with a momentum that seemed to pierce the clouds.

From afar, it could be seen towering against the night sky, blazing with light, the sounds of silk strings and delicate laughter drifting out like a celestial palace in the heavens.

Chu Zhiyuan wore a white fur cloak, a jade pendant at his belt, and a white jade ornament atop his cap. His steps were unhurried, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.

When Guo Chi and his eight men escorted him to the Flowing Cloud Tower, four Town Martial Division experts were already waiting there.

A middle-aged man in gray robes stepped forward, cupping his fist: "Are you the Fourth Heir Apparent?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

"The Division Chief has been awaiting your arrival. Please, Your Highness." The gray-robed man bowed and gestured, leading the way.

Zou Fang stepped forward.

To conceal his identity, he had left behind his white jade whisk, wearing instead a blue robe. With his fair, beardless face, he looked like a wealthy country gentleman.

Chu Zhiyuan followed, with Feng Xi guarding him from behind.

Guo Chi did not move. He and the eight royal guards slipped into the shadows.

Chu Zhiyuan ascended the stairs slowly, having already taken in the entire scene of the Flowing Cloud Tower, seen every person clearly, and sensed every one of them.

His attention quickly focused on a room on the third floor.

The window of that third-floor room faced the main avenue, commanding a view of half of Phoenix Street.

In a Grand Master's Chair near the window sat a middle-aged man with a face like coronation jade. His expression was somber as he scanned the documents in his hands.

He wore a sky-blue robe and carried a snow-white longsword, his entire person spotless from head to toe.

He sat upright as a sturdy pine, with long brows and bright eyes. When his eyes opened and closed, sharp light flickered like solid substance, his aura stern and imposing.

In Chu Zhiyuan's eyes, three feet above the man's head, a white crane stood on one leg in the void, its body pure and flawless, with a red crown atop its head and a long beak like a sword.

The crane fluttered its wings from time to time, as if about to take flight at any moment.

Chu Zhiyuan pondered.

This Grandmaster should be Jiang Qiuge.

Four middle-aged men in dark robes guarded the stairway to the third floor, their expressions solemn, their eyes like cold lightning sweeping over Chu Zhiyuan and his two companions.

Chu Zhiyuan sighed inwardly: Four more Grandmasters. This Division Chief Jiang certainly puts on quite a show.

This was the power of authority—so utterly captivating.

The third floor consisted entirely of elegant private rooms with excellent soundproofing. Once the doors were closed, outsiders could neither see inside nor hear what transpired within.

The gray-robed man led him to one of the rooms.

A green-clad girl stood at the door. Her features were exquisite, her figure graceful like a willow branch swaying in a gentle breeze. Even standing still, she seemed to ripple with a languid motion.

The gray-robed man cupped his fist: "Miss Huang."

The green-clad girl nodded lightly, then performed a formal bow toward Chu Zhiyuan, her voice soft: "Your Highness, the Division Chief has been waiting for some time. Please follow me."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded and waved a hand at Zou Fang and Feng Xi.

He was inwardly astonished. This green-clad girl appeared to be about his own age, yet she had already reached Innate Perfection.

He had Super Sensation and the extraordinary techniques of Bright Martial Hall—did this green-clad girl also possess some mystical art to aid and accelerate cultivation?

The world was vast indeed, hiding crouching tigers and coiled dragons.

He had originally thought Jiang Qiuge was formidable enough, but now it seemed that in terms of cultivation talent, this green-clad girl might be even stronger by three parts.

Chu Zhiyuan stepped into the room.

The handsome middle-aged man set down his documents, rose, cupped his fist, and smiled: "I failed to welcome you from afar. Do not take offense, Fourth Heir Apparent."

"Division Chief Jiang need not stand on ceremony." Chu Zhiyuan cupped his fist in return.

Both men wore broad smiles, yet each noticed that the other's gaze was calm and still, as if quietly observing and scrutinizing.

"Please, Your Highness." Jiang Qiuge extended his hand.

The two sat down, and Chu Zhiyuan settled into the Grand Master's chair across the round table.

The sandalwood round table could seat over a dozen people, leaving a considerable distance between them.

A green-clad maid brought tea cups, then stood to the side in attendance.

After sitting, they exchanged a few pleasantries.

Jiang Qiuge's face was wreathed in smiles, as warm as a spring breeze, with not a hint of arrogance.

Chu Zhiyuan was likewise gentle and composed, without putting on the airs of an Heir Apparent.

The room was filled with harmony, host and guest chatting amiably, all cheer and goodwill.

After a moment, Chu Zhiyuan lifted his tea cup, took a light sip, set it down, and looked seriously at Jiang Qiuge. "Division Chief Jiang, have you caught those sneaky fellows?"

Jiang Qiuge said solemnly, "The Heir Apparent rendered great help this time. I've already submitted a merit request to the Audit Department."

"What sort of people were they?"

Chu Zhiyuan broke into a smile.

Seeking aid from the Town Martial Division had also been for this reason.

The Town Martial Division was extremely strict and fair when it came to merits. Other matters could be glossed over or fudged, but merits were never ambiguous.

The Imperial Clan Court was not the same.

Jiang Qiuge said gravely, "Has the Heir Apparent ever heard of the Jade Cauldron Sect?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

"These were heretics of the Jade Cauldron Sect. How did the Heir Apparent discover them?"

"My cultivation is not strong, but my senses are sharper than most—a kind of instinctive perception."

"That is a rare talent. With it, the Heir Apparent can keep himself safe."

"It's nothing compared to cultivation," Chu Zhiyuan said with a faint smile, then asked in a low voice, "What exactly is the Jade Cauldron Sect?"

"The Jade Cauldron Sect is a top-tier heretical sect, with a Grandmaster among them. It was once purged by the Town Martial Division in cooperation with the Four Great Sects and Six Major Schools. Who would have thought that thirty years later, it would rise from the ashes!"

Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

Thirty years ago, he hadn't even been born.

But if it was a heretical sect, that was indeed troublesome.

Heretical sects were different from demonic sects.

So-called demonic sects, like the Moon Invitation Palace or the Carefree Cult, walked a line between good and evil. Their techniques stirred impulsive temperaments, and they were not without crimes, but they rarely involved murder.

Heretical sects were entirely different.

He had heard Zou Fang mention them before.

These heretical sects were truly and thoroughly anti-human.

The things they did were crueler and bloodier than ordinary people could imagine—dying ten thousand times would not be enough to atone.

The evil of heretical sects also stemmed from their techniques.

Practicing such techniques naturally made one cold, numb, and cruel, slowly losing humanity, treating human life like weeds.

And this Jade Cauldron Sect, having survived a joint purge and still risen again, was clearly both extremely cunning and extremely powerful.

Being targeted by such a heretical sect was truly troublesome.

Even with three masters protecting him, he couldn't feel safe.

At this thought, his face darkened.

Jiang Qiuge seemed to see through Chu Zhiyuan's worry and said with a smile, "Rest assured, Heir Apparent. We've wiped out their entire nest."

"Wiping out this nest—there are still others, aren't there? It won't be so easy to cleanse them all... Why were they following me?"

Jiang Qiuge's expression turned grim, and he said slowly, "To kill the Heir Apparent."

"Revenge?" Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

Revenge for the purge?

"Why did the court personally join forces with the major sects to annihilate the Jade Cauldron Sect back then? It wasn't just because it was a heretical sect."

"There's another reason?"

"The Jade Cauldron Sect possesses a technique called the Dragon Swallowing Ascension Art, a miraculous method for breaking through bottlenecks. It is said that devouring the Essence Blood of ten royal disciples can break through the barrier between the Innate Realm and the Master Realm, and the Essence Blood of a hundred royal disciples can break through the barrier between the Master Realm and the Grandmaster Realm."

"Hahaha!" Chu Zhiyuan burst out laughing.

That was the height of absurdity.

He had now read a great many martial arts notes from Grandmasters and Masters, gaining a deeper and broader understanding of martial arts.

He had a thorough grasp of the four realms and three bottlenecks. Breaking through a bottleneck could not rely on external force. The Innate and Master bottlenecks were formless yet tangible—external force could not touch them. The Grandmaster bottleneck, however, was formless and intangible, with no method to break through at all.

As for this Dragon Swallowing Ascension Art being able to break the Master bottleneck, he couldn't judge its truth or falsehood. But claiming it could break the Grandmaster bottleneck was absolutely a lie.

Such absurd talk could only fool the ignorant.