Jade Cauldron

Jiang Qiuge shook his head. "These Demonic Humans would never let go of even the slightest possibility. They are utterly unscrupulous and lawless!"

He sneered repeatedly, murderous intent flickering coldly in his eyes.

Chu Zhiyuan's expression darkened.

What a colossal joke. Royal disciples had actually become prey, fodder for cultivation!

"I'm afraid they can't be uprooted completely, can they?"

Thirty years ago, the Imperial Court had joined forces with so many people and still failed to wipe them out entirely. Could the Town Martial Division succeed now on its own?

The coldness on Jiang Qiuge's face turned to helplessness. "The division is mobilizing every resource to track them down and see whether any Jade Cauldron Sect Demonic Humans remain in hiding. Heir Apparent, you should strengthen your guards as well."

"Strengthen the guards..." Chu Zhiyuan bared his teeth.

"Fourth Heir Apparent, how about the division assigning two Grandmasters to protect you in secret?"

"Then many thanks, Division Chief Jiang!" Chu Zhiyuan agreed without hesitation.

Prince Qing's Estate was weak at present. Given its current reputation, recruiting Xiantian Masters would not be difficult, but recruiting Grandmasters was impossible. Adding two Grandmaster guards was of vital importance.

Jiang Qiuge's arrangement was truly timely rain.

Jiang Qiuge was proud and arrogant, and deep down, he did not hold Heir Apparents or Princes in much respect. This move was also to avoid mishaps that might implicate him. But no matter what, he had rendered tremendous help.

"Were the Jade Cauldron Sect Demonic Humans targeting all Princes and Heir Apparents this time, or only me?"

"...For now, it appears they were only targeting you, Heir Apparent."

"Why?"

"This..." Jiang Qiuge shook his head.

"The easiest target, then. Pinch the soft persimmon first?" Chu Zhiyuan snorted.

Jiang Qiuge lifted his teacup and took a light sip, avoiding the subject.

The Fourth Heir Apparent had struck the nail on the head, exposing the truth in a single sentence.

In the Jade Cauldron Sect's eyes, Prince Qing's Estate had declined and its guards were weak. Among all the direct bloodlines, it was the easiest to strike.

If not for the Fourth Heir Apparent's keen intuition and some unseen premonition, he likely would not have escaped this time.

Killing intent surged angrily within Chu Zhiyuan as he slowly said, "Do these Jade Cauldron Sect disciples have any Tokens?"

Jiang Qiuge took a jade cauldron the size of a thumb from his sleeve. It was exquisite and delicate, covered in chrysanthemum patterns.

Chu Zhiyuan frowned at it but did not reach out to accept it.

The tiny jade cauldron looked smooth and lustrous on the surface, yet in his eyes, it was shrouded in a faint mist with a vaguely fishy stench.

Through Super Sensation, he could see beneath clothing, but he never did so, especially not with men, lest he disgust himself.

That was why he had not noticed this little jade cauldron earlier.

Jiang Qiuge set it on the table. "This is the token of Jade Cauldron Sect disciples. Each of them wears one around the neck."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded. "It does look quite exquisite. I'll try and see if I can find other Jade Cauldron Sect disciples."

Jiang Qiuge froze.

Chu Zhiyuan gave a self-deprecating smile. "From a distance, I can vaguely sense the aura of this jade cauldron. Perhaps I can find them."

Jiang Qiuge's eyes suddenly lit up, sharp radiance bursting forth. "Really?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "I'll give it a try for now. I hope Division Chief Jiang can keep this secret for me."

Jiang Qiuge rose and solemnly clasped his fists. "Rest assured, Heir Apparent!"

He gave a deep bow. "I, Jiang, will remember the Heir Apparent's help in my heart."

Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fists in return. "This is also for self-preservation. If they aren't eliminated, there can be no peace."

Jiang Qiuge nodded slowly. "Junior Sister Huang!"

"Division Chief." The green-clad girl standing quietly to one side answered crisply.

Sharp light blazed in Jiang Qiuge's eyes. "You will take charge of this matter. Do not borrow another's hand, and do not let it leak out!"

"Yes." The green-clad girl agreed solemnly.

Jiang Qiuge smiled again. "Heir Apparent, Junior Sister Huang is a True Disciple of our White Cloud Sword Palace. She possesses a photographic memory."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded. "Nothing could be better... Time waits for no one. Let us go at once."

"Much obliged, Heir Apparent!" Jiang Qiuge clasped his fists again and escorted Chu Zhiyuan all the way to the staircase before stopping.

Chu Zhiyuan went down the stairs and left the tavern.

Huang Shirong walked gracefully at his side, elegant and supple, a longsword hanging at her waist. It made one break into a cold sweat, worrying whether that slender waist might be snapped by the sword's weight.

Chu Zhiyuan followed the main road.

Jade Capital had three north-south avenues and three east-west avenues, each roughly ten kilometers long. Day or night, they bustled with crowds and extraordinary liveliness.

Several people threaded through the crowd. From time to time, Chu Zhiyuan stopped and pointed somewhere. "Over there."

After a while, he stopped again and pointed. "This way."

As dawn first broke, steam-like white vapor rose from Chu Zhiyuan's body. He stopped outside South Palace Gate and clasped his fists toward Huang Shirong. "That should be all of them. Miss Huang, until we meet again."

"Yes." Huang Shirong clasped her fists and said softly, "This humble woman takes her leave."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and nodded.

He had quite a favorable impression of Huang Shirong, who was as elegant as a chrysanthemum.

She spoke little, soft on the outside yet resilient within, graceful and composed. Though young, she had already reached Innate Perfection and was a True Disciple of White Cloud Sword Palace, yet she had not the slightest arrogance over her talent.

Such a state of mind and cultivation was truly rare.

Watching Huang Shirong drift away like a wisp of light smoke, Chu Zhiyuan turned to look around. Ministers who had come to attend court were watching him curiously.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded to them in greeting, then turned and entered South Palace Gate.

Over the following days, he traveled between two points and one line: Bright Martial Hall in the morning, the Prince's Estate in the evening. All was calm, and he focused wholeheartedly on cultivation.

The Dragon Transformation Technique steadily advanced toward completion of its first layer. His Meridians grew broader and tougher by the day.

While reading in the West Side Hall, he came across a copy of the Record of Punishing Evils.

This Record of Punishing Evils recorded the deeds of several evil sects in the martial world and mentioned the Jade Cauldron Sect.

The Jade Cauldron Sect pursued eternal life. Its fundamental cultivation method strengthened oneself through devouring, forging the body into a Jade Cauldron—indestructible and imperishable.

The name Jade Cauldron Sect referred to the human body being like a jade cauldron: indestructible and imperishable, while also able to absorb the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth to strengthen itself.

Its cultivation method was domineering. Devouring vital essence could rapidly increase cultivation, allowing one to advance by leaps and bounds. Yet what held them back was the method of breaking through.

After all, cultivation obtained through devouring was not pure enough. When breaking through, it was ten times harder for them than for disciples of other sects.

Even so, the Jade Cauldron Sect had become immensely powerful through this cultivation method.

Disciples of other sects found breakthroughs easier, but their success rates were not high either. Increasing the difficulty tenfold did not greatly affect the outcome.

Moreover, Jade Cauldron Sect disciples progressed more than ten times faster than disciples of other sects. One gain and one loss, and Jade Cauldron Sect disciples were instead stronger.

After reading it, Chu Zhiyuan understood completely.

Once accustomed to advancing by leaps and bounds, they could no longer endure stagnation. Furthermore, the Jade Cauldron Sect possessed supreme concealment arts, making ambushes highly likely to succeed and escapes after an ambush highly likely as well.

The despair of stagnation, the luck born of mastery in concealment, and the temptation of power gained through rapid breakthroughs—these three combined, driving them to risk everything and devour the vital essence of royal descendants.

The purer the bloodline, the stronger its effect on the Jade Cauldron Sect.

As the Heir Apparent of Prince Qing's Estate, he truly was the finest target.

His expression darkened.

As an Heir Apparent, he enjoyed the utmost wealth and honor, yet he had still become prey. The Jade Cauldron Sect had to be destroyed!

Unfortunately, even with the wondrous arts of the Taiqing Yuan Sect, and a cultivation speed ten or twenty times that of ordinary people, he still could not reach the heavens in a single step. He had to proceed step by step.

With that thought, he set down the Record of Punishing Evils and went out to practice.

"Oh? Fourth Son, it's rare to see you come out to practice." Seeing Chu Zhiyuan assume the Dragon Subduing Stance on the training ground, Chu Mingxuan curiously came over. "No more burying your head in books?"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "Eighteenth Uncle, I had too many doubts about the estate. Now I've more or less figured them out. From now on, I'll focus on cultivation."

"What are you practicing?"

"The Dragon Transformation Technique of the Dragon Subduing Sect."

"...Could it be the Jade Lock Golden Pass Technique?" Chu Mingxuan frowned, thought for a moment, and asked uncertainly.

"Exactly."

"Gasp..." Chu Mingxuan sucked in a breath.

Though the two spoke quietly to avoid disturbing the others' cultivation, the other Heir Apparents and Princes still heard them.

Upon hearing the words Jade Lock Golden Pass Technique, they all looked over.

"Fourth Brother, you really intend to practice the Jade Lock Golden Pass Technique?"

Someone released his Violet Sun Stance and came over to ask.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and nodded. "I'll give it a try. Whether I succeed or fail, we'll see."

"As expected of Fourth Brother."

"Fourth Brother, don't waste your time."

"It's impossible to master."

Everyone released their Violet Sun Stances and gathered around Chu Zhiyuan, discussing it among themselves.

Some praised him, while others tried to dissuade him. Opinions varied.

Chu Zhiyuan only smiled without speaking.

He remembered a celebrity from his previous life once saying that after becoming famous, everyone around him became a good person. The same was true now.

Previously, the Princes and Heir Apparents had not been hostile toward him, merely curious, but they had remained reserved and observant. Since he had taken first place in the previous minor competition, they had suddenly become much warmer and friendlier.

He greatly enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by stars paying homage to the moon.

"Let's see whether Fourth Son can succeed. He won't turn back until he hits the south wall. We were all like that back then," Chu Mingxuan suddenly said loudly. "I heard that this year's Winter Hunt will be held three days from now."

"Eighteenth Uncle, wasn't it supposed to be on New Year's Day?"

"It's been moved up this year. Since none of you heard the news, hurry and make your preparations. Don't miss this opportunity!"

Chu Zhiyuan looked toward Chu Mingxuan.

Chu Mingxuan chuckled. "Fourth Son, the only opportunity for us at Bright Martial Hall to earn military merit is the annual Winter Hunt."

In spring, all things came to life and killing was unsuitable. Summer was too hot, and most animals hibernated in winter. Autumn was both the season of harvest and the season of solemn killing, making it ideal for hunting.

"The Autumn Hunt belongs to Father Emperor and the others, while Bright Martial Hall has the Winter Hunt..." Chu Mingxuan then explained all the intricacies in detail.