Crown Prince Zhao Qi consumed the Cold Marrow Scale. Although the medicine wasn't right for his condition, it was still a miraculous pill, and he immediately became much more sober. He slurred, "Brother... Brother, this wine... this makes me dizzy... it feels so good." He felt completely relaxed.
Li Qiang said, " Qi'er, you've drunk too much. You got drunk on your first time drinking. You're really something."
Meng Fan asked, "Brother Li, was that elixir just now the Cold Marrow Scale —a sacred medicine for detoxification?"
Li Qiang nodded and said, "That's right, Brother Meng has a good eye." He didn't know that the Cold Marrow Scale had such a great reputation.
Meng Fan hesitated for a moment. Asking for a elixir on their first meeting was something he found difficult to do, given his personality. He kept glancing at Zheng Peng, hoping he would ask for the medicine, but Zheng Peng was too busy talking to Nashan to understand his senior brother's meaning, and he didn't even know that his senior brother wanted a elixir.
Meng Fan thought for a moment, then took out a handful of small, dark-colored beads, each only the size of a soybean, and said, "Brother Li, have you ever seen these before?"
Li Qiang's experience was unique. Unlike other cultivators who had systematically learned to identify treasures, he didn't know much about the treasures of the Cultivation Realm. He scratched his head and said, "Hehe, Brother Meng, sorry, what is this?"
Meng Fan almost vomited blood; he didn't even know about such a famous treasure.
Zheng Peng then noticed his senior brother's strange behavior and asked curiously, "Senior brother, what are you doing with the Thunderbolt Pearl?"
Li Qiang picked up one and asked, " Thunderbolt Pearl? What's it for?"
Meng Fan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He could tell that Li Qiang's cultivation level was not low, but he didn't even know about the famous Thunderbolt Pearl. The Thunderbolt Pearl of the Hidden Thunder Pavilion was a famous treasure on Sealed Fate Planet, and it could only be refined by a master of the Hidden Thunder Pavilion.
Zheng Peng explained, " Thunderbolt Pearl are treasures condensed from the fierce and malevolent energy of the Flame Star. They can resist the thunder and fire of demons. In our Hidden Thunder Pavilion, only a few people know how to refine them. My senior brother went through a lot of trouble to refine just one gourd of Thunderbolt Pearl. Sigh, senior brother, why did you take out Thunderbolt Pearl?"
Meng Fan said, "Uh, well... I'd like to exchange Cold Marrow Scale with Brother Li." He couldn't help but say it anyway.
Li Qiang laughed, "Brother Meng, no need for that. Here, these are three Cold Marrow Scale." He readily handed over the elixir but refused to take the Thunderbolt Pearl, leaving Meng Fan somewhat embarrassed.
He smiled wryly and said, "Brother Li, consider this a gift for our first meeting. I, Meng Fan, cannot accept a gift without having done anything in return."
Zheng Peng suddenly realized and said, "Young man, just take it. Don't make things difficult for my senior brother."
Li Qiang smiled slightly and said, "Hehe, Brother Meng, has someone been poisoned?" He casually took the Thunderbolt Pearl and changed the subject.
Meng Fan breathed a sigh of relief. He rarely asked for favors, and he was really afraid that Li Qiang wouldn't accept the Thunderbolt Pearl, as he would feel bad about owing such a debt of gratitude. He said, "A good friend of my wife's needs it and asked me to find a good antidote."
Zheng Peng said, "So it was your sister-in-law who wanted it."
Only then did Li Qiang realize that he also practiced dual cultivation, and he couldn't help but think of Yun Yu again, his expression becoming somewhat dazed.
Nashan touched his Baldy, blinked his one eye, and asked in surprise, "Cultivators have wives too?"
Zheng Peng was much taller than Nashan. He slapped Nashan on the shoulder and laughed, "Brother, you don't even know this? Let me tell you, this is called dual cultivation—joint dual cultivation, understand?" This slap almost knocked Nashan into the table. Nashan was so angry that he kept groaning.
Li Qiang asked, "Brother Meng, are you familiar with the situation at the Wise Heng Palace?"
Meng Fan was in a good mood because he had found the antidote, and casually teased, "Brother Li, are you interested in the Wise Heng Palace? Hehe, no wonder, most of the cultivators in the Wise Heng Palace are women. You haven't taken a fancy to anyone, have you?" Little did he know that he had just guessed what Li Qiang was thinking.
Li Qiang nodded without hesitation, saying, "That's right, I have a connection with one of them, so I want to know more about the situation."
Not only Meng Fan, but even Nashan and Zhao Zhi were dumbfounded. This was far too straightforward. Little did they know that Li Qiang, having undergone dual cultivation of the Nascent Soul, could not forget that unforgettable experience. He didn't care what others thought; he only wanted to find Yun Yu no matter what.
Thinking of her adorable little Nascent Soul, Li Qiang couldn't help but smile gently.
Nashan, at a loss, touched his bald Baldy. Suddenly, he saw Li Qiang smiling gently, his eyes even seeming dreamy. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! Boss is thinking about women... Uh, young master, I..." Before Baldy, he had already been slapped on the head.
Li Qiang cursed, "What do you mean 'wanting women'? Damn it, that's so vulgar! I'm cultivating my emotions, don't you understand?"
Tange praised, "He truly is the boss, exceptional indeed! I admire him! I admire him!"
Zhao Zhi suddenly shivered, grimacing, and said, "It's so cold, I can't stand it."
The group of people looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Only Zhao Qi was unaware of their conversation; he had already fallen asleep, slumped over the table.
Li Qiang shook his head, saying nonchalantly, "You're making a fuss over nothing. What's so funny? Hmm, Brother Meng, please enlighten me. I'm not familiar with the situation at the Wise Heng Palace."
Far from being embarrassed, he even mocked them. Meng Fan had never seen such a carefree cultivator before, and he became even more interested in him, laughing, " Wise Heng Palace is a major sect on Sealed Fate Planet, with many female disciples. This sect doesn't forbid dual cultivation, but Wise Heng Palace has a rule: any cultivator who wants to engage in dual cultivation with a female disciple of the Wise Heng Palace must make certain contributions to the Wise Heng Palace Wise Heng Palace and pass the tests of several elders before they can win the beauty's heart. If there's even the slightest mistake, hehe, it's definitely over. Do you know? There are two very special sects on Sealed Fate Planet, one is Chongxuan Sect and *Tu*shu, and the other is Wise Heng Palace. Chongxuan Sect has a huge hidden power due to its unparalleled weapon-refining skills and special teaching methods, while Wise Heng Palace relies on dual cultivation..."
Li Qiang understood that the strength of the Wise Heng Palace lay in the person who cultivated with the female disciples. As long as an outstanding disciple from any sect cultivated with a disciple of the Wise Heng Palace, it meant that the expert would be used by the Wise Heng Palace. Its power was bound to grow. No wonder when he first met the Yun Yu sisters, her senior sister Ye Fengling kept mentioning the name of the Wise Heng Palace.
Meng Fan asked curiously, "Brother Li, who have you taken a fancy to?"
Upon hearing this, everyone except Zhao Qi, who was sleeping, turned their gazes to Li Qiang, filled with curiosity: what kind of woman could make him so infatuated?
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "What? Don't be so curious, okay? What business is it of yours who I've set my sights on? Don't tell me!"
The five men's appetites were immediately piqued. Nashan pleaded, "Hey, tell us! Old Na 've never been so eager to know anything before. Please grant us this small wish... Who has she taken a liking to?"
Li Qiang said mysteriously, "Okay, I'll only say it once..." The five nodded repeatedly, looking at him expectantly. "She's a girl from the Wise Heng Palace, you just don't know her. Alright, don't ask again."
The five of them were almost driven mad by him.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about that. Brother Meng, how many days are you planning to stay in the capital?" He slyly changed the subject.
"I originally planned to go to Rejuvenation Valley to seek the elixir, but I didn't expect to find Cold Marrow Scale, which are also usable. I have to thank Brother Li for this. We'll be heading back soon. There's been a lot going on on Sealed Fate Planet lately. I heard that an edict has been issued by the Sacred City. I wonder what it is about. We need to hurry back to the Hidden Thunder Pavilion to hear the news."
Li Qiang said, " Sacred City? Cloud Heaven Sacred City? Why is it described as an imperial edict?"
Meng Fan found it strange that Li Qiang seemed to know nothing. He nodded and said, " The Sacred City is the Cloud Heaven Sacred City. Its status on Sealed Fate Planet is even higher than the Seven Great Sects. Its strength is unfathomable. No sect dares to disobey the Sacred City's decrees. Therefore, if the Sacred City issues a decree, it must be no small matter."
Li Qiang asked, "The ranking of the major sects on Sealed Fate Planet is confusing. Isn't Cloud Heaven Sacred City ranked first? Aren't they afraid that other sects will challenge its position?"
"That's not how it's calculated. The seven major sects that people generally refer to can include Cloud Heaven Sacred City, or they can exclude it. In fact, the seven major sects on Sealed Fate Planet do not include Cloud Heaven Sacred City, and the Sacred City is not even on Sealed Fate Planet. Only Heavenly Fate City is its territory on Sealed Fate Planet. The true seven major sects on Sealed Fate Planet Chongxuan Sect are Sea Circle Pavilion, Wise Heng Palace, Blazing Fire Flame Hall, Hidden Thunder Pavilion, Ancient Sword Academy, and Vast Desert Golden Fir Fort."
"So that's how it is. One to seven, which means Cloud Heaven Sacred City's strength can withstand the combined might of the seven major sects. That's truly remarkable."
"Even a one-to-seven ratio might not be enough. Legend has it that there are immortals in the Cloud Heaven Sacred City, but no one can confirm it."
Li Qiang nodded slightly, because he had already witnessed the power of immortals and was terrified just thinking about their strength, so he dared not speak recklessly.
Tange kept eating voraciously, praising the food on Heavenly Court Star and expressing his great fondness for it. Nashan, Zhao Zhi, and Zheng Peng were all burly men who ate without hesitation, finishing a plate of food in no time with a flick of their chopsticks.
The plates on the table were piled high, but the group remained unfazed and continued eating heartily, ignoring what Li Qiang and Meng Fan were talking about.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted, and hurried footsteps echoed at the stairwell, startling even Zhao Qi, who was asleep. Still groggy, he asked, "What's going on?"
Li Qiang smiled and comforted him, "It's alright, don't be afraid even if something happens, your brother is here."
A large group of palace guards approached, led by a man dressed in the uniform of a first-class guard. He looked around, his gaze settling on Li Qiang and his companions. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, the Emperor has decreed that you return to the palace."
The private room fell silent instantly; no one had expected the prince to come to the White Alum Pavilion for a drink.
Li Qiang knew something was wrong. These guards wouldn't dare disturb them unless it was an emergency. He transmitted his voice, "Is there a problem in the palace? Nod if yes, shake your head if no. Don't alert outsiders."
The guard slowly nodded. Li Qiang cursed inwardly, unable to even enjoy a meal in peace; he wondered who was behind this. He stood up and said to Meng Fan, "Brother Meng, I'm truly sorry, but I have some business to attend to and must take my leave first. I'll visit you again after we reach Sealed Fate Planet."
Meng Fan was puzzled: The Gusong Kingdom is the territory of the Yuanshi Sect on Bada Star, when did the Primordial Beginning Sect Ancient Sword Academy get involved here? He also stood up and bowed, saying, "Alright, we'll take our leave now, see you again on Sealed Fate Planet."
Zheng Peng said, "Brother, if you see the young lady again, please say hello to Hei Heizi, and also to Grandpa Zhao and Grandpa Hou." He still remembered Hou Pijing, Mei Jingjing, and Zhao Hao. Li Qiang nodded, bowed, and said goodbye.
The group followed the guards downstairs, and Li Qiang asked in a low voice, "What happened?"
The first-class guard whispered, "The person who cast the curse has been caught."
Li Qiang wasn't surprised; he knew the person who cast the curse would inevitably strike again, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. He asked, "Were any of our men injured?"
The guard bowed and replied, "Several guards were injured, but none were seriously."
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Okay, let's go back."
Guards had already brought horses downstairs from the restaurant. Li Qiang mounted his horse and suddenly felt a strange sensation welling up inside him—a feeling of familiarity and warmth. He hurriedly looked around.
Nashan, with his sharp eyes, noticed that Li Qiang suddenly seemed distracted and asked, "Boss, what's wrong?"
Li Qiang instinctively felt that the feeling was gone, so he shook his head and said, "It's nothing, let's go!"
A group of people rode horses and galloped swiftly towards the palace.
After entering the palace, the guards led Li Qiang and the others straight to the Water Pavilion Elegant Chamber they were to discuss matters.
Upon entering the elegant pavilion, one sees the Emperor and ministers from various ministries seated throughout the room, with five or six men resembling ministers kneeling on the floor. The Emperor is loudly reprimanding them. "... Is it because I'm ill that no one can control you? A complete mess! You can't do anything right! Humph, if it weren't for the return of Prince of Loyalty and Valor, I would have died an unexplained death..."
The officials who were seated could no longer remain seated; one by one, they were so frightened that they rose from their seats, knelt down, and kowtowed to beg for forgiveness.
Upon seeing Li Qiang and the Crown Prince enter, the Emperor's anger immediately dissipated. He even stood up to personally greet them, saying, "No need for formalities! No need for formalities! Someone, bring a seat for the Prince."
Li Qiang had never thought of performing a grand ceremony, nor did he know that the Emperor's words were actually giving him a way out.
The Crown Prince bowed respectfully and said, "Father, your health has just recovered; it is not advisable for you to get angry. You should rest and recuperate."
The Emperor nodded, deeply gratified. He slowly said, "Now, each ministry and department, please report your situation in turn."
Li Qiang sighed inwardly, "Being an emperor isn't easy. He's barely recovered when he has to start handling state affairs. It's really not easy."
The Privy Council would first report on matters concerning politics, military affairs, economics, and criminal matters.
Nashan and the others were almost falling asleep; the dry content was unbearable for them. Li Qiang, however, listened with great interest. He had always been very attentive to information, a habit he had developed while doing business.
The ministers spoke for more than two hours before finally concluding.
The Emperor looked weary. A palace maid brought him a soft towel, which he vigorously wiped his face with, and said, "Get up, all of you. Think carefully about what I said earlier, and go back to your respective ministries and departments to reflect on your actions. You may now take your leave."
The ministers breathed a sigh of relief and kowtowed, saying, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" They carefully rose and bowed as they withdrew.
Li Qiang said, "Master Cheng, Fenghe, please stay."
Cheng Zizhong and Lin Fenghe looked at the Emperor, who nodded, and the two stood cautiously to one side.
The Emperor paced back and forth for a while, then said, "The Prince left without saying goodbye last time; this time, he must help me no matter what." He looked up at Li Qiang.
The Crown Prince chimed in, "With the Prince in charge of the palace, this case will be solved quickly."
Li Qiang scratched his head. Regardless of the Emperor's thoughts, he was absolutely unwilling to stay in the Gusong Kingdom and interfere in worldly affairs. He thought for a moment and said, " Cheng Zizhong has the ability, and Lin Fenghe can also assist him. This is an internal problem, not an external one."
Everyone in the room was stunned. This was too obvious; it was an internal problem, not an external one, meaning that the curse was cast by someone within the imperial court.
The Emperor asked, "How did the Prince arrive at this conclusion?"
Li Qiang spread his hands and laughed, "Didn't all the ministries and departments just say that?"
The Emperor and the Crown Prince fell into deep thought, as did Cheng Zizhong was also deep in thought. Only Lin Fenghe asked, puzzled, "I don't think they said anything specific; it was just the usual content of court discussions, only a little more this time."
Li Qiang said, "Recent appointments and removals of officials, the operation of major institutions, the deployment and mobilization of the army... Think about all of these things, and then think about the situation of the entire court after the Emperor was cursed. Hehe, Fenghe! Isn't that enough?" He gave a slight hint. Although he didn't know who did it, everyone present was extremely sensitive to power, so they naturally followed suit.
The Emperor and the Crown Prince exchanged a glance, their faces darkening. Li Qiang's hint was enough. The Emperor said, "It is indeed not advisable for the Prince to get too involved in this matter..." He seemed very sad.
Li Qiang comforted him, saying, "Once the truth is out, there's nothing to fear. After all, the attempt to harm people with a curse failed." He wisely maintained a detached stance, showing absolutely no interest in these court intrigues.
As Li Qiang relaxed, he suddenly remembered the feeling he had when he left White Alum Pavilion. He slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "I'm so stupid!"
He was almost certain that it was Yun Yu. The thought of Yun Yu made him chuckle to himself.
Li Qiang's behavior puzzled everyone in the room; it was not only impolite but also extremely presumptuous. The Emperor and the Crown Prince, however, didn't take it to heart, knowing that cultivators couldn't be judged by ordinary standards.
The Emperor asked, "What is it that you want to tell me so I can have a laugh?"
Li Qiang suddenly realized that he was in the palace discussing matters and had lost his composure.
But there was someone even less knowledgeable about palace etiquette than him. Nashan chuckled and said loudly, "Your Majesty, the eldest son is thinking about women!"
Li Qiang was almost driven mad by him; this kid was talking nonsense without any regard for the occasion.
Cheng Zizhong out in a cold sweat and stared blankly at Nashan. Lin Fenghe was also stunned; he couldn't believe that anyone would dare to speak to the Emperor like that.
The Emperor laughed heartily, "So that's how it is, it's very easy..."
Upon sensing the Emperor's unusual tone, Li Qiang knew things would get complicated if he were to force a large number of women upon him. He quickly interrupted, saying, "Your Majesty, don't listen to his nonsense. It's not like that. It's like this: if it's an internal crisis, Your Majesty shouldn't delay. You must act swiftly and decisively to stabilize the Attendant Hall, the Imperial Guards, and the troops stationed outside. You must act as discreetly as possible. And importantly, you must avoid large-scale implicating others, as this could easily shake the foundations of the nation..."
He talked on and on for more than half an hour, just to change the subject of that brat Nashan's words.
The Emperor listened intently, nodding frequently. Although he had already considered many of the issues, hearing them from Li Qiang was very enlightening. He suddenly understood the priorities and solutions to the problems.
Li Qiang did not specify a concrete solution, but the Emperor already had a plan in mind: following this approach would surely resolve the crisis.
Li Qiang, sweating profusely, poured out his entire thought process, hoping to distract the Emperor. He concluded, "Your Majesty should rest early. The curse has just been lifted; you shouldn't tire yourself out. You can have Master Cheng and Fenghe handle the matter, with assistance from the officials of the Attendant Hall."
The Emperor beamed. He hadn't expected Li Qiang to offer such a suggestion. He said, "Very well, that's settled then. I understand. Prince of Loyalty and Valor, please return to your residence to rest. The rest of you may take your leave."
As soon as he stepped out of the palace gates, Nashan took off running. He wasn't stupid; he knew his boss was angry.
Tange grabbed him, feigning ignorance. " Old Na, why are you running? Let's all go together."
Nashan was sweating profusely with anxiety. " Old Tan, let go! Let go! Oh my god, the boss is here!"
Tange laughed and said, "What's wrong, Old Na? Did you offend him? It's okay, Boss is a good person and won't bully you..." He kept talking and wouldn't let go.
Li Qiang walked over with a smile.
Nashan sobbed, " Tange, you've killed me. Boss, spare my life!"
Li Qiang kicked him in the butt and cursed, "Damn it, you're just spouting nonsense..."
Nashan grabbed Tange and blocked Li Qiang's second kick, which landed squarely on Tange. Nashan pleaded, "I won't do it again, I won't do it again, hehe, Old Tan, help me block it!"
Tange slapped Nashan on the Baldy and yelled, "You're trying to get me into trouble again!" The two of them wrestled together.
Li Qiang looked helplessly at the two clowns, unable to get angry with them. He instructed one of his guards to inform Zhao Hao and the others to return all the brothers to the Sacred King's Residence, and then said, "Let's go!" He ignored Nashan and Tange.
Nashan and Tange immediately stopped fighting. Tange laughed and said, "The boss is gone, let's hurry and catch up."
Nashan patted Tange with a grin and said, "Thanks, bro. Oh dear, it seems the boss is really angry."
Tange laughed and scolded, "Who told you to talk nonsense? Hehe, I helped you this time, how are you going to thank me?"
Nashan grinned and said, "We're brothers, no need for thanks."
Tange shouted, "I should be the one saying that! Sigh, no wonder the boss wanted to beat you up, you little brat, you deserved it!"
The two chatted and joked as they caught up with the main group of people.
The Sacred King's Residence was not far from the Imperial Palace. After entering the mansion, Li Qiang immediately went to see Mo Huaiyuan.
As soon as Li Qiang saw Mo Huaiyuan, he shouted, "Brother, please help me out!"
Mo Huaiyuan was deep in thought, holding the Supreme Radiance Shuttle in his hand, when he heard Li Qiang shouting incoherently. He smiled slightly and asked, "What's wrong? What can I do for you?"
Li Qiang rushed to his side and said hurriedly, " Yu'er, the one who saved me, has arrived in the capital! Brother, you're Divine Ability powerful, can you find out where she is? I need to go find her... Wait, how come the Supreme Radiance Shuttle is in your hands, brother?"
"Oh, the Supreme Radiance Shuttle was something I pulled out when you were injured. This immortal artifact is so powerful. I'm wondering how I can get you to use it."
Li Qiang scratched his head and said, "I can't subdue it either, my power isn't enough. If you can use it, brother, I'll give it to you... Sigh, you should help me find Yu'er first!"
Although Supreme Radiance Shuttle had saved Li Qiang many times, he was still very generous in giving it to Mo Huaiyuan; the Law Treasure was truly of no importance to him.
Mo Huaiyuan shook his head and said, "I will be reincarnated and start anew in the future, and I can't take anything with me. This immortal artifact is useless to me. Once I think of a way, you should take it."
Li Qiang dragged over a folding chair, sat down, and said, "Forget about Supreme Radiance Shuttle, hurry up and help me find someone!"
Mo Huaiyuan laughed loudly, "Don't worry, the girls at the Wise Heng Palace wouldn't dare refuse my brother. You can just go to the Wise Heng Palace to ask for them later. Haha, brother, you can't wait!"
Li Qiang was unaware of the connection between Mo Huaiyuan and Wise Heng Palace, and he disliked abusing his power, especially when it came to matters of the heart; otherwise, even if he obtained something, it would be quite uninteresting.
Li Qiang said, "I'm just asking you to help me find someone. Don't interfere with anything else. I have my own ideas."
Mo Huaiyuan nodded. With his extensive experience, he knew Li Qiang was telling the truth. He put away the Supreme Radiance Shuttle and entered a meditative state.
Li Qiang knew that he was using his divine sense to search a wide area. Loose Immortal would suffer great damage to their vitality if they did this, but it didn't matter to rogue immortals, as they had enough power to cause trouble.
Li Qiang casually took out a Jade Pupil Slip and examined it carefully. He had found it in the Great Illusion Buddha Realm. Knowing that he knew very little, he would take out the Jade Pupil Slip he had collected to study whenever he had free time.
A moment later, Mo Huaiyuan opened his eyes and said, "Unfortunately, she has already left and is no longer in the capital."
Li Qiang slapped his forehead and sighed, "This is really strange. I thought I had already devoted myself to cultivation, so how could I still feel love? Brother, don't laugh, it really feels like first love, even ten times stronger. What's going on?"
He felt a strange mix of emotions, unsure whether it was joy or distress.
Mo Huaiyuan chuckled inwardly; this was the power of dual cultivation of the Nascent Soul.