Little Li's Huayang Needle, the Red Clouds' Untroubled Heart

Within the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

A young man wearing a military cap and a round-necked red-yellow robe rubbed his wrist.

The foreigners who attacked the Imperial Astronomical Bureau were lying haphazardly on rooftops, in courtyards, or hanging by wells, each with Shangdu, unable to move.

General Lu Youjie of the Right Golden Wu Guard looked somewhat ashamed and cupped his hands, saying, "It is the duty of our Golden Wu Guard to apprehend these criminals."

"Your Majesty has gone to such great lengths to come and assist us, and even managed to get there before us. I beg for forgiveness."

The emperor shook his head. "You've all been busy lately, and you're not even around here. I, on the other hand, live nearby, so I came to check on you."

He carefully surveyed the empty Imperial Astronomical Bureau and chuckled, "If I had known earlier that Supervisor Cao and the others weren't here, I wouldn't have rushed over to help."

"However, the Huayang Needle Technique originally originated from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. Now it is being used to protect the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, which can be considered a return of fate and a timely coincidence."

Huayang Needle were actually created by Yuan Tiangang, the director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, during the reign of Emperor Taizong, but were attributed to the ancient divine physician Bian Que.

However, this acupuncture technique truly shone during the reign of Emperor Wu Zhou, when it was mastered by Grand Secretary Di.

Back then, when Grand Secretary Di toured various regions and solved cases everywhere, he secretly used an alternate name. "Di One Needle."

In cases where witnesses are in danger, he can determine whether a person can be saved with just one needle.

When Di Renjie rose to the position of Grand Secretary, he already had countless students and disciples, which is why his acupuncture technique became so popular and widely circulated.

In the last hundred years or so, some people have devoted their efforts to Heart and Blood Martial Dao and greatly improved it, making it a rare and unique skill in the Great Tang.

"The fact that this group dared to attack the Imperial Astronomical Bureau on the day of the Martial Exhibition of All Nations ' makes me feel that their motives are not entirely pure."

The emperor pondered for a moment, then said, "Could it be that they want to divert the attention of our Great Tang, making it easier for them to launch some kind of attack at the Martial Exhibition of All Nations Tournament?"

"With such methods, are you confident you can face Master Hai?"

Lu Youjie said, "Your Majesty is exceptionally talented and brave, but let me lead some men to check out the area outside the city."

Lu Youjie was also a veteran in the court, so he naturally knew the truth.

The late emperor had great ambitions from a young age. He was well-versed in military strategy and practiced martial arts diligently, determined to restore the glory of the emperor. However, he never even crossed the threshold of Plain King, and ended up killing himself in the process.

Furthermore, because the late emperor firmly believed in the miraculous effects of practicing martial arts while still a virgin, he endured this for many years. Later, seeing no hope in martial arts, he finally gave birth to one son and four daughters.

The current emperor was still a child when he ascended the throne.

However, this person was completely different from the late emperor. From a young age, he was fond of medicine, painting, woodworking and mechanical engineering. He had a superior talent for martial arts, surpassing the late emperor by ten times, but he did not focus on making rapid progress in martial arts.

He has only just entered the realm of the Plain King. He can manage to deal with the attack on the Imperial Astronomical Bureau with his Huayang Needle technique, but he would be of little use outside the city.

The emperor, knowing his own limitations, nodded slightly, and suddenly saw a ray of light shooting straight into the sky from among the mountains outside the city.

A white cloud in the blue sky, struck by the light, began to tremble and expand.

The emperor was stunned.

If he wasn't seeing things, when that beam of light shot into the sky, it vaguely resembled... a sword shape?!

Lu Youjie also noticed the strange situation outside the city, and with a burst of speed, he flew out of the city at high speed.

Swordsmanship?

The emperor pinched his chin and blinked.

A major event recently occurred in the court: members of the Four Great Aristocratic Clans were investigated, and Kingdom of Nanzhao was submitted, among other things.

In all these incidents, the figure of the centenarian Chu Tianshu can be seen; it is said that he always carried a long sword at his waist.

On his first night in Chang'an, he encountered Guo Lingwei of the Huayin Guo Clan, who was suffering from a strange illness. It was later discovered that he was poisoned by Kong Tianrui of the Kong Clan.

He single-handedly killed the top experts of the Four Great Aristocratic Clans.

The emperor thought and thought, and there was only one unparalleled master swordsman among them.

"Moreover, this senior also knows acupuncture; he can treat that strange condition where the mind and body are at odds with each other with just a few needles..."

The emperor, truly itching to get his hands on the object, suddenly turned and leaped out of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, disappearing into a small alley.

When he appeared on another street, his overly conspicuous reddish-yellow robe had been turned inside out and replaced with a simple black round-necked robe, and he had also put on a bamboo hat.

In no time, he had already leaped high and low, rushing Chucheng, disappearing into the Mount Zhongnan as a fleeting, elusive afterimage.

He then quietly blended into the crowd in the mountains.

Seeing his attire, the crowd assumed he was just a wandering knight and paid him little attention, all excitedly discussing what had happened earlier.

The atmosphere amidst the mountains was bustling with activity.

Although the process of the Martial Exhibition of All Nations was interrupted, the high-ranking officials among the envoys from various countries still had some complicated thoughts.

However, ordinary martial artists from various countries and wandering knights from all over the country were filled with enthusiasm.

Are battles between top-tier masters so easily witnessed?

I thought I'd only get to see Martial Exhibition of All Nations, but I never imagined I'd witness such a spectacular battle! This trip to Zhongnan was definitely worth it!!

Moreover, after this epic battle, there were not many casualties among ordinary people.

This is even more exciting, as they keep saying that martial arts today have reached this level.

"Senior Chu, how impressive you are!!"

"The Red Emperor is still as sharp as ever. I just took a look at that underground passage, and it really does run from that mountain hollow, across the arena area, and straight to the main peak. There are even branch passages inside..."

"I heard this was dug out by the Red Emperor, who was suppressing Mofu while controlling the direction of the attack."

"I still think Senior Chu is more impressive, with a sword in hand, flying freely through the air, and... so handsome."

"Hahaha, I knew using a sword was the way out, and it'll be easier to find a wife that way. When I get back to Cangzhou, I'll definitely persuade my master to modify the spear!"

The emperor peered into the crowd, listening as people occasionally veered off-topic but quickly steered the conversation back on track.

With great difficulty, he managed to squeeze to the foot of the main peak of the Seven Martial Competition Mountains and secretly peeked at the summit.

Hai Donglai stood in an open area on the mountaintop, his red robe making him quite conspicuous.

Commander Nie, General Yang, Brother An, and General Lu who just arrived...

Looking at it this way, the one in blue and white must be Senior Chu.

On the mountaintop.

Chu Tianshu was watching as the crowd carried over bags of moldy locust carcasses.

Hai Donglai out a few locusts, examined them carefully, and nodded slightly.

"The Mountain King has left behind countless mutated locusts and mutated insect eggs in various places. The ones that have appeared in Mount Zhongnan today are probably just a drop in the ocean, produced by him using materials he found nearby."

"Now that the strain is indeed effective and the source of the problem has been eliminated, it's time to dispatch this 'Green General ' to various regions to deal with the locusts there."

Hai Donglai spoke, Nie Hongxian nodded repeatedly beside him.

Chu Tianshu cautioned, "Although this Green General only targets locusts and is harmless to others, we should still be careful."

"After all, the soil and water conditions vary from place to place. You must carefully track and investigate. If there are any signs that humans or animals are also infected with this substance, take immediate control."

Hai Donglai smiled and nodded.

In fact, Hai Donglai's control and research over the body's qi and blood was so exquisite and powerful that if the strains he researched were said to be ineffective against humans, then they must be ineffective.

However, his years spent with these tiny fungi have cultivated an extremely meticulous and rigorous personality.

Chu Tianshu's words were exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Um?"

Chu Tianshu suddenly sensed something and looked down the mountain.

It wasn't surprising that many people in the mountains were looking this way, but he just sensed that one gaze was different.

Seeing this, Hai Donglai followed his gaze and his eyes narrowed.

General Lu.

Hai Donglai sighed softly, "Go and invite His Majesty up."

Lu Youjie exclaimed in surprise, "Which one is His Majesty?"

Hai Donglai pointed and said, "The one wearing the straw hat."

Lu Youjie hurriedly went down the mountain and quickly brought the person back up.

"Master Hai, are you alright?"

When the emperor came up, he had already prepared his words and spoke first, his face full of worry and his eyes glistening with tears.

"If Master Hai is truly in trouble, it must be due to powerful internal and external traitors. I, the emperor, am most likely the next target. In that case, it's better to come and see for myself beforehand, so I can act accordingly."

"Thank goodness, Heaven still protects our Great Tang!"

Hai Donglai didn't say anything, he just stared at him.

The emperor's tears gradually dried, and he gave two dry laughs.

Seeing An Jingsi quickly stepped in to help.

"Your Majesty's arrival is timely. Public sentiment is high, and we are currently discussing whether this 'Martial Exhibition of All Nations' should continue."

"However, there's an additional tunnel beneath the arena area. I wonder how much this will affect the load-bearing effect of the Heavenly Craft Canal. I should ask Your Majesty for guidance."

Upon hearing this, the emperor perked up. "Is that so? I... I should also do my part for this great event of the Great Tang Dynasty."

Hai Donglai finally withdrew his gaze and looked back at the locusts in his hand.

Chu Tianshu laughed, "Supervisor An, I heard from Donglai that you were born with superhuman strength and had superb fist skills. It's a bit strange, though, how did you end up in the Directorate of Palace Construction?"

"Now it seems..."

He glanced at the young emperor.

An Jingsi laughed and said, "Back then, His Majesty was researching mechanisms in the nursing home and replaced people's hands and feet with wooden ones, and they could move freely."

"I was just passing by when I was captivated by the intricate mechanisms, the bronze oxen and iron horses. I couldn't help but ask him for his knowledge, and we would meet every day around 3 PM. Later, I learned that he was His Majesty."

"He was introduced to the Directorate of Construction."

Upon hearing this, Chu Tianshu's teasing expression vanished instantly.

"You, the emperor, are you actually designing mechanisms and limbs for the disabled?"

The young emperor keenly sensed that his attitude had become much more amiable, and quickly said, "This was originally something created by the Directorate of Construction Workshop."

"They believed that giants and strongmen, possessing immense vitality, who, after unfortunately becoming disabled, could connect to mechanisms and have an extremely high tolerance for them, thus restoring their fighting strength."

"The tricks and schemes I devised were only for ordinary people; they were just parroting what others had learned."

Chu Tianshu chuckled, "Combat strength is certainly important, but how can we neglect the people's livelihood? There are far more disabled ordinary people in the world than giants. If your method can be promoted, wouldn't it benefit the whole world?"

"A thousand years from now, in terms of reputation, you may not be inferior to Emperor Taizong, but may even surpass him."

The emperor's face lit up with joy, and he blurted out, "It was not in vain that I came to visit you. Senior Chu is not only proficient in acupuncture, but he is also truly a kindred spirit in my understanding of the ways of the world."

He inadvertently revealed his true purpose for sneaking over, and his heart tightened. He quickly went to check on Hai Donglai.

Hai Donglai, however, remained there watching the locusts, without turning around to glare at him.

The emperor secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Only Chu Tianshu noticed that Hai Donglai not only didn't glare at him, but also had a subtle smile on his lips.

"I can still teach my disciples well, not only Hongxian and Jungong, but also this little rascal..."

Hai Donglai looked up at the vast sky, and his aura subtly changed.

Everyone was surprised to realize that for a moment, Hai Donglai seemed to have become a mountain, a stream, and a wisp of crimson cloud.

A person's temperament is half derived from their soul.

At that moment, no one could sense his soul; all they could perceive were the most ordinary yet extraordinary things in the world.

It is ancient and enduring because it does not generate itself, yet it can live on forever.

Chu Tianshu watched intently, his eyes gleaming, noting down every detail he could observe.

"The Leakless Innate Nature..."

The difficulty increases with Triple Leakless.

Mahalun's Leakless Innate Nature is the first level of achievement.

Hai Donglai, however, is placed in the second category, which is different from what is meant to be. To those in the know, it is more inspiring!

(End of this chapter)