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墨書 Inktalez
"Five years? Another five years?!" Li Hong forced a smile.
Time seemed to stand still during the process of absorbing the Transmute Fire, but upon emerging from seclusion and hearing that another five years had passed, Li Hong was at a loss for words.
Fortunately, these five years could be considered relatively peaceful. With the Beast Cultivator Elder present, the situation in the Nine Li Sect was much more optimistic. During this time, the Demon Sect, Ruyi Palace, and Underworld Palace had attempted to harass them dozens of times, but under the joint efforts of the Beast Cultivator Elder and the Nine Li Sect, they were all repelled without significant casualties. Internally, the Immortal Sect was rife with undercurrents, but at least on the surface, everyone appeared to be getting along well, and the conflict with the Demon Sect was in a stalemate.
In short, it was relatively tranquil. Moreover, having transmuted all the fire elements meant that each Golden Core center now contained a small humanoid figure, indicating that he had officially entered the early stage of Transmutation and was advancing toward forming an infant.
Everyone had undergone some minor changes during this time. His second brother Chuxiong had become one of the top talents in Nine Vermilion Peaks aside from himself. This second brother had been training diligently, impressing everyone around him. He was simple-minded and straightforward, focused solely on quickly forming his Golden Core to catch up with his elder brother. With this goal in mind, he worked exceptionally hard and had taken the Cosmic Vitality Pill as a foundation, resulting in rapid progress in his cultivation. He had been waiting for Li Hong to emerge so that he could enter seclusion himself and officially strive for the Golden Core.
Seeing his second brother so diligent made Li Hong chuckle with delight, but he quickly remembered someone else and pulled Chuxiong aside to quietly ask, "How is Chu Xi? Has she become an elder yet?"
Chuxiong shook his head with a hint of worry. "No, she's still in seclusion."
Li Hong was taken aback. How could it take so long?
Chuxiong reassured him, "Don't worry; Ling Xiangzi has been closely monitoring her progress. It is said that Chu Xi's Heart Demon Barrier is quite special and formidable, which is why she has been delayed. However, it is rumored that she has begun to stabilize now. Rest assured; she has always been capable. How could she possibly fail to overcome a mere Heart Demon Barrier?" Chuxiong chuckled at this point.
That was true; Chu Xi had always been clever. If there were any issues, she would surely find a way to resolve them. Li Hong had great confidence in her. Moreover, overcoming the Heart Demon Barrier was a necessary hurdle for everyone in the Cultivation World. He recalled that he had spent five years in seclusion before forming his Golden Core; such speed was considered quite fast compared to others who took as long as twenty years to break through their Heart Demon Barriers. Although Chu Xi's time spent was longer than usual, it certainly wasn't the longest. Since things seemed stable now, it indicated that she had passed her Heart Demon Barrier and was currently consolidating her cultivation.
After careful consideration, Li Hong felt relieved and asked, "Has Yun Jiuzi returned? He must have come back by now; let's go find him for a drink."
Chuxiong shook his head in confusion. "He hasn't returned. I only heard that he went out on a top-secret mission and hasn't been at Nine Li Sect for these five years."
Li Hong was once again startled. "He hasn't come back?! Could it be..." Thinking this way made Li Hong anxious; he could no longer sit still and shot up into the air towards Nine Separation Peak.
*******
Chengxian Pavilion, twenty-eighth floor.
Spirit Stone and Ling Xuzi exchanged glances.
"What should we do? Old Six has already emerged from seclusion. We might as well tell him; at this point, we can no longer keep it hidden." Spirit Stone sighed heavily at the thought of Yun Jiuzi.
Ling Xuzi stroked his beard without responding for a while before taking out two bundles of Silk Scrolls from beside him and handing them to Spirit Stone. "The latest battle report from the Immortal Sect; the latter scroll contains a personal letter from our sect leader. We have tasks to attend to."
Spirit Stone opened up and was not surprised, pondering, “Old Eight has always been suspicious about this. It seems he had foresight. But why was this mission assigned to us, Nine Li Sect?”
“Chu Hong and Chuxuan made too much noise last time in Five Nations City, and someone from the Immortal Sect reported it to the Sect Master. Initially, the Sect Master was reluctant to intervene, but over the years, the Demon Sect has been causing more and more trouble. The Sect Master believes it is time to take action; otherwise, they will think that our Immortal Sect is powerless and will act even more recklessly. The world, even the Mortal Realm, cannot be left to the whims of the Demon Sect! The Demon Sect is secretly aiding the Jin Kingdom, so we, the Immortal Sect, must support the Song Dynasty. It’s better to deal with familiar faces, so Chu Hong is the best choice. Additionally, Zhao Zhen Sect will also send disciples to join us on this journey, allowing them to gain experience. There are no signs indicating that high-ranking members of the Demon Sect are involved in this matter.”
Spirit Stone nodded, “The Demon is indeed acting very discreetly; otherwise, we would have already fought a battle in the Mortal Realm! So, who will be chosen?”
“To avoid any hindrances, I suggest you select someone from your Nine Vermilion Peaks, with Chu Hongzi taking on the main responsibility for this mission. Let’s get this task done first; if it becomes impossible to conceal that matter, then we can let Chu Hong handle it.”
Spirit Stone sighed and then asked, “What about Heavenly Grain?”
“Recently, they have been sending out signals; it seems they are truly anxious and want to reconcile with us.” A hint of sarcastic satisfaction appeared on Ling Xuzi’s face as he smiled: “Let’s keep them waiting! Who told them to be so arrogant back then? Anyway, now we have self-sufficiency in Elixir, and we can offer those Ancient Pill Formula Elixir to the highest bidder. Our status in the Nine Li Sect has subtly risen! Alas, it’s a pity that Yun Jiuzi cannot see this.”
At this point, Ling Xuzi paused, “He has already arrived. You need to watch your words.”
“Hmm.” Spirit Stone nodded helplessly and decided to proceed accordingly.
Li Hong suddenly stopped in the middle corridor of the twenty-eighth floor, staring at the Dragon and Phoenix Black Jade Stone Beast facing him with a mix of surprise and uncertainty; he felt as if he might explode from an overwhelming sense of unease.
The Crimson Gate swung open abruptly, and a clear voice came from within, “Come in.”
In just a short while, Li Hong stepped out again; he had received his latest mission. He would accompany his senior brother Chuming, along with Old Eight Chuxuan, and Old Nine Chu Liang, on a diplomatic mission to the Song Dynasty Lin'an. Three days later, they would meet with their senior brothers from the Zhao Zhen Sect.
This time, it was imperative to investigate whether there were any disturbances caused by the Demon within the Song Dynasty. If so, they would eradicate them completely. In short, the National Guardian Master must truly begin protecting the nation this time.
As for Yun Jiuzi, Ling Xuzi said lightly: “He originally returned but received a new top-secret mission from the Immortal Sect, so he went out again. Once you complete this mission, I will allow you to find him.”
With that said, all of Li Hong’s worries dissipated as he began planning meticulously. He would bring these few junior brothers along openly but secretly… well, he needed to take a few Beast Cultivator Elders for added strength. As for who to choose… he hurriedly flew towards Jiuya Peak.
The next day, Li Hong led his team out again. Behind him were not only Chuming, Chuxuan, and Chu Liang, but he also specially invited his eighth disciple from the Heavenly Pill Hall, who had considerable insights into alchemy—Ling Panzai Chu Hai. Additionally, there were four generals from the Qingqiu Mountain Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, along with two vassals from the Jingwei Clan: Shui Qingzi and Shui Miaozi, making a total of eight Beast Cultivator Elders.
The group headed straight for Jiangnan.
Lin'an Palace.
When Li Hong descended from the sky with the group of “National Guardian Masters,” Zhao Gou could hardly believe his eyes. His well-maintained fair complexion trembled strangely.
He rushed forward, grabbing Li Hong's arm, and began to weep, expressing his sorrow: “Chu Hongzi, the National Protector. You have finally come! I have waited so long for you! You disappeared for five years without a word, and I have been anxiously hoping for good news. I was almost in despair, but it turns out that the Celestial Master is indeed trustworthy! However, why did it take you so long to return? Ever since you left, I have not slept soundly at night. Today, I finally see your kind face again; you must stay longer this time…”
While he continued to wipe his tears and ramble on, Li Hong impatiently interrupted him: “We are here now, aren’t we? Your Majesty need not worry; we are still the National Guardian Masters of the Song Dynasty! This time, I have brought many Celestial Masters to protect you. Look, your nephew Zhao Xuan is also here. First, arrange accommodations for us, and then let Zhao Ding come to see me; I have something to ask him.”
With each statement from Li Hong, Zhao Gou nodded obediently. However, when he heard the last part about summoning Zhao Ding, his expression suddenly changed. He stammered that he would have Little Yellow Gate quickly arrange accommodations for the Celestial Masters, settling them in the Garden of the Imperial Palace Emerald Cold Hall, but he said nothing about Zhao Ding.
Li Hong immediately noticed this and pondered deeply. Five years had passed without any major incidents in the Immortal Sect or the Demon Sect, but what about here? Did something significant happen in the Song Dynasty?
His expression turned cold as he asked: “Where is Zhao Ding? Also, how is the war with the Jin Kingdom going? Where is General Yue? If he is in Lin'an, please summon him to see me.”
At the mention of Yue Fei, Zhao Gou's face turned pale as paper, beads of sweat forming on his forehead; he almost collapsed. Nearby, Little Yellow Gate, sensing something was wrong, hurriedly assisted him back to his throne but kept his head down, not daring to look at Li Hong.
All the palace maids and eunuchs lowered their heads deeply. The atmosphere in the hall changed dramatically, and Li Hong felt a heavy weight settle in his heart.
At that moment, a loud announcement from the Inner Palace Guard rang out: “Right Chancellor, Deputy Minister of the Central Secretariat, Privy Envoy, Dukes of Qin and Wei, Qin Hui Prime Minister Qin, request an audience!”
Hearing this long list of titles shocked Li Hong. He was almost stunned—Qin Hui! Hadn’t he been driven away by himself? How had he returned and even been promoted? Now he was not only reinstated as Right Chancellor but also held titles as Duke of both Qin and Wei and became known as Prime Minister Qin! What was going on?
With a cold smile, Li Hong said: “In these five years we were absent, I imagine Your Majesty has accomplished many great things! Just in time for Qin Hui to arrive; let’s invite this illustrious and highly esteemed Prime Minister Qin to come forth!”
He raised his voice: “Come forth! Please invite Prime Minister Qin into the hall!”
Dressed in purple robes with a jade belt and carrying a Goldfish Bag, Qin Hui walked slowly onto the Imperial Hall Jade Platform. Suddenly feeling an indescribable discomfort like needles pricking his face, he looked up just in time to meet Li Hong's cold gaze. He could hardly believe his eyes, staring blankly at Li Hong. His gaunt yellow face flushed suddenly red and then purple until it matched his purple robes.
After a moment of shock, his complexion gradually turned grayish white again. Gritting his teeth, he took a few slow steps forward and deeply bowed towards the throne where Zhao Gou sat: “I, your servant, am here to pay my respects to Your Majesty.”
Before Zhao Gou could speak, Li Hong coldly interjected from beside him: “No need to rise! Speak while kneeling. Hello, Qin Hui, it seems you are doing well and have been promoted; should I congratulate you as your humble National Guardian Master?”
Feeling an icy chill deep within him—after all, he was merely a mortal—Qin Hui began to tremble uncontrollably. He pressed himself against the cold blue brick floor, his voice quivering as he revealed his inner fear: “I dare not; I am merely acting on your command.”
"By the command of Sovereign? What has Sovereign commanded you to do?" Li Hong said, waving his hand. A Grandmaster Chair slowly floated over from the corner of the hall, as if pulled by an invisible thread. This display of power made Zhao Gou on the throne tremble even more, beads of sweat pouring down his face.
Li Hong sat down heavily in the Grandmaster Chair and then turned his gaze to Qin Hui, who was lying on the ground. With a calm demeanor, he said, "Let's hear it. While our National Guardian Master is away, it seems you and your sovereign have done quite a lot. Speak up!" The last two words were delivered with a piercing Awareness that struck Qin Hui's eardrum.
Qin Hui's head buzzed, and the world spun around him. Unable to bear the immense pressure any longer, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
Li Hong frowned and shifted his gaze to Zhao Gou, saying in a "pleasant" tone, "It seems I have frightened him. Now, Emperor, why don't you speak?"
********
Note 1 and 2: Right Chancellor refers to the position of Prime Minister.
The Inner Palace Guard is led by the Eunuch in charge of the Song Dynasty Imperial Palace, equivalent to the head eunuch in certain Qing Dynasty palaces.
Note 3: The Goldfish Bag is an ornament that high-ranking officials above the fifth rank in the Song Dynasty must wear to signify their status. It is a fish-shaped bag embroidered with gold and silver threads. Those who wear it can be easily identified based on the color of their robes as to their official rank.
The Purple Court Robe is worn by the most esteemed high-ranking officials, indicating a rank of third grade or higher.
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