Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 165: Chapter 163: Returning to Beijing

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He fell into contemplation.

Until the night rose, darkness enveloped the earth.

He returned to the tent to continue his contemplation.

The matters of Jiuli Divine Sect greatly broadened his horizons; he realized that beyond Yujing, there were so many strange things.

It was as if another world had opened up for him.

Compared to the Four Great Sects, or other Martial Arts Sects, the Four Great Demon Sects should have quite a few geniuses as well.

It’s just that disciples of the Four Great Demon Sects do not enter Yujing.

And both the Court and the Martial Arts keep their discussions on the Four Great Demon Sects cautious, so little is known, perhaps only within the Four Great Demon Sects themselves.

Originally, he thought he was the youngest Grandmaster in Da Jing or even the world, but now he sees that he is not, Xu Yingying is.

But even Xu Yingying might not be.

Who knows if there are others even younger.

This inexplicably stirred a fighting spirit within him; cultivation must continue without slack.

This time when returning to have merits rewarded, he doesn’t know how much merit there would be, in which grade they could be assessed.

Just by training the Thunder Spear Formation alone could earn several Fifth Grade Merits; if these Fifth Grade Merits stack up, they could stack into a Fourth Grade, then stack with two raids on the way... unfortunately, only one of the latter can be counted against the Chasing Wind Cavalry.

There should be Third Grade Merit, right?

In his musings, without visualizing the Phoenix Pattern Jade Pendant, he slowly fell asleep.

——

The next morning, he stood in the Purple Sun Stance amidst the dawn, practicing the Purple Sun Scripture.

The Purple Sun Scripture is his foundation, and he practiced it unwaveringly every day.

When the sun rose high, and the Purple Light in the void disappeared, he finished his practice, then the entire camp began to pack up and set out on the road.

He still rode alongside Li Haoyuan.

Two eunuchs in red robes fell behind, wisely not approaching.

The Grandmaster Song Feiqiong was missing again.

Chu Zhiyuan and Li Haoyuan galloped and chatted casually, not hindered by the horse’s hooves or the wind due to their Grandmaster level, continuously using Sound Transmission into Secret.

”Princely Heir...”

”General Li, if you are going to talk about the secret code, then don’t!”

”If not, it won’t be mentioned; so, Princely Heir, you have a past with the Jiuli Divine Sect disciple, no wonder you don’t value the secret code as much.”

Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow: ”You recognized those two?”

”Though I haven’t seen them, I know they are from the Jiuli Divine Sect.”

”Haven’t seen that Xu Yingying?”

”Xu Yingying?! She is Xu Yingying?” Li Haoyuan’s face slightly changed.

”It seems you’ve heard of her.”

”Of course, the first prodigy of Jiuli Divine Sect, naturally I’ve heard of her.”

”Then who is the first prodigy of your Yongling Divine Sect?”

”Naturally, it is the Spiritual Son.”

”... No one else?”

”It is impossible to have two Spiritual Son or Spiritual Girl at the same time.”

”What about Yao Yue Palace?”

”Yao Yue Palace... the Holy Daughter abdicated, and they are selecting a new Holy Daughter, quite lively recently, ... they still have many prodigies.”

”Is there a prodigy not inferior to Xu Yingying?”

”... Gong Dahua, she is about the same age as Xu Yingying and is already a Grandmaster, comparable indeed.”

”Gong Dahua...” Chu Zhiyuan thought for a moment, never having heard of her.

”Princely Heir, you are already strong enough, not inferior to the prodigies of our Four Great Sects, perhaps even better.”

”Now it seems I am not as good as they are.”

”Different,” Li Haoyuan said, ”Our Four Great Sects and the Imperial Family have different nurturing methods, different resources, you’d have to suffer some loss.”

”What is different?”

”The prodigy disciples of the Four Great Sects need not bother with cultivation resources, have endless resources, as long as you are qualified to use them, no need to struggle for them,” Li Haoyuan said, ”The meals are brought to one’s mouth, so they have more time for cultivation.”

”Like this...” Chu Zhiyuan slowly nodded.

”The treatment of disciples in the Four Great Sects is even better than that of the Princely Heir and Prince,” Li Haoyuan said, ”so being able to become a disciple of the Four Great Sects is a supreme fortune.”

”... General Li, this time returning, are you leaving the Court to return to Yongling Divine Sect?”

Li Haoyuan said, ”I will continue to stay in the Court, as long as the Court does not expel me, or kill me, I will continue to remain loyal to the Court.”

Chu Zhiyuan didn’t understand.

Li Haoyuan said, ”Once you join the Court, you won’t withdraw voluntarily, this is also the rule.”

”Are there other disciples of the Four Great Sects in the Court?”

”... Yes.”

”Isn’t the Court and the Four Great Sects supposed to be separate, with no interference between them?” Chu Zhiyuan didn’t understand, ”Why absorb disciples of the Four Great Sects into the Court?”

”Not into the Court, but the military,... this is the alliance agreed upon by our Grand Ancestor and the Four Great Sects.”

”Then why did your Yongling Divine Sect allow Fuyuan Town to fall?” Chu Zhiyuan suddenly attacked.

”...”

”Can’t say?” Chu Zhiyuan looked at him.

Li Haoyuan sighed and shook his head: ”I don’t know either, maybe it was a mistake or there’s something I don’t know.”

”Still hiding it from you, the disciple of the Sect?”

”...Don’t know.”

”With this event, the Court will surely clash with your Yongling Divine Sect, what path will you take?”

”... Don’t know.” Li Haoyuan showed a confused expression.

He looked up towards the direction of Yujing, then turned his head southwest.

Chu Zhiyuan guessed that this direction should be where Yongling Divine Sect is located.

What on earth does Yongling Divine Sect want to do?

The fall of Fuyuan Town has a profound impact on the Court and a terrible impact among the common people; the Court will not forgive and will pursue it to the end.

By then, how will the Court and Yongling Divine Sect deal with each other?

He seemed to feel the surging undercurrent between the Court and Yongling Divine Sect, ready to turn into a massive wave at any moment.

...

Along the subsequent journey, all went extremely smoothly.

No bandits, nor anyone else sought them out.

Smoothly returning to Yujing.

Arriving at the North City Gate of Yujing’s Inner City, the group dispersed.

The two red-robed eunuchs cupped their fists and respectfully saluted, intending to return to the palace to deliver their orders.

They had seen Chu Zhiyuan’s astonishing performance, becoming increasingly respectful and admiring the eyesight of the Grand Ancestor.

Li Haoyuan returned to his own residence in Yujing.

As General Zhen Yuan, his family naturally resides in Yujing, with two of his three sons already serving in the Court, and the remaining one still studying at the Imperial Academy.

Chu Zhiyuan parted ways with Li Haoyuan, sending twenty Innate Guards back to the Prince Mansion, bringing Guo Chi and four others with Zou Fang to the Ministry of Rites Government Office, where he met the Chief of Staff, Prince Zhuang.

Prince Zhuang, seeing him, smilingly asked about what happened.

Chu Zhiyuan spoke lightly, saying what should be said, refraining from mentioning what shouldn’t be said.

After bidding farewell to Prince Zhuang, when he returned to the Prince Mansion, the whole place became lively.

Chu Zhiyuan was pulled by Bai Ningshuang and Chu Yi, bombarded with questions about everything, while Chu Minghou looked on with a smile but spoke not a word.

In just over ten days, it felt like years, knowing there were guards and Prince Ying’s personal soldiers around him, yet they couldn’t help but worry daily.

After Bai Ningshuang asked all her questions, she reproached him, chiding him for abandoning those six carts of goods halfway and then asked if he got used to the food on the road.

If he had taken those six carts, he wouldn’t have had to worry about what to eat or drink, nor about taste preferences. Next time, it would be better to take Mo Yi and the other three girls along on such missions.

Chu Zhiyuan listened with a chuckle, without arguing.

After dinner, Chu Zhiyuan followed Chu Minghou to his study.

In the study hung with paintings, Chu Zhiyuan revealed that his second uncle, Prince Jing, was actually the Spiritual Son of Yongling Divine Sect.

Chu Minghou’s face changed drastically, in disbelief.

Chu Zhiyuan sighed, ”So, Father, don’t think about Second Uncle anymore, especially don’t visit him; the farther away you stay, the better.”

”Alas...” Chu Minghou was hard-pressed to accept this reality.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Yongling Divine Sect is related to the fall of Fuyuan Town; it’s clear as day. Imperial Grandfather and Yongling Divine Sect are likely to fight; whoever meddles now will have to bear the wrath of Imperial Grandfather.”

”Yes, I understand,” Chu Minghou said with a bitter smile, ”Never thought it would be like this; indeed, we shouldn’t go near your Second Uncle anymore... Yuan’er, you should best stay clear of the Four Great Demon Sects, the Four Great Demon Sects are your Father’s inverse scales.”

”Yes,” Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

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