Chapter 010
Chapter 10: Chong Province
“However, before that last emperor had a chance to open the Heavenly Revelation Secret Treasury, Great Qi fell. The Seven Keys he held also vanished without a trace.”
As she spoke, Cang Yin Yue’s eyes turned cold, and she added sternly, “So stop bothering me. You can’t possibly open the Heavenly Revelation Secret Treasury with just a wooden box!”
Hearing this, Li Mu Sheng sighed deeply, “Ah, I knew it wouldn’t be that simple.”
He slipped the wooden box into his robe and rose to stand before Cang Yin Yue.
“Still, Miss Cang, you do know quite a lot. In the future, if there’s something I don’t understand, I’ll come and ask you.”
Saying this, he extended two fingers, preparing to undo her pressure points. But halfway there, he paused.
“You’re not planning to knock me out again, are you?”
“No,” Cang Yin Yue replied calmly and quickly.
Li Mu Sheng chuckled softly, “I’m afraid you don’t even believe your own words.”
Cang Yin Yue snorted lightly, retorting, “As long as I keep my distance, I don’t believe you can hit my pressure points again.”
Li Mu Sheng shook his head; [this young lady truly has a stubborn temper].
After a moment’s thought, he suddenly spoke again, “Miss Cang, actually, I have a way to remove the brand on your face.”
At these words, Cang Yin Yue’s expression shifted faintly but quickly returned to normal. Her voice was cold and doubtful, “I don’t believe you.”
Li Mu Sheng watched her quietly without saying anything.
Cang Yin Yue’s gaze slowly dimmed. She murmured softly, almost to herself, “The person who branded my face had perfected the Bone Eroding Yin Wind Finger. What you see are just surface marks, but the characters have long since etched into my very bones, gnawing like worms. It can never be removed in this life.”
Hearing this, Li Mu Sheng flicked his finger, directly releasing her sealed pressure points. He spoke leisurely, “Miss Cang, how will you know if it’s impossible if you never try?”
Sensing her pressure points freed, Cang Yin Yue flexed her fingers cautiously. In the next instant, her figure disappeared from the spot like a ghostly shadow, swiftly retreating.
She stopped beneath an old tree and faced Li Mu Sheng from afar.
Li Mu Sheng crossed his arms calmly and reminded, “Don’t forget, I’m still the Seventh Prince in exile. Every move you make against me is defiance against royalty. Once I reclaim my position, even your boss in the Shadow Spy Division won’t be able to protect you.”
Cang Yin Yue stood silent for a moment, then leaned gently against the ancient tree behind her.
“If you truly can remove the brand from my face, I’ll risk my life to save yours should you face mortal danger.”
“That’s not necessary.”
Li Mu Sheng smiled, shaking his head. He held up one finger, then reconsidered and added two more.
“Miss Cang, you only need to promise me three favors.”
Cang Yin Yue’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. “Fine!”
Surprised at her swift agreement, Li Mu Sheng looked intrigued.
“You agreed so readily? Aren’t you worried I might ask something outrageous?”
Cang Yin Yue laughed coldly, “If it’s something I refuse to do, not even death could force me.”
“You have backbone,” Li Mu Sheng praised with a thumbs-up, turning to sit again before the fire.
Yet inwardly, his thoughts drifted to the Heavenly Revelation Secret Treasury. It was a vital clue toward his pursuit of martial transcendence, though finding all seven keys troubled him deeply.
“How will you remove the brand from my face?” Cang Yin Yue asked suddenly, standing nearby.
“Let’s discuss it once we reach Shang Yang City,” Li Mu Sheng replied.
Cang Yin Yue stared at him for a long moment before finally uttering a quiet “Fine.” She then leaned against the tree again, closing her eyes without another word.
…
The night passed peacefully.
At dawn, the rested pair continued on horseback toward Great Li’s imperial capital, Shang Yang City.
At first, Li Mu Sheng wasn’t in a hurry, leisurely admiring the scenery along the route. There was a certain charm in these mountains and rivers.
Cang Yin Yue did not rush him either. She rode with ease, practicing her Qi breathing while keeping pace beside him.
But after several days, Li Mu Sheng grew tired of the repetitive landscape. After all, mountain roads were hardly scenic wonders; all he saw were trees, grass, and clouds of dust.
Thus, he finally sped up their pace.
“Miss Cang, how much longer until we reach our destination?”
Li Mu Sheng knew nothing of their route; the entire map lay solely in Cang Yin Yue’s head.
“If we travel day and night, we’ll reach Jing Province in ten days. From there, it’ll take just another day to the imperial capital. Traveling normally would take about twenty days.”
Her face expressionless, she added teasingly, “But you don’t really need to hurry, do you? After all, a true prince always makes his entrance last.”
Those were Li Mu Sheng’s own words used to justify his slow pace earlier, now perfectly thrown back at him.
Li Mu Sheng could only shrug helplessly and continued the journey with a resigned air.
Several more days passed. The two riders traveled swiftly and reached the boundary of Chong Province.
The journey had grown somewhat monotonous, though they did encounter a band of mountain robbers. Yet, as soon as the robbers appeared, Cang Yin Yue dispatched them in a blink.
Other than that brief encounter, their journey was uneventful.
According to Cang Yin Yue, the bandits had been an unexpected occurrence. The routes she chose were deliberately vetted by the Shadow Spy Division, carefully bypassing dangerous areas and complicated Martial World factions. It was the safest route, free from unnecessary trouble.
But once they entered Chong Province, Cang Yin Yue became noticeably more cautious. She ceased her Qi breathing practice entirely, focusing fully on observing their surroundings.
Li Mu Sheng sensed something unusual had occurred but was uncertain of the reason. So, naturally, he asked his walking map and Great Li encyclopedia:
“Miss Cang, what’s special about Chong Province? You seem unusually tense.”
Cang Yin Yue gave him an irritated look. Throughout the journey, whether big or small, if he didn’t understand something, he’d inevitably ask her. Frankly, she had grown somewhat wary of Li Mu Sheng’s endless questions.
But eventually, she answered anyway, “Chong Province hasn’t been peaceful lately. According to secret intelligence from the Shadow Spy Division, several major Martial World factions within this region seem on the verge of war.”
“The area we’re currently crossing is under the control of a faction called the Bloodbath Alliance. Given the situation, they’ll undoubtedly guard all major routes closely.”
“This faction walks the line between righteous and wicked, difficult to handle. It’s best if we avoid any interactions with them altogether.”
(End of Chapter)