Chapter 029
Chapter 29: Aurora Pavilion
“What happened here?”
Ji Fei Yun frowned, reaching out a hand to stop the constables rushing forward, heads down.
Seeing him, the two constables immediately halted, bowing respectfully, “Constable Ji.”
Quickly, they recounted how they had found Guan Shan Xue at the restaurant.
“Eldest Young Lady Guan seems to have had her acupoints sealed. She can’t move at all. We tried to help her unseal them, but nothing we did worked. So… we had to carry her back.”
Hearing this, Ji Fei Yun’s frown deepened. “What kind of acupoints could be so hard to unseal?”
He waved dismissively and instructed the constables, “Set her down here first. Let me have a look.”
The two constables quickly obeyed, gently placing the stretcher onto the steps of the Yamen courtyard.
By this point, many constables from Six Gates had noticed the commotion. Soon, several gathered, drawn by curiosity.
Lying on the stretcher, Guan Shan Xue heard footsteps approaching from all sides. She felt so embarrassed that she wished she could vanish.
Normally, with her Divine Constable father’s status, Guan Shan Xue moved freely within Six Gates General Yamen.
Gifted in martial arts, she had reached Martial Grandmaster level at a young age. Coupled with her lovely features and cool demeanor, countless young constables had admired her from afar, eager to win her favor.
Though her own standards were high, and she did not take these admirers seriously, she always enjoyed the feeling of being admired.
But today, her proud image would surely shatter.
She, a mighty Martial Grandmaster, undefeated by any constable beneath the Ten Great Constables of Six Gates, had now been carried back helplessly—an unprecedented humiliation!
Ji Fei Yun glanced at Guan Shan Xue and, knowing she couldn’t speak, did not ask any further. Still, he proceeded carefully. Instead of rushing to unseal her acupoints, he channeled his Qi, gently probing the state of her meridians and sealed points.
Soon, Ji Fei Yun’s face darkened grimly, and he muttered, “Who could have been so ruthless? Apart from a few vital acupoints essential to life, nearly all others have been sealed!”
The two constables beside him were shocked. “Constable Ji, what should we do?”
Ji Fei Yun considered briefly, then waved his hand. “It’s nothing serious. There are just many acupoints sealed. It’ll take more time, but they can be unsealed.”
Saying this, Ji Fei Yun swiftly flicked his fingers, sending streams of Qi toward Guan Shan Xue’s main acupoints.
However, to his astonishment, his Qi did nothing at all.
The energy sealing Guan Shan Xue’s acupoints was as solid as stone, completely immovable.
His brow tightened further. Gathering his full strength, he tried focusing on a smaller, less significant point first.
Yet even after several long moments, the result remained the same—he could not release even a single acupoint.
Ji Fei Yun wiped sweat from his forehead, his eyes troubled.
If he couldn’t free even one small point, how could he possibly release all the others?
Now, many constables had gathered, all looking worriedly at Guan Shan Xue and asking anxiously, “Constable Ji, how is she? Why isn’t Eldest Young Lady Guan moving yet?”
Ji Fei Yun paused, unwilling to admit he couldn’t unseal a single point. He shook his head, saying cautiously, “Whoever did this was very cruel. To avoid injuring Shan Xue further, I dare not act rashly. We need an expert skilled in acupoint sealing techniques to handle this properly.”
His words alarmed the young constables. Soon, they began frantically suggesting ideas—some hurried to find other skilled constables, others thought of seeking experts in Shang Yang City proficient in sealing arts, and someone even rushed off to inform Guan Shan Xue’s father, the Divine Constable.
Just then, Cang Yin Yue returned from Aurora Pavilion, having escorted Li Mu Sheng there. Her eyes swept over the crowd and fell upon Guan Shan Xue, lying helpless on the stretcher. Calmly, she folded her arms and watched.
Sensing Cang Yin Yue’s gaze, Guan Shan Xue’s pupils widened in shock and anger.
But Cang Yin Yue stood quietly for a moment, then casually turned to leave without any intention of helping.
Seeing this, Guan Shan Xue anxiously tried to call out, but she couldn’t even utter a sound.
Earlier, Cang Yin Yue had asked Li Mu Sheng about Guan Shan Xue’s sealed points. He had said they would naturally unseal themselves after twelve hours. Clearly, Guan Shan Xue still had plenty of suffering ahead!
…
Shang Yang City, Aurora Pavilion.
The grand, five-storied building, adorned lavishly with ornate carvings, stood majestically at the bustling heart of North Deep Ward. This was the most luxurious restaurant within the Imperial Capital’s North Deep Ward.
Yet now, the once bustling halls were eerily quiet, heavily guarded both inside and out.
Aurora Pavilion had been requisitioned by the Heavenly Brocade Guard to accommodate all the prospective Seventh Princes arriving from across Great Li.
After completing numerous formalities, Li Mu Sheng finally entered.
These procedures were mainly to verify Li Mu Sheng’s identity as a possible Seventh Prince. Cang Yin Yue handled all these matters.
Li Mu Sheng glanced casually at the paperwork and noticed it was quite complicated. Not just anyone claiming to be a Seventh Prince could live in Aurora Pavilion.
Clear proof was necessary that a candidate might truly be a Seventh Prince, acknowledged formally by the Heavenly Brocade Guard and registered officially.
[No ordinary person could complete these formalities easily. Those who managed to stay here likely had powerful backing.]
Li Mu Sheng thought quietly as he followed a young eunuch dressed in sky-blue robes toward his assigned room.
Aurora Pavilion had an unusual layout, its four grand buildings surrounding a vast central courtyard.
This courtyard was filled with artificial mountains, lovely ponds, lush gardens, and even a magnificent pond of blooming red lotuses at its center.
Each floor of Aurora Pavilion had corridors linking all sides. Walking along one such corridor, Li Mu Sheng gazed down at the courtyard below and nodded gently.
“The scenery here truly is lovely.”
Yet, just then, a disdainful voice suddenly broke the peacefulness.
“Another fool come to die.”
Li Mu Sheng turned toward the sound. A young man with delicate features casually leaned against the railing, holding a sandalwood fan.
Hearing those words, the little eunuch guiding Li Mu Sheng chose to ignore the provocation, continuing forward with his gaze lowered.
But Li Mu Sheng suddenly stopped, calmly observing the young man for a moment, before saying softly:
“It looks to me that you don’t have long left to live!”