Chapter 030
Chapter 30: Bei Qi Dark Qi
“You’re cursing me?”
The young man suddenly stood straight, his eyes sharp as blades fixed on Li Mu Sheng.
Li Mu Sheng raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes slightly. “I’m merely speaking the truth. If you don’t believe me… well, that’s your choice.”
With that, he turned to the little eunuch who had stopped ahead, saying, “You don’t need to lead the way. Just tell me which room is mine.”
Hearing this, the little eunuch quickly turned around, bowed respectfully, and handed Li Mu Sheng a jade token.
“Young master, your room is number seventeen in the eastern building. Here’s the token. If you need anything, the servants’ quarters are at the end of the corridor.”
After saying, “Your servant takes his leave,” the little eunuch swiftly turned and left.
Li Mu Sheng turned back to the young man and said, “Try pressing between your Tanzhong and Jiuwei acupoints. Does it feel like needles stabbing you?”
The young man’s expression stiffened. He stared at Li Mu Sheng carefully, noting his calm demeanor and the sincerity in his eyes. After hesitating a moment, he folded his fan and gently pressed the spot indicated.
In the next instant, the young man’s face turned pale as he let out a painful cry. His head tilted, and he collapsed unconscious.
Seeing this, Li Mu Sheng was momentarily startled. [This kid’s way too weak.]
The little eunuch, already far down the corridor, turned sharply upon hearing the commotion. He vanished from his spot and reappeared swiftly beside the unconscious young man. Grabbing the youth’s wrist, he immediately infused his Qi to examine him.
Shortly after, a puzzled expression appeared on his face. “His pulse is steady, breathing normal, and blood flow abundant. Why has he fainted?”
He turned his questioning gaze toward Li Mu Sheng, who simply shook his head. “I didn’t touch him. Why don’t you try checking his Pericardium Meridian from the Tianquan acupoint?”
The little eunuch frowned but obeyed, cautiously channeling his Qi into the indicated point.
Suddenly, his face paled, and he jerked his finger away. A thread of black mist surged from the young man’s Tianquan acupoint, snaking rapidly along the eunuch’s Qi, crawling up his arm like a vine. Within moments, it had reached his wrist.
Though uncertain of what exactly this dark Qi was, the eunuch instinctively knew it was nothing good. He immediately gathered Qi in his dantian, attempting to expel the sinister mist.
However, the black mist clung like a relentless parasite, merging into his Qi and rapidly invading his meridians.
The little eunuch’s eyes widened in panic, uncertain how to proceed, when suddenly he felt a gentle palm land on his shoulder.
Instantly, the dark Qi vanished as if it had never existed. Bewildered, he flexed his hand, feeling as though he had just awakened from a strange dream.
Turning around, he saw Li Mu Sheng, standing calmly with an air of elegance. Coming to his senses, the little eunuch quickly bowed.
“Thank you, young master, for your timely aid. Your servant is eternally grateful.”
Li Mu Sheng casually waved his hand, pointing to the youth collapsed on the ground.
“I’ll leave this fellow to you.”
With that, Li Mu Sheng turned away. After a few steps, he paused, glancing back.
“Oh, and by the way, this wasn’t my doing. If you truly wish to understand what happened, you’ll have to find the cause within him. But I suggest you hurry. After six hours, he’ll be beyond saving.”
The little eunuch’s face changed dramatically, mouth opening as if to ask more questions. However, Li Mu Sheng paid him no further heed, twirling the jade token in his fingers as he walked calmly toward his room.
Frowning deeply, the eunuch glanced at the young man on the floor, then reluctantly lifted him onto his back, hastening toward the end of the corridor.
The Heavenly Brocade Guard was an elite organization established personally by Emperor Yuan Wu. It had the authority to supervise court officials and watch over the entire Great Li Empire, serving as a sword to uphold imperial power. Within it, numerous martial masters practiced the empire’s most secret techniques, making its strength equal to that of the famed Six Gates.
Heavenly Brocade Guard was split into two branches: the Inner and Outer Guards. The Inner Guard consisted solely of highly talented palace eunuchs, answering only to Emperor Yuan Wu himself. The Outer Guard was formed from elite soldiers scattered across the empire, tasked with observing local officials and collecting information from all corners of the kingdom.
…
Inside a room scented with wafts of fragrant incense, An Quan, the Directorate of Palace Halls’ chief eunuch, opened his eyes, halting his meditation on the Kui Yin Canon.
At that moment, the little eunuch burst hurriedly into the outer chamber, carrying the unconscious young man, instantly drawing the attention of several eunuchs present.
“Little Anzi, what happened?” An Quan pushed open the door of the inner room, staring at the youth slumped over the little eunuch’s shoulder.
Little Anzi placed the young man down and quickly explained everything that had transpired.
“You’ve just recently stepped into the Innate Stage, but you are still a genuine expert. Yet, you couldn’t even handle a mere wisp of black Qi?” An Quan’s thin eyebrows lifted sharply, his voice filled with surprise.
He swiftly approached the young man, reaching out to inspect the Tianquan acupoint. Little Anzi hastily warned, “Godfather, be careful! That dark Qi is exceedingly strange and difficult to handle.”
An Quan gave a cold laugh. “You underestimate your godfather too much. I, your humble servant, have one foot already stepping into the Innate Great Grandmaster realm. A little dark Qi is nothing.”
As he spoke, a cold Kui Yin Qi emerged from An Quan’s fingertips, dropping the room’s temperature significantly. His finger blurred, striking swiftly and precisely into the Tianquan acupoint.
As expected, another stream of black mist surged forth, quickly climbing along his Kui Yin Qi, attempting to invade his body. Instantly recognizing something, An Quan decisively cut off his Qi and retreated rapidly, creating a safe distance.
“Bei Qi Dark Qi?” An Quan’s face shifted through expressions of shock and disbelief. The eunuchs around him, unsure of what had transpired, kept silent.
Only Little Anzi cautiously asked, observing his godfather’s unusual behavior, “Godfather, what exactly is this Bei Qi Dark Qi?”
An Quan regained his composure slightly, circling warily around the unconscious young man as he explained carefully, “Bei Qi Dark Qi is one of the most secret martial arts of the former Great Qi imperial court. After Great Qi’s fall, this technique vanished completely. Who would have thought that today it would reappear in this man’s body?”