Chapter 045
Chapter 45: Great Grandmaster
Li Zhi lifted his head and gazed toward the shadow, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“I wonder which one among Master’s seven Shadow Guards you might be?”
Under the torchlight, the dark figure swayed gently like a curl of smoke rising softly into the air.
“Your Highness’s vision is truly sharp. Among the Shadow Guards, I am ranked sixth. Your Highness may call me Lu Ying.”
Li Zhi nodded slightly, quietly studying the shadow for a moment before asking,
“What business does Master have with me?”
At his question, an airy, distant voice drifted from within the shadow:
“The Division Lord sends word. His Majesty has agreed to let Your Highness leave this prison within a month, but there is one condition.”
“What condition?”
The shadow remained silent for a brief moment, then replied,
“His Majesty commands that Your Highness must destroy one of the Four Great Sects of the Great Li Martial World within one year. If you succeed, all your rights and powers will be fully restored.”
Hearing this, Li Zhi fell silent, remaining quiet even longer than the shadow had earlier. Still, his expression remained unreadable as he finally asked,
“What if I fail?”
The shadow flickered slightly beneath the torchlight.
“His Majesty did not say,” it replied. “However, the Division Lord instructed me to tell you, given your bond as master and disciple, that if you strive hard and reach Great Martial Grandmaster within one month, he will allow us seven Shadow Guards to assist you.”
Li Zhi considered this briefly, then smiled softly.
“Master indeed understands me best,” he murmured.
With that, he slowly raised his hand, and instantly, his entire aura shifted dramatically.
A powerful, rich Qi surged from his meridians, manifesting in front of him as the illusory form of an ancient long blade.
An invisible Blade Intent radiated fiercely from the shadowy blade, causing the air within the cell to tremble, echoing with a muffled, metallic hum.
In the next instant, a cold, vast killing intent surged toward the shadow outside the prison bars. The illusory blade sliced through empty space, bridging the gap between them in a single heartbeat.
“Heaven Slaying Blade Intent!” the shadow beneath the torch whispered, startled.
Countless shadowy tentacles swiftly extended from behind it, wrapping layer after layer around the blade’s phantom.
The dull sound of tearing fabric echoed softly, and shimmering threads of blade light escaped, carving deep scratches into the stone walls. The shadow wavered several times before finally settling into stillness again.
After a moment, the shadow spoke once more in astonishment,
“Your Highness has already ascended to Great Martial Grandmaster. Truly unexpected! The Division Lord will surely rejoice upon hearing this.”
Li Zhi slowly withdrew the thick, cloud-like Qi surrounding him, shaking his head gently.
“You flatter me. It was merely a lucky breakthrough inspired by my confinement here.”
Outside the cell, Lu Ying bowed slightly beneath the torchlight.
“From now on, Lu Ying and the other Shadow Guards await Your Highness’s commands.”
“No need for formalities,” Li Zhi said gently, raising his hand.
Then his eyes darkened slightly, and he sighed deeply.
“What is Father thinking, ordering me to challenge one of the Four Great Sects? Such a task seems impossible. Right now, I truly do not know what to do.”
The shadow remained silent, knowing it was not their place to speak about His Majesty or the Division Lord’s intentions.
“Your Highness, every path opens when one acts. Do not worry excessively.”
The shadow trembled slightly again before adding,
“Lu Ying must report back to the Division Lord now. Please excuse me.”
With that, the shadow slowly withdrew into the darkness, and the torchlit area gradually returned to normal.
Once the Shadow Guard from the Shadow Spy Division had left, the concern previously visible on Li Zhi’s face vanished instantly.
His brows knitted tightly as he stared deeply into the candle flame, his expression flickering uncertainly.
“Suddenly asking me to eliminate one of the Four Great Sects…an almost impossible condition. Could it be…they’ve discovered my secret?”
Yet the prison remained silent, offering no answer.
…
Aurora Pavilion.
The previously used main hall had been damaged. Within a slightly smaller neighboring hall, a group of young men anxiously gathered.
“I heard the true Seventh Prince has already been identified. We’re all imposters.”
“What? Then what will become of me? When I left home, my City Lord personally escorted me hundreds of miles, promising me his eldest daughter’s hand in marriage. If I’m not the prince, how could I marry the Eldest Young Lady now?”
“I don’t believe it. Wasn’t the selection supposed to take place in five days? How did they determine the true prince so soon?”
“Believe or not, that person closely resembles Lady Jing. A eunuch from the Heavenly Brocade Guard recognized him instantly. The news has already reached the palace, and soon everyone will know.”
“Could someone have learned Lady Jing’s appearance beforehand and disguised themselves?”
“You fool, that would be deceiving the emperor, a crime punishable by death for your entire clan! No disguise could fool the palace’s experts. Nobody dares risk certain death like that.”
“What should we do now?”
“We can only hope that person merely resembles Lady Jing and ultimately fails the verification. Then we’ll still have a chance.”
Upon hearing this news, the youths were filled with disappointment and anxiety but still clung to a sliver of hope.
Quietly, three of them slipped away from the group and moved toward the upper floor of Aurora Pavilion.
One of them wore scholarly robes, yet his face showed fierce hostility. He turned to his two companions in luxurious brocade attire and whispered,
“The safest way to ensure he fails the verification is to kill him and destroy the evidence before the palace’s men arrive.”
Another narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Today, the three of us will swear an oath. Whoever becomes the true Seventh Prince must never forget to support the other two.”
“Yes, when fortune comes, we must not forget each other!”
The third youth clenched his fist tightly, his eyes filled with cruelty.
“I know exactly who that person is. I’ll pretend to chat with him, and you two strike when he least expects it. Success is certain.”
The three exchanged a brief look and silently crept toward the upper corridor.
Soon, one of them saw Li Mu Sheng standing alone, deep in thought.
Immediately, the young man put on a gentle, friendly smile and approached Li Mu Sheng.
Yet, before he’d gotten far, Li Mu Sheng suddenly turned and stared at him.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t take another step.”
The young man froze instantly, hurriedly cupping his hands in greeting.
“What do you mean, brother? You looked lonely here, so I merely came to chat.”
Hearing this, Li Mu Sheng tilted his head slightly, glancing toward the shadows near the stairway and raising his brows.
“Such strong killing intent…are your companions afraid that others won’t notice they’re hiding there?”