Chapter 131
Chapter 131: Enemies
With a creaking sound, the ornate lacquered door slowly swung open.
An elderly figure dressed in gray robes appeared. Elder Formless stood hunched, clutching a crutch staff made of old, withered wood, stepping slowly over the threshold. His voice came out calmly, “Let’s go.”
From the corner of his eye, the servant unconsciously glanced into the room. There, several unclothed women hung lifelessly upon the screens, suspended like puppets without strings. Hurriedly, he withdrew his gaze, not daring to linger or say anything further, swiftly turning to lead Elder Formless toward a side hall within the manor.
In the side hall, Steward Song, attired in luxurious sapphire-blue robes, with hair already streaked half-white, quickly rose from his seat and greeted them respectfully.
“Please take the honored seat, Senior.”
Steward Song moved to assist Elder Formless, but the latter waved a dismissive hand, lifting his gaze to ask plainly, “I’ve heard you’ve located those who murdered my disciple. Where are they now?”
At these words, Steward Song’s previously smiling face showed a hint of unease. He cupped his hands politely and said carefully, “Senior, please don’t be hasty. We did indeed find them, but the matter is delicate. Please sit, and allow me to explain slowly.”
Elder Formless regarded him for a moment, brows knitted slightly, before settling himself into the grand chair, gripping his crutch staff tightly. He spoke coldly, “Be at ease. Just tell this old man their location. I’ll handle it personally. There’s no need for your involvement.”
Steward Song quickly shook his head, clarifying, “Senior, you misunderstand me. That’s not what I meant.”
He hesitated briefly before continuing, “Following the description you gave us, we sent men to check the city gates and identified the pair among recent arrivals. But afterward, as we traced their path, we discovered they had actually entered Aurora Pavilion.”
Elder Formless narrowed his eyes, evidently recalling something, and said thoughtfully, “So, they came for the Seventh Prince’s status. No wonder they killed my talented disciple—they were simply removing rivals early.”
Steward Song glanced uncertainly at Elder Formless, emotions flickering behind his eyes. Eventually, he let out a deep sigh and said, “Senior may not know yet, but after further investigation, we confirmed the pair indeed arrived because of the prince’s identity. But what we didn’t expect was that the very person you’re seeking… is actually the genuine prince himself.”
Elder Formless’s expression froze instantly, his brows furrowing deeply as he stared at Steward Song and asked in a low, grave tone, “Are you telling me that the person who killed my disciple is actually the Eighth Prince recently acknowledged by Emperor Yuan Wu himself?”
Feeling the pressure of Elder Formless’s martial aura pressing down on him, Steward Song braced himself and nodded, answering, “Precisely so. And now, they’re staying within the Heavenly Brocade Guard’s main headquarters. This is exactly why I said the matter was complicated.”
Elder Formless fell silent. His already furrowed brows tightened even further.
Suddenly, a voice sounded clearly from outside the side hall, belonging to Second Prince Li Que: “So what if he’s the Eighth Prince? I can still help Senior get revenge.”
As his voice faded, Li Que stepped swiftly into the hall. He wore robes of pure white, belted with black hemp around his waist, his presence steady and calm.
Seeing him, Elder Formless slowly stood, eyes narrowed slightly as he fixed a gaze upon Li Que. “Does Your Highness truly mean those words—willing to help this old man kill a prince of Great Li?”
“Of course,” Li Que replied plainly, with an emotionless expression. He continued, “Coincidentally, I’ve learned something that presents the perfect chance for Senior to strike.”
Then, he shifted his tone slightly and added, “However, once Senior has captured this Eighth Prince, I must first interrogate him. Afterward, you may deal with him however you please.”
Hearing this, Elder Formless ran his coarse fingers over the crutch staff, his expression shifting subtly through different emotions. After a moment’s thought, he finally nodded toward Li Que, saying firmly, “Very well. Then please tell this old man the location of that Eighth Prince.”
…
Li Mu Sheng’s carriage appeared ordinary, yet the horses pulling it were excellent steeds supplied specifically to Great Li’s military. Traveling through the night, by noon the next day, their pace was nearly twice as swift compared to Li Mu Sheng’s earlier horseback journey, easily exiting Jing Province without obstacle.
Once they left Jing Province, however, although the official road remained clear, the journey became somewhat troubled. The reason was the unchecked dominance of martial sects and unruly fighters from various regions of Great Li.
Along the way, conflicts between martial sects often erupted, and occasionally bandits who had turned from martial practitioners would block roads and rob travelers, all affecting Li Mu Sheng’s journey to some degree.
Nevertheless, these troublemakers—whether petty thieves or so-called martial heroes with limited skills—rarely attained even Martial Dao’s Innate Stage. Within Li Mu Sheng’s party, even the carriage driver was already a Great Martial Grandmaster. Aside from Li Mu Sheng himself and Deputy Commander Hu Rui An, two mounted Heavenly Brocade Guard Millenary Commanders had nearly reached the Half-Step Great Martial Grandmaster level.
The weakest among them was Murong Xiao Ya, yet even she had reached the Martial Dao Grandmaster Stage, unmatched by typical martial artists. Hence, despite occasional disturbances, nothing posed any real threat to their journey.
“Young Master,” called Millenary Commander Wu Shang, clad in fitted black clothing, a short dagger hanging at his waist. He reined in his horse, bowing respectfully toward Li Mu Sheng seated inside the carriage. “There’s an inn ahead in the town suitable for resting. The horses have traveled for more than half the day already and need about three hours to recuperate before continuing.”
Hearing this, Li Mu Sheng waved a casual hand toward Deputy Commander Hu Rui An seated opposite him, responding calmly, “These small matters, Lord Hu, you can decide freely. There’s no need to ask my permission.”
Their trip involved traveling discreetly and lightly dressed, which meant they couldn’t change horses at Great Li’s official relay stations. Moreover, their arrival time at Fallen God Peak was already planned, making day-and-night urgency unnecessary.
Indeed, Li Mu Sheng welcomed this arrangement. It allowed him to personally observe along the way whether Fallen God Peak—one of the Martial World’s Four Great Sects—was truly guilty of such grievous crimes, as Fu Qi Wen had claimed.
Hu Rui An, a man with a prosperous appearance, glanced at Li Mu Sheng and nodded slightly, replying respectfully, “Everything shall be as Your Highness commands.”
He then lifted the carriage curtain, turning to Wu Shang, still mounted, instructing, “Do as you suggest. But try your best to avoid unnecessary trouble, to keep our journey smooth.”
Acknowledging with a firm nod, Wu Shang turned his horse and led them forward.
Not long afterward, the group proceeded along the official road and entered a lively little town bustling with activity.