Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

”In private, you ignored the palace rules, played around wantonly, and showed none of the dignity befitting an Emperor, throwing the Inner Palace into chaos.”

”In public, you were ignorant of state affairs, allowing the Third Prince to raise an army in rebellion. This threw the world into turmoil and cost countless lives!”

”Nineteenth Prince, do you plead guilty?”

Hmm?

Qii Wenlin froze. Under the pressure of the other man’s palpable killing intent, he stumbled back several steps.

”General... General Liu, what are you doing?”

”General Liu!”

Eunuch Gui’s expression changed drastically.

”His Majesty has already issued the decree of abdication, and the Duke has already promised not to pursue the matter. What are you doing?”

”Foolish!” Liu Shao’s face darkened.

”A centipede is not stiff in death. Fail to kill a snake, and you’ll suffer its bite. Wanyan is, after all, too soft-hearted.”

”But I must consider her interests. As long as the Nineteenth Prince lives, the throne will never be secure.”

”You cannot!” Eunuch Gui stretched out his arms, blocking Qii Wenlin, and released the aura of a Divine Treasure Martial Saint.

”His Majesty has just issued the decree of abdication. If you kill him now, aren’t you afraid of disheartening the common people and the officials of the Imperial Court?”

”Hmph!” Liu Shao’s eyes went wide.

”Whatever the consequences, whatever condemnation I face from the world, I will bear it all alone! I will not involve the Duke!”

”You...” Eunuch Gui began to speak again.

”Men!”

Liu Shao roared. The guards outside the hall immediately rushed in, surrounding Eunuch Gui and Qii Wenlin.

”General Liu, you’re going to kill me?”

Qii Wenlin’s eyes widened in astonishment.

”Does Seventh Sister know you’re doing this?”

”If you kill me, will Seventh Sister really be happy?”

Hmm?

About to wave his hand and give the order, Liu Shao paused. Hesitation appeared on his face, his gaze flickering.

”Besides...” Qii Wenlin pouted, his face a picture of childish innocence.

”I might not know much, but you’re asking them to kill an Emperor who hasn’t even officially abdicated yet. Will they be able to live after this?”

”I’m afraid even you, General Liu, might not survive it, right?”

As his words fell, the assembled Imperial Guard all exchanged glances, fear in their eyes.

It was true they were Liu Shao’s trusted men, willing to die for him. But killing an Emperor was a monumental crime. It wasn’t something you could pay for with just one life; it would lead to the execution of their entire families. They had to consider that consequence.

”Mmm...” Liu Shao’s gaze flickered. He looked at Qii Wenlin’s innocent face with a strange expression.

”You were born slow and dull. You couldn’t walk until you were three and couldn’t speak until five. Yet now you possess such Inner Wisdom.”

”In that case...”

”All the more reason I cannot spare you!”

”General,” one of the men said in a low voice.

”Shouldn’t we consult the Duke first?”

Killing the Emperor.

This was no small matter.

And as Liu Shao’s trusted men, they knew very well that this did not have Qii Wanyan’s approval.

Of course, it was also possible that Qii Wanyan wanted it done but couldn’t say so, leaving it to her subordinates to understand her unspoken wish.

”Heh...”

Liu Shao’s eyes glinted. He suddenly turned to the desk, and with a sweep of his hand, wrote two large words on a sheet of paper.

He then tore the paper in half, crumpled each piece into a ball, and threw them at Qii Wenlin’s feet, his voice cold.

”Nineteenth Prince, don’t say I never gave you a chance.”

”Each of these two paper balls has a word written on it: ’Life’ or ’Death.’ Choose one. If it’s ’Life,’ I’ll spare you.”

”If it’s ’Death’...”

His voice turned icy.

”Then it is the will of heaven, and you can’t blame me for being ruthless!”

The hall fell silent.

Everyone lowered their heads to look at the paper balls.

The paper balls weren’t large, but because they were made from high-quality paper, the ink from the other side didn’t show through.

Once crumpled, no one could tell which one said ’Life’ and which one said ’Death.’

A one-in-two chance. It seemed decent, but in reality, it wasn’t much.

After all, it was a matter of life and death.

”Your Majesty.”

Panic showed in Eunuch Gui’s eyes.

”This...”

”It’s fine.” Qii Wenlin grinned.

”General Liu is a descendant of the National Guardian Liu Family. I’m sure he’s a man of his word.”

”I choose...”

”This one!”

He took a step forward, snatched one of the paper balls, and without opening it, shoved it directly into his mouth.

”What are you doing?”

”Stop!”

Liu Shao’s expression changed dramatically. He flashed forward, but the paper, mixed with glutinous rice powder, dissolved the moment it entered the mouth. By the time he acted, Qii Wenlin had already swallowed most of the paper ball, and the writing on it was blurred beyond recognition.

”General Liu.”

Qii Wenlin wiped his mouth with his dirt-covered hands and smiled.

”Anyway, one says ’Life’ and one says ’Death.’ We can just look at the remaining one to see whether it’s ’Life’ or ’Death,’ and then we’ll know which one I chose, right?”

”That’s right!” Eunuch Gui’s eyes lit up. He scrambled to pick up the paper ball on the ground. On it was clearly written the word ’Death.’

”Haha...”

”It’s the word ’Death’!”

”His Majesty chose ’Life’!”

”It’s the will of heaven! Heaven itself wants His Majesty to live! General Liu, what do you have to say for yourself now?”

Liu Shao’s face was ashen.

He had written the word ’Death’ on both pieces of paper. There was no ’Life’ at all. No matter which one Qii Wenlin chose, he was doomed to die.

He never expected...

He glanced around the hall. The Imperial Guards were all exchanging looks, their eyes filled with fear. They had lost their will to fight.

Even if he gave the order to attack now, he feared no one would obey.

After all, it was the will of heaven!

’Qii Wenlin is no fool!’

’Quite the opposite. This child possesses a maturity far beyond his years. Given time, he will become a great threat. Letting him go now is no different from releasing a tiger back to the mountains.’

His thoughts raced, and a thick killing intent erupted in Liu Shao’s eyes.

’Even if I have to bear the world’s condemnation, even if Wanyan punishes me for this crime, I cannot let him go!’

The longsword at his waist trembled slightly as he prepared to strike the fatal blow.

”Wuliang Celestial Venerable!”

Just then, a voice that seemed to drift down from the heavens appeared in the great hall, falling upon everyone’s ears.

”This humble Daoist is Daoist Ziju of Baiyun Temple. At the Duke’s request, I have come to accept the former Emperor, Qii Wenlin, as my disciple.”

”Qii Wenlin, are you willing to renounce the secular world and become a Daoist with me?”

”Become a Daoist?” Qii Wenlin blinked, turning to look at the figure descending from the sky behind him.

”But I want to be a Monk.”

”Haha...” Zhu Ju laughed heartily.

”Buddhism and Daoism are two branches of the same tree. A Daoist can read Buddhist Scripture, and a Monk can achieve the fruits of Daoist cultivation. It is all as you wish.”

”Alright then.” Qii Wenlin nodded.

”Do I have to leave with you right now? Can Eunuch Gui come with me to Baiyun Temple?”

”We leave now,” said Zhu Ju.

”He can come along.”

”General Liu, please let us pass.”

Liu Shao’s face was ashen. His fists tightened and loosened, but in the end, he did not dare to act rashly in front of the world’s number one master.

”Stand down!”

WHOOSH...

The Imperial Guards, unable to bear the formless pressure any longer, scattered.

Zhu Ju waved his sleeve, and a gentle breeze swept up Qii Wenlin and Eunuch Gui as they walked over. The three of them rode the breeze and flew into the sky.

While in mid-air, he looked down and asked:

”Where is the Tathagata Heart Spell?”

”Master, you want to learn the Tathagata Heart Spell?” Qii Wenlin blinked.

”But, this Cultivation Technique can’t be spoken.”

No one knew.

This seven-year-old child was actually the inheritor of the Tathagata Heart Spell.

”No matter.”

Zhu Ju smiled faintly.

”You just need to practice it in my presence a few times, and I will naturally understand it. The Tathagata Heart Spell in exchange for a lifetime of peace and safety for you.”

”Agreed?”

”Okay!” Qii Wenlin’s eyes lit up.

”Seventh Sister also took you as her master. That makes us Senior Sister and Junior Brother. She definitely won’t try to harm me in the future.”

Zhu Ju smiled but said nothing.

As long as he could obtain the Tathagata Heart Spell, he would naturally protect Qii Wenlin. Even the new Empress of Daqi couldn’t dream of taking the boy from his side.

And with that,

the Seven Spirits Method was finally complete!