Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 186: Chapter 184: Harvest

”The Stepping Cloud Iron Cavalry is strong, but not much stronger than the Lingshuang Iron Cavalry and Chasing Wind Cavalry,” Chu Zhiyuan said while his Super Sense was constantly perceiving her: ”Does Da Meng have more iron cavalry? ... Or do you have external support?”

”Why don’t you guess, maybe I’m just playing with you.”

”Looks like there’s external support.” Chu Zhiyuan nodded: ”If it’s external support, Da Meng only has Da Zhen and us nearby. The external support isn’t in this direction; it’s meant to distract us elsewhere.”

”Hee hee hee...” Li Hongzhao suddenly laughed wildly, shaking with laughter.

But she couldn’t distract Chu Zhiyuan, who smiled and gazed into her eyes with sparkling eyes.

There was no laughter in her beautiful eyes, only coldness.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed softly: ”I was right after all.”

”Princely Heir, you should become a storyteller; you’d definitely win applause.”

”Your Highness must regret inviting me for this drink, right?” Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile: ”Is it Da Lie?”

”Da Lie?” Li Hongzhao chuckled: ”Da Lie is only a small place, what threat can it pose to you?”

”Da Jian?” Chu Zhiyuan said.

Li Hongzhao turned her eyes away, took a sip of wine, and sighed: ”Dining with Princely Heir is quite interesting, very amusing. It’s been a long time since I laughed so freely.”

”It’s really Da Lie.” Chu Zhiyuan sighed: ”They really are tired of living, actually allying with you.”

”Alright, if you think it’s Da Lie, then it’s Da Lie. If you think it’s Da Jian, then it’s Da Jian, or even other small countries.” Li Hongzhao said with a smile: ”As long as you’re willing, just pick one.”

Chu Zhiyuan said: ”Your target wasn’t Cheng Tianfeng but Grandmaster Mo, right?”

Li Hongzhao burst into laughter, nearly spitting out her wine.

Her beautiful face showed sarcasm, exceptionally striking: ”Chu Zhiyuan, you really should become a storyteller. Truly, this imaginative ability is unmatched!”

Chu Zhiyuan was unmoved, slowly nodding: ”Turns out I was right, you wouldn’t dare to kill the Princely Heir, but you would dare to kill a Great Grandmaster.”

If they killed the Princely Heir, then Da Zhen would surely retaliate by killing Da Meng’s Princely Heir.

No matter how tight the defense, if Da Zhen was determined, they could succeed in assassination, thus setting a terrible precedent.

The Princely Heirs of Da Meng, Da Zhen, and Da Jing combined are not many, killing them would quickly deplete the numbers.

No one wants this.

Therefore, killing a Princely Heir is a taboo, regardless of evidence, they wouldn’t act easily unless they truly colluded with the Evil Sect to borrow a knife to kill.

But no one wants to get involved with the Evil Sect, as they are non-human monsters to be avoided.

When everyone thinks the target is Cheng Tianfeng, killing Mo Chunyu would be unexpected, and Mo Chunyu likely wouldn’t have anticipated it.

Their goal wasn’t to break the alliance but to weaken Da Zhen.

After all, there are only a handful of Great Grandmasters. Killing one has a huge impact on strength.

Tether Da Jing, weaken Da Zhen.

Moreover, their target could also be the Great Grandmaster of Da Jing!

Li Hongzhao gave him a sideways glance, looking helpless: ”Chu Zhiyuan, stop spouting nonsense, you don’t know what price must be paid to kill a Great Grandmaster.”

Chu Zhiyuan said: ”Four Great Grandmasters should be enough, right? In retaliation from Wentian Cliff... Anyway, you’re going to fight with Wentian Cliff, retaliation or not, what’s the difference?”

”To kill a Great Grandmaster, at least four Great Grandmasters are needed,” Li Hongzhao said: ”But Great Grandmasters aren’t so easy to kill, once it ends in Jade and Stone Burning, they can drag four Great Grandmasters to die together.”

Chu Zhiyuan said: ”What about a sneak attack?”

”Wishful thinking!” Li Hongzhao said.

Chu Zhiyuan glanced around, then cupped his hands and smiled apologetically towards the direction of the window in the left front: ”Mr. Su, pardon me.”

Across the window diagonally was another restaurant, the Xianyun Restaurant.

In a room of the restaurant, a middle-aged woman was quietly sitting with a book in hand.

Unlike someone who came to eat at the restaurant, she was reading for leisure.

Chu Zhiyuan even saw the book this middle-aged female Great Grandmaster was reading, ”Nine Solutions of Star Constellations,” which was about celestial phenomena.

This average-looking woman was Da Meng’s Great Grandmaster Su Qiuyan.

Su Qiuyan evidently heard the situation here, saw Chu Zhiyuan’s actions, put down the book, smiled, then continued reading.

Chu Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

The aura of a Great Grandmaster is extremely intense; he had just felt Su Qiuyan’s dissatisfaction, a mountain-toppling aura vaguely pressing over.

Li Hongzhao said with a smile: ”Don’t worry, Mr. Su won’t kill you, have a drink.”

”Your Highness, please.” Chu Zhiyuan raised his cup.

Both of them drank it all in one go.

Li Hongzhao said with a charming smile: ”If you have the time, Princely Heir, you might as well come to Da Meng to take a look at our Tianjing.”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and nodded: ”That would be delightful.”

Li Hongzhao regretted it as soon as she said it.

She shouldn’t have invited Chu Zhiyuan to Tianjing.

This guy is somewhat uncanny, as if he can see through hearts, his eyes are too sharp, a trip there might expose too many secrets to him.

Chu Zhiyuan said: ”But don’t worry, Your Highness, you know how I am.”

”That is indeed true.” Li Hongzhao relaxed her heart and smiled.

Chu Zhiyuan truly fears death; unless pushed to the brink, only then would he muster enough courage to charge into battle.

So, under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t go to Da Meng, wouldn’t take risks in Tianjing.

Afterwards, Chu Zhiyuan and Li Hongzhao didn’t converse more, just casually talked about recent interesting events in Yujing City.

Yujing City is currently bustling, with countless happenings.

Chu Zhiyuan knew she was afraid at heart.

And didn’t bother pressing further.

She had already been drained enough.

The matter of Da Lie was extremely important.

As for reminding Mo Chunyu, he could also mention it.

It depended on what the Inspection Department found regarding Da Lie, whether the matter of the Da Lie Princely Heir would highlight Da Lie’s unusual behavior.

He could provide a reminder, giving the Court more preparation time to avoid being ambushed by Da Lie, thereby achieving a significant merit.

——

After parting with Li Hongzhao, he arrived at the Heavenly Treasure Department as the night was becoming hazy.

The Heavenly Treasure Department was still bustling with activity.

When Chu Zhiyuan left the Heavenly Treasure Department, it was already quiet and preparing to close.

A bright moon hung tilted in the sky.

Inside the Heavenly Treasure Department, he sought out an acquaintance, and after inquiring, indeed found Spirit Pill for strengthening meridians.

The Heavenly Treasure Department also had a Spirit Pill similar to the Wind-Riding Pill, called Transcendence Pill.

Not directly boosting speed like the Wind-Riding Pill, but comprehensively adjusting the body, purging impurities and refining essence.

It was of First Grade.

Chu Zhiyuan left the Heavenly Treasure Department, walking on the even more bustling streets than daytime, striding through the bustling crowd, furrowing his brow, pondering how to obtain First Grade Merit.

His accomplishments should have been audited thoroughly, could it reach First Grade?

He feared it might not.

Then, could he try to pull a fast one on the Emperor?

He pondered as he headed to the Duke An Mansion.

The back garden was brightly lit.

Xiao Ruoling had already changed into a white combat uniform, wielding a sword at a small Martial Arts Training Ground.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

The white combat uniform on Xiao Ruoling starkly contrasted with her usual serene demeanor.

Her everyday robes concealed most of her figure.

Only when dressed in combat uniform could her strong and explosive physique be fully seen.

With long legs, a tall jade peak, a slender waist that could be grasped, she appeared robust yet graceful, exuding heroic spirit, as if she had transformed into a different person.

Xiao Ruoyu appeared alongside Chu Zhiyuan, also in a green combat uniform.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said: ”What’s your best swordsmanship? You might as well show it to me.”

Xiao Ruoling stopped her longsword, stood upright, lively, with cheeks blushing like drops.

”I just learned a set of swordsmanship from my master today, the Flower Moon Shadow Sword Technique from Yao Yue Palace.”

Chu Zhiyuan took a wooden sword from the weapon rack beside, gesturing Xiao Ruoling to attack him.

Xiao Ruoling unhesitatingly swung her sword, her figure flickering, shadowy sword reflections enveloping Chu Zhiyuan, mysterious and unpredictable.

Chu Zhiyuan thrust his sword.

”Clang!” The myriad sword shadows dissipated.

Chu Zhiyuan said: ”Too slow.”

Xiao Ruoling shook her wrist, her arm numbed, causing half of her body to tingle. After recovering, she pressed on, conjuring another illusionary shadow of sword reflections, covering Chu Zhiyuan again.

”Clang!” The sword shadows dissipated once more.

Chu Zhiyuan said: ”Still too slow.”

Xiao Ruoyu, watching eagerly from the side, exclaimed: ”Big sister, let me, let me, let’s spar a few moves.”