Chapter 54: Test

Bright red blood was collected into a jade box via a jade needle. After approximately three drops had condensed, Eunuch Shen spoke

"That will suffice."

He retrieved the jade box and covered it, then walked back to the side of Commander Fu Qiwen, bowing as he presented it to him with both hands.

Fu Qiwen gave a slight nod and took the jade box with one hand, scrutinizing it with his gaze.

In that instant, Yu Jin and Sun Changyu both abruptly looked up, their hearts jolting violently.

They felt as if the worldly essence (Qi) within the entire hall had suddenly begun to boil.

With Fu Qiwen as the center, an invisible vortex seemed to surge toward the sky, rapidly absorbing and devouring the surrounding worldly essence.

Even the Qi within their own meridians and dantian stirred restlessly, appearing as if it might be drawn out and dissipated at any moment.

The two men's expressions turned to shock, and they hurriedly circulated their cultivation techniques to stabilize the Qi within their bodies.

Simultaneously, the wind and rain above the entire hall came to a sudden halt.

The constantly gathering worldly essence acted like an invisible giant hand, parting the torrential downpour falling from the heavens and churning the gale so that it bypassed the entire headquarters of the Tianjin Guard.

Inside the hall, the jade box in Fu Qiwen's palm was shrouded in emerald light, rotating at high speeds along a trajectory nearly impossible for the naked eye to capture, its speed seemingly breaking the sound barrier.

Yet, despite this, the jade box—whose true form was obscured by nothing but streaks of afterimages—remained locked firmly in Fu Qiwen's hand, never shifting its position by even a fraction.

*Could this be... a human centrifugal machine?*

Li Musheng stared incessantly at the Tianjin Guard Commander, Fu Qiwen, unable to help but marvel inwardly.

To be honest, he was actually beginning to feel a sense of conviction regarding this paternity test.

However, Li Musheng's gaze shifted, landing instead on one of his own fingers.

When he had used the jade needle to draw blood earlier, he had discovered a wisp of toxin being injected into his body through the wound on his finger.

The characteristics of that toxin were extremely peculiar; it did not seem intended to take his life directly, but rather to hide and lie dormant within his body.

Of course, no matter how special that toxin was, it naturally posed no threat to Li Musheng, who possessed the Indestructible Golden Body.

"Interesting. I haven't even set foot in the imperial palace yet, and the strife has already begun."

Li Musheng raised an eyebrow.

It was obvious that the jade box came from the Great Li Imperial Palace, and the person capable of poisoning the jade needle likely originated from the court as well.

As for who the poisoner was?

It could be the Divine Palace Supervisor, Eunuch Shen, who stood before him, or it could be someone else.

Li Musheng had no clues, nor did he have much interest in investigating.

After all, those who are meant to jump out will eventually be unable to help themselves.

He had little interest in such palace intrigues; at this moment, he only wished to be a lazy farmer waiting by a tree for a rabbit to run into.

At that moment, the worldly essence in the hall suddenly stagnated, and the rotating jade box in Fu Qiwen's hand came to a stop.

The scene of the wind and rain ceasing outside vanished, and the torrential storm returned once more.

For a moment, the sound of raindrops hitting the roof tiles of the hall gradually rose into a rhythmic pitter-patter.

Fu Qiwen stared at the jade box in his hand for a while, his expression remaining largely unruffled. He merely looked up at Li Musheng and said

"This official must enter the palace. I ask Young Master Li to wait here for a while."

Hearing this, Li Musheng nodded without objection.

Watching Fu Qiwen's departing figure, he understood that his identity as a prince was likely confirmed.

However, at that moment, Sun Changyu, who was standing to one side of the hall, suddenly took a step forward and bowed with cupped hands

"My Lord, I have one more matter to report."

Fu Qiwen stopped in his tracks and looked toward him, nodding slightly to signal him to speak.

Sun Changyu cast a sidelong glance at Li Musheng and immediately used Qi transmission to speak silently to Fu Qiwen for a moment.

Not long after, Fu Qiwen's eyes narrowed slightly. He gave Li Musheng a deep look and waved his hand, saying

"I am aware of this matter."

Then, he turned to Yu Jin on the side of the hall and commanded

"Go call Han Li. Have him accompany Eunuch Sun."

With that, Fu Qiwen did not linger, stepping out and disappearing into the vast rain outside the hall.

At this time, Eunuch Shen looked at Li Musheng, his eyes shifting slightly as he said

"I must also return to the palace to report this matter to the Queen."

Having said that, he followed closely behind Fu Qiwen.

The remaining Yu Jin in the hall did not dare to delay and quickly summoned a lean, middle-aged man.

As Fu Qiwen's closest subordinate, Han Li obeyed his commands implicitly; after a few words with Sun Changyu, he hurriedly departed with him.

***

The Great Li Imperial Palace.

The palaces were arranged in an orderly fashion, with the glazed roof ornaments taking various shapes. The heavy rain flowed down the golden tiles in continuous lines like curtains of beads.

The Tianjin Guard Commander, Fu Qiwen, passed through towering vermilion gates and, accompanied by a young eunuch, stepped up layers of white jade stairs to enter a massive and majestic palace.

The Tianqian Palace, the residence of Emperor Yuanwu.

The polished floor tiles were as bright as a mirror, and red pillars carved with exquisite cloud and dragon patterns supported the grand roof. The entire hall exuded an aura of majesty.

Fu Qiwen walked through the solemn main hall to the side hall at the rear, where a bamboo curtain shielded a sandalwood bed.

"Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince has been found."

Fu Qiwen bowed toward the bamboo curtain, took the jade box from his sleeve, and handed it to an elderly, white-haired eunuch, who then presented it to Emperor Yuanwu behind the curtain.

Emperor Yuanwu did not speak from behind the curtain. Under the bright light of the hall's candles, only a seated silhouette could be vaguely discerned.

The silhouette glanced at the jade box in the old eunuch's hands and spoke in a voice devoid of emotion

"This secret method of kinship testing comes from the Medicine King Valley in the Western Regions. It is a method refined and tested by generations of physicians in the valley; it should be flawless."

Then, the silhouette signaled for the old eunuch to move the jade box aside, and his gaze pierced through the bamboo curtain toward Fu Qiwen

"Qiwen, tell me, what is your impression of that son of mine?"

Fu Qiwen stood with his hands clasped, eyes lowered in a bow. After a moment of thought, he said

"I have reviewed the Seventh Prince's files. He was found by a female constable from the Six Doors in a small town in Wanzhou. His experiences over the past twenty years are unremarkable; before coming to Shangyang City, he had been an apprentice in a small martial arts school."

Hearing this, the figure behind the curtain nodded slightly, seemingly not unfamiliar with these details regarding Li Musheng, and simply said

"Continue. I want to hear your personal assessment of him."

"I have only met His Highness today. I have observed his condition, and what is strange is that the files state he possesses the martial realm of a congenital martial artist, yet I could not detect any martial Qi within him."

Fu Qiwen's voice was calm, revealing no other unusual emotions.

Emperor Yuanwu remained silent. After a while, he slowly asked

"What do you believe is the reason, Qiwen?"

(End of Chapter)