Chapter 45: Grandmaster

Li Zhi looked up toward the direction of the shadow, squinting his eyes, and said

"I wonder which of Master's seven Shadow Guards you are?"

The dark figure swayed slightly under the torchlight, appearing like a wisp of rising smoke

"Your Highness has keen eyes. I rank sixth among the Shadow Guards. You may call me Lu Ying."

Li Zhi nodded slightly, observing the other for a moment with a deep, composed gaze, before asking

"What business does Master have in sending you to find me?"

Upon hearing this, a somewhat ethereal voice drifted out from the shadow

"The Director said that His Majesty has agreed to let Your Highness leave the Heavenly Prison within a month, but there is one condition."

"What condition?"

The shadow fell into a noticeable silence for a moment before saying

"His Majesty said that Your Highness must destroy any one of the four great sects of the Dali martial world within a year. If you can achieve this, he will return all the rights that belong to you."

Hearing this, Li Zhi fell silent, remaining quiet even longer than the other party. However, no expression could be read on his face as he simply asked

"And if I cannot do it?"

The shadow under the torchlight swayed gently and replied

"His Majesty did not say."

"However, the Director asked me to tell you that, out of respect for your master-disciple bond, if you can exert yourself to promote to the realm of a Martial Grandmaster within a month, he can allow us seven Shadow Guards to assist you."

Li Zhi pondered for a moment, then gave a light laugh and said

"Master truly knows me best."

With that, he slowly raised his hand, and in an instant, his entire aura underwent a sudden transformation.

A powerful and profound surge of true qi erupted from his meridians, condensing into the phantom image of an ancient long saber before him.

An invisible saber intent manifested from the phantom—sharp and imposing. The very air within the cell began to hum and vibrate, emitting rhythmic, suppressed clanging sounds like striking steel.

In the next moment, a vast and distant killing intent lunged toward the shadow outside the cell. The phantom saber tore through the void, instantly crossing the distance between the inside and outside of the cell to slash directly at the shadow.

"Heavenly Slaughter Saber Intent."

The shadow under the torchlight let out a soft exclamation, extending countless shadow tentacles from behind itself to wrap around the phantom saber in layers.

A dull sound of tearing fabric rang out, and several streaks of brilliant saber light escaped, striking the brick wall and leaving gouges an inch deep.

The shadow swayed several times before gradually settling down.

Then, a voice of admiration came from the shadow outside the cell

"To think Your Highness had already ascended to the realm of a Martial Grandmaster; it is truly unexpected. I am sure the Director will be extremely pleased to know this."

Li Zhi slowly withdrew the true qi that was as thick as mist surrounding him and shook his head

"You flatter me. I merely had some insights while in this Heavenly Prison and happened to break through by luck."

At this time, the shadow under the torchlight outside the cell bowed slightly and said

"Lu Ying and the other Shadow Guards shall follow Your Highness's commands in the future."

"No need for such formalities."

Li Zhi raised his hand slightly, then his gaze shifted, and he let out a deep sigh, saying

"I do not know what my Imperial Father is thinking. To order me to deal with the four great sects—this is an almost impossible task. I do not know what to do now."

Upon hearing this, the shadow outside the cell remained silent. Whether it involved His Majesty or the Director, these were matters that people like them were not permitted to discuss.

"Your Highness, everything depends on human effort. There is no need for excessive worry."

The shadow swayed slightly and said

"Lu Ying must return to report to the Director. I shall not disturb Your Highness further."

With that, the shadow slowly retreated from beneath the torchlight into the darkness, and the area where it had been standing gradually returned to normal.

Seeing the Shadow Guard of the Hidden Intelligence Bureau depart, the look of worry on Li Zhi's face vanished in an instant.

He frowned deeply, staring at the lamplight on the table, his expression becoming unsettled

"To suddenly order me to destroy one of the four great sects... this is an almost impossible condition. Could it be... they have discovered my secret?"

However, the cell remained silent; no one could answer his question.

...

Aurora Pavilion.

The previous main hall had been destroyed, and in an adjacent, slightly smaller hall, a group of young men were gathered in a frantic state.

"I heard the real Seventh Prince has been confirmed, and all of us are fakes."

"Ah? Then what should we do? When I left my hometown, the City Lord personally escorted me for a hundred miles and promised to marry the Eldest Miss to me. If I am not the Prince, can I still marry her?"

"I don't believe it. Wasn't it said there were still five days before the selection process for us would begin? Why have they identified the real Seventh Prince so quickly?"

"It's useless to disbelieve it. That person looks extremely similar to Consort Jing. A eunuch from the Sky Brocade Guard in the Aurora Pavilion recognized him at a glance. The matter has already been reported to the Palace; news will likely spread soon."

"Could it not be that someone learned of Consort Jing's appearance in advance and intentionally used a disguise?"

"Foolish. That is a capital crime of deceiving the Emperor. No disguise can escape the inspection of the Palace's experts, and no one would dare take such a near-certain death risk."

"Then what should we do next?"

"I only hope that the person just happens to look like Consort Jing and fails the final inspection. If that happens, we might still have a chance."

...

Upon hearing this news, the young men in the hall felt both lost and anxious, yet they simultaneously clung to a sliver of faint hope.

At that moment, three young men quietly slipped away from the crowd and headed toward the upper floors of the Aurora Pavilion.

One of them wore scholar's robes, but his face was filled with hostility. He turned to look at the other two young men dressed in fine silks and said

"If we want that person to fail the final inspection, the safest way is to kill him and destroy the evidence before the Palace officials arrive."

Hearing this, one of them narrowed his eyes and said

"Today, the three of us shall join forces and swear an oath here: no matter who becomes the real Seventh Prince in the future, we must not forget to support one another."

"Exactly! If we strike it rich, let us not forget each other!"

The last young man clenched his fists, his eyes full of ruthlessness

"I know who that person is. I will pretend to converse with him in a moment, and you two can launch a sneak attack while he is off guard. This will surely succeed."

The three exchanged glances, said no more, and quietly moved toward the upper corridor.

Soon, one of them reached the corridor and spotted Li Musheng, who was staring blankly into space.

He immediately put on a gentle smile and walked slowly toward Li Musheng.

However, just as he reached the halfway point, Li Musheng suddenly turned his head to look at him

"If I were you, I wouldn't take another step forward."

The young man froze, then hurriedly cupped his hands and said

"What do you mean by that, brother? I only saw you here all alone and thought I would come over to chat."

Hearing this, Li Musheng glanced toward the shadows near the stairwell and raised an eyebrow

"Your killing intent is so heavy; are you afraid people won't know where you're hiding?"

(End of Chapter)