Chapter 48: The Mysterious Little Turtle

"Forget it."

"I'll let you go."

Su Chen still didn't strike the little turtle. He found a ceramic jar, placed it inside, and headed out toward the Imperial Academy of Medicine.

As early as the first month of the eleventh year of Jianwu, he had shocked the world with a single sword stroke amidst wind and snow, stepping over three First-Rank peaks to achieve Second-Rank Viscera, a feat known to all under heaven.

Now.

It was April of the twelfth year of Jianwu.

He was still in the stage of washing his five viscera.

Too slow.

Now that he knew of the immortal traces, how could he not go and take a look? Second-Rank Viscera was somewhat weak; perhaps a First-Rank Leakless Grandmaster would suffice.

"Success and failure stem from the same source."

"The three great extreme realms made me the world's number one Second-Rank, but they also increased the potential of my internal organs. Refining them is far more difficult than for any other Second-Rank Viscera."

"My organs can only be suppressed by refining them to the third level to stabilize this flesh, bone, and jade marrow, allowing me to step into the First-Rank..."

At the Imperial Academy of Medicine.

Su Chen followed a familiar path.

Over the years, he had frequently come here to stealthily pilfer medicinal herbs.

The blood, marrow, and bone treasures he used to break through to the Second-Rank were obtained from here.

The Academy's library was filled with books; medicinal texts overflowed from every room. Su Chen searched through the records of precious medicines—the Jianwu era, the Era of Heavenly Chaos, the Tianwu era...

Nothing.

Still nothing.

It wasn't until he reached the records of the Liangwu era that Su Chen's eyes narrowed.

"Found it."

A hundred years ago, after the Great Zhou's defeat, among the tributes sent to acknowledge vassalage, there was a seed of the Five Viscera Grass and the seeds of the Six-Organ Flower.

However, when Emperor Liangwu passed away and handed power to Emperor Tianwu, a demonic uprising occurred. A prince carrying a batch of imperial treasures went missing.

Among them were the Five Viscera Grass seeds and the Six-Organ Flower seeds.

"A hundred years ago?"

Su Chen closed the documents and made his way to the Cold Palace.

He was looking for the Jianwu Emperor.

Any prince was destined to have his heart and liver dug out and eaten by him.

During the Tianwu era, a prince adorned with white dragon patterns, having learned of this, had fled in terror, seeking help everywhere and launching successive rebellions against him.

The prince who disappeared at the end of the Liangwu era had likely long since entered his belly.

"Why are you asking about these two things..."

"Hmm?"

"Could it be that you are the First of the Three Realms?"

The Jianwu Emperor was puzzled.

Then.

As if realizing something, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"True."

"Even if you aren't the first of the three realms, you can't be called the strongest Second-Rank. Without these two wonders, you might spend your entire life and a hundred years and still struggle to even wash your five viscera..."

The last time they met, the Jianwu Emperor was a tender child, looking seven or eight years old. But after only two or three months, he had become a youth of eighteen or nineteen.

His features were as sharp as swords.

He possessed a commanding, heroic aura.

Though a youth, he already carried the temperament of an emperor.

"But even if you find the Five Viscera Grass and the Six-Organ Flower, what then? They were never planted; they are still just seeds and sprouts."

"Your path of cultivation is already severed..."

The Jianwu Emperor's eyes held a cold mockery.

So what if the peak of the three realms was peerless and stunning?

The strongest Second-Rank was still just a Second-Rank.

No cultivator in this world had yet reached the end of the Viscera Realm, where the third level of the viscera nurtures a unified breath.

Without reaching the third level of the Second-Rank Viscera, how could one suppress the three great extreme realms and step into the First-Rank?

The third level of the Viscera Realm—the unification of the viscera and breath—could only be achieved with thousand-year-old Five Viscera Grass and Six-Organ Flowers.

However.

Such thousand-year-old wonders had long since vanished from this world.

"The First of the Three Realms may be a monster, but this is simply the most foolish behavior."

The Jianwu Emperor laughed.

"Not your concern."

Su Chen left.

He had his answer.

"Zhenbei!"

When he was still Emperor Tianwu, he had bestowed an ancient jade containing seeds upon the reigning Marshal of Zhenbei—who would later become the First-Rank Zhenbei King during the Era of Heavenly Chaos.

The Zhenbei Prince's Manor had long since fallen into ruin.

Su Chen set foot there.

Twelve years had passed.

The Zhenbei King had rebelled against Great Liang, building his own power and establishing a kingdom in several border cities for three years. In the third year of Jianwu, the Zhenbei King died mysteriously, and the kingdom collapsed.

"Sigh, things change, and people pass."

"I wonder if the jade plaque still exists in this world."

Su Chen searched but found nothing.

Returning to the palace, he found Xu Han and stated directly that he wanted the jade plaque held by the Zhenbei King. The Director of the West Depot said nothing, merely nodding.

The next day.

The Imperial City was in an uproar.

Because throughout Great Liang, no less than ten thousand riders of the West Depot had been mobilized, heading straight for the former northern borderlands.

On this day, the imperial court was in turmoil. Countless civil and military officials exerted all their strength to try and impeach this Director of the West Depot.

Even the young Emperor cast a sidelong glance.

"The court is entirely focused on impeaching you. Even the newly appointed Purple Minister wants to step on you to establish his own prestige."

"Are you not worried?"

Su Chen sipped his tea, looking toward the crimson python robe beside him.

"A mere Second-Rank? I'll just kill them."

Xu Han's tone was flat. He focused seriously on brewing tea, as if a Purple Minister was less important than the cup of hot tea before him.

The following day.

Screams erupted from the Minister's residence.

A vegetable vendor pushing goods opened the gates of the residence only to find the interior drenched in blood. The Minister's entire family had vanished—no living, no dead.

A court official questioned Xu Han in the Golden Throne Hall, requesting imperial judgment. The young Emperor merely replied, "Understood."

Then, that official left the court and disappeared as well.

From then on, the court fell silent.

No civil or military official dared to speak loudly of the West Depot or curse the eunuch faction again. They were reminded once more of the terror of being manipulated by the Director of the East Depot!

This Director of the West Depot was even more ruthless! Truly a man who had driven his old friends and former subordinates of the East Depot to extinction to pave his own way!

"Are you trying to become the third 'Nine Thousand Years'?"

Hearing a eunuch who had come for medical treatment discussing this, Su Chen's expression grew complex. The previous Director, the Nine Thousand Years, had met a very poor end.

Night deepened.

After seeing off the last little eunuch who had come for treatment.

"Won't eat?"

"Then stay hungry."

"So picky. If I have to feed you with True Qi every day, how can I afford you? Don't even think about it. I'll let you starve, you little thing."

He glanced at the ceramic jar. The beef, mutton, and milk had not been touched at all.

He was strictly following the ancient records for feeding a young Two-Faced Black Tortoise. If it still wouldn't eat, then unless this wasn't a high-level Great Demon Two-Faced Black Tortoise, he hadn't raised it wrong—this little turtle was just too picky.

"o(╥﹏╥)o"

The little turtle seemed to understand Su Chen's words. It drooped its small head, looking aggrieved.

It really wasn't being picky.

This food was not only tasteless, but it didn't even fill its stomach!

"Hungry... want to eat Qi..."

The little turtle whimpered and nudged closer, wanting to rub against Su Chen. However, Su Chen simply put the lid back on the jar.

"Stay hungry."

Su Chen went out again.

Recently, the young Emperor had been appearing in the palace less and less.

Furthermore.

He had heard that the young Emperor had replaced all three of his personal guards with three strange-looking fellows.

He planned to find the former guards to see if he could inquire about the whereabouts of the Zhenbei jade plaque.

After Su Chen left.

Outside the pharmacy, two figures crept forward. They wore the armor of the Imperial Guard; they were tall and hulking, but their features were hideous, almost non-human.

"Is this wise? Sneaking out to feast behind the three leaders' backs."

"What are you afraid of!"

"I've already checked. This area is full of ordinary people who have gone missing and no one cares. The two of us, Third-Rank Blood-Mutated Demons, working together, are nearly Second-Rank cultivators. Even if we get caught eating humans, can they really kill us?"

As they spoke, the two demons pushed open the pharmacy door.

"(﹃)"

Inside the jar, the little turtle poked its head out. It crawled out of the jar, growing rapidly in the wind. Its eyes gleamed, and it swallowed hard. Delicious food was here.

"Hehe!"

"Weaklings, come into your Demon Grandpa's belly!"

The two demons grinned savagely as they pushed open the pharmacy door.

In the next instant.

Their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. They saw a massive turtle head with its mouth wide open, waiting for them to walk right in.

"Holy crap!"

"A Great Demon!!"

"Dammit! Why is there a Great Demon here..."

The two demons were so terrified their souls nearly left their bodies. Their feet slipped as they turned to flee.

Unfortunately.

They were swallowed in one gulp by the turtle's mouth.

*Look at me, being good.*

*If you don't give me food, I'll hunt for myself.*

*Saves money.*

"Full."

The little turtle let out a whimpering burp, rolled around, and closed the door.

Then.

It crawled back into the jar and put the lid back on.

(End of Chapter)