Chapter 41

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Chapter 41

As the spiritual pendant shimmered with light, they stepped deeper into the painting, soaring above the old dynasty’s palace on magical artifacts.

Just as Qin Cuohua had said, it felt like descending from immortality again after receiving a mission. The illusion began to feel somewhat real, prompting everyone to act with caution.

Gong Wu and the two others concealed themselves and quickly found the Firewood Room where the young prince Yun Junxi lived among the clouds.

From their elevated viewpoint, they could clearly see the movements of the Upper Three Palaces, including the luxury of the concubine’s numerous attendants, the old emperor’s absurd behavior in the west palace, and in a small, neglected corner, the careful presence of two mothers and the unknown child.

The Concubine Su had long fallen out of favor and had no children. As soon as a maid unexpectedly became pregnant, they secretly protected her, ensuring that no word got out.

Both women were poor souls who had been granted favor only to be abandoned to a corner afterward, but due to their family backgrounds, their fates diverged completely.

Yun Junxi had never met his father, but his two mothers diligently taught him how to read and write, and he interacted with others graciously.

The three watched for a long time, comparing their observations with the actual methods described in the spiritual scroll.

“Old Immortal Chen used dreams to teach and passed on a considerable portion of the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as historical strategies,” Gong Wu weighed the silver she carried. “What my senior brother means is that some books are fine for him to read on his own; we don’t need to spend extra time explaining them to him.”

“Subei’s method… is risky,” Du Ren hesitated. “Although both of his mothers are carefully educating him, this child has missed many lessons over the years since he couldn’t attend school.”

As she spoke, Ji Yang lowered their position among the clouds, allowing for a clearer view.

He pondered for a long time, his thoughts becoming clearer.

“Can the rules in the books really teach him?” he said slowly. “Teaching this Child to disregard praise and blame, to understand the heart of an emperor, is merely stuffing him full of rigid rules to memorize.”

“If he has never left the deep palace or encountered others and has never wielded power over subordinates, what good is all this memorization at the age of five or six?”

After all, he practiced the Path of Emotionless.

When ordinary people see orphans and widowed mothers, they can’t help but feel pity and think of ways to help.

If it were just Du Ren and Gong Wu exploring the painting, the first tribulation might linger much longer because of their empathy.

Ji Yang, however, was emotionless, immediately seeing through the situation, and appeared too aloof.

Gong Wu flipped through the spiritual scroll, feeling somewhat swayed by his words.

“What my senior brother said makes sense,” she said, pausing on one line, then asked, “But if we skip this part, when the old emperor recognizes his bond with the young prince, might the situation change?”

After all, Old Immortal Chen had taught deeply, helping the young prince become remarkably eloquent.

The old emperor only knew he had two children born from his concubines, and upon encountering Yun Junxi, he was moved to tears after just a few words exchanged, certainly seeing value in the child.

With her mention of this, Du Ren’s thoughts began to shift as well.

“Wait, did the old emperor really cry because of his eloquence?”

When Du Ren said this, she felt a tinge of disrespect towards Old Immortal Chen.

But once this thought was planted, she found it increasingly logical.

“The concubine harmed the heirs, allowing her own two sons to wreak havoc in the Harem, even wanting to eliminate the daughters born to others.”

“Is the old emperor weeping over his indulgence towards her, or is he weeping because he finally has a reliable child to inherit his grand legacy?”

As he watched Yun Junxi recite scriptures, was the old emperor reflecting on the countless wise texts he had read, or was he overwhelmed with gratitude for the better choice that heaven had bestowed upon him?

At this point, the unconventional strategy became even more enticing.

It was clear that disciples from other Immortal Sects would tread cautiously during the first tribulation, dedicating ample time to meticulous teaching.

By bypassing this tribulation, how much time could they save!

“I’ll make the decision,” Gong Wu declared firmly. “We’ll proceed with the plan my senior brother proposed.”

“We’ll bury the books near the firewood room, allowing him to discover them and study diligently on his own.”

“Given the Child’s diligent and reserved nature, he won’t overlook these valuable books. If he encounters difficulties, he’ll quietly seek guidance from his mothers.”

“Literary tribulations are self-navigated, while life tribulations require assistance. Let’s go buy the books now!”

Disguised as ordinary villagers, they visited a bookstore and generously purchased dozens of well-compiled volumes. Then, under the cover of night, they chiseled a small opening in the side wall of the firewood room, leaving a subtle gap for the child to discover soon.

Before departing, the young prince, clad in coarse fabric and straw sandals, slept in a cramped corner, utterly unaware that in a decade or so, he would ascend to the throne as the emperor.

Before activating the spiritual pendant, Gong Wu glanced at her senior brother and senior sister.

“If we fail the first tribulation and are expelled from the painting…”

“I’ll take the blame,” Du Ren swiftly stepped forward to shoulder the responsibility. “You can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing the child. If the teacher scolds us, so be it!”

“No,” Ji Yang calmly analyzed. “With thirty sects competing simultaneously, there are bound to be reckless disciples who expose themselves early, getting expelled from the scroll for disrupting their chance.”

“Liu Feng, proceed without worry.”

Gong Wu steadied herself and nodded resolutely.

She chanted the incantation, urging the spiritual scroll to accelerate its evolution.

As the incantation took effect, they observed the sunrise and sunset speeding by several times from their vantage point among the clouds, with the seasons rapidly shifting before their eyes.

Soon enough, the young prince discovered the books, even digging a secret hole to carefully wrap and conceal the volumes. Whenever he had a moment, he immersed himself in study.

His progress through this tribulation was smooth and swift, unraveling much through his own understanding.

Without mentors or companions, the only ones Yun Junxi could converse with before his identity was revealed were a few young eunuchs.

These books became his closest allies, guiding him through moments of uncertainty and fear.

In the blink of an eye, the three individuals found themselves in a battlefield camp, with thousands of soldiers charging toward the front lines, battle flags fluttering in the wind.

“This is the second tribulation of saving lives!” Du Ren exclaimed joyfully. “We passed! We truly passed!!”

This wasn’t just a shortcut; it was as if they rode while others walked, swiftly advancing to the next stage!

Ji Yang had already anticipated this outcome and simply nodded.

Gong Wu, who had been observing the military camp, spoke up again, “Senior brother, did you draw from past experiences?”

“When the teacher is absent… it seems you’ve made remarkable progress as well.”

Du Ren seemed to grasp something. “The emperor is naturally diligent and possesses exceptional insight. Subei might adopt his perspective and discern which tribulations he can navigate independently.”

As she spoke, admiration filled her eyes.

Many disciples envied Ji Yang’s extraordinary talent, yet few achieved the level of progress in their cultivation that he had.

Regardless of the cold or heat, even during the New Year festivities when the entire palace was celebrating and resting, he never missed a single morning lesson or evening practice.

Others would take leave or doze off while listening to teachings at the Taoist altar.

But even if Du Ren glanced over unintentionally, she could see that the boy’s gaze was both clear and sharp.

Gong Wu waved her hand, changing their ordinary clothes back, then cast an illusion spell so the patrolling soldiers couldn’t see them.

“What is the second tribulation?”

She recalled the phrase “suspending pot,” which must relate to illness.

Du Ren quickly flipped through the spiritual scroll, her tone becoming much more excited.

“Isn’t this what we at Moonfire Valley are best at!”

“Let me see…” She read hurriedly and concluded, “It says that the emperor, in his twenties, led a personal expedition and almost died out there.”

“He had brilliant tactics and incredible skills, consistently leading the Military Formation to defeat the enemy.”

“However, when the troops chased deep into the desert, the emperor fell terribly ill, initially feeling unwell and later vomiting blood, with all the army’s doctors at a loss.”

Before she could finish the story, Ji Yang turned his divine consciousness back, frowning and saying, “This is bad; he brought Taoist masters with him and set up a barrier nearby.”

Gong Wu was taken aback and quickly replied, “Will the invisibility spell be detected if we go in?”

“Yes, the palace avoids these matters; the Taoist masters invited are all experts at the Heavenly Authority realm.”

“That’s strange,” Gong Wu pondered. “If such powerful sorcerers can’t cure the illness, it likely isn’t due to curses or poison.”

Ji Yang nodded in agreement: “The desert sun is extremely harsh; the emperor must have contracted ‘fire poison,’ as his body can’t withstand this environment’s energies.”

“That means the five elements are clashing, and the deeper he goes into the desert, the worse he’ll feel.”

At this point, senior sister Du Ren handed the spiritual scroll to Gong Wu.

“The best treatment is to bring him back to the capital, using the familiar environment and diet to take care of him for a few days. Without medication, he’ll naturally get better.”

But now… how could that be possible?

The emperor was wholeheartedly focused on expanding territory, showing no mercy to himself; no matter how bitter the medicine, he would drink it and keep studying the enemy’s formations late into the night, making it easier to exhaust himself to the brink of collapse.

Gong Wu turned to the corresponding page and quickly read about Old Immortal Chen’s method.

The old immortal also couldn’t recklessly reveal the secrets of heaven, so he disguised his spiritual energy as a local healer. He first cleverly found soldiers with similar symptoms and treated them, gradually building trust until he could meet the emperor.

“Don’t folk stories say… when encountering such situations, if there happens to be spiritual pills, they will be immediately offered?” Du Ren sighed with concern. “There’s no way around it; this is a critical moment in warfare. If a divine doctor suddenly appears to treat the emperor, they might be captured and killed as a spy.”

Being an immortal isn’t easy either… doing good deeds requires clever justifications; you can’t let outsiders suspect anything.

Gong Wu was still reading the details of the spiritual scroll when she suddenly looked up. “Senior sister, what are you talking about?”

“Offering?” Du Ren asked uncertainly. “Do you want to try it?”

“No, the second half of what you said.”

“Divine doctor? Killed as a spy?”

Gong Wu grasped her and asked, “Senior sister, how should we treat blood heat sickness?”

“Of course, with bloodletting,” Du Ren replied, smiling. “Find the right spot and drain the excess blood; it’s faster than any medicine—”

She said halfway and suddenly covered her mouth.

“You, you don’t mean—”

“Let’s go become assassins,” Gong Wu said, her eyes shining brightly with excitement. “Which emperor hasn’t encountered assassins?”

Is it reasonable? Of course, it is.

Du Ren was stunned for a moment. “This is too reckless…”

That’s the true dragon of heaven, the emperor himself!!

Ji Yang raised his hand and formed a gesture, already changing into a dark outfit.

“Senior sister, where should we strike?”

He flipped his palm, transforming the qilin fan into a sharp dagger, looking even more striking with his mask on.

Gong Wu laughed, “Take me with you!”

Du Ren held her face with both hands. “You all from Tianhua Palace!! Each of you is so reckless!”