Directorate of Astronomy.
A man in a Daoist robe, his hair entirely white, rose to his feet.
"Master." The group of Daoist priests seated around him bowed in unison.
"I've slept for quite a while." The man flicked his horsetail whisk lightly, yawned, and took a step forward—crossing out of the Star Pavilion. Another step, and he had already left the Directorate of Astronomy.
"Where is the National Preceptor going?" A young Daoist gatekeeper at the entrance asked softly.
"To visit an old friend." The National Preceptor flicked his whisk once more, and his figure vanished from sight.
The young Daoist rubbed his eyes. "The National Preceptor remains as unfathomable as ever."
At the westernmost edge of Heaven Revelation City.
The night here was utterly silent, for this was the land of tombs.
The largest tomb in all the land.
The Beili Imperial Mausoleum.
Guarded by the imperial army and overseen by the most powerful of the previous dynasty's Five Great Eunuchs, ordinary people would veer away from this place three miles out. Yet Qi Tianchen appeared directly outside the mausoleum—and before him stood a figure cloaked in black.
The same person who had once met Su Muyu in the Shadow Prison.
"So it's the National Preceptor." The figure spoke in a low voice.
"Last night, I dreamed of Eunuch Zhuo Qing. On a whim, I came here to seek him out—to play a game of chess." The National Preceptor smiled faintly, inclining his head slightly.
So this was Zhuo Qing, the foremost of the previous dynasty's Five Great Eunuchs, once the greatest martial artist within the imperial court and the most powerful figure in Heaven Revelation City. Throughout the generations of Beili, to balance the court's factions, eunuchs had always been granted immense authority—so much so that several reigns ago, there had been a eunuch-led rebellion. To prevent such a recurrence, it was decreed that upon the death of each emperor, the Five Great Eunuchs who had served him would be sent to guard the imperial mausoleum, forbidden to leave without cause. Though Zhuo Qing was the most formidable of the eunuchs in both martial prowess and influence, he could not escape this fate. Since the passing of Taiandi, he had remained within the mausoleum—at least, so it appeared to outsiders.
Eunuch Zhuo Qing chuckled, rubbing the jade thumb ring on his hand. "The National Preceptor has impeccable timing."
"I not only have good timing—I’m also quite good at stalling for time." The National Preceptor continued to smile faintly.
"A pity that while the National Preceptor had a dream, Zhuo Qing has no such leisure tonight." Zhuo Qing took a step forward.
"According to ancestral decree, eunuchs guarding the mausoleum must not take a single step beyond its bounds. Yet just now, Eunuch Zhuo Qing took another step." The National Preceptor raised his whisk, pointing behind Zhuo Qing. "Not to mention those seventy, eighty, ninety, one hundred steps..."
"Some things lose their charm when spoken too plainly," Zhuo Qing said darkly.
"Indeed. Some things lose their charm when spoken too plainly." The National Preceptor nodded, still not yielding an inch.
"So the National Preceptor is determined to stand in my way today." Zhuo Qing tilted his head slightly.
The National Preceptor pulled out a sweet pancake from his sleeve and took a bite. "Not necessarily. I truly just wanted to play chess."
"If we were to fight, all of Heaven Revelation City would tremble." Zhuo Qing sighed softly.
"Since Baili Dongjun and Ye Dingzhi battled atop the imperial palace, Heaven Revelation City has been too quiet for too long." The National Preceptor chewed on the pancake. "Or perhaps some excitement happens at night and ends by dawn—unseen by most."
Zhuo Qing retreated half a step, yet his right hand lifted slightly—as if to withdraw back into the mausoleum, or perhaps to charge forward outright.The National Preceptor finished eating a sugar pancake, then lightly tapped his foot on the ground, causing a Bagua diagram to slowly unfold beneath him.
"If I hadn't taken that hit from Teacher Li back then, I might truly have to fight the National Preceptor today," Zhuo Qing sighed softly, withdrawing his right hand and turning away. "I wonder if Teacher Li was just foreseeing events with divine clarity or simply wanted to bully me."
"Don't overthink it—he just wanted to bully you," the National Preceptor patted Zhuo Qing on the shoulder. "Playing chess with me is much more interesting."
At the Ten Thousand Scrolls Tower in the residence of the Emperor's father-in-law...
Xie Zaiye fired three more arrows in quick succession. The distance between him and Su Muyu was now less than thirty feet, and the sound of the bowstring had barely faded when the arrows were already upon Su Muyu.
Su Muyu raised his sword to block, but the force behind each arrow was overwhelming, sending violent tremors through his hands with every impact, forcing him to switch from defense to offense as he was pushed back step by step. In his life, he had faced many peerless swordsmen and sabermasters, but an archer of this caliber usually only appeared on the battlefield—this was his first encounter with one.
"Impressive. If I didn’t have these six men supporting me, I alone wouldn’t be able to kill you," Xie Zaiye said, this time drawing seven arrows from his quiver at once. He nocked them, drew his bow, and aimed at Su Muyu. "But this strike—Seven Stars Linked—you won’t be able to withstand it."
"Seven Stars Linked?" Su Muyu was taken aback.
"The very same arrow technique that took King Lou’s life in the battle of Louluo City! Seven Stars Linked—what a waste to use it on a mere Dark River assassin!" Xie Zaiye shouted as he released the bowstring.
The six sabermasters surrounding Su Muyu immediately scattered at the sound. Su Muyu hastily swung his sword to block the first arrow, only to be sent flying back seven steps. The second arrow arrived immediately after, and though he blocked it again, he felt a surge of blood and qi in his chest—this arrow’s force was nearly twice as strong as the last!
Could it be that with each of the seven arrows, the power would multiply sevenfold?
By the time Su Muyu blocked the third arrow, his suspicions were confirmed. But at the same time, he heard a crisp crack —his sword had chipped. If he blocked another arrow, the blade would surely shatter, and by the time the last three arrows arrived, he would be left with no place to bury his corpse.
At that moment, Su Muyu suddenly steadied himself, his sword spinning lightly as his stance shifted.
It became slow.
Deliberate.
Then he drew a circle.
Forming the shape of the Bagua.
The fourth arrow was then "guided" away—not blocked, nor deflected, but redirected along the flow of Su Muyu’s sword.
"What is this...?" Xie Zaiye frowned. "Taiji Sword?"
Su Muyu took a deep breath and faced the fifth arrow. This time, it was slightly harder than the last, but he still managed to guide it away smoothly.
"A killer who knows the slowest, most deliberate sword technique in the world," Xie Zaiye muttered in confusion.
When the sixth arrow came, Su Muyu attempted to repeat the same maneuver, but the moment his sword made contact, the blade finally shattered completely. In a panic, Su Muyu discarded the broken sword and twisted aside, the arrow merely grazing his shoulder.
But there was still the seventh arrow.
At that moment, Su Muyu suddenly leaped into the air.
A paper umbrella had appeared in the sky at some unknown time.Su Muyu gripped the umbrella handle tightly and swung it downward. The paper umbrella collided with the final arrow, producing a loud "bang" as it burst open like a blooming flower. Seventeen sharp blades shot out, completely neutralizing the arrow's momentum before swiftly hurtling toward Xie Zaiye!
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