After resting for the night, the group of thirteen set off into the forest at the break of dawn the next day.
Gu Jinghong and Chu Dingjiang stood atop a mountain peak, gazing down below.
"Do you think Xuan Ren will survive?" Gu Jinghong asked with a faint smile, watching the figures flickering in and out of view within the dense woods.
Xuan Ren was An Jiu's codename in the Crane Control Institute.
"Whatever the outcome, I wouldn't be surprised," Chu Dingjiang mused before adding, "Am I qualified to take a spot among the Dragon Martial Guards?"
Gu Jinghong turned to look at him, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. "You understand the duties of the Dragon Martial Guards. Why make such a sacrifice?"
The Emperor sought immortality through Daoist practices, often engaging in dual cultivation with women and refining Elixirs using the purest Yang Inner Force of men as an aid.
Like the Imperial Guards, the Dragon Martial Guards had their own burdens—women were expected to serve in the bedchamber, while men had to expend their True Energy to assist the Daoist priests in alchemy. Normally, expending True Energy wasn't a significant issue—as long as the energy sea and Inner Force remained intact, it would replenish quickly. However, refining Elixirs required an immense amount of True Energy, often draining one completely to produce a single pill. Repeated exhaustion of True Energy would cause irreversible damage to the energy sea. Within five years, one would be reduced to a cripple.
Chu Dingjiang knew all this. Yet, the thought of that body submitting to another made his energy sea surge with uncontrollable fury. If this continued, he would succumb to Qi deviation long before his Inner Force was drained.
"If His Majesty knew a Transformation Realm Master willingly joined the Dragon Martial Guards, he'd be overjoyed!" Gu Jinghong's tone dripped with mockery, devoid of even the slightest respect for the Emperor. "I regard you as a hero, so let's pretend I never heard those words."
"Mei Shisi has no Inner Force—she can't serve as a furnace," Chu Dingjiang said, ignoring his words.
"Dual cultivation?" Gu Jinghong scoffed. "He seeks immortality yet can't forsake carnal pleasures, hence this method. The women in his harem have no Inner Force either, yet he still indulges."
"My meridians are of the fire attribute," Chu Dingjiang suddenly remarked, seemingly out of nowhere.
Gu Jinghong's eyes widened slightly. He turned and studied Chu Dingjiang for a long moment before pressing two fingers against the pulse in his neck.
Knowing his intent, Chu Dingjiang withdrew his Body Shielding Qi.
Martial artists with fire-attribute True Energy had higher body temperatures than ordinary people. Even through fabric, Gu Jinghong felt a warm current seep into his skin from his fingertips—gentle at first, like spring sunlight, but growing increasingly fierce. He quickly withdrew his hand as if scorched by flames.
Martial paths of extreme Yang or Yin were easier to advance in while maintaining purity. Chu Dingjiang's Inner Force was fiercely Yang, untainted by impurities—clearly, he had never been with a woman. Combined with his pure Yang fire-attribute meridians and his status as a Transformation Realm Master, he was the perfect specimen for alchemy.
If Gu Jinghong could bring Chu Dingjiang into the Dragon Martial Guards, promotions and titles would be guaranteed.
Facing the mountain wind, Gu Jinghong slowly steadied his emotions. "A true man stands tall between heaven and earth. If death comes, it should be in defense of home and country—not in wasting one's Martial Arts to entertain a foolish ruler."
"Hahaha!" Chu Dingjiang suddenly burst into laughter, his deep, resonant voice echoing through the mountains as if shaking the heavens and earth. "As subjects, few dare call their ruler foolish. I thought, given how diligently you serve His Majesty, I'd never hear those words from you. Who knew you'd say them so easily? Splendid!"Gu Jinghong smiled with an air of effortless grace.
The Song Dynasty had long begun to suppress martial arts in favor of literature. Most men aspired to pass the imperial examinations as their lifelong goal, so they tended to be refined and scholarly. A man like Chu Dingjiang—bold, unrestrained, yet not a reckless brute—was exceedingly rare. Gu Jinghong had no desire to waste such a formidable presence.
Chu Dingjiang could guess Gu Jinghong’s thoughts. There were many reasons he wanted to join the Dragon Martial Guard, not solely for An Jiu’s sake. That said, he could achieve those other objectives through different means—there was no need to take the risk of entering the Dragon Martial Guard. Ultimately, he simply couldn’t stand by and let An Jiu do such a thing.
First, because he had once seen An Jiu’s body. Though she had said he didn’t need to take responsibility, and he hadn’t dwelled on it, in his heart, he still acted as if nothing had happened. Second, he could tell An Jiu was a woman of unyielding pride—she would rather die than submit to serving the Emperor against her will.
“Since you put it that way, I won’t insist further.” Chu Dingjiang abandoned the idea of joining the Crane Control Army, but his intent to protect An Jiu remained unchanged. “However, no matter the outcome of this trial, I will never stand by and watch you drag her into the Dragon Martial Guard.”
Was this a declaration of enmity?
But did Chu Dingjiang not fear that Gu Jinghong might report him to the Emperor? Was it sheer audacity, or did he understand Gu Jinghong’s character too well?
Gu Jinghong’s eyes darkened as he reassessed Chu Dingjiang. This man appeared bold and free-spirited, but in truth, he was quite shrewd. Gu Jinghong couldn’t even discern how much of Chu Dingjiang’s earlier claim about joining the Dragon Martial Guard had been genuine.
This was becoming troublesome! Gu Jinghong had thoroughly investigated An Jiu before making his move, only for Chu Dingjiang to appear out of nowhere. There was clearly no deep bond between them, yet he was willing to oppose Gu Jinghong—even defy the Emperor himself.
What was he after?
So even with his mind-reading skills at their peak, there were still depths of the human heart he couldn’t fathom…
The mountain wind howled, rustling the leaves like waves rolling across the hillside.
Yet deep in the forest, the wind was barely perceptible.
An Jiu and her group had split into two teams shortly after entering the woods.
The hidden outpost of Misty Villa was located in a valley west of Baiyun Mountain. On the map, it seemed very close, and the group had initially been full of confidence. But once they entered the forest, their spirits dampened. The trees grew densely, casting deep shadows, and the undergrowth was thick with thorns, making it difficult to find a path.
The trees were so tightly packed that they couldn’t use qinggong—their mental strength wasn’t refined enough to navigate with such precision, and a single misstep could send them crashing into a trunk.
“Do you think it’s really Misty Villa?” asked Li Qingzhi, a twenty-five-year-old sixth-rank martial arts master. He had trained in the way of the blade since childhood, with above-average talent but an innate ferocity that lent his swordplay a mountain-splitting, sea-rending force.
“Hard to say,” someone replied.
For every trial, the Crane Control Institute would set up a hypothetical enemy. Whether this one was real remained uncertain.
Another young man named Tao Zhu remarked, “I don’t think it’s fake. But it’s strange—Misty Villa belongs to the martial world, while we serve the court. We’ve always kept to our own domains. Why would the court suddenly target them?”
After a pause, Sui Yunzhu said, “I suspect it’s related to the recent incidents involving the Crane Controlling Families.”
Sui Yunzhu’s name sounded feminine, but he was, in fact, a man—a strikingly handsome one."What do you mean?" Lou Mingyue was particularly concerned about this.
When the Lou and Mei families were still intact, these peripheral members didn't know they were part of the Crane Controlling Families. However, the two horrifying massacres that occurred recently had led many to speculate. And now, with Lou Mingyue and An Jiu appearing at the Crane Control Institute, their suspicions were all but confirmed. (To be continued...)
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