Immortalis

Meat Well Sixteen

"Your Majesty, if Shen Qingshi truly is the Cicada Molt, that Taoist had numerous opportunities to refine her into medicine earlier. Isn't this matter rather suspicious?"

In the Golden Luan Hall, Cao Zhao, the Bi'an Envoy who had been riding high these days, wore a grave expression.

He knew perfectly well that even as a third-rank official, facing the furious Emperor Yongzhao before him, he could lose his life at any moment.

The Zhaoming Division's expedition to Immeasurable Manor had been a complete failure. After a night of fierce struggle with the Four Seas Alliance, not only had they failed to dampen the martial artists' spirits, but the Zhaoming Division had inexplicably lost over a dozen men. Worse still, they had let Zhuang Tianyou escape, failing to obtain the Longevity Heart Sutra mentioned by Guanri.

And that wasn't all. More critically, Shen Qingshi had also disappeared along with Zhuang Tianyou.

After returning to the palace, the old Taoist from Longevity Palace directly stated that Shen Qingshi was the Cicada Molt. Now that they had lost the Cicada Molt and failed to obtain the Longevity Heart Sutra, Cao Zhao—who had always been meticulous—had uncharacteristically stumbled. The other three departments of the Zhaoming Division naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. The earlier exchange of opinions had almost entirely pushed him toward certain death.

Having served Emperor Yongzhao for fifteen years, Cao Zhao had long understood the Son of Heaven's unpredictable temperament. He knew well that serving the emperor was like living with a tiger, and now he dared not say a single word more.

Sure enough, Emperor Yongzhao looked at him coldly: "Whether she is the Cicada Molt is not for you to decide, Cao Zhao. Considering your previous merits in eliminating Longevity Palace, I will give you one more chance. Find the Longevity Heart Sutra and bring back Shen Qingshi. Otherwise, if all our efforts fail because of your personal interests, someone else will take your position as Bi'an Envoy."

Afterwards, several Brightening Envoys exited the main hall. Tu Yuanliang remarked with detached sarcasm: "Who would have thought Minister Cao would be so protective? Someone managed to 'escape' even while confined in the Bi'an Department's secret chamber."

Seeing Cao Zhao's livid expression, Shen Xin and Fu Hong—who had long awaited this day—seized the opportunity. The Chiwen Envoy laughed: "I said before, if Shen Qingshi were a complete woman, she might have been quite suitable for the rear palace, perhaps even less troublesome... I'm just afraid Minister Cao couldn't bear to part with the little beauty he's raised for fifteen years."

"However, Minister Cao has meticulously planned for ten years to find the path to longevity for His Majesty. I imagine you won't let us find the Cicada Molt that is Shen Qingshi before you, right?"

At this moment, Shen Xin interjected with a cold laugh nearby, his meaning unmistakable.

If Cao Zhao didn't sacrifice his personal interests for righteousness now, he would likely lose both the woman and his position. After searching for ten years, with immortality just one step away, the Emperor naturally wouldn't tolerate any mistakes at this critical juncture. Even though Cao Zhao had tried to sow doubt in the Emperor's mind as usual during the audience, the Emperor's attitude remained clear: better to kill mistakenly than to release mistakenly.

In other words, Shen Qingshi could not be saved. To climb higher, Cao Zhao had to cut off his own arm and abandon Shen Qingshi.

The other three envoys were delighted to see this outcome, taking the opportunity to mock him thoroughly. Soon after, they parted ways at the palace gate and returned to their respective residences, immediately issuing orders to capture both Shen Qingshi and Zhuang Tianyou as quickly as possible.

Since Cao Zhao had fallen out of imperial favor, this matter naturally became first come, first served.

Who would ultimately emerge victorious remained unknown.

After the three departed, Cao Zhao remained standing by his horse for a long time.

He stood at the palace gate, gazing at the distant horizon, when he suddenly remembered when he first brought Shen Qingshi to the Zhaoming Division. She had loved looking at the sky back then, saying she had always been kept in a cage before, so she had never seen the clouds in the sky.In the blink of an eye, fifteen years had passed.

Cao Zhao closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, the fleeting melancholy in his gaze had vanished without a trace. He summoned someone, whispered a few instructions in their ear.

The Bi An Envoy truly left no room for error.

His decision to release Shen Qingshi this time was a risky move, intended to test whether she truly was the Cicada Molt. Cao Zhao was well aware that if Shen Qingshi held no significance, letting her go would be inconsequential. But if she were important, the Emperor would have no choice but to rely on him to find her... and would not easily move against him.

In other words, through this step, he had at least confirmed that Shen Qingshi was a pawn that must be sacrificed.

As for finding her... Cao Zhao had left himself a backup plan as far back as fifteen years ago when Shen Qingshi entered the palace.

He had not reported her entire background, concealing the parts that could not see the light of day.

Although Shen Qingshi was the Flesh Conduit of Longevity Palace, she was also the daughter of Bai Miao, wielder of the Golden Jade Hibiscus Sword. Forced by circumstances, her twin sister had been left behind at Medicine King Mountain by Bai Miao, while she followed her mother to search for her biological father.

According to previous intelligence, the man who had shared a fleeting romance with the Golden Jade Hibiscus Sword was none other than the Seventh Prince at the time, Prince Li Yuan Mu.

Fifteen years ago, after Prince Qi raised his army, most of the other princes watched from the sidelines, fearing that provoking either side could bring fatal consequences upon themselves in the future.

It was at this time that the Golden Jade Hibiscus Sword arrived with her daughter. As one might expect, the already wary Prince Li dared not recklessly acknowledge kinship, fearing she might be a pawn used by Prince Qi to drag him into the conflict. Thus, he turned them away. Unexpectedly, after the Golden Jade Hibiscus Sword left with her daughter, all traces of them vanished. The next news of her came over a decade later, when a secret letter claimed her pair of Mandarin Duck Swords were now hidden in the treasure vault of White Rainbow Tower.

Shen Qingshi was Prince Li’s illegitimate daughter born outside the palace. Her mother was murdered at White Rainbow Tower, and Shen Qingshi was taken back to Longevity Palace by the White-faced Old Daoist, where she became the Flesh Conduit.

Although Emperor Yongzhao would not spare Shen Qingshi’s life simply because of her identity, this was a method to find her.

Previously, when Shen Qingshi returned to the Zhaoming Division, Cao Zhao, to show he bore no grudges, gave her a new Messenger Bee. He also knew that Shen Qingshi, wanting to guard against him, would inevitably leave Sweet Nectar on him. For this reason, she would keep the Messenger Bee to prevent him from suddenly appearing.

In other words, he could use this method to contact Shen Qingshi.

And as long as he found a way to make her aware of her own origins, he believed... he would soon find her in the right place.

Cao Zhao gave his orders, took one last look at the blood-like remnants of the sunset on the horizon, and finally mounted his horse.

Qingshi, don’t blame me.

From the day I brought you back... this day was destined to come.

Seven days after leaving Immeasurable Manor, Yang Wujian finally found an opportunity. He disguised himself and returned to West Wind Town to retrieve Xue Qiu, preparing to head to Shu to confirm what connection existed between Prince Li and Young Master Guanhuo.

During this time, he made some inquiries and learned that the casualties on the mountain had been severe. Combined, Immeasurable Manor, Jade Pavilion, Medicine King Mountain, and Thousand Cliffs Fortress had suffered dozens of deaths and injuries. Currently, all four factions remained on the mountain. The Zhaoming Division could not chew through this tough bone, and the Four Seas Alliance refused to back down and hand anyone over, leaving the situation at a stalemate.Yang Wujian thought to himself, Cao Zhao was cunning and calculating, and likely didn't want to be completely at odds with the martial world either. Therefore, since Zhuang Tianyou was no longer on the mountain, they probably wouldn't make things too difficult for the Four Seas Alliance.

Afterward, Yang Wujian found a lead box in West Wind Town to store Tian Ting. Though he was in a hurry and could only find one that was leaky, with the Zhaoming Guard currently hunting them everywhere, Yang Wujian didn't dare delay even a moment. Carrying the rabbit, he blended into the crowd leaving the city, passed the inspection, and was about to return to the forest to find Shen Qingshi and Zhou Huai when, unexpectedly, the two of them were standing motionless in front of the notice board outside the city gate.

"What's wrong?"

Among the three, only Yang Wujian had disguised his appearance. Fearing the other two might be recognized, he stepped forward to urge them to leave, only to discover that a dense swarm of bees had somehow gathered on the notice, forming crooked characters:

"Your father is Li, seek him quickly."

"This is..."

Yang Wujian now knew that the Zhaoming Guard often used Messenger Bees to communicate. Previously, Zhou Huai had relied on the Messenger Bee left by Shen Qingshi to follow them.

One type of Messenger Bee corresponded to only one type of Sweet Nectar. In other words, the person leaving the message must have known that Shen Qingshi possessed the Messenger Bee that matched this Sweet Nectar.

Yang Wujian almost immediately guessed the sender's identity, his face turning ashen: "You still kept the Messenger Bee Cao Zhao gave you?"

Shen Qingshi took out a bottle, and the Messenger Bee flew back into it on its own. She added, "You can use Messenger Bees to find Sweet Nectar, but you can't use them to find other Messenger Bees... After I left the Zhaoming Division, I confirmed that I had no Sweet Nectar on me. Cao Zhao couldn't possibly track me. I kept this Messenger Bee to guard against Cao Zhao's sudden appearance... During the two days I stayed in the secret pavilion, I left Sweet Nectar on all the items he commonly used. If he touches even a bit of it, the Messenger Bee will alert us when he approaches."

The three of them didn't dare linger and immediately turned back into the forest.

Zhou Huai, recalling the message, looked shocked: "What does Cao Zhao mean? 'Your father is Li'... He couldn't mean..."

"Since he used the Sweet Nectar corresponding to the Messenger Bee I have, it means this message was left for me... Probably, the wanted notices posted by the Zhaoming Division all have this message. Cao Zhao knows me too well—he knew I would keep the Messenger Bee."

Over the past few days, Shen Qingshi's superficial wounds had mostly healed, but whether due to some lingering aftereffect, she had been feeling short of breath.

She had long known that Cao Zhao had investigated her background, but previously, he had only told her that Yin Quer was her sister, and that after their mother left Yin Quer at Medicine King Mountain, she took Shen Qingshi to find their biological father.

So what did he mean by leaving her this message now? Was he hoping she would seek out the father she had never met and beg him to protect her life?

"'Your father is Li'... He couldn't be referring to Prince Li, could he?"

Yang Wujian instinctively scanned their surroundings but found no one tracking them. It seemed Cao Zhao had left the message solely to inform Shen Qingshi of her origins.

But at this critical juncture, just as they were about to head to Shu to find Prince Li and verify their suspicions, Cao Zhao pulled this stunt...

Yang Wujian frowned: "Is it a trap? How could Prince Li possibly be..."

Halfway through his sentence, he realized something was off.

Yin Quer and Shen Qingshi looked extremely alike—they were likely truly sisters. And back when they heard Danyuan Bai speak, he mentioned that Yin Quer's mother was exceptionally skilled with a pair of Mandarin Duck Swords.Yang Wujian murmured, "Prince Li's lover, the Golden Jade Hibiscus Sword, used paired swords... and she already died in Zhou Jinglei's Dragon Locking Coffin... They also said Zhou Jinglei harmed both her and her daughter..."

Zhou Huai immediately made the connection, looking at Shen Qingshi in disbelief. "But... if Prince Li is the mastermind behind all this, then he, the White-faced Guest, and my father should be on the same side. Why would he let his own lover die in White Rainbow Tower?"

According to their previous speculation, the White-faced Guest had sought out Zhou Jinglei to build White Rainbow Tower, kill those martial artists to steal their techniques, and sell them on the black market—all just to find a way to gather wealth for his master.

After all, Emperor Yongzhao had always been extremely suspicious. Over the years, Prince Li had not only resided in Shu but also possessed only a few acres of land, with neither wealth nor power. This was why Emperor Yongzhao could rest assured letting him remain a prince.

But with White Rainbow Tower, things were different.

They used White Rainbow Tower to amass wealth, had Yang Ye invest the money in the brothels and gambling dens of Handkerchief Street, and then the funds quietly ended up in Young Master Guanhuo's pocket.

When the time was ripe, the White-faced Guest brought Tian Ting to Zhuang Tianyou, luring him into madness, persuading him to reorganize the Four Seas Alliance to investigate old cases, attracting the palace's attention, and ultimately directing the Brightening Envoy toward White Rainbow Tower.

At this point, likely under the White-faced Guest's instruction, Yang Ye deliberately locked Shen Xin in the Dragon Locking Coffin. Unaware that his master had already decided to silence him, he did this only to make the Brightening Envoy pursue him relentlessly until they eventually discovered his corpse.

All of this was not only to ensnare the current Son of Heaven deeper in the trap of immortality but also to dispel his suspicions. After all, from Yang Ye to Young Master Guanhuo, they all died under the Brightening Envoy's watch. Such twists and turns were meant to divert attention, ensuring the palace would no longer investigate the whereabouts of the massive wealth from White Rainbow Tower.

But why exactly did the Golden Jade Hibiscus Sword die in White Rainbow Tower?

As more clues connected, Yang Wujian slowly formed a chilling speculation.

"According to Northern Desert legends, only the chosen one can enter Underground Heaven."

He murmured, "At the end of the Crimson Gold era, the Northern Desert Khan entered the Meat Well on the day the celestial star fell, glimpsed the heavenly way, learned that Crimson Gold would fall, and then led the immortal Northern Desert Iron Cavalry to invade, eventually becoming the first emperor of Northern Xiang."

Pausing, Yang Wujian added, "In Northern Desert legends, the Khan who descended into the Meat Well back then was the so-called chosen one, and every generation of Northern Xiang's emperors are his descendants. If Prince Li is Rilie's child, then he also carries Northern Xiang royal bloodline and is qualified to enter Underground Heaven."

Yang Wujian instinctively looked at Shen Qingshi's jade-like face.

Unlike ordinary people, she didn't lose her mind upon entering the Meat Well. Didn't this precisely indicate that she was the so-called "chosen one" and likely possessed Northern Desert royal bloodline...

To seek immortality, one needed both Cicada Molt and Tian Ting.

Shen Qingshi, being their so-called Cicada Molt, was herself a descendant of the chosen one.

Yang Wujian said in disbelief, "It can't be... Shen Qingshi, your becoming the Cicada Molt... wasn't actually a coincidence, was it?"