"Kill a few chickens? Am I one of those chickens, or the monkey?"
Gu Linuan's eyelid twitched. His heart pounded with apprehension as he took out several Dafeng coins and stuffed them into the eunuch's hand. Gritting his teeth, he headed into the palace. Before he had gone far, he encountered another eunuch bearing an imperial decree, also hurrying toward the Imperial Academy. The eunuch greeted him with a smile: "Congratulations, Lord Gu!"
Gu Linuan answered distractedly, "Eunuch, what is there to congratulate?"
"Lord Gu may not be aware," the eunuch said. "The Imperial Scholar of your Imperial Academy has performed meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion. His Majesty has sent this humble one to reward him with a promotion."
Gu Linuan jumped in fright, exclaiming, "Another promotion? There was just one eunuch who passed by to promote him. How can he be promoted twice in a row?"
The eunuch replied, "His Majesty said that the first time was because others had failed in their duties, while the Imperial Scholar had fulfilled his. Therefore, he was to be promoted to sixth rank. This time, the Imperial Scholar has rendered great merit in suppressing the rebellion in the Southern Borderlands, so he is to be promoted again to fifth rank lower."
Gu Linuan discreetly pressed several Dafeng coins into the eunuch's hand, mumbling, "So he has rendered merit. The Imperial Scholar is a scholar of our Imperial Academy. His meritorious reward brings me honor as well..."
"Indeed!" The eunuch gave a coy smile and hurried away.
Gu Linuan continued toward the palace, his mind wandering. He encountered yet another eunuch bearing a decree, who beamed with joy upon seeing him: "Congratulations, Lord Gu! Congratulations, Lord Gu!"
Gu Linuan said with a dark expression, "Eunuch, what is there to congratulate?"
"His Majesty has sent this humble one to announce a promotion for the Imperial Scholar of the Imperial Academy!"
The old eunuch laughed, "The Imperial Scholar, Qin Mu, treated the State Preceptor's injuries. He is promoted to fifth rank upper, Grand Master of the Palace, withstatus equal to that of the Imperial Academy! Three promotions in a single day—this is a great celebration for your Imperial Academy!"
Gu Linuan nodded numbly, took out several Dafeng coins and slipped them into the old eunuch's hand with practiced stealth, his smile not reaching his eyes: "I share in the honor as well..."
After the eunuch departed, Gu Linuan's expression grew even darker. As one rose, another fell. If Qin Mu continued to be promoted, he would soon be on equal footing with Gu Linuan himself!
Three promotions meant Gu Linuan had to spend a considerable amount of money!
"If he keeps getting promoted, I'll have to call him 'Lord'."
Gu Linuan composed himself and went to see the emperor, presenting the list of fallen scholars. Emperor Yanfeng was reviewing memorials. He looked up, took the list, and read through it, his heart aching: "These scholars are the pillars ofI's realm, the future mainstay of the nation. Because intelligence was leaked, they were killed by traitors!I wants to kill someone!"
A cold sweat broke out on Gu Linuan's forehead. He dared not speak. Who knew whether the emperor would want to kill him after he spoke?
Emperor Yanfeng rose and paced back and forth. Suddenly he slammed the table, his voice filled with anguish: "I only issued the decree before departure, revealing the location for the scholars' training. How could they have been ambushed? Gu Linuan, beloved minister! TellI—who leaked the information?"
Gu Linuan pondered, then said, "Judging from the battle at Lizhou, the Vice Magistrate of Lizhou Prefecture had already captured Lu County. When the Imperial Academy and the scholars arrived at Lizhou, the rebels precisely unleashed the Soul-Pulling technique. This means the rebels knew the exact time the scholars would arrive at Lizhou, as if they had foreknowledge. They must have received intelligence about the scholars' training before Lu County fell. This explains why they still had the strength to summon demons and revive souls after Lu County was breached. It was not the Imperial Academy or the scholars who leaked the information, but rather..."
He steeled himself and continued, "Either I, or one of those first-rank ministers."
"The traitors are among us!"
Emperor Yanfeng sneered, "It seems someone among us wantsI to vacate this seat and let them sit in it. When this matter was discussed, aside from you andI, all who knew were first-rank ministers—the Crown Prince's several tutors, the Minister of Works, the Minister of Revenue, and the Duke. Which of them do you suspect?"
Large beads of sweat formed on Gu Linuan's forehead. He clenched his jaw and remained silent.
Emperor Yanfeng glanced at him and snorted coldly, "You dare not speak? You are disloyal toI."
Cold sweat rolled down Gu Linuan's forehead: "This subject was frozen in the Great Ruins for two hundred years and knows little of the court ministers. I dare not speak rashly..."
"You may speak rashly.I pardons you."
"This subject is dull-witted and foolish. I was even tricked by the Imperial Scholar into giving up my court sword—proof of my stupidity..."
Emperor Yanfeng was so angry he laughed. Pointing at Gu Linuan's nose, he said, "Don't try to muddy the waters withI! The Imperial Scholar tricked you out of your sword. Go bow your head, apologize, and ask for it back. If you are truly foolish, why wouldI keep you as Grand Sacrificial Master? Pack your bags and get out! TellI—who do you suspect?"
Gu Linuan gritted his teeth, then suddenly looked up: "The Crown Prince's several tutors are highly suspicious!"
"What did you say?"
Emperor Yanfeng erupted with rage, his imperial might erupting and forcing Gu Linuan's head down.
Suddenly, Emperor Yanfeng's fury deflated. He waved his hand: "Beloved minister Gu, you are very clever, very clever... You may leave."
Drenched in cold sweat, Gu Linuan slowly backed away.
"Return," said Emperor Yanfeng.
Gu Linuan's hair stood on end. Steadying himself, he walked back. Emperor Yanfeng spoke slowly: "This time the State Preceptor rendered great merit.I has not yet rewarded him. What do you thinkI should bestow upon him?"
Gu Linuan bowed his head: "What can Your Majesty bestow upon him?"
Emperor Yanfeng shook his head: "Nothing is left."
Gu Linuan considered, then said, "Then bestow upon the State Preceptor beauties and wealth."
"What you think is exactly whatI thinks."
Emperor Yanfeng sighed, "But I fear he will refuse again as he did in the past."
Gu Linuan hesitated: "Many events have transpired. If the State Preceptor is truly wise, he will certainly accept this time."
Emperor Yanfeng was momentarily stunned, then smiled: "You are also an amusing person.I was not killing the chicken for you to see. You are not the chicken. You may leave. And stop constantly provoking the Imperial Scholar. You cannot afford to antagonize him. His power exceeds your imagination. Every time you try to make things difficult for him,I loses face for you.I elevated you against the objections of many.I will not keep cleaning up your messes."
Gu Linuan withdrew in shame, thinking to himself: "I cannot afford to antagonize him? I cannot afford to antagonize him? I am a grand figure of the demonic path, one of the most formidable in the Heavenly Demon Cult. How could I be unable to handle a Five Manifestations realm whippersnapper? Have these centuries of my life been wasted..."
Emperor Yanfeng resumed reviewing memorials. Suddenly he set down his vermilion brush and stared into the distance: "I ascended to this throne in middle age, having outlived several of my sons in the process. It seems my Crown Prince should not wait as long as I did..."
At the Imperial Academy, Qin Mu received three imperial decrees. His official rank rose to fifth rank upper, Grand Master of the Palace. The Grand Master of the Palace was merely a welfare title with no real power—a civil office often called the nation's supreme minister, yet one who was merely a retired functionary.
Obviously, the emperor still harbored suspicions about this Heavenly Demon Cult Master and would not grant him real power, lest the court be overrun with demonic cult ruffians.
Qin Mu tossed the three scrolls of imperial decrees casually into the west room, his heart unperturbed.
He was still cultivating the other four transformations of the Five Manifestations realm.
This southern expedition to suppress the rebellion had provided much guidance from the State Preceptor of Yankang. After returning from the Southern Borderlands, Shen Wunyun and Si Yunxiang, among others, had immediately immersed themselves in the Heavenly Records Tower, searching for cultivation techniques of the Five Manifestations realm.
Si Yunxiang had even borrowed Qin Mu's Imperial Scholar token to access the third floor of the Heavenly Records Tower and study the techniques there.
"The State Preceptor of Yankang's reformpromotess the principle that all laws of the world are for the common people's daily use. The State of Yankang is essentially a more massive Heavenly Demon Cult."
Qin Mu absorbed the Earth Star force. His body slowly began to transform. His two legs gradually merged into one, becoming a serpentine tail. With a human head and a serpentine body, he towered several zhang tall. Behind him appeared two tightly shut gates.
During his journey to the Southern Borderlands, he had already refined the four divine manifestations within his Five Manifestations Divine Repository—Mercury Sovereign, Mars Sovereign, Jupiter Sovereign, and Venus Sovereign. Yet the Earth Sovereign form had proven remarkably difficult to refine. No matter how abundant his vital energy, he could never condense the most perfect Earth Sovereign form.
This time, he activated the Tyrant Body Three Cinnabar Art. The tightly shut gates behind him gradually became clearer, but the inscriptions upon them remained somewhat blurred and indistinguishable.
The Earth Sovereign was extremely unique among the five planetary sovereigns. The True Art of Earth's Marquis, foremost of the Five Manifestations, was unexpectedly difficult to cultivate, especially the gate behind the Earth Sovereign.
Qin Mu could manifest the Earth Sovereign form, but that gate remained stubbornly vague, never reaching a state of clear visibility. The inscriptions upon it stayed perpetually blurry.
From above, a continuous stream of earthy yellow light flowed into his body. The Earth Star force surged forth, stabilizing his divine manifestation further. Gradually, Qin Mu noticed additional changes in the Earth Sovereign form—the phantom of a scroll appeared in his hands.
He gazed at the scroll. The text upon it remained illegible. However, judging from the bizarre patterns of the characters, they appeared to be tadpole script—the strokes resembling suns, moons, insects, and fish—utterly unlike the characters of the present age.
Qin Mu had studied under the Deaf Man for nearly a decade. The Deaf Man possessed profound knowledge of ancient characters, yet he had never taught him this form of tadpole script.
Qin Mu turned to look at the inscriptions on the phantom gate behind him. Though still blurred beyond clarity, they bore a certain resemblance to the characters on the scroll.
"What characters are these?"
A faint sense of unease stirred in Qin Mu's mind. If every martial artist at the Five Manifestations realm had such a pair of gates behind them, and if every manifested Earth Sovereign held such a scroll, then surely someone would have long deciphered the text on both the scroll and the gates, unraveling their mysteries. Why had even the State Preceptor never mentioned this?
Could it be that other cultivators' Earth Sovereign manifestations did not possess this gate, nor this scroll?
Just as he pondered this, a heavy, demonic voice suddenly echoed within his mind: "Stop your idle thoughts. These are Netherworld characters. Ainsignificant, weak creature like you could never comprehend the script of the Netherworld."
Qin Mu's scalp went numb, his hair standing on end. He cried out in alarm: "Who? Who is speaking inside my body?"
"Still pretending?"
The voice chuckled, "How long will you keep up this act? When I borrowed your eyes to observe the State Preceptor of Yankang's combat techniques, did you not already recognize me? The Lord of All Heavens' Demon Summoner?"