"What do you have to help me get back? Even if the people guarding Medicine King Valley are all yours, if you help me privately, the Emperor will definitely not let you go."
A flicker of confusion crossed Xia Yunting's eyes: "The outside of Medicine King Valley is all Chen Taifu's men, but I have a handle on him now and can send you back."
What? Chen Taifu's men were outside Medicine King Valley?
Not Xia Yunting's men?
Then Xia Yunting had been lying to her from the beginning?
"You go back, I don't need your help."
Thinking of how she had been tricked for so long, Rong Zhi was a little angry.
"You must come with me!" Xia Yunting was also stubborn, and neither side would yield.
"Who is it?"
Two figures suddenly dropped from the house, one on the left and one on the right, grabbing Xia Yunting. Xia Yunting struck back with a palm, and the two retreated together, crashing against the wall.
By the time they reacted, a dark shadow flashed, and Xia Yunting had disappeared.
"Who was that? Was that the little general who sent you back last time?"
Liu Yunxi looked out the window, narrowing his eyes.
"He wants to take me back to Medicine King Valley."
Rong Zhi didn't explain further. The fact that these two people could enter so quickly meant they had probably heard everything.
"To dare to take such a big risk, it seems he treats you quite well." Wen Yu winked meaningfully.
Rong Zhi rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache.
"It seems he lied to me about many things. He has amnesia now, and I must get an explanation from him."
"What's so difficult about that? When your identity is proclaimed to the world, the old emperor will be in a difficult position. You can just take him back then."
Rong Zhi nodded, her eyes gradually turning cold.
Two more days passed, and Liu Yunxi received a message from a swift eagle.
A majestic eagle landed in the courtyard, its large claws gripping a bulging envelope. Liu Yunxi opened it to find various items inside: feathers, a dart, a jade pendant... a jumble of about 20 items.
Wen Yu watched, utterly confused.
"What are all these things?"
"These are tokens from the various sects of the martial world." Liu Yunxi released the eagle and explained, "The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley has saved many people before and holds a high position in the martial world. If she is in trouble, the various sects will definitely come to her aid."
Wen Yu seemed to understand but not fully: "But it's rumored all over the martial world that the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley is already dead. Will they believe it?"
Liu Yunxi smiled proudly: "The message comes from me, Liu Yunxi. They have no choice but to believe it."
Wen Yu sent word to the Emperor. They were willing to cooperate and could guarantee that the leaders of the numerous martial sects would come to the imperial city to pledge allegiance.
Upon hearing this news, Jin Jinghong stood up directly from his dragon throne, excited.
"They really agreed?"
The eunuch who reported it smiled brilliantly: "This servant heard it with his own ears. They have already sent messages to the various sects, asking their leaders to come to the imperial city individually."
"Excellent! With the help of a major sect, I can launch an offensive against the surrounding smaller countries. In the future, all the surrounding territories will be trampled under my feet!"
He laughed with excitement. The eunuch, sensing the mood, wisely retreated.
"Father, be careful. If all the leaders of the major sects come to the imperial city, they might secretly bring some experts with them. At that time, Father might be in danger."
Although Jin Yunfei was also happy, he considered things more carefully.
"What are you afraid of? We have the Shadow Guards, and so many guards from the Xiao and Xia families. How could I possibly care about a few minor sects from Jianghu? Hurry and prepare. In three days, I will host a banquet at the Qianji Pavilion."
Jin Yunfei originally wanted to persuade him further, but upon hearing the words "Qianji Pavilion," his heart settled somewhat.
Qianji Pavilion was the domain of the Grand Tutor, containing complex formations and arrays. Even if the King of Heaven himself came, he wouldn't be able to get out, let alone those martial artists.
Cheng Yichen received the news while idly teasing a small insect on the table with a dry blade of grass.
"The First Prince should have persuaded the Emperor. I've been doing the resurrection array here for so many years, and it smells of blood. It's not a place for dining."
Seeing his leisurely manner, Jin Yunfei couldn't help but frown.
"Grand Tutor, this is a major matter. You must prepare well, otherwise, if even one or two martial artists manage to get in, you will be held responsible."
"Alright, alright, I understand." He waved his hand, indicating that Jin Yunfei could leave.
Jin Yunfei snorted and left without looking back.
After he left, Cheng Yichen sprinkled a handful of fine red powder on the table. The insect approached, took a few bites, and suddenly started kicking its legs, struggling frantically on the table.
Cheng Yichen's gaze was tense as he stared fixedly at the insect. After a while, the insect returned to normal and began to crawl rapidly, its movements several times faster than before.
"It's done!" He quickly put the insect into a small box.
Just then, a figure suddenly dropped down from behind.
"Master."
Cheng Yichen turned around, and standing behind him was Xia Yunting.
Everyone knew Xia Yunting was a renowned general, but no one knew he was also Cheng Yichen's disciple.
"You're here. Have you remembered everything you should have?" Cheng Yichen fiddled with the box in his hand, looking into Xia Yunting's eyes.
Those eyes seemed veiled in mist, full of confusion.
Xia Yunting shook his head.
"I still can't remember who she is, but I instinctively want to help her."
It was strange. After he was released from the Ministry of Justice's prison last time, he instinctively wanted to approach Xing Jiahui whenever he saw her, but deep down, he was extremely resistant.
Having fought in battles for many years, his first reaction was that he had been tricked, but he didn't know how.
He found Cheng Yichen, his master, immediately.
His master guessed that he had been poisoned by a Gu, a type of worm that could muddle one's mind.
"It's normal not to remember. If it were so easy to remember, the Gu would not be so rare. Fortunately, I've already found a solution for you."
He opened the box, and a small worm was wriggling rapidly inside.
"Put this into your body. It will eat the original Gu. However, it will also consume your blood. For half a month after putting the worm in your body, you cannot sustain any injury, otherwise, you will die from lack of vital energy."
Seeing the worm, Xia Yunting's eyes lit up, and he reached out to grab it.
"Wait a moment. Think carefully. You cannot see blood for half a month, otherwise, even the gods could not save you."
Xia Yunting's voice was firm: "The Emperor has ordered me to guard the perimeter of the imperial city. Many martial artists will be coming. If chaos erupts and I forget what I should remember, I don't know what mistakes I might make. My father made mistakes back then, and I cannot repeat them."
"Good. You have the demeanor of your father back then." Cheng Yichen looked at him with admiration.
"Cut an opening in your wrist. The worm will crawl in through the wound, but remember, you absolutely cannot see blood for the next half a month."
Xia Yunting did not hesitate. He took out a dagger and cut a wound on his wrist. The worm seemed to sense the smell of blood and became agitated, rapidly crawling along his fingers and burrowing into the wound.
"It will hurt a bit. Endure it."
Xia Yunting's face turned slightly pale. Then he suddenly froze, the confusion in his eyes gradually receding, and his expression regained clarity.
"You remembered?"
"I remembered."
Damn Xing Jie, how dare he scheme against him like this.
"It's good that you remembered. Go and do what you must!"
Xia Yunting showed gratitude.
"Master, if there's a real conflict... you..."
"Although I am the Grand Tutor of Tianque Kingdom, I am not the Emperor's dog. I have committed enough sins over the years. Before I die, I should accumulate some good deeds for myself. If a fight really breaks out, I will definitely help those I want to help."
"This disciple will do the same."
They looked at each other and smiled. With just a few words, they had reached a consensus.
There had been some changes in the imperial city in the past few days. The most noticeable was the increase in unfamiliar faces at the Drunken Immortal Inn, and they all looked like people from the martial world. The people in the imperial city were silently guessing if something major had happened, but no one had concrete news.
Just as the public was speculating, a young man holding a wine pot suddenly joined the conversation.
"Have you heard? The Emperor is going to host a banquet for the leaders of the major martial sects and plans to launch a military campaign."
"What campaign? The border has finally been peaceful for a while, why are we going to war again?" The passerby was somewhat confused.
"Don't these martial artists dislike associating with royalty? How can they be so obedient and come to the imperial city?"
"Of course, there's a reason for it. Do you know Rong Zhi, the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley? They all came out of respect for her."
"Don't scare us. Wasn't she someone who died over a decade ago? Is it going to be a ghost story?"
"That's not a ghost story, that's called coming back from the dead. Let me tell you, this matter started at Qianji Pavilion 13 years ago..."
The young man recounted the story slowly. From initial skepticism to later horror, the faces of the passersby turned ashen.
"There's such a thing? Could it be that Qianji Pavilion has harmed tens of thousands of people over the years?"
Another passerby suddenly remembered something: "I knew that recently bodies were found outside the imperial city, but then they disappeared. The older generation said that Qianji Pavilion often transported bodies out over a decade ago, dumping them in the mass graves. What we're stepping on are the corpses of countless people!"
As this topic came up, more and more people joined in. Seeing that the timing was right, the young man quietly retreated.
Returning to the inn, he said to Liu Yunxi: "Master, the momentum has been built up sufficiently. These past few days, the people of the imperial city have been discussing the mass burials 13 years ago and the recent haunting. The imperial city is now in a state of panic. I believe that in a few days, the Emperor will be too preoccupied to even care about us."
It turned out this young man was the little disciple who had come from the Carefree Manor last time.
"Very good. Let the old emperor see who is more sinister, him or me."
He smiled coldly. A bloody storm was about to break.