Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Chapter 623: When the Wind Rises

Night Dragon Hall.

The emperor leaned back in his chair with his eyes shut as his mind wandered elsewhere. He looked quite tired.

Cultivators at his level rarely experienced physical fatigue unless they had been engaged in a great battle of life and death. That meant the emperor's tiredness was likely to be due to emotional exhaustion.

Before the Qinghong Banquet, he was already heartbroken because of the two women he loved most. Then the chaos during the banquet just added to his problems. His son's death became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

The emperor had been sitting there silently for a long time.

In the meantime, Di Nufeng had gone to Mount Reticence to ask someone from the Celestial Pivot Pavilion to help do a divination reading to find out Chu Liang's location. If that yielded no results, she would surely return to the imperial city to demand answers.

Guards from the Night Dragon Hall and officials from the Imperial Supervisory Bureau had already gone out to look for Chu Liang, but it remained uncertain as to whether Chu Liang could be found. It was foreseeable that more trouble lay ahead.

"Haaa."

A thousand of the emperor's unspoken words were condensed into a single sigh.

"Your Majesty, why not return to your chambers and rest for a while?" Warrior Lao said as he emerged from the shadows. The elderly walked over in a stooped posture, looking a little worried. "It's almost daybreak. The morning court session will begin soon."

"No, I'm fine," the emperor replied, shaking head. After a moment, he ordered, "Summon Hai'er for me."

Heeding the order, Warrior Lao left.

Soon after, the Second Prince hurried over.

Given the magnitude of what had just occurred, few in the palace could sleep unless they were ordinary mortals who absolutely had to, so the Second Prince had been awake and quick to respond to his father’s call.

The Second Prince bowed and greeted the emperor respectfully. "Father."

Like the emperor, the Second Prince looked troubled. The Thirteenth Prince's death meant that the Second Prince's greatest rival for the position of crown prince had been eliminated. However, his mother's fate remained uncertain, and her imprisonment in the inner palace weighed heavily on his mind.

The emperor had issued strict orders to keep it a secret that Empress Wu had been a long-term undercover agent for the Celestial Charm Sect. This was to avoid alarming the remaining undercover agents in the palace and facilitate their eradication, as well as preserve the imperial family's dignity.

The official explanation for Empress Wu's imprisonment was simply that she had killed an imperial consort. Homicides over power struggles in the harem were neither unprecedented nor uncommon. However, the high status of both the perpetrator and the victim made this case particularly shocking. It wouldn't be long before the story spread throughout the territory of the Yu Dynasty—though likely only as a topic of idle gossip.

If news that the empress was affiliated with the Celestial Charm Sect were to leak, it would greatly undermine the imperial court's authority.

The emperor stared at the Second Prince intently for a long moment before asking, "What do you think of your mother's situation?"

The Second Prince fell to his knees abruptly, pleading, "Father! Mother killed a noble consort; her crime is indeed grave. But I beg you, on account of all your years together, please spare her life!"

"Is that all you know? That she killed an imperial consort?" the emperor asked.

The Second Prince raised his gaze, with a genuinely dumb look of surprise. "There's more?"

The emperor could tell at a glance from the Second Prince's expression that he was indeed unaware of his mother's true identity.

The emperor had watched the Second Prince grow up. This child of his was rather soft-hearted and less capable than the Thirteenth Prince, but the Second Prince's pure nature and lack of schemes were redeeming qualities. If Empress Wu had disclosed everything to him, it's unlikely he would have managed to remain in his current state of mind.

"Your mother is a rebel—a member of the Celestial Charm Sect. All the rebels that were purged from the imperial palace last night were working for the Celestial Charm Sect, and she was the one who let them in here! This includes that imperial consort and the Thirteenth Prince. They were both under the influence of the Celestial Charm Sect. Empress Wu was the cause of it all!" the emperor said firmly.

"What?" The Second Prince fell to the floor. "Father, how is this possible? There must be some misunderstanding, right? Mother, she—"

"She does show a willingness to repent, so I will not kill her," the emperor said, his tone softening slightly. "Moreover, I will appoint you as the crown prince. Once your cultivation reaches the seventh realm, I will pass the throne to you."

"Father..." the Second Prince murmured in shock, not daring to lift his head.

It seemed his mind was overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information; he was unable to process it all at once.

The emperor continued somberly, "I told you all this so that you'll understand... that it's not easy to be a ruler. From now on, you must temper yourself diligently."

...

Celestial Tome Cave, Mount Reticence.

"Ah Feng, you need not be anxious," Elder Huang said, swinging his hand with faltering movements. "Regardless of whether he's alive or dead, the Omniscience will always provide an answer. We can afford to wait a little longer."

"I'm not anxious," Di Nufeng replied.

"Then can you let go of the back of my collar?"

"Oh."

Di Nufeng released her grip.

...

Earlier...

She arrived in the form of a blazing fireball, crashing right onto Mount Reticence. At the time, the sky was still dark, so the Celestial Pivot Pavilion thought they were under attack.

The disciples of the Celestial Pivot Pavilion swiftly gathered to fight... Then they saw Di Nufeng pulling Elder Huang, who was still sound asleep, out from under the rubble of his collapsed house.

Oh, it's Di Nufeng.

Upon realizing who it was, the disciples quickly dispersed. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Di Nufeng urgently said to Elder Huang, "I'm here to ask for your help."

Hearing that, the still-groggy Elder Huang was rather dumbfounded.

Is this how people ask for favors nowadays?

Nevertheless, this was Di Nufeng after all. Elder Huang was so used to seeing her strange behavior that this didn't seem strange at all coming from her.

Di Nufeng then told him that Chu Liang was missing, and Elder Huang realized the gravity of the situation.

Chu Liang had just been crowned the champion of the Assembly of Immortal Sects. If the Celestial Charm Sect had killed him in the imperial palace the very next day, it would not only be a blow to the imperial court but also to the prestige of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten.

Of course, those blows would be abstract, but the enraged Di Nufeng standing before Elder Huang was all too real.

Elder Huang quickly led Di Nufeng to the Celestial Tome Cave, where the Omniscience was housed. With Elder Huang's status within the Celestial Pivot Pavilion, he had the right to use it.

In truth, the Celestial Pivot Pavilion was reluctant to use the Omniscience to help outsiders because there were countless people in the world with unresolved concerns. If they were to open their doors to such requests, who knew what troubles they would be letting flood in.

Moreover, revealing too many secrets of the heavens could affect a person's lifespan and karma, so they outright refused most of the requests to use the Omniscience. This way, those with truly critical issues would still go to the Celestial Pivot Pavilion to seek their help, but those requests would be significantly lower in number.

Elder Huang led Di Nufeng into the Celestial Tome Cave. After walking through the deep and dark tunnels of the cave, they saw a stone wall that looked like white jade, radiating with a lustrous glow.

This wasn't Di Nufeng's first time seeing it, so she wasn't particularly amazed... However, the last time she was here—that had been for Chu Liang's sake too.

The Celestial Tome was not a book at all but rather a massive jade wall imbued with heavenly insight, capable of producing projections of the events occurring in the world. Since it was able to cast a light on all matters under the heavens, it earned the name Omniscience.

Elder Huang adjusted his robes and stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "I—Huang Wuren, a descendant of the Heaven Observer—humbly seek counsel from the Celestial Tome regarding a critical matter. Please bestow us a revelation."

He formed a hand seal with both hands and closed his eyes slightly.

Whoosh.

The jade wall lit up brightly with a chaotic and blinding radiance. Threads of qi flowed from Elder Huang, connecting him to the jade wall.

As he exhaled, the wind and clouds projected on the wall dispersed chaotically in the blink of an eye, replaced by two lines of large words.

The fish lies hidden at the bottom of the river, Awaiting the wind that will transform it into a dragon.

Di Nufeng looked closely at the wall and muttered, "These are... words?"

"Yes, they are words," Elder Huang replied, opening his eyes with a slightly awkward smile. "These words of guidance likely mean that the person you seek is lying low somewhere. When the time is right, they will have an opportunity to ascend and transform into a dragon."

"I asked you if he is dead or alive and to find out where he is. Yet, this is your answer?"

"He's alive, of course!" Elder Huang chuckled. "How could a dead person transform into a dragon?"

"Reincarnation?" Di Nufeng said skeptically.

Starting over, huh...

Elder Huang cursed inwardly, shaking his head helplessly.

"In any case, Chu Liang's safety is assured, and this is likely a fortuitous opportunity for him. However, his current location is hidden from the heavens. It's possible he's inside an enchanted formation or a hidden realm. When he returns, he will undoubtedly be stronger than before."

Di Nufeng asked, "Then, is there an estimate of when he will return?"

Elder Huang answered slowly, "Naturally, it is when the wind rises."