Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 23 Beauty Obsession

Princess House.

Taiping Palace.

Li Lingyue looked at the porcelain bottle in Lu Chenyuan's hand with a puzzled expression: "What is this?"

Lu Chenyuan walked past the screen, picked up the luminous cup on the table, poured a glass of wine, then uncorked the bottle and poured a small piece of yellowish-white stone into the glass. The stone was porous and light, and after entering the glass, it floated on the surface. Upon contact with the wine, it suddenly emitted a layer of eerie blue fluorescence, flickering like phosphorescence.

Fine bubbles began to seep from its pores, emitting a faint hissing sound.

The stone gradually expanded, and wisps of white mist spewed out from the pores, causing the temperature of the wine to rise slightly.

When the white mist drifted into my nostrils, the breath was as sharp as a north wind, and my lungs felt refreshed!
"what……"

Li Lingyue was surprised.

She could see clearly that this thing was neither a magic artifact nor a rare treasure; it contained not a trace of vital energy, yet it could cause such a strange phenomenon.

Thinking back to what Lu Chenyuan had said earlier, I vaguely understood.

"This item is called the Sea Qi Stone, and it was found inside the mechanical tiger dragon."

Lu Chenyuan explained, "It is a special mineral formed in the coastal saline-alkali land, also called [Fire Saltpeter]. Occasionally, alchemists will refine this substance from their furnaces. It has only one use: to generate energy when it comes into contact with water."

This is the result of keen observation.

But actually, this stuff is just sodium peroxide, a common air exchange agent used in submarines.

Upon seeing its color, noticing its irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract, and noticing the corrosion marks in the iron bucket, Lu Chenyuan immediately identified it as sodium peroxide.

It can generate oxygen when it comes into contact with water.

He guessed at the time that the mechanical tiger-dragon wasn't meant to be used as a ship, but rather as a submarine.

Therefore, the source of the red silk is not upstream or downstream of the underground river, but at the bottom of the underground river!

Considering that the tiger-dragons are noisy and easily detected, their hiding place must be not far from the underground palace.

It might even be right below!
If Qiu Shenji and his group only search along the river, they will never find it even if they search their whole lives!
Lu Chenyuan laid out his thoughts, becoming more and more animated as he spoke. The thought of Qiu Shenji and his group still wasting their time on the riverbed made him unable to suppress a slight smile.

Damn Qiu Shenji, I have the most important clue in my hand. So what if you guess they're at the bottom of the river?
You don't know how many sea-qi stones Hongxiao used. Even if you don't know how long or how far she dived, the riverbed is dark and the currents are swift. It's ten times harder for you scoundrels to search in the dark than to wander aimlessly in the river!
Trying to steal my credit? Maybe in your next life!
His eyebrows and eyes radiated smugness, and his confident and sharp demeanor made him appear radiant.

Li Lingyue gazed at his profile, taking in his radiant expression. The candlelight cast varying shadows on his sharply defined face, making his smile even more flamboyant and dazzling. Her heart skipped a beat, and she stared at his face in a daze, ink dripping from her brush, leaving a jarring stain on the edge of the golden lion painting.

"Your Highness?"

Lu Chenyuan's voice suddenly rang out.

Li Lingyue snapped out of her daze, her wrist trembling in shock. A second drop of ink fell with a "plop" onto the Xuan paper, staining the foreleg of the golden lion. Li Lingyue's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up to meet Lu Chenyuan's ambiguous smile.

"Lu Chenyuan!"

She abruptly threw the brush into the inkstone, her sleeves flipping over the inkstone, ignoring the ink splattering on her skirt, and said fiercely, "You will save this painting for me!" Her tone was sharp, but her ears were burning.

She was so engrossed in looking at a man that he noticed...

I just want to crawl into a hole...

Lu Chenyuan suppressed a laugh and bowed calmly, saying, "This humble servant dares to ask."

He dipped his brush in ink, and with a light touch of the tip to the stained area, the ink spread and transformed into auspicious clouds beneath the golden lion's feet. With a few more strokes, a bright moon and a solitary peak appeared among the cloud patterns, connecting and dissolving the first ink stain, making it blend seamlessly with the original golden lion painting. Most remarkably, he casually inscribed a short poem in the blank space:
-

The autumn rain swells the pond at Lishan at night, and the golden lion spews mist as the moon sets.

Do not say that paintings are easy to alter; the hardest thing to depict is a beautiful woman's infatuation.

-

The opportunity is rare; let's add fuel to the fire.

A night breeze swept through the hall, causing the candlelight on the gilded lantern tree to flicker.

Li Lingyue's gaze was fixed on the last phrase, "beauty infatuated," her fingers unconsciously tightening around her sleeves. Although the night was cool as water, she felt a fire burning from behind her ears all the way to her heart, making her breath quicken.

"Lu Chenyuan!"

Li Lingyue could no longer bear it and glared angrily, looking quite fierce.

Lu Chenyuan wasn't afraid of her at all, and leisurely enjoyed watching her expression: "I'm here."

"you……"

Seeing his hateful expression, Li Lingyue wanted to draw her sword, but she didn't know who to cut. So she simply stopped looking at him, grabbed the scroll, and shoved it into his arms almost roughly, saying repeatedly, "Send it to the Lingni Palace for mounting! Now, immediately!"

"..."

Lu Chenyuan chuckled inwardly. Just a moment ago he was letting me lie down, and now he's kicking me out.

You've forgotten I'm a patient, haven't you?

but……

His gaze swept over her reddened earlobes, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

Seeing such a rare view makes even a cool breeze worthwhile.

"Your subordinate obeys."

He calmly accepted the scroll, and as he bowed, a slight smile appeared on his lips. The smile was subtle yet carried a hint of knowing something, which only fueled the anger in the hearts of those who saw it.

Li Lingyue gritted her teeth. Lu Chenyuan knew he should stop now. If he continued teasing her, it wouldn't just be embarrassment, but anger. He turned and left.

After the sound of the palace doors opening and closing, Li Lingyue finally breathed a sigh of relief. She strode to the window and pushed it open abruptly. The early winter night wind rushed in, but it couldn't dispel the burning heat on her face.

"hateful!"

She scolded in a low voice, sitting cross-legged on the futon behind the mica screen, her hands forming hand seals to circulate her internal energy. But her internal energy, which used to be as easy as her own, was now like a wild horse that had broken free of its reins. After three large cycles, not only did she fail to quell the heat, but she also made that hateful face even clearer.

What's most hateful is that line, "The hardest thing to describe is a beautiful woman's infatuation"—he clearly did it on purpose!

That damn guy!

Which pot is not open to mention which pot!
Li Lingyue took deep breaths to calm herself down, and after a while she suddenly remembered something.

She raised the communication ring and infused it with her divine sense: "Qingshuang, go and tell him the origin of the 'Heavenly Crafts Scroll'!"

Yuan Qingshuang didn't even need to ask who "he" was before agreeing, then asked curiously, "Your Highness, isn't he in your bedchamber? Is it appropriate for me to go in now?" Did I even need to explain?
"Say it when I tell you to!" Li Lingyue seemed very angry, but Yuan Qingshuang could hear the emotion hidden in her words and thought that Lu Chenyuan must have done something again to make the princess "angry". This man is really capable, able to repeatedly provoke the princess, who is cultivating the "Taiyi Yuchen Chapter", to have her emotions fluctuate. Yet the princess has not killed him, but instead seems to enjoy it.

"Yes."

“He’s heading towards the Lingni Palace right now. You know what to watch out for.”

"Yes."

"Also, he has clues about Ashina Yan, you can help him... However, if what he said is true, there is no need to rush. Qiu Shenji and the others can't find her, but they have blocked her way out, so there is no need to worry about her escaping. Go to the storeroom and get a fifth-grade... no! a sixth-grade! Get a sixth-grade weapon for him so that he can recover his strength first, and then it will not be too late to capture her."

"Yes……"

Yuan Qingshuang's expression was strange. You don't need to hide it. Granting her a sixth-rank official title is already beyond the bounds!

Li Lingyue listened carefully to Yuan Qingshuang's tone, which seemed normal. Thinking that she had covered up her slip of the tongue, she coughed and pretended to be calm: "By the way, give him the case files that we found this afternoon."

"Yes."

"besides……"

"What do you want, Your Highness?"

"He has a painting. You...you find a skilled craftsman to frame it...and then find someone to make a fake copy...send the original to my room...understand?"

"?"

Understand what?
Yuan Qingshuang was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding what it meant, but hearing the princess's voice getting softer and softer, her intuition told her that asking again would easily cause problems, so she could only agree for now, and the other party immediately cut off the contact.

Yuan Qingshuang was completely bewildered. She first went to the treasury and picked out the best-looking, heaviest, and most metallic weapon among the sixth-grade items. On the way, she waited for Lu Chenyuan. Upon seeing Lu Chenyuan, and then looking at the painting and the poem, she instantly understood... The princess wanted it but was too embarrassed, so she actually thought of exchanging a fake for the real one...

He even deceived the Lion King...

This is really...

Yuan Qingshuang looked at Lu Chenyuan with a face full of surprise and couldn't help but say, "Lord Lu must have a few female confidantes, right?"

"Manager Yuan really thinks highly of me."

Lu Chenyuan laughed, pointed to his face, and said helplessly, "Who would favor someone like me with such a low rank and position?"

"Lord Lu is too modest."

Yuan Qingshuang actually knew the answer long ago; she had already read all the information about Lu Chenyuan.

It's precisely because I've seen it that it seems so incredible.

The intelligence report made no mention of his skill in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Although his expertise wasn't particularly profound, his paintings and poems were all presentable, which was quite remarkable.

Most importantly, he was able to "cater to the interests" based on his knowledge. Whether it was the incense blending and zither playing of the golden lion or the painting and calligraphy of the princess, he could make full use of what he had learned. This quick wit was truly extraordinary.

With his talent, he shouldn't be the dull and unassuming person he was before.

How come you suddenly seem like a completely different person...?

Lu Chenyuan didn't care what she was thinking. He lowered his gaze and noticed that she was carrying a large hammer.

That hammer was clearly no ordinary object. The handle was about three feet eight inches long, and the hammerhead was an octagonal bronze pillar with cloud and thunder patterns engraved on each side. The whole thing was bluish-black with a purplish-copper luster. Yuan Qingshuang held it in her hand. It felt a little out of place, but she felt very relaxed.

"This is a sixth-grade high-level spiritual weapon, the Thunder Hammer."

Yuan Qingshuang noticed his gaze and simply handed him the hammer: "During the Northern Wei Dynasty, a meteorite fell from the sky atop Mount Hua. The skilled craftsman Yuluzi opened a furnace to smelt it, extracting its essence and mixing it with sunken copper from the South China Sea. He then quenched it with lightning on a stormy night. It is now imbued with a strong malevolent aura and abundant metallic energy. Her Highness the Princess specially ordered me to give you this hammer to help you regain your strength and make further plans."

What a kind person...

Lu Chenyuan was a little moved and said seriously, "Please trouble Steward Yuan to thank the princess for me."

Yuan Qingshuang blinked and smiled, "You should thank him yourself."

She took out another file: "This is information about Pei Jiulang, the owner of the villa. Take a look."

Lu Chenyuan took the hammer with one hand. Even though he was weak, he still held the 180-pound hammer with ease. He used only half of his palm, pressing down with his thumb and hooking with his little finger to firmly lock the hammer handle. Then, he used the remaining three fingers in conjunction with his other hand to unfold the case file and read it carefully with both hands.

—It looked as if what was being held was not a hammer, but a pen.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Qingshuang couldn't help but admire it. The "Golden Treasure Scroll" was difficult to master, but once mastered, it was extraordinary.

She wielded the hammer using her inner energy, while Lu Chenyuan relied solely on his physical strength. He had only just begun to master the "Golden Palace Scripture," yet he already possessed such a powerful physique. If he were to master the entire scripture and receive the princess's secret assistance, his future would be limitless.

Lu Chenyuan read it very carefully.

Yuan Qingshuang silently led Lu Chenyuan to the Lingni Palace, carefully keeping an eye on the direction of the consort to prevent Xu He and his ilk from causing trouble again. This was also what the princess was worried about—today's events had gone a bit too far. Neither Wu Chengsi nor she dared to touch her; the Wu family might take their anger out on her. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. It's better to be careful than to make a big mistake.

Lu Chenyuan walked and looked around, and quickly finished reading. It was pretty much as he had guessed.

—After Pei Ji, Pei Jiulang accidentally discovered a certain skill. By deciphering that technology, he created something similar to a music box called the "Lü Lü Yi" and used it to amass wealth, rising rapidly in a short period of time.

—The Turks must have discovered that technology through the reverse engineering of the musical instruments, and then came to us, either by joining forces with Pei Jiulang or by having already annexed us. The [Yuanrong Divine Crossbow] and [Mechanical Tiger Dragon] are most likely related to that technology.

Both of these were created by the hidden immortal Gu Yunsheng, so it is self-evident who the master of this technology is.

— Xie Tingyun once said, "Ashina Yan did not leave the capital, but instead plotted to seize a great treasure in the city." Now it seems that it was for the Hidden Immortal Technique. Combined with Hongxiao and Hujiao, there is no doubt that the place where Pei Jiulang and Ashina Yan deciphered this technique is their hiding place, which is the bottom of the underground river.

All the clues come together.

Lu Chenyuan pondered, "In that case, the corpses in the blood pool must all be mechanics..."

"admire."

Yuan Qingshuang immediately turned to look at him, and asked in surprise, "Lord Lu is truly astute... Wang Yizhi found something in the blood pool, which was the mechanical hand of Shi Mingxiu, the second young master of the Wanxiang Sect, known as 'Miraculous Hands'. He also saw other mechanical fragments, so he deduced that the pool must be full of mechanical masters... But you haven't even had time to check the blood pool yet, how did you guess their identities?"

Lu Chenyuan laughed and said, "To put our minds at ease, Xie Qianling once said, 'The Three Tribulations Divine Arrow is incredibly powerful, but it's also extremely difficult to make. The technology has been lost to time, and the Turks' current technology can't produce it.' Pei Jiulang isn't a mechanic, and the Turks' mechanical skills aren't deep either. How can they decipher the mechanism? They can only seek help from a capable person. But this technology is crucial, and asking for help might lead to leaks. It's better to capture someone, but in the end, the person captured will only become a dead man..."

How could so many corpses be disposed of in a way that wouldn't attract attention and would disappear without a trace? Burning them would produce fire, smoke, and odor; burying them might lead to them being washed away by water or dug up—both posed risks. Feeding them to Gu worms was the most suitable option. It would nurture the Gu worms, and without flesh and blood, only a pile of bones would remain, making identification difficult… It's a pity; they probably hid them for too long, became lax, and threw them in without searching them, leaving so many loopholes.”

Lu Chenyuan's expression was casual, but what he said was terrifyingly precise.

Yuan Qingshuang suddenly stopped and looked at him carefully.

Lu Chenyuan frowned and turned around: "What's wrong?"

Yuan Qingshuang's expression was solemn: "No wonder you can win the princess's favor... With such insight, you can naturally be quick to help others in their time of need and give them what they need... I hope you will not use this wisdom in the wrong place!"

(End of this chapter)