Three Kingdoms: Start by marrying Cai Yan, then vie for supremacy.

7

I never imagined that the Five Elements Sect's methods were so profound, that they could even control the water content in the body!

It is known that the human body is 80% water, yet Chu He can freely mobilize the water in her body to seep into the ground.

With the help of this water, she can accurately sense everything happening underground!

Thinking of this, Xu Chen couldn't help but become wary of the Five Elements Sect.

He could clearly sense that Chu He's skill was still shallow, even a notch below the evil general who had not yet recovered to his full strength.

But her master might actually be able to manipulate the water in other people's bodies!

Just as he was deep in thought, Chu He's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes slowly opened.

As if summoned, the water droplets scattered on the ground rushed back into her palm.

Her smooth forehead was covered in sweat, and her chest heaved violently, as if she had just gone through a fierce battle.

"Did you find anything?"

Xu Chen asked aloud.

Chu He's face was as pale as paper, and her lips were bloodless, clearly indicating that she had exhausted herself.

This ability to manipulate the flow of water within her body is no easy feat for her.

Chu He tilted her head back and smiled faintly:

"Found a clue... just need a rest..."

Before she could finish speaking, her body went limp and she fell straight forward.

Xu Chen flashed forward and caught her falling body steadily. He thought to himself: How could this girl faint so easily? He pinched Chu He's slender wrist to check her pulse and confirmed that she had just fainted from exhaustion before he was relieved.

For now, we can only take her back to Jinchuncheng to recuperate, and then make further plans.

Inside Jinchun City, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, and others were gathered together, their hearts filled with worry.

With the King of Liang gone for a long time and not returning, the generals were inevitably anxious.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew by, and Xu Chen appeared in the courtyard carrying the unconscious Chu He.

"My lord!"

Zhao Yun, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot her and called out with delight, but his gaze involuntarily fell on the unfamiliar woman—this must be the person the King of Liang had been chasing.

"Wenhe, arrange a room for this young lady."

She collapsed from exhaustion and needs to rest.

Xu Chen handed the person in his arms to Jia Xu and assigned two maids: "Take good care of her, and inform us immediately if she wakes up."

"

"Your subordinate understands."

"

Jia Xu responded and helped Chu He away.

"During his time away from the city, did Wu Yi make any unusual moves?"

Xu Chen turned to Ma Chao and asked.

The Xiumi army vanished from the vicinity of Jinchun City, and Wu Yi, as the city lord of this place, naturally could not escape suspicion.

"My lord, I have been secretly monitoring Wu Yi."

Ma Chao clasped his hands in response, and there was no unusual behavior observed; he was resting in his room at the moment.

"

Xu Chen frowned slightly upon hearing this.

Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Jia Xu—weren't they all renowned military talents in Liang? Ordinary officials would be too busy currying favor with them, yet Wu Yi was sound asleep?

This unusual occurrence alone is worth investigating.

Noticing his lord's expression, Ma Chao immediately added, "According to the guards, after learning of the disappearance of the Xiumi Army, Lord Wu had not slept for two days and only returned to his room to rest when he could no longer hold on."

I have questioned other soldiers, and their testimonies all match.

"

Upon hearing this explanation, Xu Chen's expression softened slightly.

He already had doubts about Wu Yi, and since there was no concrete evidence, it was for the best.

Jia Xu quickly returned to the palace, cupped his hands and reported: "My lord, the young lady has been settled and will be notified to you as soon as she wakes up."

"

Xu Chen looked up and asked, "You've come at the right time. Have you heard of Taktu?"

"Taktu?" Jia Xu hesitated slightly, quickly flipping through his past memories.

When they were at war with the Kushan Empire, the strategists studied the country's historical records together, including those of its past rulers.

"Your Majesty, if I am not mistaken, this person is the second monarch of the Kushan Dynasty."

According to folklore, he was a master of martial arts, especially swordsmanship, and never suffered a defeat in his life.

However, these are all unofficial historical anecdotes and may not be credible.

Jia Xu paused for a moment, "It is said that this emperor once personally visited Liangzhou, as if he were looking for some important object."

"

"You've been to Liangzhou?" Xu Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

At that time, this area was still part of the Han Dynasty's territory, not the Liang Kingdom.

What brings this foreign monarch from so far away? And what is it that he is so eager to find?

"Do we know if he ultimately succeeded?"

Jia Xu shook his head and said, "Unofficial histories only record that he was depressed after returning to his country and soon passed away, and his peerless swordsmanship was not passed down."

As for what they were looking for or whether they succeeded, historical records make no mention of it.

These secrets are probably only known to those involved.

"

Xu Chen frowned, recalling what Chu He had said—traces can be hidden, but they can never be completely erased.

Since Taktu was active in this area, even after a hundred years, there may still be clues to be found.

Whether it can be found or not depends on fate.

He suddenly remembered that Chu He, who was in a coma, had revealed that her teacher had taken her to visit the Taktu Mausoleum in her early years.

Why would a master from the Water Element Sect of the Five Elements Cult travel to a foreign king's tomb with his young disciple? Do they know some secret? Or does the tomb contain something they need?

If, as Chuhe said, she sensed Taktu's presence at the place where Xiumi disappeared, then this matter must be related to the Kushan Empire.

Could this emperor, who died hundreds of years ago, still be alive? Even if it's not him, it must be related to his bloodline or descendants.

But now that the entire Kushan territory has submitted to Liang, what kind of trouble can his descendants stir up? What exactly are their intentions?

A cloud of doubt swirled in Xu Chen's mind, like a persistent fog that he couldn't shake off.

Xu Chen was shrouded in mystery, and he desperately needed to find the key to solving the puzzle.

And perhaps only Chu He could give him the answer!

"Jia Xu, quickly dispatch the Embroidered Uniform Guard to contact the Kushan border garrison by carrier pigeon to investigate any unusual situations."

"

"Given the current turbulent situation, our first priority is to ensure the safety of the people of Daliang."

"

"Now that the Kushan Empire has submitted to the Liang Dynasty, their safety is equally important!"

"Yes, sir!"

After receiving the order, Jia Xu immediately began to make arrangements.

Since he took over the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the intelligence network has become increasingly sophisticated, and the efficiency of communication has significantly improved.

Carrier pigeons were the fastest means of communication in Daliang.

After issuing the order, Xu Chen sat alone in deep thought.

Many clues seem unrelated, yet they are subtly connected in some way.

Especially noteworthy is the timing of Chu He's appearance—neither too early nor too late, appearing precisely at a crucial juncture in the investigation.

The whole incident was too coincidental, as if it were a carefully orchestrated scheme.

If she had arrived any earlier or later, the trail might have gone cold.

Could it be that someone is secretly manipulating things, deliberately leading him to investigate Taktu?

"My lord, the girl has woken up!"

Jia Xu rushed in to report, interrupting Xu Chen's thoughts.

Upon hearing that Chu He had awakened, Xu Chen rushed to the courtyard where she was being housed.

Two maids stood guard outside the door with their heads bowed, clearly having been driven out.

The moment I pushed the door open, a jet of water shot right at me!

Xu Chen raised his hand to deflect the water, which splashed all over the ground.

"Disciples of the Water Element Sect are indeed inseparable from water."

"

Chu He, standing in the corner, looked on warily.

She sensed someone approaching and instinctively reached out to defend herself.

After recognizing Xu Chen, he relaxed slightly.

"Where is this? I've told you everything I know, why are you still imprisoning me?"

"A person who breaks their word dares to dream of ruling the world?"

"This is utterly absurd!"

Chu He's angry accusations left Xu Chen completely bewildered.

I was immediately met with a barrage of scolding as soon as I entered the door.

Chu He was stunned for a few seconds before she came to her senses. It was probably because her memory was blank when she was unconscious, and she didn't remember what happened at all.

Her first thought was that Xu Chen had locked her up.

Having figured this out, Xu Chen smiled slightly, sat down in the chair, and deliberately kept his distance from Chu He to make her feel at ease.

"I am in charge of the entire Liangzhou, and I always keep my word and never go back on my word."

"

"If I can't even keep my promise to a woman, how can I expect the world to trust me?"

"This is Jin Chuncheng. Xiu Mi disappeared in this area."

"

"You fainted from exhaustion when you sensed Xiumi's presence."

"

"I saw you needed to rest, so I brought you here specifically."

"

"Is there anything else you don't understand?"

After Xu Chen said that, Chu He gradually remembered what had happened before.

Realizing she had wronged Xu Chen, she smiled sheepishly and said, "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you."

"

"I used the Sensing Technique twice, plus the Water Prison Technique and Water Piercing Palm when I fought you, so I was too exhausted and fainted."

"

"Dual Sensing Technique?"

"Yes, I sensed it once before you came, but it was too rushed that time, and I only caught fragmented information."

"

"But before I lost consciousness, I clearly sensed something."

"

"I'm sure it's Taktu!"

"That feeling was all too familiar; it was him who concealed the tracks of the Hummus army."

"

He also left me a warning!

"warn?"

Even Xu Chen looked surprised upon hearing this.

Could it be that Taktu is powerful enough to detect their pursuit?

Wait...didn't Taktu die a long time ago?

"I'm not sure if he's dead or not, but that feeling is definitely him!"

"My intuition is never wrong!"

Seeing the determination in Chu He's eyes, Xu Chen knew she wasn't lying.

If that's the case, Taktu might still be alive!

The second emperor of the Kushan Empire, a master from hundreds of years ago, is still alive today!

Xu Chen couldn't gauge the extent of his strength, nor did he understand what his purpose was in taking Xiu Mi away.

First it was the evil god, then Shennong, and now Taktu has appeared...

Those ancient powerhouses are awakening one after another. Is a true era of chaos about to begin?

The most important thing right now is to start with the lead of Taktu and find Xiumi and his three thousand soldiers first.

Xu Chen looked at Chu He: "How is it? Can we continue?"

Chu He understood the meaning behind Xu Chen's words and nodded slightly, saying, "We, the Water Element Sect, have our own unique methods of recovery."

"

"As long as you rest enough, your spiritual power and mental strength can recover on their own."

"

"Excellent! Let's go and meet him again!"

"I want to see just what this Taktu is capable of!"

"How dare he act so recklessly on the territory of Liang!"

Before Xu Chen could finish speaking, he had already grasped Chu He's slender wrist.

Two streaks of light pierced the night and instantly reached the outskirts of Jinchun City.

Chu He sat cross-legged at the spot where Xiu Mi had disappeared, just as she was about to activate the water spirit energy within her body to sense it, when a sudden change occurred—the water spirit energy that had been flowing freely suddenly stagnated, and a bone-chilling cold air seeped from the ground, actually freezing the spiritual energy into ice!

I warned you long ago not to meddle in other people's business!

"Since you're determined to die, then so be it!"

A massive, snow-white shadow suddenly appeared in the night, its imposing body as tall as two Chu He.

As the ice crystal longsword slashed down from the sky, Chu He sensed a deadly danger, but her meridians were trapped by the ice, and she could only watch the blade approach in despair.

clang!

The sound of metal clashing echoed across the wilderness.

The Tai'a sword appeared out of nowhere, steadily blocking the frost blade three inches in front of Chu Hemei.

Xu Chen's black royal robe fluttered in the night wind, and the sword's edge reflected his cold and stern features.

"Do you think I'm just a figurehead in Liang territory?"

This deep shout brought a strange sense of peace to Chu He's heart.

The white-clad figure was clearly taken aback that someone could withstand the blow, and was filled with shock and anger: "Who are you!"

"The one who will claim your life!"

Xu Chen's figure soared up like a hawk, and the Tai'a sword transformed into a white rainbow piercing the sun.

This sword strike was devoid of any fancy moves, yet it was so fast that it didn't even leave an afterimage.

The white figure hurriedly raised his knife to block, but before the icy blade could even be raised, the sword's edge had already pierced through his chest.

As the saying goes, "forged through a hundred temperings," Xu Chen had practiced this "One Heart Sword" technique countless times.

The seemingly plain straight thrust has actually reached a state of returning to simplicity and authenticity.

Strangely, the blade passed right through the body without any blood splattering or the sensation of metal clashing; it was as if it had only struck a phantom formed by condensed mist.