After the Great Dao died

Chen Lingxi made up her mind and hardly hesitated.

He immediately activated the Concealing Edge Technique to the fullest extent, completely enveloping the azure energy in his dantian and suppressing the silvery-white light deep within his bones. He even deliberately slowed down and shallowed the breath he exhaled from his pores.

He was like a stubborn rock, without the slightest flaw.

Then he stood up and took out a black robe from his Qiankun bag.

The robe was jet black, and when worn, it almost blended into the night.

He then pulled out a half-mask, a mask with a blue face and fangs, a hideous and grotesque appearance, revealing only the mouth and jaw.

These two items were things he had prepared for every trip he took out of the mansion ever since he obtained the Qiankun Bag, just in case.

He changed his clothes, fastened his mask, and his demeanor changed abruptly.

He was dressed entirely in black, with half of his ghost face glowing a cold blue in the candlelight, revealing only his eyes and mouth.

With a golden scabbard hanging at his waist, its sheath dark and undecorated, he stood in the shadows like an unsheathed blade, his cold aura concealed yet unable to suppress his sharp intent.

The night breeze blew in from outside the corridor, carrying the lingering fragrance of the late-blooming flowers in the garden.

He stepped out of the courtyard gate, passed through the moon gate of the west courtyard, and walked north along the covered walkway.

Their footsteps were extremely light, making only a faint rustling sound on the bluestone ground, like a raccoon dog stalking in the night.

The Concealing Edge Technique circulated within his body, suppressing his breath, body temperature, and heartbeat to a level imperceptible to ordinary people, blending into the night wind and the chirping of insects, leaving no trace of his presence.

They exited through the side gate without alerting anyone.

Outside the door is a long street.

He quickened his pace and left the city. The moonlight fell on the fields, turning the ripe rice into a silvery white. As the night wind blew, the rice waves surged and rustled.

After traveling for about half an hour, he suddenly turned off the main road and took a shortcut.

He had taken this route the last time he went to search for fragments of purple energy.

About an hour later, he walked through a dense forest and suddenly the view opened up before him.

Cuojin Mountain was in the distance, its steep slopes and the outline of its main peak in the night resembled an inverted sword, darkly piercing the sky.

The mountainside and above were shrouded in mist, obscuring the summit and making it difficult to see clearly.

Chen Lingxi found a secluded spot by the riverbank at the foot of the mountain and quietly hid.

About fifteen minutes later.

A few lights appeared on the river.

The light was extremely far away, and at first glance it was just a small dot of light, flickering uncertainly where the water met the sky, like a star that had fallen into the river.

The lights gradually drew closer.

It is a small boat.

The boat slowed down as it approached the riverbank.

The boatman inserted a bamboo pole into the water to stop the boat.

The cabin curtain was lifted, and a person stepped out of the cabin.

It was indeed Wang Chu, just as I had seen during my visit.

Chen Lingxi held her breath.

Wang Chu went ashore and, without stopping, headed straight for the mountain path of Cuojin Mountain.

Chen Lingxi waited until she had walked several dozen steps before emerging from behind the rock.

The Concealing Edge Technique was activated to its maximum within the body, and the azure Qi in the dantian was wrapped in an extremely thin and tough barrier, keeping it completely secret.

The silvery light deep within his bones was almost completely suppressed, and even his heartbeat slowed down considerably, becoming indistinguishable amidst the night wind and the rustling of the reeds.

He followed far behind the man, keeping a distance of about thirty paces, as they walked up the mountain.

After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the mountain slopes gradually softened and the trees became sparser.

A complex of buildings appeared ahead.

It was a palace complex, built against the mountain, layer upon layer, with upturned eaves and corners, outlining its staggered silhouette in the night.

The palace walls were tall, their vermilion paint faded and mottled, and weeds grew on top of them, swaying gently in the night breeze.

"The gilded palace of the Eastern King is recorded in the book."

Chen Lingxi stopped behind a grove of low pines and looked up.

This palace of the Eastern King was once the residence of the Eastern King in Yuanjiang Prefecture. It was built in a magnificent and luxurious style.

However, an unlucky thing happened in the palace later. It was said to be haunted, and no one has lived there since.

The members of the imperial family considered it taboo, so it remained vacant.

Several months ago, the Crown Prince came to Yuanjiang Prefecture for the first time, presumably to use this empty Eastern King's Palace for the beast-fighting banquet.

He was a cultivator and did not care about auspiciousness or inauspiciousness. However, a knife-wielding assailant suddenly appeared, forcing him to return to the capital to heal his wounds.

As for Princess Yunhe, daughter of the Eastern King, she did not stay here when she came to Yuanjiang Prefecture. Perhaps she was concerned about the ominous rumors, or perhaps she found this palace too desolate and not as comfortable as her princess's palace.

Wang Chu walked to the palace gate, but instead of knocking, he went around to the side and slipped in through a half-open side door.

Chen Lingxi waited for a moment, and after confirming that there was no one else around, she slipped out from behind the pine tree and walked silently toward the side gate.

He slipped sideways into the doorway.

Behind the door is a secluded passageway, at the end of which is a courtyard, and opposite the courtyard is the main hall.

The palace doors were wide open, and flames blazed inside.

Chen Lingxi's gaze swept across the courtyard, then suddenly paused.

Several guards clad in silver armor lay scattered on the stone path, in the grass, and at the foot of the steps. Their armor was intact, but their bodies were shriveled, as if something had drained all the blood from their bodies.

Their faces were contorted, their mouths were wide open, and their eyes were bulging, as if they had experienced great fear before they died.

"Some kind of evil technique?" Chen Lingxi frowned.

He bypassed the courtyard and silently approached the main hall from the side veranda.

The pillars of the veranda were thick and cast deep shadows. He was pressed against the wall, his figure blending into the darkness, almost unrecognizable.

The windows of the main hall are carved with intricate patterns, and the gauze covering them is worn and tattered, revealing the firelight and shadows of people inside.

He chose a secluded corner, stood behind a thick pillar, and peered inside through the crack in the window.

The hall was extremely spacious, with a high dome that was resplendent in gold and green.

The ground was paved with solid lapis lazuli bricks, so shiny they could reflect a person's image.

Huge brocade curtains, embroidered with dragon and cloud patterns, hung on the four walls, gleaming with a dim luster in the firelight.

However, these magnificent decorations were now dimmed by the bonfire in the center of the hall, losing their elegance and instead appearing somewhat eerie.

The campfire was blazing, and two people sat around it.

A scholar-like figure, with a short sword at his waist, appeared to be in his thirties. He had fair skin, regular features, a long beard, wore a blue robe, a square headscarf, and held a wine pot in his hand, drinking wine with his head tilted back.

He appeared calm and composed, with a touch of scholarly arrogance in his brows, as if he were not sitting in a desolate palace, but rather drinking alone under the moon in his own study.

The other man was a bearded man with a burly build, as strong as an ox, broad shoulders and back, and arms as thick as house pillars. When he sat there, he was like a wall.

He was wearing a brown short-sleeved outfit with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his bulging forearms.

At this moment, the bearded man held an iron skewer in his hand, on which several dark, lumpy objects were skewered and roasting over a fire.

As the oil dripped into the fire, it sizzled and produced a plume of blue smoke, which, mixed with a strange, burnt aroma, filled the hall.

Chen Lingxi's gaze fell on the iron skewer, her pupils contracting slightly.

That's not ordinary meat.

That's the heart.

The human heart.

Three hearts were skewered on iron skewers, grilled until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the oil still sizzling.

As he flipped the iron skewer, the bearded man looked up at the palace dome, marveling at its magnificence.

"Don't even mention the emperor, even the Eastern King has such a luxurious palace." His voice was rough and echoed in the empty hall: "The people's hard-earned money is being spent here."

As he spoke, he tore a charred heart off the skewer and took a bite.

Grease dripped from the corners of his mouth, but he didn't wipe it away. He just chewed it up, his mouth full of blood mixed with charred ash, which dripped down his chin onto his clothes.

The scholar put down his wine pot and suddenly began to recite:

"Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the streets, the bones of those frozen to death lie. Glory and ruin are separated by a mere hair's breadth, and the people's resentment is beyond words."

His recitation was melodious and clear, and in the desolate palace, it sounded like a satirical play.

Upon hearing this, the bearded man grinned, revealing a set of teeth stained red with blood: "You pedantic scholar, all you can recite is this. What good is it? The emperor can't hear you anyway."

The scholar shook his head, said nothing more, and simply tilted his head back to drink another mouthful of wine.

At that moment, Wang Chu stepped into the main hall.

She was still wearing that drab gray cloak, her hat pulled low, and her footsteps were so light they were almost silent.

Walking a few steps to the campfire, she said nothing, reached into her robe, took out a letter, and presented it with both hands.

"My master asked the Maha Messenger to deliver a message to the Martial Immortal."

The scholar took the letter, folded it neatly, and tucked it into his sleeve, nodding slightly.

Upon receiving the letter, Wang Chu clasped his hands in a salute and turned to leave.

"Would you like to eat some meat before you go?"

The man with the thick beard spoke, his voice rough and resonant, echoing in the empty hall.

Wang Chu paused, but did not turn around.

Suddenly, the bearded man reached out, tore a scalding hot heart off the iron skewer, and handed it to Wang Chu.

Even if someone is hiding their true intentions, I will still treat them to drinks and food.

His tone was rough and he grinned broadly.

Upon seeing this, the scholar shook his head and said to Wang Chu, "Don't pay him any mind. He eats meat because it's necessary for his cultivation; he's not truly an evil person who eats to satisfy his appetite."

His voice was clear and gentle, as if he were explaining something that was difficult to say to a friend.

Wang Chu turned around, nodded slightly to the scholar, and was about to leave.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the direction of the side hall.

Chen Lingxi looked through the window and saw that the door to the side hall had been pushed open a crack, and a person squeezed out through the crack.

The man was wearing silver armor, and was probably a palace guard. His armor was covered in dust and dark red stains.

He was tall and should have been a strong man, but now he was hunched over, his shoulders hunched, and he looked like a frightened mouse.

He held a copper basin in his hands, in which were piled several strings of fresh meat—dark red, streaked with blood, and still wet.

The guard walked up to the campfire, his legs buckled, and he almost knelt down.

"My lord..." His voice trembled, "The meat... the meat has been trimmed."

He raised the copper basin above his head, his hands trembling violently.

The bearded man took the copper basin, glanced at it, frowned, and said, "This little bit, who's going to eat it all?"

He casually placed the copper basin on the ground, pointed towards the side hall, and said impatiently, "Go pick a few more skewers, some tender ones."

The guard trembled and left.

The scholar remained silent, only lowering his head to drink, as if all of this had nothing to do with him.

Wang Chu stood there, watching the silver-armored guard disappear behind the side hall door, his brows furrowing slightly.

She suppressed the discomfort in her stomach, took a deep breath, and turned to leave.

Chen Lingxi stood outside the window, taking in the reactions of everyone in the hall.

He took a deep breath, reached out and pressed the Golden Slayer Sword at his waist, stepped out from behind the pillar, and strode toward the main entrance of the main hall.