Li Qingxian was far more shocked than he had been when receiving the Jiao Dragon Transformation Pill.
Of the three phenomena, to obtain even one, as long as one’s Fate Grid was decent, meant their Qi Fortune could advance from Crown and Sash to Approaching Officer.
A Crown and Sash of three phenomena could no longer be described as merely "prosperous" or "good." It was a guaranteed transition from Crown and Sash to Approaching Officer.
Crown and Sash was like a person reaching adulthood, while Approaching Officer was like receiving an official rank and title.
Crown and Sash was merely spreading one’s wings, while Approaching Officer meant one’s rise was already unstoppable.
Li Qingxian sighed to himself. ’This person’s Life Mansion must possess an incredibly noble Fate Grid. He might even be one of the legendary Children of Destiny.’
In fact, the Crown and Sash Qi Fortune emanated a strange pressure, giving Li Qingxian the faint impression that Ye Han was exceptional in every way. If one were to follow him, they would surely achieve great things.
As Li Qingxian stared in a daze, a series of images appeared above the Emperor’s Crown.
At a banquet in the Marquis Dingbei’s mansion, Ye Han was humiliated by his cousins from the main branch. He slammed his cup down, declared, "The tables will turn!" and stormed out of the Marquis Mansion.
In a mysterious cave, Ye Han took three Treasures from beside a pile of withered bones: a box wrapped in red cloth, a ring, and a rust-covered Flying Sword.
At an inn one night, a richly dressed figure stood by the window with their back to Ye Han. Ye Han stood behind them, head bowed. The figure said, "You get Li Qingxian drunk, and my people will make their move. Even if they investigate, it will have nothing to do with you." Ye Han smiled faintly. "Rest assured. It’s a simple matter."
Outside the Ye Family cemetery, a group of men in black ambushed Ye Han. His subordinates fought to the death, allowing him to escape alone.
At dusk, Ye Han fled into a forest. He suddenly looked up at the sky as a streak of white light descended like a meteor, landing in the woods ahead. Curious, Ye Han approached and saw a purple crystal wreathed in lightning embedded in the earth. The ground around it was scorched black, with faint wisps of white smoke curling into the air.
In the early morning, countless bolts of blue and white lightning flashed. A slender woman lay on her side on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, her eyes fixed on Ye Han in shock. Ye Han gave a faint smile and threw the purple crystal into the air. The clouds above swirled into a vortex as Celestial Thunder flashed wildly. One by one, experts dressed in the robes of the Demon Sect screamed as they were incinerated. Yet the bolts of Thunderbolt that struck Ye Han were as gentle as water. Not only did they not harm him, but they also seemed to temper his body. In that moment, Ye Han was like a celestial being.
...
Suddenly, an azure qi shot to the sky from the top of Ye Han’s head. A massive palace with golden tiles, red walls, and vermilion pillars rose from within it, erupting with brilliant divine splendor. Ribbons of light streamed out, dispersing the Qi Observation Skill.
Li Qingxian’s vision went black, and then everything returned to normal.
In the afternoon sun, Ye Han walked on a pebble path lined with green trees, turned through a round archway, and disappeared from sight.
Li Qingxian checked his body. Unlike the last time he used the Qi Observation Skill, he felt no physical backlash. ’It must have consumed my Qi Fortune instead,’ he thought.
Li Qingxian recalled the series of images, his expression turning grim.
’This Ye Han actually pretended to befriend me, colluding with that unknown person to harm me.’
’No wonder Uncle Zhou warned me. No wonder he sent such a lavish gift. Uncle Zhou must have sensed something, but found it inconvenient to act against him directly. So he forced Ye Han to apologize with a priceless Treasure.’
’I can’t let this go!’
’Still, this Ye Han’s luck is incredible. He actually managed to find an ancient grotto and obtain that mysterious purple crystal.’
’Wait...’
’The Marquis Mansion banquet, the mysterious grotto, and the plot at the inn all happened in the past. But the pursuit of Ye Han and the Thunderbolt Crystal Core falling from the sky... that happens tomorrow.’
’And Ye Han using the Thunderbolt Crystal Core will happen the day after tomorrow. The woman on the ground... that’s Jiang Youfei.’
Li Qingxian stood stunned for a long moment before quickly piecing everything together.
"If you won’t let me live in peace, how can I let you achieve greatness! I was already trying to figure out how to deal with my enemies, after all..."
Li Qingxian narrowed his eyes.
The scenes of the past few days flashed through his mind.
’It would be rude not to reciprocate.’
’That palace that appeared at the end must be the legendary Life Mansion, the abode of a Destiny Star. His Life Mansion can even resist the Celestial Destiny Instrument; it’s no ordinary thing. If I try to take the crystal by force, I’ll probably be influenced by his Life Mansion and fail. According to the Life Book, even if I get that purple crystal, a life must be exchanged for a life. That is the fundamental law of Fate Skill, and it cannot be broken. I need to come up with a foolproof plan!’
With this in mind, Li Qingxian rushed into the Night Guard’s library and began searching for Life Books about "a life for a life" or the fundamental laws.
A long while later, Li Qingxian put down the book and headed straight for the Chunfeng Inn.
On an early summer afternoon, the flowers were in full bloom, their fragrance filling the air.
Zhou Henn, guarding the door, nodded.
Li Qingxian took a deep breath and shouted, "Uncle Zhou, your most loyal and upstanding nephew, Li Qingxian, is here!"
"Figured it out?" The door opened on its own without a breeze.
Li Qingxian stepped into the room and said with a solemn expression, "Whenever I think of my late father’s teachings, whenever I think of all your help, Uncle Zhou, I find I cannot bear to stand idly by. I don’t care about Jiang Youfei, Fairy Qingcheng, or the Celestial Venerable Order. But if it would make you happy, Uncle Zhou, I would walk through fire and wade through boiling water without a second thought!"
Zhou Henn couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Li Qingxian.
Behind the desk, Zhou Chunfeng didn’t even bother to look up. "Just say it," he said, his eyes still on the official documents he was reviewing. "What are your conditions?"
"Sister Youfei isn’t here?" Li Qingxian looked around.
"She’s at Qingxiao Temple with her sister-in-law, taking care of Lü Ren," Zhou Chunfeng said.
"Have you heard about what happened to Captain Zheng?" Li Qingxian’s smile faded.
Zhou Chunfeng said, "The one who seized the Fengxiang was the nephew of Elder Kang, a Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice. The one who injured Zheng Hui is also from a powerful background—he’s of the Direct Lineage of Demon Transformation Mountain. That disciple doesn’t know Elder Kang’s nephew, but he has met Elder Kang a few times. It all seems like an unfortunate coincidence."
Only then did Li Qingxian recall that Qi Country had a vast bureaucracy. In addition to the standard Left and Right Vice Ministers, each ministry also had several additional Deputy Ministers.
"He paid the fine silver, so we can’t do anything to him?" Li Qingxian asked.
"The fine silver system is a rule set by the Emperor. What can we do? The man also knew where to draw the line—he only injured, he didn’t kill. If the Night Guard were to press the matter, we would be the ones to fall into a trap." Zhou Chunfeng put down his brush, his expression darkening.
Li Qingxian suppressed his thoughts. If he asked any more, it would be putting Zhou Chunfeng in a difficult position.
"I have a Jiao Dragon Transformation Pill here. Can it heal Captain Zheng’s Dantian?" Li Qingxian asked.
Zhou Henn turned his head in surprise to look at Li Qingxian, not expecting him to be so willing to part with it.
Zhou Chunfeng glanced at the box wrapped in red cloth and shook his head. "This Jiao Dragon Transformation Pill is a Holy Medicine for Cultivation; it can’t repair a Dantian. In the entire world, there are no more than three types of Divine Medicine that can repair a Dantian, and each is priceless. You should save this medicine and take it after you reach Entering Grade. Have Zhou Henn help you refine its medicinal power."
"Oh? From what you’re saying, Uncle Zhou, you knew Ye Han gave me the Jiao Dragon Transformation Pill?"
Zhou Chunfeng said nothing.
Li Qingxian smiled and didn’t press the matter. He said, "Uncle Xiaozhou, help me see if this medicine is real or fake."
But Zhou Chunfeng replied, "I’m the one who made Ye Han give it to you as compensation. It won’t be fake."
Li Qingxian looked at Zhou Chunfeng. A hint of resignation surfaced on the man’s handsome face.
"If you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll pretend I don’t know," Li Qingxian said.
Zhou Chunfeng said, "Since you’ve already guessed, there’s no harm in telling you. This Ye Han’s Qi Fortune is flourishing; he is no ordinary person. This year, he has already begun to show signs of becoming a dragon. I have made an enemy of him, so we can never be on good terms again. The same goes for you. You cannot befriend him, but you shouldn’t be his enemy either. The man is incredibly patient and forbearing. The moment he gets an opportunity, he will surely strike back at us. By accepting the Jiao Dragon Transformation Pill, your slate with him is wiped clean. Unless you are absolutely certain of victory, you must not act rashly. Do you understand?"
Li Qingxian smiled. "Don’t worry, Uncle Zhou. Someone like me, who clawed my way up from the streets, knows better than anyone who not to provoke. Right now, all I want is to live a quiet life and protect myself."