When Lu Mingyuan returned to Qingzhu Hall, he found his mother had already arrived in the small courtyard.
Wang Zhaoyan sat in a chair, took out a thumb-sized red jade, and handed it to Lu Mingyuan.
"Weren’t you asking for the Thousand chanism Blood Divine Jade? I’ve bought it for you, but what do you need it for?"
"It has a very important use."
Lu Mingyuan said with a smile.
Even Wang Zhaoyan winced as she handed over the piece of red jade.
That just went to show how truly expensive it was.
And that was indeed the case.
This red jade was the Thousand chanism Blood Divine Jade, which Lu Mingyuan had first heard about from Yun Qinghe.
She had used the Thousand chanism Blood Divine Jade to evade pursuit from the Three Academy Cultivators.
The fact that even his mother could only get her hands on such a small piece was proof enough of its value.
The item ca from the Thousand chanisms Grotto Heaven, a place where a Human Immortal had achieved Nirvana and passed a tribulation. Harvested from an Ancient Strange Beast, it was said to have been refined to help one overco a Thunder Tribulation and evade the lock of Celestial Secrets.
Legend said that a mountain’s worth of Thousand chanism Blood Divine Jade could help one evade a Celestial Tribulation.
A piece the size of a grain of sand could block the divinations of so Taoist cultivators, evade the lock of a regular Qi Cultivator’s Spiritual Sense, and foil the Sensory Qi Perception of a Martial Artist.
Lu Mingyuan needed this item to strike back at Lu Guangjing, who had sched against him ti and ti again.
With the Thousand chanism Blood Divine Jade, it was the perfect ti to put his Blood Gluttonous Avatars to use.
Though at this point, it was more fitting to call them Puppets.
Now that he had broken through to the Grandmaster realm, his Blood Glutton Split Body Technique had made a qualitative leap; he could now summon ten Blood Gluttonous Avatars.
He could then create ten Papern and inject his own Bloodthirsty Essence into each of them.
And they all ca to life.
They were like a small army, reminding him of an animation from his past life called the Black Shadow Legion.
These Blood Glutton Puppets were completely under his command and could do things he couldn’t and go places he couldn’t. By combining the mimicry of the Blood Gluttonous Avatar, the circulation of a Cultivation Technique, and the nimble freedom of movent of the Paperman, it was a whole new version of the "Paper-cutting Adult" skill.
Most importantly, they could gather intelligence.
For soone in the Cold Palace, intelligence was crucial.
Lu Guangjing had unknown forces backing him, with eyes and ears all over the palace and the Capital City. It was likely that most of the Princes, himself included, were under his surveillance.
His Blood Glutton Puppets currently had only one weakness: they couldn’t approach powerful individuals without being detected. When he had spied on the Eldest Prince six months ago, he had been discovered by Qi Xingyan.
But with the Thousand chanism Blood Divine Jade, that weakness was now solved.
He couldn’t be sure about those in the Upper Three Grades, but at least Cultivators of the Middle Fifth Grade would have a much harder ti detecting his Puppets.
It would allow his intelligence operations to proceed unimpeded.
The Blood Glutton Puppets had another advantage, too: they ca and went without a trace. They could dissolve into a pool of blood at any mont and seep into cracks in the earth, much like using Water Escape.
"What have you decided about the marriage I ntioned last ti? You must understand, the Champion Marquis has shot to prominence, becoming a major figure in the Imperial Court. His daughter is naturally just as exceptional."
Wang Zhaoyan asked with a smile.
They had ant to discuss the marriage last ti, but Lu Mingyuan had flatly refused. Since the situation had now changed, she had given him a few days to reconsider, leaving herself so room to maneuver.
This ti, Lu Mingyuan didn’t refuse outright. Instead, he countered with a question, "There’s sothing I don’t understand."
"And what is that?"
"Why would the Champion Marquis agree to your proposal to marry off his daughter?"
Wang Zhaoyan’s first reaction to this question was a gratified smile.
’My son is certainly getting sharper,’ she thought. ’To even consider that.’
She took the opportunity to explain, "Among the Seven Great Marquis’s Mansions, only the Champion Marquis has yet to form a marriage alliance. He’s being isolated by the other six, so an alliance with our Wang Family is a move of desperation. He was the last of them to marry to begin with. Years ago, he famously declared, ’How can I start a family before the Demon Country is broken?’ That delayed things for the entire ten-year truce. He finally married and had a daughter, only to face this isolation. Though the Champion Marquis’s daughter hasn’t consented, the Marquis himself has already agreed to the match."
As soon as she said this, Lu Mingyuan understood completely.
He also grasped the deeper implications.
He guessed that the Champion Marquis, having achieved fa and military rit surpassing the entire army at a young age, had been just one step away from becoming a Titled King. It was even possible his achievents would have overshadowed the Emperor’s. To prevent that—to prevent the rise of a second Prince Zhenbei—his father, the Emperor, had shelved the Champion Marquis for years. Besides, there were plenty of generals and Marquis Wus to fight wars; one Champion Marquis was not indispensable. With his great ambitions unfulfilled, the Champion Marquis could only retreat into obscurity, marry, and start a family.
’He’s similar to the Champion Marquis from my past life, but there are differences, too.’
This Champion Marquis, who had avoided all other marriage alliances, was now willing to ally with the Wang Family.
’Isn’t this just another way of biding his ti and hiding his strength? By marrying his daughter to , the Sixth Prince who has lost all rights to the throne, what does it matter? First, it will silence the gossips and allow him to maintain a clean slate, staying out of the struggle for succession. Second, he’ll gain the protection of the Wang Family’s Civil Servant faction and avoid being isolated by the other Marquis’s Mansions. Killing two birds with one stone.’
He was beginning to understand what kind of man this Champion Marquis was.
He was no longer the spirited youth who had once declared he couldn’t start a family.
Instead, he possessed the calm, big-picture perspective of one who had grown aloof and seen through the fickle nature of the Imperial Court.
"It sounds more like a move to bide his ti."
Lu Mingyuan concluded after a mont of thought.
Wang Zhaoyan gave Lu Mingyuan a pained look. "Because of you, he can only marry his daughter into our family."
’Forming good connections.’
Lu Mingyuan recalled Zhao Xuanwu’s words and said, as if he had expected this all along, "I may be willing to marry her, but that doesn’t an the daughter of the Huo Family is willing to marry . I imagine she’s just another person who looks down on ."
Wang Zhaoyan smiled. "What choice does she have? If the Champion Marquis gives the order, she’ll have to marry you whether she wants to or not."
"I’ll et with her when the ti cos."
Thinking of Lu Guangjing’s sches, Lu Mingyuan felt a sense of urgency. The Champion Marquis was currently leading troops to quell a rebellion and held military authority; forging a connection with him would certainly be beneficial.
Wang Zhaoyan was delighted to hear her son finally relent.
"Excellent. I’ll arrange a eting for you."
As Wang Zhaoyan reveled in her pleasant surprise, Lu Mingyuan’s gaze swept over the maids attending her. His previously casual eyes suddenly froze.
He locked onto a Palace Maid with delicate features.
The Recognizing People skill activated slowly, his pupils focusing and growing deeper.
He saw a faint red glow emanating from the Palace Maid.
’Killing intent?’
Though faint and weak, Lu Mingyuan caught it instantly.
’This Palace Maid wants to kill ?’
’It’s not more of the Second Prince’s people, is it?’
’The Wang Family has plenty of Death Warriors, but Middle Fifth Grade experts are extrely rare. It wouldn’t be too hard for soone to infiltrate their ranks.’
Lu Mingyuan fell into deep thought as he watched his mother leave.
He didn’t do anything to alert his enemy.
Instead, he focused on finding a way to counterattack. If he didn’t root out the problem completely, he feared their retaliation would co in endless waves.
Just then, the Six-Yao Turtle Shell, which had been dormant for months, began to flicker.
[Two dragons fight in the shadows, the National Fortune wanes. Endure the Heart Inquiry Bureau to calm the heart and clarify the spirit, thereby reaping Dragon Fortune.]
[Middle Trigram of Good Fortune: Lie low and do not act. Tolerate the spy and personally undergo the trial of the Heart Inquiry Bureau. The fortune is that the scher’s Daoxin will be damaged, you will be blessed with Dragon Fortune, you will gain the favor of a noble patron, and you will seize the initiative. The misfortune is that you will incur envy and hatred, leading to lingering troubles, but you may obtain the Venerable Purple Fate Grid (Nine Orifices Exquisite). Outco: Moderate Good Fortune!]
[Middle Trigram of Evil: Alert the enemy. Expose the strange Palace Maid and reveal your strength. The fortune is that you will contend openly and enjoy a romantic blessing. The misfortune is that you will be trapped by the Heart Inquiry Bureau, your Daoxin will shatter, you risk birthing a Heart Demon, and you risk death. Outco: Great Peril!]
[Lower Trigram of Good Fortune: Lie low and do not act. Secretly inform Wang Zhaoyan and expose the strange Palace Maid. The fortune is that you will avoid one calamity and forgo the Heart Inquiry Bureau trial. The misfortune is that your struggles will beco endless and you will lose the initiative. Your Reading the Room Fate Grid can be directly upgraded to the Azure Fate Grid, Celestial Heart Wisdom Eye. Outco: Minor Good Fortune!]
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