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nTranslator: Deep_Blue Editor: Kurisu

nIn the crisp, cold night.

nThe stone door rolled away slowly with a rumble. Slowly, Lu Sheng exited from the sanctuary, exhaustion written all over his face.

nAfter cultivating arduously for many hours on end, which required utmost concentration of his mind and strength, he was practically drained. Even though he was presently in his prime, his body in tip-top condition and his energy surging, he had found it almost unbearable.

nHe walked to the courtyard, where he let out a long breath. Lu Sheng actually felt extraordinarily comfortable internally.

n‘After soaking in the medicinal bath consecutively so many times and absorbing so much medicinal strength, I’m just one step away from initiating into it… it won’t be long,’ even Lu Sheng couldn’t dream of truly initiating into Golden Veil Skill in such a short amount of time.

nOriginally, this sort of hard body skills required at least ten days to half a month before one would be able to initiate into it. However, because of his foundation in hard body skills, as well as the aid of the precious medicinal bath and Golden Fragrant Ointment, it was understandable that the time needed for him to progress had been shortened by so much.

n‘I’ll go into seclusion for a day again tomorrow! I should be able to truly initiate into Golden Veil Skill by then. At the same time, I’ll employ the Modifier to upgrade it to full-mastery!’ Lu Sheng’s pair of eyes glistened brightly in the night.

n‘I just don’t believe that I can’t stand up against Anomalies! If one hard body skill won’t do, then two! If two don’t suffice, then THREE! I’ll keep stacking them up, and see for myself exactly how powerful a real Anomaly is!’

nA ball of fire burned deep within him. He had long since noticed that this desire had been buried into the deepest part of his being.

nIt was a thirst for battle, the ultimate longing for a sense of thrill.

nRather than a dull and boring life, he much preferred living life on the edge—where he yearned to battle to his heart’s content!

n‘After my seclusion tomorrow, I will begin to gather objects with Yin Qi. Desperate times call for desperate measures; whoever dares to refuse to hand them over, I’ll hack them to death with my saber!’ Lu Sheng’s eyes were bloodshot. Licking his lips, Lu Sheng turned to return to the sanctuary, where he began another period of uninterrupted seclusion.

n***

nEarly the next morning.

nChen Yunxi stood within Eastern Mountain Institute in her long white dress, which fell just above her knees to reveal a set of fair, slender legs. Her delicate and taut skin seemed to glimmer like white jade under the sun.

nShe had tied a black ribbon around her waist. Her long hair flowed in the wind and her crescent-shaped earrings dangled and flitted around constantly. Coupled with her exquisite countenance and her voluptuous figure, she attracted many comments from other students, who felt sorry for her.

nIf her legs had been slightly shorter, that would be ideal.

nThat was the unspoken consensus amongst everyone present.

nChen Yunxi walked through the large doors of the Institution, her gaze falling onto the many students coming to and leaving from the main study block. Then, she looked to the fan-shaped canteen to the side, where students had their meals.

n“Xixi, why are you here? Didn’t you say you’d go to the village school to be a teacher?” A close friend who saw Chen Yunxi from afar instantly ran over to greet her warmly.

n“Yan’er, do you know if Lu Sheng’s here?” Chen Yunxi held onto her good friend’s arm as she asked gently.

n“Lu Sheng? I didn’t see him. It’s been a while since he last came by here, ever since he got on the honor roll previously. Where would he find the time to hang around here like us? He probably needs to rush to prepare for the Governmental Examinations. Why? Hasn’t he contacted you?” Yan’er was surprised.

nShe was one of those friends who had witnessed how her good friend, Chen Yunxi, and Lu Sheng had gradually gotten closer to each other. Although Lu Sheng was rather passive from beginning to end and it was always Chen Yunxi who took initiative, the two of them had looked somewhat compatible, at least on the surface.

nEven though Chen Yunxi’s legs were too long and thus physically flawed, she came from an impressive family. If Lu Sheng were to really get together with her, his subsequent days would definitely get a lot more comfortable.

nThis Mountain-Edge City was unlike an average small city; it had tens of cities of the same scale as Lu Sheng’s hometown under its jurisdiction. How could a wealthy family from that sort of small city compare to one from here? This was a large, nucleus metropolis that could compare to prefecture capitals.

n“He hasn’t come by at all?” Chen Yunxi’s beautiful pair of eyes darkened.

n“Mm, I really haven’t seen him around in a long time. Perhaps he’s been buried in his studies at home, to prepare to do well in the examinations?” Yan’er guessed. From the expression on her good friend’s face, she could roughly come up with a few negative scenarios.

n“Why don’t you go ask around someplace else? Or find his good friend Song Zhenguo?”

n“Yea…” Chen Yunxi smiled bitterly. She looked again at the time; it was getting late. That young master would be arriving very soon. It was time for her to head back.

n“Forget it, I was only trying my luck.”

n“Do you want to go Lingering Fragrance Restaurant for a good meal?” Yan’er had a bubbly personality and was always fond of eating.

n“Forget it, I gotta head back. I have something on at home,” Chen Yunxi forced out a smile.

n“Oh… that’s a pity… the new dishes by Lingering Fragrance Restaurant are pretty good,” Yan’er was disappointed.

nAfter bidding her friend goodbye, Chen Yunxi nonetheless couldn’t help but make a visit at Song Zhenguo’s old classroom. None of the many people whom she asked had seen the both of them around; perhaps they had really decided not to return to the Institution anymore.

nAs for Lu Sheng’s house, she had already made a trip there previously. The doors had been shut tightly, and even the servant-girl Qiao’er had moved away, her whereabouts unknown.

nWith nothing else that she could do, Chen Yunxi had no choice but to turn her horse carriage around. Regretfully, she made her way back home.

n***

n“Welcome, Young Master Wang, to our humble abode; your presence really lights up this humble dwelling,” Chen Daozao accompanied Wang Shunyong as they sat in the main hall. One servant-girl after another served up plates of fine wine and delicacies.

n“Old Chen, hurry up. I’ve waited for a long time for that peculiar item you mentioned previously. Now that it’s finally arrived, bring it out quickly for me to take a look!” Wang Shunyong was barely twenty years old and very young. Other than being preoccupied with the fine arts, literature and poetry verses on a day-to-day basis, his other interests lay in all sorts of bizarre and eccentric objects.

nHe termed all these ‘peculiar items’, objects that he found interesting to while his time away.

nHe had heard that this Old Chen, Chen Daozao, had recently procured some rare toy. Coincidentally, the other party had even specially invited him over to admire it. He thus gladly accepted the invitation, and rushed over anxiously the moment he was done with his breakfast.

n“There’s no rush, Young Master Wang. That thing needs to be first prepared thoroughly before it’s suitable for presentation,” Chen Daozao was all smiles.

nHearing that, Wang Shunyong tried his best not to come across as overly anxious and suppressed his excitement.

nA while later, a beautiful woman approached leisurely with an intricate silver plate in her hands. Surprisingly, there was a rectangular copper mirror that was placed within the plate.

nThat mirror was rather sturdy and as thick as a palm.

n“Here here here, Young Master Wang, this is the curious object that I talked about—the Heaven and Earth Mirror!” Smiling broadly, Chen Daozao lifted the copper mirror and handed it over to Wang Shunyong.

n“Heaven and Earth Mirror?! What a bold name!” Wang Shunyong was stumped for words as he quickly received the mirror and examined it carefully. “Does the name mean that there’s more to this mirror than it seems?”

n“Young Master is indeed astute!” Chen Daozao laughed. “All you need to do is give it a light shake.”

nHearing that, Wang Shunyong immediately shook it.

n“KA-CHA.”

nA light crisp sound could be heard coming from the mirror, as if some mechanism had clicked. The original surface of the mirror actually slid to the right to transform into a painting of the same color as the copper mirror, depicting a red-crowned crane in a mountainous landscape.

n“Eh???” Wang Shunyong was instantly intrigued. He stared intently at the painting, admiring the details that were included to portray an extremely lifelike form, which made it seem as if there were really an actual red-crowned crane that was taking a sip in the mirror.

nHe shook it again, resulting in another swift “Ka-Cha”.

nThe surface of the mirror rolled over once again, surprisingly revealing yet another painting. This time round, it depicted a vivid image of an unending field of all sorts of flowers blooming brilliantly.

n“This skill… impressive! It’s definitely the work of a master!” Wang Shunyong was pretty talented in painting and calligraphy, so naturally, he was able to tell the level of skill in these paintings at first glance.

n“Young Master is very sharp, this old man here is impressed. However, this object can do more than this, take a look here…”

nOutside the door.

nChen Yunxi stood by the bend in the corridor. In her hands was a silver dish, which held two cups of clear, dark-green wine. This was a fine wine that had been imported from overseas. One of these cups was prepared especially for Wang Shunyong.

nShe hid the sachet of drugs beneath her sleeves. Now, at this crucial time, she felt thoroughly miserable and was unable to command her body to move.

n“Hahahaha. Young Master Wang, please make your way to the courtyard. This old man has something else for you to see.”

n“Something else? This young master would very much like to find out what is this second good stuff that you, Old Chen, have in store.”

nThe sounds of two men speaking traveled from the bend up ahead; it seems they had moved to the courtyard.

nThis was the main hall of the Chen Manor. As they exited, they entered the Fine Flowers Garden, which was brimming with diverse species of flowers and plants.

nLooking at the wine cups before her, Chen Yunxi’s eyes turned watery. The grievance and dejection within seemed to overwhelm and constrict her chest, choking her and making it difficult for her to breathe.

n“Young Miss, it’s your turn now,” the elderly housekeeper stood by the side, helplessly urging her. He was a trusted retainer of the Chen family and was also one of those in the know. It’s just that to see the young miss he had watched over from her tender years landing up in such a state… he also found it hard to take. However, there was no other way out.

n“Yes…” she used her sleeve to lightly conceal her face. In the end, Chen Yunxi still retrieved that packet of drugs, which she tilted to pour into the two wine cups. The fine white powder dissolved immediately into the liquid, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

nShe forced a smile out of herself to disguise the dazed look in her eyes. Then, she carried the plate and walked towards the courtyard.

nChen Daozao and Wang Shunyong sat opposite each other in the courtyard, chatting merrily. On the stone table before them was the Heaven and Earth Mirror that they had been fiddling with earlier.

nChen Yunxi walked over with the silver plate in her hands.

n“Come come come, this is a unique Purple Jade Grape Wine that I personally purchased from the Ju Rong Nation in the East, unavailable anywhere else! You can see the splendor of the reflection off the wine’s surface; it’s one of the best. Young Master Wang, have a taste!”

nChen Daozao gestured for Wang Shunyong to take his pick. Either way, both cups had been poisoned. He had already taken the antidote earlier, and so did not fear the drug’s effects; it didn’t matter which one he chose.

nAs soon as Wang Shunyong heard that it originated from an Eastern kingdom, his face instantly lit up with curiosity.

n“Since it is from an Eastern kingdom, then this young master must give it a try and see how it tastes!” Smilingly, he picked up a cup.

nChen Daozao and the elderly housekeeper, who stood by the side, stared nervously at him as he lifted the cup to his mouth.

nAs for Chen Yunxi, it was instead Lu Sheng’s face that flashed before her. Her vision grew more and more blurry.

n“BAM!!!”

nJust at that precise moment, the doors to the courtyard were smashed open by a destructive force.

nA bare-chested burly man with unruly hair charged in fiercely. A green dragon was tattooed on his chest, and his waist was thick and swollen. He seemed like a black bear clearing the way as he strode in.

nFollowing closely behind the burly man were two columns of elite fighters, each of them fit and strong. Dressed in short black robes, they flooded into the area.

n“That’s him!” The burly man hollered as he pointed an accusatory finger at the shell-shocked Wang Shunyong. “How dare you steal my concubine. Give him a good beating! I’ll take responsibility for his death!!!”

nImmediately, the gang of muscular men swarmed forward and forcefully pinned the ashen-faced Wang Shunyong to the ground, then thrashed him with all their might. Fists the size of pots rained down on him.

n“Ah! AH AH AHHHH!!!”

nWang Shunyong fell to the ground, where he was pummeled viciously by the men.

nTo the side, Chen Daozao and Chen Yunxi were stupefied and looked on in shock. The group of manservants and house guards wanted to go up to stop the fight, but the other party had sent some men to restrain the so-called experts of the Chen Family.

nAs for the martial arts practitioners of the Strength Proficiency level, they didn’t even dare to move a finger nor say a word when they witnessed the intensity of the fighting.

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