Chapter 169 - 168: Who Is He?

Chapter 169: Chapter 168: Who Is He?

While Xia Wuyang was successfully merging the Dragon Storage Skill and the Stealth Technique, dozens of miles away in a courtyard in the Western Suburbs, his former chief strategist, Mo Qianqiu, was also undergoing a metamorphic transformation.

Thanks to the Healing Holy Medicine gifted by Xia Wuyang, Mo Qianqiu not only healed his old injuries but also found a blessing in disguise. After recovering, he rose from the ashes and, in one fell swoop, broke through from First Grade Perfection to the Super Grade Realm.

At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged in a secret chamber. The Qi Blood in his body flowed like a dragon. His once-graying hair was slowly turning black, and his wrinkled face grew ruddy, as if time itself were reversing for him.

Mo Qianqiu was over two hundred years old. A First Grade Grandmaster’s lifespan was only about three hundred years, and he had been nearing the end of his life. Compounded by the unhealed injuries from many years ago, he had appeared exceptionally old.

However, after breaking through to the Super Grade Realm, his lifespan had surged to around five hundred years. At over two hundred years old, he had now lived merely half his life.

He had returned to his prime, his youth fully restored.

’So this is the Super Grade Realm?’

Mo Qianqiu slowly opened his eyes, a sharp light glinting within them. ’To think that I could step into this realm in my lifetime.’

Now that his injuries were healed and he had achieved a breakthrough to the Super Grade Realm as a blessing in disguise, Mo Qianqiu began to study the Healing Holy Medicine. As a former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Xia Wuyang’s chief strategist, he was quite familiar with Imperial Secret Medicine.

Not only were these Elixirs astonishingly effective with minimal side effects, but some of the ingredients were also for the exclusive use of the Royal Family and nearly impossible to obtain otherwise.

’Imperial Secret Medicine... there’s no mistaking it. And they were specifically tailored for my injuries.’

Mo Qianqiu picked up an Elixir, observing it carefully and sniffing it lightly from time to time.

At the same time, he recalled another matter: the disappearance of Zhao Qi, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel who had constantly targeted him. To this day, the officials had found no trace of him.

The Zhao Family was now in a wretched state, targeted by various factions. Those who had been wronged by Zhao Qi in the past were being particularly ruthless.

Though he was said to have "disappeared," he most likely wasn’t coming back. Otherwise, these factions would never dare to act so boldly.

But how could a distinguished Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel just vanish? Thinking of the various Healing Holy Medicines gifted by the mysterious person, and Zhao Qi’s disappearance...

Mo Qianqiu was almost certain that Zhao Qi’s disappearance was inextricably linked to this mysterious person. This person had dealt with Zhao Qi on his behalf, sent so many Healing Holy Medicines, and was most likely someone from the Palace.

Furthermore, this person’s status had to be high; otherwise, they couldn’t have obtained Imperial Secret Medicine. Their Cultivation and strength must also be extraordinary, or they couldn’t have made Zhao Qi vanish without a trace.

More importantly, this person knew him quite well and seemed to be very familiar with the history of the Crown Prince’s Mansion.

’Who could it be?’

Mo Qianqiu fell into deep thought. He first ruled out Xia Wuyang. After all, Xia Wuyang was now decrepit and old, a fact confirmed by various factions, so it was almost certainly not a deception.

With so many spies and informants in the Eastern Palace, even a Super Grade Celestial Human would find it difficult to remain hidden, let alone a deposed elder Crown Prince like Xia Wuyang.

Even if he had restored his Foundation by some stroke of luck, he would have been discovered immediately. He could never have remained hidden for this long.

’Could it be a former expert from the Crown Prince’s Mansion, coming specifically to help me? But how would they have obtained Imperial Secret Medicine?’

Besides, Mo Qianqiu knew the former experts of the Crown Prince’s Mansion quite well. They had all been deeply hurt by Xia Wuyang; it was highly unlikely they would continue to work for him.

As for the experts he had been on good terms with, they were nearly all gone and certainly couldn’t have accomplished such a feat.

Suddenly, a figure surfaced in Mo Qianqiu’s mind.

The Crown Prince Consort, Yun Liyue!

This Crown Prince Consort from Xuan Nu Palace not only possessed profound Cultivation but was also right inside the Palace. It wouldn’t be difficult for her to obtain Imperial Secret Medicine. Plus, she had a good relationship with him back in the day.

Moreover, according to recent rumors, this Crown Prince Consort had been hiding her true strength. She was at least a First Grade Grandmaster and might have even recruited other powerful experts.

She had not only dealt with the Divine Hand with ease but had also left Xuan Nu Palace in a disastrous state, turning it into the laughingstock of the Great Xia Dynasty and destroying its thousand-year reputation in one fell swoop.

She had both the motive and the strength to do all this. ’Could it be her?’

A flash of gratitude crossed Mo Qianqiu’s eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to ask.

He took out a specially made sheet of paper and wrote a letter in a secret code.

"Your old subject has been cured by your grace. The Imperial Secret Medicine, the Vice Minister’s sudden death—was this Your Highness’s doing? This old subject, Mo Qianqiu, bows his head in respect."

Through a special channel, this secret letter quickly reached Yun Liyue’s hands.

In Lizheng Hall, Yun Liyue read the secret letter from Mo Qianqiu, her beautiful eyes filled with shock and doubt.

She had her own suspicions regarding Mo Qianqiu’s theory; she too had been pondering the identity of this mysterious person for days.

From the Eight Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine to the assassination of the infamous Divine Hand, and then exposing the truth about Xuan Nu Palace, turning the renowned sect into a laughingstock...

Behind this series of events, there was clearly a powerful Martial Artist pulling the strings—or perhaps even a powerful faction.

’Even Master Mo thinks I did it?’

Yun Liyue whispered to herself, a wry smile touching her lips.

The fall of the Divine Hand, the misfortune of Xuan Nu Palace... everything pointed to her. But she knew in her heart that she wasn’t behind any of it. Even as a new First Grade Grandmaster, she didn’t possess such capabilities.

Yun Liyue carefully sifted through all the clues, discovering a few common threads.

The mysterious person was extremely familiar with the Palace and had access to various kinds of Imperial Secret Medicine.

Their Cultivation was at least that of a First Grade Grandmaster, perhaps even a Super Grade Celestial Human. Otherwise, it would be impossible to kill the Divine Hand, bring ruin to Xuan Nu Palace, and make the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Zhao Qi, disappear.

Most importantly, this person seemed to be taking special care of the Crown Prince’s former subordinates.

’Could it be...?’

An incredibly bold conjecture formed in her mind, and her expression changed as she instinctively looked toward Wenhua Hall.

Yun Liyue thought about all the major incidents that had occurred in the Palace recently. Several Princes and Princesses had met with disaster one after another—either killed or deposed. Even some of their mothers, the imperial consorts, had run into trouble, and a great deal of resources and treasures had gone missing.

On the surface, these incidents seemed like infighting among the Princes and Princesses, with the True Yin Sect possibly stirring up trouble. But upon closer thought, all the Princes and Princesses who had met with disaster seemed to have a connection to the one in Wenhua Hall.

However, many of the recent incidents were relatively minor. Compared to the things these Princes and Princesses had done in the past, their recent actions paled in comparison.

The one in Wenhua Hall hadn’t retaliated before, so why would he act now over these relatively trivial matters?

Unless... could it be that before, he simply lacked the strength and influence to do so?