Chapter 31: Grandmaster!

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“Blood relatives?” Third Master Luo let out a strange, mocking laugh, so violent that his entire body seemed about to come apart.

Yet after a rapid crackling of joints and bones, the hunched old man straightened his back. His frame grew thick and powerful, his muscles knotting as they burst through the heavy cotton robe he had worn as a disguise.

“Bone-Shrinking Art?” Yuchi Peng nodded. “You used a method as torturous as that to disguise yourself for twenty years. It must have been difficult.”

“Because only if I remained that weak would you feel safe using me...” Third Master Luo sneered. “Isn’t that right, Young Master Yuchi?”

Yuchi Peng froze. He had not heard that form of address in a very long time. He remembered that when he was very young, the first time he had helped this man, Luo had called him that. Afterward, he had followed Yuchi Peng around like a shadow.

“Why?” Yuchi Peng could not help asking. “What have I ever done to wrong you?”

“From the perspective of master and servant, you treated me well enough.” Third Master Luo’s voice was cold. “You entrusted me with important matters, valued me, gave me opportunities. You ate at the same table as me and slept beneath the same roof. If you had made it clear from the beginning that ours was a relationship between lord and subject, perhaps things would have been much better.”

“But you had to put on that false show of brotherly affection...”

“I have always regarded you as my own brother,” Yuchi Peng said seriously.

“And then? You married the woman your brother had once secretly loved?”

At those words, Yuchi Peng glanced at his wife’s already-cold body and drew a deep breath. “After all these years, you still cannot let that go? You married and had children long ago. I thought you had moved on.”

“Moved on?” Third Master Luo laughed, his entire body trembling. “When I was young, I believed that you and I were brothers. That was why I once spoke so boldly before you. I pointed at the Yan family’s magnificent carriage and declared with great swagger that one day I would ride in splendid robes, win military honors, receive a noble title, and marry the Yan family’s daughter. How did you answer me back then?”

Yuchi Peng was startled. So much time had passed, yet he did remember. That year, they had both been at the most reckless age of youth. Drunk atop a high tower, they had each revealed their ambitions. Afterward, Yuchi Peng had even sent several letters on his friend’s behalf, never imagining that Yan would eventually fall in love with the very boy who delivered those letters.

“I never realized you were so attached to Yan...”

“I was not attached to Yan.” Third Master Luo’s smile faded. “You still do not understand. That is why people like you, born nobles, can never understand what someone like me truly wants.”

“Let me ask you this. Back then, in the northern lands, I rendered countless services. The man now seated upon the throne knew perfectly well what I was capable of, so why did he never grant me a noble title?”

Yuchi Peng was stunned. For a moment, he did not know how to answer.

“There are two reasons!” Third Master Luo raised two fingers coldly. “First, in his mind, I belonged to you. Any merit I earned would be credited to you. If I were ennobled, he feared you might become estranged from him. Thus, every accomplishment was placed upon the head of you, the Great Jin’s God of War, while I... would forever remain nothing more than the strategist behind the curtain.”

“Second, I had no background. I could not practice martial arts and possessed no inherited arcane techniques. No matter how capable I was at plotting, I could survive only by relying on powerful people like you. So why win me over when winning you over would suffice? In any case, I would continue serving you.”

“You...” Yuchi Peng began, then stopped. He was suddenly starting to understand what the other man was trying to say.

“That boy’s dream died long ago!” Third Master Luo sneered. “Reality crushed it again and again until I understood that you and I were never walking the same road. You married Yan without the slightest burden because you knew that she and I could never be together. Why did you think that? Because at heart, you and the Emperor think alike. You never truly regarded me as your brother. In your mind, I could never belong among people like you...”

Boom!

Third Master Luo’s voice grew heavier and heavier, while his body seemed to grow heavier with it. His aura rose along with his words. The hunched old man transformed completely, shining brilliantly in the winter wind like the newborn sun.

With a single step, the ground throughout the Southern Courtyard split like a spiderweb. His aura surged like a great flood. Even Yuchi Peng, who had been prepared for this, could not conceal his astonishment.

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The aura emanating from him now was, in Yuchi Peng’s eyes, no weaker than that of Grandmaster Yi, who had once held back an entire imperial army by himself!

There was no doubt about it.

This was the Grandmaster Realm!

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“It is truly our honor that Your Highness has summoned us in person. At a time like this, may I ask what Your Highness wishes to discuss?”

Outside Beihai City, the Crown Prince’s faction had still come to meet Third Prince Li Yu. They had done so not only because General Long had vouched for him, but also because Lu Sheng and the others had vaguely guessed what Li Yu intended.

“Master Lu is an intelligent man. Surely you know why I asked to see you?”

“Your Highness already holds victory in your hands. There is really no need for you to cooperate with us.” Lu Sheng frowned.

“How could that be?” Li Yu smiled. “First, I do not yet hold victory in my hands. Second, even if I did, there would be no need to exterminate you all. You were carefully selected by the great clans to serve as the Crown Prince’s foundation. I have never held that against you. My imperial father favored his eldest son and cut off every opportunity for the rest of us long ago. It is only natural that your clans followed the tide. But things are different now. Once the Crown Prince is gone, as the only son of the Noble Consort, would I not be worth investing in?”

“Has Your Highness ever cooperated with that demon?” Lu Sheng asked with a frown.

“I have.” Li Yu nodded. “She provided information, and I merely acted according to circumstances. But I absolutely had no part in the plot to murder your Second Young Master Lu.”

“Does Your Highness understand how dangerous that thing is? A painting spirit has infiltrated one of the imperial princes. If its scheme succeeds, what do you think the consequences will be?”

“Of course I understand!” Li Yu replied solemnly. “But I will never allow such a thing to happen. You should also know that among all the princes, I am the one whose innocence is easiest to establish. My maternal family, the Qin clan, is a thousand-year-old house. That creature could never replace the legitimate daughter of the Qin family and marry into the imperial household. My other brothers, by contrast, are all sons of ordinary officials’ daughters, and it would be far more difficult for them to prove their innocence. Once the Crown Prince is gone, investing in me is the least dangerous choice, is it not?”

“Your Highness makes a reasonable point...” Lu Sheng looked toward Long Cheng, who stood beside Li Yu. “General Long thinks so as well?”

Long Cheng said nothing. His grandfather had chosen his name. The Long family had few descendants, and by his generation he was the sole surviving heir. They could afford no mistake.

Given the present situation, the Crown Prince had reached the end of the road. As the Long family’s only legitimate son, Long Cheng could not place all his bets on him.

“I understand...” Lu Sheng nodded and drew a deep breath. “What does Your Highness intend to do?”

“Provide cover for Qin Fang to return with you. Given the strength of General Long and Qin Fang, dealing with General Yuchi, who is now gravely ill, should not be a problem. According to the intelligence we received, several members of the Yuchi family may be hosts of that monster. You should understand what would happen if such creatures were released. Kill them all. With the Beihai Army left without a commander, you can stabilize it using the Crown Prince’s command token. Then everything will be settled!”

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“What is General Hong planning to do?”

Zhang Rui watched Yuchi Hong, who had been restless for some time, finally rise and head toward the Southern Courtyard. He immediately had Murong Yunji block his path.

“Lord Zhang!” Yuchi Hong pointed toward the Southern Courtyard. “You felt it just now too, didn’t you?”

“Er...” Zhang Rui suddenly felt awkward.

He truly had not felt anything.

By now, almost no one believed that he was still an ordinary mortal. The power erupting from the Southern Courtyard was terrifying, yet he genuinely had no idea what was happening inside.

Zhong Yu’s expression was exceedingly complicated. He had always admired Third Master Luo. In his eyes, a man who could neither practice martial arts nor pursue the civil examinations, yet had risen to such heights, was the finest example of surviving against adversity.

He had never expected Luo to be a schemer—or a monster capable of plotting the death of an entire city for his own selfish ends.

“Grandmaster!” Yuchi Hong gritted his teeth. “I have seen one only once in my life, during the campaign with the Beihai Army to surround and suppress Tianyun City. One man with one sword stood against a thousand troops. And you want my father, a man on the verge of death, to face something like that? What are you thinking?”

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Zhang Rui sighed. “If he truly is a Grandmaster, what difference would your going there make?”

“Then we should send the army to surround and suppress him...”

“Can an army hold a powerful martial artist in place?” Zhang Rui stared at him speechlessly. “Once he escapes, you may never find him again. General Yuchi will still die, and so will the Crown Prince. Your Yuchi family raised such a monster. What do you think the people of the realm will say about you?”

“But...” Yuchi Hong grew frantic. “We cannot let Father go to his death!”

“It may not necessarily be a suicide mission...” Zhang Rui shook his head.

“Does Lord Zhang know the difference between a Grandmaster and a half-step Grandmaster?” Zhong Yu asked with a frown.

“I know roughly...” Zhang Rui smiled. “Although I am not a martial artist, I am not completely ignorant either. But that monster is not a complete Grandmaster.”

“What do you mean?” Yuchi Hong hurriedly asked.

“Perhaps its physical strength has reached that level, but its realm absolutely has not.” Zhang Rui analyzed the situation. “Third Master Luo did not come from a martial arts family. He had no inherited teachings to support him, and he was never a martial artist to begin with. To protect his secret, he would not have dared reveal himself easily during all these years after gaining his strength. He had no opportunity to fight others and grow through combat. I may be an outsider, but even I know that martial arts are not simply a matter of possessing strength, right?”

Yuchi Hong and Zhong Yu exchanged a glance.

“The Duke is different...” Zhang Rui lowered his voice and gazed somberly into the courtyard. “Though he is now extremely weak, his realm remains intact. In the past, he could never cross the threshold into the Grandmaster Realm because he had no confidence in fighting a Grandmaster. After all, he carries the entire Yuchi family on his shoulders and would never casually gamble with his life. But this time is different. A Grandmaster without the corresponding realm is the best opponent he could possibly choose in his lifetime!”

“You mean...” Yuchi Hong’s eyes widened, filled with disbelief and desperate hope.

The Grandmaster Realm had been the Yuchi family’s obsession for centuries. If General Yuchi succeeded, it would be far more valuable than having a Crown Prince among their relatives!

“Everything depends on the Duke himself...” Zhang Rui stared into the courtyard with an inscrutable expression, though in truth he had no confidence whatsoever.

A breakthrough in the face of absolute despair was the stuff of heroic comics and novels. In reality, there was a very good chance that Yuchi Peng would simply be beaten to death.

If Yuchi Peng died, Zhang Rui would immediately have Murong Yunji take him and flee. A monster with no apparent limit to its growth was no longer something he could consider dealing with himself. It was a problem for everyone in the realm to solve.

Besides, there were too many variables now. Li Yu waiting outside, the master of the Painting Market, the Crown Prince’s adviser harboring divided loyalties, and that Chen Xiao—none of them was simple.

The reason Zhang Rui had chosen this path was to cut through the tangled situation swiftly. The longer such a complicated struggle dragged on, the more troublesome it would become.

This time, he was also trying to test something.

Zhang Rui looked once more at the fountain pen hovering beside him.

The act of completing an established setting had no side effects. But if he added a setting he had previously failed to think of, would that produce side effects?