Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Wastrel—The Guardian King Returns Home! A Fake Assassination!

【In other words, you were burning through nearly 10,000 taels of silver every single day.】

【At the Guardian King's current financial standing, that was only enough to cover 2 months of your expenses.】

【But the results were enormous—in just 2 months, your Golden Crow Inner Energy had grown sixfold.】

【After that, you began selling off the household assets.】

【Rumors spread throughout the capital that the wastrel of the Guardian King's Manor was attempting to practice martial arts again.】

【Xiao Wei specifically ran over to ask what was going on—still not giving up, huh?】

【You told him you'd recently heard of a folk remedy: soaking in Condensing Energy Powder every day was said to help unblock the meridians.】

【Maybe after enough soaks, you'd be able to cultivate.】

【Xiao Wei was so stunned his jaw nearly hit the floor. He said you were a legend, and that all the wastrels of the capital looked like penny-pinchers compared to you.】

【Before leaving, Xiao Wei generously left behind 10,000 taels of silver, saying it was the least he could do.】

【This friend was worth keeping—when it mattered, he actually came through with money.】

【Of course, it wasn't out of the question that he was feeling guilty and had come to probe for information on someone else's behalf.】

【Whatever his motive, the money was real and solid.】

【Another month and a half passed. After burning through over a million taels' worth of Condensing Energy Powder, your Golden Crow Inner Energy had finally grown tenfold, completely filling your Cinnabar Field.】

【Just how powerful you were now, even you yourself didn't know.】

【Next up—the push toward the Innate Realm.】

【At that moment, you also received a piece of good news.】

【Dian Cheng-feng, who had been bedridden for 3 and a half months, could finally get up and walk.】

【He still moved with an unsteady gait, but he was in far better shape than before.】

【Since good fortune had come in pairs, you decided a proper celebration was in order.】

【You gathered Xiao Wei and a few of your usual companions and booked out an entire floor of private rooms at Intoxicating Fragrance Tower, living it up for 3 full days and nights.】

【As you were leaving, Dong Xiao-wan tearfully said: "My lord, next time you come, please don't keep requesting only me—I'm begging you."】

【You were a little puzzled.】

【Perhaps Dong Xiao-wan had a spirit of mutual aid and wanted to give her sisters a chance too.】

【A quality like that was admirable.】

【You decided you'd request her again next time.】

【When you returned, you noticed that the Guardian King's Manor had taken on a solemn air.】

【Dian Cheng-feng told you: "The King is on his way back, traveling as we speak. We need to straighten out the manor's conduct before he arrives."】

【A creeping unease settled in your chest.】

【Being a Transmigrator was a double-edged sword.】

【On one hand, it granted you a golden finger—letting you accomplish things no ordinary person could.】

【On the other hand, it made you a target hunted by no small number of powers in this world.】

【Especially the organization called the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion.】

【They hunted Transmigrators everywhere.】

【Your behavior these past days undeniably fit the profile of a Transmigrator perfectly.】

【But the problem was, within the environment you occupied, many things simply couldn't be concealed no matter how hard you tried.】

【Through covert channels, you had recently learned that the Great Qian Empire also had an organization specifically dedicated to hunting Transmigrators—the official Observatory!】

【The Observatory was a power controlled by the National Preceptor, Qing Yang-zi, and could speak on behalf of the Great Qian imperial court.】

【Whether the Guardian King's return this time would mean a confrontation with you—that remained to be seen.】

【You wanted to slip away quietly, but you discovered that over the coming days, you had been placed under soft confinement within the manor.】

【Dian Cheng-feng's stated reason was perfectly high-sounding: he feared you might be injured outside and would have a hard time answering to the King.】

【In truth, you understood—he simply didn't want you to run.】

【Though if you really wanted to escape with your current strength, it wouldn't be easy either way.】

【Breaking through to the Innate Realm required at least 1 to 2 months of preparation.】

【The Guardian King wouldn't spend that long on the road.】

【You began training in the secret underground chamber, practicing the signature ultimate art of the Golden Crow World-Illuminating Scripture.】

【This ultimate art was called the Embryonic Sun Devourment—a technique that unleashed the Golden Crow Inner Energy stored in the Cinnabar Field all at once in a unique explosive burst.】

【Its destructive power was enough to evaporate a small pond measuring 100 feet on each side.】

【Only someone at the Postnatal Peak Realm or higher—or who had broken through to the Innate Realm—could use it.】

【With only a few days left, practicing this finishing move was exactly right.】

【The Guardian King was a Dharma Form Martial Saint of the Fifth Realm—even if you mastered this killing art, you couldn't scratch a single hair on him.】

【Even if you couldn't win, at least you could die with dignity? And spare yourself the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion's torture?】

【Whatever the case, it still had its uses.】

【2 days later, you had gained a preliminary grasp of the Embryonic Sun Devourment.】

【The third night.】

【A black-robed elder moved through the darkness, slipping in through the rear courtyard's side gate of the Guardian King's Manor.】

【Guardian Commander Dian Cheng-feng had been waiting for some time.】

【He noticed that the elder's complexion was pale as paper, which struck him as odd.】

From this aura, there doesn't seem to be any injury.

【But he didn't dare ask questions, and afterward came to rouse you from your sleep.】

【You pushed aside the handmaid sleeping beside you. After getting up, you said with puzzlement: "Why would the old man return in the middle of the night instead of coming back openly in broad daylight?"】

【Dian Cheng-feng replied: "Young master doesn't know—whenever the King returns under normal circumstances, there are military orders and troop deployments involved. This time, he has come back privately, so the less commotion, the better."】

【You nodded thoughtfully and followed Dian Cheng-feng to a lakeside pavilion.】

【There, you came face to face with a tall, silver-haired elder.】

【The moment you saw him, you threw your arms around his legs and wept: "Grandfather! Grandfather!"】

【The Guardian King was visibly moved as well. He quickly helped you to your feet, his voice thick with affection: "My dear grandson!"】

【You wiped the snot from your nose and asked whether Grandfather had come back this time because he suspected you were a Transmigrator.】

【The Guardian King patted your back reassuringly and said: "How could that be? You are my one and only grandson. Even if you truly were a Transmigrator, I would protect you."】

【You asked in delighted surprise: "Really?"】

【The Guardian King smiled: "But of course."】

【Dian Cheng-feng, standing watch at a distance, took in the scene and couldn't help but sigh—What a picture of a devoted grandson and a loving grandfather. You don't see this often in a great noble house.】

【But at that very moment, a cold, vicious light flashed across the Guardian King's face. A dagger materialized in his hand from nowhere and plunged toward your chest.】

【The blade of the dagger gleamed blue—clearly coated in deadly poison.】

【"Watch out!"】

【Dian Cheng-feng went pale with shock.】

【In that instant, a surge of extreme scorching power erupted from your body.】

【A miniature sun blazed to life at the lakeside, vaporizing the dagger outright—and sending the "Guardian King" flying far into the distance.】

【The "Guardian King" wore an expression of stunned horror: Wasn't he supposed to be a martial arts cripple? How could he possess power like this?】

【He turned and fled.】

【At that moment, 4 shadowy figures materialized around you and fell into step like your very own shadow, seizing him.】

【These were none other than the 4 elite shadow guards the Guardian King had left for your protection!】

【What happened after that, you had no way of knowing.】

【Because the backlash of the Embryonic Sun Devourment struck you, and you lost consciousness.】

【When you came to again, Dian Cheng-feng was standing at your bedside, studying you with deep, searching eyes. He said with feeling: "That was an Innate Realm Third-Tier expert—and you actually left him severely wounded!"】