I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

Chapter 586: Chapter 446: The Prosperous Era of Jianyuan
 

“Don’t come any closer!”

The young eunuch screamed in terror, trying to attract the attention of nearby people.

“Hehehe!”

Among the grotesque laughter, Zhou Yi stepped closer and grabbed the eunuch by the throat.

“With my True Qi enveloping you on all sides, even if you shout yourself hoarse, no one will come to save you. Better to go down below and be reborn sooner!”

The young eunuch’s face turned beet red, feeling the immense True Qi rushing into his body, his meridians and internal organs couldn’t withstand the pressure, and in a blink, they shattered.

True Qi circulated within the corpse, slowly grinding the bones to dust, leaving only a complete skin behind.

Zhou Yi carried the skin to the well and with a loud bang, it exploded, pus and bone fragments merged with the water, and the young eunuch completely vanished from this world.

“This Bone Transforming Technique truly is an excellent method for obliterating a body and erasing all traces!”

He returned to his quarters.

Zhou Yi looked into the bronze mirror, reflecting his young visage.

“Fourteen years have passed, and I have never shown my true face, always wearing a false one—will I forget who I am?”

After a moment of silence, Zhou Yi took out the Face-changing Cream and applied it.

The face which was already quite similar became ninety-nine percent identical, so much so that even his own parents would struggle to tell the real from the fake.

“From now on, I am Xiao Shanzi!”

Xiao Shanzi, originally named Li Dashan, was a loafer lurking in the capital, living a life of idleness, subsisting off petty thefts and small-time cons.

By chance, Zhou Yi saw Li Dashan’s appearance and commanded a gambling den affiliated with the Inspectorate to employ a scheme, luring Li Dashan into accruing a massive gambling debt.

With no money to repay, Li Dashan was forced to sell himself to the Eunuch Servitude to settle his debts, under the compulsion and threats from the gambling den.

This was one of the contingencies Zhou Yi had prepared, originally to safeguard against the Orthodox Emperor—to escape even if the army surrounded the city. He never imagined it would come into use so soon.

“Qing Yang and Ben Xin arrived so quickly; there must be a mole in either the Eunuch Servitude or the Inspectorate!”

A sharp light flickered in Zhou Yi’s eyes. No one in this world could owe him a debt. No matter how long it took, he would reclaim each one.

“Prince of Pingxi, Empress Dowager, King of the Northern Defense… As long as I’m not dead, I will never lose!”

Suddenly.

A chilly wind blew past, sending a cold shiver down Zhou Yi’s spine.

“Who’s there?”

Zhou Yi suddenly turned around, only to see emptiness behind him, nothing there at all.

“This is the second time!”

“I always feel like someone is watching me. Could it be that I’ve killed too many, and their resentment has turned into vengeful spirits, refusing to let go of me?”

Zhou Yi thought of this and couldn’t help but frown deeply.

A facial disguise could fool the living, but was less effective against ghostly entities, which could sense the vital energy and blood of the living. The elderly and frail would have weakened Qi-Blood.

Zhou Yi sought Everlasting Immortality; his Qi-Blood remained constant, growing even stronger with his martial arts cultivation.

“I’ll need to find a way to shield myself. The San Yang Sect excels in refining and exorcising ghosts, they might even place a few vengeful spirits within the palace to roam and keep watch!”

As he was pondering this.

The door was kicked open with a bang, and a group of eunuchs rushed in.

The leading eunuch, named Xiao Wenzi, was efficient in his duties and understood the importance of bribing with Silver. Zhou Yi had personally promoted him to be the head of duty in the palace.

“Search carefully!”

Xiao Wenzi ordered the others to search the room while he took charge of the interrogation, “I’m asking you, did you hear any unusual noises?”

“Replying to Your Excellency, I heard nothing at all,” Zhou Yi said, trembling with fear, falling to his knees.

Xiao Wenzi narrowed his eyes slightly, eyeing Zhou Yi, finding him somewhat familiar, perhaps from seeing him a few times while on duty in the past.

The room wasn’t large, so the search concluded quickly, naturally finding no one hidden away.

Xiao Wenzi said, “Be more vigilant tonight. If you hear any unusual noises, report immediately to the duty head. The Empress Dowager will reward you generously!”

“I understand.”

Zhou Yi saw the men out, and just before they left, he pulled out a silver note and handed it to Xiao Wenzi, “Your Excellency, may I inquire about the supervisor at Dong Chang…”

Xiao Wenzi glanced at the silver note, discontent with the mere twenty taels it was worth, and tucked it into his sleeve, saying coldly.

“From now on, there will be no more supervisor!”

“Thank you for the reminder, Your Excellency.”

Zhou Yi bowed and stood at the door, watching Xiao Wenzi leave, waiting until the men entered another room before he straightened his back.

“How quickly the world changes…”

In the palace, one must learn to assess the situation.

Go with the strong east wind when it blows, and with the strong west wind when it shifts, better to be a weathercock that switches sides readily than to unwittingly fall and drown.

Zhou Yi didn’t need to think to know that most people in the Eunuch Servitude and the Inspectorate had turned, or rather, they had never truly been loyal.

Those who had stuck with Zhou Yi, loyal to the death, would now have to give up all the power and benefits they had previously gained.

Looking up at the sky, the bright moon hung high.

“I’m curious to see who will take the Supervisor’s seat at Dong Chang!”

…

In the hour of Yin.

Dawn was about to break.

Nine successive bell tolls startled the entire capital awake.

…

In the hour of Mao.

Zhou Yi put on mourning clothes and took up his post at the eastern gate of the imperial palace.

Xiao Shanzi had little martial talent and was lazy in his training, assigned to the most tiresome task of standing guard at the main gate.

Elsewhere, one could often slack off, but at the palace gate, which connected the inside to the outside, symbolizing the royal dignity, it was mandatory to stand up straight for six hours without speaking unless absolutely necessary.

The palace entrance was bustling today, with all kinds of Officials waiting for edicts to be announced from within.

Some had already entered the palace, like princes, dukes of the state, senior officials, and secretaries, who were currently inside discussing the late emperor’s funeral arrangements and the new emperor’s accession.

Officials sorted themselves by closeness and faction, huddled together, whispering to one another.

“How could the emperor suddenly pass away?”

This was the question on everyone’s mind: The Orthodox Emperor had gone out of the palace secretly, intending to completely eliminate the Empress and the San Yang Sect. Unexpectedly, his plan had failed.