“The seven-day deadline set by the Emperor is almost here!” Xu Huande said to Fu Mengshan, sitting in the main hall of the Secret Guardians Hall. “We’re done for this time!”

　　Fu Mengshan remained seated in the armchair, not speaking a word.

　　The atmosphere in the main hall was heavy and tense.

　　Chen Donghai was fidgeting about restlessly, wishing to leave the room at once. Nonetheless, given that this incident was due to his mistake, there was no way he could leave, so he had no choice but to stay here and endure the restlessness.

　　After a long while, Fu Mengshan asked quietly, “Is there still no news from there?”

　　“No.” Xu Huande shook his head. “But it seems rather odd.”

　　“Yes, it is odd.” Fu Mengshan nodded.

　　If nothing had happened to Gu Qi, the Li Dynasty would have already proclaimed to all the other nations to let them know that a Ji Dynasty’s Minister Counsellor had gone to the Li Dynasty to seek asylum, so as to strengthen the confidence of the Li Dynasty’s civilians.

　　However, there was no news about it at all within the Li Dynasty, as the situation seemed quiet and calm.

　　The secret guardians of the Secret Guardians Hall might not be able to sneak into the Holy Church of Light but were perfectly capable of gathering news from the imperial court of the Li Dynasty.

　　What they found was that there was no news at all about Gu Qi in the imperial court of the Li Dynasty.

　　Judging by the time that had passed, Gu Qi should have already crossed into the borders of the Li Dynasty, which would mean that he would no longer have to fear being assassinated by the Ji Dynasty. In that case, the other party should have made the incident known to everyone else, and it would be very unusual for them to remain silent about it. Therefore, it was highly possible that Gu Qi had not entered into the Li Dynasty!

　　It was by holding on to this glimmer of hope that they were able to stay calm and maintain their composure. Otherwise, they would have already entered the Palace to admit their error instead of gritting their teeth to face the seven-day deadline set by the Emperor.

　　“Perhaps Young Chu had succeeded in getting to him.” Fu Mengshan sighed. “And they’ve perished together.”

　　“Chu Li shouldn’t have died yet.” Xu Huande shook his head in disagreement. “If he has died in their hands, they would’ve publicized it on a grand scale.”

　　Given the widely known saying of “the South has Du Feng while the North has Chu Li”, Chu Li’s was quite a renowned figure.

　　Fu Mengshan nodded. “It must be that Young Chu has succeeded and have been seriously wounded, so he’s now recuperating in hiding.”

　　“That should be it!” Xu Huande agreed.

　　Fu Mengshan chuckled and said, “He’s made another huge contribution. Young Chu is truly a lucky star!”

　　“The situation can’t go on like this.” Xu Huande shook his head. “The bigger his spotlight, the more likely it is for him to be defeated… If he has really killed Gu Qi this time, the Holy Church of Light will go crazy trying to seek revenge. This is no joking matter!”

　　“That’s true. He has a long future ahead,” Fu Mengshan said. “When he returns later, let’s advise him to take a break and train in isolation for some time.”

　　Xu Mengshan nodded.

　　Then, they heard a sudden sound of footsteps approaching before seeing Zhe Liang stride into the main hall, greeting them with a fist salute. “Commander, Commander Xu!”

　　He handed a sealed bamboo tube to Fu Mengshan.

　　Fu Mengshan opened the wax seal and unrolled a slip of paper, giving it a quick glance through. Then, his expression relaxed as he chuckled and passed it to Xu Huande.

　　After glancing at it, Xu Huande also smiled, shaking his head. “Impressive. He really managed to kill him after all!”

　　“This is an unusual merit indeed. He deserves to be properly rewarded for this!” Fu Mengshan laughed with delight.

　　Chen Donghai quickly asked, “Commander, Commander Xu, is it Gu Qi who has been killed?”

　　“Yes, Young Chu has saved you this time!” Fu Mengshan laughed. “If Young Chu didn’t risk his own life to kill Gu Qi, you would’ve had to go and guard the Imperial Mausoleum!”

　　“What happened to Centurion Chu then?”

　　“He’s probably found himself a place to recuperate,” Fu Mengshan replied, “He’s very smart. As long as he hasn’t lost his life there, he’ll certainly be able to escape somehow. He should be back after a few days!”

　　“Very good, very good!” Chen Donghai released a long sigh.

　　Thankfully, he would not have to go and guard the Imperial Mausoleum after all!

　　Guarding the Imperial Mausoleum was harder than being imprisoned, the rest of his life would have gone to waste. It would be a living hell.

　　Fu Mengshan rose from his seat. “I’m leaving for the palace right away. Elder Xu, get a few more people to search for news on Chu Li!”

　　Xu Huande nodded his head in obedience.

　　…

　　The moon hung brightly in the sky.

　　Under the moonlight, Lu Yurong sat quietly in the gazebo with her gentle gaze fixated on Chu Li’s face and remained unmoving for a long while.

　　Chu Li was lying face-up on the stone table in the gazebo. He was no longer breathing and was stiff all over much like a dead person.

　　Xiao Mei and the other women stood guard by the gazebo, worrying that Lu Yurong’s injuries might worsen.

　　Their worries came true when Lu Yurong’s condition was affected by her emotional state as she was not recovering from her injuries, which seemed to be getting worse instead.

　　Clad in a white tunic, Lu Yushu came walking with his hands behind his back and slowly entered the gazebo.

　　He glanced at Lu Yurong. “Little Sister, humans can’t be brought back to life after they die. It’s been seven days. His soul has probably departed. We should bury him and let him be at rest.”

　　Lu Yurong shook her head back and forth.

　　Lu Yushu sat down by her side in resignation and sighed. “Have you really fallen for this guy?”

　　Lu Yurong withdrew her gaze from Chu Li’s face and shot a glance at Lu Yushu. “No.”

　　“Are you sure?” Lu Yushu chuckled. “I know that you were lying to us before this, so you better not let your lie turn into reality!”

　　Lu Yurong simply shook her head.

　　Lu Yushu pressed on. “Was it because he had saved you that you fell for him?”

　　Lu Yurong knitted her brows together and said, “Second Brother, please leave already. Just let me have my peace of mind.”

　　“Chu Li is already dead. No matter how much you like him, it’s no use,” Lu Yushu said, “However, I do know that it’s easier for you to remember his strengths and feel moved by it after a person has died. You should be careful!”

　　“You’re really annoying!” Lu Yurong retorted impatiently. “I don’t feel like talking to you. Just leave me alone!”

　　Lu Yushu replied, “You’ve already been sitting here by yourself for so many days!”

　　Lu Yurong waved a hand dismissively. “Get lost!”

　　Lu Yushu watched her expression darken and knew that she was really upset now. Realizing that his attempt at buffoonery had failed, he stood up, shaking his head. “Alright then. Don’t be too sad about this. It’s normal for people in the martial arts world to die. We too, can’t escape death. Don’t forget that you’re not an ordinary lady!”

　　“Who said he’s dead!” Lu Yurong huffed in anger, wanting to ignore him.

　　Lu Yushu sighed. It seemed like Little Sister had indeed fallen for Chu Li and could not accept the reality of his death. What a pity.

　　He glanced at Chu Li, who was lying on the stone table and began to leave.

　　Then, he suddenly came to a halt and exclaimed, “Huh!”

　　All at once, a fierce wind sprang up, causing the rest of them to stumble about trying to steady themselves.

　　The wind howled and moaned around them.

　　The flowers and grass around them all seemed to be bowing in the direction of the gazebo as if paying respect to a king. The trees some distance away were swaying and bending over in this direction as well, their leaves rustling in the wind.

　　Chu Li appeared to be producing a boundless attractive force that was pulling everything in his surroundings toward him.

　　While the people around him managed to stay rooted in their spots, the leaves and flower petals all came in a surge and enveloped him within them, blocking him from sight.

　　Lu Yushu held onto a pillar, squinting his eyes while observing the scene

　　Meanwhile, the women used their sleeves to ward off the objects that were being swept about in the wind, keeping their eyes on Chu Li.

　　“Bang!” Following the noise, the debris rebounded and flew away.

　　Chu Li slowly began to float upward and stopped three feet above the stone table, which placed him right above their heads. His hair flew about while his purple tunic fluttered in the wind.

　　A vast and mighty force gathered around his body like surging waves as it kept washing into him.

　　Chu Li suddenly opened his eyes and there was a flash of azure light that soon disappeared. With that, he seemed to have regained clear consciousness, returning to his usual state where others could not perceive his abilities as a master of the martial arts world.

　　He slowly straightened his body as his feet landed on the ground.

　　The vast and mighty force vanished in an instant, as though it had never appeared in the first place.

　　Noticing all their eyes upon him, Chu Li smiled and turned to Lu Yurong. “How long have I been asleep?”

　　Lu Yurong inhaled a deep breath to suppress her emotions and said flatly, “Seven days!”

　　“Seven days…” Chu Li shook his head. “You must’ve been really worried, eh?”

　　Lu Yurong forced herself to look calm as she replied, “What’s there for me to worry about?”

　　Chu Li frowned. “You haven’t recovered from your injury?”

　　As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped to her side and gave her back a light pat with his palm.

　　The Great Light Scripture’s inner energy had been burning within her like a flame, but when Chu Li’s palm hit her, it was as if the ball of inner energy had found its master as it rushed into his palm before being swallowed whole by the Heavenly Demonic Orb.

　　Lu Yurong felt her body relax instantly as though she had been relieved of a huge weight.

　　This Great Light Scripture’s inner energy from Fang Qingyang was very strange indeed. Although she had clearly extinguished it, it would soon reappear, giving her a feeling that it could never be completely put out.

　　With Chu Li’s intervention, however, it felt like the inner energy had been entirely removed. Finally, her heart felt light and free from the inexorable sensation.