"However, the last emperor of Great Qi didn't even have time to open the Heavenly Revelation Secret Trove before the Great Qi Dynasty fell. The seven keys in his possession have been missing ever since."
At this, Cang Yinyue's eyes turned cold as she said, "So, stop bothering me. Just one wooden box won't be enough to open the Heavenly Revelation Secret Trove!"
Hearing this, Li Musheng sighed deeply and said, "Sigh, I knew things wouldn't be that simple." He tucked the wooden box into his embrace, stood up, and walked over to Cang Yinyue. "But Miss Cang, you know quite a lot of things. In the future, if there's anything I'm not clear about, I'll ask you."
With that, he extended his fingers, ready to unseal her acupoints. However, halfway there, he suddenly paused: "You're not going to try to knock me out again later, are you?"
"No," Cang Yinyue replied calmly and quickly.
Li Musheng chuckled, "You probably don't even believe that yourself."
Cang Yinyue snorted coldly, "As long as I don't let you get close, I don't believe you can still hit my acupoints."
Li Musheng shook his head. This girl was still stubborn. After some thought, he suddenly said, "Miss Cang, actually, I have a way to remove the brand on your face."
Upon hearing this, Cang Yinyue's expression subtly changed, but it quickly returned to normal. She said coldly, "I don't believe you."
Li Musheng looked at her without speaking.
Cang Yinyue's gaze gradually dimmed. Then, she spoke to herself, "The person who branded my face has cultivated the 'Corroding Bone Yin Wind Finger' to a state of perfection. What you see is just the surface character, but it has actually been carved into my facial bone, like a maggot gnawing at the bone. It's impossible to remove in this lifetime."
Hearing this, Li Musheng flicked a finger, directly unsealing Cang Yinyue's acupoints. He said leisurely, "Miss Cang, if you don't try some things, how will you know if they're impossible?"
Feeling her acupoints unsealed, Cang Yinyue moved her now movable hands. The next moment, her entire person vanished from her spot, retreating backward like a ghost. Soon, she stopped in front of the old tree where she had been standing earlier, confronting Li Musheng from a distance.
However, Li Musheng stood with his arms crossed and said, "Don't forget, I am the Seventh Prince who was lost among the common folk. Every time you make a move, you are defying your superior. When I regain my identity in the future, even your Covert Intelligence Department's chief won't be able to protect you!"
Cang Yinyue was silent for a while. Then, her straightened body slowly leaned back against the old tree behind her. She said, "If you can truly remove that character from my face, then when you encounter a life-or-death crisis, I can risk my life to save yours!"
"No need for that," Li Musheng said with a smile, shaking his head. He extended one finger, thought for a moment, then added two more, saying, "Miss Cang just needs to promise me three conditions."
Cang Yinyue's phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly as she said, "No problem!"
Hearing this, Li Musheng's expression immediately shifted. "That's very straightforward? Aren't you afraid I'll propose some outrageous conditions?"
Cang Yinyue gave a cold laugh and said, "If it's something I'm unwilling to do, I won't do it even if it means death."
"Spoken like a person with backbone," Li Musheng said, giving a thumbs-up of praise. He then turned and sat down by the bonfire. However, in his mind, he was thinking about the Heavenly Revelation Secret Trove. This was also a clue in his pursuit of martial arts transcendence, but gathering all seven keys was giving him a headache.
"How will you remove the character from my face?" Just then, Cang Yinyue, who was standing not far away, spoke first.
"We'll talk about it when we reach Shangyang City."
Hearing this, Cang Yinyue stared at Li Musheng for a long while. Finally, she simply said "Good" and leaned against the tree, closing her eyes to rest, no longer speaking.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, after a night of rest, the two continued their journey on horseback, heading towards the Great Li imperial capital, Shangyang City.
Initially, Li Musheng wasn't in a hurry. He rode leisurely, enjoying the scenery of the mountains and rivers along the way, finding a unique charm in it. Cang Yinyue didn't urge him either. She sat on her horse as if on level ground, cultivating her true qi while maintaining the same pace as Li Musheng.
After a few days, Li Musheng grew tired of the scenery. After all, mountain roads weren't famous scenic spots; truly beautiful views were rare. What he saw most were trees, grass, and dust. So, he finally changed his slow pace and sped up the journey.
"Miss Cang, how many more days until we reach our destination?" Li Musheng didn't know the way. All the routes and maps along this journey were only in Cang Yinyue's head.
"If we travel day and night, we can reach Jingzhou in ten days, and then the imperial capital in one more day. Normal travel would take twenty days." Cang Yinyue replied expressionlessly, then teased, "Actually, you don't have to be in such a hurry. After all, the true prince is always the last to make his appearance."
This was the excuse Li Musheng had used earlier to justify their slow pace, now returned to him verbatim. Li Musheng could only shrug and continue hurrying.
Several more days passed. The two, covered in dust from their journey, arrived in the territory of Chongzhou. The journey itself was somewhat tedious, though they did encounter a group of mountain bandits. However, as soon as the bandits showed their heads, Cang Yinyue instantly dispatched them. Other than that, there were no further disturbances.
According to Cang Yinyue, the bandits were an anomaly; the routes she chose were specifically screened by the Covert Intelligence Department. They deliberately bypassed dangerous areas and places with complex martial arts factions, selecting the safest paths that wouldn't cause extra trouble. This was the reason for their smooth journey with virtually no unexpected events.
However, upon entering Chongzhou, Cang Yinyue clearly became more cautious. She didn't cultivate her true qi once during the journey and was basically constantly attentive to her surroundings. Li Musheng knew that there must be a reason for this situation, but not understanding it, he asked his "living map" and "human encyclopedia" of the Great Li Dynasty.
"Miss Cang, what's so special about this Chongzhou? You seem a bit overly nervous."
Cang Yinyue didn't mince words with Li Musheng. All along the way, no matter how big or small the matter, whether she knew about it or not, he would always ask her if he didn't understand. Honestly, she was starting to dread Li Musheng's questions.
However, she finally explained, "Chongzhou has been restless lately. According to secret reports from the Covert Intelligence Department, the largest martial arts factions in the province seem to be on the verge of war with each other."
"The place we are currently in is within the territory of a martial arts faction called the Bloodbath Alliance. In the current situation, they will undoubtedly guard all access routes. However, this faction is both righteous and evil, and not easy to deal with. It's better to avoid trouble. It's best to be cautious and try not to run into them."