Palace Coup 44

Xie Miaoxuan almost failed to suppress a cry of surprise. Was this guy doing this on purpose?

Yet, looking at his expressionless and clueless demeanor, it didn't seem likely.

Scenery flashed past their eyes swiftly: flying eaves, upturned corners, and carved window lattices.

Climbing in from the back mountain, the back hall had sparse figures, unlike the bustling crowds of the front hall.

The two of them tried their best to avoid people while earnestly searching the various halls in the back.

After carefully probing several more palaces, he held Xie Miaoxuan and landed softly by the back window of a hall, cocking his head to listen.

A martial artist's hearing was better than hers; she could only faintly make out a middle-aged man's voice and a youthful voice from within. She had no intention of disturbing him. A gentle breeze blew as his expression remained focused and attentive.

The two of them were already extremely close. She stepped forward quietly, tiptoeing to lean against his ear. "What are they saying inside?"

Xie Yuanju started slightly, his eyes shooting toward her like bolts of lightning.

As if suddenly startled, his expression carried a cold severity completely different from his usual demeanor, and his pupils flashed with a ring of dark green luster.

The atmosphere between them froze for a fraction of a second.

"Who goes there!"

"Hush." His expression shifted; he wrapped one arm around Xie Miaoxuan and sprinted rapidly toward a mountain col.

Daoist Master Qiongshan slammed the window open with a single palm strike. The outside appeared completely normal, save for the south wind and north wind colliding in the air to spin in a vortex, whipping up two fallen leaves.

No!

The back hall was not open to outsiders; everyone here was his trusted aide. No one would pass through here, let alone dare to come this way.

Yet the colliding air currents in the atmosphere...

Not good!

Although the Golden Elixir had not been mentioned just now, they had spoken of red stone. If something had truly been discovered, it could very well spell utter catastrophe.

Daoist Master Qiongshan's expression shifted drastically, and finally, he said darkly, "Someone has broken into Xuandu Palace without authorization. Right now is the once-in-a-decade elixir-opening time. We must kill by mistake rather than let anyone escape. Dismiss everyone in the front hall and seal the palace!"

The sound of wind whistled past her ears. A person's subconscious reaction when deeply focused could reflect the foundation of their character.

For a moment, Xie Miaoxuan doubted whether her assessment of Xie Yuanju as a detached and noble young gentleman was correct.

Just now, she had felt a kind of oppression from him that only came from someone who had sat in a position of high authority for a long time.

She lowered her gaze, concealing the deep contemplation in her eyes.

Forget it. Now was not the time to dwell on this.

The scattered figures in the back hall suddenly began to move as if a painted scroll had been shattered, and the sound of rustling was endless.

She hadn't expected that even after being so careful along the way, they would still almost be discovered.

Xie Miaoxuan couldn't help raising an eyebrow; perhaps stumbling into this blindly had actually chosen the right time.

Xie Yuanju was still carrying her forward at lightning speed, and soon they reached the junction where a mountain col met a sheer cliff.

His expression remained gentle and calm. "The Daoist priest mentioned quartz and red stone earlier. These Daoists appear to be detached from the mortal world, but in reality, they rely on Golden Elixirs to enter society, captivating countless pious Daoist devotees, and the members of the imperial family and noble clans regard them as absolute authority."

She gave a soft acknowledgment. After the mention of Xuandu Palace last time, she had privately done some homework.

Xuandu Palace was headed by Daoist Master Qiongshan, with hundreds of Daoist adherents and countless believers.

Among them, Daoist Master Qiongshan was revered as the Daoist Sovereign of the Heavenly Masters by the imperial family and noble clans.

Every year, they begged him for the Golden Elixir. This elixir was produced once every decade, and each opening of the furnace sparked fervent fanaticism.

Those who begged to obtain it were invariably high-ranking officials and nobles. The elixirs were divided into superior and inferior grades; the superior grade was naturally reserved for the emperor, while the inferior grade went to aristocratic families and dignitaries.

Those who obtained the Golden Elixir were invariably overjoyed.

Its reputation outside had always been extremely high.

It was only three years ago that a court official denounced the practices of Xuandu Palace as "heretical," controlling others through the Golden Elixir and ultimately causing great chaos.

Yet the emperor refused to believe it at all and directly reprimanded and executed the official.

This echoed her father Xie's warning in her dream, but she still needed to carefully unearth clues to connect them together.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "We've already startled the snake this time..."

Nothing had been found in the palaces, but the mountain shape and water veins of Xuandu Palace were arranged with exquisite density, built leaning against the abyss and backing the mountain. Daoists believed that all things were composed of the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, with all things allocated to the five elements, and the five generating each other in a cycle.

She said, "The things they mentioned earlier might be hidden within this mountain!"

Xie Yuanju hadn't expected that she would have already guessed it when he hadn't said anything, and a ripple stirred in his heart.

He nodded, facing the entire rock wall. "Only this place hasn't been searched yet. It must be hidden right here. We must be quick; if we cannot find clues this time, the next time will be even harder."

Pushing aside the clinging vines on the rock wall, a cave just wide enough for a person to squeeze through was indeed revealed. The further they went inside, the wider the cave became.

There was a pungent, acrid odor in the air, resembling the smell of tangerine peels being excessively burned.

Water droplets fell from overhead from time to time, giving the entire cave a feeling of being both sweltering and damp.

Soon, they reached the end. A three-legged bronze tripod as tall as a man was right before their eyes, and small, differently colored stones were neatly stacked on cluttered shelves around it.

Raging flames still burned beneath the bronze tripod.

The entire body of the tripod had been burned fiery red, and the heavy tripod lid billowed with heat—this was the source of the smell she had smelled earlier.

Fine red powder was scattered around the bronze tripod. She stepped closer, and a wave of heat immediately hit her face as she cautiously rubbed the particles between her fingertips.

"It's red halloysite."

Red halloysite was one of the medicinal ingredients in the recipe for Five-Mineral Powder.

Five-Mineral Powder, also known as Cold-Food Powder.

Consuming it would make a person's body feel feverish, giving a sensation of floating like an immortal; moreover, after the feverish heat, one would feel mentally refreshed, seemingly possessing boundless, dragon-like vigor and fierce strength.

After consuming it excessively, a person would rapidly emaciate and become forever dependent on the drug. Anyone who frequently took it would be controlled by the alchemist, harboring severe toxins in their bodies and drastically reducing their lifespan.

It was already a prohibited drug.

Yet if it were merely Five-Mineral Powder, it wouldn't warrant such cautious and careful refinement.

This smell was indeed not the scent of pure Five-Mineral Powder.

It would be best to bring some pills back for research, but unfortunately, the contents of the bronze tripod clearly looked as though they were not yet ready.

Seeing her eager expression as she wanted to pry open the tripod lid, Xie Yuanju was about to speak when his expression suddenly tightened. "Someone is coming."

To think they had been discovered so quickly, and that the pursuers had caught up so fast.

There was only one way in and out; going out like this would undoubtedly expose them. With no other choice, Xie Yuanju had no choice but to grab her and hide in a recessed corner of the cave.

He firmly locked her in his embrace, his tall body enveloping her and casting a shadow over her.

Faint, fragmented conversations drifted over.

"Daoist Master Qiongshan wants to seal the palace. Finish checking quickly and go back to report."

"Seal the palace! I waited for so long just for today. Every time before opening the elixir, those high officials and nobles offering incense bring massive amounts of revenue. Can the Master bear to part with that?"

"This money doesn't fall into your pocket; why worry about it? The elixir is about to be opened, and the medicinal potency in the tripod is at its most fierce. Finish checking quickly and let's go. We can't stay here long."

The sound of rustling footsteps and rummaging echoed.

Miao Miaoxuan pressed tightly against the stone wall crevice, with Xie Yuanju's burning hot body right behind her.