Chapter 139: Duan Yuanze Presents a Treasure!

Inside the Eastern Depot prison...

Duan Yuanze, who had been unconscious for several days due to utter exhaustion, slowly regained a measure of consciousness. As he opened his eyes, he hazily saw an elderly eunuch prying open his mouth and forcing medicinal broth down his throat.

His pupils shrank violently. Startled, he bolted upright and instinctively reached down to check his nether regions.

After confirming that everything was intact and seeing his younger brother lying on another bed breathing steadily, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Immediately afterward, as if remembering something, he looked down and saw his shoulder wrapped in gauze and his clothes changed. With a slightly altered expression, he fumbled for the item he kept hidden in his bosom.

Finding nothing there, his heart skipped a beat...

Seeing the posture he assumed upon waking, the elderly eunuch pointed toward a table nearby and said, "Don't worry. The two of you were brought back by the Superintendent. Everything is right over there on that table. Nobody has touched it."

"..."

Duan Yuanze followed the direction the old eunuch pointed.

Sure enough, on the table in the room, he saw their family swords alongside a book tightly wrapped in oiled cloth...

He hastily leaped out of bed, rushed to the table to inspect the oil-wrapped volume, and only relaxed when he confirmed there were no signs of it having been opened.

Witnessing his reaction, the elderly eunuch let out a light, somewhat displeased snort and said, "You are quite something. When the Superintendent brought you two brothers back, you were barely hanging on by a single breath. The medicinal soups the Superintendent had me brew for you over the past few days are worth thousands of taels alone—do you really think anyone would care about your trinkets?"

"..."

Duan Yuanze's expression turned somewhat awkward. Recovering his wits, he quickly bowed and saluted, saying, "This humble commoner has been unconscious for days and was somewhat anxious upon waking. Please forgive this old eunuch for any offense."

"Hmph."

The old eunuch gave a soft grunt, having no intention of holding it against him, and said, "It doesn't matter if you are impolite with me, but make sure you mind your manners when you see the Superintendent later."

"The Superintendent..."

Hearing this title, Duan Yuanze fell into a brief trance.

In his mind, he recalled the lavishly spending young man he met on the day of their street performance...

He also remembered the flying arrows hanging suspended in mid-air amidst the life-and-death struggle of that rainy night, as well as that figure holding an oiled paper umbrella.

On that rainy night, a Xuan-grade martial arts expert of the Brocade Guard had blurted out the cry, "Superintendent Xu"...

Naturally, he also knew that the Superintendent the old eunuch spoke of was the young man who had saved his brother's and his own life.

Thinking of the arrows frozen in the sky, thinking of how the Superintendent stood in the mud without a single speck of dirt touching him, thinking of a single strand of vital energy repelling a martial arts expert...

Wasn't this kind of immaculate, towering realm precisely the immortal he had been searching for so bitterly?

Could his younger brother be saved after all?

Recovering his senses, he saw that his younger brother was still lying on the bed unconscious, and asked cautiously, "Eunuch, how are my brother's injuries right now?"

"He won't die..."

The old eunuch replied casually, "When the Superintendent sent you here, he personally used his own energy to protect your meridians. A few days of peaceful recuperation will do."

"That's good, that's good..."

Duan Yuanze breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good my foot."

The old eunuch rolled his eyes at him and said, "Since you're awake, tidy yourself up and come with me to see the Superintendent. Along the way, I'll teach you some basic common sense and etiquette so you don't offend him."

"Many thanks for the old eunuch's kindness..."

Duan Yuanze quickly straightened his attire and followed behind the old eunuch out of the room.

Along the way, the old eunuch explained the basic rules and etiquette of the Eastern Depot. Upon reaching the study where the Superintendent resided, the old eunuch bowed and reported at the door, "Superintendent, Duan Yuanze has awakened and has come to report."

Xu Boqing was leisurely sipping tea and reading a book, tasting its true meaning. Only upon seeing the old eunuch did he snap back to reality and calmly say, "Let him in..."

"Yes..."

The old eunuch gave Duan Yuanze behind him a meaningful look, then stepped away.

Left alone, Duan Yuanze inexplicably felt a wave of nervousness. He took a few deep breaths to steady his emotions before stepping into the study.

Seeing his benefactor looking at him, he hesitated for a moment, then knelt on the ground and kowtowed nine times in succession before saying, "This humble person Duan Yuanze, alongside my younger brother Duan Yuansi, pays respects to our benefactor for saving our lives."

A debt of gratitude for saving one's life was akin to that of a second set of parents. Xu Boqing accepted it calmly, waved his hand, and said, "Rise and speak."

"Yes..."

"How are your injuries?"

Duan Yuanze moved his shoulders, initially wanting to dismiss them as "minor injuries," but remembering this was within the imperial palace, he quickly corrected himself: "Reporting to the benefactor, this humble person's injuries have mostly healed."

"Not bad."

Xu Boqing nodded slightly, then put down his book and asked with a serious expression, "What are your plans for the future?"

"..."

Duan Yuanze fell into a momentary daze.

Their family had been slaughtered by enemies until only the two brothers remained. Leaving their homeland to come to this Great Liang, they had hoped to live in peace, only for his younger brother's mental affliction to worsen day by day.

Having failed to find immortals, they had come to the Great Liang capital to try their luck, their minds entirely consumed by his younger brother. What plans could he possibly have?

Xu Boqing saw the bewilderment in his eyes. Remembering when he had first rushed to the capital only to find his second uncle's family sealed off, feeling just as lost, he could not help but let out a sigh.

"According to my investigation, the two of you hail from the Great Song, carrying a blood feud. Did you come to this capital to seek refuge?"

Hearing this, Duan Yuanze was startled.

Yet, upon second thought, the Eastern Depot was a special agency of Great Liang, and his benefactor was the Superintendent of the Eastern Depot. It was only natural for him to know their background.

Thinking of his benefactor's unfathomable methods—perhaps he was a legendary immortal after all—Duan Yuanze spoke candidly, "My younger brother Duan Yuansi and I truly came to Great Liang to seek refuge.

"However, my brother suffered a trauma during our flight and contracted a soul-splitting affliction that medicine could not cure. The elderly physician who diagnosed him said that only an immortal could save him...

"Hearing that the Great Liang Emperor... that His Majesty was preparing to hold a grand water-and-land dharma assembly and widely invite enlightened masters from across the realm, I thought of bringing my younger brother to the capital to try our luck.

"I never expected that upon arrival, my brother's affliction would flare up, leading him to kill a government official in broad daylight. Had it not been for the benefactor's rescue, I fear my brother and I would have perished long ago in the muddy rain of that night."

"A soul-splitting affliction?"

Xu Boqing was slightly taken aback.

Then, recalling how Duan Yuansi's demeanor changed drastically when performing on the street, when killing, and when exchanging blows with Song Mingde on the rainy night, he suddenly understood a great deal.

"The benefactor's grace in saving our lives is something this humble person can never repay..."

With that, Duan Yuanze reached into his bosom and pulled out the book tightly wrapped in oiled cloth. Peeling back the oilcloth wrapper, he revealed several yellowed volumes.

Presenting the books upward, he said, "This humble person has no special talents. The only things of any value are these ancestral manuals of internal and external martial arts passed down in my family. I hope the Superintendent will not disdain them."

"Keep your cultivation manuals..."

Xu Boqing waved his hand with a calm expression, choosing not to accept them.

With his current level of martial arts mastery, ordinary manuals of internal and external cultivation were of little use to him except as references to blend and extract strengths from.

Take, for instance, the *Yijin Duangu Gong* (Tendons-Changing and Bone-Forging Skill) authored by Cui Feng, which was originally created by fusing the strengths of various schools and possessed extremely high compatibility.

After reaching a realm beyond the Xiantian (Innate) stage, he had pushed this highly compatible characteristic to its absolute limit.

Taking advantage of the imperial library, he had browsed through a vast number of internal and external cultivation manuals, sifting through them to integrate their strengths. By now, he no longer even knew what kind of cultivation art he was practicing.

"This humble person knows the Superintendent's martial arts have reached the pinnacle of creation..."

Seeing that the benefactor had no intention of accepting them, Duan Yuanze grew somewhat anxious. He hurriedly picked out an internal cultivation manual titled *Yiqi Jue* (Art of Intent and Breath) from the stack.

He quickly explained, "Although the cultivation methods in my family were passed down from our ancestors, through the continuous improvements of several subsequent generations, they dare not claim to transcend the mortal world, but they have indeed formed a path of their own.

"For instance, this inner cultivation art, the *Yiqi Jue*, was originally created by our ancestor Duan Hongyuan after he achieved enlightenment and his hair turned white overnight. The true Qi it refines is extremely pure."

"A path of one's own? Enlightenment? Hair turning white overnight?"

Xu Boqing raised an eyebrow. Thinking of the past events of the Duan family recounted by Jiang Jin, he grew somewhat interested and asked with a solemn expression, "Do you know the meaning behind forming a path of one's own?"

"..."

Seeing the benefactor look at him with such seriousness, Duan Yuanze felt his heart tighten. He took a deep breath, nodded, and replied, "These words were left behind by my family's ancestor Duan Hongyuan. This humble person knows!"

Pondering for a moment, he explained, "Though our ancestor Hongyuan rose from the grassroots, his talent was peerless, and he was known throughout the pugilist world as the 'Sword Addict' and 'Sword Saint.'

"By the age of thirty, he had single-handedly challenged every major sect in the Great Song pugilist world with just one sword, remaining undefeated his entire life.

"According to the records passed down through our family, ancestor Hongyuan later met an immortal and, through discussing the Dao with him, gained profound inspiration. From then on, he withdrew from the pugilist world and entered seclusion to comprehend the Dao...

"At the moment he successfully achieved enlightenment, the winds and clouds changed color...

"Our ancestor's hair also turned white overnight.

"It is said that after leaving behind this *Yiqi Jue*, ancestor Hongyuan laughed heartily three times, left behind the phrase 'I can now forge a path of my own,' and then passed away..."

He paused, knowing that the accounts in his family's ancient texts sounded somewhat mystical, yet he spoke the truth.

Seeing the benefactor frowning in deep thought, seemingly showing some interest, he hurriedly explained further, "The benefactor must not look down upon this art simply because of my brother and me.

"This *Yiqi Jue* has a total of four realms. My younger brother and I have only just crossed the threshold, remaining at the perfection of the first realm, the 'Qi Realm.' By joining forces, we can contend with experts at the Xiantian realm.

"If one can cultivate to the second realm, the 'Mang Realm,' they can rival martial arts masters of the Xiantian stage;

"If the second realm is brought to perfection, one can roam the pugilist world unhindered, treating ordinary Xiantian martial arts experts as nothing;

"My late father Duan Yongan was approaching the perfection of the second realm, the 'Mang Realm,' and intended to enter the pugilist world like ancestor Hongyuan to seek a breakthrough, but unexpectedly fell victim to a treacherous woman's poison...

"Even so...

"Before his death, my father still managed to slay three martial arts experts of the Xiantian realm.

"As for the third realm, only ancestor Hongyuan ever reached it. It is said that it can slay ghosts and demons, already akin to an earthly immortal!"

Pausing once more, he presented the *Yiqi Jue* in his hands again and said solemnly, "This humble person would never dare to deceive the benefactor. The benefactor might as well take a look before making a decision."

"This technique actually possesses such extraordinary wonders?"

Xu Boqing raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued further.

Things like family genealogies and ancestral records were compiled by later generations. When there were remarkable figures in the ancestry, descendants indeed tended to exaggerate them to bring honor to the family name while inspiring future generations.

Yet even exaggeration required a foundation to build upon.

That Duan Hongyuan was said to have discussed the Dao with an immortal, then retreated into seclusion to comprehend it, causing the winds and clouds to change and his hair to whiten overnight upon success, before passing away after uttering "I can now forge a path of my own."

Not all of these events could be entirely true...

Yet certainly, some parts must be true!

Moreover, if the *Yiqi Jue* was truly as Duan Yuanze described, possessing four realms where the first corresponded to the Houtian (Acquired) stage of martial arts, the second to the Xiantian (Innate) stage, and its perfection allowed one to treat Xiantian experts as nothing—

Then what realms did the third realm, referred to as an earthly immortal, and the fourth realm correspond to?

With his current level of cultivation...

Which realm could he even be considered to be in?!