"Snow Blossom Summit!"
Guo Chensha struck with both palms, sending a massive tiger staggering backward.
The tiger was enormous, its fur golden and fangs sharp, its mouth reeking of fresh blood. It had just hunted down a mountain goat when Guo Chensha appeared. The beast lunged forward, intending to feast on him, but was swiftly defeated by his bare hands.
After stunning the tiger, Guo Chensha gathered Five-Colored Earth and constructed a small altar.
The Five-Colored Earth was abundant and didn't require special resources to obtain. In fact, even the Heavenly Altar in the capital was built with the same material.
Once the altar was complete, Guo Chensha placed a Heavenly Sacrifice Talisman on it along with some prepared medicinal ingredients. These ingredients weren't rare and could be easily purchased in the bustling markets of the Great Eternal Dynasty's capital, provided one had enough money.
Although Guo Chensha had been deprived of many resources, he still managed to save up enough to buy a few basic herbs. These served only as catalysts, modifying the sacrificial energies to condense into a pill.
On the altar lay another stunned creature—a wolf.
Drawing a dagger, he swiftly ended the lives of both the tiger and the wolf, letting their blood drip onto the Heavenly Sacrifice Talisman.
This time, he refrained from using his own blood for the ritual.
As expected, the tiger and wolf's souls were absorbed. Their primal energies, powerful and wild, surged out but were tempered by the herbs and the small array carved into the Five-Colored Earth altar. The energy swirled violently.
Hiss... hiss...
It sounded like water boiling. Guo Chensha watched as a wisp of green energy formed on the altar, pulsating before erupting into a brilliant flame.
From within the flames emerged a pill—radiant green like jade.
"It worked! This is the Tiger-Wolf Pill. Whoever consumes it will gain immense strength. Though I don't need it myself, I can give it to loyal subordinates to enhance their abilities!"
Guo Chensha was elated.
The ancient Tiger-Wolf Pill had finally been successfully condensed through a sacrificial ritual.
The simple herbs, like gypsum in tofu-making, acted as stabilizers. Without them, the wild energy of the tiger and wolf would have dissipated into the air, wasted.
Since Guo Chensha didn't use his own blood in the ritual, the sacrificial power didn't flow into him. Instead, it dispersed into the void.
Satisfied with the pill, he leisurely returned to the palace. As he entered the courtyard, his loyal servant, Xiao Yizi, stood at the gate, his face swollen and bruised, with several teeth missing.
"Master, you've finally returned," Xiao Yizi said, his voice slurred from the injuries.
"What happened?" Guo Chensha's expression darkened, though he maintained his composure. He knew that servants and eunuchs around him were often beaten. Even he had been assaulted by the princes on occasion—it was commonplace.
As a result, many of his attendants had sought transfers, preferring unpleasant duties elsewhere over serving him. Only Xiao Yizi had remained loyal.
Guo Chensha had once suspected Xiao Yizi of being a spy but, after years of observation, concluded his loyalty was genuine.
"Master, don't you know?" Xiao Yizi exclaimed, wide-eyed. "I overheard in the palace that His Majesty has arranged for Lady Lou Baiyue to marry you. This news has spread, and now all the other princes are jealous of you. Some even want you dead. Today, while I was fetching food from the kitchen, I ran into Eunuch Xiaoda, a servant of the Seventh Prince. He slapped me and beat me senseless."
"What? His Majesty wants me to marry Lou Baiyue?" Guo Chensha was stunned. "That can't be true! Are you sure it's not just a rumor?"
Lou Baiyue was a renowned beauty, favored by high-ranking officials as the ideal future empress. She was proud and disdainful, seeing all men as beneath her.
Moreover, she harbored deep hatred for Guo Chensha due to his lineage.
"The word is that Duke Yuan proposed the match, and His Majesty wants you two to get acquainted. For any other prince, this would be a great honor, but for you, Master, it's a disaster. You must refuse this match to ensure your safety," Xiao Yizi said, trembling.
"I see," Guo Chensha replied calmly. "It's just a proposal, not an official decree. Let's observe the situation before making a move. If this is truly my father's intention, there's no avoiding it. Besides, if I act too eagerly to refuse, it will expose my hidden strength, drawing even more suspicion. I must continue playing the fool."
"But I'm scared..." Xiao Yizi muttered, still anxious.
"Don't be. Follow me."
Guo Chensha entered his chamber and took out the Tiger-Wolf Pill. "Xiao Yizi, take this pill."
"Yes, Master!" Without hesitation, Xiao Yizi swallowed the pill, trusting Guo Chensha completely.
Moments later, green energy enveloped Xiao Yizi, coursing through his body and reshaping his muscles. His aura transformed from meek and timid to fierce and commanding, akin to a battle-hardened warrior.
As the energy settled, Xiao Yizi stared at his hands in disbelief. "Master, what is this? I feel... reborn!"
"Don't worry about the details. Just know you're now much stronger. Start practicing martial arts immediately," Guo Chensha instructed. "And remember, today's events must remain a secret."
"Understood!" Xiao Yizi bowed deeply.
"Also, prepare some qing fu. And make sure they're alive."
"Yes, Master."
Qing fu were a type of insect. Folklore claimed that coating coins with blood during rituals would cause them to return after being spent, hence their nickname, "living money."
This was just a myth, as no one had proven it effective.
Nonetheless, Guo Chensha decided to try. His monthly stipend was heavily docked, leaving him penniless. If he could produce gold or silver through rituals, he would never worry about money again.
There would be plenty of expenses when he eventually established his own domain.
The next morning, the young servant, Xiao Yizi, showed remarkable efficiency. He carried a bag full of qingfu bugs, waiting at an inn for his master's instructions.
The qingfu bugs, resembling a mix between cicadas and butterflies, were common and easily found everywhere.
"Go outside and keep watch. Make sure no one notices me," said Gu Chensha as he took the bag.
"Yes, my lord," Xiao Yizi replied respectfully before stepping outside to monitor the surroundings.
Gu Chensha placed a large bronze basin on the table. Inside the basin, he placed a small golden bead, about the size of a broad bean. Over the years, despite his meager resources, he had managed to save a modest amount of gold.
Taking one qingfu bug, he pricked it to draw blood and smeared the blood on the Heavenly Sacrificial Talisman.
Bang!
Golden energy swirled inside the basin, shimmering brilliantly before condensing back into another golden bead identical to the first.
"It really works?" Gu Chensha's face lit up with excitement.
He was tempted to sacrifice all the bugs in the bag to create more golden beads. However, as he glanced at the bag full of writhing, chirping insects, his heart softened. These bugs were harmless, with no venom or ill intentions. Killing such small and innocent creatures for gold suddenly felt beneath him.
"Ferocious beasts like tigers, wolves, bears, and snakes are inherently violent. Sacrificing them to the heavens is one thing, but these little bugs are defenseless and cause no harm. If I take their lives just for gold, wouldn't that reflect poorly on my character? How could I ever claim the power of the Heavenly Sacrificial Talisman if I behave without virtue?" he mused.
Shaking his head, he released all the bugs back into the wild.
Afterward, he felt an unusual lightness in his heart, as though a burden had been lifted.
"Master, it's getting late. We should return to the palace soon. If we're locked out when the gates close, we'll have to stay at an inn, and that will cost us quite a bit," Xiao Yizi reminded him softly from outside.
"Fair enough," Gu Chensha agreed. Ever since Xiao Yizi consumed the Tiger-Wolf Pill, his strength had increased significantly. He was now far more efficient in his duties. If Gu Chensha could gather a few more subordinates like Xiao Yizi, life would be much easier.
The two left the inn and re-entered the palace through the northern gate.
The northern gate was for lowly tasks like bringing in food supplies or disposing of palace waste. It was often filthy and reeked of decay. Any servant with even a shred of dignity avoided entering through it. However, Gu Chensha's small courtyard was located in the northernmost part of the palace, leaving him no choice but to use this gate.
This arrangement was no accident; it was a deliberate insult from the influential members of the royal family, a subtle reminder of his low standing.
As they walked through the winding paths of the palace, a grand procession approached. A lavish sedan chair carried by eight eunuchs came into view, flanked by attendants holding trays of fruits, tea, and incense burners made of gold and jade. The air was filled with the rich aroma of burning spices, a display of wealth and power.
"That's the sedan of the Eighteenth Prince. Step aside, Master," Xiao Yizi whispered.
Gu Chensha was the Nineteenth Prince, younger than the Eighteenth Prince, Gu Hongsha, by only a few days. Despite their similar ages, their statuses couldn't be more different.
While Gu Chensha traveled on foot with only a single servant, Gu Hongsha rode in a resplendent sedan surrounded by a retinue. He already owned a grand estate in the capital and was poised to be granted the title of Duke within the year.
Gu Hongsha's mother was one of the Emperor's four Noble Consorts, from the prestigious Shui family—a lineage said to be descendants of the ancient Black Emperor. The Shui family had maintained its influence for over a thousand years, surviving countless dynastic changes.
It was no surprise that Gu Hongsha was considered a strong contender for the throne.
Not wanting to attract attention, Gu Chensha stepped aside, signaling his submission. But the sedan chair came to an abrupt halt in front of him.
The curtain lifted, and a young man stepped out. Dressed in silver robes embroidered with intricate cloud patterns, Gu Hongsha exuded elegance and authority. His face was fair, his posture straight as a spear, and his calm eyes betrayed no emotions. He radiated an aura of sharpness and cunning.
"Nineteenth Brother, congratulations," Gu Hongsha said flatly.
"Eighteenth Brother, what do you mean?" Gu Chensha replied with a sheepish smile, feigning ignorance.
"The news is all over the palace," Gu Hongsha said, his tone neutral. "Our father has summoned Lou Zhongxiao and is considering marrying Lou Baiyue to you. She's the pride of the Lou family, a woman many of our brothers would kill to marry. Isn't that cause for celebration?"
Lou Baiyue was renowned as a celestial beauty, the jewel of the Lou family. Many saw her as the ideal candidate for the position of Empress. However, she was also fiercely proud and openly disdainful of most men, including Gu Chensha. Her hatred for him stemmed from her belief that his lineage threatened the Lou family's influence.
Gu Chensha forced a grin, maintaining his facade of simplicity. "I doubt I have such good fortune."
"Well then," Gu Hongsha waved dismissively. "Nineteenth Brother, whether you're truly a fool or merely pretending, I'll give you a piece of advice. Stay out of my way."
His tone was cold, leaving no room for misunderstanding.