The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

"Hmph, I don’t know which bastard leaked this. If I find out, I’ll cut them into a thousand pieces!" Muu Yao said coldly. "Qin Ya just started seeing Father recently, and then this gets out. The way I see it, he’s the one who leaked it."

Muu Xue frowned. "We don’t know all the facts yet, so we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Besides, I trust Teacher Qin’s character. He wouldn’t do something like this. What benefit would leaking this information bring him, a High-Level Teacher at the Academy?"

"Regardless, he’s the prime suspect."

"Enough!" Muui Yunlie shouted. "When you trust someone, you don’t doubt them. Xue’er and I both agreed to let Teacher Qin help detoxify me. Besides, there’s no such thing as a wall that doesn’t leak. This secret has been kept long enough. It’s not that surprising that someone found out."

Ever since being afflicted with the strange poison, his cultivation had stagnated. He rarely left the house, leaving most of the Red Flame Army’s affairs in the Imperial Capital to Muu Yao. After so much time, it was only natural that others would grow suspicious. It wasn’t strange at all.

At that moment, a shrill voice rang out.

"Announcing the Commander of the Red Flame Army..."

Hearing this, the three exchanged a look and went out to receive the messenger.

In the main hall stood a palace eunuch dressed in a brocade robe, with graying hair and a clean-shaven, fair face. When he saw Muui Yunlie and the others arrive, Muui Yunlie was about to kneel, but the eunuch hastily helped him up, saying, "By order of His Majesty, Marshal Muu is exempt from kneeling."

"This..." Muui Yunlie hesitated for a moment, then remained standing.

The eunuch gave a slight smile. "A proclamation: Due to the recent unrest in the Imperial Capital, the Commander of the Red Flame Army, Muui Yunlie, is hereby summoned to the palace for an audience..."

"As you command!"

After accepting the decree, Muu Yao stood up and asked, "Sir Eunuch, may I ask why His Majesty has suddenly summoned my father?"

The eunuch sighed. "Right now, the Left Minister, Lingyun Marquis, General Xiao, and others are gathered in Jinluan Hall. They are in the great hall, petitioning His Majesty to have Marshal Muu resign from his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Red Flame Army..."

With that, the eunuch left.

A cold glint flashed in Muu Yao’s eyes. He clenched his fists, his face dark as he said, "Those bastards. They’re going too far."

"Father." Muu Xue looked at Muui Yunlie with some concern.

"Haha, it’s nothing."

But Muui Yunlie just laughed heartily and said, "Xue’er, go to my room and fetch my Black Tiger Divine Armor. I’ll be back before you know it."

Wearing a Tiger Helmet, clad in black Armor, a broadsword hanging from a gold-wrapped belt at his waist, and feet shod in Black Cloud Tiger Skin Boots. At this moment, Muui Yunlie radiated a domineering aura. Though he stood alone, he had the presence of a one-man army.

This was the true Commander-in-Chief of the three hundred thousand strong Red Flame Army... Muui Yunlie!

"Father, why don’t I go with you?"

Muu Yao said.

Muui Yunlie waved his hand. "I’m not that old yet. I don’t need you to accompany me for something like this. Besides, His Majesty only summoned me."

After speaking, Muui Yunlie left the Muu Mansion without a backward glance and headed toward the Imperial Palace. Not long after he left, Qin Ya arrived at the Muu Mansion.

"Qin Ya, you still dare to show your face here."

The moment Muu Yao saw Qin Ya, his anger flared. He leveled his Snow Tiger Spear at Qin Ya, his face a mask of fury. In contrast, Qin Ya’s expression was completely placid. He said, "Where is Marshal Muu?"

"Where my father is, is none of your business."

"He went to the Imperial Palace," Muu Xue answered.

Qin Ya’s brows knitted together. "When will he be back?"

Muu Xue shook her head. "I don’t know. Right now in the Imperial Palace, many people are demanding that His Majesty have my father resign his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Red Flame Army. I imagine there will be a heated debate, so he won’t be back anytime soon."

"Oh. The Imperial Palace."

Qin Ya gave an indifferent smile, then turned to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"The Imperial Palace."

Muu Xue and Muu Yao were stunned. Muu Xue said, "Why are you going to the Imperial Palace? It’s heavily guarded. Without a direct order from His Majesty, you can’t get in easily, even if you are a High-Level Teacher from the Academy."

After a pause, Muu Xue added, "Wait a moment."

She ran into Muui Yunlie’s study and returned a moment later with a Bronze Token, saying, "This is the Imperial Iron Order that His Majesty bestowed upon my father years ago. With this, you can pass freely within the Imperial Palace."

"Xue’er, what are you doing?! Do you have any idea how precious that Imperial Iron Order is? In the entire Imperial Capital, you can count the number of people who hold one on a single hand, and you’re just giving it to this kid?"

Muu Xue didn’t answer, but stared deeply at Qin Ya with her beautiful eyes. "Teacher Qin, tell me, what are you going to do at the Imperial Palace?"

"Nothing much. Just repaying a favor."

"What favor?"

"The favor of the gifted jade."

Muu Xue handed the Iron Order to Qin Ya. "You don’t owe any favor. But, I’m asking you, please help me. Help my father."

Taking the Iron Order, Qin Ya said coolly, "I’ll handle it."

Watching Qin Ya’s departing figure, Muu Yao was going frantic. He looked at his sister and said, "Xue’er, you just trust him like that? We still haven’t gotten to the bottom of what happened to Father, and he’s a suspect!"

"Brother, there’s nothing we can do right now. Rather than just wait here for the outcome, I’d rather take a gamble. Even if I lose, it’s only an Iron Order," Muu Xue said with a faint smile.

"You... I really don’t know what to do with you," Muu Yao said, exasperated.

Meanwhile, Qin Ya was walking slowly toward the Imperial Palace, Iron Order in hand.

He was doing this not just because of Muu Xue’s trust, but also to repay the favor of Muui Yunlie’s gifted jade. Without the Cold Crystal Ice Marrow from that piece of Exquisite Jade, he would not have been able to merge with the Purple Lotus Celestial Flame so quickly.

Moreover, he had not only merged with the Purple Lotus Celestial Flame, but had also absorbed the ultimate cold energy accumulated within the Cold Crystal Ice Marrow over a thousand years, allowing him to possess the peerless Cold Flame True Essence.

To any Martial Artist, this would be an enormous favor. Qin Ya was no exception. He didn’t like being indebted to anyone, so he decided to help Muui Yunlie and Muu Xue.

The Imperial Palace, located at the center of the Imperial Capital.

Before the tall, imposing gates, a bluestone Great Dao led to Jinluan Hall. Outside the gates, a dozen or so Iron Armor Soldiers stood as straight as flagpoles, holding their posts under the blazing sun.

Just then, a figure in white entered their line of sight.

A face like jade, clothes of spotless white.

The newcomer looked to be only sixteen or seventeen, yet he exuded an extraordinary, perfectly natural aura, untouched by the mortal world, like an Exiled Immortal who had fallen to the Mortal Realm. They had first assumed he was just some scion of a Noble Family passing by, but this youth was walking straight toward the Imperial Palace.

It was then that the Iron Armor Soldiers realized something was wrong.

"Young man, this is the Imperial Palace, a restricted area. This is not a place for you. Leave quickly," a soldier stepped forward to block his path.

Qin Ya stopped. His gaze followed the bluestone Great Dao, seeming to peer through space itself to the Jinluan Hall hundreds of zhang away. Then, he murmured indifferently, "So this is the Imperial Palace. How magnificent."