The youth looked docile, yet he was clad in heavy armor.
Chen Qingyan lowered her eyes, and while she had initially withdrawn her hand, she now stretched it out again, tapping the youth’s forehead.
She paused for a moment, her expression cold and indifferent.
Still, she faintly said, "...follow me."
Li Guanyi heaved a sigh of relief, still recovering, when he saw the tall, aloof woman extend her hand, then suddenly Li Guanyi’s feet left the ground, and Chen Qingyan directly grasped the back of the youth’s collar, lifting him as easily as one would lift a feather, and stepped forward.
Frost gathered beneath her feet, assembling like clouds, seemingly as if riding the clouds.
Li Guanyi felt his vision blur instantly, unable to see anything clearly.
He had not refined his eye acupoint.
His ability to capture high-speed movements was still at a normal human level.
The speed was too fast for his brain to handle, and if it were not for his physique being much stronger than in his previous life, he would have already fainted from qinggong, possibly even vomited; yet he still managed to suppress it. Within three breaths, they had already arrived from the vicinity of Qilin Palace to the Forbidden Zone at the edge of the Imperial Palace, the Book Collection Pavilion.
Many masters passed by, none of them noticing.
At least none perceived that the Princess had another Imperial Guard in her hand.
Chen Qingyan released her hand.
Li Guanyi landed on the ground and barely steadied himself.
He looked up and saw the sealed Book Collection Pavilion, with lights on in the top three layers.
The Mystic Turtle Dharma Form naturally manifested, perching on Li Guanyi’s shoulder, its neck elongating.
It moved several meters into the void, then turned its head back to look at Li Guanyi, pointing a claw in that direction, paused, and then pointed again, more forcefully this time.
Its eyes, the size of green beans, were full of longing.
If he did not ascend soon, Li Guanyi felt that the Mystic Turtle Dharma Form would become so anxious that it would speak out.
However, the light in the upper three levels of the Book Collection Pavilion undoubtedly represented the old masters of the Chen Country Royal Family, beings terrifyingly strong in this world. Li Guanyi cautiously called the Mystic Turtle back, soothing his heart before allowing the Mystic Turtle Dharma Form to disperse again.
Chen Qingyan had already walked into the wooden hut, glanced back at Li Guanyi, and faintly said:
Li Guanyi grinned sheepishly, and obediently walked inside. The wooden hut was very simple, just like an ordinary civilian house. Chen Qingyan lit a lantern, illuminating various scrolls inside. The Princess, her temples graying, turned to look at him and said faintly:
"Night raid on the Forbidden Palace, murder, and theft, effective methods, ruthless and decisive."
Chen Qingyan’s tone was cold and flat, her gaze like moonlight, causing Li Guanyi to shrink his neck.
Then he heard a clear sound.
A white porcelain dish had been placed on the table next to him, containing pastries.
Chen Qingyan poured a cup of hot tea.
Then she used frost to control the temperature to just the right warmth, placing it on the table, her tone cold, as she said faintly, "You’re quite bold."
Li Guanyi blinked, quickly made a judgment, and the youth took off his helmet.
Then scratching his head, his face bearing a shy expression, he said:
"Thank you, Aunt Qingyan."
Chen Qingyan lowered her eyes, faintly saying, "Don’t think that by calling me that, it will make any difference."
She took out a jade bottle containing Divine Honey, set it on the table, and pushed it toward Li Guanyi.
Then faintly said, "Those two were escaping for the Mountain Marrow, what do you need the Mountain Marrow for?"
Li Guanyi honestly took the jade bottle, added a bit of honey to the pastries, the pure Primordial Qi clearly more than simple honey. While eating, he relayed the matter of the Qilin to Chen Qingyan. Unlike Elder Xue, the Princess Chen Qingyan was someone who knew his identity and origins, so he could speak without any worry.
Chen Qingyan faintly said, "Qilin."
"Even if it is not a Fire Qilin, an Earthly Auspicious Qilin is also a Spiritual Object, ranked higher than the Fire Qilin. Once you go out, you too will be coveted. If it comes to a crisis, you can go to the Central State Academy, seek an audience with Gongyang Su Wang, one of the six Palace Masters, who will protect you."
She did not tell Li Guanyi not to take the Qilin with him, but rather explained the way to go.
Seeing Li Guanyi hesitate, Chen Qingyan faintly said:
"The Auspicious Qilin is a sacred object of Confucianism."
"There is a Qilin there that has lived for a full three thousand years."
"Everyone knows that this Qilin is the purest Auspicious Qilin, saved during the ancient kings’ spring hunting by the first Master, coveted by all the world’s magicians and alchemists for the secret to immortality and longevity; by all martial artists and those of the left hand path for the power of Qilin Fire."
"Yet the Qilin remains there, so why don’t they just take it?"
Li Guanyi said, "Su Wang?"
Chen Qingyan faintly said, "Gongyang Su Wang is not a decrepit Confucian. With the Qilin’s emergence, he will not snatch it but will keep you and the Qilin at the Confucian Academy, earnestly imparting knowledge, within the three-foot-long corridor of conscience, filled with the Vast Righteous Qi of Confucianism."
"Gongyang Su Wang is unmatched in this world."
Unmatched in this world...
Li Guanyi, no longer the little pharmacist from Guan Yi City, had witnessed Yue Qianfeng’s grandeur, knew that Xue Daoyong could pierce through fifty miles with a single arrow, breaking mountains, and was aware of the martial valor in leading tens of thousands of cavalry in a charge.
Thus, he understood the weight of Chen Qingyan’s words, "unmatched in this world."
He committed this destination to memory.
Central State, Academy.
Chen Qingyan looked at Li Guanyi, faintly saying, "Come here."
Li Guanyi obediently went over, the woman before him cold as frost, her gaze drifting over Li Guanyi, then Chen Qingyan said, "Qi overflow, you have an opportunity, have reached the critical point of impacting the acupoint, why not make the breakthrough?"
Li Guanyi thought for a while, then said, "I have always been wandering outside with my aunt, who was injured. We have been on the run for ten years, and it is only recently that I learned about martial arts, so I actually don’t know which step to take next."
He did not embellish his words.
He simply spoke of his past.