Chapter NINE

Morphing Plans​

My eyes opened to reveal the sight of the same white ceiling I had been staring at for the past few weeks. The sweet fragrance of blooming orchids tickled my senses. I turned to my side to see the sunken face of a slumbering Ma Yili snuggled up beside me. The troublesome girl was just starting to recover, having starved herself for several days on end. Adamant as she was, she had refused to eat until I allowed her to bury the remains of the maid she unwittingly condemned; unwilling to ruin the valuable cauldron, I could only acquiesce her demands.

Still annoyed about the whole debacle, I rose to a seated position on the bed with a grunt. Looking around at the dull paper blinds, I figured it must still be dark outside; probably an hour before sunrise at least.

I slipped out of bed and made my way into the courtyard. There, I settled into a lotus position, closed my eyes, and focused on my breath. I needed to think. Reaching into my storage ring, I retrieved a paper-thin slip of jade.

It had been a week since I came to the White Orchid sect, and in that time I managed to comb through all twenty-five floors of the East Cauldron archive before finally finding what I sought.

Now that I had the object of my attention in my possession and was no longer blinded by a growing feeling of urgency, the flaws of my plan to gather strength slowly became glaringly obvious. My brows furrowed as I considered what this newfound revelation meant for my plans moving forward.

Due to the self-reinforcing nature of the legacies Li Shen had unearthed in his journeys, he had been able to rapidly rise through the ranks to become a force to be reckoned with. Yet, a critical inspection of his journey to godhood revealed to me that if even one key legacy had been overlooked, Li Shen might have not made it as far as he did, if at all.

For this reason, I found that should I continue with the intention of replicating his success, I might eventually find myself inexplicably trapped in limbo, or worse, a horrible situation, should I, for some reason, be unable to reliably recover the key hidden inheritances and concentrated stores of legacies required.

Knowing this, my entire stratagem to save myself from a gruesome death slowly began to appear doomed from the start.

Troublesome...

I sighed as I opened my eyes and rose to my feet.

There was no point in worrying about this, I tried to convince myself upon realising I couldn't think of a viable solution. No use thinking about things I couldn't yet control. For now, I should just focus on what I could do. And what I could do now was to find Li Yifeng's caches.

"Well," I groused, displeasure coursing through my veins. "I better get to it then. Xiao!"

A figure blurred to my side. I looked down to see one of my guards crouched by my side.

"Yes, my prince?"

"Find me a map of the sect's surrounding environs with an emphasis on the Gu reserves. Also, summon Feng Yu. I have some use for him."

"Yes, My Prince."

***

The sun was high in the sky by the time Feng Yu made his way up to my residence. I could not help but frown in irritation as I waited for the cultivator; a part of me was tempted to make an example out of him and demand another from the sect, but the more reasonable parts convinced me otherwise.

Eventually, after much delay, I heard the sound of the residence's outer doors sliding open.

"My Prince," Feng Yu greeted me with a shallow bow as I turned to face him.

"You sure took your sweet time getting here," I mused with a saccharine smile. "Back in the palace, this prince was led to believe that liaisons were at their host's disposal. Yet, in the esteemed White Orchid Sect, a mere disciple dares to keep a prince waiting? Is this place truly so uncultured, or are you merely trying to display your dissatisfaction with this prince? Perhaps I should inform the sect that the liaison they sent is displeased with his task and they should send another? Or perhaps I should just have one of my guards here impart you with the knowledge, form and etiquette required of a liaison to a prince; I am not sure what being a eunuch would do for

your... pleasant attitude, but I am quite willing to find out."

The cultivator bowed lower, his face paling and beading with cold sweat. "Forgive me, My Prince. It was not my intention to offend," he said. "It's just... I was caught off guard by your request."

I hummed in response. "...Caught off guard, you say?"

"I was running errands for an elder outside the sect when I received your summons, My Prince. I rushed over as fast as I could."

A lie, that much I could tell. But, as long as his pride wasn't preventing him from maintaining appearances, I saw no real reason to pursue the matter.

"I plan on visiting the Gu reserves to gain some practical knowledge of the techniques I have been studying in the sect's alchemy archives," I said, moving my attention to focus on the true reason I sought the fool out. "I need a guide that is familiar with the area."

***

"Do you know what you are asking of me, Jing-ner?" Head Librarian Jiao asked his companion, a veiled, phoenix-eyed woman. "Regardless of whether or not the girl is merely a mortal, or that she possesses a mythical

physique, you are still suggesting I trick my master into stealing from a notoriously vengeful prince. One bearing a Mandate at that! I have met the 'wastrel' and I will say it now, what I saw did not ease my concerns in any way."

The two were seated in one of the many restaurants in the bustling town below the White Orchid Sect's primary mountain. The building was quite large and brightly lit by the midday sunlight streaming through the open windows. The floors were covered by ornate rugs of the finest make, and an assortment of tables and chairs occupied the establishment's ground floor, with a large bar built on the far side of the room. Disciples sat around in groups of twos or threes, enjoying their meals.

"...We have to, Jiao," the woman replied after a moment of silence as she cut into her plate of roasted chicken. "Regardless of the risks. He must not be allowed to succeed with his plans."

The Head Librarian shook his head with a sigh as he brought his cup to his lips, draining it in a single go. He then placed the empty cup onto the table with a clunk. "Plans? You keep saying plans but remain adamant about leaving me in the dark. I am not—"

"You just have to trust me, Jiao," the woman snapped irritably. "I gave you a copy of my Master's Essence Transmutation Technique, didn't I? That should be more than enough to show how much I trust you; why can't you extend the same trust to me?"

The two fell quiet, the sound-muffling seals surrounding them ensuring no external sounds disturbed the silence between them.

"I am sorry," Jiao replied, bowing his head apologetically. "I wasn't thinking—"

"Feng Yu has reported back," the woman said, interrupting him as she clutched the sound transmission talisman hanging from her neck. "The Prince bit the bait; he and six of his guards are heading to the Yun Ling mountain range now. Only two guards are with the girl at the moment. Quick! Go and inform your master. We must have the girl before he discovers the ruse."