Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 41 Looking for Death
The next day.

After having breakfast, Lu Chenyuan went to work diligently.

You still have to give face to rich women, especially top-tier rich women like Li Lingyue who have power and influence.

Such people might let their emotions take over on the first day, indulging in romantic pleasures; the next day, they might be completely out of touch, regretting their indulgence and neglect of work, becoming irritable and angry; by the third day, after finishing work, they'll forget about the second day, repeating the first day, continuing to flirt and seek thrills...

Treat what she says on both days as nonsense, and just remember what she said on the second day.

For the sake of money, I'll do whatever she says, as long as it's right.

However, the situation has changed.

Now that news of the "Heavenly Craft Scroll" has spread throughout the martial arts world, there's no need to rush to report to the Suiming Pavilion. Instead, let's first check the defenses of the Mechanized City. If all else fails, we can simply put on a "nine deaths and one life" act to unlock the Heart Wheel, take out the Heavenly Craft Scroll, and extricate ourselves from the situation.

Safety is more important than paying more money.

Lu Chenyuan walked to Beili Flower Street, where there were significantly fewer people.

Yesterday, a murder occurred at Changyin Pavilion, where the head of the pavilion, Murong Ning, was brutally killed. As a sister who was in charge of the Princess's mansion, she still lost her head, which shows how rampant the murderer was. Most importantly, the murderer has not yet been caught, so no one else dares to come near.

Ignoring the commotion over there, Lu Chenyuan went straight down to the underground palace, passed through three layers of guards, jumped into the dark river, and entered the barrier.

Yan Bingning was already waiting at the entrance, and bowed respectfully: "Lord Lu."

As female officials, Yan Bingning's appearance was far inferior to Shangguan Wan'er's; she could only be described as pretty. However, she had a stronger scholarly air and a quiet temperament. She also lacked the strong sharpness of Shangguan Wan'er and was more gentle in her dealings with people.

"Lord Yan."

Lu Chenyuan returned the greeting: "Her Highness the Princess ordered me to come and do my part."

Yan Bingning smiled slightly: "With Lord Lu's help, breaking the Heart Wheel is just around the corner."

Lu Chenyuan waved his hand and laughed, "Lord Yan flatters me too much. I saw it the day the thief was caught, and it made my head spin. Qimen Dunjia is known as the art of emperors, and it truly lives up to its reputation!"

Yan Bingning led the way, and the guards at the three gates successively let them pass.

Lu Chenyuan nodded secretly. Judging from the defenses alone, they were all elites among elites. It wouldn't be easy for outsiders to sneak in.

Yan Bingning humbly inquired, "Did Lord Lu figure out what the trick was?"

Lu Chenyuan pressed his temples: "It's only scratching the surface. This [Four Symbols Revolving Heart Wheel] has four nested layers. The outer plate corresponds to the thirty-six transformations of the Heavenly Dipper, the middle plate corresponds to the seventy-two numbers of the Earthly Fiends, and the inner plate contains the Eight Gates of Escape. There are also sixty-four hexagrams in the interlayer. Every time the mechanism rotates, it has to recalculate the three styles of Taiyi, Liuren, and Qimen. If one line is wrong, the Heavenly and Earthly plates will be completely disordered; if one palace is wrong, the Rest, Life, Injury, and Death will all be reversed..."

He shook his head helplessly, his performance flawless: "The other day I tried to deduce the location of the Gate of Life, and after calculating for a long time I realized that I had missed the 'Awakening of Insects and Changing Generals' when I set up the chart. It was really too difficult. The person who entered the game was able to deduce the White Tiger carrying the corpse, which is already a master in this field."

Yan Bingning nodded: "Judging from your description, he should be Shen Candeng, the most skilled master of divination and mechanics in Jiangnan. He is renowned for his expertise in divination and mysteriously disappeared not long ago... Even he is caught in the trap and finds it difficult to break. This test is truly pushing people to the brink of despair... I wonder why the Hidden Immortal did this."

Yan Bingning clearly didn't want anyone to die in the station, feeling that this test was too much.

Lu Chenyuan casually remarked, "Perhaps it's also a test of greed. This Shen Candeng was controlled by someone else and had no choice but to break free. A normal person who could break it could simply leave without taking the final step, and if they felt it was too risky, they could withdraw. It's just a pity..."

"Unfortunately, most people in the world are still greedy and arrogant."

Yan Bingning sighed: "They won't turn back until they hit a brick wall, and once they do, there's no turning back..."

As they spoke, they passed through the third gate and entered the innermost hall.

Lu Chenyuan looked around. There were few people inside, but most of the things had been moved. The mechanical beast that Ashina Yan had ridden that day, the [Mechanical Zhu Yan], which was even more powerful than the Mechanical Tiger-Dragon, had already been moved. In addition, there were some exquisite small mechanisms and hidden weapons, which were all rewards that Ashina Yan had obtained by solving the secret chamber of the corridor, and they were all gone.

—It should be in the princess's residence or some other secluded place now, waiting to be studied.

Directly west of the gate, those people were discussing something around the rotating heart wheel.

Lu Chenyuan glanced around—seven people, three more than Li Lingyue had said.

He only knew Ying Wuqiu among them.

Yan Bingning led him over, and the seven people also stopped. When they noticed Lu Chenyuan, each of their expressions changed.

"Let me introduce myself."

Yan Bingning first pointed to a man with a straight back, wearing armor: "This is Jiang Zhanqiu, the deputy commander of the Thousand Cavalry."

Jiang Zhanqiu glanced at Lu Chenyuan, then silently clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Lu Chenyuan simply cupped his hands in greeting.

Yan Bingning then pointed to a short, stocky old man whose ten fingers were covered in calluses and whose waist bag was filled with strange tools: "Chief Craftsman of the Ministry of Works, Mao Poluo."

Mao Polu was even more respectful, bowing and saying, "Greetings, Lord Lu."

Lu Chenyuan returned the greeting in the same manner.

Yan Bingning continued her introduction, pointing to the only woman. She was dressed in a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a gold bell tied around her wrist. Before Yan Bingning could say her name, she smiled gently and introduced herself: "Song Zhenyue, head of the Shanggong Bureau, greets Lord Lu."

Lu Chenyuan always reciprocated, responding with the same smile and courtesy.

Next up is Ying Wuqiu, who needs no introduction. Ying Wuqiu holds a higher official rank, a fifth-rank official with the title of Qianling, half a rank higher than Lu Chenyuan. However, in front of Lu Chenyuan, he seems to be the one with a lower rank, bowing deeply. There's nothing he can do about it; after all, Her Highness the Princess is the Commander of the Inner Guard, and Lu Chenyuan is her lover.

Next, Yan Bingning turned to the three additional people: "And this one is—"

"Amitabha."

The middle-aged monk clasped his hands in a gesture of respect. The nine-ringed staff beside him was inscribed with the words "Imperial Decree to Build the Great Ci'en Temple"—the mark of a disciple personally taught by the Imperial Preceptor Pei Xuandu: "This humble monk, Huiming, greets the benefactor."

The other man was a hunched old man with a cloudy, yellowish right eye and a rotating glass bead embedded in his left eye, which looked very strange. He looked at Lu Chenyuan with a cold smile and said, "I am Gongshu Jie!"

The last person was a sickly young master, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with clear and cold features, exuding a kind of feminine beauty. He wore a fox fur cloak and coughed occasionally, saying, "I am Gao Jian, greetings, sir."

Ok?
Lu Chenyuan's gaze instantly shifted to the last person.

Gao Jian?

The legendary true love of Princess Taiping?

Is it someone with the same name or the same person?
Lu Chenyuan asked, "May I ask where Young Master Gao comes from?"

Gao Jian coughed and replied softly, "I cannot reveal my master's lineage, please forgive me, sir."

It's quite mysterious.

Yan Bingning looked around at everyone, her expression grave: "Everyone, the situation is urgent. Xiao Hanchuan, a traitor from the Netherworld Palace, has spread the secrets of the Mechanized City and the 'Heavenly Craft Scroll' throughout the martial world. If this item falls into the hands of villains, it will surely unleash a bloodbath! These three are all descendants of loyal officials, and have been jointly recommended by the Prince of Wei, the Prince of Liang, and the Imperial Preceptor. There is no need for doubt. In the face of this turmoil, I hope that everyone will work together to break this deadlock!"

She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone present: "The 'Heavenly Craft Scroll' is a secret manual of hidden immortals, the pinnacle of divine craftsmanship. It can create flying and escaping machines, puppets capable of fighting thousands of troops, and exquisitely crafted hidden weapons. If we can successfully retrieve it, not only will His Majesty the Martial Emperor bestow a great reward, but you will also be allowed to see it first and comprehend its mysteries. The martial world is on the verge of turmoil, and the safety of the court and the people rests on this matter. I hope you will all prioritize the greater good!"

After speaking, he bowed deeply.

"Excellent eloquence."

Lu Chenyuan secretly praised himself, "I almost made myself embarrassed, thankfully I have a thick skin." The others exchanged glances; since things had come to this, they had no choice but to go along with it.

At the end of the long corridor, the Four Symbols Revolving Wheel slowly rotates. The Heavenly Plate, Earthly Plate, Human Plate, and Divine Plate are nested in four layers, each layer engraved with constellation runes and Qimen Dunjia incantations. Every time the mechanism turns, it emits a crisp "click" sound, as if mocking the stupidity of mortals.

The group sat around, each expressing their own opinions, and the debate raged on.

Mao Polu stared intently at the patterns on the surface of the mechanism and said in a deep voice, "The 'Dunjia Fuying Jing' says: 'At the winter solstice, the yang energy is born, and one should choose the yang escape formation.' In this formation, the celestial talisman should fall in the Zhen palace, and one must first resolve the thirty-six transformations of the celestial chakra..."

“No!” Huiming shook his head and interrupted, “The ‘Song of the Fisherman on the Misty Waves’ clearly states: ‘When the celestial plate turns, one should observe its momentum.’ This situation is clearly a reversal of the Yin and Yang, and the Chief Symbol should be in the Dui Palace.”

Gongshu Jie sneered: "Two fools! The Four Symbols Revolving Heart Wheel was made by Gu Yunsheng, so how could it be bound by common sense? The Guiguzi: The Yin Fu of the Original Classic states: 'Heavenly secrets are unpredictable, both following and going against them will lead to death.' Since there is no fixed way to start this game, we can only use 'live plate deduction' and calculate as it turns!"

Mao Poluo didn't care about his insults and was more focused on the mechanism itself, while Huiming was highly cultivated and didn't take the harsh words to heart.

Upon hearing this answer, everyone frowned in thought, as it seemed to make some sense.

"This old man does have some knowledge..."

Lu Chenyuan leaned against the stone pillar, his gaze sweeping over the arguing crowd.

He noticed Gao Jian standing in the shadows, silently calculating, his pale fingers unconsciously stroking a celadon medicine bottle.

There was a long silence.

Ying Wuqiu suddenly slapped his knee: "Since it's calculated as it rotates, the first rotation should be on the ground, according to the Taiyi Shenshu, starting from Tianfu Star..."

Song Zhenyue shook his head: "The Essence of Qimen Dunjia says: 'The Earth Plate remains still, while the Heaven Plate rotates.' In this situation, the Earth Plate is not fixed, but changes with the rotation of the Heaven Plate. If you forcibly fix the position of the Earth Plate stars, you will surely suffer a backlash!"

"Cough cough..."

A violent cough broke the silence.

Gao Jian took out a pill from his sleeve and swallowed it. After his breathing calmed down a bit, he slowly stepped forward, lightly tapping his heart chakra with his fingertips. His voice was soft, yet every word carried immense weight:
"You are all wrong."

All eyes turned to him.

The Yellow Emperor's Yin Fu Jing states: "When Heaven unleashes its killing intent, stars shift and constellations change; when Earth unleashes its killing intent, dragons and snakes rise from the land."

Gao Jian's fingertips traced mysterious trajectories on the mechanism. "This situation is neither heaven nor earth, but rather 'human plate controlling killing.' We need to use the method of 'six instruments striking punishment' to reverse the three wonders and six instruments in order to break the situation."

There was an uproar in the hall.

Lu Chenyuan mentally gave another thumbs up. Not bad, you've got it down to 60%.

Gongshu Jie's face darkened, and he said sternly, "You brat! The Six Instruments Striking Punishment is an extremely ominous formation. If you are not careful, you will surely be punished by heaven. You are courting death!"

Gao Jian said indifferently, "Extraordinary situations require extraordinary measures."

The crowd pondered his words and found them increasingly reasonable. They couldn't solve the problem no matter how they tried to understand it directly. Perhaps they really had to start from the ominous situation.

When Gongshu Jie saw that he had been refuted in public by a sickly young man, he was furious and shouted, "I have been studying Qimen Dunjia for sixty years. How dare you juniors point fingers at me? Today I will show you what the real 'Gongshu Secret Technique' is!"

He shoved the crowd aside, his ten fingers like hooks, and pressed directly onto the heart wheel, chanting: "Heavenly plate reverse three, Earthly plate forward five, Human plate return to center, Divine plate locked!"

"stop!"

Yan Bingning exclaimed in surprise, "The differences are so great, how can we act rashly?" But it was too late; Gongshu Jie had already activated the mechanism.

The rotating wheel suddenly accelerated its rotation, and the mechanism made a thunderous sound.

Click!Click!Click!
In an instant, the roar of mechanisms operating came from the top of the hall.

--court death!
Lu Chenyuan's eyes narrowed, and he retreated three zhang.

"boom!"

Suddenly, a hideous crack appeared in the dome, and molten iron, like an enraged magma python, poured down with a suffocating heat wave. Gongshu Jie's arrogant smile was still frozen on his face when the molten iron was poured onto his right arm!

"laugh--"

Amidst the ear-piercing scorching sound, the acrid smell of charred flesh filled the air. Gongshu Jie's right arm melted and deformed at a visible speed, and molten iron spread along his arm to half of his body. His brocade robe turned to ashes, revealing the charred skin underneath.

"what!!!"

A piercing scream shattered the hall. Gongshu Jie staggered backward, and a layer of flesh was torn off his right foot, which was stuck to the molten iron.

He crashed heavily to the ground, his right arm twisted into a charred, withered branch, half of his body emitting eerie blue smoke, molten iron spreading across the ground and firmly binding his limp lower body, each struggle tearing away more flesh.

"help me……"

The mechanism was triggered too quickly; by the time Yan Bingning's silken chains wrapped around his waist, half of his body was already ruined!
With a sickening hissing sound, the spinning chain dragged him away from the molten iron, leaving large patches of skin tissue on the ground where he was pulled away.

Gongshu Jie convulsed violently like a fish out of water, his hoarse wails gradually turning into faint gasps.

The hall fell silent again, except for the crackling sound of molten iron cooling.

The crowd stood frozen in shock, staring at the charred body on the ground and the gruesome drag mark on the flesh.

Mao Polu exclaimed, "The Vermilion Bird Burns the Heavens Formation..."

Hearing is believing, seeing is believing. They hadn't really grasped the true meaning of the intelligence reports until they saw the mechanism being triggered with their own eyes, and only then did they realize how terrifying the Heart Wheel was.

No one dared to make any further rash moves.

Gao Jian's face suddenly turned ashen, veins bulged on his forehead, and his temples throbbed.

This was not due to fear, but rather the excruciating pain that inevitably followed each excessive rehearsal—like a thousand steel needles churning inside the skull, while the limbs were so weak that one could barely hold onto a medicine bottle.

This was the price he was used to paying.

Three years ago, he calculated the exact time of the Luo River's breach using only his mind, saving 30,000 people; last winter, while suffering from a high fever, he deciphered the lost "Xuanji Suanjing," leaving even his master in awe.

These glorious moments were bought with this excruciating pain.

"There are gains and losses in everything..."

He used to comfort himself like this, but now, the proverb suddenly seemed ridiculous.

Because in the instant before the molten iron was poured, he clearly saw Lu Chenyuan's figure float away in advance—that man didn't even count on his fingers or frown, as if he had foreseen everything!
He saw right through it...

Gao Jian's fingers tightened involuntarily, and the medicine bottle made a cracking sound under the weight in his palm.

What he found even more unacceptable was that Lu Chenyuan maintained that composure throughout.

He didn't experience a splitting headache from overworking his brain, nor did he turn pale from forcing himself to think things through; it was as if all of this was just child's play to him...

(End of this chapter)