Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 331 Kunlun Qin Stone Inscription, Five Organs Returning to True Essence Pill

Three suns rose slowly, casting golden sunlight.

The light shone from the Seto Inland Sea, where a bloody battle had just ended, all the way to the white marble cloud and dragon steps of the Imperial City of Yujing.

Time quietly arrived at the last day of the forty-nine days required for Emperor Shaozhi, a first-rank alchemist, to refine the immortal elixir, the "Five Organs Return to Truth Pill."

Early in the morning, the West Garden opened its palace gates wide, welcoming many high-ranking officials and nobles from the capital city.

Those qualified to attend the ceremony and witness this important moment were all veteran nobles or close advisors to the emperor.

Among them, the most prestigious were naturally Emperor Shaozhi's only two sons.

The third prince, Prince Yu, Han Zaiji, who was mainly supported by Xu Shaohu, the second minister of the cabinet, looked visibly listless.

He is a fifth-rank [Divine Strategist Taoist], followed by [Wind Master], one of the seventy-two most powerful secret treasures of the Heavenly Craftsmanship lineage in history (Chapter 249).

It looks like a large humanoid bird, almost indistinguishable from a living creature, except for traces of mechanical gears on its joints and some exposed skin, proving that it is a man-made object.

Unfortunately, this majestic and mysterious treasure only made Prince Yu appear less heroic and more thin and timid, with the melancholy between his brows almost impossible to conceal.

It's really no wonder he was like this. As the eldest son of a concubine, he was the most popular candidate to become the crown prince and was regarded by most court officials as the heir apparent.

However, with his younger brother entering the palace to fulfill his filial duties, and the assassination attempts at Guishan Bookstore occurring one after another, his already precarious position became even more precarious.

If he loses to his younger brother in the battle for the throne, he will not only lose his status, but he may also lose his life.

There is no crown prince who reigns for 60 years, nor is there a crown prince who lives to old age after being deposed.

"Alas, now my younger brother is about to ascend to heaven before our father."

According to my father, even if the elixir is not very effective, it can still extend one's lifespan by at least 60 years, make one energetic, free from all diseases, and ensure the continuation of one's lineage.

By combining this with the cultivation method of both body and mind transmitted from outside the wall, one can begin cultivating life force and hopefully directly reach the Great Dao, becoming younger and younger with each passing year.

How can I possibly fight against this alone?

It seems I'll never have the chance to do those 1,892 things I secretly wrote down behind the screen.

With a heavy heart, Prince Yu looked up and saw his younger brother, the fourth prince, Prince Jing, Han Zaizhen, looking spirited and confident across from him.

The young man, who was also twenty-four years old, looked noticeably pale, as if the assassination attempt had seriously damaged his health and hadn't fully healed.

At this moment, he was surrounded by a group of Yan Party core members and their families and children, as if he were the center of the world. The radiance emanating from him made Prince Yu feel somewhat blinded.

I heard from the palace servants that Grand Secretary Yan had caught a cold and sent someone to ask for leave early in the morning. The young Grand Secretary Yan Donglou, who was forty-eight years old this year and exactly two cycles older than himself and the emperor's younger brother, walked beside him and asked him about his well-being.

Whether it was his imagination or not, Prince Yu felt that although the two people were completely different, they both exuded the domineering aura of the host of this place, which made him feel even more suffocated.

"Good morning, Your Majesty."

When he saw him, King Jing merely gave a perfunctory bow before leading his supporters to a side hall to wait for the furnace to be opened.

The other dignitaries who came to observe the ceremony gradually dispersed, with those who were on good terms with each other gathering in small groups.

It is worth mentioning that among the seventeen wealthy families mentioned by Yan Donglou, most of the powerful and influential figures in Beijing were also among those invited.

The Duke of Qian, the chieftain An Xuanwei's clan representatives in the capital, the eunuch Huang Jin, the Duke of Cheng, the Duke of Wei, the Lu family of Bailinwei, and so on.

However, with the saying "many voices can melt metal, and accumulated slander can destroy bones," everyone felt that there must be remnants of Guishan hidden among these people.

Even thinking outside the box, besides these 17 wealthy individuals, are there no other rebels? Of course there are!
Influenced by them, everyone felt insecure and saw everyone as an assassin.

Prince Yu keenly sensed the awkward atmosphere. Looking at Yan Donglou's short, fat, blind, and lame back, he let out a cold snort.
"This thief, fearing nothing more than peace and quiet, even included Master Xu on the list of seventeen wealthy families."

What's even more ridiculous is that such obviously false and absurd statements can actually cause widespread panic.

Even if Wang Bengu, You Zhende, Zhang Ziwei and others are close to Qingliu, what does it have to do with Master Xu if they break the law?

Master Xu is an honest and upright man, how could he possibly be from Turtle Mountain? This scoundrel must be deliberately slandering him!

Standing next to him was an elderly man nearing sixty, none other than Xu Shaohu, the Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

He smiled with satisfaction upon hearing Prince Yu's words:
"Your Highness's words are enough for this old minister."

The innocent will remain innocent, and the guilty will remain guilty; let them say what they will. This old minister believes Your Majesty has the discernment to distinguish between loyalty and treachery.

After saying that, he subconsciously touched the Tang poem "Sympathy for the Peasants" by Li Shen, which he never dared to leave his chest for a moment.

The truth of history is not important; what matters is the feedback from people's wishes.

After all, the idea that "historians record events truthfully without altering a single word" is merely an ideal state, and no one knows how much of the Twenty-One Histories is true and how much is false.

When everyone believes that what they know is the true history, the talisman will truly become what they imagine it to be.

As long as he possessed this poem, everyone who saw Xu Shaohu would only see a leader of the upright and incorruptible, proud and upright officials.

You can't see the 24 mu of top-quality farmland in Songjiang Prefecture at all.

The whole "Xujiahui" thing is utter nonsense!
Even if a victim identifies him as a corrupt official, no one will believe him.

In the eyes of Yan's faction, regardless of whether the Qingliu group was suspected or not, they were already doomed to lose in this contest for supreme power, and they were all celebrating their victory with great pride.

Upon entering the side hall, Luo Wenlong, one of the core members of the Yan Party who had a good relationship with Wang Cheng, raised his hand and unfurled a scroll of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival".

This artist, thanks to his past achievements, has gained the favor of Emperor Qinshihuang and quietly entered the fourth rank.

With this painting treasure in hand and his superb skills, he instantly opened up a "landscape paradise" exclusively for the painter, which was no less impressive than the "world in the book".

The main hall was instantly filled with the beautiful spring scenery of both banks of the Bian River.

Luo Wenlong selected a quiet pavilion by the river and invited the key members of the Yan Party to sit down and wait.

The emperor used to bestow elixirs upon his ministers, and whenever a minister produced a masterpiece, he would have them witness the opening of the furnace. Everyone was already familiar with this practice. The emperor simply said that the elixir would be completed today, but it could take anywhere from early morning to midnight.

It's unbearable for these pampered elites to sit in hard chairs and wait.

"Your Highness, gentlemen and ladies, please have some tea and refreshments."

Luo Wenlong's beautiful wife, Wang Cuiqiao, arrived with a group of maids from the painting, floating in like colorful clouds. Soon, a sumptuous tea and snacks filled the two tables.

The men sat at one table, and their families sat at another.

With Wang Cheng's help, Wang Cuiqiao shed her mortal body and the troublesome "official star peach blossom pattern," and was reborn as a fairy in a painting.

During this period, she and Luo Wenlong lived in harmony and enjoyed a rare period of peace.

And looking at all these distinguished guests, they all feel, just like her husband, that the best is yet to come.

"The Yan Party's big ship is about to come ashore with Prince Jing."

With such a powerful backer, I should be able to live a peaceful life from now on.

The Prince of Jinghai had specially preserved one of the paintings in the series "The Natural Barrier Leads to the Road," leaving us a way to escape to the Eastern Sea Kingdom (Chapter 140). Now it seems we won't need it anymore.

Having wandered for half my life and met countless people, I know that prince is a rare good man. Once Prince Jing ascends the throne, I must have Wenlong put in a good word for him.

She then joined her husband, Luo Wenlong, in offering tea instead of wine to Prince Jing and the Junior Grand Secretary, who held the highest positions in the area.

Today is a ceremony to witness the opening of the furnace, not a banquet. Anyone who dares to drink and eat meat in Renshou Palace should first ask themselves if their neck is tough enough.

As the couple bowed, they didn't notice a barely perceptible sneer flashing across Yan Donglou's lips:

"Want a peaceful life? Once you're on my ship, I won't let you back down an inch."

If things go smoothly today, all will be well; but if anything goes wrong, your good days will be over.

Luo Wenlong was Yan Donglou's advisor and confidant, and it was through Yan Donglou's recommendation that he was able to rise to the position of Zhongshu Sheren.

Even though Luo Wenlong considered himself to know him better than Grand Secretary Yan, he still couldn't fathom his depths. Naturally, he was extremely respectful to him, looking up to him with awe.

He knew that he had never supported his relationship with Wang Cuiqiao, although he had never said it outright:

"You married a geisha who was used and discarded by merchants and pirate captains as if she were a treasure. You have disgraced the Luo family for eighteen generations."

But that's what I really meant.

They didn't say anything unpleasant, which is already a sign of respect. After serving the tea, he pulled his wife to sit down to the side.

I looked up at the alchemy room opposite, which had been closed for a long time.

"Huh? I haven't been to Renshou Palace for a while. Why is there a new artificial hill here with characters on it? Is it Qin seal script?"

The Luo family is a family of ink makers, and they are also skilled in calligraphy and painting. Qin seal script is a piece of cake for them.

The first thing I did upon seeing the inscription was to read the words on it aloud:
"The Emperor sent five high-ranking officials, including Fang Caiyue, to the Yi River in the third month of the thirty-seventh year. The carriage arrived at this Yi River, which is about 150 li away."

The meaning is quite straightforward: Qin Shi Huang sent Wu Dafu Yi with his team of experts to Kunlun to collect medicinal herbs. Yi arrived here by carriage on the day of Jimao in the third month of the thirty-seventh year of Qin Shi Huang's reign. Yi calculated that the journey was about 250 li.

His reminder prompted the others to look up as well, and they saw a large, completely cut rock standing to the west of the alchemy room.

Moreover, they discovered that it shone with a brilliant light, clearly a treasure of the entire state, which sparked much discussion.

"What is this?"

It was still Prince Jing, Han Zaizhen, a fifth-rank [Alchemy Master] who, although he hadn't been able to enter the alchemy room many times during this period, had been living in the palace, who spoke up to answer their questions:

"This is a treasure of the state: the Kunlun Qin Inscription."

It is said that it was brought back from Kunlun Mountain not long ago, and that the First Emperor once sent people to find evidence of the elixir of immortality.

Although the First Emperor swept across the six kingdoms and dominated the world, rising to the rank of first-grade official, he could not escape the ravages of time and had to send out many alchemists to find the elixir of immortality for him in his later years.

The most famous one was Xu Fu, who led three thousand boys and girls on a voyage.

It is said that this person was the first to discover the anomaly in the vast ocean.

This stone inscription is also one of the traces of the search for medicine at that time, carrying the wishes of some emperors throughout history to seek immortality.

Simply by touching this stone, one can identify and locate elixirs of immortality. If herbs are planted or refined within a 250-step radius of this stone, their efficacy will be increased by 20%.

When Han Zaizhen got to this point, even though the elixir in the furnace was meant for him, he couldn't help but let out a hint of longing:

The Classic of Mountains and Seas, which records the secrets of the world, has long been lost.

However, the Kunlun Qin Inscription marks the westernmost point on land where the First Emperor searched for the elixir of immortality. If we could also obtain the First Emperor's edict ordering Xu Fu to search for the elixir at sea, we could anchor at the easternmost point.

It is believed that by taking advantage of the strong desire of rulers throughout history to find the elixir of immortality, one can obtain a "Treasure Map of Immortal Medicines" that encompasses all the mountains and seas of the world.

They can even move freely inside and outside the Mountain and Sea Curse Restriction, exploring the mystery of immortality with the wisdom of generations of predecessors.

At that time, we will have an inexhaustible supply of immortal elixirs, and we can achieve longevity simply by using external alchemy methods without the hardship of cultivation.

"I too can join my father and all of you in establishing the Great Zhao Immortal Dynasty, which will last for ten thousand generations, living forever and enjoying wealth and honor forever. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Death is the only hardship throughout history. Not to mention emperors, everyone wants to live forever. Who in the world can be an exception?
Apart from Luo Wenlong and Wang Cuiqiao, who were deeply harmed by the elixir and knew its dangers, remaining unmoved.

Everyone else, regardless of age or gender, looked on with eager anticipation, wishing they could immediately organize a fleet to set sail in search of medicine and, incidentally, find that edict from the First Emperor.

The crowd enthusiastically discussed the path to immortality until the sun gradually began to set.

Yan Donglou, who possessed the highest cultivation level and had already reached the upper three ranks, suddenly looked up at the alchemy room, his single eye lighting up:
"It's done!"

(End of this chapter)