I was a mineral prospector in Chengdu, who transmigrated into the body of a mortal sword immortal.

The cold night wind continued to blow, but it couldn't dispel the turbulent waves and bone-chilling cold in Li Bai's heart. He stood there, his chest heaving violently, the blue flames in his eyes flickering uncertainly, his aura undulating, and the cracks in the rock beneath him spreading several feet further. After a full dozen breaths, he suddenly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

When he opened his eyes again, the flames in his eyes had been forcibly suppressed into two deep, cold stars, but the chill was colder than the night wind in the mountains.

"Calm down...I must calm down..." Li Bai muttered to himself, his voice barely audible in the night wind.

The rational thinking of a geological engineer from his past life, combined with the composure honed through cultivating the "Red Dust Sword Manual" in this life, came into play simultaneously at this moment. He forced himself to temporarily freeze his turbulent emotions and began to analyze.

"The words of ordinary drinkers may not be entirely credible. But 'there's no smoke without fire,' especially when it comes to the royal family. Would ordinary people dare to fabricate such things out of thin air? Moreover... details such as 'surname Yang,' 'age of sixteen,' 'beauty like a fairy,' and 'praised by the emperor as suitable to serve in the inner palace'... these details match historical records too well."

He looked up towards the northeast, where Chang'an was.

"Whether it's true or false, I must confirm it immediately. But... we can't let things continue like before."

When he heard the news, his aura leaked out, and the rocks cracked. If he were near Chang'an, such a commotion would likely have alerted the city's defenses and even attracted the attention of some hidden cultivators. As the capital of the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an, a place where dragon energy converges, would certainly have corresponding protective measures and a monitoring system.

"Concealing one's breath and transforming into the mortal realm..." This minor supernatural power recorded in the "Red Dust Sword Manual" flashed through Li Bai's mind.

This technique is not a profound method; its core lies in gathering one's spiritual power, sword intent, and even life force within the Golden Core, while simultaneously simulating the blood and qi fluctuations and spiritual field of an ordinary person. For Golden Core cultivators, as long as they do not actively cast spells or unleash their power, maintaining this state consumes very little energy, yet it is enough to deceive most low-level cultivators and even ordinary detection arrays.

"Use this one."

With a thought, Li Bai completely withdrew the faint blue aura surrounding him, and the sharp glint in his eyes dimmed. His upright, pine-like posture relaxed slightly, his shoulders slumped, and his back was no longer as straight as a sword, showing a hint of weariness from his long journey. Even the natural radiance on his face, born from his improved cultivation, faded, and his skin became slightly rough, bearing the marks of a long trek.

At this moment, he looked like an ordinary scholar in his early twenties, with a handsome but slightly haggard face, carrying a simple bag and a simple but extraordinary sword hanging at his waist. This sword could not be put away, as it was perfectly normal for a scholar to carry a sword for self-defense. As long as it was not actively activated, it was just a sharper piece of ordinary iron.

Having done all this, Li Bai once again stepped onto the Azure Lotus Sword.

This time, the sword light was completely concealed, almost devoid of brilliance, with only a thin, pale blue membrane of air enveloping the blade. He also suddenly lowered his sword altitude, flying almost close to the undulating mountain ridges and treetops below, yet his speed did not decrease at all; on the contrary, it became even faster due to the reduced air resistance.

Night became his best cover.

He no longer traveled in a straight line, but instead chose to fly along the complex terrain of hills and valleys, avoiding official roads and major towns. His divine sense spread out in fine threads forward, its range controlled within a radius of three miles—a distance that allowed for early warning without attracting the attention of any sensitive beings due to excessive divine sense.

The wind whistled in my ears, but it was much gentler than before. The scenery below rushed past in the night: the dark outlines of the mountains and forests, the streams that meandered like silver snakes, and the occasional lonely farmhouse lights... everything sped by in silence.

The closer Li Bai got to Chang'an, the stronger his sense of unease became.

Desire and fear intertwined.

I long to see that face I've been dreaming of, to confirm that she is alright; I fear hearing the worst news confirmed, I fear facing the cruel reality that history may have already moved on from its original trajectory.

This torment of "feeling apprehensive as he nears home" was a hundred times more agonizing than any of the perilous situations he had faced during geological exploration in his previous life.

As the eastern sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, Li Bai estimated that he was less than a hundred li away from Chang'an.

He chose a secluded valley with dense forests to land in. After sheathing his Azure Lotus Sword and carefully checking his disguise, he stepped out of the forest and found a branch of the official road leading to Chang'an, blending into the crowd of travelers and carriages heading out at dawn.

walk.

Measure this final hundred miles on foot.

Dust swirled along the official road, the stench of mule and horse manure, the sweat of pedestrians, and the mixed smells of goods on carts filling the air. The rumbling of wheels on the road, the shouts of drivers, the conversations of fellow travelers... all these sounds mingled together into a cacophony of the mundane world.

Li Bai walked silently along the roadside with his head down, occasionally glancing up at the winding road ahead, his gaze calm and undisturbed.

He walked slowly, not fast at all. Each step was firm, feeling the solid ground beneath his feet, breathing in the cool, dusty morning air. In this way, he was immersing himself completely in the role of a "traveling scholar," allowing his restless heart, agitated by eagerness, to slowly calm down in the monotonous walk.

The sun rose higher, and the temperature increased. Sweat soaked his inner shirt, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He untied his bag, took out his water pouch, drank a few sips, and then wiped his face with a coarse cloth. All these actions were natural, smooth, and flawless.

Around noon, a majestic black outline gradually became clear on the horizon ahead.

Chang'an City.

Even from dozens of miles away, the overwhelming aura that swept over him still made Li Bai's heart tremble slightly. It was the vitality of a million people gathered together, the majesty of the imperial central government in operation, and the profound weight of a thousand years of civilization. The city walls stood tall, and the watchtowers stood in rows, their surfaces gleaming with a cold, hard bluish-gray luster in the sunlight.

The closer they got, the denser the flow of people and carriages became on the official road. Peddlers carrying loads, scholars riding donkeys, caravans escorting goods, and ordinary people with their families... all sorts of people converged into a torrent, surging towards that magnificent city, the most powerful city in the world.

Li Bai mingled in the crowd, moving slowly with the flow of people.

When they were still five miles from the city gate, he keenly sensed something unusual.

The queue waiting to enter the city was longer and moved more slowly than I remembered. The number of Imperial Guards at the gate had increased significantly, and each of them was gleaming in armor, with solemn expressions, and they were conducting exceptionally thorough checks. They not only checked passes and questioned people about their origins and destinations, but they even demanded that those carrying trunks or bags of luggage be opened and inspected.

This is not counting.

Although Li Bai's "Concealing Breath and Transforming into Mortal" technique perfectly concealed his spiritual energy fluctuations, his keen perception as a Golden Core cultivator remained. He vaguely sensed that there seemed to be some kind of invisible "field" near the city gate. This "field" was extremely weak; if his divine sense hadn't been far superior to others of the same level, he would have been almost unable to detect it. It was like an extremely fine net, quietly enveloping the city gate area, seemingly scanning and filtering the aura of everyone who passed by.

"Is it a detection array targeting cultivators?" Li Bai thought with a chill.

It seems that during my year-long "disappearance," the security level in Chang'an has increased considerably. Is it due to instability in the border towns? Political turmoil? Or... is it related to the disturbances I caused in Shu?

He remained calm and continued to move forward with the group.

When it was his turn, a young Imperial Guard soldier looked him up and down a few times and then gestured, "Pass."

Li Bai pulled out a forged document from his robes—a document he had prepared long ago. He had forged it using materials from a secret realm in the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom, referencing a design from his memory. The workmanship was exquisite, almost indistinguishable from the real thing. It bore his false identity: Li Qinglian, a native of Mianzhou in Jiannan Circuit, a scholar traveling to the capital to visit friends and pursue his studies.

The soldier took it, examined it carefully, and then looked up to compare it with Li Bai's face.

Li Bai met his gaze calmly, his eyes clear yet carrying a hint of weariness from a long journey, as well as a touch of trepidation and curiosity upon first arriving in the capital.

"From Mianzhou? How long did it take you on the way?" the soldier asked routinely.

"Reporting to the general, it has been more than two months since we left." Li Bai's voice was calm, with a slight Sichuan accent—which was no problem for him, a "local".

"What brings you to Chang'an?"

"I'm visiting a friend, and while I'm at it, I'll see if I can audit some classes at the Imperial College to broaden my horizons."

The soldier asked a few more questions, which Li Bai answered fluently and naturally. The soldier, finding nothing amiss, returned the pass to him and waved his hand: "Go in. Remember, within Chang'an city, no trouble is allowed, and you are not permitted to move around freely after curfew."

"Thank you for the reminder, sir." Li Bai bowed and accepted the pass, then stepped into the city gate.

The instant he passed through the city gate, the invisible "field" rippled slightly, sweeping across his body. A slight sense of alarm arose in Li Bai's heart, but the "Concealing Breath and Transforming into Mortal" technique operated without hindrance, firmly locking his golden core aura and sword intent deep within his body, only revealing a weak and peaceful fluctuation of blood and qi that perfectly matched the description of an "ordinary scholar" in the records.

The "field" seemed to hesitate for a moment, but ultimately showed no unusual reaction and quietly receded.

Li Bai remained calm and continued walking into Chang'an.

A cacophony of noise assaulted my senses.

The wide, straight Zhuque Avenue stretched as far as the eye could see, bustling with traffic and teeming with people. Shops lined both sides, their banners fluttering in the breeze. The sounds of hawking, haggling, horses' hooves, wheels, laughter—all mingled together, creating a vibrant, almost dizzying, cacophony. The air was thick with the aromas of cooking food, the sweet scent of cosmetics, the pungent smell of livestock, and the complex odor of dust and sweat baked by the sun.

Bustling, noisy, and full of life.

This was Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, the center of the world.

Li Bai stood by the street, momentarily lost in thought. The scene before him overlapped with the images in his memory, yet due to his drastically different state of mind, it felt both familiar and strange.

He composed himself, and without lingering, followed the route he remembered, turning into a relatively quiet neighborhood street.

His first target was a tavern he used to frequent – ​​"Zui Xian Ju".

This tavern, located near the West Market, wasn't the most upscale, but its wines were excellent and reasonably priced. More importantly, it was a hub for all sorts of people, and a place where everyone was well-connected. He used to often gather here with Du Fu, Cen Shen, and others, drinking, discussing poetry, and listening to the idle chatter of the common people.

After walking for about 15 minutes, the sign for Zuixianju came into view.

It's still the same as before: a two-story wooden building with a small facade but a long interior. A faded wine flag hangs at the entrance, swaying gently in the afternoon breeze.

Li Bai lifted the curtain and went inside.

A familiar aroma, a mixture of wine, food, sweat, and tobacco, wafted over. The lobby was about 70-80% full; some were drinking alone, some were drinking with friends, and others were chatting animatedly in small groups. Waiters nimbly moved between tables and chairs with trays, while the manager fiddled with an abacus behind the counter.

Li Bai found a corner seat by the window, a spot where he could hear the discussions in the hall without attracting too much attention.

"Sir, what would you like to order?" A young waiter hurried over, a white towel draped over his shoulder.

"A pot of Xinfeng wine, two side dishes, and a bowl of soup noodles," Li Bai casually ordered a few ordinary dishes, speaking softly.

"Okay, please wait a moment." The waiter noted it down and turned to leave.

Li Bai casually surveyed his surroundings, but his ears were like the most sophisticated instruments, capturing every subtle sound wave vibration in the hall.

"...I heard things are getting unsettled again in Longyou? The Tibetans have been causing quite a ruckus lately..."

"...The new silk shop in the East Market has really good quality fabrics, but the prices are outrageous..."

"...The young lady from the Wang family in Yongxingfang threw her embroidered ball to choose a husband a few days ago, and guess what? She was taken by a poor scholar from out of town! The Wang family's face turned green..."

Most of them are about everyday life and trivial matters.

Li Bai waited patiently, sipping the Xinfeng wine brought by the waiter. The wine was spicy, and a warm sensation flowed down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the growing chill in his heart.

Finally, at the next table, from a few guests dressed in silk robes who looked like small businessmen, he heard the topic he wanted to hear, but also the topic he feared most.

"Have you guys heard? The Prince Shou's mansion is all smiles lately." A middle-aged man with a small mustache lowered his voice, a knowing smile between men on his face.

"What? Has His Highness Prince Shou taken in another concubine?" another person chimed in.

"More than just a newcomer!" The bearded man looked around, lowering his voice even further. "I've heard that this newly acquired princess, surnamed Yang, is truly... tsk tsk, like a celestial being descended to earth! And so young, only sixteen years old, and I've heard she's gentle and charming. Since His Highness Prince Shou acquired this princess, I've heard he's even stopped going hunting, which he used to love, and spends all his time at the manor..."

"Really? His Highness Prince Shou has very high standards. All those concubines and maids he'd had before were handpicked by the best of the best."

"Absolutely true!" the bearded man declared confidently. "I have a distant cousin who works in the Prince Shou's residence. Although he's just a lowly servant in the outer courtyard, he's seen Consort Yang's carriage come and go several times. He said that from afar, her figure and bearing were extraordinary! And..." He paused, then added mysteriously, "I heard even the Emperor himself praised her, saying that this woman possesses 'natural beauty and grace, suitable for the inner palace!'"

"Suitable for the inner palace?" The people nearby gasped and looked at each other in disbelief.

The implications of these words are quite profound. The emperor's praise of his son's concubine as "suitable to enrich the harem," even if just a casual remark, is enough to evoke a range of thoughts and even send a chill down one's spine.

"Watch your words! Watch your words!" another person quickly interrupted. "How can you say such things carelessly? Let's drink!"

The group quickly raised their glasses and changed the subject, but the ambiguous yet somewhat fearful look on their faces lingered for a long time.

Li Bai, standing in the corner, held a wine cup, his knuckles slightly white.

The wine swirled gently in the glass, reflecting his calm and expressionless face. Only in the depths of his lowered eyes did it seem as if layers of ice were silently cracking and sinking.

really……

The rumors circulating in the streets have once again confirmed this.

Yang Yuhuan had indeed become the Princess Consort of Prince Shou. Moreover, even Emperor Xuanzong's fatal compliment had already appeared.

History, following its predetermined path, rumbles forward.

His heart felt like it was being gripped by an icy hand, slowly tightening and bringing waves of dull pain. But the expression on his face didn't change at all; he even raised his glass and took another sip.

The spicy liquor slid down my throat, but I couldn't taste anything.

He sat in Zuixianju for about half an hour, and overheard a lot of discussions about "Princess Yang of Shou". Some people were just envious of Prince Shou's good fortune with women, some made some frivolous speculations, and others mentioned details such as "Consort Wu Hui seems to be quite concerned about this matter" and "Consort Yang's family does not seem to be very prominent".

Every word was like a fine needle piercing his heart.

But he remained silent, slowly finishing the bowl of soup noodles that had grown somewhat cold, paid the bill, and got up to leave.

As he stepped out of Zuixianju, the afternoon sun was a bit dazzling. The hustle and bustle of the street remained, but all this prosperity and liveliness seemed to be seen through a layer of frosted glass, blurry and distant.

He didn't linger on the street, but instead, relying on his memory, he wandered through the streets and alleys, heading towards the south of the city.

After walking for about 15 minutes, he arrived at a relatively quiet neighborhood and stopped in front of a house that looked quite old.

The gate of the house was ordinary, the black lacquered wooden door was tightly closed, a thin layer of dust settled on the door knocker, and moss grew in the corners of the walls, indicating that it had been uninhabited for a long time.

This was a secluded spot where he used to occasionally meet with friends such as Du Fu, Gao Shi, and Cen Shen. The owner of the residence was a retired official who had a long-standing relationship with Du Fu. He was often away from Chang'an, so he left a key to Du Fu, providing these "poor and pedantic literati" with a quiet place to drink and chat.

Li Bai looked around; the alley was deserted. He walked to an inconspicuous corner of the side wall, pressed his hand on a spot in the brick, and then gently pushed it.

With a soft "click," a wall brick dented inward, revealing a small hidden compartment. Inside, lay a brass key.

Taking out the key, Li Bai went around to the back door of the house, unlocked the door with the key, slipped inside, and quickly closed the door again.

Inside the house was a small courtyard with a few half-withered bamboo stalks, a stone well covered in moss, and tenacious weeds sprouting from the cracks in the bluestone slabs paving the ground. The main house consisted of three tiled rooms, with the doors and windows tightly shut, the window paper torn, and a musty smell emanating from the house, indicating it had been uninhabited for a long time.

But it's very quiet here, completely isolated from the hustle and bustle outside.

Li Bai pushed open the door to the main room, and dust fell in gushes. The room was simply furnished with a square table, a few chairs, and a bookshelf with some old books and stationery scattered on it, all covered in a thick layer of dust.

He walked to the window and pushed open a hinged shutter. The afternoon sun slanted in, illuminating the dust particles dancing in the air.

He sat down in a chair without brushing off the dust.

Finally, he was all alone.

The mask of calm he had maintained all along crumbled silently at this moment. He closed his eyes, leaned forward slightly, placed his hands on his knees, and dug his fingertips deeply into his palms.

pain.

It wasn't physical pain, but a cold and sharp pain that spread from the depths of the soul.

Yu Huan... truly became the Princess Consort of Prince Shou.

The girl with clear, autumn-water-like eyes and a bright, spring-flower-like smile whom he first met in Chengdu; the girl who would open her eyes wide with curiosity when she drank with him under the moon and listened to his tales of "another world"; the girl he vowed to protect at all costs... Now, she is another man's wife, the Princess Consort of Prince Shou, and the future Yang Guifei in history, whose "one glance back and a hundred charms bloom, eclipsing all the beauties of the six palaces."

He possessed the cultivation of a Golden Core Sword Immortal and held the Azure Lotus Immortal Sword, yet he seemed unable to change anything.

No.

He suddenly opened his eyes.

Deep within his eyes, the flame that had been forcibly suppressed reignited, only this time, it was colder and calmer, like the ghostly fire burning in the abyss.

"It's not time to give up yet," he said softly, his voice unusually clear in the empty room.

Historical records state that Yang Yuhuan was ordained as a female Taoist priest in the 28th year of the Kaiyuan era, with the title Taizhen, and was formally made a Noble Consort in the 4th year of the Tianbao era. What year is it now? He needs to confirm.

More importantly, he needed to know what had happened in Chang'an during his year-long "disappearance," what the court's attitude was towards him, a "fugitive," the specific process by which Yang Yuhuan became the Princess of Shou, and her current true situation.

These questions could not be answered by the rumors circulating in the streets.

He needs a reliable source of information.

Someone who understands the court's movements, may know inside information, and is worthy of his trust.

Li Bai stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the few withered bamboos swaying in the afterglow of the setting sun in the courtyard outside the window.

A name came to mind.

Du Fu, also known as Du Zimei.

His close friend, the Sage of Poetry, should be in Chang'an at this moment, busy with his official career, and his living conditions are probably not much better than here. More importantly, Du Fu was an upright man, concerned about the world, and had a deep friendship with him. Even if his "disappearance" involved many people, given Du Fu's character, he would never easily betray him.

Moreover, Du Fu was in Chang'an, where he had access to a higher level of social interaction than ordinary people, so his information was bound to be more up-to-date and accurate.

Night is slowly falling.

Li Bai turned around, walked to a dilapidated wooden cabinet in the corner of the room, and opened the cabinet door. Sure enough, there were still several sets of clean old clothes inside, which they used to keep for their gatherings. He picked out a dark blue cloth robe and changed into it. The size was slightly too small, but it added to his air of a down-on-his-luck scholar.

He carefully wrapped the Azure Lotus Sword in a piece of coarse cloth and carried it on his back, making it look like an ordinary zither or scroll wrapped in cloth.

After doing all this, he blew out the only oil lamp in the room.

The room was plunged into darkness, with only a faint glimmer of light coming in from the window.

Li Bai stood in the darkness, waiting quietly.

He was waiting for curfew.

After the curfew, the streets of Chang'an were deserted, except for the Imperial Guards on night patrol. But for him, that was actually better cover.

He needs more specific information.

He needed to know what had happened in Chang'an over the past year.

He decided to visit Du Fu at night.