Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

"It's related to nature." Su Mu shook his head. "At least, I've taken good care of them. I taught Ping'an to read, and I cared for Yutian's ailing health..."

"That's not what I meant." Before Su Mu could finish speaking, Huang Yuan interrupted, "To be honest, I came here on someone's behalf to test you."

"A test?" Su Mu feigned ignorance. "What do you mean by that, Eunuch Huang?"

"Some people think... you're not that simple," Huang Yuan said in a deep voice. "They even suspect that Cheng Ping'an and Yu Tian were able to break through to the Acquired Realm in such a short time because of your secret assistance."

Since both of Su Mu's adopted sons came from the library, it was only natural for Huang Yuan to test Su Mu.

"Did Eunuch Huang himself see anything extraordinary about me?" Su Mu smiled slightly.

"Yes." Huang Yuan's expression was solemn. "I met you before you came to the library. You were a completely different person then compared to now."

"What's the difference?"

"You're physically stronger, more energetic, and your eyes are brighter." Huang Yuan looked directly at Su Mu. "Most importantly—there's a faint flow of true energy within you."

Huang Yuan pondered for a moment, then continued, "And—your gaze is much clearer than before, and you exude even more confidence and composure! There's also a subtle, indescribable...noble air about you!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mu felt a chill run down his spine.

The senses of a master at the Innate Realm are indeed sharp!

Su Mu knew very well that even with the Concealing Pearl to hide his aura, some things were still difficult to completely conceal—such as the change in his temperament and character. How enormous was the change from a mortal to a Xiantian martial artist! And that so-called "noble air" actually came from the imperial aura that he had integrated into his true qi.

He couldn't help but think to himself: Consort De and Xu Qian'er, among others, had probably already noticed. However, they mostly assumed that his change was due to a change in his circumstances, rather than an improvement in his martial arts.

"Eunuch Su, there are rumors circulating in the palace lately that you have a close relationship with a certain martial arts master. Is it true or not?"

Huang Yuan looked at Su Mu with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Eunuch Huang, whatever I say, whether you believe it or not is up to you," Su Mu replied calmly. "If I were to admit it, I wouldn't reveal who that expert is—he clearly doesn't want to reveal his identity. If I were to deny it, you might think I'm trying to cover something up, or that the expert instructed me not to disclose the secret."

"That's true." Huang Yuan nodded slightly, agreeing with Su Mu's words.

"Just pretend... that such a person doesn't exist," Su Mu said thoughtfully.

"Very well, I'll take my leave now."

Huang Yuan asked no more questions and turned to leave.

To him, if there truly was a mysterious expert secretly protecting Su Mu, then all the abnormalities would make sense. That expert might be the one who changed Su Mu and secretly cultivated Cheng Ping'an and Yu Tian.

Many in the palace believed that Cheng Ping'an and Yu Tian's rapid breakthroughs must have been due to guidance from a master. The deaths of Li Mo and Liu Zheng near the library were also attributed to the intervention of that "mysterious master."

After all, no one believed that Su Mu had personally carried out the act.

Just over three months ago, Su Mu was merely a lowly eunuch who nearly died from being beaten. In just over three months, he could so easily kill Liu Zheng, a late-stage Innate Realm cultivator? Absolutely impossible!

It's also illogical to say that Su Mu was a hidden master—Li Lianying personally examined him after he received the hundred iron staffs. If he were truly a martial arts expert, how could he have escaped the discerning eye of a grandmaster?

Huang Yuan returned to the Shangwu Bureau and reported the results of the test to his superiors.

The news of who was behind this probing was quickly relayed back to Fenghe Palace.

"Grandpa Lu, do you think... there really are martial arts masters in the palace secretly protecting him?"

As Situ Wan asked, she poured Lu Xiang a cup of tea. This grandmaster-level expert had just returned from the Martial Guard Division—due to the heavy snow in the northern border, the war had been temporarily suspended, and he was finally able to return to the capital.

"Hard to say." Lu Xiang, who was over sixty but still had a robust build, shook his head. "That young Su is just an ordinary eunuch. Which expert in the palace would go to such lengths to protect him?"

"Perhaps it's not for him," Situ Wan continued, "but using him is worthwhile. It's easy to see—Consort De is just using him as bait to lure and kill my confidant in the palace. I've heard that Consort De and the Sixth Prince have visited the library several times. I suspect that's just a pretense to deceive others."

"What is the Empress's intention?" Lu Xiang didn't say much, just waited for instructions.

"Capture Xiao Suzi and interrogate him severely to see if he can divulge anything useful." Situ Wan narrowed her eyes. "If any experts try to stop us, with Grandpa Lu's cultivation level, he should be able to see through the deception."

"Your Majesty, what if that expert... is a Grandmaster?" Lu Xiang asked hesitantly.

"Grandmaster?" Situ Wan frowned slightly, then shook her head. "There are only a handful of Grandmasters in the palace. One is my great-grandfather, and the other is..."

At this point, her expression changed slightly.

"You mean... another grandmaster might have sided with Consort De?"

"That might not have been true before, but it might not be true now." Lu Xiang's words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.

Situ Wan understood without him needing to say it explicitly.

"Hmph!" she sneered. "Although my brother has suffered a temporary setback, the Situ family will not decline as a result."

"Perhaps this old servant is overthinking it," Lu Xiang said again. "Although the Tianwu Sect is strong, it lacks a Grandmaster to oversee it. In comparison, the General's Mansion is still a better option to rely on."

"Because everyone knows that my great-grandfather is old and the Situ family has no new grandmasters, those opportunists in the palace will probably look at the Tianwu Sect differently." Situ Wan said sarcastically, "As for that one in the palace... he doesn't have much time left to live, and he might even go before my great-grandfather."

"Your Majesty, be careful what you say!" Lu Xiang's old face tightened, and he hurriedly reminded her in a low voice.

A Grandmaster's divine sense can cover a very wide area, and even a Great Grandmaster would find it difficult to completely block out their prying eyes.

"Grandpa Lu, there's no need to worry. That person's divine sense could not possibly penetrate the Fenghe Palace." Situ Wan waved her hand dismissively. "Besides, we are currently in the inner room with the doors and windows tightly closed, making it difficult for divine sense to penetrate."

A completely enclosed space can indeed block divine sense from probing—unless the other party's spiritual cultivation far surpasses that of a grandmaster!

"If that person in the palace truly passes away before Master Situ, it might not be a bad thing for Her Majesty," Lu Xiang said.

"Regardless of whether it was a master from the palace who intervened, Liu Zheng and the others cannot die in vain."

"This old servant understands. I will go to the library tonight."

"Hmm." Lu Xiang nodded.

Liu Zheng was not only his disciple, but also considered half his adopted son. He had painstakingly nurtured Liu Zheng to the late stage of the Innate Realm, hoping that he would one day break through to the Grandmaster Realm. Now that Liu Zheng had died suddenly and mysteriously, how could he not be furious?

Night was falling.

That night, under the pretext of "hunting down the assassin," Lu Xiang swaggered into the library courtyard.

He had visited the library once before when he was stationed in the northern frontier—to confirm whether Xu Shan'er was hiding there. At that time, he scanned Xiao Suzi with his divine sense and found nothing unusual.

This time, Lu Xiang was not in a hurry to alarm Su Mu. He deliberately left time to wait for the "mysterious master" to appear.

More than twenty breaths passed, and the courtyard remained silent. Lu Xiang was growing impatient.

He thought to himself: If there is no further unusual activity, let alone the mysterious expert, even Xiao Suzi probably won't come out.

So he raised his palm and pressed down, and an invisible force blasted out from a distance, shattering a bluestone slab dozens of steps away!

"Assassin, don't run!"