Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1318 - 1318 0753 Paying Respects_2

Chapter 1318: Chapter 0753: Paying Respects_2 Chapter 1318: Chapter 0753: Paying Respects_2 Qi Tian had always suspected that the reason he had been unable to reach Sun Xiang and Liao Bichu for so long, was very likely that they had been trapped somewhere similar, otherwise there was no reason he couldn’t contact them or sense their presence. This perhaps was the most realistic reason.

But what Qi Tian hadn’t expected was that, after he asked, Emperor Chaoyang immediately shook his head without hesitation, flatly denying Qi Tian’s guess. Emperor Chaoyang spoke bluntly, “Master Qi, I entered the Imperial Family Secret Territory quite some time ago. My footprints are everywhere except for a few core areas where it is impossible to set foot. As for other places in the Imperial Family Secret Territory, I dare not claim complete familiarity, but to grasp ninety-nine percent of it is not a problem for me. If such places as you mention existed in the Imperial Family Secret Territory, they would certainly be well-known, at least to someone of my status, they could not be secrets. I can assure you with all I have, that there are no places within the Imperial Family Secret Territory where someone might inadvertently enter and then completely lose their orientation and connection with the outside world.”

Qi Tian immediately furrowed his brow. He hadn’t anticipated Emperor Chaoyang would refute his speculation so resolutely.

Emperor Chaoyang said, “I don’t know what you are looking for, Master Qi. Is it an object, or a person? Whatever it is, you can ask me, maybe I can provide some clues?”

Had it been Emperor Jianwu or the others, Qi Tian would have already spoken, but toward Emperor Chaoyang, Qi Tian always kept a degree of wariness and caution. Although he had generously avowed not to impose any restrictions on Emperor Chaoyang, giving him the appearance of more freedom, in reality, Emperor Chaoyang had lost the possibility of being fully acknowledged and trusted by him.

Qi Tian said, “You go right now and bring me all the archives and documents related to the Imperial Family Secret Territory; I want to have a look through them. Also, if there are any geographical records or strange tales, bring them to me as well.”

Emperor Chaoyang knew that Qi Tian wanted to seek clues from what he was asking for, a manifestation of his lack of trust in him. Nonetheless, he did not dare voice any objections but immediately began to collect various books and materials in accordance with Qi Tian’s request.

Though Emperor Chaoyang was the foremost prince of the Eastern Capital City, when it came to collecting relevant archives and information, he didn’t have much in quantity, but in terms of quality, they indeed were incomparable to those of the other five palaces, and even superior—such was the heritage of Chaoyang Palace.

Qi Tian carefully reviewed these archives and documents. By the time he had finished perusing them all, about a day had gone by. Emperor Chaoyang didn’t dare to leave Qi Tian’s side, standing by deferentially, ready to respond to any command from Qi Tian. As for the hundreds of cultivators of Chaoyang Palace, they stood near the mountain gate, not daring to budge, not even daring to make any significant movements, for fear that they might anger Qi Tian, and if that were to happen, the consequences could be quite severe, with no one able to save them.

Through the archives and documents, Qi Tian hoped to understand more about Xidu and North Capital. After he had finished going through all the archives and documents, his doubts about these areas had been somewhat resolved. However, this did not help him in any material way to find Sun Xiang and Liao Bichu.

Qi Tian thought for a moment, then adopted a humble demeanor as if asking Emperor Chaoyang for advice, and began a heart-to-heart conversation with him. The questions Qi Tian asked were mainly about the princes of Xidu and Zhongdu, and he was very detailed, many questions touching upon the secrets of these princes.

Emperor Chaoyang didn’t dare to hold anything back; he reported to Qi Tian honestly whatever he knew.

After a long conversation, Qi Tian had learned many secrets and private matters of the princes of Xidu and North Capital. By collating these secret reports and private matters with what he had previously learned about the habits and preferences of other princes, Qi Tian felt as though he had caught a clue.

With no other leads to pursue at the moment, and since he was certain he needed to visit Xidu and North Capital, it seemed a good opportunity to check if the clues he had deduced were reliable.

After Qi Tian made up his mind, he was ready to leave. Emperor Chaoyang quickly said, “Master Qi, are you leaving now? Don’t you have any further instructions for me?”

Qi Tian glanced at Emperor Chaoyang and said, “As long as you do not commit any act of betrayal against me, I won’t have to deal with you. Remember this, and never violate it. Also, during this period, restrain your subordinates from wandering around, especially from going to Xidu or the North Capital. If they accidentally fall into my hands, I won’t care where they come from.”

Emperor Chaoyang nodded repeatedly. Seeing that Qi Tian was truly about to leave, he quickly took out a Storage Bag and handed it to Qi Tian, “Master Qi, this is a token of my respect. Please accept it, even if it is not much.”

The Storage Bag that Emperor Chaoyang took out was not small; it was filled with a substantial amount of spirit stones he had just sorted out. In addition, there were some precious medicinal pills—valuable resources for cultivation.

Qi Tian accepted the Storage Bag with a smile. Though he was not in want of cultivation resources, how could he refuse such benefits that came knocking at his door? Besides, he had just spared Emperor Chaoyang’s life, so taking a token of his respect was perfectly normal.

Emperor Chaoyang watched as Qi Tian took the Storage Bag, feeling a pang of pain in his heart, but more so a sense of relief. He feared Qi Tian might refuse his token, becoming invincible by having no desires and therefore ready to strike at any moment. However, now it was different. Since Qi Tian had accepted his gift, by convention, it meant that Qi Tian was less likely to trouble him again. He could finally stop worrying and focus on his own affairs with some peace of mind.

Finally, Qi Tian patted Emperor Chaoyang on the shoulder and then left Mount Wangsheng, heading straight for Xidu.

As one of the Three Grand Cities within the Imperial Family Secret Territory, Xidu had the longest history, being the first city built by the Great Zhao imperial family within the Secret Territory. It was home to six Princes, who were arguably the strongest among all the Princes in the Secret Territory.

However, these Princes were facing the same issue as the former Emperor Jianwu: with the passage of time, their lifespans were rapidly depleting, and the days they could continue living were numbered.

Qi Tian had his reasons for choosing to come to Xidu. He suspected that Sun Xiang and Liao Bichu might have disappeared here. This was not only because the Princes and their subordinates here were generally powerful, but also because there was a Prince with a peculiar temperament. According to Emperor Chaoyang’s description, Qi Tian felt it was highly probable that Sun Xiang and Liao Bichu had fallen into his hands. Whether that was the case or not, Qi Tian needed to verify it himself.

Qi Tian did not want to waste time. Upon entering Xidu, he headed straight to the royal palace, hoping to meet its master and have a proper face-to-face talk, and to have him release Sun Xiang and Liao Bichu. Then, he could take them back to the Eastern Capital City.

What Qi Tian did not expect was that although he stood at the gates of the palace, he was never able to enter. Let alone meet the master of the palace, the guards at the gate wouldn’t even give Qi Tian a glance, even after he revealed his identity and offered some spirit stones as a courier fee. The guards still refused to acknowledge him or run his errands.

This infuriated Qi Tian. At Chaoyang Palace, he had been in the mood to play games and toy with Emperor Chaoyang, but now that he was here, Qi Tian had no inclination to fool around any longer. After all, this was Xidu, with the six palaces lined up in a row. If their forces were to unite against him, it would definitely be a major problem for Qi Tian.