Chapter 379: The Change in the Imperial City

The city-wide festive atmosphere from Yun Che and Cang Yue's grand wedding had not yet completely faded when a series of astonishing news began to emerge from the imperial palace...

The day after Yun Che and Cang Yue's wedding, Cang Wanhe suddenly ordered the arrest and imprisonment of the Crown Prince and the Third Prince in the Sky Prison. He then personally listed dozens of their crimes, conspicuously including the shocking charges of "rebellion" and "regicide." Three days later, Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo were publicly beheaded, and all their confederates were also arrested and eliminated.

For the past few months, Cang Wanhe, who had recovered his health and regained full power under Yun Che's influence, had remained remarkably calm. However, after Yun Che and Cang Yue's marriage, he suddenly unleashed a ruthless, iron-fisted display of imperial power, as if he had been preparing all along. Instantly, the other princes, along with the factions and officials who had previously sided with the Crown Prince and Third Prince, found themselves in grave danger, trembling with fear. With Yun Che as his backing, Cang Wanhe's deterrent power was now no less than that of the Three Great Sects, and they dared not show the slightest defiance or disobedience. Fortunately, after beheading the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and their cohorts, Cang Wanhe made no further moves. These individuals breathed a collective sigh of relief and then frantically expressed their loyalty to Cang Wanhe through various means, wishing they could tear open their chests and show him their hearts.

Within this short period, the power held by Cang Wanhe reached its zenith during his reign—a height he had never even dared to dream of. His imperial throne was now incredibly stable. Even the Three Great Sects dared not disregard his imperial might any longer.

Cang Wanhe knew very well that all of this was thanks to Yun Che. He was immensely grateful to Yun Che and, naturally, held Xiao Lie in the highest esteem. In front of Xiao Lie, he shed all imperial dignity, treating him like an equal brother.

Yun Che and Cang Yue, enjoying their honeymoon, paid no heed to the turmoil in the imperial palace. They spent each day intimately, and before they knew it, the one-month deadline for Yun Che's promised visit to Frozen Cloud Asgard was fast approaching.

Before heading to Frozen Cloud Asgard, Yun Che did not forget to deal with a matter of moderate importance... it was indeed best handled by him, the "Fiend God" who, in the eyes of ordinary people, killed without mercy.

In Cangfeng Imperial City, the Divine Physician's Hall.

As a medical hall established by Cangfeng's universally acknowledged foremost divine physician, it received countless patients daily from all corners of Cangfeng. Among them were many who brought vast amounts of profound coins or treasures, seeking Gu QiuHong's assistance in opening profound entrances for talented disciples within their sects or families. Thanks to his medical skills and influence, the wealth Gu QiuHong had accumulated over a century could be described as rivaling that of an entire nation.

However, for the past few days, the Divine Physician's Hall had remained closed.

In the past, if the Divine Physician's Hall was closed for an extended period, it might have been because Gu QiuHong was traveling. But this time was different. For the past few days, Gu QiuHong had been inside the hall, deeply agitated and unsettled since the sudden news of the Crown Prince and Third Prince's arrest, imprisonment, and subsequent beheading. He had no other thoughts, consumed by daily anxiety... Two months prior, he had vaguely learned that Cang Wanhe's illness had been cured by Yun Che. Of course, he knew precisely what illness Cang Wanhe had. And since Yun Che could cure Cang Wanhe, he would naturally know the cause of the illness... Therefore, Gu QiuHong was bound to be the first person suspected... No! The only one!

If it were anyone else, Gu QiuHong believed that with his influence, he would have nothing to fear. But Yun Che was a madman who had directly annihilated the Burning Heaven Clan and could even brutally beat up a prince of the Divine Phoenix Sect. If Yun Che wanted to kill a mere physician like him, he wouldn't show the slightest hesitation.

These past few days, he had secluded himself in the medical hall, praying daily and desperately racking his brain for a solution, even contemplating fleeing to another country. But before he could act on that thought, death arrived.

"Divine Physician Gu, your hall's entrance is bustling with people, yet you're leisurely enjoying yourself here. The legendary foremost divine physician of Cangfeng truly lives a life of an immortal."

A sudden voice from behind startled Gu QiuHong, who spun around like lightning. The moment he saw Yun Che, his body trembled, his heart spasmed, and he stammered, "You... you... so it was... it was Sir Yun. Sir Yun has personally graced my humble abode; I am truly thrilled... and honored... to the extreme."

Standing beside Gu QiuHong were his four personal disciples, none of whom had noticed when Yun Che arrived. Seeing Yun Che appear like a phantom, they were all terrified, cowering and afraid to even breathe... As his personal disciples, they were naturally well aware of what Gu QiuHong had done to Cang Wanhe. These past few days, they, like Gu QiuHong, had been living in constant dread.

Yun Che stepped closer, a mocking expression on his face. "Thrilled? Honored? Yet all I see on your face is fear. Are you afraid of me? That's strange, we've never had any dealings, and have only met a few times. Why would you be afraid of me?"

"No, no..." Gu QiuHong stammered nervously. In those few short breaths, he was drenched in sweat, beads constantly dripping from his fingertips. "Sir Yun is Cangfeng's only Prince Consort, and furthermore, the acknowledged foremost person in Cangfeng. For a humble physician like me to meet Sir Yun, it is naturally... a matter of great reverence."

"Oh? A physician? You call yourself a physician? I happen to have a question regarding the medical dao; might I trouble you for some advice?" Yun Che's eyes narrowed, a cold glint appearing deep within them. Gu QiuHong referred to himself as a "Medical Saint," unaware that this self-proclaimed title greatly displeased Yun Che. Yun Che's own master, who taught him medicine, was the "Medical Saint" of the Azure Cloud Continent. For this malevolent individual before him to bear the same title as his most respected benefactor was an utter defilement of the words "Medical Saint."

Gu QiuHong was utterly distraught and could only nod. "Please... I wouldn't dare presume to advise. Whatever Sir Yun commands, I will certainly obey."

"You don't need to be nervous. I merely have a small question to ask, which I believe will be quite simple for a physician like you." Yun Che's lips curved into a wicked smile, his gaze sinister. "Someone close to me has been poisoned by a 'Soul Devouring Life-Binding Gu.' Does Divine Physician Gu know of a cure?"

The moment the five words "Soul Devouring Life-Binding Gu" left Yun Che's lips, they struck Gu QiuHong like the death knell. His entire body trembled, his legs weakened, and he nearly collapsed to the ground, his voice trembling to an extreme: "No... no... I don't know. My... my medical skills are humble; I have... never heard of any Soul Devouring Life-Binding Gu... Please... please, Sir Yun... forgive me."

"Oh? You don't know?" Yun Che sneered. "To think you've lived over a hundred years, yet you don't even know about the trivial Soul Devouring Life-Binding Gu, and still dare to call yourself Cangfeng's foremost divine physician. You're merely a charlatan who gained fame through deception! If it were anyone else, gaining fame through deceit might be tolerable, but as a physician whose duty is to save lives, if you lack medical skill, a compassionate heart, and medical ethics, you will not only fail to save people but instead harm them! And harm many people at that. Since you are a harmful individual... there's no need for you to remain in this world!!"

"Ah..." Gu QiuHong's eyes widened. Just as he was about to speak, a red light flashed before him...

*Whoosh!*

A phoenix flame streaked past, instantly piercing Gu QiuHong's chest and leaving a large hole.

Gu QiuHong's expression froze as he fell to the ground with a thud, a pool of blood quickly forming beneath him.

"Mas... Master!" Gu QiuHong's four disciples turned deathly pale with fear. They cried out in terror but huddled in the corner, none daring to approach. When Yun Che turned his gaze towards them, they trembled uncontrollably, their teeth chattering, and two of them even lost bladder control on the spot... Yun Che's methods were indeed as ruthless as a devil's. Gu QiuHong was Cangfeng's foremost divine physician, possessing immense influence, yet Yun Che had spoken calmly one moment and then killed him the next, as casually as crushing an ant!

"You four, you must be Gu QiuHong's personal disciples, correct? Heh, do you wish to die, or to live?" Yun Che said expressionlessly.

The four instantly heard a glimmer of hope for survival. They immediately fell to their knees, bowing their heads like pounding garlic. "We want to live, we want to live... As long as Sir Yun grants us a way out, we are willing to be your servants for life..."

Yun Che said coldly, "Gu QiuHong conspired to harm the Emperor, a crime punishable by ten thousand deaths. As for you, I can give you a chance to live... You have always followed Gu QiuHong, so you must know very well how many disgraceful and wicked deeds he committed over the years, leveraging his medical skills and reputation. I will give you three days. Within three days, compile all the irrefutable evidence of Gu QiuHong's plot to harm the Emperor and all the disgraceful acts he committed, and make them public... He is utterly unworthy of the title 'Medical Saint.' From now on, you shall use the medical skills you have learned to heal and save people, atoning for the sins you committed by following Gu QiuHong. You must never again use medicine for evil, or I will kill you!!"

Yun Che's words filled the four with overwhelming joy. They frantically agreed, expressing profound gratitude and shedding tears.

Three days later, news spread throughout the city that Gu QiuHong had conspired with the Crown Prince and Third Prince to harm the Emperor using the Soul Devouring Life-Binding Gu. Gu QiuHong's four personal disciples revealed a multitude of irrefutable evidence. All the various disgraceful acts and evil deeds Gu QiuHong had committed using his medical profession during his practice were listed one by one by the four, totaling over a thousand entries, shocking the entire Cangfeng Imperial City. Overnight, the once-renowned Medical Saint of Cangfeng was condemned by everyone, and those individuals or forces who had previously been on good terms with him quickly distanced themselves, "righteously" denouncing him.

By this time, Yun Che had already bid farewell to Cang Yue and Xiao Lingxi, mounting the Snow Phoenix Beast and flying towards the Ice Cloud Snow Region.

"Jasmine, I feel like my current cultivation has reached a bottleneck," Yun Che suddenly said, lying on the Snow Phoenix Beast's back with his eyes closed.

"A bottleneck? Your path of cultivation has always been unusually smooth. How could there be a bottleneck?" Jasmine asked.

"What I mean is, I haven't had a method for rapidly improving my strength for a long time now," Yun Che said slowly. "Back then, beneath the Sword Discourse Arena at Heavenly Sword Villa, my profound strength exploded over a year. But now, not only are the dragon blood and dragon meat almost depleted, but the improvements they can offer me are also very limited. There are still four months until the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament, and what I'll face after going to the Divine Phoenix Empire isn't just the ranking battle. I really need a method and an opportunity to break through again."

"An opportunity? Hmph! The path of cultivation should naturally be gradual! Your prolonged forced advancement by absorbing the power of Monarch Profound Dragon Blood and Dragon Meat was already extremely dangerous. If not for the protection of the Great Way of the Buddha, it would undoubtedly have left numerous hidden dangers in your body. At your current cultivation speed, even without external aids, it's already fast enough."

"But my current strength is almost negligible in the face of the Divine Phoenix Sect," Yun Che said somewhat dejectedly. "It seems for the next four months, I'll have to give it my all. Speaking of which... you, as my master, haven't seemed to teach me anything for a long time. I don't even know what kind of profound art you cultivate. Since you're so powerful, the profound arts and profound skills you cultivate must be incredibly formidable. Why... why don't you try teaching them to me?"

"Naïve!" Jasmine said emotionlessly. "Of the abilities I possess, the only one you can currently cultivate is the Star God's Broken Shadow! Your current foundation and level are simply too poor. If you were to forcibly cultivate any of my profound arts or killer moves, your life would be in danger."

"I'm currently cultivating both the Evil God's profound art and the Wild God's profound art simultaneously, and I don't feel any unbearable strain. Could your profound art be even more formidable than the Evil God Arts and the Great Way of the Buddha?" Yun Che opened his eyes, sounding somewhat surprised.

"It's not the same," Jasmine said coldly. "If you truly wish to cultivate my profound art, once your profound strength reaches the late stage of the Sovereign Profound Realm, and provided I have reformed my body, I might consider bestowing upon you a drop of 'Heavenly Slaughter Blood,' allowing you to cultivate my profound art."

"Sov... Sovereign Profound... and late stage too?" Yun Che exclaimed, jolting upright. "What is this Heavenly Slaughter Blood?"

"You don't need to know."