Great Li Martial God

At the same time, Zhao Muning, still standing where she was, showed a startled expression.

She looked at Li Musheng, who had come to stand quietly beside the black-robed elder at some unknown moment, and at the black-robed elder who was now as immobile as she had been, and the look in her eyes was one of stunned disbelief.

She had just recalled the Black Moon Yin Elder's identity and been about to say something flattering, hoping it would make things easier when she revealed her identity as a princess.

But the rest of what she had been going to say never left her mouth, as Li Musheng had already subdued the man, and the Black Moon Yin Elder had not managed even the slightest resistance throughout.

The Black Moon Yin Elder was a Heaven-Human expert who had been renowned in the Great Xuan martial world for a long time. Though he only guarded the first level of the Mystic Mechanism Palace, his martial cultivation was not something an ordinary Heaven-Human expert could match.

For Li Musheng to subdue him this effortlessly, his martial cultivation had to be at least equivalent to that of the guardians on the third or fourth levels of the Mystic Mechanism Palace or above.

"Stop staring at me. Answer the question I just asked."

Li Musheng gave the now statue-like Black Moon Yin Elder a sidelong glance and went back to asking about the matter that interested him.

The Black Moon Yin Elder came back to himself at last, his clouded gaze fixed hard on Li Musheng, as though trying to tell whether the man before him was some old martial world eccentric in disguise.

Having said this, he naturally understood that his life was now in Li Musheng's hands, and he did not dare act with the same bravado as before, answering immediately, "If the young hero is looking for where people are held in this Mystic Mechanism Palace, then yes, you have come to the right place. This entire Mystic Mechanism Palace is in fact one enormous prison."

"All of us martial world experts guarding the nine levels above and nine levels below are, to speak plainly, prisoners held here ourselves."

At those words, Li Musheng's brow creased.

He had originally intended to find out where the prisoners were kept and then go directly there, clearing the levels in one sweep. But from what this old man was saying, it sounded as though he would have to work his way through all eighteen levels of the Mystic Mechanism Palace to find anyone.

With that realization, Li Musheng's expression became somewhat unpleasant.

Searching level by level was far too tedious for his taste.

Li Musheng thought for a moment, then asked, "Has anyone been brought into the Mystic Mechanism Palace in the past few months?"

"The past few months?"

At those words, the Black Moon Yin Elder showed a thoughtful expression and considered, "In the past half year, I recall seeing the Mystic Mechanism Palace's doors open twice, both times with several of the Great Xuan imperial palace's old eunuchs bringing people inside."

"Were any of them an older woman of Daoist bearing?" Li Musheng asked.

"What they brought in, this old man does not know."

The Black Moon Yin Elder's cloudy eyes gave a subtle shift, then he added, "Even so, the eunuchs always take people down rather than up. They are most likely being held in the underground levels."

Li Musheng's brow relaxed slightly. It looked as though he would not have to climb through the upper levels after all.

At that, Li Musheng had the Black Moon Yin Elder tell him where the entrance to the underground passages was, then opened the mechanism and the heavy black iron door.

He then paid the Black Moon Yin Elder no further mind, looked at Zhao Muning, and said, "Let us go. Down we go."

At those words, Zhao Muning, who had not said anything extra throughout, gave a quiet nod. Li Musheng's martial cultivation had already gone well beyond what she had expected.

Now she found herself genuinely curious about how many levels of the Mystic Mechanism Palace he could actually get through.

After all, each level further down, the power of the guarding martial experts grew stronger.

No one had ever made it through all nine levels of the Mystic Mechanism Palace, as far as Zhao Muning had heard.

Of course, even if such an expert existed, they had very likely already been imprisoned inside the Mystic Mechanism Palace, and naturally no one on the outside would know about it.

"That... young hero, would you mind releasing this old man's sealed acupoints?"

At that, the Black Moon Yin Elder saw that Li Musheng and Zhao Muning had finished asking what they needed and were about to simply leave him and walk away, and immediately called out urgently.

Li Musheng stopped, turned back, and gave the Black Moon Yin Elder a sidelong look, narrowing his eyes, "What did you call me just now?"

At those words, the Black Moon Yin Elder went briefly still, then ventured cautiously, "Young hero?"

"No, what you called me when I first came in."

Li Musheng shook his head, and the Black Moon Yin Elder immediately understood what Li Musheng meant.

Obviously the man had taken offense at being called a little kitten, and leaving his acupoints sealed was his punishment.

"This old man knows he was wrong. I was blind and impertinent just now. I beg the young hero to show magnanimity and pardon this old man once."

A flash of urgency crossed the Black Moon Yin Elder's eyes, but Li Musheng waved a hand, "The sealed acupoints will clear on their own after seven days. Seven days is manageable. You should not starve to death."

With that, Li Musheng prepared to turn and go. He had already been lenient with the old man.

If the elder kept going on and on about it, that would be rather ungrateful.

But at those words, the Black Moon Yin Elder's face immediately fell, and he said anxiously, "Young hero, please wait. There is something the young hero does not know. Every martial world expert inside this Mystic Mechanism Palace has been infected with a rare poison. Every six hours we must circulate our true qi to suppress it, otherwise the toxin will flare."

"In less than half an hour this old man must suppress the poison's activity. With my acupoints now sealed, the toxin will run wild and I will die."

"Could the young hero not think of some other punishment..."

At those words, both Li Musheng and Zhao Muning stopped.

Zhao Muning had always suspected that beyond stationing powerful guardians inside, the Mystic Mechanism Palace must use some other special means to keep these martial world experts in line. Such means were unavoidable.

But this was the first time she was hearing it confirmed from the mouth of one of the Mystic Mechanism Palace's own guardians, and she found herself genuinely curious about what kind of poison could keep these martial experts so thoroughly compliant.

Li Musheng, meanwhile, fixed his gaze on the Black Moon Yin Elder and rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression.

At that, the Black Moon Yin Elder, seeing Li Musheng had not simply walked away, allowed himself a small measure of relief and said, "As long as the young hero restores this old man's freedom to move and I can suppress the poison, any other punishment is entirely at the young hero's discretion."

"Are you certain?" Li Musheng raised an eyebrow.

"Absolutely. Only, please spare this old man's life."

The Black Moon Yin Elder gave an immediate nod. Having roamed the martial world for many years and read countless people, he could naturally see that Li Musheng, despite his staggering cultivation, was ultimately still too young. His methods were not extreme or ruthless enough.

In the elder's estimate, even if Li Musheng moved against him, it would not go too far.

At that, Li Musheng gave a quiet nod, "You said it yourself."

With that, he flicked a finger, and the Black Moon Yin Elder immediately felt a lightness run through his body, the acupoints that had been sealed throughout him opening at once and allowing him to circulate his true qi freely again.

At the sight, the Black Moon Yin Elder's heart leapt with relief, and he was about to open his mouth in thanks.

But in the next instant, a flash of talisman light arrived in the same breath and settled quietly into his body.

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