Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Imperial Treasure of the Former Dynasty

A woman dressed in a light crimson gauze robe entered. She wore a veil, concealing her true features, but her ethereal aura and graceful figure left little doubt that she was a breathtaking beauty.

She walked over to an empty table, sat down, and set her sword by the chair.

A person of the martial world.

Though Gu Li had never ventured into the world of wandering swordsmen, she could tell this woman had surely roamed its paths for years. How else could a young lady carry a sword at her side and order a pot of wine to drink with such ease?

Such drinking habits, too, could only be honed through experience.

As Gu Li was observing her, the veiled woman seemed to sense the gaze and glanced up to meet her eyes.

Gu Li was startled.

Those were eyes as cold as ice.

Like those of an assassin, ruthlessly trained, emotionless and detached, or perhaps the eyes of someone who had grown used to the relentless, uncontrollable life of the martial world, now using indifference as a mask.

Such eyes should not belong to someone so close to her own age.

The veiled woman did not look at Gu Li for long; after a brief moment, she turned her gaze to Wei Chu and Lie Chang’an, studying them in turn, her delicate brows knit in thoughtful contemplation.

This open scrutiny did not escape Wei Chu and Lie Chang’an. They both looked back at her, but the woman did not shy away. Instead, she met their gaze directly, examining them minutely, as though she were searching for or confirming something.

Her aura of the martial world was too strong, and her identity was unknown, her demeanor mysterious. This made Wei Chu and Lie Chang’an inwardly wary and on guard. Yet, though both were young, they had weathered many storms. Outwardly, they remained unruffled, calmly looking away, choosing to wait and see.

At that moment, guests at a nearby table were engrossed in heated gossip.

“Hey, did you hear? There was an assassin in the imperial palace recently.”

“The palace? When would any assassin risk their life to enter the palace—were they after the Emperor?”

“That’s what they say, but I think perhaps they were after the treasure of the former dynasty.”

The treasure of the former dynasty?

Hearing this, Gu Li glanced at the Crown Prince and Lie Chang’an, noticing the shock and confusion in their eyes. Clearly, they knew nothing of this so-called treasure.

“That’s right, haven’t you heard? It’s said the last emperor of the previous dynasty, knowing his reign was doomed and that he would be hunted to the end by the new emperor, buried the treasure for restoring the nation ahead of time and split the treasure map into three parts.”

“Is that so? Then could the rumors of remnants of the former dynasty appearing here and there in recent years be true?”

“There’s no smoke without fire. Those traitors must exist, but they dare not act openly. Most likely, they're missing the treasure—without gold and silver, how could they muster any strength to restore the nation or raise an army?”

“So where are the treasure maps now?”

“Supposedly, one piece is still in the palace, left by the former emperor. Whether it was taken in the recent assassination attempt, who can say? As for the other two, they’ve already entered the world of the martial arts and their whereabouts are unknown.”

“In that case, was the assassin who sneaked into the palace recently one of those former dynasty remnants?”

“That’s hard to say. The rumor of the treasure map has caused a great stir in the martial world, drawing all sorts of people. For all we know, it could have been some fortune-seeker who braved the palace…”

At this, the gossipers ran out of useful information, but the conversation had already stirred up great waves in Gu Li’s heart.

Likewise, the Crown Prince was left deeply unsettled.