Promoted to Thousand-Household Commander, Exceptionally Elevated

The Heaven and Earth Converging Yin-Yang Great Compassion Ode was an exceedingly profound martial art.

Even with the system's infusion, Lin Xiao had needed an entire night to cultivate it.

The following morning, a sliver of dawn whitened the horizon. Purple qi enveloped the entire courtyard, while Dingzhou City itself was shrouded in a gentle, misty haze.

The sudden heavy fog obstructed everyone's vision. Even though unusual phenomena were occurring around Lin Xiao, no one noticed them.

Rumble!!!

A tremendous roar erupted from within Lin Xiao's body, as though something were battering ceaselessly against its restraints, trying to break free.

He was attempting to break through into the Grandmaster realm.

With the support of the max-level Heaven and Earth Converging Yin-Yang Great Compassion Ode, Lin Xiao had finally met the requirements to break through to Grandmaster.

The tables and chairs in the room were crushed into powder by the pressure.

Even the wooden bed beneath him was not spared. Only Lin Xiao's cross-legged body floated in midair.

Boom!!!

After an unknown length of time, the terrifying aura around Lin Xiao abruptly vanished. He slowly opened his eyes and rose to his feet in midair.

Lin Xiao's aura was now restrained, yet he gave off an air of authority without anger.

Even without doing anything, he could inspire fear in others.

This was the pressure inherently carried by a Grandmaster expert.

"The Heaven and Earth Converging Yin-Yang Great Compassion Ode truly lives up to its reputation."

Lin Xiao had now reached the Grandmaster realm in martial cultivation, entering the ranks of experts on the Zhenwu Continent.

Of course, while Grandmasters could be called experts, they were still far from enough when facing the supreme martial artists of this world. He still needed to continue improving his strength.

"It's time to speed up the plan."

Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes and murmured.

Just then, urgent knocking sounded from outside.

Lin Xiao moved, and by the time he appeared again, he was already at the courtyard gate.

This was the result of merging the max-level Heaven Empty Earth Distant Grand Void Step with the Sovereign Heaven Empress Earth Grand Yin Yang Art.

Combined with peerless inner strength and supreme lightness skill, it produced an effect comparable to teleportation.

Naturally, it also consumed a considerable amount of Lin Xiao's true qi, but it recovered remarkably quickly.

In the mere time it took to open the door, the true qi he had expended was already restored.

The supreme inner cultivation contained within the Heaven and Earth Converging Yin-Yang Great Compassion Ode also possessed first-rate recovery speed.

Though it could not compare to the Ninefold Jade Radiance Skill, it was only a hair's breadth behind.

When the courtyard gate opened, he saw Chang Le standing there with an anxious expression.

"My lord, you're up. We have a problem. What you did at the Su Family last night has spread throughout the entire Dingzhou martial world."

"Those martial artists are pressuring the Dingzhou authorities to make you publicly apologize. If you refuse, they say they will come knocking and demand an explanation from you."

Hearing Chang Le's words, Lin Xiao snorted coldly. "A bunch of wandering rabble dare be this brazen? Asking this official to apologize to them is nothing but a fool's dream."

"As long as they dare to come, I dare to kill every last one of them."

Chang Le said with a bitter smile, "My lord, I know your strength, but now unfavorable voices against you have emerged within the Jinyiwei."

"Some people want you to apologize to those people of the martial world. The Pacification Envoy has even ordered you to report to him at the Garrison Command."

Lin Xiao nodded slightly. "Fine. Then this official will go see him and find out what he intends to do."

As Lin Xiao finished cultivating, the fog covering Dingzhou City had also dispersed. Yet a grim, murderous air now permeated the streets.

Every few steps, one could see a martial artist from the jianghu carrying a saber or wearing a sword.

Some taverns were packed with martial artists.

The tavern owners had also caught the scent of something unusual and scarcely dared to breathe.

On the way to the Ding Province Garrison Command, countless pairs of eyes watched Lin Xiao from the shadows, while waves of icy killing intent surged toward him one after another.

Yet Lin Xiao remained calm, turning a deaf ear to that killing intent.

Within the Ding Province Garrison Command, the Pacification Envoy had already sent the news to the capital. He had further listed many of Lin Xiao's offenses, claiming that Lin Xiao had disrupted the harmony between Dingzhou's court and martial world as soon as he arrived, and requesting that the Emperor severely punish him.

Inside the imperial palace in the capital.

Morning court was currently in session.

Emperor Ji Wudao sat high upon the Dragon Throne, while the civil and military officials stood respectfully below.

In Emperor Ji Wudao's hand was a memorial, and an amused smile played at the corner of his lips.

"How interesting. Squad Leader Lin Xiao verbally insulted Dingzhou's martial world, even threatening to take action and kill people. Now Dingzhou's martial world demands that the Dingzhou yamen give them an explanation."

"The Dingzhou yamen even appears inclined to support the decision of Dingzhou's jianghu."

"My dear ministers, what do you think of this matter?"

At Ji Wudao's question, several ministers who held great power wore strange expressions, then fell silent.

A Fifth Rank official stepped forward and spoke. "Your Majesty, this Squad Leader Lin Xiao is far too presumptuous. In order to placate the martial world, the court has paid an unknown price. Yet he is merely a Jinyiwei Squad Leader, a tiny Subordinate Seventh Rank official, and the moment he took office, he dared to let all the court's efforts go down the drain."

"He absolutely cannot be spared lightly. I beg Your Majesty to issue a decree punishing him. If someone like this is kept around, who knows how great a disaster he may cause."

As soon as the Fifth Rank official spoke, several First Rank ministers revealed regretful expressions.

This man truly did not know how the word "death" was written.

Emperor Ji Wudao looked at the Fifth Rank official with a smile.

"What Minister He says does make sense. Then in Minister He's opinion, how should Lin Xiao be punished?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I suggest stripping him of his official post and throwing him into prison, never to be employed again."

"Mm, that is a fine suggestion. Someone, come."

Ji Wudao spoke indifferently.

Two Imperial Guards entered the hall.

"Your Majesty."

Ji Wudao pointed at the Fifth Rank official. "Strip him of all his positions, throw him into prison, and never employ him again."

Before the Fifth Rank official could even react, the two Imperial Guards removed his official hat. He immediately cried out in panic, "Your Majesty, forgive me! Your Majesty, forgive me!"

"What wrong has this subject committed?"

Ji Wudao's eyes turned cold. "Shut your mouth."

"What wrong have you committed?"

"First, you disregarded the court's dignity and demanded that my subject apologize to people of the martial world. Are you saying that I fear those martial forces?"

"Second, when have I ever sacrificed the court's interests in order to placate the martial world? If this were recorded in the history books, would it not become a stain upon my entire life?"

"Those two charges alone give me reason to exterminate your nine clans. You clearly harbor treasonous intentions."

"Throw him into prison at once and wipe out his nine clans."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The two Imperial Guard soldiers dragged the Fifth Rank official out without hesitation.

Ji Wudao returned to the Dragon Throne, his gaze sweeping over those below as he said majestically, "Throughout the court, I have discovered many people with ulterior motives making petty moves in the shadows. It is time to set things right. Squad Leader Lin's actions have strengthened the court's prestige. He should be rewarded."

"Eunuch Cao, draft the decree at once. Appoint Squad Leader Lin as the Jinyiwei Thousand Household Officer of Stability Prefecture."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

An old eunuch who had stood silently beside Ji Wudao from beginning to end answered respectfully.

Ordinarily, it was not quite in accordance with the rules for Lin Xiao to rise from a Squad Leader to a Thousand Household Officer.

Under normal circumstances, Ji Wudao would not have broken the rules like this and incurred the displeasure of the ministers.

But today, he had happened to find an excuse.

Lin Xiao's achievement had won face for the court, so an exceptional promotion was perfectly justified.

None of the ministers dared to object. If anyone spoke up now, this Emperor would surely regard them as people with ulterior motives and use the opportunity to deal with them.

Besides, Lin Xiao was only the Jinyiwei Thousand Household Officer of Stability Prefecture, not the Jinyiwei Thousand Household Officer of the capital, so there was nothing to worry about.