Three days later, a tall figure clad in a Flying Fish Robe and wearing a Spring Embroidered Saber at his waist strode swiftly over and stopped before Su Changqing's courtyard.
Several others followed behind him.
"Commander Su, Zhou Chu requests an audience." Zhou Chu frowned slightly and called out.
He stepped forward and pushed open the gate, only to freeze at the sight of a youth shrouded in golden light.
The youth sat cross-legged beneath a great willow tree. He had sword-like brows and starry eyes, wore brocade white as frost and snow, and had a crimson Flying Fish belt around his waist. His eyes were slightly open.
A faint layer of golden light surrounded him, vast as the heavens. Waves of qi rolled toward Zhou Chu, making it nearly impossible for him to remain standing.
"Commander Su, what cultivation technique is this?" Zhou Chu stood rooted to the spot and asked in shock.
"The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill." Su Changqing opened his eyes, his gaze deep as he looked at him.
The people behind Zhou Chu were stunned as well. The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill?
Hadn't this technique long since been abandoned by the martial world?
It was the supreme guardian divine art of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism, yet even its practitioners rarely cultivated it because it consumed far too much time.
"May I ask, Commander Su, which level have you reached?" Zhou Chu hurriedly cupped his hands.
He had once ridden through the long streets with Su Changqing and slain a true disciple of Mang Mountain. He was still a Hundred Household, while Su Changqing had already become a Thousand Household.
"I've gained a little insight. Fourth Turn." Su Changqing rose to his feet and answered calmly.
Zhou Chu was even more horrified. The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill was a Heaven-grade cultivation technique. No wonder Su Changqing was surrounded by a faint golden radiance—he had already mastered its fundamentals.
Fourth Turn? Even someone with Innate Divine Strength likely could not contend with Su Changqing now.
"My lord, Commander Jin has ordered us to go over." Zhou Chu quickly cupped his hands.
He wanted to join Su Changqing's command. By rights, a Deputy Thousand Household could choose three Hundred Households to expand his fighting force.
The Hundred Households were also willing to find a strong patron.
Yet Su Changqing had never selected anyone, leaving him a lone veteran all this time.
Zhou Chu had known Su Changqing for some time, so naturally he wanted to gain the advantage of proximity.
Su Changqing nodded slightly and walked over to the weapon rack. The Suppression Bureau had equipped it for him with axes, halberds, hooks, forks, whips, maces, hammers, claws...
At last, his gaze settled on the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade at the very end. With a flick of his hand, the long blade dropped into his palm.
The long blade swept sideways, displaying peerless elegance.
"Come. Let's go see Commander Jin." Su Changqing strode forward.
After three days of bitter cultivation, not only had his Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill reached the Fourth Turn, but his true qi had also reached the Xiantian Second Layer.
If he went all out now, his combat strength would absolutely surpass that of an ordinary Thousand Household.
The Suppression Bureau says Commander Su is Little Guan Gong. With his Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, he killed Ye Tian as easily as slaughtering a dog. Now that I've seen him, the rumors are true. Zhou Chu praised inwardly.
Before long, they reached the main hall of the Suppression Bureau. Nearly three thousand Imperial Guards had gathered outside. Chen Mo, Li Kongxiang, Ye Ronghuo, and the rest were all present, Spring Embroidered Sabers at their waists and Flying Fish Robes on their bodies, their bearing grim and murderous.
This was almost all the strength of the Suppression Bureau.
It seemed there would be a major operation today. Su Changqing's eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped inside.
A dozen or so people were scattered throughout the room, all looking at Su Changqing. One gaze was especially cold and sharp as it swept over him.
Su Changqing looked over and saw that it was Ye Tian. He chuckled softly and took the seat beside him.
"You thief, you still dare show your face before me today?" Ye Tian looked at Su Changqing and said coldly.
White cloth was wrapped around his chest. Even with his remarkable physique, the saber wound Su Changqing had given him that day had yet to heal.
"Why wouldn't I dare? You and I both serve under Commander Jin. Behave yourself today." Su Changqing smiled.
"You rose from a menial servant to where you are now. You have no connections, no backing, and no plans. Today, I'll show you what it means to crush someone with power!"
Ye Tian sneered and said no more.
Su Changqing did not pay him any mind. Instead, he looked around, examining the opportunities of these Deputy Thousand Households.
There were only nine of them in total, including himself.
Soon, Jin Yichuan arrived with a middle-aged man in black robes. Jin Yichuan was such a cold and arrogant man, yet today he voluntarily took the rear and followed behind him.
"Greetings, Commander Zuo!" Everyone rose and cupped their hands.
Su Changqing also cupped his hands slightly while studying the man.
The middle-aged man in black was not particularly tall and even seemed somewhat thin, but his aura was steady. He moved with the bearing of a dragon and tiger, his features heroic, his sword-like brows reaching his temples. Six Steel Sabers hung behind him, dazzling beneath the sunlight with their exposed edge.
"By imperial order, the entire Suppression Bureau will mobilize to wipe out the water bandits of Cloud Dragon Lake!" Commander Zuo returned the salute, looking calmly over everyone.
"Whoever slacks off in today's battle will be executed immediately! Next, I will pass all the intelligence gathered by the Imperial Guard's covert agents to you."
Sheets of yellow paper fell before the many Imperial Guard Deputy Thousand Households. These were reports gathered by the countless covert agents the Imperial Guard had planted throughout Great Shang's martial world.
That was why, after the Scarlet Blood Scholar came to Chang'an City, he only visited brothels and did not kill anyone. His Purple Blood Soft Sword was still registered in their records.
The greatest land under heaven was Great Shang, and the greatest wealth of intelligence belonged to the Divine Marquis.
The intelligence network he had formed even encompassed places such as the Western Regions, Fusang, Dali...
"Cloud Dragon Lake has Cloud Dragon Mountain above it and a vast emerald lake below it, stretching for a hundred li..."
Su Changqing studied the intelligence carefully. Cloud Dragon Lake had nearly a thousand bandits, and its seven leaders were all in the Xiantian Realm, their strength far from ordinary.
This was practically comparable to Mang Mountain's fighting force. No wonder they could occupy an entire mountain and lake. The Suppression Bureau needed to mobilize all its forces to deal with them.
Su Changqing's gaze narrowed. Just as he was about to continue reading, he saw Ye Tian beside him looking at him coldly, his eyes filled with killing intent.
Having cultivated the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill to the Fourth Turn, Ye Tian was even less of a match for him now. One strike of the Tyrant Saber would be enough!
Where did he get such confidence? Su Changqing suddenly frowned. It seemed one Thousand Household was still missing. Where was Tai Long?
"Ye Tian, turn left from the Suppression Bureau. Five li into Changfeng Street, there is a medicinal shop. You can go there. I'll give you the money."
Su Changqing raised his head and looked at him calmly.
At first, Ye Tian did not understand. Once he did, his face instantly darkened, and he slammed the intelligence report onto the table.
It made it sound as though he could not afford treatment.
No, he was not sick in the first place.
"You are not to make noise. We depart in half an hour, once Commander Tai returns."
Commander Zuo frowned slightly. Looking at Jin Yichuan, he instructed, "You need to keep your two new Deputy Thousand Households under control. How can personal grudges and selfish desires outweigh the affairs of the court?"
Jin Yichuan hurriedly nodded and shot Su Changqing and Ye Tian a glare.
"Now that you mention it, why hasn't Commander Tai returned? We leave in only half an hour." Jin Yichuan frowned.
A figure approached from afar. He was tall, powerfully built, and imposing, his bare arms bulging with muscles like boulders.
He was as thick as a bull, like a savage bear. He seemed to be holding something in his hand as he stood in the doorway, his towering body nearly blocking the sunlight outside.
"Su Changqing, get the hell out here!"
Su Changqing immediately frowned. If nothing unexpected happened, this should be Tai Long, Commander Tai.
They had never met before. He had no idea when he had offended him.
Ye Tian drew a deep breath beside him. If he had been confident of defeating Su Changqing in a short time, he truly would not have wanted to use his connection to Tai Long.
"Commander Tai, Su Changqing is here."
Su Changqing glanced at Ye Tian, understood at once, and stepped forward.
"You stole the missions of Ye Ronghuo and Ye Tian, then killed your fellow Imperial Guard, Iron Claw Flying Eagle, outside Great Buddha Temple. You have lost all humanity. Today, I will destroy you. Do you admit it?"
Tai Long casually threw out a head, which rolled across the floor with a rumble.
Only the skull cap remained, covered in messy hair. The flesh and eyes were gone, as though it had been gnawed by wild beasts, with marks from sharp teeth upon it.
"This is?" Jin Yichuan narrowed his eyes.
"Iron Claw Flying Eagle's head. Did he think no one would ever learn what he had done?" Tai Long said coldly.
The many Deputy Thousand Households looked at the skull cap and sighed. Iron Claw Flying Eagle had at least been in the True Qi Realm and was an Imperial Guard Hundred Household, yet he had met such an end.
"Before the matter has been thoroughly investigated, how can you jump to such a conclusion?" Jin Yichuan frowned.
He knew of the master-disciple relationship between Ye Tian and Tai Long.
When Ye Tian was young, he had fallen into the Withered Well, eaten snake eggs, and acquired Seven Orifices Exquisite. The true teachings of an Imperial Guard Thousand Household had been imparted to him by Tai Long.
Though they had never formally become master and disciple, everyone in the Suppression Bureau knew that Ye Tian was Tai Long's disciple.
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