Elbow, Go to Baiwei Tower

Come on, let's go to Baiwei Tower

A cold snort boomed through the underground palace like thunder exploding across the ninth heaven.

Invisible sound waves, carrying immense inner force, swept outward. The flames of hundreds upon hundreds of massive tallow candles swayed wildly, their shadows twisting across the stone walls into clawing, fanged ghosts. The entire underground palace seemed to tremble beneath that crushing pressure.

The maidservants who had already been kneeling on the ground and trembling did not even manage a groan before they fainted stiffly, collapsing limply to the floor. Their hairpins scattered, revealing pale, bloodless faces.

The black-robed man kneeling before the gauze curtain let out a muffled grunt as well, his body swaying violently. A dark-red streak of blood seeped out from beneath his ghost-faced mask.

"Three living men vanished from Yongtang City without a sound, and you couldn't uncover a single clue. Are you joking with me?"

"Did they grow wings and fly into the sky?"

"Go investigate at once. Within three days, I want exact news of them!"

"If you can't find them, don't bother coming back!"

The black-robed man shuddered all over, his voice trembling beyond recognition.

"Y-Your subordinate obeys!"

"Get out!"

"Yes!"

As though granted a pardon, the black-robed man scrambled to his feet and staggered toward the stone door.

The moment he stepped through it, he could no longer hold back and violently spat out a mouthful of blood.

Clearly, the underground palace's master had injured his heart meridians with that sound wave.

A single cold snort had been enough to wound someone's heart meridians. It was plain to see just how terrifyingly powerful the master of this underground palace was.

Clutching his chest, the black-robed man glanced back at the tightly shut stone door. A flicker of fear passed through his eyes, but then he gritted his teeth, turned, and vanished into the dark passageway.

After the black-robed man left, the stone door closed again, and the candle flames within the underground palace gradually steadied.

"To make three Innate Realm experts vanish without a sound, without leaving even the slightest trace of a fight..."

The voice behind the gauze curtain carried a trace of sinister malice.

"It must have been the Imperial Court! Only those dogs of the Imperial Guard with their hound noses, those scum of the Six Doors, and those eunuch dogs of the Eastern Depot have the means to clean up every trace so thoroughly."

"If it really was them, then the thing I seek must have fallen into the Imperial Court's hands."

"A pack of useless trash, ruining my plans. They deserve to die!"

"But it doesn't matter."

After a moment, his voice returned to its icy calm.

"This is merely one of the copies. Even if they obtain it, it's useless."

"Just wait, Great Yu. We have all the time in the world to wear each other down."

"In another hundred years, or two hundred years, this realm will ultimately return to the hands of our Yu Chi Clan!"

Boom!

The instant his words fell, a terrifying surge of True Essence erupted from behind the gauze curtain. Black waves of energy swept through every corner of the underground palace like a tsunami.

Hundreds upon hundreds of candle flames were extinguished at once amid the black waves. The kneeling maidservants exploded one after another, turning into a skyful of blood mist.

The figure behind the gauze curtain slowly opened his mouth. A powerful suction force appeared from nowhere, drawing every last wisp of blood mist into his body.

A moment later, hundreds upon hundreds of candles lit themselves at once, and the underground palace returned to its former brightness.

Yet by then, the figure behind the green gauze curtain had long since vanished. Only that Asura statue remained standing in the hall.

The next morning, Bai Yan went to report for duty at the Pacification Bureau as usual.

The moment he stepped into the main hall of the Hundred Household Office, he saw Zhao Guangli, Ren Hong, and Li Kaiyao sprawled over their desks, yawning, each with heavy dark circles beneath his eyes.

By the look of things, none of them had slept the previous night.

"Bai Yan, you're here."

Zhao Guangli was the first to lift his head. Seeing Bai Yan enter, he immediately greeted him with a smile. But when his gaze swept over Bai Yan, it involuntarily drifted below the belt, carrying a teasingly strange look.

"Bai Yan, I heard you didn't stay overnight at Baiwei Tower last night. Don't tell me... there's something wrong with your body?"

The moment he said this, Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao, who had been half-asleep, instantly pricked up their ears. They secretly peeked at Bai Yan from the corners of their eyes, faces full of curiosity, yet neither dared say a word.

These days, only Zhao Guangli could speak to Bai Yan calmly. Everyone else held Bai Yan in a measure of awe.

Bai Yan shook his head with a laugh. "Uncle Zhao, I'm not interested in women of the red-light district. If I'm going to find someone, it should at least be a decent, respectable girl."

"A respectable girl? That's wonderful!"

Zhao Guangli's eyes lit up, and he immediately perked up. Excited, he said, "So you've finally got thoughts of taking a wife! Tell me, which family's daughter have you set your eyes on? Your Uncle Zhao knows plenty of people. I can introduce you right away and make sure this is handled properly, so your father can stop appearing in my dreams every day and telling me that the Bai family line is about to end."

The more he spoke, the more animated he became, counting on his fingers as he calculated.

"With your current status—a Brigade Leader of the Imperial Guard, young and promising—even if daughters from official families might not think much of us, marrying a wealthy young lady from Yongtang City would be more than within your reach."

"Those merchant families love to attach themselves to the Imperial Guard through marriage. As long as you nod, I'll have a matchmaker go propose today. Who knows, you might even be in the bridal chamber by night!"

Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao clicked their tongues in amazement. They had never expected Brigade Leader Zhao to care so much about Brigade Leader Bai's marriage, but upon further thought, they understood.

The Imperial Guard lived by licking blood from the edge of a blade. No one could say whether they would return alive tomorrow. Bai Yan was also the Bai family's only descendant; if he did not leave behind an heir soon, then should anything happen to him, the Bai family line would be completely cut off.

Zhao Guangli and Bai Lizheng were brothers-in-arms, so naturally he was anxious to help him fulfill this wish.

Bai Yan shook his head helplessly. He knew Uncle Zhao was terribly anxious about this matter, but he felt it depended on fate. For the time being, he truly had no such intentions.

For the entire day, Bai Yan stayed at the Pacification Bureau with nothing to do.

The next day, there was still nothing to do. After giving it some thought, Bai Yan decided he could not keep wasting his days away like this. Off he went to Wanchun Alley, his destination: Baiwei Tower!

On the third day, there was still nothing to do. Brothers must not be left to suffer, so Bai Yan decided to bring Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao along to Baiwei Tower. Naturally, the two of them would be treating.

On the fourth day, Baiwei Tower.

On the fifth day, Baiwei Tower.

On the sixth day, there was nothing to do as usual. Zhao Guangli treated them to Baiwei Tower, but unfortunately, halfway through their drinking, Zhao Guangli's wife came looking for him.

Uncle Zhao truly deserved to be called a martial artist. He jumped straight out of a third-floor window without hesitation. A real man!

On the seventh day, Zhao Guangli came to work with a bruised and swollen face, his left hand broken and wrapped in bandages, his right leg limping. He refused Bai Yan's invitation to Baiwei Tower.

It seemed Uncle Zhao's skills were still lacking. To think Auntie Zhao had beaten him into such a state—he needed more training.

At the same time, Bai Yan silently made up his mind: when he married in the future, he would definitely marry a gentle, considerate woman.

A tigress was absolutely out of the question.

Several days in a row of going to Baiwei Tower made life truly rather dull. Even Bai Yan was getting a little fed up.

On the eighth day, Baiwei Tower.

On the ninth day, Baiwei Tower.

On the tenth day...

Time flashed by, and half a month passed in perfect calm.

Over those half a month, Bai Yan received no assignments away from the city. Every day, he either went to Baiwei Tower or stayed at the Pacification Bureau reading case files.

In just half a month, Bai Yan had already become a regular at Baiwei Tower.

Whenever the madam of Baiwei Tower saw Bai Yan arrive, her grin stretched all the way to her ears.

Even while drinking with courtesans, Bai Yan did not neglect his training. He had already brought the Three Gang Saber Art to a state of consummate mastery.

Bai Yan also took the opportunity to demonstrate True Essence projection several times, something only innate realm experts could accomplish, proving that he had successfully broken through to the innate realm.