Milestone Achieved

Upon returning to the imperial palace for an audience, Ying Ru Shi unexpectedly discovered... The air was very fresh.

Both the skylights and the main doors stood open, and soft sunlight streamed into the great hall, illuminating every corner after reflecting off the building's structure. The cross-ventilation dispersed the oppressive heat. Upon entering the hall and looking up, one could see the lofty, solemn dragon carvings. Although she could still feel the supreme majesty and solemnity, there was not the slightest hint of oppression in her heart—only awe of imperial authority.

But when Ying Ru Shi saw the figure on the throne clearly, her mind went blank. She almost lost control of herself, and by the time she came to her senses, she was already kneeling before the Mount Sumeru Throne.

Seated upon the throne was naturally the Qi State Emperor, Ying Le.

But she was not wearing her clothes haphazardly this time, nor was she wearing nothing at all. Instead, she sat upright on the throne, clad in a full suit of Silver Moon Armor. Her shoulder guards were engraved with intricate dragon patterns, the breastplate fit her figure perfectly, and the layered skirt armor covered her legs like overlapping mountain ranges. The steel gauntlets on both hands were bristling with savage spikes.

She wore the Laurel Imperial Crown, her jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall, with several strands brushing lightly against her stern face. Both hands rested on the hilt of a Black Steel Greatsword plunged into the ground.

If the Ying Le of before had been a volcano, a tsunami, a storm—unrestrained destruction—then the Ying Le of now was a deep-sea mountain: lofty, dignified, mighty, and heroic. Seeing the emperor like this, Ying Ru Shi was nearly moved to tears. In a trembling voice, she said, "Le City County Princess Ying Ru Shi pays her respects to Your Majesty!"

"Give her a seat."

A chair was brought over at once, but Ying Ru Shi did not rise. Instead, she presented the saber in her hands. "Ru Shi was incompetent. I failed to obtain Bingzi Jiaolin and could only acquire a pseudo-blade possessing part of its authority."

At the Thieves' Den, Ying Ru Shi had reached a deal with Yan Qing: five hundred spirit jades in exchange for one enfeoffed blade.

Yan Qing naturally agreed. Enfeoffing one required one hundred points of spiritual power, meaning its cost was only one hundred spirit jades. Besides, the more blades that were enfeoffed, the stronger Bingzi Jiaolin became. He wished everyone would use enfeoffed weapons.

The enfeoffing process, however, consumed quite a bit of time. After all, not to mention a First Rank Messenger—even the spiritual power limit of a Second Rank Messenger could not possibly exceed one hundred. Fortunately, the process consumed spiritual power continuously, meaning Yan Qing could absorb spirit jades while carrying out the enfeoffment.

The design of "continuously consuming a large amount of spiritual power beyond one's level limit" could, in other words, be summed up as: "This function cannot be used during combat."

"Oh?"

Ying Le accepted the pseudo-blade. "It does indeed look like a pseudo-Zhou-style war blade... I see. Bingzi Jiaolin's authority is to enhance the performance of other weapons?"

"As Your Majesty surmised, Bingzi Jiaolin possesses three authorities: Enfeoffment, Pillar of the State, and Heaven-Covering." Ying Ru Shi briefly introduced Bingzi Jiaolin's effects, then continued, "Nothing can be plundered within the Thieves' Den. To obtain a Legendary Relic, one can only earn Thief Points according to the Thieves' Den's rules. Only by having more Thief Points than the others is there a chance of bidding for a Legendary Relic."

"Ru Shi failed to obtain Bingzi Jiaolin. Your Majesty, please punish me."

"There is no need." Ying Le lowered the pseudo-blade. "Ru Shi, you are the most capable member of the imperial clan. I will need to rely on you to govern the country in the future. How could a Legendary Relic be more important than you? You may continue investigating the Thieves' Den, but make preserving yourself your priority. Do not force the matter."

Ying Ru Shi pressed her forehead to the ground, tears streaming down her face. "Ru Shi will certainly sacrifice everything to repay Your Majesty's kindness!"

She removed the ring from her finger and offered it to Ying Le. "This is the Storage Ring I won at auction in the Thieves' Den. It should rightfully be placed at Your Majesty's disposal."

Ying Le examined the Storage Ring for a moment and nodded. "Very well, I will accept it. You may return and rest. Oh, right—you should know about the announcement and wanted notices, shouldn't you? Do not expose your identity. There are countless messengers coveting the reward on your heads now. Even the City of No Nights may not be able to protect you completely."

"Yes!"

Even after leaving the imperial palace, Ying Ru Shi remained dazed, as if in a dream, unable to believe it.

She had never imagined that after nine years—after being insane for nine whole years—the emperor could actually regain her senses and return to the Phoenix Majesty Emperor who had once dominated the realm and scourged the world!

When Ying Ru Shi was young, Ying Le had not been like this. She had been a commander who campaigned in all directions and dominated the world, leading the Bai Bao Iron Cavalry several times to seize key secret realms along the borders. She had beaten the pseudo-Zhou Yaoshi Mo Ke and the pseudo-Liang Shao Hu into disarray, then returned home carrying the immense prestige of conquering cities and territory. She governed diligently, implemented reforms, encouraged farming and education, codified laws, and brought the Qi State into perfect order. Countless commoners built ancestral shrines for her and respectfully called her the Phoenix Majesty Emperor.

That vibrant age, when all things flourished and vied to emerge, still seemed to be right before her eyes.

That was also why, despite Ying Le's years of going against all principles, no one in the entire country dared oppose her, much less overthrow her. It was not only because of her strength, but also because if she merely raised her arm and called out, countless people who had received her kindness would still flock to her!

But ever since Ying Le established her foundation, everything had changed. Power had been like a curse, turning Ying Le into an entirely different extreme—addicted to alcohol, absurd, brutal, and insane, like a monster wearing human skin.

But it did not matter. She was back. Everything was back!

When Ying Ru Shi returned to her residence, she saw a group from the imperial palace waiting at the entrance.

"Princess, this is what His Majesty has bestowed upon you." The eunuch brought out a treasure box.

Ying Ru Shi opened the box and found, astonishingly, a Storage Ring inside—and one with three spaces at that, far more precious and rare than the one she had offered!

She immediately fell to her knees, tears of emotion filling her eyes. "This subject has received Your Majesty's immense favor. I will certainly devote myself to the utmost and die only after my work is done!"

At the same time, within Qiankun Hall in the imperial palace.

The pseudo-blade changed shape in Ying Le's hands, being kneaded into a lump like mud. Ying Le stared at the iron lump in her hands, saliva dripping from her mouth, yet she seemed completely unaware of it. She continued kneading the lump, then abruptly hurled it away, smashing straight through the hall's fine-gold doors!

She took two heavy breaths and pulled a wanted notice from her bosom.

"Suspect Number Three"

"Features: Wears a white fox-shaped mask and uses a longsword"

"Crime: Participated in the Anguo Temple Heist"

"Threat Level: Third Turn combat power"

"Bounty for Execution: 20,000 spirit jades or the Advanced Swordplay Mastery Manual"

"Not yet, not yet. I have to wait, I have to wait."

"I must hold back, hold back! I have to let her bounty grow large enough—large enough to draw out people from the Divine Marquis Manor, large enough to draw that person out!"

"The Divine Marquis Manor will definitely send people to pursue her. That person will come out too. They definitely will!"

"One day, one day..."

Jiangnan City, the Shang Family.

"So you understand your situation now, right?" Shang Qia's voice held concern, but also a trace of schadenfreude. "The entire world has heard the Divine Marquis Manor's announcement. Do you understand what that means?"

"I understand." Shang Xin Lei nodded. "Third Brother, you're jealous of me!"

"Bullshit! What would I be jealous of?"

"You're jealous that I could disguise my identity and commit murder and arson in Chang'an, jealous that my deeds were announced to every man, woman, and child, jealous that I could participate in such an exciting and sensational adventure, while you, Third Brother, can only stay home and get scolded by Father."

"Nothing of the sort!" Shang Qia's face flushed with indignation. "Besides, Father hasn't scolded me lately!"

It was false to say he felt no envy. A worldwide announcement—how many emperors, generals, talented scholars, and beautiful women could achieve world-shaking deeds and still fail to make their names and accomplishments known to everyone?

Yet Shang Xin Lei and the others had merely gone to Chang'an and stolen something, and somehow that had triggered an announcement that caused an uproar across the seas and spread throughout the wilderness! Whether it would remain unmatched in the future was unknown, but it was certainly unprecedented. Even after searching through the histories, one would never find anything similar!

It was the first time in history!

Although the worldwide announcement had caused no tangible effects, to people of the present era, it was practically no different from a miracle. Even messengers who had witnessed secret realms could not remain unmoved.

Watching his younger sister proudly crack sunflower seeds, Shang Qia knew he could not get the better of her. Irritated, he placed a book in front of her.

The book had no title and consisted of only a few thin pages, yet after Shang Xin Lei flipped through it for a moment, her expression changed slightly.

It was a booklet introducing the secret realm known as the "Divine Marquis Manor." It contained little information, merely mentioning what demons existed within the Divine Marquis Manor, that these demons were generally above the Third Turn, and that the Divine Marquis Manor did not exist in any particular location. The only way to enter was through an item called the Reward Good Punish Evil Token.

The final page mentioned that the treasure chests within the Divine Marquis Manor produced a special spirit medicine.

The spirit medicine was called the Foundation Establishment Pill.

"Is the Divine Marquis Manor the only place that produces Foundation Establishment Pills?" Shang Xin Lei asked.

Shang Qia shook his head. "No, but most of the other places that produce Foundation Establishment Pills are Fourth Turn Secret Realms."

Fourth Turn Secret Realms and Third Turn Secret Realms were completely different concepts. Third Turn Secret Realms could be conquered through the sacrifice of large numbers of Second Rank and First Rank Messengers, but that was absolutely impossible in Fourth Turn Secret Realms. Only a team made up of Fourth Rank Messengers had any chance of conquering one.

"In other words, the Divine Marquis Manor is the only place where the vast majority of Third Rank Messengers can obtain Foundation Establishment Pills." Shang Xin Lei murmured, "Then the Reward Good Punish Evil Token—"

"It is said that it can appear in the treasure chests of any secret realm." Shang Qia said, "Our family controlled the Quiet Heart Abode secret realm for decades, and only one Reward Good Punish Evil Token ever appeared. We immediately traded it away as an important bargaining chip in exchange for our Shang Family becoming hereditary nobles of Great Liang."

"What did Father say?"

"You are to enter a secret realm immediately." Shang Qia said, "Even if someone can track your trail through a relic, the isolation between the secret realm and the outside world will render it ineffective."

"Then I could actually stay in the Thieves' Den." Shang Xin Lei tilted her head. "I would only need to come back every day to bathe and eat. And I wouldn't get bored, since Yellow Dog seems to stay in the Thieves' Den all the time..."

"No!" Shang Qia panicked. "How can an unmarried man and woman live together under one roof?"

"It's not one room. We each have our own bedroom..."

"That still won't do. You should go hide in the Quiet Heart Abode."

"I've been there too many times. It's boring." Shang Xin Lei spoke nonchalantly. "I want to go to the Wandering Star Forest."

Shang Qia froze and pondered for a moment. "The Wandering Star Forest is indeed about to open again, but... it is much more dangerous than the Quiet Heart Abode, and the family's guards won't be able to help. Do you really want to go?"

"I might not stay in the forest for long. I only want to broaden my horizons, so there shouldn't be any danger. Besides..." Shang Xin Lei glanced at the four wanted notices on the table. "I should put in some effort too. After the next mission, I don't want to remain in last place."

"Suspect Number Four"

"Features: Wears a red snake-shaped mask and uses an unknown weapon"

"Crime: Participated in the Anguo Temple Heist"

"Threat Level: Unknown"

"Bounty for Execution: 10,000 spirit jades or the Basic Footwork Mastery Manual"

"Are you kidding me? Why is my bounty so much higher..."

In the Thieves' Den, Yan Qing logged into Night Four's account on the Game Console and quickly discovered his own wanted notice.

Moreover, he did not need to go anywhere near the city gates, because a message popped up in the chat bar at the bottom left of the game—

"(World Channel) Divine Marquis Manor Announcement: Four unknown petty thieves recently arrived in the Thieves' Den. They successfully stole the Legendary Relic, Bingzi Jiaolin, from Anguo Temple in Chang'an. They are hereby wanted."

The words "wanted" were a hyperlink. Clicking it would redirect to the "Announcement Board," apparently an area displaying various real-time in-game events. But there were obviously no events at present. Only four wanted notices were posted there.

"Suspect Number One"

"Features: Wears a yellow dog-shaped mask and uses a long saber"

"Crime: Participated in the Anguo Temple Heist"

"Threat Level: Unknown"

"Bounty for Execution: 100,000 spirit jades or the Legendary Relic, Bingzi Jiaolin"

Yan Qing looked at it twice before setting it aside. After all, he did not live outside, so even if the bounty on the wanted notice increased ten thousandfold, it had nothing to do with him. Instead, he began worrying whether the others would be unable to withstand the pressure and flee to the Thieves' Den for shelter. If that happened, Yan Qing would have to live under the same roof as them.

Living together meant it would be perfectly normal for her to invite him to eat, right? Chatting would be normal too, right? Dropping by for a visit now and then would also be normal, right?

Fuck, what difference was that from going to work?

Before transmigrating, he had been forced into pointless socializing. After transmigrating, he still had to engage in pointless socializing? Hadn't he transmigrated for nothing, then?

Was there truly nowhere in this vast world where he could quietly play games?

Yan Qing lamented inwardly and turned his attention back to the game.

Suddenly, he noticed that an unfamiliar effect had appeared in the status bar above Night Four's health bar. When he moved the cursor over it, the effect's name made Yan Qing freeze.

"Milestone Title: Demolition Team"

Oh, I did complete this milestone... Wait!?