Princess Jinxi

The Ninth Princess suddenly rose and bowed to Ye Kang before anyone could react.

Lin Baichuan was struck speechless.

She was a princess of Great Jin, after all, yet she was bowing to one of her subordinates.

But when he thought about it, he could understand. If not for Ye Kang, the Ninth Princess would have been kidnapped this time.

Ye Kang found it a little amusing, but he didn't stand on ceremony. After all, warriors were a cornerstone of the imperial court, so there was nothing improper about her gesture.

A moment later, the Ninth Princess sat down again. "Lord Ye, please sit. Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Jinxi. I left the palace half a year ago, and I never expected that in this short time, a genius like you would emerge in the Imperial City."

Actually, it hadn't even been a month.

Ye Kang felt a little rueful, but didn't correct her. He simply nodded. "Since Your Highness has resolved the matter here, why don't you return to the Imperial City with me? That way, I can report back."

"About that..." Jinxi furrowed her brow.

"But there's one more matter I haven't resolved. Please lend me your aid, Lord Ye!"

Jinxi bowed to Ye Kang once more, determination shining in her eyes.

Ye Kang thought for a moment. "Let me guess. Is it about the sects in Mengzhou?"

"You really are clever." The Ninth Princess sighed.

"Yesterday, General Sikong sent troops to surround the five rebel sects. They can be wiped out at any time. As for the other sects, although they didn't join the rebellion, they changed sides at the last moment and left me at a disadvantage. They must have colluded with Mister Plainclothes!"

Jinxi clenched her fists, a trace of hatred flickering in her eyes.

If the experts promised by those five sects hadn't failed to show up yesterday, her side should have had victory in the bag.

"I know you have no obligation to do this for me, Lord Ye, but those people are truly detestable. They don't take the imperial court seriously at all. If this goes on, Mengzhou will fall into chaos again."

Seeing Jinxi's unwilling gaze, Ye Kang narrowed his eyes.

Come to think of it, those people changing sides at the last moment had caused him plenty of trouble too.

Otherwise, yesterday wouldn't have been such a debacle.

Just then, the System Sound rang out.

[Ding]

[Mission Released: Suppress the Martial World of Mengzhou]

[Mission Reward: 5000 Comprehension]

Ye Kang's heart leaped. The Comprehension he'd been waiting for had finally arrived.

He didn't hesitate any longer. Rising to his feet, he said, "Your Highness, stay here for two more days. I'll make them pay the price they deserve."

With that, Ye Kang strode away.

Princess Jinxi was stunned. She had thought Ye Kang might refuse and had even prepared what to say to persuade him. Yet he had simply agreed?

And she hadn't meant for him to go alone, either.

She looked at Old Wu in a panic. He nodded with his eyes closed.

"Your Highness, don't worry. Trust Lord Ye. After all, he's a monster who learned that martial art."

At the inn.

Jin Baobei was packing her things.

Before she came, she'd thought she was doomed this time. But she hadn't expected the other party to leave as soon as he moved in. She hadn't even caught a glimpse of him.

That fellow has probably forgotten all about me. I'd better go home.

She had just opened the door when Ye Kang appeared in front of it.

"Where are you going?"

Jin Baobei immediately panicked. "I... was going out for a stroll..."

"Some other time. Come with me to take care of something."

"What?"

"Tell me everything you know about the ten major sects. No, to be precise, the five major sects."

"Huh?"

Caiyun Mountain, Mengzhou.

This was a picturesque paradise on earth, where iridescent clouds and rainbows stretching thousands of feet often descended from the sky.

But the nearby villagers didn't dare set foot in this paradise. They wouldn't even go near it.

That was because a group of martial artists had occupied the place and founded a sect, crudely claiming Caiyun Mountain as their own.

The sun shone brightly as two figures rode their steeds to the foot of the mountain.

"The Rainbow Sword Sect rose to prominence fifty years ago. Its top expert is Fairy Hongfu, a Second-grade Innate."

Ye Kang heard this and curled his lips into a cold smile.

"General Sikong said that yesterday, she went to the battlefield and watched coldly from the sidelines. She even spoke rudely, telling the princess to fend for herself."

"What exactly are you planning...?"

"Nothing much. I'm just going to get justice for Her Highness."

"What! Senior, you can't be joking! Fairy Hongfu is violent by nature and kills at the slightest provocation. Plenty of Mengzhou men have been fed to her dogs. You're planning to storm in there all by yourself?"

"Who said I was alone?" Ye Kang looked at Jin Baobei seriously.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "So you have a Helper. I thought you were really reckless enough to go alone."

"Don't I have you? That makes two of us."

At once, Jin Baobei tried to spur her horse away, but Ye Kang grabbed the saddle.

"Please don't, Senior! I can't withstand that woman's sword!"

"You don't have to. I'm here."

Ye Kang looked completely relaxed as he simply walked forward.

Jin Baobei thought he must have gone mad.

He was incredibly strong, but who would storm an entire sect alone?

Besides, Fairy Hongfu was far stronger than Pei Wanchun. Where did he get such confidence?

But she was under his roof, so even though she didn't want to, she had no choice but to follow.

When they reached the Rainbow Sword Sect's Mountain Gate, Ye Kang didn't waste words. He activated the Imperial Heaven-Reaching Skill, drew his golden saber, and unleashed an aura that soared into the sky.

Then he poured his true qi into the saber and slashed with all his might.

The grand Mountain Gate shattered outright. Countless martial artists immediately flashed over and surrounded Ye Kang and Jin Baobei, their faces full of fear.

"T-that aura... What level of expert is this?"

Many of them were sweating, not daring to approach.

Ye Kang was simply too conspicuous. With that sky-piercing aura, even a fool could tell he wasn't someone to provoke.

After a brief standoff, a woman in red flew out with a sword in hand, staring at Ye Kang with a frosty expression.

"Who are you, and why have you trespassed on the Rainbow Sword Sect?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Kang took out a Waist Token.

"Ye Kang of the Imperial City Department. I've come on the Ninth Princess's orders to demand an explanation."

Ye Kang said it casually, but his words grated on Fairy Hongfu's ears.

She already knew about what had happened yesterday. She hadn't expected Mister Plainclothes to have schemed so deeply, only for the plan to fail in the end. Though she didn't know exactly what had happened, she wasn't too worried.

After all, she hadn't gone to reinforce them, but neither had she joined the rebellion. No matter how you looked at it, she couldn't be blamed. At worst, she could retreat from the world and avoid contact with every faction from then on.

She never imagined that barely a night later, someone from the Imperial City Department would come to call her to account.

She took a deep breath and forced down her anger. "Aren't you being a little too overbearing? Since when have martial artists and sects needed to answer to the imperial court?"

Ye Kang smiled broadly. "Why not start today?"

"Ridiculous. Whoever you are, I'll spare you for destroying our gate, out of respect for the Ninth Princess. Leave at once, and I won't kill you."

As Hongfu spoke, a Sword Qi surged into the sky. At first glance, it was almost as powerful as Ye Kang's aura.

And since she cultivated the sword, her Sword Qi was incomparably sharp, its might even greater.

She had dominated Mengzhou for years on the strength of that Sword Qi. The Lost Souls it had claimed numbered in the tens of thousands. Now that she had revealed it, surely she could force her opponent to retreat.

Just then, without the slightest warning, Ye Kang moved.

He swung his golden saber, unleashing the Blazing Blade. Boundless true qi turned the flames gold, and the strike came with astonishing force.

Fairy Hongfu instinctively raised her sword and slashed, only to discover that the Sword Qi she prided herself on shattered the instant it collided with the saber aura. The blade kept falling straight toward her.

She hurriedly dodged, but the saber aura still swept her up, leaving her no choice but to raise her sword to block.

In the next instant, her sword shattered, and she was sent flying. Fairy Hongfu was knocked down by a single slash, landing in a heap on the ground, her face streaked with blood.