Phantom Shadow Demon Trace

Volume 2, Chapter 18: A Dignified Heroine

"What do you mean, how do I see it?" The three of them walked toward the Dingguo Imperial Palace. Zuo Yanfei led the two of them to the palace gates with an imposing air, then presented her request to the guards stationed outside.

"Exactly, Senior Sister. Older Sister Zuo Yanfei is talking to you." Zuo Yanfei weighed her words and said, "This time, shall we act together?"

Zuo Yanfei nodded and admitted it without changing her expression. Tang Ruowei asked, puzzled. Indeed, Zuo Yanfei came from a prestigious background; a third-grade immortal herb was nothing to sects like the Azure Nether Sword Sect or the Divine Martial Heavenly Army. In fact, Tang Ruowei had seen Bai Qiuran use several first-grade immortal herbs just while tinkering with alchemy in his spare time.

"Their sect calls their Sect Master the Commander-in-Chief, though other sects usually just call him the Army Commander. But, that guy... hmph, I suspect you'll be disappointed." Emperor Qu Peng pondered for a moment, then suddenly lunged at them.

"It's better you don't know the details, for your own good." Damn, she's radiating such dominance.

"Act together?"

After the laughter died down, Zuo Yanfei asked. "Will the Dingguo royal family agree to let us examine it?" As a member of a royal family herself, Tang Ruowei knew just how agonizingly tedious royal protocols could be.

Tang Ruowei said, sweating coldly. "I am Emperor Qu Peng of Dingguo."

Zuo Yanfei exclaimed in admiration: "To think you could take a palm strike from one of us using only mortal martial arts."

The eunuch led the three of them through the vast palace, winding around for a long time until he finally brought them to a secluded courtyard.

After speaking, Zuo Yanfei walked toward the Dingguo Imperial Palace with a majestic air. Although she claimed to be only a first-class private in the Divine Martial Heavenly Army, her demeanor now carried the aura of a battle-hardened female general.

"I'm just lucky to have joined a good sect." Tang Ruowei caught up to Zuo Yanfei and asked, "Then, Your Majesty Qu Peng, may we examine the Crown Prince's corpse?"

"Haha, the young lady is the one who truly deserves praise; a heroine who yields to no man." Tang Ruowei said.

"But that is the Crown Prince's corpse."

For Zuo Yanfei, Tang Ruowei was certainly the same; they were the two people most likely to build mutual trust.

"Shouldn't we find two more teammates?"

Moreover, as both were pillars of the Righteous Path Alliance, they were allies. Even if Zuo Yanfei had ulterior motives, she couldn't harm her openly. Plus, as a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator from the Divine Martial Heavenly Army, Zuo Yanfei's strength was guaranteed. Among everyone present, she was indeed the top choice for a teammate.

After thinking it over, Zuo Yanfei asked Tang Ruowei: "Ruowei, what do you think?"

"Yes." A very unpleasant memory seemed to flash across Bai Qiuran's face.

Zuo Yanfei said modestly. "Your Majesty has great strength."

"Hmm, at least your strength is above mine."

"They wouldn't all be like Sect Master Jueyunzi, a total clown, would they?"

"I mean..." Zuo Yanfei said quite domineeringly: "If they let us see it, we see it. If not, forget it; we won't bother with this matter either."

"Pretty much. Among the five sects, their people are the most like soldiers and the most disciplined." Bai Qiuran smiled.

The two walked out together. Bai Qiuran appeared behind them like a ghost, silent and soundless. Once outside, Zuo Yanfei found a quiet spot and went straight to the point, discussing the case with Tang Ruowei.

Zuo Yanfei was greatly surprised. After the Minister of Justice announced his departure, whispers broke out among the crowd in the courtyard.

Zuo Yanfei nodded and said: "I don't like beating around the bush, so I'll be direct. Ruowei, you and I are both disciples of the five sects of the Righteous Path Alliance, and our sects are among the best in the Ten Lands of Jiuzhou. A mere third-grade immortal herb can be obtained from our storehouses with just a little contribution. I have no interest in this emperor's reward. We both came down the mountain for experience, and I am more interested in the murderer who killed the Crown Prince. How about it, shall we act together?"

The burly man tossed his towel to a nearby young eunuch and said in a deep voice: "I heard you requested to see my son's corpse?"

"Good suggestion."

"Just call me Yanfei." Hearing Tang Ruowei's reply, Zuo Yanfei smiled happily and continued: "Then let's head out first."

"Older Sister Zuo's demeanor is truly admirable. Are all disciples of the Divine Martial Heavenly Army like this?"

"I'm so curious about what kind of person the Sect Master of the Divine Martial Heavenly Army is."

The courtyard was filled with various training equipment and dummies. In the center stood a super-muscular man, shirtless and about two and a half meters tall. His muscles looked like they were cast from steel. He was holding a massive stone lock in one hand, with visible white steam rising from his head.

The two looked at each other and laughed heartily at the same time, as if they had built a subtle friendship through their muscles.

"Yes." Zuo Yanfei and Emperor Qu Peng each took a few steps back. The former remained expressionless, while the latter's face flushed slightly before he forcibly suppressed it.

"Well... alright." Bai Qiuran finally returned to normal and nodded: "However, Zuo Yanfei's status is definitely not that of an ordinary disciple. Her aptitude is similar to yours, and if she reached the rank of first-class private at the Foundation Establishment Stage, it means her overall level is definitely not low. She should be a key talent being cultivated by the current generation of the Divine Martial Heavenly Army."

Zuo Yanfei nodded in praise.

"Take my palm strike!" Tang Ruowei marveled inwardly.

"Hmm..." Zuo Yanfei paused. She scanned the crowd in the courtyard and said faintly: "Except for you, I don't trust any of them."

"On the way here, I learned from the common folk that the murderer who killed the Dingguo Crown Prince is undoubtedly an extraordinary existence."

Emperor Qu Peng pondered for a moment and waved his hand: "I grant it!"

Emperor Qu Peng laughed heartily and said: "Several groups have come before, proposing the same thing, but they were all show-offs. They claimed to be Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, superior to mortal martial artists, and how powerful they were. But I tested them, and not one could take my palm strike head-on. You are the first, young lady."

"No, the Army Commander of the Divine Martial Heavenly Army looks like a cold-blooded soldier on the surface, but in reality, this training fanatic is so zealous that he has a tendency toward self-abuse." Bai Qiuran said shamelessly: "What are you looking at me for? Be careful of getting cervical spondylosis."

Seeing the eunuch bring the three of them over, the burly man put down the stone locks, took a towel from a tray held by a small eunuch, and wiped the sweat from his body.

Tang Ruowei subconsciously turned her head to look at Bai Qiuran behind her.

Tang Ruowei frowned and thought for a moment, then tentatively suggested: "I think we need to see the corpse of the Dingguo Crown Prince."

Golden True Qi surged throughout his body, and his muscles bulged like an angry dragon. Then, the Emperor of Dingguo raised his hand and struck a palm toward the three of them.

A moment later, two sweating eunuchs came out and welcomed the three into the palace.

Zuo Yanfei said: "To find the murderer, we need more information now."

After a brief consideration, Tang Ruowei nodded and said: "Very well, let's act together from now on, Older Sister Zuo."

"Ruowei, why do you keep looking at Junior Brother Bai every time?"

Two disproportionate palms collided, emitting a loud bang of air. The golden airflow was wrapped in an icy True Essence, spreading outward, shattering the surrounding ground while freezing the debris.

Tang Ruowei considered it for a moment.

Bai Qiuran stood in place, expressionless, even reaching out to pick his nose. Tang Ruowei's eyelid twitched, her palm slightly raised before she put it back down. Zuo Yanfei, however, stepped forward, let out a soft shout, and met the palm without fear.

"I'll go talk to the Dingguo people directly." Tang Ruowei lagged slightly behind, beginning to whisper to her Master, who was currently pretending to be young.