Factional struggles weren't fought on strength and political acumen alone.
To win people over, one needed every tool in the book: intimidation, coercion, bribery, and temptation.
Among the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Revenue managed the borders, taxes, the imperial treasury... and a whole host of other financial affairs. It was the purse strings in all but name, and one of the Imperial Empress's greatest sources of support.
The Consort Faction had gone to great lengths to plant their own people in the Ministry of Revenue, only for those pawns to be plucked out so easily.
And it was highly likely to backfire...
"Your Highness, why not just make sure those three never speak again..."
A murderous glint flickered in Xu Qingyi's eyes.
At this point, there was no chance of getting the men out. They could only try to minimize their losses.
Otherwise, Yan Peizhi might seize on this to pull up the radishes and bring the mud with them. Who knew how many people would be dragged into it?
"Heh. Do you really think the Imperial Empress came unprepared?"
"She's clearly waiting for me to make a move. This is a naked, open plot."
Yu Youhan tapped the armrest with her slender jade fingers. After a moment's thought, she said, "Tomorrow in court, have Chen Zhuo submit a memorial impeaching the Vice Minister of Justice, accusing him of acting arbitrarily and extracting confessions through torture. Demand a joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices, and have the Censorate step in to oversee the case!"
"Yes."
Xu Qingyi bowed her head and sighed inwardly.
The impeachment was just a helpless move. It wouldn't hurt anyone, and it couldn't change a thing.
Her Highness would probably have to swallow this bitter pill...
That night.
The moon was shrouded, and the wind howled.
At the third watch, all was silent. The night wind swept past with a chill.
A carriage rolled out of Yan Mansion, its wheels rumbling as it wound through the streets and alleys.
After a few turns, it entered a courtyard off the southern end of Yicui Pavilion.
After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the rear gate opened, and the carriage rolled out once more.
It had barely gone a few steps when several torches flared to life. More than a dozen constables in Dark Scale Black Uniforms surged out of the darkness, weapons in hand, and surrounded the carriage.
The crowd parted, and a tall, lean figure strode forward.
"It's the middle of the night, and curfew has begun. Where are you headed?"
The black-clad coachman said nothing, his face expressionless.
Liu Mang furrowed his brow, seized the man's jaw, and pried his mouth open. Only an inch or so of tongue remained. He was a mute who had suffered the punishment of having his tongue cut out.
Liu Mang went to the carriage and lifted the curtain. Yan Liang sat inside, perfectly at ease.
There was no one else.
"It's so late, Flag Chief Yan. Why aren't you sleeping at home? What are you doing at Yicui Pavilion?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a stroll. Do I need to report that to you?"
Yan Liang demanded in a low voice, "You Water Bureau people have made quite a spectacle. Do you take me for a criminal?"
Liu Mang answered bluntly, "Someone reported that you, Flag Chief Yan, were suspected of keeping Barbarian Slaves..."
Yan Liang narrowed his eyes, his voice turning grim. "People must answer for what they say. Do you have proof?"
"We'll know once we search."
Liu Mang didn't waste any more words. He waved his hand, and several constables entered the courtyard with torches.
Yan Liang folded his arms and watched coldly, his eyes full of mockery.
Soon, the constables came back out one after another.
"Nothing here."
"Nothing on my end, either."
Bang!
Yan Liang slammed his hand on the table and jabbed a finger at Liu Mang, cursing, "Who the hell do you think you are, coming here to make trouble for me?"
"Where's Chen Mo? Tell him to get out here! I haven't settled accounts with him over what happened this afternoon. Does he really think I'm made of mud?"
"If you don't give me an explanation this time, I'll report you to the Magistrate Office for overstepping your authority and making false accusations!"
Liu Mang wiped the spittle from his face and said calmly, "Lord Chen is busy. He doesn't have time to come."
"Busy doing what?"
Yan Liang froze.
At a time like this, Chen Mo wasn't here?
Could it be...? A sudden, ominous foreboding welled up inside him.
Liu Mang's lips curled. "Busy arresting people!"
Almost at the same time, dazzling blade light flashed across the distant night sky!
Yan Liang looked toward the direction of the blade light. His expression froze, and terror filled his eyes!
In a dark, narrow alley, several figures in black robes and hoods moved soundlessly, almost blending into the night.
A few of them moved stiffly. Their robes swayed as they walked, revealing black iron rings clasped around their ankles.
Yan Xun walked at the front, a smug smile beneath his hood.
"My brother really does have a good head on his shoulders. He pulled off a trick right under their noses."
"Yicui Pavilion was just a decoy. The goods are hidden in West Ancestral Shrine Alley. He stayed behind to draw their attention while I delivered the merchandise to the buyers!"
"Things have been too tense lately. We can't keep this batch hidden any longer. We have to get rid of it as soon as possible..."
They reached a secluded courtyard. Yan Xun stepped forward and gently knocked on the door ring.
"Who is it?"
A hoarse voice came from inside.
Yan Xun lowered his voice. "At the third watch, don't give in to lust."
Once the password was confirmed, the gate opened without a sound, and the group hurried into the courtyard.
A burly man led them inside.
Candlelight flickered in the room. A man sitting in a chair wore a bamboo hat, its black veil concealing his face. He spoke in a low voice. "You're late... Why is it you? Where's Yan Liang?"
"My brother can't get away for now, but don't worry. The goods are fine."
Yan Xun continued, "We've been spotted by the authorities. This is the last batch. We'll suspend deliveries for a while."
"Let me see."
The Bamboo Hat Man raised a hand.
The burly man stepped forward and pulled off the hoods, revealing several lovely faces with wheat-colored skin and an exotic beauty.
Their eyes were dull, and they barely reacted to any outside stimulus.
"These Barbarian Slaves have all been trained. All you need is this Beast Ring..."
Yan Xun was just about to demonstrate how to use it when a breeze suddenly swept through the room, making the candlelight on the table flicker.
The Bamboo Hat Man frowned. "Did you bring anyone else?"
"No."
Yan Xun shook his head, bewildered.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone rapped on the door. A man's voice, slightly magnetic, came from outside.
"Open up. Room inspection."
The Bamboo Hat Man's expression changed. He shot to his feet. "This is bad..."
Before the words had left his mouth, a blazing arc of blade light flashed past and cleaved the door to splinters!
A handsome, stalwart man strode in. Dozens of Heavenly Qilin Guards filed in behind him, sealing the place off completely!
"Chen Mo?!"
Yan Xun's eyes bulged. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost.
Shouldn't Chen Mo have been at Yicui Pavilion, being led around by the nose by Yan Liang?
How could he be here?
"An unexpected bonus?"
Chen Mo glanced at the Bamboo Hat Man.
He'd known the Barbarian Slaves' hiding place all along. He'd deliberately drawn the snake out of its hole, hoping to catch them red-handed.
He just hadn't expected the other side to be so bold as to make a deal even under these circumstances!
"Stop them!"
The Bamboo Hat Man didn't hesitate. His hands flashed through a series of seals.
The burly man roared as his body swelled, bursting through his clothes. He became a giant nearly three meters tall, his knotted muscles gleaming with a bronze sheen!
"An Occultist?"
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.
"Anyone who dares resist is to be killed!"
The constables leapt forward to meet them.
They were all ranked martial artists, and none were weak. Yet their blades only left gashes across the giant's body, nowhere near deep enough to inflict a fatal wound.
The giant's blows were heavy and powerful. A mere swing of his arm sent several men flying!
Seeing this, the others quickly changed tactics. Some darted around him, looping iron chains around his body and pinning him in place.
The rest hacked viciously at his ankles, the backs of his knees, and his crotch!
Two constables with crossbows waited at a distance, their bowstrings drawn tight. Arrows hissed through the air!
Thwack! Thwack!
Both arrows pierced the giant's eyes at nearly the same time!
"Arghhhhh!"
The agonizing pain drove the giant nearly mad!
He grabbed the chains with both hands and swung the constables away. Once free, he broke into a run and charged straight at Chen Mo!
"My lord, look out!"
Qin Shou cried out.
Chen Mo's feet didn't shift an inch. His right hand rested on the hilt of his blade.
At the instant the two were about to collide, brilliant azure light tore through the darkness, and a dragon-like roar shook the soul!
The giant still held his running pose, but his body split in two from head to toe and flew past Chen Mo. Before the blood could hit the ground, the blade energy vaporized it completely!
Clang!
The Horizontal Blade slid back into its sheath, and the corpse crashed to the ground!
"Elegant! That was too elegant!"
The onlookers watched, enthralled, their eyes full of awe and adoration!
Judging by its strength and defense, this giant far surpassed an ordinary Sixth-Grade Martial Artist. Yet it hadn't even withstood a single strike from the Flag Chief!
Just how powerful was the Flag Chief?
[Slain "Bronze Puppet: Giant Spirit." True Spirit +30.]
A notification flashed before Chen Mo's eyes. He let out a breath.
"So this is the power of a Heaven Tier high-grade martial technique?"
"Azure Dragon in Sleeve... It's already this powerful at the entry level. The only drawback is how much True Essence it consumes. An ordinary Sixth-Grade Martial Artist might not be able to deliver this strike."
Chen Mo could also sense that the strike had, in some ineffable way, aligned with a certain underlying principle.
That must be the so-called "Dao resonance."
"My Bronze Puppet!!"
The Bamboo Hat Man was heartbroken.
To make this puppet, he'd drained his entire fortune. He'd used a Sixth-Grade Martial Artist and nearly a thousand jin of Crimson Blood Copper!
And this brat had cut it down in a single strike?
"I'll remember you. We have all the time in the world..."
The Bamboo Hat Man gave Chen Mo a long look. The green bricks beneath his feet softened like a mire, and his body swiftly sank into the earth.
Five Elements Evasion Technique!
As a Sixth-Grade Occultist, he had his own tricks. There was no way these lackeys of the imperial court could stop him...
Just then, a deep, mellow voice rang out leisurely. "Friend, since you're already here, don't be in such a hurry to leave."
Boom!
A Silver Spear burst through the door and plunged into the ground like a shooting star!
Shen Shuchou strode in beneath the moonlight and seized the spear. A surging force poured into it, tearing open a massive fissure several meters long in the ground. The crack continued to spread at speed!
The constables had just retreated into the courtyard with the Barbarian Slaves when the whole house collapsed with a crash!
"Fifth-Grade Pure Yang?"
"You're a Heavenly Qilin Guard hundred-household commander?!"
A cry of alarm rang out.
Then came a pained grunt.
The night wind swept past, and the dust settled. Shen Shuchou stood tall.
The Bamboo Hat Man was hoisted up by the Silver Spear, his abdomen pierced and his body pinned firmly to the wall.
His Divine Sea had been shattered. No matter how many spells he knew, he couldn't cast a single one now.
He'd lost...
The Bamboo Hat Man couldn't for the life of him understand.
They were only a few Barbarian Slaves. How had they managed to draw a Heavenly Qilin Guard hundred-household commander into this?
"Guards, take them to the Imperial Prison and await further instructions!"
Shen Shuchou's voice was icy.
"Yes, sir!"
The constables answered.
Yan Xun's knees gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.
As a member of the Heavenly Qilin Guard, he knew exactly what the Imperial Prison meant.
There, souls were boiled in a cauldron of fire, and the torments were too horrific to describe. The worst part wasn't dying—it was that even death became a luxury...
The men were taken away from the courtyard.
Shen Shuchou flicked the Silver Spear in his hand, and it dissolved into motes of light that sank into his body.
Noticing Chen Mo's astonished gaze, Shen Shuchou explained of his own accord, "This spear isn't a physical object. It's my Martial Soul, which I've nurtured myself. It's connected to my mind and obeys me as readily as my own arm."
Martial Soul?
Chen Mo understood.
The gap between the three Mortal Shedding realms was like the distance between heaven and earth.
The Sixth Grade Origin Return Realm involved tempering one's qi into True Essence.
The Fifth Grade Pure Yang Realm, on the other hand, involved fusing one's divine sense with True Essence to condense a Martial Soul of one's own!
"Everyone's cultivation method, comprehension, and state of mind are different, so the Martial Souls they condense are just as varied."
"I followed my elder brother and practiced spear techniques from a young age..."
At this, Shen Shuchou paused. A flicker of grief and hatred passed through his eyes.
Back when the Barbarian Race invaded the Southern Frontier, the eldest son of the Shen Family had died on the battlefield. That was why he despised the Barbarian Race so much!
After steadying his emotions, Shen Shuchou patted Chen Mo on the shoulder.
"You deserve the greatest credit for tonight's arrest... But I'm curious. How did you know the Yan Family was keeping Barbarian Slaves? And how did you know their exact location?"
...It was a long story.
In his previous life, when Chen Mo was browsing Tieba, he'd seen someone swear that meeting a series of prerequisites would unlock a hidden "Taming Barbarian Slaves" storyline.
So he'd repeated that quest dozens of times, until he remembered every last detail...
Damn Sitting-in-Forgetfulness Path!
Chen Mo's mouth twitched. "I had a source."
"A source?"
"So you'd been laying the groundwork for a long time?"
Shen Shuchou was taken aback and studied Chen Mo closely.
He'd never thought much of Chen Mo before. He'd figured he was just a pampered young master, not fit for anything important.
Yet in just one day, Chen Mo had made him see him in a whole new light!
He'd plotted everything out, acting only after he'd settled on a plan. First, he'd deliberately provoked the other party; then, after drawing the snake from its hole, he'd caught them red-handed.
Handsome, exceptionally talented, and so meticulous, too.
Thinking of the glutton in his own family, Shen Shuchou suddenly felt as if he were reaching above his station...
No, he had to hold on to this excellent future brother-in-law!
"About that matter of arranging a marriage you mentioned last time..."
"Ahem, it's getting late. I'll head back and catch up on some sleep. You should get some rest too, sir."
"Since you were the one who caught that Occultist, you should handle the interrogation yourself. I wouldn't dare claim the credit."
With that, Chen Mo darted off and made his escape.
Shen Shuchou was momentarily stunned, then laughed in spite of himself.
"Hmph, that boy's a crafty one. 'I wouldn't dare claim the credit'? Clearly, he's afraid of offending someone..."
The next day, at Zhaohua Palace.
Its sweeping eaves, upturned corners, jade-green tiles, and vermilion roof tiles all proclaimed its royal splendor.
Incense curled up from a censer carved with auspicious beasts, filling the air with a faint, delicate fragrance.
Behind a glazed screen, a figure in bright yellow sat indistinctly.
"How is the investigation into the Ministry of Revenue corruption case going?"
The woman's voice was authoritative, with a trace of languor.
"Your Highness, the suspects have confessed to their crimes. Our investigation found that the three were also implicated in bribery, buying official posts, dereliction of duty... and several other charges."
"Five others were involved, including a Director and a Secretary from the Ministry of Personnel, as well as a Censor."
As he spoke, Yan Peizhi, dressed in purple official robes, presented the written confessions.
His temples were streaked with gray, and his sharp gaze made him look like a lean tiger or a hungry hawk. His presence was formidable.
A eunuch took the confessions and passed them to the Imperial Empress.
A moment later, an angry voice rang out. "Seizing power and peddling official posts—my Great Yuan's bureaucracy has become this rotten! Good. Very good!"
"Your Highness, please calm your anger."
Yan Peizhi bowed his head, his eyes flickering.
Whether the written confessions were genuine no longer mattered.
What mattered was what he could gain from them.
Just then, a female official hurried in and whispered something to the Imperial Empress.
Silence settled behind the screen for a long while.
Just as Yan Peizhi was beginning to grow puzzled, the Imperial Empress's words made every hair on his body stand on end!
"Lord Yan, why don't you first explain why your Yan Family has ties to the Barbarian Race?"
Before you continue