Jade Faced Fox (3)

Dark clouds shrouded Nangong Yue's exquisite face as her slender jade fingers unconsciously rubbed the jade pendant at her waist. The candlelight in the secret chamber flickered bright and dim, casting swaying shadows across her face.

"Holy Maiden, this subordinate believes..." The masked man knelt on one knee, his iron mask reflecting a faint, sinister gleam.

Nangong Yue suddenly laughed softly, but the sound was piercingly cold. "Break someone out of prison?" Her red lips parted slightly, each word dropping like ice beads onto stone. "The Thirteen Imperial Protectors of the Brocade Guard guard the Imperial Prison. Even the weakest among them is a fourth-rank Minor Grandmaster, with formed astral qi. Even if all Four Heavenly Kings came together, it would still be a narrow escape from death." Her phoenix eyes narrowed as she appraised the man before her. "You're merely fifth-rank, yet your mouth is enormous."

The masked man slammed his fist onto the table, making the teacups clink. "This subordinate is foolish! It's only... if we could have him held somewhere else..."

"Somewhere else?" A sharp glint flashed through Nangong Yue's eyes, and a dangerous curve lifted at her lips. "Tell the two Heavenly Kings—" She suddenly lowered her voice, her breath fragrant as orchids. "Have them prepare to break someone out of prison."

"What about our hidden agents..."

"The trouble Jade Faced Fox caused should naturally be borne by himself." Nangong Yue flicked her wide sleeve and turned away, carrying a fragrant breeze with her.

In the study, Nangong Wentian toyed with a blood-jade thumb ring. Hearing footsteps, he did not even raise his head. "The Ministry of Justice has already sent people."

Nangong Yue bowed with meticulous formality, the pearl hairpins amid her cloud-like locks utterly motionless. "Thank you, Father."

"Yue'er..." Nangong Wentian set down the thumb ring, weariness coloring his voice. "Twenty years have passed. How much longer will you hate your father?"

Nangong Yue paused as she turned away, her skirts sweeping a half-circle across the golden brick floor. "Your daughter would not dare." Her voice was calm to a frightening degree.

Li Chen Zhou halted, his black cloak sweeping out an arc behind him. Squinting at the dust rising in the distance, he watched the Ministry of Justice's black-armored guards approach in orderly steps, their armor glinting coldly beneath the setting sun.

"Bookworm, go check it out." His fingertips tapped lightly against his scabbard, producing a dull sound.

A moment later, Bookworm jogged back and said quietly, "My lord, the Ministry of Justice has come with an order to take someone away."

"Jade Faced Fox?" A cold smile rested on Li Chen Zhou's lips.

"My lord sees through everything." Bookworm bowed.

A chill flashed in Li Chen Zhou's eyes. "For the Ministry of Justice to come for him personally, this fox from Heavenly Desire Palace is quite precious." He waved a hand. "The reward silver is already in our hands anyway. Let them make a mess of it."

When Jade Faced Fox was carried out, his lower body was a sheet of blood-red. Yan San's blade had always been both swift and ruthless.

"Lord Yan works quickly indeed." Li Chen Zhou chuckled.

Bookworm leaned closer. "We're just letting him go?"

"Without that thing—" Li Chen Zhou looked meaningfully at the prison cart rolling away. "This Flower Plucking Thief is worth less than a stray dog."

As the lanterns first lit up, carriages and horses packed the entrance to Elegance Fragrance Courtyard like a flowing dragon. The moment Li Chen Zhou stepped through the vermilion gates, the heavy scent of powder and perfume swept over him.

"Brother Li!" Zhang Qiang's booming voice cut through the noise as he strode over and heavily slapped Li Chen Zhou's shoulder. "We've been waiting for you!"

Inside the private pavilion, the Brocade Guards all rose to toast him. Li Chen Zhou accepted every cup, and after three rounds of wine, Zhang Qiang mysteriously led him into an inner room.

The candlelight swayed, illuminating a graceful silhouette from behind. Hearing footsteps, the woman slowly turned around. The golden bells at her waist trembled lightly, while the purple veil hanging from her hat gleamed faintly beneath the moonlight.

A wisp of strange fragrance slipped into his nostrils, and every muscle in Li Chen Zhou's body instantly tightened. This familiar soul-bewitching incense, this seemingly familiar method of circulating inner energy—another trick from Heavenly Desire Palace. An amused smile touched his lips, though cold light flashed in his eyes.

"Brother Li, take your time enjoying yourself." Zhang Qiang winked suggestively and withdrew from the room with an ambiguous grin, remembering to close the door behind him.

Mingyue moved with lotus steps, the golden bells at her waist ringing crisply. "Would Young Master like to hear a tune?"

Li Chen Zhou sat boldly upon the cushion and closed his eyes. "Play."

The zither rang like a murmuring stream. He appeared intoxicated by the music, yet he was secretly circulating the Turtle Breathing Art, slowly forcing the incense out of his body. When the song ended, he raised his cup in approval. "Exquisite. Play another."

This went on repeatedly. Mingyue's fingertips gradually began to tremble, and her playing lost its precision. After an hour passed, she finally could not hold back any longer and stopped playing.

"Why did you stop?" Li Chen Zhou pretended to be drunken and bleary-eyed.

Suppressing her anger, Mingyue said softly, "Young Master is drunk. Let this servant attend to your rest." She approached lightly, but when she came within three paces, she suddenly accelerated, and a cold gleam flashed from her sleeve!

In the flash of a spark, Li Chen Zhou swept out an arm and locked her tightly in his embrace. Mingyue could not struggle free. The powerful masculine scent rushing toward her made her face flush scarlet at once.

"Young Master... the ground is cold..." Mingyue's voice trembled as she secretly activated the Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell technique, only to discover that an invisible current of astral qi had locked her life gate acupoint.

Li Chen Zhou suddenly leaned closer, his thin lips nearly touching her earlobe. "Miss Nangong's fingering was far too poor tonight." Warm breath carrying the scent of wine wrapped around her, without the slightest trace of drunkenness.

Mingyue—no, she should now be called Nangong Yue—had her pupils suddenly constrict. Her wide sleeves fluttered, and a poisoned dagger had already reached Li Chen Zhou's throat.

Clang—

Three inches from his skin, the dagger struck golden Sanskrit characters, ringing like a morning bell in an ancient temple. Flowing sutras cast Li Chen Zhou's features in gold, like Vajra's Wrathful Gaze. "Have you forgotten, Miss? My Golden Bell Shield is made to counter Heavenly Desire Palace's soul-melting, bone-eroding arts."

He twisted her wrist behind her back, and her jade-like skin instantly reddened with marks. Amid the crisp clatter of the dagger falling to the floor, their figures crossed in a blur, forming the standard pose of the "Drunken Imperial Consort" dance—except his fingertips hid grappling techniques, while her slender waist concealed killing moves.

"Lord Li has remarkable self-control." Nangong Yue suddenly gave a coquettish laugh, peach-colored mist spreading around her. Heavenly Desire Palace's secret Naturally Alluring Bones art was pushed to its limit, staining even the candlelight with an ambiguous pink.

Li Chen Zhou's Adam's apple bobbed as he suddenly formed a hand seal and chanted an incantation. The Blood Demon Blade at his waist hummed as it left its sheath, shattering the room's sensual atmosphere. "Use your inner energy again, and I won't mind using the Brocade Guard's 'Dragon-Locking Stake' to verify the Holy Maiden's maidenhood."

Nangong Yue staggered backward, her veil drifting to the floor. It revealed the face that had made the entire martial world yearn in heart and soul—now marked by rare panic.

"Tomorrow at noon, the Ministry of Justice prison." She breathed rapidly, her pale fingers wrinkling her collar as she clenched it. "Is this intelligence enough to exchange for my dagger?"

"Now this is interesting." Li Chen Zhou smiled without smiling. "You're from Heavenly Desire Palace, yet you're betraying Heavenly Desire Palace."

"That is none of your concern." Nangong Yue did not linger. She pushed open the window and departed. "Heavenly Desire Palace may send people on the level of the Four Heavenly Kings. You'd best bring some experts."

Li Chen Zhou watched the direction in which she vanished, the faint fragrance of orchids still lingering on his fingertips. An amused smile curled his lips. "This Holy Maiden of Heavenly Desire Palace is rather interesting."

"Truly, the bold starve no more than the timid; the former host licked her boots for so long, and probably never even held her hand."

With Nangong Yue gone, Li Chen Zhou no longer had any desire to remain.

System Prompt: Side Quest "Turmoil at the Ministry of Justice" triggered

Quest Objective: Intercept tomorrow's prison-break operation at noon

Quest Reward: Heaven-tier martial art · *Wind God Kick* (Nie Feng's signature technique)

A sharp gleam flashed in Li Chen Zhou's eyes. The Wind God Kick was a peerless art combining the finest movement technique and leg techniques in the world, equally capable in attack and defense. It was precisely the martial art he needed most at present.

"Lord Li?" Zhang Qiang's voice pulled him back to reality. The hundred-household commander was sitting alone outside the private room, several emptied wine jars set before him.

Li Chen Zhou raised a brow. "Lord Zhang is in quite the elegant mood."

Zhang Qiang chuckled and lowered his voice. "The brothers thought the wine here was too expensive, so they went to Drunken Immortal Pavilion. As for me..." He winked suggestively. "I stayed to settle Lord Li's bill."

Li Chen Zhou's temple twitched when he heard that. Just as he was about to speak, Zhang Qiang suddenly slapped the table and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Your old brother here made a fortune today! Those ignorant fools all bet that you'd come out in half an hour at most. Who would have thought..." He raised one finger, his face full of pride. "A full hour! I swept the board!"

Li Chen Zhou turned and walked away expressionlessly, while Zhang Qiang's drunken shout came from behind him. "Hey! Brother Li, don't go! I'll give you thirty percent..."

Leaving Elegance Fragrance Courtyard, Li Chen Zhou let the night wind brush his face and took a deep breath. He looked up at the moon and murmured, "The Four Heavenly Kings... It seems I'll need to make some preparations tomorrow."