A marvel of the southern lands, an ancient capital of three dynasties.
Even before the Rong Kingdom was founded, two kingdoms had successively established their capitals here. Perhaps because Rong's founding emperor had received merchants' support when he raised his army, the kingdom had always been rather tolerant of commerce.
Even in Yuanjing, the seat of the capital, no curfew was enforced.
The night markets only closed at the end of the third watch, then reopened at the fifth. Places of entertainment stayed lively all night.
The flower markets were festooned with decorations, lanterns glowing everywhere.
Amid this shoulder-to-shoulder crush, Tong Jizhen moved with a group of officers before and behind him, deputy generals surrounding him and clearing the way. Even in the bustling market, no one dared approach, leaving a generous pocket of space around him.
"Protector-General, are you returning to your residence tonight, or going to the Spring Splendor House? I heard that star courtesan, what's his name, Ji something, has sent you quite a few letters these past few days. You really do take all comers, elder brother."
To Tong Jizhen's left, a young Military Armaments Supervisor with a saber at his waist teased him. The others joined in with chuckles.
"Making fun of me again? I ought to smash you bastards dead with one punch!"
Tong Jizhen was tall and powerfully built, with rugged features and an age of around thirty. Ominous killing intent filled his eyes, but he took no offense at his subordinates' teasing, merely cursing them with a laugh.
"But now that you mention it... Ji Yu has been acting a little strangely. Usually he only comes looking for silver, yet he's been so eager these past few days?"
Tong Jizhen pondered for a moment, suspicions stirring in his heart, but lust overrode everything. He waved a hand.
"I'll spend tonight at the Spring Splendor House. Leave two men with me, and the rest of you can return to your own residences. No need to accompany me. Oh, and remember to inform the Pillar of the State Great General of my whereabouts. Don't overlook it!"
At this point, Tong Jizhen's expression turned serious. "We're about to undertake something momentous. We can't afford carelessness, inside or out. Keep a close eye on your men, and don't let the emperor's side turn their heads."
"The Pillar of the State Great General is like an immortal, a Qi Refining cultivator high above us. What use are mortal soldiers, however many there are? Can they shoot their arrows into heaven?"
Someone dismissed his concerns. "Protector-General, you worry too much. The Pillar of the State Great General is heaven itself. With him here, the situation in the Rong Kingdom is ours to control!"
"That sounds reasonable enough, but listen closely and there's a fair bit of farting in it."
Tong Jizhen gave the speaker a moderate kick. "Get lost! Remember what I said, and report my whereabouts to the Pillar of the State Great General. Remember!"
His officers answered in unison and dispersed. With only two personal guards in tow, Tong Jizhen arrived at the Spring Splendor House.
Rows of large, brilliantly colored lanterns greeted his eyes, bathing the place in dazzling light.
Dozens of handsome men were eagerly urging guests to drink. Seeing Tong Jizhen enter, the madam of the Spring Splendor House hurried forward to greet him, but he already knew his way around as easily as a light carriage traveling a familiar road. Ignoring her, he led his two guards through several corridors to a neat little building.
The timber-framed pavilion had two floors. The first held a reception room, with beautiful flowers planted on either side. The second contained the bedroom for overnight stays, its doors and window frames painted vermilion. An unlit bright yellow lantern hung before the veranda.
Tong Jizhen looked up and saw Ji Yu waving to him from the second floor. His eyes lit up, and he bounded into the building, taking the stairs two at a time before crushing him in an embrace.
"You two go enjoy yourselves. Don't mind me!"
With an arm around Ji Yu, Tong Jizhen kicked open the door, then turned to address the two guards downstairs with a laugh. Once Ji Yu turned back and carefully shut the door, his passion burned hotter still. Unable to wait, he hoisted Ji Ning onto his shoulder, passed the screen, and headed straight for the bed.
Once he passed the landscape screen woven with gold thread, Tong Jizhen received a shock.
Inside this bedroom.
There was another man!
He stood at ease a few paces away, toying with a wisp of green light. His gaze was as still as an ancient well, and he looked at Tong Jizhen as though appraising a corpse.
Damn!
Tong Jizhen's heart jolted. He was just about to shout when that wisp of emerald light shot through the air, swift as lightning or a falling star!
He only had time to hastily raise an inkstone, but before it could shield his face, the emerald light pierced his left eye without resistance and emerged from the back of his skull, carrying a spray of red and white.
It circled once, then pierced through the back of his skull and out his right eye before stopping in front of Chen Heng.
The strike happened in the instant a hare sprang and a falcon swooped. Tong Jizhen's inkstone had only just risen when, deprived of its master's embryonic breathing, its spiritual glow scattered and it fell to the floor.
They were both at the third level of Qi Refining, but Chen Heng's embryonic breathing exceeded his by more than tenfold. Driving his talisman artifact at full power, killing him was no different from slaughtering a dog.
Chen Heng gently shook the Green Bamboo Thorn to cleanse it of filth. Looking at the corpse on the floor, he thought:
It seems the gulf between Qi Refining cultivators is even greater than I imagined. But how could a Qi Cultivation Art like Primordial Beginning True Origin have fallen into the hands of this body's former father? There must be something sinister behind it...
He reached out and removed Tong Jizhen's Heaven and Earth Bag. Without examining it closely, he put it away.
Just then, violent dry heaving sounded beside him.
"What's wrong?"
Chen Heng looked at Tu Shan Zhuang, who had transformed into Ji Yu's likeness. "Is this your first time seeing someone killed?"
"It's my first time... having a man grope my backside..."
Tu Shan Zhuang retched again. "That filthy dog couldn't keep his hands to himself. Fuck... when he slung me over his shoulder, he kept groping my backside like his life depended on it. Urgh..."
Chen Heng handed him a cup of clear tea. Tu Shan Zhuang accepted it miserably and rinsed his mouth. Only after a long while did he recover.
"Master, I don't understand. Since you possess such a divine ability, why did we have to go to all this trouble and even make me sell my charms..."
Still shaken, Tu Shan Zhuang felt his backside. "Wouldn't it be better to go straight to the Tong Household and kill them all? Why be so cautious?"
"If Tong Gaolu really were only an ordinary seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator, I might well have done that. But he also possesses that Dao Art for externally tempering the flesh, and his mastery far surpasses the Mount Yang Daoist's. I have no choice but to be cautious."
For once, Chen Heng offered him a little more explanation, saying evenly:
"Besides, from interrogating Tong Yi, I learned that neither thunder nor fire can penetrate Tong Gaolu's flesh, nor can blades harm it. It is so sturdy that nothing can sever it. How could I act recklessly against such an enemy? At the very least, I need to find a few allies."
Tu Shan Zhuang stared blankly. Though he did not understand the details, his face fell nonetheless.
"Daoist Tu Shan, strip Tong Jizhen of his clothes and assume his appearance. For the next few days, work with Tu Shan Zhuang to help me conceal my movements."
At this summons, Tu Shan Ge hurried out through a side door.
Seeing Tong Jizhen's miserable corpse, both eyes punctured, he first jumped in fright. Then, catching sight of Tu Shan Zhuang retching, he could not help grinning.
"Master, what if the Imperial House doesn't dare join forces with us?"
Tu Shan Ge made a show of patting Tu Shan Zhuang's shoulder and asked, "What should we do then?"
"If those whelps cannot be trusted with a plan, then they deserve to lose their kingdom and have their clan exterminated. I'll head into the Imperial Palace first."
Chen Heng said no more. He merely took out a mask and covered his face, then wrapped his body in embryonic breathing and transformed into a dim, formless streak of flight light that shot into the sky, without shape or substance.
In less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
Chen Heng saw the vast, sprawling palace complex beneath him. He casually chose a grand, richly adorned hall with blue-tiled eaves and lowered his flight light from the sky.
Many palace maids and eunuchs moved about around the hall, but with Chen Heng's current spiritual perception, these mortals could hardly discover him.
He entered the hall as though no one were there. Everything along his path exuded the imposing wealth of royalty. Countless splendid lamps and bright candles adorned the walls, their radiance more dazzling than daylight.
After passing through several more halls, Chen Heng heard splashing water and women's laughter coming from a warm chamber ahead, with faint wisps of fragrant mist drifting out.
Realizing he had wandered into the wrong place, he turned to leave.
As he turned, he saw a young palace maid with two flat buns and a gauzy pale yellow dress hurrying toward him, a flower basket on her arm. She called out excitedly as she ran.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, look..."
Her voice grew quieter and quieter, until it faded away entirely.
The young maid stood frozen with the flower basket on her arm, staring blankly a dozen paces ahead.
A man in plain white robes stood quietly there. He wore an unpainted bamboo-and-wood mask, and the dark eyes visible through it were cool and fathomless, as though steeped in snowmelt.
Seeing her freeze, the man gently raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to remain silent.
For some inexplicable reason, the young maid blushed and, as though bewitched, nodded.
No, wait...
Then her eyes shifted, and she shook her head hard.
She was just about to shout.
A sudden pain struck the back of her neck, and she collapsed limply.
"Was that Ai'er just now? I'm about to undress and bathe. Go out and see what that girl is making a fuss about this time."
A soft, alluring female voice rang out.
Several more palace maids emerged from the warm chamber, all startled at the sight of Chen Heng. He could only sweep his sleeve and use embryonic breathing to knock them unconscious.
By now, even the dullest person would have realized something was wrong.
The Empress hesitantly draped a brocade robe over herself and slowly stepped out of the warm chamber.
Her gaze fell upon a tall, elegant man in white, standing with his back to her.
"Forgive my intrusion."
His voice was calm and even:
"With an outsider present, Your Majesty had better not be in such a hurry to undress."
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