Zhao Wenhua

The Northern Pacification Office erupted.

That Cao Jinxing had stirred up trouble yet again!

Zhang Ying still hadn't recovered from the beating he had taken over ten days ago.

And today, Cao Jinxing had nearly killed Zhao Siyuan!

Who was Zhao Siyuan?

His Withered Wood Art concealed his movements so well that no one below Tongyou could detect him.

His dazzling Firecloud Blade technique had once wiped out thirty-six river bandits in Songjiang and shattered the Twelve Linked Stockades' Water-Dividing Formation, earning him a fearsome reputation!

Yet today, a man like that had gone out to kill someone, only to nearly be killed himself. Two sword strikes had crippled him...

Two strikes...

"Perhaps we should just let it go."

A private residence in Shiyong Ward, in the western part of the city.

The members of the Zhao Family gathered there upon receiving the news, including those originally assigned to work at the restaurant and those from the main family.

Once they heard that even Zhao Siyuan had failed, their desire for "revenge" dwindled further.

Everyone knew who the true culprit was, and they knew even better that going after Cao Jinxing was merely a way to vent their anger. Since they couldn't vent it, they could only swallow it...

Swallowing their anger hurt, but it was better than courting death.

Cao Jinxing had fought back so fiercely and viciously that Zhao Siyuan hadn't even had time to offer his prepared excuse of "sparring" after losing before he was crippled!

His attacks had been ruthless, without a trace of mercy!

If Liu Zhenyuan hadn't blocked the final strike, his head would probably have been cut off!

Everyone began thinking of backing out.

"What are you saying, Uncle?"

Suddenly, the door opened, and a scholar in his thirties with a somewhat effeminate appearance walked in. Everyone hurried to rise and salute him.

"My lord!"

He was Yan Song's adopted son, Zhao Wenhua.

"There's no lord here anymore."

Zhao Wenhua strode inside. Despite his polite words, he went straight to the seat of honor and sat down, looking at the middle-aged man who wanted to back out. "Uncle, did you just say... let it go?"

The middle-aged man trembled.

Before he could speak, Zhao Wenhua's expression darkened and his voice sharpened as he thundered, "Sun-Moon Prosperity was confiscated because of him! My two cousins were killed and wounded because of him! My adoptive father and brother have lost much of the emperor's favor, I was dismissed from office, and Shaoting was confined! All of this was because of that man! How can you say we should let it go?!"

Even stripped of his post as Right Assistant Commissioner, he was still Yan Song's adopted son. Officials of Yan Song's faction dared not disrespect him, much less anyone else!

At his anger, everyone present trembled.

A powerful patron offered ample protection.

Yan Song's faction had merely suffered a temporary setback. As long as Yan Song remained standing, he would regain the emperor's favor sooner or later. Zhao Wenhua's return to power was only a matter of time.

Though everyone present was an elder of his own family, none dared provoke him.

Still, they had already lost their two most promising younger members. As the family's elders, they couldn't simply watch the others throw their lives away too.

"But..."

The middle-aged man spoke cautiously, his voice low. "That man's martial arts are simply too powerful. Even Siyuan... there's nothing we can do."

Zhao Wenhua sneered. "You don't have to kill someone with your own hands. Another opportunity is at hand."

Hm?

Everyone turned to him.

Zhao Wenhua lifted his teacup and brushed aside the leaves with its lid, saying quietly, "Do you know where Liu Zhenyuan sent him?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Zhao Wenhua uttered two words. "Imperial Prison!"

They exchanged puzzled looks.

What of it?

Taking in their expressions, Zhao Wenhua silently cursed them for fools. If he hadn't needed to vent the Yan Family's anger and secure his hold on that powerful patron, he wouldn't have bothered with these people even if every last one of them died!

Brainless idiots!

He decided to spell it out. "An important figure is being held in the Imperial Prison. In fact, Cao Jinxing had a hand in his capture. People outside have been trying to rescue him, but the prison is so heavily guarded that they have no way in. We can give them a push. Once that man escapes, Cao Jinxing will be guilty of neglecting his duties and will certainly be punished! Then everyone will pile on him. We won't even need to act-the Embroidered Uniform Guards in the Pacification Commission who dislike him will make him pay dearly! Must I explain the rest?"

"No, no need..."

Everyone waved their hands. He had made it so plain that failing to understand would make them complete fools.

So they would use someone else to do the killing...

An excellent plan!

It was simple to carry out, had a high chance of success, and required no direct action on their part. Now that they saw a way forward, everyone's spirits immediately lifted.

Only the middle-aged man remained composed.

If it were truly that simple, Zhao Wenhua wouldn't have needed to come in person. It was probably difficult to carry out, or perhaps he didn't want to dirty his own hands and had come to use them instead.

Bastard!

Keeping his expression neutral, he asked cautiously, "May I ask, my lord, who is this important figure imprisoned there?"

Zhao Wenhua glanced at him. "Xiang Qianli, the Bright Sect's Left Envoy of Light."

It was as though a bucket of ice water had been dumped over their heads.

Everyone was dumbstruck.

"A rebel from the Demon Cult?!"

Colluding with the Demon Cult was a grave crime, equivalent to collaborating with Japanese raiders. If anyone discovered it, their property would be seized and their entire clan exterminated!

The Zhao Family members were stunned.

They had only just climbed out of one pit, and now they were about to jump into another. Worse still, judging by Zhao Wenhua's attitude, they had no choice...

Cao Jinxing dashed straight to the Imperial Prison.

His vacation had begun!

Sun Lang thought nothing of his hurried arrival, but the more observant Su Yunsheng noticed something was wrong. "My lord, what happened? Do you need us to..."

"Nothing serious."

Cao Jinxing waved a hand. "The Imperial Prison is cold and damp. Even the first level is hard to endure. I'll be fine, but you should circulate your energy more often to ward off the cold, lest you develop hidden injuries. This quiet fortnight is an opportunity for you too. You can focus on stabilizing your cultivation so you can attempt to reach Xiantian later."

Warmth filled both men's hearts. "Yes."

Sun Lang smiled. "Don't worry, my lord. We chose an upper-tier sixth-grade internal art last time. It won't take too long."

"Oh? What did you choose?"

Cao Jinxing sat down at the table, picked up an orange, and began peeling it to eat.

"The Golden Wind Record," Su Yunsheng said.

Cao Jinxing raised an eyebrow. "That sounds familiar."

Sun Lang added, "It's an internal art from the Tang Sect. Its cultivation speed is average, but it greatly improves movement techniques and lightness skills."

"...I see."

They had chosen it to keep up with him.

Cao Jinxing chuckled. "There's no need for that. You didn't hold anything up last time, did you? Early on, you should still focus on cultivating qi... though the difference between sixth-grade arts isn't that great. I appreciate the thought."

Both men smiled.

The Imperial Prison had nine levels. They were on the first, which held ordinary criminals. With the three of them there, the prisoners didn't dare so much as fart.

Dozens of jailers guarded the area inside and out while the three chatted at leisure.

Su Yunsheng said, "Besides the Golden Wind Record, we also chose a lightness skill. This is a rare opportunity, so we'd like to ask for your guidance, my lord."

"Mm."

Cao Jinxing was easygoing with his own people. Eating his orange, he asked, "Which lightness skill? What don't you understand?"

"The Shushan Sword Sect's Three-Fold Cloud Dragon."

Su Yunsheng had an excellent memory. After reading the manual, he had written it out from memory upon returning. Now he took out the book and handed it to Cao Jinxing.

Their previous capture of the Hehuan Sect remnants had earned them permission to enter the Secret Vault and choose one manual each. They had agreed that one would choose an internal art and the other a lightness skill, then teach each other.

He had originally written it down so Sun Lang could consult it easily, but taking it out now also served as an offering to Cao Jinxing.

Cao Jinxing wasn't particularly interested. He reckoned that his current Lightning Movement Step could match the speed of a sixth-grade lightness skill, so there was no need to switch.

Still, learning and practicing more was no bad thing. He could take its strengths and discard its weaknesses to refine and improve his Lightning Movement Step.

That lightness skill suited him very well, and he was willing to spend time polishing it.

All martial arts had been created by people. With his comprehension and martial prowess, borrowing elements to strengthen a low-grade lightness skill couldn't have been easier.

"Let me see."

Cao Jinxing brushed off his hands, took the book, and flipped through it, scanning ten lines at a glance. In fewer than ten breaths, he had finished.

He closed the book, set it down, and told them, "Go on. What don't you understand?"

"..."

Su Yunsheng froze.

The corner of Sun Lang's eye twitched.

They exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing: Serving under a lord like this is so stressful!