A small matter

Li Shengtian.

The man was a boss through and through!

Cao Jinxing knew his own limits. He might have a top-tier template himself, but that was only by player standards.

Bosses did not play by the rules. A few lines of code could make them invincible!

People like that were usually the final encounters in major dungeons, impossible to defeat without dozens of max-level players. He was far too powerful for Cao Jinxing as he was now, so Cao Jinxing could not even be bothered to ask about him.

Shen Xiang led the way, and Cao Jinxing followed at an unhurried pace. They reached the central chamber at the end of the corridor.

Two guards stood outside, one tall and one short.

"Greetings, Lord Shen, Lord Cao."

Both bowed.

Shen Xiang raised a hand and pointed at the taller guard. "This is Jiang Aqi. His cultivation is at the peak of Houtian, and he is proficient in the Funiu School's Uneven Sword Technique. The pacification commissioner specifically transferred him here to guard this chamber."

"You flatter me, my lord."

Jiang Aqi cupped his fist respectfully. "My meager skills are hardly worth mentioning before the two of you."

Shen Xiang smiled. "You deserve the praise."

Then he pointed to the shorter guard, who wore a saber at his waist. "This is Tian Jinghu. His father is a section chief in the Ministry of Revenue's Administrative Bureau. Given Jinghu's background, posting him to the Imperial Prison is a waste of his talents."

The section chiefs of the Six Ministries' Administrative Bureaus all held the principal sixth rank. Within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, that was equivalent to a company commander, a position with a modest amount of influence.

The Imperial Prison was notorious as a hardship posting. Only the superior officers could treat it as a "vacation." Life was grueling for those on the front lines; the constant erosion of yin energy alone was enough to make them suffer.

For Tian Jinghu to come here truly was a step down in station.

"Commendable."

Cao Jinxing nodded.

The Ministry of Revenue was now headed by Second Grand Secretary Xu Jie, a formidable man even among formidable men, gentle on the outside but steely within. The ministry was considered the upright officials' territory, making this a very "safe" background.

But that could not be taken for granted.

Yan Song had held the reins of government for over a decade. There was no guarantee he had not planted agents among the upright officials.

Cao Jinxing had only made a casual remark. Yan Song and his son had influence everywhere. Throughout the entire Pacification Commission, his trust in anyone outside the Thirteen Guardians was limited.

Anyone in the Embroidered Uniform Guard who bore the title of Thirteen Guardians had undergone rigorous scrutiny by both the Pacification Commission and the Eastern Depot.

The foremost requirement for selection was "loyalty to the emperor alone, with no involvement in factional strife."

Even with ten times their courage, the Yan Family would not dare collude with those thirteen men.

Not only could they not associate with them, they had to keep a respectful distance.

Personal grudges were permissible, even private vendettas. Open or covert struggles in private were fine, but friendship was absolutely forbidden. What were you planning by befriending the emperor's most trusted guards?

Spying on the emperor's movements?

Plotting rebellion?

There was only one exception in the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He could freely cultivate ties with officials regardless of his position. Even if the emperor found out, he would merely receive a nominal demotion and pay cut; his actual power would remain unshaken!

That man was Lu Bing.

The Jiajing Emperor's childhood friend, who had saved his life several times.

He was Jiajing's confidant in the truest sense. Anyone else might betray him, but never Lu Bing! If he had truly harbored such intentions, Jiajing would have died at least three times already!

"You jest, my lord."

Tian Jinghu bowed. "A man of ambition who serves the court should never shrink from hardship. Besides, my father is merely a sixth-rank section chief. That hardly makes me 'noble.'"

It sounded quite polished.

Having a civil official for a father had not gone to waste.

Shen Xiang smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and entered the chamber. Cao Jinxing offered no comment and strode after him.

Clang!

The chamber's stone door closed.

The two men outside wore different expressions.

"Huh? Did I say something wrong?"

Tian Jinghu froze for a moment.

"No."

It's just that these two officers clearly don't believe that sort of talk, Jiang Aqi thought. If you'd kept quiet, they might have thought more highly of you.

All manner of mechanisms filled the chamber.

At first glance, Cao Jinxing felt as though he had stepped into a control room from a later era, except every computer desktop had been replaced by an assortment of geared mechanisms.

"This is the heart of the third level, the control hub for every mechanism."

Besides Xu Quan, there were two men dressed as craftsmen inside. Their cultivation was unremarkable, but heating stones laid throughout the chamber kept it considerably warmer than outside, so they had no need to worry about the erosion of yin energy.

"Hidden arrows, collapsing floors, firearms, poisonous smoke, repeating crossbows... all manner of mechanisms line the corridors. Even if someone escapes a cell, they won't get another step. What do you think?"

"An almost divine feat of craftsmanship."

Looking around at the roomful of precision controls, Cao Jinxing praised them sincerely. "Such extraordinary ingenuity. Who built this Imperial Prison?"

At those words, pride appeared on the faces of the two men dressed as craftsmen.

Shen Xiang said, "He was a renowned master craftsman, with two supreme masterpieces to his name, both works of breathtaking skill! One was this nine-level Imperial Prison, filled with interconnected mechanisms where a single disturbance set everything in motion. The other is known throughout the land. Guess what it is."

After a little thought, Cao Jinxing smiled. "I know."

Shen Xiang paused. "Let's hear it."

Cao Jinxing said, "There aren't many craftsmen in the world worthy of such praise. I'd guess his other work was this Forbidden City. You're talking about the 'living Lu Ban,' Kuai Xiang."

The creator of what later generations would call the Palace Museum!

"Clever!"

Shen Xiang clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "I'd heard our eldest brother say you were exceptionally sharp. You certainly live up to it. That's right. Kuai Xiang came from a family of craftsmen. He first acquired the Lu Ban Secret Art, and his mastery of mechanisms became unrivaled. He even reconstructed a mechanical bird that could fly for ten days without landing! Later, he unraveled the mechanisms of the Mohist General Headquarters on Shennong Mountain, then entered the Mohist Forbidden Grounds and obtained their woodworking and masonry arts. He created mechanical sacred beasts and won renown throughout the age! These two are followers of Kuai Xiang, disciples of the Divine Axe Sect."

The two men rose and bowed.

Cao Jinxing cupped his hands in return and smiled. "With you two here, we can slack off without worrying."

"Hahaha!" Shen Xiang laughed heartily.

The two craftsmen could not help smiling either, then said solemnly, "Rest assured, my lords. Though our skills fall far short of our grandmaster's, operating and maintaining these mechanisms poses no difficulty."

Cao Jinxing nodded. "Thank you for your efforts."

"It is our duty, my lord. You are too kind."

The two returned to their seats.

Xu Quan said from beside them, "Kuai Xiang's craftsmanship is unparalleled. The Imperial Prison was his final masterpiece. Never mind disabling its mechanisms; even holding them off for a few breaths would be extraordinarily difficult."

Just then-

A sudden shout came from outside the chamber. It was Tian Jinghu's voice. "Aqi! What are you doing!"

Everyone inside started.

The door opened, and Cao Jinxing and Shen Xiang hurried out. They saw Jiang Aqi, his eyes red, charging toward the Cold-designated cell with a longsword and a short saber.

Xiang Qianli's cell!

He moved at tremendous speed, covering more than fifty meters in an instant!

The jailers lunged toward him!

But they were a step too late.

He raised the short saber, its edge flashing coldly, and hacked down at the lock on the cell door!

Shen Xiang frowned and formed a sword gesture with his right hand. A ringing sword cry sounded, clear as a phoenix calling from the highest heavens!

Condensed Light left its sheath!

Sword light flashed. In the flick of a finger, Condensed Light crossed more than fifty meters and slashed Jiang Aqi across the shoulder blade! Then, like a darting fish, it swiftly returned to Shen Xiang's hand.

Shushan Sword Sect-Sword Control by Qi!

A single move subdued the enemy, clean and decisive.

Cao Jinxing watched the entire exchange, seeming to gain an insight.

Jiang Aqi screamed, and the short saber fell from his hand.

It struck the ground with a sharp clang.

"Restrain him!"

Shen Xiang gave the order.

The other jailers rushed forward and pinned the frenzied Jiang Aqi firmly beneath them!

This was only a small matter.

Shen Xiang, Cao Jinxing, and Xu Quan all remained calm. None of them lost their composure over it.

Shen Xiang said, "Senior Xu, sorry for the trouble, but please watch over the chamber. The two of us will go take a look."

"Yes."

Xu Quan bowed, and the door closed once more!

Shen Xiang walked ahead.

Cao Jinxing glanced at Tian Jinghu beside him. "You, follow us. Tell me what just happened."

Tian Jinghu noticed his gaze, cold and merciless, piercing straight into his heart. An involuntary shiver ran through him, and he hurriedly answered, "Yes! At your command..."