The four men in black exchanged bewildered looks at the delight on Lin Lang's face.
What was going on? Hadn't we made ourselves clear?
"Lin Lang, the Dragon Guard Manor has experts in abundance. Even if you're a genius at the early Grandmaster stage with such bizarre swordsmanship, can you withstand an attack from all four secret agents?"
"If the Divine Marquis himself makes a move, you won't have the slightest chance of surviving. Submitting to him is your only way out."
Lin Lang planted a foot on the leader of the men in black. "I've seen people beat someone into submission before recruiting them. I've never seen someone get beaten into submission and then try to recruit the victor."
"I'm with the Jinyiwei, and above us stands the Eastern Depot. Would Zhu Wushi dare come kill me himself? Even if he did, I'd make sure he couldn't touch me, or the image he's spent all these years cultivating would crumble!"
"He can deceive everyone under heaven, but he can't deceive me."
"All right, I'll send you on your way. Keep your eyes peeled when you reach the King of Hell. Don't follow the wrong man again."
"You won't have any use for your true qi down there, so I'll keep it for you."
A moment later, the four men understood what Lin Lang meant. He was actually sucking away all their true qi.
Once he had drained their true qi, Lin Lang killed all four with palm strikes.
A quarter of an hour later, a squad of Jinyiwei summoned by Lin Lang carried away the four bodies, expertly burned them to ashes, and scattered them somewhere deserted.
The wanted martial-world criminals Lin Lang had "interrogated" before had all been disposed of this way.
After arresting Li Fei, Lin Lang had sent Cao Zhengchun a letter through Liu Xiong.
Since Cao Zhengchun wanted him to get things done, Cao Zhengchun ought to take care of some of his troubles for him.
"Cao Zhengchun, though you're no longer a man, I hope you'll act a little more like one."
Humming a tune, Lin Lang headed home. He had drained four men today, making considerable progress with the Reverse Star-Sucking Great Skill and greatly increasing his true qi. It was time to go back and see how Xiao He's qi-absorbing practice was coming along.
After morning court, the emperor of Great Ming reviewed memorials in the imperial study, with Zhu Wushi and Cao Zhengchun standing to one side.
After reviewing the final memorial, the emperor of Great Ming looked at the two of them. "Imperial Uncle, Cao Zhengchun, is there anything else?"
Cao Zhengchun cupped his hands. "Your Majesty, this old servant does indeed have some good news to report."
"Oh? What good news?" the emperor of Great Ming asked casually.
Cao Zhengchun had reported plenty of "good news" to him, such as some "corrupt official" being brought to justice. The emperor of Great Ming knew perfectly well what had really happened.
But he had ascended the throne as a child, and even now he had few people he could rely on. He needed Cao Zhengchun and Zhu Wushi to keep each other in check, giving him time to cultivate a Western Depot loyal to him alone, gradually gain control of the court, and become a true Son of Heaven of Great Ming, whose every golden utterance carried the force of law.
"Recently, everyone in Pingyang Prefecture has been praising Your Majesty as a sage ruler. They also praise the court's strict enforcement of the law, which allows the common people to live and work in peace, with no martial artists daring to use their skills to defy the law."
"This is chiefly because the Jinyiwei Thousand-household Office there has arrested dozens of criminals wanted by the court in succession, including many martial-world experts who had been on the run for ten or twenty years."
The emperor of Great Ming grew interested. "Dozens? It seems the Jinyiwei do have some ability. What is the name of the Thousand-household there?"
Cao Zhengchun bowed slightly. "Your Majesty, the Thousand-household there is recovering from injuries. These matters were chiefly handled by Deputy Thousand-household Lin Lang and his men. He is loyal, kind, worthy, and upright, a man who knows his duty. His sleeves carry nothing but the clean breeze, and his reputation as an official is excellent."
Standing beside him, Zhu Wushi finally could not bear to listen any longer. Was he talking about Lin Lang?
None of those descriptions came within a mile of Lin Lang.
"Your Majesty, I have heard that the Thousand-household recovering from injuries was wounded by this very Deputy Thousand-household Lin Lang. Moreover, this man is greedy for wealth, forgets all righteousness, and behaves with insufferable arrogance. He should be removed from office and investigated as a warning to others."
He had sent men to recruit Lin Lang, yet not a word had come back. It seemed the men he had sent were likely already dead.
Those four had been the finest retainers of the Number One Manor, each at the peak Master stage. Since even they had failed to subdue Lin Lang, there had to be a Grandmaster at his side.
He did not believe Lin Lang could have reached the Grandmaster realm. How old was Lin Lang? With no master or lineage, reaching the peak Master stage would already have been impressive.
Cao Zhengchun must have stationed an expert at Lin Lang's side to protect him. It seemed the Eastern Depot had another Grandmaster he knew nothing about.
To kill Lin Lang, either Duan Tianya or Guihai Yidao would have to act.
But both currently had other assignments and could not get away. Surely he, the illustrious Iron-Gallant Divine Marquis, could not personally act against a mere Jinyiwei Deputy Thousand-household?
Unfortunately, although the Number One Manor managed by Shangguan Haitang had recruited many martial-world experts, it did not have a single Grandmaster.
After all, anyone who reached the martial arts grandmaster realm could establish a sect of their own. Who would willingly serve under someone else?
Cao Zhengchun looked at Zhu Wushi with a beaming smile. "Divine Marquis, Lin Lang merely injured the other man by accident during a sparring match. The Jinyiwei must handle matters in Great Ming's martial world. A Thousand-household charged with guarding a region cannot afford to be too weak in martial arts."
"Some do call him ostentatious and overbearing, but that is when he faces criminals wanted by the court. The Jinyiwei are the emperor's personal troops. Are they supposed to bow and scrape before wanted criminals like constables of the Six Gates, then watch those criminals escape?"
"A colleague from Lin Lang's former Hundred-household Office was killed by the wanted criminal Tian Boguang. Lin Lang personally traveled a thousand miles to kill Tian Boguang. Would such a man abandon righteousness at the sight of profit?"
"I fear the Divine Marquis has been misled. If Great Ming had more Jinyiwei like Lin Lang, no martial artist would dare use his skills to defy the law again, and the common people would praise Your Majesty's wisdom."
"Lin Lang is a pillar of Great Ming. In the future, he will surely carry out many more assignments well for Great Ming and Your Majesty. What do you think, Divine Marquis?"
Zhu Wushi's expression remained calm. "I hope Governor Cao has not misjudged him, lest he turn the Jinyiwei into a laughingstock someday. The martial world cannot be kept in order by the Jinyiwei alone."
Lin Lang had probably already won a place in the emperor's heart. If Zhu Wushi moved against him in secret now, it would surely provoke a fierce counterattack from Cao Zhengchun. He would set the matter aside for the time being.
Once he accomplished his grand undertaking, Lin Lang would either become his man or become a dead man!
After leaving the imperial study, Cao Zhengchun's face remained wreathed in smiles.
Although he had not initially believed Lin Lang's plan was certain to succeed, he had let Lin Lang give it a try.
But what Lin Lang was doing now truly brought him honor. Before His Majesty, he could also claim credit for recognizing talent. He would therefore spare no effort in supporting Lin Lang and absolutely would not allow Zhu Wushi to harm him.
He had already made his position clear to Zhu Wushi. With men assigned to watch the movements of the experts under Zhu Wushi, Lin Lang should have nothing to worry about.
If Zhu Wushi dared break the unspoken rules between them, he could not blame Cao Zhengchun for striking at the people of the Dragon Guard Manor as well!
But what he wanted was not merely for Lin Lang to arrest a few wanted criminals. He wanted Lin Lang to wipe out major martial-world sects, as he had promised.
At the Thousand-household Office in Pingyang Prefecture, Lin Lang casually tossed the Eastern Depot's letter into the inkstone, and every word was instantly swallowed by ink.
"Tch. Isn't shielding me from the Dragon Guard Manor exactly what you ought to do? If you don't help me, I'll help Zhu Wushi kill you!"
"And you're asking how my plan is progressing? Zhu Wushi spent twenty years laying his plans across Great Ming's martial world. I've only had a little over two months. I'm not in a hurry, so what's a eunuch like you getting so worked up for?"
"But to make sure Cao Zhengchun keeps giving me his full support, I'll have to stir up something big again."
Before you continue