The Imperial Palace's Female Official

After Jiang Qing returned to his cave abode and put "Big Yellow" back into his Storage Bag, there was nothing else worth carrying in this temporary cave abode.

Having been stationed here for some time, and rarely having the opportunity to return, Jiang Qing was eager to go home.

Conquest is no child's play, and the Changning Sect is no rabble. If they were attacked too early, they would suffer a great loss. The sooner I return, the safer my disciples will be.

Jiang Qing left the Spirit Stone mine and set off in his flying boat towards the Chongming Sect.

After flying less than a hundred miles, just before leaving Tanggu County, they saw a bustling market town on the edge of the county.

Jiang Qing had come to this market with Kang Dabao when he was sitting in Kang Dabao's basket.

Originally named Huo Household Market, it was built in the second year of Huo Bing's tenure as prefect. Now it has been confiscated by the state government and renamed Tang'an Market.

In the past, due to the Huo Household's meticulousness and heavy exploitation, business in this market area was never good;

Now that the city commandant and the acting commandant sent by the Immortal Dynasty Cloud Horn Prefecture government are all from the capital region like Xu Yingshi, and they have no insight into wealth and trade. As a result, there has been no progress over the years, and there have been few times as lively as today.

Seeing the bustling market, Jiang Qing felt a pang of regret. It seemed a large merchant caravan from another state had arrived. If he wasn't in a hurry, he could go down and see if he could buy a spiritual item to nourish Brother Yi and prolong his life.

Unlike the impoverished Pingrong County, Tanggu County was arguably the wealthiest of the thirteen counties in Cloud Horn Prefecture, second only to the large cities of Han City and Xuanwei City.

Therefore, some larger out-of-state caravans would occasionally come here to do some business.

Jiang Qing hesitated for a moment before setting sail again. He still had a considerable amount of Spirit Stone on him, so it was best to get back to the sect as soon as possible.

After traveling for a while, they passed Tanggu County and traveled less than a hundred miles into Guo County. Jiang Qing heard the sounds of fighting. Upon checking with his Divine Sense, he discovered that someone was committing murder and robbery in broad daylight in the middle of the main road ahead.

Both of them possessed considerable cultivation levels, being at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

On one side was a female cultivator in white, with a beautiful and refined appearance, wielding a colorful magical Spirit Artifact and locked in fierce combat with two gaunt men wielding mourning sticks.

Jiang Qing had good eyesight and could tell that the female cultivator's colorful ring Spirit Artifact was truly remarkable, at least Second-Tier Upper-Grade. However, even the best Spirit Artifact was useless if the person was not capable.

The two gaunt men opposite, one tall and one short, were using mediocre mourning staffs, commonplace items only slightly better than top-grade magical Law Artifact. Yet, they were able to force the white-robed female cultivator to retreat steadily, panting heavily and drenched in sweat.

The white-robed female cultivator was struggling to keep up, but the two Bandit Cultivator opposite clearly still had plenty of strength left.

Having tested the former's methods thoroughly, the two, without speaking or looking, simultaneously exerted their full strength in perfect unison. Their two mourning sticks gleamed darkly, as they sought to quickly eliminate the charming female cultivator before them and retreat as soon as possible.

After all, they were plundering openly on the main road. If it weren't for the woman's alluring possessions, even though they were experienced in this kind of business, they wouldn't have been so blatant.

Although there are no major Foundation Establishment sects nearby, if we encounter the Demon Correction Office of the Immortal Dynasty or some idle chivalrous person, there will always be some trouble, which is not good.

Thinking of this, both of them simultaneously added a touch of ferocity to their expressions.

The white-robed female cultivator clearly lacked combat experience; with just a feint, the colorful ring-shaped Spirit Artifact was easily bypassed and taken away by the tall man's mourning staff.

At this moment, the white-robed female cultivator's central gate opened wide, and the short man's face lit up with joy. His mourning staff swelled in the wind, growing to the size of a small tree, and he seized the opportunity to enter without a chance.

The woman in white looked anxious; her carefully styled hair was already soaked with sweat, but she managed not to completely panic.

She took a deep breath, her broad chest swelling and bulging. With a wave of her right hand, she first summoned the colorful ring back to her side for protection, then raised her left hand, her slender, fair hand gently swaying, sending out more than ten First-Tier Supreme-Grade thunder talismans.

In an instant, dozens of white lightning bolts, each as thick as a child's arm, flashed across the scene. The lightning shattered the evil spirits, and the power of the mourning staff was truly mediocre. Faced with a stack of First-Tier Supreme-Grade lightning talismans, it was directly struck back to its original form and forced to retreat step by step.

A few breaths later, the thunderous energy dissipated, smoke filled the air, and dark fragments fell to the ground. As soon as the mourning staff was returned to his hand, the short man noticed that his Spirit Artifact seemed to have become two ounces lighter.

"You lowly servant!" The short man, whose Spirit Artifact had been damaged, roared in fury.

It wasn't that he was entirely distressed about the Spirit Artifact; rather, this female cultivator possessed one valuable item after another. Although the two brothers clearly had the upper hand, they just couldn't seem to win her over.

The more the white-robed female cultivator uses, the less she gets. How can she not be angry, watching those glittering Spirit Stone slip through her fingers?

The shorter man was driven back, but the taller man's mourning stick came again.

This time, the white-robed female cultivator had learned her lesson. With a flick of her slender finger, she could smell the stench emanating from the evil Spirit Artifact as it drew near. The colorful ring Law Artifact then released a chaotic mist, into which the mourning staff suddenly sank, falling to the ground from mid-air.

The tall man's hand snapped, his bent knuckles cracking as they snapped open, leaving a bloody mess and exposing the bare white bones.

Before the tall man could even cry out in pain, a look of great shock appeared on his face, as if he couldn't believe that his magical Law Artifact, to which he was bound by blood and lifeblood, had been so easily subdued.

Seeing this, the short man withdrew the mourning stick he had just swung with great pain, looking at the beautiful female cultivator with her radiant beauty before him, he seemed hesitant to act rashly.

Fortunately, after the white-robed female cultivator used the power of her Spirit Artifact to subdue the mourning staff, she clearly had no strength left to use any more methods. She just gritted her teeth, raised her eyebrows, and glared at the two Bandit Cultivators, showing no sign of cowardice or surrender.

The two sides were locked in a stalemate for a moment when they simultaneously sensed someone approaching from a distance.

The two gaunt men sensed something was wrong, and their eyes flashed with even more menacing light.

The white-robed female cultivator felt a glimmer of hope rise in her heart. These two rebellious madmen in front of her dared to covet even the imperial palace's female officials; they were truly audacious.

If this passerby is inclined towards the Immortal Dynasty or only seeks some benefits, he might be able to ask him for help.

"Just what kind of desolate place is Cloud Horn Prefecture? Even those border prefectures in Liangxi Circuit, plagued by demonic calamities year after year, wouldn't be as unruly as them. If I had known, I should have listened to Fei Household and waited for Nanny Sun to come and fetch me. Alas, I was about to return to the palace when this had to happen."

Gun Yuyao has been on leave from the palace for several years. The reason she has stayed in Cloud Horn Prefecture for so long is because she worked diligently in perfumery while serving as the head lady-in-waiting of the Palace of Imperial Repose. She was favored by the other palace ladies and was granted Foundation Establishment Pill.

Her aptitude was quite poor, and she worried that without someone to teach her, even if she obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill, she would hardly be able to enjoy this opportunity for cultivation. Therefore, she asked for leave and came to the side of Acting Sima Gun had raised her.

This decision was indeed correct. With the dedicated guidance of Acting Sima Gun, Gun Yuyao achieved mastery after several years and attained the Foundation Establishment.

She had been living a secluded life in the state court for many years, and her acquaintances were mostly elegant and refined ladies of the state. She never imagined that the world outside the state court was so treacherous.

He had only bought a few ordinary spiritual items in the market to make incense as a parting gift for Fei Shuhe and the others, but he had been targeted by these two villains. He was truly in a difficult situation.

For the first time, Gun Yuyao, who was visiting a friend alone without the help of the Acting Sima Gun, showed a hint of regret. She only hoped that the person who came was a kind and gentle gentleman who was willing to help those in distress, otherwise this time...

Even before Jiang Qing arrived, he had already clearly seen the battle situation between the two sides. Judging by appearances alone, the white-robed female cultivator had obviously encountered Bandit Cultivator who did not follow the rules.

Based on Jiang Qing's years of experience collecting Storage Bag, this white-robed female cultivator had most likely lost money; otherwise, these Bandit Cultivators, who were clearly used to business, wouldn't have been so impatient to make a move here.

After all, even Jiang Qing knew that there were several good places to kill and rob ahead.

However, knowing this was true, Jiang Qing had important matters to attend to and had no intention of stopping to uphold justice.

It wasn't that Jiang Qing was used to turning a blind eye to these things. Although Sect Leader Kang Da had always taught Jiang Qing to "mind your own business" to avoid bringing trouble to the sect.

No wonder Sect Leader Kang Da had such good intentions. He must know that there are countless injustices in the world, and many things are simply Chongming Sect, a small and insignificant sect.

Even so, over the years, Jiang Qing has still done quite a few chivalrous deeds behind Kang Dabao's back.

However, times have changed, and Jiang Qing had important matters to attend to. He did not want to cause any trouble at this time, so he stopped questioning both parties.

If Sect Leader Kang Da were here, having decided to let go and not interfere, he would definitely have detoured around the battlefield. But Jiang Qing's temperament was different; he walked straight ahead, his eyes fixed straight ahead, utterly open and honest, without glancing at Fang Yi.

The two men's faces immediately lit up with joy. That was good. She was the type to meddle in other people's business. With a little more effort, they could take down the woman in white as soon as possible.

If everything goes smoothly, not only can I seize her Storage Bag and divide the spiritual items, but I can also take a bite of this curvaceous and fragrant piece of flesh. When I get tired of playing with it, I can sell it to other Evil Cultivator to use as a furnace, and make a fortune.

Money can be tempting, and the two gaunt men no longer hesitated and started moving again.

The short man once again brandished his mourning staff, resorting to his old tricks. The staff, previously damaged, was now only as thick as a carrying pole, stirring up a black wind that was incredibly foul-smelling. It seemed as if wronged spirits were wailing in the wind, making Gun Yuyao's ears ache, and then he smashed it down on the latter's head.

Seeing that Gun Yuyao's colorful ring-shaped Spirit Artifact had restrained his own Spirit Artifact and he couldn't break free, the tall man simply abandoned his mourning staff and instead summoned a human skin waist drum, which he then struck with a "bang bang".

Gun Yuyao then produced a small gilded mirror, barely managing to block the short man's mourning staff. However, the tall man's drumbeats rang out again, causing Gun Yuyao to open her mouth slightly, let out a muffled groan, and bleed from the corner of her mouth. This only added to the beauty of her already stunning face.

The tall man thought his human skin drum would be enough to shake Gun Yuyao so badly that her internal organs would shift and her viscera would churn, causing her unspeakable pain. But little did he know that the latter was in a critical situation and would not let go of this lifeline.

Gun Yuyao coughed up blood and cried out in a pitiful voice, "Ah... Fellow Daoist, please wait! I am Gun Yuyao, the niece of the Acting Sima Gun of Cloud Horn Prefecture Court and a female official in charge of the Palace of Imperial Repose. I am on my way to the Fei Household's Green Lotus Courtyard in Little Ring Mountain Pingrong County, to find a close friend. Please, fellow Daoist, save me! My family is of good standing! I will surely repay you handsomely!"

The two Bandit Cultivator opposite Gun Yuyao ignored her pleas for mercy.

This title is indeed impressive, and it may not be false, but as long as the two of them are rootless Rogue Cultivator with no relatives or disciples to rely on, the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court may not be able to find out who did it.

After the deed is done, they can hide in the territory of the Two Instruments Sect. It will probably take them thirty or forty years before the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court can find them.

Thirty or forty years?

The accumulated prestige of the Two Instruments Sect is not so easily dispelled. Even now, a large number of people believe that none of these outsiders who are in charge of Cloud Horn Prefecture Court have even reached the Golden Core stage, and their arrogance is merely a facade of their outward strength but inner weakness.

In the eyes of these people, once the Golden Core cultivators of the Two Instruments Sect make their move, the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court, led by Kuang Liuting, will have no choice but to return to the capital in a sorry state.

If that's the case, then what is there to be afraid of?

Besides, if the two of them could really capture a female official from the imperial palace and present her to the Two Instruments Sect, they might even be able to earn a great future.

Moreover, this lowly maidservant is quite wealthy. After the two of them finish this, they probably have enough resources for the next ten years of cultivation. How could they possibly abandon her?

Sigh, I still made some mistakes. That fellow passing by saw her, which is quite a problem. I need to put in more effort and capture this female cultivator as soon as possible. If there's enough time, I'll catch up and kill that pretty boy too!

"Gun Shilu's niece? Going to find that one from the Fei Household?"

Seeing Jiang Qing boat stop, Gun Yuyao's brows immediately lit up with joy, but she was momentarily distracted, causing the short man's mourning staff to graz the small mirror.

The former, caught off guard, couldn't dodge in time and took a real hit. The Second-Tier Middle-Grade mountain-guarding talisman on Gun Yuyao's body had already dimmed, and now it was directly smashed into pieces by the mourning stick, scattering its brilliance all over the ground.

"Ugh!" Gun Yuyao let out a soft moan of pain, and the protective spell in her hand dissipated. The tall man's drum on his human skin became even more deafening, making her head ache and her heart pound uncontrollably.

"Phew, mission accomplished!" After working so hard for so long, Gun Yuyao was finally rendered powerless. The short man felt a sense of relief, just as he saw a jade-faced swordsman quickly return, his flying sword whistling as it was swung.

Before the sword even arrived, the short man felt his courage falter and reacted a beat too late.

But he was, after all, Foundation Establishment True Cultivator who had cultivated for over a hundred years; he wouldn't be so terrified by a single sword strike from someone of the same level that he dared not retaliate.

However, the sword light came too fast. His companion had just put away his waist drum and retrieved his mourning staff from Gun Yuyao, so there was no time to save him.

The short man thought he could dodge the jade-faced swordsman's sudden attack with his superb footwork and cunning, but in an instant, he realized that this plan was doomed to fail!

"Damn it, I've seen sword cultivators before. Shen Ang from Zi Maple Valley and Shan Sheng from Jade Moon Valley are both sword cultivators, but their swordsmanship isn't as terrifying as this kid's! Which major sect's elite disciple has come here looking for amusement!"

The short man summoned a top-grade magical Law Artifact shield to protect himself. A sword mark several inches deep appeared on the shield, barely managing to block the sword light for a moment.

Before the short man could even feel relieved, Jiang Qing gave him no respite.

With a single strike, flick, swipe, and thrust, the White Dew Sword, a rare Second-Tier Middle-Grade flying sword, easily pierced the shield. Shards of the shield flew everywhere, with several pieces deeply embedded in the short man's flesh.

However, he had no time to pay attention to the superficial wound at this moment. The Sword Qi invaded and directly cut a piece of his robe. His lower abdomen below the navel felt a chill followed by a burning sensation.

This is the feeling of internal organ damage!

Fortunately, after reaching the Foundation Establishment, a cultivator's physical body is not as fragile as that of the Qi Refining Realm; otherwise, Jiang Qing's single sword strike would have been enough to kill the short man on the spot!

The short cultivator felt a pang of sorrow. He used his self-destructing shield magic Law Artifact to briefly slow Jiang Qing down, and then broke free using his ghostly footwork.

"Is this kid a mid-stage cultivator?" The short man assumed that the jade-faced sword cultivator was just pretending to be weak while hiding his cultivation level, but he didn't dare to think of the rare Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment.

"You scoundrel!" The tall man was furious upon seeing this. He and the short man had been friends for many years and were as close as brothers.

Upon seeing that the latter had been injured by Jiang Qing, the tall man immediately turned red with anger. He suddenly shook his mourning stick and threw it into the air, where it scattered into eight afterimages. Each of these afterimages was as thick as a small piece of wood and was accompanied by the wailing of a ghost, filled with boundless resentment. They surrounded Jiang Qing from all four directions.

Jiang Qing remained motionless, glanced around, his expression unchanged, and lightly made a hand seal. The sword runes of the White Dew Sword lit up, and with a sweeping motion, three streams of blazing sun Sword Qi suddenly surged forth.

The air was filled with the crisscrossing Sword Qi. This sword technique directly melted away the resentment, scattered the evil spirits, and exhausted the strength of the bone club.

The raging, fiery Sword Qi scorched the mourning staff, rendering it entirely fake, and despite being only in its first clash with the White Dew Sword, it already bore several cracks.

The mourning staff was returned, and the tall man rushed to take it back with a pained expression, only to have his palms burned by the heat emanating from it.

He channeled his spiritual energy, and the wound on his palm was about to heal, but each time it was blasted back into a bloody mess by the residual Sword Qi. After several attempts, it still wouldn't heal, so the tall man could only endure the excruciating pain.

Looking up, the horrible wound on the short man's abdomen was still not healed, and his internal organs were rotten. In many places, the wound had even been scalded by the Sword Qi!

But the shorter man showed no fear, and shouted at the taller man, "Second, fortune favors the bold! Today, I am invincible!"

"I am invincible!" the tall man roared, and then, like a madman, he wielded his mourning stick and began to smash the human skin drum.

Operating two Spirit Artifact simultaneously was clearly no easy task for the tall man; just by looking at his gradually fading complexion, one could tell that the consumption of spiritual energy must have been terrifying.

But the effect was immediate. Visible voiceprints came one after another, and Jiang Qing was so shocked that his brows furrowed. He made a mistake in his hand seals for a moment, and the White Dew Sword was almost knocked away by the Mourning Staff. He almost woke up and was hit on the head by the Mourning Staff.

Gun Yuyao was directly knocked to the ground, unconscious.

Jiang Qing hadn't expected that this female cultivator's abilities would be so inadequate, offering no help whatsoever. Fortunately, the two people in front of him weren't particularly skilled either, otherwise things would have been quite troublesome.

However, although these two were not particularly skilled, they were genuine Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. Although Jiang Qing was confident that he could win easily, he knew it would take a lot of effort.

"The question now is whether to take Gun Yuyao with us directly, or whether to kill these two bastards first and then calmly take Gun Yuyao away."

Don't be fooled by the short man's current fierce expression; Jiang Qing has seen that look many times before, and it seems to be more bark than bite. The tall man, on the other hand, seems rather honest and simple; if the situation changes, he'll most likely be sold out by the short cultivator.

Jiang Qing instantly had an idea. He endured the pain in his heart caused by the drumbeats and unleashed three sword beams, targeting the short cultivator.

The latter showed a look of horror on his face. The only top-grade defensive magic Law Artifact in his hand had been broken, so he could only use the mourning stick to block the attack.

This poor Spirit Artifact, already of mediocre quality and further damaged by the Gun Yuyao Thunder Talisman, could hardly withstand the attack for long. Before long, it was cleaved open by several sword lights, leaving it riddled with gaps and cracks.

"Second! Help me!" the short man shouted, his face full of urgency.

"Alright, brother, don't panic, I'll help you!" The tall man said this, but his steps changed direction, and he reached out towards Gun Yuyao's Storage Bag.

"Whoosh!" The sound of the wind arrived before the Sword Qi.

The tall man looked at his right hand, which had been severed at the wrist, and then looked up again. Jiang Qing was still using a flying sword to suppress the short man, leaving him powerless to fight back. Just now, it seemed as if he had done it casually, without even turning his head.

"He actually guessed it!"

The tall man's eyes widened in shock, his heart filled with horror. He suppressed the excruciating pain, let out a muffled groan, and without further hesitation, turned and left without looking back.

"Second!" The short man, who was hoping the tall man would come to take his place, screamed in agony. But then another sword flashed from the front, cutting him so fast that he had no time to speak. He could only curse his sworn brother in his heart for being heartless and treacherous, for hiding his true nature so well all these years!

The short man was helpless. He could only endure Jiang Qing's flying sword for the time it takes to smoke a pipe before the wound in his lower abdomen was invaded by the Sword Qi again. His scalded internal organs were cut into pieces, and his entire body was cut into two parts.

Even Foundation Establishment True Cultivator n't possibly survive such injuries!

The owner of the White Dew Sword inherited the cautious nature of one of his senior brothers. With a sharp slash, the sword emitted a series of buzzing sounds, and the scattered yellow and white fragments on it were all dispersed and disappeared by the Sword Qi. A very thin line of blood appeared on the neck of the short man, who was several feet away.

Jiang Qing reached out and beckoned, and the short man's head was lifted by his hair bun and held in his hand before he felt at ease.

With a deft flick of his flying sword, he brought the Storage Bag to his front. This short man was hardly wealthy among those at the Foundation Establishment; in fact, he could be described as impoverished. No wonder his Spirit Artifact and skills were mediocre, yet he still dared to kill and rob.

Jiang Qing wasn't particularly interested in the things here, but it was still a windfall. He owed the sect quite a bit of reward money, so he had to thank this Daoist for paying it off for him.

As for the one who escaped, there's no need to worry too much. That person isn't very skilled; he's just a coward and runs fast. Even the eldest brother could easily kill him if he encountered him.

Moreover, Jiang Qing didn't think he would return to avenge Chongming Sect for the sake of his sworn brother whom he had abandoned.

After skillfully tidying up the scene once again, Jiang Qing picked up Gun Yuyao, glanced at this palace lady who was more beautiful than flowers, took her pulse, and confirmed that she was not in mortal danger. Then he casually fed her a few suitable pills.

Then, he wrapped it in a piece of spirit silk, placed it on the spirit boat, and without wasting any more time, headed straight for the Chongming Sect.

"It seems my sister-in-law is still a bit lacking. I wonder if my eldest brother will be interested in this Palace of Imperial Repose Attendant after he returns to the sect?"

Thank you for the 100 coins in memory of my departed brother.

Thanks to JianV for the Extended Net Moon.

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