“Lass Ni?” Mo Xin called out softly. Ni Hongxiao snapped upwards at the call. A look of pity flashed across her face before she turned to look at Su Wen and company. Upon seeing Zhao Jin, she asked, “Have you used the pill?” “Yes!”
“How do you feel?” “My True Qi and strength have been greatly strengthened. In terms of pure strength, I’m only slightly weaker than an 8th Grade!” Zhao Jin answered honestly.
Ni Hongxiao walked to Zhao Jin’s side, reaching out to take his pulse. However, Zhao Jin subconsciously took a step back and avoided her hand.
It couldn’t be helped, as her hands were still covered in blood.
Ni Hongxiao spoke in a dissatisfied tone when she saw Zhao Jin’s reaction, “Everyone has blood, what do you have to hide?” Then, she went to the side to wash her hands. After washing her hands, she returned and picked up Zhao Jin’s wrist. After a long while, she said, “It’s still alright. The side effects have been suppressed to a manageable level and haven’t caused any serious damage to the body. It’s just that we can’t use this thing for the next half a year. Otherwise, your bodies might not be able to withstand it and you might just die!”
Su Wen had an illusion that he was bringing Zhao Jin in for treatment… At this moment, Mo Xin interrupted, “They want individual weapons!”
As soon as these words were spoken, Ni Hong’s eyes suddenly erupted with a brilliant light. She took two steps back and sized Zhao Jin up, before rubbing her chin as she mused out loud, “Coincidentally, I have a new research that I haven’t tested with anyone… are you interested in giving it a try? The discounted price is only 200,000 taels. To Young Master Su, it’s not a big sum!” Zhao Jin swallowed, before turning to Su Wen at the side with a pleading look. Su Wen shrugged. Zhao Jin could only make such a decision himself! However, he still asked, “Can you guarantee the safety of the equipment?” Tilting her head, Ni Hong pondered for a brief moment before saying, “There’s no problem with preserving your life, but we can’t rule out the possibility of disability. But don’t worry, if you’re disabled, I have other ways to fix it… I guarantee that your fighting strength won’t be reduced.” As she spoke, she looked at Zhao Jin and smiled. “If you promise me, I can help you get some good stuff for the three of you!”
“What is it? You have to make it clear first!”
Zhao Jin was someone who would not commit himself until success was certain. Moreover, it wasn’t a good thing to be someone’s experimental target.
The explosion of Mo Xin’s Polymer Cannon had already left a deep impression on Zhao Jin. These Spiritual Masters, every one of them were not reliable!
Ni Hongxiao directly pulled Zhao Jin to a corner, where the two of them muttered something
After a while, Zhao Jin returned. He looked at Su Wen and said in a deep voice, “Young Master, I’ve decided to agree to her request!” At this moment, Chu He said, “Then I’ll also…” Zhao Jin shook his head and interrupted him, saying, “You and I are different. We both have our own paths to walk. It is already incomparably difficult for me to break through in my martial arts cultivation, so I’m trying to take another path, but you have only just begun. Choosing some things to save your life is understandable, but you cannot be like me!”
Ni Hongxiao unhappily commented. “Hey hey hey… if the party is willing, then let them do it! What’s with this? Come, brother, let me introduce you to my latest…” “Forget it!” Su Wen waved his hand and said, “Just do as Zhao Jin has said. He will do it himself.”
Ni Hongxiao suddenly tilted her head and looked at Su Wen. She kept sniffing as she moved closer to Su Wen.
“There’s something strange about you… Why does it feel familiar…” “Blood essence is also more vigorous than ordinary people’s… it feels a bit like the North Sea Violent Ape… Beast blood that was directly consumed?”
This woman was very perceptive!
Su Wen smiled. “There’s also the Sorcerer God’s Golden Gu!”
Ni Hongxiao was overjoyed: “I was wondering why it felt so familiar? Feng Baichuan, that miser, I said I wanted to play with this thing, but he wouldn’t give it to me no matter what and just left it at the Martial Inspectorate instead. Why did he give it to you?” “An accident!” Su Wen smiled. “This is the result of an accident.”
Ni Hongxiao suddenly cozied up to him and whispered, “How about it, let’s do an experiment?” Su Wen quickly took a step back… and forced a smile. “That’s not very good.” Ni Hongxiao gently pulled open her collar and leaned forward to stand in front of Su Wen. She lightly licked her lips and seductively said, “I heard that you’re a lecherous man? How about… you do an experiment with me… and I’ll let you do whatever you want… I’ve never been with a man before!”
Su Wen lowered his eyes and observed carefully. The contrast between light and shadows were astute, the smoothness and roundness… but it was impossible for him to agree.
“I still can’t agree to it…”
“Really?”
“Really…. I cannot.”
“Hmph!” Ni Hongxiao pulled the clothes back up and coldly said, “Zhao Jin’s experiment will cost 300,000 taels! Pay up!” Zhao Jin was unconvinced. “Wasn’t it only 200,000 taels just now?” Ni Hongxiao glared at Su Wen and chided, “Doesn’t he need to pay a price for ogling at me! I haven’t been seen by anyone yet… the discount is offset!”
“You’re being unreasonable. It’s not like my young master wants to see it… You were the one who went up there yourself…” Zhao Jin said indignantly. Su Wen smiled and waved his hand, indicating for Zhao Jin to shut up. He then took out a banknote and handed it to Ni Hongxiao. “Sister Ni, thank you!” “That’s more like it. I’ll make some preparations, you can come back in three days!” “Alright!” Zhao Jin and the others left.
Ni Hongxiao could hear them talking on the way out. “Young master, this is too much of a loss. Paying 100,000 taels just for a look, even if hers is gold plated, it isn’t worth this price.” “What do you know? This woman is using you as a guinea pig, you don’t want anything to happen to you, right? It’s only right to give her some benefits. This is called giving a red packet, learn it well. If you don’t give her some form of benefits, what if she leaves something in your body?” “Then… young master… was it nice?” “Not bad… one of the best!”
“That sounds reasonable then…”
Ni Hongxiao delicately huffed, “Hmph, at least you have some foresight… So, let me see what can this extra 100,000 taels add to Zhao Jin’s body… Let me think… Let’s find a monkey to try first! But a 6th Grade Earth Rank monkey isn’t easy to find either. It’s been a long time since there’s a high level martial artist prisoner, so annoying!” The news of Su Wen’s upcoming wedding spread throughout the capital, and many people came to congratulate him.
A carriage stopped outside Su Wen’s house.
Ji Yuchen got off the car. He carried some gifts with him and knocked on the door. The guard opened the door and smiled. “You’re here again. Are you here to see my house’s young master?” He still had a fresh memory of this old man. After all, he was the only one who stood outside Su Wen’s house for the entire night. Ji Yuchen did not put on airs. He smiled and said, “Yes, please inform him.” As he spoke, he handed over his name card. The gatekeeper however shook his head, “My master is not here. You will be disappointed.” Ji Yuchen was surprised, before smiling, “That’s true, he’s probably busy with work. I will wait outside.”
With that, he got into the carriage. Su Wen was indeed busy at the moment. Before him was Xue Wanjun! At this moment, Xue Wanjun’s mental state was extremely poor and dispirited. It was impossible to tell that he was a cultivator at Earth Rank.
After being imprisoned for almost a month, Xue Wanjun was unable to endure it in the end. This seemingly endless amount of time had shattered his mental defenses. “F*ck me! Actually, I didn’t know any of the influential families in Guizhou! However, on the night we captured Hong Sanqian, someone came looking for me. He said that he was a member of the Ma Family, and as long as I killed Hong Sanqian, he promised to allow the Xue Family to ignore the Imperial Court’s ban on business in Li Prefecture!” Su Wen frowned after hearing this. “Then who told them about my whereabouts and caused Lu Qingcai to be silenced?” “It wasn’t me!” Xue Wanjun gritted his teeth and said, “They didn’t ask me at all.” Su Wen believed that Xue Wanjun wasn’t lying! Because with Xue Wanjun’s current state, it was impossible for him to lie.
However, what Su Wen couldn’t figure out was that only two people knew that he had met Lu Qingcai. One was Xue Wanjun and the other was Ruan Ze!
Because Xue Wanjun insisted on killing Hong Sanqian, Su Wen instinctively felt that Xue Wanjun was the one who betrayed him.
Fatty Ruan!
Su Wen narrowed his eyes.
“Ruan Ze… tell me what you know about Ruan Ze!” Su Wen said in a deep voice. Speaking of Ruan Ze’s information, Xue Wanjun was even more straightforward. “I don’t know Ruan Ze’s background, but he’s basically on the same rank as me in the Martial Inspectorate.” “Why?” Su Wen asked curiously. “By right, your cultivation should be stronger than his, right?”
Xue Wanjun smiled bitterly and said, “Yes. Normally speaking, my cultivation is more than a Grade higher than his, but if we really fought, I wouldn’t be a match for this fatty. He possesses a secret technique that allows the image of a devil god to appear on his body, causing his combat strength to increase greatly. That fellow can even resist up to 6th or 7th Grade!” “Ruan Ze is only a Silver Saber warden because his cultivation level is not up to standard. However, his combat power is definitely at the level of a Golden Saber warden. In the team, I have to discuss things with him.” Xue Wanjun spoke truthfully. Su Wen fell into deep thought. Did Lu Qingcai’s death have anything to do with him? Did Ruan Ze betray him or did Lu Qingcai just die? But from the looks of it, Ma Family… it was this Ma Family again! The one who led him and Murong Yan into the Li Prefecture was also the Ma Clan! “What’s the situation with the Ma Family?” Xue Wanjun replied, “The Li Prefecture’s Ma Family is a renowned merchant in the world. They have countless fields and businesses, and their eyes are everywhere. Even in the royal court, they have their own forces. It is precisely because of this that I agreed to them!”
“Then what about the disaster in the Li Prefecture?” Even though Su Wen didn’t think Xue Wanjun knew, he still probed. Sure enough, Xue Wanjun’s face was blank as he said, “How do I know about the disaster in the Li Prefecture? What does this have to do with me?”
Upon hearing his words, Su Wen shook his head in resignation. “Alright, I’ll report this matter to His Majesty. You can await your punishment then!”
“Let me out!” Xue Wanjun suddenly stood up! Su Wen looked at him and said with a smile, “Doesn’t Lord Xue not give a damn? Are you uncomfortable staying here?”.
“Let me out! Let me out! I beg you! I beg you!” Xue Wanjun only had this sentence. A cultivator of Earth Rank had actually been worn down to the point of near mental collapse. “Alright, change Lord Xue into an ordinary prison!” Su Wen ordered, and Xue Wanjun heaved a sigh of relief before collapsing to the ground. Even though he was a martial artist at Earth Rank, he could not withstand such long-term mental torture.
After leaving the Secret Shadow Guard, Su Wen’s heart sank. It was not that Xue Wanjun’s message was useless.
The problem was that it was completely unrelated to the disaster!
He could only know that the Ma Family wanted to kill Hong Sanqian! This could be considered as Xue Wanjun doing him a favor. After pondering for a moment, a smile appeared on Su Wen’s face. “Enter the palace!” Since Xue Wanjun had confessed, things would be easy to handle. He would report this matter to Emperor Zhou first. In the palace, Emperor Zhou heard Su Wen’s report. He frowned and sneered, “What high-sounding sentiments. A mere Ma Family dares to ignore the Royal Court’s ban on business? Do they think I can’t kill them? Go! Send someone to investigate! If the Xue Family really ignores the Royal Court’s ban on business in the Li Prefecture, I will teach them a lesson!”
That’s right. Su Wen could tell a very important point from the fact that the Ma family dared to ignore the Royal Court’s ban. Wasn’t that slapping Emperor Zhou’s face? With the emperor’s personality, he would not tolerate such things. “Yes, I will report this to Lord Si Tu!” Su Wen replied.
This was the first step for the Secret Shadow Guard to expand!
After walking out of the hall, Su Wen was about to leave the palace when he noticed a small palace maid waving at him.
Su Wen looked around and realized that there was no one else around. After confirming that she was signaling him, he walked over. The little palace maid pointed at the side hall and said in a low voice, “The Seventh Princess is in the hall. She said to let Your Excellency go over.”
Su Wen raised his brows before walking in. Zhao Wanrou was sitting on the stairs in the main hall. When she saw Su Wen, a hint of joy appeared on her face. She immediately stood up and plunged into Su Wen’s embrace. “I… I miss you… but I don’t dare to look for you…” Zhao Wanrou whispered. She sounded like she had missed him dearly during this period of time. Su Wen hugged her, but he could not feel her heartbeat.
She was too padded… “Can you take me with you?” Zhao Wanrou muttered. “Let’s go to a place where no one can find us… only you, me… and Ning Shuang… and your concubines…” “Can you take me away? I don’t want to stay in the palace anymore.” Zhao Wanrou buried her head into Su Wen’s chest as tears flowed down her face.
Su Wen knew that she must have mustered a lot of courage to say such words to him.
Su Wen’s heart ached as he felt the girl’s tears. “Don’t worry! I’ll definitely think of a way to marry you! No matter what, I won’t let you marry anyone else,” Su Wen said in a solemn tone. This was his most serious promise yet. Zhao Wanrou raised her head, her face still wet with tears, her eyes filled with hope: “Really?” “Trust me! Mmph!” Su Wen had just said these words when his lips were sealed. The girl’s lips were very cold.
But her feelings were extremely passionate and hot.
After some time, they separated. After calming down, Zhao Wanrou said softly, “I wish to accompany my Lord for the rest of my life. I hope you won’t betray me.”
Su Wen: “….”
How horrible was it for a person to be an uncultured swine at a time like this…. Su Wen instantly felt a little awkward. How should he reply to her? Would it be a little embarrassing if he chose not to reply? He forced himself to calm down as his mind worked rapidly. Finally, he said, “I would rather betray the world than betray my love.” Everyone knew that the sentence was based on Boss Cao’s[1] famous quote. The last sentence for that original text should be ‘The world seldom allows you to have the best of both worlds; to fulfill the ideals of Buddha or the dreams of your love’. In a moment of desperation, Su Wen couldn’t care less, directly butchering the sentence and changing it a little, managing to muddle through. He was considered to have saved his face. Zhao Wanrou returned to Su Wen’s embrace and the two of them hugged each other. Su Wen closed his eyes and thought to himself: ‘Thank you for nine years of compulsory education’. After exiting the palace, Su Wen’s emotions were in a mess. However, he still went to find Si Tu first and informed him of Emperor Zhou’s orders before returning home. He knew that Si Tu would definitely investigate everything that Emperor Zhou had instructed him to.
He didn’t have to do it, and he would still get results. What was wrong with that? Su Wen wanted to see what the Ma family was like. He believed that as long as he started investigating, it would be easy to pull out the radish and bring it out of the mud. The scariest thing was if no one could investigate instead! Su Wen saw Ji Yuchen the moment he reached his house. “Greetings, Lord Su.” Ji Yuchen cupped his hands and smiled. “Congratulations, Lord Su, for your upcoming wedding. I have specially brought you some gifts.” Su Wen laughed and said, “Thank you very much, old man. Shall we go in?” Su Wen preferred to call Ji Yuchen an old man. Su Wen had a feeling that it would be a little awkward to call him Elder Ji. (TL Note: Elder Ji when spoken in Chinese also sounds like a slang for gays.) Ji Yuchen was never one for such pleasantries either.
The two of them entered and Su Wen smiled. “Why didn’t you return to Jiang Prefecture?” Ji Yuchen shook his head. “During this period of time, I’m still sorting out the tax system that you mentioned. I’ve made some considerations and plan to submit it to Your Majesty after I’m done. I’ll also ask Your Majesty for an official position and personally implement this tax system!” At this point, he said seriously, “This tax system concerns the livelihood of the common people and the fate of the nation. However, if that evil-hearted person were to govern, I’m afraid that he would become a sharp tool for accumulating wealth! Fortunately, His Majesty has established the Secret Shadow Guard. I’ve also heard of Lord Su’s actions these past few days. You have truly infused a breath of fresh air into the bureaucracy of Great Zhou! However, the governance of Great Zhou’s government is in shambles. It’s not something that can be done in a short period of time. Furthermore, the place is extremely vast. This old man is worried about leaving this tax system in the hands of others! I must personally supervise it!” Su Wen sighed and said, “When I went out this time, I also saw some darkness… I never thought that the connection between this official and an aristocratic family would be so terrifying. It’s simply inhumane!” Ji Yuchen said coldly, “The commoners are the most pitiful. They are the most honest and know their place. They do the hardest work. They are satisfied with just a mouthful of food. But even so, there are still many people who do not care about their lives and want to squeeze the last bit of value out of them.” At this point, he sighed. “However, I can’t do anything about this situation. However, with Lord Su’s tax system, the commoners have some hope at the very least. As long as we squeeze out the money from the rich and powerful officials, the treasury will be rich. His Majesty will think of a way to give the commoners some benefits. The situation will slowly improve!” As he spoke, Ji Yuchen took out a thick memorial and handed it to Su Wen. “Lord Su, take a look. This is a tax system that I and a few friends have drafted together. Is there anything wrong with it?”. Su Wen picked it up and carefully examined it. He saw that the handwriting was extremely neat and beautiful, and it was even comparable to those books printed in later generations. He could not help but marvel at this old fellow’s solid calligraphy skills. As for the content, it was already very thorough. From the details of every tax system to the proposals, and finally to the extension policies, he could think of almost everything. Combining the current situation of the Great Zhou Empire, this old man had made a meticulous plan! Even the propulsion methods were included. Just by looking at it, Su Wen knew how much effort this old fellow had put in.
He read the book for nearly two hours in one go. Su Wen heaved a sigh of relief after the thick memorial was closed. Tax reform involved too many things and too many things to consider. What he proposed was just an idea. However, this old man and his friends were people who had perfected the tax system. In the end, Su Wen saw an autograph behind the tax system. Ji Yuchen said, “There were originally eight people, but three of our old friends did not want to cause trouble, so there were only five of us left. This will be the joint petition we will give His Majesty!” Su Wen looked over and realized that they were all famous people.
It seemed like the scholars of the Great Zhou still had some sort of backbone.
After some thought, Su Wen looked at Ji Yuchen and asked with a smile, “Can I add a signature in?” Ji Yuchen was stunned for a moment before he said happily, “Of course.”
Su Wen knew that writing down his name meant that he supported this proposal. At the same time, it also meant that they were standing against the influential officials of Great Zhou. However, Su Wen’s identity was special. He was a commander of the Secret Shadow Guard and was also Su Changqing’s son. His declaration would undoubtedly relieve a lot of pressure for these people. Whether it was from within the royal court or outside! Ji Yuchen was confused. “Lord Su, didn’t you say you didn’t want to expose yourself?” Su Wen shook his head and said, “Didn’t you say that if everyone only cherishes their body, when will there be a time when the world is clear? I feel that sometimes, I should live a little more impudently!” Su Wen naturally had his own reasons for doing so. The last time Su Changqing came, he told Su Wen some insider information. From Su Wen’s point of view, the emperor would not let him die so easily. He also understood why Fu An followed him to Li Prefecture!
To put it bluntly, it was to protect him and not let anything happen to him.
He was a future Heaven Rank expert! Yes, even though it might seem a bit suspicious!
However, his wife was someone the emperor wanted to put in an important position. If she married him and lost him before he even had a child, wouldn’t the emperor’s plan completely fail?
From a certain perspective, it was impossible for Emperor Zhou to let him die.
Since that was the case, shouldn’t he be a little more reckless?
Was it not cool enough to have the emperor backing you!
He might not be able to take a shit on the emperor, but what about those aristocratic families?
And at that moment, a middle-aged monk led a young monk through the Great Zhou Royal Capital’s eastern gate.
The young monk seemed extremely curious as he looked left and right.
“Master, you said you were going to pick someone up. Where are we going to pick him
up?”
“Master, I want to eat that baked meat bun.”
“Master, where are we going?” The young monk kept yapping and asking questions.
The elder monk, however, said nothing… and proceeded on his own.
As he walked, the pedestrians seemed to not see him, but they subconsciously made way for him.
Just like that, he led the little monk straight towards the palace.
When they reached the entrance of the palace, the little monk opened his mouth wide. “What a long wall! Who’s house is this? It must be huge!”
The monk slightly opened his mouth and said, “Golden Wheel Monastery’s Huiming seeks an audience with the current emperor!”
Only then did the little monk realize that this was the legendary palace, where the emperor lived.
Huiming’s voice wasn’t loud, but it drifted straight into the palace. But no one knew that Yao Gu’s brother, the abbot of the Golden Wheel Monastery, Huiming, had reached the Heaven Rank! Even Yao Gu didn’t know. He only knew that his older brother’s status was at the 9th Grade, but he didn’t know that Huiming’s cultivation had already broken through again after so many years.
In the palace, Emperor Zhou narrowed his eyes.
“Heaven Rank!” the eunuch growled.
Emperor Zhou wanted more Heaven Rank experts, but at the same time, he wanted someone who could be controlled and willing to work for him!
A Heaven Rank expert in the martial world wasn’t necessarily a good thing for him!
It could even be said that from a certain point of view, this was an impediment to his affairs.
“Let him in!”
Emperor Zhou gave the order. Not long after, Huiming brought the little monk into the main hall.
When the little monk saw Emperor Zhou, he smiled and said, “Are you the emperor? You’re quite good-looking!” “Zhizhen, don’t be rude!” Huiming berated with a grim voice.
The little monk stuck out his tongue and did not dare to say anything else.
However, Emperor Zhou was already displeased.
Emperor Zhou looked at Huiming and asked coldly, “Why do you wish to see me?”
[1] Slang for Cao Cao
