Chapter 22: Young Palace Master of the Five Absolutes Palace

Isn't that the old senior who sold books yesterday afternoon?

What senior? He got beaten up like this! One hundred taels went down the drain!

I damn well bought two more… *sob sob sob*…

The onlooking common folk pointed and whispered……

All right, all right, all right… we're leaving, thanks for sparing our lives…" Old Monster Wu Chuan dragged his disciple Zhang Shan away, but just then a splendid eight‑person sedan chair appeared in the middle of the street, with eight burly bearers in big red robes in front and eight behind. The plaque on it was huge.

The two of them blocked the sedan chair's path, hadn't had time to move aside, and suddenly collapsed to the ground, where the bearers ruthlessly trampled over them……

Chen Yi He didn't even get a clear look at how the master and disciple died—perhaps they never knew themselves how they died… The look of shock on their faces was a fear that sprang from the depths of their hearts, leaving a deep impression on Chen Yi He.

All that could be heard from inside the sedan chair was a gentle woman's voice: 'Jumping clown…' The voice was pleasant, like a spring breeze in March, but the meaning of those words cut deep……

Chen Yi He turned to look at Long Wang, seeing Long Wang's dark face with furrowed brows, looking somewhat tense. Chen Yi He didn't know whether the words 'jumping clown' were aimed at Old Monster Wu Chuan and his disciple, or at him and Long Wang.

"Long Wang, should we pack up and run?"

"Pretty much, but don't be afraid. Few people could match me…" Even the usually steadfast Long Wang couldn't make up his mind.

……

That splendid eight‑person sedan chair hadn't gone far before it was blocked again.

"Huh!" A squad of black‑robed guards halted their horses, stopping it. They looked like troops of the Great Zhou Dynasty court, about seventy or eighty men, filling the whole street.

This time, the eight‑person sedan chair stopped, the bearers standing in place without lowering the chair.

"Are the people inside from the Five Absolutes Palace?" the lead guard shouted.

"Five Absolutes Palace?" Chen Yi He by the roadside heard those three words, as if recalling something—when he had fled Clearwater City earlier, Xu Jia had mentioned it.

Xu Jia had said then, "There's also the Palace Master of the Five Absolutes Palace—she's an absolutely stunning beauty… a single move of Heaven‑Outside Flying Immortal kills invisibly; a single move of Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle kills silently." That left a fresh impression on Chen Yi He.

"I never expected the Palace Master of the Five Absolutes Palace to come to Upper Valley City and get involved in the Thousandfold Gate affair." Chen Yi He whispered to Long Wang.

"You're overthinking it. What level of expert is the Five Absolutes Palace's Palace Master? Rumor has it she's already reached or even surpassed the Fivefold Heaven cultivation; one palm can shatter an invincible master who could crush peerless Dao experts—under heaven, such a person is hard to find an opponent for, and wouldn't care about the Thousandfold Gate." Long Wang rejected Chen Yi He's suggestion.

Chen Yi He thought that made sense, but he still guessed, "Maybe it's her daughter?"

"Then who knows." Long Wang shrugged and shook his head.

"Hehe, definitely a beauty…" Chen Yi He said dreamily……

After a long while, a reply came from inside the sedan: "Yes."

"We are the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Western Depot in the Imperial Capital. We hope you'll grant us face, and not make our long journey in vain." The lead guard dismounted, walked to the sedan, and said respectfully, "If the Young Palace Master could return to her palace, we would be eternally grateful!"

"Oh? Who gave the order? The Emperor?" Though unseen, just hearing the voice could make one intox……

"Young Palace Master? Not the Palace Master herself. It seems this person is either her daughter or her direct disciple. You could have guessed that!" Long Wang cast an admiring glance at Chen Yi He.

"I wonder what kind of beauty she is…" There are countless kinds of beauty; Chen Yi He had already seen Xiao Xiao Yu's beauty, which had refreshed his notion of beauty. Today, the Young Palace Master in that eight‑person sedan chair set his imagination running wild……

"No." the Embroidered Uniform Guard replied.

"That must be Eunuch Zhang," the Young Palace Master paused, then continued, "When did martial world affairs come under imperial control? Eunuch Zhang, aren't you worried about your official hat, sticking your nose in?"

The implication was whether Eunuch Zhang was acting on the Emperor's orders.

"Definitely not. Heading to the Southern Border on this route is extremely dangerous; Eunuch Zhang doesn't want the Young Palace Master to endure hardship. If you show him face and detour to the Imperial Capital as a guest, he'll surely be happy to keep you company!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Eunuch Zhang. I appreciate it, but just visiting for tea will do. Please make way……

"Please, Young Palace Master, do us the favor! Otherwise we can't account for ourselves!"

"If we can't account for ourselves, then we won't!" As soon as the words fell, silver needles shot from the sedan—like fine silken rain, like icy shards, yet swift and forceful.

They pierced the head of the lead guard! The scene instantly descended into chaos!

"Seal it off!" The seventy‑odd Embroidered Uniform Guards immediately surrounded the eight‑person sedan chair, pointing their gleaming swords at it, though they didn't rush to attack.

The eight bearers remained standing there, utterly still, the sedan chair steady on their shoulders, as if the Embroidered Uniform Guards beside them didn't exist.

Suddenly, a wild, booming laugh came from afar: "Hahaha! Hahaha!" This rich, deep laugh, which had just been far away, instantly reached their ears.

Then a man emerged from behind the guards, wearing a python‑patterned official robe and a gold‑threaded cap; he was thin‑built, with a pallid face, sparse eyebrows, and deep‑set eyes—a sickly appearance… It was hard to imagine such a booming laugh coming from his mouth……

"Attack!" When the laughter ceased, he quickly changed expression and coldly said, "Attack!"

"Kill!" The guards swung their blades and hacked at the sedan!

"Swish swish swish!" Silver needles shot out again from the sedan, exploding outward in all directions!

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

"Ah!" The foremost guards were all pierced through by the silver needles, eyes wide as they collapsed……

The sedan curtain lifted on its own, and a fiery‑red figure flashed out!

She floated lightly, like a deity descending to the mortal realm!

Light as a startled swan, graceful as a swimming dragon!

Chen Yi He hadn't even cleared up what was happening when that figure rushed toward him, leaving him no time to react!

A woman in a scarlet long dress stood outside the guards' encirclement and blasted them with a palm strike.

That bunch of guards was like tossed trash, all flying out! Their swords and blades scattered everywhere!

Chen Yi He saw the Young Palace Master's face veiled by a thin red gauze, her long hair coiled into a golden bun, her figure slender and graceful, full of charm.

Like a neighbor's daughter just coming of age—though her face couldn't be made out, her stature and bearing resembled a bud about to bloom in a sea of flowers; when it does, fierce fire will surely scorch the earth!

Chen Yi He could only see her upper face; her phoenix eyes, which should have been lovely and affectionate, were instead cold and ruthless, and on her brow rested a dab of crimson in the shape of a five‑petaled flower… Surely that was the emblem of the Five Absolutes Palace……

"When did the court become so fond of meddling?" She turned to face the man.

Seeing his subordinates beaten to the point of spitting teeth, the man not only didn't panic, but clapped and praised her, laughing, "Hahaha! Great strength! Young Palace Master, great strength—you're truly the leader of the younger generation in the martial world!"

"Cut the chatter, make way."

"I am Li Lan, Deputy Commander of the Western Depot's Embroidered Uniform Guard. By order of Eunuch Zhang of the Imperial Capital, I have come specially to Upper Valley City to meet the Young Palace Master."

"Mm."

「The Thousand-layer Gate selects once every ten years; each time, the royal family has a prince selected—this is custom, ability secondary, the main purpose being to uphold the face of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Since ancient times, the martial world and the imperial court have been inseparable, everyone under heaven knows this. Young Palace Master, your strength surely no longer needs tempering at the Thousand-layer Gate; why not yield the quota? The emperor will surely not slight you! 」 Zhang Lan said slowly, very courteous, very polite, obviously wary of the Young Palace Master's status.

Long Wang whispered to Chen Yi He, "No wonder the Embroidered Uniform Guard made such a big fuss—indeed, it's still inseparable from the emperor's plot, exactly the same problem we encountered at Everlasting Joy Gate. Only our face isn't as grand as Five Absolutes Palace!"

Hehe, since it's the emperor's word, why still send someone timid and shrinking to say it's Chief Zhang's meaning? That's no fun." The Young Palace Master sneered.

Frankly speaking, our Western Depot has already deployed thirty thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards, surrounding Southern Frontier City three layers inside and three layers outside. Young Palace Master, you may easily pass from here, but Southern Frontier City is fraught with danger; you must consider carefully. I stopped you here only out of goodwill to warn you. Please don't blame me, Young Palace Master.

"No need." The Young Palace Master turned and walked back to her eight-person sedan chair.

Eight strong bearers lifted the sedan chair; as the sedan chair brushed past Li Lan, the Young Palace Master left a sentence: "Ten people, excluding me and the prince, there are eight left—go find them. I've secured this quota."

Li Lan watched the eight-person sedan chair disappear into the distance.

Thirty thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards—looks like the old emperor is trying to catch a turtle in a jar." Long Wang sighed, seeing Chen Yi He unmoved, and asked, "What are you thinking about? A turtle?"

Chen Yi He's gaze followed the Young Palace Master's departure, fading until he could see nothing, then he snapped out of his lovestruck daze: "I really want to catch a glimpse of her face..."