Chapter 49: Dragon Elephant Prajna Gong, Fifth Layer

The west gate of Luo Water City.

Zhang Shan returned to Luo Water City with over a hundred Embroidered Uniform Guard officers and several dozen carriages, his face full of excitement.

"This time I really owe it to you, Lieutenant Shen; I ought to think hard about how to repay him."

Zhang Shan wore a broad smile; this support mission had been a huge gain. In the diary Shen Qing obtained at White Cherry Mountain Manor, several internal traitors were recorded, including a number of big fish.

Although Zhang Shan's support arrived a bit late, he had nevertheless given his all, and Shen Qing naturally would not shortchange him.

He directly gave him one of those big fish, only to discover that the fish was linked to a case he was handling, greatly advancing the investigation and bringing the solution within reach.

He indeed needed to think carefully about how to repay Shen Qing, and at the same time he felt that after so many bouts of bad luck, his fortune was due to turn, and Shen Qing was his benefactor.

Just as Zhang Shan was lost in thought, the soldiers guarding the city gate suddenly sounded the alarm and shouted.

"A ferocious beast!"

Zhang Shan turned his head.

"A ferocious beast? Where did this blind beast come from to charge Luo Water City?"

"Get ready."

Seeing an Embroidered Uniform Guard lieutenant taking command, the city guards felt somewhat reassured and all readied their bows.

But soon they began to panic again, for even at a distance the sight made their hearts tremble—Zhang Shan himself swallowed hard.

"What manner of creature? A peak Innate Realm ferocious beast? Why would it come to Luo Water City?"

Soon, sharp-eyed Zhang Shan noticed something: there seemed to be a person on the white tiger's back.

This discovery made his heart pound even more; having been a lieutenant for years, he had seen plenty and knew that elsewhere martial artists sometimes kept ferocious beasts as pets or mounts.

As for using an Innate Realm beast as a mount, that is a privilege reserved for Grandmaster Realm martial artists.

Yongning Prefecture also had such a martial artist—the prefecture's Commandant—and unlike the two other captains, he possessed one; according to what he knew, the Commandant kept only a golden eagle, which could not compare to a white tiger.

The white tiger is the king of beasts; in strength and taming difficulty it could crush ten golden eagles in an instant.

Zhang Shan's eyes lit up—could it be that some important figure had arrived in Yongning Prefecture?

The white tiger drew near slowly.

Zhang Shan's gaze grew doubtful.

It felt as if the person on the white tiger's back was Shen Qing.

No, that can't be right—Shen Qing shouldn't have returned to the lieutenant's office to rest after destroying White Cherry Mountain Manor.

But the longer he looked, the more it resembled him.

"I'm not sure; let's look again."

"Damn, it really is Shen Qing!" Zhang Shan's voice rose three pitches: "Isn't he supposed to be sleeping in the city? Where did he get a white tiger from?"

Fang Ming also lowered his knife and kept craning his neck to stare.

Behind the white tiger, several horses trembled as they pulled carriages loaded with a dozen or so wild wolf carcasses.

Soon the white tiger approached, and Shen Qing leapt down from its back.

"Well, isn't that Zhang Shan?"

"Did you bring back a captive?"

Zhang Shan sheathed his blade, took a deep breath, and pointed at the white tiger: "Whether you caught someone or not doesn't matter—what is this..."

Shen Qing felt the envious, admiring gazes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard officers and the escorts, and he couldn't keep the smile from his lips.

He reached out and patted the white tiger's head.

"You mean this? Last night I went out and slaughtered a pack of wolves that had burst from White Egret Marsh, and I happened to encounter this white tiger."

"Ah, as soon as it saw me it insisted on following me; I couldn't shake it off. Its strength? About that of a peak Innate Realm beast."

The white tiger's huge eyes also showed doubt: "Is that really how it happened? Should I leave?"

Zhang Shan's mouth twitched; he was only at the seventh layer of the Innate Realm, and you're telling me that after a single outing you subdued a beast fiercer than yourself.

"Go ahead and play; who could possibly outplay you?"

Zhang Shan spoke with a sour tone: "Shen Qing, let me tell you straight—if you keep this up you'll have no friends."

Shen Qing laughed heartily: "Come on, come on, I'm just teasing—I killed a peak Innate Realm wolf; let's head back to the lieutenant's office for drinks and meat."

"Come on! Today I'm going to drink you broke!" Zhang Shan snarled.

Shen Qing thought of something, glanced back at the white tiger, and said: "Wait at the city gate for now; hold in your aura, or entering the city might cause trouble."

The white tiger nodded glumly: "Can my aura really be blamed on me? After all, I am the king of beasts."

Soon the Embroidered Uniform Guard officers followed Shen Qing into the city.

The white tiger also looked back at the distant mountains and forests; if it fled now, it would likely escape.

But after a moment's thought, the white tiger found a spot by the city gate and lay down.

Upon reflection, Shen Qing is not bad—young and strong.

In short,

Shen Qing's mount is worthy of being one.

Not long after returning to the lieutenant's office, the Luo Water Treasure Pavilion delivered a Mystic Jade Blue Lotus to the lieutenant's office.

Upon receiving the Mystic Jade Blue Lotus, Shen Qing wasted no time, directly ordering the Embroidered Uniform Guard to decoct it.

Several huge medicine cauldrons were carried into Shen Qing's room, and a faint Dragon Elephant resonance grew stronger with time.

At the same time, in Wuyang Continent, the Capital Imperial Palace.

A solemn old eunuch delivered a memorial to Empress Zhu Lingyun.

In Empress Zhu Lingyun's golden pupils a hint of surprise appeared.

"Shen Qing?"

"How long has it been since he last rooted out the White Dragon Sect?"

The old eunuch calculated and said: "Your Majesty, it's still less than a month."

"In less than a month he's already stirred up this much trouble; he really can't stay still."

Zhu Lingyue laughed.

"If he wants to cause trouble, then let him cause trouble."

"The martial world of Great Wu ought to have some change; let's start from Eternal Peace Prefecture."

"I want to see what kind of trouble he can stir up."

His gaze turned back to the Hundred-Household Office.

Shen Qing stood quietly at the exact center of the pavilion.

Shen Qing had completely absorbed all the medicinal potency; the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill had successfully broken through to the fifth layer, and his physical strength had reached an astonishing level.

Shen Qing was familiarizing himself with his power, grasping control of his body inch by inch.

Suddenly, Fang Ming walked into the courtyard.

"Sir, two fellows claiming to be Commandant-level Jinwu Guard have come, insisting on seeing you, boss."

"I've arranged for them to be at the public hall."

Shen Qing slowly opened his eyes.

"Jinwu Guard?"

"Good."

The Jinwu Guard is one of the Sixteen Guards of the Wu dynasty, likewise directly under the emperor.

Serving as guards, they garrison important locations in various provinces and prefectures, treasuries, and medicinal herb plantations; if the Embroidered Uniform Guard is like special police, then the Jinwu Guard is like bodyguards, tougher bodyguards, sometimes acting as messengers.

Meanwhile, the sixth-rank official position within the Commandant-level Jinwu Guard corresponds to the hundred-household officer rank in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Shen Qing lightly stepped forward, walking directly on the lake surface toward the side hall.

Fang Ming also noticed that, as early as an hour ago, Shen Qing had been standing motionless in this pavilion, seemingly practicing some skill; he couldn't help but wonder, could it be some kind of training implement?

Fang Ming craned his neck to look at the pavilion; his pupils instantly contracted—he saw only a palm-sized block of tofu inside, its snowy white surface bearing a faint footprint.

???

Could it be that Sir Shen has been standing on this tofu the whole time? The tofu hasn't spoiled even after a full hour?

What level of control over his flesh and true qi has this reached?

Fang Ming swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his voice trembling slightly.

"Sir Shen, are you really still human..."