Chapter 311

Nanjing, Forbidden City.

The delicate-looking young eunuch took small, quick steps, moving cautiously and rapidly along the corridor without making a sound.

As the capital at the founding of the Great Ming, Nanjing city still retained a vast and magnificent palace city, but after more than a hundred years of time since the capital was moved and a lack of repairs, it had left traces of decay in too many places.

The young eunuch familiarly bypassed the Jinshen Hall and Qianqing Palace, which had been burned down for decades, stepped over the corridor where the pillars had been dismantled, and walked toward a side hall.

When he reached the entrance of the side hall, he stopped, skillfully stood to one side of the entrance, lowered his head, and stood silently to the side.

After a long while, a cough came from inside the door, and only then did he walk forward slowly and gently push open the door.

As soon as the door was pushed open, the heat in the room rushed toward him. Several heaters were placed on the floor, and heavy curtains hung on the window lattices all around, blocking out the light; only the dim candlelight flickered constantly in the room.

In the center of the room, an old figure was supporting himself on the bed to stand up, struggling to put on a complex python robe.

This person was one of the most luxurious figures in Nanjing city, and also the commanding official in charge of all military power in Nanjing, one of the four Garrison Eunuchs of Nanjing—Cun Dong.

The young eunuch did not step forward to serve, but stood in place, waiting for Cun Dong to finish changing his clothes extremely slowly, before walking forward slowly to support his arm.

Cun Dong was already in his seventies, and his physical state did not look good; after changing his clothes, a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he coughed incessantly.

The young eunuch patted Cun Dong's back lightly.

Slap.

Slap.

Slap.

After a moment, Cun Dong's complexion looked better, and the young eunuch supported his arm again, saying softly.

"Old Ancestor, the other three are waiting for you at the Huagai Hall."

"What for?"

Cun Dong asked indifferently.

"Early this morning, an Embroidered Uniform Guard Battalion Commander showed his waist medallion at the city gate; it was hard to block in full view of everyone, and he has already entered the city."

The young eunuch said softly.

Cun Dong furrowed his brows, his withered fingers tightening on the young eunuch's arm.

"Where is he now?"

The young eunuch said softly and rapidly.

"Arranged to stay at the 'Longjiang Post,' and hasn't come out since. But he hasn't made any moves so far, nor has he gone to the Embroidered Uniform Guard office to find anyone; he is abnormally quiet."

"The key is that this person is extremely unfamiliar, not any of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Battalion Commanders we knew before, but that waist medallion is real—the other three are inviting you to discuss this matter."

Cun Dong did not speak, the young eunuch understood and closed his mouth, supporting him out of the side hall and walking toward the Huagai Hall.

After walking for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they arrived at the entrance of the Huagai Hall.

The young eunuch supported Cun Dong into the hall; as soon as they entered, he sensed the oppressive and cold atmosphere in the hall, and quickly lowered his head, nodding silently.

Three people were already sitting on the chairs in the hall.

The middle-aged eunuch sitting upright on the left, with meticulous clothes and a serious expression, was named Shang Qiu.

The two young eunuchs sitting very close on the right, with identical appearances and equally anxious expressions, were named Liu Chun and Shou Xia.

Adding Cun Dong, the four Garrison Eunuchs had all gathered in this Huagai Hall.

Seeing that Cun Dong had finally arrived, Shang Qiu acted as if he hadn't seen him, still drinking tea on his own. Liu Chun and Shou Xia, however, both let out a cold snort.

"Old thing, such a high-and-mighty air! None of us have anyone to serve us, only you bring someone in, relying on your age to bully others!"

Cun Dong acted as if he hadn't heard, supported by the young eunuch, walked slowly to a chair and sat down, only then speaking slowly.

"If you want to argue or kill, wait until the matter is settled."

"Hmph!"

Liu Chun and Shou Xia snorted coldly again, but they also sensibly closed their mouths.

Cun Dong turned his head to look at Shang Qiu.

"Companion Shang, what have you found out?"

Shang Qiu put down his teacup and said in a deep voice.

"Found out nothing."

"The waist medallion is real, but the person has no background, at least he doesn't match any of the Company Commanders or Battalion Commanders in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I had people bring a few surrendered Embroidered Uniform Guards to look, and they all said they didn't recognize him—it's as if he suddenly popped out of the ground."

"However—" he hesitated for a moment.

Liu Chun sneered.

"If you have something to say, say it! What's the point of swallowing it back!"

Shang Qiu furrowed his brows.

"It's just a guess, no solid evidence—this matter might be related to 'that person'."

As soon as these words were spoken, Liu Chun and Shou Xia's complexions changed, and even Cun Dong's brows were tightly locked, saying in a deep voice.

"How so?"

Shang Qiu tapped his fingers on the table.

"After the Imperial Mausoleum incident, 'that person' disappeared for half a year, only appearing on the fifteenth of the eighth month at Mount Song, holding a moon-viewing banquet, suppressing the entire Jianghu, and then lost his tracks again; no one knows where he is now."

"But this person has three characteristics."

Shang Qiu held up three fingers.

"First, this person likes to use disguises to walk the Jianghu, wandering around, and his methods are numerous; often, as he walks, he follows the clues and turns things upside down."

"Last year's incident... the cause was just a small Five Mountains Sword Sect, and in half a year, he turned it into a major case of rebellion—perhaps he followed the clues from the water stronghold matter and chased to Nanjing."

"Second, this person likes to collect subordinates from the Jianghu; the few Battalion Commanders and confidants he has now were almost all collected from the Jianghu."

"That young Battalion Commander who entered the city, since he has no background, perhaps he is a subordinate he recently collected from the Jianghu."

"Third..."

Shang Qiu sighed.

"This person's nature is fierce and cruel; whether breaking a situation or setting one up, there is only one method—killing."

"Coincidentally, early this morning, a Commander under me and two water strongholds lost contact; perhaps it was this person's doing."

He looked up and slowly uttered a name as if groaning.

"That person..."

"The peerless demon who killed the Commander, committed the great crime of regicide, usurped the imperial court, and overturned the Jianghu—Li Miao."

"Perhaps he has already arrived."

As soon as these words were spoken, the complexions of the other three became extremely ugly.

The younger Liu Chun and Shou Xia stood up abruptly and paced back and forth: "So fast! This, if he enters the city, we could die at his hands at any time! The guards in this Forbidden City are like toilet paper to him!"

"We clearly already sealed off the news... how did he know!"

"Cun Dong! Could it be that the two Battalion Commanders under him, Wang Hai and Li Xiaosi, have already escaped the city!"

Cun Dong slowly shook his head.

"No, although we haven't caught them, the two are still hiding in the city; my men are currently tracking them and have already touched their tails; at the very least, I can guarantee they haven't escaped the city."

"Rather, with that person's methods, it's not strange even if he investigated Nanjing himself."

Liu Chun and Shou Xia gritted their teeth, also knowing that now was not the time to blame each other.

"Companion Shang is only guessing, perhaps it's not accurate... perhaps it's just a young Battalion Commander who was just promoted, and perhaps those water strongholds and Commanders who lost contact just had some accidents..."

Shang Qiu slammed the table violently.

"But what if he really came?"

"Are you not afraid that when you sleep tonight... he will suddenly appear at your bedside? Are you not afraid that when you eat, he will suddenly walk in from the door with a smile? Are you not afraid that when you walk on the road, you will suddenly be grabbed by the neck from behind?"

"He has only been walking the Jianghu for a little over a year, and he has at least a thousand lives on his hands! Shuntian, Miaojiang, Qilu, where has he been that hasn't been flowing with blood! Are you not afraid!"

"I am afraid! I think you should be afraid too!"

Liu Chun and Shou Xia's complexions were ugly, but they were unable to refute.

After a long while, Cun Dong spoke slowly.

"Let's do this, we can't lose our footing."

"Companion Liu, Companion Shou, you two go and test that Battalion Commander to see what his agenda is."

"Companion Shang, let's prepare for the possibility that he really has come."

"If things go wrong... we can only move it up."

Having said that, he looked up at the young eunuch standing beside him and sighed.

Bang!

Suddenly, he raised his hand and struck the young eunuch's chest with his palm!

Crack.

A crisp sound, the sternum broke and pierced the organs; the terror on the young eunuch's face hadn't fully appeared before he fell to the ground, twitched a few times, and lost his breath.

The other three turned a blind eye, instead turning their heads to look to one side.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.

Footsteps came from behind the hall, and a person walked out slowly, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at the four Garrison Eunuchs.

"Immortal Master."

The four high-ranking Garrison Eunuchs actually stood up together and bowed to him, and that person accepted the bow as a matter of course.

Cun Dong said in a deep voice.

"Immortal Master, you heard the words just now, that demon might have already arrived... although the collected wealth is not yet complete, it might be difficult to seek perfection, I don't know if it will affect your Immortal Art?"

That person waved his hand.

"The Great Dao is forty-nine, the one that escapes is the one that is difficult to seek perfection."

"It's just that I previously thought I could 'restore the Yang' for the three companions, but with the current preparations, perhaps only two companions can get their wish."

The four Garrison Eunuchs' complexions changed upon hearing this, their gazes scanning each other, their hostility becoming more intense, and at the same time, their complexions became hesitant.

Three spots weren't enough to divide, making the four of them almost turn against each other... now there was one less, so what cooperation and division of labor could there be?

Compared to enemies, accomplices fighting over loot were even more hateful!

Even more deserving of death!

Seeing this, that person smiled indifferently, walked slowly to Cun Dong, and reached out to pinch his pulse point.

Extreme joy appeared on Cun Dong's old face, while the other three stared at his face with envious and jealous gazes.

Under the cold gazes of the three, Cun Dong slowly grinned.

It was as if a pair of invisible hands were slowly stroking his cheeks, gently and firmly moving and tightening the skin. The wrinkles slowly disappeared, and his appearance gradually changed.

But this wasn't important... what made him most joyful was that his lower body, which had been empty for decades, was slowly heating up and swelling with pain, as if something was about to grow out.

Thinking of the maids at home who could be looked at but not used... Cun Dong felt a long-lost impulse surging from the bottom of his heart, making him want to cry.

Immortal Art!

All the Wu Gong in this world, even the healing techniques of the Heaven-Man realm, couldn't do it... restoring the Yang! Even, an Immortal Art that could change his old body from the inside out into another person!

"Laozi" says: "Cleanse the mysterious mirror, can it be without flaws?"

The mysterious mirror is the mirror of the heart. Cleanse the evil decorations, reach the ultimate purity and stillness, then there is nothing that cannot be reflected!

Flawless and without blemish, always guarding and always present!

Cun Dong said joyfully.

"I know, we will do it today!"

That person smiled and let go of his hand, not speaking.

The four Garrison Eunuchs walked out of the Huagai Hall, and when they reached the outside, they turned around together and bowed deeply toward the inside of the hall.

"We will definitely not let worldly matters disturb your cultivation!"

"Immortal Master Zheng!"

By the time the four of them raised their heads, that person had already disappeared.