'I just stirred a little of my blood and Qi flame, and that First Red Robe Chief Steward almost sensed me?'
'That was a bit reckless.'
'But I should still get out and walk around the palace more often in the future.'
Su Chen strolled leisurely through the inner palace, heading toward his Library Pavilion.
After sitting idly in the Library Pavilion for half a year and seeing the New Dynasty gradually stabilize, Su Chen could no longer remain still.
In a cold, desolate place like the Library Pavilion, eating nothing but plain steamed buns for three months had him complaining endlessly. Six months of tedious sitting was truly his limit. Su Chen decided he would take any opportunity to get out and walk around, as long as he didn't run into any powerful figures.
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
From a rockery garden in the distance, a series of voices called out.
From far away, Su Chen saw the figure of a handsome young man dressed in a Bright Yellow Dragon Robe. Although his aura was somewhat different, it was indeed the same Seventh Prince Su Chen had met before.
The Seventh Prince of the past had been young, impulsive, and immature. In order to help his Imperial Brother, he had marched straight to Su Chen, demanding the secret formulas for perfume and soap.
Now...
His spine was ramrod straight, and he projected an aura of authority without being angry. He was stern and rarely smiled, as if learning how to be an Emperor, not wanting his subjects to guess his thoughts.
Beside him stood a young woman in Silver Armor.
The two of them strolled leisurely, walking through the rockery garden. Judging by their posture and appearance, it was almost as if...
'It looks like they're trying to cultivate a romantic relationship.'
"Right?"
A figure had appeared silently beside Su Chen.
He had black hair and bright eyes, a powerful build, and a rather handsome face. His features bore a faint resemblance to the woman in Silver Armor; he was either her older or younger brother.
'I've run into someone important.'
Su Chen didn't want to get involved. Worried about offending someone important and bringing trouble to his peaceful, leisurely life in the deep palace, he gave a cupped-fist salute and turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, the black-haired man followed Su Chen all the way to the Library Pavilion.
"Whew."
"Finally, some peace and quiet."
"I have no idea why I have to tag along while my big sister is cultivating a relationship with His Majesty."
"This is a nice place, though. Birds singing, flowers fragrant... wait, what's this flower? Heavens, isn't this Mist Star Grass from the Northern Commandery? You actually managed to grow it."
This black-haired man was clearly from a military background and was the type to get friendly fast. Seeing the Mist Star Grass, he rubbed his hands together, looking like he wanted to pluck it out and take it with him.
"Which descendant of the Marshal Northern Garrison are you?"
Su Chen looked at the man.
His courtyard was filled with rare and exotic plants, their main feature being their scarcity. It was obvious this man had a northern accent, and that his sister was able to be romantic with the young Emperor. Their clan must have a First Grade Cultivator.
This young Emperor was being crushed by the Purple-robed First Supervisor to the point of suffocation.
He desperately needed a First Grade Cultivator.
Otherwise...
He would forever remain just the Seventh Prince who got the throne by a fluke, not His Majesty the Emperor.
"The Marshal Northern Garrison is my grandpa."
"In the third generation, it's just me and my big sister for now."
"My name is Chuu Wu. What's yours? That attire you're wearing... you're not a eunuch, are you?"
Chuu Wu looked at the Profound Black Eunuch's Attire Su Chen was wearing, and it was as if he'd just woken from a dream. He wore an expression of pity, as if thinking what a waste it was for someone so handsome to no longer be a man.
Without saying much,
Su Chen found a brocade box, dug up the Mist Star Grass, and placed it inside, wanting only to send this important person on his way as quickly as possible.
"Thanks."
"Su Chen, right?"
"I consider you a friend now."
Chuu Wu glanced at the palace access token hanging from Su Chen's waist and clapped him on the shoulder.
This was a Peak Fourth Grade Body and Qi Dual Cultivator.
A Martial Arts Prodigy.
Aside from Zhang Gui, this was the first time Su Chen had seen a second Martial Arts Prodigy who practiced Body and Qi Dual Cultivation.
"Chuu Wu, you're running around the palace again."
A sharp rebuke rang out.
A woman in Silver Armor, possessing a valiant air, strode in. She was slightly thin, with a height that would rival any man's.
That rockery garden was too close to the Library Pavilion.
"Big Sis, I saw a handsome man and was thinking of tying him up and bringing him home for you..."
Chuu Wu said.
The moment she saw Su Chen, Zhu Feng's eyes lit up.
Skin like white jade, eyes like stars, and a full head of long, dark hair. Even the Profound Black Eunuch's Attire couldn't conceal the man's beauty. The most stunning woman would pale in comparison before him.
"What a handsome gentleman."
Zhu Feng smoothed a lock of her hair.
To the side, Chuu Wu's eyes went wide. It was the first time he had ever seen his big sister, who could slay a Northern Bear Demon with a single axe blow, act with such girlish charm.
"Big Sis, he's a eunuch."
Instantly.
The atmosphere froze.
The hand Zhu Feng was using to smooth her hair stiffened.
'Sigh.'
'Trouble.'
'This is all so troublesome.'
Su Chen felt utterly helpless and didn't want to say a word.
In the Library Pavilion's courtyard, a large procession of eunuchs, surrounding His Majesty the Emperor in his Bright Yellow Dragon Robe, had already entered.
"Insolence!"
"Where did this little eunuch come from? How dare you..."
The leading eunuch, merely a Blue-robed Steward, saw that Su Chen was only a Black-robed Eunuch and instantly strode forward to berate him. He wanted to kill this boy with a palm strike for daring to attract the woman the Emperor had his eyes on.
His robes billowed, his Fourth Grade Violent Qi Realm Cultivation on full display.
"Steward, this is the Library Pavilion."
"He is the Black-robed Eunuch of the Library Pavilion..."
Behind him, another eunuch instantly grew anxious.
Although this person only wore a Profound Black Eunuch's Attire, he was one of a kind in the entire deep palace. Even if he couldn't practice cultivation, he was not someone who could be humiliated in the slightest.
Just the other day, a Steward Eunuch from another area had been thrown into the Water Prison by the stewards of the Martial Arts Bureau on some pretext, simply because he'd cursed that a good-for-nothing lived in the Library Pavilion.
In this inner palace, aside from the First Red Robe Chief Steward, the other three Chief Stewards had all picked the wrong side and followed the New Emperor. Only Zhang Gui, when welcoming the New Emperor, had been met with the new ruler's dislike, but in turn, he had gained the appreciation of the Purple-robed First Supervisor.
This was a perfect example of heaven-blotting power.
"He's from the Library Pavilion..."
"This is the Library Pavilion?"
"Damn it! Why didn't you tell me sooner!"
The Blue-robed Steward's voice became shrill. He stumbled back several steps, scared out of his wits.
Seeing this,
even though he was His Majesty the Emperor and was intentionally trying to cultivate a more shrewd and unreadable demeanor, a gloomy look still flashed in his eyes.
The New Emperor had ascended the throne, but there had been no enthronement ceremony.
What kind of Emperor was he?
He couldn't even change the dynasty's name.
At this moment, he was like a puppet on the throne. His most loyal eunuchs were only at the Blue Robe Level, not even daring to confront a good-for-nothing in the Library Pavilion who couldn't cultivate.
"Su Chen, it has been a while."
"I vaguely recall."
"The last time we met, you looked just like this. A Profound Black Robe, a man as exquisite as jade, but sadly, just a eunuch."
The New Emperor said with a faint smile.
Su Chen stood to the side with his hands lowered, remaining silent.
No one knew.
He wasn't actually a eunuch.
Moreover, he wished these people would leave quickly. Otherwise, people would die.
The combined fragrances of these rare and exotic plants created an extremely potent poison.
Fortunately,
the New Emperor and the female General did not stay long. They soon left the Library Pavilion, and Su Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, the New Emperor was a young man, after all. Before leaving, he gave Su Chen a cold, hard stare.
He had clearly committed Su Chen to memory.
"This Seventh Prince—no, this New Emperor—truly has none of an emperor's magnanimity, does he?"
On the ninth floor of the pavilion stood a figure in a red robe. He was a handsome man with a smile in his eyes, a bright green grass tassel hanging from his waist. He held a flask of White Confucian Wine and was looking down at Su Chen with a grin.
It was none other than...
the immensely powerful and arrogant Zhang Gui.
At this moment, his aura was even more unfathomable. Perhaps he hadn't yet broken through to Second Grade, but as a Martial Arts Prodigy with a vast supply of money, his Path of Qi had surely reached the Third Grade Realm.
With money and power, the only thing Zhang Gui lacked was time.
He could truly become the Purple-robed First Supervisor!