17: Become a second-class warrior

Chapter 17 Becoming a Second-Rank Martial Artist

"Crack!"

Inside the Kun Ning Palace, the Empress slammed the teacup in her hand onto the floor.

"What did you say? Emperor Brother went to Consort Duan's place?"

"Y-Yes, Your Highness..."

The maid knelt on the ground, her delicate body trembling slightly.

"Consort Duan, Consort Duan... How could Emperor Brother go to Consort Duan's place?"

The Empress said in disbelief: "Didn't he dislike Consort Duan the most before, saying that women should obediently stay at home to assist their husbands and educate their children, so why did he go to Consort Duan's place tonight?"

The little palace maid lowered her voice and said: "this servant heard from the Father-in-law of the Jingshi Department that His Majesty originally wanted to come to Your Highness's place tonight, but Your Highness just had your monthly period yesterday and ordered the Father-in-law of the Jingshi Department to take down Your Highness's plaque."

"His Majesty casually flipped through and landed on Consort Duan..."

"Outrageous!"

The Empress covered her stomach and said with an ugly expression: "Those good-for-nothings in the Jingshi Department, why didn't they remind this palace in advance!"

"Hurry, hurry up and hang my plaque back up..."

The anxious Empress didn't even refer to herself as 'this palace' anymore.

"That must never be done, Your Highness."

The little maid hurriedly stopped the Empress: "Your Highness, your monthly period has not yet passed; you must absolutely not attend to the bedchamber."

"Not to mention it harms your body, if it displeases His Majesty..."

"Sigh...!"

Hearing the maid say this, the Empress could only let out a long sigh.

She was very clear that the maid was right, but thinking about how tonight's glory and favor should have been hers yet instead benefited Consort Duan made her fume with anger.

"Consort Duan, Xu Qingluan, this palace will remember this matter!"

She said through gritted teeth: "Tell the eunuchs of the Jingshi Department that as soon as my period ends, hang my plaque up immediately, understand?"

"Yes... Your Highness!"

...

Early morning, Yin hour.

Xu Qingluan dragged her inconvenienced body and personally dressed Zheng Yi.

Enjoying Xu Qingluan's service, Zheng Yi said with some heartache: "Luaner, just let Jian Yu and the others handle these trivial matters; you should rest a bit more."

Xu Qingluan's face was still slightly red as she said softly: "Serving Your Majesty is this concubine's due duty; this concubine is fine."

"You've worked hard."

Last night, through the Yin Yang Treasure Mirror, not only did he obtain the Cultivation Technique Hundred Battles Blood Fiend Saber from Xu Qingluan, but his bone structure and martial arts Aptitude were also enhanced.

Overjoyed, he had stayed on Xu Qingluan's body almost the entire time without getting off.

If Wang Zhongyi hadn't urged him to go to court, he definitely wouldn't have gotten out of bed!

At this moment, he truly understood what it meant to say "from now on the monarch no longer holds early morning court" !

Quickly tidying up, he said, "Beloved Consort, rest first; I am going to early morning court."

"Respectfully sending off Your Majesty!"

After Wang Zhongyi led Zheng Yi away, Consort Duan also stood up with the support of Jian Yu.

"Congratulations, Your Highness, joyous congratulations, Your Highness..."

Consort Duan's eyes also held a strange look as she said: "Having not seen each other for several years, Your Majesty has actually become so heroic and martial."

"Especially... so full of energy, not at all as frail as the rumors say."

Jian Yu said: "Sigh, Your Highness, you don't go out often, so you probably don't know."

"During this period of time, there are countless rumors about Your Majesty..."

...

Outside Xianfu Palace, Zheng Yi sat on the sedan chair to rest as Wang Zhongyi leaned closer and transmitted his voice:

"Your Majesty, how was yesterday's enjoyment?"

"Many thanks... to Father-in-law Wang, this humble servant will never forget this kindness."

"Hehehe... For Your Majesty, this servant is not afraid of being smashed to pieces. But... Your Majesty has exerted so much effort and energy, is your stamina still abundant?"

Zheng Yi's heart stirred; by using the Yin Yang Treasure Mirror for Dual Cultivation, he didn't feel tired at all.

Not to mention there were benefits to be gained.

What does being a bit tired matter?

Wang Zhongyi continued: "As the ancestral home of Daoism and the state religion of Great Yu, Taiyi Sect is said to have the Suoyang Secret Technique within it, allowing one to manage ten women in a night while remaining unbreakable like a vajra..."

Zheng Yi reined in his mind and said solemnly: "Please teach me, Father-in-law."

After returning to the separate courtyard, Zheng Yi once again looked towards the Yin Yang Treasure Mirror.

[Life Master: Zheng Yi]

[Talent: Yin and Yang]

[Lifespan: 24 / 95]

[Cultivation Technique: White Lotus Reincarnation Divine Skill Level 1 (100 / 100)]

[Hundred Battles Blood Fiend Saber Level 1 (25 / 100)]

[Comprehensive Strength: Third-Rank]

Through a single night of Dual Cultivation with Consort Duan Xu Qingluan, he actually gained 25 points of proficiency in the Hundred Battles Blood Fiend Saber.

One must admit Consort Duan's allure.

Furthermore, her Physique and Aptitude were extraordinary, likely the highest among the women in the inner palace.

It seemed that the stronger the Aptitude, bone structure, and Comprehension Ability of the woman he performed Dual Cultivation with, the more benefits he would obtain.

"It's a pity that Bi He is pregnant, and the Jingshi Department couldn't possibly hang up her plaque. My White Lotus Reincarnation Divine Skill is stuck at Level 1 and cannot Breakthrough."

"Could it be that I really have to wait eight or nine months for Bi He to give birth and finish her confinement?"

"Fortunately, there is Consort Duan."

"Hundred Battles Blood Fiend Saber..."

This is a saber technique, as well as an Internal Skill and Mind-Cultivation Technique.

It was created by the military's number one person, Xu Mujun, and is properly a slaughter-path Cultivation Technique.

Integrating saber techniques into the Mind-Cultivation Technique, it is a saber technique most proficient in slaughter and combat.

When fighting others, the more one kills, the stronger one becomes, and it can combine one's own internal Qi and Evil Qi to unleash even greater might!

Most importantly, this Cultivation Technique does not place too much emphasis on a Martial Artist's bone structure and Aptitude.

As long as you have the courage to fight enemies on the battlefield.

Then as the number of people killed increases, the Internal Energy also increases, and the strength becomes even stronger!

Among the hundreds of thousands of troops in the Great Yu Dynasty, at least more than half of them are Cultivating Hundred Battles Blood Fiend Saber!

Of course, ordinary soldiers only Cultivate ordinary saber techniques without any Internal Skill and Mind-Cultivation Technique.

And the Hundred Battles Blood Fiend Saber that Zheng Yi obtained from Xu Qingluan was undoubtedly the most authentic, passed down from Xu Mujun!

"Ordinary soldiers must step onto the battlefield to Cultivate Hundred Battles Blood Fiend Saber, but my battlefield is in another place...!"

"Xu Qingluan!"

Over the next few days, Zheng Yi stayed overnight at Xianfu Palace every day, performing Dual Cultivation with Xu Qingluan.

Hundred Battles Blood Fiend Saber advanced by leaps and bounds, quickly breaking through to the second level.

He could feel that a violent aura was swirling around his Dantian, which he could manipulate at will.

And the Internal Energy Cultivated by the White Lotus Reincarnation Divine Skill obediently hovered in a corner, not daring to contend.

At the same time, over these few days, Zheng Yi also obtained quite a bit of intelligence on the Great Yu court through the mouths of Wang Zhongyi, little eunuchs, and guards.

In the third year of zhengyong, October 13th.

Xu Mujun heavily defeated the Wu Country army and captured the majestic border pass of Wu Country, "Black Mountain Pass"!

Since then, Wu Country's interior had no strategic defenses left, and dozens of cities were exposed under Xu Mujun's military spearhead.

Yet at this time, Yang Xuansu used a memorial stating 'military provisions are urgent, and the two countries are on friendly terms' to strictly order Xu Mujun not to mobilize troops at will and to garrison Black Mountain Pass.

Above the imperial court, Emperor Zhengyong flew into a rage.

However, the Minister of Revenue used the excuse of popular uprisings in Qing Province making it impossible to transport military provisions, forcing Emperor Zhengyong to issue the garrison order.

In the third year of zhengyong, October 16th.

The Yellow Heaven Army, White Lotus Sect, and Mandate of Heaven Army merged into three armies, launching a surprise attack on the Great Yu army's garrison, routing the imperial guards led by Yang Guang, breaking through the Great Yu army's encirclement, rushing out of Qing Province, and stepping into Ji Province!

Since then, the four northern provinces of Qing Province, Ji Province, Hai Province, and Bin Province had become a world of rebel mobs.

The Longxiang Army was also compressed by the rebel mobs and Wu Country into Bin Province and within Black Mountain Pass, with their grain supply routes and reinforcement routes completely severed.

The Longxiang Army had become an isolated army!

Emperor Zhengyong had no choice but to issue twelve successive imperial edicts, strictly ordering Xu Mujun to withdraw his troops and suppress the civilian rebellion!

It was under such chaotic circumstances that Zheng Yi relied on Xu Qingluan and the Hundred Battles Blood Fiend Saber to sleep his way into a Second-Rank Martial Artist!