A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 85 Imperial Secret Agent
The sudden turn of events startled Cheng Shifei. "What kind of strange martial art is this? How could a perfectly normal person turn into this?"

Seeing the two still wrapped up, Cheng Shifei didn't have time to think. He swung his knife and slashed repeatedly. With the sound of tearing cloth, Duan Tianya and Guihai Yidao finally emerged from inside.

"Thank you for your help, young man. Duan Tianya is very grateful."

Duan Tianya clasped his hands in a salute to Cheng Shifei, and Gui Haiyidao, though silent, also clasped his hands in thanks.

Cheng Shifei waved his hand repeatedly and said, "This is a piece of cake. It would be better if you could give me something more substantial."

Despite Cheng Shifei's mercenary and calculating manner, Duan Tianya was not disgusted. Such a genuine person was truly rare, and he couldn't help but look at him with even greater respect.

"Young man, we have other matters to attend to, so we'll take our leave now. If you need any assistance, you can come to Hulong Manor to find me."

Worried about the emperor's safety, Duan Tianya called out to Gui Haiyi and hurriedly left.

"Hey, why are you walking so fast?" Cheng Shifei looked around at the quiet surroundings and recalled Princess Lixiu's ambiguous behavior earlier. He shuddered and hurriedly left the Guobin Villa, heading straight for the palace.

Inside the courtyard, the emperor was staring at the kneeling Cao Zhengchun with an icy expression. Though he did not speak, his imposing aura pressed down on Cao Zhengchun, making it almost impossible for the latter to breathe.

"Eunuch Cao, you've arrived so quickly," the emperor said calmly, startling Cao Zhengchun so much that he shrank even further, his head bowed to the ground.

"Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty. Please punish me."

Cao Zhengchun didn't want to explain. The Emperor was clearly angry, and if he tried to defend himself, he would embarrass the Emperor in front of everyone and lose face. He would suffer the consequences. He could only confess his guilt for now. At worst, he would be punished, but he wouldn't really lose his life. He would explain to the Emperor later after things had calmed down.

Zhu Wushi looked at Cao Zhengchun with a hint of mockery in his eyes. Judging from the emperor's tone, anger was the dominant emotion. He didn't really intend to kill Cao Zhengchun, and this time he managed to let him pass the test.

Upon hearing that the emperor had been assassinated, Zhu Wushi rushed over immediately. Seeing that the emperor was safe and sound, Zhu Wushi breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that the emperor was still somewhat shaken, and with the Empress Dowager present, Zhu Wushi couldn't bring himself to say the words of reprimand he had originally intended to utter.

After waiting for a while, Cao Zhengchun finally arrived late with the men from the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. As soon as he saw the emperor, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to beg for forgiveness, until his forehead turned red.

"Get up," the emperor thought, still remembering Cao Zhengchun's kindness, and it was difficult to punish him in front of so many people.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Cao Zhengchun stood up and stood beside the emperor without saying a word.

"What just happened? Where did all your people go?"

"Your Majesty, after Your Majesty entered the inner room, we saw a white mist rise outside. After the mist dissipated, the house suddenly disappeared."

Cao Zhengchun hurriedly stepped forward to explain, hoping to let the Emperor know that he had not neglected his duties.

"White mist?"

"Yes, as soon as the white mist rose, I realized something was wrong. Just as I was about to step forward to investigate, a group of men in black suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The leader was highly skilled in martial arts, and I was immediately entangled by him. In the ensuing struggle, I unknowingly drifted from my original position."

Seeing the thoughtful expressions on everyone's faces, Cao Zhengchun pressed on, saying, "After I realized I had fallen into a trap, I rushed back to rescue them, but I encountered another person on the way. The two of them joined forces to attack me, which is why I was delayed."

After listening to Cao Zhengchun's explanation, the emperor turned to Zhu Wushi and asked, "Uncle, do you know what kind of martial art this is?"

Zhu Wushi pondered for a moment and said, "According to Eunuch Cao's description, this seems to be the Japanese Mist Concealment Technique. However, such a secret technique has always been practiced only by the Japanese royal family. How could this small country of Izumo know this martial art?"

"Izumo and Japan have similar customs and a rather complex population. There might be some shady dealings involved. Your Majesty, it seems this matter is inextricably linked to Japan. I will send someone to investigate immediately and make sure the truth comes out."

Cao Zhengchun, wanting to save face, made a promise to the emperor, who responded with a nod.

Just as the three were talking, Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyi arrived together. Seeing that the emperor and others were there, they felt relieved. However, Cao Zhengchun perked up as soon as he saw them.

"How dare you, Duan Tianya! You should be in a prison cell at the Eastern Depot right now. Why are you here?"

"Eunuch Cao, you may step down," the emperor said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengchun immediately fell silent and retreated behind the emperor.

Looking at Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyidao, the emperor said, "If it weren't for your timely rescue, I would probably be a corpse by now. What about that fake Li Xiu?"

Upon hearing the emperor's words, Cao Zhengchun realized that Duan Tianya and the other man had saved the emperor's life. He secretly lamented that his plan to drag Gui Hai into the mess had failed.

"Your Majesty, Narixiu is dead."

The emperor nodded upon hearing this and said, "Guihai Yidao is not only without fault, but has actually rendered meritorious service. Speak, what reward do you desire? As long as it is not excessive, I will grant it."

"Your Majesty, we are spies from the Dragon Guard Manor. Serving Your Majesty is our duty, and we do not need any reward."

"Alright, but even if you don't want it, I can't refuse to give it to you. Eunuch Wang, remember to remind me not to forget about the reward when you return to the palace."

Eunuch Wang should confirm.

"You two came from the backyard and saw what was going on."

"Cheng Shifei?"

After a moment's thought, Duan Tianya realized that this person was the young hero who had saved the two of them; his name was Cheng Shifei.

“Your Majesty, we were worried about your safety, so we rushed back after only exchanging a few words with Young Hero Cheng. Princess Lixiu was killed by him, and now that he hasn’t appeared, he has probably already left.”

"Enough, let's go back to the palace," the emperor said. He was exhausted from the fear and anxiety of the night, and if he weren't waiting for the results, he would already be resting in his bedchamber.

"Mother, you've been living in fear these past few days. You should rest and recuperate properly once you return to the palace."

The Empress Dowager nodded, "I will do whatever my son says."

"Uncle, it's getting late, you should go back too."

"Yes"

Upon seeing this, Cao Zhengchun hurriedly ordered the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to protect him, while he himself followed the emperor back to the palace in the palanquin.

"Let's go," Zhu Wushi said to Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyi, and left the courtyard. The rest of the matters would be handled by the people of the Eastern Depot, and there was no need for the people of the Dragon Guard Manor.

After leaving the villa, Cheng Shifei easily found his way to Princess Yunluo's palace, where Yunluo was playing chess with Xiaohuan out of boredom.

"My senior brother has been gone for two or three days, and we haven't heard from him at all," Yunluo said with some worry.

"Princess, Master Cheng is highly skilled in martial arts, he will definitely be fine, so please don't worry," Xiao Huan reassured her.

Watching the candle flame flicker, Yunluo felt annoyed. With a few flashes of a chess piece, the candle flame was shortened, making the originally dim palace room a little brighter.

"Wow, are you trying to murder your senior brother?" As soon as Cheng Shifei entered the palace, several chess pieces flew towards him. Thinking they were hidden weapons, Cheng Shifei quickly dodged. Looking at the chess pieces that had fallen to the ground, Cheng Shifei realized that he thought a thief had broken into the palace.

"Senior brother!" Upon hearing Cheng Shifei's voice, Yunluo was overjoyed and rushed over. She grabbed Cheng Shifei's hand and examined it from head to toe. Finding no injury, she was relieved.

"Xiao Huan, you can go out now," Yunluo instructed Xiao Huan. Xiao Huan bowed and left immediately.

Pulling Cheng Shifei into the inner hall, Yunluo asked impatiently, "Senior brother, why haven't you heard from me at all these past two days? The emperor won't let me leave the palace at will, and I've been very worried."

Seeing the worried look on Yunluo's face, Cheng Shifei felt a warmth in his heart, and then said in a silly tone, "Your senior brother went to find the Empress Dowager for you. Now that the matter has been resolved, shouldn't you pay back your two hundred thousand taels of silver?"

"Mother has been found! It's true!" Yunluo exclaimed in surprise. Her senior brother was indeed amazing; he found her so quickly.

"Of course it's true. You'll receive the news tomorrow. If you still don't believe it, go to the Empress Dowager's palace and ask for an audience. Then you'll know if it's true or not."

Upon hearing this, Yunluo flattered him, saying, "Senior brother's word is his bond, it must be true. Junior sister absolutely believes you. By the way, senior brother, wait for me a moment."

Cheng Shifei watched as Yunluo rushed into the inner room and soon came out carrying an exquisite wooden box, which she placed on the table.

"Open it and take a look," Yunluo said, glancing at Cheng Shifei.

Suppressing his excitement, Cheng Shifei carefully opened the wooden box. Inside, there were several compartments containing not only silver notes but also various gems and pearls. Under the candlelight, their dazzling light almost blinded Cheng Shifei.

"So much money! I've never seen so much money before!" Cheng Shifei reached out and grabbed a large, round pearl, cool to the touch—a true treasure. "This is the Mermaid Pearl, a birthday gift from my elder brother. It's priceless, so I'm giving it to my senior brother."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Shifei slowly put down the pearl, then took the full amount of silver notes, closed the box, and pushed it to Yunluo.

"Senior brother, take the ones we agreed on before. Junior sister, please keep the rest safe."

Although Cheng Shifei loved money, he acquired it in a proper way. He would not take a penny less or a penny more. Seeing that he was determined to do so, Yunluo had no choice but to put the things away.

"Senior brother, tell me what happened before."

"Let me tell you, I first went to the State Guest House, and then... in the end, I killed Li Xiu with a single finger. Junior sister, you didn't see Li Xiu with your own eyes. She had a woman's face but spoke with a man's voice. She was practically a hermaphrodite, even more eunuch than the eunuchs in the palace."

"Senior brother, please stop talking, I'm about to throw up," Yunluo hurriedly reached out to stop Cheng Shifei, frowning deeply, looking disgusted, and feeling extremely uncomfortable all over.

"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more," Cheng Shifei said, taking a sip of tea to suppress the nausea.

"Senior brother, you're so powerful, why don't you go to the Dragon Guard Manor? I heard that the Imperial Uncle is looking for the fourth Imperial Guard spy. Senior brother, you have superb martial arts skills and have made such great contributions. I'll ask the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Brother for help. I'm 90% sure we can succeed."

Yunluo's idea was very simple: as long as Cheng Shifei became a secret agent of the Imperial Guard, she would be able to see her senior brother more often.

Upon hearing Yunluo's words, Cheng Shifei's eyes flickered slightly. The Dragon Guard Manor was Zhu Wushi's territory. To defeat him, he needed to understand his opponent. However, he was somewhat reluctant to use Yunluo.

East Factory
Cao Zhengchun summoned Feiying and instructed him, "Feiying, put down what you're doing and send someone to thoroughly investigate all the news about the exchanges between Izumo and Japan. You must handle this personally; I don't trust anyone else to do it."

"Rest assured, Master, Flying Eagle will not let you down," Iron Claw Flying Eagle said confidently.

"Go ahead, you can allocate as many people as you like. Remember, I only care about the results, not the process."

"Yes".

Watching the Iron Claw Eagle leave, Cao Zhengchun's eyes darkened. He then summoned a trusted confidant and handed him a handwritten letter.

"Take this secret letter to Qingyan Town, find Qi Yu and Guo Yun, don't say anything, just hand it to them personally and come back immediately."

After his confidant took the order and left, Cao Zhengchun looked at the gradually brightening sky and thought to himself, "Zhu Tiedan, I can't say I've lost this game, and you can't say you've won. The real show is yet to come."

At the Dragon Guard Manor, Haitang saw her adoptive father and his two companions return and hurriedly went to greet them.

"Godfather," Haitang bowed respectfully. Zhu Wushi nodded and said to her, "Haitang, go and see Tianya. He was poisoned before, went to the Eastern Depot, and fought a series of battles. His body must be exhausted. He shouldn't go out for the time being. He should stay in the manor and recuperate properly."

Looking at the taciturn Guihai Yidao, Zhu Wushi instructed again, "Take a look at Yidao as well. Even if the child is injured, he won't say it. Give him a good check."

"Yes, Godfather."

Shaking his head, Zhu Wushi walked into the back hall and went back to his bedroom to rest.

"Brother, Yidao, let's go to the infirmary, I'll take a look at you."

"Thank you for your hard work," Duan Tianya said, knowing that Haitang was well-versed in medicine and might be able to cure the poison in his body. Gui Haiyidao, however, looked somewhat unnatural, and his ears turned slightly red.

After the three arrived at the medical room, Haitang first took their pulses, examined their symptoms, and asked them some questions. She then determined that it was a rare poison from overseas called "Pillow Dream," which was made from the Dream God Flower. Although it was colorless, it would emit a green light when heated.

"Is this poison easy to cure?" Duan Tianya asked. No matter what kind of toxin it is, it's never good for it to accumulate in the body.

“My master, Young Master Wuhen, once compiled a book of rare poisons in the world. This ‘Pillow Dream’ is ranked thirty-second, so naturally there is an antidote,” Haitang smiled confidently, turned around and went to the medicine cabinet, took out a white porcelain bottle, poured out two golden pills, and handed them to the two of them.

"This is a pill made from the root of the Dream God Flower, the best choice for detoxification."

"It's amazing that the root of a poisonous plant is the nemesis of flowers." Duan Tianya swallowed the pill, and in just a moment, he felt the suppressed true energy in his body begin to become active.

Guihai Yidao held the pill with some reluctance, and Haitang looked at him in confusion and asked, "Yidao, why aren't you eating it?"

"I'll eat it now," Guihai Yidao said, swallowing the pill with his head held high.

"You should not use your inner energy for the next seven days and take good care of yourselves."

Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyi nodded.

Two days later, after finishing his official duties in the Qianqing Palace, the emperor went to the Cining Palace. Zhu Wushi, Duan Tianya, Cheng Shifei, and Yunluo were all present in the palace.

Upon seeing the emperor arrive, everyone bowed and took their seats. The emperor glanced at the Empress Dowager, then at Yunluo and Cheng Shifei, and said to Zhu Wushi, "Uncle, I heard that the Dragon Guard Manor is short of a spy. I wonder if Cheng Shifei is capable of taking on this important task."

The Empress Dowager and Yunluo watched Zhu Wushi nervously, while Cheng Shifei remained calm and composed, seemingly unconcerned. Duan Tianya and the other two remained silent.

Zhu Wushi pondered for a moment, then stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, the secret agents of the Dragon Guard Manor need people with impeccable backgrounds and special skills; not just anyone can enter."

"However, since it is His Majesty's suggestion, I will make an exception. As long as Cheng Shifei can pass the three tests I set, I will immediately take him into the Dragon Guard Manor and make him the 'Number One Yellow-Rank Imperial Secret Agent'."

Zhu Wushi already knew Cheng Shifei's background from his intelligence network. He looked down on Cheng Shifei's origins. Duan Tianya and the other two were people he knew well and had trained, unlike Cheng Shifei, who was just a hoodlum who had learned martial arts from who-knows-where.

He wanted to refuse the proposal, but he couldn't disregard the Emperor and Empress Dowager's feelings. Setting up these three tests was just to make him back down. If he couldn't pass the tests, it wouldn't be his problem.

The emperor glanced at Zhu Wushi and said to Cheng Shifei, "Cheng Shifei, are you willing to accept the test? If not, I can reward you otherwise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Cheng Shifei simply enjoys challenges. How can I know the outcome before even trying?"

"Alright, Imperial Uncle, then prepare the three test questions as soon as possible. I will also go to see them." The Emperor was very satisfied with Cheng Shifei's words and then instructed Zhu Wushi.

"Your humble servant obeys," Zhu Wushi said, bowing after seeing that the emperor had no other instructions. He then left with Duan Tianya and the other two.

"Senior brother, these three questions from the Imperial Uncle will definitely be very difficult. Are you confident?" Yunluo could see that the Imperial Uncle was very reluctant, and she couldn't help but worry. What would happen if her senior brother couldn't get into the Dragon Guard Manor?

"Don't worry, your senior brother is full of confidence. I will definitely bring back that number one yellow number."

Seeing his confidence, the Empress Dowager didn't say anything more. The Emperor, however, was quite interested. He remembered that the Taoist priest had said someone would rescue his mother, and that person must be Cheng Shifei.

"The Taoist priest is indeed incredibly powerful. Could he possibly predict the future?" The emperor felt a surge of excitement, but then calmed down.

Far away in Qingyan Town on the coast, Qi Yu and Guo Yun disappeared after receiving a secret letter. Even General Fang Zhao did not know where they went.

Not far away, the Giant Whale Gang had gained two inconspicuous individuals.

Shaolin Temple, back mountain
"Master, this formation is the first one I have ever set up, and there are bound to be some shortcomings. I will have to trouble you with it."

"Amitabha, Daoist Master, you are too kind. This old monk would also like to see this extraordinary array formation. Daoist Master, may we begin?"

Gu Xu greeted him, raised his hand, and under the impetus of his internal force, the formation changed from stillness to movement, and the figure of Master Liaojie in the formation gradually blurred.

"What a formidable formation!" Master Liaojie, being within the formation, could directly sense the hidden killing intent within.

"This formation is based on the Eight Trigrams, governed by the Five Elements, and implicitly contains Yin and Yang. It is truly extraordinary. The Gate of Life is not the Gate of Life, and the Gate of Death is not the Gate of Death. One wrong step will lead to a passive situation."

Master Liaojie was twirling his prayer beads and scanning his surroundings when suddenly several wooden stakes flew in from the east and three spears flew in from the west. Under the combined attack, Master Liaojie leaped into the air. At this moment, the formations from the north and south were activated at the same time, with earth, water, fire, and wind all appearing.

Master Liaojie channeled his power into his palm, unleashing a powerful palm strike towards the Eastern Green Wood position. Amidst the flying dust, the wooden stake vanished without a trace. However, Master Liaojie's expression turned grave. Hearing the sound, he hurriedly dodged to the side, only to see that the Eastern Green Wood position had transformed into the Western Geng Metal position, while the Yin and Yang of the North and South positions were reversed, and the Five Elements were reversed.

"The Taoist priest is ingenious. The Five Elements Reverse Formation is hidden in the Four Symbols, but this will create a flaw." Master Liaojie flicked his prayer beads, secretly holding three beads that flew towards the central earthen mound. Several mounds of earth exploded with a bang, and the other four were also shaken. The formation was exposed. Master Liaojie stepped towards the earthen mound.

Unexpectedly, just as he stepped onto the earthen platform, the ground suddenly sank three feet. Master Liaojie gathered his true energy and rose into the air, thus avoiding being trapped.

Before he could catch his breath after landing, attacks from all four directions converged again. All the prayer beads in Master Liaojie's hand flew out, constantly hitting the wooden stakes and stone pillars, and returning after collision. He rolled up his monk's robe and found that several beads were missing.

“The Reverse Five Elements Formation is also a trap. It seems that the most important thing is the change of Yin and Yang.” While dealing with the attack, Master Liaojie thought of the missing Buddhist beads. He immediately focused his strength and stood still with one foot. The formation was slightly hindered. A wooden stake in the east paused for a moment, and then returned to its original position.

"The gate to the formation is here!" Master Liaojie's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He flicked his monk's robe, and all the Buddhist beads inside struck the wooden stake. The wooden stake was smashed by the tremendous force, and with this opening, Master Liaojie leaped out and broke through the formation.

(End of this chapter)