Simultaneous travel: I am rampant in the domestic area

"How does it feel?"

After Tuoba Shanyue and the Sky Chariot Warriors left, Ji Ye also emerged from the shadows.

When Russell asked her a question, Hime did not answer immediately, but instead tried to swing the gun in her hand.

Whether it's muscles, tendons, or bones, none of them have reached their limit. He didn't even use any special techniques; it was just a simple, ordinary swing.

But the air suddenly exploded.

After putting the gun away, Ji Ye said, "Very good, better than ever before."

“This is just the beginning,” Russell said with a smile.

What he passed on to Ji Ye was the domineering mental cultivation method. The domineering true energy had a very high compatibility with Ji Ye's own personality and the Wind and Thunder Spear Technique and the Extreme Fierce Spear that he practiced.

Besides, the Four Directions Sword Technique, the Azure Cloud Dividing Mountain Force, and the Iron Bone Armor in his possession were gifts left for Asule.

As for the Skyward Warriors, he bestowed upon them the Ming Cult's Glazed Body Technique, which not only enhances mobility but, more importantly, also assists teammates.

There is still a long time to go.

He was eager to see if the three thousand ninth-rank soldiers could roam freely across the land.

……

half a month later.

Nanhuai City.

On the highest tower of the East Palace, Asule leaned over the railing, gazing at the birds circling in the sky.

The setting sun cast its last rays upon Phoenix Pond, creating a shimmering expanse of water, as if sprinkled with shattered gold. The entire city of Nanhuai was shrouded in a misty sunset, and the faint, ancient sound of clappers striking the clouds could be heard from a distant high platform.

The sunset over the South Huai River is a scenic spot in Wanzhou, and it is a favorite subject of songs and poems among the gentry.

However, Asule didn't like it that much. The houses here were always so tall, and no matter where he went, there were endless pavilions and towers that blocked out the distant grass and trees and the floating clouds in the sky.

He especially disliked the towering palace walls; walking beneath them, he felt as if the walls were pressing heavily on his chest, making his breathing involuntarily heavy.

He missed the grasslands, missed the feeling of standing on horseback and seeing the end of the world, where the sky was an endless expanse of blue, and where eagles with white wings often took flight, soaring proudly and alone.

The Ninth Prince, Lü Baoyin, had recently left Nanhuai, and now only the Tie brothers, Tie Yan and Tie Ye, remained by his side as guards.

Fortunately, he wasn't alone here; he made two good friends.

"Asule, come down quickly."

As Asule was thinking, he suddenly heard someone calling his name from below the city wall.

Looking down, he saw Yu Ran standing under the city wall waving at him, while Ji Ye stood behind Yu Ran, holding a gun, also looking up at him.

Today is the Ghost Festival, a day when people in the Eastern Continent pay respects to their deceased relatives. He also has relatives he wants to remember.

As the sun set, Ji Ye and Yu Ran met up with Asule in front of the palace gate, and the three of them walked toward the market, chatting and laughing.

"Isn't it a beautiful friendship?"

On another section of the city wall, behind Russell, dressed in black, stood Ling Yuan, also dressed in black.

“Uh, Master, it seems that the relationship between Ji Ye and Princess Yu Ran is not as simple as friendship,” Ling Yuan reminded her.

It's quite interesting that Baili Huan absolutely refused to marry Asule, so Baili Jinghong took it upon himself to bestow the title of Princess upon Yu Ran and marry her to Asule.

This directly created a delicate relationship between Asule, Jiye, and Yuran.

Asule and Yuran are engaged, Jiye and Yuran like each other, and Jiye also becomes close friends with Asule.

Yes, triangles are stable, and the most important thing is for the three of them to live a good life together.

"Let's go, we need to get back to our business." As the sun gradually set and the three little ones' figures grew increasingly distant, Russell put on his mask.

Led by Ling Yuan, the two stealthily made their way to the front of the East Palace's library, avoiding the patrolling guards and eunuchs.

The Crown Prince of Xia Tang, Baili Yu, was clearly not interested in reading, so this place had been abandoned for a long time.

Russell and Ling Yuan arrived here without alerting anyone.

They were familiar with the person in charge here, who was known as Consort Su in the palace and was currently in charge of Asule's daily life.

At the palace gate, Russell slowly stopped. Ling Yuan understood and stepped forward, gently pushing open the unlocked wooden door with her slender hand.

"Squeak-"

The sound of the door hinges turning was particularly jarring in the quiet night.

Inside the door was an impenetrable darkness, but Ling Yuan remained calm and stepped into the recording room first.

The moment she stepped into the recording room, a dark shadow seemed to emerge from the shadows of the wall, approaching Ling Yuan from behind and pressing a claw-like hand against her right shoulder.

Just as that hand was about to touch Ling Yuan's shoulder, Ling Yuan didn't even turn around. Her left hand reached out, her five fingers like hooks, precisely targeting the pulse point of the wrist on her shoulder. At the same time, her left leg lifted up, aiming straight for the knee of the person behind her.

The breakout and counterattack occurred almost simultaneously, flowing smoothly and entirely out of fighting instinct.

The owner of the hand on her shoulder seemed to have not expected Ling Yuan to react so quickly. She withdrew her strength and slightly turned her body to avoid the sharp back kick.

The two separated immediately upon contact, each sliding back half a step, assuming a fighting stance in the darkness.

“Not only is Mr. Luo not ill at all, but he also sneaked into the Eastern Palace at night. I’m afraid he won’t be able to explain this to the King.” Su Shunqing looked at Luo Su outside the door and reminded him coldly.

Russell smiled faintly, entered the room and closed the door, plunging the study back into darkness.

In the darkness, the faint sounds of clothes rustling in the wind and the muffled thuds of fists and feet clashing could be heard continuously.

Two figures moved swiftly and agilely in the small, dark space.

Su Shunqing chopped at Ling Yuan's neck with a hand strike, but Ling Yuan tilted her head back to dodge. She then spun around and aimed her toes at Su Shunqing's waist. Su Shunqing blocked with his elbow, and with his other hand, he thrust his fingers like a sword straight at Ling Yuan's ribs. Ling Yuan's waist bent backward as if it were broken, barely dodging the attack. She braced herself with her left hand on the ground, and her right leg swept towards Su Shunqing's lower body like a whip...

After a few minutes, the battle ended. Russell lit the oil lamp, and Su Shunqing was already pinned down by Ling Yuan.

With Ling Yuan pressing her knee against his chest, Su Shunqing had difficulty speaking: "Even a demon shouldn't be so violent."

Ling Yuan sneered. How could an old woman like you possibly understand the blessings bestowed upon her master?
“Consort Su.” Russell sat down in a chair, looked down at Su Shunqing, and said, “I’m sorry, I made an appointment with General Xi in your name, but I was worried that you wouldn’t come, so I came to invite you in person.”

"Is this the invitation Mr. Luo mentioned?" Su Shunqing struggled a little, but to no avail; Ling Yuan pressed down even tighter.

“I apologize, I’m not good with words. Before I can communicate with someone, I always have a habit of beating them to make them listen to my reasoning.” Russell waved his hand, and Ling Yuan finally got off Su Shunqing and helped her up. “Mr. Russell is a member of the Skyward Faction?” Su Shunqing clutched her chest and looked at Russell’s right index finger, where there was a ring. She continued, “You came here for that sword?”

“That’s right.” Russell said frankly, “Su Jieyu should also want to find a new owner for this sword as soon as possible. After all, Youyin has come of age.”

Youyin is the son of Youchangji, who was the previous Grand Master of Tianqu and the previous owner of the Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword.

The Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword is also a sacred object of the Skyward Expedition, the sword of the Skyward Expedition's successive Grand Masters. One who gains the sword's approval can become the Grand Master who leads the Skyward Expedition.

Back then, You Changji wanted to abandon the sect leader's rule of "only protecting, not seizing power" and seize power with "blood and iron." He contacted generals and powerful families of various states, preparing to join forces to assassinate the king.

He wanted to overthrow the rule of the Bai royal family and establish his own country. He hoped to gain the support of his wife's family, the Baili clan, but Baili Jinghong, the ruler of the Lower Tang Kingdom, betrayed him.

Baili Changqing, the head of the Baili family, wrote a personal letter and sent it by fast horse to the capital of the various lords, where he negotiated with them separately.

In the "Three Agreements Between the Emperor and His Subjects," the emperor and the feudal lords reached a tacit understanding: the feudal lords supported the emperor's legitimacy, the emperor maintained only 20,000 Imperial Guards, reduced taxes to the level of the founding of the dynasty, and then sent 327 people from the Imperial Capital Court to assassinate him.

The Skyward faction also learned of his desire to overthrow the Bai royal family. Because his actions went against the Skyward's will, the other six of the seven sect leaders stamped the eagle emblem on the letter to punish You Changji with their finger cots, and at the same time regarded him as a traitor, preparing to eliminate him from within.

Under the combined attack of these two forces, You Changji unsurprisingly lost his life and died in the ancestral tomb of the Eastern Palace of the Lower Tang Dynasty.

His second wife, Su Jieyu Su Shunqing, came to seek refuge in Baili Jinghong with You Changji's son, You Yin.

As the betrayer, Baili Jinghong also coveted the Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword. He had been training Youyin all this time so that he could take up his father's sword and open the Sky Chariot's armory.

However, this sword is a divine object, bearing a cursed realm known as the "Dragon Blood Bone Knot Curse Seal." Once the previous sword owner dies, this cursed realm is activated, killing anyone who tries to usurp it.

Either you have a pure heart, like crystal, or you have a strong and unyielding spirit.

Otherwise, the moment you grasp the sword, you will be devoured by the sword spirit and become its nourishment.

Su Shunqing knew what her adopted son was like: violent, ruthless, and stubborn; anyone who held a sword would surely die.

The problem now is that Baili Jinghong can't wait any longer.

He had searched for her many times, wanting her to take Youyin to inherit the Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword.

"It seems that the King also has Mr. Luo's people around him." Su Shunqing couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

Russell is even more mysterious than her origins. Since the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, he has neither become a prime minister nor a nobleman, nor has he amassed a fortune. He remains detached from the court and does not interfere in business matters. He simply offers advice and strategies, and no one knows what he wants to do.

I never expected that after all these years, Sky Chariot would produce a member whose style of doing things is so similar to Chenyue's.

……

Midnight, Huangyuefang.

There was no one around. A gentle breeze ripped across the ground, sweeping across the entire Huangyue Street. A black-canopied carriage stood quietly under the gate, its wheels covered with fallen leaves swept by the wind.

Autumn was approaching, and there was a slight chill in the air after nightfall. The black horses pulling the cart were magnificent night draft horses, their long manes and tails neatly trimmed and tied, and they were covered with thick black horse coats.

Suddenly, the black horses began to neigh softly, and the clanging became more rapid.

A hand reached out from behind the carriage curtain and gently patted the horses' rumps, calming the wary warhorses.

A black figure flashed out from behind the gate. With light and agile steps, he leaped onto the carriage and disappeared behind the curtain.

"Mr. Yi," the person waiting in the car greeted the guest.

The newcomer removed the hood that covered his face, revealing long, silvery eyebrows and beard, and slowly sat down: "General Xi."

Xi Yan was unusually not wearing a long robe; his entire body was shrouded in black rhinoceros leather armor, with thin, tough steel plates protecting his vital points. His heavy sword was not tied to his waist but was firmly strapped to his back, making him look like a wandering, nameless warrior.

Looking at Xi Yan, Yi Tianzhan said directly, "Go straight to Russell's house."

Xi Yan had no questions, nodded, and stepped forward to drive the carriage, which soon stopped in front of Russell's residence.

Russell's house was certainly not unsupervised, but half of the people monitoring Russell were Sky Chariot Warriors under Xi Yan's command, and the other half were secret agents under the Grand Preceptor's command.

To put it simply, Russell could get news about Baili Jinghong anytime, anywhere, while Baili Jinghong could only get the corresponding news if Russell wanted him to see something specific.

Russell swaggered out with Su Shunqing, and the two got into the carriage together.

Currently, inside this carriage are the Lord of the Skyward Revelation, the widow of the former Grand Master, as well as the Master of the Cangming Sect and the Master of the Wanlei Sect.

"I really didn't expect you to come." Ling Yuan drove the carriage towards the ancestral mausoleum, but Xi Yan inside the carriage seemed somewhat absent-minded.

It's not really his fault.

He had previously told Su Shunqing that leaving the sword in Xia Tang was not a good thing for him and his mother, and hoped that Su Shunqing could lead the way so that he could go in and take the sword out. However, Su Shunqing's reply was to wait and think about it.

Russell approached him yesterday, saying he had already won over Su Shunqing, which he naturally didn't believe. He only came tonight because of Yi Tianzhan, but unexpectedly, Su Shunqing actually came.

This hurt him deeply.

“If Mr. Luo summons me, I will always go,” Su Shunqing said.

She knew Xi Yan liked her, and she also knew that she would never like anyone else in her life, and that she might die tonight. Therefore, she did not want Xi Yan to continue to have unrealistic fantasies.

Unfortunately, Russell will not give her that opportunity.

Although he knew Xi Yan wouldn't harbor any hostility towards him because of this, he wasn't one to take the blame.

The distance from Russell's home to the Lower Tang Ancestral Mausoleum wasn't far, but it was enough for Russell to explain the whole story to Xi Yan.

After Russell explained everything, Xi Yan's expression became even stranger.

Well, how should I put it? It's like he cherished a priceless treasure so much that he was afraid it would melt in his mouth or break in his hands, only to have Russell stand up and kick it without any sense of reason.

Despite the eerie atmosphere, the group successfully arrived at the ancestral tomb.

"This carriage bears the emblem of the Court of State Ceremonial, allowing it to proceed directly through the West Gate. I have placed some trusted confidants among the guards, who patrol near the entrance to the ancestral mausoleum. Entering the mausoleum will not be a problem for us."

The only worry is alerting the patrolling Purple Willow Camp warriors. The ancestral mausoleum has only one small entrance. If we get trapped inside and have to force our way out, even if all seven sect leaders were present, it would be an impossible task, let alone the two sect leaders. Once we enter the underground palace, we shouldn't linger. We should immediately retrieve our swords and leave. Are the three of you ready?

Apart from Russell nodding very seriously, no one responded to him.

Su Shunqing had already resolved to die, and as for Yi Tianzhan, he didn't even bring his ancestral arm guards.

He came today only to witness Russell taking the sword.

Before long, the carriage entered the ancestral mausoleum and arrived outside the central hall. (End of Chapter)