From street beggar to high-ranking official

Chapter 64 The Mysterious Shadow

Inside Jingyang Palace, Lu Li was studying martial arts techniques in a side hall.

Some time ago, he went to the Hidden Martial Arts Pavilion to collect the martial arts manual. Although he had not been working there for a full year, he was favored by Consort Wu and could still enjoy this privilege.

He had previously estimated that his current skills might not be enough to handle the situation at Jingyang Palace, but he never expected that something would happen as soon as he went out.

This is why Lu Li would specifically spend money to have the Directorate of Ceremonial conduct an autopsy: when Imperial Physician Zhang said the coroner was dead, Lu Li's first priority was to confirm whether the person had been murdered.

It's not that he's overly sensitive; rather, in this deep palace, a careless maid simply cannot survive.

"Our family picked out an invisibility technique from the Hidden Martial Arts Pavilion, hoping it will actually come in handy."

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Lu Lixuan's martial arts technique is called "Ghost Shadow Tracking," which originated from the assassination techniques of Jinpeng Fortress in the Western Regions.

There are different grades among martial arts techniques. Some techniques are so difficult that you can't even practice them if you're not strong enough. "Ghostly Shadows" is a typical example of this.

The most basic requirement for this third-grade technique is that one's true qi must surround the entire body. It cannot be mastered by anyone other than a seventh-grade martial artist. As for the consumption of true qi, it is still within Lu Li's acceptable range.

The Ghostly Shadow Technique, once mastered, allows one to conceal their form, moving silently and without a trace. Even in dark, secluded places, only a faint shadow can be seen, as if a ghost were floating by.

This technique is best practiced at night, because the only weakness of this technique is that it leaves a lasting impression.

A dark shadow flashed by in broad daylight, attracting the attention of anyone who saw it.

This is not the most advanced stealth technique that Lu Li could find. There is also a superior technique of "Ghost Shadow Tracing" called "Standing Still Without Shadow". It is a second-grade technique and a unique skill of the Ghost King Sect. It is a top-level lightness and stealth technique. Its storage in the martial arts pavilion is similar to that of "Ghost Shadow Tracing". Both were collected by the Taizu when he conquered the martial arts world and destroyed the Ghost King Sect. After mastering it, one can conceal all auras and become like a phantom that is ignored by others.

Moreover, "Upright Shadowless" is extremely fast, its afterimages moving without leaving a trace, and can avoid all frontal attacks.

However, this technique consumes an extremely high amount of true energy; those without talent cannot sustain it for more than a few breaths. After comparing it to his own experience, Lu Li decisively abandoned it and chose "Ghostly Shadow Tracking."

"In a little over a month, we can go to the Hidden Martial Pavilion again, but it will be too late then," Lu Li thought to himself.

He then used his true energy according to the description of the technique. After the true energy enveloped his entire body, Lu Li's figure seemed to suddenly disappear.

An indistinct, ghostly figure wandered within Jingzu Palace. As Lu Li walked around, the eunuchs and maids sweeping around him were completely unaware of his presence.

"Wait, the optimal solution for this technique seems to be..." Lu Li came to the shadow behind one of the palace maids.

Under the sunlight, the palace maid's shadow and the fleeting ghostly figure blended together perfectly.

Lu Li perfectly blended into the shadows of others in broad daylight.

"I see, I see." Lu Li left and came to a dark corner again. He continued to flip through the book and sure enough, he saw some insights from his predecessors in the postscript of the cultivation technique. There was indeed such a point among them.

However, it also emphasizes that a martial artist's sensory perception gradually increases from the seventh rank onwards, and even stronger masters can detect the existence of ghostly figures.

Any method of invisibility has similar flaws; after all, it is not truly about being contained within a mustard seed or hidden in nothingness.

Lu Li continued walking within the palace. Having already received specialized training in walking techniques within the palace, his mastery of the Ghost Shadow Tracking technique made his efforts twice as effective. Furthermore, with his Listening Ear Technique, he could hear within a radius of twenty feet. Lu Li was confident that he could monitor the entire Jingyang Palace by himself.

He suddenly realized why some ninth-rank eunuchs could guard important palaces by themselves. The combination of different martial arts techniques often had a very good effect. Of course, the Hidden Martial Pavilion was an exception. It was full of old eunuchs who had been there for many years. The Hidden Martial Pavilion was a holy place that martial artists all over the world flocked to, but if you were asked to go there, they would all shake their heads and wave their hands to refuse to go and die.

Just as Lu Li was about to withdraw the true energy that enveloped his body, he suddenly heard strange noises coming from a storeroom in Jingyang Palace that should have been empty.

A series of lewd and seductive sounds emanated from the person. Because he practiced the art of listening to sounds, the sounds of their intimate whispers made Lu Li feel as if they were playing with him right in front of him. Even Lu Li, a ruthless and bloodthirsty character, blushed at the sound.

"What a shameless servant girl, she actually dared to come here!"

'

Eat together.

When Lu Li first heard it, he thought it was a term describing birds and beasts exchanging food, but he later learned that in the palace it specifically referred to eunuchs and palace maids flirting together.

He was no longer the naive man he once was; he now knew about procreation between men and women. Unlike eunuchs, who cut off the root of their troubles, palace maids found it hard to bear the loneliness of the deep palace. Some palace maids would linger among themselves, some would seek out male companions, and some would find a partner to keep them company.

Although eunuchs are castrated, they at least still have the appearance of men and can also experience the thrill of marriage.

Some eunuchs also had this desire. They had severed their ties to sex and could not indulge in it, but they still wanted to, as if this would make up for what they had lost. Lu Li had even heard that some senior eunuchs had families outside the palace and adopted many godchildren and godchildren, so that they could be cared for and seen off when they grew old and left the palace.

Most eunuchs and palace maids ate together, but there were also those who, like now, engaged in sham sexual acts in the storeroom of Jingyang Palace, listening to saccharine phrases like "I want you," "I miss you," and "I want you." He almost didn't want to imagine what that scene was like.

Lu Li appeared, his steps different from his usual light and quick pace; almost every step he took was firm and resounding. The sounds in the storeroom disappeared in an instant, and it was quiet as if no one was there. Only after Lu Li's footsteps had completely faded away did the faint sound of someone putting on clothes be heard from inside the storeroom.

When the evening meal was served, Lu Li watched the few palace maids serving Consort Wu. Everything was normal except for the maid Xue Kui, who bowed slightly to Lu Li.

Lu accepted it calmly.

He naturally knew who the two eunuchs and palace maids he was paired with were, but he didn't need to ask them himself. As long as they weren't stupid, they would come to him on their own.

Sure enough, when Consort Wu was resting for the night, Lu Li stayed in the side room to serve her at any time. A very light knock sounded, the door was pushed open, and a little eunuch had only taken a few steps in when he took the initiative to kneel in front of Lu Li and respectfully presented him with a handful of silver.

Everything is self-evident and needs no words.

The money wasn't much; it might be the last penny this little eunuch had saved for his coffin. But the fact that he was willing to come at this time showed that he had done his utmost to express his fear, sincerity, loyalty, and remorse.

"Xiao Yanzi, get up." Lu Li took the silver and nodded gently.

"Thank you for your mercy, Eunuch Lu!" Xiao Yanzi replied respectfully in a low voice, thinking to herself that this ordeal was finally over.

The punishment for sexual relations varies in severity, but this was in Consort Wu's palace, and Eunuch Lu could even offer advice to the consort. In more serious cases, it could even be considered as being beaten to death or being sentenced to death.