From street beggar to high-ranking official

Chapter 66 The Guardians of the Main Hall

Shouts gradually rose outside Jingyang Palace. There weren't many, but the sounds were rather eerie.

As Lu Li leaned against the doorpost, listening to the dark depths of the palace, he couldn't help but wonder who was behind this mischief.

The person who could stir up such a disturbance in the inner court must undoubtedly be a traitor, and it is even possible that he came from one of the twelve directorates of the Inner Palace.

who is it?

Many possibilities flashed through Lu Li's mind, but he couldn't convince himself of any of them.

Suddenly, a figure moved on the palace wall in the distance. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Eunuch Zhao and his group of eunuchs and godsons.

"Eunuch Zhao is here!" A young eunuch was overjoyed, but Lu Li and his godchildren remained silent, looking down on the young eunuch for his lack of discernment.

"We've come to protect the palace!" shouted Eunuch Zhao.

The duties of the Grand Eunuch of the Secretariat were to guard key locations and obey the emperor's orders, but the twelve directorates of the Inner Palace Office naturally had the duty of protecting the palace, especially the Directorate of Palace Guards.

Not only Eunuch Zhao, but also colleagues, both those they had met before and those they hadn't, were all rushing over here.

Some were there to protect the safety of nobles, while others were there to guard various palaces. Upon closer inspection, the highest-ranking official Lu could see was only of the fourth rank.

Not only did the Admiral not come in person, but the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs did not send anyone either.

There is a problem:

Lu Li gradually realized that something was wrong. This so-called plague god seemed to be all bark and no bite, and the people who came and went the most were actually just the people from the Palace Guard.

"Little Lu, how is Consort Wu?"

As Eunuch Zhao drew closer, Lu Li merely frowned slightly upon seeing him approach: "There are imperial physicians, female officials, and midwives guarding the side hall of Jingyang Palace day and night; there's no need for Eunuch Zhao to trouble himself."

""

"So, Xiao Lu is just guarding the door?" Eunuch Zhao suddenly said, "If a thief crosses the roof ridge and beams and breaks into the hall, then we will not be held responsible."

As Eunuch Zhao was speaking, he was about to step forward, but was stopped by Officer Lu.

"Thief? Where did this thief come from?" At this point, Lu Li wasn't going to feign politeness with Eunuch Zhao.

"There are only our own guards here. Could the thief be hiding among them, or...?"

'

After a moment of hesitation, Lu Li suddenly stepped forward and struck Zhao Gonggong in the chest with a palm strike!

The eunuchs present, and even the adopted sons of Eunuch Zhao, did not react in time. By the time Lu Li released his hand, a bloody hole had already been punched in Eunuch Zhao's chest, from which black blood was flowing out.

At the same time, a stench of decay began to spread.

"Damn it, Eunuch Zhao is long dead!"

'

"When did he die? How did he become a corpse!"

"Plague God, Plague God, the Plague God has descended!!"

The young eunuchs, who had only recently entered the palace, lacked any courage and panicked at the mere sight of the long-dead corpse.

Lu Li ignored the bystanders, his eyes fixed on the ghostly figure he had just knocked away.

From the moment he arrived at the gate of Jingyang Palace, Lu Li kept his Listening Ear Technique activated, sitting in front of the palace and listening to all directions. When Eunuch Zhao approached, he sensed something was wrong. Upon closer inspection, he realized that Eunuch Zhao was only exhaling and not inhaling, and had no heartbeat. The source of the breathing and pulse sounds was the shadow behind Eunuch Zhao!

"As expected, it's Ghostly Shadow Tracking!" Lu Li immediately recognized the other party's technique. He didn't know the other party's identity, but judging from the current situation, he was at least a seventh-rank martial artist.

Since Eunuch Zhao had died long ago, Lu Li's sneak attack was completely unprepared for the opponent. The ability to attach true qi to an object is something only a sixth-rank martial artist can do, and the fact that the opponent was so cautious at least proves that his strength is not too great.

Even if you are a sixth-rank or fifth-rank official, Lu Li would not dare to back down even a step. He could only hope that the old eunuchs of the Hidden Martial Pavilion would really arrive, and that Master Zhang Tianyi's Taoist magic would really be useful.

The ghostly figure flickered erratically, and in the blink of an eye, an unfortunate eunuch was caught in its shadow. As if truly controlled by the ghost, his eyes were fixed on Lu Li, and in the eunuch's high-pitched voice, he slowly spoke: "Eunuch Lu, move aside, and I'll spare your life."

,

Lu Li ignored him and attacked fiercely when the other party approached. He also transformed into a fleeting ghostly shadow and entangled with the other party. Neither of them could directly detect the other's presence. After a few exchanges, Lu Li's official robe quickly developed a tattered hole. Fortunately, his true energy protected him and he was not seriously injured.

"Godfather, this ghostly shadow doesn't seem to be authentic martial arts!" Xiao Chuanzi suddenly said.

None of the junior eunuchs were particularly strong, and only Lu Li stepped forward at the moment. The other officials in the Palace Guard with higher ranks than Lu Li either sat on the sidelines and watched the fight, or they were simply not strong enough to help.

Of course, this is only the surface. Just looking at the way that ghostly figure kills silently is enough to make us wary. If Xiao Lu is willing to risk his life, then let him risk his life!

You can't work yourself to death, how are you going to make money if you work yourself to death?

This was the thought of the vast majority of eunuchs present. Only Lu Li's four adopted sons were so anxious that they jumped up and down. They had long been bound to Eunuch Lu. They often used Eunuch Lu and the prestige of Jingyang Palace to embezzle money and show off in front of their colleagues. If Eunuch Lu really died here, they would be in deep trouble.

The two ghostly figures entangled again, then separated, leaving behind a strong smell of blood. Lu Li revealed his true form, holding the head of a small eunuch in his hand.

He casually tossed it aside, his premonition growing increasingly uneasy. He realized that the other party didn't have the ability to kill him outright; it seemed that he needed to meet the condition of being subdued. Perhaps it was due to his skill, or perhaps it was as Xiao Chuanzi said, that he wasn't following the orthodox path. But in any case, killing the other party was too difficult.

"Eunuch Lu, move aside," the ghostly figure spoke again.

Lu Jieran laughed: "While I'm alive, I won't allow you to enter Jingyang Palace. Even if I'm dead, I'll keep haunting you. Whether it's the living world or the underworld, it's either me or you. Bring on all your tricks, I'll be waiting."

The ghostly figure moved with strange movements. He himself had only been able to deal with the eunuch who was being slept with several times, but he could see the other party's concerns. This ghostly figure could only enter the palace by following people.

Could it be?

Lu Li suddenly thought of the kind-faced door gods hanging on the gate of Jingyang Palace.

The ghostly figure, after hearing this, said in a low voice, "Then I'll kill everyone here, young and old, and leave you alone to suffer—"

"So you don't dare to kill me!" Lu Li immediately seized the opportunity: "If you don't dare to fight me head-on, what are you pretending for!"

The ghostly figure was immediately driven away by Lu Li. The ghostly figure, about to say something, suddenly screamed, "Oh no! You're so cunning! You've invited a celestial master! You've set up a trap! I've been tricked—"

1

The ghostly figure landed on another eunuch and lunged toward the palace gate, but was stopped by several eunuchs guarding the gate. It then turned back and lunged toward the window, then turned back again. No matter what, Lu Li used the Ghostly Shadow Tracking technique to relentlessly pursue it.

Master Zhang arrived at this moment, waving his blood-stained whisk, sweeping over like a whirlwind, and even carrying a black sword in his hand.