Yang Guo travels back in time to become Duan Yu, a different kind of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.

Chapter 67 Night Visit to Yaohua Palace

Bianliang, the imperial capital, truly lives up to its reputation as the most prosperous capital city in the world.

The avenues crisscrossed, carriages and horses thronged like dragons, and pavilions stretched to the sky. Taverns and teahouses lined both banks, and the sounds of music and song never ceased. Scholars, merchants, imperial guards, and servants of noble families came and went in an endless stream, presenting a scene of prosperity and peace.

In comparison, the imperial palace of the Song Dynasty was rather shabby.

The Song Dynasty, hailed as the wealthiest dynasty of its time, possessed riches from all corners of the world, yet its imperial city was the most cramped and impoverished among all dynasties in history. Everyone knows that the Qin Dynasty had the Xianyang Palace and the Epang Palace, the Han Dynasty had the Changle Palace and the Weiyang Palace, and the Tang Dynasty had the magnificent Daming Palace, but when it comes to the Song Dynasty, very few people know its official name; people simply refer to it as the "Great Inner Palace."

At its core, this imperial city was originally the office of the Xuanwu Military Governor during the Tang Dynasty. After being modified and adapted over the Five Dynasties period, its inherent layout was cramped. The space was so cramped that it could not simultaneously accommodate the inner court and the central government agencies. Many government offices, such as the Six Ministries, had to be located outside the palace walls.

Emperor Taizu of Song founded the country from scratch and was determined to be a wise ruler who would serve as a model for future generations. He exercised extreme restraint in his personal life, only making minor repairs to the palace and never undertaking large-scale expansions.

When Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, he wanted to improve his residence. He sent people to discuss relocation with the people around the capital, offering to pay compensation. However, the people were unwilling to leave their homeland. Since Taizong's ascension to the throne was already shrouded in mystery, he naturally dared not take any further measures to forcibly requisition people's houses.

During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, the emperor once again had the idea of ​​expanding the project and raised generous compensation to resettle the people. Before he could discuss the matter with the residents, the court officials submitted memorials to dissuade him, citing the past events of the previous emperor. Emperor Zhenzong had no choice but to shelve the plan.

The first three emperors failed to accomplish this, and subsequent emperors were even more cowardly. As a result, the Song Dynasty never expanded outwards for over a hundred years.

This also facilitated Yang Guo's actions. The imperial city's defenses appeared to be layered and heavily armed, but in reality, the layout was unbalanced, emphasizing the main gate while neglecting the side gates, and the main roads while neglecting the waterside pavilions. In particular, the western part of the Imperial Garden was usually quiet and sparsely populated because the eldest princess, who was aloof and disliked noise, lived there, and the imperial guards patrolled the area the least.

Yang Guo found a secluded inn near the northwest corner of the imperial city to stay in. During the day, he quietly regulated his breathing and restrained his sharpness, transforming himself into an ordinary traveler in the martial world; when the third watch drum sounded, it was a time when people and horses were exhausted and the guards were mentally fatigued.

Yang Guo changed into a black outfit and quietly left his room. He traversed the inn's courtyard walls, streets, and rooftops as if walking on flat ground, and in a flash, he had already reached the foot of the imperial city's outer wall.

The majestic palace walls are several meters high, with thick blue bricks stretching endlessly. Arrow crenellations stand atop the walls, and every few steps there are armored soldiers with bows on guard.

Even the most skilled martial arts masters would find it extremely difficult to surpass him by even the slightest margin.

Yang Guo possessed the Ancient Tomb Sect's lightness skill, had learned the superior lightness skill of the Nine Yin Manual, and also had the Lingbo Weibu that Duan Yu had previously learned. His lightness skill had already reached the pinnacle of the world.

He lay hidden in the shadows at the base of the wall, waiting for a patrol of imperial guards to walk away slowly. Then, his figure transformed into a wisp of smoke and rose silently, without making a sound. He soared through the air over the several-foot-high wall and landed steadily under the dense shade of ancient trees inside the palace.

Within the imperial city, countless palaces stood in layers, their halls overlapping one another. The sounds of imperial guards patrolling at night, the soft clinking of armor plates, and the flickering light of torches could be heard constantly. Only the western side of the Imperial Garden, as marked on the map, remained utterly deserted.

Yang Guo followed the map, navigating artificial hills, crossing stone bridges, and circling waterside pavilions, carefully avoiding several patrols along the way. Before long, a secluded and elegant house, completely unlike the opulent palaces of the six palaces, quietly appeared under the moonlight.

Yaohua Biedian.

The palace was not particularly tall, with simple blue tiles and plain eaves, and minimalist carvings, completely lacking the extravagance of the palaces in the inner palace. A shallow stream flowed around the low courtyard wall, and the courtyard was planted with green bamboo and white plum blossoms. When the night breeze blew, the bamboo shadows swayed, creating a serene and otherworldly atmosphere.

The entire courtyard was so quiet it was almost desolate.

Yang Guo hid deep in the bamboo shadows and gazed into the distance.

Inside the hall, only a dim, yellow glass lamp was lit. The light shone through the paper window, casting the silhouette of a slender and graceful woman standing quietly by the window, motionless, as if she had been standing there for a long time.

Yang Guo held his breath and hid in the shadows of the bamboo grove, observing quietly for a long time.

There were no hidden guards or ambushes outside the palace, nor were any eunuchs seen coming or going. The entire Yaohua Villa was unusually quiet. It was likely that the eldest princess had always disliked noise and had pleaded with the Empress Dowager, who, out of consideration for her beloved daughter, had specially decreed that the place be exempted from the cumbersome guard duties, thus ensuring her a lifetime of peace and quiet.

A moment later, the figure inside the hall slowly moved.

The moonlight shone through the window paper, and one could vaguely see her raising her hand and arm. Her movements were smooth and graceful, and her starting and ending postures were elegant and graceful, just like the preparatory posture of the Jade Maiden Sword Technique.

Although he couldn't see the long sword through the window paper, Yang Guo could clearly see the unique style of the Ancient Tomb Sect in the figure's posture, aura, and every move, without the slightest mistake.

It really is the Ancient Tomb Sword Technique!

Yang Guo's heart was filled with turbulent emotions that he found difficult to calm down for a long time.

Who would have thought that within the deep palace of the Song Dynasty, there was a royal princess who practiced the martial arts of the Ancient Tomb? She did not enter the martial arts world or get involved in conflicts. Although she held the highest position, she lived alone in a cold and secluded palace, refusing marriage and avoiding the world.

Yang Guo forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his chest, not daring to reveal himself rashly and disturb the viewer. He simply gazed silently at the figure inside the window practicing his moves alone.

After watching for a while, Yang Guo noticed something amiss. The princess's moves were extremely slow, and her transitions between each move were somewhat obscure, lacking the ethereal and agile quality of the Ancient Tomb Sect's swordsmanship. It seemed as if she had no one to guide her, or as if she had only recently begun learning.

This is strange. The woman surnamed Wang clearly said that her kung fu was taught by the princess, so why does the princess's swordsmanship seem less refined and natural than that of the woman surnamed Wang?

Could it be that this princess, like Yu Yan, is well-versed in various martial arts styles, while she herself has only just begun practicing martial arts?

Where did her Ancient Tomb Sect kung fu come from?

Yang Guo's heart skipped a beat, and his feet involuntarily made a sound. A cold, sharp laugh suddenly rang out from the plum grove on the west side, tearing apart the quiet night.

"Where did this madman come from, daring to spy on Yaohua Palace? How dare he!"

A gray shadow drifted out from among the plum branches like a ghost. It was not tall, with narrow shoulders and a thin waist. Its face was bloodless and it had no beard. It was a middle-aged eunuch who had served Empress Dowager Xiang for many years. Three months ago, Empress Dowager Xiang had transferred him to the side of the eldest princess, partly to take care of her daily life and partly to protect her beloved daughter.

This person made a fist with both palms, the wind from his palms was strange and swift, his moves were subtle and tricky, his advance and retreat were unpredictable, his internal energy was contained and not released, and his move was silent and sudden, he went straight for Yang Guo's heart.

Yang Guo thought to himself that this eunuch was incredibly fast. Without time to think, he used his Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) to dodge the attack. The palm wind grazed past him, and the surrounding bamboo branches snapped instantly, the cuts clean and the force terrifying.

"That eunuch has incredible palm strike power!"

Seeing that Yang Guo had dodged, the eunuch leaped forward again, unleashing a barrage of palm strikes, each aimed at a vital point on Yang Guo's body. His movements were as elusive as smoke, and he launched seven attacks in a single breath, making it difficult to discern whether they were real or feints.

Yang Guo dared not linger in front of the Yaohua Palace, fearing it would attract a large number of imperial guards and endanger the princess. He immediately used his martial arts skills, gathering strength in his empty palms to sweep and dismantle the opponent's continuous palm strikes. His powerful internal energy collided head-on with the subtle and unpredictable palm force, creating a series of muffled sounds in the night sky.

The eunuch grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. The martial arts he practiced were a secret technique passed down in the imperial palace, a top-tier skill in the world. His movements were incredibly swift, and ordinary martial arts masters would be defeated in just a few dozen moves.

But the man in front of him could always calmly receive his attacks, his powerful internal energy steadily suppressing his yin-like true energy.

After several unsuccessful attacks, the eunuch hardened his heart and suddenly became even more ruthless with his palm strikes. He did not hesitate to deplete his own internal energy and his moves became increasingly unscrupulous, directly attacking vulnerable points such as his eyes and throat.

Yang Guo was also worried that things might get complicated if he waited too long, so he decided to finish the battle quickly. With a flick of his wrist, he used the "Six Gods Uneasy" move from the Ecstasy Palm technique, and a vast and desolate force surged out, locking down the eunuch's path of advance and retreat.

The eunuch felt the air around him suddenly freeze, and he was terrified. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. A tremendous force slammed into his shoulder, and he screamed as his body flew several feet through the air before crashing heavily onto the plum grove's soil. His fate was unknown.

In the distance came the rapid sound of armor plates clashing, and clusters of torches lit up one after another from various intersections of the Imperial Garden. The commotion grew louder as it approached. Yang Lai had no time to think and jumped into the Yaohua Villa through the window.

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