[Rouge Tiger·Standing Alone with a Sword Amidst the Wilds·Li Yuan]
[Level: Sixth-rank Martial Artist]
[Cultivation Technique: Heavenly Gang Xuan Yang Technique]
[Martial Arts: Chaotic Slash Blade]
[Favorability Rating: 0/100 (Locked)]
Chen Mo sized up the woman in front of him.
Her lips red, teeth white, features delicate, face clear and beautiful.
But her eyebrows and eyes were too severe, and a fierce light hidden in her pupils, almost as if she was staring down a fierce tiger!
The name "Rouge Tiger" was extremely apt!
"Her father was a military soldier, most skilled with the cavalry saber, always the vanguard in every battle, his saber wind howling, shattering men and horses alike."
"He died on the battlefield in the Southern Border, leaving behind a Stray Blade and a manual of Yellow-grade Saber Technique."
"With just this move, the 'Chaotic Slash Blade', Li Yuan grasped the domineering essence of the blade, ascended the Cloud Top Ranking, and later her strength became terrifyingly formidable..."
Chen Mo recalled the plot in his mind.
If Shen Zhixia is a martial arts fanatic, then this Li Yuan is a true madwoman!
"A Transcend Mortality Sixth-rank, Mastery in Sword Technique, though not listed, presumably she is also a genius of the Ten Elites level."
Li Yuan licked her lips, her eyes shining with excitement: "From today on, I will challenge you once a month until I defeat you. If you do not accept, I'll start with your subordinates."
She didn't wait for Chen Mo's response and turned to leave.
Truly domineering and tyrannical!
Just as Li Yuan reached the doorstep, a lazy voice came from behind:
"Here's a piece of advice."
"The Heavenly Gang Xuan Yang Technique is not meant for women to practice, be careful of menstrual disorders."
"..."
Crack!
The blue bricks beneath her feet shattered, and she walked away without turning her head, carrying the Stray Blade.
Chen Mo sighed, being targeted by this crazy woman, life wouldn't be easy hereafter.
"Sir..."
At this moment, a Colonel quickly approached, whispering in his ear.
Chen Mo's mouth curled up in an unintended arch.
"So quick to lose patience?"
...
Inside a luxurious residence, in the hall, Yan Liang sat in a chair, his severed right hand laying on the table before him.
A broad-gowned, bearded elder, his hands forming a Dharma Seal, a green light bloomed, enveloping the severed hand within.
Multitudes of red filaments sprouted from the cross-section of the hand, squirming like tentacles.
The elder held up the hand, pressed it close to Yan Liang's wrist, the red filaments bonding the break together, finally merging it into one.
Other than a ring of blood at the wrist, there was hardly any sign of difference.
"Mission accomplished."
The elder wiped the sweat off his forehead, appearing greatly exhausted.
Yan Liang moved his fingers about, satisfied, he placed a pale blue crystal before the man.
"You've worked hard, Sir."
"Thank you, Young Master Yan."
The elder pulled a smile, pocketed the crystal, and stood up to leave, exiting the hall under the guidance of a servant.
After the elder departed, Yan Liang's gaze grew icy, and with a palm smash, he obliterated the table!
"Chen! Mo!!"
He gritted his teeth, his face twisted ferociously.
A saint in medical ways, could revive the dead and mend bones, yet a mere severed hand, a Sixth-rank Medical Magician could heal.
But what of it?
Under the watchful eyes of the public, being so humiliated by Chen Mo, he feared he could no longer hold his head high among the Sky Scale Guard!
The most agonizing part was that he had no choice but to temporarily swallow this humiliation!
"Strange, how did Chen Mo find out about the Barbarian Slave affair?"
After calming down, Yan Liang frowned in deep thought.
The Yan Family operated several taverns within Tiandu City, which appeared prosperous on the surface, but that was just a façade to cover up their real "business":
Breeding Barbarian Slaves for people's pleasure.
For some high-ranking officials, ordinary women had long become uninteresting; the untamed nature of the Barbarian Tribe was much more thrilling.
Although the Barbarian Tribe's temperament was fierce, once tamed they became exceptionally obedient and embodied exotic charm. Additionally, their bodies were more robust, able to endure various perverse forms of amusement.
The Da Yuan Law explicitly prohibited private dealings with the Barbarian Tribe, thus this affair was kept strictly confidential, known only to a handful of people.
How then did Chen Mo come to know of it?
"Brother, we are usually so careful, and those clients would not possibly reveal anything…"
"Could that guy be bluffing you?"
Yan Xun said.
Yan Liang shook his head, "He mentioned 'Yicui Square' precisely and specifically hinted at 'Barbarian,' it's definitely not a random shot in the dark."
Yan Xun's face changed, "What should we do then? Shall I dispose of those Barbarian Slaves right now…"
As he spoke, he gestured across his neck.
"No."
"This batch of goods was ordered by that important person; if any mishap occurs, neither of us can bear the consequences."
"Chen Mo is not absolutely certain either; otherwise, he would have come to arrest them directly. Mentioning these things is just him waiting for us to reveal a flaw."
Yan Liang pondered for a moment and then said, "Since that's the case, let's turn his scheme to our advantage…"
…
Frozen Sky Palace.
Yu Youhan reclined on the Consort's Seat, her graceful and plump figure wrapped in a thin silk garment, her skin silky smooth and her physique well-proportioned—an addition or reduction would seem excessive.
Even with the most critical eye, one could not find a single flaw.
Female Officer Xu Qingyi's eyes flickered with awe.
Even after being with the Empress for so long, every sighting of such a stunning scene still took her breath away.
And perhaps it was an illusion, but compared to her usual distant coldness, there seemed to be a touch more softness in the Empress' eyes, like a fully blossomed begonia saturated with dew.
"What kind of man could possibly be worthy of the Empress?"
"Perhaps such a man doesn't even exist in this world!"
As for the Emperor, whose life was nearing its end and was confined to his bed, she had long dismissed him…
"Is the Ministry of Criminal Justice still unwilling to release them?"
At this moment, Consort Yu spoke up.
Xu Qingyi came back to her senses and nodded, "Mr. Chen personally went to fetch them, but was turned away; Yan Peizhi's attitude was very firm, insisting on investigating the matter thoroughly, not sparing any leniency."
"The heads at the Finance Department are not Martial Artists; they probably won't withstand the Ministry of Criminal Justice's methods. If this causes a bigger stir…"
Yu Youhan's phoenix eyes slightly hardened as she shouted:
"Idiots!"
Last night, three heads from the Finance Department under the Ministry of Revenue were almost simultaneously taken from their homes by the officials and interrogated overnight. Early this morning, they were thrown into the Ministry of Criminal Justice's prison!
The charge was embezzling court disaster relief funds.
As the saying goes, no official is incorruptible. With the Ministry of Revenue acting as the purse, such incidents were commonplace.
Usually, when funds were approved, from the Chief of Staff to the Assistant Minister, down to the doctor and heads—every level skimmed a bit, with higher officials embezzling more and lower officials less. It was an unspoken rule everyone understood.
However, this time, only those three heads got involved…
And these three people happened to be nails planted by the Imperial Consort Faction within the Ministry of Revenue!
Evidently, this was a meticulously designed plot, aimed at targeting Consort Yu!
"That those three idiots die is nothing to regret, but if they confess something else or if under torture they start ratting on each other, that really could be troublesome."
Yu Youhan rubbed her brow, her gaze deepening.