Seeing these individuals rush towards him like fish desperate for blood, Lin Qingyi refused to endure it any longer.
"Impossible. This is a suspect apprehended by the Brocade Guards. There is no way I could hand them over to you, don't even consider it," he flatly denied as he waved his wide-sleeved robe.
No faction was innocent when it came to the assassins from the Dark Court.
This was a suspect that the Brocade Guards had painstakingly captured, even owing a great favor to Pei Xuanjing in the process. There was no way Lin Qingyi would let him go lightly.
He must consider that this was related to the assassination attempt on Pei Xuanjing, a case drawing intense attention from both the emperor and the imperial court, and it held the potential for immense merit. He couldn't possibly hand it over.
Lin Qingyi was hoping to seize this opportunity to remove the 'Vice' designation from his title and subsequently promote himself by exchanging resources.
Upon hearing Lin Qingyi's unhesitating refusal, the atmosphere quicldy chilled.
"It seems like the Brocade Guards are becoming increasingly overbearing," a voice brimming with sarcasm rang out.
The speaker was another eunuch beside Zha Xiaobo, who was attired almost identically.
His name was Lian Feiwen, a chief figure of the Dong Factory and well -trusted by supervisor Zhang Yong of the Dong Factory. He held the third-grade master status.
Unlike the awkward position of the Xi Factory, the Dong Factory did not yield to the Brocade Guards at all.
Although the Brocade Guards claimed to lead the Two Factories, the Dong Factory didn't agree.
The Supervisor of the Dong Factory was also eunuch in charge of the Office of Imperial Sacrifices, ranking first in that office. He had immense authority almost rivaling the commander of the Brocade guards.
Therefore, when Lian Feiwen spoke first, he did so with a tone of sarcasm, without any regard for Lin Qingyi's opinions.
Upon hearing the statement, the complexions of the Brocade Guards noticeably changed. The irascible White Tiger even stepped forward, exploding with a formidable aura.
However, Lian Feiwen paid no heed to White Tiger's threat, focusing on his status as a third-grade master.
And he too was one!
Lian Feiwen's True Qi circulated and his Blood Qi surged, matching the aura emanating from White Tiger.
It was then that a loud and deep voice echoed from the distance.
"No matter how domineering the Brocade Guards become, what difference does it make?"
Everyone turned towards the sound, only to see Jiang Bin, a commanding officer of the Brocade Guards in the Flying Fish Uniform and the Embroidered Spring Knife. The statement was evidently his.
"Greetings, Mr. Jiang," all the Brocade Guards bowed in respect.
The three factions present unconsciously made way for Mr. Jiang, opening up a path.
In perfect concord, both Lian Feiwen and White Tiger restrained their auras.
Lian Feiwen, Fu Changge, and Zha Xiaobo simultaneously gave a fist and palm salute, "Greetings, Mr. Jiang."
Considering Jiang Bin's status and his close relationship with the emperor, even someone as arrogant as Lian Feiwen wouldn't dare act insolently in front of him. Afterall, Jiang Bin was at the same level as the Supervisor of the Dong Factory.
Jiang Bin nodded in acknowledgement. As he walked past Lian Feiwen, he glanced at him nonchalantly before moving on as if he hadn't even noticed him.
While some third-grade masters might expect respect from Jiang Bin, Jiang Bin merely viewed the lot from the Two Factories with disdain, regardless of their martial arts rank.
Jiang Bin approached Lin Qingyi and the others. He gave a nod towards Lin Qingyi and Qinglong, "You have all worked diligently."
"Thank you for your concern, sir. We are simply fulfilling our duties," Lin Qingyi and the others respectfully replied.
At this time, Mr. Pei also gave a modest bow, "Mr. Jiang."
A warm smile floated onto Jiang Bin's face, "Brother Pei, you've been invaluable. I heard that your assistance in this matter prevented me from losing face."
Pei Xuanjing waved his hand and smiled, "Mr. Jiang, you are too kind. Not only am I directly involved in this matter, I also have deep ties with Brother Lin. Therefore, it was only natural not to stand idly by."
Pei Xuanjing didn't seize this opportunity to give a profound bow and even managed to boost Lin Qingyi's esteem subtly.
Lin Qingyi regarded Pei Xuanjing with a grateful glance, inwardly praising his good fortune in choosing the right person to support. He pronounced Mr. Pei a man of admirable loyalty.
Many present cast admiring glances towards Lin Qingyi. After all, being able to establish a friendly relationship with a second-class martial artist, especially one as young as Mr. Pei, promoted implications of mutual prosperity.
Indeed, Jiang Bin would not ignore Mr. Pei's expressed sentiment. He made some vague promises immediately. Looking at Lin Qingyi and his cadre, he said, "You have all done well, and I certainly will not overlook your contributions."
Next, he turned to Pei Xuanjing, "Of course, we Brocade Guards will make it up to our friends who have helped. This time you have lent a helping hand, and the Brocade Guards will be sure to reward you generously."
The intention of his rhetoric was transparent, yet none of the attendees, from the East and West
Factories to Fu Changge of the Six Gates, turned up their noses. It was all seen as a matter of course.
After all, First-class martial artists were typically considered the cornerstone used to suppress factions. Second-class martial artists were already deemed powerful beings. All parties would be hopeful if able to liaise with or befriend a Second-class martial artist.
Even if it wasn't for the inappropriate circumstance, Fu Changge or the people from the Two Factories would all extend an olive branch to Pei Xuanjing, in order to curry favor. Even if they couldn't win him over to their respective camps, they would at least show goodwill and keep it civil. Pei Xuanjing gave a respectful bow of thanks, "Mr. Jiang, you're too kind."
Jiang Bin nodded, opting not to persist on the matter.
He turned to the gathering from the three factions, "Consider the matter resolved for today. The suspect will be taken to the Prison of the Imperial Decree of the Brocade Guards. Should there be any objections, you can have your Supervisors or Head Capturers ask for the suspect."
Such domineering, arrogant words were amazingly met with no resistance whatsoever and the three factions obediently backed down.
This was an explicit display of overwhelming supremacy, and to the extreme.
However, the members of the Brocade Guards considered it a matter of course, without any surprise.
Jiang Bin behaved as if he had done nothing worthy of mention, experiencing no surprises whatsoever.
Pei Xuanjing looked a bit stunned at first, but quickly regained his composure. He remembered Gu Ji's warning when he found out about his interaction with Jiang Bin:
Jiang Bin might act modestly and seem friendly, seemingly trying to win you over constantly. But you must always be vigilant. Don't let his facade fool you.
He is the confidant of the emperor, a savage hound raised by him. Even if he appears friendly and modest for a while, he is ultimately that savage hound whose loyalty lies only with the emperor. In dealing with others, as long as the emperor wishes, he will bite without hesitation.
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing agreed somewhat with Gu Ji's words and started understanding a bit more about Jiang Bin'S true character..
However, Pei Xuanjing is unbothered by Jiang Bin's attitude. His interaction with the latter revolves more around collaboration than friendship, and as his own strength grows, his advantage in this cooperation becomes more apparent. He is confident that he can avoid any backlash.
"Mr. Pei, what are your plans going forward? How about you come back with us?" Jiang Bin extends an invitation to Pei Xuanjing.
After some consideration, Pei Xuanjing politely declines: "My fight today with the King of Equality was instructive and I've gained a lot. I should not disturb you further."
Hearing Pei Xuanjing's excuse, Jiang Bin nodded in agreement indicative of understanding.
"In that case, I should head back. The emperor is waiting for our report." Jiang Bin excused himself then.
The reason he came today was that the emperor took an interest in this matter, otherwise, there would have been no need for him to show up here.
Upon hearing this, Pei Xuanjing nodded, and they parted ways.
But as soon as Pei Xuanjing returned to the Martial Academy and freshened up, he found Vice President Qingyang Zi waiting for him in the hall.
He was casually conversing with Pang Hong.
"My apologies for not being able to greet you, Mr. President; hope you won't take offense." Pei Xuanjing greeted him with a salute.
Qingyang Zi laughed, "You keep surprising me."
Seeing Qingyang Zi shift his attention, Pang Hong couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
Both men were acutely aware of Pang Hong's actions, but neither acknowledged it outright.
After Pang Hong served another cup of tea to Pei Xuanjing, he quietly retreated.
Pei Xuanjing waited quietly for Qingyang Zi to speak, but oddly enough, Qingyang Zi took his time, merely sipping his tea in silence.
After a while, Qingyang Zi suddenly said, "Less than two years."
Pei Xuanjing was puzzled, not knowing what he meant.
Qingyang Zi continued, "In less than two years, you've advanced from the Third-grade realm to the
Second-Class realm. This speed is utterly astounding."
He looked at Pei Xuanjing and asked, "Do you know how long it took me?"
Before Pei Xuanjing could respond, Qingyang Zi answered his own question, "It took me ten years, and many considered me a genius for it. But compared to you…"
His fellow disciple, acknowledged as the only one in the history of True Martial Sect to rival their founder in talent, took nearly five years to progress from the third-grade to second-grade realm.
With the talent that Pei Xuanjing was displaying, if someone were to say he could reach first-grade before turning thirty, few would doubt it.
Pei Xuanjing lowered his head to sip his tea, choosing not to respond. There was just no way to respond to such a remark.
The simulator was an outrageously powerful tool, and without its help, he might not even have progressed beyond the seventh-grade in two years.
Given his age now, it was doubtful whether he could even reach seventh-grade.
He might even have ended up meeting an unfortunate end somewhere, grass-overgrown grave and all.
Qingyang Zi wasn't bothered by Pei Xuanjing's silence though. More than conversing with Pei Xuanjing, he was simply expressing his astonishment at seeing a genius rise before his very eyes.
He knew that Pei Xuanjing was keeping secrets, and he wasn't the only one. Everyone who was familiar with Pei Xuanjing•s rise knew this.
But what did that matter? Pei Xuanjing was a Second-Class martial artist now and had personally slayed a Yanluo from the Underworld, earning great renown.
Save for the rare First-grade martial artists, no one could force him to reveal his secrets, nor would anyone risk offending him to dig into those secrets.
Because, no one knew what price they might have to pay for discovering these secrets.
Besides, what martial artist who has reached this realm isn't a genius? What genius doesn't have secrets?
Qingyang Zi wasn't a man of the Demonic Way. And having interacted with Pei Xuanjing for some time now, he knew the latter wasn't one for evil deeds. So he was happy to witness the rise of a genius, especially since Taihe Mountain had already extended their friendship towards Pei Xuanjing.
Seeing Pei Xuanjing's silence, Qingyang Zi chuckled, "I guess old folks like me do tend to ramble on, almost forgetting the main issue."
He composed himself and asked, "You're aware of the recent happenings in the court, yes?"
Pei Xuanjing nodded. Although he mostly kept to himself in the Martial Academy, he wasn't completely oblivious to the outside world and had heard about the events in court.
Qingyang Zi said, "While you were surrounding the Underworld stronghold today, the debate in the court came to a conclusion."
Recalling the results of his multiple simulations, Pei Xuanjing said, "Was that proposal vetoed?"
Qingyang Zi nodded, "Correct, the proposal of the Commander was shot down. Most of the court officials, and even several noble officials, opposed it. Ultimately, the issue was dropped and the
Commander was ordered to reflect on his actions."
Though his explanation was succinct, the undercurrents of the debate were far from simple.
Furthermore, the Commander of the Brocade Guards being a confidant of the emperor, his forced seclusion clearly indicated that the emperor lost this political showdown, necessitating a show of reprimand.
While Pei Xuanjing wasn't fully aware of the details, he had a rough idea of the situation. All he could say was, "The civil officials sure wield a lot of power."
Qingyang Zi waved him off, "There's no need for us to worry about these issues. After all, this situation has been in place for some time and it'S beyond our control."
Pei Xuanjing agreed wholeheartedly, "The civil official faction has deep roots and has been around for a long time. It's not something that can be resolved overnight."
On hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, a look of approval flickered in Qingyang Zi's eyes. However, he didn't linger on the topic. Instead, he broached a different subject.
"The emperor is quite displeased with the situation and has proposed a tour outside Tiandu. What are your thoughts?"
Pei Xuanjing shook his head, "I don't know."
What were his thoughts? He wasn't the emperor, what could his thoughts even be?
Even if he had reached the Second-Class realm, he didn't have the power to decide the emperor's actions. If the emperor wanted to embark on a tour, could he possibly prevent it?
Seeing that Pei Xuanjing had misunderstood his question, Qingyang Zi clarified, "What I mean is, I'd like you to accompany the emperor on his tour to ensure his safety.. What do you think?"