Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 173 Zhu Youjian Wants to Establish the Western Depot, Emei's Heaven-Slaying Sword is Seized! [Two Chapters Combined]

Inside the Imperial Concubine's Palace in the West Palace.

Zhu Youjian looked at the young eunuch in white robes before him with slight surprise.

This eunuch was so handsome and had such a refined and composed demeanor; it was truly a rare sight among eunuchs.

"Your name is Yu Huatian?" Zhu Youjian asked after hearing Yu Huatian's introduction.

"Your Majesty, it is indeed me," Yu Huatian replied respectfully.

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly and said, "I am currently lacking someone I can use to check and balance the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. My beloved concubine recommended you to me. If I use you, are you confident that you can monitor the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard for me, investigate everything they do clearly, and report back to me?"

Yu Huatian was taken aback, then a look of excitement appeared in his eyes. He turned to look at Consort Wan, his face showing gratitude.

Consort Wan quickly reminded him, "The Emperor is asking you a question, so hurry up and speak."

"Yes!"

Yu Huatian suppressed her excitement and bowed respectfully to Zhu Youjian, saying, "Your Majesty, this servant will do her best to share Your Majesty's burdens. Whatever Your Majesty asks of this servant, this servant will do it even if it means sacrificing herself."

"Don't speak so confidently."

Zhu Youjian waved his hand and said calmly, "The head of the Eastern Depot, Cao Zhengchun, and the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jiang Xuan, are not ordinary people. It is not easy to suppress them."

"Putting everything else aside, in terms of martial arts alone, even if we can't surpass them, we should at least have the ability to protect ourselves. I don't want the people I personally promoted and appointed to die mysteriously before they've even settled into their positions."

Clearly, Zhu Youjian was also very familiar with some of the unspoken rules of officialdom.

He was worried that someone might try to undermine Yu Huatian's cause and take direct action against him.

Yu Huatian naturally understood Zhu Youjian's meaning and immediately solemnly assured him: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, my martial arts skills are such that, although I dare not claim to be invincible, there are very few people who can defeat me. I am more than capable of protecting myself!"

"Talking without doing is useless. Show me what you've got."

Zhu Youjian remained noncommittal and said, "My bodyguards are all highly skilled men selected from the army. If you can defeat them, I will give you a chance to serve me."

Upon hearing this, Consort Wan's expression changed slightly. She knew very well how skilled the imperial guards responsible for protecting Zhu Youjian were in martial arts.

She looked at Yu Huatian with some concern.

Yu Huatian's expression remained unchanged. He gave her a reassuring look, then respectfully cupped his hands and said, "Please, Your Majesty, move to the outside of the palace for a look."

"You seem quite confident; I hope you won't disappoint me."

Zhu Youjian chuckled lightly, said nothing more, and got up to walk outside.

Soon, in the courtyard outside the West Palace, a group of fifty imperial guards gathered and respectfully bowed to Zhu Youjian: "Your humble servants greet Your Majesty."

Zhu Youjian calmly swept his gaze across the crowd, nodded slightly, and finally looked at Yu Huatian, who stood beside him with his hands at his sides, and said, "Go, let me see your abilities."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Yu Huatian bowed respectfully, then turned and walked down the steps to the Imperial Guards. He cupped his hands slightly and said, "Gentlemen, please forgive me."

After saying that, he flashed and disappeared, reappearing in front of a guard.

The guard was startled and instinctively tried to draw his sword to defend himself, but suddenly felt a numbness in his chest and froze on the spot.

Yu Huatian's figure had already darted into the crowd, and in the blink of an eye, he had struck several people's pressure points. Those struck either stood frozen or collapsed, all losing their ability to move.

Only then did everyone realize that Zhu Youjian hadn't spoken up to stop them, and they understood that Zhu Youjian wanted to use them to test this person's martial arts skills. Immediately, their competitive spirit was aroused.

"Form ranks and surround him!" a commander shouted, leading his men to change formation. The others also drew their swords, their killing intent palpable, and they were serious about fighting.

Although there are only a few dozen people, even the weakest among them has acquired a level of skill that has reached the level of a master, and there are more than a dozen innate masters. If they join forces, even a martial artist who has just entered the Grandmaster realm would probably find it difficult to withstand them.

But Yu Huatian was not afraid. He remained calm and composed, moving like a ghost through the crowd. He used a strategy of defeating them one by one and took advantage of his speed to break their formation.

What followed was much simpler. Yu Huatian used the same trick again and successfully broke the formation in less than a quarter of an hour, rendering all the imperial guards incapable of fighting.

Throughout the entire process, no one was able to get close to him, and he showed no signs of injury, which clearly indicated that this was not his limit.

Zhu Youjian's eyes gleamed with excitement. Seeing Yu Huatian knock down the last guard, he couldn't help but clap his hands and shout, "Brilliant!"

Consort Wan also showed joy on her face and bowed to Zhu Youjian to congratulate him: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, on gaining another outstanding person to assist you."

"This is all thanks to my beloved concubine's recommendation!"

Zhu Youjian smiled, then looked at Yu Huatian, who slowly stepped forward to pay his respects, without even a bead of sweat on his face. He was increasingly pleased with what he saw, and with a wave of his hand, he said, "Minister Yu, you will accompany me to court tomorrow. I will certainly give you an important position!"

Yu Huatian's eyes immediately lit up with joy, and she quickly cupped her hands in greeting, saying, "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."

The following day, Zhu Youjian announced directly in court that he intended to re-establish the Western Investigation Depot, responsible for tasks such as surveillance, arrest, and torture. He granted it the Emperor's Sword, the right to execute first and report later, and direct responsibility to the Emperor. This power even surpassed that of the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The news caused a stir in the court and among the people. Officials' expressions changed drastically, and they immediately tried to dissuade the officials.

The Western Depot was not a new establishment; it was set up during the Chenghua era. Emperor Xianzong heavily relied on the eunuch Wang Zhi, who set up the Western Depot outside Xizhimen. It was responsible for monitoring the words and deeds of officials, investigating cases of "treason" and "seditious speech," and could even arrest and interrogate officials and civilians directly without going through judicial procedures. It even had its own independent prison.

In just a few years, the scope of reconnaissance was expanded to include civilians, forming a nationwide intelligence network.

At that time, the Western Depot was a place that people feared, and its power was unmatched.

But it was precisely because of this that the people in the Western Depot became arrogant and domineering. In order to please the emperor, they fabricated many false cases, causing panic throughout the court and the country, and countless officials were terrified.

Ultimately, the matter escalated to the point where various miscarriages of justice and wrongful convictions proliferated, causing widespread panic among officials. They jointly submitted a memorial to the emperor, who, under pressure, had no choice but to abolish the Western Depot.

Now that such a fearsome secret service is about to reappear, how can the officials not be terrified?

Moreover, the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are already enough to make officials feel constrained and hindered at every turn. If another secret service agency were to emerge that is above them, how would they be able to live their lives?

As a result, the officials were particularly resolute, and some veteran ministers even declared in court that if Zhu Youjian insisted on doing so, they would smash their heads against a pillar and die.

However, Zhu Youjian was equally resolute and domineering, ignoring the impeachments and opposition from the officials. He dismissed the official who had threatened to commit suicide on the spot and then appointed Yu Huatian as the director of the Western Depot. He immediately began preparations for the establishment of the Western Depot.

For a time, complaints were rampant throughout the government and the public.

……

Jinyiwei Yamen.

Lu Jianxing, Xu Longqing, and others also received the news and gathered together, their faces all extremely grim.

"Having one Eastern Depot wasn't enough, so they even created a Western Depot. What exactly is the Emperor trying to do?!" Lu Jianxing said, his brows furrowed.

The emergence of the Eastern Depot had already taken away some of the power that belonged to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Now, another Western Depot has arrived. Its powers are not only the same as those of the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but it also has the right to execute first and report later. In other words, if people from the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard commit crimes, the Western Depot also has the power to enforce the law.

This was clearly aimed at the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which made them feel a sense of crisis.

"His Majesty has already issued an edict, ordering Yu Huatian to transfer personnel from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to expand the Western Depot. Today, Yu Huatian has already sent people to demand personnel, wanting to transfer three hundred elite guards from my former residence." An Jianqing's face was also somewhat gloomy.

"I also need three hundred. I expect to notify you this afternoon. If nothing unexpected happens, it should also be three hundred people," Lu Jianxing said in a deep voice. *Bang!*
Xu Longqing slammed his hand on the table and sneered, "A thousand-household garrison has three hundred men, and they all need to be elite guards, that makes a total of fifteen hundred men? He really has a big appetite!"

"This is an imperial decree personally issued by the Emperor. The initial number of personnel in the Western Depot already far exceeds that of the Eastern Depot, and it is estimated that it will continue to expand in the future," Lu Jianxing sighed.

"I'm definitely not handing them over!"

Xu Longqing said coldly, "I think the Emperor is also confused and has been blinded by villains. Otherwise, how could he have done such an unwise thing?"

"Azure Dragon, watch your words!"

Pei Xing frowned and quickly reminded him that some things should not be said.

What am I afraid of?

Xu Longqing snorted coldly and said, "Am I wrong? The reason he was able to successfully ascend the throne and eliminate Wei Zhongxian was all because of our help. After he took power, who helped him quell the White Lotus Sect? Now that his position is secure, he's starting to kick us while we're down and even wants to set up some Western Depot to put us above him. Can't you see that he's going to start suppressing us?"

"So what if they can see through it?"

Lu Jianxing said helplessly, "Without the Emperor's summons, we can't even see him. Even if we want to offer advice, there's nothing we can do. For now, we can only wait for the Governor to return."

“But that eunuch Yu Huatian is now using the Emperor’s decree to demand people. What should we do? Should we disobey the decree?” An Jianqing asked.

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned.

"Commander Lin, has the Governor-General sent any word about when he will return?" Lu Jianxing asked Lin Pingzhi, who was standing in the corner.

"No." Lin Pingzhi shook his head. Among everyone present, only he knew what Jiang Xuan was doing in Jiangnan, but until now, Jiang Xuan had not sent any news back.

"Then let's just drag it out!"

At this moment, Ding Xiu, who had been silent until now, said lazily, "Let's not say we won't hand over the person. Let's agree to him verbally, but find excuses to delay until the governor returns."

“That is one way, but we don’t know when the governor will be able to return. I’m afraid it won’t be long,” Lu Jianxing said thoughtfully.

"I will send a message to my master to report this matter later. Once my master finds out, he will surely return as soon as possible," Lin Pingzhi said.

"That's all it can do."

Lu Jianxing sighed, "Let's try to delay as much as possible. This is not something we can solve. We can only wait for the governor to return and handle it."

"In addition, we should also send someone to inform the Eastern Depot and the Northern Garrison Command that this matter not only harms our interests, but they also want the Western Depot to do something to us, just like us. At this time, it would be best if we united as one."

Everyone nodded.

……

Meanwhile, in Jiangnan.

With the help of 'Youming', the Murong family withstood the pressure and quickly swallowed up the business and territory of the Money Gang, reaching the peak of their status and prestige.

Except for the lack of a true grandmaster, in almost every other aspect, it is comparable to any top-tier force in the martial arts world.

No one in the entire Jiangnan martial arts world could rival his prowess.

"I never expected that the Murong family could actually get Youming to help them. They really got lucky. Otherwise, how could the Murong family, a mere family, have the qualifications to annex the Golden Money Gang's territory and own such a large area?" someone said, their words filled with emotion and a hint of jealousy.

The Golden Money Gang's territory spans several prefectures and counties in Jiangnan, and its business covers many aspects. As long as one can control these routes, the annual profits can be immeasurable.

How could people not be envious of such a deal?

"Youming's strength is truly terrifying beyond expectation. He single-handedly blocked the invasion of many top-tier forces such as the Supreme Alliance, the Sea Shark Palace, and the Angry Dragon Gang. Even many local forces in Jiangnan were repelled. Such strength is truly unbelievable!"

"Not only that! I heard that the Sky Eagle Cult members have also withdrawn!"

"What? The Sky Eagle Cult has also made a move?"

"You don't know yet, do you? Three days ago, it is said that the leader of the Sky Eagle Sect, White-browed Eagle King, appeared in Wenzhou City, but was defeated by that mysterious 'Lord of the Underworld,' and then led his people back to Nanbeihu."

"Hiss... Even Yin Tianzheng was no match for that Netherworld Palace Master? Does that mean that Shangguan Jin Hong's death was truly his doing?!"

"It's probably true. This Lord of the Netherworld Palace must be far stronger than a Grandmaster!"

"Wasn't it said that he was only at the Grandmaster level?"

"You believe that? What kind of grandmaster could be so powerful? There are rumors that he has reached the legendary 'Celestial Being' realm!"

"This... can't be right? Someone like that would come here to fight for territory?"

"Tch, believe it or not!"

In the battle where the Murong family annexed the territory of the Money Gang, Youming's terrifying strength shocked countless people. The entire martial arts world was abuzz with discussion, but everyone was extremely wary and even in awe of him.

Meanwhile, in Longquan Town, not far from Wenzhou City, news spread that the Emei Sect members were ambushed halfway and that Abbess Miejue was forced to fight against the "Six-Finger Qin Demon" Huang Xuemei, which also caused quite a stir.

Inside a restaurant not far from Longquan, people were discussing this at that moment.

"Breaking news! Abbess Miejue of the Emei Sect has been defeated by the Netherworld 'Six-Finger Qin Demon,' and even the Heaven-Slaying Sword has been stolen!" someone said mysteriously.

"Hiss... Is it really true?!" The companion next to him exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, my aunt's son's uncle's son was there at the time and saw it with his own eyes. I heard that Abbess Miejue was beaten until she vomited blood!" The man said with certainty.

"My goodness, does that mean the Emei Sect's Heaven-Slaying Sword isn't even as powerful as the Heavenly Demon Harp? They've been boasting about it all these years, saying things like 'Supreme in the martial world, the Dragon-Slaying Saber commands the world, none dare disobey, without the Heaven-Slaying Sword, who can contend with it?' And the result... is this?"

“Brother, you are mistaken. The Heaven-Slaying Sword is the sacred weapon of the Emei Sect, passed down through generations. Over the centuries, countless masters have died by this sword, and its power is still very strong. But even the strongest sword depends on who is wielding it,” someone interjected in rebuttal.

The man's eyes flickered: "Brother, do you mean that Abbess Miejue was inferior to the Six-Fingered Qin Demon, which is why she was defeated by him?"

"Not bad!"

The man nodded, looking disdainful, and said, "It is said that the old nun Miejue was defeated by the Six-Fingered Qin Demon before she could even unleash one-tenth of the power of the Heaven-Slaying Sword. The Heaven-Slaying Sword was also stolen by the Six-Fingered Qin Demon. In the end, the old nun Miejue didn't even dare to utter a harsh word and left in a sorry state."

"Not only that, I heard that even Abbess Miejue was slapped by the Six-Fingered Qin Demon, and her face was swollen from the slap!"

"This...that doesn't make sense. I heard that the one who got beaten was Abbess Miejue's disciple, a guy named Ding something?"

"Hey, would I lie to you? I saw it with my own eyes. Abbess Miejue was slapped, and in order to save her life, she offered the Heaven-Slaying Sword to the Six-Fingered Qin Demon and knelt down to beg for mercy."

"In the end, the Six-Fingered Qin Demon spared her life because she offered up the Heaven-Slaying Sword; otherwise, Emei would probably be finished."

"These so-called prestigious sects only boast about how powerful they are, but when they actually encounter a master and face life and death, they are all more afraid of death than the last. They have completely disgraced the Emei founder."

The man spoke eloquently and vividly, his face full of sarcasm and disdain, as if he had truly witnessed it with his own eyes.

For a moment, those around him were skeptical.

Unbeknownst to them, in a restaurant right across the street, Abbess Miejue and her entourage, disguised and rushing back to Emei, all had ashen faces and gritted teeth.

Abbess Miejue herself was so angry that her lips were trembling.

This is outrageous! This is outrageous!
(End of this chapter)