Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Zhao Gou's expression shifted, and he asked anxiously, "How was the effect?"

The old eunuch clapped his hands, and a figure silently landed at the foot of the steps of the imperial desk, carrying a tray with a jade bowl and two purple pills the size of longans on it.

The figure was none other than the old eunuch who had met Yi Yuchen before. He bowed and said:

“This servant and the other two have already tried it, and this medicine can indeed cleanse the marrow and restore vitality. It should have a remarkable effect on Your Majesty.”

"However, this medicine is not perfect and has drug resistance. After taking three pills, the effect gradually weakens until it has no effect at all."

"However, after careful study, we believe that Your Majesty needs at most two, and it will not be difficult for you to give birth to a prince."

As he spoke, the old eunuch reached out and took off his hat. It was revealed that his white hair was turning black from the roots, and his eyes were brighter.

Zhao Gou, beaming with joy, hurried down the imperial steps, picked up a pill in his right hand, examined it closely, and, trying to calm himself, said:

"No rush, no rush. This matter must be arranged properly so that the court officials do not notice anything amiss, especially Qin Hui and his ilk."

"Now that the previous king is dead, and the King of Qi is a false king, I have no more worries. Qin Hui, oh Qin Hui, you have kept me in the dark for so long."

"Qin Hui, once I have a son, I will have at least twenty years to ensure a smooth transition of power. Once I have stabilized the court, your death will be imminent."

It turns out that, according to the secret investigation by the Imperial City Guard, the two people imprisoned by the Jin dynasty were likely already dead long ago on the way they were captured. The ones who have been there all this time were just substitutes that the Jin people had found, in order to interrupt the Northern Expedition at a crucial moment.

This idea, after a secret investigation by the Imperial City Guard, turned out to be a scheme devised by Qin Hui on behalf of Wanyan Chang, and Qin Hui received a full 300,000 taels of gold in return.

Whenever he thought of this, Zhao Gou felt a pang of pain in his heart. Because of Qin Hui, he not only missed the opportunity to recover the Central Plains, but also lost a great general in the Northern Expedition.

However, now, someone is needed to expose this matter; otherwise, the civil officials might still have something to say about it. As for that person, Zhao Gou already has a choice in mind.

Thinking of this, Zhao Gou asked, "How is the investigation going regarding Yue Qing's belongings?"

The old eunuch whispered:

"The Imperial City Guard reported today that General Yue's belongings have fallen into the hands of a man named Zhang Junbao. He said that these items were meant for General Feilong."

“This servant has already interrogated the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree that day, and has confirmed that this matter is indeed true.”

"Now, Young Master Yi of Mingjian Manor has vouched for Zhang Junbao. Before General Feilong is found, anyone who covets this item will be hunted down by him."

"Therefore, this item is still in Zhang Junbao's hands, and as for what it is, it is really hard to guess."

He glanced at Zhao Gou and continued:

“This servant has already checked the Imperial City Guard's records. Before the Jingkang Incident, the commander of the Northern Garden of the Forbidden City was given the title of Flying Dragon.”

"When those two were kidnapped, General Feilong was responsible for protecting the royal family members along the way. However, for some reason, an accident happened along the way, and General Feilong disappeared without a trace."

Zhao Gou remained expressionless and said, "Find him, whether he lives or dies."

The old eunuch bowed and agreed, and the hall quickly fell silent.

Shortly thereafter, just over ten days later, Zhao Gou claimed to be ill and temporarily suspended the morning court sessions, allowing the Council of State Affairs to temporarily manage state affairs.

………………

At Qin Hui's residence.

After court, Qin Hui locked himself in his study and refused to see anyone.

If anyone were to enter the study, they would see that the usually confident Prime Minister Qin was now filled with worry and fear.

As the prime minister personally promoted by Zhao Gou, no one should know the woman in the palace better than him, but now an unexpected incident has occurred.

First, the government suddenly halted the government's plan to deal with Yue Fei's elite troops without giving any explanation.

Besides a portion of them being annexed by Han Shizhong and Zhang Jun, another portion of elite troops were transported north by Mingjian Manor.

Logically speaking, Zhao Gou should have been furious that Mingjian Villa, as a martial arts force, interfered in military affairs, but surprisingly, no one in the palace objected.

Not only Qin Hui, but also the officials were unsure of Zhao Gou's thoughts on this matter.

Secondly, since Zhao Gou claimed to be ill, Qin Hui, as the prime minister, had the right to visit him in order to appease the officials and stabilize the court. However, Qin Hui had not seen Zhao Gou for five consecutive days.

Every time the Council of State issued an order, Qin Hui could see the figure of that old dog beside Zhao Gou. Qin Hui knew that this old dog must be there to spy on him.

Qin Hui also knew that his foundation was not solid at present. If it weren't for Zhao Gou's support, although he was the prime minister, he would have a lot of opinions against him in the court and would be unable to do anything. Therefore, he dared not speak nonsense and could only hide the fact that he had not seen Zhao Gou.

Thirdly, as the chief of the Six Doors, the God of Arrest suddenly increased his surveillance of all court officials and repeatedly rejected his attempts to interfere with the Ministry of War.

The Ministry of War's lack of cooperation regarding Yue Fei's army was clearly due to Zhao Gou's orders; otherwise, it would not have so forcefully rejected the Council of State's proposal.

Qin Hui was unaware of what had happened, but from the moment Zhao Gou claimed to be ill, an invisible net began to weave around him.

If it weren't for the fact that the Imperial City Guard, the Imperial Guards, and the Six Doors hadn't shown any unusual activity, it could be confirmed that Zhao Gou was alright; Qin Hui would have even thought that something had happened to Zhao Gou.

But now, although the Council of State Affairs is supposed to be in charge of managing state affairs, he has not accomplished any of his most important tasks, which makes him feel increasingly frustrated.

"Your Majesty, what exactly are you plotting? Or rather, what are you thinking?" Qin Hui wondered to himself.

Chapter 219 Watching a Show in the Woods

Emperor Gaozong Zhao Gou took the Qiankun Elixir, which cleansed his marrow and restored his vitality. Half a month later, he was expected to have three sons.

One month later, the imperial physician will notice the abnormality.

Three months later, Zhao Gou will announce this matter to his court officials, causing a stir throughout the land and leaving Qin Hui terrified.

Qin Hui invited the Prince of Xiaoyao to go south, but his goal was no longer to fight back against the Jurchen forces in the Jiangnan martial arts world. He hoped that the Prince of Xiaoyao could intervene to prevent the birth of Zhao Gou's offspring.

The next morning, when Su Yuchen woke up, he was slightly taken aback by the system's narration, and then he suddenly realized what it meant.

Indeed, compared to the disorganized martial arts forces, Zhao Gou's descendants were the greatest threat to Qin Hui.

After all, given Zhao Gou's age, it would take twenty years for his children to grow up, and by then, Zhao Gou would be over fifty years old, posing no threat to his throne.

Back then, he only needed to pass the throne to the crown prince normally. But now, with an heir, he has the motivation to reclaim the Central Plains, which is the best gift he can leave for his future crown prince.

Once the birth of his three sons is confirmed, the pro-peace faction will have to withdraw completely from the court, and Zhao Gou will never allow them to become an obstacle to his rule.

At that time, Qin Hui, who had murdered Yue Fei, was the best target. Zhao Gou probably wanted to have him torn to pieces to vent his hatred.

However, these issues could be dealt with later. After he left, he was informed by Yi Jifeng that Zhang Junbao, Ming Daohong, and Qin Sirong had disappeared.

………………

Yi Jifeng held Zhang Junbao's letter, which stated that Ming Daohong had divined that to find General Feilong, they needed to head north, and he and Ming Daohong had already set off.

"According to the waiter, Miss Qin left alone last night, but he doesn't know where she went. Brother, what should we do?" Yi Jifeng asked.

Yi Yuchen looked up at the sky and said mysteriously, "Let's stay one more night. I'll take you to see a play tonight."

Seeing that Yi Jifeng was confused, Yi Yuchen didn't explain. He patted him on the shoulder and told him to be prepared for the night.

………………

Before they knew it, it was evening. Yi Yuchen led Yi Jifeng out of the inn, across the official road, and into the depths of the dense forest.

After an unknown amount of time, the moon had risen above the treetops, and the two sped along, faintly hearing voices ahead.

Yi Yuchen led Yi Jifeng to stand behind a large tree, where they could vaguely see ahead by the moonlight.

Yi Jifeng circulated his true energy and saw Zhang Junbao and a middle-aged man fighting against the three demons of the Western Regions. The middle-aged man was very skilled, while Zhang Junbao was much inferior. They only used one palm technique back and forth.

“That middle-aged man is Zhang Tao, Junbao’s father,” Yi Yuchen said.

Yi Jifeng nodded and said, "Big brother, aren't we going to help?"

Yi Yuchen smiled mysteriously and said, "No rush, the real show is just beginning." As he spoke, he enveloped himself and Yi Jifeng with his true essence, and the two of them seemed to be hidden in a layer of mist.

"Blood Demon, you piece of trash! Zhang Junbao only knows this one move, and you still managed to miss!" During the fight, Hongniang cursed as she watched the Zhang father and son struggle to defeat them.

Blood Demon snorted and said, "This kid is strange. That move of his was simply... shameless."

Just as Hongniang was about to strike Zhang Junbao's chest, Zhang Junbao flipped his wrist and used the move "Kanglong Youhui" to deflect her palm strike with a combination of hooking and sticking.

Hongniang's palm strike missed, hitting a nearby tree instead, leaving a layer of white frost on the palm print. Zhang Junbao only shivered, but was otherwise unharmed.

At this moment, Zhang Tao kicked Hongniang in the Tanzhong acupoint, forcing her to retreat.

"Good lad, tell your sister, what's the name of your move?" Hongniang's eyes flashed, and she asked with a charming smile.

Zhang Junbao spat and cursed, "You old hag, how dare you call me 'sister'? Can't I just call you 'auntie' instead?"

These words caused the Blood Demon and the Serpent Demon to burst into laughter. Zhang Tao seized the opportunity to launch a preemptive attack, then pulled Zhang Junbao back a foot to avoid the combined attack of the three demons.

………………

"They're here!" Yi Yuchen said softly.

Before the words were finished, a man wearing gold-threaded soft armor and a black outfit, with eyes that seemed to hold both good and evil, walked out from behind Zhang and his son.

Without Yi Jifeng needing to ask, Yi Yuchen explained, "This is Zhang Qiqiao, Zhang Junbao's second uncle, and Zhang Tao's younger brother."

Upon seeing the newcomers, Zhang Tao and his son instinctively relaxed. Before they could speak, Zhang Qiqiao, looking flustered, pointed in front of them.

Zhang Junbao and Zhang Tao instinctively turned around to look, but there was no one else besides the Three Demons of the Western Regions. The two exclaimed that something was wrong, but before the father and son could react, they heard the whooshing sound of fists behind them.

With a 'bang', Zhang Junbao was struck on the back of the head, his eyes rolled back and he passed out, while Zhang Tao was punched in the back of the heart, his blood churning uncontrollably.

Zhang Tao angrily said, "Second brother, what are you doing?"

Zhang Qiqiao chuckled coldly, his voice chilling and mocking as he said, "Brother, you shouldn't have, you absolutely shouldn't have, considered betraying Prime Minister Qin."

"You...you're also one of Qin Hui's men!" Zhang Tao exclaimed in disbelief.

Zhang Qiqiao did not answer. He looked at the sky and said to the three demons, "Stop talking nonsense and send him on his way."

As they spoke, Zhang Qiqiao and the three demons joined forces to attack. Although Zhang Tao was caught off guard and hit by a punch, his martial arts skills were extraordinary, and he was only in grave danger under the combined attack of the four.

After a long while, Zhang Qiqiao, looking impatient, said, "My good brother, I never thought I really underestimated you. Snake Demon, make your move!"

Upon hearing this, the snake demon immediately summoned a giant snake, but after a long time, the surroundings remained quiet, and the giant snake did not appear, which surprised him.

"Useless! Useless! Unreliable at crucial moments." The matchmaker cursed when she saw that the snake hadn't appeared for a long time.

Zhang Qiqiao was also furious, but now was not the time to settle scores; dealing with Zhang Tao was the priority.

With a whoosh, he lunged forward. The other three demons immediately engaged Zhang Tao in combat, confining him within two feet.

The next moment, a flash of silver light appeared, and a figure in red and white appeared from the forest, his long sword pointing directly at Zhang Tao's back.

………………

"Miss Qin!" Yi Jifeng exclaimed in surprise.

Yi Yuchen patted him on the back, sending him flying, and said, "Go, save the Zhang father and son."

Yi Jifeng struck first despite being behind, flashing into the encirclement of the four. Before they could react, he flicked his finger, striking a weak point in Qin Sirong's sword technique.

Qin Sirong felt a numbness in her hand, and the long sword in her hand involuntarily changed direction, the tip of the sword piercing through the throat of the Blood Demon beside her.

The next moment, Yi Jifeng's left palm clashed with Hong Niang's, and with a 'bang', the two separated immediately. Yi Jifeng had already pulled Zhang Tao back to a distance of ten feet.

These few moves were swift and rapid, so fast that it was impossible to keep up with the flow of the situation, and for a moment, things quieted down.

"Yi Jifeng!!!" Hongniang exclaimed in surprise and instinctively hid behind Zhang Qiqiao and the others.

Yi Jifeng glanced at her but ignored her. Instead, he looked at Qin Sirong beside him and said, "I didn't expect that Miss Qin is also one of Qin Hui's people."

Chapter 220 Exorcising Demons, Arrangements for Zhang Tao

Zhang Qiqiao's face was extremely ugly. With Yi Jifeng here, it seemed impossible to kill Zhang Tao and his son and seize Yue Fei's relics.

Qin Sirong's expression changed upon hearing Yi Jifeng's words, but she did not offer any explanation, as saying anything at this point would be superfluous.

Zhang Tao, who was pale and exhausted, could not possibly not know who the newcomer was. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your help, Young Master Yi."

Then, his expression turned ugly, and he questioned, "Second brother, why did you also side with Qin Hui!"

Zhang Qiqiao chuckled and said...

"Brother, don't be so innocent. Didn't you also side with Prime Minister Qin? The only difference between us brothers is that you have now betrayed Prime Minister Qin."

"Let's not talk about who's right or wrong. You betrayed Prime Minister Qin, and you're going to die sooner or later. Besides, it's still uncertain who will emerge victorious today!"

“Hongniang, Sirong, the three of you keep Yi Jifeng occupied. After I kill Zhang Tao, we’ll join forces to deal with him. I don’t believe that the four of us can’t beat him.”

Yi Jifeng stretched out his right hand, and five qi weapons appeared beside him. He calmly said, "Although I am not as good as my elder brother, I can still take on four of you within a zhang. What's more... there is my elder brother."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiqiao and the others narrowed their eyes. Although there had been no record of Yi Yuchen making a move in the martial arts world in recent years, everyone believed that his martial arts skills were close to being the best in the world.

"Where is Yi Yuchen?" the matchmaker asked, looking around.

The next moment, a figure stood quietly next to Yi Jifeng, as if he had always been there.