The poorest member of the Imperial Guard, the Empress begged me to embezzle.

In the stillness, the lamp's flame flickers and the wind gently sways the bamboo shadows.

In the study in the courtyard, Chu Xiu stood up, pushed open the door, and walked out, saying calmly, "What time is it?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, it is already 9 PM."

Ying Taotie appeared out of thin air in front of Chu Xiu and said softly, "It's getting late, Lord Marquis should rest."

"Very well, I understand. If there's nothing else, you may leave."

Chu Xiu nodded slightly, waved to Ying Taotie, and said.

Ying Taotie hesitated for a moment, bowed, and prepared to leave.

"Wait, is there something else you want to say to me?"

Chu Xiu glanced at Ying Taotie and said calmly.

"Reporting to the Marquis, although our Shadow Guards did not find any trace of Xiao Yu, we did find someone else."

Ying Taotie considered for a moment before speaking.

"Oh?"

"Tell me, who is this person you found?"

Chu Xiu looked at Ying Taotie with great interest and asked.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, it is Abbot Jingwu of the Luohan Academy of the Great Xiangguo Temple."

"Our Shadow Guards have discovered that Master Jingwu has appeared in Yangzhou City."

"The moment the Marquis led the elite Imperial Guards to surround the Yangzhou Prefectural Governor's Mansion, Master Jingwu left."

Ying Taotie gritted her teeth and said.

“Interesting. It seems that this Master Jingwu also wanted to kill me. However, unlike the people from the Heavenly Sword Sect, he did not go directly to the Governor’s Mansion in Yangzhou. Instead, he hid in the shadows, wanting to see if there was an opportunity to kill me. When he found no opportunity, he ran away immediately.”

Chu Xiu said with a playful smile.

"My lord, why does Master Jingwu want to kill you?"

Ying Taotie paused, a look of astonishment appearing in her eyes.

This was something he couldn't understand, and it was also the reason why he hesitated to tell Chu Xiu.

The Great Xiangguo Temple is the state temple of the Great Zhou Dynasty and has an extremely close relationship with the royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It can even be said to be an extremely sharp sword in the hands of the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

However, as the abbot of the Great Xiangguo Temple, and the most loyal of the direct descendants of the Great Xiangguo Temple, he should not have betrayed the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"Could it be that Abbot Jingwu has come to help the Marquis this time?"

After a pause, Ying Taotie tentatively spoke.

"What if he's from Wanfo Temple?"

Chu Xiu smiled slightly and looked at Ying Taotie.

"People from Wanfo Temple?"

Ying Taotie's pupils contracted, and a look of shock appeared on his face as he spoke.

“Master Zhikong, the disciple of Abbot Jingwu and an elder of Daxiangguo Temple, is a spy for Wanfo Temple.”

"I had previously suspected that Master Zhikong was a spy for Wanfo Temple. I wondered whether Abbot Jingwu knew about it, whether he had been kept in the dark by Master Zhikong, or whether he was also a member of Wanfo Temple."

"Now it seems that this Abbot Jingwu, like Master Zhikong, is a spy for Wanfo Temple."

"No wonder that Master Zhikong, the spy of Wanfo Temple, became a disciple of Abbot Jingwu of Wanfo Temple after entering Daxiangguo Temple. It turns out that Abbot Jingwu was a member of Wanfo Temple."

Chu Xiu smiled gently and said.

"My lord, should I send this message back to the capital and have His Majesty completely eliminate them?"

Upon hearing this, Ying Taotie's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and it spoke with a chilling aura.

He had no doubt about Chu Xiu's words.

After all, Chu Xiu was the Marquis of Champion of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the most trusted and valued minister of Empress Murong Si.

It must be that the Embroidered Uniform Guard has already discovered Master Zhikong's identity, but they haven't dealt with him yet.

After all, the Xiangguo Temple held an extraordinary position in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and even though Chu Xiu was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he could not easily take action.

However, if this matter is left to Empress Murong Si, then it will be very easy to resolve.

"No need. I will personally report this matter to His Majesty after I return to the capital."

"I have something I need you to do."

Chu Xiu waved his hand and looked at Ying Taotie.

"Please give your orders, my lord."

Ying Taotie said with a respectful expression.

Chu Xiu whispered a few words to Ying Taotie.

"Please rest assured, Your Excellency, I will certainly handle this matter well!"

Ying Taotie said solemnly.

Chu Xiu nodded slightly, remained silent, and walked towards his room.

Ying Taotie bowed and disappeared from the spot.

Before long, Chu Xiu entered the room.

only……

"Congratulations, host! You have annihilated four lawless Jianghu sects: Canghai Blade Sect, Kaoshan Sect, Jueqing Valley, and Fentian Sect. You have gained sixty years of human immortal power, the fourth strike of Ananda's Breaking the Precepts Blade Technique, the Blazing Flame Slash, and five Taiqing Jade Liquid Pills."

"Do you want to receive the reward?"

He had just closed the door when the mechanical voice of the positive energy system rang in his mind.

"Indeed, Fang Heng has annihilated all three major sects so quickly."

"My strength can be increased once again!"

A smile appeared on Chu Xiu's face as he said in his mind, "Receive the reward."

The voice just fell.

The power of a sixty-year-old immortal appeared in Chu Xiu's dantian.

The Shangqing Divine Art automatically activated, absorbing and refining the power of a Human Immortal for sixty years, enabling Chu Xiu's cultivation level to break through from the peak of the fifth level of the Human Immortal Realm to the peak of the sixth level.

"I've reached the peak of the sixth level of the Human Immortal Realm!"

"With the rank of the Pure Divine Art above, even a peerless genius at the peak of the ninth level of the Human Immortal Realm would definitely be far inferior to me in terms of Human Immortal power!"

"In other words, with my current perfect-level power of intent and perfect-level swordsmanship, I should be able to fight even a peak ninth-level Earth Immortal, right?"

"Now I don't need to rely on the killing blade array anymore; I have the ability to truly protect myself!"

Chu Xiu clenched his fist, feeling the power of the immortal within him, and a small sense of excitement began to rise in his heart.

Immediately afterward, the content of the fourth strike of Ananda's Breaking the Precepts Sword Technique, the Blazing Flame Slash, appeared in Chu Xiu's mind.

Ananda's Breaking the Precepts Knife Technique is actually stronger with each strike.

The fourth strike, the Blazing Slash, is by no means weaker than the fourth strike of the Heaven-Suppressing Blade.

"I have accumulated eighteen Taiqing Jade Liquid Pills, which I can use to enhance the strength of the Jinyiwei elites."

Chu Xiu glanced at the number of Taiqing Jade Liquid Pills in the system's storage space and then walked towards the bed.

The system awarded a total of twenty-six Taiqing Jade Liquid Pills. He took one himself and gave one to each of Fang Heng, Pei Shiji, Luo Tianxi, Jiang Li, Shen Congyun, and Qin Changsheng, leaving exactly eighteen pills.

The Taiqing Jade Liquid Pill is a peerless elixir that can help martial artists step from the peak of the ninth level of the Celestial Realm to the Human Immortal Realm. Once it is bestowed, it will be enough to create eighteen experts at the Human Immortal Realm level in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which will greatly increase the strength of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

The next day, as dawn broke, life was in full bloom.

A dragon-blooded horse galloped straight towards the city gate of the capital from afar.

At this moment, the city gates were open, and a large number of people were queuing to enter the city.

"A great victory! Marquis of Champion led the elite Imperial Guards into Yangzhou, suppressed the Maitreya Sect, and reclaimed the entire city of Yangzhou for our Great Zhou Dynasty..."

Less than a few miles from the city gate, the Imperial Guards, seated atop their dragon-blooded horses, began to shout in a melodious and rhythmic voice.

The sound reached the city gates, and the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty who were queuing to enter the city were immediately filled with excitement. Yangzhou had been taken back!

As expected, with the Marquis taking action, the Maitreya Sect rebellion will surely be suppressed!