The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 232 - 207, I should shield him from wind and rain, encountering Bian Ji by chance.

Ding... Dingling...

In a daze, Zhao Douan opened his eyes and found himself away from the Imperial Palace, reappearing within the Martial God Map once again.

At this moment, the sky was faintly brightening, with stars strewn across the night sky.

He found himself lying on the back of a donkey.

Beside him, there was traveling luggage, and as he looked forward, he saw the Great Yu Grand Ancestor, tall and with unkempt hair, walking ahead.

He was no longer wearing the thick felted cotton coat but instead, a single layer of clothing with a green gourd hanging from his waist.

"Phew, I’m in here again... At least I can avoid the awkwardness of having eunuchs apply medicine..."

Zhao Douan sighed with relief, feeling all the pain in his body had vanished.

Not surprising, since this was a "contemplative" state, the pain from the outside world was isolated here.

"I say, Xu, your way way way... granddaughter has quite the heavy hand when it comes to a real fight," Zhao Douan complained loudly as he rode the donkey.

Xu didn’t make a sound, pretending he hadn’t heard.

But the donkey snorted, making several vocal protests.

This donkey, they "picked up" after leaving the snowy plains.

More accurately, it was after Xu encountered a group of highwaymen; he threw a punch, they all ran, leaving behind the donkey.

Yes, there were "people" in the Martial God Map!

This discovery had once excited Zhao Douan tremendously.

He had tried communicating with characters within the Martial God Map other than Xu, only to be frustrated to find.

The people here, each of them resembled NPCs in a game, following a set of logic in their actions but entirely lacking true intelligence.

After all, these were people within a painting... Understandable.

"Xu, how far are we from the East Sea?" Zhao Douan asked, riding the donkey under the starry sky.

Great Yu Grand Ancestor rarely lifted his hand, but now he pointed ahead and said,

"Just keep going, and you’ll reach Martial Emperor City."

"What? Where did you say we’re going? You’re taking me to Martial Emperor City?" Zhao Douan was stunned.

He had just learned from the Empress that Martial Emperor City was the top legacy in this world for Martial Artists.

It was also a "Holy Land" in the hearts of Martial Artists across the land, roughly equivalent to Jerusalem in the hearts of believers.

The legacy of Martial Emperor City, even more ancient than the Great Yu Dynasty, was a place that rarely meddled in worldly affairs, yet no one dared to underestimate it.

Every generation of city masters, the three thousand disciples they took on, all held eminent positions within Jianghu.

"Six hundred years ago’s Martial Emperor City... Wait, you’re not going to challenge them, are you?" Zhao Douan’s complexion changed.

Thinking back to what the Empress had mentioned before, that the Royal Family Grand Ancestor had some grievances with Martial Emperor City back in the day.

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Could it be... that the Martial God Map not only recorded Xu’s journey of heart refinement but also an important expansion pack?

However, Xu didn’t bother to answer him this time and just stared intently toward the east, where the sun suddenly rose.

The darkness of night was broken, stars fading away.

Xu said, "I’m taking you to see the vast sea."

...

Imperial Palace.

Inside a room.

Zhao Douan opened his eyes and was surprised to find that his body no longer hurt.

His eyes roamed the room, which was devoid of others, except for one person who remained.

He tried to sit up and was amazed to find that he had regained much of his strength. Although he still felt weak, he could move and sit like a normal person.

"My injuries are healed too? What kind of miraculous medicine..."

Zhao Douan marveled at his body.

He found his injuries considerably lessened, almost reduced to mere marks. Hopping off the bed and using the full-length mirror in the room, he saw that the bruises and swelling on his face had completely healed.

"Is the medicine in the Imperial Palace really that effective?"

Muttering to himself, Zhao Douan looked at his reflection in the mirror, his appearance restored to its former state, and once again sensed the specialty of the extraordinary world.

He picked up the set of new clothes prepared for him, dressed neatly, and while moving his arms and legs he was surprised to find his reflexes sharper than before.

The experiences of the past few hours of combat had been fully embedded into his body.

What kind of terrifying effects could the meticulous guidance of a top expert in the Human World have?

Zhao Douan felt as though his Martial Skill accumulation had been elevated to a new level on the spot.

"Remember today’s battles, ponder over them repeatedly when you return, and once you’ve digested them, you’ll find few opponents in Martial Skills within your realm," the words of the Empress still rang in his ears.

Today’s visit to the Imperial Palace had brought Zhao Douan not only the "Six Talismans Treasure Armor," greatly enhancing his survival capabilities.

More importantly, he had received instruction in Martial Skills from the Empress, which, if integrated fully, would lead to a leap in his combat abilities.

With a mix of joy and embarrassment, Zhao Douan pushed open the door of the room and looked at the eunuch bowing his head and guarding the door outside.

"Mr. Zhao has woken? Her Majesty has gone to attend to matters, she said you may leave the palace on your own."

The eunuch spoke, his eyes conveying an indefinable meaning.

How many could claim the Empress personally tended to their wounds?

Moreover, it was a man in "tattered clothes."

The eunuch clearly remembered that when the Empress emerged from the room, her cheeks were a shade redder than usual.

"…Oh."

Zhao Douan was unaware of his thoughts, and upon seeing the eunuch’s odd expression, assumed the latter felt his pride had been hurt during the application of medicine.

He felt uncomfortably out of place and, after some thought, said with a stern face,

"Should I have offended you in any way while I was passed out, I hope for your understanding."

Saying so, he left as if fleeing, for fear of further misunderstanding by the eunuch.

"Ah?"

The middle-aged eunuch stood there in a daze, completely baffled.

"Your Majesty, Zhao Douan has left."

Outside the Imperial Study, Mr. Hai in a bright red python robe arrived at the doorway, cupped his hands in greeting, and reported from inside.

Xu Zhenguan sat silently behind the Imperial desk, lost in thought, unaware of what occupied her mind.

Hearing him, she came back to reality and nodded slightly, responding,

"He’s left, has he? That is good to hear."

She paused, then curiously added,

"For such a trivial matter, you could have instructed a servant to report it. To come here in person, do you have other news?"

Hunchbacked and wielding immeasurable power as the Tributor of the Inner Court, Eunuch Hai nodded and said,

"There is indeed another matter that must be reported directly. The Shadow Guards have sent a message that requires Your Majesty’s attention."

Eunuch Hai took a secret letter from his sleeve and handed it over.

A secret report from the Shadow Guards?

Xu Zhenguan took the matter seriously, unfolded the letter, and after a cursory glance, was slightly stunned,

"Has the Kuangfu Society appointed a new leader to enter the Capital?"

Eunuch Hai nodded, saying,

"The last time Cold Frost Sword entered the Capital, he disappeared without a trace within a few days.

The Shadow Guards found out that after the news reached the Kuangfu Society’s main branch, Zhuang Xiaocheng and other rebels were greatly enraged. However, considering the importance of the Capital, they could not leave it unattended and thus dispatched another leader.

The new arrival in the Capital ranks even higher than Cold Frost Sword within the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang, known as the ’Thousand Faces God’."

Members of the Kuangfu Society were distinguished by their rank.

Excluding peripheral members, the core members were divided into the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang and the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends.

Those in the top thirty-six were "Squad Leaders" capable of independently leading a Prefecture-level sub-branch.

The ranks within the Heavenly Gang were distinguished as well.

The former Grand Tutor Zhuang Xiaocheng was second only to the leader of the Heavenly Gang, showing his high status.

Eunuch Hai explained,

"This Thousand Faces God excels in disguise and has meticulous thoughts, very different from the reckless Cold Frost Sword. This time, he also avoided the line of sight of the Shadow Guards. We only know he is headed towards the Capital, but his exact whereabouts remain elusive."

Xu Zhenguan frowned,

"I too have heard of this person’s reputation in Jianghu, truly difficult to deal with, particularly adept at disguising and masking his presence. If he deliberately hides, I fear he will be hard to find."

Eunuch Hai nodded and said,

"With the new policies only recently implemented, the rebels will not allow them to proceed smoothly. I fear they may stir up a new crisis."

A crisis... Xu Zhenguan suddenly thought of something, showing a look of concern, and said,

"The rebel forces in the Capital have been disrupted by Zhao Douan time and again, resulting in scattered morale. If the Thousand Faces God intends to take action, he still needs to rely on the Capital’s rebels, which comes back to the issue of how to boost their morale..."

Eunuch Hai raised an eyebrow,

"Does Your Majesty fear that the rebels will make another attempt on Zhao Douan’s life?"

Xu Zhenguan stood up and walked to the window, the warm evening breeze grazing her skin, her gaze sharp and compelling,

"It is very likely. Zhao Douan’s contribution to the recent policies has not gone unnoticed by the Kuangfu Society. Whether to establish authority or hinder the court, they may well make another move on him... Mr. Hai, I have a task for you. During this period, you must protect him covertly."

Eunuch Hai looked surprised, "Shouldn’t we inform him of this matter?"

The Empress shook her head, smiling in the warm breeze,

"He has already done so much, I cannot let the storm fall upon him too."

Outside the Imperial Palace.

Zhao Douan left the Imperial Palace, riding his horse, clattering along the way home.

The sky was nearing sunset at this point.

Amidst the clatter and the wisps of cooking smoke, Zhao Douan felt completely fulfilled, as if life was at its peak.

Suddenly, he pulled the reins, narrowing his eyes, and noticed ahead in the blood-red twilight, a handsome white-robed monk smiling at him.

Bian Ji!

...

This chapter was locked in the "small black room" and after some revisions, it was finally released.