Flipping to the next page: “If you don’t self-castrate, this manual still contains some eunuch-compatible techniques you can learn.”
“For example, Sunflower Acupoint Striking Hand, Childlike Energy Technique, and so on. The inner cultivation method within this manual allows the practitioner to refine essence into Qi, increasing their absorption rate of true Qi to ten times that of an ordinary person!”
Lin Ming’s forehead was full of black lines. “Looks like my father’s sworn brother isn’t a good person either!”
He sent him a manual that only eunuchs could cultivate—was this some kind of hint?
“Lord Duke, the palace is full of danger. If you go there in the future, remember to bring more people! Just today, things nearly went wrong in court. If something were to happen to you, how could I face the Lin family?” Luo Feng muttered while wiping his sweat with a handkerchief.
With the Lin family’s informants everywhere, the incident at court had already reached them.
Lin Ming really had guts today!
Empress Ye Qinghuan wasn’t someone to be trifled with, yet he provoked her again and again. If it weren’t for the Lin family’s numerous allies, their entire clan might already be offering sacrifices to the heavens!
“What’s there to fear? Isn’t our family known as treacherous officials? Since when have treacherous officials feared the Emperor?” Lin Ming curled his lips into a playful smile.
He thought of infamous figures like Cao Cao, Sima Yi, and Erzhu Rong.
Luo Feng was stunned. He never expected the Duke Commander to be so straightforward, speaking so boldly.
“Lord Duke, ahem, our family is loyal! You mustn’t say such things!”
It didn’t matter if others thought the Lin family were treacherous officials, but publicly, they had to maintain the image of loyal and upstanding citizens!
At that moment, an arrow suddenly shot in from outside—aimed straight at Lin Ming!
“Protect the lord! Someone’s trying to assassinate him!”
But in a flash, Luo Feng burst forth like a bolt of lightning, kicked the arrow aside, and rushed out like a flaming rocket.
Lin Ming was left stunned and speechless, then chuckled, “Treacherous officials, huh. Even going home can get you assassinated.”
“But I’m curious—who sent this assassin this time? The Empress? My uncle Lin Hui? Or that half-man, half-woman corpse from earlier?”
Moments later, Luo Feng returned dragging a curvy female assassin, tightly bound and thrown at Lin Ming’s feet.
Despite her delicate features, her eyes were filled with disgust. “Treacherous official! Kill me if you dare! Just do it!”
She had come alone, with no backup, and dared to attempt an assassination!
“Insolence! Do you know who sits before you?” Luo Feng shouted harshly.
“Hmph, the Great Duan Empire’s most infamous treacherous official, known by all!” she sneered. “If you have the guts, kill me. Even if I die, there are thousands more like me in the Jianghu!”
“Filthy mouth! You deserve death!” Luo Feng roared and raised his hand to slap her.
Lin Ming waved him off, “Stand down.”
He examined the young woman’s fair, delicate face and smiled, “This one… can’t die.”
Luo Feng’s expression changed instantly, “Lord Duke, she’s an assassin! You’re not that desperate, are you?”
Lin Ming rolled his eyes, “Say one more word and I’ll make you cultivate the Sunflower Manual. Now scram!”
“Yes, yes!”
Luo Feng jumped out of the carriage in fright.
Good heavens! The Sunflower Manual?!
Lin Ming stared intently at the girl. “What’s your name?”
“Ptui!”
She spat in his face. “A gentleman may be killed but not humiliated! If you try to defile me, I’ll die right here!”
Her defiance left Lin Ming speechless.
He threw a token at her. “Look for yourself—what’s this?”
“A commander’s token of the Unseen Ones!”
“You’re… the third-generation Commander of the Unseen Ones!”
“What else could I be?” Lin Ming asked mockingly. “Why do you think I spared your life? Just because I was hungry?”
That token had been gifted by the system—absolutely authentic!
“Subordinate of the Unseen Ones, Shangguan Xue, greets Commander!”
The girl instantly dropped to her knees in submission.
Lin Ming looked at her and said, “Rise. Tell me, what was all this about? Aren’t the Unseen Ones a Jianghu organization? Why would you attempt to assassinate a high-ranking imperial official?”
Shangguan Xue replied honestly, “Well… even though the Unseen Ones are the number one secret organization in the Jianghu, with over 100,000 deathsworn, ever since the second-generation Commander went missing…”
“You fell into internal chaos? Fighting to seize power?” Lin Ming asked.
“No, we ran out of money! We couldn’t even afford to pay the monthly allowance of two strings of copper. So we had no choice but to take jobs from the Jianghu.”
Shangguan Xue sighed, “Coincidentally, someone placed a bounty on your head—100,000 taels of silver!”
As she spoke, she stared at Lin Ming’s head, as if seeing walking silver.
Lin Ming was speechless. “Just 100,000 taels and your whole organization went broke?”
Damn, this wasn’t at all like the terrifying group he had imagined!
Then he stood up and began taking off his clothes.
Shangguan Xue gasped and instantly realized what he was about to do. “Commander! I… I’m not mentally prepared yet.”
But she bit her lip, and her body betrayed her thoughts, quickly undressing as well.
After all, this was the Commander of the Unseen Ones! If he wanted her for the night, it was her greatest honor!
What was there to hesitate over?
“What preparation?” Lin Ming pulled a bundle of silver notes from his pants pocket, accompanied by a sour stench.
Each note was worth 10,000 taels.
And there were twenty of them!
Shangguan Xue was stunned. “200,000 taels of silver?!”
“Listen, take this money back to Unseen Ones’ headquarters. Tell them—the third-generation Commander is back! From now on, I’ll be in charge! Hey, why are you undressing?”
Lin Ming spoke seriously, then noticed she had stripped down to just a pink dudou, her tight figure accentuated by the garment.
“N-Nothing… I just felt a little warm,” Shangguan Xue said awkwardly, blushing, her long snowy legs struggling to find a place to rest.
Oh heavens! She had completely misunderstood! She wanted to dig a hole and disappear from shame!
Lin Ming sighed, “So that’s what you think of me… you really…”
“…you really know me too well!”
For a full three hours, the Lord Duke didn’t come out of the carriage.
Outside, Luo Feng was reading the Spring and Autumn Annals. He suddenly set the book down and muttered with a frown, “And he claimed he wasn’t hungry—liar!”
In the imperial palace, imperial study.
Bang!
“Outrageous! One day, I’ll kill that scoundrel! That shameless treacherous official!”
Ever since Empress Ye Qinghuan came to power, she had been swift and ruthless, reorganizing the court with iron-fisted measures. In private, ministers often said she had the bearing of the founding emperors.
She was determined to be the revival ruler of the Great Duan Empire.
And yet, within just a few days!
That new Duke Commander had repeatedly danced on the edge of her bottom line!
“What nonsense childhood betrothal! Lin Ming, that useless playboy, relying solely on his father’s influence, now dares to target me? What a joke!” Ye Qinghuan trembled in rage.
Li Qiushui quickly echoed, “Exactly! A toad trying to eat swan meat! Has he even looked in the mirror? Is he worthy?”
“Qiushui, it seems you’ve been hiding something from me, haven’t you?” Ye Qinghuan suddenly changed the subject and glared at her.
The might of the monarch naturally radiated.
Li Qiushui trembled and knelt, confessing, “It’s true I sent beautiful women to the Duke Commander’s mansion on my own initiative. Please punish me, Your Majesty!”
She had assumed that with the old Duke gone and Lin Ming’s reputation for lust, sending three or four beauties would easily drain him dry.
That way, Lin Ming would die quickly, and the Lin family’s power would collapse faster.
“I’m not blaming you,” Ye Qinghuan said calmly. “But when it comes to dealing with Duke Commander, we must proceed step by step. We mustn’t alert the snake by beating the grass.”
She sighed, her gaze dimmed.
“If he had just died, I’d have given him a grand funeral. But now… not only is he still alive, he’s even worse than his father!”
“Then… does Your Majesty mean the time has come? We should act?” Li Qiushui’s eyes gleamed with eagerness.
Behind her, Hu Lin also stepped forward and declared, “My 5,000 imperial guards are ready at any time to serve Your Majesty and eliminate this national traitor!”
“It is time to act—but not to kill him. I plan to use a soft blade against him,” Ye Qinghuan said coldly. “The most urgent matter now is to break the engagement. Otherwise, he’ll keep waving that promise around as if it were an imperial decree, obstructing me at every turn!”
A Hanlin academician under her court then advised, “Your Majesty, the engagement was arranged by the late Emperor and the former Duke. To annul it, you’ll need a strong reason. Otherwise, public opinion may not favor it.”
“I’ve already made plans for that. Lin Ming was born a playboy, with a terrible reputation. Now that he’s inherited the title of Duke Commander, as long as we ruin his image publicly, dissolving the engagement will be perfectly justified!” Ye Qinghuan said calmly.
“I’m playing a long game.”
Spring turned to autumn.
…
At the Duke Commander’s estate, wild geese flew south, and leaves began to fall. The red forests of morning frost glowed as if drunk—always evoking parting tears.
The newly arrived Shangguan Xue had occupied the housekeeper Lin Wan’er’s quarters for several days now.
Lin Wan’er was very displeased but had no choice.
After all, she wasn’t as young anymore.
However, today, Lin Ming acted very differently. He had stayed alone in his room all day. Several chamber maids dressed themselves in see-through silk skirts, trying to sneak in seductively.
But each one was kicked into the trees, weeping in humiliation.
“This Marrow Cleansing Pill… it’s washing and refining my meridians and bone marrow inside and out! It’s incredible!” Lin Ming muttered.
His whole body was filthy—the expelled impurities from deep within.
Now, he felt his Ren and Du meridians had been opened, every pore relaxed, and he could sense the spiritual energy in the air!
“Combined with that Sunflower Manual from the dead eunuch, the effect of refining Qi is unprecedented!”
Taking a deep breath, Lin Ming checked his system panel—his combat strength had soared to 7!
His cultivation had reached beginner expert level!
Next up was third-rate master!