Setting Out

I had hidden in my room for over twenty days to recover from my “injury”, refusing to see any outsiders. I didn’t even let Su Xiao or Tang Ye in.

There’s no need to explain my reason for keeping Su Xiao out. As for Tang Ye, I don’t want him to know my deeper secrets.

There are too many things and people involved with me. Tang Ye has his own goal, so it’s better for him to be involved with less of my business.

I’ve been troubled over how to clean my hair and dye it with some good dye every day since returning from the palace.

I’m not stupid enough to waste money buying one off the old guy in the city. Besides hair dyes, he sells makeup and female products that are all of the highest quality as well. There are countless females in the city who go to see him. I’d die from embarrassment if I had to crowd in with all those females. Then there’s the price tag, too; one bottle costs sixty ingots. He might as well go rob people!!

I got somebody in the palace who can help me!

Old Dai manages the medicine warehouse in the palace, so he has an infinite number of medicines and drugs. I crept into the palace every night to grab some off him and bring it back for my personal use.

I’m not complimenting myself. I’ve always been troubled by my white hair since I was young, so I sought out all sorts of ways to dye it black. The hair dye the guy working underground used to create for me was the best.

Based on my extensive research over the years, the best hair dye is made using premium bird head, henna, walnuts, black beans and green leaves, mixed with lamb fat. It’s not a complex procedure.

There’s a strange flower called Ebony Flower. If you can add one or two drops of the juice from the stem of the flower, your hair will look black and shiny. Even I cannot help but fall in love at the sight of it…

In summary, Old Huang has it at his store, so I can’t find or make any hair dye that can compare to the one he made.

But, the hair dye I make can last over two months, too. I just need to use some black hair dye every seven days and viola.

I’m lazing around and bored in my room today. I don’t want to go back to work and work as a cheap slave for the Imperial Court. As such, I just lay on my bed with one leg over the other, enjoying wine as I read the latest issue of the Black and White Reflection.

The last two issues have basically been focused on describing the Orange Prince’s revolt, which they called “Emperor Cheng Kong Incident.”

After the curtain came down on the revolt, the Imperial Court has been busy dealing with related matters, to bring an end to the entire incident. Therefore, the three offices were searching the capital to capture people. They arrest anybody suspicious and then interrogate them.

I don’t think the League of Assassins’ skilled fighters would hide here, given how smart they are. Jia Yunfeng and company won’t get anything out of leaving with the League of Assassins, but he has lost all of his sinister skills; he’s bound to be abandoned by them soon.

I hope he’ll think it through when he does get abandoned.

The biggest debate was of course, who was responsible, in other words, the final verdict for the Orange Prince and how he was going to be dealt with.

The people of the Imperial Court had all sorts of things to say; some said to burn him, others saying to flay a layer of his skin off and grill it.

Basically, it was a ruckus. It was as though they didn’t care that his father, the emperor, was sitting on his throne feeling infuriated.

Fortunately, Prime Minister Li Si reminded the emperor. The emperor raised his voice to change the topic, thereby avoiding a disaster.

‘Heh, your ass got saved, Orange Prince…’

Then the topic of discussion changed to discussing merits and rewards. The families of the hundreds of killed bodyguards were rewarded with gold.

I got stumped when I read up to that part. I felt a little melancholic. I kept silent for a long time before continuing to read.

Speaking of rewards, everybody who contributed merited a reward. The public servants performed very well at the Flying Fish Pavilion, this time. They showed courage, so, they were all rewarded with something.

It’s just that there were too many people, so it was tough to calculate. Which was why it took seven days just to discuss who to reward and how to reward them.

What I couldn’t figure out was why Long Zaitian had been demoted three ranks before the rewards were even figured out.

It wasn’t just me that was puzzled. All of the vassals of the Imperial Court were baffled. We all sighed, saying that the emperor must’ve taken such a big hit from his beloved son’s revolt that led to him making a wrong judgement.

However, I’ve been hearing about a song related to the incident that’s called “Drowning the Seven Armies” or something or rather. I have to go and listen to it when I have time.

Just as I was getting into my reading, somebody booted my door open.

I frowned angrily, “Motherfucker! How many times have I said to use your hand and not your fucking foot? Use your hand, not your foot! Do none of you have ears or something?! You don’t need to use so much force! How many faces do you have for me to smack, to be kicking Lord Ming’s door, huh?!”

‘You think it was easy for Boss to give me a room of my own?! I only get so many benefits as a constable! You break it, and I’ll have you repair it for me!!’

However, when I saw who it was that came, I suddenly went speechless. What I saw was a beauty with narrows hips and big knockers. Who else could it have been but Shen Yiren?

Boss Shen scanned me as though she was smiling yet not, “What’s wrong? Didn’t you have lots to say just now? Mother what?”

“M-My mother doesn’t want me… Boss, why are you dressed like this today?”

Boss Shen was dressed in a leaf-green, powerful robe. The front of her chest was left undone, revealing, a deep valley and blessing these eyes of mine. She wore a large and imposing light-green cloak, with her sword at her waist.

She looked like she was about to go on a long journey.

“I have received an imperial decree. I need to send a bunch of things to the leaders of the Seven White Champion Princes, so I will be absent for some time. I have to set out right away. I specially came to see you. How are your injuries heal-…”

“No way!” I sprang up from my bed and ran over. I realised that I was supposed to be ‘weak’ right now, so I then sat down in a chair.

“…”

Boss Shen stared at me silently for a while. She then bluntly said, “Return to work today.”

“… Oh.”

I wasn’t able to calm myself down, “But Boss, the New Year is coming in and yet you’re leaving on a long trip now? His Majesty is too inconsiderate, isn’t he?”

Boss Shen wore a stern expression, “Don’t talk nonsense! This is a sign His Majesty holds us in high regard.”

I complained, “But you’re not here for my first New Year at Liu Shan Men. How lame.”

Boss Shen shrugged and replied, “The New Year is precisely why I need to send His Majesty’s regards to the Seven White Champion Princes’ territories. They have always come to the capital, and it was to help the emperor with a problem every time. It’s courtesy to send them a New Year gift. His Majesty sent me on the job because he thinks highly of us.”

“But even so… How about I accompany you?”

“Stop making a fuss.”

Boss Shen bent down, revealing her twin knockers. It was as if her clothes were naturally that tight. Her pose made her curvaceous lines appear prominent with her thin, tight clothing.

When she bent over at the waist in front of me, her smooth and clear knockers left me speechless.

‘I must not look! Boss Shen will know! I can’t look! Boss Shen will see! Aaaahh! Divine Inkstonesmanship!! I can’t control my perverted eyes, though! My eyes! My perverted eyes!!’

I saw her desire to laugh in her eyes. She deliberately leaned in closer, so her orchid-like fragrance entered my nose.

I desperately backed up, but behind me was the chair’s backrest. I struggled as I exclaimed, “B-Boss! Don’t seduce me!”

With her fragrant scent in my nose, Boss Shen’s voice gently floated into my ears, “You devil. I’m blessing you. It’s up to you, whether you choose to look or not.”

Like being struck by lightning, my eyes nearly popped out from staring.

“I’ll look! I’ll look! I’ll look! Do I get bonus time if I guess the colour of your undershirt right?!”

“Fuck you!” Boss Shen glared at me with her pretty eyes. She then coughed and continued, “You got injured partly because of me, that’s why I let you have such a long break. However, you can’t be too slack. Your injuries have healed. You have lots of experience in the pugilistic world, so look after Liu Shan Men in my place while I’m absent, got it?”

Without blinking, I asked, “Isn’t the Captain still around for that?”

“Enough! You’ve looked enough, haven’t you?!” Boss Shen covered her white breasts. She then pulled a face and replied, “He has to come with me.”

I stopped looking with disappointment. I felt sad randomly… That blessing was too short.

Boss Shen looked at my melancholic look. She asked with reluctance, “A-Are you… unhappy?”

Boss Shen wore a subtly happy expression.

I scratched my head, “Not really.”

Her face then showed a hint of sadness.

But does Boss Shen and Brother Bastard both need to leave?

“That means…”

I’ve got the highest seniority at the office!!

A thought surged up in my mind.

If they’re both gone, that means that I’ll get to enjoy all the delicacies in the storehouse as I please!

I heard they just made a new batch of Jinhua ham last month. The smell is strong, while the meat looks nice. I felt we had good chemistry at that very moment. My, my… My babies, resistance is futile. You will not be able to escape my grasp.

“Boss, don’t you worry. I’ll wait for you obediently at home.”

Boss Shen looked at me speechlessly for a moment, “… That’s filthy! Wipe your drool!”

‘Huh? I drooled? I was too focused on the ham.’

Boss Shen looked at me and suddenly sighed, “I bet you’re thinking about eating again, aren’t you? You’re incorrigible. One more thing. This is very important, so listen carefully. His Majesty is aware that I am focusing on the development of you three and has agreed to meet you three.”

Boss Shen continued sternly, “This pertains to Liu Shan Men’s future, so you cannot take this lightly. You must treat it seriously. Maintain your manners when you see His Majesty. I’m not worried about you and Yan Ling, but you must watch Su Han. He’s short on brain cells and is likely to cause trouble.”

“Got it.”

“Go now. I’m heading off now… What?”

“Nothing.” I shut my eyes and gently pulled Shen Yiren into my embrace.

Shen Yiren widened her eyes and went to angrily push me away, only to discover I was hugging her tightly.

I entered the Divine Realm. I moulded energy and sent qi into Shen Yiren while she wasn’t paying attention. The internal style Shen Yiren trains is Twelve Meridians. The place I sent qi into was the Eight Extra Meridians.

Boss Shen couldn’t stand it, so she pushed me away in the end and thundered, “Ming Feizhen! Are you looking to die?!”

“Can’t you just treat it as a reward for my full recovery?”

Boss Shen glared daggers at me and didn’t speak to me, while I giggled, but didn’t say anything either.

I gave her qi as an insurance measure that can save her life in a crucial moment. I don’t want her to die while she’s out of my sight. The probability of her dying is big, given her fearless character.

The heads of the Seven White Champion Princes are all wolves that’d eat you whole without spitting your bones out.

Yes, they are indeed a major helper of the Imperial Court, but the emperor has wanted for the martial world to “take a break,” while focusing on nurturing the Imperial Courts fighters. Thereby causing the Seven White Champion Princes to gradually get the cold shoulder treatment.

As such, there’s a chance that they’ll make things hard for Shen Yiren. The fact that the emperor had Song Ou accompany her was evidence that he was aware of the dangers involved.

Furthermore, in the case that the Seven White Champion Princes didn’t plan to do that, that didn’t mean that they weren’t hostile to people within the Imperial Court.

Just as Boss Shen was about to push the door open and leave, I suddenly said, “The pugilistic world is a dangerous place, but the Imperial Court is even more dangerous. Liu Shan Men is starting to stand out, so you must be careful with everything you do, Boss. Travelling in two carts and operating in the cover of the night are the best courses of action.”

“You sound as if you’ve got lots of experience in the pugilistic world.” Boss Shen turned her head around to look at me. She pulled a face and couldn’t help but laugh in the end. She patted me on my head, but due to our height difference, she had to tiptoe up.

I found that very cute.

She gave me two pats then laughed and said, “All right. I know you’re worried about me. Thank you. Su Han and Yan Ling have headed off already. Don’t be late. The Imperial City doors will be shut after a certain time. Don’t mess up.”

“Heh.” I waved my hand, “How could I be late?”