Chu Li sped towards Tianshu Courtyard.

The two elderly men in purple followed him into the courtyard and saw Xiao Qi and Xiao s.h.i.+. They frowned and continued to chase after Chu Li.

"Are these two fellows a.s.sa.s.sins?" Xiao s.h.i.+ asked.

Chu Li ran and spoke, "Imperial House High Officials. King An sent them to kill me."

"He's got some b.a.l.l.s!" Xiao s.h.i.+ scoffed. "Let's talk after we've killed them!"

"The Imperial House High Officials are of a supreme rank and they can't simply be killed." Chu Li shook his head disapprovingly.

Xiao Qi stood up and said coldly, "This is Tianshu Courtyard, an inner courtyard of consorts. If you don't retreat right now, don't blame us for being offended!"

Deep down, the two men in purple were furious when they heard Xiao s.h.i.+'s words.

As High Officials of the Imperial House, they bore a supreme rank. They were respected by people within the Imperial House as well and seldom came across those who disregarded them, particularly by an enchanting beauty.

In spite of their old age, they were young at heart and wished to obtain respect from a beauty, too. Unfortunately, they were ignored and such a reaction angered them. They s.h.i.+fted their anger onto Chu Li and harbored a great murderous intent. 

What King An meant was to kill Chu Li. If they failed to do so, they could at least teach him a lesson and vent their rage.

At that moment, their intentions had changed. They must kill Chu Li at all costs!

Chu Li spoke, "Lady, how about we see whose swordsmans.h.i.+p is the best?"

Xiao Qi asked calmly, "Are we going to test on them?"

Chu Li laughed. "Let's see who can take care of our opponents first."

"Good," Xiao Qi replied.

Chu Li disappeared instantly and reappeared with a Modesty Sword in his hand.

"Ting…" The swords of both individuals were unsheathed simultaneously.

Xiao Qi's sword was like a bolt of lightning which vanished as quickly as it appeared.

On the other hand, Chu Li's sword was blurry and did not give off a brilliant s.h.i.+ne.

Both of them withdrew their swords at the same time. In this instance, there was a special approach to drawing the swords. Their speed in wielding their swords was much faster than before.

"Ting…" Both of their swords were withdrawn at the same time.

The two elderly men in purple clutched their abdomens and stared at them in disbelief.

Chu Li said, "As you're High Officials of the Imperial House, you can't be killed, but you can only be crippled."

"How… How dare you…" The old men in front of Chu Li gritted their teeth and glared at him wickedly. "Aren't you afraid of the emperor…"

"The emperor wouldn't do anything for two Imperial House High Officials," Chu Li replied weakly. "Furthermore, as High Officials, your abilities are unimpressive. Why do you still have the cheek to remain in the Imperial House?"

"How evil of you!" The elderly men in purple snarled.

Chu Li grinned. "You two wanted to kill me. I've only crippled you and I've spared your lives as well. How did I become the evil one?"

Xiao Qi spoke, "You're not supposed to be at Tianshu Courtyard. Leave now!"

She sat down by Xiao s.h.i.+'s side.

Chu Li smiled. "Do you want me to escort you back?"

"No need!" The two men growled.

They could not wait to tear Chu Li into pieces.

Chu Li waved his arm. "Good. Your martial arts prowess has been crippled, but your bodies are still stronger than the average person. I'm not going to send you off."

The two elderly men in purple stumbled out of Tianshu Courtyard.

As he watched them, Chu Li shook his head. "What a shame. Their skills have all gone down the drain. They might not be able to cultivate and recover their skills in this lifetime!"

If the men were at King An's age or younger and their Dantians and Meridians had not been completely obliterated, there was still hope for them to recover their martial arts prowess. Moreover, the speed in re-cultivating would be faster than the first time.

Xiao s.h.i.+ was not pleased. "Why do you think it's a shame? It's a shame they didn't kill you!"

Xiao Qi shook her head.

Chu Li looked at Xiao Qi. "The Regal Sword Scripture is incredible indeed."

His Cloud Slas.h.i.+ng Sword Technique was wondrous, too. After combining it with the Seven Forms of G.o.dly Sword, the effect was even more astounding. It took him much effort to combine both techniques before the end result could be compared to that of the Regal Sword Scripture.

Meanwhile, Xiao Qi had not reached the peak of her cultivation of the Regal Sword Scripture. She had always focused on the sensibility of her inner state and pursued boundaries instead of actual martial arts.

Once the Regal Sword Scripture's full potential had been displayed, it might be more powerful than him.

Xiao Qi quipped, "Not as incredible as you."

She could see that Chu Li was trying to give her face.

The two elderly men in purple returned to King An's study.

King An noticed their crestfallen and dejected expressions and realized something was amiss. He furrowed his brows. "Old Sun, Old Meng, are both of you hurt?"

The two men sighed and stole glances at each other.

One of the men in purple said sadly, "Your Highness, we've let you down. We've failed."

"It's a fact that Chu Li isn't an easy to target to eliminate. It's alright if you've failed."

"There was another woman in Tianshu Courtyard. Her swordsmans.h.i.+p was extraordinary and on the same level as Chu Li."

"On the same level as Chu Li?" King An frowned. "Does such a Master still exist?"

"It was Third Lady Xiao," Xu Ning replied calmly.

"They targeted each of us and crippled our martial arts prowess!"

"What?!" King An's expression darkened.

The two elderly men in purple let out a sigh and spoke slowly, "Your Highness, we're already crippled and we can no longer serve you. We would like to request for our resignation from the Emperor and return to our villages."

"Some nerve Chu Li has!" King An's expression became darker than ever. His blood boiled and he suppressed the ever-growing rage within him which was like a flood that was about to break through a dam. It was truly an unsettling sight to behold. 

"Amitabha…" Xu Ning chanted a mantra as he pressed his palms together. He said softly, "Both of you don't have to rush home at once. Your Highness, don't we still have two Primary Heaven Pills?"

King An nodded slowly and scanned him with displeasure in his eyes.

Xu Ning smiled. "Take the pills then. You'll recover your martial arts prowess tomorrow."

"Thank you very much, Your Highness!" The two High Officials were overjoyed. Their lips trembled as they genuflected before King An.

Naturally, they had heard of the Primary Heaven Pill and its miraculous properties. Their euphoria made them somewhat hysterical and emotional.

When they walked out of Tianshu Courtyard, they sank into despair and felt that they were better off dead as they had lost everything. Now, when they knew that they could recover their martial arts prowess, it felt like a trip from h.e.l.l to heaven.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. We'll definitely think of a way to kill Chu Li!" They promised with cupped fists.

"Good. Thank you for your service." King An nodded slowly.

He got up and entered his study. Soon, he brought out two jade bottles and handed them to the two men.

The two High Officials in purple received the bottles of pills with quivering hands and emptied the contents into their mouths. They were worried that King An would change his mind about the pills.

The High Officials noticed the reluctance in King An's expression. Anyone would be unwilling to give such wondrous pills away to someone else.

After consuming the pills, they gave fist salutes and left to have a good rest.

King An regarded Xu Ning with a sour expression. "Why do we have to give them Primary Heaven Pills?"

Xu Ning pressed both of his palms together. "Don't you still have one Primary Heaven Pill left, Your Highness?"

"What if I lose my martial arts prowess again?!" King An sneered. "As long as Chu Li is still alive, he'll certainly cripple my abilities again!"

"If you get crippled by him again, why do you need to recover your prowess, Your Highness?" Xu Ning said calmly. "Moreover, if the two High Officials request for their resignation from the emperor, what would the emperor think of you?"

"... You've got a point. It was an oversight on my part." King An's expression softened.

It was true that greed clouded one's judgment. He was restricted by the Primary Heaven Pills and infuriated by Chu Li, thus he did not think thoroughly. If the emperor knew about the High Officials' situation, that would only prove how incompetent he was!

Xu Ning said calmly, "In a way, the Head Chief has helped you this time, Your Highness. The two High Officials take their jobs seriously now and they won't be so careless again."

"Hmph, as if I have to thank him as well. Two Primary Heaven Pills!" King An clenched his teeth. He had an overwhelming urge to personally rip Chu Li apart.

Xu Ning spoke, "Your Highness, it's time for you to cultivate with a calm mind. With the presence of the Third Lady of the Xiao Residence, it's better for you to give up. Cultivating diligently is the right way to go!"

He could decipher King An's inner thoughts. The latter wanted to kill Xiao s.h.i.+.

"Hmph, fine then. Time to cultivate!" King An replied grumpily.