Wait a minute, where is my master?

The Imperial Family of the Great Xia dynasty had strict rules for members undergoing training outside the palace.

The performance and achievements during this training even determined the cultivation resources one enjoyed later within the Imperial Family.

Among these rules, one stated that before reaching the specified time of training, any contact with one's royal kin was forbidden.

Otherwise, if you were bullied today and cried to your mother, she might soften her heart and send a few experts to protect you.

Tomorrow, if you encountered some difficulties, you might contact a royal uncle or someone to help you solve the problem.

That would defeat the whole purpose of training outside.

Even if Xia Yunzhao was a once-in-a-millennium genius, it wouldn't be good to violate the rules set by Emperor Min.

As for why she could ask Li Mi for help when in danger, it was because of the Seventh Princess's personal connections.

Finding a strong supporter through your own network was a testament to your own abilities, a point that the Great Xia Imperial Family was not rigid about.

Prime Minister Qin, who was once Xia Yunzhao's tutor, and Li Mi, a student of Prime Minister Qin, meant that, strictly speaking, Xia Yunzhao could even call Li Mi "senior fellow apprentice."

Of course, Mr. Li certainly would not agree to that.

"Mr. Li, I am still in my training period and I fear I cannot contact my mother. However, didn't you send a seventh-grade watchman to Shangjing City the other day? Does he have any news?"

"... He needs at least another seven or eight days to fly to Shangjing City," Li Mi replied somewhat helplessly.

"..."

Xia Yunzhao did not expect this answer. Thinking about it, from the time she discovered the Transformation Pond until today, it had only been two days. Indeed, for a Golden Core Realm cultivator, it was too soon to reach Shangjing City.

"... Why didn't you have him use the Teleportation Array?"

"The day the City Protection Array was unknowingly breached, and only today some basic functions were repaired. I fear the teleportation array will also take a few more days to be functional."

The City Protection Array of Gusu City, which connected various arrays within the city, was originally designed to enhance protection capabilities. But now, the disadvantage was showing. For instance, when the array was breached, it affected the city's facilities as well.

Even the night he went to rescue Xia Yunzhao, because the array was broken, the national fortune of the Great Xia dynasty tied to the array was temporarily scattered, making it impossible to consolidate, which led to his injury by that muscular man.

In fact, Li Mi had guessed that it was Taoist Jin Xu who had broken the City Protection Array that day, but guessing was one thing and saying it out was another.

After all, he helped you break the many years' curse of the Zheng family's old house and even blew up one of the Demon Sect's Twelve Hall Masters with a punch, and now he is even personally stationed in Gusu City.

You couldn't possibly ask the Taoist to compensate for the City Protection Array.

Besides, managing the arrays was not solely the responsibility of the watchmen.

The City Lord Mansion, the watchmen, and the governmental office all had authority over parts of the City Protection Array.

"..."

Xia Yunzhao was silent for a long while, then walked to the door and said.

"When July 15 arrives, my training period will be over, and then I will contact my mother for you to see if we can find out any information."

After saying this, she left the house for unknown reasons.

The counterpart was an Imperial Princess, and Li Mi could not insist further. Besides seeking the proper governance of his position, he was primarily concerned about the safety of the people in Gusu City.

He then took Mei Shouyi and Mr. Zhu and headed to the secret chamber.

There, Elder Song, Xia Sunyang, and even himself were still in a semi-injured state, and they needed to recover quickly in case the Demon Sect launched an attack when everyone was powerless to fight.

On the way to the secret chamber.

"I remember you saying you were going to bring Elder Song some special products from Gusu City, saying that it would make him happy and help him recover faster." The usually silent Mr. Zhu suddenly spoke up.

"Ah, did I? We have to trust Elder Song's constitution, even if he is not happy, he can recover quite quickly!" Mei Shouyi, walking ahead, paused briefly, scratched the back of his head, and continued moving forward as he spoke.

"...!"

...

...

The dark moon and high winds made for a perfect killing night.

In the countryside, within a dilapidated temple,

Xu Qian, a seventh-grade night watchman of Great Xia, was resting there.

Having flown continuously for two days, though his Flying Artifact could endure with the help of Spirit Stones, mental fatigue was inevitable. To avoid being caught off-guard by any sudden incidents, Xu Qian had deliberately chosen this temple to rest for a moment before continuing on his journey.

Outside the temple, within the dense woods, two cultivators dressed in black and wearing white masks quietly appeared.

One had a silver feather embroidered on his chest, the other had three silver feathers embroidered.

"Is the target inside the temple?"

"According to the mark, yes."

"Then let's wait a bit longer, let him leave the temple door and lower his guard, then we'll make our move."

The two black-clad cultivators devised their assassination plan through a simple transmission of voices, then their figures merged back into the darkness.

An hour later, inside the temple.

Xu Qian opened his eyes and stood up, stretching languidly. It appeared he had regained his spirit.

He calmly gathered up the alarm flags he had set around the temple, extinguished the campfire in front of him, and used magic to condense a ball of water to wash his face.

Only then did he sling his long blade over his waist, and slowly walked towards the temple door.

"I wonder if Fu Xiang from Yingchun House misses me?" Xu Qian murmured to himself; Fu Xiang was a girl he had met during his last visit to Yingchun House.

"Never mind, I shouldn't think about this now. I heard that the entertainment industry in Shangjing City is even more developed than in Gusu City, and they even have female cultivators; this time I must thoroughly enjoy myself there."

Xu Qian switched from muttering to himself to daydreaming in his mind, then took a step out of the temple door.

Huh?!!!

A warning bell on his waist suddenly started to ring.

Someone was attacking him stealthily!

From the darkness, a dagger filled with Spiritual Power quietly aimed for his heart.

Suddenly attacked, Xu Qian didn't panic. After all, he was a cultivator seasoned in battle, and with a forceful step, he dove forward, half-bowing.

At the same time, he drew the long blade from his waist and swung it backwards based on his experience.

"Damn, this journey really is treacherous. It's a good thing I was prepared."

As Xu Qian thought this, preparing to stand firm and see who had attacked him, from under the earth, a fierce club with sharp white fangs surrounded by thick black aura attacked between his legs.

!!!

Nearly losing a crucial symbol of manhood, Xu Qian's body flashed with a bright light, and he appeared ten meters away.

This was the Near and Far Talisman that Li Mi had given him before he set off, a total of ten pieces.

Their use was to allow one during combat to crush the talisman and appear in a designated place within ten meters.

It was particularly suitable for stealth attacks during battles involving Golden Core Realm cultivators.

"Damn it, come out and fight me if you're brave enough—what kind of skill is stealth attacking!"

Xu Qian tried to provoke his attackers, but the two assassins, very professional, disappeared back into the darkness after their missed strike.

Just then, the moon broke through the clouds above, and just before one assassin disappeared, Xu Qian saw the silver feather mark on the assailant's chest.

"Assassins from Jingyu Building with the silver feather, damn, I'm in deep trouble this time."

As Xu Qian pondered,

From the darkness, the assassins' attack came again.

!!!