EBE Chapter 167: Leaking the water
Chapter 167: Leaking the water
After Xu Feng stepped into the Qilian Hall, he quickly arranged the night duty of the Jinyiwei. Everything was in order. Then he ignored it, turned around and walked into the side hall to start practicing.
The moonlight filtered through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on his focused figure.
Recently, he felt that his progress in cultivation had been stagnant. He knew that it was because he was entangled in worldly affairs and it was difficult for his mind to be pure.
I thought to myself that I cannot slack off on the path of cultivation. Only by getting rid of distracting thoughts can I reach higher peaks.
Although the Human Emperor Banner is a powerful aid, he knows that he cannot rely on anything in his heart. He must always remain humble and resilient in order to make continuous progress.
The candlelight flickered in the hall. Xu Feng closed his eyes and concentrated, taking a long breath. His body swayed slowly with the flow of true energy in his body, like a pine or cypress in the wind, tough yet flexible.
He was immersed in the world of cultivation, and everything in the outside world seemed to have stopped.
Just as my mind was in harmony with the heaven and earth, an inexplicable throbbing suddenly arose in my heart, like throwing a stone into still water, causing ripples.
What secrets are hidden behind the Human Emperor Banner, a magical artifact that can devour evil spirits, absorb martial arts and memories?
As a time traveler, the light of scientific rationality in Xu Feng's mind has never been extinguished. He has pondered over the working principle of the Human Emperor Banner countless times, but has never been able to figure it out.
Those occasional flashes of inspiration are like fleeting meteors in the night sky, difficult to capture and even more impossible to verify.
But tonight, an unprecedented impulse surged in his heart, as if a door was about to be opened.
At this moment, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning - perhaps, the power of the Human Emperor Banner came from some unknown law of energy conversion, which transformed the soul energy of evil spirits into spiritual and military nourishment for the user.
This thought was like a spark, instantly igniting the fire of exploration in his heart.
Before he could think about it, the internal energy started to work spontaneously. A warm current rose from his dantian, rushing along his meridians, causing the blood and qi in his body to boil.
At the same time, the Human Emperor Banner tattoo on Xu Feng's back seemed to sense his will and began to emit a faint glow. Although the light was faint, it contained inexplicable majesty and power.
As his practice deepened, his consciousness gradually became blurred, and everything in the outside world was isolated, leaving him only connected to the vigorous power in his body.
At this moment, Xu Feng unexpectedly entered a state of deep meditation, his body and mind completely immersed in practice.
Just as Xu Feng was immersed in deep meditation, in a corner of the laundry room, there was a completely different scene.
In a side room, three or four actors were trembling. They were the troupe of the Sichuan opera actor who vomited blood.
The eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department rushed in like a dark cloud. Without a word, they used all the torture instruments, and the room instantly turned into a living hell.
The eunuchs had ferocious faces and sneers on their lips. They took turns wielding whips and wooden sticks, and each blow was accompanied by painful groans from the actors.
They cursed one after another, their words vicious, pouring out all their resentment: "You lowly actors, how dare you let our family take the blame! Don't you love to spit blood? Today, I will make you spit it out!"
After saying this, his methods became increasingly cruel, until all the actors were left with their skin torn and flesh exposed, and were on the verge of death.
In the side room, clothes and fabrics were scattered all over the floor. What was originally white was now stained with blood, which was shocking.
After venting their anger, the eunuchs locked the door and left to report to Eunuch Liu, leaving a tragic scene in the house.
I don’t know how long it took, but outside the house, the sound of a clapperboard was heard faintly. It was past three o’clock in the morning and the night was getting darker.
In this dead silence, two dark shadows approached the side room silently. They were wearing night clothes and their faces were hidden in the night.
A dark figure deftly pried open the door lock with a knife, and the two men quickly slipped into the room.
They were agile and clearly had extraordinary skills.
In the side room, a flash of fire appeared, and then two figures in black clothes rushed out of the room like two streams of black smoke, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Not long after, another dark shadow floated down from a height and followed the direction of the two people in front.
At this time, the laundry department was very lively.
When the side hall started to catch fire, the clothes inside were like dry firewood and caught fire at once. The flames shot up and in the blink of an eye, they burned to the next room.
The people living inside had never seen such a scene before. They were so scared that they didn't even bother to put on their clothes. They ran out screaming, and the scene became a mess.
When the people from the Imperial Household Department heard the noise, they rushed over. When they saw the fire, they were so scared that their faces turned pale.
Someone ran towards Eunuch Liu, shouting as he ran: "Eunuch Liu, it's bad! The laundry is on fire!"
When Eunuch Liu heard this, his heart skipped a beat and he hurried over. But when he saw the flames rising into the sky, his legs went weak and he almost fell.
The fire burned more and more fiercely. The clothes and fabrics in the laundry were all flammable, which was simply adding fuel to the fire. Pouring a few basins of water on it was like scratching an itch, with no effect at all.
The flames were carried by the wind and spread towards the Washing Bureau and the Three Rites Bureau. The palace maids were frightened and ran around in panic. Half of the palace was in chaos.
Seeing this, Eunuch Liu didn't care about anything else and shouted at the top of his voice: "Hurry up and put out the fire! Especially the imperial kitchen, we must not let it burn over there!"
After saying that, he joined the firefighting team and directed everyone to get busy.
But the fire was too big, and the number of people they had was not enough. Eunuch Liu quickly sent another eunuch to find Lord Shen of the Imperial Guard for help.
Xu Feng was immersed in the mysterious state of cultivation when suddenly his heart was touched. He suddenly opened his eyes with a flash in his eyes, then slowly restrained his breath and ended his cultivation.
At this moment, a Jinyiwei hurried into the hall, looking anxious, and reported: "Sir, the eunuchs in the inner service have reported that the laundry department suddenly caught fire, and the situation is critical!"
Xu Feng frowned upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "How could a fire break out in the laundry department for no apparent reason? How on earth are the people from the Imperial Household Department on duty?"
He was unhappy, but he couldn't afford to hesitate. He quickly straightened his clothes and strode out of Qilian Hall. He decisively ordered the Jinyiwei waiting outside, "Immediately strengthen the security of the Upper Study and His Majesty's bedroom to ensure their safety. I will go to the Emperor and report the situation immediately."
When we arrived at the study, the emperor had already woken up and looked slightly serious.
Xu Feng respectfully stepped forward and reported the details of the laundry fire. "The laundry is under the responsibility of the Imperial Household Department tonight, but our primary duty as the Imperial Guard is to protect the Emperor. Unexpectedly, this incident occurred, and I have come to apologize and report this to the Emperor."
The Emperor was silent for a moment, his eyes deep. "With you and your faithful companions guarding my study and my bedroom, I am naturally relieved. However, I am uneasy about the laundry department being solely handled by the Imperial Household Department. You should quickly handle this matter and ensure it is properly resolved. Report to me in detail tomorrow. I will retire tonight."
Upon hearing this, Xu Feng bowed and said firmly, "Yes, Your Majesty!"