Chapter 32: Milestone Achieved
Again she arrived at the palace to pay her respects and Ying Ru Shi unexpectedly found… the air was very fresh.
The skylights and main doors were wide open, and soft sunlight streamed directly into the main hall, illuminating every corner via the building’s reflective structures.
A shaft of wind dispersed the stifling heat. Upon entering the hall and looking upward, she saw the majestic, solemn dragon carvings.
Although the supreme solemnity remained, her heart felt no压抑; instead, it was filled with reverence for imperial authority.
When Ying Ru Shi clearly saw the figure on the throne, her mind blanked instantly and she nearly lost control.
By the time she regained her senses, she was already kneeling before the Sumeru dais.
Seated on the throne was, of course, Emperor Ying Le of the Qi state.
At this moment, she was not disheveled, nor undressed; instead, she sat upright on the throne, clad in a full set of Silver Moon armor.
The pauldrons were intricately carved with dragon patterns, the breastplate fitted her form perfectly, and the skirt armor overlapped like mountain ranges, covering her legs.
Her hands were sheathed in steel gauntlets, bristling with fierce spikes.
She wore a laurel imperial crown, with long black hair cascading like a waterfall; a few strands gently brushed her stern face, and her hands gripped the pommel of a black-steel greatsword planted point‑down into the ground.
If the former Ying Le had been a volcano, a tsunami, a storm, an unrestrained force of destruction, then now Ying Le was like a deep-sea mountain, lofty, dignified, powerful, and majestic.
Seeing such an emperor, Ying Ru Shi nearly wept for joy and tremulously said, “Ying Ru Shi, Lord of Lecheng Prefecture, pays respects to Your Majesty!”
“Be seated.”
A chair was immediately brought over, yet Ying Ru Shi did not stand. Instead, she presented the long blade in her hand and said, “I am incompetent and failed to acquire the Bingzi Pepper Forest; I could only obtain a pseudo‑sword with partial powers of the Bingzi Pepper Forest.”
At the Thieves’ House, Ying Ru Shi had struck a deal with Yan Qing: 500 spirit jades in exchange for a partially‑sealing sword.
Yan Qing had readily agreed—sealing consumed 100 spirit power, costing 100 spirit jades, and the more sealed swords there were, the stronger the Pepper Forest became. He wished everyone would use sealed weapons.
But the sealing process consumed considerable time, because even a second‑stage messenger’s maximum spirit power couldn’t exceed 100. Fortunately, the sealing was a continuous‑drain process, allowing Yan Qing to absorb spirit jades while sealing.
This design—“continuously consuming spirit power beyond the level cap”—meant it could not be used in combat.
“Oh?”
Ying Le took the pseudo‑sword.
“It indeed looks like a pseudo‑Zhou style warblade… So that’s it—the power of Bingzi Pepper Forest is to enhance the performance of other weapons?”
“As Your Majesty suspects, the Pepper Forest has three powers: Seal, Pillar of State, and Overturn‑Heaven.”
Ying Ru Shi briefly explained the effects of the Pepper Forest, then continued: “Within the Thieves’ House there are no looting opportunities. To obtain a legendary token, one must earn Thief points according to the rules. Only by having more points than others can one hope to win a legendary token at auction.”
“Since I failed to obtain the Bingzi Pepper Forest, Your Majesty may punish me.”
“That’s unnecessary.”
Ying Le set aside the pseudo‑sword.
“You are the most talented of our imperial clan. I will need to rely on you in future governance of the realm. No legendary token is more important than you. You may continue to pursue the Thieves’ House, but prioritize preserving yourself—do not force it.”
Ying Ru Shi bowed and pressed her forehead to the ground, tears streaming down her face: “I will lay down my life to repay Your Majesty’s grace!”
She removed the ring from her finger and offered it to Ying Le: “This is the Storage Ring I won at auction in the Thieves’ House, and I hereby present it to Your Majesty for disposal.”
Ying Le examined the Storage Ring for a moment and nodded: “Very well, I accept it. You may return home and rest. By the way, you should be aware of the notice and reward posters, correct? Do not expose your identity. Many messengers covet your bounty— even the City of No Night may not guarantee your safety.”
“I will!”
Even after leaving the palace, Ying Ru Shi remained dazed, as if in a dream and found it hard to believe.
She had never imagined that, after nine years—nine years of madness—the emperor could still regain clarity, could transform back into the Phoenix‑Ceremonial Son of Heaven who punished the world with her power!
When Ying Ru Shi was young, Ying Le had not looked like this. Rather, she had been a commander who campaigned across every front, leading her Hundred‑Ward Riders to seize key secret realms on borderlands and had defeated pseudo‑Zhou Medicine Master Mo Ke and pseudo‑Liang Protector Shao Hu.
With enormous prestige earned through conquests and territorial expansion, she returned to rule with vigor: implementing reforms, encouraging agriculture and education, codifying laws, and governing the Qi state in good order.
Many commoners even built shrines in her honor, calling her the Phoenix‑Ceremonial Son of Heaven.
That vibrancy and flourishing vitality were still vivid in memory.
This was also why, despite years of her tyrannical misrule, no one dared oppose or overthrow her.
Not only because of her strength, but because at a wave of her hand countless people benefited from her grace and still flocked to her banner!
But since Ying Le established her Foundation, everything had changed.
Power had become a curse, turning Ying Le into the opposite extreme: an alcoholic, a prodigal, brutal, and insane—like a monster wearing human skin.
Yet now it was okay. She was back, everything had returned!
Returning to her residence, Ying Ru Shi saw a palace escort waiting at the door.
“Lord of the county, this is a gift from His Majesty for you.”
A eunuch presented a precious box.
Ying Ru Shi opened the precious box and discovered that it contained a Storage Ring—with three compartments—far more valuable and rare than the one she had offered.
She immediately knelt to the ground, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Your subject, blessed by Your Majesty’s great kindness, shall spare no effort and die without regret!”
Meanwhile, in the Qian Kun Hall of the imperial palace—
The pseudo-sword in Ying Le’s hand changed shape, kneaded like mud into a lump.
Ying Le stared at the lump of metal in her hand, drooling, yet seemingly unaware.
She kept kneading it, then suddenly hurled it out.
It smashed straight through the palace doors made of refined gold!
She panted heavily, then took out a wanted poster from her robe.
“Suspect No. 3”
“Features: Wears a white fox mask, wields a longsword”
“Crime: Involved in the Anguo Temple Heist”
“Threat Level: Third-Stage Combat Power”
“Bounty: 20,000 spirit jades or an advanced sword technique manual”
“No rush, no rush, I must wait, must wait.”
“I have to endure, endure! I must let her bounty grow big enough—so big it lures out the Divine Marquis Estate, lures that person out!”
“The Divine Marquis Estate will definitely come out to hunt, and that person will appear too—definitely!”
“One day, one day…”
…
…
In Jiangnan City, at the Shang Residence—
“So now you understand your situation, don’t you?”
Shang Qiao’s voice held worry, but also a trace of schadenfreude.
“Now the entire world has heard the Divine Marquis Estate’s proclamation. Do you know what that means?”
“I do.”
Shang Xinlei nodded.
“Third Brother, you’re jealous of me!”
“Bullshit! What would I be jealous of?!”
“You’re jealous that I can disguise myself to go to Chang’an and commit arson and murder.
You’re jealous that my exploits are broadcast to all, that I get to experience thrilling, earth-shaking adventures—while you can only sit at home and get scolded by Father.”
“That’s not true!”
Shang Qiao’s face flushed red.
“Besides, Father doesn’t scold me anymore!”
To say he wasn’t envious would be a lie.
A global announcement—how many emperors, ministers, and famed scholars could perform world-shaking deeds and still not have their names known to all?
Yet Shang Xinlei and her crew had merely made a trip to Chang’an and stolen something—
And that alone triggered a global announcement that shocked all corners of the land!
No one might ever match it again, but certainly no one in the past had ever done it.
An unprecedented first!
Although the global announcement hadn’t caused any real-world impact, for people at the time it was akin to a miracle.
Even messengers who had seen secret realms couldn’t remain indifferent.
Watching his little sister proudly munching melon seeds, Shang Qiao knew he had no control over her.
With a sigh, he handed her a booklet.
The book had no title and only a few pages.
But after flipping through it briefly, Shang Xinlei’s expression subtly changed.
It was a brochure introducing the secret realm “Divine Marquis Estate.”
There wasn’t much content—just a mention of the demonic beings within, whose powers mostly exceeded third-stage.
Also, the estate didn’t exist in any fixed location—one could only enter it using an item called the “Order of Reward and Punishment.”
The final page mentioned that the Divine Marquis Estate's treasure chests could produce a unique spiritual elixir.
The elixir was called Foundation Pill.
“Only the Divine Marquis Estate produces Foundation Pills?” asked Shang Xinlei.
Shang Qiao shook his head.
“Not only, but the other places that produce Foundation Pills are mostly fourth-stage secret realms.”
The difference between third-stage and fourth-stage secret realms was vast.
Third-stage realms could be raided by large groups of second- and first-stage messengers, regardless of casualties.
But fourth-stage secret realms absolutely required teams of fourth-stage messengers to clear them.
“So that means, for most third-stage messengers, the Divine Marquis Estate is their only chance at getting a Foundation Pill,” Shang Xinlei murmured.
“Then the Order of Reward and Punishment—”
“It’s said that it can appear in the treasure chests of any secret realm,” Shang Qiao replied.
“Our family has controlled the Stillheart Cottage secret realm for decades and only saw one appear.
It was immediately used as a key bargaining chip—
And traded for our Shang family’s hereditary nobility in Great Liang.”
“What did Father say?”
“You’re to enter a secret realm immediately,” said Shang Qiao.
“Even if someone can track you through a token, it won’t work since secret realms are isolated from the outside world.”
“Then I could actually just stay in the Thieves’ House.”
Shang Xinlei tilted her head.
“I’d just come back daily to bathe and eat.
And I wouldn’t be bored—after all, Yellow Dog seems to stay there all the time…”
“No way!”
Shang Qiao panicked.
“How can a man and a woman live under the same roof!”
“It’s not the same room—we each have our own bedrooms…”
“Still not acceptable.
You’d better go to Stillheart Cottage to lie low.”
“I’ve been there too many times.
It’s boring.”
Shang Xinlei spoke indifferently.
“I want to go to Wandering Forestland.”
Shang Qiao paused, then pondered for a moment.
“Wandering Forestland is indeed about to open…
But it’s much more dangerous than Stillheart Cottage.
Our family’s guards won’t be able to help.
You really want to go?”
“It’s not like I’ll stay there long.
I just want to take a look—there’s no real danger.
Besides…”
Shang Xinlei glanced at the four wanted posters on the table.
“I should start putting in some effort too.
After the next mission, I don’t want to still be dead last.”
“Suspect No. 4”
“Features: Wears a red snake mask, weapon unknown”
“Crime: Involved in the Anguo Temple Heist”
“Threat Level: Unknown”
“Bounty: 10,000 spirit jades or a Basic Footwork Mastery Manual”
…
…
“Are you kidding me?
Why is my bounty so much higher…”
In the Thieves’ House, Yan Qing booted up the game console and logged into “Ye Si’s” account.
He quickly found his own wanted poster.
And he didn’t even need to go to the city gates.
A message popped up in the lower left corner of the game’s chatbox—
“(World Channel) Divine Marquis Estate Announcement:
Four unknown thieves recently arrived at the Thieves’ House.
They successfully stole the Legendary Token: Bingzi Pepper Forest from Anguo Temple in Chang’an.
They are hereby wanted.”
The word “wanted” was even a hyperlink.
Clicking it brought him to the “Bulletin Board”—
A section displaying current in-game events.
But clearly, there were no events right now.
Only four wanted posters were hanging there.
“Suspect No. 1”
“Features: Wears a yellow dog mask, uses a longsaber”
“Crime: Involved in the Anguo Temple Heist”
“Threat Level: Unknown”
“Bounty: 100,000 spirit jades or the Legendary Token: Bingzi Pepper Forest”
Yan Qing looked at it briefly, then set it aside.
After all, he didn’t live out in the world.
Even if the bounty increased ten-thousandfold, it wouldn’t affect him.
He was more worried others might not handle the pressure and flee to the Thieves’ House to lie low.
Then Yan Qing would be stuck living under the same roof with them.
Living together…
Wouldn’t it be normal if they invited him to eat together?
To chat a bit?
To visit each other’s rooms occasionally?
Damn it, how’s this different from going to work?!
Before transmigrating, he had to endure pointless socializing.
Now after transmigrating, he still had to endure pointless socializing?
Then what was the point of transmigrating?!
Is there no quiet place in this whole vast world where a person can just play games?
Yan Qing sighed inwardly and turned his attention back to the game.
Suddenly, he noticed a new unfamiliar status above “Ye Si’s” health bar.
When he hovered over it, the name of the effect stunned him.
“Milestone Title: Demolition Team”
Oh yeah, I did complete that milestone…
Wait, what?!