Chapter 29

In the movie, ninety-nine percent of the superheroes have one flaw: despite being severely injured, they can fight their opponents until the end of time, but when they meet their allies, they wilt like frostbitten eggplants!

Ling Xiao carried Qinglong, who was as limp as a pile of mud, step by step forward, his face turning increasingly pale. "You can sleep or faint if you're tired, but don't drool on my back!"

Qinglong slightly adjusted his position to a more comfortable one and continued to faint. Ling Xiao rolled his eyes in anger and listened to the distant sound of hooves.

"Did the musketeers take care of it? That was quick!" Ling Xiao said, looking at the group of people.

"Those were just the vanguard, not worth worrying about. With the right time, place, and people on our side, it would be strange if we didn't win!" The old escort leader was clearly very excited, and the usually low-key man rarely acted so arrogantly.

"What's wrong with Qinglong? He's so badly injured!" Qiaohua gently took Qinglong over.

"Where's that female assassin?" The Judge asked.

"I buried her. By the way, does anyone care about me? I risked my life too!" Ling Xiao grinned and shouted.

Everyone wanted to show concern upon hearing this, but seeing him so clean and composed, they couldn't find any injuries and didn't know how to show concern. Ling Xiao, seeing their awkward expressions, gave up.

The journey home was much easier than the trip there, especially the feeling of sleeping on a box of gold bars, which was incredibly satisfying. Qinglong, looking at Ling Xiao who was sitting with his legs crossed and humming a strange tune, found it amusing. "The Judge gave you gold bars, and you really dared to take them! Aren't you afraid of being accused of bribery?"

"I have no power or position; what does bribery have to do with me? Think about yourself, are you still going to be in the Jinyiwei?"

Qinglong leaned against the carriage and shook his head. "The path in the Jinyiwei has reached its end. This time, I'm just going back to see Baihu. After the charges are cleared, I'll join the escort agency as an escort."

Qiaohua, hearing the answer, gently held Qinglong's hands. Ling Xiao, seeing this, smiled lightly. "It's rare for you to let go of the power in the Jinyiwei. Don't worry, I'll tell the Emperor you're dead. Then you can change your name and live in peace. By the way, what's your real name?"

Qinglong sighed and put on a thoughtful look. "How many years has it been? If you hadn't mentioned it, I might have forgotten. My family name is Wen, you can call me Wen Qing."

Ling Xiao shrugged. "I thought it would be some powerful name, but it's quite ordinary! Wen Qing, stop sighing and being so poetic. You're about to have a place in the Beijing escort industry, marry a rich and beautiful woman, and reach the peak of life! Be happy, cheer up for me!"

Qiaohua's cheeks turned red, and her head almost buried in the sand! Wen Qing was already used to his way of speaking and patted Qiaohua's hand, a sweet feeling quietly brewing.

...

On the way, Ling Xiao didn't enter the carriage again because he couldn't stand the affection between Wen Qing and Qiaohua. It wasn't that Wen Qing said anything overly sweet, but his gentle smile and loving gaze made Ling Xiao's skin crawl! In the end, he had to come out and ride with the old escort leader.

After a few more days of leisurely travel, they finally saw the magnificent city walls. "Truly impressive! It's been decades, but every time I see it, I'm still amazed!" The old escort leader gazed at the city walls, lost in thought.

"Yes, it's indeed impressive. Do you know when it was built?" Ling Xiao asked, pretending not to care.

The old escort leader thought hard and said, "That's a tough one. As far as I can remember, it has always been there. According to what I know, this wall has been used since the previous dynasty, not just the previous one, but all the dynasties have made their capital here. You could say the history of this wall is older than the city itself."

"Oh, I see!" Ling Xiao was a bit disappointed.

"What's wrong? Is this important?"

"No, not really. I was just wondering what this wall is guarding. Maybe there are giants buried inside or something." Ling Xiao shrugged and complained.

The old escort leader didn't respond, clearly not understanding. Ling Xiao was full of curiosity about this world, and even after so many years, there were still many unsolved mysteries.

"Hey, Little Ling, how did you come back from outside? When did you leave the city?" Uncle Gen asked warmly at the city gate.

After a brief chat with Uncle Gen, the group split into two. Wen Qing followed Qiaohua back to the escort agency, saying he would see Baihu in the evening. As for Ling Xiao, he returned to the medical hall.

"Little Ling, where have you been these past few days? Did you and your master plan to disappear together? And that big, dumb guy, he doesn't even know what a period is. Where did you find him?" Master's wife started firing questions as soon as he entered.

"Wait! Too many questions. Let me summarize: the desert, no, the palace!" Ling Xiao raised his hand to interrupt.

Master's wife blinked and said, "So you've grown up, flying all the way to the desert! And that big, dumb guy is actually a eunuch! You're really creative, having a eunuch assist your master."

"Master always emphasizes that creativity is very important! Did he say anything before he left?" Ling Xiao was proud of being called creative and subconsciously ignored the reference to Baihu.

"He told you to remember to gather herbs when you come back."

"Is it to the palace?" Ling Xiao thought, placed the gold bars given by the Judge in front of Master's wife, and left.

...

"Ah! Isn't this Lord Ling! Please come in, why aren't you opening the door for Lord Ling?" The city gate guard captain shouted at the other guards.

Ling Xiao watched the guards perform with amusement. It was clear that the news of Ling Fa's rise to power was well-known! Various flatteries, praises, and attempts to curry favor were so varied and innovative that even he, who had been bombarded by internet culture, was stunned. The warmth and coldness of human relationships were most evident at such times!

Ling Xiao wasn't foolish enough to scold them but smiled and accepted their flattery. The guards, seeing Ling Xiao's contented expression, felt relieved. There were many spies from various factions here, and for the new favorite in the palace, they wanted to know as much as possible, especially someone who could accept flattery and bribes, which made them even more at ease.

The journey was smooth, and from a distance, he could hear the eunuchs passing on the message. This was Ling Xiao's first time in the Golden Hall, and the feeling was completely different from visiting the Forbidden City in his previous life. How to describe it? It was a sense of awe and intimidation! He hadn't noticed it before, but now he could clearly feel it, and the closer he got, the stronger the feeling became. Being intimidated by a building made Ling Xiao feel extremely strange. Maintaining this strange feeling, Ling Xiao entered the Golden Hall, and the sense of awe reached its peak in an instant.

Buzz!

The light sword inside him seemed to sense a challenge, and with a slight tremor, the oppressive feeling vanished like a frightened rabbit. The sudden relief made Ling Xiao stand dumbfounded at the entrance, his eyes wide and unfocused, staring at the hall.

"Your Majesty, has everything gone smoothly?" The Emperor's voice woke Ling Xiao, but it was filled with a sense of satisfaction.

"Your humble servant, Ling Xiao, pays respects to His Majesty, may the Emperor live ten thousand years, ten thousand, ten thousand years!" As a穿越者 (穿越者 means "time traveler" or "穿越者" in this context), Ling Xiao found the kneeling and bowing very awkward. He decided to use the single-knee kneel of a general, pretending to show his loyalty to the Emperor.

"Alright, stand up. The Bao Long clan can be exempt from kneeling. Although you are just a reserve, I grant you this privilege today." The Emperor smiled.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Ling Xiao slowly stood up and looked around the hall. The Emperor was still smiling on the dragon throne, with the Western Factory Chief on the left and Prime Minister Cai Jing on the right. Below them stood Ling Gong and Ling Fa of the Bao Long clan. Strangely, there were no guards in sight.

"Looks like there's something today!" Ling Xiao thought, then looked at Ling Fa's smug expression and remembered his own dazed look earlier. "Damn! He must have known about this oppressive aura and didn't tell me!"

"Little Ling, have you gained anything from your trip out of the city?" The Emperor asked with a smile.

"Your Majesty, your humble servant rushed to Yanmen Pass and managed to stop Jia Jingzhong's plot before he could complete the transaction with Prince Qing. These are the letters of communication between them and the fake imperial edict from Prince Qing without the imperial seal." Ling Xiao took out a letter and a scroll from his chest, which he had to thank the Judge for not discarding during the cleanup.

When Jia Jingzhong was suspected of treason, the Emperor had all the Eastern Factory members monitored, and Western Factory Chief Wei Zhongxian took the opportunity to win the Emperor's favor. Wei Zhongxian now took the letter and the edict and passed them to the Emperor.

The Emperor, after reading them, looked angry. "Hmph! Prince Qing is so ungrateful; he should have been executed long ago!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down!" Everyone advised.

"What about Jia Jingzhong? Where is he now?" The Emperor threw the letter and the fake edict aside and asked.

"Xuanwu betrayed Jia Jingzhong to Prince Qing during the transaction and killed him when he was no longer useful."

"What about Xuanwu?"

"Xuanwu was killed by the former Jinyiwei commander, Qinglong. With Qinglong's help, your humble servant was able to complete the mission." Ling Xiao followed the plan to clear Qinglong's name.

"En, Qinglong has always been diligent in serving me. I trust him. Where is he now? I want to reward him well." The Emperor nodded.

Ling Xiao sighed and put on a sad expression. "He held off the killers sent by Prince Qing to ensure your humble servant's safe retreat. By the time I stopped Prince Qing's musketeer vanguard, it was too late."

Ling Fa was slightly surprised. Qinglong is dead? Did Little Ling fail? But his smug look didn't seem to suggest that!

"Qinglong, loyal to the country, was betrayed by the wicked. It is a great loss to the Ming Dynasty, Wei Zhongxian!"

"Your servant is here."

"Posthumously confer the title of First-Class Loyal and Brave Marquis on Qinglong! The position of Jinyiwei commander will be taken by Baihu!" The Emperor said solemnly.

"Your humble servant represents Qinglong and Baihu in thanking Your Majesty for the reward." Ling Xiao said loudly, but thought, "All this is useless! Even if you make him a superhero, he can't help you fight monsters anymore!"

"Your humble servant has another matter to report."

"What is it?" The Emperor seemed very pleased with Ling Xiao today, always smiling.

"Your humble servant was able to successfully intercept the musketeer vanguard in Tianlang Ancient City thanks to the help of some brave men."

"Oh? What brave men?" The Emperor, who loved martial arts, admired those who were both chivalrous and patriotic.

"They are the escorts from my Beijing Justice Escort Agency. Their familiarity with the terrain of Tianlang Ancient City, gained from years of escorting, was very useful..." Ling Xiao embellished the story of how the old escort leader used the terrain to make the musketeers kill each other, speaking with dramatic flair, more professionally than a storyteller on the bridge.

The Emperor, after being amused and moved, sighed, "If everyone in our Ming Dynasty were as righteous as the old escort leader, what would we have to worry about?" He then said, "Good, as the old escort leader said, there is too little justice in this world. The Justice Escort Agency should continue. I will reward them with a hundred taels of gold and a plaque. Wei Zhongxian, prepare the ink and brush. I will write the word 'Justice'!"

The Emperor was known for his whimsical nature, and when he was in a good mood, no one could stop him from doing anything, even running to the roof! Seeing the Emperor's enthusiasm, no one said anything, but they looked at Ling Xiao with strange eyes. During his storytelling, Ling Xiao had praised himself as brave and wise, almost moving heaven and earth. Regardless of how much exaggeration there was, the results were there, making everyone take him more seriously. As Ling Xiao's master, Ling Fa also felt proud, but knowing Ling Xiao, he thought one-tenth of it was true, and that was due to his good education!

Ling Xiao didn't have time to care about what others thought. He just hoped the Emperor's calligraphy wouldn't be too ugly. He had worked hard to get a reward for the escort agency, and if he ended up with an ugly plaque, the cracks in the ground in Beijing might not be deep enough for him to hide!

The two characters were quickly written, and the Emperor picked them up, looking at them for a moment, seemingly very satisfied. Ling Xiao leaned over to look. They weren't overly feminine or masculine, just standard, and no one would dare say they were bad! For a moment, a golden mist seemed to flash, but was it just an illusion?

The Emperor returned to the dragon throne. "Is there anything else?"

Ling Xiao knelt down with a thud. "Your humble servant is incompetent. Due to the urgency of the battle, I entrusted the imperial seal to someone to send it to the Western General, but it was stolen by bandits on the way."

"Oh, that! The main culprit has been identified, and no one else can use the imperial seal. There's no need to be too anxious. I've already entrusted the Eighth Prince to handle it. Let the people of the江湖 (jianghu, meaning "the world of martial arts and chivalry") deal with it!" The Emperor waved his hand, not caring.

Ling Xiao was a bit confused. When the Emperor first heard about Zhao Shenyan's rebellion, his first reaction was surprise, and his second was disbelief, but he didn't mention the imperial seal. At that time, Ling Xiao thought the seal wasn't very important, so he didn't rush to chase the four women and one man. But even if it wasn't very important, it was still the imperial seal! How could it now seem dispensable? Could it be that you secretly carved it out of a radish?

"Is there anything else?" The Emperor asked again.

"No." Ling Xiao thought and replied, feeling that what the Emperor was about to say might be the main point.

The Emperor nodded and suddenly put on a serious face, staring at Ling Xiao. "You and Ah Fa risked your lives to save me from the Jurchen. The dangers and crises were endless, and you protected me with your flesh and blood. On this journey, I witnessed your strategy and bravery. If Jia Jingzhong's rebellion hadn't happened so suddenly, I would have rewarded you long ago!"

"This is the duty of a subject, I dare not ask for a reward!" Ling Xiao joked, thinking of the box of gold given by the Judge, which was clearly the people's wealth!

The Emperor's eyes were full of admiration but also a bit of difficulty. "Good deeds should be rewarded, but how to reward you is a matter for discussion."

"What's so difficult about it! So stingy!" Ling Xiao complained inwardly but kept a straight face.

The Emperor continued, "You are not a general, so you can't be considered a military achievement, and I've heard your martial arts potential is a bit... so I can't give you a military position."

"I know my potential is poor, but don't say it out loud!" Ling Xiao was depressed but didn't say it out loud.

"You are not a civil official, though you are clever and intelligent, but not in statecraft. And you've never taken the imperial exams, not even a scholar, so I can't give you an official position."

"Damn! Talking about statecraft with me! If I talk about reform and capitalism, you'd probably execute my ancestors! Well, they're in another world, so you can't find them!" Ling Xiao despised the Emperor inwardly but didn't say it out loud.

"To reward you with gold and jewels would be vulgar and make it seem like I look down on you!"

"I'm not afraid of being looked down on, you stingy guy!" Ling Xiao shed tears for the gold and jewels