"Yes, Your Majesty."
The eunuch excused himself.
The emperor then stood in the hallway, deliberating.
There were rumors circulating that there was definitely a Saint-level warrior among the royal family's ranks. He was the only one who knew that it wasn't so.
The rumors circulating out there were something that he had deliberately ordered the secret police to spread among the people.
They had even made things up about the battles that had happened in the palace, so as to confuse the scouts and spies.
"May I know who you are, oh great warrior? So that I could thank you in person?"
He had searched throughout the night.
There were still no signs of this person around.
The emperor was desperate to meet that warrior in person. He would only be able to rest easy after meeting the man in the flesh.
Things in the palace seemed to have stabilized.
All manner of news spread all over the palace complex in the afternoon.
Many eunuchs and court ladies who had failed to escape were getting tense.
During the day, many eunuchs and court ladies were assigned to the likes of the laundry room, where hard menial labor was commonplace.
Back in the Shouning Palace, Concubine Jing woke up and learned that a mysterious warrior had protected the palace and that the eunuchs and court ladies who had tried to flee were being punished.
For this reason, she no longer brought up anything about trying to get Li Mu to flee the palace.
Clan Dugu's forces had retreated about 50 miles away from the city.
The people of the capital city breathed sighs of relief.
The war seemed to have finally been averted.
At night, places like brothels and taverns got rowdy again, and money was spent as if there was no tomorrow.
In the massive tent in the military camp about 50 miles away...
"Our spies in the capital city have still been unable to find any news regarding that Saint-level warrior."
The elders read the letters from their spies.
"We shall not wait any longer. It would be best if we strike tonight."
"When people unwind after a tense period, their guards will be even more lowered than usual."
"We shall strike tonight then. The grand elder is done with preparations by the way. That puny emperor has hung our men at the city walls. Morale will only be stabilized when we avenge their deaths."
...…
That night...
At a pavilion about ten miles away from the city...
More than 20 horses had gathered at the pavilion.
"Grand elder, in order to minimize the chance of our being detected by scouts, we'll need to get into the city on foot from here on out."
Dugu Xin bowed as he spoke to an elder who had a full head of silver hair.
Horses were big, fat targets, and they caused quite a commotion when they galloped, which made their presence ill-suited for carrying out infiltrations.
"We shall move on foot indeed. Ten miles or so are no problem for me. I'm sorry if it's a hassle for you all."
"It is within our duty, grand elder."
Dugu Xin and the others spread out as they headed toward the city.
The elder with the silver hair disappeared from the pavilion right away.
Two people who stayed behind led the horses into the surrounding woods to hide them and waited in silence.
Back in the city...
Everywhere was brilliantly lit, looking very lively.
No one anticipated that there were more than 20 formidable warriors making their ways into the city at that very moment.
It was even possible that there was actually a Saint-level warrior amid those 20 warriors.
Everyone simply thought that the throne was now secured, since they had a Saint-level warrior taking care of things in the palace.
Saint-level warriors...
It was considered a blessing from the heavens if there was even one of them around.
In a tall tower within the city...
Dugu Xin found another person coming to his side, as soon as he got up to the top of the tower.
"Grandfather, look. Those filthy rich nobles and officials are having fun every day while the people suffer. It isn't only that Clan Dugu wants to rebel so much; it's also just that the State of Great Xia has suffered enough."
Dugu Xin pointed at the brightly lit buildings all over the city as he talked to Dugu Taishang.
"You've been the grand chancellor for years, and there's still no changing anything then?"
"There are too many rules and too many clans getting in my way at court. There was nothing I could do about it."
Dugu Xin shook his head.
Sigh~ "Your talents are such that you should have dedicated yourself to your training instead of politics. You could have had a bright future ahead of you. It is a pity that you wasted all your energy on politics instead."
Dugu Taishang shook his head.
"Grandfather, I'm doing all of this for the sake of Clan Dugu's future. Once we get to reign supreme over the country, we will get access to all the resources available in Great Xia. It won't be too late for me to continue training, when our clan has finally completed this great endeavor."
"What happens if you miss the opportunities for breakthroughs due to having delayed them for too long then?"
"We still have you around, don't we, grandfather? When you've become a personal disciple of the Xuan Sect, that's when I'll be able to do something about it."
"You're already at the peak of the Spirit Manipulation Realm, and you're indeed one of the inner circle disciples in the sect as well. If you're still unable to find an opportunity for breakthroughs for two more years, it would be best for you to just follow me then."
"Grandfather, what is the Xuan Sect like?"
...
Moments later...
All the other Spirit Manipulation Realm warriors from Clan Dugu arrived in the capital one after another.
Under Dugu Xin's command, all the Spirit Manipulation Realm warriors headed straight for the royal palace.
Back in the Shouning Palace...
Li Mu opened his eyes and cast his gaze outside the palace.
There are indeed other Saint-level ones in this world. I wonder why this group has shown up in the city just now."
Li Mu left the Shouning Palace and got himself up on a tall building in the city, casting his gaze at a tower far away.
Strong auras indeed. It's a pity that the one with the Saint aura hasn't been a Saint for very long. Peak of the second tier of Saint level at best... If he were a bit more powerful, I might have to fight 300 to 400 rounds with him, and I could hone my swordplay.
He took several more looks at them.
He deemed all of them to be utterly beneath him.
He could easily get rid of them all with three strokes.
Forget it then.
Let's head back to the palace and rest.
Huh?
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed that the Saint-level warrior was actually making his way to the royal palace.
What is he doing?
Intruder!
The Saint-level warrior is here to assassinate the emperor?
Man, this is something!
Eight at the peak of the Spirit Manipulation level had just died two days ago, and someone with greater powers has shown up already.
No.
A group of warriors entirely on a par with those who came two nights ago are here too.
There goes my night for checking in.
I'll get rid of this group, and we'll see if they are still able to send anyone else even more powerful here.
His bottleneck was loosening, but it was far from enough.
He would like very much to have someone that he could truly fight against.
...
"Grandfather, is the Xuan Sect really that powerful? Is there someone in it who is actually more powerful than our Saints?"
"Of course, in the eyes of those from the Xuan Sect, all these states are but the constructs of mortals," Dugu Taishang said.
He had been taken to the Xuan Sect by his master due to his exceptional talents when he was young.
He was able to become a Saint 80 years later, and that was considered the accomplishment of a genius like no other.
He then took another 20 years to get to the second tier of the Saint level.
There were many Saint-level disciples in the sect who were not necessarily capable of making it to another tier within even 30 years.
They would remain at the first stage of Saint level, unable to find greater breakthroughs, for the rest of their lives.
Dugu Xin nodded.
The peak of the Spirit Manipulation Realm was already considered the greatest of mortal states.
The resources and methods were only capable of taking a cultivator that far.
Yet, it hadn't taken more than a single line from his grandfather to gather eight warriors at the peak of the Spirit Manipulation Realm.
Dugu Xin was compelled to believe in his sect.
There were but ten at the peak of the Spirit Manipulation Realm who had been fostered throughout the entire State of Great Xia.
It was thanks to the resources provided by his grandfather that Clan Dugu was able to foster so many warriors at the Spirit Manipulation Realm.
The warriors from the other clans were probably like Clan Dugu, having people training in the Xuan Sect as well.
He had decided to join the sect once he was finished with the matter at hand.
Dugu Xin had come to believe that the State of Great Xia was too small for him, once he had finished listening to his grandfather.
"You shall not pass, friends."
A voice was heard, just as he was having visions of the future.
Dugu Xin turned around and checked his surroundings right away.
His grandfather paused as well, wearing a guarded expression.
"Who is this?"
"It is I."
A lowly eunuch appeared before him and his grandfather as soon as the voice was heard.
"So, you're the Saint-level warrior of the royal family then?" Dugu Taishang asked in a doubtful tone.
He was actually unable to see through that eunuch.
That would mean that the eunuch's powers were above his, unless the eunuch actually had no training whatsoever to speak of.
Was it even possible?
How would someone with no training detect their presence and even appear before them all of a sudden then?
"I am, yet I am not," Li Mu answered.