Chapter 36: Secret Guard Intelligence, Schemes Beneath Sun and Moon

"Your Highness, shall we...?"

"No need." Zhu Jinzhen waved his hand and smiled. "Regardless of whose pawn Lin Pingzhi may be, or whose discarded piece he is being used to test, this seemingly inconspicuous young master of a security firm may yet serve some unexpected purpose at a critical moment."

"Have Huang Xuemei and the others returned?"

"Yes, Your Highness. They have returned to report."

"Summon them. I need them to handle one more task."

"Understood."

Li Cheng'en withdrew to relay the order. Soon, Huang Xuemei and her companions, having washed away the dust of their travels, were brought before Zhu Jinzhen.

Looking at the face that bore a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Lian Nishang standing beside him, Zhu Jinzhen smiled knowingly. "Xuemei, Nishang, you have endured a long and arduous journey; I should not be sending you out again so soon. But there are two matters that require your attention."

"Your Highness, please command us. Xuemei (Nishang) will brave any danger to fulfill your orders."

"It is not so dire," Zhu Jinzhen chuckled. "The Fuwei Security Bureau has been wiped out, and Lin Zhennan and his wife have fallen into the hands of Yu Canghai of the Qingcheng Sect. I need you to reach Hunan as quickly as possible and rescue them from the Qingcheng Sect."

The Qingcheng Sect?

Huang Xuemei and Lian Nishang exchanged a glance, nodding in tacit agreement. Though the Qingcheng Sect was a major force in the martial arts world with many experts, they were not truly formidable. To women of their caliber, only the sect leader, Songmu Zhenren, and Han Yinqiao, one of the Five Elders of Sichuan, were worth noting. Others, like Yu Canghai or the Daoist Yu Guan, posed no threat.

"Furthermore, Liu Zhengfeng is about to wash his hands of the martial arts world."

"You may look into Qu Feiyan, the granddaughter of the Demonic Cult elder Qu Yang. That girl is said to be quite eccentric; perhaps she might get along well with Zhang Qing."

"Understood."

Huang Xuemei saw no issue, but Lian Nishang felt a headache coming on. Zhang Qing was so lively and irrepressible that there were times she wanted to sew her mouth shut. If this girl named Qu Feiyan were added to her team, would she ever know peace again?

"What is it?" Zhu Jinzhen noticed her conflicted expression and asked curiously.

Lian Nishang replied with difficulty, "Your Highness, if Qu Feiyan’s personality is too volatile, could she be assigned to Sister Xuemei’s team instead?"

In recent years, due to her bond with Huang Xuemei and the secret guards, Lian Nishang’s personality had softened, shedding much of her former sharp, stubborn, and taciturn nature, yet she remained somewhat introverted. A single Zhang Qing was enough to disrupt her peace repeatedly; the thought of a second one made her feel that she would never sleep soundly again.

Seeing Lian Nishang in such a rare state of distress amused Zhu Jinzhen. "Whether to recruit Qu Feiyan into your 'Ten Heavenly Stems' or 'Twelve Earthly Branches' is for you to decide."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Lian Nishang breathed a massive sigh of relief.

Huang Xuemei did not mind; the group of secret guards she led already included lively characters similar to Zhang Qing, so she was not worried about adding another.

"There is one more thing." Zhu Jinzhen’s expression turned serious. "Dongfang Bubai has left Heimu Cliff. According to intelligence from the secret guards, she will soon arrive in Hengyang to handle the matter of the Sun Moon Holy Cult elder Qu Yang colluding with the Five Mountain Sword Sects' Liu Zhengfeng."

"I want you to capture her and take her place."

Zhu Jinzhen then had two intelligence reports regarding Dongfang Bubai delivered to Huang Xuemei and Lian Nishang. Unfortunately, the Dongfang Cult Leader in this world was not the one from the films. Otherwise, Zhu Jinzhen would have been quite curious if she, upon seeing Huang Xuemei and Lian Nishang, would have wondered if her parents had hidden the existence of twin sisters from her.

"Dongfang Bubai, female. Originally named Dongfang Bai, she is a native of Ximingkou Town, Yuanlin County. Fourteen years ago, her hometown suffered a bandit raid; her parents were killed, and her family scattered. Her younger sister was rescued by the Hengshan Sect and is now a nun named Yilin. Her younger brother, Dongfang Ling, became a beggar and later drifted to another country; his whereabouts are unknown."

"Ten years ago, a rebellion occurred at Heimu Cliff. The former leader, Ren Woxing, went missing and is now imprisoned at the Plum Villa in West Lake."

"After succeeding as the Cult Leader, Dongfang Bai studied the Sun Moon Holy Cult's secret manual, the Sunflower Manual, with great devotion. She has attained the Celestial Phenomenon Realm and proclaimed, 'The sun rises in the East; I alone am undefeated,' earning her a reputation as the foremost Celestial Phenomenon expert in the Great Ming."

"Her origins and martial arts lineage are suspected to be related to the Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai, who caused chaos in the Great Ming fourteen years ago."

The secret guards' intelligence could not possibly be this detailed. Much of it had been supplemented by Zhu Jinzhen himself and then verified by the Black Armor Secret Guards. As a result, it was nearly flawless.

"That Dongfang Cult Leader, who strikes fear into the Great Ming, is actually a woman?"

"A Grandmaster of the Celestial Phenomenon?"

"Suspected to be related to Dugu Qiubai?"

Huang Xuemei and Lian Nishang looked at each other, their expressions grave. A person’s reputation is like the shadow of a tree. While Dongfang Bubai’s gender was surprising, they dared not underestimate her in the slightest. To dare call oneself "Undefeated" and remain so for nearly a decade without a single loss spoke volumes of her abilities. The potential connection to Dugu Qiubai only added a layer of danger.

Fortunately, according to the secret guards, while this Cult Leader possessed incredible martial prowess and a ruthless, calculating mind, her weakness was clear: her sister was her greatest vulnerability.

The only remaining concern was...

"You need not worry about that old wretch, Dugu Qiubai."

"He was hunted for thousands of miles by Zhang Sanfeng and various Great Ming experts, eventually fleeing abroad and disappearing. He has not caused trouble in recent years. I have used my sword intent to scan the horizon and have sensed his presence; he is not within the Great Ming."

"You may act without restraint."

"Furthermore..." Zhu Jinzhen lifted a hand and tossed several full boxes toward them. "Inside are thirty-six Heavenly Fragrant Cardamoms. You are aware of their efficacy, Nishang; they are peerless life-saving medicines. Each of your two groups of secret guards is to carry two, just in case."

Heavenly Fragrant Cardamoms, two for every person?

Huang Xuemei and Lian Nishang stared at each other in shock. Even though they had always known their Prince possessed heaven-defying means and unfathomable powers, they were left stunned by his "generosity."

Lian Nishang, in particular, had previously been ordered by Zhu Jinzhen to infiltrate the capital and retrieve one such cardamom from Princess Yunluo, and she was well aware of their immense value. The ambitious Zhu Wushi had spent twenty years searching for just two. Now, her own Prince was casually handing out thirty-six, and even worried that one per person might not be enough to save their lives!

If Zhu Wushi knew that the treasure he had spent two decades and risked everything to acquire was being distributed by their Prince like wholesale fruit, one could only imagine his reaction.