Chapter 9, Flower Camp

Two streams of blood gushed from the shadow's shoulders, and the shadow screamed: "Old Man of the East Sea, how have you become a lackey of the Flower Camp? You actually used a black knife!" Amidst the furious rebuke, a rain of blood poured down from the sky, as the shadow's calves were severed at the knees, splattering countless drops of blood. The strange knife-wielding old man, whom Jiang Yu had seen in the Flower Camp courtyard, appeared beside Li Tianba, holding a nine-foot-long knife. The old man's face was pale, and he trembled all over, clearly having exhausted all his true energy from the surprise attack just now. The strange knife-wielding old man, whom Jiang Yu had seen in the Flower Camp courtyard, appeared beside Li Tianba, holding a nine-foot-long knife. The old man's face was pale, and he trembled all over, clearly having exhausted all his true energy from the surprise attack just now.

The shadow—Po Tian Luo—finally raised his head, revealing a face with a golden hue and hard lines resembling a steel ingot, adorned with a hint of mocking smile: "Frog at the bottom of the well, what do you know? Our remnants in the court? Heh heh, I say that all officials below your Prime Minister are our remnants, do you believe it or not?" A mouthful of bloody spit was hurled towards Li Tianba, as Po Tian Luo sneered: "Princess Taiping has been dead for so many years, why can't you let us go? Heh heh, you have struggled for so many years in the flower camp, hard work, hard work, hard work!"

With a heavy nod, Li Tianba said with a sinister smile: "Excellent, a truly formidable expert is certainly more useful than thirty-five super experts. Jiang Yu, remember this: today you have committed an act of embezzlement, and I will not forget this matter. You will be marked with three major demerits, but if you achieve merit in the future, they can be offset. Today, you have helped me capture Po Tianluo, which counts as a significant achievement; you still have two major demerits left!"

A terrifying sound echoed in the yard as the body of Po Tian Luo rapidly contracted, the bones cracking under the pressure of the muscles. Not to mention the panicked devotees, nor the ordinary flower-adorned youths, even top experts like Li Tian Ba and the Knife Sharpening Elder changed their expressions and took several steps back. They watched as the body of Po Tian Luo emitted strange noises, shattered bone fragments protruding from the flesh, blood spilling everywhere.

The body of the river fish was struck like a cannonball into the crowd of worshippers outside the temple gate, and with a loud "crack," it sounded as if a sharp knife had sliced through pork. The fish's body created a small alley of blood and flesh as it flew through the air, its limbs shattered, lying limp among the crowd like a dead fish. Only then did the hundreds of curious worshippers react, each one screaming and running in all directions. Some, whose limbs had been broken by the impact of the fish yet miraculously survived, lay on the ground, wailing in chaos, transforming the once serene Buddhist sanctuary into a scene reminiscent of a bloody slaughterhouse.

Feng Xiaoxiao and Feng Qingqing stood behind Li Tianba, giving a thumbs up and gesturing towards Jiang Yu repeatedly. The two brothers were envious; such essence blood spirit pearls were truly coveted treasures that everyone desired. However, some righteous warriors found it beneath their dignity to absorb the energy from such spirit pearls. Jiang Yu, on the other hand, seemed to have no distinction between good and evil. Engaging in the act of devouring others' essence blood spirit pearls, he could swallow thirty-five of them in one go, leaving just one for Li Tianba to present to the emperor. This was indeed outrageous, audacious, and utterly unrestrained to the extreme

Nodding, Li Longji smiled and said, "With the death of Po Tianluo, my heart feels considerably lighter, indeed a great relief. In this matter, the Jiang family should take the lead in credit. Well, I have nothing of great value, so I bestow this jade pendant upon you, to signify honor." Li Longji fumbled at his waist for a moment and produced an oval jade pendant, about two inches in size, intricately carved with a dragon design. He casually handed it to Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu, being a clever person, took the pendant before Li Tianba and Li Linfu could speak, and knelt down to express his gratitude.

Li Tianba's body flashed, evading the spit aimed at him. A fierce look crossed his face as he forcefully stomped on Po Tianluo's shoulder, shattering his shoulder blades into pieces. Li Tianba looked at Po Tianluo with a sinister smile and said, "You have guts. After you endure the ninety-nine and eighty-one tortures of my Flower Camp, let's see if you still have the same guts." With a long sigh, Li Tianba turned to the flower boys around the Flower Camp and smiled, "Boys, we have captured the main culprit of the Taiping Rebellion, Po Tianluo. Chang'an City will truly be peaceful now!"

The cold cicada, with a solemn Buddhist visage, sang the Buddha's name to the heavens, lamenting: "The Buddhist community is unfortunate; such demons are hiding in this temple. The old monk indeed bears the responsibility for not noticing! Hmm, how much should I disclose?" The last five words were spoken in a voice that became very faint, just barely audible to Li Tianba.

Jiang Yu smiled faintly and cupped his fists towards Li Tianba, saying: "General Er is indeed a man of sentiment and righteousness, to be able to sacrifice thirty-five powerful spirit pearls to save me. Jiang Yu remembers this in his heart. In our line of work in the Jianghu, what matters is repaying kindness with kindness and vengeance with vengeance. Today's matter, Jiang Yu will also remember. " For the first time in his life, he honestly and candidly said with a bitter smile: "To speak frankly, if it were not for the peculiar nature of our sect's cultivation method, making it extremely difficult to enhance one's own cultivation without external assistance, Jiang Yu would not resort to such despicable means today."

Oh?" Li Longji feigned surprise as he glanced at Jiang Yu, picked up the teacup handed to him by a palace maid, took a sip, and smiled, saying: "What a clever nose you have. However, that broken Tianluo has placed the Essence Blood Spirit Pearl within the Great Hero Hall, and the power of the Buddha has already subdued the blood evil aura. How can you possibly detect it?"

Li Tianba nodded knowingly and chuckled softly: "Naturally, this broken Tianluo was when we gathered intelligence while leading the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Demon Stars to infiltrate Chang'an, and surrounded it with our army."

Li Tianba released his large hand from the back of the knife-sharpening old man's neck, jumping in front of the shadow with a smug expression, and loudly cackled: "Oh my, isn't this our broken General Po Tianluo? How have you come to look like this? Tsk tsk, it seems that even the tiger of his grandmother and the books has fallen to the ground and is being bullied by us. Hahaha!"

Ah, how infuriating! The moment the soft yet powerful energy met the two heavy hammers, the shadow realized it had fallen into Li Tianba's trap. Those two purple-gold hammers, seemingly capable of crushing a small mountain, contained an extremely soft yet potent energy. As the two streams of soft energy intertwined, the hammers slid down to the ground with a whoosh. The energy released by the shadow had no point of leverage, causing its body to stiffen in mid-air, a breath of true energy escaping, and it fell to the ground like a stone. As the two streams of soft energy intertwined, the hammers slid down to the ground with a whoosh. The energy released by the shadow had no point of leverage, causing its body to stiffen in mid-air, a breath of true energy escaping, and it fell to the ground like a stone.

Li Longji, with his divine Danfeng eyes glaring, shouted loudly: "Am I asking you to engage in commerce? As the head of the prestigious Huaying camp, how can you stoop to such a lowly position? You are doing quite well in Yangzhou!" With a change in tone, Li Longji smiled gently and said: "Jiang Yu, little fish, you are still young. Practice for a few more years, and I will entrust you with great responsibilities in the future! Make sure to train well! Yes, be a bit harsher. In Yangzhou, you left half of your savings to those reckless ruffians who dare to call themselves the White Dragon, which is quite a display of feminine compassion!" Li Longji smiled gently and said: "Jiang Yu, little fish, you are still young. Practice for a few more years, and I will entrust you with great responsibilities in the future! Make sure to train well! Yes, be a bit harsher. In Yangzhou, you left half of your savings to those reckless ruffians who dare to call themselves the White Dragon, which is quite a display of feminine compassion!"

A roar akin to that of a severely injured beast emanated from the shadow, which angrily shouted: "Once again, it is you ragtag members of the Heavenly Master Sect. In the past, you plotted against me with the 'God-Sealing Great Formation', and today you present this 'Bagua Demon Suppression Seal'. What is the meaning of this?" Circles of glaring blood-red aura surged forth from the shadow, producing a thunderous sound that shook the hazy light pillar violently. The twelve Daoists in green robes gasped in unison, simultaneously spitting out a mouthful of blood, as they watched the 'Bagua Demon Suppression Seal' on the verge of shattering.

Hehe, with a peculiar laugh, Li Longji disregarded the astonished Jiang Yu and the dazed Li Linfu, stood up, and left with a flourish, surrounded by a group of palace maids and eunuchs

A punch landed on Jiang Yu's abdomen, and Li Tianba sneered, "You have wasted thirty-five spirit pearls of mine, which is equivalent to wasting thirty-five top talents from our camp. From now on, you will have to do the work of thirty-five people for me! I will remember this incident today; if you do not repay the debt, it will be as if you have sold yourself to our camp!"

The river fish raised its head and said with righteous indignation: "Your Majesty, I am naturally of a proper background. However, I believe that those thirty-five essence blood spirit pearls, left in the hands of the Second General, are truly a waste! They are tasteless to consume and regrettable to discard. Alas, we cannot let thirty-six colleagues take those spirit pearls and bear the blame for this unorthodox path, can we? Therefore, I will take full responsibility for everything, and I will swallow all thirty-five spirit pearls in one go. Whatever blame there is, I will bear it all!"

Li Tianba hurriedly ran to Jiang Yu's side. Upon seeing his soft limbs, which resembled dough, he couldn't help but exclaim, "My heavens, how could you be so careless? You little fish, if something were to happen to you, wouldn't your elder brother Li Linfu come after me? He would probably send three or five inspectors to follow me around all day, leaving him no time to enjoy himself at the brothel. " He reached out and pressed on Jiang Yu's body a few times, using his true energy to sense Jiang Yu's injuries. Li Tianba nodded vigorously, saying, "Fortunately, fortunately, your internal organs are intact; otherwise, I fear Master Yuan would not have time to save you."

Li Tianba brought the remains of the broken Tianluo, weighing approximately less than twenty jin, to report to the Emperor. Along with it, he also presented thirty-six Wind-Splitting Swords and a Blood Essence Spirit Pill. Even the cases from the Craft Supervision Bureau and the Crossbow Workshop have now been incorporated into the case of the broken Tianluo's faction, which is sufficient to provide an explanation to the Emperor. The broken Tianluo was the most renowned figure among the remnants of the Taiping faction. After his death, even if there were still some remnants of the Taiping faction hiding within the court, it would not affect the overall situation.

Alright, Li Tianba shook his hands and cursed inwardly: Alright, Jiang Yu, you little brat remember this, I haven't even received such treasures as a reward from the emperor's nephew, this piece of jade pendant is worth at least 2,000 guan

The onlookers, their faces flushed and unable to look at Li Tianba, who was jumping around on the roof of the Great Hero Hall like a monkey, desperately waved their sleeves. Waves of dense and resilient vital energy were unleashed with each movement, shattering the fireballs in the sky, while thunderous explosions shook the Great Hero Hall. Despite this, they lost control over the 'Bagua Demon Suppression Seal,' and the entire formation collapsed in an instant, countless talismans turning to dust. The shadow, with a triumphant wave of his three-pointed, double-edged knife, laughed loudly, saying: "You children of the Flower Camp, I am leaving, leaving!"

Li Tianba's furious shout suddenly rang out: "You little ones, take action!"

Even the old man sharpening knives by the East Sea noticed something amiss. Li Tianba was so furious that he trembled all over, pointing at Jiang Yu's nose and unable to speak for a long time. After a while, Li Tianba suddenly smiled slyly and said with a sinister grin: "Good, good, Jiang Yu, you really have guts! To swallow this spiritual pearl, you would even resort to self-harm? I suspect that with your exceptional skills in hiding and tracking, your lightness skill must be among the best in the world, so how could you not evade that punch? To swallow this spiritual pearl, you would even resort to self-harm? I suspect that with your exceptional skills in hiding and tracking, your lightness skill must be among the best in the world, so how could you not evade that punch? You've got guts, you son of a dog!"

Li Tianba had just finished handling matters here when Feng Qingqing urgently called out from over there: "Chief, hurry, hurry, it seems that Lord Jiang is in trouble."

With a cough, Li Longji commanded in an irrefutable tone: "I hereby decree that the head of the Flower Camp, Jiang Yu, shall be promoted to the rank of Cavalry Commander and elevated to the title of General Dingyuan, taking on the role of the Flower Camp's envoy for gold procurement, specifically tasked with gathering essential funds for the Flower Camp." He spread his hands, and the jade flute in his grasp emitted a soft whistle in the wind. Li Longji, almost playfully, remarked: "The focus of the Flower Camp in the future must be on supervising the officials and overseeing the affairs of the barbarian nations to the west, north, and northeast. The expenses of the Flower Camp are not insignificant, you know!"

At that moment, the assassins lying in ambush, led by Li Tianba, finally made their move. The first to strike were two purple-gold hammers, each weighing over a thousand pounds, exuding an overwhelming force akin to a mountain pressing down. Wrapped in thick, dark purple energy, they emitted a howling sound reminiscent of a tornado, hurtling towards the shadow in front and behind. Despite their immense weight, the trajectory of the two purple-gold hammers in the air appeared remarkably agile and mysterious, effectively sealing off the shadow's escape route. If the shadow wished to evade this attack, it would have no choice but to obediently return to the Great Compassion Temple.

Nearly a thousand flower-adorned young men moved upon hearing the sound, surrounding the hundreds of incense worshippers both inside and outside the grand hall. They picked up hemp ropes to bind their wrists, driving them out as if herding sheep. Before these worshippers understood what they should or should not say, it seemed they would disappear from the world for a while.

At that moment, a fierce shadow in the sky unleashed a wave of energy towards its two calves, shattering them to pieces. Simultaneously, the shadow used the force to leap into the air again, its body resembling an injured hawk, drifting away into the distance. However, several extremely bright beams of light flashed in the high sky, and seven chains, each the thickness of a thumb and gleaming, appeared from nowhere, tightly binding the shadow. At the ends of the chains were sharp iron claws, which exhibited a strange bluish hue. Clearly, these claws had been tempered with some kind of drug, and they sank deeply into the vital points of the shadow, including the left and right scapulae, the lumbar vertebrae, the left and right hip bones, and the left and right cervical vertebrae.

Li Longji laughed heartily, chuckling for quite a while, only to realize that his laughter was indeed unpleasant, undermining his dignity as an emperor. He quickly restrained his smile and coughed a few times. Li Linfu also smiled with satisfaction, nodding repeatedly at Jiang Yu, approving of his performance. As long as he could make the emperor happy, that was the best outcome possible. As for Li Tianba, he was trembling with anger. Was Jiang Yu not too shameless? Li Linfu smiled with satisfaction again, nodding at Jiang Yu, praising him for doing well, as making the emperor happy was the best thing. Meanwhile, Li Tianba was shaking with rage, wondering how Jiang Yu could be so brazen. Clearly, he had greedily hoarded the spirit pearl, yet he had the audacity to claim he was considering his colleagues? Such twisted reasoning, how could he even say it out loud? If it weren't for the fact that he had taken a devastating blow from the Heavenly Net and was left in a pitiful state, would Li Tianba care about him at all?

Li Tianba no longer concerned himself with external matters, hastily took out a golden elixir and placed it into the mouth of the old man sharpening his knife. With his right hand pressed against the old man's back, a stream of purple true energy slowly flowed into the old man's body. The old man immediately sat down on the spot, crossing his legs to cultivate and adjust his breathing, and soon a faint flush appeared on his face.

As the fist wind approached, looking at the menacing blood-red dragon, Jiang Yu tightened his grip on the golden box, and in an instant, he made a resolute decision—"Life is fleeting, and fortune is sought in danger!" He gritted his teeth, drawing all his true energy inward, tightly wrapping his internal organs in a thick layer of true energy. With a push of his foot, he swiftly retreated in the direction of the fist wind. A muffled sound echoed as the fist wind struck Jiang Yu's body, sending him flying over ten zhang. The immense force of the punch caused Feng Qingqing and others to spurt blood on the spot, simultaneously retreating several dozen steps. Jiang Yu let out a cry of agony, spitting out a mouthful of blood towards the sky. He fully activated the 'Unscathed by a Falling Leaf' technique he had comprehended amidst the spring rain and apricot blossoms, violently dissipating the terrifying punch force, which then sprayed outwards from his body.

With a furious roar directed at the sky, the dark figure was forcibly pulled down from the air by seven men, each towering at least ten feet tall, with skin as dark as charcoal, curly hair, and thick lips, clearly not robust men from the Central Plains. A figure in flowing white garments gracefully ascended, holding dozens of silver needles, each six inches long, deftly inserting them into the dark figure's body, sealing all his major acupoints securely. Ultimately, a silver needle, approximately three-tenths of an inch thick and eighteen inches long, was thrust straight into the dark figure's dantian acupoint, completely shattering his astonishing innate vital energy cultivation. A figure in flowing white garments gracefully ascended, holding dozens of silver needles, each six inches long, deftly inserting them into the dark figure's body, sealing all his major acupoints securely. Ultimately, a silver needle, approximately three-tenths of an inch thick and eighteen inches long, was thrust straight into the dark figure's dantian acupoint, completely shattering his astonishing innate vital energy cultivation

Jiang Yu, having spent just one night, absorbed all the essence and blood of thirty-five super masters. The natural mind method can accommodate all things in the universe, and there is no conflict with realms or powers; as long as your body is strong enough to contain such a vast amount of true energy, you can elevate your strength to that level. Now, with the aid of the thirty-five essences, Jiang Yu has raised his physical body to the highest level of the wooden body in one go. His true energy has only increased by fifty percent, but its purity has already far surpassed that of a day ago. The natural mind method can accommodate all things in the universe, and there is no conflict with realms or powers; as long as your body is strong enough to contain such a vast amount of true energy, you can elevate your strength to that level. Now, with the aid of the thirty-five essences, Jiang Yu has raised his physical body to the highest level of the wooden body in one go. His true energy has only increased by fifty percent, but its purity has already far surpassed that of a day ago.

The monk extended his right hand and smiled, saying: "Deal. However, this broken Tianluo was not captured at my Dacien Temple."

One by one, the essence blood spirit beads were infused into Jiang Yu's body by Li Tianba, whose forehead veins were increasingly prominent. A surge of red light enveloped Jiang Yu's form, and everyone heard the faint 'pop' sounds emanating from him. This lazy fellow, upon receiving a spirit bead, immediately activated his invisible and intangible natural true energy to digest the bead in an instant, storing it in his vast energy meridians, which resembled the great rivers and seas, while only releasing a trace of extremely scarce energy to heal his own body. This lazy fellow, upon receiving a spirit bead, immediately activated his invisible and intangible natural true energy to digest the bead in an instant, storing it in his vast energy meridians, which resembled the great rivers and seas, while only releasing a trace of extremely scarce energy to heal his own body

At the moment when the old strength had just dissipated and the new strength had yet to emerge, the body's reactions and movements fell into a critical low tide. A blade of light, extremely bright and straight, no wider than two fingers, sliced through the vast sky. It seemed as if a thunderclap echoed in everyone's ears, causing all eyes to involuntarily shut for a moment, as if that blade of light was about to pierce their eyeballs. The bright sky also appeared to darken for an instant; only after the blade of light vanished did the sky suddenly regain its brightness, still basking in the blazing sun. It seemed as if a thunderclap echoed in everyone's ears, causing all eyes to involuntarily shut for a moment, as if that blade of light was about to pierce their eyeballs. The bright sky also appeared to darken for an instant; only after the blade of light vanished did the sky suddenly regain its brightness, still basking in the blazing sun

Li Tianba's expression gradually turned grim. While he shielded Jiang Yu's vital organs with his own body, he looked up to the sky and roared, "What kind of sinister technique is this kid practicing? Why does this essence blood spirit pearl enter his body as if clear water flows through a leaky funnel? Not a single drop remains?"

After pointing out to those masons, Li Linfu pulled Jiang Yu and rushed out of the courtyard. Seeing Jiang Yu's bewildered expression, Li Linfu laughed and said, "Don't be dazed, hurry and follow your elder brother. This time, you have made a significant contribution; it was you who discovered the whereabouts of that troublesome Tianluo"

The Daoist shouted in anger, and once again, talismans flew from his hands. This time, it was not a sealing formation, but a direct magical attack. As the pieces of yellow talisman, each about a foot long, left his hand, they instantly transformed into bursts of fire, shooting through the sky like falling stars, aimed directly at the shadow. The shadow let out a strange, eerie laugh, and at some point, a blood-red, double-edged trident knife appeared in his hand. A wave of soft, sinister energy enveloped his body, reflecting all the fireballs back towards the twelve Daoists in green, striking them squarely in the chest. The shadow let out a strange, eerie laugh, and at some point, a blood-red, double-edged trident knife appeared in his hand. A wave of soft, sinister energy enveloped his body, reflecting all the fireballs back towards the twelve Daoists in green, striking them squarely in the chest.

Excitedly waving his fists and feet, Jiang Yu bounced out of the front yard, eager to head to the headquarters of the Flower Camp to gather some news, wondering if the Emperor had any rewards for him and whether he had achieved any merits. Just then, he saw Li Linfu, with a peculiar expression, leading a large group of masons rushing in. Upon seeing Jiang Yu, Li Linfu immediately called him to a halt and pointed at the masons, saying: "According to the blueprint I provided you, transform this hall into a moon shape!" Jiang Yu thought to himself, "That detestable Li Wudi, you, you, you have even broken the walls of my family’s hall. This time, I will create an arched hall, and let’s see if your hammer can still smash straight through like that!"

The wind beside him chuckled, feeling both amused and helpless, and quickly leaned in to remind him: "Chief, when the tiger falls to the plains, it is bullied by dogs. Did you not say that we are all just a bunch of dogs?"

Ah? Ah? Is it not so?" Li Tianba immediately changed his tone, pointing at Potianlu with righteous indignation: "Potianlu, whether you call yourself a great general or boast of unparalleled martial arts, now that the Holy Son is in power, how can you, a mere thief, continue to disrupt the world? Today, I have captured you alive in the Flower Camp; will you not quickly confess the remnants you have hidden in the court, in hopes of seeking leniency?"

Mother, this is a spirit pearl condensed from the essence of a super expert! You little brat have merely had your bones grow together?" Li Tian roared in a furious and domineering manner, striking one spirit pearl after another into Jiang Yu's body, while using his own true energy to assist Jiang Yu's body in absorbing the immense energy contained within the spirit pearls

Raising a finger, Li Tian said domineeringly: "One hundred thousand guan, if you don't give it to me, I'll bring people to tear down the temple! For this case, we have lost so many people, the compensation must at least be a token amount."

"Have you discovered the whereabouts of that elusive figure?" The same question was posed by a man in his thirties, whose face was as gentle as jade, adorned with a splendid beard, exuding an air of elegance and wealth, while he played with a jade flute in his hand. Observing the dragon-patterned robe he wore, the worry-free shoes he stood upon, and the double-dragon golden crown atop his head, one could not help but conclude that he was none other than Li Longji, the current emperor of the Tang Dynasty. The inquiry took place in the Xingqing Palace, the residence of Li Longji before he ascended to the throne. A group of people stood by a small pond, watching the colorful koi swimming within, while the distant melodies of singing maidens wafted through the air, filling their hearts with joy.

A shadow emerged from the golden statue of the Buddha, letting out a cold laugh as it glanced at Jiang Yu, who lay on the ground devoid of any breath. Its body floated up like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind, heading straight towards the outer wall of the Daci'en Temple. As it reached several dozen zhang above the ground, it twisted and turned, suddenly shooting out like an arrow, leaving behind a cold laugh in the air: "Useless flower camp, just as useless as it was back then"

When the punch from Po Tian Luo came, he had long made up his mind to take risks and to seize the thirty-six Blood Spirit Pearls. He had already protected his internal organs with true energy, and his own spiritual consciousness was curled up in a place within the sea of consciousness, neither too deep nor too shallow. On the outside, he appeared as if he were dead, yet he could clearly sense everything happening around him. He 'saw' Po Tian Luo being captured, 'saw' Po Tian Luo committing suicide, and also 'saw' Li Tian Ba shamelessly extorting that monk.

The shadow let out a cold laugh, lightly waving the long knife in his hand, intending to use force against force, mimicking the action to deflect the two large hammers back towards Li Tianba. He clicked his tongue and sighed, "Even a grain of rice can shine. Looking at these two hammers, you must be a descendant of the Li family who practices the 'Overlord's Command', right?" Amidst his banter, the long knife in the shadow's hand had already slowly struck the two hammers. An extremely soft and feminine energy enveloped the two imposing heavy hammers, preparing to deflect them back to the ground. The long knife in the shadow's hand had already slowly struck the two hammers. An extremely soft and feminine energy enveloped the two imposing heavy hammers, preparing to deflect them back to the ground

Only Po Tian Luo lay on the ground, a strange, self-pitying smile of bitterness on his face: "Frog at the bottom of the well, you may rejoice for now. I, Po Tian Luo, have been captured by you, and this world is truly about to descend into chaos. What do you fools know? What do you know? Frog at the bottom of the well? Hahahahaha!" With blood gushing from the stumps of his broken legs, Po Tian Luo suddenly burst into laughter, coughing repeatedly, his whole body convulsing violently with laughter. Hahahahaha! Just as Li Tian Ba had called out 'Not good,' this fellow, despite having his dantian meridian destroyed and all his major acupoints sealed, still unleashed an unknown secret technique of the demonic sect, his entire body suddenly curling into a small mass of flesh, his bones shattered and he died.

Li Tianba rolled his eyes, moving towards Han Chan like a crab, and extended his right thumb, index finger, and middle finger, gently rubbing them together a few times. He sneered, "Monk, long time no see. It seems your Da Ci'en Temple has started to harbor filth, hasn't it? Let's not beat around the bush. The Po Tian Luo is actually hiding within your Da Ci'en Temple, and you need to provide an explanation to the Emperor! Otherwise, don't blame me for telling the Emperor to reduce the number of ferry plates at your Da Ci'en Temple by half. If that happens, your monk temple will have to be converted into a nunnery!"

Li Tianba shot a fierce glare at Jiang Yu and muttered to himself, "In the end, I want to see what level you can reach after refining these spirit pearls!" With an annoyed huff, Li Tianba stood up and called out, "Someone, come and clean up the body of that traitor, Po Tian Luo. His blood and evil energy are unparalleled in the world; even a single finger could be presented to the emperor as a report!" As soon as he finished speaking, several newly appointed flower-adorned officials could only wear bitter expressions as they jumped into the large pit created by Li Tianba, picking up the pieces of the corpse that were thick with blood energy, one by one.

As the silver needle pierced the black shadow's dantian, a strange sound akin to a balloon bursting echoed through the air. A spray of blood mist erupted from the black shadow's dantian, causing the man in white to spit out a mouthful of blood and be violently thrown back several dozen feet, landing in a rather disheveled manner on another rooftop. This man in white appeared elegant, resembling an immortal, with three strands of long beard. Now, his entire body was covered in blood, and he looked angrily at the black shadow firmly pinned to the ground, muttering curses under his breath.

Two old foxes laughed a few times simultaneously, reached out to shake hands, and the old monk chanted a Buddhist mantra before turning around and gracefully leaving with a group of senior monks. Li Tianba, on the other hand, raised his head arrogantly and pointed at his subordinates, angrily scolding them: "I have repeatedly told you to practice diligently, yet you never listen. Now look at this, over two thousand people failed to catch one person, and he even escaped into the Great Compassion Temple. What does this mean? What does this mean? Hey, hey, hey, bring those worshippers over here and teach them how to respond to people today before sending them back!"

Li Tianba, filled with rage, stomped his foot fiercely and roared, "How infuriating! The emperor has secretly offered a bounty; a living Po Tianlu is worth 300,000 guan, but this dead Po Tianlu is only worth 50,000 guan! Where am I supposed to make up this 250,000 guan deficit? 250,000 guan! How many meals could that provide for my brothers?" In a fit of anger and humiliation, Li Tianba picked up his two hammers and began to smash wildly at the bloody mass on the ground, creating a terrifying 'thud thud' sound that echoed throughout the Great Ci'en Temple, shaking the Mahavira Hall to the brink of collapse, and causing a massive hole to form in the ground. The current abbot of the Great Ci'en Temple, Master Han Chan, emerged with a gloomy expression, accompanied by several monks, and only then did he casually drop the hammers and cease his actions.

Li Tianba glared with his strange eyes and muttered, "This wretched Tianluo committed suicide, causing me to lose two hundred and fifty thousand coins for nothing. You shall pay for two hundred and fifty thousand coins."

After a long while, Jiang Yu lamented, "But Your Majesty, I do not understand the ways of commerce!"

The group of monks seeing them off suddenly turned pale, as if bitter melon juice could drip from their faces. Dozens of large monks simultaneously chanted Buddhist hymns, resembling the sending off of a plague god, as they escorted Li Tianba, the eccentric and unpredictable flower camp general, out the door.

Well, the 'Clean Street Tiger of the Central Plains' probably doesn't match my status. Should I strive to become the 'Clean Street Tiger of the Heavenly Court' in the future? Wouldn't that be, hehe!

After expressing a few sentiments, Li Longji pointed at Li Tianba and said: "Uncle, we have finally captured the entire group of the Tianluo, and in the process, we have also unearthed some of their accomplices hidden within the various government offices. Good, very good. Let us withdraw a sum from the imperial treasury to reward the officials of the Flower Camp. Yes, a generous reward."

Very well, Li Linfu smiled slightly and thought to himself: Good, brother, you have truly done well. With this dragon jade pendant hanging on you, who would dare to provoke you while walking in the city of Chang'an? Excellent!

"Our second brother of the Clean Street Tiger in Yangzhou, even if you are to sell yourself to the royal family, you should at least offer a substantial price, right?" Jiang Yu shamelessly found an excuse for his lewd behavior, and with a hint of annoyance, sighed: "If it weren't for that damned Tianluo hiding in the main hall, I wouldn't dare to steal this spirit pearl in front of him. Why would I need to deliberately take this punch? It hurts, it really hurts!"

Li Tianba forced a smile that did not reach his eyes and said with a chuckle, "Ah, Brother Jiang, congratulations, congratulations! General Dingyuan and the Upper Cavalry Lieutenant, you have been promoted!"

However, a single smiling remark from Li Longji immediately turned Li Linfu's expression into one of distress, while Li Tianba burst into hearty laughter. "Minister Jiang, it seems that your abilities far exceed those of ordinary people! I thought that since you have joined the Flower Camp, you should take on more responsibilities for the Flower Camp and for me. The Flower Camp has always been directly controlled by successive emperors, with all expenses funded from the palace, bypassing the Ministry of Revenue. However, the palace treasury is limited, and the salaries and equipment for the flower-adorned gentlemen are indeed costly endeavors!" The Flower Camp has always been directly controlled by successive emperors, with all expenses funded from the palace, bypassing the Ministry of Revenue. However, the palace treasury is limited, and the salaries and equipment for the flower-adorned gentlemen are indeed costly endeavors!

Namo Amitabha! General Li Wudi, what brings you here today? The emaciated and withered Han Chan monk clasped his hands together and gazed deeply at Li Tianba.

Li Tianba was on the ground, angrily shouting "Wah wah" and scolding, "You bunch of little cow noses, how can you be so disappointing? Old Yuan sent you out, and this is all you are capable of?"

Li Tianba merely chuckled, laughed a few times, patted his backside, and turned to leave, completely ignoring Jiang Yu behind him who had greeted his ancestors a hundred times over!

The river fish suddenly cried out: "Second General, did I hear that correctly? The Emperor wants me to extort those gangs in the rivers and lakes? Is it the Flower Camp or the Tang Dynasty's yamen? How have we turned into a black market operation?"

Twelve Taoist priests in green robes soared into the air from all directions. With a flourish of their wide sleeves, countless yellow talismans, measuring three zhang six chi in length and three chi six cun in width, shot out with the sound of the wind. It was impossible to determine how many talismans formed a mysterious formation in the sky. The Taoist priests chanted incantations while simultaneously shouting "Seal!" At that moment, the yellow talismans shimmered with a clear light, and a hazy beam of light enveloped the shadow within. The innate Eight Trigrams seal flickered in the air, and the shadow resembled a fly trapped in amber, unable to move an inch.

The monk and the books closed their eyes, joining their hands in prayer: "Amitabha, General, please persuade the Emperor to reduce the number of ferry tickets for my Da Ci En Temple."

While angrily cursing, Li Tianba desperately stuffed the Essence Blood Spirit Pearl into Jiang Yu's body. When only the last fist-sized spirit pearl remained, Jiang Yu slowly opened his eyes, weakly glanced at Li Tianba, and said with deep emotion: "Second General, thank you for your generous rescue! Sob, so many Essence Blood Spirit Pearls have been given to me, I truly feel unworthy! This is enough to cultivate over thirty top-tier experts! Sob, such great kindness, when will I be able to repay it?" Sob, so many Essence Blood Spirit Pearls have been given to me, I truly feel unworthy! This is enough to cultivate over thirty top-tier experts! Sob, such great kindness, when will I be able to repay it?"

In accordance with Li Linfu's sudden instruction on court etiquette, Jiang Yu respectfully performed the proper greeting and replied: "Your Majesty, it was indeed discovered by this humble servant. The prowess of Po Tian Luo is extraordinary; it took less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea to eliminate the thirty-six demonic stars, leaving no trace whatsoever. Furthermore, the heavy rain that night washed away any remaining evidence. Unfortunately, Po Tian Luo was reluctant to part with the exceptional abilities of those thirty-six demonic stars and insisted on using the nefarious methods of the demonic sect to extract their essence. That intense aura, however, could be detected by this servant from ten miles away."

With an imposing demeanor, Li Tianba hoisted his two large hammers and, accompanied by his subordinates, swaggered out of the Daci'en Temple. Upon reaching the entrance, Li Tianba did not forget to turn back and bellow at the temple, "Old monk Hanchan, you better remember this, the money you promised me! If there is even a single copper coin missing, don't blame me for tearing down your temple! This is what they call a monk who can run but cannot take the temple with him! You have so many disciples and grandchildren; I am not afraid that you will abscond with the money!"

Li Tianba glared fiercely at the crimson gold box in Jiang Yu's hands, muttering a few curses under his breath, and indignantly said: "You little brat, just look at how many Essence Blood Spirit Pearls it will take to mend your body. Don't be too greedy; you should leave a few to present as evidence to the Emperor, right?" After sighing several times, Li Tianba reluctantly picked up a blood-glowing spirit pearl and infused it into Jiang Yu's body. Suddenly, a flash of blood light appeared on Jiang Yu, and the bones in his limbs emitted a series of faint 'crackling' sounds, as if they had healed significantly. Li Tianba, still reluctant, picked up another blood-glowing spirit pearl and infused it into Jiang Yu's body. Again, a flash of blood light appeared on Jiang Yu, and the bones in his limbs emitted a series of faint 'crackling' sounds, as if they had healed significantly.

Li Longji chuckled a few times, glanced at the gloomy Li Tianba, and then looked at the extremely respectful and low-profile Li Linfu standing beside him. He laughed and said, "Relying on my good fortune? Hehe, interesting, I like to hear that. Uh, let me ask you a question, Jiang Qingjia, are you practicing the righteous path or the evil secret arts? How could you swallow those thirty-five blood essence spirit pearls refined from living people without even blinking? Uh, let me ask you a question, Jiang Qingjia, are you practicing the righteous path or the evil secret arts? How could you swallow those thirty-five blood essence spirit pearls refined from living people without even blinking? Aren't you afraid of being called a practitioner of heretical ways by your colleagues?"

Jiang Yu respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, you may not be aware that I heard that the blood energy disappeared when it reached the back wall of the Great Ci'en Temple. Naturally, I needed to enter the Great Ci'en Temple to investigate. My lightness skill is quite good, and my method of concealing my presence is unique. Moreover, I have been fortunate, thanks to Your Majesty's blessings, and happened to see that Po Tian Luo and that monk Zhi Yi causing trouble inside the Mahavira Hall. Therefore, early the next morning, I brought people and headed straight there."

With a shout, he unleashed a punch powered solely by muscle strength, and a layer of white energy barrier immediately emerged before his fist, which effortlessly broke through this barrier. Jiang Yu looked at his fist with delight and let out a roar towards the sky! "Just by reaching the highest realm of the wooden body, one can traverse the winds. If one were to cultivate to the highest level, wouldn't that mean achieving physical ascension and attaining the status of a celestial being? My master truly did not deceive me! Hahaha, I, Jiang Yu, also have the opportunity to become that immortal!"

Then, he "heard" the anxious cries of Feng Qingqing, and could not help but feel secretly delighted in his heart: "Good brother, your call is truly timely. If it were any later, Master Yu's limbs would have truly fused with the shattered meridians and flesh, and even if Master Yu were 'fortunate' enough to 'wake up' and mobilize the natural true energy within to heal, it would likely be impossible to save his arms and legs. Li Tianba, whether it is worth it for me to risk everything to help you depends on whether you are willing to part with these essence blood spirit pearls!" If it were any later, Master Yu's limbs would have truly fused with the shattered meridians and flesh, and even if Master Yu were 'fortunate' enough to 'wake up' and mobilize the natural true energy within to heal, it would likely be impossible to save his arms and legs. Li Tianba, whether it is worth it for me to risk everything to help you depends on whether you are willing to part with these essence blood spirit pearls!

The flower-adorned young men cheered in unison, their faces flushed with excitement. The notorious Breaker of Heaven, a fearsome figure so dreadful that even the official records of the Tang Dynasty dared not document him, had been captured alive. This criminal had infiltrated the imperial palace and attempted to assassinate two emperors a total of thirty-seven times, marking an extraordinary achievement. When the Breaker of Heaven was at the peak of his powers, each assassination attempt on an emperor resulted in the deaths of hundreds of palace experts at his hands. Such a ruthless individual was finally ensnared in the net of justice.

"Wonderful, wonderful, truly wonderful!" Li Longji clapped his hands in approval and turned to Li Linfu with a smile, saying, "Brother, look at this; your brother is far more interesting than those ministers in the court. Well said, well said. Although it is fallacious reasoning and sophistry, to be able to argue so cleverly in front of me is indeed good, indeed wonderful!" With a sigh, Li Longji nodded deeply and said, "The rebellion of Princess Taiping and her remaining followers have always been a grave concern for me, especially this traitor Tianluo, who not only led troops into the palace but also, after his defeat, attempted to assassinate both my father and me. Such crimes deserve the harshest punishment." Although it is fallacious reasoning and sophistry, to be able to argue so cleverly in front of me is indeed good, indeed wonderful!" With a sigh, Li Longji nodded deeply and said, "The rebellion of Princess Taiping and her remaining followers have always been a grave concern for me, especially this traitor Tianluo, who not only led troops into the palace but also, after his defeat, attempted to assassinate both my father and me. Such crimes deserve the harshest punishment.

What a remarkable martial artist in black! Suddenly, he let out a fierce howl, and the three-pronged, double-edged knife in his hand shot towards the ground. Using the force of this throw, a fresh surge of true energy rolled up from his dantian, and his body began to rise again, preparing to escape into the distance.

Looking affectionately at the dazed Jiang Yu, Li Longji smiled and said: "Just a few months ago, I allocated 1,300,000 guan from the palace treasury to the flower camp. My own funds are also tight; the major renovations of Xiqing Palace are not yet fully completed, so where can I not spend money? I also feel embarrassed to reach out to the Ministry of Revenue for funds, therefore, the expenses of the flower camp in the latter half of the year will have to be resolved by the flower camp itself"