Taiyin Palace, West Wing
Under the glowing fluorite lamp, Qin Ming sat with his left shoulder bare as Lingyin carefully wrapped his wound with a white cloth. Her delicate face blushed all the way to the tips of her ears.
Before transmigrating, Qin Ming had regularly exercised and maintained a well-built physique. For Lingyin, this was the first time seeing a man's body, making her heart race with nervousness.
"I never expected Jingxiang to be a transmigrator. She was so ruthless—actually stabbing you with a golden hairpin!"
Qin Ming suddenly twitched in pain—not from the wound on his shoulder, but from his stomach.
To survive earlier, he had swallowed a squid ink sac raw. While the poison wasn't lethal, it still caused discomfort.
"Qin Ming, did I wrap it too tightly?"
"I'm fine, Sister Lingyin. My stomach just feels a little off."
"That must be from the cold."
After finishing the bandaging, Lingyin turned to rummage through her cabinet and pulled out a black, short cotton jacket.
"Here, put this on. I originally made it for my younger brother… but he met with misfortune on our journey to the capital, so I kept it."
"Would it be appropriate, Sister Lingyin? This was your brother's."
"Just wear it! He's gone now anyway. Your stomach must be hurting from the cold!"
"Thank you!"
"Why thank me? I feel guilty for sending you to the imperial kitchen for coal, which almost got you into serious trouble."
"Sister Lingyin, I should be thanking you instead. If you hadn't sent me, how else would I have turned misfortune into fortune?"
As he spoke, Qin Ming took out the blue Demon Suppression Token and a silver note worth a hundred taels.
Lingyin's eyes brightened. "The Demon Suppression Token? Qin Ming, you've gained the Grand Princess's approval! That's wonderful! She won't keep testing you for no reason anymore!"
Qin Ming stuffed the silver note into Lingyin's hands. "This is for you, Sister Lingyin."
"What for?"
"You've looked after me so much since I arrived at Taiyin Palace. I don't have anything valuable, so I want to give this to you."
Lingyin smiled and pushed the note back. "Most eunuchs and maids would be thrilled to get a hundred-tael silver note, yet you're just giving it away so easily. Keep it! Save it for a chance to send home."
Qin Ming originally wanted to say he had no family, but he stopped himself.
After all, he had taken over the masked man's identity—what if the original had family somewhere? That would be a dead giveaway.
"Sister Lingyin, I heard that the Demon Suppression Tower holds many transmigrators. But from what I've seen, the Grand Princess hates transmigrators so much she wants to chop them into mincemeat. Why keep them imprisoned?"
"To interrogate them, of course—to find out why they came to this world and where they're from. Oh, and I think they also make them write books about their original world. That's where the simplified characters on those stone tablets in the palace came from."
"I see!"
"Qin Ming, be careful when you go on duty. I heard that many transmigrators have infiltrated Fluorite City. Some of them are extremely powerful! Even the Grand Princess's Demon Suppression Guards have died at their hands."
"I understand. Thank you, Sister Lingyin!"
Back in His Room
The moment Qin Ming returned, he eagerly took out the Ice Soul Fist Manual.
Although this technique was only Yellow Grade, High Level, its cost-performance ratio was excellent.
Ice Soul Fist condensed spiritual power and cold energy into the fists, enhancing the strength of each punch.
With Fluorite City's frigid climate, this technique would be especially effective.
That crazy Grand Princess was unexpectedly generous!
Qin Ming opened the Locking Heaven Gourd.
Current Luck Points: 50
Another chance for a draw!
Consumes 40 Luck Points. Drawing…
Success!
Obtained: Tier-2 Pill—Vein Profound Pill.
(Doubles cultivation speed, strengthens meridians' toughness and width.)
Without hesitation, Qin Ming swallowed the Vein Profound Pill.
In an instant, a surge of pure spiritual energy coursed through his meridians, filling him with power and an overwhelming sense of comfort.
So Refreshing! Just Like Snuggling Under the Covers with a Girlfriend!
…
As the rooster crowed once more, Qin Ming finally stepped into the Body Tempering First Stage!
His heart was filled with joy and excitement.
The Grand Princess had mentioned that anyone who could reach Body Tempering within a year would qualify to join the Demon Suppression Guard—which proved how difficult it was to even get started in cultivation.
But Qin Ming had achieved it in just two days!
This was truly exhilarating!
…
Morning Light Remained Dim and Gloomy.
No sun, no stars.
Qin Ming arrived at the Imperial Kitchen, grabbed his meal, and immediately noticed a young eunuch who had been assigned to the palace at the same time as him.
He was looking for information on Xiao Liuzi—the eunuch who had arrived from Cold Night City alongside the masked man. To Qin Ming, Xiao Liuzi was a ticking time bomb.
"Zhang Gonggong, do you remember me?"
"You are…?"
"I'm Xiao Qinzi! That day, I was standing just ahead of you!"
"Oh, I remember now! You had your face covered back then. Didn't you have a scar on your face? How did it heal so quickly?"
"I serve in the Grand Princess's palace. My mistress granted me medicine!"
Zhang Gonggong's eyes immediately lit up.
Everyone in the palace knew that the Grand Princess and the Empress had the most difficult palaces to serve in.
For Qin Ming to be personally gifted medicine by the Grand Princess—that meant he was doing quite well!
"Congratulations, congratulations! Qin Gonggong, it seems you have a bright future ahead!"
"Zhang Gonggong, I wanted to ask you something. Do you remember Xiao Liuzi, the eunuch who stood next to me?"
"Of course, I remember. He wasn't very tall."
"Do you know where he's stationed now?"
"Sigh… He was originally in the Office of Affairs, but he died yesterday."
"He's dead?" Qin Ming was stunned.
"How did he die?"
"I heard his throat was pierced by a demonic beast's claw. Some say they saw a white weasel at the scene!"
"But that's just a rumor. The White Feather Guard is still investigating it!"
Qin Ming's heart pounded.
On one hand, Xiao Liuzi's death was good for covering up his identity.
But on the other hand… why did the white weasel kill Xiao Liuzi?
Could it have been… helping Qin Ming?
That didn't make sense!
The white weasel's eerie green eyes sent chills down Qin Ming's spine. Why would it assist him?
Just as this thought crossed his mind—
Out of the corner of his eye, Qin Ming suddenly noticed something.
In the distance, atop a towering red maple tree—
The white weasel was curled up on a branch!
Its fluffy tail wrapped around its body.
Its eerie green eyes stared directly at Qin Ming.
His heart trembled. Just as he took two steps forward—
Swoosh!
The white weasel leaped away onto the palace rooftops, disappearing into the shadows.
Snowflakes swirled in the air where its paws had disturbed them.
…
Deep in Thought, Qin Ming Returned to Taiyin Palace.
As soon as he stepped through the gates, he saw two towering stone lion statues—each with a black-armored beauty sitting atop it.
One was Mengtu Captain—petite and cute, with a pair of sharp little tiger fangs.
The other was Meiyang Captain—curvaceous and sultry.
A phrase popped into Qin Ming's mind:
"Greatness Lies in Generosity."