"Damn it, I can't stand it, I really can't stand it!"
Chu Chen tilted his head back, pinching his nose with two fingers, trying to stop the nosebleed.
As a dignified master of the Qi Condensation realm, one of the five great Qi Condensation masters of the Yunyue Kingdom, he was actually bleeding from the nose just by using the Clairvoyance technique to watch certain things. This was truly undignified!
His reason told him to stop recalling the scene he had just seen, but his mind kept replaying that smooth, moist, tender image, the dewdrops falling from her shoulders, sliding down like silk; her skin flushed from the warm water, translucent and fair.
Who could withstand such a temptation? Even Chu Chen, the Prime Minister, a man of power second only to the Emperor, could not!
"Damn it! My spear technique isn't good enough. I need to practice with the long spear weapon again!"
Chu Chen looked around with a mortified expression: "Fortunately, fortunately, no one is around. Wait, no, I need to cancel the Clairvoyance technique quickly!"
Without bothering to stop the nosebleed, Chu Chen raised his hand to form a seal to cancel it. To his surprise, the Clairvoyance technique was already gone.
In the large stone basin, the once clear water was now stained crimson. The destruction of the water, which was the main subject of the vision, naturally caused the Clairvoyance technique to fail and dissipate on its own.
"Too stimulating! It's best to use this thing less at night! I finally understand why in the anime Naruto, the Third Hokage and Jiraiya loved peeping so much!"
Chu Chen circulated his spiritual energy to stop the bleeding non-scientifically, and his mind drifted to some scenes from Naruto he had watched in his previous life.
"Cough, cough~ Heart like pure ice, the sky collapses but remains unfazed. Ten thousand changes remain constant, the spirit is tranquil and serene."
Chu Chen closed his eyes and silently recited a passage from the Ice Purity Art. After a while, his mind finally quieted down, and he stopped his wild thoughts.
"Putting aside the overly revealing content, this Clairvoyance technique is undeniably practical! Tomorrow, I'll stroll through the court and see who can hide anything from me when they're up to no good!"
Chu Chen finally thought of the wonderful use of this technique, his face cold as he pondered.
"It's getting late. I should go back."
Before leaving, Chu Chen unleashed a punch, shattering the large stone into pieces, and then used his spiritual energy to conjure a ball of flame, throwing it onto the spot to burn.
Afterward, he activated the Feather Ascension technique and soared into the sky, heading towards the Prime Minister's mansion.
Xiangzhou Mountain Prefecture.
"They're all useless idiots! They still let them escape!"
Mu Daocheng roared in fury, looking at his disciples kneeling before him, yet he was helpless.
Zhang Chengzhu and An Xian, after losing dozens of Embroidered Uniform Guards, had finally escaped this dangerous place.
Mu Daocheng, with nearly a thousand men, had failed to capture them within the prefecture. Once they escaped, it was no longer their territory. If they pursued further, the situation would likely reverse.
The world was still under the rule of Empress Li Kongxi, and the imperial court remained the imperial court. Although the martial arts sects were all skilled, they were still no match for a well-organized army.
Especially since the imperial court had gained more experts in the past two years. The Embroidered Uniform Guards and the two black-clothed men who protected Zhang Chengzhu and An Xian were all skilled in martial arts.
"Sect Leader Mu, what do we do now?"
"Alas, what else can we do? Each of us in the Foundation Establishment realm will leave three disciples in the Body Tempering realm to continue the pursuit. The rest will return. Otherwise, the target will be too large, and we'll be certain to die if the imperial army is alerted."
"It can only be this way."
Mu Daocheng discussed with the other sect leaders for a while and continued the pursuit with his core disciples.
Meanwhile, Chu Chen found the Empress and informed her directly about the situation in Xiangzhou. He then handed the political affairs back to the Empress to handle herself, while he planned to personally go and provide support using the hot air balloon he had built last time.
Soon, Chu Chen distributed the pills and blood-qi incense to the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the Six Doors headquarters for them to arrange. He then announced that he would be in seclusion for a few days and, under the cover of night, ignited the hot air balloon he had previously constructed.
Just as he was about to board, Princess Xinyue, having somehow received the news, arrived beside Chu Chen.
"My princess, I'm going to kill people. Why are you following me?"
Chu Chen looked at Xinyue, who was standing with him in the hot air balloon, with a mixture of amusement and helplessness.
"That's precisely why I'm following you! I've been cultivating for so long, but I've never fought anyone. Now that you're going to kill people, I'll help you kill. You can watch over me, and I can gain practical combat experience."
Princess Xinyue giggled, holding Chu Chen's arm and resting her head on his shoulder.
Chu Chen said helplessly, "Don't you have Body Tempering realm guards? Find them! Or ask the Emperor for female officials to train with you!"
"That's boring. They just flatter me and indulge me like you do, and I can't learn any practical experience. I've tried it before."
Princess Xinyue snorted with dissatisfaction.
"Fine, don't complain about the gore later, or I'll throw you down directly."
With that, Chu Chen immediately ordered the ropes to be released.
Then, under the control of two members of the Dark Department, the hot air balloon ascended.
"I've already seen bloodshed in the Eastern Frontier, what are you afraid of!"
"It's flying!"
The whistling wind made Princess Xinyue raise her voice and shout.
"You're a princess, so clingy, are you a dog?"
"What did you say? The wind is too strong, I can't hear you. Speak louder!"
"Damn it!" Chu Chen gritted his teeth, suddenly thinking of some furry dog ears.
"Ahem, can't think about it, can't think about it, Princess Xinyue herself is right here."
Chu Chen shook his head, and to distract himself, he accompanied Princess Xinyue as they watched the scenery below gradually shrink.
Soon, the hot air balloon was fully airborne, reaching an altitude of seven hundred meters. Its limit was two thousand meters, but at that height, it was difficult to discern the exact direction, and they might overshoot.
Most importantly, this was an early version of the hot air balloon, and Chu Chen was afraid of accidents at high altitudes.
Under the control of the two accompanying members of the Dark Department, the heat generated by burning coal and the manipulation of the ropes carried the four people towards Liaoyuan County in the wild fields of Dingyuan Prefecture.
According to the simulation process, by the time Chu Chen arrived, Zhang Chengzhu and the others would have escaped to this location.
In just two days, traveling eighty li in a straight line day and night, ignoring the terrain, Chu Chen and his group arrived above Liaoyuan County.
"Master, we have arrived at Liaoyuan County!"
"Prepare to slowly descend!"
"Yes!"
Under the control of the two members of the Dark Department, the hot air balloon began to slowly descend, still in flight, but gradually slowing down.
When they reached an altitude of one hundred meters, people in the villages, towns, and the county city below all looked up at the hot air balloon.
"What is that thing?"
Everyone stared in shock as the hot air balloon descended towards the outskirts of Liaoyuan County, completely bewildered. If they couldn't see people controlling it from above, they would have already fled.