Invincibility starts when I see the BOSS health bar.

Chapter 1001 New Dive
Ji Jin instantly understood Qin'er's expression.

She choked back abruptly, swallowing back the complaints and anger that were about to escape her lips. Her chest heaved violently a few times, and her tone softened somewhat, but it still carried a hint of resentment: "...It's not impossible. But," she raised her head, emphasizing as if defending her last line, "as long as Qian Wu himself comes back, I'll take Qin'er with me immediately! I won't stay a moment longer!"

Jiang Yong seemed to have anticipated this, and his face showed no surprise. He calmly replied, "Miss Ji, please rest assured. I can understand this. Lord Qian Wu is currently extremely busy with official duties and is highly relied upon by Lord Yuwen. He is handling all confidential matters and has rarely returned home recently. Sometimes he even stays out all night on duty."

He then changed the subject and made a promise: "However, I will immediately report your two people's move to the Qian residence and your concerns to Lord Qian Wu. I believe that once he learns of this, he will understand your worries and will further strengthen the security of the residence, increase manpower, and ensure that nothing goes wrong within the residence. Your safety and that of Miss Qin'er are absolutely guaranteed."

Jiang Yong couldn't help but feel a bit resentful. Qian Wu was such a good-for-nothing; he couldn't even pick up girls properly, and he had to come and help him. Didn't he see that he was busy too? Why did he have to make me run around like this?

He said he wasn't interested in Ji Jin anymore, but after playing around with other women for a few days, he couldn't forget his white moonlight again. He's just being a jerk!
Although Jiang Yong was inwardly complaining, he remained outwardly composed.

As Ji Jin listened to his clear, humble yet thoughtful answer, her resistance and anger dissipated somewhat.

She had to admit that although she disliked Qian Wu, his subordinate was meticulous, thoughtful, and extremely reliable.

She nodded, her tone softening considerably, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible gratitude: "In that case... I'll have to trouble you, Jiang Yong."

Jiang Yong smiled slightly, a gentle smile, yet it was impossible to discern his true emotions.

He spoke at the opportune moment, his tone perfectly natural: "The one you should really thank is Lord Qian Wu. To be honest, the reason I happened to meet you near the Ji residence today was because Lord Qian Wu specifically instructed me to do so."

He observed the subtle changes in Ji Jin's expression and continued, "He knew that you might be feeling uneasy lately because of the undercurrents in the capital, and he also knew that you didn't want to see him to avoid embarrassment. But he was really worried about your safety and couldn't put his mind at ease, so he ordered me to go to the vicinity of the Ji residence to wait and check on you, to make sure you were alright, and to be able to take care of you in time if anything happened. That's how I was able to learn about Master Qian's whereabouts in time and escort you back."

Ji Jin raised her eyebrows, her face filled with suspicion and disbelief: "Him? Qian Wu? Could he have such a meticulous and shrewd mind? And...and he's worried about me?"

She simply couldn't reconcile the image of Qian Wu she knew—a man who was always domineering and unreasonable, straightforward and even somewhat rude—with this incredibly considerate and almost "gentle" behavior. This was so different from the Qian Wu she knew.

Jiang Yong's expression remained unchanged, but his tone was very certain, carrying an unquestionable air: "Miss Ji, a person should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation. This is no exaggeration. Since Lord Qian Wu began working for Lord Yuwen Wuji, he has handled many confidential and important matters and dealt with various forces. His vision has broadened considerably, and he has become more composed, thorough, and meticulous in his handling of affairs. The change is indeed significant."

His words were brief but left plenty of room for imagination.

Upon hearing this, Ji Jin subconsciously pursed his lips, his face still bearing a stubborn expression of "I don't believe it," but involuntarily, doubts began to surface in his heart.

Could it be... that guy really changed his ways?

Was he trained by Yuwen Wuji?

She thought back carefully and realized that she seemed to have vaguely heard her father mention it recently. He said that Qian Wu had been doing very well lately, and was quite popular with the adopted son of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. Moreover, he hadn't bothered her for quite some time, as if he had disappeared...

Could it be that with his career going smoothly and power in his hands, he's changed completely? Has he even started secretly looking after people? He's specifically sending his subordinates to check on me… This…

At this moment, Jiang Yong cupped his hands in farewell, interrupting her thoughts: "Miss Ji, Miss Qin'er, there are still important matters to be handled with Lord Yuwen Wuji. I need to go and report back immediately, so I cannot stay any longer and must take my leave now."

Ji Jin and Qin'er nodded in unison. Ji Jin even subconsciously replied, "...Go ahead and get busy."

The two watched him turn and leave.

Jiang Yong's figure moved steadily through the courtyard, his clothes fluttering slightly, and he quickly disappeared into the twilight outside the moon gate. His footsteps faded into the distance and eventually fell silent.

Only when all sound ceased did Ji Jin finally breathe a sigh of relief, her tense shoulders slumping. She immediately pulled Qin'er to a stone bench under a nearby ancient locust tree with lush foliage. Ignoring the coldness of the bench, she lowered her voice and spoke with extreme complexity, as if she had to get this off her chest: "Qin'er, do you think... your brother, Qian Wu, has he... really changed his ways? Like Jiang Yong said?"

Before Qin'er could respond, she continued speaking as if sorting out her thoughts: "Recently... he seems quite focused on his career and hasn't bothered me anymore. I heard he's highly regarded by Yuwen Wuji and has accomplished several impressive tasks. I used to treat him so badly, never giving him a kind look or speaking harshly, embarrassing him several times... I never expected him to not hold a grudge about the past, and even... even instructed his subordinates to secretly look after me? What's he after?"

She paused, a rare look of hesitation and self-doubt on her face. Her voice lowered further, almost a whisper: "You know... if I see him next time, should I... be a little bit nicer to him? Even if... even if it's just to thank him for his... concern this time?"

Qin'er listened quietly, her thick, long eyelashes drooping down, casting a small shadow under her eyelids.

His face still wore that faint, calm smile, devoid of joy, anger, or emotion.

She reached out and gently patted Ji Jin's hand, a tender gesture meant to comfort him, but offered no further comment; she neither nodded nor shook her head.

Her thoughts had already soared to the highest heavens, to a place even higher and farther away.

Romantic entanglements? Grudges and conflicts? Family rise and fall? The turmoil in the capital? To her, these were nothing more than fleeting clouds drifting by on the path of martial arts, insignificant dust beneath her feet as she climbed to the summit. A gentle breeze would blow them away without a trace, and they were not worth investing any effort in.

She twitched her fingertips almost imperceptibly, sensing the ever-growing and surging internal energy within her body.

That power was pure and strong, filled with a reassuring sense of control.

Her martial arts skills have been on the right track, and she is making rapid progress.

More importantly, she possesses a special power that allows her to cultivate diligently like ordinary people, spending years or even decades to break through bottlenecks.

As long as she continues to cultivate and transform that power into points, she can naturally break through and grow like rivers flowing into the sea!
The pinnacle of martial arts in this world was not a distant legend or dream in her eyes, but a clear and visible path laid out beneath her feet, a path she would eventually reach. All she needed now was time.

Sufficient, undisturbed, and focused time allowed her to fully unleash the potential of this body, to integrate all the principles of martial arts, and to hone all the moves into instinct.

What are the upheavals in the capital, the power shifts, the death of Master Qian, and the entanglements between Qian Wu and Ji Jin...

As long as she possesses the absolute strength to sweep away everything and crush all others, what are these disturbances and the clamor of these ants worth mentioning? They can all be shattered with a single sword strike!
Her gaze swept over the wooden training posts in the courtyard, which were mottled and damaged by the force of palm strikes and fists. Her eyes were sharp and focused, flashing with an almost pure, burning desire.

Containing within it was her complete yearning for the ultimate martial arts and her unwavering belief; nothing else. Meanwhile, Jiang Yong, who had already left the Qian residence, did not, as he had said, head straight to the Tianji Pavilion headquarters in the heart of the capital to report.

He walked through several still bustling streets, his pace unhurried, his gaze casually sweeping over the shops and pedestrians along the way, appearing quite natural.

After circling two intersections, he suddenly turned and entered a quiet, deserted, narrow alleyway piled with some miscellaneous items.

Deep in the alley, a seemingly ordinary restaurant stands quietly. The storefront is small, and the old signboard reads "Forget-Worry Pavilion" in dim, faded characters.

He entered the restaurant with practiced ease.

There were only two or three tables of guests in the lobby, making it seem rather deserted.

The shopkeeper looked up and saw him, a fleeting, almost imperceptible look of understanding flashing in his eyes. He then lowered his head again to fiddle with the abacus, as if he had never seen him.

Jiang Yong did not linger in the lobby, but went directly up to the second floor along a narrow and slightly steep wooden staircase in the corner, the wooden planks under his feet making a slight creaking sound.

The second-floor corridor was dimly lit, with only one private room at the end.

He walked to the door, flicked his fingers, and gently knocked three times in a specific rhythm.

There was a moment of silence inside the door, followed by a very faint "click," as if the latch had been pulled open.

Jiang Yong pushed open the door and entered, then gently closed it behind him, separating the inside from the outside. The room was dimly lit, with only a small oil lamp burning, while dusk deepened outside the window.

By the window, a woman wearing a dark cloak with her hood pulled low was drinking alone, her back to the door.

On the table were several exquisite but untouched side dishes and a pot of wine, the aroma of which mingled with a faint, cool fragrance that permeated the air.

She seemed to have no interest in tasting it, but was just gazing at the street scene outside the window that was gradually being swallowed by the night. Her profile was beautiful, but it exuded a cold and unapproachable aura.

Jiang Yong stepped forward and stopped five steps away from the table. He bowed respectfully, his voice low and filled with absolute obedience: "Your subordinate Jiang Yong greets Lord Gao Meng."

The woman did not turn around, nor did she change her posture. She simply extended a fair, slender hand with distinct knuckles, her fingertips painted with dark red nail polish, which gleamed faintly in the dim light. She gently tapped the table, producing a crisp sound.

Jiang Yong immediately understood and without hesitation took out a tiny bamboo tube, only the thickness of a little finger, sealed with wax from his inner pocket. He presented it with both hands and carefully placed it on the table, facing the front of the hand: "Lord Gao Meng, this is a detailed record of Qian Wu's recent movements, his contact with Yuwen Wuji, rumors of personnel transfers within the Tianji Pavilion, and... all the situations I observed at the Qian residence, including Miss Ji Jin's arrival and her reaction."

The woman known as Gao Meng then slowly turned around.

The hood of the cloak still covered most of her face, revealing only her beautifully sculpted, cold jawline, a perfectly curved, half-smiling lip, and a small patch of smooth, delicate skin.

She extended her two fingers, adorned with dark red nail polish, and picked up the bamboo tube with an elegant yet indifferent gesture, as if scrutinizing an object.

With a slight pressure from the fingertip, the fragile wax seal quietly shattered.

She pulled out the tightly rolled-up strip of paper, quickly scanned it, her eyes calm as a deep pool, without the slightest ripple.

The handwriting on the note was very small, but the content was quite substantial.

She looked for about ten breaths.

A moment later, she let out a very soft, ambiguous laugh, her voice carrying a unique, slightly hoarse magnetism that sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

She held the note close to the oil lamp on the table, which was flickering with a faint flame. The flame instantly licked the paper, quickly engulfing it and turning it into a small, curled, black residue covered with the ash of the writing.

"Well done." Her voice rang out, her tone calm and even, devoid of any warm praise, instead stating an objective fact, yet possessing an inherent authority that commanded respect. "Yuwen Wuji is outnumbered and outgunned, and Qian Wu is nothing more than a newly powerful mad dog. Lord Jin Xiao doesn't take them seriously; he just needs a safety net, you understand?"

"Understood!"

"Yes, continue to lie low, gain their deeper trust, and then await my next instructions."

"Yes!" Jiang Yong's expression turned solemn, his body stiffened like a drawn blade, and he answered decisively without any superfluous words, "This subordinate will certainly not disappoint your expectations, sir!"

Gao Meng said nothing more, but simply waved his hand slightly, the gesture contemptuous and casual, signaling him to step back.

Her gaze returned to the window. Night had fallen, and the lights of countless homes in the capital were lighting up one after another, like a galaxy on the ground, outlining the contours of this enormous city.

The lamplight reflected in her deep, unfathomable eyes, flickering and shimmering. No one could fathom the complex thoughts and impending storm hidden behind that cold yet beautiful light.

Jiang Yong quietly left the private room, gently closing the door without making a sound.

Standing in the quiet, dimly lit corridor, he took a deep breath of the cool, musty air, his face displaying a range of emotions.

The respect, composure, and concern he had shown at the Qian residence had all vanished, leaving only absolute calm.

He straightened his perfectly wrinkle-free robes, strode downstairs, and his figure quickly blended into the thick, bustling night of the capital, as if he had never been there.

Inside the private room, Gao Meng picked up the white jade-like wine glass and took a small sip.

(End of this chapter)