The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 123 Invisible Sword Qi
Li Jingxiao still had a good impression of the Jia family at this time.

Jia Zheng himself had no intention of getting promoted. After sitting on the bench for a long time, he would lose his ambition long ago.

Moreover, he absolutely could not afford to lose face and seek an official position for his son-in-law.

Jia She was also suppressed by Lady Jia and had long lost his ambition.

He was determined to stay at home and play with women and antiques. His biggest wish at this time was to make some extra money.

Jia She had no power as a steward, so if he wanted to buy a concubine, he had to find a way to make money himself.

He wanted to go out and become an official, but not only would Li Jingxiao not agree, but even Lady Jia would not agree.

Jia Zhen was also self-aware and knew that he did not hold any official position other than a third-class general.

Let him be an official in the local area. An old playboy like him would never leave Beijing even if he was beaten to death.

If he died of illness in a foreign land, all the wealth and glory would go to his son Jia Rong.

That's why Jia Zhen, although he was so flattering to Li Jingxiao, never asked him for an official position.

Not even that thought.

So in Li Jingxiao's mind, Wang Ziteng is the trouble.

If Li Jingxiao was not stupid, he would not have helped Wang Ziteng plan for the position of "Jingying Jiedushi".

He himself was the commander of the Sima Army in front of the palace, and was in charge of the safety of the imperial palace.

If Wang Ziteng took the position of "Jingying Jiedushi", it would mean that he and the Wang family, who were related by marriage, would control most of the military power in the capital, as well as part of the military power in the imperial palace.

Not to mention the emperor, even the emperor emeritus would not be able to sleep well.

For his own benefit, Li Jingxiao will definitely suppress Wang Ziteng.

Forget about going to Beijing, it’s good enough if I don’t mess with Wang Ziteng.

This matter involves core interests, even the safety and future of the family, so there is no room for negotiation.

Even if relatives become enemies, it is impossible to compromise.

Moreover, Li Jingxiao knew very well that once Wang Ziteng really took the position of 'Jingying Jiedushi'.

With his many years of experience and wisdom as an official, he would definitely turn against me in the court.

This is not only about self-preservation, but also about seizing power.

How stupid does one have to be to help someone who is bound to be against you to get to the top?
So Li Jingxiao decided in just a moment to find an opportunity to promote Jia Rong.

By the way, he often corresponded with Jia Jing and gave him some advice on Taoism.

Use Ningguo Mansion to check and balance Rongguo Mansion.

Then he tried to win over Jia Zheng, a relatively upright old scholar, to check and balance Lady Wang.

Knowing the ending is cool, and you can easily grasp the key points.
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After Li Jingxiao dealt with the congratulations from the Jia family and other nobles, he asked Qin Keqing to get on the sedan chair, and took Erfu and other guards with him, and the Jia family and their entourage all the way to the east of the city.

Along the way, Jia Lian and Jia Rong were both riding horses and following Li Jingxiao, who was also riding a horse, and their words were full of flattery.

Li Jingxiao had heard this kind of talk so many times that he had become immune to it.

However, he did give Jia Rong a few more pointers, which made the boy so happy that his mouth was crooked with laughter.

This made Jia Lian feel a little annoyed, and he thought to himself that even though Li Jingxiao was smart and capable, he still liked to be flattered.

It was just to ask Jia Lian to curry favor with Li Jingxiao like Jia Rong did. Jia Lian, who was not married yet, was indeed reluctant to let go of the face given by the young master of a noble family.

On the contrary, Jia Rong was beaten and scolded by his own father Jia Zhen all day long, and his personality and dignity were even humiliated. Jia Rong had long lost all his shame.

Moreover, he did not receive dignity and care from his biological father, but was often advised by Li Jingxiao and was promoted to an official.

Jia Rong had long considered Li Jingxiao his support, and even had a little reliance on him for family affection.

Li Jingxiao didn't need Jia Rong to be loyal to him, as long as he was useful to him.

Seeing that Li Jingxiao had been giving Jia Rong advice on how to be a good treasurer of the Left Pacification Office, Jia Lian could only turn the topic to Yuanchun.

Li Jingxiao was now interested, but after all, she was his wife who had not yet married him, so he was reluctant to say too much.

Jia Lian finally made an appointment with Li Jingxiao to go to Ningguo Mansion to drink and listen to opera on the fourth day of the first lunar month.

This made Jia Mu, Jia She, Jia Zheng, Jia Zhen and others smile even brighter.

Although it was not easy for Li Jingxiao to go to Rongguo Mansion openly, he didn't have so many concerns when going to Ningguo Mansion.

When they arrived at Ningrong Street, Li Jingxiao, Jia Lian and Jia Rong dismounted and watched the sedan chairs of Jia Mu, Lady Wang, Lady Xing and Youshi being carried directly into the two mansions.

After exchanging a few polite words with Jia She, Jia Zheng and Jia Zhen, Li Jingxiao mounted his horse and returned home with his wife and guards.

When I got home, it was almost 12 o'clock.

The three Jingxi sisters were at the old house in the afternoon, having eaten New Year's Eve dinner with their parents.

My second uncle felt sleepy and went to bed early, so my second aunt had no choice but to stay with him.

Seeing that it was better for them to keep watch alone, the three sisters simply ran to Li Jingxiao's side.

At this moment, no one felt sleepy at all.

When she heard the noise in the front yard, she hurriedly took the maid, old woman, Baozhu and Ruizhu to the courtyard in the middle yard to welcome her elder brother and sister-in-law.

I watched Li Jingxiao walk in holding his sister-in-law's hand, talking and laughing.

Jingxi couldn't help but feel envious.

If my future husband can love me as much as my elder brother does, then I won’t have married the wrong person.

As for Jingyue and Jingrong, the two sisters didn't even think about getting married at this time.

Jingrong even stretched out his short legs and ran to Li Jingxiao, asking for a hug.

When Li Jingxiao saw his three younger sisters, he was a little surprised at first, but he didn't care anymore in a moment.

He picked up his little sister and asked with a smile, "Are you hungry?"

How could Jingrong be hungry? Not to mention that tonight was New Year's Eve. Usually, there was no shortage of snacks, dried fruits and fresh fruits.

But when he heard about having a midnight snack, the little guy stretched out his little hand, showing his five little fingers and shaking them a few times, and said with a smile, "Brother, I want to eat 5 dumplings."

Li Jingxiao laughed and kissed Jingrong on the forehead. The little girl was stunned and hid her shy face in Li Jingxiao's neck.

Li Jingxiao then realized that young girls of this era, despite their young age, already had mothers, sisters, maids, and old women around them who would remind them of the differences between men and women from time to time.

Even though he was the eldest brother, he couldn't behave affectionately like in modern society.

Qin Keqing gave her man a cold look and reached out to hold Jingrong in her arms.

Then he nodded to Baozhu and Ruizhu.

The two of them hurriedly told the maid to tell the kitchen.

Li Jingxiao smiled awkwardly. When they entered the house, Jingxi and Jingyue blushed at first.

Jingrong stayed obediently in her sister-in-law's arms.

Seeing this, Qin Keqing could only turn the topic to the title.

Baozhu, Ruizhu, Jingxi and their personal maids only then learned that their master had been promoted again.

And he got it in one go, becoming the hereditary Marquis of Xing'an. The three Jingxi sisters, Baozhu and Ruizhu were so excited that their faces turned red.

The maids and old women who were serving them also had faces full of surprise.

The more prosperous the master's family is, the more benefits these servants will naturally receive.

Everyone bowed and congratulated Li Jingxiao.

Then he congratulated Qin Keqing.

Li Jingxiao waved his hands, looking as if it was no big deal.

But I was actually quite happy in my heart.

In his previous life, he was just an ordinary citizen, never having enjoyed high official positions and generous salaries. Now, after serving as an official for half a year, he has enjoyed privileges and power, so naturally he can't let go of this status.

As the saying goes, "Everyone says that being an immortal is good, but they can't forget fame, wealth and power."

Those who say they have transcended the world either enjoy all the glory and wealth.

Or they were ostracized in officialdom and became disheartened, which is why they fell in love with the countryside and mountains and rivers.

A young man like himself who has a beautiful wife and concubines, an extremely smooth career, and is making continuous progress in his cultivation.

It is impossible to see through the world and become a monk or a Taoist priest.

After Li Jingxiao asked the three Jingxi sisters, Ruizhu and Baozhu to stand up, the women stood up regardless of their age.

They all surrounded Li Jingxiao, chattering and asking questions.

When they heard that Li Jingxiao not only saved the retired emperor and the emperor, but also the civil and military officials attending the royal banquet tonight, they had to thank him as well.

Several women suddenly felt that Li Jingxiao was really amazing and had great luck.

Qin Keqing even said, "The Great Zhou is destined by heaven. It is indeed with the blessing of our ancestors and heaven that we can turn misfortune into good fortune and turn disaster into blessing."

This statement obviously seemed like flattery, but Li Jingxiao smiled and nodded in agreement.

Li Jingxiao had mentioned to Qin Keqing while they were chatting on the bed that there must be royal spies among the servants in the house.

Qin Keqing was shocked at first, and hurriedly hugged Li Jingxiao and said that all the servants would be replaced tomorrow.

Li Jingxiao, however, hugged his wife and said with a smile, "How do you know there aren't any spies among the newly bought servants?"

Qin Keqing was very smart and understood it as soon as she heard it.

This was a deliberate act of keeping the royal family's spies around as a disguised way of expressing loyalty to the royal family.

As long as he stayed at home and mentioned his loyalty to the court and the royal family from time to time, the emperor and the retired emperor would gradually feel relieved over time.

Even if Emperor Longde is overly suspicious, at least he will be less suspicious.

Therefore, when it came to matters concerning the imperial court and the royal family, Qin Keqing always praised them without showing any dissatisfaction.

At almost 1 a.m., Li Jingxiao, who had finished his midnight snack, took his wife, Baozhu, Ruizhu and Jingxi sisters to set off fireworks in the yard.

Outside the door, a steward and servants were already lighting firecrackers.

These firecrackers are not firecrackers, but long bamboo sticks thrown into the fire, which will naturally produce popping sounds.

It’s not that Li Jingxiao can’t afford firecrackers, nor that there are no firecrackers for sale in the market, but Jingxi said that this is what his family did in previous years.

Qin Keqing, as a daughter-in-law, also followed the tradition.

Li Jingxiao didn't care about such matters and let his wife make the decision.

After the fireworks were set off, Jing Xi, Jing Yue and Jing Rong were reluctantly taken back by Qin Keqing's maids to wash up and go to bed.

As for Li Jingxiao, he naturally couldn't help but be intimate with his wife.

And probably because it was the New Year and his husband had become a marquis, Li Jingxiao just hugged his wife and said a few sweet words, and Baozhu and Ruizhu joined him and Qin Keqing in making trouble.

When Li Jingxiao woke up the next day, it was already past 9 o'clock.

Fortunately, although I had a lot of fun with three women last night, I just lay down with my eyes closed and practiced instead of sleeping, and my body and spirit fully recovered.

In this case, after thinking about it, I got the attribute points from leveling up three times yesterday.

There is no need to add it to your physique for the time being.

I played two games with my wife and Baozhu Ruizhu last night and gained 200 experience points.

Level 17 (480/1700)

Practice Lightning Thunder Fist for five hours and gain 12 experience points.

Lightning Thunder Fist - Minor Success (210.4/500)

Li Jingxiao quickly added 3 attributes, 1 point to the bones and 2 points to the understanding.

体质16、根骨15+2、悟性16+1.
The extra 2 points and 1 point in physique and comprehension are additional attributes added to the equipment.

I felt it instantly, and my cultivation speed increased a little bit.

+150% training speed, +60% tendon and vein width, much faster than when I first started practicing.

She got up from the bed with satisfaction, but inevitably woke up Qin Keqing and Baozhu and Ruizhu who were sleeping in the same bed.

Li Jingxiao originally wanted the three women to sleep a little longer.

But Qin Keqing didn't dare to sleep in. Otherwise, Jingxi and the other two would have gotten up, and if she, as his sister-in-law, slept in on New Year's Day, there would inevitably be gossip.

I was so sleepy that I dozed off in the morning.

Or just take a good nap at noon.

After hearing this, Li Jingxiao stopped trying to persuade him.

After a while, a maid came in with hot water and toiletries.

However, it was Baozhu and Ruizhu who always helped Li Jingxiao with dressing and washing.

There was no chance at all for the twelve or thirteen-year-old maids.

Li Jingxiao thought this was not a bad idea, at least there would be less trouble at home.

Besides, he has no interest in women who can't give him experience.

No matter how beautiful she is, I would never think of marrying her or keeping her for a long time.

If you have that kind of mind and energy, it would be better to use it on Qin Keqing.

It wasn't long before Yuanchun came into the house. Once there were more women, although it was more enjoyable to be alone, it also required more energy and physical strength.

So there are also beautiful ones among the third- and second-class maids in the house.

But Li Jingxiao never touched it.

While this made Qin Keqing, Baozhu and Ruizhu feel at ease, there was always some resentment in the eyes of these little maids when they looked at him.

However, it is not without benefits.

At least in the eyes of the maids and old women in the house, the master is so polite and courteous, so the family tradition must be very good.

I admire and respect him even more.

By the way, Qin Keqing's position became more stable.

Even the three Jingxi sisters did not dare to challenge Qin Keqing's status as the housekeeper.

Of course, although the three Jingxi sisters were noble ladies from a prominent family, their second uncle was seriously ill and bedridden for many years.

Compared with other noble ladies, she has also experienced setbacks, so naturally she is more resilient than other wealthy ladies.

I got up and went to the yard, practicing sword and palm techniques for a while.

The introductory Quanzhen sword technique and Three Flowers Gathering Palm only take half an hour.

They both upgraded from entry-level to minor success (1/500).
After half a month of training, the Seven-String Invisible Sword has progressed from minor success to mastery (1/2000).

When playing the guqin again, the sound of the guqin will disrupt the opponent's internal qi.

It can also emit invisible sword energy.

Only at this level can the Seven-String Invisible Sword truly demonstrate the power of this technique.

Li Jingxiao sat cross-legged on the ground with the guqin placed across his legs. He pulled the strings with his fingers and an invisible sword energy flew out instantly.

The branches of the plum tree a few meters away seemed to be cut by a sharp sword, and a branch suddenly fell down.

Afterwards, as the sound of the piano continued to ring out, the plum blossoms on the plum tree were constantly cut off by the invisible sword energy.

(End of this chapter)