What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 252 Battle with the Thousand-Household Commander! An Astounding Reward!

Clearly, Nangong Sheyue knew Su Mo's intentions all along.

Of course, Su Mo would deny it to the death!
He slammed the box down on the blue brick floor with a thud, and looked at Nangong Sheyue with a serious expression: "My lord, please don't misunderstand!"

"This humble servant has not come to ask for your help, sir; this humble servant has simply come to deliver a gift!"

Nangong Sheyue looked at Su Mo with a half-smile: "My lord, you're giving me gifts so openly and honestly, aren't you afraid that I'll be punished by His Majesty?"

"Young master, this is bribing a court official!"

Su Mo waved his hand and laughed, "These are just some valuable items, local specialties from Lonely Peak Mountain."

"Besides, Lord Leng asked me to deliver this to you!"

Nangong Sheyue chuckled lightly: "Then I really want to see what local specialties my lord has sent me."

As she spoke, without any attempt to hide from Su Mo, she squatted down slightly, reached out and brushed her long hair that had fallen over her shoulders back, and then opened the lid of the wooden box.

Su Mo subconsciously looked at the tall and slender Nangong Sheyue.

My gaze naturally fell on that eye-catching spot.

Beneath the neckline of the gauze dress, the breathtaking curve, even just a glimpse of it, was enough to leave Su Mo in awe!

The skin below her neck was as smooth and white as mutton fat jade!

Su Mo couldn't help but think to himself, how come I never noticed before that she had such a good figure!
Why don't they usually wrap themselves up tightly with strips of cloth? Now, after the bath, their true forms are exposed.

Doesn't she know that doing this is bad for her physical development?
Just as Su Mo was pondering whether development was good or bad, Nangong Sheyue suddenly let out a soft hum: "Have you seen enough?"

"Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!"

Despite Nangong Sheyue's fierce words, Su Mo was not afraid at all.

The favorability rating above my head hasn't decreased at all, who are you trying to scare!

However, he withdrew his gaze and coughed, "What do you think of this gift, sir?"

"How about I help you try it on, sir?"

Nangong Sheyue snorted again, took out a set of pure wool woven undergarments from the box, and turned to walk into the back room.

When Nangong Sheyue returned, Su Mo's eyes suddenly lit up!
The wool lining is similar in style to the linings commonly worn under robes.

Most of the inner garments worn by women in the Great Wu Kingdom were loose and comfortable, but Su Mo specially had them designed to be fitted in order to save materials and increase warmth.

This style looks particularly good on tall people.

Especially at the front, the slightly elastic wool yarn looks like it's about to burst, making it hard not to attract attention!

Nangong Sheyue rolled her eyes at Su Mo, then said indifferently, "The clothes are warm enough."

"Help me put on my armor!"

Last time, I only glanced at the armor he was wearing, and this guy specially made a set for me and sent it over. He was thoughtful.

Let's not pursue the matter of him spying on me!

The armor was heavy and difficult to put on, requiring assistance from others. Su Mo dutifully helped Nangong Sheyue put it on.

A moment later, a majestic female general appeared in the side hall.

Nangong Sheyue looked down at the armor, then stretched his arms and legs.

He said calmly, "The armor is alright, it's well-finished, padded with deerskin and lined with wool, so it won't easily chafe the skin, but it's a little stuffy to wear."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but sigh, "What a pity! Such fine armor is best suited for use on the battlefield. It would be a waste for me to wear it!"

"If you give this to Princess Baicheng, you will be richly rewarded!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "If you don't want it, my lord, I can give it to Princess Baicheng."

Nangong Sheyue stared at Su Mo silently for a moment, then opened her mouth slightly and said, "Go to hell!"

Even though Lord Qianhu was bluffing, Su Mo pretended not to hear him. But when he saw the other man's hair disappear into his armor, his damned obsessive-compulsive disorder kicked in, and he couldn't help but reach out and pull the hair out.

The neck is a vital area! It should not be touched by strangers!

Su Mo swept his large hand across the beauty's fair neck, and Nangong Sheyue's body stiffened slightly. She gritted her teeth but did not stop Su Mo's impolite action.

After lifting Nangong Sheyue's hair, Su Mo took two steps back and brazenly looked the Commander of the Thousand Households up and down.

The armor was meticulously designed by him, focusing on both protection and aesthetics.

When a tall woman like Nangong Sheyue wore this outfit, her long, straight black hair cascading over her armor, she looked incredibly beautiful, both heroic and imposing.

Hmm! She's no less beautiful than Princess Baicheng.

Suddenly, Su Mo frowned, his gaze falling on the chest guard of the armor. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "My lord, how about... I get you a new set?"

Nangong Sheyue was taken aback: "Why?"

Su Mo coughed twice: "This subordinate misjudged the size; the design is too small... therefore, adults will feel a little short of breath when wearing it."

Nangong Sheyue glanced down instinctively, then blushed slightly and scoffed, "My lord, are you really courting death?"

As she spoke, she waved her hand, and the sword hanging on the wall flew into the air and landed in her palm.

It was none other than the great sword that Su Mo had given her last time!
The sword conjured up sword flowers and stabbed towards Su Mo with lightning speed like a storm!
Seeing that Nangong Sheyue had suddenly started fighting without warning, and that her sword energy was extremely sharp, Su Mo was immediately shocked and quickly retreated.

He knew the sharpness of the manganese steel sword, and with Nangong Sheyue's magic power, if he was stabbed, the Green Wood Technique would definitely not be able to stop it!

Having dodged the attack, Su Mo was about to speak when he was shocked to find that Nangong Sheyue's favorability rating had suddenly increased by 7%!

Su Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief!

The attack may seem sharp, but it's actually just flirting!

It was just a real fight!
Su Mo sighed inwardly. Sure enough, the more aloof and assertive a woman is, the more she likes to receive gifts from others!

Just like the Empress, so too is Nangong Sheyue!
I should give them more small gifts in the future!
What surprised Su Mo even more was...

As Lord Chito's favorability rating soared, a yellow exclamation mark suddenly popped out from his flowing hair!

The Empress's favorability rating has reached 50, and the reward is a 600-ton warship and blueprints.

Nangong Sheyue reached 50%, and although there was no immediate reward, a task popped up!
Seeing Nangong Sheyue continue to swing his sword and attack without any expression, Su Mo dodged and weaved while quickly opening the quest.

The previous mission that Nangong Sheyue completed rewarded him with a powerful artifact called a sweet potato!

I wonder what the reward will be this time!
As soon as Su Mo had a thought, he clicked the yellow exclamation mark, and the task panel instantly appeared!
[Nangong Sheyue]: Left Commander of Fengming Division (55%)

[Task]: Training Partner
[Requirement]: Survive Nangong Sheyue's attack within the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn.

[Hint]: This woman has been reading the first volume of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and has gained insights into the Dao. Her cultivation has increased and she is itching to find someone to spar with!

[Hint]: If you can watch the complete Romance of the Three Kingdoms, you might be able to break through to the late stage of the Returning to the Aperture Realm!
[Reward]: Rank 3 Sword Embryo! Mastery of Dragon Step and Dragon Whip!

[Reward]: To be determined
……

Upon seeing the mission details, Su Mo was dumbfounded!
Has Nangong Sheyue already read the first volume of Romance of the Three Kingdoms? When did the Empress give it to her?

Can one gain enlightenment from reading a storybook?
Are you kidding me?! How come I didn't realize this myself?
Furthermore, a complete Romance of the Three Kingdoms could even help her break through to the late stage of the Returning to the Aperture Realm.
Supporting the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn? Isn't this task too easy to complete? And isn't the reward a bit too generous?

Su Mo was afraid of dying.

Therefore, no matter how busy he is, he will always find time to absorb the power of the Vajra Pestle and cultivate the Yangtian Technique.

He was especially active in practicing alongside Lord Qianhu!
Su Mo naturally took great care in nurturing the sword embryo, his life-saving trump card.

However, it seems to have no effect. After two or three months of nurturing, it is still only at the second-grade level.

Can you upgrade your weapon to a third-grade treasure just by practicing with Nangong Sheyue?

Lady Nangong is truly my treasure girl!
Nangong Sheyue's attack seemed fierce, with sword light filling the entire side hall. The terrifying aura even made Su Mo's breath catch in his throat.

But Su Mo naturally knew that the other party probably hadn't even used one-tenth of their abilities, let alone the fact that what was truly terrifying about her was her magical techniques.

Otherwise, I'm afraid I'd die by his sword in less than three moves!

Since he was there to deliver gifts and use connections, Su Mo naturally wouldn't carry his battle sword with him.

He quickly used the Dragon Step technique, dodging the sword light unleashed by Nangong Sheyue in a flash.

Then he pressed his palm against his waist.

A flash of dark gold light streaked across the sky, and the Dragon Whip lashed out from the waist with lightning speed.

The whip tip, sharp as a blade, instantly sliced ​​through the air with a bang, piercing through thousands of sword lights, aiming straight for Nangong Sheyue's vital face!

A strange light flashed in Nangong Sheyue's beautiful eyes.

They probably never expected Su Mo to launch a counterattack under such circumstances. "Hmph! He's been hiding his true intentions quite well!"

"Not only is his immortal cultivation at the late stage of the Soul Stabilizing Realm, but his martial arts cultivation is also at the level of a top-tier expert!"

Nangong Sheyue was indeed quite astonished.

The first time I met Su Mo was on the island in the middle of the lake in the Imperial Garden, when Su Mo came to report for duty.

She was certain that Su Mo's cultivation level was at most the late stage of the Body Observation Realm, and his martial arts realm was even less noteworthy.

Unexpectedly, in just a few months, he has advanced to the late stage of the Soul Stabilizing Realm, and his martial arts are also at the top-tier level!
The speed of improvement is simply unbelievable.

Despite the effects of the Empress's Great Heaven-Mending Pill and the power of Lin Moyin's dual cultivation with him, Nangong Sheyue was still deeply shocked!

If he were given another three and a half years to cultivate, wouldn't he be able to catch up with him?
However, this is even better, so that we can play more enjoyably!
Let's see how many tricks this guy has up his sleeve!
After finishing the first volume of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Nangong Sheyue broke through his Dao heart and was extremely excited and agitated. Even taking a cold shower couldn't calm him down. It just so happened that Su Mo came to his door, so it would be good to vent his anger on him!
She chuckled softly, "My lord, you are truly skilled. I must learn from you!"

As he spoke, the sword trembled, shaking the Dragon Whip away. Then, a streak of light, like lightning, instantly approached Su Mo's brow.

Before the sword even arrived, the chilling aura seemed to seep into Su Mo's brow, making his entire body feel as if it had fallen into an ice cellar!

Su Mo's expression changed drastically!

Is Nangong Sheyue really going to play this game with me?
This task seems simple, but it's actually not easy to complete at all!

He quickly activated the Green Wood Technique and the Yang Heaven Technique to expel the chilling energy that had forced its way into his brow.

Then he shouted, "My lord, let's go out and fight!"

The side hall was too cramped, making it difficult for him to use his Dragon Step and Dragon Whip techniques!
Su Mo retreated swiftly, narrowly avoiding Nangong Sheyue's attack aimed at his brow. He then leaped from the side hall to the outer corridor bridge, his toes barely touching the ground as he soared out of the courtyard like a large bird.

Nangong Sheyue chuckled softly.

The hundred-pound armor did not hinder her movements at all; with a long stride, she caught up in the blink of an eye.

Immediately, amidst the flashes of sword light, countless sword lights bloomed from the void, enveloping Su Mo from all directions.

Su Mo dared not be careless in the slightest.

With a forceful flick of his wrist, he channeled his magic power into the whip, sending out ripples of whip shadows that shattered several sword flowers. Then, using the Dragon Step, he finally broke free from the onslaught of sword flowers.

However, the left sleeve fell silently and was suddenly sliced ​​off by the sword energy!

Next, Su Mo and Nangong Sheyue seemed to be evenly matched!
But within the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, Su Mo truly used every trick in the book.

He unleashed the Five Thunder Technique, the Soaring Dragon Step, the Soaring Dragon Whip, the Azure Wood Technique! He even used the Sword Embryo!

He also frantically drew upon the power of the Vajra Pestle to replenish his own magical energy.

On the other hand, Nangong Sheyue, with a smile on her pretty face, seemed to be in complete control, responding with just one sword strike. She didn't even use her two crescent-shaped short blades, let alone any immortal techniques!
Su Mo sighed.

This is the terrifying strength of someone in the mid-stage of the Returning to the Aperture Realm and a martial arts grandmaster!
I don't know how much of his power Nangong Sheyue used, but if he really wanted to kill me, it probably wouldn't take more than three breaths!
It seems I still need to diligently practice my magic and cultivate with Lord Qianhu more often to quickly improve my cultivation.

Hmm... it seems Ning Xiaoxiao is similar to Lord Qianhu.

I wonder if cultivating with her will also improve my strength?
As Nangong Sheyue's attacks became increasingly fierce, and the power of the Demon-Subduing Pestle was completely drained, Su Mo finally saw a green exclamation mark appear above Nangong Sheyue's head!

The time for two incense sticks to burn has come.

Su Mo took a deep breath, poured all his magic power into the Dragon Whip, and suddenly whipped out a curtain of whips that covered Nangong Sheyue!

A strange light flashed in Nangong Sheyue's eyes.

Unexpectedly, Su Mo, after fighting with him for so long, still possessed such magical power, far surpassing that of ordinary Soul-Stabilizing Realm cultivators.

Even she had used up 10% of her magic power.

With a flick of her wrist, she shook off Su Mo's whip curtain, and her sword-wielding hand was about to unleash a sword strike at Su Mo.

Su Mo suddenly shouted, "Stop!"

Then stop immediately!

Nangong Sheyue was immediately taken aback.

Looking at Su Mo, who was acting like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water and had completely given up, and then at the sword that was flashing with cold light and spewing sword energy.

Finally, he had no choice but to sheathe his sword and snort, "Why aren't you fighting anymore?"

Su Mo gasped for breath, wiped the sweat from his brow, and was surprised to find that his left sleeve was completely bare, revealing his well-defined arm!
Su Mo looked down at herself again.

No wonder it's a bit cool!
The fine brocade robe, bought for five taels of silver, has been cut into pieces and hung on my body like shredded cloth before I've even worn it twice!
If I were to sell it now, I might not even find anyone willing to pay five large sums of money!

Su Mo was both amused and exasperated. He shook off the tattered rags covering his body and looked at Nangong Sheyue with a wry smile: "This humble servant can't beat you, sir!"

"This subordinate is almost exhausted, how can we fight like this?"

Seeing Su Mo's incredibly comical appearance, Nangong Sheyue couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh, then blinked her pretty eyes: "Why is my lord so easily beaten? I haven't had enough yet."

Su Mo was furious; those words sounded so familiar!
He glared angrily at Nangong Sheyue and let out a heavy snort: "Hmph!"

"My lord, please do not look down upon your humble servant!"

"In that case, your subordinate..."

Nangong Sheyue immediately became excited: "My lord, do you still want to fight?"

Su Mo: "I won't fight!"

Nangong Shoots the Moon...

Su Mo snorted and said, "After I return and cultivate diligently for three hundred days, my cultivation will improve, and then I will fight you three hundred times, my lord!"

Nangong Sheyue blinked: "Three hundred days from now, will my lord be confident in defeating me?"

Su Mo said proudly, "You wait, my lord!"

"I will make sure you know the power of my Dragon Whip! I will beat you until you are utterly defeated and submit!"

The term "submitting to the emperor" seems a bit taboo; let's change it to "giving in" instead!
The meaning is pretty much the same anyway!
Nangong Sheyue covered her mouth and chuckled, nodding emphatically: "Hmm! My lord, you have such high aspirations! I'm just waiting for you to utterly defeat me!"

Su Mo naturally knew that Nangong Sheyue did not believe his nonsense.

But it's okay, 300 days is still a long time!
Let's claim the mission reward first!
He clicked the green exclamation mark without hesitation!

A mysterious and powerful force suddenly descended.

Seventy percent of it was heading towards the sword embryo in the dantian.

Three-tenths of it is integrated into one's entire body.

The sword embryo instantly shone brightly, its magical power surged wildly, as if it had acquired its own sentience, making it even easier to wield.

At the same time, Su Mo felt his body suddenly become much stronger, and his understanding of the Dragon Whip and Dragon Step improved instantly!

System notification appears simultaneously!

[Congratulations! Your sword embryo grade has increased by 1!]

Congratulations! You have mastered the Dragon Whip and Dragon Step techniques!

Su Mo suddenly felt the courage to fight Lord Nangong three hundred times again!
Of course, reason tells us that this is just an illusion.

If Zhen and Nangong Sheyue were to fight another three hundred times, he would die a terrible death!

He thought the system's rewards would end there.

Unexpectedly, another notification popped up.

[The sword embryo has given birth to a half-sword spirit, its rank has increased by 1, and it has been promoted to a fourth-rank sword embryo!]

[Your Dragon Step and Dragon Whip techniques have reached mastery. You have gained profound insights from them, and the Dragon Whip magic weapon has been upgraded to a first-grade treasure, the Dragon Binding Rope!]

As the system notification appeared, the profound energy poured down once more!

Su Mo stared blankly at the system notification.

Is this a pending reward?
Fighting Nangong Sheyue not only upgraded his sword embryo from the second rank to the fourth rank, but also turned his Dragon Whip magic weapon into a treasure that he could store inside his body.
I now possess two treasure artifacts?
Su Mo stared intently at Nangong Sheyue with shining eyes!

You are truly a treasure to me, my lord!
Should we really fight her right now and make her look down on her?
Just as Su Mo was eager to show off his masculine authority, Nangong Sheyue suddenly frowned.

“My lord, it is getting late. It is inconvenient for me to keep guests at home. You should go back early.”

Su Mo was stunned upon hearing this.

Unexpectedly, Nangong Sheyue dismissed the guests so quickly after accepting the gifts.

Even the Empress never chased him away!
He glanced down at his beggar's clothes, then his gaze fell on Nangong Sheyue: "How about you lend me a robe, sir?"

　I'm one chapter short of monthly pass updates so far. If I get 800 passes tomorrow, I'll owe two. I'm feeling a bit better now, so I should be able to make up for it with another chapter tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)