I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 290 Secret Mission
In the afternoon, Chen Ming rode into the palace in a luxurious carriage.

The carriage was a gift from his fiancée, Xia Mudan, for his transportation. Their wedding date had been set for six months from now. This date was specifically chosen by her mother, Princess Yong'an, through the Imperial Observatory, and had already been reported to the Empress Dowager and received her approval.

After the wedding date was set, Xia Mudan found it inconvenient to come to see him, so she stayed at home and waited peacefully for her wedding.

These aristocratic families certainly break many rules.

Her mother, Princess Yong'an, was not a rule-abiding person herself, but she always liked to control her daughter and insisted that her daughter follow these old rules.

As Chen Ming was pondering this, he heard Xiao An, the eunuch in charge of driving the carriage, remind him, "Your Highness, the Princess's carriage is ahead. Shall we go over and say hello?"

"Of course."

After the carriage stopped, Chen Ming opened the door and said, "Greetings, Princess."

"Greetings, Prince of Linjiang."

The princess opened her carriage door and returned the greeting, saying, "Prince Linjiang, there's no need for such formalities. You may call me Zhaoyu from now on."

"Don't dare."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two closed their car doors and drove side by side.

One is the eldest princess, and the other is the Prince of Linjiang; it's really hard to say whose status is more noble.

In the silence, the two people in the carriage, several meters apart, were communicating with each other using their spiritual senses.

"I never expected that after a trial, you would transform into the Prince of Linjiang. Your extraordinary fortune is truly the most remarkable I have ever seen in my life."

"It was just luck. I wonder what the Princess has instructed me to meet with through Yu Yin?"

"Now that you are the Prince of Linjiang, how dare you give any orders? I just want Your Highness to do me a small favor."

"Please speak, Your Highness. I will do my best to help if I can."

To be honest, he did owe this princess a favor. If it weren't for her help, he wouldn't have been able to enter the third level of the Heavenly Prison, meet Daoist Wangchenzi, or accumulate so many experience points before the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

"Help me kill someone."

The eldest princess's voice, tinged with murderous intent, reached his ears.

He was somewhat curious. With the power of this princess, there were people she wanted to kill but couldn't, so why did she need to ask him for help?

"who?"

“A woman surnamed Yu has just broken through to the second rank. With your strength, killing her would be as easy as turning your hand.”

Is your surname Yu?

Chen Ming thought to himself, "Could it be such a coincidence?" and tentatively asked, "Princess, please don't harm me. Who would dare kill someone from the Yu family?"

Those were top-tier families with a history spanning thousands of years, super powers that had stood the test of time through several dynasties, and could be called a powerful clan.

He also read a lot of information about the Six Doors before he realized how powerful the Yu family was!
"Don't worry, that woman has long been expelled from the Yu family. The Yu family can't wait for her to die. If you kill her, the Yu family will thank you instead."

Upon hearing this description, Chen Ming knew that it must be the Jade Begonia.

But what grudge did she have against Yu Haitang? Why did she want to kill her?

He said, "Is that so?"

"It's a long story about her. You can find out for yourself later. She's currently in Jiangzhou, staying at the Chen family's residence in Qingfeng City..."

"Princess, please don't joke. Jiangzhou is thousands of miles away from the capital. How could I possibly kill her there?"

"You'll have your chance soon."

The eldest princess didn't offer much explanation, keeping everyone in suspense.

Chen Ming had a guess in his mind: Did the emperor want him to go to Jiangzhou?

He then asked, "What grudge does the princess have against this woman?"

"You don't need to ask that, Prince Linjiang. Are you willing to help me with this?"

"Alright. If I really go to Qingfeng City, I will take action."

"With the words of the Prince of Linjiang, I am relieved."

After she finished speaking, the princess's carriage suddenly turned a corner and headed in another direction.

Chen Ming closed his eyes and began to think.

He only promised to help, but he didn't say he would kill anyone.

His friendship with Yu Haitang was far superior to that of this princess.
He agreed for two reasons: first, he had no reason to refuse; second, if he refused, it would be disastrous if the princess sent an even more powerful assassin to kill her.

Now, he could easily feign compliance and delay for a year or two until the princess realized what was happening. Then, killing Yu Haitang wouldn't be so easy.

Yu Haitang's progress was also astonishing. She broke through to the third rank almost at the same time as him, and in such a short time, she has already reached the second rank.

Chen Ming relied on cheating, while she relied on her genuine comprehension and talent.

……

Before long, they arrived at Huaqing Garden.

This is a very famous courtyard within the imperial palace. After each imperial examination, the newly appointed scholars would be invited here to meet the emperor. The same applied to the military examinations.

In fact, the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was a test for the sons of noble families, and those who performed well would naturally be noticed by the emperor.

This time, all of the top twenty were invited.

Of course, Chen Ming was the most eye-catching, and everyone else was almost just a foil to him.

It's not just about your position in the emperor's heart, but also your status!

Now that he is the Prince of Linjiang, he stands at the very top of the nobility, and no one else is even qualified to be his equal.

At this banquet in Huaqing, Chen Ming did not sit with the other nineteen people, but rather in a different seat.

Wang Jinhu and the others were filled with envy and jealousy, but they also knew that the gap between themselves and the Prince of Linjiang was too great—so great that they might never catch up in their entire lives.

The emperor attended as usual, said a few words of encouragement to them, and then left. Before leaving, he called Chen Ming away and asked him to accompany him for a walk.

So Chen Ming followed the emperor for a walk in the garden.

The other eunuchs followed at a distance and did not approach.

When the emperor arrived at a pavilion by a lake, he suddenly stopped and sighed, "My dear minister, do you know that the Great Jin Dynasty is now in turmoil and its days are numbered?"

Chen Ming was startled and quickly said, "Your Majesty, what makes you say such a thing? Under Your Majesty's rule, the Great Jin Dynasty—"

The emperor waved his hand, signaling him to stop talking. "Don't try to fool me with such words. I know perfectly well what the situation is in the Great Jin. In recent years, a national advisor has emerged among the northern states, uniting them into an alliance. They are preparing for war and are planning to invade the Great Jin from the south."

"Southern Chu produced a brilliant minister who turned the tide and, in just a century, transformed Southern Chu's national strength, expanding its territory several times over. If it weren't for the young emperor of Southern Chu being wary of this minister's overwhelming achievements and stripping him of his position twenty years ago, Southern Chu would probably have already marched north."

"Since Xikang was defeated by the military might of the Great Jin 150 years ago and submitted to the Great Jin, it has turned westward, launched expeditions into the desert, and plundered the wealth and people of the Western Regions. Its national strength has been growing day by day. It is just waiting for an opportunity to betray the Great Jin."

"Now, the Eternal Life Demonic Cult has been resurrected, along with the Blood Demon Sect, the Undying Sect, and the Nine Nether Sect..."

“I think about these things every day, and it feels like I have thorns in my back. I’m afraid that the five-hundred-year-old empire of the Great Jin Dynasty will be destroyed in my hands.”

At this point, the emperor gripped his hand tightly. "My dear minister," he said, "I do not wish to be a ruler of a fallen kingdom, nailed to the pillar of historical shame. Would you be willing to share my burdens?"

Seeing that he spoke with such emotion, Chen Ming immediately declared, "Whatever Your Majesty commands, I will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life."

"it is good."

The Emperor said excitedly, "With your words, my dear minister, I am relieved. The troubles in the Northern Frontier, Southern Chu, and Western Kang are not urgent. For the Great Jin, the real threat is the Eternal Life Demonic Sect. As long as the Great Jin does not suffer from internal strife, those external enemies will not be able to destroy the Great Jin."

"From this day forward, I will have you destroy the Longevity Demonic Sect and remove this great threat to my heart."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming seriously doubted whether the emperor was still asleep.

That's the Longevity Sect! I'm just a lowly second-rank cultivator. Asking me to wipe them all out is giving me too much credit.
"Your Majesty, I would gladly die for you. However, I am currently lacking in strength and fear that I might jeopardize Your Majesty's important plans."

He agreed at first, then tactfully indicated that the matter was somewhat beyond his capabilities.

The emperor patted him on the shoulder and said, "Of course I won't send you to your death. Destroying the Eternal Life Demonic Cult is not something that can be accomplished in a day. You should first find out the details of the Eternal Life Demonic Cult. Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle."

"Within the Six Doors, there is a group of spies who have been secretly investigating the Longevity Demonic Cult for the past few years. I hereby promote you to First-Rank Commander, and you may secretly use this token to make contact with that group of spies."

"This matter must not be known to anyone, including your fiancée. You can announce to the public that you are going into seclusion, secretly leave the capital, go to Jiangzhou, find out the situation of the Blood Demon Sect in Jiangzhou, and return before the wedding. Report back to me."

"Yes."

After hearing his arrangements, Chen Ming finally felt relieved.

It seems this emperor isn't completely out of his mind. If he actually ordered him to wipe out the Blood Demon Sect, he'd have to consider whether to just run away.

It's more like gathering information.

Moreover, it would be a good opportunity to return to Jiangzhou.

"When you go to see Hong Qing the day after tomorrow, find a man in red named Shang Xiangrong. He is in charge of the Six Doors' spies. Show him the token, and he will know what to do."

"Yes."

Chen Ming felt a chill run down his spine.

This emperor is very well-informed; he even knows that he is going to meet with Master Hong of the Six Doors the day after tomorrow.

The emperor then said, "The Xuan Tian armor is too conspicuous, and it is inconvenient for you to bring it on this trip. I will bestow two other things upon you to help you on your journey."

As he spoke, he waved to the eunuchs waiting outside.

Two old eunuchs then came quickly over, each carrying an object.

The emperor took a brocade box from the eunuch's hand and handed it to Chen Ming, saying, "This item is called the Formless Robe. Once worn, it not only allows one to change into any appearance, but even a first-rank expert cannot break through its defenses. It was the robe of a famous assassin from the previous dynasty."

Then, he took another long, rectangular brocade box. "This is the Cold Dragon Sword, the sacred weapon of a sect called the Cold Mountain Sect. Not long ago, this sect colluded with the Blood Demon Sect and was wiped out by my men. The cultivation method you practice is from the same source as the Cold Mountain Sect, so you can act under the identity of a successor of the Cold Mountain Sect. For details, you can ask Shang Xiangrong."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Chen Ming accepted the two treasures, which greatly increased his goodwill towards the emperor.

Sending someone to do a favor really means giving them a reward. They'll offer a priceless treasure, a peerless weapon. Working for such a generous boss naturally makes people work harder.

(End of this chapter)