Courtyard House: A System Connecting Two Worlds, Resources for the Nation

The carriage traveled through the streets of Tokyo. Lei Jing appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, but his fingers were constantly tapping on his knees as he frantically pondered his next words.

The first step is definitely to sever ties.

This must have been done by Yu Zhongquan on his own initiative, and it has nothing to do with Lei Jing.

As for Gao Hui, Lei Jing was already being lenient by not implicating her. If Zhou Feng found out on his own, it would have nothing to do with him.

If Gao Hui dares to touch even the Celestial Master's wife, then she is already courting death!

The second step is to lower your stance.

But one must not be obsequious; one must maintain one's dignity regardless of status.

I respect you as someone important, but I won't be intimidated by your status. I'll give you face, but you can't lose the dignity of being the Chief of the Imperial City Guard.

Finally, we should observe the other party's attitude before making a decision.

Is it inappropriate to go to someone's door empty-handed?

People who can present treasures to the palace multiple times must have countless magical objects in their homes; his gold, silver, calligraphy, and paintings are simply not presentable.

The carriage stopped in front of Zhao Pan'er's house, and Lei Jing sensed something was wrong as soon as he got out.

The two men in black standing at the door stood ramrod straight, their eyes piercing.

He was no ordinary good-for-nothing like Yu Zhongquan. Lei Jing realized at a glance that this Celestial Master's bodyguard was definitely not just a martial artist!

"Who goes there!"

Before Lei Jing could speak, the two people standing at the door simultaneously reached out and stopped him.

This made Lei Jing's lips twitch.

As the head of the Imperial City Guard, how many years has it been since he was stopped by anyone?

"This is Lei Jing from the Imperial City Division."

The two men exchanged a glance, then stepped aside to make way for each other, with one of them quickly running inside to report.

Lei Jing waited at the door for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before straightening his clothes and stepping inside.

The scene in the courtyard made his heart sink even further.

The men brought by Yu Zhongquan formed a circle in the middle of the courtyard, their faces flushed red.

Yu Zhongquan stood at the very front, his face ashen, his hand still on the hilt of his sword.

The guards surrounding him were similar in build to those at the entrance, and they were carrying strange short-handled weapons.

Under the eaves, two people sat side by side on chairs, leisurely sipping their tea.

Taking a deep breath, Lei Jing immediately recognized that the person sitting there was indeed the Celestial Master.

Freedom to enter and exit the inner palace, bestowed titles based on birth date and time, and a rank of superiority over officials...

Each of these privileges alone would be a great favor from the emperor, yet they are all combined in one person.

"Huangcheng Si Lei Jing greets the Celestial Master."

Stopping his thoughts, Lei Jing quickly stepped forward, stood at the bottom of the steps, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed.

Zhou Feng, holding his teacup, glanced down at him and said in a nonchalant tone, "Master Lei, you have quite the airs, making me wait so long before you arrive."

No matter how high the status of the people Zhou Feng faced in this Dream of Splendor world, even if they were officials, he felt no fear whatsoever.

His double-door magic, his weapons and technology that crush this era, and his steadily advancing occupation plan...

Each of these factors provided Zhou Feng with immense confidence.

Lei Jing was taken aback by Zhou Feng's blunt tone, but he quickly recovered and maintained his bowing posture without showing any emotion: "I was delayed by some official business of the Imperial City Guard. It was my fault for keeping the Celestial Master waiting."

"Alright, let's not leave Master Lei standing there like that, as if we don't know how to treat guests." Zhou Feng raised his chin. "Let's get Master Lei a chair too."

Chen Xiao moved another chair and placed it behind Lei Jing.

The latter hesitated for a few seconds, but still sat down.

However, the fact that Zhou Feng and Zhao Pan'er were sitting on the steps, looking down at him, instinctively made Lei Jing feel uncomfortable.

But after glancing at the men in black in the courtyard and seeing the close distance between Zhao Pan'er and Zhou Feng, Lei Jing swallowed his anger.

Who made it possible that the Imperial City Guard acted against the rules in this matter?

If Zhou Feng were just an ordinary official, it wouldn't matter; even if someone were to impeach him, he would have ways to intercept it.

But the person in front of me is able to enter the palace directly to meet the emperor. How could he possibly stand in the way of the emperor?

"Lord Lei, I don't like beating around the bush."

Zhou Feng put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest twice: "Your men barged into my fiancée's house without any evidence and wanted to arrest her for interrogation. I want to ask, is this your intention? Don't try to deny it so easily; there are some things your men can't afford to take the blame for."

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Lei Jing's face.

He had genuinely wanted to pin the blame on Yu Zhongquan, but Zhou Feng's words had shut him down.

Even if the blame is placed on Yu Zhongquan, the other party may not believe it.

Besides, that would be too obvious and too ugly.

Zhou Feng emphasized the words "fiancée" in his tone, clearly drawing a line and supporting Zhao Niangzi.

Unexpectedly, this merchant girl from Qiantang, besides being beautiful, was also quite capable, even captivating this Taoist master to such an extent.

As a palace attendant, Lei Jing naturally couldn't understand how attractive such a woman was to men.

"Please, Celestial Master, see the truth."

Lei Jing softened his tone, carefully choosing his words: "There is indeed a misunderstanding. Our Imperial City Guard received a report that there were doubts about Lady Zhao's identity, which is why we sent people to verify it. If we had known that Lady Zhao was the Celestial Master's fiancée, I wouldn't have dared to be so reckless, even if I had the guts."

"So you mean, if Zhao Pan'er weren't my fiancée, you could just barge in and arrest people? Is this how the Imperial City Guard operates?"

A bead of sweat instantly appeared on Lei Jing's forehead.

That's how the Imperial City Guard does things, but that's what everyone tacitly agrees on in private. If it were brought up in public, it naturally couldn't be done that way.

If Zhou Feng accepts his words, it would be considered an abuse of power for personal gain; if he doesn't, he'll be contradicting himself. Either way, it's wrong.

"Don't be nervous, Master Lei, I was just joking."

Seeing Lei Jing's embarrassment, Zhou Feng smiled casually.

After all, he is the head of the Imperial City Guard, so it's not good to push him too hard. Once the plan succeeds, there will be plenty of opportunities to deal with him.

Zhou Feng's current entanglement with him is nothing more than gaining some emotional value.

Lei Jing wore a forced smile, but inwardly he was cursing furiously.

This Taoist priest was truly a scoundrel. Despite his young age, every word he spoke was barbed, constantly stabbing people in the heart, yet he was in the wrong and couldn't retaliate.

"Alright, enough joking around, I'm getting down to business."

Zhou Feng's smile faded, and his tone turned cold: "These people in the courtyard are all your men, right? How do you plan to handle this today?"