If you don't bring disaster to the world, what kind of henchman are you to be?

"Shuang'er, don't be rude!"

Kong Xuanling glanced at him with an air of authority, while Kong Shuang grumbled, "Uncle-Master, our Senior Brother's fate is uncertain, how can you still be in the mood for tea?"

"Heh, so you two have come here because of Lang Zhongyi's matter," Zhu Qing said with a cold laugh.

Seeing that the matter had been brought up, Kong Xuanling stopped beating around the bush and said directly, "That's right. A few days ago, my Huashan learned that Lang Zhongyi had caused trouble in the capital, so he specifically sent me to assist the court in handling it."

"Commander Zhu, what about my worthless disciple...?"

"I'm fine."

Zhu Qing said, "He's been treated to good food and drink in prison. When I saw him yesterday, he'd even gained weight."

"You're talking nonsense!"

With tears in her eyes, Kong Shuang said in a soft voice, "Who in the world doesn't know how terrible your Northern Garrison's prison is? If a living person goes in, they'll either die or be skinned alive."

"My eldest brother has never suffered much hardship since childhood. How could he possibly survive in a dark and dreary prison? He loves to drink, and without alcohol..."

"What is the meaning of this, young lady?"

Zhu Qing's voice was deep: "Lang Zhongyi swore brotherhood with the notorious womanizer Lin Zhigan, helped him defy the imperial court's arrest, and even attacked me."

"He acts so recklessly, disregarding the law; can't I even arrest him?"

Kong Shuang puffed out her chest: "There must be some misunderstanding here. Senior Brother is definitely not that kind of person."

"Besides, he didn't do the defilement of innocent women; at most, he just talked nonsense while drunk."

Seeing that she still tried to argue even when she was being unreasonable, Zhu Qing scoffed, once again disgusted by this so-called martial arts expert.

"If that's the purpose of your visit today, then I won't see you out."

"No, no!"

Kong Xuanling quickly smiled apologetically, "Lord Zhu, please don't be angry. Shuang'er has been spoiled by us since she was a child, and she doesn't know how to speak properly."

"Your Huashan sect dotes on her, but my Northern Garrison Command is not so merciful."

Zhu Qing slammed his palm down, the powerful force causing the teacups on the table to jump up and shatter on the floor with a clang.

Kong Xuanling, with his high cultivation level, remained unmoved, but Kong Shuang was directly shaken back several steps, her face filled with horror, her chest heaving violently.

"Dare to scorn this hall again, even if you are the daughter of the Huashan Sect Leader, I will arrest you without hesitation!"

Zhu Qing's face was imposing without being angry. Several people rushed in from outside the door, their eyes filled with hostility.

"Calm down!"

"Calm down!"

Kong Xuanling quickly stood up to smooth things over: "Lord Zhu, Shuang'er was really rude. I apologize to you on her behalf."

In fact, with his Blood Burning Realm cultivation, he didn't need to be so subservient to Zhu Qing at all.

But this isn't on Mount Hua, or even outside, but in the Northern Garrison Command, the territory of the imperial court!

Let alone Zhu Qingguan, who held the rank of centurion, even if he were just a small flag officer wearing official robes, Kong Xuanling wouldn't dare to make a move against him easily.

Moreover, since he needed someone's help this time, he dared not be presumptuous.

Zhu Qing gave them a cold glance, and after making a strong impression, he waved his hand dismissively, and Qi Yunfei and the others withdrew.

"Senior Kong, just say it directly, what do you want?"

"I intend to take that good-for-nothing Lang Zhongyi back to Mount Hua and punish him severely, so as not to cause trouble for Lord Zhu."

Zhu Qing scoffed, "What does Senior Kong think this place is, that he can come and go as he pleases?"

"Of course not!"

Kong Xuanling quickly took out several sheets of paper from his wide sleeve and said, "Here are a thousand taels of silver notes and a land deed for one hundred mu of fertile land."

"If you, Mr. Zhu, would be so kind as to do me a favor, all of this is yours."

Zhu Qing glanced down at it and then said, "I can accept the silver notes, but forget about the land deed."

"It's a bit too little to redeem Lang Zhongyi, the accomplice of the flower thief, with just one thousand taels of silver."

Kong Xuanling understood his meaning and asked, "Is there anything else Lord Zhu would like?"

As he spoke, he suddenly realized something and quickly said, "My Mount Hua is famous for its blood ginseng, which is very beneficial to cultivation. If you, Lord Zhu, are interested..."

Zhu Qing shook her head.

"So you mean...?"

"I am quite interested in your sect's Soaring Cloud Steps. May I borrow them for a few days to study?" Zhu Qing finally revealed his purpose.

The money was secondary; what he really wanted was this Xuan-level lightness skill!

That night, he fought against Lang Zhongyi. Besides his superb swordsmanship, the latter's agility and lightness of movement were what gave Zhu Qing the most trouble.

As something unpredictable and incredibly fast, it plays a vital role in battle.

Moreover, it can be used for long-distance raids. Lang Zhongyi is only a beginner, yet he can still take Lin Zhigan, a grown man, to compete with him in speed.

If Zhu Qingyan hadn't mastered the art, it would have been truly difficult for her to catch up, which shows the exquisite nature of the Lingyun Step.

Therefore, Zhu Qing had already made this plan from the moment he captured Lang Zhongyi.

However, this condition presented a challenge for Kong Xuanling.

He smiled wryly and said helplessly, "Lord Zhu, these conditions are too high. The Lingyun Step is a unique skill of Mount Hua, and our ancestors set a rule that it must not be passed on to outsiders. Would you like to change the conditions?"

"If Senior Kong is willing, Lang Zhongyi can take this away today; if not, then forget it."

"this……"

Kong Xuanling frowned, unable to make a decision for a long time.

Seeing his predicament, Zhu Qing seemed to back down: "How about this, I won't read it for several days. Senior Kong, you just need to let me look at it for a moment, just to have a taste. Is that alright?"

"In the time it takes to piss, I can't possibly have a photographic memory, so I can't break your Huashan ancestral precepts."

Kong Xuanling asked doubtfully, "Really?"

"Really, I was just curious about your Huashan Lingyun Step." Zhu Qing smiled innocently, appearing harmless.

Seeing this, Kong Xuanling finally relented and then looked at Kong Shuang.

"Shuang'er, take it out and show it to Lord Zhu."

"Uncle-Master, are we really going to take it out?"

"right."

Kong Xuanling also felt that Zhu Qing made sense; geniuses with photographic memories are extremely rare, and may even only exist in legends.

Even after decades of cultivation, he still had to review his techniques and martial arts from time to time. In such a short time, it was absolutely impossible for Zhu Qing to memorize thousands of words of mental cultivation techniques and dozens of moves.

Kong Shuang reluctantly took out the cultivation manual from her bosom and handed it to Zhu Qing, where it was still slightly warm from her body.

Zhu Qing glanced through it briefly.

[The "Soaring Steps" technique has been included.]

Immediately afterwards, the panel displayed a message, and Zhu Qing smiled slightly.

With this panel, he doesn't need to memorize anything; he can access it anytime, anywhere.

So he pretended to look through it and then handed it to Kong Shuang.

Seeing that he indeed kept his promise and returned the item immediately, Kong Xuanling finally smiled: "Commander Zhu is truly a man of his word!"

"Absolutely."

……

Half an hour later, Lang Zhongyi, disheveled and filthy, was finally led out of the cell.

"Slow down, senior brother," Kong Shuang said considerately, offering her support.

Having not seen the sun for several days, Lang Zhongyi squinted slightly and then let out a long sigh.

"That lackey surnamed Zhu is a real scoundrel! I'll remember this grudge!" he said through gritted teeth.

"that is!"

Kong Shuang chimed in, "He not only extorted a thousand taels of silver from us, but he also saw our Lingyun Steps."

"What?! He got the Lingyun Step too?!" Lang Zhongyi was suddenly shocked.

Kong Xuanling, standing to the side, said with a gloomy expression, "I didn't give it to him. I just let him see it once. Even if he has a good memory, he won't remember much."

"As for you! You've caused trouble every time you've come down the mountain. You're incorrigible. Go back and stay at the Cliff of Repentance for three months to reflect on your actions!"