Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

The bells of the embassies of various countries rang again, the third time today.

Each chime of the bell felt like a silent urging...

Time is running out for him.

The imperial edict was delivered to Li Garden in the afternoon.

Li Xin was sitting cross-legged in the bamboo garden pavilion, guiding his true qi to nourish the last barrier of the Chong meridian.

The vast torrent of true energy had swept back and forth between his dantian and Baihui point no less than a hundred times.

The barrier of the Chongmai meridian was worn down to a thin layer, and it just lacked that last bit of strength to break through.

He had been struggling with this obstacle for half a day and was wondering whether he should go out to the Ansar embassy to find a powerful expert and gain enlightenment in the battle.

Then a high-pitched voice came from the front yard.

"The Empress Dowager's decree has arrived..."

The word "arrived" was drawn out for a very long time, as if afraid that everyone on the street wouldn't hear it.

Li Xin opened his eyes and saw Zhuang Hongxiu quickly walk through the moon gate with a strange expression on her face. She was holding a rag for wiping the table in her hand, obviously having run out of the kitchen after hearing the noise.

She ran to the pavilion and stopped. Her lips moved, but for a moment she didn't know how to phrase it. In the end, she only said, "Young master, someone from the palace has come. They say they want to deliver an imperial decree."

Li Xin looked down at the old blue robe he wore for practicing martial arts, the sleeves of which were rolled up above his elbows.

He didn't change his clothes; he just stood up and walked towards the front yard.

Zhuang Hongxiu followed behind him, quietly slipped the rag to Xiao Zhu who was passing by, and whispered a few instructions.

Xiao Zhu nodded and ran quickly towards the backyard.

In the front courtyard, the one who came to deliver the imperial edict was an old eunuch with a white face and no beard, who looked to be in his early fifties.

Wearing a brand-new blue silk python robe and a hat adorned with a high-quality tourmaline, he was clearly a respectable person who worked in the palace and held some status.

Two eunuchs followed behind him, one carrying a vermilion tray with an imperial edict wrapped in bright yellow silk on it.

Another person was holding a brocade box, the lid of which was half open, revealing a corner of a neatly folded python robe inside.

Cheng Feiyan had arrived at some point and was standing next to the screen wall with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

A pair of eyes sized up the old eunuch, his expression as if he were assessing a less-than-ideal opponent.

Wang Jingya squatted under the eaves, sharpening her knife. The whetstone made a rhythmic swishing sound. She glanced up at the scene at the door, then lowered her head to continue sharpening, only moving the whetstone half an inch to the side to make room for Li Xin.

This girl seems to have some kind of problem; she's been sharpening knives a lot lately.

This made Li Xin even consider buying her a good knife.

It's not like we don't have money.

Li Cheng stood at the entrance of the main hall, his brows furrowed, his right hand unconsciously gripping the door frame, his breathing rapid.

Xiaoyue and Ali were the least polite, running straight into the courtyard and each grabbing one of Li Xin's legs.

Two pairs of dark, bright eyes stared warily at the stranger in the python robe.

Xiaoyue looked up and asked, "Second Brother, is this eunuch a good person or a bad person?"

The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear.

The old eunuch's smile froze for a moment.

But the reason he was able to serve by the Empress Dowager's side for so many years was because of his ability to speak to people in a way that suited them.

He immediately resumed his smiling demeanor and gave Li Xin a slight bow: "Lord Li, this old servant Li Pingzhang offers my congratulations."

Li Xin looked at him without saying a word.

Li Pingzhang was not annoyed. He picked up the imperial edict from the tray with both hands, cleared his throat, unfolded the bright yellow silk cover, and began to read it aloud in a melodious tone.

The gist of the document is that Li Xin is commendable for his loyalty and bravery, and has made outstanding military achievements. He is hereby appointed as the Grand Admiral of the Southern Navy, concurrently in charge of military affairs in Guangdong and Guangxi, and is bestowed with a python robe, jade belt, and imperial sword. He is to take up his post immediately.

He was also granted ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand bolts of brocade to be used for the repair of the Governor's Mansion.

After it was read, the courtyard was quiet for a while.

The atmosphere was slightly eerie.

All eyes turned to Li Xin, to see if he would accept the imperial decree.

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203 Plot, Undercover Agent

Li Xin walked over and accepted the imperial edict.

He glanced down at the writing on the silk and suddenly smiled.

"Your Majesty is very kind." He rolled up the imperial edict and tapped it lightly twice in his palm. "The Southern Naval Commander... doesn't even have a navy. What does the Commander-in-Chief manage? Fishing?"

The old eunuch Li Pingzhang was clearly not expected to be so direct. His smile faltered slightly, and he bowed and said with a smile, "You jest, sir. The navy can be trained slowly, but the military power in Guangdong and Guangxi is real."

The Empress Dowager said that the foreigners are rampant and the coastal areas are not peaceful. The court needs someone like you to guard the southern border.

Once adults arrive in Guangdong and Guangxi, they can get whatever they need – people or boats – without any problem.

The Empress Dowager also specifically instructed this old servant to tell Your Excellency… The Qing Dynasty will not mistreat any loyal minister who has served the country faithfully.”

Before Li Xin could speak, Cheng Feiyan let out a cold laugh.

She walked over from beside the screen wall, took the imperial edict from Li Xin, unfolded it, and read a few lines, her brows furrowing more and more tightly.

She looked up at the old eunuch, her tone even colder than when she was pushing hands with Li Xin: "Grand Admiral of the Southern Navy? Military affairs in Guangdong and Guangxi? Is the court trying to send my junior brother to the ends of the earth? Whose business is he getting in the way of the capital?"

“Miss Cheng, you are mistaken.” Li Pingzhang’s smile remained unchanged as he bowed slightly. “The court is giving Lord Li an important position. The governors of several southern provinces are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant towards the court, and they urgently need an imperial envoy who can keep order.”

Lord Li was a powerful figure in the capital, and his arrival in the south would naturally make those with ill intentions more restrained.

Miss Cheng is a reasonable person; she should know that Lord Li's trip is not only to train troops for the court, but also to give an explanation to the people of the whole country... that there are still people in the Qing Dynasty who dare to fight foreigners.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Feiyan fell silent.

Her fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the imperial edict, her lips moved, but she did not refute it further.

Wang Jingya's hands, which were sharpening knives under the eaves, stopped at some point.

She placed the knife on her lap, tested the blade with her thumb, and without raising her head, muttered, "The imperial decree came at just the right time."

The Empress Dowager, who had been eager to kill someone, then presented them with a python robe and an imperial sword...

This turn of events happened faster than some of the bandit leaders we encountered while escorting goods."

The old eunuch's lips twitched slightly, but he still maintained a polite smile and bowed slightly in Wang Jingya's direction: "Miss Wang is joking. There is only a misunderstanding between the court and Lord Li."

Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, it is natural to give more capable people a chance to shine.

"A misunderstanding?" Wang Jingya finally raised her head, her gaze falling on the old eunuch's face. "Those heads at Caishikou, were they also a misunderstanding?"

The courtyard fell silent.

Li Pingzhang's smile finally crumbled, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He subconsciously took half a step back, the brocade box he was holding swayed slightly, and the python robe inside made a very faint rustling sound.

Li Xin reached out and pressed on Wang Jingya's shoulder, the pressure was very light, as if to say "that's enough".

He didn't look at the old eunuch, but casually handed the imperial edict to Zhuang Hongxiu, his tone as indifferent as if he were instructing her on what to eat that night: "Keep it, don't refuse it if it's free."

He raised his head and looked at the old eunuch. "I have received the decree. Whether I take up the post or when I take it is none of your concern."

"Leave the gold and brocade as a token of the Empress Dowager's hospitality."

He took half a step forward, and the old eunuch involuntarily took half a step back, his back already touching the edge of the screen wall. "Also, please convey my message to the Empress Dowager..."

I'll go to Wanfu Garden another day to thank her in person.

Li Xin said the word "thank you" in a flat tone, but for some reason, everyone could hear the sarcasm in it.

Using a trick?

Are you stupid or am I stupid?

Li Pingzhang's expression changed several times before finally settling on a respectful yet subtle smile.

He presented the brocade box containing the python robe and jade belt with both hands, took three steps back, and then turned and walked towards the courtyard gate.

The two eunuchs quickly followed, their pace more than twice as fast as when they came.

As they reached the corner of the alley, Li Pingzhang wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and whispered to the eunuch beside him, "Go and tell the Empress Dowager that Li Xin has received the imperial decree, but his words show no intention of taking up his post."

He said he'd visit Wanfuyuan another day... This doesn't sound like he's expressing gratitude; it sounds like he's looking for trouble.

……

The imperial edict was put into a box in the side hall by Zhuang Hongxiu, and placed together with the cotton cloth that had not been used up last winter. The box lid was not even closed properly.

Cheng Feiyan took out the python robe and jade belt, unfolded them, and glanced at them. She held up the bright red python robe embroidered with a four-clawed golden dragon against herself and clicked her tongue, "The material is not bad, but it's a pity that it's embroidered with a python instead of a dragon." She then folded it up and put it back in the brocade box.

Li Xin did not look at the two imperial edicts and the python robe again.

He sat down on the threshold of the main hall, and Xiaoyue immediately sat down next to him, her two short legs dangling outside the threshold and swinging back and forth.

Ali pulled out a piece of candy that she had hidden away from her sleeve, unwrapped the oil paper, and stuffed it into his palm. Then, imitating Xiaoyue, she sat down on the threshold.

Zhuang Hongxiu came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of freshly brewed tea. She paused for a moment when she saw the three people sitting side by side on the threshold.

The setting sun shone obliquely from above the eaves of the west wing, casting long shadows that formed three distinct dark silhouettes on the blue brick floor.

She stood on the veranda for a while without going over, but gently placed the teapot on the windowsill.

The porridge on the stove was still warm, bubbling gently with tiny bubbles.

……

On the evening the imperial edict was delivered to Li Garden, the clock tower in the embassy district struck six times.

In the smoking room on the second floor of the Ansar Embassy, ​​Bishop Bernard stood by the window, holding a cup of unsweetened black tea.

The setting sun shone in from behind, casting his shadow on the dark red Persian carpet, stretching it into a thin, long black line.

Just two streets away from the window is the East Corner Tower of the Imperial City, its glazed tiles gleaming with a dark golden light in the twilight.

The light was brighter than before...

It wasn't because of the setting sun, but because after the dragon's energy leaked out, the portion that the great formation couldn't suppress was seeping out from every crack.

Driven by the changing energy, the atmosphere of the entire capital city has also subtly shifted.

The door was pushed open, and Austin walked in, placing a pair of iron gloves on the coffee table.

The knuckles of his gloves were still stained with dark red scabs that hadn't been wiped clean; they were left from when he interrogated the Red Lotus cult captive in the church cellar last night.

The prisoner was already dead, and his confession was more valuable than he had expected.

"The Dragon Locking Formation has cracked." Austin didn't mince words and went straight to the point. "It was Li Xin who did it. He couldn't break the formation, but he tore open a gap, stole about two hundred taels of dragon energy, and escaped unscathed."

The Dao foundation of the old monk Wuchang was impacted when the crack tore open. Although it wasn't completely destroyed, the suppressive force of the great formation was weakened by at least 30% before it was repaired.

Bishop Bernard didn't turn around; he simply placed the teacup on the windowsill and slowly circled his finger along the rim.

“Great. We’ve waited six years, and our opportunity has finally arrived.”

Austin pulled out a chair and sat down, his iron-gray eyes devoid of any extra emotion. "It is indeed a good opportunity, but we need to recruit more people."

Although the dragon vein was cracked, the great formation was still in operation. The risk of a direct confrontation between the old monk Wuchang and the priest Yunhu of the Longevity Sect was too high.

We need to join forces... The Germans and the Japanese can't just stand by and watch.

Bishop Bernard finally turned around, his gaze falling on the open map of the capital city on the coffee table.

The map was held down by several thick books at its four corners, and the location of the imperial city was circled three times in red, with tiny Latin characters written next to it.

"General Karl of Germany is already urging us on."

He led an entire engineering corps, and yesterday they dug twelve probe holes under the embassy to determine the direction of the earth's dragon vein energy.

He was even more anxious than we were.

There's been little activity from Japan...

Tsuchimikado used the Yata no Kagami (Eight-Span Mirror) to intercept a significant amount of dragon energy the night before last, but he has remained secluded in his quiet room for the past two days, refusing to see anyone.