Breaking Free from Power... Baiyu Jing

Great Zhou, Imperial Capital.

In the early morning hours,

The warm sunlight of dawn poured down, illuminating the earth.

The towering gates of the Imperial Capital emitted a heavy and distant sound as they slowly pushed open.

The ground trembled violently and the sound of hooves echoed.

On the official road outside the city gate, amidst swirling dust, three hundred cavalrymen approached.

Among the cavalry, four prisoner wagons swayed and sped along.

The city gate swung wide open, and the three hundred cavalrymen and prisoner wagons entered the city directly.

These three hundred cavalrymen were the escort troops led by Luchangkong, the Lord of Beilu City, who set off from Beilu City before dawn.

Once inside the city gate, the speed of the cavalry slowed down.

Both sides of the main official road in the capital had already been cleared by the imperial guards. Peddlers and even some pedestrians were intercepted outside. Many curious people stared with wide eyes, carrying the anticipation of witnessing something new, watching the horses and prisoner wagons moving slowly on the official road.

Lu Yue had been waiting at the foot of the city tower for a long time.

Beside him stood the commander of the palace guards, holding his sword, silently keeping watch.

When Luchangkong entered the city,

Lu Yue and the commander of the palace guards rode out to meet him.

"Lord Lu, please."

The commander of the palace guards slung his sword, his face respectful as he slightly leaned to the side on his horse.

Lu Yue silently followed behind.

Luchangkong, wearing armor and with a serious expression, also saluted the commander of the palace guards. Afterward, he led the three hundred cavalrymen straight toward the Great Zhou Palace.

Outside the palace gates.

When Luchangkong's cavalry arrived here, they dismounted one by one.

The four prisoner wagons were also settled in place.

Luchangkong had been riding non-stop since before dawn and finally arrived at the palace before the early court assembly of the Great Zhou.

The palace gates were divided into three archways, with the central gate being the tallest, reaching nine meters, and the side gates slightly smaller, about two meters high.

Passing through the palace gates, there was a square in front, paved with white stones, offering a wide view. This was the Imperial Square, and at the end of the square was the Imperial Hall, the Taihe Hall.

With its grand eaves and thick pillars, the hall had ten layers of white jade steps adorned with exquisite patterns.

On both sides stood white jade lions, exuding an air of divine elegance.

On either side of the vermilion wood-carved door were one hundred pavilions, majestic like a hundred ridges of a dragon, guarding the palace.

Luchangkong walked forward, took off his helmet, letting his hair fall loose.

Lu Yue quietly followed behind him.

On the palace stone steps, ministers and dignitaries of the Great Zhou walked out from inside the palace, stepping over the threshold of the hall and entering.

Many of these dignitaries spotted Luchangkong, their expressions filled with surprise.

The news of Luchangkong defending Beilu City and repelling a force of fifty thousand led by Dantai Xuan had long reached the Imperial Capital.

For Great Zhou, which was suffocating under the oppression of the twelve feudal lords, this was good news.

Luchangkong had a cold and solemn expression, his back straight, as he entered the main hall.

The officials stood on both sides, and in the center of the main hall, Emperor Zhou sat on the dragon throne, wearing a dragon robe with five-clawed dragons. Though young, he had an imposing presence.

Yu Wenxiu spotted Luchangkong.

A smile slowly appeared on his face.

The early court assembly was not important, what mattered was the formality and the signal it sent out to the world.

Among the four prisoners, there were three martial arts grandmasters and one subordinate of Dantai Xuan's.

After the early court assembly, their beheadings would take place outside the palace gates.

Under the gaze of the common people...

And the scouts of the major influential families scattered throughout the hidden long streets.

The heads of the four grandmasters would roll.

...

Luchangkong walked out of the palace with his helmet in hand.

Outside the palace gates.

 A handsome scholar bowed to Luchangkong from a distance. 

"Luchengzhu, my teacher requests your presence."

The handsome scholar smiled.

Luchangkong looked at the scholar, his expression unchanged.

"Beiluo City is busy with affairs, and Changkong is in a hurry to return. Please convey my gratitude to the national teacher. I will personally apologize when I have the chance."

Luchangkong said.

After speaking, he put on his helmet and called for Luoyue behind him, ready to leave quickly.

"Luchengzhu, my teacher instructed me to ask you to visit the library. The teacher recently gained some insights into medicine and can treat the young master's leg ailment."

The gentle scholar still had a smile on his face.

Luchangkong paused, squinted his eyes.

He turned his head to look at the scholar, who still maintained an elegant smile.

Since it had come to this point, it was hard to refuse.

"Well, it is unexpected that the national teacher still concerns himself with the safety of my son. In that case, I trouble you to lead the way."

Luchangkong's tense face relaxed, and he smiled politely.

...

In the depths of the imperial city.

Among the magnificent palace buildings, there was a low two-story pavilion.

The pavilion was not luxurious and even appeared quite old.

This pavilion was called the Book Pavilion.

The most esteemed elder of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the teacher of the emperor, the teacher of scholars throughout the world...

The handsome scholar led Luchangkong to the courtyard entrance of the second-floor attic and stopped.

Even though he held a high position, he did not dare to enter the Book Pavilion without the summoning of the national teacher.

Luchangkong entered the simple courtyard alone.

Luoyue was stopped outside.

Even the handsome scholar could not enter, let alone Luoyue.

Luchangkong took off his armor, folded his hands, and looked around. The courtyard was small and had many flowers planted.

In front of the low two-story gate of the Book Pavilion.

A person was lying horizontally on a long bamboo chair, exuding a strong smell of alcohol.

He had disheveled hair and was wearing a scholar's robe with an open chest.

He held a large gourd of wine and was unkempt, occasionally burping with a foul stench.

He murmured verses and articles in his mouth.

Luchangkong's gaze froze when he saw this person.

"Sir, Luchangkong, the Lord of Beiluo City, is here to pay respects to the national teacher."

Luchangkong bowed.

The disheveled scholar raised his gourd, glanced at Luchangkong with drunken eyes, and burst into laughter.

"So, I cast a divination, and it turns out that Beiluo City will be destroyed..."

"Now it seems that you, Luchangkong, as a descendant of a peasant family, have had a stroke of luck."

The disheveled scholar laughed heartily while pouring wine into his mouth.

"Tianyu, stop talking nonsense."

Suddenly, a gentle and old voice came from inside the low Book Pavilion.

An old man dressed in simple robes, wearing grass shoes, and with white hair walked out slowly, holding a bamboo slip.

The disheveled scholar's laughter abruptly stopped, and he turned his head away.

The originally grim-faced Luchangkong relaxed slightly upon seeing the old man.

"National teacher."

Luchangkong bowed, respectfully speaking.

He couldn't help but show reverence to the person in front of him.

"No need for formalities."

The national teacher waved his hand gently and looked at Luchangkong from top to bottom.

Master-level martial artists like Luchangkong felt immense pressure from this frail-looking old man. It was as if the old man saw through his entire being.

The national teacher looked at Luchangkong, squinted his eyes, and a glimmer of brilliance seemed to flash in his eyes.

"So, you have already found a way to cure your leg ailment."

The national teacher smiled kindly, holding the bamboo slip.

Then, he raised the bamboo slip and struck the disheveled scholar's head with it.

"Tianyu, prepare the carriage."

The disheveled scholar's drunkenness dissipated, and he looked puzzled, "Carriage? Where are we going?"

The national teacher glanced meaningfully at Luchangkong, "You will go to Beiluo City on behalf of me. Although Changkong may have found a solution for your leg ailment, it's still worth a try with my method..."

"I have heard of your talent for poetry, but due to your leg ailment, it has been difficult for you to travel. If the leg ailment is not healed, let me try my method..."

"I have always heard of Ping'an's reputation but have been hindered by his leg ailment. If the ailment is still not healed, then let's meet."

The words of the national teacher shook Luchangkong.

The disheveled scholar's eyes lit up.

"Is this the rhythm of having more junior brothers?"

"Hey... I won't need to be the guardian of this broken pavilion anymore!"

...

In front of the Drunken Dust Pavilion.

Lufan sat in a wheelchair, wearing a hair bun and a crown, with a jade hairpin inserted. His lips were red and teeth white, appearing as a handsome young man. Behind him, Ning Changqing stood with a pig-slaughtering knife.

Lufan supported his chin with one hand and lightly tapped the woolen blanket with the other hand. He narrowed his eyes as a system prompt message appeared before him.

"Side mission 2: Building an influential force from scratch [Current mission progress: selecting the site 'Drunken Dust Pavilion' (Opportunity to rename: 1)]"

Rename?

Lufan supported his chin and his gaze flickered.

Rescuing Ning Changqing earlier was deemed as completing the mission, yet now, after choosing the Drunken Dust Pavilion as the location, the mission was still not considered complete.

Evidently, building an influential force was not as simple as choosing a location. Perhaps he still needed to eliminate some other forces or deal with spies.

Lufan lightly tapped his chin with his finger.

What should it be renamed to?

Although the name Drunken Dust Pavilion was not bad, it had a poetic and artistic feel when read aloud, but it definitely couldn't be used as the name of a force. After all... these three words were the name of Beiluo's largest brothel.

Lufan narrowed his eyes and had a thought.

"Tian Shang Bai Yu Jing, Twelve Floors in Five Cities..."

The wind gently blew.

In front of the Drunken Dust Pavilion, there suddenly came a light laughter and verse.

"If that's the case, let's rename this place... 'Bai Yu Jing'."

Lufan murmured.

"Congratulations, host, on successfully renaming the selected location. The influential force 'Bai Yu Jing' has been established. Reward: a pair of scrolls infused with the aura of enlightenment."

Before him, a prompt from the system appeared.

The prompt slowly faded away.

At this moment, Lufan's mind was clear, and his gaze was like a torch.

He looked up at the signboard of the Drunken Dust Pavilion.

Raising his hand, he lightly brushed over it as if wiping away the three characters "Drunken Dust Pavilion."

"Raising my hand to brush off the old name, making way for Bai Yu to descend upon this city."

"This building shall only exist in heaven, rarely heard of in the mortal world."

Lufan chuckled.

Before him, Ning Zhang and Ning Changqing trembled, looking at the signboard of the Drunken Dust Pavilion in astonishment.

They saw that between the three characters "Drunken Dust Pavilion," a mysterious force wiped them away.

In their place appeared three completely different characters...

Bai Yu Jing.