As the youngest son of Emperor Danji, Young Lord Tianlin possessed exceptional martial talent in his own right. With a cultivation at the initial stage of the Emperor Realm, a frontal confrontation would have allowed
However, catching him off guard with a surprise ambush produced perfect results.
After subduing Young Lord Tianlin, Jiang Chen immediately sealed all his major acupoints, rendering him completely immobile.
Once that was done, Jiang Chen resumed his disguise as Yao Qi and returned to the courtyard. The courtyard was utterly silent—no one had noticed what had just transpired.
Jiang Chen walked out of the courtyard, and Tianlin's four personal guards immediately swarmed toward him.
"Where is our young master?" the Emperor Realm expert asked with a frowning brow. By this hour, Young Lord Tianlin should have already returned.
Not seeing Tianlin, the Emperor Realm guard was naturally somewhat surprised.
Jiang Chen replied with respectful deference: "Your young master instructed me to notify you all to head back first. He intends to go into closed-door cultivation here for one month to work on perfecting the Pine Crane Pill. Now that the Pine Crane Pill has shown real progress, Young Lord Tianlin plans to push through and complete its refinement."
The Emperor Realm guard was slightly taken aback: "One month? His Majesty the Emperor is not in Pill Fire City, and the young master has many affairs to attend to. If he goes into seclusion for a month, won't Pill Fire City fall into chaos?"
"Young Lord Tianlin said that Pill Fire City's situation is stable for now and nothing major will happen. Moreover, Emperor Danji should be returning before long. If any issues arise, Alchemy King
The Emperor Realm guard still refused to leave: "Friend, please relay a message to our young master. Tell him that as his guardians, we ought to remain by his side at all times. If the young master wishes to seclude himself for a month, we will guard the perimeter for a month."
Jiang Chen was somewhat surprised—these guards were genuinely, unwaveringly loyal.
But his mind raced, and he replied: "Your dedication to your duties is admirable. However, the four of you standing here like door gods—don't you think that would practically announce to the entire world that Young Lord Tianlin is here? This is the Pure Burning Palace, in the heart of Pill Fire City. Surely you don't need to worry about the young master's safety?"
The Emperor Realm guard was stubbornly resolute, simply shaking his head: "Friend, please do us this favor. Report to our young master. We take orders only from him."
The meaning was clear—through a mere intermediary's relayed words, they would not comply.
Jiang Chen sighed softly: "Very well then. I'll go and tell Young Lord Tianlin. If he flies into a rage, you'll have to bear the brunt of his fury."
"Rest assured, we won't let you bear any responsibility," the Emperor Realm guard said coolly. In truth, he had no patience for all this back-and-forth and looked down on Yao Qi—nothing more than a pill servant.
After all, he was an Emperor Realm powerhouse, while Yao Qi was merely a pill servant of the Pure Burning Palace. What was a pill servant? A servant. Lowly, subservient.
Jiang Chen returned to the courtyard and, with utmost speed, changed his disguise once more, transforming back into the likeness of Young Lord Tianlin.
He strode out of the courtyard with an unhappy expression, his face dark: "What's this? My words don't carry weight anymore? I told you to go back, and you can't be bothered to listen?"
Jiang Chen's imitation of Tianlin's bearing was remarkably convincing. The four guards detected not a single flaw.
The Emperor Realm guard bowed with cupped fists: "Young master, His Majesty tasked us with safeguarding you. We dare not neglect our duties. Please forgive us, young master."
"Hmph! This is the restricted zone of the Pure Burning Palace—I am perfectly safe here. But your loyalty is commendable. There's no need for you to stand guard here like door gods. Find a secluded spot nearby and monitor this area discreetly. If anything unusual happens, you'll be able to detect it immediately. Standing here, with so many people coming and going, only draws unwanted attention."
The Emperor Realm guard considered this and felt that "Young Lord Tianlin's" reasoning held merit. Protecting the young master didn't require hovering over him constantly.
As long as they stayed within a safe perimeter and kept a close watch, nothing should go wrong.
"Very well. I'll obey the young master. We'll set up covert observation points around the perimeter of the Pure Burning Palace. If anything happens to the young master, we'll sound the alarm immediately and rush to your side." The Emperor Realm guard had no desire to openly oppose Tianlin, so he chose to yield.
Jiang Chen waved his hand dismissively, impatient: "Then it's settled. The Pine Crane Pill has reached a critical juncture, and I have no time to stand here exchanging words with you."
With that, he turned and walked back into the courtyard.
The four guards exchanged glances, their helplessness evident. Though their duty was to protect Young Lord Tianlin, they couldn't defy his wishes and make him unhappy.
If he turned around and badmouthed them to Emperor Danji, they'd be the ones in trouble.
"Let's go. We'll each take a position around the Pure Burning Palace's perimeter and watch like hawks. At the slightest sign of anything unusual, we must not let it slip. We have to ensure the young master's safety. Otherwise, when Emperor Danji returns, we'll be the ones suffering!" They had been ordered to protect Tianlin not because they respected him particularly—they feared the punishment Emperor Danji would inflict if they failed.
After the four guards departed, Jiang Chen returned to the courtyard and changed back into Yao Qi's appearance once again. He then made his way from the courtyard back to the inner pill-refining chamber. Everyone was still hard at work inside, completely unaware that anything had happened in the courtyard outside.