Lady, escort the emperor! 10
Chapter 10: Leave it to me!
Li Nuo slept soundly.
Waking to bright sunlight, he bolted upright in bed, exclaiming, “No good, I’m going to be late!”
Only upon seeing two figures standing by his bed did Li Nuo pause, before realizing that he wouldn’t need to attend that class ever again.
A maid, dampening a towel with hot water and wringing it out, spoke softly, “Young Master, I’ll help you wash.”
Seeing her about to wipe his face, Li Nuo quickly took the towel, saying, “I’ll do it myself, I’ll do it myself…”
Having been independent since childhood, he wasn’t used to being waited on.
After haphazardly wiping his face, the maid took the towel away. Another maid, with chubby cheeks, immediately said, “Young Master, be good, open your mouth. I’ll help you clean your teeth, otherwise, you’ll get worms!”
The “Young Master, be good, open your mouth” sounded like she was coaxing a child—Li Nuo quickly realized that in the eyes of the servants in the mansion, he, a fool, was probably no different from a child.
“I can do it myself.”
He took from her a toothbrush—about two fingers long, greenish-white, made of a material resembling jade, with animal hair at the tip. A fragrant white paste was already on it. Its use was similar to modern toothbrushes. After brushing, the maid brought mouthwash. Once he was finished, Li Nuo sat before a bronze mirror, gazing at his reflection.
Strangely enough, the two people from different worlds not only shared the same name but also looked exactly alike. This brought Li Nuo some comfort; even after transmigration, he still possessed his handsome and familiar face.
The chubby maid stood behind him, combing his hair. Li Nuo could manage most things himself, but he really didn’t know what to do with his long, flowing hair.
The maid’s skill was proficient. She styled his hair into a bun and inserted a jade hairpin. Soon, a handsome young gentleman appeared in the mirror.
Li Nuo looked at his reflection and casually asked, “What time is it now?”
The maid replied, “Young Master, it’s just past noon. Would you like lunch now?”
Li Nuo realized he had slept until noon. This made him feel a sense of urgency. His life expectancy was already short, and he’d wasted a whole morning. He had no intention of staying home any longer.
Soon, under the guidance of Steward Wu, several servants brought his lunch to his room. Even though it was just for him, there were eight dishes and one soup—four meat and four vegetable dishes, all delicious and beautifully presented. In the 21st century, he ate takeout every day; he never had this level of living…
Li Nuo looked at Steward Wu and asked, “Steward Wu, have you eaten? Sit down and eat with me.”
Steward Wu chuckled, “Thank you, Young Master, I’ve already eaten.”
Having no time to waste, Li Nuo didn’t say anything more. He picked up his chopsticks, quickly finished his lunch, wiped his mouth with a napkin provided by the maid, and said, “Tell the kitchen to make less food in the future. Two dishes will be enough for me. Also, the young mistress’s purse is in my room. Take it back to her later…”
After making these arrangements, he said to Steward Wu, “Let’s go, we’re going out.”
Steward Wu was surprised, “Going out again? Where to?”
…
Moments later, in the front courtyard of the Li mansion, Li Nuo looked at Steward Wu, then at the four gray-clothed elders behind him. He looked around uncertainly, “Just you few? Aren’t you understaffed?”
Yesterday, Li Nuo had felt that a retinue of dozens was too large, but this was too meager.
The four gray-clothed elders—one missing a left arm, one missing a right arm, one blind in the left eye, and one blind in the right eye—didn’t look very reliable. Li Nuo doubted they could protect him.
It wasn’t that he’d picked up the habits of a young master in just one day; it was simply that this world was too dangerous.
He still broke out in a cold sweat remembering that arrow.
Steward Wu chuckled, “Young Master, rest assured. Although we’re old, we’re still quite nimble. If any foolhardy assassin dares to attack, those below the Fifth Realm will be dealt with swiftly. Even a Fifth Realm Grandmaster, we can hold them off, ensuring not a single hair on the Young Master’s head will be harmed…”
Li Nuo was still uneasy, “What if it’s a Sixth Realm?”
“If it’s a Sixth Realm…” Steward Wu coughed lightly, “Young Master, rest assured, even on the road to the Yellow Springs, I will serve you well…”
Li Nuo understood: if it were a Sixth Realm assassin, they would all die.
He only knew a little about martial arts from Steward Wu’s brief mentions—things like overwhelming strength, controlling objects with energy, using a falling leaf to injure someone. But he didn’t have a concrete understanding of the power levels of each realm.
On the way to the county magistrate’s office, Li Nuo asked about it.
According to Steward Wu, martial arts in this world were divided into seven realms.
Realm One: Body Forging, focusing on physical training, greatly increasing strength compared to ordinary people; Realm Two: Inner Breath, where the rudimentary form of True Energy is generated, further increasing strength; Realm Three: True Energy, in this realm, Inner Breath condenses into True Energy, which can be channeled into weapons to easily shatter rocks or used to form a protective shield. Those who reach this realm can injure people with a falling leaf, becoming impervious to weapons like a human fortress.
Body Forging, Inner Breath, and True Energy realms, in Li Nuo’s opinion, didn’t surpass the scope of ordinary wuxia novels.
But Realm Four, the Object Manipulation realm (as Steward Wu called it), possessed abundant True Energy that could even extend beyond the body to move objects remotely, manipulate flying swords, and fly, far exceeding the first three realms.
Steward Wu, the four gray-clothed elders, and his mother all were at this level.
The True Energy Realm was also the pinnacle that most martial arts prodigies could achieve in their lifetime.
Realm Five was known as the Grandmaster realm. There was no essential difference between the Fifth and Fourth Realms; the difference was that a Grandmaster had vast True Energy and consummate control over it. They could even condense True Energy into weapons, possessing peak martial arts skills and the ability to found a school.
Most sect masters and grandmasters of major martial arts schools were at this level.
Realm Six could harness the power of heaven and earth; even ordinary moves would have terrifying power in their hands. This realm transcended skill and touched the essence of martial arts. Even in Da Xia, there weren’t many Sixth Realm experts.
Therefore, when Li Nuo mentioned the Sixth Realm, Steward Wu readily invited him to share the journey to the underworld. Those below the Fifth Realm could be defeated through sheer numbers, but those at the Sixth Realm, who could wield the power of heaven and earth, could not be matched by such tactics. Hence the saying, “All below the Sixth Realm are ants.”
As for the Seventh Realm, it was legendary, mysterious, and rarely mentioned. In Da Xia and other countries, no one had been known to reach it, and even Steward Wu was unclear about it.
Li Nuo didn’t need to consider the martial arts path. Steward Wu, despite a lifetime of cultivation, had only reached the Fourth Realm, indicating exceptional talent, something Li Nuo completely lacked. He had to find another path.
Fortunately, the Legalist school didn’t require talent. If he judged enough cases, catching up in a short time wouldn’t be impossible.
They soon arrived at the Chang’an county magistrate’s office. The guards recognized Li Nuo and rushed over to respectfully lead him inside. Li Nuo noticed an unusual bustle in the county office; he could see the court was filled with people from afar, the whole office noisy, with many constables maintaining order.
“Sir, it’s past noon. When will you let us go home?”
“Yes, catching criminals is important, but you can’t delay everyone’s business like this!”
“If you won’t let us go, at least provide a meal. I haven’t had breakfast!”
“I need to go back to the office. If I delay official business, can Magistrate Pei take the responsibility?”
…
The courtyard was packed with people, chattering and arguing. Li Nuo asked a constable, “What’s going on?”
The constable sighed, somewhat helpless, “Last night, a murder occurred in this county. A wealthy merchant was murdered in his home. Coincidentally, he was celebrating his 50th birthday yesterday, and many guests stayed overnight. We had to bring them all to the county magistrate’s office. The magistrate has been questioning them all morning…”
“Murder!”
Li Nuo’s spirits surged at this news.
A simple theft case could add six days to his life.
If he could solve a murder case, wouldn’t that be a significant boost?
With that thought, he rushed through the crowd to the courtroom entrance. Seeing the Chang’an County Magistrate’s judge’s mallet about to fall, Li Nuo, believing the magistrate had found the culprit, shouted, “Hold it! Leave it to me!”
(End of Chapter)
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