'With that, Madam Wang's case is all but handled…' Mingxuan thought.
Zhou Mingxuan arrived at the entrance of the imperial palace, the scent of ink and dust emitting from his body.
The guard at the door called out to him, "Back already?"
Mingxuan grinned, and nodded at the guard as he walked past. Wei Zhongren was agreeable once he decided to listen.
Zhou Mingxuan soon entered the grand courtyard that sat beyond the palace's gates, and rushed to the royal repository, a small, downtrodden building hidden in the corner of the palace's territory.
He entered the repository through its outer doors, and after walking down a short hall, was met with the sight of a young boy cycling through papers. The dust that used to pervade the repository seemed to have all but disappeared, and the previously scattered books were neatly stacked.
"You cleaned up? I've only been gone for an incense stick's time," Mingxuan said, closing the door left open behind him.
Xiao An neatly stacked the papers in his hand on the table, responding, "Well… it's easier at the Body Refinement realm."
Zhou Mingxuan awkwardly chuckled, 'Cheeky little bastard.'
Wasn't pointing out Mingxuan's lack of cultivation simply provoking ire? Still, after gaining qi, he could indeed sense the difference between Xiao An and himself.
"That makes sense. What are those papers?" Mingxuan questioned.
Xiao An sighed, and set the papers on the repository's table. To Mingxuan, the kid seemed troubled.
"Sir, these are all the requests you got. Every one of them's just strong people preying on the weak… is the world this unfair?"
Mingxuan strode toward the young eunuch, and placed his hand atop the child's head, "It is. But fret not, I can handle it."
After ruffling Xiao An's hair, he said, "Madam Wang should be arriving any moment now. Then, we'll go ahead and resolve her grievance. What information have you gathered on Eunuch Baoquan?"
The letter Zhou Mingxuan left for Xiao An detailed very simple instructions: "Find information on Eunuch Baoquan."
Xiao An smiled, and said, "You gave me an easy task, sir. I know a lot about Eunuch Baoquan, and didn't even have to leave the repository. He's one of Eunuch Minde's subordinates, and just about everyone knows of his corruption."
'What a coincidence… Zhang Minde and I seem to be fated,' Mingxuan reflected.
The very first defense he conducted in this world was to protect Xiao An from Zhang Minde, and now he had to assist Madam Wang in a suit against the same eunuch's minion.
Soon, a knock could be heard from the repository's inner door.
"Go let her in, Xiao An," Mingxuan said.
Xiao An stood up and walked toward the repository's inner doors before opening them. He was immediately greeted with the sight of an older woman, the same one he sent to Zhou Mingxuan the day prior.
"Please come in, Madam Wang," Xiao An said, linking his elbow with hers and helping her into the room.
Zhou Mingxuan grabbed a stack of papers he left the night before, and walked toward the door, "You two wait here, come out in a tea cup's time, okay?"
The duo of young and old simply nodded, mentally preparing themselves for the upcoming battle.
Mingxuan walked down the repository's hall, and soon entered the royal palace's main courtyard. He stood in the center, surrounded by lush bushes and flowers.
'Well, time to stir the waters…' Zhou Mingxuan thought.
Then, he shouted with papers in hand, "Eunuch Baoquan is trash!"
Many of the servants that attended to the courtyard's garden flinched in shock.
"Who is that?"
"Shamelessly shouting in the royal palace?"
"Does he expect to NOT be executed?"
Soon, the crowd of servants saw the source of the shout, and they were shocked to find that it was Zhou Mingxuan.
Mingxuan almost never sought trouble, peacefully staying within that dilapidated repository.
Then, Zhou Mingxuan shouted once again, "Eunuch Baoquan is a little pig!"
All servants present gasped, and the courtyard erupted in whispers.
'Good, the audience can be the jury… and word should reach Eunuch Baoquan's ears soon. Would such an arrogant person dare to ignore a book boy's insult?'
Zhou Mingxuan's status simply wasn't enough to force Eunuch Baoquan into trial. In fact, Mingxuan didn't have any status at all, he was still relying on the third princess.
As he continued to hurl insults into the open skies, more and more servants gathered. And soon, a voice barked out, "What is going on here?!"
The servants crowding the courtyard all turned toward the voice, "It's Eunuch Baoquan!"
"That book boy is in trouble now!"
Quickly, the murmurs that previously pervaded the courtyard hushed.
Zhou Mingxuan too, turned to greet Eunuch Baoquan's arrival, making sure this last shout was heard, "Eunuch Baoquan is a dog!"
Eunuch Baoquan rushed toward Zhou Mingxuan in fury, "You dare to insult this eunuch?!"
His long, gray beard flowed in the wind as he shouted at Mingxuan.
'Aging eunuch… subordinate to Zhang Minde… his cultivation is low,' Mingxuan thought, recognizing that this was useful information.
After all, if his cultivation was higher, the old eunuch wouldn't seem so aged. Mingxuan also discarded any possibility of Baoquan being an old monster, after all, Zhang Minde was his boss at only the peak of Body Refinement.
Zhou Mingxuan lifted his chin to look down on Eunuch Baoquan, being a head taller than the somewhat short eunuch. Then, he said, "What? With your meager cultivation, are you going to question it?"
The crowd didn't know whether to laugh or cry, wasn't Zhou Mingxuan a mortal?
Eunuch Baoquan harrumphed, "If you don't give me an explanation today, not even the third princess can save you!"
After taking a step toward Eunuch Baoquan, Zhou Mingxuan declared in a voice loud enough for all to hear, "This Eunuch Baoquan insulted the crown! Prioritizing the life of a Qingyun Sect disciple over our Canglong Empire's citizens! Today, I dare to bring him to justice!"
The old eunuch spat, "I said an explanation, yet you simply bring this situation up? Which person here wouldn't have done the same thing?!"
Eunuch Baoquan's breathing seemed to calm down, and his gaze sharpened.
"Since I'm not satisfied, today a second mortal will fall by my hand!"
Zhou Mingxuan smirked, his provocation was successful. He watched as Eunuch Baoquan raised his hand in the air, and formed a claw. A strange, blue energy could be seen wrapping around the raised hand.
Eunuch Baoquan shouted, "Rising Bear Claw!"
The sharp claw began to fall upon Mingxuan, but the book boy stood in place, not at all afraid of the consequences.
Suddenly, a man appeared in front of Zhou Mingxuan, and grabbed Eunuch Baoquan's arm with ease, stopping the attack.
"Using your Body Refinement Stage 3 realm to attack a mortal?! And you admitted to the murder of the empire's citizens?!"
Zhou Mingxuan gazed at the back of the man in front of him, and bowed.
"Mingxuan greets Imperial Censor Wei Zhongren," he said.
Eunuch Baoquan went slack-jawed.