Volume One, Chapter Five: A Master for a Day, Encountering Another Mission
“Eunuch Cao, serving before the emperor, you must be extremely cautious and vigilant—do not make any mistakes!”
“Otherwise, one careless slip and you’ll lose your head!”
After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Cao Mo made his way to the Imperial Household Department.
He handed over the Empress’s imperial edict to the department steward, who then gave him a couple of reminders and briefly explained the duties of a eunuch serving before the emperor.
Essentially, it was to attend to the emperor’s daily needs and meals closely.
“These are your clothes, and here are one hundred taels of silver gifted by His Majesty. When you serve tomorrow, be sure to arrive early.”
After registering him, the steward selected a suitable outfit for Cao Mo and handed over ten gleaming silver ingots.
“Also, keep this silver hidden as much as possible—that’s our retirement fund for when we’re old and get banished from the palace.”
“Thank you for the advice, sir.”
Cao Mo nodded, took the imperial eunuch’s clothes and the one hundred taels of silver, then left the Imperial Household Department.
Following his memory, he returned to his small courtyard.
Because he had been taken into the palace and raised as the godson of the late Chief Steward Eunuch Cao, even though he was originally just an ordinary little eunuch, he continued to live in the old eunuch’s courtyard after Cao’s passing.
After all, as the godson, he was obligated to observe three years of mourning for Cao.
However, that three-year period was nearly over.
It wouldn’t be long before he had to move out.
Cao Mo also understood clearly that, as a fake eunuch, though the Empress claimed she wouldn’t silence him, she certainly wouldn’t keep him around for long.
Living in the palace’s shadows was no lasting solution!
“Click.”
Back at his courtyard, Cao Mo closed the gate, entered his room, and immediately bolted the door.
Fortunately, he had someone backing him!
Recalling the panel that had appeared earlier, Cao Mo concentrated, and the panel reappeared:
[Task assigned by Empress Xiao Rulong completed.]
[Reward acquired: Celestial-level martial art “Sun Origin Internal Classic,” thirty years of martial cultivation.]
Seeing the task completion notice, Cao Mo’s heart leapt with joy.
Relying on others was no match for being powerful oneself!
In his memory, this world revered martial strength above all else; one day, he would become the supreme martial artist.
Ha!
What Empress tigress?
They would all kneel and sing songs of surrender before him!
With that thought, Cao Mo set down the clothes and silver and began to study the reward from this completed task.
[Host:] Cao Mo
[Age:] 18
[Martial Cultivation:] Postnatal Level Six
[Martial Art:] “Sun Origin Internal Classic” (not yet initiated)
[System Item:] Thirty years of martial cultivation (unused)
From what Cao Mo knew, the martial cultivation in this world was divided into five major realms:
Postnatal, Prenatal, Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, and the mysterious Celestial Being.
Under the tutelage of Chief Steward Cao, Cao Mo himself had some cultivation.
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At eighteen years old, he was at Postnatal Level Six.
His talent was average—not exceptional, but not poor either.
Mainly because he was a fake eunuch. Otherwise, practicing the eunuch martial arts taught by Chief Steward Cao, he would have at least reached the Prenatal realm.
However, Cao Mo had no regrets about this.
If he had truly been castrated, what use would martial arts be?
“Sun Origin Internal Classic?”
Focusing his mind, Cao Mo’s gaze fell on the panel as he examined the martial art.
He knew of the Sunflower Secret Manual, but what was this Sun Origin Internal Classic?
After a moment, his eyes brightened with surprise.
This was a martial art even stronger than the Sunflower Secret Manual and did not require castration.
Moreover, practicing it strengthened one’s foundation, replenished vitality, and allowed internal energy to flow endlessly. Most importantly, it grew stronger with practice, flourishing like the sun’s growth, capable of turning the power of the wheel!
Additionally, once practiced to a certain level, it could conceal one’s aura, even retract the male essence into the abdomen to hide one’s identity!
Oh my goodness!
This was tailor-made for someone like Cao Mo!
With this martial art, he no longer needed to worry about exposing his fake eunuch identity.
Perfect!
Immediately, Cao Mo focused his mind and poured the thirty years of martial cultivation entirely into the Sun Origin Internal Classic.
[Year One: You continuously observe and marvel at the profundity of the Sun Origin Internal Classic but cannot enter its gates due to your late start and fixed constitution.]
[Year Three: After relentless study, you finally touch the threshold!]
[Year Eight: Through painstaking effort, you successfully initiate the Sun Origin Internal Classic and break through to the Prenatal realm!]
[Year Fifteen: You begin to wield it with ease, reaching the minor completion stage and advancing to the Grandmaster realm!]
[Year Thirty: Continuous refinement deepens your cultivation to the seventh level of Grandmaster!]
As these words flashed across the panel, countless insights flooded Cao Mo’s mind, and the meridians and dantian in his body transformed continuously.
Boom—
With his energy withdrawn inward, Cao Mo opened his eyes.
His cultivation had soared from Postnatal Level Six, leaped beyond Prenatal, and broke through to Grandmaster, reaching the seventh level!
Feeling the profound internal energy in his dantian, Cao Mo sensed no unfamiliarity.
It was as if he had truly cultivated for thirty years, not just forcibly bestowed cultivation by the panel.
This sensation...
“Exhilarating!”
Cao Mo’s heart surged with pride.
He often heard Chief Steward Cao say that even a Prenatal martial artist was considered a formidable expert by ordinary people.
This was because they were in the imperial city, full of masters.
If he were in a small town or minor sect, his Grandmaster Level Seven cultivation would be enough to establish a sect of his own!
At this moment,
With his cultivation greatly enhanced, all fatigue vanished.
Thanks to the Sun Origin Internal Classic’s foundation-strengthening effects, he even felt that if he were to share a bridal chamber with the Empress tonight, he might overwhelm her!
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Picking up a bronze mirror nearby, Cao Mo glanced sideways, seeing a flawless, handsome face reflected—delicately beautiful yet carrying a subtle air of sternness and lethality.
At first glance, he did look like a fully castrated eunuch!
Yet, this was merely the outward appearance from practicing the Sun Origin Internal Classic.
In reality, he was now extraordinarily powerful.
A slight smile curled Cao Mo’s lips, satisfaction welling in his heart.
Moreover, with the ability to retract his male essence at will, he no longer feared having his identity exposed!
With cultivation on his side,
Cao Mo finally felt some confidence.
Reflecting on the events of the night, a doubt arose.
The Empress ascended the throne two and a half years ago, and Chief Steward Cao died two and a half years ago as well.
If, as the Empress said, his mission as a fake eunuch was to consummate her marriage, then Chief Steward Cao should have informed him before dying.
This suggested two possibilities.
Either Chief Steward Cao’s death was suspicious and he had no time to tell him, or Cao was unaware the emperor was female and only followed the late emperor’s orders, not having castrated him but leaving him as a fake eunuch.
With this in mind,
Cao Mo remained wary.
After all, the palace’s intrigues were notoriously murky.
“What about this panel—how do I continue to use it?”
“Can only the Empress trigger tasks, or can others as well?”
Cao Mo pondered, but the panel was like a lifeless object, offering no answers.
“Gurgle~”
At that moment, his stomach growled loudly.
So much had happened tonight—first sharing the bridal chamber with the Empress, then breaking through to Grandmaster level. He was genuinely hungry.
“Well, no choice but to eat first.”
Changing into his new imperial eunuch clothes, Cao Mo stepped out and headed for the kitchen.
Passing by a small alley, he heard commotion inside.
Looking over, he saw several eunuchs surrounding a low-ranking servant eunuch, beating him and extorting money.
Witnessing this, he understood why the steward had advised him to hide his silver carefully.
Bullying existed everywhere, even within the palace’s inner court, right under the emperor’s nose.
Cao Mo usually preferred not to meddle and continued on his way.
But then, the servant eunuch spotted him.
“Brother Cao, help me! Do you remember me? I’m Xiao Duozi. We just carried the dragon sedan chair together. Oh, and I even treated you to a meal!”
[Little Eunuch Xiao Duozi has issued you a task: Help him escape bullying.]
[Task reward: Yellow-grade martial art “Flying Dragon Cloud-Seeking Fist” and five years of martial cultivation.]
[Accept the task?]
Cao Mo stopped, turned back.
After all, standing against injustice and helping others was one of his own principles.
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