This was indeed what he had been worried about recently.

The elders in the sect were also deeply concerned about this.

Chu Ming was completely unaware, and a smile once again appeared on her face.

She slightly waved her sleeve: "There’s no need to say these useless words anymore. After all, we are in the Northern Border, and your current identity is inconvenient in many ways. Let’s get straight to the point, why have you come this time?"

Wan Qi Luohou’s expression shifted, he lifted a letter with mana and presented it to Chu Ming.

"The Commandery Princess will understand once she reads the family letter from His Majesty."

Chu Ming took it and tore open the letter, concentrating as she scrutinized it.

Her eyebrows slightly raised, revealing a look of surprise.

The first sheet was actually a gift list, listing various precious heavenly treasures, spiritual medicines, and various substances that could enhance physique and strengthen True Yuan.

"How greatly does His Majesty favor me?"

Chu Ming’s face was filled with astonishment: "As the saying goes, ’No merit requires no reward’. Previously, I was assisted by His Majesty, my cultivation directly rose to First Grade, and I was already feeling uneasy. Now I have not accomplished any merits for the court and have not contributed in the slightest to His Majesty, how dare I accept such a generous gift?"

"His Majesty indeed cherishes you deeply, Commandery Princess, and holds great expectations. However, most of the items on this gift list are offerings from local pharmaceutical merchants in the You and Bing Two States to the court, handed over to you per His Majesty’s decree."

Wan Qi Luohou smiled and cupped his hands in salute: "These items are hidden in a civilian house in the southeast corner of Yan’an County. Commandery Princess, when you have the time, you may retrieve them according to the address on the gift list."

Chu Ming slightly nodded, then looked at the letter personally written by Emperor Jianyuan at the back.

She pondered for a moment: "To protect the pharmaceutical merchants of You and Bing Two States and maintain the smooth operation of the You State and Wang’an Trade Route? His Majesty has truly posed a difficult problem for me."

In fact, she had already guessed the gist from Wan Qi Luohou’s words.

Although the Extreme East Ice City had collapsed, the trade route between You State and East State had not been cut off.

The grain from East State, Wo State, Ning State, and Fei State could no longer be transported by sea to You State, but the medicinal materials in You State were not restricted.

The volume of medicinal materials is much smaller, and they are transported by high-speed airships, sailing on the vast ocean, making it difficult for the court to capture their locations.

This trade route not only provided the Iron Banner Gang with abundant financial resources but also supplied their gang members with a large quantity of secret medicine.

Nowadays, the number of Seventh Rank Martial Cultivators under the Iron Banner Gang is increasing daily, and the basic level soldiers have a standard below the Eighth Rank. Both the quality of their cultivation and the level of their arms are aligning with the border army.

"We trouble the Commandery Princess with this matter." Wan Qi Luohou cupped his hands: "This is a clumsy solution the court came up with out of helplessness. Rather than allow the secret medicine of the You and Bing Two States to go cheaply to the Iron Banner Gang, it would be better for the court to organize local pharmaceutical merchants to purchase at high prices.

Currently, the Formless Divine Sect has no clear rules mandating where these medicines must be sold, and presumably, they dare not violate such sect regulations lest it bring endless calamities.

Now the only obstacle is the decree from the Northern Territory General Manager’s Mansion, but if the Commandery Princess competes with them, it would not violate the Formless Divine Sect’s rules to offer protection to the pharmaceutical merchants of the two locales."

However, Chu Ming felt her scalp tingle.

Wan Qi Luohou spoke lightly.

Yet her opponents were ’Across the ages, Green-eyed Military Governor’ Qin Muge and ’Two Suns Cannot Coexist, Peerless and Unmatched’ Chu Xisheng!

However, Emperor Jianyuan had invested so many resources into her cultivation, surely he intended to use her.

Chu Ming was also happy to see the court suppress the trade route of the You and Dong states; she knew if Chu Xisheng’s power continued to grow unchecked, the Daning Court might not withstand it someday, and her own revenge would be a distant prospect.

"I can agree."

Chu Ming firmly looked at Wan Qi Luohou: "But I need His Majesty to give me three ’Nine Orifice Bright Heart Pills’, or six ’Xuanyuan Miao Wu Pills’. "

These ’Nine Orifice Bright Heart Pills’ and ’Xuanyuan Miao Wu Pills’ were far more valuable than the items on the gift list. They were elixirs that could truly assist her.

They could significantly enhance her comprehension, improve her Martial Arts and Heavenly Rules power.

The deficiencies in Chu Ming’s cultivation could not be compensated for in a short time, so she could only find solutions through bloodlines, Martial Arts, and Heavenly Rules.

If she could establish enough merits in the north in the future, she might have the opportunity to learn the follow-up moves of the Divine Intent Touch Death Blade, or at the very least, she could deduce it herself.

Wan Qi Luohou’s heart harbored a deeper sense of derision.

This Chu Ming was simply insatiable, who knows what that Dog Emperor would think upon hearing her demand?

He slightly frowned, showing hesitation: "This—"

"If Commander Wan Qi doesn’t have enough authority, you could report directly to His Majesty on my behalf."

Chu Ming pressed her hand on her blade, her gaze icy: "His Majesty invested so many resources to promote me to First Grade, isn’t it to prepare me for contending with Chu Xisheng in the future? Currently, I am losing in terms of the Heavenly Rules.

Just as you said, Chu Xisheng would find it tough to ever reach Second Grade in this lifetime. If, in the future, I can suppress him in both Vengeful Sky Rules and bloodline, perhaps I’ll be able to eradicate this threat for the court, pacifying the North—"

However, just as she got to this point, a distant light laugh reached her ears: "Chu Ming, such bold ambition! But I don’t think you’ll have this chance."

This clear and pure voice was exceedingly familiar to Chu Ming, etched into her very bones.

Unlike before, this voice now carried a sovereign arrogance that acknowledged no rival, resonant and impactful.

"Chu Xisheng?"

Chu Ming shuddered instantly, a chill running over her skin.

Immediately she used her Primordial Spirit and Divine Sense Thought to sense Chu Xisheng’s location with all her might.