The Empress Summoned Ling Shuang, and She Lost Her Self

Over a period of more than half a month, nothing major happened. Gao Xuan spent his days leisurely, appearing diligent in cultivation on the surface, and discussing dual-cultivation techniques with Concubine Shu at night.

As a result, his cultivation advanced rapidly. Although he appeared to be at the Soul Palace realm, his true cultivation had reached the mid-stage of the Sealing King realm. Concubine Shu also successfully broke through to the Golden Pill realm, reaching the ranks of a Grandmaster at the Mid-Stage Three Realms.

During this time, the Empress summoned him a few times. Each time, it was merely for massage and conversation. Although there were occasional probes, overall, it seemed like she was slowly letting go of her guard.

Apart from that, he took advantage of serving the Empress during her bath to be intimate twice in the bathhouse, leaving only when the Empress was completely exhausted and satisfied.

Perhaps the beautiful Emperor wanted to avoid suspicion in front of the Empress Dowager and not let the other party be suspicious, so she did not look for him during this period of time.

Moreover, he lied to the outside world that he was sick and had caught a cold. He did not flip the sign again.

This made Gao Xuan feel a little regretful. At this rate, how long would it take to sleep with the three thousand beauties in the inner palace!

This made him feel a sense of urgency. After staying in the palace for a long time, he also wanted to leave the palace to see the wonderful world outside.

He had heard that the capital city boasted the Four Unparalleled beauties, all of whom were the top courtesans in various renowned brothels, known for their artistic talents without selling their bodies, and they carried an air of elegance.

Unfortunately, even though he was the chief supervisor of the Hall of Mixed bath, he held a position in the inner court and had no authority or reason to leave the palace. He had to wait for a suitable opportunity.

On this night, just as Gao Xuan was preparing to sleep, he suddenly heard a gentle knocking at the door.

Opening it, he found that it was Ling Shuang.

Today, she was dressed in a plain long dress with a sash tied around her waist. Her long black hair was simply tied into a ponytail, cascading down behind her. The moonlight shone on her pale and beautiful face, making her appear like a fairy who had stepped out of the Moon Palace.

Upon seeing her, Gao Xuan thought of Ao Xue from that night.

The two women had almost identical temperament. However, after experiencing the different charm of Ao Xue, a different thought arose in his mind.

He wondered how Ling Shuang would be during those moments.

"What are you thinking about?" Ling Shuang saw the look in Gao Xuan's eyes and immediately narrowed her beautiful eyes, her face slightly cold.

"Nothing, nothing. Why did Sister Ling Shuang come at such a late hour?" Gao Xuan quickly changed the subject.

Ling Shuang glanced at him with dissatisfaction before saying, "His Majesty asked me to bring you over. There are too many people during the day, so we had to wait until now."

"Oh, let's go then."

Gao Xuan quickly tidied up a bit and locked the door before following her.

As they walked along the road, Gao Xuan suddenly remembered something and asked hesitantly, "Sister Ling Shuang, do you still have that Honeysuckle Powder from last time?"

Ling Shuang immediately stopped in her tracks upon hearing this and furrowed her brows. "Why? Did you use it on the Empress?"

"Not yet. I haven't had the opportunity. It's just that..." Gao Xuan paused for a moment and said somewhat sheepishly, "I accidentally lost the package of powder. So, I wanted to ask if you still have any."

"Lost it?" Ling Shuang furrowed her brows, her scrutinizing gaze seeming to penetrate Gao Xuan.

Gao Xuan pretended to be afraid, anxious, and regretful. "Yes, I don't know when I lost it. I go to arrange various matters in the ministry every day, and I only realized it was missing when I was bathing today."

Seeing that Gao Xuan didn't seem to be lying, Ling Shuang shook her head. "There was only one package, and I don't have it anymore."

"Ah?" Gao Xuan scratched his head. "What should I do then? His Majesty entrusted me with the task, and it hasn't been completed yet."

Ling Shuang looked at him indifferently. "That's your own problem. Find a way to solve it yourself. It has nothing to do with me."

"Don't say that, Sister Ling Shuang. I'm doing this for His Majesty. If you help me, it's equivalent to helping His Majesty, right?" Gao Xuan stubbornly acted like a rogue, trying to be unreasonable.

Ling Shuang remained unmoved. "Do you think this kind of thing is easy to obtain? Back then, I happened to encounter an elder from the Honeysuckle Sect of an evil cult. I had to kill him before I could find this one package. I don't have any more of it."

"Ah?" Gao Xuan felt disappointed. "I see. Well then."

He had originally approached with the intention of trying to take advantage, but unexpectedly, there was none left.

Since there was none of that, why not indulge in something else!

Gao Xuan spoke again, "Sister Ling Shuang, do you have any suitable techniques or manuals? Could you give me a few more?"

Ling Shuang frowned. "Didn't I give you two last time? Why do you need more so soon? Have you already cultivated them?"

"I'm doing fine. I just barely managed to cultivate them." Gao Xuan casually replied.

Ling Shuang questioned, "???"

She stopped in her tracks and turned around to ask, "At what realm are you now?"

Gao Xuan honestly replied, "I recently broke through. Currently, I've just reached the mid-stage of the Soul Palace realm."

Ling Shuang's expression became even more surprised. "???"

She immediately launched a palm strike toward Gao Xuan. Gao Xuan quickly resisted with his true qi.

Fortunately, Ling Shuang was only testing him and had no intention of harming him.

"You really are at the mid-stage of the Soul Palace realm!"

After Ling Shuang withdrew her attack, her gaze became strange as she stared at Gao Xuan, as if looking at a monster.

It had only been such a short time!

She remembered that Gao Xuan had only reached the Ling Sea realm during the time when Consort Shu attempted to assassinate the Emperor. It had been less than a month, and he had already made a breakthrough?

She had eaten that kind of pill in the Yunxiao Palace before, and she had even consumed higher-grade ones. How come her cultivation didn't increase that fast?

A person who had started cultivation at eighteen years old, reaching the Soul Palace realm in just two months. If given more time, he might even become a master at the Mid-Stage Three Realms. If this matter were to spread, no one would believe it!

A monster, he must be a monster with a legendary ability to increase his realm like eating and drinking!

"Come on, let's go see His Majesty! I believe she will be more than happy to fulfill your request!" Ling Shuang didn't waste any time and directly grabbed Gao Xuan's hand, rushing toward the Yangxin Palace.

The smooth and tender touch made Gao Xuan feel a tingling sensation in his heart, as if he had been struck by electricity.

He didn't expect Ling Shuang to have such a side to her. Well, he was being forced, so this wouldn't count as taking advantage, right!

This hand didn't feel like the hand that had been wielding a sword for a long time. It was slender, delicate, and without any bones. It even had a faint warmth, making him unable to resist the urge to caress it.

...