Author note; I like to post a chapter on monday, but we're incredibly busy at work and so I hadn't finished up yesterday despite getting halfway through. Then today we had someone call in sick so it was even worse >.> We're probably going to be busy all week so I don't know if I'll release another chapter this week. I'll do my best though.

Decided to make a bit of a retcon in this chapter. I had said Xiaobo could predict the future and was going to have him know about the current future except I think it gave him too much power and didn't leave me much room for surprises. I've changed it to the explanation given in this chapter and will reread my previous chapters with that in mind to see if anything is too inconsistent. (part of the reason I probably wont have another chapter this week)

Also, no side story this chapter as I don't have time to give it justice. Next one should have BK vs the beetle god and I'll try to make it extra manly.

~~~

Realizing her poor phrasing caused by her nervousness Xu Rong quickly hurried her explanation.

"She's gone into closed door meditation!"

Sun Jiao nearly fell over with shock. He had thought she died and as she was currently protecting him it made her his strongest weapon. Without her he was like a baby left alone outside in a storm, but with her protection he could tell the storm to fuck off and it would!

"She told me to tell you that Sun Jun ran crying to his mother who told the emperor who then made her go into closed door training for punishment. It seems as though it would have only been one week punishment, but she said that she was going to do that anyways so the emperor made it three weeks. She then threw a fit and even with half the royal guard they couldn't stop her so he lowered it to two weeks which she accepted."

"I see. So she only has a week left?"

"Yes, master."

"That's fine then."

Sun Jiao hadn't slept or ate anything the entire week he had been training. This was normal for a cultivator as reaching the first layer allowed them to survive for a period of time without food or rest. Eventually they would starve, but they could survive for a short period of time.

Xu Rong had been growing more and more worried as Sun Jiao stared at her without saying a word. She worried that he was thinking some cruel and horrible punishment for her so when he spoke her name she jumped as though she had sat on a needle.

"Xu Rong did Sun Qing teach you how to drive the carriage?"

Sun Jiao was confused as to why she was visibly relieved with the question. He was too hungry to put any thought into it though and decided to ignore whatever it was.

"Yes. She gave me a control talisman in case you needed to go somewhere while she is cultivating."

"Good. Make me a meal and bring the carriage to the gate immediately."

After Xu Rong left Sun Jiao wandered around a bit under Xiaobo's guidance to familiarize himself with his palace. He didn't have time to investigate his room and mostly stuck to the rooms closest to the gate.

Sun Jiao returned to the question that had been on his mind and decided to ask Xiaobo directly.

Not knowing how to reply to that Sun Jiao remained silent and continued to wander.

After the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn he headed to the front gate and found Xu Rong patiently waiting for him with a basket full of food.

Xu Rong held the door open for Sun Jiao and then sat across from him with the basket next to her.

"Head to the mountains."

With a nod of her head Xu Rong pulled out a slip of paper with some symbols on it that glowed briefly. With a jump the carriage began to move full speed towards the gate they had previously entered.

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With that the carriage was quickly on it's way towards the mountains. Sun Jiao ate the food from the basket and chatted with Xiaobo about the mountain range. By the time they arrived at the foot of the mountains he knew the general direction he needed to go, the magical beasts in the area, and bandit hideouts. While traveling Xiaobo suggested they stay in the mountains and fight some magical beasts as Sun Jiao should be able to beat all of the first layer magical beasts in the area and they wouldn't be going deep enough to find anything really challenging.

After traveling a bit of distance along a path that crosses the mountains Sun Jiao told Xu Rong to stop and they both got out.

"Send the carriage back and order it to return here in three days."

"Yes master!"

Holding the talisman tightly she concentrated as she conveyed the order's through the paper.

"Un. It's done!" Xu Rong said as the carriage turned around and headed back to the Palace.

It was mid afternoon and if the carriage maintained its previous speed then it would arrive at the inner gates before they closed. Sun Jiao wasn't worried about that because Xiaobo had said that even if the gates were closed for the night they would be opened for the prince's carriage.

"Good work. Now we're going to go into the mountains and do a bit of hunting. Have you reached the second layer yet?"

Sun Jiao asked because without a secret technique it was impossible to determine a person's strength. Xiaobo had knowledge about the previous timeline so he could roughly guess strengths of famous people, but he couldn't possibly know everyone's strength at the same time.

A bit worried Xu Rong reluctantly shook her head causing her ponytail to shake alluringly.

"I'm at the peak of the first layer. I'll have a breakthrough soon I promise!"

Xu Rong meant her promise as she had decided to become the strongest dog in the world. During the first few days that Sun Jiao spent training, before Sun Qing was punished, Sun Qing had continued to treat her as though she was a spoiled lap dog.

Sun Qing brought her to the skill pavilion and found her a suitable cultivation technique that was much better than the one she had been taught. She also took her around the palace and brought her shopping for several different outfits as well as a pair of magical gloves that complimented her cultivation technique. She had even bought her a collar that was black gold and had a deep emerald that was set with gold trim.

Xu Rong as a slave had never been shown such generosity and kindness so, even though she was being treated like a dog, she was the happiest she had ever been.

It might be surprising that her devotion to her role as a dog was so strong, but in the previous timeline Sun Shen had only given her a sword and ordered her to get stronger. That small gift alone had motivated her to becoming a fierce warrior for him. When Sun Qing, whom loved the sound of her own voice, spent a few days with her talking nonstop as though they were friends it had a much larger impact on the lonely Xu Rong.

That isn't to say Xu Rong didn't have her doubts. She had spent the most time with Sun Qing and so, while she believed Sun Qing was kind, she still worried very much about the allegedly evil Sun Jiao. She was starting to doubt the rumours though as he hadn't done anything cruel to her.

If the maid that was thrown out the window knew Xu Rong's current feelings she would have been spinning in her grave. As it was she had done enough spinning in the air for it to count and there wasn't much left of her in her grave.

Sun Jiao nodded and then turned to enter the forest heading towards a small dip in the mountain range that contained the valley with the Devil Midnight Lily.

As he walked he explained to Xu Rong what they would be doing.

"We're going to be hunting for magical beasts. First though we'll need to find a place to stay. I've heard there is a bandit nest up ahead so we'll stop there and clear it out."

Sun Jiao wanted to reply but found that the connection had already been closed. As time passed he was getting more and more familiar with their connection and wasn't surprised that he could tell it had been closed.

While Sun Jiao had explained what they were doing in the mountains he left the flower out of it as Xiaobo said it was best to not let people know he went to the mountains to pick flowers.

The sun was starting to set as they arrived at the bandit nest. The bandits were made up of poor farmers and other working class men who had run out of options and turned to a life of crime to feed their starving family. They would rarely kill and never robbed anyone that couldn't afford it. They even took a portion of the money and donated it to an orphanage.

They had weak cultivation and only the leader had reached the first layer. Xiaobo explained very clearly that he couldn't let any of them escape as they would tell more bandits and someone stronger might attack. Sun Jiao was reluctant, but it wasn't technically the first person he had killed as it was his orders that made the guard kill that man in front of the coliseum and Xiaobo had used his body to kill Fang Shi.

'I can do this. Xiaobo said that they were murderers and rapist; they deserve to die.'

Sun Jiao prepared himself for what he must do, but had forgotten the most important thing that Xiaobo had told him that day.

"Devils lie"