Eternal Saber

Yuwen Mao was not in the Grand Commandant’s Mansion, so for Chen Tang, this place was like an uninhabited land he could come and go from at will.

He twitched his ears, and soon picked up a faint breathing sound somewhere in the courtyard.

Chen Tang came to a room, gave the door a light push, and shattered the lock on it, revealing a cell inside.

"Who are you?"

Hearing the commotion outside, Madam Lu in the cell instinctively looked over.

The light in the room was dim, and for a moment she could not adapt; her vision was blurry, and she failed to recognize Chen Tang at first glance.

"Madam Lu, it’s me."

When Chen Tang walked closer and spoke, Madam Lu could see clearly; only then did a look of shock appear on her face.

"It’s you? Chen Tang?"

For a moment, Madam Lu could hardly believe it.

"What are you doing here?"

Madam Lu hurriedly said, "This is the Grand Commandant’s Mansion!"

Chen Tang said, "This is a long story. Lu Qing asked me to come. Let’s get you out of here first."

"Did you get the key?"

Madam Lu asked, "The chains on this cell are forged from the finest Cold Iron of the Extreme North Cold Domain. Only Yuwen Mao has the key..."

Crack!

Before Madam Lu finished speaking, she saw Chen Tang step forward and tear off the chains on the cell door with one pull, opening the door.

"..."

Madam Lu was stunned.

These past years, she had been locked up here, never seeing the light of day, and had no idea what was happening outside.

Only occasionally, when her senior brother came to see her, would he mention a few things.

The last time he mentioned Chen Tang, her senior brother had said that after slaying the Flood Dragon, Chen Tang had already died and been buried in the East Sea.

Moreover, in her impression, Chen Tang was still that young man with Seventh Grade, Eighth Grade cultivation; how had he, after a few years apart, transformed to this level?

Or was it that the chains on this cell were fake to begin with?

"Madam Lu, can you still walk?"

Seeing Lu Yunyan standing there with a vacant expression, motionless, Chen Tang spoke up.

"Yes, I can walk."

Lu Yunyan came back to her senses, hurriedly nodded, and said, "It’s just that there’s poison in the food they bring every day, so I can’t muster any Inner Qi."

Without another word, Chen Tang stepped forward, extended two fingers, and placed them on Lu Yunyan’s wrist.

Lu Yunyan’s whole body trembled; she felt an incomparably pure, condensed, and powerful aura surge into her body in an instant, roaming through every part of her, exceedingly domineering.

The poison that had lingered in her body was silently dissolved and vanished without a trace under the flushing and baptism of this aura!

In just a few breaths, the poison in her body was already cleared!

"Is this Innate True Qi?"

Lu Yunyan asked in disbelief.

Only Innate True Qi possessed the ability to dissolve many kinds of poison.

It was just that she truly could not believe that this young man, barely over twenty, had actually stepped into the Innate realm!

Chen Tang nodded, offered no explanation, and led Lu Yunyan out of the room.

"How are we going to get out?"

Lu Yunyan said, "The Grand Commandant’s Mansion is heavily guarded..."

Before she finished speaking, Chen Tang grabbed her wrist, Yin Yang Qi surging under his feet, and directly took to the air, tearing through the sky toward the Vermilion Bird Sect.

-----------------

Vermilion Bird Sect.

On top of the city wall, all the civil and military officials were already present.

From here, the view was the best; Vermilion Bird Avenue, the markets of the outer city, the opera stages—everything could be taken in at a glance.

The Emperor of Daqian would receive foreign delegations from all over the world here, laying out a long-street banquet along Vermilion Bird Avenue and accepting the homage of the world.

Under the Vermilion Bird Sect.

A temporary execution platform over one zhang high had been erected.

At this moment, a group of Black Tortoise Guards, escorting Yuan Qingmo—disheveled hair, pale face—stumbled up onto the platform and pressed him down, forcing him to kneel.

On both sides stood an executioner holding a blade.

Yuan Qingmo swept his gaze over, saw this man, only smiled faintly, and withdrew his eyes.

This man had once been his right-hand man in the Qilin Bureau: Taishi Qu.

Back then, it was he who had been sent to Martial General Mountain to escort Chen Tang into the Capital City.

Yet after his downfall, Taishi Qu had been the first to jump out, following the Little Emperor’s words and accusing him of numerous crimes, in exchange for a life of wealth, glory, and safety.

Everyone has their own ambitions; there’s nothing strange about that.

Yuan Qingmo had long since seen through it all.

He was tired as well.

Death, to him, might well be a kind of release.

"Your Highness, don’t blame me."

Taishi Qu said coldly, "Since you have offended the Son of Heaven, following you leads only to death. The situation is what it is; I don’t want to die, and I don’t want to be dragged down by you. Today, I’ll be the one to execute you and give you a quick end—as repayment for your favor back then."

"Thanks."

Yuan Qingmo smiled.

As time passed, more and more foreign delegations gathered here. The crowd was packed, a black mass at a glance, bustling and lively.

At noon today, the Emperor of Daqian would set a state banquet before the Vermilion Bird Sect to receive the various embassies.

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty, long live our emperor!"

From the inner-city walls came a wave of prostration and acclaim.

Yuan Qingmo looked up.

He saw Yuan Taiping, surrounded by the crowd like stars around the moon, standing atop the city wall.

As if sensing Yuan Qingmo’s gaze, Yuan Taiping looked down from above and suddenly asked, "Where is the Minister of Honglu Temple?"

"Your servant is here!"

The Minister of Honglu Temple quickly stepped out.

Yuan Taiping asked, "Tell me, after these foreign delegations entered the Daqian Capital City and saw the splendid prosperity here, how did they react? What did they say?"

"In reply to Your Majesty."

The Minister of Honglu Temple said with a smile, "The visiting guests are all in awe of our Daqian’s wealth and splendor, its treasures and blessings. Each of them is utterly stunned, praising Your Majesty by name and calling Your Majesty the most wise and benevolent ruler since ancient times."

"Hahahahaha, good, good, good!"

Hearing this, Yuan Taiping’s dragon face lit up with delight. He repeatedly exclaimed in praise, then looked down at Yuan Qingmo, kneeling on the execution platform under the Vermilion Bird Sect, and shouted, "Traitor, did you hear that?!"

Yuan Qingmo remained silent.

Next came the tribute offerings presented one after another by each country, every one of them brimming with Exotic Realm flair.

They greatly pleased Yuan Taiping.

When it was Wusun Country’s turn, the Wusun delegation led over two carriages. On each stood a round, bulky object covered with a cloth, its contents unseen.

Whatever was on those carriages looked extremely heavy; it even took four horses to pull them.

The wheels pressing over Vermilion Bird Avenue made creaking and groaning sounds.

"What is this?"

Yuan Taiping asked with great curiosity.

"This is a pair of Golden Hammers forged in our Wusun Country, each weighing a thousand jin. We have brought them as tribute to the Emperor of Daqian."

A Wusun envoy placed one hand on his chest, bowed, and spoke.

"Oh?"

Yuan Taiping was slightly taken aback.

He saw that Wusun envoy step forward and tear off the covers on both sides, revealing a pair of enormous Golden Hammers, shining with golden light.

Among the Barbarian Tribe Delegation, someone, upon seeing this pair of Golden Hammers, frowned slightly, a glint of doubt in his eyes.

This pair of Golden Hammers looked like two weapons.

They bore some resemblance to the weapons of the Grandmaster from the Barbarian Race’s Mad Lion Tribe, Bashish Red Peak.

Only, Bashish Red Peak had wielded a pair of Copper Hammers.

After his death, they had been lost, their whereabouts unknown.

Yuan Taiping’s eyes lit up. He clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "Interesting, interesting. This gift is truly quite unique."

When it was the Da Wan Country delegation’s turn, Yuan Taiping could not help but lean over the parapet, looking down as he asked, "Which one of you is the Xiling Saintess?"

"I greet Your Majesty."

From within a carriage, the Xiling Saintess lifted the curtain and stepped out, standing before the carriage. She did not bow, only spoke in an even tone.

"Hm?"

The instant Yuan Taiping saw the Xiling Saintess, his eyes lit up.

Though this Xiling Saintess wore a veil so her face could not be seen, for some reason, her every movement radiated a kind of sorcery, as if she could seize souls and stir hearts!

Her aquamarine robe appeared quite loose, so that even her figure could not be seen beneath.

Yet the more it was like this, the stronger the desire to lift that robe and explore carefully beneath it!

Without knowing why, just a single glance at the Xiling Saintess made Yuan Taiping feel a rush of heat through his body; he subconsciously licked his lips.

"Hm?"

Standing beside him, Yuan Qingmu let out a soft "oh," as if she had noticed something.

From this Xiling Saintess, she sensed a familiar feeling.

This woman had likely cultivated a similar Cultivation Technique as well!