Lu Mingyuan accepted the Minor Magic but didn't examine it immediately. Instead, he looked at the Daoist Nun before him, whose snowy hair cascaded like a waterfall. Feeling obliged to offer a few pleasantries after receiving a gift, he couldn't help but ask with concern:
"How are your injuries?"
Yun Qinghe didn't seem to appreciate the sentiment, her expression as flat and unapproachable as ever. "It's nothing serious," she answered. "The Confucian True Words merely eroded my Heart Spirit. I'll be fine after chanting the Supreme Non-Desire Scripture and taking a few pills for a couple of days."
Her delicate, arched brows furrowed slightly as she sensed something was off. "Speaking of which, weren't you hoping I would leave? Your tone doesn't seem to reflect that. Well, I'm telling you now, I'll be gone in three days at most."
"Are you still going to kill the Fifth Prince?" Lu Mingyuan asked, not having forgotten her purpose for being here.
"I am."
Yun Qinghe replied coolly, "For both official and personal reasons, he must die."
She had left home at a young age to wander among the great Immortal Influences, across mountains and rivers. She later joined Dragon Tiger Mountain, dedicating herself to studying the Dao and slaying demons. Her life had been rather rough and unrefined, and she had few friends at the Celestial Master's Mansion. If Lu Mingkong hadn't been so audacious as to touch someone from the Taoist Sect, she never would have come to the Capital City. And Lu Mingkong would never have been targeted by the Taoist Sect, to be made an example of for all to see.
"So, has your stay been comfortable?"
"It's fine. It's just too noisy at night. I have to say, I'm impressed you can keep it up for so long."
Yun Qinghe had always focused on only three things: Cultivation, meditation, and swordplay. Therefore, she felt no discomfort in Lu Mingyuan's small courtyard at the Cold Palace.
Lu Mingyuan's face flushed red when he heard this.
'Her Cultivation is so high, of course she can hear every little sound in my room. I almost forgot about that.'
"Don't take it personally. I'm just very direct," Yun Qinghe said, pouring herself a cup of tea. She sat on the bed, her posture perfectly straight, and continued in a prim and proper tone:
"However, I believe in repaying a drop of kindness with a gushing spring. That is how I conduct myself. Since you saved me, I can guarantee your safety during the coming storm. Don't be fooled by how peaceful and joyous everything seems on the outside. When you wake up tomorrow morning, who knows what might have happened."
Seeing the Daoist Nun speak so cryptically, Lu Mingyuan couldn't help but ask, "And after this storm passes?"
Yun Qinghe shot him a glance. "Afterward, you're on your own, of course. You need to understand that not even a Saint would dare claim they could protect someone for decades, let alone a century. You should be content with what you're getting."
"Oh."
Yun Qinghe noticed he only gave a slight nod, and her desire to continue the conversation plummeted. She said irritably, "You saved my life, so the most I can do is guarantee you won't get caught up in the Taoist Sect's affairs, plus I'll give you an Opportunity. We're just strangers who happened to cross paths; our connection doesn't run that deep."
"What kind of Opportunity?"
Lu Mingyuan's eyes lit up as he quickly asked.
Yun Qinghe lifted her smooth, jade-like chin slightly and pulled a writing brush, as thick as a finger, from her wide sleeve. The shaft was jet-black, and its tip emanated a cyan light, accented with a streak of vermilion.
"This Blessed Vermilion Bird Brush is a Magical Treasure from the Taoist Sect. If you're in danger, just use it to draw a prison on the ground. It will create an Astral Qi Shield that even a Ninth Realm Dragon Gate Martial Artist can't break. It only has three uses, so use them carefully."
"This should be enough to protect you for some time."
Lu Mingyuan took the Vermilion Bird Brush, and text appeared before his eyes.
[Opportunity Obtained: Blessed Vermilion Bird Brush. Triggered.]
'So the Opportunity that hadn't triggered for me all this time was with Yun Qinghe.'
"Thank you, Miss Yun."
Lu Mingyuan expressed his gratitude, wanting to offer some words of good fortune.
But when the words reached his lips, he found he had nothing to say. He realized he didn't know her at all.
They were merely two strangers passing through the vastness of the world.
They were people from two completely different worlds.
So, ignoring the fact that the target was his bastard of a brother, he sincerely added, "I wish you success in your assassination."
Yun Qinghe lowered her gaze slightly, crossed her arms, and sized him up.
'So this guy does know how to say thank you. His head's screwed on straight after all. Before, it was like we weren't even on the same planet.'
....
「The sixteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar.」
It was a rather important day for the entire Great Yan Imperial Capital.
Early that morning, the Imperial Capital Brocade Clothing had cleared the roads from the Imperial City to the Outer City. All the civil and military officials had gathered above the Divine Martial Gate to see the procession off.
After a decade, Emperor Yong'an was once again personally leading a military expedition. He had pushed aside all opposition; no matter how the Civil Servant Group or the Advisory Platform Bureau tried to dissuade him, nothing could shake the Emperor's resolve to march to war.
Almost everyone present was filled with the conviction of certain victory.
The hundred-thousand-strong Great Yan Imperial Guard stood in formation, their Scale Armor immaculate. Rows of airtight Iron Helmets stretched out in perfect lines. Atop tall Dragon-Scale Horses sat Generals of great martial prowess, both young commanders and grizzled veterans.
The iron cavalry formed by the Qilin Guard exuded an overwhelming military might that struck fear across the land. Throughout the Central Plains World, who did not know the fearsome reputation of Great Yan's Qilin?
The commoners who stayed home all discussed the event. Thanks to a widespread publicity campaign, the populace was more or less aware of the purpose of this military expedition.
There were also some scholars who recklessly voiced their opposition to the campaign, but they were all rounded up by the agents of the Bright Lamp Bureau to be re-educated and warned.
Atop the gatehouse tower, the various Princes came out to see their father off, and their retinues immediately split into three distinct groups.
The Eldest Prince, Lu Changfeng, led the first group, followed by his many Guards.
The second group consisted of the Second Prince, Lu Guangjing; the one-armed, dejected, and pale-faced Fifth Prince, Lu Mingkong, who sat in a wooden wheelchair; and the ever-obscure Ninth Prince, Lu Yunhuang, who had very little presence.
The Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince, who had a smaller retinue, formed the last group. Dressed in red brocade robes, they stood on the ramparts, silently gazing down at the Great Yan Army below.
The third, fourth, and sixth Princes were not present.
The Third Prince, Lu Guangyao, held a military post and was participating in the campaign, so he was currently among the troops.
As for the fourth, Lu Guangren, he was, as usual, holed up in his residence, unwilling to go out.
Lu Mingyuan, trapped in the Cold Palace, naturally had no part in this grand farewell ceremony.
The Eldest Prince, Lu Changfeng, was the first to act. He channeled his Martial Dao Primordial Qi into the air and shouted, "May Father Emperor win a glorious victory and return triumphant!"
The Second Prince, Lu Guangjing, glanced at the Eldest Prince with a faint smirk and copied him, "May Father Emperor win a glorious victory and return triumphant!"
The other Princes chimed in as well.
Emperor Yong'an was positioned in the Central Army. His bright yellow canopy, adorned with shimmering jade beads, was incredibly conspicuous. He glanced back at the figures on the gatehouse and gave a slight wave.
The Ancient Ruined Array, passed down through the ages, began to hum. At last, the great army set out, kicking up a sea of dust.
Seeing their father depart from the capital, Lu Changfeng and Lu Guangjing no longer bothered to hide their mutual hostility on the gatehouse. The Eighth Prince, Lu Yunqing, saw this and his expression flickered for a moment before returning to normal. The Seventh Prince, however, just gave a silly chuckle and rubbed his hands over his round belly, his intentions unclear.
The two were like opposing blades, their auras clashing with astonishing force.
But Lu Guangjing took a step back and gestured for the other to descend the gatehouse tower first. He smiled warmly and said, "Elder Brother, after you."
"Hmph!"
Lu Changfeng snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and swaggered off, thinking he had won the exchange.
Gazing out at the magnificent Imperial Capital City, Lu Guangjing's smile grew ever wider. His long, slender fingers tapped repeatedly on the century-old, weathered ramparts.
Meanwhile, in Qingzhu Hall, Lu Mingyuan was just waking up. He pulled himself free from a jade-like arm and gave a lazy yawn.
....
Hey everyone, please don't stockpile chapters! Keep reading along with the daily releases. I can only manage two chapters a day during this new-book period, but I promise I'll reward you all with more updates once the book is officially launched!