Chapter 337 (2/2)

The disciples of the Sword Garret lowered their heads uneasily. They thought about the edict they had received from the Divine Hall to enter the Wilderness. They had fought with those from the gra.s.sland, and then, with the Desolate Man. They had not backed away from death and bloodshed, so when had they shamed their sect?

Deep within the black and white pavilion, rays of sunlight shone on a straw house by a pond through a large cave that had been eroded over the years.

At this point, the sun has s.h.i.+fted and all was silent in the cave.

A man with long hair covering his shoulders sat in the light. One could not sense a strong aura from him. However, if one dared to look at him directly, they would feel an unbearable pain in their eyes after some time, and

time, and would even start tearing up.

That was because, his messy hair, the belt on his waist, the clothes draped over him, his gaze and his body, were all swords.

The man himself was a sword. He was a sword that transcended heaven and earth.

”Go to Chang'an and see what kind of person Ning Que is. He had killed a brother of the Sword Garret when he was still cultivating. How much had he improved since he became a student of the Headmaster of the Academy? Weakest World Wayfarer of the Academy in history? I don't believe that. Even the weakest wayfarer in history would bring enough trouble to you.”

There was a young man kneeling before the straw house. He was tall and his knees looked like large trees. When he heard the Sage of Sword, Liu Bai's sword-like voice, his face paled slightly. He tried to calm his sense of perception forcefully and said puzzledly, ”But I'm afraid he would have already returned to Chang'an by the time I get there.”

”So what? Yan Se was willing to perish with Wei Guangming than to fight with me. I want to see if his successor is stronger than mine. Do not worry that the Academy would stop you from challenging him. Since the successor of the Academy is about to enter the human realm, he would be prepared to be challenged and to be killed. Mr. Ke had killed all the way back then, what right does this Ning Que have to be different?”

The lantern festival occurred shortly after the new year. Lights shone brightly at night in Chang'an as families walked on the streets. Children held candies in their hands and chattered, running around on the streets. Young girls smiled shyly and exchanged secretive glances with their lovers. No one knew how many pairs of shoes, hats and purses would be lost on the streets.

As compared to the lively atmosphere of the people, the atmosphere in the palace was naturally solemn and dignified. The Emperor and Empress had invited the senior members of the court to a feast in the palace. After the feast, His Majesty had continued to admire calligraphy, sing and drink with his civilian officials. The Empress continued chatting with some of the ladies she was close with.

No matter the prime minister, or the grand secretary, everyone had to behave appropriately at a place like this. However, when they saw Lee Yu sitting behind a desk at the head of the palace, they could not help the shock that appeared on their faces.

All were calm in the Tang Empire. The country was peaceful and prosperous. The only thing that worried the people was the succession of the dragon throne.

Everyone knew that the Empress wanted her own son to sit on the dragon throne in the future. However, Princess Lee Yu felt that her own biological brother was the rightful heir. The two did not fight openly, but the hidden struggle between the two was numerous. The Princess marrying into the gra.s.sland and the Empress not stepping into the imperial study both had something to do with this. Could it be that the two were prepared to bring it all to light now that Princess Lee Yu had appeared at a function like this?

n.o.body noticed the little handmaiden who sat beside Lee Yu silently due to their turbulent emotions.

Lee Yu had not wanted to come, but the Empress had wanted to meet Sangsang. She had become very vigilant because of this. Now that many were sure that Ning Que was the one from the Academy who was entering the human realm, gaining his support would mean gaining the Academy's support. What did the Empress want to meet Sangsang for?

All the ladies present were close to the Empress and were of course biased. However, they thought of the positions of their husbands and had to behave appropriately. They bowed to Lee Yu. However, only a lady remained unmoving.

This woman was the wife of Zeng Jing, the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Library.

She was once the beloved concubine of Zeng Jing. The main lady of the house had killed her newborn daughter. If not for the Empress who had heard of the incident by chance and had sent them divorce letters in anger, she would have died without anyone knowing. How would she have attained the position and glory that she had today without the Empress?

Mrs. Zeng was very grateful to the Empress because of this matter. She would sacrifice not only her husband's future, but also her life just to make her happy. That was why she had remained seated behind the desk and made no move to walk forward when the prime minister's wife and the other wives smiled and bowed to Lee Yu.

She looked at the girl dressed in handmaiden clothing beside Lee Yu, and she thought to herself, that the Princess was becoming more and more audacious. She had dared to bring her handmaiden to the Empress' feast.

However, when she saw the handmaiden's tanned face and bright, willow leaf-shaped eyes, Mrs. Zeng felt that she looked familiar, and curiously, her heart began to twinge painfully.

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