Chapter 277: Brilliant Sword Genius (2/2)
Tang Si gripped the spear handle and pondered for a moment before raising his head. “Yes.”
Ming Zhaoshu nodded. “When you can shake off the shadow of that sword, you’ll be able to challenge him again.” He then turned to leave.
Lu Yin looked deeply at Tang Si and left. He had to guard the palace’s back door.
“Damn! Is this really a primitive continent? That sword was way too vicious! That guy can even rival our five Academy Masters,” the Ghost Monkey exclaimed in surprise.
Lu Yin leaned against the door. “The Shenwu Continent has resisted the covert attacks of the Darkmist Weave for a thousand years. It is just one continent, but it has birthed so many experts. There’s definitely more than just one genius at Li Zimo’s level.”
“What a pity. If only this continent belonged to you. I still remember your identity as King Zishan, but with the strength of this continent, you would have had a respectable place amongst your human’s Outerverse,” the Ghost Monkey casually commented.
The monkey’s words moved Lu Yin, as he had not thought of this before. Yes, it would be great if this continent belonged to him, but he could only dream about such a thing. This continent held Hunters, and more than just one at that. Its vast strength could be seen by how it had held back the entire Darkmist Weave. Against that sort of strength, even the entire Great Yu Empire might not be enough to rule it, let alone just Lu Yin himself.
The next few days were very ordinary. There were some changes made to the List of Tempering, as those who had recently won their spots on the list were torn down over and over. Many grew interested in what was happening, though Lu Yin guessed that all this movement was a result of the mysterious number one pulling them down. He also believed that the person who was ranked number one kept changing, but that their name had been hidden to maintain the mystery.
This genius was Crown Prince Ming Hao’s final bit of control that he had placed when he set up the list.
The Ming Constables had been sent out less than usual over these past days, and the Ming Vanguard was mostly sent out to protect important people. However, this was all just on the surface, as Crown Prince Ming Hao would never relax on his hunt for foreigners. After all, they were the true enemy.
Each island sent their congratulatory gifts to the palace, and it was rumored that there were so many that they had overflowed to several drill grounds within the imperial palace. The magnificence of the gifts was astounding.
Countless experts had gathered in the capital, and even soldiers had entered the city to maintain order. The entire capital seemed cheerful for the birthday celebration, but there was also a palpable nervous tension that hung in the air that even Lu Yin could sense.
Over the next few days, Lu Yin did not see much of Li Zimo. This person was as cold as a block of ice, and he was especially guarded while within the king’s palace, so they hardly ever crossed paths.
The Reverent King had returned to the capital, so logically, he should have received many visitors. However, during these few days, no one visited the palace, shocking Lu Yin. The relationship between Ming Zhaoshu and Crown Prince Ming Hao seemed to be extremely poor, and even those officials who had forced Ming Zhaoshu to resist the crown prince were nowhere to be seen right now. This was politics.
Fireworks exploded in the sky from time to time, and the entire capital seemed to be exceptionally lively.
Li Zimo walked out of the palace and looked at Lu Yin. “The princess is going to the Tower of Resonating Light to pray for blessings upon His Highness and His Majesty. Seven, go and ensure her safety.”
Lu Yin bowed obediently. “Yes, commander.”
Not much later, Ming Yan walked out of the palace while accompanied by a maid. Tang Si followed closely behind the two of them with a neat arrangement of soldiers around them. An armored carriage had also been brought along for the princess.
From when he first arrived at the Reverent King's palace in the capital, this was Lu Yin’s first time seeing Ming Yan. Although she was wearing a veil, her pure beauty still could not be concealed. Her eyes seemed to shine through the thin fabric, bright and pure. Yet Lu Yin noticed that her face seemed to have paled slightly compared to before, which made him feel a bit uneasy.
Ming Yan walked out of the main gate and was about to climb in the armored carriage when she suddenly paused. Her eyes flashed with delight as she turned around to look at the people surrounding her, as if searching for something.
Tang Si was puzzled. “Princess, please get in the carriage.”
Ming Yan’s gaze swept across all of their faces before finally landing on Lu Yin, where she briefly locked eyes with him. Lu Yin saw Ming Yan’s expression become delighted, and his heart jumped, but he then quickly lowered his head.
A mischievous light seemed to flash through Ming Yan’s eyes, as well as a bit of shyness. She spoke up. “Brother Tang Si, my father’s safety is more important, and Yan’er already has your protection. There’s no need for Brother Li’s protection anymore. Would Brother Li please stay behind to protect the palace?”
Li Zimo shifted his gaze. “The safety of the princess is important.”
Ming Yan raised her hand and pointed at Lu Yin. “These people are from the Ming Vanguard as well, so please allow them to protect me. Brother Li, protecting my father is much more important.”
Tang Si immediately tried to assuage her stance. “Princess, there is no need to worry about His Highness’ safety. This is the capital, and His Highness is a Martial Emperor. No one would dare recklessly attack him.”
Ming Yan stubbornly shook her head. “Can Brother Li please stay behind to protect my father? Otherwise, Yan’er will feel troubled.”
Tang Si looked at Li Zimo and was placed in a difficult position.
Li Zimo simply nodded and turned to Lu Yin. “Seven, bring a few people to guard the princess. Don’t show any carelessness.”
Lu Yin was both startled and pleased. He felt a strange sweetness and found that he was strangely looking forward to this task. “Yes, commander.”
Ming Yan lowered her head, and a faint red blush overcame her covered face. She then hurriedly got back in the carriage.
Lu Yin inhaled deeply and walked beside the cart. He was separated from Ming Yan by just a mere wooden plank; he was even closer to her than Tang Si was right now.