Here He Comes!

On the terrace, Chen Qing was savoring spirit wine when a spark of light flickered in his Niwan Palace. A sudden warning shivered through his heart!

With a thought, his newly comprehended Qi Harmonizes with Heaven and Earth resonated with the surrounding aura, catching the cold killing intent surging toward him from beyond the high wall!

He's here! Chen Qing's heart tightened, but he wasn't surprised. I can't linger here.

Just then, Lu Qiyuan emerged from the palace doors with a hearty laugh. "Daoist Chen..."

"Young Marquis, I'm deeply grateful for your warm hospitality." Chen Qing clasped his hands. "It's getting late, and I dare not impose any longer. I'll take my leave."

Lu Qiyuan's smile stiffened. He hurried forward, trying to keep him there. "Why the rush? Won't you have another cup? I've already sent people to look for that Red Vein Stone. We'll have news soon! Besides, the generous gift I prepared for you hasn't..."

His words brimmed with warmth, and his gaze was open and sincere. His desire to recruit Chen Qing was plain as day, without the slightest hint of pretense.

Chen Qing did not stop. At his words, he turned his head slightly. "I appreciate your kindness, Young Marquis. I'll save this cup of wine for another day."

"Chen Xu!" Seeing he was set on leaving, Lu Qiyuan raised his voice, his tone edged with frustration. "I truly admire you! Princess Xiyao is at the end of her rope and can barely protect herself! Once the Empress issues her decree, she'll be doomed! Stay at the marquis's residence—there'll be wealth, honor, cultivation methods, and resources for the taking!"

"I'll take my leave."

Chen Qing said no more. He lightly tapped the ground and swept over the Rainbow Bridge like a clear breeze and drifting cloud, vanishing into the depths of the covered walkway. He avoided the spot where that malicious presence had him pinned.

Lu Qiyuan stared at the empty walkway, his face full of regret. "A man like him, and I can't bring him over to my side. What a pity! No, he said we'd drink another day. Maybe that means he's somewhat inclined to join us. If I try a little harder, I might win him over." He suddenly flicked his sleeve and spoke sternly toward the shadows. "Send two men to escort him for a while! If he runs into danger, use your judgment and intervene!"

"Yes!"

A low acknowledgment came from the shadows.

BOOM—

The look of regret had not yet faded from Lu Qiyuan's face.

A Crimson Gold Talisman came crashing down like a shooting star from beyond the heavens!

The talisman unfurled, transforming into a hundred-zhang canopy—

"By decree of the Empress: seal and investigate!"

A palm-sized Red Jade Seal, shaped like a phoenix's beak, pressed down!

CRACK!

The Spirit Pool in the courtyard froze solid in an instant, the Rainbow Bridge snapped, and the Golden Scale Dragon Carp plummeted stiffly to the ground!

The entire villa plunged into an icy abyss!

Guests, servants, and guards alike were pinned in place by an irresistible force, unable to move!

"By Her Majesty the Empress's decree!"

A woman's voice descended from the heavens, devoid of all emotion—

"Lu Qiyuan, heir to the Marquis of the East Sea, has recklessly investigated the imperial palace and disturbed Yujing. His actions are presumptuous; his intentions, treasonous! Effective immediately, Moon Embracing Villa is sealed! All those within are to be expelled at once! Anyone who disobeys will be charged with treason and have their soul annihilated!"

Her voice rolled like a heavenly edict, making the entire villa tremble!

Before the words had even faded, the Red Jade Seal shaped like a phoenix's beak turned slightly!

THUD! THUD!

Every guest and servant in the courtyard, regardless of cultivation or status, was hurled out as if by an invisible hand. They fell in a wretched heap, cries of anguish filling the air!

Lu Qiyuan stood rooted to the spot. His face went from red to green, then from green to white, before finally turning a terrifying iron gray! His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. His blood and qi churned, yet he couldn't move a step!

A woman dressed in Cloud Pattern Palace Attire, her face veiled with light gauze, stood suspended in the air. Her gaze was cold as a sword as she looked down at Lu Qiyuan. "Young Lord Lu, the Empress has a message for you: 'The Marquis of the East Sea has raised a fine son!' Today's punishment is a small warning. Take care not to bring ruin upon yourself—or drag down the marquis's eight-hundred-year legacy!"

Every word struck straight to the heart!

Lu Qiyuan's eyes reddened, and water vapor exploded around him. Behind him, the Deep Sea Phantom surged with raging waves. If Zhou Renjing hadn't clamped a firm hand around his wrist, he would already have summoned his Natal Magic Treasure!

The woman glanced indifferently at the wrecked courtyard and gave a cold laugh. Her figure turned into a wisp of black smoke and vanished in an instant, along with the Red Jade Seal and the talisman.

The restraints lifted. Dead silence fell over the courtyard.

BANG!

Lu Qiyuan shook Zhou Renjing's hand away, his chest heaving. "Recklessly investigating the imperial palace? Is that because of what I just ordered? We were only looking into something. How could it come to this? Sealing my villa and humiliating me in front of everyone!"

Deep worry clouded Zhou Renjing's eyes. "Brother Lu, this is certainly not as simple as it seems. The Empress has only just taken power and needs to establish her authority! The Marquis of the East Sea's household is a towering tree that draws the wind. You happened to run straight into the blade and became the chicken sacrificed to scare the monkeys!"

"Did she make me the chicken waiting to be slaughtered?!" Lu Qiyuan froze, then abruptly raised his head. "Brother Zhou! I was investigating something—and that investigation led to the Empress? Are the Red Vein Stone and the Spiritual Bone connected to secrets of the imperial palace?"

He paused, brows knitted tight. "Could Chen Xu have deliberately dug this pit for me?"

Zhou Renjing slowly shook his head. "However clever Chen Xu may be, he couldn't have predicted the Empress's intentions. Besides, though he asked about the Red Vein Stone, you were the one who chose to investigate. We can only call this a chance coincidence. It seems you were fated to suffer this calamity."

"A coincidence is the manifestation of fate!" Lu Qiyuan irritably rubbed his brow. "What do we do now? Let them keep the villa sealed while I slink back to the marquis's residence with my tail between my legs?"

"For now, we can only avoid her edge, keep a low profile, and stop giving others leverage against us." Zhou Renjing spoke gravely. "Send a trusted aide back to the East Sea at once to inform the marquis. Ask him to find a way to smooth things over at court."

"Keep a low profile? Lie low?" Lu Qiyuan suddenly sneered. "I get slapped in front of everyone, then hide like a stray dog? Wait for Father to humble himself and beg others to settle things?"

He kicked over the jade table in front of him. Spiritual fruit and delicacies spilled across the ground!

Lu Qiyuan stared at the scattered fruit and spilled jade-colored wine, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists. He took a deep breath, and the iron gray slowly drained from his face. "You're right. To clash with her head-on now would be like throwing an egg at a rock—nothing but inviting humiliation."

Zhou Renjing felt somewhat relieved and was about to urge him further.

But Lu Qiyuan raised a hand to stop him. "The Empress used me to establish her authority, killing a chicken to scare the monkeys. I accept that! But though she can humiliate me, I can still make her taste a little misery too!"

He stopped and turned his gaze toward Qingwu Villa.

"Chen Xu and Princess Xiyao are the thorns the Empress most wants to pull out! The more desperately she tries to crush them, the more determined I am to keep them alive! The longer they live, the more they'll stick in her throat!"

Zhou Renjing's gaze sharpened. "You mean..."

Lu Qiyuan spoke slowly. "On the surface, the Marquis of the East Sea's household accepts defeat! Let them seal the villa. From now on, I'll shut my doors to visitors, keep out of sight, and cultivate a reputation through quiet study!"

After a pause, he changed tack. "In secret, have people keep a close watch on Qingwu Villa. I want to know everything that happens there! And Chen Xu—whatever he needs, do your best to provide it, as long as our identities stay hidden! Pills, talismans, information—if he dares ask for it, and I have it, he can have it!"

"Brother Lu!" Zhou Renjing was shaken. "You're trying to pluck a chestnut from the fire! The slightest mistake..."

"Don't you want to save the princess too?" Lu Qiyuan cut him off, leaving Zhou Renjing momentarily speechless. "You'll oversee this. We won't step in personally to save them; we'll just give them a push, send them a breath of wind! Let them catch their breath for a little longer and make the Empress uncomfortable for another moment! Let that thorn sink in deeper. That's what you call repaying courtesy with courtesy!"

Clearly, he did not believe Chen Qing and the others could turn the tide.

Zhou Renjing was silent for a long while. At last, he bowed deeply. "Brother Lu, I admire your patience and decisiveness! I won't fail you!"

Dusk deepened.

Chen Qing walked slowly down the long street. The light in his Niwan Palace flickered faintly. Under Qi Harmonizes with Heaven and Earth, everything within ten zhang—the drips from the eaves, the breath of passersby, even the faint life stirring in the moss at the street corner—was reflected in his mind like an image in a heart-lake.

Qi spread like a net, reflecting the world in every direction.

Thirty paces away, two people walked with unsteady steps, though their auras were steady and concentrated; a cold glint flashed between the windows of a teahouse; a shadow lay in wait in the darkness at the alley's mouth...

"Whoever's come to capture me must be highly cultivated. They won't leave room for anything to go wrong. I wonder if Elder Lü is ready, and whether my two treasures can hold out for a while. Most important of all, I wonder if the words I spoke at Moon Embracing Villa will come true..."

Chen Qing showed no sign of panic. The Bronze Wine Goblet and Ninth-grade Green Lotus Platform in his sleeve were already poised to strike!

In the distance, Lü Feng, who had been hiding in a concealed spot for some time, picked up his Jiaowei Zither, yet couldn't help sighing inwardly. This is truly a hefty gamble!

A few steps later, Chen Qing reached the middle of the long street.

This was the widest stretch, with high walls on either side.

"Take him!"

At the short, sharp shout—

Black figures swooped down from the high walls on both sides like ghosts!

In the alley, powerful crossbows sang through the air. Several streaks of black light shot straight for Chen Qing's vital points!

An icy divine sense, cold as a venomous snake, locked onto him in an instant!

The killing trap sprang shut in the blink of an eye!

A fierce glint flashed in Chen Qing's eyes. Supreme Harmony Qi surged as he prepared to summon his defensive treasure!

At this critical moment—

"Tap."

A footstep sounded at the far end of the street, so soft and steady it was almost inaudible.

As light as a passerby crushing a puddle underfoot.

Yet the instant the sound rang out—

The world around them seemed to be forcibly "torn" from the painting of Yujing City by an unseen hand! It twisted, blurred, and faded in an instant!

The descending figures froze in midair, like insects trapped in amber; the crossbow bolts hung three feet in front of Chen Qing, their tips still vibrating with a faint hum; and the icy divine sense seemed to slam into an invisible wall, letting out a shrill scream before instantly collapsing!

The footsteps continued.

Every hair on Chen Qing's body stood on end!

That attack, which moments ago had been enough to kill him, had been erased by that seemingly casual step!

The newcomer's cultivation was beyond anything he could comprehend!

He forced down the storm raging in his heart and focused his gaze.

At the far end of the street, a tall, slender figure strolled slowly toward him.

The newcomer had refined, gentle features and the air of a learned scholar. He wore a Moon White Cloth Robe, spotless and untouched by dust.

He stopped a zhang or so in front of Chen Qing and gazed at him calmly.

"May I ask who you are..."

Supreme Harmony Qi churned wildly inside Chen Qing. The mountain-and-sea starlight on his life talisman flickered erratically, while the Ninth-grade Green Lotus Platform stood ready in his sleeve. Yet he forced his voice to remain calm.

The man smiled faintly. "Weren't you looking for me?"

"Looking for you?" Chen Qing repeated aloud, but inwardly he let out a long breath.

He had won the gamble!

As expected, history, once set in motion, always left its mark.

Since this was an open-book exam, even the thoughts of a great cultivator could be guessed to some extent.

The man's gaze fell on the spark of light in Chen Qing's Niwan Palace. A flicker of interest crossed his eyes, then he said, "You invoked my name, so I sensed it."

Chen Qing drew a deep breath, then slowly spoke the name.

"Seventh Prince, Xu Qingfeng..."

The second update is here! This newbie hopes you readers will show your support! Please recommend, bookmark, and come by every day to check for new chapters...