Reaching Heaven

Chapter 21: Reaching Heaven

Chu Zhiyuan stood before an enormous white-jade palace.

The palace had been built from white jade, spotless and seamlessly one with the surrounding white-jade plaza, forming a sacred expanse.

The three golden characters "Tongtian Pavilion" looked as though they might burst from the plaque and soar into the blue sky at any moment, flying shoulder to shoulder with the white cranes overhead.

The hundred-meter-tall white-jade palace towered majestically, seeming to lead straight to the heavenly courts.

He understood the origin of the name "Tongtian Pavilion." It truly carried the feeling of reaching heaven, as though it connected to a celestial palace.

He slowly approached the great hall, took out a waist token, and handed it to the old man reclining in a rocking chair below the steps outside.

The short, skinny old man was dozing.

Chu Zhiyuan gave two helpless coughs.

The old man slowly opened his eyes, stretched first, then yawned. He took the token, returned it to Chu Zhiyuan, and said, "New here?"

"Assistant Director Chu Zhiyuan of the Department of Martial Affairs." Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fists with a smile. "I must trouble Elder Xu to open the hall doors."

Before coming, he had already heard his colleagues' reminders: Xu Weibian, who guarded Tongtian Pavilion, was an old grandmaster.

In his youth, he had been an expert of the Supervisory Department. After laying down his armor, he had come to the Ministry of Rites as an insignificant manager, guarding Tongtian Pavilion for over fifty years.

Four grandmasters also guarded Tongtian Pavilion. It stood adjacent to the Heavenly Treasure Department, where a Great Grandmaster was stationed. Should anything happen here, that Great Grandmaster could arrive in an instant.

Xu Weibian immediately smiled in understanding. "So it is an honored one. Please."

In the Great Jing Dynasty, there was no other family with the surname Chu but the imperial line.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "Thank you."

Xu Weibian climbed the nine steps, took out a key, inserted it, and slowly pushed open the white-jade doors.

Chu Zhiyuan stepped inside. Xu Weibian merely told him that nothing could be damaged or taken outside, and that he could only read within the pavilion, then withdrew.

Chu Zhiyuan stood in the center of the hall and closed his eyes.

The entire hall appeared completely in his mind, and the names and locations of every stored book were branded into his memory.

After returning, he could examine them slowly and choose carefully.

He first searched through his mind, then went directly to a bookshelf on the third floor.

The books on this shelf were all about various scripts.

They recorded all manner of strange writing from ancient times to the present.

Chu Zhiyuan could not understand most of them, so he pulled them out one by one to inspect them, searching for characters similar to the two small words hidden within the sword sheath at his waist.

After flipping through half the shelf, he smiled. He had finally found those two small words.

He continued reading until he had gone through the entire shelf.

The two small words were "Qingying."

He placed his hand on the sword at his waist and slowly drew it.

A thread of True Qi entered the hilt through the Laogong in his palm. As it passed through the guard and into the blade, it split into two, each drilling into one of the strange rose-like patterns.

An unusual sensation immediately flooded his heart.

His heart seemed to sink to the bottom of a lake, becoming a fish within it—tranquil yet nimble.

The sword seemed to vanish, weightless as nothing at all, like an extension of his own hand.

He pondered whether this was true unity of man and sword.

He tried circulating his True Qi through the Great Avalanche Sword Art. The blade vanished from its original position in a flash and appeared in midair the next instant.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded in satisfaction.

Previously, it had merely been fast. Now, it was twice as fast.

Sword after sword flashed out, soundless and breathless, swift as lightning.

At the same time, his mind entered a strange state of calm.

After reaching the Innate Realm, what he cultivated was already the Greater Violet Sun Technique.

The difference between the aura of the Greater Violet Sun Technique and that of the Lesser Violet Sun Technique was like the difference between warm water and hot water. As True Qi circulated through the Meridians, it brought a burning sensation.

This feeling would imperceptibly affect one's emotions and thoughts. Ordinarily, it was fine, but once he fought others, he would become impatient and easily enraged.

Yet the Qingying Sword happened to restrain the Greater Violet Sun Technique's influence, allowing his mind to remain calm at all times. It was truly marvelous.

After twenty-one strikes, his dantian was as empty as a thief-cleared house, and the Earthly Yuan Art began to circulate.

The Yongquan points in his feet were like whales drawing in water. Surging energy flowed up his legs, circled his waist once, and finally entered his dantian, already transformed into True Qi. In mere moments, it filled his dantian.

He shook his head.

The Earthly Yuan Art's miraculous effect ultimately stemmed from his cultivation being too weak and the True Qi in his dantian not being deep enough.

However, ever since breaking through the first level, his True Qi had gained the ability to expand his dantian, which was slowly growing larger.

--

At noon, when he returned to Prince Qing's Estate for lunch, he found Bai Ningshuang and Chu Yi wearing strange smiles.

Chu Zhiyuan touched his face.

Chu Yi smiled. "Big Brother, someone else has come to propose marriage."

Chu Zhiyuan raised a sword-like brow.

"Hehe, Big Brother, you've become quite the hot commodity." Chu Yi beamed. "Besides Duke An, there is now another Marquis Ningyuan. This Marquis Ningyuan is currently the man of the hour, wielding power that reaches the heavens."

Chu Zhiyuan frowned. "The man of the hour?"

Chu Yi nodded vigorously. "Marquis Ningyuan is currently the Deputy Commander of the Northern Territory. He has a chance of becoming the Commander-in-Chief."

Bai Ningshuang stood to one side, smiling without speaking, joy showing even in the corners of her eyes.

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head. "Forget Marquis Ningyuan."

"Why, Big Brother?" Chu Yi asked curiously.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "The more famous one becomes, the more trouble one attracts. Better not get involved."

When someone became too hot to handle, their state of mind would inevitably swell. It was human nature, and made mistakes all too easy.

As a marquis and a Deputy Commander, his future looked promising, but his foundation was also weak. Seeking marriage with Prince Qing's Estate was clearly meant to erase that weakness and deepen his ties to the imperial family. It was far less dependable than Duke An's hereditary estate.

"Big Brother, do you want to marry that great beauty from Duke An's Estate?" Chu Yi tilted her head at him, giggling. "Well, she is Jade Capital's First Beauty. What man wouldn't be moved!"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and shook his head.

Zou Fang had already investigated Duke An's Estate.

This generation's Duke An possessed mediocre aptitude. He was diligent in attitude but lacking in ability, and served as Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, making him Chu Zhiyuan's superior.

The Emperor had always been tolerant toward such meritorious nobles.

He would neither entrust them with major responsibilities nor treat them harshly. Left Assistant Minister was Subordinate Second Rank, more than enough to establish a foothold at court.

Duke An's daughter, Xiao Ruoling, was known as Jade Capital's First Beauty.

Upon hearing that title, he had initially assumed she was fond of socializing and appearing in public. Yet in truth, this young lady of Duke An's Estate lived a secluded life and rarely showed herself, so few had ever seen her.

Even so, she bore the title of Jade Capital's First Beauty. Clearly, her appearance was exceptionally stunning.

Bai Ningshuang said, "I asked around. Duke An's wife died of illness ten years ago. Miss Xiao lost her mother before she was ten, so she is a pitiful child as well."

"Losing one's mother really is pitiful." Chu Yi nodded hard.

Though Prince Qing's Estate had been granted a fief, both her parents were still alive. The entire family was whole, harmonious, and close, so she had never felt any hardship.

If her mother were gone, she did not know how bleak things would become.

Bai Ningshuang said, "Duke An is also deeply devoted. He never took another wife or found another mistress of the household. The Young Duke is still young, only twelve, so Miss Xiao manages everything in the estate."

"That's impressive!" Chu Yi praised. "If Big Brother truly marries her, Mother, you'll be able to relax. Hehe, Mother, you won't be reluctant to let go, will you?"

Bai Ningshuang snorted. "I would dearly love for someone to manage things in my place. I worry myself sick all day long—it is exhausting."

"Then let it be her, Big Brother?"

"No rush." Chu Zhiyuan smiled and shook his head, changing the subject.

People of this time often entered blind marriages, with neither side even meeting before their parents arranged them as husband and wife.

As the Heir Apparent, he naturally did not wish to be so hasty.

A great man could hardly avoid an unvirtuous wife or unfilial sons, but he wanted to become a Great Grandmaster and did not wish to divide his attention among too many other matters. He needed peace in his inner household, without fires breaking out, and a virtuous helpmate.

Beauty, on the other hand, was not so important.

When taking a wife, one should take a virtuous one. As the Heir Apparent, he would never lack beauties. Mo Yi and the other three women were already rare beauties, and he intended to take them all into his chambers in the future.

Therefore, before understanding Xiao Ruoling better, he had no intention of making a decision.

He would find an opportunity to observe Xiao Ruoling, then decide whether to marry her.