A date with the princess consort

In the pitch-black secret chamber, where he could not see his own hand, sinister drafts blew, the flames suddenly died, and shrill cries drifted through the darkness...

A terror powerful enough to make his soul tremble shot straight into his skull.

Although Ren Ye could no longer see that face in the darkness, every detail of it remained etched in his memory with horrifying clarity.

For a moment, his whole body felt wrong, as though something were pressing against his back. Why did my shoulders suddenly get heavier? It feels like someone's breathing right into my face. Is that thing pressed against me?!

What he imagined in the dark was the most frightening part. Ren Ye felt that thing was everywhere. He even recalled the old people he had seen lying in coffins when he attended funerals in the countryside.

The faces of the dead were bluish-purple, deathly pale, or like little demons wearing rouge...

"Fuck you! I'll take you on!"

Ren Ye snapped. He did not even know what he was shouting. Almost instinctively, he drew the Nation-Guarding Sword and hacked several times in front of him and behind him.

Whoosh!

As he swung, the Nation-Guarding Sword suddenly erupted with light, dazzling and brilliant, like a divine weapon descending into the world.

The glare made Ren Ye's eyes ache. After two anguished cries reached his ears, the chamber fell quiet again.

But with adrenaline surging through him, he still could not stop swinging. The Nation-Guarding Sword whistled through the air while he kept cursing, "Come on! Bring it! I'll trim that shaggy hair down to a buzz cut!"

"Your Highness! Your Highness...!" Er Leng's urgent cries suddenly came from his left. "Stop swinging! That filthy thing's gone! Gone... stop, or I'll fight back...!"

"Huff, huff!" Hearing him, Ren Ye stood panting in place. It took him quite a while to fully come back to his senses.

Snap!

The flame from a fire starter lit the torch again.

Ren Ye turned and saw Er Leng lying flat on the floor, his left hand covering his slightly bleeding backside and his right hand holding up a torch. His face was flushed red.

"What happened to your backside? Did that ghost... bite your ass?" Ren Ye asked with concern.

"I treat Your Highness as my master. Why did Your Highness treat my backside as a scabbard?" Er Leng asked miserably.

"I stabbed you? Uh, I'm really sorry. My swordsmanship is all based on feel...!"

"It's nothing. Just a scratch." Er Leng felt around his backside, momentarily unable to distinguish the "natural opening" from the "sword opening." The wound was tiny.

"As long as you're all right. I'll have Lian'er put some wound ointment on it later."

"Do you mean that, Your Highness?" Er Leng's eyes lit up.

They lit all the torches in the secret chamber, and calm returned.

Without needing to discuss it, Ren Ye and Er Leng both stayed well away from the iron door. They hung the evil-repelling Nation-Guarding Sword in the middle of the chamber, then began searching swiftly.

About a quarter of an hour later, Ren Ye finally found an old secret edict beneath a low writing desk. He gave it a quick look by the firelight and was instantly overjoyed.

With the flames flickering, Ren Ye leaned against the wall and carefully read every word of the secret edict.

Judging by its contents, it was a secret edict the old emperor had written to the previous Prince Huai-Zhu Zigui's father. Rendered into plain language, it read, "My son, let these words stand in place of my presence. Yesterday, I heard of unrest on the Southern Border. Anxiety left me unable to eat or sleep. At midnight, I felt a heaviness in my chest and coughed up several mouthfuls of blood.

"Old Taoist Xu visited this morning, and under my insistence, he told me the truth. I likely have less than a year to live. Since founding this nation, I have united the Central Plains, repelled the northern barbarians beyond the passes, and conquered the barren lands to the south. I have done right by all the people under heaven.

"But Great Qian has fought wars year after year. The treasury is empty, powerful clans abound, meritorious officials form factions, and the crown prince's faction is stirring... if I depart this world, I fear war will break out again.

"The nation's hope rests with me; my hope rests with the Heavenly Pardon-Blessed One.

"Old Taoist Xu said that opening the Former Dynasty Princess's Tomb requires the Heavenly Pardon-Blessed One to secure the grave, and that this person will awaken in Qingliang Prefecture. I hope you find this person swiftly, prolong my life, and preserve Great Qian's fortunes.

"It has been long since I last saw my grandson Zigui. I bestow upon him a wondrous Imperial Brush and a drop of blood from my heart. Moisten the brush with that blood, and its divine radiance will return.

"May he, when grown, ascend a lofty terrace himself and paint the mountains and rivers."

The secret edict was short, and its general meaning was straightforward.

Essentially, the old emperor was telling his son: I'm dying, and I don't have much time left. But I'm the hope of Great Qian Village, so I can't die. If I do, the village will fall into chaos. Some old Taoist said opening something called the Former Dynasty Princess's Tomb would extend my life and preserve Great Qian Village's fortunes.

But to open that tomb, they first had to find the Heavenly Pardon-Blessed One.

Fucking hell, does all power ultimately lead to mysticism?

After fiercely ranting to himself, Ren Ye's thoughts began racing.

Why is it me again? It's currently the third year of Emperor Jing's reign. That means this secret edict must be at least four years old, since the old emperor mentioned having less than a year left to live.

So four years ago, the old emperor already knew that I, the Heavenly Pardon-Blessed One, would appear in Qingliang Prefecture?

Four years ago, he had still been working on anti-fraud operations at the border. He had not even known Star Gates existed, yet this old emperor and that old Taoist had already begun "scheming" against him.

And what exactly is inside the Former Dynasty Princess's Tomb? Why can it only be opened after I appear?

The more I think about it, the more terrifying it gets. My scalp's crawling!

There were too many mysteries to solve and too little information available to Ren Ye. Uncovering the truth now was impossible. All he could do was gradually advance this Star Gate's "plot."

Forcing himself to calm down, Ren Ye bent over and took an exquisite little porcelain bottle from the wooden box beneath the desk. It had been found alongside the secret edict, so it presumably contained that drop of the emperor's heart blood.

Standing still, Ren Ye closed his eyes and called, "Imperial Brush!"

Whoosh!

The finely crafted Imperial Brush abruptly appeared in Ren Ye's hand.

Holding the brush in his right hand, he opened the exquisite porcelain bottle with his left. Just as he began considering how to use it, a dazzling vermilion light shone from within. A drop of dragon blood flew out and lit up the Imperial Brush.

[Congratulations, Your Highness Prince Huai. You have restored the Imperial Brush's wondrous powers and successfully completed the second task. You receive a reward of 500 source and 200 experience points.]

[Exclusive item, "Late Emperor's Imperial Brush": This miraculous brush can copy any skill that appears within this Star Gate. The copy lasts twelve hours and can only be used in full once. After use, it enters a weakened state and cannot be used again for twenty-four hours.]

[Ding~ You have received 500 Star Source. Current Star Source balance: 500.]

[Ding~ You have received 200 experience points. However, player levels, classes, and any inheritance traits cannot be activated within this Star Gate. Settlement will occur upon departure.]

The Startrace Gate's cold, ethereal voice slipped in and vanished immediately, just like an irresponsible fuckboy.

Ren Ye slowly came back to his senses, delighted.

It can copy any skill? Holy shit, that's awesome! Finally, something worthy of my hell-difficulty opening!

It took quite a while for Ren Ye's excitement to subside. He looked down at the little porcelain bottle, now bereft of its glow, put it back where it belonged, and called, "Store!"

Whoosh!

The Imperial Brush instantly vanished from his palm and appeared within Ren Ye's mental space. The sensation was extraordinary.

Successfully activating the Imperial Brush gave Ren Ye a little sense of security. Feeling refreshed, he walked around the chamber, looking carefully for any additional clues.

Unfortunately, despite spending the entire afternoon in the secret chamber, Ren Ye and Er Leng found no further useful information.

In front of a storage shelf, Ren Ye opened a book, and information about it automatically surfaced in his mind.

[Heavenly Yin Women's Sword Formation: According to rumor, the former dynasty's princess adored martial arts. She secretly gathered twenty-four beautiful women and, after eight years of grueling practice, developed a strange sword formation capable of shattering a person's yang soul.]

"A women's sword formation? Not much fucking use." Ren Ye casually set it down and picked up a beautifully colored vase.

[Eight-Treasure Vase: A seemingly useless ornament of considerable value. You may admire it yourself or give it to someone else.]

[Gold brick: One of the worldly riches commonly used as currency. Supposedly, everyone loves it.]

"...!"

"Whew!"

After searching the last storage shelf, Ren Ye let out a long breath. Wiping away his sweat, he muttered, "Looks like the Startrace Gate won't provide any additional task hints in this scene."

"Er Leng! Er Leng...!" Ren Ye turned and called twice, only to see Er Leng sitting alone by the chamber entrance, holding an unsheathed, silvery-white saber and chuckling foolishly. "Are you laying eggs over there?"

Er Leng looked up, cradling the silvery-white saber with utter adoration. "Your Highness, I've used sabers for years, but I've never seen a single-edged blade with such an imposing edge. This is a priceless treasure!"

"Let me see."

"...All right!" Although his eyes were filled with reluctance, Er Leng obediently handed over the saber.

Ren Ye took it, and its information surfaced in his mind.

["Invite the Moon," one of the world's ten renowned sabers: The peerless weapon wielded fifty years ago by Hidden Maiden, an assassin famed throughout the world. Rumor has it that whoever obtains this saber can also obtain everything Hidden Maiden learned throughout her life.]

The shorter the description, the more badass it is!

Ren Ye marveled inwardly, then glanced at Er Leng's expression while holding the saber. Er Leng's gaze burned with desire, but he did not dare speak and simply watched longingly.

"You like it?"

"I truly do, but a divine weapon like this should belong... belong...!"

"It's yours." Hearing Er Leng stumble over his words, Ren Ye interrupted with a trace of impatience.

Er Leng froze in astonishment, standing there like a statue.

"Take it!"

"Y-Your Highness, do you mean it?"

"...!" Ren Ye shoved the saber into his arms, then turned to look at all the storage shelves in the chamber and added quietly, "Sort these things out later. Keep the martial arts manuals, records, and the like. Tally up the remaining gold, silver, and treasures, then distribute all of them among the eunuchs and maids in my chambers. Make it as fair as possible."

"Huh?!" Er Leng remained dumbstruck. "A-all this gold, silver, and jewelry... if you kept it...!"

"Ah, share the wealth, and people will stay. Given my circumstances, they're still willing to follow me. What's a little money in return?" Ren Ye waved a hand. "Expecting people to risk their lives without paying them? Where would you find a deal like that?"

"Your Highness, you really are different from before." Looking at Ren Ye, Er Leng's eyes showed a rare glimmer of genuine gratification.

Don't compare me to that useless bastard, Ren Ye replied inwardly as he walked toward the exit. "It's getting late. I need to keep my date with my beloved consort."

"Your Highness treats me like my own father, bestowing such a precious, renowned saber upon me..." Er Leng gritted his teeth, as though making a momentous decision. "Even if you really ask me to service a stallion, I'll do my utmost!"

"Fuck!" Ren Ye nearly lost his mind.

"What does this 'fuck' mean?" Er Leng asked, unashamed to seek instruction.

"It describes what happens when the stallion mounts you. An expression of emotion."

"Your Highness knows so much...!"

After a simple meal, Ren Ye bathed and changed, deliberately putting on a pair of pink underpants that looked rather "innocent." He once again tied a strand of Lian'er's hair outside the door to his chambers, then headed to Princess Consort Xu Qingzhao's quarters accompanied by Er Leng and the others.

The servants waited outside. Within, sandalwood incense curled through the air, and everything was exceptionally quiet.

Ren Ye looked up and saw the princess consort sitting cross-legged on a bed surrounded by curtains that reached the floor, her delicate feet bare.

Droplets of water clung to her black hair, and her lovely face was rosy, as though she had just bathed.

Xu Qingzhao had always carried herself with cold, noble aloofness, indifferent to the masses and untouched by worldly affairs, like a celestial maiden descended to earth.

But now, with a vermilion mark between her brows, she wore only a thin white gauze dress. Her delicate shoulders were exposed, her cleavage clearly visible, and her two fair calves crossed beneath the skirt, appearing and disappearing through its folds.

For a moment, Ren Ye stared in a daze. I haven't had any action in over three years... if that's what you're wearing, I'm definitely wide awake now!

Xu Qingzhao slowly opened her eyes, turned toward Ren Ye, and lightly patted the bed in front of her. "Get on."

"?!"

Those two words sent Ren Ye's heart racing. He walked over with a hint of awkwardness, removed his boots, and climbed onto the bed. "My beloved consort, then... shall we talk lying down?!"

Whoosh!

Xu Qingzhao lightly waved an arm. The cords holding back the curtains untied themselves, and the fragrant curtains closed, completely concealing the two people on the bed.

"Remove your clothes," Xu Qingzhao commanded coolly.

You're the one asking for a favor. What's with that tone?

Fine, I'll take them off!

Rustle, rustle...!

In less than three seconds, Ren Ye was down to his underpants. As he untied their waistband, he reassured her, "My beloved consort, I know you're eager, but don't rush... I'll have everything off in a moment...!"

"The Nation-Guarding Sword acknowledged you as its master once more and brought forth a phenomenon of heaven and earth. Congratulations, Heavenly Pardon-Blessed One!"

Her cool voice rang out like thunder exploding in his ears.

Ren Ye's heart lurched. When he looked up, he saw a faint smile on Xu Qingzhao's lips as she looked down at him with playful scrutiny.