A written challenge

The next day, early morning.

In the Yingmei Pavilion, on the spacious and luxurious brocade couch, Fuxiang, fast asleep, let out a soft "hmm" and emitted a sweet and languid moan.

Her thick, curled eyelashes trembled, and she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Xu Qi'an's high nose and handsome profile.

He was awake, quietly gazing at the roof.

Good morning, Xu Lang.

Fuxiang reached out from under the covers and hooked her arms around Xu Qi'an's neck, while simultaneously pressing down on his mischievous hands.

"What do you mean 'early'? In the morning you should say: 'You were amazing last night!'" Xu Qi'an yawned and asked, "What time is it?"

"How annoying, I can't say it."

Fuxiang yawned, nuzzled her cheek against Xu Qi'an's face, and said coquettishly, "The water's leaking at the foot of the bed, Xu Lang, why don't you check it yourself?"

Xu Qi'an leaned over the edge of the bed and looked towards the foot of the bed. The next moment, he jumped up from the bed. "It's already Chen Shi (7-9 AM)! You little devil, I have to go to the yamen right away, or I won't get my monthly salary for the second half of the year!"

Fuxiang propped her head up with her arm and chuckled foolishly, "Yesterday it was all Xu Lang who was nagging me, and now he's turning the tables on me, ptooey."

Xu Qi'an left Yingmei Pavilion and went to the stable to lead away his mare. As expected, Erlang's horse was gone, which meant that he had already left the Imperial Academy of Music.

He rode his mare back to the Xu Residence, looking left and right along the way, but he never saw any green oranges for sale.

"Zhong Li seems to still be at the Bureau of Astronomy. I should go pick her up." Xu Qi'an muttered to himself, then turned and ran towards the Bureau of Astronomy.

"Zha zha zha"

Xu Qi'an pulled the valve, and the stone door leading to the underground of the Bureau of Astronomy opened. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Zhong Li, I've come to get you."

The sound echoed in the empty underground.

After a moment, footsteps echoed down the straight steps leading to the ground. An oil lamp burned, its glowing light illuminating the outline of a human figure, which gradually became clearer.

Zhong Li, her hair disheveled, climbed the steps, her clear voice ringing out from her hair with a hint of excitement. "You're here!"

"Let's go, come home with me." Xu Qi'an turned to leave.

Zhong Li turned around and shouted into the dark underground, "Senior Brother Yang, you should reflect on your actions in seclusion and not make the teacher angry again."

After saying that, she pulled the handle and closed the stone door.

As Xu Qi'an walked out, he asked curiously, "Did Senior Brother Yang do something wrong?"

Zhong Li looked at him and said in a low voice, "Yesterday, Senior Brother Yang went to the Meridian Gate and blocked the way of the civil and military officials, reciting your poem."

"The officials and His Majesty were furious and sent people to condemn the teacher and severely punish Senior Brother Yang. The teacher had Senior Brother Yang hung up and whipped, then imprisoned him underground for ten days to reflect on his actions. Only then did the officials and His Majesty relent."

Xu Qi'an was stunned, his face blank, unable to believe that someone would go to such lengths just to show off.

Yang Qianhuan was hung up and whipped by the prison warden? It's such a pity I wasn't there!!

While feeling regretful, he didn't forget his business. Looking around the hall, he saw that all the ninth-rank Healer had fled, so he could only ask Zhong Li beside him:

"Do you have any powder to mask body odor? I drank some alcohol last night. You might not know, but my aunt and sister really dislike it when I drink."

"Oh." Zhong Li nodded obediently and said, "It's very simple to cover up the smell of perfume. Wait a moment, I'll find you some incense."

This is a bit awkward. Xu Qi'an's lips twitched.

Back at the Xu Residence, he saw Lina and Susu playing chess at the stone table in the courtyard, Xu Lingyin was practicing horse stance not far away.

"Big pot."

The little bean pretended to be very happy as he came up to them, taking the opportunity to slack off and rest.

Lina was clearly an incompetent mentor, her eyes glued to the chessboard, her beautiful face filled with seriousness and contemplation.

That's quite unusual. Seeing two academically challenged students discussing calculus, Xu Qi'an curiously walked over and took a closer look.

The two were playing Gomoku!

They're gone.

Because Zhong Li had already been warned on the way, the fifth senior sister of the Bureau of Astronomy was not surprised to see a ghost sitting in the courtyard playing chess; she just glanced at it a few times.

"This is a mermaid, very rare," she whispered.

I know that the defining characteristic of a demon is her beauty. She likes to seduce passersby in deep mountains and forests, and then drain their life force—yes, this life force is genuine life force. Xu Qi'an nodded, indicating that he understood.

Seeing this, Zhong Li said no more.

Then, Xu Qi'an discovered that Li Miaozhen was missing and was immediately alarmed. He ran to the yard and asked Su Su, "Where is your master?"

Without looking up, Su Su focused intently on the chessboard and replied in a sweet voice, "Let's go to Lingbao Temple."

Outside the imperial city gate, Li Miaozhen, dressed in a Daoist robe, was stopped by the Tiger Guards.

She remained calm and composed, turned around and walked back a short distance, then patted her back and with a "clang," her flying sword was drawn.

The Tiger Guards, who were not far away, thought she was going to force her way into the imperial city and were terrified, so they all drew their weapons.

Li Miaozhen gracefully leaped onto the sword's spine, the flying sword carrying her soaring upwards until it hovered twenty zhang in the air. From this height, the Lingbao Temple could already be seen in the far distance.

The Tiger Guards on the city wall drew their bows, turned their crossbows and cannons, and aimed them at Li Miaozhen. As soon as their commander gave the order, a volley of arrows would be unleashed.

The Tiger Guard commander did not order an attack. He squinted at Li Miaozhen, a sudden idea flashing through his mind.

A woman in a Daoist robe, about to enter the imperial city—is she Li Miaozhen, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect? One of the protagonists in the struggle between Celestial Person and Man?

However, if Li Miaozhen insists on flying her sword into the imperial city, then what awaits her will surely be a counterattack from the Imperial Guards and the Nightwatchers.

Li Miaozhen knew, of course, that she was being targeted, but it wasn't a big problem; she had no intention of forcibly breaking into the imperial city.

Gazing at the distant Lingbao Temple, he focused his energy in his Dantian and spoke in a clear, resonant voice. "Li Miaozhen, a disciple of the Heavenly Sect, has come on the orders of her master to exchange ideas and discuss the Dao with the disciples of the Human Sect."

"The time and location will be determined by the Human Religion."

The sound was extremely penetrating, not deafening, but it traveled a long distance, clearly audible both inside and outside the imperial city.

At this moment, all the high-ranking officials, members of the imperial family, and government officials residing in the imperial city heard Li Miaozhen's "challenge."

Outside the imperial city, the residents of the inner city, which was right next to the red city wall, were also startled by the noise. Pedestrians stopped in their tracks, and stall owners stopped hawking their wares, all turning their heads to look in the direction of the imperial city.

Lin'an Prefecture.

Lin'an, dressed in a layered red palace gown and playing embroidered ball with the palace maids, suddenly stopped, listened intently, and asked:

Did you hear that sound?

Several palace maids tilted their heads and quietly gazed towards the direction of the imperial city.

"I heard it, it sounds like Li Miaozhen, a disciple of the Heavenly Sect," the palace maid who had been patted on the butt by Xu Qi'an responded.

As soon as the words were spoken, a clear and pleasant voice came from the opposite direction. "Three days later, at the third quarter of the hour of Mao (5:45 AM), on the banks of the Wei River on the outskirts of the capital, Chu Yuanzhen, Registered Disciple the Human Sect, will go into battle."

Biao Biao opened her mouth slightly, her mind filled with the strange and interesting stories Xu Qi'an had told her, one of which was the struggle between Celestial Person and man!

"I want to go see it in three days. I want my dog servant to take me." The woman was burning with desire and couldn't wait to have the guards summon her dog servant.

The Prince of Huai's Residence.

In the flower-filled back garden, a woman in a lotus-colored dress stood amidst the blossoms, gazing towards the city gate, and whispered, "Three days later, at the third quarter of the hour of Mao (5:45 AM), on the banks of the Wei River on the outskirts of the capital."

Her eyes crinkled into a smile, and she said happily, "There's going to be a good show."

There was no wind, but the flowers in the yard swayed gently, as if responding to her.

Li Miaozhen arrived in the capital and, three days later, dueled with Chu Yuanzhen, a disciple of the Human Sect, on the banks of the Wei River.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching almost the entire capital city in just half a day.

The first to be excited were the martial arts practitioners who had arrived in the capital early on after hearing the news. They had waited a full month for the battle between the Celestial Person.

The duel between the most outstanding disciples of the Daoist School Human Sect and the Heavenly Sect has arrived.

Although many people faced the embarrassing situation of running out of money, no one complained. In fact, they felt that coming to the capital in advance was an absolutely correct and fortunate decision.

Because before the battle between the Celestial Person and the human, they witnessed a battle of magic that was rare in a century.

This can be fully demonstrated by the regretful attitude of the martial arts heroes who missed the duel because they arrived late.

Even without the subsequent battle between the Celestial Person and the human, for most martial arts practitioners, the trip would have been worthwhile.

In a certain restaurant, the seductive Rongrong, a beautiful woman, Young Master Liu, and Young Master Liu's master found an empty seat by the window and, while having lunch, discussed the struggle between Celestial Person and man.

The two main characters naturally became the focus of attention.

Rongrong poured wine for the beautiful woman, but turned to look at the middle-aged swordsman and said in a crisp voice, "I heard from a senior that this Chu Yuanzhen seems to be the top scholar of the 27th year of Yuanjing?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged swordsman sighed, "Yes, back then I was traveling in the capital when the imperial examinations were being held. I watched him become the top scholar in the provincial examinations, and then the top scholar in the imperial examinations."

"Unexpectedly, he has already resigned from his official post and become Registered Disciple of the Human Sect. And today, he is even representing the Human Sect in battle."

"Master, I've heard that Li Miaozhen is a fairy of unparalleled beauty. What rank do you think she would be in the Daoist School sect?"

When Young Master Liu said this, his attention was entirely focused on the four words "national beauty and heavenly fragrance".

Regarding the question about his disciple, the middle-aged swordsman shook his head, "The Holy Maiden of that sect hardly ever travels in the martial world, and her reputation is not well-known. I don't even know what rank she is."

"However, there is another rumor in the martial arts world: the Flying Swallow Heroine who suddenly appeared two years ago is actually the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect."

"Feiyan Heroine is the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect?" Rongrong was taken aback.

She had heard of the legendary heroine Fei Yan; this woman robbed the rich to help the poor, and was always doing good deeds or on her way to do good deeds.

His deeds were widely praised and circulated among wandering knights.

However, a year ago, she suddenly disappeared from the martial arts world, and her whereabouts became unknown.

The middle-aged swordsman chuckled, "These are all rumors circulating in the martial world; I don't know if they're true or not. However, the heroine Flying Swallow disappeared a year ago; I wonder where she went."

At this moment, a man in a blue robe at the next table interjected, mocking, "You're quite ignorant, aren't you? The Flying Swallow Heroine went to Yunzhou to suppress bandits, that's why she disappeared for a year."

Go to Yunzhou to suppress bandits?

Before the middle-aged swordsman could ask a question, the surrounding martial arts practitioners all turned to look.

"How did you know that Lady Flying Swallow went to Yunzhou to suppress bandits?"

"Not only do I know that the Flying Swallow Heroine went to Yunzhou, but I also know that she is none other than Li Miaozhen, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect." The blue-robed wandering swordsman took a sip of wine and spoke eloquently:

"I have a brother from Qingzhou who suddenly returned home at the beginning of the year. He said he had spent the year in Yunzhou, fighting bandits alongside the Flying Swallow Heroine, and his cultivation had greatly increased. He was also the one who told me that the Flying Swallow Heroine is the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect."

The middle-aged swordsman's eyes flickered, filled with skepticism at the blue-robed man's words. He asked, "If you were suppressing bandits in Yunzhou, why have you suddenly returned home?"

The blue-robed wanderer sneered, "Of course, the bandit suppression is over. At the end of last year, the imperial court sent two Golden Gongs and a group of Silver Gongs to Yunzhou to eradicate the bandits there."

"Xu Yinluo from the Nightwatchers's office was among them at the time, and it's said he almost died?"

Immediately, a knowledgeable figure in the martial arts world spoke up, saying, "It wasn't just a near miss, it was a real near-death experience."

"Nonsense, can the dead be resurrected?"

"Hey, one look at you poor guys and you know you can't afford to go to Jiaofangsi. Xu Yinluo is a frequent visitor to Jiaofangsi. If you just pick a courtyard and ask the girls there, you can find out a lot about Xu Yinluo." The insider said:

"It is said that when the Governor of Yunzhou led his troops in rebellion, tens of thousands of soldiers besieged the governor and his entourage. Just when everyone was in despair, it was Xu Yinluo who, with only a sword, blocked tens of thousands of rebels, just as he had blocked the civil and military officials a few days earlier."

"The battle raged fiercely, darkening the sky and obscuring the sun and moon, until finally, they died from exhaustion. But they managed to hold off reinforcements until they arrived, turning the tide of the battle."

The hall erupted in uproar; both martial arts practitioners and ordinary citizens were stunned.

"One person can hold off tens of thousands; is there really such a master in the world?"

"I think it's possible. Didn't you see the magical duel? Xu Yinluo is a genius; even Buddhist School Arhats are inferior to him."

"But I heard it was the prison warden who helped him."

"Shut up! It was Xu Yinluo who single-handedly defeated the Buddhist School. What does Guan Jianzheng have to do with this? I won't allow you to slander the heroes of the Great Feng."

Lingbao Temple, a quiet little courtyard.

Emperor Yuanjing stood with his hands behind his back by the pool, gazing at the stunningly beautiful Daoist nun who sat cross-legged above the pool, her eyes closed in meditation.

"Alas, Imperial Preceptor, after this battle, the leader of the Heavenly Sect will arrive in the capital in three months to a year. At that time, Imperial Preceptor will be in danger."

Emperor Yuanjing sighed, "The Supervisor will most likely not get involved in this matter."

If the supervisor could intervene and protect him, coupled with Luo Yuheng's own strength, dealing with a leader of the Heavenly Sect would be more than enough.

Of course, Emperor Yuanjing knew this was wishful thinking. First-rank experts almost never act without a special reason. Moreover, the Supervisor's attitude towards the Human Sect was cold, so the probability of him intervening against the Heavenly Sect's leader was slim.

"If the Imperial Preceptor cannot reach the first rank, even if Chu Yuanzhen wins, it will not mean much," Emperor Yuanjing shook his head.

There is a rule between the Celestial Person and Human Sects that before the leaders of the sects fight, the disciples of the two sects will first have a contest. The loser of the contest must give the other three moves when the real battle between the Celestial Person and Human Sects takes place.

However, Luo Yuheng is only a second-rank cultivator, far inferior to the leader of the Heavenly Sect. Even if Chu Yuanzhen wins and gains a three-move advantage, she will still lose in the end.

"Is there any way to postpone this battle between Celestial Person and man?" Emperor Yuanjing asked.

He didn't suggest stopping it, because that was impractical. Even if he were the emperor, he couldn't control the struggle between a second-rank and a first-rank master over the lineage of martial arts.

Luo Yuheng opened his eyes, a flash of inspiration in them, and said calmly, "If we can't determine a winner, then so be it."

The outcome was undecided. Emperor Yuanjing pondered these words, then said helplessly, "Unless Li Miaozhen agrees."

Luo Yuheng pondered for a moment, then said, "There is an even simpler way."

The Xu Residence.

Xu Dalang, who was playing with the little boy in the yard, suddenly heard a high-pitched meow. He turned his head and saw an orange cat sitting on the wall.

"Lingyin, go play with your master first. Your big brother has something to do." Xu Qi'an patted his sister's head.

"Okay, big brother, I want to eat at Cassia Moon Tower tonight." Xu Lingyin held her older brother's finger.

"Alright, I'll buy it for you when we go out later, now get lost." Xu Qi'an poked her forehead with his finger.

Xu Lingyin ran off happily, skipping and jumping.

The orange cat leaped into the yard, walked gracefully to him, and spoke in human language, "Li Miaozhen has issued a challenge."

Xu Qi'an nodded. "I know."

The orange cat gave a human-like smile and said, "There's something I need your help with."

Xu Qi'an didn't answer, but silently looked at him.

The man and the cat stared at each other for a long time. Xu Qi'an whispered, "Daoist Master, are you trying to trick me again?"

The orange cat shook its head. "Lord Xu, when have I ever cheated you?"

Xu Qi'an sighed, "I have a bad feeling that you're coming to see me at this critical juncture."