The Heroine Appears

[What on earth is the empress thinking?]

[First she didn't react to my offense, and then she assigned me such an important task at court. Isn't she afraid I'll mess it up for her?]

[Could she have taken a fancy to me?]

[Come to think of it, the empress really is beautiful. Clouds recall her robes, flowers her face; spring winds caress the railing, and dewdrops glisten. Even that could hardly do her justice. She's definitely the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Becoming her male favorite wouldn't be such a bad deal...]

[Bah, bah, bah! Gu Yuan, your Dao heart is wavering! How can you abandon your grand plan for immortality over a mere beauty? Your punishment is to write "immortality" a thousand times from memory!]

[Immortality! Immortality! Immortality!...]

After noon, the empress practiced martial arts, and guards were not permitted to approach. It was also one of Gu Yuan's rare chances to rest.

He went straight to an empty little room and began writing in his diary.

The more he wrote, the more rewards he received. He had to review the day's events anyway, so he might as well write everything down and earn some extra rewards.

Meanwhile, the empress sat cross-legged in a quiet chamber, nearly losing control of her qi.

Lines of text were appearing in the "Gu Yuan's Diary" before her.

"How dare he harbor such improper thoughts about this empress!"

"Hmph!"

"Utterly brazen!"

"Still, his writing is quite good. Every word carries an immortal air."

"Immortality... nothing but a daydream..."

[Whew. Only with a mind free of distractions can I see this through to the end.]

[Huh? Looks like I've reached seventh rank. From never having practiced martial arts to a seventh-rank martial artist in two or three days-the Martial God Physique is awesome!]

Qi Yueli: ...

[Although I don't know what the empress is planning, meeting those heirs wouldn't be a bad thing, especially our noble and virtuous male lead. Come to think of it, it's strange. How could an old schemer like the King of Qingzhou have an heir so righteous it's almost unnatural?]

[Could he have been cuckolded?]

Qi Yueli: ...

[Forget it. Why should I worry about someone else's family affairs?]

[Speaking of which, the empress really isn't much good at picking people. She actually chose Ning Yan, the protagonist's future life-and-death brother! It seems that not long after the heir arrived in the capital, the Duke of Wei'an took his entire household over to Qingzhou. A failure, a complete failure.]

[But it doesn't really matter. Half the people at court just now had their hearts set on Qingzhou. It's only because the empress is so powerful that she's still on the throne. Any other emperor would have been deposed long ago.]

Qi Yueli: ...

She felt that if she continued practicing, her true qi really would go astray.

[Being good at fighting does have its advantages. I need to hurry up and get stronger too.]

[Right, I'll rob a tomb tonight and get my hands on the Great Li Dragon Seal...]

!!!

"The Great Li Dragon Seal?" Qi Yueli's breathing hitched slightly.

[I'll take the cultivation technique and leave the useless imperial dynasty's fortune to the male lead. Mutually beneficial. Perfect!]

"Fortune!"

At that moment, Qi Yueli could no longer calm her thoughts.

The fortune of the previous Great Li dynasty-if she had it, perhaps she could make up for the depleted dragon vein...

"Brother Gu, where are you?"

Hearing Zhao Sheng's shout, Gu Yuan hurriedly put away his diary and stepped out of the room.

"Brother Zhao, what do you need me for?"

"Brother Gu, what are you doing all the way over here? Come with me. Commander Shangguan wants to see you."

Shangguan Weiming was one of the ten commanders of the Mystic Shadow Guard and a genuine third-rank martial artist.

Throughout Great Qi, a third-rank martial artist had enough power to establish a sect.

There were no more than a hundred people of third rank or above in Great Qi, and first-rank martial artists were even rarer.

As for martial grandmasters above first rank, there were only four in the entire world, and Great Qi's empress, Qi Yueli, stood at the pinnacle among them.

But before long, there would be a fifth...

Soon, Gu Yuan met Shangguan Weiming, a middle-aged man who looked unshaven and weather-beaten.

"Well, well, is this really that filthy boy from the imperial prison? How did a change of clothes make you so handsome?"

Shangguan Weiming stepped forward and patted Gu Yuan on the shoulder, putting on none of the airs of a superior.

"Commander, were you the one who saved me that night?"

"No, no. But I saw you fight two fifth-rank martial artists on your own without falling behind. You're truly a genius among geniuses!"

A sharp intake of breath-

Shangguan Weiming's words startled the surrounding Mystic Shadow Guards.

He was so young, yet he had fought two fifth-rank martial artists?

They had to be joking!

"You flatter me, Commander. I only used a secret family technique to increase my strength. My martial cultivation is quite shallow."

Only then did the Mystic Shadow Guards breathe a sigh of relief.

Just as they thought. Without the help of a secret technique, how could he have done it...

"Hahaha, good! Neither arrogant nor impatient. You'll surely achieve great things!" Shangguan Weiming took quite a liking to Gu Yuan. "Since neither of us has anything to do, let me see how strong you are without your secret technique."

Gu Yuan was taken aback. "Commander, isn't that a bad idea? I can't beat you."

"Don't worry, I won't use my martial cultivation to overpower you. I can see your true qi is abundant. Have you just made a breakthrough?"

"I did just break through to seventh rank," Gu Yuan said slowly, with no intention of hiding it.

After all, he would be sixth rank in a few days.

"Seventh rank!" the Mystic Shadow Guards exclaimed, their faces full of astonishment. "Isn't he only eighteen? To reach seventh rank so young, his talent is enough to rival the commander's!"

"Good lad, you really are extraordinary!" Shangguan Weiming unfastened his saber and took up a stance. "Come on, I'll fight you using seventh-rank cultivation!"

"You can come at me with everything you've got."

Seeing this, Gu Yuan stopped declining. He also wanted to test just how strong he was now.

"Commander, please enlighten me!"

Their figures flickered as they closed in at high speed and began to fight...

Not far from them, a splendidly dressed young woman was looking around with wide eyes.

"Xiaoyun, what's going on over there? It looks lively."

The palace maid named Xiaoyun said softly, "Princess, it looks like the Mystic Shadow Guards are fighting."

"Fighting!"

"How dare they fight in the imperial palace!"

"Come on, let's go teach them a lesson!"

Before she had even finished speaking, the young woman rolled up her sleeves, hitched up her skirts, and eagerly charged forward.

"Princess, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager said that if you fight again, you'll be punished by being made to kneel!"

Xiaoyun shouted, but it was no use at all.

Meanwhile, Gu Yuan and Shangguan Weiming were locked in a fierce battle.

Shangguan Weiming was highly experienced, and his every move was unpredictable.

But Gu Yuan possessed the Martial God Physique and was exceptionally sensitive to the flow of true qi. He still managed to anticipate Shangguan Weiming's movements several times.

The longer Shangguan Weiming fought, the more astonished he became. A feeling faintly arose in his heart:

This boy Gu Yuan had simply been born for martial arts!

"Commander, watch out!"

The next moment.

Gu Yuan suddenly vanished from the arena.

This is bad!

Shangguan Weiming's expression changed. He tried to turn around, but it was already too late.

At some point, Gu Yuan had placed the edge of his hand against Shangguan Weiming's neck. Had this been a real fight, Shangguan Weiming's head would already have fallen!

For a moment, the scene fell silent.

The Mystic Shadow Guards' eyes were full of disbelief.

Gu Yuan had actually defeated Commander Shangguan. Even though the commander had suppressed his cultivation, it was still incredible!

"Good! Well fought!"

A cheer as clear as a lark's song broke the silence.

Everyone was startled and turned to look.

They would have been better off not looking. At the sight, all the Mystic Shadow Guards were badly startled and hurriedly bowed.

"Greetings, Princess!"

Princess?

Gu Yuan's gaze swept over the young woman.

As it happened, the young woman was looking at him too.

"Huh? I haven't seen you before. What's your name?"

Gu Yuan took a deep breath, guessing who she was.

The young woman before him should be the younger sister of the empress Qi Yueli, the only princess of Great Qi.

And the heroine of the entire Imperial Dynasty Turmoil version.

Princess Huai'an, Qi Lingyuan!