Gate of God

Chapter 228: Present the sword? Take the sword by force?

The Sword Spirit has recognized an owner?

The smiles on all of the officials’ faces disappeared when they saw the shaking General Jin. They all thought of the same thing.

However, no one dared to say it out.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping’s expression was contorted.

King Duan, Lin Tianrong, as well as all of the officials in the throne room had a similar expression. The worst of them all was General Jin.

General Jin’s eyes were bloodshot and his lips turned purple from all the exertion.

Even so, the blade in his hand did not seem to move. No matter how hard he tried, the blade would not come out from the stone.

The worst feeling was that he could not stop until Emperor Lin Mubai gave him permission…

No one stood out.

If General Jin could not extract the sword, that could only mean that the sword was incredibly difficult to extract. None of the officials had the confidence to try.

Emperor Lin Mubai’s expression changed as he looked at General Jin.

He could tell that there was a problem. However, as the greatest power in the entire country and the son of the dragon, how could he be stymied by a blade?

This situation had escalated far beyond that of a sword.

If he knew that the sword had already recognized an owner, then he would not have asked Fang Zhengzhi to present the sword. He would have simply given the sword to Fang Zhengzhi and made himself seem generous.

But now, if the sword could not be extracted, his authority would be impacted.

For thousands of years, the Emperor was without equal. How could he be insulted like that?

Emperor Lin Mubai knew that he had to make a decision.

But…

This blade belonged to Meng Tian. It represented Meng Tian’s will and determination. If Fang Zhengzhi was really its owner, then it would be impossible to extract it from the ground.

Emperor Lin Mubai clasped his palms as his eyes glowed. He exuded a mountainous, domineering aura.

This aura quickly filled up the entire throne room.

All of the officials turned to look at Emperor Lin Mubai. They knew how powerful this man was. As the emperor, there was no one more commanding than him.

“Is the Emperor going to take matters into his own hands?” All of the officials looked on with complicated expressions.

Based on his abilities, there was a good chance that he could extract the sword himself.

However, that would completely change the situation. He would be taking the sword by force. Fang Zhengzhi had not offered the sword to him.

Furthermore, what if he failed to extract it from the ground?

The situation would really go out of control.

Take the sword by force? Kill Fang Zhengzhi?

Some people would want to see the issue resolved this way. However, most people did not want things to end that way. Even though they didn’t think Fang Zhengzhi deserved the sword, they thought that he was a talent who can be used in the future.

“Hum!”

The Traceless Sword began to hum at a high pitch. The entire blade began to shake as a strange purple light glowed from the bottom, almost as if it was fighting against some force.

Fang Zhengzhi felt his heart in his throat. He could feel that the blade was in a bad mood, almost as if it was being trapped by something.

Just as he prepared to speak, the high pitched hum disappeared.

Emperor Lin Mubai’s aura also disappeared with it. The throne room returned to calm as Lin Mubai loosened the grip on his hands.

He did not try to extract the sword, neither did he stop General Jin from trying. He sat on the throne quietly and calmly, almost as if he was waiting for something.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping glanced at Emperor Lin Mubai’s expression. His heart fluttered. He could guess what the Emperor was thinking.

As the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty, the Emperor had to think of the big picture. The sword may be a treasure of the empire, but it already recognized an owner.

He could take the sword forcefully from its owner and be a thief. He may even have to kill off one of the brightest talents of the Great Xia Dynasty.

That was not a wise choice.

As such, he gave up any thought of taking the sword by force. As such, this matter had already been resolved. This was not a resolution that Yu Yiping had expected.

It was a resolution that none of the officials had expected.

And now…

Emperor Lin Mubai still needed some way to retain his standing and reputation, a way that would satisfy all of the officials.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping could have provided that way. However, that would utterly humiliate him in front of Fang Zhengzhi…

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping knew what the Emperor wanted, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. After considering his options, he chose to remain silent.

There were countless other intelligent officials present who could guess the Emperor’s intentions. However, they all chose the same path as Yu Yiping.

None of them were willing to admit that they were worse than an immature 15 year old commoner.

The throne room became incredibly silent. The silence was rather unsettling.

The only sound that could be heard was General Jin’s heavy panting and occasional exclamations.

“Rise!”

“Oh gosh!”

“Rise!”

“Come on up!”

“…”

This looked like a stalemate. However, amidst the stalemate, there was still one person standing in front of the throne. This person was Ping Yang, and she was extremely excited.

“Come on, General Jin!”

A crisp voice rang out throughout the throne room. Her naivety eventually resulted in General Jin shuddering and falling to the ground, thoroughly exhausted.

At this point, a faint cough could be heard from outside the throne room.

Then, a figure appeared at the entrance to the throne room. This man was in his eighties, and his hair was completely silver. His face was thin and wrinkled and his eyes were drowsy. However, his silver dragon robe made sure that he was still respected.

“King Liqin?!”

All of the officials were stunned when they saw him.

King Liqin was the uncle of the Emperor.

He was an incredibly elderly man, but no one could ignore his presence.

He did not meddle with the courts, but he was an influential man in the armies. He had stood next to the previous emperor and played an invaluable role in his conquest of the south.

Back then, he was touted as having immense wit and foresight.

However, no one could understand why he had pulled out of the courts and given up command of the armies after the previous emperor had taken the throne.

He had just been leading a simple, leisurely life in the palace.

If Meng Tian was a legendary figure, then King Liqin was a living fossil of the Great Xia Empire army.

“King Liqin is here?!”

All of the officials looked at each other, unsure of what was going on. That was until they saw a lady behind King Liqin.

This was a lady dressed in a pink dress. She had a purple belt with gold embroidery tied around her waist which accentuated her great figure. There was also a Roc Bird with its outspread wings embroidered in silver. The Roc Bird’s eyes were golden pearls.

The eyes glimmered like stars in the sky.

The lady also had a gold jade hairpin. It was also a Roc Bird with its wings extended. It was extremely magnificent.

The girl was quite calm, but her eyes glimmered like the stars.

The girl followed closely beside King Liqin. She did not speak, but all the officials looked at her closely.

Because…

She was the Heaven’s Pride Talent of the Great Xia Dynasty. She was the top of the two Dragon Rolls, Chi Guyan.

“Greetings, your highness!” King Liqin stepped into the throne room but did not advance any further. He bowed deeply upon entering.

“Uncle, please rise!” Emperor Lin Mubai stood up from his throne and made a motion with his hands upon seeing the elderly man fall to his knees.

King Liqin paused for a moment before standing up. However, he did not enter the throne room, choosing to stand at the entrance like a statue.

“Thank you, your highness!”

“What brings you and Chi Guyan here?” Emperor Lin Mubai’s eyes glowed when he saw Chi Guyan.

“The weather has been bad and I’ve been bored. Chi Guyan happened to come visit me, so we decided to take a walk. We never expected to stumble across the throne room and interrupt a court session.” King Liqin looked quite frail, almost as if he could be knocked over by a gust of wind.

“Uncle, what are you saying? I can always postpone my court session. Now that you are here, how about we go sit in the gardens?”

“I am deeply appreciative of your highness’ goodwill. However, please do not let us interrupt the important court session. I have nothing better to do, a little wait wouldn’t hurt.” King Liqin looked at the Traceless Sword being held by General Jin as he spoke.

Chapter 229: Presenting the sword

King Liqin looked like he was reminiscing something of old, but his eyes were incredibly complicated and it was impossible for others to know what he was thinking.

That being said, there was one thing all of the officials could be sure of.

King Liqin’s appearance in the throne room was definitely not a coincidence. Furthermore, Chi Guyan, the top ranked youth of this generation, was by his side.

Would Chi Guyan come into the throne room for no reason?

Definitely not.

For the past year, Chi Guyan has stayed away from politics. She had confined herself within the Heaven Dao Pavillion. She had only decided to descend from the mountain a few month ago, but had never taken a step into the courts.

As such, King Liqin and Chi Guyan’s arrival must be about the sword.

How was the aged uncle of the Emperor going to resolve this conflict?

Upon hearing what King Liqin had to say, Emperor Li Mubai nodded lightly. Then, he was silent. He definitely knew why King Liqin and Chi Guyan were here.

However, as an emperor, he had no need to guess what methods King Liqin would use to solve this problem. All he had to do was nod or shake his head.

As the emperor, his decision was final.

King Liqin looked at the sword. He did not let Emperor Lin Mubai wait too long. After glancing at the Traceless Sword, he began to speak, almost as if he was murmuring to himself.

“Good sword, this is really a good sword. Is this the sword from the World of the Sage? Is this Meng Tian’s sword? I have heard my servants talking about this blade over the past few days whilst I’ve been lazing around in my residence. I never expected to see it for myself in the throne room. Not bad, not bad…” King Liqin praised the sword, but he did not move a single step.

All of the officials were trying to guess what King Liqin was thinking? Was King Liqin eyeing the sword as well?

The courts were still calm and silent. No one spoke other than King Liqin.

King Liqin began to murmur to himself again.

“All these years, I have not had any hobby other than collecting swords. However, with my age, I have become less and less mobile. I wonder if you can help me remove the sword so I can take a look at it?” King Liqin said.

General Jin flushed when he heard this. He was the closest to the sword and he would be happy to help King Liqin, but he could not do anything.

All of the other officials finally understood what King Liqin wanted. He wants to extract the swords too?

King Liqin had not determined who would be the one to extract the sword.

His statement was extremely simple.

But, it was actually quite loaded. Now the Emperor had a perfectly legitimate reason to try to extract the blade.

News would spread that the current Emperor went to extract a sword from the ground just so his uncle to admire it.

This would ensure that the Emperor’s reputation was unsullied. In fact, people will even praise him for being filial. He would also be able to prevent people from calling a thief.

If Emperor Lin Mubai did not choose to step out, then there was only one person who could extract the sword.

That man was Fang Zhengzhi.

That was also quite the perfect plan. As a filial nephew, the Emperor could order Fang Zhengzhi to extract the blade and present it to his uncle. That would also satisfy the courts.

No matter what the Emperor decided, his reputation would not be at risk. More importantly, his decision would reveal whether he wanted the sword.

If he did, he would extract it himself.

If he didn’t, he would make Fang Zhengzhi do it.

King Liqin murmured to himself then stepped back into position. As an official and an uncle, he left the final decision to the Emperor.

All of the officials looked to the Emperor, keenly awaiting his decision.

Emperor Lin Mubai gently raised his hands and placed them on the dragon table. He calmly looked at the officials, then at the slightly anxious King Duan and Heir Lin Tianrong.

Finally, his gaze landed on Chi Guyan.

Chi Guyan did not speak. She had been completely silent since entering the throne room. She stood quietly by King Liqin’s side, supporting him by the arm.

She looked like a granddaughter taking care of her granddad.

Even so, no one ignored her presence. She was the leader of the two dragon roles. She was also the one in the prophecy. As such, one day, she would become the most powerful in the world.

Chi Guyan’s expression was calm as a lake.

All of a sudden, Emperor Lin Mubai chuckled.

“Haha… what’s so difficult about uncle’s request? This blade was brought out of the World of the Sage by Fang Zhengzhi. I think he should extract it.”

Many of the officials were in shock when they heard this. Most of them thought that Emperor Lin Mubai would extract it himself, considering the significance of the sword.

But it looked like the Emperor wanted Fang Zhengzhi to do it.

How is this possible?

No one was willing to believe this. This was something that no one had expected. Is the Emperor really going to gift this powerful sword, the sword that represents Meng Tian’s will and our country’s prowess, to a commoner?!

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping paled. If he had not said what he had said, none of this would have happened.

Fang Zhengzhi would not have drove the blade into the ground.

No one would have tried to extract the sword.

Was this a coincidence?

Or did Fang Zhengzhi plan this?

Yu Yiping’s eyes glowed icily. If it was the latter, Fang Zhengzhi was a scary man and a threat to his position.

King Duan and the Heir both bit their lips. They had linked the sword to the battle for the throne. But now, the all powerful sword was about to be given to a commoner?

How could they ever be happy about that?

Even though all of the officials were stunned, they still turned their gazes on Fang Zhengzhi.

Yan Xiu, Xing Qingsui, and Nangong Mu also turned to look at him, nodding their approval.

Ping Yang smiled widely, almost as if she saw victory within her grasp.

Fang Zhengzhi heaved a sigh of relief. He had never lusted for power, and had did not want to challenge the Emperor’s authority.

All he wanted to do was keep the sword.

But now, even though he did not know what was going on, it seemed like the sword… was safe?

The Emperor had asked him to extract the sword.

It was all too easy now. All he had to do was extract the sword in front of all of the officials and hand it over to the old man to take a look…

And it would all be over?

Fang Zhengzhi was ecstatic.

“Yes your highness!” Fang Zhengzhi bowed deeply towards the Emperor, then glanced at the officials, a smirk at the edge of his mouth.

Then, he began to saunter up to the sword.

General Jin was quite relieved to see this. Before Fang Zhengzhi could say anything, he stood to the side, his hulking arms wiping the sweat from his forehead.

All of the officials looked on solemnly as Fang Zhengzhi prepared to extract the sword.

It would be extremely humiliating if an immature 15 year old commoner managed to do something none of them could do, extract the sword.

Fang Zhengzhi did not think of all this. All he knew was that this blade was his and he had no intention of giving it to anybody. Even if the opponent was the Emperor himself, he had to give it a try.

“Extracting a sword, how simple!” Fang Zhengzhi hummed a little tune as he extended his hand and lightly gripped the hilt. Then, he tugged lightly.

“…”

All of the officials cursed as they saw Fang Zhengzhi move so casually. Must he humiliate them so badly? He could act a little at the very least?

They did not have to think for very long.

They all realized that Fang Zhengzhi was putting in quite a bit of effort.

However…

The sword was not extracted.

“Could it be that this fella has some manners?”

“No matter what, he has not humiliated us completely.”

All of the officials were quite glad to see that the sword was not extracted. The more effort Fang Zhengzhi required, the better they would look.

Fang Zhengzhi was slightly doubtful.

Whilst it looked like he was doing it rather casually, he was putting in a significant amount of effort.

“Could it be stuck?” Seeing that the blade was still in the ground, Fang Zhengzhi grabbed the hilt with both hands and tugged.

“…”

The only sound was that of the cold wind blowing in from outside the throne room.

Fang Zhengzhi’s smile was frozen. The Traceless Sword was still stuck in the ground.

“Could it be that even he cannot extract it?”

“Haha… that’s impossible. The sword has already recognized him as the owner, how can he not extract it?”

“He should just be acting.”

The officials looked on as Fang Zhengzhi failed to extract the sword a second time. They began to hold little discussions amongst themselves, appreciative of Fang Zhengzhi’s effort to make it look difficult.

“Fang Zhengzhi, be a little quicker, the Emperor’s uncle is waiting for you!” Ping Yang pouted as she saw Fang ZHengzhi struggling.

Fang Zhengzhi ignored Ping Yang, his eyes fixated on the Traceless Sword. Sweat dripped from his forehead. I thought the sword already recognized me as its owner? Was my faith misplaced?

F*ck me…

Where is my fairytale ending?!

Chapter 230: This sword is named Traceless

There was an old saying: One may be enjoying the scenery from the bridge, but the one truly enjoying the scenery is the one watching you from the tower.

Fang Zhengzhi felt that way right now. Before this, he was standing by the side watching others try to extract the sword. Now, everyone else was watching him.

The person had changed, but the result was still the same.

“Come on out, be obedient!” Fang Zhengzhi stroked the sword hilt and cooed. Then, he grabbed the hilt with both hands and pulled.

Again!

Again…

…

All the officials stared wide eyed at Fang Zhengzhi. They had no idea what game he was trying to play, but the sword had not moved a single inch.

“Is he really acting?” One of the officials asked doubtfully.

“Could it be that even he can’t extract the sword?” Another official postulated.

“How can it be? The sword was stabbed into the ground by him, how can he fail to extract it? The sword already recognizes him as its owner!”

“Does he really dare to defy an order from the Emperor?”

All the officials began to chatter among themselves. They could not believe that Fang Zhengzhi himself could not extract the sword.

There were only two possibilities. One, Fang Zhengzhi was defying an order from the Emperor, two, even Fang Zhengzhi himself could not extract the sword.

Defy an order?

That was virtually impossible. Even if Fang Zhengzhi had the courage to do it, he stood to gain nothing…

“Even he cannot pull it out? Could it be that… he’s not the owner?!”

When this official spoke up, everyone began to look at Fang Zhengzhi differently.

Before this, Wan Chong and General Jin had attempted to extract the sword without the Emperor giving a direct order for them to do so.

But now that he had ordered Fang Zhengzhi to extract it, failing to do so would be a heinous crime!

Yan Xiu, Xing Qingsui, and the others all grew increasingly nervous seeing that Fang Zhengzhi could not pull the sword out. Why is it taking so long?

Something is wrong.

King Duan and the Heir’s initially solemn expressions quickly brightened up. They would have a chance if Fang Zhengzhi could not extract the sword.

King Liqin’s expression was still mixed. The feeling from his eyes were completely different from Chi Guyan’s. Her eyes were shining like stars in the night sky. On the other hand, he was like a statue.

Everyone looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

Chi Guyan included. Her eyes glimmered. She could tell that Fang Zhengzhi was putting in a lot of effort into trying to pull out the sword, but the result was not what she expected.

“Did someone mess with it?” Chi Guyan quickly dismissed the idea. There was no one who could have meddled with it in front of King Liqin and Emperor Li Mubai.

So…

He really couldn’t extract it?

Fang Zhengzhi was indeed struggling to pull out the sword. He had tried again and again, but the sword refused to budge. The cold wind continued to brush against his face.

After some time, Emperor Li Mubai’s expression began to change. As the Emperor, he could not rush Fang Zhengzhi. All he could do was glance in the direction of Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping.

Yu Yiping immediately understood what the Emperor wanted. He stepped out, “Fang Zhengzhi, age is catching up with King Liqin, don’t let him stand out in the cold for too long.”

“Exactly, quickly pull the sword out!”

“Fang Zhengzhi, do you really have the audacity to defy an order from the Emperor?”

All of the other officials began to chime in.

Fang Zhengzhi began to sweat profusely. He too wanted to pull the sword out quickly, but the story was completely out of control.

What could he do?

“Come on, stop throwing a tantrum! Come on out?”

“If you come out, I will take you to see nice scenery! The world is huge and it would be very boring for you if you stayed here.”

Fang Zhengzhi continued to speak to the reactionless sword.

The expressions on all of the officials’ faces changed drastically upon hearing Fang Zhengzhi’s words. What is he talking about? Don’t we stay here all the time too?

This is the throne room, a place where many people want to enter but can’t.

“We have gone through so much together. Think about it, I brought you out from the World of the Sage. We are meant to be together, by each others’ side. Isn’t that a great thing?” Fang Zhengzhi continued, ignoring the gazes of the other officials.

All of them were puzzled upon hearing this. Is Fang Zhengzhi talking to the blade? Even if the sword had a spirit, can it understand human language?

All of the officials looked at Fang Zhengzhi, clearly dumbfounded.

However, Ping Yang, Yan Xiu, and the others did not think that way.

They had seen Fang Zhengzhi use such ‘nonsense’ to convince the sword to follow him out of the World of the Sage. Fang Zhengzhi was using the same tactic now.

“You still don’t want to come out? Do you want me to tell you another story?” Fang Zhengzhi looked on doubtfully.

“Hum!” The Traceless Sword hummed.

F*ck… me! Fang Zhengzhi was speechless. This is the throne room! Is having such an arrogant and willful sword truly a good thing?

The worst part was…

He was telling the story of “Water Margin” yesterday. He had just finished the one about Wu Song defeating the tiger. The next one in line was about Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing

“Fang Zhengzhi, what do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to defy an order?” Yu Yiping glared at Fang Zhengzhi whilst he chuckled to himself.

Fang Zhengzhi was completely exasperated, but he had no other choice. He had to do it.

“Your highness, your commoner needs some preparation.”

“Preparation?” Emperor Lin Mubai was slightly confused by Fang Zhengzhi’s words.

“Yes, just like how one needs to prepare rations before a battle, I need to prepare too before I extract the sword.” Fang Zhengzhi replied.

“Mm, approved.” Emperor Lin Mubai nodded.

All of the other officials were speechless. What is there to prepare? That being said, they were all rather impressed by Fang Zhengzhi’s ability to understand the concept of preparing sufficient rations before a battle.

Fang Zhengzhi began to narrate the story without hesitation.

“After Wu Song killed the tiger, he became a constable in the province… there was a powerful family in the province, who had a chambermaid named Pan Jinlian. She was in her early twenties and exceedingly beautiful. The lord of the family wanted to make her his mistress, but she did not want that. She went to report this to the lord’s wife. In a fit of anger, the lord…”

Fang Zhengzhi continued to narrate the story. All of the officials felt something was amiss. What is this story? Why haven’t we heard of it?

When Fang Zhengzhi got to the point where Pan Jinlian seduced Ximen Qing…

Ping Yang flushed and pouted, “This guy is so incredibly shameless!”

Chi Guyan also could not believe her ears.

She knew that Fang Zhengzhi was shameless, but she never expected him to narrate such a story in the throne room. He even had the audacity to call this preparation?!

It was unbelievable.

All of the officials were angered by what they were hearing. How can such a person manage to top the Theory Examinations?

“I will never want to be associated with this man!”

“This person is a disgrace to all the academics!”

“This is an insult to our culture and heritage!”

All of the officials raged, anger building up in their chests. If not for the fact that the Emperor had approved this, they would have called for his head.

Emperor Lin Mubai smiled bitterly as he heard Fang Zhengzhi continue to narrate the story.

Fang Zhengzhi ignored all of them. This is one of the best classics from the previous world, what is so shameless about it?

Fang Zhengzhi continued narrating.

The Emperor and the other officials were forced to listen by the side.

Fang Zhengzhi finally got to the point where Wu Song killed Ximen Qing at the Mandarin House, leaving blood writing behind. All of them were captivated by the story, and began to secretly applaud it.

It was almost as if a huge load had been lifted off their shoulders.

All of them had felt something on their chest throughout this court session. However, they were all relieved by Fang Zhengzhi’s story. It was unbelievable.

At this point, a soft hum could be heard. A ray of light shone skyward and landed in Fang Zhengzhi’s hand. It was the traceless sword.

“It’s out?!”

“That’s… that’s all it took?!”

“What’s going on?”

“This is unbelievable!”

“This is a story for the ages!”

All of the officials were stunned when they saw the Traceless Sword in Fang Zhengzhi’s hand. Why would the blade release itself after the story?

Fang Zhengzhi did not bother explaining anything to the officials. He gently gripped the sword and walked hastily to the door of the throne room, placing the sword in King Liqin’s hand.

“My lord, this sword is named Traceless!”

“Traceless?!”

“Can’t he see the huge purple mark?”

All of the officials saw the strange purple mark on the sword. They were all confused. Who gave the sword its name?

King Liqin stared at the sword in his hand. He examined it from hilt to blade, finally getting to the strange purple mark at the tip. His eyes finally began to show some life.

“I see!”

Chapter 231: Sword Envoy

King Liqin’s words seemed to have no link to the sword in Fang Zhengzhi’s hand, but Fang Zhengzhi knew what King Liqin was driving at.

He remembered the hallucination he had when he first held the Traceless Sword in the World of the Sage. He felt a wave of emotions as he remembered the power of the sword and the curse.

I love my life, and I love a just cause. However, if I can’t get both, I would willingly sacrifice my life for a just cause.” This was something that was said by Mencius. Fang Zhengzhi used it to describe how Meng Tian gave up the sword for a just cause.

“Hmm?” King Liqin’s eyes glowed when he heard what Fang Zhengzhi said. Then, his wrinkled face broke out in a smile, “I thought that the Emperor had gotten himself a good sword. Little did I expect that he had also gotten himself someone so knowledgeable! …”

All of the officials were stumped by the conversation between Fang Zhengzhi and King Liqin.

Fang Zhengzhi had presented the sword. King Liqin did not judge it, and only said a single phrase of ‘I see’. Then, Fang Zhengzhi mentioned giving up his life for a just cause, drawing praises from King Liqin.

What in the world is going on?

King Liqin, one of the main pillars of the previous Emperor’s success, had never involved himself in politics. His appearance today was completely unexpected, his compliments about Fang Zhengzhi even more so.

All of the officials were stumped by what they saw.

Then, something even more shocking happened. After saying that, King Liqin…

Left!

Chi Guyan also left with him.

King Liqin did not even take the sword from Fang Zhengzhi, neither did he take a second look before leaving. More importantly, he left satisfied.

Didn’t he say he liked the sword?

What’s going on now?

Why did Chi Guyan leave? What was her motive in coming to the courts today? She said nothing from start to finish, standing quietly by King Liqin’s side.

She was almost like a spectator.

However, Chi Guyan was wearing official robes and she wore the Roc Bird hairpin. There was no way she could just be a spectator.

If she wasn’t a spectator, why would she leave without saying a single word…

Most of the officials looked at each other and looked at each other, unsure of what had happened. However, a select few had glimmering eyes. This select group included Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping.

“The top ranking person on the two dragon rolls is indeed a talent!” Yu Yiping smiled widely, “She is able to attend to the Emperor’s wishes without saying a single word. Who will she side with in the battle for the throne?”

Yu Yiping did not speak again. He had already seen the subtle changes in Emperor Lin Mubai’s expression. If he could see it, the Emperor could definitely see it.

Even though King Liqin’s words seemed cryptic, the meaning could not be any more obvious. A good sword, and a good man. The person he was referring to was obvious for all to say.

Furthermore, even though Chi Guyan did not speak, her stance was clear for all to see.

“Fang Zhengzhi, you have done a great service by presenting the sword today. You also killed a demon Vice Domain Chief, Ying Shan, during the Imperial Examinations, saving Princess Ping Yang and more than a dozen Great Xia Dynasty elites in the process. Many officials have requested that you be rewarded. As the Emperor, I must reward you handsomely. From today on, you will be the “Sword Envoy” of the Great Xia Dynasty, increasing the influence of the empire. You will also be rewarded with a thousand ingots of gold!”

Emperor Lin Mubai’s voice resonated throughout the entire throne room. Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping had predicted most of the events of today. However, there was one thing he did not expect – that Emperor Lin Mubai would make Fang Zhengzhi the Sword Envoy.

This was a position that did not exist before this…

This was going to get interesting.

The officials all had varying reactions to what Emperor Lin Mubai said. Some were jealous, others were chuckling icily, some were envious, some were derisive…

“Thank you your highness, but… may the commoner ask a few questions?” Fang Zhengzhi did not bother with the other officials’ reactions. He was more concerned about whether he would be restricted in this post.

If it is too restrictive, can I resign?

“You are now the Sword Envoy, you are not to call yourself a commoner, you have to call yourself an official!” Emperor Lin Mubai looked a little displeased.

“Yes your highness. May the official ask a few questions?”

“Go ahead.”

“What does the sword envoy do?”

“The sword envoy’s secondary responsibility for increasing the influence of the Great Xia Dynasty. Your primary responsibility is to take good care of this sword on my behalf.” Emperor Lin Mubai paused for a moment as he pondered his words. Then, he continued, “Furthermore… you have the freedom to enter and exit the palace complex, including the throne room, and speak your mind in front of me!”

Fang Zhengzhi had understood the gist of it.

As the sword envoy, he was just a glorified sword guard. As for entering and exiting the palace complex as well as his freedom of speech, those were all peripherals. If he really brought the sword in and out of the palace for a spin everyday, he would be targeted by assassins everywhere.

That being said, this was the perfect job for Fang Zhengzhi. He could become an official without doing anything. When he walked the streets, he would still be an official… hang on, he forgot to ask what rank the sword envoy was.

“Official still has one more question.”

“Go ahead.”

“What… is the rank of the sword envoy?” Fang Zhengzhi did not have high expectations of the post. As a guard of a sword, he may be a rank seven official, or possibly even a lowly rank nine official.

When Emperor Lin Mubai heard the question, he went silent.

All of the officials looked to each other. They all knew that this was not an easy question to answer.

The post of sword envoy was one that had never existed before this. This meant that it was not under the jurisdiction of any of the six ministries. As a result, it was unlikely to cause any disruption to the courts in the near future.

However, determining its rank was rather difficult.

If he set it too low, it would be disrespectful to the Sagely Battle God Meng Tian. However, if he set it too high, it would not be appropriate for Fang Zhengzhi to assume that role.

How can an untested commoner, fresh out of the imperial examinations, become a rank one or rank two official? That would be ludicrous!

“Rank four!” Emperor Lin Mubai grit his teeth as he spoke.

“Rank four? Thank you your highness!” Fang Zhengzhi had never expected that he would become a rank four official in the blink of an eye.

The jaws of all the other officials fell to the ground upon hearing that.

Rank four….

That was quite a high rank in the courts. The governor of a province was probably only a rank five official. For larger cities like the Golden Scale City, the governor was only a rank four official.

Rank four may be a little low for what Meng Tian’s sword represented to the Great Xia Dynasty. However, for a commoner who had just passed the imperial examinations…

This was completely unprecedented.

Rank four official in a single leap. This was a rank that some people took many years, even decades to reach. How could they not be in shock?

“Congratulations brother Fang on your appointment!” Xing Qingsui paled, but he stilled bowed to Fang Zhengzhi.

“Thank you!” Fang Zhengzhi returned the bow.

It was rare for Fang Zhengzhi to thank someone. However, Xing Qingsui had come to the throne room to plead on his behalf despite the severe injuries he had suffered. This was something that surprised Fang Zhengzhi.

Yan Xiu and Nangong Mu also came over to say their congratulations.

After a brief moment of hesitation, the other officials also came up to congratulate Fang Zhengzhi.

They were not trying to butter up Fang Zhengzhi. After all, the lowest ranking of them all was also a rank four official. However, this was a courtesy that had to be extended.

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi was no longer a commoner. He was now a rank four official of the Great Xia Dynasty.

More importantly, no one could guess what Emperor Lin Mubai was truly thinking.

King Duan clenched his fists tightly and his eyes began to glimmer. The heir, Lin Tianrong, also looked on solemnly, almost on the verge of tears.

As for Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping, his expression did not change much. He strode over to Fang Zhengzhi and praised him for his contributions and achievements.

This surprised many people. Those who were familiar with Yu Yiping knew that Yu Yiping was preparing to take down a person when he treated them this way.

“Humph, what’s the big deal about this, he’s just a rank four official…” Ping Yang looked up haughtily. However, her crystal clear eyes were glowing subtly…

…

The strong gale had stopped and rays of sunlight shone on the grounds of the capital. It felt like the worst of the storms were over.

However…

To the north of the capital, there was a new bout of torrential rain.

Cang Ling Mountain was the largest mountain in the Northern Lands. The area may be poor and backward, but it was densely populated.

These villagers were extremely hardworking and lived off the land.

Most of them never left their villages their entire lives. Their only wish was to live. However, the Great Xia Dynasty did not seem to think that their lives were particularly valuable.

Troops of armored soldiers arrived at these villages. They held gleaming spears in their hands, their armors showing that they were from the army of the Great Xia Dynasty.

“Seal the mountain!”

Chapter 232: Seal the mountain

“Seal the mountain!”

The same voice reverberated throughout multiple villages.

More than a hundred families assembled in the main square of the Northern Mountain Village, led by Village Elder Zhang Yangping. There were over a hundred armored soldiers standing in front.

Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian were amongst the crowd. Every villager was lost and helpless.

“Commander sir, you can’t seal the mountain. What are we going to eat if you seal the mountain?” Zhang Yangping pleaded with the commander.

“You’re the village elder of the Northern Mountain Village?” The commander looked at Zhang Yangping.

“Yes sir, I am the village elder. Commander sir, all of us villagers hunt for a living. If you seal the mountain, we will be unable to hunt. Over a hundred families will lose their livelihood.”

“I hear that you all have a Hall of Dao in the village?” The Commander ignored the pleas and posed a question of his own.

“Yes, yes. That Hall of Dao was moved from the Southern Mountain Village. Back then, a lady from the Divine Constabulary had ordered it. If commander sir does not believe me, you can confirm it with the sensei in the Hall of Dao.” Zhang Yangping felt a tinge of hope.

“Mm, the road from here to Huai An County has been sealed. If you all need to go there for any emergency, you had better go by a mountain road. However, there are many beasts along those roads, so go in a group. Take this token with you. When the soldiers on the mountain see it, they will let you pass.” The commander took out a black metal token and placed it in Zhang Yangping’s hand.

“Commander sir, then… are you still going to seal the mountain?” Zhang Yangping asked hopefully.

“Sealing the mountain is a military order!”

“About that… sealing the mountain… but… commander, commander sir… someone from our village entered in the examinations this year. He passed the provincial exams, and…”

“I know about that. Li Xiantai from Huai An County has already told me about it. If not for that reason, it won’t be so easy for you all to make your way to Huai An County!” The commander waved his hand in exasperation, interrupting Zhang Yangping.

“Commander…”

“Okay, enough. I have been rushing through the night for a few days now. All of my soldiers are tired. Is there a place for us to stay?”

“It is already prepared.”

“Good. My soldiers and I will be setting up camp up here in the north. Even though we will be a slight inconvenience, we have already accorded you many privileges. Other villages are not given such good treatment. As such, do prepare better alcohol and food for us. Do you understand?” The commander requested.

“Yes, yes, commander sir, please rest assured!” Zhang Yangping wanted to add something, but he swallowed it. He had to swallow his pride for the safety of the hundred families he led.

After all, this was a military order. It was undefiable.

Even though the villagers knew that Fang Zhengzhi had already passed the provincial examinations, they did not know if he had passed the imperial examinations. They did not want Fang Zhengzhi to make enemies with the military because of this.

This was the only way he could protect Fang Zhengzhi as an elder. He would inconvenience himself to ensure that his descendants had a smooth sailing future.

“Oh please, he just passed the provincial exams. The results of the imperial examinations are not out yet. Will a hillbilly dare to go up against military orders?” The commander replied derisively upon seeing Zhang Yangping’s expression. Then, he turned to his soldiers, “Eat and drink your fill tonight! Tomorrow, I want all of you energized! This is a big expedition, anyone who messes it up will be killed without hesitation!”

“Yes sir!” The soldiers replied in unison.

The commander nodded in satisfaction. Then, he frowned as he looked at the worn down Northern Mountain Village, “Li Xiantai told me that kid is named Fang something? I missed it out because I was in a hurry. Forget it, this kind of village will never produce anyone of importance. The imperial examinations are not so easy to pass. Furthermore, I am now acting on military orders, even the River of Trust Province Governor will have to be subordinate to those!”

Zhang Yangping frowned as he saw the commander walk away. He did not say anything else, sighing as he looked to the sky.

Fang Houde walked up beside him upon seeing his reaction.

“Brother Yang Ping, what’s going on?”

“The sealing of the mountain is a military order. We can’t change that. If not for the fact that Li Xiantai had helped speak up on our behalf, we may not even be able to leave our village.” Zhang Yangping lamented in exasperation.

“If it’s a military order, there’s nothing that we can do about it. There’s nothing to worry about Brother Yang Ping. There must be some trouble in the mountains that will be resolved shortly. When Zhengzhi left, he left behind some silver cheques. I’ll get Xuelian to bring it over later. It should be able to tide us through.” Fang Houde comforted.

“Aish… all I can hope for is a hasty resolution to this.” Zhang Yangping sighed again.

…

In the river that linked the capital to Huai An County.

A boat was sailing quickly through the river when an eagle like bird of prey swooped down from high above and landed on a pole at the bow of the boat.

A lady dressed in green rushed out and retrieved a bamboo container from the claw of the bird. She took out the letter from inside it, read it, then rushed to the entrance of the cabin.

“My lord, there is news from the capital!”

“Carry on.” A faint voice could be heard from inside the cabin.

“The Vice Doman Chief has died in the Combat Examinations. He was killed by Fang Zhengzhi, and…”

“Keep going.”

“And… Fang Zhengzhi is in possession of the Sagely Battle God Meng Tian’s sword. Furthermore, he is now the sword envoy, a rank four official.”

“Okay, I got it, how long more to Huai An County?”

“It would take at least another 17 days.”

“Do it in 15.”

“Your wish is my command!”

The lady in green disappeared from the entrance.

Inside the cabin, Yun Qingwu wore a plain white dress. Her face was covered by a veil as she held a pen in her hand.

There was a maroon desk and a stack of papers in front of her. There were countless dots and lines on each piece of paper, making it incredibly complicated.

Yun Qingwu frowned, then began to write. She had to consider each and every stroke, making it look extremely tedious.

After some time, she had only made five strokes.

She raised her head to look at the sky outside. She slowly put down the pen in her hand as her eyes glimmered, “To think that he still passed despite the sacrifice of a Vice Domain Chief? A rank four sword envoy… according to the traditions of the Great Xia Dynasty, he should be on his way back to his village? If this is Heaven’s will, how do you think you will escape my plan?”

…

Inside the capital, Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu said their goodbyes at the door.

According to the traditions of the Great Xia Dynasty, he should be going back to his village to visit his relatives and celebrate his promotion with his parents.

Fang Zhengzhi was not one who valued traditions, but it was still months from the combat examinations retest and the Court Examinations. Furthermore, his birthday was coming.

It was his sixteenth birthday, the mark of maturity.

As such, he had to celebrate his birthday back in his village. After a few months from home, he was beginning to feel homesick.

Furthermore, Yan Xiu had gotten a letter from Western Liang, asking him to make a trip back. Staying in the capital alone would be incredibly boring.

He decided to make a trip back to the village and take in the sights. He would bring the Traceless Sword on a tour!

To stay in one city your whole life…

Was so boring.

The world was huge! One should go see it!

“When we meet in the Court Examinations, I will definitely defeat you!” Yan Xiu waved his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan as he told Fang Zhengzhi confidently.

“Haha… don’t be so cocky, I am quite powerful now!” Fang Zhengzhi chuckled and shook his head in disbelief.

Chapter 233: In Trouble

Yan Xiu nodded slightly, then mounted his Snow Treading Dragon Stallion and galloped towards the gates of the capital.

Fang Zhengzhi watched as his friend left, then turned around and mounted his own Snow Treading Dragon Stallion. He was headed for the streets.

On this return trip, Fang Zhengzhi should have had an officer follow him around to announce the good news. However, as he was planning to travel, he rejected the offer of an officer.

Fang Zhengzhi decided that he would bring some souvenirs back home. As such, he decided not to leave with Yan Xiu, choosing to do some shopping first…

…

Inside Ping Yang’s residence, flowers were in full bloom, their aroma filling up the gardens. Ping Yang was dressed in a red cloak, visibly unhappy.

“Why does Sister Yan have to go back to the Northern Lands so soon? Why don’t I send a request to the Emperor, asking if I can follow you to the Northern Lands?” Ping Yang grabbed on to Chi Guyan’s arm.

“Don’t you want your Purple Lightning Dragon Stallion?” Chi Guyan smiled. She knew that the Emperor would never let Ping Yang out of the city.

“Purple Lightning Dragon Stallion? Where?” Ping Yang’s eyes glimmered.

“It’s here!” A voice rang out from outside the courtyard. Then, the Ninth Prince walked through.

He was leading a horse.

The horse was covered from head to toe in black triangular scales. It had a purple colored horn on its forehead, with subtle lightning patterns lining the horn.

It was clearly an extraordinary stallion.

“Hahaha… Ninth Brother, you’re finally willing to give me the Purple Lightning Dragon Stallion!”

“Give it to you? You must be dreaming. I am just lending it to you for a ride on Chi Guyan’s account. When Chi Guyan returns, you have to return the Purple Lightning Dragon Stallion to me!” The Ninth Prince looked on reluctantly.

“Ninth Brother, rest assured. I will definitely return it to you!” Ping Yang smirked. Before the Ninth Prince could say anything, she snatched the reins from his hands.

“Haha…” Chi Guyan looked at Ping Yang pamperedly. Her starry eyes looked to the north, “The Heaven Dao Tablet, Cang Ling Mountain… it looks like that shameless thief is on his way back home?”

…

After more than two hours, Fang Zhengzhi loaded up the Snow Treading Dragon Stallion and trotted it to the gates of the capital.

“I am always a man of my word. I will bring you to see the world right now.” Fang Zhengzhi murmured.

All of the guards at the gate looked on conflictingly when they saw Fang Zhengzhi. However, none of them said anything, nor did they try to stop him.

Once he was out of the gates, he headed north…

Just as he was about to gallop and let the Snow Treading Dragon Stallion loose, he saw a figure appear on the road north. This figure was dressed in white, but there was no “Heaven Dao” embroidered on it.

Most importantly, the figure was riding a horse.

A horse which was very familiar to Fang Zhengzhi.

It was snow white from head to toe, with a mark of fire in the middle of its forehead. This was the Scarlet Flame Snow Cloud, a descendant of the most powerful Fire Dragon bloodline.

Fang Zhengzhi had always thought of it as his.

“It’s been so long, Young Master Fang!” A crisp voice rang out. The other person did not try to disguise his voice.

“Drop the act! Human…oid!” Fang Zhengzhi looked at the figure derisively. He knew that he was Chi Guyan in a man’s disguise. He had confirmed this in the Divine Constabulary previously.

“I am also on my way to the Northern Lands. How about you take care of my meals and I’ll pay you 500 silvers?” Chi Guyan surprisingly did not argue with Fang Zhengzhi.

“I will accept nothing less than 1000!” Fang Zhengzhi replied in disdain.

“600!”

“If your offer is any less than 950, don’t even think about it!”

“700!”

“I will give in to you a little more. 940, or we will go our separate ways!” Fang Zhengzhi hesitated, then grit his teeth.

“900!”

“880. I like this number. The remaining 20 shall be my tip to you. Don’t think too much about it. I am so willful because I have the money.” Fang Zhengzhi smirked. With the power of the Snow Treading Dragon Stallion, the journey would take a month at most. Why not earn an extra 880 silvers along the way?

More importantly, how could he tour without a lady companion?

Even though this was not a companion he liked, but she was still acceptable.

“You are still as shameless as before!”

“Thank you for the compliment!”

…

Fang Zhengzhi and Chi Guyan continued bargaining just outside the city gates, oblivious to the fact that there was a figure in a black cloak standing in the shadows.

“Chi Guyan?” The figure said raspily before disappearing into the darkness.

…

…

A month later.

There were troops of armored soldiers walking around in Huai An Country. This gave the entire ancient city a rather solemn atmosphere.

Fang Zhengzhi rode the Snow Treading Dragon Stallion sloppily. Next to him was Chi Guyan, still in her disguise.

Chi Guyan was much more refined than Fang Zhengzhi. As the breeze brushed against her clothes, they flapped lightly in the wind, making her look refined and elegant

Furthermore, her Scarlet Flame Snow Cloud drew the attentions of many young girls in Huai An County. Many of them looked out their windows just to catch a glimpse of it.

Fang Zhengzhi had already stopped thinking much about that.

Along the way to Huai An County, there were countless girls following behind them at every stop. They were all mesmerized by the group of two. Initially, he found it interesting, but he slowly grew numb to it.

“Why aren’t you going back to the Divine Constabulary? We are already at Huai An County.” Fang Zhengzhi’s mouth twitched as he asked Chi Guyan.

“Did I say I was going back to the Divine Constabulary?” Chi Guyan smiled as she returned the look.

Fang Zhengzhi happened to see the smile. He was slightly stunned. He had to admit that Chi Guyan did have the assets that would allow her to be arrogant.

When she smiled, she was just as beautiful as the starry night sky, completely mesmerizing.

However, Fang Zhengzhi was not too attracted by the smile. After all, he liked a gentle lady. At the very least, she could not be more powerful than him?

Even though he was not one to bully a lady, he did not want to be bullied by a lady.

“If you’re not going back to the Divine Constabulary, are you planning to come to the Northern Mountain Village with me?” Fang Zhengzhi replied disdainfully. How is it possible that the powerful and rich Chi Guyan would want to follow him back to his decrepit hometown?

“Mm, that was exactly what I had in mind.” Chi Guyan nodded.

“You’re really going to follow me back to the Northern Mountain Village?” Fang Zhengzhi was taken aback.

“Yes.” Chi Guyan nodded.

“I am not to be taken advantage of. On the way from the capital, I have grilled you eight Green Furred Rabbits, 13 Fire Plume Chickens, two Metal-Toothed Thorn Hogs and one Steel Horned Goat. Now you want to come to my house for free food and lodging… you must be dreaming!” Fang Zhengzhi said solemnly.

“Is that so? What if I have silver?”

“Do you think you’re the only one with silver? Do you think that silver can buy anything under the sun? This is not about the money, this is about a bottomline, do you understand?”

“I’ll give you 1000 silvers for a one month stay.”

“Deal!”

“I remember that you like the number 880?”

“Yes I do, but there is a difference of 120 between 1000 and 880. Do you think I am as spoilt as you? I will never give 120 silvers in tips! You are so naive!”

“…”

…

It was early in the morning. Since they were already in Huai An County, Fang Zhengzhi was in no rush to get back home. During this tour, he had taken care of everything, from cooking to washing.

Now that they were in Huai An County, he wanted to find a nice restaurant to enjoy a meal in.

“I’ll make it clear. Now that we are in Huai An County, our previous deal has reached its expiry. We will split the bill inside the restaurant!” Fang Zhengzhi told Chi Guyan.

“Didn’t you just say that I was spoilt? Why are you helping me save now?” Chi Guyan looked at Fang Zhengzhi comically.

“They are separate matters. You requested to follow me and I provided you with food. It is only right that you pay me. Now that our deal has run its course, how can I as a man allow a lady to treat me?” Fang Zhengzhi replied derisively. He loved money, but he was not going to be given a treat by a lady.

“Man? Then why don’t you treat me?”

“Aren’t… you a man too?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at Chi Guyan’s dressing and smiled, “If you’re willing to change into a dress, I might consider!”

“Shameless!”

…

Fang Zhengzhi’s pockets were quite full at this point. There were few in Huai An County who were richer than him. He had gotten almost 70,000 silvers from the sale of Ping Yang’s horse, and Ping Yang had sent him even more afterwards.

On top of the thousand gold reward from the Emperor…

He had quite a fortune.

As such, he picked the best possible restaurant. This was the same restaurant he had met Yan Xiu in.

It was just as old and exquisite as before, but, there were many soldiers inside now.

Fang Zhengzhi had not paid much attention to the soldiers he had seen along the way. However, seeing so many in the restaurant made him have his doubts.

“Is Huai An County in trouble?”