Chapter 143 There Has Always Been a Sword (XI) (Supplement) The bright moon shines on both...

“Feiran?” Mingyue called her softly beside her. “I asked Zeyu before I came. He said not to stare at the flowers of the Linghua clan. If outsiders stare at them for too long, it is a defilement of the flower.”

Lin Feiran was hearing this for the first time. She responded with a sound of agreement, immediately looked away, and explained, "I was just a little distracted..."

Before the words were finished, a woman in purple from the flower bushes suddenly looked up. She glanced at Lin Feiran, and immediately produced a pair of silver scissors in her hand. Without hesitation, she cut off the abundant white epiphyllum and threw it into the clear pond.

"..."

The two immediately turned back, keeping their eyes fixed straight ahead on the pavilions and waterside terraces, as if afraid of harming any of the flowers.

Mingyue silently approached Lin Feiran, her voice barely audible: "They don't like to associate with outsiders, but they are not cold-hearted people. If you also cherish flowers, they are willing to befriend you."

Think about the flowers and plants you're familiar with; that way, you can mention a few to their chieftain and build rapport.

Lin Feiran pulled himself out of his thoughts and pondered for a moment: "I don't know much about flowers and plants. If I had to say which ones I'm most familiar with, it would be winter plum and peony."

Mingyue lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, saying, "Me too. The peonies of our Luoyang city are famous far and wide, blooming in all four seasons. There are few other flower varieties, and the only one I am most familiar with is the peony."

As the two were whispering to each other, a boy with pigtails stepped forward and asked in a clear voice, "Are you, young lady, A-Yue from the Mermaid Clan?"

Mingyue nodded, then handed over the gold invitation card: "I am."

After reading the post, Xiao Tong's expression softened: "I just received news of your arrival at the manor. The clan leader sent me here to guide you. Today is the Flower Appreciation Festival, so I'm a little busy and have arrived a bit late. Please forgive me."

He bowed deeply.

Mingyue just smiled and said, "It's alright, the beautiful scenery along the way is quite comforting."

The boy nodded, raised his hand in invitation, and turned to lead the way. Lin Feiran and the other person followed behind him, along the winding path, onto the Qingchi Long Corridor, and after several turns, they stopped in front of a waterside pavilion.

"Please wait here for a moment while I go and inform the clan leader."

After saying that, he strode forward, his hurried footsteps echoing along the waterside pavilion.

Lin Feiran immediately turned his head to look and saw a flowering tree that was as tall as two people growing beside the waterside pavilion and clear pond. The tree was like a canopy, and the flower buds on it were blooming in clusters, the color of snow and dotted with gold.

"I have never seen such a huge cluster of golden silk vines! If this were in Luoyang, it would definitely fetch an astronomical price!" Mingyue exclaimed in amazement.

Lin Feiran was also very surprised. Peonies are originally shrubs and are very difficult to grow. A flowering tree that can grow to the height of a person is already considered the king of flowers. She had never seen one that was as tall as two people.

But then I thought about it again. The patriarch of the Spirit Flower Clan is also known as the Brocade King. He is from the Peony lineage, so it's not surprising that he can cultivate such a flower.

Mingyue examined it carefully, then calculated with her fingers: "A flowering tree this big must be at least a hundred years old. The demon race has a long lifespan, so they naturally have the patience to cultivate it. I really want to buy some flower seeds to take back with me."

Lin Feiran looked at the tree with its golden branches reaching the top, his heart stirred slightly, and he said, "I wonder if there are any plum trees here. If there are, I would like to buy one."

As they were talking, footsteps sounded again on the water corridor. The two turned around and saw the little boy walking briskly towards them.

"The clan chief said, please come in."

Lin Feiran and Mingyue did not hesitate any longer and immediately followed.

This place is less a waterside pavilion and more a floating pavilion in the water. The top floor is surrounded by light gauze and flowers. The two of them followed the child up five floors before they reached the top of the pavilion and saw the person leaning against the window.

She wore a smoky purple dress, with three flower hairpins tucked diagonally into her black hair. Her slender waist was partially exposed, and a dark purple peony was painted on her waist, making her particularly alluring.

Hearing the sound, she didn't turn around, but just smiled.

"It's finally here."

She knocked on the window, and almost instantly, an extremely wide hexagonal magic circle appeared beneath her feet, with spiritual lines crisscrossing within it, directly trapping the two of them inside.

Lin Feiran felt a chill run down his spine. Unable to break free, he immediately formed a hand seal and made a spell. Light appeared in his palm, but after a moment it seeped into the spiritual threads wrapped around his body and was completely absorbed by them!

She paused for only a moment, but did not panic. Instead, she immediately clenched her hands, and spiritual energy surged into her body. A wisp of white lightning escaped from her arm, but before the spiritual storm could explode, it was absorbed by the spiritual thread and disappeared without a trace.

"It's no use. This is called a Spirit Locking Array. No matter what kind of magic you use, as long as your cultivation level is not higher than mine, you will not be able to break free unless you dispel this array."

The King of Brocade turned his head and looked lightly at the bright moon.

"How dare you! I sent you the invitation, and you dared to come? Is it because the Mermaid King is backing you up?"

Mingyue was initially flustered, but after glancing at Lin Feiran, she forced herself to calm down. Her emotions, which had already calmed down, suddenly jumped when she saw the face of the King of Brocade!

Her eyes widened, her voice trembled slightly, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "It's you!"

"Oh?" The Prince of Jinxiu looked surprised, slowly approaching and raising an eyebrow. "You recognize me?"

Mingyue looked at her carefully and then realized that she had mistaken her for someone else. The two looked very similar, with about five points of resemblance. However, that person was always kind and gentle and would never have such an arrogant look in her eyes.

But why are they so similar?

A ridiculous guess inevitably arose in Mingyue's mind...

She withdrew her gaze, forcing herself to suppress her agitated emotions: "It was just a momentary lapse of concentration. We two sincerely came to buy flower seeds, but we don't know what we've done to deserve the trouble of the King of Brocade?"

She glanced at Lin Feiran sideways before saying, "I didn't expect there to be such a pleasant surprise."

The shock on Mingyue's face seemed genuine.

Lin Feiran's gaze swept over the two of them, and she couldn't help but think to herself that their surprise must be because they thought they had seen acquaintances. But she had grown up in the palace and had only met a handful of people. What could possibly make her so surprised...?

A face suddenly flashed in Lin Feiran's eyes, and she was also surprised. Her gaze fell on the face of the King of Brocade again, and she began to trace it carefully.

"Why are you staring at me? You've seen me before, haven't you, little human envoy?" King Jinxiu's gaze shifted and landed heavily on Lin Feiran, as if it were a tangible object.

Lin Feiran shook his head: "I have never seen it before. I just don't know why the King of Brocade made his move, so I'm a little puzzled."

"You're quite calm."

The King of Brocade chuckled, then raised his right hand, holding a half-burnt letter between his fingers—the map left behind by Lin Feiran.

"A few days ago, I received a letter from an old friend. There was nothing unusual in the letter, and I didn't suspect anything. However, I happened to have a magical artifact on hand at the time, which made me notice something amiss. That's when I found the hidden array patterns on the paper."

Her gaze swept over the two of them before settling on Lin Feiran: "Your Excellency, did you seek me out because you have something to ask of me?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Feiran stopped beating around the bush and looked directly at the person in front of her: "King Jinxiu has read the contents of the letter and has seen me today. Does he not know why I have come? Does the Linghua clan have anyone skilled in magic arrays?"

The King of Brocade crossed his arms and looked at her: "You're quite frank. Well then, I'll tell you frankly too. Among the Spirit Flower Clan, I'm the only one who can be considered skilled in this area. You have a seal on you, and you asked Qi Yu about the disciple of the Saint of Gengan. Isn't that because you want me to remove the seal for you?"

Lin Feiran lowered her eyes slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in them.

Jinxiu Wang's original name was Feishuang, which did not contain the character "Bai," so from the beginning, no one had thought that she would be the disciple with the surname Bai. However, the magic array beneath her feet was not fake, and she was also a friend of Qiyu...

After a moment's thought, she shook her head: "No, I'm looking for the disciple of the Sage of Gengan, but you are not."

The King of Brocade raised an eyebrow: "How do you know?"

Lin Feiran only said one sentence: "Chief Qiyu is taciturn and not good at talking to people. With your temperament, you will not have the patience to teach her magic arrays."

She stepped forward, took out a peony from her waist, formed a hand seal, and petals fell one after another, forming an extremely complex magic circle in the air.

"This is a seal on you. In this world, only I can break it. Even the disciple of that saint cannot do it."

Her gaze shifted to the bright moon, and she said in a cool voice, "Am I right? A human from Luoyang?"

Mingyue paused, her brows furrowing involuntarily. She looked at the King of Brocade and said, "I don't know any disciple of a saint."

"Don't you recognize her? Whether you're a servant or a princess, as long as you grew up in the palace, you must have been pampered by her since childhood. How could you not recognize her? She is the Holy Palace Lady whom you all admire most, and also my most intelligent elder sister."

The pavilion suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of the wind rushing by.

Looking at her face, Mingyue subconsciously retorted, "Impossible! The Holy Palace Consort is human. If she were a demon, Father and Lord Dingyi would never have kept her in the palace!"

The King of Brocade smiled without saying a word. Lin Feiran looked at Mingyue and asked the most crucial question: "The name of the Holy Palace Consort has not been leaked in the world. Do you know her real name?"

Mingyue stood in the magic circle, her hands tightly gripping the side of her skirt, still somewhat incredulous, but she still said, "I know, she once told me when she was holding me and reading poetry that her name was Bailu."

It turned out that she already knew the answer from the disciple surnamed Bai.

This is a magical treasure commissioned by the Emperor, so straightforward and undisguised, yet she never connected the two, thus being blinded by a single leaf.

The King of Brocade sat back down at the table and leaned back in his chair: “Our demon race has no surnames. You are so wrong to say that the disciple has the surname Bai. This name is just something she chose on a whim because she likes peonies that are covered in dew.”

The relationship between the Holy Palace Consort and the Brocade Prince can be guessed just by looking at their faces; Mingyue can no longer deceive herself.

She finally understood and murmured, "So she's a demon. No wonder she's had no offspring all these years. No wonder the peonies in Luoyang never fade. No wonder my father forbids planting any other flowers, only peonies..."

The brocade queen lifted her leg and placed it on the table. The purple peony painted on her waist closed slightly. She looked relaxed and ignored Mingyue's mutterings. She flicked her fingers, and the petal magic circle floating in the air immediately split into two circles, one inside and one outside.

"Saitama should have told you that this seal is divided into two layers, inner and outer. The inner array is clearly Bai Lu's work; she likes to use such gentle array-forming methods. The outer layer was added by someone else; I can't tell who it was, but the technique is quite good."

Only two people in the world can solve such a complex formation.

One is me, and the other is her.

Even setting aside whether she'd be willing to break the formation for you, given her current level of cultivation, even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to. She's become far weaker since going to the human realm.

Lin Feiran lowered his eyes in thought, without saying a word. Mingyue, who was standing to the side, could no longer hold on and simply sat down on the ground.

She only wanted to help Lin Feiran, which is why she came to Jingyangpo. Who could have imagined that she would learn such a big secret? If the court officials knew about it, there would definitely be chaos throughout the court. She had no choice but to sit down and calm down.

Lin Feiran, who was standing to the side, had something in mind. He raised his eyes and said, "So you are not on the same path as Qi Yu and the Holy Palace Lady. What is the purpose of this trick of luring you into a trap today?"

If the identity of the Holy Palace Lady could be revealed so easily, then Saitama would have no reason to hide it from her, much less allow the King of Brocade to take such actions.

Lin Feiran speculated that this Jinxiu King was at most a messenger between Qiyu and the Holy Palace Lady, but she had just done something that neither of the other two knew about.

Everyone has their own plans, and Lin Feiran was rather curious about the purpose of the person opposite her doing this.

The King of Brocade raised his eyebrows slightly and exclaimed in admiration, "You are very perceptive."

As soon as she finished speaking, the magic array beneath Lin Feiran's feet suddenly changed, and the dozen or so spiritual threads on her body changed from restraint to binding, binding her hands behind her back. Only then did the King of Brocade nod in satisfaction.

"When I saw that map, I knew that the person who was tracking me was exceptionally skilled. Ordinary people could not make such an exquisite magical artifact. I thought that the person who was tracking me would be a highly skilled weapon refiner, but I did not expect it to be you. Although it was unexpected, it was not bad either."

You are renowned throughout the demon realm.

My purpose is simple: I can break the seal for you, but I want you to bring Bailu back from the human realm.

Before Lin Feiran could speak, Mingyue gasped: "That's absolutely impossible! Once, a cultivator, curious about the Holy Palace Consort's appearance, sneaked into the palace to investigate, but before he even got close to the palace, he was pierced by a thousand arrows and his head was separated from his body!"

You can't even imagine how much the Emperor protects her. Even I... even princesses and princes need the Emperor's permission to see her.

The King of Brocade chuckled and cursed under his breath before turning his cold gaze to Lin Feiran: "I don't care how closely he watches her. You only have two choices now: either don't lift the seal, or bring her back."

In any case, no one in the world except me can break the seal on you.

His gaze was intense and tangible, as if someone were pressing down on his shoulders, but Lin Feiran remained standing still, his expression even somewhat calm.

“My cultivation level isn’t that high, as you should be able to tell. It’s almost impossible for me to take someone out of the palace, but the King of Brocade seems to have more confidence than I do?”

“Of course.” King Jinxiu’s eyes flickered slightly. “Although you are not strong, the people behind you are truly powerful. For example, the envoy Ping’an, it would not be difficult for her to bring people out of the palace on her own. I am now just discussing with you and the people behind you.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Feiran pondered for a moment, then slightly curved her lips into a faint smile. Her dark eyes looked directly at the person in front of her without flinching, revealing a gleam in them, and even a hint of contentment.

“So it’s a discussion. Then I’ll have a good talk with the King of Jinxiu.”

"Before entering, we saw a tree with golden threads hanging from its top by the waterside pavilion. There was only this one cluster of flowers for miles around. It must have been of great significance to the King of Brocade. It must have been planted by the Holy Palace Consort."

Judging from its flower shape, color, and stem, it must have been at least a hundred years old, which shows how long she has been gone.

He took a commoner woman as his concubine. Her background and origins were unknown, but she was chosen as the Holy Palace Consort as soon as she entered the palace. Later, the Ministry of Rites granted a general amnesty in accordance with the law, and a three-day continuous banquet was held in Luoyang.

In the sixteen years since the Emperor ascended the throne, you have failed to send anyone to bring her back. I think it's not that no one was able to enter the palace; the reason you couldn't bring her back is simply because she was unwilling.

Therefore, even if I had the ability to bring the person back, I would not resort to such coercion.

The King of Jinxiu's face was gloomy. He put his legs off the table and stared intently at her: "You had better understand the current situation. Even if you are an envoy, you are still under my control. No matter how fast the people behind you are, they can't appear immediately!"

She clenched her fists, and the spiritual threads wrapped around Lin Feiran suddenly tightened, attempting to pull her down to her knees. As the two sides struggled, Lin Feiran chuckled softly.

She looked up at the King of Brocade, and even though her black robes were tightly bound, her tone remained calm and unhurried.

"However, I feel there's something fishy about it."

The King of Brocade frowned, pondering her words. He slightly raised his hand, and the binding spiritual threads suddenly loosened. He asked, "What's strange about this?"

Lin Feiran straightened up, moved his shoulders, and said in a deep voice.

Not just these sixteen years, but over a hundred years, she has only ever sent you messages, but never returned. Do you really think she's afraid you'll force her to stay here?

I think that someone who can be a disciple of a sage must possess extraordinary wisdom and resourcefulness. There must be a hidden reason why such a small place as Jingyang Slope couldn't confine her.”

The King of Brocade's expression turned grave: "It seems you know something else?"

Lin Feiran stood in the magic array, a spiritual breeze ruffling her hair, but it couldn't disturb her gaze.

"There are only the three of us here, so I feel free to speak my mind. The human and demon realms have always kept to themselves, but why did the Human Emperor suddenly sign an alliance with the demon realm?"

"What do we care about the power struggles and scheming of important figures..." King Jinxiu paused, as if realizing something, and looked at her with pursed lips, "You mean, the reason behind this is related to Bailu?"

Lin Feiran nodded: "A long time ago, the Human Emperor found Ru Xian and wanted to ask him to cure the Holy Palace Empress's incurable illness. For this, he was even willing to back down a few steps and sign an alliance with the Demon Realm despite public opinion."

I was initially surprised. Even if the medical skills of a certain type were excellent, there were always descendants of ancient medical masters in the human realm. Why go to such lengths? But now I understand. The Holy Palace Lady was originally a member of the demon race. What human medical practitioner could understand the demon race better than the Demon Lord?

"What?!" Prince Jinxiu stood up abruptly. "What illness does she have?"

Lin Feiran did not hide anything and simply told the truth: "I don't know. Only Ru Xian knows the reason."

The King of Brocade frowned as he looked at the table, his expression displeased.

No wonder Bai Lu's cultivation level dropped so quickly, no wonder she never meets with me...

Ignoring her unpleasant expression, Lin Feiran simply smiled and said in a clear voice, "Clan leader, in this way, our bargaining chips are different, and the situation seems to have changed somewhat."

The King of Brocade suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp, but the young man remained calm and composed, his eyes clear.

You only have three choices right now.

Firstly, you could write a letter to your sister and press her for the truth, but you wouldn't be willing to do that, and you might even be afraid of alerting her.

Secondly, we could find someone whose medical skills are comparable to Ru Xian's, infiltrate the palace, get close to the Holy Empress, discover her illness, and find out the truth. But as far as I know, there is no such person in the demon realm.

Thirdly, remove the seal from me.

I can find out the truth for you. After I find out, if she's willing to come back, I'll bring her back; if she's not willing, I won't force her.

The Queen of Brocade was no longer as confident of victory as she had been at the beginning. After a long silence, she finally let out a cold laugh: "After counting, it seems that I can only choose the third one."

"It seems there really is no other choice, but when you asked me to make a choice just now, didn't I also choose no choice? That's fair."

Lin Feiran's gaze was gentle, without any intention of coercion: "Of course, you can choose neither of us and just kill the two of us here, thus turning against the Demon Capital and the Merfolk, but you won't even get an answer."

"So, which one does Prince Jinxiu wish to choose?"

Author's Note: Lin Feiran used the phrase "like hailstones" several times, and the person in seclusion was electrocuted several times.

Like a hailstone: She misses me.

P.S.: I'd like to change the cover image to one commissioned by Fei Ran [droopy-eared rabbit head].

Small Theater

A tail followed them at a moderate distance, going wherever Fei Ran's team went.

When Fei Ran and the elf priest settled in the town, he booked the hotel next door and stayed with them.

While Fei Ran and the elven priest were roasting venison in the forest, he was eating wild fruit nearby;

The ghost lingers.

Finally, one day, the elven priest could no longer bear it and sprinkled poison on the wild berries. The dark mage, who had been staring at Fei Ran's back without noticing, ate the berries and finally fainted in the small forest, never to follow him again.

The priest's smile returned to its sincerity. In the third town, he bought a large meal and watched the brave warrior eat with a beaming smile, feeling as if the sky had turned bluer.

Fei Ran ate his chicken leg, looking somewhat sullen.

"Young hero, what's wrong?" the elven priest asked.

"Our hero team only consists of two people; we're missing a mage and an archer. How can we rescue the princess?"

The elven priest patted her head: "If you don't like any of the many mages and archers who have applied for the job, why don't we just go together? I think you have the power to defeat the dragon."

Fei Ran was also quite helpless, but the villagers' grudges had to be avenged, and it was impossible to wait until everyone was present: "Then it's decided, we'll head straight for Demon Dragon Castle."

"good."

Since they no longer needed to recruit teammates, the two progressed much faster. They cleared out mobs along the way and received healing buffs from a Priest, leveling up rapidly and successfully going from level 5 to level 99.

The two finally arrived at Dragon Castle.

It was a terrifying place, overgrown with thorns and shrouded in dark clouds, a place even demons dared not easily set foot in.

Besides Fei Ran and the Elf Priest, other hero teams are also stationed here.

"Is it really okay if it's just the two of us?" Fei Ran suddenly asked.

"And me too."

A familiar voice suddenly came from the side.

Fei Ran and the priest looked over and saw that it was the long-lost black magician.

"How did you end up here!" The pastor finally couldn't hold back any longer; the usually cheerful man could no longer laugh.

The dark mage ignored him and looked only at Fei Ran: "I'm probably too tired. I was dizzy for three days in the forest, but I knew you would come to Dragon Castle, so I've been waiting for you here."

"Hero, you can't have just one priest. Let me join your party."

The elven priest laughed: "Absolutely not..."

“Sure,” the hero Fei Ran said helplessly. “There are other hero teams here. If I want to take revenge myself, it would be better to have a mage.”

The priest had no choice but to obey her, and just like that, another dark mage joined the party.

"Princess, we're here!" The other teams of heroes were already imagining the wonderful time they would spend with the princess.

Fei Ran looked at the castle and said firmly, "I will definitely avenge the village with my own hands!"

“Okay.” The elven priest affirmed her, then opened the healing window. “Little hero, this place is full of miasma, and there are many debuffs that cause you to lose health. In order to succeed in the battle, I will heal you back to full health first.”

"This is the only way." The brave warrior nodded.

With just one bite, his health was restored to full, and he marched toward Dragon Castle with high morale.

"Princess, please don't be afraid, I'm here!"

As the numerous teams of heroes prepared to attack, suddenly, a figure in white appeared atop the dark Dragon Fortress.

"That's the princess! I recognized her at first glance!"

"Princess, please don't be afraid!"

"Slay the Dragon!"

The brave warrior looked up with his sword on his back and met a pair of beautiful, emerald-like eyes.

to be continued...