Dragon King

Consort Chen said in a deep voice, "It's normal for them to have suspicions. After all, it was their clothes that were damaged back then, so it's hard not to have suspicions. But you, Lingying, why are you paying attention to such trivial matters?"

Zhao Lingying put his hands behind his back and let out a long sigh. "I was in charge of making the white silk dance costumes back then. After the performance, they were taken back by the Imperial Household Department. When I was taking inventory and putting them into storage, I found that the most gorgeous one had been torn beyond recognition. It's not that I'm being suspicious, but the white silk dance costumes are made of specially made raw silk and are woven as a whole. It would be impossible for someone who is not skilled in martial arts to tear them apart with their bare hands."

Consort Chen said, "No wonder you've been watching the Music Bureau's rehearsals of 'White Silk' all this time. It turns out you felt from the beginning that someone was trying to sabotage the dance 'White Silk'."

Zhao Lingying stared directly at Consort Chen and said coldly, "The two instructors were very careful; they've already had all the costumes taken back by the dancers. But I'm sure Sister Lanxiu already knows about this. Searching the dressing room won't yield any results. So, sister, what exactly are you looking for here?"

As she spoke, she took a step and entered the inner hall.

Consort Chen once again drew her sword, pointing it at Zhao Lingying, and said in a deep voice, "What I want to remind Lingying is that the past is the past. And 'White Silk' is ultimately just a dance. Whether it's the dance costume or the dancer, you don't need to care about these things at all."

Zhao Lingying ignored her and slowly approached, smiling as she said, "Is this Sister Lanxiu's advice?"

Her voice suddenly turned sharp: "Do you think I care about the dance costume? Do you think I care about the dancer?"

She shouted sternly, "Don't you know what I care about, Sister Lanxiu?"

Until that last sentence, Zhao Lingying had been speaking in a hushed tone, but naturally, it did not escape A Qiu's ears.

Zhao Lingying spoke the last sentence aloud, and at the same time, she leaped into the air, cold light flashing within her twin sleeves, and pounced towards the door of the dressing room.

Lightning flashed and swords clashed, and in an instant the hall was as bright as day.

But that was only for a moment, and then all the light dimmed, leaving only a faint glow on the bronze lampstand.

Only then did A Qiu see clearly that it was Zhao Lingying's Judge's Pen, which had been a legend in the martial arts world for many years, that had directly clashed with Consort Chen's "Cultivation Ritual".

She never expected that tonight she would witness the two top masters of the royal "Flying Phoenix" fighting in this very Jixian Palace.

Zhao Lingying immediately withdrew the judge's pen from her twin sleeves, then put her hands behind her back, acting as if nothing had happened, her face still beaming with a smile.

A Qiu knew it was all an illusion, because from her position, she could clearly see Zhao Lingying's hands behind her back. Those fair, slender hands each held a judge's pen, poised to strike.

Even Consort Chen's usually calm face showed anger as she hissed in a low voice, "Lingying! Are you determined to make things difficult for me today?"

She transferred the "Xiuyi" sword from her right hand to her left, the blade turning to the side, its sharp light flashing like a cold, piercing arc that could hurt the eyes.

A-Qiu saw her movements clearly and was shocked.

Most swordsmen are right-handed. But if someone uses their left hand in a fierce battle, there is only one reason: their left hand is stronger than their right.

Zhao Lingying's gaze was also cold as she said, "Sister Lanxiu, you can hide anything else from me, and I won't ask. But anything related to that person is unacceptable!"

She moved her right hand first, already holding a gleaming silver judge's pen in her hand.

Just then, heavy breathing could be heard from behind the door of the dressing room.

The breathing was extremely heavy, like that of a wild beast.

Consort Chen's expression changed upon hearing the sound, but she did not turn around, instead confronting Zhao Ling. Clearly, she already knew who was inside.

Upon hearing this voice, Zhao Lingying's expression suddenly turned one of surprise and uncertainty, and she stopped writing with her judge's pen.

The breathing stopped abruptly, followed by a sudden burst of intermittent coughing.

This time, A-Qiu recognized the voice clearly; it was a man's voice. However, the voice was extremely unfamiliar to her; she had never heard it before.

But this is normal. Since entering the palace, she has hardly seen any men, both in the imperial court and the harem.

Upon hearing the voice, Zhao Lingying's expression shifted from surprise and doubt to utter astonishment, and she stammered, "What's inside...?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Consort Chen pressed a sword against her face.

Consort Chen's expression was solemn, and she gently shook her head.

Zhao Lingying's expression had changed drastically. Holding the judge's pen in both hands, she said in a clear, measured voice, "So back then it was also..."

Consort Chen shook her head again, her expression wistful, and said, "It wasn't him."

Zhao Lingying's expression changed several times, and then the coughing in the dressing room suddenly stopped, and the heavy footsteps moved towards the door again.

Consort Chen gestured sharply to Zhao Lingying, signaling her to hurry up and leave.

A decisive look appeared on Zhao Lingying's pretty face as she swiftly retreated towards the outside of the hall. In just a few leaps, she disappeared into the darkness.

Only Consort Chen and A Qiu remained in the hall.

A Qiu's heart was in her throat. She was about to climb down from the beam when she stopped because she heard a noise at the door of the dressing room.

The heavy wooden door was finally pushed open.

The figure standing at the door was not the beast one might have imagined, but rather tall and slender like bamboo. The dragon pattern of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains on his brocade robe stretched down in a winding manner, and the embroidered golden dragon shimmered under the flickering candlelight.

This was a fair-skinned man, around forty years old, yet possessing a refined and handsome appearance, with three long strands of beard on his chin. If he were to don a flowing, wide-sleeved Taoist robe, he would undoubtedly be a dashing and unconventional scholar.

However, at this moment his eyes were unfocused, and his face showed a dreamlike expression.

In his right hand, however, he held upside down a heavy sword about seven feet long, with a golden hilt, gleaming with dragon patterns. At this moment, the sword shone with golden light, appearing even sharper and more dazzling under the lamplight.

A Qiu had never seen this person before. However, from his dragon robe and the "Ancestral Dragon" sword he held, she was already horrified and roughly guessed who he was.

Who else but Xie Lang, the current emperor of Dayan, could dispel the guards of Jixian Palace and have Consort Chen, the most powerful woman in the six palaces, keep watch for him?

Several thoughts flashed through A Qiu's mind at once.

Why would the emperor, a man of such high status, search through the dressing rooms of the dancers on the eve of a performance?

Zhao Lingying was initially aggressive, but then retreated in fright upon hearing a cough, presumably having guessed that it was Xie Lang.

However, her words before leaving, "So it was him back then too," were interrupted by Consort Chen shaking her head.

So the person who destroyed the dance costume back then wasn't Xie Lang?

But given Xie Lang's current condition, it can only be him.

The reputation of the "Zulong" sword in the martial arts world is even longer than that of Emperor Xie Lang.

It is the legendary sword of the emperor, which only the ruler may wield.

The three most famous divine weapons in the world are the Emperor's Sword "Yulong", the Gentleman's Sword "Binghuang" of the Shangguan family, and the famous dagger "Ci Qin" wielded by A Qiu.

Of these three divine weapons, the "Assassination of Qin" is the shortest, only about a foot long, and is used for close combat; the "Ice Bamboo" is in the middle, about four feet long, symbolizing a gentleman's composure and appropriateness at both close and distant distances.

The "Ancestral Dragon" is the longest, measuring seven feet. This is rare even among the weapons of the martial arts family. The reason is simple: the Ancestral Dragon is a sword passed down through generations of emperors, and its form and etiquette must match the emperor's dignity.

It is said that its first owner was Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng.

"Zulong" is a famous heavy sword that was kept in the palace for hundreds of years during the Southern Dynasties. It was mostly used as a ceremonial weapon throughout history, and very few emperors could actually wield or wield it.

But at this moment, Emperor Xie Lang, in the middle of the night, dragged the sword backwards as he walked out of the dressing room.

Where the "Ancestral Dragon" sword passed, it left a bright mark on the floor.

As an assassin, Ah Qiu had taken countless heads, yet he found the scene eerily unsettling.

She absolutely refused to believe that Xue Hongbi's large nanmu chest from back then wasn't split open by the "Ancestral Dragon".

Xie Lang dragged the sword blade backwards, getting closer and closer.

His face still held a bewildered expression, as if he were in a dream. It was as if he was searching for something, but couldn't find it.

Consort Chen said softly, "Your Majesty!"

With a flash, he blocked Xie Lang's path.

The blade of the "Xiuyi" sword was as thin as paper and as light as moonlight, yet it trembled slightly in her delicate hand hidden behind her back.

She absolutely could not let Xie Lang leave like this.

Xie Lang seemed to have heard it, or perhaps he had misheard it. He was focused, listening intently, but his gaze was not directed in the direction of Consort Chen.

"Ah Xiu, is that you?"

He staggered again toward the front hall, muttering to himself:

"Don't cry. I'll go and kill that scoundrel Sima Yan for you."

"Who taught him to dare to damage the costumes for the 'White Silk' dance?"

"Whoever makes you unhappy, I will make sure they never be happy again."

The color drained from Consort Chen's face.

She lifted the Xiu Yi and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty!"

The wind stirred up by the "Xiuyi" was gentle and warm, like a sweet spring dream that could lull one to sleep.

Under the cover of this warm, feather-like breeze, it silently changed direction several times before finally striking Xie Lang's chest.

The sword is used to strike, not to thrust. The aim is to incapacitate the opponent, not to injure them.

Unexpectedly, this movement instantly aroused Xie Lang's murderous intent, who was in a daze.

Without a second thought, he exerted force with both hands, directly turning "Ancestral Dragon" to parry Xiu Yi's attack, causing Consort Chen and her sword to stagger backward.

Before Consort Chen could retaliate, he launched a series of attacks, like a storm, with his heavy sword wielded relentlessly, leaving Consort Chen struggling to cope and forced to retreat while fighting.

A Qiu, perched on the beam, could see clearly. Judging from this display of heavy swordsmanship, Xie Lang's martial arts were better than those of the average Imperial Guard, but certainly not at the level of a martial arts master. However, the fact that he could wield the seven-foot heavy sword so fluidly and continuously indicated that he must have put in a lot of hard work.

The reason Consort Chen was repeatedly overwhelmed and defeated was twofold. First, her ceremonial attire was delicate, and she did not want to use it to withstand the heavy blows of the "Emperor's" sword, fearing it would damage the blade. Second, Consort Chen could not actually harm the Emperor; in a clash of swords, she would be merely taking hits without retaliating.

Although A Qiu didn't understand why things had turned out this way tonight, she had a very good impression of Consort Chen.

Consort Chen first intervened to resolve the deadly struggle between A Qiu and Chu Yuanyi in the abandoned Qiwu Palace, and afterwards did not reveal her identity, which shows that she had a personal favor to A Qiu.

She made a special trip to the Music Bureau despite being the most honored woman in the palace, only to resolve Xue Hongbi's status and treatment as a tutor, which was in the interest of Madam Pei and Xue Hongbi.

In such a complicated situation tonight, he tried his best to extricate Zhao Lingying from the fray, even though he was clearly a match for her, he willingly conceded defeat so as not to harm Xie Lang in the slightest. This shows his compassion.

Below, the clang of metal clashed and sparks flew continuously. Xie Lang ignored everything, thrusting his sword straight forward and launching a series of attacks.