"Then, Miss Lu, do you know what this power is?" Tuoba Ze asked softly, his eyes filled with fervent anticipation as he looked longingly at the gentle woman before him.
Lu Tianjiao was silent for a while, then mysteriously said, "Her hands were like tender shoots, her skin like solidified cream, her neck like a cicada's, her teeth like melon seeds, her forehead broad and her eyebrows arched, her smile charming, her eyes bright and beautiful." It is said that she was like a fairy from the heavens who had descended to the mortal world, and even women who saw her were ashamed of their own beauty. She was a beauty with unparalleled looks.
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Ze was suddenly stunned, recalling Yi Shangyun's conjecture in the secret passage: "This mysterious power belongs to a woman from a mysterious tribe. She possesses a divine sword that can slay demons and monsters, her blood has magical power, and she also has a sacred relic passed down through generations that can create miracles."
Then, lost in thought, he glanced to the other side and muttered to himself, "That girl actually guessed right. It seems she really is quite extraordinary. It's just a pity..."
"What? As soon as you heard that the guardian is an unparalleled beauty, you lost your soul and your eyes went blank?" Lu Tianjiao looked at Tuoba Ze, who was completely mesmerized, and rolled his eyes at him before turning away and speaking to him contemptuously.
Tuoba Ze quickly came to his senses and whispered in her ear, "Miss Lu, you are mistaken. How could I be the kind of person who judges by appearances and forgets loyalty for beauty? Besides, in my eyes, Miss Lu already possesses the most beautiful face in the world, a face that could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky, and the moon hide its face and flowers blush with shame. I doubt there is anyone more talented and beautiful than Miss Lu, as beautiful as a fairy!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Tianjiao turned away, feigning disdain, but inwardly he was already overjoyed by her words.
“She is beautiful, but… ‘beautiful women have always had tragic fates.’ No matter how beautiful the guardian is, she is not fortunate enough to enjoy this heaven-sent beauty. What use is beauty?” Lu Tianjiao adjusted the pair of red gold fish-shaped earrings inlaid with white jade on her ears and said regretfully.
"What... the Guardian... she's dead?" Upon hearing this, Tuoba Ze was instantly stunned.
Since the battle south of the city, not only has everything he had painstakingly planned in the Western Qin Kingdom over the years been completely destroyed, but he has also suffered the annihilation of his entire army.
After much difficulty, he persuaded his younger brother, Tuoba Hong, to return to the country first and help him delay the matter in front of his father, so that he could stay in the Western Qin Kingdom to seize that mysterious power and atone for his sins.
Actually, he had already been persuaded to go back to China with her. Unexpectedly, halfway there, he suddenly remembered Lu Tianjiao's existence, thinking that this woman had a special identity and must know something.
Only then did he turn back and take a detour to Xiqin Academy first, where he learned that Lu Tianjiao had already moved to the Qin Prince's Mansion before the end of the year.
As he traveled from south to east from the Western Qin Kingdom, disguised and evading capture by the authorities, he worried about how to meet Lu Tianjiao in the heavily guarded Qin King's mansion.
Suddenly it occurred to her that tonight was the Lantern Festival, and she would definitely be out admiring the lanterns. And sure enough, he bumped into her.
But now, unexpectedly, he learned so quickly that the Guardian no longer existed. Could it be that all his efforts in Western Qin over the years had been in vain? How could he atone for his sins and return to his father, the Emperor?
"A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea," and in Lu Tianjiao's heart, any woman whom the world considered more beautiful or stronger than her, she wished had all of them dead. But as soon as she spoke, the thought that the person in front of her was from a foreign land made her hesitate a little.
So, just as Tuoba Ze was feeling indignant and extremely unwilling, Lu Tianjiao continued, "Regarding the Guardian, some people believe that she fell off a cliff and died, while others are unwilling to accept that her remains have not been found, and believe that she has simply lost her memory and forgotten her identity, and may have ended up in some corner of the Lingkong Continent."
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Ze excitedly grabbed Lu Tianjiao's arm, turned her around to face him, and stared into her eyes with anticipation, asking, "What does the guardian look like? Is there a portrait?"
Lu Tianjiao was clearly startled by this action and immediately shouted at him, "What are you doing? Let go right now!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was just too curious about this extremely mysterious woman. Please forgive me, Miss." Tuoba Ze realized his mistake and quickly let go, apologizing repeatedly.
Lu Tianjiao glared at him fiercely, straightened her clothes, and after a moment of silence, said softly, "The guardian's portrait had its face partially destroyed. The Emperor gave it to my father, and it's still being restored. However..."
"But what?" Tuoba Ze asked hastily.
Lu Tianjiao said, "However, I have heard that each generation of guardians has a phoenix mark passed down through a single lineage, which is an exclusive mark passed down through generations."
"A phoenix mark?" Tuoba Ze was puzzled and silently repeated the sentence.
Just as the two were lost in their own thoughts, suddenly there was a loud "bang," followed by a shower of colorful fireworks that burst into the night sky like a shower of flowers.
The two people in the pavilion, along with the people cheering and jumping under the night sky, all looked up at him at the same time.
Only then did they realize that the magnificent celestial phenomenon of "the bright moon shining overhead," which was a rare sight, was no longer there.
Instead, fireworks lit up the quiet night sky once again, and people's faces were filled with happiness and joy.
"Heavenly Pride, Heavenly Pride..." Under the spectacular glow of the fire, a handsome young man suddenly appeared from the crowd, hopping and skipping as he waved and shouted loudly at the gentle woman in the pavilion.
Just as Tuoba Ze was about to ask something again, he quickly spotted the figure in the crowd and changed his mind, bowing to Lu Tianjiao and saying, "Miss Lu, it's getting late, I should go back now. Farewell!"
"Okay, you go first. I want to stay here alone for a while longer. I'll remember to come find you, don't worry," Lu Tianjiao replied.
The man smiled and nodded at her, then hurried down the stone steps and headed towards the other end of the street, quickly disappearing into the vast crowd.
Lu Tianjiao stood sideways in the pavilion, silently watching her departing figure. Suddenly, a strange feeling welled up in his heart.
This feeling is like being lost in a desolate desert, scorched by the suffocating heat, and on the verge of death. In this state of utter helplessness, a companion suddenly appears to offer solace.
Although they weren't very familiar with each other, a few words were enough to rekindle her strong will to keep going and prevent her from being buried by the sandstorm.
Just then, the handsome man who had been waving and calling to her earlier appeared behind her without her noticing. He stared in the same direction she was looking for a while, but seemed to have noticed nothing.
Then, the man came to his senses, and with a "smack," a large, well-defined hand slapped heavily on Lu Tianjiao's shoulder.
Lu Tianjiao quickly came to her senses, her heart jolted, and she looked away, her anger about to erupt. But when she turned back, she only screamed in surprise, "Brother, it's you? What are you doing here?"
It turns out that this person was Lu Tianjiao's twin brother, Lu Tianlin.
Lu Tianlin didn't rush to answer her question, but instead asked, "Didn't you write back to the academy saying you were accompanying the Princess Qin at the Qin Prince's residence? Why are you here alone now? What are you doing here? I clearly saw a man's figure in this pavilion just now. Who is he? You wouldn't happen to be...?"
As Lu Tianlin's speculations became increasingly outlandish, Lu Tianjiao seemed unable to listen any longer and hurriedly interrupted him, saying, "Brother, don't talk nonsense. What are you thinking? That person is just... just a stranger from out of town asking for directions."
"Out-of-towners? During the Spring Festival, everyone is supposed to be with their families to celebrate. Who would be wandering around outside?" Lu Tianlin asked, puzzled.
Seeing his persistent and determined attitude, Lu Tianjiao, already irritable that night, suddenly became extremely impatient and shouted at him, "I said I'm a stranger asking for directions, and that's it. If you don't believe me, no matter what I say, you won't believe me. So why ask me, and why should I explain? Aren't you also a stranger who came all the way from the southern border to the capital during the New Year? What, is it that you're still so incorrigible, 'only officials are allowed to set fires, but commoners are not allowed to light lamps'?"
Seeing Lu Tianjiao glaring at him fiercely, Lu Tianlin gently explained, "Sister, what are you saying? How could your brother be that kind of person? Father and I were ordered to enter the palace to attend the Lantern Festival banquet."
Upon hearing this, Lu Tianjiao's anger instantly turned into a look of extreme astonishment. He asked in confusion, "By imperial decree to enter the palace? Since Father left the court, he has rarely been summoned to the palace. What has happened this time?"
Lu Tianlin quickly comforted her, saying, "Sister, don't worry. Actually, it's nothing serious. It's just that the Emperor used the Lantern Festival banquet to ask Father about..."
Lu Tianlin paused mid-sentence, leaned closer to Lu Tianjiao's ear, and continued, "Ask Father about the progress of restoring the Guardian's portrait."
Upon hearing this, Lu Tianjiao hurriedly asked, "So how is Father's progress now?"
Seeing that Lu Tianlin remained silent, only sighing heavily, Lu Tianjiao, though staring intently at him, was in a state of utter turmoil. She asked, "Still not enough?"
Lu Tianlin then thought about it again, as if there was still something he didn't understand...
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