Chapter 45 Chaoyun Kingdom - Chaos Pearl (Part 9) You can call me Zhang Qing...
Moonlight casts shadows across the land, Bodhi trees sway gently, and the ever-burning palace lanterns reflect a shimmering white barrier in the sky, like ripples on water. When the night wind blows, one can see the patterns rippling like the surface of a lake.
Eunuchs and palace maids hurried along the corridor.
Shi Xianxue's face was splattered with blood. She had no time to marvel at the magnificent palace that people from all over the world flocked to. Her mind was filled with the tragic state of the people she had just witnessed.
She thought he was some kind of celestial child, but he was more like an evil one.
Without a shred of compassion and love for the people, why should they enjoy the respect and love of the common folk?
She thought that damned imperial advisor was no good either.
A riot broke out on Yuanwu Street, which leads directly to the imperial city. The Imperial Guards arrived half an hour late, and carried out the cleanup in an orderly, even numb manner.
They obeyed the little fairy boy's every command and calmly concealed the matter.
Shi Xianxue knew nothing about this and thought to herself that when she met Emperor Chaoyun, she would definitely file a complaint first!
The Azure Lotus Immortal Child always wore a smiling face. He sat floating on a lotus throne, his upturned eyes seemingly knowing her thoughts: "Anyone who wants to see His Majesty must first visit the Grand Preceptor at the Star-Picking Pavilion. Don't you know that?"
How would she know?
Furthermore, why should she, a princess sent for a political marriage, have to meet the Imperial Advisor first? Does this palace belong to the Li family or the Imperial Advisor?
Shi Xianxue looked around and realized that the prison carts had vanished into thin air. She had a vague guess about what had happened, but she couldn't help but ask for confirmation: "Were those prison carts holding sharks..."
The little fairy boy had been observing her, and upon hearing this, he interrupted softly: "Instead of worrying about what's being held in the prison van, you should worry about whether you can pass the physical examination."
A medical examination?
What kind of physical examination is this? She's not a contestant in a talent show, why would she need a physical examination?
Shi Xianxue said warily, "I'm not going anywhere. I want to see your emperor. I am a princess of Xiliang. You have no right to examine me!"
The little fairy boy chuckled and floated away on his lotus throne.
Yuanwu Gate.
A rare hint of anger flashed across Li Fuchao's handsome face, but in front of the soldiers, he still considered the face of his men and forced himself to suppress his anger as he asked, "The cause of the riot in Yuanwu Street has been determined. How many people were killed or injured? Are there any follow-up arrangements?"
Commandant Liang knew nothing when asked, and looked troubled: "Your Highness, the fairy boy said this matter is unnecessary..."
"From what you're saying, is this Chaoyun surnamed Zhang and under the jurisdiction of his Zhaixing Pavilion? If so, why don't I write to Father Emperor and elevate my position to him?"
Liang Duwei was drenched in cold sweat and hurriedly knelt down. He led the Imperial Guards, and they all knelt on the ground.
“Your Highness, please calm down. I know this is not the norm, but His Majesty values the Zhaixing Pavilion and the Imperial Preceptor, and has allowed the Imperial Preceptor to act as regent. In many matters, the Zhaixing Pavilion has much more power than the Capital Prefecture. I dare not disobey.”
Li Fuchao had been away from the palace for ten years, and he was truly unaware that the entire palace had long been subtly infiltrated by Zhang Qing. Even when he went to Qingyun Sect to become a disciple, it was his suggestion to his father.
Looking back now, it's really laughable.
As the dignified Crown Prince Chaoyun, he was so constrained in the palace that he had to consult a national advisor before making any decisions. It was utterly ridiculous.
"A riot has broken out on Yuanwu Street. This matter must be investigated. If there is no response, count the casualties, appease the people, and report the case to the authorities in accordance with the laws of Chaoyun. If the Emperor blames you in the future, just say that you were ordered by me."
"yes."
"Wait, among the people on Yuanwu Street today, is there a woman from Xiliang?"
Inside the Star-Picking Pavilion, the rooftop twinkled like stars. Although there were no lamps lit, pearls floated in mid-air, enveloped in water vapor. The surroundings were pitch black, except for the round platform where Shi Xianxue stood, which was bathed in the bright spring sunshine.
This made Shi Xianxue feel like a sitting duck, with countless eyes watching her intently from the shadows.
A chill ran down her spine, and countless invisible breaths brushed against her skin. She took a tentative step forward, and something beside her moved in response.
She cursed the little fairy boy thousands of times in her heart, then quickly took off the small cloth bag on her back and tried to take out the real letter of marriage.
A few seconds later, she started to panic, "Damn it, I have such a big letter of peace from my country!!"
Did she drop it somewhere or did she forget to bring it?
Shi Xianxue recalled that charged ram. No way! She thought he was a drunkard, but it turns out he was a daytime scoundrel. If she had known, she shouldn't have held back and should have kicked him a few more times.
Several transparent souls broke through the darkness and reached for her face. She quickly dodged to the side and drew her small wooden sword to meet them.
Her soul was quickly destroyed by her. Before she could even catch her breath, a shadow suddenly attacked from the shadows. Fortunately, Shi Xianxue reacted in time and dodged the attack with a side roll.
The thing emerged from the shadows, scattering white scales as it walked. It was agile and tall, with hair that cascaded down to its waist like seaweed. Its skin was very white, and its pupils resembled two pieces of fine jade. Scales slanted upwards from the corners of its eyes to its temples.
What surprised Shi Xianxue the most was that he was completely naked, with a silver chain around his neck, like a tethered dog. His body was covered with wounds of varying sizes and depths, the most numerous being on his waist and abdomen, where white, rotten flesh was turned outwards, making him look extremely horrifying.
He had an eerie appearance with scales on his face. Could he be a sea monster from the deep sea? No, low-level sea monsters wouldn't even catch the eye of the royal family. The one imprisoned in the Star-Picking Pavilion must be a merman!
But where did the tails of both sea monsters and merfolk go? How come they all have grown legs? Is it easy for creatures in the sea to cultivate legs?
Looking at the bluish-green eyes that resembled those of the little sea monster, and the strange words spoken by the hyena demon.
Shi Xianxue asked hesitantly, "You're a merman, right? Do you have a younger brother?"
The male merman stepped forward, the chains clanging with his movement. He seemed to have caught a familiar scent, and his previously calm, deathly eyes gleamed with an unusual light. Just as he was about to say something, the silver chain around his neck tightened abruptly as if punishing his disobedience. Several powerful auras flowed through the chain, like electric currents coursing through his body, causing him to wince in pain. He uncontrollably swung his fist at Shi Xianxue.
After several rounds of fighting, a tuft of the man's hair was singed by Shi Xianxue's fireball talisman, but his attacks on Shi Xianxue had little effect. He stopped attacking and stared blankly at the clothes on her body.
Jiaoxiao (鲛绡).
Shi Xianxue also sensed something was wrong and looked down at her undamaged clothes.
This time it was the same, and it was the same last time in the lantern tree in Jiuyi City. Even though the lantern girl hit my shoulder, there wasn't even a bruise on my skin. Could it be that the material of this clothing is special and can resist physical damage?
The silver chain emitted a faint trembling sound, seemingly urging the man on. He had no choice but to lower his head and use the water-based blade to cut the skin on his arm. The pale blue liquid dripped onto the water blade, emitting a shimmering blue light.
Shi Xianxue had no idea what he was doing, but the fire ibis hiding in his sleeve knew perfectly well. He was acting on his master's orders to disguise himself as this ugly bird that looked like a peacock in order to protect Shi Xianxue. Not only could he not be recognized by her, but he also could not let her suffer any harm.
Otherwise, its owner would definitely pluck all its feathers and roast and eat it.
Therefore, it stepped in to block the attack for her, but unexpectedly, it was pulled out by a powerful force the next moment and had its neck grabbed from a distance.
It flapped its wings and struggled, but the spiritual energy on its body was like a gas cylinder with the stopper pulled out, gradually dissipating.
It stared in shock, its eyes wide with disbelief that anyone in the world still knew its weakness.
The colors of the five-colored phoenix were burned away by the flames, revealing the true colors of its own feathers. Its little crown drooped on its head, and it was so tightly squeezed that it could not move or even cry for help.
Behind him came Shi Xianxue's exaggerated exclamation.
"Why is it you, you stinky bird?"
Stop scolding it. If you don't save it, it will become a dead bird.
Despite her disdain, Shi Xianxue couldn't just stand by and watch it die. She focused her mind, bit her finger, and smeared the blood onto the talisman. "Break the barrier!"
The talisman struck the shimmering white light shield, and a white marble-like stone staircase slowly unfolded before her. A figure knelt and sat on it. Before Shi Xianxue could see clearly, she threw a fire talisman at him.
As if immersed in water, the fire talisman turned into water droplets and splashed out when it touched the corner of the dark blue robe.
Shi Xianxue finally saw the man's face clearly.
He was a young man, whose appearance was ordinary, but whose demeanor was so noble that it was impossible to look away.
He looked relaxed, as if he had been watching a play for a long time. His posture was also casual, sitting on the jade steps with his knees bent, his two slender arms resting on his knees, and a bead the size of a thumb in his hand.
A thin layer of light swirled between her fingers. The man's deep gaze slowly moved down from her face, stopping at the blue waist belt. He seemed to have discovered something interesting. As the beads between his fingers were crushed, Shi Xianxue's sleeves billowed like lanterns.
In the dim light, the things she thought she had lost reappeared before her, one by one.
The doll whistle, the cloth tiger, the bamboo dragonfly, and that little piece of the Qiqiao puzzle that she had cherished for so long.
The talisman fell from her hand, and Shi Xianxue stared blankly at it.
"Clothes made of silk gauze can already withstand ordinary attacks, but he actually added spiritual power to them, plus this hidden space in the sleeve." The man chuckled. "It seems the person who gave you this garment put a lot of thought into it."
Shi Xianxue's throat was dry, and she didn't know what to say for a moment. She hugged all the things to her chest, touched them carefully, and then raised her head. Her gaze fell on that ordinary face, and she asked in a very soft voice, "Are you the Imperial Advisor?"
When Zhang Qing stood up, Shi Xianxue noticed that he had straight shoulders and was very tall. In the dim light of the surrounding environment, another face appeared in her mind.
He walked down the steps, past the motionless merman, and stood before her. His eyebrows were long and narrow, and when he smiled, there was no hostility in his eyes, but rather a seriousness. "You can call me Zhang Qing."
Shi Xianxue couldn't discern this person's cultivation level, so she remained tense and dared not relax for a moment. However, one cannot hit a smiling face, so she also pretended to be kind and said, "My name is Shi Huaiyu, and I am the princess of Xiliang. This bird is my demon servant. Could you please release it for now?"
Whether or not I let them go is not up to me.
"I really am a princess. The letter of marriage alliance is not in my possession right now, but I..."
Zhang Qing looked up at the pavilion ceiling, where pearls shimmered and sparkled like the Milky Way: "The moon shines brightly over the sea, pearls weep; mermaid silk is rare, and mermaid pearls are even rarer. The Mermaid Pearl Dust Array originally used the Chaos Pearl as its array eye and the mermaid pearls as its array flags. However, the Chaos Pearl is a divine artifact, not something a mortal like me can control, which led to a shortage of mermaid pearls and caused a flaw in the array—"
He lowered his eyelashes, casting a fan-shaped shadow beneath his eyes. "If you are the real Princess Huaiyu, then please repair this Mermaid Pearl Array for me."
A pearl array?
It turns out that the seemingly indestructible Heavenly Net was actually a Pearl Array made of pearls.
However, after repairing the barrier of Mount No Return last time, she fell into a deep sleep for a long time. After waking up, she was unable to muster any energy for a long time, as if she had been malnourished and lacked qi and blood. She didn't even have the appetite to eat. She looked haggard, as if she had been to the underworld and come back from the dead. Asking her to use the power of repair again in a short period of time would be like taking her life.
She's not powered by solar energy!
But the flamingo's feathers gradually became dull and lifeless, and its little crown lay crookedly upside down, looking half-dead.
Shi Xianxue was afraid that he would really kill the fire ibis, so she remained silent for a moment before saying, "Stop, I'll help you."
---
When Li Fuchao burst in with his sword, he saw Shi Xianxue unconscious in Zhang Qing's arms. He was immediately enraged and roared, "Let her go!"
Miss Shishi was infatuated with Young Master Wu, and his abrupt involvement in their argument already made him feel guilty. If he were to put Miss Shishi in danger as well, how could he explain it to Young Master Wu? Therefore, he specially added a protective spell to the forged marriage certificate and even released a wisp of its aura to track it. Unexpectedly, something went wrong halfway through, and the certificate was activated prematurely...
Shishi was actually sent to the Star-Picking Pavilion. If Zhang Qingzhen dared to touch her, even if it meant disobeying his father's orders and giving up the position of Crown Prince, he would still act first and report later to deal with Zhang Qingzhen.
Several sharp sword energies swept in like axe splitting a mountain, but the pearl array on the roof of the pavilion formed a dazzling wave of light that neutralized them, and the array's core began to fluctuate again.
Meeting Li Fuchao's angry gaze, Zhang Qing explained with a smile, "Young prince, all your attacks on me will be converted into the Mermaid Pearl Formation. The little princess just repaired it for me, and you can't bear to see her efforts go to waste, can you?"
The backlash from repairing the barrier of Mount No Return was still fresh in Li Fuchao's mind. He knew that Shishi had a special constitution and was likely the reincarnation of the legendary goddess, but that did not mean they could force Shishi to use her abilities.
"Give her to me."
Zhang Qing's face was young, but his actual age was more than ten years older than the emperor of Chaoyun. His narrow eyes always held a sharp light, as if he could see through the little tricks behind their backs. He spoke slowly and teased, "Little Crown Prince, your nervousness towards this little princess you've never met before makes me think you're old acquaintances and that you've conspired to steal the Chaos Pearl."
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