Meng Qingzhou chuckled lightly, “Your Majesty and Wu Die have no enmity, and Wu Die has rendered great service. Even if I don’t protect her, would Your Majesty truly kill her?”
He almost added, “I bet you wouldn’t actually do it, which is why I dared to challenge you.”
The Empress bit her red lips, her cold eyes dimming. “Then how do you explain betraying your wife and entangling with another woman?”
She knew she shouldn’t ask. Regardless of her identity, she had no right. As the Empress, it was a relationship of ruler and subject; as Dongfang Liuli, it was merely an employer-employee relationship, pretending to be a married couple.
Dongfang Liuli felt conflicted, recalling the scene of Meng Qingzhou embracing Wu Die. It was like a needle prick, causing a sour feeling to well up inside her.
Meng Qingzhou: ?
What do I have to explain to you?
“Your Majesty, it was all my fault,” Wu Die stepped forward and said. “I was overwhelmed with grief upon learning of my brother’s death and sought comfort. But Mr. Meng and I are innocent.”
Hearing this, Dongfang Liuli carefully recalled the scene. It didn’t look like a lovers’ tryst, and she inexplicably felt relieved, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
‘What’s wrong with me? I should have realized this earlier.’ The Empress rubbed her forehead, feeling she had lost her composure in a moment of impulse.
“I understand,” she said.
Dongfang Liuli nodded and said, “Agreed! If the information is accurate, I will grant your request. Wu Die will be spared and become your maidservant.”
Meng Qingzhou, neither humble nor arrogant, cupped his hands and said calmly, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Seeing that the conversation was almost over, Jiang Canghai coughed and said, “Additionally, return the real Yu Die.”
“Yes! The real Yu Die is safe. She was just trapped in an illusion and hidden by me,” Wu Die said joyfully, casting a radiant smile at Meng Qingzhou.
This scene made Dongfang Liuli feel uneasy and regretful.
…
Meng Qingzhou turned sideways, his blind cane pointing south, and said calmly, “King of Shu, Zhao Yuhuan, leads an army of a million, ambushing in the Burial Immortal Mountain Range. The remaining fifty thousand troops stay in the Shu Region to prevent anyone from cutting off their supply lines.”
Jiang Canghai frowned, puzzled, “The Burial Immortal Mountain Range, adjacent to the Great Jin border, is an ancient forbidden area. Throughout history, countless cultivators have entered seeking immortal treasures, but few have returned alive. How could it hide a million troops?”
Meng Qingzhou replied, “Zhao Yuhuan has the ambition of a hero, often doing what others dare not imagine. A million troops are too conspicuous, so he spent years, regardless of cost or manpower, personally venturing into the Burial Immortal Mountain Range to clear the area. Eventually, he succeeded in creating a space large enough to accommodate a million troops.”
Jiang Canghai pondered for a long time, calculating the likelihood of this scenario.
After a while, Jiang Canghai looked at Dongfang Liuli and said, “Your Majesty, I believe there’s a ninety percent chance!”
The forbidden area, feared by many, is precisely the perfect hiding spot that no one would think of!
Otherwise, despite the Empress sending countless cultivators to patrol the Great Jin day and night, they found no trace of Zhao Yuhuan, as if he had vanished into thin air.
If he were hiding in the Burial Immortal Mountain Range, it would make sense.
“Qin Fenghuo!” Dongfang Liuli ordered decisively, “Head to the Burial Immortal Mountain Range immediately. You have three days to find Zhao Yuhuan’s hiding place.”
Qin Fenghuo was instantly excited, clasping his fists, “Yes!”
With that, Qin Fenghuo tore through space and left.
…
“Let’s go back to the capital,” Dongfang Liuli turned, her brows suddenly furrowing as she looked towards a spot on Cool Breeze Mountain.
Then, Dongfang Liuli waved her hand, extracting a strand of Sword Sense related to time from a vacant spot.
This hair-thin strand of Sword Sense, like a maggot clinging to a bone, instantly penetrated Dongfang Liuli’s body upon contact.
“Your Majesty!” Jiang Canghai was shocked.
“It’s fine,” Dongfang Liuli raised her hand, staring at a strand of crystalline red hair on her shoulder that turned transparent.
Dongfang Liuli’s expression was solemn, “This Sword Sense involves the Dao of Time. Judging by its power, the caster’s realm should be around the Moon Shine Realm. Even a residual trace of this Sword Sense can injure me. This person’s strength is likely on par with mine.”
Jiang Canghai was puzzled, “Sword Sense involving the Dao of Time has never been heard of throughout history. Moreover, all cultivators above the Mountain Moving Realm in Great Jin are recorded. Where did this person come from?”
At this point, the two fell silent.
Wu Die, hearing all this, realized she had underestimated Meng Qingzhou’s strength. Even the Empress found him formidable, considering him a great enemy.
A Sword Saint capable of rivaling a monarch, yet humble, kind-hearted, and family-oriented. He didn’t flaunt his talents and had top-tier looks.
How could such a perfect man exist in the world!
Wu Die’s eyes sparkled, gazing at Meng Qingzhou. Even his only flaw—being blind—seemed like his greatest strength.
After all, a flawless being is a god; only with flaws can one be human.
“Qingzhou, have you seen a sword-wielding cultivator passing through Cool Breeze Mountain?” Dongfang Liuli asked seriously.
Meng Qingzhou remained calm, “No, I’m just a blind man with no cultivation.”
“True,” Dongfang Liuli sighed.
The situation seemed increasingly dire. With wars raging among the nations and the world in chaos, the King of Shu had raised the flag of rebellion, and now an unknown Sword Saint had appeared!
The path to unification was fraught with obstacles.
Dongfang Liuli, feeling weary, waved her hand, “Let’s go. No need to delve deeper. Pretend we never discovered that Nameless Sword Saint.”
Jiang Canghai wanted to advise, “Your Majesty, the Nameless Sword Saint lingering near the capital could be a threat…”
“If the Nameless Sword Saint wishes to remain anonymous, our investigation might offend him, unnecessarily creating an enemy,” Dongfang Liuli said.
Meng Qingzhou nodded silently.
Indeed!
If you dare to investigate, this Sword Saint will knock you out at midnight. Let’s see if you still act up.
Moments later, Cool Breeze Mountain was unsealed.
The Empress returned to the capital with her army. Meng Qingzhou, along with Wu Die, released the real sixth-grade official Yu Die, sincerely apologized, and gifted her an Earth Grade Sword Pill, which finally appeased her.
Now, they just needed to wait for Qin Fenghuo to confirm the information about the Burial Immortal Mountain Range, and Wu Die would be free.
On the way home.
“Sir, did you deduce the King of Shu’s hiding place?” Wu Die asked curiously.
Meng Qingzhou smiled mysteriously, remaining silent.
In reality, it was just a major plot point in the novel.
In the original story, Zhao Yuhuan’s first plan succeeded, plunging Great Jin into chaos. Zhao Yuhuan seized the opportunity to march on the capital with a million troops, capturing territory rapidly and storming the capital.
It wasn’t until the later stages of the novel that the Empress, despite her declining power, found Zhao Yuhuan. She single-handedly stormed the entire forbidden area, nearly killing the hiding King of Shu with a single slap.
At the critical moment, the overpowered protagonist appeared, saving Zhao Yuhuan. From then on, the Empress became a lone, evil antagonist, vowing to kill Zhao Gou’s entire family.
“A forbidden area said to bury immortals, stormed by the Empress alone. Terrifying indeed,” Meng Qingzhou murmured.
…
…
Cool Breeze Mountain was sealed, the Empress angrily led her troops out of the city, accompanied by the General of Column Kingdom and the Prime Minister…
The commotion was huge, with three thousand Imperial Guards flying through the sky, sealing off Cool Breeze Mountain. Countless citizens in the city witnessed it.
Naturally, some news leaked out.
But the stories varied. Some said the Empress cuckolded the Empress’ Husband, who retaliated in kind.
Others claimed that the newly promoted Vice Minister of Rites, Meng Qin, was indeed the Empress’ lover but was caught cheating today.
The most widely spread story was about a Nameless Sword Saint appearing at Cool Breeze Mountain!
This rumor spread the most because someone saw a strand of the Empress’ crystalline red hair turning white, which was considered solid evidence of the Nameless Sword Saint.
Soon, the streets and alleys of the capital buzzed with discussions about the Nameless Sword Saint’s prowess.
Many sword cultivators even gathered at the foot of Cool Breeze Mountain, kneeling in large numbers, calling out, “Please, Sword Saint, reveal yourself and bestow your teachings! Please, Sword Saint, demonstrate your divine swordsmanship!”
Leave a Reply