This time, the one who came to request their presence on behalf of the emperor was the same servant who had approached them back when they had met Jing Hao, while they had been on their way back from Yan Lin's place.
Though Jing Shui and Wu Xiao wanted to reject the invitation outright, Qinghe suggested that they should all go and take a look at what the emperor wanted, his expression showing unhidden anticipation.
Qinghe could more or less guess that this was the result of Elder Yue's meddling, resulting in events proceeding much faster than he had expected. But it was still a good thing, since everything was ready on his end anyway. Plus, the sooner this was done with, the sooner those people trapped in the palace could be rescued.
Seeing Qinghe cheerfully proposing to go and meet the emperor, Jing Shui decided to listen to his friend despite his own misgivings. Wu Xiao naturally followed his Ah-Shui's decision, and Wei Xiang, as usual, had no particular opinion and went along with them.
And so, the four cultivators were now making their way towards the imperial court once more.
As they walked down the various corridors of the imperial palace while heading towards the throne room, Jing Shui was silently clutching Wu Xiao's hand, taking reassurance from his lover's steady and calm presence to tamp down his own uncertainty.
"Brother Feng, why do you think we are being summoned now?" Jing Shui asked with unease rippling in his eyes.
"I've no clue about the specifics, but the emperor will probably try to target me somehow," Qinghe replied with an unconcerned look.
Then seeing that Jing Shui was beginning to panic on his behalf, Qinghe continued quickly, "Now, now, it won't be anything I can't handle. Anyway, don't I have you three to watch out for me? So really, there's no need to worry."
Jing Shui looked hesitant, but still nodded. Yes, he would put aside his own fears for now and make sure that his father wouldn't have his way with his friend!
Witnessing the open distress on Jing Shui's face turning to determination, Qinghe could only shake his head helplessly as an affectionate smile bent his lips.
Soon, they reached the entrance to the throne room.
Though the inside was as extravagant and ostentatious as the last time, the place seemed more empty, having visibly less courtiers and ministers than the last time, all thanks to the emperor alienating the more powerful ones and facilitating their falling into Qinghe's clutches.
The emperor sat on his throne on the high platform as always, but this time, a second, smaller throne was added next to his own to seat the empress. On either side of the imperial couple stood Jing Hao and Jing Rui, both wearing different expressions.
Jing Hao bore a blandly polite look, while Jing Rui appeared visibly more excited. Thankfully, he did not seem to have brought any of his 'dolls' with him, presumably because of his father forbidding it.
As for Jing Hao and Jing Rui's concubine mothers, one was bedridden due to palace schemes while the other was already dead.
After entering the throne room, the group of four directly headed to the base of the platform like last time.
For a moment, Wei Xiang's gaze flicked to Jing Rui, the color of his eyes deepening with barely hidden anger, before he forced down his emotions and returned to looking indifferent.
On the other hand, faced with his father's usual forbidding look, Jing Shui did his best to suppress the urge to hide behind Wu Xiao. And even as Wu Xiao kept smiling with what seemed like casual amusement on the surface, his arms silently wound themselves around his lover as if to shield him from all malicious gazes and hoping to offer his beloved Ah-Shui some support at the same time.
Though the emperor didn't seem to notice this action, the empress narrowed her eyes, her gaze assessing as she stared at the way that silver-haired cultivator held her son with so much protectiveness. But before she could think of all the ways she could use this newfound discovery, she felt cold eyes settling on her. Shifting her attention, she saw that white-robed cultivator named Feng looking at her, his lips lightly quirked up and his expression deceptively mild.
Holding back a shudder, the empress resolutely discarded the thought of interfering any further in her son's life. Offending that cultivator would definitely not be worth it!
Qinghe turned his gaze away from the empress in satisfaction. It seemed that his warning from last time had stuck with her as he had hoped.
The emperor waited for the group of four to greet him, only to be met with silence, causing him to grit his teeth at this blatant disrespect.
It seemed that their lack of courtesy hadn't changed in the least from the last time! He could only pray that they wouldn't go about cracking lewd jokes in his presence again.
"Cultivator Feng, we have called you here for an important reason," the emperor began without delay.
Qinghe tilted his head in apparent curiosity at being addressed so directly. "I am willing to listen, Your Majesty," he said noncommittally.
The emperor narrowed his eyes, unable to hide the eagerness glittering in his gaze as he stated, "We wish to pass an imperial decree regarding the venerable Cultivator Feng and grant you an unimaginable honor."
As a rule, imperial decrees were not passed directly like this by the emperor in the throne room. A eunuch from the palace usually carried the scroll containing the decree to the relevant household and read it out loud, followed by the bequeathing of carefully selected treasures and gifts. Of course, the actual procedure was a lot more complicated, with many more steps and stringent protocols to be observed in between.
But the emperor felt that according to his guests' irreverent attitudes, if he were to send out an imperial decree to them using the usual method, they would probably just throw it away! He would have no power over the situation or have any way to make them obey if he used that approach.
And so, realizing this, the emperor invited them here, having already stationed many soldiers to surround the imperial court so that these cultivators wouldn't be able to escape and would have no choice but to follow his decree.
Of course, the cultivators had long since sensed the presence of the guards outside, but they remained silent, waiting patiently to see where this would go.
Seeing that the emperor appeared to be waiting for a response, Qinghe nodded and simply repeated again, "I am willing to listen." He would not promise to do any more than that.
Not minding his vague reply, the emperor smiled in anticipation and announced to the court with a solemn and majestic tone, his voice ringing throughout the throne room:
"We hereby bestow a marriage to the cultivator Feng Qinghe, who is to be wedded to our son, Jing Rui, within the time of three months, on an auspicious day chosen by the court astrologers. We hope that this joyful union will be blessed with health and prosperity!"
A moment of stunned silence fell upon the room.
Jing Rui's smile got impossibly wider, his gaze gleaming with unmentionable desires as he looked at that impossibly beautiful cultivator who had humiliated him so badly the last time they'd met.
Over these past days, Jing Rui's obsession to own this man had grown to an unbelievable degree. He wanted to watch that cultivator's face twist and wrench in agony while Jing Rui used his body as he pleased. He wanted to see that aloof person slowly fall apart and break, being gradually unraveled within his hands. And thinking how he would finally have that chance, Jing Rui could barely contain his glee.
And once he was done playing with him, Jing Rui would of course throw him away and get back to torturing his dolls again. After all, everyone already knew that this marriage edict was just a farce, so no one would expect this philandering prince to change his ways or take this marriage seriously.
Meanwhile, after hearing this ridiculous proclamation, the four cultivators looked up with incredulity at the old emperor.
Jing Shui frowned in disbelief and dissatisfaction that his father was trying to impose something like this upon his friend. Feng Qinghe was not someone from this empire, so how could his father have the right to decide his fate? And trying to marry him to that Jing Rui was simply bad taste to an extreme degree!
Unlike his silently fuming beloved, Wu Xiao directly let out a snort at the emperor's presumptuousness. There was no way that crafty Xiao Feng was going to take this lying down and let this foolish old man have his way!
On the other hand, Wei Xiang, who had been standing with a disinterested look all this time, suddenly snapped his attention to the emperor after hearing the decree, his gaze sharp and icy.
Even though he didn't feel that the emperor's words posed any threat to the relationship between him and his little lover, he still couldn't bear his audacity in trying to link his beloved to that vile cretin. Even now, he still remembered what sort of vulgar words that Jing Rui had flung at his Qinghe. For his lover to be mentioned in the same sentence as that disgrace of a human being was in itself an insult!
Sensing his beloved's mounting fury, Qinghe placed a hand on Wei Xiang's arm and rubbed it lightly in a soothing gesture.
Then in a pleasant and unruffled tone, Qinghe turned to the emperor and said simply, "I refuse."
The emperor's eyes bulged at the casualness of this rejection. "You do not have the right to refuse. This is an imperial decree!"
Wu Xiao burst out into laughter, the sound of his merriment ringing loudly in the large room. In a mocking voice, he asked, "My dear Father-in-law, have you gone senile? In which universe would that useless son of yours deserve to even lick the boots of our Xiao Feng, let alone marry him?"
Despite the overt rudeness of the words, Jing Shui still felt like cheering on his lover. It was truly well said! As for his beloved's address of the emperor as 'Father-in-law'…Jing Shui decisively chose to ignore it for now.
Hearing this, Wei Xiang's rage also abated somewhat, faint amusement beginning to take root in its place. Yes, this was truly too ridiculous.
Qinghe smiled helplessly, feeling somewhat strange at being defended like this. After all, he was still unused to being cared for by others.
Retaining his peace in the face of the emperor's piercing gaze, Qinghe spoke up and stated plainly, "Imperial decree or not, you still have no right to make me marry without my express consent. And I definitely do not consent."
The emperor gritted his teeth again. But before he could say something, Jing Rui burst out, "Oh? You still think you have a choice?" Then giving a cold chuckle, he continued, "Here's the only choice you have—you can either choose to give yourself to me of your own free will or be forced into becoming mine."
Qinghe wanted to roll his eyes at this ridiculous threat. This prince wanted to force him? Him and what army? But no, Qinghe reflected that even an army wouldn't suffice if they wanted to go against him, not to mention the additional three people with him.
But before Qinghe could say this aloud, Wei Xiang stepped in front of him as if unable to bear Jing Rui casting his greedy gaze on his beloved.
In a cutting tone, Wei Xiang spat at Jing Rui, "You dare think you can lay a hand on my lover? I would very much like to see you try. Or better yet, why don't you come and try to take me on by yourself, you spineless maggot."
Jing Rui's face immediately turned an unsightly purple from rage as he choked on his words.
Not willing to see his son's disgraceful state anymore, the emperor spoke to Wei Xiang, "Lover or not, you have no say in this matter." Then turning to Qinghe, he said solemnly, "I advise Cultivator Feng to think carefully. You are within lands that operate under the authority of the imperial family and the emperor. Your connections with the cultivator sects will be of no use here. As such, it is impossible for you to evade the imperial decree with your own strength. And if your companions try to aid you, then they will have to be detained in the dungeons for the crime of breaking the law. And in this empire, what I say is the law!"
Jing Shui finally couldn't hold it in anymore. "Imperial Father, do you really think the cultivation world won't hear of this? Are you not afraid of the consequences of forcefully detaining a cultivator?!"
The emperor frowned, disliking having to look at this disobedient son of his at all, much less hearing him speak for the other side's defense. If he couldn't be of use, then he should just stay mute.
After a second of silence, the emperor finally deigned to speak, "He is only one cultivator, while I rule the entire Xing Long Empire. Would the cultivation sects cause a diplomatic issue with such a prominent empire just for the sake of a few cultivators? As long as your lives aren't threatened, they will simply pay your plights no mind and go about their business. It would be better to quickly accept the fact that there will be no help arriving for you and just give in."
Wu Xiao burst into laughter, his voice much louder than before.
The emperor turned his head to glare at him viciously.
This silver-haired man kept constantly mocking him in this way. And on top of that, the emperor was also aware that it was because of this man that all his attempts at getting his hands on his son till now were thwarted.
The emperor did not know what methods this silver-haired man had used, but none of his men were willing to act against his son anymore after having to face his son's lover just once. In the end, the emperor had been forced to leave them in peace, his belly full of grievances and dissatisfaction.
Scowling, the emperor asked furiously, "What does this cultivator find so humorous, may I ask?"
But though the question was directed at Wu Xiao, seeing how he was still laughing uncontrollably, Jing Shui decided to answer on behalf of his beloved. "Of course he'd laugh, your reasoning is that laughable."
The emperor directed a fierce look at his son and Jing Shui had to force himself to not flinch or look away from his father's overbearing gaze.
Firming his resolve, Jing Shui finally decided to put everything on the table. "You say that the cultivation world would ignore our plight? Imperial Father, do you even know who we are?! The Brother Feng that you are looking down on and trying to coerce so forcefully is the second and most favored disciple of the Heavenly Peak Sect. And he is not only beloved by his master and the people of his sect, but he also has the support of many other prominent people in the cultivational world. For example, me, the current head disciple and future sect master of the Golden Sun Sect, and my lover, the sect master of the Silver Moon Sect."
The emperor looked at the silver-haired man, who was still chortling, with disbelief. He was the sect master of such a renowned sect? And his own son was the future sect master of that famed Golden Sun Sect? Wasn't the Golden Sun Sect known to be the leading power in the financial and business worlds?!
Unheeding of his father's astonishment, Jing Shui continued, "And not only does Brother Feng have the support of these three sects, he is also owed favors and has close relationships with the Lightning Sky Sect and the Drifting Clouds Sect. In short, Brother Feng is directly connected to some of the most influential members of the entire Five Great Sects that oversee the cultivation world. Imperial Father, it means that if you try to wrong Feng Qinghe, you will have to prepare for war with the entire cultivation world. Are you prepared to go that far?"
The entire court fell into a horrified silence.
War with the entire cultivation world? Don't joke! Even if their cultivation was a sham, their martial arts skills were definitely genuine! Combined with their far greater age which would have allowed them to gain more experience in fighting, there was no guarantee that their empire would win if they clashed in battle. In fact, putting together the cultivation world's martial might, their powerful connections, and their deep influence in various areas, they could easily crush the Xing Long empire under their heel!
With a wide grin, Wu Xiao proudly praised his beloved for standing up to his bastard of a father and stunning the entire court into silence. "Well said, Ah-Shui! After such a long time of peace, the young ones in the sects are itching for a fight anyway. This could be fun."
Hearing all this, Qinghe felt touched. In a way, he really did have a lot of people who cared for him.
And of course, he also had people who would lend their aid because they owed him.
For example, because he had helped the people from the Lightning Sky Sect with the wyvern, they would stand by him. And because he had in a way already fulfilled his end of the bargain by giving the Ping residence the loyalty of many prominent people, thus raising their status, the Drifting Clouds Sect also owed him and would help, since their sect master hadn't paid up yet.
All in all, the human connections he had were plentiful, though truthfully, he didn't need any of them to deal with the current issue.
But for now, there was no reason to let them know that.
While the entire court contemplated seriously about the significance of these cultivator guests and their surprising status, the empress suddenly spoke up, "I refuse to believe that those cultivators will go to war over such a tiny matter. After all, the Sentinels won't stand for such unnecessary bloodshed!"
Qinghe wanted to snort. Well, the Sentinels did not stand for forced marriages or the kidnapping and torturing of civilians either, and yet this self-righteous empress didn't seem to have a problem with that.
Wu Xiao decided to enlighten them and said, "I wouldn't be so sure. Do you not know who Xiao Feng's lover is? I'm certain even you must have heard of Sentinel Wei."
Hearing that name, the empress's face paled.
Who here hadn't heard of Wei Xiang, the rumored successor of the Sentinel Grandmaster? They all knew his reputation and how he was the Grandmaster's most favored disciple. If he truly decided to wage war for this offense against his beloved, then they would have to deal with the might of the Sentinels on top of the cultivators.
Seeing this reaction, Wei Xiang merely smirked. He supposed it was about time for them to know his identity. After all, there was no more need to keep it hidden.
At the side, Qinghe also smiled. By now, their objective must have already been accomplished.
Because the true reason for Qinghe agreeing to meet with the emperor was not simply out of boredom or amusement.
Now that the entire imperial family was congregated at one place, they would of course require the most talented imperial guards to stay beside them and keep watch so that no one took this opportunity to wipe them all out in one go. On top of that, they had also diverted a significant portion of the soldiers patrolling the palace's grounds to surround the imperial court to pressure Qinghe and his group.
As a result, the security in other places had naturally thinned, making it easier for the Sentinels to sneak in.
And as for the purpose of the Sentinel's infiltration, it was to find and rescue the people who were forcefully being detained in the palace. And the reason for all this secrecy was to avoid tipping off the perpetrators so that they wouldn't do something drastic and harm the captives in their desperation.
A few days back, Qinghe had used his wind to carefully note down each of the secret chambers and hidden places that Xi Heng had spoken about. All these details about the canvassed locations were handed to the Sentinels through Wei Xiang so that their work would go smoother.
All in all, considering the Sentinels' efficiency, the rescue operation would have been completed by now, all the captives freed and taken away to a safe place to recuperate in peace.
They had no more need to stall.
"So, Your Majesty, that's how it is. You can't raise a hand against us if you wish to avoid a war. If you still continue pursuing this matter of marriage between me and your son, then please don't blame us for not holding back," Qinghe said with a carefree shrug.
The emperor's hands fisted tightly over the armrests of his throne. The way the events had proceeded had really left him with the feeling of being slapped in the face again and again! It was unbearable! But he couldn't justify being foolish enough to go against this group of powerful people, knowing full well that it would only be detrimental to him.
He couldn't risk that, especially not now that his power base had grown so shaky.
Seeing the worries and caution on the emperor's face, Qinghe smiled happily and spoke, "Since it seems that Your Majesty has come to a reasonable decision, we shall take our leave now. Please instruct your soldiers to not obstruct us."
Saying so, Qinghe promptly turned to leave.
The emperor could only watch with bulging eyes and gritted teeth, the veins in his forehead popping out clearly as he watched the group of cultivators walk back out of the throne room without ceremony.
It infuriated him to death, but there was nothing he could do!