Chapter 1645: Falling and Consequences
Someone ensnared by the Nine Labyrinth Formation would find it extremely difficult to escape. With Jiang Chen's current level of control, it was capable of trapping experts up to third level empyrean realm.
Xiahou Xi was only a half-step empyrean genius. Cultivation-wise, he was barely stronger than his peak great emperor peers like Yan Qingsang and Yan Jinnan.
What did Jiang Chen have to fear from an enemy like this? He'd already seen many empyrean experts in his travels. Furthermore, he had defeated them several times back in the human domain.
A genius like Xiahou Xi wasn't worthy of standing before Jiang Chen.
The former's fate was sealed when the formation started contracting. Though he could avoid one or two arrows, he couldn't avoid a steady stream of them.
Having no time to even shriek, Xiahou Xi was hit by an arrow in a flash of light. In the next moment, he burst like a bubble into nothingness. Only a storage ring remained, clinking to the floor of the Labyrinth's simulated ground.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly, and was about to pick the ring up when he remembered something. He cautiously conjured a formation to wrap around the ring, then closed his palm around it.
Suddenly, his consciousness detected someone closing in on a several dozen mile radius of the area. Without hesitation, Jiang Chen put away the Nine Labyrinth Formation and dashed away in a flash of lightning.
Though the battle had been fierce while it lasted, nothing was left of Xiahou Xi's body save for some dust. Anyone who approached the place was able only to sense that a fight had taken place; not much else was obvious.
This was the last day of the month-long festival. No one could spare time or energy for worrying about someone else. The unknown interlopers looked around, found no clues, and promptly left.
Jiang Chen tossed Xiahou Xi's storage ring to the side. He decided to throw it away.
If Xiahou Xi was inferior to Xiahou Jing, the possessions in his storage ring wouldn't be much either. Taking it with him would just create a future threat for himself. Murder was enough. Robbery didn't seem particularly attractive today.
Jiang Chen reached the exit four hours later. He accepted his inspection with coolness and poise, exiting as if nothing had happened after handing over his jade token. Outside the valley, he saw Yan Qingsang waiting for him. Jiang Chen ignored him for now.
The young man of House Yan was no fool. Jiang Chen's behavior tipped him off to refrain from a greeting. After Jiang Chen joined House Yan's team, the rest of House Yan's members exited as well.
Huang'er was among the ones who appeared at the valley entrance.
Elders He and Quan breathed a collective sigh of relief. They were worried about Huang'er most of all. If something were to happen to her, none of the elders would be able to bear the consequences. Her safety was extremely reassuring.
"How did you do in there, Huang'er?" Elder He asked hypocritically.
"Alright. Nothing special," Huang'er replied coolly.
No one in House Yan was stupid enough to ask Huang'er to show her. "Participation is the most important part," they chorused.
Huang'er glanced at Yan Qingsang. "Brother Qingsang, how about you? You have a wager to win, I understand."
"Very well, I guarantee it!" Yan Qingsang chuckled. "The thirty million is as good as mine!"
Yan Jinnan snickered. "Don't get too ahead of yourself. I did quite well too!"
"Your 'quite well' is powerless before my winnings. Thanks for the ten million, chump!"
Elders He and Quan ignored such petty bickering.
Those inside had almost entirely filtered out already. House Xiahou was all accounted for, save one.
"Where's Xiahou Xi?" an elder of the house asked the other house geniuses. "Why hasn't he come out yet?"
"I saw Brother Xi inside. I think he headed for the exit earlier than I did. Has he not come out yet? I thought he already did."
"What, Brother Xi hasn't come out yet? How is that possible?"
The Xiahou elder's face darkened. "Are you sure Xiahou Xi went on ahead of you?"
"Yes, I talked to him when we bumped into each other. He said he had done quite well and was heading outside. Has he been delayed by something?"
"Time isn't up yet. Fifteen minutes still remain. I assume he'll be out at the last minute."
"Possibly. Perhaps Brother Xi wants to make a grand entrance by being the last one to exit?"
House Xiahou's geniuses were optimistic as a whole. Clearly, they didn't think it possible for anyone here to threaten their kinsman. There was nothing to suggest that to be the case, anyways.
Plus, the atmosphere had been quite amicable at this competition. There hadn't been any significant fighting, except bouts by and against wandering cultivators.
The Ten Divine Nations hadn't fought against each other. There had been a kind of mutual understanding that this event was for profit only. Where could Xiahou Xi possibly be, given this?
As more time went on past closing, he was nowhere to be found. House Xiahou's elders looked worse and worse.
"Alright. Time's up. Yellow Dragon Ridge's jade mines are to be closed!" an organizer from Bluesmoke shouted.
"Hold on!" Someone from House Xiahou could no longer remain calm. "House Xiahou has a young genius who hasn't come out yet."
The organizer was a bit surprised. He glanced at the house's group to verify that it was indeed the case.
"Elder Geng, has Brother Xiahou not come out yet?"
"No," the named elder's tone had turned a bit hard.
Bluesmoke's organizers found the situation rather tricky. They had warned everyone before of the possibility of death. Any liability for casualties wasn't their responsibility. But what'd they feared had really come to pass. If something had happened to Xiahou Xi, his house wasn't an easy faction to deal with.
If it had happened to a faction like House Yan, that would have been much better. In the Eternal Divine Nation, House Xiahou was sailing in favorable winds; it was the foremost house, second only to the imperial family. Geniuses from a house as important as that were universally spoiled and valued.
Thankfully, their prior warning made it unlikely to be blamed even by the likes of House Xiahou.
"We'll wait a bit more, then. Elder Geng, how long would you like?" the organizer was very courteous to House Xiahou's elder.
"Thirty minutes should be enough. Xiahou Xi is a punctual boy. Something important must've delayed him." Elder Geng was embarrassed to extend it any longer. After all, the organizers needed time to clean up after the month-long dig.
Thirty minutes overtime was plenty.
Alas, there was no shadow of the youth even after that time. The elder was thoroughly defeated. He'd never thought something would happen to Xiahou Xi in a place like this.
There was no doubt about it. Though the house had not yet sent news that his soul lamp had shattered, Elder Geng was almost certain that Xiahou Xi was dead.
"You lot, are you sure Xiahou Xi headed outside earlier than you did?" He queried the young geniuses of his house once more.
"Oh, yes, definitely."
"Brother Xi had a very good harvest and he looked like he was in a good mood. But I did remember him mentioning a person he wanted to keep an eye on."
"Who?" Elder Geng asked curiously.
"He didn't say. Someone he didn't like, I think. Perhaps a former opponent."
Many of the participants wanted to leave with their winnings, right now. They didn't want to stay in a place where the party was over. Everyone else began to head out.
"Wait just a moment!" Elder Geng suddenly went ahead of them. "Fellow daoists," he cupped a fist to the Ten Divine Nations' other factions. "Please, may I have your attention."
"What is it?" there was some displeasure at House Xiahou's elder blocking the way.
"I have something I'd like to say. House Xiahou has lost a young genius. We suspect that he has been ambushed on his way out. I kindly request that you do us the favor of helping us find the criminal. I suspect he is targeting the Ten Divine Nations as a whole, and is flaunting his actions at us!"
The last sentence had entirely been made up. He wanted to provoke them to action, nothing more. If they found a common enemy with him, they would surely assist to the best of their abilities.
But Elder Geng had evidently overestimated himself. The factions of the other divine nations didn't care.
"You think too much, Elder Geng. I felt the festival went quite well and the atmosphere was very good. Our youngsters told us there was barely any fighting. Maybe he's had an accident – not like that's uncommon in the world of martial dao, eh? Why mind it so much, Elder Geng?"
"Definitely. Bluesmoke emphasized that there was a certain amount of risk, didn't it? We were reminded not to engage in life-threatening clashes."
"We're all busy, Daoist Geng. Why waste our time and energy?"
House Xiahou was only important in the Eternal Divine Nation. The other divine nations' factions didn't need to give it any face.
Elder Geng was rather depressed by the lack of a reaction. He'd thought too highly of House Xiahou's influence. Outside of the Eternal Divine Nation, the prevailing factions were largely ambivalent.
Of course, there were some that intentionally displayed their benevolence. "That's easy enough. What if we ask everyone to take out their storage rings and examine them? The criminal must have Xiahou Xi's ring, no?"
This wasn't a very good suggestion, but Elder Geng was enticed anyway. However, it was almost impossible to get all of the young geniuses from the Ten Divine Nations to comply.
Chapter 1646: A Bet Won and A Future Planned
"Apologies, Elder Geng. We have no obligation to do as you say."
"Agreed. We already asked around ourselves. No one in our family has crossed paths with Xiahou Xi."
"Doaist Geng, most of the houses from Sunrise Divine Nation had no contact with him either. A few did see him hours ago, but he was secretive and appeared to be avoiding others."
"Let it go, Doaist Geng. It's an event of thousands of people. A few accidents were bound to happen."
The loss hadn't happened to them, naturally they weren't taking it seriously. Death wasn't a problem as long as it happened to other people. That was how the martial dao world had always been.
Casualties in other factions were none of their concerns. They would sooner mock House Xiahou for their misfortune than worry for them.
After all, the Ten Divine Nations weren't a united front. Conflicts and rivalry between them meant that the web of relationships was a delicate one. Many within the Ten Divine Nations considered Xiahou Xi's death nothing more than an interesting turn of events. That was why the three houses of Polylore Divine Nation had been mocked for their failure on Winterdraw Island.
A young man walked out from the crowd as the tension in the air grew palpable. He meekly approached Elder Geng.
"Senior Geng, I saw this storage ring when I was leaving. I picked it up because I didn't know who it belonged to. I thought it was just a lucky find. Perhaps the ring..."
"Give it to me," Elder Geng rushed out. If the lost ring did belong to Xiahou Xi, something bad must've happened. The odds that the genius had survived were slim.
The young man was a scion from a small faction. He nervously presented the storage ring. Elder Geng's face fell as soon as he set his eyes on it. The design of the ring was unique to House Xiahou. He took it for a close consideration. It was Xiahou Xi's.
Elder Geng flew into rage, his expression dark. "Who was it? Who killed him?! Admit your crime now! Coward, you coward! What kind of person would be scared to take his victim's possessions after killing him? Show yourself and let me look at you with my own eyes!" Elder Geng had forgotten himself in his fury.
Yan Qingsang couldn't be more shocked. He hadn't exited for long, had he? He'd felt guilty for leaving Brother Shao Yuan to face Xiahou Xi on his own. The deed had weighed heavily on his conscience. He'd been pleasantly surprised to see Jiang Chen make it out alive.
Now, the feeling gave way to ecstasy and shock. He moved closer to Jiang Chen and transmitted, "Did you do it?"
Jiang Chen played dumb. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Yang Qingsang paused. A crooked smile pulled at his lips when he realized what Jiang Chen was playing at. He was still stunned, but didn't push. He schooled his expression into indifference and turned his attention elsewhere.
Deep within his heart, he couldn't be more satisfied. Xiahou Xi was overweeningly arrogant. Yan Qingsang would be lying if he claimed not to hate the rival genius, and in fact would be the first to applaud if the fellow died.
He wanted to poke fun at Yan Jinnan. "Is this the man you've been fawning over? He was killed with no one the wiser!"
Given the circumstances, he stayed silent.
Elder Geng was furious, but there was nothing he could do. He had no leads, no information, no evidence. Any of the contestants could be the killer.
And, the killer was cunning. He'd made the decision to discard Xiahou Xi's ring instead. Whoever picked it up could serve as his red herring.
Elder Geng peered at the youth who'd turned in the ring. No matter how he looked, this young man couldn't have been capable of killing Xiahou Xi. He scowled at the young man. "What's your name?"
"This lowly man is Yanqing."
"Alright, I've heard you. You may go now." Elder Geng pocketed the ring. He had no intention of giving a reward for the information.
The youth gave up on being rewarded and scrambled away. He was rather worried that Elder Geng would turn on him if he overstayed his welcome.
Xiahou Xi's death caused a significant ripple, but not as big as the incident on Winterdraw Island. There was only one victim, and the Bluesmoke Isles had forewarned the participants.
Members of House Yan were curious, but they kept up a polite front. They didn't dare to provoke House Xiaohou at time like this. Elder He and Elder Quan led the group of scions away.
Yan Qingsang grabbed Jiang Chen. "Follow me, Brother Shao Yuan."
It was Jiang Chen's goal to get close to House Yan to begin with. He went along. "Stop dragging me around. I'll go with you."
Yan Qingsang snickered and gave Yan Jinnan a taunting look. "How about we check our finds now?"
"Why not?"
Jiang Chen messaged him hurriedly, "Let him take out his ores first. Don't let them see everything you've got. You only have to win."
He'd discovered close to three hundred pieces of ancient raw jadeite. According to his estimation, anything more than twenty was enough to win the bet. Yan Jinnan and the others had no talent in detecting ancient jade. It would take a miracle for them to win.
House Yan soon found their way to an ore processing shop.
Yan Qingsang won with only fifteen pieces of ancient jade. Despite the large amount of ore Yan Jinnan had discovered, most were of no value. He did acquire about a dozen ores containing ancient jade, but the quality was mediocre at best. The other two performed even worse.
As for Yan Qingsang, he presented fifteen ores containing ancient jade. He was the clear winner among the four of them. The thirty million stones were his.
Yan Jinnan and the other two cursed and swore, but they didn't dare to go back on their words. House Yan's family law was no joke.
One could lose, but one had to lose with dignity.
Elder He and Elder Quan were surprised by Yan Qingsang's finds. They exchanged a puzzled look. Once they were back at the manor, the two old men summoned Yan Qingsang.
"You've done well in the jade festival, Qingsang," greeted Elder He. "Congratulations on your remarkable performance and winning the thirty million stones."
"Hehe, what Brother Shao Yuan taught me about recognizing ancient jade is useful. They had to admit their defeat. Elder He, Shao Yuan's a wandering cultivator from a humble background. He's always wanted to gain a foothold in the jianghu. With his talents and familial heritage, he's bound to make a name for himself. Perhaps he can be of help to House Yan. What do you think?"
Elder He was surprised. "Do you mean you didn't win out of luck, but with the methods he taught you?"
"Not out of luck!" Yan Qingsang was honest with them. Luck might be useful in the short-term, but no one could rely on luck alone for a lifetime.
"Alright. What do you think, Elder Quan?" The truth spoke the loudest. Elder He was growing curious about this friend of Yan Qingsang's.
"If the wandererdidn't befriend Qingsang with ulterior motives, I believe that he can be of use to us," opined Elder Quan. "With what he is capable of, any other families would gladly bring him into their fold."
"What did you plan to do originally, Qingsang?" Elder He asked curiously.
"I wanted to invite him to join my side. After seeing what he's capable of, I believe it'll be a great loss to House Yan if we don't keep him around."
The two elders shared a look and waved a hand at him. "You may go, Qingsang. This isn't a trivial matter. We'll have to discuss it first."
The two were shrewd foxes who'd lived for a long time. They wouldn't make a decision lightly.
Once Yan Qingsang was out of earshot, Elder He sighed. "Yan Qingsang's a strange one in the family. He's at odds with the other geniuses, but close to a non-related wandering cultivator. I suspect that he's gained even more than what he showed us."
"Forget it, the house didn't require them to turn in their finds," Elder Quan spoke up. "Let him have the jade. If he has an encounter that helps him stand out from the geniuses, it's a good thing for the family. To be honest, even though there are several geniuses with better talent in cultivation than Qingsang, none of them can compare to him in backbone, magnanimity, and grit."
Elder He paused. "You think so as well?"
Elder Quan nodded. "I do. We may as well turn a blind eye to some of his actions. But who exactly is this Shao Yuan?"
"How about we question the young man and remind him to stay in line?" suggested Elder He.
"We can question him, but not interrogate him." Elder Quan was cautious. "Young men like him were prideful. If he finds our attitudes hostile, it can do more harm than good."
Elder He contemplated deeply. In the end, he nodded. "You're right. It'll be good if someone like him is on our side."
Jiang Chen was called into the room not long after. He hid a smile. Yan Qingsang must've expressed his intention to recruit Jiang Chen and asked permission from the two elders.
They must've summoned him to test the waters. Jiang Chen sharpened his focus.
"It's Brother Shao Yuan, isn't it? I hear from Yan Qingsang that your secret method greatly helped him in searching for ancient jade. It's a marvel that you've inherited such a remarkable talent. This old man is impressed."
These were empty pleasantries. Jiang Chen nodded and smiled in response, but he didn't say anything.
Chapter 1647: The Princess Looks for a Consort
After a rather roundabout circuit of conversation, Elder He came to the crucial question with a chuckle. "Brother Shao Yuan, it's a shame that you're a mere wandering cultivator with your talent. Since you and Qingsang get along so fabulously, we would like to invite you to join House Yan. It will be beneficial to your development if you do."
They had finally come to the most important topic.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Honorable elders, I've always admired the Ten Divine Nations. My cultivation simply hasn't offered me a good advancement opportunity until now. Therefore, I am thankful for your courteous invitation. May I ask though, what role would I be joining the house in?
"I have no interest to do so as a servant of any kind, but I might consider it as a guest expert or advisor." These words actually a way of advancing in the form of retreat.
The two elders exchanged a look. Despite his honest and simple appearance, this young man was difficult to fool. They had indeed wanted to mislead and dupe him into becoming a servant for House Yan, but the young man's clear mind had enabled him to maintain a bottom line and his own goals in the face of a faction of the Ten Divine Nations.
"Haha, as long as you show off your talents after you join, we have more than enough room for an extra honored guest!"
The Ten Divine Nations' factions didn't easily invite others to be their guests. Only those with special expertise in certain fields had that luxury and right.
"Ah, if I'm given that position, then I am perfectly happy to affiliate myself under House Yan's wing." Jiang Chen offered a little underhanded praise.
Suddenly, there was loud arguing from outside.
"Yan He, Yan Quan, come out here this instant!" The thunderous voice came from House Xiahou's Elder Geng. His attempt to cause a ruckus back at Yellow Dragon Ridge had been unsuccessful.
"What's he doing here?" The elders exchanged a wary look. Though they were elders of House Yan, they nevertheless possessed a reflexive fear of House Xiahou.
"Let's go out and see."
They couldn't exactly avoid Xiahou Geng now that they'd been named. He was at their doorstep!
"Why are you so angry, Brother Geng? Come, have a seat." Elder He ignored the old man's dangerous expression, returning only a smile.
"I'm not interested in your fake civility," Elder Geng replied darkly. "Call out your house's Yan Qingsang."
"What has Qingsang done?" Elder He couldn't resist asking.
"Hmph! I suspect that he's the culprit responsible for ambushing Xiahou Xi. My investigation has told me that Yan Qingsang's made a lot of money off of his excavations. I wonder, did he get all that jade by himself?"
Xiahou Geng's information gathering was admittedly quite capable. It wasn't easy to find out so much detail in so short an amount of time.
Elders Quan traded a look with Elder He. "Brother Geng," he smiled wryly, "how could Qingsang's strength possibly threaten Xiahou Xi? I think you've listened to too much hearsay."
"Ridiculous. We asked many people in our investigation. They told us that Yan Qingsang appeared near the place where Xiahou Xi disappeared."
This logic was almost irrational in its rashness. Was a passerby really classifiable as the culprit?
Yan Qingsang was quickly summoned and informed of the accusation. "Honored elders," he protested, "you think far too highly of me. My cultivation is far too insufficient to ambush Xiahou Xi. Would I really be Yan Qingsang if I could beat him?"
He was indeed considerably weaker than the late cultivator.
"Hmph. Why were you nearby then?" Xiahou Geng probed icily.
"Where do you mean by 'nearby', Elder Geng? I've been to many places over the past month. I never stay in a particular spot for very long, and I exited early to boot. I don't think the time matches very well, right? I haven't seen him." Yan Qingsang's denial was clear, logical, and evidence-based.
Even Xiahou Geng found it difficult to rebut the youth. Though the old man was displeased, he had no proof with which to take further action. His interrogation thus complete, he stormed out in a huff.
House Yan could do nothing about Xiahou Geng's overbearing behavior. Elders He and Quan were both quite frustrated. They'd been called out by name, but couldn't do much more than sulk.
...
The jade festival was over, but the fervor in Miracle City surrounding ancient jade didn't dissipate.
Every jade store in the city was bustling with activity. Every now and then, there was the explosive news of yet another discovery of ancient jade – sometimes of supreme rank.
Talk of so-and-so finding another primordial heritage was the fastest type to propagate.
The entire city had lost itself to this crazed atmosphere. Auctions and sales happened all over the place. Even House Yan's contingent couldn't avoid being affected by the fervor. They joined in the activity several times.
Certainly, there'd been a small group of lucky winners in the ancient jade festival who'd received amazing heritages. Many were admiring and jealous of their fortune. Some of these heritages were so potent and valuable that not even the Ten Divine Nations' geniuses had anything like them.
"Big news, big news! Have you heard? The princess of the Bluesmoke Isles is looking for a prince consort. The imperial family promises that if a Ten Divine Nations young genius manages to win her heart, he will be presented with a piece of ancient jade of the best possible quality. It will contain a primordial heritage that's difficult to come across in ten thousand years."
Miracle City was thrown into an even greater frenzy after the news.
The marriage of a princess was an important event. That it was taking place after the ancient jade festival made it even more so. The exciting news fermented in the hearts of many of the young scions. They could no longer sit still.
At House Yan's residence, Yan Qingsang was a bit eager himself. "Brother Shao Yuan, do you think I'm a good match for Bluesmoke's princess?"
"Sure, and it would be to Bluesmoke's advantage rather than yours. But I trust that many of the geniuses who are here think the same as you. They might not be interested in the princess much, but they definitely lust after ancient jade. The princess seems more like an accessory in this case." Jiang Chen's words rang true.
"What are you saying? Do you think I'm the type of guy to sell out my love for profit? But if the princess looks like a toad, then I think I'll have to pass."
"Why don't you go see what she looks like? What if she's as pretty as a fairy, her face worth nations and cities?"
"Haha, I'm a bit worried about that. I'm so handsome that I'm afraid she may fall in love with me at first sight. Wouldn't I be at a disadvantage then?" Yan Qingsang was mildly narcissistic.
Jiang Chen was at an instant loss for words.
...
In the inner court of Miracle City's palace, several representatives of the imperial family were anxiously preparing something. They wanted to take advantage of the golden opportunity offered by the jade festival to maximize Bluesmoke's reach.
The occasion of a princess picking her consort was momentous enough. Thus, every detail had to be readied to perfection.
A pale eunuch came out from deeper in.
"Imperial Prince, the princess has refused to eat for several days. She seems very resistant to our matchmaking."
"Haha, Eunuch Jia, you should know the princess's temperament after serving her all these years. But you've served the imperial family for even longer, yes? Which are you more loyal to, the imperial family or the princess?" a middle-aged imperial representative asked with a smile.
The eunuch colored immediately. "The imperial family, of course! My loyalty to the princess is the same, is it not? Considering that she belongs to the imperial family..."
"Haha, the princess… I hope she knows what's good for her. My royal brother has raised her to her current prominence, but that won't last if she doesn't cooperate."
"She's not actually part of the imperial bloodline. She doesn't share our heart and vision," another imperial relative remarked. "Alas, I wonder what His Majesty is thinking. This princess is as cold as ice. She pretty much ignores anybody. If she wasn't so pretty, even a dog wouldn't want to touch her."
"That's enough. She was given her status by His Majesty himself. His Majesty has very high hopes for her. She is beautiful and talented. A bit icy, but the large factions' scions adore that kind of trait, no?"
"Haha, I suppose that's true. I hear many of those young geniuses are strangely masochistic. They have no interest in easily affectionate girls, and chase after the hard-to-get, frosty ones instead."
"So our princess should prove quite attractive, then!"
"As long as she goes with the program, of course."
None of the imperial family members seemed to respect the princess terribly much. In fact, they didn't seem to value her at all in their discussion.
If the princess wasn't of the imperial bloodline, did that mean she had been found somewhere?
Within the courtyard of the imperial palace, the Bluesmoke Isles' princess stood at her windowsill in snow-white robes. She gazed into the distance, her eyes quiet and bleak. It was as if she was entirely separate from the world.
There was an occasional flash of sadness in her muted look, as if some past sorrow racked her remote heart from time to time.
It's been so many years, and I'm in this far-off land. I wonder if those back home are alright? Did he escape that calamity? The princess had a lot on her mind. Though her body was within the palace, her heart drifted several million miles off.
Even though she was nominally a member of the imperial family, she'd never felt a sense of belonging in all her years here. She missed her homeland, and all the familiar faces that drifted in her memories.
Chapter 1648: A Martial Competition for a Hand in Marriage
House Yan's contingent had planned on returning to the Eternal Divine Nation right after the jade festival. However, its younger generation was champing at the bit to participate in the princess consort selection. The rewards were quite handsome.
The elders conferred among themselves before coming to a decision. Because nothing untoward had happened during the jade festival, another few days wasn't going to hurt. Why not let the youngsters enjoy themselves in the coming festivities?
If one of them managed to take the princess home with him, so much the better. After all, none of the geniuses who'd come to the jade festival were top talents in the house, apart from Huang'er.
They weren't really eligible to intermarry with the other great houses. If a marriage could be arranged with a second-rate faction like Bluesmoke, the union would offer a psychological and material advantage. Whyever not?
The Bluesmoke Isles played up the atmosphere as much as possible. The process of picking the bridegroom was one of the most disappointingly common – via a martial tournament.
However, such a crude way also tended to draw the most attention.
The requirement to participate was exactly the same as the ancient jade festival. A young genius in the same age range, with the same qualifications. In fact, anyone who'd participated in that festival didn't need to re-register to enter. Those that hadn't needed only to pass a cursory inspection.
The young geniuses were well and truly riled up.
Rumor and gossip about Bluesmoke's princess began to circulate. All of them uniformly described her as ravishingly beautiful. Because of this, interest in her grew even more intense.
Jiang Chen felt Yan Qingsang's palpable enthusiasm over the past few days. He seemed dead set on achieving his goal of winning the princess.
"Brother Shao Yuan, can you be honest with me? How likely do you think I'll come out on top for this tournament?" the young man asked for what seemed like the eighteenth time.
"I say Brother Yan, you talk too much. If you want to know the answer to that, why not make a real attempt? Haven't you seen all the geniuses who've come from the Ten Divine Nations? If you don't know which of them will be your fellow competitors, going to see them for yourself is the best course of action."
"Ah…" Yan Qingsang sighed softly. "Several dozen factions have come from the Ten Divine Nations. About that many of their young geniuses are definitely stronger than me. If I were as strong as you, brother…"
His eyes suddenly lit up at this. He opened his door and peered about, then closed it and returned secretively. "About that Xiahou Xi…" he intoned in a low voice.
Jiang Chen furrowed his brow. "I told you, I didn't see him."
"Haha, you were hiding your true strength all this time, eh?" Yan Qingsang punched Jiang Chen's shoulder playfully with a chuckle. "Still, I'm quite satisfied whenever I remember that arrogant prick is dead."
He'd been bullied quite a bit by Xiahou Xi. It was immensely gratifying to dwell upon the latter's ignoble death. The occurrence had taught Yan Qingsang a bit more about his new friend as well.
He'd thought Brother Shao Yuan was simply a knowledgeable scholar of ancient jade. He'd never given much consideration to his brother's martial prowess. Now he knew that Shao Yuan was superior to him in this aspect as well.
Yan Qingsang had firmly believed that he needed to build true rapport with the young man and bring him into the family fold. Brother Shao Yuan would be a big help in many aspects of his life and future. If his friend made a name for himself someday, Yan Qingsang would share in that honor.
The young man from House Yan sighed, then made an unexpected remark. "Brother, I know you're somewhat interested in my cousin, but it really is impossible between you two. I hear that Bluesmoke's princess is dazzling and elegant, comparable in her beauty to the Ten Divine Nations' sixteen golden hairpins. If I can't make it, maybe you'll have a better chance! Aside from a select few guys like Ye Zhou from Polylore, it's a cinch for you to beat pretty much everyone here!"
A man that could kill Xiahou Xi was sure to be leaps and bounds stronger than his victim. The conjecture above was reasonable in light of that.
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. "Brother Yan, please don't play the matchmaker for me. I have other things I'm occupied with. Don't drag me into this, alright?"
"Come, come," Yan Qingsang cackled. "I hear they're officially starting the competition today. Only small fry will be fighting in the beginning, but maybe we'll see an expert or two as well. Let's go watch from the sidelines first. There's a month in this tournament. More skillful cultivators like us should make an entrance later on!"
The place set for the competition was Miracle City's arena. All twelve stages were opened to the public.
Starting from this day forth, anyone who won ten matches in a row in an arena had the right to present himself to the princess – as stated by the Bluesmoke government. If anyone could remain undefeated after a month, he would be among the suitors available for the princess's personal selection.
If only one did, he would become the bridegroom by default. If many did, either the princess or an elimination match would remove the extra candidates.
The rules were far from well-defined.
But Jiang Chen saw through the ruse. These arrangements were safeguards against the possibility that the emerging winner wasn't from the Ten Divine Nations. Bluesmoke's plans would be all for naught then.
Bluesmoke was clearly planning to use the so-called martial tournament to marry its princess into the Ten Divine Nations, which would increase its own social status.
Jiang Chen was sharp enough to notice Bluesmoke's noteworthy ambition. It was understandable. Any faction or nation naturally wanted to become stronger. In the world of martial dao, anyone who was satisfied with the status quo was in a dangerous situation.
Only through continuous advancement could increase one's likelihood of survival.
Jiang Chen was affected by the sight of the hardworking rabble in the various stages. They charged in with an ardor that put their anxious misgivings on full display.
Bluesmoke wants to connect with the Ten Divine Nations, and these wandering cultivators and smaller factions want to latch onto Bluesmoke in turn. Such is life in the world of martial dao.
He had little interest in observing bouts at such a low level of expertise. In fact, he found the exchanged blows positively boring. When he tried to stand up and leave though, he felt Yan Qingsang tug on his arm.
"Don't go yet. We haven't even seen the princess. Why're you in such a hurry?"
"You wanted to see the princess, not me," Jiang Chen huffed.
"I want you to accompany me though." Yan Qingsang sounded giddy. Jiang Chen didn't know how to respond to his friend; the young man right here and the stubborn youth back at the Jade Revel Lodge were barely the same person. Everyone had a side to them that most of the world didn't know.
Jiang Chen didn't refuse Yan Qingsang's request. He knew that if he wanted to get closer to House Yan, Yan Qingsang would be a big part of that plan. Thus, he was inclined to be accommodating in many things.
Yan Qingsang's enthusiasm ran so high that he wasn't quite sated even after an entire day.
Does he really want to be in love that badly?
When they returned to House Yan's residence, Huang'er was taking a walk near the entrance. She came to a stop when she saw the two youths arriving home, looking at Yan Qingsang with a half-smile. "I hear you went to win the princess' hand in marriage, cousin. How did you do today?"
Yan Qingsang took shameless pride in the time he'd spent today. "I did go to the arena, but I didn't participate. Experts like us need to wait a bit in reserve, you know."
"Us? Plural?" Huang'er glanced at Jiang Chen, her smile widening a little.
Jiang Chen shrugged. "Don't listen to his lies, Miss Huang'er. He's positively besotted with this entire thing and just happened to drag me along for it."
"No, Brother Shao Yuan. You shouldn't slander me!" Yan Qingsang protested. "I'm hardly besotted. And hey, stop pretending to be a gentleman in front of my cousin. Let's go inside already." The young man was fiercely vigilant when it came to Huang'er.
Jiang Chen laughed, but said nothing more. Inside House Yan's temporary residence, he and Huang'er treated each other as guest and host. It was impossible to detect anything more between them.
He knew clearly that Huang'er was being secretly watched.
When Yan Qingsang called on Jiang Chen to accompany him to the arena the next day, he was met with a vehement refusal.
Yan Qingsang headed there himself. Jiang Chen meanwhile, returned to the inn where Hua Ming was. His student had been very obedient indeed. He had focused single-mindedly on cultivation. The boy was overjoyed to see his master once more.
"You must've gotten a lot at the ancient jade festival, master!"
"I suppose I did, and I found a partner from the Eternal Divine Nation. I gave half my winnings to him. Still, half of a fortune is rather sizable in its own right."
"Eternal Divine Nation? Which faction?" Hua Ming asked curiously.
"House Yan," Jiang Chen stated offhandedly.
"Why House Yan? I hear House Xiahou is the strongest faction in Eternal Divine Nation," Hua Ming blurted out.
"Haha, yes. House Xiahou is the strongest right now. It certainly won't be in the near future," Jiang Chen smiled. "Hua Ming, we must stay here a bit longer. Perhaps we'll go to the Eternal Divine Nation after that. Prepare yourself for that eventuality."
"Huh? Eternal Divine Nation?" Hua Ming's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful. My biggest dream is to someday go to the Ten Divine Nations and see the most marvelous sights in Myriad Abyss for myself."
Jiang Chen knew that in Hua Ming's understanding, the Ten Divine Nations were tantamount to the sacred lands of Myriad Abyss Island. He wasn't in a rush to change his student's preconceptions about the world.
Such things needed personal experience and exploration over time. It was extremely difficult to forcibly alter a worldview in a convincing way.
After making sure Hua Ming was fine and settled down, Jiang Chen promised to meet up with his disciple in another few days. He gave the boy a few martial dao pointers before going back to House Yan's residence.
For the next while, Jiang Chen would occasionally accompany Yan Qingsang to the arena to watch the fights. Most of the time though, he remained at House Yan's temporary residence to cultivate his own martial dao.
He had planned to refine a cauldron of Emperor Supremacy Pills, but no opportunity or good environment to do so had presented itself to him. The superb specimens of Heavencloud Ganoderma he'd obtained back in Oriole Valley were ripe for conversion.
Chapter 1649: The Identity of the Princess
Jiang Chen devoted himself to cultivating every day. His discipline impressed the elders in House Yan, who'd been observing him in secret. They approved of the young man more and more.
At first, they worried that he might've approached Yan Qingsang with ulterior motives. Now, it seemed clear that he was merely a diligent wandering cultivator trying to gain the support of a large faction. He worked on improving himself and his cultivation with a single-minded focus that even many scions from aristocratic families didn't possess.
Jiang Chen knew Elder He and Elder Quan were secretly watching him, but he pretended to not know and took no actions to change that.
In a hidden room in the manor, Elder He sighed. "Look at him, Elder Quan, then look at the youths in our family. There's a stark contrast with how they treat their cultivation. Our youths have grown complacent. They lacked the urgency, vigilance, and hunger of the wandering cultivators. This young man has great potential."
Elder Quan echoed his sentiment, "Compared to Shao Yuan, Yan Qingsang's too headstrong, Yan Jinnan too frivolous, and the others too meek. If you ask me, only a handful of geniuses in the family, like Zhenhuai, can rival him. Elder He, we should really recruit him and have him be of use to House Yan. Otherwise someone as talented as he will easily find his way to success by turning to the other aristocratic families. We'll lose this diamond in the rough then."
"We should give it more thought. I'm worried that he's approached us with an unknown agenda."
"What can it be?" asked Elder Quan. "To get close to Huang'er?"
"I can't say for sure. It's merely a feeling. But perhaps my instinct is wrong this time. He doesn't seem like a lascivious man. He's aware of Huang'er, but not obsessed with her. Not even the tournament for the princess' hand has piqued his interest. Besides, many people on Myriad Abyss Island know about Huang'er. Someone as smart as Shao Yuan couldn't be an exception. It's unlikely for him to foolishly covet her at the risk of making enemies out of House Yan and House Xiahou."
"Elder He is right. It defies logic for Huang'er to be his ultimate goal. There are sixteen beauties in the Ten Divine Nations. Even if he wants to attach himself to a stronger faction, he wouldn't pick the unattainable Huang'er."
Elder He laughed. "Perhaps we're really being overly sensitive."
...
Within the palace of Miracle City, members of the royal family gathered.
"Tell the princess to come here, Jia-gonggong."
"This servant has already done so. She'll be here soon."
A young imperial descendant scoffed. "Who does she think she is? Go get her again!"
"Understood." Jia-gonggong returned after a moment with a young woman in tow. Snow-white fabric covered her tall and slim frame. Her arrival brought with her a cool brilliance that lit up the room.
The royals swallowed hard in face of her grace. They had to admit that the princess was strikingly elegant and beautiful. She was not of the royal blood and therefore, the royals didn't bother to hide their predatory gazes when they considered her.
Without a word, the princess took her seat, her delicate eyebrows knitted together. She ignored those assembled like they didn't exist.
An older imperial prince cleared his throat. "Princess Bi, the tournament has started. Many have requested for you to put in a showing. They would like an opportunity to admire your beauty and grace."
"I'm not interested," she responded with steel in her voice. "There are many princesses in the royal family. Pick anyone else to make an appearance."
"You were handpicked by His Majesty, Princess Bi. Only your unparalleled beauty can conquer the geniuses and make them fall for you. This is an imperial order for the good of the royal family and the Bluesmoke Isles. Besides, isn't it a good thing for you to find a good husband?"
The princess stayed as frigid as the cold moon and said nothing, but her rejection was clearly expressed.
"You're making it difficult for us, Your Highness. Don't forget that the royal family has raised you and provided the necessities of life over the past couple of years, as well as resources for cultivation. Now that the royal family requires your assistance, how can you refuse to help?"
"I will always remember everything that His Majesty's given me. If he wishes to take my life, I will not resist in the slightest. However, not even he can force me to do anything against my will."
The princess would not be swayed.
"You..." The royals were rendered speechless. They were helpless against someone who refused to listen to any reason.
"Princess Bi, why are you so against the idea? There must be a reason. Men and women should be married after a certain age. You may have great potential in cultivation, but you can't say that the geniuses from the Ten Divine Nations are all beneath you, can you? Countless women in Myriad Abyss can only dream about being married to someone from the Ten Divine Nations."
"Please tell His Majesty that he's free to take my life if he wishes, but I'll never surrender myself to a forced marriage." The princess rose and walked off further into the palace without looking back.
"Halt!" snapped the imperial prince. "Princess Bi, the royal family has never wronged you. Since you refuse to listen to reason and gentle words, don't blame us for resorting to a more forceful approach!"
She didn't even pause. The threats didn't register at all as she disappeared from everyone's view.
"This servant will try to convince her, masters..." Jia-gonggong was frantic with panic. He too thought that the princess had been too stubborn this time.
Marriage was written in the cards for a woman. There was nothing bad about the tournament. Even a princess of the Bluesmoke Isles shouldn't find it a humiliating end in being married off to the Ten Divine Nations.
Jia-gonggong was too scared to face the royals' fury. He hurriedly followed the princess into her room.
"Your Highness, you're dooming yourself in disobeying the royal clan." Jia-gonggong's tone was anxious. He'd grown to care about the princess after serving her for many years.
"Are you going to force me to get married as well, Jia-gonggong?" she asked coolly. There was a trace of helplessness in her frosty eyes.
"This servant would never! But the emperor put great emphasis on this tournament for your hand. If the princess refuses to cooperate, this servant shudders to think what they'll do to you. The emperor's fond of you, Your Highness, but this marriage was part of his plan. If you disobey his will, not even the combined force of everyone on Bluesmoke Isles will be able to save you."
"I know." She sighed, sounding a little lost. "I can only repay the emperor's favor with my life."
"You mustn't, Your Highness," Jia-gonggong rushed out. "There's hope as long as you live. Even if you're unwilling to give your hand to the winner of the tournament, why don't you put in an appearance? There are a lot of geniuses from the Ten Divine Nations participating. Even if you have no interest in marriage now, maybe you'll find someone you like after meeting them. You can always find excuses to turn the marriage down when no one strikes your fancy. I believe that the geniuses from the Ten Divine Nations won't force a marriage against your will. They are all ferociously proud. They won't shamelessly chase after you if you don't like them."
The princess looked at him with a frown. "If I spoil the marriage, what will His Majesty do to me?"
"This servant doesn't know. If you don't make an appearance though, the consequences may be too terrible to endure." The eunuch sighed. "The emperor has invested a lot of effort into cultivating you. Perhaps he'll arrange another marriage should this one fail. If the tournament ends with no success, maybe you can travel around the Ten Divine Nations to gain some worldly experience. Perhaps you'll happen upon a husband you like? This servant doesn't know the source of Your Highness' resistance, but this cannot continue on."
"I understand, Jia-gonggong. You are dismissed. Tell them I'll consider making an appearance in a few days, but I'll make my own decision in finding a husband. No one can force me into that."
Jia-gonggong was delighted by the compromise. "Understood. This servant will convey as such to the imperial princes."
Once the eunuch left, a trace of concern resurfaced in the princess' beautiful eyes.
If Jiang Chen had present, he would've been greatly taken aback to see the princess. She was none other than Ling Bi'er, who'd gone missing for many years.
She'd wandered the world since her escape from Regal Pill Palace. The heritage she'd gained in the Paramount Realm boosted her strength significantly.
While being chased by enemies, she'd happened upon a mysterious ancient formation. She accidentally activated it and, before she realized what was happening, she was transported to Myriad Abyss Island.
Her destination wasn't Winterdraw Island like Jiang Chen's, but a different region.
Unfortunately, she was dropped into the midst of a battle. In the heat of the moment, it was the emperor of the Bluesmoke Isles who'd saved her.
When he realized the remarkable potential she possessed, he put forth a great deal of effort into furthering her accomplishments. Her cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds over the past few years.
Of course, the emperor had his agenda. He saw her unique grace as an opportunity. He wanted to arrange a marriage between Ling Bi'er and a scion from the Ten Divine Nations in order to foster a closer relationship between Bluesmoke and the divine nations.
In other words, she was merely one of the emperor's pawns.
Though she was talented and clever, she had been too young to understand the minutiae of politics. When she'd realized it, she was already trapped in the cage of the emperor's making.
Chapter 1650: It's Her?!
Over the years in the Bluesmoke Isles, Ling Bi'er had improved rapidly in martial dao, thanks to an admittedly large amount of resources from the royal family. She was never completely at ease, but she was grateful to the emperor.
Even after she found out about the emperor's true intentions, she couldn't find it in herself to hate him. After all, she'd been saved by the royal family and had gained a lot from them. She wasn't the ungrateful sort who would bite the hand that fed her.
Even though she was vehemently against the tournament for her hand, she didn't resent the royal family as a result. She was a clever woman. She put her mind to finding solution once she'd calmed down.
What Jia-gonggong said made a lot of sense. It wouldn't do her any good to disobey the royal family and embarrass them now. She had to cooperate with them to some extent during the tournament.
Should the winner be a cultivator from the Ten Divine Nations, as long she refused to accede on pain of death, it wasn't in the divine nations' nature to force her into marriage. Even if it did come to that, she would sooner die than concede.
Ling Bi'er had made up her mind.
She would take things one step at a time and cross the bridge when she came to it. There was no changing the fact that she was trapped. What she should do was to wait for an opportunity rather than lose herself in anger.
She'd grown resilient after the destruction of her sect and being on the run without a place to call home. There was still a pillar of faith supporting her throughout the trials of life. It prevented her from losing all hope and just giving up.
That faith came from her connection to the faraway human domain, to the Myriad Domain, and to the Regal Pill Palace. It was her bond with her father, her sister, and of course, her junior brother, whose smile and voice remained vivid in her memory even after ten years.
The junior brother who'd gone through hell with her in the Paramount Realm, the one who'd saved her father many years ago.
Years had passed. Had the tragedy befalling the Regal Pill Palace come to an end? Were those she cared about alive and well? She didn't have a clue, and there was nothing she wanted more than to find answers.
With the resources from the Bluesmoke Isles, her martial dao progressed at amazing speed and she reached initial great emperor.
She might not stand out among the youths on Myriad Abyss Island, but she'd started cultivating later than those geniuses. She'd broken through from sage realm to great emperor in only a few years, which was nothing short of a miracle.
Even though she was far from peerless in the human domain, she looked forward to the day she reached peak great emperor or even half-step empyrean. Nothing would stop her from returning to the human domain then.
She wanted revenge, but what she wanted more was to find those she cared about.
...
Yan Qingsang came to Jiang Chen in high spirits. "You can't achieve your goals overnight, brother. Stop cultivating for a day and fight in the tournament with me."
"You've finally decided to participate?"
"Of course. It's been more than twenty day and I'll be too late if I don't partake now. I hear that two hundred or so have already won ten matches in a row."
"Can I refuse?" Jiang Chen smiled wryly.
"You can't," Yan Qingsang responded without hesitation. "You've got to come with me."
Jiang Chen sighed inwardly. The choice was out of his hand. He was getting a little bored after many days of cultivating, anyways. This could be a break to let off some steam.
Besides, Yan Qingsang had been babbling about the mysterious princess of Bluesmoke Isles every day. It was getting on his nerves.
The princess was finally going to make an appearance. Even Jiang Chen was somewhat curious about how beautiful she must be, to willfully refuse to make an appearance until so many days into the event.
As soon as he walked out of the door, a chipper voice sounded from behind him. "I hear that you're going to fight in the tournament today, cousin Qingsang. May I join in the fun?"
Huang'er's voice gave Jiang Chen pause. Yan Qingsang chuckled, but both gaped in unison when they turned around.
Huang'er was dressed in men's clothes! The vigor of her expression completed the look of a handsome man. The only problem was her face. She still looked a little too beautiful as a man.
"What? Can't I go?" She beamed merrily at Yan Qingsang.
"Uh, Huang'er, are you gonna fight as well? Why are you dressed like this?"
She gave him a lazy smile. "If I join the fight, you'll never stand a chance of winning."
Yan Qingsang shrugged. "I'm fine as long as the elders agree to let you go. Come on." He threw Jiang Chen a glance, silently telling him to leave Huang'er alone.
Jiang Chen was exasperated by Yan Qingsang's guarded reaction, but didn't comment on it. He knew there were still several people watching Huang'er's every move. It would be unwise for him to say anything.
The three of them arrived at the arena. Jiang Chen noticed that there were several new rules. Participants who hadn't fought before needed to earn ten consecutive wins in the preliminary contest, after which they could enter the intermediary stage.
Only then were they considered worthy of the princess' consideration.
For geniuses from the Ten Divine Nations like Yan Qingsang, it wasn't difficult to earn ten consecutive wins. After only a few hours, he'd won five matches in a row.
At that moment, the tournament was put on hold. The crowd surrounding the arena increased considerably. The Bluesmoke's royal family walked out on an elevated platform. A middle-aged imperial prince pressed his palms down, silently indiciating for the crowd to quiet and let him speak.
The chatter died down.
"Is the princess coming out?" Most of them were here for her. After days of petitioning and waiting on their part, was the princess finally going to put in an appearance?
Anticipation was clear on their faces.
Yan Qingsang jumped off the stage and stood by Jiang Chen, winking at his brother. "The princess is coming."
"Alright, I know you've been looking forward to this moment." Jiang Chen shrugged nonchalantly. He'd only come to keep Yan Qingsang company. He wasn't interested in the princess at all.
Surprisingly, it was Huang'er who seemed to anticipate the development more. She had an amused smile on her face and her arms crossed before her chest.
Yan Qingsang glanced at her and asked curiously, "Why do you look more excited than me?"
He was puzzled as Huang'er had always been sullenly unhappy. It usually looked like nothing in the world interested her. Why had the princess piqued her interest so?
In fact, Huang'er had significantly lightened up after the jade festival. She seemed like a completely different person; Yan Qingsang couldn't figure out what could have caused her change.
Perhaps getting some fresh air at the festival had brightened her mood. That was his only guess.
The imperial prince announced, "Thank you all for your enthusiastic participation, honored guests. The tournament allows us to see how remarkable the young geniuses of Myriad Abyss are. Your passion surprises and delights us in the Blusesmoke Isles. I know you've been looking forward to the day that our princess finally agrees to make an appearance. She's coming to cheer on all of the young geniuses!"
A thunderous cheer erupted beneath the stage.
"All hail the princess!"
"Your Highness! We want to see the princess!" The level of excitement went off the charts. After all, everyone was here to fight for her.
Days had passed without even a glimpse of her. Speculations were exchanged and passed around in her absence. The mysterious princess was finally here!
Their riled-up curiosity was finally going to be sated. The contestants couldn't be more excited.
"Let us welcome the beautiful and irresistible Princess Bi!" The imperial prince declared in a dramatic tone, making a flourish with his arm.
"Ohhh!" The crowd was exploded with enthusiasm, bodies tensed with anticipation.
Guided by imperial prince's outstretched arm, a number of uniformly and finely dressed maids took the stage first. Every one of the maids was stunning, captivating the crowd's attention.
If even the maids were this beautiful, how striking must the princess be? Even Yan Qingsang stared at the stage, his neck craning and eyes unblinking.
A thin layer of smoke rose from behind the elevated stage, covering the floor with a silver glow, soft and elegant like moonlight. A woman dressed in white slowly sashayed onto the stage, bringing with her the fragrance of an osmanthus tree.
Her dress was whiter than snow, wrapping around her body like a blossoming orchid. She held herself like a plum blossom flowering proudly in winter...
Everyone sucked in a breath, hearts contracting violently. They couldn't peel their eyes away from the princess. More than ninety percent of the people present felt inferior at the sight of her.
Jiang Chen's eyes widened. A peal of lightning struck him when he got a good look at her face.
It's her! His head spun and almost stopped functioning. He didn't expect the princess to be senior sister Ling Bi'er! He'd been worried about her all these years.
When the Regal Pill Palace fell, she'd escaped and disappeared without a trace. Even after the sect was rebuilt and the news of its reconstruction got out, she never showed up again. Sometimes, even Jiang Chen wondered if she'd passed away, but now...
Chapter 1651: Huang'er's Move Out of the Blue
A mess of emotions swirled in Jiang Chen's heart. He was excited, thrilled, happy, and guilty.
There had only been a handful of people he was close to when he'd been in the Regal Pill Palace. Palace Head Dan Chi was one. Mu Gaoqi and Elder Yun Nie others as well. There were at most ten people he had a close relationship with, the Ling sisters included.
Ling Bi'er was as important to him as Mu Gaoqi. Even though their relationship had never been anything but platonic, she'd been his best female friend at the time. He enjoyed talking to her the most; they were on the same wavelength.
Ling Bi'er was usually quiet and difficult to approach, but he knew through their interactions that a caring heart burned beneath her cold appearance. From her love for his father, her protectiveness of her little sister, and her loyalty to her sect, it was clear that emotions ran deep.
He was beyond himself at seeing Ling Bi'er again in a different world.
Next to Jiang Chen, waves of emotion roiled in Huang'er as well. She'd seen Ling Bi'er when residing in the Regal Pill Palace, and meeting again here was the last thing she'd expected.
Unlike Jiang Chen, Huang'er didn't have a close relationship with Ling Bi'er. They'd rarely crossed paths, but these two extraordinary women were aware of each other. Huang'er even knew that the Ling sisters were in love with Jiang Chen.
Seeing Ling Bi'er show up as the princess of Bluesmoke Isles both surprised and made Huang'er quizzical. She glanced at Jiang Chen out of the corner of her eyes. The look in his eyes betrayed the fluctuation of his emotions. She smiled knowingly.
She believed that her beloved didn't have a relationship with Ling Bi'er, and that he didn't desire her. Ling Bi'er, on the other hand, had been head over heels for him. Was she still the same woman after all these years? Was her love as pure and unwavering as it had once been?
Huang'er fell in deep thought for the moment. She knew that Jiang Chen wouldn't abandon Ling Bi'er. If she was happy here in Bluesmoke, he might let her be. But was she?
Huang'er gave the girl another look. She at least didn't look at all happy about being a princess. If she was satisfied with her life here, even someone as naturally calm as her wouldn't be able to keep her joy bottled up on such occasion.
Yet Huang'er didn't feel anything like that at all. Her instincts told her that Ling Bi'er had been forced to come to the event. She had no choice but to play this role.
Has Brother Chen noticed it? Huang'er wanted to bring it to Jiang Chen's attention, but she couldn't message him, lest the watchdogs of her family notice something off between them.
She smiled. "The princess is indeed beautiful enough to topple a city, cousin Qingsang. However, she doesn't seem to be in a good mood."
Yan Qingsang frowned. "Maybe that's just how she carries herself?"
"Heh, she and I are both women. My instincts tell me that the princess doesn't have much interest in this tournament at all."
Yan Qingsang wasn't convinced. "How so?"
"Look at her. She's only given a token nod since taking the stage. Has she smiled at all? Has she acknowledged the crowd? Has she even looked around? In her eyes, the contestants and the audience might as well not exist."
Her words were addressed to Yan Qinsang, but they were for Jiang Chen's benefit.
Jiang Chen perked up. He well understood what his beloved wanted to tell him. Ling Bi'er might not have volunteered to partake in the tournament. Perhaps she was being compelled against her will.
A mess of tangled thoughts filled his head.
"Your Highness, many brave warriors have fought for you over the past month. Please share some words with them!"
Ling Bi'er threw a fleeting glance at the imperial prince before her eyes swept over the crowd.
"You have all fought hard. The royal family of the Bluesmoke Isles thanks you for your participation." Those faint comments were all she said.
The representative of the royal family looked displeased, but the imperial prince was an expert in bringing an event to life.
"The princess is a woman of few words," he picked up with a smile. "It's rare for her to grace others with her voice. That's it, brave warriors. Let the fights continue. The princess is going to watch the matches today and witness your glory!"
He gave her a meaningful look and transmitted, "It's fine if you don't want to talk, Princess Bi, but you have to watch the matches every day starting now. Orders from the emperor. You aren't going to disobey him now, are you?"
Ling Bi'er heavily disliked showing her face in public. She'd shied away from crowds when she was in the Regal Pill Palace as well. Given the circumstances, she didn't have a choice. She had to endure all this for her plan to return to the human domain.
"Haha, the princess is in the audience, brother. I have to do my best." Yan Qingsang patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder and flew to a stage.
Jiang Chen looked up at Ling Bi'er, deep in thought.
Huang'er turned to him nonchalantly. "Princess Bi is a rare beauty. Isn't Sir Shao Yuan going to give it a try?"
Jiang Chen blinked. Was she joking, or did she have other plans?
She burst into a giggle. "Even I'm a little attracted to her beauty. I'll have a go as well."
She flew to another stage in a flash. Dressed as a man, she looked spirited and carefree, but also graceful and handsome.
Many male cultivators inwardly cursed at her. Where was this pretty boy from? This wasn't the place for him. Had he joined in after seeing how beautiful the princess was? Why hadn't they ever seen him before?
Being good-looking was enough to attract hostility from the other contestants. Incidentally, Huang'er didn't realize how many people had taken an instant dislike to her.
She smiled calmly and cupped her hands. "I am Mu Gaoqi, a wanderer in the jianghu. I'm taking part because I couldn't help myself after seeing the princess.'
She raised a cupped fist salute and made a slight bow to greet facing Ling Bi'er.
Ling Bi'er froze when she heard the name, her indifference fractured. Surprise flashed through her eyes as she turned in Huang'er's direction.
Mu Gaoqi?
If she hadn't been a naturally reserved person, her shock would have attracted the suspicion of the royals by her side. Fortunately, she was able to keep herself under control.
He said he's Mu Gaoqi? Ling Bi'er looked over at Huang'er. Something about the man's features did seem familiar to her, but she was sure she didn't know the person. And, there was no way this person was Mu Gaoqi.
Did they happen to share the same surname and given name?
Ling Bi'er didn't want to get her hopes up, but the name wasn't a common one. She couldn't have just randomly run into another Mu Gaoqi in the Bluesmoke Isles, could she?
Moreover, from the way the man introduced himself, he seemed to be purposefully emphasizing his name to her.
Was this someone she knew? Perhaps an old friend from the Myriad Domain?
Ling Bi'er combed through a mental list of all male disciples in the Regal Pill Palace, but she couldn't find a match with the challenger. She expanded the parameters of her search to the six major sects in the Myriad Domain, but still there wasn't someone like this man.
Ling Bi'er was at a loss, but she was convinced that this man must know her. She was thrilled even though she didn't know who he was. It'd been a while since she'd seen someone from home, or even heard about home after coming to Myriad Abyss Island.
Even just a familiar name was enough to cause a ripple in her heart. I wonder who is he?
She wanted an answer. Her first guess was Jiang Chen, but this man looked completely different from him in body shape, temperament, and appearance.
She knew Jiang Chen was a master of disguise, but if it was him, why didn't he just use his name? Her instincts told her that this wasn't Jiang Chen. Even so, her mood was considerably improved.
Jiang Chen realized what Huang'er was trying to do and couldn't be more grateful to her.
Huang'er, Huang'er... Waves of warmth rose from his heart. He couldn't ask for more with a dao partner like her.
She'd had considerately solved the dilemma he was put in. She must know that he cared about Ling Bi'er, but he couldn't possibly fight for her hand while Huang'er was here. That was why she had decisively entered the competition herself!
It was a move completely out of the blue, but a clever decision. It preserved his dignity and enabled her to take part in helping Ling Bi'er.
Jiang Chen was both impressed and moved by her quick thinking. Huang'er had done more than think on his behalf. She'd considered factors that he hadn't even considered.
He'd been concerned, but now allowed himself to relax. Huang'er had gracefully accepted the situation. It wouldn't do for him to be awkward and indecisive.
Chapter 1652: Meeting With No Resistance
Huang'er hadn't entered the arena out of fleeting interest, nor was she here just to play. Unrestricted, she crushed the competition in the preliminaries. Many who were envious of her handsome face went up to insult her, only to be swept off in a matter of seconds.
Her swift and tempestuous termination of her challengers intimidated the rest into inaction. However, the imperial family was quite displeased at her incredible performance. Huang'er's momentum was so fierce that a clean sweep of everyone seemed inevitable. This was entirely unwanted.
They had set up this event in order to foster relationships with the Ten Divine Nations' geniuses. They weren't planning on marrying off the princess off to a wandering cultivator!
The fellow was certainly extremely handsome and talented, but his self-proclaimed status as a jianghu wanderer gave the imperials a headache. That was just another name for a wandering cultivator!
The Bluesmoke Isles had raised the princess for many years. It wasn't going to give her up to a mere wanderer, even if that meant the entire event was called off.
"Impossible. We have to find a way to get rid of this guy." Bluesmoke began to call in stronger opponents to force the intrepid interloper off the arena.
Alas, it'd underestimated this wandering cultivator's strength. Huang'er easily dismissed both of her new challengers. Her record now totaling ten straight wins, she entered the area designated for the next round.
Amid the cheering of the crowd, Huang'er flashed a dashing smile, cupping a fist at Ling Bi'er. "Princess Bi, I fell in love with you at first sight. I'll win your hand in the finals and sweep you off your feet. You won't marry anyone else other than me!" She finished her speech with a softly ringing laugh and flew off the stage.
Yan Qingsang approached her with a foul expression. "What're you doing, Huang'er?" he intoned in a low voice. "Are you targeting me or what?"
"You've got the wrong person, friend. I am Mu Gaoqi, a wandering cultivator, thank you very much." Huang'er burst out laughing.
"Now you're just trying to tick me off, huh?" Yan Qingsang smiled wryly.
Huang'er shrugged. "Don't take yourself so seriously, Yan Qingsang. There are at least a dozen or so cultivators in the next round who are stronger than you. How much hope do you think you have in winning?"
Yan Qingsang knew as much. He had participated only for some self-gratification; he didn't specifically want to marry the princess, but he hated to lose. He was upset at Huang'er's jab, but only a little. It was something that was easily recovered from.
Jiang Chen smiled and clapped Yan Qingsang on the shoulder. "Brother Yan, it seems that you and the princess aren't fated to be together, hahaha."
Yan Qingsang rolled his eyes, but laughed mirthfully once more. "I admit that I can't beat Huang'er, but I just had another thought. What if the princess picks you, Huang'er? What will you do? Will you marry her and take her with you back to House Yan?"
"Why not?" Huang'er grinned cheekily. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"What? You, m-marry her? Really?" Yan Qingsang stuttered. "You… you can't be serious!"
"I'll take her home and give her to someone else. Why can't I do that?" Huang'er replied seriously.
"Oh?" Yan Qingsang's eyes brightened. "Our surname is the same. We have the same grandfather, right? We're very close…"
"What're you thinking about, Yan Qingsang?" Huang'er raised an eyebrow. "You can't seriously think I'll give the princess to you?"
"What, you won't?" Yan Qingsang blinked.
Huang'er smiled serenely. "Of course not. You have quite an imagination."
"Who, then?" Yan Qingsang was almost despondent.
"Who would I give her to?" Huang'er muttered to herself, then glanced at Jiang Chen. "Sir Shao Yuan, of course. Aren't you guys trying to earn his permanent attachment? If I help him get a wife, he'll settle himself in and help House Yan to the best of his ability. Wouldn't that be nice?"
Huang'er seemed only half-joking. Yan Qingsang opened his mouth, but couldn't find any words to say.
Jiang Chen was the same way. He had no idea how to respond. He suddenly felt that Huang'er's actions had another motive behind them. He smiled wryly to himself.
He'd seen her cleverness back in the human domain, but not how playful she could be. Now, he had the newfound knowledge that she could play pranks with tremendous spirit.
The preliminaries ended under the crowd's collective eye.
Two hundred or so had managed to make it into the second round.
At least half of these were geniuses from the Ten Divine Nations – the very ones who'd attended the ancient jade festival. In fact, most of them were in attendance. Only the few who were especially prominent and skilled, such as Ye Zhou, had abstained.
Evidently, even geniuses from the Ten Divine Nations liked pretty girls and wealth. They didn't feel it below their station to attend an event hosted by a second-rate faction like the Bluesmoke Isles.
After all, there were only so many female cultivators from large factions. Many of the male cultivators wouldn't have an opportunity to marry someone of equal status. Especially talented female cultivators either remained unmarried or married another top genius of equal stature.
The youngsters who'd come to the ancient jade festival were largely not top-tier within their houses, with a few exceptions. Therefore, they weren't about to give up a golden opportunity like this.
It was better to be a small-time leader than a big-time grunt. If one could win the princess's hand in marriage, being the emperor's son-in-law wasn't half so bad. The competition was all the fiercer because of it.
Just as Huang'er had predicted, Yan Qingsang was eliminated after a few rounds. He was mildly saddened by this turn of events.
"Brother Yan, your loss only shows where you need to improve," Jiang Chen comforted the youth. "You missed out on Bluesmoke's princess, but you'll find someone better in the future."
"It's alright, don't comfort me," Yan Qingsang replied sadly. "I know myself well enough. I'm not first-rate even in House Yan. It seems I must really work harder."
"If you trust me, Brother Yan, I'll help you become first-rate in House Yan. First-rate in the Ten Divine Nations, even!" Jiang Chen suddenly declared.
"Hmm? You, help me?" Yan Qingsang was a bit skeptical.
"Yes. The ancient jade we got will definitely help you tremendously. You aren't lacking talent, just resources from your house. If you calculate the jade in terms of resources, you are more well-endowed than the best of your peers!"
Yan Qingsang's eyes brightened. "Now that you put it that way, my fighting spirit is back!"
The young man fixed his gaze upon his friend. No matter how he looked at this Brother Shao Yuan, he was well pleased with his find. If his cousin wasn't in such a sticky situation, he would have liked to shove Huang'er at his companion to ensure everlasting friendship.
"Brother, I know you like Huang'er, yes? Do you know why I'm opposed to it? You must know who Xiahou Zong is. He's the number one genius in House Xiahou and Eternal Divine Nation. Even in the entirety of the Ten Divine Nations, he's touted to be top three…"
"You're going too far, Brother Yan," Jiang Chen replied coolly. "I'm not much interested in House Xiahou's matters."
Yan Qingsang sighed softly, but held his tongue.
"Let's keep watching the fights. I'd like to see what my cousin ends up doing." Now that he was out of the running, the young man from House Yan lightened up completely. He was here purely for the spectacle.
Over the next few days, Ling Bi'er didn't need to be pressed to watch the fights taking place in the arena. The imperial family was charmed by this change. Had the princess finally accepted what she needed to do? Was her heart being moved by the geniuses from the Ten Divine Nations?
Regardless of reason, it was good to see her be proactive.
Huang'er's talents were remarkable even in the Ten Divine Nations. If not for the Generation Binding Curse, she would be much stronger than she was now. The fact that the actual top geniuses who'd come to the jade festival weren't here made her bouts even more trivial.
A few rounds were enough for her to enter the quarterfinals.
According to the rules, the princess could pick her husband from the contestants now. If she wanted to ponder the subject further, then the tournament needed to continue.
"Are you going to choose your favorite now, Your Highness, or shall they fight on?" The middle-aged imperial prince asked with a smile.
"I can choose now," Ling Bi'er answered impassively.
The imperial family was collectively agape at this. They'd prepared themselves that she would reject making a choice. Thankfully, she was being unexpectedly straightforward. So much so that they didn't quite know how to react!
Some snickered to themselves. "She usually pretends to be aloof, but she's actually more anxious than anyone. Looks like she was just feigning her reluctance before."
Ling Bi'er didn't care what the imperial family members thought. She was more interested in who the man called Mu Gaoqi actually was. She intuitively believed that he had come for her. Furthermore, he was someone he knew.
She needed to figure out everything related to all this. The marriage itself was immaterial. If she adamantly refused in the end, it wasn't like he could force her.