The emperor of the Fu Dynasty, Fu Xiuyi, did not appear as most people thought a ruler would look. For one, he did not radiate a heavy pressure like most sovereigns. If anything, he gave off a soothing aura that made you feel at peace. Coupled with his gentle face that seemed far too beautiful for a man, Fu Xiuyi appeared more like a gentle scholar than an emperor.
Currently, the emperor was alone in the imperial gardens along with another man. Although both of the men were already past a hundred years of age, neither of them looked middle-aged. If anything, they looked to be in the prime of their life.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for my sister's insolence." The speaker's name was Ling Kang, and he was the current heir of Duke Ling. His temperament was elegant and refined as a chrysanthemum flower.
The emperor, Fu Xiuiyi, only smiled and patted Ling Kang's shoulder in a comforting manner. "How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Brother Fu when we're alone, Brother Kang. Had it not been for the Ling Family, it remains unknown whether I would be able to sit on that seat."
"I dare not." Ling Kang quickly shifted a step and bowed. "The sovereign and subject must not cross the boundary. Your Majesty is a jade that would dazzle the nation with or without the Ling Family. Our Ling Family was just lucky enough to be that jade's polisher."
Fi Xiuyi smiled helplessly at the scene. It was not the first time they had spoken these words to each other. "Do not belittle yourself or the Ling Family. Truthfully, it is I who wronged Haitang."
"How can that be? Your Majesty was forced by the circumstances. If my little sister were a bit more understanding, she would have never caused Your Majesty such pain. Thankfully, Lihua is far more understanding."
The emperor of the Fu Dynasty shook his head, sadness seeping out of his eyes. "In this life, I wronged three women. Lihua is the second."
Before the two could speak anymore, a eunuch came forward and said with his head bowed. "Your Majesty, Sir Ling, it is almost time."
Instantly, the air around the emperor turned frosty. With a chilling look, he glanced at the eunuch. "We understand. Go back."
The eunuch's body unconsciously shivered for a split second before all the decorum drilled into him took over. He bowed again and saluted the two before backstepping away, his posture respectful.
"Your Majesty, this subject will leave first. The banquet to celebrate the Vast Heaven Young Master's arrival will start soon." Ling Kang said, his meaning obvious.
As if the frostiness around him earlier was but an illusion, a smile that could melt even snow appeared on Fu Xiuyi's face. "Of course, I will await your presence at the banquet."
Once Ling Kang disappeared, the smile on the emperor's face also vanished. He stared into the distance where Ling Kang was seen for a touch too long before waving his sleep and saying, "To the empress's palace."
Although he wasn't as chilly when the eunuch had interrupted his and Ling Kang's conversation, Fu Xiuyi's face was expressionless, and there was a sense of distance to him. Even when he entered the empress's palace and greeted her with a slight smile, the same sense of distance hadn't changed.
"Your Majesty," Ling Lihua greeted with a full curtsy as dictated by decorum.
The emperor motioned for one of the maids to help her up. "Are you ready, Empress?"
"Yes," Ling Lihua answered simply. She was dressed in a cream-colored brocade dress that displayed her grandeur and benevolence all at once, befitting her title as empress and mother of the world. Her hair was fashioned with silver hairpin shaped like tree branches, and on the tip of each tree branch was a pear flower carved out of gem.
Fu Xiuyi nodded in satisfaction and turned around. "Let us go."
Ling Lihua nodded and demurely followed a step behind her husband and ruler of the Fu Dynasty. She was the dynasty's sole Unity Realm expert after the previous one died seven years ago, and the current emperor was only a core formation master, but she still obediently followed all his orders.
Fu Xiuyi paused and glanced at Ling Lihua. Even though the two had been married for decades, they had not yet had any children. In fact, none of the other concubines had any children. Had it not been known that the emperor never spent the night at any other imperial concubine's palace, the officials might have thought that the emperor had a certain problem instead of Ling Lihua's cultivation making it hard for her to bear children. "Your sister will also appear. Will it be alright?"
Ling Lihua paused before she gave a gentle smile, as soft as cotton. "There are no problems, Your Majesty."
The emperor's only reply was, "good."
When the emperor and empress arrived, all the officials and their families stood up and prostrated themselves. Only after receiving permission from their ruler did they stand up, and only after he sat did the others sit down.
"What is sister doing?" Lihua muttered so quietly that only Fu Xuiyi could hear. "She should know better than arriving late."
Fu Xiuyi's face was passive as he accepted another toast from an official. "It's fine. Perhaps they encountered the Vast Heaven Young Master and were delayed. He hasn't arrived yet either."
Ling Lihua said nothing. If the emperor wasn't displeased, it was not her place to comment.
Not long after, a commotion occurred as two women appeared at the entrance to the banquet hall. The two wore diametrically opposite colors, giving off an indescribable beauty when standing together. The woman in red was dressed grandly in red like a bride on her wedding day, while the woman in blue was like an unearthly, ephemeral goddess, capable of disappearing at any moment.
The emperor's eyes flashed with an indistinct emotion that no one could discern. Just as fast as it appeared, it disappeared as a smile bloomed on the emperor's face. He stood up and loudly announced the two's entrance. "Beloved officials, allow me to introduce our newly arrived, esteemed guests from the Buzhou Immortal Sect."
"Many of you may already recognize Lady Ling Haitang, eldest daughter of Duke Ling and the sister of our empress." The emperor introduced Ling Haitang first.
Ling Haitang curled the corner of her lips up but said and continued to watch Fu Xuiyi speak as if she was watching a show.
The emperor paid no mind or at least pretended to pay no mind. "Next to Lady Ling is Lady Jiang Daoyi, the disciple of the legendary Sword Empress Xi, the strongest immortal of the world!"
"Please, have a seat." The emperor said as he gestured towards the seat specially reserved for them. In total, there were three tables at the same level as the emperor and empress, while all the officials all sat on a lower level according to their rank.
Although Ling Haitang sat down, she sat on the table furthest away from the ruling couple, and Daoyi sat on the second furthest table. There was a sense of tension in the air due to the two's actions, but Fu Xiuyi pretended not to see it.
Instead, he clapped his hand. "Since two of our esteemed guests have arrived, it would be impolite to delay the banquet any more than this. Allow me to announce the beginning of the banquet!"
The officials clapped, trying to keep the festivity going even if they sensed something off. Soon, plates upon plates of delicacies were brought forth, and the entertainment started. Each of the dancers possessed beauty that could topple mortal countries and enthralled the attendees.
Daoyi watched all this without saying anything. Unlike Ling Haitang, she partook in the delicacies but mostly the wine. Cup after cup, the wine disappeared into Daoyi's stomach. The palace maids felt their wrists become sore at how cups of wine they poured for her.
She paused to glance at the most distinguished and noble couple in the world. They sat shoulder to shoulder, but she couldn't help but feel that there was an invisible divider that made them seem unequal. Furthermore, Ling Lihua was too obedient to Fu Xiuiyi, a mere core formation master, while she was a unity venerable. Daoyi couldn't help but think that Ling Lihua was scheming something.
"Lady Jiang, do you know when the Vast Heaven Young Master will arrive? The banquet has already reached its midpoint, but he has yet to arrive." The emperor asked, a friendly smile on his face.
"Who knows. Last I heard, Senior Brother Tianyi is still back at the Buzhou Immortal Sect." Daoyi said, causing Ling Haitang to hide her face behind her sleeves.
It wasn't really that funny, but anything that made it difficult for Fu Xiuyi, Ling Haitang would find it funny, too bad Ling Lihua chose to speak at this moment.
"Lady Jiang, please do not mind me for saying this. But are you not overstepping your bounds? How can you presume to know the Vast Heaven Young Master's actions?"
"Lihua!" Fu Xiuyi rebuked her before he quickly apologized to Daoyi. "Forgive the empress. She's been a big huge admirer of the Vast Heaven Young Master."
Huge fan? Aren't you afraid of her ditching you to follow after Tianyi? Daoyi thought. Naturally, she didn't ask her question aloud, no matter how funny it would have been. "I don't presume, Senior Brother Tianyi informed me of the matter himself."
There was an awkward silence. If what Daoyi said was true, then who was the Vast Heaven Young Master that came before?
In fact, Daoyi wasn't sure either, but it would be funny to watch if Tianyi was caught in a difficult spot. That'd teach him to trick her.
Ling Haitang, however, eyed Daoyi appreciatively. In her eyes, who would dare impersonate Grand Elder Xi's son? She remembered the turmoil that Mengfei brought over ten years ago when she struck out and killed numerous Dragon Emperor clones. It was not all of them, but it reminded the world of Mengfei's unfathomable power.
In addition, loathed as she was to admit, impersonating Tianyi was also not an easy matter. He had a unique aura that was hard to replicate, and his power was overwhelming. The news of Tianyi's prowess during the Demon Slaying Expedition had long spread to the other first-rate sects, and they also passed it down. Now the whole Huang Realm knew that Xi Tianyi possessed the strength to slay several Unity Realm level experts at once while at the Nascent Soul Realm.
Although the last time Ling Haitang saw Tianyi, it was a bizarre experience. She couldn't sense him at all. She could still see him with her eyes, but she could not detect at all with her spiritual sense. It was as if he didn't exist. Not even a mortal would be as invisible as Tianyi.
Speak of the devil. There was a second commotion as a newcomer entered the banquet hall. The newcomer wasn't alone and was followed by three beautiful cultivators who emanated the aura of nascent soul grandmasters.
The false Xi Tianyi wore purple robes and had a gold coronet atop his head. It seemed that he did their research since he replicated Tianyi's preferred style of dress down to the dragon design. However, Daoyi's attention was drawn to the imposter's face.
His face was extremely handsome and had over ninety-five percent similarities to Tianyi's facial features, except for those unique pair of bedeviling eyes inherited from Mengfei. Coupled with his bold, almost arrogant, aura, had Daoyi not known Tianyi's true personality, even she would have been deceived.
"Fu Xuiyi, what's this? How come you started the banquet without me?" The Dragon Emperor clone said as he scanned the venue. Then his eyes turned towards Ling Haitang and Daoyi. "Could it be because of these two beauties? I heard you weren't a lustful person, but it seems that rumors aren't to be trusted."
If Ling Haitang weren't fuming at the words of the Dragon Emperor clone, she would have laughed. However, for the Dragon Emperor clone to be impersonating Tianyi made her furious. She was not furious for Tianyi but for Mengfei. However, the imposter's following words made her release bloodlust.
"I've taken a fancy to these two beauties. How about giving them to me to apologize for starting the banquet without me?"
Fu Xiuyi allowed anger to color his face for the first time since the banquet. "Hehe, Vast Heaven Young Master, do you not recognize them?" He nodded towards Daoyi. "She's your junior sister, your mother's only disciple."
The Dragon Emperor clone found himself at a loss for words as he stared at Daoyi. She resembled the information he obtained about Jiang Daoyi, but he had seen plenty of women in blue. True, there was none as unique nor as beautiful as the one in front of him, but what were the chances of him meeting the actual disciple of the Sword Empress?
Seeing the cocky smile on the imposter's face falter, Daoyi gave a slight smile. "How do you do, Senior Brother. Did you undergo plastic surgery?"
The false Vast Heaven Young Master didn't understand the meaning behind Daoyi's words, but he understood the ridicule. He did not show anger at Daoyi's words. Instead, his thoughts became incredibly calm. "Well, it doesn't matter if a disciple of the Buzhou Immortal Sect falls today or ten years later. The reign of the Buzhuo Immortal Sect is a relic of the old era!"
After finishing his words, the Dragon Emperor clone struck towards Daoyi. In his eyes, even a unity venerable was not as threatening as the disciple of Sword Empress Xi. A unity venerable's combat power may be higher, but he was more fearful of the treasures bestowed by an immortal empress.
The imposter's hand formed a claw, with his nails turned into talons and golden scales sprouted from his arm, making it appear like a true golden dragon's hand. There was a tyrannical yet majestic force emanating from that simple strike.
It was as if time had paused. No one could react to the imposter Vast Heaven Young Master's sudden attack. As his attack neared, the imposter's eyes contained a trace of pity. It was not a pity that he had to kill, but at the death of a beautiful and unique woman.
But he celebrated too fast.
When he was half a meter away, he found that his attack could not reach the woman in front of him, and his body was seemingly frozen in place. His eyes narrowed, and he caught sight of numerous strands so thin, it was almost invisible, binding him in place. "I underestimated you, a junior who only cultivated for less than half a century."
"Impudent! A mere grandmaster dares to attack in front of a venerable?" The speaker wasn't the empress, but the emperor, Fu Xiuyi. "Lihua, teach him a lesson!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Ling Linghua was the only other one who could have reacted in time, but she did not move until Fu Xiuyi ordered her to. She waved her sleeve, and countless pear blossom petals shot out towards the imposter and the three women behind him.
The imposter snorted and broke free of Daoyi's bindings. Or at least attempted to. He frowned and increased the effort and successfully broke free. However, he wasn't unharmed as his purple robes had numerous cuts on them, and his skin was filled with red lines from the string digging into his flesh.
Appearing in front of the three Nascent Soul Realm women, the false Vast Heaven Young Master waved his sleeve and easily dispersed the pear petals, causing them to disappear.
"You're not a nascent soul grandmaster," Ling Lihua said, her voice grave as she stood protectively in front of Fu Xiuyi.
"That's right," The imposter smirked as he released his hidden aura that completely overshadowed his Nascent Soul Realm cultivation. "I'm in the World Merging Realm.