The First Sword of the Universe

Chapter 407 Duan Zhengchun's Melon.
In the hazy night, Duan Yanqing looked at the brightly lit Taoist temple, his eyes flickering.

Two thin iron rods lightly tapped the ground, leading him to the main gate of the Taoist temple. Looking up at the three characters "Yuxu Temple" on the plaque, he felt that the characters were gentle and graceful, even the sharpness revealed at the turns was like a stubborn little tantrum, revealing a bit of cuteness.

He leaped up, landing lightly on the wall, then bounded to the roof of the front yard, hiding behind the towering ridge and peering towards the main hall in the central courtyard.

The lobby doors were wide open and brightly lit, making the interior clearly visible.

Duan Yanqing's gaze was immediately drawn to Yu Xu Sanren, who was sitting next to Duan Yu.

He listened intently to the intimate interaction between Yu Xu Sanren and Duan Yu, as well as Duan Yu's way of addressing Yu Xu Sanren. He was so excited that he almost made a sound.

"That's my son's biological mother?"

"That's the female Guanyin who saved me back then?!"

Nineteen years ago, the female Guanyin who saved him was still very young. When they had a brief encounter, the female Guanyin had disheveled hair, covering most of her face, so Duan Yanqing could not see her face clearly.

Now, the female Guanyin, dressed in her clothes, has a dignified and beautiful face, exuding an air of nobility, making her completely unrecognizable from the female Guanyin of yesteryear.

If Xu Xingchen hadn't revealed his son's birth date and time, he wouldn't have recognized this female Guanyin even if he had met her later.

Duan Yanqing lay prostrate behind the roof ridge, peering at the beautiful woman's figure in the central hall, his gaze gradually becoming infatuated.

If it weren't for the large number of people inside and the chatter within, and if it weren't for the young man he couldn't do anything about, he would definitely have rushed in and demanded an explanation.
Now, he can only suppress his impulse and wait for the right opportunity.

In the lobby.
Xu Xingchen was sharp-eyed, keen-witted, and spotted Duan Yanqing the moment he appeared on the opposite rooftop.

And from the sound of the other person moving and the way their gaze swept over him, he realized who the newcomer was!

Duan Yanqing's arrival was exactly what he expected.

He knew that the other party would definitely investigate Duan Yu's identity, and once he confirmed that Duan Yu was his son, he would not harm Duan Yu, so he did not intend to pay any attention to Duan Yanqing.

Time passed quietly.

The banquet was drawing to a close, and led by a servant, Xu Xingchen carried the jade statue to a side room to rest.

A speechless night!
The next morning, when Xu Xingchen met Duan Yu and Yu Xu Sanren again, Yu Xu Sanren was also preparing to return to Dali City with Duan Yu.

The Yuxu Temple houses more than a dozen fine horses.

When they set off again, each of them rode a warhorse.

Only Xu Xingchen, because of the jade statue, drove a "convertible" carriage without a roof.

The group set off, riding warhorses and driving carriages.

The horses' hooves pounded the ground with a cheerful clatter, raising clouds of dust.

Duan Yanqing hid in the woods by the roadside, concealing his whereabouts as he followed secretly.

By the afternoon, the group was not far from Dali City.

When they arrived at a place about ten miles outside Dali City, a troop of cavalry stood in neat formation by the roadside, with a man dressed in a yellow robe surrounding him.

Upon seeing Xu Xingchen and her group, the man immediately parted his ranks, spurred his horse, and rode forward to greet them, shouting from afar, "Madam, Yu'er, you've finally returned!"

Upon hearing this title, Xu Xingchen knew that the visitor was Duan Zhengchun, the Prince of Zhennan of Dali.

Duan Zhengchun was a tall, upright man with a square face that exuded a sense of authority, but his gaze toward Duan Yu and Yuxu Sanren revealed a touch of affection and tenderness.

Yu Xu Sanren clearly didn't have a good attitude towards Duan Zhengchun, and coldly snorted, "I only came back this time for Yu'er's sake, to stay with him for a few days; it's none of your business."

Duan Zhengchun rode up to Yuxu Sanren's side and said gently, "No matter what, it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"

Then, turning to look at Duan Yu, his expression immediately turned serious: "Yu'er, do you know how worried your uncle and I were when you secretly ran away this time? You'll be confined for three months when you return."

Duan Yu looked at his "cheap" father, Duan Zhengchun, with a complicated expression, and said with a wry smile, "Yes! Your son accepts the punishment!"

Duan Zhengchun exclaimed in surprise, "He didn't talk back this time? It seems that Yu'er has really matured a bit since this trip. Not bad! Not bad!"

Finally, looking at Xu Xingchen driving the carriage and the figure wrapped in black cloth being dragged on it, he asked in surprise, "Who is this young master?"

Duan Yu quickly spoke up and introduced the two to each other.

After the two exchanged greetings, Duan Zhengchun glanced again at the jade statue on the carriage with a puzzled look before smiling and saying, "Thank you, Young Master Xu, for saving my son. I am deeply grateful. Please come with us back to our residence so that my son and I can treat you to a proper meal."

Xu Xingchen clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Your Highness, you are too kind!"

The convoy set off again, this time with cavalry leading the way, making it even more impressive.

As the procession entered Dali city, pedestrians, vendors, men, women, and children all stepped aside. As the procession passed, countless voices from the crowd on both sides cheered loudly: "Welcome the Prince of Zhennan! Welcome the Prince of Zhennan!"

This shows how deeply rooted and unshakable the Duan family's prestige was in the hearts of the people of Dali.

The Prince of Zhennan's Mansion needs no further explanation.

Spanning a vast area, the courtyard is dotted with pavilions and terraces, and features artificial hills and ponds in every courtyard, making it a quintessential Jiangnan-style garden. Within this courtyard, camellias of various colors are planted in abundance.

The air is filled with the fragrance of flowers, their vibrant colors adding a touch of vitality.

Upon entering the Prince's mansion, Xu Xingchen was led to a side room by a maid.

Xu Xingchen placed the jade statue on her shoulder on the ground, sipped tea, rested, and waited for the evening banquet to begin.

The banquet was held as scheduled.
At the dinner table, Duan Zhengchun and Princess Yuxu Sanren Dao Baifeng toasted Xu Xingchen one after another to express their gratitude, and then they tried to find out what he was talking about, his identity, and his background!

Xu Xingchen's identity was still one she gave herself.

He claims to be the owner of Xiaoyao Villa outside Suzhou!
However, since the manor had not yet been established and he was still traveling in the martial world, there was no need to tell the two of them about these things.

Throughout the banquet, Duan Yu remained melancholy and listless, and he didn't have much of an appetite.

Just as Dao Baifeng was urging her son to eat more...
shhhhhh!
A hidden weapon shot in through the window, its target aimed directly at Yu Xu Sanren's throat and eyes.

They were extremely ruthless!

Dao Baifeng raised an eyebrow, slammed her hand on the table, and a white porcelain bowl immediately bounced up and blocked her way.

Click!

The bowl and plate shattered, the fragments scattering to the left and right, just avoiding Dao Baifeng and Duan Yu.

This demonstrates the profound level of Dao Baifeng's control over power.

The three hidden weapons were blocked and immediately changed direction, embedding themselves in the beams and pillars nearby with three loud thuds.

Upon seeing the appearance of the hidden weapon on the beam, Dao Baifeng immediately raised her eyebrows, widened her eyes, and shouted, "It's you again, Qin Hongmian! You dare to come and assassinate me? This time, I will definitely not let you go!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already passed through the window and leaped onto the roof opposite.

Duan Zhengchun withdrew his gaze from the three hidden arrows in the beam and saw Dao Baifeng rush out of the house. He immediately chased after her, urgently calling out, "Madam, Hongmian, don't be impulsive!"

Then, the sounds of clashing weapons, the shouts of the two women, and Duan Zhengchun's attempts to persuade him arose outside.
"Dao Baifeng, you wicked woman! You've seized the position of princess and won't even allow Brother Duan to come see me. You're so narrow-minded, you don't deserve to be a princess!"

"Qin Hongmian, you shameless woman, why do you keep pestering the Prince? Don't you know he's already married?"

"Hongmian, Madam, please stop fighting."

"Hmph! Your Highness, today it's either her or me, it's either her or her."

"Brother Duan, what's the point of marrying a woman like that? Let me kill her, then no one can stop us from being together."

In the lobby.
Xu Xingchen and Duan Yu got up and rushed out of the lobby together. Standing on the steps outside, they looked up at the three people fighting fiercely on the opposite rooftop.

Two of them were Princess Dao Baifeng and Prince Zhennan Duan Zhengchun; the third was a woman dressed in black.

Her attire was exactly the same as Mu Wanqing's, and judging from her voice and figure, she should be a middle-aged woman!
Xu Xingchen watched Duan Zhengchun on the roof ridge, who was busy parrying Dao Baifeng's dust-like attacks on Qin Hongmian and blocking Qin Hongmian's hidden arrows aimed at Dao Baifeng. He was so busy that he almost burst out laughing.

He's certainly gotten his share of today's gossip.

If he weren't in the Prince of Zhennan's mansion right now, he probably wouldn't be able to help but burst out laughing.

Duan Yu, standing to the side, stared in astonishment at the three people fighting on the rooftop. As he looked at the woman in black, a series of thoughts flashed through his mind.

"That woman wasn't Madam Zhong from Wanjie Valley, but another woman."

"She and my mother are fighting over my father."

"My father is indeed as Brother Xu said, a womanizer and amorous, having had many affairs with other women."

"Also, this woman's attire is exactly the same as that of Miss Mu."

"Miss Mu once said that she was coming to Dali City to meet her master."

"Could it be that this woman named Qin Hongmian is Miss Mu's master?"

Xu Xingchen stood in the courtyard eating melon seeds, while Duan Yu craned his neck like a silly goose.

Alarmed by the fight, the guards of the Prince's mansion rushed towards the scene, some shouting, "Quick! Quick! Don't let the thieves escape!"

Duan Zhengchun's four bodyguards also leaped onto the nearby rooftops.

Upon seeing the three people fighting fiercely on the rooftop and their conversation, they all stopped in their tracks, looked at each other in bewilderment, and then became like wooden stakes that could neither be heard nor seen.

The three fighters moved swiftly across the rooftops. When they reached a rooftop near the west wing, Qin Hongmian suddenly shouted, "Disciple, make your move!"

Boom!

A hole suddenly exploded in the roof of the west wing, and amidst the flying debris, a figure rushed out.

With a wave of his hand, three familiar, cold glints of hidden arrows shot towards Dao Baifeng's back.
(End of this chapter)