Embers of Sword

Chapter 703 Taoist Companion
When Jiang Qihu rushed back to Qingyang City, his own courtyard was already deserted.

"And the one surnamed Xie?"

Jiang Qihu pushed open the door and saw the empty courtyard, so he couldn't help but ask.

"gone."

Having watched the commotion from outside the courtyard, Jiang Que, who was just waiting to sit down and eat some melon seeds, replied with a smile, "Young Master, you've come at a really bad time. You're two hours late. That Lord Xie has already left on his sword."

"Where's my sister?"

Jiang Qihu spoke again, his expression somewhat anxious.

"They've left too."

Jiang Lie's deep voice echoed from inside the mansion.

Jiang Qihu hurriedly strode inside. He was somewhat surprised by the scene inside. The old man's expression had clearly improved a lot, and he no longer looked sickly.

"Where did my sister go?"

Jiang Qihu quickly helped his father up: "Shouldn't she be brewing tea and medicine for you?"

When they arrived, the fire in the stove was still burning.

The medicine is not yet ready.

"Fool, where else could your sister go? She'd go back to the Sword Palace, of course!"

Jiang Lie subconsciously muttered a reprimand, then said irritably, "Can't you do things like brewing tea and decocting medicine? From now on, you'll be serving me!"

"???"

Jiang Qihu was stunned, staring at the old man with a completely bewildered expression.

When he first heard that his father had fallen ill, he immediately offered to resign from his post in the capital and return to his hometown to care for him… This idea was met with a severe scolding. His grandfather had specifically requested that his sister return to Qingyang City to care for him then; what had happened now?
What exactly is going on?

"I I I..."

Jiang Qihu scratched his head: "I'll serve you, of course, no problem. But what about the Imperial City, the Imperial City Guard?"

"I'll resign for now."

Jiang Lie said, "What's there to worry about with your lousy chieftain?"

"The matter of the chief is insignificant."

Jiang Qihu said with a wry smile, "Father, have you forgotten my engagement with Miss Ye...?"

"There's no rush then."

Jiang Lie remained calm: "Wait a little longer."

"and many more?"

Jiang Qihu's eyes widened: "Father, it's a formal marriage, all that's left is to announce it to the world..."

"No rush, no rush."

Jiang Lie chuckled: "Use your brain and think about why your sister went back to the Sword Palace?"

……

……

A glint of sword light fell upon the Northern Commandery.

In this journey through the river of destiny, the Holy Empress was never freed from her predicament and never gained power. As a result, the garrison commanders of the Northern Commandery were never dismissed. The Jiang family, due to their extraordinary status, still received the fiefdom of Qingzhou. Other aristocratic families of the Northern Commandery were ordered to guard the Great Wall. Because of this "change," the Northern Land, which should have become desolate, is now much more prosperous and wealthy, with many people coming and going, merchants gathering, and a strong sense of life.

Unfortunately, the depletion of vitality remained unchanged.

Even with the strong support of the Great Chu Imperial City, it cannot change the fact that cultivation is difficult in the North.

Most of the cultivators guarding this place are "martial artists".

Xie Xuanyi landed on his sword in the courtyard of a magnificent mansion, the most famous "Banquet Prince's Mansion" in the Northern Prefecture. Due to a change in cause and effect, a rather extraordinary "prince" appeared in the Northern Prefecture. He returned victorious from two northern hunts and also achieved great victories in various clashes with the Demon Kingdom. In fact, the growth trajectory of the Banquet Prince was somewhat similar to that of "Chen Chong," except that his bloodline was even more noble than Chen Chong's. This genuine prince was carrying the blood of the Great Chu Emperor... Xie Xuanyi guessed that this was probably a descendant of the imperial bloodline who died when the Holy Empress was purging the court. Due to the karmic changes of the Holy Empress, he survived and came to a position near the mountain peak.

Snowflakes drifted down in the courtyard, accompanied by the faint sound of celestial music.

This music sounds familiar.

"Snow Lord?"

Xie Xuanyi sat under the tree in the courtyard, watching the fluttering petals and snowflakes, and suddenly understood.

Also.

Since Emperor Chu is not dead, Xue Zhu naturally does not need to stay in the imperial city to protect Chu Yin.

All the causes and effects related to the royal family... have been rewritten.

"Thank you, Lord Xie, for recognizing me. I am truly flattered."

As snowflakes fluttered down, a fleeting figure appeared and disappeared not far from the shade of the trees.

The Snow Lord smoothed the strings of his zither, stopping the music.

She smiled slightly, then changed the subject abruptly: "However... given Lord Xie's status, if he wished to visit the Prince, all he needed was a visiting card, and the Prince's residence would naturally open its doors to welcome him. Isn't it a bit presumptuous of him to enter uninvited like this?"

"Excuse me?"

Xie Xuanyi smiled and said, "Miss Xue is the young master of Fangyuan Workshop. In the four realms of Da Chu, even the slightest breeze can reach the young master's ears in a short while."

"..."

The Snow Lord remained silent.

"It seems that every time I left the Sword Palace, went to Qingzhou, and then came to Beijun, Fangyuanfang knew about my departure."

Xie Xuanyi made no attempt to conceal his whereabouts during this trip, and given Fangyuanfang's efficiency, they must have discovered everything immediately.

"It's obvious who I'm looking for in North County."

Xie Xuanyi raised an eyebrow and said, "Since that's the case... why bother with a formal invitation? How can you be so presumptuous?"

"Master Xie has come to see the Prince?" Master Xue sighed.

"Yes," Xie Xuanyi replied.

The Snow Queen said helplessly, "What if the Prince doesn't want to see you?"

"It doesn't matter."

Xie Xuanyi stood up and slightly moved his head: "If he doesn't want to see me, then I will go to see him."

Although the palace was large, it was no larger than the range covered by Xie Xuanyi's divine sense.

Before he arrived, he had spread his divine sense throughout the area around him.

Xie Xuanyi had already pinpointed the location of the Banquet King. The reason he chose to land here, separated by a corridor, was to give the Banquet King a "decent" meeting opportunity.

Rumble!
The moment Xie Xuanyi stood up, the Snow Master suddenly made her move. She raised her delicate hand and placed it on the strings of her zither. Countless frost and snowflakes rose up like sharp flying swords and swept towards Xie Xuanyi.

Xie Xuanyi glanced at it.

The Nineteenth Realm of Yin Spirit...

The Snow Queen remains powerful in this dream route.

Unfortunately, compared to myself, I am still far behind.

Xie Xuanyi walked towards the corridor outside the courtyard, not even glancing at the frost and snow scattered by the Snow Master as he plucked the strings. He flicked his sleeves, and a wisp of Dao realm emerged from them.

The sword energy formed from the embryonic form of the Path of Annihilation also condensed into snow.

buzzing-

The black snow collided with the white snow, and the void instantly twisted and shattered.

The celestial music became jarring.

Hundreds of handfuls of frost and snow collided and exploded in the air.

Sitting in the shade of the tree, the Snow Queen let out a muffled groan as her zither strings snapped. She was thrown backward, her back slamming gently against the tree, creating a spray of snow mist that cascaded down like a waterfall, engulfing her.

Xie Xuan, dressed neatly and unaffected, walked alone across the corridor and finally saw the King of Banquet, who had been eagerly awaited, in the second spacious courtyard.

This is indeed an unfamiliar face.

Young, handsome, and exuding an extraordinary aura. At the twentieth level of the Yin Spirit realm.

What the old man of the Jiang family said is absolutely right. This is indeed a being who is very likely to attain the Yang God realm. It is hard to believe that in the "divine journey" when the Holy Empress failed to take power, Da Chu could still welcome such a young hero. It seems that the purge at Renshou Palace back then really ruined the fate of Da Chu.

"Brother Xie, you've arrived."

King Yanle sat alone in the pavilion, with a huge white paper scroll spread out in front of him.

The ink brush was placed to the side.

He has been holding this position for a long time.

Looking at the painting?

Xie Xuanyi glanced at the huge scroll... and there was nothing there, just a blank page.

Upon hearing the footsteps, King Yanle did not raise his head or release his divine sense. Instead, he spoke softly as if reminiscing about an old friend, uttering a single sentence, as if he had already foreseen what would happen.

News from Fangyuanfang naturally reached the Prince's Mansion immediately.

He knew Xie Xuanyi had come to find him.

They also knew that the Snow Lord couldn't stop the other side at all.

"You know why I'm here."

King Yanle lowered his eyes and casually gestured for Xie Xuanyi to sit down, but Xie Xuanyi did not sit down.

He simply stood outside the pavilion and spoke calmly.

"..."

Upon hearing this, King Yanle slowly raised his head.

He met Xie Xuanyi's gaze, then smiled and said, "The first thing Lord Xie did after emerging from seclusion at the Great Sui Sword Palace was to visit Qingzhou... and the second thing he did immediately afterward was to visit my royal residence. With these two things in mind, even a fool should be able to guess why Lord Xie has come."

The news of the marriage agreement between the Prince's Mansion and the Jiang family has not yet been released.

However, the fact that King Yanle visited Qingyang City several times was not exactly a secret.

Many observant people have noticed that the relationship between the Prince of Banquet and the Jiang family is extraordinary... The Jiang family was originally a former subordinate of the Northern Prefecture, so this relationship makes them even closer.

"I don't want to make things difficult for you."

Xie Xuanyi said decisively, "Annecel the engagement, and I'll leave immediately."

"interesting."

King Yanle chuckled first, then tilted his head slightly and asked seriously, "Is Lord Xie always so domineering? A marriage contract is based on mutual consent. Even if someone wants to break off the engagement... it should be Miss Jiang who comes."

"It doesn't matter who does this."

Xie Xuanyi remained calm: "Some things cannot be forced."

"Yes...you're right..."

King Yanle picked up his teacup, frowned, and said, "Xie Xuanyi, everyone in the world knows that Jiang Miaoyin likes you. But didn't you say you had no feelings for her? For the past twenty years, you have been traveling and seeking the Dao, and cultivating in seclusion. When have you ever cared about her... Now that I want to arrange a marriage, you stand up and object. Where were you before?"

"..."

Xie Xuanyi remained silent for a moment.

"It's true."

King Yanle said calmly, "I only have a simple 'admiration' for Miss Jiang. After all, she is a female sword immortal who can guard Jade Screen Peak alone. She is incredibly talented and beautiful, a once-in-a-century talent. Who wouldn't admire her? However, I only admire her... The reason for this marriage agreement with the Jiang family is simply to hope that the Northern Prefecture can be more peaceful."

Xie Xuanyi frowned upon hearing this.

"This engagement can be called off."

King Yanle took out the marriage certificate and said leisurely, "But I have visited Qingyang City many times... Some things have already spread within Da Chu. This matter needs an explanation."

"What do you want to say?" Xie Xuanyi asked.

"The engagement can be broken off, but power cannot be lost."

King Yanle calmly said, "Half of the Qingzhou Iron Cavalry will be transferred to the Northern Great Wall to fill the vacancies... All the old troops of the Jiang family will also be incorporated into the territory of Beijun."

The reason why the Jiang family has such great power in Qingzhou.

It was because of that battle where he drank poison that Jiang Lie made countless contributions and cultivated a number of famous generals under his command. These people were later scattered in different places, but they still obeyed orders.

King Yanle was still young. Even with his outstanding achievements and fame, he was still struggling to control the "beast" of the Northern Territory with his current level of cultivation.

However, if we add the Jiang family's full support, then they are qualified enough.

“I can’t make decisions about the Jiang family. You can talk to Jiang Lie about this.”

Xie Xuanyi said calmly, "But I can guarantee... that one day in the future, if the Great Wall of the Northern Territory is afflicted by a demonic calamity, the Great Eagle Sword Palace will be the first to repair it."

"..."

The King of Banquet gazed into Xie Xuanyi's eyes.

The two stared at each other for a long time.

"That sounds like a good deal."

"I can tell whether the Jiang family or the Da Sui Sword Palace is more important."

The young prince smiled and said, "I trust Lord Xie's character. You are the future leader of the Sword Palace. Now that you have made this promise, I will burn this marriage contract."

laugh!
The marriage certificate that King Yanle was holding suddenly burst into flames.

A wisp of fire ignited.

Without hesitation, he channeled his inner energy and burned the marriage certificate to ashes.

The atmosphere in the courtyard shifted from tense and confrontational to calm and peaceful...

Although Xie Xuanyi was still standing outside the pavilion.

But the breeze that swept by was no longer cold, as if the previous confrontation and tension had never existed.

"If I may be so bold as to ask a few questions... Lord Xie, are you planning to return to the Sword Palace and become a Daoist couple with Miss Jiang?"

King Yanle leaned back slightly, his back resting against the stone pillar of the pavilion.

He spoke with a smile, his tone tinged with a hint of sarcasm: "I heard that Master Xie has been in seclusion in the Ice Soul Cave for nearly two years. Has he suddenly attained enlightenment and achieved profound understanding?"

"What a coincidence."

Xie Xuanyi stepped into the pavilion.

He sat down opposite the King of Banquet and did not answer the question. Instead, he slowly said, "Although this is the first time I have met you... I feel that you look somewhat familiar."

"Oh?"

King Yanle raised an eyebrow and rested his elbow on the huge white paper scroll.

"People will eventually be trapped by the things they cannot obtain in their youth for the rest of their lives."

Xie Xuanyi suddenly spoke up: "Your Highness... have you ever heard this saying?"

"It's the first time I've heard it, and it's quite interesting."

King Banquet smiled.

"This is probably the origin of the 'mental tribulation'."

Xie Xuanyi calmly said, "Love and separation, resentment and hatred, unfulfilled desires, greed, anger and ignorance, loss of glory and joy, and unfulfilled desires... these are probably the 'regrets' of a person's entire life. Miaoyin is like a firefly in the long night to me. We grew up together and spent countless dark nights together. She was able to get through her loneliest moments because of my existence. If we look at it from the perspective of the mortal world, this is probably what it means to be a 'Daoist partner'."

"..."

King Yanle suppressed his smile, rested his chin on his hand, and fell into deep thought.

“An old guy once told me that the road ahead is long and full of scenery, so slow down and see more.” I never understood. Now I think I do. Life is so long. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely make some changes. Before this journey reaches its ‘end,’ I want to see more of the scenery here.

"As for Miaoyin, I hope she can have a perfect life without regrets."

Xie Xuanyi chuckled self-deprecatingly.

After a brief pause, he looked down at the snow-white painting.

Xie Xuanyi said calmly, "Therefore, after I return to the Sword Palace, I will announce to the world that from now on, Xie Xuanyi and Jiang Miaoyin will become Daoist partners."

(End of this chapter)