Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 157 Identity Exposed
On the school field.

To outsiders, the scene on the ring was extremely bizarre.

The four fifth-rank Heavenly Guards who challenged Chen Yu fell without warning, while Chen Yu remained standing in the same spot the whole time, without even moving a corner of his clothes. Many people even thought they were acting.

Some people, after a brief moment of surprise, quickly guessed the reason.

"Mental attack!"

"He's actually skilled in both martial arts and magic!"

"His mental strength just now was probably at the peak of the fifth rank, wasn't it?"

"Hiss, I didn't expect his mental cultivation to be even stronger than his martial arts!"

"No wonder he was able to become one of the Sixteen Guards; I doubt anyone among them could be his match..."

……

A chorus of gasps erupted around them; all the previous doubts, mockery, and schadenfreude vanished into utter shock.

The others in the sixteen guards' seats straightened up.

Even among the three people at the highest position, two showed surprise on their faces, while only the man in black robes seemed to have expected it and remained calm.

For the first time, a hint of disbelief appeared on Wenren Yue's usually indifferent face.

She was well aware of Chen Yu's abilities.

Two months ago, when she left Bozhou, he was only at the early stage of the sixth rank.

He broke through to the fifth rank by taking the Qi Gathering Pill only a few days ago.

But how could his mental strength be so much stronger than his martial arts cultivation?
Could it be that he had been hiding his true abilities all along?

On the viewing platform, Prince Yu's hand, holding a teacup, hovered in mid-air, and his gaze toward Lin Xuan carried a hint of solemnity.

No wonder the Emperor values ​​him so highly; this child's talent is astonishing, and his future is limitless...

Beside him, Princess Yongchun's smug smile froze completely, replaced by deep astonishment. She looked at the composed figure on the stage, with only one thought in her mind.

"Damn it, he got me!"

On the arena, Zhou Yun struggled to his feet, already understanding what had happened. All the resentment and unwillingness in his heart vanished instantly. He clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for your mercy, Lord Chen."

With a fifth-grade cultivation level and peak fifth-grade mental strength, such a person is more than qualified to serve as one of the Sixteen Guards.

The other three also got up from the ring, clasped their hands in a fist and bowed to Lin Xuan, and then jumped off the ring with Zhou Yun.

The Sixteen Guards are simply the Sixteen Guards.

They were no match for this Lord Chen; it was like the difference between a child and an adult.

Even the proud daughter of the Wen family is probably quite different from him.

They are really overestimating themselves.

Amidst the deathly silence and countless awe-inspiring gazes, Lin Xuan slowly turned around, stepped off the stage, and sat back down in his seat, his expression calm and serene, as if nothing had just happened.

In an inconspicuous corner of the viewing platform.

A hint of interest appeared on the face hidden beneath the hood of the wide cloak. He murmured in a voice only he could hear, "Late-stage fourth-rank spiritual power, huh? Interesting. I knew I hadn't misjudged you..."

Lin Xuan single-handedly suppressed four fifth-rank Heavenly Guards in an instant. The terrifying spiritual power he displayed plunged the entire training ground into a long period of deathly silence and shock.

In previous years, the competition has featured many exciting matches, but there has never been a scene where one person defeated four others, overwhelming them completely.

Lu Feng sighed. Lin Xuan had always been very low-key and reserved in his eyes. He never expected that Lin Xuan would also have a moment when he showed his sharpness.

When I first met him, he was just a minor officer of the eighth rank.

In just six months, he has grown to this level.

Even though he had watched Lin Xuan get to where he is today, he couldn't help but feel a little sentimental when he thought back on it.

After regaining his composure, he looked at the seats of the Heavenly Guards and asked again, "Among the Heavenly Guards, is there anyone else who wishes to challenge the Sixteen Guards?"

This time, no one in the audience responded.

In the Tiangang Guard area, everyone lowered their heads and kept their eyes down. Although there was no cultivation level restriction for challenging the Sixteen Guards, anyone below the fifth rank would be humiliated if they went on stage.

Originally, it was thought that the newly appointed Azure Dragon Guard Chen Yu was an easy target, but unexpectedly he was the real tough guy. Zhou Yun and Zhao Wuji were defeated by him in one move, and the rest of them had no strength to challenge the Sixteen Guards.

After a brief silence, a clear, cold voice rang out from the seats of the Heavenly Guards.

"Wenren Yue challenges the Sixteen Guards, Lord Gu Jing."

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to it.

A woman in white, with a graceful figure, walked out slowly, her beautiful face serene.

Wenren Yue's challenge was not unexpected.

Her strength was already among the top of the younger generation in the capital. If she hadn't cultivated both martial arts and magic, she probably would have already reached the fifth rank.

Some time ago, she went to the Southwest Border Defense Command for training. After returning to the capital, she joined the Earthly Fiend Guard. This time, her goal is clearly not just to join the Heavenly Guard.

Beside Lin Xuan, a middle-aged man stood up, leaped, and flew onto the arena.

He clasped his hands slightly in greeting to Wenren Yue and said, "Miss Wenren, please enlighten me!"

Wenren Yue returned the greeting with her sword in hand: "I apologize for the inconvenience."

The next moment, the middle-aged man drew his long sword, its blade flashing with incredible speed, striking Wenren Yue like a bolt of lightning.

Wenren Yue did not take the blows head-on. Her movements were agile, like willow catkins in the wind, weaving through the dense flashes of swords. Her long sword would sometimes lightly tap, sometimes parry, producing a crisp ringing sound.

Her swordsmanship was not as fierce as Gu Jing's, but it was more precise, and she could always find the weak points in the opponent's moves at the last second.

Prince Yu's gaze remained fixed on Wenren Yue.

Princess Yongchun, recovering from her shock, rested her chin on her fists and murmured, "My future sister-in-law must win..."

Although the fight on the ring was spectacular, most of the people in the arena were still reeling from the shocking scene.

That young Sixteenth Guard had given them a tremendous shock.

He possessed such strength at a young age.

In a few years, wouldn't he have a chance to become one of the Seven Sons of Jingye?

Given His Majesty's high regard for him, it seems not impossible that he will take charge of the Jingye Division in due time.

Unfortunately, His Majesty has already arranged a marriage for him.

Otherwise, if we could take him as our son-in-law, we would have a powerful backer in the court in the future...

While everyone was pondering, the outcome of the match had already been decided.

Wenren Yue's sword stance suddenly changed, shifting from defense to offense. Several cold stars trembled from the tip of her sword, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion, as she thrust straight at Gu Jing's wrist.

Gu Jing tried to parry with his sword, but it was too late. He felt a numbness in his wrist, and the long sword clattered to the ground.

Wenren Yue's sword tip stopped steadily three inches in front of his throat.

Wenren Yue readily sheathed her sword and calmly said, "You flatter me."

A bitter smile appeared on Gu Jing's face. As expected of the proud daughter of the Wen family, and the princess consort chosen by Prince Yu.

She didn't even use her mental power; she easily defeated him solely through martial arts prowess.

He let out a long sigh, picked up the long sword that had fallen to the ground, and said, "Miss Wenren's swordsmanship is superb. I am no match for her skill and I accept my defeat willingly. I will voluntarily give up my position..."

While the Sixteen Guards held high positions and wielded great power, they also faced immense dangers.

In the past two years, he has narrowly escaped death several times.

He had already gotten everything he wanted, so he might as well take this opportunity to retire gracefully, even if it meant being demoted to a local post as a commander, rather than continue living this life of constant danger and fleeing for his life...

On the viewing platform, Princess Yongchun clenched her fist and exclaimed excitedly, "My future sister-in-law is amazing!"

Prince Yu patted her head, a smile appearing on his face.

Wenren Yue left the arena and slowly walked to the position of the Sixteenth Guard, sitting down next to Lin Xuan. Smelling her familiar fragrance, Lin Xuan was momentarily dazed, as if he had returned to that small courtyard in Bozhou.

Lu Feng stepped onto the arena again, and after confirming that no more Heavenly Guards would challenge him, he looked at Lin Xuan and the others and asked with great interest, "Among the Sixteen Guards, is there anyone who wants to challenge the Seven Sons of Jingye?"

Silence reigned over the seats of the Sixteen Guards; no one spoke.

Four of the Seven Disciples of Jingye made it to this competition.

Among them, Lu Feng's strength is at the peak of the fifth rank, while the other three are all at the fourth rank.

Of the sixteen guards, none had the strength to challenge them.

Lin Xuan remained seated steadily. If he went all out, he couldn't guarantee he could defeat the three fourth-rank experts, but defeating Lu Feng shouldn't be a problem.

However, he has already achieved his goal of establishing his authority today, and there is no need to create any further complications.

Seeing no response, a hint of disappointment appeared on Lu Feng's face. He then said, "In that case, I declare this competition over. Congratulations to all those who have successfully advanced. Three days from now, the Commandery will hold a promotion ceremony for you..."

With this, the Jingye Division Grand Competition of this year has officially come to a close.

As the crowd dispersed, news of what had happened during the competition spread like wildfire throughout every corner of the capital.

In previous years' competitions, although there were many outstanding performers, none were as dazzling as Chen Yu of the Azure Dragon Guard.

He defeated four opponents single-handedly.

Teahouses, taverns, streets and alleys—countless people were talking about this newly crowned legend of the Jingye Division.

"That newly promoted Sixteenth Guard of the Jingye Division is quite remarkable!"

"He fought four fifth-rank Heavenly Guards single-handedly, without even lifting a finger. With just a glance, he made them kneel down and admit defeat!"

"It's a pity I wasn't there at the time; this kind of scene doesn't happen every year."

"He is so young, yet he has such strength and such a status; his future is limitless!"

"I heard that His Majesty also bestowed the talented Zhao Wan upon him in marriage. It's truly a match made in heaven, a hero and a beauty..."

……

Zhao Mansion.

Liuli practically burst into the room, her face flushed with excitement, and she gasped, "Miss, Miss, I just heard people outside say that my future son-in-law was so impressive at the Jingye Division's competition today!"

Zhao Wan was copying calligraphy when she heard this, her brush paused, and a drop of ink spread on the rice paper.

She put down her pen and, forcing herself to remain calm, asked, "What's wrong?"

Liuli danced with joy as she embellished the news she had heard: "They said that four fifth-rank Heavenly Guards attacked the young master together, but he only glanced at them, and all four of them fell down and knelt down to admit defeat!"

Her eyes sparkled with admiration as she said, "Miss, the young master is so amazing! I heard that the ones who challenged him were the young masters from the Zhou, Zhao, Shen, and Li families. They were always praised as martial arts geniuses, but it turns out they're nothing special..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wan showed no joy; instead, the worry in her eyes deepened.

An image of a burly man with a rugged face, fierce eyes, and an aura of menace involuntarily surfaced in her mind...

Such a man must be decisive and ruthless, a strong-willed man. With her personality, how will she get along with him after marriage? She probably won't even be able to exchange more than a few words with him...

The more she thought about it, the more panicked she became. Looking at the calligraphy copybook stained with ink on the table, she felt as if she were seeing her future.

The spring flowers outside the window were in full bloom, but her mood grew increasingly gloomy...

Meanwhile, inside the Chen residence, a completely different scene unfolded.

Zhiqin had just returned from outside, bringing back news that shocked all the women.

Siqi was the first to jump up, grabbing Zhiqin's arm, her pretty face flushed with excitement, and she kept asking, "Really? Really? Are they really talking about the young master?"

Zhiqin smiled and nodded, saying, "It's all over the place. During the competition, those four people saw that you were young and all wanted to challenge you. You told them to come at you all at once, but just by standing there and giving them a look, you made them all kneel down..."

Yingxue opened her rosy lips, her beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration, and murmured, "Is Young Master really that amazing?"

Shi Shu and Ru Hua hugged each other excitedly. Shi Shu murmured, "I knew it. Young Master is no ordinary person. Otherwise, how could His Majesty have bestowed so many things upon him!"

The maids in the mansion gathered together, excitedly whispering among themselves. The young master was making a name for himself outside, and they, as his maids, felt proud of him.

Lin Xuan returned from the training ground and had just stepped into her home when she was surrounded by her maids.

"Young Master is really amazing!"

"Young master, could you tell us about the competition?"

"How did the young master manage to make them kneel down and admit defeat with just a glance..."

Just as Lin Xuan was being surrounded by women as he entered the inner courtyard, next to the Chen residence...

After the competition, Wenren Yue refused Prince Yu's offer to see her off and returned to her residence alone.

She had just stepped onto the stone steps in front of the mansion when she heard a series of hurried footsteps behind her.

Princess Yongchun hurried over, affectionately took her arm, and said in a clear voice, "Future sister-in-law, wait for me..."

Wenren Yue frowned and said, "Your Highness, please don't call me that. I'm not your future sister-in-law."

Princess Yongchun nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand, Sister Yue..."

Wenren Yue was already used to this overly lively princess who often came uninvited, and took her back to the Wenren residence with her.

Upon arriving at Wenren Yue's elegant and refined boudoir, Princess Yongchun unceremoniously picked up a pastry served by a maid. As she ate, she smiled and said to Wenren Yue, "Congratulations, Sister Yue, on your promotion to the Sixteenth Guard. I was watching you from the stage during your competition..."

Wenren Yue did not say anything.

She originally had no interest in the position of one of the Sixteen Guards.

He just wanted her to take that position.

Even if she wasn't interested in the power struggles at court, she couldn't completely ignore her family. Moreover, becoming a member of the Sixteen Guards would give her access to more intelligence from the Jingye Division, which she wanted to use to investigate Lin Xuan's death in the line of duty...

Even today, she still finds the matter suspicious.

Princess Yongchun tasted a few pastries, then the topic shifted to another matter. Somewhat puzzled, she said, "Sister Yue, you know, that Chen Yu, he seems so quiet and timid, how come he's so powerful? Cousin Zhou Yun was defeated without even touching him. Those three people were so far away from him, yet they suddenly collapsed to the ground..."

Wenren Yue composed herself, let out a soft sigh, and explained, "That's because he's not only a fifth-rank martial artist, but also a powerful sorcerer..."

Princess Yongchun asked curiously, "Sister Yue, between Chen Yu and you, who is more capable?"

Wenren Yue shook her head slightly and said, "I am no match for him."

If we're talking purely about martial arts, she should be able to defeat Chen Yu.

But in terms of overall strength, if she challenged Chen Yu, her fate wouldn't be much better than Zhou Tian's.

Princess Yongchun looked astonished and remained stunned for a long time before muttering, "This guy is actually so capable. No wonder Father Emperor treats him so well. Hmph, considering how much he has contributed to the court, I will not cause him any more trouble..."

Wenren Yue looked at her and asked, "Have you ever caused him any trouble?"

Princess Yongchun nodded shyly and said, "I thought he got his position in the Sixteenth Guard through connections. I wanted to stand up for my cousin, but that guy Chen Bing complained to Father Emperor, and he confined me to my quarters for three whole days..."

Wenren Yue looked at her solemnly and said, "He has done far more for the court than you can imagine. Don't make things difficult for him anymore."

Princess Yongchun nodded obediently and said, "I know, Father has already told me. He presented the new salt law, which made a lot of money for the court, allowing the people to buy high-quality salt at low prices. He also helped the court eliminate the powerful chieftains in the southwest and transported a lot of silver from the southwest to the court. Everything I eat and use in the palace is provided by him..."

She continued talking to herself, completely unaware that after hearing a certain sentence from her, Wenren Yue's delicate body trembled violently, as if struck by lightning, and she froze on the spot.

The next moment, Wenren Yue suddenly raised her head, her usually calm and composed eyes now filled with disbelief and shock. She gripped Princess Yongchun's hand tightly and asked, "You, what did you say? The new salt law was presented by him?"

Princess Yongchun had never seen her so flustered before. Startled by her reaction, she nodded timidly, "Yes, that's what Father Emperor said. Sister Yue, what's wrong?"

Wenren Yue knew better than anyone who had presented the new salt law.

At that moment, a possibility instantly came to her mind.

Her heart raced, and she asked eagerly, "Your Majesty... what else did Your Majesty say?"

Princess Yongchun's wrist ached from being gripped so tightly. She struggled to recall, and said haltingly, "Father also said that for the sake of the court, he disguised himself, hid his identity, and dared not reveal his true identity. His relatives and friends dared not acknowledge him, and he could not even preserve his own bloodline... Oh, Sister Yue, where are you going!"

Before she could finish speaking, her vision blurred, and Wenren Yue, who had been tightly holding her just moments before, had vanished without a trace...

(End of this chapter)