232: Chapter 15 Sword Qi Marquis 232: Chapter 15 Sword Qi Marquis Indeed, to see the Holy Empress is to see all living beings.
Xie Xuanyi stood in the center of the great hall, silently gazing at the towering figure bathed in blinding light.
After a brief moment of distraction,
he shifted his gaze away.
The eye contact with the Holy Empress lasted but an instant, yet he sensed the familiar intent of the Dao…
Xuanshui Cave Heaven, Primordial Master.
Yes.
Beneath the black robe of the Primordial Master, the hidden eyes bore a striking resemblance to those of the Holy Empress.
The Dao of all beings.
The Dao that these two individuals cultivated…
appeared to be the same one.
Perhaps due to the passage of time, or perhaps because the Holy Empress’s realm was simply too lofty, that instant of eye contact caused Xie Xuanyi’s Divine Soul to experience a long-absent trembling and roaring.
If one must draw a comparison,
the wisp of Divine Thought left by the Primordial Master in the Xuanshui Cave Heaven seemed much dimmer compared to the tall woman standing before him.
“Are you the disciple of Xie Xuanyi?”
The voice of the Holy Empress once again echoed throughout the great hall.
Xie Xuanyi steadied his breathing and slowly replied, “…Yes.”
He knew.
His facial ornament representing all beings was utterly incapable of resisting the “gaze” of such a high-level being.
But…
without full preparation,
how dare Xie Xuanyi enter the Imperial Palace and meet with the Holy Empress?
During that instant of eye contact,
the “Sword Qi” from between his brows burst forth, condensing into a radiant and untainted lotus, hung above Xie Xuanyi’s head, releasing strands of Green Radiant Sword Energy, illuminating the dim hall by threefold.
From then on,
the brilliance of the hall was no longer solely attributed to the Holy Empress.
Three parts of it fell upon Xie Xuanyi’s shoulders, the tips of his hair.
“It seems Zhao Chunyang really values you a lot.”
With her hands clasped behind her back, the Holy Empress stood amidst endless blazing light and said softly, “That lotus is quite beautiful; very pleasing to the eye.”
This radiance, belonging to the imperial hall, was blocked by the lotus from the outside.
If one intended to probe Xie Xuanyi’s Divine Sea, physical body, or secrets with Divine Thought forcefully,
then that lotus would activate in an instant!
Not long ago,
the Imperial City had just been thrown into chaos by someone…
And the deterrence of this lotus remains formidable to this day.
After a brief glance, the Holy Empress withdrew her gaze.
“…”
Facing these compliments, Xie Xuanyi didn’t know what to say.
“Some time ago, I met with your master’s master…
even after all these years, he is still in his prime, which is impressive,” she said warmly.
“The fortune of the Da Sui Sword Palace has gone from decline to prosperity, largely thanks to him.
Now with you here, it won’t be long before the Sword Palace regains its former glory.”
Contrary to Xie Xuanyi’s expectations, this conversation inside the great hall was not as sharp as he had imagined.
There was no suppression in the words of the Holy Empress.
All was harmonious.
Xie Xuanyi calmly said, “The Holy Empress is overly kind.
Compared to Sect Leader Pure Yang, Xie Zhen is like an ant to the sun and moon.”
“You are more capable than I imagined.”
The Holy Empress said softly, “If there’s any difficulty you can’t resolve, Da Chu can resolve it for you.”
Not so long ago,
Qing Sun had already made an attempt at recruitment…
but the tactic of forcibly coercing him into signing a Divine Soul Contract paled in comparison to the Holy Empress herself.
These words carried significant weight.
With no emperor in Da Chu and the Holy Empress governing,
if Xie Xuanyi accepted her favor, it meant he would receive boundless divine patronage.
In a sense,
he would also be tacitly choosing his alliance, placing the Da Sui Sword Palace and the Da Chu Royal Family on the same front.
“Holy Empress, Xie Zhen has no difficulties,”
Xie Xuanyi gently shook his head and said, “If indeed there are difficulties, the Sword Palace will resolve them for me.”
The Holy Empress appeared contemplative as she observed the slowly rotating lotus.
Endless Holy Light wandered throughout the great hall,
flowing in every strand yet not falling upon the lotus.
“My boy,”
her tone was still gentle: “There will always be difficulties that the Sword Palace cannot resolve.”
Xie Xuanyi continued to shake his head, “There will always be difficulties that one must face on their own.”
…
…
The conversation did not last long.
The audience with the Holy Empress was but a simple exchange of pleasantries.
The Holy Light in the hall tonight was dazzling, but the lotus flower gave Xie Xuanyi a sense of peace.
Perhaps.
This was the reason behind the “harmonious” atmosphere of the night.
It was precisely because of Zhao Chunyang’s presence.
That all the Sword Cultivators from the Da Sui Sword Palace could stand tall within the Imperial City.
After leaving the palace, Xie Xuanyi raised his head.
The night was pitch black, all stars extinguished.
Yuan Jimo was sitting on horseback, holding a long blade, his eyes closed in meditation.
“Out already?”
Yuan Jimo slowly opened his eyes, a mocking look within them.
Xie Xuanyi expressionless, acted as if he did not see the man, and went straight on his way.
“Don’t rush, young Master Xie.”
Yuan Jimo turned the reins and caught up on his horse, smiling and said, “The real show tonight has just begun…
Oh right, should I call you young Marquis Xie now?”
Young Marquis Xie?
Xie Xuanyi furrowed his brows slightly, not fully understanding what this title meant.
“Yuan had to persistently advise against it several times today before the Holy Empress agreed to grant a title!”
Yuan Jimo took out a decree from his bosom, slowly unfurled it, and said in a low voice, word by word, “Da Sui Sword Palace’s Xie Zhen, listen to the order, for meritorious service in quelling the rebellion in Qing State, henceforth granted the title ‘Marquis of Sword Qi’, a fief of a thousand households, and the enjoyment of a Marquis Mansion on North Bottle Street!”
“…?”
Xie Xuanyi stood silently in place.
He looked coldly at Yuan Jimo, making no move to kneel and accept the decree.
Granted the title of Marquis of Sword Qi?
For quelling the North Sea Ling in the rebellion of Qing State, he did indeed contribute, but no matter how one settled the accounts, it wasn’t worth the reward of a marquisate!
Even if there were truly a reward, it should have been Chen Jingxuan who sought it on his behalf.
Where did Yuan Jimo come into this?
On his first day entering the Imperial City, he was being pushed onto the cusp of a storm, receiving such an enormous title!
Could this be a good thing?
It most certainly could not.
“Congratulations.
From now on…
there will not be just one Xie Family in the world.
Apart from Jiangning Xie Family, there will be a second Xie Family.”
Yuan Jimo said with a smile, “Your Marquis Mansion on North Bottle Street, tsk tsk, that’s a good place, spacious and large enough to accommodate hundreds of people.”
He rode around Xie Zhen a few times, sighing with emotion, “Truly congratulations to young Master Xie, being conferred a marquis at such a young age…
I forgot to tell you, I’ve already sent people to spread this news in the Imperial City, if not for another big event tonight, I bet your Marquis Mansion’s doorstep would already have many people coming to celebrate.”
“…”
Xie Xuanyi remained silent.
In truth, on the way here, he had a vague feeling that tonight’s audience wouldn’t be so straightforward.
The previous conversation in the hall seemed warmly pleasant, but in reality, there were surging undercurrents.
The real storm.
Not in front of the hall, but after leaving the palace.
“Just a few days ago, the Imperial City Division received a secret order.”
Yuan Jimo began to speak with profound significance, “Ten years ago, someone colluded with the Demon Country, conspired with the forbidden army, broke open the dungeons, and at the same time, opened the city gates wide, causing chaos…
This disturbance not only released the precious Demon-offspring pets bred by the Dachu Royal Family, but also many serious criminals.
After quelling the rebellion, all the traitors were beheaded.
However, someone today discovered ‘remnants’ hidden within the city.”
Xie Xuanyi, with an expressionless face, paused in place, his fingers tightening silently.
Heart Lake roiled faintly, pain surging from all directions.
Back then, when the Moon Hidden Realm incident occurred, he escaped from the Great Chu Imperial City.
This memory, only fragmented pieces remained, failing to connect into a whole.
But he vaguely remembered.
That time’s Great Chu Imperial City, from top to bottom, was in complete chaos…
Clearly, Jiang Huang also took this opportunity to escape from the Imperial City.
“Remnants…”
Xie Xuanyi’s voice was hoarse as he slowly raised his head, “Who?”
“Young Marquis Xie, you have just met him today.”
Yuan Jimo looked down at the young man in black next to his horse and said in an indifferent and pitying tone, “It’s a coincidence, thanks to you, the Imperial City Division had a chance to find crucial evidence in that ‘traitor’s’ residence…
It’s unbelievable, despite the vast imperial grace, this traitor managed to hide for a whole ten years, attempting to pass off as genuine.”
Xie Xuanyi’s mind went blank.
He looked at Yuan Jimo and asked with furrowed brows, “The Lin Family?”
“Indeed.”
“It’s the Lin Family.”
Yuan Jimo smiled and said, “The holy decree has been issued just now, tonight…
is the time to clean up the remnants.”