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墨書 Inktalez
Winter Night at West Lake The surface of the water is calm and has already frozen, resembling a gigantic ice mirror. A half moon hangs solitary in the clear blue sky, while the distant mountains and nearby waters seem to be sprinkled with silver. The air is exceptionally crisp, carrying a faint fragrance of plum blossoms.
Walking along Su Causeway, Li Hong admires the beauty of Winter Night at West Lake, and unconsciously thinks of Bianjing, thousands of miles away.
The Golden Bright Pool in Bianjing is now deserted, no longer reflecting the cultural prosperity of the past; everything has shifted here.
Zhao Gou is intent on securing a corner for himself, but it seems merely a fool's dream, as the Jin people are eyeing this place covetously.
The resolute Face of Yue Fei appears before him, warming Li Hong's heart. He pats Chuxuan on the shoulder and says, "Let's go to Xiao Yingzhou to enjoy the moon!"
With no one around, the two take flight, gliding over the frozen Lake Surface like two graceful birds, soon arriving at Xiao Yingzhou.
This place is renowned for moon-viewing; even the Official Family loves it here and often lingers. Therefore, it is usually closed to the public. At this moment, it is late winter near the year's end; the Official Family finds it too cold, and the high-ranking officials are blocked by the thin ice on the Lake Surface, unable to come. Xiao Yingzhou is particularly serene and tranquil.
As they walk across the stone bridge, just a few steps in, Li Hong suddenly senses something and whispers to Chuxuan, "There’s someone on the island."
Strangely enough, despite being at the Initial Golden Core cultivation level, with a Divine Consciousness that rivals that of a Nascent Soul Stage elder, he cannot ignore any movements within a hundred miles. Yet this presence feels elusive; he only notices it upon stepping onto Xiao Yingzhou.
Li Hong squints his eyes and instinctively touches his black gauze hat! The forehead band inside conceals his cultivation level. He gestures to Chuxuan, signaling to quietly approach the source of that Strange aura.
Passing through a corridor, they suddenly find themselves in an open space where a small lake glimmers with frost beneath the Nine Curved Vermilion Railings. In the silvery moonlight, someone leans against the red-green railing, gazing at the pale bright moon above with a gentle sigh.
Li Hong remains composed. However, Chuxuan feels his heart stir; that sigh sounds indescribably beautiful and enchanting, stirring deep emotions within him. He wishes to step forward and comfort this sighing beauty.
Yet this person clearly wears male attire; though turned away from them, it is evident—wearing an elegant cap and wide sleeves, dressed in flowing moon-white robes that dance in the moonlight.
The two exchange startled glances, both feeling something is quite Strange.
At that moment, a faint sound of flute music drifts from deep within West Lake. By the time it reaches them, it is barely audible—like a melody descending from clouds in the sky, clear and ethereal, exquisitely melodious.
The figure leaning against the railing listens for a moment before softly reciting:
"Endless West Lake gathers jade light,
Calm waves reflect a solitary tower."
Offshore plum blossoms fluttering in the snow, the temples cool.
A few shadows of withered lotus leaves faintly illuminated by the moon, a bank of withered willows covered in light frost.
Where is the tune played through the night, breaking hearts?
The thoughts flowed slowly, accompanied by a faint and elusive flute sound, the tone low and melodious, quietly resonating in the hearts of the two.
After finishing her gentle recitation, she suddenly turned to face Li Hong and Chuxuan's hiding place, and said, "Since you are here, come out. May I ask how my poem 'Mountain Flower Child' sounds?"
Under the moonlight, the two clearly saw her face and were greatly shaken; what a beautiful woman! Such extraordinary beauty exists in this world!
Undoubtedly a woman, though dressed in men's clothing, her exquisite jade-white face could not be concealed. That face was flawless, appearing like a wisp of spirit under the moonlit night, breathtakingly beautiful yet incredibly delicate, evoking a deep sense of pity.
Li Hong took a while to regain his senses and stepped out from behind the rockery first. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "Miss, your lyrics are too forced; they are not as good as one I once heard called 'Mountain Flower Child.'"
The beauty was slightly moved. "Then recite it for me to hear."
"The lotus fragrance fades among the green leaves, the west wind stirs sorrow among the green waves.
Still with youth sharing in decay, too painful to behold.
In fine rain, dreams return far from Chicken Fort; in the small pavilion, the cold jade flute sounds through.
How many tears and endless hatred lean against the railing."
After Li Hong finished reciting, he raised his eyes to look at the beauty, feeling increasingly astonished.
The beauty had long been entranced by his words; in her clear water-like eyes rolled silver mist as she murmured softly, "In fine rain, dreams return far from Chicken Fort; in the small pavilion, the cold jade flute sounds through. A timeless verse; how could I ever compare..."
Two clear tears fell down her jade-white face. She extended her almost transparent delicate hand to catch those two warm tears, trembling slightly. Like autumn lotuses bearing dew, she was truly heart-wrenching to behold.
Li Hong scrutinized for a while, feeling uncertain, and couldn't help but blurt out, "Who exactly are you?"
"I'm just a wandering soul, a pitiful person. No need to resort to violence. Let me tell you, I am a Demon Cultivator," the Beauty said, lifting her misty tear-filled eyes to look at Li Hong, gently sobbing as she replied.
A Demon Cultivator! Li Hong could hardly believe that such an extraordinary beauty was actually a spirit beast that had transformed through cultivation. However, upon further investigation, he realized it was true. The Beauty before him possessed a very strange technique and was of high cultivation, not inferior to his own. A faint aura of yin energy surrounded her body, and within her meridians flowed a peculiar and impure force. This indicated that she had yet to shed the innate beastly power she was born with.
Li Hong concentrated hard with his Divine Consciousness to try and discern her true form, yet no matter how he tried, he could not see it.
The Beauty knew what Li Hong was doing. A faint smile of sadness appeared on her exquisitely beautiful face, reminiscent of the winter waters of West Lake: "My name is Li Xiaolou. Your earlier verse contained my name. As for your poem...," she sighed softly, "when we meet again in the future, I hope you won't forget our connection today."
A gust of cold wind began to swirl around her body, and in an instant, she transformed into a whirlwind and then into nothingness. The fragrance lingered in the air, but her enchanting presence had already vanished.
Chuxuan finally came back to his senses at this moment and stepped forward, murmuring, "Such a beautiful woman turns out to be a demon! What a pity!"
Li Hongqi found himself puzzled by another question. Just moments ago, he had indeed considered taking action against her, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do it when looking at this Demon Cultivator Beauty. Was he truly captivated by her beauty? It shouldn't be.
He pondered aloud, "Could she possibly be a Fox Cultivator? I've heard that Fox Cultivators possess an innate charm that can mesmerize people and make them reluctant to act. Could this Li Xiaolou be one?"
"That's quite possible," Chuxuan said shyly. He recalled how he had been foolishly staring at her without realizing it; his face began to turn red. "You're right! She must be a Fox Cultivator; otherwise, how could we both..."
Li Hong quickly cleared his throat to interrupt him. "What do you mean by 'we both'? We haven't done anything! It's just that seeing a Demon Cultivator for the first time is a bit shocking. Now let's go find Zhao Gou in the palace."
The two soared into the clouds and headed toward the imperial city. The image of that stunning beauty remained deeply etched in their minds.
********
In the stillness of night, the imperial city was quiet.
They had already learned that Zhao Gou was inside the palace. If they entered openly during the day, they would have to deal with various complicated formalities for an audience. It would be much simpler to sneak in at night and drag Zhao Gou out of his dragon bed.
Both of them were now semi-immortals and did not need to worry too much about their actions. Moreover, they had an excellent identity as National Guardian Masters. This title was conferred by the True Religion Emperor and was completely legitimate. Interestingly enough, it was also related to Chuxuan's acquaintance Gao Bozu from the Nine Li Sect.
The descendant of the Zhao Family later descended the mountain and was conferred the title of "Jingying Xianyou Zhenjun" by the True Religion Emperor, becoming part of history. It was publicly stated that this imperial grandson loved cultivation and had transcended the mundane, achieving a semi-immortal state. Everyone in the Daoist temple on the celestial mountain was granted the title of "National Guardian Master." However, not a single person truly accepted this title or actually descended the mountain to become a "National Guardian Master."
The publicly announced situation greatly differed from the actual facts, but "Jingying Xianyou Zhenjun" was indeed a prominent figure. Anyone familiar with the history of this dynasty would undoubtedly know him and those "National Guardian Masters" from his temple.
The two disregarded the heavily guarded imperial city and easily entered Zhao Gou's sleeping quarters in Funing Palace.
In the outer hall, several beautifully designed silver vases with entwined floral patterns still glimmered, although their wicks had been intentionally snuffed short. The dim light flickered like small bean-sized flames in the silver vases, casting a hazy darkness. The night watch eunuchs and palace maids leaned against the wall, struggling to keep their eyes open, but they could hardly resist the encroaching sleepiness, their heads nodding off. One Little Yellow Gate had a long string of drool hanging from his mouth, having long since fallen into a deep slumber.
Li Hong and Chuxuan silently glided past them, gently pushing open the heavy inner palace doors.
The door was strange; despite their light touch, it creaked loudly on its hinges, echoing sharply in the stillness of the night.
Immediately inside came a startled male voice: "Who! Who is there?! Protect His Majesty!"
Zhao Gou was surprisingly alert and had even tampered with the door hinges. Li Hong smiled wryly; this emperor must be feeling quite insecure on his throne, terrified and unable to sleep at night.
Given the circumstances, they could only put on the airs of "National Guardian Masters." The two quickly slipped out of the palace.
The palace maids and eunuchs in the outer hall jumped up at the sound of the emperor's call. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past them, causing their hairs to stand on end. When they looked closely again, there was nothing there.
A group of imperial guards rushed into the hall, their armor clanking loudly as they charged toward the dragon bed.
Zhao Gou, attended by Little Yellow Gate, threw on his clothes and trembled as he pointed toward the entrance, saying in a shaky voice, "I just saw someone at the door! Quickly search the palace for assassins!"
"It’s not assassins; it’s us!" came a cold reply. The voice echoed from atop the grand hall's roof.
The guards hurriedly turned around and rushed outside, looking up at the roof. Upon seeing it, they were all left dumbfounded.
Underneath the starry sky and bright moonlight, two towering figures stood against the wind on the eaves of the grand hall. Their crimson crowns were tall, and their ancient red wide-sleeved cloaks billowed behind them, enveloped in a radiant red glow. They appeared as if celestial beings had descended to earth.
A tremendous pressure emanated from both figures, causing every guard below to tremble at their knees in indescribable fear. The crowd fell silent; before Funing Palace lay an eerie stillness.
The sound of neatly arranged armor and weapons clanging came from a distance, torches flickering like dragons as they quickly approached. However, none of the guards dared to speak or move.
Zhao Gou, unable to hear any sounds of weaponry from within, mustered his courage to put on the Dragon Robe. With the help of Little Yellow Gate, he stumbled across the threshold and exclaimed in shock, "Who! Who is it?!"
One of the guards boldly pointed a hand toward the ceiling.
Zhao Gou turned to look up, letting out a horrified scream, "Ah! A ghost!" His well-maintained pale face was drenched in cold sweat, and in an instant, the front of his Dragon Robe was soaked. His legs buckled involuntarily, and he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath with bulging eyes.
He looked nothing like an emperor; he resembled a frightened madman.
********
Li Hong felt speechless and helpless. He had intended to display the authority of the National Guardian Master, but Zhao Gou was so cowardly that he didn't know what to think. Instead of seeing them as divine beings, he was shouting about "ghosts"! It was both infuriating and amusing.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard Chuxuan's cold voice beside him: "Uncle, you are well. It seems you still remember my father."
Li Hong's heart stirred; it made sense now. Chuxuan must have looked very much like his father, Prince of Yun Zhao Kai. Zhao Gou knew that Prince of Yun was dead, and under the moonlight, he mistook Chuxuan for his late father.
Zhao Gou sat on the ground, trembling like a leaf. Little Yellow Gate struggled to help him up but couldn't manage it. After hearing Chuxuan's words, he paused for a moment and finally regained some composure. Gritting his teeth, he lifted his head to look at Chuxuan again. After another moment of surprise and rubbing his eyes to take a closer look, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Who exactly are you? Are you not the Third Prince?"
"Take a look for yourself; this is my Jade Register and the Golden Order Token from Yun Wangfu." The two items flew from Chuxuan's hand as if drawn by some force, slowly hovering in front of Zhao Gou.
The guards watched with wide eyes, understanding that someone with such abilities was not someone they could handle. The hall fell silent except for Zhao Gou's heavy breathing.
Under the torchlight, Zhao Gou took the two items and examined them closely, almost unable to believe his eyes. His voice trembled as he said, "You are Zhao Xuan, the sixth son of the Third Prince! You are still alive!"
Chuxuan frowned slightly and transmitted a message to Li Hong: "It seems that back then everything happened too suddenly; grandfather didn't tell him anything. But then again, his claim to the throne was never legitimate. The one who truly knows we exist—the Filial Piety and Benevolence, the Holy Emperor—is still imprisoned by the Jin people in Five Nations City. This will require some explanation."
Li Hong nodded and transmitted back: "You continue your act; I'll cooperate. We must make him obedient."
Chuxuan coldly stated: "I am indeed your nephew, but I also have another identity—Jingying Xianyou Zhenjun. You should know that by now. I am currently the National Guardian Master; do you understand?"
Zhao Gou's mind was in a state of confusion, but the terms Jingying Xianyou Zhenjun and National Guardian Master truly registered with him. After a moment of reflection, he finally unearthed them from the depths of his memory. Suddenly realizing, he felt an overwhelming joy and, fueled by an unknown strength, sprang up from the ground in a swift motion that left Little Yellow Gate astonished.
"Ha ha! Wonderful!" In the quiet of the hall, only Zhao Gou's ecstatic shouts echoed: "You have finally arrived! I have waited so long for this! The Nation is safe, and I can now rest easy! Ha ha!!"
The Reinforcement Guards clad in heavy armor finally rushed to the entrance, but everyone was left dumbfounded.
They saw the guards standing straight and silent in the courtyard, while in the center was the emperor jumping around wildly with excitement. On the roof stood two imposing figures resembling Crimson Celestial Deities.
This scene was etched deeply into everyone's hearts.
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