Chapter 776

Just as the Fourth Prince was sitting in a daze, a sharp voice suddenly sounded, "The Emperor has arrived!"

His body shook and he collected his thoughts. He became the calm and steady Fourth Prince again and stood up to welcome the Emperor along with the other officials, princes, and generals.

After the greetings, they saw Zhu Shang and Zhen Xuzi walking out of the hall together with Ai Hong. Everyone was either confused or enlightened. When they were given a seat, they immediately started discussing in low voices.

"Isn't it customary for only the National Preceptor to accompany the Emperor?"

"I heard that Zhen Xuzi presented the real elixir yesterday and made the Emperor very happy. It seems that he is going to confer him the title of National Preceptor."

"Sigh, believing in immortals is something that only happens during the last years of the dynasty. We have to write a letter to advise the Emperor not to indulge in this way!"

"Shut up. Do you want your whole family to be executed?"

Amidst the whispers, the Third Prince frowned and his expression changed. He even spilled some of the wine on the table. He and the National Preceptor, Zhu Shang, had many secret connections. Zhen Xuzi was favored and trusted by his father more or less because of the Fourth Prince. It seemed that he had to mobilize the imperial censors to impeach Zhen Xuzi for deceiving his father by presenting the elixir.

The Fourth Prince's gaze was cold without a trace of joy or excitement. He was unusually calm, which made his officials happy. "Being calm in every major event and not showing your emotions — this is the look of a ruler!"

The whispers gradually calmed down. The swordsmen raised by the royal family appeared one by one. Some were fast, some were slow, and each had their own beauty. Their exquisite swordsmanship was breathtaking.

As the most popular thing in the capital and even the whole world, the officials liked it. They drank the wine, shook their heads, and enjoyed it quietly. From time to time, they would exchange a few words with each other.

After five or six sword dances, the eunuch reported to Ai Hong, "Next is the swordsmen Mu Jing that the Fourth Prince brought back from beyond the Great Wall."

Ai Hong smiled and nodded with anticipation. "Announce."

As for the other officials, including the Third Prince, after two days, they already knew that the Fourth Prince had traveled day and night and exhausted many horses just to bring this swordsman back to the capital. Their curiosity had long been unusually strong, so they all turned their heads and looked towards the direction where the swordsman had entered. They wanted to be the first to see what kind of amazing skills this swordsman had to have made the Fourth Prince pay so much attention to him!

At the side door of the square, a girl walked slowly with a long sword in her hands. She wore a dark black chiffon dress that accentuated the little bit of skin that was exposed, making it look like snow and jade. Her sleeves fluttered lightly, and when she walked, she gave off the feeling of separating flowers and brushing willows, fluttering like a fairy.

"She's wearing a veil!" Ai Hong, the Third Prince, and all the courtiers were stunned by her graceful steps and graceful posture. However, the woman's face was covered by a thin black veil, making it hard for them to see her face clearly. However, in the haze, they were able to picture the face that they liked the most in their hearts, which made them yearn for her even more.

Jing Er knows me well. Even though I'm performing a sword dance, I still have to cover my face. "The Fourth Prince was delighted.

"I'm Mu Jing. Greetings, Your Majesty …" A voice that sounded like an oriole in an empty valley rang out. Everyone felt that the voice matched her and became even more curious about her appearance.

Ai Hong felt pity for Mu Jing when he saw her leisurely walking over. "You're from beyond the Great Wall, so you don't have to stand on ceremony. Today, I'm here to see the similarities and differences between the swordsmen from beyond the Great Wall and those from the Great Wall." He didn't mention good or bad, but only the similarities and differences. What he meant was that she didn't have to be afraid even if she messed up.

Mu Jing straightened her sword and saluted. Her sword light spread out. Everyone present felt a ray of light, like a flash of lightning, which shook the surroundings. They couldn't help but look at it with rapt attention.

The swordsmen danced, sometimes as fast as lightning, sometimes as vigorous as a swimming dragon. They not only set off the graceful figure that was dancing like a poem or a painting, but also emitted the uncontrollable sharpness of the swordsmen, which was shocking.

The sword light swirled and scattered, like a dream or an illusion.

It came like a thunderbolt, retreated like a fury, and ended like a clear light in the sea. Mu Jing's swordsmen dance was spectacular and beautiful. Everyone present was intoxicated and in a trance. There was actually such a swordsmen dance in the world!

Even the Fourth Prince, who had already admired it once, was extremely intoxicated. His eyes were filled with love and pity.

Mu Jing took two steps forward, and the sword light rose up. She suddenly leaped up, as if she was going to rush to the bright moon. Ai Hong and the others were nervous as they were attracted by the sword dance.

The sword light dispersed, and Mu Jing landed safely on the ground. Just when everyone was relieved for her, her black veil seemed to have been loosened during the violent movements of the sword dance. At this time, when the strong wind brought about by her landing blew, it leisurely left her face and resolutely went with the wind, revealing a beautiful face that was as clear and gorgeous as an orchid in an empty valley, with a little weakness in her concentration.

Ai Hong, who had been completely focused on the sword dance, suddenly saw this beautiful face. He felt as if his heart was hit. He suddenly stood up and knocked over the wine in front of him, spilling it on the ground. He muttered to himself absentmindedly, "There is such a woman in the world. There is such a woman in the world. Could she be a fairy?!"

The Third Prince's face was also full of shock and yearning. He couldn't wait to stare at Mu Jing's face. He didn't even notice that his jade chopsticks had fallen to the ground. "Today, I know what it means to be a beauty that can cause the downfall of cities and states, and a femme fatale …"

The other officials, guards, eunuchs, and palace maids all had similar reactions. In the midst of the sword dance, the veil suddenly fell off, revealing a beautiful face. It fiercely attacked their hearts and left a deep imprint in their minds.

Only the Fourth Prince looked at his father's loss of composure. He clenched his fists tightly, feeling bitter and indignant.

… …

In the side hall of Pure Flowers Palace, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu were calculating the time. When the banquet was about to reach its climax, the two nodded at each other and immediately stood up. They waited for the guards in their minds to pass by before they pushed open the hall doors and ran toward the ancestral shrine without hesitation.

Along the way, the two would sometimes dive into the flowering shrubs, sometimes retreat into an empty palace hall, and sometimes hide behind a large tree to avoid the patrolling guards as they quickly made their way toward the ancestral shrine. If someone were to see them from above, they would discover that Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu seemed to be able to predict the movements of the guards in advance, or perhaps the guards were coordinating with them. They were clearly only separated by a small path and a large tree, but they were unable to discover the intruders who were ostentatiously passing by. It was truly strange.

However, Ai Hong felt rather guilty about his actions of refining pills. He actually chose to go in the opposite direction from the ancestral shrine, to the farthest Pure Flowers Palace. Thus, even though Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu did not delay much, they had only walked halfway through sixty breaths of time. They had just passed through Qian Yang Palace and arrived at the small path behind Clear Flower Palace.

The two's Dao hearts were clear and calm as usual. Their minds reflected their surroundings, but just as they arrived at the back of Clear Flower Palace, they suddenly felt an extreme sense of danger. Their mirror-like minds rippled violently, as if they had collided head-on with another person's mind reflection, causing an intense collision.

"Mu Jing!" Mo Jingqiu blurted out. However, she immediately deduced from Mu Jing's state of being suppressed by the Innate Dao embryo, "It's an incarnation."

As they spoke, the two instantly suppressed their astonishment. Their footsteps did not stop as they hurriedly dashed forward.

This time, they had to use speed to beat slowness!

…

Wrapped in sword light, Mu Jing suddenly cried out and fell to the ground. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her pink lips were slightly parted. Her expression was one of pain, causing one to feel pity for her.

It was as if Ai Hong had returned to over twenty years ago, when he was in the prime of his life. His heart ached, and he could not suppress the desire to protect and take care of her. He suddenly rushed up the steps and arrived beside Mu Jing in a dozen steps. He was completely unworried that she would take the opportunity to assassinate him. Grabbing her lily-white hand, he asked with concern, "Miss Mu Jing, did you sprain your ankle?"

After asking, he felt that her lily-white hand was slender and smooth, warm and wonderful, causing his heart to flutter.

"It's a pity that I'm not the one sitting in the throne room, so I can't grab this beauty's lily-white hand." The expression on the Third Prince's face kept changing, and his yearning for the throne grew stronger.

The Fourth Prince was halfway to the throne room when he saw this scene. His eyes turned red, and he clenched his fists so tightly that a trace of blood flowed out. It turned out that his fingernails had cut his palms when he clenched them so tightly. However, this made him suppress the urge to kill, and he barely stopped his steps.

Mu Jing looked terrified. "Your Majesty, there's an assassin!" She stood up to show that she was not injured. She was just frightened by the sudden appearance of the assassin and lost her balance.

"Where?!" Ai Hong's heart trembled, and he asked in a low voice. He felt even more pity for this beauty. It turned out that she fell because she was worried about him.

Mu Jing pointed to a small path. Since the guards were fascinated by her, they would not pay attention to where the assassin was. She said, "There! They are going in the direction of the ancestral temple! "

Her eyes that were as bright as stars flashed, and Ai Hong believed her words without the slightest doubt. He shouted, "Quickly catch the assassin! They are going to steal the treasures in the ancestral temple!"

The guards nearby immediately shouted, "There's an assassin! Go to the ancestral temple! "

The guards in the distance immediately echoed, "There's an assassin! Go to the ancestral temple! "

Loud and clear voices rose and fell, and in the blink of an eye, it spread far and wide. No matter how fast the assassin ran, could he outrun the sound? There were guards patrolling everywhere in the palace!

Mu Jing held onto his sword, "Your Majesty, I ask this little girl to share your worries and capture the assassin."

Ai Hong wanted to reject, but when he saw Mu Jing's deep and tearful eyes, his heart softened and he felt warm. "Imperial Preceptor, take the imperial token and accompany Miss Mu to prevent her from being accidentally injured. The rest of the guards, follow her. I want to personally command and capture the assassin!"

Mu Jing and Zhu Shang ran quickly. When they brushed past the Fourth Prince, they whispered, "It's that adulterous couple."

The Fourth Prince's grief was slightly relieved. Jing'er was still on his side.

...

The space rippled, and a beautiful woman in a black robe walked in. Lightning that was close to level eight struck down, but a white auspicious cloud appeared on top of her head. It was as clear as water, but it was slightly dim. As it tumbled, it clustered around a huge golden dipper, emitting an immeasurable amount of light. In an instant, all the lightning in the world dissipated, and a door-shaped exit appeared.