Clashing Head-on

"This general obeys!" His deep, resonant voice was crisp and resolute. With the brisk efficiency characteristic of the military, the burly man in white armor rose to leave the command tent the moment he finished speaking. Seeing this, Xu Yuan's cheek twitched. Just as crisply, he called out, "Wait!" "..." The burly man paused mid-stride. When the imperial coalition marched south from Beifeng, the Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's Manor had accompanied Her Highness, and when she went missing, he had disappeared alongside her. The identity of this man accompanying the princess now was already self-evident. Yet the burly warrior did not look back at Xu Yuan, who had spoken, but turned his eyes toward Li Qingyan. Seated regally at the head of the table, Li Qingyan's slender index finger tapping the surface paused slightly. Her voice turned a few degrees colder. "Why are you dawdling?" Seeing this, the burly warrior hurriedly bowed his head in salute. "Understood." With that, he walked toward the tent entrance. This time, however, he walked very slowly. It took more than mere military merit and reckless courage to reach the rank of captain by the age of forty. To him, the Third Young Master's command was roughly equivalent to using a previous dynasty's sword to behead an official of the current reign. The trouble was, the current reign's "sovereign" appeared to share a bed with the man holding that sword. He had to weigh his steps carefully. If he offended the man and the Third Young Master whispered pillow talk into Her Highness's ear from time to time, a mere captain like him could never bear the fallout. Xu Yuan drew in a soft breath through his teeth. Walking slowly up to the table with a slight frown, he protested under his breath, "Wait, why do you want to see her?" Li Qingyan raised her gaze to meet his, not giving an inch. "Can this princess not meet the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion?" Xu Yuan took a deep breath, his expression solemn and his tone grave. "What kind of time is this to be getting caught up in personal drama?" "Oh? How is this princess getting caught up in personal drama?" "The Second Prince might have ties to the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion. The fact that we're still alive cannot be leaked to Tianyan." "Tianyan?" Li Qingyan murmured the name, staring at him as the corners of her crimson lips curved upward. "So that's her name." "Look, I'm not joking with you." Xu Yuan raised his voice slightly, adopting a strictly professional tone. "In the eyes of outsiders, the two of us are currently missing—or even dead. The advantages of concealing our identities as we head south far outweigh exposing ourselves here." With that, his peripheral vision caught the Grandmaster captain whose back was turned to them, having taken several breaths just to cover less than ten paces. Xu Yuan silently gave him a thumbs-up in his heart. Li Qingyan also glanced at the burly man, her eyes narrowing slightly. "..." Steeling himself, the armored man pretended not to notice. Li Qingyan did not call him out either. A hint of amusement crept into her tone. "Do you really dislike the idea of me seeing her that much?" "..." Xu Yuan was speechless. *One of you has the Heaven-Deducing Art, the other has a military array. What do I have? An iron skull?* *If this were a month earlier, you could meet however you pleased, but a Soul Condensation cultivator can't handle this kind of tempest.* Clearing his throat, Xu Yuan spoke calmly, "No, I'm merely analyzing this objectively. Was what I said wrong? Now that Imperial Father and the others have made their move, the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion showing up here must mean—" "You're right, Changtian." Li Qingyan nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly added, "The problem is, she currently holds your uncle's medallion." "..." Xu Yuan froze. He had anticipated this long ago, which was why he had deliberately steered the topic as far away from it as possible. As it turned out, the princess had been waiting for him here from the very start. After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan stubbornly argued, "That doesn't prove anything, does it?" "Doesn't prove anything?" Li Qingyan murmured with a soft laugh. She leaned back against her chair, lifting the index finger that had been tapping the tabletop to gently twirl a strand of long, straight black hair draped over her shoulder. Looking up at him, she said, "As far as this princess can tell, it proves this Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion has been to the Imperial Capital, visited your Prime Minister's Manor, and to some degree received Duke Xu's approval. What do you think?" "Ahem... is there any chance my uncle gave it to her on his own?" Xu Yuan said. Given his Sword Saint uncle's aloof and detached nature, giving Tianyan a medallion was entirely plausible. After all, he had nearly slain her in their first encounter; meeting again in the Imperial Capital, he would naturally owe the junior some compensation... Just as he was thinking this, Xu Yuan noticed Li Qingyan's gaze turn remarkably soft—gentle, like someone looking at a fool. After staring at each other for several breaths, Xu Yuan waved his hand dismissively. "Fine, have it your way." The moment the words fell, the burly warrior looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, vanishing from the tent in the blink of an eye. Xu Yuan stepped forward and leaned against the side of the table, letting out a soft sigh. What he had just suggested was indeed possible—that was simply his uncle's temperament—but only under the premise that no clash of interests was involved. Tianyan was the Saintess sent to the capital by the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion, while his uncle was the brother-in-law of the reigning Prime Minister. Right now was the honeymoon phase between the imperial family and the Prime Minister's Manor. Across the three northern provinces, everyone had joined hands in harmony to eradicate the Barbarians and were already turning their blades against the northern sects. At such a critical juncture, what did it mean for the Sword Saint to suddenly grant a medallion to the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion? Had they struck some deal in secret? Were they preparing to betray their alliance? Neither Feng Jiuxuan nor Tianyan were ordinary commoners; the colossal entities behind them meant every move they made would ripple across the entire realm. Even if his uncle had wanted to give it to her, his father would never have agreed. Yet the issue remained: his uncle truly had given it to her, and Tianyan had brazenly appeared in Beifeng City holding that very medallion. The implications behind this... Thinking of it, Xu Yuan sighed once more. *What a headache. Sigh...* "Stop sighing." Li Qingyan looked at the side of his face framed by his muli veil and smiled. "If you truly don't want to be here, Changtian, you can wait in the back quarters with the Chief Arbiter for now." Xu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly, looking at her with a hint of surprise. "Are you really that considerate?" Li Qingyan's tone was entirely placid, carrying an elusive smile. "This princess is hardly a jealous woman. You're so handsome, Changtian; it's only natural you'd have a few beauties in your past." Xu Yuan felt insulted. While he certainly could get by on his face, had he conquered either the big or little ice block with just good looks? It was talent! Of course, besides talent, background mattered immensely—otherwise, one might get hacked to pieces before ever showing off that talent. "So you're meeting Tianyan strictly for official business?" "Naturally." Li Qingyan replied without hesitation, her tone turning solemn. "War against the northern sects has already begun, yet someone from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion has openly arrived in my Beifeng City carrying a medallion from the Prime Minister's Manor... "Heh. Most likely, Imperial Father and the others have reached some form of cooperation with the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion." Xu Yuan pondered briefly. "Bringing them in as allies?" Li Qingyan smiled faintly, a chill passing through her eyes. "The Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's stance in entering the mortal realm at this time is ambiguous. Perhaps it truly is for the world's great calamity, or perhaps they could no longer conceal themselves and were forced out. But as long as they emerge, the current balance of the world will shift. Our imperial court does not care for the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion, and the Sword Sect won't like them either." "So, the plan is to drive a wedge between the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion and the Sword Sect?" "Imperial Father and the others most likely intend to do just that, but the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's current attitude makes it hard for me to be certain." "Accepting our dynasty's medallion to come to Beifeng City right when the court is wiping out the northern sects... doesn't that put them directly in opposition to the sects of the realm?" "Naturally. Though the northern sects were sold out by sects elsewhere, that's an unspoken rule. No one mentions it aloud; whoever steps forward becomes the target." "..." Silence fell over the tent. Bai Muxi listened to the two discuss the affairs of the mortal realm, understanding only bits and pieces, absorbing knowledge like a sponge. After a long while, Xu Yuan said softly, "It seems that during the days we were transported into the underground palace, some things must have happened back in the Imperial Capital." Li Qingyan's eyes curved in a scoffing smile, taking it for granted. "Naturally." Although undercurrents surged across the world, all factions remained restrained. Under this balance of power, even if nothing else had happened after they were transported away, the fallout from the crushing defeat of three hundred thousand northern sect elites alone would have caused an uproar. Now, not only had hundreds of thousands of Barbarians been annihilated, but two first-rate northern sects had already been slaughtered. With all these events compounding, it would be strange if no changes occurred. A shroud blanketing all of Great Yan had quietly begun to unfurl... At a time like this, given the chest-bound princess's temperament, meeting Tianyan was unlikely to be over petty romantic squabbles. With that in mind, Xu Yuan straightened from the table, cast a glance at Bai Muxi, and said to Li Qingyan, "In that case, I won't disturb the two of you. I'll go to the—" "Go where?" Without warning, a girl's voice as crisp as a silver bell rang out at the tent entrance, carrying a bright, melodic laugh. The air inside the tent seemed to freeze, and the temperature dropped several degrees. Xu Yuan froze on the spot as though struck by an immobilization incantation, rigid at the sound of that crisp voice. He looked at Li Qingyan, Li Qingyan looked toward the entrance, and the one at the entrance was presumably looking at him. A triangle possessed... *Ahem.* His old habit was flaring up again—whenever he got nervous, his mind drifted to random distractions. Reflected in Li Qingyan's tranquil, lake-black pupils, Xu Yuan saw the girl he had not seen in a long time. Palace robes, bare feet, golden eyes. Compared to when they had parted, those golden eyes, resembling radiant stars, seemed even more dazzling. Just as he was thinking this, Li Qingyan turned her gaze toward him. "Changtian, the Saintess asks you a question. If you don't answer, won't that make me seem terribly impolite?" "..." Xu Yuan was speechless. *Damn it, I should have just answered right away.* He instantly saw through the trap Li Qingyan had laid for him. If he answered, he would be asserting the princess's authority over Tianyan. If he didn't answer, it would look as though he wanted nothing to do with Tianyan. Betraying not a shred of nervousness, Xu Yuan calmly turned his gaze toward the girl at the entrance. She wore the same pink chest-high Liuxian skirt as before, which accentuated her flawless face with an ethereal nobility untouched by the dust of the mortal realm. Her bare feet were crystalline, hovering in midair, like a moon goddess drifting on the wind. A smile tugged at Xu Yuan's lips, his voice warm as jade. "Isn't it just that it's been so long since we last met? I was a little nervous." Li Qingyan's eyes narrowed slightly at his words. Stepping through the air, Tianyan gazed through his muli veil, her golden eyes seeming to brand him into the depths of her soul. She let out a soft snort, her voice clear and elegant. "I... thought you were dead." "Heh, what, were you—" "Scoundrels live a thousand years. I worried over nothing." "..." Xu Yuan's expression stiffened. Smacking his lips, he was about to speak when Tianyan looked away from him, turning instead to Li Qingyan at his side. Her voice was crisp. "Your Highness Wuyuan." As she spoke, Tianyan inclined her head slightly, her petite frame hovering half a foot above the ground without the slightest inclination to bow. Instinct told Xu Yuan that the atmosphere was taking a turn for the worse. Quietly, he began to step backward. Seeing Xu Yuan retreat, Bai Muxi blinked and began retreating alongside him. The two women, locked in eye contact, seemed not to notice. Li Qingyan suddenly gave a soft laugh. "This princess has heard Changtian mention you." Tianyan also appraised the princess seated at the head of the table and smiled faintly. "Is that so? I thought he had forgotten it all." "Forgotten?" Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. "Just over ten years of memories with me inside the illusory realm, that's all." As Tianyan spoke, her luminous golden eyes darted toward Xu Yuan, who had nearly retreated to the back quarters' entrance. "..." Xu Yuan froze. They stared at each other. Tianyan's brilliant golden eyes curved, and she spat out a single word: "Shift." Xu Yuan started. A profound ripple surged into his body, and before he could react, he had been relocated directly before Tianyan. "..." Xu Yuan stood dumbfounded. Tianyan's crisp voice held a hint of danger. "How about... I tell Her Highness about our time in the illusory realm?" The corner of Xu Yuan's eye twitched. *This girl's 'Shift' true word can actually teleport others now? She's gotten significantly stronger.* *Still, if I were still a Transcendent aberrant ghost... forget it.* *Sigh!* *Day N-plus-N of missing the Big Ice Block.* With these thoughts running through his mind, Xu Yuan had no intention of replying. Based on his past experience, Li Qingyan would retaliate immediately. The washboard Saintess's words were a blatant provocation. No ordinary woman could endure it, let alone someone with this chest-bound princess's temper. And in the very next instant— "Nothing more than illusions within a dream." *See? Here it comes.* Li Qingyan wore a look of well-measured bewilderment. "Changtian has already forgotten it. Did you actually take it to heart, Saintess?" "..." Tianyan's fists clenched slightly, her delicate vermilion lips trembling faintly. Her crisp voice remained steady and resolute. "He will remember." "Mm... it doesn't matter even if he does." Li Qingyan nodded agreeably, then smiled with curved eyes. "By the way... Saintess, when Changtian and I hold our wedding, will you come to witness it?" "..." The moment the words fell, dead silence engulfed the tent. Xiao Bai, who had retreated into the back quarters and poked half her body out to watch the scene, quietly pulled herself back inside. With his spiritual vision active, Xu Yuan keenly sensed bizarre fluctuations brewing around Tianyan. *Damn it, they aren't actually going to fight, are they? Tianyan should know better than that.* "Phew..." Tianyan took a deep breath and bit her lip. The qi dispersing, she laughed softly. "Things bound by mutual interest can shatter at any moment. Surely Her Highness understands this." Li Qingyan propped her chin on her hand and tapped the table, her eyes showing a hint of thought. "The Saintess makes an excellent point. However..." At this, Li Qingyan glanced sideways at Xu Yuan. Catching that look, Xu Yuan felt he was most likely doomed today. "Changtian once said that rather than someone cute like the Saintess, he prefers women who are more voluptuous. He probably wouldn't be interested in you." "..." Tianyan's gaze stalled as if recalling something, and she glared at Xu Yuan. "..." Xu Yuan returned an innocent look. Tianyan scoffed, her gaze sweeping over Li Qingyan before her eyes narrowed halfway. "Aren't you the same?" "The same as what?" Li Qingyan's autumn-water eyes swept toward Tianyan, her dark pupils carrying a touch of surprise, before her crimson lips parted slightly. "Ah... do you bind your chest as well, Saintess?"