Mahayana 142
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Chapter 142: Meeting Yuge Again
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
Part 1
In Li Jing, the radiant capital of Yuanhai Kingdom, the night had ripened into its deepest hour. But the Elegant Courtyard defied darkness. Lanterns burned in tiers and rows, golden and brazen, turning midnight into a counterfeit noon. Laughter and music drifted through the air like perfume.
Inside the lively Elegant Courtyard at the front stood a secluded, detached little building. In its yard grew several green bamboo trees, their shadows mottled beneath the moonlight.
In the courtyard beneath the moon, stood a beautiful woman. She wore a light blue gauze dress, with a white sheer draped over her shoulders. A gentle breeze passed, giving her an almost ethereal appearance.
Under the moonlight, her long, black hair fell straight, unadorned, highlighting her snow-white skin. Beneath her dark eyebrows, her eyes gazed dreamily at the bright moon in the sky.
Her alluring phoenix-shaped eyes, long dense lashes, graceful nose, and vivid lips framed by loose strands of hair over her shoulders gave her a delicate beauty, unenhanced by any makeup.
Yet, despite her beauty, she radiated an aloof coldness, an aura that made her untouchable, like a fairy keeping a thousand miles of distance.
At this moment, she stared at the moon, lost in thought. It was impossible to tell whether this peerless beauty, like a goddess of the Moon Palace, also missed someone.
“Yuge, it’s already late. Why are you still awake? What are you thinking about?” A gentle voice called from behind.
“Brother, shouldn’t you be glued to Yu Rou instead of sneaking over here?” Yuge turned, flashing a smile that could probably bankrupt a florist.
Her smile was like a blooming flower, dazzling to the eyes. Yet, deep in her gaze, there was still calm, untroubled.
Zhang Tianzhi let out a sigh in his heart. Since practising that mantra, Yuge’s temperament had grown colder, yet she had become even more beautiful. Even he, who had grown used to her, could hardly remain unaffected, let alone anyone else.
“Yu Rou is already asleep. But you… why are you still awake at this hour? Tell me, what occupies your thoughts?” Zhang Tianzhi asked, his voice threaded with warmth.
“Now we have already taken control of most of Yuanhai Kingdom’s underground forces, yet in Li Jing, it is still held by Crown Prince Dai Yun. The prince we support is still too weak; I fear he cannot accomplish great things,” Yuge said calmly.
You clearly do not like how he clings to you day and night, or those eyes he constantly keeps on you. But among short men, he already counts as tall. Zhang Tianzhi could not help but smile bitterly in his heart.
Over the years, the two siblings had quietly developed their own forces, using the items and techniques provided by the mysterious person to establish the Samsara Sect.
Through preaching, they guided ordinary people into the sect, selecting those with spiritual roots to teach cultivation techniques. They used the secret methods given by the mysterious person to control these cultivated disciples. By now, their organisation had grown to a considerable scale.
Even the famous Elegant Courtyard had fallen into their hands, serving as a channel for gathering intelligence and as a secret base.
Their plan was to start with Yuanhai Kingdom, since Tianlong Kingdom was firmly controlled by the Demon Empress. If they returned there, they would likely be surrounded and crushed, not to mention trying to expand their influence.
Currently, they were supporting the Qi Wang, Dai Yun’s half-brother, who enjoyed considerable popularity at home and held some military authority. They planned to raise him up to rival Crown Prince Dai Yun.
But Crown Prince Dai Yun now held near-total sway over the kingdom. With the Tender Blossom Pavilion backing the Demon Concubine Lin Fei, even the old, confused emperor had been quietly sidelined under house arrest.
At present, Crown Prince Dai Yun is practically acting as king, holding both military and political power. What troubles Zhang Tianzhi the most, however, is the support of the Tender Blossom Pavilion behind Lin Fei.
Their forces have also trained a number of cultivators, but they are all at the Qi Refining realm. Even a single Golden Core Realm practitioner from the other side could wipe out their entire sect.
“Capable or not, he is our only shot. And only he has the guts to challenge Crown Prince Dai Yun for the throne. Yuge, that means you’ll have to keep dancing around him for the time being,” Zhang Tianzhi said, voice calm but tinged with concern.
“For now, we can only hope that the mysterious person actually returns to help us. But it has been two years without any word, and the follow-up cultivation techniques are still uncertain,” Yuge sighed.
Zhang Tianzhi was momentarily stunned, then shook his head and said, “Honestly, I’d rather he didn’t show up. You’ve already improved a lot as it is.”
The brother and sister chatted idly for a while longer before Zhang Tianzhi returned to rest, reminding Yuge to go to bed early as well.
After Zhang Tianzhi left, Yuge continued gazing at the bright moon in the sky. She could not help but think again of the man who had saved her from mortal peril, and she wondered how he was doing now.
Was he, like her, looking at this same moon? Or was he somewhere travelling with his Senior Sister, who was as beautiful as a fairy?
At the thought, she let out a soft sigh, feeling somewhat envious.
“I wonder why Your Highness Yuge is sighing?” A hoarse and deep voice sounded from behind her.
Yuge trembled slightly and turned around in surprise. Not far behind her stood a man dressed in a long black robe.
He wore an ice mask on his face, covering everything above his nose and revealing only half of a face with a faint smile. There was also a pair of striking blue eyes.
Yuge had not expected that just as she was thinking about him, he would appear. The man before her was the mysterious person who had given her the Ice Heart Technique.
“I see that Your Highness is looking quite well. It seems you have considerable talent in the Ice heart technique. That is a pleasant surprise. I imagine it will not be long before the Innate Cold Ice Absolute Meridian can no longer affect you.”
At this moment, Yuge’s cultivation had actually reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement realm. In just two short years, her progress had been astonishing, enough to make one marvel at her talent, as well as at the complementarity between the Ice heart technique and the Innate Cold Ice Absolute Meridian.
Xiao Yifeng looked at the woman before him. Because of her cultivation of the Ice heart technique, the aura about her had grown increasingly similar to that of Liu Hanyan. He could not help but feel momentarily dazed.
“You flatter me,” Yuge replied, lips curving with subtle irony. “This trifling strength of mine would hardly be worth your notice. What, then, should I call you? Master? or else...”
“Your Highness Yuge does not seem surprised to see me at all. As for how you address me, it is merely a form of reference. Your Highness may call me Faceless. But I wonder, what was the Princess sighing about?” Xiao Yifeng asked, though he already knew the answer.
In fact, he had arrived a while earlier. The one present here now was not a sword-spirit avatar, but his true body, as both he and Su Miaoqing were currently within the city.
After leaving the Immortal Palace, the two of them had flown all the way toward Tianyue Kingdom in search of the siblings, only to find the small courtyard had already been deserted.
Naturally, Xiao Yifeng had sensed their location through the treasure he had left on them.
Using the excuse of returning to Yuanhai Kingdom to fulfil a promise to Yue’er, he had brought Su Miaoqing here, claiming he needed to pick a Sea Spirit Flower from Yuanhai Kingdom for her.
Though Su Miaoqing was extremely unwilling, she ultimately listened to him and came along.