August had arrived, bringing with it the refreshing air of early autumn, clear waters, gentle breezes, and bountiful harvests. It was the perfect time for an outing, and the much-anticipated Qionghua Banquet was finally here.
Unlike most high-ranking court officials and scions of noble families who headed directly to the Yulin Garden in the outer city, Meng Qi and Su Zi Yu followed Su Li and Su Yue into the imperial palace. Although Su Li had temporarily ceased his duties as deputy commander of the palace guards, he had not lost the emperor’s trust and was still required to accompany him, while Su Yue was a key protector of the emperor.
The heavy dragon-carved gates, the deep passageways, the gusts of wind blowing through the corridors, and the faint chill in the air all conveyed the majesty and aloofness of the imperial palace to Meng Qi.
This was his first time entering the imperial palace of the Jin Dynasty. Except for the oppressive power of the palace’s restrictions, it was no different in essence from the palace in the world of Sword Emperor and Demon Queen. The reverence of people for power and the emperor remained unchanged.
“Uncle Wu, have there been any recent leads regarding the Luo Sect or Fairy’s whereabouts?” Meng Qi inquired casually, slightly concerned that the Luo Sect and the Heaven-Annihilating Gate might disrupt the Qionghua Banquet.
Su Yue sighed, “None at all. They seem to have vanished into thin air. What’s strange is that even though the Y family’s identity was exposed, the Luo Sect members still managed to hide without leaving a trace.”
“A sinister cult that has been passed down for countless generations must have multiple hideouts, not just three. In fact, they probably have at least nine. Otherwise, they would have been eradicated by the righteous sects long ago,” Su Li replied casually while looking ahead.
Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully. He would find an opportunity later to ask the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable.
The imperial palace was vast, its ground paved with white jade—not for luxury, but for the formation laid within. Meng Qi followed Su Li and Su Yue through the imperial palace into the inner palace, where they met the current emperor of the Jin Dynasty, Zhao Mingyu, in the Taiji Hall.
Compared to their last meeting, Emperor Zhao appeared even more aged, with sagging eye bags and obvious signs of exhaustion. Su Li and Su Yue seemed to take no notice of this, treating it as natural.
After exchanging greetings, the elderly emperor smiled and examined Meng Qi, saying, “Do not disappoint me at today’s Qionghua Banquet.”
“If it comes to martial arts, I will certainly not betray your trust, Your Majesty,” Meng Qi replied without the slightest hint of modesty.
For the sake of the cycle mission, he had to win first place!
Not to mention fulfilling the wish of Su Zi Yuan before the Sage Emperor!
“Haha, indeed the Mad Blade,” the old emperor laughed, reaching out to grasp the arm of an even older eunuch beside him and slowly rising to his feet.
This eunuch exuded an extremely strong yin aura—not the eerie kind associated with ghosts, but a soft and chilling yin. Although aged, his skin was smooth like a woman’s, and his power was deeply hidden, making it difficult to gauge. Yet, when his gaze swept over Meng Qi, Meng felt as if his soul had been pierced by countless needles.
He must be the Grand Eunuch of the Inner Court, Gao Jinzhong… Meng Qi recalled Su Li’s introduction before their departure.
Everyone lined up on either side, waiting as the emperor and Gao Jinzhong passed through. The commander of the palace guards and the Flying Dragon Divine Catcher, two powerful figures of the Zhao clan, followed closely behind. Then came Su Li, Su Yue, and other protectors, with Meng Qi and Su Zi Yu among the few noble youths bringing up the rear.
As they were about to cross the threshold of the Taiji Hall, Meng Qi suddenly felt a warmth in his chest, causing him to halt his steps.
Gu Xiaosang?
The talisman given to him by Doumu Yuanjun was heating up!
Could Gu Xiaosang be nearby?
He lowered his eyelids to hide his constricted pupils and subtly scanned the Taiji Hall, seeing only rows of imposing palace guards. There was no sign of Gu Xiaosang.
If not for the talisman continuing to warm, Meng Qi would have thought he was imagining things!
Could Gu Xiaosang actually be hiding within the imperial palace?
The most dangerous place was indeed the safest?
No wonder the Six Doors couldn’t find her!
Meng Qi’s heart was in turmoil, but outwardly he remained calm, pretending not to notice. As he stepped out of the Taiji Hall, he casually glanced back.
Inside was quiet and orderly. The palace guards stood like pines, the throne gleamed golden and majestic with nine dragons coiling above it, yet no one sat upon it.
Was this a trick by the demon girl, or was she truly here?
If it was true, who had helped her hide inside the palace?
Could it be someone among the high-ranking officials here?
With so many unanswered questions, Meng Qi decided not to expose anything, to avoid falling into a trap. He obediently followed the procession ahead.
Outside the inner palace, two divine catchers, Liu Shengming and Yuan Lihuo, led numerous palace guards and officers to greet and escort the emperor, maintaining clear order.
As Meng Qi passed by Yuan Lihuo, he subtly opened his right hand to reveal the talisman and quietly pointed his left hand toward the palace behind them.
No words were exchanged, but Yuan Lihuo’s expression subtly changed. As the Taiyi Heavenly Venerable, he naturally understood that this talisman, drawn like by a wandering Taoist priest, symbolized Gu Xiaosang.
Gu Xiaosang hiding in the imperial palace?
The Luo Sect members hiding in the imperial palace?
His expression quickly returned to normal as he casually moved to the back, inspecting the formation of the procession.
Outside the palace, Sima Shi waited personally, riding alongside the emperor’s carriage.
After passing on the message, Meng Qi calmed his mind, adjusted his state, and gradually brought his aura and condition to its peak.
He would focus on the Qionghua Banquet. As for other matters, let the Fairy handle them. Let the tall ones bear the burden when the sky falls!
The Yulin Garden was located in the northeast of the outer city, near the canal. The river within the city twisted and turned, displaying its beauty, and was listed as one of the ten scenic views of the capital, designated as a royal garden.
Inside the garden were rare trees and auspicious flowers everywhere, filling the air with fragrance and the scent of ripened fruit. There were lakes and rivers, mountains and forests, and various wild beasts could occasionally be seen.
Outside the garden gate, high-ranking officials and noble youths lined up on both sides to welcome the emperor. The dozen or so at the front did not kneel, as they were representatives of the top noble families. Among them were Cui Yan, the left minister of the Shangshu Office from the Cui family, and Song Shouren, the head of the Luzhou Song family and the right minister of the Shangshu Office.
In the Jin Dynasty, the Political Affairs Hall usually consisted of eleven members, with the left minister of the Shangshu Office serving as the prime minister, typically a member of the most powerful noble family. Currently, this position was held by Cui Yan, an uncle of Cui Qinghe and Cui Qingyu, and a Grandmaster himself. The right minister of the Shangshu Office was the deputy prime minister, a position rotated among the top noble families.
Generally speaking, each of the eight top noble families had one representative in the Political Affairs Hall. For example, when an elder from the Wang family of Zhoujun retired, Wang Wenxian naturally succeeded as a councilor and, due to the emperor’s trust, also served as Minister of Revenue. Similarly, Ruan Yushu’s great-uncle Ruan Kang held the title of councilor and represented the Langye Ruan family in the capital.
The remaining three seats in the Political Affairs Hall were occupied by the Zhao family of the capital, either appointing Grandmasters or loyal ministers to the emperor, such as Sima Shi, the chief investigator of the Six Doors.
Besides the eleven members of the Political Affairs Hall, the noble family heads or key members like Cui Qingyu also did not kneel.
Given Meng Qi’s status, he naturally could not stand at the front. He stood at the back idly when suddenly his gaze froze. He noticed two monks following the Crown Prince. One had an ordinary face, his eyes lowered, dressed in a yellow monk’s robe, spotless and clean. It was Xuan Zhen, the master of the Buddha’s Heart Palm technique, who had already reached the Half-Step Beyond the World realm and entered the lower ranks of the Human List!
Was the junior master accompanying the Crown Prince all the way? Was this the Shaolin Temple declaring its stance, supporting the Crown Prince together with other Buddhist sects? Meng Qi inhaled cold air. This was indeed a significant bargaining chip!
Among the three Law Bodies of the Jin Dynasty, excluding the Luo Sect’s Law King, one was Cui Qinghe, the master of the Purple Qi, and the other was Kong Wen, the Dragon-Subduing Arhat!
Was the secluded Shaolin Temple finally getting involved in the worldly struggles?
Not only Meng Qi, but the emperor’s eyes also flickered slightly, and Su Li, Su Yue, and others also frowned. This was a situation that the Six Doors had not previously uncovered!
It was like a thunderclap out of a clear sky!
The other monk beside the Crown Prince was in his thirties, dressed in plain robes, holding prayer beads, with gentle features and a thin face. He kept his mouth closed and looked at the ground as if worried about stepping on ants. Meng Qi could only vaguely determine that he had reached the realm of Unity with Heaven and Earth but could not identify his identity.
Prince Jin Zhao Yi’s face darkened slightly, and behind him stood “the Long River of Blade Qi,” Yan Chong.
Zhao Heng’s expression remained unchanged, with a guest of his mansion, a man in his fifties who had reached the realm of Unity with Heaven and Earth, standing beside him.
Others such as Cui Zhe of the Zi Ji Sword, the Martial Arts Champion Fan Changmiao, Ruan Yushu of the Ruan family, Wang Zai of the Wang family, and Qi Zhengyan of the Huanhua family were all present in the welcoming procession.
As Meng Qi’s gaze wandered, it suddenly met someone else’s.
“White Qi Gu?” This was Bai Lianxiang, whose figure was graceful and mature, and whose face was slightly above average. She had entered through the influence of her relatives in the court.
White Qi Gu nodded slightly, her eyes filled with fighting spirit, as if she was eager to test Meng Qi, the top of the Human List.
As the emperor’s carriage entered the Yulin Garden, everyone took their seats on the high platforms. Below were the flowing river, the flat land by the shore, and the mirror-like small lake, with the orchard fragrant with fruit in the distance.
The high platform where Meng Qi sat included members of the Zhoujun Wang family and several other noble families of the capital, and there was another round of greetings.
“It’s been a while. Brother Zai has nearly reached the realm of Unity with Heaven and Earth. Congratulations are in order,” Meng Qi smiled and bowed.
Wang Zai’s square face darkened slightly, as if he had been exposed to sun and rain, and he smiled and returned the bow, “Not like you, Meng, who has made rapid progress and has already reached the peak of Unity with Heaven and Earth in such a short time.”
“We all walk different paths,” Meng Qi chatted casually with Wang Zai as they sat down, listening to the emperor’s formal speech.
After a series of elaborate formalities, the old emperor chuckled, “I have heard that many talents have emerged recently, which brings me great joy. Hence, I have arranged this Qionghua Banquet to witness the abilities of these outstanding individuals.”
“…I have four challenges for you all. Please compete and show your skills.”
“The first one is music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, the ways of talents, which cultivate one’s temperament and refine one’s mind. I wonder who among you can claim the first place?”
Meng Qi’s mouth twitched as he suddenly felt that it might be difficult to show off in front of the emperor at the Qionghua Banquet. If it wasn’t a martial arts contest, what else could he bring to the table?
Wang Zai nodded with a smile, “Do you have any talents, Xiao Meng?”
“Does whistling count?” Meng Qi twitched his face.
Wang Zai replied solemnly, “If you can whistle in a way that makes a hundred birds sing and celestial music respond, then it certainly counts.”
Their conversation drew smiles from several people nearby.
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