Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 380: Chapter 377 Sword Intent

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Chu Zhiyuan laughed and said, ”Mr. Zhu, don’t worry, the Emperor will also pretend not to know.”

”Why?” Zhu Caifu frowned.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”This...”

Zhu Caifu looked as if she was all ears.

She felt she needed to broaden her knowledge. Her martial arts were indeed excellent, but she was lacking in this area.

No one had explained these intricacies to her.

The intrigue in this was quite interesting.

”Then let me elaborate,” Chu Zhiyuan laughed and said, ”Whether the scars are real or fake, the rumor has spread, and everyone knows that Your Highness’s face is disfigured.”

”Hmm.”

”At this point, if we say Your Highness’s face was never disfigured or has already been cured, do you think people will believe it?”

”It doesn’t matter if they don’t believe it; we just need to make an appearance in public, right? Seeing is believing.”

Chu Zhiyuan laughed and said, ”Mr. Zhu, you’re thinking too simply. Making a public appearance would seem too deliberate, and people would believe it even less.”

Zhu Caifu frowned, ”Even seeing no scars with their own eyes, they wouldn’t believe?”

”Don’t forget, there’s the Disguise Technique.”

”...Then it really can’t be explained!” Zhu Caifu was stunned, showing a helpless expression.

As a Great Grandmaster, she could subdue people with force, but she couldn’t change everyone’s mind.

She couldn’t force them to believe, could she?

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”The Emperor knows that the scars are gone and it doesn’t matter. He can guess this is a self-directed play, but through this matter, at least he knows Your Highness’s fierce temperament... This fake suicide this time, but what about next time? If it really results in a death, the arranged marriage between the two dynasties may turn into trouble.”

”Hmm, that’s true.” Zhu Caifu nodded in agreement.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Once I submit my plea for forgiveness, the Emperor will go along with it, preserving face, and we can each go our separate ways.”

”Then... there shouldn’t be any more problems, right?”

Chu Zhiyuan laughed and said, ”I reckon the Emperor will soon approve my plea for forgiveness, also fearing prolonged dreams at night.”

”Fortunately, fortunately, if we fuss any more, I really won’t be able to take it,” Zhu Caifu said.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed and said, ”As long as we cooperate on both sides, no big waves can arise.”

”Hmm, I’m leaving then.” Zhu Caifu nodded.

She flickered and disappeared.

Chu Zhiyuan looked towards the direction of Da Zhen.

Everything was settled on the Da Jing side, but on the Da Zhen side, things might not go so smoothly.

It’s best to cut through the mess quickly, handle things here, and prevent Wentian Cliff from causing any more disturbances.

He gradually figured out some of Wentian Cliff’s tactics and intentions.

The more he didn’t want to marry the Eighteenth Princess, the more they insisted on marrying her to him.

What they wanted was his suppressed rage, his anger at his own helplessness, which would push him to train desperately.

The last two or three levels of cultivation couldn’t be rushed; using the Jade Lock Gold Barrier Skill would trap him at the Grandmaster Perfection Realm.

If he felt too suppressed and angry, even knowing this, he might arrogantly try hard, thus getting stuck.

That was just his speculation, but Wentian Cliff might actually be capable of such a plan.

What he could think of, Wentian Cliff should be able to think of too.

His gaze once again fell on the spot where Zhu Caifu had stood.

Zhu Caifu was an excellent breakthrough point, the best candidate to understand the internal affairs of Wentian Cliff.

But now was not the right time.

To probe the situation of Wentian Cliff, one couldn’t ask directly, but rather catch hints through interactions and subtle slips during communication.

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Bright Moon Tower

Li Hongzhao leaned on the windowsill, watching the bustling crowd below through the window.

She wore the same red palace dress, her expression lazy, and her graceful figure relaxed.

When Chu Zhiyuan appeared before her, her face remained as usual, with no trace of yesterday’s anger.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, ”Has the sword arrived?”

Li Hongzhao lazily tossed the longsword on the table to him.

Chu Zhiyuan caught it, gently unsheathed it, and immediately frowned.

He originally thought that once the sword was unsheathed, its Sword Intent would pour out, and he would struggle to resist it.

But in reality, there was no hint of Sword Intent.

What kind of Great Grandmaster sword was this? It did not have any Sword Intent gathered.

His face turned gloomy.

The air seemed to freeze in an instant.

Li Hongzhao gave a light cough, breaking the tension: ”What’s wrong, doesn’t it feel right?”

Chu Zhiyuan turned to glare at her.

Li Hongzhao furrowed her brows: ”I have already confirmed this sword, there’s absolutely no problem, it’s the sword of a Great Grandmaster from the Golden Saber Sect.”

Chu Zhiyuan snorted, ”Most Great Grandmasters of the Golden Saber Sect probably also left their swords unused, right?”

”That’s true now, but the owner of this sword was a sword fanatic, still training even as a Great Grandmaster.”

Chu Zhiyuan snorted, ”It seems the sword technique of the Golden Saber Sect has no continuation at the Great Grandmaster Realm.”

”That I don’t know.”

”You know.” Chu Zhiyuan snorted, ”This sword...”

He stopped abruptly.

The remaining two-thirds of the blade was fully drawn, causing his expression to change slightly.

Li Hongzhao was constantly observing his expression.

Seeing his transition from a cold sneer to seriousness, she secretly sighed in relief.

It seemed this sword could indeed trick him.

The sword technique of the Golden Saber Sect was indeed remarkable, but once reaching the Great Grandmaster level, it relied on personal cultivation.

Sword Technique was just a Martial Skill, whereas the Great Grandmaster was a Realm. They should not be confused.

At the Great Grandmaster level, the pursuit was no longer Martial Skill but enhancing one’s Realm.

Even among Great Grandmasters, there were differences in Realm; Martial Skill was too insignificant for them.

Even if they continued sword training as Great Grandmasters, it was hard to achieve anything significant.

This was the same across any sect for Great Grandmasters.

So a Great Grandmaster’s sword was nothing special, not much different from a Grandmaster’s sword.

The sword before him was no exception.

Chu Zhiyuan slowly sheathed the sword, his face solemn, faintly pale, as if suffering from a severe headache.

This sword was very ordinary, and the owner did not infuse Sword Intent into it.

Yet, at the broken edge of the blade, there lay a strand of peculiar Sword Intent.

This Sword Intent was hidden in the break, contained but unexpressed.

If not for his own sword intent, he might not have discovered it, nor been harmed by it.

This Sword Intent was like a hunter, targeting martial artists with Sword Intent.

The Sword Intent entered his body as if spikes were being driven into his head, causing bouts of intense pain.

He struggled to circulate the Heavenly Yuan Technique, allowing endless sweet rain to fall, dispelling the pain, and preventing him from passing out.

This Sword Intent was entirely different from that of the silver-sheathed longsword.

The silver-sheathed longsword’s Sword Intent was fierce and domineering, felt from afar.

The Sword Intent at the broken edge was subtle and concealed, catching one off guard once noticed.

”Oh,” Li Hongzhao asked with a smile, ”why the long face? Is there something wrong with this sword?”

Chu Zhiyuan closed his eyes.

A moment later, when he reopened them, his complexion had improved significantly.

He glanced at Li Hongzhao, ”What kind of sword is this, you’re fooling a ghost, perhaps.”

”This is truly a Great Grandmaster’s sword!” Li Hongzhao retorted indignantly, ”From the Golden Saber Sect’s Great Grandmaster!”

Chu Zhiyuan snorted, ”The sword was broken, yet the Great Grandmaster is still alive, right?”

”That Great Grandmaster is no longer around, died of natural causes, not by being killed.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”The sword is broken, and the person is still alive; that is not someone who’s obsessed with swords.”

”The saying ’sword exists when a person exists, perished when a person perishes’ is just a saying,” Li Hongzhao snorted.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”This time, you deliberately fooled me.”

Li Hongzhao sneered, ”Are you trying to cheat?”

Chu Zhiyuan frowned at her.

Li Hongzhao snorted, ”If you insist on cheating, we should interact less in the future.”

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, ”As if I’m begging for interactions. Alright, from now on, let’s not meet again.”

But her Phoenix Cry Nine Heavens Technique was still reliant on his cultivation. Would she dare not see him?

”...I’ll look around again, but I can’t guarantee I’ll find anything.”

”Look again, and if you truly find it, there will be a hefty reward.”

”What hefty reward?”

”If we encounter your spies, I’ll spare their lives.”

Li Hongzhao sneered, ”Goodbye!”

With that, she stood up and left, like a flame floating away amidst the crowd.

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