We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?

Chapter 604: Rest Assured, I Will Spare Your Majesty’s Life

Xiao Mo had not yet summoned Yan Shanʼao in, and yet Yan Shanʼao had taken it upon himself to push open the door, a genuine breach of propriety, one that could even be said to show utter disregard for Xiao Mo.

Even Empress Dowager Yan could not help but frown at this but Xiao Mo acted as though he did not mind in the least, simply walking forward with a warm, beaming smile, “Foster Father, youʼve arrived.”

”This subject pays his respects to Your Majesty, and to the Empress Dowager.” Yan Shanʼao gave a cupped-hand bow, appearing, on the surface, quite courteous.

”No need for such formality, Foster Father. Please, sit.” Xiao Mo drew Yan Shanʼao to a seat.

”Today is, in truth, a family gathering, so letʼs not stand so much on ceremony.”

Empress Dowager Yan said slowly, setting the tone for the eveningʼs gathering, and offering, at the same time, a convenient excuse for her brotherʼs earlier rudeness, while also preserving His Majestyʼs dignity.

”Since both my sister and His Majesty say so, this subject shall relax a little, then.” Yan Shanʼao said with a smile.

”As it should be.” Xiao Mo, too, smiled, then turned to the maid beside him. ”Bring out the wine and food.”

”Yes, Your Majesty!”

The maid bowed and withdrew.

Before long, maid after maid entered Qingyue Pavilion, carrying trays of food and wine.

”Foster Father, you concern yourself daily with matters of state, working diligently and conscientiously, devoted wholeheartedly to the country and its people. I offer this cup to you, Foster Father!” Xiao Mo raised his cup toward Yan Shanʼao.

”Your Majesty speaks too highly of me. This is merely what this subject ought to do. How could it be called hardship?”

Yan Shanʼao, too, raised his cup.

The two of them drained their cups in one go.

”But Your Majesty, cultivating the Dao and nurturing oneʼs mind is a fine thing, yet Your Majesty ought to attend to matters of governance from time to time as well.” Yan Shanʼao set down his cup, speaking in a tone laden with earnest advice.

”Heh heh heh... with Foster Father here, I feel quite at ease. Handling court affairs is truly not my strength, cultivating the Dao suits me far better.”

Xiao Mo pretended to be entirely indifferent, as though wishing only to devote himself wholly to the Dao but in truth, Xiao Mo was already cursing Yan Shanʼao in his heart.

This old wretch, spouting such polished, empty phrases.

I wish to handle state affairs, but would you, you old wretch, ever allow it? Would you dare relinquish your grip on power?

Empress Dowager Yan, beside them, could not help but flush slightly at her brotherʼs earlier words, and quickly steered the conversation elsewhere, the three of them chatting about recent amusing happenings within the capital and popular poems currently in circulation.

Gradually, Xiao Mo steered the conversation back toward cultivation, asking Yan Shanʼao about his own insights into cultivation and his understanding of the Dao.

At this, Yan Shanʼao appeared quite pleased with himself, speaking at length, sharing his own cultivation insights with Xiao Mo without pause.

Of course, much of what Yan Shanʼao said was simple boasting.

After all, no small number of cultivators struggled tremendously just to reach the Foundation Building realm, let alone a cultivator like Yan Shanʼao, who had reached the Dragon Gate realm.

That was, indeed, no small feat.

Xiao Mo, too, offered a compliment or two at appropriate moments.

This only left Yan Shanʼao feeling all the more pleased with himself, drinking considerably more wine than he might have otherwise.

Just as the three of them were chatting merrily, a maid from Lingxin Palace entered, whispering something into Empress Dowager Yanʼs ear.

Having heard this, the Empress Dowager nodded, and said with a smile to Xiao Mo and Yan Shanʼao, “Your Majesty, you and Shanʼao carry on your conversation. Ruxue and Siyao are calling for me to come admire the night-blooming cereus. Shanʼao, do make sure to properly answer His Majestyʼs questions about cultivation, understood?”

”Sister, rest assured, whatever His Majesty asks, this subject will answer honestly and fully.” Yan Shanʼao said with a nod.

”Everything Foster Father shared with me just now about his cultivation insights has left me with considerable reflection, and Iʼve benefited greatly from it.” Xiao Mo, too, offered pleasantries.

”Good, then.” The Empress Dowager nodded with satisfaction. ”All right, you two gentlemen carry on your conversation. This old woman will take her leave now, so as not to dampen your spirits.”

”This subject bids the Empress Dowager farewell.”

”Your child bids Mother farewell.”

Xiao Mo and Yan Shanʼao rose, bowing, seeing Empress Dowager Yan off.

”Foster Father, I recently had the palace maids rehearse some new dance pieces. Would Foster Father care to view them?”

Once the Empress Dowager had left, Xiao Mo said to Yan Shanʼao.

”Oh?” Yan Shanʼao smiled. ”Of course, Iʼd be glad to. Then this subject shall take the liberty of appreciating them.”

”I hope Foster Father wonʼt find them lacking.”

With these words, Xiao Mo clapped his hands.

A procession of graceful maids, dressed in flowing, gauzy skirts, entered Qingyue Pavilion.

These maids danced gracefully, like butterflies fluttering among flowers.

In truth, these maids were not palace attendants at all.

They had only entered the palace within the past two or three months.

Their true identities were, in fact, death-sworn retainers secretly cultivated by Zeng Qiang.

Though these womenʼs cultivation levels were currently only at the Foundation Building realm, the sword formation technique they had trained in could, once unleashed, achieve strength equivalent to the late stage of the Cave Mansion realm.

Even against Yan Shanʼao, whose cultivation had grown hollow, they were not without a fighting chance.

It could only be said that Zeng Qiang, too, had long been considering when best to assassinate Yan Shanʼao, simply waiting for the right opportunity and now, with Xiao Mo about to make his move, Zeng Qiang sending these women into the palace was the perfect opportunity.

The womenʼs dance grew ever more captivating as it progressed.

One of the women drifted toward Yan Shanʼao, seating herself gracefully upon his lap.

She casually picked up a wine cup, appearing to serve Yan Shanʼao a drink.

Yan Shanʼao, too, cooperated fully, raising his head, waiting for the beauty to feed him wine but the next moment, what awaited Yan Shanʼao was not fine wine, but a flash of cold light.

A long sword flew out from within the womanʼs sleeve, without anyone noticing when, slicing toward Yan Shanʼaoʼs throat.

At the same time, all those death-sworn maidservants released the seal on their own cultivation levels.

”BOOM!”

But Yan Shanʼao was, after all, a Dragon Gate realm cultivator.

He released his own spiritual energy, a sudden shockwave throwing the woman off his lap but before long, the remaining eight women, wielding long swords, formed a sword formation, striking at Yan Shanʼao.

At the same time, Xiao Mo activated the formation array.

The entirety of Qingyue Pavilion was sealed off by the array, allowing entry but no exit!

”I wonder what Your Majesty means by this?”

Yan Shanʼao put distance between them, gazing coldly at Xiao Mo.

Xiao Mo rose to his feet, hands folded behind his back, smiling, “Weʼve come this far, Foster Father. What do you think it means?”

”Heh heh.”

Yan Shanʼao looked at these women forming their sword formation, giving a cold laugh.

”I had thought Your Majesty had finally come to your senses, devoting yourself wholly to the Dao, enjoying yourself properly within the harem, siring a few princes and princesses. Yet it seems Your Majesty still hasnʼt given up after all.”

”But Your Majesty will regret this soon enough. With such a fine, comfortable life available to you, why insist on attempting the impossible? Does Your Majesty know what fate awaits you for this?”

Xiao Mo gazed at Yan Shanʼao, his expression composed, “Then Foster Father must show me properly, what fate that might be.”

When Xiao Mo spoke the words ”Foster Father,” he deliberately placed extra weight on them.

”...” Yan Shanʼaoʼs brow furrowed.

In the past, hearing Xiao Mo address him as Foster Father had, in truth, meant little to Yan Shanʼao, perhaps stirring only a slight sense of self-satisfaction but now, hearing Xiao Mo call him ”Foster Father,” Yan Shanʼao could only feel that the other party was mocking him.

”Attack, send Chancellor Yan on his way!”

Xiao Moʼs tone carried an icy, murderous intent.

At Xiao Moʼs command, several of the women charged at Yan Shanʼao together.

Yan Shanʼao gave a cold snort, chanting an incantation, streams of fire-serpents flying out from his sleeves.

While these women were entangled with the fire-serpents, Yan Shanʼaoʼs figure had already vanished.

”Rest assured, I will spare Your Majestyʼs life. But from this day forward, Your Majesty will remain forever bedridden!”

When he reappeared, his fist, wreathed in flame, struck toward the back of Xiao Moʼs heart but the next instant, Yan Shanʼaoʼs Dao heart screamed a frantic warning.

”Somethingʼs wrong!”

Yan Shanʼao withdrew his punch, dodging to the side and it was in that very instant that the long sword in Xiao Moʼs hand swept toward Yan Shanʼao.

By the time Yan Shanʼao steadied himself, the hem of his robe had already been sliced through by Xiao Mo.

”The Cave Mansion realm?!”

Yan Shanʼaoʼs brow furrowed tightly, as though facing a formidable enemy.

Had this simply been an ordinary Cave Mansion realm cultivator, Yan Shanʼao would have thought nothing of it but this Cave Mansion realm cultivator was, remarkably, an emperor!

”How could this possibly be?”

A great wave of confusion rose within Yan Shanʼaoʼs heart, and he even began to wonder if he might be dreaming.

How much time had passed, after all? Only two or three years, wasnʼt it?

And yet Xiao Mo, as a sword cultivator, had broken through into the middle stage of the Cave Mansion realm?

Never mind the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.

Even among the most exceptional talents throughout the entire world, none could surpass this!

Xiao Mo wasted no further words, stepping forward, the long sword in his hand scattering the candlelight of the banquet as he thrust it fiercely toward Yan Shanʼao.

Yan Shanʼao summoned his own life-bound weapon.

Gripping the Fire Tiger Blade in his hand, Yan Shanʼao tried to meet the blow head-on.

To Yan Shanʼaoʼs mind, though he had neglected his cultivation these past years.

The gap in major realms between them remained clear, and he refused to believe he could not win!

Moreover, Yan Shanʼao felt certain that Xiao Moʼs ability to cultivate must be the result of some heretical technique, his cultivation level surely nothing more than an illusion but before long, Yan Shanʼao realized he was mistaken.

Xiao Moʼs cultivation quality was extraordinarily high, every sword strike he unleashed sharp and ferocious beyond compare, each move appearing plain and unadorned, yet extraordinarily lethal.

Yan Shanʼao had never before encountered such a pure sword technique, pure to the point that both swordsman and sword existed for no purpose but to slay the enemy!

”Could it be that woman from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect who taught him this?” Yan Shanʼao thought to himself, even as he resisted Xiao Moʼs assault.

The more he considered it, the more Yan Shanʼao felt this possibility likely.

He simply could not fathom what Xiao Mo could possibly have promised that female disciple of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, to make her break the sectʼs own rules, teaching sword techniques to an emperor, involving herself in court affairs.

”At a time like this, and the Chancellor still has the leisure to stand there in a daze.”

Finding an opening, Xiao Mo swept his sword toward Yan Shanʼao once more.

Sensing danger, Yan Shanʼao hurriedly summoned a talisman scroll.

The characters ”Imprison” and ”Seal” upon the scroll split apart, transforming into chain after chain, binding toward Xiao Mo.

Xiao Mo steadied his mind, sword-qi swirling around him.

Beneath Xiao Moʼs sword-qi, those calligraphic chains all dissolved entirely, falling to the ground as droplets of ink.

Though this was Xiao Moʼs first true battle against another person, he quickly entered a state of selfless focus.

”Grass Character Sword Formula — First Sprouting of Grass and Trees.”

Xiao Mo struck once more, condensing his sword-qi into a single point, a cold gleam flashing as it plunged toward Yan Shanʼaoʼs heart.

This strike came with tremendous speed, so fast that Yan Shanʼao had no time to react at all.

”BOOM!”

As the shockwave of spiritual energy swept through the entirety of Qingyue Pavilion, Yan Shanʼao raised his blade to block the strike, his entire body flung backward, crashing heavily into an overturned table.

Just as Yan Shanʼao tried to climb back to his feet, the nine Foundation Building realm death-sworn retainers had already surrounded him.

Streak after streak of sword-light swept across Yan Shanʼaoʼs body, tearing through his robes, leaving trails of blood in their wake.

Sensing the danger of his situation, Yan Shanʼao swallowed a pill.

In an instant, Yan Shanʼaoʼs blood-energy surged violently.

”Ha!”

Blood-red spiritual energy shook outward violently!

The women forming the sword formation were all sent flying backward.

Xiao Moʼs brow furrowed.

Though he did not know what the other party had just consumed, Xiao Mo pressed forward regardless.

Sword as fist.

So long as the man lived, the sword would not retreat.

Yan Shanʼao gripped his fire blade, clashing against Xiao Mo.

”Clang, clang, clang!”

Each time the long sword in Xiao Moʼs hand collided with Yan Shanʼaoʼs Fire Tiger Blade, sparks of flame burst outward.

In the gaps between Xiao Mo and Yan Shanʼaoʼs exchanges, the nine Foundation Building realm female cultivators also seized opportunities to strike at Yan Shanʼao, creating further advantages for Xiao Mo.

”This is bad!”

Catching a brief respite, Yan Shanʼao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He felt that, should this continue, death was certain.

Without the slightest hesitation, Yan Shanʼao drew a talisman scroll from within his robes, and ignited it.

At the same time, Empress Dowager Yan was riding in her palanquin, heading toward Ning Xue Palace.

The Empress Dowager felt in fine spirits, looking forward to arriving at Ning Xue Palace, to admire the moon and share tea with Ruxue and Siyao.

Thinking of her two lovely, sweet-tongued daughters-in-law, the Empress Dowager could not help but smile, wishing the carriage might move even faster but before long, the carriage suddenly came to a stop.

”Whatʼs the matter?”

The Empress Dowagerʼs personal maid, Xiao Guo, knocked on the carriage, speaking to the maid driving it.

”Empress Dowager... Lord Yue... has arrived.” The maid driving the carriage answered slowly, her tone carrying a note of nervousness.

”Lord Yue? Which Lord Yue?” the maid Xiao Guo asked.

”Right Feathered Forest Army Commander, Lord Yue Qianzhi.” the driving maid said.

Hearing this name, Xiao Guo looked toward the Empress Dowager.

Empress Dowager Yan lifted the carriage curtain, stepping down, and looked at Yue Qianzhi and his guards blocking her path, her brow furrowing as she demanded an explanation.

”I wonder what business Lord Yue has, bringing guards into my harem so late at night? Does Lord Yue not know that, without His Majestyʼs summons, not even a eunuch may enter the harem! Otherwise, it is a capital offense!”

”I ask the Empress Dowagerʼs forgiveness. This humble general is, of course, well aware of what the Empress Dowager says.” Yue Qianzhi cupped his hands in salute. ”But this humble general acts under His Majestyʼs verbal decree, instructing this humble general to enter the palace, to escort the Empress Dowager safely back to Lingxin Palace.”

”His Majestyʼs verbal decree?” The Empress Dowagerʼs eyes narrowed, her heart filled with confusion.

”Indeed.” Yue Qianzhi straightened. ”As for the specific circumstances, the Empress Dowager may ask His Majesty after tonight is over. But for now, this humble general cannot offer any further explanation.”

Yue Qianzhi kept one hand on the saber at his waist, waving the other, “Deputy Commander Zhou, take the men and escort the Empress Dowager properly back to the palace. Do not let the Empress Dowager step even half a pace outside of Lingxin Palace!”

”Yes!”

Deputy Commander Zhou led ten soldiers forward, making a gesture of invitation.

”This humble general will escort the Empress Dowager back to the palace!”