vncnus Chapter 70 If Li Zhexian were willing to share even half of his sword intent with me, he would be my
Chapter 70 If Li Zhexian were willing to share even half of his sword intent with me, he would be my
Chapter 70 If Li Zhexian were willing to share even half of his sword intent with me, he would be my life.
Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."
Xue Qinghe reported the results of the exchange between the four academies to Emperor Xueye.
"Royal Fighting Academy narrowly lost to Divine Wind Academy."
"However, the Golden Badge Sword and Wine of the Imperial City Arena swept aside Feng Xiaotian, the captain of the Divine Wind Academy."
A smile appeared on the pale face of the Snow Night Emperor.
"Very good."
"He bestowed upon them a sword, wine, a thousand bolts of brocade, and ten thousand taels of gold."
"Such talent should be employed by the royal family."
Xue Qinghe looked somewhat helpless.
"To my father—"
"That swordsman is free-spirited, like a hermit or a wild crane."
"I have offered you a high position, but you have not been moved. I fear it will be difficult to summon you to the palace."
The Great Emperor Xueye's regret was evident in his words.
"That's a pity, but let's leave it at that."
"Qinghe, you did a great job with the exchange between the four academies."
"Since you assumed regency, you have worked diligently day and night."
"We, your ministers and I, have all witnessed this. What reward do you desire?"
Xue Qinghe smiled slightly.
His gaze drifted toward the towering red walls outside the palace.
The thought of "how to repay Li Zhexian" resurfaced clearly yesterday.
perhaps·
The most precious gift I can give him right now is to shed this pretense and spend a few more days with him.
A myriad of thoughts swirled in my mind.
Xue Qinghe lowered his head, his voice carrying just the right amount of weariness:
"Your subject has recently felt deeply moved and grateful."
"I humbly request Your Majesty to grant me a few days of leisure so that I may temporarily escape the toil of official duties and recuperate."
The Great Emperor laughed heartily on the snowy night.
"What kind of reward is this?"
"You've certainly had a tough time these past few days."
"Since Qinghe wants to rest, then your father will grant you a ten-day leave."
"During these ten days, there is no need for greetings, no need to attend court, and all government affairs are to be suspended."
This time.
The smile that spread across Xue Qinghe's lips was genuine and bright.
"Your son thanks Your Majesty for your grace."
The Crown Prince's bedroom.
Xue Qinghe tended to the roses of dawn placed on the windowsill.
The pufferfish and the snake spear exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of worry in each other's eyes.
"Young Master—"
Serpent Spear finally couldn't resist, stepped forward, and whispered:
"The Spirit Hall's grand plan also includes the inheritance of angels—"
"The young master's position cannot be compromised; do not let a trivial matter cause you to lose sight of the gravity of the situation!"
Xue Qinghe paused almost imperceptibly while watering the plants, without looking up, and calmly said:
"Lightweight? Heavy?"
Serpent Spear's throat bobbed, but the words stuck in his throat.
Xue Qinghe brushed his fingertips across the petals of the rose in the morning light, his gaze seemingly piercing through the halo before him, looking toward a certain unforgettable scene.
"When I first met Li Bai—"
She murmured softly, as if she were confiding in the flowers, or perhaps sorting out her own thoughts.
"I just admire his uninhibited nature."
"He made me realize that being born into this world can truly be lived so freely and joyfully, something that people yearn for."
"I see him as a mirror, hoping to learn some ease from him."
"However, now—"
A subtle golden light, like the first rays of dawn, quietly appeared in Xue Qinghe's deep, calm eyes.
"If Li Zhexian only recognizes me as Xue Qinghe, then he is my best friend in this life, and also my mentor."
"But if Li Zhexian is willing to share with me..."
"He possesses a touch of swordsmanship, a sip of Jianghu wine, and a wisp of carefree spirit."
"Then he is my destiny."
"I can discard the title of Crown Prince of Heaven Dou, Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, and Goddess of the Angels as easily as discarding a worn-out shoe."
Xue Qinghe's voice gradually lowered.
With a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.
"He disappeared that day—"
"I felt only fear and regret, hating that he had never seen what I really looked like."
"I don't want to taste that again."
The porcupine and the serpent spear looked at each other in silence.
Both of them wore expressions of sadness and helplessness, and finally lowered their heads in silence, saying nothing more.
The heavy air lingered in the hall for a long time.
Xue Qinghe raised his eyes and asked:
"Where is Li Zhexian?"
The porcupine replied:
"We just found out that all four teams have gone looking for him."
"At this moment, they should be enjoying themselves at Shanxiangfang."
Xue Qinghe smiled.
She abruptly stood up, flicked her sleeves, and walked out of the hall.
"Is the young master leaving the palace at this moment?"
Xue Qinghe continued his journey.
"If I don't go, who will pay for Li Zhexian's drinks?"
Shanxiangfang.
"Ha ha ha ha--!
Li Zhexian's cheeks were flushed as he pointed at Feng Xiaotian, who was huddled under the bench, and laughed so hard he almost fell over.
"Feng Xiaotian—you're such a coward—"
He hiccuped.
"Trying to get me drunk, bro?"
"Come on! Who's next?"
His gaze swept over Yu Tianheng, Huo Wushuang, and Huyan Li in turn.
"You? You? Or—you?"
Yu Tianheng's face was pale, and he was panting heavily as he leaned on the edge of the table. There was still drool hanging from the corner of his mouth, indicating that he had vomited several times.
Huo Wushuang sat on the ground, his eyes glazed over.
Huyan Li was the most stubborn. He struggled to grab a wine pot and ran after Li Zhexian, his words muffled.
"Fight again and again—"
However, his steps were unsteady, and he collapsed after only two steps.
It smashed directly onto the six members of the Elephant Armor Sect who were already lying sprawled out.
Looking at his defeated opponents scattered on the ground, Li Dixian triumphantly tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of wine.
The wine flowed freely.
The white front of her dress was soaked.
To be fair, the fine wines from Shanxiangfang are far inferior to his Martial Spirit of Wine.
But the true flavor of wine goes far beyond just the wine itself.
It depends more on people.
Today, with friends gathered here, even the simplest wine tastes more delightful than ever before, thanks to the lively atmosphere and camaraderie.
"Sword Wine!"
A sharp shout rang out.
With one arm around Dugu Yan and the other around Ye Lengleng, Huo Wu stumbled and approached Li Zhexian.
"Stop—stop being so arrogant!"
"We sisters—will drink with you!"
Li Bai, the legendary poet, welcomed all who came.
"good!"
He grabbed the wine bowl and clinked it heavily with Huo Wu's, then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
Huo Wu's already hazy, drunken eyes became even more blurred in an instant.
She released Dugu Yan, hooked her arms around Li Zhexian's neck, and breathed heavily on his face with the smell of alcohol, bringing up old grievances.
Why didn't you admit that you were Jianjiu the day before yesterday?
"Aren't you—feeling really happy when we praise you—hmm?"
Li Zhexian pointed at the tip of her nose.
"Heh, you guessed it—right."
Upon hearing this, Huo Wu tightened her grip on his neck.
"You bastard—Sword Wine!"
"Today, I'm going to take you down!"
"Dugu—Leng Leng—let's get him drunk together!"
Amidst this commotion...
The door to the private room was pushed open silently.
Xue Qinghe stepped into the room, which was filled with the mess and the smell of alcohol.
What came into view was Li Zhexian surrounded by three women with very different styles, all of whom were stunningly beautiful: Huo Wu, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lengleng. They were chatting and laughing, exchanging toasts.
Xue Qinghe tightened her grip on her sleeve.
The advice from the porcupine and the snake spear just now lingered in my mind, leaving a trace of hesitation.
The moment I saw this scene, it all vanished.
An indescribable sense of urgency welled up in my heart.
The thought that she was actually quite beautiful flashed through my mind.
Just then.
Li Zhexian seemed to sense something, his eyes blurry with drunkenness as he looked over, raising the wine bowl in his hand with a dazzlingly bright smile:
"Qinghe! You've finally arrived! Come quickly—come quickly!"
Xue Qinghe suppressed his thoughts and stepped forward with a smile.
"They're here."