Fan Xian felt a chill in his heart, but his face was respectful. He lowered his eyes, avoiding the gaze of the young emperor. He didn't want to look at the Empress Dowager next to him, nor were the old, leathery faces of the Grand Tutor and the Prime Minister across from him any more appealing, so his gaze naturally fell on the table next to the Grand Tutor.

The table was empty; he wondered which dignitary hadn't arrived yet. Just as he was thinking this, a figure emerged from behind a corridor pillar beside the Long Palace pond. The figure bowed to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, then sat naturally at the empty table. A palace maid promptly arrived to pour wine.

This person was clad in black, with a tall, imposing figure. His eyes were as still as an ancient well, unfathomable. Most peculiar was the chain around his waist, from which hung two scimitars. What audacity!

Fan Xian gasped, turning to Lin Jing and asking in a low voice, "Who is that? To sit below the Grand Tutor and carry swords into the palace, he must be quite a person."

Lin Jing whispered, "That is Wolf Peach, the chief disciple of Grandmaster Ku He, and the Grand Commandant of the Imperial Guards. However, I've heard that in recent years, he's mainly been responsible for the Emperor's martial arts training and doesn't manage affairs much."

Fan Xian gave an "Oh" of understanding, saying with a hint of surprise, "So that's Senior Sister Haitang's elder brother. No wonder his position is so extraordinary."

At that moment, Wolf Peach's deeply meaningful gaze, despite its stillness, fell upon Fan Xian's face.

Fan Xian smiled, raising his wine cup in a gesture of goodwill, silently mouthing the words, "Hello."

Wolf Peach frowned slightly, seemingly pondering something. After a moment of hesitation, he finally raised his cup and drank to Fan Xian from afar.

Lin Jing whispered to Fan Xian, "My lord, it would be wise to befriend this man. It's just a pity that we are leaving for Qing tomorrow, and this is our first meeting."

Fan Xian feigned regret, but in his heart, he wondered if Wolf Peach would recognize him. As he was thinking this, Wolf Peach was also pondering, seeing how natural and unfeigned the expression of the young Qing official was. Could it be that Shen Zhong was right, and the man in black on the cliff was Chen Pingping's shadow guard, and not this Fan executive?

Fan Xian felt at ease, scanning the tables in the hall, and asked, "Why haven't I seen Lord Shen?"

Lin Jing replied, "Although Shen Zhong is the Commander of the Garrison, his rank is not high enough to enter the hall. Besides, today is the Empress Dowager's birthday, and he must be in Shangjing, responsible for all security matters."

Fan Xian nodded, saying nothing more. After a while, the palace music gradually began, the sounds of silk and bamboo creating a grand atmosphere. Dancers performed in the courtyard, their movements graceful and ethereal. The birthday banquet had officially begun.

First, the Emperor raised his cup to wish the Empress Dowager a long life. Then, the officials below knelt in turn, offering their prayers and blessings. As a subject from another country, Fan Xian sat at the head of the table, with Lin Jing discreetly guiding him on how to act, so he smoothly navigated this part of the ceremony.

Fruits and wines were brought by beautiful palace maids, who gracefully and silently placed them on each table. Whenever a palace maid came to serve, Fan Xian would slightly lean his body and offer a polite smile. This seemed a bit pretentious in the eyes of the Northern Qi officials, but some grew to appreciate it, thinking that this outstanding figure among the younger generation was truly extraordinary.

Fan Xian, however, was looking at the palace maids with their delicate eyebrows and gentle manner, feeling a great unease in his heart. How could the young Emperor, spending every day with these beautiful girls, not have turned into a dissolute youth? Something was definitely wrong.

———————————————————————

The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, while not the same as an ordinary old woman's birthday, wasn't too different in essence. It's just that the guests were of a higher caliber, the wine and food were of a higher standard, and naturally, the after-dinner entertainment was… more of a headache. This was definitely not the kind of program that Auntie Li from Erdaohe Village, Tieshan Mountain, could have imagined for her 50th birthday celebration.

Fan Xian rubbed his temples, wearing a gentle smile on his face, but cursing in his heart.

Gentle girls now like to call themselves "old ladies" to appear bold, and crude men now like to give shy smiles to appear disgusting. Butchers like to eat their neighbor's vegetables, and old matchmakers, who can't get married themselves, enjoy arranging marriages for others. People always like to be close to what they are not good at, and they like to do what they are not good at. According to psychology, what you lack, you subconsciously emphasize.

Therefore, the Qing Kingdom, which has always been famous for its martial prowess, is now, under the leadership of His Majesty, embarking on the path of civil administration. Even though the capital is full of generals and martial arts experts, poetry gatherings have become popular. Imperial Concubine Shu loves literature and is therefore favored. The Second Prince is well-versed in classics and is quite popular. Until Fan Xian, the immortal poet, suddenly appeared, he immediately attracted the attention and admiration of all scholars.

And Northern Qi, which has always been the center of literature in the world, is now striving to become stronger, not fond of reciting poems, but rather of duels, abandoning verbal arguments and using fists to reason. Therefore, the gate of the Southern Qing delegation was littered with small scimitars, and the Northern Qi masters who wanted to compete with Fan Xian could line up from the gate of the delegation all the way to the Yanshan Valley.

Fan Xian remained indoors, and when he ventured out, he went with Haitang, barely avoiding the miserable fate of fighting in arenas every day. Unexpectedly, before returning to Qing, he couldn't avoid it in this hall.

…

…

"Lord Fan, what do you think of this proposal?" The Empress Dowager smiled, turning her gaze to Fan Xian's table. Although it was a question, her tone left no room for doubt.

Fan Xian felt a slight tremor. Earlier, a Northern Qi general had proposed a martial arts competition. Although it sounded good—just exchanging martial arts techniques—everyone knew that the Northern Qi officials knew they couldn't defeat the so-called Immortal Poet in literature, so they were planning to humiliate him in martial arts. Moreover, for some reason, the Empress Dowager didn't seem to like him at all.

He stood up, scanning the hall, and suddenly said with a smile, "Your Majesty, I am too weak to even truss a chicken. Let's just skip it."

The hall erupted in laughter. No one believed Fan Xian's words. His exploits of killing Cheng Jushu and fighting in black boxing matches had spread throughout the world. He was recognized as a rare talent in both literature and martial arts. The officials really didn't expect this Southern envoy to be so cowardly.

The Empress Dowager, however, remained calm, saying, "Lord Fan is being too modest." She spoke a few more sentences, not allowing Fan Xian to refuse.

Fan Xian's eyelids twitched. He thought to himself, no wonder all the time-travelers in the novels he'd read in his previous life had followed Wei Xiaobao's glorious tradition and referred to all empress dowagers as "old bitches." If he yielded now, he would truly lose face for the court, and it would be difficult to explain to his father and the old cripple back in the South. He didn't know what insidious rumors Xinyang would come up with.

So, he stepped back half a step with a smile and accepted with a bow.

The Empress Dowager's eyes glimmered slightly. The Emperor, sitting beside her, looked worried and asked with concern, "Fan Qing, if you are not feeling well, you may be excused."

Although Fan Xian had only chatted with this Emperor a few times and harbored resentment in his heart, hearing the sincere concern in his words, and remembering that he was the supreme ruler after all, he couldn't help but be touched. He raised his head and said loudly, "Your Majesty, even if I spill blood before the palace, it will be as fireworks in celebration of the Empress Dowager's birthday."

These words were inappropriate and violated etiquette, immediately ruining the atmosphere. As expected, the Empress Dowager's face darkened. The Emperor, however, smiled, finding it extremely amusing. This Fan Xian was indeed a peculiar character, gentle on the outside but stubborn and unwilling to suffer losses on the inside. He waved his hand and said, "Those words are too much. Since it is a competition, it should naturally be stopped before serious injury."

The Emperor's eyes flashed with coldness, and he looked at the officials in the hall, saying, "Anyone who feels unable to control the force of their attacks should not come forward to embarrass themselves." These words blocked those who were planning to use accidental injuries as an excuse.

The officials felt a chill in their hearts, realizing that this young Emperor had matured at an astonishingly rapid pace over the years. His imperial authority was growing stronger and unstoppable. Even more strangely… damn it, why was this Emperor so good to that Fan Xian? Whose Emperor is he, ours or Qing's?

…

…

As the words fell, a general walked in from outside the side hall, bowed to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and said in a deep voice, "Your subject, Cheng Puzhu, wishes to seek guidance from Lord Fan of Qing."

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly. The Emperor knew Cheng Puzhu's level. He was Wolf Peach's junior fellow apprentice, and they were all students of the Tianyi sect. He was currently serving in the Imperial Guards, probably having heard the order from his superior, so he had come to compete. The Emperor knew from Haitang that Fan Xian was already a level nine expert, while Cheng Puzhu was only at level seven. Why…? The Emperor glanced at Wolf Peach, his martial arts master, but found that Wolf Peach was sitting calmly at his seat, showing no reaction whatsoever.

Cheng Puzhu bowed to Fan Xian again, saying in a deep voice, "Lord Fan is talented in both literature and martial arts, and his reputation shakes the world. Cheng Puzhu asks for your guidance."

Fan Xian smiled, also glancing at Wolf Peach. He knew that today's competition in the hall was not about competing for strength, but rather that Wolf Peach wanted to see his fighting style before he returned to his country. Since arriving in Northern Qi, he had not shown his skills in public, and Wolf Peach must still have doubts about the events at the cliff.

He cupped his hands to Cheng Puzhu and asked, "Lord Cheng?"

Cheng Puzhu replied in a deep voice, "Indeed."

Fan Xian said, "You are not my opponent." Then he sat down.

…

…

The officials were in an uproar, thinking that Fan Xian was being too arrogant. Just as they were thinking this, they heard a steady voice saying, "Please guide Lord Cheng."

Cheng Puzhu was furious, but he saw the bodyguard behind Fan Xian step forward and stand in front of him. At this moment, sunlight shone through the glass on the roof of the hall, scattering a clear light. The hall was brightly lit, so it was clear to see the boundless killing intent contained in the bodyguard's simple face.

With just one step, Gao Da had only taken one step forward, but his whole person had undergone a tremendous change. Previously, he was just an inconspicuous bodyguard, hidden in Fan Xian's shadow, but now he stepped forward, faintly showing the demeanor of a grandmaster. At this moment, there was no wind in the hall, but the true energy flowing in Gao Da's body actually caused his clothes to flutter slightly.

Fan Xian, using the cover of the table, sat half-reclined on the ground, pinching a small wine cup with two fingers, his eyes slightly squinting, watching Wolf Peach's expression out of the corner of his eye.

Wolf Peach didn't seem very interested in the events in the arena, holding chopsticks in his hand and picking up dishes from the plate, but Fan Xian, with his keen eyes, still saw his chin nod slightly. This… was an expression of agreement.

Cheng Puzhu took a deep breath, looked at Gao Da in front of him. The people in Shangjing knew that he was an expert bodyguard of the Southern Qing delegation, who had subdued General Tan Wu, who was under the command of General Shangshan, in one move.

But the matter had already reached this point, Cheng Puzhu could not retreat. He saw him shouting loudly: "Please allow me to use the knife!"

Although the young Emperor appreciated Fan Xian, he was not a fool after all. Of course, he knew that he was the Emperor of Northern Qi, and he also appreciated the courage and momentum of this general, and said with appreciation: "Yes... General Cheng, do it with your heart. This is purely a martial arts exchange. Don't regard him as the face of the court. No matter you win or lose, I will reward you."

The Empress Dowager, the protagonist of the birthday banquet, glanced at her son, her eyes full of disapproval, but the young Emperor smiled and seemed not to have seen his mother's eyes.

Lin Wen and Lin Jing were extremely nervous, thinking that they were about to start their journey back home, how could there be such a commotion in the palace again? If their side wins, the Northern Qi people will lose face, which is not good. If the other side wins, their great Qing Dynasty will lose face, which is even worse! But Qing Dynasty officials had developed a natural ruthlessness over the past few decades. Seeing the other side's provocation, they were genuinely angry even though they were civil officials, and said to Gao Da: "Bodyguard Gao, stop at the right time, don't win too hard."

Before the battle, they had already spoken of victory. Fan Xian glanced at the two deputy envoys beside him, smiled bitterly, and thought that these two were even more arrogant than himself. He turned to the Emperor on the dragon chair and said, "Your Majesty, please allow my subordinates to send the knife into the hall."

The Emperor smiled at him and waved his hand.

Those outside the hall had long known that there would be a martial arts competition in the hall. Today was the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, so the palace was loosely managed, and His Majesty had also nodded, so the courtiers who were dining in the side hall had all poured into the hall. The people stood in front of the hall and cast their eager eyes on the arena.

The little eunuch took the long knife that Gao Da used from the corner door of the palace, handed it to the eunuch in front of the hall, and passed it into the hall. Fan Xian saw Wang Qinian peeking this way at the gate of the hall, and his heart tightened. He thought that Lao Wang was itchy and wanted to return to his old business and steal something in this palace.

Let's talk about this side again. Gao Da held the hilt of the long knife in both hands, and his mental state suddenly entered a very wonderful state. The previous power was no longer there, the sense of oppression no longer existed, and the remaining things in the arena... seemed to be only one knife. Even if there was one person and one knife, in the eyes of the onlookers, there was still only one knife.

Wolf Peach stopped his chopsticks and looked at the long knife in Gao Da's hand with a unique style. He didn't know what he was thinking, and his eyebrows were slightly wrinkled.

————————————————————————

Cheng Puzhu and Gao Da faced each other, looked at the steadily standing opponent, put aside all distracting thoughts in their minds, took a breath, and slowly pulled out the curved knife from its scabbard. The blade and the scabbard rubbed against each other, making a metallic sound that made people feel hot-blooded.

Gao Da remained still, holding the long knife in both hands, and his whole body leaned a few inches to the right.

Cheng Puzhu slowly worked his true energy, pouring it into his wrist, feeling that his forearm seemed to have become one with the curved knife. Then, he slightly raised the blade. He was the junior apprentice of Wolf Peach, of the Ku He lineage. Although he only had the strength of the seventh rank, he had a confidence given by his sect. The opponent could be arrogant, but he would not.

The sword light bloomed like snow!

The distance of more than ten feet seemed to not exist between the two masters, and disappeared in an instant! The next moment, Cheng Puzhu had appeared directly in front of Gao Da, so close that they seemed to be face to face and body to body!

And the snowy sword light came from Cheng Puzhu's hand. The curved knife was strangely inverted. He held the curved knife high, but the tip of the knife pierced straight towards Gao Da's left shoulder!

The distance between the two was too close, so even Cheng Puzhu could only invert the curved knife and stab it with this very sinister and unpredictable method. What's more, Gao Da was holding the long knife in both hands, so there was no chance to pull it out of its sheath at this time. Even if the long knife was out of its sheath, there was no way to exert its power at such a short distance.

Cheng Puzhu was indeed worthy of his extraordinary sect. In a short period of time, based on his judgment of the opponent's weapon, he formulated a strategy to subdue the enemy.

The courtiers were slightly startled, seemingly about to see blood coming out of Gao Da's shoulder.

Fan Xian frowned slightly, seemingly not expecting Cheng Puzhu to strike like a thunderbolt as fast as he could not cover his ears.

…

…

A very harsh sound rang out! Immediately afterwards, there was a cracking sound, followed by a muffled sound. The next moment, the Empress Dowager and Emperor in the hall, and the courtiers peeking outside the hall, all looked in surprise as a figure was blasted away!

Cheng Puzhu fell heavily to the ground, his face covered in blood, looking like he had suffered very serious injuries!

Everyone thought that Gao Da had blasted Cheng Puzhu away with his true energy, and couldn't help being shocked. Being able to blast away a seventh-rank master with just true energy, apart from the four grandmasters, perhaps only a few top ninth-rank powerhouses could do it, and Gao Da... was just a bodyguard from the Southern Qing delegation!

Only those martial arts masters in the arena could clearly see what had happened. When Cheng Puzhu's curved knife was about to strike, Gao Da did not draw his knife, but instead lifted the long knife with both hands and lifted it down!

The hilt of the long knife was about an inch square, and it was this very small area that actually met the tip of Cheng Puzhu's curved knife head-on!

The long knife in Gao Da's hand was as tall as a person. When he lifted the knife and stood upright, the scabbard stood firmly on the ground.

So, when the tip of the curved knife pierced the hilt of the knife, it was equal to saying that all of Cheng Puzhu's true energy and momentum were transmitted to the bluestone floor under his feet through the long knife in Gao Da's hand. Gao Da was equivalent to staying out of the matter, watching Cheng Puzhu's long-accumulated blow make a frontal impact with the earth.

With the thickness of the earth, what if you are a grandmaster?

…

…

At that moment, Cheng Puzhu felt an extremely majestic force coming back from the tip of the knife, causing him to suffocate for a moment.

At this moment, Gao Da abandoned the knife and cupped his fists, his arms like he was holding a circle, and turned to the left. The elbow of his right arm, like steel, hit Cheng Puzhu's chin hard. This strike was so powerful that it immediately knocked out the other party's teeth and cracked his lips, and blood flowed. This was still Gao Da holding back, otherwise Cheng Puzhu would have lost his life with just this one strike.

Rather than saying that Cheng Puzhu was defeated by Gao Da, it was better to say that he was defeated by the earth.

—————————————————————————

Eunuchs had long helped Cheng Puzhu to be taken down for medical treatment. Gao Da steadily bowed to His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, drew out his long knife, and slowly retreated behind Fan Xian. With a click, at this time, the bluestone slab in the previous battlefield cracked inch by inch. The courtiers in the hall understood that the unsheathed long knife had been pierced into the bluestone slab by Cheng Puzhu's curved knife. What kind of power was this?

Understanding that Gao Da was taking advantage of the situation, the courtiers were talking about it, but they couldn't say much.

Fan Xian looked at the expressions of the Northern Qi courtiers, smiled a little proudly. In the eyes of everyone, this smile was a bit hateful. Fan Xian handed the wine glass he was drinking to Gao Da behind him.

Gao Da was slightly stunned, took the wine glass and drank it in one gulp: "Thank you, Lord, for the wine, thank you, Lord, for your guidance." He didn't know what Fan Xian had ever guided him in.

Fan Xian said with a smile: "It should be thanking the Empress Dowager for the..."

Before he could finish his words, he found that the hall had suddenly become quiet, including the courtiers and eunuchs outside the hall. It was because... Wolf Peach was speaking.

Wolf Peach smiled and looked at Fan Xian, and said: "Lord Fan's little tricks are indeed well-deserved. I didn't expect that even your bodyguard would understand this way so well." After saying these words, he stood up, gently took off his coat, handed it to the palace maid behind him, and revealed the two curved knives connected together on his waist.

There was a buzzing sound in the hall!

Lord Wolf Peach is going to come out! Wolf Peach, as the chief disciple of the Grand Master and His Majesty's martial arts teacher, the courtiers in Beijing had not seen him take action for many years. Unexpectedly, he would break the routine for the Southern Qing people today.

The courtiers cast their hot gazes on Wolf Peach, but because of his special status, they did not dare to say much.

…

…

Before Wolf Peach could come out, Fan Xian had already laughed loudly and waved his hand: "I am not your opponent." Earlier, he had directly said that Cheng Puzhu was not his opponent, but now he admitted that he was not the other party's opponent, which sounded a bit upright in the ears of the Northern Qi people.

Wolf Peach smiled and said: "Whether or not you are an opponent, you always have to fight to know."

Fan Xian felt a chill in his heart. He knew that if he really fought with this master, first, if he didn't use hidden crossbows, poison needles, aphrodisiacs, and poison powder, then he would definitely not be the other party's opponent in three moves. Second, if the other party really confirmed that he was the person on the cliff, given Ku He's infinite disguise of the temple, he would probably fall into a situation of being hunted down.

He frowned tightly, but he also knew that Wolf Peach's personal challenge with his identity was already giving enough face to the Southern Qing people, and he could not possibly let Gao Da fight again. When his heart was gradually hardening and he was preparing to take action, he heard a voice: "Senior brother, let me do it."

Fan Xian was happy, very happy.

The Northern Qi people were also happy, and the people watching the excitement were even happier.

…

…

Haitang slowly walked out from behind the Empress Dowager, and bowed slightly to Wolf Peach: "Senior brother, let me."

When Wolf Peach saw her, his face showed a gentle color, and he said: "Alright, junior sister naturally... but be careful of Lord Fan's... tricks."

Haitang bowed to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, said nothing, walked to Fan Xian, and said with a smile: "Coming or not?"

"Coming, why not come?" The two of them didn't feel that this conversation was like children playing house.

Of course, the Northern Qi people who surrounded the hall were also not aware of this, and even the officials of the Southern Qing delegation were not aware of it. Everyone was caught up in a certain expectation at this time. This kind of expectation had even surpassed the victory or defeat, and had surpassed the face of the two countries. He just purely wanted to see what would happen later.

One is the Southern Qing Immortal Poet, talented in both literature and martial arts, who became the supervisor of the Supervisory Council at the age of less than twenty.

One is the Northern Qi Heavenly Girl, the youngest level nine master after Ku He, the legendary Heavenly Pulse, who is considered the most likely to become the fifth grandmaster, Haitang.

The two are the most famous young talents in the world today. City rumors say that these two have traveled together in Shangjing, so they are probably cherishing each other, which also confirms from another aspect that the two are indeed on the same level.

The two are finally going to face each other.

…

…

I don't know how long it took, Wang Qinian, who was guarding at the gate of the hall, yawned, looked at the two young men and women fighting in the hall, and muttered: "Who are they deceiving?"

A eunuch next to him said indignantly: "They are actually faking a fight in the martial arts competition in front of the palace! Miss Haitang, how can you bear to disappoint us onlookers?"

Wang Qinian said unhappily: "They didn't collect money from you onlookers, so naturally they don't act seriously in the play. So what if they are faking it? Just based on the identities of the two of them, I'm afraid His Majesty the Emperor is too embarrassed to break up the act."