Tang Enxuan glanced at the testimony in his hand, growing more certain that this was a trap.
Zhou Chunfeng took a step forward, his Clear Wind Protection activating. He swept past Tang Enxuan and snatched the testimony.
"I will hold onto this testimony for now," Zhou Chunfeng said.
Ye Han took another step back and sat down firmly on a stool, looking as if he were settling in for a feast.
Wei Yong retreated three steps.
A chill ran through Tang Enxuan, and his arms trembled slightly.
"Don’t you frame me! I had no idea the distillery was for military use, and I never sold out your movements to the Demon Race! I only resorted to this desperate measure for the Emperor’s birthday gift!" Tang Enxuan took half a step back.
Li Qingxian’s eyes flew wide with fury. He shouted, "It has come to this, and you, an animal who respects neither sovereign nor father, are still trying to drag the Emperor into this to absolve yourself! How innocent the Emperor is in all this!"
"How dare you insult a member of the Royal Family and try to sow discord between my uncle and me! I am one of the Royal Family and Relatives! Even if I have erred, only the Imperial Clan Court can pass judgment on me! What right do you have to curse me!" Tang Enxuan shot back.
Song Yunjing suddenly let out a cold snort. The aura of a Third-Grade Grand Scholar enveloped the entire courtyard.
All eyes turned to this newly appointed Purple-Robed Official.
Song Yunjing spoke slowly, "In Beichen City, Li Qingxian performed a miraculous feat, altering a poem to achieve First Grade and helping me suppress and kill two Third-Grade Demon Kings. I returned to the Capital City in a hurry today and brought no birthday gift, so while in the Imperial Study, I requested a birthday gift from Chief Minister Zhao. Qingxian, catch."
A storm of wind and clouds billowed from Song Yunjing’s chest. Though he stood in the courtyard, he seemed to transform into a towering mountain, majestic and lofty, wreathed in celestial clouds.
High above, wind and thunder crackled in unison as dark clouds spread, instantly blanketing the Capital City.
A moment later, the mist before Song Yunjing contracted, forming a fist-sized vortex of gray clouds in front of him, ringed by a rapidly spinning halo of white.
"A Righteous Sword Seed..." Zhu Zimo exclaimed in shock.
"Receive the Sword Seed!"
Song Yunjing gave a gentle push forward. The cloudy vortex transformed into a sword-shaped beam of light that shot straight into the Chest Acupoint in the center of Li Qingxian’s chest, vanishing into him.
A clear, sharp sword hum echoed between heaven and earth.
The crowd looked up. High in the sky, a white cloud shaped like a sword slashed from east to west, tearing apart the dark clouds that covered the Capital City. It was like a slash of Sword Qi, lingering in the air without dissipating.
The sword of cloud broke the evil; the righteous qi would long remain.
Everyone stared at Li Qingxian in disbelief. ’How on earth did he alter a poem to reach First Grade? How did he receive a Righteous Sword Seed from a First-Grade Grand Scholar and the current Chief Minister? What in the world just happened?’
Outside the gate, Jiang Youfei’s small chin lifted, the corners of her delicate mouth curled up, and her lovely eyes crinkled in a smile.
At the table where Li Gangfeng’s old friends were seated, every one of them had slightly reddened eyes.
’Mr. Gangfeng’s spirit in heaven will surely be gratified.’
Li Qingxian only felt a slight coolness in the center of his chest, as if a large hole had been opened there.
Focusing his mind on his Chest Acupoint, he looked inward with his consciousness and saw a sword-shaped flowing cloud hanging high in the void, like a thousand-foot-long white cloud suspended overhead.
The sword-shaped cloud steamed and flowed, and faint wisps of cloudy qi drifted away, dissipating into the void.
Suddenly, a long, nine-colored rainbow flew over and enveloped the hilt of the sword-cloud.
Nine-colored light draped downwards. The cloudy qi of the Righteous Sword Seed stopped dissipating; instead, it absorbed the light of the nine-colored rainbow and began to grow stronger.
Li Qingxian withdrew his consciousness from his Middle Dantian and looked at Tang Enxuan.
Zhou Chunfeng announced, "Li Qingxian, receive the Heaven-gifted birthday present!"
Everyone felt as though a clap of thunder had exploded right next to their ears.
Tang Enxuan was stunned speechless, while Ye Han nearly fell off his chair and scrambled to his feet.
Wei Yong’s shoulders trembled, his face turning pale—paler even than the day he saw his wife sitting on Tao Zhi.
Li Qingxian bowed his back slightly, lowered his head, and held his hands out before him. "Your subject, Li Qingxian, respectfully receives this heavenly gift."
Zhou Chunfeng announced: "An oral edict from the Emperor! Li Qingxian, loyal in his service to the Crown, benevolent in his thoughts for the common people, and courageous in the face of wicked demons. For altering a poem to First Grade and for his miraculous feat of suppressing a Demon King, he is bestowed one scroll as a birthday gift."
Zhou Chunfeng reached into his Qi Fortune Silver Fish Pouch, pulled out a yellow silk scroll, and unfurled it.
As the scroll unrolled, the text was revealed.
The crowd craned their necks to see.
On the white paper of the yellow silk scroll were written six large words, arranged in two columns.
Young Fate Master, First-Grade Poetry Master.
In the lower-left corner was a Red Seal.
The officials who had Entered Grade looked closely at the seal’s inscription, their faces a mixture of shock and envy.
The Great Seal was none other than the "Ten Perfect Heavenly Graces," a personal seal that Emperor Taining only used himself when he was exceptionally pleased.
The officials exchanged glances. Emperor Taining had a great many seals—so many that people privately called him the "Seal Emperor" or "Emperor Zhang"—and many officials had received his calligraphy as a gift.
But in all these years, only a dozen or so works of calligraphy had ever been stamped with the Ten Perfect Heavenly Graces seal. Many Princes and Princesses had pleaded for one in vain.
Zhou Chunfeng placed the imperially bestowed calligraphy into Li Qingxian’s hands. With a sob in his voice, Li Qingxian said, "Your subject, Li Qingxian, is moved to tears of gratitude!"
His Magical Power surged, and Li Qingxian’s eyes reddened and grew moist, tears welling up.
Li Qingxian held the imperial calligraphy in both hands, walked up to Tang Enxuan, and glared at him with bloodshot eyes. He cried out, "I, Li Qingxian, may be an ordinary man, but I am loyal to the Crown and care for the people, and even the Emperor has taken notice! But you, Tang Enxuan! You are already a member of the Royal Family! You already have the Emperor’s favor! Yet you collude with outside military officials, spy on military affairs, and abuse military authority and orders! You not only compete with the common folk for profit but also with the Emperor himself! And when you fail, you spew nonsense and deceive your sovereign!"
"You..."
Li Qingxian cut him off. "The disinfectant alcohol and military fuel, a joint project between our Night Guard, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, and the Inner Treasury Bureau, was intended to be a miracle weapon in the war against the demons! But what did you do, Tang Enxuan! You made all our days of hard work go to waste! If this disinfectant alcohol falls into the hands of the Demon Race, do you have any idea what kind of damage it will cause?! If you’re not committing treason, why would you leak state secrets? If you’re not plotting to usurp the throne, why would you collude with the military? Why!"
"You’re spouting baseless accusations!" Tang Enxuan’s face showed a hint of panic.
"So many days of effort, all washed away! So many soldiers will die in vain because of you! I, Li Qingxian, will risk my official position to ask you on their behalf: Why did you deceive your sovereign and commit treason! You animal!"
Li Qingxian suddenly swung his right palm in a wide arc and slapped Tang Enxuan hard across the left cheek.
SLAP!
A bright red palm print rose on his skin.
Tang Enxuan’s head snapped to the side. He stared at Li Qingxian in disbelief.
The crowd was also in disbelief. The son of Prince Yuann, the Emperor’s own nephew, had just been slapped in public by a Ninth-Grade Official!
"Get out! My Li Family is full of loyal martyrs! We will not tolerate a treacherous villain like you who respects neither sovereign nor father and deceives the throne! Take your bullshit birthday gift and get out!"
Zhu Zimo’s face was ashen. He said coldly, "Tomorrow, the entire Imperial Censorate will be waiting to meet you and your father, Prince Yuann, at the Imperial Court!"
"My first memorial to the throne in sixteen years. It’s for you," Song Yunjing said, looking calmly at Tang Enxuan.
Han Anbo walked forward, took Tang Enxuan’s birthday gift, and threw it out the gate.
Tang Enxuan clenched his fists, opened his mouth, then closed it, lowered his head, and slowly walked away.
Wei Yong stood far off, sighing to himself. ’My connection to Prince Yuann is completely severed.’
Ye Han remained seated, motionless.
Zhou Chunfeng announced in a clear voice, "Today’s events involve military intelligence. All of you, guard your tongues. If word of this gets out, you will be charged with treason, just like Tang Enxuan!"
Tang Enxuan’s body shuddered, and he quickened his pace to leave.
"We won’t, we won’t! We understand the gravity of the situation..." the crowd swore one after another.
Li Qingxian put the imperial calligraphy back into his Qiankun Bracelet and started to walk out.
Wei Yong hurried over, pulled a palm-sized red brocade box from his sleeve, and offered it to Li Qingxian with a smile. "This is a Seventh-Grade Magical Artifact I’ve treasured for many years, a Phoenix Pattern Bracelet. Just add a drop of blood, and it will automatically protect its owner. I just happened to run into that Tang Enxuan on the road and came with him, that’s all. Lord Li, please don’t misunderstand. We’re both in the Night Guard; we should all get along, all get along."