Time was running out, so Lin Ran didn’t have time to linger around. After quickly walking away, he activated his movement technique and headed straight for Mingzhao Hall.
As soon as he arrived at Mingzhao Hall and got changed, Huo Qiyun arrived.
“Grandpa Sword God! I’m here to see you!”
Huo Qiyun’s voice was very young and refreshing. If it were anyone else, they might feel like they were bathing in the spring breeze upon hearing that voice, but Lin Ran only felt uncomfortable.
With a thought, Lin Ran released his Half-Saint sword intent!
Outside the door, Huo Qiyun was stunned for a moment before he said excitedly, “Grandpa Sword God! You really broke through to the Half-Saint Realm!”
Lin Ran still didn’t speak. Although his silence might make Huo Qiyun suspicious, if he spoke, he would only expose himself.
“Grandpa Sword God? Why are you ignoring me?”
“Grandpa Sword God, are you cultivating?”
“Grandpa Sword God, guess what realm I’m in now?”
…
Huo Qiyun continued one question after another, as if he would not stop unless the “Ten Miles Sword God” in the room spoke.
Lin Ran knew that Huo Qiyun was testing him. At this moment, it was a competition of patience. He retracted his sword intent and maintained it in a range that Huo Qiyun could sense but couldn’t investigate carefully. Then, he waited patiently.
To Lin Ran’s surprise, Huo Qiyun was far more patient than he had imagined.
After an hour, Huo Qiyun finally gave up on testing. “Grandpa Sword God, since you’re busy, I won’t disturb you anymore. I’ll visit you another day!”
Soon, it was quiet outside. Lin Ran quietly released his divine sense and confirmed that Huo Qiyun had really left. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief. He knew that he had passed today’s test.
However, Huo Qiyun really gave Lin Ran a headache. Although this kid was young, he was swift and decisive. The trick he used was very effective. It was not something a 15 or 16-year-old child could come up with.
However, what Lin Ran cared about the most was that Huo Qiyun called the empress “Sister Empress.”
At that time, Lin Ran left in a hurry. He wasn’t sure if he had heard wrongly, but if he hadn’t heard wrongly, this would have been interesting.
Before Huo Qiyun called the empress Sister Empressr, he sent Lin Ran away, which meant that he didn’t want others to know about this.
This way, Lin Ran could use this matter as leverage to get Huo Qiyun to not make a fuss about him impersonating the Ten Miles Sword God.
Although the success rate seemed to be a little low, it was still a solution.
After waiting for another hour and making sure that Huo Qiyun did not suddenly return, Lin Ran slipped out of the room.
During the days he spent in the palace, he could go wherever he wanted openly. This was the first time he had to be so sneaky.
Thinking of this, Lin Ran felt a little frustrated. He was a Half-Saint. Why did he have to sneak around like a thief because of a brat?
However, Lin Ran was a mature man after all. Although he was frustrated, he didn’t intend to do anything to Huo Qiyun. He only cursed in his mind before rushing back to the imperial study.
The empress seemed to know that Lin Ran would be back. As soon as he entered, she came over and closed the door.
After making sure that no one was eavesdropping outside, the empress looked at Lin Ran and asked anxiously, “How is it? He doesn’t suspect anything, right?”
Lin Ran shook his head and went straight to the point. “Does Huo Qiyun know your secret?”
The empress was stunned for a moment before she reacted and nodded. “When he first entered the palace, I hadn’t succeeded the throne. I didn’t expect I would end up ascending the throne, so I didn’t hide my identity. The late emperor didn’t have any other children. It can be said that he was my only playmate when I was young.”
Lin Ran nodded and explained the threat plan he had just thought of.
“Will this work?”
The empress revealed a suspicious expression. “Do you know that once you threaten him with this, it will be equivalent to telling him that you are impersonating the Sword God? It’s fine if he agrees, but if he doesn’t, we won’t have any way out.”
Lin Ran said helplessly, “We have no choice. This kid is too cunning. If I don’t take the risk and give it a try, he’ll find a way to expose me tomorrow!”
The empress frowned and didn’t say anything. She knew that Lin Ran was right, but this plan was too risky.
Lin Ran knew that it was risky too, so when he saw that the empress was in a dilemma, he did not urge her. He sat on the chair and waited for her to think it through.
Before he could lean back, a clear young man’s voice came from outside the door again. “I’m Huo Qiyun! I request to see His Majesty!”
“Not again!”
Lin Ran held his forehead speechlessly and shrugged. “What did I say? He is cunning. Either we tell him or wait for him to find out and beat the drum about it.”
The empress nodded with a conflicted expression. “I understand. Don’t speak later. I’ll think of a way to test him first.”
Lin Ran nodded and suppressed his realm to the level of a Senior Martial Master again. Only then did the empress call Huo Qiyun in.
Seeing Lin Ran, Huo Qiyun immediately frowned. “You again? Why do I see you every time I come? What do you do?”
“Commander of the Imperial Guards, Lin Ran.”
Lin Ran forced a smile and added after some thought, “I’m His Majesty’s personal guard.”
Huo Qiyun nodded and said coldly, “Get out! I have something to discuss with His Majesty!”
Lin Ran left. When he closed the door, he suddenly felt as if time had returned to an hour ago. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
However, this time, Lin Ran did not have to return to Mingzhao Hall. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and stood guard outside the imperial study.
The two of them deliberately lowered their voices in the imperial study. Lin Ran didn’t release his divine sense, so he didn’t know what the two of them were talking about inside.
After waiting in boredom for about half an hour, the door of the imperial study suddenly opened. Huo Qiyun stood at the door and curled his finger at Lin Ran. “Come.”
Huo Qiyun’s tone was very strange. Lin Ran suddenly remembered that when he was in high school, this was the tone students from other classes spoke when they came to ask for a fight.
It was a kind of contempt for one’s opponent under blind confidence. Moreover, this tone was usually malicious.
“Sigh… A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger!”
Lin Ran sighed in his heart and strode over, not caring about the hostility Huo Qiyun showed.
The difference in their cultivation levels was obvious. If Huo Qiyun dared to attack, Lin Ran didn’t mind teaching him a lesson.