As soon as Lin Ran walked into the imperial study, Huo Qiyun closed the door behind him. Then, he pulled out his sword and blocked the door, as if he was afraid that Lin Ran would run away.
Seeing Huo Qiyun draw his sword, the empress’s expression changed slightly. “Qiyun! What are you doing? Put away your sword!”
Huo Qiyun didn’t reply. He just looked at Lin Ran coldly and said in a commanding tone, “Draw your sword and let me see what you’re capable of!”
Lin Ran turned around and glanced at Huo Qiyun casually. Then, he looked at the empress. “Did you tell him?”
“Most of it.”
The empress nodded, but her expression was a little subtle.
Lin Ran instantly understood. Most of it had been said, which meant that she had left out something crucial.
At the thought of this, Lin Ran finally turned to face Huo Qiyun and asked with a smile, “Why do you want to see what I’m capable of?”
“You’re His Majesty’s personal guard. I want to see if you have the ability to protect His Majesty.”
Huo Qiyun replied calmly, but before he spoke, he clearly turned his eyes to the upper right. That was a sign that he was lying.
Lin Ran chuckled to himself. It seemed that Huo Qiyun was indeed a genius, just like him.
“Alright, I’ll show you.”
Lin Ran nodded, and a cold glint flashed across his eyes. Then, some invisible shackles in his body began to shatter.
Huo Qiyun’s expression changed almost instantly. “No! You’re not a Senior Martial Master!”
Lin Ran only smiled and didn’t say anything. His aura began to rise steadily.
Senior Martial Master, Grandmaster, Senior Grandmaster…
Senior Grand Master Level 1, 2, 3…
It wasn’t until he reached the peak of the ninth level of Senior Grandmaster Realm that Lin Ran’s aura stabilized. Although it was still far from his limit, his intuition told him that he had to keep enough trump cards when facing this strange kid.
However, even if it was only the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm, it was enough to make Huo Qiyun’s face turn pale. He did not even notice that the sword in his hand had fallen to the ground!
The endless sharp sword intent seemed to have materialized. The imperial study was calm, but Huo Qiyun felt as if he was in a turbulent sea. The wind howled and the waves surged, but he was like a small boat that could only drift along with the waves in the destructive storm!
“Gulp!”
Huo Qiyun gulped and knelt down instinctively.
Lin Ran didn’t expect this cocky kid to be so gun-shy. He quickly retracted his sword intent and suppressed his cultivation to the realm of a Senior Martial Master.
The sword intent dissipated, but Huo Qiyun was still kneeling on the ground in a daze.
Seeing this, the empress couldn’t help but look worried. She came to Lin Ran’s side and asked softly, “What did you do to him? Will he be fine?”
“He’s fine. He was just scared.”
Lin Ran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. When Huo Qiyun gradually came back to his senses, Lin Ran asked with a faint smile, “How is it? Did you see what I’m capable of? Do you want to see it again?”
“No need, no need! I’ve seen it clearly.”
Huo Qiyun’s expression changed and he waved his hand repeatedly. After saying that, he realized that he was still kneeling on the ground. He quickly got up and pretended to be calm.
Lin Ran found it funny, but he couldn’t be bothered to expose him. He went straight to the point and said, “Senior Sword God has to deal with some private matters. I don’t know when he’ll be back, so His Majesty wants me to pretend to be him for the time being. Are you willing to cooperate with us?”
The empress also said, “Qiyun, the situation between the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and the Great Yong Dynasty is tense. If people know Grandpa Sword God isn’t around, a war might break out. This is for the sake of the world. Are you willing to help me this time?”
As long as Huo Qiyun still had justice in his heart, he would definitely not refuse. Even if he did not cooperate with them to put up a show, he would at least promise to keep it a secret.
However, after a while, Huo Qiyun still didn’t say anything. He just frowned at Lin Ran as if he couldn’t figure out what was going on.
Lin Ran didn’t expect Huo Qiyun to have this reaction. He suddenly felt a little uncertain. He leaned over to the empress and asked in a low voice, “Is he going to say no? If that’s the case, I have to kill him.”
The empress shook her head. “No, Qiyun has been a good child since he was young. Moreover, this matter is for the sake of the world. He will definitely agree.”
“A good child who wanders around and kills a dozen people in a year…”
Lin Ran pursed his lips and looked at the empress teasingly. “It seems that our definition of ‘good child’ is a little different.”
The empress rolled her eyes and did not speak. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Qiyun, I know that you admire Grandpa Sword God. If you don’t want to help, I can understand. I just hope you can keep this a secret.”
“Got it!”
Huo Qiyun suddenly spoke, but he didn’t answer the empress. He looked at Lin Ran excitedly. “I felt that your sword intent was a little familiar just now. That’s Grandpa Sword God’s sword intent!”
Lin Ran was surprised. “You almost peed your pants just now. How can you distinguish my sword intent?”
“Grandpa Sword God taught me to stay calm at all times. Panic and anger will only kill you faster.”
Huo Qiyun repeated it as if he was reciting it from memory. Then, he ran up to Lin Ran and sized him up as if it was their first time meeting. “Who are you? Why do you have Grandpa Sword God’s sword intent?”
Before Lin Ran could speak, the empress explained, “Commander Lin used to be a mountain guardian of Mount Sword. He received a lot of guidance from Grandpa Sword God. He is considered your Senior Apprentice-Brother.”
“No, no, no. Grandpa Sword God taught me first. I’m the senior brother.”
Huo Qiyun shook his finger and stared at Lin Ran with a scrutinizing gaze. “His sword intent is not only similar to Grandpa Sword God’s, but it’s almost identical. If he wasn’t so ugly, I would have suspected that Grandpa Sword God had returned to his youth.”
Lin Ran’s expression instantly darkened. He grabbed Huo Qiyun’s collar and said coldly, “You can insult my intelligence, but you can’t insult my looks! I don’t care if you are a child or not. If you dare to say that again, I’ll kill you!”
The empress’s expression turned solemn. If Huo Qiyun said another word about Lin Ran being ugly, she had no doubt that Lin Ran would really attack.
However, Huo Qiyun didn’t seem to be afraid at all. Instead, he looked at Lin Ran meaningfully. “You won’t kill me. I know your secret.”
Lin Ran’s attitude softened, but he still pretended to be fierce. “Then tell me, what secret do you have that can stop me from killing you?”
Huo Qiyun’s eyes suddenly turned red. He whispered into Lin Ran’s ear, “Grandpa Sword God is no longer around, right?”