“There’s something you’re not telling me.”
Lin Ran went straight to the point and said in a firm tone.
Almost at the same time, he saw a trace of panic flash across the empress’s eyes.
The panic disappeared in a flash. The empress curled her lips and revealed a playful expression. “What nonsense are you talking about? In this palace, I trust you and Qiyun the most. Why would I hide anything from you?”
Lin Ran didn’t say anything and just stared at the empress with a fierce expression.
This was a technique he had just learned from Huo Qiyun. He named it “Pressure of Silence”.
Even though the Ten Miles Sword God had an extraordinary status, he was not omniscient. Most of the time, he had to obtain some information through asking.
As expected, the empress only lasted for half a minute under the pressure.
“You’re cheating!”
The empress pouted and said aggrievedly with tears in her eyes. No one would associate her with the emperor of a country.
Lin Ran couldn’t help but be moved. He retracted his gaze and said helplessly, “I didn’t want to do this either. It’s you who doesn’t want to cooperate.”
The empress seemed to be still angry. She pouted and didn’t look at Lin Ran. Lin Ran didn’t know how to coax her, so he could only wait patiently for her to calm down.
Fortunately, the empress was not a grumpy person. After a few minutes, she calmed down.
“You’re right. I’m hiding something from you.”
The empress returned to her usual calm self. She looked at Lin Ran and said seriously, “At first, I didn’t tell you because this matter might concern your life and death. I was worried that you would be afraid and escape. Later, I didn’t tell you because this matter can’t threaten you anymore. It’s pointless to bring it up.”
Lin Ran said flatly, “Go to the point.”
The empress sighed and seemed to be a little conflicted. After a few seconds, she said, “How about this? It’s getting late. Go back and rest first. After the banquet is over, I’ll tell you the whole thing.”
Lin Ran frowned.
This sounded like an excuse to stall for time. After the state banquet, the empress might turn hostile and refuse to admit it. If that was the case, he really couldn’t do anything to the empress.
Even so, Lin Ran still nodded in agreement.
The two of them had worked together for so long. Even if they did not go through thick and thin together, they should still trust each other.
“I’ll be very sad if you go back on your word.”
With that, Lin Ran left the imperial study.
When he returned to Mingzhao Hall, Huo Qiyun was still reading the sword technique. His expression was sometimes stunned and sometimes puzzled, but most of the time, he was puzzled.
Seeing Lin Ran enter, Huo Qiyun immediately leaned over and asked with a frown, “Did you remember this sword technique wrongly? Why can’t I understand most of it?”
Lin Ran didn’t get the answer he wanted and was in a bad mood. When he heard this, he retorted, “Of course! This is the sword technique left behind by the Ten Miles Sword God. If it’s so easy to understand, wouldn’t everyone be able to become the Sword God?”
After saying that, Lin Ran felt a little proud. When he saw the sword technique in the cave, although he didn’t master it at first glance, he could at least understand it.
“Genius? Not so much.” Lin Ran thought smugly to himself.
Seeing Huo Qiyun rack his brain, trying to understand it, Lin Ran’s heart suddenly softened. He comforted him, “It took me at least a year to learn this sword technique, so don’t worry. Memorize it first. Otherwise, you won’t understand even if I teach you.”
“Alright! I’ll memorize it.”
After being encouraged, Huo Qiyun was instantly motivated and went near the oil lamp to continue reading it seriously.
Lin Ran couldn’t help but laugh before lying down on the bed.
There was still a major event tomorrow. As the main character, he had to rest well.
When Lin Ran opened his eyes again, it was already ten o’clock the next day. There was only an hour left until the state banquet at noon. The reason why he knew it was because he was forcefully pulled up by Huo Qiyun.
“Hurry up! Your hair hasn’t been dyed yet. It’ll be too late if you dawdle any longer!”
As Huo Qiyun spoke, he pulled the groggy Lin Ran to a chair and began to fiddle with his tools.
When Lin Ran was completely awake, his black hair had already turned gray. Coupled with his age-old face, even if he didn’t show any expression, he looked like a senior master.
Then, Lin Ran changed into a black robe. There were dragon patterns embroidered with golden thread on his clothes and sleeves.
Logically speaking, this was a pattern that only the royal family could use. However, with Ten Miles Sword God’s status, no one would dare to find fault with him.
After everything was prepared, Huo Qiyun brought over a long wooden box.
Sensing the familiar sword intent, Lin Ran couldn’t help but smile. After opening it, it was indeed the Sword God’s sword—Ten Miles Dragon Roar.
Ten Miles Dragon Roar was broken, so in order to hide the broken part, the empress specially equipped a scabbard for this sword.
The scabbard was made of metal with a five-clawed golden dragon coiling around it. The dragon’s body happened to be connected to the dragon head on the sword hilt. There were also seven rubies on the scabbard, arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper, which reflected the dragon-patterned rubies on the hilt.
Lin Ran couldn’t help but praise, “It’s as if this scabbard was tailor-made for the Ten Miles Dragon Roar!”
When Huo Qiyun heard this, he looked at Lin Ran in disdain. “Why are you talking about? This is the original scabbard of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar!”
Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. Back then, he only found the broken Dragon Roar in the cave and thought that this sword did not have a scabbard. He did not expect that the scabbard had always been in the palace.
But why wasn’t the scabbard and sword together?
Lin Ran vaguely felt that this might have something to do with the thing the empress was hiding from him. Anyway, he could get the answer after the state banquet, so he put it to the back of his mind for the time being.
With the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, all the preparations were ready.
Huo Qiyun also grabbed his sword and pushed open the door of Mingzhao Hall. He turned around and cupped his hands solemnly. “Grandpa Sword God! Let’s go!”
Lin Ran nodded and walked out of Mingzhao Hall with his hands behind his back.
The moment he walked out of the door and looked at the reverent gazes of the palace guards around him, Lin Ran suddenly had a strange feeling, as if he had always been the Sword God.