Outside the Martial Arts Hall, the Empress's carriage was quietly parked, the horses flicking their tails and snorting.
After handling matters at the Imperial Food Bureau, Mo Chou, accompanied by the Lantern Carrying Palace Maid, arrived here and frowned, "Hasn't His Majesty come out yet?"
A female official nodded respectfully:
"In response to Zhaorong, His Majesty went inside to discuss matters with Mr. Zhao and instructed us to wait here."
It's been so long... Mo Chou thought for a moment, stepping over the threshold of the Martial Arts Hall, but as she was about to enter the backyard, she was politely stopped by two Tributors.
"Please halt, Zhaorong, His Majesty ordered not to be disturbed," one Tributor said.
Mo Chou bit her lip, nodded, and said, "I'll wait here."
"Let's stop here. You've mastered the Magic Door for Qi Movement; that's enough."
As another round of teaching ended, Xu Zhenguan said softly.
"...I am slow-witted. Could you teach it once more?"
"...What do you think?"
Zhao Douan gave a sheepish smile, stepped back, holding a peach blossom branch in his hand, and said:
"His Majesty is busy with state affairs; I roughly understand now."
As the two stepped apart, the warmth on Xu Zhenguan's face quickly faded. She took a deep breath, tossed away the peach blossom branch in her hand, composed herself, and said, "To master this technique is not easy, but you should follow this Swordsmanship and try to slice the peach blossoms on the tree from afar."
Isn't that simple? Zhao Douan flicked his wrist, and with a low swishing sound, a petal of peach blossoms fell from above his head.
Xu Zhenguan gave a half-smile:
"When you can practice until the sword is silent, the peach blossom is cut but clings to the branch and won't fall easily, then you will have gotten the basics."
Cut them but not let them fall? What a harsh demand... Zhao Douan's mouth twitched, but he still nodded and said:
"I understand, Your Majesty."
Saying so, he sat cross-legged on the ground, mindfully comprehending the essence of the swordsmanship taught by Zhenbao, occasionally picking up the peach blossom branch to wave it twice, then setting it down again to ponder.
"I will also lodge here tonight; if you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
Xu Zhenguan suddenly stated, then gracefully moved into the nearby inner hall to practice her breathing techniques.
She was assuming the attitude of a teacher now.
She originally thought that with the slick personality of this member of the Little Forbidden Army, he would surely come up with all kinds of Swordsmanship questions to ask her constantly, taking the opportunity to get close.
Yet she was wrong. For the next hour, Zhao Douan did not leave the backyard, genuinely engaging in diligent cultivation.
Was it to show off in front of me? To quickly improve and give me a surprise? To make me gasp in amazement? Xu Zhenguan recalled the few storybooks she had read in her youth, pondering over his intentions.
She smiled with her lips slightly curled up, shook her head, amused, and simply sat cross-legged to meditate herself.
"The Peach Blossom Sword Technique, although not complicated, was created by the Grand Ancestor Emperor. How much progress can one make in a single night?"
The night deepened, and the darkness lay over the Imperial Palace like a thick quilt.
Unknowingly, dawn broke, and when the sky brightened with the light of dawn, the Empress's eyelashes trembled, and she opened her eyes, only to be astonished that an entire night had passed.
"Did that guy really practice all night?"
Xu Zhenguan muttered in her heart as she slowly stood up, pushed open the door to the backyard, and found, under the dim light of the morning, in the faint mist.
Zhao Douan was still sitting in the same position as last night, sitting cross-legged under the giant peach tree, the "sword" lying across his knees, eyes closed, head slightly bowed, as if he had fallen asleep.
This guy... fell asleep ... The Empress's mouth twitched, and she sighed helplessly, feeling a bit disappointed in her heart, then stepped over, trying to wake him up to go inside to sleep.
However, at this very moment, a gentle breeze swept into the backyard, and from the lush canopy, countless peach blossoms fell like big soft snowflakes, covering the ground in an instant, leaving only a few remnants clinging to the barren tree branches.
Xu Zhenguan's beautiful eyes widened slightly, staring at the scene in astonishment.
"Your Majesty?" Zhao Douan woke from his doze, rubbed his dark circles, glanced at the peach blossoms scattered on his shoulders, and looked up with a bright smile:
Mo Chou, who had waited all night in the front yard, sitting on the steps with her arms wrapped around her knees, was startled awake. Groggily, she saw the Empress of Yu Country strolling out.
"Your Majesty? You are up?" Mo Chou asked, full of infinite resentment.
Xu Zhenguan didn't seem to notice her, mumbling softly to herself:
"What a strange occurrence, what a strange occurrence..."
The arrival of the Qingshan Disciples had eventually caught the attention of many, especially those in the Capital officialdom.
Notably, the cultivators in the city were particularly concerned about the competition between these two major martial arts traditions.
In an elegantly decorated private room of a teahouse, Xue Shence and Yuann Li also discussed this matter during a social gathering.
"Mr. Xue, as a top military expert, who do you think will emerge victorious in this palace duel?"
Yuann Li, the Pure Stream Party Leader, held a pair of chopsticks, picking up a piece of codfish, inquisitively asked.
Xue Shence, with a military officer background, maintained a straight and dignified posture even in a private banquet. He glanced at Yuan Qingyi and replied indifferently:
"Mr. Yuan, do you lack confidence in the court tribute?"
Yuann Li laughed, commenting with a sigh:
"I am not well-versed in martial arts, and I don't understand the disparity as Mr. Xue does, but I know people. From what I hear, the Qingshan disciples came with great momentum, so they must be quite confident. Fortunately, some days ago, Junior Guardian Zhao used some means to curb them a bit, and although there have been ongoing matches between the two sides, there's been no heightened tension."
Xue Shence sighed and said:
"I've heard that Qingshan's current generation has produced many talents. Aside from not mentioning Wu Xiankui, who is attempting to break through the void and reach Human Immortal status, there are numerous strong contenders below Duan Shuiliu, whereas the Imperial Family... only Junior Guardian Zhao has somewhat of a reputation. Unfortunately, the duel came too early, even if he barely stepped into the Divine Chapter High Grade, it's hard to turn the tide... Such a duel cannot involve the Taia Sword. "