Chapter 26
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Chapter 26: One Below the Rest, Superior to Ten Thousand!
As the chief of Zhuyan peak, despite being idle most of the time, Yan Yue is still well-informed.
After all, even though she is afraid of everything, the Blood Tree Patriarch would actively take on her unfinished work for her.
Therefore, when Bai Lian met Xu Pan, Yan Yue received detailed information.
However, she didn’t move at that time.
Not only did she not move, but also she was frequently unhappy.
She sat in the pavilion with her legs crossed, looking very ungraceful. One of her shoes had fallen off due to her anger and her socks were also wrinkled.
And then.
Yan Yue slammed the heavily worn seven-stringed lyre onto the stone table with a loud clap.
This time, both the stone table and the lyre suffered.
"You’re too petty."
The Blood Tree Patriarch couldn’t stand it.
It actually felt sympathy for the seven-stringed lyre, after all, both of them were made of wood.
"Humph!" Yan Yue snorted coldly. "You know I’m stingy, it’s been like this since childhood."
"…"
The Blood Tree Patriarch shook his treetop helplessly.
Yan Yue’s appearance frightened the young disciples guarding outside the forest.
He could only advise in a low voice, "Play the lyre quietly, don’t corrupt these young people."
"Nagging!"
Yan Yue rudely retorted.
However, despite her words, her speed in playing the seven-stringed lyre had slowed down considerably.
The originally sharp and piercing sound of the lyre now sounded somewhat pleasant to the ears.
This is Yan Yue.
The Blood Tree Patriarch thought to himself, it can understand, after all, Yan Yue is behaving like a young girl in love.
On weekdays, she could tolerate the playfulness of those Martial Sisters with Bai Lian to a certain extent.
This time, to everyone’s surprise, Bai Lian actually went to Da Mang Mountain to fight with someone for a woman from outside.
Sour, sour, sour…
It’s so sour that her mood is about to explode!
Even if all the lemons on the lemon trees were eaten up, Yan Yue would still not be as sour as she is now.
After a long time, the Blood Tree Patriarch spoke again, "I never thought of that."
"Thought of what?"
Yan Yue paused from what she was doing and looked at the Blood Tree Patriarch with a hint of confusion.
The Blood Tree Patriarch calmly stated, "At first, I thought you would end up with An Lan, which would not have been a bad choice. An Lan may seem cold and avoidant of trouble, but she is still a reliable person, so…"
Before it finished speaking, Yan Yue suddenly plucked at the strings of her lyre.
"Hmmmm—"
The sound was bewitching and ear-piercing.
The sturdy and solid trunk of the Blood Tree Patriarch began to sway like a cat that had been stroked several times.
"Then I’ll make a long story short," said the Blood Tree Patriarch, "I didn’t expect you to be interested in Bai Lian… after all, your identities are different."
Hehe.
Yan Yue pursed her lips.
Isn’t it just the master and disciple? What’s there to be surprised about?
There’s even more excitement inside.
She finished her conversation with the Blood Tree Patriarch, then sat for a while before receiving new information.
This time the news came from the Taixuan Taoist Sect.
It is said that after leaving Da Mang Mountain, Bai Lian avenged the founding ancestor of the Duxian sect, Gong Xuexin, by beheading the Spiritual Path Master in front of countless people.
Clatter–
In that moment, Yan Yue suddenly stood up.
The seven-stringed lyre was knocked over by her, leaving a red mark on her fair knees.
However, she is completely unable to attend to these matters right now.
"She…"
Her right hand rested on her slightly undulating chest, her gaze fixed upon the Blood Tree Patriarch. Her breaths became erratic, to the point where she was momentarily unable to form words.
Yet, the glimmer in her eyes still filled others with a sense of longing, akin to the way morning light spills into an alleyway.
The Blood Tree Patriarch gazed at Yan Yue for a long while.
"So you actually knew all along?"
Yan Yue nodded.
She certainly knew.
Although Bai Lian had called her narcissistic at the time, she also lacked memories that could connect the past and the present.
But she was not foolish, how could she not deduce the relationship between herself and Gong Xuexin?
After all, she was a top-notch expert in her field, lazy as she might be, whether good or bad, she still had some real skills.
"That…"
Yan Yue interrupted the Blood Tree Patriarch, "I need to see her, now, immediately!"
The Blood Tree Patriarch immediately took responsibility, "I’ll take you there."
Yan Yue hastily waved her hand, "No, no need. If you go together with me, there will be some things I cannot bring myself to say."
The Blood Tree Patriarch fell silent for a few breaths, then said, "Very well, I wish you good luck."
Yan Yue excitedly took out the Heavenly Surveillance Talisman.
She crushed the talisman.
The Blood Tree Patriarch extended a branch, beckoning lightly as if it were his hand.
At the moment when she was about to step into the magic array, Yan Yue suddenly retracted her foot.
In the astonished gaze of the Blood Tree Patriarch, she opened her arms and hugged the Blood Tree Patriarch.
"Thank you."
At this moment, it is difficult to find a more powerful phrase than this.
The Blood Tree Patriarch laughed and said, "Today is New Year’s Eve, so let’s laugh joyfully."
New Year’s Eve?
Suddenly, Yan Yue realized that it was already 23 o’clock.
Today is the last day of the year.
"I know."
She laughed until her eyes squinted, and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.
The Blood Tree Patriarch was thus reassured.
Time didn’t leave much trace on Yan Yue, she was still the same as when they first met.
This is what it wants to see.
It wants to see Yan Yue become one of the happiest people in the Duxian sect.
Yan Yue finally stepped into the magic array.
As her figure was about to completely disappear, she saw the Duxian sect raising many colorful lights.
The festive atmosphere has already started to spread.
…
It’s not such a long road from the border of Heluo Country to Tianyi City.
Unless intentionally slowed down, the emperor’s carriage would only take a few moments to cross this journey.
However, in order to let more people admire the emperor’s majesty, and to quickly stabilize the fearful Heluo Country, the crowd still walked for about two quarters of an hour.
These two quarters of an hour were extraordinary!
Although the faces of the people outside the carriage were stern, their hearts could not be at peace.
They were the first ones to receive the news about the Battle of Da Mang Mountain and the turmoil in the Taixuan Taoist Sect, otherwise, they wouldn’t have arrived so quickly to greet the emperor.
Who could have foreseen things would develop to this point?
With Bai Lian’s full support, the position of the eldest princess can be said to be even more secure than that of her royal brother.
Most of them had previously harboured disloyal thoughts.
How will the eldest princess, who has suddenly received strong external support, deal with them upon returning to Tianyi City?
This is a question that most people have to seriously consider.
The mere thought of it makes them feel burning hot, as if they are standing in the middle of a fire, sweating profusely, and could be burnt to ashes at any moment.
These two quarters of an hour are longer to them than two hours!
Actually, the two people in the car have the same idea.
Bai Lian was currently giving her "wholehearted physical support" to the eldest princess.
This kind of thing is naturally not very strenuous, but the special environment still gives her an extremely eerie experience.
Bai Lian found herself full of energy, but unable to use it. In no time, she was sweating profusely and her hands and feet became weak.
From the beginning of being confused, to now passively accepting, she had only one thought in her mind-
This is really outrageous!
She was truly amazed by the eldest princess’s skills.
[I never expected you, the eldest princess, to be like this!]
Perhaps this is just natural talent.
After all, before this, the eldest princess had never done "it" by herself, but after Bai Lian taught her step by step, she immediately learned it.
Not only did she learn it, but she also applied the knowledge to other areas and gained an understanding of many principles of "flower arrangement".
"Flower arranging is an elegant art with many techniques worth exploring."
"Combining upward and downward movements, closely adhering the base material to the main flowers, coordinating the perspective and creating a harmonious whole, giving people a sense of stability."
"Pay more attention to important points while emphasizing them, distribute your energy rationally, and don’t neglect the theme of the work."
"Firstly, insert larger and more important flowers together, preferably of the same kind, in the same stage. If you want to take care of everything, it is inevitable that the order and hierarchy will become chaotic, resulting in the final work being in a state of neither up nor down."
The eldest princess spoke fluently and eloquently.
While discussing theory, the eldest princess immediately conducted a "thorough practice" with the help of Bai Lian.
As the saying goes, familiarity breeds fondness.
The eldest princess was gradually entering her prime.
With her diligent effort, she quickly savored the taste of hard work and the joy of self-fulfillment!
Her face lit up with excitement, and she hugged Bai Lian in excitement, letting out a joyful shriek.
She did it, ah ah ah!
She finally completed her first "artwork" with Bai Lian!
Is there anything more perfect than this?
It was indeed beyond the expectations of the eldest princess.
She didn’t expect things to go so smoothly, nor did she expect it to be so exciting and fulfilling.
After completing the work, she invited Bai Lian to "have tea" with her, just as she had mentioned earlier.
After the toil, they drank a cup of excellently flavored "hot tea"…
Hmm.
"How about it?"
The eldest princess looked at Bai Lian with an expectant gaze.
Bai Lian said, "Actually, I prefer iced tea."
The eldest princess’s eyes shimmered with a relaxed and charming expression, without any signs of exhaustion.
"Next time, I will let you taste the iced tea that I personally brewed."
"Hmm."
Bai Lian lightly responded.
Their relationship had become so intimate that there was no need for further concealment.
The eldest princess immediately revealed a genuine smile on her face.
She stood up excitedly, unashamedly displaying her flawless and shapely figure in front of Bai Lian.
After pacing back and forth twice, she sat down again, her voice full of regret, "Unfortunately, we are almost at Tianyi City, and there are still many things I want you to teach me."
This is clearly a female academic enthusiast, and ordinary people don’t associate her with rebellious teenage girls.
Bai Lian nodded as she pulled on the semi-transparent white stockings.
Teaching and imparting "knowledge".
She was now familiar with such matters, it’s natural to teach someone like the eldest princess.
"I’ll teach you next time."
"Good!"
The eldest princess readily agreed.
She didn’t rush to change into the emperor’s new clothes hanging in the carriage, instead, she got down on her hands and knees facing away from Bai Lian, carefully wiping away the water stains on the expensive carpet.
The majority of the water stains were spilled from the flower vase accidentally knocked over during flower arrangement, and they were extremely cold, but there were also some water droplets that carried a hint of warmth.
Then, the eldest princess lifted up the flower vase again.
Just as she was about to take action, Bai Lian got up slightly and put the fallen flowers back in order.
The two exchanged a glance.
The eldest princess sighed, "The candlestick fell over, fortunately this carpet is fire-proof."
Bai Lian said irritably, "Because you reacted too strongly at the beginning."
The eldest princess laughed awkwardly.
It’s not her fault.
After all, it was her first time learning.
She sat back opposite Bai Lian, propping her cheeks with both hands, looking at the vase on the table, as if also watching Bai Lian still playing with her socks.
The flickering firelight caused her shadow to merge with Bai Lian’s shadow.
Suddenly, the eldest princess said, "That’s really beautiful."
Bai Lian glanced at her and said, "There aren’t any other adjectives?"
"Of course there are, I’ve read a lot of books!" replied the eldest princess naively, "Let me recite some poems for you."
Bai Lian stood a little taller and pulled at the edge of her stockings.
Snap.
That was the sound of socks hitting against the waist.
"I’m listening."
The eldest princess shook her head lightly, "Holding the cup, the cherry moves slightly, and the jasmine fragrance is lightly floating in the air. I once saw Baijia Fan’s lips, with pumpkin seeds and pomegranates interwoven with fragrance."
The candlelight flickered more and more violently.
Bai Lian asked with a smile, "What else?"
"With snow forming peaks, kneading fragrance into dew, like two precious pearls, reminiscent of the beginning…"
The eldest princess was happily reciting the poem. Just then, there came a loud cry from outside the carriage like the surge of the waves.
"Welcome, Your Majesty!"
"…"
The girl’s voice abruptly halted, with her mouth half opened.
She was somewhat annoyed, yet also somewhat regretful.
Only after staring at Bai Lian for a long time did she say, "I’ll read it to you next time."
Bai Lian chuckled, "I thought you might deliberately avoid going out at this time."
"How could that be possible?" The eldest princess shook her head.
Bai Lian said, "But didn’t you just say with great confidence that you’re going to do something they dare not even think about?"
The eldest princess quickly interrupted her and said, "This… it’s different. I’ll talk to you about it later."
She hurried to change into her gorgeous new clothes, but because she was in a rush, she almost tripped over a fallen copper pillar.
She turned her head and saw Bai Lian walking towards her.
"Let me help you change your clothes."
"Then you…"
"Anyway, I am not in a hurry to go out. After you leave, I will slowly adjust. I have to say," Bai Lian leaned in to the eldest princess’s ear, "your tea has a wonderful effect, and my injuries have already healed for the most part."
"…"
The eldest princess’s body tensed, and she realized that she was struggling to hold on.
"Then please help me change my clothes quickly."
She sat down heavily.
After bustling sounds for a while, the eldest princess, who had changed into black imperial attire, walked out of the spacious sedan chair confidently.
The sound of cheering echoed outside the palace.
The Tianyi City was brightly lit, with a bustling crowd on the streets.
The colorful jade bead curtain on the eldest princess’ black coronet fluttered in the wind, making her face look obscure.
Suddenly, she turned her head and said to the people in the car, "My name is Xu Li, with the nickname Wan’er."
All of these events arose and then vanished like a sudden spring breeze.
When Bai Lian came to her senses, the eldest princess had already stepped forward and shouted with a steady voice, "Bow down, all of you!"
The city once again echoed with cheers.
Which side of the eldest princess is the true one, the one facing the crowd or the one turning her back to Bai Lian?
Or perhaps, no matter which side she shows, she is still herself.
Bai Lian gently stroked the frame of the carriage.
"This carriage has good quality."
At least much better than her old and shabby Cloud Chasing Boat.
Early morning of December 30th.
The celebration of Tianyi City was still ongoing.
Bai Lian has been temporarily arranged to reside in the deep palace, which is rather impolite, but no one dares to speak out at this moment.
The eldest princess, who returned from the morning court, abandoned everything and hurried to Bai Lian’s place of residence.
If the carriage can be considered pure, then the palace shrouded by the Heavenly Secrets Magic Array is even more undisturbed.
Next to the table.
The eldest princess removed her crown and said, "I thought there would be many twists and turns, but everything has been strangely peaceful. You are the one to thank for that."
Bai Lian, who had just finished tending her wounds, asked, "You seem somewhat hesitant?"
The eldest princess said, "Naturally, after all, the one they fear is not me."
Bai Lian gave her a glance of disdain, "Weren’t you brimming with confidence before?"
"Certainly, I am confident," the eldest princess undid her tightly bound waistband, "my talent is not lacking, and with the Heavenly Secrets Magic Array and the Gate of All Living Beings, there is no reason why I cannot personally suppress them in the future. Therefore, I will not take action against them now. I have to wait."
Bai Lian laughed, "Then I wish you to become the true ruler among the people as soon as possible!"
The eldest princess kicked off her shoes and propped up her cheeks, "I have figured out how to make good use of the Gate of All Living Beings. Before this, the emperors of Heluo Country had a very narrow vision."
"How do you use it?"
The eldest princess suddenly pressed her lips and said, "I’ll tell you later, for now…"
"?"
Bai Lian suddenly had a hunch.
The eldest princess seated herself at the table and lightly shook her robe, "I am feeling sad now. Clearly I am the emperor, so why must I still be beneath someone else? I don’t care, at least today, I will reverse reality!"
"…"
Huh.
Woman!
Bai Lian then noticed that the eldest princess was only wearing her outer garment.
However, it was precisely at this moment that the system task suddenly appeared.
[Task 1: Tentatively agree to Xu Li’s request (Reward: Creation Elixir)]
[Task 2: Directly refuse and tell Xu Li not to harbor unrealistic hopes (Reward: a High-grade Spirit Tool – Flying Fire Meteor Stick)]
[Task 3: Indicating politely that it’s not convenient now (Focus +3).]
The Creation Elixir is an incredibly high-quality Medicinal Pill used in making avatars.
"What do I need this for?"
ʅ(‾◡◝)ʃ
As for the high-grade Spirit Tool, it’s also of no use.
After a moment of hesitation, Bai Lian’s gaze fell upon Task 3.
The system didn’t appear while she was fighting with the Spiritual Path Master, so coming out now surely means there is a big problem!
Let’s choose Task 3 instead.
I am available to discuss "knowledge" with the eldest princess at any time.
"It’s a bit inconvenient right now…" Bai Lian said, planning to come up with a reasonable excuse.
However, at that moment, the eldest princess suddenly jumped down from the table.
"Someone’s here."
Immediately, she glanced at Bai Lian and smiled, "It is indeed inconvenient now."
She bent down to put on her shoes, fastened her belt, and put back on her crown, appearing dignified.
"Your Master Yan Yue has arrived."
Master Yan Yue?
Bai Lian immediately released her Divine Sense and sure enough, Yan Yue was sneaking around in the palace at that very moment.
She was hiding very deeply, and coupled with the fearful atmosphere in the palace, she managed to avoid detection for a while.
"I will go and invite her in."
The eldest princess said calmly, not waiting for Bai Lian’s response, and brought Yan Yue in directly.
They were both confused.
The eldest princess said, "It’s very quiet here, no one will disturb us."
Her voice was slightly heavy, and Yan Yue nodded subconsciously.
"The two of you can catch up here, I have some important matters to attend to. I will sincerely thank White Emperor Bai Lian for her kindness tomorrow morning."
She emphasized again on "tomorrow morning".
"Ah, good."
Yan Yue nodded blankly, it’s indeed pretty good, now there’s only her and Bai Lian here.
The eldest princess departed with a smile.
Bai Lian’s lips moved slightly. No, something wasn’t right. She had a feeling that the eldest princess had malicious intentions.
Don’t go!
"Bai Lian!"
At this moment, Yan Yue stared at Bai Lian pensively.
