Chapter 9: The Princess's Invitation

In the pitch-black, airtight chamber, where one could not see their own hand in front of their face, chilling gusts of wind howled. The torchlight flickered and died, and sharp, mournful cries echoed through the darkness.

A sense of terror, deep enough to make the soul tremble, surged straight to Ren Ye’s brain. Although he could no longer see that face in the dark, every detail of it was etched with terrifying clarity into his memory.

He felt an immediate sense of unease. It felt as though something was pressing against his back. Why did his shoulders suddenly feel so heavy? It felt as if someone was breathing right against his cheek—could it be that it was pressed right up against him?

The unseen is always the most terrifying. Ren Ye felt as if that thing were everywhere. He was even reminded of the funerals he had attended in the countryside, where he had seen the elders lying in their coffins. Some of their faces were bruised and purple, others deathly pale, and some looked like little demons smeared with rouge.

"Damn it, I’ll fight you to the death!"

Ren Ye snapped. He didn't even know what he was shouting, but acting on pure instinct, he drew the Sword of National Protection and slashed wildly in front of him and behind him.

*Swoosh!*

As he swung, the sword suddenly erupted in a brilliant, dazzling light, as if a divine weapon had descended upon the world.

Blinded by the glare, Ren Ye heard two mournful wails before the chamber returned to silence. His adrenaline was still spiking, and he didn't stop, swinging the sword until it hummed through the air, all the while cursing, "Come on! Fight me! I’ll shave your long hair down to a buzz cut!"

"Your Highness, Your Highness...!" Suddenly, Er Leng’s urgent voice came from the left. "Stop swinging! The dirty thing is gone, it’s gone... stop, or I’m going to fight back...!"

*Huff, huff!* Hearing the voice, Ren Ye stood panting in place, taking a long moment to fully regain his senses.

*Snap!*

A spark from a flint reignited the torches.

Ren Ye turned to see Er Leng sprawled face-down on the floor. His left hand was clutching his backside, which was oozing a bit of blood, while his right hand held a torch, his face flushed red.

"What happened to your backside? Did that ghost... did the ghost bite your rear?" Ren Ye asked with concern.

"I treat you as my master, Your Highness, so why do you treat my backside as your sword scabbard?" Er Leng asked, looking aggrieved.

"I stabbed you? Uh, my apologies. My swordsmanship is entirely based on intuition...!"

"It’s nothing, just a scratch." Er Leng felt around, unable to tell the difference between his anatomy and the sword cut; the wound was tiny.

"As long as you're alright. I'll have Lian'er bring you some ointment later."

"You really mean it, Your Highness?" Er Leng’s eyes brightened.

...

With all the torches in the chamber relit, calm was restored. Ren Ye and Er Leng tacitly moved away from the iron door, hung the evil-repelling Sword of National Protection in the center of the room, and began to search rapidly.

About a quarter of an hour later, Ren Ye finally found an old secret edict under a low writing desk. He stood under the firelight, scanned it briefly, and was instantly overjoyed.

As the firelight danced, Ren Ye leaned against the wall, reading every word on the edict carefully.

Judging by the content, this was a secret edict written by the old Emperor to the previous Prince Huai—the father of Zhu Zigui. Translated into plain language, it read: "My son, seeing these words is like seeing me. Yesterday, I heard of unrest on the Southern Frontier. I am filled with worry, unable to eat or sleep. At midnight, I felt a heavy oppression in my heart and vomited blood several times.

"Old Daoist Xu came to visit this morning, and under my pressure, he told me the truth. My lifespan, I fear, will not last another year. Since the founding of the dynasty, I have unified the Central Plains, repelled the barbarians from beyond the Great Wall in the north, and conquered the barren lands in the south; I have no regrets before the people of the world.

"But our Great Qian has been at war for years. The treasury is empty, clans are everywhere, meritorious officials form factions, and the Crown Prince’s faction is stirring... If I leave now, I fear chaos will erupt again.

"The hope of the nation lies in me; my hope lies in the one blessed by Heaven.

"Old Daoist Xu claims that to open the tomb of the previous dynasty’s princess, one must have the one blessed by Heaven to stabilize the grave, and this person will surely awaken in Qingliang Prefecture. I hope you will find this person quickly to extend my life and the fortune of our Great Qian.

"I have not seen my grandson Zigui for a long time. I grant him a miraculous Imperial Brush and a drop of my heart's blood. Use the blood to moisten the brush, and it will manifest its divine brilliance once more.

"May he grow up to paint the mountains and rivers from atop the high terrace."

The edict was brief, and its meaning was straightforward.

The old Emperor was telling his son: I am dying, my time is short, but I am the hope of the Great Qian village. I cannot die, or the village will fall into chaos. An old Daoist said that opening the tomb of a princess from the previous dynasty could extend my life and the fortune of the Great Qian village.

But to open that tomb, one must find the person blessed by Heaven.

*Damn it, is the end of power just metaphysics?*

After grumbling to himself, Ren Ye’s mind began to race.

Why was it me again? In terms of timing, it is currently the third year of Emperor Jing’s reign, which means this edict must be at least four years old, as the old Emperor mentioned he had less than a year to live.

Did that old Emperor know four years ago that I, the one blessed by Heaven, would appear in Qingliang Prefecture?

Four years ago, I was still catching scammers on the border; I didn't even know that Star Gates existed in this world. Yet, the old Emperor and that old Daoist were already "calculating" me.

And what exactly is in that princess’s tomb? Why must it wait for my appearance to be opened?

The more I think about it, the more terrifying it is. My scalp is tingling!

There are too many mysteries to solve, but the information I have is too scarce. It is impossible to get to the truth now; I can only slowly advance the "plot" of this Star Gate.

Forcing himself to calm down, Ren Ye bent down and took an exquisite little porcelain bottle from the wooden box under the desk. This had appeared along with the edict; it must contain the drop of the Emperor’s heart's blood.

Standing still, Ren Ye closed his eyes and called out: "Imperial Brush!"

*Swoosh!*

The textured Imperial Brush suddenly appeared in Ren Ye’s hand.

He held the brush in his right hand and opened the exquisite porcelain bottle with his left. Just as he was wondering how to use it, he saw a blinding crimson light erupt from within the bottle. A drop of dragon blood flew out and ignited the brush.

【Congratulations, Prince Huai, for restoring the divine power of the Imperial Brush and successfully completing the second task. You have been rewarded with 500 Source points and 200 experience points.】

【Exclusive Item "Late Emperor’s Imperial Brush": A magical brush that can replicate any skill appearing within this Star Gate. It lasts for six hours and can only be used once in its entirety. After use, you will enter a period of weakness and cannot use it again for twelve hours.】

【Ding~ You have gained 500 Star Source. Current Star Source balance: 500.】

【Ding~ You have gained 200 experience points. However, player levels, classes, and any inheritance traits cannot be activated within this Star Gate; they will be settled upon departure.】

The cold and ethereal voice of the Star Gate vanished as quickly as it had come, much like an irresponsible heartbreaker.

Ren Ye slowly came back to his senses, his heart filled with joy.

*It can replicate any skill? Damn, that’s awesome! It’s worthy of the hell-level difficulty of my start!*

Ren Ye was excited for a long time before he looked down at the now-dull porcelain bottle in his hand. He placed it back where he found it and called out: "Store!"

*Swoosh!*

The Imperial Brush vanished from his palm in an instant, appearing within his consciousness space. The feeling was truly mystical.

Having successfully activated the brush gave Ren Ye a sense of security. Feeling refreshed, he paced around the chamber, hoping to find any auxiliary clues.

Unfortunately, after spending the entire afternoon in the chamber, neither Ren Ye nor Er Leng found any other useful information.

In front of a shelf, Ren Ye flipped through a book, and information about it automatically surfaced in his mind.

【Sword Formation of the Yin-Heaven Maidens: It is rumored that the princess of the previous dynasty was obsessed with martial arts. She secretly gathered twenty-four beautiful maidens and spent eight years of arduous training to develop a strange sword formation capable of shattering a man’s Yang soul.】

"A maiden sword formation? Useless." Ren Ye put it aside and picked up a beautifully colored vase.

【Eight-Treasure Vase: A decorative item that looks useless. It is valuable and can be enjoyed alone or gifted to others.】

【Gold Brick: A commonly used medium of exchange in the world. It is said that everyone loves it.】

"…!"

*Huff!*

Having finished searching the last shelf, Ren Ye let out a long breath, wiped his sweat, and muttered: "It seems that in this act, the Star Gate won't give any additional task hints."

"Er Leng, Er Leng...!" Ren Ye turned and shouted, only to see Er Leng sitting alone by the chamber door, holding a silver-white, sheathless long saber, grinning like an idiot. "Are you laying eggs there?"

Er Leng looked up, holding the silver-white saber with utmost affection. "Your Highness, I have used sabers for many years, but I have never seen such a sharp and imposing single-edged blade. This is a supreme treasure!"

"Let me see."

"…Alright!" Although Er Leng was clearly reluctant, he obediently handed over the saber.

Ren Ye took it, and the information surfaced.

【One of the Ten Great Famous Sabers under Heaven "Inviting the Moon": The weapon used by the world-renowned assassin Yin Niang fifty years ago. It is peerless in the world. It is rumored that whoever possesses this blade also inherits Yin Niang’s lifelong learning.】

*The shorter the info, the more powerful the item!*

Ren Ye sighed in his heart. As he held the blade, he looked at Er Leng’s expression. The man’s eyes were burning, but he didn't dare say a word, just watching longingly.

"You like it?"

"I am indeed fond of it, Your Highness, but such a divine weapon should belong to... to...!"

"It’s yours." Ren Ye interrupted impatiently at Er Leng’s stuttering.

Er Leng froze, stunned, standing there like a statue.

"Take it!"

"Yo... Your Highness, are you serious?"

"…!" Ren Ye shoved the saber into his arms, turned to look at the shelves in the room, and ordered softly: "Clear these items later. Keep the martial arts manuals and archives, and calculate the value of the remaining gold and jewelry. Distribute it all among the eunuchs and palace maids in my residence. Be fair about it."

"Ah?!" Er Leng remained bewildered. "But... so much gold and jewelry, if you kept it...!"

"Sigh, wealth disperses to gather people. In my current situation, if they are still willing to follow me, what is a little money?" Ren Ye waved his hand. "You want people to risk their lives for you without paying them? Where is the logic in that?"

"Your Highness, you really are different from before." Er Leng looked at Ren Ye, a rare look of gratification flashing in his eyes.

*Don’t compare me to that loser,* Ren Ye thought, walking toward the exit. "It’s getting late. I have to attend my beloved consort’s invitation."

"Your Highness treats me like a father, gifting me such a precious saber..." Er Leng gritted his teeth, as if he had made a great decision. "Even if you asked me to tend to the stallions, I would do my utmost!"

"Damn it!" Ren Ye felt like collapsing.

"What does that 'damn' mean?" Er Leng asked, eager to learn.

"It’s just a description of the stallion’s behavior toward you; an expression of emotion."

"Your Highness knows so much...!"

...

After a simple meal, Ren Ye bathed and changed, deliberately putting on a pair of "innocent-looking" pink undergarments. He tied a strand of Lian’er’s hair outside his bedroom door as a precaution, and then, accompanied by Er Leng and the others, arrived at the residence of Princess Consort Xu Qingzhao.

The servants waited outside. The hall was filled with the scent of sandalwood, unusually quiet.

Ren Ye looked up and saw the Princess Consort sitting cross-legged on the bed with hanging curtains, her jade-like feet bare. Her raven-black hair was damp with droplets, and her pretty face was flushed as if she had just bathed.

Xu Qingzhao always possessed an air of cold, noble elegance, aloof from the common world, as if she were a celestial being.

But at this moment, with a dot of crimson between her brows, she wore only a thin, pure white silk dress. Her fragrant shoulders were exposed, the valley between her breasts was clearly visible, and her two fair calves were crossed, vaguely discernible through the hem of the dress.

Ren Ye was stunned for a moment, thinking... *I haven't been with a woman in over three years, if you're dressed like this, then I'm definitely wide awake!*

Xu Qingzhao slowly opened her eyes, turned to look at Ren Ye, and patted the bed in front of her. "Come up."

"?! "

The single sentence made Ren Ye’s heart race. He walked over, feeling a bit awkward, took off his boots, and climbed onto the bed. "My love, shall we... talk while lying down?!"

*Swoosh!*

Xu Qingzhao flicked her arm, and the cord binding the curtains untied itself. The fragrant curtains closed, completely shielding the two of them on the bed.

"Take off your clothes," Xu Qingzhao commanded coldly.

*I’m the one asking for your help, and yet this is your tone? Fine, I’ll take them off!*

*Swoosh, swoosh...!*

In less than three seconds, Ren Ye was down to his underpants. He began to untie his waistband, trying to comfort her: "My love, I know you’re in a hurry, but don’t be so impatient... I’ll have them off in a second...!"

"The Sword of National Protection has recognized you as its master again, triggering an omen of heaven and earth. Congratulations to you, the one blessed by Heaven!"

Her cold voice rang out like a thunderclap in his ears.

Ren Ye’s heart skipped a beat. When he looked up, he saw a smile playing on Xu Qingzhao’s lips as she looked down at him with a playful, teasing gaze.