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Walking on Tianyan’s streets felt like being in a different world — a literal different world.
The literati hosted by the nobles had a small jade plate to prove their status. Earlier, Chu Xiang had almost given this plate to the girl to sell.
The female attendant guarding the door looked at his plate then at his face with a somewhat surprised expression. Although this attendant was very professional and didn’t reveal much, Chu Xiang was used to the rhythm of interstellar battles where every second counted, so his observational skills were easily keen enough to catch it.
It can’t be that the words ‘evil star’ are floating above my head, right? Chu Xiang joked to himself.
Then he realised that he was a ‘luminary’, so maybe news of his death had already spread.
So fast…
Thus, he didn’t rush to join the main group but instead walked around the outer corridors and hid in the shadows, trying to observe quietly.
Even if he hadn’t transmigrated into another person, he had been away for too long. His language, culture, pronunciation, and living habits had all changed. On Longque, he had an adjutant who loved reading novels and once mentioned a tragic transmigration story to him — after waking up in the new world, the poor main character discovered that he couldn’t understand what they were saying so he had to learn a new language entirely from scratch.
Fortunately, Chu Xiang thought happily, I still know how to read.
He stood beneath the eaves, aimlessly watching the bustling crowd, yet still being careful not to reveal himself too early. It was, in theory, very simple to reduce his sense of existence so he didn’t look out of place — it wasn’t even something you needed to go to the academy to learn, you just needed to watch the Fleet Commander get angry a few times to naturally pick up how to avoid the gun muzzle.
However, not everyone was so easily deceived; after all, Chu Xiang was no longer a battle-hardened captain.
In fact, when someone first approached him, he subconsciously wanted to ask Longque’s central AI through the chip implanted in his brain why it didn’t remind him, before he remembered that right now, of Longque, only he remained.
At the banquet, Yang Feng discretely palmed the dagger hidden in his sleeve. “My Lord, there’s someone sneaking around over there, it might be an assassin,” he said.
No weapons were allowed in Linghe Pool save for the ceremonial swords carried by the lords, not even the bodyguards could carry weapons, so Yang Feng was a little nervous. Lan Jue glanced that way over his cup, then replied, “Probably not.”
The man was very strange to Lan Jue’s eyes. He had a strong killing intent which could not be concealed, completely incompatible with the fragrant spring banquet around him, yet the same killing intent wasn’t directed towards anyone.
Then Lan Jue frowned. “Don’t you think that if he’s an assassin, he won’t even be able to run away after killing people?”
Yang Feng was shocked. “That’s true…”
Without AI support, without a mecha or powered exoskeleton, the Chu Xiang of this world was much different from the standards of a 28th century special forces soldier.
“Hey, isn’t this Sir Chu, I heard you…” Several young men in rich brocade clothing gathered around with concerned faces. The person of interest could see the changes in their expressions; although they covered it up very well, even better than the attendant at the door, most people looked as if they saw a ghost. Chu Xiang soon realised —
Who were these people? He should know them, but he forgot!
How embarrassing.
However, Chu Xiang merely changed to a more comfortable posture and smiled at them slightly, as if he couldn’t be more familiar with them.
“Sir Chu is a man of extraordinary talent, composing poetry is too easy for him. I said already Lu-xiong, Wang-xiong, your news was spread by scoundrels, how could you believe them!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But Chu-xiong will definitely dominate today, then won’t the rumours be self-defeating…”
Just as Chu Xiang was considering how to respond, everyone fell silent at the sight of a group of people filing out of the inner hall.
A group of white-clad young men surrounded a woman in a lavish dress. Her face was covered with a luxurious veil, and as they stepped barefoot on the fallen flowers, flower juice and dew stained their slender toes, giving a touch of beauty to the greenery. The woman walked to the main seat and sat down, while the youths settled around her like a group of white cats clinging to their owner.
“It’s finally a bit more lively here today,” she said. It was obvious that she was approaching her twilight years, but she still retained her grace and a well-maintained figure, and the low-cut collar of her gorgeous palace dress revealed ample curves.
This was the younger twin sister of the current emperor, Grand Princess Qinghe.
As if a switch was flipped, the various lords fought to praise the Grand Princess and the literati they brought all began composing poems boasting of her beauty ‘which astonished man and heaven’.
Lan Jue huddled in his seat and silently picked up the cup of wine which he had just discarded.
“My Lord, don’t you hate the wine here…”
“I want to vomit,” Lan Jue stated very rudely. Anyway, the Grand Princess’ ears were full of compliments, she had no desire to pay attention to him. And even if she did, it would only add ‘rude’ to the pile of his already stinking reputation.
After the Grand Princess came out, Lan Jue who sat in the last row and Chu Xiang who had taken advantage of the opportunity to quietly retreat inevitably moved closer to each other, so Chu Xiang easily heard his comment.
Captain Chu sincerely agreed, he also wanted to vomit, and he even wanted to blast them with a main cannon, but unfortunately Longque wasn’t there.
After a period of commotion, the Grand Princess raised her hand and the scene once again quieted.
“Recently, our valiant troops have seized a treasure from the south.” She gently caressed the young man lying on her knees as some of the others carried out a gilded box from behind her. “Imperial Brother specially instructed me to take it out at the Spring Banquet, to let everyone see something new.”
Everyone craned their necks to see, and a man with a rather round figure couldn’t resist shouting, “Your Highness, please stop teasing, quickly let us see it!”
“Such a big box, is it fresh seafood?”
“How is seafood a treasure, could they have caught a mermaid?”
“Living things can’t survive in this type of box,” the Grand Princess giggled, “but it’s not just any ordinary thing either. Everyone, have you heard, there is a sword that contains divine power and if you obtain it, you can unify the world?”
The fat man was the first to stand up to express his views, and as he slammed his hand on the table, he almost broke the jade ring on his finger. “What divine power, it’s the demon sword those unscrupulous people are talking about!”
Everything was silent for a moment, then the Grand Princess clapped her hands and laughed, so the previously unresponsive lords also laughed, as if they had heard a hysterical joke.
“Duke Heng doesn’t need to be so hasty.” She gestured for the box to be opened. “In the hands of others, it is a demon sword, but in the hands of a righteous monarch, it is, of course, an imperial sword.”
Duke Heng immediately bowed and saluted. “Grand Princess’ words are true!”
The wooden box opened, and inside was a long, narrow gilded box wrapped in silk. The Grand Princess stood and personally opened this smaller box; within lay a single-edged sword in a black scabbard.
“Everyone, have you heard of Longque?”
Amid the uproar, Chu Xiang sucked in a sharp breath.
It was one thing to hold that word in his memories, but another thing entirely for someone else to say it out loud. The captain’s chest hurt from the strength of his own heartbeat. Like a mythical bird responding to the call of its true name, his blood instinctively rose to meet that voice.
His first reaction was to wonder how they recognised him, did ancient people know anything about space travel? His second reaction was to refute this thought, because Longque had already turned into cosmic garbage. Even if it ‘transmigrated’ together with him, it would be nothing more than scrap metal.
Then he heard —
“Longque, with trailing flames and feathers as black as pitch, its voice sounds like the wind, its wingtips resemble fire-forged blades, the sword carries the power of divine birds. Obtain Longque, and you obtain world peace,” the Grand Princess said as she brushed away the non-existent dust on the scabbard. “My friends, this is the imperial sword, Longque.”
As soon as the name Longque came out, the entire place was in a furor. Everyone had their own calculations — even Yang Feng, who kept himself at the back, felt his heart thump wildly.
“My Lord, that sword–”
Lan Jue shot him a look. “Its blade isn’t bad, not useless.”
“My Lord, that’s the legendary Longque, it’s the sword of emperors! Why aren’t you–”
“Do you intend to steal it from the Grand Princess’ hands?” He waved the cup towards him as if to splash wine on his face, scaring Yang Feng so much that he jumped back. When he realised what happened, he lowered his head in shame.
“Besides,” Lan Jue added, “I don’t think you can become a wise monarch just because you got your hands on a crappy sword.”
“Shh… please don’t say that, My Lord. You really dare to say anything when you came to the capital this time, you’re not even afraid if anyone hears…”
Lan Jue suddenly raised a hand to stop him.
A female attendant for Linghe Pool had just emerged from a corridor. She wore her hair in a high bun, and was covered in the uniform’s precious gold jewellery. Although she was only an attendant, the combined value of everything she wore could feed a dozen families in the lower city. Lan Jue’s eyes followed her footsteps —
She walked on the balls of her feet.
Apart from the postures used in some exotic dances, the only for this was —
Lan Jue abruptly stood and threw his cup straight at her. “Assassin!” he shouted.
The attendant moved at the same time.
She unexpectedly pulled a dagger from within her bun — it was shaped like a hair stick, and the part which was exposed outside the bun perfectly imitated decorative jewellery. The woman looked soft and dignified, but at this moment she was more like a rearing viper. Sunlight glinted off the dagger as she pounced on the Grand Princess who was still on her throne.
Lan Jue had thrown his cup but the female assassin moved so fast that she dodged it.
In her desperation, the Grand Princess pushed out the youth in her arms to meet the assassin’s sharp blade. Warm blood splashed onto the nobles in the first row, and they started shouting one after another.
“Quick, quick, catch the assassin!”
“Guards, guards!”
The young men cried, but they couldn’t not stand in front of the Grand Princess. The assassin had missed her target and pulled out her dagger, but in the next second, she was pulled backwards by her hair.
The dignified Lord of Western Tang wasn’t one to show decorum in critical moments. Pulling on her hair, he threw her to the ground where she impacted with a thud. Around them, more female attendants pulled out daggers.
They turned, half went to deal with Lan Jue while the other half rushed around to create chaos as the nobles scrambled from their seats like panicked ducks.
“My Lord–” Yang Feng reached towards his waist, only for Lan Jue to glare at him until he stopped trying to pull out his weapon. He forgot, he had handed in his sword at the door earlier. If he pulled out his hidden weapons now, he might just be taken as an accomplice to the assassins.
The assassins used underhanded methods completely different from Lan Jue’s battle-tested martial arts, and moved as if they were floating. In addition, the nobles on the scene were in a chaotic panic, so all his movements were restrained.
The grounds were a mess, the walls were splattered with blood. The young men around the Grand Princess had suffered heavy casualties. Everyone present were all noblemen, so in order to reduce any disturbance to them, the guards were all patrolling outside.
Who knew which link had failed to allow so many assassins inside disguised as attendants. The assassins were also extremely skilled, there was no time to dispatch anyone here; the only one on the scene with any fighting power was Lan Jue, but he was facing a dozen expert assassins on his own and there was a Grand Princess behind him making trouble. It was inevitable for him to be at a disadvantage.
One assassin jumped onto a chair behind Lan Jue and raised her blade high. Then, in the midst of the chaos, Chu Xiang charged out from the corner where he was hidden and kicked the chair out just in time. The assassin, originally in a very graceful posture, suddenly collapsed into a heap.
Lan Jue turned around and broke the assassin’s spine with a stomp, though his gaze drifted towards the side — the person who took action was a weak young man, but it had been timed perfectly. Except for Lan Jue himself whose life was the one at risk, perhaps no one else had noticed that he was the one who jumped out and kicked the chair away.
When did the capital have someone as interesting as this?
Some assassins in the crowd leapt at Chu Xiang, pulling forcefully at his sleeve. A captain, unable to beat a dancer? Chu Xiang smiled bitterly. A blade flashed past his cheek to cut off a lock of his hair, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.
His dodges were quite awkward — he could still predict the assassins’ movements and discern their weaknesses, but… his body couldn’t keep up. The assassins gritted their teeth and split off two of their number to deal with Chu Xiang who was making trouble. Although this couldn’t compare with the dozens that Lan Jue faced, it was still two expert assassins facing a weakling…
Then something whistled through the air and a long dagger snatched from an assassin’s hand pierced through the neck of one of the assassins in front of him. Not far away, although Lan Jue had his back to him, he had thrown the dagger behind him blindly — in the 28th century’s gaming circles, this would be called ‘using cheats’.
Chu Xiang rushed up, pulled out the dagger, and flicked it without hesitation. Using inertia, he pressed his entire weight against the other assassin, then stabbed her through her left shoulder and ripped her open to her lower right ribs. Crimson blood gushed out, staining his sleeves bright red.
Guards finally arrived to surround the assassins. The Iron-Clad Guards were slightly better, they were at least faster than them. When the imperial family’s elite guards arrived, they immediately took over from Lan Jue and engaged the assassins in close combat.
Seeing that things were going poorly, the assassins began to take their own lives.
“Catch them alive!” the guard-captain shouted.
Lan Jue’s brows jumped slightly, he quickly weighed his options and came to a decision. As such, his outstretched hand was a step too slow to prevent the last assassin from committing suicide, and a corpse fell at his feet with a thump.
He smiled coldly at the guard-captain.
Since the capital’s nobles refuse to save my people, then…
The guard-captain was visibly livid, but he could say nothing to the Lord of Western Tang.
It took a long while for the chaos to subside. The Grand Princess resumed her elegant sitting posture, while the Iron-Clad Guards carried away the dead young man beside her.
Then she stroked the box, whereupon her expression changed drastically.
“Longque, where is Longque?”
The gorgeous box was empty.
Author:
In fact, I’ve always wanted to complain about one thing — there’s been this setting for a long time that getting a super weapon can conquer the world. So the question is, how can a weapon help you conquer the world, especially in non-cultivation settings? In cultivation/xianxia we can excuse it by saying there’s a super strong spirit inside the weapon, the type that can upgrade, but how does it work in a normal world???
…
The Grand Princess is based on some women from the Tang dynasty.
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