Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The tall man who had walked out from the nunnery was Luo Huainan.
He was the principle disciple of the Center Sect, undoubtedly the strongest swordsman among the practitioners of the young generation. Though he had many other titles, this one was the most important.
Looking at Zhao Layue’s distinct black and white eyes, and thinking of the chill glint that had flashed briefly earlier, Luo Huainan’s heart skipped a beat.
Of course he knew who Zhao Layue was.
She had such a Cultivation state at such a young age that she was certain to be the most outstanding figure at any sect in the world.
Yet he thought that she was still too young and her Cultivation state still relatively low, so it would be a long time before she could be seen as an actual opponent to him.
But he hadn’t expected that Zhao Layue’s sword heart to be so sharp already.
She was really the one with natural Dao quality, but was there even more?
The rumor seemed to be true, and Nanshan wasn’t wrong in thinking that she had practiced that dangerous method to the extreme.
Could she actually cultivate herself into the formed Sword Body based on the Tempered Body of Sword Will?
Zhao Layue took a step forward.
Luo Huainan looked at her and waited silently for her to speak.
It was apparent that he had become more cautious, and he showed more respect.
It was at that moment that Jing Jiu raised his left hand.
Zhao Layue understood what he meant, stepping back to Jing Jiu’s side without a word.
It was just like Liu Shisui back in the small village and at the South Pine Pavilion, who could figure out what Jing Jiu meant by seeing his hand gesture or even a look.
Zhao Layue could do the same now.
Luo Huainan felt a bit surprised.
Very few things could surprise him in this world.
But he didn’t expect this at all.
Zhao Layue’s was extremely famous at the Green Mountain Sect and in the mortal world.
Jing Jiu looked more like a follower. If he didn’t have that extremely beautiful face and hadn’t shown his talent once in a while, he would be even more low-profile and unknown.
But the current scene demonstrated that Jing Jiu was actually the head of the Shenmo Peak!
But why?
Luo Huainan suddenly thought of another rumor.
Back at the Sword Trial on Green Mountain, Jing Jiu had used some trick to defeat Gu Han before breaking Guo Nanshan’s sword.
It was rumored that Jing Jiu, at the key moment, had used an unknown magic method, skipping more than thirty feet skyward along with numerous sword shadows.
A few elders of the Green Mountain Sect suspected that it was the formless Sword Body!
The Green Mountain Sect wanted to keep the news under wraps; but there were so many eyes and ears on him that it was impossible for them to keep it a secret. The news had eventually leaked outside the mountain.
Luo Huainan couldn’t believe the rumor when he first heard it.
Upon witnessing this scene, he suddenly had a strange idea.
The rumor might actually be true, instead of just some story, a truth the Green Mountain Sect revealed on purpose to mess with the mentality of the other sects.
If this was true, the combination of a born formless Sword Body and a formed Sword Body on the Shenmo Peak of Green Mountain in the future…would be powerful beyond imagination!
Jing Jiu didn’t let Zhao Layue speak, and he didn’t speak himself either. It was something they had to deal with themselves, so they had no need to talk to others.
Luo Huainan fixed his eyes on Jing Jiu, cupped his hands toward the group, and left by himself without saying anything more.
There was one detail, though.
Luo Huainan hadn’t talked to the young man in embroidered cloths from beginning to end; he hadn’t even look at the young man, not once.
The ground in front of the nunnery returned to silence again.
As Luo Huainan had already left, there were two spots remaining for that day, but there were five individuals outside the nunnery.
Zhao Layue glanced at Jing Jiu once.
Jing Jiu shook his head a few times.
The young man in embroidered cloths said in a mocking tone, “Even someone as reckless as Luo Huainan wouldn’t dare to get close to you; it seems that you really have as many secrets as they say. Are you worried that the Heavenly Master might discover them?”
Jing Jiu didn’t pay any attention to him, and asked Zhao Layue, “Worried?”
Zhao Layue said, “I’m not sure.”
If the Grand Master in the nunnery was, as rumored, someone who could judge a person’s destiny, life and death, and had knowledge about heaven, who would want to miss the opportunity?
Yet Zhao Layue had many hidden secrets, and she wasn’t willing to be discovered by that Grand Master.
Jing Jiu asked, “What secrets?”
“Ones you know about,” Zhao Layue replied.
It appeared natural for these two to ask and answer questions back and forth.
The listeners, however, could deduce other meanings from these exchanges.
Like absolute trust and closeness.
Royal Concubine Hu rolled her eyes up, without saying anything.
“Do you want to say that they are a lustful pair?”
Royal Concubine Hu flashed a seductive smile behind her sleeve, saying, “Your words, not mine.”
On seeing the seductive expression that she instinctively showed, the young man in embroidered cloths furrowed his brows a bit, sparing no effort to conceal his feelings of disgust.
It was then that a child walked out from the nunnery.
He came to the front of the young man in embroidered cloths and bowed, saying, “The master has said that it’s a heavenly destiny, one that’s hard to discern, so the Young Master should go back.”
The young man in embroidered cloths felt a bit disappointed, but he became upbeat after having thought of something.
The spring sunlight shone on his face through the branches of the plum trees, but the banded light didn’t turn his face into something that looked weird, instead making his face look lively.
His facial profile appeared more distinctive under the sunshine, just like the future in his vision at the moment. His corners of his mouth gradually rose.
The young man in embroidered cloth left the plum forest with this satisfactory smile, heading in the direction opposite to Luo Huainan.
Royal Concubine Hu was still kept in the dark, revealing derision in a whisper while looking at the young man in embroidered cloth as he disappeared into distance.
Se Se, standing by her side, said sympathetically, “He has figured out the meaning of this statement, so he smiled.”
Royal Concubine Hu was taken aback, asking, “What do you mean? Didn’t the Heavenly Master say that he couldn’t sense it?”
“The Heavenly Master said that it’s Heavenly Destiny…”
Se Se emphasized the last two words.
Royal Concubine Hu finally realized the meaning, and her expression had abruptly changed. She knew exactly what the young man in embroidered cloth wanted to ask, the prospect of the heavenly destiny…
While looking at Royal Concubine Hu, Se Se comforted her, “If that’s the case, you have no need to ask for the destiny. Even if you could bear a son, he still wouldn’t be able to become the crown prince, save for the fear and worry he would suffer. It’s not worth it.”
The Royal Concubine Hu’s body wobbled a little, her face ashen, and she was unable to speak.
Unexpectedly, the same child walked to the front of Royal Concubine Hu, bowing, and relayed exactly the same statement.
“The master has said that it’s the heavenly destiny, and it’s hard to sense, so Your Highness should go back.”
Royal Concubine Hu was flabbergasted at first, but she abruptly became ecstatic, thanking the child many times, and left the plum forest immediately.
Jing Jiu thought in his mind that his woman could stay in the imperial palace for so long, indicating that the Emperor’s temperament hadn’t changed, still benevolent, though unable to discipline his son
Zhao Layue’s expression was solemn, so was the expression of the middle-aged woman from the Hanging-Bell Sect.
The behavior of the young man in embroidered cloth and Royal Concubine Hu was almost the same as the commoners in Zhaoge City, and their conversations were similar to the hostile gossips on the street.
But outside the Plum Garden, they were the true influential figures who could have impact on the entire imperial court and the land.
The happenings that day in the old garden and what that child said would perhaps become the future of the human imperial court.
Yet the statements relayed by the child were exactly the same. What did it mean?