“Have you heard of the Heart-Snatching Mirror?” Bai Rong inquired.
Seeing Xiang Chong’s bewildered expression, she felt a flicker of disdain, but patiently explained, “The Heart-Snatching Mirror isn’t truly a mirror. It’s a divine ability. To use it, one must infuse spiritual energy into the target while they are completely unguarded. The spiritual energy coalesces within their body, allowing the caster to probe their mind, to uncover their deepest secrets.”
Xiang Chong’s eyes lit up. “Fan Li’s secrets? I want to know them!”
Bai Rong nodded. “The greatest challenge lies in ensuring the target is completely unguarded. Sage Ruler Han Yue is the ideal candidate. Your Majesty, wouldn’t a romantic entanglement between her and Fan Li actually be beneficial to our plans?”
“Yes! Absolutely!” Xiang Chong’s face flushed with excitement. His joy, however, was short-lived. “But even if the technique succeeds, what benefit does it bring me?”
“Numerous benefits, Your Majesty,” Bai Rong replied, carefully omitting the fact that the Heart-Snatching Mirror’s true purpose was to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Great Jin kingdom. “How much wealth does Fan Li truly possess? Which officials are loyal to the Fan Clan? And those ten 100,000 hidden soldiers? Where are they located? Your Majesty, once we possess this information, dealing with Fan Li will be a simple matter.”
Xiang Chong, in a rare moment of clarity, understood. “Know your enemy, know yourself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles! Once I possess Fan Li’s secrets, he will be at my mercy!”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. You are wise,” Bai Rong replied, her smile concealing a chilling coldness.
For several days, Fan Li accompanied Sage Ruler Han Yue on her tour of Peng City. They explored the north, south, east, and west districts. Surely, even a woman’s insatiable desire for shopping had its limits? Apparently not.
“I would like to visit the Luming Academy today. Would you accompany me?” Han Yue appeared at the Rivers and Mountains Pavilion early in the morning.
“The academy?” Fan Li emerged from a mountain of memorials, his hair disheveled, his clothes rumpled. Using memorials as blankets was a truly unpleasant experience. But as the power behind the throne, he couldn't afford to neglect his duties.
“Is there a lecture today?” Fan Li’s previous visit to the academy had been to witness Master Yichuan’s lecture. He had been sorely disappointed.
“No,” Han Yue replied, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. Today, she wasn't dressed in her usual crisp white robes, her sword at her side. Instead, she wore a delicate green dress, her eyebrows subtly painted, resembling a young lady from a noble family.
“I simply wish… to revisit a place that holds… memories.”
Memories? What fond memories could she possibly have of the Luming Academy? Fan Li recalled his unpleasant encounter with Master Yichuan. Han Yue’s comprehension of the Four Swords of Zhu Xian within the academy had been an unexpected boon. Perhaps she wished to revisit the place where she had achieved such a breakthrough, to consolidate her sword intent?
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“Are you unwilling?” Han Yue’s gaze, sharp and intense, met his. Her furrowed brow suggested both anxiety and displeasure.
“Of course not! I’d be delighted!” Fan Li, snapping out of his reverie, readily agreed. He was, after all, a man of modern sensibilities. No gentleman would refuse a lady’s invitation. Especially when that lady was a fourth-rank Great Vehicle sword cultivator. As the ancient sage had said: Is it not better to be alive?
They left the Fan Residence together. Zhao Tieniu, as expected, waited at the gates with the carriage.
“My lord, where shall we travel today?” he bellowed.
Fan Li, too weary to argue, simply replied, “The Luming Academy.”
“Excellent!” Zhao Tieniu cracked his whip in the air, the sound echoing through the streets. Despite the whip not touching the horses, the three magnificent steeds, specially selected from the garrison army’s stables, surged forward, pulling the carriage at breakneck speed. “Make way! Make way! Duke Jin and his wife are out for a stroll!”
Fan Li, seated within the carriage, grimaced. He wanted to kick Zhao Tieniu off the driver’s seat. But over the past few days, the man had somehow developed a rapport with Han Yue, making it difficult for Fan Li to intervene.
They quickly arrived at the academy gates.
“My lord, my lady, we have arrived!” Zhao Tieniu announced, lifting the carriage curtain. Fan Li, his face still dark, ignored him and alighted. Han Yue, however, beckoned Zhao Tieniu closer.
“Tieniu, you’ve worked hard these past few days, and I haven't even thanked you properly.” Her voice was gentle and warm, lacking its usual coldness.
“My lady, it is my duty to serve my lord! To thank me is to treat me as an outsider!”
Fan Li, observing the scene, was both amused and exasperated. He and a Pure Land Sage Ruler were now considered “insiders”? In the entire world, perhaps only Zhao Tieniu would dare utter such words in a Pure Land woman’s presence.
“Still… I must express my gratitude. After today, I fear there won’t be another opportunity,” Han Yue murmured, her voice trailing off.
No other opportunity? Those words, their implications of a final parting, startled Fan Li. Was something amiss? He felt a flicker of anxiety, his gaze shifting towards the sword at her waist. No matter how beautiful her attire, it couldn't conceal the terrifying power of a fourth-rank Great Vehicle sword cultivator.
Han Yue raised her hand, gently placing her index finger upon Zhao Tieniu’s forehead. The gesture, though seemingly slow, was as swift as lightning. Neither Zhao Tieniu nor Fan Li had time to react. Only after she withdrew her hand did they see a sliver of sword-like energy, coalesced from spiritual essence, slowly merging into Zhao Tieniu’s forehead.
“My… my lady… what terrifying power…” Zhao Tieniu’s eyes widened in disbelief. He was a seasoned veteran, his cultivation, though not high, was refined. To experience the power of a Great Vehicle sword cultivator firsthand, even a single touch, it was truly awe-inspiring. He felt like an ant, accustomed to crawling through dirt and pebbles, suddenly lifted into the sky, granted a glimpse of the vast world below. The sensation was beyond words.
“It is a sliver of my sword intent. I leave it with you. Perhaps one day, it will save your life,” Han Yue explained, turning to Fan Li. Without waiting for a response, she took his hand, leading him towards the academy gates.
“What… what are you doing?” The warmth of her hand startled him. He had endured her enigmatic behavior for days, his patience wearing thin.
They walked through the academy grounds. Students, passing by, glanced at them, their beauty so striking that they assumed the two were lovers, a celestial couple. Fan Li felt the envious gazes of the male students and the resentful stares of the females. It was all a misunderstanding! He and Han Yue were completely innocent! he wanted to shout.
Han Yue suddenly stopped, turning to face him. Before Fan Li could react, she had thrown herself into his arms, her lips pressing against his.
“I’ve been forcefully kissed by Han Yue?!”
As their lips met, Han Yue’s finger, like before, touched his forehead. A chilling surge of spiritual energy, like a serpent, entered his mind.