Chapter 0.52: The Sword-bearing Princess (Bonus Chapter)
“Or perhaps you, little chair, are the crazier one?”
Yi Chengying stood before the Tian Kun Human Emperor, acting with such haughtiness that she seemed to pay no regard to the Emperor of an entire dynasty, a stark contrast to her meek demeanor before Qin Gou. She was one of the Nine Saintesses of the renowned Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace, and under normal circumstances, even if the Tian Kun Human Emperor himself traveled to Mystic Maiden Palace to request her presence, it was unlikely she would deign to see him.
The Tian Kun Human Emperor, however, did not show any signs of anger at Yi Chengying’s rudeness. With a calm and elegant smile, he asked, “It seems there is another hidden reason behind this matter. May I ask which senior expert the Lone Shadow Saintess refers to as the Demon Lord?”
Yi Chengying replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “Naturally, it is the Purple Extreme Demon Lord. To mend innate damaged meridians in a single night, do you truly believe it was a miracle? You should ask your own subjects for the specific details.”
A deep sense of shock and apprehension flickered across the Tian Kun Human Emperor’s face, but he quickly concealed it. He immediately turned to Xu Chengfeng and said, “If such a thing has occurred, why did you not report it sooner, my loyal minister Xu?”
Xu Chengfeng bowed respectfully and replied, “Your Majesty, my son did indeed have a strange dream previously, during which he was fortunate enough to gain the favor of a senior named Zhao. However, there was no concrete evidence to suggest that it was the Purple Extreme Demon Lord, which is why I did not report it to Your Majesty immediately.”
“So that’s how it is,” the Tian Kun Human Emperor nodded, still feeling a lingering unease. Then, he smiled faintly, “But aren’t the words of the Lone Shadow Saintess the best proof now? My loyal minister Xu, your family is truly fortunate and blessed.” As he spoke, the Tian Kun Human Emperor cast a thoughtful glance at Qin Gou.
“Since that is the case, I will permit you to participate in the Marriage by martial contest. Furthermore, I will make an exception and allow Xu Jin to meet the Sword-bearing Princess. If you can win the affection of the Sword-bearing Princess, I can even promise to ensure you successfully reach the final round of the Marriage by martial contest, fulfilling your wish to face your older brother, Xu Wen, in a direct confrontation.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Qin Gou said with a dry laugh, cupping his fists in salute. At that moment, he could clearly see the clever little wench, little chair, on the Tian Kun Human Emperor’s side, winking at him and seemingly seeking credit.
Within the imperial palace, Mu Man’er possessed a grand hall solely for her own use. On the surface, it seemed the Tian Kun Dynasty treated her quite well. However, the astonishingly large and extremely tight security surrounding the hall silently revealed that despite her seemingly glamorous appearance, Mu Man’er remained nothing more than a prisoner. Qin Gou couldn’t help but mentally add another mark against the Tian Kun Human Emperor.
“Man’er, Father Emperor has come to see you and has brought some of your favorite snacks,” the Tian Kun Human Emperor said, flicking his sleeve and signaling for the surrounding eunuchs and palace maids to arrange over ten platters of various delicacies neatly.
Mu Man’er, dressed in a pure white palace gown, appeared dignified and elegant as a young girl. She looked up, scanning the guests, including Qin Gou, before finally addressing the Tian Kun Human Emperor, “I greet you, Godfather. May I ask what instructions you have, Godfather? Please speak your mind.”
The Tian Kun Human Emperor glanced at Mu Man’er with evident displeasure. “She’s truly grown up wild,” he thought. “She’s still so ill-mannered even now. But his expression quickly softened as he continued, “Today, I wish to introduce you to a young and handsome gentleman. He is very fond of you and has been pleading with me for a long time, begging to be allowed to participate in your Marriage by martial contest.”
Saying this, the Tian Kun Human Emperor pointed at Qin Gou. “Xu Jin, the third son of the Marshal’s Mansion.”
“I greet you, Sword-bearing Princess,” Qin Gou said, cupping his fists with perfect solemnity.
Mu Man’er looked at Qin Gou with a teasing glint in her eyes. “Xu Jin? Man’er has heard of him. The one who has been lying in the Marshal’s Mansion for twenty years and is famously crippled.”
“Your Highness Princess, that was in the past. Please take a careful look at me now, Xu Jin. Do you still believe I am crippled?” Qin Gou stated without hesitation.
A cold smile spread across Mu Man’er’s lips. “You dare to interrupt and argue with me? Godfather has finally introduced an interesting person to Man’er. How about this? Please excuse us, Godfather. Allow Man’er to have a private chat with this third young master of the Marshal’s Mansion?”
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a *clang*, and Mu Man’er drew her sword, staring at Qin Gou with a clear challenge in her eyes. She was awarded the title ‘Sword-bearing Princess’ precisely because she never parted with her sword, even within the confines of the imperial palace.
Seeing this, the Tian Kun Human Emperor let out a long sigh. He looked at Qin Gou with disappointment, seemingly not expecting Xu Jin to be so disliked by Mu Man’er. He immediately waved his hand, dismissed all the eunuchs and maids, and left the hall together with Xu Chengfeng.
“My loyal minister Xu, help me analyze this: in the eyes of the Purple Extreme Demon Lord, which is more important, a junior sister or a promising junior disciple?”
Xu Chengfeng replied, looking bewildered, “I do not quite understand Your Majesty’s meaning.”
The Tian Kun Human Emperor let out a couple of dry laughs and said in a peculiar tone, “What I mean is, that wench Man’er has a background far too significant for me to easily control… And you, my loyal minister Xu, have three children. The eldest and second are already exceptionally talented individuals… Even if one were to disappear inexplicably today, it would likely not be a major issue, would it?”
“What?! Your Majesty, are you suggesting that the Sword-bearing Princess might take my Jin’er’s life? How can that be!”
“Although others have angered Man’er before, this is the first time I’ve seen her actually draw her sword against someone… Of course, it’s not certain he will die. This is all just my personal speculation… Losing an arm or a leg, that’s not a big deal, is it?”
Meanwhile, in the hall, with only the two of them remaining.
Mu Man’er’s pretty face turned icy cold. Holding her three-foot-long Qingfeng sword, she took three steps towards Qin Gou. Suddenly, her entire body deflated like a punctured ball, revealing her true form as a perfectly sculpted little loli. She then took several running steps and lunged forward, sliding all the way to Qin Gou’s feet. She embraced her Esteemed Master’s leg and began to cry uncontrollably.
“Wuwuwu, Master, you’ve finally come! Man’er almost couldn’t hold back and reveal herself just now.”
Mu Man’er, like a cute little beast, clung to Qin Gou’s leg, tears of grievance and heartache streaming down her face. Qin Gou’s heart melted at the sight.
(A brief explanation: The pace of bonus chapters will slow down. It’s almost Chinese New Year, and I will be forced into a crazy schedule of visiting relatives. To avoid breaking the update streak, I need some backlog. In addition, in about a month, this book will officially be available for purchase. It turns out that backlog for paid content needs to be submitted in advance, and there are also things like chapter outlines and illustration settings to handle. It’s impossible to maintain quality while also producing bonus chapters. However, please rest assured, I have noted down all the owed chapters, and I will not use things like “explosive updates upon release,” which are already expected, to cancel out the owed chapters.)
