Chapter Thirty-Five: The Obsidian Jade Qilin

Atop the golden lion’s head stood a man clad in bright silver armor, his eyes sharp as cold lightning, his presence deep and radiant like the abyss and a rainbow. He leaped from the lion’s head, his armor ringing with metallic resonance, and likewise saluted the Emperor of Qin.

“Your servant, Zhou Yu, greets Your Majesty!”

“Rise,” the Emperor nodded.

Zhou Yu stood up from the ground, walked to stand beside the eldest prince, Zhou Quan, and turned to Zhou Tian with a nod. Zhou Tian was momentarily startled, but soon recalled—this was his eldest brother, Zhou Yu!

The first son of the King of Qin, a peerless prodigy who dominated his era; in all the lands of the Nine Provinces, no more than five could rival him in his own time.

More and more emerged from the spell formation: the second prince, Zhou Yan—Zhou Tian’s second brother; Zhou Ying, son of the Four Directions Generals; and several others, all recruited from various families, amounting to fifteen in total, each a dragon among men, outstanding talents of their generation.

Black jade qilin, blazing fire flood dragon, thunder stallion, amethyst lion king—these were all rare beasts of tremendous strength, yet they were relegated to being mere mounts for their riders.

As the spell formation in the sky shrank, signaling that no one else would emerge, the welcoming ceremony drew to a close. Yet Zhou Zui still had not arrived, causing Zhou Tian to wonder inwardly: Was the power of the Holy Word truly so great?

Afterward, the Emperor of Qin spoke a few ceremonial words, and the procession prepared to head for the palace.

The carriages were already prepared—the Nine-Dragon War Chariot Zhou Tian had once seen at the palace, drawn by nine magnificent golden divine dragons, floating three yards above the ground. The chariot had become a circular platform, allowing all to stand upon it, both for display and to awe those bold youth who had come for the tournament, ignorant of their own limitations.

Zhou Tian and his companions had no such privilege; they could only follow at a distance on a much humbler carriage.

The road from the city gate to the palace was sealed; every yard along the way stood a golden-armored palace guard, all masters of the Law Manifestation Realm, their presence formidable. Each guard was subtly linked to the others nearby, forming a mysterious array; should anything occur, a world-shaking formation would instantly be established, both offensive and defensive.

The capital’s residents watched from not far beyond the guards. Every four years brought such a welcoming ceremony, but none as grand as this—never before had the Emperor himself come out to greet the procession; in previous years, it was at most a single minister.

“That’s the eldest prince!” An old resident of the capital recognized Zhou Quan in the procession, his face flushed with excitement. In the Nine Provinces, everyone cultivated and lived long lives; memories from centuries past were still vivid.

“And the Heaven-Seizing Lord, Zhou Yu!” Others recognized Zhou Yu; he had been the foremost among eight provinces in his era, and the Emperor of Qin, in his delight, had bestowed upon him the title “Heaven-Seizing.” Though many bureaucrats objected, who cared?

Many were recognized; the descendants of the Four Directions Generals had all returned, causing those with keen insight to turn serious—something momentous might soon occur!

Bored by the endless chatter among the noblemen, Zhou Tian snatched Tian Ling from Liu Yan’s hands, seeking the warmth of his beloved.

Liu Yan, daughter of the Prime Minister, was indeed skilled; after only a short while, she and Tian Ling were as close as sisters.

“Ling’er, what did Liu Yan say to you?” On the way to the palace, Zhou Tian could not help but ask, seeing the lingering smile on Tian Ling’s face.

“Nothing much, just chatting with Sister Liu,” Tian Ling shook her head, looking at Zhou Tian, her eyes flashing with a strange light.

“Sister Liu? Your friendship has deepened quickly! Let me warn you, your Sister Liu is a real demon—don’t follow her example!” Zhou Tian glanced around furtively, seeing Liu Yan chatting with Zhou Xun and the others, then leaned close to Tian Ling’s delicate ear and whispered, “Let me tell you a secret—your Sister Liu and Zhou Zui…”

Before he could finish, Zhou Tian suddenly felt the air around him grow hotter, and a voice full of teeth-grinding anger sounded, “Zhou Tian! I went to great lengths to speak well of you to Ling’er, and you’re gossiping about me behind my back?”

Liu Yan had somehow appeared right beside Zhou Tian, her eyes ablaze, the very air warped from the heat, though she restrained herself, not letting the power touch Zhou Tian.

“Haha… Wonderful weather today!” Zhou Tian scratched his head awkwardly, cursing himself as a fool—these people were cultivators, their senses sharp; whispering was pointless.

Tian Ling covered her mouth and giggled at Zhou Tian’s embarrassment…

On the Nine-Dragon War Chariot, Zhou Yu watched the commotion, his gaze deep, lingering on Tian Ling. He spoke softly, “So that is my third brother’s fiancée?”

“Yes, indeed—the personal disciple of the Sect Master of Haotian Sect,” Zhou Yi replied, standing beside him.

“Have you investigated her? There’s nothing hidden in her intentions, is there?” Zhou Ying asked. A black jade qilin, palm-sized, perched on his shoulder, occasionally licking its paw with contentment—one would never guess it was a savage ancient beast.

“We have. Among the 785 spies we placed in the Haotian Sect, the consensus is: she is simple-minded and has no knowledge of the sect master’s actions,” Zhou Yi replied slowly. This was his son’s fiancée—of course he had investigated her thoroughly.

“Unless she’s been hiding her intentions from the start. Though it’s unlikely, it’s best to rule it out. Second brother, send the black jade qilin!” Zhou Yu’s gaze seemed to hold the sun, moon, and stars, unfathomable.

“Understood!” Zhou Ying nodded. The black jade qilin was highly intelligent, with a discerning heart, able to judge character and intentions.

He looked at the exotic beast on his shoulder and gave it a command. The black jade qilin nodded with surprising humanity, leapt down, and trotted toward Zhou Tian.

“I thought big brother would be the first to marry, but it turns out third brother beat him to it,” Zhou Ying said, watching the qilin’s little backside, smiling.

“Tian’er was born with all his meridians blocked, unable to connect with spiritual energy. No matter what we do, it’s hard to prolong his life. I wanted him to enjoy all the pleasures of the world, but now it seems your third brother is not so simple after all,” Zhou Yi replied with a smile.

“Oh?” Zhou Yu turned to his father, curiosity in his eyes.

“Haha… It’s hard to explain. You’ll understand in time,” Zhou Yi laughed, deliberately leaving them in suspense.

Meanwhile, Zhou Tian stared in disbelief, envy, and begrudging admiration as a black, round creature jumped onto the carriage, hopped straight into Tian Ling’s arms, and wriggled about…

“What is this thing? It looks like a wrinkly dog!” Zhou Tian was consumed with jealousy. Damn it, I haven’t even had the chance to rest my head on my wife’s chest, and this thing beat me to it? Even if it’s flat, it’s still a chest!