This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 149 The Little Monk Miaowu Arrives

The eldest princess sat quietly in the corner like a statue, her hands clenched tightly like iron clamps, her face shrouded in dark clouds, and her anger surged like a tide.

"This is an envoy sent by Dali. The person in charge who spoke is named Li Jinxian. After the envoy entered the city today, he left the envoy alone with his men like an arrow and came here. It is said that he has a prominent position in Dali, but we have not yet found out."

Makino said softly from the side,

"Among those surnamed Li in Dali, those who dare to utter such arrogant words today are nothing more than a handful of people, who must be from the Dali royal family."

The eldest princess's gaze was fixed on the Dali group like a hawk's. Originally, today's events were instigated by the Manghuang, but now, both the Manghuang and Daqian have been looked down upon by the Dali forces.

Didn't you see Wu Xie's face turn ashen, like a wilted eggplant? Both Daqian and Manhuang treat Dali with utmost caution, as if it were a formidable enemy. After all, it is the only country that has managed to breach Yong'an City and enter the inner region of Manhuang, and it is not to be underestimated.

"It should be. The composition of the Dali delegation is still under investigation and will take some time. However, in addition to Dali, people from the Western Regions' Burning City are about to arrive, and the little monk that His Highness specifically marked happens to be on the list."

"The Little Monk Miaowu?"

"Yes, it's him."

The princess frowned slightly. Xiao Xingchen had given her several names last time, and she had been searching for these people like following a map.

Hua Xiaolou, Meng Qianfan, and the little monk Miaowu, except for Lan Beitang who is already in the princess's residence, have all disappeared without a trace.

The lists of participating countries had not yet been submitted, so apart from sending people to wait at the steamed bun shop, everyone else had disappeared without a trace. Upon hearing the name of the little monk Miaowu, a surge of joy welled up in her heart. Although Xiaoxingchen's words were mysterious and enigmatic, she chose to believe them without question, because Xiaoxingchen had no reason to harm her.

If he really wanted to harm her, he could have simply stood by and watched from the sidelines outside Yong'an City. This was a key factor in why Xiao Xingchen was so highly regarded by her.

Another key factor was his mother, who seemed to know some inside information, but like a clam that kept its mouth shut, she would not utter a single word.

This convinced her that Xiao Xingchen was an ally, so she spared no effort in sending people to search for these people.

“That’s great. I will definitely go to see the little monk in person when he enters the city.”

“Your Highness, given your noble status, and considering he comes from Burning City, I can arrange for him to pay his respects to you.”

"No, I will go to him myself. We must find out the background of this little monk as soon as possible. I want to know what is so special about him."

"At present, all we know is that he comes from the Silent Temple in Burning City; nothing else is known."

"Is that the Silent Temple that worships demons?"

The princess asked in astonishment, and Mu Ye nodded in agreement. It was the first time they had heard of a temple with the same name, the Silent Temple, in the distant Burning City, except that the temple was dedicated to a demon, a fact they had learned from a merchant.

A young monk emerged from a silent temple dedicated to demons, a truly perplexing event, as if he were shrouded in mist.

I've seen people who believe in Buddhism, but this is the first time I've seen someone who believes in demons.

"That's interesting. When I meet him, I'll definitely ask him myself why a temple would enshrine a demon."

The eldest princess stood up. Today's competition had come to an end, and new questions would emerge tomorrow morning. That would be the real battle.

Before leaving, her gaze swept over Li Jinxian like an arrow. He was only 1.7 meters tall and had an ordinary appearance, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and every gaze was like a sharp blade piercing straight into people's hearts.

Of course, his sarcasm was also quite remarkable. Perhaps sensing the princess's gaze, Li Jinxian also turned his attention to her. He suddenly stopped and looked back at his side.

"This woman is Huangfu Lingxue. You must all look at her carefully, for she is a great threat to us in the future. If a good opportunity arises..."

"Understood, Your Highness. The Crown Prince under Emperor Wu of the Great Qian Dynasty is like rotten wood, and the other princes are all old, weak, sick, and disabled. Only this eldest princess is a real threat to our hearts, and we know this very well."

"Hmm, it's good to know. Miao'er has disappeared without a trace. Have you found any clues?"

Li Jinxian asked leisurely.

"Not yet, but what is certain is that it was not due to exposure, as all rendezvous points are safe and sound. It seems that His Highness encountered some other force majeure event. We are still investigating, and the matter is also being handled secretly within the Great Qian Dynasty. It seems to be related to a person named Xiao Xingchen."

"Xiao Xingchen? Who is this person?"

Li Jinxian pressed further,

"This man is a deposed young sword immortal. Some speculate that he is the illegitimate son of the deposed Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty, but none of this can be confirmed. He is currently in prison, awaiting execution by the Chen family."

"So this is Emperor Wu's explanation to the Chen family?"

"Exactly,"

"Hmph, does Emperor Wu think everyone in the world is stupid? How dare a piece of trash kill a high-ranking official of my Dali? Find my aunt and Miao'er! I want them alive or dead!"

"Yes, Your Highness, it seems we are being secretly watched."

"Hehe, we are envoys from Dali, so rest assured, how could Emperor Wu dare to let us suffer any mishap?"

Li Jinxian was confident that he would not be in any danger in Yong'an. In fact, Daqian would have to send people to protect them. If the Dali delegation encountered any mishap because of the Poet Immortal Meeting, Daqian would face the conquest of Dali's million-strong army.

All the people of Dali turned their gazes toward this group. Those words were like a blazing torch, completely igniting the fighting spirit of the Yong'an people.

The question, "Are there no men left in the Great Qian Dynasty?" was like a resounding slap in the face, striking everyone hard across the cheek.

They knew that the real duel would officially begin tomorrow. With the arrival of Dali, Dayan, and other Western Regions countries, the second competition for the Talented Person Platform would be extremely fierce, even bloody.

However, Ruoxue ignored all of this and completed her registration at the very last moment before the end of the Talent Show.

The name on the registration sign was clearly written: Xiao Xingchen.

Since the real person isn't here, she'll speak on his behalf. It's just writing poems, right? She'll go find Xiao Xingchen tonight and have him write a hundred or so, then recite them tomorrow.

However, the question for the second one still needs to wait, otherwise she would have gone straight to the prison right now.

When she left, the jailer treated her with great courtesy and assured her that she could come anytime.

After all, she was just a courtesan. The jailer only wanted to please Xiao Xingchen, so how could he possibly value a courtesan so much?

The first competition for the title of "Talented Person Platform" has come to an end. No one remembers who came in first place. The entire Yong'an only remembers that the second place winner was a wild and uncivilized man. This is shameful enough. Why should we care about the first place winner?

When Emperor Wu and the Second Sage learned of this news, they were sitting in a corner of the imperial palace playing chess. Seeing Emperor Wu's angry expression...

The Second Sage spoke up, "Your Majesty, please don't be so upset. It's just a platform for talented people; why get angry?"

"Yes, I really can't stand the arrogance of the barbarians. If we weren't still unprepared, these people wouldn't be here today."

Emperor Wu turned his attention back to the chessboard, but his brows suddenly furrowed.

"You flatter me, Your Majesty! Haha!"

In the brief moment that Emperor Wu was distracted, the game was already over, and Emperor Wu was defeated.

"Besieged city, it seems that my Yong'an City is about to be thrown into turmoil."

Emperor Wu sighed.

"The Confucian Temple hopes that everything will go smoothly at this gathering of poets; this is the latest message from the sage."

"The Sage of Literature? Ha! He's thousands of miles away, how could he possibly understand the situation in Yong'an? Is he no longer the man who doesn't concern himself with worldly affairs? Why is he interfering now?"

"Your Majesty, the Poetry Festival is being held in the name of the Confucian Temple. If you were to exterminate everyone involved, the Confucian Temple would be held accountable. In that case, the Sage of Literature might turn against you. Your Majesty must think this through!"

The sage said calmly, "Killing? You're wrong. That's not killing, that's sacrifice. Once I steal the power of sacrifice, no one in the world will be able to stand against me."

A ruthless glint flashed in Emperor Wu's eyes, revealing his extreme desire for the sacrifice.

"Can a ritual truly reach such a level?"

The sage frowned and asked bluntly,

“Yes, my people have been exploring this path for a long time, and news came last night that the real Sacrifice Organization has surfaced. This means that the path I have chosen is correct. I bear the fate of the Great Qian Dynasty and the fortune left behind by the Nine Heavens Jade Capital. If I can steal the Sacrifice, the two most powerful forces in the world will converge on me. Quasi-Saint, then the unification of the world will be a natural outcome. Isn’t this what you also want to see?”