The palace atop the imperial carriage stood toweringly high, offering a commanding view of the grand plaza beyond the Meridian Gate, which had been divided into distinct sections through the mystical art of "a mustard seed containing a universe."
On the phoenix throne, Empress Chuge raised her wine cup, only to notice Emperor Jingtai’s gaze fixed in a particular direction—right where Li Mo stood.
Her exquisite, regal face adorned with a graceful smile, she inquired:
"Your Majesty, what has caught your eye?"
"Heh heh heh..."
Emperor Jingtai sighed with emotion. "That is the young girl who retrieved the Celestial Sword from the Celestial City just days ago."
As he spoke, his peripheral glance subtly withdrew from Jiang Chulong’s figure.
"Is she the reason why Yu'er borrowed the Six Harmonies and Eight Wastes Seal from Your Majesty?"
Empress Chuge wore the expression of one who had long dwelled within the palace depths, feigning ignorance.
Emperor Jingtai shook his head. "The one who wielded the sword was the boy beside her."
"Without Your Majesty’s permission, the Celestial City would never have manifested."
Empress Chuge narrowed her eyes and pressed further.
Indeed, not only would the Celestial City have remained hidden, but reclaiming the divine sword would have been a mere word from Emperor Jingtai.
Yet he did neither. When Ying Bing summoned the sword, he allowed the Celestial City to appear and watched as the blade fell into Li Mo’s hands.
"Matters of the court are not for you to question."
Emperor Jingtai turned to a eunuch standing nearby and commanded:
"Bring the golden pearls."
"As you wish."
The eunuch presented an exquisitely crafted box containing exactly one hundred small golden pearls.
"Your Majesty, might this humble consort draw the lots instead?"
Empress Chuge suddenly removed her finger guards and lowered her gaze, her demeanor shifting.
In that moment, she no longer resembled the dignified empress who ruled by the emperor’s side, but rather a lovestruck maiden coyly pleading with her beloved.
Emperor Jingtai remained expressionless, his voice deep and cold:
"Only if you refrain from that revolting act."
"...Your Majesty truly dotes on this consort the most."
Empress Chuge reacted as though she had just heard sweet nothings, her tender affection only growing more pronounced.
Under Emperor Jingtai’s increasingly disgusted gaze, she reached into the box and drew a handful of golden pearls.
"Her Majesty the Empress has personally drawn the lots—the matchups are decided!"
As the announcement echoed, the names materialized in lines upon the grand "Map of Rivers and Mountains" suspended high in the heavens, enveloping the inner city.
The eyes of the entire imperial capital converged upon it, and the first line read unmistakably:
[Jiang Chulong vs. Jiang Yuyang]
...
Now, the young Princess Jiang stood out conspicuously on the Hidden Dragon Ranking—she was the lowest in cultivation among all the prodigies listed, having only opened three Divine Observation apertures thus far.
Beneath the ornate canopies of the nobility, silence reigned.
"How did she... truly return?"
"And why did Father Emperor not order the Sky Patrol Guards to arrest her? Why allow her to participate in the Hidden Dragon Tournament?"
"The intentions of Father Emperor are beyond our comprehension."
Jiang Yu spoke plainly, cutting through the murmurs.
Having said this, he turned his gaze toward Princess Yuyang, offering no further words.
Princess Yuyang flinched under the weight of his dual-pupiled stare and hastily declared:
"Eldest Brother, for the dignity of the imperial family, for Her Majesty the Empress—I will surely win."
Princess Yuyang and Jiang Yu shared the same mother, both born of Empress Chuge.
"Eldest Brother need not worry. Frankly, I cannot fathom how Yuyang could lose."
The Fourth Prince, whose maternal clan lacked influence, had always clung to the Crown Prince’s faction:
"In terms of cultivation, Yuyang surpasses her by four apertures."
"In terms of resources, Yuyang has enjoyed His Majesty’s favor since childhood, nurtured with countless rare treasures."
"In terms of swordsmanship, Yuyang trained under renowned masters from a young age. No matter how profound a sect’s heritage, how could it compare to the imperial court? Who even knows where the other girl learned her crude techniques?"
Indeed—a perfectly sound argument!
The nobles and aristocrats also agreed—this was indeed the case.
Zhong Zhenyue was about to speak when a young noble beside him interjected,
"Young Marquis, you should worry about yourself first."
[Zhong Zhenyue to Zhao Jing]
......
Jiang Chulong nervously pinched the hem of her skirt.
Being in the imperial capital was entirely different from being at the Happy Lamb Hot Pot restaurant. Back there, she only had to face Jiang Yu, and with Big Brother Li Mo backing her, she had mustered some courage.
But now...
"Huh? There’s a gap of over thirty places between Jiang Chulong and Princess Yuyang on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, right?"
"Comebacks aren’t unheard of, but this difference seems downright hopeless..."
"The Fourth Prince’s Golden Coin Gambling House has opened betting—odds at one to eight!"
"Is that based on win probability?"
"I’ll place a small bet too. Even pocket change is still profit..."
Under other canopies, a few onlookers chatted as they walked away.
"Big Brother Li... huh?"
The little princess turned instinctively at the voices but didn’t see Li Mo.
"He said he’d be right back."
Ying Bing also patted her head gently, his expression soft.
In her past life, Little Jiang had joined the Drizzle Tower, became a Heaven-ranked assassin, severely injured four other Heaven-ranked killers, defected, and built her own faction. By the time they met again, she was second on the Heaven Ranking—a name that struck fear into hearts...
Who could’ve imagined that now, she’d be a timid little girl who wore sunglasses to hide the fear in her eyes and had a peculiar hobby of collecting trash?
"What did Big Brother Li go to do?"
"He said he’s going to bankrupt the Fourth Prince."
"??"
The little princess understood—Big Brother Li had spent an absurd amount of money betting on her victory.
Probably enough to fund her trash-collecting hobby for a long, long time...
Suddenly, she felt a surge of confidence. With a wave of her hand, she stepped onto the arena alongside the others scheduled for the first round.
The matches proceeded five at a time.
Princess Yuyang was already standing on the platform, towering over Jiang Chulong, exuding pride and confidence.
She had intended to intimidate her opponent, to make her hesitate.
But the little princess who walked up wore sunglasses, her face expressionless, looking just a tad aloof and undeniably cool.
"You actually dare to fight me?"
"..."
Jiang Chulong glanced toward the stands. Big Brother Li had returned, casually waving a betting slip with an air of nonchalance.
Earlier, Li Mo had caused quite a stir at the Golden Coin Gambling House. Someone exclaimed:
"The Divine Hammer Tyrant just... bet five hundred mystic crystals and two golden mountains on Jiang Chulong’s victory."
"Huh? What kind of unit is that?! How much money is that?!"
"That’s his entire fortune, right? Even selling off a prefecture-level sect wouldn’t cover that!"
"If she actually wins, the Fourth Prince might have to hand over the gambling house to Li Mo and still come up short."
"Damn, does Jiang Chulong have some secret weapon or what?"
The crowd had been skeptical, but now they were genuinely second-guessing.
Where did Li Mo get such confidence to stake everything?
Truthfully, Li Mo just wanted to bolster Little Jiang’s morale.
Gazing at Princess Yuyang, he held Ice Block’s hand, the corners of his lips curling into a mysterious smirk as he let out a low chuckle:
"Heh heh..."
"!"
Princess Yuyang stiffened, her confidence instantly shaken.
What kind of scheme is he plotting?
How dare he assume I’ll lose?!
If it were just Li Mo, fine.
Ying Bing stood beside him, her jade-like face devoid of expression—the Ice Fairy had an air of effortless control that was utterly captivating.
Yet no one could have guessed that beneath her icy composure, she had no idea what they were doing either.
It was merely the tacit understanding of a top-tier actress that made her play along with Li Mo.
"Li Mo, why are we doing this?" Ying Bing asked softly.
Li Mo's expression didn't change. "If we can't beat her to death, we’ll scare her to death first."
The sheer audacity of the "Fighting King’s Creed" was reaching new heights.
And so, the "Divine Hammer Little Tyrant" and the Ice Fairy stood stone-faced, radiating ruthless coolness.
On the stage, Princess Jiang Chulong, sporting sunglasses, brimmed with inexplicable confidence—equally ruthless.
Only Princess Yuyang was left utterly bewildered, teetering on the edge of a meltdown.
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