After the Great Dao Died

”Then I truly must congratulate you.”

County Princess Yunhe set down her osmanthus cake, took the handkerchief a maid offered to wipe her fingers, and clapped twice.

”I also have something to give you.”

The crisp claps echoed through the hall.

From behind the East Hall’s screen, a figure stepped out.

It was a young man who had accompanied the county princess to the estate and had been waiting behind the screen.

He wore dark brown martial attire cinched with a cowhide belt and black, thin-soled swift boots.

He was not particularly tall, but incredibly sturdy. His shoulders and back were as broad and thick as a wall. With his arms hanging at his sides, his cuffs exposed knotted, veined forearms.

His features were unremarkable—a square face with thick eyebrows, high cheekbones, and heavy lips. Yet his eyes were exceptionally sharp. His light brown pupils looked like two polished flints, carrying an undisguised wildness whenever his gaze fell on someone.

He stopped in front of County Princess Yunhe, knelt on one knee, and cupped his fists in salute. ”Sun Ninghu greets the County Princess and the Young Lady.”His voice was deep and heavy, grinding out from his chest.

County Princess Yunhe waved a hand, signaling him to rise. She turned to Lin Longyue and smiled. ”This is the youngest Bronze-Red figure in my estate. At only nineteen, he has already stepped into the Bronze-Red Realm.

”Last year, during the martial examination in the Jingji Circuit, he defeated seven opponents in a row before unfortunately losing. He caught my eye, so I took him into my estate to keep.”

As she spoke, she carelessly caressed the jade bangle on her wrist. ”Since we are close, I shall gift this man to you. Once your gambling duel with Chu Linzi is over, if he is not dead, simply return him to me.”

Lin Longyue raised her eyebrows slightly. ”County Princess, how can I accept this...”

”Why couldn’t you?” County Princess Yunhe cut her off, her tone casual. ”Your duel with Chu Linzi is a major event in Yuanjiang Prefecture.

”If you lose, it is the face of the Baosu Marquis Residence that will be thrown away.”

She paused, glanced at Sun Ninghu, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. ”That Chu Linzi is a martial fanatic. The Bronze-Red Realm martial artists under her were all personally trained by her master, Master Zhaori. They walk the path of fierce power and are absolutely vicious in head-on combat. If you want to beat her in the Crown Prince’s Beast-Fighting Palace, relying solely on the people in your residence probably will not be enough.”

”This Sun Ninghu is exactly such a fierce tiger.” County Princess Yunhe picked up her teacup and gently blew on the floating leaves. ”The Crown Prince loves beast fighting above all else. Since you are dueling Chu Linzi to decide a victor in the Crown Prince’s Beast-Fighting Palace, you need a fierce beast.

”He is your fierce beast.”

Sun Ninghu stood to the side with his arms hanging down, his expression completely blank.

When he heard the words ”fierce beast,” there was not the slightest ripple in his eyes, as if he was long accustomed to the title.

Lin Longyue’s gaze lingered on Sun Ninghu for a few breaths. She nodded. ”Since that is the case, I thank the County Princess.”

—

Chen Lingxi stood by the door with his hands down and his head bowed, as quiet as a wooden stump.

Liu Zhu went in to announce him. After a short while, she came out and nodded at him.

He stepped over the threshold and entered the East Hall.

The charcoal fire in the hall burned vigorously, radiating a pleasant warmth.

Lin Longyue sat in the seat of honor. Today she wore a pale yellow blouse under a silver-ermine vest, and a solid gold hairpin with a dangling pearl adorned her hair. She seemed less cold than usual, radiating a brighter elegance.

On the small table beside her rested a Small Celadon Vase. Inside it were a few branches of early-blooming mountain peaches, their petals still carrying dewdrops, arranged alongside a few other flowers to create a charming contrast.

It was the very same flower arrangement Chen Lingxi had delivered previously.

She wore a smile on her face. Though it was not deep, it was more genuine than any Chen Lingxi had seen from her before.

County Princess Yunhe sat in the guest seat, maintaining her languid posture. She propped her chin on one hand and held a piece of osmanthus cake in the other, eating it slowly. Her simple movements exuded nobility.

Seeing Chen Lingxi enter, she maintained her languid tone. ”Slave, your lucky break has arrived.”

Chen Lingxi walked into the center of the hall and bowed. ”Official bondservant Chen Lingxi greets the Young Lady and the County Princess.”

Lin Longyue waved her hand for him to rise. Her gaze fell on him, carrying a rare trace of gentleness. ”That locust branch flower arrangement of yours was sent into Imperial Consort Chun’s Mirror Palace. Her Ladyship liked it very much, and specially had a female official from the Bureau of Ceremonies pass down a message of praise.”

She paused, a barely noticeable hint of pride in her voice. ”In all my years in Yuanjiang Prefecture, this is the first time I have received praise from the inner palace.”

Chen Lingxi kept his head bowed. ”It was the Young Lady’s sharp eye. This official bondservant merely acted on orders.”

Having watched this display of harmony between master and servant, County Princess Yunhe clapped her hands lightly and laughed. ”You have good luck, having a slave in your courtyard who is so skilled at flower arrangement.

”Since Her Ladyship likes it, just have this slave arrange more flowers. Send a vase to the Mirror Palace every few days, and over time, Her Ladyship will naturally remember you.”

Lin Longyue nodded in agreement, her gaze shifting to Chen Lingxi. ”Did you hear that? From now on, you will deliver a vase of arranged flowers every five days. The style must be novel, and the hidden meaning must be clever. You must not slack off in the slightest.”

Chen Lingxi accepted the order.

Just as Lin Longyue was about to speak, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the door.

Liu Que of the West Courtyard rushed into the East Hall.

He walked to Lin Longyue’s side, leaned down, and whispered a few words in her ear.

His voice was incredibly faint, as if he were deliberately suppressing it with his qi and blood.

Standing far away, Chen Lingxi could not hear clearly. He only vaguely caught the words ’prefectural office,’ ’Chu Linzi,’ and ’questioning.’

As Lin Longyue listened, her brows gradually furrowed. The joy that had just been on her face faded, replaced by a scrutinizing look.

She waved her hand. Liu Que straightened up and retreated to the side.

Lin Longyue’s gaze fell on Chen Lingxi. Those cold eyes rested on his face for a moment.

”Chen Lingxi,” she began, her voice not loud, but carrying an inescapable pressure. ”When you went to the prefectural office to report today, did you run into anyone?”

Chen Lingxi’s heart stirred, but he kept his face completely neutral. He lowered his head and answered, ”To answer the Young Lady, when this official bondservant went to report at the prefectural office today, I did indeed see a young lady arrive on horseback. She had an extraordinary bearing and was accompanied by many attendants.

”This official bondservant did not know who it was. I only looked from afar and went to handle my own business.”

He paused, then added, ”This official bondservant’s status is lowly. I did not dare to casually ask for the noble lady’s name.”

Lin Longyue did not speak immediately. She merely stared at him for a few breaths.

Her gaze was icy cold, but Chen Lingxi remained standing with his hands down, his breathing perfectly steady.

County Princess Yunhe put down her teacup and looked at Lin Longyue curiously. ”What is wrong? A slave went to the prefectural office to report. What kind of trouble could possibly spring from that?”

Lin Longyue withdrew her gaze, picked up her teacup, and took a sip before speaking unhurriedly. ”Someone from the prefectural office reported to me that the Prefect’s eldest daughter specifically asked for this slave of mine to enter her courtyard as a servant. It was only when they checked and found out Chen Lingxi belongs to my Marquis Residence that they let the matter drop.”

Her tone was flat, as if she were merely discussing an insignificant trifle.

County Princess Yunhe’s eyebrows, however, shot up.

”Chu Linzi?” She put down the pastry in her hand, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes. ”She actually took a liking to a slave? Now that is interesting.”

She tilted her head in thought, then suddenly chuckled. ”Chu Linzi is a martial fanatic. The cultivation method she practices is the Sun-Seeking True Art, passed down by her master, Master Zhaori.

”This martial art is extraordinary in combat, and it possesses another special ability—it allows one to see the strength of another person’s qi and blood.

”For this slave in your residence to catch Chu Linzi’s eye at a single glance, making her want to claim him for herself... take a guess. What do you think Chu Linzi saw in him?”

The hand Lin Longyue used to hold her teacup paused slightly.

She put down the teacup, her gaze once again landing on Chen Lingxi. In those cold eyes, there was a new hint of scrutiny that had not been there before.

She suddenly remembered something.

That day, when Jiang Yuan was assessing the bones of the crowd in front of the West Courtyard East Hall, he had publicly stated: ”This Chen Lingxi’s root bone far surpasses everyone else in the courtyard; he is an excellent piece of raw material.”

She naturally remembered it now, but... only a dozen or so days had passed since then. Even taking a longer view, it had been less than two months since she had given Chen Lingxi a cultivation method.

An official bondservant, no matter how exceptional his root bone, what kind of results could he possibly achieve in just two months?

But now, Chu Linzi’s actions made doubts surface in her mind.

Who was Chu Linzi?

The daughter of the Yuanjiang Prefect, the personal disciple of Master Zhaori, a martial genius at the Silver Bone Realm, and heavily valued by the Crown Prince.

Anyone who could enter her sights was definitively not simple.

Lin Longyue’s gaze swept back and forth over Chen Lingxi a few times.

This youth stood in the hall, his back perfectly straight, his breathing long and steady. Though his face was pale, it possessed a jade-like luster, not a sickly pallor.

He stood there, immovable as a mountain. His aura was so calm and steady that he did not seem like an official bondservant who had only been practicing martial arts for a month or so.

Lin Longyue’s brows furrowed slightly.

She actually could not see through him anymore.

County Princess Yunhe naturally noticed the change in Lin Longyue as well.

She picked up her teacup, took a slow sip, and suddenly chuckled.

The laughter was not loud, but it made the air in the hall abruptly tighten.

”I imagine breaking one of his legs will not affect his ability to arrange flowers in a vase.” County Princess Yunhe put down her teacup, her tone as casual as if she were discussing what to eat for the day. ”Sun Ninghu, break one of his legs.”

She paused. Her gaze crossed the rim of her teacup to land on Chen Lingxi, the smile on her lips deepening.

”Slave, I permit you to fight back.”