Ch637 - The Dragon Emperor Arrives

Within the Palace hall…

The Sword Emperor sat on his throne, face dark as he looked at his four sons sitting to either side of him.

“Jiang Xu has decent aptitude.” The Sword Emperor said gravely. “I believe there is a seventy percent chance that he will be able to contract Han Xing.”

“Father!” Murong Qian, the Eldest Prince, was deeply displeased by these words. Earlier, when he had asked if he would succeed in contracting Han Xing, his Father had told him only forty percent likely. Yet now, his Father spoke of Jiang Xu’s chances with seventy percent certainty.

“What does Father mean?” The Second Prince turned to ask his Father directly.

“I watched him break through the fifth star map with my own eyes. From the moment he made his move, I knew it was highly probable he’d succeed in contracting Han Xing—and even more so than myself.” The Sword Emperor frowned deeply.

“Father, Han Xing was left to us by our Great-Grandfather; how can we afford to lose our family honor if it were contracted by someone outside our clan?”

“Indeed, Father, we cannot allow Jiang Xu to be bound with the sword.”

“But it is too late for prevention now. If I were to tear down Liu Mufeng’s barrier, that would be blatant provocation. And if I were to kill Jiang Xu, how could Liu Mufeng possibly accept this? That bastard Long Xingtian definitely wouldn’t either. There is a Heavenly Dao restriction between Immortal Emperors. If I were to kill his Son-in-Law, he could use this as justification to attack you all.” The Sword Emperor’s expression grew dark.

At these words, the Four Princes’ faces also turned pale; they did not wish to die.

“Father, perhaps…perhaps we should give him what he wants. If he has the ability to form a bond with Han Xing, let him take it.” The Third Prince changed his mind upon seeing his Father’s reaction.

“That’s right, Father, Long Xingtian is nothing but a scoundrel through and through, a real jackass. Let’s just leave him alone.” At this point, the Fifth Prince became fearful as well;he certainly didn’t want to pay Jiang Xu with his life!

“Letting him take Han Xing without any resistance truly is quite unsettling.” The Eldest Prince frowned deeply.

“Yes, this Father also finds it most disagreeable.” The Sword Emperor sighed heavily at this point.

“Second Brother, you’re always so clever; what do you think?” Seeing that his Second Brother remained silent, the Eldest Prince turned to ask for his opinion.

Upon hearing this, everyone else looked toward Murong Hua, who had yet to speak up.

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“So what if it’s fake? If something is repeated often enough, people will eventually believe it. Let us spread the word that Jiang Xu is the Emperor’s illegitimate Son, and once he contracts Han Xing, everyone will say,‘That was the Sword Emperor’s Son contracting the holy sword left behind by the founders of the Murong Clan.’When that time comes, His Imperial Majesty can step forward to celebrate both Liu Mufeng and Jiang Xu, and perhaps even adopt another Godson. Won’t all these issues be resolved?”

“But what if Jiang Xu cannot make the contract?” The Sword Emperor watched his son.

“If he cannot, then when the time comes, His Imperial Majesty can help dispel the rumors and declare those were just baseless rumors circulating among the masses. Then everything will work out.” The Second Prince replied with a smile.

“Second Brother, your strategy truly is clever.” The Third Prince gave him a thumbs-up, praising him endlessly.

“You’re right, my dear Brother, you’re quite smart yourself.” The Fifth Prince nodded in agreement.

“It’s a good idea, but what about Long Xingtian? If he finds out his Son-in-Law became the Sword Emperor’s illegitimate child, he’ll definitely come to stir up trouble in our Sword City.” The Eldest Prince frowned deeply at this thought.

“The law does not punish the masses. We must spread this news as quickly as possible throughout the entirety of the Upper Heavenly Domain, reaching all twenty-three regions and their cultivators with the utmost speed. This way, Long Xingtian will have no way of tracing back the source of these rumors; even if he wanted to pursue someone, he wouldn’t know who to blame.

Even if he were exceptionally powerful, how could he possibly slaughter everyone in the Upper Heavenly Domain?” Murong Hua sneered, “And if he dares to cause trouble here, we can simply say that Jiang Xu himself confessed it was so. Eldest Brother, don’t forget—Jiang Xu said all those words right on the street, not just you and me. If Long Xingtian wants to find the source of these rumors, the only one he’ll end up finding is Jiang Xu.”

The Eldest Prince nodded, “Mm, true enough. At the time, Jiang Xu did confess before the entire street that he was the Sword Emperor’s Son. It wasn’t just me who heard him either; many immortals gathered around the street heard him too. There’s no denying it now.”

“Indeed, let’s do it your way, then, Second Son.” The Sword Emperor made the final call after nodding once more.

“He is indeed the Sword Emperor’s Son!” The four agreed in chorus.

*********

Two months later…

Within the Palace, the Sword Emperor sat with his five Sons and the old housekeeper.

“How is Jiang Xu doing?” The Sword Emperor asked while looking at the housekeeper.

“In reply to Your Majesty, Jiang Xu broke through the forty-eighth star map just over an hour ago, and he’s currently examining the last one.” The housekeeper replied truthfully as he watched their Lord.

“Has anyone taken notes on the star maps?” the Second Prince asked, still gazing at the housekeeper.

“Rest assured, Your Highness, starting from the thirty-first, Manager Xiao has recorded every single star map using the recording stones.”

“Ah!” The Second Prince nodded, satisfied.

“The forty-ninth star map! Jiang Xu is truly impressive. It seems I’ve been in seclusion for too long and missed all these exciting events.” The Fourth Prince felt somewhat regretful at this prospect; he had left the Sword Pavilion only yesterday, and it was only after his departure that he heard about Jiang Xu’s contract with the Han Xing Sword.

“It’s not worth watching at all. They’re both lovey-dovey the whole day, from eating together to chatting together to kissing each other. Who knows what that bastard came here for—contracting the holy sword or engaging in romance?” The Eldest Prince looked rather glum as he spoke. He had originally intended to go watch Jiang Xu break through the star maps, but every time he arrived, he ended up being fed mouthfuls of dog food instead, leaving him brimming with complaints.

“Ha ha ha, Eldest Brother, are you jealous because they are Dao Companions? Perhaps Eldest Brother should find one himself?”

Upon hearing this, the Eldest Prince shot the Fourth Prince a disgruntled glare. “Stop your nonsense. My path lies in cultivating the Heartless Dao!”

“Oh!” With a small sound of assent, the Fourth Prince stuck his tongue between his teeth, thinking to himself,With Dage’s personality, even if he doesn’t cultivate the Heartless Dao, it will be difficult for him to marry. He’s far too strict, unable to win favor with women.

“Since it’s the last star map, Emperor Father, shouldn’t we go take a look?” The Second Prince turned to his Father, asking for permission.

“En, good idea, let’s…” Before the Sword Emperor could finish, he felt his barrier being ripped apart.

One must possess greater strength than their opponent if they wish to tear through their barrier. Who among those from the Upper Heavenly Domain was bold enough—and rude enough—to breach the boundary and enter without invitation? The answer was obvious—Long Xingtian.

The moment the barrier was breached, the Sword Emperor immediately sensed that Long Xingtian had arrived. Sure enough, Long Xingtian and Qing Chen appeared abruptly in the living room.

Upon seeing the newcomers, the faces of the Sword Emperor and his five Sons were all somewhat displeased.

“Oh, it’s Immortal Friend Long and Immortal Friend Qing! My apologies for not welcoming you properly.” The Sword Emperor rose, the corners of his lips tugging upward into a semblance of politeness.

The Five Princes and the housekeeper lowered their heads respectfully to the Dragon Emperor and his Consort.

Long Xingtian scanned the crowd before settling his gaze on the Sword Emperor. “Old fellow, have you grown tired of living? How dare you accuse my Son-in-Law of being your bastard child! You certainly know how to flatter yourself, don’t you? To think that someone like you could sire my Son-in-Law?”

As he watched the furious Dragon Emperor interrogate the accused, the Sword Emperor hastily offered him a subservient smile. “Fellow Immortal Long, you’ve misunderstood me. How could I say such baseless words? It’s just that when my dear Nephew Jiang came to visit the Sword City, there was a slight misunderstanding between him and my Eldest Son. My Nephew then declared himself as my Son, but since this happened in public, others may have heard it, so perhaps everyone has mistaken them for words spoken by your Son-in-Law.”

“Did my Son-in-Law say these things?” Long Xingtian looked at the Sword Emperor with disbelief.

“Of course, why would I hide anything from Fellow Immortal Long? If you don’t believe me, you can ask Nephew Jiang right now.” The Immortal Emperor spoke sternly.

“We naturally trust the Sword Emperor, but why wouldXiaoXu say such things without reason?” Qing Chen asked, puzzled.

“Ah, it goes like this…” The Sword Emperor glanced at his Eldest Son and explained the situation in full detail.

“So, it was your Eldest Son bullying my Son-in-Law and trying to drive him out of the Sword City that made him say he’s your Son, right?” Long Xingtian looked at the Sword Emperor with suspicion.

“Yes, my Eldest Son didn’t realize who Nephew Jiang was, so his words were rather harsh.”

“That little rascal, making up a Father for no reason? Is there something wrong with him?” At the thought of Jiang Xu, Long Xingtian felt a twinge of annoyance.

Qing Chen glanced at his partner, then looked back at the Sword Emperor, feeling this wasn’t as simple as it seemed. It had only been two months since the incident; even ifXiaoXu had spoken without thinking and challenged the Sword Emperor’s son to a fight, how could news spread throughout the Upper Heavenly Domain so quickly? Was someone else stoking the flames?

“Sword Emperor, may I inquire where my sons, Liu Mufeng and Jiang Xu, currently reside?” Turning toward the Sword Emperor, Qing Chen asked politely.

“Oh, those dear Nephews have gone to the Sword Forest, where Nephew Jiang is currently bound to the Han Xing Sword,” the Sword Emperor replied with a smile.

“Take us along, let me ask that brat myself.” Rolling his eyes, Long Xingtian expressed his displeasure.

“Alright, please follow me.” Nodding, the Sword Emperor led the couple away from the Palace.