Chapter 656: Chapter 407: Ti to Air Out the Quilts for My Husband
“Young Master Zhao, I have co only to ask you for a favor.”
“What is it? Please tell .”
Zhou Dufu gazed at Zhao Rong, “It’s about the upcoming Sealing Ceremony.”
Zhao Rong was slightly surprised because he hadn’t expected him to cut straight to the point like this, especially not in broad daylight with everyone around, and only a hundred li from Hanjing.
In such a setting, after gift-giving, shouldn’t this matter be implied subtly?
Well, this was also the effect Zhao Rong wanted… If those powers that gave gifts did not make their intentions clear, but only hinted, he would pretend not to understand and drag it out.
No hurry, it was within expectations… Zhao Rong nodded lightly under the old man’s scrutiny.
Zhou Dufu said directly and without beating around the bush:
“I hope Young Master Zhao and the other young masters can stick to your own roles, conforming to fate. As for the Sealing Ceremony, just try your best during the ritual process; whether it’s to lend a helping hand in the snow or to add flowers to the brocade, do not do it, I ask Young Master Zhao… to be fair and just!”
The portly old man stood upright with a firm voice, and at this mont, his resounding words echoed in the open-air tavern, “If so, I shall by no ans hinder the Sealing Ceremony.”
All around was silence.
Zhao Rong looked at Zhou Dufu for a while, raised his cup to drink, thought for a mont, and then set the cup back down.
He nodded slowly without saying anything.
He leisurely picked up the wine jug beside him and personally filled Zhou Dufu’s cup to the brim.
After setting down the jug, Zhao Rong rose to his feet, turned his head, and left the open-air tavern to go fetch the Dragon Colt.
Zhao Qian’er, Su Qingdai, Gu Yiwu, and a group of students got up to follow imdiately.
After exchanging glances, they mounted their horses in silence and rode off into the distance following Zhao Rong.
The figures of Zhao Rong and others disappeared on the official road.
They left behind only a martial artist drinking alone with a cup and an old horse eating grass by the roadside…
“Ziyu, are we leaving just like that?”
“What else? Are we supposed to stay here for dinner?”
“……”
“Let’s go to Hanjing. There isn’t much ti left for our trip to the Great Li, we need to hurry up and hold the Sealing Ceremony, and then return to the Academy sooner. This place… is not suitable for a long stay.”
“Okay, I’ll listen to you, Ziyu! Wait, by the way, Ziyu, what is that blue-covered booklet you just accepted? It couldn’t possibly be the secret manual of so amazing Divine Skill, could it?”
“What nonsense are you talking about, making such weird guesses? This is sothing very proper from proper people.”
“How… how proper?”
“A diary. The diary of a martial artist.”
Gu Yiwu and the others: (・∀・*)
There was no refuting that.
……
Half a quarter of an hour later, Zhao Rong and his group encountered a number of Great Li officials waiting on the road, about a dozen or so li from Hanjing.
Among them was a plump and glamorous lady, Xue Can, whom they knew well.
She led so officials from the Ritual Departnt and bowed:
“Teacher Zhao, honorable Teachers, the young emperor and the Empress Dowager have heard of your arrival today and have held a grand welcoming ritual outside Hanjing, greeting you from ten li away. Please, Teachers, change into your ceremonial clothes…”
Zhao Rong squinted as he glanced at the faint sounds of gongs and drums ahead, the horses clopping in succession, and nodded lightly, “Much appreciated.”
Soon after, Zhao Rong, Gu Yiwu, and the others changed into their Confucian ceremonial clothes. Once they were neatly dressed, they spurred their horses and set off.
……
On a clear and brisk autumn morning.
Within Du You City, Taiching Four Mansions.
Atop a high cliff located near the center, a new ancient platform had been built.
It was considered new because it was being reconstructed month by month.
At this mont, on Qingyun Platform, which regularly hosted high-profile competitions within Taiching Prefecture, not even the slightest breeze from the mountain could slip through, and the atmosphere was extrely quiet.
Yet standing on the newly erected high platform, which spanned about a li in diater, were hundreds of figures in white.
So in white with cold, sinister swords, so casually with wine gourds at their waists, others with bare feet and empty fists, and still others with long hair flowing, externally magnificent.
All were silent.
More than half of the students from various residences in the Taiching Four Mansions watched with different expressions as a stunning figure stood on a Duel Platform.
Though she wore the sa Taiching Prefecture’s sword-patterned white clothes, they sohow looked different on her.
Not just dazzling, not just pleasing to the eye.
But sothing that irresistibly drew the gaze, becoming more captivating the longer you looked.
On Qingyun Platform, there were several Duel Platforms engraved with arrays. The owner of that radiant, graceful figure stood on the largest one in the center.
Her narrow autumnal eyes rippled like autumn waters, and a light brown mole under her left eye was known by all within Taiching Prefecture, recognized by everyone.
At the mont, many Duel Platforms had been severely damaged and were in need of repair. These platforms, specifically built of special spiritual materials to withstand the battle strength of late-stage Heavenly Will Realm cultivators, bore nurous awe-inspiring scars.
It was hard to believe that this was the sa place where the life-and-death battles of the Vast Realm residence students were taking place.
Now, as the Qingyun Platform competition to decide the allocation of cultivation resources and status hierarchy for the next several months was nearing its end, almost the entire arena’s attention was focused on the unscathed cold woman.
The remainder who weren’t looking at her were either students who had been defeated and disheartenedly stepped down, or those about to take the stage and were currently resting with eyes closed.
In half space above Qingyun Platform, green-clothed cultivators responsible for recording or judging held books and bizarre Mirror Flowers Water Moon artifacts, their sharp eyes observing every move on the stage.
High above Qingyun Platform amidst the clouds, there were nine indistinct figures, seated or standing atop the clouds—all looking down at the scene below.
In the eyes of the people on Qingyun Platform, these cloud-dwelling figures appeared to have diverse clothing. So old students of Taiching Prefecture that were acquainted with the influential figures within both the prefecture and Du You City occasionally glanced upward, almost matching those figures in the clouds with so prominent individuals.
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