Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
The small island at the center of Ling Lake was less than 100 meters in diameter, but had different beautiful views with each step change. Everywhere was delicately decorated like a heavenly palace.
Cai Jinglun and Cai Yunji invited Zhang Ruochen to a higher place, which had belonged to Chi Yutang before and was next to the proud kid of the Little Saint G.o.d Mansion, Wan Huayu.
The coming of Zhang Ruochen did affect the monks onsite.
People who had offended Zhang Ruochen and Chu Siyuan before all approached him.
They lowered their status to apologize to Zhang Ruochen. And they all took out precious treasures to give Zhang Ruochen as gifts, trying to make up for their faults.
"This is a Seven-Colored Coral Herb which has been living for 7,000 years. I picked it up from the bottom of Yanling Lake. I hope you will accept it."
"This is a Dragon Silkworm Incense. Lighting it up and taking in its scent would help build up one's spiritual power."
Zhang Ruochen didn't refuse out of courtesy. He accepted everything that they gave him.
But he didn't say a word. He closed his eyes and nodded slightly, making the people nervous.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power trembled. He found a pair of eyes staring at him.
Who was it?
Zhang Ruochen wondered, so he opened his eyes and looked toward them.
It was a dancer in a veil and dancing cloth made of white feathers, standing in the vague white fog. Her figure was extremely slender. Her skin was extremely white and crystal-clear, looking different from other dancers.
But after exchanging the sight with Zhang Ruochen, she looked away immediately and hid in the fog.
She's highly cultivated. Who's she? Zhang Ruochen said to himself.
Wan Huayu looked at Zhang Ruochen and located the dancer with the veil. She smiled, and said, "Is this the first time that you have come to Sacred City?"
"Yes," said Zhang Ruochen.
"Even if you are only visiting here for the first time and haven't seen her before, you should have heard her name."
Apparently, the "her" mentioned by Wan Huayu was the dancer.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Is she famous?"
Wan Huayu nodded, and said, "She is the namecard for the Phoenix Dance Palace, Qin Yutong. She is called the first beauty of Sacred City. Many young men come to the Phoenix Dance Palace everyday, most of them wanting to see her real face."
"A year ago, even Xue Wuye, one of the Nine Heirs, came for her. He was seen by Qin Yutong, but never got to see her real face."
"Suitors of Qin Yutong are all around the nine states of the Central Region. But none have won her favor. She must have an eye for you. That's interesting."
She's sharp, Zhang Ruochen said to himself.
Zhang Ruochen didn't change his face, and sneered, "Since n.o.body has seen her real face, how dare she call herself the first beauty of the Sacred City?"
Wan Huayu was shocked. Apparently she found Zhang Ruochen ignorant.
Then she said, "Because people trust the Phoenix Dance Palace. As a namecard of Phoenix Dance Palace, she should have the extraordinary beauty."
The Phoenix Dance Palace, although it was a brothel, was as old as those famous ancient households. Many powerful figures were born there. And so were the beauties.
Every era, the Phoenix Dance Palace would promote a talent descendent, all called the "Dancing Fairy."
Each Dancing Fairy had extraordinary talent, beauty and the best dancing.
Of course, normal people wouldn't have the qualifications to marry a Dancing Fairy. Only the heirs of famous ancient households and Sons of Deity from ancient sects would be able to fight for such a chance.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Wan Huayu and said, "To my knowledge, the Wan Family has always been friends with Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion, and each generation has been united by marriage. I've become an enemy to Chi Yutang. How can you keep talking and laughing with me?"
Wan Huayu pressed her lips, looking charming. She said, "Chi Yutang is Chi Yutang, I am myself. Besides, I wonder…how could a young powerful talent like you suddenly emerge in the Kunlun's Field?"
After a pause, Wan Huayu added, "Not long ago, words were heard in the Zhouwan Divine Land that the Saint Painter Elder and Luo Xu had together killed three saints of Immortal Vampires and the army of 100,000. There was only one person that could connect with both elders."
"Who?"
"The Time and s.p.a.ce Descendant, Zhang Ruochen."
Wan Huayu stared at Zhang Ruochen's eyes closely. She appeared to be wise. She observed him carefully, wanting to find out something different.
It had to be said that Wan Huayu did have many common features with Wan Zhaoyi. She was sophisticated, unlike Chi Yutang.
Even Zhang Ruochen found it a little hard to tell her thoughts.
Zhang Ruochen appeared to be calm and peaceful. He said, "Your mention of Zhang Ruochen reminded me of something. It is said that the Empress has given a secret edict that the Little Saint G.o.d should capture Zhang Ruochen in three months. If not, the Little Saint G.o.d will have commited treason. Didn't the three months already pa.s.s?"
The reason why Zhang Ruochen knew this was that the Saint Lady had told him.
But Wan Huayu didn't know the relations.h.i.+p between Zhang Ruochen and the Saint Lady. Hearing Zhang Ruochen bring about this matter, she was astonished.
Only a few knew that the Empress had given an imperial secret edict to the Little Saint G.o.d, most of whom were powerful figures in the court.
How could he know about it?
Maybe he was an heir to some powerful figures in the court?
Wan Huaya suspected that he was the Time and s.p.a.ce Descendant, Zhang Ruochen, but now she was confused.
Wan Huaya had an imposing manner, so she didn't hide. She said, "My father did receive the secret edict that he had to capture Zhang Ruochen in three months."
"But during the fight with the Ancient Race of Prison Guardians, my father commanded the army of the Ministry of War to fight fiercely against the Immortal Vampires, and paid a heavy price to stop Blood Emperor Qingtian. He made the remarkable battle achievement, so the Empress granted a ruling of not guilty. Now my father has commanded the army of the Wan Family to the Northern Region to go on fighting the Immortal Vampires."
Zhang Ruochen nodded, and said, "The Little Saint G.o.d truly made remarkable battle achievements. He deserves to be the number one hero on the Five Heroes List."
Zhang Ruochen didn't save his words to compliment him. No matter what kind of resentment there wasl between Wan Zhaoyi and him, he did have many things that he respected.
"My father once said, he only admires two people in today's world: the Empress and Zhang Ruochen. The cultivation of the Empress is far beyond his imagination. And the talent of Zhang Ruochen makes him realize that there is no limit to the universe. He said that he had to fight Zhang Ruochen one day. Maybe that day would be the end of his glorious days. He wished that day would come a little later."
Wan Huayu still had doubts about Zhang Ruochen's ident.i.ty. Her words were a test for him.
"You almost make me want to meet the Time and s.p.a.ce Descendant, too."
"So do I."
Wan Huayu gave a laugh and stopped talking.
Zhang Ruochen said no more words. He lit the Dragon Silkworm Incense, which had been given to him previously by a Half-Saint. He took in its scent, building up his spiritual power.
After half an hour, the shocking news was heard from the Cai Family Saint Mansion.
The owner of the Cai Family finally announced the whereabouts of the Vampire Secrets.
Cai Jinglun read, "800 years ago, the Vampire Secrets was kept in the National Treasury of the Sacred Central Empire after it had been finished."
"The night before Emperor Ming disappeared, members of the Guarding Dragon Pavilion took all treasures away from the National Treasury. Then, they disappeared from the Kunlun's Field, and never showed up again."
The news was extremely shocking.
Sacred Central Empire had a long history and had acc.u.mulated enormous treasure.
Countless weapons, saint pills, sacred medicines, spiritual stones, saintly rocks, even millions of books of exercises and martial arts were kept in the National Treasury.
People all believed that the National Treasury had either fallen to the First Central Empire, or been taken away by the Sacred Central Crypt.
Who could tell that it had already been transported before Emperor Ming Disappeared?
In other words, whoever could find the National Treasury of the Sacred Central Empire would have found unparalleled treasure, which would make him as wealthy as an Emperor.
A very old monk cried, "Members of the Guarding Dragon Pavilion took the treasure away? Is that the so-called strongest base of the Sacred Central Empire, Guardians of the Royal Family, Guarding Dragon Pavilion?"
The young monks had never heard about it. So they asked around in curiosity.
The old monk smiled, and said, "It is said that the Guarding Dragon Pavilion has only 108 members. 36 heavenly generals and 72 earthly generals, and each of them is a saint. They are very mysterious and n.o.body knows that they exist. It is also said that some members even began guarding the Royal Family Zhang in the Middle Ages."
A young man laughed, not buying the old man's words. He said, "How's it possible? 108 saints? Even the famous ancient households wouldn't have such strength. And how many years should the living creatures have lived since the Middle Ages? Bulls.h.i.+t."
The old monk said, "You young generations have seen too little. Having established the Sacred Central Empire, the Royal Family Zhang had a strength that you couldn't even imagine!"
"Have you seen the two 230-meter-tall bronze Golden Suan at the city gate? [1] They were not only totems of the Sacred Central Empire, but also two guarding divine beasts of the Sacred Central Empire. It is said they are the two members of Earthly Generals of the Guarding Dragon Pavilion. They have lived for 10,000 years, having a longer life than humans."
"The reason why the Sacred Central Crypt has 108 Saint Generals is its imitation of the Guarding Dragon Pavilion. But the Saint Generals are just kids compared to those of the Guarding Dragon Pavilion."
The old monk spoke confidently, almost convincing the monks on site.
If the Guarding Dragon Pavilion did exist, why didn't they show up and where were they?
Endnote
[1] ancient beasts like lions
