Chapter 60 In the Purple Dawn Hall
"Father!"
Ji Lingxiu suddenly pushed open the gilded doors of the Purple Dawn Hall, her crimson palace robes swirling like blood with her hurried steps. Her gaze instantly locked onto the figure in green robes standing within—Ling Zhanxue, the inspector from Qingzhou's Qingyang City.
But in the next instant, her pupils contracted sharply.
No… something was wrong!
In her memory, Ling Zhanxue should have been gravely injured—his left arm severed at the shoulder, his chest bound with blood-soaked cloth, his complexion as pale as death. Yet the man before her—
Ling Zhanxue turned at her voice, his long hair neatly bound by a jade crown, not a strand out of place, his features coldly handsome like carved jade.
As he bowed, the silver patterns on his official robe rippled like waves, the jade token at his waist gleaming warm and translucent beneath the sunlight. There was not a trace of injury upon him.
"Your subject greets the Princess." His voice was cool and steady, like the sound of wind over snow-laden pines—completely different from the hoarse, dying tones of her past life.
Ji Lingxiu's fingernails dug deep into her palm.
Could it be… her rebirth was only an illusion? Merely a nightmare she had dreamt?
Uncertainty once again clouded her heart.
"Lingxiu?" Emperor Chengping set down his vermilion brush, a trace of doubt in his eyes.
Had it been any other prince barging into the Purple Dawn Hall, he would have scolded them harshly. But this daughter before him—she was his greatest pride and satisfaction.
"Father."
Ji Lingxiu quickly calmed herself, the corners of her lips curving into a perfectly measured smile, as if her earlier loss of composure had never happened. With a graceful sweep of her sleeve, the tassels of her palace dress fell neatly, restoring the noble, aloof image of the Splendid Princess.
"I merely had some trivial matters to consult Father on. I did not know Lord Inspector was in council, so I was abrupt." She bowed lightly, tassels swaying, her bearing dignified as ever.
Seeing her demeanor so composed, Emperor Chengping relaxed, smiling warmly. "No matter. Since you are here, stay and listen as well."
Ji Lingxiu inclined her head and walked to sit beside the imperial desk, her gaze, however, quietly resting on Ling Zhanxue.
Ling Zhanxue's expression remained unchanged as he continued his report. "Elder Wang Songzhou of the Wang clan in Qingyang City slaughtered the Eight Elephants Sect. But this was not the most important matter.
The most important is that, in my investigation, I discovered he had allied himself with the Celestial Secrets Pavilion's Venerable Xinghe. Together, they sought to use the Star Observatory to conceal the heavens and ambush me!"
"What!? Is this true!? The Celestial Secrets Pavilion has also involved itself in this?" When he heard of the Wang clan destroying the Eight Elephants Sect, Emperor Chengping remained composed. But at the mention of the Celestial Secrets Pavilion colluding with a clan, he could no longer sit still.
For Great Zhou to restrain all the clans and sects of Xuanying Continent, it was not only because of the regional inspectors, but also because of the flawless strategies of the national preceptor Xuan Tianjun, and the neutrality of the Celestial Secrets Pavilion.
That balance ensured no clan or sect dared violate the rules lightly. Otherwise, before the might of a million heavenly soldiers, even a house as powerful as the Wang clan could be ground to dust.
At this moment, Ji Lingxiu lightly tapped her fingertip against the desk, and suddenly spoke. "Lord Inspector, there is something this princess does not understand."
Ling Zhanxue looked up. "Please speak, Princess."
"Wang Songzhou and Venerable Xinghe have both cultivated in the Longevity Realm for many years. You, on the other hand, only recently entered that realm. How were you able to escape alive from their encirclement?" Her voice was gentle, but carried a sharpness that brooked no evasion.
The hall fell silent.
Even Emperor Chengping's gaze turned curious.
Ling Zhanxue paused briefly, then, uncharacteristically, a trace of embarrassment crossed his face, the tips of his ears faintly reddening.
With a soft cough, he answered in a low tone, "In truth, Princess, I could not have escaped alone. But along the way, I encountered a… friend. His cultivation was profound, and he helped me slay the two of them."
"Friend?" Ji Lingxiu arched her brow slightly. "I wonder which esteemed expert could so easily defeat two Longevity Realm powerhouses?"
Ling Zhanxue's gaze flickered, as if the words were hard to speak. In the end, he only said softly, "He… dislikes publicity. I beg the Princess's understanding."
Ji Lingxiu stared at his faintly flushed face, her doubts only deepening. Ling Zhanxue had always been cold and self-possessed—when had he ever shown such an expression at the mere mention of someone?
Who was this so-called "friend"? Could it be that he, too, was someone reborn like herself?
She lowered her gaze to hide the inquiry in her eyes, the corners of her lips curving faintly.
"It seems, Lord Inspector, that you have made a truly remarkable acquaintance."
…
When Ling Zhanxue finally departed and the hall doors closed behind him, silence once again settled within the Purple Dawn Hall.
Emperor Chengping set aside his vermilion brush and looked at Ji Lingxiu. "Now, speak. What was so urgent that you came rushing here?"
Ji Lingxiu drew a deep breath, her fingers tightening around her sleeve. "Father, your daughter had a nightmare last night."
"Oh?" Emperor Chengping raised his brow, his smile carrying a trace of irony. "When did my Splendid Princess ever become unsettled by mere dreams?"
"I dreamt…" Her voice grew solemn. "That at tonight's banquet, someone would attempt an assassination, and the Forefather… would perish on the spot."
Before she could finish, Emperor Chengping suddenly burst into laughter. The sound shook the candles, their flames flickering violently. "Absurd! The Forefather has held the top of the Heaven Ranking for years, acknowledged as the number one cultivator in the world—"
But then, as if recalling something, his voice weakened slightly. He added, "Even if he is not first, he is still one of the two strongest alive. How could anyone possibly assassinate him? And such a scheme—do you think our dynasty's National Preceptor, Xuan Tianjun, is nothing but decoration?"
Ji Lingxiu's eyes tightened, and she said quietly, "What if the Celestial Secrets Pavilion sided with them? What if they shielded the plot from heaven's sight?"
Emperor Chengping shook his head, a glint of meaning flashing in his eyes. "The master of the Celestial Secrets Pavilion would never stand with the clans. In time, you will come to understand this. As for what Inspector Ling reported, it must have been nothing more than that Venerable Xinghe's personal treachery."
He rose, the sweep of his dragon robe brushing across the desk. "I will discuss this matter with Xuan Tianjun. You need not worry."
Ji Lingxiu watched her father's retreating back in silence, her heart filled with profound disappointment.
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