Chapter 119: Indeed, it is huge
Additional chapter Inspiration capsule (2/3). Thank you JiuYang for your support.
2/3
===
The Phoenix Pavilion was a twenty-story pavilion made of white gold. It looked very expensive and was considered the most protected place in the capital. It was mainly inhabited by members of the imperial family, but since the Empress had refused to marry and bear heirs for a long time, the place was empty. And now, after two thousand years, the Phoenix Pavilion was opened again. The interior was very expensive and luxurious. A eunuch was telling them about the different functions of the pavilion and also informed them that the Empress would be free from her work tomorrow.
“Then I won’t bother you any longer. You can always ask the maids for help, and if you want to contact me, here is a communication token.” Eunuch Xian handed over the token and politely smiled. He then said goodbye and left, leaving Xie Qing and Xu Mei in this spacious pavilion.
It could be said that the Phoenix Pavilion deserved its name and reputation as a place of luxury and pleasure. The maidservants alone were beautiful with well-developed bodies. However, Xie Qing was not so bold as to take advantage of their services, especially with Xu Mei by his side. He preferred to spend time with his Master.
Speaking of the Master, it seemed that as soon as she arrived in the capital, her mood immediately fell and she looked irritated, as if she had entered a dirty and dilapidated house with only a rotten bed and time-eaten furniture. It seemed that her dislike of the capital was 99% due to the Empress, with whom she had no good relationship.
“Master, I’m going out for a walk,” said Xie Qing, opening the bedroom door and going inside.
“Hm?”
At this time, Xu Mei was changing clothes and holding two sets of hanfu in her hand. One of them was cute and looked like an everyday outfit, while the other was just the opposite – solemn and emphasizing her sexual body.
Xie Qing hesitated for a moment and then said, “The second one is better.”
“Alright.”
Xu Mei and Xie Qing were not a new couple to be embarrassed by nudity. And this is not a hentai, so there was no such cliché. After changing clothes, the woman looked reluctant but still decided to go for a walk with Xie Qing. She would have been bitter if they had not spent time together, although she had received a long-awaited chance.
“Look, Master… Mei-Mei.”
Xie Qing looked at his beloved with a smile and changed the way he addressed her in the middle of the conversation. Mei-Mei’s face became much happier and her behavior more lively. It seemed that this small and not very significant moment helped to return the mood to the disheartened woman, and they walked together in the capital.
It must be said that although Xie Qing had been in the capital before, he had never paid so much attention to the surrounding environment due to his haste. Moreover, here the atmosphere was especially solemn. If compared with other cities, the capital was like a paradise. Every other passerby was a cultivator, and there were even cultivators at the Divine Transformation level – this level of cultivation was only one step weaker than Transcendence.
“It seems that the capital is much more protected than I thought,” thought Xie Qing, gently squeezing the hand of Xu Mei, who was dragging him to buy some sweets. He looked at the palace and then shook his head.
“Today I am neither the Destroying Blade nor the young head of the Xie family, but Xu Mei is just my girlfriend.”
Moments of happiness are short, but memories are eternal.
***
The Imperial Palace was a kind of city within a city. Surrounded by high walls made of durable immortal metal and decorated with symbols and drawings of dragons, it seemed defenseless. But this was only the first impression. Each drawing on the walls was a formation, and the airspace above the palace city was closed by a dense invisible barrier that even a cultivator of Xu Mei’s level could not break with one blow.
And most importantly, there were the 12 Holy Dragons, an elite squad of Divine Transformation cultivators who protected the Empress and carried out her orders. This was one of the reasons why the Dynasty still existed despite the passage of so many years.
And all this palace was owned by only one person – the Great Empress. She had many titles, but she was most often called the “Golden Empress.” It was said that in her body was the bloodline of dragons, and although this bloodline was only one-fourth dragon blood, it was already very powerful.
She was comparable in strength to Xu Mei. She was considered the main beauty of the cultivation world, the wisest and most powerful. Of course, most of this was propaganda, but she was indeed very beautiful. And now…
“How intriguing…”
A seductive and powerful female voice sounded slightly muffled. This was due to the hum of the fountain from which the koi carp were jumping out. The garden was adorned with countless spiritual flowers, and cherry trees were growing. The smell was wonderful.
In the center of the garden was a pond dividing the garden into two parts. Above the pond was a short bridge on which stood two women. One of them was incredibly beautiful. Like an immortal maiden descended into the mortal world to play with the hearts of young men. She had shining silver hair falling on her slender, willow-like back. Her beautiful face was more refined, like the work of a great artist. A neat face, a small nose, and thin eyebrows. Her skin was pale and pleasant, her eyes were memorable.
A feature was that one eye was silver, like the moon, while the other was black as the night sky, in which stars shone. If you looked closely, even the tips of her hair at some point acquired a black tint, but soon returned to their normal state, like her beautiful eyes. Soft and long silver eyelashes fluttered as she looked at the maid who was reporting something. Her cherry lips were pursed.
This was the Golden Empress. Today she was dressed in her golden clothes, and on her head was a phoenix crown made of first-class precious stones. There was light makeup on her face, emphasizing her gentle phoenix eyes, and light lipstick. The rest was natural beauty. This seemingly fragile woman ruled an entire dynasty for more than two thousand years. In addition to being an influential figure, she was also considered one of the strongest cultivators.
“Well, how… something, and the arrival of little Mei-Mei I did not expect,” the seductive and calm voice of the Empress sounded again. She looked cold, but in fact, her eyes gleamed: “Who would have thought that this woman would visit my capital? It must be that tomorrow the end of the world will come.”
The maid could not understand how to react to such words of the Empress, so she simply bowed even lower so that her face was not visible. Finally, after some silence, the Empress spoke.
“At sunrise, at the first rays of the sun, let the feet of these two enter my imperial palace. Until then, they will be accompanied by the chief eunuch. This will be his task.”
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
“Good, now you are free.”
The maid bowed again and quickly left, fearing to spoil the mood of the Golden Empress with her presence. The woman, approaching the railing of the bridge, looked at how the carp frolicked in the water. Her black eye gradually returned to its natural silver color. It was unclear what the Empress was thinking as she looked at her reflection in the water.
***
“Indeed, it is huge,” Xie Qing commented, raising his eyebrows as he looked at the huge palace. “I wonder if the Empress is lonely living here?”
“Ehh…”
Eunuch Xian smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to answer this question. If it were not for the fact that this young man had made a good impression on him, he would have already scolded him for disrespect to the Empress. But understanding that the interlocutor was simply an honest person who was curious about everything, Eunuch Xian simply let it pass.
“Please follow me, young master Xie Qing and respected lady. Her Majesty the Empress is already waiting for us,” said Eunuch Xian sincerely and bowed.
“Of course, Mr. Xian. I apologize for making you get up so early,” Xie Qing said a few polite words.
“Young master is too polite. For me, it is an honor to serve Her Majesty.”
Eunuch Xian replied with polite words and led them to the palace. The character of this old man was good. Xie Qing had already figured out during their acquaintance how to get along with him, and as long as they did not touch on the affairs of the Dynasty or something like that, Eunuch Xian was a pleasant interlocutor. And since it is not worth making extra enemies, Xie Qing also behaved politely and did not talk nonsense. For this, he earned a high rating from Xu Mei.
“Young master, do you see this painting? It is called ‘Dragon Calling to the Heavens.’ If you believe the legends, then in the bloodline of Her Majesty there is a trace of dragon blood. Based on this legend, the artist named Luo Gongliu painted this magnificent painting,” Eunuch Xian said enthusiastically.
“Truly a magnificent painting,” Xie Qing nodded and said, and then with obvious curiosity asked: “I don’t want to seem rude, but can you tell me about this legend of the dragon bloodline? I must admit, I am very interested.”
“Young master is indeed too polite. Of course, this legend is very famous!” the old man answered with a friendly smile.
From this point on, a few things should be noted. Xie Qing’s bloodline was a dragon, and although this helped him gain much faster cultivation, it did not mean that the young man was able to transform his body into a dragon. This was impossible in his current cultivation.
“My bloodline also comes from dragons, but I must admit that I have not mastered even 1%. Judging by my feelings, the first transformation will be at the Spiritual Ascension level – the ninth stage,” Xie Qing recalled and wrinkled his funny nose, just thinking about how much time it would take: “With each level, it becomes harder and harder for me to break through. If it were not for my talent, I would have to be content with raising one realm per year.”
