20demayo Chapter 51 Returning to Kyoto
Chapter 51 Returning to Kyoto
outside of Kyoto.
Li Yuan looked at the tall city gate in front of him and the endless stream of pedestrians below it, a faint smile appearing on his face.
When I left last year, it was only early winter; now that I'm back, it's almost late spring.
Winter has passed and spring has arrived, bringing renewal to all things. Looking around, the garden is full of spring colors, a scene brimming with vitality.
And he, from a ninth-rank martial artist who could be easily killed with a wave of his hand, rose to become a grandmaster who could influence the course of the world.
Looking at the sky, Li Yuan strode towards the city. With each step, his figure seemed to teleport ten feet forward, and then he took another step, once again arriving ten feet away.
Although his pace appeared as slow as that of an elderly man, he actually moved at an astonishing speed, and almost no one in the world could discern his movements.
As soon as he entered the city, a worldly atmosphere rushed towards him, dispelling the lingering loneliness from the snowfield that he carried. Even the tranquility he had gained on Mount Dadong became somewhat murky.
As Li Yuan traveled, the things he heard most often were about Fan Xian.
Some say he exposed the cheating in the imperial examinations, restoring justice to the candidates of the Qing Kingdom.
Some say he is going to be sent as an envoy to the Northern Qi to promote the prestige of the Daqing Kingdom.
In short, at least eight out of ten sentences are variations on the theme of praising "Young Master Fan".
Speaking of which, Li Yuan greatly admired this person who should be considered his "cousin" by blood. He had only been in the capital for a year, yet he had managed to stir up such a storm; he was truly a talented individual.
Swish! Swish! Swish...
As Li Yuan was thinking, his figure flashed and he arrived at his first destination on his way back to the capital.
Looking at the huge characters "Ye Mansion" on the plaque above the gate, he moved swiftly and crossed the tall wall, entering the courtyard of the Ye Mansion.
Given the Ye family's status, their mansion was naturally of a high standard.
The layout of these residences is generally similar across different areas of the courtyard.
Therefore, although Li Yuan had never been to the Ye residence before, he still quickly found the owner of the place.
boom!
Ye Zhong, the garrison commander of the capital, was startled when he saw the figure that suddenly appeared before him without any warning. He was so shocked that he shattered the chair he was sitting on and retreated rapidly.
However, as he stepped back, Li Yuan followed suit and moved forward, and the distance between them did not shorten at all.
Just as Ye Chong was about to crash into the wall, Li Yuan stretched out his arm, put it directly on his shoulder, and pressed him down to the spot:
"It's me, don't you recognize me?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhong, still shaken, carefully examined Li Yuan before hesitantly saying, "Your Highness...?"
Li Yuan nodded: "It's me. It's been eight or nine years since we last met. It's really rare that you still remember me."
However, Li Yuan's affirmation only confused Ye Zhong more. His mind was in a daze, and he could hardly believe what he was seeing and hearing.
Finally, after a moment of silence, Ye Zhong, who had finally come to his senses, bowed and asked, "Your Highness, what brings you here...?"
Before he could finish speaking, Li Yuan interrupted:
"I've come to you because I want to tell you something."
"Your uncle, Ye Liuyun, unfortunately passed away while sparring with me."
After saying that, he glanced at Ye Zhong, who still looked bewildered, and then disappeared in a flash.
Ye Zhong stared at the disappearing figure before him, his mind replaying Li Yuan's words. He felt as if he were dreaming.
"what?"
However, it's really not his fault.
After all, from Ye Zhong's perspective, a child who had taught him martial arts for a few days eight or nine years ago suddenly appeared before him like a ghost, and then said that his uncle, who was considered an invincible grandmaster in the world, had died.
This kind of thing seems like something that only happens in a dream.
After standing there stunned for a while, slapping himself twice, and finally confirming that he wasn't dreaming, Ye Zhong hurriedly walked out with a changing expression.
Meanwhile, Li Yuan had already left the Ye residence and arrived in front of the imperial city.
He glanced casually at the vermilion wall, then with a swift movement, as if ignoring gravity, he leaped straight over it.
This power center of the Qing Kingdom is frighteningly large, with numerous palaces and countless main roads and alleys.
If someone unfamiliar with the area comes here, nine times out of ten they will get lost.
Although Li Yuan had only been here a few times, he was indeed not very familiar with the various locations within the palace.
However, he doesn't need to be familiar with it.
After all, his target was very clear: the Grandmaster who was hiding here.
The moment he stepped into the palace, he had already identified the strongest person there.
That vast, powerful, and domineering true energy was so clear in Li Yuan's eyes, like a lighthouse in the dark night, impossible to ignore.
Throughout the entire palace, seventh-rank martial artists were everywhere, eighth-rank martial artists were ubiquitous, and there were even more than one ninth-rank martial artist.
It can be said that the royal palace of the Qing Kingdom is one of the most heavily guarded places in the world.
Previously, Si Gu Jian, the Grandmaster of Dongyi City, had come here several times to try to assassinate Emperor Qing, but all his attempts failed, which shows how heavily guarded this place is.
However, that was during the era of the Four Grandmasters.
Nowadays, although few people know about it, it is undeniable that that era has passed.
Since Li Yuan entered the Grandmaster realm, some things in the world that were originally indisputable have changed.
Looking at it from the perspective of the old era, it seems somewhat out of touch with reality.
For example, right now, Li Yuan has entered the palace alone without any prior notice, yet he seems to be in an empty place.
At this moment, his figure flickered continuously, but he left no afterimage in the eyes of any guards, eunuchs, or palace maids, just like a ghost, just like a person who did not exist.
Before long, a magnificent palace came into view.
Upon seeing the three characters "Xingqing Palace" on the plaque, Li Yuan flashed past the eunuchs and guards and rushed inside.
This place is Emperor Qing's bedroom, where he usually rests.
When Li Yuan slipped inside, he saw Emperor Qing, whom he had met several times in the past, leaning against a soft couch, wrapped in a black cloak, looking calmly out the window.
In the bright candlelight, the deep wrinkles on that well-preserved face were so clearly visible.
At that moment, he stared blankly at the night sky, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together, as if he were pondering something.
"Why bother? You've already noticed I'm here, yet you insist on pretending not to know. Is that interesting?" Li Yuan suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a strange smile.
At this moment, within his perception of the realm, the movement of the true energy within Emperor Qing's body was so obvious.
Clearly, he was ready to launch a devastating attack at any moment.
However, on the surface, he was still pretending that he knew nothing.
Seeing how hard he was working all by himself, Li Yuan couldn't help but laugh out loud.