Chapter 58: The Kind-Hearted Sister-in-Law

Ye Jingtang shifted his feet, sliding apart as the muscles in his arms bunched up, causing his black robe to snap taut instantly.

Bang!

A fierce, sweeping gale rose out of nowhere, instantly flattening the surrounding flowers and shrubs and whipping up Dongfang Linren's long hair!

"Ha—!"

The explosive shout sounded like a muffled thunderclap!

Ye Jingtang's eyes turned as sharp as blades, drawing his strength straight from the earth, and delivered a heavy, powerful, old-school punch...

"Hey, hey?!?"

Seeing this unstoppable, god-slaying battle array, Dongfang Linren's face drained of color in sheer panic. She quickly crossed her coiled-dragon-ring-headed saber in front of her chest and stumbled back several steps, terror written all over her eyes.

The chubby little bird, acting cute nearby, also leaped far away in fright.

Ye Jingtang paused mid-punch, blinked, and looked at the grand princess, who had just been so full of confidence:

"Hm?"

How dare you still "hm"?!

Quite annoyed, Dongfang Linren felt that Ye Jingtang was utterly devoid of tact and glared at him furiously:

"I told you to use your strength, and you prepared to punch this princess half to death?"

"Uh... I forgot how powerful my Dragon-Singing Chart is, and momentarily forgot Your Highness was the one practicing..."

"What do you mean by that?"

Ye Jingtang withdrew his fighting stance, raised his hands in a sheepish salute:

"Nothing of the sort. Um... It was my offense."

Knowing that Ye Jingtang thought she was utterly incompetent yet eager to play, Dongfang Linren felt deeply dissatisfied and refused to give him another chance to test how hard her fists were, returning instead to practicing her saber techniques:

"You want to catch a glimpse of the Dragon-Singing Chart?"

Ye Jingtang smiled slightly: "As a supreme treasure of the pugilistic world, of course I wish to witness it. However, it is said that this object is a supreme taboo—whoever obtains it gains the world. If the Prince of Jing shows it to me, I'm afraid..."

"That it can grant 'immortality and ascension,' I believe, but 'gaining the world' is sheer nonsense. The grand trend of the world has never depended on a single person or a single martial art, but rather on 'the will of the people.' As long as you behave yourself, I don't mind letting you have a look in the future."

Knowing it wouldn't be that easy, Ye Jingtang nodded with a smile:

"My thanks to the Prince of Jing for your grace. I must head to the corner tower to meet up with Officer Shang and report that I am safe. Shall I leave the little bird to keep Your Highness company while I go ahead?"

If a hidden sentry failed to show up on time, the others would mistakenly assume something had happened. Dongfang Linren did not press him to stay and tossed the saber back to Ye Jingtang:

"Go quickly and return swiftly. This princess is still waiting for you to teach me saber techniques. If you fail to teach me, you can forget about learning the *Dragon-Slaying Decree*."

Sigh...

Estimating that it would take him at least a year and a half to learn the *Dragon-Slaying Decree*, Ye Jingtang nodded helplessly, put away his sword, offered a salute, and strode out of the Jingfu Palace...

------

While Ye Jingtang and Dongfang Linren were exchanging pointers on martial arts in the courtyard, neither noticed the pair of observing eyes resting upon the roof of a nearby palace pavilion.

Clad in a bright red dress, the female Emperor stood with her arms crossed, watching her younger sister and the handsome young nobleman frolic in the courtyard where they had grown up together, a trace of sentimental emotion flashing deep within her eyes.

In their childhood years, Linren had been fiercely competitive and fond of wielding weapons, but she was no match for her older sister at all. Not pulling any punches, the Emperor had often teased Linren as a little blockhead.

Those days were quite interesting to look back on, though it was a pity that now both of them had grown into adulthood, making it hard to spar and frolic just as they once did.

Out of respect for the Prince of Jing, the grandmasters under her command would never casually trade blows with Linren, let alone play around with her.

This Ye Jingtang was different. Possessing extraordinary looks and a talent so exceptional it rivaled her own youth, he dared to tease and frighten Linren, yet knew how to accommodate her towering pride, backing down when appropriate so as not to genuinely upset her.

Such a man happened to cater precisely to Linren's aesthetic preferences, so it was hardly surprising that Linren treated him differently and even dared to keep secrets from her own flesh and blood sister.

After Ye Jingtang departed, Linren clutched her saber and gazed longingly in the direction he had left, her expression drifting and clearly preoccupied.

For the remainder of her saber practice, she would strike twice only to turn her head and glance back again. The eagerness for Ye Jingtang to finish his errands quickly and return to accompany her in practice and idle chatter was practically written all over her eyes.

This was a clear sign that she had developed feelings for Ye Jingtang and wished to pursue further developments...

Yet it seemed Ye Jingtang merely regarded Linren as a grand princess, showing no signs of having his heart stirred and even deliberately maintaining a distance...

At this thought, the female Emperor furrowed her brows in secret.

This presented quite a major problem. Linren had a cold, aloof personality and was utterly inept at expressing her emotions. If she were left to pursue her beloved on her own, she would likely achieve nothing even after three to five years, perhaps ultimately ending up in the pitiable plight of unrequited love and gloomy sorrow...

Pondering slightly, the female Emperor glanced toward the direction Ye Jingtang had taken and turned to walk toward a certain part of the imperial city...

-----

Entering the palace at the hour of the dusk drum, after their two rendezvous, the time was approximately ten o'clock at night.

Returning from the corner tower, Ye Jingtang headed straight for the Jingfu Palace with the little bird in tow, lest the clumsy Dongfang kept waiting too long.

Whether the palace was acting bizarrely or not, he had barely crossed a few pavilions and was still some distance from the Jingfu Palace when he spotted a lone palace maid pacing back and forth in a covered corridor halfway along his route.

The palace maid held a palace lantern, dressed in a crimson gown with a plump yet erect figure and a breathtakingly peerless visage. Even from a considerable distance, he could instantly recognize who she was from that unique presence that made her the center of attention wherever she went.

Lady Yuhu?

Ye Jingtang halted his steps in the nocturnal gloom, a look of utter surprise in his eyes.

As a guard, it was part of his duty to question suspicious figures. Spotting the palace maid he had encountered yesterday at the Mingyu Tower looking thoroughly distressed, he stepped onto the other end of the corridor and spoke in the tone of an imperial guard:

"Who goes there, wandering about in the middle of the night... Lady Yuhu?"

Inside the corridor, the Empress of Great Liang, who had been waiting for a long time, flashed a hint of amusement in her eyes, though her expression remained heavily burdened with worry:

"Young Master Ye?! Why are you..."

"The Prince of Jing commanded me to patrol the palace city as a guard. Why is Lady Yuhu here all by herself? Have you run into trouble?"

"Sigh~"

A look of worry marred the Empress's delicate brows: "It's nothing major. This afternoon, Her Majesty the Emperor bathed at the Canyang Pond, and I was serving nearby. I don't know if I accidentally dropped my personal jade pendant while undressing. That jade pendant was left to me by my mother..."

Ye Jingtang frowned slightly: "Then go look for it. Why are you standing here?"

The Empress of Great Liang bit her lower lip slightly, casting a pitiful, alluring look that would likely have dropped the jaws of the civil and military officials who usually feared her like a tiger:

"We aren't allowed to wander around the palace at will, so I had no reason to go back over there... The Canyang Pond is cleaned every morning. If a eunuch or maid spots it and pockets it, it will surely be lost forever... Since the young master serves as a hidden guard, I wonder if you could..."

Responsible for patrolling the palace city, Ye Jingtang could freely visit anywhere except the ruler's sleeping quarters. Running errands for palace attendants fell within the scope of his duties. Since it was merely a matter of raising a hand to help, he did not refuse:

"Very well, I shall take a look for you. Where did you drop the pendant?"

"I've already checked the shore and it wasn't there, so it must have fallen into the pool. I'm terribly imposing on Young Master Ye, but if you can help me retrieve it, I will surely reward you handsomely."

"It's just a small favor. Let's find the item first."

Without further delay, Ye Jingtang had Yuhu point out the exact location of the Canyang Pond, then strode swiftly toward it.

Situated in the southwest of the imperial city, the Canyang Pond was an independent palatial courtyard surrounded by lush greenery, enclosing a rather magnificent grand hall. Since it was already late into the night and served as a bathing facility, it was completely quiet and devoid of people.

Arriving openly outside the Canyang Pond, Ye Jingtang looked left and right, seeing no eunuchs or maids on duty. He walked straight up to the hall doors and pushed them open.

Inside the doors stood numerous gorgeous screens, with daybeds and golden incense burners arranged along the bank, while the center featured an "indoor swimming pool."

The pool was entirely paved with white jade stone, quite grand in scale, with white mist drifting across the surface of the water. To the east, a dragon-head fountain sprayed fresh water into the pool, making it look like an indoor hot spring.

Obscured by the mist, the bottom of the pool was invisible, and without any light, finding a single jade pendant would be no easy task.

After searching the edge of the pool for a full circle without spotting the pendant, Ye Jingtang slid into the pool water, dove beneath the surface, held his breath, and began to search carefully along the pool floor...