Emperor Jingcheng, seated in the main position, upon hearing this nearly choked on his wine, his expression strange. He finally knew where that sense of something being off had come from.
This was practically tearing off the facade in public—turns out he was angry at Jingjue.
Refusing to give the Crown Prince face under everyone’s watchful eyes—was he certain he wouldn’t say anything?
And indeed, he truly couldn’t take a stance.
Emperor Jingcheng remained silent. He was already counting the days waiting for Lian Shenwei to come kill him. What else could he do?
The expression in Ying Jingjue’s eyes changed several times. He pressed down on Li Ningfeng’s tensing arm, indicating he should stay calm.
He himself poured another cup of wine and smiled. “This Prince was inconsiderate. This second cup of wine shall be this Prince’s apology to Teacher. Teacher, please don’t take offense.”
After Ying Jingjue drank, he coldly said, “Which thoughtless person organized this welcoming banquet? Don’t they know to replace the wine on the Regent Prince’s table with clear tea?”
Soon someone came forward to apologize, tremblingly taking away the wine pot from Lian Shenwei’s table and replacing it with clear tea.
Lian Shenwei hadn’t spoken since just now. The welcoming banquet continued.
The Nan’an cheating scandal had caused considerable friction between the Crown Prince’s faction and the First Prince and Third Prince’s factions. During the banquet, toasts were exchanged, every sentence concealing sharp edges.
Li Ningfeng now appeared to be genuinely of the Crown Prince’s faction, so naturally he couldn’t avoid being targeted either.
“I heard the Young Marquis was quite valiant at the frontier. I wonder if we’ll have the opportunity to witness the Young Marquis’s style in slaying enemies?”
Li Ningfeng looked up at the person speaking—it was the Third Prince. He didn’t hold back either. “Where are you going to get me Northern Yi people to kill?”
“There are no Northern Yi people, but there are some martial artists to spar with.”
The Third Prince had obviously prepared in advance. He clapped his hands, and over ten burly men came forward.
Most were in the Mortal Realm, with a few who looked to be in their forties or fifties in the Yinyuan and Kaiyang Realms.
The Third Prince said with a smile, “These people are what this Prince has prepared for the Young Marquis. Each one has extraordinary skills. Surely the Young Marquis can enjoy himself.”
“It will also liven things up for all of us.”
Li Ningfeng smiled and said to Emperor Jingcheng, “What does Your Majesty think?”
Emperor Jingcheng replied, “This welcoming banquet was prepared for you, so naturally it should follow your preferences. If you’re willing, show us your skills. If you can’t be bothered, We’ll have them withdraw.”
“Then this subject will make a fool of himself.”
He raised his eyes toward Lian Shenwei’s direction, his temple-reaching flying brows making his entire bearing extremely bold.
The Third Prince had people bring out a weapon rack.
“I heard the Young Marquis has a black-gold spear weighing over a hundred jin. The palace doesn’t have such a heavy spear. I wonder if the Young Marquis can get used to these.”
Li Ningfeng casually picked a long spear, weighed it, then tossed it back. “Too light.”
Then he picked a lighter sword. “This one.”
“I’m also skilled with the sword.”
He casually performed a sword flourish, startling begonia petals that had fallen to the ground. The sword edge silently split the tender petals in half.
With just one sword flourish, Lian Shenwei’s gaze settled on him.
Li Ningfeng said, “Come at me together.”
Many in the court didn’t know Li Ningfeng’s current strength, which was nearing the Tianquan Realm. The Third Prince sneered inwardly but smiled on the surface. “Of course we’ll listen to the Young Marquis. What are you standing there for? Go together.”
Lian Shenwei carefully watched Li Ningfeng’s opening stance.
The Snow-Bearing Sword Technique had infinite variations and was one of Fudu Manor’s core inheritances.
It wasn’t merely a sword technique but also a profound internal energy cultivation method. Each generation’s inheritor of the Snow-Bearing Sword Technique had different insights.
This also meant that no one recognized that Li Ningfeng was currently using the Snow-Bearing Sword Technique.
Lian Shenwei wasn’t interested in comprehending the Snow-Bearing Sword Technique himself, but his talent was high—he could replicate the moves Elder Sister had comprehended. However, this kind of replicated comprehension ultimately lacked soul and couldn’t be considered true inheritance.
Comprehension required affinity. Ying Jingjue’s martial arts talent was average—he didn’t have such high comprehension.
On the contrary, Li Ningfeng had learned it by accident and was extremely interested. Lian Shenwei was happy to see someone inherit Fudu Manor’s core sword technique. He occasionally gave anonymous guidance, treating him as half a successor.
Within just two breaths, Li Ningfeng had these people spinning in circles within three moves. He left one person alone, forcing him toward Lian Shenwei’s direction.
Glancing with his peripheral vision at the young man who was still drinking tea, seemingly unaware, Li Ningfeng’s lips curved slightly. With several quick spinning steps, he was in front of Lian Shenwei’s table in the blink of an eye. With a flick of his wrist, he knocked the weapon from the last person’s hand.
But the remaining sword momentum showed no sign of restraint. The sharp sword tip stabbed straight toward Lian Shenwei!
Ying Jingjue’s heartbeat instinctively accelerated. He stood up abruptly. “Ningf—”
Clang—!
A gust of wind from clashing internal energies rippled through the air.
Everyone looked over.
They saw the sword tip caught between two fingers by a woman in fitted clothing with a cold, sharp gaze.
The young man seated at his place had the hair on his shoulders blown back slightly by the wind. His expression was calm, the tea leaves in his cup floating and sinking.
He took a sip of tea and said, “Ming Zhu, don’t be rude.”
Ming Zhu withdrew her hand and stood quietly at his side, not giving anyone else even half a glance.
Fortunately, everyone’s attention was on Lian Shenwei, so they didn’t notice the young Crown Prince’s loss of composure.
Ying Jingjue recovered, slowly sitting down. After a long while, his trembling fingertips finally gradually tightened.
What… what had just happened to him? He’d actually been afraid? Afraid Li Ningfeng would hurt someone and cause trouble?
Imperial banquets didn’t permit ministers to bring guards, but Lian Shenwei was obviously not bound by this rule, and everyone was used to it.
Li Ningfeng’s expression was strange.
He was one step away from the Tianquan Realm. Just now, he’d only wanted to collect a little interest for his uncle’s death. He’d controlled his killing intent and hadn’t used full force, but to receive his attack so easily… could she already be a Tianquan Realm master?
Sheathing his sword and cupping his hands, he took a step back and said, “My skills are lacking. I nearly injured the Regent Prince. My apologies.”
His tone held not half a trace of genuine apology.
Lian Shenwei put down his teacup and looked up, saying gently, “I wonder if the Young Marquis is interested in another match?”
Li Ningfeng looked at Ming Zhu and Tian Nan behind him, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Sure. With whom?”
Lian Shenwei replied, “In my youth, I also learned some rudimentary martial arts. Now that I’ve just recovered from serious illness, I’d like to move my muscles and bones.”
Li Ningfeng: “?”
Who?
He said, “Regent Prince, please don’t joke.”
If he wasn’t mistaken, this person didn’t have a bit of internal energy and was sickly. Whether he could even lift a sword was questionable.
Lian Shenwei looked at the wariness faintly rising on the young man’s face and found it quite interesting. He looked toward the high platform. “Your Majesty, may this minister be granted this second match?”
With his current inability to use internal energy, opportunities to personally instruct someone so openly like this weren’t easy to find.
Emperor Jingcheng said, “Granted.”
Lian Shenwei removed his cloak and left his seat. He casually picked a longsword from the weapon rack, discarded the scabbard, and held the sword loosely, standing opposite Li Ningfeng.
“Young Marquis?”
Li Ningfeng was a wolf cub who had killed enemies and been bloodied at the frontier. When he stared at someone, it gave people an unsettling feeling.
He retreated to five steps away from Lian Shenwei and pressed several major acupoints on his body, sealing his internal energy. At the same time, the corner of his mouth pulled into a smile.
“I won’t use internal energy, only swordsmanship. However, even in a sparring match, accidents inevitably happen—like just now. Regent Prince, you should be careful.”
Lian Shenwei replied, “Naturally.”
He currently still cherished his life, so naturally he wouldn’t mobilize the dormant internal energy in his meridians, nor would he let himself get injured.
He just wanted to test how much this boy had learned.
Li Ningfeng took half a step back. The next second, he pressed forward, the sword in his hand wrapped with strong force, stabbing straight toward the young man whose guard was wide open.
The young man stood in place, his sword not even raised, as if he didn’t even know to dodge.
Just when Tian Nan was anxiously about to intervene, Lian Shenwei shifted slightly to the side. The sword edge brushed past the side of his face.
He pivoted on his feet, instantly appearing behind Li Ningfeng. Without pause, he immediately leaned backward, evading Li Ningfeng’s backhand pursuit.
In just one exchange, Li Ningfeng had reassessed Lian Shenwei’s “rudimentary skills.”
Tian Nan was shocked for a moment, then slowly let his anxious heart settle.
Half a quarter-hour passed. Lian Shenwei hadn’t struck once with his sword—he only dodged. In his heart, he formed an accurate judgment of Li Ningfeng’s current strength and weaknesses.
He shook his head inwardly. Considerable progress, but perhaps because he’d been at the frontier too long, his offensive was fierce but lacked defense.
If someone caught a vulnerability, one strike could be fatal.
Li Ningfeng asked, “Won’t the Regent Prince strike?”
Lian Shenwei smiled. “As you wish.”
This was the first time he’d raised his sword on the field. In that instant, the lazy aura around him suddenly changed.
No one could see his movements clearly. When the chilling sword light flashed, Lian Shenwei’s sword, wrapped in an indescribable coldness, pressed tightly against Li Ningfeng’s neck.
The skin on Li Ningfeng’s neck where the sword edge touched visibly bristled with goosebumps.
He opened his eyes wide in disbelief, his pupils contracting. His originally slow and calm heartbeat stopped for an instant, then suddenly accelerated. An indescribable sense of trembling swept through his entire body.
Scattered petals drifting over lightly kissed the sword edge and stopped. The young man held the sword in his left hand rather than a martial artist’s customary right, yet it was unbelievably steady.
If only he could use the Snow-Bearing Sword, Lian Shenwei thought.
*A hall full of flowers intoxicates three thousand guests, one sword’s frost chills fourteen provinces.*
This was a move Elder Sister had comprehended and habitually used with the Snow-Bearing Sword—subduing the enemy with one strike. She’d only demonstrated it before her own family. He hoped this boy could learn it.
Now a complete cripple, he could only guide his juniors here like a child playing with swords.
The days of drinking freely in the jianghu, meeting friends with swords, competing at Jinling’s Fengyun Pavilion—all that heroic spirit and youthful chivalry were like the tendons in his right hand that the demon monk had severed—they could never return.
#
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 98.2