The Imperial Guards and the Dragon’s Tomb

The three of them followed Qi Wuyai onto the golden warship.

Chi Qiu, filled with a sense of curiosity, gazed around, taking in her surroundings. She observed that every ten chi along the warship’s deck, a soldier stood guard, clad in black armor and clutching a spear. Each of these warriors exuded an aura of formidable power.

“Prince Heng truly has an impressive hand; to bring such a vast number of the Black Armored Imperial Guards,” Su He remarked. His hand, which had been stroking his beard, froze for a moment as he took in the multitude of black-armored soldiers.

“This was Prince Wen’s intention. The incident in the forbidden land earlier left him quite displeased,” Qi Wuyai explained, shrugging his hands in a feigned gesture of helplessness. Yet, a distinct hint of triumph played across his features.

“So it was Prince Wen’s will. No wonder such a large force could be mobilized,” Su He acknowledged with a nod.

Chi Qiu, however, found herself growing increasingly confused. The cryptic conversation between the two men was difficult for her to grasp, though she did know a little about Prince Wen. Prince Wen served as the current Regent of Daqi. With the Daqi Emperor having not appeared for many years, Prince Wen had solely managed the court affairs.

Perceiving Chi Qiu’s bewilderment, Su Hanxing leaned closer to her and softly elucidated, “The Black Armored Imperial Guards are these soldiers in black armor. They are the royal family’s secret guards, and only direct descendants of the Qi lineage can command them. These Imperial Guards are exceptionally loyal, with each possessing strength at or above the Heart Scripture Realm. They are meticulously trained, collaborate with remarkable synergy, and possess formidable combat prowess.”

Upon hearing Su Hanxing’s explanation, Chi Qiu’s pupils constricted in profound shock. Her surprise stemmed from the sheer number of Black Armored Imperial Guards visible on the warship. Within her line of sight alone, there were hundreds; the entire warship likely carried no fewer than a thousand. No wonder even Su He had marveled at Qi Wuyai’s preparations; such a display of power indeed far surpassed that of renowned sects and prominent families.

“Elder Su—”

Just as Chi Qiu momentarily lost herself in thought, several voices of greeting reached her ears. Following the sound, she saw two men and one woman standing side by side, bowing respectfully toward Su He.

“No need for such formality, Prince Heng,” Su He said, raising a hand to halt their bows. He then turned his head to ask, “Are these three the juniors Prince Wen sent to contend for the True Dragon’s Aura?”

“Indeed, it is them. The three of you, please take Hanxing and Little Chi to explore the warship,” Qi Wuyai instructed. “Elder Su and I have important matters to discuss; do not disturb us unless it is an urgent affair.”

After Qi Wuyai finished his admonition, he and Su He approached a large bronze-gold door, pushed it open, and entered the room.

“And who might this be?” the tallest and most robust of the three men inquired, looking at Su Hanxing, yet extending his hand toward Chi Qiu.

“This is Chi Qiu, seventh on the Daqi Heavenly Pride Rankings,” Su Hanxing replied with a slight smile, introducing Chi Qiu to the trio.

“I have long heard of your renown; I never expected to meet you today. My name is Qi Feng,” the robust man declared, a look of sudden realization on his face, before extending his right hand.

“Chi Qiu.”

Chi Qiu likewise extended her right hand for a brief shake, then acknowledged the introduction.

“My name is Qi Yun,” the slightly shorter man offered, also extending his hand.

“I’m Qi Yue, and this fellow is my older brother,” the sole woman among the trio stated, her voice light. She appeared to be the youngest of the three, possessing a noticeably more lively disposition.

After exchanging greetings, Chi Qiu turned to Su Hanxing and inquired, “Did you already know them?”

“We met while exploring the Imperial Forbidden Land. This isn’t a suitable place for conversation, so perhaps we should move on,” Qi Feng interjected, answering before Su Hanxing could speak. He then strode forward, motioning for everyone to follow him away from the spot.

Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing said nothing further, simply following Qi Feng’s lead. As they proceeded, every Black Armored Imperial Guard they encountered bowed respectfully. Based on this observation, Chi Qiu silently concluded that these three must belong to the direct lineage of the Daqi Emperor.

Before long, Qi Feng and his two companions led Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing into a tea room. The room, measuring ten zhang in both length and width, was filled with a rich, lingering aroma of tea. Within it, both the tea tables and screens were imbued with spiritual energy, giving them an extraordinary aura.

“Please, have a seat,” Qi Feng offered, gesturing toward a long bench beside the tea table. Su Hanxing and Chi Qiu settled down side by side.

“This expedition to the Yinglong Tomb is bound to be perilous; its danger will likely be no less than that of the Imperial Forbidden Land we faced previously,” Qi Yun stated, breaking the silence. His expression was tinged with gravity.

“This time differs from the forbidden land incident,” Qi Feng began, attempting to lighten the somber mood. “Last time, the major sects collectively obstructed us, forcing our Imperial Family to reluctantly concede half of the entry slots. However, our Imperial Family is hardly one to be trifled with. Prince Wen did not directly gift the slots to the sects; instead, he organized a martial arts tournament, offering the top four places as rewards. See, Brother Hanxing successfully entered the top four, securing one of those coveted slots.”

“This time, things are different,” Qi Yue, the youngest of the trio, declared with a sweet smile. “Prince Wen has dispatched eighteen hundred Imperial Guards to accompany us into the Yinglong Tomb. Even if a Dharma Manifestation Realm expert attempts to infiltrate, we have nothing to fear.”

Qi Yun’s expression softened slightly as he turned to Chi Qiu, inquiring, “Might I ask which sect or esteemed family Fellow Daoist Chi hails from?”

The Daqi Imperial Family maintained close ties with the Tianyan Sect. Even during the previous contention for forbidden land slots, the Tianyan Sect chose not to aid the other eight sects, instead preserving its neutrality. Consequently, Qi Feng and his companions naturally regarded the female cultivator brought by the Tianyan Sect elder with great benevolence.

“I was not born into an esteemed family or sect; I am merely a rogue cultivator,” Chi Qiu replied, shaking her head.

“A rogue cultivator, how wonderful! To reach seventh on the Heavenly Pride Rankings as a rogue cultivator is a hundred times more impressive than any esteemed family disciple,” Qi Yue exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration. “It’s just a pity. If Fellow Daoist Chi had won one more match, you could have seized another entry slot into the forbidden land.”

The Daqi Imperial Family’s stance toward rogue cultivators differed from their view of sects. From their perspective, anyone not bearing the Qi surname was an outsider, but sects and esteemed families were competitors for authority once they grew in power.

The previous struggle over the forbidden land slots had been a direct confrontation between the eight major sects and the Imperial Family. Ultimately, Su Hanxing seized the opportunity, winning the tournament and claiming one of those slots.

“Sister, your words are mistaken. Fellow Daoist Chi securing a slot might not necessarily have been a good thing,” Qi Yun interjected, shaking his head.

“Cough, cough…” Su Hanxing, seated beside Chi Qiu, began to cough incessantly, seemingly attempting to interrupt the conversation.

“Why is that?” Qi Yue asked, looking at Qi Yun with a puzzled expression. Chi Qiu also wore a look of confusion.

“Although those eight major sects appeared obedient before our Imperial Family, their methods in the shadows are exceedingly ruthless,” Qi Yun explained gravely. “If Fellow Daoist Chi had won another match and secured a slot, it’s highly probable that the eight major sects would have moved to assassinate her in secret.”

Chi Qiu’s pupils contracted. As a rogue cultivator, she hadn’t known the tournament was a pawn in the game between the Imperial Family and the sects. If Qi Yun’s words were true, she would have nearly met an inexplicable demise.

“It wasn’t quite that terrifying. If Fellow Daoist Chi had made it into the top four, our Daqi Imperial Family would naturally have protected you,” Qi Feng reassured her. “It was merely a stroke of slightly bad luck that Fellow Daoist Chi encountered Brother Hanxing, leading to your defeat.”

As the only one who had followed the martial arts tournament closely, Qi Feng naturally had a deep impression of Chi Qiu.

“Brother Hanxing, you truly lack compassion for beauty,” Qi Yun teased, a momentary pause in his voice as he processed that Su Hanxing had defeated Chi Qiu. “To show no mercy even when facing such a beautiful woman!”

The moment these words left his lips, the tea room plunged into silence. Qi Yun stood with his mouth slightly agape, utterly bewildered. Chi Qiu regarded him with an odd glint in her eyes, while Qi Feng wore a peculiar expression—struggling desperately to suppress a laugh. As for Su Hanxing, he looked around with an awkward expression, his hands fidgeting aimlessly.

“At the time, we were not well acquainted,” Chi Qiu finally spoke, breaking the silence. “Once on the arena, it was only natural to fight with all our might out of respect.”

Qi Yun cast a grateful glance at Chi Qiu, then glared at Qi Feng, who was still holding back his laughter.

“Alright, alright, let’s not dwell on past matters,” Qi Feng said, gathering his true qi to gently tap the tea table. A ripple of energy spread along the table and out of the room. “Instead, let us discuss how we might seize the initiative within the Yinglong Tomb.”

Soon after, a knock sounded at the door. Several maidservants entered carrying teapots. After pouring tea for the five of them, they departed as silently as they had arrived.

“Now this is what we should be discussing,” Su Hanxing affirmed, nodding. He picked up his teacup and took a sip.