Chapter 745: Seven-Colored Empress Spirit Aurora
Xu Qing didn’t know much about Princess Anhai. On the day of that banquet with Seventh Prince, she hadn’t said more than a few things. That said, considering how things played out in the Holytide Region after that, she was clearly a very sharp individual. What was more, even back then, Seventh Prince had seemed leery of her.
The way her handmaiden acted was also telling. She was neither servile nor overbearing, and acted very respectful, both in the way she carried herself and in her choice of words.
Xu Qing looked at Ningyan. Ningyan hesitated. The handmaiden didn’t say anything further. Bowing to Ningyan and Xu Qing, she left.
Ningyan sighed. Looking at Xu Qing with some hesitation, he cautiously said, “Biggest Bro, that Nanny Sun is very close friends with Third Sister’s mother and Fifth Brother’s mother. Relationships around here are very complicated. I should probably go. Would you mind accompanying me, Biggest Bro?”
The closer Ningyan got to the Imperial Region, the more nervous he felt. It was clear how torn he was about going back.
Xu Qing thought about it. There were still a few more days before the teleportation portal would be ready, and Ningyan’s request seemed sincere. Xu Qing nodded.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Ningyan immediately brightened up. With Xu Qing around, he would be a bit more confident.
Plumdark and Li Yunshan needed to keep the defensive spell formation operational, so they wouldn’t go along. And the Captain, after months of researching the haircake’s hair, didn’t have the energy to join them.
So Xu Qing and Ningyan took a contingent of swordsage guards with them and went to Nanny Sun’s residence. There was no need to get directions. Ningyan could sense Princess Anhai, and thus, it didn’t take long before they reached an outer courtyard that resembled a garden. It wasn’t very large, and was full of flowers. It also had a permanent spell formation that kept the gray cotton out. There were ornamental rocks made from jade, as well as a spirit spring that filled the courtyard with spirit energy that surpassed anything from ordinary sects in Sea-Sealing County.
A banquet was taking place in the middle of the courtyard. In the seat of honor was an old woman with an amiable smile on her face and fine clothing. She was laughing and chatting with a young woman dressed in court attire.
There were two other rows of tables filled with guests. People toasted each other, ate, and enjoyed themselves. At the same time, a host of handmaidens drifted amongst the tables, clearing away dirty dishes and bringing new food.
In the very middle of it all were nine athletic-looking cultivators all fighting each other. The magical techniques, and their resulting shockwaves, were extraordinary, and it made for a very entertaining fight.
Because of the bloodline fluctuations, Princess Anhai noticed immediately when Ningyan and Xu Qing arrived. She leaned over and said something to the old woman, who nodded in response.
As Xu Qing and Ningyan neared, the courtyard’s spell formation opened to let them in. Ningyan took a deep breath, glanced at Xu Qing, and then forced himself to remain calm. Along with Xu Qing, he walked through the spell formation and into the courtyard. The fighting stopped briefly, as the cultivators respectfully made way.
Ningyan hurried forward. Stopping in front of the old woman, he said, “Well met, Nanny Sun.”
Nanny Sun looked Ningyan up and down coolly, then nodded. After that, she seemed to ignore him. She didn’t even bother looking at Xu Qing before going back to talking with Princess Anhai.
Princess Anhai engaged Nanny Sun in conversation, but also flashed an apologetic nod to Ningyan and Xu Qing.
Ningyan hardly seemed to notice, as if he were used to being treated apathetically. In fact, he seemed to think things were going well so far. Picking a spot at the far end of one of the tables, he sat down.
Xu Qing was even less concerned with people being apathetic. All he cared about was if someone was being malicious. Face calm, he sat down next to Ningyan.
The banquet continued. Their arrival had been noticed by the other guests. Some discussed their presence, some smiled and nodded at them, others looked at them disdainfully. After everything Xu Qing had experienced in life, he knew that in some cases, the facial expressions revealed by people like this did reflect their actual disposition. But most of the time... they were just masks. Therefore, paying attention to facial expressions wasn’t very useful.
Picking up the flagon of alcohol, he took a drink. When he did, his eyes narrowed. This alcohol tastes a lot better than the kind from Sea-Sealing County.
It was clearly alcohol, but had a very full body when consumed. It made Xu Qing think of the common idiom a rare beverage, an elixir of jade used to describe fine liquor. After his first sip, he decided to take a few more sips.
Next to him, Ningyan blinked a few times then quietly said, “Biggest Bro, after we get to the imperial capital, I can take you to a few breweries I know of. They have some very fine alcohol there that I can get for you.”
Xu Qing nodded. Then he sat there sipping the alcohol and waiting for the banquet to conclude.
Time passed. There were more performances, and many of the guests chatted with each other in a very lively fashion. Occasionally, Princess Anhai would say something that pleased Nanny Sun, and everyone would smile. Xu Qing just sat there enjoying the alcohol. Ningyan accompanied him. When they ran out, Ningyan would call a handmaiden over to bring more.
Princess Anhai didn’t seem to have any ill intentions. On a few occasions, she tried to pull Xu Qing and Ningyan into the conversation. Such attempts all failed. Nanny Sun, though not hostile, didn’t seem to care about them, and continued to treat them indifferently. Finally, Princess Anhai seemed to realize she wasn’t going to be able to talk with them, and sent a handmaiden over with a message.
“Please, don’t misunderstand,” the handmaiden said quietly. “The princess has good intentions. However, even though Nanny Sun isn’t in the imperial capital anymore, she still has deep connections there. She has close friends among the family of many princes, princesses, and other royalty. With her approval, it would be possible to smooth out many threats to His Majesty Ningyan. The princess was originally hoping to do just that.”
Xu Qing nodded and lifted his cup in a toast to Princess Anhai. Princess Anhai nodded. As it turned out, she did have good intentions, it was just that Nanny Sun clearly didn’t like Ningyan very much.
Soon, it was nearing sunset, and the clouds above were a rosy red color. After all the drinking, Xu Qing belched slightly. He felt very comfortable after the drinking, and was just about to take Ningyan and leave.
But then a sound like heavenly thunder filled the sky. The clouds seethed, parting to reveal a seven-colored beam of light, almost like a multicolored waterfall. Within that seven-colored waterfall was a huge peacock, so large it seemed to fill the entire sky. After appearing, it became clear that the seven colors actually came from its tail. This peacock was unusually mighty and beautiful, so much so that the sky and lands seemed to become dull in its presence. Much of Southtrust County was shaken by what was happening, and that included the courtyard where the banquet was taking place. Everyone stood and looked up into the sky. That included Nanny Sun, whose eyes shone with delight as she looked up.
“Empress Spirit Aurora!”
The Gray Sea Region had a lot of forbidden regions, but it only had one forbidden ground. Its name was Light Tomb. That forbidden ground had an empress named Aurora, who treated all species with kindness. Also being terrifyingly powerful, the species in the Gray Sea Region were mostly able to live peacefully. [1]
As a result, she came to be known as Empress Spirit Aurora. She didn’t make public appearances often, but whenever she did, her seven-colored light would purify the gray cotton, making it even more beautiful. As a result, throughout the Gray Sea Region, her presence was considered an auspicious sign.
She’d had dealings with Nanny Sun in the past. In fact, years ago, she had shown favor to Nanny Sun, which added another layer of protection in the eyes of many people.
When Nanny Sun saw her benefactor arriving, she smiled respectfully. Then she prepared to watch Empress Spirit Aurora leave. After all, she was well aware that Empress Spirit Aurora didn’t appear publicly very often; the fact that she was here now must mean she had something important to do. As far as she was concerned, Empress Spirit Aurora was surely just passing by, not here to see her specifically.
Only moments later, though, shock filled her. And it wasn’t just her. Everyone else in the courtyard, including Princess Anhai, became deeply astonished.
That was because the incredibly auspicious Empress Spirit Aurora didn’t depart as they expected. Instead, she approached the courtyard. As she did, she transformed, leaving her peacock form and taking human form. She was graceful, with a cold, elegant facial expression. She was very beautiful, like a plum flower in winter. Her looks would capture the attention of anyone who saw her, and might make them forget that even small twigs can have sharp thorns. Her long, black hair was coiled and bound with a hairpin, the pearls of which emanated a seven-colored glow as she approached. She wore palace attire and resembled an immortal, graceful and proud, with phoenix-like eyes that would incline anyone who looked into them to bow their head. Her violet garment swayed in the wind, making her seem even more attractive and elegant.
Nanny Sun looked very serious as she respectfully said, “I offer respectful greetings, Empress Spirit Aurora.”
Everyone else in the courtyard, even Princess Anhai, clasped hands and bowed. Ningyan inhaled sharply, and was clearly entranced by this woman’s beauty. It was hard to say if his face was red because he was blushing, or because of the glow being emitted by Empress Spirit Aurora.
The immortal-like Empress Spirit Aurora looked calmly at everyone bowing to her. She nodded at Nanny Sun, then ignored her as she entered the courtyard. As everyone watched, she walked to the far end of one of the tables.
Ningyan stood there getting more and more excited as he assumed that she was looking at him. But then, he was shaken with the realization that she wasn’t looking at him. She was looking at... Xu Qing.
Empress Spirit Aurora stopped in front of Xu Qing.
“Xu Qing?” she said. “Huang Yan told me about you.”
Everyone present felt like they were being struck by lightning, and stared at what was happening with utter disbelief.
That was especially true of Nanny Sun. She had heard of Xu Qing, but didn’t care much about him. And even if she did think of him as being important in some ways, considering their difference in age, there was no need for her to try to make friends with him. If they were kindred spirits, then their acquaintance would come naturally. If they weren’t kindred spirits, then he was nothing more than a passerby. But then, the rarely seen Empress Spirit Aurora specifically came to visit this Xu Qing. Nanny Sun’s entire way of thinking was shaken.
As for Xu Qing, he was a little surprised, but at the same time, this was within the realm of what he had expected could happen. He quickly clasped hands and bowed, then took out the feather Huang Yan had given him, as well as the bag.
Empress Spirit Aurora glanced at the feather, then took the bag. Opening it, she found a red fruit which she put into her mouth. After looking around, she sat down next to Xu Qing and indicated for him to sit as well. Xu Qing obediently complied. She took out another fruit and offered it to him.
“Want something to eat?”
He accepted the fruit and put it in his mouth. His eyes lit up. The fruit had a very unique flavor that was even more pleasurable than the alcohol he had just consumed.
Everyone else in the courtyard looked around awkwardly. Ningyan, his heart racing, looked at Xu Qing and exulted in his heart.
This is what the Biggest Bro is supposed to be like!
Chest swelling, he sat down.
After a moment of awkward silence in the courtyard, Nanny Sun arranged for the performances to continue. This time, everything proceeded with much more solemnity, and many a glance was cast in Xu Qing’s direction.
The smile gradually returned to Nanny Sun’s face. She looked at Xu Qing, then Ningyan, and after some thought, kindly said, “Your Majesty Twelfth Prince, come over here and let me take a look at you, boy. Time really has flown by. I can still remember like yesterday that time years ago when your mother moved in to the palace. The ceremony put on by His Majesty was spectacular.”
1. “Hey, Deathblade, did you know that female peacocks are called peahens?” Yes, I know. “Hey, Deathblade, did you know that female peacocks don’t actually have colorful tails?” Yes, I know. “Hey, Deathblade, does Er Gen know that female peacocks, which are most properly called peahens, don’t actually have colorful tails?” I honestly have no idea, but I suspect he does. This is a mythological fantasy universe, not real life. ☜