Hearing the Empress’s voice,
everyone present turned their gazes to Li Chang’an, who stood not far away.
They exchanged looks of confusion.
’Did Empress Liyang wait here today just to win this young man over?’
’What’s so special about him?’
No one knew what the Empress was planning.
The young monk from the Buddhist Sect bowed and said, "Your Majesty, your eagerness to recruit talent is understandable. But shouldn’t you at least wait for the Martial Arts Examination to conclude before enlisting new members?"
"To keep someone here before the examination has even finished... isn’t that a bit against the rules?"
The young monk didn’t know why the Empress had come specifically to recruit a mysterious youth with an unknown background, but he knew he couldn’t let her get her way so easily.
Lu Sheng of the Demon Sect also stepped forward, waving his folding fan. "Your Majesty wants to recruit this kid to Kyoto? What a tremendous honor. Why don’t you first ask the boy himself if he’s willing to follow you?"
As he spoke, he sauntered closer to Li Chang’an, still waving his fan.
His tone, however, was chilling.
’I’ve already made up my mind,’ he thought. ’If Li Chang’an dares to agree, I’ll secretly cripple him.’
’Let the Empress pour her heart and soul into this, only to end up with a useless cripple whose cultivation has been destroyed. We’ll see if she still dares to stir up trouble everywhere after that.’
As the Demon Sect’s Saint Heir, Lu Sheng knew countless underhanded methods.
He was confident he could ruin Li Chang’an without anyone ever knowing.
...
Clearly, whether it was the Demon Sect or the Buddhist Sect,
their stance on this matter was identical. They did not want Empress Liyang to take anyone from the examination grounds.
And even if she did manage to take someone, that person had to be a half-dead cripple.
Rebutted by both men one after another,
the Empress was still smiling, but a closer look would reveal the faint traces of fury on her face.
Neither of them showed her any respect. Their words were laced with warnings and threats.
She closed her eyes to compose herself for a moment, ultimately choosing to ignore their taunts.
Her gaze remained fixed on Li Chang’an as she spoke again. "You are the descendant of a Martial Champion Scholar. Your willingness to participate in the Martial Arts Examination is proof enough of your unwavering loyalty to the Imperial Court!"
"Since you are so loyal, there’s no need for you to continue with this final stage of the Martial Arts Arena. Come with Us to Kyoto. We can offer you the best possible treatment!"
Li Chang’an understood the meaning behind the Empress’s words.
’If I’m truly loyal to the Imperial Court, then I can’t enter the final stage of the Martial Arts Arena.’
’After all, the other three Sects are not to be trifled with. If they realize they can’t recruit me, they’ll definitely try to pull some tricks in the arena.’
’After a few matches, being crippled would be a light outcome.’
’Even if I were killed on the spot, the Imperial Court could do little more than offer a few stern condemnations.’
’In scholarship there is no first, but in martial arts there is no second.’
The very act of competing in the Martial Arts Arena to seize the top spot was inherently fraught with immense risk.
Even disciples from the Demon, Buddhist, and Taoist Sects suffered injuries or death every few years while vying for the top three positions. This was to say nothing of an outsider like Li Chang’an, who had no backing whatsoever.
The Empress coming personally to receive him at the final stage was a sign of how highly she valued him, but it was also a message to everyone else.
Although the Martial Arts Examination was organized by the Li Yang Imperial Court, every year Li Yang could only pick up the rejects that the Three Major Sects had passed over.
The Empress wanted to show the Three Great Sects that while Li Yang had declined, it was, at least in name, still the master of the world.
Even taking just one person ahead of time was a way of claiming a piece of the pie.
The difference between zero and one is immense.
Being able to take someone proved that the Liyang Dynasty still had a seat at the table.
Failing to take anyone at all would prove that, aside from its nominal title as ruler of the realm, Li Yang had declined to the point where it no longer even qualified to stand with the Three Great Sects.
The late emperor’s indulgence in debauchery and pleasure had caused Li Yang to become rotten to the core, from top to bottom.
To save face, and to save Li Yang, the Empress had made many preparations.
Snatching Li Chang’an away before the Martial Arts Arena competition began was one part of her grand plan.
She was willing to offend the Three Great Sects to achieve it.
...
However, under the gaze of the Empress’s incomparably noble, almond-shaped eyes,
Li Chang’an, on whom she had placed such high hopes, shook his head. "Your Majesty, I am endlessly grateful for your favor. However, since I have already entered this Martial Arts Examination, how could I possibly give up halfway?"
Hearing this, the Empress’s face twitched.
’For today, I made so many preparations behind the scenes.’
’I had axemen ready to charge in at a moment’s notice. The Imperial Family’s few remaining Innate and Grandmaster Realm martial arts experts were all hidden in ambush within the examination grounds.’
’If the Three Great Sects pushed me too far and refused to let me take him, I was even prepared for a complete falling out.’
’With a single command from me, besides the Demon Sect’s Saint Heir and the Buddhist Sect’s young monk, not a single disciple from the Three Great Sects would have been able to leave the examination grounds in one piece.’
’But the one thing I never expected was that Li Chang’an, one of the core figures of my plan, would reject my olive branch in front of so many people.’
’Didn’t he receive the letter and agree to participate in this year’s Martial Arts Examination?’
’Why would he suddenly back out at such a critical moment?’
’Could he have been won over by the Three Great Sects?’
’No... this is likely a trap, set for me from the very beginning by one of the Three Great Sects!’