# Chapter 717: Sword Emperor's Descendant, Xue Wuye
On the road, Mu Lingxi told Zhang Ruochen another matter — after his supposed death, Xuanji Sword Saint had accepted Huang Yanchen as a disciple.
Zhang Ruochen understood very well that his master had done this, in fact, to protect Huang Yanchen on his behalf.
In this way, with a Sword Saint as her backing, even though the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor was quite dissatisfied with her as their heir, no one dared to easily make a move against her.
Zhang Ruochen silently kept this debt of gratitude toward his master in his heart.
"Since Yanchen has come to Liangyi Sect, Master should be here too!" Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Zhang Ruochen also wanted to meet his master face to face. After all, his master had helped him greatly. As a disciple, how could he not go to pay his respects?
The outer sect region of Liangyi Sect was not only a cultivation ground for outer disciples but also had dozens of cities built within it.
Each city was a trading market.
Among them, five cities had the longest history, occupied vast territories, possessed abundant spiritual energy, and were as prosperous as the royal capital of a commandery. Therefore, Liangyi Sect had dispatched a large number of people to clear out these five cities, specifically to receive guests.
There were still two months until the Sword Discussion Assembly. The five major cities were already quite bustling and lively. On the streets, carriages and horses flowed like water, and cultivators from various major powers could be seen everywhere.
Although it was called the Sword Discussion Assembly, besides sword cultivators, many other cultivators had also come to join in the excitement.
Cultivators from various major powers in the Eastern Domain were settled in the Divine Platform City.
The Sword Discussion Assembly had invited all sword cultivators under heaven, including the Martial Market Bank, the Black Market, the Demon Sect, the Imperial Court... There were already many contradictions and hatreds between the major powers. Even though Liangyi Sect had dispatched Saints to oversee the five cities, conflicts could still break out at any time.
"Sister Chen and the talented geniuses of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor are residing at the Orchid Word Inn."
Suddenly, Mu Lingxi stopped in her tracks and said, "I... I won't go with you..."
"Shua!"
Mu Lingxi's figure flickered, transforming into a graceful shadow that rushed into an alley and disappeared.
"Orchid Word Inn."
Zhang Ruochen walked forward, arriving at the center of the street. He glanced at the inn on the left side, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not walk inside.
"Senior Brother, senior brother, would you like some tea? This junior brother just picked some Mist Hidden Tip from Thousand Mile Mountain. Would you like a bowl?"
By the roadside, an inner disciple dressed in a blue Daoist robe had set up a tea stall. He was smiling cheerfully at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen walked over, found a table, and sat down. "Inner disciples also come out to set up stalls?"
That inner disciple had rather dark skin, looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and had already reached the mid-stage of the Heavenly Extreme Realm.
He brought over a bowl of tea, placed it in front of Zhang Ruochen, and smiled. "Senior Brother, you are a Saint-Transmitted Disciple. For you, the Sword Discussion Assembly is naturally a grand gathering of talents. But for us ordinary inner disciples, we can't even participate in the Sword Discussion Assembly, so we can only take this opportunity to earn some spirit crystals."
Zhang Ruochen was wearing a blue Daoist robe, clearly identifying him as a Saint-Transmitted Disciple of Liangyi Sect.
Because of this, that inner disciple was quite respectful toward Zhang Ruochen, not daring to show any negligence.
"I've heard that Mist Hidden Tip can enhance a cultivator's spiritual power. It's indeed a rare fine tea. How many spirit crystals?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"I wouldn't dare to charge senior brother," that inner disciple said with a smile.
Zhang Ruochen chuckled but still took out a top-grade spirit crystal and handed it to him.
After that, Zhang Ruochen sipped his tea while looking toward the Orchid Word Inn across the street.
The Orchid Word Inn was ornately built and quite spacious. Cultivators were constantly coming and going, many of whom were heirs of Saintly clans.
"Boom!"
The stone slabs on the street trembled slightly.
A moment later, a mass of blazing flame rushed over from the end of the street, sending waves of heat spreading in all directions.
"Caw!"
Within the flames was a blood-colored Golden Crow over ten meters long, pulling a palace-sized ornate carriage that stopped outside the Orchid Word Inn.
The blood Golden Crow was a sixth-rank lower barbarian bird, capable of unleashing combat power at the first-step Half-Saint level. When it landed outside the Orchid Word Inn, the aura it emitted terrified all the cultivators in the vicinity.
Even Zhang Ruochen was somewhat moved. He glanced at the carriage and thought, "Using a blood Golden Crow as a mount... I wonder who is inside that carriage?"
In the tea shed, that inner disciple was trembling all over, not daring to breathe loudly. He said in a low voice, "Senior Brother, you may not know this, but the person inside that carriage is an incredibly remarkable figure."
"Also here for the Sword Discussion Assembly?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"That's right."
That inner disciple nodded vigorously and added, "Moreover, he will definitely become the number one person of the Sword Discussion Assembly. No one can compare to him."
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Not necessarily, right? The Kunlun Realm hides dragons and crouching tigers. Talented geniuses emerge in every generation. Who dares to claim he is definitely number one under heaven?"
"Others might not dare to claim number one, but he certainly can. Because he is the young city lord of Ten Thousand Fragrance City, the descendant of the Sword Emperor — Xue Wuye," that inner disciple said.
"So it's him." Zhang Ruochen murmured.
Among the four sword cultivation holy lands of the Kunlun Realm, Ten Thousand Fragrance City was one of them.
Eight hundred years ago, the city lord of Ten Thousand Fragrance City, Xue Hongchen, was the number one swordsman under heaven, known as the "Sword Emperor."
Eight hundred years later, the young city lord of Ten Thousand Fragrance City, Xue Wuye, had emerged, his sword dao talent rivaling that of the Sword Emperor of old. He was called the number one sword dao prodigy of the Kunlun Realm in five hundred years.
He hadn't expected to encounter this person before the Sword Discussion Assembly even began.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen became somewhat anticipatory toward this Xue Wuye. He wondered how he compared to the Sword Emperor in his youth — who would be stronger?
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's gaze sharpened as he looked toward the entrance of the Orchid Word Inn.
Huang Yanchen walked out of the Orchid Word Inn, wearing a goose-yellow long robe, revealing her snow-white, slender neck. Her sapphire-blue hair cascaded straight down from the top of her head. Like an iceberg, her entire body emitted a faint chill.
Seeing Huang Yanchen, a bright light flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He had to admit, even though only a few months had passed, she had indeed become much thinner.
"Yanchen..." Zhang Ruochen's heart was quite bitter.
If not for Empress Chi Yao's imperial decree, perhaps he and Huang Yanchen would have already married. How could there have been so many twists and turns?
From the blood Golden Crow carriage, a white-clad young woman with a clear, beautiful face stepped down.
Her hair was tied up in a bun, and she carried a slender sword on her back. She looked about sixteen or seventeen years old and was quite beautiful.
The white-clad young woman walked up to Huang Yanchen, bowed, and said, "Miss Yanchen, our young city lord invites you to tour Divine Platform City together."
Huang Yanchen glanced at the white-clad young woman and said, "Not interested."
With that, she clasped her hands behind her back and walked down the street, still as cold as ice and frost. There seemed to be no trace of human warmth about her.
"Shua!"
The white-clad young woman's cultivation was quite remarkable. With a light sideways step, she transformed into a series of white afterimages and appeared before Huang Yanchen once again. "Our young city lord sincerely invites you. If you continue to refuse, the young city lord will likely be very sad."
A cold light flashed in Huang Yanchen's deep blue pupils. "Go tell Xue Wuye that if he dares to keep bothering me, don't blame me for being rude."
In the tea shed.
That inner disciple said, "Senior Brother, isn't it strange? The young city lord of Ten Thousand Fragrance City is such a dashing figure. With his talent, his family background, and his appearance, even the most proud-hearted woman under heaven would find it hard to resist his charm."
"But he has been rejected three times in a row by the same woman. I really don't understand how Miss Yanchen can be so cold and unfeeling."
"Besides, Xue Wuye is surrounded by beauties like clouds. Why does he have to go and provoke her? Strange, truly strange."
Not far away, a cold expression appeared on the white-clad young woman's face. "No woman has ever rejected the young city lord three times in a row. Huang Yanchen, you don't know what's good for you."
"Shua!"
The white-clad young woman formed a sword technique with two fingers. The sword on her back immediately flew out of its sheath, trailing a long streak of sword light as it stabbed toward Huang Yanchen.
One had to admit, Xue Wuye was indeed formidable. Even just a maidservant by his side was a first-rate sword dao expert who had already reached the realm of Sword Heart Illumination.
"I never expected the people of Ten Thousand Fragrance City to be so unreasonable and rude."
Huang Yanchen's expression remained unchanged, but cold light flashed in her eyes. She brought two fingers together, also forming a sword technique, and summoned a Sacred Sword.
At the same time, dense Saint Qi surged from her brow, flowing around her delicate body to form a Saint Qi domain.
"Stop."
From within the carriage, a magnetic young man's voice rang out. "Ning Xin, who allowed you to be rude to Miss Yanchen? Apologize to Miss Yanchen immediately."
"Young City Lord..."
The white-clad young woman stared coldly at Huang Yanchen, showing no intention of stepping forward to apologize.
"If you're going to be this disobedient, then you don't need to follow me anymore." A faint voice came from within the carriage.
A look of panic appeared on the white-clad young woman's face. She knew the young city lord was angry, so she quickly stepped forward, bowed to Huang Yanchen, and said, "I'm sorry. Ning Xin should not have offended Miss Yanchen just now. Please forgive me."
"Hmph!"
Huang Yanchen let out a cold snort, put away her sword, and then turned and left, disappearing into the crowd on the street.
Inside the carriage, an extraordinarily handsome young man sat on a white fox fur carpet, holding a colored glaze (liuli) wine cup as he savored the fine wine.
On his left and right stood eight stunningly beautiful women, each carrying a sword, all at the Fish-Dragon Realm. Two of them had even reached the ninth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm.
The white-clad young woman named Ning Xin stood only at the last position on the left.
On the left, the sword attendant closest to Xue Wuye held a jade flute. With bright eyes and white teeth, she said, "Young City Lord, why do you have to court trouble and provoke the disciple of Xuanji Sword Saint?"
Xue Wuye smiled faintly. "She is not just the disciple of Senior Xuanji. She has another identity as well. Anyway, I have my own reasons... You're not jealous, are you?"
"You should all understand that this young master doesn't like jealous women. If any of you can't accept me being too good to other women, please leave now, so you won't be heartbroken later."
Xue Wuye looked at the eight sword attendants, but saw that they all remained standing where they were, none of them leaving.
He sighed, clearly somewhat disappointed.
Afterward, the blood Golden Crow pulled the carriage away from the Orchid Word Inn.
"Junior Brother, the tea was good."
Zhang Ruochen stood up, walked out of the tea shed, and chased after the direction Huang Yanchen had gone. (To be continued.)