The main street of Xianyang had far fewer gimmicks than Shenyang Street.
Pedestrians on both sides watched as Qingnu and her group headed toward the palace. Just as she had at the city gates, she fought her way into the palace and quickly reached the grand hall.
Inside the hall, King Ying Zhu was discussing matters with Ying Zichu. Lady Huayang sat beside them.
"Great King!"
A soldier rushed in from outside the hall, shouting in a panic, "Great King, this is bad! Intruders have entered the palace!"
Hardly had he finished his shout when he heard Qingnu mutter, "Is there really an intruder this beautiful?"
Upon the throne, Ying Zhu's brow furrowed. When Ying Zichu saw Qingnu, his pupils constricted, and he cried out in shock, "Preceptor Shaodian?"
"Shaodian?" Ying Zhu was taken aback.
Qingnu raised a hand and gave Ying Zichu a casual wave.
"Husband!"
From behind Qingnu, Zhao Ji called out to Ying Zichu. her eyes were filled with a complex whirlpool of emotions, but they were entirely devoid of the love one might expect from a long-awaited reunion.
Qingnu glanced back at her and gave Afang a look. Understanding immediately, Afang took Zhao Ji by the arm.
On the surface, it looked like she was supporting her, but in reality, she was restraining her to prevent any erratic behavior. Qingnu didn't care whether Zhao Ji lived or died, but she couldn't let the woman affect Ying Zheng now.
"My lady? You've returned as well? Then this is... Zheng'er?"
Visible excitement broke across Ying Zichu's face as he looked toward the young Ying Zheng.
"Zichu!" Lady Huayang called out in a low, warning tone.
Hearing her voice, Ying Zichu looked up at Lady Huayang, then bowed to both her and Ying Zhu. "Father, Mother! This is the wife I took in Handan of Zhao, Zhao Ji! and this is Zheng'er, Zichu's son! The bloodline of Great Qin!"
Lady Huayang’s expression shifted slightly at his words; she was clearly displeased. Ying Zhu, however, broke into a smile and beckoned to Ying Zheng.
"Little one, come here! Come to your Royal Grandfather."
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng did not move immediately. Instead, he looked at Qingnu first. Qingnu gave a light cough and tilted her head in encouragement. Only then did Ying Zheng walk briskly toward Ying Zhu.
As Ying Zhu watched the boy approach, the smile on his face grew more radiant. His health was not particularly good at this time, and his face was somewhat pale, but he still projected a kind and approachable demeanor before his grandson. He gently ruffled Ying Zheng's hair and asked with a smile, "Your name is Ying Zheng?"
Ying Zheng nodded. "Yes, Royal Grandfather. I am Ying Zheng."
"Who gave you this name?" Ying Zhu asked again.
Ying Zheng looked back at Qingnu and said, "My preceptor gave it to me."
Ying Zhu’s gaze fell upon Qingnu. Seeing her appearance, his brow knit slightly in thought for a moment. He nodded and asked another question, "Have you studied?"
"I have! Legalism, Mohism, Military Strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Agriculture... I have studied them all," Ying Zheng replied with a nod.
Hearing this, Ying Zhu added, "And these were also taught by your preceptor?"
"Indeed! My preceptor taught them to me!"
After Ying Zheng’s confirmation, Ying Zichu cupped his hands toward Qingnu and sighed with gratitude. "I thank you, Preceptor, for raising such a fine child for me!"
"Indeed," Ying Zhu echoed with a nod. "Truly a fine preceptor! May I ask how to address you?"
"Shaodian Qingnu," she replied, though she offered no formal etiquette.
Seeing this, Lady Huayang grew dissatisfied. She interjected, "As a preceptor, how do you not even know basic etiquette? When addressing the King of Great Qin, you should bow low and prostrate yourself! Really..."
Before she could finish her sentence, she met Qingnu's gaze. Qingnu wore a smile, but the moment Lady Huayang saw it, she felt a bone-chilling dread. She immediately shut her mouth and spoke no more.
Only after she went silent did Qingnu look away.
Ying Zhu took all of this in but said nothing more. He simply bestowed a great deal of wealth upon Qingnu and instructed Ying Zichu to properly settle Ying Zheng and Zhao Ji. However, after the gathering dispersed, he kept Qingnu behind alone.
"Would the preceptor care to take a walk with me?"
Qingnu looked at Ying Zhu and gave a small nod. "Very well."
The two left the grand hall and entered the Imperial Garden of the palace.
Ying Zhu began to speak with Qingnu about King Zhaoxiang. After talking for a long time, he finally brought up the meeting between Ying Ji and Qingnu. He said slowly, "When the late King was still with us, he once visited Luoyi. There, he met an immortal."
"That immortal was you, Preceptor?"
As Ying Zhu finished speaking, people began to fill the Imperial Garden. They were not serving palace staff, but members of the Yin Yang School.
Qingnu swept her eyes over them and then waved a hand toward the sky. Hongluan flew down, landing on her shoulder. Qingnu rubbed its head with her finger and said, "There's an ambush in the garden, and you didn't even tell me sooner!"
"Stupid snake, it's obviously because you didn't care!" Hongluan retorted.
However, neither Hongluan nor Qingnu took these people of the Yin Yang School seriously.
"Is the preceptor not afraid?"
Seeing Qingnu chatting with Hongluan, Ying Zhu was not surprised by the talking bird. Instead, he was surprised by Qingnu's attitude.
"Should I be afraid?"
Qingnu tilted her head. She glanced at the group and gave a dismissive scoff. "I’ve fought their ancestors. This lot's lineage comes from the Tianyuan Palace, doesn't it? Now they've changed their name to the Yin Yang School. I’ve beaten even their patriarchs, to say nothing of them. What is there to fear?"
Hearing this, Ying Zhu took a deep breath, sighing, "You truly are an immortal."
The leader of the Yin Yang School narrowed his eyes. Hearing Qingnu's words, he shouted in alarm and anger, "So you are the snake demon the ancestors sought to capture? Your Majesty, be careful, she is a demon..."
"Yes, yes, I'm a demon," Qingnu nodded, having no intention of arguing with them. She countered, "You lot have barely lived twenty or thirty years—have you even been cultivating for twenty? To dare bark in front of a great demon who has lived for two or three thousand years is just asking for death!"
Two or three thousand years!
Qingnu’s longevity shocked everyone present.
Ying Zhu raised a hand to silence the Yin Yang School. He looked at Qingnu and said slowly, "If the preceptor were a demon, she would not have spent so much effort teaching Ying Zheng."
At this, Qingnu glanced at Ying Zhu. "What do you mean by that? Didn't you bring them here to catch me?"
Ying Zhu shook his head. "When the late King returned from Luoyi, he invited the Yin Yang School to Xianyang specifically to deal with the preceptor. But now, I have a different view. Preceptor, would you like to hear my current thoughts?"
Qingnu laughed. She hopped onto a nearby rock formation, tapping the stone lightly as she looked down at Ying Zhu. "Let's hear them."
Ying Zhu looked up at her and said, "The late King said that the preceptor would take the heart-blood of the last monarch of Qin. Therefore, he believed that as long as we captured the preceptor, Great Qin could last for a thousand generations."
"But seeing the preceptor's fondness for the child Zheng'er, I believe the preceptor would not do such a thing."
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