I became a Sword Emperor in the Martial Arts World

Chapter 227 A Beauty's Curse: Ye Qingzhou

Qiyu City, Royal Palace.

"Mother."

Lian Hongying arrived gracefully in her finest attire. Without the need for makeup, she was already a beauty of unparalleled grace, dazzling all who beheld her.

"Hongying, come with me to welcome the envoy from the Yu Kingdom. The person who has come to visit this time is Ji Boying, the heir of the Yi King, who comes from the Jintian clan."

After Lian Huozhi finished speaking, she looked Lian Hongying over a few more times and said to her with a satisfied expression, "It is said that the Crown Prince of Yi is handsome and talented. He is only a little over two hundred years old this year, but his cultivation has already reached the ninth level of the Ascension Realm. He is only one step away from becoming a god."

"Mother, why are you telling me all this?"

Lian Hongying instantly realized that the whole "receiving the Yu Kingdom envoy together" thing was a lie; the real purpose was to arrange a blind date for her.

She was naturally extremely unwilling to do so.

Seeing that Lian Hongying was quite resistant to this matter, Lian Huozhi couldn't help but advise her, "Mother knows that you have lofty ambitions, but even I cannot insist on the matter of succession. To tell you the truth, both Heng Wang and E Wang have secretly supported Qixia to inherit the throne. Although you have ascended to the divine realm and been granted the title of king in the mortal world, your foundation is still too shallow to ascend the throne."

Lianhuozhi felt quite helpless about this.

She had more than a hundred children, but her two favorites were Lian Qixia and Lian Hongying.

Lian Qixia is the eldest daughter and her first child. She was raised as her heir from a young age and was always by her side, doing her best to help her.

Lian Hongying was the most talented of her children and knew how to care for the people. Under her governance, Huajian City was always well-organized and prosperous.

Although many residents of Huajian City's outer city still live in poverty, they are actually migrants who have moved there from elsewhere. Compared to other cities in the Rakshasa Kingdom, Huajian City is already considered to have done a relatively good job in terms of people's livelihood.

In many other cities, ordinary people don't even have the chance to be treated like cattle or horses; survival itself is a luxury.

"Mother, I don't want to marry someone from another family."

Lian Hongying pursed her lips, but her attitude was very firm: "I have already pledged my life to my country. The sword in my hand will only be wielded for the people of the Rakshasa Kingdom."

"Oh, you silly child..."

Lianhuozhi had actually been watching the struggle between the two sisters all along.

But both are her flesh and blood, so what could she, as a mother, do?

The Kingdom of Rakshasa is now beset by internal and external troubles.

Beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were already surging, with various forces constantly vying for power and sabotaging each other.

Among them, the Scaled Clan and the Feathered Clan were even making frequent moves behind the scenes, trying to interfere in the internal affairs of the Rakshasa Kingdom.

Therefore, just maintaining the balance of power in the court was already exhausting for Lian Huozhi.

The eldest daughter, Lian Qixia, is domineering but adheres to ancestral rules and has always been committed to protecting the interests of the vested interest groups, thus gaining the support of military families and nobles.

The youngest daughter, Lian Hongying, is stubborn yet ambitious. She has always advocated for reforming the internal affairs and system of the Rakshasa Kingdom, which has touched the interests of many powerful and wealthy families, leading to criticism and exclusion.

However, there are also many middle and lower-ranking military officers from noble branches and martial arts experts among the common people who are willing to follow Lian Hongying. This is also an emerging force that cannot be ignored.

If one is not handled properly, the entire Rakshasa Kingdom could be torn apart by the power struggle between the two sisters.

For Lianhuozhi, the best solution at present is for his eldest daughter to inherit the throne and stabilize the internal situation.

The youngest daughter married into the Yu Kingdom, and through the lineage of King Yi, obtained the Jin Tian clan as an external ally, thus improving the diplomatic environment of the Rakshasa Kingdom.

In this way, contradictions and conflicts can be easily resolved without any visible impact.

However, Lian Hongying clearly did not accept this outcome. Marrying far away to the Yu Kingdom and leaving her homeland was not what she wanted.

What she wanted was to personally lead the country out of its deep-seated problems and towards prosperity and strength, just like the first ruler of the Rakshasa Kingdom in history did.

Lian Hongying was not obsessed with power and status; she simply wanted to promote reforms, but without power and status, she could not accomplish anything. That is why she was willing to compete with Lian Qixia for the throne.

…………

At this moment, above the Kingdom of Rakshasa, a golden carriage was being dragged through the clouds by four wild birds with multicolored wings.

All four mad birds possessed phoenix bloodlines, their crowns were incomparably magnificent, their postures were even more arrogant, and their bodies exuded powerful life energy. Wherever they went, all the birds submitted to them.

Inside the ornate carriage sat two people.

One of them wore a magnificent white robe with gold trim. He had a human appearance, but his eyes were sharp like an eagle's.

He was Ji Boying, a member of the royal family of the Yu Kingdom, a branch of the Jintian clan, and his father was Yi Wang, one of the eight kings.

Born into an extraordinary family, possessing exceptional talent and noble status...

Ji Boying was born with everything that countless people desire: martial arts, power, wealth, and beautiful women—all of which were readily available to him.

Therefore, he grew tired of these worldly desires and developed greater ambitions.

"Uncle Zhen, do you think my plan will succeed?"

Ji Boying's gaze swept over the sea of ​​clouds outside the car window, and his golden eyes and dark pupils instantly became unfathomable.

"The Crown Prince's strategies are far-reaching; he will surely be able to control the Kingdom of Rakshasa, laying the foundation for victory in the battle for the throne among the eight feathered warriors three years from now."

Sikong Zhen flattered.

Within the Feather Kingdom, the succession to the throne has always been a matter of "fighting," so those who can ascend to the throne must be outstanding individuals in every aspect.

Only someone like this can lead the Feather Clan to firmly sit on the throne of hegemony in Kunlun Grotto Heaven.

Compared to the simple ethnic composition of the Rakshasa Kingdom, the Feather Kingdom has a more complex composition.

There are 27 tribes in China named after birds, all of which evolved from tribes in ancient times, such as the Phoenix Bird Clan, the Black Bird Clan, the Bo Zhao Clan, the Blue Bird Clan, the Red Bird Clan, the Zhu Hong Clan, the Shi Jiu Clan, the Hu Jiu Clan, the Shuang Jiu Clan, and so on.

Among them, the Feng clan consists of eight branches, each ruling one of the eight kings. They hold the most prestigious position in the Yu Kingdom and have always been responsible for managing astronomy and the calendar, wielding the power to govern the country.

Before each king went to Yujing, he would first step down and then elect a new king.

The new king is not appointed by the old king, but rather eight outstanding talents are selected from the eight great Phoenix clans. Each of them leads ten thousand troops into the Heavenly Yi Sacred Ruins, where they fight fiercely and compete for victory under the watchful eyes of the ancestral gods.

The right of kings is divinely granted; the victor is king!

Among the eight royal families of the Phoenix Clan in the Feather Kingdom today, the Di Hong Clan and the Jin Tian Clan are the most powerful and have the best chance of winning the throne.

Ji Boying has already confirmed that he will represent the Jintian Clan in the battle. Before that, he wants to secretly take control of the Rakshasa Women's Kingdom in order to increase his own strength.

The golden carriage, dragged by the mad birds, quickly arrived at Qiyu City.

The Feather Kingdom is the strongest kingdom in Kunlun Grotto-Heaven, second only to the Queen Mother of the West in strength and status. Therefore, even if only a prince were to arrive, the king, Lian Huozhi, would personally come out to greet him, behaving like a servant.

"Greetings, Crown Prince Yi."

Lian Huozhi chuckled and then introduced, "This is my daughter, Hongying."

"So it's the Chan King in person. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Ji Boying then deliberately adopted an attitude of long-standing admiration and took the initiative to get closer to Lian Hongying: "I am very happy to hear that Your Highness Chan Wang has ascended to the Divine Realm."

After saying that, Ji Boying took out a five-colored treasure box from his personal Sumeru Ring.

Inside the treasure box, there was nothing else but a crimson-gold feather, shimmering with light, which was presented to Lian Huozhi and Lian Hongying.

"This is a Vermilion Bird feather, with three strands of Southern Bright Fire remaining on it. Princess Chan cultivates fire-attribute techniques. With this divine fire, her cultivation will surely reach new heights."

The Nanming Li Fire, one of the nine divine fires, is the fire of the Li position in the Eight Trigrams of the Primordial Heaven. It is also the symbiotic fire of the Vermilion Bird clan, a divine beast, and is therefore extremely powerful. In particular, it can double the damage when used to deal with Yin spirits and ghosts.

In addition, the Nanming Fire can be both gentle and intense, and it also possesses the power to merge with nature, drawing upon the laws of heaven and earth. When it is unleashed, it is majestic and unstoppable.

It must be said that Ji Boying knows how to cater to people's preferences; the gifts he gives are very targeted.

Vermilion Bird feathers are rare and precious materials, extremely rare in the world. Even a Martial God might not possess more than a few.

But Ji Boying simply used it as a gift, showing extreme generosity.

However, Lian Hongying frowned slightly, feeling a chill creep into her heart. It was as if a sudden impulse had triggered a sense of inexplicable danger emanating from Ji Boying.

Although she didn't understand the reason, Lian Hongying still instinctively chose to refuse: "Your Highness, this item is too precious, I cannot accept it."

"This... alright, I admit I was being presumptuous."

Ji Boying smiled gracefully, showing no anger. Instead, he continued to chat with Lian Hongying warmly and elegantly, appearing proactive and enthusiastic.

Only Sikong Zhen, who had served Ji Boying for many years, secretly thought to himself, "This woman dares to refuse His Highness's kindness; she's already courting death."

Then Sikong Zhen became somewhat worried: "Could it be that this woman saw through the 'Heart Poison' I placed in the Vermilion Bird Feather? But that's impossible! Heart Poison is colorless, odorless, formless, and invisible. Even a Martial God-level expert would find it difficult to detect unless they had cultivated a Martial Dao Primordial Spirit. She's only just entered the Divine Realm; how could she possibly sense it?"

Sikong Zhen couldn't help but mutter to himself. He was a renowned expert in poisons in the Yu Kingdom, known as the "Poison Doctor," a grandmaster who excelled in both medicine and poison.

Strictly speaking, "heart poison" is not a type of poison, but rather a kind of psychological suggestion.

Once poisoned, the victim's mind will be influenced by the caster, and through subtle and gradual influence, they will eventually become a puppet.

Clearly, Ji Boying's gift was not given with good intentions.

One of his direct objectives was to turn Lian Hongying into his pawn, so that he could use her identity to ultimately achieve his goal of annexing the Rakshasa Women's Kingdom.

Because they were wearing the Heart-Locking Stone, neither Lian Hongying nor Lian Huozhi could detect Ji Boying and Sikong Zhen's malice.

It's only because Lian Hongying is blessed by Heaven that she could have accepted Ji Boying's gift and truly fallen into his trap.

"Please come this way, Your Highness. I have already ordered a banquet to be prepared to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."

"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Lian."

Ji Boying remained calm and composed, maintaining his gentle and refined demeanor, though his gaze would occasionally drift to Lian Hongying's pretty face, feigning deep affection.

Little did he know that Lian Hongying was completely unmoved by his act. On the contrary, because of her divine favor, she felt extremely repulsed and even disgusted by him.

Just as Lian Hongying was wondering how to continue her awkward conversation with Ji Boying, her expression suddenly changed drastically. The divine thought she had left on Ye Qingzhou was erased!

Lian Hongying suddenly turned her gaze to the west of the city, her eyes immediately landing on the Yao Prince's residence: "Damn it!"

With a flash of red light, Lian Hongying disappeared from the spot without even saying goodbye, leaving Ji Boying standing there awkwardly.

He was so enraged he almost lost his composure, his heart filled with fury: "How dare this lowly servant be so disrespectful!"

Just as Lian Huozhi was about to speak up to smooth things over, her expression immediately changed because she sensed a violent fluctuation of vital energy coming from the west of the city.

…………

Yao Wangfu (Prince Yao's Mansion).

"Sister Wang, forced relationships are never sweet."

"How do I know if it's sweet or not if I haven't even tasted it?"

Lian Qixia pressed closer to Ye Qingzhou, licking her red lips and her gaze filled with aggression, as if she was about to devour him alive.

Ye Qingzhou had no intention of becoming a plaything for this "domineering female CEO".

Just kidding, he's aiming to become a man who reaches the pinnacle of martial arts. What kind of behavior is it to act like someone else's little puppy?

Just as Ye Qingzhou was worrying about how to escape, a fiery red figure descended from the sky, and a jade-like hand pulled him behind her.

At the same time, his other hand transformed into a blade and slashed out fiercely.

Clang~

The blade energy unleashed by Lian Hongying condensed into a thin line, directly cleaving through space and crashing down upon Lian Qixia.

"Hmph~"

Lian Qixia looked disdainful and also transformed her palm into a blade, unleashing a blade aura that had been condensed to the extreme.

Boom~

The two blades collided violently, causing the space to tremble violently. Subsequently, the entire Yao Prince's Mansion was razed to the ground by the surge of power that erupted from it.

"Sister Wang, you've crossed the line."

Lian Hongying stood in front of Ye Qingzhou, her beautiful eyes filled with anger, and her gaze flashed with a sharp fighting spirit as she looked at Lian Qixia: "He is mine."

"Isn't Wang Mei being a bit too domineering? Wang Di isn't your property. As his older sister, can't I be close to him?"

After saying this, Lian Qixia gave Lian Hongying a provocative look, then smiled at Ye Qingzhou: "My dear brother, will you choose me or her?"

"Don't be like that, I'm still just a child. We're all family, even if we can't love each other, there's no need to love and hate each other, right?"

Ye Qingzhou casually made a comment, fearing that the two Valkyries in front of him would start fighting the next second and cause the entire capital to collapse and crack.

Fortunately, Lian Huozhi appeared in time and quelled the dispute: "What are you doing?"

"Mother."

Lian Qixia stepped forward and immediately accused the villain: "I was just bored, so I invited my brother to my home as a guest, but I didn't expect my sister to be so domineering. For such a trivial matter, she actually demolished my mansion. I beg my mother to do justice for me."

"You guys, you're all such a handful!"

In the end, Lian Huozhi had no choice but to order the reconstruction of Yao Wangfu.

As for the punishment of Lian Hongying, it was a case of raising the issue high but lowering it lightly.

The next day, the news spread rapidly throughout the city, becoming the talk of the town for everyone.

"Did the sisters, Yao Wang and Chan Wang, really fight each other over a man?"

"The Yao Prince's Mansion has been razed to the ground, don't you think?"

"Is this man some kind of breathtakingly handsome man?"

Many people's gossip instincts were completely ignited, and they became more and more excited as they talked.

In fact, the Kingdom of Rakshasa is a place where women are respected, and it is not uncommon for nobles to fight over men.

However, it was still unbelievable that two kings who had reached the Martial God realm would actually fight over a man.

"He's such a femme fatale."

"It's said that this person is the younger brother of the two princes?"

"He's just a stepson, there's no blood relation between them."

"Is he the king's newly adopted son?"

"No, it's said that he was the son of Wang Fu and another woman."

"My God! Are these two, father and son, trying to dominate the harem of our Rakshasa Women's Kingdom?"

The relationship between Ye Qingzhou and Ye Xiangyang quickly became common knowledge, attracting much discussion and fascination among the people and nobles of the capital.

Ye Xiangyang's selection as the king's consort by the king, Lian Huozhi, against all odds, was already quite extraordinary. Now, the two princesses are even fighting over Ye Qingzhou. All of this is too sensational.

Inside the state guesthouse, upon hearing this, Ji Boying's fists hardened, and he crushed the wine cup filled with fine liquor into a lump of copper: "How dare you ruin my grand plan! You've already committed suicide!"

"Uncle Zhen".

"This old servant is here."

"I want his life."

"Yes, this old servant will make sure he dies without a burial place."

…………

Chanwang Mansion.

"Good grief, are they treating me like Su Daji (a notorious adulteress in Chinese mythology)?"

Ye Qingzhou was speechless, then secretly became wary: 'This matter has spread so quickly; there must be someone pulling the strings behind the scenes…'

As for who did it, it's not hard to guess.

"According to the strange phenomena I glimpsed before, the Rakshasa Kingdom should have fallen into the hands of Queen E, Lian Lingxiao, according to its original destiny. It seems this matter is inextricably linked to her."

The Rakshasa Kingdom currently has only five Martial Gods. If nothing unexpected happens, Lian Huozhi, Lian Qixia, and Lian Hongying, mother and daughter, will all die one after another. Of the remaining two Martial Gods, Dao Yuzhi is a noble military official from a military family, while Lian Lingxiao, a noble civil official, best fits the description of "confidant" in the strange phenomenon.

"That's a cunning old fox. It's too dangerous to keep her hiding behind the scenes causing trouble."

Ye Qingzhou had already begun to think about how to solve this problem.

After all, by helping Lian Hongying now, he is essentially helping himself.

Just as Ye Qingzhou was pondering a solution, Huang Liwen rushed over in a panic: "Old Ye, something terrible has happened!"

"What, are you trying to die?"

"I'm perfectly fine! You're the one in trouble!"

Huang Liwen's eyes widened, and then he said, "The Crown Prince of Yu Kingdom has formally proposed marriage to Her Highness Chan King."

(End of this chapter)