Chapter 31: Ancient Palace BL (IV)

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Chapter 31: Ancient Palace BL (IV)

Miao Lichen no longer concealed his presence. Step by step, he entered the room. Most of the decorations were adorned with dragon motifs, patterns reserved solely for the Emperor. Dark gold filled every corner, yet it carried no hint of vulgar extravagance. Instead, it carried an air of restrained magnificence and solemn, dignified elegance.

Xuanyuan Ziying reclined sideways upon the dragon bed, his long hair spilling loosely over his shoulders. His inner robes hung carelessly open. The faint traces of kiss marks were still visible on his chest. He slightly narrowed his eyes and met Miao Lichen’s calm, unwavering gaze. Deep within them was a trace of admiration. It was the look of a craftsman admiring a perfect work of art—captivated by his own creation and filled with undisguised pride that bordered on obsession.

“You have indeed mastered the Heartbreak Sword, and it does not disappoint.” Xuanyuan Ziying remained where he was and patted the space beside him. “Come here. Sit down. Let me take a proper look at you.”

Miao Lichen paused briefly before stepping to the edge of the bed, within Xuanyuan Ziying’s reach. He fixed his gaze on the bed curtains, hesitation evident in his slightly fidgeting fingers. His expression became slightly tense. The people on the dragon bed were either the Emperor himself or one of his partners, making him unwilling to sit there. It was not because he lacked courage. It was because he refused to.

“There are only my men in this room. What are you still worried about? Or are you still afraid of my secret guards even after mastering the Heartbreak Sword? They wouldn’t be a match for you even if they all came at once now, isn’t that right?” Xuanyuan Ziying turned his head to take a better look at Miao Lichen. He licked the corner of his red lips. Like Xuanyuan Zihao, he had a pair of captivating peach-blossom eyes, but while Xuanyuan Zihao’s gaze carried lazy temptation, Xuanyuan Ziying’s held something deeper, something far more difficult to see through.

“They are no match for me, but what about Your Majesty?” Miao Lichen did not sit down. Instead, he turned his back on him, facing the light streaming through the window. He could vaguely see the shadows of other people and hear breathing that belonged to people aside from the two of them.

A soft laugh escaped Xuanyuan Ziying. Xuanyuan Ziying reached out, seized Miao Lichen’s arm, and pulled him onto the bed. His fingers traced several vital acupoints along Miao Lichen’s body. With only the slightest increase in pressure, he could end his life.

The smile on his lips remained unchanged throughout the exchange, yet that lazy air only grew more enchanting, like a mysterious poppy blooming in the darkness, tempting people to reach out despite knowing the danger. “Few in this world can see through my martial cultivation. It seems I underestimated the Heartbreak Sword. Anything preserved within the imperial treasury by our ancestors is indeed not as simple as I thought.”

“The Heartbreak Sword is very good.” Miao Lichen pushed the man aside, which was undeniably disrespectful toward the Emperor. But he didn’t care, nor did the Emperor. The hidden figure’s breathing unconsciously grew heavier.

“Indeed, it is very good. If the conditions for learning it weren’t so demanding, I would also like to try it.” Xuanyuan Ziying released him, his tone utterly superficial. The Heartbreak Sword required one thing above all else: a love deep enough to cause heartbreak, a swift and painful fall into the abyss. Easy power came with it, but the price was also quite high. Xuanyuan Ziying had no intention of experiencing such pain, nor did he believe himself capable of such love.

Miao Lichen left the bed the moment Xuanyuan Ziying released him. Standing by the bed, he looked down at where he had been sitting and frowned. The lingering smell of another person from the bed clung to him. “What does Your Majesty want?”

“I just wanted to see the effects of Heartbreak Sword. What do you think you possess that I could want?” Xuanyuan Ziying seemed surprised by the question. As the Emperor who controlled the entire palace, he did not know this musician all that well. But their brief interaction showed that Miao Lichen was smart, but lacked true wisdom. Could someone like him see through his intentions? Otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen Miao Lichen for this experiment. A tool was only useful when it remained firmly under one’s control.

“Was the Heartbreak Sword not for restraining the prince? But it doesn’t seem like I can properly restrain the prince for you now, so what would you like me to do?” Miao Lichen stared out the window at the clear moon in a sullen mood.

∇ Side Mission: Capture the Supporting Male Lead, Xuanyuan Ziying (Favorability 100).

∇ Reward: 3,000 points.

∇ Failure Penalty: Moonlit Heartbreak. Debuff lasts for three years and cannot be dispelled or cured.

∇ Capture Target Xuanyuan Ziying Favorability: 5.

“What if I said… I want you?” Xuanyuan Ziying raised an eyebrow and got up. The gold inner robes hung even more loosely, mildly exposing his shoulders as he did so. His long leisure life left him with flawless skin. Even martial arts did not make him overly rugged, leaving him with a delicateness unbecoming of a man. It was hard to imagine that this man could wear the imperial robes with dignity and govern a large empire well.

Miao Lichen suddenly met Xuanyuan Ziying’s gaze, a smile blooming on his face that was a stark contrast to his previous blank and aloof demeanor. He slid his hand down his waist, hooking the belt and letting his red robes slip open to reveal the inner white garments. With just the final layer covering him, he answered, “If it’s just this body, it is simple.”

Before Miao Lichen could make any further move, Xuanyuan Ziying stopped him from undoing that final layer. He hooked Miao Lichen’s chin to take a closer look. He saw no despondency or humility, nor any trace of his former love for Xuanyuan Zihao.

Such an extraordinary martial art could completely change a person’s personality? He had been skeptical when one of his secret guards told him Miao Lichen had voluntarily given up his relationship with Xuanyuan Zihao. He knew all too well the emotional depth needed to practice Heartbreak Sword. For the past five years, he had sought countless people to practice it, yet none succeeded.

“You think it’s only your body I want?” Xuanyuan Ziying whispered in Miao Lichen’s ear. Miao Lichen showed no shyness and made no reaction. His breathing remained so steady it impressed Xuanyuan Ziying. However, he did not believe Miao Lichen was truly without any weaknesses. He already had a firm grasp of his weakness.

“If I wanted someone’s body, a simple beckon and someone would eagerly climb into my bed. Why would I need to put in any more effort? What I want is for you to belong to me, whether it’s this body or that heart. It must all belong to Xuanyuan Ziying.”

“Not to the Emperor, but to Xuanyuan Ziying?” Miao Lichen met his gaze and nodded. He straightened his clothes, took a step back and performed a courtly salute.

“You truly don’t disappoint me. Here, take this. I don’t want my secret weapon to lose value so quickly.” Xuanyuan Ziying handed him a porcelain bottle with auspicious cloud patterns. The clouds were bloody red instead of white.

“I naturally won’t. I haven’t obtained what I wanted yet.” Miao Lichen faintly smiled as he turned and started walking away. “Also, I should thank you for your charity. No matter what happens, at least…”

Xuanyuan Ziying watched as Miao Lichen’s red figure disappeared into the hazy night, like a brilliant ray of light. He rubbed his fingers together, still feeling that lingering sensation on his fingertips. Miao Lichen affected him more deeply than any woman he had ever touched. If he weren’t such an excellent pawn, he probably wouldn’t have been able to resist making a move.

“Your Majesty, the prince can never escape your grasp. Is he not behaving himself as a prince and expanding the empire’s territory? Why are you so wary of him? And why are you paying so much attention to that male consort by him? Ultimately, he is but a laughing stock of our empire. And this Miao Lichen… I am worried that he will end up as trouble.”

A man in black suddenly appeared in the room and knelt before Xuanyuan Ziying. His back was straight, and his gaze held reverence. It was no longer the gaze of someone looking at his master or Emperor, but the fanatical gaze of a believer.

“Xuan, don’t question His Majesty’s decisions. As secret guards, we merely need to carry out his orders.” Another man appeared silently, his gaze filled with the same reverence toward Xuanyuan Ziying.

“Don’t underestimate him. He can’t match me in any way, but there is one thing I cannot compare with: the luck he was born with. It is as if he can obtain anything he wants, no matter what. But unfortunately… the throne must be mine.” Xuanyuan Ziying observed that bright moon outside the window, almost tinged with a crimson hue. “That Nangong Qingyue… Anyway, no one can stop me…”

“Deliver a message to my musician tomorrow, have him meet the envoy by coincidence. The envoy is very fond of his music.” Xuanyuan Ziying’s voice sounded particularly indistinct in the night, but carried a subtle, almost imperceptible chill and resentment unbecoming of his status.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Both men disappeared from his chamber.

Xuanyuan Ziying opened his palm under the moonlight, revealing the bloody short sword mark, then slowly closed it. Moonlit Heartbreak, a curse of heartbreak every full moon. A sword technique that exists to create a tool for its master and die with its master. The Heartbreak Sword was nothing more than a puppet in the end. The antidote to Moonlit Heartbreak was only the master’s blood. As for the method of breaking the curse… it was surprisingly simple.

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