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墨書 Inktalez
On the 0th day of the 16th month of the Tang calendar, the Ninth Lower Martial Arts Tournament was held in Yongan City.
Half a day earlier, Chen Rui and his Bodyguard arrived at Eternal Peace and were asked to wait outside the Tai Chi Hall after revealing their identities.
The Bodyguard frowned reluctantly and whispered, "Elder, with your high status, having to wait outside is quite disrespectful. It seems they truly do not wish to acknowledge us."
Chen Rui glanced at his strikingly handsome Bodyguard and sighed, "Lovisah! You don’t understand. Waiting here shows our dignity and decorum. If we act too casually, wouldn’t that make people think elves are unruly?"
Lovisah pouted, displeased, and stuck out his tongue. "Elder, didn’t you promise me I could just call you Chen? Why are you calling me that again?"
Chen Rui laughed heartily. "Alright, alright, as long as you’re happy."
Lovisah was a baby rescued from an elf village that had been ravaged by war by the father of this character. Although he was actually a few years older than Chen Rui in terms of age, the disparity in bloodline and status was so great that they could only maintain a master-servant relationship despite living together.
"Toot toot—"
"Bang bang—"
Before long, the sound of drums and music filled the air. Chen Rui quietly said to Lovisah, "Be calm; they are about to invite us in."
"Okay."
Sure enough, shortly after, the emperor took his seat, and Chen Rui and Lovisah were invited into the Tai Chi Hall. Upon seeing the most powerful person present, Chen Rui felt no nervousness at all and bowed leisurely to His Majesty.
The emperor looked at the two who had come unarmed and chuckled, "Why do you two elders not take a seat?"
Even though elves live many times longer than humans, making them appear youthful, both were certainly over a hundred years older than the emperor. Thus, referring to them as elders was a sign of respect from him.
Lovisah almost couldn't hold back and was about to slap him twice. "You don't even provide a stool for us. Where are we supposed to sit? On the floor?"
Chen Rui tugged at Lovisah's sleeve, shot her a glare, and then casually sat cross-legged on the ground. He smiled and praised, "The Emperor's grand hall is indeed luxurious; even the floor tiles are carved from jade. It seems the Tang Dynasty is still thriving!"
The Emperor did not expect this elf to be so carefree. Sitting on the floor not only embarrassed the elf but also made him feel hot with shame. A guest had come to pay their respects, and he let them sit on the ground! If word got out, it would tarnish the reputation of the entire Tang Dynasty!
"Come here! Why haven't you provided seats for the two elders?"
As soon as he finished speaking, two silver-plated chairs were brought over behind Chen Rui and Lovisah. Chen Rui didn't hesitate and boldly sat down on one of the chairs.
Lovisah was still somewhat dissatisfied, but seeing that Chen Rui had already taken a seat, she felt it inappropriate to continue causing a scene and sat down as well, not even bothering to offer a greeting.
Seeing that the two were still somewhat displeased, the Emperor grew a bit irritated. He had provided them with chairs, yet they didn't even bring a gift and were still upset—what did that mean?
Though he felt unhappy inside, the Emperor was an experienced politician who had mastered the art of smiling while feeling displeased.
"Elders, may I ask what brings you to Eternal Peace? What is your purpose in visiting me?"
Chen Rui took a breath, showing none of the solemnity he had displayed in front of Zor and the other elves. He chuckled lightly, "Your Majesty, I came to see you and also to enjoy the Lower Martial Arts Tournament."
"Since you have come to see me, why do you come empty-handed?"
The Emperor was taken aback by Chen Rui's bluntness; he had actually said that aloud. Fortunately, there were only two guards present besides them, so there wouldn't be any dissenting voices.
"Your Majesty, I did not come empty-handed!" Chen Rui smiled slightly.
The Emperor looked at Chen Rui again, confirming that he wasn't carrying any large items, then shifted his gaze to the bodyguard beside Chen Rui.
"Your Majesty, my bodyguard is quite beautiful," Chen Rui said as he swiftly removed Lovisah's helmet, letting her golden hair cascade down like a waterfall, indeed a sight to behold.
"You mean to..." The Emperor asked, somewhat incredulous.
Chen Rui smiled casually and affirmed, "Yes, I intend to present this elf to Your Majesty."
Lovisah looked at Chen Rui in disbelief, as if the person sitting beside her was not the one she knew. She had no objections; her life belonged to Chen Rui, so she wouldn't be angry with his decisions. However, after spending so much time together, it was still hard for Lovisah to believe that this was truly the Chen Rui she recognized!
Elves and humans appeared similar, differing only in their ears. Since the interaction between humans and elves began, there had always been a few instances of love between them, even leading to elopements.
Humans were extremely envious and desirous of elven bloodlines because they represented longevity and magical power. Yet most elves found human bloodlines repulsive, viewing humans as weak beings; in terms of vitality, they were the weakest among all races.
Thus, aside from a few genuine loves between humans and elves, there would be no intermarriage between the two.
Moreover, within the royal family of the Human Race, this was a taboo topic as it involved racial issues.
However, faced with the allure of longevity and beauty, how many could truly resist such temptation?
The Emperor snapped back from his reverie of temptation and looked at Chen Rui with a cold smile. "What do you want? What will you offer in exchange for her? Such a beautiful elven maiden must be hard for you to part with."
Chen Rui ran his fingers through a strand of Lovisah's golden hair; its silky texture felt delightful. "Yes, she is someone who has accompanied me; she is my friend, my kin, my everything." Upon hearing this, Lovisah gazed at Chen Rui in surprise. The tears in her eyes softened slightly, making her even more beautiful.
"So I will use her to exchange for everything you have!" Chen Rui stared directly at the Emperor, enunciating each word clearly. "I want the entire Tang Dynasty!"
Silence fell over Tai Chi Hall; no one spoke. The Emperor and Chen Rui locked eyes, trying to gauge each other's resolve through their expressions.
"Clap clap clap—" The Emperor couldn't help but laugh as he began to applaud. "Good! Very good! Chancellor, you truly live up to your title! Not a single word missed!"
A figure clad in a purple robe slowly stepped forward, offering a faint smile to Chen Rui. "Long time no see, Elder Chen."
Chen Rui glanced at his face and then at his nickname, sneering, "What difference does it make if you change your name or not?"
Li Li chuckled. When he changed his name, he simply dropped his surname and adopted the name Li, which indeed made little difference, especially since he did not use a Face Modifier; anyone could recognize him with just a glance.
Suddenly, Li Li noticed that Chen Rui's nickname was a string of English letters. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the phonetic spelling of 'Chen Zijing' and immediately retorted mockingly.
"What qualifications do you have? You’re still using your real name! Don’t think I won’t recognize you just because you switched to English!"
"Is that my fault? I never really put much thought into naming," Chen Rui shrugged.
Seeing the two reminiscing, Your Majesty the Emperor couldn't help but clear his throat twice to steer them back on track. "Ahem! Enough of that. Why have you come to Eternal Peace?"
Chen Rui sighed, looking worriedly at both Li Li and His Majesty the Emperor.
"A storm is brewing."
***
"The Ninth Lower Martial Arts Tournament officially begins!"
Your Majesty the Emperor sat atop the highest Viewing Platform, with Li Li and Chen Rui seated behind him. Further back were Lovisah and the Imperial Guard. The Viewing Platform, which could accommodate one hundred and fifty people, had only about twenty occupants, making the already cramped space feel even more congested with a circle of Imperial Guards standing watch below.
Only over five thousand teams had passed the trials set by the Imperial Guards, among which approximately eight hundred teams consisted of seed players with special professions. The majority had advanced through the first round of trials relying on their formidable strength and tight coordination.
However, almost none of these teams managed to pass the second round, as there were simply too many challengers. Therefore, the Ministry of War decided to place the Heavy Armored Cavalry in the second round.
It was nearly impossible to get through this round without the assistance of a Mage or a Rune Master. After all, the Heavy Armored Cavalry was the most powerful force in the Tang Dynasty and among humanity. If ordinary people could repel them with their strength, then the current prosperity of the Tang Dynasty would never have been possible.
Now, there were less than five hundred teams preparing to enter the arena, as those inexperienced Rune Masters and Mages had already been discouraged by the Heavy Cavalry.
Thus, the teams that were ready to compete were primarily composed of Berserkers, Riders, Archers, Assassins, and a special class: either a Mage or a Rune Master.
There were a few unique teams, such as one that had passed the second round without any special class members; they utilized an all-cavalry formation that resembled a customized Heavy Cavalry unit.
Additionally, there were two teams with only one member each entering the arena—one was a Rune Master and the other was a Mage. Most importantly, both were young women and exceptionally beautiful.
The Rune Master was younger, probably not yet twenty years old, appearing pure and adorable. However, the runes she wielded never allowed her opponents to survive; they were always swiftly repelled out of bounds, forced to withdraw!
The Mage was slightly older, likely around twenty-five, and appeared more mature. The crucial point was that she used different spells for her attacks each time, consistently achieving instant kills. This overwhelming destructive power left the medical staff on-site feeling exhausted as they repeatedly saved those who were on the brink of death but couldn’t actually die!
After the Beautiful Mage swiftly took down another enemy, she blew kisses to the spectators. When she turned towards the first Viewing Platform, someone in the second row of seats on that platform froze completely.
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