The head of the Xiao Clan cited Xiao Yu’s sudden illness as the reason she couldn’t compete, and had switched candidates—which conveniently explained why the Xiao Clan had been so slow to make their appearance.
When Xiao Yu appeared on the stage holding the white jade xiao, the buzzing crowd fell silent.
No one knew much about Xiao Yu’s actual abilities, but seeing the white jade xiao in her hands, no one dared underestimate her.
Anyone capable of wielding the white jade xiao had to have real skill.
As for whether the white jade xiao was genuine, no one doubted it for a moment—no one could imagine the Xiao Clan losing something so precious!
Moreover, to say nothing of people who had actually handled the white jade xiao, even those who had merely heard it played were exceedingly rare.
A sufficiently skilled forgery could easily pass for the real thing.
Yet none of this could fool the spectators seated high up on the viewing platform. One by one, Ziqing and the others’ expressions began to shift.
Even Jun Beiyue instinctively glanced toward Xiong Xiaobao, but Xiong Xiaobao had long since composed himself, wearing an expression of utter innocence, staring intently down at the stage as if he knew nothing at all.
A doting smile touched the corner of Ziqing’s lips, and she reached out to pat his small head. “Pay close attention.”
The true highlight of the grand ceremony had arrived!
They were curious to see just how long the Xiao Clan could keep up the act—how a fake white jade xiao would manage to perform a xiao-and-sheng duet and summon the poison beasts!
With the white jade xiao’s help, Xiao Yu made quick work of the smaller clans, swiftly eliminating them all, until only the Gu Mo line remained.
When the two young women, close in age, stepped onto the stage together, the whole arena erupted into cheers at once, with more than a few frivolous whistles mixed in.
At this point, Jun Beiyue, who had remained silent the whole time, finally spoke. “Prince of Nanzhao, how about a wager between us?”
“Prince Yao is in quite the mood. Let’s hear it,” the Prince of Nanzhao said with a smile.
“Simply a bet on who wins between the Gu Mo line and the Xiao Clan. I say Miss Gu Mo has this one in the bag,” Jun Beiyue said.
At this, the Prince of Nanzhao laughed. Jun Beiyue clearly didn’t understand the relative strength of Xiao Yu and Gu Mo Baochuan—he himself knew a great deal about it.
The strength of Xiao Yu and Gu Mo Baochuan was fairly evenly matched, but with the white jade xiao’s help, Xiao Yu would have a decisive edge; Gu Mo Baochuan surely couldn’t compete!
The Prince of Nanzhao wanted to explain this, but on second thought, he simply asked instead, “And the stakes?”
Jun Beiyue didn’t answer right away, turning instead to ask Ziqing, “What do you want?”
Ziqing sneered inwardly—could she ask for all of Nanzhao?
Of course not.
After thinking it over, Ziqing said, “If Prince Yao wins, send us ten of the medicinal herbs from within the Jade Water Nectar Lake.”
The Prince of Nanzhao froze for a moment, then gave a thumbs up. “Princess Yao truly knows quality when she sees it!”
The medicinal herbs within the Jade Water Nectar Lake were all extraordinarily precious—the deeper they were planted, the longer they’d been nurtured, and the more precious they became.
It was said that in the silt at the bottom of the lake, only a dozen or so such herbs grew, and those herbs had but a single effect: to save a life!
“Ha, His Highness often says I have a sharp eye for quality myself,” Ziqing accepted the compliment, adding half-jokingly, “But these ten herbs—we’ll need to go down into the water ourselves to pick them out!”
At this, the Prince of Nanzhao froze again. There was no doubt that Ziqing’s request was pushing things rather far.
Those permitted to enter the Jade Water Nectar Heavenly Lake could be counted on one hand!
Seeing the Prince of Nanzhao’s difficulty, Jun Beiyue simply said nothing at all.
Jun Beiyue’s status made it unsuitable for him to joke around with the Prince of Nanzhao this way—if he spoke up, he would inevitably have to give the Prince a way to save face.
If he stayed quiet, Ziqing could keep pushing the joke as far as she liked—after all, she was a woman.
When it came to joking around, men would always take other men seriously. But men rarely took women’s jokes so seriously.
Sure enough, still in that same joking tone, Ziqing said with a smile, “Prince of Nanzhao, to enter the Jade Water Nectar Heavenly Lake, wouldn’t one need the permission of both the Medicine Clan and the Beast Clan?”
Had Jun Beiyue asked this question, it would certainly have been taken as a provocation, an unwinnable challenge.
Wasn’t the mighty Prince of Nanzhao capable of deciding anything he pleased?
Yet with Ziqing asking so innocently, the effect was entirely different.
The Prince of Nanzhao simply took it as ignorance on her part.
“Has Princess Yao heard the saying, ‘under vast heaven, all land belongs to the king’?” the Prince of Nanzhao said with a smile, showing no anger, quite gracious about it.
Clever as she was, Ziqing put on a delighted expression. “So does that mean Your Highness agrees?”
“Ha, if Prince Yao can win, then I agree,” the Prince of Nanzhao said generously, without further hesitation, then turned to Jun Beiyue. “And what stakes does Prince Yao propose?”
“The Prince of Nanzhao may pick anything he likes.” When it came to generosity, Jun Beiyue had always played big.
The Prince of Nanzhao thought it over for a moment, his gaze landing, of all places, on Xiong Xiaobao.
“Seeing as the young prince is about the same age as my youngest son…”
Before the Prince of Nanzhao could even finish, both Jun Beiyue and Ziqing were startled, and Xiong Xiaobao himself looked up with suspicion—could this old emperor possibly have designs on him?
“If I win, the young prince will stay in Nanzhao for a few years, to keep my youngest company. What does Prince Yao think of that?” the Prince of Nanzhao said with a smile, in the same tone as Ziqing’s earlier joke, impossible to tell whether he was joking or serious.
But at these words, a chill flickered through Jun Beiyue’s eyes.
Wasn’t the Prince of Nanzhao openly demanding a hostage? Did he even have the standing to make such a demand?
The Prince of Nanzhao had always kept Nanzhao closed off, staying out of the various conflicts among the states of Longyuan. Now that Jun Beiyue had risen to dominate Longyuan, the Prince of Nanzhao had apparently grown wary of him too.
Still, wanting to keep Xiong Bao—that was nothing short of wishful thinking!
Xiong Xiaobao blinked his big eyes, staring at the Prince of Nanzhao, thinking: Old man, if you really want me to keep your son company, aren’t you afraid I might poison him to death one of these days?
Seeing Jun Beiyue say nothing, the Prince of Nanzhao turned to Ziqing with a smile instead. “Princess Yao, still up for the bet?”
This attitude was a complete copy of Ziqing’s own from a moment ago—seemingly joking, yet giving no room to back down gracefully.
This old emperor really wasn’t someone to be trifled with!
“Deal,” Ziqing said readily, thinking to herself that once they found this last missing note and located the lost island, she would absolutely demand justice from the Nanzhao royal house on behalf of the entire lost island clan!
She wanted to see just what kind of ugly face this royal house—so renowned for its supposed benevolent, non-contentious rule—would show when that day came.
Ziqing’s readiness left the Prince of Nanzhao rather taken aback, not quite daring to believe it. He looked to Jun Beiyue for confirmation.
“Of course we’re betting—the match has already begun.” Jun Beiyue was just as ready. The Prince of Nanzhao surely had no idea that this war god of Longyuan’s greatest wish in this life was, in fact, not to unify Longyuan, but to one day march an army through and break down Nanzhao’s gates!
For hundreds of years, Nanzhao’s gates had been something everyone respectfully kept their distance from. He had long wanted to test them.
The match began, the wager was set, and everyone’s attention returned to the stage—who would win between Xiao Yu and Gu Mo Baochuan, and what plans the head of the Xiao Clan might have. The answer was slowly being revealed.
Meanwhile, in the hidden cave partway up the mountain, the purple glow had nearly finished dispersing.