The king chuckled. “State Preceptor, how did you come up with such an exhilarating entrance? How splendid.”
The State Preceptor wiped sweat from his face and smiled. “Splendid indeed. But unfortunately, this lowly subject didn’t come up with it. I’m afraid it’s His Highness the Crown Prince’s own idea.”
The queen patted her heart. “That mischievous child. To jump from such a height without a word of warning! I almost stood up in fright.”
The State Preceptor couldn’t help but lace his words with pride. “My Lady Queen can be at ease. The martial might of His Highness the Crown Prince is extraordinary. Dozens of meters is nothing to him. Even with towers that are many times higher, he can easily mount and easily jump off with his eyes closed.”
The queen appeared pleased and said gently, “Thanks to the teachings of the State Preceptor.”
The State Preceptor laughed. “It’s nothing, it’s nothing. His Highness the Crown Prince, darling of the heavens, is divinely gifted, marvelously talented, and graciously brilliant. It is the fortune accumulated from three lifetimes that gave this lowly subject the chance to become his teacher. I have a feeling that with His Highness the Crown Prince’s presence, today will go down in history as the most impressive of the God-Pleasing Ceremony’s Martial Matches.”
His words of praise were exceedingly smooth, alluding to the heavens. The king smiled and turned back to watch the performance.
“I hope that’s the case.”
In the Heavenly Procession of the Shangyuan Festival, the God-Pleasing Martial Warrior and the Demon were the two most important roles. Both must be played by young men exceptionally skilled in martial arts. The God-Pleasing Martial Warrior especially—the presentation and make of his costume were strict, transcendentally magnificent, and after dressing, the weight of everything worn came to twenty-five or thirty kilos. The Martial Warrior must, under this heavy burden, before the eyes of millions, march around the capital a number of times and perform in the Martial Match for at least four hours. There must also be no mishaps throughout, and so the performer must be extraordinarily skilled.
Fortunately, both of these young men were outstanding. It was a fierce match, the saber parried the sword—the combat was a thrilling sight to behold. The moves were also calculated to the minutest detail, obviously having been practiced and rehearsed many times.
“Who’s the one playing the demon and sparring with the crown prince?” the king asked.
The State Preceptor cleared his throat. “Your Majesty, he’s a young trainee from the Royal Holy Temple. His name is Mu Qing.”
The queen said sweetly, “I see that child is also rather skilled in fighting, just a bit weaker than my son. Maybe about the same level as Feng Xin?”
The State Preceptor didn’t appear to agree with her sentiment. Qi Rong had been lying on the queen’s lap eating grapes, and he spat out the skins in a rush.
“Psh, psh, psh! No way, no way! Not just a bit weaker, he’s faaaar weaker! Not just anyone can compare to Cousin Crown Prince!”
Hearing this, the queen patted his head, smiling, and the rest of the nobles all laughed, their bodies swaying back and forth in mirth. They teased, “Rong-er certainly clings to his cousin! If a day passes when he doesn’t praise him, he’s miserable.”
Down below in the sea of people, the cheers and hollers were shooting through the heavens.
“Fight! Fight! Kill him!”
“Slay the demon!”
The roars of excitement were growing stronger. Qi Rong was also adding to the noise, circling both his hands around his mouth like a trumpet, shouting and laughing.
“COUSIN CROWN PRINCE, GO! YOU CAN EASILY KNOCK HIM DOWN WITH ONE HAND! SHOW HIM HOW IT’S DONE!”
Suddenly, the demon on the stage slashed forward. The Martial Warrior repelled the attack with his sword but made a noise of curiosity.
During the Heavenly Parade, the Martial Match was a performance for pleasing the gods, and at most, one should use just a seventh of their power, pulling their swords at contact. However, with that strike he received just now, the sword in his hand had almost flown from his grip. Obviously, his opponent had used all of his might in that blow.
Xie Lian raised his head slightly and called out, “Mu Qing?”
The young man playing the demon didn’t say a word, just slashed at him again. Xie Lian had no time to think as he received one attack after the other, their weapons clanging.
Well, this is more exciting than fake sparring, Xie Lian thought, and his spirit heightened, immersing himself more into the fight.