Green Dragon Totem Chapter 5 Part1

In case n.o.body understood the previous chapter: the 'beauty' in the cell is Xie Yun's real face, only that Shan Chao mistook him for a woman, and for reason which are *spoilers* Xie Yun is playing along. So, the first half of this chapter is more or less noted from Shan Chao's perspective, hence the use of the female third p.r.o.noun to address Miss Long *LMAO ORZ*

Also, this half-chapter is dedicated to Ulfr and the kind anon who bought me coffees this weekend! Thank you! - LLS

Shan Chao backed half a step, giving a look to the pitch-black wooden bars, suddenly raising a palm to slam onto the wood.

Bang!

The entire fence slowly swayed, yet unexpectedly it did not crack at all!

"Don't hit it!" The beauty immediately shouted: "The cells are made of ironwood1, they cannot be split!"

Shan Chao earnestly said: "Miss, if I did not see you then it is well, since I saw you then there is no reason in leaving you in the lurch. Do not be afraid, I am not a bad person, if you wish to find your family and friends after getting out, or depart by yourself, I would not take the least advantage of you…"

The woman gazed at him for a very long time, the look in those eyes was actually very strange, yet with her looks which could not be covered even by her pain and difficult situation, the strangeness in her glance were easily overlooked.

"…Master has an honest and generous character." She finally said slowly, and paused before she said: "Only that this cell must be opened by releasing the lock… if Master truly wishes to rescue, please find the key first."

Key.

Shan Chao instantly thought of something, simply replying with a "May Miss please wait" before breaking out into a run back to his own cell. The meal-delivering maid was sure enough still unconscious, and Shan Chao retrieved from around her waist a large string of keys, and tested her breath to ensure that her life was not in danger, before he pa.s.sed through the complicated underground pa.s.sages back before the other cell.

That 'woman' was likely shy from meeting a stranger in messy clothes, for in that short time the robe was cinched tightly, emphasising the slenderness of the figure.

Shan Chao immediately tried out a few keys, and as expected one key opened the metal lock, before he immediately pushed the door open and entered. He could not look directly at the appearance of a maiden in messy clothes, his line of sight fixating on the hand which was forcibly pinned to the floor: only to see that the short dagger was inlaid with gold and jewels, cold and gorgeous, the blade struck straight through the hollow of the palm, the long-dried bloodstain spread out half a step around. It was simply unimaginable how painful and desperate that particular scene must have been.

Shan Chao pressed the dagger's handle, raising his head to ask: "Can you bear it?"

The 'girl' gazed at him, smiling slightly, as if she had smiled for a moment.

The fraction of a smile left Shan Chao with a familiar feeling, yet at the moment the lighting was extremely dim, and the situation pressing, so he only nodded his head, one hand catching the dagger's blade while the other pressed on the woman's hand, and then abruptly exerted his strength to pluck it out!

Psst-

Fresh blood immediately burst forth!

With a move of his hand like lightning, Shan Chao had already covered the wound, but blood still spurted out in an instant to cover his palm, gradually ceasing only moments later.

The woman gritted her teeth and lowered her head, her body as tense as a bowstring, and only after a long time when the pain gradually lessened did she pant in a cold sweat: "I have… troubled Master."

Were it an ordinary woman, at this moment they could have already fainted from the pain, yet though the woman before him was on the brink of collapse yet she remained awake, her words still extremely gentle.

A person's nature and appearance can be faked, yet their bearing and accomplishment was something in the bones which could not be faked. Shan Chao's heart moved in an instant, uneasily averting his gaze: "Miss exaggerates, there is no need to address me as Master… right now the situation is pressing, and your wound needs to be dressed immediately, we should search for an exit and depart this place immediately."

Yet the woman hoa.r.s.ely said: "No need to rush, there are a number of gateways in this maze, a majority of which have heavy security, and one leading directly to Xie Yun's study. If one wishes to remain undiscovered, there is only one path…"

"Which path?"

"The armoury."

Shan Chao stumbled, the woman raising her eyebrow to ridicule: "Is Benefactor intending to go just like this, bringing me to kill our way out of the Xie manor with empty hands and fists?"

After the time taken for an incense stick to burn2, a hidden door was violently pushed open, and Shan Chao crawled out of the underground pa.s.sage.

As sure as the woman had said, there was a chill colliding in his face right after leaving the maze, and what caught his eye was huge, s.p.a.cious and empty storehouse, dark on all sides, with only a torch on each side crackling in flame, throwing fire-light onto the strongly fortified walls. Within the armoury rows of tall metal racks led directly up to the ceiling, yet most of the racks were empty, and there were not many weapons around.

Shan Chao walked past the metal racks, and could not help but be secretly apprehensive: "Why was such a large armoury constructed in the Xie manor, is he plotting a rebellion?"

"Commander Xie is the Empress' man," the woman said behind him.

"―what does that mean?"

Shan Chao turned his head, to see the woman crossing her arms leaning on the black rock wall, her long hair tied into a bunch hanging down the side of her shoulder. Although her complexion was pale due to blood loss, yet there was still a moist and steady l.u.s.tre like jadeite.

"Since several years ago, the Empress Wu has been subst.i.tuting His Majesty in using the imperial brush to write the vermilion words3, and after this her henchmen have spread across the Court, her power overflows, and this year His Majesty has decided to direct the imperial carriage towards Mt Tai for the Feng and Shan sacrifices. After the Empress Wu heard this, she has volunteered to replace the chancellors, and ascend the altar to offer the second sacrifices with the ident.i.ty of a married woman, and with His Majesty they would announce to the world, and combine their t.i.tles as the Two Holy Ones."

"Were this to succeed, henceforth the Empress Wu can govern from the imperial throne and listen to politics, and wield power over Court politics together with the Emperor - yet despite the Empress Wu's power over all levels of Court, there still remains one faction opposing her, and moreover this faction has the imperial regard more than Empress Wu, as well as the advantage of the ancestral etiquette and laws: they are precisely the current Eastern Palace behind the Crown Prince."

Shan Chao frowned and said: "What does this have to do with the armoury hidden in the Xie manor? Could it be…?"

"That's right." The woman said, "It has not been long after the Prince of Wei's struggle for the throne4, and the blood at the Xuanwu Gate has yet dried5; the cornerstone of the current dynasty's kingdom of ten thousand miles, was built upon the skeletons of struggles between kin."

Shan Chao's expression changed slightly, and after a long moment he doubtfully asked: "…why does Miss know this? Your relationship with Xie Yun…"

That woman looked away, and after a long silence she murmured, her sigh like a feather: "Whatever Benefactor believes… is I suppose what it is."

― Shan Chao immediately felt too rash, yet fortunately the dimness covered his awkward expression. Just as he thought of apologising to recover the situation, he heard the woman point forward and ask: "―Master, look over there?"

Following the woman's direction, he saw within the depths of the dark armoury a blue-white light.

Shan Chao suddenly realised something, immediately dashing forth, pa.s.sing through numerous metal racks standing at attention to check, only to see an empty s.p.a.ce before him where two swords were surprisingly suspended mid-air with white silk, and that blue-white glimmer came individually from the two swords.

And the sword on the left, was shockingly Shan Chao's Seven Stars Longyuan!

After Shan Chao had been forcibly 'invited' into the Xie manor, all his personal effects within Ci'en Temple had certainly been taken inventory of and confiscated, so it was not at all surprising that the Longyuan sword appeared here. Yet Shan Chao did not expect Xie Yun to be able to seize the sword as his own as if it was proper and expected as a matter of course, and for a period of time he felt extremely sick, going up to tear the sword down and hold it in his hand.

"Is this the Master's belonging?" The woman advanced in curiosity, lightly touching the other sword flickering in white light: "Why is it shining? Come and look… ah!"

That white silk hanging it up loosened for some reason, the sword abruptly fell, and the woman could not grab it with her injury at all, so the heavy blade seem poised to smash onto her foot!

Shan Chao reached out like lightning to catch it, yelling: "Careful!"

Right at this instant, he caught the white-gold hilt.

Roar―

In the next instant the sword unsheathed with a sonorous click, and then a cold murderous aura soared out, the entire armoury abruptly exploding with an ear-piercing sword howl!

Meanwhile, the main hall of the Xie manor.

A subordinate hurriedly entered through the main doors, and Ma Xin immediately raised his head: "How is it?"

"Luckily the decoy guard acts according to the situation, General Yuwen did not detect anything strange."

Ma Xin finally gave a sigh of relief, laughing bitterly: "It is only the third day, a month still has twenty-seven days, how will we continue to conceal this. The officials who come to the manor everyday are easy to send off, but what if an imperial summons comes down…"

The subordinate's scalp also crawled for a while: "Don't worry Mge, fortunately everything is still continuing within the Commander's calculations, the decoy guard knows what to do. Besides I heard the physicians say, the Commander's situation is actually tolerable, perhaps this year he'll quickly―"

Just at this time, suddenly an Imperial Guard rushed in from outside the door, unable to care if he was heard, howling once he had entered: "Men! Bad new, the people in the underground maze are gone!"

Ma Xin suddenly got up: "What did you say?"

"The sentries just found the serving girl, and the people in both secret cells have disappeared, we've just sent people to search the entire maze…"

The Imperial Guard's gasping words had just half-finished, when suddenly from outside the main hall came an extremely sharp whistle, as if ten million ghosts and G.o.ds howled and bawled, loudly soaring into the sky, until everyone's face changed.

"…the Tai-E sword howls!" Ma Xin whispered. "That monk entered the armoury, and touched the Commander's Tai-E sword…"

He drew his sabre with an audible sound and rushed out of the main hall, raging: "Guards! Follow me into the armoury, we'll chop up that wild monk and feed him to the dogs!"

Voices came in all directions outside of the armoury, and Shan Chao's temples twitched, suddenly sheathing the white sword back into its scabbard.

The whistle came to an abrupt end, yet it was too late. The woman had probably suffered a lot in the underground prison, and upon hearing human voices she was like a bird startled by the mere tw.a.n.g of a bow, even her lips turning faintly white, whispering: "Master, we are now…"

Shan Chao drew the Seven Stars Longyuan, taking a deep breath to compose himself: "Do not fear, I will take you along to kill our way out."

"What if we fail?"

Shan Chao spoke without thinking: "Then we will die together."

The point of the Longyuan sword reflected a trace of light onto his handsome profile, and under those murky brows, the gaze was bright and burning.

The woman slightly stopped, as if somewhat distracted.

A crash came from far away, it was the armoury door being kicked open by someone, and then came footsteps and the crashing of weapons bubbling in, and if one listened carefully it was actually strict and regular, following one metal rack to speedily close in.

"Master," the woman said while frowning: "You have excellent martial arts, and by yourself with a sword in hand you would certainly be able to kill your way out, yet bringing me along would be a burden on you. Why don't you hand me over, perhaps then you would still be able to obtain a reprieve…"

Yet Shan Chao only gave her a smile, shaking his head. The feeling when he smiled was the complete opposite of Xie Yun, similar to a clean, young and slender tree. The latter left people tense, but the former gave people a comfortable feeling, raising a favourable opinion from the bottom of people's hearts.

"You and I may be strangers coming together by chance, yet since I have saved you, I would not stare on blankly as you throw away your life."

With one hand holding his sword, Shan Chao reached out with the other hand towards the woman: "Will Miss please hold onto me firmly, and no matter what will come, do not open your eyes."

In an instant an expression hard to describe flitted across the woman's abstruse and elegant face, it could even be described as having no room to advance or retreat. Yet she quickly recovered herself, so fast that that moment just now seemed an illusion: "…since Master insists on this, then later when everyone has entered, may you please pretend to seize me…"

"They will fear that you would really kill me, and n.o.body would dare to stop you."

"―hold it!"

The yell rang out in the empty s.p.a.ce, followed by an increase in fire-light, guards coming out from around the metal racks. Ma Xin dashed out of the crowd with weapon in hand, raging: "Outrageous monk, how dare you-"

In the next instant he froze, a light of incredible and disbelieving fear arising in his eyes.

Shan Chao stood with sword drawn, his st.u.r.dy arm forcing the woman to stand before him, with a dagger upon which the blood had yet to dry pressed tenaciously against her neck.

The woman's slender eyebrows wrinkled tightly, not saying a word.

Shan Chao coldly gazed at Ma Xin: "If any of you move forward, I'll kill her."

1 ZH: 铁木 - in this case, it refers to the tree Ostrya j.a.ponica

2 ZH: 一炷香, approximately equal to 5 minutes

3 ZH: 御笔朱批 - Vermilion ink was exclusive to Emperors in the imperial court, used to edit and approve the pet.i.tions of officials.

4 Li Tai, t.i.tled Prince of Wei once, was favoured by his father the Emperor Taizong, despite that his older brother Li Chengqian was crown prince. Li Tai and his a.s.sociates had design on that position, eventually pushing Li Chengqian to plot treason in 643. Li Chengqian was discovered and deposed, but Emperor Taizong figured out Li Tai's machinations and created his ninth son Li Zhi as crown prince instead, before exiling Li Tai with a reduction in rank. Li Zhi would go on to become Emperor Gaozong - the current Emperor in this story.

5 Emperor Taizong himself played a role in a prior palace coup, the Xuanwu Gate Incident of 626, where he and his followers a.s.sa.s.sinated his elder brother Li Jiancheng and younger brother Li Yuanji. After this the then-Emperor Gaozu made him crown prince and then abdicated the throne to him.

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