A goddess dwells in my heart.

Chapter 21 Emperor Wu's Edict of Self-Reproach

Inside a spacious council hall, more than twenty men dressed in black armor from the Demon Slayer Division stood or sat.

The man at the head of the table, a middle-aged man with a sharp and wiry face, was Zhu Yang, the commander of the Six Banners of Xuanwu.

He cleared his throat and glanced at the crowd:

"Ahem, that's the gist of the situation. Young Master Kongxu has threatened to disrupt the banquet of the Lin family's second young lady. The higher-ups said that if this scoundrel dares to show himself, experts will handle him. However, the Hehuan Sect has many cunning methods and is skilled in disguise and infiltration. Our mission is to cooperate with our local colleagues in Wancheng to investigate all suspicious individuals before and after the banquet to ensure everything goes smoothly. Is everyone clear?"

"Understood!" the crowd responded sparsely.

"Alright." Zhu Yang nodded and began assigning disguises to everyone. Some were servants, some were guards. When he called Liu Changtian's name, Zhu Yang looked at the roster and said, "Liu Xiaoqi, your disguise is as a guard of Yang Xinyong, the son of the garrison commander of Wancheng."

Liu Changtian was taken aback: "Commander, shouldn't our disguised identities be those that allow us to enter and leave the Lin residence legitimately? Why...?"

Zhu Yang coughed and explained, "You're new here and don't know the situation. This Yang Xinyong is also one of our Demon Slaying Division members, a junior officer under the Vermilion Bird Five Banners. He took the initiative to suggest to his superiors that he use his real identity to play the role of a playboy pursuing the second young lady of the Lin family."

He paused, his expression becoming subtle: "In this way, he can openly and legitimately drive away any man who tries to get close to the second young lady of the Lin family under the pretext of eliminating rivals, thus leaving that lonely young master with no way to make a move. This idea, well... I can only say it's quite ingenious."

He tried his best to hold back his laughter, but everyone present burst into laughter instantly.

There are plenty of seasoned veterans and shrewd people here, so they can naturally tell that Yang Xiaoqi's real intentions are not what they seem.

"Wow! This guy surnamed Yang... he's got talent!"

"It's amazing that he came up with such an idea just to get close to Miss Lin. And the higher-ups approved it so easily?"

Zhu Yang suppressed his smile and said seriously, "Because it is indeed a good idea, and no one is more suitable than him. His father is the local garrison commander, and has official dealings with the Lin family in Wancheng, so he can legitimately enter and leave the Lin family. His grandfather is an elder of the Divine Sword Sect, a veteran sixth-realm expert, which gives him the confidence to keep those mad bees and butterflies away."

He paused, then added, "Furthermore, the Divine Sword Sect contributed significantly to this operation. Since they have gone to such lengths to help, it's only right that we do them a favor. So let's just go with the flow."

The Divine Sword Sect was certainly not willing to offer its full assistance for that reason; rather, it was out of mutual interest.

The Hehuan Sect's provocation of the Lin family this time was essentially a desperate struggle. An old sect that was about to fall out of the top ten was in dire need of a resounding victory to prove that it was still worthy of sitting at that table.

As a rising star in the sword path in recent centuries, the Divine Sword Sect has been eyeing the position of the Ten Lands, and what they lack is precisely such an opportunity to rise to the top by stepping on the old-established sects.

Even if the fact that the garrison commander of Wancheng Town is from the Divine Sword Sect didn't exist, they would still come running just because they heard there was a chance to beat up the Hehuan Sect.

Suddenly, someone remembered something and said, "By the way, haven't there been rumors lately that the Crown Princess will be chosen from the two daughters of the Lin family? Neither the court nor the Lin family has denied it, so it's probably not unfounded. At this crucial juncture, does that guy surnamed Yang dare to get involved? Isn't he afraid of getting into trouble?"

The Lin family's twin beauties refer to Lin Zhenci, the elder sister, and Lin Zhenge, the younger sister, in the current generation of the Lin family's main branch. The Lin family has always been known for producing beauties, and these two sisters are not only stunningly beautiful, but also attract much attention because they are twins. The story of the Lin family's twin beauties has always been a popular topic of conversation.

Zhu Yang shook his head and lowered his voice: "Your information is not up-to-date enough. The Goddess Palace recently released news that our Crown Prince, who has been missing for many years, is actually a personal disciple of the Palace Master of the Goddess Palace."

These words caused an uproar in the room.

"Is the Crown Prince the Palace Master's personal disciple?"

"When did the Goddess Palace start accepting men?"

Zhu Yang waved his hand, signaling everyone to calm down: "The Palace Master has her reasons for doing things. Besides, think about it, Miss Lin is also a personal disciple of the Palace Master. With that relationship, you understand what's going on with the recent rumors about the Crown Princess, right?"

Everyone suddenly realized.

"Then, wouldn't Miss Lin be the one chosen as the Crown Princess?"

"I see. So the senior and junior brothers and sisters must have grown up together and know each other inside and out."

"Could this be a signal that the Goddess Palace intends to return power to the Emperor? If the Crown Prince ascends the throne, then he will still be one of the Goddess Palace's own people..."

It is often said that political commentary is a man's nature, especially when a group of men get together.

Seeing the topic veer off in an unspeakable direction like a runaway horse, Zhu Yang's expression changed slightly, and he quickly changed the subject:

"In my opinion, that Yang fellow is just a toad trying to eat swan meat. Even if Miss Lin the Second isn't the Crown Princess, she's still not someone he can aspire to. When he entered the Demon Slaying Division last year, I saw that his cultivation was quite strong, and I thought he was another sect's prodigy. Who would have thought he'd be so idle, spending his days indulging in frivolous pursuits? How can he compare to a down-to-earth genius like our Little Liu?"

When Liu Changtian heard himself praised as a genius, the memory of his crushing defeat a month ago flashed through his mind, and his expression immediately turned sour.

He quickly waved his hand: "Commander, you flatter me. I am by no means a genius."

A bearded man chuckled: "Little Liu, you're being too modest. Are you afraid that these words will reach the ears of that guy surnamed Yang and offend him?"

Someone nearby immediately retorted, "What do you know! Who is Xiao Liu? He's the kind of person who would risk everything for a woman, even hitting princes and noblemen. Why would he be afraid of some playboy?"

"Right, right, I forgot, who could be as good as Little Liu Yong? Hahahaha!"

The crowd burst into laughter, but Liu Changtian's expression grew increasingly grim.

He didn't mention that humiliating defeat to anyone, but his classmates naturally regarded it as a trivial victory.

Who would have thought that a peak second realm cultivator would lose to someone who has just entered the second realm?

Some of his classmates joined the Demon Slayer Division, so by the time Liu Changtian found out, his story of acting rashly for the sake of a woman had already become a topic of conversation, and it was widely discussed within his own squad.

But when he tried to stop his colleagues from spreading the rumors, the words caught in his throat. For some inexplicable reason, he didn't clarify the truth behind his crushing defeat, instead giving the reason—

"Stop talking, stop talking. It was just a normal martial arts exchange, there's no such thing as winning or losing. It's just that the young master Wang is well-mannered and has a good temper, that's why he didn't pursue my offense. Don't cause me any trouble."

The bearded man waved his hand dismissively. "Hahaha, how many times have you said that? You just rushed in full of bravado, only to find out afterwards that the other person was someone important, and your legs went weak with fear, right? We all know what I mean!"

In order to make his colleagues understand the seriousness of the problem and stop spreading it, Liu Changtian even risked damaging his own image by giving this explanation.

He only hoped that the high and mighty Lu Zheji hadn't taken him seriously at all, and would never become aware of this rumor circulating among the lowly officials...

"Good to know, don't mention it again." Liu Changtian said in a muffled voice.

"Who here doesn't know about this? Are you afraid the walls will hear you?" The crowd laughed, not taking it seriously.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Knock knock knock".

The room fell silent instantly.

Liu Changtian was closest to the door, so he gritted his teeth and went to open it.

Two figures stood outside the door.

The man in front of them was tall and handsome, with a slight, ambiguous smile on his lips, his gaze fixed on Liu Changtian, who had just opened the door.

"Hey! Isn't this Brother Liu? Long time no see!" The man greeted him warmly, with the warmth of meeting an old friend in a foreign land.

The moment Liu Changtian saw the person's face clearly, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

Lu Zheji! How could he be here?!

Seeing Liu Changtian frozen at the doorway, Zhu Yang frowned and asked, "Liu Xiaoqi, who are these two...?"

Lu Zheji had already passed the frozen Liu Changtian and stepped into the council hall, introducing himself proactively:

"I am Lu Zheji, a sixth-rank patrol officer of the Demon Slayer Division. I was ordered to participate in the mission of protecting the second young lady of the Lin family. I will be working with my colleagues for the next few days, so please take good care of me."

He stepped aside, revealing the petite and delicate figure of the young woman behind him, and introduced her:

"This is Inspector Lin, my direct superior. Inspector Lin will be in charge of supervising this mission."

The expressions on everyone's faces changed drastically. They quickly stood up and bowed in unison, saying, "Greetings, Inspector!"

Although the inspector was only half a rank higher than the general, his status was similar to that of an imperial envoy, and he had the power of supervision. Even those with higher official positions would not dare to offend him easily.

Lin Yuexi nodded slightly, her small face expressionless. She simply nodded lightly as she glanced at everyone, as a return gesture.

Zhu Yang's forehead was already covered in a fine layer of sweat. What exactly did those beasts in the room just say? The Goddess Palace returning power to the emperor? The selection of the Crown Princess? Which of these nonsense words could the Inspector possibly hear?

Moreover, everyone was just talking about Liu Changtian's heroic act of beating up the young master of the Wang family. To put it mildly, it was just a friendly exchange between classmates; to put it more seriously, it was an offense against the imperial family. If the inspector wanted to use this incident to boost his performance, Liu Changtian's career would probably be over.

He quickly cupped his hands in apology, saying, "Inspector, we were inappropriate in our words just now. If we have offended you in any way—"

Lu Zheji waved his hand, interrupting Zhu Yang: "It's no big deal. You guys don't know, I'm Liu Xiaoqi's classmate for many years, we're practically brothers."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and was about to put on smiles and try to get closer to them when they heard Lu Zheji add quietly:

"By the way, I am the young master Wang you were just talking about."

The smiles on everyone's faces froze, while Liu Changtian, though physically present, had been in a daze for half a day.

Lin Yuexi stood to the side, her clear black and white eyes watching the scene with great interest, a faint smile curving her lips.

Lu Zheji took in everyone's reactions before smiling and saying:

"Oh, look how scared you all were! It was just a joke!"

He walked over to Liu Changtian, naturally put his arm around the man's stiff, stone-like shoulder, patted him hard, and smiled at everyone:

"Brother Liu and I have been friends for nine years, right, Brother Liu?"

Nine years?

The academy's curriculum is only nine years long, but I only transferred to that spoiled brat class four years ago...

Upon hearing this, Liu Changtian's heart sank. It turned out that Lu Zheji had become so arrogant that he had no recollection of his past as a classmate.

Amidst his mixed feelings, he suddenly realized that Lu Zheji hadn't made a scene on the spot perhaps because he was going to work with everyone on this mission and shouldn't let personal grudges cause a rift in front of his superiors, affecting the mission. Moreover, this was probably his first mission, and he needed to appear considerate of the overall situation.

What a deep scheme! I'm afraid they're just holding back for now, waiting until this trip is over before settling scores later!

Liu Changtian felt a chill in his heart, but he had to force a smile that was more like a grimace, and dryly echoed, "Yes, Young Master Lu is right..."

Lu Zheji seemed oblivious to his stiffness, turning to the crowd and beginning to speak eloquently:

"Let me tell you, Brother Liu looks serious, but he's actually quite funny! I think it was about six years ago, we sneaked out of the academy to play, and we saw a wedding. Brother Liu said the bride must be a stunning beauty under her veil, and he insisted on lifting the veil to see for himself..."

He began to vividly recount Liu Changtian's dark history from his youth, such as how he forcibly kidnapped a bride and was chased, only to fall into a thicket of thorns and struggle to get out of control. He then shouted "Thief here!" which frightened Liu Changtian into breaking free and ending up in a disheveled state...

"Six years ago, little Liu was only twelve years old, tsk tsk tsk..."

"You little rascal, Liu! You look so handsome and big, but you're secretly stealing someone else's bride!"

These stories were rich in detail and vivid in their plot, which made everyone burst into laughter. They all looked at Liu Changtian with mocking eyes, as if to say, "I never expected you to be this kind of person."

No, he's slandering me! I never did any of those things!

However, Liu Changtian was afraid of Lu Zheji's possible retaliation, so he didn't dare to refute at all. He could only bite the bullet and force a dry laugh with an embarrassed expression.

He began to realize that this guy's way of retaliating against him was probably by ruining his reputation.

Oh my god, this road is so badly damaged!

……

The spirit boat landed on an open area on the outskirts of Wancheng. The Lin family steward, who had been waiting outside, came forward to greet them and led them to the Lin family's properties in the area.

The Lin family's property was not located in the bustling city of Wancheng. After changing to a carriage, it took about two incense sticks' worth of time to travel through two passes set up at the mouth of the canyon, and then the view suddenly opened up before us.

A sprawling mountain villa is built against the mountainside, surrounded by verdant peaks and shrouded in mist.

When Lu Zheji lifted the carriage curtain and saw the manor in the distance, he felt that it looked very familiar. Its layout was quite similar to the Dou Niu Manor outside Chang'an City, but it was several times larger in scale. It was more like a small military town than a manor.

Occasionally, a few low roars of beasts echoed from the depths of the mountain villa, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

This is no manor or elegant garden; it's clearly a monster breeding base disguised as a mountain villa.

The carriage stopped in front of the manor gate, and everyone disembarked one by one. Lu Zheji followed Lin Yuexi, passing through the manor gate with the flow of people, and walked along the main road paved with bluestone slabs.

When they reached the mansion in the center of the mountain villa, Lu Zheji couldn't help but stop in his tracks.

The vermilion gate was tightly shut, and above the lintel hung a huge plaque with a black background and gold trim, bearing seven large characters: "The dragon slayer will eventually become the dragon."

Lu Zheji's pupils contracted slightly, and he asked in shock, "What does this say?"

Lin Yuexi was still playing the role of a fake sibling. Upon hearing this, she followed his gaze and explained softly, "Brother, don't you know? This is Emperor Wu's edict of self-reproach."

"An edict of self-reproach?"

"Yes, back then, Emperor Wu was abandoned by all his followers and his power was gone. Among the top sects, only the Wanling Sect was still loyal to him. So, before the final battle, he wrote a self-criticism edict and handed it to the then head of the Lin family. 'The dragon slayer becomes the dragon' is both the title of the edict and a summary of his life."

"After Emperor Wu's death, the Lin family was granted a pardon because they submitted this edict of self-reproach to the Goddess, thus preserving the family and continuing to this day. The Goddess did not announce the edict of self-reproach to the world, but the Lin family hung the phrase 'He who slays the dragon will become the dragon' in front of their important residences to warn future generations not to forget the lessons of the past."

Within the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, the goddess's clear, cold voice echoed softly:

"I think this statement is very much like your style, and it doesn't seem like something someone made up to smear you. That's why I'm convinced that it's true that you didn't maintain your reputation in your later years."

Lu Zheji remained silent for a moment, then slowly replied:

"You guessed right, I did write this."

He had initially been skeptical of the goddess's assessment that he would lose his integrity in his later years, but now that he had seen those words with his own eyes, the last shred of hope in his heart vanished.

The dragon slayer becomes the dragon himself—this is too much of a self-reproach! Is this my summary of that life?

Just as he was feeling agitated, a clear and melodious female voice gently drifted from the direction of the mansion's gate:

"Distinguished guests, you have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. I apologize for any shortcomings in my welcoming manner."

Hearing the sound, everyone looked over and saw the vermilion gate slide open to both sides, and a graceful woman in a pale yellow dress walked out, surrounded by several maids.

She was tall and slender, with a graceful and lithe figure. Her peach blossom eyes sparkled with a captivating charm, exuding elegance and grace.

Her stunning beauty was breathtaking, and even more remarkable was the gentle and graceful demeanor she exuded naturally, which blended perfectly with the noble bearing of someone who had long held a high position, inspiring goodwill and respect in everyone who saw her.

This person is none other than Lin Zhengge, the second young lady of the Lin family, and the future crown princess designated by the Southern Wei court.

Lu Zheji had heard that the Lin family was a family of military heroes in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and thought that this second young lady would be more heroic. However, he did not expect that the person in front of him would fit the stereotype of a noble lady more.

Indeed, the Empress of the Lin family doesn't seem to have much of the air of a daughter of a military family.

As Lu Zheji was sizing up the future Crown Princess, he wondered if it was just his imagination, but Lin Zhengge's beautiful peach blossom eyes seemed to linger on him for a fleeting moment as they swept over the crowd.