After the Great Dao died

Chapter 38 Only One Person Survived

A curtain hangs above the jade platform of the imperial palace.

Another figure walked past inside the curtain.

The hall gradually quieted down.

The curtain was made of silver-red gauze, as thin as smoke and as transparent as mist, obscuring the figure of the person behind it.

Only a person could be vaguely seen sitting upright, as straight as a pine tree, motionless, like a clay or wooden sculpture enshrined in a shrine.

No need to overthink it.

That is the Crown Prince's throne, and the person behind it is naturally the Crown Prince.

Everyone rose, straightened their clothes, walked three steps to the throne, and bowed.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

A soft cough came from behind the curtain, followed by a young voice.

"No need for formalities, please take a seat."

The voice wasn't loud, and the tone wasn't exactly gentle, but it possessed an undeniable air of authority, as if every word he uttered carried a natural weight heavier than others.

Everyone thanked them and returned to their seats.

Just then, someone stood up from the side of the hall.

The man was extremely robust, with broad shoulders and a back as thick as a mountain. When he stood up, it looked like a wall rising from the ground.

He was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit, with a long sword hanging at his waist. The scabbard was dark and heavy, and the hilt was wrapped with a dark red knot, which had been soaked in blood and turned black.

He wasn't particularly fierce-looking; in fact, one could say he was quite handsome—with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high nose, and full lips.

But the light in those eyes was unlike that of ordinary people; it carried an undisguised, almost naive cruelty.

Who is this person?

But then someone laughed and said, "Brother Chihu is going to check out the teeth of the fighting beasts again!"

Chi Hu?

Chou Chi Hu!

Chen Lingxi regained memories from more than two years ago and suddenly remembered this person.

He had already heard of his reputation when he was in the capital.

Qiu Chihu, son of Qiu Huai, the commander of the Imperial Guard.

His reputation was certainly not good; he was known for his cruelty and called himself the "Kyoto Tiger."

"This person is also here..."

Chen Ling narrowed her eyes.

Qiu Chihu unfastened the long sword from his waist and casually placed it on the table. The blade struck the sandalwood with a dull thud.

He bowed to the Crown Prince, did not greet anyone present, and strode towards the side of the hall.

He walked toward the group of thirty-odd people.

The hall fell silent for a fleeting moment.

Then, hushed conversations resumed. Some raised their glasses, some chuckled, and some turned to talk to their neighbors, as if Qiu Chihu's actions were nothing more than a trivial matter.

Qiu Chihu walked up to the group of thirty-odd people and stood still.

His gaze started from the first person on the left and slowly swept over them.

Those who were seen lowered their eyes, turned slightly to the side, clenched their fists and then relaxed them, but no one dared to meet his gaze.

Qiu Chihu's lips curled up slightly.

He stepped forward and walked past the queue.

He stopped abruptly when he reached the third person.

He was a young man in his early twenties, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a fairly sturdy build. He was wearing short, tight-fitting clothes and stood ramrod straight.

Qiu Chihu reached out and grabbed the young man's chin.

His fingers, thick as iron clamps, gripped the man's chin, causing the young man's face to tilt slightly upwards, and his mouth to open involuntarily.

Qiu Chihu tilted his head, leaned closer, and looked at the young man's open mouth, examining his teeth from head to toe.

The young man tensed up, his Adam's apple bobbed, but he ultimately neither struggled nor uttered a sound.

After observing for a few moments, Qiu Chihu released his grip and patted the young man's cheek.

The two slaps weren't hard, but they made a clear, crisp sound, especially in the quiet side of the hall.

"My teeth are still okay," he muttered, his voice not loud, but loud enough for the people around him to hear clearly.

This immediately drew laughter from the dignitaries.

Then he continued walking forward.

He looked at two more, pried open their mouths, examined their teeth, and patted their faces.

It's like an old farmer buying a cow at the market, opening its mouth to look at its teeth, judging its age, and whether it can still pull a plow.

Chen Lingxi stood in the middle of the queue.

He stood with his hands at his sides, his face calm, his gaze fixed on the gleaming lapis lazuli bricks on the ground.

The sound of Qiu Chihu's footsteps grew closer.

The soles of the boots struck the stone bricks, once, twice, three times.

Then, the footsteps stopped.

It stopped in front of Chen Lingxi.

Qiu Chihu's gaze fell on him.

I slowly scanned it from top to bottom and then from bottom to top.

Just as he was about to reach out.

Chen Lingxi suddenly looked up, opened her mouth, and revealed a set of nice teeth.

"He's quite clever," Qiu Chihu laughed. "His teeth are pretty good."

He patted Chen Lingxi's shoulder, the two pats were a bit harder than before, the palm wind pressed down, Chen Lingxi felt a slight weight on her shoulder: "They're all neatly packed, not one fell off, not one crooked."

He turned and walked back.

Chen Lingxi lowered her eyes, closed her mouth, and remained expressionless.

Then, someone in the main hall asked in a low voice, "What is this Qiu Chihu... doing?"

The other person spoke in an even lower voice, as if afraid of being overheard, almost whispering in someone's ear: "You don't know? This Qiu Chihu is also good at flower arranging, but his method is different from others. He likes to use human bones as flower arrangements and human teeth as embellishments."

Human bones are used as flower arrangements, and human teeth are used as embellishments...

Chen Lingxi kept her head down, her expression unchanged.

Qiu Chihu walked back to the table, picked up the long knife, and tied it back to his waist.

He picked up the wine cup on the table, drank it all in one gulp, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and grinned at the curtain.

Inside the hall, the low murmur of conversation continued.

Some people talked about interesting stories in the capital, some discussed the weather this summer, and some whispered about which official had been promoted.

It was as if what had just happened was nothing more than an insignificant little episode during the banquet, something that would be forgotten as soon as it was over.

Princess Yunhe held her teacup and sipped slowly, her gaze falling on Chen Lingxi on the side of the hall, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Chu Linzi leaned back in her chair, completely ignoring Lin Longyue's provocative gaze.

Chen Lingxi stood in the queue, her hands hanging down, motionless.

Just then, someone came out from behind the curtain.

He was a father-in-law who was about fifty years old.

The eunuch, expressionless, raised his right hand, extended his index finger, and pointed towards the side of the hall.

The people in the hall looked in the direction he was pointing.

There is a door there.

The gate was vermilion, about three zhang high and two zhang wide, with a stone plaque hanging above it, inscribed with two characters: "Beast Fighting".

The two characters were written with powerful strokes, as if carved by a knife or axe, exuding a chilling murderous intent.

At that moment, the door was slowly opening.

There was no creaking, no rumbling, not even any sound.

The door seemed to be pushed open from the inside by an invisible hand, sliding silently to both sides to reveal a deep passage behind it.

At the end of the passage, there is another door.

The door was black, taller and wider than the first door, its doors tightly shut, a faint, cold light shining through the cracks, casting a pale, bluish glow on the passageway floor.

The eunuch spoke.

"All beast fights take place in this palace."

He paused, then continued, "A deadly battle ensued within the palace; only one survived."

"Only one person survived?" Lin Longyue's pupils contracted...

"Isn't it a one-on-one battle where the winner takes all?"

She looked at Chen Lingxi, Zheng Qingya, and the other two.

He then looked at Chu Linzi and Princess Yunhe, whose expressions remained unchanged, as if they already knew!

Immediately, a low commotion spread among the thirty-odd people on the side of the hall.

Some people took a deep breath, some clenched their fists, some swallowed hard, and some lowered their heads, their lips moving as if they were silently reciting something.

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath, suppressing the restlessness in her chest.

"Did you... hear me?"

Seeing that no one moved, the eunuch spoke again!

In an instant, it was as if a heavy hammer had struck the minds of the thirty-odd fighting beasts, leaving them dizzy and disoriented. Some even lost their balance and fell to the ground.

The eunuch said no more, turned around and walked back, his steps unhurried, the hem of his python robe swaying gently behind him.

He walked to the side of the curtain and stood there with his hands at his sides, reverting to his previous silent, puppet-like demeanor.

The thirty-odd people on the side of the hall witnessed the old eunuch's imposing presence, and then they saw the armored soldiers at the door stepping forward.

The first person moved.

The second one followed, then the third, and the fourth.

More than ten people stepped out of the queue one after another. Some hesitated, some were resolute, some had normal expressions, and some were pale.

Zheng Qingya stepped out of the queue with steady steps and a calm expression, revealing neither joy nor anger.

As he passed by Chen Lingxi, he paused slightly and glanced at him.

That gaze was complex, carrying a sense of competition, yet also a hint of a sigh of shared misfortune.

He said nothing, withdrew his gaze, and strode toward the door.

Zhou Xian followed behind Zheng Qingya, and Chen Lingxi also stepped out of the queue and crossed the threshold.

Behind him, the vermilion gate closed silently.

The second door is right in front of you.

The black door stood before them.

Then the black door slowly opened.

It was pitch black inside, and nothing could be seen clearly.

People went in one by one.

Chen Lingxi stepped inside, into the darkness, and was immediately startled!

—There is no passageway or palace behind the door!

It was... a whole new world!