Peace Order-Chapter 119 - 76: Cultivation Technique, Breakthrough!_2

Zhao Dabing’s eyes widened as he found the two horses, and he began laughing, clapping his hands together as he said:

"We have a plan."

"Hahaha, Li is so thorough in his methods, hahaha, Qing’er, we’ve got an easier job today."

Qing’er didn’t understand.

Zhao Dabing fixed the carriage and hurried to the poetry gathering of the young ladies from prominent families, claiming that Xue Shuangtao had received another invitation and, regrettably, could not attend theirs.

The early start of this year’s poetry gathering was because Xue Shuangtao was to enter the Imperial Palace. Without Shuangtao’s presence, the ladies felt their energy couldn’t be fully exerted, having previously agreed upon some pretentiously polite and subtly sarcastic comments.

Qing’er understood but had no way to retort.

Embarrassment turned her face beet red.

Just as she was about to say something, Zhao Dabing raised his hand to stop her, speaking amiably:

"Miss Xue couldn’t refuse the invitation from the other party, that is why she could not come here."

"She has brought gifts to apologize to you all."

The daughter of Guan Yi City’s Prefect said softly, "So, you had us wait here, did you?"

"Important people have important affairs."

"I wonder what kind of important guest it is that Miss Xue couldn’t refuse?"

"If you tell us, we can understand if it is indeed unavoidable, and the sisters won’t say anything. But if she deliberately didn’t come, then the eldest Miss Xue is perhaps too arrogant."

Someone quietly added, "After all, she’s nothing but the daughter of a merchant who does not study."

"Sister, forgive her."

Thus, the aristocratic young ladies started to laugh.

Even their laughter was elegant, like butterflies flitting lightly among the flowers.

But it made one feel breathless.

Some tried to defend Xue Shuangtao, but they couldn’t suppress the self-assertion of these ladies.

Qing’er opened her mouth but couldn’t reveal that it was Li Guanyi who had taken Xue Shuangtao away.

Zhao Dabing smiled, stepped forward, and lifted a gold-plated waist card from his palm, displaying the tiger-swallowing mouth symbol as if it were an arrow. It was a military officer’s waist card, one that Li Guanyi had left on the horse. The words "Zhenwei" were inscribed on the back. He announced loudly, "I am just about to inform you all."

"It’s a seventh-rank official from Guan Yi City."

"The current Grand Scholar of the Ministry, honored with the Silver and Green Guanglu Doctorate, a direct disciple of Mr. Wang Tong."

"The current Grand Scholar of the Imperial Observatory, honored with the Silver and Green Guanglu Doctorate, mentioned by Master Zu Wenyuan himself."

"The Imperial Decree honors him with soft armor!"

"The Imperial Decree exceptionally lists him as one of the seventy-two seventh-rank martial officers accompanying the Great Chen’s grand sacrifice."

"The Emperor bestows a third-rank rhinoceros horn and gold-clasped buckle."

"A seventh-rank martial officer from Guan Yi City, Colonel Zhenwei."

"Li Guanyi, Mr. Li."

One by one, these titles pressed down with a familiar, yet foreign, air of authority.

Qing’er saw the smiles slowly fade from the faces of those elegant ladies, saw shock cross their beautiful features, and then, jealousy emerged, their hands gripping their handkerchiefs tightening instinctively.

Under the sunlight, these flowery butterflies appeared almost transparent.

The air itself seemed to clear.

Qing’er suddenly felt bewildered as she realized that this prideful, triumphant, sweet-talking young man was already quite an extraordinary person among his peers. He was capable of brandishing a spear and saber with valor, leaving the city to face enemies, and he could easily compose poetry that left people in awe.

She noticed a change in the expressions of the aristocratic ladies.

From their initial belittlement of Xue Shuangtao, their eyes now held jealousy, and Qing’er couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

"Exactly."

She said, smiling, "It was Mr. Li Guanyi who extended the gracious invitation, and the eldest Miss Xue could not decline."

"The Xue Family will certainly offer apologies."

Once the event concluded, Qing’er found a secluded place, covered her belly, and laughed heartily. Zhao Dabing sat in the carriage eating peanuts while Qing’er laughed until her stomach hurt, wiping the tears from her cheeks, she asked, "Uncle Bing, how did you know to use this?"

Zhao Dabing replied, "Li tucked this item into the horse’s saddlebag before releasing them. He knew the horses, which I’ve looked after since they were young, would definitely come to find me if set free. Though he acted recklessly, he did so with measure."

Qing’er nodded, feeling that her lady had always treated the children of the aristocracy with gentleness.

Finding such relief, she said, "I wonder where they’ve gone to have fun."

Zhao Dabing speculated, "Perhaps they’ve left the city to visit some famous spot outside?"

"But, I think it’s going to rain soon."

"I wonder if they will be able to return in time."

......

They hadn’t left the city.

Li Guanyi led Xue Shuangtao on a stroll through the alleyways, enjoying the spring scenery, watching children younger than themselves playing with ropes and hopscotch without such restraints. Gradually, Shuangtao relaxed.

After all, it was destined that they would miss the other event.

So they might as well thoroughly enjoy themselves here.

Otherwise, they would miss out on both.

Together with the youth of the same age from Guan Yi, they played games. Li Guanyi observed the young lady as she lifted her skirt slightly to hop through the squares. It was an innocent game, but without the presence of people who knew her identity, it was enjoyable.

They knocked down fruit from trees to eat after merely wiping it, rolled up their trouser legs to wade in the stream—doing things an aristocratic family’s daughter shouldn’t, and Li Guanyi easily won round stones and straight sticks from the children by spinning a large top with his superior explosive Jade Arm Divine Bow Skills.

A martial artist who had entered the realm, practicing the top-tier cultivation technique of Jade Arm Divine Bow Skills, need only raise his arm for the top to rapidly spin, eliciting gasps of amazement from the kids around.

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