Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 297 : Walking On A Tight Rope

Chapter 297: Chapter 297 : Walking On A Tight Rope

Following Liu Yichen’s detainment, Wuyang Palace was put under strict lockdown. No one was allowed to enter or leave the palace without permission. Zhang Fengxi, Zhang Zhiyuan, Yang Jiali, and Zhou Guizheng worked tirelessly to track down Liu Wenyuan, but their efforts proved to be fruitless.

Yang Jiali once complained, "Is Liu Wenyuan not your average omega with no cultivation at all? How can he hide himself so flawlessly?"

She quickly went quiet when Zhang Zhiyuan reminded her that, "Liu Wenyuan borrowed the power of the First Demon King. Who knows what tricks that demon has in his sleeves?"

Meanwhile, Xie Jianyu had just completed his twenty-second weeks of pregnancy. Thanks to the miraculous effect of the sour plum soup he drank almost every day, he was finally able to keep his food down.

His slender frame slowly filled out with flesh, and his once-flat stomach bulged with the growing child. His skin glowed with a healthy radiance, and his eyes sparkled with newfound joy.

Xie Jianyu was finally starting to feel like himself again. He could eat without nausea, sleep without waking up in the middle of the night, and enjoy the simple things in life without feeling exhausted.

And because he felt a lot better, naturally he tried to return to his daily habit of practicing swordsmanship and cultivation.

"Master, I don’t think that this is a good idea," Mingyu was extremely nervous as she watched Xie Jianyu swing his practice sword around.

"What are you worried about? This is just a wooden sword. It does not even qualify as a sharp tool."

It was namely taboo for expecting mothers to get in touch with sharp tools, such as knives and swords.

"Yes, but..."

Mingyu swallowed hard as her eyes darted between Xie Jianyu’s swollen belly and the pointy end of the sword. In the end, she decided that Xie Jianyu should not proceed with the sword training.

Mingyu grabbed Xie Jianyu’s wrist and begged, "Master, you should not... Master, please put the sword down."

Xie Jianyu sighed. He gently extricated Mingyu’s fingers from his wrist.

"I cannot do that. I have to continue practicing swordsmanship or my cultivation will decline."

"Yes, but..."

Which is more important to you, Your Majesty??? Your child or your cultivation??? Mingyu screamed in her head in exasperation.

Xie Jianyu laughed when he saw the terror on Mingyu’s face.

"Relax, Mingyu. Pregnant mothers are not supposed to stay in bed the entire time, I heard. Let me exercise a little bit. I will not overdo it, I promise."

"Ah...!!!"

Mingyu could only watch as Xie Jianyu stepped off the ground and soared into the sky. His golden robe fluttered behind him like a shimmering river of gold, and his long black hair streamed in the wind.

In his hand, the wooden sword became a first-rate spiritual weapon that could cut through metal with ease.

His ethereal presence illuminated the landscape, his every move imbued with the grace and elegance of a god.

The breathtaking sight was interrupted by Xie Jianyu’s sudden wince. The weight of his pregnant belly was catching up with him, and he had to land gently on the ground.

Heavy.

So heavy.

Xie Jianyu ran both hands around his stomach.

Mingyu’s panicked voice was heard coming from some distance away.

"Master? Are you in pain?"

"I am fine," Xie Jianyu said, but he did not plan to continue practicing with the sword again. He decided to meditate instead.

Mingyu stubbornly denied him the wish to climb the many steps to reach the Bell Tower, so Xie Jianyu had to be content with meditating at the back verandah instead.

It was an awful place to meditate, Xie Jianyu thought to himself half a shichen later.

Meditation was supposed to be done in a quiet place with zero or at least minimal disturbance.

The back verandah was anything but quiet. It was practically a cacophony of noise, a symphony of disruption.

There was the swishing sound that the maids made as they dragged the end of their robes across the wooden floor.

Or the creaking sound of the wooden planks as they sustained the weight of those who stepped on them.

Or the clattering sound of porcelains as they were moved from one room to another.

Or the familiar sound of military boots that hit the ground with forceful thuds.

"Jianbao, I am here."

Xie Jianyu opened his eyes in annoyance. His sour face startled Zhang Fengxi somewhat.

"Baby, did something happen?"

"Yes," Xie Jianyu snapped. "You disturbed my meditation."

Never mind that Zhang Fengxi’s noisy boots were just one of many.

Zhang Fengxi gave him an apologetic smile.

"I am sorry, my love."

The general stretched out his hands and rubbed Xie Jianyu’s belly affectionately.

"How are you today?"

"I am fine."

Four months had passed since they returned to the Heavenly Realm, but Xie Jianyu still harbored complicated feelings toward both his elder brother and Zhang Fengxi.

The raw wounds of betrayal had scabbed over and healed, but the scars remained, visible reminders of the pain and suffering that Zhang Fengxi and Xie Jianshen had inflicted upon him. These scars were a constant reminder that the two people he trusted most in the world had once sought to murder his child.

He needed time to process the tumultuous emotions in his mind. The hormonal imbalance caused by his pregnancy added to the chaos, making it difficult for him to think clearly.

Zhang Fengxi leaned forward, his lips hovering only millimeters from Xie Jianyu’s.

"Kiss?" He asked not unlike a small child begging for love.

These past few weeks, Zhang Fengxi was no different from a blindfolded man who was teetering along a thin rope.

He knew that he could not afford to mess up, so he was being very careful. Too careful that his gentle demeanor almost felt forced.

Today, it was rather infuriating.

"No."

Xie Jianyu averted his eyes, failing to see the disappointment across Zhang Fengxi’s face.

"Alright, Baby."

Alright, he said.

Seemed like he did not even want it and just asked for one because he felt obliged to.

Ridiculous.

"Master, Lady Song is here with Physician Han," Mingyu announced.

Zhang Fengxi rose to his feet and extended his hand toward Xie Jianyu.

"Shall we?"