The Unparalleled Sword Emperor
Chapter 428 - 427: Five Peaks Nine Courtyards

Chapter 428: Chapter 427: Five Peaks Nine Courtyards

"Here you are." Hong Su gave a slight smile, a smile like a peach blossom that had endured a long snowfall, blooming vibrantly after the snow, it was stunningly beautiful.

Lin Bai laughed and said, "Once someone said something to me, now I think I understand."

Hong Su smiled and asked, "What did they say?"

Lin Bai said, "He said that the most formidable weapon in the world has never been a knife or a sword, but a woman’s smile."

"Seeing it today, indeed, the rumor is true."

Hong Su gave an enchanting slight smile, "Oh, is the Sword Prince complimenting me? Please have a seat."

Lin Bai sat down with Hong Su and looked at her.

"Sword Prince, it’s not polite to stare at someone like this." With a slight smile, Hong Su loosened her robe to cover her beautiful legs and bare feet.

Lin Bai gave an awkward smile, "I apologize for my rudeness."

Hong Su softly said, "The Sword Prince looks disturbed. Although you’re smiling, your smile doesn’t seem sincere. If there is something bothering you, you can confide in me if you trust me."

Lin Bai took a deep breath and said, "Indeed, there are some things that I can’t figure out."

Hong Su asked, "What is it?"

Lin Bai gently said, "Since Miss Hong Su has put it that way, I’ll talk about it. No one else can help me with it anyway."

"Recently, the war broke out in the southern region. The Shenwu Kingdom, isolated and weak, received no reinforcement. I had no choice but to go to the Imperial Capital of the Dayue Kingdom and kidnapped a woman from the palace, as leverage to make the Dayue Kingdom withdraw their troops."

"This act contradicts the heart of a sword cultivator, which I find hard to reconcile with."

"I feel like I did wrong. I should have used another method to resolve this issue, rather than exploiting a defenseless woman."

Lin Bai said quietly.

This matter had always been a knot in Lin Bai’s heart.

Forcing the Dayue Kingdom using a woman was something Lin Bai found shameful.

Hong Su calmly said, "Sword Prince, you consider this method humiliating, but Hong Su views you as a hero."

"Where do you see a hero," Lin Bai shook his head and said.

Hong Su calmly said, "A proud sword cultivator, a warrior with his own principles, was willing to lay down all his glory, all his pride, all his principles, for the safety of his land, when the existence of his country was at stake. Can’t this be considered heroic?"

"Sword Prince, everything in the world is relative."

"If you hadn’t taken Consort Yun, can you imagine the terrible state the Shenwu Kingdom would be in?"

"There would be chaos everywhere, corpses strewn across fields, rivers of blood, cries of grief filling the air, millions rendered homeless, fleeing in disarray like homeless dogs."

"Sword Prince, you were willing to give up everything to save the entire Shenwu Kingdom. Can’t this be considered heroic?"

"What kind of sword cultivator would you be if you can’t even save your own country?"

"Therefore, Hong Su believes that the Sword Prince doesn’t need to dwell opressively on this matter. Protecting the home and defending the country is one of our initial aspirations in the practice of martial arts!"

Listening to Hong Su’s comforting words, Lin Bai felt a bit better.

Lin Bai chuckled softly, "Perhaps."

"Stop overthinking, Sword Prince. You did the right thing. If you are still troubled, let Hong Su play you a piece, the Qingping Melody." Hong Su laughed softly.

Immediately, Hong Su walked over to the ancient zither. As soon as her hand pressed down, a beautiful melody filled the place.

Lin Bai was completely immersed in the music.

"Your zither is really something." Lin Bai calmly smiled.

Hong Su lightly chuckled, "The Sacred Blood Wood and Nine Transformation Silkworm Silk were gifts from others, while the rest were all things I collected myself. They’re nothing valuable."

Lin Bai laughed, "Worthless? This ancient zither should be considered a nine-grade spirit tool, right?"

If outsiders heard Lin Bai’s words again, they would undoubtedly scream out in surprise.

An ancient zither was considered a nine-grade spirit tool.

Hong Su chuckled, "Sword Prince has good insight."

Lin Bai smiled, "I am really curious. A beautiful woman like you, who lacks neither money nor fame, why would you linger in such a place like the Fengyue Places?"

Hong Su chuckled, "Is Sword Prince interested in Hong Su’s background?"

Lin Bai laughed, "I was attracted by your ancient zither. I am very curious about the master who can play this instrument. Who is this divine person?"

Hong Su chuckled, "Hong Su is nothing more than an ordinary girl."

Lin Bai gave a slight smile and didn’t continue asking.

"Sword Prince’s cultivation should be close to reaching the Half-step Divine Pill Realm, right? Do you have any plans for future cultivation?" Hong Su asked with a bright smile.

"Not sure yet. There are still many things to do in the Territory of the Shenwu Kingdom."

Lin Bai replied indifferently.

Hong Su chuckled, "Why don’t Hong Su give Sword Prince a choice then. Go to the Miracle Ridge."

Lin Bai furrowed his brows, looking at Hong Su, asking, "You want me to go to the Miracle Ridge?"

"Hehe." Hong Su walked to the side of the bed, took out a golden invitation, and handed it to Lin Bai.

"I would like to invite you."

Looking at the golden invitation in Hong Su’s hand, Lin Bai couldn’t hide his surprise, "Are you from the Miracle Ridge?"

Hong Su gave a faint smile, "One of the Five Peaks and Nine Courts of the Miracle Ridge, a disciple of the Heavenly Sound Court."

Lin Bai slowly took the golden invitation, and upon opening it, it read: "To Lin Bai, under your own gaze, you are a rare talent of this generation, a hegemony of Sword Art. I have admired you for a long time. I sincerely invite you to come to the Miracle Ridge, together we will explore the peak of Martial Art, the path to immortality. I will inevitably play the zither for you, getting drunk together. Heavenly Sound Court, Hong Su."

After reading, Lin Bai gently closed the invitation.

Hong Su chuckled, "Actually, Hong Su also came here admiring your name. I have long heard that the Shenwu Kingdom has produced two peerless talents, one is Duan Canghai, and the other is called Lin Bai."

"Regrettably, Duan Canghai has already been invited by the other Nine Courts, so Hong Su could only come to see you."

"Unexpectedly, upon meeting today, Sword Prince left me truly stunned. Hong Su believes that your potential is even superior to Duan Canghai."

Hong Su faintly smiled.

Perplexed, Lin Bai asked, "What does Five Peaks and Nine Courts of the Miracle Ridge mean? Why do you all wish to invite geniuses to the Miracle Ridge?"

Hong Su lightly said, "Five Peaks and Nine Courts, you will understand when you arrive at the Miracle Ridge. As for why we strive to invite geniuses to the Miracle Ridge, perhaps it’s due to the complex relationships among the Nine Courts."

"Hehe, things are not so easy at the Miracle Ridge, Sword Prince, you must decide to come to the Heavenly Sound Court."

Lin Bai laughed bitterly, "Unfortunately, I received an invitation a while ago."

At this, Lin Bai took out a silver invitation from his storage bag.

"The invitation from the Chulong Courtyard is silver, it’s from Diao Cheng, isn’t it? Damn, that old man beat me by a step." Seeing this silver invitation, Hong Su huffed in anger.

Hong Su chuckled, "So, Sword Prince, what is your choice? Is it the Chulong Courtyard or the Heavenly Sound Court?"

Hong Su was smiling, her charming eyes filled with tenderness and anticipation.

Laughing, Lin Bai asked, "If I choose the Heavenly Sound Court, what benefits will there be?"

Hearing this, Hong Su replied with a gentle smile, "The cultivation resources will naturally be exactly what you desire."