Chapter Fifty-Nine: Liu Yuan, Do You Know This Move?

The crowd below the stage exchanged bewildered glances...

Of them all, Li Zhengxin from the Eastern Depot was the most shocked!

When he saw Xu Boqing ascend the stage, he felt a vague sense of familiarity, as if he had seen this young eunuch somewhere before.

Upon hearing the name "Xu Boqing," his pupils contracted sharply...

He immediately recalled the young man with “strange arts” at his command whom he’d met a year ago in the Inspectorate’s dungeon!

He’d been haunted for some time after encountering that “thing not of this world.”

Wasn’t he sent to the castration chamber?

Yes... now he’s a eunuch.

But… how did he end up in that imperial robe?

Countless questions now clouded his mind...

He simply could not fathom how the young man who, just a year ago, had been firmly under his thumb, could now, in such a short span, become the Chief Steward of Cining Palace!

Suddenly, Li Zhengxin’s breath caught...

To his horror, he found Xu Boqing on stage regarding him with a half-smile, half-sneer!

Their gazes locked in midair, and Li felt a chill surge from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head, as if he’d brushed past death’s door; a cold sweat broke out across his back.

Meanwhile, Commander Song of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was also frowning deeply...

He was charged with maintaining the order of the martial demonstration today, but with this sudden turn, the proceedings had ground to a halt, and the Emperor was still watching from above.

Would this not reflect poorly on his diligence?

He gave a sidelong glance at the young eunuch in imperial attire atop the stage, then at the eager yet hesitant candidates below, still wavering, and found himself at a loss.

After all, Xu Boqing had descended from the Emperor’s side...

If he was the Emperor’s intended candidate for the Western Depot’s Chief, would it not be defying imperial will to permit others to challenge him?

Just then, the Emperor’s personal eunuch hurried over and whispered a few words in his ear before departing swiftly.

Only then did the commander nod, rise, and with a burst of internal energy, bellow,

“Chief Steward Xu atop the stage is a martial innate! Now that he intends to instruct you rabble, why do you still hesitate? If you wish to challenge him, come forth!”

When the candidates below heard that the young eunuch on stage was already at the innate realm, doubt flickered in their eyes—for true skill is honed over time, and he seemed far too young.

But when Commander Song declared, “If you wish to go up, then go up!” those present exchanged uncertain glances, still hesitant…

Then one hot-tempered military captain, seeing the others still dithering, muttered, “A bunch of cowards,” and shouted, “I’ll go!”

He vaulted onto the stage, cupped his hands in salute, and announced, “Kong Qing of the military, at your instruction, sir.”

“Captain Kong, you are too courteous.”

Xu Boqing returned the salute and gestured for him to proceed.

“Then, sir... be careful.”

Without further ado, Kong Qing’s killing aura surged as his hand gripped the hilt of his saber. No sooner had he spoken than he drew his broadsword in a single motion, leaping forward to bring it down on Xu Boqing with the force of a mountain cleaving strike!

Seeing the young eunuch stand rooted in place, making no move to dodge, Kong Qing’s expression twisted with doubt—was this man all show and no substance?

He was about to pull back his strength, lest he kill his opponent outright, when he suddenly froze in disbelief, staring at his saber—now pinched between two of Xu Boqing’s fingers.

“Captain Kong, to be distracted in battle is to court death.”

With a graceful flick of his wrist, Xu Boqing brushed the blade aside and pressed his palm lightly to Kong Qing’s chest...

The burly captain, still unclear on what had transpired, found his body unresponsive; he crashed to the ground, dazed.

A moment later, his saber clattered down beside him, the blade embedding itself upright in the stone tiles.

The martial arena fell utterly silent.

Those who had hoped to observe first never imagined that Kong Qing—whose strength ranked mid-tier among them—would be pushed off the stage with such effortless ease.

There was not the slightest hint of worldliness in Xu Boqing’s actions...

Xu Boqing cupped his hands and said, “I accept.” Then he turned to the crowd and spoke solemnly: “You may all come at once. I shall do my utmost to hold back and not take any lives.”

A trace of displeasure flickered among the martial artists below...

Those who made it to the final day were all high-ranking officers or elite agents—commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, military captains, chief supervisors of the Eastern Depot. When had they ever been so belittled?

So what if he had reached the innate stage?

There were more than a dozen among them at the peak of the acquired realm; even the Chief Supervisor of the Eastern Depot would not claim certain victory in such odds. How could this newly promoted innate dare make such a boast?

The martial artists below exchanged looks, nodded, and then, each unleashing their own skills, vaulted onto the stage and surrounded Xu Boqing.

Li Zhengxin, seeing his peers surge forward, hesitated only a moment before joining them...

A murderous aura now permeated the stage. More than a dozen peak acquired masters stood in a circle, weapons gleaming, sending a chill through the assembled ministers despite the July heat...

Emperor Yonghe watched with a furrowed brow;

Beside him, Liu Yuan shook his head, thinking Xu Boqing far too arrogant—to challenge so many merely upon reaching the innate realm was to invite disgrace.

Though Empress Dowager Chen’s face betrayed no emotion, her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her robe, her eyes shadowed with deep concern.

Meanwhile, Empress Zhang, while watching Xu Boqing on the arena, kept a sidelong glance on her dear elder sister. Noticing her sister’s subtle gestures, her suspicions only deepened...

On the arena—

A burly soldier cupped his hands, his voice booming, “Chief Steward Xu, we are but humble men of little strength, forced to rely on numbers; we hope you will not take offense.”

“No offense taken.”

Xu Boqing glanced at those arrayed against him, and, spotting Li Zhengxin—the man he had once met in the Inspectorate’s dungeon—he smiled faintly.

The burly soldier, seeing Xu Boqing make no move, said again, “Since we already have the advantage of numbers, it would be unfair to seize the initiative as well; please, sir, you may strike first.”

“Oh?” Xu Boqing nodded. “Very well.”

His gaze fell upon the Anding Gate nearby, particularly on the massive dragon-shaped stone sculptures flanking its entrance, emblems of imperial majesty. His eyes lit up...

He stretched out his hand and, with a grasping motion toward the dragon sculpture, his internal energy roared like a dragon’s cry!

“Rise!”

At his command, the dragon-shaped sculpture, spanning over twenty yards, seemed to come alive. It tore free from the earth and soared toward the martial arena!

Stunned silence consumed the vast grounds...

The martial artists on stage stood dumbstruck, heads tilted back, staring at the dragon sculpture coiling and dancing in the air above.

They could not comprehend—could not even begin to fathom—what had just occurred.

Most of the ministers in attendance were elderly, and their reactions were even more pitiful: some faces were twisted in terror, some knelt and muttered “Heaven preserve Great Liang,” while others simply collapsed in fright.

In the distance, Emperor Yonghe sprang to his feet in shock.

Beside him, Empress Zhang covered her mouth in astonishment, her phoenix eyes filled with radiant wonder.

Liu Yuan, standing with them, fared no better; his aged face bore an expression of mingled bewilderment and horror.

“Liu Yuan, can you perform such a feat?”

“I...”