Volume 1 Chapter 39: A Show of Force

"Stop." Li Xuan suddenly spoke.

Zhang Tao, as if granted a reprieve, hurriedly retracted his stance and retreated, gasping for air. The look in his eyes when he gazed at Li Xuan had shifted from disdain to deep dread and terror.

Li Xuan brushed some non-existent dust from his clothes and said coolly, "Your strikes have enough force, but unfortunately, they lack heart. You strike without knowing why, and you withdraw without purpose. By blindly attacking, you leave yourself wide open. If I had wanted your life, you would have died seventeen times already."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the officers and soldiers in the training grounds who stood frozen in shock.

"All of you are the same. As soldiers of the Great Zhou, charged with guarding the capital, you should be practicing the art of killing, not these flashy, useless parlor tricks."

"Starting tomorrow, training will be doubled. I will personally devise your training regimen. Anyone who dares to slack off will be dealt with by military law!"

Having said this, he stopped looking at them and turned to leave.

The entire training ground fell into a deathly silence. Du Wei watched Li Xuan’s retreating figure, a chill rising from his heels to the top of his head. He knew that the skies over the Left Battalion of the Jinwu Guards were about to change.

...

Returning to the Eastern Palace, Li Xuan did not feel at ease.

Today’s modest display of strength had seemingly cowed the crowd, but he knew clearly that this was only the beginning. An old fox like Du Wei would not be truly subdued by such petty tricks. The factions within the Left Battalion could not be dismantled by a single exhibition of martial arts.

He needed a sharper blade to lance this festering boil.

Feeling restless, he strolled into the backyard, where he found Xiao Ning-shuang practicing her swordplay.

Her swordsmanship was just like her: cold, sharp, and imbued with an unyielding determination. The sword light flickered like frost covering the ground, accompanied by the imaginary dance of plum blossoms.

Li Xuan watched for a moment, and a sudden inspiration struck him.

When Xiao Ning-shuang finished her set and stood with her sword, he walked over, clapping his hands with a playful smile. "Excellent swordplay! But... it’s a pity."

Xiao Ning-shuang furrowed her brows, looking at him coldly. "A pity for what?"

"A pity that it has only killing intent, but no affection. It is a path of no return, a path of death without life." Li Xuan shook his head, looking like a grandmaster offering a critique. "Such swordsmanship is fine for killing enemies, but if you were to use it to... well, enhance the bond between husband and wife, it falls far short."

"You!" A flush of anger rose to Xiao Ning-shuang’s cheeks; this man was being improper again.

"Don't believe me?" Li Xuan chuckled and took a longsword from the weapon rack nearby. "Come, husband and wife, let us discuss the Dao through swords today. How about a friendly spar?"

Xiao Ning-shuang originally wanted to ignore him, but seeing his smug expression, a competitive spirit welled up in her. Since the incident at the Ninghua Palace, she had been full of curiosity regarding Li Xuan’s martial arts.

"Fine!" she replied coldly.

No sooner had the words left her lips than she thrust her sword, the tip pointed directly at Li Xuan’s throat.

Li Xuan did not dodge or parry. With a flick of his wrist, his sword moved later but arrived first, landing with absolute precision on the spine of her blade. With a crisp "clink," Xiao Ning-shuang felt a strange, vibrating force, her arm went numb, and her strike was knocked off course.

Startled, she changed her technique, transforming it into a flurry of sword shadows that enveloped Li Xuan.

"Too many moves, strength dispersed, flashy but hollow," Li Xuan’s voice whispered in her ear.

The next moment, Li Xuan’s sword moved like a snake leaving its den, piercing through the dense shadows at an impossible angle and coming to a gentle rest against her wrist.

A cold sensation touched her skin, and Xiao Ning-shuang stiffened, unable to move.

She had lost, and she had lost decisively.

Li Xuan withdrew his sword, but instead of stepping back, he stepped forward, pressing almost against her. One hand gripped the wrist holding her sword, while the other gently wrapped around her slender waist.

"What... what are you doing!" Xiao Ning-shuang was both shy and annoyed, her body tensing instantly, her ears turning bright red.

"Don't move," Li Xuan whispered in her ear, his warm breath causing a shiver to run down her spine. "I will teach you what it truly means for 'the heart and the sword to be one.'"

He held her hand, guiding her as they slowly swung the longsword.

"Look, when you strike, you aren't using your core, so your moves have no foundation. Your heart wants to hit me, but your sword hesitates. Your heart and your sword are not in harmony."

His palm was warm, and through the thin fabric of her clothes, that heat seemed to permeate her very heart. Xiao Ning-shuang’s mind went blank; she could only remain rigid, guided by his movements.

"Now, close your eyes. Feel my breathing, feel my heartbeat, and let your sword become an extension of my arm." Li Xuan’s voice carried a strange, hypnotic charm.

Xiao Ning-shuang closed her eyes, almost as if entranced.

Li Xuan guided her to swing the sword again. This time, the movement was slow but possessed an indescribable rhythm. Xiao Ning-shuang felt as if she could sense a force rising from Li Xuan’s core, passing through his arm, into her own, and finally, pouring into the tip of the blade.

In that moment, the sword in her hand seemed to come alive.

Once the set was complete, Li Xuan released her and stepped back, watching her with a smile.

Xiao Ning-shuang slowly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with shock and confusion. She stared dumbly at the sword in her hand, then at Li Xuan, her heart in turmoil.

"This... this is..."

"This is 'husband and wife of one heart, their strength can cut through metal,'" Li Xuan said with a straight face, spouting nonsense.

Xiao Ning-shuang’s face turned completely red. Angry and embarrassed, she glared at Li Xuan, threw her sword onto the rack, and turned to run away.

Watching her retreating figure as she fled in a panic, Li Xuan stroked his chin, savoring the lingering sensation on his hand, the smile on his lips growing even more smug.

Reorganizing the Left Battalion might be a headache, but teasing his own wife was certainly quite interesting.

Just then, Jing Yun appeared behind him like a ghost.

"Your Highness, the men sent to monitor Du Wei have returned with a report."

The smile on Li Xuan’s face vanished instantly, replaced by his usual stoic depth.

"Speak."

"After leaving the camp, Du Wei did not go home. Instead, he went to a place called 'Serenity Tea House.' I have investigated; the proprietor of that tea house is a distant cousin of the Third Prince."

A cold glint flashed in Li Xuan’s eyes.

"The Third Brother... so it is you."

He sneered, "Keep watching him. Also, have Tie Niu investigate the backgrounds of all the captains and lieutenants in the Left Battalion—their families, their hobbies, their grudges... I want to know everything about them. Remember, dig deep."

"Yes!" Jing Yun acknowledged the order and disappeared into the shadows once more.

Li Xuan looked up toward the direction of the Imperial Palace.

"Father, oh Father, this mess you've handed me has your own 'good' son behind it. This play is becoming more and more interesting."