A wave of whispers rippled through the crowd.

"The Heavenly Maiden? Is it truly her?"

"I heard the Heavenly Maiden is obsessed with poetry. Could the rumors be true?"

"But the capital is so far from here. Would someone of her noble status really come in person?"

"This is Peach Blossom Village, and the Heavenly Maiden is said to love peach blossoms. It's possible! That boy wouldn't just make it up, would he?"

The young scholars present were filled with excitement. If the Heavenly Maiden was here to witness their work today, it would be the crowning glory of their lives!

Even the chief county official looked over. The local officials around him grew thoughtful, but none of them moved to pay their respects yet. They were waiting to see how things played out.

Lady Li remained silent, but several of her companions stood up, their gazes cold as they stared down the thirteen-year-old boy. One of them snapped, "You've mistaken her for someone else. Go back to recite your poems."

The aura of an Earth Profound Realm martial artist circulated within him and was ready to erupt at a moment's notice.

The others were of similar strength—all Earth Profound Realm martial artists. In the Dongsheng Empire, such a cultivation level was enough to make one a regional powerhouse.

"My master is the Sword Poetry Immortal, Wang Yi," replied the boy nonchalantly. "I heard the Heavenly Maiden loves poetry above all else, so I wished to ask for her critique on a verse or two. Is that too much to ask?"

The Sword Poetry Immortal, Wang Yi!?

At the mention of that name, the scholars present sucked in sharp breaths of disbelief. While the Heavenly Maiden held a high status, Wang Yi was a legend in his own right. He was one of the world's few Grandmasters, a master of verse and a peerless swordsman. That was why he was hailed as the Sword Poetry Immortal!

"Oh? Your master is Wang Yi? Has he come as well?" asked Lady Li in interest.

"My master is indeed here. However, he has little interest in today's festival, so he commanded me to recite one of his poems for everyone to appreciate," replied the boy.

The crowd was hit with realization.

"So that poem was written by the Sword Poetry Immortal!" "No wonder! I was thinking, how could a boy of his age produce such a masterpiece!"

"Why doesn't the Sword Poetry Immortal show himself?" asked Lady Li in disappointment. "I thought I would finally witness his talent in person, yet he sends a disciple as a proxy."

"Master said today's festival isn't 'pure' enough, so he didn't wish to reveal himself," explained the boy.

Having said that, he slowly turned his gaze towards the north and said, "Our people... should be here by now. Heavenly Maiden, please come back with us as a guest."

The scholars finally sensed that something was very wrong. One man, red-faced with fury, shouted, "You invite the Heavenly Maiden to be a guest? A guest where? Who exactly are you!"

"It's over. We're in trouble. What was she thinking, leaving the capital to come here? That disciple looking north... he's one of the Hejian King's men!?"

Standing beside Xu Tianhuan, Brother Han's face turned pale as cold sweat poured down his brow.

Xu Tianhuan consoled him, "Brother Han, there's no need to fear."

"What do you know!?" snapped Han. "This festival is a trap! A trap set by the Hejian King! If the Heavenly Maiden falls into his hands, the very foundation of Dongsheng will be shattered!"

Xu Tianhuan offered a faint smile and said no more.

At that moment, armored soldiers began to emerge from the forests, the side paths, and the main roads. Based on a quick estimate, there were over ten thousand of them!

By now, even the ordinary villagers realised something was wrong. The style of that armor... it clearly belonged to the Yama Army under the Hejian King! The cold steel of their armor glinted under the warm sun like a bayonet pressed against everyone's throat, sending a shiver through their souls.

The boy looked at Lady Li with a trace of mockery in his eyes.

Lady Li, however, remained calm. "So it was the Hejian King who organized this poetry festival. In that case, the chief official of this county is also his man?"

She looked toward the official and the various local nobles. The official smiled back with no fear, meeting her gaze head-on.

"Are you... all planning to rebel!?" stammered one of the young scholars in disbelief.

He never imagined that traveling a thousand miles for a poetry festival would end like this.

But no one paid him any attention. What was a scholar with no strength worth against blades and spears? He was no different from a common laborer. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The county official looked at Lady Li and smiled. "Since the Heavenly Maiden is here, you shouldn't be sitting on the sidelines. Please, step forward so this lowly official can host you properly. To avoid any 'accidents' involving the innocent, I hope those beside you don't do anything rash."

He glanced at the surrounding scholars before looking back at Lady Li.

Lady Li understood his meaning perfectly. The elite scholars of Dongsheng present today had become his hostages. Compared to the ordinary villagers, the various powers these people represented behind the scenes would make the capital even more wary.

"Mr. Fang, I understand! He's capturing the Emperor's kin to gain command over the officials!" whispered Little Yu as she suddenly came to realisation.

The Hejian King's men used the poetry festival as bait to attract a large number of scholars. Now, they were using them as shields to ensure the Heavenly Maiden wouldn't dare use her hidden trump cards. Once they had captured her, they would use her status to manipulate the emperor in the capital. They might achieve an incredible victory without losing a single soldier.

"How would you break this stalemate?" Fang Chen asked Little Yu.

Little Yu thought hard but eventually shook her head in frustration. "I don't know."

"You'll understand in a moment," remarked Fang Chen.

***

"Heavenly Maiden, we will protect you as you escape."

"Yes. If we work together, the Yama Army might not be able to keep us here," whispered one of Lady Li's guards.

"We must leave, but not like this," said Lady Li with a faint smile.

She began walking slowly toward the county official.

Wang Yi's disciple smiled and followed beside her. Lady Li's guards froze for a second before rushing to catch up and protect her. When she was only a few yards from the official, he cupped his fist and laughed.

"This is the first time I've been this close to the Heavenly Maiden. I wonder if I might have the honor of seeing your true face today?"

"There is no need for that. Do you really think I only brought a few Earth Profound Realm martial artists with me?" asked Lady Li calmly.

The nearby scholars finally snapped out of it and began crowding toward her. They were glinting with anger at the soldiers surrounding them.

The official laughed in surprise. "There are tens of thousands of Yama Army here, and the Grandmaster Sword Poetry Immortal himself is present. How does Lady Li plan to break through? Furthermore... do you not care for their lives?"

He pointed at the group of scholars, and then at the ordinary villagers.

Though Li Dazui and the other villagers had never seen much of the world, they finally understood the gravity of the situation.

"The rebels have broken in!" they cried in terror as cold sweat drenched their backs.