sovbooks Chapter 54 Double Happiness Arrives: Jiang Qingxue is Erected as Imperial Concubine!
Chapter 54 Double Happiness Arrives: Jiang Qingxue is Erected as Imperial Concubine!
He could no longer remain silent!
If this "Come Quickly" were to actually sit in the position of sect leader, all his previous investments and plans would be in vain!
What's even more terrifying is that if the Azure Sword Sect completely sides with Qin Mu, it will be a fatal blow to his future ambitions!
He forced himself to maintain a facade of respect, bowing deeply towards the platform, but his voice carried a clear sense of resentment and doubt:
"Your Majesty, please be wise! This disciple must come quickly! He is merely a second-rank cultivator, and has only been a disciple for ten years. He has made no achievements in swordsmanship, sect affairs, or reputation in the martial world. With such qualifications, how can he command respect? How can he lead the three thousand disciples of the Qinglan Sword Sect and face the martial arts community of the Nine Provinces?"
If he were to truly inherit the position of sect leader, I fear... I fear that not only would he fail to bring glory to the Sword Sect, but he would also invite ridicule from the world, tarnishing the Sword Sect's three-hundred-year-old foundation!
His words were forceful and reasonable, immediately drawing nods of approval from many in the audience.
Indeed, the position of sect leader is no small matter; it cannot be taken lightly.
Even if they win quickly, it will be an dishonorable victory. How can they be entrusted with important responsibilities?
Qin Mu slowly turned around, his gaze falling on Xu Longxiang, his face still bearing that ambiguous smile, as if he had been waiting for him to jump out.
"Minister Xu, you are mistaken."
Qin Mu's voice was calm and unhurried, yet it possessed a peculiar penetrating power, silencing the whispers in the room.
"I heard clearly just now. Before the ceremony began, Elder Mo Wentian loudly announced: 'Today, heroes from all over the world have gathered. If any hero believes himself to be worthy of being the sect leader of the Qinglan Sword Sect, he may come up on stage and give it a try. The Qinglan Sword Sect has always valued talent above all else!'"
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, each word crystal clear: "Which 'hero' must be an elder? What level of cultivation must they reach? How much experience must they have?"
Xu Longxiang was speechless.
To demonstrate the magnanimity of the Sword Sect, Mo Wentian did indeed say "appoint only the talented" without imposing any restrictions.
Under normal circumstances, the competition for sect leadership should be decided among the elders, not by inner disciples.
Including inner disciples was merely to create an atmosphere, letting everyone know the strength and potential of the younger generation of the Qinglan Sword Sect.
Who would have thought that someone would actually defeat the elder and seize the position of sect leader.
This is absolutely outrageous!
Qin Mu continued, his tone growing colder:
"Since there are no restrictions, then inner disciples should hurry up and come; he is naturally among the 'heroes.' Since he dared to go on stage, since he was able to win consecutive victories to qualify, and since he was able to defeat Elder Li Wuhen, it proves that he has the strength."
As for your lack of seniority and insufficient cultivation... Heh, when you first joined the army, didn't you also start as a lowly soldier? When the late emperor promoted you exceptionally, did anyone object because of your lack of seniority? When did our Great Qin become so seniority-based and closed-minded?
These words were a combination of rebuttal and attack. They silenced the crowd with the Sword Sect's own rules and brought up the example of the late emperor's exceptional promotion of Xu Longxiang, leaving Xu Longxiang with no way to refute them.
Are you going to deny the late emperor's ability to recognize talent? Are you going to say that you yourself were not worthy of being promoted back then?
Xu Longxiang's face turned pale and then red, his chest heaving violently, but he couldn't utter a single word.
He felt that Qin Mu's gaze was like two cold knives, peeling away his carefully maintained composure layer by layer.
The representatives of various factions watching from below the stage exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions complex.
They finally understood that the Emperor of Qin was determined to take over the Qinglan Sword Sect today.
The key point is that he also has the "rules" and "reason" to back him up!
This made those who might have been dissatisfied and wanted to say something "fair" swallow their words.
What do you mean? Say that the Sword Sect's rules are wrong?
Or is it that His Majesty shouldn't interfere? The former offends the Sword Sect, and the latter... who dares to?
On the high platform, the three Supreme Elders exchanged another glance, each seeing the helplessness and heaviness in the other's eyes.
Now that things have come to this point, His Majesty's will has been so clearly expressed that any further strong opposition would be tantamount to openly defying the royal family.
Although the Azure Sky Sword Sect is powerful, it is ultimately a sect within the Great Qin territory, with intricate connections and alliances with the royal family.
The favor from the Sword Saint's intervention eighty years ago still exists, but favors cannot be used to offset imperial power indefinitely.
Moreover... the methods His Majesty displayed today were truly terrifying.
The ability to remotely control a second-rank disciple to defeat a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert—the power behind this made even these centenarians tremble with fear and dare not ponder it further.
The elder in the middle finally exhaled a breath of stale air, his aged voice carrying a hint of imperceptible weariness, echoing throughout the hall:
"Your Majesty... is quite right. The Sword Sect's rules are indeed so. Only talent matters, regardless of background or seniority. Inner disciples, come quickly. Having passed the competition, according to the rules... you are indeed qualified to inherit the position of Sect Master."
These words were tantamount to sealing the fate of this dispute.
There were no further dissenting voices from the audience.
The way many people looked at the approaching figure had completely changed.
What began as shock, disdain, and doubt transformed into awe, envy, jealousy, and deep-seated fear.
Everyone knew that from this moment on, this young man named Kuailai would rise to the top and become the youngest and most special sect leader in the three-hundred-year history of the Qinglan Sword Sect.
And standing behind him was Qin Mu, the emperor of the Great Qin Dynasty.
Kuailai remained kneeling on the ground. Upon hearing the words of the Supreme Elder, his whole body trembled violently, and the immense joy almost made him faint.
He suppressed the urge to roar to the heavens, pressed his forehead against the cold ground, and choked out:
"Disciple...disciple kowtows in gratitude to the Supreme Elder! In gratitude to Your Majesty! Disciple will certainly do everything in my power to live up to the expectations of the sect and Your Majesty!"
Qin Mu nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with Kuai Lai's performance. He raised his hand in a gesture of support:
"Rise. Since the three Supreme Elders and all fellow practitioners have agreed, you will temporarily assume the position of Sect Leader. The announcement will be made to the world after the formal succession ceremony."
"Your Majesty, I obey your command! Thank you!"
Only when he came quickly did he dare to stand up, his hands hanging down on the side of the stage, his whole body trembling slightly with excitement, but he tried his best to straighten his back.
The dust has settled.
The new sect leader of the Qinglan Sword Sect was born in a way that no one had anticipated.
However, just when everyone thought the drama was about to come to an end.
Qin Mu spoke again, his voice still calm, but like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, it stirred up even bigger waves.
"Now that the new sect leader of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect has been appointed, it is a cause for great joy."
Qin Mu smiled slightly, turned his gaze to Jiang Qingxue, who had been sitting quietly in the passenger seat next to him, and reached out to take her cold hand in his palm with utmost ease.
Jiang Qingxue was still in a daze because of the strange and shocking competition just now. Suddenly, Qin Mu grabbed her hand, which made her tremble. She subconsciously tried to pull away, but the warm and strong hand held her even tighter.
She looked up and met Qin Mu's deep, smiling eyes, and the ominous premonition in her heart instantly surged to its peak.
"On this auspicious day when heroes from all over the world gather,"
Qin Mu's voice clearly resounded throughout the hall, each word like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of certain people: "I also have some joyous news to announce."
He paused, feeling the stiffness and coldness of the small hand in his palm, but seemed oblivious, continuing in a gentle yet firm tone:
"Since entering the palace, Consort Xue Jiang Qingxue has been gentle and virtuous, winning my heart. Today, I hereby exceptionally promote her to the rank of Noble Consort Xue. From this day forward, she shall reside in Chang Le Palace and enjoy the rites of a Noble Consort."
Consort Xue!
A promotion beyond the usual ranks!
On the high platform, in front of the entire Qinglan Sword Sect, in front of all the major sects of the martial arts world of Kyushu, and in front of... Xu Longxiang!
"boom--!"
Xu Longxiang felt his mind go blank, and it was as if thunder was exploding in his ears, shaking him to his core!
He suddenly raised his head and stared intently at the high platform, his gaze instantly locking onto the light green figure and the two clasped hands!
Jiang Qingxue has been granted the title of Imperial Concubine!
Right now! Right here!
Before the whole world! Before...him!
An indescribable surge of complex emotions, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly overwhelmed all his rational defenses.
Anger! Anger that burns through my very being like magma!
His woman, the woman he cherished since childhood, the woman he vowed to marry, but who was forced into the tiger's den, is now being publicly declared his ownership by that man and given the title of "Imperial Concubine"!
What an utter disgrace! What a trampling!
But at the same time, a very secretive feeling of excitement, which even made him feel ashamed and twisted, emerged like a venomous snake from the darkest corner of his heart.
Imperial Concubine! Her status has risen even higher!
The palace secrets she could access, the information she could gather, and the core of power she could approach would far exceed those of an ordinary "Talented Lady"!
This is beneficial to his grand plan! The value of clearing snow has increased even further!
These two completely opposite emotions were tearing at Xu Longxiang's heart, causing the muscles on his face to twitch uncontrollably, and his eyes to sometimes be ferocious and mad, and sometimes flash with a strange light.