Chapter Twenty-Nine: I Asked You to Perform a Ritual, Not a Circus Act

"How... how do you propose we compete?"

Yuwen Yue was provoked by Xie Ning's few words, his temper flaring. In his view, competing in poetry against a good-for-nothing like Xie Ning was an insult to his own dignity. However, if he refused, he would essentially be admitting to a guilty conscience and cowardice.

"Simple," Xie Ning said with a grin, revealing a row of white teeth. "We shall compete in poetry composition. Best of three rounds. Whoever writes the superior poem wins. How about it?"

The moment these words were spoken, the entire hall erupted in an uproar. Even Li Qingning could not help but pull at Xie Ning’s sleeve and whisper, "Xie Ning, don't be ridiculous."

Although she had not the slightest affection for Yuwen Yue, she had to admit that his mastery of poetry was indeed extraordinary. Throughout the entire Great Qi dynasty, no one among the younger generation could compare to him. Wouldn't Xie Ning be throwing eggs against a rock by challenging him?

"My dear wife, do not panic," Xie Ning said, holding her cool, small hand and whispering in her ear. "Since I dared to propose it, I never intended to lose."

Lose? What a joke. Xie Ning sneered inwardly. Yuwen Yue was nothing more than a minor obstacle. This was merely a parallel world; the development of history and culture here could not be compared to the world of his past life. He carried in his mind the cultural heritage of five thousand years. Any random verse from Li Bai or Du Fu would be enough to crush this man with a single finger.

He added, "I compete with him only to make him admit defeat and back off. A fly buzzing around you constantly is disgusting, even if it doesn't bite."

Li Qingning looked at Xie Ning with astonishment. She truly could not understand where this guy found such immense confidence. In her memory, Xie Ning had never once displayed any exceptional literary talent. But looking at his clear, confident eyes, she found herself nodding against her better judgment. She chose to trust him unconditionally.

Seeing the two of them whispering so intimately, Yuwen Yue’s jealousy burned even brighter. He immediately walked over to the Empress Dowager and recounted the challenge. The Empress Dowager already looked upon Xie Ning with disdain, and seeing his arrogance in challenging Yuwen Yue’s strongest suit only deepened her disgust.

She snorted coldly. "Very well. Since Young Master Xie has such refined interests, it would be petty of me not to indulge him."

She swept her gaze across the crowd and announced loudly, "This matter is set for noon tomorrow in the Imperial Garden. I shall invite all the renowned scholars and officials of the court to bear witness. I want to see for myself who is truly bringing shame upon themselves."

Li Qingning wanted to say something, but her mouth opened and no words emerged. It was clear the Empress Dowager intended to make a scene and ensure Xie Ning lost face before the entire world. But even if she wanted to stop it now, it was too late. Fortunately, Xie Ning’s air of certainty gave her some confidence.

With this matter settled, the focus of the crowd returned to the Ancestral Hall. All eyes turned to the ethereal and sage-like Taoist Master Xuan Xiao. Now, they waited to see how this master from Dragon and Tiger Mountain would use his divine powers to resolve this ominous omen.

Seeming to notice the gaze of the crowd, Master Xuan Xiao cleared his throat and assumed a mysterious, inscrutable posture. He circled the cracked spirit tablet three times, chanting under his breath. Then, he pulled a yellow talisman from his robes and shouted, "By decree!"

With a flick of his wrist, the talisman ignited without fire, turning into a wisp of blue smoke that drifted toward the tablet. The crowd watched in stunned silence, awestruck. Even the Empress Dowager showed a glimmer of expectation.

However, once the blue smoke dissipated, the crack on the tablet remained exactly as it was, unchanged.

The expression on Master Xuan Xiao’s face stiffened slightly, but he quickly regained his inscrutable demeanor and calmly pulled another artifact from his robes. It was a palm-sized Bagua copper mirror.

"Evil spirit, reveal your true form at once!" Xuan Xiao roared, channeling his power into the mirror and flashing it at the cracked tablet. A beam of golden light shot from the mirror, striking the tablet directly. The crowd felt their vision blur, as if they saw countless runes dancing in the air.

The display was quite impressive, but the result... as the golden light faded, everything returned to normal. The crack remained stubbornly on the tablet, seemingly mocking him.

Now, Master Xuan Xiao could no longer maintain his composure. A fine layer of sweat had beaded on his forehead. How could this be? After those two attempts, any ordinary evil spirit should have been scattered to the winds. Could the evil in this palace be so formidable?

"Ahem." Master Xuan Xiao coughed twice, trying to hide his embarrassment. "The evil here is deeply entrenched and capable of resisting my two great artifacts. It seems I must use my true power today."

As he spoke, he solemnly withdrew a peachwood sword from the bag on his back. The sword was carved with vermilion runes and looked quite ancient. "This is the Seven-Star Demon-Slaying Sword, passed down through a thousand years in my sect. It has slain more than a thousand demons and ghosts."

He held the sword high and began chanting an obscure and difficult spell. A sudden chill wind swept through the Ancestral Hall, and the candlelight flickered. An atmosphere of grim slaughter filled the air. The crowd was intimidated by his display, stepping back in fear of being caught in the crossfire. Even the Empress Dowager wore a look of gravity.

Only Xie Ning yawned with utter boredom. To him, this old Taoist was putting on a monkey show. What "Seven-Star Demon-Slaying Sword"? It was just an ordinary piece of peachwood, and the runes were scribbled randomly with no spiritual power whatsoever. As for the chilly wind, it wasn't his doing at all; it was the malevolent Feng Shui formation beneath the Ancestral Hall, reacting to the life force of the living, operating passively. This old man had a few tricks, but not many.

"Heaven and earth are infinite, the universe lends its power."

"Supreme Lord Lao Zi, heed my command."

"Break!"

Finishing the incantation, Xuan Xiao opened his eyes wide and, with all his might, swung the peachwood sword down hard at the spirit tablet. His strike was powerful and swift, whistling through the air. Had it struck a person, it likely would have split them in two.

However... *Snap.*

A crisp sound echoed. It was not the spirit tablet that shattered, but the thousand-year-old heirloom sword in his hand, which broke right in the middle. One half remained in his grip, while the other clattered to the ground.

The air seemed to freeze in that moment. Everyone stared at the scene in stunned silence, their minds completely blank.