The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

Liang Maoye's face was ashen, and he gripped the wine glass in his hand so tightly that it made a cracking sound.

Zhou's face was pale, and her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly.

Jiang Chuan's eyes were filled with anger, but Wang Han held his wrist down.

Lu Jianxiong squinted, and his body temperature suddenly rose.

Wu Shuang looked at everyone helplessly and quietly moved closer to Jiang Chuan.

"how?"

The lonely city sneered.

"Does this general not even have this much face?"

He looked at Liang Maoye meaningfully.

"Or is there some difficulty on Your Highness's part?"

He Liang's fingers twitched slightly under the table.

He stared at Gu Cheng's face, which was wearing a playful smile, and felt as if he had a red-hot iron stuck in his stomach.

This General Zhenxi's reputation for womanizing was known throughout the three prefectures and six counties, but strangely enough, over the years, no woman had ever been heard of bearing him a child.

"That old bastard Pei Ji clearly said..."

He Liang recalled his private conversation with the chief physician of the Liang Prince's Mansion half a month ago.

At the time, Pei Ji confidently declared that Gu Cheng would leave his virginity inside the woman's body every time they had intercourse, yet they still had no offspring.

This doesn't make sense.

The air inside the hall seemed to freeze.

The jade cup in Liang Maoye's hand made a cracking sound as it succumbed to the weight, and several cracks spread from the bottom of the cup upwards.

His face turned from pale to red, and the veins on his forehead bulged like wriggling earthworms.

"The Lone City General."

Liang Maoye's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth.

"The Crown Princess has been unwell recently."

Gu Cheng leaned back in the rosewood chair, his fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest.

He completely ignored Liang Maoye's words, his gaze roaming unabashedly over Zhou Shi's body, from her pale cheeks to her slightly trembling fingertips, finally settling on her slender waist that was cinched by a corset.

"What do you think?"

Gu Cheng suddenly raised his voice and looked around at everyone.

"The Crown Princess's dancing skills are unparalleled in Longhai!"

The hall was completely silent.

Lu Jianxiong snorted coldly, and the wine glass in his hand shattered. The amber-colored wine flowed down his fingers and was evaporated into white mist by the heat emanating from his body before it even hit the ground.

"absurd!"

Lu Jianxiong's voice was as loud as a bell.

"What kind of status does the Crown Princess have? How could she perform a dance in public? Gu Cheng, are you talking nonsense because you've had too much to drink?"

Wu Shuang hid behind Jiang Chuan, her face flushed with anger.

She tugged at Jiang Chuan's sleeve.

"Senior Brother Jiang, how dare that scoundrel!"

Jiang Chuan shook his head slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He noticed that Wang Han beside him had already pressed his finger on the hidden clasp of the sword sheath, while Chen Qing quietly crushed a communication jade talisman.

The deathly silence lasted for a full ten breaths.

Gu Cheng's smile gradually turned cold, and he slowly stood up.

"It seems my influence isn't enough."

Gu Cheng spoke in a sarcastic tone, then suddenly slammed his wine glass onto the table.

The fine jade cup shattered into pieces, and shards flew onto Li Wenzhi's face, leaving a bloody mark.

"Since the Crown Princess won't give me face, then this general will have to find other amusement."

His gaze swept over the crowd like a venomous snake, finally settling on He Liang.

"Mr. He, I've heard that Fan Su and Xiao Man of Fengyue Tower are unparalleled beauties? I've long admired them, but alas, I've searched high and low without finding them."

He Liang's heart skipped a beat.

He was all too familiar with those two names—they were the sisters Ye Qiu was secretly protecting.

He stole a glance at Liang Maoye and noticed that the prince's expression had become even more unpleasant.

"This"

He Liang answered with a forced smile.

"Both young ladies are indeed beautiful and talented, but..."

"Just what?"

Gu Cheng suddenly raised his voice.

"Could it be that he too has been kept as a mistress by the Prince of Liang?"

He turned to Li Wenzhi.

"Prefect Li, you have half an hour to bring them here!"

Li Wenzhi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"I will send someone to search for it immediately."

"By the time you find them, it'll be too late!"

Suddenly enraged, Gu Cheng kicked over the tables in front of him.

Delicious food was spilled all over the ground, and a roast suckling pig rolled to Zhou's feet, staining her moon-white skirt with oil.

"Let's call it a day, it's pointless!"

Liang Maoye's pupils suddenly contracted.

He knew all too well the consequences of Gu Cheng's departure—those few people from the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect would definitely take Jiang Chuan away, and without Gu Cheng in charge, that old scoundrel Lu Jianxiong would take him even less seriously.

The grand plan that the Prince's Palace had been meticulously crafting for many days was about to fall apart!
At this critical moment, a clear, cold voice broke the silence.

"I am willing to dance for the general."

Zhou slowly stood up, her fingertips still trembling slightly, but her voice was surprisingly calm.

Lu Jianxiong's hand, which was about to slam the table, froze in mid-air.

Wu Shuang was so anxious that she kept stamping her feet.

"Grandmaster! Please hurry!"

"Shut up!"

Lu Jianxiong's voice boomed in Wu Shuang's mind as he rebuked her.

"Since the Crown Princess herself has agreed, how can I interfere?"

Liang Maoye closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He dared not look into his wife's eyes, which were filled with suppressed humiliation—those almond-shaped eyes, usually full of affection, now looked like two stagnant pools of water.

Zhou's fingernails dug deeply into her palm.

A drop of blood dripped through her fingers, blooming into a dazzling red plum blossom on the snow-white hem of her skirt.

She knew that if she didn't back down today, the Liang Prince's mansion might be awash in blood tomorrow.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Gu Cheng clapped his hands and laughed, then sat down again.

"Men, prepare a fresh banquet! This general wants to feast his eyes on this feast!"

The maids scrambled to clean up the mess on the floor.

The blind musician adjusted the strings, her fingertips gently plucking, and a piece called "Rainbow Skirt" flowed slowly.

Although the woman playing the zither was blind, she seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere in the hall, and her music became even more mournful than usual.

As the morning light grew stronger, it enveloped the Zhou family in a thin, veil-like halo.

She took off her outer garment, revealing only a plain white inner garment, her flowing sleeves billowing like drifting clouds.

"Wait a minute."

The lone city suddenly spoke.

"How can such a plain style be enjoyable? Someone, bring me my Butterfly Loves Flowers set!"

The guard brought over a brocade box containing a set of crimson dance costumes embroidered with a pattern of butterflies among flowers in gold thread.

What's most astonishing is that the dance costume is as thin as a cicada's wing, almost transparent.

Zhou's face turned deathly pale.

Liang Maoye suddenly opened his eyes.

"Gucheng! Don't go too far!"

"how?"

The lonely city sneered.

"Is the treasure I brought back from the Western Regions, which I traveled thousands of miles to bring back, not worthy of the Crown Princess's beautiful body?"

Flames flickered around Lu Jianxiong, causing the temperature in the hall to rise and fall intermittently.

Jiang Chuan noticed that Wang Han's sword was already half an inch out of its sheath, while Chen Qing had somehow acquired a poisoned silver needle.

At this critical moment, Zhou unexpectedly took the dance costume.

"Thank you for your kind offer, General."

She turned and walked towards the screen, her back ramrod straight.

A moment later, when Zhou reappeared before everyone, a collective gasp filled the hall.

The dance costume was indeed as thin as a cicada's wing, but Zhou cleverly added a layer of plain gauze undergarment inside.

Even so, her graceful curves were still subtly revealed. Most striking was the gold chain adorned with bells around her waist, which jingled crisply with each step she took.

"Wonderful!"

Gu Cheng's eyes gleamed, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

The music resumed, and Zhou began to dance gracefully.

Every movement of hers was breathtakingly precise—her flowing sleeves billowed like an inverted Milky Way, her slender waist swayed like a willow in the breeze.

But anyone with a discerning eye can see that there is a hidden edge to this dance.

Jiang Chuan's pupils contracted slightly.

He recognized a few movements—they were clearly the starting stance of the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect's "Flowing Cloud Sword Technique"!

He looked at Wang Han, who also looked surprised.

"Senior brother, this..."

Wang Han transmitted his voice.

"Don't make any noise."

Jiang Chuan responded.

"Keep watching."

Lu Jianxiong drank silently, and with each glass he drank, the empty glass in his hand would inexplicably shatter.

Wu Shuang was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes, but she dared not utter another sound.

Zhou danced faster and faster, the sound of bells ringing out in unison.

Sweat soaked through the light gauze, clinging to the skin and outlining even more alluring curves.

Gu Cheng watched with rapt attention, occasionally letting out heavy breathing.

As the last note faded into the air, the Crown Princess Zhou's wide sleeves cascaded down like clouds.

Her chest heaved violently, and her gossamer-thin gauze dress was soaked with sweat, clinging to her skin and outlining her graceful curves.

The flickering candlelight in the hall made her flushed face appear even more radiant.

"enough!"

Liang Maoye slammed his hand on the table, the golden nanmu wood surface making a dull thud.

"Lord Gucheng, can we get down to business now?"

Only then did Gu Cheng reluctantly withdraw his gaze from Zhou Shi, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
"Natural, natural."

He slowly picked up his glass, the amber liquid swirling within.

"But the Crown Princess's dance was truly unforgettable."

Zhou was filled with shame and indignation. She bowed to Liang Maoye and then hurriedly retreated with the help of her personal maid.

As she turned away, Gu Cheng's gaze followed her departing figure like a persistent, lingering wound.

In the midst of this awkward atmosphere, the side hall door was suddenly pushed open.

Four guards carried a body covered with a white sheet into the hall and placed it in the center.

The white cloth slipped off, revealing a pale face—it was none other than Zhao Weiyuan, the elder of Panlong Peak of the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect!

"This is."

Liang Maoye's pupils suddenly contracted.

On the corpse's chest, a sword wound as thin as a hair pierced through the heart, and the skin around the wound was an eerie bluish-green, as if it had been bitten by a venomous snake.

Gu Cheng put down his wine glass, walked slowly to the corpse, and squatted down.

He extended two fingers and drew a circle above the wound, drawing out a wisp of cyan sword energy from it!
The sword energy coiled around his fingertips, gradually transforming into a small green snake with its head raised and tongue flicking.

"Azure Dragon Sword Qi".

The voice of the lonely city was as cold as ice.

"In the entire Northern Territory, there are no more than eight people who know this sword technique, all of whom come from the Zuowang Peak of the Yunhai Immortal Sect."

The atmosphere inside the hall froze instantly.

Jiang Chuan's expression changed slightly as he stepped forward to examine the body.

As he approached, the wisp of sword energy suddenly trembled violently and tilted in his direction!

"Elder Jiang, it seems this sword energy recognizes its master."

The lonely city seemed to be both smiling and not smiling.

Jiang Chuan said in a deep voice.

"I have indeed fought Elder Zhao before and am familiar with his aura. But this sword energy..."

He reached out to touch the wisp of green energy, but Gu Cheng avoided it.

"Not urgent."

Gu Cheng stood up, a small blue snake coiling in his palm.

"Zhao Weiyuan should have been in seclusion at the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect, attempting to break through to the World Honored Realm. Why did he die at the Liang Prince's Mansion? And why was his fatal wound the Azure Dragon Sword Qi, a secret technique passed down from the Sitting Forgetfulness Peak?"

Liang Maoye's face was ashen.

"Jiang Chuan, what's your explanation?"

Before Jiang Chuan could speak, Chen Qing had already stepped forward.

"Lord Gucheng, you are mistaken! While the Azure Dragon Sword Qi is rare, it is not impossible to imitate. If someone is deliberately framing me..."

"frame?"

The lonely city sneered.

"The Five Elements Sword Manual of Master Tongming was created by a semi-immortal from the Central Plains. How could an ordinary person imitate it?"

He looked around at everyone.

"The swordsmanship of Zhongzhou is far more advanced than the Northern Territory can imagine. The old sword immortal Kong Zhou, the sword immortal Li Muzhi, and the sword master Wang Zhihuan, aren't they all exceptionally talented? The Cloud Sea Immortal Sect in Zhongzhou is just a second-rate sect."

With a flick of his palm, the small blue snake suddenly stretched out, transforming into a three-foot-long green blade pointing straight at Jiangchuan.

"And this sword energy is enough to prove that the murderer came from Zuowang Peak!"

Just as tensions were about to rise, a clear shout broke the deadlock.

"not necessarily!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wu Shuang slam her hand on the table and stand up, her white robes fluttering even without wind.

Lu Jianxiong, who was standing next to her, tried to stop her, but she stopped him with a look.

"If the perpetrator is a master of the Sword Heart Realm, imitating the Azure Dragon Sword Qi would not be difficult."

Wu Shuang's voice was as cold and clear as frost.

"With a clear and bright mind, one can transform all laws."

"Does Lord Gucheng not know this?"

Instead of retreating, Wu Shuang stepped forward.

"The four realms of swordsmanship are form, intent, momentum, and mind. Ordinary swordsmen can only reach the peak of the form realm in their entire lives, and those who can enter the intent realm are extremely rare."

She spoke very quickly, as if afraid of being interrupted.

"However, ancient texts record that there are unparalleled geniuses who can skip the realm of momentum and go directly to the realm of mind, which is called the realm of sword mind. Such people can imitate the sword energy of the world as easily as taking something out of a bag!"

"Sword Heart Realm?"

Gu Cheng paused slightly in his teacup, and a barely perceptible ripple spread across the surface of the tea.

He looked up at the girl standing next to Lu Jianxiong, whose hands, which were used to holding swords, were trembling almost imperceptibly.

Jiang Chuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and the sword energy within his body leaked out uncontrollably for a moment, forming a blue halo around him.

He turned sharply to look at Wu Shuang, disbelief flashing in his eyes.

"Xiao Shuang! Don't talk nonsense!"

Lu Jianxiong's expression changed drastically. He reached out to cover the girl's mouth, but suddenly his face turned pale and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Uncle Lu!"

Wu Shuang exclaimed in surprise and hurriedly supported the swaying Lu Jianxiong, patting his back frantically with her small hands.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Lu Jianxiong waved his hand, but unexpectedly found that the cold sword energy that had been lingering in his body for many days had loosened a bit.

He looked at Wu Shuang with surprise and doubt, only to see tears in the girl's eyes.

"It's nothing. Cough cough."

Lu Jianxiong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled bitterly.

"That old thief Ye Qiu's sword energy is tricky. I've suppressed it for many days, but I didn't expect that you would anger me so much that it would loosen up a bit."

At the other end of the hall, Chen Qing and Wang Han exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

As sword cultivators, they knew all too well what the words "Sword Heart Realm" meant.

That is a legendary realm that transcends the four extremes of the Sword Realm; only a handful of people in the entire Nine Provinces can reach this level.

Gu Cheng slowly put down his teacup, the porcelain clinking against the wooden table with a crisp "ding".

His gaze was sharp as a sword, fixed directly on Wu Shuang.

"Young lady, do you know what the Sword Heart Realm is?"

Wu Shuang blinked, looking around blankly at the suddenly heavy atmosphere.

"I...I've only heard my master mention it."

Her voice trailed off, as if she realized she had said something she shouldn't have.

Jiang Chuan forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

He looked at Gu Cheng and found that the other man's eyes also held a complex expression.

Their eyes met, and they instantly understood each other's thoughts.

This seemingly ordinary girl may very well possess the legendary Sword Spirit Body! (End of Chapter)